At Asgard...
The only interest of the gods gathered in the great hall was Chiyou. This was until Zeratul, who was supposed to be in the Prison of Eternity, burst into the scene.
How did he escape from the prison? This time, it wasn’t Grid’s fault. Grid was facing Chiyou on the surface.
“Tell me.”
The gods summoned a certain angel and questioned him.
“Why did you open the lock?”
“By what authority did a mere angel use to set the prisoner free?”
The angel named by the gods as the culprit—he was particularly delicate and had a strange side to him. The halo above his head didn’t glow brightly, but changed colors from moment to moment. Every time the color changed, the energy it gave off also changed. So it was like one, but also many. He was silently dragged to be questioned by the gods and replied with a cocked head, “Magic is the power to give value to something that is worthless.”
That was it. It was as if this was enough of an answer. The angel said this and shut his mouth.
Some gods were making a fuss. They didn’t understand. There was even a god who shouted for the angel to answer properly.
‘It is sincere.’
It happened the moment when the angel was disappointed...
“My thoughts are also in agreement with you.”
Judar, who was silent in the corner as if he had no interest in the situation, suddenly spoke.
The God of Wisdom—he was one of the few beings who could read the heart of the arrogant angel.
“Well done.”
It was rare for Judar to give praise, and his congratulatory message silenced the crowd. The other gods could no longer hold the angel accountable.
***
A white beard that descended down to his abdomen and gray hair that waved like thunderbolts. Eyes that emitted a white light due to the pupils that blurred as the eyes rose. With his solid body and massive features, Zeratul’s appearance was overwhelming in many ways. It was the very image of the Martial God that people imagined. But now he was different.
Rattle rattle.
How heavy was it? Zeratul’s limbs were restrained with chains of unimaginable weight and he looked shabby compared to the past.
Nearly bushy hair and an uncombed beard. Crumpled, dusty clothes. He wasn’t even wearing a top and was half-naked. Above all, the shackles on his hands and feet showed how bad his condition was.
However, Zeratul’s expression was the same as in the past. He looked arrogant as if he was the only special one.
“You... how did you escape from prison?”
Grid was momentarily taken aback. He couldn’t understand the situation in front of him and asked a question. Had he escaped his prisoner status? That was what he thought at first, but it wasn’t the case.
Zeratul’s appearance hadn’t changed at all from when they met in the Prison of Eternity. Zeratul didn’t even look at Grid. He answered while still glaring at Chiyou. “I was just led by fate.”
It was a bluff. The truth was different.
Mumud? The angel who was considered a candidate for an archangel even though he was born a human—Zeratul had guessed what he intended by unlocking the prison.
‘It is more of an act of taking out the garbage.’
Mumud knew what Zeratul would be obsessed with if he gained his freedom in his current situation. Mumud’s intentions were clear.
‘He wants to guess Chiyou’s martial ability through me.’
Mumud also would’ve hoped that the troublemaker was destroyed by Chiyou.
“...Kukuk.”
The chains entangled under Zeratul’s feet rose into the air like coiled snakes. It was the aftermath of Zeratul taking a starting posture. It was a stance with both hands empty. He intended to use the chains that bound him as a weapon.
“Behold the power of the true Martial God and tremble.”
Zeratul’s every word and actions were sincere. Of course, he knew that Chiyou was strong. He sensed in real time that Chiyou’s status overwhelmed his. But he didn’t shrink back.
A difference in status? It didn’t matter. Grid proved it by defeating him in the past when Grid had a lower status than him. Besides, he had accumulated enough discipline. He had honed his body and mind while in the Prison of Eternity.
It is definite.
The person I am now transcends the me of the past...
“Zeratul, are you going to die?”
Grid urgently asked Zeratul, who was muttering to himself without answering the question. Funnily enough, he was worried about Zeratul. It was because they built up quite a few ties. Of course—
From Grid’s perspective, Zeratul was close to a villain. He possessed talented people and used them like slaves. He even had a history of trying to harm the people important to Grid, including Lord. However, he didn’t hurt anyone in the end. He also recently helped Grid in the Prison of Eternity. Thanks to Zeratul, he was able to rescue Khan and Hexetia safely.
He knew it wasn’t from pure goodwill. Zeratul just hated Raphael more than Grid. He knew this, but... after all, wasn’t it a relationship?
Zeratul had already paid enough for his sins. He was defeated by Grid in front of everyone watching and was reduced to the status of a prisoner. Grid’s grudge against Zeratul had long faded. Additionally, he was once again receiving Zeratul’s help right now. It came as a one-sided favor.
Zeratul read Grid’s heavily sunken mind and frowned. “Fool. Don’t misunderstand.”
Zeratul had lost a lot of his divinity. He was unable to even build weapons out of divinity, so he honed the art of using chains as weapons. It was a very shabby-looking technique, but Zeratul was confident. It was because he knew the value of skills honed through effort. He learned it through Grid.
“I’m just fighting for myself. You don’t need to feel emotional about this.”
Zeratul didn’t wish to speak further. He immediately flew to destroy Chiyou’s face, which remained indifferent even when facing him.
The clash of Martial God against Martial God—it was a major incident that shook the world.
The apostles and the Overgeared members held their breath. However, Sword Saint Muller, who was watching the situation from a distance, wasn't interested in what was about to unfold.
‘The difference in power is clear.’
It was the same for Grid. They rightly predicted Zeratul’s defeat and the result was more disastrous than they expected.
Thump.
Chiyou didn’t even draw his sword. The simple movement of stepping on the ground with his feet suppressed Zeratul’s charging power. On the other hand, he used a relaxed hand movement, like when he previously spread out the veil, to grab Zeratul’s neck and slam him into the ground.
“I think that among Rebecca’s works, the ones somewhat worth acknowledging are this land, the World Tree, and Judar.”
Chiyou didn’t pay attention to Zeratul even at the last moment. He didn’t even look at Zeratul flinching in shock, and only looked at Grid.
“The best of them is this land that gave birth to you. Your existence has increased the value of the surface.”
That was the end of the waiting.
Chiyou tightened his grip on Zeratul’s neck. The eerie sound of crushing bones brought silence to the scene.
Something in the form of a human being—Martial God Chiyou’s force, which wasn’t properly recognized by others, except for Grid, was overwhelming. He carved the word despair into the world just by pulling out his sword and pointing it at Grid.
Just then, the tip of Chiyou’s sword tilted forward at an angle. It was the aftermath of being pulled by the chains that wrapped around the blade of the sword in an instant. It was a result created by Grid.
[By your own authority, you have defined ‘Zeratul’ as a guest, not an intruder.]
The constraints of the Overgeared World—the dimensional constraints that had oppressed Zeratul from the time he descended to the surface had dissipated. It was just like when Grid met him in the Prison of Eternity.
At this moment, Zeratul was in an intact state. There were obvious flaws compared to the days when he reigned as the Martial God. But at the very least, this was ‘Zeratul’s most powerful state’ that Grid remembered.
“I...!”
Chiyou’s upper body leaned forward. For the first time, he made eye contact with Zeratul, who pulled himself to his feet.
“Am the Martial God...!!”
The form of the noise was complicated. It was because Zeratul raised himself and had many different ways of using chains. The chains binding his wrists and ankles moved very naturally. They repeated the actions of binding Chiyou’s sword and body, and beating and throwing them according to Zeratul’s will.
“It is this much...?”
Muller was impressed. The depth and speed of the technique that utilized chains—both were flawless. Thanks to this, the more the technique was linked, the more the power was infinitely amplified...
It happened the moment when Muller, dazzled by Zeratul’s unexpected technique, reflected on Zeratul’s title as the Martial God...
“It isn’t trivial,” Chiyou said as his limbs were restrained by chains and he was strangled. For the first time, the person he was talking about was Zeratul, not Grid.
“How wonderful.”
The reason why Chiyou readily admitted it was that he was reminded of the background of Zeratul’s birth. The existence created by Rebecca to replace him—it meant he was a masterpiece that a lot of care was put into. It was right that he should be great.
“It just isn’t enough.”
The chains that held Chiyou shattered in unison. Thanks to this, it wasn’t only Chiyou, but Zeratul too was freed from his restraints. However, in this situation, this wasn’t an advantage. For Zeratul, who had been honing the chains as weapons, he had lost his weapon.
“The qualification is still with Grid.”
A colorless sword energy rose. It was too strong for Zeratul, who had lost his weapon and was empty-handed, to resist. This would cut him no matter what.
Zeratul’s intuition sent a chill down his spine. He thought of the future where he would be defeated and weakened again under the watchful eyes of everyone.
Fate had just been decided. A fate bestowed by the Only One God. A fate that couldn’t be resisted.
“Zeratul!”
Grid twisted it.
The fate bestowed by the Only One God no longer had coercive power from the time when Zeratul received Defying the Natural Order, the ‘power Grid used as the source’ mentioned by Chiyou, which had been desperately thrown by Grid.
“......!”
Chiyou, who had longed for extinction—his eyes, which had lost their light while dreaming of distant ideals, regained their vitality after eons. It was due to Zeratul, who wielded Grid’s Defying the Natural Order in his capacity as the Martial God.
“......”
Zeratul’s expression was complicated. It was a situation where he escaped death thanks to the sword thrown by Grid. He wondered if he was declaring himself as ‘Grid’s Martial God.’
It felt like he was putting on new shackles.
At Asgard...
The only interest of the gods gathered in the great hall was Chiyou. This was until Zeratul, who was supposed to be in the Prison of Eternity, burst into the scene.
How did he escape from the prison? This time, it wasn’t Grid’s fault. Grid was facing Chiyou on the surface.
“Tell me.”
The gods summoned a certain angel and questioned him.
“Why did you open the lock?”
“By what authority did a mere angel use to set the prisoner free?”
The angel named by the gods as the culprit—he was particularly delicate and had a strange side to him. The halo above his head didn’t glow brightly, but changed colors from moment to moment. Every time the color changed, the energy it gave off also changed. So it was like one, but also many. He was silently dragged to be questioned by the gods and replied with a cocked head, “Magic is the power to give value to something that is worthless.”
That was it. It was as if this was enough of an answer. The angel said this and shut his mouth.
Some gods were making a fuss. They didn’t understand. There was even a god who shouted for the angel to answer properly.
‘It is sincere.’
It happened the moment when the angel was disappointed...
“My thoughts are also in agreement with you.”
Judar, who was silent in the corner as if he had no interest in the situation, suddenly spoke.
The God of Wisdom—he was one of the few beings who could read the heart of the arrogant angel.
“Well done.”
It was rare for Judar to give praise, and his congratulatory message silenced the crowd. The other gods could no longer hold the angel accountable.
***
A white beard that descended down to his abdomen and gray hair that waved like thunderbolts. Eyes that emitted a white light due to the pupils that blurred as the eyes rose. With his solid body and massive features, Zeratul’s appearance was overwhelming in many ways. It was the very image of the Martial God that people imagined. But now he was different.
Rattle rattle.
How heavy was it? Zeratul’s limbs were restrained with chains of unimaginable weight and he looked shabby compared to the past.
Nearly bushy hair and an uncombed beard. Crumpled, dusty clothes. He wasn’t even wearing a top and was half-naked. Above all, the shackles on his hands and feet showed how bad his condition was.
However, Zeratul’s expression was the same as in the past. He looked arrogant as if he was the only special one.
“You... how did you escape from prison?”
Grid was momentarily taken aback. He couldn’t understand the situation in front of him and asked a question. Had he escaped his prisoner status? That was what he thought at first, but it wasn’t the case.
Zeratul’s appearance hadn’t changed at all from when they met in the Prison of Eternity. Zeratul didn’t even look at Grid. He answered while still glaring at Chiyou. “I was just led by fate.”
It was a bluff. The truth was different.
Mumud? The angel who was considered a candidate for an archangel even though he was born a human—Zeratul had guessed what he intended by unlocking the prison.
‘It is more of an act of taking out the garbage.’
Mumud knew what Zeratul would be obsessed with if he gained his freedom in his current situation. Mumud’s intentions were clear.
‘He wants to guess Chiyou’s martial ability through me.’
Mumud also would’ve hoped that the troublemaker was destroyed by Chiyou.
“...Kukuk.”
The chains entangled under Zeratul’s feet rose into the air like coiled snakes. It was the aftermath of Zeratul taking a starting posture. It was a stance with both hands empty. He intended to use the chains that bound him as a weapon.
“Behold the power of the true Martial God and tremble.”
Zeratul’s every word and actions were sincere. Of course, he knew that Chiyou was strong. He sensed in real time that Chiyou’s status overwhelmed his. But he didn’t shrink back.
A difference in status? It didn’t matter. Grid proved it by defeating him in the past when Grid had a lower status than him. Besides, he had accumulated enough discipline. He had honed his body and mind while in the Prison of Eternity.
It is definite.
The person I am now transcends the me of the past...
“Zeratul, are you going to die?”
Grid urgently asked Zeratul, who was muttering to himself without answering the question. Funnily enough, he was worried about Zeratul. It was because they built up quite a few ties. Of course—
From Grid’s perspective, Zeratul was close to a villain. He possessed talented people and used them like slaves. He even had a history of trying to harm the people important to Grid, including Lord. However, he didn’t hurt anyone in the end. He also recently helped Grid in the Prison of Eternity. Thanks to Zeratul, he was able to rescue Khan and Hexetia safely.
He knew it wasn’t from pure goodwill. Zeratul just hated Raphael more than Grid. He knew this, but... after all, wasn’t it a relationship?
Zeratul had already paid enough for his sins. He was defeated by Grid in front of everyone watching and was reduced to the status of a prisoner. Grid’s grudge against Zeratul had long faded. Additionally, he was once again receiving Zeratul’s help right now. It came as a one-sided favor.
Zeratul read Grid’s heavily sunken mind and frowned. “Fool. Don’t misunderstand.”
Zeratul had lost a lot of his divinity. He was unable to even build weapons out of divinity, so he honed the art of using chains as weapons. It was a very shabby-looking technique, but Zeratul was confident. It was because he knew the value of skills honed through effort. He learned it through Grid.
“I’m just fighting for myself. You don’t need to feel emotional about this.”
Zeratul didn’t wish to speak further. He immediately flew to destroy Chiyou’s face, which remained indifferent even when facing him.
The clash of Martial God against Martial God—it was a major incident that shook the world.
The apostles and the Overgeared members held their breath. However, Sword Saint Muller, who was watching the situation from a distance, wasn't interested in what was about to unfold.
‘The difference in power is clear.’
It was the same for Grid. They rightly predicted Zeratul’s defeat and the result was more disastrous than they expected.
Thump.
Chiyou didn’t even draw his sword. The simple movement of stepping on the ground with his feet suppressed Zeratul’s charging power. On the other hand, he used a relaxed hand movement, like when he previously spread out the veil, to grab Zeratul’s neck and slam him into the ground.
“I think that among Rebecca’s works, the ones somewhat worth acknowledging are this land, the World Tree, and Judar.”
Chiyou didn’t pay attention to Zeratul even at the last moment. He didn’t even look at Zeratul flinching in shock, and only looked at Grid.
“The best of them is this land that gave birth to you. Your existence has increased the value of the surface.”
That was the end of the waiting.
Chiyou tightened his grip on Zeratul’s neck. The eerie sound of crushing bones brought silence to the scene.
Something in the form of a human being—Martial God Chiyou’s force, which wasn’t properly recognized by others, except for Grid, was overwhelming. He carved the word despair into the world just by pulling out his sword and pointing it at Grid.
Just then, the tip of Chiyou’s sword tilted forward at an angle. It was the aftermath of being pulled by the chains that wrapped around the blade of the sword in an instant. It was a result created by Grid.
[By your own authority, you have defined ‘Zeratul’ as a guest, not an intruder.]
The constraints of the Overgeared World—the dimensional constraints that had oppressed Zeratul from the time he descended to the surface had dissipated. It was just like when Grid met him in the Prison of Eternity.
At this moment, Zeratul was in an intact state. There were obvious flaws compared to the days when he reigned as the Martial God. But at the very least, this was ‘Zeratul’s most powerful state’ that Grid remembered.
“I...!”
Chiyou’s upper body leaned forward. For the first time, he made eye contact with Zeratul, who pulled himself to his feet.
“Am the Martial God...!!”
The form of the noise was complicated. It was because Zeratul raised himself and had many different ways of using chains. The chains binding his wrists and ankles moved very naturally. They repeated the actions of binding Chiyou’s sword and body, and beating and throwing them according to Zeratul’s will.
“It is this much...?”
Muller was impressed. The depth and speed of the technique that utilized chains—both were flawless. Thanks to this, the more the technique was linked, the more the power was infinitely amplified...
It happened the moment when Muller, dazzled by Zeratul’s unexpected technique, reflected on Zeratul’s title as the Martial God...
“It isn’t trivial,” Chiyou said as his limbs were restrained by chains and he was strangled. For the first time, the person he was talking about was Zeratul, not Grid.
“How wonderful.”
The reason why Chiyou readily admitted it was that he was reminded of the background of Zeratul’s birth. The existence created by Rebecca to replace him—it meant he was a masterpiece that a lot of care was put into. It was right that he should be great.
“It just isn’t enough.”
The chains that held Chiyou shattered in unison. Thanks to this, it wasn’t only Chiyou, but Zeratul too was freed from his restraints. However, in this situation, this wasn’t an advantage. For Zeratul, who had been honing the chains as weapons, he had lost his weapon.
“The qualification is still with Grid.”
A colorless sword energy rose. It was too strong for Zeratul, who had lost his weapon and was empty-handed, to resist. This would cut him no matter what.
Zeratul’s intuition sent a chill down his spine. He thought of the future where he would be defeated and weakened again under the watchful eyes of everyone.
Fate had just been decided. A fate bestowed by the Only One God. A fate that couldn’t be resisted.
“Zeratul!”
Grid twisted it.
The fate bestowed by the Only One God no longer had coercive power from the time when Zeratul received Defying the Natural Order, the ‘power Grid used as the source’ mentioned by Chiyou, which had been desperately thrown by Grid.
“......!”
Chiyou, who had longed for extinction—his eyes, which had lost their light while dreaming of distant ideals, regained their vitality after eons. It was due to Zeratul, who wielded Grid’s Defying the Natural Order in his capacity as the Martial God.
“......”
Zeratul’s expression was complicated. It was a situation where he escaped death thanks to the sword thrown by Grid. He wondered if he was declaring himself as ‘Grid’s Martial God.’
It felt like he was putting on new shackles.
