Chapter 299
“My purpose…”
“You’re trying to establish a Demon God to replace the role of a god, so that this world can persist without regression, aren’t you? And Holy Ground Construction is the last bastion to protect the surviving humanity.”
“Ah, as expected.”
A beautiful face drew a smile.
“I knew you’d figure it out before I died, Aillet Rodelain.”
The conversation I had with him at the Tomb of Chaos Gods replayed. -Try to guess. You’re smart, so you’ll figure it out before I die. -… -I wonder what kind of look you’ll have on your face then. I wished I had a mirror in front of me at that moment.
Reed. The 100th iteration of Tesillid Argent.
What kind of eyes do I have, looking at you now?
I had too hastily judged your state. Exhausted by the fate of having to sacrifice yourself alone as the axis of regression, I thought you had abandoned the best and plunged into the worst.
But I was wrong.
You are still good; you merely retreated from the best to the second-best.
However, because the benefit of the terrible utilitarianism maintained by your sacrifice was too great, I couldn’t accept the drop between the best and the second-best, and considered it evil.
Though you might be chaos, you weren’t evil.
You were good.
“Originally, I was going to destroy the world. But…”
“…”
“Because you exist in this timeline.”
“…”
He confessed, looking at the curved horizon.
That’s right. The Reed before me is completely different from the original Reed. He’s even different from the 100th iteration that the 117th iteration of Tesillid experienced.
“Because of you, I tried very hard.”
“…”
“You are, in a way, my only good.”
Nevertheless, I couldn’t help but feel that the essence of the two Tesillids was the same.
A person who, born good and living good, no matter how much they might fall, can never truly let go of their kindness with even a small impetus, but instead clings to it with all their might.
That’s why I’ll hold onto hope.
I won’t give up prematurely, thinking he’s the Final Mastermind with whom neither compromise nor persuasion is possible.
“Reed, you know I believe in a different god.”
“…”
Red eyes calmly turned back to me. With hope in their stillness, I continued.
“Her divine name is ‘Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World.’ Since the Incantation Cult was declared recently, this world has come under the protection of the ‘Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World.’ A god has appeared in this world.”
“…”
“So, I mean…”
I chose my words carefully.
“What you planned has already happened. A Demon God is no longer needed. A god has already appeared. So, if we seal the Chaos Evil God this time, everything will end. You won’t have to regress anymore…”
“Aillet.”
His low call interrupted my words.
A clear sign of refusal. Yet, his gaze upon me was more affectionate and friendly than ever.
With a gentle smile on his face, he continued as if it were his turn.
“Why do you think I called you?”
“…”
“Aillet, I called you to persuade you.”
“…Persuade?”
It was a word I never imagined would come from his mouth.
He, me?
He asked me, bewildered.
“Do you believe in God?”
“…”
I wondered what the intention behind this sudden question was.
“Do you believe God will save the world?”
“Of course…”
“What if He abandons it again?”
“…”
“If your god, the ‘Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World,’ also abandons the world, who will become the axis of regression then?”
A subtle madness settled in his red eyes, which had been hiding their true nature and feigning calmness.
“I can’t let you play the clown like me too.”
“Reed…”
No. That’s not true.
The Voice-Spirit wouldn’t do that.
I should have said that. But at that moment, no words of rebuttal came out, as if my tongue were paralyzed.
Even though Reed’s words were speculation and even blasphemy against my god, it was true.
Because it would be meaningless to say anything.
He has no faith in God. It’s not a matter of belief. It’s a matter of trust.
Having been abused for a long time, he had long despaired of God’s supreme goodness. To such a person, how hollow would the words ‘my god is different’ sound?
No words could buy his faith.
That fact is agonizing.
It’s so agonizing I’m going crazy, not knowing what to do.
“Haa…”
The sensation that pierced me to the bone at that moment resembled terrible helplessness.
It was then, when I unconsciously buried my face in my hands. Reed’s voice echoed in my ears again.
“Aillet Rodelain, I want to save both you and this world. So…”
“…”
When I reflexively looked up, I saw him rising from the perennial ice.
His toes pointed this way. The distance between us gradually closed.
“Let’s build a stronghold in a ruined world together and live within it.”
Ah…
Seeing the hand extended before me, I couldn’t say anything.
Taking your hand.
That would be the only thing in this world that is not allowed to me.
“…”
“…”
A long time seemed to pass.
The wind blew long, as if filling the emptiness created by the silence.
Swept away, ice crystals followed the wind’s current, drawing a white, undulating curve like sea foam.
“I know.”
At that moment, Reed, who had casually spoken, withdrew his hand. With a motion free of lingering attachment.
“Of course, you wouldn’t take my hand.”
“…”
“This method wouldn’t suit you. So, I’ll try to persuade you in a way that’s a little easier for you to choose.”
“…”
His deepening gaze as he looked down at me felt ominous. And premonitions like this never failed.
Darkness condensed at Reed’s fingertips, shaping itself. Summoning a demonic sword, he completely twisted the meaning of ‘persuasion’.
“Draw your weapon, Aillet.”
“…”
“If you choose me, you just have to lose to me, or you can defeat me.”
“…”
“Of course, I hope you lose. Desperately.”
“…”
It was a sophistical wordplay, but his eyes weren’t smiling at all. They were truly the eyes of someone desperately pleading.
So I knew instinctively.
He is serious.
Therefore, he will give his all. [The ‘Voice-Spirit that Constructs the World’ sighs and closes their eyes.] A long, white breath unconsciously escaped my parted lips.
“So that’s the conclusion you’ve reached.”
It seems you and I are destined to run on parallel lines.
I rose from the ice chair.
“The same goes for me, Reed. I want to save both you and this world.”
“…”
“In my own way.”
Seeing me summon Librilly, Reed smiled sadly.
“It’s a pity, Aillet Rodelain. But I won’t give up.”
He readjusted his grip on Libra.
“Because I’ll try to persuade you.”
The demonic sword and the holy scythe clash.
A clash of immense power. The axis of the snowy mountain trembled, and the sky resonated.
✠Holy Scythe Librilly and Demonic Sword Libra clashed repeatedly, ringing with destructive metallic sounds.
With that alone, a blizzard of snow and ice danced on the summit of the snowy mountain.
In the offense and defense that caused meteorological disasters with mere sword winds, the snowy mountain, directly hit by aura, was gradually losing height.
Even without physical impact, the powerful force of the two transcendents affected the world itself.
The surrounding landscape was grotesquely distorted by the auras emitted through their respective weapons.
Aillet launched a rapid succession of short but sharp attacks at Reed. Her expressionless, pressuring face was that of a heartless judge.
In contrast, Reed’s face was gentle.
Having lived as a Holy Knight for a long time, he still couldn’t abandon his refined and elegant swordsmanship.
Especially since his opponent was Aillet Rodelain, he had no choice but to be even more so.
Kaaang!
Another clash produced a roar. As the two confronted each other, grinding their blades at close proximity, concentric ripples continuously formed in the vast air.
And a moment later.
Kwaaang!
Reed put power into a blow and struck Aillet. Her body was ruthlessly thrown backward, as if accumulated repulsive force had exploded at once.
Chwajajajajak!
With astonishing balance, her two feet landed on the ground, but her heels found no purchase.
Her body, helplessly pushed back while scattering ice dust instead of dirt, eventually disappeared beyond the cliff of the snowy mountain.
“…”
It was a fall from 5,000 meters above ground. But Reed simply stood still, watching the place where she had disappeared.
Then, the area above the handsome man’s head vibrated. It was a premonition signaling the activation of something.
Kwajijijik!
Countless lightning strikes tore through the wide sky, converging like a funnel onto a single point: Reed.
A powerful divine hammer to judge evil.
But Reed merely dispersed it with a light gesture. The discharged lightning, unable to reach his crown, harmlessly struck the surrounding ground before scattering.
During that time, Reed was persistently staring straight ahead. Soon, the sight he had been waiting for appeared in his eyes.
Shwiiik.
A figure ascended above the cliff.
Aillet Rodelain, her hair beginning to turn silver, fluttered in the wind.
She had overcome the fall with Divine Descent and ascended back to the summit.
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…She was beautiful, floating nobly in the air, clad in defensive and enhancement skills like peerless armaments.
Reed looked up at her, as if imprinting her on his retina, and opened his mouth.
“You’re beautiful every time I see you.”
“Even if you say that, it doesn’t make my heart flutter.”
“What a pity.”
He gestured again. The hand that brought ruin distorted the laws of this world, changing the gravitational constant.
The invisible wings behind Aillet’s back broke off, and her two feet touched the ground.
It was from that moment that the aspect of battle shifted to long-range combat.
Privilege for Possessors