A car sped toward Ohananomitsu High School, navigating through Tokyo's increasingly busy midday streets.
Sitting in the front passenger seat, Ren leaned back with his chin resting on his hand, staring blankly out the window. However, his mind was anything but blank.
He was reflecting on his previous battle against Kusanagi Godou.
'I need additional Divine Authorities.'
That was the conclusion he had reached.
The Divine Authority: Sun Conqueror was powerful. However, its strength was somewhat monotonous.
Although this ability had extraordinary destructive power, it involved too many large-scale environmental attacks. As a result, Ren often relied on Meteoric Ascent as his primary attack, rather than using other, more lethal techniques.
If he unleashed Solar Annihilation or the Nine Sun Strikes, not only would his enemy be annihilated, but the surrounding area would be reduced to a sea of destruction.
In other words, his current power was highly inflexible.
'Meanwhile, Godou can switch between Incarnations and adapt during battle. The Divine Authority: Ten Incarnations has a level of flexibility unmatched by most other Divine Authorities. Tsk, as expected of a protagonist. Their powers are so annoying,' Ren thought irritably.
Except for his strongest attack, Nine Sun Strikes, he was quite satisfied with his Divine Authority. Even the basic attack, Meteoric Ascent, wasn't weak.
After stacking it multiple times, even the manifestation of the Divine Beast from Boar Incarnation was destroyed in seconds.
'What if I face an opponent with a strong defensive-type Divine Authority? What if my next opponent has an ability that completely nullifies Meteoric Ascent?'
'Can I still win with just this one Divine Authority?'
Ren frowned, pondering that possibility.
In his duel with Godou, he realized that one Divine Authority wasn't enough.
'I need to kill another Heretic God and seize their Divine Authority.'
That was the only solution.
Campiones weren't just superhumans—they were Godslayers, beings destined to fight Heretic Gods and take their powers.
With additional Divine Authorities, Ren would have more options in battle.
If he could acquire abilities that enhanced his defense, increased his mobility, or even neutralized enemy attacks, his power would grow exponentially.
Thinking this, Ren's eyes gleamed with determination.
The duel with Godou had shown him his limits, but it had also given him a deeper understanding of his own strength.
Now, he didn't just want to fight to win—he wanted to grow stronger.
The thrill of battle was there, but the ambition to evolve was even greater.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
In the driver's seat, Hayasaka noticed the change in Ren's expression. From a frown, his eyes now shone with sharp determination.
Unable to contain her curiosity, she asked softly:
"Ren-sama, you don't seem happy about your victory."
Hayasaka's gentle voice broke Ren's reverie.
Ren glanced at her briefly, then sighed.
"It wasn't a victory worth celebrating. I won by a narrow margin, and if I fight Godou again, I'm sure I'll lose."
Hayasaka furrowed her brows.
'Ren-sama, who is usually unrestrained by rules and even reluctant to admit weakness, now considers his victory meaningless?' She thought to herself.
"What do you mean, Ren-sama?" She asked, confused.
Leaning his head on his hand, Ren gazed out the window with a sullen expression.
"Among Godou's Ten Incarnations, there's one that is the antithesis of all Divine Authorities."
"Antithesis?" Hayasaka repeated the word hesitantly.
"The Warrior Incarnation." Ren answered lightly.
"What does the Warrior Incarnation do? And why didn't Godou-sama use it in the duel earlier?"
"Well, the Warrior Incarnation can only be used if Godou has sufficient knowledge about his enemy or the divinity that is the source of the enemy's Divine Authority. If that condition is met, he can create countless Golden Swords. Those swords have the ability to strip away the divinity of any god, turning them into humans and nullifying their Divine Authorities."
After Ren explained the Warrior Incarnation to her, Hayasaka's eyes trembled. For a moment, she was at a loss for words.
"That's..."
Then, in a tone full of complaint, she said, "That's too unfair! Against Campiones and Heretic Gods, that's an unjust ability!"
"That's true." Ren chuckled, then continued, "The reason Godou didn't use the Warrior Incarnation against me wasn't because he didn't want to, but because he couldn't. During our fight, he had no information about me. But now, the situation is different."
"I'm worried Erica has already guessed which Heretic God I killed. And if that's true, she's likely already passed that information to Godou."
Hearing this, Hayasaka recalled the figure of the beautiful blonde girl who had protected her so she could watch the battle.
Lowering her head, she seemed hesitant. There was something she wanted to ask, but she feared it wasn't her place. However, before she could dismiss her doubts...
"Just ask."
Ren interrupted, his eyes glancing at her. His voice was calm but carried the weight of an order.
Hayasaka finally opened her mouth and mustered the courage to ask.
"Which god did Ren-sama kill?"
Without hesitation, Ren smiled faintly and answered casually.
"Hou Yi."
'Hou Yi?'
Hayasaka frowned, trying to recall if she had heard that name before. However, nothing came to mind.
The name was unfamiliar to her, but from the name itself, she could guess it was a god from Chinese mythology.
Not wanting to remain ignorant, she picked up her phone, typed in the keyword "Hou Yi" and pressed search.
Instantly, numerous articles popped up.
Her eyes scanned the screen, reading the first summary she found.
[Hou Yi is a legendary archer in Chinese mythology. Known as the Heavenly Archer, he was sent by the Jade Emperor to subdue the nine suns scorching the world. With his bow, Hou Yi shot down nine of the ten suns, leaving one to illuminate the earth.]
[In some versions of the story, Hou Yi is a human, but in others, he is a god or a demigod. He is also associated with his wife, Chang'e, who drank the elixir of immortality and ascended to the moon.]
'An archer who shot down the suns...?'
Reading the story, Hayasaka recalled a scene she might never forget. A young man shooting an arrow at the sun and bringing it down.
However, before she could read further—
"Don't use your phone while driving."
Ren sighed, his voice sounding like a teacher scolding a careless student.
"I won't get hurt if we crash, but you're different. You could die."
Hayasaka hurriedly put her phone on the dashboard and gripped the steering wheel tighter.
"Sorry, Ren-sama."
Ren didn't respond, simply shifting his gaze back to the window, seemingly letting the matter drop.