Overgeared

[Overgeared God 'Grid' has defeated the 2nd archangel, 'Gabriel.']

For angels, the body was clothing. It was a concept that could be easily discarded and changed. Harming their bodies didn't cause pain or death. Of course, the story was different when the Saintess was around, but Ruby was currently active in the hell expedition. From the beginning, Grid wasn't obsessed with Gabriel. Rather than feeling regret that he wasn't able to stop her from running away, he was satisfied and rejoiced that he had protected Garion.

"First of all, let's go to the temple."

Grid gently held the wrists of Garion and Debirion. There was courtesy in his conduct, such as seeking their understanding in advance. Grid's inner feelings of respect for the two gods naturally made him polite.

The two gods were still stunned.

The goddess' masterpiece—the hierarchy of the archangel Gabriel was at a height that made the gods on earth mere miscellaneous junk. She was a difficult existence even considering that they weren't complete, unlike in heaven. She was that virtuous from birth. Yet she was trampled on by Grid.

Was it 'someone who overshadowed the years' or something? They had vaguely heard rumors that even dragons had a high regard for him, but they never thought it would be this much.

Garion, who had witnessed firsthand the scene of Grid repelling Zeratul, was even more shocked. Grid's skills were very strong compared to when he fought Zeratul.

In the awkward silence, Grid used a return scroll. The magic power squeezed through the barriers that started to break down the moment Gabriel retreated and swept through the bodies of the gods. However, it didn't have any effect. The setting that the return scroll was developed by a human magician grabbed at their ankle. Unlike the human born Grid and Debirion, the return scroll didn't work with the physiology of Garion, who was a god from birth. The structure of the magic circle activated by the scroll collapsed as soon as it touched Garion.

'This…' Grid frowned. Garion had severe injuries to her neck and head. She tried not to show it, but he could feel that she was weakening in real time. In a situation where he was in a rush, he was caught off guard by the return scroll. It would take quite a while to get back to Reinhardt even if he linked Lightning God and Shunpo, so he was nervous.

'I should've built more temples for Garion.'

There was a lack of respect due to a weak vigilance. It was at the moment when Grid had belated regrets…

A light fell. The purple beam of light had as much destructive power as a meteorite colliding, but it was simply a wavelength of magic power. It was the remnants of teleportation. However, it tore apart all the traces that Gabriel had left behind. The trees and rocks that Gabriel had used as a tool to create the barriers—in other words, it specifically destroyed the forms that contained even the slightest bit of Gabriel's divinity. The principles contained in just one teleport were enormous.

Braham approached Grid, who was speechless with shock. The teleport that was operated like a ballistic missile and the calm face attracted the attention of the gods.

"I was one step late." He was about to properly check the performance of his new magic power…

Braham murmured words mixed with regret and captured the magic power that was running wild in all directions. It was shortly after he completely erased Gabriel's divinity and the elements that would've allowed her to come again.

Garion and Debirion became contemplative. Braham looked like a death god. It was due to the domineering nature found in Braham's vague divinity. It was understandable that he was mistaken for a death god. The mix of magic and divinity, filled with the confidence to kill and eliminate anything, came as a shock to Grid as well.

Braham was aware of the situation. He confirmed Garion's divinity, which neutralized the magic of the return circle, stared at Garion's wounds, and drew a magic circle in the air. "Let's hurry."

"…Yes…" Grid could feel the presence of the other apostles who started arriving on the scene, but he couldn't afford to wait for them. Grid nodded gently while Grid and Debirion accepted the magic in an anxious manner.

"Your Majesty!"

The apostles who arrived at the scene after Braham were Zik and Mercedes. Zik looked around calmly while Mercedes couldn't hide her anger.

"Sluggards." It was due to the word Braham said with a confident expression when he arrived first by a hair's breadth. The always sober and bold Zik wasn't agitated at all, but Mercedes was greatly affected. It wasn't because her mentality was unusually weak.

In the first place, Braham had a knack for making others angry. Now it was a matter related to Grid. The fact that she couldn't immediately respond to Grid's call bothered her, so it was hard for her to maintain her composure when Braham provoked her. Zik, who couldn't be provoked, was the unusual one.

'This doll-like guy.' Braham clicked his tongue when he saw Zik's indifferent expression and teleported.

"I-I…!"

Mercedes trembled with embarrassment as she was left at the scene. It was a meaningless emotional consumption in the eyes of Zik. He silently tore the return scroll and followed Grid and Braham back to Reinhardt.

Gabriel's armed power was identified based on the traces of the battle. There were some strange things when he compared the Gabriel he saw during the days of the seven malignant saints to the current Gabriel, so he thought he should investigate.

"…I am very late." Just then, Piaro arrived at the scene. It was a great speed considering that he didn't have any long-distance travel skills, but he felt disappointed.

Mercedes purified her heart after seeing his humble self, unlike Braham, and opened her mouth, "His Majesty has returned to the imperial capital first. We should go back as well.'

"Um, wait a moment." Piaro pulled out a hand plow and rake. He started to tidy up the land where traces of the battle remained. It was a move done out of concern that someone else would judge Grid as insignificant based on these traces. After that, even the two of them left. Some more time passed…

"I am first." Nefelina, who was the last to arrive at the scene, smiled proudly.

The daughter of an old dragon, she possessed tremendous potential, but she was only a hatchling right now.

Sariel was fully aware of all the barriers created along with the descent, while Nefelina couldn't interpret some of the functions of the barriers. She shamefully wandered through the maze in a lost manner for a while. Nevertheless, she was the first to arrive at the scene.

It was because the scene was neatly organized by Braham and Piaro. In a place where no traces of Sariel's divinity or a battle could be found, Nefelina admired her own greatness.

Grid and Sariel—Nefelina had no choice but to admire it when she was the first to arrive at the scene when even the parties involved hadn't arrived yet.

'…How can this be?'

Nefelina belatedly realized that things were wrong and blushed in embarrassment. Could it be that her father's madness affected her? So maybe she became stupid for a moment, a moment, a very brief moment. She was ashamed enough to ask such a question for a moment.

***

Angels were different from gods. The divinity they built him was more reminiscent of the divinity of a human priest. It was gained by believing in and serving a god. In other words, it meant they couldn't achieve divinity on their own. It was also the cause of being unable to gain the protection of immortality.

There was no problem. Angels, like great demons, continued their endless lives through the reincarnation of the soul. Moreover, unlike the great demons, they had hundreds of thousands of bodies to change into. The moment they lost their body, they were reborn in another body.

"How long has it been since you've changed bodies? Isn't it the first time since you were born?"

Raphael greeted Gabriel, who was walking out of the temple in a neat manner. The action of poking Gabriel's tender skin was full of playfulness. It was a completely different reaction from when Zeratul was defeated. Raphael didn't seem to care that Gabriel's status had been damaged. It was because an angel's status was quickly restored.

In the first place, Gabriel's status didn't drop much. Angels were servants of the gods. It wasn't a big flaw for an angel to be defeated by a god. It was the law of the rule that would be applied regardless of the rise or fall of armed might. Moreover, the weaker Gabriel became, the freer Raphael would be. To be honest, Raphael was delighted. They could act as they pleased for the time being.

"How was the Overgeared God? Didn't I say that he is a very detestable guy?"

"Let's see… he is very good compared to you."

"Huh? Ahaha, why do you always say such harsh things to me?"

Gabriel didn't respond to Raphael, who was speaking with a smile.

Hatred, killing intent-every time she faced Raphael, she felt a constant stream of emotions that an angel shouldn't have. This was even though she used to believe she had lost her emotions.

She had noticed it. This was why Raphael entrusted this task to her. Raphael was wary of the Overgeared God and wanted to gauge his power. Gabriel was thoroughly exploited. Even so, there were no regrets. If Raphael had been involved in this matter, Garion might've suffered much greater humiliation than she had ever suffered.

Raphael would've uttered insulting remarks nonstop, making all her efforts to strengthen the earth in this life and her previous lies futile. This had been the case once in the past. Since then, Gabriel had been in charge of Garion.

'This time around, I wasn't much different.'

The fact that Garion betrayed the goddess was disgusting. It didn't connect to the emotion of anger, but it was hard to say anything nice.

"You—don't go too wild just because you are excited."

"Of course not. I might be scolded by the goddess later, so I have to maintain the minimum of goodness."

"Before that, you might be upset by the Overgeared God."

"Huh? Ahahat, you didn't do your job properly and have only learned how to joke."

Raphael blinked and drew a heart with divinity. It conveyed Raphael's heart to Gabriel.

'Should I kill them?'

The emotions she thought had been worn down and disappeared from the beginning were stimulated and wriggling again today. Gabriel stared at Raphael with a cold look in her eyes before turning around. She was going to stop by the temple of the goddess and confess her sin of not punishing the traitor. Then she would pray.

***

"Come this way."

Sariel's position was very different from normal angels.

A fallen angel—she was exiled from heaven and lost most of her authority. For her, this body was the only one and death was the end. Additionally, the demonic energy accumulated in the Abyss was inherent in her and she didn't know when it would run rampant. Therefore, she was the only apostle who waited in Reinhardt. Surprisingly, she predicted Garion's condition and made all the preparations.

She brought as many believers as possible to Garion's temple to sing hymns and pray for her. The authority of the apostles of the Overgeared God was absolute and Sariel was popular among the apostles because she was famous for being beautiful and kind. Garion was also a recognized god, so the crowd gathered like a swarm of clouds.

Their fervent prayers and hymns became divine power for Garion and Garion seemed to be quickly recovering from her wounds. Garion would've recovered immediately if there hadn't been a problem along the way.

"By the way, who is that…?"

Garion was represented as an old man supporting the earth with a wide back and muscular arms in the stone statues and frescoes of the temple. However, the god who actually appeared was in the image of a young and beautiful woman. The people were confused and the hymns started to fall apart. The divine power that was originally being poured toward Garion dispersed in vain without finding the target.

"So what did I tell you?"

"……"

Grid couldn't say anything to Lauel, who scolded him.

In any case, on this night, Garion regained her strength and her health.