A Villain's Way of Taming Heroines

The ferocious firepower shattered and expanded the pit created by Evora, destroying much of the imperial palace complex at the highest point of the City of Celestia.

Yet, upon closer inspection, it was clear that the targeted entity… had not been hit at all.

The beams of destruction were deflected by the distortion field surrounding her.

"It seems you were well-prepared, Ansel."

Ephesande, floating slowly towards the steel demon god, raised her hand expressionlessly.

"Such a… restless child."

The iron-glowing demon god began to deform and twist under the pressure of her closing fingers, as an invisible force of pure "strength" attempted to crush the machine into dust!

"Damage rate at seventeen percent, twenty percent..."

Ravenna, no longer wearing glasses, had a glimmer in her eyes. Despite the dire situation, she remained unshaken and calmly said, "Initiate the second contingency plan."

An incredibly pure abyssal aura… rose from her body!

"Collecting, loading, and applying corresponding essences."

Ravenna's form flickered slightly but quickly returned to solidity. Ansel, gripping the control lever, glanced at her without saying much. He maneuvered the God from the Machine, raising the right arm equipped with the arm blade, and slashed down at the ant-like Ephesande!

The dark glow on the blade cut through everything. Ephesande looked up at the descending blade, as massive as a collapsing mountain, and sneered, "A child is still a child."

Boom!

The enormous arm blade, upon reaching about five meters above Ephesande's head, struck an invisible, unbreakable barrier and could not cut any further. The terrifying impact generated by the blocked blade sliced through the pit's walls like a knife, extending further and causing the palace complex, initially centered around a giant pit, to collapse entirely with a thunderous roar!

In the lower city, the people on the streets stood dumbfounded, staring at the highest point of the imperial capital, watching the once coveted, resplendent palace complex collapse into ruins.

The impact was not limited to the vast palace complex; a third of the upper city of Celestia, the area closest to the palace, also felt the shockwave.

Those farther away fared better, with shattered glass at most, or cracks in their buildings if unlucky. But those closer were not so fortunate, with houses and even the ground itself being torn apart by the force.

And this was merely a simple collision between the God from the Machine and Ephesande.

Ephesande squinted slightly at the massive blade hovering above her head, unable to advance: "You think you can use this to—"

The shadow of termination descended instantly.

The blade inexplicably pierced through Ephesande's impenetrable force field, aiming to decapitate her with the intent of slaying a deity!

"Target hit."

Ravenna immediately reported: "Death, plague, decay, successfully attached... More importantly, we found a way to bypass her gravity."

What does the power of a sixth-stage deity truly manifest as? What kind of strength is required to oppose it?

Ravenna pondered this question for three years, for a divine species could bring ultimate destruction with a wave of their hand or supreme creation with a mere thought. Who could fathom their essence? Uncover their secrets?

Fortunately, a few secret tomes in the underground library of the Hydral estate provided Ravenna with inspiration.

The curse of the divine species stemmed from abyssal corruption, and their strength from the abyss's bestowed power—endless world-origin information. This meant that as long as a divine species focused their mind on parsing a type of origin information, they essentially understood that part of the world's essence.

In their domain, the changes they envisioned were the changes the world underwent. Thus, the power of a divine species was… the world itself.

This is the supreme status that accompanies eternity and the abyss, a great authority comparable to endless curses.

But how does one oppose such a being, whose power is synonymous with wielding the world?

The answer is... there is none.

Ravenna could not find this possibility. In all her knowledge, she found no power capable of opposing a divine species. Only a divine species could counter another divine species; this was the only solution.
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However, this did not stop Ravenna from continuing to seek power for Ansel to fight against fate.

If there is no way to counter a divine species, should one give up? Clearly, one should find the next best power.

No matter what, do your utmost—Ravenna always approached her ideals with this attitude, and now, she brought this attitude to empower Ansel.

The strongest power she could create, the only one with the chance to be realized, was the third-stage mechanical armor, so absurd that its realization was nearly impossible, which Ansel called the [Phantasm Armament].

The first stage of Material Armament is merely a "powerful entity" forged through strong materials and alchemical methods. Its power is granted by its creator, and its limits are set the moment it is completed.

The second stage of etheric armament aims to enhance the user, amplifying their control and mastery over ether to a higher level of pure destructive output.

But what makes the third stage, the Phantasm Armament… so fantastical?

The fantasy lies in its creation based on the template of the divine species.

Since the divine species' power comes from receiving and mastering world information, becoming deities in their domains by understanding endless information, then…why not apply this characteristic to mechanical armor?

If the armor could also endure the flood of world information, receive gifts from the abyss, and transform that corruption into world knowledge and rule, it might not fully dominate a domain like the divine species, but who else… could rival such a monster?

However, this seems impossible. Alchemical devices are created by extraordinary beings, their flowing ether comes from inscribed ether circuits, and their usable essences are granted by their creators.

As lifeless objects, they cannot be corrupted by the abyss, and thus cannot comprehend world-origin information, let alone understand, digest, or master it. Therefore, it remains a "phantasm" armament.

But Ravenna... she realized this fantasy.

If mechanical armor, as a lifeless object, cannot understand and use abyssal corruption, then make the armor a "living being."

A being capable of thought, able to parse power from the abyss's countless information, mimicking the divine species' world domination, and turning that power into reality.

If this could be achieved, constructing such armor would have no limits, disregarding material strength or construction logic... When the Phantasm Armament, as a living being, draws power from the abyss, all problems become "natural."

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