#734 Dominating the World through Figurines

Amid the chaos of competitors either progressing or being eliminated, my nervousness persisted.

“What if I end up against Junior?!”

I couldn’t bear the thought of taking down my own kid!

If only one of us could be eliminated by some unrelated third party before we have to clash! 

But, at the same time, the thought of anyone else defeating Junior is unbearable!

Honestly, why did I even sign up for this survival event?

Lost in my thoughts, the final matchup was then announced.

Round one.

Me vs. Junior.

“Right from the get-gooooo?!”

Talk about a brutal turn of events!

Are there no gods looking out for us?!

No, hang on… this event is all about harnessing the power of the gods to compete… 

This must be some sort of cosmic payback.

What can I possibly do to get out of this unexpected predicament?!

Perhaps a sudden downpour could cancel the event...?!

Just as this thought crossed my mind, ominous clouds began to gather in the sky.

From within them emerged a strange, massive...entity?

“Heeeeehehehehe... Haaaahahahaha!”

What’s with this creepy laughter?

“I am the Evil God Figure...!”

The Evil God Figure?!

“I am an ancient deity who brings destruction through the power of figurines. Ordinarily, I should have been cast into oblivion, but this overwhelming energy has brought me forth...!”

Who knew this world housed such a mysterious ancient god...?!

The energy from the figure boom inadvertently became an offering, giving it the power to re-emerge in this world?!

“Now that I’ve returned to this plane, it’s mine for the taking. I will turn all living beings into my figurines! If you have an issue with that, dare to challenge me in a figure battle!!!”

Again, why do these scenarios always end up hinging on a mere hobby to determine the world’s fate?

It’s the same old story.

Just when we thought we had defeated the evil organization bent on world domination through figurines, a supernatural entity shows up.

The events are progressing as expected.

Even though it’s a supernatural being, it strangely leaves room for humans to fight back.

Why would a deity suggest a hobby competition with rules favoring humans? ...Can gods be this considerate?!

But humanity isn’t easy to fool either.

“Magic Musketeers, advance!”

“Huh?”

“Fire!!!”

Under the Demon King’s order, the demon alchemists stepped forward, launching a barrage of magic toward the Evil God Figure!

“Ahhhhh! Wait, wait, wait! Didn’t I suggest we settle this with a figure battle?!”

“There’s no room for negotiation for those who threaten my Demon Kingdom! We consolidate our forces and obliterate them in one stroke!!!”

Such is the deep sense of duty harbored by our Demon King.

Once such a declaration has been made, there’s no choice but an all-out confrontation.

“L-Like I said, I demand a figure battle...!” 

“The first rule of battle is to never let the opponent set the pace! Agreeing to the enemy’s rules is as good as surrendering! The victor of a battle always stays in control!”

That’s our Demon King for you.

His decades of battling the human race shines through.

Plus, his attack magic storms like a tempest!

“Argh! You uncouth beasts! If the gods dictate the fight’s methods, shouldn’t you obey?!”

That would certainly be the case if this were a hobby manga...!

However, in this world, someone couldn’t care less about such unspoken rules.

Who could that be?

Well, it’s Junior.

“Vie-vie, gooo.” 

“Oh, a command from Junior is a command obeyed!”

Immediately, Veil morphs back into a dragon and spews her fire breath toward the wicked god!

“Graaaah! I’m supposed to only take damage in the figurine battles, but... Ahh! The flames, they’re too hot!!!” 

“Hahahaha! It’s all about breaking divine rules and burning everything down with my breath! I’m a dragon, after all!!!”

In the realm of hobbies, she’s a relentlessly annoying rule-breaker.

And my little boy, Junior, who stirs up such chaos, is just as wild.

Did you see that, guys?

This is what happens when a three-year-old gets serious!!!

“Take this, my ultimate move! Dragon Punch, undefendable by any god and unleashed just to impress Junior!!!”

“Gahhhhhhhhhh!”

Sadly, the evil god, who tried to rule the world through figurine battles, was defeated by brute force. 

While this was expected, there’s a hint of sadness about it.

“Grrrgh...! Why-Why did this happen...?! As a god of figurines, isn’t it natural for me to engage in figurine battles...?!”

That might be true...

But we have our own ‘way of doing things’ here. There’s not a single nice guy in this world who fights by following the opponent’s rules.

“Wandering between worlds... drawn here by the allure of enjoying figurines after thousands of years... I thought I could enjoy figurines with the mortals!” 

What’s up with this god?

Is it surprisingly the loner type?

If so, it can’t be helped. Being the only adult present, it falls to me to respond appropriately.

After all, I’m the only real grown-up here!!!

“Why don’t we all play and enjoy together?”

“Oh, child of man...!”

“When it comes to enjoying figurines, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a god or a mortal, an adult or a child. Let’s all have fun! Let’s experience joy together!”

“Yeah!!!”

From then on, we heartily welcomed the summoned god, and the figurine battles heated up.

“With my power, I can attack exclusively with my figurines this turn!”

“Darn it, using such an unfair special rule fitting for a final boss...!”

By the time we had pleased the deity and it returned home, the sun had completely set, and the tournament had progressed way past the finals.

My match against Junior got sidetracked, what a lucky break indeed!!!

***

And so, God Figures became a smash hit.

The Asura figure Junior built from scratch was particularly eye-catching, drawing a lot of attention and looking like it might kick off a major trend.

Mr. Shax, always sniffing out business opportunities, had already begun planning the second series of figurines.

“This is an excellent chance to make money! Let’s ride this wave and aggressively launch new products!!!”

I wonder what happened to his fear of “divine punishment” just a few days ago.

After all, for a merchant, profit or, to be more precise, money, is the most revered god.

The planned second series of God Figures would integrate joint structures from the get-go, along with other improvements.

Additionally, as the product is designed for modification, it’s expected to be bought in bulk. So, the random sale with hidden contents has been discontinued.

The eagerly awaited lineup for the second series is...

Asura.

Susano-O.

Evil God Figure.

Dragon (Veil).

What a jumble of religious views.

I thought they’d release more gods of this world, but it seems the impact of the outstanding figures from the recent tournament was too strong.

With that, God Figure Fights will likely continue to occur frequently in the future, guaranteed to become even more chaotic.

I wish they’d release some goddess figurines too.

Huh?

It’s not allowed because it would change the genre?

Is that so?