Chapter 1158: Demise’s Fate (9)
Every time the old man in the fedora swung his sword, knights fell all around.
The Apostle, elegantly stepping over corpses in pools of blood, caressed the gleam of his blade.
“El- Eldrich… no way…!”
Soryu muttered, watching the old man slaughter the knights surrounding the Blue Chamber.
“The former Commander of the 2nd Division of the Ten Royal Knights of Rectitude in the royal capital, who had gone missing. Has he become an Apostle of the Cult…!!”
Soryu had been in Torquepaz as well, but this was presumably the first time he’d seen his face directly.
It seemed he had moved just before the terror began, so he hadn’t witnessed the battlefield firsthand.
“If you know that much about me, you must be a royal family affiliate.”
Thrust!!
The Fifth Apostle, who had plunged his sword into the heart of a resisting knight, turned his gaze with a benevolent smile.
“That gaze and expression… I see. Are you one of the princes left by His Majesty?”
“…”
“Please understand my inability to show proper etiquette before royalty. Since awakening, I’ve lost many memories, and…”
Eldrich elegantly twirled his sword, observing the now pale Soryu.
“Now, I serve the doctrines of all gods, not the royal family.”
“An Apostle, still clumsily pretending to be human?”
Lennok cut off the Fifth Apostle’s words, asking coldly.
“After rampaging like that in Torquepaz, what are you thinking now?”
“Huhu, there’s no need to take it so twistedly, I think.”
Despite Lennok’s sharp retort, Eldrich maintained his benevolent smile.
“If our goals align, it’s not surprising to borrow even the power of a renegade, is it?”
With a light flick of his hand, the corpse impaled on his sword sprayed blood as it fell.
“You’re quite chatty after indiscriminately slaughtering the people of the Blue Chamber.”
“Considering you’ve also become an enemy of the royal family, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for you.”
The Fifth Apostle let out a hearty laugh.
“Looking at you reminds me of my human days. I’m merely helping you settle old grudges.”
“…”
Eldrich, the highest-ranking Fifth Apostle of the Cult.
An 8th-level superhuman, and the former Commander of the 2nd Division of the Ten Royal Knights of Rectitude of Kabahim.
It wasn’t hard to guess what had happened for him, a knight loyal to the royal family, to become an Apostle of the Cult.
But it was obvious that this murderer, who had killed countless people in Torquepaz, was not a being with normal thought processes to begin with.
An Incarnation Body of chaos whose trajectory was unpredictable, transcending trustworthiness, and different from the madness of The Clown or the Conjunction Spell Master.
“If you don’t want to die, you’d do well to reject his offer…”
Suddenly, one of the corpses sprawled down the corridor stirred and spoke.
The corpse twisted grotesquely, as if suspended in mid-air, and wobbled to its feet.
Soryu frowned, watching the corpse slowly approach.
“…Chebien.”
“The Puppet Master.”
Lennok asked without even turning his gaze.
“I felt a presence. So you were hiding nearby, then.”
“I was retrieving the puppets I’d scattered throughout the royal capital… I couldn’t let this commotion damage my precious puppets…”
Chebien let out a gloomy laugh, looking at the Fifth Apostle.
“I was retrieving the puppets hidden in the Blue Chamber when that Apostle appeared… I was observing the massacre he perpetrated here…”
“I thought the feel of my blade was oddly weak as I cut. It seems a puppet was mixed in, not a person.”
The Fifth Apostle turned to Chebien with a benevolent smile.
“But you don’t need to worry. I’m only interested in killing the knights of Kabahim; I have no hobby of destroying puppets.”
“…”
“His Majesty seems to have already entered The Gate. The sanctuary around it would be filled with knights he trusts. What will you do?”
Amidst pools of blood and piles of corpses, the old gentleman stood elegantly, sword in hand, looking their way.
Soryu was about to say something but closed his mouth, turning his gaze toward Lennok.
He must have known who held the authority to decide, given The Clown was absent.
“If Aronbaiger Kabahim has already entered The Gate, then finding his location will be a distant task.”
Lennok asked.
“How can you guide us to Aron?”
“The Bloodline Ability passed down through Kabahim’s royal family is proof of the contract they made to manage the remnants of a dead god. Thus, their power in the royal capital is absolute.”
Eldrich shook the blood from his sword and slowly sheathed it, saying.
“However, precisely because of that, their presence is like the sun; it cannot be hidden anywhere, nor is it difficult to find.”
“…”
“Even at this moment, I feel His Majesty’s presence. A longing that cannot be hidden by crude offerings resides there.”
The old man’s benevolent smile seemed to grotesquely distort for a moment.
“Long ago, I received a very important mission from him… Though I’ve become like this, I wish to see His Majesty and report the results.”
“Kukukuk, is this the end of a knight who failed his mission…?”
Chebien let out a slow sneer.
“He’s completely broken… Do you truly believe we can cooperate with something like this…?”
“To unravel the human sacrifices performed to hide The Gate’s location, we might need an expert in forbidden magic.”
Lennok looked at the Apostle with an expressionless face.
“If there’s a way to find The Gate’s hidden location, tell me. I’ll listen and decide.”
“It’s not such a difficult method.”
Without reacting to Chebien’s mocking words, the old gentleman smiled.
“It’s about killing more humans than those offered as sacrifices, to overwrite the meaning of death. In fact, I was doing this even before you arrived.”
“Overwrite… the meaning of death?”
“Why do human sacrifices yield overwhelmingly superior efficiency and results compared to other spellcraft or rituals?”
The Fifth Apostle, resting a hand on the sword at his waist, spoke leisurely.
“It’s because the act of sacrificing humans is one of the outcomes that should never have been permitted to humanity.”
“…”
“If you kill more humans than those used as sacrifices, neutralizing the meaning of the offering at the ritual site—”
Immediately after, Eldrich’s hand swept at his feet with invisible speed.
Kagak!!
As a sharp gleam of his blade cut through the floor of the mayor’s office, a blood-stained magic circle hidden beneath was revealed.
The moment the magic circle, which operated with symbols and patterns drawn in human blood, was slashed and scratched by his sword.
The floor shattered, and Lennok and the Fifth Apostle simultaneously plummeted down into an endless chasm.
Kwaaaang!!!
“This way, you can even find the coordinates of The Gate that the knights secretly hid.”
“This is…”
Thousands of other holes were densely packed into the walls of the falling chasm.
A massive underground passage. Countless man-sized holes were carved into its walls.
“This way.”
Thwack!!
Eldrich, clinging to one of the countless holes in the wall, stepped forward.
“The Gate of the royal capital is hidden deep underground, with extremely limited passable routes.”
Seeing Lennok and Soryu follow, the Fifth Apostle led the way.
“To disperse the cold flowing underground, there are many ventilation shafts. Without prior knowledge, finding the way is difficult.”
“So all these holes are ventilation shafts to let the cold air flow through.”
“It’s the same principle as the royal capital’s sewers, which manage its waterways, being outside the royal capital.”
Soryu answered.
“The cold flowing underground is so strong that life would be impossible without ventilation facilities.”
“…”
“And it goes without saying that the source of all this is that Gate.”
Gooooooh…!!!
Each time they moved through the ventilation shafts following Eldrich’s direction, the cold intensified.
The cold wind transformed into an icy chill that numbed the blood, and the air and even mana began to freeze and become sluggish.
At the end of the complex ventilation shafts, Lennok finally faced The Gate of frozen void.
Whoooooosh—!!!
A colossal altar existing beneath the royal capital.
Upon the altar, composed of hundreds of steps, the frozen Gate slowly rotated.
An ambiguous form, closer to a square than a circle. A void spiraling counter-clockwise within a black ring.
An icy chill, constantly eroding the exterior of The Gate and extending outwards without cease, dyed the altar pure white.
“Steps…”
“What’s wrong?”
“Don’t mind it.”
Lennok, whose face twisted the moment he saw the altar, retorted to Soryu’s question.
“Its form is similar to what I saw at the Well of the Codex. Do they manage The Gate by creating a separate altar for its preservation?”
“That’s an accurate description. That altar perfectly imitates the preservation method used for the Well.”
Eldrich muttered.
“The royal bloodline for Ars Nova, The Gate’s preservation for the Well, and the use of power in the Cult’s way. Looking back, the royal family always stood on the side of peering closely into the world’s secrets.”
“…”
“If this is the conclusion reached after delving into all sorts of civilizations and histories to research The Gate, then perhaps the lives sacrificed for the royal family weren’t meaningless. However…”
The Fifth Apostle, looking down at his hand with an expressionless face, said.
“Now, everything is too late.”
“…Sir Eldrich.”
“Go. I will deal with the knights guarding The Gate.”
The Fifth Apostle’s expression, as he rose, was hidden by his fedora.
“You two, prioritize crossing The Gate and entering the sanctuary.”
Clack!
He leaned out of the ventilation shaft, dropping towards the distant, towering frozen altar.
The moment the old man’s form landed among the knights guarding the altar, a gleam of his blade, drawn from his fingertips, swept diagonally.
It sliced through the heavily armored knights, armor and all, turning them into pieces of flesh.
Chwaaaak!!!
“Urk…!!”
Knights instantly severed and collapsing with a single shriek.
Fully armed superhumans. A monstrous strength that tore apart knights, even those blessed by the royal capital.
Organs and flesh flew, scattering blood, and dismembered corpses littered the altar.
The Apostle, adjusting his fedora on the blood-stained altar, offered a greeting.
“This is a sad sight, Sir Eldrich.”
Kagagak!!!!
At that moment, a flexible sword descended upon the old gentleman’s head, rotating like a whip and scattering slashes.
He instinctively gripped his sword and turned, deflecting the flexible sword as it bounced around, and at the same time—
The Commander of the 4th Division of the Ten Royal Knights of Rectitude, Florian, stood on the altar, looking down at Eldrich with a complex expression.
“To think that you, who were the most respected among all knights, have become so broken.”
“…”
“Have you failed the mission given by His Majesty and become a monster who kills his fellow knights?”
“Broken? That’s wrong, Sir Florian.”
The Fifth Apostle adjusted his fedora, smiling benevolently.
“I have merely found freedom, quite the opposite. I am even grateful to His Majesty.”
“Grateful, for what…?”
“Because he sought to fill the Ten Royal Knights of Rectitude’s Commander positions with new individuals, I too was able to awaken to the doctrines of all gods.”
Paaang!!
Eldrich, who had burst the head of a knight charging from behind, moved forward.
“I never knew killing people could be so enjoyable. Killing the knights I once knew brought an astonishing thrill.”
“…”
“Because His Majesty didn’t limit his search for talent to this continent, I too could grasp the true meaning of Demise.”
Eldrich, facing Florian, smiled.
“Isn’t all of this the grace of a great king?”
“Is that so.”
Florian, gripping her flexible sword with a cold expression, said.
“Indeed, there’s no choice but to kill you all here.”
“I don’t wish to boast my strength against my juniors, but…”
The old gentleman gripped the sword at his waist and closed his eyes.
“From now on, I shall quicken my pace.”
Outer World Miniature Universe: Heresy Manifestation
[Sky-Piercing Greatsword]
Kwaaaang!!!
As Eldrich deployed his Miniature Universe, a colossal greatsword appeared and struck down.
Grotesque, writhing veins covered the skyscraper-sized blade, grotesquely twitching and pulsing.
“Kuaaaak!!”
“Ah, ahak…!!”
The bodies of the knights, crushed between the colossal sword, were pulverized into blood and gore.
With the bodies of the screaming knights wrapped around its blade, the colossal sword vigorously rotated and advanced.
It plunged into the frozen altar guarded by the 4th Division of the Ten Royal Knights of Rectitude, scattering its fragments.
Kwa-woong!!!
Stepping on the wind pressure of the rotating colossal sword, he leapt over the fragments of the shattered altar.
The gleam of a flexible sword sharply pursued Lennok as he plummeted from the ceiling towards The Gate.
“Royal blood…!!”
“Hahahahat!!!! Where are you looking?!”
The Fifth Apostle, laughing madly, kicked Florian’s form as she tried to turn after spotting Lennok.
Every time he swung his sword, knights were indiscriminately slaughtered all around, scattering pieces of flesh.
Kwajijijijik!!!!
“Your Majesty!!! Where are you?!”
Eldrich, with a thrilled expression, burst into laughter as he madly continued killing knights.
“The knight you abandoned has returned, alive and not dead…!!!”
“He’s completely broken…”
“I never expected anything else from the start.”
Lennok retorted coldly to the dumbfounded Soryu.
“Discard him. From now on, enter The Gate on your own.”
It seemed he and Florian had known each other for a long time; perhaps he couldn’t contain his madness upon seeing a familiar face.
But he hadn’t expected to work normally with an Apostle until the very end anyway.
Just finding The Gate’s location was a huge gain. From here, it was Lennok’s task.
Chwaaaak!!!
He pulled on the mana thread above the shattering altar fragments, dodging the gleams of blades flashing all around.
The moment Lennok’s form accelerated, crossing The Gate and escaping the void beyond.
Hwaaaak!!!!
The surrounding scenery completely changed, and Lennok’s body, clad in his shadow robe, tumbled onto the floor.
Rolling across the hard floor with a powerful impact, Lennok barely regained his balance and sharply looked up.
“Where is this…?”
A colossal, labyrinthine corridor unfolded, where golden ripples echoed infinitely.
Above, the dark seascape reflected, and below, the frozen royal capital stretched out.
A majestic golden palace, facing the landscapes of both the ground and the Outer Sea simultaneously, above and below.
A corridor of overwhelming scale, incomparable even to Kabahim’s royal palace.
Had he fallen into a different place from Soryu and the Fifth Apostle immediately after entering The Gate?
“The Imperial Palace of Ars Nova. Nayuta Shrine.”
As Lennok paused at the unexpected sight, a leisurely voice echoed from behind him.
“A phantom of old, fastidious memories, once called the capital of the continent long ago.”
“…The Clown?”
The Clown, face painted white, sprawled out on the golden corridor.
“Phew, I certainly thought you’d arrive eventually, but isn’t this a bit too late?”
The Clown, sprawled out, grinned down at Lennok.
“Thanks to that, I’ve been interfering with the royal family’s plan and stalling for time, and now I’m a complete mess.”
“That’s… not wrong, I suppose.”
As if scorched by flames, then frozen and crushed. His hair was burnt, and frost covered his cheeks.
His injured body seemed to have been pushed too far, with skin cracked and peeling.
His aura clearly showed signs of exhaustion, as if he had already expended a great deal of mana.
Lennok, pulling out mana threads and winding them one by one around his wrist, asked.
“What’s the situation so far?”
“Aronbaiger Kabahim has fully seized the sanctuary where the Dead God’s Remains are located.”
The Clown, raising his upper body, shrugged.
“I tried to draw attention by releasing the power accumulated in the sanctuary outside The Gate, turning the royal capital into a mess, but they didn’t even pay attention, did they?”
“…”
“I’ve confirmed that he’s seized the sanctuary using strange ancient knowledge and is freely altering the scenery within it.”
The Clown pointed to the scenery of the palace, made of golden ripples, spread around them.
“The scenery created here is also a result of that. It’s not the real Imperial Palace, but a fragment of the illusion created within the sanctuary.”
Thump, thump, thump…!!
A heavy rumbling, gradually intensifying, echoed from down the corridor.
The footsteps of armored knights grew closer from afar.
The activation of The Gate. Or perhaps the knights were moving, detecting outsiders who had infiltrated the sanctuary.
“You speak as if you know about the Imperial Palace.”
Lennok, who had instantly grasped the situation and organized his tasks, asked.
“Have you been there yourself?”
“Oh, dear, do you always ask such transparent leading questions so suddenly?”
The Clown laughed, rising to his feet.
“I know what answer you want, but I’ve long forgotten my origins. Or have I? Is my name still left?”
“What nonsense are you suddenly talking about?”
“Just, that we should be faithful to the present, not a meaningless past.”
Kwaanng!!
From down the corridor, golden ripples scattered, and heavily armored knights appeared.
A powerful presence, scattering intense cold from their entire bodies, with mana and will-thought grotesquely swollen.
Evidence that they too were receiving some form of power augmentation within the sanctuary.
Lennok and The Clown simultaneously stepped forward, watching the knights approach from afar.
The Clown, gripping a dagger in a reverse grip and spinning it, and Lennok, holding mana threads wrapped around his wrist.
“It’s been a long time since it was just the two of us like this, hasn’t it?”
The Clown spoke leisurely, watching the knights surround them with murderous intent.
“You remember how it was at the Well, right? Let’s just do it like then.”
“You’re speaking nonsense.”
Lennok sneered.
“Didn’t you just say not to cling to a meaningless past?”
“Ah, did I?”
The Clown tilted his head for a moment, then grinned.
“Then cancel that. How about we just turn everything upside down?”