Humans Fighting Gods
Hmm.
The world slowed to a crawl. It was only from Nanar's perspective, but the Runar that served as his brain spun furiously.
Elisia was under attack, yet Kaits just stood there blankly and Dre was whining in a way that didn't suit him at all... Was this what they were after?
Runar surged in from every direction, overwhelmingly powerful. It was nothing more than raw force without any divine authority, which made it all the more troublesome. It was already too late to dodge. Even if he tried to use his authority, Kaits had already blocked it.
Moving this much power without being noticed would be difficult even for Kaits. So he was ignoring my words from the very beginning and preparing an attack?
Because he had been focused on this task, Kaits hadn't been able to prepare for Nanar's attack on Elisia. The meaningful glances he'd given his companions had been nothing but a bluff.
How cruel. Using even your comrades' affection to make me let my guard down?
Nanar's lips split into a grin that nearly reached his ears.
This was it. Everyone else gave up before even fighting, thinking he was the chief god, the highest-ranked deity. Kaits had been the same. He was strong, but because their interests aligned, they had never touched each other. Did that mean Dre was so precious or outstanding that Kaits was willing to break that unspoken rule?
"Very wise of you, Kaits!"
Vwoooooom!!
Light erupted from his entire body as if it were glowing, and a giant of light in Nanar's shape was formed.
"Dre is worth that much, of course! Yes! You know it very well!!"
Kaits might have acted based on value. But at least to Nanar, Dre was someone he wanted so badly it made him itch.
Look. Not only Kaits, but even Gold, who should have stayed quiet for the sake of his family, El, Meiyal... and even the others. Weren't they all daring to stand against the chief god for Dre's sake? The sight of these insignificant insects daring to oppose him was utterly adorable to Nanar.
Pop-pop-pop!
The giant of light couldn't withstand Kaits's Runar for even a moment and was destroyed, carved away. On top of that, Almiraj, receiving Kaits's signal, burned her eyes blue. A fierce Runar flowed from the true body hidden beneath the monstrous rabbit suit.
"Kaits."
Without a hint of tension, Nanar spoke.
"Previous life seizure."
Kaits replied just as casually, without tension. "Do as you will."
Fwoooooosh!!
Light... Hmm, no, that's not it.
The rectangular Runar Almiraj fired refracted Nanar's light, preventing it from advancing. It didn't stop at just once—it remained fixed in place.
Not a one-time thing, but something that can be used continuously... How clever.
El was also a mage. She couldn't understand Nanar's light at all. That was why she could recognize just how extraordinary a mage Almiraj was, someone who understood the Runar Nanar emitted and implemented the corresponding phenomenon. She even wondered why Almiraj hadn't used magic until now.
"Hahaha. Kaits, you hate gods, yet you're calling yourself a deity, even if only for two minutes. Almiraj, you didn't like Kaits much either, right? How does it feel to serve someone like that as a god?"
"Don't be fooled, Almiraj. It's one minute. We don't have time to spare."
[I know.]
Nanar actually felt joy that his trick hadn't worked.
The problem is Dre...
He seemed to have used a lot of power earlier and was now nearly unconscious, but Nanar knew. That wasn't unconsciousness—it was just resting for a moment. Charging up for the next attack. In other words, even in that miserable state, he was fully prepared to fight.
How interesting.
To think that maggot-like state felt more threatening than when his limbs were intact.
A maggot is a maggot, but suddenly it feels like a giant blood-sucking maggot that might devour me...?
Honestly, it was very irritating. More so than El burning with rage or Almiraj using threatening magic.
"Hmm. I don't want to touch him carelessly either. Feels like I might get counterattacked... Then, shall I try attacking the weak point first?"
The weak point. Nanar looked at Elisia, and immediately, wind blades fired by Kaits embedded themselves in him. The wind didn't stop at embedding—it became a typhoon and obstructed his vision.
This too is made of Runar. Since it's Kaits's Runar, it can even block my vision... Haha.
Kaits was truly remarkable. Fitting for a regressor who had gone through thousands of regressions at this high level of Elunar. Most deities couldn't even present a business card in front of him... a demigod. Compared to him, the current Dre was nothing more than a firefly before moonlight. But why? Why did the firefly Dre seem more appetizing and desirable than Kaits, the moon full of sunlight?
Things not in my possession always look bigger.
Was that the only reason? Absolutely not. There might be things he coveted because they weren't his, but Dre had something. Something that could make even that insane Kaits seem insignificant.
Crunch.
The particles of light swept away the wind. In the gap, Kaits began a brief explanation.
"Our victory conditions are two. One is to wake the owner of the body that has become Nanar's vessel. The other is to buy time."
[Buy time?]
"Even if he's the chief god, descending to the present world consumes too much causality. Besides, the patron deities of the users, including Makia and Reina, are bound to be protesting."
Kaits's eyes stared at Makia.
"And Makia is strong. If she regains her senses, even Nanar won't be able to maintain the divine possession and will have no choice but to retreat."
Time was on their side. He knew Nanar's temperament and power very well. The only variables for Kaits were the movements of Dre's patron deities, Love Heart or Gaia. It would be good if they helped, but it didn't seem like the deities who had neglected Dre until now would move now.
He wanted to explain Nanar's attack methods as well, but the wind was gradually clearing. He would have to give instructions while fighting.
"You said wake her, but how do we do that?"
"Beat her awake."
El grinned.
"Simple enough."
Orbs of light lined up and fired like a Vulcan cannon. At the same time, the wind cleared and warm sunlight spread forward. Exposed to it, El saw strange memories for a moment.
Her dead family. Her dead lover. And... Dre, who had nearly died but survived... killing her...
"Hmph."
But El shook her head and fired an even larger orb of light instead. Nanar didn't even try to dodge—he simply struck it away with his hand.
"That just now was his authority. It drives people insane in some way."
"What a nasty hobby. But that guy, has he learned hand-to-hand combat too?"
"No."
Kaits narrowed his eyes with an annoyed expression.
"He borrowed someone else's memories..."
Originally, it was an authority as the chief god. He could use the powers of other deities to some extent. Even though Kaits had deployed a power that prevented the use of other authorities, this was possible because of Makia's divine possession trait. As proof, Runar was clearly felt in the pattern of Nanar leaking from his eyes.
But he's not fully exerting his authority as the chief god either. At that level, there's plenty of openings.
But that was only by Kaits's standards. He spoke firmly.
"Assume he'll use not just hand-to-hand combat, but all other forms of attack. Elisia. Almiraj. You two are my support. Don't recklessly step forward."
"Support?!"
Sunlight shot toward Elisia, who seemed displeased. Almiraj and Kaits naturally deployed barriers, and El hurriedly used the Graise family's defensive measures, but Nanar's light wasn't something that could be blocked by ordinary means.
Fwoosh!
Hmph. What can fake memories do...
"Elisia."
"?!"
Dre's voice. Turning her head, she saw Dre with intact limbs looking at her with his usual expressionless face. El gritted her teeth.
He's showing me memories of being attacked by Dre. Fine. I'll repay that anger several times over once I wake up...
Then, Dre grabbed her chin.
"Huh? Eh? Mmph..."
Their lips met? El, blinking, was suddenly embraced by a rough and sturdy body. Only then did she realize Dre was naked. No, El herself was also naked.
"Uh, ah... ah?"
Her face flushed. Her chest grew hot.
"W-wait, Dre. This... ah! Suck... chuu... ugh... ah... ahah..."
Even if she tried to think, Dre's kiss was too sweet. This hot tongue. Body... And that hot, long thing she felt near her hips...
Even without much sexual knowledge, she knew what it was. El's face turned beet red.
"D... Dre..."
Her head felt like it was going strange. She called out meaning for him to stop, but Dre whispered in her ear with an even gentler voice.
"Cute. Elisia."
"Ah, augh..."
This wouldn't do. She had an lover named Flat. She had to escape this memory quickly...
"Ugh, ugh... huff! Hah! Huff!"
"F-Flat?"
Flat's voice was heard. He was holding his penis and shaking it vigorously with a very excited face.
"What's wrong, Elisia? This started with his consent, didn't it?"
"Flat... consent...?"
She remembered. Flat had definitely said he wanted to watch their intercourse. He had that strange preference. She didn't like it, but she had no choice but to start for her lover's sake. The guilt disappeared from Elisia's heart and ecstasy took its place.
Again, a kiss.
"Suck. Chup... suck, ah! Dre... ahu..."
She wrapped her arms around Dre's neck. Only then did she realize this place was... Dre's room. More precisely, the room assigned to Dre by the Graise family. Now she saw Remi was there too. The only difference was... unlike the excited Flat, Remi was crying with a face full of despair.
"...Ahah."
El laughed at that expression. Dre grabbed El's chest from behind and pinched her nipples.
"Ah, agh...!"
A tingling sensation ran through her body. Dre's tongue clashed with El's protruding tongue, and his enormous thing... his cock tried to penetrate El's secret place that had never been invaded before. She had not the slightest intention of rejecting it. Her pounding heart and heated head wanted even greater pleasure...
"Snap out of it, Elisia!"
Smack!
"Ow!"
El, struck on the head, came to her senses. Before she knew it, rainbow-colored light had descended around them.
"W-what?!"
"What memory did you see?"
"Uh, ah, augh..."
She couldn't answer that question. Even now, the sensation of the rough hand that had touched her chest was vivid.
"...Nanar's authority doesn't only give pain. Excessive happiness can also drive people insane."
For someone with Elisia's natural and trained mental strength, happiness might be more efficient than pain.
"...You. I'll kill you."
El, having been toyed with, blushed and glared sharply.
"Ahahaha. It was just a joke. I don't know what scene you saw, but wasn't it good?"
"What?! You show it and then what..."
"I only stimulate the psychology you desire. I don't know what memory you saw either?"
"......"
"Don't worry about it. That guy can drive people insane with words alone, not just his authority. No matter what he says, doubt it or don't listen from the start."
"That's too much~"
Seeing Nanar shrugging while making excuses, El sighed. Right... and straightened her posture. She intended to convert the feeling of being toyed with into anger and repay it several times over. Nanar smirked as he watched her burning with rage.
"But Elisia. I understand you've gotten stronger... but that's all there is to it, right?"
What did it matter that the seal was released and she regained her original body? At best, she was at a similar level to Gold, the most outstanding among the heirs of the Ten Great Families. The only reason Gold had been somewhat threatening to Nanar was because of artifacts.
"You don't have an artifact, do you? Compared to Gold just now, you're..."
Ting. Suddenly, a metallic sound cut off Nanar's words. Kaits had handed something to El.
"Use it."
"Huh?"
"What."
El tilted her head as she received something from Kaits, while Nanar reacted as if this wasn't right. In her hand... was the golden ring, the artifact of the Graise family.
...Though it was stained with blood.
"...What did you do to my father?"
"...It couldn't be helped."
Kaits couldn't meet El's sharp gaze. Yet the stare continued. He didn't want to say it, but in this situation, he had no choice.
"In the first place, one of the people who summoned that thing was your father. Subduing him was inevitable."
El's eyes widened. She looked disbelieving, but soon her expression calmed as if she quickly understood.
"We'll talk later."
"Good idea."
After taking a deep breath, El picked up the ring with her index finger and thumb and shook it.
"So? How are we supposed to use this?"
Boom!
Almiraj calmly blocked Nanar's sudden attack. An orb of light emitting a glare that seemed to burn the eyes.
[This is heavy. Hurry up.]
The two didn't even pretend to listen. Almiraj grumbled.
"I don't know how to use this."
It wasn't that El had never touched an artifact before. As the heir, she had practiced a lot, but... the artifact had never responded.
"I'll forcibly awaken it. But you have to be the one to do it."
"Speak concisely."
"Put on the ring and concentrate power—whether it's Runar, mana, energy, holy power, or curse magic, anything is fine. The image is like gathering energy that gives power to me."
That power wouldn't be absorbed by Kaits. Someone else was the expert when it came to energy. Giving that kind of image was probably to make the process easier for Kaits to use the gathered power somehow, El concluded.
"Got it."
"Then let's awaken the artifact's will."
Kaits raised Runar and poured it into the ring. At that moment, Almiraj's transparent barrier and the orb of light were simultaneously sent flying with a boom. Nanar was leisurely walking forward, striding toward Kaits. The rainbow had already cleared.
"Oh my, Kaits. Resonance with the legacy left by Pryunar, how frightening~"
"......"
Crash!
A spatial tremor that was hard to believe came from a clash of fists. The space itself shook. And then an dizzying exchange of attacks began. The culprit—or rather, even a decent genius could only perceive it as countless flashes of light!
...If I'd been there, I'd have died instantly.
Even the prideful El had no choice but to acknowledge this exchange on a completely different level. Each of Nanar's attacks was incredibly powerful. It was natural since they were loaded with divine power. Moreover, his technique was excellent. Sometimes with swordsmanship, sometimes with hand-to-hand combat, sometimes with magic, or holy power, spear, whip, even transforming into a beast form to attack. All those techniques were incomparably more refined and superior to Poseid's.
Even if he borrowed memories of other deities, his skillful use of techniques was incomprehensible. In the first place, Nanar must have had an excellent understanding of techniques.
And Kaits, facing him, was also jaw-dropping. Against Nanar's diverse attacks, he employed even more efficient and varied means of attack. Mace, sword. Short spear. Shout. Curse... peculiar yet effective, powerful enough to overwhelm Nanar. It was made possible by Kaits's unique memories and experiences gained from countless regressions. Moreover, with El and Almiraj providing timely checks, Nanar was actually being pushed back.
Those two. Originally, due to the difference in my divine power and level, they shouldn't even be able to touch me...
The chief god's divine power easily distorts space-time, making attacks ineffective, but Kaits fundamentally emits his own power that overwhelms divine power. But the mad god didn't panic. Rather, he smiled as if feeling pleasure from being overwhelmed.
"Now this feels like a proper fight."
Whoosh.
Ripples of light spread in all directions. The light changed shape and took the form of divine beasts. These too possessed power incomparable to the creatures Poseid had summoned. Not only that, but El's orbs of light and lightning-like projectiles appeared alongside the divine beasts, trying to sweep over Kaits.
[Hmph.]
Ice, rocks, and other attacks were launched at all of them, preventing them from interfering with Kaits. It was Almiraj's doing.
Impressive.
Even though she must have lost her magic quite some time ago, Almiraj's magic was extremely efficient and excellent. The fact that she wasn't aiming for large-scale attacks but focusing only on support made her even more troublesome. Nanar admitted that even if he didn't lose like this, he couldn't win either.
"Shall I shift gears a bit, Kaits?"
Humm...
Light that seemed to extend in all directions glowed from Nanar's body. The light stretched endlessly... Nanar's power leaped several times over, and shock appeared on El and Almiraj's faces. And then.
Thud! Crack!
"Agh!"
The light was cut by Kaits's sword and shattered by his fist.
"Focus only on me."
Nanar, who had screamed but showed no sign of pain, regenerated his face and laughed. "Yeah. I guess I should. How long can you keep fighting while protecting luggage?"
This light was something humans other than Kaits could never withstand. At least the humans present here. The only reason they could endure was thanks to the Runar Kaits was emitting. Nanar wondered how long he could protect the others. If it were Dre or his companions, or those who could fight together, it would be different, but the preliminary round participants... how long could he protect them? Kaits was always forced to make cruel choices, and Nanar wanted to see what he would look like after making a cruel choice this time as well.
The anxious one was Kaits's side. He himself didn't know, but he didn't know how long El or Almiraj could hold out.
As long as deities under Nanar in the divine realm are waiting to heal him in exchange for a price, the only way to finish him is with a powerful attack.
If it wasn't a direct influence on the present world but an indirect one, the consumption of causality was relatively less. Even if Nanar received a large wound, he would be quickly healed by them. In the end, this petty exchange was nothing but buying time. To make him retreat by causing great loss of causality, they needed to land at least one powerful blow. Both sides knew this.
To deliver a powerful attack beyond my power, there's no choice but to resonate with the artifact left by Pryunar. It's reasonable... but.
How much time would that resonance take? It wasn't a power that worked on the chief god for no reason. Even a family head would have to concentrate all their power for five minutes at most...
Grinning, he mocked Kaits. "Can you hold out, Kaits?"
"......"
Whoosh!
"...Huh?"
Elisia's body glowed so brightly it hurt the eyes.
"What? Why is it so fast?"
As Nanar was shocked, the artifact's power grew too quickly. Even El herself seemed surprised.
Is she angry?
The Runar dwelling in the artifact. For some reason, El felt that Runar was very angry. That was a welcome thing. Because El was also angry.
"This isn't good."
Nanar suddenly charged. His momentum was like a mountain-sized bull. Yet Kaits calmly slashed at him.
Thud! Thud!
"!"
Even as his arms and legs were cut off by Kaits's attack, Nanar shot forward. He laughed maniacally, spread both arms, and leaped toward Elisia. And then.
Slash! Crack!
"...?"
He was cut by something. Turning his head, he saw two men swinging their swords. "M-motherfucker..." "Hmph."
The reason Nanar was dumbfounded was because he had been hit by truly unexpected people. Rius and Krashe. The reason he hadn't noticed was thanks to Almiraj cleverly hiding them.
"You guys aren't at a level to interfere here... ack!"
Immediately after, Kaits's knee slammed down on Nanar's face. At the moment he regenerated even that and raised his body.
"Huh..."
The light emitted from El had calmed down. No, more precisely, a faint light along with the light pattern symbolizing Graise had risen from the ring.
The mad god muttered blankly. "Uh... am I screwed?"
Next to that Elisia stood Kaits. And the ring's faint light was absorbed into Kaits...
Kwoooooooosh!!
"Kyaaah!"
[....!]
A power so strong that even his allies El and Almiraj were blown away by the wind pressure erupted from Kaits. Kaits gripped the holy sword tightly.
"Uh, wait, time out."
Nanar retreated. Without even time to say more. Kaits's sword became a massive light sword that seemed capable of splitting the sky in two. It was powerful, but too powerful even for Kaits to handle perfectly. Swinging it was slow because he was overwhelmed by the power.
"Hey, you idiot Kaits! I wouldn't have left that there..."
Rumble!
"Kreeeeek!!"
Nanar, electrocuted by a sudden lightning bolt, looked to the side in disbelief. It was obvious who had fired lightning strong enough to electrocute the now even stronger Nanar. In his eyes, he saw Gold, whose right arm had just turned to dust, smirking...
The ring, having lost its support due to the missing arm, rolled on the floor. Kaits didn't miss the opportunity. He swung horizontally.
"Oh my..."
With a dazed sound, Nanar was swallowed by the light of destruction.
Fwoooooosh!!
It was a power that could have split the world in two if mishandled, but Kaits concentrated the power with his excellent technique. He swung the sword compressed enough to destroy only Nanar. But at that moment, a strange sound was heard. Thud.
Kwoooooooosh!!
A storm of power so strong it seemed like the world was shaking.
"...Wow." [Phew.]
The two women, thinking it was over, each reacted. Almost simultaneously, Runar was exhausted from El's body and Almiraj also lost her magical energy. It was over. There was no way he could survive an attack of that magnitude...
But only Kaits frowned.
"Just what happened that he doesn't wake up even from this?"
"Huh? What?"
"...Hmm."
At the calm voice, everyone except Kaits froze. From within the smoke as if a great fire had occurred, Nanar walked out with a composed expression.
"I died once. Hiya. Thanks, Rafnir."
Why was Rafnir's name coming up? Even Kaits frowned and looked at her. Particles of holy power light were leaking from Rafnir's hand. She had slightly twisted his posture just before Kaits's sword swung.
"Blasphemer. Even as a hero, I can no longer overlook this... Receive your punishment."
The goodwill she had when first seeing Kaits was gone, replaced only by contempt. Nanar, cracking his neck left and right, had a look of great satisfaction on his face.
"I think I need to get serious now... but you guys don't have any cards left, do you? El and Almiraj look like they have no strength to fight. Plus, now that Rafnir is here, my side seems to have the advantage in numbers too?"
At that moment. The truly unexpected person... Krashe suddenly moved. What was concerning was that he had been next to Dre. Nanar let out an interested hum and muttered.
"The insect should stay still now." "Kuh...!"
He couldn't dodge. Krashe felt that way, and then...
Boom!
An orb of light, almost like teleportation, was struck away by someone. Looking up, there stood a woman in a modified nun's habit with a dignified posture.
"Huh? Mull..."
Crack.
A dangerous sound came from Nanar's waist, and immediately after, he was sent flying like a bullet and embedded in the wall of heaven.
"N-Nanar-niiiim!!"
Rafnir's scream-like cry. She glared at the scoundrel who had done this act as if to kill.
"You...! Reina!! Weren't we on the same side?!" "Hmph."
Reina, shouldering her greatsword, had a serious look in her eyes.
"I'm only on the side of justice, not on the side of gods."
The line was quite cheesy, but with her appearance, the atmosphere changed. In the meantime, Krashe ran and climbed up through the space Gold had drilled in the upper area.
"It's not... escaping."
Nanar, who had been embedded in the wall, walked out with an intact appearance without a speck of dust.
"Hmm... you two, huh..."
The moment he grinned. With light, Nanar's power amplified several times over. Just with the aura... Gold, El, Almiraj, and even Meiyal, who had barely been able to move, were slammed to the floor.
"...Have you gone mad, Nanar."
Kaits was shocked.
"Raising your level? Even for you..." "Ahaha, because Dre is worth that much!"
However, only Krashe could move. Because he hadn't been greatly exhausted yet? No... because Kaits had sensed something in his actions and protected him. Having climbed to the very top, he shouldered someone and came back down. Nanar, Kaits, Mullin, and Reina had no time to look there. Because they thought that if they took their eyes off for even a moment, they would be hit. In the meantime, Krashe placed the woman he had shouldered in front of Dre and ran to El.
"Young lady!!"
Immediately after, the woman who had come in confusion... Mari let out a flustered sound. "Uh, uh?"
"D-Dre..."
He was a man she disliked. But... when she actually saw his severe state, no words came out. His limbs, destroyed so carelessly, were horrific...
"Mari."
At Dre's call, Mari was startled.
"Make it so I can move just one arm." "...Yes?" "One arm is enough. Just make it so I can move it."
Dre added quietly.
"I think I can win." Seeing the stiff Mari, Dre added one more thing. "I'm really good at landing the final blow, you know."