Chapter 25: Devouring a Deity, the Strongest Devil King!
After the violent explosion that shook heaven and earth, a massive crater spanning several thousand meters appeared within this heart's scenery. Hephaestus's body lay in the center, looking as small as an ant.
Hephaestus used the pure white greatsword in his hand to prop himself up, struggling to stand. He gnashed his teeth and glared at Shirou.
"This power... it is absolutely not a divine Authority!"
The " Gungnir-Declaration of the Great God" that Shirou had projected earlier had indeed caused some damage to Hephaestus, but the latter's divine body had managed to endure it through sheer force of will, failing to perish under that frantic bombardment.
"Why don't you try to guess why I fought you for so long?"
Shirou spoke in a conversational tone as he walked toward Hephaestus.
In the brief moment Hephaestus felt confused by this, Shirou's figure abruptly vanished from the spot accompanied by a sonic boom. His speed was so great that Hephaestus didn't even have time to react; in an instant, Shirou was right in front of him.
"What—!?"
Hephaestus's pupils contracted violently, and his body tensed instinctively. He subconsciously tried to swing the pure white greatsword to cut Shirou down.
However, his body was already exhausted from the prolonged battle, and his mental energy had declined. He couldn't even react before Shirou grabbed the pure white greatsword in his hand, followed immediately by a kick to Hephaestus's abdomen.
Bang!
With a dull thud, Hephaestus's body flew backward like an arrow released from a bowstring.
Meanwhile, Shirou held the pure white greatsword in his hand, observing the divine artifact with considerable curiosity.
"So this is a divine artifact equivalent to an EX-rank Noble Phantasm... the quality is truly excellent."
No matter how useful a weapon is, its maximum power depends on the person using it.
Shirou gripped the pure white greatsword tightly. Deep blue magical energy began to wrap around the blade, like a Devil King defiling a virgin's bed, staining the entirely white blade into a pitch-black color.
"You—!!!"
Lying on the ground, Hephaestus saw Shirou continuously injecting magical energy into the pure white greatsword he had worked so hard to forge. His pupils widened in an instant, filled with extreme rage.
"You dare steal the divine artifact I painstakingly cast! Godslayer... you deserve to die!!!"
Enraged to the extreme, Hephaestus brandished the hammer in his hand, striking the ground with all his might.
Instantly, the entire space shook once more, and this time the commotion was even more grand. The space began to show cracks like breaking glass, and the sky tore open directly, revealing a space-time fault.
This was a desperate strike fueled by Hephaestus's piercing agony; it was nearly enough to shatter this Reality Marble directly.
"Tch... the heart's scenery is already crumbling. I can't drag this out any longer!"
Shirou frowned as he looked at the torn sky and the shattering surroundings. If he didn't resolve the battle quickly, then once the space could no longer support itself and broke, he didn't know what Hephaestus would do upon returning to reality.
If Hephaestus were to summon the other eleven major gods, Shirou truly wouldn't be able to face them head-on. After all, Hephaestus's power had already reached a level capable of scouring the earth's surface; the God King Zeus's strength would only be greater. Coupled with an onslaught from the other major gods, the risk to Shirou would be too high.
He absolutely could not let Hephaestus leave!
With that thought, Shirou's figure moved again. In Hephaestus's eyes, Shirou's movement was now so fast that only a streak of blue light could be seen.
Squelch—!
The sword pierced his body. Hephaestus's pupils contracted sharply as he looked at the red-haired youth standing before him in disbelief.
"This is impossible..."
The hammer in his hand fell to the ground. Then, Hephaestus grit his teeth, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Shirou.
"The gods will not let you off... you Godslayer who dares to challenge divine authority...!"
Hearing Hephaestus's words filled with hatred, Shirou replied nonchalantly.
"Then I shall grant the gods their Ragnarok, until every last one of them is slain!"
After making this declaration, Shirou suddenly gripped the hilt of the pitch-black greatsword and activated his Authority.
"『Doomsday Declaration』!"
In Norse mythology, beside the roots of the "World Tree" (Yggdrasil) that leads to the land of the dead, "Nibelungen," lurks a black dragon named "Nidhogg." It dwells there with countless other serpents, gnawing at the roots. When the roots are devoured and the World Tree decays, the world will be destroyed.
This Authority was transformed from the Black Dragon Nidhogg devouring the roots of the world; it possessed the power to devour any existence on the level of the World Tree.
"Die right here for me!"
Golden divine power surged along the pitch-black blade, flowing entirely toward Shirou. Hephaestus's body gradually became transparent at that moment, finally turning into points of light and dissipating.
.
.
.
Everything returned to nothingness. Shirou looked at the heart's scenery of this Reality Marble. The twilight scenery in the sky was beautiful beyond compare, yet the wasteland below had played host to the story of slaying a god.
"This sword... why don't I call it 'Twilight'?" Shirou murmured while looking at the pitch-black greatsword in his hand.
At the same time, the sword had absorbed a portion of the divine power, and brilliant golden patterns began to appear on the blade.
"So it became corrupted just by me touching it... why does that feel a bit strange..."
Shirou's brow quirked slightly. He then placed the demonic sword into his system space and directly deactivated the Reality Marble.
The moment the Reality Marble was released, the world within Shirou's vision underwent a sudden transformation, turning into a vast expanse of pure white.
Arriving once again at the "Boundary of Life and Death," Shirou did not fall into an exhausted sleep like he did after the last great battle, where his mental energy had been over-consumed.
The reason Shirou could stand here full of vitality, surveying this pure white realm with an inquisitive gaze, was all thanks to the divine power he had just obtained from one of the twelve Greek gods—Hephaestus.
"Your excellence has surprised me. Being able to defeat Hephaestus, the God of Fire and Forgery and one of the twelve Greek gods, is enough to prove that your strength is already exceptional."
While Shirou was curiously examining the pure white realm, a female voice that seemed to carry its own natural charm came from behind him. Shirou was very familiar with this voice—it was the goddess Pandora.
Shirou turned around and looked at the petite girl who didn't even reach his shoulder.
Pandora, wearing a light white dress, maintained a posture of looking up at Shirou. Her delicate and dignified face was more cute than it was beautiful. Her figure seemed slender, yet she somehow gave off the feeling of a mature woman.
"The 'Boundary of Life and Death,' huh? I couldn't observe this place properly last time, but now I finally see the full view." Shirou ignored Pandora's words, instead looking around the pure white realm on his own.
Faced with Shirou's attitude of ignoring her, Pandora stomped her foot in frustration.
"Hey! Look down at me!"
Hearing her voice, Shirou looked down at her with a hint of helplessness.
"What is it?"
Shirou's current strength was already far beyond the typical level of a Godslayer; even among the most powerful "Heretic Gods," he could now hold his own.
As Shirou was lost in thought, Pandora saw him spacing out while standing right in front of her. In a fit of pique, she hammered him twice with her small fists.
"What a naughty child! 'Mama' has something very important to tell you right now!"
Feeling his body being bumped twice by something soft and weak, Shirou stopped his complex train of thought. He leaned down slightly and pricked up his ears, intending to hear what this goddess wanted to tell him.
"What's so mysterious, Pando—"
Just as he started to speak, Shirou's lips were poked by Pandora's extended index finger.
The petite girl's beautiful, cute face puffed up slightly as she spoke with a hint of displeasure.
"Call me 'Mama'!"
Shirou felt speechless and let out a helpless sigh.
"Fine. So, what exactly do you want to tell me, 'Mama'?"
Hearing Shirou change how he addressed her, Pandora's displeased expression immediately softened, and she gave him a sweet smile.
"My seventh child, do you know about the Earth Mother Goddesses?"
Shirou frowned slightly. "Earth Mother Goddesses...?"
Pandora explained to the confused Shirou:
"In mythologies around the world, deities categorized as Earth Mother Goddesses were holders of powerful matriarchy within their respective systems. In Shaktism, various goddesses are her incarnations. For example, Hou Tu Niang Niang from the Jiangnan region is the Earth Mother Goddess for the people there."
Hou Tu Niang Niang, also known as Hou Tu Huang Di Qi. This title originated from the worship of females by males in matriarchal societies.
Her full title is "The Imperial Earth Deity who Follows Heaven's Law and Possesses Great Virtue." She is the fourth celestial emperor among the "Four Ministers and Six Sovereigns" of Taoism. She governs Yin and Yang and nurtures all things, which is why she is called the "Mother of the Earth."
Legend has it that she oversees the powers of life and death, creation, and the beautification of the human world, earning her the title of "Goddess of Beauty." According to the "Later Biographies of Immortals," she is the "Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva," mastering the "Six Realms of Reincarnation." Legends say she is neither living nor dead, existing for eternity, surviving for "all ages," "never perishing," "guiding people toward goodness," "cultivating one's nature," "spreading spiritual sounds," and "shining light for ten thousand generations."
Hearing Pandora's explanation, Shirou nodded, gaining an understanding of what an Earth Mother Goddess was.
Then, Pandora continued.
"However, as matriarchal societies transitioned into patriarchal ones, heroes known as 'Steel' began to ravage the earth. They seized the divine authorities of the Earth Mother Goddesses. The original Earth Mother Goddesses had their statuses lowered, becoming appendages of patriarchal gods or being twisted into monsters, much like Medusa..."
At this point, Pandora's eyelashes lowered slightly, and her expression turned somewhat lonely.
"Because of this, to counter the heroes of 'Steel,' I created the Dark Rite to give birth to 'Godslayers' capable of fighting against them. Although many Godslayers appeared over the past millennia, they all eventually died at the hands of the heroes of 'Steel,' until this current era..."
Pandora's gaze toward Shirou carried a flicker of hope.
"In this era, the number of Godslayers has reached seven, far exceeding the past. In an era where Devil Kings are so prosperous, the hero of 'Steel,' the 'King of the End,' will inevitably awaken again to stop you all from growing stronger. The children of the past were no match for the King of the End, but if it's you..."
As she spoke, Pandora reached out her slender, jade-white right hand and gently touched Shirou's cheek.
"My special seventh child, I can clearly feel the surging, peerless power within your body. If it's you, perhaps you can contend with him!"
"The hero of 'Steel'... the 'King of the End'..."
Shirou murmured the name under his breath.
"So that is my ultimate enemy."
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