Chapter 6 - His Name is VerethragnaPart 1Not far from the Nuraghe sa Bastia.Though there were public infrastructure roads, it was basically anuninhabited wilderness.It was after midnight, and after encountering Melqart and the youth G.o.d,G.o.dou and Erica did not return to town."Prometheus is a G.o.d appearing in Greek myths — the last of the t.i.tans.His name means "one who considers the future," in other words, he is asage with forethought."G.o.dou listened carefully to Erica"s recounting of the myths.The two of them had made a fire for warmth. Perhaps the surroundingswere too quiet, so the only sound was the cracking sound of wood burning."He"s called Prometheus, right, the G.o.d who shared fire with humans?""Yes, Zeus the king of the G.o.ds did not want to give too much wisdom tohumans, but Prometheus felt compa.s.sion for their foolishness, and stolefire from the heavens."This G.o.d gifted fire to humans. Obtaining fire, human civilization advancedrapidly."As punishment, Prometheus was chained high on the peak on theCaucasus, and had his liver eaten by an eagle. As an immortal G.o.d, hisbody restored itself every sunset, and then the eagle came the next day toeat his liver again. In other words, he must suffer eternal torment.""What sick torture...""In the end, Prometheus was saved from suffering by Heracles, and thenbecame the trusted advisor of Zeus, so it looks like he didn"t want anymore hardship."G.o.dou seems to have heard this myth before."By the way, Heracles is also a G.o.d closely linked to Melqart.""Why? Isn"t Heracles a Greek G.o.d... or should I say hero?""Didn"t Lucretia mention before, on this island not far from Greece, Melqartwas depicted as a giant wielding clubs."The Greek hero, who completed the twelve tasks, was intimately linked tothe Phoenician divine king.To elucidate the confused G.o.dou, Erica continued explaining fluently:"Greeks who knew the myth of Melqart combined their hero with theguardian G.o.d of Tyre. No, more correctly, it was due to the myth of Melqartand Baal that the legend of the hero Heracles was born. By the way, Baal"sweapons are the magic clubs named Yagrush the Chaser and Ayamur the Driver."Wearing a lion"s pelt and wielding a club was the great rough heroHeracles.Wielding magic clubs with vigorous battle spirit was the hero G.o.d Melqart.Ancient Mediterranean peoples named the promontories flanking the Straitof Gibraltar as "Pillars of Hercules." Other than the Phoenicians, theredoesn"t seem to be anyone else who could have reached there..."That"s so amazing, to think myths were related everywhere."Towards G.o.dou"s exclamation, Erica said:"Well, no matter what, these are just framework stories born frommankind — fabricated, everything is born from the most primitive stories,and then stealing or be stolen, taking form from all sorts of influences,finally crystallizing into myths.""I see — then back to the topic of Prometheus, so this stone tablet"sadvantage is the ability to steal a G.o.d"s power?""He is the G.o.d who deceived G.o.ds — in other words a master of trickery,there is also a myth like this."Seeing G.o.dou take out the [Secret Tome of Prometheus], Erica quietlyanswered.Dividing a sacrificed ox between G.o.ds and humans, Prometheus preparedtwo plates. Concealing the meat and the entrails within the stomach onone plate; masterfully decorating the bones with glistening fat to make itappealing on the other. He then had Zeus choose —The result was Zeus chose the bones. After learning he was deceived,Zeus was very angry."So, G.o.dou, when the [White Stallion] disappeared just now, it was clearlythe divine power of Prometheus. In other words, you activated the grimoireat the time. Do you have any idea how?""About that, I think it was just by chance."He was able to take the divine power of the [White Stallion] even fasterthan the youth G.o.d — no, one should say that the one who stole divinepower was [Secret Tome of Prometheus].The one who doubted Erica"s suggestion was the one who did it himself."Fine, then let"s confirm it?"Erica took out a cellphone from her shirt pocket." — Lucretia? I am Erica Blandelli. Can you tell us about the grimoire? Don"tplay dumb any more, G.o.dou has already activated its power. Sigh, whywould I deceive you, why don"t you confirm with him directly?"G.o.dou was just wondering who she was calling, and never expected theconversation to be pa.s.sed to him.When did she ever ask for Lucretia"s phone number? This made G.o.douvery surprised, or did she make use of the investigative abilities of thestrange secret a.s.sociations, obtaining personal information withoutconsent?The latter was most likely. Just as G.o.dou imagined rude behaviors, Ericasuddenly handed the phone to him.No other way. Prepare yourself and pick up the phone."I was really shocked. I didn"t expect a Level One newbie to notice how touse that item.""Actually I didn"t notice it. It seems like when I wanted to use it, ithappened, but Lucretia-san, you are clearly a witch, haven"t you beencontaminated by modern civilization?""Choosing convenience is human nature, that"s not my fault. In my home Ihave a computer to go on the internet, and most of my shopping is doneonline. I also use air conditioning and refrigerators. My digital camera ismade in j.a.pan. What else would you like to complain about?"Though the dialogue content was extremely mundane, Lucretia Zola"svoice remained aloof."I already know it is a stone for stealing divine power. However, I amcompletely baffled why I can use it. Can you explain this point in greaterdetail to me?""Oh that, the reason is nothing special. A grimoire related to deceit andtheft, the only people capable of using it are those who have had longercontact and frequent conversations with the target G.o.d.""Deceit?""Yes, when I used that grimoire in j.a.pan, I spent a whole night chattingwith the G.o.d who was causing trouble. I had to listen to him complain abouthis hate and suffering, so I seized the opportunity and stole the guy"sdivine power as soon as possible, turning him into an empty sh.e.l.l.However that was only possible because he was a comparatively weakdeity. Thereafter, I had the grimoire venerated there, to prevent the G.o.dfrom reviving.""So that"s why..."The chance to successfully steal divine power from the youth G.o.d andMelqart was extremely small.G.o.dou nodded in agreement with Lucretia"s words."By the way, I wanted to remind you. It"s best if you do not use the storeddivine power. For humans it is far too powerful. If used, it could cause thebrain and the entire body"s blood to boil. An extremely painful death. Theuser before me also died like that. I am not deceiving you.""Yes... I will definitely not use it. Thank you for your valuable information.""Oh, one more thing, opposing G.o.ds of Melqart"s caliber is impossible withjust the power absorbed in the grimoire, so do not do anything rash!"To think this kind of warning would be said.However, G.o.dou did not thank her for this warning. Perhaps because hehad already made his decision, he could not utter insincere thanks as thatwould betray her concern for his safety....Lucretia was more sensitive than imagined."Young man, are you or both of you considering something? I will repeatmyself, do not act too rashly!""To be honest, that is impossible. There will be a great disaster if we letthings develop without taking action. If I didn"t act, my conscience willdefinitely hound me.""You don"t have to reproach yourself, nor do you have to risk your lifeapproaching them. That is survival wisdom.""I know. Meeting G.o.ds repeatedly these two, three days, have left me withdeep impressions. When I encountered Melqart, my legs lost strength.""Even so... You still want to take part in this matter? That"s foolish!""It"s OK, I am fully aware I am doing something foolish. Neither I nor Ericawill object to such an a.s.sessment.""You are much more foolish than Erica-san! No matter what, she is a mageand you are just a powerless commoner. The two cannot be compared."Directly criticized.However, G.o.dou shrugged and accepted it, she was right."However, I don"t hate fools. Clever minds will only act according to mycalculations, but a fool will sometimes exceed my expectations. Besides,there are fools who displease others, and fools who bring joy. Please don"tbecome the former.""Yes..."Though G.o.dou didn"t quite get what she meant, it was a sort ofcompliment?"Kusanagi G.o.dou, through this incident, you have made me hold you inhigh regard. I feel you will become a most interesting toy, so do not die insuch a place. Same for Erica-san, please do not miss the opportunity forretreat, hear that?"Lucretia hung up the phone.It looked like she was finally acting like an elder, and wasn"t just someonewith a personality problem. G.o.dou felt grat.i.tude towards her, and thenbriefly reported the conversation to Erica."...So that"s the situation. Looks like it can"t be used as a finishing move.""However, this is still the only tool that can affect G.o.ds — besides, if a battlebetween G.o.ds begins, what will happen to this island?"Melqart who had declared he will sink the island.The youth G.o.d whose fragments of power easily demolished cities all overthe place.If they had a serious duel, it wasn"t something that could be finished in halfan hour. Using the entire island as a stage for their deathmatch, this placewill likely end up as a wasteland once the match concluded...As these thoughts entered his mind, G.o.dou clutched his head, feeling aheadache."However, even with me plus the [Secret Tome of Prometheus], and all themagi on the island, nothing can be done... So the only remaining choice isto stall for time.""Stall for time? Isn"t that something you do when there arereinforcements?"Seeing Erica"s confidence, G.o.dou was confused."Actually there is no problem there. In fact, the magi of Sardinia havealready contacted Sir Salvatore, who will be arriving in a day or two. Wejust need to hold out until then.""Sir Salvatore...?"G.o.dou remembered, come to think of it, Lucretia also mentioned this namebefore."Yes, the great Salvatore Doni, the strongest knight of our Italy, theCampione possessing the authority of the magic sword. Didn"t I mentionbefore? When miracle is piled upon miracle, humans have the possibility ofobtaining victory over a G.o.d — "Campione was the t.i.tle bestowed upon a G.o.d-slayer.Slaying a G.o.d and then usurping the G.o.d"s authority, they become the devilkings of the human world, fighting against G.o.ds.Hearing that, G.o.dou felt greatly surprised.That youth and Melqart could probably kill a normal person with just a littlefinger. To encounter a G.o.d and live was already extremely lucky, defeatinga G.o.d was absolutely ridiculous."G.o.ds are such strong existences, are there really people who have foughtand won!?""These people are rare of course. In fact, there was a period over acentury long when no Campiones were born. However during thenineteenth and latter half of the twentieth centuries, a number of peopleemerged, concentrated during this time, and there are now a total of six.With the increased frequency in the current period, it kind of feels like thecoming of the end of the world.""Uh, this isn"t winemaking, to have these kinds of periods..."Sir Salvatore who was mentioned, was the sixth Campione born a fewyears ago.Since the entire affair was too far removed from common sense, G.o.douwas stupefied."Anyway since that has been prepared, we just need to focus on stalling.Even for me, I"m not stupid enough to want to become the seventhCampione."G.o.dou nodded at Erica"s words.Definitely an idiot. Fighting a G.o.d was truly stupid behavior, and for a devilking Campione to win in such a match, how strong a monster could theybe?"However, buying time is also very difficult, what do you have in mind?""The current target is the sword G.o.d. Since that deity"s power hasrecovered ninety percent, if we can lower it to seventy or eighty, he will beforced to fight Melqart with caution.""How did you get numbers like ninety and eighty?""Because the war G.o.d has a total of ten incarnations. One of them, the[White Stallion] is already captured in the grimoire, so it"s ninety percent.Isn"t that a simple calculation?""Right... That guy"s name, can you tell me?"G.o.dou suddenly raised this question, for he had become very bothered byit from a while ago.Erica calmly said a name lightly.Hearing this incredible name for the first time, G.o.dou could only wonder,what country does the name come from?"That"s mostly likely the G.o.d"s name. From the strange occurrences on thisisland, combined with the information from you, I deduced that, so thereshould be no mistake.""...The G.o.d with that name, I"ve never even heard of him.""Well, most people would think that. Though very trivial, he is still aguardian G.o.d of a surviving religion. Amongst the faiths in western Asia, apowerful G.o.d with many strong feats — then next is..."A sword suddenly appeared in Erica"s hand.Just as G.o.dou wondered what she was going to do, the sword pointeddirectly at him."At this stage, you don"t have to carry my luggage any more. Leave thegrimoire here and return to j.a.pan obediently. I don"t need someone to dragme down any more. If you dare say no, I will take care of you directly withthis sword, hear that?"Suddenly threatening him, but this was just her show of concern. An act toprotect G.o.dou even if it meant breaking her oath as a knight. Which is whyG.o.dou could not obey."A person who hasn"t spent enough time with him cannot use the stonetablet. Didn"t Lucretia-san say that? I don"t think you will be able to use itsuccessfully, so it"s best that I stay here.""This kind of problem always has a solution, you don"t have to worry.""How can it be done?! No matter how I think about it, the next time that guyreturns will be to duel with Melqart. You absolutely have no time to spendchatting with him.""If there"s none, I will create an opportunity. Anyway, I have no need for anamateur like you to stay and help me."No matter what, she would not agree.If it was the second morning after encountering the [Boar], had shethreatened him like this, G.o.dou who feared swords would likely have givenher the [Secret Tome of Prometheus].But now was different, he could not do that.Though Erica was a willful and unreasonable girl, she was also chivalrous,talented at socializing, and unexpectedly considerate of others. On theother hand, she was also a girl who despaired when met with setback.Having understood her, it was impossible for G.o.dou to return alone.Since there was also a guy straying from the right path and causing greatchaos, G.o.dou cannot leave that guy alone either.The two of them faced each other silently for quite a while, until Ericafinally shrugged and sighed:"Fine, if you are prepared to follow me wherever I go, then accompany me.In return, I will really use you, so be prepared!"Of course, this was exactly what G.o.dou wanted.Part 2The rays of dawn began to appear in the eastern sky.Bathed under the light, the [Wind] incarnation transformed into the figure ofthe [Youth].The black-haired youth G.o.d landed lightly on the ground, at the moment ofdawn just as he promised. He possessed divine qualities with deep ties tolight.Before his eyes was the green forest surrounding the ancient ruins.As the rays of sunlight bathed the deep green trees in the forest, a rosecolored glow was given off.— Belonging to the faction of goodness, having the G.o.d of light as his core,the youth"s divine power was raised to the maximum when bathed underthe rays of dawn. In this state, it was possible to break the forest barrier.Actually Melqart was also a deity controlling the sun, but his responsibilitiesruled over too many things.Due to that, he couldn"t raise his divine power even when the sun cameout, so the youth prepared to make use of this advantage.— Perhaps it was acceptable to make things simple and wait for the divineking to recover completely.However, he dispelled this notion as quickly as it surfaced, deeming it toodisrespectful.As the one who held all victory in his hands, it would be a most specialoccasion to fight the great and ancient divine king, and win. With utmostrespect, he will make the most of this opportunity.The corners of his lips slightly rising, he walked towards the forest with theyouth"s form.Though he possessed the power of ten incarnations, this was his mostnormal state.Not simply a human, but the form of a fifteen-year-old youth.Whenever he set forth to correct the wrongs of the world, tasked by hismaster to conquer opposing enemy G.o.ds, he liked to take on theappearance of a youth.A glorious fifteen-year-old youth.According to the precepts of the religion that he guarded over, it was thesymbol of the "hero."Just like last night, the branches of the trees distorted themselves likesnakes to block his path.Faced with such obstructions, he simply gave the command of "dismissed."The spell words of blessing and domination, this was the authoritypossessed by the youth incarnation as the hero. The trees of the forestinstantly returned to normal plants, and opened up a path.Next was the attack of the locust army.For one who was a match for the divine king himself, divine beasts ormessengers of G.o.d like locusts were no match at all. He instantly used thespiritual power of the eighth incarnation, the [Goat].This intelligent divine beast was worshiped by nomadic tribes as theembodiment of lightning.Releasing a lightning strike from his hand, the entire locust army wascompletely incinerated."King Melqart, dost thou believe such obstructions can stop me?"Roaring towards the sky.There was an instant reply."Of course! G.o.d who slays G.o.ds, the great G.o.d of the warrior. Thosefellows are merely guards. For that level of guards, how could they halt theadvance of the war G.o.d?"What appeared next was a violent windstorm blowing forth from in front.Melqart was also a G.o.d of storms, even for the powerful [Wind] that couldblow away cities where humans lived, it was a draw. Wind was unable toblow apart wind....After that, they used all sorts of divine power.Such as an army of the dead summoned from the underworld, violentwaves that could wash everything away like a flood, or thousands ofthunder-strikes that flew like spears in the sky.The youth G.o.d defeated all these attacks, and finally arrived at theNuraghe sa Bastia."Ch... Still capably fighting by switching forms. How vexing!""By the power of transformation, I hold victory in my hands no matter whatbattlefield. Hahaha, King. I can feel thy presence before me. Art thou notcoming out? It seemeth, thy divine power hath yet to fully recover!"He surveyed the surroundings of the ruins as he conversed with Melqart"svoice.The original location of the entrance to the underground temple was nowunder a ma.s.sive rock."Even for your divine power, this rock cannot be easily destroyed. This isthe ultimate palace I ordered the craftsman Kothar-wa-Khasis^ toconstruct in the past. In order to stop you, I used this defense. Rememberto thank me!""Yes... I see, though very crude, it is not bad!"The youth G.o.d was admiring this st.u.r.dy rock. As expected of the ancientdivine king and G.o.d of war, he did not take defense lightly.However, this was the warlord who could defeat any G.o.d or demon.In terms of pure skill of the warrior, he was a deity surpa.s.sing Melqart. Hispraising of the rock did not imply he couldn"t smash it — just as he made hisdecision, he noticed.It was only a minute presence.For a powerful G.o.d, it felt like the owner of minuscule magical power."Thou hast come. I already stated, the next time thou obstructest me, Ishall reward thee accordingly, dost thou remember?"The youth G.o.d turned around and received a smile from her in return.The beautiful blonde witch wielding Cuore di Leone, the girl was standingthere in her red battle outfit."I remember your words clearly, but I am a knight, and cannot let you do asyou please in this world — if I am not moved despite my knowledge, it wouldbe a taint to my honor."Erica retorted quietly.The youth G.o.d had decided on the moment of dawn himself.In order to pursue him into the forest, G.o.dou and Erica had come to theruins. As agreed beforehand, G.o.dou concealed himself, preparing to usethe [Secret Tome of Prometheus].Waiting for Erica to draw the attention of the youth G.o.d.If the grimoire was used directly, he would likely dodge it. The blue flamesthat stole divine power — though it struck the [White Stallion] directly, theyouth G.o.d easily evaded. If G.o.dou tried it again, the result will be thesame.Thus Erica must force him to show an opening."Do you still remember our first promise the first time we met?"Erica asked with a smile as beautiful as spring.Like a n.o.blewoman happily chatting away at a salon, she had very elegantsmiling expressions and mannerisms.However, maintaining this state was hard work. Her opponent was a G.o.d,one misstep and it would turn into a repeat of what happened with Melqart.Erica did not want to suffer that kind of humiliation again.Wishing to resist a G.o.d and counterattack, one definitely could not lose inspirit. Erica Blandelli will never bow down to an enemy without a fight! Shewill put her life on the line to make her opponent listen."Hoho, what promise?""Didn"t you say, one day you will challenge me to a duel of swords? So, letme make a gamble — if I obtain victory by the sword, you must leave thisisland, please."Bowing her head respectfully, Erica made her request. How would theyouth G.o.d react?Accept or ignore? If the latter, then she would be forced to try the nextoption. What would be the result?"Haha! Thou darest to use a sword to challenge me, the war G.o.d. Yes,very well! Thy will is truly courageous, a rare specimen of a witch with awarrior"s spirit!"As expected, the war G.o.d agreed, just as she heard from G.o.dou.Erica laughed to herself. I, have long sought defeat. No matter what kind ofopponent, I will never be defeated. From all his grand statements, hisoverconfidence was glaring, and the provocation succeeded!"So, I must prepare a sword... Ah, this will do."Looking over the ground, the youth G.o.d picked up a tree branch.The same length as Erica"s Cuore di Leone, but very slender, even a childwould likely snap it in two with ease."Yes, perfect in length. This will do."The youth G.o.d laughed in mockery as he swung the branch.A simple ten centimeter slash, but the sword-like wind was like a tornadodespite the fact it was such a thin and light branch.This must be what are known as divine skills. Just from that one attack,Erica understood the youth G.o.d"s skills.Once martial arts reached the highest pinnacles of skill, the size andweight of the weapon no longer mattered.To use a ma.s.sive weapon perfectly, one must learn the techniques towield it with speed and precision. In order to use a small and light weaponperfectly, one must learn how to make strong and heavy attacks with it."Cuore di Leone — steel possessing the name of the lion king. I nowcommand you. Cast off the disguise I bestowed upon you, and reveal yourtrue form. Appear before me as the lion, and fight by my side!"Erica chanted the spell words, unsealing her beloved sword.The previously slender sword was a temporary form chosen for Erica totrain herself. A self-applied restraint to develop hard hitting attacks with alight and slender sword.Cuore di Leone began to expand.The heavy body of the blade like an anchor, its length was roughly doublecompared to before.A wide single-handed sword that did not match the girl"s slender wrists.This was the original form of the lion"s magic sword.Then Erica summoned in her left hand a circular infantry shield made ofsteel, its red surface carved with the crest of a black cross.If Erica did not use magic to enhance her strength and explosive force, shewould be unable to use these heavy armaments."Good. It looketh like thou art ready. Let us begin!"The youth G.o.d announced cheerfully with a smile.Erica charged without hesitation.Using a light and slender sword all along was to develop a sense of heavyimpact in her sword skills. Then conversely, what was the secret to using aheavy sword? — Speed as well as steady control.Erica lightly waved her right arm.From the shoulder to the elbow, and then combined with the force from thewrist, she swung that heavy and solid Cuore di Leone, slashing towardsthe youth G.o.d horizontally.From her shoulder to the tip of the sword, it was like a whip.For a human opponent, even a first cla.s.s swordsman, this sort of movewould be very difficult to figure out when seen for the first time.It was also extremely powerful. In its true form, Cuore di Leone was sharpenough to cut through concrete, not to mention the additional impactproduced by the overwhelming weight.— But even against such an attack, the youth G.o.d easily blocked with theslender branch.Not only that, he slashed back... Correction, the youth G.o.d simply swungthe branch lightly and Erica took the impact with the steel shield on her left,but the impact of the twig actually made her left hand tremble.Enduring the pain, she smashed the shield towards the body of the youthG.o.d.A rough tactic combining offense with defense. Erica aimed at the armoron the youth G.o.d"s feet, stepping hard with her left foot! Her talents werenot limited to the magnificent motions of her skill with the slender sword.The real techniques of the Copper Black Cross, were not only magnificentin appearance, but had many practical tactics in real combat.Driving these moves, Erica rapidly attacked without pause.But the youth G.o.d simply evaded these attacks by stepping left and right.And sometimes he would use the little branch to make counterattacks toweaken the momentum of Erica"s offense. He was almost dancing like ab.u.t.terfly and stinging like a bee."Little lady! Thou hast trained well! If thou continuest, one day thou wiltbecome a strong warrior. Amazing!"He was even able to praise his opponent like that.Completely treating it as a game, but no matter, Erica had expected hewould act like that from the start.Erica fought as she waited for the opportunity.Deliberately choosing a compet.i.tion of swords, and using Cuore di Leone"strue form to fight at full strength, these were all in preparation for the nextstep.She prayed that the youth G.o.d did not have divine powers of prediction ormind reading.And then Erica finally used her ultimate move."Magic sword of the lion, abandon your sword body and transform intobinding chains!"As the sword and the twig clashed repeatedly, Erica suddenly jumpedbackwards.At the same time chanting the short spell words, her beloved sword beganto transform.Not into knight"s weapons of sword and lance, but an iron chain roughlythree meters in length. This iron chain also had a heavy weight on oneend, and Erica swung it at the youth G.o.d"s ankle.Intending to entangle his two feet and make him fall down."Hahaha, to think thou hadst some kind of plan."Towards such a move, the youth G.o.d only smiled and jumped to evade.But Erica threw out the second chain, this time transformed from the shieldin her left hand.It was deflected by the twig.However, in that instant Erica had closed the distance and approached theyouth G.o.d.The chain in her right turned back into the ma.s.sive sword — Cuore diLeone"s original form, and slashed directly. In midair about to land, theyouth G.o.d was. .h.i.t by her full attack.Fresh blood instantly flew all around.Previously infused with spell words, the lion"s magic sword had hacked offthe G.o.d"s right arm.— At that very instant, the blue flames of the [Secret Tome of Prometheus]blew forth, as if devouring Erica along with the youth"s body.Part 3Diverting the youth"s attention with a sword challenge.And then using the [Secret Tome of Prometheus] at this time, was thebattle plan proposed by Erica."...In other words, an attack that you will be caught up into? That"s nolonger a fight but suicide tactics."G.o.dou felt deeply against it."You"re nagging too much. This kind of deception is the only way to battle aG.o.d. Since the [Secret Tome of Prometheus] steals a G.o.d"s power, it won"thave any harmful effects on me. Amongst all the strategies I came up with,this is the best choice.""But, if you lose in about ten seconds, then everything is over.""Of course I know that! But there is no other way, aiming the grimoire athim directly will never hit!"In the end with no other method, G.o.dou could only follow Erica"sinstructions.Then she fought with all her might. The youth G.o.d underestimated her andfought with a cavalier att.i.tude, resulting in getting his arm hacked off.In that instant, G.o.dou had already held the [Secret Tome of Prometheus]in his hands without thought.The heat from the stone tablet was already testing the limits of hisendurance. The blue flames shot out all at once, successfully capturing theyouth G.o.d.Rushing forth, as if flying straight to the heavens, the mysterious blueflames that burned spectacularly.Erica walked out of the vortex and stood beside G.o.dou.Asking if she was fine, she immediately answered "no problem." But fromthe pallor of her face, she was clearly forcing herself. The swordfight withthe G.o.d must have been more mentally taxing than expected."I"m fine here, G.o.dou, you have to watch the flames carefully. Steal powerfrom that deity quickly, and absorb his divine power to the maximum limitsof the grimoire!""Ah, yes." Hearing Erica"s directions, G.o.dou nodded.To be honest, he didn"t even know how much divine power could be storedin this strange tool, and it kept feeling like it could absorb more.Then G.o.dou began gazing at the flames, but at the instant he noticed theyouth G.o.d within them —"Using the mystic stone of Prometheus, as expected."The youth G.o.d"s voice sounded, still relaxed and composed."You guessed it?""Yes, is this not inevitable? The one trump card ye possess, effectiveagainst me, is this mystic stone alone. What remaineth are simply thequestions of how and when.""Even if it was expected, it"s too late, unless you have a way to escape thatcl.u.s.ter of flames — "Conversing with the youth in the flames, G.o.dou gradually felt unsettled.If he had a way to escape.Last night, Erica seemed to have mentioned. He was the war G.o.d whosmashed every obstacle.If that was truly the case, could it be —"I now decree in my name, ancient sage Prometheus."The youth spoke in gentle tones:"Fearest me, and quickly dismissest thyself, Prometheus. I am the onewho shall defeat all obstacles, whether the mighty or the unjust, neithercan conquer me."Suddenly, the number of lights increased.Shining with golden splendor were ten, twenty spheres of light — close to ahundred were flying in the surroundings of the flames.Furthermore, the blue flames began to die down.The slender youth"s figure appeared once more, illuminated by the goldenlight surrounding him."Fearest me, Prometheus! Fearest me and my mighty name! My name isVerethragna! The guardian of light and the holy land! Fearest Verethragna,Prometheus!"It was finally said. The name finally appeared.The name meaning "the one who smashed obstacles," the sacred namethat could not be uttered carelessly, and the name that Erica and G.o.doudeliberately avoided as a G.o.d"s taboo.Wind, bull, white stallion, camel, boar, youth, raptor, ram, goat, as well asthe human warrior wielding the golden sword.The ever victorious war G.o.d who possessed ten incarnations — his name isVerethragna."Speech is light. Spell words are light. So light and spell words, becomemy sword, form into my blade!"Before dawn, Erica had mentioned.The ancient Persian warlord, the protector serving the G.o.d of light, Mithra.Called the protector of the light in western Asia, he had the same origins asIndra the thunder G.o.d in India.In j.a.pan there was Vajradhara^, and had links to both eastern andwestern civilization. Also thought to be Heracles by some, Verethragna"scurrent battle against Melqart can be considered the showdown betweenancestor and descendant.Yes, he was a war G.o.d without the distinction of being oriental oroccidental, the ultimate war G.o.d descended upon the earth.Verethragna was surrounded by a vast amount of light, giving offspectacular radiance."I recognize thee, Prometheus. Thy place of punishment, is the summit ofthe Caucasus. Thou art the G.o.d of fire once; thou art the G.o.d of theft once;thou art a hero once!"As Verethragna spoke softly, the dancing lights multiplied intensely.At the same time, the flames disappeared."I, Verethragna am the sword — the hero of might. However, thou art thehero of wisdom, granting fire to the foolish humans — the sage who taughtcivilization, the prankster who deceived G.o.ds through wisdom, the sun andshadows watching over the human race, similar to Amirani^ of theCaucasus and Loki of the far north."The golden light seemed to surpa.s.s the sun"s brightness.The grimoire"s flames completely dissipated."How could this be... The golden sword"s true form actually consists of thespell words for severing a G.o.d"s power."Erica explained beside G.o.dou with a face full of surprise."Spell, spell words?""Yes, wasn"t Verethragna describing what kind of G.o.d Prometheus was justnow? Those are not simply explanations of knowledge, but spell wordscarrying magical power — basically a weapon to slash apart another deityonce he understands what kind of G.o.d he was up against. In other words, itis a spell that can be called the sword of wisdom."In other words, this was probably the true ident.i.ty of the shining light thatsliced up the [Boar] at Cagliari, and the golden sword that defeated the[Goat] and the [Raptor] at Dorgali.And now if the [Secret Tome of Prometheus]"s power was ineffectiveagainst the youth G.o.d —Then there was nothing left to stop the war G.o.d.G.o.dou looked with fearful eyes at the one whom he had spent a short buthappy time together, the youth war G.o.d, and the G.o.d namedVerethragna — With his usual rosy dawn-like smile, he gazed down atG.o.dou.Yes, though standing on the same ground, he was clearly despisinghumans, looking down from the perspective of the absolute power andvictory."I have fulfilled one promise, but now there is another — punishing yeaccordingly."Declaring this with a haughty att.i.tude, Verethragna"s right arm regrew in aninstant.Erica took out her sword once more, and prepared her stance."What art thou afraid of, I am not going to take both ye lives. But ye resistwith such deceit, most vexing... Ye shall receive my blessing, my mightand authority! Obey my command!"— What was this! G.o.dou was completely shocked.His knees bent down by themselves. His body knelt at the youthautomatically and performed the greeting rites of a subject towards a king!What kind of power was this!?Looking carefully, Erica beside him was also bending her knees.It was just their bodies losing control, their expressions and their hearts stillbelonged to them, and the two of them looked at each other."G.o.dou, pull yourself together! This is the [Youth] — Verethragna"s divinepower as the hero! The spell words were for protecting us humans, but inreturn, we become his servants... Resist his command quickly!"Erica instantly warned.She seemed to be struggling to resist, preventing herself from kneeling.Due to her opposition, Erica"s posture returned to normal.Raising her sword once again, she pointed it at the youth with all herstrength."Hohoho, witch, force thyself not. Or else, there will be repercussions."The youth was laughing.Forcing others to serve him, he was very happy, laughing with innocence."Aaaaaaaahhhh!"Erica"s painful screams were suddenly heard, and she fell over.About to kneel down, G.o.dou noticed the strange state of her ankles. Herankles were bent at an unnatural angle. This was not a simple injury, it wasdefinitely a bone breaking deformation.What did the youth do? G.o.dou glared with reproach at the smiling youthG.o.d."I cannot be blamed, boy, the reason is due to me, but I did not act directly.It was the girl who was far too stubborn, and broketh her own body. Painwould be avoided if my commands were obediently obeyed."Erica"s slim body had fallen over.Her ankles bent at an impossible angle. Her beautiful face distorted bypain. Her blonde hair soiled by dust and earth.Casually viewing everything, the handsome but inhuman youth — no, it wasthe profile of the [Heretic G.o.d] Verethragna.In the instant G.o.dou saw all this, it felt like something broke.The enemy was a G.o.d, but so what?G.o.ds were impossible to defeat. Was it really true? With so manyopenings, taking battle so lightly, treating enemies so severely, was therereally no way to defeat the completely changed guy before G.o.dou"s eyes?No such thing.How could there be such a thing!...G.o.dou slowly but effortlessly stood up. He no longer felt the dominatingpower of the hero. Perhaps it was seeing Erica suffering that caused this."Boy, how incredible. Is this also the power of Prometheus? How didst thouescape from the shackles of my spell words?""How could I know this kind of thing, but the reasons behind it — I havesome idea."G.o.dou glared at Verethragna head on.He could feel more greatness from the youth he met in Cagliari despite thefact that becoming the current state of heretic Verethragna should havebetter revealed his true power."Oh?""All you have right now is strong power. Yes, a G.o.d stronger than anyoneelse, but just a willful monster. You cannot be called a hero in this state. Idon"t consider a guy a hero with just power alone! This is why I don"t wantto obey, and feel no need to kneel. Any objections?"Incantations, spell words, the power of language.G.o.dou simply did not believe in the existence of these things, but now,through clearly articulating his disobedience against Verethragna, G.o.dou"sterror was gradually disappearing."Only the powerful have the disposition to become heroes, this has beenabsolute truth since ancient times."Verethragna made a humorous smile as if mocking a foolish child."Thou truly makest me speechless, to think thy obstinacy has resisted myspell words! Though strange it is decidedly a great achievement,praiseworthy.""No, this is not my power, it is just the fact that you are a hopeless guy."The G.o.d before him definitely prided in his absolute power.A mage like Erica should be able to calculate his power, and so she wouldtreat as G.o.d this monster in the form of a youth, offering her respect to thisgreat existence.But G.o.dou was neither a mage nor did he have any knowledge aboutG.o.ds.Which was why he would think this way. That guy before — the one wholost his memory, is the true amazing one. Though he also boasted aboutnot losing in any compet.i.tion, he would mix himself amongst the crowd,and give off sacred charisma as bright as the sun"s brilliance, and would flylike the wind to help those in need.But now, the G.o.d before him was not like that.This guy only had great power, nothing to be admired, and no one willseek his aid."The current you only calls himself a hero, but there is nothing about youthat fits that description. So of course, you can"t use a hero"s power!""Yes, I understand what thou art trying to say. Even so, the fact remaineth,I am the undefeated G.o.d of victory, dost thou still wish to resist? It is betterto obey honestly.""Oh really? That description of absolute victory, also sounds very strange."Having started he might as well go all out. With this spirit, G.o.dou clenchedhis teeth and spoke words that belittled the G.o.d.Since things have come to this, he will resist to the utter end with twistedlogic.Hearing these words, Verethragna furrowed his brow....The war G.o.d who treated everything with aloofness, showed displeasurefor the first time, could this be angering him?"You have always made light of compet.i.tion. In your matches against Ericaand me, you deliberately let us choose our talents, and played with us. Didyou really believe you would win without doubt?"Unfortunately, G.o.dou had never had a compet.i.tion where he was a.s.suredof victory.He has always a.n.a.lyzed his enemies, or thought up strategies beforehandbased on the capabilities and habits of his future opponents. Whennecessary, for the sake of victory, G.o.dou has even performed strangetricks that were akin to breaking the rules.In their junior days, Miura often fell for G.o.dou"s tricks as his opponent.When he came up to G.o.dou after losing so many times, G.o.dou alwaysexplained it as "that"s not real talent." But that was just trying to act cool. Infact, G.o.dou was thinking "though that guy has a bit of talent, he"s just asimple-minded fool, so I definitely cannot lose to him." That was thesituation.Since he didn"t want others to know his obsession with winning, G.o.douwould never reveal these things.From the perspective of G.o.dou"s compet.i.tive personality, he definitelycannot approve of Verethragna"s cavalier att.i.tude towards compet.i.tion."Even if you are a G.o.d, in a thousand matches, your opponent may verywell s.n.a.t.c.h up a victory! The next thing to do is how to lure out this chanceof a thousand."Of course, Verethragna dismissed G.o.dou"s words with a laugh."Boy, that kind of thing is impossible. Before me, a G.o.d, what good wouldcome from hoping for such a rare occurrence? With just a little finger, shallI burn thee to charcoal?"He was completely right.But for this once, things are not that certain.Actually, the finishing move G.o.dou considered as he watched Erica"s fightwith Verethragna, as well as during his argument with the G.o.d, was astrange trick no different from cheating.No, G.o.dou thought again.This was not cheating, rather, it"s called relying on external power."Even so, the fact remains. You are overconfident. Just like now — hey,G.o.d! You"ve seen the power possessed by my stone tablet here!? Next youwill take on the role of Erica — the girl just now, and perhaps it will besuccessful? So grant me power!"G.o.dou roared angrily at the sky.The voice heard from the dialogue when Verethragna breached the forestbarrier, G.o.dou heard it again, that majestic voice."Hahahahahaha! I was expecting some kind of farce and watched quietly!Who could have expected the victorious warlord to fall for a human"stricks!"The Phoenician divine king Melqart.His grand laughter reverberated across the sky and the forest.To speak to the king of the G.o.ds in such a manner, your wish is tooimpertinent, boy! But your observation is not bad, so let me reward you alittle! Verethragna, your most troublesome ability is that [Sword], but can itbecome a weapon that can slay Prometheus and me, two G.o.ds at thesame time?"Suddenly, s.p.a.ce distorted.Out flew two clubs."Yagrush the Chaser! Ayamur the Driver! Pursuers, the pair of weaponsacting on my behalf, chase and drive out the eastern warlord! Show himthe power of my wrath!""Ch.JThat King Melqart!"Verethragna"s handsome face was once again distorted by vexation.G.o.dou"s eyes had allowed him to strike and send innumerable fastb.a.l.l.sflying in the past. But at a height beyond his sight, two clubs — Chaser andDriver were rising up in the sky.One of them approached like lightning from the front, while the otherattacked from behind like a flying bird.Verethragna jumped high and became [Wind], however, the two clubscoordinated as if they knew the precise locations, chasing after the strongwind." — G.o.dou! Hurry and use the [Secret Tome of Prometheus]! BeforeVerethragna chants the spell words to conquer King Melqart!"Sprawled on the ground, Erica frantically called out.G.o.dou hurriedly raised the grimoire high, and the diagram depicting thebound Prometheus suddenly sent forth grand blue flames. Probablybecause it was his third time using it, G.o.dou found it much easier tooperate."Ooooooooooh!"The strong wind prepared to use the [Sword], and returned to the form ofthe youth in midair.As the blue flames approached, they were instantly intercepted by thegolden spheres of light.However, one of the clubs came flying and directly struck Verethragna onhis thin chest armor."Ooh!?" Verethragna gave off a painful grunt, and the brilliance of his lightspheres dimmed."Do you have the power to use the [Sword] simultaneously with otherincarnations? Of course the answer is no! Just as you saw through mypowers, I too, saw through yours! You broke my barrier just now, and yourpower is not at full strength! Continuing to consume your divine powers thisway, your existence will become precarious! Just like the brat said, you areoverconfident, Verethragna!""No, this has not ended! My defeat has not been sealed, King Melqart!"Verethragna yelled at the divine king"s thunderous voice."The pursuers of Chaser and Driver! These were the weapons given tothee by the G.o.d of craftsmen. Kothar-wa-Khasis! As Baal, thou used themto lure the dragon king Yanrr * away from his throne, and slew him!Through this victory, thou ascended to the throne of the divine king!"Could these also be spell words — incantations produced by the golden[Sword].G.o.dou held his breath.Was Verethragna currently exchanging the [Sword] against Prometheus toa sword for Melqart? Even if that happens, the situation is unchanged.There was only one way to reverse the tide of battle, yes.Dual wielding.Just as G.o.dou predicted, the golden light gathered upon Verethragna"s twohands.The light gradually concentrated, forming long swords with golden blades,one in each hand."Ha, a desperate attack! Haha, that"s the renowned Verethragna! Ratherthan choosing defeat through overconfidence, it is better to fight beyondone"s limits. This spirit is excellent, now let me have a good fight againstyou!"Melqart"s voice bellowed thunderously with glee.On the other hand, there was already a deep red trail of fresh blood onVerethragna"s forehead. His lips still chanting spell words sonorously, theelegant and handsome face had become pale.Even so, he was still flying in the air wielding two swords majestically.The two clubs Chaser and Driver flying back and forth, and the blue flamesof the [Secret Tome of Prometheus] dancing in the air like a comet.The battle between G.o.ds, was still undecided.Part 4Verethragna"s twin swords, Melqart"s clubs and Prometheus" flamescollided in the air.Down below, G.o.dou hurriedly picked up Erica in his arms as her feet wereinjured."Can you still walk? Please bear it for now. It"s very dangerous here, so it"dbe best to move to another location.""G.o.dou... You managed to trick a [Heretic G.o.d], what an amazingachievement."While the G.o.ds battled intensely, the two of them entered the forest.Leaning Erica, who was unable to walk properly, against his shoulder, thetwo walked side by side.At last they reached the foot of a great tree.Setting Erica down, G.o.dou held the [Secret Tome of Prometheus] onceagain.Verethragna had the advantage in the air battle due to his weapons thatcould seal divine power and slay enemies. That should be obvious.Chaser, Driver and the blue flames were slashed an uncountable numberof times.The youth G.o.d achieving victory was likely just a matter of time. However,his flying movements in the air as well as sword speed did seem to begradually getting sluggish."If this continues, it will be very hard for the [Secret Tome of Prometheus]to steal his power.""How about this — G.o.dou, before Verethragna comes, hurry and escapealone. I"m just a burden to you, abandon me here."Resting against the tree, Erica spoke painfully.The exquisite voice with clarity, and the face whose beauty was unaffectedby the dust, sand and sweat. It was only now that G.o.dou was finally struckby a real sense of how beautiful this girl was."Can you use healing magic? Like those moves commonly seen ingames?""I can, but it takes a certain amount of time for the spell to take effect.Healing these two legs... Probably would take thirty minutes, so it will betoo late."A technique that could heal these legs which looked like they weresnapped, was probably a very powerful spell.However, it was entirely useless in this situation.Now, there was only one thing that could be used.G.o.dou looked at Verethragna"s direction with determination, and said toErica:"So, the only trump card is Prometheus" stone tablet after all. I will think ofa way to be that guy"s opponent. Use that magic quickly. Once your legsare healed, we"ll run together.""Don"t be stupid! You"re going to push Verethragna to that degree! Whoknows what kind of divine retribution you will suffer!?""However, that guy can transform into the wind, right? If I run away alone, Iwill be caught eventually. So without you coming along, I probably won"t beable to escape."G.o.dou deeply sighed at this time."To be frank, there"s no other way other than that move. However — ""However?""Didn"t Erica mention before? That guy likes me more. I am also veryconcerned about him. For a former friend to turn into something like that, itreally feels bad to just leave him alone and do nothing."Though their time together was short, G.o.dou felt as a friend that the youthhas strayed from the right path.What could he do — no idea.Even with wounds all over his body, the powerful warlord continued to fightwith great spirit.What could he do — no idea.Even so G.o.dou had to stay and witness the final moment, this feeling wasvery real."You really... Are a true idiot?""I completely cannot deny that. When you say stuff like that now, I can onlyaccept them all."Faced with the admonishing from the witch and the female knight, G.o.doureplied with gentleness instead.Erica stared at the sky as if she had given up, sighing briefly."Idiot, also a really big idiot, so stupid that you are a hopeless idiot.""Fine... If it makes you happy, say whatever you like, I don"t want to argueanymore."Unable to awaken G.o.dou from his foolishness, Erica smiled. It was neithera smile of mockery nor pity, but seemed to be mostly carrying the feelingsof giving up."But amidst all that foolishness, there"s a little bit of cuteness... I will askyou one last time, will you change your decision?""No, I owe him a favor, so I cannot choose to run.""...Favor? If so, then so be it."With a few exchanges, Erica had already realized.G.o.dou felt very surprised and happy at the same time. Finally able toreach a mutual understanding with this girl, he definitely would neverexpect this to happen the first time they met."Leaving everything to "so be it," that is really vexing for us weak humans.No matter what, we have to give the G.o.ds some hardship to suffer."Saying that, Erica went silent for a while, deep in thought.And then she stared at G.o.dou"s face seriously and said:"We probably forgot, but the [Secret Tome of Prometheus] has storedwithin it Verethragna"s divine power — the ability of the [White Stallion]incarnation, right?""Ah yes. I think so. Though it"s a power related to the sun, why is it ahorse?""I will explain that to you later. Listen to me carefully? When you go over toVerethragna, if you feel it is the end, don"t hesitate, just use this power asquickly as possible."Hearing Erica"s advice, G.o.dou suddenly stared with eyes wide open.Wasn"t this the move that Lucretia warned "never to use it.""If I do that I will definitely die. Didn"t Lucretia-san warn us?""If this continues, we"re all going to die. But if you try that, perhaps it willbecome a giant reversal. You know the rules for promotion in chess,right?"G.o.dou tilted his head in puzzlement, not knowing what Erica wasconsidering.It was something like a rule that allowed p.a.w.n pieces reaching the far rankon the opposite side to be exchanged for a queen or a knight. In terms ofj.a.panese chess^, there was a similar concept where pieces can promotein the three rows of the opponent"s territory."Unfortunately, not everything can go smoothly... Your chance of dying isvery high, but if successful, the reward is very substantial. Compared toplain sacrifice, there is value in attempting this."She was showing a most gentle smile.Like the tiny flower bud of the Australian Red Cedar, a smile like a n.o.bleprincess. This girl could actually smile like that, how unexpected, G.o.doufelt like he couldn"t tear his gaze away."Kusanagi G.o.dou, you are a very foolish person, but it is precisely thisfoolishness that has led you on a path to here. That is the truth. So whydon"t you join the ranks of the most foolish, as well as the greatest peoplein the world. I"m not going to ask you to gather your courage, rather, pleasestick with your foolishness to the very end — understood?""Yes, I almost get it... But being called an idiot or foolish by you all along,somehow feels complicated.""Ah, I was praising you. A most affectionate nickname of "idiot" — can"t youeven feel that? What a slow person.""I completely cannot feel that. I"ve never heard of "idiot" carrying such deepmeanings."Faced with G.o.dou"s surrendering, Erica laughed."Actually I just realized something, "Epimetheus" illegitimate children,"another name for Campiones which I explained before. But this descriptionhas a strange hidden meaning.""Epimetheus. Another deity from Greek mythology? That"s the feeling I getfrom the name.""Yes, you are correct. If we have a chance to meet again, I will definitelyexplain it to you. So don"t hesitate and go for it, G.o.dou, take the path whicheven the courageous and clever people cannot pa.s.s through. The onlyones capable of walking upon it are the great fools, I believe you have thatdisposition.""...I don"t really understand, but I get the message. Thanks for taking careof me. Thank you."G.o.dou expressed his grat.i.tude for the profound meaning in her words.Actually, there was an additional reason for approaching Verethragna"sside.If he abandoned this strong yet beautiful girl covered with thorns like arose, and ran away by himself, Kusanagi G.o.dou will never forgive himselffor the rest of his life.Instead, he preferred to have a showdown against a G.o.d.To leave a girl in need, nowhere felt as good as giving up his body toprotect the girl.Though he had made his decision in his heart, however —He could not possibly speak out such thoughts. If he said it out, the pridefulErica Blandelli would definitely fight to the last moment even if it meantbreaking her own legs."Right, wait a minute, G.o.dou. Bend down and lean your ear close."Was Erica going to give me a new suggestion?Her elegant poise just now, had become a little bashful — was it somethingdifficult to put into words?And it has to be whispered?Puzzled, G.o.dou did as he was told. Slowly moving towards Erica whocould not stand up from the pain in her legs, he brought his ear to her lips.Under such conditions, she still seemed to be hesitating."What is it, don"t you have something to say?""Yes, well... I already said what I wanted to just now...""Then why do I have to make this pose?""Right, just shut up! I just want to give you a wonderful present!"The unexpected attack came just at that instant.After a period of hesitation, as if suddenly making her decision, shepressed her lips, the color of cherry blossoms, near G.o.dou"s cheek, andkissed him.Smooch...The soft and light sensation was being transmitted.G.o.dou"s mind suddenly went blank.A very small, light touch, but the shock was exceedingly great! What wasthis girl doing!"Y-You, why did you do that? What was that about!?""S-Shut up! To be surprised by something like this! It"s just... Right, it"s justa lucky charm! It"s really rushed, but I believe it is the most useful!"Embarra.s.sed, Erica"s cheeks were bright red."The only males I"ve ever kissed till now, were my uncle and father! So itwill definitely be very effective! Show me some grat.i.tude!"G.o.dou"s cheek — no, his entire face felt hot.His own face was probably all red as well, it couldn"t be helped. The dayfinally came when a beautiful girl would kiss him like this, he neverdreamed it was possible.It was already impossible to look at Erica"s face properly.She frantically turned her body, and G.o.dou rushed forth towards the G.o.dwho was once his friend.Nuraghe sa Bastia. At the firmly sealed entrance created by Melqart.Sliced into halves, Chaser and Driver lied broken embedded in the ground,while Prometheus" blue flames had already died out at some point.Verethragna breathed heavily, his golden swords no longer in his hands.He was now in a condition where his body was covered with wounds.In this state, it was his final direct confrontation with G.o.dou who waswielding the [Secret Tome of Prometheus]."Boy, I must say thou hast done well. But as thou seest, I have defeatedKing Melqart"s weapons, thy flames have been vanquished, and the onlything that concerns me is Prometheus" mystic stone. Makest haste, givestthat to me.""No way, unless you agree to leave this island. This is the last trump cardof us humans, I cannot casually give it up for my own sake."G.o.dou resolutely resisted the hand extended by Verethragna.G.o.dou"s insistence made the youth sigh audibly."A hopeless fellow. To think I, the warlord, would be forced to use divinepower against a mere human brat as an opponent, what a waste of time!"Muttering, Verethragna slowly approached.His footsteps were heavy, as if extremely fatigued.Thus his subsequent actions occurred just as G.o.dou predicted. The G.o.d inthe youth"s form suddenly kicked at the ground.Without divine power, what moves would he make? He could only dependon his body. In the instant G.o.dou realized that, the impact came.Hit by Verethragna"s spinning kick, G.o.dou was sent flying.Still, it had missed his head. Evading the direct attack was thanks to hiswell-trained dynamic vision. He also held on to the [Secret Tome ofPrometheus] with all his strength, so he didn"t let go."At this point, aren"t you going to use your true capabilities againstsomeone like me? You are still making light of compet.i.tion.""This is not a compet.i.tion, only punishment for a foolish human who dothnot know his place."It was right, even if it were a compet.i.tion of martial arts or sports, G.o.douhad no chances of winning.However, even though he was at a disadvantage, G.o.dou could not lethimself be looked down upon."Erica told me already, what kind of G.o.d was Verethragna — the G.o.d whotransformed all the time, and could obtain victory no matter the battlefield,right? Originally a G.o.d of the warrior ranks of the royal clan, and with risingpopularity became worshiped and venerated, finally becoming theprotector G.o.d of the people and justice, right?""Correct, that is my origin!"This time it was a forward kick that attacked G.o.dou.Though it did not strike a fatal spot, Verethragna"s attack was very vicious.Feeling an impact that felt like a car crash, G.o.dou was sent flying again,and fell on the ground, his consciousness slipping for a moment."Obviously such a great G.o.d, but playing around with a brat like me, isn"tthat kind of strange? When I met you at the pier, it wasn"t like that eh?More similar to the sun, worthy of admiration — just as you described.That"s right, like a hero!""Sayest no more, these are things that happened while I had forgotten mynature as a [Heretic G.o.d]. Originally in the myths, I was the son of the sun,the hero guarding the light."This time it was a palm strike, and then a punch, followed by a karatechop.Fast attacks that made evasion and defense useless, G.o.dou was beingpummeled like a sandbag, getting tossed around like a ball.His body ached all over, feeling like scorching heat, and there were severebruises everywhere, perhaps even broken bones.His consciousness was getting fuzzy, and more importantly, his wholebody hurt."However, it is all past and gone. Nostalgia will never bring back the past."Verethragna left those words.But G.o.dou didn"t agree, even considering the current situation, his righthand continued clutching the [Secret Tome of Prometheus]. This was theresult of the grip and determination of the fourth hitter."Why did you give this stone tablet back to me? The second time we met,why did you let me keep it? Wouldn"t it have been better to destroy it backthen?"The scene at D