Heaven, the stronghold of the gods we oppose.
The possibility that a gateway to that world could be created, from which divine beasts residing there might emerge, unsettled both my instructor and me.
“Tch, this has become a pain. If divine beasts show up, the humans around here won’t be safe,” said my instructor.
When people hear of divine beasts, they might imagine mystical creatures that humans revere.
However, from the divine beasts’ perspective, humans are simply beings that exist; whether they are revered or worshipped is irrelevant.
If they find humans delicious, they will devour them; if they deem them a nuisance, they will eliminate them.
If there is no immediate threat, they will leave them be, as they do not perceive value in humans.
Feri, who fosters a connection with humans, is an exception.
Only after a divine priest has thoroughly bonded with them, made them recognize humans as a species, and taught them their value, can a contract be formed as an exception.
If wild divine beasts were released into the world, it would be akin to spreading disasters everywhere.
“The proximity to the Dungeon is also a problem, instructor. If it’s like this, we have no choice but to fight head-on…”
“Fighting one world head-on would be a disadvantage, wouldn’t it?” my instructor replied.
Moreover, they are aware of where their enemies are located.
They will strike first to crush any being that poses a threat.
In this context, the threat is undoubtedly the Dungeon managed by my instructor.
“There’s only one thing we can do: to strike down the gate before it’s fully functional and divine beasts start appearing.”
“That’s the only way,” I agreed.
If that’s the case, we’ll have to fully utilize the Dungeon’s capabilities and wage total war against Heaven. No matter how incredibly powerful the Dungeon is, its resources would be insufficient to face an entire world.
“We could even just storm Heaven and challenge the God Killer, couldn’t we?”
If we defend, we lose. We must attack.
Understanding this, my instructor and I began to walk.
The Oni here serve as a defensive barrier to prevent divine beasts from flowing into the surrounding countries. Additionally, I instructed Suella to send a messenger to order a full retreat in case of an emergency and to report the current situation promptly, requesting immediate reinforcements.
We likely have less time than we think.
Only my instructor and I, as the minimal necessary force for maximum strength, can act with reckless abandon.
“That sounds good! Gods seem like they’d be worth a good punch!!” my instructor exclaimed.
“If only I didn’t have to consider being lectured by my wife after it’s all over,” I added.
“Kaa! That’s right!!”
The light gradually subsided, but its power showed no signs of weakening. On the contrary, I felt a torrent of power that could only be described as bizarre, unlike anything I had ever sensed.
This was undoubtedly a death trap. Despite venturing into such a dangerous zone, we somehow had the composure to exchange lighthearted remarks.
When I exchanged a glance with Valse-san, she shrugged, indicating that her bad feeling was not unfounded.
In this situation, there was no longer any time for hesitation.
Having used jokes to lighten the mood, we set off together. Behind us, the Giant White Snake followed.
“So? Realistically, what are our chances of winning?” I asked.
“It’s too uncertain whether I can cleave it with my full power. Have you ever smashed something like that, instructor?”
“Never. If I’d had the chance to destroy something like that, I would have wanted to do it more,” he said.
Our walking turned into running, and we sprinted with all our might, using the valley I had split open as our path. As we ran, we debated whether it was realistically possible to cleave through an object connecting worlds, but since we had no experience doing such a thing, it was hard to say.
“I’d like to hear from someone with experience on that,” I said.
“In my opinion, it’s possible. However, it’s a close call. One person would have to hold off the divine beast, concentrate all their senses, and deliver a decisive blow to a vital spot. Repeating that a few times might do it,” Valse-san explained.
In that case, we had no choice but to ask Valse-san, who knew about the gate to Heaven. As I ran, I turned my head back and questioned her. She, perched on the snake’s head, looked troubled but said it was possible.
“Who will be the decoy?”
The division of labor between destruction and distraction. It was a practical discussion, but the reality was that we would have to split our forces against divine beasts residing in Heaven.
“That’ll be me,” I declared.
Our fighting strength would be simply halved. Even though we had to do this, the increase in danger would be more than double. Divine beasts, even just one, could be considered a decisive weapon in our world. They were literally disasters. I would be facing that disaster alone. The Ōni, who would miss such a tempting battle, grinned. My instructor, accepting the task, said he would do it.
“I’m tired, so I’ll cut through the gate quickly. I’d prefer not to work overtime,” I said.
“Oh? Make sure to at least extract anything that offers a good fight,” my instructor retorted.
“That’ll depend on luck,” I replied.
We had decided on our roles. I would head straight for the gate, while my instructor would engage and defeat any divine beasts that emerged.
“By the way, my luck is garbage.”
“Don’t worry, mine is too,” the instructor replied.
It was hard to believe that these two were about to engage in a life-or-death struggle. I had confirmed my status beforehand, and my luck had decreased again. I felt it might eventually reach zero, but even a tiny amount would still have been something. That’s why I called it garbage, but if my instructor’s was comparable…
“Then, I have a feeling we’ll draw a ‘Great Omen’ of bad luck.”
“Huh? Is that good?”
“Among the luck tests in our world, that’s considered the worst.”
With this exchange between two people with garbage luck, I felt like we might actually draw something truly terrible. I even thought we might draw a god.
“That’s not bad.”
“No, it’s bad.”
“We can take down the enemy’s main force, can’t we? Weakening them beforehand wouldn’t be so bad, right?”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at my instructor’s overly positive words. The instructor, who embraced hardship with glee, wasn’t exactly innocent. He ran with a wicked grin, patting me on the back.
“Isn’t that right?”
“It’s not wrong, but…”
Normally, his blows would resonate deep within my body, but this time it was merely a light tap on my back. To my instructor, it was barely even a touch.
“Suella will scold us.”
“I’ll get scolded by my wife too. For being reckless again.”
“It can’t be helped.”
“It can’t be helped.”
For a moment, I wondered if my instructor was also feeling anxious, but I quickly dismissed the thought.
“Ohh, that looks like a camp that’s clearly defending,” my instructor said.
“They’ve gathered all their forces to defend until the divine beasts emerge, haven’t they?”
Abandoning my thoughts of their madness, my instructor and I could only laugh as we looked beyond the passage carved by a mountain-splitting slash. The remaining angels, having lost most of their main forces, were arrayed there, as if to guard the opened gate of light. Even having lost the majority of their strength, their confident faces suggested they had no doubt they would win, likely because they placed absolute trust in whatever emerged from that gate.
“They seem to think they’ve won if they can stop us here.”
“Do they really think this level of force can stop us?”
There were no humans. All of them had either been turned into energy to summon that gate, or perhaps the gate itself was their very souls.
“Shall we go in head-on?”
“That’s probably for the best,” my instructor replied.
I began to walk slowly, Ore Tree in hand, while my instructor rotated his shoulders, checking his body’s condition.
“Instructor, I sense an incredible presence from beyond the gate.”
“What a coincidence, me too. This looks like it’s going to be a good fight,” he said.
The closer we got, the stronger the presence of the beings beyond the gate became. Not one or two, but ten, no, perhaps twenty. That was just near the gate; how many divine beasts were there further inside?
“If you’re going to enjoy yourself, instructor, then we’ll be sore tomorrow.”
“I hope that’s all we’ll be,” he replied.
Exchanging lighthearted remarks and maintaining a moderate level of tension, my instructor and I happened to punch fists.
“Don’t die before I get to kill you,” the instructor said.
“Unfortunately, I have no plans to die until I see my great-grandchild’s wedding,” I replied.
“Then, that’s reassuring.”
I wondered if my instructor was giving me such a murderous激励 because he had lost to me once before and was eagerly awaiting a rematch. A shiver ran down my spine for a moment, and with a wry smile, I made my final lighthearted remark.
“Alright! Let’s do this!!”
“Yes!”
This was our second declaration of war today. As we charged, the remnants of the angels also flew at us. I cut through them, and my instructor used his fists to carve out a path.
“Ignore the weaklings!!”
“We’re breaking through head-on and taking the shortest route!!”
With two generals leading the charge, they could push forward at full speed, regardless of how numerous the enemy was. Even if a massive magic spell that endangered allies were to be unleashed.
“Hmph!” I said, slicing through the spell along with the caster. Cutting magic had become commonplace for me recently, but it was still considered beyond the realm of reason.
“Here they come. The first guests are quite impatient,” Valse-san said.
As we fought and Valse-san provided support, a change occurred at the gate. The first divine beast. I felt a sense of tension but quickly let it out and regained my composure.
“What kind is it!?”
Divine beasts come in many forms. Their appearances and forms change according to the whims of the gods and evolve. If the general species could be identified, their characteristics would also be inherited.
“Is that… a horse? No, it looks like a deer… Oh dear, this might be a bit problematic,” Valse-san said, her face showing urgency as she raised her hand to her forehead, as if looking into the distance. Valse-san, of all people, was flustered? A divine beast with characteristics of both a horse and a deer?
“Whoa, no way, is that…?” Even my instructor voiced his concern, not just Valse-san.
“Great Omen… it really is terrifying,” Valse-san said with a serious expression. At that moment, light burst from the gate of light.
“Ah! That hurts!?” Simultaneously, I felt an immense heat. It wrapped around me like a burning flame, its scales having a mysterious mix of white and yellow.
“Seriously! To run into a Kirin right off the bat, what a day!!” Although his words were supposed to be despairing, my instructor’s cry of joy turned into one of excitement, shifting from panic. It was about ten meters in length. As if exuding majesty, its eyes fixed directly on us held discernible intelligence.
“Be careful. Its flames are the very concept of the sun. Everything it touches will be burned to ashes. The flames of a god that can choose what to burn. Once ignited, they won’t extinguish until they consume the soul,” Valse-san warned. Faced with this threat, the snake carrying Valse-san clearly began to show signs of intimidation.
“What about the reinforcements!?”
“None, at least for now. It’s a stroke of luck. The others are likely intimidated because such a powerful being appeared first.”
It was hard to believe that this was truly fortunate.
“Either way! This is the gods’ way of telling me to experiment with God Slaying, isn’t it? The power of the sun? Bring it on!!” For my instructor, this was likely good practical experience.
“Valse-san, please support the instructor so he doesn’t get interrupted, and enable him to fight the Kirin head-on.”
“Are you sure? I’ll be completely occupied with him.” I didn’t think it was troublesome. Even for my skilled instructor, it would be against his will to fight while being distracted by lesser enemies.
“I’ll just be cutting a big, immobile target. It’s simple work. No problem.” Besides, based on the level of danger, my instructor’s task was undoubtedly more perilous.
“I won’t thank you for it?”
“It’s more convenient for us if you can fight to your heart’s content,” I said. Understanding this, Valse-san shrugged, and we immediately put our plan into motion, with a sense of gratitude.
Today’s Word:
It’s not over until you’re sure it’s over.
Thank you for your usual comments and for pointing out typos.
If you find this interesting, please leave comments, ratings, and bookmarks.
Currently, another work is being serialized:
Pandora Pandemic Panic: Pandora’s Box Has Been Opened Again, but We’re Fighting Back with Secret Bases and More!!
Please check that one out as well!!
