──At this different world, in the [Heavenly Realm] where Yuuya and the others had set foot.
The moment Dea-san snapped her fingers, we had moved to another location.
The surrounding scenery was the same again, but there was an arena-like ground set up there. Perhaps we would fight here.
Then, Gwen-san was the first to stand inside the arena and look at us.
"I'm ready anytime."
"Well then, I'll be the first──"
"What are you talking about? You three, come at me at once."
"Huh?"
While we were all stunned by this unexpected declaration, only the observers remained silent, as if it were a matter of course.
"D-did I mishear you? Three people at the same time, you say…?"
"Are the lower world beings deaf as well? I said the three of you should all come at me at the same time."
Gwen-san said condescendingly.
In the next instant, dense killing intents are emitted from Iris-san, Master Usagi, and Odis-san's bodies!
"…I don't know how great you observers are, but you're going to regret those words."
Then, as the three of them faced Gwen-san, Master Usagi made the first move.
([Three Divine Walking Techniques]!)
He approached Gwen-san, and at the same time, he released a heel drop to the top of his head.
And then, in time with Master Rabbit's attack, Iris-san quickly drew her sword…
"[Heavenly Saint's Slash]!"
She unleashed a slash that was wrapped in 'Holy' aura in a horizontal slash.
"This is the end──[Destruction Magic]."
And then Odis-san's magic attack was added to the mix, and everything struck Gwen-san with perfect timing.
This was indeed a tough attack, even if the observers are amazing beings… That's what I thought, but none of the observers, including Dea-san, were panicking.
"Is this the best you people can do?"
Amazingly, Gwen-san lightly avoided the three's attack!
"No way… How could Master Usagi and the others' attacks possibly not get through…"
I was surprised at Gwen-san's unexpected ability, but Iris-san and the others remained calm.
"Well, no surprise. Rather, It'd be a problem if you were to be knocked down by an attack like the one you've just had."
(Yes, that's right. As I thought, it was worth training with the other Holy.)
"Well, I've already learned my lesson…"
The three of them calmly told him that, and Gwen-san grimaced.
"What? Are you trying to tell me that you haven't gotten serious yet?"
"Yes. That's my intention. So──be prepared."
"!"
The moment Iris-san said that, her body was covered with magic power. It seemed to be exactly the same "Magic Armor" I used.
"Iris-san, you were able to use enhancement magic?"
I had never seen Iris-san use magic in battle before, so when I was surprised by that, Master Usagi, who had also enhanced his physical abilities with magic power, jumped out.
(Iris wasn't the only one who wasn't taking it seriously.)
"Wha-!?"
Master Usagi leaped up into the air and swung his leg down at Gwen-san in a heel-drop motion.
"What the heck is that… Mm?"
Even the heel drop, which was swung down with tremendous force, seemed to be easily avoided by Gwen-san… but to my surprise, Master Usagi's attack was not finished there.
([Kicking Saint's Slash]──You won't be able to avoid it so easily.)
Master Usagi released a slash like the [Heavenly Sacred Slash] that Iris-san, the Sword Saint, had just released at Gwen-san!
"Don't think that my magic is the same as before! [Holy Magic Ball of Destruction]!"
As Gwen-san tried to avoid Master Usagi's slash that flew after him, Odis-san's magic attacked him.
The magic was a dense mass of magical power, just like the [Destruction Magic] he had just unleashed, but the difference was that the Holy power flowed into the mass.
As soon as the mass of magic was released, it split into countless branches, some like slashes, and some like bullets, surrounding Gwen-san.
(With this, there is no escape.)
"Hmph. No matter how many moves you make, there is no way you can stop──"
"──Really?"
"!"
In a moment.
Iris-san's body, strengthened by the magic power, showed such speed that you would think she had disappeared, and by the time you realized it, she was in front of Gwen-san!
As I was astonished at how fast she moved, Yuti, who also looked astonished and gasped.
"Astonished. All three of them have adopted the techniques of the other Holy and are getting stronger."
"Eeh?"
I-I see. It seems that Master Usagi and the others have become even stronger by absorbing each other's techniques.
I think the battle is as good as decided, isn't it?
Iris-san was already in range of Gwen-san, and he was surrounded by the magic of Master Usagi and Odis-san. There was no way he could escape, no matter how you look at it.
And Iris-san and the others, convinced of their victory, unleash the finishing blow.
But──.
"Is this all you got?"
(Wha-!?)
Gwen-san didn't even move his eyes; he caught Iris-san's oncoming fist with one hand and threw her towards Master Usagi and Odis-san's magic!
Iris-san tried to adjust her stance, but the force of Gwen-san's throw was so strong that she couldn't move properly and collided with the [Kicking Saint's Slash].
(Iris!)
Moreover, Iris-san flew straight ahead and collided heavily with Odis-san, who had just released a magic spell.
"Gahah!"
"Kuh!"
(Iris, Odis!)
Gwen-san hardly moved from the spot, and after rendering both Iris-san and Odis-san incapable of combat, he appeared behind Master Usagi in the next instant.
"Is this the time to be worrying about others?"
(!?)
Master Usagi reflexively took a stance and assumed a defensive posture, but Gwen-san lightly punched him on top of his defense.
Just with that, a shock so strong that even a casual viewer could see it, pierced through Master Usagi's body!
(Kahah!)
Master Usagi collapses to his knees.
In just a few moments, the three of them were rendered incapable of fighting.
"N-no way…"
"Astonished. It's unbelievable."
Both Yuti and I couldn't believe what we were seeing, and Gwen-san looked at us as if he was truly disappointed.
"Hah… for all your bravado, you couldn't do anything about it, could you?"
"Guh…"
"That is why I told you. It is true that our strength is not enough, but we have no need to ask for help from beings of the lower worlds like you who cannot even handle divine authority. Know your place."
Master Usagi and the others managed to get up, but none of them could say anything back to Gwen-san's words.
Even though the three of them had attacked seriously, Gwen-san was not serious at all.
The difference in power between the three Holy and Gwen-san was that obvious.
Then, Gwen-san turned his attention to Dea-san and the others.
"Dea-sama. What do you think? Do you still want to borrow power from the beings of the lower worlds?"
"….."
"Even if they were to join the fight against the false gods, they would just perish without being able to do anything about it. That is why I have been against it from the very beginning."
"But there are examples like the sage."
"What about the sage? In the end, he, who doesn't even show up, is just a coward. No, in the first place, it is doubtful whether he even has the same power as us. After all, he is just another being from a lower world."
Gwen-san turned his attention to me.
"That human there says he's a replacement for the sage, but he's no different. Even the sage is nothing more than a small fry… a cowardly scumbag who can do nothing but squat in the lower worlds."
"──Take it back."
"…What?"
I found myself stepping forward.
My actions startled Yuti, who had been silent next to me, and she was staring at me.
"Stop. Yuuya, stop. We are no match for him. He's controlling some strange power."
"No, that has nothing to do with it. Gwen-san, please correct it."
When I told him that clearly and clearly again, he looked at me as if he was truly bothered by the situation.
"What do you want me to correct? I was just stating a fact, wasn't I?"
"No, you didn't. Zenovis-san is neither a coward nor a scumbag!"
He was alone his whole life because of his overly-powerful strength.
However, Zenovis-san also fought against the Evil alone for the sake of humanity and the world without anyone's knowledge and he also ended the space war.
For him, living a normal life as a human being was what he wanted more than anything else, and it was the one thing he could not achieve.
He just wanted to live a normal life, and it is unforgivable to call him a coward or a scumbag.
"So take it back!"
"Why should I listen to the words of a being from a lower world like you? If you are so frustrated, let me see what you are capable of."
"….I understand."
"Yuuya!"
When I nodded to Gwen-san's words, Yuti hurriedly tried to stop me.
But Ouma-san stopped her.
"Well, wait."
"Huh. B-but, Ouma-san…"
"It's going to be interesting. Let him try it like this."
"Interesting, you say…"
However, although Ouma-san said so, he did not seem calm hearing Gwen-san make fun of Zenovis-san, and he continued his words with a serious expression on his face.
"Yuuya. Don't lose, okay?"
"…Yes!"
I pulled myself together and went into the arena too, and first went to take care of Iris-san and the others.
"Yu-Yuuya-kun…"
"I'll take care of the rest."
Then, I took Iris-san and the others and placed them under Akatsuki's care.
"Akatsuki, take care of the three of them."
"Fugo!"
"Night and Ciel, can you watch them too?"
"Woof!"
"Pii!"
"Thank you."
I left the three of them with my family members and faced Gwen-san once again.
"Hah… the beings of the lower world must be foolish. The end is already in sight…"
"….."
"Well, that's okay. I'm going to show you that you're wrong. Come on, come at me however you like."
Gwen-san said this in a disinterested manner as if he already knew the outcome of the battle.
Then, I took out a weapon from my [Item Box].
At that moment, Gwen-san's expression changed.
"You… what are you doing?"
"….."
What I took out was a plain wooden sword that I had used in my training with Zenovis-san.
Ignoring Gwen-san's question, I quietly held the wooden sword in front of my eyes, having applied all possible physical enhancements, including [Magic Armor], [Holy King Authority], and [Holy Evil Creation].
"Answer me! What in the world are──"
"──"
"!?"
The first step.
With that, I closed the distance between us and just swung the wooden sword mindlessly.
"Kuh! Don't you dare underestimate me!"
Then, Gwen-san put a strange aura around his arm and tried to block my wooden sword.
But…
"Huh! Gwen! You can't block that!"
"Wha-!"
Dea-san shouted in a panic to Gwen-san, who was trying to block my attack, but it was already too late.
My wooden sword sliced through Gwen-san's aura and reached his arm.
However, Gwen-san also noticed something unusual when his aura was slashed, and he instantly distanced himself from me with a special power, just like how he had instantly closed the distance to Master Usagi before.
"W-what the hell is going on!"
For Gwen-san, it was apparently very unbelievable that his aura, which had cloaked his body, had been cut through.
It was the first time I had seen an observer clearly upset since I came to this realm, and now I was thinking about something else.
──Ah, he's distanced himself from me.
What would I do then?
What would Zenovis-san say at this point?
'Distance can be slashed.'
That would be such a screwed-up word to come back to me.
While smiling unintentionally, my body was unconsciously trying to realize those words.
"What──"
"!"
"!?"
The moment I swung my sword carelessly, a huge slash flew toward Gwen-san.
"W-what the hell is this guy?"
Gwen-san avoided the slash and then wrapped his arms in the aura and swung them in a cross-motion.
Then, the aura attacked me in the form of a slash.
"──Slash."
But still, what I do is the same.
I just simply slashed.
That is all.
As I continued to slice through the countless auras Gwen-san sent flying at me, I felt my vision and the sounds around me gradually fade away, just as I did when I fought that false dragon.
I turned my attention only to Gwen-san, who was right in front of me and closed the distance between us.
However, Gwen-san could not simply sit back and let me close the distance, and he was using his special technique to evade me by instantly warping from one place to another.
"How dare you, a mere being of a lower world, come this close to me…! But it is impossible for you to catch me!"
Indeed, it would be difficult to capture Gwen-san, who was moving instantaneously with his mysterious power.
However, I, who am now concentrated to the utmost limit, unconsciously sense where Gwen-san is going to move to next ── perhaps this was from my sharpened senses ── and attack precisely.
"W-what?"
Gwen-san tried to use his aura to defend himself against my attacks, but I cut through all of them and finally cornered him with myself holding the wooden sword to his throat.
"──"
"Hah… hah… R-ridiculous…"
Gwen-san gasped and stared at my wooden sword.
I quietly open my mouth, feeling my vision and the sounds around me returning to normal.
"This is the power of the sage you made fun of."
"W-what the hell…?"
"Do you still want to continue this battle?"
I asked, and Gwen-san shook his head with a frustrated look on his face.
"…No, I lost."
The moment Gwen-san admitted defeat, I heard the sound of applause.
I looked in that direction and saw Dea-san smiling.
"That's wonderful. So this is the power of the sage…"
"Mm… surely, if you're good enough to defeat Gwen, then you're a force to be reckoned with."
"But what about those three? They may not be of any use to us at this stage…"
"No, it's terrible to compare them to us, but for someone from a lower world, they do have something to offer. If they receive divine authority and train themselves, they can at least deal with the sentinels."
Apparently, not only me but also Iris-san and the others were able to meet the observers' expectations.
Then Dea-san clapped her hands once.
"Silence. It seems that there is no problem accepting you as our friends. However, it is also true that you are not yet enough to fight against the false gods. Therefore, I would like you all to once undergo training here in the [Heavenly Realm]."
"Training?"
Iris-san, who had recovered her strength thanks to Akatsuki's [Sanctuary] skill, tilted her head quizzically.
"Yes. The three of you must have learned the hard way that your abilities are far below the level of us observers, right?"
"….."
(Tch… It's frustrating.)
"But I've already trained for this…"
The fact that they were unable to do anything at all against Gwen-san, Iris-san, and the others distorted their faces in frustration.
"So, of course, it is necessary for you to train more to develop your abilities, but there is one more power that you absolutely must acquire in order to fight against the false gods."
"W-what is it?"
"This."
What Dea-san expressed from her body was the mysterious aura that Gwen-san had used earlier in the battle.
The aura shone in rainbow colors and shimmered divinely.
"This is the power called [Divine Authority]."
"Divine authority?"
"Yes. It can be used in a wide variety of ways. It can be sent out as an attack, like a slash, or it can be wrapped around something to increase its strength. If you completely wrap yourself in divine authority, you can move instantaneously and use it for evasion."
In other words, it seems that all of Gwen-san's special movement methods were based on this power of divine authority.
"And if you don't use this power in your attacks, you won't even be able to injure the false god with a single scratch."
"Wha-!?"
"That's why I need you all to acquire this power."
"T-that's… something that can be acquired through ordinary training?"
"No, it is not something that can be acquired so easily. In any case, this power is originally usable only by us, the observers. It is impossible for those in the lower worlds to acquire it through ordinary training."
"Then what should we do?"
From what I've heard, it doesn't sound like a power we could ever acquire.
But I had never thought that without this power, it would be impossible even to damage the false god, so as long as we are going into battle, we must get it. I thought that it would require very severe training ──.
"I ask you all to ── quit being human."
──The words I had not expected to hear were uttered from Dea-san's mouth.