Chapter 45 Hidden in Light and Fire
Although he is one of the three exalted divine kings in Greek mythology, there's no denying that Poseidon does not have a good reputation.
Compared to his two brothers, this guy is much more savage, quick-tempered, and fond of conflict. As a god-king representing the forces of nature, his power is indeed immense, but what he brings to humanity is almost solely fear.
And the Poseidon who descended in a rebellious, unyielding manner was no exception.
Almost as soon as Hikigaya finished speaking, Poseidon lashed out with his whip.
A golden long whip, faster than lightning, in the blink of an eye, was already striking toward Hikigaya.
While Poseidon's most iconic and ostentatious item is certainly his trident, the golden whip is also a weapon he frequently uses.
Even before the whip landed, Hikigaya could already feel the terrifying power it contained.
It was the wildness he had cultivated through his year in Yomi that allowed him to barely dodge the blow in time. He could only watch as the golden light swept past him and struck the ground near the shore.
Boom—!
A deep rumbling echoed from beneath the earth; the power of the golden whip seemed to resonate with the land itself.
Almost in the next instant, the energy exploded outward as the golden light was withdrawn.
The entire coastline silently shattered.
Huge cracks extended from the shattered shore all the way into the city streets, shaking entire city blocks loose from the mainland. Driven by the wind, the seawater surged forward in great waves, pouring into these giant fissures and transforming the severed land into isolated islands in the sea.
The city awoke in terror and began to wail. The residents of Cagliari found themselves suddenly trapped in a desperate life-or-death situation.
Poseidon is the god of quakes and stability—this is his greatest divine authority.
Epics describe his earthquakes in terms comparable to the divine thunder of the heavens: "The Father of gods and mortals thunders terrifyingly in the heavens, while the Earth-shaker Poseidon below trembles the vast, fertile land and all towering peaks, making everything tremble without end."
In mythology, Poseidon could even shake the realm of the dead. His brother Hades once panicked over this, fearing that if Poseidon cracked the earth's crust, the dreadful, lifeless, and god-detested underworld might be fully exposed to both gods and mortals.
With such power, destroying a modern coastal city is ridiculously easy.
Hikigaya surfaced from the water—because the coast had shattered so suddenly, he hadn't had time to summon the light of the sun to gain divine speed, and so had fallen straight into the sea along with the crumbling land.
The wind blew by, carrying the terrified and desperate cries of the citizens to him, letting him hear their suffering.
But he kept waving his hand, dispersing and repelling the sounds, until he finally heard what he wanted—a voice in the city, Lilliana chanting the incantation of flight.
Only then did Hikigaya reveal a relieved expression and step fully out of the water. Heat radiated from his body, drying his clothes instantly.
But his heat was still rising.
The name Poseidon may have originally meant a horse god, but after evolving through many stages, the current bearer of that name had become a purely elemental god, capable of shaking nature itself.
The earth and sea were enveloped by this overwhelming force—even the thunder of the heavens was but its equal.
Only the sky remained beyond the reach of this power. Before it, all tangible things became fragile.
Precisely because of this immense power, Poseidon is the only deity capable of controlling or calming earthquakes. Yet due to this overwhelming force, he was never beloved by the Greeks. After all, earthquakes are not a welcome concept—just like Set's power to the Egyptians.
But Hikigaya believed that he could, at the very least, suppress the stormy force.
"The support tree stands in Yangzhou, where the sun shines. The Jianmu stands in Dugang, where the emperors ascend and descend."
To be honest, Hikigaya rarely used divine spells despite being a diehard fan. He preferred the "no talking, just fighting" approach.
But if the opponent is Poseidon, then it's another story entirely.
Light radiated from his body, but this time, unlike when he annihilated the goat god, it was different.
Because within the light, faint, bark-like patterns appeared—almost like tree bark.
Wherever this light spread, the storm winds of the storm god were suppressed and calmed.
However, the sea was still surging into the city, raising layer upon layer of waves, striking those precariously crumbling island fragments.
"The pillar stretches three hundred li, its leaves like mustard seeds..."
From beneath Hikigaya's feet, strands of light extended out like tree roots, spreading into the seawater.
"There is a valley called the Valley of Warm Source; above the Valley of Tang, stands the Support Tree."
Suddenly, the impact of the sea waves weakened…
"God-slayer, what are you doing?" With the wind calmed, Poseidon stood on the sea, looking at the scene before him with anger.
"Don't think you can suppress me with heaven like Zeus did!"
With a furious roar, he raised his trident.
In myth, when Poseidon wields his trident, strong storms rise over the sea, giant waves like mountains crash against the cliffs, and the earth shakes. But when he lays the trident flat upon the waves, the storms and waves calm.
Clearly, this was the pinnacle of Poseidon's power over both destruction and calming—not only the land, but the sea and sky too were shaken.
To oppose such power, only an even greater force of destruction would suffice.
Deafening storm winds once again filled Hikigaya's ears. Even though he wielded storm himself, he now realized his wind wouldn't be able to hold much longer.
Even his wind was being shaken.
"One true ring to rule them all… Looks like that phrase has its truth."
Hikigaya praised silently, and his eyes turned fierce.
This was perfect—only such an opponent was worthy of that power. Knowing the enemy's essence meant his attack would not miss.
Even a god of war, master of transformation, had been scattered by this enemy—clearly, a prolonged battle against such a pure elemental god of destruction was a bad idea. The shorter the fight, the better—it would be ideal if life and death were decided in a single clash!
Burn. Burn with the force of life itself.
Behind Hikigaya, circles of light spread out. The intense heat evaporated the surrounding seawater, forming towering pillars of mist that exploded upward from the ocean surface!
Then, Hikigaya felt it—that object.
The divine weapon, hidden within his own power, was part of that very authority.
By now, he was already surrounded by a sea of blinding, searing light. Nothing else could be seen. Everything except himself—living or not—could not maintain its existence here. All would be consumed by the power of light and flame.
And yet, a tangible object was now taking form in his hand.
Its shape—was unmistakably a bow.