Episode 1185 The Sixth Apostle (9)
He ascended to the Citadel to assist Verden, who was dealing with the former king.With that single-minded determination, the moment Lugard emerged from the Prohas Gate, he leaped into the air and set foot on an unfamiliar island… … a bright radiance greeted him.It was a holy light, devoid of even a speck of the aura of death.
The traces of the old king and Verden vanished. The city center of the Citadel and the undead legions, which should have rightfully filled the view, had also vanished without a trace.
A flat plain with faint undulations.A small lake situated in the middle of it.
An unfamiliar meadow welcomed Lugart.
As expected, there is no sign of spatial displacement.
I have recently experienced unfamiliar grasslands or such unexpected changes in the landscape.That was when I encountered a fanatical old man who introduced himself as the King of Mankind in Gargant, where the World Conference was in full swing.
It seems guests won’t come unless you force an invitation.
It immediately maximized its presence.
Suddenly, a gust of wind arose.
The severed grass surged upward and poured down as a sudden shower. The green leaves sharpened like swords and embedded themselves upside down in the meadow.For will is everything.The transcendent being, having reached a state where a sword is no longer needed, faced the ‘human made of light’ standing in the center of the lake.
The light said.
“Conversely, that also means that no one can enter this realm without an invitation.”“That’s a long introduction.”
Lugart exuded a deep murderous aura even though I had said just a single word. It was because, although I didn’t know what kind of being he was, his purpose was clearly visible.
Stalling for time so that I cannot help Verden.
The fanatical old man was extremely hostile toward Verden. That Light would be no different. I assert that the two belong to the same group.
Lugart overwhelmed the surrounding area as if to leave no room for doubt, demanding to get to the point.
“What are you?”“Hope.”“Hope?”“That is correct, hope. Everyone lives harboring a unique hope in their hearts. In that sense, there is no term that represents us better than hope. However, Adventurer Lugard, I see no hope in you.”
The light continued speaking, mentioning Lugard’s name. Composed of pure radiance, its expression was invisible, but it seemed to be smiling.
“The war between races must have castrated your will to hope. Your lover became a target for the elves, your friend became a creation of the dwarves, and your brother became a trophy for the beastmen………”
The atmosphere split apart.
Deep, sharp fissures emerged not only in the space but across the entire vast grassland. The domain itself was damaged. For Lugard’s will had desired it.
“I told you the introduction was long.”“Indeed, the transcendent being to whom Oldarc entrusted the ‘next’…….”
The human of light split apart, but after shimmering like a mirage, it returned to its original state.
“But light is still light even when cut.”“I’ll change the question.”
“Next” or whatever… Lugart did not obsess over information he did not know.He was solely absorbed in the reaction of the Human of Light.
What is your relationship with Luas?
As I thought of things related to light, the Luas religion naturally remained in my mind.
Goddess of Light───Luas.
Lugard had never thought of himself as lacking insight, but when it came to light, nothing particularly came to mind other than the goddess symbolizing it.So he made a connection. Whether closely related to the Ruas Theocracy or not, it was new information about the enemy.
“Every answer has a qualification. Ignorance prevents one from reaching the truth. Shall we say it is one of the laws that implicitly sustains the balance of this universe? So, before I answer you, I will ask you.”“…….”“What do you think Luas is?”
Lugart narrowed his eyebrows.What was Luas asking?He kept his mouth shut, as he had no particular knowledge other than that she was the Goddess of Light. After all, that wasn’t the kind of common sense the other person wanted to hear.
“If you cannot answer this question, you have no right to dare know who I am. Neither human, nor transcendent being, nor god.”“I see.”
Lugart nodded obediently.
Whoosh!
And without warning, it manifested its will in form right there on the spot. An intangible blade, distinguishing between the material and spiritual realms, sliced through the light.
The group to which the old fanatic and the Man of Light belong has a strong tendency to speak vaguely. Like a passage from a myth.
Since conversation yields no results, one has no choice but to gather information by engaging directly. One explores every aspect. For that is the way of an adventurer.
Whoosh.
A strange shimmer flashed from Lugard’s right hand. As he let his arm hang down, the nearby vegetation and earth split apart without resistance, as if cut by a sword.His form vanished.In an instant, he had crossed the lake, converging the distance from the light to zero.
I am always watching over the day.
The first apostle whispered quietly.
The answer is in it.
Lugard’s strike swallowed the light. Like muscle and skin caught on a blunt blade, the meadow was torn apart along its trajectory.
At the same time, the apostle’s domain was cleared away as if collapsing.
“……!”
Lugart was on the outskirts of the Citadel. Immediately, his transcendent senses picked up a sense of unease. The first thing he perceived was a change in time.He checked his wristwatch.The encounter with the Man of Light felt like no more than four minutes, but on the continent, much longer had passed.
You tricked your sense of time?
It was the first time I had been deceived in this way.I was completely caught.
“this.”
Lugard thought he might be late for the battle with the old king, but that did not lead to action. The second thing his senses felt was a sense of presence.
Not a transcendent being… …a level of another dimension that cannot be explained by the words contained in his head.
“Is this Verden’s…?”
As soon as Lugart realized who the master of the barrier was, a rift opened up throughout the entire Citadel.A vast gray covered everything.
* * *
The sight of the Citadel, the second largest city in history after the massive city of Gargant, plummeting from such great heights caused even the fiery fighting spirit to vanish.
As the sky island drew closer, the materialized gravity seemed to crush this world to its very core.
Kuoooo.
A heavy, piercing sound sent shivers down my spine.Deep, and sticky.
“Ah… ah….”“This is unbelievable…”
The soldiers stopped fighting the undead army and just stared blankly at the sky.
Could the Great Transcendents stop the Sky Island? It would be impossible. Probably, certainly. That was a catastrophe beyond the control of an individual.Even someone with a poor imagination could clearly picture what would happen if the Citadel hit the ground. It would be annihilation. Even the airships hovering in the sky would be unable to escape.
“……Ugh, it’s over.”
The Grave King slumped to the ground, his face turning pale.It was impossible to avoid.Even his danger instincts had resigned themselves to the fact that no matter where he ran, he could not survive.
Death is coming… … .
Inevitable destruction is coming… … .
Unless there is a means to temporarily escape this material world and ignore the shock, such as Lobelin’s ancient artifact inherited only by the master of the Bohemian Magic Tower or extraterrestrial magic, their fate is sealed.
“H-Hwaaaaaaaak!”“Aaaaaaaak!”
Some ran to survive. Even if they could not live, the only thing they could do was run as far away as possible. The desire to live even a single moment longer than others was an inherent nature of hope and survival.
Convenient spatial movement was not the answer.
Unless it is a long-distance
“Deploy shields, ah, no, crash speed! We have to slow down the crash speed first! At the very least, we have to attempt an interception to reduce the size of that island even a little bit…!”“Who wouldn’t know that! Don’t just say the obvious, come up with a way to make it possible! A way!!”“I don’t know…! I don’t know either!!”
Some people desperately tried to find a way, but to no avail.
The elders of the Magic Tower fell into a panic. The reason they had boasted of was utterly useless in the face of the disaster. It was not a crisis they could cope with.
Even the masters of the magic towers leading the magical world could not maintain composure.
“Is there no other way…! Medrant, you are the Aspect of Eon! Did the Holy One, His Majesty Verden, not say anything separately…!”“….”“Say something! Master of the Ostea Magic Tower!!”
Medrant Keden attempted various calculations in his mind, but no answer emerged. Furthermore, Verden did not give any indication of this.
Confusion grew in size amidst the silence and gnawed away at courage and will.
“Get away from the crash site! Retreat to the perimeter and establish a fluid defensive line! Never fight back, but submit to minimize the impact!”“H-Your Majesty the Emperor…!”“Luas of Light, please save these wretched souls with your light!”“Protect them with your innocent light…!”“Luas! Luas!!”
Emperor Zeracl showed a will to live to the very end and tried to command the legion, while the believers of light knelt and prayed to strengthen his crumbling heart.
“ah…….”
Saint Leonhardt quietly knelt, his body unable to continue the battle. The Holy Sword was plunged diagonally into the battlefield.The Pope’s voice, desperately trying to devise a plan, sounded like tinnitus. All surrounding sounds were indistinct, as if submerged in water.
‘Mother… … Celia… …’
The transcendent being might be able to live. But what good is that? The very people he is responsible for leading will end up dying one after another.
Whether in Tyr Village or now… whether as a farmer or a saint, nothing has changed.
Even if you become stronger, you cannot protect anyone.In the end, it is the worst.
The holy sword fills the void of tragedy.
“Aha…… Haha…….”
The battle against the Old King following the Apocalypse of Conquest (Plague) instilled fear in Leonhardt. A desperate sense of powerlessness arose, leading to an intense suicidal impulse.If it weren’t for his mother and sister, he would have stabbed himself in the neck with the Holy Sword right then and there.
No more light was visible.
[Hahaha. Hahahahahaha!]
At that moment, the Giant of Obstruction spread his arms wide and laughed maniacally. His shadow stretched out long due to the light that bloomed from the prayers of the priests.It enveloped even Leonhardt, bestowing a cold darkness.
[Pray. And. Witness.]
Nerga’s single eye opened wide as if to tear.
[Absolute. Status.]
“Oh, noble sun……!”
Those from the silent desert displayed their faith. Their attitude of prayer was somewhat different from that of the Ruas Kingdom. They did not close their eyes but looked up at the sky and stretched out their arms.
Nerga’s voice rang out loudly.
[Pray! Witness!]
Cain and Eloris stood beside him and held their swords up to their chests.
[Our Father!!]
Our father.
A strange resonant sound spread.
The Citadel was enveloped in gray. Most dared not feel it, but transcendent beings sensed an unfamiliar and immeasurable mysterious grandeur.
“The old king… no, is it Verden?”“What is this….”
Ignacia faltered. Her mind was consumed by a vortex of high-dimensional magical energy that could not be interpreted through transcendence. It was the moment the cold sweat on her chin fell.
A gray flash of light exploded.
────────!
The world was filled with gray. A landscape where color seemed to have vanished from the continent was etched onto my retina. Screams and shouts were exchanged at that moment, but as if the gray had stolen away not only color but sound as well, nothing could be heard.
Actions, thoughts, emotions—everything stopped.
Only the sight of the Citadel splitting into multiple planes and shattering into pieces followed, leaving behind only the fact that the Great Cataclysm had collapsed.For a desperate past had passed through a reality of change to become a future filled with hope.
I can feel the passage of time on my skin.
Kugugugung! Kugugugung!
As the colors of the ownerless land return, massive roars and explosions awaken consciousness. What was once the Citadel is falling as countless debris.
In a corner of the fantastical scene, purple sword energy connected dots.Adrian and Isabella were moving back and forth between the fragments, smashing debris of a certain size. Soon, a new order was given from the ground.
“The Citadel has been destroyed!”“……!!!”“Intercept the debris in the sky!!”
The dead nerves came back to life.
Those numerous hierarchical spells flew irregularly toward the sky.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwang!Kwaaang! Kwaaaaang! Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa!
Small debris exposed to the magical air defense network was chipped away or crushed into smaller pieces.Unique magic by the sorcery, miracles of light, elven magic, dwarven weaponry, and human skills relentlessly intercepted only the dangerous debris.
The fragments of the Citadel did not fall all at once.They each fell at different speeds.Some of the heavy and massive parts settled at the top, while the rest widely filled the space beneath.
So, while attention was distracted by the deadly remnants far away, the nearest, not-so-cold hailstones struck the battlefield.
“Head! Lower your head!!”“Waaah!”
Kwag
The impact shook the earth in succession, but the weight of each fragment was not significant as sufficient interception had already taken place. The high-level barriers withstood it effortlessly, and although the low-level barriers were destroyed, only minor injuries occurred.
The problem is fragments equivalent to a small ‘island’… … .
The Transcendents prepared transcendental abilities, super-level magic, and divine miracles.Since they had to be deployed sequentially to prevent interference that could cancel out their power or alter their trajectories, it was at that moment, as they discreetly decided on their order, that they were doing so.
Beware of momentary gravitational pull.
… … !
Elder Sheorn suddenly struck first, raising his staff high. A combination of mass where gravity intersected at its limit and the magical art of
Collapse of space-time.
A small black sphere appeared in the middle of the sky, far from the ground.
