Divine Mask: I Have Numerous God Clones

Bork's breath hitched, his eyes wide with terror. "Please... no... you can't kill me!" he stammered, his voice quivering with desperation, his gaze darting around as if searching for a way out.

Lucy leaned in closer, her eyes cold and unyielding. "There's nowhere left for you to run," she said, her tone as icy as her stare. She reached out and seized Bork by the head, her grip tightening with finality. "It's time for you to die and pay for your sins."

Bork's face twisted in sheer panic, his voice escalating to a frantic pitch. "No! You don't understand—I'm too important! You can't do this! Please—"

Lucy's expression remained cold and resolute as she raised her fist to deliver the final blow. But just as her hand tightened around Bork's head, a voice, smooth and commanding, echoed through the cavern.

"I think you'd better reconsider before you kill him."

Lucy froze, her fist hovering inches from Bork's skull, as she and Zeus instinctively turned toward the cave's entrance. Two figures stood there, their presence immediately setting off alarms in the back of Lucy's and Zeus's minds.

One of the newcomers was a young man, likely no older than 22, his features sharp and confident. The other was slightly older, in his 30s, with an air of experience that made them both seem more dangerous. Despite their calm exteriors, there was something about their presence that put both Lucy and Zeus on edge.

Zeus's eyes narrowed, suspicion lacing his tone. "And what exactly do you think we should reconsider?" he asked, stepping forward to stand beside Lucy.

Without waiting for a response, Zeus pressed on, his voice firm and resolute. "Bork is a terrorist and our target. We're here to kill him and complete our mission, nothing more, nothing less."

His eyes flicked to the grotesque corpse puppet standing ominously by their side. "So if you're trying to stop us, does that mean he's your partner? Or perhaps your subordinate?" Zeus's tone was laced with suspicion, his gaze sharp. "Especially considering that corpse puppet you've brought along."

The younger man's expression flickered with surprise, quickly masked by a cool demeanor. He hadn't expected Zeus to identify the puppet so easily.

"You're quite perceptive to have recognized my special corpse puppet," the young man acknowledged, his voice calm but carrying a hint of begrudging respect. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're making a mistake."

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before continuing, "What you said is true—Bork is my subordinate, involved in matters concerning my family. So, I suggest you release him now, or face the consequences."

A self-assured smirk curled on the young man's lips as he stepped forward with an air of superiority. "In case you're unaware of who you're dealing with, I am Vesperin Malachor, the young master of the Malachor family—one of the noble houses."

He let his words hang in the air for a moment, savoring the weight they carried. "I'm also an outer disciple of the Necrovauld Academy. So before you do something reckless, I'd advise you to think twice."

Zeus's response was immediate. He burst into laughter, the sound echoing off the cavern walls. The unexpected reaction left Vesperin frowning, clearly irritated. "What's so funny?" Vesperin demanded, his voice tinged with annoyance. "Why are you laughing?"

Zeus's laughter subsided into a smirk, his eyes locking onto Vesperin with an amused glint. "Do you really think I'm afraid of your family or even your academy?" he asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Vesperin's confident facade faltered slightly as Zeus continued, his voice calm but with an edge that cut through the air. "Let me enlighten you—I'm an outer disciple of the Celestial Academy. And last I checked, the Celestial Academy ranks much higher than Necrovauld."

Zeus's smirk deepened, his gaze locked onto Vesperin with unshakable confidence. "So if anyone here should be reconsidering their next move, it's you."

For a brief moment, Vesperin's confidence faltered, his brow furrowing in surprise. He hadn't anticipated facing disciples from the Celestial Academy, a place renowned for producing the most elite cultivators. The revelation unsettled him, but only for a moment.

Quickly regaining his composure, Vesperin's sneer returned. "The Celestial Academy may have a higher rank than Necrovauld, but I didn't hear you mention anything about being a noble. So, you're just a commoner, aren't you?" His voice dripped with condescension as he leaned forward, his eyes narrowing.

"Let me give you some advice," Vesperin continued, his tone laced with a cold certainty. "You'd better stop now. Your status as an outer disciple won't matter when you're dead, and trust me, no one will ever know what happened here."

He smirked, believing he had the upper hand, that his words had reestablished his control over the situation.

But Zeus only laughed, the sound growing louder and more mocking with each passing second. "You're right about one thing, Vesperin—we are commoners and also we can be pretty stupid. We don't always know what's important."

Zeus's laughter subsided, leaving a cold smile on his lips as he fixed Vesperin with a look that could pierce through steel. "But here's the thing about us commoners," he added, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "We're not bound by the same rules that you nobles cling to. And that makes us unpredictable."

Vesperin's smirk wavered slightly, his confidence beginning to erode as Zeus's words sank in. The realization that he might have underestimated his opponents flickered across his face, but he stubbornly held his ground.

"You may talk big, but in the end, you're just another commoner with delusions of grandeur," Vesperin spat, though his tone lacked the conviction it once held.

Zeus's eyes glinted with a mixture of amusement and danger. "Believe whatever helps you sleep at night, Vesperin," he replied smoothly. "But you should've learned by now—underestimating someone based on their birth is the kind of mistake that gets people killed."

In that very instant, Lucy moved. Her body became a blur, her lethal intent clear as she closed the distance between herself and Vesperin with deadly precision.