Ch.123Ep.123 What I Must Lose, What I Can Gain

“I’ll give up my power.”

[…After charging in like you were going to kill everyone, you’re giving up so easily?]

“What can I do when there’s no other way?”

Radios wanted to revive people without losing his power.

But that was impossible.

Strictly speaking, a method did exist, but he didn’t want to resurrect them at the cost of throwing the world into chaos.

After all, the original purpose of bringing them back was to live happily together in a peaceful world.

What would be the point of reviving them only to have the world on the brink of collapse? That would only make him feel worse.

“If I could trade my power for their lives… well, that wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

[Surprising… I thought someone like you, Radios, would be desperately searching for another solution.]

“Isn’t that exactly what I’m doing by talking with you right now?”

It wasn’t exactly a satisfying solution.

Radios never thought that the power he had accumulated belonged solely to him.

It was a collection of powers from his past lives, including Larga D’Wheil.

That was the source of Radios’s current power.

Although he had emptied all their Divine Orders, he hadn’t erased their teachings.

If he sacrificed his Ascended Order of Judgment, those teachings would disappear too.

But Radios knew.

If any of those 100 past lives were given this opportunity, every single one would sacrifice themselves.

“By the way, I’m curious about something.”

[What is it?]

“If you take all of my Ascended Order of Judgment… will I be unable to use magic at all?”

That was a genuine concern.

If his magic disappeared along with the Ascended Order of Judgment, getting out of here would be the first problem.

Of course, he didn’t think the Akashic Records would be cruel enough to trap him here.

At the very least, he hoped some magical power would remain.

Then, through training, he could at least work toward obtaining an Order again.

But the Akashic Records continued with a surprised tone.

[There’s something you’re misunderstanding.]

“Hm?”

[I said I need the Ascended Order of Judgment, not anything else.]

“Isn’t that the same thing? All of my power is compressed into the Ascended Order of Judgment.”

He gained an Order, awakened a Divine Order, and broke through the wall of the Ascended Order.

It was like saying all of Radios’s power was compressed into the concept of ‘Judgment’.

Giving up the Ascended Order meant giving up all his power.

That’s why Radios had been hesitant.

The stronger one is, the harder it is to give up that power.

But the Akashic Records pointed out that he had missed the point.

[You are not defined by just one Ascended Order. Don’t you know that?]

“No, I know myself well. How could you know me better than I know myself?”

[You visited the Multiverse Management Bureau, didn’t you?]

“..!”

[That’s a place you can’t go even with an Ascended Order. You already have a different kind of power sleeping within you, separate from your Ascended Order.]

“…”

[Didn’t Lillia tell you? To join the Bureau.]

Ah, come to think of it, she did say that.

Thinking about it, Lillia must have known what kind of person Radios was.

She had seen a glimpse of his life story.

She knew he wasn’t someone who would wish for the unhappiness of the majority for his own happiness.

Yet she still offered him a position at the Bureau.

Could this suggest that there was a way for Radios to regain his power even if he lost it?

“So what you’re saying is… even if I lose my Ascended Order, my power won’t disappear?”

[More precisely, the achievements you’ve made won’t disappear. Not the Ascended Order, but the achievement of reaching the multiverse level and attaining immortality.]

“Hah… so that’s what it was?”

Let’s organize what the Akashic Records was saying.

First, Radios possessed power beyond just the Ascended Order of Judgment.

That power came from reaching a new level called “multiverse class.”

Although Radios himself didn’t know it, this power lay dormant within him, separate from the Ascended Order of Judgment.

He might only discover its true nature after awakening it.

The important point was that what the Akashic Records wanted from Radios was specifically the Ascended Order of Judgment.

In other words, if he gave up the Ascended Order of Judgment, his power would disappear for now.

But the opportunity to awaken power equivalent to the Ascended Order of Judgment would still remain.

Because he had reached the multiverse level and gained immortality.

“You should have told me that from the beginning. I got angry and argued with you for nothing.”

[If we hadn’t argued, would you have simply followed my words, Radios?]

“Hmm… I guess not. It’s good that you explained it this way.”

Thanks to their profound conversation about fate, Radios had accepted a new perspective.

If the Akashic Records had simply demanded his Ascended Order of Judgment without explanation, another fight would have broken out.

In that sense, the Akashic Records had already seen through Radios’s personality.

“Anyway… while you’re reviving those three people, I have one more request.”

[If it’s within the allowable range of causality, I’ll grant it.]

“Arsia. She became blind in both eyes when her Divine Order was taken away. Please heal that.”

[Restoring her Divine Order would be difficult, but healing a physical part should be possible.]

“Then please do at least that much.”

Radios felt glad that he had asked about Arsia.

Actually, he had been thinking about discussing the revival of Kraud and the recovery of Arsia’s eyes.

This was because Kraud was a being who handled the Divine Order of Time.

He thought that if Kraud could turn back the time of Arsia’s eyes just a little, she might avoid blindness.

But that wasn’t the case.

The Akashic Records didn’t withdraw its statement about causality regarding Arsia’s blindness.

This meant that even using the Divine Order of Time couldn’t heal Arsia’s eyes.

Of course, he could come back to the Akashic Records again.

But whether Radios, having lost his Ascended Order of Judgment, could return here… he wasn’t sure.

Even if he could return, it would take a long time.

It was fortunate that he had asked about this now.

‘Arsia… why did you push yourself so hard?’

A wound that couldn’t be healed without using causality.

Radios felt grateful that Arsia had used her Divine Order to such an extent, but also worried about why she had pushed herself so hard.

[Are you ready?]

“…Yes.”

Radios snapped back to reality at the Akashic Records’ words.

He had been ready for a long time.

He just felt a little regretful about actually losing his power.

[Are you really… completely ready?]

“Let me ask one more thing. How much time has passed outside?”

[Not much. The Akashic Records is essentially the core of a universe. Think of it as a separate mini-universe far removed from the time axis.]

“So not much time has passed. That’s fine then.”

He hoped time wouldn’t be deleted like in the Deep World.

After all the fighting was over, being absent for too long would be terrible for Arsia and the other surviving companions.

Radios summoned the Ascended Order of Judgment one last time.

The thought that he would never again wield such a thrilling power made him feel both refreshed and sad.

But that feeling didn’t last long.

He closed his eyes tightly and made the decision in his heart to part with his Ascended Order.

[I’ll begin now.]

The Akashic Records, sensing Radios’s resolve, raised its energy without further comment.

Radios could feel an intangible force slowly leaving his body.

Little by little, it disappeared.

The countless hours, effort, and power that had been with him were gradually vanishing.

The Ascended Order, the power that could control everything, disappeared.

Below that, his Divine Order disappeared, and even his Order vanished.

Then came a massive shockwave.

KWAAANG!

The Ascended Order of Judgment that left Radios’s body began to fluctuate as if it would destroy the Akashic Records at any moment.

“Kugh!”

Radios was helplessly pushed back by the force emanating from the Ascended Order.

It was an incredibly dense power—enough to make him marvel that such power had been inside his body all this time.

But that didn’t last long.

The Akashic Records muttered something and then absorbed all of the Ascended Order, beginning to modify three books.

Chiiik.

A sound like something burning, followed by a long silence.

After who knows how long…

[The great ritual… was successful.]

The Akashic Records informed Radios of the result in a somewhat tired tone.

Resurrection successful.

Hearing those words, Radios smiled with relief.

“So is it all over now?”

[Yes. Truly, well done, Radios Magnum.]

“I finally feel relieved. It’s a bit regrettable, but… this is my fate. So, could you open the door for me?”

[…Understood.]

The Akashic Records opened the door back to his world as Radios requested.

As if he had no more business here, he walked toward the exit door, raising one hand in farewell.

‘Thank you… for protecting this universe.’

The Akashic Records, seeing Radios off, paid its sincere respects to him.

After all, he was a true hero who had saved an entire universe.