A surprise attack. However, Grid had been suspicious of Mumud from the start. He immediately reacted to the thousands of chains showing up from all directions.

Purple energy surged around Grid. He was using the Annihilation energy defensively. Many of these chains turned to ashes as soon as they came into contact with the Annihilation energy.

Grid took a step, and a silent sword pierced Mumud in the abdomen. This was a very fast counterattack that was linked with Shunpo. A Transcendent wouldnt be able to respond to it.

Defying the Natural Order was piercing Mumuds belly. However, there was no blood. Mumud seemed to blur like a haze before vanishing.

Is this an afterimage that appeared in response to my fast attack?

No, that was impossible. This wasnt an afterimage created by really fast movement. It was a trap dug in advance. Mumud had predicted Grid would do this. Grid fell to his knees the moment he realized this.

Bang!

Before he knew it, he was overwhelmed by the pressure of Meteor that was falling toward his head. The gravity around him had increased a thousandfold. If he hadnt had the title that gave him immunity to being crushed, wouldnt he have tasted instant death? The rock that appeared was so gigantic that he couldnt help having this absurd thought.

[Dont be too aggressive.]

Marie Roses intent arose from the blind spot in Grids field of view. She was behind the Full Moon Fortress. Yes, he sensed her intent from all the way behind the huge city that was hundreds of kilometers in circumference. In other words, she was very far away. She was located next to Mumud, who was so far that Grid couldnt reach him even if he used Shunpo. Mumud had used teleportation to get away from Grid.

[Did you turn into fog and bolted for me in a straight line?]

Mumud looked a bit surprised. He didnt seem to have expected how fast Marie Rose would pursue him. But Grid was even more surprised.

Intent... Is Mumud an Absolute?

That was theoretically possible. Mumud had created a new discipline, which was the combination of magic and mystical arts. It made sense that he would become an Absolute in recognition of his achievements.

[Grid, I guarantee that you will regret it if you keep Mumud alive,] Raphael said. [Asgards independence... Mumud is about to complete that absurd plan of his. The moment the Full Moon Fortress is completed, the gods of Asgard will no longer need humans.]

......

[Asgard and the surface will be completely isolated, unable to interfere with each other. Once that happens, Asgard will get much more benefits from this situation than the surface. Asgard can constantly produce new gods and angels, strengthening them through the worship of the demon cultivators. One day, Asgard will appear before humans again, and the surface wont be able to handle Asgard at all.]

This was definitely a possible future. Grid couldnt refute it. However, he had one question.

...Isnt that the ideal outcome for you? Why didnt you agree with Mumuds plan?

[What?]

Raphael frowned. His scarred and beautiful face was full of annoyance.

[Do you want me to be Mumuds subordinate? I will hate that more than dying, dont you think? I guess you looked down on me so much that you forgot, but most angels of human origin are the soldiers I selected and brought to heaven. Mumud is just one of them. Would you want to serve the soldiers you created? Huh?]

This guy is serious.

Grids insight was based on experience. He did his best to avoid being bullied in school, to then simply survive by playing Satisfy, to protecting what he first gained after becoming Pagma's Successor, to protecting what mattered to him after becoming king...

Unknowingly, he constantly observed peoples facial expressions and actions. This didnt mean that he had developed the ability to see through people. He just developed an intuition to distinguish between lies and truth. Hed gained this intuition after many encounters. The senses of an Absolute that activated the moment he connected to Satisfy combined with that intuition, so he was very accurate in his assumptions.

[Hey, are you ignoring me? Are you saying it isnt worth talking to someone who cant even properly take care of his own area of responsibility?]

Bam!

Raphaels words were becoming harsher due to how agitated he was, so Grid punched him in the face. Then he infused Annihilation energy into his sword. This energy wasnt infinite. There was a set amount to it, just like a normal persons mana. The number was very high and so was the resource recovery, so Grid wasnt even conscious of it...

However, he consumed too much Annihilation energy when he used it defensively to avoid the pressure of the chains. Grids heart sank for a moment.

I felt too uneasy to stop it with Multiple Weakening Barriers. But, well...

That was okay.

I only need one shot to end everything.

There was the sound which resembled a large amount of ice freezing rapidly. Or, conversely, it sounded like cracks appearing in a large piece of ice. The purple energy flowing through the sharp blade of Defying the Natural Order repeatedly expanded and contracted, shattered and combined to form a more dense structure.

It had the power to kill anything. The Annihilation energy tempered the strongest weapon in existence.

It doesnt matter what Mumuds intentions are or what future he envisions.

This was enough to stop it

Grids arm blurred...

Baaaaaaang!

The huge temple that could fit an entire city into it was shaking.

[A... Agh...]

Raphael had been holding his red-hot cheek after getting punched and sending killing intent toward Grid. Now, he couldnt help sucking in a breath. The sharp purple line slashing the jade-colored moon in the center of the temple was reflected in Raphaels eyes.

Grid imagined that, the moment this line became bigger and bigger, it would be the end for the Full Moon Fortress. The construction would split in half around this line.

Just then

"Aghhhhh!

Someones scream rang out from one side of the temple, which had been silent until now. It came from a demon cultivator, who had been hiding in a corner and peeking at Grids group in fear.

"......?"

Puzzled, Grid looked in that direction. His eyes widened. A leopard-headed cultivator that was over three meters tall got split in half diagonally. Blood mixed with purple energy gushed out.

The Annihilation energy...!

Grids Annihilation energy, which shouldve sliced through the Full Moon Fortress, ended up slicing the demon cultivator who was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Illusion magic?

Did he target the demon cultivator instead of the Full Moon Fortress? Was it because he was bewitched by Mumuds spell?

Confused, Grid listened carefully. Raphaels intent was leaking out as he clicked his tongue.

[Tch. Mumud is a monster. I never thought he wouldve perfected that spell.]

Which one? Grid asked while fixing his eyes on the Full Moon Fortress again.

He was a bit nervous. His plan was to split the Full Moon Fortress in half. He had planned to use this to his advantage to repeatedly use Shunpo until he detected Mumuds location and pursued him.

However, the Full Moon Fortress was fine. The Annihilation energy that shouldve split the Full Moon Fortress in half instead cut down a demon cultivator who was in a completely different location.

[Its a spell that relocates the power it receives. Its a modified and evolved version of a mystical art called the Great Shift of the Universe. I thought Mumud was delusional when he first brought up the possibility of making such a spell...]

Great Shift of the Universe?

[Its a mystical art practiced by the leader of the demon... cultivators. Its very powerful because it reflects a lot of the damage that the target receives. Im not exaggerating when I say that Asgard was brought to the negotiating table because of this power.]

Grid was already wary of this unexpected development. His gaze was even fiercer than before. Even Raphael, who was blinded by range, was stunned and humbled. Raphael only used honorifics when talking sarcastically. But right now, he was trying too hard to sound polite.

A mystical art that returns damage to the sender...

This meant that Great Shift of the Universe was just a reflection skill, though it was quite powerful. Now Mumud had turned it into his own spell.

Relocating the damage that is received... Does that mean that even if I attack, other targets will take damage if thats what Mumud wants?

[Yes, its hard to believe, but that is an accurate explanation.]

Wait, this is crazy...

The sword he swung to kill someone could end up killing an entirely different target. He wouldnt kill his target, but who Mumud wanted. In other words, Grid could kill his own allies. He had witnessed and experienced quite a lot of skills that were so overpowered they could be considered broken, but this was arguably the greatest one.

In his mind, Grid was cursing in bewilderment.

Raphael explained some more. [Of course, there will be some tricky conditions. No matter how much of a genius he is, he cant create an unbeatable spell, right?]

Raphaels big eyes blinked wildly. He believed that unbeatable spells couldnt exist, but he wasnt certain. Grid narrowed his eyes with a sense of anxiety, but he regained his senses after what Raphael said.

Yes, there is no such thing as unbeatable spells.

Grid thought of the greatest magician he knewthe God of Magic and Wisdom, Braham. His spells weren't perfect either. He created spells that were very close to being unbeatable, but he wasnt truly invincible. There was always a chance to attack him.

There must be loopholes in Mumuds spell.

That had to be the case. Otherwise, the demon cultivator wouldnt have died in place of the Full Moon Fortress. Marie Rose, who was holding Mumud back, wouldve been the one hurt.

Plus, no spell can withstand the Falling Moon Sword.

Grid calmly put away Defying the Natural Order and pulled out the Falling Moon Sword.

Drip.

He heard water dripping. Ripples appeared in Grids vision. A clear pond suddenly floated in the air in front of him.

What was it?

As Grid tilted his head, puzzled, the pond reflected a landscape. It was a familiar sight to Gridthe surface. It showed the area near the mountain range where the last Full Moon Fortress in the East Continent was located. Countless people were gathered there.

Mumuds intent was carved all around him.

[Every time you attack the Full Moon Fortress, the people there will die instead.]

Mumud was threatening Only One God Grid. Really? It had been so long since this happened. Grid was dumbfounded for a moment. He smirked, his face twitching.

If thats the case, then so be it.

It was just a bluff. Hitting the Full Moon Fortress in Asgard would kill a human on the surface? That didnt make sense. Grid rushed forward, ignoring Mumuds warning. The cold light of the Falling Moon Sword was at his fingertips. He was prepared to cut his target in two with one strike.

Wait.

Time seemed to stretch out for ages. Grid suddenly had a question. Could this be a provocation? Would he slash Marie Rose now instead of the Full Moon Fortress?

Hngh...!

The Falling Moon Sword disappeared from Grids hand. He swapped items incredibly fast. He now held the Motley Flail instead.

Slam!

A flail slammed with a lot of force into the Full Moon Fortress.