"Divine Authority — Molting: Shed one layer of skin to nullify any attack about to strike the user."

BOOM!

Thunder exploded across the battlefield!

Aelthymis’ severed head erupted with multicolored heavenly lightning!

But every bolt struck only a discarded skin husk.

「Azure Path — Path Five: One-World Prison」

「Origin Arcane Art: World of Self Alone」

「Weapon Path — Path Two: Infinite True Armaments」

「Azure Path — Path Two: Dissolution of All Things」

「Azure Path — Path Four: Eternal Void Misplacement」

「Eighth Forbidden Magic — Fate · Revelation: Forced Decree of Destiny」

「Second Forbidden Magic — Time: Revelation: Time Prison」

「Seventh Forbidden Magic — Elements: Revelation: Primordial Elementalization — Dissolution: Elemental Kaleidoscope」

With a wave of Kanzaki Rei’s hand, the starlight flowing throughout the entire space shifted and transformed.

Elarosa—who had nearly been killed by her own lower body moments earlier—vanished instantly.

Shumi, whose body had unraveled into ribbon-like strips from a single touch, also disappeared without a trace.

Huang Minzhi alone was sealed inside an isolated pitch-black prison.

At this moment, only two people remained within heaven and earth.

Aelthymis.

And Kanzaki Rei.

Rei coldly shouted toward empty space:

"Come out."

Clink!

The empty air peeled away like wallpaper stripped from a wall.

A layer of "space" itself shed like skin—

And Aelthymis stepped out from beneath it.

Forced Decree of Destiny.

A trace of shock appeared in Aelthymis’ eyes.

And when she finally saw Rei’s face clearly—

Memories suddenly surged back.

"It’s you!"

That boy from the Rylen Continent who had ruined her plans years ago!

Hatred filled Aelthymis’ voice.

"If not for you, I would have already obtained Kumironi!"

But in the very next instant, her tone became sweet and frostlike.

"Though now that I look at it... perhaps it wasn’t entirely a bad thing."

"It seems your potential may truly surpass hers."

"If I had known you possessed such talent..."

"I would have descended personally back then and taken you for myself!"

Whoosh!

Aelthymis appeared directly before Rei in an instant.

But almost simultaneously—

Different versions of Rei materialized behind her and to both sides.

Every single one felt indistinguishable from the real body.

「Weapon Path — Path Two: Infinite True Armaments」

CLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANG—!

The sky filled with crisp metallic sounds like countless weapons being forged upon anvils.

That sound made Aelthymis’ heart convulse.

Made fear rise inside her.

Slash!

And the Rei standing before her didn’t retreat even a single step upon seeing her appear.

Instead, he thrust a war spear directly forward!

「Azure Path — Path Three: Cause of Fate」

The spear had not even touched her body yet.

Yet a hollow cavity had already burst open through Aelthymis’ torso.

My defense...

Was broken?

Aelthymis couldn’t understand it.

How had the attack hit her before it even landed?

No—

He reversed the causality of impact!

Pshhk!

Only after she realized that fact did Rei’s spear fully pierce through her body.

"No. Not reversal of the causality of impact."

"It’s the causality of your destined death."

Rei’s voice was cold and calm.

That vanished second earlier—

Had been him observing the outcome of the future.

If he could win, he would fight.

If he couldn’t, he would immediately escape.

And the result he had seen was—

Victory.

Aelthymis grabbed the spear impaling her body with both hands.

But in the next moment—

More spear phantoms appeared from every direction!

Pshh! Pshh! Pshh! Pshh! Pshh—!

One spear after another pierced through Aelthymis from different angles.

Damn it...

This fucking bastard.

Every spear was real.

Every single one had been forged moments ago.

Each carried restraints, enchantments, seals...

This was Elarosa’s Manifestation Art.

Learned by Rei through 「Divine Grade · Manifestation of Ten Thousand Paths」.

And because the Manifestation Art paired perfectly with Rei’s Blacksmith Class—

He directly forged every manifested weapon into reality the moment it appeared.

Their power surpassed mere projected constructs by an immeasurable degree.

Aelthymis gasped weakly.

"Bastard..."

"I am truly sick of you damn blacksmiths..."

Clink—

The moment Aelthymis finished speaking—

Her body, now pierced like a hedgehog by countless spears, abruptly lost all signs of life.

It looked as though she had simply died.

But in the next instant—

Thump.

A violent sense of forewarning struck Rei’s heart.

His sharpened instincts forced his gaze toward a distant point—

Where he saw endless layers of massive flesh-skin piling atop one another like a collapsing cosmic tide, surging overwhelmingly toward this direction!

RUMBLE—!

The chaotic random space itself was ignored completely.

Only infinite mountains of skin and flesh flooded forward—

As immense as galactic oceans.

No matter where they were teleported.

No matter where they moved.

The flesh advanced straight toward Rei’s location.

The aura belonging solely to a god—

Finally revealed itself.

That presence...

It was the same kind of pressure he had only ever felt from Yakatikto.

This—

Was a true deity.

"You understand nothing of the difference between us!"

"You think killing one avatar means you’ve defeated me?"

"Now that I know you are the perfect vessel, there’s no longer any need for restraint!"

BOOM—!

At last, the colossal flesh-layer roaring in from the distance—

Massive enough to engulf an entire star system—

Crashed into the space where Rei stood.

KRAAAASH!

Yet the instant the countless flesh masses reached this region—

They vaporized immediately!

Exploding into limitless elemental destruction!

「Primordial Elementalization」

Immediately afterward, every Ninth-Tier elemental spell contained within Elemental Kaleidoscope erupted simultaneously!

Layer upon layer of endless infernal flames stacked atop one another!

Countless enormous masses of earth and stone condensed into planets orbiting around Rei like celestial bodies revolving around a sun.

And within every single planet rested enough energy to destroy an entire solar system.

"A god..."

A slight smile actually curled at Rei’s lips.

As expected...

The further one advanced down the path of a Class—

The more one began enjoying the exhilaration that path brought.

Now, as a Level 6 Warrior—

Combat brought him increasingly intense pleasure.

And enemies that were too weak only left him bored and dissatisfied.

His heart craved stronger battles.

Of course, the feeling resembled an interest or hobby.

It could be suppressed.

It wasn’t like mental corruption that distorted one’s thoughts against their will.

But now, facing Aelthymis—

Rei still couldn’t stop himself from smiling.

Those Eighth-Tier monsters had all been too weak.

Even Eighth-Rank Class Holders seemed incapable of matching him anymore.

For a long time now, he had wondered—

How large was the gap between himself and a god?

Could his current strength achieve godslaying?

Aelthymis.

You finally came.

"There isn’t a single active enemy left in this world worth fighting."

"You’re finally giving me a chance to verify exactly how far I’ve come."

WHOOSH!

Aelthymis’ endless layers of skin crushed toward Rei’s space.

Yet not a single piece of flesh managed to penetrate the region enveloped by Rei’s Ninth-Tier elemental magic.

After all—

Ninth-Tier magic itself was already divine-level magic.

And Rei could use many such spells.

Suddenly, an enraged shout thundered from afar:

"How long are you going to keep showing off such petty tricks?!"

A humanoid figure wrapped in purple-black outer skin charged straight through the raging sea of flames!