A Single Strike to Split the World

In the Otherworld War, even though a jewel was embedded in his forehead, he desperately wanted to believe there was no way the body could still be fine. The sound of it collapsing to the ground was followed by a crimson light shooting into the air, blazing brilliantly. Kuuuung—!Oooong—! The Creator God's jewel containing the Dimensional Mage God's divine spirit had apparently separated at the exact moment of impact and survived, because it now radiated an even more intense glow.

The sight of the circles of magic power spinning as if beginning everything anew made a curse slip out before he could stop it. 'Damn it. That persistent bastard—!'

This was already the second time the body had been smashed to pieces. Yet it showed not the slightest effect on his divine power. If anything, it had grown even stronger and was charging right back in. No matter how he looked at it, the effect had to be from Origin's title, but he had no proper countermeasure.

"Successfully landing ten thousand consecutive attacks so easily is impressive. As expected of the Incomprehensible Eight Progenitor and the Hero God of the Almighty Tribe."

Whether it was sincere praise or mockery, the fight was still far from over. The Black Flame's body—its insides reduced to mush by the constant support of magic power—vibrated as its fighting spirit flared back to life. The vitality was truly tiresome, and the battle itself was absurd even for members of the god race.

Still, the deranged physical senses sharpened to an extreme from clashing with such a powerful foe had restored a great deal of his control. Moreover, now that he had identified the precise strategy of focused consecutive strikes, there was no reason he should lose even against the Black Flame's body.

"What will you challenge me with this time? Are you going to regenerate the Black Flame's body again and try once more? I'll wait, so come at me."

Dark red magic power flowed from the Creator God's jewel into the Black Flame's body, restoring it. The way the wounds healed instantly was astonishing. The body's raw power was one thing, but that creative force was on another level entirely.

Yet no matter how many times it recovered and charged, he could win as often as necessary. This was the perfect chance to completely settle the early scores from the Main God Tournament.

But as expected, the reply was completely unpredictable.

"Kuk kuk—! No way. I'm not foolish enough to keep repeating a method that has already failed. I don't have the luxury of endlessly chopping at a tree that refuses to fall. Thanks to you being strong enough to smash the Black Flame's body head-on like this, my request has succeeded. That's why he wishes to face you directly, even if it means taking a risk. Oh, right—! Allow me to introduce you."

The recovered Black Flame's body bounced lightly and stood straight atop the ring. Tap—!Thud—! That massive weight should have made the entire ring tremble with the slightest movement, yet when the body floated through the air and landed, it did so without the slightest vibration, like a feather settling on a pillow.

It was nothing like the previous wild, power-driven movements of a beast. These motions were impossibly light, and—unbelievably—carried an air of supreme dignity. The perfectly restrained and honed movements were almost beautiful.

But for him to be impressed by mere body movements was impossible. 'What is this?'

Beauty is relative. An absolute beauty would never feel moved by the beauty of an ordinary one. For someone who had mastered the supreme physical authority known as the Incomprehensible Eight Progenitor to find another's movements beautiful meant those movements had been refined to a level that should not exist.

A chilling premonition rang through him. 'This is something beyond the standards I can even imagine!'

The Dimensional Mage God, apparently unable to contain his laughter, continued with his playful introduction.

"Hu hu hu—! You are the leader of the berserkers who always carry the risk of losing control, and the chieftain of the beasts who rampage using nothing but brute strength. And you shall be the challenger who wishes to reclaim the utterly useless title of possessing the strongest attack power."

Those were the very words he himself had spat about the Black Flame. In a situation where he—the Hero God of the Almighty Tribe—and the Dimensional Mage God were locked in a life-or-death struggle over the Main God position, almost no one could intervene, nor did they have any justification to do so.

There was only one possible candidate. 'No way! It can't be! The Black Flame Absolute?'

The very symbol of violence in the Absolute Realm. The absolute powerhouse who had gone berserk during the ranking war a billion years ago, driving the other Ten Centers to the brink of death and claiming the fourth rank. The only ones who had emerged unscathed were the immovable powerhouses: the rank one Golden Absolute, rank two Yuil Yongsinje, and rank three Daeshin. Everyone else had suffered devastating injuries requiring over a hundred million years of recovery.

The gap between himself and the Black Flame Absolute was not even worth contemplating.

"The fourth in the overall Ten Centers ranking, yet first in close combat—the descent of Luka Eiles II. I never dreamed it would go this well. It is all thanks to the Almighty Hwi being so overwhelmingly strong and so eloquent. I offer my sincere gratitude. Puhuhuhuhuhuhuhut—!"

"!!!"

The Dimensional Mage God, now laughing openly, spoke like a judge confirming a death sentence.

"A loose tongue really is the root of all suffering. Though I guided events to this point, I truly feel a sense of kinship and sympathy. Do try your best to survive. Kahahahahahahat—!"

As if finding that frivolous laughter unbearable, the Black Flame's body snatched the Creator God's jewel from the air and slammed it onto its forehead. Grab—!Click—!Goooooo—!

As magic power and divine power synchronized, the Authority of Black Flame began to amplify on a completely different scale from before. The body didn't grow any larger, but it repeatedly flushed red then turned white-hot as if iron being tempered, eventually radiating even a golden luster. An unprecedented ferocity and fighting spirit poured from it like a waterfall.

The words now flowing from the Black Flame's body's mouth no longer belonged to the Dimensional Mage God.

"Whether it's a grey trap or whatever else, it doesn't matter. I'll smash it all with my power. Now, amplify your divine power to the absolute maximum you can manage. Grey from the past. For your rudeness, I'll finish off that insolent Incomprehensible Eight Progenitor first and deal with you slowly afterward."

"As you wish. And I am not the grey from the past, but the grey from the distant future. For now, I would appreciate it if you addressed me as the Dimensional Mage God."

"Pfft—! I'd normally say what does a title matter to someone who'll soon be erased for being unqualified, but I'll play along for now. Whatever your purpose is, it doesn't concern me. I'll clearly prove once again who possesses the strongest attack power in close combat. Since you too are of the Black Flame Clan, for now, help me—the Origin of the Black Flame Clan—exert my full power for the honor of our bloodline. Dimensional Mage God of the Black Flame Clan."

"If you address me so politely, then as a member of the Black Flame Clan, I shall assist the Origin with every ounce of my strength."

Hwaaaaaaaaaah—! From the Creator God's jewel embedded in the forehead, eleven distinct layers of magic circles rose clearly. As those circles spun, the divine power exploded upward as if all previous amplification had been child's play. He trusted the Black Flame Absolute's body control completely and amplified without limit.

As expected, the Black Flame Absolute handled the divine power surge—which had instantly surpassed ranks—like it was nothing, perfectly integrating it into the body, and spoke with clear satisfaction.

"Kuk kuk—! A loophole, but somehow you've reached the maximum output ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of one trillion? The minimum condition is met. Now, try spouting more of that arrogance. Creator God of the Main Universe who has only learned the tiniest fraction of the Incomprehensible Eight Progenitor."

Almighty Hwi despaired. This was simply not something he could face. His maximum divine power was still greater, yet there existed some decisive, insurmountable difference. For the first time, he stood before a being of an entirely different dimension.

"This feels like cheating. For one of the Ten Centers of the Absolute Realm to intervene directly in a Main Universe duel like this… isn't that an excessively heavy-handed response…?"

To Almighty Hwi, who had barely managed to voice his protest, the Black Flame Absolute responded with clear ridicule. Of course, the fault lay with himself for arbitrarily descending to the Main Universe while his real body maintained a reflexive guard stance that would pulverize anything that approached. The Golden Absolute was grinding his teeth and shouting something from afar, unable to get close, but it didn't matter.

'Intervention in the Main Universe normally requires approval from Jinri or the rank one Golden Absolute, but matters involving one's own clan are different. And since this isn't direct intervention but a descent, there are plenty of loopholes to escape through. Besides, whether it's a grey trap or anything else, if only my divine spirit has descended, they can't inflict any meaningful damage on me.'

This body ultimately belonged to the Dimensional Mage God. Even if it was destroyed, canceling the descent would cost the divine spirit only a tiny fraction of its power. The fact that Always Coin Heads was sending a very faint danger warning was slightly concerning, but there was almost nothing in the Main Universe capable of harming him.

The only thing worth considering was Seongmyeol, the Black Flame's Creator Great God, but he had already confirmed the entity was waiting far away in the sky. He had taken measures before coming here, so there would be no effect on the ranking war. It was safe.

'An error of one in twenty-five thousand, that's all. Just need to watch out for Seongmyeol.'

Therefore, his only desire right now was to crush that insolent Incomprehensible Eight Progenitor who had dared speak of being the strongest in front of the Black Flame.

However, as one of the Ten Centers, he could not rampage like a mad destruction god. Since he governed the Absolute Realm as Jinri's representative, he needed to establish proper justification for his intervention. He had to prepare for the possibility that other Eternal Beings and Ten Centers might question him by invoking Jinri.

Fortunately, the opponent had provided a justification that would work.

"Hah—! Didn't you also descend using another Origin's authority to receive help? I simply did the same. If you call this unfair, you should have fought with your own power until the very end. Stop talking nonsense and show me those impressive consecutive Whole Body Wave Strikes again. Black Flame is different from the Incomprehensible Eight Progenitor. To defeat an enemy, there is no need for ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the hassle of ten thousand consecutive attacks. I will destroy everything with a single strike."

"There is no enemy before it. This is Exploding Blood. Only by perfectly using this Exploding Blood—which amplifies physical abilities by more than a hundred times—can one be considered a true member of the Black Flame Clan. It is different from the first generation, who could only rampage using instinct and physical ability alone. Different—! And…"

Puhahahahaha—! The formal incantation carrying the Black Flame Absolute's full power echoed throughout the Main Universe. The Ten Centers' clan could amplify divine power by fifty times. Entrusting that to the Mage God's magic amplification had pushed it beyond a hundred times. And only the Black Flame Clan could draw out more than a hundredfold enhancement of physical ability.

With such absolute physical capability, the fighting spirit and killing intent compressed to their utmost limit forcibly manifested into a single form.

Kwaaaaaaaaaaang—! A colossal double-headed axe burning with dark red flames had formed in both hands.

Hwarurururuk—! Half the ring and the ground itself began to melt and disintegrate under the dark crimson flames. Simply by existing, the weapon was slowly burning the Main God Star itself.

The Black Flame Absolute rested the enormous double-headed axe—comparable in size to his three-meter frame—on his right shoulder and gripped the handle with both hands.

Crack, crackle—! A roar of concentrated power that defied measurement shook the body as Pahoton was slowly drawn back. It was the stance of someone preparing to split a log with an axe pulled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠back as far as possible.

It was full of openings, yet he could not approach. The only future he could see was being split in two the moment he tried.

"This is the Black Flame Absolute's absolute weapon—! Pahoton—! The pinnacle of destruction manifested by fusing fighting spirit and killing intent, the only absolute weapon that can ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠be used—! Its authority splits and kills anything in its path. It is completely different from the first generation, who lacked divine weapons capable of enduring the Authority of Black Flame and thus fought like beasts with their bare bodies—! And this combination is the strongest attack in the entire Absolute Realm. Exploding Blood Pahoton—!"

Swish—! It was a single movement without the slightest sign. There was no afterimage, nor did it even disturb the air. Yet along with the Black Flame Absolute's shout, the double-headed axe that had been resting on his back had already fallen, seemingly touching the ground ahead, at a moment no one could perceive.

Even Almighty Hwi, standing at the front, could not tell what had happened. But his body reacted instinctively. And then he heard a tiny sound.

Crack—! The sound of something splitting rang out. The fissure followed the trajectory of the axe that had swung from behind the Black Flame Absolute's back toward the ground.

The instant that fissure touched Pahoton, the universe split apart.

Crackcrackcrackcrackcrack—! The destructive force that could sever the world without end finally revealed its true form. Like a giant blade slicing through tofu, it split everything before the Black Flame Absolute cleanly in two.

And at the center of that bisected world stood Almighty Hwi. No—the body that had mastered the Incomprehensible Eight Progenitor had unconsciously reacted to the attack of unrecognizable speed and avoided being split exactly like the world itself, but it had only barely avoided instant death.

His right shoulder and right arm and leg were severed and sent flying. The body that had still tried to resist could not withstand the force and was blasted out of the ring, tumbling outside the arena.

His mind had already been blown away by the overwhelming destructive power.

Bang—! Almighty Hwi, having fallen outside the ring, stopped moving entirely. Watching dark red flames rise from the severed areas and begin eroding the wounds, the Black Flame Absolute canceled Pahoton.

It was regrettable that he had failed to split him completely or deliver instant death, but damage of that magnitude would unconditionally annihilate a Creator God of the Main Universe. The Black Flame's divine power and body he possessed were simply too weak; without the skill of an expert at his level, manifesting Pahoton in this way would have been impossible. He could not maintain it for long.

Hwaaa—!

"Huuuuuu—! Do you now understand who possesses the strongest attack? Creator God of the Main Universe who has learned only the tiniest fraction of the Incomprehensible Eight Progenitor."

The lack of sportsmanship from that so-called Hero God, combined with how the situation had unfolded, had made him descend in irritation to handle things personally. But hearing those words, his composure returned.

'Now that I think about it, this is ridiculous.'

For one of the Ten Centers to personally intervene in a mere Main God Tournament—it was something the Golden Absolute and the other Ten Centers would mock him for until the end of time.

"You used me. The grey from the tenth rank dragged in other Ten Centers just to obtain the pathetic position of Main God of the Main Universe? And not even the present self, but the past self, using me—the fourth rank? Have you lost your mind? Do you have the confidence to handle the consequences?"

Kwaaaaak—! The Black Flame Absolute clenched the Creator God's jewel attached to his forehead with crushing force. What resided inside was the Dimensional Mage God's divine spirit. It had not yet died from the loophole of magic power, but crushing it now would lead to annihilation.

Yet a relaxed reply flowed from the jewel.

"My task is already complete. The Ten Centers' aftermath will be handled by my future self, who is also one of the Ten Centers. I thank you for your assistance. There was simply no way for that Almighty Hwi to win on his own, but thanks to you, I have won. I will consider it a debt."

"…Both the future and the past versions are equally insane."

The response was so leisurely it made him wonder what the grey was relying on. He paused for a moment, then brought up the measures he had taken before descending.

"The grey cannot come from the Absolute Realm."

"?"

"Using my authority as the fourth rank, I have forbidden all long-distance movement support from the Absolute Realm to any lower-ranked members until the current ranking war concludes. From now on, the only way to leave the Absolute Realm—excluding the higher ranks of the Golden Absolute, Yuil Yongsinje, and Daeshin—is by one's own power. That includes those proud Origin members of the Wind Family."

"!!!"

"How long do you think it will take to cross 498 Main Universes while obtaining permission from each Eternal Being? No matter how great the Dimensional Mage God's mobility is, it will take a hundred years? Ten years? One thing is certain: you will be annihilated long before he arrives."

Kwadudududuk—! A crushing sound like the Creator God's jewel might shatter at any moment echoed from the Black Flame Absolute's grip.

"Receive the price for daring to use a member of the Ten Centers to obtain a trivial position. Dimensional Mage God—! That insane grey will soon follow you to the same fate."