Indra was completely suppressed by Ren Kuroda.
Even after descending to the mortal plane, he hadn't gained the slightest advantage. On the contrary, he was being utterly overwhelmed.
The situation on the Dragon Demon King's side was no better. What had been agreed upon as a coordinated group assault had devolved into him single-handedly dueling Az Dakahaka.
The Seven Great Demon Kings were renowned throughout Little Garden—but their opponent was "Absolute Evil" Az Dakahaka. Wielding the Simulated Star Creation Map—Avesta—in his grasp, no non-human existence stood a chance against him.
Originally, the plan had been for him to play support.
Now he had become the primary damage dealer.
And what was this nonsense? The Human Final Trial was supposed to consist of only "Absolute Evil." Yet now a second monstrosity had appeared—"Final Evil." How the hell were they supposed to fight that?
The best option at this point was clear: Indra and the Dragon Demon King should seize an opening and withdraw, leaving the two Human Final Trials to tear each other apart. Even if one fell first, the other would never escape unscathed.
If they continued trying to duel either of them head-on, neither Indra nor the Dragon Demon King had even the slightest chance of victory.
But the problem was obvious.
If the two of them retreated… what about the gods and Buddhas who had come with them?
Wouldn't that be blatant betrayal?
And after learning that Ren Kuroda had chosen to become a "Human Final Trial" in order to save Little Garden's lower levels, Indra found himself even more conflicted. If they simply left and allowed the two Final Trials to clash, then even if Ren survived the initial exchange, there was no way he could defeat the now-empowered Az Dakahaka.
Ren seemed to read the hesitation in Indra's eyes and spoke first.
"The suppressed gods and Buddhas won't die. Not until Az Dakahaka defeats me. He still needs them as fertilizer."
His tone was calm—far too calm.
"If you two leave now, the Dragon Demon King's absence will at least reduce some of my pressure."
He paused, then added bluntly:
"Even if you stay and struggle here, you can't change anything. You'll just get in the way."
There was no attempt at tact.
But it was the truth.
And even if they could help him, Ren did not want them interfering.
The mission didn't explicitly state that his battle with Az Dakahaka had to be a one-on-one duel.
But what if it did?
After a long moment of hesitation, Indra and the Dragon Demon King finally withdrew, retreating to where Shara and the others were observing from afar.
When the people of Little Garden's lower levels learned that even a three-digit powerhouse and someone close to three digits—leading a group of five-digit gods and Buddhas—had been unable to do anything to Az Dakahaka… and that the supreme divine beings of the strongest race had been reduced to mere fertilizer—
A heavy silence fell over everyone.
The situation was becoming more and more unfathomable.
No—this had already surpassed anything recorded in history.
Two Human Final Trials appearing in the same place at the same time?
That alone was unprecedented.
—
On the battlefield, with Indra and the Dragon Demon King gone, Ren and Az Dakahaka immediately launched into their second round of mutual annihilation.
But the tide had shifted completely.
After using the Simulated Star Creation Map—Avesta—to mimic the powers of the surrounding gods and Buddhas and fuse their strength into himself, Az Dakahaka's power now vastly surpassed Ren's.
What had once been an even fifty-fifty clash had flipped entirely.
Az Dakahaka now held absolute advantage.
Ren was not merciful by nature.
To turn the tide, he even considered slaughtering the gods and Buddhas himself.
But Az Dakahaka clearly anticipated that thought. He blocked Ren relentlessly. When necessary, he even sacrificed divine-class clones of himself to shield the gods.
The irony was almost unbearable.
They had come to exterminate "Absolute Evil."
And now "Absolute Evil" was protecting them.
The gods and Buddhas, surrounded but not slain by Az Dakahaka's divine clones, finally understood their position.
Shame burned within them.
They were supposed to be among the strongest races of Little Garden.
Yet before two Human Final Trials, they were nothing more than fertilizer.
—
After activating Avesta, Az Dakahaka's speed, strength, and the potency of his Gifts had all surpassed Ren completely.
The battle remained ferocious.
But from afar, Shara and Black Rabbit could already see the truth.
If things continued like this, Ren's defeat was only a matter of time.
Az Dakahaka launched a heavy punch that struck Ren mid-air, sending him flying. The force alone blasted him away at supersonic speed.
The black mud formed from "All the Evil of This World" absorbed part of the impact—
But Ren still spat out a mouthful of blood.
And it wasn't over.
As Ren hurtled backward through the sky, Az Dakahaka's "Dragon's Legacy" manifested. A pair of colossal dragon wings unfurled from his back.
The next instant—
With a speed rivaling spatial teleportation, the massive dragon appeared beside Ren.
Despite his enormous body, his velocity was absurd.
Clasping both hands together, Az Dakahaka swung down like a falling meteor, hammering Ren's body—still reeling from inertia—straight toward the earth.
The ground shattered.
Because Az Dakahaka was too fast, even the black mud constantly circling Ren had no time to shield him before his body absorbed the full brunt of the blow.
"BOOOOOOM—!"
The thunderous crash reverberated across the battlefield.
It was only a human-sized figure falling from the sky—
Yet the impact rivaled a meteor strike.
The earth trembled.
After taking the hit, Ren felt as though every bone in his body had shattered. A searing, burning agony spread across his back.
Even now, the force hadn't fully dissipated.
His body continued sinking deeper into the earth—
He had likely been driven several kilometers underground.
—
Az Dakahaka hovered in the sky, dragon wings beating steadily.
He gazed down at the massive crater formed below.
And he did not stop.
In the next second, golden light began gathering within the three mouths of his dragon heads.
Blinding.
Scorching.
It was the signature Gift representing his essence—tyranny and weaponized war.
"Ruler's Halo."
Previously, Az Dakahaka's Ruler's Halo had been blocked by Ren's All the Evil of This World.
But that had been a weakened version, first diminished by two aurora pillars unleashed by Shiroyasha and Izayoi.
This time was different.
Now, after fusing the power of countless gods through Avesta—and augmented further by Dragon's Legacy—
This was a deluxe, supercharged version.
Far beyond the original.
Its destructive force was beyond imagination.
The hundred-meter-long dragon hovered in the sky.
Within his three jaws, the Ruler's Halo burned brighter and hotter—
To the point that those watching felt as though a second sun had risen in the heavens.