The Divine Right of a Certain Multiverse

Roy believed that if Scathach truly unleashed her full power, his 'Divine Right' would be able to determine her maximum output. He was confident that this right hand, imbued with all the miracles of Christianity, could defeat Scathach. However, with Scathach's divine martial arts, which could easily kill him with just a normal attack, why would she need to use any ultimate technique capable of piercing the world and slaying true gods?

"There's no time for you to think and hesitate. On the battlefield, opportunities are fleeting. Since you can't find a way to break through, then within the battle, within that boiling blood, seek wisdom with your instincts as a warrior!"

The Queen of the Shadow Land leaped high once more. The two magic spears in her hands flickered like a viper's tongue, their tips emitting a bloodthirsty, sharp cold light.

She seemed to be teaching her enemy, or perhaps lamenting the fall of a promising talent. She gave Roy a hint for battle, but at the same time, her killing intent became more resolute: "...Show me your strength and courage, Roy. This is your only chance!"

Under her sharp roar, her spears once again shot out like twin dragons emerging from the sea, carrying the force of overturning mountains and seas, piercing directly towards Roy's chest.

'Seeking wisdom within battle...'

Roy's mouth opened slightly, and he suddenly understood.

That's right, he was a person who planned before acting, always seeking the optimal solution and calculating everything. He believed that only reason was the embodiment of wisdom. But if that were the case, what difference would there be between him and the Black Prince Alexander.Gascoyne, whom he had killed?

If he continued like this, this rational thinking would allow him to remain invincible in the short term. But one day, he would likely end up like Gascoyne, unable to find a way out when his plans failed, and when he encountered an insurmountable enemy in an unexpected situation, he would only be able to fall and die humbly, without any resistance.

Just like now, he had encountered an opponent like Scathach, whom he had not anticipated at all. All his calculations were useless. In such a situation, he could not rely on strategy; he could only rely on his own will. On that resolute self-will, he would find that one in ten thousand chance of victory!

This was the method of 'Mind's Eye'. Even with only a one-in-ten-thousand chance of winning, he would find it and put it into practice. To cultivate such a powerful Mind's Eye, the first thing he needed was an unyielding will capable of enduring all pain!

At this moment, Roy finally understood. Foreseeing the enemy's moves was wisdom, but if something happened suddenly, being able to find a way to defeat the enemy in an instant, amidst the chaos and loss of reason during battle, was even greater wisdom!

So, let his brain burn, let his body burn! In this scorching heat, in this high-load battle, relying solely on a flash of wisdom, he would find the only path to survival!

Since I am now a Campione, then let me fully embody the role of a Campione!!!

"I am the King, I am the Overlord, I am the one who slays gods!!"

"Aaaaaaaa------"

Roy roared loudly. Since he was a King, since he was an Overlord, since he had slain gods with the body of a mortal, then even if he died, he would die beautifully, die without regrets. Only then could he live up to the name of Campione!

...Seeking flowers...0

"My glory fills the heavens and earth!"

Clad in angelic wings, Roy transformed into a flame and activated the 'Divine Speed' Authority. The saying goes that absolute speed is invincible. Even if he was greatly inferior to Scathach in martial arts, with absolute speed, he could stand in an invincible position.

"Good!!"

Seeing Roy suddenly gather his courage and display his strength even when facing an insurmountable enemy, the fear and hesitation in his eyes ignited with a will to fight to the death. The Queen of the Shadow Land gave Roy a simple word of praise and affirmation.

Ah, it's been so long. That thrill of battle, the heat that made the blood flow again in this decaying body, the water that replenished his dried spirit, the anticipation of excitement.

How many years had it been since he felt this way?

0...

He could no longer count. Although with 'Wisdom of the Demonic Realm', she could easily calculate the number of years, Scathach was unwilling to calculate the years spent alone in this Shadow Land, outside the world. Because it would make her feel the sorrow of time's passage, the 'Ah, so much time has passed already,' and would blur even the memory of her last moment of excitement.

Ever since that Child of Light from Ireland came to this eternally dark Shadow Land, there had been no other living creature in this world of despair besides her.

She had thought that man could grant her the death she longed for, but he could not escape the bonds of fate. Now, he had become a glorious Heroic Spirit, and the dead could never defeat her, the Queen of the Land of the Dead.

That man was also ultimately like that. Although the man named Cú Chulainn was the closest person Scathach had ever met to fulfilling her wish.

But his courage, in the final moment, was ultimately worn down.

Heh, it's interesting to think about now. He was the son of the sun god Lugh, yet he came to her Shadow Land, where the sun never shone, to seek her teachings. It was truly laughable.

'Ha, I was just sternly reprimanding him for losing focus on the battlefield, and now I've lost focus myself.'

Scathach snapped back from her memories. A helpless and self-mocking smile appeared on her stunningly beautiful face beneath her mask. '...I guess I'm truly decaying and getting old.'

Outsider, let me see your mettle, let me see your courage. Even the Campione, whose fate cannot be observed by 'Wisdom of the Demonic Realm,' can you go further than that chained hound!

Chapter 114: The Path to "Demon God"

(Scathach must be strong to become the protagonist's teacher, and this is also the power system setting of my book.)

(The Scathach in Type-Moon is not the mythical Scathach at all. The setting is 'someone who transcends the world.' This should have been a background character, but FGO made her a Servant, making her incredibly weak. You can only blame the FGO planners and Nasu Kinoko for setting Scathach up like this.)

(The Enlightened One in the setting has transcended the Type-Moon universe, which is much more powerful than Demon Gods or anything else. Therefore, Type-Moon has a very high ceiling but also a very low floor.)

(I won't explain these anymore in the future; it's better to explain them through the characters' dialogue in the story.)

People say that the person who knows themselves best should be themselves, but truly achieving this is extremely rare.

And Scathach is precisely one of those rare individuals. Unlike those who go with the flow because they understand their own mediocrity, Scathach clearly knows her abundant talent and that she is a being different from ordinary people. She has also fully utilized this talent.

Constantly growing stronger, constantly growing stronger. If her talent were to be described in one word, it would be – strengthening!

In the distant Age of Gods, when heroes wrote their epics and "Seven Five Seven" gods rampaged across the land, Scathach was not this strong. Therefore, when she discovered an exceptionally rare genius like Cú Chulainn, she longed for him to kill her, who was cursed by the gods.

The moment Scathach saw Cú Chulainn, she had already seen through his fate and his inevitable death. Yet, she still hoped that Cú Chulainn, this rare genius, could break fate and reverse her death.

But unfortunately, that Hound of Culann, the only one who had the chance to kill her, ultimately succumbed to his fate. From that moment on, Scathach knew that there was no one who could kill her anymore.

As long as time flowed, she grew stronger and stronger under her own talent, until she, along with her Shadow Land, transcended the world and arrived outside the world, falling into eternal solitude.

Perhaps only when this world disappears will she truly welcome her death. Until then, she can only exist forever with this world.

(This is how it's written in the setting.)

"Where is the one who can kill me? Heh, it's impossible, isn't it--"

The proud Queen whispered in a beautiful voice that was both arrogant and self-mocking.

"Moses Parts the Sea!"

Under the authority of Divine Speed, Roy's speed was already lightning-fast. With a resolve to die, and an unprecedented level of concentration, he brought down a palm strike capable of parting the sea upon Scathach!

"To ordinary people, your speed is indeed fast, but to me, it is still—too slow!"

Scathach spoke unhurriedly. She merely shifted her body slightly, dodging Roy's divine power that could part the sea. The ground of the Shadow Land tore with a piercing screech, creating a deep ravine that stretched to the distant horizon. It cleaved the cliff Roy saw and reduced the stone structures to dust.

Scathach was not entirely unscathed. A few strands of her deep purple hair at her forehead were cut by Roy's "Moses Parts the Sea," drifting away like dandelion seeds.

"This move contains the power of myth, comparable to a Servant's powerful Noble Phantasm. But this technique was obtained from someone else, not something you comprehended yourself! You only know its form but not its essence. Your attacks lack structure and flow. You could have made it better, but you don't know how."

Upon seeing Roy's "Moses Parts the Sea," Scathach's rose-colored eyes brightened. With her wisdom and power, she could tell at a glance that this technique was one Roy had usurped from another. He had uniquely incorporated 'Biblical power' into it. This alone convinced Scathach that he was indeed a person of rare talent!

"Wrestling with God!"

Discovering that his Divine Speed Authority was useless, and that Scathach could easily keep up with his speed, Roy abandoned hit-and-run tactics. He unleashed all the techniques he knew with all his might. Facing such a formidable enemy, he had to use all his powerful moves before she seriously killed him, leaving no regrets. In this battle at the edge of death, he had to exhaust his wisdom to find a sliver of hope for survival!

"Wrestling with God" was the strongest move in Roy's "Jacob's Ladder," a special attack that recreated Jacob grappling with God!

Roy's large hand shot out, grabbing for Scathach's shoulder. No matter how Scathach twisted her body, she couldn't dodge it.

"Reversing causality, so no matter how you dodge, you can't escape? And it also carries powerful damage against divinity. It is indeed an admirable technique."

The Wisdom of the Demonic Realm allowed Scathach to see through the concept hidden within Roy's "Wrestling with God." The powerful Queen of the Shadow Land dealt with it effortlessly, blocking Roy's ultimate move while lecturing him.

"Unfortunately, I possess no divinity. I am a God Slayer, just like you... Reversing causality is troublesome, but your execution is flawed. It's not impossible to break."

Scathach's tone gradually grew louder. She suddenly raised a magic spear in her hand and drew a simple rune in the air with its tip. It contained an enigma that made Roy dizzy. As multiple mysterious runes appeared, Roy was astonished to find that the concept of causality in his causality-reversing move had returned to its correct order. Scathach merely moved her shoulder slightly and dodged his sure-hit attack.

"Primordial Rune?!"

Roy stopped in his tracks, his voice filled with surprise.

Rune magic was a crucial element in sorcery. Roy had extensively researched it in the Campione world, but...

"Why do you know the primordial Rune?! Isn't that supposed to be Odin's secret, only known to the great god himself? Even the Runes used by sorcerers are just simplified versions. Are you somehow related to Odin? No, that shouldn't be right, aren't you a figure from Celtic mythology!"

Roy said in disbelief.

He had expected Scathach wouldn't explain, but to his surprise, she acted like a diligent teacher, expounding: "...Odin exists in other lands too... Do you know the Poetic Edda?"

"Of course. The Poetic Edda is the most important Norse literary classic from the medieval period, one of the sources of Western mythology outside of ancient Greece and Rome!"

Roy said solemnly. His knowledge of history and mythology meant he couldn't possibly not know this famous book.

"Then do you know the second chapter of the Poetic Edda, the Hávamál?"

As if testing Roy, Scathach pointed at him with her magic spear, using it as a pointer, and asked...

"Hávamál?"

Roy blinked in surprise, then his eyes widened in realization: "...I have eighteen runes, and I will not reveal a single one. Whether it's a maiden or a married woman, don't expect me to teach them. All kinds of good things are not as good as what only I know. How does this song end? Only one woman will know the answer. If I haven't held this woman, she is definitely my sister or comrade!"

This poem was spoken by the great god Odin himself, describing the primordial eighteen runes. Odin had personally stated he would never teach them to anyone, yet only one woman received his inheritance!

If this woman was Scathach, it would explain why she knew the primordial Rune. But why would she be connected to Odin? Although there was a goddess in the Norse pantheon who shared the same origin as her, was mythology also undergoing changes in this world?

For a moment, Roy was bewildered.

Sensing Roy's confusion, Scathach did not explain this time. Instead, she asked with a hint of curiosity: "...Does Scathach exist in other lands too?"

Even the Wisdom of the Demonic Realm could not know about matters in other lands.

"There does exist a Scathach..."

Roy affirmed. As someone extensively described in Celtic mythology, Scathach could certainly be summoned as a Disobedient God in the Campione world. But--

"However, the Scathach from there is definitely not as strong as you. No, you are overwhelmingly strong! In mythology, although Scathach was the teacher of great heroes like Cú Chulainn, she was at most a powerful female warrior. She couldn't possibly be like you, having slain countless gods and even surpassed this world!"

That's right, this Scathach was an existence that broke the mold. If she were truly the Scathach recorded in mythology, Roy was confident he could defeat her!

"Do not be perplexed, person from another land! For the Scathach before you is the most special one, even among countless parallel worlds here!"

The purple queen declared haughtily, her voice filled with the pride of self-awareness and a touch of heartbreaking self-mockery.

"Gautama Siddhartha, under the Bodhi Tree, defeated the demon army with wisdom at 1.8 [unclear unit], attained enlightenment, becoming the Enlightened One, the Buddha, and thus understood everything, transcending the universe. I am the one among countless Scathachs who attained enlightenment amidst slaughter. However, unlike the Buddha, I cannot transcend the universe; I have only surpassed this world and reached its outer edge."

Scathach seemed to have a penchant for teaching, enjoying explaining things to others. "...I cannot cross the Abyss, yet I gained the 'Wisdom of the Demonic Realm' while gazing into it. Thus, Scathach remains just Scathach, the warrior woman guarding the gate in the Shadow Land. But I am different!"

The Queen of the Shadow Land, who could see through herself so clearly, took pride in her achievements yet lamented that her stride was too large, making it impossible for future generations to catch up.

I remember Aiwass once saying that Aleister also tried to cross the Abyss, which is why he summoned the Great Demon Kolozun, hoping to achieve it with the demon's power. Does one need to cross the Abyss to become a Demon God? What is the Abyss?

At this moment, Roy was filled with surprise and felt he had learned a great deal.

Indeed, only by interacting and learning from those who had reached that level could one broaden their perspective and witness more beautiful scenery!

Chapter 115: "That Right Hand"

Roy's heart trembled, as if someone from a remote mountain village had suddenly arrived in a big city and witnessed modern scenery. The shock inexplicably gave rise to a sense of longing.

Manipulating the laws of cosmic phases, causing countless stars to fall with a wave of the hand, extinguishing billions of stars with a laugh—what grandeur, what heroic spirit! Just imagining himself being able to do so one day made Roy unconsciously yearn for it, reaching a climax.

However, Roy also knew that even the Scathach before him was still far from that step. In Aleister's Silver Star System, although this was merely a difference in realm, the distance was like an insurmountable chasm. Perhaps, as Scathach said, what lay between them was the 'Abyss'!

At the same time, Roy felt uneasy. Although Scathach and Aleister were both at the pinnacle of humanity, Aleister probably had one foot across the Abyss. It was even possible that man could cross it, but he was unwilling to do so actively. Thinking about having to 'avenge' such an unbelievable father, Roy felt a headache coming on.

As for the Enlightened One mentioned by Scathach, that was actually Shakyamuni. In Aleister's Silver Star System, he was at least a perfect Demon God of the '9=2' level, possibly even reaching the transcendent consciousness of '10=1', the 'Self-Begetter'. It was not surprising that he could transcend the universe.

Roy couldn't possibly understand beings of that caliber.

"Don't look so troubled, outsider... This isn't something you should be trying to understand right now. Elementary schoolers should focus on elementary school math, not subjects that require university-level research."

Scathach couldn't bear to see the 'brilliant' individual before her get lost in his own thoughts, so she kindly offered words of comfort, her tone gentle like a friendly older sister.

Roy snapped back to reality and chuckled helplessly, "...Hearing you, Lady Scathach, use analogies like that makes me feel quite unaccustomed."

It always felt surreal to him, a Queen from the Shadow Land outside the world, speaking with modern terms like 'elementary school' and 'university.'

However, he noticed that the atmosphere between them seemed to have eased considerably, no longer as tense as it was at the start. Was he gradually meeting Scathach's expectations?

Just as Roy was thinking this, the very next second, Scathach showed him what it meant to be proven wrong, and how quickly a woman's mood could change.

"In front of an enemy, during a battle, don't get lost in nonsensical thoughts! It will put you in mortal danger!"

Roy's guard shot up. A red streak transformed into lightning once more and struck. Yet, even though he realized it was Scathach's Magic Spear, his body couldn't react fast enough to match his awareness.

"Ngh------"

Another pained groan. Roy felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. Looking down, he saw the red Magic Spear piercing his kidney. The killing intent and demonic nature emanating from the spear once again sent tremors through his body, making his soul tremble and cold sweat pour from his forehead.

At this moment, he was suddenly very grateful that he was a Campione. If one kidney was lost, another could grow back. If he were an ordinary person, he'd probably be losing his manliness right about now!

Roy instinctively grabbed the spear in his abdomen, but he immediately let go, allowing Scathach to pull it out, accompanied by a spray of blood.

He wasn't someone who excelled in strength; he simply couldn't compete with Scathach in a contest of force.

He couldn't match her in strength, nor in speed. His Authority, with its mysterious power, was likely just a laughable toy in front of Scathach. Roy staggered back, his face pale. No matter how intensely the sparks of wisdom debated in his mind, he couldn't find a path to victory.

'Mind's Eye' could seize an opportunity even with a one-in-ten-thousand chance of victory, but what if there wasn't even a one-in-ten-thousand chance of winning? If the probability of victory was simply zero, then 'Mind's Eye' would be utterly useless.

'No, I still have one unique path to victory... but...'

Roy thought of his right hand, which belonged to him but which he couldn't fully control the output of. It was the 'Hand of God,' possessing 'all the miracles of Christianity' and reaching the realm of omnipotence. Facing Scathach, the Queen of the Shadow Land who couldn't cross the abyss and merely stood at the pinnacle of humanity gazing at the heavens, Roy was convinced this hand could absolutely defeat her.