"CLANG—!"
The resounding clash of weapons echoed outwards, sending a shower of sparks flying in all directions.
It was the collision between the demonic spear known as Brionac and the demonic spear known as Gáe Bolg.
The figures wielding these two demonic spears danced across the desolate jungle, brandishing their weapons.
The god-king worshipped by the battle-loving Celtic people was not in the habit of pontificating.
The moment he declared the trial had begun, the battle was joined.
"O, youth who resembles my beloved son, show me your mettle!"
The noble god swung the long spear in his hand, using its shaft like a staff to lash out viciously at the young man.
At first glance, the strike seemed to hold no particular terror. If not for the fact that its true form was a five-pronged onslaught, it could have been mistaken for an ordinary horizontal sweep.
But in the next moment, something utterly horrifying occurred.
A nigh-endless torrent of magical energy clung to the spear's shaft, transforming into solar fire of the highest order.
There was no explosion, no blinding flash of light; the ferocious power of the solar flame clinging to the spear was controlled with pinpoint precision.
Like a blade swung by a master swordsman, the violent solar flame made no sound.
Only when its edge met resistance would it finally erupt.
Truly terrifying.
The young man, who could clearly see how dangerous this strike was, narrowed his eyes.
A serious Heretical God was incredibly strong.
A single basic attack like this would be enough to send ninety-nine percent of Servants in a Holy Grail War straight back to the Throne of Heroes.
And—
Where is the Heretical Lugh hiding that sword?
Since the battle had begun, the young man had only seen the demonic spear Brionac, but not the "Sword of Vengeance," Fragarach. He materialized a gem inscribed with a spatial magic crest out of thin air.
He then swung his own weapon.
The spear, a gift from the queen of the Land of Shadows, became a defensive tool, meeting the sweeping blow wreathed in solar flame.
And then—
An invisible shockwave and the solar flame erupted outwards simultaneously.
As a matter of course, trees were ripped from their roots and thrown into the sky. Rubble and sand filled the air, blotting out the sun as a massive cloud of earth buried everything in the vicinity.
The ground collapsed in concentric circles, shattering into irregular pieces.
At the same time, endless flames surged, transforming into bloodthirsty demons that sought to devour everything around them.
It was hard to imagine that this was the aftermath caused by the shockwaves of a battle between two individuals using melee weapons.
After all, the scene looked as if it had been thoroughly shelled by an artillery battalion.
But—
This was the reality.
This was merely the aftershock of a battle between a young man with a composite spiritual foundation and a Heretical God.
Or rather, just a preliminary exchange.
How dangerous.
The young man, who had been at the center of the attack just moments ago, suddenly reappeared behind the sun god.
Solar flame of the highest order was far too fearsome. If he had tried to block it head-on, he would have been injured even while wearing the Armor of the Sun.
The mobility of spatial teleportation had saved him.
But—
He was not completely unscathed.
On the young man's unarmed arm was a gash so deep that the stark white of bone was visible.
It was a wound left by the tip of the autonomous attack-type demonic sword, Fragarach.
The "Sword of Vengeance," Fragarach, was originally wielded by the sea god Manannán mac Lir, who then passed it to his foster son, the sun god Lugh.
The tip of the demonic sword Fragarach was exceptionally sharp and could slice through any armor as if it were butter. Wounds created by this sword could not be healed and would continuously worsen.
That sword, which prevented wounds from recovering and caused them to fester, had grazed his shoulder the moment he activated his spatial transfer.
The Armor of the Sun had failed to completely defend against the attack from one of the Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann.
This arm is a lost cause.
Knowing full well that this injury would affect his magecraft, the magus glanced at his arm.
And then—
Blood surged from the wound, forming a blade that severed the young man's entire arm directly.
The blood siphoned all the power from the severed limb, then, like a living thing, leaped onto the blade of the replica Jizo Mitama that had been recreated by the power of the Herrscher of Reason at the young man's waist.
Crimson blood dyed the blade, which was already shrouded in a black mist.
The scorching hot blood dripped onto the sword and slowly spread.
The divinity and massive volume of blood became fuel, and it ignited.
The Authority of the Herrscher of Reason began to simulate the power of the Herrscher of Death.
New flesh and bone began to grow.
Then, the newborn arm gripped the replica tachi, Jizo Mitama.
The crimson light of blood burning like a flame upon the sword's edge was drawn into a shocking spiral as the young man charged forward.
Like a comet, the jet of bloody flame ignited the surrounding trees, causing them to burst into flames.
Sensing the crisis appearing behind him, the Heretical Lugh showed no sign of panic.
He trusted that his partner would deal with the surprise attack.
A flying sword, stained with blood, shot out like a hound protecting its master, colliding with the tachi.
Then, it knocked the blade, which emanated a black-red mist, off its trajectory.
Simultaneously, the Heretical Lugh spun around abruptly, thrusting his spear toward the young man.
Li Zihan's luck was truly not very good.
The Heretical God Lugh seemed to be getting serious.
At the very least, he was getting serious about the close-quarters combat.
The tachi known as Jizo Mitama swung out, knocking the spear back.
"Valiant indeed. You have not shamed my son's reputation."
The valiant god-king looked at the young man who had unhesitatingly cut off his own arm and praised him, his voice booming.
"But—if you wish to defeat me, this is not enough!"
"Continue to display your valor!"
He once again brandished the demonic spear in his hand.
Just as the legends described, the tip of this living, perpetually bloodthirsty spear suddenly split into five rays of light, blasting toward the young man who was wielding the Divine Key.
The terrifying sound of impact vibrated the very air, causing a series of sharp sonic booms and kicking up a violent, stormy shockwave.
"My apologies, but my martial arts are not sufficient to contend with you."
The young man, holding a spear in one hand and a tachi in the other, summoned the Brahmastra to repel the attack, then announced in a remarkably clear voice.
It was the truth.
His level of martial skill was truly no match for the Heretical God Lugh.
If he continued this deathmatch, his defeat was only a matter of time.
Li Zihan knew this well.
Fortunately, he didn't rely solely on martial arts to make a living.
Throughout the fight, the young man had been constantly activating the Authority of the Herrscher of Erosion and had forged the replica Jizo Mitama as a weapon. All the while, he had been calculating just how much he had amplified the Heretical Lugh's arrogance and madness.
Having obtained the answer he sought, he retracted both of his weapons.
This action clearly caught the Heretical Lugh's attention. He temporarily ceased his assault and barked loudly.
"O, you who are like my beloved son, why do you lower your weapons?"
"To fight you, I must use a power beyond martial skill."
The young man, who himself possessed the power of a Herrscher, stated this frankly.
"Bringing that power to the battlefield of a duel might make the duel seem unfair."
"Pay it no mind. Use your power without restraint and overcome this trial!"
A smile of keen interest spread across the Heretical Lugh's lips.
A power that would affect the fairness of our duel?
Interesting.
Presumably wanting to know the true nature of this so-called power that could threaten the fairness of their battle, he ceased his attack, quietly giving his opponent the time he needed to prepare.
"That is wonderful to hear."
The young man, who had already given up on fighting with martial arts, narrowed his eyes as he watched the god-king suddenly halt his assault.
He couldn't pass this trial with martial skill.
He still needed to save his God-Slaying Spear to deal with an old schemer, so he couldn't use it now.
The same went for the Sword of Rupture.
So, he would just have to use the power of a Herrscher.
The young man recalled the basic formula for thermonuclear reactions and raised his hand.
3H + 2H → 4He + n + 17.6 MeV (Deuterium + Tritium → Helium + Neutron + Energy)
And then—
The power of the Herrscher of Reason began to manifest.
Understand. Reconstruct.
Following the data stored in Li Zihan's mind, Honkai energy, which did not belong to this world, transformed into matter.
And then—
Under the Heretical Lugh's somewhat strange gaze, a warhead fell from the sky.
At the same time, the young man who so closely resembled his beloved son vanished in an instant.
So this is the child's counterattack?
It seems... rather interesting.
If that is the case, then let me test just how strong this power he relies upon truly is!
A bloody, crazed arc formed on the battle-loving god-king's lips.
He stood his ground, allowing the warhead to fall.
He stood as firm as a mountain—an erupting volcano, at that. Just by standing there, he gave off an oppressive feeling of impending disaster that was chilling to the bone.
He waited until the warhead was less than a few dozen meters away.
He raised the spear in his hand, pouring his divine power into it, ready to meet the attack unleashed by the youth who so resembled his son.
He was not afraid of being unable to find his opponent afterward.
The demonic spear he held, whose name meant "Piercer," was a spear of light that symbolized his own power. No matter how distant the enemy, this spear could emit a ray of death.
Like Gungnir, Brionac was a spear that would never miss.
So, let me crush this projectile, and then continue our battle!
The noble Sun God King threw the spear in his hand.
Like a volcanic eruption, the long spear, imbued with terrifying divine power, shot toward the seemingly unremarkable large chunk of iron.
And then—
The thermonuclear weapon, also known as a fusion bomb or H-bomb, detonated.
Here, an epic was reborn.
The valiant Ashwatthama launched the Agneya weapon.This weapon unleashed a terrifying heat and a furious wind, causing the earth to tremble and the rivers to boil. The enemy soldiers were instantly incinerated, like charred tree trunks.It possessed the power of the entire universe, a pillar of fiery smoke rising to the heavens, its brilliance that of ten thousand suns. Men and beasts were burned to death, and all food was poisoned.
A dark cloud rose over the skies of England.