Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Chapter 301
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Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Chapter 301
63. For Peace (4)
"Damn it, there's no other way."
"Yeah. Let's give it a try."
The Heavenly Kings and Demon Kings who had been hostile to each other now agree with one mind.
At that, Heavenly King Michael nodded solemnly and decided to execute stage two of the plan.
"Adrian's Authority seems to involve twisting or manipulating space. If he catches on to our plan, he might be able to block us from reaching the divine realm."
"So someone needs to draw his attention?"
"Yes. We need to draw as much attention as possible and buy time."
Truly, they were on the same wavelength.
Perhaps because they shared the same goal and looked toward the same future, their communication was remarkably smooth.
To the point where one wondered why they had ever been hostile all this time.
"I'll step up."
"I'll step up as well."
At Michael's words, one Heavenly King and one Demon King each came forward.
To draw the attention of Adrian and Arcia and buy time meant a high probability of death.
Surely none of them had failed to brace for death, but seeing those who stepped forward nonetheless, the remaining comrades couldn't help but feel sorry.
Michael patted the two on the shoulder.
"While these two buy us time, we'll activate the teleportation device we prepared."
They moved quickly.
Since they needed to prepare for teleportation, they first retreated the main force, and in the meantime, the Heavenly King and Demon King acting as bait began to run wild to draw the enemies' attention.
In order to reach the divine realm where the goddess Sepia resides, they had created a device called the 'Dimensional Breakthrough Stone.'
Since the device had been prepared in advance, it didn't take long to activate.
"What about Aea? Are we taking him?"
Aea is a powerful asset.
But Michael felt uneasy about Aea, who had returned alone from the surface.
So he firmly shook his head.
"Having that one around won't make much of a difference. There's a chance he colluded with Adrian during the survival process, so let's just abandon him."
"Fair enough."
A short while later.
Fortunately, the Dimensional Breakthrough Stone activated stably.
-Ziiing! Pop!
Perhaps because Adrian's attention was stolen by the two Heavenly Kings and Demon Kings drawing aggro so spectacularly, he did not interfere with them, and the Heavenly Kings and Demon Kings were able to reach the divine realm safely.
"Is this the divine realm?"
A vast meadow where lush green grass danced in the wind.
Those in full combat gear, out of place in that meadow, scanned their surroundings with utterly stiff expressions.
The goddess's true body must be somewhere here.
They moved in search of traces of the goddess.
"So you wanted to be buried in a meadow? I'll respect your taste."
"!!!!!!"
But that was when it happened.
A familiar voice reached the Heavenly Kings and Demon Kings, who were fully on edge.
Turning their heads, they saw a figure standing there who should never have been present.
"W-what, why are you here?"
"Wait, where did the Death Star go?"
Furthermore, there was no sign of the self-destruct weapons that were the Heavenly Kings' and Demon Kings' main force.
They must have traveled together, and yet...
* * *
The Heavenly Kings' and Demon Kings' intentions in drawing aggro so spectacularly were so obvious that I ignored them.
After all, if I left them alone, the contingency I had prepared would move on its own.
'The contingency I prepared for complete victory is none other than Lord Exceed.'
It is the participation of Grand Duke Lucas, who was reborn as a god race alongside me.
He had decided to appear whenever our allies fell into crisis in a place I couldn't attend to, so even if the Heavenly Kings and Demon Kings raised hell, I wasn't greatly worried.
That's how I was able to secretly observe what the rest of them were trying to do.
And before long, I succeeded in figuring out their objective.
"They're heading to the divine realm? So they mean to strike the goddess."
At such an absurd plan, I couldn't help but let out a deflated sigh.
But before long, I began to think it wasn't such a bad plan after all.
The reason was that the goddess had a rule that prevented her from directly harming her creations.
Whether that rule could be broken, or whether it was an absolute law, I don't know, but from the perspective of the Heavenly Tribe and demon race, it seemed they judged that a one-on-one showdown with the goddess was better than trading blows with me.
The goddess happened to be greatly weakened as well, and they had obtained powerful weapons in their hands.
If the self-destruct weapons all exploded at once in the divine realm, even the goddess would have no choice but to take damage.
Or, since they could try negotiating without going through a battle, just heading to the divine realm opens up many possibilities.
"What will you do?"
While I was deep in thought, Arcia asked me.
The goddess is my Mother.
There's no way I could just stand by and watch those bastards try to attack Mother.
So I tried to interfere with them, but then a thought suddenly occurred to me.
Rather than fighting in space, wouldn't it be easier to finish them in the divine realm, where once they set foot inside, escape becomes difficult?
'They must have come up with this plan because they don't know I can come and go from the divine realm.'
The fact that the goddess is my Mother and that I regularly visit her for teatime is something no one knows except Arcia.
Moreover, the goddess had cut off relations with the surface.
From their perspective, that means they wouldn't even consider the possibility that I'd chase them all the way to the divine realm.
In that sense, taking advantage of their confusion and dealing with them in the divine realm seemed like a good approach.
Even if the goddess won't directly attack them, she could at least back me up.
It's a bit of a sly thought, but my fighting the Heavenly Demon race is also for the sake of carrying on the goddess's will.
So I judged that she wouldn't pretend not to know.
I conveyed my thoughts to Arcia, and naturally, upon hearing the story, she showed a reluctant expression.
"Deal with them in the divine realm? Those self-destruct weapons will deal a huge blow to the divine realm, you know?"
"Then we just send only the Heavenly King and the Demon Kings to the divine realm. We handle the self-destruct weapons here first, then follow after. How about it?"
The self-destruct weapons are certainly threatening.
Their offensive power alone is on par with our forces.
If the Heavenly King and Demon Kings were to back up those weapons while fighting, we could find ourselves in a difficult situation.
That means they can genuinely threaten our lives.
But if we face the self-destruct weapons separately and the Heavenly King plus Demon Kings separately, the difficulty drops sharply.
"If it's that kind of approach, I think it'll be fine."
Decision made.
I scanned the formations of the Heavenly Tribe and demon race with a cold smile.
And when the opportunity came, I didn't miss it and immediately made my move.
* * *
The divine realm, taking the form of a vast transcendence.
The kings of the Heavenly Tribe and demon race were flustered as they saw Adrian and Arcia appear alongside the light.
"Looking for something? The Death Star? Ah, those self-destruct weapons? I just took care of those before coming here."
"What?"
"You didn't know? The Death Star never came with you from the start. The moment it separated from you, I swiped it."
"...."
Michael, the foremost king of the Heavenly Tribe, let out a deep sigh.
He didn't know how the situation had turned out this way, but one thing he could understand clearly.
That was the fact that they had been played by the person before their eyes.
It was already astonishing that a mere human possessed abilities surpassing the Heavenly King and Demon Kings, but to think he could set foot in the divine realm under his own power.
Michael glared at Adrian and Arcia as if he couldn't accept it.
"You don't plan to just go back like this, do you?"
At his follow-up question, Adrian shrugged as if to say, of course not.
From the start, Adrian's goal had been their lives, so there was no reason to go easy on them now.
At that, Michael had no choice but to put on a deeply aggrieved expression.
"Just why are you doing this to us?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Do you think we're fools? Didn't you drag us into this?"
Aea, who had summoned the Heavenly Tribe and demon race, had been captured by Adrian.
But at the time, he learned that Aea was trying to draw in Rondel's Heavenly Demon race for her own survival, and Adrian, intrigued by the plan, released her despite knowing the danger.
As a result, the Heavenly Tribe and demon race were able to safely reach the surface world through the gate Aea had created.
"Rondel and Earth don't get along."
"What?"
"I thought a common enemy was needed for a peaceful future between the two worlds."
"Hah...."
The full story, told as if granting a favor.
Upon hearing Adrian's story, the Heavenly King and Demon Kings were beyond dumbfounded they felt hollow.
"You dragged us in just for that?"
But Adrian, far from being fazed by their reaction, showed an attitude as if he couldn't understand them.
"The Heavenly and demon races, who were sworn enemies, tried to join hands and invade the surface just because the goddess neglected them, and now you're suddenly playing the victim? I merely left your plan alone. You just moved according to your own plan. Anyone watching would think you'd been caught in some conspiracy."
It was an undeniable fact.
Although he had already crafted their image as villains, it was the Heavenly Tribe and demon race who had established the hostile relationship in the first place.
Adrian had merely taken advantage of it.
"An artificial planet, and even a self-destruct weapon. You prepared thoroughly for war, and now that you think you'll lose, you ask why I'm doing this?"
"That's...."
"If I had no power, if Earth and Rondel's forces were pushovers, would you have said the same? I don't think so. If you truly hated war, you should have proposed peace. Even if I don't look it, I'm not so wicked as to trample someone who tried to talk."
Having never experienced being one-sidedly cornered before, the Heavenly King and Demon Kings felt nothing but unjust.
But at Adrian's ensuing mockery, they could not refute a single word.
Because there was not one thing he said that was wrong.
"Damn it, are we just going to die like this?"
In the end, all that awaited them was battle.
There was no way to turn the situation around except by winning the fight.
Though it was not their full strength, battle always comes with variables.
Even in crisis, the Heavenly King and Demon Kings weighed their chances of victory.
-Chaeng!
The kings of the Heavenly Demon race donned their armaments, and Adrian and Arcia also armed themselves as if transforming.
A battle between eighteen kings of the Heavenly Tribe and demon race and two humans.
It was an 18:2 fight.
It looked overwhelmingly unfavorable, yet not a trace of unease could be sensed in Adrian's eyes.
And then.
-Pat!
A golden radiance descended from the sky onto Arcia and Adrian.
It was a Buff with all sorts of synergistic effects the 'goddess's blessing.'
Heavenly King Michael, who had never imagined he would one day fight an enemy cloaked in the goddess's blessing, let out a hollow laugh.
"So in the end, the goddess is on your side too?"
"Isn't it obvious? You're the ones who came to strike the goddess. Did you forget?"
"We tried to talk first."
"That's not talk, that's blackmail. You were about to bring a whole armada of self-destruct weapons even you couldn't stop."
"Damn it. Every single word out of your mouth pisses me off."
"That's because it hits a nerve. If what I said were wrong, you wouldn't be pissed off."
Michael swore to himself that he would surely win and rip out Adrian's tongue.
-Chaeng!
The battle began.
The first strike came from Arcia's sword, as hundreds of treasure-grade blades burst out of subspace and swam through the air behind her.
Arcia did not possess a special Authority like Adrian.
Wielding even more Sword Aura, and an extremely amplified Heart Sword that could be called her Authority.
A perfect sword.
A sword that cuts every enemy it faces.
That was the power Arcia had obtained as a god race.
"Keuk!"
"W-what the hell!"
They say simple is best.
Whenever Arcia swung her sword, every obstacle before her was split apart.
Whether it was a sword, armor, or a person.
It was an utterly clean, flawless battle.
-Kwajik! Kwang! Kwang!
On the other hand, unlike Arcia, Adrian's combat was extremely messy.
Torn, burst, crushed.
His fighting killed people like insects.
So when facing Adrian, one felt even more terror and disgust than with Arcia.
No matter how formidable the Heavenly King and Demon Kings were, against Adrian and Arcia, even a 1:1 didn't feel like a fight at all.
"Damn it! Damn it! This fucking !"
Before anyone knew it, all the Heavenly Kings and Demon Kings were dead, and only Michael remained.
For beings whose descent alone would once throw Rondel into an uproar, it was an end far too hollow for the Heavenly King and Demon Kings.
Michael hurriedly tried to revive his comrades.
But in the divine realm, revival magic could not function properly, and Michael became the last Heavenly King remaining there.
"I'll ask the goddess to grant your Heavenly Tribe and demon race a prosperous and happy next life."
"Is that pity?"
"Yes, it's pity. But I'm not sorry. We met as enemies aiming for each other's lives. You lost because you were weaker than me, and if I had been weaker, the roles would have been reversed."
At Adrian's words, Michael bit his lip.
In the deep sense of defeat, even his survival instinct vanished.
Adrian reached out toward such a Michael.
To snuff out his final breath.
-Pat!
But then.
As the goddess, who had been silent until now, appeared, Adrian had to briefly lower his hand.
The goddess wore an expression full of sorrow.
Michael looked up at such a goddess and gnashed his teeth, and Sepia spoke to Michael as if offering comfort.
[I am sorry.]
Michael had no answer.
He looked as if he had lost his words from sheer rage.
The goddess continued speaking to him.
[As Adrian said, I shall guarantee your next life. Take only resentment with you when you go, and do not fear your new life.]
"Damn it."
With those words, Adrian twisted Michael's neck.
Thus the battle in the divine realm came to an end, and the war with the Heavenly Demon race had completely tipped as well.
Adrian let out a deep sigh and spoke to the goddess.
"There isn't much time left."
What he spoke of was the peace she had requested.
At that, Sepia looked upon the ruined divine realm and gave a bitter smile.
"But we must continue to strive going forward. So that the future does not once again be stained with blood."
"We will."
Adrian and Arcia gazed at the same place as the goddess Sepia, then silently turned their steps.