Checkmate in the Divine Realm
The war in the Otherworld and the Eternal Judgment they had endured at the Wind Castle of Black Flame had vastly expanded their perspective and elevated their level of existence.
The life forms of Black Flame were none other than gods and demon gods who had been defeated by Truth and fallen so far short of the mark that they couldn’t even qualify as Substitute Gods. On top of that, the place was little more than a garbage recycling center for Absolute Beings who had activated their titles yet still failed to achieve total victory. Yet that assessment was only according to Truth’s standards. Warriors capable of fighting a Creator God on equal footing within a single universe could not possibly be weak. The same held true for Absolute Beings worthy of receiving titles. The staggering sacrifices required to seal away titled Absolute Beings who couldn’t even form a proper faction in the 500th Master Universe proved the point beyond doubt.
Those powerful beings, reduced to insects, now thrashed desperately to climb back to higher existence, and that struggle formed the very ecosystem of Wind Star. The experience of fighting with their lives on the line there had transformed into fighting spirit and murderous intent that slowly began radiating outward. It was in no way inferior to the War Gods of the 499th Master Universe—so potent, in fact, that it could completely disregard the hostility and warning intent being directed at them.
Having vented the surrounding pressure in that manner, the personal authorities of the 500th Master Universe Origins activated with ever greater speed and precision. They were gradually catching up to the movements of Almighty Hwi, who had mastered the incomprehensible Eight Beginnings.
Irrepressible joy rose on the faces of the Origins.
“I can see it. The movements I couldn’t begin to follow during the Spirit Realm battle are finally visible.”
“I can predict them and catch them.”
“Kuhuhuhuhuhu—! Yes! I can hit him—!”
“What we lacked wasn’t talent—it was experience and environment.”
“I will definitely return in glory.”
“You shall now become the sacrifice upon our path forward.”
The instant Almighty Hwi’s movements halted for a single breath under the combined assault of the goddess lords and spirit gods, bloodthirsty voices erupted in unison.
“Got him—! Die—!”
Kwooooooooooooooo—!
The transcendent authorities unleashed simultaneously by two hundred god-race Origins were no longer a downpour but a tidal wave, crashing across the battlefield where Almighty Hwi stood. It was a wide-area saturation attack designed to cut off every route of escape. Naturally, the goddess lords of the Goddess Blood Alliance and the Otherworld spirit gods were caught inside that zone. Even Almighty Hwi, who had never expected them to sweep away allies and enemies alike, let out a scream.
“You insane bastards—! You don’t care whether they’re friend or foe—!”
No matter how strong he was, he was still ultimately a Main God. He had grown accustomed to coordinated attacks, and his counterattacks and evasions had become flawless. He had been using the Round Table’s long-range strikes to block and dodge—until the offensive suddenly changed. This, he could not avoid.
Caught in a carpet-bombing of long-range authorities that made no distinction between enemy and ally, Almighty Hwi screamed again.
“Kuaaaaaaaaagh—!”
He was forced to take the full brunt of several hundred attacks reinforced by the Highest Creator Realm. Even for him, there was no surviving this unscathed.
Kwagwagwagwang—!
The strikes, each carrying power that surpassed even Creator Gods, detonated against Almighty Hwi in perfect unison. The Origins’ control of authority and divinity stood at the highest level, and with the assistance of the Highest Creator Realm there was not a single miscalculation. The concentrated aftermath shook the very main gates of the Divine Realm and completely erased an entire defensive sector. The goddess lords caught in the shockwave screamed alongside him.
Though they had not been struck directly, the impact from over two hundred carpet-bombing attacks infused with Creator God divinity was nearly unbearable for Main Gods.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaah—!”
“Aaaaaaaaah—!”
Kwagwang—! Kwaaang—!
Everyone was hurled into the sky and slammed against the ramparts. These were War Gods who each surpassed their personal limits; had they failed to shed even a portion of the explosion’s force, they would have died instantly. For a moment it had seemed they might be annihilated together with the enemy. Fortunately, because they had only been hit by the aftershock, they barely avoided fatal wounds.
The furious roars of the goddess lords and Otherworld spirit gods who had regained their footing shook the Main God Temple.
“Wh… what the hell was that?”
“How dare the Round Table attack us as well—!”
“What in the world are the spirit lords of the Round Table and the primordial War Gods doing?!”
“You worthless bastards—! You stabbed me in the back—! Next time it’ll be you!”
The divine language of pure outrage hammered the Main God Temple. Every god who knew the personalities of the goddess lords and Otherworld spirit lords turned deathly pale.
This will absolutely not be overlooked.
The newbies had no idea what they were doing and caused a catastrophe.
Yet the Origins of the 500th Master Universe showed no concern, unable to hide their disappointment. They had sensed that Almighty Hwi was still alive. Nevertheless, he had suffered critical injuries on the verge of death. Continuing the battle would be impossible.
“We got him for now.”
“Serves you right—! You arrogant whelp of the Almighty God Tribe—!”
“This is what happens when you grow conceited and rampage alone just because you learned an absolute authority—!”
Back on the Wind Castle of Black Flame, they had been so weak that even insects were beyond them. But the synergistic effect of dimensional authority fused with Origin’s title allowed them to recover from any injury without issue. They had tried every possible combination and coordinated assault in their desperate attempts to defeat even a single sparrow. In the end, it had become natural for one comrade to sacrifice their body to restrain the target while the others poured concentrated fire upon it.
Therefore, while the surrounding gods reacted with utter disbelief, what rang out instead were cheers of triumph. The enemy had been eliminated. That was enough to satisfy them. What disappointed them were the secondary effects.
Tsk tsk tsk—! Still, those bastards refuse to die from something like this.
This is impossible. Even though we didn’t score direct hits, the shockwave alone should have erased any ordinary Creator God.
We didn’t have enough firepower left to allocate to them after dealing with that Almighty God Tribe Origin.
We missed a golden opportunity.
It was the perfect chance to score points with the Main God of the Divine Realm by eliminating both Almighty Hwi, the opponent of the Main God General, and the rebellious faction…
We’ll have to raise all of their base power to Creator God General level.
In the relatively peaceful 500th Master Universe, it was common for many War Gods to die from friendly-fire incidents during battle. Of course, harming one’s own side invited criticism, but there was a valid justification: if a monstrous Creator God like Almighty Hwi managed to infiltrate the Divine Realm, there would be no way to stop him. They had also done it because it would be more convenient later if those gods died together with the enemy.
But this was truly unbelievable. By the standards of the 500th Master Universe, two hundred attacks at the Creator God General level had been concentrated. Even though it was only the shockwave, they had expected critical injuries requiring long-term recuperation—yet everyone was fine. No, they were raging even more fiercely, like wounded beasts baring their fangs.
Had the fallen Almighty Hwi not begun slowly rising to his feet, they looked ready to charge straight into the Main God Temple.
They’re impossibly strong for Main Gods. Is each one of them on the level of our Creator God Generals from the 500th Master Universe?
We’d lose in a direct confrontation right now, so let’s keep looking for opportunities.
Even though they were on the same side, the struggle for power had only just begun. Their positions were different and their desires were different, so conflict was inevitable. They could bow their heads and get along amicably. However, long experience had taught them that those people had no such inclination.
They’re viciously stubborn and rebellious. There’s no way we can mix with them.
Although the Magic God of Dimensions had been their enemy, they still showed him respect as the Main God of the Divine Realm. For those who had enjoyed power, respect for superiors and obedience to order represented the absolute limit of their tolerance. Naturally, aiming for that superior’s seat was only to be expected for the ruling class, but it had to be done with the support of the majority—open hostility was unacceptable. Their subordinates were watching and learning, after all.
Yet at a glance, these newcomers looked perfectly capable of doing exactly that. Frankly speaking, there was a massive gap in status. Moreover, they had instinctively realized that if they helplessly bowed their heads now, they would never regain their former positions. Therefore, for the sake of the Magic God of Dimensions—who had recognized their status as the Main God of the Divine Realm—they had steeled themselves to endure conflict in order to maintain balance.
The Magic God of Dimensions watched them with an amused gaze.
Heh heh—! They let their guard down and took a massive hit. They won’t die from that much, but they’re at least critically injured. That’s what happens when you become a Creator God and think you can solve everything with brute force. And you shouldn’t carelessly show your back to allies, either. That’s just how the world works. Or maybe not. Heh heh—!
Things were proceeding so smoothly it was almost unbelievable. The results were even more decisive than the plan he had carefully considered. He had never expected the Origins of the 500th Master Universe to deal such a heavy blow to Almighty Hwi. Simply having them restrain and buy time would have been enough to be grateful for.
The old man’s thoughts are still sharp. Heh—!
In the past he would have thrown his head back and laughed openly in ridicule, but now he knew many eyes were upon him and had learned the composure to hold back. Still, the Magic God of Dimensions did not stop laughing inside as he took out the Magic Brain from his subspace.
It was an artificial ego capable of suppressing the Divine Realm’s own ego and manipulating it at will. The glorious seat where it could be activated was now well within reach. Thanks to Almighty Hwi’s carelessness in underestimating him too greatly, nothing could stop him any longer.
Thus he placed the Magic Brain on the seat of the chair and murmured softly.
“In the Otherworld game called ‘chess,’ this is what they say when the match is decided. ‘Checkmate,’ I believe it was?”
The outcome of the Main God General battle had been settled. Now he had obtained the chance to call for a vote over the position of Main God General. If he could win a secret vote among all the gods of the Main Divine Realm, he would become the Main God General.
Yet rather than joy, a tension colder than the heat of battle flowed through him.
But the real problem starts now. There’s no way the gods of the Main Divine Realm will support me—a human-born mercenary god. Ordinary methods will never work. This is where it truly begins.
Tap—!
With a light snap of his fingers, he activated creation authority to restore the Round Table’s chairs. Then he walked over and sat down in his original seat—the one engraved with Magic God of Dimensions, Second in the Divine Realm Hierarchy.