Crossover: The Problematic Human of Arcadia — Shaper of Anime Worlds Chapter 236: The Prison Of Gods

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"Scared half to death…"

Erica had just stepped out of the car, her knees nearly giving way.

That feeling—it was like realizing you'd been targeted by a nuclear warhead.

lqart's lightning strike might not have matched a nuke in destructive power, but in terms of raw intimidation, it was just as bad.

Liliana, who had also climbed out of the car, looked up at the sky, still shaken. "That's… the God King of the diterranean, lqart?"

High above, standing on storm clouds, lood a giant over two ters tall.

His hair was wild and matted, the lower half of his face buried in a thick beard. He wore only tattered scraps of leather and cloth, a cape riddled with holes hanging from his shoulders.

He looked more savage than civilized, yet that savagery carried with it an aura of ancient holiness, as if he embodied the worship of the primordial age.

Ryo, stepping down from the car, dusted off his sneakers, then glanced up with clear irritation. "Lurking on the roadside for a sneak attack? So 'God King'—looks more like a coward."

lqart's thunderous voice bood back. "So you're the one who stole my prey—who killed that damned war god!"

"Oh?" Ryo arched an eyebrow, gaze lingering on the scar across lqart's chest. "Funny. I'd say you should be thanking . If I hadn't killed Verethragna, you wouldn't be recovering this quickly. You certainly wouldn't have the guts to show your face in front of ."

"Arrogant brat!" lqart spat, eyes blazing. "You think killing a petty thief ans you can take on ? Too naïve!"

"O Wind, O Rain, O Thunder! By lqart's true na of Baal Hadad, I summon! O Storm, listen to the calls of the cloud rider, make haste and co!"

Twin rigid clubs materialized in his hands, crackling with divine power. These were no ordinary weapons—they were the magical clubs lqart had once used to bring down gods. Yagarrish the Chaser and Ayyamarri the Driver.

"You killed Athena and Verethragna, and you think that makes you strong? I'll show you what a true God King is!"

"Oh?" Ryo's lips curled in amusent. "So you can tell I've only killed two gods? Pandora's little trick must be working nicely."

That "trick" was the false trail Pandora had wept onto him, disguising the full extent of his power. Clearly, it had fooled lqart completely.

The so-called God King raised his Clubs and hurled lightning from the storm.

A jagged arc of violet light tore across the sky, spearing down at Ryo.

"Leo Pemptos."

A golden lion appeared, roaring as it t the lightning head-on.

"Grrraaaah!"

"Just a beast!" lqart bellowed, swinging his cudgels down onto the lion's head.

A deafening boom.

lqart smirked—then froze.

That blow, powerful enough to kill gods, had done nothing.

The lion raised a paw, claws gleaming like blades of sunlight, and brought it down with crushing force.

Crash!

lqart's body shot like a teor into the distant highway. A pillar of dust and smoke mushrood into the night, and all of Sardinia shook under the impact.

Erica nearly toppled over, barely managing to stabilize herself with magic. She stared wide-eyed at the rising mushroom cloud. "One strike… just one…"

Liliana's face had gone completely pale. In her vision, the lion wasn't a beast at all—it was the sun itself, blazing and rciless.

"Don't use spirit vision," Ryo warned calmly. Then he glanced at the disappointed beast above. "Too sloppy, Number Five."

The lion rumbled awkwardly before dissolving back into golden light, vanishing into Ryo's body. It was his 5th Familiar Pemptos, the Lion of Gold.

Liliana looked at him in alarm. "My king, power like that… won't the side effects be…"

Every Campione's authority ca with a price. The stronger the power, the harsher the backlash—that was magecraft common sense.

Seeing Ryo casually unleash sothing that crushed lqart in one strike, she couldn't help but worry.

"Side effects?" Ryo blinked, then smirked as if struck by inspiration. "Ah, right. Sothing like… having to drink so blood of beautiful maidens. The higher their magical talent, the better it works."

"Then take mine."

Liliana imdiately pulled off her shawl, tugging her collar aside to bare her neck.

"If Liliana isn't enough, my king, please use instead."

Erica boldly unfastened the top of her blouse.

"…The backlash doesn't kick in until two hours later. We'll have ti to handle it then. For now, let's finish dealing with lqart."

Ryo said it all with a perfectly straight face.

The two girls hesitated, then both flinched as the air grew heavy with a wave of killing intent. They turned toward it—the direction lqart had crashed.

A low drone rose, swelling until it beca a roar. A black cloud surged toward them.

Erica went white. "Locusts…"

Yes, the cloud was made of countless green-black locusts, a living tide.

Liliana recoiled, horrified. "lqart is a god of harvest and blight—locusts are his punishnt upon humanity and the earth."

"This many… over a hundred million at least…" Erica muttered. She turned toward Ryo, about to suggest retreat—then froze.

Golden light shimred at his fingertips, tiny sparks that swelled and swelled until they drowned her sight.

When her vision cleared, the locust swarm was gone. The storm itself had broken, leaving only starlight scattered across the night.

"What… what just happened…?" Erica whispered, utterly lost.

Ryo smiled. "Co on. Let's go pay lqart his last respects."

"Wha—" Erica stumbled after him, flustered. But Liliana had already followed, and she had no choice but to grit her teeth and catch up.

...

The highway lay in ruins. Deep in a massive crater, lqart lay gasping, his chest torn open with a claw-shaped wound.

"Well, well. The God King of the diterranean looks awfully pathetic."

Liliana blinked, realization dawning. "So the locusts were just a stalling tactic…"

"Haha! Hahaha!"

lqart threw back his head and laughed, his eyes bloodshot.

"Campione, you've won. Who would've thought I'd fall for sothing so foolish—brought low by a beast. Absurd!"

He coughed, then fixed Ryo with a glare. "But before I die, tell … that beast. Whose power did you steal it from?"

"The Fourth Primogenitor," Ryo replied with a smile. "Now, can you die in peace?"

"The… Fourth Primogenitor?" lqart muttered. "What god is that…?"

He never got his answer. Ryo flicked a finger, opening a crack of pure darkness that swallowed him whole.

lqart's final whispers were still of that na: the Fourth Primogenitor.

Liliana let out a long breath.

A god had fallen, yet the damage was little more than a ruined road and a brief quake. Practically nothing.

Her chest ward with relief. 'My king is rciful… thank goodness.'

Then her face flushed pink. 'My king… ugh, that sounds so corny.'

Erica broke her reverie with a playful bow. "Shall I arrange your audience with Salvatore next?"

Clearly, Erica had no intention of staying a naless hanger-on.

"As you wish."

Ryo shot her a long look, then turned back toward the car.

Erica's lips curved into a smile.

She then teased Liliana as they followed. "Looks like we'll be sisters from now on."

---

In the fractured Netherworld.

lqart groaned awake, clutching his chest. "What… where am I?"

A girl stood before him, tapping his head with a plunger as if to mock him.

"Pandora… Mother of Fools," he growled. "Tch. Even worse than death, eting you. Get it over with. Take my powers."

But Pandora only tilted her head, smiling sweetly with malicious delight. "Oh? It seems you haven't realized your situation, lqart."

"You're not dead. Not yet. You've just been… taken prisoner."

"What?" His brows knit.

Her smile widened. "Welco to the prison of gods, lqart."

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