The End of the Incantation - Ascension of the Shuddering March

With the final syllable of the incantation from the Spirit Realm War, a colossal beam of light once again pierced the dimensional gate and came surging through. The only thing that could be felt from that beam was overwhelming divine power. It erased every space it passed through as if annihilating it from existence. The light seemed to disregard the very concept of speed, manifesting across the stellar system as though it had always been there. It obliterated all matter in its orbital path and swallowed the unfortunate Divine Realm guardian gods stationed there. Disaster had befallen the god race.

“Gaaahk—! What the hell is this?!”

“It penetrated the perfect defensive authority of a Divine Realm guardian god?”

“Ugh—! My divine power and body are being erased without distinction!”

“Urgh—! Even recovery isn’t working properly? What the hell is this thing?!”

Screams erupted from every direction as the Divine Realm guardian gods lost parts or nearly all of their bodies. The candidate guardian god who had been facing the Dimensional Mage God suffered a blow severe enough to kill him outright. The power was beyond imagination, clearly some form of divine cannon. Most terrifying of all, the moment it fired was the moment it struck. A beam spanning stellar-system scale with the width of a satellite erased all matter in its path. Even the bodies of spiritual beings who surpassed Creator Gods were annihilated if their defensive authorities were weak. Those who blocked it still suffered catastrophic wounds.

The affected areas of their bodies evaporated instantly. Though their automatically triggered defensive authorities barely kept them alive, the vitality and authority consumed to regenerate from near-total annihilation was staggering. The guardian gods who took the hit directly understood at once.

This wasn’t a simple divine cannon. It was a concentrated mass of authorities specialized in annihilating the bodies of spiritual beings.

The Creator Gods of the 499th Master Universe, who knew exactly what it was, abandoned their leisurely attitudes and shot to their feet. They had no idea how many times they had been struck by that detestable God Destruction Cannon and forced to recover during their climb to Creator God status. It was nearly impossible to dodge. A direct hit with no defenses meant certain annihilation. Blocking it with defensive authority allowed bare survival at best. In the end, the only solution was to endure using the god race’s infinite recovery and defensive power.

Yet even after overcoming the Substitute Gods’ main gods and ascending to Creator God, the Substitute Gods’ own Creator Gods operated on an entirely different level. Every battle required the resolve to face annihilation. And what had just poured from the dimensional gate opened by the Dimensional Mage God was precisely that God Destruction Cannon.

“It’s the Substitute God main god’s God Destruction Cannon!”

“Did he somehow manifest it using the Light God’s authority?”

“That’s impossible! This isn’t an authority that can be solved with computational power! Even divine-demon fusion authorities can’t replicate it! The God Destruction Cannon is nothing but a crudely compressed mass of divine power! How could anyone replicate a planet-sized body endlessly compressing and releasing a divine cannon as an authority?!”

Countless gods and demon gods had been annihilated by the Substitute God Clan’s God Destruction Cannon, yet the 499th Master Universe had fought them on equal footing for over a billion years. Naturally, exhaustive research had been ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠conducted on the Substitute Gods. The more they studied, the deeper their despair grew. There is no such thing as perfection in any authority. This was an immutable truth that applied to every Master Universe. They had assumed the Substitute Gods must have weaknesses, but the conclusion was inevitable: they were gods designed with absolute fidelity to the fundamentals. They were the very embodiment of the “great gods” created by concentrating solely on creative and combat power.

In exchange, their beautiful forms had been replaced by planetary bodies and speech had been forbidden, but their base abilities had risen by at least ten times. From defensive power, life force, and regeneration to divine cannons that were ten times faster and stronger, they were unbeatable. Only transcendent powerhouses possessing at least one circle of transcendence authority could hope to face them. When their unique stellar creation and management abilities were also multiplied by ten, they became objects of pure terror.

What made even the transcendent Creator Gods of the 499th Master Universe shudder was the vicious fact that the vitality required to maintain those absurd abilities was the same as, or even cheaper than, that of ordinary gods. Even the Creator Lords initially found his creations distasteful, but they are more than ten times as capable as ordinary gods. They require less maintenance vitality, cause no problems, and work far more efficiently than Machine Gods. There is no reason not to favor the Substitute Gods.

The Substitute Gods were so capable that the existing god race became useless. Defeat and annihilation could be accepted, but being discarded for incompetence was an unbearable humiliation. There is no greater crisis for the god race, the ruling power to whom the Creator Lords entrusted management.

If he has managed to replicate even a portion of the Substitute Gods’ authority, this is an enormous incident.

While the Creator Gods were struck with shock, Creator General Sangharama, Jinmyeol, and Demon God Emperor Jinma could not close their gaping mouths. The joy that had filled Sangharama’s face at the thought of gaining another strategy to defeat the Substitute Gods had vanished. All that remained was his body trembling with uncontrollable rage. His gaze ignored the Substitute God main god’s God Destruction Cannon pouring from the dimensional gate and focused solely on the figure collapsed before the Dimensional Mage God.

“Just… just what is that bastard doing? This is not something the Light God, who must protect the laws of the universe, should be capable of. No, more importantly, how is something like that possible so easily? How can a Candidate Creator God restore an annihilated being? Even I, the Creator General, require enormous vitality and preparation!”

Jinmyeol forced his still-hanging jaw shut, let out a sigh, and spoke.

No matter how much this universe values the strong, there is a line that must be protected.

He was astonished that a mere Candidate Creator God could restore an annihilated being, but the fact that the being he had chosen to restore was that one made him want to tear his own mind apart.

“Kgh—!”

At Jinmyeol’s heartfelt sarcasm and provocation, Demon God Emperor Jinma unconsciously grabbed the back of his head, which was burning endlessly and throbbing in every direction.

In the Master Universe, even though his faction is slightly inferior to the god race, who would dare speak to the Demon God Emperor with the highest individual combat power like this? If it were up to his temper, he would ignore the alliance and kill him immediately, but he would probably be the one to die instead. Besides, this situation was completely unexpected. No, he couldn’t even grasp what was happening.

He had been worrying about how to deal with the appearance of a Creator God who could elevate main gods to Creator Gods and indiscriminately lower divine ranks with an overwhelming wide-area support authority. Now everything had turned into chaos. The highest Creator Gods around them had no answers for how to handle the situation. Even the highest Demon God Kings who had rushed over, believing it was finally their turn when the Divine Realm guardian gods appeared, stood in a daze. The figure collapsed before the Dimensional Mage God, covered in horrific wounds, was someone they knew all too well.

A mere upper demon god who possessed transcendent demonic magic authority. A powerful demon god ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who rejected the god race’s alliance with the highest Substitute Gods, led only his own Demon Realm and a handful of mercenary gods, and challenged the authentication trial.

Everyone had called him foolish, but the battle ultimately ended in the Demon Realm’s victory.

The sacrifices had been enormous, but they had won.

“Upper Demon Realm Demon God Rank 1, Shuddering March. Mutual annihilation with a highest main god of the Substitute God Clan. Afterward, the remaining Substitute God forces were cleaned up through the efforts of the mercenary gods. In recognition of those achievements, his successor who inherited the same transcendent authority was recognized as a highest Demon Realm demon god.”

That was the official record. Yet the being lying collapsed there was unmistakably her—the overwhelmingly powerful figure among the upper demon gods.

“Aaaaaaaaah—!”

Even a demon god’s body, which possessed powerful regenerative abilities, could not withstand the God Destruction Cannon. Holes had been punched through her everywhere, and her limbs were nearly gone. The only parts still intact were her head, protected by a crown-shaped jewel horn that shone like a black pearl where her authority was concentrated, and the protruding chest that housed her heart. Even those parts looked precarious, as if they would soon annihilate. Naturally, she could not endure the pain, and endless groans poured from her lips.

For a moment, a pained expression crossed the Dimensional Mage God’s face at her agony-filled expression and miserable groans. But his face quickly returned to blankness. He gently lifted the jewel-horn section with both hands, meeting her gaze. An emotionless voice flowed out.

“The time of the contract I spoke of has come. Will you form the contract?”

“Aaaaaaaaah… This… this voice… is it the Dimensional Mage God? A contract? Th-that’s right… Before the war began, I promised you, didn’t I?”

Focus gradually returned to the female demon god’s hazy eyes. The screams that had been leaking from her mouth vanished. She answered in a precise tone. She had already assessed her body’s condition and grasped the entire situation. Although the direct hit from a highest Substitute God main god’s God Destruction Cannon caused her body to continuously approach annihilation and sent unbearable pain surging through her, once she regained her senses there was no problem. Confirming the facts was what mattered most.

“In the end, I was defeated. What about the battle against the Substitute Gods?”

“I am still alive.”

At the short answer that carried many meanings, the female demon god gave a faint smile.

“Then it means we won.”

The Karma Contract he had been hired under was so unreasonably “extreme” that even she found it absurd to look at. In case of defeat, the default outcome was death or annihilation. Perhaps because of that, the strange mercenary god rarely spoke, carried endless fury in his heart, wandered only battlefields where victory seemed impossible, barely accepted any payment, and endlessly searched for something.

Yet the only main-god-rank mercenary god who had requested a contract on an impossible battlefield—challenging a Substitute God main god of a higher rank than Demon Realm demon gods—was the Dimensional Mage God. And before the war began, he had secretly come alone, revealed that he was not merely a main-god-rank dimensional god but also a main-god-rank 10th-circle dark mage, and demanded an additional contract. He would use all his forces to ensure victory, so he asked her to accept one more condition.

At the time, there was no loss to her, so she had accepted after attaching various clauses.

The 9th-circle dimensional authority and 10th-circle dark magic were powerful, and his own strategy was even greater. Thanks to that, they had ultimately achieved victory against the Substitute Gods. However, in the final moment as he tried to cut off the last breath, the highest main god of the Substitute Gods self-destructed and released a wide-area divine cannon. She had endured it, and then her memories cut off.

But judging from the current situation, it seemed things had turned out well. There was only one more thing to confirm.

“You must have properly transferred the authority to the successor as well.”

“The successor has been recognized as a highest demon god.”

There was no need to verify the truth. Even amid the maddening pain from her annihilating body, a smile rose naturally.

In the end, I succeeded. Using victory over a main god of the Substitute Gods as proof, my clan was recognized as the highest clan in the Demon Realm, and I secured permanent ownership of a Demon God Star that will serve as its foundation.

Although the Substitute God main god had disappeared, many Substitute Gods remained. It seemed he had dealt with them somehow.

As expected of a mercenary god who keeps contracts with absolute faith. Among the countless demon gods who perished on the Substitute Gods’ battlefield, the only one who fought beside me to the end despite insufficient ability was the Dimensional Mage God. And even while waging cruel and cold battles, he was a human-born god who constantly agonized and hesitated.

She could tell from the way the hand gently lifting her miserable head—on the verge of annihilation from the final self-destruction—trembled faintly.

Is he afraid I will refuse? Now that I have achieved everything, does he think I will reject this false and limited life? Or is it lingering attachment toward the partner with whom he shared a night of mutual desire? He is still the same. Even while wandering the most dangerous battlefields, if he does not cross the line he himself drew, he shows consideration until the end.

From the look of it, this battle seemed impossibly harsh once again.

In the brief moment I checked, the Dimensional Mage God’s level was that of a Candidate Creator God, yet the scale of the powers felt around him was far from ordinary. In fact, even if I helped in this state, I wonder if there would be any chance of victory.

Yet the emotions she confirmed through the hand he held were mostly pity. They were filled with a sense of loss toward something precious. That moved her heart. In any case, it was an oral contract, and what he showed to her—an already annihilated being—was not an authority or tool of dark magic, but respect and affection.

It was a night of desire to soothe the anxiety before a desperate war, yet he is still hung up on it? He really is a man weak to affection. Or perhaps it is simply his nature. But now that I have achieved everything and been annihilated, is there any need to fight again?

Her decision was swift. She did not know exactly what the situation was, but as a Demon Realm demon god who possessed demonic divinity, she had to honor the contract. She also had to repay both favors and grudges without fail.

Hohot—! Since I owe a debt, I must repay it. Besides, if the opponents are Light Gods, there is no problem at all. If I achieve a major military exploit, the path for my clan will open even wider.

Otherwise, although she was a demon god, she would be unable to receive faith from sentient beings who offered blind devotion to the Light Gods rather than to her, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠who governed demonic divinity.

“You said that although he is a Light God, he tricked you into a contract that dropped your karma to ‘extreme,’ creating a grudge, and that the opponent was an upper mercenary main god who received main god status and managed a divine realm? The contract was to borrow strength to fight powerful gods, correct? The contract’s absurd content was supposed to take effect after I had been annihilated, but now I understand. I have already been annihilated in the Master Universe, haven’t I? Well, taking a direct hit from a God Destruction Cannon of equal or higher rank, I could not have avoided annihilation. I don’t know the method, but you restored me from annihilation?”

“Yes. You can only truly exist within the scope of my dimensional authority.”

At the words revealing the cruel reality, she was silent for a moment before asking again.

“If I leave your authority domain or the authority support is cut off, I will return to annihilation.”

“Yes. If you consume your original demonic power, you can maintain yourself for a short time, but you cannot avoid annihilation.”

At the short answer, Shuddering March, the upper demon god who had grasped everything, nodded.

He hasn’t changed at all. He always prepares safety measures before moving forward. No matter the situation, he never fully trusts even ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his allies and operates with multiple layers of countermeasures.

This had earned him severe criticism that he did not trust his allies, but it was ultimately a plan created to secure victory in battle.

During a past war, when intermediate demon gods terrified by the massive annihilation of demon gods were about to rebel, the Dimensional Mage God—who never stopped monitoring the rear even while fighting on the front lines—discovered them. They were all disposed of and converted into vitality, becoming the decisive blow against the Substitute Gods. At that time, unlike a proper demon, she had resolved to annihilate herself for her clan and the Demon Realm. When she raised a rebellion against him, he lost his reason and raged.

Even then, with that same expression, he had monitored everyone as though it were natural. When he judged that three-tenths of the clan showed signs of betrayal, he had coldly advised that they must quickly settle the matter. He looked exactly the same as he did now.

In a way, he seems to trust no one and to distrust the world itself. Yet if they are allies, the Dimensional Mage God tells even facts that are disadvantageous to him.

Like a proper Light God seeking to compensate for not trusting the enemy, he never hid the truth from allies fighting alongside him on the front lines. That was why she had trusted him in the final moment.

“In a war I should have lost and died in, you helped me win, passed demonic divinity to my successor, and even raised that successor to a highest demon god. I will repay that debt. I will repay the favor of saving my clan. However, as I am a demon god’s war god, I will limit my combat opponents to the god race’s war gods. I will carry it out according to our original contract.”

“Then we have a contract. Looking Back at Oneself, Past and Present Are the Same.”

The 10th-circle dark magic resonated with her consent. Under the power of the divinity that had risen to dimensional Creator God, the annihilating power of the Substitute God main god disappeared without a trace. Her body returned to its original state. Even the light armor that had barely covered her completely shattered vital points regained its original form and wrapped around her captivating body. To restore someone from annihilation required ten times more original vitality than a normal resurrection, yet he performed this miracle-like dark magic without batting an eye.

Before she could even feel surprise, another great 10th-circle dark magic was bestowed upon her.

“I am the one and only special existence in this world.”

Magic power rampaged madly throughout her regenerated body. Everything she had once felt was slightly lacking was now filled. Even the authority that had already reached transcendence took another step forward.

Now I truly feel that I would not lose even in a one-on-one fight against a highest main god of the Substitute Gods. Is such a thing even possible?

No support of vitality or divine power should have made this possible. As if answering her question, the Dimensional Mage God spoke while infusing his words with divine power.

“Shuddering March. This is my world alone. It is my dimension. Originally impossible, but because you have been annihilated in this Master Universe and are now free from all laws, this is a reality denial made possible. And this is the final authority support. Dimensional Genesis!”

The thirteen pairs of wings shining on the back of the demon god who had brilliantly returned from annihilation began to grow. The demon god’s red lips parted wide as she let out a cry of pure joy. The long-desired proof of divinity sprouted dark light behind her. All the magic power and dark magic that had been bound by her demon god divinity, though transcendent, now settled into place as naturally as breathing, filling her body without gaps.

Every god and demon god watching the scene, even the Absolute Realm itself, fell into complete shock. Divine words and wills began to run wild everywhere.

“Proof of a Demon God King—! Twenty-six pairs of jet-black wings!”

“It was really possible to ascend. And so easily—!”

“He restores an annihilated demon god and immediately raises her rank? You’re saying a dark mage capable of such absurd feats exists?”

The wills and voices coming from all around had already vanished from her mind. Tremors would not stop running through her body, and endless joy filled her heart.

Just a single moment as a Demon God King, enjoying that divinity—if only I could have that, I would do anything. That was what I thought shortly before my annihilation. Yet it has come so easily into my hands.

Into the deeply moved female demon god’s ears came the Dimensional Mage God’s divine words.

“Please protect me. No, that is no longer necessary. There is no need for that anymore. Now I must return to how I originally was.”

Fighting spirit and killing intent spread out—enough to shock even a demon god. It was so ferocious and powerful that even the female demon god who had become a Demon God King tensed sharply.

It was exactly the same feeling from the Dimensional Mage God that she had grown so familiar with in the battle where she had suffered her last annihilation. He had become so gentle that she had briefly doubted it was really him, but sure enough, he had not changed. Well, for a mercenary god, change would be difficult. A mercenary god who lives and fights alone will die the moment he shows consideration for his opponent and grows weak.

The same harsh and cold words as in the past burst out.

“Kill everyone who dares to challenge us! Do not let anyone pass behind you. Then victory will be ours.”

“Dimensional Mage God, the battle god of certain victory and glory without equal on the battlefield. I gladly accept your command as before. I will kill all the Light Gods who are your enemies. I am extremely satisfied with this contract. Therefore, this is the proof of our contract.”

Her lips, flushed deeper red than ever from the excitement of becoming a Demon God King and the explosive increase in dark magic, parted slightly. The blood and vitality that flowed out gathered in her mouth as proof of the contract. The collected blood, centered on her vitality, shone with an intense red light, compressed, and took the shape of a small red jewel orb. This was the demon god’s concentrated mass of magic power and the nucleus of her vitality. She was now Shuddering March, a highest Demon God King. The density and purity of the magic nucleus and vitality were so extreme that even a moment of carelessness could cause a massive explosion.

She stabilized it within her mouth, then kissed the Dimensional Mage God and passed it to him using her tongue. The moment the passionate kiss—wholly out of place on a battlefield—occurred between the demon god and the Dimensional Mage God, endless dark magic and infinite magic power began to resonate throughout the space and the battlefield.