Utaha Kasumigaoka gazed quietly in Melqart's direction. "Since I'm participating in something like this, I naturally did my homework. I am very aware of how a God Slayer is born."
Anyone who came here without knowing what they were getting into would be walking straight toward their death. They were only looking to increase their total capacity of Magic Power, not looking for a way to die.
Ren Isana nodded and said no more. These upperclassmen clearly knew their limits, which put him at ease. He was only ever worried about those who lacked a basic sense of self-awareness.
Seeing that Ren Isana had agreed, Utaha Kasumigaoka didn't hesitate to use her magic to send an order to her classmates, commanding them to retreat. Now, she would see for herself just how powerful this junior of hers truly was.
With Utaha Kasumigaoka's magical command issued, the seniors currently engaged in combat quickly pulled back, leaving the battlefield. This sudden movement left Melqart somewhat perplexed.
Ren Isana moved as well. Golden light converged as a long spear manifested. Feeling the Magic Power surging from his side, Utaha Kasumigaoka's pupils constricted. This single moment released a volume of Magic Power equivalent to several times her own total reserves!
"[Rhongomyniad・Anchor of the Holy Spear]!" As the words fell, a pillar of golden light soared into the sky. Ren Isana thrust the long spear forward without hesitation. He had grown quite fond of using this weapon lately because it was simply too efficient!
The golden spear roared forth, aiming straight for the distant Melqart. This sudden attack caused Melqart's eyes to snap shut for a fraction of a second before widening. He didn't dare be careless, immediately activating his Authority to clash against Ren Isana's strike.
He chose the same path as Verethragna. These Heretic Gods likely thought to themselves: *Why should I avoid his edge?* As proud deities, they would never allow themselves to retreat!
Thunder gathered from all directions, forming a massive pillar of lightning that collided with Ren Isana's [Holy Spear]. However, Melqart's lightning shattered upon contact, unable to impede the [Holy Spear] in the slightest.
"Damn it!" Melqart let out a furious roar before being swallowed by the pillar of light. The power of the [Holy Spear] annihilated Melqart and continued its trajectory, rushing toward the ocean.
Boom! The sea was split in two by the light of the [Holy Spear]. This scene left Utaha Kasumigaoka standing there in stunned silence, along with the upperclassmen who had been fighting Melqart just moments ago.
Everyone who witnessed this was dumbfounded. They couldn't believe their eyes. What kind of powerhouse had just arrived? If they hadn't been warned to retreat by Utaha Kasumigaoka, they probably would have been wiped out on the spot.
As the light gradually dissipated, Melqart was left lying on the ground, his body charred. Ren Isana had intentionally held back his strength; otherwise, a single strike from the [Holy Spear] would have erased him completely.
Seeing the fallen Melqart, Ren Isana threw his Tang Dao into the air. The blade spun through the sky, tracing a perfect parabola before plunging directly into Melqart.
Ren Isana's Tang Dao pierced through Melqart's body, extinguishing his last spark of life. Even in his final moments, the god didn't understand who had ambushed him. He hadn't even seen Ren Isana's face!
Utaha Kasumigaoka's mouth hung open as she watched the scene in disbelief. *Is it over just like that?* The Heretic God they had struggled so hard to suppress was taken down by Ren Isana in a single exchange.
Was the gap really this obvious? Just how powerful was this junior? Utaha Kasumigaoka's lips parted, but she found herself at a loss for words to describe her current state of mind.
As Melqart dissipated, golden light began to float into the air. A moment later, these motes of light surged in all directions, though the vast majority flooded into Ren Isana's body.
Utaha Kasumigaoka also received a significant portion of the golden light. Watching this, Ren Isana fell into thought. If his guess was correct, this was likely the reason why Utaha Kasumigaoka and the others had come to slay a god.
As long as one participated in the act of slaying a god, they would receive this light, which increased their maximum Magic Power limit. Within Ren Isana's perception, the Magic Power inside Utaha Kasumigaoka had strengthened considerably—at least by about twenty percent.
Ren Isana looked toward his Tang Dao in the distance. Activating the mark on the weapon, the blade instantly returned to his hand.
With the weapon back, he felt the aura clinging to it and a slight smirk played across his lips. Now, he could begin refining it into a [Noble Phantasm]. He wondered what rank it would eventually reach.
Would it be A++ or would it jump straight to EX? Having been stained with the blood of three gods—even if the latter two were Heretic Gods—the sheer fact that it had tasted Apollo's blood was enough to push its potential to incredible heights.
"That was truly amazing. I'm a bit curious, junior... just what is the extent of your strength?" Utaha Kasumigaoka felt the surge in her Magic Power with a look of pleasant surprise before turning to Ren Isana, unable to suppress her curiosity.
"It is merely Tier 7. Nothing to be shocked about. I'm sure you will reach it soon enough, senior." Ren Isana didn't hide his level, offering the answer with a touch of humility.
Utaha Kasumigaoka fell silent. This junior was truly humble. Tier 7 right at the start of the school year? That had to be a joke!
Many juniors and seniors in their third or fourth years weren't as strong as Ren Isana. Even some of the teachers at the university didn't possess Tier 7 strength. One could only say he was truly playing with a cheat code.
Taking a deep breath to suppress her shock, Utaha Kasumigaoka finally spoke. "As expected of a student from the special class. I assume everyone in your class is as monstrously strong as you?"
If that were the case, that class truly wasn't something just anyone was qualified to join. She had originally thought that if she were a year younger, she might have had the chance to join it, but now that thought seemed laughable.
Even if she were in the same year, she likely wouldn't have met the criteria. A sense of bitterness filled her heart. Knowing Ren Isana's strength made her feel like a tiny gnat looking up at the vast blue sky.
"No, I'm an exception. As the class monitor of the special class, it is only reasonable for my strength to be this high. My other classmates are only Tier 5 for now. They aren't as powerful as you imagine," Ren Isana explained with a smile.
Tier 5? Utaha Kasumigaoka went silent again because she was only Tier 4. She was still a long way from breaking through to Tier 5, yet everyone in that class had already reached it. Comparison really was the thief of joy.
That kind of strength was already incredibly formidable. Although she was confident she could reach Tier 5 before the semester started, they were only freshmen. By the time they were sophomores, wouldn't they all be Tier 6?
"That is quite a soul-crushing piece of news. So, junior, what are your plans next? The gods here are dead. Are you heading back to school, or do you have other arrangements?" Utaha Kasumigaoka shook her head, deciding not to dwell on it.
There was no point in comparing herself to these freaks. She was more concerned about other matters—if this junior was going to continue hunting gods, could she perhaps leech a bit more Excelia from him?
"If another Heretic God appears, I'll obviously get involved. If not, I'll prepare to head back!" If not for that order from the World Will, Ren Isana would have definitely dragged other gods down himself.
But for now, the Heretic Gods here were finished. He planned to return to school to upgrade his weapon. He wondered why Utaha Kasumigaoka was asking him this.
Utaha Kasumigaoka's eyes lit up. she quickly pulled out her magic book and began chanting something under her breath. A moment later, a line of text appeared on the pages.
"The Heretic God Perseus will appear when the dragon manifests, and his location is also within this country!" Utaha Kasumigaoka read out the information she had predicted.
Ren Isana's eyes flashed with surprise. Perseus? That guy seemed to have a connection to the sun. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but ask, "Do you want to participate too?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka nodded, not hiding her intentions. "I want to increase my Magic Power limit. I hope that when you fight him, junior, you'll let me just... get a touch in."
As long as one participated, there were benefits to be had. Utaha Kasumigaoka naturally didn't want to miss such an opportunity, especially since it was rare to find a junior with such heaven-defying strength who was also hunting gods.
"I see. That's fine. In that case, let's go. Tell me the coordinates!" Ren Isana didn't refuse. He wasn't here for the Authorities anyway. Letting her get a hit in wasn't a problem.
With so many people participating earlier, his Excelia gain had only dropped by 3%. Instead of the full 10%, he had received 7%. If it was just Utaha Kasumigaoka tagging along, he would likely get even more, so it didn't really affect him.
Seeing him agree, a smile finally graced Utaha Kasumigaoka's face. "Then I'll be in your care, junior. The location is in an ancient ruin in southern Italy."
Utaha Kasumigaoka quickly provided the location. With a destination in mind, Ren Isana could act efficiently. Without hesitation, he prepared to move them toward their goal.
A purple [Spatial Magic] circle appeared. Under Utaha Kasumigaoka's startled gaze, Ren Isana vanished with her from the spot. The seniors who had been planning to regroup with Utaha were left stunned as they watched them disappear.
"Is that Natsuki-sensei's [Spatial Magic]? Is that handsome boy her personal disciple? Otherwise, how could he use magic like that?" However, since he was one of their own, they weren't overly worried.
Ren Isana teleported directly with Utaha Kasumigaoka toward their destination. When they reappeared, they were already inland. Looking at the surrounding environment, she couldn't help but ask, "I didn't expect you to know [Spatial Magic] too, junior. That is an incredibly difficult branch of magic to learn!"