"Indeed, a Demon Lord is still a Demon Lord incapable of salvation." At this moment, Jesus, the Son of God, shook his head and spoke.
Radiant holy light surged around him, while behind him loomed a dwelling of divine visions, proof of his deeds of preaching and salvation.
The oppressive might of [Authority] descended upon the heavens, effortlessly erasing Riku's aura. Though it was pure holy light, it pressed down on all beings with a suffocating, murderous weight.
"Enough with the nonsense." Riku looked at Jesus with disdain, his voice cold. "Queen, do it."
"Leave it to me." The Halloween Queen smiled elegantly and snapped her fingers.
In an instant, the power of boundaries rippled outward, sweeping across the entire battlefield, forcibly transferring everyone into different spaces and distributing opponents accordingly.
The army of angels was more than ten times larger than their own, and each one was formidable. Naturally, Riku would never allow them to assemble their great formations to overwhelm his forces.
He had brought his people here for a life-and-death [Gift Game] of training, not to let them die in vain.
"The Queen's boundary!?" Noticing the spatial distortion, both Jesus' and God's expressions changed.
But Jesus, gripping the [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer], erupted with dazzling holy light and searing heat, attempting to obstruct the Queen's actions.
"Heh, if you wanted to stop me, you're a little too late." Just as Jesus was about to move, Riku launched his attack without hesitation.
A torrent of raging energy condensed into a colossal energy cannon, blasting forward with brutal force, surging toward Jesus.
If Jesus did not block it, the angelic army behind him would suffer catastrophic losses. Thus, he had no choice but to intercept it.
So, he swung his divine spear, the [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer]. Radiance of salvation condensed upon it, piercing through Riku's world-shattering energy blast and erasing it completely.
But at that moment, the Halloween Queen's power had already taken effect, her [Golden Demon Realm] manifested once more. Everything in the area vanished, transported into separate spaces, each with its own designated battlefield.
God, along with the majority of the angelic host, were sealed within the rift of the boundary.
"This place…?" God swept his gaze across his surroundings, noticing the strange domain between the stars, his face subtly shifting.
Immediately, God struck out, releasing intense holy light that surged forth to shatter everything here. Yet his attack did not even stir a ripple.
Seeing his power ineffective, God commanded the hundreds of thousands of angels at his back to unleash their strongest attacks.
In an instant, endless holy light burst forth from the Seraphim and Archangels, forming a devastating storm that hammered against the walls of the boundary.
But it was useless.
After all, the [Golden Demon Realm] had withstood even Riku's transcendent state for more than twenty days before collapsing.
"It's pointless. By the time the battle outside ends, our Lord will come to deal with you himself." The Halloween Queen's phantom appeared, speaking to God and the angelic host with elegant poise.
"As expected of the Halloween Queen. At last, I've witnessed the [Authority] of your domain." God looked straight at her, his expression filled with awe.
The Halloween Queen was unique among the triple digits, an exception beyond rank; her power was no mere boast.
Among the three great Problem Children of Little Garden, each alone was able to stand against the might of entire divine legions. Truly formidable.
"However, Queen, you too have fallen… to think you would submit to a human," God spoke slowly.
"Heh. I lost the [Gift Game]. And besides, he is the only existence worthy of my submission." The Halloween Queen replied calmly.
"Then, enjoy your stay. Even for beings like you, don't expect to break free anytime soon." The Halloween Queen's phantom vanished with a defiant smile.
"This is troublesome." God shook his head. Now, they could not provide external support. The outcome of this battle would depend entirely on who emerged victorious between Jesus, the Son of God, and Riku Dola.
Yet, a battle at the two-digit [Authority] level was not something easily decided.
"In that case, we must force our way out to tip the scales of victory toward us. Though Riku Dola's power is shockingly on par with the double digits, since his opponent is Jesus, that is another matter entirely. As for the rest of the combatants, our forces outnumber [Disboard]'s by tens of times!" God declared coldly.
"It is impossible for us to lose!" His voice thundered. "Queen, imprisoning us here is your greatest mistake!"
And this was exactly what the angels behind him believed as well. Among them stood the most famous Seraphim of Christian mythology, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael… all gathered in one place.
At that moment, within the rift of the boundary, countless black parchment scrolls suddenly floated down, causing God's pupils to contract sharply.
Black parchment scrolls are the very symbol of a [Gift Game]!
Had the Halloween Queen made another move?
As God and the assembled angels reached out and read the contents of the black scrolls, their expressions changed instantly, replaced by fury!
The same scene was mirrored in the other separated battlefields. The Seraphim fighting Athena and Poseidon, as well as the Archangels clashing with Disboard's troops, all reacted in the same way.
At that same moment, furious roars erupted across the divided realms, and fierce battles broke out all at once!
...
"What a desperate struggle." In Heaven, the Halloween Queen's [Divinity] burned away at a rapid pace, yet she remained unconcerned, leisurely sipping divine tea from her elegant set as she observed the shifting boundaries. A faint smile played at her lips.
To imprison nearly the entire taboo community of Christianity within her [Golden Demon Realm] single-handedly, such a feat was something that only the Halloween Queen could achieve.
Even if there were two digits stronger than her, accomplishing such a thing would be nearly impossible. When it came to mastery over boundaries, none could surpass her.
"Now then, how about this side?" she murmured softly, her gaze fixed on the two figures still left standing in the heavens, the true pillars of power.
Riku Dola of [Disboard], her leader, the only man she acknowledged. And the other, the very being who made [Christianity] a taboo, a god of [Authority] and also a [God-Slayer], Jesus, the Son of God.
"Heh… so you really dare." At that moment, Jesus accepted one of the black parchment scrolls drifting through the sky. After scanning its contents, his face remained expressionless as he spoke.
This was the most malevolent [Gift Game].
No name. No rules. The host: the Halloween Queen. The sole condition for victory defeat the host.
A [Gift Game] established solely for a duel to the death.
Anything goes. As long as one defeats the opponent, victory is theirs.
The victor gains the right to plunder everything from the other.
The most malevolent [Gift Game]!
"If I didn't dare, I wouldn't have come here." Riku looked coldly at Jesus, speaking slowly.
In his Transcendent Super Mode, Riku's entire body radiated a wild, violent aura that shook the heavens, clashing equally against Jesus's overwhelming pressure.
Any ordinary god approaching would be crushed instantly!
"Today, your community will fall," Riku spoke with calm certainty, as if declaring a heavenly edict that none could defy.
"Hmph, then let's see if you actually have the strength to do so." Jesus's eyes locked onto Riku, his voice cold. Wielding the [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer], he unleashed his full authority without restraint, standing like a war god capable of challenging the heavens and earth!
Jesus's attention never left Riku. Even as a Two-Digit, it was impossible for him to shatter the Halloween Queen's domain.
Only by defeating Riku could he then turn his efforts against her.
In the next instant, Jesus transformed into pure radiance, as if arriving from the edge of the world in a single moment. The god-slaying spear swept through space with the power to destroy all creation!
CLANG!
Riku, too, now held a spear, the very same [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer]. Power surged through it as he met Jesus's strike head-on without hesitation.
The clash erupted with a deafening roar, shockwaves rippling across the heavens. The two identical divine spears released heat strong enough to obliterate galaxies, shaking all creation!
Both Riku and Jesus were forced back, tearing across space.
Their battle made the entire Heaven tremble, the skies cracked apart, and seas of clouds collapsed!
"Your divinity isn't strong. What supports such power in you?" Jesus demanded, eyes locked on Riku. "And Longinus is my divine weapon. How do you hold it, control it even without divine authority?"
Longinus was his divine armament; without his essence, no one should have been able to wield its true power.
Yet Riku defied that logic. With only his strange, overwhelming energy, he matched Jesus's mastery.
"You think I'd tell you?" Riku replied coldly.
His gaze sharpened further. He had already witnessed the depth of Jesus's strength. Against a Two-Digit, merely relying on the rational Transcendent Super Mode would be difficult. Authority-class beings were no simple matter.
But Riku wasn't just brute strength.
In a flash of thought, he became green radiance, moving faster than starlight itself, surging straight at Jesus.
The [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer] in his hand gleamed with lethal brilliance.
With this speed, this power, and that weapon, even mighty Three-Digits would face only instant death.
But Jesus was still a Two-Digit. Effortlessly, he parried the attack.
"Hmph!" Jesus snorted, releasing waves of holy radiance that surged like a flood, pressing down upon Riku. This was the [Light of Salvation], capable of purifying all things!
Unyielding, Riku thrust out his right hand.
Blinding light erupted, forming a beam that pierced through the heavens.
"[Pseudo Star Map Creation — Third Cosmic Velocity]!"
The searing beam tore through Jesus's Light of Salvation, crashing down toward his face at close range.
Jesus's expression shifted slightly as he instantly understood. This was a [Simulation: Star Creation], a manifestation of world-concept itself.
Even a Two-Digit Authority could not take such a strike head-on!
Jesus chose correctly, dodging with speed beyond reason, narrowly avoiding the blast.
The beam soared into the sky, tearing apart Heaven itself, leaving devastation in its wake. The entire realm was pierced through!
"So this is the truth of his [Pseudo Star Map Creation]… No wonder even the Greek Pantheon's world-concept failed to endure." Reappearing in the distance, wrapped in holy light, Jesus's heart stirred.
He had already heard of the war between [Disboard] and the [Twelve Olympians], and he was aware of Riku's displayed abilities.
That bizarre divine domain, the [Pseudo Star Map Creation], and the [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer].
But to think its destructive power was this extreme…
"You'll find many more surprises yet. Don't disappoint me." Suddenly, Riku appeared behind Jesus, thrusting Longinus mercilessly toward his heart.
With the [Star of Omniscience and Omnipotence], Riku knew his enemy's weaknesses, every move before it came.
Caught off guard, Jesus's face tightened. In an instant, he spun and countered, stabbing his own Longinus straight toward Riku.
This time, Riku didn't evade; he faced him head-on, willing to trade blows.
Jesus's eyes gleamed coldly. Though Riku struck first, his own speed and strength surpassed him; he would pierce Riku's head before Riku's spear ever touched his heart!
CLANG!
In less than a fraction of a heartbeat, Jesus's spear pierced Riku's protective green aura, stabbing directly at his forehead, yet it failed to penetrate! Even the spear's heat and divine essence were blocked by the flames of the Phoenix!
"What!?" For the first time, Jesus's composure shattered, his pupils contracting violently.
At that exact moment, Riku's Longinus thrust forward, driving mercilessly toward Jesus's chest.
...
Though Jesus was a Godslayer, he was still a god. The [Longinus: Spear of Godslayer] would deal him unimaginable damage.
At the critical instant, Jesus unleashed a hidden trump card spatial transference. His body vanished in a blink, evading Riku's strike.
Beyond his ministry, Jesus had wrought countless miracles. The Gospels recorded them all:
Turning water into wine—showing power over matter.
Healing the dying official's son from afar—showing power over space.
Restoring a man crippled thirty-eight years—showing power over time.
Feeding five thousand with five loaves and two fish—showing power over quantity.
Walking on the sea and calming storms—showing power over nature.
Giving sight to the blind—showing power over fate itself.
Raising Lazarus after four days—showing power over death.
Granting his disciples a miraculous catch of fish—showing lordship over all creation.
These miracles, these legends of human history, all manifested here in the Little Garden as his Gifts!