Chapter 38: Birth of a God-Slayer (Patreon)

BOOM—

The earth crumbled under the terrifying force, and the battle reached its critical moment.

Buzzzzz…

But just as he seemed on the verge of defeat, Melqart began to discard all notions of fair play.

Earlier, he had been "meeting brute force with brute force," fitting his image as a rough warrior.

Yet, at this final moment, with victory or defeat hanging in the balance, Melqart evaded Haru's attack with wind-like agility and created distance.

Simultaneously, a black mist began to spread in all directions, engulfing the land at an alarming rate.

The black fog quickly reached the battlefield. An unpleasant buzzing sound assaulted their ears. This wasn't fog, but—

A swarm of locusts!

These tiny pests appeared in masses—hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, no, even more—countless locusts squirmed and stirred.

The locusts drew closer, hopping about everywhere. Some spread their wings and took to the air, targeting Haru.

Abnormally large swarms of locusts devour crops and bring famine. Before modern times, these pests had appeared in massive numbers, often in units around ten billion.

[You are strong, but I have discerned your weakness. You likely cannot maintain this state for long, correct? Allow me to summon my familiars to keep you company!]

"..."

BOOM!!!

Haru's response to Melqart was silence—and another surge of boiling steam.

This time, the cursed energy enveloping his body manifested as high-temperature flames.

In the blink of an eye, the crimson flames swept out and erupted, forming a massive blood-red sphere in the sky!

Immediately after, the sphere descended, covering the entire area.

Crackle, pop, sizzle…

No matter how the locusts tried to flee or attack, the moment they touched the crimson flames, they were instantly incinerated into ash. The only remnants were faint, sizzling sounds as they charged into the fire.

For a moment, the scent of roasted meat wafted across the battlefield. The seemingly endless green ocean of locusts was no match for the sphere.

Under the scorching flames, not even ash remained in the end.

[Do not look down on me, human!]

'I'm not looking down on you. I just don't have time for chit-chat.'

Watching his servants turn to dust under the flames—it wasn't that Melqart particularly cared for these locusts—but seeing his ability being overpowered was naturally unacceptable.

Then, amidst his roar, the previously scattered locusts converged, forming a gigantic hand.

Countless locusts layered upon each other, seemingly trying to resist the flames this way. The next moment, the "giant hand" slammed directly toward the flames.

Green and crimson collided in an instant.

There was no explosive impact, but the point of collision was exceptionally gruesome.

Wave upon wave of locusts surged forward, seemingly trying to offset and extinguish the flames. Although they ultimately met their end as scattered ashes, they barely managed to halt the advance.

Locusts now filled the heavens and the earth. This overwhelming swarm was Melqart's messenger.

It materialized his aspect as a god of destruction—a death swarm that would utterly devour its target, be it iron or concrete.

The battle seemed to have reached a stalemate at this moment—except it wasn't possible.

"Hmph!"

For the first time since entering his Burning Cursed Energy state, Haru spoke.

The sound was like thunder, generating sonic waves and air explosions.

In an instant, the dense swarm of locusts shattered. A streak of rainbow light shot across the sky, descending toward Melqart.

Facing this, the club in Melqart's hand met the descending light with an indomitable momentum.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment, and the world fell silent.

Only Melqart, standing on the ground, remained. The reflection in his eyes showed the club being deflected, followed by a figure falling like a meteor, delivering a sharp, decisive palm strike to his forehead.

BOOM—

The Heretic God's massive body stiffened, but the earth beneath his feet shook and shattered.

Simultaneously, an enormous, palm-shaped crater appeared beneath the giant's feet. A complex expression surfaced in his eyes.

Satisfaction, fulfillment, reluctance, resignation, admiration, appreciation...

Various emotions flickered across his face. In the end, all that remained was a complicated smile from the Heretic God.

Then, the storm ceased. The battlefield, now transformed into a basin, fell silent once more. But the giant within began to dissipate under an intangible, gentle breeze.

God-slaying successful. The Heretic God has left the stage!

A light began to flicker, and the burly Heretic God gradually turned illusory.

Finally, he looked at his opponent, whose clothes had been burned away. He held no grudge or resentment, for the other had defeated him fairly and squarely.

Heretic Gods understood the existence of God-Slayers and the conditions for their birth: they must defeat a powerful Heretic God head-on and seize their authority.

Melqart was not so petty as to lack that much magnanimity.

It's just that he couldn't have his final battle with Verethragna, which left him with a touch of regret.

[You have won...]

"He killed a god... Haru, he... that is to say, the seventh God-Slayer has been born!"

After the battle ended, Erica, watching from the sidelines, felt as if she had lost all strength. Whether from excitement or something else, she murmured to herself in agitation.

Even Lucretia beside her was stunned on the spot.

Watching the newly born God-Slayer from a distance, who would one day become the "King" revered by magicians.

And the handsome youth who now stood at the pinnacle of the world's destiny stood quietly in place.

They knew this was the beginning of the ritual after god-slaying, so they didn't disturb him. Besides, they couldn't interfere or participate anyway. Instead, they exchanged a glance, then flashed into position, placing themselves between Haru and the other Heretic God.

"..."