Kawashima Toya ignored the golden light radiating from Cundi, which was actively attempting to erode his will.
"This is a battle between you and me. Why drag the innocent into it?"
With that, Toya erupted with a terrifying surge of aura. His body transformed into a streak of light, tearing through the sky toward the open sea.
"Let's settle this outside Kyoto! Show me what a Buddha is really made of!"
"Child of man, you have strayed onto the path of demons," Cundi lamented, his voice heavy with performative pity. "Today, I shall cleanse you of your sins."
"Enter my fold, and cultivate the profound Dharma."
As he spoke, Cundi took a single step forward. Beneath his foot, a golden lotus bloomed from nothingness. With each subsequent step, a trail of golden lotuses stretched across the sky, filling the world with a calming, divine fragrance that threatened to lull the mind into submission.
"He's following."
Toya glanced back at the Heretic God, who was pursuing him with a sky-filling radiance. "I need to get further away from the city."
His biggest concern wasn't the battle itself, but his Origin Points. If Cundi kept releasing that hypnotic light, countless people below would try to "cross the sea of suffering" to reach the "other shore"—a euphemism for mass suicide or brain death via enlightenment.
Cleaning up a mess of that magnitude would cost him a fortune in system points.
Minutes later, Toya stopped and stood in the sky above the ocean, gazing at the approaching deity. "Cundi, you're faster than you look."
"We possess the divine art of shrinking the earth," Cundi replied calmly. "Submit, and I shall teach this art to you."
The golden light around Cundi grew even more dazzling, as if he intended to force Toya's submission in one fell swoop.
Toya's expression remained calm. "History is written by the victors."
"Let's see if you can win first."
"Noble Phantasm, Release!"
"I am the Spear, and the Spear is me! —Gáe Bolg!"
The crimson spear in his hand suddenly burst with blood-red light. The tip sparkled with ominous brilliance, and arcs of red lightning crackled around it. The terrifying pressure caused the surrounding space to groan under the strain.
Toya gripped the spear tightly, waiting for its power to reach its peak, and then hurled it with all his might.
BOOM!
A deafening roar echoed through the heavens. The clouds split, and massive waves rose from the ocean below. The spear pierced through space itself, carrying unstoppable momentum as it flew straight for Cundi's heart.
Splurt!
Golden blood dripped from Cundi's divine body. A clearly visible wound appeared where the spear had struck.
"I... am injured?" Cundi stared blankly at the wound on his chest, as if he couldn't process the reality of a mortal harming a god.
"Now's my chance! There are no rules in a fight to the death!"
Toya's eyes flashed. In an instant, he appeared directly above the stunned god, gathering a terrifying amount of energy for a follow-up strike.
BANG!
With a sound like a thunderclap, Cundi was smashed out of the sky, tumbling down into the ocean below.
Toya recalled the spear to his hand, his aura surging as his voice rang across the sky. "Press the advantage!"
"Another True Name Release! I'm sending you back to Myth right now!"
He had to seize every opening. If he let a Heretic God recover, the battle would turn into a protracted nightmare.
"Mortal... even a Buddha has moments of wrath."
Cundi's voice echoed from all directions, calm yet terrifying.
From the depths of the ocean, a brilliant, blinding column of golden light erupted. A massive, golden avatar of the Buddha rose from the waves, its divine presence sweeping across heaven and earth.
"Since you insist on holding to your foolishness and refuse to submit..."
"Do not blame me for using force."
"In the future, you will surely understand my benevolence."
The giant golden avatar slowly extended a hand. Like the legendary palm that suppressed the Monkey King, it descended toward Toya, locking down the surrounding space and sealing off all avenues of escape.
So, defeating a Heretic God really does require luck.
Toya sighed internally. No wonder the Death Note predicted I'd die of exhaustion after killing him.
It's going to be a battle of attrition!
He activated his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, his irises turning a clear, crystalline blue.
Can't dodge? Then I'll just kill the attack!
Toya gripped Gáe Bolg and charged straight at the descending "Buddha's Palm." Since retreat wasn't an option, he would meet it head-on.
In an instant, he struck the "Point of Death" on the palm. However, just as he was about to relax, he realized he had only shattered the point of death for a single finger.
BOOM!
The massive palm, carrying the weight of the heavens, slammed into Toya and drove him deep into the ocean.
"Cough!"
A burst of red light erupted from the water, and Toya reappeared above the waves. His aura was unstable, and he struggled to maintain his stance.
Cundi's voice, now indifferent and emotionless, drifted through the air. "All life is suffering. Only through me can you be saved."
"Mortal, submit."
An unseen force—the Authority of the Heretic God—suddenly activated.
The Eight Sufferings of existence descended upon Toya instantly.
Birth, Old Age, Sickness, Death, Separation from Loved Ones, Association with the Hated, Failure to Obtain Desires, and the Suffering of the Five Skandhas.
All eight forms of metaphysical torment manifested in Toya's mind at once.
His gaze grew unfocused as he was pulled into one realistic illusion after another. Each vision represented a different form of extreme suffering, starting from the moment of birth. The relentless barrage of misery was designed to break his spirit and make him realize the inherent pain of existence.
Why endure boundless suffering? Why not sever your attachments to the mundane world and find peace?
Toya's appearance began to shift along with the illusions. One moment he was a child, the next a withered old man. Every emotion known to humanity flashed across his face as he lived through the lives of the world's most tragic figures.
Life is full of such pain. Why do I cling to it?
Why waste my years in struggle? Why not choose the path of the Blue Lamp and the Ancient Buddha for the rest of my days?
Toya struggled, frowned, and then looked as if he were losing his mind. The myriad states of human existence washed over him.
No! I am Kawashima Toya!
I am not a believer!
I believe only in myself! I believe only in the sword in my hand!
Just as his consciousness began to resist, it was plunged back into chaos.
Cundi stopped his physical attacks, watching Toya quietly. "What incredible potential. If he enters the fold..."
"We would surely gain another Enlightened One."
After a long silence, Cundi smiled, holding a flower in his hand—a gesture of transmission. "Mortal, have you understood?"
Toya slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was calm, detached from the mortal world. He looked as if he had truly let go of everything, ready to spend his remaining days in meditation.
He bowed respectfully to Cundi. "I... I cannot understand."
"Why?" Cundi's heart skipped a beat just as he was about to rejoice. "Foolish child, speak of your hesitation."
"I shall help you escape the sea of suffering and reach the shore."
A brilliant, confident smile broke across Toya's handsome face. "I have a technique I would like you to see first."
At that moment, Cundi felt an overwhelming sense of danger.
"I am the pinnacle of humanity! The apex of life!"
"The pathfinder of the era! The Savior of the World!"
"Manifest here and now!"