Chapter 457: The Naive Goddess (Part 1)
Clearly, Raphaeline held particular significance for certain members of the Ten Chief Gods. Within a minute of receiving the alert, three Chief Gods appeared at the prison exit.
They chose not to intercept, but simply block the way.
This was the only exit for anyone attempting a prison break. If they tried to forcibly destroy the prison, the gods could react immediately.
"Tch, still too late."
Seeing the three lavishly dressed god-class powerers ahead, Toujou Jin clicked his tongue in displeasure.
"Toujou Jin, is the Hero Clan planning to—"
"Shut it. This has nothing to do with the Hero Clan. I'm just here to rescue someone and settle a score with you all."
As the child's father, Toujou Jin naturally couldn't escape reckoning during the incident back then.
However, Raphaeline had voluntarily taken responsibility without resistance, and Toujou Jin had disappeared promptly afterward. To maintain stability while imprisoning Raphaeline, the Ten Chief Gods had ultimately chosen not to pursue the matter further.
If not for his lack of strength at the time, Toujou Jin would have long since stormed the celestial realm to settle accounts with the Ten Chief Gods.
As they spoke, the remaining Ten Chief Gods arrived one after another.
Six men and three women, plus Chisato Hasegawa—exactly ten people.
They formed a semicircle, blocking Haruto's group at the exit.
"Enough talk. Let's attack together and apprehend these criminals."
One of them was already eager to strike. With his plan to strip Raphaeline nearly succeeding—which would secure his position among the Ten Chief Gods and boost his power—this sudden disruption left him impatient.
The Ten Chief Gods instinctively glanced toward a stern-looking middle-aged man standing at the rear.
He was the strongest and most senior among them, a Quasi-Dragon God Class powerhouse.
The middle-aged deity didn't respond but instead fixed his gaze on Chisato Hasegawa, who was holding Raphaeline, her golden hair and white lab coat fluttering in the wind.
"Afureia, do you also intend to betray the celestial realm?"
"Save your words. After what you did to Sister Rapha, I will never forgive you."
"Ridiculous. Raphaeline brought this upon herself. We don't need your forgiveness."
Before the middle-aged god could speak, someone else chimed in, their tone so arrogant and conceited it was grating.
"Is that so... Then you must be prepared as well."
The middle-aged god's eyes turned icy as he raised a hand and clenched it fiercely.
A miniature magic circle appeared in his palm, spinning rapidly before shattering abruptly.
The moment the magic circle broke, Chisato Hasegawa grunted softly, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.
The dense, pale green divine power gradually dissipated, and her golden hair turned completely black. Yet, moments later, she reverted to her golden-haired goddess form.
Seeing this, Haruto and the others felt somewhat relieved.
"Oh? It seems you've had this plan for a while, even managing to partially break the contract seal."
The middle-aged deity raised an eyebrow slightly, speaking with some surprise.
"As expected of one of the two candidates I valued most back then. What a pity..."
As the most senior and powerful chief deity, he had personally selected nearly all of the remaining Ten Chief Deities.
Raphaeline and Afureia were the two candidates he had valued most back then, and he had specifically trained them together, allowing them to develop a bond deeper than that of biological sisters.
Their performance hadn't disappointed him either - Raphaeline alone had secured tremendous advantages for the Ten Chief Deities' faction during the Three Factions War.
But as time passed, he noticed these two tools seemed to be becoming disobedient.
Originally, it wasn't a big issue - disobedience was tolerable as long as they remained aligned with his position, since he never intended to make the Ten Chief Deities his personal mouthpiece.
However, Toujou Basara's birth broke the rules and revealed a terrifying possibility to him.
Female Ten Chief Deities could actively choose to bear descendants. Without restrictions, the nearly half of female Ten Chief Deities would inevitably form massive family clans.
Compared to their fellow Ten Chief Deities as colleagues, they would certainly prioritize their lovers and families.
He could easily imagine what would become of the celestial realm if this continued unchecked.
Raphaeline's severe punishment was just the beginning - he had already started planning countermeasures against all female Ten Chief Deities.
Afureia's contract seal was one such method.
Though they had committed no wrongdoing, their mere capacity to understand and even sympathize with Raphaeline was enough for him to resolve to replace all Ten Chief Deities with males.
For deities, a decade or two was but a fleeting moment in their long existence, so the three female Ten Chief Deities including Chisato Hasegawa remained temporarily unaffected.
"Chisato-nee, are you alright?"
Through their Soul Contract, Haruto could sense that Chisato Hasegawa's condition wasn't good - certainly not as composed as she appeared.
Chisato Hasegawa shook her head and handed the unconscious Raphaeline in her arms to Liala.
"I'll entrust Rapha-nee to you. I'll go join Frigg and Sif-nee soon."
Having failed to escape before being intercepted, everyone decided to proceed with the original plan.
Though unaware of the middle-aged deity's intentions against female Ten Chief Deities, it didn't prevent Chisato Hasegawa from single-handedly holding off two deity-level powerers.
"Don't worry, I'll take good care of Raphaeline."
Liala's combat ability was the weakest among them - except for Toujou Basara, of course.
In this operation, Toujou Basara had never actually been counted among their combat forces.
Just as the Ten Chief Deities hadn't involved other angels in the encirclement either - not even a single angel with top Satan-Class strength was present here.
If left alone it would be fine, but if specifically targeted, even top Satan-Class beings stood no chance of resistance against deities.
Though this narration seems lengthy, in reality only moments passed before combat erupted.
Enduring the discomfort within her body, Chisato Hasegawa forced herself into peak condition and charged straight toward the two goddesses Frigg and Sif.
Thus began the battle among the three, gradually moving farther away as they fought.
The middle-aged deity cast a deep glance toward the direction where the three were battling before turning back and speaking gravely, "Take action now, dead or alive."
He had naturally already recognized the identities of Haruto's group. Aside from Toujou Basara, who held little renown, the others were all prominent figures across the Three Realms.
Although he didn't know Toujou Basara personally, he could infer from the youth's mixed heritage of four bloodlines and his nearly ninety percent resemblance to Toujou Jin.
"Haha, finally we can fight to our heart's content!"
The war deity among the Ten Chief Gods, who also bore the title of God of War, was the first to charge forward. His target was clear: Toujou Jin, the so-called God of War of the Hero Clan.
Within the Three Realms, battles at the deity level were generally restricted—neither reckless nor fatal.
Haruto's confrontation with the Child of Chaos was purely an exception. It had been years since an invasion by outer evil gods occurred, and in the face of such threats, even if the world were left in ruins, it was entirely acceptable.
Compared to a damaged home, having one's home seized by others was clearly far less acceptable.
But now that intruders had breached their sanctuary, and since this prison area was an independent alternate dimension, they could simply spend some time repairing it afterward. The middle-aged deity was fully resolved to detain Haruto and his companions at all costs.
The severity of the situation exceeded Haruto's group's expectations. While their plan had proceeded smoothly, they hadn't anticipated the Ten Chief Gods would be so determined.
After all, if they truly fought with all their might, even if Haruto's side were completely subdued, at least half of the Ten Chief Gods would be casualties. This independent alternate dimension, and even the territory under the Ten Chief Gods' influence, would be destroyed.
But since the opposition was going all out, Haruto's side naturally couldn't hold back in the slightest.
A brutal battle was imminent.
Toujou Jin faced the second strongest Chief God, and their fight was evenly matched.
Sapphire, now a high-ranking deity, single-handedly withstood the assaults of two deity-level opponents.
Liala, slightly weaker in strength and accompanied by Raphaeline, could only barely handle the weakest and newest Chief God, who was particularly fixated on Raphaeline.
The remaining three, including the strongest Quasi-Dragon God Class Chief God, all launched their attacks at Haruto.
Haruto didn't dare to underestimate them and instantly activated his Balance Breaker.
Crimson dragon-shaped armor enveloped his entire body, instantly doubling his combat power.
Having only recently broken through to the Quasi-Dragon God Class, he had initially been at a slight disadvantage compared to the middle-aged deity. But with the activation of his Balance Breaker, the gap was instantly closed.
Given a bit more time, Haruto might even have surpassed him.
This was the true value of a Sacred Gear in this world.
However, Haruto wasn't fighting one-on-one but one against three, with the other two being high-ranking deities.
Thanks to his formidable combat talent and the highly destructive Power of Destruction, Haruto managed to hold his own against three opponents without falling behind.
Even when his adversaries unleashed their trump cards, Haruto defended against them all with the effects of the Red Dragon Emperor's Gauntlet and his enhanced innate abilities and skills.
But by this point, he had essentially played all his cards.
The battle reached a stalemate, and the independent subspace was on the verge of collapse. The residual shockwaves of the fight made it impossible for Toujou Basara to observe closely.
Aside from Haruto's situation, the conditions of the other three—Toujou Jin, Sapphire, and Liala—were not favorable.
As time passed, their disadvantage became increasingly apparent, especially for Sapphire, who was protecting Raphaeline.
To protect Raphaeline, she often had no choice but to actively endure enemy attacks, leaving her body covered in wounds.
Fortunately, under Haruto's guidance, she wore form-fitting armor underneath. Though large areas of her fair skin were exposed, none of her sensitive spots were left unprotected.
This couldn't go on...
Seizing the moment when the enemy's assault slowed, Haruto scanned the entire battlefield.
His initial plan to break through was based on the assumption that the enemy wouldn't go all out. As long as they held back, there would be an opportunity to break the encirclement.
In reality, even now, Haruto remained confident he could successfully break through alone.
But what good would breaking through alone do? Not only would he fail to rescue Raphaeline, but he'd also end up sacrificing Sapphire and the others.
While Haruto was contemplating countermeasures, Toujou Basara, forced to stay away from the battlefield, grew increasingly anxious.
He couldn't even get close, let alone help.
BAM!!!
Coincidentally, Sapphire was struck down by the combined attack of two chief gods, landing not far from where he was hiding.
"Mother Sapphire..."
Watching the red-haired Valkyrie struggling to stand in the deep crater, crimson blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, the demon blood within Toujou Basara surged violently.
Basara's transformation went unnoticed by anyone. In such an intense battle, no one had the attention to spare for someone with only Satan-Class strength.
Clang—
No sooner had she stood up than Sapphire hurriedly raised her greatsword to block two spears descending from the sky.
The clash of divine weapons produced a sharp, grating screech. As sparks appeared and vanished, Sapphire forcefully broke free from the two chief gods' suppression.
Just as the two chief gods prepared to pursue, Toujou Basara—who had successfully unleashed his hidden power and reached god-level—appeared behind them.
Though he had just barely entered the god-level, that was enough to pose a threat to them.
The two didn't take it lightly and quickly defended, but against Dimensional Severance, their defenses were almost nonexistent.
Dimensional Severance was a move that could kill on first encounter. Beings of the same level could only evade it or counter it with energy attacks—defending against it was virtually impossible.
Basara's power surge was brief, so brief that Haruto didn't even notice before he lost his combat ability.
But that brief moment successfully broke the stalemate.
Once freed, Sapphire helped Liala defeat her enemy, and then the group worked together to help Toujou Jin break free from his entanglement.
Just as they were about to assist Haruto, he decisively said, "You go first. They can't stop me."
After exchanging glances, they knew there was no time to hesitate. God-level beings weren't easy to kill. Any further delay would waste the opportunity Basara had created once the enemies recovered.
"Alright, be careful."
Sapphire took the lead, Liala carried the unconscious Raphaeline, and Toujou Jin held the exhausted Basara. The five of them sped away like the wind, bursting out of the nearly shattered space.
The partially recovered chief gods wanted to pursue but couldn't catch up.
"Don't bother chasing. Go find Frigg and Sif, help them subdue Freyja."
A middle-aged deity stopped their futile efforts, speaking calmly, "Since Raphaeline has escaped, let Freyja take her place."
The chief gods exchanged looks, their eyes instantly lighting up.
Raphaeline was nearly drained dry and had been practically useless to begin with. If trading her for an intact god-class powerhouse was possible, it wouldn't just break even—it'd be a huge profit.
Though Freyja wasn't as strong as Raphaeline, she still ranked mid-to-upper tier among the Ten Chief Gods.
Draining her completely wouldn't just create a brand-new chief god—they'd also reap additional benefits.
Haruto remained unruffled. Even if Chisato Hasegawa hadn't left yet, once she realized the situation was turning sour, she'd put on an act with Frigg and Sif before seizing the chance to escape.
Just as Haruto was looking for an opportunity to leave, the enemy's assault abruptly halted.
The middle-aged deity ordered the two high-level gods surrounding Haruto to join the hunt for the three goddesses, adding, "If Freyja escapes, work together to subdue Frigg and Sif. From now on, all Ten Chief Gods shall be male."
"Hai!"
The six male chief gods responded excitedly, eagerly charging toward where the three goddesses were fighting.
Now, they actually hoped Chisato Hasegawa would be allowed to escape.
Turning one into two—wasn't that even more profitable?
Haruto frowned. If things really went this way, Chisato Hasegawa and Raphaeline would undoubtedly return to the Celestial Realm upon finding out.
Fortunately, he and Chisato Hasegawa had already formed a Soul Contract, allowing instant transmission of messages.
Seemingly reading Haruto's thoughts, the middle-aged deity blocked his path. "This generation's Red Dragon Emperor lives up to his reputation—truly the strongest in history."
"Do you think you alone can stop me?"
Haruto's voice remained calm, betraying no emotion.
Having fought to this point, he was now at his peak strength.
Given enough time and if his opponent didn't flee, he was confident he could completely annihilate him here.
If successful, this would be his first Quasi-Dragon God Class kill—the strongest enemy he'd ever defeated.
"Of course not. Just like how you helped rescue others, I only need to prevent you from offering assistance."
The middle-aged deity was equally composed, well aware of his subordinates' capabilities.
Even with Freyja at full strength, Sif and Frigg stood no chance against the other six.
Though the criminal Raphaeline had broken out of prison, if this incident could permanently resolve the internal issues among the Ten Chief Gods, her existence would become irrelevant.
But if Chisato Hasegawa and the others received the message—even if just one escaped—he couldn't accept it.
The inheritance of the Ten Chief Gods had limitations: if one escaped, the legacy would be permanently reduced until that fleeing deity perished.
Similarly, even if new geniuses emerged among their ranks who could breakthrough to god-class independently, they couldn't become an eleventh chief god.
And within the Three Realms, deities practically never fell.
Of course, filling the vacant inheritance wasn't impossible—but the cost would be enormous, and it required a naturally ascended god-class powerhouse first.
Their conversation continued, with the middle-aged deity content to keep Haruto talking—in his view, this counted as stalling him effectively.
In truth, Haruto was also buying time.
During their conversation, he had already informed Chisato Hasegawa about the situation on his end and received her response.
At the edge of the nearly shattered space, Chisato Hasegawa had long ceased fighting alongside the two goddesses.
She had originally planned to catch up for a while before leaving, but then she suddenly received Haruto's message.
"Sister Frigg, Sister Sif, please come with me."
Chisato Hasegawa began to persuade them, also sharing the information Haruto had relayed.
However, unlike her, Frigg and Sif had other friends and family here—they couldn't just leave at a moment's notice.
Moreover, they didn't fully trust Chisato Hasegawa's words.
"The atmosphere within the divine realm has indeed been strange these past years. Letting you go would certainly warrant punishment, but it shouldn't come to killing us outright..."
The Ten Chief Gods occupied a region of the celestial realm, calling it the Divine Realm.
"If things are truly as you say, of course we wouldn't surrender foolishly like that silly girl Raphaeline, but I still don't think it'll go that far."
The two goddesses, Sif and Frigg, went back and forth, ultimately unable to believe that their fellow Ten Chief Gods would turn against them.