Akiyama Ren watched the scene unfold with narrowed eyes. The moment Jibril released her power, the air itself seemed to tremble. Even Doni, the arrogant Godslayer, could no longer keep his usual smug demeanor. His expression turned grave.
"That level of mana... It's even more overwhelming than my own," he muttered, gripping the longsword at his waist. His crimson eyes flared with excitement. "Heretic God or not, with that power alone... you're worthy to face me in battle!"
He raised his blade high, its edge gleaming with divine energy. Then, without hesitation, he chanted in a resonant voice:
"I hereby swear—there shall exist no thing in this world that I cannot cut. This sword shall cleave through all creation. It is the invincible blade that sunders all!"
As the last word left his lips, a brilliant light engulfed his right arm. In an instant, it transmuted into silver metal, sleek and unbreakable. The air around him shifted as an oppressive aura of mana burst forth. Unlike the inky, corrosive magic that radiated from Jibril, Doni's mana was a vivid cherry-red, dazzling yet deadly.
Beneath the brilliance, however, lurked a killing intent so sharp it could cut skin without a blade.
The magical energy shimmered like millions of blades dancing in the wind.
Doni and Jibril were both born warriors, driven by instinct and madness alike. Their eyes locked for only a breath before the battle exploded into motion.
Jibril conjured her weapon—a pitch-black scythe born of pure mana, gleaming with dark light. She swung first, the edge howling through the air. Yet Doni's sword, now imbued with his divine authority, clashed against it and instantly severed the blade in two.
The scythe dissolved into fragments of magic.
But Jibril simply smirked. Holding the broken weapon in both hands, she poured her mana into it once again. It reformed immediately—then split into two matching scythes.
With twin blades spinning like black wings of death, she launched herself at Doni.
Steel clashed with shadow.
Again and again, Doni's authority allowed him to slice through her weapons. But Jibril never stopped. Her scythes reformed endlessly, each faster than the last. In mere moments, they had exchanged hundreds, even thousands, of attacks.
Sparks and explosions painted the battlefield.
In pure martial prowess, they were evenly matched.
From the sidelines, Ren stood silently, eyes gleaming like polished obsidian. Within his mind, he communicated with the King of Wisdom.
"How's it going? Have you finished analyzing Doni's authority?"
[Analysis complete, Master.]
Ren gave a rare, satisfied nod. "Not bad. As expected from an Ultimate Skill. Even if it doesn't reach the level of Azathoth, the Void God , it's still absurdly powerful."
He reached into his System inventory and pulled out a three-star Dark Iron Sword from the Genshin Treasure Trove. Then, activating his own authority—Ripping Silver Hand—he channeled it into his arm.
Thanks to King of Wisdom's Chant Annulment, there was no need for spells.
His right arm shimmered and transformed into glinting silver metal. The Dark Iron Sword pulsed with new life, coated in an aura of cutting authority, capable of cleaving through almost anything.
Nearby, Azril gasped. "Master! You already replicated the Godslayer's authority?"
Even Schwi looked up, visibly intrigued. She had been quietly analyzing Doni's ability, but the mechanics of authority were not simple. It wasn't something one could replicate alone. The laws governing such powers were complex and often required collective analysis units.
"It's a decent authority. I figured I'd borrow it," Ren said calmly, deactivating the ability as his arm reverted to flesh and blood.
"That ability of yours really is like the Ex Machina..." Azril murmured, voice tinged with awe and envy.
"It's extremely useful," Ren replied with a smile.
Do you know how much I had to go through just to get Rimuru's skill set?
On the battlefield, the tide of combat shifted.
Jibril had abandoned close combat. Her wings unfurled as she soared into the sky, raining down an endless barrage of spells. Each explosion lit up the ground below like a second sun.
But Doni remained grounded.
He couldn't fly. Not like her.
Instead, he stood his ground, eyes blazing, relying on his authority: Steel Blessing.
As a Godslayer, his magical resistance was already absurdly high. Combined with Steel Blessing, his body became an immovable fortress. Jibril's spells splashed harmlessly against him, her magic fizzling out before it could penetrate his defenses.
"Tch. What a pain in the butt," Jibril muttered from midair. Her brow furrowed in irritation. She was clearly stronger, but no matter what she threw at him, Tony wouldn't budge.
It was beyond frustrating.
"Jibril's getting hard-countered," Ren observed, arms crossed. His tone was unreadable.
"Master! Let me help her!" Azril exclaimed, eyes wide with concern.
Ren chuckled lightly. "If you join in, it becomes a two-on-one. Not very fair, right?"
"But what if she loses!?" Azril argued, pouting.
"It won't come to that," Ren assured her. "Worst case? It ends in a draw. Neither side has the upper hand."
Still, Ren opened his System space.
He pulled out a massive greatsword.
It gleamed with a luster that defied all logic, its edges untouched by time or battle. This was the same weapon he had acquired in the Dungeon World, and it carried a unique attribute: Indestructible.
Its appearance closely resembled the Buster Sword from Final Fantasy VII, so Ren casually named it the Destruction Sword.
A sword that could not break versus a blade that cut through everything.
What kind of clash would that create?
In a world governed by divine Authorities, the Indestructible attribute from the Dungeon World and Doni's Godslayer Authority—which allowed him to cut through all things—were about to clash in a spectacle unlike any before. What kind of sparks would fly when an unstoppable force met an immovable object?
"Catch!" Ren shouted, hurling the blade toward the sky.
Jibril, who was still hovering in midair, turned her head as Ren's voice rang out. Her eyes widened as the giant sword came spiraling toward her. With graceful ease, she caught it one-handed.
The moment her fingers wrapped around the hilt, knowledge flooded into her mind. The properties of the weapon—its structure, weight, magic resistance, and most importantly: Indestructible.
"Fufu~ This is getting fun!" Jibril's lips curled into a playful grin. She waved the blade experimentally, the force alone causing the wind to howl around her. "Thanks, Master!"
"If you're gonna thank me, then win against that blond baka," Ren replied with a hearty laugh.
"Guaranteed victory!" Jibril declared with confidence, her aura flaring.
On the ground, Doni looked up, clearly irritated. "Oi! First of all, my name is Salvatore Doni—not 'blond baka!' Second, isn't giving her a weapon mid-fight against the rules!?"
Azril scoffed from the side, puffing her cheeks. "Baka! Didn't you use a weapon too? You didn't complain about rules then!"
"Ah... true." Doni blinked, nodding seriously.
Ren nearly doubled over in laughter.
Doni's sword was nothing more than a regular blade. Its ability to cut through anything came purely from the Ripping Silver Hand Authority. Technically, he could use any stick or even a spoon, and it would gain the same deadly effect.
But the weapon Ren had handed Jibril wasn't just any sword. It was a high-tier Dungeon item imbued with an intrinsic, rule-breaking attribute. That kind of item couldn't be replicated with Authority alone.
Still, Ren didn't bother to explain. Jibril was, after all, his.
"Let's start Round Two!" Jibril declared, twirling the massive blade around her before pointing its gleaming tip at Doni.
"Bring it on!" Doni grinned, adopting another bizarre sword stance.
Jibril narrowed her eyes.
Something about that pose felt... off.
Ren's expression also grew serious. "That's his Sixth Authority...—Sword of Concealment."
Also known as the "Heavenly Dragon Flash," it was the sixth Authority Doni had usurped after slaying the fire deity Vahagn. This power allowed him to cleave flashes of light from thin air, reducing everything they touched to particles of sand.
When combined with the Ripping Silver Hand, its destructive force multiplied. Even Jibril, armed with her indestructible sword, might not be able to withstand it.
No wonder he was called the King of Swords.
Although Jibril's total combat power surpassed Doni's, her abilities were being hard-countered.
Magic? Useless. Godslayers had near-absolute resistance to spells. Doni even had Steel Blessing to amplify his durability.
Close combat? Doni's Ripping Silver Hand made each attack lethally dangerous.
Still, now that she had the Destruction Sword, Jibril felt she had a fighting chance in melee once again. But just as she prepared to close the distance, Doni activated another Authority.
The very moment Jibril felt a chill crawl down her spine, Doni launched his Heavenly Dragon Flash.
Blinding arcs of divine light exploded toward her.
Jibril met them head-on, swinging the Destruction Sword with blinding speed, parrying each flash. The collisions shattered the sky with thunderclaps.
But even as she held her ground, Ren frowned.
The Destruction Sword, while indestructible in the Dungeon World, was never tested against beings like Godslayers. Its enchantments were strong, but still tied to the rules of a different realm.
Meanwhile, Doni's sword, though mundane in origin, had become a divine artifact through Authority. Each swing was backed by conceptual power—laws of the world itself.
After just a few strikes, small fractures began to spiderweb across the blade of the Destruction Sword.
"Oh no! Jibril-chan's not gonna hold out much longer!" Azril cried, alarmed.
In that instant, Ren acted.
His divine soul surged forth, slipping free of his physical body and entering Jibril's like a streak of lightning.
"Don't panic, don't resist! Let me take over!" Ren's voice echoed inside her mind.
Although he could forcefully seize control, there wasn't time to risk internal struggle. Fortunately, Jibril trusted him implicitly. She immediately relinquished control.
As Ren settled into her body, he exhaled slightly. "This body... not bad. A little top-heavy, and... hmm, yeah, that part's missing. Weird."
But there was no time to dwell on his borrowed form.
The next volley of flashes was already upon them.
Without hesitation, Ren activated Ripping Silver Hand through Jibril's borrowed body. The silver gleam overtook her arm, and the Destruction Sword, now blessed by Authority, transformed into a demonic blade capable of slicing through the immaterial.
With one swing, Ren obliterated the flashes of light.
Doni stared in disbelief at Jibril, whose arm had turned into gleaming silver metal. He had no idea that Akiyama Ren had possessed her body, but the visual alone was shocking enough.
"W-Why do you also have the Ripping Silver Hand!?" he shouted, eyes wide.
Ren, speaking through Jibril's lips, smirked. "Beat me, and maybe I'll tell you."
Without giving Doni a chance to recover, Ren activated another of the Godslayer's Authorities—Sword of Concealment!
With a single swing, the blade unleashed a flurry of blinding flashes. Beams of divine light scattered like meteor showers across the battlefield, all aimed at Doni.
Doni's expression stiffened as he parried desperately, his demonic sword moving with incredible speed. Yet there were too many flashes—even with his elite swordsmanship, he couldn't block them all.
For the ones he couldn't parry, Doni resorted to taking them head-on with his body, relying on the Authority of Steel Blessing to tank the hits.
But Ren wasn't done.
Just as Doni thought he was regaining control, Ren suddenly vanished.
He reappeared behind Doni in a burst of speed, a blur of silver and gold.
Doni sensed the movement too late. His sword was still engaged in deflecting the rain of flashes.
Ren swung again—but this time, it wasn't the Destruction Sword.
It was the Eastern God of War's Golden Sword, a divine weapon that could sever not just flesh and bone, but also divine Authorities.
With the blessing of the Ripping Silver Hand, it transformed into a blade that could cleave even conceptual power.
A double Authority strike!
Doni, realizing the danger, abandoned defense against the flashes and twisted his body around, slamming his sword against Ren's incoming slash.
He knew that Jibril's sword—now supercharged by the Ripping Silver Hand—could slice through anything. The Steel Blessing wouldn't protect him. His only hope was to counter with the same Authority.
If two invincible edges collided, they would theoretically cancel out.
But the unexpected happened.
As the blades met, Ren's golden sword released a divine hum, and Doni's weapon trembled.
The Golden Sword sealed Doni's Ripping Silver Hand.
And, still carrying the double Authority enhancement, it cleaved through Doni's sword—and then through Doni himself.
The world went still.
A crimson arc split the battlefield.
Doni's body split in two, blood spraying in all directions as he crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Even Ren, now stepping back from Jibril's body, blinked in surprise.
"So fragile... Are all Godslayers in this world this weak?" he murmured.
Doni's eyes were wide with disbelief, lips trembling as he tried to speak. But blood poured from his mouth, choking his final words.
He tilted his head.
And died.
Ren's divine soul left Jibril and returned to his own body.
Without wasting a moment, he walked to the corpse, activated the GlutDoni King, and began devouring what remained of Doni.
"He had six Authorities... I only got two during the fight. The rest are still inside him."
As the body disintegrated into particles of divine energy, Ren felt a rush of power flood into him. The King of Wisdom kicked into overdrive, analyzing every last fragment.
Jibril returned to her senses and practically flew into Ren's arms.
"Master~! You're too amazing! I knew you'd win!" she cheered, clinging to him.
Ren chuckled, patting her head. "Of course. I am your Master, after all. It'd be embarrassing if I wasn't strong."
Above Sardinia, high in the skies, Doni's loyal aide—Andrea Rivera—witnessed the death of his lord.
His legs gave out beneath him.
The Seventh Godslayer—this mysterious figure with angelic women at his side—had effortlessly killed Doni, a powerhouse among Godslayers.
If that was the strength of just one of his companions, how terrifying was Ren himself?
Andrea didn't hesitate. He ordered the pilot to evacuate at once. This was no longer a place for mortals.
Back on the ground, Ren noticed the retreating aircraft but made no move to stop it.
"A small fry like that... let him spread the word. The world should know what happened here today."
Ren returned to the hotel with his entourage.
Once back in his room, he sat cross-legged and began processing the gains.
The GlutDoni King had completely devoured Doni's essence. All of his magic power had been refined and absorbed, becoming a part of Ren's vast reserves.
Even better, the King of Wisdom had successfully analyzed Doni's swordsmanship and Authorities.
Now, Ren wielded not just the technique of the King of Swords, but all six of Doni's Authorities:
Sword of Concealment (Heavenly Dragon Flash)
Steel Blessing
Holy Madness
Steel Rampage
Ripping Silver Hand
Return to the Ancient World
Added to Ren's original four Authorities, he now commanded ten in total.
He let out a low laugh. "Man... this Godslayer World is like an all-you-can-eat buffet."
He recalled the anime from his past life and remembered that another Heretic God resided on Sardinia.
But he wasn't in a rush. Not yet.
Night had fallen.
After enjoying dinner with Azril, Schwi, and Jibril, Ren left the hotel under the moonlight, heading toward the ancient ruins where the Pillar of Hera stood.
The air around the monument shimmered with divine energy.
"According to the story, once this pillar is destroyed, the essence of the earth will give birth to the divine dragon, attracting the dragon-slaying hero Perseus."
He reached out and touched the Pillar, ancient and unyielding.
In the original tale, Doni had used the Ripping Silver Hand to destroy it.
But Ren didn't need to try that hard.
With the slightest flex of his fingers, he pressed against the pillar—and it shattered.
A single touch from his hand was enough.
The divine tool of the Earth Mother Goddess crumbled into stardust.
"Now," Ren muttered with a wicked grin, "let the next challenge come."