Chapter 1164: Fate of Demise (15)
Slash!
At the same time as the sword was drawn, Aron collapsed. Eldrich moved before Aron’s body, bearing the sword mark on his chest, could fall.
“Oh dear.”
The Fifth Apostle, carefully catching Aron’s body, turned with a benevolent smile.
“We wouldn’t want even the slightest damage to such a precious vessel. It almost became a big problem.”
“…You.”
Yet, Lennok could not move rashly even as he watched, his brow twitching. Eldrich’s words were more shocking than his sudden act of killing Aron.
To unlock the First Apostle’s Time Seal, they intended to use Aronbaiger’s corpse as a key. This was the true nature of the plan the Cult had revealed at the last moment, a plan they had been intervening in since Torquepaz.
Lennok already knew that he could not simply dismiss those words.
“I am grateful for many things that transpired in the royal capital today.”
Eldrich, supporting Aron with one hand, adjusted his fedora and offered a greeting to Lennok.
“He is a naturally suspicious and cautious man. If it weren’t for you, he would never have given us such an opening.”
“Hmm, this is quite a turn of events.”
The Clown, who had been watching the situation with a beaming smile, tilted his head.
“It’s not uncommon to distrust the Cult, but Apostles usually don’t handle things this way. Has there been a change of heart?”
“Priestess Ureka is quite displeased with the Cult’s current approach to war.”
Eldrich spoke leisurely.
“She believes the previous Priestess managed the Apostle forces too simply, and wishes to shift their direction slightly.”
“I didn’t realize there was any application other than throwing mad Incarnation Bodies onto the battlefield to fight until they die.”
“For the Cult, the Apostles’ madness is no longer an insurmountable burden.”
Thump-thump-thump!!!!
Lennok felt the surviving knights rapidly assembling from all corners of the palace. The chilling presence of commander-level high knights who had not fallen to Lennok or the Demonic Conflux.
But Eldrich, though aware of the knights approaching from all directions, maintained his composure.
“We were all once human, or something akin to it. Is it not tolerable to associate with infidels for the sake of the myriad gods’ doctrine?”
“You’ve been spouting nothing but nonsense since earlier.”
Slash!
Lennok, pulling mana threads to bind scattered fragments of the audience chamber, spoke in a frigid voice.
“Cut the crap and tell me about the seal on the First Apostle. Weren’t you planning to use the power of [The Gate] to break his seal?”
“To be precise, we sought to obtain the key that could undo it from [The Gate].”
Eldrich gestured towards Aron’s corpse with a smile.
“Through the events in the royal capital, we confirmed that His Majesty possessed the causality of the key. In that process, we knew that His Majesty’s life or death was not important.”
“…”
Ironically, Lennok also understood what the Fifth Apostle was trying to say. This world contained locks and keys that only those with a Talent for Duality could use. Gyro’s Coffer, obtained in the process of acquiring the Guide’s Ring, possessed a similar property. If Aron, who possessed the Talent for Duality, could function as a key to the seal, it would be for that reason.
“What kind of being is the First Apostle that you go to such lengths to break the seal?”
“I understand your curiosity, but I myself do not know much about it. I have only been told that he is a being born with a transcendence so immense that he cannot control it himself.”
“Born with transcendence…?”
“If he was the first Apostle ‘appointed’ in this world, should he not possess such immense authority?”
Each word from the Fifth Apostle seemed to vaguely brush against and then slip away from Lennok’s momentary conjectures. In the midst of wavering thoughts, neither right nor wrong, Eldrich was seen turning away.
“However, not all of this has unfolded according to our main plan, leading us here.”
“…”
“Originally, the seal should have been affected by His Majesty’s death, with its omens appearing in the royal capital… but, as expected, not everything goes as planned.”
Click!
Eldrich snatched the sword he had plunged into the floor, carefully slung Aron’s body over his shoulder, and smiled.
“So, why don’t we part ways here today with a smile? It seems you, too, have acquired everything you originally desired.”
“That’s not for you to decide.”
The Clown, with a ghostly smile, twitched his hand.
“Put down what you’re carrying and withdraw while I’m asking nicely. Didn’t you get enough beating in Torquepaz?”
“If you remember the battle in Torquepaz, you should know what I will do.”
Eldrich offered a benevolent smile.
“Don’t you think it’s already a little too late?”
Outer World Miniature Universe: Heresy Manifestation
[Sky-Piercing Greatsword]
Swooosh…!!!!
A shadow fell over the sky, ripped open above the audience chamber. A colossal greatsword, its veins grotesquely entangled, plunged diagonally towards the palace. A powerful shockwave swept through the palace, exploding and tearing apart the ground.
Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gwangg!!!!
“Antares!!”
Eldrich, carrying Aron’s corpse, sprinted across the blade of the diagonally plunging greatsword. Antares pursued Eldrich almost simultaneously, climbing the pulsating veins as if they were stairs.
Kwang!!
“Prophet. It would not do you well to be deeply entwined with our order.”
Eldrich, deflecting a kick to his side with his sword, briefly glanced back.
“Even in Torquepaz, you were content with simply gifting a premonition to the Illusionist, were you not?”
“It wasn’t intentional, but I owe them.”
Antares, standing precariously on the greatsword, spoke calmly.
“I intend to move according to their wishes until the very end.”
“I see…!”
As Eldrich bowed his head, a massive slash that ripped through the sky exploded. A supreme technique that cut diagonally across the blade of the greatsword, cleaving through the surrounding space entirely.
Kwa-ah-ah-ah-ang!!!!
“Aron is dead. The plan has failed.”
On the rooftop of the burnt and ruined Blue Chamber in the devastated royal capital, a young man with an expressionless face stood. “If it wasn’t severed by my Spatial Severance, then a Miniature Universe… and one that has reached the same level as mine, a Mental Image.”
Click!
Urwin, the Commander of the First Knight Division, swiftly returned his sword to its scabbard and immediately unleashed his magic.
“In that case, I will just have to drop them down with numbers, not power.”
Pat!
In the instant Urwin’s hand disappeared, distorted sword light explosively surged above his head. Dozens of sharp sword energies burst forth like an explosion, painting the sky. A bombardment of sword energy, foregoing Spatial Severance to focus on sheer power and quantity of slashes. Sword energy, fired like bombardment from several kilometers away, poured down onto Eldrich’s greatsword.
Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-gwangg!!!!
Eldrich and Antares clashed on the rotating greatsword. Urwin sniped with dozens of wild sword strikes. A three-way battle where three Level 8 superhumans, wielding their physical abilities, clashed simultaneously in the heart of the royal capital.
“Victor.”
As Lennok watched from the ground, The Clown called him from beside him.
“Are you sure it’s okay to let that go? At this rate, it’ll be stolen.”
“I don’t care.”
“It’s fine by me, but Victor… Huh? What did you say?”
“The Fifth Apostle intervening at this point is evidence that his objective was to kill Aron from the start.”
As The Clown tilted his head with a bewildered expression, Lennok replied.
“Looking at their escape route, it seems they already had a way to get away… To steal the corpse in this situation would be impossible without killing him.”
Both Lennok and The Clown had nearly exhausted their mana and mental strength from busily moving around the royal capital. Having even deployed his Domain to confront Aron and the knights, they had almost no reserves left. Trying to kill the Fifth Apostle at this point would undoubtedly force them to overexert themselves beyond what was necessary.
“A dead man’s corpse. I have no intention of expending significant mental effort on something I won’t use anyway.”
“…That’s not just cool, it’s chilling. Is it really okay if the First Apostle’s seal is broken by that?”
“My task is done. There are no loose ends now.”
Lennok smiled.
“Even if something was arranged, I will manipulate the outcome according to my will. That’s what my Domain was for.”
Perhaps Aronbaiger Kabahim’s death was not an end in itself, but a trigger. It was possible that, with the First Apostle’s seal being broken here, a disaster greater than confronting Aron had been arranged.
But Lennok had seized Aron’s causality and branching points, eliminating all possibilities that could have branched from them. Therefore, he knew that the possibility of Aron’s existence affecting the First Apostle’s seal had vanished.
No repercussions. Lennok held the possibilities.
However—
Lennok averted his gaze, looking at Eldrich with cold eyes from behind his mask.
“However, I certainly don’t like how things are ending here.”
“Huh?”
“How about we give him a big dose of trouble before sending him off?”
Kwa-ga-ga-ga!!!!
Amidst the bombardment of falling sword energy, Eldrich’s figure sped across the blade of the greatsword. As Eldrich leaped from the end of the greatsword, he soared dozens of meters into the sky. Simultaneously, a bizarre spatial rift, as if cut by scissors, opened wide in the distant sky.
Crack-crack-crack…!!!
The Tenth Apostle’s Scales. The Apostle spellcraft, once Amrita Fraubel’s, unfolded, opening an escape route.
“Everyone, it was a short time, but enjoyable.”
Eldrich, ascending into the air, turned his body slightly.
“Then, I hope to see you next time on a battlefield closer to the final conclusion.”
“Haven’t you forgotten something?”
Lennok, looking up from the ground, chuckled.
“The Cult lost more than one or two things in Torquepaz, didn’t they?”
“…Hmm?”
“I’ll make you remember right away.”
Lennok, raising his communicator, said.
“Fire.”
Kiiiiiiing-!!!!
At that moment, a pale flash gleamed from the opposite side of the royal capital, darkening the sky. A beam of light leaked from a pale cannon barrel installed on the rooftop of a cruise ship docked at the royal capital’s back gate harbor. The moment the Conjunction Spell Master, squatting beside the cannon, finished adjustments with an impassive expression.
[Forbidden Armament ‘Sorrow’ Activated]
[Pain Fired]
A pale flash, streaking diagonally across the sky of the royal capital, struck Eldrich with immense speed.
“…!!!!!”
He had no time to gather mana to evade or deflect it. He merely twisted his body to prevent damage to Aron’s corpse and swung his sword with all his might.
Kwa-ah-ah-ah-ah-ang!!!!!
The Apostle’s figure, flung away without even a scream, vanished beyond the spatial rift in the sky. Simultaneously, the heat of ‘Sorrow’, exploding and scattering from that spot, began to pour down over the palace’s sky.
“What a spectacular farewell. That guy should be more than satisfied with this.”
The Clown cackled, watching the scene.
“Maybe he’s already burst open?”
“The Forbidden Armament’s power, adjusted by the Conjunction Spell Master, was more formidable than I expected.”
Lennok said, gazing at the countless beams of light falling from the sky.
“I thought there might be another chance to use it, so I coordinated with him before we parted ways.”
“A fitting fireworks display to conclude this operation.”
“Let’s go back.”
Lennok said, taking a step.
“The Conquest Operation ends here.”
Scores of pale light fragments fell from the sky, painting it pure white. The intense heat instantly warmed the royal capital’s weather, which had changed and frozen. The bombardment of ‘Sorrow’ falling from the sky struck the palace, obliterating everything entirely.
Kwa-ah-ah-ah-ang!!!!
He was dreaming.
Swimming in a sea close to eternity, in an endless dream. A cold, dark sea filled only with darkness and void. It was too painful to stay conscious, so he could only continue to sleep.
Deep in his sunken subconscious, he searched for a warm embrace. Starlight untouched by the sea. A world that hadn’t lost its causality. A star where life still breathed.
He shatters and devours. He creates unwanted endings. He does not grieve. He does not mourn. He does not remember. In this sea, the death of others and his own death are merely part of an infinite cycle. Devour as he pleases, and in the end, it is enough if even he becomes fertilizer.
But, if so.
Still, why did he accept the proposal at the very last moment—
Splash…!!
“…”
Lennok opened his eyes, hearing the sound of waves. His stomach churned, his head throbbed. His whole body ached as if bruised, and his stomach hurt so much he wanted to vomit. Forcibly suppressing the nausea rising from deep within, he laboriously lifted his gaze.
Woo-woo-woo-ung-!!
A cruise ship, its paint peeling and damaged in places, swayed on the waves. The cruise ship was moving forward in the middle of the sea, where nothing else was visible. Only then did Lennok realize he was seasick and frowned.
“Victor, are you awake?”
The Clown, sitting at a baccarat table on the deck, shuffling cards, turned his gaze.
“It took longer than I expected. Or rather, considering you used your Domain, perhaps it’s a fast recovery?”
“…Where is this?”
Bombarding the royal capital and escaping on a ship was the last thing Lennok remembered. Had he simply set up a small barrier and rested, then fallen asleep, after leaving the royal capital via the river?
But when he opened his eyes, the surroundings had changed from a river to the sea.
“You might not remember, but there was an estuary where the river met the sea outside the royal capital.”
The Clown said leisurely.
“We took that out to sea. By now, we’re probably circling above the Northern Continent.”
“…”
“This part of the sea doesn’t have a specific name, but if I had to guess, I’d say it’s near the Arctic Ocean.”
The Clown grinned at the silent Lennok.
“Think of it as a journey. Doesn’t your heart pound with excitement at the thought of an adventure for once?”
“Do you want to escape a cold place only to crawl into another cold place?”
Lennok said, laboriously getting to his feet.
Click!
As he stood, his weight strangely shifted to the left. He glanced down at the dull sensation, seeing the glass-colored gauntlet on his left arm.
“…I see.”
He had taken the soul of the cold comet and encased it in the gauntlet, and hadn’t deactivated it yet. Looking down at the empty deck, memories of the royal capital seemed to return one by one.
‘My thoughts… aren’t connecting well. Is this a backlash from the Unmarked Succession Knot?’
The Unmarked Succession Knot was a Domain that demanded the most processing power among Kaleidoscope’s branching points. While ‘Reconstruction’ using Manipulation Spellcraft was the Domain’s power, the calculations, acquisition, and manipulation that enabled it were solely Lennok’s responsibility. The mental demands were on an absurd level, to the point where even Lennok felt his mind was not working properly. Considering he felt a similar sensation when he held the World’s Ten Laws within the Mandala, it likely wasn’t an unrelated backlash.
Lennok walked onto the deck and said.
“I’m getting off. Stop the ship.”
“Huh? Suddenly?”
The Clown turned his head with an incredulous expression.
“Where are you planning to go from here?”
“The Conquest Operation should be over now that we’ve stolen the Dead God’s Remains.”
Lennok replied, pressing his temples through his mask.
“There’s nothing more for me to do here. I’ll be heading back now.”
Lennok had participated in this Conquest Operation to investigate the power of [The Gate] that existed beneath the royal capital. To control the rampaging lightning magic mixed with Ban-gung’s power, he needed to investigate [The Gate] and find a way to handle Ban-gung’s power.
As a result, acquiring Ban-gung’s memories and the Mandala had worsened the runaway lightning magic, but it wasn’t without its gains. The Prestige Domain Mandala and the knowledge of the World’s Ten Laws contained within it. If he could research them and emulate Ban-gung’s power, regaining control of his lightning magic wouldn’t be impossible. In fact, the ability to attempt this work in Lennok’s laboratory, rather than [The Gate] in the royal capital, might even be a good thing.
At that point, Lennok realized he had no further business with Pandemonium and was about to leave immediately.
“Victor. Didn’t I tell you during the operation briefing?”
But The Clown shook his head at Lennok’s words.
“We’re stealing the Dead God to make a wish. Are you really going to leave without getting paid after working this hard?”
“…A wish?”
The series of objectives The Clown had explained during the briefing just before arriving at the royal capital. Was his talk of stealing the Dead God to make a wish meant literally, not metaphorically?
But Lennok immediately recalled those words and frowned even deeper.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Weren’t the Dead God’s Remains needed for the Director?”
“Yes. That’s what I mean, isn’t it?”
The Clown grinned, pointing to the horizon of the Arctic Ocean.
“Let’s go make a wish to the Director now.”