The Shuddering March
The Spirit Realm's war had reached a point where no one could have imagined the crisis now facing the Magic God of Dimensions, the very being who had forged the enviable Creator Divinity and the Creation Realm itself.
Whoooooooosh—!
The nucleus of Shuddering March's demonic energy and vitality was absorbed straight into the Magic God of Dimensions. The circles of magic exploded in power, rapidly increasing both in number and in the spacing between them. The resulting shockwave was so intense that even Shuddering March, who had reached the level of Demon God King, was hurled backward. It was a surge of pure magical force so overwhelming that even a Demon God King could not help but gasp in awe.
“St-still incredible… This immense vitality and pure magical power? It surpasses even the demon race. With the nucleus of a Demon God King’s vitality, you’ve reached the 12th circle? But the size and scale of those magic circles… Even if a Magic God fully activates the Divine-Demonic Fusion Authority, it shouldn’t be possible to reach this level, right?”
Goooooooong—!
The circles of magic began expanding beyond the physical size of the Magic God of Dimensions. Magic circles nearly ten times larger than normal formed above his head, endlessly growing in thickness and width. Since the size of a magic circle directly represented the scope and strength of one’s authority, a simple calculation showed he was more than ten times stronger than an ordinary Magic God.
A Magic God was already an anomalous existence—one who wielded both the power of light and magic—making him a powerful deity who used the Divine-Demonic Fusion Authority, yet he was constantly ostracized. But witnessing this level of power, even Shuddering March swallowed hard, seriously considering a full career change to become a Magic God herself.
Viiiing—! Viiiiiiing—!
The final magic circles revealed by the Magic God of Dimensions numbered ten solid rings, along with two transparent, empty ones. Having absorbed the vitality of a 12th-circle Demon God King, he had reached the 12th circle in terms of raw magical power, but he lacked the capacity to fill those final two circles. Even Infinite Restoration was an authority of the God of Light, so it only affected divine power and the physical body—it could not restore magical power. In the end, he would have to fill those two transparent circles with his own pure ability.
But none of that mattered to him.
‘Worrying about wishes that can’t come true is the job of battlefield magicians. All I need to do is use every new circle I’ve gained to win.’
Oooooooong!
Crack! Crunch!
He lightly loosened his spiritual body, overflowing with magical power, and his muscles and bones let out a thunderous stretch. It was the awakening of a God of War rejoicing at the battle about to begin.
Crack!
“Thank you for the assistance beyond our contract. I will settle this matter with a future contract.”
“Heh! Do you really think a being who was temporarily restored from annihilation has any future? I don’t think I can handle the current situation as I am.”
“…I will repay you somehow.”
The Magic God of Dimensions answered gravely to the extremely realistic, demon-like response. Shuddering March smiled faintly at his words and turned away.
In the distance, the guardian deities of the 500th Master Universe’s Divine Realm were visible.
‘Their authorities and bodies are strange, but as long as they are gods, they are no match for me, a Demon God King. Moreover, if all I have to do is block this narrow alley instead of fighting on a completely open battlefield, I can handle any number of them. That must be why he restored me. With the support of the Magic God of Dimensions, this will be easy.’
It had been a joint assault between the Magic God of Dimensions and the female Demon God that had driven even an Upper Main God of the Substitute God Clan—one full rank above her—into annihilation. If not for the blunder of not expecting that Substitute God Lord to self-destruct at the very end, victory would have been straightforward.
“Let’s talk about later after we win first. Oh, right—there’s something I want to ask you personally?”
“Speak.”
She turned her head just enough to flash a playful, teasing smile.
“Was I a good woman? Better than the Succubus Queen or the goddesses you’ve experienced? Is that why you restored me first?”
“…You were the best.”
The completely unexpected and serious answer left Shuddering March momentarily speechless. She let out a delighted laugh and raised her demonic power.
“Hohohohoho. To think a blunt fool like you would give me such praise. How delightful. Shall I live up to your expectations, then?”
Oooooong!
Hoooooooong!
Twelve pairs of jeweled horns grew from her head, shining like an emperor’s crown, while twenty-six pairs of jet-black wings unfurled in full bloom. Transcendent authorities began to activate.
‘The authority once praised even among the demon race as a transcendent power—Shudder—is activating.’
It was a wide-area annihilation ability specialized for use against the god race.
Rumble rumble rumble!
Crunch—!
Every space and object in front of her began to twist, shatter, and vanish into oblivion. Even the guardian deity candidates of the Divine Realm—who had nearly finished regenerating despite being caught in the God Destruction Cannon—were no exception.
Puhahaha—!
Before they could even scream, the cold divine words of the female Demon God King rang out above the candidates as their annihilation began anew.
“All matter and space that I perceive shall be broken and annihilated. This is the wide-area destruction authority of ‘Shudder,’ the name given to my clan. Even the Substitute God Clan is not exempt before it. The only difference is how long it takes depending on their divinity and divine power.”
Crack!
Crack!
With every step Shuddering March took, the bodies of the annihilating guardian deity candidates crumbled like sand and scattered across the ground. The female Demon God King watched with a slightly displeased expression.
‘I annihilated them so easily, yet something feels off. They’re helplessly being erased, but it doesn’t feel like it’s truly over.’
Still, with so many enemies, she decided to annihilate first and think later.
“Disappear, you weaklings who cannot stand alone.”
Boooom—!
In an instant, the mighty bodies of the Divine Realm guardian deity candidates turned to dust and scattered. All that remained were the screams of the divine spirits left behind after their bodies were destroyed.
“Uwaaaaaaaaagh—!”
Stepping on the remains of the annihilated guardian deities, Shuddering March’s black eyes turned toward the rest of the Divine Realm’s guardians.
‘Their numbers have already surpassed ten thousand, but as members of the god race, they are no match for me. I possess the wide-area authority specialized against gods, as well as the ‘God Slayer’ authority that forces double damage against any god race opponent—something I acquired through the certification battles and mercenary wars. On top of that, with these defensive conditions, I’m confident even against a hundred thousand.’
Fwooooosh—!
Her jet-black wings, brimming with demonic power, spread wide and began to flap. A tidal wave of destruction surged forth.
Crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrunch—!
An indescribable, bizarre sound of destruction shook the universe as it swept over the Divine Realm’s guardian deities. Having just witnessed a candidate’s body annihilated in an instant, they now raised every ounce of their divine power and met the attack with defensive authorities—completely different from before.
But what happened next left them in utter shock.
Puhahahaha—!
Even their formless defensive authorities crumbled and scattered like sand. Fortunately, the process was slow enough that the guardian deities frantically retreated. A cold voice from the female Demon God King rang in their ears.
“My ‘Shudder’ destroys and annihilates even a god’s defensive authorities. Only the strength of the body and one’s Innate Divine Power can slow the annihilation. The Substitute God Lord lasted a whole day. How long will you lot last? If I increase the intensity a little, can you endure even that?”
None of the Divine Realm guardian deities had any intention of testing that claim. Mere contact was already stripping away all their defensive authorities. This was on a completely different level from the wide-area destruction authority called Annihilation World that the Magic God had activated earlier.
Shuddering March watched the guardian deities frantically retreat from her wide-area destruction, crossed her arms over her chest to cover her prominently raised breasts, and shook her head.
“Oh dear. If you create that much distance while completely defenseless just because your defensive authorities are so pathetically stripped away…”
Oooooooooooooong—!
An indescribable concentration of magical power was felt directly behind the Divine Realm guardian deities’ formation. The flow was exactly the same as before.
‘I block the enemy’s attacks and strip away their defensive authorities with Shudder. Then the Magic God of Dimensions strikes the now-defenseless foes with full force. This is exactly how we annihilated an Upper Main God of the Substitute God Clan and his forces.’
What had protected their sides and rear back then had been their own clan, but now a Creator-level barrier stood in its place, making it even more solid. Moreover, as a Demon God King, her wide-area destruction authority now shattered not only defensive authorities but offensive ones as well.
‘To defeat me now, long-range attacks are useless. Only close combat offers any chance. But if they approach with that in mind, they will simply become prey for my other transcendent authority—March.’
The authority called March manifested as a vast army of transparent silhouettes nearly equal in power to her main body. Having become a Demon God King, even this March had been strengthened to the point where it could stand against Substitute Gods of the same rank.
Swish! Swish swish swish!
The fragments blown apart by the explosive shock were sliced into countless pieces as if being shredded, then scattered.
‘It requires desperate computational power and physical training to master, but once learned, it becomes a powerful transcendent authority of perfect offense and defense. When combined with the Magic God of Dimensions—who specializes in rear support and wide-area authorities—the effect is tremendous. After all, even the Substitute God Clan’s God Destruction Cannon, which had no defense against its ridiculous compressed divine power, can be somewhat neutralized when I work with him.’
Of course, there was one fatal problem comparable to that strength.
Paaaaaaawooooong—!
Oooooong—!
A glance at the Magic God of Dimensions revealed countless magic crests and spell formations floating and overlapping around him, forming a three-dimensional shell that completely covered his body. Even the Demon God King clicked her tongue and shook her head at the sight of such repeated magical stacking—something she doubted was even possible.
“No matter how many times I see it, it’s astonishing. Stacking magic circles of the same rank? You transcend common sense even for a Magic God. But the casting time is too long and your body can’t endure it. What a shame.”
It was the decisive technique he had created to counter the God Destruction Cannon, which had brought him to the brink of annihilation countless times during the mercenary battles. Yet it took this much preparation and left him completely defenseless. Without protection, it was an authority he could not use. Back then, this had been the only attack capable of suppressing an Upper Main God of the Substitute God Clan and dealing a fatal blow, even though it was incomplete.
The physical burden had been so great that he would never have used it if not for the karmic contract binding the entire clan to protect him at all costs.
“Still, the computational power, transcendent magic, and vitality are incredible. It’s truly a waste for you to exist as a God of Light. If a Creator God became a Demon God King, you would become several times stronger than you are now. You insist on being stubborn. They say creation is necessary for promotion… How regrettable.”
Papapapa—!
In the end, twelve shining magic formations appeared in the air. Although he had reached the 12th circle, he had somehow manifested even the impossible twelfth formation using the authority of Dimension despite lacking the magical power. The created formations began merging into his wings of light.
“Twelvefold stacking? Your current divine power, drawing full support from two Creator-level defensive divine realms, is roughly three hundred billion. That means a divine power cannon with an output of three trillion six hundred billion. Back then your Innate Divine Power was only about one billion, so the maximum output was eleven billion. Now it’s three trillion?”
Even the female Demon God King found the numbers hard to believe as she spoke them aloud.
Oooong!
Thud thud thud!
Ooooooooong!
Thud thud thud thud!
One by one, the wings of light folded forward, transforming into the shape of cannon barrels. All twenty-six pairs of a Creator God’s wings became barrels for a divine power cannon, further reinforced by the magic formations stacking divine power. Even an upper-ranking Main God of the Substitute God Clan would suffer fatal wounds from this attack. Of course, their planet-sized bodies, defensive power, and authorities were so immense that it couldn’t finish them off, but for an ordinary Main God at the time, it had been a miraculous display of power.
However, ordinary-sized High Gods would have no way to avoid annihilation if struck directly.
‘On the battlefield, the Magic God—who possesses both divinity and the power of magic—must be eliminated first. His authorities are so versatile that the tide of battle can shift unpredictably.’
This was common sense in the 499th Master Universe, but those in the 500th Master Universe who had lived comfortably and mocked the certification wars—while borrowing the hands of the demon race, their mortal enemies who threatened their position as the ruling species—had no idea just how foolish they had been.
‘In a war against a Magic God, you must reach a conclusion before time runs out. Because if a Magic God gains protection like this, another one will soon be added.’
This was a universal truth for all beings who competed through computational power rather than physical strength.
“Never give a Magic God time to cast. The power of reality-denying magic manifested without casting is minimal, but magic manifested through complete casting and preparation displays its maximum effect. A Magic God who has already finished all preparations before the war, participates in battle, and even gains time to execute during combat can never be defeated. So, as long as I protect the Magic God of Dimensions, does that mean we win now?”
With an extremely satisfied expression, Shuddering March quietly cupped her hands over her proudly raised, excitement-hardened breasts.
‘A faint ache and tingling pleasure rise within me.’
The Magic God of Dimensions was the man with whom she had spent a night, thinking of it as a reward for participating in what she believed would be her final battle, prepared to die. In the end, they had achieved victory and ended the contract in the best possible state. The fondness she felt for him, combined with the sight of an even stronger Magic God of Dimensions, made her body grow hot.
‘I haven’t forgotten.’
Only a Creator General possessed the right and authority to revive a destroyed spiritual body. It was not something a mere Creator God could do and survive. She did not know by what means he had manifested her, but it was only a temporary restoration. Knowing she would disappear once this battle ended, she calmed her heated body and emotions and spoke with cold severity.
“Fire with full power, Magic God of Dimensions. No matter what happens, I will protect you. Even if you are annihilated again—!”
Having only just reached the 12th circle, the Magic God of Dimensions nodded while transcending his limits in a state of no-self.
‘Since I’ve already shown the restoration of my spiritual body while cornered, there is no turning back. I must show him a battle worthy of a special-grade karmic contract. If I somehow survive, I will have no choice but to flee to the Otherworld.’
At first, he had planned to simply sweep away the weak Creators and Origins of the 500th Master Universe and endure the resulting criticism. He had even considered negotiating by restraining their divine spirits. But the situation had changed completely.
‘Those things that suddenly appeared—the so-called Divine Realm guardian deities—seem to have no interest in the shameful Origins who were subdued and taken prisoner. The guardian deity candidate who had been fiercely attacking just now focused his assault on the ‘Divine Spirit Purgatory’ on my forehead, as if telling them to just be annihilated. It was a merciless attack that drove the Origins watching from inside the Divine Spirit Purgatory into despair.’
It meant that even if the Origins died, only their authorities needed to be recovered. It was a clear declaration that he would never forgive the one who had suppressed their divine spirits.
‘This war will not end until every guardian deity in the 499th Master Universe stronger than a Creator God is buried.’
The authority of the Dimensional Creator God he had trusted had been twisted into a ridiculous wide-area authority due to emotions a human-born god could not overcome, and everything had been ruined. The glorious life of reigning as the Dimensional Absolute or being recognized as the Main God of the God of Light’s Divine Realm had vanished. Having broken every forbidden taboo in pursuit of victory, only the path of a fugitive remained.
Therefore, he felt neither mercy toward the enemy nor lingering attachment to life. He simply continued casting mechanically, his will to kill the enemy growing stronger.
“Divine power cannon at full deployment. Magic formation amplification complete. Amplification is twelvefold. Final divine power cannon output stabilized at four trillion. Firing preparations complete.”
Viiiiiiiiiiiiing—!
The tips of the twenty-six wings of light—now fully transformed into divine power cannon barrels—turned toward the guardian deities of the 500th Master Universe, who were retreating in terror at the female Demon God King’s transcendent authority that could even annihilate defensive powers.
With their defensive authorities cleanly erased, they were fleeing at full speed to avoid the gradual annihilation of their bodies.
‘Some people say you must never attack cowardly from behind, but that’s complete nonsense. In war, if they are the enemy, you lament how rare such good opportunities are.’
Especially when those enemies were the very foes who had ruined another’s near-certain victory and driven things to this point.
Crunch! Crack!
His body screamed under the pressure of a divine power cannon exceeding four trillion. But the sound of his grinding teeth was even louder. He could not suppress the boiling rage rising from this twisted and overturned situation.
‘Firing a divine power cannon in the trillions is suicidal even for a Creator God with an unrestricted body. However, the authorities of these Divine Realm guardian deities are no joke.’
They were strong enough to trade blows with the notoriously powerful Creators of the 499th Master Universe, who were armed with infinite transcendent authorities. Their numbers had already surpassed ten thousand. And they were even managing to resist and flee from Shudder, which had annihilated even upper-ranking Main Gods of the Substitute God Clan.
‘Their offensive authorities are probably just as powerful. Beings this strong would never be deployed to a mere regional battle. They are the core forces of the 500th Master Universe’s god race—powers that would only move if the entire Divine Realm of a Master Universe faced destruction. Their responses are still a bit clumsy since they’ve only trained, but once they get used to real combat, it will be over instantly. Therefore, they must all be eliminated before that happens.’
However, beings above the Creator level could not be annihilated by ordinary force.
‘Only an attack that mobilizes every possible magic and divine power is the solution. Even if I fire this, I myself will not survive. All I can do is trust in Granzoa’s Infinite Restoration for both body and divine power.’
It was questionable whether Infinite Restoration could handle recovery on a scale that surpassed even a Creator God. But if the authority of Dimension was released, the Shuddering March he had promoted to Demon God King would also disappear, forcing him into direct close combat. Then he would have to repeat a pathetic life-or-death struggle even against a single guardian deity candidate—something he could never win against their numbers.
With no other choice, he activated his final resort with tension.
‘The target is obviously the backs of the enemies who have lost their defensive authorities and are retreating defenselessly. Cowardice be damned. I must survive first, and to do that, I need to eliminate the enemy quickly.’
The divine spirit of the guardian candidate who had been annihilated by Shuddering March earlier was slowly but surely undergoing self-repair. Self-recovery from annihilation was something impossible unless one was an Eternal Being. Yet it seemed to be taking effect, as if it were one of the guardian deities’ authorities.
‘Please, let this work. Just what kind of absurd defensive power and recovery ability do these things have? It’s as if they possess both the defensive power of the god race and the recovery power of the demon race. Moreover, their spiritual bodies can self-recover from annihilation? They couldn’t have fused with the demon race, could they? Have they approached the level of Eternal Beings? For now, I’ll completely annihilate a portion of them again and observe the results.’
“True Dimensional Divine Power Cannon—! Carpet Bombardment—!”
Kwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaang—!
The twenty-six wings of light shattered completely, firing every last ounce of their four-trillion-unit divine power cannons without reservation. Twenty-six beams of divine power cannons, each exceeding four trillion, tore through space with the Magic God of Dimensions at their center.
Amplified by 12th-circle magic formations, each cannon carried four trillion, and with twenty-six fired simultaneously, the total was one hundred and four trillion in a carpet bombardment. He was confident that no Creator God could match this in raw power alone. Moreover, thanks to the authority of Dimension, it transcended space and time to strike the enemy with no intermediate flight path, making evasion nearly impossible.
The only way to avoid it would be to sense the instantaneous spatial movement or possess near-transcendent danger perception like the Creator General of the 500th Master Universe or those bearing similar titles.
‘Only an extremely small number of God of Wars can do that. And with dozens of shots fired at once, this attack should at least be a fatal blow.’
Thudududududududu!
Booooooooom!
The recoil from firing divine power cannons that far exceeded his body’s limits shattered the Magic God of Dimensions’ body and sent him flying backward. His body, fixed in place by Dimensional Genesis, began to crumple and break apart from the legs upward.
Crack! Riiiiip—!
“Kuuuuuuuuurgh—!”
Before he could even confirm the results of the carpet bombardment, a suppressed scream burst from the Magic God of Dimensions’ mouth. The mere aftermath of firing had shattered every bone in his body. The legs bound by space were torn from the ankles to the muscles, barely hanging on.
‘My divine power is completely depleted. I’ve become fully combat incapable in one go.’
Even the Infinite Restoration authority faltered, hesitating to activate on such a mangled body. There was vitality left to trigger it, but the damage was so severe that the authority—tied to the user’s own self—could not display its effect. No, he would die before it could even recover.
As his body toppled backward, a lament escaped his lips involuntarily.
‘It really was a suicidal move. But there was no other choice, so there’s truly no answer.’
Through his blurring vision as he lost control of his body, he saw the guardian deity candidate beginning to regenerate from annihilation at the exact spot where it had been erased. It was utterly nonsensical, yet it was clearly succeeding in self-repair.
‘Self-recovery from annihilation instead of resurrection from death? What kind of absurd authority is this? What exactly have these vicious beings done to their own bodies to grant them such physical forms and authorities?’
More than his dying body, his curiosity as a mage burned stronger. No—this might be the only way to recover from the fatal wounds that even borrowed Infinite Restoration could not handle. He began a desperate analysis.
That was precisely why he had fired the True Dimensional Divine Power Cannon.