Ren Isana drew his Tang Dao with a reverse grip and met the charge. This was the perfect opportunity to let his weapon evolve into a [Noble Phantasm] by slaying this Heretic God.
Ren Isana had yet to implement the [Noble Phantasm] forging methods he had learned from the Type-Moon world, but now the chance had finally arrived.
The method to transform a weapon into a [Noble Phantasm] was simple: it needed a history and a list of grand deeds. Wasn't the Verethragna standing before him the ultimate achievement?
As long as he used his weapon to strike the killing blow, Ren Isana could perform an Ascension, allowing his blade to fully transition into a true [Noble Phantasm]. Of course, his weapon already possessed significant deeds.
If Ren Isana wished, he could have initiated the Ascension at any time. After all, this was the very weapon used to slay Apollo — a true [God-Slaying Blade].
But who would ever complain about having too many deeds? Since it had already killed Apollo, adding Verethragna to its record wouldn't hurt. And then there was the God King Melqart. The more gods it slew, the greater its deeds, and the more powerful the resulting [Noble Phantasm] would become!
"Come on! Let us have a battle to remember!" Ren Isana swung his Tang Dao, clashing with Verethragna's golden greatsword. The moment they met, a terrifying metallic ring echoed through the air.
The two engaged in a fierce exchange. After the first round of impact, Verethragna quickly retracted his blade and launched an even more violent offensive, every strike aimed precisely at Ren Isana's vitals.
As a god of war, his martial prowess was beyond question — it was a truly divine level of skill. However, Ren Isana was not far behind. While defending against Verethragna's strikes, he was simultaneously using [Jianjigu] to dismantle and learn his opponent's techniques!
Verethragna noticed this, but he didn't care. If his skills could be fully mastered by Ren Isana, so be it. With that thought in mind, Verethragna continued to showcase his maneuvers.
"I'd like to see just how much you can learn!" Verethragna shouted, increasing the intensity of his pressure. If you want to learn, then learn everything!!
One was daring enough to learn while the other was bold enough to teach. The two continued their clash, but gradually, Ren Isana realized this devious bastard was weaving traps into his movements. If he actually followed the techniques exactly as they were being 'taught,' he would fall right into a trap.
"Did you figure it out?" Seeing that Ren Isana hadn't fallen for the bait, Verethragna wasn't disappointed. In fact, he would have been disappointed if Ren Isana had fallen for it, as it would prove he was merely a talentless copycat.
If that were the case, while Ren Isana might be difficult to deal with, he wouldn't be a true threat. Hearing Verethragna's words, Ren Isana couldn't help but chuckle. "Small tricks like that won't work on me. Even as I learn your martial arts, I'm merely using them as fuel!"
Ren Isana's true martial arts were never based on a single style. He took everything he learned and treated it as nourishment, integrating it into his own [Omni-Weapon Mastery].
"Truly a terrifying opponent. It's impossible to defeat you with skill alone. In that case, I'm going to get serious!" Verethragna's greatest strength lay in his Ten Avatars.
Though they might be copied, it didn't matter anymore. Trying to defeat the man before him without using his [Authority] was simply too difficult. Activating the [Phoenix] avatar, he instantly pulled away at a speed far exceeding Ren Isana's and launched a counterattack.
This ability was all about the initiative. When the opponent's attack was fast, he could be faster. Having quickly opened the distance, Verethragna immediately activated the [Boar], and a massive wild boar instantly manifested to charge at Ren Isana.
The massive beast launched a headlong rush, trampling everything in its path as it barreled toward Ren Isana.
Watching this, Ren Isana responded instantly. He swung his Tang Dao with great force, releasing a massive shockwave of energy. The unique power of a God Slayer erupted; only god-slaying power could effectively counter such a divine beast.
The resistance of a Heretic God was simply too high. If one used ordinary spells, the opponent might even be immune. This was why many God Slayers currently relied on their martial techniques to defeat Heretic Gods.
Ren Isana's slash collided with the [Boar], and the beast was instantly crushed, dissipating into pure energy that scattered into the sky. However, Verethragna chose that exact moment to rush in.
This time he didn't use a weapon. Instead, he swung a fist toward Ren Isana. The divine power swirling around it made it clear he was using another [Authority]. Without a doubt, this was the [Bull].
An enhancement-type [Authority] that granted its user overwhelming, monstrous strength. Unlike God Slayers, who had to meet specific conditions, a god could release their [Authority] however and whenever they pleased!
Ren Isana refused to back down, gathering all his strength into his own fist. He chose to clash head-on. A massive boom resounded as their fists collided, the impact whipping up a violent gale.
*Crack!* In just a moment, a crisp cracking sound came from Ren Isana's hand. His bones had fractured; in terms of raw physical strength, Ren Isana was clearly at a disadvantage.
Ren Isana's brow furrowed from the pain, but in the blink of an eye, the injury in his hand was fully healed. His terrifying regenerative ability was no joke, a fact Verethragna quickly realized.
The god's brow furrowed. *Is this guy a monster? Isn't this recovery speed a bit absurd? He healed in an instant?* While he was thinking this, Ren Isana moved again!
Quickly retreating, Ren Isana's hand began to glow with a brilliant golden light as a holy spear manifested within his grasp. Sensing the aura, Verethragna's pupils shrank. What was that?
Why did it carry the aura of the World? Verethragna didn't dare to be careless against this sudden weapon. He reacted immediately, and the entire sky was dyed gold.
Ren Isana was pulling out his ultimate move, and Verethragna followed suit. This was his strongest [Authority], the [Warrior]. It allowed him to manifest thousands of golden weapons to attack his enemies, and if he knew everything about his opponent, he could even sever their [Authority].
However, this technique wasn't particularly effective against Ren Isana right now. After all, Verethragna didn't know much about him, so he could only use it as a standard offensive strike.
The most it could do was target Ren Isana's [Authority] from Apollo. But up until now, Ren Isana hadn't used Apollo's [Authority] at all. He wasn't relying on it to fight, so even if the [Warrior] targeted it, the effect was negligible. It was better to just use it as a normal attack.
"[Anchor of the Holy Spear]! [Rhongomyniad]!" With a great shout, Ren Isana thrust the spear forward. A golden light exploded outward, transforming into a massive torrent of energy that poured toward Verethragna.
"I am the strongest victor! Obstacles, fall before me!" Seeing the attack, Verethragna excitedly commanded his thousands of golden swords to clash with Ren Isana's pillar of light.
The weapons converged into a golden beam that collided with Ren Isana's attack. The onlookers who had intended to swoop in and help were terrified by the aura and fled as fast as they could.
This was a joke. A battle of this level was not something they could interfere with. They might be able to gang up on a Heretic God, but that didn't mean they could survive within such a massive area-of-effect attack.
Ren Isana had infinite [Magic Power], but Verethragna's weapons were not infinite. The [Holy Spear] manifested through magecraft could, in theory, fire indefinitely as long as the [Magic Power] was sufficient, since the output was pure energy.
Because of this, Ren Isana decisively increased his [Magic Power] output, pouring everything into the release of the [Holy Spear]. In an instant, the golden pillar of light surged in size, swallowing Verethragna's attack before slamming directly into the god himself.
Swallowed by the light, Verethragna could hardly believe his eyes. *Are you kidding me? Does this guy's [Magic Power] cost nothing?* Even with a Heretic God's resistance, he couldn't tank this kind of 'unlimited budget' playstyle.
Ren Isana's attack blasted toward the horizon. At this moment, the entirety of Sardinia was under the pressure of his strike. Starting from Ren Isana's position, a massive trench was carved into the earth.
It was fortunate that the people on the island were reasonably strong; otherwise, who knows how many would have died to the collateral damage of Ren Isana's attack. Those who sensed the danger had long since run away.
As the battle progressed, the entire island became unsafe. Staying there meant risking a sudden, violent death from an attack that could come from anywhere.
Ren Isana slowly ceased his output. His gaze fell upon Verethragna, who had taken the full force of the [Holy Spear]. His body was riddled with wounds, and golden blood flowed freely.
"Health gating?" Ren Isana's eyes flashed with surprise at Verethragna's condition, but he quickly understood what had happened. The god had used the [Youth] avatar.
If not for that, Ren Isana's terrifying blast would have killed him outright. The [Youth] avatar triggered at the brink of death, allowing him to recover, but because Ren Isana's output was continuous, he had been reduced to this state again immediately.
It was the equivalent of Ren Isana shattering his survival passive. Now, all he needed was one more blow to finish him off. With that thought, Ren Isana summoned the golden spear once more.
Verethragna looked at the scene and allowed a bitter smile to cross his face. "You are a freak. Are you truly human?"
Using such power consecutively without any hindrance? In comparison, his own [Authority] felt like those of a novice. Only after taking the attack directly did he realize just how terrifying it was.
If he were given another chance, he would never choose to face Ren Isana head-on like that. Dodging would have been easy, but alas... there were no do-overs.
"I'm a one-hundred-percent genuine human. So, please return to the myths!" Ren Isana smiled at Verethragna. Yet another person was questioning his humanity!