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

The news of Su Mo defeating the King of Swords would, without a doubt, spread across the magical world within the day. No—before that, it would be the phenomenon of Ten Suns in the Sky that would shock the world. That kind of divine spectacle could probably be seen across all of Southern Europe. But Su Mo didn't care about rumors or reputation. He was more concerned with something far more tangible: Authorities.

During the battle earlier, Doni had used [Man of Steel] to withstand a direct strike from the white horse avatar. He'd barely survived, but that only proved how powerful that defensive Authority was. For Su Mo—who currently had high offensive capabilities but poor defenses—that Authority would be extremely useful.

So once Doni had finally cooled down from the solar incineration, Su Mo didn't waste any time. Using the knowledge stored in his mind, he began constructing the magic circle required for a Divine Summoning Ritual.

The design was somewhat similar to a summoning circle used for Heroic Spirits, but far more intricate. In addition to the hexagram, there were symbols of the sun and moon, surrounded by ornate patterns that seemed to represent the world itself.

Because this magic wasn't tied to the unique systems of the Type-Moon universe and was instead rooted in mythology, it should function perfectly well within the Campione! world. Still, it had never been tested here before—so Su Mo was eager to see what would happen. Once the magic circle was complete, he had Doni stand at its center.

Thanks to the binding contract between them, the King of Swords was surprisingly obedient. He stood on the beach, right in the middle of the formation. He looked around—clearly not understanding most of it—but whether it was his dull-headed intuition or a godslayer's battle sense, he quickly guessed what it was for.

"Oi, my dear friend, don't tell me… you're trying to summon a Heretic God?" Doni's eyes sparkled with excitement.

With the exception of Lady Aisha, any godslayer hearing news of a Heretic God would naturally get fired up. As tyrants who stood above the world, only gods—or other godslayers—could stir their interest. And among the two, slaying a god was far more appealing.

"You guessed right," Su Mo admitted without hiding it. The ritual was about to begin anyway—there was no point in pretending.

"But even if the summoning succeeds, don't get any ideas. Remember our contract?" Su Mo had made sure to cover that loophole in advance. He gave Doni a pointed reminder.

"Hehe, I know, I know!" Doni nodded with a grin, though his eyes darted mischievously, clearly plotting something. Su Mo saw through it instantly, but didn't care.

"Fill, fill, fill, fill, fill, fill, fill. Let it be filled sevenfold, and from there, let it turn…" He began chanting a modified version of the incantation used to summon Heroic Spirits. Soon, the magic circle lit up. The light of the hexagram rose into the air, enveloping Doni at its center. The ritual proceeded smoothly, reaching the point of divine connection. Since Doni was being used as the catalyst, the summoned deity would most likely be one connected to the gods he had previously slain.

Of all Doni's Authorities, Su Mo wanted [Man of Steel] the most. The second was [Ripping Silver Arm]. One for defense, one for offense. These two Authorities made up nearly all of Doni's combat strength. That's why Su Mo's golden sword—crafted in the image of Verethragna's divine wisdom—was so effective against him. Sealing even one of those powers drastically weakened Doni.

And Su Mo knew: the golden sword wasn't limited to sealing just one Authority. In the original story, Verethragna had even forged two swords of wisdom simultaneously. Su Mo hadn't tested that yet himself, but he didn't think it was impossible. Since he didn't lack offensive options, [Man of Steel] was his priority target.

Unfortunately, divine summoning depended entirely on the catalyst, not on the caster. It didn't matter who activated the magic circle—only who stood in its center. About ten seconds later, the circle flared with radiant light. Su Mo felt the air currents shift. A faint, sweet fragrance wafted in on the wind.

"Did it work? As expected of you, my friend!" Doni's surprised voice rang out from the middle of the circle. He seemed even happier than if he'd summoned a god himself.

...Which, of course, was suspicious.

But Su Mo didn't bother worrying about Doni's idiocy. Instead, his attention was drawn to a figure about a hundred meters away—someone who had just appeared, staring around in confusion.

The figure wore a loose robe made of linen, with furs draped over his shoulders. His features were strikingly handsome, and he radiated an aura of untamed divinity. The ancient Greek garb made his identity unmistakable.

A Heretic God.

"…He looks way too laid-back. Doesn't seem like the strong type at all." Su Mo muttered to himself. Compared to Siegfried or Nuada, this guy didn't give off any pressure. It seemed his hopes had been dashed. No [Man of Steel] for him. Still, he wasn't particularly upset. It was just like pulling a gacha and not getting a five-star. If it's a free roll, you can't complain.

What truly mattered wasn't the quality of the summoned god—it was the fact that the ritual had actually worked. The fact that this magic circle could summon a Heretic God at all—that alone was a major success. Feeling satisfied, Su Mo addressed the newcomer.

"Do you remember your name?"

"My name?" the god asked, still dazed as he looked at Su Mo and Doni.

He hadn't yet made sense of what was happening. But the moment he saw Doni, everything came rushing back.

"You—! You're the one who cut me down last time!" As soon as their eyes met, the god's expression twisted in fury. He remembered everything now.

"I am Dionysus, god of wine and son of Zeus!"

The last time he descended to the mortal realm, he had been revelling among mortals, recreating a mythic celebration. That's when Doni had ambushed him and cut him down without a word. Still holding that grudge, he had come into the world in his Heretic form in response to the summoning triggered by his former killer. Now, remembering everything, he turned to strike.

"Hey, uh… buddy, this Heretic God seems to have come for me…" Doni said with a grin, eyes gleaming.

"You're not the type to steal someone else's opponent, right?"

"How about it, my dear friend—how about letting me have this one?" Though he looked like a straightforward swordsman, Doni was surprisingly glib when it came to talking his way through things. In response to his request, Su Mo gave him a warm smile—accompanied by a cold refusal.

"No."

He added with a pleasant expression, "As the saying goes, a forced melon isn't sweet. You're familiar with that proverb, right?"

Doni didn't give up. "Sure, it might not be sweet—but as long as it quenches your thirst, it's good enough!"

Su Mo chuckled. "While I do dislike taking someone else's opponent... now that I think about it, defeating this Heretic God right in front of you—watching him resist, then give up, and finally accept it helplessly while you stand there watching—might actually be a pretty enjoyable experience." That... was straight-up villainous.

The ultimate cuckold moment. The old-school horned brother would be proud. "…That sounded kind of wrong," Doni said with a confused look. "But I guess there's no convincing you—"

As he spoke, a cunning smile crept onto his face.

"In that case... I'll just take him by force!"

During the time they were talking, he had quietly recovered a portion of his magic power. The discussion over who had the right to the Heretic God was just a stalling tactic. He hadn't been completely drained earlier. With what he had regained, his current reserves were at about 20% of his normal levels. Not enough to fight Su Mo, obviously. But more than enough to take out Dionysus, the god of wine. And the thought of snatching away the Heretic God right in front of Su Mo made Doni smirk like a bandit.

"I hereby swear, I will not allow—"

As his hand reached for the sword at his waist, he began to chant the start of a word of power, planning to launch a surprise attack and kill the god in one strike. But before he could finish, he froze. Golden flames—sunfire—ignited all over his body. He remembered that fire very clearly. Just a short while ago, he had nearly been burned to death by it. In panic, he turned to Su Mo. But Su Mo was just watching him calmly, as if nothing was happening.

"You were saying?" Su Mo asked with a polite smile. "What was it that you wouldn't allow?"

"I-I meant to say—I would never do something as dishonorable as stealing my friend's prey!"

Sweating profusely, Doni changed his tune instantly. "That would go against the knight's code!"

He hurled his sword far away and laughed nervously. "My dear friend! You have to believe me, I was just joking earlier!"

"…Right." Su Mo was speechless. Since when did Doni ever follow any sort of knightly code?

Don't be fooled just because someone calls themselves a warrior—those are often the first ones to scream "times have changed!" and pull out a gun.Even someone like Doni, who seemed like a battle-happy fool, had his fair share of tricks. Thankfully, Su Mo had seen this coming and made sure to prepare in advance.