Multiverse's Holy Right

They say no one knows oneself better than oneself, but few truly achieve such self-awareness.

Scáthach is one of those rare few. Unlike those who, upon realizing their mediocrity, resign themselves to drifting with the tide, she is acutely aware of her extraordinary talents—that she exists on a plane beyond ordinary mortals—and she has honed those gifts to their utmost potential.

She grows stronger, ever stronger. If her talent could be distilled into a single word, it would be this: growth.

In the distant Age of Gods, when heroes penned their epics and deities roamed the earth, Scáthach was not yet this powerful. That's why, upon discovering Cú Chulainn—a once-in-an-era prodigy—she yearned for him to be the one who could slay her, this woman cursed by the gods.

The moment she laid eyes on Cú Chulainn, she foresaw his fate: his inevitable death. Yet she still hoped this rare genius might defy destiny, overturn his own demise.

Alas, the Hound of Ulster—the only one who ever stood a chance of killing her—ultimately succumbed to his ordained fate. From that moment, Scáthach knew no one would ever be capable of ending her life.

As eons passed, her talents made her grow ever mightier, until she and her realm of shadows transcended the world itself, drifting beyond its borders into eternal solitude.

Perhaps only when this world itself fades will she finally meet her end. Until then, she must endure, persisting alongside existence itself.

"Where is the one who can kill me? Heh... surely none exist—"

The solitary queen murmured in a voice both regal and self-mocking, beautiful yet laced with irony.

"Moses Parts the Sea!"

Under the divine authority of Godspeed, Roy moved like lightning. With death-defying resolve and unprecedented focus, he brought down a palm strike capable of splitting oceans upon Scáthach!

"To ordinary men, your speed might seem impressive. But to me—this is still far too slow!"

Scáthach spoke without urgency, her body shifting slightly to evade the godlike strike. The earth of the Land of Shadows tore apart with a deafening screech, a chasm splitting the terrain all the way to distant cliffs Roy had seen earlier, reducing stone structures to dust in its wake.

Yet Scáthach wasn't entirely unscathed. Several strands of her deep violet hair, severed by Roy's technique, drifted away like dandelion seeds on the wind.

"This move contains the power of myth, rivaling the Noble Phantasms of Servants. But you obtained this technique from someone else, didn't you? You've grasped its form but not its essence—your execution lacks coherence and structure. You could have perfected it, yet you don't know how."

Upon witnessing Roy's technique, Moses Parts the Sea, Scáthach's rose-colored eyes gleamed. With her wisdom and power, she instantly recognized that this was a skill Roy had usurped from another, yet he had uniquely infused it with "Biblical power." This alone convinced Scáthach that he, too, was a man of rare talent!

"Wrestling with God!"

Realizing his Godspeed authority was useless—Scáthach could effortlessly match his pace—Roy abandoned guerrilla tactics. Instead, he desperately unleashed every technique at his disposal. Facing such a formidable foe, he had to exhaust all his strongest moves before she decided to kill him, leaving no regrets. And in this dance on the edge of death, he had to summon every ounce of his wit to find a path to survival.

Wrestling with God was the strongest technique among Roy's Hand of Jacob, a divine-countering move that reenacted Jacob's struggle against God.

Roy's massive hand shot out, grasping for Scáthach's shoulder. No matter how she twisted her body, she couldn't evade it.

"Reversing causality, so evasion is impossible? And it carries immense lethality against divinity—truly a praiseworthy technique."

The Wisdom of Dún Scáith allowed Scáthach to discern the conceptual weight behind Roy's Wrestling with God. The mighty Queen of the Land of Shadows Isles remained composed, lecturing him even as she effortlessly blocked his ultimate move.

"Unfortunately, I possess no divinity—I am a Godslayer, just like you. Reversed causality is troublesome, but your execution is flawed. It can be broken."

Scáthach's voice grew fervent as she suddenly raised one of her demonic spears, tracing a simple yet profound rune in the air. Though the symbol appeared basic, it contained mysteries that left Roy dizzy. As multiple arcane runes materialized, Roy was stunned to find the reversed causality of his technique forcibly restored to its natural order. With just a slight shift of her shoulder, Scáthach dodged his otherwise unavoidable strike.

"Primordial Runes?!"

Roy halted, his voice laced with shock.

Runes were a cornerstone of magic, and in the world of Campione, Roy had studied them extensively. But—

"How do you know Primordial Runes?! Those are the exclusive secrets of the great god Odin! Even the runes used by modern magi are mere simplified versions. Are you connected to Odin? No, that can't be—you're a figure from Celtic mythology!"

Roy's disbelief was palpable.

He expected Scáthach to dismiss his questions, but to his surprise, she answered like a patient mentor: "...Odin exists in foreign realms as well. Tell me, have you heard of the Poetic Edda?"

"Of course I know. The Poetic Edda is one of the most important classics of Norse literature from the medieval period, serving as one of the foundational sources of Western mythology outside of ancient Greece and Rome!"

Roy spoke solemnly—his knowledge of history and mythology couldn't possibly overlook such a renowned text.

"Then do you know the second chapter of the Poetic Edda, 'The Sayings of the High One'?"

As if testing Roy, Scáthach pointed at him with her magic spear, using it like a teacher's pointer...

"The Sayings of the High One?"

Roy froze for a moment before suddenly realizing:

"...Eighteen Runes I know, none shall they share,"

"Not maid nor wife, though they plead or swear."

"Better by far what no man can tell,"

"Save one alone—and she knows it well."

"This song's end—how does it go?"

"Only one woman may ever know."

"If not my bride, then my sister she be!"

This poem was spoken by the great god Odin himself, describing the original eighteen Runes. Odin explicitly stated he would never teach them to anyone—except for one woman who received his legacy!

If that woman was Scáthach, it would explain why she wielded the original Runes. But how did she become connected to Odin? While there is a goddess in Norse mythology who shares her origins, could this world also experience mythological convergence?

For a moment, Roy was utterly bewildered.

Noticing Roy's confusion, Scáthach didn't offer an explanation this time. Instead, she asked with mild curiosity, "...Does Scáthach exist in your world as well?"

Even the wisdom of the Land of Shadows couldn't pierce the mysteries of another world.

"Scáthach does exist there..."

Roy affirmed. As a figure prominently featured in Celtic mythology, Scáthach could undoubtedly manifest as a Heretic God in the world of Campione. But—

"But that Scáthach is nowhere near as strong as you—no, you're absurdly powerful! In the myths, Scáthach was merely the teacher of heroes like Cú Chulainn—a formidable warrior, yes, but not someone who could slay countless gods and transcend the world itself!"

That was the truth. This Scáthach was an anomaly. If she were merely the Scáthach of legend, Roy was confident he could defeat her.

"Do not be puzzled, traveler from another world. For the Scáthach before you is the most unique among all her counterparts across countless parallel worlds!"

The violet queen declared with solitary pride, her voice carrying both unshakable self-assurance and a tinge of bitter self-mockery.

"Prince Siddhartha Gautama, beneath the Bodhi tree, conquered the armies of Mara with wisdom and attained enlightenment, becoming the Buddha—transcending the universe in a single moment. As for me, I am the one Scáthach who attained enlightenment through slaughter. Yet I could not surpass the universe as the Buddha did—I merely surpassed this world, reaching only the world's outer boundary."

Scáthach seemed to relish playing the teacher, eager to dispel doubts.

"...I could not cross the abyss, but in gazing into it, I gained the Wisdom of Dún Scáith Thus, Scáthach remains Scáthach—the warrior woman who guards the gates of the Land of Shadows. But I alone am different."

The Queen of the Land of Shadows, who could thoroughly comprehend herself, spoke thus—proud of her achievements yet sorrowful that her strides had been so vast that none who came after could ever hope to catch up.

"I remember Aiwass once said that Aleister also attempted to cross the Abyss, which was why he summoned the Great Demon Coronzon, hoping to achieve his goal through Coronzon's power. Could it be that to become a Magic God, one must cross the Abyss? But what exactly is the Abyss?"

At this moment, Roy felt a surge of excitement, realizing he had learned so much.

Indeed, only by communicating and learning from those who had reached such heights could one broaden their perspective and behold even more magnificent vistas!

***

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