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The sky above stretched endlessly.
Winds howled from every direction. Rain poured. Lightning flashed. Thunder roared.
It looked like the end of the world.
And in the middle of this apocalyptic scene, two figures were locked in a standoff.
One was a towering giant, at least thirty feet tall.
His entire body was packed with bulging muscles, coiled like dragons, radiating a crushing sense of power.
Opposite him—
Stood what looked like a boy, maybe fourteen or fifteen years old.
Compared to the giant, he seemed small and delicate—handsome, even—but the air around him was heavy with authority and pressure that didn't match his youthful appearance. It made you instinctively respect—or fear—him.
"Mechal... so we finally meet."
His clothes fluttered in the windless air, his eyes gleaming with wild excitement and battle intent.
"I am Veleslana, the God of Victory."
"So, Mechal—will you fight me?"
The giant, Mechal, grinned wide at that.
"Veleslana, huh? Even if you dare challenge me… you're doomed to lose."
"Oh yeah? Then let's have a real fight—one we won't forget."
"Haha! That's exactly what I wanted to hear!"
The two of them burst into mad laughter, shaking the very heavens.
Even just their aura stirred up massive waves across the ocean—waves visible to the naked eye.
A third voice suddenly cut in:
"You know, I'm pretty interested in slaying gods myself. Mind if I join the party?"
The voice rolled like thunder, louder than the storm itself.
"Hm?"
Both Heretic Gods frowned and turned toward the source.
From within the storm, they saw him—Minato, holding Erica in his arms, slowly approaching through the wind and rain.
Feeling their gazes land on her, Erica stiffened. Cold sweat formed on her forehead.
Even with all the mental prep she'd done beforehand…
Now that she was actually facing two Heretic Gods, just the unconscious pressure from their presence…
Was too much for her to handle—even as a "genius."
"Go find somewhere safe to watch," Minato said with a soft smile.
A wave of pure magic surged from him, wrapping around her and carrying her a thousand feet away.
"Hmph. That devil actually has a considerate side, huh…"
Freed from their pressure, Erica finally relaxed. But a second later, she seemed to realize something—and her face turned red with embarrassment and anger.
Wait a sec—
That devil used magic to fly with me...
Which means he could have let me fly on my own.
But he chose not to.
Ugh! That devil's just a big perv!
"A mere demon wants to join a battle between gods?" Mechal's voice boomed like a war drum, dripping with disdain.
"You're the one who defeated my boar incarnation, aren't you?" asked Veleslana, a little surprised. Then he smiled. "I didn't think a demon would take interest in us Heretic Gods. I guess you're the exception."
He'd come here to find strong opponents.
If Mechal hadn't been here, he might've gone after Minato first.
But now… this was perfect.
Facing the gazes of both Heretic Gods, Minato calmly took a step forward.
BOOM!
His magic exploded like a pillar to the heavens, ripping through the storm clouds in an instant and piercing the sky like a spear.
His power shook the world itself.
"Mechal. In legend, one of the mightiest gods of the Mediterranean. The greatest dragonslayer, the strongest warrior, and known as the King of the Gods."
Behind Minato, a pair of demon wings spread wide. His wine-red eyes locked onto the two gods as he spoke casually:
"Veleslana. Guardian of Mitra. Once the light-bringer who upheld royal power."
Hearing Minato casually recite their titles and legends, both gods raised an eyebrow.
"You two… are both gods of war and conquest…"
He flapped his demon wings, and the wind and rain parted before him, forming a triangle of tension between the three of them.
"And today… I'll be the one to bring you down."
His voice dripped with confidence—absolute and overwhelming.
The soundwaves alone blew away the clouds.
His power filled the whole sky.
Even the storm that had blanketed hundreds of miles paused for a beat.
Is that really the same demon from before?
From the distance, Erica stared in disbelief.
The Minato she was looking at now felt like a completely different person. It didn't just clash with the "demon" image she had—it shattered it.
In a daze—
Minato's figure overlapped with that of a true king. A conqueror.
"Hahaha… this is rich. A mere demon thinks he can beat me?"
Mechal was so angry he laughed. "In that case, I'll use your blood to calm my rage!"
"You've got some power," Veleslana said, eyes full of madness. "But man, you sure talk big."
"But since I'm the God of Victory—undefeated and unstoppable—I accept all challenges. Even from a demon like you."
Without a sound—
An invisible pressure surged from all three of them.
The waves around them froze for a second—then were blasted away by a force even wilder.
The storm itself seemed to grow a mind of its own, trying to escape from these three godlike beings.
"A demon with this kind of presence… fine. I'll accept you as my opponent."
Mechal looked at Minato, surprised, and laughed maniacally: "Then let's do this. The God of Victory, the unknown demon, and me—let's have ourselves a proper brawl!"
His roar echoed across the heavens—and Mechal made the first move.
His target?
Both Minato and Veleslana at the same time.
He raised his massive arm—and brought down his giant club.
In an instant, thunder converged from every direction, like divine judgment crashing down.
As the God of Storms, he controlled lightning and thunder.
That one swing—
Would've completely wiped out an entire city if it had landed on the human world.
"This… this is the power of a Heretic God?"
Far away, Erica stood frozen, completely stunned.
The magic around her shimmered like ripples in the air, shielding her from the aftershock.
She was sure of one thing:
If not for Minato's protection—
She wouldn't even be able to watch this fight.
"....."