The Clash of Substitute Gods

The activation of the Substitute God war authority sent an impossible roar echoing through the universe. Creak—!Crack—! It was the sound of space itself twisting and tearing, a rupture that spread across the entire solar system.

Since the Substitute Race had clearly detected his planetary movement, he judged that they would have strengthened the control over their forward base planet. Thus, he poured even greater power into the activation.

‘If their countermeasure is spatial fixation of the planet, it’s truly foolish. I’ll show them why I was once a Main God-level dark mage who surpassed even the Main Gods.’

The additional innate divine power secured through the Devotion Pledge, along with the Creator God’s realm he had once touched, dramatically amplified his Dimensional Authority.

‘I will send you through spatial movement immediately.’

He transmitted his will to the Main God of the Divine Realm and the Demon God of the Demon Realm. In response, they shot back in astonishment.

‘You’re going to ignore the Substitute Race’s planetary control and force a spatial movement right away?’

‘Can you really forcibly move a planet of that size?’

‘It is possible. Prepare for battle. I will initiate the spatial movement in ten seconds. We cannot give them time to grasp the situation.’

‘Understood. I’m counting on you.’

‘I’m ready. Anytime.’

Crack—!

The Dimensional and War God summoned the Staff of Origin that he had embedded in his brain to accumulate mana. He too hated the method of charging by driving it into his skull, but there was no other way to stockpile mana.

The magic of his old circles, now multiplied several times over, slammed directly into the planet.

‘It’s possible! As the God of Dimensions, I possess the strongest affinity for the lower concept of spatial authority.’

Rumble—! Crack—!

The sound of space being torn apart reverberated throughout the entire Divine Realm that supplied him with divine power.

‘First, I ignore the spatial fixation manifested by the Substitute Race’s Main God.’

Goooooo—! Thuuuuuuum—!

Under the overwhelming Dimensional Authority, the planet’s spatial fixation shattered completely. Then, using the planet’s own reaction as it tried to return to its original state to maintain spatial homeostasis, he dragged it straight toward the front line of the Boundary.

Kwaaaaaaaaah—!

From within the massive cavity drilled straight through the star’s core, the furious roar of the Substitute Race’s Main God echoed.

Rumble—!

The Substitute Race’s Main God immediately mobilized hundreds of billions of divine power to block the spatial movement.

‘Insanely strong! As expected, since the Main God of the Divine Realm and Demon God of the Demon Realm are monstrous, their counterpart in the Substitute Race is also beyond the norm.’

The stronger the Main God of the Divine Realm, the stronger the Demon God of the Demon Realm who faced him in the verification war. This was the law of the universe set by Karma, and the Substitute Race moved accordingly. Once the verification war ended, a being of equal caliber would eventually appear to destroy the star.

‘No dialogue works with the Substitute Race. They are unaffected by Karma and only invade stars.’

The Substitute Race had restricted emotions and focused solely on power, so their authorities were undoubtedly superior to those of both divine and demonic races.

Paaaaaaaaa—!

The God Slayer authority unleashed by the Substitute Race’s Main God shook the entire universe. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠However, since God Slayer could not affect his magic, the movement proceeded.

Yet he was shocked to feel his dimensional divine power fluctuating, restricted by the domain activated by the Substitute Race’s Main God.

‘Damn it—! The Substitute Race’s God Slayer drops divine rank by at least one circle!’

An involuntary curse slipped out at the absurd authority. The Substitute Race’s Main God reduced any hostile Main God to nothing more than an Upper God or Highest God at best.

‘I did think it was strange that those monstrous Main God of the Divine Realm and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Demon God of the Demon Realm would form an alliance so easily, casting aside their pride. This is an enemy that ordinary gods or demons cannot face alone.’

The Substitute Race’s authority manifested simultaneously against both divine and demonic races, requiring more than double the power to block it.

‘Even if the Main God of the Divine Realm’s Reality Manipulation and the Demon God of the Demon Realm’s God Slayer cancel out one stage each, we cannot avoid the drop. After that, we’ll have to engage in close combat with a Highest-level Main God who has rooted itself to the star and draws infinite vitality.’

The Main God of the Divine Realm and Demon God of the Demon Realm must have also sensed the activation of God Slayer that lowered even their own divine ranks, for they let out groans.

Feeling the danger, the Dimensional and War God immediately eavesdropped on their exchange of wills.

‘What the hell—! The Substitute Race’s Main God’s authority was definitely a one-stage drop in divine rank. So why is there an additional drop?’

The dispatched Substitute Race Main God, sensing the danger, sent a frantic will.

‘Demon God? Is there no demon god we can contract with as a mercenary?’

‘What crazy demon god would risk annihilation to fight a Substitute Race Main God over a star that isn’t even theirs? Dimensional and War God, hurry up and contract as a mercenary god. At this rate, we’re all going to die countless times.’

The Demon God of the Demon Realm spoke in clear panic, as if the strength of the Substitute Race’s God Slayer had exceeded her expectations.

‘Will that still-weak Dimensional and War God even be of any help?’

‘You know nothing. With the Dimensional and War God’s Dimensional Authority that I know, he should be able to prevent the additional drop. If we cannot resolve this extra God Slayer drop and that thing rains down bombardment while rooted to the star and drawing infinite vitality, we cannot possibly oppose it.’

For the Demon God of the Demon Realm to speak so weakly meant the situation was truly dire. Immediately, the will of the Main God of the Divine Realm arrived.

‘Dimensional and War God. I’m truly sorry, but you must join the battle directly. In return for your service as a mercenary Main God, I will name you my successor in the Divine Realm. Urk—!’

‘You sly raccoon of a Main God—! Is this the time for such nonsense? Make the contract properly right now.’

With everyone’s lives on the line, the Demon God of the Demon Realm intervened.

‘The price for a Main God’s participation, prepared to face annihilation, is a Main God Star—a planet that will make you a true Main God just like mine. If you don’t have one now, write an additional IOU with a Karma Contract and add more stars! And you idiot! What have you been doing all this time that you only have one bait planet? With your level of divine power, you should have at least ten—!’

‘Guh—! I have my reasons!’

Watching the Demon God of the Demon Realm grab the Main God of the Divine Realm by the throat and shake him as if to kill him, the Dimensional and War God felt a headache coming on.

‘Those monsters are willing to participate in the Substitute Race’s decisive battle even at the risk of annihilation?’

That damned Main God was still trying to scam him even in this situation, but he did need a star, and there was a chance the entire Divine Realm could fall.

‘I’ll make the participation fee two Main God Stars! Once I become a Creator God, I’ll take care of it immediately—!’

‘Aaaargh—! You damn bastard—! When exactly are you becoming a Creator God? And you’re still scamming? Have you even secured the Main God to hand over?’

‘Guhhhk—! Soon! Kek—!’

The Demon God of the Demon Realm was now outright beating the Main God of the Divine Realm over the head with her scabbard. The Dimensional and War God was stunned at how persistently the man tried to scam even under these circumstances.

‘Issuing unlimited IOUs here? Are you really picking a fight with me?’

Gooooooo—!

The power of the approaching ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Substitute Race Main God shook space like mad. Finally, the sixth planet appeared before the Boundary, and the frenzied exchange of wills between the Main God of the Divine Realm and Demon God of the Demon Realm accelerated even further.

‘As expected of a highest-ranking Substitute Race Main God. Damn it—! Why couldn’t the Divine Lord Realm detect such a monster?’

‘The Demon Lord Realm couldn’t detect it either. It has grown much larger, but it’s the very same one that came right after the verification war.’

‘To grow this large using only the vitality of an uninhabited planet… that should be impossible!’

Ooooooooooo—!

From the giant cavity carved into the center of the star, a grotesque god lifted its head and roared. Its size already surpassed that of an ordinary moon, and it had abandoned humanoid form to take on the shape of a planet itself. A mountain-range-like maw opened, and an extremely enraged cry shook the universe.

Kaaaaaaaah!

Booooooooooom!

The roar of the Substitute Race Main God transformed into a wide-area God Slayer, indiscriminately dropping the divine rank of every god and demon by at least one circle.

Guaaaah!Kuuuugh!

The faces of the Main God of the Divine Realm and Demon God of the Demon Realm, who had been on the Boundary, twisted in agony as they were forcibly demoted. Although they had blocked a one-circle drop with their own authorities, they could not endure the additional decline and had fallen from Highest God to Upper God level Main Gods.

‘It’s over. There is no way to win against that colossal star-like highest-ranking Substitute Race Main God with a lower divine rank.’

Even the gods and demons who had been at the Highest God level were instantly reduced to Upper God or below. Countless gods and demons groaned in pain from the sudden, drastic drop in rank—the first time they had ever experienced such a thing.

And from the sixth planet, numerous highest-ranking members of the Substitute Race began revealing their grotesque forms.

The Dimensional and War God instinctively realized it was time to make a decision.

Having received the offer to become a mercenary Main God, he had no intention of hesitating or fleeing.

‘Even though such a monster has appeared, this war is one I insisted upon. If I had only advanced through comfortable and safe battlefields, I wouldn’t be who I am today, nor would the scars on my body exist.’

The sudden summoning of the Karma Contract left the gods and demons stunned yet overjoyed. They had not expected him—someone who could switch sides at any moment in the face of such an overwhelmingly powerful enemy—to actually participate as a Main God.

‘Frankly, it would be better to break the contract with the Main God and run. But I already have contracts with the goddesses here, and I cannot abandon Granzoa and the High Elf Queens of that star.’

While the Main God of the Divine Realm and Demon God of the Demon Realm alone could not handle it, his participation would change everything.

‘I will show you the battle of a dark mage from the Root School who has surpassed the Main Gods.’

Rumble—!Paaaaaaaa—!

Anticipating a blood-freezing battle, his entire body trembled with excitement. His thirteen pairs of dimensional wings now emitted light so brilliant it was hard to keep one’s eyes open.

‘Thanks to the Substitute Race resisting only with spatial fixation, I’ve only expended a bit of mana. My divine power is completely fine.’

With only a slight drop in mana, he was still fit to fight.

“Redirect all divine power supply to defense.”

“What? What about the gods’ regeneration?” Hera cried out in confusion.

“We are facing a highest-ranking Substitute Race Main God. If Highest Gods die, they will be annihilated permanently. They cannot resurrect. If the Divine Realm and Middle World are destroyed, there will be no next time.”

“What—! Then there’s no ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠need for you to step forward, is there? Just freeze the star and report it to the Divine Lord Realm. Why? Ah—!”

“Granzoa is in the Middle World. We don’t know how many years it will take to subjugate a highest-ranking Substitute Race Main God. If it evolves to Creator God level, the Divine Lord Realm may, in the worst case, annihilate even this frozen star and the entire solar system.”

“B-but…?”

Hera and the goddesses began to fall into confusion. They had plenty of combat experience, but it was simply too far in the past.

‘If we are defeated in battle against the Substitute Race, there will be no future.’

The verification war against the Substitute Race was a critical matter serious enough to form an alliance with the demonic races who competed for supremacy of the universe.

‘They do not give defeated Main Gods of the Divine Realm or the Divine Realm itself a chance at reinstatement. That is why even a desperate fight only gives us a fifty percent chance of victory.’

When the Divine Realm and Demon Realm are pushed back by the Substitute Race’s attack, they freeze the star to render it unusable and later gather elite forces to subjugate it.

‘The problem is that the time sense of immortal gods makes such subjugation take near-eternal years. Moreover, if the star is not worth the divine power invested, they simply annihilate it. I was too arrogant thinking that even the monstrous alliance of the Main God of the Divine Realm and Demon God of the Demon Realm would suffice. The Substitute Race sent a monster capable of handling both of them.’

Staring at the highest-ranking Substitute Race Main God slowly revealing its full majesty, he issued new orders.

“Do not strain yourselves too much. I also have experience fighting Substitute Race Main Gods from my mercenary god days. You only need to defend the Divine Realm and the Middle World.”

“How can a ten-circle Main God-level deity possibly fight a Substitute Race Main God?”

“Before I am a Main God, I am a dark mage. God Slayer cannot affect my sorcery. Beloved goddesses, I entrust the protection of the Divine Realm to you.”