Chapter 111. Battle Part 1
"Your opponent is me, Futsu Mitama!"
A broad smile spread across Scaramouche's face as he looked directly at Futsu Mitama. Half a year had passed since that humiliating defeat.
Half a year. A full six months.
Yet throughout those six months, Scaramouche had never managed to move past that failure.
Had he lost to anyone else, perhaps he would not have obsessed over it so deeply.
Ever since ascending to godhood, his mentality had changed dramatically. Countless things that once provoked him had become insignificant. After all, in his mind he had already become an Archon.
Why should an Archon concern himself with the provocations of mere mortals?
That was also why the Scaramouche who once delighted in slaughter could now tolerate a few offensive words. Even when someone "offended" him, he no longer executed them on a whim, choosing instead to inflict only an appropriate punishment.
But none of that applied to Futsu Mitama.
In Scaramouche's eyes, Futsu Mitama had inherited everything from Beelzebub. He had received her legacy, her acknowledgment, and even the title of the next Raiden Shogun.
Scaramouche was not someone who envied others by nature. After enduring the three betrayals, he had become utterly disillusioned with Inazuma.
He was disappointed with Beelzebub, who had hidden herself away somewhere beyond his reach, and equally disappointed with the Shogun who continued guarding Tenshukaku.
Before becoming an Archon, a faint trace of longing had still lingered within him. Somewhere deep inside, he had once wished to earn Beelzebub's approval.
But now—
That desire had disappeared completely.
There was no longer any need to seek her acknowledgment.
All he had to do was surpass her.
He had already become an Archon. Why should he continue chasing Beelzebub's recognition? He only needed to continue growing stronger until the day he personally defeated her.
But before that—
He first had to defeat Futsu Mitama.
The future Electro Archon who had handed him the greatest humiliation of his life.
Once he defeated him—once he proved that he was the superior successor—he would personally return to Inazuma one day and defeat Beelzebub herself.
"Oh."
Futsu Mitama glanced at Scaramouche before shifting his gaze toward the towering Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal, standing in the distance.
"So it's you."
His expression remained calm as he spoke.
"Aren't you planning to fight me using that thing? The current you is rather pitifully weak."
As the words fell, Futsu Mitama casually swung the Seven Thunders of Retribution: Narukami.
Brilliant Electro light instantly enveloped the blade before a terrifying slash cut through the air toward Scaramouche.
"Weak?!"
Although Scaramouche believed he had already reached a state where nothing could disturb his emotions, those words still ignited an uncontrollable fury within him.
"I have already become an Archon, Futsu Mitama!"
"Even if you've stepped into the realm of Archons, so what?!"
"I'll show you today that even among Archons, there are differences!"
"And YOU—are no match for me!"
(I will keep Scaramouche cognition of Demon God Realm as the realm of Archon. As he was quite delusional about it, and didn't care the differences.)
As he roared, two spears forged entirely from violet lightning condensed within his hands. Each radiated overwhelming destructive power as he chose to meet the incoming slash head-on instead of retreating.
Boom—!!
Narukami collided directly with the twin lightning spears, unleashing an earth-shaking explosion. Violent Electro energy erupted outward from the point of impact, surging across the battlefield like a raging storm.
Moments later, a figure burst out of the explosion.
It was Scaramouche.
His face was frozen in disbelief. He had never imagined that a single slash would be enough to send him flying.
No—
It was more than simply being forced back.
The exchange had been a complete suppression.
From beginning to end, Futsu Mitama had utterly overwhelmed him.
"Idiot."
Watching Scaramouche recklessly charge forward, Signora could not help cursing under her breath.
That fool—
He had actually chosen to confront Futsu Mitama while still in his weakest state.
No matter what, Futsu Mitama had entered the Demon God Realm through his own strength. How he had reached that realm should have been obvious enough.
Scaramouche, on the other hand, had relied on the combined wisdom of the Akademiya's Six Darshans, the Akasha's conversion of enormous amounts of energy, the forced activation of the Electro Gnosis, and the continuous energy supplied by Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal, just to force himself into the Demon God Realm within half a year.
After all, he himself was merely a puppet created by an Archon.
The Akademiya possessed the legacy of wisdom left behind by Greater Lord Rukkhadevata, while Dottore had acquired the Electro Gnosis. With so many divine resources gathered together, even a casual guinea pig could probably have ascended to godhood.
Although Signora had never directly participated in the God Creation Project, she understood one thing perfectly well.
Among the Archons, Scaramouche's own personal strength was likely only comparable to that of Lesser Lord Kusanali, who had remained imprisoned for five hundred years without ever fighting.
His true power lay in Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal.
That colossal divine vessel had been custom-built by the Akademiya specifically for him.
Without it, his combat strength would immediately be cut in half.
Whoosh—!
Just then, a spear shot toward Signora with blinding speed.
"Heh~~ the Adeptus disciple."
A freezing aura instantly erupted around Signora as she blocked the incoming attack. Looking at Shenhe, whose expression remained as cold and emotionless as ever, she let out a disdainful sneer.
"So it's only you? If you're alone, you won't be able to stop me. As long as I decide to leave, you simply don't have the ability to keep me here."
From the very beginning, Signora had never intended to remain and fight to the bitter end like Scaramouche.
Unlike him, she had no interest whatsoever in meaningless battles.
What was the point of risking everything here merely for the Anemo Gnosis?
Azar had already fallen.
And unless the Akademiya had become complete fools, they had undoubtedly chosen to stand with Lesser Lord Kusanali by now.
Even if she engaged Shenhe in battle, regardless of whether she could defeat the Adeptus disciple quickly, the confrontation would inevitably drag on for at least ten minutes.
By then, whether reinforcements came from the Akademiya or Futsu Mitama's side concluded their own battles, she would most likely lose even the opportunity to escape.
Her objective was simple.
Avoid becoming entangled.
Leave this place immediately.
Scaramouche had already stepped into the Demon God Realm. Unless an existence on the level of Beelzebub or Morax personally intervened, killing him would not be easy especially with how sturdy his own body was. As long as he remained clear-headed and chose to retreat, escaping should not pose much difficulty.
The same could be said of Dottore.
Compared to those two, her own strength was the weakest. Which was precisely why she had to withdraw before the situation deteriorated any further.
"No." A calm voice interrupted her thoughts. "There's me as well."
Sangonomiya Kokomi stepped forward, her composed gaze settling upon Signora.
"It's time to settle the old debt between us."
Back then, Signora had attempted to exploit the Resistance as a convenient cover for the Fatui's operations.
At that time, the Resistance had only just been established. Kokomi had been overwhelmed by countless responsibilities, and during those chaotic early days, who could have imagined that someone had already set their sights on their fledgling organization?
As a result, among everyone who had joined the Resistance during that period, aside from wandering ronin with nowhere else to go and fugitives wanted by the Tenryou Commission, nearly everyone else claiming they wished to "help" had been Fatui spies.
Had Futsu Mitama not warned her in advance, the Resistance might well have become nothing more than another tool manipulated by the Fatui.
"Heh—just the two of you?"
Even after Sangonomiya Kokomi stepped forward, Signora merely let out a cold laugh. She readily admitted that Kokomi was a formidable opponent.
Had this battle taken place on Watatsumi Island, she would have exercised far greater caution. As the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi, Kokomi could draw upon the lingering authority left behind by a deceased Demon God, Orobashi no Mikoto. Within the borders of Watatsumi, she could even wield that authority for a brief period. Although such power still fell short of a true Archon's, it was enough to place her among the strongest beings beneath them.
But this was Sumeru.
Not Watatsumi Island.
There was scarcely enough water here to support her abilities. Stopping her under such conditions was little more than wishful thinking.
"No."
A third voice answered from the distance.
"It's three."
Kuki Shinobu emerged while calmly placing one talisman after another across the battlefield. Without even looking up, she said indifferently,
"Today is the day you die. Back then, you chased me across the battlefield. Today—we'll see whether you're still capable of escaping."
Back then, Signora had stood against three opponents at once—Futsu Mitama, Aila, and herself.
Now, things had changed.
She could no longer contend with Futsu Mitama.
Nor could she hope to defeat Aila.
Among those old opponents, only Kuki Shinobu remained someone she could still suppress.
Yet Shinobu felt no frustration over the widening gap.
She had long accepted that there would always be differences between people.
While Futsu Mitama and Aila continued advancing at astonishing speed, she had quietly devoted herself to studying onmyodo and barrier techniques. At the same time, she had also learned the methods of shrine maidens under Yae Miko's guidance.
The more techniques she mastered, the better.
One day—
Those preparations would surely prove worthwhile.
Just like now.
One barrier after another unfolded across the battlefield, their pale light weaving together into an intricate net.
Only then did Signora realize—
The escape route she had intended to take had already been sealed.
"..."
Signora's expression darkened. Without the slightest hesitation, she abandoned her original path and charged directly toward Kuki Shinobu.
"Don't even think about running."
Shenhe moved at almost the same instant.
Her spear pierced through the air like a streak of silver lightning as she rushed after Signora. Although her expression remained as cold and detached as ever, her movements betrayed an unmistakable urgency.
She had stayed in Sumeru for quite some time now.
Yet throughout all those days—
She had never encountered an opponent truly worthy of fighting.
To become stronger, she needed battle.
And to battle—
She needed opponents capable of matching her.
Unfortunately, as her own strength continued to rise, worthy opponents became increasingly scarce, while weak enemies became more numerous.
Now that Signora had finally appeared before her—there was no chance she would allow her to escape so easily.
"Out of my way!"
Signora had no intention of prolonging the engagement.
Terrifying divine pressure burst forth from her body as she immediately released the authority bestowed upon her by Her Majesty the Tsaritsa.
"Hehe~~."
Kokomi responded with a faint smile.
A similarly overwhelming pressure erupted from her own body, colliding directly against Signora's divine authority.
The two invisible forces crashed together, instantly neutralizing one another.
After refining and absorbing several Condensed Resins, Kokomi herself had undergone a profound transformation. She now possessed an imposing presence remarkably similar to that of a Demon God's follower.
Because of that—
She no longer feared the Tsaritsa's authority radiating from Signora.
In fact, if circumstances permitted, Kokomi genuinely wished to fight Signora with her full strength and personally demonstrate how much she had grown over the past few years.
Unfortunately—
Shenhe needed this battle far more than she did.
Having suppressed her fighting instincts for so long, Shenhe deserved an opportunity to release them.
Otherwise—
That pent-up frustration would inevitably end up being directed toward herself, Aila, Black Aila—or even Futsu Mitama.
Signora glanced at the charging Shenhe as an icy aura exploded around her.
An endless barrage of frozen blades, razor-sharp icicles, and crystalline spears surged forward like a blizzard intent on swallowing everything in its path.
Shenhe's expression did not change. She calmly drew a talisman from her sleeve before tossing it forward.
Whoosh—
The talisman burst apart in midair.
A frigid gale swept outward, colliding head-on with Signora's attacks. The countless ice weapons shattered instantly, dissolving into drifting frost before they could reach Shenhe.
Bang—!!
A sharp crack echoed through the battlefield.
A blazing whip suddenly unfurled within Signora's grasp as scarlet flames erupted around her body.
In an instant—
She entered the Crimson Witch of Flames state.
"MOVE!!"
Signora roared, swinging the flaming whip toward Shenhe with overwhelming force.
Shenhe ignored the furious shout entirely. Her eyes remained as clear and emotionless as still water.
At this moment, nothing existed within her mind except the battle itself.
She had become a flawless fighting machine.
—
While Shenhe and Signora clashed fiercely, Kokomi remained quietly at the edge of the battlefield, watching the exchange without intervening.
Her duty was not to steal Shenhe's opponent.
It was to ensure that Signora had no avenue of escape.
Meanwhile, Kuki Shinobu continued expanding the network of talismans surrounding the battlefield. One after another, glowing barriers rose into existence, completely sealing off the surrounding area.
Each formation connected seamlessly with the next, forming an ever-tightening prison.
Only now did Signora finally realize—
The three of them had never intended to defeat her quickly.
They intended—
To prevent her escape entirely.
—
As the battle intensified on one side of the battlefield, the confrontation between Futsu Mitama and Scaramouche resumed on the other.
After being sent flying, Scaramouche barely managed to steady himself before Futsu Mitama pressed forward once again.
He had no intention of giving his opponent even the slightest opportunity to recover.
After all, Futsu Mitama understood a simple principle.
When an enemy was down—you must struck again.
Scaramouche, however, remained astonishingly stubborn.
Even now, he convinced himself that he had merely been careless. Had he not underestimated Futsu Mitama and chosen to clash head-on, he would never have been forced back.
Now that he was taking the battle seriously—
Victory would surely be his within only a few exchanges.
"Swish--!!"
A purple lightning flash passed, and Scaramouche was once again sent flying.
He appeared exceptionally disheveled at this moment, his clothes torn into rags, and several scars appeared on his pure white, puppet body.
Now, even if Scaramouche didn't want to accept reality, he had to. He stared at Futsu Mitama with a rather crazed look and said,
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!! I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!! JUST HALF A YEAR!! WHY HAVE YOU BECOME SO STRONG!!!! EVEN BEELZEBUB DOESN'T HAVE THIS ABILITY IN SUCH SHORT TIME!!! YOU!! WHAT KIND OF MONSTER ARE YOU!"
Half a year ago, Futsu Mitama still relied on Shenhe and the Anemo Gnosis to severely injure him.
But half a year later, his own strength had made a leap-like improvement, finally reaching the Realm of Archons. But why did this guy also reach the Realm with him!
Scaramouche hadn't taken the words of Signora and Dottore to heart, because he was stubborn!
He didn't believe that Futsu Mitama could improve so much in just half a year.
But reality gave him a beating. Although Futsu Mitama couldn't kill him immediately, he was indeed overpowering him in terms of strength and skill.
This should have been impossible, but it happened.
Scaramouche was now feeling extremely uncomfortable, even somewhat insane.
"Monster?"
Futsu Mitama felt somewhat novel hearing Scaramouche call him that. He didn't say much, simply holding the Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami and calmly looking at the other party, saying,
"No matter what you say. It's almost time to lock you up. To be honest, your strength is really a bit low right now. You're only slightly stronger than Nahida. It seems that without that mecha, your strength can't be fully unleashed."
Futsu Mitama glanced across the fractured expanse toward Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal, distant and looming like a storm god awoken from slumber. He had just clashed with Scaramouche—and consciously drawn himself away, severing the tie that bound the wannabe god to the colossal mech.
The gap between Scaramouche and Shouki no Kami yawned wider, stretching like a wound in the world. Yet Scaramouche seemed blind to it. His fury burned hotter, his voice a jagged blade as he demanded head-on collision with Futsu Mitama.
Now that Scaramouche had chosen to flee toward the mech, Futsu Mitama held dozens of threads to halt him—each one a silent promise of ruin.
"Ha?!"
Scaramouche's cry tore through the air. Inexplicable rage coiled within him, black and serpentine. He had ascended—had climbed to godhood! He stood now as an existence equal to Beelzebub.
Yet Futsu Mitama dared compare him to that hollow Archon—Buer?!
Not long before, Scaramouche had faced Nahida. She was frail, pathetic—even with the Gnosis clutched in her hands, she could not stand against him nor Dottore.
Though Scaramouche conceded that dismantling Nahida, Gnosis-bearing and cunning, in such short time would not be easy.
But he could crush her! Which meant—
He was stronger than Buer!!!
Yet in Futsu Mitama's gaze, he was no more than Buer????
Utter humiliation.
"What, you're not convinced?"
Futsu Mitama's voice was soft as silk, amused. He watched Scaramouche's teeth grind, delighting in the raw poverty of the individual's self-awareness.
He still postured as a titan, yet walked more like a giant child—unwashed, ungrown, a baby Archon who had never learned to stand.
Oh, in a way, he truly hadn't grown. Experiments by Dottore first, then sentinel of the Abyss, then odd-job beast for the Fatui—he had served, never led.
Aside from strength, Scaramouche was hollow in all else. Now that Futsu Mitama declared his strength insufficient, the individual twisted, anxious, his pride a broken cage.
"Good, good, good! You forced my hand!"
Scaramouche raged, trembling. His eyes burned as he spat,
"You will face! True Divine Retribution!!!!"
As his words shattered, Shouki no Kami, the Prodigal, in the distance, jolted awake. It rose like a titan from slumber, fist lifting, and a terrifying bolt of Electro Element—pure lightning wrath—screamed toward Futsu Mitama.
"Hm?!"
Futsu Mitama's brow furrowed once. Geo Element condensed around him, thick and golden, and a Jade Shield bloomed like a moonflower.
It broke the Electro laser without a sound.
"Hahahahahaha!!!!"
Scaramouche laughed wild, savage, as if asking,
You have seen my might! Have you not?!
But Futsu Mitama fell silent.
Behind him, The Omnipresent God's Wheel unfurled—nine rings of violet thunder. Lightning crackled in his eyes. In his hand, the Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami hummed, aura blooming like a Electro Archon's breath.
He was serious now. He had believed that widening the distance between Scaramouche and the mech would sever control. He had not expected the individual to command Shouki no Kami remotely.
Truly surprising.
Verily, the Akademiya had forged a divine artifact for him—a weapon far beyond the half-finished mech Scaramouche had worn in Inazuma.
But, no matter how strong the mech! It must be worn to strike.
At this thought, Futsu Mitama's heart became a still lake. No thoughts. No desires. Only clarity.
His spirit, his energy—both tuned to apex. He prepared the next strike: even if it could not kill Scaramouche! It must rend him, wound him deep.
"Devotion?!"
Scaramouche's eyes widened—saw something impossible. He stared at The Omnipresent God's Wheel behind Futsu Mitama and shrieked,
"HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE?! YOU CAN WIELD DEVOTION?! ISN'T THIS POWER RESERVED ONLY FOR THE ARCHONS?!"
Shocked—Scaramouche was utterly, utterly shattered. He knew where that power stemmed.
Why was Buer, an Archon, so weak? Because she had no true believers in Sumeru.
Devotion—the faith of all beings, the power of belief—was the spoils of the Archon War, taken by the Seven.
They governed well, and their nations' faith soared. The Archons grew stronger, brighter.
According to Azar's design, once Scaramouche possessed the[Omniscient and Omnipotent Wisdom], he would be unveiled to Sumeru's people.
He would become Sumeru's new Archon, and a continuous river of faith-power would pour into him.
Scaramouche had waited for that day. He never expected Futsu Mitama to seize it first.
How was this possible? Utterly impossible!!!
Half a year of seclusion left Scaramouche blind to Futsu Mitama's journey. Now his face twisted, mask cracked.
Jealousy. Deep, venomous jealousy. Why did the other individual always claim such treasures?!
But Futsu Mitama spoke nothing. He saw the flaw in Scaramouche's stance. A violet spark flashed in his eyes.
The next instant—Futsu Mitama vanished.
He reappeared before Scaramouche, and the Seven Thunder of Retribution: Narukami in his hand slashed toward Scaramouche's crown.
Musou no Hitotachi!!!!
The blade fell like thunder from the heavens.