There was no other way.
To fight a god.
Only the power of a god would suffice.
For beings who had embarked upon different paths, it was difficult for Ian to use his own magic to contend with them on equal footing and win. The main reason was that his research into magic was not yet profound enough.
It was not that magic itself was inadequate.
"Wizards are a group that can wield every kind of power for our own purposes. Divine authority is no exception." Ian believed this firmly. He did not directly confront "decay."
That would mean entering the field in which his opponent excelled most.
He chose another method. His wand lightly tapped the air, and a ripple that was formless and intangible, yet seemed to contain the contradictory concepts of "both is and is not" and "both exists and is void," spread outward.
In an instant, it expanded from him as its center.
"Definition Rewrite: Within this domain, decay is rebirth!"
Paradox Power operated upon the level of rules! The gray-black ripples of decay sweeping toward him underwent a bizarre change upon touching the Paradox Domain Ian had unfurled.
Part of the decaying energy continued to function, corroding space.
Yet another part, twisted by the laws of paradox, transformed strangely into an extremely faint aura of "rebirth," carrying a trace of dead wood blooming anew.
Though that "rebirth" was pitifully weak.
It was nowhere near enough to offset all the decay, but it had truly happened! It was like forcibly establishing the legal foundation for a tiny oasis within a lifeless desert.
"What?!" The Fallen Deity's scarlet eyes filled with shock and fury. It sensed that its ever-effective divine power of decay had had part of its essence forcibly twisted!
"What exactly is it that you