Overgeared

'Is it the difference between accumulated achievements?'

Euphemina and Ciara were declared unable to fight at the same time without a difference of 0.1 seconds. Of course, Ciara didn't die and Euphemina died alone, but… the match ended in a draw. However, the world message was silent. The epic recorded Euphemina's performance, but it only boiled down to the 'great Overgeared God.'

A separate world message praising Euphemina's individual achievement wasn't seen. It was the same with Mercedes, Kraugel, etc. Braham was the only one praised for his achievement in fighting a god and he immediately became a 'god.'

Was it because the content of Braham's battle was unique? Mercedes' performance was too great to interpret it as that. It was said that she didn't reach the crazy performance of Braham, who absorbed divinity, but hadn't she overwhelmed Melory with skill?

'It is a judgment that takes into account not only today's performance but also past achievements.'

Kraugel was considering the situation when he suddenly had a new question.

'…Or did they get the same thing as me?'

A God Killer. It happened when Space Sword was activated using Twilight. Perhaps it was because he was highly praised for his achievement in splitting a god in two at once, but the qualification of a 'God Killer' started to sprout. It seemed to be a very ominous force. As if it was a power that shouldn't be known to the world, it was delivered only to Kraugel and not as a world message.

'…No, I don't think they've obtained this power.'

Even Kraugel knew that a God Killer couldn't become a god. By default, a God Killer wasn't suitable for Euphemina, who was guaranteed a myth rating. The statue of a knight erected at each entrance of the Overgeared Temple—in other words, thinking of the statue of Mercedes, it seemed that Mercedes was also destined to be a god rather than a God Killer.

'It is a bit lonely.'

Kraugel realized that it was better to be together than to be alone. He realized it while working with Grid and the Overgeared Guild. He got used to it. He wasn't very happy when he thought that he would be a God Killer alone, unlike the members of the Overgeared Guild who would one day become gods of the Overgeared World. Of course, he was well aware that this sounded selfish.

The qualifications of a God Killer—he knew what a valuable blessing this qualification was to gain the power to kill a god.

'Even if I am alone again, it is enough as long as I am helpful.'

The draw between Euphemina and Ciara maintained the score in the Overgeared World's advantage. In this holy war, the Overgeared World was clearly ahead of Asgard. It was a result that would excite the public.

However, the Overgeared members were nervous when they realized Asgard's potential. Currently, the opponents that the Overgeared World were fighting against were just some of Asgard, not all. It was just the Martial God's faction. There was no chief god other than Zeratul and even then, he was fighting with his power sealed.

One day, the Overgeared Guild would ascend to Asgard. How many powerful gods would they encounter there? Furthermore, the majesty of the chief gods who could shoot their skills without any restrictions made him feel dizzy just imagining it.

Therefore, Kraugel felt the need to grow further.

Satisfy—he needed to continuously become stronger without stopping until the day this world fully belonged to people. Was it the duty of the one who bore the qualifications of a God Killer? No, it was the duty of one who cherished and loved everything in the Overgeared Empire.

Kraugel remembered the tea leaves and cookies he had received from Empress Irene this morning and renewed his resolve.

"Teacher, will I be able to stand on stage like this someday?"Lord approached and asked.

A child who had only the strengths of Grid and Irene—some people criticized Lord for being inferior to his father, but it wasn't Lord's problem. It was Grid's problem. It was because Grid had become overwhelmingly strong so quickly.

Lord was already amazing. At this rate, he wondered if Lord would become a transcendent in a few years.

It was because he had an overwhelming performance behind him in comparison to Grid in his youth, but fundamentally, it was because Lord had a similar personality to Grid. He never stopped working hard and he made full use of the skills he had obtained. He followed Grid' life and accumulated a lot of experience and learning.

"Of course. It is quite possible."

Kraugel had a rare smile on his face as he patted Lord on the shoulder. The bond that he had built up with Lord since childhood was surprisingly deep even for Kraugel himself. It was to the point where he wished that Lord would exist in reality. It was when he received the bizarre news that the meteorite, thought to have changed its orbit, had been found on the other side of the moon. He felt like he was watching the introduction of a science fiction movie and almost imagined a situation where Earth and Satisfy merged.

"Definitely… I definitely want to stand side by side with my father and teacher. So that I can help the two of you,"Lord vowed with a calm face.

Just then, something like water dripped onto Lord's hair.

'Rain?'

Raindrops suddenly fell from a clear sky without any clouds? Lord swept away the rainwater in a puzzled manner with his hand, only to become frightened. The thing on his hand was blood, not rain.

Lord's gaze naturally went to Grid.

His father, who was high in the sky—Lord's vision could dimly capture it. It wasn't enough for him to examine Grid's physical condition. However, Lord knew intuitively that his father's condition was unusual.

"I-I will call Auntie right now…"

"It's fine. Grid would've already called Ruby if he wanted to be treated."

"……"

Lord understood his father's heart. He didn't want anyone to witness his wounds, even if it was by chance. It was a responsibility that his father took for granted.

"It is a responsibility that you will bear one day as well."

It is a responsibility I must inherit.

"…Yes."

Lord's mental world started to sprout. It wasn't glamorous like other people's mental worlds. He just carved an image of his father.

***

The audience roared loudly. It was because the boy god took to the stage. It was the one Braham was most wary of. Everyone thought he would compete in the final match, but he broke everyone's expectations and took to the stage early. It wasn't Zik who stepped out to face him.

"I will learn a lot."

It was Mir.

The most recent apostle—he was an unfamiliar person to the public. Rumors spread that he was a yangban, but well… The yangbans were those Grid had been facing since early on. The public evaluation was that Mir was unlikely to be very strong. Of course, a few people knew that Mir protected Grid against the archangel Raphael, but it was a very small number. Moreover, the current Mir seemed to have lost his energy, unlike the Mir back then.

"The rumors that he is in bad shape seem to be true…?"

The Mir that the Overgeared members remembered was a very conspicuous figure. Even an insignificant action from him was naturally imprinted on their eyes and just a single word would intensely pierce their ears. He was a bit like Hayate. Now Mir didn't have that special feeling.

"We should see it as… throwing away this match."

There were no Overgeared members who doubted Mir's qualifications. It was Grid who made him an apostle. They just knew he still needed time and that the opponent was too bad. Based on the current situation, they perceived it as discarding the card called Mir.

It was as expected. The boy's greatsword flew out like a bolt from the blue and burst like a thunderclap. Mir had already collapsed while coughing up blood. The impact of the collision was so great that the hand gripping the sword was torn and blood flowed down. Additionally, several fingers were bent in a strange direction.

The boy god spoke with an expressionless face, "Yatan made Baal with the intention of beating Raphael, while Hanul made you to draw with Raphael. I can feel his level of caution. It is unfortunate for you."

"Are you saying that I am comparable to Baal or Raphael?"

"On the contrary, you pale in comparison to them. Your power only blooms when you oppose them. However, you are suppressed in all other situations."

You were born on a leash.

The boy god's expression changed for the first time. He looked sad like he was ready to shed tears for Mir. He looked very sorry. It was natural.

The boy god's name was Dairine. He was the God of Souls who helped the goddess when she created life. The creation myth that was spread to humans was simply shortened as 'the goddess created life.' Few people knew about the god Dairine, but it was Dairine who created the souls of the first humans, dogs, cows, chickens, etc.

It was easy for him to get a glimpse of the soul of the target. He knew that Mir's soul was infinitely sweet, warm, and firm. He possessed a rare soul.

"It is a good thing that you chose your own god to serve. The Overgeared God will guide you well and might change your fate someday."

Dairine took a posture again. It was an unusual style where he held the greatsword in reverse and directed the blade toward the ground. More than half of Dairine's body was covered by the blade of the greatsword. At first glance, it looked like a defensive stance, but Dairine was a god. He reversed his posture using movements that were impossible for humans. His greatsword accelerated with the use of divinity and attacked Mir at an unimaginable speed.

A free and quick sword technique—it was swordsmanship used by the swordsman who fascinated Dairine. Muller, the swordsman with a soul that was stronger and more beautiful than anyone else—Dairine unknowingly kept watching him and at a certain point, became eager to learn his swordsmanship.

This was why he learned swordsmanship from Zeratul. However, Muller's swordsmanship was familiar to Mir. To be precise, Mir's 'subconscious' remembered it.

"……!"

It was blocked? It was to a blow that Mir hadn't managed to react to at all a moment ago?

Mir faced Dairine's slightly enlarged pupils that were right in front of him and said, "My leash has been taken off and my fate has changed a long time ago."

From the time when he met the Overgeared God as an enemy to the time when he was chosen as an apostle, all the process he'd been through changed everything for him. The sword in Mir's hand, which unquestioningly affirmed it, was also Twilight. It was held in his capacity of an apostle. At the same time…

-I got the status of a god.It is a status, not a class.

In the sky, Grid received Euphemina's whisper. A big smile appeared on his face at the tremendous good news.

"This is where it really starts. Of course, I knew you would do well, but it went really well."

It was a happy event for a precious person. Grid celebrated like it was his own matter, but Euphemina's voice was a bit dark.

-But…

"Huh?"

-…The name that will symbolize me is… Overgeared Magic…

"Be…"

The best—Grid was about to reflexively shout this only to hurriedly close his mouth. He was happy because the set felt complete, but he thought this might not be the case with Euphemina.

-Maybe it is because of the great virtues of being overgeared?I think the power of Tribute is too strong.It is a pity, but it might be better to seal the use of Tribute until I become a god…

"No."

-……?

"Tribute is a weapon that will grow with you."

-Is this a growth type item?

"No… it means that the data on how you use Tribute must be accumulated so I can make a better weapon later on."

-……

"Additionally, the system moves in real time with the changing situation every time, right? There is no guarantee that you will necessarily become the Overgeared Magic God. So there is no need to be agitated in advance."

-Indeed.In the first place, it doesn't make sense to seal an item for a trivial reason like not liking the name.It was just a child's grumbling.I'll come to my senses and cheer for Mir.

"…Yes…"

It was Grid who felt a bit guilty.