Chapter 46 This guy can be resurrected
The red divine bow had already taken shape in Hikigaya's hands.
This bow and arrow, granted to Hou Yi by Emperor Jun in mythology, was made from divine wood. It aided Hou Yi in defeating Xihe and shooting down nine suns, creating the most renowned solar-shooting myth in ancient China.
Together with the Ten Suns, it became a legend known to all future generations.
Now, in Hikigaya's possession, it was a supreme weapon capable of transforming the power of the Ten Suns into divine arrows.
The so-called divine wood authority meant using oneself as the divine wood, burning the source of one's life, igniting the divine fire of the sun, and striking down powerful enemies.
Across the past, present, and future, this was Hikigaya's strongest offensive method—bar none.
Holding the Solar Divine Bow, Hikigaya faced Poseidon amidst light and fire.
The strongest sea god of Greece seemed to sense Hikigaya's unyielding, reckless spirit—like a meat cleaver grinding forward. Poseidon's expression grew solemn.
No longer did he wastefully unleash his power in a lavish manner. He stopped. His trident and golden whip were tightly gripped, eyes locked with intense focus on the bow-wielding Hikigaya.
Hikigaya, as if ignoring Poseidon's stance, continued to burn his own life force.
His body was now completely enveloped in intense light, leaving only a silhouette visible.
Then he raised the bow, pulled back his right hand, and a white arrow was set upon the bowstring.
Just by nocking the arrow, searing heat erupted from it, sweeping in all directions.
The moisture in the air completely evaporated; soil, stone, and even man-made steel-reinforced concrete expanded and cracked under the heat.
The ferocious, howling sea—once stirred by the power of the trident—and the violent storm in the sky were visibly affected. The wind turned chaotic, and the towering waves on the sea began to weaken.
"God-slayer, where did you get that weapon?" Poseidon asked, surprise on his face. His sharp gaze was fixed on the divine wooden bow in Hikigaya's hands. Slowly, his expression grew heavy. "I heard of an Eastern hero who once shot down nine suns, but his bow and arrows should have disappeared along with the fallen suns."
"Oh?"
Hikigaya was stirred by Poseidon's words. From the sound of it, the gods weren't as united and "one big family" as he had imagined.
Otherwise, Poseidon shouldn't be ignorant of the fact that the solar-shooting bow belonged to Emperor Di Jun.
He steadied the bow. The authority of Set now fully resided in this white arrow.
But that wasn't enough. He needed even more power.
The divine wood body, fire hidden within the flesh, was gradually igniting the remaining nine suns.
Even Hikigaya could feel it—his body was about to turn into a furnace.
The air around him could instantly scald an ordinary lifeform to death. If this continued, the harbor would become a dead zone under the searing heat, and all life would be wiped out.
"Lili…" Hikigaya opened his mouth to speak. He exhaled a gust of wind to carry his voice into the city. "Leave here immediately. I fear I won't be able to protect the city next."
He received no reply—he no longer had the strength to manipulate wind.
All nine remaining suns were ignited.
White flames poured from Hikigaya's arrow—this was the divine fire of the Ten Suns.
Except for Hikigaya himself, anything that came into contact with the white flames would vanish instantly.
After holding on for a moment more, he could no longer maintain the drawn posture.
Burning his life force, sacrificing all access to Set's authority for the entire day, and magnifying this power tenfold before shooting it with the divine wooden bow—this was not an easy feat.
Just those few seconds of delay, and Hikigaya could feel his life about to extinguish. To ignite the divine fire of the Ten Suns, he had nearly spent all his life.
Not just life—his strength had also vanished. Since becoming a god-slayer, this was the first time such a thing had happened.
He had no choice but to let go.
As his consciousness faded, Hikigaya did his best to shoot the arrow, watching it transform into a giant black bird that lit up the entire sky.
Then came thoughts of Liliana. Hikigaya worried for that girl's safety, because even he didn't know how powerful this arrow would be. It was only natural to worry…
By the time he thought of that, Hikigaya had already lost consciousness.
So he would not witness with his own eyes the terrifying force of the arrow he had unleashed.
The sky became a realm of white, rampaging divine fire. The blazing solar fire incinerated everything in its path.
Even Poseidon, who could shake the heavens and earth, was helpless. In the end, he too was swallowed by the vast white flames—until he vanished completely.
But this scene was fully witnessed by Liliana Kranjcar.
She, of course, had not left.
In fact, from beginning to end, she had been watching the entire battle. Poseidon's whip struck fear into her, but Hikigaya's arrow left her even more shaken.
The ancient god-king, along with the clouds and seawater that surrounded him, were all wiped away by this one arrow. The sky cleared, and the sea was flattened—as if those towering waves had never existed.
Liliana now deeply understood why magi revered god-slayers as "kings." Though she had always known the reason, it had merely been hollow words—nothing compared to seeing it with her own eyes.
To humanity, the most terrifying demon king could also be their only savior in the face of rebellious gods bringing disaster and suffering.
Today, Hikigaya Hachiman saved the Port of Cagliari. Though the city suffered heavy losses this night, it was still far better than being slaughtered by Poseidon.
This wasn't Liliana's first encounter with a god-slayer. In her memory, whether it was Voban or Lord Salvatore, neither cared much for the people. For the first time, an Italian city had been saved by a god-slayer—and this god-slayer wasn't even a native king, nor the leader of the local magic associations.
At this moment, Liliana sincerely wished there could be a change…
A king willing to protect the people—that's who she wanted to follow. Not a tyrant like Marquis Voban, nor a degenerate like her own country's leader.
Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
"Ahh, looks like I'm late?"
A blond young man, wearing an open floral shirt and ordinary jeans, appeared on the battlefield just after the fight had ended.
He held a large sheathed sword in his hand, looking very much like a warrior.
This blond youth had casually leapt across the city districts that had been sliced apart—one after another like stepping stones.
And he relied purely on his physical jumping ability. No magic or tricks whatsoever.
At this moment, the young man looked down at Hikigaya lying on the ground, his face full of regret.
"What a shame. I went through the trouble of sharpening my sword, and you're already down for the count. I wanted to show you my new move."
As he said this, he turned to see Liliana's mournful expression.
"Oh? Are you crying? Ah, I get it—you think he's dead, right? Actually, he's not. This guy can resurrect, y'know."
"…!" Liliana's sorrowful expression instantly froze. Her body trembled slightly. Her cheeks flushed bright red, and the grief in her eyes was quickly replaced by shame and anger.