The Giant Goddess's Infinite Strength
Lokina lightly flipped back the hood of the robe that blocked all vision across the Spirit Realm battlefield, revealing her true face. An eerie smile crept across her lips as she stared directly at Torina.
At a glance, she was unmistakably stronger than before. The idea of picking up and hurling Fenrir—who possessed natural resistance to authorities—through raw physical power alone would have been unthinkable in the past.
There had never been any hope of resolving this tangled web of old grudges and mortal enmity peacefully, and Lokina had no intention of letting it slide. Originally, I planned to smack them with one light blow and charge straight through the main gate, but things have gone slightly off script. Still, it doesn’t matter. I’m worlds apart from who I used to be.
The days of scraping together borrowed troops and fighting pathetic, lonely battles were long gone. Main Gods have filthy personalities and can’t be trusted at all, but they have more than twice as many overwhelmingly powerful beings on their side.
Not only were there more than double the Main God-level combatants, the rest of their forces had also swelled beyond previous numbers. There were simply no factors that pointed to defeat. Yet the fact that I had been reduced to the miserable rank of Upper God and forced to hide away in the Spirit Realm for nearly an eternity—while Torina, the very wretch who had handed me my greatest battlefield defeat, continued to live so comfortably—made my blood boil.
That was precisely why fierce emotion and fighting spirit now surged through her like blue flame.
“Hohot—! You’ve grown shockingly strong, well beyond the intermediate level. Looks like you’ve been eating well and living comfortably. But you seem sloppy. Almost no real combat experience, I take it? Enjoyed a nice long peace, did you? Your battle instincts are at rock bottom. Shall we test whether your endurance is still the same as before?”
Snap—!
At the flick of her finger, the surrounding earth was swallowed by darkness. No—the shadows themselves solidified, devouring every inch of the ten-kilometer radius without mercy. From within that abyss, ghastly screams began to rise.
"Hel of Niflheim!"
"A spell that summons the realm of the dead itself and assaults the enemy with an infinite legion of entities surpassing spirit gods. One of the ultimate forms of necromancy."
⟨ Hel of Niflheim ⟩
“Back then I lacked both vitality and budget to use it, but things are different now. This time I’ve secured a truly reliable sponsor, so the one who will exhaust herself, become unable to move, and suffer defeat… is you.”
Ooooooooooong—!Oooooooo—!
The resonant hum of magical power intertwined with the pain-filled howls of the dead, creating a bizarre and horrifying harmony. In an instant, the entire area was transformed into the realm of the dead. Simultaneously, the divine power of every god within the domain plummeted.
“Within the realm of the dead, gods face severe restrictions on their divine power. At minimum, it drops by half a circle. And what happens when you add an undying army that cannot be killed?”
Puhahahahaha—!
The shadows rose. What had once been mere shade became physical bodies for the dead. From ancient giants to countless monstrous beasts and human forms, an uncountable horde stood up. The sudden appearance of an army of the dead—composed of at least a hundred thousand high-ranking undead of 8th Circle or above—caused expressions of dismay to flash across the faces of Torina and the surrounding Main Gods.
High-ranking undead that could not be destroyed even by a Main God’s divine rank were emitting eerie howls by the tens of thousands. It was an omen of a brutal battle to come.
Since this place has become the realm of the dead, they will naturally resurrect even if killed.
If the Main Gods take their attacks in this transformed space, they will gradually accumulate damage. That would be dangerous.
There was only one answer in this situation: strike the caster who controlled the spell first and dispel it.
Torina had already assumed a combat stance and was charging forward. Past friendship meant nothing now. The moment she stood on the battlefield, the old resentment from being deceived surged up fresh, filling her with burning rage.
“Tch—! Just like back then, I’ll finish you first—!”
Kwaaaaaaaaang—!
She pushed the lightning attribute to its absolute limit, accelerating her body. Lightning was never meant solely for long-range attacks; its true purpose was to heighten physical reaction speed and movement. Of course, one first needed a body capable of withstanding that lightning.
Such a thing was a rare talent even among gods—possessed by almost none. Yet Torina was one of the very few who could wield both divine lightning and a perfectly tempered body in perfect harmony. She was a true war goddess.
Fwaaaaaaaa—!
Having transformed into a streak of lightning, Torina incinerated the legion of the dead into ash as she charged in a straight line. Having doubled her power and accelerated her speed, the movement itself had become an attack. Everything in her path was pulverized. In an instant she had closed the distance to Lokina.
She was aiming for the greatest weakness of spellcasting Main Gods—their slow reaction in close combat. This was the very surprise attack she had used in the past to drive her opponent to the brink of death and capture her.
The aftermath was so horrific that I opposed it, but I couldn’t stop the enraged gods from carrying out their judgment. It was an unavoidable regret.
Gogogogogo—!Pajijijijijik—!
A war goddess focused solely on the destruction of her enemy once battle began. She swung straight at the head where Lokina’s circle of divine power was located.
Yet the moment Mjolnir, infused with the full destructive force of lightning, was about to smash into Lokina’s skull, a hammer more than twice as large appeared between them and blocked the decisive strike.
Thooooong!Thuuuung!
The defense was perfectly timed, as if prepared in advance. The trajectory of the hammers matched exactly. It was the colossal goddess who had earlier caught the giant wolf god Torina had thrown with a single arm, thoroughly trampling her pride.
Yet something about her was strange. Her posture was full of openings, and the way she swung was odd. Most of all, Torina was striking downward while the opponent was swinging upward. The winner of such a clash was obvious.
Urrrrrrrr—!
It was Torina who came down like a falling hammer.
“What? You think you can block my full-powered strike—fused with the lightning that possesses the greatest destructive force—with that pathetic hammer and sloppy stance? I’ll shatter you to pieces!”
Kwaaaaaaaaang—!Pajijijijik—!
“Kugh—!”
“Mmm—!”
The two hammers collided perfectly from above and below, erupting in sparks and a deafening explosion. The impact felt like it would rip her arm off. Torina barely kept hold of her divine weapon, but her face began to burn with humiliation and rage.
My posture was clearly the advantageous one that allowed me to apply more force, yet we’re even. That means her raw strength surpasses mine. And if it can’t be nullified by the same lightning attribute, there’s no way we should be this evenly matched even if her power is greater.
Pajijijik!Urrrrrrrrng!
Incredibly, lightning comparable to Torina’s own—born from the divinity of thunder itself—erupted from the opposing hammer in violent sparks and electrical arcs.
Unless one’s divinity is lightning itself, matching this level of power is impossible.
The only bloodline capable of wielding lightning of the highest speed and destructive power with such freedom, without possessing lightning divinity, was the royal family of the Celestial God Clan. Only now did Torina realize what kind of god her opponent was. She should have guessed from that golden hair that shimmered like molten gold, so similar to Granraha’s.
“You’re from the Celestial God Clan? And royalty at that—capable of wielding lightning on par with Granraha? Were such beings so common? There should be only one or two at most within the entire clan. And what is this monstrous strength?”
The moment the impact from the colliding hammers faded, an overwhelming force surged upward from below.
“Uuuuugh—! This—!”
Crack!Crunch!Kiiiiiiiik—!Kiiiiiiiik—!
Torina’s entire body swelled as her muscles expanded to their limit, desperately resisting the pressure. Yet her opponent’s muscles also repeatedly expanded and contracted, adding even more power. No—her strength was increasing even as they competed.
Is it an authority that amplifies strength? But it shouldn’t be possible to raise it this rapidly. Above all, how can she activate such an ability with almost no consumption of divine power? No… this is something that transcends normal authorities.
When it came to strength amplification, Torina had never heard of any divine artifact or authority surpassing the Megin Gjord, the Belt of Doubling Strength. Her true power was a transcendental unique authority born from the perfect fusion of lightning divinity, an extremely tempered body, and an artifact that increased strength.
The biggest reason is that all authorities, no matter how powerful, consume enormous amounts of divine power and vitality—yet this opponent shows none of that.
They were clashing with such ferocious intensity, yet her opponent’s divine power waves remained as steady as if she were taking a leisurely stroll. Right before her eyes, the woman’s strength and physical abilities were skyrocketing at terrifying speed, yet there was no visible consumption of divine power or activation of any authority.
I’ve heard of this bizarre phenomenon before. The gods who value strength above all speak of it as an idol-like existence that uses such an ability.
It was information that revealed the source of a strength that could not be compared to others of the same rank. If this was true, the current situation made sense.
It can’t be… but the only thing that allows one to display physical ability beyond normal authorities without consuming divine power is that.
In a single moment, the massive amount of divine power that had been consumed finally outstripped recovery. The temporary strength reinforcement collapsed, and the balance broke.
Damn it—! Over-output is causing my divine power to drop. I’m done for!
Pa-ga-ga-gang—!Puuuuck—!
The enormous upward strike sent the hammer flying. Torina desperately tried to regain control of her weapon. In exchange, she was sent rebounding backward even faster than she had charged in. Even as pain threatened to dislocate her shoulder, she kept her eyes locked on the enemy.
Even after striking me with full force and sending me flying like this, there wasn’t the slightest fluctuation or consumption of divine power. This confirms it.
Torina was a Main God of Strength who had never lost to anyone of the same rank—or even those one stage above—in pure physical power. Yet she had been overpowered by pure strength without the use of any authority. There was only one being capable of that.
The first of the Incomprehensible Eightfold Temporal Regulation—‘Celestial Time Without Limit.’ The time of the heavens knows no bounds. Its first chapter: ‘To ascend to the heavens, one must first be tempered.’ Has she mastered that?
Kwaaaaaaaaang—!
Even as she slammed into the wall, her thoughts continued racing.
Kugh! What the hell? Why is a monster like this suddenly appearing—! And why the hell is she illegally invading the Divine Realm—! She could have become a Main God of any realm she wanted! More importantly, to think I would suffer such humiliation—! And in front of everyone, including Lokina—!
The sight of Torina, who had charged ahead as their vanguard, being sent flying all the way to the upper reaches of the Divine Realm’s main gate and slamming into it with a deafening crash left the other battle goddesses staring in blank astonishment.
Her raw strength was the greatest among us. When she activates her lightning attribute to increase her speed as well, there are almost no opponents who can match her.
Add in the defensive power gained from extreme physical training, and she ranks at the very top in pure combat ability.
That was why no one had worried when she charged alone into enemy lines and rampaged freely. Yet the moment she leaped into the enemy camp to eliminate the spellcasting Main God who had summoned a vast legion of the dead, she had been inexplicably overpowered by brute strength and sent flying back.
Still, thanks to that, everyone now understood the situation. That colossal goddess could manifest unbelievable physical power without consuming any divine power whatsoever.
The situation in the Spirit Realm and the defensive Divine Realm was being transmitted in real time. They had already received and absorbed all the analysis data on every battle.
There was something that explained this miracle of the body that defied normal authorities.
It was the secret art practiced by Hwi, the most powerful Preliminary Creator God. When they had seen the explanation and footage, they hadn’t fully grasped how powerful it was. But seeing it in person sent chills down their spines.
“There is no consumption of divine power when the ability activates. That means she can fight at full strength indefinitely.”
“Transcendental physical strength, infinite endurance, and defense even in a Main God state? That would place her above the level of a Preliminary Creator God… but something feels off.”
“Right? Strangely, I don’t feel any real sense of crisis. It’s weird.”
“It feels like watching an enemy who’s putting on a brave front. The entire enemy camp gives off that vibe.”
Kuuuung—!Uuuuuuuugh!
The sound of Torina falling from the top of the main gate and letting out a groan momentarily halted their thoughts. One of them glanced at the crater where she had slammed into the ground and pressed a hand to her forehead as if her head ached.
Gogogogogo!Dudududududu!Uddddddddk!
Torina’s fighting spirit was skyrocketing after falling face-first into the ground. Even with her face buried in dirt, the sound of her grinding her teeth was clearly audible.
Papapa!Kwaaaaaaaaang!
Lightning began to spread in every direction. The atmosphere itself turned into a storm that raged wildly. She was on the verge of going completely berserk.
The goddesses sighed at the sight and immediately widened the distance between them.
“It’s an eternal truth that nothing good ever comes from standing next to a crazy bitch whose eyes have rolled over.”
“We’ll be lucky if sparks don’t fly our way.”
“Trouble’s here. Let’s stay back for a bit.”
“Granraha, we’ll need that lightning barrier too.”
“Understood.”
Each of them layered multiple barriers using their own attributes. When Granraha added her lightning barrier on the outermost layer, the atmosphere shifted to one of observation.
“I’ve never felt this particular wave of divine power before. Who is she? Lightning goddesses of the Celestial God Clan’s royal level are extremely rare. And a goddess at that—how fascinating.”
“Indeed. The Main Gods behind her also possess extremely high-level authorities. Are they on the level of the old Origin class?”
“That doesn’t matter right now, but there’s something strange about them too. Their authorities are powerful, yet they somehow feel… weak.”
Using the waves of fighting spirit and divine power, the goddesses finished their analysis of the enemy forces and concluded that victory was assured.
If that is the enemy’s full strength, they can never defeat us.
As long as we possess the Lord Slayer authority, we have the firepower to annihilate anything less than a High Lord in the opening clash.
These were the goddesses who had subdued even the greatest Sword God among Upper Main Gods using only four of their number. If they could be pushed back by a few dozen Main Gods of the same rank, they would have been finished long ago.
Moreover, they were currently receiving concentrated support from the highest Divine Realm, pushing both their authorities and divine power to the limit.
Torina may have taken a surprise blow from an opponent who has mastered that secret art and ended up like that for a moment, but she is not a war goddess who falls so easily.
Upon closer inspection, that giant goddess who has learned the secret art also appears to have a serious deficiency somewhere. There is no need to worry.
Her movements were like those of a new recruit stepping onto the battlefield for the first time, which made her fighting spirit all the more noticeable. There was only one real concern.
The fact that every god in all the Divine Realms was watching this battlefield, and that the opponent Torina was facing was none other than herself.
It wasn’t the momentary humiliation that mattered, but what would come after.
“Everyone’s watching. She wouldn’t throw another tantrum like that again, right?”
“Surely not. She’s no longer part of the Round Table. She’s the harem member of the Divine Realm’s Main God of Management and the Chief God of the Divine Realm. She has her dignity to consider.”
“She can’t. She’s finally found a life with the grace befitting a battle goddess.”
“She wouldn’t lose control again when she has her reputation to uphold, would she?”
Yet even as they spoke, both the battle goddesses and the management goddesses found themselves grimacing unconsciously. No matter how they thought about it, they felt deeply uneasy.