A Heretic God.
The term referred to gods who defied their myths.
In terms of power, a Heretic God was no different from the deities in the divine realm.
However, their personalities or pursuits might differ drastically.
Verethragna, the War God of Zoroastrian Myth, was a god of eternal victory.
According to his mythology, he should've been obsessed with conquest and crushing enemies.
Yet, as a Heretic God, he was the complete opposite.
His descent to the mortal world wasn't to pursue victory—but to seek defeat.
He sought out Hajime for this very reason.
Of course, the defeat he desired had to be honorable. A staged loss or simply surrendering would be meaningless. If that were the case, he might as well just bow out.
His previous battle with Merqart had ended in mutual destruction—a result that delighted Verethragna.
He hadn't expected the Mediterranean god-king to have the power to shatter his divine might into ten fragments.
Pleased by the outcome, Verethragna began collecting his avatars again, intending to restore his power for a final decisive battle with Melqart.
But what he hadn't expected…
Was to find another surprise while reclaiming his last avatar—the Boar.
A human mage, one with shockingly advanced magic that even a god would take seriously, had issued a challenge to slay him.
After laughing madly, the god with the appearance of a teenage boy showed rare hesitation.
"One's the King of the Gods, the other a challenger filled with courage... both are such rare and delicious options. Who should I fight first?"
Like a kid who spotted both Transformers and Iron Man and couldn't decide which toy to buy first.
To Verethragna, both the god-king and this audacious mortal were opponents worth relishing.
But upon hearing his words, Hajime responded with a calm smile.
"No need to worry about that. You're about to return to myth anyway. It won't matter soon."
"…"
Verethragna was stunned.
This was the first time he'd encountered a human this arrogant.
"If your only weapon is the magic you used just now, you might be disappointed. That trick doesn't work on gods."
He assumed Hajime's confidence stemmed from that flashy magic, so he offered a reminder.
If the human had misjudged their relative strengths, the battle might turn out dull.
"Relax. I'm not dumb enough to think a god is that easy to deal with."
Hajime shook his head.
"Hm?"
Verethragna raised an eyebrow, visibly surprised.
"You mean you've got more hidden?"
He was genuinely shocked.
For a human to wield such powerful magic was already a feat worth boasting about.
And now there was more?
"You didn't expect me to reveal everything before the fight, did you?"
Hajime had no intention of explaining.
Even if Ultraman Tiga's power was overwhelming, broadcasting all his cards beforehand would be reckless.
Gods possessed varied abilities. Until the god was slain, caution was necessary.
Verethragna's expression turned fierce, his fighting spirit ignited.
"Fine. If you want to face my complete form, I'll grant your wish."
In that moment, the atmosphere changed.
Earlier, it was almost like banter.
Now, it was deadly serious.
As a War God, Verethragna never took a battle lightly—especially not when his opponent made him feel a faint sense of danger.
"I am the strongest, born to seize all victories. Man and demon alike—any who stand in my way will fall. I shall crush all enemies who obstruct my path!"
He chanted divine words to strengthen his power.
A translucent golden sword appeared in his hand.
This was the most unique ability among his ten avatars.
In the original story, this ability was what allowed Kusanagi Godou to break the balance.
The Golden Sword was a weapon meant to slay gods, not mortals—so he wouldn't use it against Hajime just yet.
With a soft hum, the blade traced a line through the air.
Shlick!
That was the sound of a blade slicing flesh.
Boom!
The divine boar beast collapsed with a thunderous crash.
The moment it lost the strength to resist, it turned into golden particles and flowed back into Verethragna's body.
Before the real battle began, the War God granted Hajime's request—reabsorbing his final avatar.
Now fully restored, he turned his gaze toward Hajime.
"You reckless mortal, daring to slay a god. Now that I've regained all my strength, if you seek victory over me, the War God—then come at me with everything you've got!"
"I am Verethragna, god of victory and war under the Zoroastrian Myth. I am the warrior of light who protects the faith!"
He declared his name with honor.
"I'll give it everything I've got,"
Hajime replied firmly.
"My name is Hajime. I don't have any great titles in this world yet, but funny enough—I, too, am a warrior of light."
He raised his hand, beginning his transformation.
"Let me show you… the power of my warrior of light!"
"Tiga!"
A dazzling light burst forth.
A giant over 50 meters tall appeared upon the land.
Red and blue intertwined across his armor-like skin. Towering and majestic—he was divine in every sense.