Overgeared

Pain was to be remembered. Once imprinted, it couldn't be easily shaken off.

"...It doesn't hurt at all." Jishuka smiled slightly as she sat in the capsule for a long time and rubbed her fingers. The pain in her fingers that overlapped every time she continuously fired—this was the worst penalty an archer had to endure. They had to feel the pain of their flesh being crushed, their muscles being ruptured, and their bones cracking throughout the battle. It might not be comparable to actual pain, but it still hurt.

Above all, it was very difficult psychologically. The longer the battle, the more times the bowstring was pulled. She knew that this pain would stay in her memories and torture her all night after she returned to reality and she sometimes wanted to run away.

Of course, she didn't really escape. She didn't take a step back. She didn't complain of pain to her colleagues or show it. Even so, Grid knew her pain. After she returned from the hell expedition, he presented her with a new thimble. It was a durable thimble. It wrapped around her fingers and contained Grid's warm consideration.

'...You have always been paying attention to me.'

He trusted her. He thought she would be able to do well with this rough thimble.

"Good, let's have strength."

Jishuka enjoyed the moment for a while before standing up vigorously. On the hologram in front of the capsule, Grid's activity was being shown. It was very cool to see him break through the crisis in some way. It was an expected performance. Just as Grid believed in JIshuka, she believed in Grid.

'Relax and fight at ease.'

She would protect the Behen Archipelago to the end—she made this resolution as she ate the banana milk flavored calorie bar and spicy chicken flavored nuts. It was an effort to adapt to Korean tastes, although it was a distorted palate. In any case, she supplemented herself with nutrients and lay down in the capsule again.

***

The 8th Great Demon, Barbatos, presided over death. If the target was within his 'field of view,' he could shoot them regardless of the distance and terrain. Thus, he was called the god of death.

He was the object of actual faith. His ability to execute others beyond time and space was sufficient to make him an object of awe and worship. Unlike Sitri, who swallowed the ghosts of hell and lost his ego in exchange for gaining a power comparable to a god, Barbatos was becoming a real demon god with the worship of other demons.

...This was until Leraje became active. It was hundreds of years ago. Leraje returned with the undefeated myth from the Behen Archipelago and emerged as a new idol. Otherwise, Barbatos would have succeeded in building divinity by monopolizing the worship of demons.

In Empress Basara's bedroom, inside the imperial palace...

'What...' Barbatos, who was using a place no one could've predicted as a sniping point, was shaken. It was because Grid kept avoiding and blocking his sniping. Grid did it while fighting Baal. He was doing the impossible.

'Is Baal doing it half-heartedly?'

It was natural to wonder about such a thing. Barbatos was close to Baal's faction, but he didn't trust Baal. Baal knew clearly that he was aiming for Grid's divinity and made it difficult on purpose. He cursed and said that there wouldn't be another son of a bitch like this in the world. Then, suddenly—

'...No?' He confirmed that Baal's face had a distorted smile.

Chill.

time, a chill went down Barbatos'

***

silver threads in the process of charging. Thanks to this, Grid identified the location Baal was coming from even before his transcendent senses were activated. He predicted the next attack by assigning Baal's fist

was the moment when his speed and level of thinking entered the realm of a perfect

expression crumpled like a piece of paper. It wasn't an

To be exact, it seemed to be accelerating. It was due to expansion. The sword that was surrounded

'It is easy.'

property of geniuses. The information delivered by the silver threads of the 30 God Hands orbiting at intervals of five

transcendent senses only informed him that a threat was coming. It raised his reflexes

just less convenient when compared with the 'senses that always dominate a radius of

dropped down and rose up. There was a sound like thunder when it slashed. Then strangely, it stopped in the middle of the rotation. It disappeared without notice. This was because the sword dance was used at unexpected timings by actively utilizing the body that ignored a certain amount

senses in real time. Thus, it was even trickier. Grid's sword dance, which had its

truly interesting guy.' Baal grabbed his restless left hand and stepped back. It was only after several minutes of attacking and defending that he saw through and escaped Grid's

him. He marveled at how Grid had become a different being in just a few minutes. At the time when he gained Zik's body, Baal checked that it was on the level of a 'high

for a while, his fate

no

worlds. Along the way, he had witnessed and experienced more geniuses than the stars, but he thought Grid was the best. It was natural. If

world

"It

enjoying this moment. It was thrilling to have complete control over the flow of battle and to break his limits. There was

thus it consumed less concentration. It was much faster than when he solely relied on

eyes. Then the demonic energy, which had been wrapped around his skin like armor, rose in a haze. It was reminiscent

"This is the limit."

only a fragment of a particular ego. It was impossible for him to use Baal's power or to summon hell. It was a matter of authority that was in

"It won't disappoint you."

on the other side of the direction in which the demonic energy shook. Seven training grounds that fostered powerful soldiers

was in that

to Lauel's order, stiffened like stone statues. An explosion occurred in the distance and they couldn't hear Grid's theme song. They couldn't even

the speculation could be

——!

black line. It intertwined

"Grid!"

passion. A huge tsunami

The tsunami, which was huge enough to swallow the sky, was just a distraction to divert

body on the terrace faltered. At this time, an explosion occurred in the palace and caused Braham to

that all eight demons in the procession chasing after him had the modifier 'Barbatos's subordinates.' The series of explosions inside the palace caused part of the imperial palace to collapse. In these circumstances, Mercedes and Asmophel seemed to be engaged in a