The Complete Body Susanoo moved like a grey mountain across the sky, tearing through the firmament above Mary Geoise.
The Holy Knights, led by Saint Garling, looked up in unison.
Their pupils filled with the rapidly expanding silhouette of the grey-black demon god.
Not just them.
Across the Holy Land, the slaves captured or purchased by the Celestial Dragons, chained and bloodied, also looked up at the sky.
Their eyes lit up.
Not because they saw hope.
Pure shock.
What... was that?
...A person?
They didn't know what it was. But one thing was certain. That was definitely not a slave.
BOOM.
The Complete Body Susanoo's feet finally touched Mary Geoise soil.
The earth shook. Buildings swayed violently.
Countless people lost their footing and tumbled to the ground.
They stared, wide-eyed, at the demon colossus hundreds of meters tall, standing in the heart of the Holy Land.
Pangaea Castle.
The residence of Imu and the Five Elders.
The supreme symbol of World Government power.
Makoto looked at the palace. A faint smile crossed his lips.
"Let's say hello to little Imu first."
The Susanoo's arm raised. The massive chainsaw fused to its forearm lifted with it.
VRRRM.
The chainsaw started.
Then it swung.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion tore through the air.
All of Mary Geoise trembled.
The Holy Knights who'd just gathered on the plaza all twisted around to look behind them.
Then their expressions froze.
Pangaea Castle. The white palace that had stood for centuries as the symbol of the World Government's supreme authority. It was splitting down the middle.
A clean cut.
Surgical.
As if an invisible blade had cleaved it straight down the center.
The two halves of the palace tilted slowly to either side, groaning with deep, muffled booms before collapsing entirely, sending plumes of white dust billowing into the sky.
Dead silence across the plaza.
Even Garling, who always carried himself like Imu's top lieutenant, gaped in disbelief.
Someone attacking the Holy Land directly was already shocking enough.
He hadn't expected this level of power.
Garling's right hand tightened unconsciously around his sword hilt.
He looked up again at the grey-black titan.
Within the empty eye sockets, eyes bearing the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan pattern stared down at him.
Then Garling saw it. Inside the titan, Makoto was looking directly at him, a brilliant smile on his face.
"Oh my."
Makoto's voice echoed from within the Susanoo.
"Aren't you God's Valley's speed bump?"
Garling froze.
God's Valley?
He knew that place.
Recently he'd taken a lover there. God's Valley.
The redheaded woman was quite attractive.
Garling had only intended to satisfy a physical need. He hadn't expected her to get pregnant.
That was inconvenient.
Couldn't let anyone find out. Noble bloodlines couldn't be tainted by some filthy lowborn woman.
The child, though. He'd take that back.
As for the woman... he'd find an opportunity to dispose of her.
But what did "speed bump" mean?
Garling frowned. Didn't understand.
No time to think about it, though.
Because the grey-black titan was shrinking at visible speed.
Energy armor dissolved. The skeletal frame collapsed. The Complete Body Susanoo receded like an outgoing tide, shrinking from hundreds of meters to tens, then dissipating into nothing.
Makoto, Yu, Beam, the Fab Four's four heads, and Morgans perched on the Susanoo's shoulder descended slowly through the air.
Their feet touched the white stone pavement of Mary Geoise.
"What's going on?"
Behind Garling, a Holy Knight with a purple mushroom cut and androgynous features frowned.
"He's not using that technique anymore?"
Garling's eyes flashed. He raised his longsword and shouted. "That attack must have drained his stamina! Now's our chance! Take him down!"
The other Holy Knights' eyes lit up.
Right!
A technique that powerful had to consume massive energy.
Now was the opening!
"Charge!"
"Kill him!"
"Avenge the Holy Land!"
Holy Knights drew their weapons and surged toward Makoto's group in a wave.
Confident smiles plastered across their faces.
As if Makoto, having used the Complete Body Susanoo, was now a candle flickering in the wind.
Almost funny. These people, when they held their slave-killing tournaments, never went all-out from the start either.
First some pageantry. Give the slaves a sliver of hope. Let them run. That made the hunt more satisfying.
After all, if the NPCs didn't fight back at all, the game was boring.
But when they became the prey, they'd forgotten one thing.
...
The Libido Devil looked at these idiots and turned to Makoto.
"Boss, why not use that technique?"
Makoto smiled.
"Killing them all at once? Where's the fun in that?"
"Taking them apart one piece at a time. That's entertainment."
The Libido Devil's eyes blazed.
"Ohhh! I see!"
The Dolphin Devil's head bobbed frantically. "That's our boss for you! Always thinking ahead!"
The Gorilla Devil's head grinned. "Tear off the lower half and make them eat it. Wouldn't that hurt more?"
The Rabbit Devil's head was already fantasizing. "I can't wait to play with that Imu."
The four devils chattered, escalating into increasingly unhinged territory.
Morgans, trailing behind them, swallowed hard at the filth pouring from their mouths.
He'd thought he was twisted. These guys were on another level.
...
"My turn."
Yu stepped forward.
His right hand pressed against his left arm.
Click.
Gun Fiend. Transformed.
RATATATATATATAT!
Indiscriminate fire.
Armor-piercing rounds poured out like a storm, screaming toward the charging Holy Knights.
The rounds hit.
Blood holes punched through the Holy Knights' bodies. Chest, abdomen, arms, thighs. The bullet wounds were plainly visible.
But no blood flowed.
Yu frowned.
"Same ability as that old man."
The immortality granted by that Imu person.
"But it must have a weakness."
Yu scanned the Holy Knights' faces.
From inside the Susanoo earlier, he'd seen it clearly. When Makoto's slash had bisected Pangaea Castle, Garling and the others had shown unmistakable terror.
If these trash were truly immortal, they shouldn't fear anything, no matter how powerful the opponent.
Makoto smiled. "Knock yourselves out."
"Immortal bodies?"
The Libido Devil licked his lips. "Even better."
The Dolphin Devil opened his fang-lined maw with a wicked grin. "I've always wanted toys that don't break."
The Gorilla Devil nodded repeatedly. "The Roger Pirates were no good. Always worried about killing them. No fun at all."
The Rabbit Devil shrugged. "The boss said no killing last time."
"But not this time..."
All four spoke in unison.
"We can really play now!"
The Fab Four charged forward with manic laughter.
Yu followed close behind, all three gun barrels firing simultaneously.
Beam's upper half morphed into shark form, cavernous jaws gaping as he lunged at the nearest Holy Knight.
Battle erupted across the white plaza of Mary Geoise.
...
Makoto himself strolled toward Pangaea Castle's remains like he was walking through a park.
His expression was as relaxed as if this weren't the heart of the world's highest authority. More like a public restroom by the side of the road.
Countless ragged slaves stared in bewilderment at the man wandering through the grounds like it was his backyard.
"...Are you Nika?"
A voice came from nearby.
Makoto's feet stopped. He turned.
A boy with a round head and a build like a ball stood there.
Covered in wounds. Face smeared with blood. Shackles on both wrists and ankles.
His eyes were huge. Right now they were wide as saucers, staring straight at Makoto.
"Nika?"
Makoto raised an eyebrow.