Chapter 836: Russell, Still Failing

Even at this moment.

Ye Qiyan didn't hesitate at all. Activating [Arrogance], he used the [Judge] to [Arrest] WALL-E back.

A diamond-shaped dark gold doorway unfolded.

The small cube-shaped robot's treads clattered noisily beneath it.

It flew out from the doorway, landing directly at Ye Qiyan's feet.

Its mechanical claws were empty, clearly indicating that the treasure it had found couldn't easily be brought out.

"Good work, WALL-E."

Ye Qiyan patted WALL-E's iron head.

"But no rush. Wait a moment, we'll go find it together."

He made this promise, then stood up from the shattered Black Throne and walked toward Russell, whose aura was still climbing relentlessly.

"About time. He's reached B-grade."

Russell, this native young man, wasn't unpleasant.

From beginning to end, everything this guy had been taught existed solely to fuel his vengeance against Train Conductors like them.

The fact that he was willing to cause such a massive commotion to get revenge was already the limit of what he could do.

Ye Qiyan didn't dislike Russell.

Just as he had said when he first stepped onto the stage.

Anyone could stand at the center of the magnificent stage.

Whether righteous or evil.

The only thing that was unacceptable...

Was being a foolish clown.

Even after walking the Divine Sequence Path, he had still proven that everything he did was for revenge.

Revenge was the most reasonable justification.

For revenge, one could use anything.

If Ye Qiyan hadn't been here.

Relying on Stacia alone, it was entirely possible Russell might have actually succeeded in capturing Alice.

But who's to blame for Ye Qiyan being here?

Perhaps... this was Alice's good fortune?

Or maybe...

Ye Qiyan's gaze drifted toward the audience seats below.

Zhao Lin, holding the Calamity Moon Beast and protected in the center by Lancelot and several Endless Mechs, happened to meet his gaze.

Their eyes crossed.

He had come to this world because of Zhao Lin's luck.

And if she truly wanted to obtain that Game Card, she would have to use her luck through him.

She was the one who chose RUN Company headquarters.

She was the one who entered this world at a fortunate moment and met Alice and Stacia.

"Luck really is unreasonably convenient."

Ye Qiyan let out a soft chuckle.

"You're in luck, Miss Alice."

Alice, humming her requiem, seemed confused, but Ye Qiyan didn't intend to explain.

"Red Tears, draw the sword."

The Demon Girl with closed eyes came to his side, took his hand, and interlaced their fingers.

The Tear-Engraving Sword slowly slid from its sheath, and the phantom of the Ancient Battlefield gradually solidified.

And just then, the blood forging Russell's B-grade Divine Sequence reached saturation.

He... no.

It had gained power.

[God Serial Number - B-77 - Native]

[True Name: Russell]

[Race: False God]

Russell was no longer human.

The moment the blood-red curtain dispersed, it opened its eyes.

The blood-red tear marks painted across its face were now glowing.

"Power... endless, inexhaustible... This is what it means to be a true god!"

His eyes were filled with madness.

"Altos! You can't stop me anymore! I'm strong now! Stronger than everyone! Kill you all, and I'll become even stronger!"

His words were saturated with hatred.

[Native God]

The concept it possessed allowed it to gain far more power along the Divine Sequence Path than ordinary gods when killing Train Conductors outside of Station Worlds.

And as long as a single [Native] existed anywhere in a Station World, it could regenerate from a drop of blood, immortal and eternal.

"Oh? Using the power sacrificed from countless believers and native companions? Indeed, that method of growth is quite impressive."

Ye Qiyan offered Russell high praise.

"Unfortunately, it's still not enough."

In the sky, Eve, holding the long-blade form of the Eternal Cutter, had azure-blue flames blooming in a sea of flowers beneath her feet as she launched the first attack against Russell.

Russell raised a hand, and a tidal wave of Grievance transformed into a shield of the natives' anguished souls, trying to block the attack.

"Those were necessary sacrifices! As long as I keep winning! Become a powerful god! The deaths of my believers will have been worthwhile!"

However, his shield couldn't stop Eve's attack at all.

Because all those souls possessed only a trace of Spirit.

Under the aura of the [Book of Reality and Illusion], they dissipated in an instant the moment they formed, their Spirit reduced to zero.

Eve's slash landed solidly on Russell's body.

At the same time, the Decisive Demon's fist and the Raven demon's Black Feather Storm pierced through his divine defense, striking the opening Eve had carved open.

"Ah! How, how is this possible?! A bunch of mere monsters! How can you possibly hurt me?!"

What he didn't know was that precisely because he had become a god, he was now eating the full damage bonus from God-Targeting attacks.

In a certain sense, this guy was even more fragile than he had been at the start.

The relentless barrage of attacks left Russell unable to form any effective counterattack.

He could only passively take the beating.

More and more wounds torn open by sand and stone appeared across his body.

And although these wounds healed every time, the pain in his body was certainly not fake.

He felt pain.

Feeling pain meant fear.

And fear meant death.

Ye Qiyan, holding Red Tears' hand, drew closer and closer to Russell.

Within the solidified Ancient Battlefield, figure after figure flickered at the tip of the Tear-Engraving Sword.

When he was only seven steps away from Russell.

The phantom at the sword's tip finally slowed to a halt.

Light and shadow merged into the blade.

A divine aura several times denser than Russell's B-grade god divinity surged forth.

Red Tears silently released his hand.

Russell, currently being suppressed by Eve and the others, had not a shred of the dignity or power befitting a B-grade god.

That was only natural.

Because he hadn't killed Alice yet.

The Divine Sequence Path he had ascended was still missing one thing.

That one thing was his own conviction.

"What the hell is this thing?!"

Russell, exhausted from fending off attacks, never realized that the Demon Girl, now gripping the sword with both hands, had taken a single step toward him.

At that step, Eve retreated.

At that strike, the demons surrounding them returned to their Card Sequence.

One sword fell.

The clouds in the sky were split cleanly in two.

The top floor of this RUN Company headquarters building also gained a crack running through the center of the Arena under the force of that single strike.

[HUMMM - !]

One sword. A god bled.

"Gwah!"

But this strike, carrying no additional enhancements, only managed to gravely wound him temporarily.

Because [Natives] still existed in this world, his injuries quickly began to recover.

Ye Qiyan walked up to Russell, whose body had lost half of itself.

The upgraded Black Ebony appeared in his hand.

Looking at Russell's utterly despairing expression, he raised the gun muzzle and aimed it at Russell's head.

"Do you fear death?"