Multiverse: Becoming a Giant of Light, Godslayer from the Start

There are three great illusions in life:

The foundation is rising,

She likes me,

And—I can counterattack.

Right now, Doni was clearly trapped in the third illusion.

After activating [Steel Protection] and elevating his physical attributes to a level that could match Su Mo, he thought it was time to turn the tables. And yet… he was still being thoroughly dominated.

Earlier, he had assumed that his losing streak was largely due to a gap in physical strength. But now that the gap had been bridged, he realized the truth was far more painful—he was simply not good enough. Even after using divine authority to close the power difference, every time Su Mo casually swung his sword, Doni had to muster both arms just to block.

"What terrifying swordsmanship…"

Only now did Doni understand that the pressure he felt wasn't some illusion born of physical inferiority—it was very real. It was because every strike from Su Mo's blade carried the might to cleave mountains and seas.

His instincts as a swordsman told him: this opponent must have trained by slashing at mountains and seas themselves—cutting through countless ranges and vast oceans—until his swordsmanship reached this overwhelming level.

A style honed through cleaving natural titans—it was no wonder Su Mo's sword bore such unmatched presence. As Doni found himself retreating step after step, Su Mo had already gained a solid understanding of his opponent. His swordsmanship was decent, comparable to top-tier Heroic Spirits. But that level alone wasn't enough.

Now that Su Mo had gauged Doni's limits, he had no reason to prolong the fight. It was time to end it with swordsmanship alone. Just then, a certain technique flickered through his mind—a secret sword he hadn't yet tested in live combat.

"Come to think of it… I've never used that move against a real enemy before," he murmured, a spark of curiosity lighting up his face. Perhaps now was the time to try it. Under Doni's wary gaze, Su Mo adjusted his stance—his body dropping into a flat, grounded position, ready for a thrust.

This was a preparatory stance for a piercing strike. "Is that… some kind of ultimate technique?" Doni tensed. Though he didn't know exactly what Su Mo was about to use, he was no stranger to the martial arts of the East. He immediately sensed it—this was no ordinary sword move. It was akin to Luo Hao's The Twelve Divine Palm Strikes of the Phoenix, a secret technique.

He braced himself. With [Man of Steel] active, he wasn't worried about getting hurt. Ordinary weapons couldn't pierce his body. But this strike was clearly intended to decide the duel. Even knowing he was outmatched, he wasn't going to yield.

"One Step—Swifter than Sound!"

"Two Steps—Infinite Suffering!"

"Three Steps—The Absolute Sword!"

Using the ground-shrinking technique he had learned from Okita Souji, Su Mo crossed the distance in an instant, arriving in front of Doni before the latter could react.

Then, he launched one of Okita's signature finishing moves—

"Lightless Three Stage Thrust!"

The golden sword shot forward, piercing toward Doni's waist—right near the kidney. The first thrust landed squarely. At the same time, the second and third strikes followed in perfect unison, forming a barrage of stabs in a single heartbeat.

"This technique is supposed to bypass external defenses and strike the interior directly. Let's see… can it break through Man of Steel?"

With that thought, Su Mo felt the blade connect. The first thrust was predictably blocked by the external layer of [Man of Steel].

But the second and third? The divine protection, though powerful, only existed as a singular barrier at any one moment. That meant the remaining two strikes bypassed the outer layer and struck the body directly.

Clang!

A sound like metal being struck echoed. Su Mo drew back with a flick of his wrist, clicking his tongue in disappointment.

"As expected… not that easy to pierce through Man of Steel."

Before him, Doni stood intact—his clothes were torn, but his body was completely unharmed.

Although the Lightless Three Stage Thrust! was designed to bypass defenses, it functioned by exploiting temporal gaps to attack internal weak points. Against armored enemies, it was devastating—bypassing external protection to strike organs directly.

But [Man of Steel] didn't work like that. It transformed the entire body—both inside and out—into invulnerable steel. Which meant even Doni's internal organs were reinforced. Although Su Mo's blade had pierced past the outer surface, it still couldn't penetrate the reinforced core. A complete failure.

It had to be said—[Man of Steel] offered flawless defense with no blind spots. Realizing this, Su Mo felt an even stronger desire to obtain that authority himself. He was just about to switch to another technique when—

"I surrender!" Doni raised a hand, bowing in the traditional Gallic style of surrender.

"…What?" Su Mo blinked, caught off guard. He was actually hoping to test whether a sword technique capable of cleaving mountains—like those from the Pirate World—could break through Doni's steel.

"That last strike… if I didn't have Man of Steel, I'd be seriously injured, wouldn't I?" Doni gave a sheepish smile.

"There's a gap in physique, sure. That I can handle with divine powers."

"But if I keep relying on defensive abilities in a sword duel, that's just plain unfair."

In the world of Campione, most swordsmen cultivated both spellcraft and swordsmanship. Only when both were refined could one be considered truly exceptional. Doni was a rare, lopsided genius—utterly hopeless in spellcraft, but peerless in swordplay. Before becoming a god-slayer, he had been looked down upon for that reason. But he had always believed that swordsmanship alone was the ultimate pursuit. He didn't mind using authority to enhance his body during a duel. But using it to turtle behind defense? That wasn't his style.

So, Doni acknowledged his defeat—openly and without shame. "In terms of swordsmanship, you far surpass me. That, I admit!" It was a declaration that would stir the entire magical world. Then, rubbing the spot where Su Mo had pierced him, Doni looked at him in awe.

"But seriously, wasn't that move a little too insane?"

"You're telling me that was just swordsmanship? Without any divine authority?" His entire worldview was shifting. Despite being a prodigy in swordsmanship—and despite Luo Hao's title as the Martial King—true combat always involved layering divine powers over martial arts. But Su Mo's strike had relied solely on skill. No authorities, no spells—just technique. And it had still been enough to threaten a god-slayer. That was unheard of.

"Of course it's possible," Su Mo replied without hesitation. "If swordsmanship is taken to its true extreme—even gods can be slain by the blade alone." He wasn't there yet. But somewhere, in the endless multiverse of his selves, he was certain that version of Su Mo existed.

Hearing that, Doni's expression lit up with admiration. But soon after, his face grew serious as he looked Su Mo dead in the eye. "Even though I lost in swordsmanship… I still have my magic sword."

"You better watch out."

The sword duel was just a warm-up. Among god-slayers, real battles were fought with authorities.

"I swear this—there shall exist nothing in this world that I cannot cut!" Doni began chanting the spell to awaken his divine authority. His right arm became enveloped in a mysterious silver substance. Before long, it had fully transformed into a silver arm.

"This sword is the invincible blade that can cut through everything on this earth!"

His authority—[Ripping Silver Arm]—activated. The silver substance spread from his arm to the mass-produced longsword in his hand, transforming it from an ordinary blade into a demonic sword capable of cleaving anything.

The moment that silver blade appeared, Su Mo could sense genuine danger. Even with the resilience of his current body, he knew he couldn't afford to take a direct hit from it. Granted, after obtaining the Third Magic, he wouldn't die even if his heart was pierced—but that didn't mean he wanted to be diced into pieces. So, without hesitation, Su Mo began his incantation.

"Salvatore Doni. The silver-armed Nuada whom you defeated was the king of the Tuatha Dé Danann—the gods once worshipped by the ancient Celts." As he spoke, the golden sword in his hand began to shimmer with radiant light. Enchanted through words woven with wisdom, his blade—though once ordinary—was now being transformed into a divine weapon.

"Nuada, the king of the Tuatha Dé Danann, was also a war god who wielded the Sword of Victory. When he led his warriors to invade Ireland, he was wounded in battle against the local gods and lost his right arm." Doni looked puzzled as Su Mo continued to recite his chant.

"What is this…?" he muttered. He realized Su Mo was invoking a divine authority, but since it was the first time Su Mo had used this golden sword, Doni had no idea what kind of authority it actually was. After a brief pause, he made a decision that perfectly reflected his nature.

"Doesn't matter! I'll just cut it down!"

With that, the demonic silver sword capable of cleaving the earth and sky was swung at Su Mo. And in response, Su Mo simply raised his golden blade. Though it had once clashed evenly with a mass-produced longsword, after receiving the power of myth through Su Mo's incantation, it now emitted a divine aura comparable to that of a Divine relic—meeting Doni's enchanted blade head-on.

Su Mo continued his narration unfazed.

"Because of his injury, Nuada was forced to abdicate his throne. To restore the status of the one-armed former king, the god of healing forged a silver arm for him. But he did not reclaim his throne until his original arm was regenerated. For a king must be a warrior..."

Feeling the tide turning against him, Doni desperately swung his sword again and again, trying to interrupt the chant. But due to the gap in swordsmanship, his attacks were intercepted with ease. No matter how fiercely he struck, Su Mo's golden sword parried every blow. Before long, the chant was complete—and so was the sword.

Seeing that he had failed to stop it, Doni still did not retreat. Instead, his gaze sharpened like that of a wild beast cornered. "So, this is a Word-Sword, huh?" he said with a grin. Then, with a bold, reckless light in his eyes, Doni bet everything on a final strike.

"In that case, let my silver sword cleave your golden blade in half!" He invoked a new spell. "I swear this: I shall cut down your blade as well!" It was a grand declaration made in the face of his natural enemy—one capable of sealing away divinity.

With [Ripping Silver Arm], Doni truly had the power to sever concepts themselves—perhaps even the Word-Sword Su Mo had just forged. A demonic sword that could slice through anything, with strength enough to rip apart even divine myth.

But—

"Too bad your swordsmanship still sucks!" Su Mo's remark was sharp and merciless. Then, with a blur of motion, he launched Lightless Three Stage Thrust again. This time, fully sidestepping Doni's wide, desperate slash, Su Mo drove the golden blade into his side—piercing the same vulnerable point near his kidney.

The divine authority of Nuada—the Silver-Arm God-King—was sealed instantly. Doni's silver arm reverted to flesh. The longsword, no longer cloaked in shimmering silver, became just another mass-produced blade once more. Thus, the signature authority of the King of Swords—[Ripping Silver Arm]—was sealed.