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The Arbiter God Pharnemes appeared in the arena.
Clack clack
Everyone looked at her as she approached Kurena and Haku.
"Phar, I was waiting for you!"
'It's Phar!'
Kurena and Haku looked happy to see her.
'Wh-why is the Arbiter God hereā€¦ Only the Gatekeeper, Dragon, and Rider should be here.'
Megadeth looked shocked, she was not supposed to be able to enter there.
'I also built and oversaw this location once. Things haven't changed a lot, so I decided to join.'
The Arbiter God was familiar with the Gates of Trials, so she was able to get in there.
'B-but that doesn't meanā€¦'
'I came here of my own will. If this violates Desperado's rules then I'll leave.'
'...'
The Arbiter God stared intently at Megadeth, who remained silent.
'Then, do you mind finishing what you were saying about Desperado? Was it something about letting someone with promise alive perhaps?'
The Arbiter God mentioned what Megadeth was talking about earlier, and everyone froze.
She was a God that judged other Gods.
'Err, noā€¦I meanā€¦ I just have a pact with the God of Space and Timeā€¦'
"I see. Gods are entities that govern over principles, so I believe they need to judge themselves as well. But if it was part of a pact then it's alright, not to mentionā€¦"
"What is it?"
'I'm merely a demigod now. I don't really have the power left to judge Gods.'
Pharnemes was no longer a Higher God.
'I seeā€¦ Wait, in that caseā€¦'
'Don't worry about that. I'm here to fight alongside Kurena.'
"Ohh!!"
'Gyau!'
'Wha-?! Wait!! Why is a God joining the fight? That's not how the Gates of Trials work.'
'That's part of a pact I made. I'll help Kurena to fulfill my pact with Allen.'
'I was never told about such a pact. This is all a bit too sudden.'
Megadeth was starting to get flustered, but then froze in place.
"Oh? He's stunned."
'Gyau.'
'He's probably checking in with Desperado. But don't worry, I've already helped a Spirit King and Sacred Beast in the past. The Gates of Trials aren't supposed to be overcome with power alone.'
"Oh oh, I see."
'You're incredible Mama!'
Kurena had long stopped understanding the conversation, but Haku was impressed by the way she rubbed her chin and nodded.
The Arbiter God was confident this would work, as she had joined fights many times in the past.
Eventually Megadeth's body began moving again.
'...He said you may join the fight, since you've lost most of your divine power. But I need to confirm the details of the pact you formed.'
Pharnemes had to reveal the pact she made with Allen to participate.
'Sure. I'll tell you the conditions.'
Pharnemes detailed the pact she formed with Allen.
[The pact with Allen]
-3 times more hay daily
-10 Mormo fruits daily
-The pact will last for as long as Allen's Army exists
-As long as those three conditions are met, Pharnemes will fight against a Gatekeeper once
-Other fights will require a new pact
'That's a ridiculous pactā€¦ But a valid one.'
Megadeth's body froze again as he relayed the information to Desperado, before moving again.
'What did he say?'
'He said you may fight. Even if that means your existence ends under my full power.'
'Thank you. This also counts as a pact, so let's uphold it.'
Saying that, Pharnemes went to Kurena to stand with her against Megadeth.
"Thank you Phar."
'Don't thank me yet. I believe we only have a 50% chance together.'
"Okay okay. We need a plan too though."
'That's true.'
The fight was resuming, so Megadeth went into Mode Claw.
'This is the first time this has happened, but if I defeat the Arbiter God I might become a God myself.'
He mumbled something, showing his ambitions, before sending his claws ahead again.
"I'll ride on Phar, so you use your fire from behind us Haku."
'Okay!'
Things looked different from how they were before Pharnemes appeared.
While Haku retreated more, the claws closed in on Kurena, moving freely in the air.
"Deep Impact!!"
'Nghah?!'
Kurena and Pharnemes dashed ahead, breaking Megadeth's arm.
-Stats, short version
[Name] Kurena
[Age] 16
[Talent] Dragoon General
[Blessings] Arbiter God (Medium)
[Level] 99
[Strength] 8192 + 7200 + 12000 + 13000 (Blessing)
[Mana] 4947 + 3600 + 12000 + 8000 (Blessing)
[Attack] 11257 + 7200 + 12000 + 13000 (Blessing)
[Endurance] 7218 + 7200 + 1200 + 8000 (Blessing)
[Agility] 7171 + 7682 + 12000 + 13000 (Blessing)
[Intelligence] 4696 + 3600 + 12000 + 8000 (Blessing)
[Luck] 5175 + 3600 + 12000 + 8000 (Blessing)
Kurena's stats increased by riding Pharnemes.
They used the Skill [Energy Dash] too, which Allen renamed to Deep Impact.
They had raised its Skill Level in the S Rank Dungeon..
On top of that, Kurena's enhanced power also allowed her to shatter one of the enormous claws.
Pharnemes had requested more fruits and hay in exchange for that training and the help.
"Alright, now for the other claws."
'Okay! Grahhhhh!!'
Haku's will to fight had returned, and he used his Hellfire Breath.
Together with Kurena they shattered the other set of claws.
"Alright! Now the main body!!"
'Woah, that's too close. Mode Scale!!'
Megadeth quickly changed forms, just barely managing to protect his main body.
"Uryahhhh!!"
'Grahhhhhhh!!'
Haku and Kurena continued attacking Megadeth, but could not do as much damage.
They also knew that Megadeth could regenerate all the damage he took in that form.
'That was close, but now I'm back in the game. I know you have a lot of healing items, but can your Skills keep up?'
Megadeth still felt confident, grinning as he looked at the Arbiter God.
He knew he could obtain something from the fight.
Kurena's Skill [Limit Break]'s duration was proportional to the Mana she used.
It would last for a time longer, but its cooldown was 1 day.
'I see why we need a proper plan to win.'
Not even Deep Impact could do much damage to Megadeth now.
"Why isn't he in that form all the time? He would be invincible."
Kurena felt like there had to be a reason Megadeth kept changing forms.
Even he said he wanted a long fight, so staying in Mode Scale would be enough.
'Ohh, you noticed something good, Kurena. Maybe there's a time limit to each form.'
Pharnemes felt like there was a weakness in Megadeth's fighting style.
'Gyau! You're incredible Mama!'
Haku was pleased hearing Kurena be praised by Pharnemes.
"That's why I think we should make himĀ landĀ here and thenĀ whisper whisper."
Kurena spoke in a low voice to Haku and Pharnemes, her anklet glowing when she said land.
'What are you mumbling about?'
"Heheheh, I'm just saying your attacks are too simply if you just roll around!"
'That's interesting!'
Megadeth knew they were planning something, carefully dodging his attacks.
An hour passed and he went to Mode Fang.
Everyone stood back to avoid the time-freezing breath.
Two hours passed like that, Megadeth constantly changing from Claw to Scale to Fang to Claw to Scale to Fangā€¦and so on.
Kurena checked her watch to measure the timings of each change.
'Why don't you give up already? Mode Claw.'
Megadeth did not relent no matter how much time passed, and entered Mode Claw to attack.
"...Uryahhhh!!"
Kurena watched where Megadeth stood and activated [True Supreme Sword].
This time not on the claws, but on his main body.
Haku and Pharnemes looked alert then, that Skill was Kurena's signal.
'Oh, so you realized that attacking the claws won't do anything?'
Every time the claws were destroyed Megadeth went to Mode Scale and regenerated them.
So now Kurena kept attacking his main body, using more Skills like [True Phoenix Blast].
'That's a good idea, but don't forget my claws hurt a lot.'
Megadeth grinned, such a simple plan would not beat him.
'Gyau?! It hurts!!'
'Hmm.'
Kurena ignored the claws, and they started attacking Haku and Pharnemes.
Her Heaven's Blessings could heal that damage, but the attacks would not stop.
'Well, nice try but your plan wasn't good enough. Sorry to do this just when you managed to do so much damage.'
Megadeth was about to go into Mode Scale again. |
Kurena's eyes were fixated on her watch for that moment.
"Now! Teleport!!"
"Huh?"
Kurena and the Arbiter God vanished.
'Gyau!!'
Haku swung his orichalcum claws into Megadeth's sides.
Kurena and the Arbiter God appeared in front of Megadeth.
She had marked that location as a teleport location for her anklet earlier.
That anklet had the same function as Basque's.
Now that they were there, Kurena used her best Skill.
"Deep Impact!!!"
The Arbiter God's muscles tightened and her horns began to glow.
Together with Kurena, they charged at Megadeth's stomach.
Megadeth debated between changing forms or bringing back his claws, but Kurena was too fast to let him choose.
'Hgyapah?!'
The hit sent Megadeth flying far into the air.