Chapter 57: Casual Chat with Hiratsuka Shizuka
Sitting on a bench in front of the school building facing the sports field, Ren sipped on a cold yogurt he bought from a vending machine. Beside him, a green tree provided shade, its leaves swaying gently in the afternoon breeze.
His gaze was fixed on the baseball club members practicing, but his mind was busy thinking about something more crucial.
"Athena, Sun Wukong, Susanoo, Lancelot, Perseus, Hanuman. Those are the Heretic Gods that appeared in the original Campione timeline. However, this world is integrated with dozens of other anime. Not only Heretic Gods, but also ghosts, youkai, evil spirits, and even aliens."
"Hou Yi never appeared in the Campione anime or light novel. So, I conclude that aside from the Heretic Gods from the original work, there's a possibility other gods will emerge from their myths and become Heretic Gods."
Needing a new Divine Authority, Ren began considering his options.
Athena is currently incomplete without the Gorgon Stone, Sun Wukong is imprisoned in the Netherworld, and the cowardly Susanoo chose to hide there as well. Lancelot's whereabouts are uncertain, always moving around. Perseus hasn't even emerged from his myth yet. As for Hanuman, he will only appear if the King of the End is awakened.
In short, even if Ren wanted to hunt Heretic Gods now, there's no easy target for him to pursue. He can't always rely on luck favoring him, like when he encountered Hou Yi who came to him as a warning.
"There's another method... the Heretic God summoning ritual. Marquis Voban once used this method to summon Siegfried. The ritual requires dozens of Hime-Miko, and after the summoning is complete, most of them will die as their magical energy is drained, leaving only one Hime-Miko alive."
"No, I shouldn't become a bastard like Marquis Voban."
Indeed, Ren is a scumbag who prioritizes results over the process. He has his own moral bottom line, though it might be lower than most people's, but it still exists. He's not cruel enough to sacrifice so many young girls' lives just to strengthen himself.
However, if the sacrifices were men?