The conflict between the Gods and the Human-Demon Allied Forces reached a fever pitch, fracturing into a series of fierce skirmishes across the myriad floating islands.
While the Gods held a clear advantage in pure combat power thanks to Shallow Vernal’s empowerment, they had yet to achieve total dominance.
The War King’s subordinates stood as the cornerstone of the alliance's resistance. Though their levels of proficiency varied, nearly every one of them was a master of martial arts. Among those within the Peerage-class, their technical skill had been honed to an extraordinary degree.
This hard-won mastery proved devastatingly effective against the Gods. Despite possessing superior magic power and physical capabilities, the divine host lacked actual combat experience, allowing the veterans of the War King’s army to more than hold their own.
However, the inverse was also true: those who lacked the skill to bridge the gap in raw power were being forced into a desperate struggle.
"…Ngh!"
"Caraway!"
"I-I’m fine."
Caraway, a Viscount-class High-ranking Demon, fixed a piercing gaze on her opponent even as her face contorted in pain from the arrow lodged in her shoulder. Fighting beside her was Anima, a former Black Bear who possessed the strength of a Viscount.
The two had much in common—both were beastmen who fought with claws and stood on roughly equal footing in terms of ability. They had become fast friends after the Six Kings Festival and now faced the Gods as a synchronized tag-team.
Their opponents were the God of Hunting and the God of Commerce. Both were low-ranking Gods, yet through Shallow Vernal’s blessing, they had obtained magic power and physical attributes comparable to a Count-class.
Anima and Caraway were far from weak. Within the Viscount-class, they were elite combatants whose abilities were arguably on the cusp of the Count-class themselves.
Yet, a massive wall stood between the Viscount and Count ranks. Even if the God of Hunting and the God of Commerce only possessed an artificial version of that power… their combat effectiveness was nonetheless terrifying.
The God of Hunting’s arrows systematically suppressed Caraway’s superior speed, while the God of Commerce’s heavy hammer consistently overwhelmed the fists of the power-focused Anima.
Furthermore, these divine warriors fought for Shallow Vernal with absolute focus, showing neither openings nor negligence. Bit by bit, Anima and Caraway were being driven into a corner.
(…The arrows are too fast. I can’t parry them all. Anima doesn’t have the speed to counter them either. I’m the only one who can even barely keep up, so I have to be the one to do something!)
Breathing heavily, Caraway stole a glance at Anima. Sensing her intent, Anima nodded and readjusted her stance.
Caraway specialized in high-speed, high-volume attacks, making her a poor match for the heavily armored God of Commerce. Conversely, Anima lacked the agility to weave through the God of Hunting’s relentless archery.
Their plan, coordinated through a split-second exchange of looks, was simple: Caraway would take the God of Hunting, and Anima would take the God of Commerce. They would focus everything on their respective targets.
(I have to dive through that rain of arrows and close the distance… No, that’s not enough. It doesn’t matter if I get hit. I just have to reach him. I’ve made up my mind. Even though I was a fool, Miyama-sama still called me his friend. I’ll fight for him with everything I have!)
With eyes full of iron resolve, Caraway kicked off the ground and lunged forward, plunging past the threshold of mortality she had once been too afraid to cross.
(How long has it been since I fought for someone else? It… feels good. Strength is welling up inside me.)
The God of Hunting did not simply watch her approach. He unleashed a storm of arrows to halt her charge. Caraway evaded only those aimed at her vitals or her legs—her lifeline for mobility—taking the rest directly as she made her suicidal lunge.
Power surged into her legs as she planted her feet. Her swinging claws managed to graze the God of Hunting’s cheek. It was a shallow wound, insufficient to cause real damage, and the God immediately pivoted to fire a point-blank arrow at the vulnerable Caraway.
"What!?"
But the arrow he was certain would hit struck nothing but air as Caraway accelerated yet again.
"…She’s getting faster…"
Indeed, Caraway’s speed was climbing. Arrows that should have found their mark were missing, and her claws began to reach the God’s body.
"…Impossible. How can this be? At a time like this… she’s…"
Caraway was a High-ranking Demon who had long failed to achieve the Count-class. She had the talent and the power to hold her own against lower-tier Counts, yet she had never been able to bridge that final, distinct gap.
The reason was simple: once she had attained her status as a Peerage-class High-ranking Demon, she had grown complacent. She had 'only ever fought for herself.' Her own life was the thing she loved and valued most.
Because of that, she never took risks. she always stood a safe distance from the line of death, prioritizing her own security above all else. She had been standing still for a very long time.
But after falling from grace and re-evaluating her life, her heart had been saved. She had formed a singular, burning resolve to be of use to Kaito, the man who had forgiven her.
That resolve gave her the courage to step forward. She stepped past the line of death and into the realm she had never been able to reach.
"…Are you telling me she evolved… into the Count-class!?"
Finally, Caraway’s speed completely eclipsed the God of Hunting’s arrows, and her claws tore a deep, jagged wound through his chest.
Simultaneously, Anima charged toward the God of Commerce. Unlike the battle of speed unfolding nearby, this was a collision of raw power. The outcome would be decided by a single blow—an all-out strike with no reservations.
If she lost this clash of maximum force, there would be nothing left but defeat.
In terms of pure stats, the advantage lay with the God of Commerce, who had dominated their previous exchanges. Anima’s strength was technically sufficient to challenge a Count-class, but she struggled to utilize her physical potential efficiently.
She had been studying technique under Illness’s tutelage, but she was still a novice.
(Master… fighting an existence above me like this reminds me of the battle in Rigforresia. I wonder if I’ve come even a little bit closer to the strength of the one I admire?)
Conjuring the image of her beloved Master in her mind, she lunged at the God of Commerce as he raised his hammer.
(I am still inexperienced, but I can say with certainty that my devotion to my Master is my greatest pride.)
She pulled her fist back, preparing for a strike of absolute force.
(For you, who calls me family, I want to become stronger and stronger. But I am sorry. Right now, my own strength is not enough… So… please, Master, let me borrow a bit of yours!)
A simple punch would lead to the same result as before. Thus, Anima played her trump card. It was a magic she had been secretly practicing with the help of those around her since the day she swore to master technique.
It was the magic of the man she loved more than anything in the world.
"Auto-counter!"
Without sympathy magic, Anima couldn't use the spell’s intended effect of automatically reacting to an opponent. However, the secondary effect—forcing the body to move exactly as predetermined—was a different story.
As the spell took hold, every trace of wasted movement vanished from Anima’s form. Her arms, shoulders, hips, and feet moved in a perfect, fluid sequence, allowing her to exert her attack power at its theoretical peak.
"Ooooooh!!"
The strike shattered the descending hammer and drove deep into the God of Commerce’s body, securing Anima’s victory.
Watching the God of Hunting and the God of Commerce fall, Anima and Caraway heaved ragged breaths.
"…That’s… two."
"It was… by the skin of our teeth… though."
Anima’s arm was shattered from the recoil of the Auto-counter, and Caraway was bristling with arrows. It had been a razor-thin victory won through desperate effort, and even then, they had only managed to take down two low-ranking Gods.
Still, a win was a win. They allowed themselves a moment of relief and were about to move on when their eyes widened in horror.
Two glowing spheres descended from the sky and sank into the fallen Gods. In an instant, the two divine beings stood back up as if nothing had happened.
"…No way…"
Caraway’s voice was a stunned whisper. The enemies they had broken their bodies to defeat were now standing before them, resurrected without a single scratch.
"Truly impressive. Your strength is indeed worthy of the Count-class."
"Yes. If we weren't empowered by Shallow Vernal-sama, we would have been killed instantly."
"But unfortunately for you… as long as the God of Life-sama is here, we are immortal."
The Gods spoke with chilling indifference. It was a hopeless situation. Anima and Caraway were exhausted and wounded, with no strength left to fight them a second time.
Even if they could win again, the cycle would never end as long as Life remained on the battlefield. There was no path to victory.
"…It’s over."
Their spirits remained unbroken, but their bodies simply would not obey. As the God of Hunting notched two more arrows, neither Anima nor Caraway could find the strength to dodge.
The merciless arrows were released, flying straight for their foreheads—only to shatter into dust and fall harmlessly to the ground before they could strike.
"What!?"
The God of Hunting stared in shock. Standing between the two Gods and their prey was a new shadow.
"That previous strike was truly magnificent. A splendid display of growth. At this rate, we might not even need a thousand years for our rematch…"
"…Epsilon-dono."
Holding a massive naginata, one of the Five War Generals had arrived: Absolute Ice Epsilon. She offered a word of praise to Anima before calmly leveling her weapon.
"…A member of the Five War Generals, I see."
"A troublesome foe, but with our current power, even a Count-class should be manageable—"
"Foolish."
"—!?"
The two Gods, who had readied themselves to fight Epsilon, were sliced apart and frozen in the next heartbeat, unable to even register her movement.
"…If they simply resurrect upon death, one only needs to seal them. Furthermore, possessing the magic and physical attributes of a Count is not the same as being capable of fighting one. Do not think such imitation power could ever reach the heights of the refinement I have accumulated… Though I suppose you can no longer hear me."
After effortlessly neutralizing the two low-ranking Gods, Epsilon turned to Anima and Caraway.
"I shall move to the next battlefield. I have healers on standby in the rear; go to them and have your wounds treated. Now, excuse me. Anima-dono… I look forward to your further growth, and our rematch in a thousand years."
As Epsilon vanished from sight, Anima watched her go with an exasperated sigh.
"…I wonder if I can really catch up to that in a thousand years? Master, it seems the wall I’m trying to climb is staggeringly high."
Serious-senpai: "I mean, Epsilon is one thing… but the real problem is…"
The God of Life, Life - Ally Resurrection - Instant Full Recovery - Creation of Infinite Military Forces - Almost Immortal Herself
Serious-senpai: "…Isn't this character a total cheat?"
???: "Well, she’s busy fighting Isis-san and the others, so she can't monitor the status of every single God individually. It looks like she has her recovery set to trigger automatically when they’re incapacitated. Sealing seems to be a viable counter… but yeah, unless we deal with Life-san, there's no way to win this war."