"Miach-sama, has Hestia-sama not returned yet?"
The next morning, after drinking the last of his conditioning medicine, Takatsuki asked Miach.
Miach nodded, his face bitter. He knew he couldn't stop Takatsuki from going to the Freya Familia.
"Don't worry, Miach-sama, I am now fully confident that even if the entire Freya Familia comes at me, I can handle it."
Hearing Takatsuki's confident words, Miach nodded and didn't try to stop him further.
After some activity, Takatsuki stepped out of the Hearth Manor for the first time in six days.
He could sense that as he stepped out of the Hearth Manor, many people around him immediately began to move.
It seemed they had been waiting for his appearance.
Scouts?
If they were just Freya Familia scouts, there were too many; more likely, they were Orario's onlookers and Gods.
"Hey! Where is Freya?!"
Takatsuki also shouted without hesitation to his surroundings.
"At the top floor of the Babel! The person you're looking for is there too!"
A God suddenly poked their head out from a corner and replied, then quickly retreated. Clearly, everyone didn't want Takatsuki to waste too much time searching for someone.
All the Gods were waiting to watch a good show.
Takatsuki nodded, didn't thank them, and walked directly towards the Babel.
The upper floors of the Babel were guarded, and many Gods wanted to see how Takatsuki would get past the guards—would he fight his way through, or find a way to bypass them?
But they watched as Takatsuki walked towards the wall of the Babel.
"What is he doing? There's no door there."
"He's not planning to climb it, is he?"
"Haha, how is that possible? You might as well say he plans to just chop down the Babel."
Ignoring the idle chatter behind him, Takatsuki could indeed chop down the Babel if he wanted to. The Babel's uniqueness lay underground; the tower above was just an ordinary building, easily taken down by the Shikoutazer.
Takatsuki still didn't do such a rebellious thing, though he might do it later; that would be a matter for the future.
In front of everyone, Takatsuki stepped onto the white wall of the Babel.
"What is he doing? Is he trying to kick the tower?"
"No! He's climbing up!"
"What climbing! He's walking up!"
"Hey, hey, hey, how is he doing that? He's not using magic, is he?!"
All the Gods stopped hiding and ran directly to the base of the Babel, looking up at Takatsuki walking step by step up the white wall of the Babel. Takatsuki's footsteps didn't even leave any marks on the tower's wall.
And how did Takatsuki do it?
In fact, after defeating Shendu, Takatsuki discovered a change: he could absorb Talismans with his body.
It was just like in the anime when the Talismans were thrown onto Shendu and merged into him.
Originally, Takatsuki thought he could get 500 crystals for free, but he realized he was overthinking.
Indeed, an SS-rank character card converting to Stigmata costs 500 more than an S-rank, but this extra crystal also has the function of allowing the user to master it.
And after Takatsuki himself absorbed the power of the Talismans with his body, unfamiliar magic swirled within him. Takatsuki could feel that this magic, freed from the Talisman's container, could become more powerful, but at the same time, it also became more difficult to control.
And without the Stigmata's mastery function, he could only slowly familiarize himself with and practice these unfamiliar powers on his own.
So, all night, Takatsuki fought Udaeus to familiarize himself with his new powers.
And at this moment, Takatsuki walked on the wall by using the Ox Talisman's power to float and Hamon's power to adhere himself to the wall, then walking up step by step.
"Oh? Although he's a fake, he has some skill."
On the top floor of the Babel, Freya stood by the window. Although theoretically her position wouldn't allow her to see Takatsuki directly below, she truly saw him.
"Ottar... go deal with him."
"Yes, my Goddess."
As Ottar just responded, Kiana, who had been watching from the side, immediately jumped out: "Lady Freya, let me deal with him!"
"Little Kiana, I'm content just knowing you have that thought, but you alone can't deal with that imposter."
"Ah, Lady Freya…"
As they spoke, Ottar had already walked to the window and opened the huge floor-to-ceiling window.
The high-altitude airflow surged in through the open window, and Ottar directly leaped down towards the ground.
Takatsuki, walking on the wall, looked up at the burly man falling towards him from the air, his expression unwavering.
Although the other party's actions were unexpected, he was not without a solution.
Ottar, in mid-air, gripped the Black Tyrant Sword on his back and slashed down towards Takatsuki.
Then…
"!!!"
Ottar found that Takatsuki in front of him had disappeared, and his blade had struck empty air.
No, he hadn't disappeared.
Ottar realized that Takatsuki had somehow appeared above him, as if he had teleported.
After glancing at the still falling Ottar with Heaven's Stairway, Takatsuki continued to ascend.
Poof!
P-p-p-p-poof!
A series of air blasts came from below, and a slash grazed Takatsuki's body.
However, under the ability of King Crimson, it naturally could not harm Takatsuki.
"Moonwalk?"
Takatsuki frowned, watching Ottar step on the air and leap past him.
Had he learned Moonwalk in just six days?
Had Mei and the others exposed his abilities?
However, it was still within a controllable range, and Mei and the others were unaware of many of his abilities.
After Takatsuki, who had skipped time using King Crimson, had time re-engraved, he launched several weapons from the King's Treasure towards Ottar.
But they were all knocked down by Ottar, who was using Moonwalk.
Then…
Ottar suddenly felt a weakness throughout his body, and his Moonwalk-stepping feet lost their strength, causing him to fall downwards.
And some paper-like marks appeared on his face.
Heaven's Door!
Takatsuki put away his painting, which he had instantly retrieved from his inventory, and ignored Ottar, who was falling downwards, continuing to climb Babel.
"I didn't expect Ottar to be defeated so easily."
Freya watched Ottar fall without any worry, as if Takatsuki's target was not her.
"Goddess Freya, you have already lost. If you surrender now, perhaps this matter can be settled peacefully."
Fu Hua frowned, looking at Freya, who still seemed calm and collected, feeling that things might not be so simple.
"Fu Hua! How can you boost their morale!"
Freya didn't react to Fu Hua's words, but Mei, who was beside her, became somewhat angry.
"As Lady Freya's enemy, it's bad enough that you didn't defeat him, but you even said such words. Bronya thinks Fu Hua might have already defected."
Listening to the accusations around her, Fu Hua rubbed her temples. Forget it, she was tired; let Takatsuki handle it.