Under Akuto and Verethragna's watch, the second round began quickly.
Because Akuto did not truly possess any "blessing-type Authorities," the divine power he poured into Raphael had limited effect. It only temporarily raised her strength to Demon King-class, and it was still impossible for her to contend with the Boar, which had already returned to its main body.
Moreover, Akuto had not demanded that she must win.
So Raphael merely resisted with all her strength, and did not employ every method Akuto had unlocked for her.
In the end, Raphael was defeated, without any suspense.
But Verethragna did not look pleased.
What he had expected was an evenly matched battle, one where both sides exhausted their power and ingenuity. Instead, Akuto had lost with such ease and leisure, as if he had not used his full strength at all.
In Verethragna's eyes, Akuto ought to have had more methods than this.
An Akuto who refused to use all his methods was effectively handing him the victory outright. As the War God of Victory, he hated the feeling of being "given" a win.
…
"The third round. I hope you won't disappoint me."
Verethragna clearly had not given up on Akuto.
Because in the second round, Akuto had not personally acted. The one who fought had only been Akuto's subordinate. Verethragna still looked forward to the outcome of a direct duel between himself and Akuto.
"No problem. In the third round, I won't disappoint you."
Akuto smiled, bent down, and picked up two olive branches from the ground. He casually tossed one of them toward Verethragna.
"Let this be our sword. No Authorities, only divine power, and we settle it by pure swordsmanship. Are you satisfied with that kind of duel?"
"Hahahaha."
"Exactly what I want!"
Verethragna had been waiting for a clash with Akuto for a long time.
In the next instant, golden draconic qi coiled around the branch in Akuto's hand.
Seeing Akuto enchant the branch, Verethragna lifted an eyebrow and likewise used his own divine power to enchant his branch.
He had not planned to do so, but after seeing Akuto do it, he recalled Akuto's words—"only divine power"—and in the end he did the same.
…
The battle began quickly.
Because both Akuto and Verethragna intended to unleash divine power, Akuto deliberately sent Raphael and Erica out of the draconic qi barrier before the fight began.
Verethragna had no objections to Akuto's actions. He simply waited in silence for Akuto to return to position.
Soon, Akuto finished all preparations and returned to Verethragna's front.
"After you?"
Akuto raised his hand slightly, signaling Verethragna to go first.
"In that case, I shall not refuse! I will strike first!"
Verethragna had long been impatient. He tapped the ground lightly with his foot and surged toward Akuto in a sudden rush.
"Even without awakening your sense of self, you can reach this level on pure battle instinct?"
Akuto narrowed his eyes. He could see it clearly—Verethragna possessed the intent to gradually recover his true self through battle with him.
Verethragna's figure seemed to become a clear wind. When the olive branch stabbed out, it carried a roar through the air like a sea tsunami.
Akuto closed his eyes and focused. His branch rose as if forewarned, blocking three inches before his throat.
At the instant the two branches clashed, Verethragna flipped his wrist. The dead branch transformed into seven layers of afterimages, sweeping toward several points on Akuto's body where divine power gathered.
"Left shoulder well, right Zhangmen, Tanzhong…"
From the perspective of the Eastern nations, these were major acupoints. Even for a god, being struck there would cause severe disruption.
At best, the circulation of power within the body would be heavily impaired. At worst, divine power would spiral into chaos, mobility would be crippled, and in the following exchanges one would be reduced to helpless prey.
Verethragna made his intent so obvious that it was clear he was testing Akuto's upper limit from the very start.
Faced with Verethragna's branch, Akuto's terrifying computing power accelerated at full speed. In the next moment, Akuto lightly tapped with his slender branch, and the branch struck—like a perfectly evaluated formula—each afterimage's true attack node with absolute precision.
Clink clink clink clink clink—
Metallic collision rang out without pause. Verethragna discovered that Akuto's parries were exquisitely efficient, each time blocking the most critical line with the smallest possible movement!
"Oh? This computing ability?"
"No, calling it 'computing' isn't quite accurate. Is it the product of multiple abilities—your 'own calculation,' 'Heaven's Dao perception,' and 'battle experience' fused together? It seems you are still walking the road of progress, and you are gradually forming a road that belongs to you."
As he spoke, Verethragna suddenly stepped into a mysterious footwork pattern, moving with an extremely bizarre "chaotic step," or perhaps a "pull-step."
With that movement, his branch cut in at an impossible angle, aiming straight for Akuto's flank.
But Akuto's expression did not change.
"Using a trick like this against me… isn't that underestimating me a little?"
In the next instant, Heaven's Dao perception pierced the illusion. Akuto's branch shot forward in a fierce thrust, its trajectory bending forward in a way that seemed to violate physical law, driving straight for the centerline of Verethragna's exposed body.
…
While Akuto and Verethragna fought with fierce intensity, on the other side, Erica and Raphael also began to move.
After being sent out of the draconic qi barrier by Akuto, the two quickly rushed to the designated location.
At this moment, in northern Italy, a white horse was steadily gathering form.
"Yuuuuuuuuuuu!—"
Wrapped in golden solar flame, a platinum-white fireball released scorching radiance.
There was no doubt. This was the divine incarnation—White Horse.
As the White Horse's form gradually manifested, Erica and Raphael arrived at its location at the same time.
By Akuto's instructions, while he entangled Verethragna in battle, Raphael and Erica—who had been sent away—headed to the specified point under Akuto's arrangements to begin subduing the remaining divine incarnation.
"O steel of the lion! O king of swords who severs a thousand suits of armor!"
Drawing the replica of the Lion's Demonic Sword, Raphael cut out her Words of Power together with Reinhard!
Rip—!
A ring of platinum-white solar flame surrounding the White Horse was cleaved apart by Raphael's Words of Power, making Erica's red lips part in shock.
The Words of Power Raphael used, and the Words of Power Erica used, were simply not on the same level of might.
"First the boost from divine power, then the boost from the local dragon veins, and finally Raphael's own Words of Power—which are already stronger than mine. That's what creates such a blatant gap."
Erica's feelings were complicated.
Because if Raphael had not appeared out of nowhere, she would most likely be the one doing this job right now.
And she did not know whether, if she were the one receiving Holy Child-sama's blessing, she could meet that Holy Child-sama's expectations and help him achieve his purpose.
…
If it were me… considering my strength is inferior to a holy knight like Raphael, Holy Child-sama would probably give me even stronger divine power support, wouldn't he? Meaning…
Meaning… Holy Child-sama would kiss her for longer.
At that thought, Erica recalled the scene of Raphael receiving Akuto's blessing.
Did Holy Child-sama have some kind of special effectiveness against ordinary people? Even Raphael—whom Erica had always believed to be incomparably tough and powerful—had revealed such a shy, maidenlike expression. If it were Erica instead…
No. Enough.
What am I even thinking? More important than that, we should finish the work Holy Child-sama gave us.
After fighting the Boar herself, and then seeing Raphael fight the Boar, Erica had thoroughly understood the gulf between herself and the divine.
So if Akuto—who did not seem quite so "heretic"—was willing to eliminate another Heretic God without causing massive destruction, then Erica was still willing to assist.
…
While Erica's thoughts drifted, Raphael had already advanced the work to the next stage.
After breaking the White Horse's "solar flame" defensive layer, Raphael withdrew the Lion's Demonic Sword.
In its place, she drew the Artisan's Demonic Sword—IL-Maestro!
The Artisan's Demonic Sword had a long handle like a spear, fitted with a saber-like blade.
In appearance, IL-Maestro resembled what Japan called a naginata. It was one of the twin swords Raphael had produced, its name meaning "Master Craftsman."
It was the creator of mysterious beauty, also praised as steel that plays exquisite melodies, concealing a special power known as the Demon's Melody.
Erica's "good friend" Liliana possessed a weapon identical to Raphael's Artisan's Demonic Sword.
Raphael swung IL-Maestro. Curving waves of light flew from the blade—shaa, shaa, shaa—cutting toward the White Horse like the performance of a musical score.
Raphael's movements were as light as a cool breeze drifting over a plateau.
The polearm-shaped IL-Maestro pressed without mercy, driving a relentless assault.
Along with each slash, IL-Maestro performed an eerie Demon's Melody, and from the artisan steel came resonant, profound tones.
Without even a moment's pause, the uninterrupted continuous strikes were like a gale of steel.
If Reinhard was a "hard" demonic sword, then IL-Maestro was a "soft" demonic sword.
Unfortunately, the Demon's Melody was useless against a divine incarnation like the White Horse.
"Yuuuuuuuuu!—"
The White Horse reared and screamed, a sharp neigh tearing the air. At the same time, an expanding halo of solar flare erupted around it.
Like a rock on the shore that forces a wave to break and recoil, the White Horse's solar halo easily shoved Raphael's "Demon's Melody" back toward her.
Of course, Raphael did not play the Demon's Melody to use the White Horse to defeat the White Horse.
After completing her markings through the Demon's Melody, Raphael pointed one hand toward the earth.
"In the name of my lord Sai Akuto—O breath of the earth, protect your people!"
(End of Chapter)
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