Chapter 152 – Is There a Way to Defeat a God?

"BOOM!!!"

In that moment, a deafening explosion shook the entire alternate dimension. The shockwave ripped through the thick fog pervading the space, instantly dispersing it entirely.

"Crack... crack... crack..."

The sound of fracturing echoed from every corner of this space—some from the ground, some from the forest, some from the lake, and some from the buildings. Even the space itself emitted ominous creaking noises, as if it were about to shatter, sending chills down anyone's spine.

The mountaintop that had been the epicenter of the explosion was completely obliterated. The once-picturesque forested hills were also swept up in the devastation, as if struck by a level-twelve typhoon. Even the waterfall momentarily flowed in reverse, and the surrounding cliffs collapsed along with it.

Kaiser, who had just landed a strike on Parinayakaratana, was blown away by the immense force and the surging shockwave. He slammed into the ground at the foot of the mountain with a thunderous crash.

And it wasn't just Kaiser—Cao Cao was also caught in the shockwave, flung through the air. He was forced to summon numerous humanoid figures from his Sacred Gear to act as his shields, barely managing to avoid being shredded by the terrifying power.

Only after a long while did the shockwave that swept through the entire alternate dimension finally subside, allowing the fog to slowly return.

The humanoid figures before Cao Cao had been reduced to only a few, and sweat dripped from his brow—he truly looked like someone who had narrowly escaped death.

"He actually still had that kind of power?"

Thinking back to Kaiser's earlier strike, Cao Cao couldn't help but tighten his grip on his spear.

He could still feel it—Kaiser had poured an immense amount of aura into that attack, condensing a terrifying level of Holy Power at the tip of his spear.

That Holy Power was far beyond anything he could muster.

The fuel for Sacred Gears is aura and stamina. Cao Cao was well aware of his own limits and didn't believe that his aura or stamina surpassed Kaiser's.

So while Kaiser could amplify the power of his Sacred Gear by outputting massive amounts of aura or stamina, Cao Cao couldn't do the same.

No, it's not that he couldn't—but doing so would leave him completely exhausted and unable to continue fighting. It would be a total loss.

But Kaiser could do it. He had the aura and stamina to make it work, enough so that even the strongest strike from Parinayakaratana could be taken head-on—and blocked directly.

"You really are strong in every way—almost like you're not even human."

Cao Cao hovered above a patch of shattered ground, gazing down at the rising dust, a mix of emotions in his voice.

"…Same goes for you, doesn't it?"

As the dust settled, a small mound of earth rose from the broken terrain. Kaiser stood up from within and looked up at Cao Cao floating in mid-air. His hand gripping the spear was trembling slightly.

Clearly, even though he managed to take Cao Cao's Parinayakaratana head-on, Kaiser had paid a price for it.

If not for his formidable physical strength and the reinforcement from Touki, his hand might have been crippled by the blow.

Of course, the fact that he only paid this small price to block Cao Cao's strongest attack was already a gross violation of the norm.

The proof was in Cao Cao's expression, which remained grim. Only his eyes, locked onto Kaiser, still burned with fighting spirit.

"I really want to recruit someone like you under my command. That would definitely help me realize my goal faster, right?" Cao Cao pointed his spear at Kaiser and continued, "But more than that, I want to defeat you—and the spear in your hand—to prove that I and my spear alone are worthy of carrying the future of humanity."

Faced with such a declaration, Kaiser remained calm.

"Is that so?" Kaiser replied flatly. "It's true—you and your spear are strong. That Balance Breaker of yours is also powerful. A Balance Breaker that combines seven abilities is probably one of a kind. Your compatibility with it is incredibly high. No wonder you brag so much."

As a highly technical fighter, Cao Cao indeed needed complex and diverse strategies and tactics to fully unleash his skills and intelligence, maximizing his strengths and combat prowess.

Cao Cao knew this himself, which is why he developed that Balance Breaker. No wonder he later managed to defeat the Governor of the Fallen Angels and the duo of the Two Heavenly Dragons all on his own, earning a legendary record.

Kaiser had also been completely suppressed the moment Cao Cao activated his Balance Breaker, unable to mount even the slightest counterattack.

But...

"Is your spear really capable of defeating a god?"

That simple question from Kaiser made Cao Cao's expression freeze.

Kaiser acted as if he hadn't noticed and continued bluntly.

"The Seven Treasures' abilities are indeed valuable, but to a god, no matter how varied and complex the techniques, without sufficient power to back them up, they're nothing but flashy tricks."

"Even if you prepare countless tactics and strategies, without absolute power, you still won't be able to defeat a god."

"Your Balance Breaker might suit you well, but it's not suited for realizing your ambition."

Just like Cao Cao, Kaiser raised his spear and pointed it at his opponent.

"If you want to defeat a god, you need at least this level of power."

As his words fell, Kaiser finally uttered the phrase.

"Balance Breaker..."

A holy wave surged forth from the True Longinus.

Brilliant light of dusk burst from the Holy Spear, sending out invisible ripples that spread across the entire alternate dimension.

An ancient, supreme, sacred, and solemn aura descended.

An incomprehensible tremor erupted.

The shaft of the Holy Spear in Kaiser's hand shifted from blue to a blood-like crimson, and the spear tip looked as if it had been soaked in blood. The originally pure Holy Power transformed into something dreadful—power that instilled deep, primal fear.

"————"

A great and noble, compassionate yet majestic will manifested in that instant.

"What is this…?!"

Cao Cao's expression changed instantly. The moment he sensed that mighty will, he felt an overwhelming urge to kneel and repent. He even wanted to throw away the spear in his hands.

His previously blazing fighting spirit nearly vanished. His will to battle could no longer ignite, as if a lifelong sinner had suddenly been made aware of his wickedness upon meeting the great Creator. His heart was consumed with torment and anguish.

"A mental attack? Brainwashing?"

"No! This isn't something so shallow!"

"This is a judgment of the soul! A trial of the spirit!"

Cao Cao, worthy of his name, understood it instantly.

"The will of a god… Has the legendary Holy Spear's will manifested?!"

Cao Cao's face twisted as he shouted at Kaiser.

"This is your Balance Breaker's power, isn't it, Kaiser?!"

As if trying to drive away his rising remorse and agony, Cao Cao hurled a black sphere at Kaiser like a cannonball.

There was no doubt—it was Parinayakaratana, Cao Cao's strongest offensive technique.

To reignite his fighting spirit and not yield to the will of a god, Cao Cao poured everything he had into this attack, unleashing the full might of Parinayakaratana.

However, facing the rapidly approaching black sphere, Kaiser once again made no attempt to dodge—nor could he. He simply thrust his crimson spear straight toward it.

"BOOM!!!"

The instant the spear tip met the sphere, a cataclysmic explosion rocked the air once more.

The shockwave surged outward in all directions like a blast, shattering and collapsing the ground beneath Kaiser's feet, reducing it to rubble.

But this time, Kaiser was not blown away.

"Buzz..."

The crimson spear, infused with that altered Holy Power, acted like the sharpest blade in the world. It slowly pierced into the black sphere.

"Psh!"

In no time, the crimson spearhead pierced through Parinayakaratana, destroying the entire black sphere.

"What…?!"

Cao Cao cried out in disbelief.

"Don't be so surprised," Kaiser's voice rang out. "If I couldn't even pierce this, how could I hope to pierce a god?"

"If I couldn't even destroy this, how could I ever dream of killing a god?"

"You thought the will judging you was my Balance Breaker?"

"You're wrong. This spear itself is my Balance Breaker."

As he spoke, Kaiser spread open the crimson spearhead, gathering a wave of the same crimson energy upon it.

"Maniratana!"

A fatal sense of danger surged in Cao Cao's heart. Without thinking, he threw out the Maniratana, forming a vortex to divert Kaiser's next attack.

But...

"Buzz!"

With the trembling of the atmosphere, a crimson flash no wider than a finger suddenly burst forth, piercing through the yet-unformed vortex and striking Cao Cao.

"Splurt!"

The crimson flash pierced through Cao Cao's shoulder and exited from his back.

"Gah…!"

Blood spilled from Cao Cao's mouth as he staggered and fell from the sky.

"What… what is this power…?!"

Lying on the ground, Cao Cao felt as if his insides were burning, like his entire being was about to be consumed by flames. He couldn't help but cry out in pain.

"This is the Power of God-Slaying."

Kaiser's voice rang out, accompanied by the sound of his approaching footsteps.

"After activating Balance Breaker, the Holy Power of my Holy Spear undergoes a qualitative change, turning into the Power of God-Slaying—capable of killing even gods."

"If Holy Power is poison to all demonic beings, including Devils, then the Power of God-Slaying is poison to all divine beings, including gods."

"To fight Devils, you use Holy Weapons. To fight Dragons, you use weapons with Dragon Slayer abilities. But to fight gods, what you need is the Power of God-Slaying."

"A power capable of truly defeating and killing even gods—against a mere human like you, it is undeniably lethal."

Kaiser's words caused Cao Cao's heart to tremble slightly.

So that's what it meant...

"You… you've already obtained the power to slay gods?"

Cao Cao stared into Kaiser's eyes, his gaze beginning to lose focus.

The crimson Holy Spear in Kaiser's hands, in that moment, seized all of Cao Cao's attention.

It shocked him. It made him yearn for it...