Everything is Anime! Chapter 95: Over (Patreon)

Hikaru ran his gaze through the battlefield, noticing that Verethragna had entered the realm of godspeed.

Golden light spheres swirled around Verethragna, all flying straight toward Hikaru. For that instant, the golden radiance reigned supreme, gradually weakening the pitch-black shadows clinging to Hikaru. Two divine powers clashed with explosive force.

Spotting a slowdown in Hikaru’s movements, Verethragna smirked slyly.

“Heh… No matter how swift you are, your speed is powered by divine energy. And I hold the divine blade that severs divinity!”

Seeing a glimmer of victory, he raised his fighting spirit, brandishing twin golden swords and surging in to attack Hikaru. Each swing unleashed waves of golden light; even if the blows missed, just brushing near him made the shadows darkening Hikaru’s body fade further.

Rahu’s Authority wasn’t weak. However, Verethragna’s golden sword was stronger. This power was arguably the most broken (bug-like) ability in the original story: by reciting an anecdote from mythology, Verethragna could forge a golden sword that suppressed an opposing Authority, allowing him to overpower that ability.

In the original, Kusanagi Godou exploited this very power to defeat various Heretic Gods and Campiones.

Yet from Verethragna’s viewpoint, Hikaru still showed not the slightest fear. Even though his speed seemed to falter, his attacks grew fiercer. Rather than cornering his foe, the Invincible Warrior God earned a few new wounds himself.

Each time he parried with a golden sword, staggering force rang through his body. The Demon-Slaying Holy Sword even carved into the golden blade’s metal. Scorching crimson flames erupted from Hikaru’s arms; if Verethragna hadn’t let go in time, both of his arms might have been charred black.

The Invincible Warrior God’s once-confident face warped with disbelief.

“How…? My golden sword is clearly wearing down your power, so how are you still keeping up with my speed?”

To deal with Hikaru’s godspeed, Verethragna had long since invoked his “Phoenix” Authority. And now he was also using the golden sword to weaken Hikaru’s power. By all logic, he should have the advantage—but that’s not what was happening.

Swish, swish—!

Verethragna hesitated for a fraction of a second, and Hikaru closed the gap immediately. Dragging limbs of dragon-hands from the emerald jewels in his armor, he pinned the Invincible Warrior God’s movement; the twin golden swords were pushed to the limit. In a flash, Hikaru’s own sword arced downward. Even a brief delay of less than half a second was enough—the Invincible Warrior God’s right arm was severed in a spray of blood.

For a god, that wasn’t all that grievous. With a few minutes’ time and divine power, it could be mended. However, in such a razor-thin match, even a minor injury could tip the scales of victory. Losing an arm meant losing a weapon hand—one less tool for offense and defense, a costly mistake that could prove fatal.

Verethragna scrambled to adjust. The golden spheres still converged on Hikaru; once the Campione’s Authority was sealed, he, Verethragna, would triumph. But Hikaru had no intention of allowing that.

In an instant, Hikaru’s figure accelerated again—almost vanishing under the Invincible Warrior God’s nose. Gods naturally possessed a sort of “mind’s eye,” able to sense danger even without seeing it. But sensing is one thing; escaping harm is another.

Right then, Hikaru invoked another Authority stolen from Vishnu—Trivikrama (Vāmana). Its effect was somewhat similar to “Phoenix,” but instead of further speeding up Hikaru’s own time, it gave him short-range teleportation—hopping between two points at will, even bending space. Anywhere he could see, he could move there instantly.

The only drawback: it couldn’t send him somewhere he couldn’t see. Even so, it was more than enough in this dire situation. With several quick teleports, he confounded Verethragna’s focus.

Then finally, Hikaru reappeared at the Invincible Warrior God’s right side. His severed right arm was still slowly regenerating, leaving Verethragna with no weapon to defend.

“Damn it!”

Verethragna’s face stiffened. In a clash at this level, even the smallest slip could herald defeat. Not even a Invincible Warrior God was exempt. He knew the moment he sensed doom, but his body didn’t react in time. By the time he tried to move, the shining blade was already slicing downward from an impossibly close angle.

Carrying tremendous power, the holy blade cut through Verethragna’s entire upper torso as easily as a knife through butter, deciding the battle in a flash. Blood gushed from the bisected body, but it almost instantly dissolved into ether particles and vanished.

Verethragna’s mouth opened soundlessly. Unsure how to make a final farewell, half of his body spun away past Hikaru—who still held his sword ready. Hikaru seemed to hear faint words: “Not half bad.” Then the Invincible Warrior God’s corpse broke into golden dust.

With Melqart gone and now Verethragna fallen, Sardinia’s final Heretic God was dead. The thunder quieted, the wind and rain subsided, and the black clouds receded. Hikaru lifted his gaze toward the east. At some point, the sun had begun its morning ascent, spilling dawn’s light over the battlefield. A crimson figure stood there, leaving a hazy silhouette on the ground.

At that moment, in Erica and Liliana’s eyes, Hikaru’s tall shape overlapped with the blazing sun. He seemed to be cradled by its radiance. The sunlight was far too dazzling—for them, for all of Sardinia.

The silver-haired knight’s heart pounded in awe. Liliana stared at that figure, overcome by a surge of complex feelings: excitement, wonder, even reverence. None of them alone could fully describe her emotions at that moment.

Erica felt much the same. Though she was drenched from head to toe, she paid it no heed. She simply gazed blankly at that scene and murmured:

“So this is why he calls himself no king… That’s… the radiance of the sun?”