It Hurts So Much, Regard Me as the Supreme Lord!

The enormous golden hammer fell from Garuda's hand and slammed down with a dull thud.

Bang!

Garuda's body shuddered violently. Pain twisted his face as he staggered backward, raising a hand to clutch his left chest.

Within his blood-soaked chest, his heart suddenly clenched. An intense, wrenching pain rose up, as though he had lost something precious, and tears streamed uncontrollably down his face.

Pain!

It hurt too much!

The image of Vishnu that had always rested within his heart suddenly turned into golden light and vanished without a trace. The Supreme Lord's whispers were gone from his ears, the Supreme Lord's fragrance gone from his nose, and the Supreme Lord's radiant form gone from his sight.

Even the Supreme Lord's faint, indulgent smile was fading from his mind.

"Supreme Lord! Supreme Lord!"

"Supreme Lord, where are you?!"

Garuda instantly panicked and looked wildly around as he cried out.

The gods fell silent, their faces filled with fear and shock. All of them held their breath in stunned disbelief.

What a vicious curse!

What a powerful curse!

For believers to lose their faith was like having their lives taken away.

No!

It was even more terrifying than losing their lives!

Garuda was anxious and unsettled. The wings behind him beat chaotically, sending feathers raining down. In panic, he pressed his palms together and closed his eyes in praise of the Supreme Lord.

"Praise Supreme Lord Vishnu!"

"Praise the Supreme Lord!"

Prayer after prayer flowed from Garuda's mouth, yet he could not sense the slightest response.

Sigh~

At that moment, Agni shook his head and sighed. He mobilized the last trace of divine power he had left, and flames suddenly ignited between his hands as he raised a cluster of red fire.

Within that flame, countless dazzling colors emerged.

Within those colors were heaven and earth, worlds, gods, and mortals, as though nothing was excluded.

The next moment, the flame flashed. Flowing fire swept like the wind, and Garuda's praying figure, palms pressed together, appeared within the blaze. His urgent prayers echoed through the flames, lingering without end.

Sacrificial Fire!

If the power of faith from sacrifices wished to reach the gods, it had to pass through the Sacrificial Fire.

The Sacrificial Fire burned, linking heaven and earth, running through humanity, gods, and all races as it conveyed faith to the gods.

As the God of Fire and the God of Sacrifices, Agni controlled this Sacrificial Fire. It rested in his hands.

"Garuda, your prayers are echoing within this Sacrificial Fire, but they have not reached the Supreme Lord. It seems the curse has already taken effect. The Supreme Lord will no longer see you!"

Agni said gravely.

Hearing this, Garuda's face filled with grief. His clasped hands slowly fell, while fury accumulated in his heart. A complex expression of sorrow and rage appeared on his face as his sharp eagle eyes fixed upon Indra.

At that moment, wild winds surged, whipping up Garuda's loose hair. A terrifying pressure spread from his body.

"Indra, you are too vicious. You obstructed a believer's devotion to the Supreme Lord. You are utterly unworthy of being the Emperor of Heaven!"

Garuda gritted out.

"Now you know what viciousness is? Wasn't it vicious when you interrupted my arduous cultivation? In the past, Shiva transformed his fury into Bhairava and removed Brahma's arrogant fifth head. Yet even Shiva, because of the great sin of killing Brahman, had to exile his incarnation. Bhairava was cast into abandonment and banished far from the mortal world."

"Brahma's son, Prajapati Daksha, turned against Shiva over this matter and swore never to offer sacrifices to Shiva, which later led to what happened to Sati."

"All of this was the Lila of Shiva, the Lord of Innocence. It was the Trimurti warning the world never to commit acts of arrogance, leaving a lesson for future generations!"

"And now, not only did you disrupt my arduous cultivation, you let brother strike brother, forgot the Supreme Lord's instructions when he invited us here, and even sought to defy your superior by raising a weapon to kill me!"

"You have long since committed the unforgivable sin of arrogance!"

"The vicious one is you!"

Indra widened his eyes and glared at Garuda. Thunderous flames blossomed in his eyes as he raised an arm and shouted.

Rumble!

Within the Heavenly Realm, thunder answered from afar. Lightning raced like dancing dragons and serpents, illuminating Indra's face as peals of deafening thunder roared, bolstering his momentum.

He might not necessarily win a fight now that he had no divine power.

But when it came to claiming the moral high ground, he was no less capable.

"You, you, you..."

"I never wanted to kill you!"

Garuda's chest heaved, his face flushed red, and he pointed at Indra, momentarily speechless.

Among the Trimurti, Brahma had originally possessed five heads. Yet the fifth head was exceedingly arrogant, constantly spouting wild nonsense and insulting the Vedas, which represented the wisdom of the universe.

Unable to endure it any longer, Shiva used his incarnation, Bhairava, to remove Brahma's fifth head.

This act enraged Brahma's son Daksha. As the Prajapati, most life in the world had been born through him, so he decreed that no creature or living being in the world could offer sacrifices to Shiva.

Sati, the reincarnation of Shiva's feminine power, was Daksha's daughter at the time.

Because of the conflict between her husband Shiva and her father Daksha, Sati ultimately immolated herself.

Garuda naturally knew this story all too well.

That damned Indra, using that story against me. Is he comparing me to Daksha?

Garuda thought angrily.

In the end, Daksha had also had his head removed for the sin of arrogance and replaced with a goat's head.

His ending had been quite miserable!

Garuda panted heavily, feeling both wronged and enraged.

He wanted to speak up and refute him, but he had no idea how to do so!

"I'm furious! You despicable Indra, you set me up!"

Garuda retorted, his face red with anger.

At that moment, a figure suddenly appeared in the Heavenly Realm and let out a long sigh.

"Sigh!"

"It seems I came too late!"

Priest Sage arrived with measured steps, sighing.

His black hair draped over his shoulders, and his face was golden like wheat. He wore an ornate yellow robe over a white inner garment, giving him an elegant and refined air.

Priest Sage Vihapoti!

The son of Angiras, Brahma's third son, he was proficient in all manner of spells, hymns, and sacrificial rites. He was the Heavenly God Mentor, as well as Indra's friend and advisor.

"Praise Priest Sage, Heavenly God Mentor!"

"Praise Priest Sage, Heavenly God Mentor!"

"Praise Vihapoti!"

The gods all bowed and offered their praises.

Priest Sage pressed his palms together, bowed slightly, and said slowly, "Praise to all gods!"

Then his gaze fell upon Indra and Garuda. He saw the two glaring fiercely at one another, looking as incompatible as fire and water.

His brows furrowed slightly, and a troubled expression appeared on his face.

He had received Brahma's order to mediate the conflict between Indra and Garuda. Now that the gods had lost their divine power and all things were in chaos, this was no time for internal conflict.

"Indra!"

"Can you withdraw the curse upon Garuda?!"

After thinking for a moment, Priest Sage first turned to his friend Indra.

This side might be easier to reason with!

Indra's expression remained calm as he gave a soft chuckle.

"As everyone knows, once a curse is cast, it cannot be withdrawn."

Indra said.

"But conditions can be added to the original curse..."

Priest Sage said honestly.

A curse cast through the Power of Arduous Cultivation could not be changed once issued, but it was like writing code: conditions could be added before the original curse.

Of course, that would also consume the Power of Arduous Cultivation of the one who cast the curse!

"That would consume my Power of Arduous Cultivation!"

At this point, Indra's voice suddenly paused. Then he continued with a smile. "But it is not impossible. Have him apologize to me immediately!"

"And one more thing. To cut away his arrogant heart and make him follow dharma, I want him to regard me as he would the Supreme Lord. Whenever he sees me in the future, he must praise me three times!"