Ch.22975. Sword of Chaos (3)

Just moments ago, she had seemed half-dazed.

<This is infuriating!>

Lutesia avoided the incoming wooden spear with a violent reaction, as if she had suddenly regained her senses.

However, her ten pairs of wings occupied a considerable amount of space.

Swish!

Perhaps it was because the spear pierced through her wing feathers and scraped the inside as well.

<Ugh—!!>

Her face contorted involuntarily from the unbearable pain.

If it were mere physical pain, she wouldn’t have grimaced this much.

It felt as if her very soul was being stirred.

The sensation was so intense that she wondered if this was what it felt like when a soul was truly injured.

It wasn’t unbearable.

…But with this wound, her body simply wouldn’t obey her commands.

<…>

Even so.

She clearly recognized that she had finally reached it.

The realm that the Forerunner had so desperately sought, that state of being.

…Which meant…

That everything could be realized according to my will.

‘And what I, what we have always desired…’

It was truly within reach now. Just an arm’s length away.

And yet…

“……”

The figure that remained as the final gate, the ultimate trial, emanated a presence distinctly different from before.

More precisely, it was as if he barely had any presence at all.

…Behind him lay an endless darkness, a night sky, a brilliant starry expanse.

Only now, when she could see the essence, did she understand.

And also…

Behind him, that massive golden afterimage.

The shimmering gold was watching Lutesia with clear will and intelligence.

‘What… is that?’

She couldn’t comprehend it.

When she tried to look deeper, she felt as if she was sinking into a quagmire for no reason, so she quickly averted her gaze.

It wasn’t that she was afraid or scared.

It just felt unsettling.

An inexplicable anxiety repeatedly urged her not to pay attention to it.

‘……’

Moreover, that thing… whatever it was, had a familiar aura.

Aura? Presence? Existence?

It was difficult to describe.

“Do you still intend to erase and destroy the world?”

<Of course.>

“Even so, this is merely a fragment of the world you wish to erase. In reality, it’s just a single grain of sand on an endless beach. Will you be satisfied with removing just one grain?”

<No. I will… erase everything. Every world where suffering exists… I will erase them all.>

“…Is that even possible?”

Using the World Tree? That wouldn’t be enough.

<That’s why I need… purification and destruction. How could I, who cannot even erase a single world, destroy other worlds, the concept of worlds, and all their components?>

“You certainly make things complicated.”

She’s troublesome in many ways.

“Fine. If that’s what you want, go ahead and try. But first… you’ll have to deal with me.”

As he extended his hand, Mistilteinn returned to him, riding along the jet-black afterimage.

<ABRAS—>

“Para Ensis.”

He transformed the wooden spear into a sword and immediately shrouded it in darkness.

<ADABRA>

“Tenebra.”

The third sword.

Immediately after the command was uttered from her lips.

As if responding to it, he disrupted the miraculous phenomenon that arose and utilized its power in reverse.

The brilliant cross-shaped beam emitting pitch-black light spread from a line to a plane, covering heaven and earth before it could even fully form.

In that instant, all connections—the limitless divine power, space, and dimensions—were suddenly severed.

As if something had been disconnected.

<What are you doing now—!>

It was utterly incomprehensible.

What on earth was that?

How could something nullify even divine words and miracles?

By becoming a Demiurge, Lutesia had ascended to countless realms of knowledge and wisdom she hadn’t known before.

Yet she still couldn’t understand this.

Even if she did understand, she wouldn’t know how to respond to it.

‘If I had just a little more time, I might have been able to understand its essence.’

If only she could reach sacred wisdom (σοφία) beyond the essence!

“……”

While Lutesia was plunged into confusion, Kariel was also contemplating what he had just calmly unleashed.

Mikate. Kanus. And finally, Tenebra.

These were techniques that normally required dedicating one’s entire life to choose and master just one.

They were the practical ultimate techniques achievable through Grandeus swordsmanship and arts.

If one could make even one of them their own, they would surely become a master who could glimpse the realm beyond their time, transcending ages.

But that was the limit of being human.

And how much time and effort it would take to acquire them…

Honestly, it was just depressing.

“……”

Looking at it this way, it was clear that this swordsmanship wasn’t created for humans to learn.

In other words, for me, it’s almost like a custom-made art.

A swordsmanship that cannot be mastered if approached as mere swordsmanship, truly a repetition of foolish means.

Only by pouring in body, mind, spirit, and soul to achieve unity… could one barely understand and acquire the basics.

Even that is infinitely inefficient compared to mastering ordinary swordsmanship or magic. The practical efficiency is even worse.

If you want to excel on the battlefield, use battlefield swordsmanship or military tactics.

If you want to be skilled in one-on-one combat or duels, use methods suited for that.

That’s the issue in the end.

“…So there’s no answer.”

A tree is a tree, a rock is a rock.

Water is water, wind is wind.

Even flames that devour matter and freezing cold.

In the end, everything is part of the natural order and principle.

But depending on how you use it.

It can become anything.

From one to ten.

Or from ten to one.

-Cut off the path to the sky, cut off the path to the earth. By severing such connections, they transform from infinite beings to finite mortals.

The previous Demon King whispers.

-If you want to defeat such beings, striking their physical form is meaningless. The key is to first sever their connection to the world.

Unlike us, they are unfair beings who can unilaterally draw power and knowledge from all things in heaven and earth.

“……”

Within the unique dimensional realm formed by Athena.

There, using Tenebra to bind the space again based on her unique power that was the source of her strength.

Nothing here originates from my power and source.

…Though I was substituting some of the excessive force needed to deploy this with divine power.

<Kugh!>

Therefore.

Just by implementing this space, her nearly infinite divine power was continuously consumed and depleted.

The fact that such an absurd harmony is possible precisely because divine power overflows is truly remarkable, even from my perspective as the caster.

Is power not… everything after all?

“Do you understand what’s happening?”

<Why does someone like you exist? It’s strange, isn’t it? Do you think this makes any sense?>

“…Indeed.”

I agree.

I’ve had the sense that something doesn’t add up for quite some time.

What am I exactly?

Is there any reason I had to come this far?

All I wanted was just…

“Let’s say fate has thrown both you and me into the gutter and the abyss.”

<Then you should have let me be! I would have filled in all these pits, and not stopping there, I would have eliminated every single abyss that exists! Or what? Now that you’ve gained such power, have you developed an attachment to the world? As if you’ve become some kind of god?!>

“That… makes no sense at all.”

Holding Mistilteinn coated in darkness in his right hand, and Hævatein in his left.

He stepped forward, using the staff to support himself as he walked.

“……”

A pale man and a young girl stood blocking Lutesia’s path.

<Step aside. This is… my problem.>

“No. It absolutely is not.”

Delica vehemently objected to Lutesia’s words.

“……”

<He’s not the kind of person who will back down just because you stand in his way, sister.>

“I know. There’s no such thing as… a slim chance here.”

But even so.

Delica, she had no choice but to do this.

“So instead of a slim chance… we need a sure strategy, right?”

<…You don’t mean?>

“You brought even me back from the dead, so I can trust you, right?”

With that.

Pitch-black mist and aura erupted from Delica’s entire body.

“This is unexpected?”

Her atmosphere and tone changed dramatically.

The girl, now shrouded in darkness, turned her head and immediately snapped.

“You pathetic woman. Even in this state, you’re still crawling on the ground?”

A being who had essentially manifested through Delica’s body, beyond mere possession.

Another version of herself from another world.

The War God had intruded upon this place.

“I’m already busy fighting over there, and now you call me like this again. Kukukuk!”

Despite his excuse, his attitude and demeanor seemed very relaxed.

“Let me see. This space is… I see. So I’m supposed to handle this with just the power I have now? What an unreasonable ability. What the hell did you do to obtain such divine status despite living like an idiot? I still don’t understand.”

Kariel glared at him and asked.

“Do you need an explanation?”

“Nonsense.”

This one had a more ferocious presence and momentum than the shadow he had encountered before.

And this was just a fragment…

“Let’s keep this short. If you endure, you win, and if not… you die?”

“……”

“Ah, before that.”

The War God’s clenched fist suddenly disappeared.

‘What…’

He can use that much power even in this space?

If I had faced him and misused Dominatur Peccata, I might have been one-sidedly beaten.

Surprisingly, he had extremely enhanced his physical abilities right after the possession.

…That will surely have side effects once the possession ends.

But.

The shocking thing wasn’t that I lost track of his movement.

<…?>

His forearm had somehow pierced through Lutesia’s solar plexus.

“M-my lord?”

The pale man, Cain, froze in place and muttered blankly as if he had seen something wrong.

“Idiots all think the same way.”

As he pulled out his arm, Lutesia collapsed to the ground, breathing heavily.

“Pathetic woman. This was a battle you could never win from the start. Over there, he’s trying his hardest not to kill you, and you can’t even see that intention?”

And you.

He pointed at Kariel and snapped.

“You idiot. What are you holding back for? Did gaining some power make you think the world is easy? If you’re like this, I’ll sweep away everything outside here as soon as my consciousness returns.”

“……”

Ah, so that’s it.

From that disorganized, violent attitude, Kariel also realized something.

“Is this your final contingency? How far did you anticipate?”

“I told you. Idiots all think the same way.”

He snorted.

“Want to make a bet? Whether I’ll kill this pathetic woman or not?”

“……”

“The beauty of grand strategy is that even the moment of realization stems from my grasp.”

A kid who hasn’t even completed a strategy.

An idiot who’s even clumsy with tactics.

“Underestimating war. How does it feel to get stabbed in the back while showing off? Feels like shit, doesn’t it?”

“……”

“Are you going to leave her to die while we’re standing here? And do you think only you can kill immortals and divine beings? I’ve killed plenty myself.”

Indeed, for a divine being, she looked in extremely critical condition.

It seemed worse than just having her connection to heaven and earth cut off by Tenebra…

“I’m short on time too, so come at me already. Or what? You just want to keep watching?”

Facing the boastful War God, the pale man, Cain, changed his expression and shouted.

“You, Legion Commander! What are you doing? What scheme are you—”

Before he could finish, Cain’s head was severed.

“Oh, he doesn’t get sent back here?”

With a dismissive snort, he demanded.

“I said come at me. What? You still need to organize your thoughts? Should I just overturn everything so you don’t have to think?”

“Don’t rush me. I’ve already sorted everything out.”

Kariel approached him with a short sigh.

That guy probably has no intention of coming this way.

He’s obviously planning to use Lutesia as a shield.

So he deliberately said one thing.

“True. Being underhanded and dirty is the answer to winning.”

“The incompetent always talk about justice and goodness. As if goodness and justice are their shields. Every thought process is as disgusting as vermin.”

“Your thought process seems quite twisted too.”

“Why should I care? I who am victorious am the law, the truth, and life itself. Even if I spout nonsense, it becomes truth when it comes from my mouth. If anyone objects, I’ll just kill them—boil them, burn them, or whatever way I choose.”

At this point, even Kariel was dumbfounded.

“You… should have died at your brother’s hands. That would have been the right answer.”

“And I did die, didn’t I? Even that was my choice. But what about you? Do you have any choices in your life right now?”

“……”

Really.

He never loses an argument.

Now they were truly within striking distance.

There, in the middle of the earth and air turned pitch-black.

We looked at each other and laughed without making a sound.

Silently.

Only with our eyes.

Only in our minds.