25+ Advance chapters on Patreon
Melqart, the ancient king of the Phoenician pantheon, was not only a renowned god of storms in mythology but also held a darker reputation. In Christian lore, he was depicted as the demon of gluttonyM one of the seven deadly sins. In Milton's Paradise Lost, he stood as a demon king rivaling God Himself. His legends also crowned him a dragon-slaying god-king.
However, Yuto had already heard Lucretia's detailed account of this deity, so his heart remained unshaken by surprise.
At that moment, his attention was drawn elsewhere; toward the youthful figure weaving through the storm clouds above: Verethragna, the undefeated war god. In the original Campione! series, Verethragna's role was brief yet crucial. He was the first Heretic God the protagonist faced, and his defeat, which was almost a willing sacrifice, paved the way for Godou Kusanagi to become the seventh Campione. Yuto's memory of this character was crystal clear, even down to his tongue-twisting name. Why? Because the authorities Verethragna bestowed were simply too powerful, too unforgettable.
For any fan fiction protagonist stepping into this world, passing up such formidable powers would be unthinkable. Those abilities had allowed the inexperienced Godou to stand against ancient gods and even outmatch seasoned Campiones. Verethragna's ten incarnations and the god-slaying Golden Sword were key to his rise; versatile tools that turned a novice into a legend. In a sense, Verethragna was the original story's gift to its hero, a cheat code handed over by the author.
That said, his strength wasn't unrivaled among the gods. While he ranked among the elite, he wasn't invincible. His first clash with Melqart proved it as both gods emerged battered, their power diminished, and Verethragna's incarnations scattered in the aftermath.
Boom!
The black clouds roiled like waves in a tempest, lightning splitting the sky. Silver bolts crashed down, and the pulsing waves of magical energy rippled outward, palpable even from dozens of kilometers away.
"Master, what is that…?" Erica Blandelli, a Great Knight with sharpened senses, spoke up. The overwhelming torrent of magical power surged like an untamed typhoon, radiating destruction.
Her face paled as she recognized the two figures clashing amid the clouds. "Oh no, what do we do? Two Heretic Gods at once?!"
In this world, Heretic Gods were living disasters. Their mere presence unleashed chaos and ruin. Even a fraction of their power, carelessly spilled, could devastate human lands, leaving death and despair in its wake. Neither the aloof gods nor the Campiones cared for mortal pleas. To the gods, human lives were as trivial as ants, unnoticed casualties of their whims.
Rumble…
The thunder roared louder, warping the sky into a swirling storm. Erica and her maid turned pale, their hearts racing as lightning flared overhead. Instinctively, they pressed closer to Yuto, seeking shelter behind him.
"Master, if those two Heretic Gods keep fighting… all of Italy will be lost!" Erica's voice trembled with urgency as she clutched Yuto's wrist. "Please, you have to stop them!….I'll offer you everything I am. But please save my homeland." Erica bit her lip, fists clenched tight. Under her maid's stunned gaze, she made a desperate, irresistible proposal.
"Very well. Hold to your word." With that, Yuto vanished from the ground, reappearing high in the stormy sky.
Amid the suffocating gloom of the clouds, a fresh breeze sliced through the heavy air. A striking young man emerged in the wind, standing with an effortless grace as if he belonged there all along.
"Interesting, another strong one?"
"Hmph, another pest interfering."
Yuto's arrival paused the gods' battle. Both turned to him, their expressions a mix of curiosity and scorn.
"Hah, that aura… you must be a 'hero' too," Verethragna said, breaking the silence. The war god, master of ten incarnations, appeared as a youthful boy with sleek black hair and pale skin, clad in a Persian robe. Though slender, his eyes blazed with wild intensity, his words laced with arrogance.
As the undefeated god of victory, he had every reason to boast. His incarnations: Gale, Bull, White Stallion, Camel, Boar, Youth, Phoenix, Ram, Goat, and the Warrior with the Golden Sword offered him unmatched versatility, a counter for any foe.
"Greetings, Verethragna, the undefeated war god, and Melqart, the storm king," Yuto said evenly.
"Oh? You've deduced my identity already?" Verethragna's eyes narrowed, but he laughed, unperturbed. "You're intriguing… I sense something familiar in you."
"Kid, are you here to fight us too?" Melqart snarled, his patience thinning.
Yuto regarded the storm god. Melqart loomed massive, nearly fifteen meters tall, with wild hair and a beard that hid half his face. His muscular build exuded raw power, each sinew a testament to his might.
"No," Yuto said, his voice steady. "I'm here to kill you both."
His calm demeanor clashed with the brutality of his words. The gods froze, then scoffed in unison.
"You? You might have some strength, kid, but you're no match for me!" Melqart bellowed, his temper flaring. He charged, storm and lightning trailing him, and threw a fist that could rend the sky.
Boom!
True to his dominion, Melqart wielded the storm's fury. His punch, cloaked in thunder and rain, formed a colossal shadowy fist that surged toward Yuto like a bolt of lightning.
Facing this ferocious strike, Yuto chanted the words of power bestowed by the sun god Apollo.
"O my ancestors, O light of the East, lend me your might to work a miracle in your name… Rise, honor the oath of your great sun-devouring warrior!!!"
A radiant gleam pierced the raging storm. At first a flicker, it swelled into a golden sword of light, slashing through the tempest. It parried Melqart's blow and struck him in return, drawing a gasp of pain.
"That's… the power of the sun god?" Verethragna's composure cracked, shock twisting his features.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━━━━━
patreon.com/DUKE3500 for advance chapters for all the novels i translate for 2$