Chapter 65: Divine Fury

I raced across the rooftops like the wind.

Behind me, the administrators shouted at the top of their lungs.

“Your Excellency! That side is dangerous!”

“Come back quickly!”

But my steps didn’t falter.

Thud thud thud thud!

If anything, I only ran faster toward the river.

Ugh! Why the hell are you heading into a place like this?

Shugl’s disgruntled voice rang out.

What a ridiculous complaint.

The source of the disaster was there—how could I just stand by without punishing it?

“No way. I’m smashing it to pieces no matter what. If you’re scared, let go—why cling so tight?”

Because it looks fun.

“Do you even plan to help resolve this mess?”

I could lend a hand. As long as it’s not directly attacking that demigod bastard.

“Aha.”

Truth be told, I’d brought Shugl along for situations like this.

With his abilities, he could easily carve water channels or pile up embankments.

Of course, he hadn’t been able to this time.

He’d been sprawled out all day digesting the vitality.

Anyway, it seemed he’d be useful now.

“Then get me over there. Possible?”

I’d leaped across rooftops to the city’s outskirts, but I couldn’t go any further.

The walls were submerged—how was I supposed to advance?

It wasn’t like I could run on water.

But with Shugl?

Not particularly difficult. Watch closely. Behold my greatness…!

The little guy spread his adorable front paws wide and struck a bizarre pose.

It felt like watching limp seaweed dancing.

Then, astonishingly, the water’s surface bulged upward.

Soon, massive rocks emerged one after another.

Like stepping stones.

“That’s it!”

I scooped up Shugl and slapped him onto my coat.

He had tremendous power to manipulate nature, but he was hopeless at physical tasks.

That’s why he’d gotten buried in his own landslide, unable to move.

He’d transformed into this small form for that reason too.

Being light made handling his body easier.

Assuming he’d stay put on his own, I dashed forward.

Tap! Thud! Whoosh!

Ugh! This is no joke.

My body swayed with every step on the stones.

Rain pelted like hail, driven by fierce winds.

The rocks, having been submerged, were incredibly slippery too.

Thanks to superhuman balance, I somehow stayed upright, but the path ahead was the real problem.

“How do we even find where that thing is?”

I can track its energy. Fundamentally, demigods aren’t that different from a true demon like me.

It seemed that way to me too.

Adam, who called himself the god of the earth, had bristled at being called a demigod.

Hadn’t this guy reacted fiercely when called a half-demon?

The way dirt-like byproducts appeared whenever they used power was the same.

Just different factions.

“Good. Then guide me.”

In this form? Even if I returned to my true body, it wouldn’t work.

“No, just tell me the direction. I don’t expect much from you anyway.”

What? I went through the trouble of making the path, and this is how you repay me? Suddenly I don’t feel like it.

“If we finish this, I’ll let you gorge on as much vitality as you want.”

You should’ve said that earlier. Diagonal right from here.

Negotiation was easy.

Nothing baited him better.

Shugl climbed onto my head and actively directed the way.

I’ll raise stepping stones to the left. Jump there!

“Why left?”

The front’s too deep—timing won’t match. It’ll turn back!

“Your navigation is killer!”

What are you saying? That bastard’s fleeing. Speed up!

He yanked my hair this way and that, yelling excitedly.

Like Remy the rat from Ratatouille.

It pissed me off, but given the situation, I swallowed it.

Fine. Catching that demigod comes first.

Sensing I was a threat, the opponent retreated at incredible speed.

At the same time, the river that had swallowed half the city began receding.

Cheers rose from people on bell towers or high rooftops.

“Whoaaa!”

“I-I can’t believe it!”

“His Excellency the Governor is pushing back the downpour!”

“Rumors of him being a saint in the Empire were true!”

“Causing a miracle—how is he merely a saint? He’s a god!”

It bordered on blasphemy, but no one reprimanded them.

It must have looked like I’d accomplished something tremendous.

In reality, the demigod was just fleeing.

“But where the hell is it going?”

Until that coward can’t move any further?

“When’s that?”

It won’t get far. Using power that big—it can’t be unscathed, even for a demigod.

“Music to my ears.”

I tried to pick up even more speed.

But I couldn’t run like on flat ground.

I was hopping across stepping stones.

“Ah, damn. Can’t you make the path better?”

This is my limit. Not enough vitality for more.

“Why are you so ambiguously useful!”

If you’ve got time to complain, run faster.

“You little—!”

Tap! Thud! Thud!

Maybe because of Shugl’s annoyance, focusing got easier.

Or perhaps I was adapting to Beast’s Heart over time.

Now I could even predict where the next stones would rise.

I’d leap ahead, stepping on rocks before they fully breached the surface.

It felt like sprinting across the water.

“Y-Your Excellency has performed another miracle…”

Whoosh!

People’s astonished voices reached me but soon drowned in the storm.

We were now quite far from the city.

Consequently, the tempest grew fiercer.

I felt like I’d encounter the demigod soon.

Then, at the exact moment I was about to step on a stone.

Huh?

Shugl’s startled voice coincided with a sensation of emptiness.

I couldn’t help but panic too.

Contrary to prediction, my foot plunged into the water.

Splash!

“Gahhh!”

A grotesque scream escaped as river water poured into my mouth.

I wasn’t much of a swimmer, and in this torrent, it was useless anyway.

I’d be swept away before I could stroke.

Still, I wasn’t carried off immediately.

I’d planted my legs into the riverbed with monstrous strength.

Like a deeply rooted tree.

Grk!

I groaned inwardly and inched forward bit by bit.

Slow, but progress was possible.

Soon, I poked my head above water.

I’d reached shallower waters.

“Puha!”

Quickly turning my head, I saw Shugl dangling desperately from my coat.

He’d clung with all his might not to fly off.

“Hey! The stepping stone didn’t fully rise. What happened?”

I’d definitely sensed Shugl’s power and leaped precisely.

But the rock had only half-emerged.

It couldn’t serve as a proper stepping stone.

That’s how I ended up plunging embarrassingly into the river.

That guy interfered with my authority.

“That strong, huh?”

Of course not as strong as me. He just sneakily slipped in some energy.

It was an innocent question, but Shugl yelled indignantly.

Being compared to a demigod apparently stung.

These guys have such simple trigger points—it’s great.

I frowned ahead.

Thanks to crawling through the water, the end was in sight.

Soon, intense energy pulsed from the front.

The culprit of this chaos—the demigod—was likely in that raging storm.

I drew the Communication Rod from my coat.

Time for the showdown.

“Daring to threaten my people’s lives? Come out, you rotten demigod bastard.”

No one was around to hear, but the words slipped out anyway.

I’d fully assimilated into Abel Carius’s life by now.

Then, finally, the opponent revealed itself.

Whoooosh!

The howling winds gradually died down.

Like the eye of a typhoon, only around the demigod was utterly calm.

Its appearance resembled Adam’s.

A monster easily over two meters tall, muscles bulging like they might burst.

The slight difference: no fur at all.

Covered in dense scales, it indeed suited a river-dwelling creature.

A human approaching this far! Impressive.

“Impressive or not—why are you doing this?”

This is my mission…

“Cut the bullshit. I’ve met a few demigods, and none had that crap.”

Truthfully, I only knew Adam well, but it wasn’t wrong.

I’d had bad blood with that northern one called Feltron too.

Though it was before my possession, so no conversation.

Anyway, demigods or half-demons were just beings living in this world.

Not actual residents of heaven or hell.

They couldn’t cross dimensions anyway.

I am the guardian deity of this river. I have a duty to protect the flood plains!

As expected, no reasoning with it.

They say ignorant zealots are terrifying.

This guy was exactly that.

“The rainy season creates flood plains anyway, right? They’d form without your tantrum.”

How dare a mere human presume to lecture a god?

Half the city submerged, and I was already furious—then it talks like that?

Even mild-mannered me couldn’t hold back the curses.

“Hah! You’re fucking dead.”

Brilliant blue light coursed down my arm.

Even without activating the skill, Destructive Retribution was stirring.

As if directly reflecting my rage.

Who cares.

As long as the skill pulverized it.

“I’ll put an end to your tiresome ties with Delriat.”

Of course, I didn’t mean me.

It was getting tiresome, but this place felt like a second home now.

Brrrrr!

My right arm and the rod vibrated madly.

Destructive Retribution writhed, screaming for release.

Just a bit longer. You’ll taste blood soon.

I tensed my legs, ready to charge.

I’d blitz in an instant and shatter its skull.

But right then.

A hologram suddenly floated before my eyes.

「By inspiring countless people in Delriat, you have brought great change to the local community.」

「A reward is granted.」

Does it not read the mood—this timing?

As if sensing my irritation, the hologram flickered again.

「A skill has been created.」

「First cast privilege! Cost waived. Would you like to activate it immediately?」

Even this I can’t pass up.