An Unintended Affirmation

The Dimensional Mage God had flown into a rage over the Otherworld War, yet in a fleeting moment of captivation he had unwittingly spoken words of affirmation.

‘What scares me right now isn’t Almighty Hwi or the prospect of ruin.’

It had only been a short while since the Origin of the Mage God put him through thirty thousand years of forced training that doubled as mental reconditioning. The sole lesson driven home with absolute emphasis was that, as the Main God of the Divine Realm, he must enter battle with proper dignity. Yet in a burst of irritation he had gone and done this. The old man would never let it slide.

‘What the hell have I done? I really just want to die in peace now. But I can’t even die anymore thanks to that prepaid reality-denial resurrection authority, can I? Using it would be such a waste it’s driving me insane. What am I supposed to say when he gets back? He’ll definitely call me a pathetic wretch while…’

The moment that thought formed, reason slammed back into him as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over his head.

‘I can already picture what the Origin of the Mage God will say—and how hard he’ll beat me—when he returns.’

Because of one momentary surge of emotion he had fallen back into his old ways and, while not completely, had turned the situation into a complete mess. If not for the request to lure the Black Flame Absolute into a trap, he might have been beaten to death long before that. For thirty thousand years the old man had hammered into him the need to carry himself with the dignity and gravity befitting the Main God of the Divine Realm, yet this was the result. It amounted to having ignored, after only a single week, the warning never to rampage according to his feelings like he had in his mercenary-god days.

‘If the request fails, he really might beat me to death. No—even if it succeeds he won’t let it go lightly. He poured thirty thousand years of education into changing my fate, and if ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I threw it all away in a single week, even I wouldn’t forgive myself. What do I do? What excuse can I possibly give? Even if I claim it was all part of a trap to make the opponent drop their guard, it won’t work, will it? I should have just endured it like always—!’

The Dimensional Mage God was suddenly awash with regret; even if he had gotten angry, he should have coaxed them properly.

He had lived without superiors as a mercenary god, doing whatever his temper dictated, but now that he had an undeniable higher-up, the consequences loomed large behind him. The realization that acting according to his nature would no longer end with him simply bearing the fallout made his skin crawl.

The Sage of Omniscience watched that flustered figure with an intrigued expression.

‘Having stray thoughts in front of me—a Demon King and Holy Demon? Not even a Creator God would dare. Shall I check, just a little?’

She raised the faintest trace of killing intent and fighting spirit, slipping into a combat stance. She also needed to verify the strange sense of crisis she had been feeling from him since earlier.

At the same moment, her field of vision changed. The Dimensional Mage God’s body charged straight at her and slammed down a fist.

The strike came without the slightest warning—an absolutely perfect surprise attack she had never seen before.

‘What—!’

She barely managed to raise her body’s reflexes and blocked with both hands. But that was only the beginning. Powerful, lethal strikes poured down like a waterfall, one after another, and the Sage of Omniscience met them with everything she had.

In the span of a single instant the fierce exchange shattered the adamantium table in the reception room into flying fragments. The thunderous impact of body against body shook the entire Dimensional Lord’s Divine Temple.

Even Gaiana and the female gods of the Almighty Race standing right beside them could not react to the ultra-high-speed battle and were sent flying, slamming into the walls. Shockwaves powerful enough to rattle the main temple spread outward.

What the startled goddesses saw was the Dimensional Mage God and the Sage of Omniscience already standing with both hands locked together in a contest of strength.

They had no idea how many blows had been exchanged, but the armor both wore had been smashed to pieces and the exposed skin beneath was covered in dark bruises.

With a refreshed expression that was both surprised and convinced, the Sage of Omniscience brought her face close to the Dimensional Mage God—still gripping his hands—and spoke.

“As expected, there really was something worth believing in. You were hiding enough power that you didn’t need to know the opponent’s weaknesses in the Main God Battle and didn’t require any help from your subordinates? Just how does a managerial god like the Dimensional Mage God possess this level of close-combat ability? Can an authority for approach battles of this caliber even exist for a managerial god?”

As the Sage of Omniscience’s exploration authority brushed across every inch of his body, the Dimensional Mage God paused for a brief moment before opening his mouth.

‘Any further fighting would be meaningless.’

Revealing more of his hand would serve no purpose. Besides, the other party had come to negotiate; he could not send her away after brawling like this. Moreover, the Sage of Omniscience was the Origin of the Almighty Race and held the position of Demon King—a status equal to that of a Creator God. As a mere Creator Candidate, the fact that she was someone to whom he must show proper courtesy—regardless of racial difference—had finally been hammered into his head. After being forced by the Origin of the Mage God to repeatedly practice the etiquette and conduct appropriate to every rank, he could not afford another mistake.

“Please remain as an honored guest until the treatment is complete. The Dimensional Divine Realm welcomes the Holy Demon, the Sage of Omniscience, and her party. However, I must ask you to refrain from emitting killing intent and fighting spirit. Combat is strictly forbidden within my divine realm. As you can see, I cannot take responsibility for whatever consequences may follow.”

“Understood. If there is such a legitimate reason, I naturally must comply. I’ll instruct my subordinates as well.”

With those words, the roar of divine power and physical strength colliding erupted from both their arms once more, shaking the entire reception room. It was the sound of both sides simultaneously releasing the power they had been concentrating.

The Dimensional Mage God glanced at the Sage of Omniscience, who had taken a step back, gave a light bow, and turned to leave. She waved her right hand with a smile in her eyes, seeing him off.

Yet within the right hand she kept hidden, blood trickled steadily. The injury had come from their brief contest of raw strength.

‘I currently possess the body of a Demon King and Holy Demon. On top of that, I have mastered the Incomprehensible Eight Founders. Aside from Creator General-level beings or higher-ranking Substitute Gods, nothing should be able to injure me. Yet with only a few seconds of contact, my palm was torn open.’

Moreover, the destructive force was so overwhelming that even the Demon King’s healing power—which could withstand most forms of annihilation—was being pushed back.

‘Black flames momentarily pierced both my authority and my flesh. This is definitely the Black Flame—the fusion of killing intent and fighting spirit used by the Black Flame Absolute among the 10 Mainstays. The strongest physical-category authority, the only one that surpasses the Incomprehensible Eight Founders in close combat. He said he passed the Eternal Judgment at the Wind Star of Black Flame. So this is what it means?’

The female gods watching from behind had their expressions freeze in pure shock. The Sage of Omniscience’s body, tempered by the absolute authority of the Incomprehensible Eight Founders, had been wounded. Even during her time as a Demon, her immortal body had almost never been injured outside of her certification battle with Almighty Hwi. Having become a Demon King she should have grown even stronger, yet she had bled so easily. It was an unbelievable event that had occurred in a single instant of exchanged blows.

While healing the torn wound on her right hand—the aftermath of the Dimensional Mage God’s grip—the Sage of Omniscience was wrapped ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in questions. She now understood that he had damaged her body with the Authority of Black Flame. The real issue, however, was that in that brief close-combat exchange a pure battle god like herself had not been able to overwhelm a Mage God at all.

By the very nature of Mage Gods, who implemented their authorities through calculation, they could never defeat a battle god in an approach fight. That common sense had just been overturned.

‘O great Origin of the Mage God. Just what exactly have you done? The Dimensional Mage God did not display any of a Mage God’s authorities at all. Yet how can he possess physical ability and hand-to-hand combat prowess equal to or greater than mine, when I have mastered the Incomprehensible Eight Founders? Is something like this possible with the body of a managerial god? I am truly curious.’

Hwaruruk—! Hwaruk—!

From both hands of the Dimensional Mage God as he left the reception room, faint black flames flickered. It was the Authority of Black Flame restoring the damage he had sustained in the brief exchange with the Sage of Omniscience. To swallow even the residual authority of the Incomprehensible Eight Founders without leaving any behind truly deserved to be called the strongest in the physical category.

Yet the Dimensional Mage God’s expression as he walked toward the bedroom was completely rigid. His body had reacted automatically to the killing intent and fighting spirit unleashed by a Demon King stronger than himself. He had never intended to fight. There was nothing to gain from clashing with a battle god on the same level as Almighty Hwi.

But his body had been far too honest in response to that killing intent and the Demon King’s fighting spirit. By the time his mind registered the battle, they had already exchanged countless blows. Had it not been for the reason linked to the Eternal Chant he had obtained through forced training, he really would have fought until one of them died. Cold sweat ran down his back at the true nature of the Authority possessed by the Black Flame, strongest of the physical category.

‘Even while undergoing thirty thousand years of forced training I half doubted it, but it really did activate. From now on, no matter what happens, I cannot let my guard down for even an instant. But was something like this truly possible? Even I, who learned it, don’t fully understand what’s going on.’

As expected of the Origin of the Wind Family, who made the impossible possible. He had perfectly implemented the Authority of Black Flame in someone like him who understood nothing. Moreover, he had altered it considerably to suit a Mage God, yet the user’s own level was so low that he could not even grasp the proper handling of the technique. Still, after crossing fists with the Sage of Omniscience this time, he had finally caught a glimpse of the feel for it.

The countless scoldings he had received while being forced through training with the Origin of the Mage God refused to leave his head.

“Listen carefully, you stupid, slow-witted fool—! I have educated many descendants, but you are the first of your kind. No matter how much a Mage God like you trains, there is zero chance you can fight on equal footing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with a top-class close-combat battle god and win. That is simply how it is.”

‘Compared to the bloodline of Truth, being inferior is only natural. But why is it natural that a Mage God cannot defeat a battle god? Is this something the Origin of the Mage God should be saying to a Mage God?’

Rebellious spirit at its peak after being dragged into forced training, he had shot back.

“Is that something the Origin of the Mage God should say to a Mage God? Even so, you should at least give me some empty hope that if I work hard I might win someday… Kyaak—!”

As always, the Origin of the Mage God swung the Sword of Ruin and Soul to shut the mouth of the wrecked, spite-filled version of himself who had barked back after being dragged to training. It was truly lamentable that the Wind Family’s education—famous for the high effectiveness of this violence-accompanied forced-injection style—had such an identity.

“Where do you get off quibbling? What cannot be done cannot be done. The idiot who keeps attempting the same thing with the same method is a brainless fool. Every battle god must go through three judgment processes: recognizing the enemy, attacking, and landing the hit. No matter what authority one possesses, how quickly and efficiently one shortens and strengthens those necessary processes determines true strength. However, managerial gods such as Mage Gods have one additional process—calculating and implementing the authority—inserted into the stage where they choose to attack. In the end, because of the fundamental flaw that managerial gods must go through four stages instead of the three used by ordinary battle gods, they cannot win in close combat.”

“Then what is the point of this training I’m doing? Why do you keep hitting me? Thanks to you my body is a complete wreck—what exactly am I supposed to learn? No, more importantly, you said you would use me as bait to lure the Black Flame Absolute, didn’t you? If the bait itself cannot withstand the bait, then what? And why does the bait have to be Almighty Hwi of all people? You know more about the Incomprehensible Eight Founders than anyone. You yourself admitted that one-on-one I can never win, didn’t you?”

The Origin of the Mage God nodded at the valid counterpoint. There was no way a Mage God who could only wield transcendental authority without fully activating his title could defeat a battle god who had learned even the early stages of the absolute authority known as the Incomprehensible Eight Founders.

“Yes. You’re finally saying something correct after so long. However, because you are also of the Black Flame Race, there is a possible method. The secret of those beast-like bastards’ authority is specialized in exactly this sort of thing.”

“Huh?”

“I’m telling you to understand already. Having undergone the Eternal Judgment at the Wind Star of Black Flame, you are partly a member of the Black Flame Race as well. So why is a Black Flame clansman like you asking me—a member of the Wind Family—about your own authority? You pathetic fool who doesn’t even know what you possess—! When will you make it truly yours? Listen carefully. The first Black Flame Absolute compressed the three stages of enemy recognition, attack, and hit into a single stage of recognition.”

“Ehhhh? Is that even possible?”

At those words the Origin of the Mage God’s voice rose as if his anger had boiled over.

“That’s exactly why they’re beasts—! And insane beasts at that—! The current Black Flame Absolute is the same as the first one. No, his ability alone is even higher. So of course you cannot win against the same type of close-combat battle ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠god. Yet why does Grandfather Truth value so highly a clan that possesses something like this as an absolute authority—! Strength alone is not everything. No matter what, there must be dignity and grace. Just what kind of unspeakably vulgar creatures are these?”

“We Mage Gods are in no position to criticize… Never mind, sir.”