Fantasy Library, Ch 291-295

Chapter 291: Meteor and Storm

In the world of magic and spiritual power users, there exists a very rare type of talent known as Spirit Visionary.

They possess an innate special spiritual sight, capable of suddenly receiving inspiration in certain situations and seeing some mysterious visions.

Clairvoyance, Precognition, Future Sight, Past Sight… the eyes of a Spirit Visionary are given all sorts of names.

Just like when a god in the heavens suddenly has a whim and grants divine revelation to a chosen one, Spirit Vision is the ability used to receive such revelations.

Mariya Yuri became the highest-ranking Hime-Miko at a young age precisely because of her innate Spirit Vision.

Her level of Spirit Vision was extremely high. Other Spirit Visionaries had highly unstable abilities—sometimes effective, sometimes not, and some might only trigger a few times in their entire lives—but Mariya Yuri’s Spirit Vision was exceptionally easy to activate. As long as she came into slight contact with something special, or if something extraordinary was about to happen nearby, she would more or less receive some inspiration and produce some premonitions.

At this moment, Mariya Yuri’s Spirit Vision had been triggered to its maximum extent, allowing her to see something that would only occur in the future.

“————”

In a hazy field of vision, an unprecedented catastrophe was occurring.

Meteors were streaking across the sky.

Ghosts were rampaging on the ground.

A mighty being, wielding a spear made from a tree branch, clad in golden armor, and wearing a war helmet, rode a divine and majestic Pegasus, advancing and trampling amidst a storm.

Tsunamis surged behind it, wind and rain devoured living beings before it.

And ahead of it—was a city full of people fleeing in panic...

“Ah!”

The Spirit Vision ended, and Mariya Yuri let out a cry.

That cry sounded pained, and filled with fear.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Kaiser saw Mariya Yuri’s eyes suddenly become hollow, then she let out a terrified scream, which nearly startled him.

In the distant shrine, quite a few shrine attendants seemed to have heard Mariya Yuri’s cry as well and were rushing over in haste.

“I-I’m fine...”

Mariya Yuri came back to herself, her small hand covering her mouth, but her face was deathly pale, and even her voice was trembling.

“S-Sorry, I have to leave now!”

Leaving behind those words, Mariya Yuri fled in a panic, stumbling as she ran, as if she had been immensely frightened.

“...She must have seen something.”

Though he didn’t know exactly what had happened, Kaiser was certain of that.

Even in the original story, Mariya Yuri’s Spirit Vision ability was nearly unmatched. Now that she had encountered him, perhaps she had been inspired and seen something that shouldn’t have been seen yet.

“Poor girl, there are some things in this world that aren’t meant to be seen...”

Kaiser shook his head as he left with broom in hand.

He didn’t know that Mariya Yuri, who had left earlier, was already nervously speaking to the shrine attendants who had rushed over.

“P-Please notify the History Compilation Committee immediately! Tell them—a god is about to descend upon this country!”

“A Heretic God... is going to appear in this nation!”

“Disaster... is coming!”

The scene instantly fell into dead silence.

A few minutes later, all of Japan was thrown into chaos.

At least, everyone involved in the occult was.

…………

Kaiser didn’t know that the Hime-Miko Mariya Yuri had already foreseen the arrival of a Heretic God.

He was merely strolling through the grove near the shrine, admiring the beautiful scenery while activating the Second Authority, converting all his spiritual power into Magical Power.

Magical Power, known as "Qi" in the East and "Mana" in the West, is the origin of all mystical forces.

All mystic systems in this world, be it magic, sorcery, or the special powers of spiritualists, are powered by Magical Power—including the Authorities used by the gods.

“This seems to be just a pure fuel.”

After some perception, Kaiser discovered that Magical Power was different from all the power systems he had previously possessed.

Prana could enhance offensive and defensive power, helping in combat.

Spiritual Pressure, needless to say, was directly linked to combat strength, influencing all aspects of ability execution and battle techniques.

But only this world's Magical Power seemed to be just an energy source—a type of fuel.

“No, it still has some unique traits.”

Reportedly, magicians whose Magical Power reached the purest realm could reverse aging of the body.

Those famous witches could stay youthful just by relying on their Magical Power—despite being over a hundred years old, they appeared to be in their twenties or thirties.

Campiones carry hundreds of times the Magical Power of ordinary magicians. As long as they circulate the flow of Magical Power in their bodies, they can nullify external magic, rendering almost all magic ineffective.

This shows that while Magical Power in its weak state is merely a fuel, as it grows stronger, its special traits gradually emerge.

“I wonder what level my Magical Power is at now? Can it compare to a Campione? Or even a god?”

Kaiser was a bit curious, but without any reference point to compare against, he had no idea how much Magical Power he had.

His First Authority only worked on weapons—it allowed him to fully master the abilities of any weapon, but had no effect on his own power system. So to understand the peculiarities of Magical Power, Kaiser could only explore it slowly himself.

Of course, using it posed no issue.

When switching power systems, his mastery and application of those powers would convert accordingly. There was no issue with being unable to use a new power system smoothly.

“Unfortunately, Magical Power can’t replace spiritual power to activate Kido.”

He had already tested this.

Spiritual power originates from the soul, while Magical Power is generated within the physical body. Their roots and sources are different, so their incompatibility is natural.

Not to mention Kido—even abilities like Cero and Bala couldn’t be used.

Because without Spiritual Pressure, he couldn’t release highly condensed Spiritual Pressure to form a Cero, let alone launch a Bala composed of Spiritual Pressure bursts.

Under these circumstances, Kaiser could basically confirm it.

“Weapons acknowledged by my First Authority—no matter if I switch power systems using the Second Authority—can still be used without issue.”

“But magic, sorcery, Kido, and techniques that rely on my own mastery of a power system don’t work the same.”

“Unless the two worlds’ power systems are similar and interchangeable, otherwise they won’t be usable.”

Of course, this didn’t have much of an impact. After all, Kaiser could switch power systems at will—if he wanted to use something, he could just switch back to a compatible system.

What truly made him powerful were the various exclusive weapons. Techniques like Kido were just functional or supplementary battle tools. They didn’t matter much.

“The rest doesn’t seem affected.”

Kaiser took a step, and in an instant, his figure appeared hundreds of meters away as if he had teleported.

His form twisted again and suddenly appeared in another direction—elusive and ghostlike.

“Shunpo is just a high-speed movement technique.”

“Sonído is also a skill involving spatial manipulation.”

“These two abilities don’t heavily rely on the user’s power system, so they should work normally no matter the world.”

Then there was Hierro and High-Speed Regeneration—abilities that originated from the body itself, unrelated to power systems, so they weren’t affected.

As he continually checked his abilities, Kaiser quickly reacquainted himself with everything.

“Well then, it’s about time to get to business.”

Saying this, Kaiser stopped walking, and a pair of light wings unfolded behind him.

“Boom!”

Like a meteor soaring into the sky, a loud bang rang out, and a fierce gale erupted, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Kaiser’s figure rapidly flew into the air, then transformed into a long streak of light, shooting toward the direction of the sea.

…………

When gods manifest on earth, the phenomena they bring are terrifying.

They are natural disasters themselves. Simply by appearing on earth, they change the color of the skies and bring about unknown calamities. They are disasters incarnate.

To fight such beings—setting aside whether one can win—the battlefield must not be in a populated area.

At the very least, Kaiser didn’t want to become someone who slaughtered innocents for no reason, so he decided to take the battle to the sea.

Fortunately, the flight speed of Divine Dividing was very fast. It only took Kaiser about half an hour to fly from the Kanto Region to the open seas where even the archipelago of Japan was no longer visible.

“This place should do, right?”

Hovering above the sea, Kaiser looked around and, after confirming no ships were nearby, summoned the True Longinus.

How does one summon a god?

Kaiser had already thought this through.

According to the original story, gods are immortal. Even if they lose their lives and bodies, their existence continues.

Their existence resides in the Realm of Immortality… in myths. If a certain trigger occurs, they will liberate their divinity from myth, incarnate in the world, and manifest.

At this time, they become Heretic Gods. Because they’ve broken away from myth, and the established rules, they gradually become affected by madness, turning violent and battle-hungry.

If one wants to summon a Heretic God from the Realm of Immortality using human means, the conditions are extraordinarily harsh.

Mariya Yuri was once forced by a tyrannical Campione, along with many Hime-Miko, witches, and priests, to participate in a summoning ritual for a Heretic God. As a result, nearly everyone went mad afterward. Only a rare few, including Mariya Yuri, survived by sheer luck.

Because of that, Mariya Yuri harbors an excessive fear toward Campiones, and a deep-seated fear and awe toward Heretic Gods.

Of course, in this world, there is no one who doesn’t fear Campiones and gods.

Chapter 292: The One-Eyed King! Descent!

Actually, when it comes to the summoning of a Heretic God, it could be said to be difficult, but also easy.

If it is carried out through a ritual, then the requirements are naturally extremely stringent. However, even without relying on rituals, gods may still descend upon the earth due to some trigger and become Heretic Gods.

This trigger is uncertain and must take into account various factors.

For example, when powerful dragons or serpents appear on earth, heroes from myths who specialize in slaying such creatures may descend due to this trigger and manifest on earth.

Or, in places that share an unusual connection with certain deities, gods with ties to such locations may suddenly descend there.

Some divine tools passed down from ancient times may attract gods with their power; some spiritual lands, if their leylines are disrupted, may likewise cause the manifestation of a deity.

Therefore...

“I don’t need to perform any demanding descent ritual. As long as I provide a trigger that can prompt a god to descend, I might be able to summon one.”

Now, that was exactly what Kaiser intended to do.

What he relied on was the True Longinus in his hand.

The Holy Spear was a divine artifact personally crafted by a god, its prototype being the very famous ancient relic—Spear of Longinus.

This spear can slay gods.

This spear houses the will of a god.

As long as he activated Truth Idea to unleash a miracle, Kaiser believed that a god would definitely be drawn to him.

“‘O spear! The true holy spear that pierces the divine!’”

“‘Draw forth the ideal of the overlord slumbering within me, carve open the gap between blessing and destruction.’”

“‘Thou—proclaim thy will and become radiance!’”

Kaiser then raised the Holy Spear high, letting its tip expand to the limit.

“Truth Idea!”

A sacred surge instantly erupted from the wide-open tip of the spear, surging like fiercely burning golden flames, continuously rising toward the heavens.

Divine power gushed forth like a fountain, erupting toward the sky and transforming into a golden aura visible to the naked eye, soaring straight into the clouds.

At this moment, magical societies, occult organizations, and unofficial sorcery structures around the world detected the emergence of an enormous power.

Especially in nearby Japan, the History Compilation Committee, which had just received Mariya Yuri’s report, immediately realized what was happening and rushed into action.

The sacred surge expanded between heaven and earth, dyeing the sea beneath the spear-raising Kaiser in brilliant gold.

“Boom!!!”

At last, with a thunderous roar, the world underwent a change.

A tremendous amount of Magical Power descended as if from a domain beyond the heavens, or perhaps pierced through from another world altogether, suddenly crossing layers of space and arriving in the skies above this sea region.

That Magical Power gathered together as if it possessed life, gradually forming flesh and creating life, allowing a great and supreme being to descend into this world.

“It worked.”

Kaiser smiled as he watched this scene.

Not long after, that immense Magical Power fully converged into a single body, allowing the great and supreme being to enter Kaiser’s view.

“Is it you?”

It was a very serious and dignified voice.

“The one who dares to provoke the Realm of Immortality, to challenge the myths where we dwell—is it you?”

The being who spoke such words was an old man with a single white eye and long white beard, appearing over fifty years old.

He had a tall frame, wore golden armor, an eagle helmet on his head, golden rings on his hands, and a deep, piercing eye that saw through the mysteries of life and death. The spear he held in his hand emitted a mysterious and radiant glow—sacred and beautiful.

He rode a majestic Pegasus with eight legs and fur whiter than snow. The moment this eight-legged steed appeared, the heavens and earth seemed to dim, clouds gathered densely, the sea surged, and a storm subtly began to form.

Looking at the old man, Kaiser was initially stunned, then cried out in surprise.

“A one-eyed old god, wielding a spear made from a tree branch, wearing golden rings, and riding an eight-legged horse?”

There was only one god with such an image in Kaiser’s memory.

“You’re Odin?”

The king of the Æsir from Norse mythology, King of the Gods, ruler of prophecy, royalty, wisdom, healing, magic, poetry, war, and death—father of the God of Thunder Thor, and sworn brother to the God of Fire Loki—Odin.

He had actually summoned him?

“I see...”

While Kaiser was astonished by this, the ancient god-king flying in the air atop the eight-legged horse had already seen through the entire situation.

“You did not target a specific god, nor a particular myth, but issued a challenge indiscriminately toward the entire domain of the gods?”

As the god who governs foresight, Odin could partially see through the future.

He had once offered one of his eyes to the Well of Wisdom in exchange for a sip of its water and the knowledge it held.

Thus, he easily saw through everything—even Kaiser’s intentions.

“To become a Campione, you actually summoned a god proactively, provoked the divine, and issued a challenge to the gods.”

“Human, has anyone ever told you—you are arrogant?”

“Has anyone ever told you—that your actions are utterly presumptuous?”

Odin’s voice, gaze, and expression were filled with terrifying pressure and might, enough that ordinary humans would suffer mental collapse and death just from hearing his voice, seeing him, or receiving a glance from him.

Unfortunately, Kaiser was no ordinary human.

“Isn’t it the gods who are arrogant?” Kaiser smiled calmly. “Since you’ve already accepted this so-called challenge, then why pass judgment before the fight begins and assume the challenger is overestimating himself?”

“Maybe I simply have confidence in myself?”

“Or is it that, in the presence of a great god, humans are not even allowed the courage to face divinity head-on?”

Saying this, Kaiser raised the Holy Spear in his hand.

“That spear...”

Odin’s gaze flashed as he looked at the True Longinus.

“So this is the weapon you rely on to face a god?”

Odin naturally could perceive the extraordinary nature of the True Longinus and even discern some of its background.

“Why don’t you try it and find out?”

Kaiser smiled as his gaze shifted toward the spear in Odin’s hand.

“Use your spear—let’s see whether mine can truly slay a god.”

The being before him—no, the god before him—if he was the god-king of Norse mythology, then the identity of the spear in his hand required no guessing.

It was one of the most famous mythological weapons in the world, the Gungnir, the Eternal Spear, forged by dwarves from the branches of Yggdrasil.

People on earth called it “Lightning,” and others called it “Meteor.”

This spear was sacred—in terms of fame, it was not beneath even the prototype of the True Longinus, the Spear of Longinus.

But clearly, Odin had no intention of using it.

“You are neither from the Vanir nor a giant. You are not yet worthy for me to wield Gungnir.”

The eight-legged horse beneath Odin let out a shrill neigh.

“My servants, the fierce wolves Geri and Freki—obey my command and devour the enemy!”

At Odin’s summon, two savage giant wolves appeared at his feet.

“Awoo!”

“Awoo!”

The giant wolves howled to the heavens. Though their Magical Power was not as vast as Odin’s, it still shook the atmosphere.

They were definitely not ordinary beasts or magical beasts—they were genuine Divine Beasts.

One was named Geri, the other Freki—these were the divine wolves from mythology who guarded Odin and served as his sentinels.

They rode the wind and charged, so fast they were like two missiles, causing Kaiser’s eyes to narrow slightly.

“So I’m really... being underestimated, huh.”

Muttering this, Kaiser’s body suddenly transformed into a streak of light. With a flap of his light wings, he shot toward Odin at a speed even faster than the divine wolves.

“!!!”

Odin’s single eye narrowed. With a squeeze of his legs, the eight-legged horse beneath him retreated at astonishing speed, almost like teleportation.

That was Sleipnir, the divine steed and Odin’s exclusive mount, capable of galloping across the sky and even entering the Underworld—a Divine Beast as well.

Norsemen often believed that storms signaled Odin riding Sleipnir across the earth, gathering the souls of the dead. Thus, if a traveler suffered misfortune during a storm, it was said that they had been summoned by Odin—and if they followed the storm reverently, they might even receive a blessing.

Now, Odin rode Sleipnir across the sky, and the storm over the sea finally took shape.

“Rumble rumble rumble—”

Without warning, the storm surged across the sea, surrounding Odin and concealing his figure within wind and rain.

“O holy spear...”

Kaiser sensed a vast amount of Magical Power within the storm. Suspecting a trap if he charged in, he raised the Holy Spear and chanted softly, causing its tip to emit a brilliant glow.

Magical Power poured into the spear like flowing water, once again generating immense sacred waves at its tip.

“Boom!”

The sacred wave exploded into aura and struck the storm, dispersing the sizable tempest with a blast.

Odin’s figure was revealed.

“A magnificent power! For a mere mortal to wield a sacred artifact equal in divinity to my Gungnir... Mortal, I recognize you as an exceptional warrior!”

Odin’s single eye gleamed with brilliance as he shouted loudly.

“In that case, allow me to show you the warriors of the Einherjar whom I have gathered!”

Saying this, Odin held his spear with both hands and raised it horizontally.

“Fallen warriors! Heroes who have sacrificed! Be guided by the Valkyries and ascend to paradise!”

This was a Kotodama—a sacred chant used to raise and manipulate Magical Power and activate an Authority.

“As King of the Æsir, I command you—come to my side!”

“Twilight has come, and the gate to Valgrind shall soon open!”

“Under the gaze of shining Gladsheim—reveal yourselves!”

The vast Magical Power turned into a gate, and one after another, radiant warriors descended.

To fight a single human, the god-king summoned an army—he summoned death.

Chapter 293: “Spear of Destiny”

In Norse mythology, the god-king Odin once learned through prophecy of the existence of Ragnarök.

To prepare for the potential arrival of Ragnarök in the future, Odin decided to amass military strength, guiding fallen warriors, heroes, and even kings to his palace to make them into Einherjar.

He sent out his daughters—a group of demi-goddesses known as Valkyries.

The duty of the Valkyries was to collect the souls of the fallen on the battlefield, guide them to the hall of the slain, and make them warriors under Odin’s command.

At this moment, Odin activated that Authority and summoned forth the Einherjar under his command.

“Go forth! Stalwart warriors! Tear apart the enemy who stands before you! Bring me glory!”

As Odin raised his Eternal Spear and pointed it at Kaiser, the countless Einherjar instantly launched their charge.

Their momentum was massive, their aura astonishing. Though they didn’t shout, their morale and Magical Power increased more and more as they charged. Even before reaching Kaiser, they had already stirred a thunderous roar.

They were not ordinary underlings. In life, they had all been heroes and champions.

They may have slain dragons, or perhaps completed some kind of epic legendary feats. In the times they lived, they were undoubtedly the most dazzling figures—tide-turners of their eras.

But today, here, such beings were so numerous they resembled foot soldiers, forming an entire army.

Under the charge of such a legion, even a god would retreat three steps.

However, Kaiser only curled his lips and charged forward without dodging.

“Boom!!!”

A sacred surge appeared like a storm, like a sun suddenly blooming in the midst of the Einherjar, blasting them flying one after another.

Kaiser swung his Holy Spear, releasing sacred surges that sent the Einherjar charging at him flying, while defeating the ones attacking him head-on, piercing them one by one with the tip of the spear.

“Pshk!” “Pshk!” “Pshk!”...

The spear light rained down, the shining tip of the radiant Holy Spear piercing through one Einherjar after another, sending them back to Valhalla.

From afar, the scene looked like a streak of light had rushed into the dense army of Einherjar. Wherever it passed, radiant flares and explosions followed, as one warrior after another was slain and vanished on the spot.

“Awoo!”

“Awoo!”

At this moment, the two divine wolves finally reached Kaiser, chasing stars and moon, opening their maws to bite down on him.

“Boom!”

Kaiser raised his Holy Spear and blocked the bite of the two divine wolves, but was still inevitably knocked back, whistling as he flew backward.

“Awoo!”

The two divine wolves, seeing they had repelled the enemy, howled in excitement, then tried to pounce toward Kaiser again.

But just as they moved, a voice rang out.

“Divide!”

In an instant, the momentum and Magical Power of the two divine wolves dropped drastically, their strength halved.

“That is...”

Odin, retreating atop his eight-legged steed, saw this scene and was momentarily stunned, then fixed his one eye on Kaiser.

He saw the pure white wings of light behind Kaiser and also noticed that while his own servants’ strength had plummeted, the opponent’s strength had surged significantly.

Immediately, the retreating Kaiser extended his Holy Spear—and the spear suddenly elongated.

“Pshk!”

Like a flash of light, the extending Holy Spear pierced through the two divine wolves at astonishing speed, causing them to bleed and howl in agony.

“...Even my servants are not his match?”

Odin finally gained some understanding of the power of this bold and presumptuous human.

One must know—the gap between gods and humans in this world is even wider than that between heaven and earth.

Even with the combined wisdom and strength of all humanity, it would still be nearly impossible to defeat a god who has manifested on earth.

This was an absolute gap in strength.

Among humans, many wield the mystical—there are magicians, sorcerers, spiritualists, witches, Hime-Miko, priests, even martial artists and so on. But in this world, there are only two tiers.

One is gods—and the Campione who oppose them.

The other is everyone else.

“Everyone else” does not refer to humans alone, but also includes Divine Beasts, Sacred Beasts, Magical Beasts, spirits, dragons, and so on.

The former are absolute powerhouses—existences the latter cannot defeat no matter how much power or wisdom they gather.

Gods and Campione—just their wrath is more than humans can endure. Their mere presence can destroy a city or two. The gap between them and all other beings is simply overwhelming.

Ordinarily, Divine Beasts under the command of gods already require the deployment of most of a top-tier mystic organization’s power to be successfully hunted down—let alone beasts like Geri and Freki, under the rule of the god-king.

Yet, the enemy that humans would treat with utmost caution was now slain with ease by this human before him.

This power didn’t seem like something a human could possess. It resembled the terrifying strength of those detestable Rakshasa—or those fearsome God-Slaying Beasts.

But this human was not a God-Slaying Beast—Odin was certain of that.

The reason was simple: gods and Campione are natural enemies, mortal foes. The moment they encounter each other, both parties are instinctively drawn into battle. They can easily recognize one another.

But this human before him gave Odin no such feeling. This proved that he was still human—at least for now.

“Such a valiant man is already far beyond the heroes and champions under my command.”

Odin now regarded the human before him seriously.

“Mighty warrior! You have earned the right to make me wield the Eternal Spear!”

With that declaration, Odin finally raised the legendary spear renowned throughout all mythologies.

“————!”

At that moment, Kaiser—who was crushing the Einherjar army—felt a premonition akin to death.

It was as if something terrifying had locked onto him. Kaiser suddenly turned his head to look at Odin.

The Eternal Spear—true name Gungnir—also known as Gáe Gungnir or Gagnrad’s Spear, was the most powerful and symbolic treasure of Odin, chief god of Norse mythology.

As for its name, some believe it imitates the sound of "piercing,” others say it means “tremble,” but no matter the meaning, it does not change its overwhelming might.

It is a spear directly tied to the concept of fate, and thus is also called the Spear of Destiny.

Its existence symbolizes victory—because once it is thrown, it will unfailingly hit its target and pierce through all matter. Nothing can stop its advance.

When it is thrown, the sight of it streaking across the sky resembles a blazing ray of light—thus the people of earth call it “Lightning” or “Meteor.”

Due to its association with the power of fate, the spear is sacred. Any oath sworn upon it cannot be revoked and must inevitably come true.

It is because of this that legends about wishing upon a shooting star appeared on earth.

Now, the chief god of Norse mythology was finally about to use it.

And he was going to use it—against a human.

“Vmmm…”

As the atmosphere trembled, Odin hurled the invincible Spear of Destiny in his hand.

The long spear truly became a meteor, taking only a millisecond to streak across the sky.

Kaiser tried to dodge—but found he couldn’t.

Kaiser tried to block—but found he couldn’t.

Once the Eternal Spear is thrown, the fate of "piercing" is already set. The fate of "hitting" has already appeared. It cannot be dodged or defended against by any means.

Thus—

“Pshk!”

The meteor flashed across the sea, shooting like a laser beam, and pierced through Kaiser’s chest.

“Cough...!”

Kaiser violently coughed up a mouthful of blood, feeling a stabbing pain in his chest—his heart had been shredded.

This was the most severe injury he had ever suffered.

This was the closest he had ever been to death.

But—he ignored it. As the Eternal Spear pierced his heart, he reached out and grabbed it.

“Pshk!”

The gripped Eternal Spear trembled fiercely and automatically withdrew from Kaiser’s body, drawing a spray of blood as it returned to Odin’s hand.

That too was the power of the Eternal Spear—once it hits the enemy, it will always return to its wielder. No one can stop it.

“It’s over, mighty one.”

Odin looked down at Kaiser from above and said so.

“You are indeed strong, but still far from divine.”

“Rest assured, I acknowledge your valor.”

“This reckless challenge to the gods—let your soul be the price, to repay for eternity.”

Odin was already preparing to welcome this human into his Valhalla, to make him one of his Einherjar.

Such a powerful human could become a trump card in his army—even in battles against other gods or Campione, he could be used to secure victory.

Unfortunately, Odin rejoiced too soon.

“If it were the old me, this level of injury would indeed be fatal.”

Kaiser wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth—and actually smiled.

“But to me now, this level of injury... means nothing.”

As he spoke, under Odin’s somewhat astonished gaze, Kaiser’s chest began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

His shredded heart regenerated, and the bloody hole in his chest rapidly shrank until it completely vanished.

High-Speed Regeneration, activated!

“You...”

The astonishment on Odin’s face did not fade.

In contrast, Kaiser extended his hand.

“Divide!”

The voice echoed from the wings of light behind him.

The Eternal Spear in Odin’s hand instantly lost half its power—its might drastically reduced.

Chapter 294: "Campione"

"What?"

Noticing that his beloved spear had suddenly weakened significantly, Odin's single eye involuntarily shrank sharply.

"Divide!" "Divide!" "Divide!"...

Before Odin could even display a look of shock and anger, the voice that halved the target's power rang out again, and it continued to echo, causing Gungnir to weaken continuously until it became dim and dull.

Looking closely, Kaiser, holding the True Longinus and surrounded by countless Heroic Spirits, had clearly activated the Balance Breaker of Divine Dividing, donning the flawless white dragon armor.

The might and terror of Gungnir left Kaiser not daring to be careless any longer.

In order to avoid being pierced by this spear again, Kaiser unhesitatingly activated the Balance Breaker of Divine Dividing while continuously using the halving ability, rendering Gungnir powerless.

That power was also absorbed flawlessly by Kaiser, to the point that the magical power radiating from his body surged and raged, forcing the surrounding Heroic Spirits to not dare come near.

"Boom!"

The next second, Kaiser poured endless magical power into the True Longinus, causing the tip of the spear to expand, and the holy energy bursting forth from within radiated like brilliance. Wherever it passed, whether Heroic Spirits or storm, all were wiped out into nothingness.

Immediately after, the spear tip in Kaiser's hand erupted, the spear shaft extending, slicing through the atmosphere and stirring up raging waves, while simultaneously flashing like lightning, striking directly upon Odin.

"Bang!"

A shattering sound rang out, and the incredibly sharp spear tip of the True Longinus shattered Odin's golden armor, causing him to be blown off Sleipnir like a cannonball.

Sleipnir immediately neighed in alarm, trampling the void, chasing after Odin along with the storm.

Its speed was truly fast. In the blink of an eye, it caught up with the cannonball-like Odin and caught him, then, without pausing, it galloped toward the other direction.

"Ran away?"

Kaiser was stunned at first, then without hesitation flapped his wings of light, dragging a long trail of radiance, chasing in Odin’s direction amidst the roar of the atmosphere.

Immediately, across the endless sea surface, a stream of light resembling the Morning Star chased after a mass of storm, dragging a long tail of radiance.

As the chase began, the storm ahead grew increasingly larger in scale, even causing tsunamis to surge.

Countless Heroic Spirits appeared, along with one ghostly figure after another emerging continuously within the storm, like escorts advancing alongside the storm's master.

"This is bad..."

Chasing from behind, Kaiser's brows furrowed deeply.

Because the direction in which the storm was advancing was the land from which he had come.

"He’s doing it on purpose?"

Seeing the increasing number of ghosts in the storm, Kaiser understood something.

Odin is the chief god of Norse mythology and possesses an exceptional number of Authorities—not only treasures like Gungnir, but Sleipnir as a mount, the divine wolf as a guardian, and dominion over prophecy, kingship, wisdom, healing, magic, poetry, war, and death.

He is not the ruler of the sea, so fighting on the sea is actually disadvantageous to him.

He is a king, and only on the crowded land can he display his greatest power.

He may have foreseen that continuing the fight would lead to defeat, so he unhesitatingly urged Sleipnir toward the nearest land.

Once on land, he can use the Authority of death to awaken the many slumbering dead underground to form a ghost army, then use the Authority of war to strengthen the army’s might, and even use the Authority of kingship to control others to serve him, or construct fortresses and traps using magic to deal with Kaiser.

As for what kind of disaster this would bring to the land, that is not within his consideration.

As the king of the gods, Odin may possess mercy and compassion in his heart, but now, as a Heretic God, his heart is only ruled by madness and arrogance—he does not care about the deaths of mere humans or their cities.

This is evident in the fact that even as he advanced, he did not restrain the storm but instead kept expanding its scale, bringing the tsunami toward the land.

At the same time, Kaiser could still feel that Odin was continuously striking Gungnir, trying to restore its sharpness.

He possesses the Authority of healing, and that Authority evidently is not limited to humans. Even when used on a weapon, it seems to still be effective.

"Rumble—"

Before long, the colossal storm reached the land, simultaneously raising a towering tsunami and carrying overwhelming dark clouds as it charged toward the coastal city.

Screeching alarms were already ringing out in the city, and people were fleeing in panic.

The sounds of car horns, people screaming and cursing, and the piercing alarms mingled together, creating an atmosphere of sheer panic.

The ghost army had already stepped from the sea onto the beach and set foot on land. The storm, tsunami, and dark clouds also loomed closer.

That scene was like the end of the world.

Seeing this, Kaiser finally stopped holding back.

"You brought this upon yourself, Odin!"

Chasing behind the storm with a long trail of radiance, the flawless white dragon raised the True Longinus, which erupted with a world-shaking might.

"Balance Breaker!"

Holy energy appeared upon the spear.

When the dazzling twilight radiated from the spear, with invisible ripples spreading across heaven and earth, an incredible shock descended upon this world.

An ancient will was awakened, supreme power erupted, and at the moment when sacredness and severity descended, the spear in Kaiser's hand turned from blue to a crimson red like fresh blood, the spear tip stained red as if with blood, transforming the holy power into a god-slaying wave.

The great and noble, benevolent yet majestic will of the gods appeared at this moment.

"This is...?!"

Odin, who was preparing to charge into the city along with the storm, tsunami, dark clouds, and ghost army, suddenly turned his head and looked behind.

He felt the presence of a kindred.

He felt the will of a god no weaker than himself—perhaps even stronger.

As if condemning his sins, rebuking his atrocities, that will descended out of nowhere upon him, causing him for a brief instant to feel guilt, to feel unworthy of being a god, unworthy of being the king of the gods.

But Odin is, after all, a god—the chief god of Norse mythology. For another god to condemn and rebuke him for his actions is unworthy!

"I am the king of the Norse gods! Unknown god, you dare be so impudent?!"

Odin roared in fury.

Indeed, the will of the spear—capable of shattering the minds of mortals, questioning their spirits, stripping away their will to resist and plunging them into inescapable remorse—was nothing more than provocation and insolence to a god-king with an extreme sense of self.

There exists no being capable of judging the god-king. Even another god, even another king, is unqualified to judge his actions.

Of course, Kaiser had no intention of relying on the judgment of divine will to deal with Odin.

The true power he relied upon was the god-slaying force in his hand, capable of slaying even gods!

"Buzz!"

The spear radiating crimson brilliance broke through space, transforming into a red flash and shooting across the sea.

The crimson flash pierced through countless Heroic Spirits and ghost soldiers, split apart the air and sea, broke through the storm, and at light-speed shot toward Odin riding Sleipnir.

"!!!"

Odin's single eye suddenly burned, the heat causing him intense pain and a mix of shock and fury.

His prophetic ability told him that something terrifying was coming.

The wisdom he presided over urged him—not to come into contact with it.

"Gungnir!"

Odin roared, throwing the Gungnir in his hand, which had had most of its power awakened.

Instantly, a meteor flashed across the sky, heading directly toward the crimson flash that shot in a straight line.

The god-slaying Holy Spear and the divine spear that brings victory clashed violently above the coastal city.

"Boom!!!"

An earth-shattering roar echoed as the red flash and golden meteor burst in the sky over the city, unleashing a massive shockwave that swept across the entire city.

"Bang bang bang bang bang...!"

Countless windows shattered in the city.

"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhh...!"

Countless pedestrians on the streets screamed.

The raging shockwave even blew away street lamps, cars, and countless pieces of trash and debris, filling the skies over the city with flying objects.

Even Odin, who was relatively close, was sent flying with his horse by the shockwave, tumbling through the air in a flurry of man and steed, looking extremely disheveled.

But Odin no longer cared about that.

What he cared about was that his Gungnir had... lost.

The moment he threw it symbolized victory. The spear of fate, that never misses and always wins, had its power suddenly diminished after clashing with the god-slaying spear.

The flawless white dragon, flying like the Morning Star across the sky, had all its jewels flashing—activating the halving ability again and again, stripping away the power of Gungnir that had just been reawakened.

And so, the crimson Holy Spear struck down the divine spear of certain victory, destroying the meteor that streaked across the heavens.

The immaculate white dragon flashed madly, its body surging forward, charging to Odin's face.

"Oooooooohhhhhhh...!"

Sensing the danger, Odin roared, and countless runes appeared before him, constructing a defense.

Unfortunately, a Holy Spear that even Gungnir could not withstand would never be stopped by mere magic.

"Thud!"

The crimson god-slaying spear pierced through layers of magical defenses with ease and stabbed into Odin's chest.

The spear tip pierced the divine body, spilling the blood of a god upon the earth.

"This... this power is...?! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh...!"

The god-king who presided over healing didn’t even have time to heal his own wound before he let out a dying scream.

The god-slaying force seeped into his entire body, invaded his divinity, and completely extinguished his life.

"Shiiing!"

Above Kaiser's head, an ancient disc suddenly flew out, radiating light.

The light enveloped Kaiser, and also enveloped Odin, swallowing them both...

Chapter 295: The Woman Who Bestows All

This is a world that does not exist in the present world.

It has many names.

The Heretic Gods call it the Boundary of Life and Immortality, the Japanese call it the Netherworld, the Chinese call it the Netherworld or the Realm of the Dead, the Persians call it the Spirit World or Soul World, the Greeks call it the Realm of Ideas or the Ideal World, the British call it the Astral Realm or the Fairy World. There are also names like the Fairy Domain, Mental World, World of Thought, Spiritual World, Reincarnation Space of the Campione, Unreal Domain, the Void Land between the Human and Divine Realms, the Crevice World of Yomotsu Hirasaka, and so on. According to region and custom, it possesses various different names.

The reason the Heretic Gods call it the Boundary of Life and Immortality is because it lies between the Domain of Life and the Realm of Immortality.

The Domain of Life refers to the present world.

The Realm of Immortality refers to mythology.

Therefore, it is the realm between life and immortality, an alternate dimension that values spirit and soul over matter.

It is a place that records everything that has occurred from the beginning of the universe to now, and all possible things that may happen in the future.

It is composed of countless discontinuous alternate spaces or barriers with no connection, gathered together to form a vast world like a spider's nest, made up of numerous independent spaces.

Each space here changes according to the preferences of its ruler.

Generally, only thoughts or souls can enter here; only beings such as magicians can arrive here in the flesh.

The beings that reside here include Heretic Gods who have grown weary of wandering the human world, great magicians or sages who have attained undying Divinity, and high-ranking fairies or spirits whose divine power rivals that of the Fairy King.

Naturally, gods who do not wish to fall into becoming Heretic Gods but also do not want to stay in the Realm of Immortality reside here as well, using this place as their base.

In one corner of this world, in one independent space, a goddess appeared silently.

That was a goddess better described as “cute” rather than “beautiful.”

The goddess possessed a youthful appearance and petite figure, with long purple hair parted to both sides. She wore a thin white dress. Her first impression was more like that of a child, yet for some reason, she emitted a seductive and enchanting aura, exuding a maturity that did not match her appearance.

Her name was Pandora, and the true meaning of her name was "The Woman Who Bestows All."

She was the wife of the immortal Epimetheus, the goddess who governed the reincarnation ritual of the Campione. All those who battled gods and defeated them would be subjected to Pandora’s reincarnation ritual. She would use the Black Christmas to bestow upon them the Authority of the defeated god and a body capable of contending with gods, transforming them into Demon Kings—into Campione.

Thus, she was the mother of all Campione, the sole supporter and backer of the god-slaying Campione on the side of the divine.

Yet at this very moment, this shared mother of all Campione was holding a steel disc and displaying a dumbfounded expression.

That disc engraved with a dragon head and eight swords was none other than the divine instrument that created Campione—the "Circle of Usurpation."

Pandora, having sensed that a god had been slain by a human, was just holding this disc with a joyful smile, ready to perform the reincarnation ritual for her new child, to create a new Campione through the Black Christmas and meet them in person.

But when she saw a disc identical to the one in her hand—yet radiating even more powerful divine might—appear above the head of the “new child,” she was dumbfounded.

"What is going on?"

Pandora, rarely flustered, began shouting in the empty space.

"Why is there another Circle of Usurpation?"

"How can that child possess such a thing?"

"No... how can you abandon your mother and perform the reincarnation ritual on your own!?"

"This isn’t according to the rules!"

Pandora raised the large disc in her hand with a furious expression as if about to smash it, but thinking of its importance, she reluctantly put it down again.

At that moment, a solemn and dignified voice echoed through this space.

"It seems this development was also beyond your expectations."

Hearing this voice, Pandora immediately calmed down.

"Isn’t that Lord Odin?" Pandora smiled charmingly and said, "Have you come to my place on your way back to the Realm of Immortality to demand an explanation?"

"No." Odin replied with utmost calm, "I merely came to ask why that detestable divine artifact would appear in a human’s hands. How could a mere human possess such power and such weapons?"

"But now it seems, asking you is pointless."

"It’s clear you are also unaware this situation would occur. In that case, there’s no need for me to waste my time."

Upon hearing this, Pandora’s smile did not fade.

"Lord Odin, your visit specifically for this matter—are you perhaps worried about something?"

Pandora asked this question.

"Playing dumb," Odin snorted coldly with some displeasure and said, "Mother of Fools, I am merely concerned whether you are scheming something again."

"Though you are a god like us, you chose to side with humanity and even created the God-Slaying Beast for their sake..."

"I cannot help but consider whether you are secretly doing something to bring us down."

These words, filled with hostility, were met with Pandora’s continued smile.

"Lord Odin is overthinking. I am merely one who bestows. I am not like you, a god who excels at using wisdom."

These words only drew a sneer from Odin.

"You think I am a fool?" Odin said in a deep voice, "I have not forgotten. Before the gods of Olympus took over Greece, you were the great Earth Mother Goddess with tremendous authority and wisdom."

"I am still the goddess who bestows blessings to both the celestial gods and humans, not one who flaunts her intellect," Pandora said with a smile. "For wisdom and cunning goddesses, Lady Athena is more than enough."

"I prefer reckless challenges. I like fools."

"That’s why I stand by those children."

Pandora’s seemingly sincere explanation made Odin fall silent for a while.

Then, Odin spoke again.

"Whether or not this is your doing, that human’s uniqueness is unquestionable."

"Now that he has obtained my power and become a God-Slaying Beast, I fear he will become a great enemy to us in the future."

"Pandora, mother of fools, don’t be too proud. The hero who will exterminate the Demon Lords is about to awaken. These Campione you created with your own hands will all eventually be defeated by him."

Leaving behind those words, Odin’s voice and presence gradually faded.

He still had to return to the Realm of Immortality to inform the gods about that human.

A man who possessed another Circle of Usurpation, held many mysterious weapons, wielded unfathomable power, and could slay gods even before becoming a Campione...

Odin had already foreseen that he was merely the first prey to be claimed as a trophy by that man.

He would continue to challenge the gods, continue to summon gods to descend.

He must not be allowed to succeed.

"Wait! Lord Odin!"

Sensing Odin’s fading presence, Pandora seemed to realize something and hurriedly called out.

"May I ask, what Authority did that child take from you?"

When a human successfully slays a god, they obtain only one divine Authority.

This Authority is determined by the personality of the Campione. There is no fixed standard, and it is also influenced by the Campione’s disposition and ability. What kind of power is ultimately obtained is purely a matter of luck.

If the gap between the Campione and the slain god is too great, the Campione might even obtain an Authority vastly different from that god’s original power.

Therefore, even Pandora could not guess what kind of Authority that extraordinary child had gained.

If the reincarnation ritual had been performed under her, she might still know a bit.

But since the other party had used another mysterious Circle of Usurpation to become a Campione through self-reincarnation, Pandora truly did not know what kind of Authority he had now.

Even divine Authorities vary in strength. Some are useful, and some are not.

Like Odin—he was also the god of poetry. If someone had acquired an Authority related to poetry, it would definitely be far inferior to one related to combat.

This made Pandora extremely curious as to what kind of power that extraordinary child had received.

"........."

Odin’s fading presence paused for a moment.

Then, his voice drifted faintly.

"He obtained my spear."

With those words, Odin departed.

And Pandora was utterly shocked.

After a while, the Woman Who Bestows All began to laugh.

"What a clever child."

In the empty independent space, the girl’s laughter was especially joyful.

And in the present world, the strongest Campione of this world was quietly being born.

…………

"Zheng..."

Above the city, where no one could observe, the steel disc spun rapidly, transforming an immense divine power into energy and infusing it into Kaiser below.

Odin was gone.

His body, his power, and all his Authorities had become a sacrifice, offered to the Circle of Usurpation, and transferred to Kaiser by the Circle of Usurpation.

Kaiser kept his eyes closed, feeling the immense power pouring into his body, and immediately activated another artifact.

That artifact was the Hōgyoku.

He was using the power of the Hōgyoku to modify himself according to his will with the divine power infused into him.

The Hōgyoku possesses the ability to absorb the desires of those around it and materialize them, realizing the scene people hope to see in their hearts and allowing things to develop according to one's inner wishes.

It can protect the host’s body from death or destruction. When the host’s abilities reach their limit or their life is threatened, it can also evolve the host to the next stage.

Now, Kaiser was using this power to modify himself according to his will with the divine power infused into him, prompting his own evolution.

(End of Chapter)

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Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, please let me know if I made any mistakes.