The days passed almost agonizingly slow, the population of Deckan unaware of the threat that was speeding towards it. In order to avoid a scene of mass panic, it was decided that the information would only be released after the fact. If the operation succeeded, a recording of the event would be shown to the public along with an explanation, so that the heroes who stood out would be able to receive the credit that they deserved. And if it didn’t, the Greater Pantheon would have to try to intervene before it was too late.

This was the plan established by the upper echelon of deities, both the Greater Pantheon as well as more resourceful gods that had signed up for the expedition with the goal of helping to strategize. Although they were ill-suited to participate in the battle, they had come together hoping that their plans might contribute to the defeat of the enemy.

Like this, two weeks passed as the citizens of Deckan began to feel uneasy. Their instincts, honed by their training and connections with various systems, warned them that a large threat was approaching. Some directly left the world to calm their unease, while others consulted with the gods, being asked in turn not to cause a panic as the situation was considered under control.

Regardless, even normal citizens began to feel the distress of those with power, their emotional state proving to be almost contagious. There had been no

Announcement

, no curfew imposed, and yet… throughout numerous cities all across the planet, people were staying indoors. They were unwilling to leave their homes at night, worried that whatever had those respected warriors concerned would appear in front of them.

In orbit around Deckan, a large group of gods had been mobilized. Many of these figures had long since made themselves known through various worlds. These were people that had struggled to reach the top and find what was considered to be the ultimate power. However, these individuals felt nervous as they stared into the vastness of space.

Target has entered the area of the solar system. Speed has decreased to subluminal. Estimated arrival time, five hours. A lycan’s voice was transmitted to the group, though the goddess herself wasn’t present. This lycan was the Goddess of Tracking, and was currently resting on the planet’s surface with the God of Communication, who was acting as a relay to coordinate the different deities.

With these two working together, they were constantly keeping track of the approaching golem. When they heard that the enemy would be at their door in five hours, their faces twisted. There was no way that they could allow the battle to happen within proximity of the planet itself, or it might be damaged by their battle. Several individuals still remembered the sight of a giant laser piercing through the planet, which had to be saved by a mysterious orbital device.

One of the human gods present gave a small nod, recognizing that it was his turn. He sent a request back to the lycan goddess to find the direction of the enemy, before clasping his hands together. When his hands parted, a gap seemed to form in space, a portal leading to a different location. This man was the God of Transportation, assigned with the task of ensuring that the battle would not take place within the vicinity of any nearby celestial bodies.

Seeing that the portal was opened, the rest of the gods quickly flew into it. When they emerged, they found themselves in a wide expanse of empty space, far removed from any potential obstructions. This was the perfect battleground for deities to battle in. Or at least, that was what their strategy had determined.

Enemy is now five minutes away from your current position! With his trajectory, he will pass one hundred thousand miles to Transport’s left! The lycan’s voice was projected once again, causing the others to nod in unison. Of the gods gathered, there were many combat-oriented gods, and several who had simply demanded to be present, assuring the strategists that they would be able to assist in the fight.

Unsurprisingly, there were nervous expressions on a few different deities from both sides. Until now, conflict had ceased to be a problem for gods, as their divine abilities allowed them to roam freely throughout the world. They did not want for anything, and thus they did not feel the need to fight for anything. At least, not against other gods.

Thus, although combat domains were popular choices to make one feel powerful, they had rarely been utilized in truly dangerous battles. Until this point, the most popular deities were those who ascended with crafting-related domains, as they could work for both gods and mortals alike.

The point being… with the lack of combat between deities, this meant that most people began to lose their sense of battle after ascension. The tension of facing a harrowing foe came crashing down against them once more, causing them to shake with long-forgotten unease.

With this, it was easy to tell who had remained active with their training after ascension. They were the ones who were able to maintain a calm demeanor while moving in the designated direction.

Among them, one individual was the first to act. An elf whose body seemed to shift and shimmer as he moved. His lips parted, his voice transmitted across the shared connections. The lost may always find their way, as all roads lead home. As his voice faded, there was a shift in the space in their surroundings.

Under the restrictions set forth by this god, it made no difference which direction one tried to move, as they would always be drawn to the destination determined by the Goddess of Tracking. Once he established this confinement field, he hovered at its center, his arms behind his back.

Seeing this, one of the halfling goddesses hesitated, before pulling a bow from her back. Thessa drew her bow, and began firing off hundreds of arrows into space, their path seemingly random. There were no targets to shoot at, but she continued to fire without pause, no two attacks aimed in the same direction.

The next to act was a heroc god, his green skin shining as he pressed his palms together. May the blessing of light fall on those present. From his body, golden strands of light shot out to strike at the different gods that were present. They could feel their divine energy slowly increasing as they basked in the warm glow.

Much like Tsubaki, this man had become a God of Light. However, where she dealt with light in a more physical sense, the heroc deity explored the mystical connotations that came with his domain.

At this point, three of the gods present had acted, causing the others to snap out of their hesitation and establish their own preparations. Some entered a meditative state to prepare powerful attacks, while others moved to enter battle formations. A few individuals moved as far back as the spatial field would allow, as if to distance themselves from the direct shockwaves of the battle.

Only one god looked around, as if unsure of what he should be doing. This particular deity was a felyn who carried an unusual assortment of weapons on his person. On his back was a large book, one of its covers decorated like a shield, a sword sheathed beneath it. On his left hip was a dagger and a whip, while on his right hip was a pistol. Anyone that looked at him would have a hard time guessing exactly what power he possessed, because he looked rather… comical with his assortment of weapons.

Still, his domain had been revealed as part of their planning, so nobody took him for granted. In fact, he believed that he was rather clever with his domain. If domains were the power of words, then what would happen if someone possessed the domain of Words? Thus, this felyn had become the God of Words, and had even been granted the title of Wordsmith by those who knew him.

He naturally hadn’t expected some of the restrictions that came about when he gained this domain, but that did not stop him from believing in his own power. In fact, he was not looking around out of hesitation, but rather seeing where he could be most helpful. Once he had determined his answer, he retrieved the giant book from his back, holding it with its cover locked shut as if he would hold a shield.

By the time that the preparations had been completed, the assembled deities could feel an almost suffocating pressure coming towards them from the distance. More than just the raw power of divinity, they felt something far more surreal, as if they could feel the weight of all the death that this entity had caused. His power, trained and strengthened with countless slaughters, had grown to such a worrying extent.

His path was originally going to take him around the seemingly insignificant group of gods, but he found that the space before him twisted. No matter in which direction he flew, these figures would always be blocking his way.

I see… His cold, mechanical voice was sent across this region of space, more understood by his intention than the words themselves. If it is like this, then perhaps his loss was justified.

The heroc deity smiled as he looked at the golden god standing within the void before him. If you would not mind, I would kindly ask you to return from whence you came. He spoke in a polite tone, the light of his divinity continuing to flow from his body. He was using his own power to bolster the powers of the others, so it was only natural that he would be the first to be drained if this turned into a proper fight.

No. The mechanical entity stated coldly. I don’t think I will. Wasted scraps such as yourself do not have the right to make requests of a true god. There was a righteousness in his tone, one that came off as almost maddening.

One of the distant dwarven gods narrowed his eyes, muttering to himself as his voice was transmitted across the established network. Analyze all creation… The barrier is just like we heard, and it connects to a storage space maintained by his divinity. But… there’s more. He’s not just storing things to send them back… oh no… how many…

Out with in, Shelot. What’s gotten you concerned now? A halfling deity said from next to him, casting the dwarf a sidelong glance.

He has internal catalogues. Metaphysical warehouses filled with the strengths that he has gained. Trillions of dead… each of them enhancing his physical abilities, as well as his base energies. Whenever he kills someone… he stores their power for himself.

The halfling’s gaze flickered when he heard that, glancing towards the golem. In fact, their conversation was transmitted to all of the deities from their side, who now sent looks of shock and horror to the enemy. Some directly sought to flee the scene, but were restricted by the spatial field.

See? A mere glimpse of true power, and you scraps have broken this so-called teamwork of yours. It was hard to tell with the rigidity of the golem’s face, but it seemed to be sneering at them. In the face of the true god, your paltry abilities are naught but dust. No matter… I shall allow you to serve as nutrition to feed my power.

The halfling god couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at the golem’s speech. It was painfully clear that he was not saying this to be dramatic. In fact, he believed himself to be the only true god in existence. If that were the case, what did he think of the Greater Pantheon, or even the Keeper himself? The halfling couldn’t help but shudder as he thought about what would happen if the Keeper’s Servant heard his words.

If he’s that strong… I guess we had better balance things out a bit. He smiled, his eyes gleaming as he focused on the golem. May our powers find balance. The golem glanced coldly towards Theon, even as he felt the majority of his divine energy sealed beneath a strange layer of power. Even with this, it felt as if the golem did not take them seriously.