The greatest power of the Sirius Empire: The Golden Way Zodiacs.
So, among them, who’s the strongest?
There was a ranking made out of such curiosity.
Of course, it wasn’t official—just something enthusiasts slapped together for fun.
<Find the Continent's Strongest Wielder!> That magazine posted monthly rankings with that flashy title…
“What was the name of that magazine again?”
Anyway, according to what’s commonly known as the Hero Rankings, here’s where two of them stood:
Golden Way Zodiacs – Thousand Gale Palace, Gliese Antarès. Rank 8.
Golden Way Zodiacs – Opposite Palace, Gamifer Altaurphe. Rank 11.
They say they rank people based on their achievements, strength, reputation, and other factors combined…
But honestly, I don’t really get it. And apparently, the people listed don’t care either.
By the way, the Sage was ranked 5th, and Erias was 2nd.
According to the Hero Rankings, even though it was just an exhibition match, 5th place beat 2nd place.
And yet, no one fought directly to decide this—so it’s ridiculous. I’ve mostly ignored it up until now.
I only remembered this because someone nearby actually believed in this nonsense.
“Will there be another upset this time? It’s an 8th vs. 11th showdown! It seems pretty evenly matched so far. What do you think, Professor?”
“Uh… well, hmm…”
Senna, you actually believe this stuff?
Caught off guard by such an unexpected question, I awkwardly scratched my cheek.
“You idiot. How would we know? This is a fight without anyone using Divine Powers—it’s useless.”
Ariana chimed in to mock me after hearing this.
She has a point… but didn’t you believe it too?
“What’s this thing anyway?”
Black Wolf tilted their head in confusion.
Ah, you wouldn’t know about this. You were trained in Blackwater and thrown straight into battle. I only stumbled upon it while flipping through some random magazines. There wouldn’t have been anything like that in Blackwater.
After all, Special Forces Blackwater was a unit designed purely to create weapons.
“Don’t you know? It’s called the Hero Rankings…”
Senna excitedly started chattering away.
Apparently, teaching Black Wolf something new brought her immense joy.
Listening quietly, Black Wolf then asked,
“So, what about Allen? Where does he rank?”
“Oh… Professor isn’t even on the list…”
“Hey! Like I’d have time to be on some random list. I hear they only put the top 100 strongest people from the continent.”
Even if I became a Master, there’s no way I’d make it onto that list. How highly do you think of me?
“That makes it irrelevant.”
Black Wolf firmly declared.
What? Is that genuine?
Sure, I didn’t exactly take it seriously either, but still… it’s not because my name isn’t there, right?
“But… maybe now it could be! I haven’t checked since the midterms three months ago! Maybe Professor’s name appeared during that time…”
Senna desperately tried to defend my honor.
“Pfft. Like Allen would ever make it on there. Whoever writes that probably doesn’t even know Allen exists. Besides, it doesn’t seem very reliable. Didn’t Headmaster Heinz come in at 88th place? I threw that magazine away the moment I saw it.”
Ariana snorted dismissively at Senna’s attempt.
Was that true?
I only glanced at the top 10 and moved on, so I’m not entirely sure. But she does have a point… somehow it feels annoying though.
“Shut up.”
“Ow!”
After lightly bonking Ariana on the head, I pointed toward the arena and said,
“Stop talking nonsense and watch the match. Isn’t there something you should be learning?”
“Tch… Senna was the one who started it…”
Ignoring Ariana’s grumbles, I refocused on the intense match before us.
It wasn’t because I wanted to embarrass her—I swear.
***
Divine Power is about manifesting one’s will into the world.
Only Masters can use Divine Powers, but not all Masters are capable of wielding them. Only those chosen with exceptional talent can reach mastery, and even among Masters, only the chosen few can unlock Divine Powers.
In short, the outcome of a duel between Masters often comes down to differences in Divine Power.
“Seems like we’re struggling to decide this fight under these restrictions.”
“Feeling cramped? So am I.”
No one expected the limitation of not using Divine Powers to feel this stifling. Moreover, they couldn’t unleash full power due to potential harm to spectators.
Both men grimaced as if trying to eat a meal without hands.
Clearly possible, yet frustratingly restrained—a feeling only they could truly understand.
“Perhaps… just for a moment, it might be okay?”
Gamifer muttered with a sly smile. Though usually polite, his patience wasn’t infinite.
In his homeland, the Altair Kingdom of the west—now subjugated by the Sirius Empire—they called him “the kindly tyrant.” His demeanor differed drastically between peace and combat.
“Ahh, we’ll both fail the grading if we do this.”
“This is better than fighting boringly and failing anyway.”
“You’re impossible to reason with.”
Though shaking his head, Gliese soon grinned.
“Still, it’ll be fun. If we’re going to fail, might as well go down together.”
“Knew you’d see it my way.”
Facing each other, they slowly unleashed their Divine Powers, careful not to draw attention.
Just a tiny bit.
[Divine Power: Sand Star Solitary Radiance]
Gamifer’s body began to glow faintly. Similar to Paul wrapping himself in aura, but this was his awakened Divine Power. Its effect: burning life force to explosively amplify his power.
[Divine Power: Unyielding Indomitable]
Gliese’s gaze hardened. Sensory hairs stood on end as perception sharpened dramatically. A Divine Power that excludes hallucinations, poison, disease—anything harmful to him. With it activated, he was practically invincible until death.
“Let’s go.”
“Right.”
In an instant, Gamifer appeared before Gliese, swinging his scimitar.
“…”
Superhuman speed, yet to Gliese, it felt as slow as a child wielding a wooden sword. His body had heightened senses to “exclude” the attack.
Swish—
Dodging effortlessly, Gliese thrust his spear in one fluid motion.
“!”
Startled by the improbable attack, Gamifer gritted his teeth and twisted his wrist.
Clang!
The seemingly playful strike carried immense force. Gamifer’s wrist bent awkwardly from the clumsy block. Frowning, he used the momentum to spin around and swing his opposite scimitar.
“Hooh…!”
Even Gliese hadn’t anticipated this. Sacrificing his wrist to continue attacking? Easily deflecting the scimitar with his spear, Gliese smirked.
“You lunatic.”
“You’re tough yourself.”
Gamifer lightly parried and launched another attack. His previously injured wrist now bore only a red mark, having recovered almost instantly.
Pushing him back with added force, Gliese shook his wrist and spoke.
“Your recovery’s impressive. I’m starting to figure out your Divine Power.”
Probably something that enhances physical abilities. That explains the unprecedented healing. Simple yet powerful—fitting for Gamifer.
“Cheating, aren’t you? I still don’t fully get yours.”
Gamifer grumbled. Enhanced reflexes were evident. Given the earlier unstable stance followed by such a strong attack, perhaps it boosts physical prowess similarly to his own.
‘Something feels off though…’
His intuition warned it wasn’t everything. But time was running short. The longer this fight dragged on, the more likely someone would notice.
‘Likely already noticed, but… hahaha…’
No one escapes the Royal Palace Knights’ Captain’s eye—not even members of the Golden Way Zodiacs.
“If you won’t come to me, I’ll come to you.”
While pondering, Gliese’s spear suddenly flew.
Surprised by the sudden throw, Gamifer instinctively deflected it and lunged forward.
“Are you giving up?”
“Hmm.”
Perplexed by the calm gesture, Gamifer frowned.
At that moment—
Whoosh—
“—!”
Reacting to the killing intent behind him, Gamifer twisted his body. Barely regaining balance, he muttered through clenched teeth.
“Damn it… that’s cheating, isn’t it?”
Gliese’s spear floated alone in the air.
“Haha, annoyed? Why don’t you try it if you can.”
With both hands free, Gliese laughed casually. ‘Qi-Driving Spear,’ usable only in Divine Power state.
“Alright. Let’s start Round Two?”
A chilling smile spread across his face.
