A terrifying aura overflowing from Godou's body pressed down on the surrounding atmosphere.
As his incantation concluded, the power of the Bull Incarnation fully awakened within him.
His blood boiled, his muscles tensed, and his body was filled with extraordinary strength, comparable to mythological heroes like Hercules.
However, at the same time, Ren had retreated.
As soon as the incantation was completed, he vanished into the forest, choosing to avoid direct confrontation.
This was not without reason—Ren knew all too well about the Ten Incarnations Godou possessed.
As an archer, he understood the weaknesses and limitations of his enemy's power.
If he forced a close-range battle, he would have no chance of winning.
Unlike Salvatore Doni, who possessed the Divine Authority: Man of Steel from Siegfried, Ren's body was not reinforced by any divine authority.
One punch from Godou in his Bull Incarnation, and this battle would end in an instant.
Thus, Ren chose a defensive strategy, moving swiftly through the forest while firing arrows from unexpected angles.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
Once again, a rain of arrows shot from all directions, filling the sky like a meteor shower.
Seeing this, Godou grumbled inwardly.
'Does Ren know the specific abilities of the Bull Incarnation? He immediately hid as soon as I finished the incantation.'
Although his strength had now increased dramatically, he had lost his speed advantage.
The Bull Incarnation enhanced his body and attacks, but it did not increase his speed.
As a result, he could not avoid all the arrows coming at him.
*Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!* *Pu-chi!*
Arrows pierced his body from various directions.
Although his bones and muscles were as hard as steel, the penetrating power of Ren's arrows was not something to be underestimated.
Godou's body staggered, even being flung backward several times, crushing large trees in his path.
Yet, he did not fall.
With the Bull Incarnation, pain was not something that could easily bring him down.
'If this continues, I'll be in a worse position.'
Clenching his fists tighter, in one brutal motion, Godou slammed the ground with all his might.
*BOOOOM!!!*
The impact was so devastating that the entire island of Aogashima shook violently.
The ground cracked, shockwaves toppled trees, and landslides occurred in various places.
Beneath his feet, a giant crater formed, spanning hundreds of meters in width.
However, even though the scenery before him had drastically changed, he did not see Ren anywhere.
*SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!* *SWOOSH!*
After a brief moment of silence, the rain of arrows once again bombarded him from all directions.
'Still no luck, huh...' Godou smiled bitterly.
Even after destroying most of the vegetation, Ren remained unseen.
'Then I'll attack everything. Let's see how you keep hiding.'
This was the first time Godou had faced an opponent like Ren—someone who maximized speed, distance, and guerrilla tactics.
If not for the innate Battle IQ of a Campione, the instincts of a wild beast, and adrenaline hundreds of times higher than that of an ordinary human, he might have already fallen by now.
But now it was time to turn the tables.
Godou activated the Ram Incarnation first to heal the wounds covering his body. In an instant, his injuries disappeared as if they had never existed.
Then, he immediately switched to the Goat Incarnation.
"O Guardian of the righteous, I invite you and offer sacrifice. O Guardian of the righteous, I praise you, and beseech you. One who supports the sky and Develops new land, the one who grants victory and grace, I will perform justice, please grant me the right path and light! "
"O lightning! O lightning! I am the conqueror who vanquished a thousand with a hundred, vanquished ten thousand with a thousand, and vanquished tens of thousands with ten thousand. Now for the sake of I who stand on the side of justice, release bright and shining brilliance, and grant me divine power!"
As soon as his incantation concluded, dark clouds hung heavily over the sky of Aogashima.
Thunder roared, lightning flashed, and the clear sky turned into a raging sea of lightning.
The dark clouds continued to spread, covering several kilometers.
With the Goat Incarnation, Godou now had complete control over lightning, as well as Psychic Sensing abilities.
However, this Incarnation could not be used casually—he could only access this power if there was someone present who was willing to stand on his side.
On Aogashima, Erica's presence fulfilled this condition.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Meanwhile, Ren hid in the forest, staring at the sky with a serious expression.
These dark clouds were not formed naturally—they were a manifestation of Divine Authority.
And if Godou used lightning as an attack...
'Damn. He's going to attack everything at once!'
Ren immediately quickened his movements, realizing the danger that was about to come.
*CRACK!* *ZZZZT!*
As Ren predicted, lightning began to rain down indiscriminately, shaking the entirety of Aogashima under Godou's full control.
*CRACKLE!* *BOOM!*
Blinding flashes of light lit up the sky before crashing down to the ground with devastating explosions, creating giant craters and toppling trees as if swept by a hurricane.
Avoiding this attack was nearly impossible.
Unless one possessed a Divine Authority with Godspeed, dodging lightning strikes was not a realistic option.
However—Ren was no ordinary person.
*SWOOSH!*
Amid the rain of lightning, Ren raised his bow and drew the string to its fullest.
Then, with incredible precision thanks to his Heavenly Eye, he fired an arrow directly at the lightning striking toward him!
*ZSHHHH!* *BOOM!*
The arrow pierced through the lightning, dispersing the electrical current in the air and neutralizing Godou's attack.
Yes—Ren shot down lightning!
As everyone in mythology knew, Hou Yi had once shot down nine of the ten suns with his archery skills.
And now, as the possessor of Hou Yi's Divine Authority, Ren shot down lightning as if it were nothing.
*ZZZZZT!* *BOOM!*
Ren deflected every incoming bolt with extraordinary speed and precision, firing arrows in split seconds without pause.
However, his actions revealed his location.
Godou's eyes gleamed.
"I've found you!"
*BOOOOM!*
Now he would not waste this opportunity.
He intensified his attack, causing hundreds of lightning bolts to strike simultaneously, all aimed directly at Ren!
*CRACK!* *CRACK!* *BOOM!*
Yet, Ren did not give up so easily.
With incredible speed, his hands did not stop working, firing arrow after arrow at Godou's attacks.
*SWISH!* *ZSHHH!* *BOOM!*
His arrows cut through every bolt of lightning, dispersing the electricity in the air before it could reach the ground.
In the pitch-black sky, these two figures fought with power that surpassed human comprehension.
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
'Lord Ren is incredibly resilient.'
Erica could not hide her surprise. Even after Godou used several Incarnations, he still could not defeat Ren.
The indiscriminate lightning strikes were not enough to overcome the man's defenses. With only one Divine Authority, Ren was able to deflect attack after attack.
'To be honest, I considered Lord Ren the weakest among the eight Campione of this era.'
Previously, she had thought that Ren was the weakest Campione, not comparable to Doni or Marquis Voban, whom Godou had defeated.
But now she changed her mind.
'Defeating Godou is no easy feat.'
She had seen Godou defeat Doni and Marquis Voban, two Campione who were more senior than him.
Yet, Ren managed to put Godou at a disadvantage despite having only one Divine Authority.
'So this is the power of the Seventh Campione...'
Erica tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword. She had made a mistake.
'I must not underestimate any Campione, even a newly born one.'
Anyone who could kill a Heretic God and steal their Divine Authority was certainly no ordinary human.
Beside her, Hayasaka could not take her eyes off the battle between the two newly born Campione.
'This cannot be called a battle between humans but a natural disaster.'
Hayasaka's mouth was slightly open, her blue eyes wide, staring at the apocalyptic scene before her with a mix of shock and awe.
Lightning raged, the ground shook, craters formed, and trees fell mercilessly.
In the dark sky, the figures of Godou and Ren fought endlessly, destroying the surroundings like war gods descending to earth.
'Far more spectacular than any action movie I've ever watched. So this is the power of a Campione...'
If not for the protective barrier Erica had set up, she was sure she would not have the qualifications to even stand here.
However, compared to fear, there was something stronger in her heart.
"Ren-sama is truly amazing.'
Previously, Hayasaka had felt disappointed and reluctant to serve him, especially after Ren took her purity during their first meeting.
But seeing him fight, seeing him withstand and deflect attack after attack from Godou, that reluctance vanished.
'This is the master I serve.'
Now, Hayasaka no longer felt sold off by Gan'an. Instead, she felt fortunate to be able to dedicate her life to a Campione like Ren.
Even if Ren often asked for strange and troublesome things, she would accept them wholeheartedly.