Chapter 41

Only now do I realize that I have no idea of the actual limit of the blessings' strength. Only now do I realize that I truly have no idea just how strong or weak I am in the great scheme of things.

I look in shock at the battle field. Lunari stands there, not a single scratch on her body after this battle. I am genuinely shocked and even kind of frightened.

But at this moment the atmosphere changes yet again. In the middle of the battlefield, there is a tall and muscular man all of a sudden. The crowd begins roaring and celebrating upon seeing him. His hair is long, flying around in the wind which has been caused by his very presence. His hair itself has no clear color: It portrays space itself and clearly does look out of place: To be precise, it looks as though he is caring all of space itself in his very hair.

He is wearing a simple white mantel with golden accents. The pants he is wearing are white in the same manner, though they are decorated with black accents. He holds no weapon or the like, yet he is most certaintly the most dangerous person that ever existed.

I do understand now, just by seeing him, that I was never made a fool. Kida, Arita and Muraoka never intended to make a fool of me.

The person standing there, in the middle of the battlefield was most certainly blessed by 5 of the Protogoni. The man who became the center of attention and praise in but a single second was most certainly none other than Phanes.

“Now, now, everyone! Give up a round of applause for the winners of this first round! And, now, let us continue onwards to the second! To start us off, I will start. After all, I am tired of merely waiting.” His voice, just like the rest of him, is loud and reaches everyone. Everything about the man embodies the words “perfection” and “limit”. He is the limit of both strength, beauty and everything the like. That much one can identify from a single look. And no, if I am talking about the limit I do not mean the human limit. I mean the limits of the very world itself. I have now understood that the existence of the person in front of me is more bizarre and more unlikely than every other thing in all of existence combined.

“Miss Lunari, correct? Are you ready for the battle the two of us will have?” Lunari looks at the overwhelming man. She looks at him coldly. Her cold nature does remind me of Hibiki. However, when I look at Hibiki, I see her excited and staring down at the two of them in the battleground. Only now do I realize just how strong this Lunari must be to not react even a little bit after being directly confronted by Phanes. Even the normally cold and reserved Hibiki can barely stop herself from screaming out loud, and Hibiki is sitting far away.

Lunari simply nods. She turns her lance and points it directly at Phanes. “Let us battle, Phanes. This is what I have been waiting for!”

“Very well.” Phanes nods. The battle starts. Out of the sky 30 blue rays cast down, all flying directly at Phanes. Phanes stands there, relaxed. He doesn't care. As the blue rays which have made the previous contestant unable to fight after a single hit, almost hit him, he simply raises a hand. A shimmering golden wall has started to exist around him. He simply snaps his fingers, the sound echoing throughout all of Tojiume. The golden cube fully protecting him previously changes its form. The square becomes around until it stretches itself. Soon enough a golden snake is dancing around the calm god in human form. As Phanes slowly raises his hand he speaks but a single word to deliver his opponent with the fate they are bound to meet: “Rejoice.” It is both a command towards the serpent he has made appear out of thin air, as well as a command directed at us, those who are watching.

As the serpent dashes towards Lunari with a speed that cannot be properly named the crowd goes insane and begins clapping and screaming loudly. This is truly the most fun they have had all day long.

The serpent cycles around Lunari who is calm despite everything.

“Phanes. You are known by many names, one of them being Lord of all creation. I ask of you: Are you truly convinced by this? Do you think that all of life and all parts of it are nothing more than amusement for you?!” Lunari raises her lance to the heavens and in the same second a giant blue spear comes crashing down above her. This spear of pure blue light shatters the golden snake produced by the god amongst men into its very fabrics.

Phanes laughs loudly. “Creation is not an amusement for me. Quite contrary; I believe all of creation must be amused. And who else should be able to fulfill such an impossible task if it is not the very man who is blessed by all of creation?!” Lunari shakes her head and points her lance at Phanes. The giant spear she had summoned from the heavens turns at him and shoots at him. Phanes just stands there. He slowly extends his hand. He moves very slowly and very dramatically and yet he is much faster than everything else there is. The palm of his hand is in front of the giant spear of pure energy… And thus, the spear breaks without even touching Phanes. The spear of pure energy itself has felt the power that rests in the hand of Phanes and thus stopped existing, for it is a much better option than actively fighting against him.

Phanes turns his hand and simply snaps. Once more the sound echoes throughout all of creation. A golden spear, existing of nothing but light, strikes Lunari at once. She feels as though she has been pierced by the very fabric of time and space itself over and over again and thus she falls onto the ground, defeated.