Oh, GOD! (1)
It was too holy to even call a sword.
A sacred divinity emanated from it, bright enough to illuminate the world.
If there was a god, wouldn't it be like this?
But—.
This is my sword.
An endless power surged through it.
True to its name, Infinite Divinity, it was truly infinite.
Dazzling light spread through my sword and body, making everything in the world shine vividly like a miracle.
In that state, I looked at Jesus.
“Oh, GOD!”
Jesus's always-active translation authority flickered.
That meant he was shocked by my sword.
I was shocked too.
The world's strongest hunter, the only EX-rank.
Right now, I was in my completed sword state, equipped with the Ego Sword.
It meant I'd gained omnipotent, absolute power, with all abilities—including cognition and thinking—greatly enhanced.
But—.
“You too are a being who has truly transcended.”
Having quickly composed his surprise, Jesus's language authority took effect.
The words of God hammered into my ears.
A power that forcibly conveyed meaning.
“And one similar to me.”
The sword lasted 4 seconds.
In that split second, fragmented into instants, we conversed.
“Did you think you were the only one?”
Jesus's goal was to destroy me.
So I didn't bother with formal speech.
Thud—.
Jesus slung a massive cross over his shoulder.
His treasured weapon for smiting demons, the Cross of Judgment.
Still carrying that thing?
It meant Jesus still saw me as an enemy.
I had no intention of backing down easily either.
Can I kill him?
I observed Jesus in my transcended state.
The sword I wielded was Sword 2, Yuria Lanestia, but all the insights from my swords dwelled in my body.
I could kill anything in the world.
But…….
I can't find an opening.
Even the freak who gambled with the saintess could be killed.
Yet I reached the conclusion that I couldn't kill Jesus.
In that case, Plan A—Kill Jesus was a failure.
Time for Plan B.
“Jesus, return to your country.”
I held the massive holy sword vertically.
Gripping the hilt with both hands and pressing the blade to my chest, I manifested a single power.
And thus—.
Thud———.
I recreated with my fingertips the holiest miracle Yuria had performed in the world of Raise a Sword.
One of the skills from the SSS-rank random box.
Sublime Celestial Cradle.
A massive golden barrier unfurled, centered on my sword and body.
The barrier, fueled by the infinite divinity surging endlessly from my flesh, enveloped the entire territory of South Korea.
Plan B is to showcase my divine power.
It was originally a scene from the Tarot Cards.
And Im Ji-ah, the Saintess of Fate, was truly prescient.
“Oh…… To manifest a true miracle with such a grand and radiant holy sword!!!”
Jesus set down the cross on his shoulder.
He shrank it and hung it around his neck.
Did it work?
He didn't seem interested in fighting.
Instead…….
“Oh, God!”
The 2.5-meter-tall Jesus approached me.
And then the 4 seconds ended.
Thud——.
The massive greatsword vanished.
Before I knew it, a small, precious baby sword was in my hand.
My baby sword, evolved into a Holy Demon Sword with Chaos alignment.
I can use Sword 1 and Sword 2 too.
I calmly reviewed Plan C while gazing steadily at Jesus.
As my omnipotence faded, he withdrew his own, moving like an ordinary person.
“That holiness. That profound divinity. Ah……”
Jesus looked down at me with ecstatic eyes.
At 183 cm, I'm not short, but before the 250 cm Jesus, I felt like a dwarf.
He asked.
“You tried to kill me, didn't you?”
Busted.
Jesus is EX-rank.
A being revered as a god beyond transcendent.
And I'm similar to him.
“Didn't you try to kill me too, Jesus?”
“That red greatsword's evil was real, but this holiness is real too.”
“If we're not enemies, we could be friends, right?”
Jesus and I clashed our omnipotences.
So I could tell.
Jesus is a monster beyond my imagination.
Even wielding my transcended sword, I couldn't gauge victory or defeat against this superhuman.
Unlike me, with no time limit, able to wield his authority infinitely—a monster like that.
“Haha! Truly a being like me. You were cuter using casual speech, though?”
“No need to be rude if we're not enemies.”
I conversed calmly, but inwardly felt uneasy.
Regardless, I had to heed Jesus's words.
“I, Jesus Christ, do not die. As long as Earth's devout believers exist, I am eternal.”
The moment I heard that.
Zing—.
A feeling came.
I instinctively knew how to kill Jesus.
Something I absolutely must not do…….
As I thought that, Jesus added.
“Just like you—I cannot be killed either.”
Among black people, Jesus had particularly dark skin.
His pure white eyes flashed between the jet-black skin.
From that eerie gaze—.
Jesus doesn't know how to kill me.
But I do.
Remembering this small advantage, I subtly stepped back two paces.
Jesus kept approaching as he spoke.
But…….
Swoosh—.
Jesus spread his long arms wide.
This is…….
Jesus's embrace.
A ritual embodying Jesus's will to love all things in the world.
It meant he viewed me favorably.
I felt a bit awkward.
Hesitant.
But—.
“Brother! My brother!!!”
The world's strongest hunter calling me brother—who was I to hesitate further?
I'd play along once.
Squeeze!
“Oh! Brother!!!”
About 1 second.
I quickly slipped out of Jesus's embrace.
Chills ran down my spine.
Did US President Bill Johnson go through this every day?
As I thought that—.
Humm—.
A strange resonance came from the baby sword.
Golden light flickered and vanished in the gem at the hilt's end.
I wanted to check something, but…….
“I've left my homeland empty for too long.”
Jesus was leaving.
Considering the commotion he caused coming to Korea, it was best he returned to the US ASAP.
I prepared a farewell.
I thought he'd slice through the Pacific and fly to America, but…….
“No need to hide before my brother.”
Jesus drew a cross in the air.
Crack——!!!
The air split, creating a massive rift.
Inside was a bald, middle-aged white man.
A very familiar face.
US President Bill Johnson.
“……J-Jesus, sir. Why use that power before a foreigner—.”
“Bill, it's veiled by my authority—no one else can see it.”
“B-But that man. Shin Si-woo is watching!”
The split air connected to the US president's office.
Inside, the president gaped at me in horror.
“Bill, are you insulting my brother?”
“Brother? He's clearly a demon worshiper—.”
“Hey! Bill!!! Possessed by a demon?”
I watched Jesus and the US president with a somewhat enlightened expression.
Jesus used my holiness as grounds to cover for the demons I'd summoned.
I also learned how the president viewed me.
Coincidental, but…….
He seemed to see me as the shadowy mastermind who corrupted Park Chang-seok, unleashed the Red Sea, and staged the presidential assassination.
The timing overlapped.
I considered explaining.
But no need.
“That holiness is the power to control demons.”
Jesus, my brother, handled it well.
“Confirmation—.”
As befitting the US president, he was suspicious.
Blabbering about verification procedures, but all his words were summed up by Jesus.
“Hey! Bill, Shin Si-woo is my brother. God's brother. That makes him a god too!”
Dare a human test a god?
At Jesus's shout, Bill bowed his head and murmured “A—men.”
Taking the quiet moment, I spoke.
“Brother's right.”
“B-Brother?”
“He's my senior hunter, so brother's fitting.”
I also told the US president the truth about demon worshipers.
The world would be increasingly covered by the Abyss—Black Gates, growing harsher.
Demon worshipers accelerated that.
And this was just the beginning.
“Black Gates have appeared in America too. Demon worshipers daring in America under Jesus's protection……”
Only then did President Bill dispel his suspicions of me.
“Oh, Bill! We must open the Night of Judgment immediately.”
Jesus was pissed too.
I must stay on good terms with America no matter what.
Things went better than expected.
America, the world's strongest nation, had grown even stronger post-Gate catastrophe.
Over 10 publicly known transcendents.
Rumors even swirled they captured otherworlders, researched them, and mass-produced transcendents with Mystery.
Anyway, we promised close cooperation and ended the talk.
“Brother! See you again!”
Jesus grinned, flashing white teeth.
“Brother! Safe travels!”
—Ep. 08 Oh, GOD! (1)
South Korean Presidential Office.
“Shin Si-woo, what in the world……”
Kang Seol-ah's father stared at me with shocked eyes.
The president beside him, and even Seol-ah noona next to me, had eyes wide in astonishment.
Jesus held his first official press conference in ages.
He even added Bible verses to defend me.
Honestly, not a bad thing.
Glancing sideways, everyone was just mouthing words.
They were all deeply shocked by Jesus's announcement.
“Hah…… Adding Bible verses—what madness is this—.”
After a while, Chief Prosecutor Kang Mu-jin sighed.
Just then, the video speaker changed.
US President Bill Johnson.
Post-Gate, sea and air routes were blocked.
Portal tourism with Mystery resumed less than 3 years ago.
Today's Earth peeks at each other via Worldnet, but no one unites.
Yet…….
The world's strongest nation, America.
Its president declared alliance with South Korea because of me.
Yes, a declaration.
“When did the contact come?”
I asked President Lee Seok-hyun.
“Not contact—an ultimatum. That's why I called you here.”
The president still couldn't believe America's alliance declaration.
Chief Kang Mu-jin and President Lee Seok-hyun began discussing future world affairs.
“Noona, how'd you end up here?”
“I'm your handler. Got a two-rank promotion and joined the transcendent division.”
A form of marking.
Bill Johnson to Jesus.
Lee Seok-hyun and Kang Mu-jin to Patriot.
The world's top powerhouses—properly insane transcendents—needed maximum coaxing.
As an Awakener Management Agency employee, I knew roughly.
“I'm fine, though?”
“I wanted to, so don't worry!”
Seol-ah noona said so.
No reason to stop her if she wanted. I nodded calmly.
Still, something felt off.
“Noona, are you mad?”
“No.”
Then why that look?
I looked at the news floating in the air.
Noona was watching too.
It showed a close-up of Jesus hugging me.
Noona muttered watching it.
“You changed so fast suddenly—it feels weird.”
I had changed a lot in a short time.
Plus, dealing with Jesus must disorient Seol-ah noona.
“Never imagined facing the living Jesus.”
Humanity's strongest, Jesus—his name carried such weight and depth.
Despite that bizarre appearance.
“Jesus is human too.”
We're transcendents, but our essence is human.
Just like me.
Of course, Jesus is an extant god.
But touching him revealed his human side.
“Jesus is immortal? Bound to the cross for days, dying infinitely to save humanity?”
Necropolis.
Death skies, burning deserts.
Jesus cleared world-class disasters, not just one or two.
I just nodded calmly.
“Yeah.”
I wouldn't tell noona, but.
The supposedly immortal sole god Jesus.
By my guess, over 99% chance.
He dies if his followers vanish.
A mortal being.
Why did I think of how to kill him?
I don't know exactly—.
For some reason, an ominous premonition kept telling me I'd end up enemies with Jesus.
—The world's second god has descended on South Korea!!!
Worldnet communities were in full festival mode.
Nothing wrong with what the public said.
Even Patriot couldn't sway international affairs, yet Shin Si-woo reshaped it just by appearing.
Naturally shocking.
Patriot lives for South Korea—truly loves this country.
Seeing transcendent Shin Si-woo bro with Jesus, Patriot might sob in moved.
Japan, ever watchful, issued a surprise statement.
Led by SSS-rank transcendent Yuki.
Yuki transcended by merging with spirits.
Half-elf, half-East Asian.
One of the world's top beauties.
She sent a message to Shin Si-woo with a shy smile.
Koreans immediately rebelled.
Don't try dumping your shit on us!!!
That intent.
But…….
Defying expectations, Shin Si-woo officially replied he'd visit Japan.
Truth is, Shin Si-woo was dying to go to Japan.
Going to Japan gets him the baby sword's scabbard.