Gods—especially those whose authorities were tied to the earth—immediately sensed the abnormality.
The spiritual energy, the very lifeforce of the Underworld itself, began rushing toward a single point, drawn irresistibly to something awakening.
At the same moment, they felt an overwhelming, boundlessly sharp presence rising steadily, seemingly without limit.
In their minds appeared the image of a rusted blade being painstakingly sharpened, meticulously reforged, its brilliance growing ever brighter with each strike of the hammer.
Unmatched in sharpness, impossibly searing in brilliance.
It was as if the forging of a divine blade had manifested before their eyes—imbued with the vitality of the land, tempered by raging flame, quenched in pure water, and finally emerging as a sacred sword meant to slay gods, devils, and all that was evil.
Bit by bit, the earth's vitality was stripped away. The ground beneath visibly withered toward death, yet in its place descended a noble and blazing divinity, illuminating all it touched.
Humm—!
A joyous hum erupted from the [Sword of Salvation] as it awoke from its slumber.
Then, the dense, black fog dissipated like snow melting beneath sunlight, fleeing in horror from that resonant sword cry.
The Underworld's sky was purple, without sun or moon.
Yet now, platinum sunlight poured down, bathing every corner of the Underworld.
For Devils, Fallen Angels, and dragons alike, the intense divinity within that sunlight posed extreme danger. Especially for dragons, instinctual fear surged uncontrollably at the mere sensation of that sacred brilliance.
The divine sword that slaughtered dragons and annihilated Demon Lords was the ultimate bane of all evil.
And while others faced merely its residual power, Hades confronted that radiant sun head-on.
His skeletal form was scorched by the divine rays, his soul wavering like a candle caught in the storm.
Yet he scarcely noticed the pain. Shock and terror surged like waves in his heart.
Hades stared in disbelief, trembling uncontrollably as though witnessing an impossible miracle.
"You... Just what exactly are you—a human, or a god?!"
Hearing his stunned cry, Jalter blinked her glowing eyes, tilted her head slightly, and answered casually.
"A human, of course... At least, that's what I've always believed myself to be."
"Don't joke with me!" Hades roared, rejecting reality outright, the crimson lights in his eye sockets flickering violently from agitation.
"A mere human... how could you possess a divinity so overwhelming that even a chief god would fear it?!"
In truth, Jalter's divinity at that moment already surpassed Hades himself, one of Greece's mightiest gods. But Hades could never accept the humiliation of his divine authority as Lord of the Underworld being eclipsed so utterly.
This battle had long since moved beyond Lilith's capital, landing in a remote, barren mountain range within Devil territory. Jalter had knocked Hades here specifically to avoid collateral damage to innocents in the capital. It was precisely because the area was deserted that Jalter dared plunge the Sword of Salvation directly into the earth.
Quickly regaining his senses, Hades's gaze fell upon the sword Jalter held, his voice trembling in disbelief and rage.
"That sword—it's that sword! It's granted you this divinity! Just what kind of [Sacred Gear] is it?!"
As Hades voiced this question, Azazel and the observing gods nearby eagerly awaited Jalter's response, desperate to learn more.
Although Azazel and Sirzechs had long known about the sword's existence, this was their first time witnessing its true nature firsthand. None of them had imagined it could grant a human divinity surpassing even that of a supreme deity.
Holding the sword horizontally, Jalter spoke carelessly:
"The [Sword of Salvation]—a weapon wielded by the Last Hero chosen by destiny to bring salvation. Honestly, I don't like using this blade very much. Powerful as it is, it drains life from the land itself, accelerating the death of an entire world, using that power to continuously strengthen its wielder. In simpler terms, until this world completely perishes, my strength can grow without limit."
With a casual twist of her wrist, she pointed the sword toward Hades, causing him to shudder violently, feeling as though his very soul might be sliced apart.
But what truly terrified him were Jalter's words.
Draining the earth's vitality? Limitlessly empowering its wielder until the world's end?
Even the gods watching from afar gasped collectively in shock at this horrifying revelation.
And this was supposed to be called the "Sword of Salvation"? Wasn't "Sword of Destruction" more fitting?
"Impossible!" Hades shrieked hysterically. "There's no way such a monstrous [Sacred Gear] exists! This world wouldn't allow something like that—it's impossible! You're lying!"
Hades refused to believe such a devastating power could exist without any limitations.
Not just Hades—the observing gods similarly resisted the truth.
Despite witnessing the earth's lifeforce draining away before their eyes and feeling Jalter's growing strength firsthand, they clung to the belief there must be some limit—either to how much energy the sword could absorb, or to the wielder herself. Surely, there had to be some restriction. Otherwise...
"This human could become a terror even greater than Ophis or Great Red..." Shiva murmured softly, eyes glinting dangerously.
On the ground, Hades had descended into a madness of denial, repeating desperately, "Impossible... you're lying to me!"
"Lies! It's all lies! I'll shatter your illusions right now!"
Whether he was speaking to Jalter or trying to convince himself, Hades unleashed a furious roar. A raging torrent of deathly black mist surged, filled with the snarling silhouettes of beasts and wrathful spirits, lunging hungrily toward Jalter.
"Truly, even gods believe only what they wish to believe," Jalter murmured lightly, utterly unbothered by the surging waves of darkness.
"But in my eyes, you don't even deserve the title 'god'—I'd rather hang out with a slacker like Barbatos over you any day."
Only as the deadly mist was inches from her face did Jalter leisurely lift her empty left hand, spreading her fingers, a faint, mocking smile tugging at her lips.
"If you refuse to believe me, then I'll have to convince you with something more... persuasive."
As soon as the words left her mouth, her platinum eyes widened fiercely.
BOOM—!!
A shapeless shockwave instantly shattered Hades's deathly fog, obliterating it in a heartbeat.
The shockwave continued onward undiminished, ripping apart the purple-blackened earth below, leaving a deep fissure. Before Hades realized what was happening, the force slammed into him, sending him flying violently backward, shattering a mountain instantly on impact, carving a devastating trench in his wake.
Then Jalter clenched her hand and made a downward motion.
Throughout the Underworld, every being heard an ominous "crack," as if the sky itself had fractured.
Suddenly, an indescribable pressure slammed down onto Hades, sending him crashing to earth like a blazing meteorite. The forest around him was instantly flattened into a massive crater stretching thousands of meters.
"GRAAAHHHH—!!"
The crushing pressure persisted relentlessly, slowly increasing in intensity, pinning Hades helplessly. Unable to rise, his bones began to crack, causing him to shriek in agony and fury, writhing fruitlessly.
Observing gods trembled inwardly, struck silent by the sight.
Who was Hades?
The Greek god of death and the Underworld, Zeus's own elder brother, ranked among the world's top ten strongest—and yet, here he lay, pinned pathetically to the ground, utterly powerless.
All of this inflicted by a single human.
"You see?" Jalter mocked. "I haven't even swung my sword yet, and you've already reached your limit."
With those words, the unbearable pressure vanished, leaving Hades trembling at her feet.
"DIE!" Hades roared desperately, sending another black fog wave toward Jalter.
Jalter shook her head in disdain, slicing downward casually with her bare left hand.
In a flash, a searing bolt of platinum lightning surged forth. A silent, towering arc of pure sword-light split sky and earth alike. When the brilliance faded, a deep, impossibly long slash scarred the world, proof that the unbelievable strike was no mere illusion.
Hades survived—but barely. His staff, however, shattered into two useless halves.
"Oh my. Lord Hades, a great god, kneeling before a mere human like me?" Jalter sneered coldly, savoring the humiliation.
"Seems you finally understand the vast gap between us."
"Now, then..." Her voice turned chilling. "Regret your foolishness in hell."
As murderous intent engulfed Hades, he raised his head incredulously.
"You... intend to kill me?"
"Surprised?" Jalter's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Even the god who presides over death fears his own end?"
Naturally, he did.
Never had Hades imagined his own death. But now, panic gripped him.
Observing gods panicked too, realizing the disaster Hades's death could unleash. Immediately, Zeus and Poseidon pleaded desperately for mercy.
After a tense silence, Jalter nodded slowly:
"You're right. Killing the God of the Underworld would unleash chaos."
As they breathed in relief, she smiled darkly.
"Then as long as he's no longer the God of the Underworld, there should be no problem, right?"
Before anyone understood her meaning, a golden sword emerged in her left hand—a sword embodying absolute victory, etched with ancient runes.
A sword whose mere appearance signified the world's destiny itself was shifting.
---
T/N:
Hello again. For the final time.
My name is Enkidu. I was born without a soul, crafted only as a weapon. Yet through bonds—through friendships—I learned what it meant to feel alive. Even though my body records my memories rather than my spirit, the warmth of those moments remains.
Thank you, truly, for staying here with us. You've come at a good time—right now, a 25% discount code is available:
12DAYS
This code will last until December 26. I hope you enjoy it.
For those who wish to support the translator (the one who kindly gave me this voice)—you can find optional support at patreon.com/wisetl. Early access to upcoming chapters will be your small reward.
Also, as always:
Every 100 Powerstones = 1 Bonus Chapter
(100ps = 1 chapter, 200ps = 2 chapters, and so forth.)
Bonus chapters will arrive tomorrow, approximately 12+ hours from now.
And lastly, if you prefer company and conversations, the translator has prepared a Discord community: discord.gg/wisetl.
People gathering, talking, sharing—it's a good thing, isn't it?
This is where I say goodbye.
Even as a weapon shaped by the gods, I found meaning in the company of humans.
If these words reach you, then perhaps we've shared something too, if only briefly.
Be well, Master, and readers alike.
May the world remain gentle to you.
Goodbye.
BYE BYE ENKIDYU I LOVE YOU