Chapter 48: God and the Demon King
In the depths of the underground shrine, spring water began to well up. The stone path came to an abrupt end, replaced by mud soaked through with water. Standing just a short distance ahead was a gargantuan deity.
He had unkempt hair that had clearly never known a barber, and a beard that covered the entire lower half of his face, leaving a deep impression. His appearance was wild, with a physique of bulging muscles—tall and robust, he was undeniably of the giant class. Despite wearing crude clothing made of rags and leather and draped in a tattered cloak, the way this massive giant wore them gave off an unexpectedly majestic aura.
"Forgive me for showing you such a miserable form. This old man is severely wounded; I am currently treating my injuries and waiting for the moment my body is filled with power once more."
As Melqart spoke, a golden sword remained plunged into his chest. The blade of that golden sword was broken, with no hilt attached, and its length was only about two-thirds of what it had once been.
"Now then, do you know this old man's title? Or must I announce my own name? Or perhaps you believe an ancient king is of no importance?"
Melqart laughed boisterously. There was no hint of anger in his words, but in reality, if a single answer failed to satisfy him, he would fly into an instantaneous rage.
Seeing the "Heretic God" with a frame as tall as a skyscraper, Princess Alice, Erica, and Liliana all stood with their mouths slightly agape, rendered speechless by the shock. To them, gods were beings high above, and the divine pressure they emitted was enough to make one feel completely suffocated.
At that moment, Shirou took a step forward and spoke.
"Melqart, I happen to know of your titles and legends."
The moment Shirou stood before them, the three women felt the silent, crushing pressure in the atmosphere vanish without a trace, and they were instantly able to breathe easily. This sensation caused them to cast gazes toward Shirou that were filled with gratitude and a complex, indescribable mix of emotions. Then, the three witches suddenly noticed the affection contained in each other's eyes; each harboring her own private thoughts, they all looked away at the same time.
"Hahaha! That's right, I am indeed Melqart! On this island—no, I am the King known to all in this world!"
Melqart's characteristically booming voice erupted in a thunderous laugh. Just then, his expression shifted, and he turned his head to look toward a different part of the sky.
Dark clouds gathered, winds howled, and thunder crashed as a thick bolt of lightning pierced the cloud layer, surging toward Melqart!
Crackle—!
"Hmph! Do you think such an attack can wound this old man? You are far too naive!"
Melqart raised his hand and caught the lightning bolt. The electricity sizzled within his massive palm before simply dissipating. Melqart was a "God-King" who acted as a hunter of dragons; he was a sky god who controlled storms and lightning.
Following this, Melqart's giant body began stepping toward the gathering dark clouds. "I won't let you off so easily this time!"
As Melqart moved, the surrounding earth began to shake and groan; the entire island trembled beneath his feet.
"Wait for me here. I'll be back soon," Shirou said to the three witches behind him as he watched Melqart recede.
"King... please, be careful!" Erica hesitated for a moment, but knowing her own limits, she could only lower her head slightly and whisper her concern.
"Mmm, don't worry."
Shirou nodded. Light flickered around him as azure magical energy and golden divine power surged forth, carrying his body into the sky. No matter the era, humanity has never abandoned the dream of flying. Though modern technology allows people to fly using gliders and other inventions, it is not the act of soaring through the heavens using one's own power. Now, Shirou was doing exactly that. The biting wind whipped against his face, feeling slightly prickly.
"Over there, then..."
Shirou looked toward a deserted wilderness.
'Verethragna' was the ancient Persian War God and the guardian of Mithra, the Serpent God of Light. He possessed the Ten Incarnations, which were the ten Authorities of: [Gale], [Bull], [White Stallion], [Camel], [Boar], [Youth], [Phoenix], [Ram], [Goat], and [Warrior]. These powers covered a vast range of abilities including support, crowd control, solar flames, strength, speed, technique, resurrection, summoning, and finishing moves.
Such a comprehensive set of abilities made Verethragna's strength incredibly formidable; although these abilities came with many restrictions, his power ranked among the top tier of "Heretic Gods."
A sliver of dawn broke through the sky. Bathed in the light, the incarnation of the [Gale] transformed into the form of a [Youth]. Verethragna, the black-haired boy, landed gently on the ground. Before him was a lush green forest surrounding the ancient ruins.
The deep green trees of the forest were bathed in sunlight, emitting a rose-colored glow. Belonging to the faction of Good and centered around the God of Light, his divine power reached its peak when bathed in the light of dawn. In this state, breaking the barrier of this forest was possible. Actually, Melqart was also a divinity governing the sun, but his dominion was much broader. Consequently, his power did not automatically increase when the sun appeared, so Verethragna likely intended to exploit this gap.
"It wouldn't hurt to wait for you to recover a bit," he murmured.
As a seeker of battle and victory, if the opponent was too weak, there would be no joy in the victory following the fight. He then thought to himself that such thinking was perhaps a bit disrespectful. Having all victories within his grasp, winning against a great ancient God-King would be something very special to him.
Possessing the power of ten incarnations, his current form was his most "normal"—not just a human, but a fifteen-year-old boy. When tasked by his lord to maintain order in a chaotic world and strike down "Heretic Gods," he preferred to use the appearance of a youth. A radiant fifteen-year-old boy. In the teachings he guarded, this represented the symbol of a "Hero." The Word of Power for protection and dominion was an Authority belonging to the incarnation of the [Youth].
Next, a massive swarm of locusts charged toward Verethragna. To one capable of rivaling a "God-King," simple divine beasts and messengers like locusts were no threat at all. Verethragna did not hesitate to use the power of his ninth incarnation, the [Goat]. This incarnation allowed him to release lightning attacks.
"O guardian of the righteous, I invite and consecrate only to you. O guardian of the righteous, I praise you and offer my wish. O you who support the heavens and open the earth, you who grant victory and grace, I shall execute justice—grant me the correct path and light! Strike down the unrighteous and the evil with the skill of the Word of Power! This is the heavenly law of victory!"
As the power activated, a massive golden wheel appeared behind Verethragna. The wheel spun immediately after his words and finally stopped on—[Goat]!
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