Chapter 248: Rokuhara Ren VS Batara Guru [II]
Many people believe a Heretic God’s power is determined by their fame, by how fearsome they are portrayed in mythology. This is a misconception. The true core of their power is the unwavering will and determination that forms their very essence.
Batara Guru is the perfect embodiment of this principle. While his name may not be as famous as Zeus or Odin in the West, he is another manifestation of Shiva, the Destroyer God in the Hindu trimurti, which shows his will cannot possibly be weak.
*CRASH!*
Thousands of ancient warriors charged at Ren like a wild horde, yet with discipline.
(Interesting.)
Ren noticed the thousands of ancient warriors moving in formation, their long spears forming an impenetrable barricade. Their swords shimmered under the lightning’s light, ready to cut down anyone who approached.
*BUZZ!*
Magical energy surged into the Divine Authority Primordial Might. His body was filled with boundless power that gave him the illusion he could destroy the earth with a single punch.
(This sudden power boost makes me feel like Saitama.) Ren grumbled to himself.
*WHOOSH!*
Ren ran, but not toward the warriors; he ran sideways. He moved with incredible speed, so fast he was almost invisible. The warriors were shocked but reacted quickly, rotating their formation to pursue Ren.
Ren suddenly stopped, crouched, and punched the ground.
*BAM!*
The punch created a localized earthquake, and the shockwave sent the warriors stumbling. Ren used the opportunity, leapt into the air, and kicked a warrior.
*CRUSH-BANG!*
The kick was so powerful that the warrior shattered into light particles, and the resulting shockwave made the surrounding floodwaters surge like a tsunami.
*WHOOSH!* *BAM!* *WHOOSH!* *BAM!*
Ren landed on the water, moving among the warriors. He punched a warrior in front of him. The blow pierced through the warrior and destroyed another one behind it. He kicked a warrior next to him, sending the warrior flying into the air and crashing into others.
The ancient warriors realized Ren was too strong to be faced individually. They changed their formation, forming a large circle to surround him.
Seeing this, Ren leapt into the air, and just as he landed, he punched the ground.
*BAM!*
The shockwave made the surrounding floodwaters surge like a tsunami. The warriors close to him were thrown into the air, shattering into light particles.
Batara Guru, seeing this, became enraged. He hadn’t expected his proud warriors to be defeated despite their numerical advantage.
"Let’s see how long you last. As long as there are enough of them, even ants can kill an elephant."
Then, he instructed his warriors to attack all at once. Thousands of them ran toward Ren, their spears pointing at him, ready to stab him.
"Ha Ha Ha Ha... Unfortunately, that metaphor doesn’t apply to me! In the face of absolute power, numbers are meaningless!"
Ren burst into laughter. His Divine Authority Primordial Might gave him limitless physical strength.
*BOOM!*
He leapt into the air, then spun, kicking in all directions. Each kick had the raw force of hundreds of millions of tons. He destroyed dozens of warriors at once.
"Take this!"
"Serious Punch!"
Ren shouted, punching the air.
*KABOOOM!*
The punch created a shockwave so powerful that the clouds in the sky vanished. The shockwave hit the warriors, causing them to shatter into light particles.
*WHOOSH!*
As soon as Ren landed on the ground, the warriors saw an opening. Two dozen of them charged, their spears arranged to pierce him simultaneously at every vital point.
Instead of retreating, he leapt forward, right into the center of the attacking group.
His fist smashed into the ground.
*BOOOOOOM!*
It wasn’t just a punch. It was like an asteroid hitting the planet. The resulting tremors were no longer small quakes, but a massive seismic shock that radiated from the point of impact.
*CRACK!* *CRACK!* *CRACK!*
The ground cracked in a giant spiderweb pattern, some of the fissures several meters wide, swallowing dozens of warriors and spewing molten lava from the earth’s core.
The floodwaters on the surface were forced outward with unimaginable force, turning into a ten-meter-high tsunami wave that swept back hundreds of other warriors, grinding the already dilapidated building debris into finer dust.
His next kick didn’t hit a target, but sliced through the air.
*WHOOSH—KABOOM!*
The kick cut through the air at hypersonic speed, creating a vacuum and a shockwave behind it. The shockwave traveled upward, hitting the base of Batara Guru’s dark, swirling clouds.
A gigantic hole was torn through the cloud layer, for a moment parting the dark sky and allowing a ray of sunlight to illuminate the destruction below.
However, Batara Guru remained calm.
"You think that’s enough?"
The ripped clouds swirled faster, quickly closing the hole, becoming even darker and more menacing than before.
"After I’ve finished them, it’ll be your turn!"
Staring at the arrogant Batara Guru, Ren finished off every single warrior.
*BANG!* *BANG!* *BANG!*
Ten minutes. That’s how long it took Ren to turn Batara Guru’s thousands of sky warriors into fading memories and scattered energy.
The flooded field that had been their battlefield now transformed into a giant mire filled with cracks, craters, and steam billowing from the water, which was constantly churned by the inhuman forces.
Ren’s body was smoking, his breathing slightly heavy, but his eyes still sparkled with an unquenched fighting spirit.
From a distance, Batara Guru watched, his face no longer showing rage, but a far more terrifying serenity. He nodded slowly, as if in recognition.
"Not bad. You’ve proven yourself worthy of me personally stepping in to fight you. Since you’re so eager to die, I shall grant your wish."
*BUZZ!*
Batara Guru extended his hand to the side. The air around him trembled, centering on his empty palm. A dazzling light emanated from it, forcing anyone to close their eyes. When the light subsided, a weapon was held in his hand.
A trident.
This was no ordinary weapon. This was the Trishula, the iconic weapon of Shiva.
The weapon had three pointed spearheads. The trident symbolizes the three aspects of Shiva: the creator, the preserver, and the destroyer.
With the trishula, Shiva is capable of creating and destroying entire universes. He also used it to conquer his enemies and protect his followers. One of the trishula’s greatest feats was when Shiva used it to kill the demon Tarakasura, who had caused chaos throughout the universe.
"No, you’re wrong." Ren retorted. His gaze was undaunted as he stared at the legendary weapon. "The one who dies won’t be me, it’ll be you!"
He knew that fighting Shiva’s Destructive Trishula with raw physical power was suicide. He needed an equivalent weapon. After all, the Divine Authority Primordial Might didn’t provide impenetrable defense like the Divine Authority Steel Body.
Closing his eyes for a moment, Ren felt the power within him shift. The Divine Authority Primordial Might receded, replaced by a different aura—sharper, more focused, more everlasting.
"O sword born of a miracle, whose sharpness never fades, whose power never wanes! Rise in my hand and manifest unwavering justice. Cut down all without mercy, as you are destined to do!"
A streak of pure platinum light—not gold, not silver, but a rare and perfect metal—emerged from his clenched fist. The light elongated, solidified, and formed a perfect sword blade.
The Divine Authority Everlasting Platinum.
This was the Divine Authority of Roland, the greatest paladin knight. His Holy Sword, Durandal, was said in legend to be indestructible and incredibly sharp.
This Divine Authority manifested the very essence of that Holy Sword: a blade that could not be broken and could cut through anything. This wasn’t just about physical sharpness, but about the concept of cutting.
If Shiva’s Trishula represented cosmic destruction, then this Platinum Sword represented unwavering resolve and absolute, unyielding sharpness.
"..."
The sword was light and perfectly balanced in Ren’s hand. Its blade radiated a dazzling platinum light, a stark contrast to the swirling aura of destruction from the Trishula. Amidst the storm and flood, the sword was like a fallen star.
Ren raised his platinum sword, pointing it at Batara Guru.
"Now, let’s see whose weapon is stronger."