I Was Reincarnated with OP Invincibility, so I’ll Beat ’em Up My Way as an Action-Adventurer

177. For the Sake of Humanity’s New Path

The Celestial Realm—.

At the center of a vast space rivaling the scale of a nebula, lights flicker.

Seven in total.

Seven luminous pillars, evenly spaced, pulse rhythmically.

The gods are in council.

“A Holy Angel has descended to the mortal realm.”

The voice of the Supreme God, Garesha, echoed from one of the pillars.

“This is the work of that woman to whom I granted the [Transfer] skill.”

Another pillar—Ga Zegalia Fio, the Winged Goddess, groaned in displeasure.

“A mere human, yet daring to defy the gods… The audacity.”

“I hear the forces of darkness now swarm the mortal world in great numbers?”

Ada El, the god of earth and wind, inquired.

“What of the Holy Angels? If they were to encounter the dark ones, they would—”

“Naturally, they were annihilated upon meeting. Both angels and demons.”

Garesha let out a quiet sigh.

To them, the Holy Angels were loyal servants—the vanguard of the Celestial Realm.

And now, they had lost every last one.

“What is that woman’s goal?”

“She seems to be scheming something…”

“Is the conflict among the Skill Holders part of her plan? The one with the Strengthening skill ran rampant, only to be incapacitated by Defense and Transfer.”

The gods murmured among themselves.

“In our game, it seems the Winged Goddess holds a slight lead, no?”

“No. This is no longer a matter to be treated as a mere game.”

Garesha chastised Vim Force, the God of War, who had been laughing in amusement.

“Even if that one notices—even if we are judged—we can no longer stand idle.”

The seven gods had resurrected seven randomly chosen deceased humans and bestowed upon them fragments of their power.

They had refrained from further interference, merely observing how these chosen ones would wield their gifts.

What would they do?

Would they use their power for selfish desires?

Or would they dedicate themselves to others—to the world?

And—ultimately, who would contribute most to the world?

It was a trivial game, a wager among the gods.

(Or so it appeared on the surface.)

Ilfaria, the Goddess of Protection, murmured inwardly.

The true purpose lay elsewhere.

If they did not disguise it as a game, that one would not remain silent.

At worst, even the gods themselves could be erased.

They had to maintain the façade of a game while preparing a force capable of opposing that being.

No matter the cost.

But never had they imagined that a mere pawn—one of the Skill Holders—would dare defy the gods.

This went beyond miscalculation—it was beyond imagination.

“However, we cannot directly intervene in mortal affairs.”

The Goddess of Fate, Luv, spoke in a measured tone.

“Such is the decree of that being. An unbreakable constraint. To defy it would mean our own annihilation.”

Then, the flickering of the luminous pillars intensified.

A dazzling light enveloped the bodies of the gods within.

“What is—!?”

Cries of shock arose.

Simultaneously, one of the pillars vanished.

“Not just the Holy Angels—even we—”

Another pillar disappeared.

Then another, and another.

One by one, the luminous pillars winked out.

(…The Transfer skill, is it?)

The gods were being summoned to the mortal realm.

For humans to summon not just angels, but gods—.

“Insolent mortals… daring to spit upon the heavens…”

Garesha groaned—but soon, a faint smile seemed to cross his lips.

“But so be it… All of this is but the final trigger—”

With those words, the pillar housing the Supreme God also vanished.

By the time Ilfaria realized it, all the other gods had disappeared.

“Even you, the Supreme God, could not foresee this turn of events… could you, Garesha?”

Ilfaria whispered quietly.

“—No, surely you had anticipated everything before making your decision.”

Her final murmur made it clear.

She let out a slow breath.

“The era of gods watching over humanity… is coming to an end.”

Ilfaria had held humanity in higher regard than any of the other six gods.

She had watched closely over the boy to whom she had granted power—Haruto Riva.

Humans were beings who grew and changed.

Unlike the eternal, unchanging gods and demons.

That change, that growth, might awaken divine skills—or even threaten the gods themselves.

Ilfaria had sensed it.

That one day, they might—destroy even the gods.

“And that, precisely—”

A natural smile rose to her lips.

“—is for the sake of humanity’s new path…”

With those words, Ilfaria, like the other six gods—vanished from the Celestial Realm.

※

The Demon Realm—.

Deep within the Demon King’s castle, the Demon King and a young demon general were in discussion.

“The presence of the gods has shifted toward the mortal realm.”

The Demon King growled.

“Some scheme…? No, this is different. This is the work of humans wielding divine power.”

“Humans…?”

Io, one of the Six Demon Generals and the Demon King’s own daughter, murmured.

Her round eyes widened slightly—a sign of genuine shock.

(Indeed, for humans to possess such power should be impossible.)

The Demon King mused silently.

But if they were humans granted divine skills—if they honed those skills to their limits, reaching a realm of power near that of the gods—

Then it was not entirely impossible.

Even if the odds were as slim as a miracle…

“How shall we proceed?”

“We descend to the mortal realm.”

The Demon King answered Io’s question with gravity.

“Should we encounter them, we too will be annihilated. But this is also an opportunity.”

A smirk played on his lips.

“The large-scale transfer has destabilized spatial fluctuations—strengthening the connection between the human world, the Celestial Realm, and the Demon Realm. Now, we can send more of our kin to the surface than ever before.”

“All thanks to the woman with the power of transfer.”

“For humans to summon gods to the mortal realm… They truly know no fear, kukuku. A miscalculation for the gods, but a boon for us.”

The Demon King chuckled darkly.

The boldness of the act had startled him, yet it was not entirely unexpected.

“The repeated use of Syrega by that woman in such a short time had already destabilized the space between the Celestial Realm, the Demon Realm, and the human world. Now, with the summoning of angels and gods, the three realms are beginning to merge…”

Half explaining to Io, half reaffirming to himself, the Demon King spoke.

His blood stirred.

How long had it been since he last felt such excitement?

“Arrogant humans… Whatever your schemes may be, they serve our purposes well.”

“Then, at last, the time has come for us demons to reign over all—”

Io’s face flushed with fervor.

For the demons, this was their long-cherished ambition.

The opportunity they had awaited ever since their defeat in the Great War of Gods and Demons.

“For demons to become the sovereigns of all worlds—and to think this chance would come by human hands, of all things.”

Lost in emotion, the Demon King rose from his throne.

“Prepare the main force. We march upon the mortal realm.”