"..."
Xu Yanwu remained silent under the barrage of insults, standing in stark contrast to the giant, who kept ranting even as he fought.
"Why aren't you saying anything?! As a god, are you unwilling to offer even a single excuse?!"
The giant roared, "Is this your pride? Or your cowardice?"
"Is it that you simply disdain explaining yourself to a fake like me, or is it... that you simply can't explain it at all?!"
"We should have become stronger sooner! As long as we could uncover our power! As long as we could recognize who we were!" The giant's legs had now grown out from atop Tenshu-kaku, bringing him abruptly close to Xu Yanwu.
The enormous Jizo Mitama stabbed into Xu Yanwu's chest together. Releasing the hilts, the giant seized Xu Yanwu by the throat. His savage face drew close, nearly pressing against Xu Yanwu's.
"Why didn't we become stronger sooner?! Why did we only start lamenting our helplessness after everything had already happened?!"
The giant bellowed, his voice deafening. "Trash! Trash!!!!"
"If you can't do it, then leave it to me!"
"Become stronger! Tear apart everything in our path! Because we are gods! As long as we can cast away what does not matter! As long as we can abandon ourselves..."
The giant slowly tightened his grip around Xu Yanwu's throat. "There will no longer be any Xu Yanwu in this world! There will only be a god! A god of humanity! A god capable of leading humanity against Honkai!!!!"
"Throw away all your cowardice! Your hesitation!"
"Throw away all your needless emotions!"
"We will become... beings capable of opposing Honkai, beings just like Honkai..."
"Gods!!!!"
The giant exerted his strength, trying to kill Xu Yanwu.
But Xu Yanwu caught the giant's hand.
The hand gripping Xu Yanwu's