Mortals Against Gods

"What the hell is going on here?"

The area where Dre was currently fighting. After arriving at this location following Kaits's instructions, the two judges surveyed the battlefield.

Brat hadn't wanted to move because the Equality state felt so alien and uncomfortable, but the hero's gaze had been far too intense to refuse.

And then they witnessed scenes beyond anything they could have imagined.

Brat broke out in a cold sweat as he watched the mighty Poseid being casually overwhelmed by Dre, while Rafnir stared intently at the Water God.

'A god?'

The thought crossed her mind for a moment.

It was strange. After all, for Rafnir, there was only one true god.

Why did this insignificant being feel like a deity to her?

Rafnir felt... an odd, fluttering sensation. As if her long-cherished wish might finally come true.

Seeing Rafnir remain still, Brat fell silent as well. Then a thought occurred to him.

'Wait a second... Couldn't I just ride their coattails here?'

Stepping forward now wouldn't change the tide of battle much anyway. The preliminary participants were holding off the monsters well enough, and Yeo Deure was dominating what appeared to be the monsters' leader.

Wouldn't it be better to wait for the decisive moment rather than charge in now?

Brat wore a triumphant smile, while Rafnir clasped her hands together as if in prayer.

They had no idea what consequences their actions would bring.

The area ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fell momentarily quiet. Amidst the flowing reverence, Poseid desperately racked his brain. He spoke urgently.

"...Even if you defeat me, you will have everything 'confiscated' from you."

"What nonsense."

It wasn't entirely baseless, but Poseid had another reason for initiating conversation.

'I need to buy time...!'

Despite having deployed what he considered a reliable defensive measure, the humiliation of being bisected by a single strike was something he set aside for now. He needed to restore his body and use his "children" as quickly as possible.

But Dre approached without mercy. Poseid shouted in desperation.

"Stop...!"

"You're supposed to be a great god. Make me stop, then."

"Kuh...!"

But Dre blocked the system message. He would permit no distractions now.

"Hey, Poseid."

"......"

"Who did you lay your hands on?"

"W-what..."

"You trashy, delusional narcissist. Who the fuck did you lay your hands on, you piece of shit?"

Poseid had never been subjected to such vulgar abuse before. His body trembled with humiliation for a moment, but as the sword—made of crude cave stone yet possessing an impossibly sharp edge—drew closer, he cried out desperately.

"Wait! Aren't you curious about why this happened?!"

"I am curious."

Yet Dre didn't stop moving. He merely swung his threatening blade before the sweating god's eyes.

"You want to live, so make it interesting for me. Start talking."

Feeling both his regenerating nasal bone and the humiliation, Poseid stammered.

"Kuh... F-first... I made a contract with Makia. The causality will be entirely my burden. She told me to call upon her at the timing I desired, and I would descend for exactly one hour."

Thud!

"Graaah...!"

His nasal bone collapsed once more. As Poseid lost his words to this unfamiliar experience that brought tears to his eyes, the insolent human spoke in disbelief.

"Don't say things that are obvious to anyone. And spare me the useless talk about one hour."

"......"

"Why this timing? And you gods seem to have quite a few restrictions on what you can do in the mortal realm. How did you know I'd be fighting in the Sea God's Cave and make a contract with Makia? Why did Makia and Reina attack me? And I can roughly guess, but..."

Stab.

"Ugh..."

As he carved into Poseid's forearm with his sword, Dre asked coldly.

"Who was the bastard that helped you from behind until things got this bad?"

His voice couldn't help but sink. What exactly had happened under the pretext of killing Dre? It might have been an unexpected situation for them as well, but Dre had no intention of forgiving the collaborators who had aided Poseid.

"Heh, hehehe..."

"You're laughing?"

"I can't help it... Yes, as you suspected, there were those who helped with this incident. Among them is the descendant of the Light's Ten Heroes who erected the barrier."

"......"

Just as expected—the collaborator ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was Leor. But the words that followed raised new questions.

"There are several others behind this as well."

"...Several?"

"Isn't that proof that you've been too arrogant? Resentment from all directions—Graaah!"

The sword piercing his forearm twisted with a sickening sound.

"You really don't know your place once you're given an inch."

"Aaaagh, aaaaah..."

"So who are these other backers? And how did they bypass the authority you had set up for defense?"

The authority referred to Kaits. He had taken measures against those he found suspicious, including Leor, in preparation for all sorts of ominous signs.

How had they broken through that?

And the backers. Even as he said this, Dre could guess one of them. The two names Makia had mentioned earlier. He didn't know one, but the other was a familiar adversary.

Suryeon.

"Authority...?"

However, Poseid seemed unaware of the measures Kaits had taken. Thinking the god was useless, Dre considered another possibility. Perhaps some other deity had imprinted something on him, rather than this bastard who didn't even know Kaits's authority applied.

In other words, there might be someone else behind Poseid—the final backer.

"Who ordered you?"

"What?"

"Who ordered you to attack me?"

"...Hah. How ridiculous."

As anger returned to Poseid's face—something Dre didn't appreciate—he stomped on the god's face and ground down with a sickening crunch.

"Kuh...! Look at this blasphemous fool! With enemies like you who act only on your own whims without understanding the greater cause, of course you'd have many foes!"

"......"

"But it is my will to kill you. I am here of my own volition..."

Bang!

"Kuhh!"

For the third time, his nasal bone collapsed. Feeling his bones regenerate with bubbling sounds only made Poseid more resentful as he felt his hair being grabbed.

"Y-you blasphemous...!"

"This fucking bastard only knows how to say 'blasphemous' and 'insolent'... Hey."

Thud!

"Kuh, eek?!"

A knee drove into his groin. Gods originally had different vital points, but due to Equality, he now experienced the pain of a human male.

"Graaah, graaaah!"

"You piece of shit."

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dre, holding Poseid's head and repeatedly slamming it against the floor, looked more delighted than angry.

"Keep it up, you fuck. Even as a god, your pride makes tormenting you satisfying."

"You bastard...!"

"Yeah, just like that. Keep acting arrogant, you fuck."

Bang! Bang!

"Kahk, kuhk!"

This was bad. At this rate, no "knowledge" would accumulate. He needed to do something.

Fortunately, Yeo Deure stopped slamming his head into the ground and growled.

"You bastard. Did I ask if you came here of your own will? Who gave you permission to speak?"

"W-what?"

"Your original plan was to descend through Makia and either kill or recruit me, right? Then you suddenly used your authority in the mortal realm and incurred the wrath of other gods."

"......"

"A pathetic, narrow-minded bastard like you wouldn't have done something so dangerous and burdensome without any backing, would you?"

"What...!"

"Why? Does the truth hurt?"

Slap. Slap.

Dre struck Poseid's cheeks with unpleasant force and frowned.

"I don't think a pathetic bastard like you would have casually accepted the reduction in causality. You either shared it with someone or made a deal for them to handle it instead, right? That bastard contacted Makia and told her to crush me, didn't he?"

"......"

This was close to certainty. Poseid had unconsciously mentioned "someone." And there was also the divine imprint he had thought about earlier—the debuff that supposedly had a surveillance effect on targets Kaits had released.

It was just a hunch, but the one who had imprinted it wasn't Poseid.

Even if one of the gods targeting Dre was Poseid, there was someone else behind him. Someone who could control Poseid, not mere collaborators like Leor or Suryeon...

But Poseid didn't answer. He merely seethed with humiliation and rage.

Just a little more, just a little longer...

"Not going to answer?"

Smack!

From the powerful slap, something rolled across the floor with soft thuds. Teeth.

Feeling no particular excitement now, Dre chuckled as he watched Poseid's anger flare again.

"Oh, this is fun. I hope you maintain that attitude for a thousand years."

Grinding his teeth, Poseid's eyes widened. Just as Dre raised his hand with an "Oh?" Poseid spoke.

"I have a question as well..."

"Yeah?"

"Divine power isn't something just anyone can handle... Even with All-Nist's authority, wounding me should be extremely difficult."

In reality, unless it was Dre—even the hero party wouldn't be able to deal proper damage to Poseid.

"Is that incomprehensible adaptability your Privilege? Or your authority?"

"I don't fucking know, you bastard. Anyway, if you don't know anything, we're done here, right?"

'This conversation is ending.'

Poseid, who had been trying to probe the peculiar group among the gods—including Gaia, Dre's patron deities—broke out in a cold sweat and shouted.

"Now that I have descended... I shall become the one and only absolute god of this world!"

"Huh?"

"I will create my followers and be revered as the chief god! I will abandon this insignificant race and rule as a proper deity. To do that, I will not hesitate to wage war or make sacrifices."

"So what? How long are you going to keep spouting this bullshit just to buy time?"

Poseid's body stiffened. Dre had noticed he was stalling and had given him time anyway. Humiliation, shame, and... hostility.

"Hoo."

"Oh? A sigh..."

Clang!

"......"

Dre looked down at his blue sword. The blade he had thought was fairly well-forged was now covered in cracks and beginning to break.

A thrust.

The thrust that had been incomprehensibly fast before Equality activated had reappeared.

If he could have used it, he would have done so earlier. Dre furrowed his brow, sensing something was off.

And then he felt it. Tens of trillions... hundreds of quadrillions... no, an inexpressible amount of life energy was enveloping Poseid.

"Yes, even if it means sacrificing them, I will recreate my world."

Clang!

Water gushed from the spot where the sword had struck, coiling like a dragon and thrashing around Poseid.

"I shall cast aside the names of the Sea God who was created, the Water God, and Poseid, and draw out my true self once more...!"

That time he could barely remember now. When he had stood equal to deities like Azathoth—his true self!

Kwaaaaaah!

Thousands of water streams surged toward Dre. Dre created a new sword and deflected them all while slowly advancing. But Poseid showed no panic.

'My creations from my world within me... I can absorb the knowledge of my children and use it as my own... However... in exchange, those children will disappear forever.'

Even now, countless lives that had once died were completely fading away. A single tear rolled down Poseid's cheek.

'I will not let your sacrifices be in vain.'

The god aimed his trident forward. Dre, who had approached within striking distance before he knew it, swung his sword—and.

Clang!

"!"

Despite being the Severing Sword, it was Dre who was repelled. Upon closer inspection, the Runar of the water current spinning like a saw blade had caught and thrown the Severing Sword. A technique even more refined than the divine technique Krashe had shown earlier. Clearly, it was a skill Poseid hadn't possessed before.

Shwaaaaat.

Poseid's entire body was submerged in blue water, forming what looked like armor.

"I shall properly demonstrate the power and techniques of a god."

Shukak!

"Kuh?!"

A surprise attack from behind made Poseid scream. The one who ambushed him was Raeband, the thief from the hero party.

"You insignificant thief bastard!"

"I'll help you, Yeo Deure."

"......"

Dre stared at Raeband for a moment before shaking his head.

"It's fine. Please compose yourself."

"It's not fine. You can feel it too, right? If we leave him alone, it'll be irreversible..."

"Move, you fuck."

Raeband instinctively retreated far back and took a defensive stance. Why did Yeo Deure's irritation feel more threatening than Poseid, who was clearly the enemy?

Raeband recalled that time. The world of memories Kaits had shown.

A natural-born slaughterer who had killed hundreds, thousands, without batting an eye even as a student. Though his power might not be extraordinary, there was that strange dignity that made it seem like nothing in the world could harm him—and Dre now exuded that same presence.

Dre didn't spare Raeband another ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠glance.

"Poseid."

"What."

"I'll wait, so do as you wish, you piece of shit."

"......"

It wasn't only Dre who sneered. The gods sending messages did as well. It was only natural. Most gods considered reviving the old creations that had once lived in their dimensions as a basic task, so Poseid's willingness to sacrifice them seemed nothing short of insane.

"Shut up!!!"

The roar made the system crackle once more. Do as you wish?

"Fine, I'll do as you wish."

Shwoong.

Poseid closed the distance and launched a fierce assault. Earlier, he hadn't even been able to perceive Dre's attacks, but now it was completely different. He was actually pushing Dre back!

He caught Dre's sword between his trident's prongs to block it, then swung widely. As Dre lost his balance in that precarious moment, the trident thrust forward.

But...

Shwak!

The trident sliced through empty air.

"You dodged?"

"After seeing it a few times, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠dodging is easy."

"Is that so?"

At the end of his words, water at the tip of the trident began spinning like a drill. Additionally, spheres of water began floating around him.

But...

"For the depth of knowledge you've absorbed, your comprehension and divine power seem lacking."

Poseid didn't respond. It was too accurate. Though Poseid was absorbing the knowledge of his "children" through their sacrifice and using it as his own, with his power weakened by Equality, it would take an enormous amount of time to fully absorb that knowledge.

On top of that, having been beaten so severely by Dre, his divine power was also insufficient. Without enough divine power, most techniques became unusable despite having gained the knowledge.

He needed something... something worth absorbing. He looked around. His creations still hadn't eliminated the participants. Unconsciously grinding his teeth, Poseid smiled triumphantly at the presence he sensed from behind.

Then he observed Dre's movements.

'He doesn't know.'

Because he was focused on Poseid, that bastard—that Yeo Deure—didn't know. In that case...

Kwaaaak! Shwaaaah!

A tsunami rising from all directions attempted to engulf Dre. At the same time, a spray of water resembling a raging river erupted around Poseid. Dre roughly swung and cut through it, but it was only meant to obstruct his vision anyway.

And just as Poseid had hoped, something that didn't know its place burst forth, thinking this was its chance.

"It's over! Monster!"

Suddenly, someone broke through the water current from behind Poseid. The man who had penetrated that fearsome current was clearly a master of considerable skill...

"Brat?!"

Bulgeo cried out in shock. The sword of the judge who had been waiting for an opportunity aimed for Poseid's neck...

Chukak.

"Huh?"

Brat thought.

What?

The sword disappeared.

My stomach... feels hot.

"Huu, huuaaaaaaaaah?!?!?!"

Brat screamed as the trident pierced through him.

"Kuhuhuhu."

Poseid let out a sinister laugh.

'This one has quite excellent quality of power. A spirit of the Great Forest, perhaps?'

According to Poseid's calculations, consuming this fellow would allow him to replenish his divine power on his own. Poseid quickly opened his mouth wide before Dre could attack.

And then he noticed Dre watching calmly.

"...What?"

"What do you mean?"

At that nonchalant attitude, Poseid forgot about consuming Brat and muttered blankly.

"You... don't tell me..."

He knew?

He knew Brat was here?

"Then why..."

"Why? I didn't know. Hurry up and eat him."

"W-wait! Lord Dre! Save me!"

Dre didn't even acknowledge him and grinned.

"If you eat that, you'll use up everything you can use right now, won't you? Go ahead and try."

"......"

To the expressionless Poseid, Dre spread out all five fingers.

"We're both getting bored, aren't we?"

"What?"

"Five minutes."

To the speechless Poseid, he declared.

"I'll finish this in five minutes."