On top of Orario's city walls.
Going back to a couple of days ago, just before Judas and the others were about to depart for the Elsos Ruins.
'Defeating Antares with normal ans is going to be near impossible.'
Judas thought, watching the others board the wyverns.
'To be able to save Artemis… using the Arrow of Orion is not an option.'
He clenched his fist, his mind drifting back to a conversation from his past life as Estelon.
"Hey! Estelon, what do you think is the difference between 6th-tier magic and 7th-tier magic?"
Akasha spoke as she walked toward Estelon, who lay flat on the ground, clearly exhausted after training.
"7th-tier magic… also known as god-killer magic… is when mages start to realize their own form of divinity. Spells that can reach the gods…"
"It is also at this stage that they start developing the 'sothing' will that you told about."
Estelon said as he tried sitting back up.
"It is not the 'sothing' will, you blockhead."
Akasha said as she folded her arms.
"Calling it god-killer magic is exaggerated… I don't even know when that term beca so popular."
"While yes, 7th-tier spells can reach the gods, saying they can kill one is a long stretch… you would need to beco a ninth-tier Sage to even fight a low-class deity toe to toe."
Akasha explained as she raised her hand and summoned a normal orange fla in her palm.
"It is strength manifested through sheer willpower. Your inner self made real. A power that represents the core of who you are. That is Inner Will"
"When a 6th-tier mage fully realizes their own Inner Will, only then are they qualified to ascend to the 7th-tier… officially becoming an Archmage."
"My Inner Will… as you should know… is the destruction attribute."
"Perhaps it is because after I was betrayed by my clan, I wanted to destroy them with my own hands."
"That desire beca my power and was the reason why I sought strength."
Akasha continued explaining as black wisps started forming around the fla in her palm before the fire began changing color, turning from orange to dark purple.
Estelon could feel the nature of the flas changing.
Even from where he stood, he could sense a hint of danger coming from it.
"The God of 'lightning'… the Goddess of 'beauty'… the God of 'war'…"
"All these gods… are gods because they specialize in sothing. Simply put, their divinity… their divinity is what represents them and also their strength."
"Inner Will is like the prototype of that."
"This is why the gap in strength between the 6th and 7th tier is so much greater compared to the other tiers. This is the stage where you are basically dipping your toes into the realm of godhood."
"Although only a toe… gaining a re qualification to godhood, not actually reaching it."
"Basically, the space between mortal and demigod."
Akasha said as she closed her palm, extinguishing the fla in her hand and t Estelon's gaze.
"Then, if soone had already realized their Inner Will, can they perform a seventh-tier spell without reaching the seventh tier themselves?"
Estelon questioned.
"In a normal situation… you can't."
Akasha spoke curtly, eting Estelon's gaze.
"However… there are ways to bypass that rule. I will tell you two examples."
"To perform a seventh-tier spell without being an Archmage, you can do it with an artifact or a magic item infused with a seventh-tier spell."
"Like a magic scroll. Although a magic scroll capable of storing a seventh-tier spell is considered a national treasure… since only Rune Grandmasters can make one."
"Though… I think those things are trash… they disappear after a single use. Such things disgust ."
Akasha said, scrunching her nose in disdain.
"If you aren't talented enough to beco a Rune Grandmaster or fortunate enough to find one… there is another way…"
"It is a two-step process… involving an extrely long incantation, then finding a dium, like an item or weapon, and using it as a sacrifice to handle that much power for you without your body breaking apart."
"Of course… anyone capable of performing the second thod should already be qualified enough to beco an Archmage anyway… so it is kind of redundant."
"The only reason soone would even consider using that thod is if they found themselves in a desperate situation."
Akasha said with a shrug.
"Not to ntion that an item or weapon capable of handling the strain of serving as a dium for a seventh-tier spell is incredibly hard to co by."
"An example would be… an indestructible weapon enchanted with infinite durability…"
Akasha paused, eting Estelon's gaze once more.
"Another would be… a divine weapon of the gods."
…
Back to the present.
'The gods of Celestia were far more powerful than the gods of this world.'
Judas thought to himself as he looked up.
Dark clouds started forming overhead as thunder roared through the heavens.
A violent wind burst outward, causing the nearby trees to sway and bend.
In the forest, in the place where Judas stood face to face with Antares, an imnse surge of dense light gathered, swirling around him like a whirlpool.
He grabbed the Arrow of Orion from his back and held it tightly before transferring the magic circle from the back of his hand onto the arrow itself.
'My Inner Will…'
The magic circle flared brilliantly, coating the Arrow of Orion in radiant light.
'…is the soul.'
An overwhelming pressure suddenly enveloped the area.
…
"Huh?"
Inside the Elsos Ruins, Artemis, Hers, and Hestia felt the surge of power all the way from there, their brows shooting up in surprise.
"Arcanum that doesn't belong to Artemis? Is another god using their power here?"
Hestia muttered in confusion as she looked toward a certain direction.
"No… its nature is similar to arcanum… but it feels like a fragnted version…"
"Its power falls just short of reaching the realm of the gods… but it's close."
Hers said with a frown.
"Orion? Is that him?"
Artemis spoke quietly.
For so reason, her intuition was telling her that the source of this power was Judas.
Hearing this, both Hers and Hestia widened their eyes in disbelief.
"Wait… this incomplete arcanum… it's coming from Judas? How is that even possible? Are you sure, Artemis?"
Hestia questioned.
Artemis didn't answer right away and simply continued staring in the direction where she felt the unfamiliar power.
'Orion…'
…
Judas stood his ground, his body positioned as if drawing an invisible bow.
The glowing arrow floated beside him, vibrating with restrained power.
ROAR!
Antares let out a guttural roar from deep within its throat.
Judas remained unfazed, his gaze firmly fixed on the god-killing monster before him.
He took a deep breath and looked toward Artemis, who remained trapped inside the giant crystal embedded in Antares' chest.
『Pseudo 7th-Tier Magic…』
『Soul-Piercing Arrow』
A spell capable of targeting and piercing the soul itself.
Judas looked into Antares' soul and saw two different colors, two different shapes, nearly fused together.
He saw the twisted, jagged darkness of Antares clinging to the pure, radiant light of Artemis.
'Antares… it's parasitizing Artemis' soul…'
Judas thought as he carefully targeted the exact point where the two souls connected while making sure Artemis would remain unhard.
His spell could only damage what the user designated as a target.
In this circumstance, Judas had set the spell to damage only Antares and no one else.
"Die."
---
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