Before the duel, Itsuki-sama turns to me, his expression unusually serious.

  "Listen up, kid," he says, pointing to the watch on my wrist.

  "This green button starts the timer. The moment you see one of us get hit with a control-type ability and can't move, you press it immediately. The screen will display the seconds. If it reaches ten, press this big red button to stop the match. Got it?"

  I nod vigorously, suddenly feeling the immense importance of my role as "referee."

  This is it! The feeling of a side character who plays a pivotal role in a climactic battle!

  Karasu-sama says nothing. He simply raises his hand, murmuring something in an ancient language I don't understand, but the sound itself radiates absolute power.

  "Samra Varnsyo, Kai Mon!" (All of Creation, Open the Gate!)

  Woah! So cool!

  This isn't a magic spell; I can feel it. This is a command. He is ordering reality itself to obey.

  A black rift, fringed with glowing sigils, tears through the space in front of them. The two gods don't hesitate, diving straight inside. The metal dragonfly zips in after them. Instantly, the 3D projection on my watch flares to life.

  The scene that appears is more vivid than any 4K anime I've ever seen. An empty, endless space, and right in the center, the two gods face each other. I can see every strand of their fur, every spark of energy crackling around their bodies. The match officially begins!

  Itsuki-sama makes the first move.

  That's right! A preemptive strike to gain the upper hand! A classic strategy!

  His nine tails whip up in unison, and from them, dozens of neon-blue energy chains shoot out like snakes, surrounding Karasu-sama from all directions.

  But the Tengu god is incredibly calm. He shifts his body slightly, his movements minimal yet unbelievably efficient. Each chain misses him by a hair's breadth. Then, he raises his hand, and a bow of light materializes.

  "Gale Arrow!"

  A single, brilliant green arrow is fired.

  What? Just one arrow against dozens of chains?

  But its power is terrifying. It doesn't just pierce through; it creates a small vortex that blows all the chains away. Itsuki-sama has to hastily summon a circular, light-blue energy shield to block the aftershock.

  Karasu-sama gives his opponent no time to rest.

  "Inversion!"

  A perception-control type ability! An extremely annoying move!

  Instantly, I see Itsuki-sama start to move awkwardly. His senses are clearly in disarray. Gale Arrows fly at him from the left, but he dodges to the left. An arrow comes from above, and he jumps up. Finally, a decisive arrow finds its mark.

  Swish!

  It pierces right through Itsuki-sama's spiritual shoulder, flinging him against the invisible wall of the dimension and pinning him there.

  "He's in trouble!" I blurt out.

  Itsuki-sama tries to pull the arrow out with his hand, but it's no use. To make matters worse, Karasu-sama keeps firing smaller arrows, pinning Itsuki-sama's limbs to the wall. He has to maintain his shield while struggling against the main arrow.

  My heart sinks. Even with my slight bias for Itsuki-sama, as a fair referee, I have to press the button.

  Beep!

  [00:01]... [00:02]... [00:03]...

  Time seems to crawl. Is Itsuki-sama going to lose already?

  [00:05]... [00:06]...

  Just as I hold my breath, bracing for the worst, something strange happens. The arrow pinning Itsuki-sama begins to fade. It dissolves into particles of green light, which are then... absorbed right into his body!

  [00:08]

  Itsuki-sama breaks free, floating in mid-air. He escapes defeat by a razor's edge!

  "An Absorption Law? Not bad," Karasu-sama says, looking a little surprised.

  Itsuki-sama smirks, a few green energy sparks still lingering on his shoulder.

  "Yeah. Now... take it all back!"

  He swings his arm.

  Here it comes! The counterattack!

  Countless small, crimson portals open above Karasu-sama. From them, a barrage of energy stakes made of Foxfire rains down, pinning the Tengu god to the floor.

  A wide-area attack that's impossible to dodge!

  Karasu-sama is pinned tight, unable to move an inch.

  Beep! I press the timer again.

  [00:01]... [00:04]... [00:07]...

  Just as I think Karasu-sama is done for, a bolt of pure black lightning suddenly strikes down from nowhere, blasting the energy stakes into pieces. Karasu-sama easily slips out.

  What? Black lightning? What kind of Law is that?

  Now, both gods are serious. They face each other, their hands glowing brightly, enveloped in strange, ancient characters.

  "A Sealing Law," Itsuki-sama says, his voice cold.

  "Targeting the energy core. You're planning to go all out?"

  "You're finally getting serious too, aren't you," Karasu-sama retorts, unflinching.

  "I'm getting sick of wasting my FP."

  Oh my god!

  I can't contain my excitement.

  Here we go! Round two is about to begin!

  This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

  ***

  The next thing I know, they charge at each other!

  Oh my gods, here it is! Close-quarters combat!

  No more long-range Divine Law exchanges; this is pure martial arts. Their punches and kicks are so fast that my normal eyes can't possibly keep up. Their objective is crystal clear: land a fist empowered by the Law of Sealing onto the opponent's abdomen, which I guess is the "dan tian" or energy core of a deity.

  BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

  The sounds of impact echo through the dimensional space. A spinning kick from Itsuki-sama is blocked by Karasu-sama's forearm, creating a small shockwave. Immediately after, Karasu-sama counters with an elbow strike, but Itsuki-sama deftly dodges, simultaneously throwing a hook into his opponent's side.

  The fight gets faster and faster. I start to lose track of their movements, seeing only two blurs—one blue, one black—constantly colliding, creating sparks of energy with every exchange.

  I need to slow this down! This device must have that function!

  While I'm fumbling with the watch, a loud crash rings out. I look up to see a black blur get slammed straight into the dimensional wall. It's Karasu-sama! He lets out a groan, seemingly stunned. His abdomen is wide open, a fatal mistake!

  Itsuki-sama doesn't miss the opportunity. He lunges like a bolt of lightning, his fist glowing brightly!

  This is it! The finishing blow!

  But just as he's about to hit his target, a flurry of black feathers suddenly detaches from Karasu-sama's wings, flying through the air to form a defensive wall in front of Itsuki-sama.

  An auto-guard! Unbelievable!

  The black feathers don't just defend; they swarm and surround Itsuki-sama. He snarls, Foxfire erupting around his body, ready to burn them to a crisp. But then, he suddenly freezes, his violet eyes widening.

  "Oh, crap."

  I hear the whisper loud and clear. Immediately after, a stream of pitch-black lightning arcs from Karasu-sama's body, channeling through the feathers and striking Itsuki-sama from all sides!

  It's a trap!

  Itsuki-sama hastily creates a spherical shield around himself, but it's useless. I can clearly see his body convulsing, growing more and more numb. His limbs are no longer obeying him.

  Karasu-sama rushes forward, aiming to land the decisive sealing punch. But Itsuki-sama, in a final effort, unleashes a burst of blue flame that sends Karasu-sama flying back.

  "Hmph. Still struggling, are we?" Karasu-sama sneers.

  But after that last move, Itsuki-sama seems completely spent. His spiritual body goes limp, his limbs lose all feeling, and he collapses onto the floor.

  My heart stops. I painfully press the timer button.

  Beep! [00:01]... [00:02]...

  Karasu-sama slowly approaches, his voice dripping with triumph.

  "Hehe. This is the Black Nether Lightning. While it doesn't have the destructive power of a thunder god's Law, and it certainly can't compare to Mjolnir or Zeus's thunderbolt..."

  He leans down. "...it strikes directly at the acupoints that generate divine energy."

  He scoffs. "You won't be able to move for a long time. Ten seconds is nothing."

  [00:05]... [00:06]...

  "Ugh... my FP," I hear Itsuki-sama whisper. "That damn crow..."

  [00:09]

  Just as the timer is about to hit ten, Itsuki-sama suddenly moves! He slowly gets up, staggering like a wooden puppet. A massive blue flame erupts behind him, taking the form of a giant, nine-tailed fox. From the fiery fox's hands, countless thin energy strings extend, attaching to Itsuki-sama's limbs, back, and head.

  He's... he's using his own Law to control his paralyzed body!

  "What kind of Law is this?" Karasu-sama steps back, stunned. "What is this heresy?"

  "Who cares!" Itsuki-sama yells, his voice strained from the effort.

  "It costs a ridiculous amount of FP! Just call it the 'Law of Insanely High FP Consumption'!"

  Then, he looks directly at Karasu-sama, his violet eyes shining with genuine pain.

  "So... our bond is truly gone! Look at how you delight in my suffering! That hurts more than a hundred thousand blades through the heart!"

  Is he... crying?

  "Then I won't hold back either!"

  Itsuki-sama roars. A small, seemingly ordinary flame ignites in his palm.

  "Do you recognize this flame, Karasu?"

  Suddenly, Karasu-sama's expression changes.

  "Huh...? What? The Law of the most powerful flame in the Nexus... You... how can you...!"

  "Come on!" Itsuki-sama shouts.

  Karasu-sama, seemingly provoked, gathers all his energy. A sphere of black lightning forms in his hand.

  "BLACK NETHER LIGHTNING!"

  "SAMADHI TRUE FIRE!"

  A cataclysmic explosion occurs. But strangely, the legendary flame is completely overpowered. Itsuki-sama is sent flying into the wall, motionless.

  Karasu-sama pants, a look of confusion on his face. Why was the Samadhi True Fire so weak?

  At that exact moment, a glowing hand pierces through his stomach from behind.

  "What?!"

  Karasu-sama turns, horrified. The real Itsuki-sama is standing behind him, while the "Itsuki" that was blown away dissolves into blue embers.

  "Did you really think a low-tier Neo-Deity like me could use the Law of the Grand Supreme Elder Lord?"

  Itsuki-sama whispers, his sly smile back in place. "So naive."

  "But... I was always using the Law of the Closed Mind! You... when did you get into my head?!"

  "Right around the part where I started getting all weepy and emotional," Itsuki-sama winks. "Man, that cheesy melodrama stuff is surprisingly effective."

  What? I also clearly saw Itsuki-sama use the Samadhi True Fire!

  He completes the sealing technique. Karasu-sama's body freezes.

  I, still stunned by the unbelievable comeback, hastily press the red button.

  BEEP! THE MATCH IS OVER!

  Afterward, Itsuki-sama releases the seal on Karasu-sama. The Tengu god staggers, then falls into Itsuki-sama's arms. The smaller fox god, despite his size, supports his old friend and helps him out of the dimensional space.

  I watch them go, my mind still unable to believe what I just witnessed.

  Oh my gods... That was so cool!

  I support Karasu's heavy frame, letting out a long sigh. This guy, after all these years, is still as heavy as a sack of rocks. With his Divine Power temporarily sealed, the entire burden falls on my tiny shoulders.

  Kaito, his eyes sparkling as if he just finished watching a masterpiece anime, runs over.

  "Itsuki-sama! You were so cool! That comeback... that illusion... I really thought you were going to lose!"

  I grin, a smile that's both tired and triumphant.

  "The battlefield isn't just about power, kid. Sometimes, a little trickery is more effective than a high-level Law."

  Ah, speaking of trickery. Let's rewind a bit, to the moment right before the match started. That moment when I pulled out my phone and pretended to text my boss. Of course, I'm not that dedicated. The recipient of my message was actually Xiaolang, the young wolf deity hiding a few buildings away.

  The message itself was simple:

  "Alright, so those are the rules. A little later, if you see me get hit by a control ability, use the Security Team's interference device to mess with Kaito's watch. For example, make my timer run a little slower and Karasu's a little faster. It's just software manipulation. But remember, just a little. We don't want it to be obvious."

  And that boy did a great job. The moment I was hit by the Black Lightning and flattened like a dried fish, the reality is that I was paralyzed for a good twelve seconds. But what Kaito saw on his hologram display was skillfully "edited."

  Back in the present, Kaito is still buzzing with excitement.

  "But Itsuki-sama," he asks, "back then... I swear I saw you use the True Fire of Samadhi. It was so clear! How could that be an illusion?"

  "Ah, that," I shrug, trying to look modest.

  "It's a form of high-level illusion Law. It doesn't just fool your sight; it affects all the senses of those watching, even through a screen or a projection. You see it, you hear it, you can even feel its heat. However, it's all for show. It can't be used to manipulate minds or cause real damage. A ridiculously FP-consuming bluff."

  I don't tell the kid that I picked up that trick from one of Loki's seminars over at Asgard.

  After that performance, Kaito has no hesitation left. He respectfully accepts the brocade box containing the contract seal from my hand.

  "I... I accept," he says, his voice filled with determination. "I will become a Sensitive for the Jade Palace Conglomerate."

  I nod, placing a paw on his shoulder.

  "You don't need to worry about Karasu's words. No matter which corporation you work for, our ultimate goal is the same: to protect everyone, to protect humanity from the Anomalies. Your motives are pure and clear. No one has the right to label you a traitor."

  I glance over at Karasu. The black crow has managed to get back on his feet, though he's still a bit unsteady. He says nothing, simply turns, spreads his dark wings, and prepares to leave.

  "Hey!" I call after him.

  He freezes, but doesn't turn around.

  "You're the only one who blocked me on GodChat," I say, my voice a little softer now. "As for me... I'm still waiting for you to unblock."

  Karasu doesn't reply. With a powerful flap of his wings, he launches into the Tokyo night.