บท 113: Chapter 112: The Battle Part 1
(Next chapter will take some time, still didn't have internet subscription yet and still borrowing McD wifi.)
Arriving at the Earth in the Campione universe from the edge of the universe didn't take that long of a time. Ray uses his physical body to travel to Earth and personally descend upon the world and ignore the restraint it has on divine beings.
Ray's descent caused a sudden eclipse and the world was suddenly covered by thick dark clouds that covered the stars in the sky with multiple Gods with divinity of Death to descend alongside him. This commotion was noticed by almost everyone as he was hardly even trying to be stealthy.
One thing all the God with divinity of Death have in common is command over the death and thus a legion of undead under their command.
Ray only spare them a glance and release a a shockwaves of dark energy which broke the control these Gods has over the soul of the dead and claimed it for himself.
"Impossible! My army!" One of the God cried in disbelief. Other are not that lucky as their divinity probably revolved mainly on the summoning of undead soldiers and Ray broke apart those divinity before taking it for himself.
At this point, even the residents of the Netherworld caught up with the commotion and had been paying attention to it.
Moment later, Ray produced a sword in his hand which quickly ignites in fire and killed five gods in quick succession before leaving with disinterest over his weak opponents.
———
Looking left and right, it was white snowy landscape. Pure white and extremely cold for a human. I remember I landed in middle of the inhospitable Siberia because of the pesky Gods that were sent down because they feel challenged by my divinity which intrude upon theirs.
'Ray summon me already. I'm bored of waiting.' Tanya's voice intrude upon my thoughts but I choose to ignore it and open a Space-Time portal to Kyoto, Japan.
Tanya continue to intrude my thoughts until I finally fed up and summon her.
"Finally, freedom!" Tanya cheered with both her arms lift up to the sky.
Sigh… I miss the old serious and workaholic Tanya. Ever since my return after going missing for few years. Tanya changed a lot. She still like doing work but now prefer to stick to me 24/7 just like everyone. Probably because they were afraid I would suddenly go missing again, which I find cute and endearing untill after a month passed, two months, three, four, five… you get what I mean. It's very distracting to my normal routine that I am forced to split my thoughts into multiple body and have them do other task for me while I mainly staying with Tanya and the others, attending to their whim untill now.
"What do you mean freedom? Not like you didn't have place to go, back at Honkaiverse Earth or in Nasuverse." I asked.
"Yes, but it gets boring really quick. Being in peace means no battle and dealing with politics is boring unlike battle." Tanya complained that her brain can only be stimulated when thinking about strategy and battle.
"Isn't it you that said you want to climb up corporate ladder and have a peaceful life away from battle? Then, being a leader of an Empire is basically what you asked for."
"Yes, but it's boring after few years. I prefer leading soldiers than dealing with politics on any day of the week." She changed her mind as dealing with politics give her headache while battle give her excitement.
I shrugged and took a look at the people that had discreetly and frantically evacuated the civilians while two people were standing in the distance looking at me and Tanya to evaluate us.
Looking at the battle hungry Tanya. I reminded her. "Our target is the other Ray and his group only. We engage the local if only they tried to interfere." Tanya look dissapointed and nods.
We waited for few more minutes before our surroundings is cleared off civilians and one of them walk forward, it the Italian Campione, Salvatore Doni with a silver arm and a red and black greatsword. The other one is the Martial Artist Campione of China, Luo Hao.
Both confronted Ray and Tanya who is an unknown that they didn't see in the vision. This isn't the first time they had confrontation from people outside of their world as travellers from other timeline sometimes ended up in their world.
The stand off lasted five minutes before Ray opened his mouth first.
"I am not here for either of you. I'm only here for Ray and his group. Stay out of my way and I will leave the rest alone."
"Unfortunately, Ray is my foster brother and before you can meet him, you need to get past me first." Luo Hao said firmly.
"He is my sworn brother too. So, you have to get past me first too." Doni said with a grin on his face. Probably eager to test his blade against a stronger opponent.
Seeing that both decided to resist, Tanya turns to Ray with a hopeful puppy eyes gaze that leaves him helpless. Something that is unimaginable prior to his sudden disappearance because of how Tanya almost always strictly carried herself in public unlike now where she didn't care anymore and let herself loose with childish acts that Ray finds too endearing to deny.
"Fine… go ahead." Ray gave his permission before Tanya excitedly summoned the Undying Legion that was similarly as eager as Tanya to see combat after five years of dealing with politics and no actions at all as they answered her call in hordes of tens of thousands.
Most of these Wraiths she summoned were once belonging to Khorne as they are the most adept in combat and very eager to prove themselves in battle now to their new master and mistress.
They roared before rushing into battle against the two Godslayers leaving only two Bloodthirster to be her bodyguard. Among the charging Wraiths are former Champions that have the most of their mind intact and able to serve as commander of their own group, receiving orders from Tanya telepathically. They lead the Wraiths Marine, Daemon and an assortment of troops.
Just in sheer numbers alone could swallow up the two Godslayers and the relentless assaults from an army that do not fear death as they engage in suicidal attacks as long as they can land a hit.
Doni is the first to be pushed back. Even if his sword can cut through anything, killing one enemy and ten more ready to replace the spot. Luo Hao fared better as she summoned a pair of giant golden statues of Vajrapani, leveling the ground as the legion swarmed the statues like ants to exhaust its might.
Ray noticed how the two seem to not fight at their best and only defend instead of truly attacking. Perhaps they were stalling for time. But for who?
The moment this thought ended, he saw the cloud above turn yellow like the sun is shining through it but a second later, the cloud parted and a giant white stallion surrounded by a blazing flame dropped down from the sky and headed straight at them. He looked at the two Godslayers and noticed they had already escaped. Probably from the moment he looked up and was distracted by it.
Looking at the divine authority dropping out from the sky, Tanya didn't look worried at all as seconds later, a barrier surrounded her and Ray after he lifted his hand up which blocked the blazing stallion that was said to carry the full might of a solar flare at the minimum.
On top of a building far away, Godou is calling bullshit on Ray to effortlessly extinguish his White Stallion authority that is capable of even burning away conceptual ideas like fate and destiny and nuking a small universe like it was nothing. Not especially that White Stallion authority is stronger the more evil the target is and in the prophecy, Ray is a person that has no issue razing a whole city into wasteland.
Luo Hao picked him up on the way according to plan and regrouped with their own Ray and Madam Aisha for the next step.
———
Using his [True Omniscient], Ray saw how they tried to lure him into another plane to mount their real attack to prevent the destruction of Kyoto and Japan by fighting elsewhere far from the human population.
"Should we give them a chase? It's obvious they set an ambush and are luring us in." Tanya asked while unsummoning any Wraiths that survived the White Stallion authority. Most didn't because the White Stallion carried a purifying flame that burned away most weak Wraiths.
"It's just an ambush, what is there to worry about?" Ray shrugged and telekinetically lifted Tanya and himself to fly towards the ambush set by the Godslayers.
"Ray, I know that you are very strong right now. But that doesn't mean you can simply look down on your enemies." Tanya called out his arrogance and lectured him by reminding him that he once took down enemies stronger than himself, why couldn't his opponent do the same?
Ray just replied with a nod for the reminder before focusing on the four Godslayers in front of him and noticed two more are missing. But he is careful and with [True Omniscient] it's hard to be wary of something like an ambush when he can literally see through it. By the way, he also noticed that Ray and Artoria are missing, which made Ray wary as they seem to be hiding their future from his eyes that passive [True Omniscient] cannot see them. Using the active effect is an option but he rather not use it unless necessary since he didn't want to look too deep and lock the timeline into a linear route.
For now, Ray fly along with Tanya into the 'ambush' set by the four Godslayers and pretends they didn't notice it.
The moment they touched down, they only saw Doni and Madam Aisha at the foot of Mount Fuji. The former stands guard with his blade ready to attack while Madam Aisha is activating her authority, Fairy Corridor.
(They are already late in the timeline of Campione. Godou already killed Mithras. So, Madam Aisha gaining control of her authority isn't a stretch because Zurvan is also dead and cannot temper with her authority.)
Tanya once again tried to summon the Undying Legion to attack Doni but she was stopped by Godou chanting his authority of the Boar.
"May his spine be crushed; may his bones be broken, his tendons torn, his hair ripped from his skull."
Ray conjured the psychic amplifying sword into his hand and made a slash into reality to bisects Godou in half but two golden buddha statues appeared and absorbed the attack before losing their golden luster and becoming ordinary stone statues that instantly cracked and turned into dust carried by the bellowing winds.
Luo Hao visibly frowned as red bloodstain can be seen trickling down her nose and lips. She bring her hand to her face and wiped the blood off before looking at her bloodied palm.
"Impressive, an attack that targets the soul itself and not even the result of divine power. You are the strongest opponent this Luo Hao has ever fought against and definitely stronger than myself." She praised genuinely and the gap of power seems to rouse her fighting spirit even more as flames can be seen in her eyes.
Godou behind her looks worried because this is the first time he ever saw someone that can inflict such damage to Luo Hao. The blood might not look like much of an injury but Godou can definitely feel her vitality halved the moment they use the Avatar of Vajrapani to defend against the slash. Gritting his teeth, Godou quickly finish his chant.
"May his blood, spilled over the earth, be churned into a bloody froth. I shall become one who buries fangs into the sinner's flesh, that the will of the Lord be followed." A giant blazing boar with aura of destruction appeared on top of Godou as he lift it and throw it against Ray and Tanya.
"Thou shalt be purged!"
The giant boar roared and charged while leaving destruction in it's path as it rammed into the barrier that Ray created. Ray could definitely dismiss the boar with a simple portal but he pretend to be defending and got pushed into a portal create by Madam Aisha instead, along with Tanya.
"We succeeded!" Godou cheered tiredly but Luo Hao told him not to celebrate too early since they still need to defeat Ray before they can claim they are victorious. But she felt suspicious. Everything went smoothly. A little too smoothly even.
Luo Hao, Godou and Doni quickly jump into the portal before its closed and Madam Aisha collapsed to the ground while panting hard due to exhaustion.
———
Upon arriving at the otherside of the portal, Ray decided to unsummon Tanya away and manifest her in her vessel, Greatsword of Artorias, instead. Which is a sound decision because he instantly constricted by golden chain that he easily identified as Enkidu and then being blasted by Ea and Gate of Babylon noble phantasm barrage.
But all those attack hardly affected Ray as he solidify the space in front of him with his psychic power to form a shield. Quite inefficient in usage of his psychic energy but it worked and this shield made of psychic energy cannot be nullified with anti-magic noble phantasm mixed in the barrage.
Not even done yet as formation of stone pillars rose up from the ground to restrain him and aa giant purple bolt of energy containing the concept of Venus, dropped on his head and created an explosion of violet light that drowned all other light like a giant flashbang just went off.
Tanya worriedly asking Ray in his mind if he is alright. Which Ray only smiled physical and turn out alright and unharmed except of his clothes that turned into rags from all those violent attacks. He snap his finger and time rewinded as the clothes returned to it's pristine condition.
"Impossible… he just eat two powerful noble phantasms in his face and turn out unscathed!" The floating lady in very skimpy outfits which Ray identified as Ishtar, cried out in disbelief that fullpower Ea and her strongest attack did practically nothing to Ray.
Moment later, the three Godslayers that entered the portal after Ray arrived on a giant crater with Ray standing on invisible ground staring at their Ray with unnerving and taunting grin on his face as if telling that no matter what they do, their fate already set in stone and he will continue to enjoy toying with them until he get bored.
———
"So, how are we going to do this? It's obvious that he outclassed us from the very beginning." Doni said and pointed out Tanya which tag along with Ray.
Ray was never felt pressured enough to even be slightly serious until he entered another plane and was bombarded with a barrage of noble phantasms which is shown when he can still protect Tanya while taking on their attack one after another.
"Our goal never changes. We will fight and kill him here in the Temple of Infinite Time. This is the only place we can display our power to the fullest." Luo Hao said as she used her mystic art and the effect of this plane to reverse the internal damage she sustained.
Godou nodded and used Zurvan's authority usurped by their Ray to reset Verethragna's authority usage. This reset of course didn't come for free and it saps their vitality or lifespan, exchanging time for time.
Godou felt slightly disappointed because his trademark authority is the Warrior Avatar which worked and helped him through plenty of opponents, his strongest trump card but it was unusable against someone like Ray which has literally no history for him to use as fuel to activate his Golden Sword. He has to make due with Ame no Murakumo no Tsurugi. He activates the Goat Avatar simultaneously and coats the divine sword in purple lightning.
Without need to converse, Luo Hao and Doni were already charging ahead to gain opportunity for Godou to release his heavy hitting attacks. Doni use Man of Steel authority to turn himself near invulnerable and immortal during the duration of the authority to serve as damage soaker while Luo Hao dishing out devastating strong and also extremely fast combos of Kung Fu moves she trained in.
Then without any warning, the sky rumbled like a berserked beast, causing a streak of apocalyptic purple lightning before a giant pillar of lightning smited Ray down, creating a few dozens meters deep crater in its wake. Then five more lightning strikes before the sky showing signs of calming down while Godou almost fell to his knees in exhaustion of and using the divine sword as a crutch, much to the sword's own displeasure to be treated the same level as a walking crutch.
Emerging from the crater and smoke is Ray unharmed except for his clothes that are slightly burned and charred. Godou shouting more profanities that his attacks once again proved to be useless.
In her sword form, Tanya still can summon the Undying Legion which is what she did when he lightning felled on Ray, she summoned them to take the blow for Ray instead. She then summoned more to fight against the enemies. The other Ray in particular because he is the only one that can pose a threat against her own Ray with his ability and weapons. From Ray's mind that Ray allows her to access, the [Cosmic Lord] ability that Ray is wary about, allows the other Ray to essentially inflate his power to match her Ray.
Suddenly, the ground was swallowed by a domain of Shadow caused by the other Ray and Shadow army appeared to oppose Ray's Undying Legion that Tanya is controlling. Ray also responded by expanding his domain of divinity of Soul which empowered his Wraiths as long as they stand above his domain. Both domains clash but it's obvious that Ray had the upper hand in sheer quality and quantity of his divine power compared to the other Ray that isn't even a god and his domain comes from his Shadow Monarch abilities, a borrowed power that isn't his own.
Seeing that he is outnumbered and surrounded from all sides, Ray summoned the Demon God Pillars, eagerly answering his call and emerging by his side. They have already been briefed with their task which is to distract the godslayers while he is dealing with Ray and his group. The Demon Gods quickly move out to surround the three godslayers while he stares at the other Ray who is also staring down at him from a higher ground with Ea still rotating and ready to attack
"Who are you? What is your reason for attacking me?" The other Ray asked, unaware of the action of his other selves in another parallel timeline.
"Who am I, you ask?" Ray pretended to think for an answer before smirking and said. "I'm your maker and it's time to put you down for your rebellion."
—————
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