— — — — — —
The moment Ryo's words fell, the room went silent.
For a long second, everyone's eyes darted between him and Highness.
Then Scáthach gave a small, amused laugh and turned toward Uesugi Kenshin. "I don't really care either way. What about you, Uesugi?"
"Reason," Kenshin said simply. Just one word, but her tone made it clear—if Ryo wanted her to spare Highness, she needed a good explanation.
Hercules stayed silent, staring fixedly at Mithras without a word.
That was when Ryo said, meaningfully, "The bishop the Cross Pantheon sent here never actually made it to this world."
Uesugi's brow lifted slightly. Scáthach's gaze flicked toward Ryo, interest lighting in her eyes.
"Uh…" Rin's jaw dropped. She scratched her head blankly. Was this guy helping them or throwing them under the bus?!
How could he just say that out loud?!
"Ara~ Ara~," Uesugi smiled, narrowing her eyes at Highness and Rin with a knowing look. So they were pretending to be from the Cross Pantheon?
Now that was interesting.
Scáthach chuckled. "You're telling me these kids managed to screw over a Bishop?"
"Don't underestimate us!" Rin blurted, baring her teeth in a mock snarl. "We destroyed that priest head-on!"
Her tiny fangs might've been meant to look intimidating, but the effect was more… cute. Scáthach couldn't help smiling. "Head-on, you say? Well, that's something."
A cross bishop might only be average among the four-digit ranks, but each one could channel a trace of their Lord's power. Even a fragment of that was enough to make them a serious problem to fight.
Highness and Rin didn't look like the type who could take one down in a fair fight.
A sneak attack? No, impossible. There wasn't an ounce of malice in Highness and Rin—Their aura was too pure. In cross terms, that was purity on par with the Holy Son himself—a divine, benevolent nature.
So not a sneak attack, but not a fair fight either…
In a flash, everyone present came to the same conclusion: 'A scapegoat.'
"Nicely done, Rin," Ryo thought with a wry smile. Then he said aloud, "Lady Uesugi, I understand who they are now. I can vouch for their character—and for anything concerning the King of End."
Uesugi gave him a long, searching look, then sighed softly and turned her gaze toward Scáthach. That was all the signal she needed.
"Well, since this brat says so, I'll let it slide," Scáthach said with a shrug, clearly siding with Ryo.
Next, Uesugi looked to Hercules.
The towering Greek hero rumbled, "I owe him one."
Uesugi's eyes narrowed briefly. Then she exhaled, glanced at Highness, and said to Ryo, "Fine. I'll do you this favor."
At that, both Highness and Rin released a breath of relief.
It had cost them something, sure—but they'd managed to keep their lives without completely exposing their true identities. Given the situation, that was as good an outcome as they could hope for.
Ryo smiled, nodded toward Uesugi, and exchanged a glance with Highness before turning to face the throne.
"Thank you for waiting, King Mithras," he said politely. "We've settled our matters."
A low, hoarse chuckle rumbled from the throne.
"Thank me? Then I'll accept your gratitude—so long as you don't mind me using this time to gather strength to kill you, nameless godslayer."
He rose from his seat, sweeping his gaze across the room.
"Bishamonten of the Buddhist pantheon."
Uesugi's brow furrowed.
"Valkyrie of the Celts."
Scáthach raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"And you—born from one of my former subordinates."
Hercules blinked. Wait, what?
Since when was I one of your subordinates? What kind of twisted logic is that? Using Persia's Verethragna to claim me? Do you have no shame?
Before Hercules could stew further, Mithras turned to Highness.
"You're one of Vishnu's incarnations, aren't you? I can smell the scent of that preserver god clinging to you."
What the fuck?
Highness's eyes went wide. He actually wanted to kill Mithras right then and there.
He'd gone to all that trouble to hide his identity, and this minor god just outed him in public?
Instantly, every head turned toward him.
Vishnu's incarnation?!
That was no small title.
In the grand hierarchy of divinity, that placed him on the same level as Buddha—or Kurma.
Granted, judging from Highness's current strength, he probably wasn't a complete incarnation. But even a partial one said plenty about his background.
Either a servant of the Kurma, the World Dragon—or of Buddha himself.
Among Vishnu's ten avatars, only those two outranked the rest.
Uesugi, however, immediately assumed Highness served under Kurma. Buddha wouldn't have sent her and then sent Highness after—he wasn't that petty.
Meanwhile, Mithras seemed to realize what he'd just done. He gave a faint, apologetic smile.
"Ah, it seems I've revealed one of your important secrets."
Highness's face darkened; he didn't even want to speak to him.
Then Mithras added, sounding genuinely sincere, "I'm sorry. I did it on purpose."
Highness froze. Then color flooded his face, equal parts fury and disbelief.
That bastard!
He admitted it!
"Sir, calm down! Please! He's baiting you!" Rin yelped, grabbing his arm before he could charge forward.
"Hahaha!"
Mithras threw back his head and laughed, though the sound soon cracked, fading into something hollow and grief-stricken.
"I can feel it," he said softly. "From the world you came from—the wailing of dying myths."
"I can sense it, too—the will of the stars themselves rejecting you, the foreign intruders who disturb the world."
He turned toward Uesugi. "You've already consumed a god who defied his own nature, haven't you?"
She didn't deny it. Kind-hearted or not, she wouldn't have allowed another god to exist under her name, threatening her place.
Mithras's eyes moved to Hercules.
"And you… you desecrated my temple once, didn't you? You drew power from its fading divinity."
Hercules winced. Yeah, that one was hard to deny. Here, Mithras's divinity was tied to Indra. And yes, technically speaking, Hercules had "borrowed" that god's remains for his own enlightenment.
Mithras's gaze finally settled on Ryo. Slowly, a smile curled on his lips.
"And you. The sinner who slays gods. The one abhorred by Zurvan."
Ryo didn't argue. It was true—he'd killed some gods and earned the title of godslayer. And the King of End and the godslayer were destined enemies.
Mithras sighed, shaking his head.
"What a pity. Four hundred years ago, I fell while purging my world of both godslayers and gods. Again and again, I spent my life to wield the Divine Sword of Salvation—until nothing of me was left. What you see now is only a shadow, a ripple lingering in time."
He gave a faint, bitter laugh.
"My strength allows for only one strike."
As he spoke, a blade of radiant white-gold appeared above his head—
The Divine Sword of Salvation.
Every King of End received one, a weapon bestowed by Fate itself.
Mithras reached up, fingertips brushing the blade that had fought by his side through countless battles. His voice rang out, steady and resolute. "At the very least… I'll take one of you with me."
In that instant, everyone tensed.
Mithras had once wiped out every god and godslayer in a parallel world—his dying blow would be no joke.
Even those who could survive it didn't want to test it.
But then—
Mithras shattered.
Literally.
His body disintegrated into countless white grains of sand, scattering in the faint breeze.
It was such an abrupt, anticlimactic end that for a moment, Rin blinked in confusion.
Yet everyone else went pale.
Because above them, the divine sword was still there, radiating a pulse of destiny so strong it felt like the air itself held its breath.
And in Ryo's perception, that power translated clearly into words: {Selecting a new candidate for the King of End.}
Mithras had sacrificed himself… to force the crown of the King of End onto someone else here.
In an instant, Uesugi, Scáthach, Hercules, and Highness all blanched.
What kind of sick, twisted scheme was this?!
Even dead, Mithras was trying to take one of them down with him.
Utterly insane.
.
.
.