Chapter 331

Ṛҽa​d​& ;on ́​Ｋat‍Rеäd̀i‍ngC̈a​fe

“…Sometimes reality feels less realistic than fiction.”

Frey muttered, letting out a weary sigh. I think so too. I completely agree with that statement. The sister he thought was dead returns as a devil god, steals her brother’s body, and traps that brother inside her own body? What the hell is that?

I never expected it to turn out like this.

Astaroth stealing Eugene’s body.

Is it even possible for a devil god to steal the body of a ‘Chosen One’?

If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t even question it, but Eugene?

There’s a reason why the Chosen One is called the ‘Chosen One’. Chosen by the four seasons. The blessings of the four seasons are constantly active for Yoo-seong and Eugene. Even though Eugene hasn’t awakened, it means a devil god shouldn’t even be able to approach him. Any attempt to steal his body should have been deflected by the blessing.

‘…Could swapping bodies instead of stealing have been to bypass the blessing?’

I looked down at Eugene, who was dejected with his head bowed. Eugene, who I always looked up to, had become so small. I’m unconsciously treating him like Alice. I stroked his hair and pinched his cheeks. So soft. This softness is comparable to Alice’s. Cognitive dissonance is setting in. My head recognizes him as Eugene, but he doesn’t feel like Eugene at all.

‘Astaroth stealing Eugene’s body… it can’t just be because of her obsession as a sister.’

First of all, this situation itself is unprecedented. At least, there was no similar situation in Lucille’s memories that I read. If I looked through all the regressions, I might find something, but considering that this situation was absent from the timelines Lucille considered important and showed me directly, it’s either non-existent or extremely rare.

‘What benefit is there to stealing Eugene’s body?’

Since Eugene’s consciousness is in Yui’s body, she won’t be able to use his supernatural ability. Just swapping bodies wouldn’t mean much. What’s important in supernatural abilities is the mind, not the body. But there’s no way Astaroth wouldn’t know that. She was also using a supernatural’s body.

‘Maybe Eugene’s supernatural abilities aren’t the goal…’

Maybe the ‘Chosen One’ itself was the goal.

As we know from Yoo-seong being able to use his supernatural abilities even after sealing his powers as a ‘Chosen One’, the abilities of the ‘Chosen One’ and supernatural abilities are separate. Being the Chosen One is a kind of authority. A key to using infinite power. The qualification to challenge the truth. Everything else combines to create the Chosen One.

Maybe Astaroth wants to become the ‘Chosen One’. Stealing the body is not the goal, but a means. What she truly aims for is to acquire the authority of the ‘Chosen One’.

‘Or maybe she has prepared some way to use Eugene’s supernatural ability.’

Perhaps it could be both.

…But is it even possible? I know that Astaroth’s power is close to omnipotence. In theory, nothing is impossible. Yes, in theory. 

Authority of Law. The power to apply her own rules to the world. She can do anything, but she must set conditions and pay a price accordingly. In a way, the name ‘transaction’ is more fitting than the name ‘law’.

Stealing the body of the Chosen One and using their authority and supernatural abilities.

How much of a price would she have to pay to create such a rule?

What conditions would she have to present to cause such a miracle?

Frankly, it’s impossible. Even paying the entire devil god Astaroth as a price wouldn’t be enough.

“…Cia? Are you listening?”

What is Astaroth aiming for? Is it possible that I’m overthinking it, and she just wanted Eugene’s body? Did she just want to own everything because she loves her brother too much? But Astaroth holds the initiative of ‘Devil Astaroth’. Yui’s influence is limited.

“Lucia? Hey, Lucia?”

“Huh? Yeah?”

I snapped out of my thoughts at the sound of someone calling me. The voice came from below. Eugene was pulling on my clothes, looking up at me. My reflection was visible in his blue eyes, which were stained with tear marks.

“The sound stopped. Could the fight be over?”

Only after hearing that did I belatedly realize that the explosions had stopped. The battle sounds that seemed to turn the world upside down were no longer heard. Is the battle over?

We had left the cemetery, but we were still moving quickly. It was a fight between Yoo-seong and Astaroth. Just leaving the cemetery doesn’t make us safe. In the worst case, even leaving the city would be dangerous. I contacted Team Cheonmyeong to evacuate the nearby residents, but half-hearted escapes weren’t very effective.

“…The battle is over? Can we go back, then?”

“Leo. Don’t be so hasty.”

“…”

Anastasia shook her head. Leo was silent for a moment, then let out a deep sigh. He looked as if he was suppressing something. He probably was. Why would Leo visit the cemetery today of all days? Today is the fifth anniversary of the Great Catastrophe. Just as Eugene lost Yui, Leo also lost his family on this day. He must be worried about his sister’s tombstone and can’t bear it.

Fortunately, he properly recognizes reality, so he doesn’t stubbornly insist, but Leo’s heart must be burning black.

“Yui…”

Eugene’s heart must be burning as well.

Eugene stared blankly in the direction of the cemetery.

“I’ll send a doppelganger. If the situation is over, I’ll send you a message, and then we can go.”

Anastasia’s suggestion was reasonable. The doppelganger that appeared with a pop walked towards the cemetery. We decided to wait for now. If it’s still ongoing, we’ll evacuate again. If it’s resolved, we can return to the cemetery. I’m worried about Yoo-seong too. I know Lucille’s hero wouldn’t lose, but that’s just how people’s hearts are, right? What can I do if I’m worried?

“Hmm.”

The wait wasn’t very long. A subtle change appeared on Anastasia’s face, which had been blank. Anastasia stretched the corners of her eyes long and tapped her temples.

“Oh, I see.”

“What’s wrong? What’s happening there?”

“The doppelganger disappeared. It wasn’t attacked, it voluntarily withdrew to deliver information.”

When the doppelganger disappears, its memories and experiences are transferred to the main body. Anastasia closed her lips as if she was chewing over the doppelganger’s memories. After a few seconds of short silence, her mouth opened. Anastasia said in a bright voice.

“My friends.”

But the content of her words was not bright at all.

“We’re in big trouble. Yeah, let’s run away right now.”

Adding in an undertone that we might really die if we stay here any longer.

Fine cracks began to form on Anastasia’s smile.

◈

The subspace is collapsing.

The space that Yoo-seong distorted to isolate reality and the battlefield. He doesn’t have the ability to control space. He amplified the supernatural ability that reigns over the world with Michael’s Sword, which was closer to crushing the texture of space. The forcibly distorted space showed a tendency to recover according to the repulsive force, and as the force distorting it weakened, it gradually returned to its original form.

The cemetery, which had been reduced to ruins by the preliminary skirmish alone.

The place to commemorate the souls of the dead had already lost its former appearance.

The crumbled tombstones turn to dust and scatter bitterly.

The molten earth flows like scarlet lava, swallowing even the remaining tombstones.

“Isn’t this a suitable place?”

Astaroth said sarcastically.

“Here, the cemetery? If you die, you can be buried here right away.”

The school uniform had long been tattered. Even if the academy’s school uniform was specially made to be durable, there were limits. Super-regeneration is limited to the body, and clothing is separate. Astaroth could restore even the clothes, but she didn’t bother. It was because she didn’t want to waste her strength on unnecessary things.

“How about it? Have you thought about your last words?”

“…How arrogant.”

Yoo-seong looked down at Michael’s Sword. It was still shining brilliantly, but its radiance had diminished quite a bit compared to before. A significant portion of the ‘light’ was consumed in just a short battle.

He spat out the blood that had pooled in his mouth. A few minutes from when the subspace was created to when it disappeared. During those few minutes, Yoo-seong killed Astaroth more than twenty times. He cut off her head, pierced her heart, and dismembered her limbs. But it was meaningless. The opponent had Lucille’s immortality. An immortal being who couldn’t die. No matter how great Yoo-seong was, he couldn’t kill an immortal being.

Even if he gained the upper hand, his stamina was constantly being consumed. In comparison, Astaroth was always in perfect condition. Any injury, even stamina, was subject to recovery. Only the tattered school uniform proved that a battle had taken place.

‘How long has it been…?’

Yoo-seong thought.

How long has it been since I felt like this?

The moment when the certainty he always had wavered.

Not ‘I will win’, but ‘I might lose’.

‘No, there’s no need to worry.’

What came to mind was the Immortal King.

A lazy monarch sitting on a throne and dreaming.

The nemesis of the hero, and the only being he feared.

‘Bael.’

He never thought he would feel this way towards someone other than Baal.

What bloomed at the same time as the signs of defeat were a trace of hesitation and anguish.

Yoo-seong gritted his teeth.

‘If it becomes a prolonged battle, I’m bound to lose.’

Then he must end it in one go. Can he do it? As he is now, he’s lacking. If he could, he would have done it already. Didn’t he already try and fail? Then is it impossible? It’s contradictory, but it’s possible. Yoo-seong knew the way to win. He was just hesitant because he couldn’t handle the aftermath.

‘Break the seal.’

Return as the Chosen One.

Then he can win.

But that would be breaking the oath.

It was breaking the promise with Baal and abandoning even the minimum justification for keeping Baal in check.

‘This guy is dangerous. I have to cut off the bud now.’

She might become the second Bael.

He must eliminate the threat before she grows any further.

But if Bael becomes active as a result, that would also be troublesome.

‘Bael is already willing to interfere. That’s why he spoke to me back then. The reason he’s not stepping forward right now is because of the promise with me. The moment I break the promise, the King of Devil Gods will descend… Ha, this is driving me crazy.’

Even if he stops the immediate disaster, a bigger disaster will come.

However, if he leaves the immediate disaster unattended, it will grow uncontrollably.

He’s in a situation where he can’t do either. Yoo-seong frowned.

“You seem to be deep in thought. But what a pity? I don’t intend to wait any longer.”

Although she pretended to be relaxed, Astaroth was just as impatient. She had to get her brother into her hands as soon as possible. Before her brother adapted to her body. It was a race against time for both of them. It would be advantageous to drag it out into a prolonged battle, but it mustn’t become a prolonged battle. Even in this time, Eugene would be assimilating into Yui’s body.

“Let’s end this quickly.”

You don’t want to drag it out either, do you?

“Commander, have you ever seen the moment the sun rises?”

Your alias was the God of War, right?

God of War. Right, so you must be a ‘god’ too.

I’ll show you. The power to kill a god.

The moment of dawn.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Today’s note.

Service

End.

Kichihihiihihihi!

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Lets correct a naughty and bratty author~

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