Chapter 32: Heretic God—Melqart! (Patreon)

The sky was thick with dark clouds, and a fierce storm raged.

Vroom—

Along the winding mountain road, a sports car bounced and jolted as it sped forward, leaving a trail of scattered parts in its wake. It was a miracle the vehicle hadn’t fallen apart already.

The earlier clear, cloudless sky seemed like a lie. The gloomy clouds that had gathered for hours finally unleashed their downpour—a heavy, sudden rain.

Within the clouds, a golden light suddenly flashed, accompanied by the rumble of thunder that shook the earth.

Lightning struck, and the wind rapidly intensified. In an instant, a violent storm engulfed the world!

Without any warning, the storm had arrived, as if intent on merging heaven and earth.

The sudden storm and thunder created chaos in the besieged town. People opened their windows to check the weather, only to freeze in terror at the sight in the sky.

Screams of horror, cries of shock, and frantic commotion erupted as if everyone had been cast into hell. The storm lifted lightweight objects like timber and cloth, swirling them into the air.

Lightning intermittently illuminated the dark, gloomy sky, while thunderbolts scorched the earth and shattered buildings.

Even inside the car, the atmosphere was heavy.

First, because of the catastrophic scene outside. Second, because of the towering figure moving within the storm, bathed in the raging wind and rain.

Even from a distance, the oppressive feeling of directly facing a divine being was enough to send chills down one’s spine.

Fortunately, the maid focused intently on driving, while Erika and Lukulazia watched through the windows without disturbing Haru, who was sitting cross-legged inside the car, meditating and regulating his breathing.

Unlike the previous divine beasts, this time they were witnessing a true god, true divine majesty, the manifestation of real power—a Heretic God!

The giant, over ten meters tall, took steps that rumbled like thunder, each footfall heavy and resonant.

From afar, it resembled a towering mountain in human form, advancing relentlessly through the storm.

They could vaguely make out its wild, unkempt appearance—a shaggy head of hair that looked never trimmed and a thick beard covering the lower half of its face.

Its body was immensely solid and perfectly proportioned, putting even world-class bodybuilders to shame.

Normally, someone that tall would appear lanky, but the giant was nothing like that. Its bulging muscles exuded sheer intimidation just by their appearance.

Its body was majestic, powerful, and sacred!

Though dressed in rough, crude garments—dirty rags and leather armor covering its front, with a tattered cloak draped over its shoulders—it radiated an aura of authority.

The giant moved forward through the storm… or rather, it was the source of this natural disaster.

Despite its seemingly slow movements, its speed was anything but. Even with the maid pressing the accelerator to the floor, they could only barely keep up.

Heretic God—Melqart!

The king of gods, ruler of the heavens, god of storms, god of life and the underworld—a great warrior, the mightiest dragon-slayer, an absolute sovereign permitted to destroy the world and humanity itself.

As the world developed and evolved, spiritual energy, magic power, and other energies began to diminish.

With the decline of mystery, space itself grew fragile, and damage to the world increased.

As stability waned, many gods chose to slumber within their myths or avoid descending into the mortal realm.

But even homebodies eventually feel the urge to go out for a stroll.

Thus, Heretic Gods—akin to avatars or projections—came into being.

However, Heretic Gods were a troublesome bunch. Not content to stay in their own domains, they enjoyed trespassing into others’, provoking conflicts and causing havoc.

And so, battles between Heretic Gods erupted—even if their true selves never fully descended.

But the power of Heretic Gods was not something ordinary people could handle, and they caused immense damage and destruction to the world.

Thus, the God-Slayers were born—humans who, through a miracle known as “strong fortune,” slew gods and gained the power to defeat Heretic Gods.

However, although the number of Heretic Gods decreased, the God-Slayers themselves became a new source of trouble for the world.

So, when the God-Slayers became the world’s new problem, the “Last King”—specifically designed to counter them—emerged.

His power was set to equal the combined strength of all the devil-king God-Slayers in the world. His abilities would increase based on the number of God-Slayers present on earth, and he could also borrow divine artifacts from various gods.

But that’s a tangent.

Watching the terrifying giant within the storm, Erika felt utterly insignificant.

The power she had once been so confident and proud of was nothing in the face of such a being.

With mere gestures, the giant could unleash cataclysmic disasters, something completely beyond the reach and capability of mortals.

If not for her knightly honor, she might have been overcome with fear at the very sight of the deity.

Thud, thud, thud—

Roar!

“What?! A divine beast?”

As time passed, it seemed they had arrived at the battlefield.

Alongside the giant’s footsteps, other enormous sounds soon emerged.

Then Erika noticed something—a massive, four-legged beast soaring leisurely through the storm. A giant goat, existing in the sky, much like a Chinese dragon, coiling through the air without feathers or wings. This enormous goat led the wind, clouds, rain, and lightning as it danced in the sky.

Its size was no smaller than the giant wild boar they had witnessed earlier. Its fur was white, and two long horns extended from its head.

“Guoooo...”