Episode 1154 The Predetermined Order (1)
Arthur Tarenfold.
In Germael’s swordsmanship and martial arts, traces of the first king of the human world and the second apostle were visible. No, to be more precise, the figures of those beings who had been assisting Arthur Tarenfold were reflected.
The 12 nobles who slaughtered demons in the Rift of Worlds.
I know for sure because I have faced him directly and even snapped his neck. That Germael is deeply connected to the nation ruled by the Second Apostle.
Whoosh, crackle!
Just as the citizens of Martes adorned the streets impaled on spear shafts, Germael, pierced by [Interis], slammed into the desolate land.Destruction began to take root from the dark red spearhead embedded in the very center of his body.
Verden asked.
“What is the relationship with the second apostle?”
It was the second question.
A agonizing pain so severe that his soul could not even cry out erupted, but what truly confused Germael was not such pain.
How on earth… … .
The impulse that had been blazing in Verden’s eyes vanished in an instant.
Anger, hatred, loathing—the negative emotions that seemed ready to obliterate the very existence of Germael at any moment bowed their heads.Even though the concept of destruction continued to run wild, reason remained alive.
[Do you ask the enemy for the truth? Traitor.]
Answering in this way, Germael withdrew the power that had been holding the staff until the very end.
Is it because I lost both arms?
Compared to his presence as the third most powerful force in the Xerion Empire and the tenacious way he fought against Verden, he looked incredibly small.
[Avalon.]
“…….”
[When the unified empire of humanity finally reached its golden age, there was the first king, and there were twelve nobles… … and four commanders… … the most brilliant… … when we could choose our own lives… … .]
Germael looked back on the cherished past he could no longer welcome.
[Back then, in those ecstatic days that felt like a dream.]
In the rift between worlds, Verden walked through the City of Destiny, Rendibhar. Not only that, but he waged war against the forces of Destiny emerging from Rendibhar.If Avalon was the name of the country, then Rendibhar must surely be the capital of Avalon.
[Since you saw a fragment of Him in me… … it must mean you already know Him well.]
“Are you talking about a traitor?”
Arthur Tarenfold was called the Wise King, but after his betrayal, he was more often referred to by the aliases “The One Who Turned His Back on Resistance” or “The Demon Exterminator.”
“I haven’t heard of four commanders in addition to the 12 nobles.”
[The Twelve Nobles endured because they were noble, while the Commanders were nothing more than cogs in the machine. In wartime, even more humans bore the title of Commander. It is just… … that there were simply four Commanders when the Golden Age of Humanity ended… … and ultimately, we were quietly forgotten even in Avalon.]
Forgotten?
[Back when he intended to betray the resistance… do you think everyone accepted that decision? No, that is not the case. It cannot be. We are not dogs and pigs offering blind loyalty like the Twelve Nobles. However, our ‘rebellion’ ended before it could even be carried out.]
Germael shared his despondent thoughts.
[Arthur Tarrenfold… … Even though he turned his back on resistance, he was a wise king.]
Arthur and the Twelve Nobles appeared at the gathering of comrades to command the rebel army. They resisted, but their resolve was easily broken.
1st Commander, Germael.2nd Commander, Lachdion.3rd Commander, Necranon.4th Commander, Sarkanon.
The four commanders who had grown up receiving instruction under Arthur Tarenfold were not hung with their heads or bodies in the square of Rendibhar.
It just naturally faded away.
As if it never existed in the first place.As if treason was never even discussed in the first place.
Their official cause of death was death in battle.
The four who were unofficially executed were forgotten, and their places were filled by new commanders.
Thus, Avalon began to walk the path of destiny.
[However, the betrayal committed for the sake of humanity… enraged the Gray Dragon, resulting in the destruction of Avalon. It is truly an ironic reality.]
Verden narrowed his eyes.
This is the first information I have received that there was a human who rebelled against the selection of the Second Apostle. I haven’t even heard of it from Hadras, the commander of the Archdemons.That shows just how insignificant the commanders’ presence must have been in the Battle of Destiny.
“For someone like that, you submit to your fate.”
[I could not refuse, yet I also accepted it. I, we… do not resent the choice made by Arthur Tarenfold. Only after death… only after receiving the power of the Apocalypse did I come to understand Him.]
Germael whispered softly.
[fate.]
“…….”
[There is no alternative.]
The Second Apostle said that resistance without an alternative is worthless. Those who rebelled against the Second Apostle during his lifetime repeated a realization of that same meaning.What future of hope and despair, indeed, did they foresee through the Wheel of Fortune?
I learned a new fact, but further questions related to it seemed meaningless.
Verden changed the subject.
Where is the Darkwarton Magic Tower Master?
It was Reindel Nexreon who first encountered Germael before Verden.Although the circumstances suggested he had been killed, there were many suspicious aspects; above all, if they had genuinely killed each other, Germael could not have been so unharmed.
Germael did not hold back on the answer this time either.
[Raindel Nexreon fell into the swamp of taboo.]
“The Swamp of Forbidden Things?”
[Since I have already stood on the boundary of the taboo, it was a destiny that was bound to come someday. I merely hastened that time. I do not know if I will be able to return alive. I ought to have paid the price for acknowledging the taboo long ago and died… but as you know, fate does not exist in today’s world.]
Before anyone realized it, Germael’s entire body was covered in rifts. The light of magic flowed from within. The concept of destruction had deeply permeated it.
[Now that your doubts have been resolved, I too shall ask. Why do you not destroy us?]
“…….”
[Why not break the soul?]
To provoke Verden’s spirit, the city of Martes was annihilated. The region where Verden first appeared was massacred. Anyone who even crossed paths with him was executed and hung up for show.Deaths of figures connected to Verden are continuing on other battlefields as well.
He would naturally want to tear the Xerion Empire to shreds and scatter them so that not a trace would remain.
however…….
Even though the 10th Commander was swept away and annihilated by destruction, his soul was not damaged.Although Jermael’s body was crumbling with pain, his soul itself remained intact.
Even with the death of all men before him, Verden did not cross the line.Not even at this very moment.
“Because I chose not to tarnish the dignity of the sentient being.”
[In war, dignity is worthless. Dignity is the most easily lost thing. It is the way of the world that if you do not trample in kind, you will eventually be trampled.]
“There are those who believe in and follow me. If I were to ultimately abandon my beliefs, unable to bear the loss, I would have no face to show them.”
[Do you intend to show mercy even if everything is mercilessly taken away? What foolish stubbornness.]
If you are going to cast it aside because it is foolish.
Verden affirmed.
I will do for the abandoned things.
A divine word echoed across the Martes territory where the apocalypse had arrived. It felt as if Jermael’s heart, which had stopped long ago, was beating again.
‘You’ turned away from what could not be protected in order to protect what remained.Oldark abandoned what could not be protected in order to protect an uncertain future.
However, Verden firmly declared that he would protect what had not been protected.
It was a choice contrary to that of the absolute rulers who came before.
It was obvious that they would collapse along the way or compromise like them, but no one had ever said that. No one walked that path.
beautiful.
Germael felt that way.
This is… … .
Suddenly, he saw the souls that had made up the 10th Commander’s corpse—the souls of the lives slain by Germael—lingering in their places. They should have already passed through the rift between worlds and gone to the Fifth World.Verden seemed unaware of this.They soon hesitated, then began to swarm toward Verden’s ring one by one.
Germael saw a book beyond the artifact’s subspace.
Gring Arcanum.
If ‘Hiante of Time’ served as the catalyst for destiny, ‘Host of Knowledge’ was the being who played a decisive role in creating the Wheel of Fortune.The third Apostle, and a monstrous creature of the pollution granted freedom in recognition of his merits. The divine artifact he created was in Verden’s hands.
[Saves the abandoned.]
Germael closed his eyes.
[That is truly ideal.]
His entire body tensed up. The destruction that had taken root accelerated the disintegration of his body. Yet, Germael paid no heed.
Crack.
The part where [Interis] was inserted sank in, leaving a gaping hole in the upper body.As a result, the body that had been fixed in place became free.
Famine: Flying Dust
The dry dust gathered together and replaced Germael’s missing arms, and pushed Verden away with the Sword of Famine he had picked up again.
It was a predetermined sequence of events.
Germael accepted defeat. He knew from the start that it was an unwinnable fight. However, his sincerity never fades.For fate had ordained it so.Even if his body crumbles to pieces, his soul must follow the mission given to him.
Kagagagagagang!
Germael drove Verden back, unleashing full-force sword strikes. The power of famine and the concept of destruction clashed repeatedly head-on.
As the helmet was destroyed, Germael’s face was revealed. It was the face of a man who was simply pale, unlike a typical undead.Dead blood gushed from Germael’s eyes, nose, and mouth as he blocked Verden’s counterattack.
The shadow of death fell.
The more this happened, the more Germael poured out his last ounce of strength. Though already turning to ashes, his power remained. It was at that moment, when strikes imbued with murderous intent scattered in all directions, that the attack was unleashed.
As Jermael struck his left palm with the Sword of Famine,the blade pierced through the power.
Famine: Death by starvation
The moment the greatest and supreme power manifested, giant teeth swooped in from beneath the ground. Crunch! Something like a jawy creature swallowed the entire space where Verden was.
A miracle of the apocalypse that absorbs all ki, magic power, divine power, and life force to grant barren rest.
[Fate and resistance are as persistent as you.]
A dark red light shone brightly from between the countless teeth of power.
[Everyone dreams of ideals.]
The apocalypse’s jaws exploded.
Extinction: Nox
The darkness that snatched away all light from the surroundings pierced through Jermael.Most of his right side was blown away.Along with it, the apocalypse of famine that Jermael harbored was destroyed. His authority vanished, and the power of destiny bestowed upon him also scattered and evaporated.
[This is a message from His Majesty Akand.]
Germael left a will.
[Come to the Citadel…]
By the time it touched the ground, his body had already reached a state where it could no longer maintain its form. Black ashes were carried by the wind, floating for a moment before completely disappearing.
1st Commander, Jermael.7th Commander.10th Commander, The Hive.
The commanders of the Xerion Empire were defeated in this Principality of Liviant.
* * *
Germael’s presence was no longer felt.
The body has perished.
However, his soul was probably carried in the [Gring Arcanum]. It would have been right to verify this, but Verden did not have the capacity to do so at the moment.
widely.
The moment Verden touched the devastated ground, his knees gave way. He barely managed to maintain his balance with [Interis], which had returned to its original form, but his pupils trembled incessantly.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.
My heart was pounding violently.
Opening spell at the Plains of Fortein.Creation of Apostles at Lake Pendren.Battle against the Evil Dragon Nekhbael.Defeat of Zermael.
The backlash that had been forcibly endured and postponed came all at once, starting with the rampage of magic.
Hurry, I need to get to the Central Continent.
Akhand is eyeing the ownerless land. If I don’t hurry, many people will die. However, my limbs wouldn’t move properly.
Cough!
He barely managed to open a subspace and drink the elixir, but in the end, he could not hold even a single sip.The magic refused.The concept of destruction refused recovery.
‘this…….’
Despite my efforts to regain control of the magic, the elixir slipped from my hand. It was as if the magic was whispering.
There is no power without a price.
Kugugu… … Kugugugu… … .
The surrounding area affected by the destruction is collapsing irregularly.
Verden lashed out at his consciousness. He reached out to grab the Elixir. He struggled with all his might to prevent the Elixir from being caught in the aftermath of the rampage of magic.However, the transparent vessel that struck his fingertips only gradually moved further away.It was at the very moment his physical balance finally gave way, and Verden was about to collapse.
widely.
Someone supported Verden.
“Ugh……!!”
Verden moved his head with his eyes half-closed. Although she was in pain from being partially exposed to the rampage of magic, she willingly supported Verden.
“Ah, hello, brother-in-law.”
The woman resembled Isabella.
* * *
“So that’s the former king. He looks more decent than I expected.”
A new shadow has fallen over the Scalum Fault Gorge, where fierce battles are ongoing.
We have Adrian too.
The Blood Empress—Hithril Del Roharun, armed with the weapons of the first Demon King—twisted her lips.
