Yuma gripped the [Sword of Wailing and Annihilation, Balmung] tightly.
“Oh, it’s been a while since I’ve had the chance to be used.”
Despite the odd noises coming from Balmung, Yuma focused his [Search Eye] on the God of Steel and War, Duke, who was approaching him.
[Lv.894] Duke
Race: God (神)
Divine Name: God of Steel and War
Realm: God (神)
Confirming the level and divine name with [Search Eye], something unusual happened shortly after.
Divine Name: God of Steel and War, Sovereign of All Blades, God of Violence and Madness, God of Pain and Glory, Indomitable Twilight, Ravenous Devourer…
The divine names suddenly multiplied significantly.
And there was a caution notice that hadn’t existed moments ago.
Caution: Numerous gods are merged into [God of Steel and War, Duke]. Additionally, roughly two other divine ranks have fused.
Unease.
Yuma realized, upon reading the caution notice, why he felt not just Duke’s gaze but multiple gazes when Duke was staring at him.
“Merging.”
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The ground of the Sky continent trembled. Fragments of the broken land shot up into the air.
“KRRAAAARRR!”
A scream that bordered on a shriek erupted from Duke, his veins bulging on his neck.
“Because of you, YOU! Why do I have to go through this?!”
Duke dashed toward Yuma, his gray hair dramatically billowing. Clearly, the pain he was emitting wasn’t a self-induced fusion.
A sword, crafted from deep blue steel, shimmered into existence in Duke’s hand.
Incredible divine power accumulated on the steel sword. Duke slammed the ground vehemently.
Something protruded from Duke’s left shoulder. It was a massive arm.
A red whirlwind swirled around that hand.
The demigods of the Sky continent finally understood that the attack Duke unleashed on them wasn’t his full power.
“That ignorant divine strength.”
Kiryev, the demigod of the Join Tribe, clicked his tongue at the sight of an attacking force that devoured space itself.
What was clinging thickly to the steel sword wasn’t just divine power. A swordsmanship that far transcended levels was also condensed within.
Death.
Elven demigod, Seiavern, anticipated the demise of the defenseless man, Yuma.
“Can a being born in the Intermediate World… a god of human origin withstand such an attack?”
If the author died, how would they handle such a powerful god?
Seiavern was already contemplating what they would do after Yuma’s demise. It was an unavoidable consequence of the stark difference in divine ranks.
It was a difference.
But in an instant, that thought flipped upside down.
From Yuma’s entire body, a divine power comparable to the Duke—no, even greater—erupted.
Yuma’s right arm moved in an instant.
And the Balmung gripped in that right hand traced a graceful trajectory.
Duke’s attacks approached from above and below simultaneously. Yuma’s gaze swiftly read the path of the attacks.
Kugugugugu!
Balmung and the entire right arm were enveloped in a more intense divine power than what flowed through his whole body.
The eyes imbued with divine power allowed him to grasp the trajectory without needing to unfold [Bullet Time].
Kwang─!
Golden circular waves spread out in succession.
[Absolute Counter]!
Zheojjeojeojeojeok!
Two pillars of energy shot out ferociously from the Balmung.
It looked like an overwhelming attack that nothing could stop.
The elf, Seiavern, who had reached the realm of semi-divine with swordsmanship, couldn’t comprehend the principle of the sword strike.
‘Was the attack deflected?’
Seiavern slowly shook her head.
No.
There was no way an attack of such density could merely be reflected.
‘There is a transcendent principle of martial arts contained in that sword strike.’
Seiavern truly believed that.
The thoughts of the two semi-divines, Kiryev and Seiavern, along with the Lycanthrope Kesylvia, flipped in an instant. Now it seemed more strange that this mysterious god wouldn’t die.
Kwaang! Zheerung!
The stormy sword strike unleashed from Balmung directly hit the Duke’s upper body. Duke’s body was sent flying backward.
Kwang! Kwang─!
He crashed into the wall of the Sky Continent repeatedly.
Duke’s entire body was stained with blood.
The semi-divines realized for the first time that even a complete divine body had bones.
Duke was on the brink of death.
Yet, he did not die.
Crackle… crackle…
Flesh rapidly began to regenerate over the bones.
“Kurrrgh!”
Thick blood erupted from Duke’s mouth.
Before Duke’s body, which was still sprawled on the ground, many things had been shattered.
Yuma looked at those thick, grotesque fragments with [Search Eye].
[Shattered fragments of a transcendent shield made from the souls of distorted gods]
: Fragments of a shield woven from the souls of four gods.
The intertwined souls of the gods.
The souls of the gods.
Using some of them, a barrier was created. It was the shattered fragments of that barrier.
“Ugh!”
Duke, spewing another chunk of blood, rose up with his glowing red eyes.
“Die…”
And then he exploded with anger.
“I said die!!”
Kaboom!
Crack, crackle!
Intense red veins surged all over Duke’s gray body.
Another figure shot up from Duke’s body, starting to transform like an Asura from myth.
“Graaaah!”
With the transformation came pain.
Not only did the number of arms increase, but there was also a head sprouting on each side.
Yuma, expressionless, simply stared at Duke’s increasingly grotesque form.
‘I can’t hold on any longer.’
Even if he used the god’s soul as a shield, it would only work once, he was certain of it. This certainty was grounded in the image of Duke pushed to the brink of death not long ago.
Crunch—
Yuma tightened his grip on Balmung.
His steps were heading toward Duke.
What remained was another clash.
From the eight arms stretched across Duke’s body, various weapons were summoned, glinting menacingly.
Thud, thud, thud, thud—
Duke’s legs transformed, looking like a beast optimized for charging, and he stomped the ground violently.
The land of the Celestial Continent split apart, and countless rock fragments soared into the sky.
The earth shook with Duke’s charge.
Spear, sword, axe, polearm. The myriad weapons.
And from those myriad weapons came a cascade of varied attack trajectories.
In the air over the Celestial Continent, a massive and fierce flower bloomed.
Kachak—
As the slashing attack hit the ground, the energy contained within crushed it to pieces.
Once again, Yuma did not enter bullet time.
The attack trajectories of the slashes, seen through his eyes brimming with divine energy, gave Yuma confidence.
The confidence that he could withstand all those ruthless slashes.
Grrrrrrrr!
Thunder erupted.
A massive sword aura, created from some of his latent divine power, wrapped around Balmung.
The divine energy blazed brighter than any flame.
Duke’s incoming attacks.
The myriad weapons glowed with dark flames.
The sword was imbued with strong lightning.
The axe and polearm were surrounded by gusts of wind.
Brilliant light extended all around.
Yuma’s right arm moved.
Whoosh—
Yuma had read the fleeting timing of all the incoming attacks on his eyes and Balmung.
All eight attacks were parried by Balmung.
Eight thrusts shot out from the tip of Balmung’s blade.
SSSSSSHHHHRRRRRAAACCK!
Countless blades passed through Duke’s entire body.
It was an endless line.
He tried to block. Yet, he couldn’t.
A hollow space formed beneath Duke’s neck.
It was as if Duke’s upper body had vanished, leaving only his head floating.
CRACK-
A multitude of divine power gathered for regeneration.
WUUUUUUM…
But in the end, the divine power failed to converge and completely scattered.
KABOOM-
Duke’s head fell to the ground.
His eyes were stained black.
“You will surely die someday.”
No will to resist was left.
“What you have turned your back on is all the gods of the Temple of All Gods.”
Bearing death.
“That means turning the entire world against you.”
Duke’s gaze was still fixated on Yuma.
“Nothingness and infinity… will definitely choke the life out of you.”
He was unable to recover and met his death.
Yuma sheathed Balmung into his back scabbard.
‘Nothingness and infinity.’
Could it be the divine names of a god?
It was a phrase worth remembering.
Confirming Duke’s complete demise, Yuma looked around at the faces of those who had their eyes on him.
Three survivors of the Celestial Continent.
Kiryev, Seiavern, and Kesylvia.
An unbearable silence.
It was Yuma who broke that silence.
“The Celestial Continent.”
Checking the faces of the demigods and transcendent beings staring at him, he continued.
“I don’t know well what kind of place this is.”
He didn’t extinguish his divine power.
To prevent the beings on this land from having trivial thoughts.
“So, let’s do some self-introductions.”
Kiryev and Kesylvia widened their eyes, mouths agape.
A sudden self-introduction?
“From the left, in order.”
Kiryev, on the far left, nodded unconsciously.
“Oh, I understand.”
What can one do when the god who killed a deity that everyone in the Celestial Continent couldn’t touch asked for a self-introduction?
“As you can see, I’m from the Join Tribe… My name is Kiryev. I can use most weapons that I can grasp in my hands.”
I guess I should follow along obediently.
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