Fate, who had grown stronger… No. Fate, who has evolved to a stronger
being, turned her gold-patterned purple eyes to the Gods, before lightly
waving her hand to them.
Thereupon, the Human-Demon Allied Forces who should have been
restrained by Chronois' Judgment was released.
[…This is impossible… You deactivated… Shallow Vernal's authority?]
[I didn't deactivate it. I just decided…"that your magic didn't hit right
from the start".]
[From the start… Could it be, God of Fate, that you just altered the
past…]
[It's just as I told you. I've transcended time, space and life…"I can alter,
even the fate of the past".]
[Wha!?]
Having stepped into the realm of the World-creating Gods… the realm
of near omnipotence, Fate altered the past all too easily.
However, since she was still far from the likes of Shallow Vernal,
Kuromueina and Eden, she chose to alter the event to make it like the
Judgment never hit from the beginning, rather than canceling out a
spell made from Shallow Vernal's magic power.
However, the Gods wouldn't know that. In their eyes, it would have
appeared that Fate had gained a power comparable to Shallow Vernal.
That's why, they were greatly shaken… and an opening appeared within
their hearts. As if to exploit the opening within their hearts, Fate raised
her voice to the Human-Demon Allied Forces behind her.
[Oi, you slow-witted people! Frustrated? You lot must be frustrated,
right? You all wanted to help Kai-chan, holding unto some
determination, but you've just become slow-witted weaklings… You
find it unpleasant, right?]
Her words pierced the hearts of many in the Human-Demon Allied
Forces who hadn't participated in the battle. Especially Kaito's lover,
Sieglinde, who was clenching her fist so hard that blood started
dripping from her hand.
Lilia can still manage to fight against a low-ranking God. However,
Sieglinde doesn't have the ability to keep up with this battle. No, on the
contrary, she could only lament her helplessness because she
understood that she would only end up dragging down her best friend,
Lilia.
There are also others who feel the same way… as even Lilia, who was
able to participate in the battle, regretted her weakness, as she had to
do her best just to fight against a single low-ranking God.
Facing such people, Fate slightly smiled and declared.
[…That thought of helping Kai-chan, I'm with you regarding that. That's
why, I will lead all of you! For a few moments… Beyond the limits of
race, beyond the time required to train, to the extremes you can reach
with the talent you possess! "To the critical point of your fate"!!!]
At that moment, magic that could shake the space was released from
Fate's body, pouring down on each and every member of the Human-
Demon Allied Forces.
The Gods somehow knew that it would be dangerous. Therefore, the
Gods, especially the High-ranking Gods, immediately began to act.
At the same time as the God of Flash, who had overwhelming speed
second only to Chronois, flew out towards Fate, someone quickly flew
out from within the Human-Demon Allied Forces.
She, who was lamenting her helplessness even more than the others,
jumping out faster than the others… was Sieglinde.
Originally, Sieglinde's abilities, even though she's considered as a
powerful Human, would not be able to stand up to an enhanced God,
much less an enhanced high-ranking God. Fighting against them would
normally have been a momentary exchange, where her fragile life ends.
However, that didn't happen. Sieglinde easily shattered the spear that
the God of Flash had thrust out with her twin swords that were filled
with powerful Endowment Magic, cutting deep into the God of Flash's
body.
[…I- Impossible…]
Such a voice unconsciously leaked out of Chronois' mouth. It wasn't
hard to understand why. Sieglinde, who wasn't even counted as a
fighter just a while ago, has somehow acquired magic power that
surpasses even today's enhanced High-ranking Gods…
Moreover, it isn't just her magic power that has increased like the Gods.
The refined and unhindered flow of magic power is proof that Sieglinde
has perfected the use of her magic power.
Chronois' eyes widened at the unbelievable sight, but then, she felt time
stop and took a stance to intercept Ein, who must have been trying to
attack her.
Just like when the battle started, a clash of fists within the stopped
time… but receiving Ein's strike, Chronois' arm was blown off.
[Guhhhhh!?]
[God of Time and Space!?]
Yes, Chronois was completely outmatched by Ein. She was so
overwhelmed that her arm was blown off… Despite her astonishment,
Life immediately healed her, restoring her arm back to normal.
Thinking about her blown off arm, Chronois looked at Ein with a
shocked expression on her face.
Under Chronois' gaze, Ein lightly plucks at the skirt of her maid
uniform, curtsied, before speaking.
[…I guess I have to thank Fate. I thought I had trained myself to the limit
as a maid… but it seems that I still have "some room to grow".]
[…What's… happening… What in the world is with this power?]
[Tsk, this is—— Eh?]
They still couldn't understand the situation. However, Life understands
that Ein had completely surpassed Chronois. That's why, she
immediately tried to support her.
Using her power to create an infinite number of troops, she tried to
create more than a billion cavalry… but she was dumbfounded when
she found out that her ability didn't work.
[…Why didn't it work?]
[…"I killed them"… when you activated your ability…]
What appeared in front of Life was Isis with a somewhat peaceful
expression on her face. However, the moment Life saw such an Isis, she
was greatly shaken up inside.
(I don't feel intimidated at all? That's impossible… That would mean…)
Yes, she didn't feel any intimidation from Isis' magic power of death
now. At the same time that Life realized what this meant, Isis calmly
announced.
[…I've always… dreamt of a day like this…"where I could completely
control my magic power of death"… for the way I am now… I could even
kill… things that hold no life.]
[…No way… God of Fate made that possible…]
Looking at Isis, Life finally understood what Fate meant with the critical
point of fate, making her shudder.
[…Raising them to their critical points, to the highest peak of their
talent——!? Oh no! Life! Go focus on fighting Death King!]
What Fate has done was, whether it's the limits of the physical body as
a species, or the time of training which would normally take them many
years to reach… ignoring all these factors, she would temporarily make
one grow to the limit of their natural talent… And as if Chronois had
also reached such a conclusion, someone popped into Chronois' head.
[But someone! Anyone! ——"Stop Lilia!"]
Immediately after that, a number of glowing trails appeared in the sky.
Those glowing trails didn't mean that she was there. Those glowing
trails mean that "she passed through there".
As that trajectory of light carved through the battlefield multiple
times… The Gods were being slashed apart at a speed that Life's
revivals couldn't catch up.
In this world, it was perceived that the Humans, especially the humans,
are inferior to other races in terms of individual combat power. In fact,
there are probably only a few humans in history who are capable of
fighting against High-ranking Demons.
(T/N: Human(upper-case) = The beings living in the Human Realm.
humans(lower-case) = the human species itself.)
In that case, are humans inferior to other species? No, that's not the
case. It was just that they have a "different special characteristic".
Indeed, the humans have a short lifespan and aren't as physically strong
as other species.
However, if a human and a Demon with the exact same level of talent
are raised in the same environment with the same training… It would
be the human who will become stronger first.
The humans grow at a rate that leaves Demon children far behind, and
even if you were to pit them against each other, the human would
dominate until the human begins to age and their physical capabilities
deteriorate.
Yes, what makes the humans superior to other long-lived species is
their growth speed… Compared to other species, humans mature
quicker. While they have overwhelming growth potential and speed,
they also have a short lifespan.
So, what if a human is freed from the physical limitations of their race
and from the deterioration of her abilities due to aging? And what if a
human with superior growth potential was born with a talent
unparalleled in all of history… a genius who, in less than 20 years, has
stepped into the realm of Peerage-ranks, which the Demons only
reached after hundreds or thousands of years of training, is freed from
all of these shackles?
After she bestowed her True Blessing, Chronois once taught Lilia the
magic of manipulating time. Hence, she knew… how she is too much of
a genius.
In just a month or so, Lilia mastered the magic of time, which Chronois
had predicted would take decades to learn. And now, such a person
with bottomless talent is…
Magic power like thunderbolts gushing out, Lilia Albert knocked down
the gods with her impermissible talent. A single swing of her sword
sliced through several High-ranking Gods, while the space shook with
just a single step.
How many beings exist in this world that can stop her now? With such
overwhelming power, the rare genius laid waste to the Gods.
[…Well~~ That's quite spectacular, isn't it? With everyone getting super
power-ups, the power-balance is completely broken~~]
[…Hey, Shall-tan? Why are we drinking tea and going into relaxation
mode? I'm working hard for Kai-chan, you know…]
[Guess you would. However, it's better if you don't push yourself too
hard. That state "probably doesn't last that long", right?]
[…Well, holding this state out hurts a bit.]
Alice, watching the fierce battle while drinking a cup of tea she took out
of nowhere, and Fate, looking at the battlefield with sweat dripping
from her forehead. Both of their states were in contrast with each other.
Fate has indeed risen to a higher stage as a God. However, it is difficult
for her to continue to exercise her enormous power when she was still
growing up, and thus, the Critical Point of Fate wouldn't last very long.
On top of that, she wasn't used to her new state yet, and was unable to
use her powers well.
That's why Fate was desperately hoping that the battle would be settled
as soon as possible, as she fought to keep her body from collapsing
from exhaustion.
[…I mean, Shall-tan, doesn't my power work at you? I can't see any
change in you at all.]
[Ah~~ No, it's just simple. Me, you see… Simply speaking, I've already
reached max level and had even done sidequests to bulk up my status
even more, so I wouldn't grow anymore. That's the case "even before I
came to this world"…]
[Eh? B- But Shall-tan, compared to 20,000 years ago…]
[Ahh, well, that has something to do with my special characteristic. The
way I am now is quite peculiar, and I can only grow "under a certain
condition". Well, putting aside refining various skills and techniques, my
physical abilities and magic power wouldn't grow outside of that
condition.]
[So, you're saying that from the last time you fought 20,000 years ago,
you've met that condition and became more powerful?]
[Yes, it happened just before we had that passionate fistfight under the
sunset. Well, my opponent at that time is seriously freaking annoying,
but I guess I'm grateful for the growth I've had back then, because it has
helped me a lot for this battle.]
[Unnn?]
After saying something that somehow contained some meaning, Alice
quietly looked at the battlefield without saying anything else.
(Now then, thanks to Fate-san's hard work, this had led to one of the
pretty good developments that I've had expected. However, hmmm… I
don't think this battle would be settled before Fate-san reaches her
limit. The Gods still have one more trump card left after all… and we'll
probably end up "losing even if we defeat the Gods at this rate"~~)
After thinking that much, a small smile appeared on Alice's lips before it
was covered up with the tea she brought into her mouth.
(Well, it looks like I'll have to make my move in a few moments, so let's
just enjoy our tea time while we can.)