Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 177: The Monopolizer and Invader of the Stars, Melting, Mixing, and Swallowing Them Whole 7

Episode 177: The Monopolizer and Invader of the Stars, Melting, Mixing, and Swallowing Them Whole 7

The thunder ceased, and silence returned.

A boundless night sky, scattered with the moon and countless stars. The horizon stretched behind me, while in front, a black expanse loomed. The once-raging storm had left the surroundings vast and empty. Under normal circumstances, such an open space might evoke a sense of freedom, but I still felt constricted. It was as if I were trapped within invisible walls, with the distant stars seeming close enough to grab with a mere stretch of my arm.

“It’s strange, isn’t it? My body hasn’t really changed that much.”

I muttered, vibrating what might still be called my vocal cords. Though it’s questionable if they could still be called that. Back when I was a Slime, I produced sound by making subtle vibrations across my surface. But now, that’s no longer the case.

“I’ve become an even stranger creature now.”

If I were to describe my current form, it would be like a jewel intersected by two spirals. One spiral, a lightning bolt descending from the heavens, and the other, a rocky spiral thrusting up from the earth. These spirals intertwined and mixed, their colors constantly shifting like a seven-colored gemstone. The tips of both spirals were sharpened like blades, making it seem as though the sky and the earth were aiming spears at each other.

“………”

“Well, first things first, I need to deal with Karkinos.”

I refocused my attention outward. Karkinos had been pushed back by the shock of my transformation into a 〔Astro God〕, but now that the whirl of sparks had stopped, it was closing in again.

“There’s no need to summon the 〔Star Field – Aether〕… I don’t want to push the injured god too far. Alright, let’s blow it away with 〔Thunder〕.”

In an instant, the night sky lit up as bright as midday.

Hundreds of bolts of lightning rained down, reducing Karkinos over a radius of several kilometers to ash. This was the power of the 〔Divine Authority – Arytia〕, the pinnacle of the Hierarchy Ability of a 〔Astro God〕. Of the three divine authorities, the one I just activated was the first concept, 〔Thunder〕. It’s a straightforward manifestation of destructive power, fitting for the 〔Divine Authority – Arytia〕.

“Well, this alone won’t be enough.”

That attack was just a warm-up, meant to drive Karkinos back and wipe out its minions. In fact, while all the minions were annihilated, I hadn’t even used half of my maximum output. And I hadn’t yet invoked the part of 〔Divine Authority – Arytia〕 required to truly defeat Karkinos.

As expected, Karkinos’ scattered body quickly began to regenerate. No matter how much power you have, this is what happens. It’s likely this same resilience was what caught the Star God off guard and led to his defeat.

“So, if I can deal with that, I won’t have any problems… but if I mess up, it could be dangerous. Better move the battlefield. Rise, 〔Earth〕.”

Using a power similar yet distinct from |Mana|, or rather the pure essence of it—〔Divine Power: Energia〕—I wove together the 〔Divine Authority – Arytia〕. The land Karkinos had rooted itself into erupted into the sky with a thunderous roar.

The earth is, in essence, the body of the Star God. But peeling off the surface layer like this didn’t cause any real harm. Controlling the earth doesn’t even require the full power of 〔Divine Authority – Arytia〕.

“Alright, now I can unleash my power without holding back.”

I floated into the air—not using the 〔Divine Authority – Arytia〕 or 〔Divine Power: Energia〕 but through my own physical capabilities. It was odd, but here I was, soaring. I pointed the tip of the rocky spiral toward Karkinos. Despite the sudden upheaval, Karkinos was unperturbed, extending its roots to attack me. But it was too slow.

Though I lost skills like [Clear Tranquility] in the process of becoming an 〔Astro God〕, I am now far faster than when I had those skills. My speed, my reflexes—everything is faster. While Karkinos was just beginning to move, I had already gathered up the 〔Divine Power: Energia〕 pouring endlessly from my 〔Soul Arche〕.

The rocky spiral I aimed at Karkinos shot forward with tremendous force.

It pierced through the center of the black forest of Karkinos, and from that point of impact, I unleashed the final 〔Divine Authority – Arytia〕.

“Shape it, 〔Heavenly Spear〕.”

(Note: Ame-no-Nuboko (天沼矛 or 天之瓊矛 or 天瓊戈, “heavenly jeweled spear”), also known simply as the Tenkei (天瓊, “heavenly spear”), is the name given to the spear in Shinto used to raise the primordial land-mass, Onogoro-shima, from the sea. It is often represented as a naginata.

According to the Kojiki, Shinto’s genesis gods Izanagi and Izanami were responsible for creating the first land. To achieve this, they received a spear decorated with jewels from the older heavenly gods. The two deities then went to the bridge between heaven and earth, Ame-no-ukihashi, and churned the sea below with the naginata. When drops of salty water fell from the tip, they formed into the first island, Onogoro-shima. Izanagi and Izanami then descended from the bridge of heaven and made their home on the island.)

The ever-changing form of Karkinos’ body was frozen in place. This wasn’t a partial effect like with [The Endless Cycle of Thunderous Rebirth], but a complete immobilization of the entire vast forest of Karkinos.

The invincible defenses that Karkinos prided itself on had been completely nullified.

“I think… this spear appeared in Japanese mythology, right?”

As I circulated the 〔Divine Power: Energia〕 through my body, old memories surfaced.

I recalled a myth I’d heard somewhere. It was said that during the creation of heaven and earth, the Ame-no-Nuboko (heavenly jeweled spear)  stirred up the chaos, giving birth to the Japanese islands. A divine tool of creation.

And now, the same thing was happening.

The formless and thus invincible body of Karkinos was given a distinct shape, solidifying the chaos. 

“I see, so the reason my <Soul Fragments> were increasing was because of this.”

Using it in practice, I became certain. The increase in yield was the result of the synergy between 〔Thunder〕 and 〔Earth〕, but the influence of the 〔Heavenly Spear〕 extended even to the intangible, like <Soul Fragments>.

The hierarchy ability was merely a glimpse of the power of the 〔Divine Authority – Arytia〕. Especially when it came to my [Unique Skill], which were less refined, the three aspects were easily reflected in it.

“Oof, my thoughts wandered again.”

I was starting to relax, and the reason was clear: the enemy was no longer a threat. Karkinos was still nearby, but it no longer posed any danger.

“……..”

Karkinos, however, had taken on an aggressive stance, pointing its spawning outlets toward me. It gathered |Mana| and fired a mass of chaos in my direction.

“Interweave, 〔Earth〕.”

In response, I created a crystal in midair—though it wasn’t quite a Mana Crystal. This creation, enhanced and modified by the power of 〔Earth〕, far surpassed even the highest-grade Mana Crystals in performance. I infused the spherical artifact-like crystal with 〔Divine Power: Energia〕, and in an instant, it began to glow a brilliant white. Then, I pulled the trigger.

“[Skill] Reproduction: [Sparkle Pluto- Modified]… or something like that.”

Through the power of 〔Earth〕, the 〔Divine Power: Energia〕 within the crystal was imbued with destructive properties and fired. It was based on the old [Sparkle Pluto] skill I used to use, but with several improvements. One of those improvements was directional control—I could now direct the divine bullet exactly where I wanted.

“Farewell, Karkinos.”

No further attack was necessary. 〔Divine Power: Energia〕 is of a vastly different quality than |Mana|. When condensed into a bullet, the outcome was obvious. 

Karkinos’ minions, its attacks, and even its hurried defenses were all shattered in an instant. There wasn’t even a moment of resistance as the divine bullets pierced through Karkinos’ forest, leaving it riddled with holes. Then, the 〔Divine Power: Energia〕 detonated, reducing Karkinos’ vast body to splinters and utterly destroying it beyond recognition.

“Bury it, 〔Earth〕.”

As I watched Karkinos’ 〔Soul Arche〕 scatter into countless pieces, I invoked the 〔Divine Authority – Arytia〕 once more. The shattered fragments of Karkinos disintegrated into dust and quickly became part of the soil. With this, the possibility of its revival was completely eradicated.

Thus, the battle against the world-threatening 〔Spirit of Chaos〕, Karkinos, ended in an anticlimactic fashion.