Episode 1181 Verden – 2
The stars born from gray magic watched the heretic through the divine eye.
Nova: Nebula
666 stars of starlight swarmed uncontrollably from the sky and poured down upon Arkhand, and a series of supernova explosions colored the empty space.The world of nothingness trembled, yet he felt no sense of being filled.
Blank… … .
To Verden, the universe encompassing the continent felt endlessly cold.Not merely in terms of temperature fluctuations, but in a conceptual sense. It was as if he were standing alone in the middle of an infinitely vast room.
What on earth is wrong with this world?
Verden accepted everything illuminated by his new divine senses without filter.He saw, heard, and felt purely.He was neither omniscient nor omnipotent, just as he had been, but at this moment, he was aware of far more than before.
Even ‘you,’ who were superior from birth, and the first Demon King must have had such doubts during the process of becoming a god pursuing ideals.
Realizing that he was truly advancing to their level, Verden tilted [Interis], which was glowing more strongly with divine power than ever before.
Whoosh!
An apostle burst out from beyond the bombardment of stars.
Akand spun repeatedly, slicing through the swirling stars flying toward him. His firmly grasped Dragon Sword [Magras] did not waver from any impact.From top to bottom.From bottom to side.From side to top.Dark gray sword energy continued cyclically without interruption for a moment, swirling violently and shattering the shockwave of the Demon Eye.
Kwag
As the light of the sword extended beyond the line of sight, it appeared as if the ancient king had split the world in two.It was a sight that gave the illusion of such an event.
Akhand did not stop there; he further narrowed the gap, which had already been closed by more than half. The burgeoning Dragon Sword. The Reincarnation of Rest, having unleashed a single miracle, began to trigger the same cycle once again.
Verden was still in his place.
Dragon Scale
Clothed in dragon scales formed of gray divine power, which were closer to those of a primordial dragon than before, he recalled the past when he first witnessed magic and the moment when he fully inherited the memories of Dahit Wesroel.
That small, fragile flame shown by the elderly neighbor, weary from the years of passion.That strong flame of oblivion harboring the concept of extinction.
“……!”
A spark flickered right in front of Akand.
Before I could even defend myself, the moment it flashed, my vision suddenly brightened.Verden was nowhere to be seen. Not even his unforgettable presence could be detected. I had lost all sense of direction, not knowing where east was or north.
No external injuries. Neither are internal injuries. Is it some kind of sealing magic?
There is no such thing as a perfect seal.
If that were the case, Oldarc would not have been satisfied with merely putting ‘you’ to sleep.Although Verden has begun to assume the stature of an Absolute, he is still merely in his formative years compared to them, so there are bound to be definite flaws in his sealing magic.
He quietly narrowed his eyebrows as he searched for the most vulnerable spot with the vision of power.
It is uniform without any rough edges… … .
Death whispered softly into my ear.
It’s not a seal!
Akhand reflexively twisted his waist with all his might. He sliced through the empty air beyond the reach of the Dragon Sword. As he did so, the power of Rest created a small rift, and he thrust his shoulder into it without hesitation.An inexplicable heat spread from behind him as he emerged completely from the strange space.
The place where Arkhand was located was not a separately implemented space in the first place.
It was merely burning with ash flames.
End-of-blood fever
The traces left by the power of rest were dismantled and fragmented, eventually burning to ashes.It was a world where nothing remained, but even if it had been a world densely packed with all things, the same scene would have existed.
Oldarc dealt with the primordial element, the starting point of all elements. On the other hand, Verden gave birth to the element of the end times, the furthest from the beginning.
It is opposed to Oldarc’s primordial, and also contrary to ‘your’ creation… … .
They stand in perfect opposition to the two absolutes in different concepts.Whether they will achieve a harmonious balance through symmetry, or face a final conclusion due to conflict, is something that mortals dare not know.
You cannot create something out of nothing.
Verden’s divine pronouncements were more refined and stable than before.He was adapting to the stature of an imperfect absolute being. That very adaptability suggested that if one could not live under such a sky, one had to be killed at once.
|Through What Does Fate Cycle?|
The boundary of the taboo reacts.
Verden actually knows the correct answer. He is simply not violating the taboo by refraining from forcibly stopping his thoughts and making definitive conclusions.
Akand did not answer immediately.
Nine steps ahead.
If you extend your sword, you can reach it in two or three steps, but physical distance is not a problem.
I became convinced from the struggle so far. It cannot be reached by the power of rest alone. This is because the difference in divinity between the Absolute and the Apostle is far too great.
It did not make sense for a non-god to confront a true god—not one of the countless false gods of ancient times—using divine power.
“Therefore… I cast aside my power.”
Throughout two wars, the world called Arkhand an immortal, a born transcendent being, and a monster in human skin.No one denied this, but it was fundamentally not true.
Akand was always human.
* * *
As the breath of sorrow spat out by the evil dragon Nekhbael crossed the horizon, Vangelis and Deus’s magical shields slightly deflected the beam.
Curvature of the flattened terrain.
The being with the strongest vitality raced across the barren land, then, with a leap, brought its hands together and unleashed a fierce wildness.
Boom!
Even as its head was lifted, Nekhbael swung its claws and shattered the earth vertically. Antias endured this with his whole body, gripping the claws.While the other beings pressed down on it, demonic terror pierced through its dark green scales with a spear.
[─────────────!]
The roar of the Four Dragons, filled with pain and rage, shook the entire battlefield.Dragon language echoed.
However, to the ordinary Allied Forces, the battle against the Four Dragons raging in the distance was nothing more than a backdrop. So they paid no attention. Over time, they realized with their whole being that they could not intervene anyway.
What if a blind dragon flies in?
I should just die.
Having witnessed the true nature of the War of the Transcendents, the soldiers lost their minds and slaughtered nothing but the undead.Emperor Zeracl maintained the morale of the ordinary people by smearing corrupted blood on his armor, repeatedly implanting in their minds the message that they, too, were the protagonists, not just the Transcendents.
Lobeline hurriedly gulped down the potion.It was just before symptoms of potion addiction set in.
More undead are falling from the Citadel.
Even though the World Alliance has solidified its complete superiority over the Xerion Empire in both ground and air battles, the aura of death shows no signs of abating.This is despite the fact that the World Alliance fleet, reinforced by the Ark, is bombing the island and rapidly reducing their numbers. Casualties are also occurring among national-level forces.
[Last. Desperate struggle. This guy.]
Nerga smiled with his eyes.
Lobeline was quite confused by the fact that he was small and cute yet exuded a wicked and insidious presence. Especially the fact that he called Verden his father.
Is this guy a devil…?
Since Verden is the god of demons, that is highly likely. It would be a disaster if she were discovered by the Luas religion, so she operated as much as possible on battlefields where there were no clergy.
It was in the middle of that.
[Persistent, long.]
“Uh, what did you say?”
[Step down immediately.]
Nerga muttered with malice and urged Lobeline to retreat. She did not understand the meaning, but she intended to take the members of the Magic Tower and leave the place for now.
Death: Radiance
The radiance of the dead brushed past.
Lines emerged from the bodies of one of the elders of the Bohemian Magic Tower and the wizards, and they shattered. Dozens of soldiers, including nobles, perished.
[He must have pronounced the sentence.]
The Fourth Commander—the Apocalypse of Death—Sarkanon, whom Tearel and Nerga had imprisoned in the Pendren Gate where closure procedures were underway, has finally returned to the continent from the Rift of Worlds.
[You… … will die.]
At the time, he had lost an arm due to the fierce battle and his entire skeleton was fractured, but his uniquely terrifying morale simply struck fear into the weak.Asymmetrical power. Against the 8th rank, just holding out requires many sacrifices.
“How could you… out of the Four Gates…!”“Tearel, it is impossible with your body!”
Tearel tried to stop him before he went on a rampage, but her magical power did not flow smoothly. A spear thrown by an undead was embedded in her thigh.Her condition was so poor that she sustained serious injuries even from an undead creature that was not a transcendent being.Many transcendent beings were not much different from her.
Nerga hurriedly tapped Robelin’s neck while keeping an eye on Sarkannon, who was glaring at him.
[Throw. Me. To. The. Side. Far.]
“……!”
[Otherwise. You will die.]
Nerga has exhausted all his strength at the Four Gates, so he is not even at full power.Since he cannot protect his father’s childhood friend, Lobelin, it would be best to divert Sarkanon’s attention as much as possible in a different direction.
“no.”
[I’ll tell my father.]
Do as you please.
Naturally, Lobeline refused. She didn’t know anything about the divine family tree, but she couldn’t give up on someone who was precious to Verden.
Madou
Knowing that he could not escape anywhere, he responded with fire magic right where he was. The hot explosions connected and sublimated into stronger flames, but they could not even scorch Sarkannon’s damaged robe.
[Ridiculous… … .]
Death: Horizon
It was just when Sarkanon singled her out—or more precisely, Nerga—and was about to slash even the exhausted Tearel with that power all at once.
Pow!
The morning star blocked the space between them.
“It must be a truly formidable divine being. I never imagined that an Apostle empowered by a god could possess so many powerful followers.”
[apostle……?]
Apostle of the Morning Star───Eloris picked up the sword that had fallen on the battlefield and seized control of the space. It was a barrage of attacks imbued with divinity, though it was not outwardly visible.The radiance deceived perception, and Sarkannon’s cracked ribs shattered instantly.
[… … !!!]
As Sarkannon vanished, leaving behind an afterimage, another blade precisely caught him and sliced him down.The cleanly severed hem of the robe flew away in the wind.
Yunia, who was active on another battlefield, instinctively turned her head.Cain?
I’m sorry for being late.
Apostle of Sacrifice───Cain stood beside Lobeline holding the Sword of the Morning Star. Sarkannon, who had groaned deeply, regained his balance and unleashed his power with his fingertips.
Boom!
Cain deflected death diagonally with the tip of his sword.
[It is impossible. An inexperienced god… … how… … could… … so many apostles in such a short period… … !]
[What. Does. A. Mere. Family. Know. to. Blab. About. Father.?]
Nerga leaped onto Cain’s shoulder while sneering arrogantly.
[Help me.]
“All right.”
Although we were meeting for the first time, no particular explanation was needed. After all,we were both apostles of the same God.
The Power of Sacrifice
Cain breathed power into Nerga by using his own magical energy as a medium. His power is to perform various miracles by sacrificing himself.
Kugugugugugugugu… … !
As Nerga flashed his single eye, gleaming with dark magic, he slowly grew larger.
[Ah
The giant of hindrance has returned.
“Wow, that’s a huge size.”“…….”
Eloris marveled, while Lobeline gaped in stunned silence at Nerga’s true form. The World Alliance forces were also dumbfounded by the sudden appearance of the one-eyed giant.
[There. Is. Too. Trash.]
As an apostle who hates and detests fate, the giant Nerga sensed the followers of fate felt throughout the legion, numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
[When the war ends. I. Will find you all. And kill you.]
The huge eyes spun around in an instant.
Power of the Curse
Nerga stared directly at the battered Sarcanon.
[Before that. You. First.]
[You bastard… …]
* * *
Whoosh───Crackle!
The spear flew horizontally and pierced straight through the Death Knight’s helmet.
“Hah, beyond the desert is hell on earth.”
Atalan, known as the Hero of the Great Desert, appeared riding a camel. Behind him, the legion from Tuhar let out a roar.
“And what’s with that giant?”“Maybe it’s undead?”“I don’t know. Whatever it is, don’t go that way. It looks damn strong.”
Reinforcements arrived in the silent desert.
Kugugugugugugugu!
The ancient desert disasters born from the fragments of God neatly avoided the Allied Forces and crushed the undead army with their massive bodies.
A spatial rift connected to the desert.
From within, two transcendent beings crossed over to the continent. One was Elder Sheorn, and the other was a masked white wizard—that is, the Administrator.
“It seems your group has made up its mind, too.”“Yes…….”
Elder Sheorn sensed the presence of the High One not only on the Ark’s fleet but also on the Sky Island.
It seems that is the case.
A justification for joining the war emerged. Space began to gradually distort around him. The transcendent being of the spatial realm, once considered the most dangerous, made a move.
The manager looked at the Citadel.
“……’you’.”
* * *
Will you kill one to save ten?Will you abandon ten for the sake of a hundred?Will you execute a hundred to save ten thousand?
It is a difficult numbers game.
Although it was obvious what was more rational, Akand agonized.Was it truly right to protect those precious and discard those who were not…? However, such petty selfishness would tarnish absolute salvation.
Among the choices shown by fate, Akand decided that the path of the old king was the right one.
Eight steps.
───Your Majesty Akhand… … ! This, this is far too excessive a measure… … !!
He split the gray lightning in half. Along with his power, the blade of the Dragon Sword was sharpened. Watching a deep crack form in the skin grazed by the residual lightning, he took a step forward.
Seven and six steps.
───My son, why… … why can’t you stop the war… …?! Do you dream of becoming a warmonger, or a tyrant… …!!!───I, I beg you as your mother. Please, please, can’t you show them mercy… …? Please… … .
The pressure of the being emanating from the divine grew immense, and the power shattered. It was pieced back together, but it was no different from a broken piece of pottery.
One eye of power fell completely silent.The left arm, forged by power, swayed unsteadily.
Akand advanced.
Five steps.
───Brother, you are a slaughterer.
The divine oppression lifted. Having endured the difference in rank, it could not suppress Akand for the time being. A gray flash soon pierced his body and soul, but it could not stop Akand.
Finally, the Dragon Sword and the Divine Artifact clashed.
Four steps.
Akand moved in a circle around Verden while maintaining that distance.Precise sword strikes raineddown from all directions, and Verden blocked every offensive by merely spinning his staff in place. Then, before anyone realized it, a gray orb fell.
Divine: Judgment
God’s condemnation exploded.
Bang.
Akand took a step forward, holding [Interis], whose body had been shattered.
Three steps.
The Dragon Sword aimed for the neck. Verden reached out and grasped the blade. The divine power manifesting the
Thump, thud.
Akand’s mouth was already stained with dead blood.
“Unless it is a High Apostle… the moment they rely on divine power, I wouldn’t even be able to approach them.”
About three steps forward.That was as far as the sixth apostle could go.
Akand continued speaking, feeling death closer than ever.
“Originally, souls did not exist in this universe. The fifth world… the concept of the soul is purely something ‘you’ created.”
He put power into the dragon sword.
Collecting souls.
Akand spoke about fate.
That is my mission.
