After parting ways with Lulune, I was making my way to my target location. I walked through the streets and houses that had been destroyed.
I know the Ryuu and others are going to be mad at me when I return, but I can't involve them in what I am about to do.
I thought about the inevitable fate that is waiting for me as I reached the location. It was an abandoned church in the northwestern district.
I studied the building from a hidden spot. Two guards were standing outside. They were fully armed. I guess my rampage has put them on alert now.
Not like that will make a difference, though.
I decided not to waste more time than necessary and sprinted at them.
"Hm? What is that–" I slit the neck of the guy, blood pouring out of his neck as his body slid down, losing all strength.
"Enemy! There is an intrude–GAAAHHHH!!" The other guy yelled at the top of his lungs, alerting those inside, and drew his sword out, but before his sword could come out of the sheath, I cut off his hand, and in a fluid motion, stabbed his chest.
Without looking back, I made my way inside the church. There were at least 30 people inside.
"Kill him!!" They yelled, jumping at me with weapons in hand. I ducked under the battle axe, driving my sword into his rib cage, then came a dagger aimed at my neck. I tilted my body to the side, plunged a knife into his stomach, and dragged it up to his chest. He fell to the ground, drowning in his own blood.
The other fanatics backed off, seeing the brutality.
"GUUH!! Don't be afraid! He is alone, overwhelmed him wih numbers!" Shouted one of the fanatics.
"H-HAAAAA!!" the fanatics charged with renewed vigor, shouting to drown their own fears. First comes a knife. I grabbed his hands and, with my superior strength, made him stab himself.
"You monster!!" Another person came up to me, raising his sword high, and I kicked the side of his kneecap, "GAAAAH!!" He screamed, grabbing his leg. I raised my hand to burn him–"CHING!"
But before I could conjure the flames, a small axe came flying at me a high speed, but to me it was a very slow speed. I caught the axe first, embedded in the side of the neck of the guy who was on his knees, before pulling out the axe and throwing it back.
"Archers! Loose!" Five archers who have taken position at the raised altar, loose their arrows at me. I did not move from my spot instead.
"Agni O." A wall of fire came up in front of me, burning the arrows. I changed the shape of the flame wall to five spears and hurled them at the archers, "AAHHH!!" they screamed in agony as they burned.
I could tell my feelings were driving me forward to kill them this brutally, mainly because it was the Rudra familia hideout that I was attacking, the same Rudra familia that took Ryuu's friends from her. And made her abandon justice.
Before long, there was only one of the fanatics remaining, Jura.
"Hiiiiiii!!"
I stepped towards him as he tried to run. Before he could take another step, he was caught in my flames.
"AAAAHHHHH!!" I reduced the intensity of the flames as he burned and wailed for some time until his body crumbled like ash.
I looked around to make sure all of them were dead.
"Bravo! Bravo!" I looked towards the person who spoke. He was sitting on a raised platform in front of the broken window, the rays of the moonlight highlighting his form. He had brown skin, a shade darker than my own. He was wearing a lot of golden accessories.
"The brutality you have shown makes me want to recruit you in my own familia, how about it? Do you–GUUAHHH!!" Before he could blabber any further, I leaped at him, kicking his face with my knee. I could feel his nose breaking.
He grabbed his nose; blood was leaking out of his nose.
"You-You! Have you gone mad?! Attacking a god is a heavy sin!" He blabbered, still grabbing his nose.
"I couldn't care less," I said, standing in front of him, the moonlight falling on my face. His eyes widen in realization.
"Blue flames, black eyes and hair, You are that High Human?!" He shouted, trying to back off, but I put my foot on his legs and, with just a little pressure, broke his legs, rendering him unable to run.
"GAAAAAA!!" He screamed, and I waited until his cry died down. "HAA…HAA…HAA…" His breathing was heavy as he spoke, "Just because you are a high human and your soul does not belong to this world, does not mean that you can't be tormented. Go ahead and kill me, and I swear I will find the souls of all those you care about when they die and torture them for eternity!"
I remained silent, "HAHAHAHA!" and it seemed that silence gave him some confidence. As he laughed. "Now what? Did you start second-guessing your decision?"
I put my feet on his other leg, breaking it as well. "GAAAAAH!!" He again howled in pain.
"And what gives you the impression that I will just kill you in the mortal realm and call it even?"
"Wh-What do you mean?" He asked, his breathing ragged.
"I mean that I am coming for you to your safe haven as well, 10 years give or take, try to be prepared because the next time we meet? That will be your last day." I start to raise my sword.
"Yo-You are insane! Delusional!" He said, his eyes wide, pupil shaking until. "HAHAHA!" He laughed like a madman.
"A mortal challenging a god?" He stared right at me. "Fine! Go ahead and kill me, and let's see how you fare against a god! High Human, your kind have always been an abomination, always going against the order of nature. 10 years, you better not disappoint me because if you lose, I will make your life hell."
I ignored his rumbling and brought my sword down at him, stabbing through his chest. And backed off quickly so as not to get caught up in the resulting blast of energy. The beam of light destroyed the ceiling, parted the cloud, until finally the light receded.
I stared at the sky, remembering my conversation with Loki.
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It was the day after our battle with Saphira and Delphyne, and I came to Loki's room to get my status updated.
"Oh! Arin-kun, finally here to get your status updated?" She said as I entered the room.
"Yeah. I am." I started to remove my shirt and lie down on the bed. Loki must have sensed that the atmosphere around me was different, as she quietly got on my back and started to update my status.
"Loki," I said, breaking the silence.
"What is it? Arin-kun?"
"How far are you willing to forgive me?" I asked her. Her hands freeze for a moment before continuing.
"What are you talking about, Arin-kun?" She asked, handing me my status sheet.
"Then let me ask you this," I said, staring at her. "How can I kill a god?" Her expression froze before she started bonking my head
"He-Hey, what was that for?" I grabbed her hands, stopping her attacks on my head.
"Are you stupid, Arin? There is no way you can kill a god. And even if you kill them in the Gekai, they will simply return to heaven and try their best to exact revenge. Once you die, your own soul might not go to heaven, but they will still try to find the souls of those close to you." She explained rapidly, her breathing becoming rough.
"That's why I asked how to kill a god and not how to kill the vessel they use." She quietly stared at me.
"Haaa… look, I will suggest you not to make a god your enemy, some of us are really petty. But seeing your expression, you won't stop, will you?"
"Yes." I do not trust the gods of this world, while there are some good and decent gods in this world, like Astraea, Ganesha, Hephaestus, and, while I am reluctant to admit it, even Loki and Hermes as well. But most of the gods see this mortal realm, which they call 'Gekai', as just a playground for them.
This conflict with Evilius has made me rethink my goals. At first, it was just to save Ryuu familia and kill the One-eyed black dragon. And maybe, just maybe, become more than just a comrade to them.
While those goals have not changed yet, but if I truly want to be free and keep the girls safe, then I need to have the strength to go against these almighty beings as well.
Who knows when one of them might get bored enough to just bring this world to an end?
"Fine, then I will tell you how to kill a god." She said, My whole attention turned towards her.
"To kill a god, you need to have arcanum."
"Arcanum?" While I knew it was god's power but my understanding was limited.
"Yes, while Arcanum is a broad term used to define a god's power, for example, like a god of lightning will have the Arcanum of Lightning, it's like a skill but more potent, and rather than a physical or magical thing, it's more of a conceptual thing." She took a pause. "Though no human in the entire history is able to gain Arcanum."
"Arcanum, huh? And how do you gain this 'Arcanum'?" I asked.
"No idea." She said, "Don't look at me like that. I really don't know, we gods come into existence with our authority already given to us. That's why if someone gains it, then they are pretty much like a god."
"Hmm…" I started to think about what other ways there can be to gain a godly power like that.
"Maybe you will gain it when you level up enough? Or maybe with sheer determination or maybe there is no way at all. The answer to that, you have to find yourself."
"I see, thanks," I said and got up, ready to leave.
"Arin-kun, don't do anything stupid, okay?" Loki's voice stopped me in my tracks.
"Of course, I will only do what is necessary," I said, giving her a reassuring smile, before leaving.
"Yeah, that smile did not reassure me, though," Loki muttered something behind me as I left to do what was necessary.