Overgeared

A surprise attack. However, Grid had been suspicious of Mumud from the start. He immediately reacted to the thousands of chains showing up from all directions.

Purple energy surged around Grid. He was using the Annihilation energy defensively. Many of these chains turned to ashes as soon as they came into contact with the Annihilation energy.

Grid took a step, and a silent sword pierced Mumud in the abdomen. This was a very fast counterattack that was linked with Shunpo. A Transcendent wouldn’t be able to respond to it.

Defying the Natural Order was piercing Mumud’s belly. However, there was no blood. Mumud seemed to blur like a haze before vanishing.

‘Is this an afterimage that appeared in response to my fast attack?’

No, that was impossible. This wasn’t an afterimage created by really fast movement. It was a trap dug in advance. Mumud had predicted Grid would do this. Grid fell to his knees the moment he realized this.

Bang!

Before he knew it, he was overwhelmed by the pressure of Meteor that was falling toward his head. The gravity around him had increased a thousandfold. If he hadn’t had the title that gave him immunity to being crushed, wouldn’t he have tasted instant death? The rock that appeared was so gigantic that he couldn’t help having this absurd thought.

[Don’t be too aggressive.]

Marie Rose’s intent arose from the blind spot in Grid’s field of view. She was behind the Full Moon Fortress. Yes, he sensed her intent from all the way behind the huge city that was hundreds of kilometers in circumference. In other words, she was very far away. She was located next to Mumud, who was so far that Grid couldn’t reach him even if he used Shunpo. Mumud had used teleportation to get away from Grid.

[Did you turn into fog and bolted for me in a straight line?]

Mumud looked a bit surprised. He didn’t seem to have expected how fast Marie Rose would pursue him. But Grid was even more surprised.

‘Intent... Is Mumud an Absolute?’

That was theoretically possible. Mumud had created a new discipline, which was the combination of magic and mystical arts. It made sense that he would become an Absolute in recognition of his achievements.

[Grid, I guarantee that you will regret it if you keep Mumud alive,] Raphael said. [Asgard’s independence... Mumud is about to complete that absurd plan of his. The moment the Full Moon Fortress is completed, the gods of Asgard will no longer need humans.]

“......”

[Asgard and the surface will be completely isolated, unable to interfere with each other. Once that happens, Asgard will get much more benefits from this situation than the surface. Asgard can constantly produce new gods and angels, strengthening them through the worship of the demon cultivators. One day, Asgard will appear before humans again, and the surface won’t be able to handle Asgard at all.]

This was definitely a possible future. Grid couldn’t refute it. However, he had one question.

“...Isn’t that the ideal outcome for you? Why didn’t you agree with Mumud’s plan?”

[What?]

Raphael frowned. His scarred and beautiful face was full of annoyance.

[Do you want me to be Mumud’s subordinate? I will hate that more than dying, don’t you think? I guess you looked down on me so much that you forgot, but most angels of human origin are the soldiers I selected and brought to heaven. Mumud is just one of them. Would you want to serve the soldiers you created? Huh?]

‘This guy is serious.’

then simply survive by playing Satisfy, to protecting what he first gained after becoming Pagma's Successor, to protecting what mattered

he had developed the ability to see through people. He just developed an intuition to distinguish between lies and truth. He’d gained this intuition after many encounters. The senses of an Absolute that activated the moment he connected to Satisfy combined with

me? Are you saying it isn’t worth talking to

Bam!

he was, so Grid punched him in the face. Then he infused Annihilation energy into his sword. This energy wasn’t infinite. There was a set amount to it, just like a normal person’s mana. The number was very high and so was the resource recovery, so Grid wasn’t even

much Annihilation energy when he used it defensively to avoid the pressure of the chains.

felt too uneasy to stop it with Multiple Weakening Barriers. But,

That was okay.

one

rapidly. Or, conversely, it sounded like cracks appearing in a large piece of ice. The purple energy flowing through the sharp blade of Defying the Natural Order repeatedly expanded and contracted, shattered

to kill anything. The Annihilation energy tempered

matter what Mumud’s intentions are or what future

enough

Grid’s arm blurred...

Baaaaaaang!

temple that could fit an entire city

[A... Agh...]

his red-hot cheek after getting punched and sending killing intent toward Grid. Now, he couldn’t help sucking in a breath. The sharp

this line became bigger and bigger, it would be the end for the Full Moon Fortress. The construction would

Just then—

"Aghhhhh!”

of the temple, which had been silent until now. It came

"......?"

over three meters tall got split in half diagonally. Blood mixed with purple energy gushed

‘The Annihilation energy...!’

Fortress, ended up slicing

‘Illusion magic?’

of the Full Moon Fortress? Was it

carefully. Raphael’s intent was leaking out as he

never

asked while fixing his eyes on the Full

planned to use this to his

energy that should’ve split the Full Moon

power it receives. It’s a modified and evolved version of a mystical art called the Great Shift of the Universe. I thought Mumud was delusional when he

of

reflects a lot of the damage that the target receives. I’m not exaggerating when I say that Asgard was brought to the

wary of this unexpected development. His gaze was even fiercer than before. Even Raphael, who was blinded by range, was stunned and humbled. Raphael only used honorifics when talking sarcastically. But right now, he was

art that returns damage

skill, though it was quite powerful. Now Mumud had turned it

if I attack, other targets will take damage if

to believe, but that is an accurate

“Wait, this is crazy...”