Chapter 353 – Overload (3)
The difficulty of moving through space varied according to the distance from sky to land. Moving over one village or territory was something that senior magicians could do without much difficulty, and elders with the knack for it could travel from Mana-vil to the border.
However, the story was a bit different going on from there.
It was difficult to meet the amount of magic power required to travel to another country with less than seven circles. Moreover, it wasn't easy to control magic power beyond their capabilities, even if they took the needed time and prepared materials.
Even the current genius of space magic, Orta was exhausted when he crossed borders on this continent.
'…A success. Is it really this easy?'
However, Theodore had realized that his space movement was a complete success the moment he spoke in the southern swamp.
There wasn't the normal feeling of space movement. It was too quick as he passed through space without any delays. This was despite the fact that it was not short range space movement but long-distance travel between two borders on the continent.
Transcendence—it was the name of those who acquired the authority to intervene in time and space beyond the limitations of the lifeforms born in this material world. There was no relation to aptitude or proficiency in space magic. To put it simply, his eye level had changed.
If Orta's magic eyes could dissect an area of space in his vision, then Theodore could now close his eyes and figure out the spatial coordinates of anywhere in the world and the way to get there. Maybe it had something to do with Clipeus' 'control authority.'
'No, it isn't just that. Abracadabra—if this means what I think…!'
It sounded like a chant, but Theodore thought the phrase implied its own accomplishment.
ABRACADABRA (It will be done as you say)—at first glance, it looked no different from an Order. However, if he dug deeper, he could see the difference. An Order forced the phenomenon of the world to follow its will, whereas Theodore's enlightenment caused the world to transform to express his will.
A fireball, a ball of fire, a flame sphere or just a pop of flames—the name didn't matter. He only needed to think what he meant and he could use the magic. Ultima magic was the area in which he needed to pay attention, but in the case of Simon Magus, he hadn't muttered a single word of a chant despite using a magic like Dimensional Leave.
Perhaps it was because Simon had reached the end of the road where he could use magic just by thinking.
"Hah," Theodore couldn't help letting out a laugh.
As soon as he got caught up in the almighty feeling of having the world under his feet, he realized the sky above him. Theodore didn't have an inferiority complex. This was natural for someone who bore the title of the greatest magician of the Age of Mythology. He just thought it was amazing that there was still so far for him to climb.
Thinking up to there, Theodore opened his eyes and saw Aquilo inside his familiar laboratory.
She greeted, "Oh, you woke up?"
The time Theodore had spent in understanding must've been long. He looked around for the other two people and realized they had headed for the bath and lounge respectively. They had tried to wait for him to wake up but had no patience for it.
Theodore faced Aquilo with a strange look.
Aquilo laughed and grabbed his right arm. "What? Are you surprised that I waited?"
"Honestly?"
"This is too much. I didn't touch any of the interesting things while waiting. Don't I deserve some praise?"
"I think it is a natural courtesy to not touch…"
After all, she wasn't a kid with junk food. Fortunately, those words hadn't flowed out of Theodore's mouth. Over a period of five years, his experiences had helped him automatically filter out what he could or could not say. Thus, he laughed lightly and responded to her, "Well, thank you for waiting. You are very kind."
"K-Kind? Me…?" Aquilo, the evil dragon of the sea, gaped at him. She had ruined harbors, led pirates and plundered all types of treasures depending on her mood. The people of the sea would say 'If the name of Aquilo is heard, people will stop fishing and even a crying child will stop.'
Yet Theodore said Aquilo, the evil dragon, was kind? Aquilo was paralyzed by the unexpected counterattack, and Theodore left the room. Her reason returned when he asked a question, "So, are you going to keep following me?"
"Ah, yes," Aquilo replied one beat later. "Didn't the lord say to be well? I don't know what it means."
Aquilo smiled shamelessly from behind him. 'Huhu, I actually know. Isn't this going to work better?'
There was no doubt that Aquilo had enjoyed many years of pleasure. The lord had spoken without any great expectations, but Theodore Miller was a prey she had personally pointed out. If things went well and it became a male and female relationship… It would be fine to have one child.
This was an environment where dragons couldn't be born naturally, but transcendence could overcome this limitation. The desire that could no longer be suppressed wriggled in Aquilo's body.
'It seems that he has a good relationship with the fireball… Since ancient times, male have been creatures who can't be satisfied with just one person.'
It was the same for a virtuous hero. She held his arm tightly and deliberately leaned her body in. Aquilo had enough experience in the methods to defeat a man to write a book. Theodore had a hunch that Aquilo was up to something and didn't respond.
'…Sigh, she doesn't have any malice, but I'm tired of dealing with her.'
He would rather have an opponent he could easily hit with his power. When it came to these seduction techniques, Aquilo was a type of opponent that Theodore couldn't handle. Unless he quickly pulled Veronica to his side, this would continue indefinitely.
Then at that moment…
[Welcome back, Master,] Gladio greeted Theodore politely once he crossed the threshold of the control room. Aquilo glanced over Gladio with interested eyes, then she noticed it wasn't a living creature and turned away.
However, Theodore asked him with a dark face, "Gladio, why are you in the control room?"
[There is something I need to report to Master urgently.]
"I see. What is the importance?"
[Grade 2.]
Theodore stiffened at the words. It was Grade 2, which could end up changing to Grade 1. This meant it was a national disaster or worse. What happened even though he had returned from the swamp faster than expected? It was as if someone had been aiming for Theodore's absence. Aquilo sat down while Theodore listened to the report.
[It was just after Master left. There was a red warning light on the door connected to the East Continent. There was an emergency, and support troops were urgently requested. In Master's absence, I notified the heads of the other towers according to my behavior manual. I sent troops to the East Continent with their help.]
"A wise decision. Which of the three did you send?"
Aside from Paragranum who couldn't leave the capital, there were three people available. Only Veronica, Orta, and Sylvia could cope with a red signal. The red signal corresponding to the highest level of risk was something only a master could deal with.
Gladio answered Theodore's question immediately, [Red Tower Master Veronica and Blue Tower Master Sylvia.]
In that case, Orta still remained. Theodore thought about the situation quickly and turned away. He felt sorry for Aquilo, but there was no time for a break.
"Give me the coordinates. I will meet the White Tower Master."
Orta's location was found within seconds in the central tower. Then Theodore did what was necessary.
* * *
Following the peaceful reconciliation of the Northern Great War, the people of Meltor, the magic kingdom, were able to achieve prosperity faster than in any other time with many territories entering their hands. Facilities buried in the capital were quickly distributed throughout the kingdom, and new places to live quickly appeared in war-damaged places.
One of the most prominent figures behind this prosperity was White Tower Master Orta.
'…Please come back soon, Chief Tower Master.' How confused was Orta when he first received the contact? He knew that the central tower had a space gate leading to other parts of the continent, but it was possible to move to the East Continent across the sea. He wanted to study and understand the principles.
However, the man who introduced himself as the manager of the central tower, a man who resembled the 7th Sword, had summoned the three tower masters because of an emergency.
-There has been a big uproar near the space gate on the East Continent. It is the red signal that Master designated as the highest risk. Sending non-masters is meaningless. It is within your freedom to accept my request. What would you like to do?
There was no emotion in Gladio's voice, but his dull tone touched Veronica, who had been bored. The incident was of the highest risk level determined by the Theodore whom she valued, and she wanted to be helpful to him. The problem was the number of people who could cross over with Veronica.
-I will accompany Red Tower Master.
Sylvia stepped forward before Orta, who was deliberating the situation. Her behavior couldn't be controlled because she was also a tower master. Additionally, Orta was the one who could best handle the space door. In the end, Veronica and Sylvia left, while Orta remained in the capital.
He looking impatiently at the space door where contact had been lost. "Sigh…"
Then right when Orta let out a long sigh…
Flash! A man suddenly appeared in front of him.
Orta stared at the space with astonished eyes.
This was the magic kingdom, and there were thorough measures against space magic inside the kingdom. There was a magic circle blocking the movement of space in important facilities including the royal palace and magic towers. However, in spite of these obstacles, there was an uninvited guest.
It was the strongest magician on this continent, Theodore Miller.
"C-Chief Tower Master!" Orta immediately recognized Theodore and rose to greet him.
Orta had desperately wanted Theodore's return, but more than that, his magician's instincts stirred. Despite the success of the space movement, the magic circle in this area was still fine. In other words, Theodore had walked through it instead of destroying it.
It wasn't just that. Orta's eyes could see that Theodore looked different from a while ago.
'An area I can't interfere in? There has been a change in the Chief Tower Master…!'
Orta's 'magic eyes' had absolute power in spatial manipulation, yet an area that Orta couldn't intervene in was wrapped around Theodore's whole body. It was a wall that even the 2nd Sword, Zest Speitem, wouldn't be able to break through. Unfortunately, Theodore was the one to speak first, "Please explain."
"Ah! Of course, Chief Tower Master." For the first time in his life, Orta regretted that his position was lower than someone else and pushed down the words he wanted to ask. Then he spoke an unbelievable sentence, "Two days ago, the central empire collapsed."
The largest empire in the East Continent had collapsed overnight.
Chapter 354 – Pandemonium (1)
The collapse of the central empire…!
The people of the East Continent were unsure of the situation, but Theodore could see it.
The central empire was literally the greatest empire in the East Continent. Even if all four of the other nations united to face it, the odds would be difficult to predict. The empire accounted for more than half of the East Continent's land, and it had a vast number of troops and a dense population. Additionally, there was the existence of 'Lust' at the heart of the empire.
It was too strong a country to collapse without any precursors.
"…The two tower masters left one last message before contact was cut off. They said they were going into a defensive battle with the local forces. It seems they are unsure of what type of force they are fighting and how many there are," Orta's lips moved under the white mask he always wore.
He believed in the abilities of the two tower masters. However, if there was no contact, there might be some variables in the fierce battle. Theodore heard a bit of information and came to a similar idea. 'The local forces must mean the Fairy Dance Lee family. If the two tower masters fight with the Fairy Dance Lee family in the Baekun Mountains, they won't fall easily.'
However, there were too many variables to believe in that power alone. He was concerned about the central kingdom that was stuck in the palm of Lust's hand. Theodore had met and fought with grimoires a number of times, so he was well aware.
A grimoire wouldn't do anything that would violate the purpose of its existence. If Lust's purpose was to be the 'ultimate womb', then the collapse of the middle kingdom was likely to be something she did herself.
The Receptacle of Solitude—this evil shamanism came to mind. It was the cave in the Baekun Mountains where the seven-tailed fox had formed from eating off the 'rejects.'
Although this was a ridiculous story from a common-sense perspective, Theodore had already dealt with an entire country of human sacrifices. What if the entire population of a vast territory at least 10 times bigger than the Lairon Kingdom were devoured?
"I need to hurry," Theodore muttered after he finished thinking.
Orta nodded. He hadn't just been sucking his fingers waiting for Theodore to return, after all. "Yes, I gathered just enough people that it won't exceed the limit of the space area. Combat ability isn't the only thing needed. Personnel to secure the area and make a base is necessary."
"That is a good judgment," Theodore agreed and added a few more words, "Then I will leave the command of the later team to you."
"Huh?"
It was anticipated that the Chief Tower Master would act alone since he had unequaled power. A magician with the power to overcome armies by himself shouldn't be tied to the role of commander.
However, Orta intuitively sensed that this wasn't what Theodore meant. "Chief Tower Master, do you intend to leave for the East Continent one step ahead of the support team? You just came back, and there are two more days of standby for the space gate."
"It is okay. The role of the space gate is just for assistance. The standby time isn't a problem if I use my magic power."
"No, please reconsider," Orta spoke with a more cautious expression than usual. "Chief Tower Master, I don't doubt your ability, but the East Continent is currently in a state where I can't see what's ahead. I think it is better to go with the support team rather than hastening the schedule and consuming a lot of magic power."
"I understand your opinion. I expected you to sound like this." Theodore smiled since he would've made the same judgment as Orta a few days ago.
The identity of the enemy was unknown, and the status of the land was unknown. Unnecessary consumption of magic power should be avoided in a situation where there were several undetermined variables. However, after becoming a transcendent, Theodore didn't have to worry about that.
"Sigh, it can't be helped." He didn't intend to brag about it, but this method was the best way to convince Orta.
As Orta waited for his answer, Theodore finally showed off some of his strength. He had grabbed a sense of it when he reached the end of the 8th circle, and it became possible after getting to the 9th circle. It was the power to move the world itself to his will—World Order. Theodore closed his eyes, raised his right hand like he was swearing an oath, and pressed down using the power of a transcendent.
People who could only see the hollow shell of the world wouldn't know. The general public might not be able to feel it, but countless invisible flows existed in the world. Knights who trained their body and senses to the extreme or magicians who turned their hearts into cogwheels could enter this area a little bit.
"…Heoook!" Orta had been born without sight in both eyes, so he was more sensitive to the invisible flow of power than anyone else. Theodore's 'will' stopped the world around him. Only time flowed leisurely, while everything else stopped like it was frozen. No, he could even stop time if he wanted to.
"C-Chief Tower Master! Surely… Surely you haven't?"
A magician couldn't not know. It wasn't reasonable to interfere with the will of the world and force it to move. People were called transcendent because they had the power to shake this absolute rule. If their knowledge was sufficient, the transcendent could interfere with the structure of any material and reverse any physical phenomenon.
Before the astonished Orta, Theodore just grinned. "Is there anything else?"
Naturally, there wasn't.
* * *
After Theodore convinced Orta using a violent logic, he instantly returned to the research building. It was a simple feat for Theodore who could cross continents with a single space movement. He heard Aquilo's words once he appeared.
"You came back faster than I thought. Is it something urgent?" She asked after reading Theodore's expression.
He ignored her question and changed the topic, "Will you follow me to the East Continent?"
"Of course. How can a young dragon like me defy the lord's order? Isn't it nice to take me to a place I've been before?"
"Nice… Well, it doesn't seem like you will be a burden."
Aquilo hadn't been much help against Sloth, but she was a dragon who could fight equally with three masters. Veronica had more combat power, but Aquilo was probably more evenly balanced. Moreover, there was a reverence for dragons in the central empire, so there wasn't anything bad involved in taking her. He looked at the pros and cons and reluctantly said, "…On the condition that you follow my words well."
"Call!" Aquilo didn't hesitate to raise her index finger and laughed as she approached Theodore. Her eyes were shining and playful. "It is quite funny when thinking about it. Boy, what do you feel when I say I will absolutely obey you?"
"It isn't an official contract, so don't exaggerate."
"Hoh, really? I can listen to whatever you say…" Aquilo's thin white fingers tickled his forearms, and her coquettish eyes gleamed brightly. Her moist and gentle fingers danced like a live fish.
However, Theodore didn't fall for her temptation, poking her in the middle of the forehead. "Don't do this."
"Tch." Aquilo was pushed back by his decisive attitude and turned the conversation to another topic. She understood that there was no chance in this atmosphere. It was different from five years ago when there were many gaps. "But Boy, are you only taking me? The knight or high elf will be helpful."
"Oh, I won't take Randolph and Titania with us."
"Why?" Aquilo made a bewildered face.
However, Theodore shrugged without answering. After all, it was the private matter of those two people.
Titania had met the teacher she had missed for over a hundred years and left without being able to have a proper conversation. Meanwhile, Randolph had multiple wounds and was still recovering from the damage. It would be much easier to move with Aquilo than to take those two.
"Additionally, they won't be able to do anything."
It was cold but true. If the situation couldn't be solved with the power of Theodore who was a transcendent, then it wouldn't be meaningful to take Randolph and Titania. Aquilo stepped beside him in silence. Then Theodore reached out to the space gate connected to the East Continent. "Geotia, activate the space door."
Simultaneously, a blue light appeared around the edges of the space gate.
[The space gate leading to the Baekun Mountains has been confirmed. The magic power storage container is at 55%.]
"Cover the lacking amount with my magic power."
[Yes, I will do it according to Master's will.]
Once the ring on his finger stopped flashing, Theodore's magic power started to flow somewhere. An enormous amount of magic power, that even three 7th circle magicians weren't capable of, poured out. An 8th circle magician might be exhausted for a while, but a 9th circle magician could recover in a few breaths.
Shortly after that, Geotia's voice became louder, [Warp Gate 3, move!]
A radiant light burst from the space door. The empty space gradually distorted, and the inside of the glow showed a completely different landscape from the research center. There were dense trees without a trace of civilization. This was the scenery of the Baekun Mountains, located in the northeastern part of the East Continent that had been managed by the Fairy Dance Lee family for generations.
It was the dark of night, unlike Mana-vil where the sun was still rising.
"Let's go." Theodore held Aquilo's hand without waiting for an answer and plunged into the space gate. The amount of mana consumed every second to operate the space door, which spanned across the sea to the East Continent, was enough to kill three or four elder grade magicians.
Wuooooong…! It took only a few seconds, but the distance of this space gate exceeded 3,000 kilometers. Of course, the intensity of this space movement was beyond imagination. Once the two shadows appeared on the other side, Aquilo let out a breath and started vomiting. "Haaap! Hah! Hah!"
She soon rebuked him with grim eyes, "B-Boy…! T-There, i-is, t-this, side, effect…!"
"I'm sorry, I had forgotten." Theodore didn't suffer any space nausea due to being a transcendent and smiled as he raised her up. He placed his palm on Aquilo's forehead, and light gushed out, calming her dizziness. Aquilo barely managed to get herself together. Then both of them frowned.
"What is this mana? Didn't you say this was a sacred land?" As a dragon, Aquilo was more sensitive to mana than any other species in the material world, and she looked around with a stiff expression.
The middle of a battlefield would be better than this place. Mana filled with blood and death flowed over the earth, while the malice in the wind caused discomfort. It was an atmosphere in which it wouldn't be strange if creatures emerged right now. If this were the first time Theodore stepped on this land, he wouldn't have known it was the Baekun Mountains.
'There is something wrong. This type of poison in the Baekun Mountains…!'
Once he looked closely, all the mountain vegetation was sick. The green leaves were black like oil, and the branches hung down like ailing chickens. This was at the level of a child compared to the poisonous swamp. The problem was that it shouldn't be occurring at all. Why had the mountain range which had been filled with clean power a year ago suddenly become rotten?
"Yes."
"Ah."
At that time, something touched the senses of Theodore and Aquilo.
"We're surrounded…?"
Surrounded… It was likely that there was a large number of creatures in the area. Theodore tried to count the number but stopped after it passed 1,000. The creatures were different from humans and beasts, and they soon started to reveal themselves.
Grrr! Grrrrrr!
Gruruk. Kuwoooook…
Kikikikikik! Kihihihi!
Theodore regretted waiting for their appearance. 'Damn, these disgusting guys.'
Imagine a human and beast mix with mutations all over the body—it was a picture that could be mistaken for black magic. Pride could reproduce the characteristics of all creatures in one body, and it was quite ugly. However, the monsters that had just appeared were much worse.
Aquilo flinched at the sight. "Ugh, my eyes are rotting! Boy, is it okay for me to wipe them all out?"
"…No." Theodore, restrained the disgusted Aquilo, blocking her vision as he raised his right hand.
The sight she was left with changed from grotesque to 'splatter.'
"Leave it to me." He didn't use a spell as he twisted his magic power.
Chapter 355 – Pandemonium (2)
"Goetia."
[Yes, Master.]
"Stop all support operations and wait. I will handle it alone."
[Standby mode.]
The light from the ring stopped. Even without Geotia's assistance, Theodore was able to complete the magic formula with his own ability. Theoretically, it could be executed at the 8th circle, but the spell couldn't be used in practice due to complex random number calculations and extremely difficult control. However, it was possible for the current Theodore.
「 Come up, little sun. 」 Two beads of light flashed above Theodore's palms.
It might be mistaken as light magic, but Aquilo sensed the inherent magic power and clicked her tongue. If she was just looking at the total power, it was more powerful than the breath she used in human form. Aquilo's eyes filled with anticipation.
「 Eradicate. 」 The light beads exploded the moment Theodore gave the command.
――――――――――――――!!
No, it was more accurate to call it a scattering of power than an explosion. The light beads floated 10 meters above the ground and scattered in hundreds of directions as rays. The magic power strong enough to match a dragon's breath instantly burst out from the bead shell.
The name behind the spell was Solar Ray. It was annihilation magic that compressed heat energy in a sphere and released it in the direction specified by the caster. Understandably, the lethal force was fearsome.
Kuwoooook!
The monsters hit by the rays screamed painfully, but the wounds seemed insignificant. Perhaps, it was like poking them with a thick needle? It would've been a fatal wound on anything else, but for these monsters with shoulders as thick as trees, it was like an insect bite. He might've thought so until two seconds ago.
'It is all over once hit.'
The ray penetrated their skin through the muscle layer and entered their bodies. It took only two seconds to boil their blood, burn their bones and muscles, and then melt their flesh. A single ray contained such heavy power. The melted monsters flowed onto the ground.
Chiiiik!
One, ten, one hundred monsters… The same number of monsters as the rays became liquid on the ground. It was truly an eradication. Theodore erased hundreds of monsters with a single spell and got rid of the stench with a wind that he called. He wanted to evaporate the liquid, but it was more heat resistant than he thought.
"Wow, cool! Boy, are you trying to show me a cool look? It is a great success if it is really for that purpose!" Aquilo was fascinated by the bombardment of light and the wreckage of the monsters.
She loved beauty and strength while despising ugliness and weakness. Therefore, the monsters in front of her were the worst. If Theodore hadn't come forward, she would've wiped them out directly. However, Theodore ignored the praise.
'What are these monsters? Chimera? It was similar but slightly different. It isn't changing the body by manipulating it. It is a mutation of the body itself… It is the first time I've seen a twisting of the body and the soul.'
The insight of a transcendent didn't know the cause either. He could see that something had twisted the soul, causing the body to quickly become deformed in the shape of a monster. Even so, there was no way to save these victims. If the 9th circle magician, Theodore, judged there was no way to save them other than killing, who in this material world could argue with him?
"Tsk, they are continuing to flock." Theodore's eyebrows twitched as he sensed more monsters approaching.
Was it the light from Solar Ray that brought them?
However, it was a bit strange. A little while ago, Theodore had deliberately used magic without suppressing the aftermath. That was in order to use the overwhelming mana to prevent the access of any more monsters. It was on the level of Dragon Fear, yet these monsters flocked like they didn't feel fear.
'Are they artificially-created weapons? It is annoying.' He might have to fight until the sun came up.
Theodore turned in the direction of the Fairy Dance Lee family. He wanted to fly there straight away.
"Excuse me? Aren't you going to take care of me?"
There was one unexpected problem. Aquilo couldn't fly at high speed in human form, and she would attract attention with her huge body if she transformed into a dragon. In the end, Theodore was forced to carry her.
"Hrmm, you have become so manly since the last time I've seen you. Look here…" As a compromise, Aquilo climbed onto his back.
"Don't bend your body or whisper in my ear."
"Then it is okay to kiss you?"
"It is forbidden."
Aquilo laughed while Theodore sighed and took off. He thought there would be a big problem once he met up with Veronica.
* * *
It was a long yet short flight. While restraining Aquilo's relentless touches, Theodore glanced at the Baekun Mountains which were teeming with monsters. There were at least 30,000 of them. The wild beasts of the mountain and forest had long since disappeared into the stomachs of the monsters, while the monsters who had lost their forms ate each other to fill up their appetite. It was literally a landscape of hell.
"…We will arrive soon. Are you heading down?"
"Yes." Theodore slowed down and stood on the hill overlooking the Fairy Dance Lee family's estate. The soft texture on his back disappeared, and the faces of the two people hardened as they looked down.
"Are they cockroaches?"
Theodore didn't answer Aquilo, but he agreed.
'There are at least 20,000 gathered here. 50,000 if I include all the ones surrounding this area. It is already at the level of an army.'
There was no room on the ground as only ugly heads could be seen. They seemed like ants crowded in one place, and Theodore and Aquilo looked down with disgust. Then the destination of the disgusting march was determined. It was the Baekun Mountain village with a total population of 3,000 centered around the Fairy Dance Lee family's estate.
"Hmm?" Theodore narrowed his eyes as he saw something. "The ward…? There is a shaman with this much skill in the Lee family?"
A translucent shield was protecting the entire village from the monsters that would run in without hesitation. It was at least at the level of a master shaman. The shield blocked the enemy's attacks and allowed allied attacks to pass through. Thanks to the one-sided attacks, the arrows fired by the soldiers knocked down some monsters.
'It is stable. I don't see any hope of winning, but they should be able to last a week.'
There was the terrain advantage, shaman's shield, and the tiger and bear who sometimes emerged from the shield to break down the monsters' formation before going back.
Theodore smiled when he saw the leaders of the Baekun Mountain spirits, the Tiger King and White Bear. Most of the other spirits in the mountain had gone to the forest of Elvenheim, but the two leaders had remained in the Baekun Mountains. It was because they couldn't leave Lee Seol alone.
However, his smile didn't last long.
"…The balance will soon collapse."
"Why? They are blocking it."
"Look beyond that hill."
Aquilo increased her eyesight at Theodore's words and looked at the scenery. A three-meter-tall monster, that was overflowing with mana, was approaching. It hadn't gone through the proper training, but its mana concentration came awfully close to aura. Looking at just the mana, the monster was equivalent to a sword master and a 7th circle magician. Although the monster couldn't be compared to the Tiger King and White Bear who had been training their power for hundreds of years, it was enough to damage the ward.
"I have to go out. Veronica and Sylvia aren't in the village. If the both of them were present, this mana would collapse as soon as it approaches the ward."
"Okay, I will move as you direct."
"Thank you."
Aquilo readily accepted Theodore's words, and Theodore reached out to the monsters who had yet to recognize their existence. The monsters had master class mana, but they didn't know how to operate it properly. Skin harder than steel? Recovery beyond a troll? He had dealt with opponents like these before even becoming a master.
"Geotia, assistance."
[Starting the secondary assistance. Aligning the lightning formula.]
Lightning shone in front of Theodore's body.
Memorize.
All Slots Open.
Nonuple Keraunos.
Nine lightning spears emerged. The sparks coming from them was proof that they had the power to melt iron. Nevertheless, Theodore still wasn't satisfied. He had already been capable of shooting this magic before becoming a transcendent. Rising. As he grabbed them with his right hand, the lightning bolts grew and glowed blue. A colossal amount of energy was gathered in one place, transforming into plasma beyond electricity.
「I will borrow the authority of the lightning god. 」
Then they noticed his existence. The people inside the ward looked at the hill while the monsters flocked to the man surrounded by lightning without feeling afraid. However, Theodore's ultimate magic was already completed.
「Destroy your enemies, Keraunos. 」
The interval was set at several kilometers. His target was the dangerous element that could threaten the ward. The lightning spears that became plasma cried out loudly, ―――――――――――――!!
The flash wiped out the land and trees it passed, eradicating the monsters it barely touched. From launch to hit, it took less than a second. It defied the defense of the monsters and killed them instantly while shattering several hundred meters of the ground. If magma flowed under the Baekun Mountains, it might've erupted at the shock.
"Aquilo, create a fog all over the battlefield."
"Ah, yes!"
Aquilo recovered from her shock while Theodore prepared his next move. The moisture in this area quickly gathered near the ground, soaking the monsters and leaving no gaps for escape. The monsters would die from just a lightning strike.
"'Compression' was good, so shall I try 'spreading' this time?" Theodore mumbled to himself and opened his palm toward the sky.
Then an unexpected sight unfolded.
"Ahh…"
Someone looked up at the sky and fell to their knees. Someone else gathered their hands together while praising God's name. The monsters didn't dare look up and held their breaths.
In the dark moonlit sky, lightning shone through the clouds.
「 Hit it, Keraunos. 」
The sky was torn. A gap opened, and a golden divine punishment poured down. This was the moment when a thunderstorm descended from the night sky of the Baekun Mountains.
Chapter 356 – Pandemonium (3)
―��―――――――――――!!
At the sound of the thunder, the people gathered in the darkness blocked their ears, while the shower of light blew away the darkness.
The lightning that poured from the sky was literally a divine punishment. One blow, ten blows, one hundred blows… A number of thunderbolts, that couldn't be counted with the human eye, struck. The monsters, that had only been injured by the warriors' swords, now let out pained screams as the lightning pierced through the fog and burned the surface of the earth.
Kwaaaaah!
Kieeeeek!
Even the monsters outside of the normal biological framework couldn't overcome the pain eroding their nervous system. The monsters let out deathly screams and collapsed to the ground. There was no way for their recovery ability to help, and they quickly turned to charcoal. The monsters killed by thunder fell to the ground and burned fiercely.
Chiiiik!
The solid soil melted like clay thanks to the boiling bodies. Of those left, a few had major seizures before falling silent. It took only 10 seconds for the 20,000 monsters to be destroyed. That was the amount of time it took for the thunderstorm to pour out from the magic circle which Theodore had created in the sky.
"…"
"…"
"…"
In front of the mountain of monsters that had become charcoal, the whole world was soaked in silence. Those who had been desperately fighting the creatures a few minutes ago looked up at Theodore and Aquilo with pale faces. The horrible monsters that filled the horizon had been killed in a few blinks of the eye. It was a situation that didn't seem realistic.
Theodore didn't know their dismay and let out a sound on the hill, "Kuk!"
It was because he felt strong sensations from consuming such a huge amount of magic power. If he wasn't tensed up, he might've sat down directly on the spot. The consumed magic power was quickly restored. However, it wasn't possible for him to link several ultimate spells or talk quickly yet.
'It is a good thing I experienced it before meeting the right enemy.'
He might be the best magician at the moment, but Theodore's experience as a transcendent was still immature. If he didn't know what he was lacking and met a transcendent enemy, he might not be able to use ultimate magic to defeat the enemy. Theodore would've died in a few seconds with a feeling of powerlessness.
「 Blow, wind. 」
After a short reflection, Theodore blew away the remnants of the monsters in front of him. There was no smell of blood due to the thunder, but there was the burning smell coming from the dead bodies.
"Aquilo, fly up."
"What? Ah, yes!" Aquilo responded one beat late as the remaining monsters came into sight. There were as many as 20,000. It was a number capable of forming two armies. There were still more monsters in the nearby mountains, but now there was none attacking the ward. It was why Theodore had defeated the leaders first.
'By the way, it is quite good. I didn't know it when I saw it from a distance, but the ward is more efficient than magic. Shamanism can't be ignored.'
Theodore examined the ward and raised his evaluation of modern shamans by a few stages. They might not be the same as Seimei but the current generation of shamans wasn't inferior to magicians of the same level. It might be worth exploring in earnest.
Tak.
The moment both of them landed on the ground…
"S-Stop right there!" The voice was filled with obvious fear.
Theodore turned around to see a middle-aged man in a military uniform looking at him. It didn't take long for Theodore to find the uniform in Seimei's memories.
'Dao…ist? It is a different type of shaman from an onmyōji.'
It wasn't common in the East Continent, but it was said there were many of them in the middle empire. Unlike other shamans, daoists were those who pursued becoming a god. There were many hypocrites, but the tendency itself was toward religion. Theodore relaxed his wariness and spoke to the daoist who was being guarded by two people, "Who are you?"
"I-I should be the one saying that! How can you use that type of lightning treasured object? I can't open the ward until you confirm your identity!"
"Treasured object?"
It seemed that this daoist thought that the ultimate magic wasn't from Theodore's ability but an artifact. This was a normal reaction. In this age where no one was a transcendent, people wouldn't be looking for transcendents.
'Well, it doesn't matter.' Theodore was convinced by the rational misjudgment and didn't feel the necessity to unravel it.
He didn't know why this daoist was in the Baekun Mountains, but the Baekun Mountains were under the jurisdiction of the Fairy Dance Lee family. As long as Lee Seol didn't interfere directly, no one had the authority to stop Theodore. However, it would be annoying if he broke this ward.
'Let's see.' Theodore reached out his right hand and touched the ward.
"W-What? Stop touching it before you get hurt?" The daoist was surprised by Theodore's boldness.
However, Theodore was busy analyzing the ward with a transcendent's insight.
It was similar to the 'building path' of the Art of Yin and Yang Written Treatise, but it was slightly different. The blockade was based on the user's perception. It wasn't strong enough to stop master level intruders, but it had the ability to stop people from entering with force.
However, the ward had a common weakness.
'If it doesn't recognize the object as a target of rejection, then the exclusion function won't be activated.'
It was the same as a password that was commonly used in the army. If a person could trick the identification method of the ward, they could come and go freely. This was the method Theodore was trying now.
Pajijik!
The level of the ward was quite high, but it couldn't dispel the power of Theodore who had reached the apex of a mortal. His magic reached into the core of the ward in an instant and confirmed the 'identification' function.
'Those who are known and those who are unknown. It is a standard procedure.'
In other words, the ward blocked any unknown presences. If so, adding an exception to this rule was enough.
[ Except for Theodore Miller and his companions. ]
Theodore added this sentence and grinned. Now the ward would recognize him.
"Aquilo, hand."
"…Do you think I am a dog?"
"It's not like that. And you are more like a cat than a dog."
"Is that a compliment or an insult?" Aquilo murmured but held Theodore's hand.
Then he stepped through the translucent circle.
Wuuong.
Theodore unquestionably passed through the ward!
"T-This is ridiculous!" Apparently, it was so shocking that the middle-aged man's mouth dropped open, and he sat on the ground. He shouted as he saw Theodore and Aquilo get closer, "S-Superhuman! A great master…"
"Hoh."
It seemed 'superhuman' was the word used to refer to transcendents. Perhaps Theodore's ability was correctly measured when he passed through the ward. It might've been better to break or bypass the ward then. Even if magic evolved in different directions, there was no difference in where they reached. The daoist master lost his soul, but the crowd suddenly parted.
"-Theo!" A beautifully dressed lady with braided hair ran toward him.
It was Lee Seol who had grown after five years. She hadn't neglected her training, and her steps were moderately excellent.
"Seol."
"You finally came! I knew you would!" Seol used the running momentum and hugged him. She was someone who had to grow up prematurely at a young age. Theodore smiled bitterly and spoke as she hugged him, "You're safe. I'm glad."
"Hehe."
"You have gone through a lot as head of the family. You are truly capable."
"I am undeserving of your words."
Theodore saw Lee Joonyoung appear behind Lee Seol and said, "Congratulations on becoming a master.��
Lee Joonyoung had crossed over the wall of a master during the time in which Theodore hadn't seen him. The once violent momentum had calmed down. Lee Joonyoung was now like the sky that could change at any time. This was the path that the martial artists of the Fairy Dance Lee family pursued.
Maybe it was due to Lee Yoonsung's teachings but Lee Joonyoung had solidified his position as the backbone of the family.
"There is a lot to talk about. Let's go inside."
"Yes!"
"I will follow your words."
Lee Seol laughed cheerfully and walked toward the mansion with Lee Joonyoung and Theodore. Then Theodore realized something and turned back.
Wuuuong!
The daoist master was looking at him with astonishment. Other people might not know it, but the daoist master could sense it.
"I supplemented some lacking parts. I increased the shielding ability against remote projectiles and encouraged the vigor of those inside the ward. The burden on you is less because it is connected to a nearby dragon vein," Theodore explained.
"…Thank you, great one," the daoist master said.
"The title is a bit burdensome. I also have something to talk to you about, so follow me."
"Yes…"
The daoist followed Theodore, while the villagers belatedly cheered that the village was safe. As if responding to their mood, the wall of the ward emitted a gentle light.
* * *
Theodore sat in the parlor of the Fairy Dance Lee mansion and drank tea while exchanging greetings. There were a few things he wanted to ask, but he refrained from speaking. In any case, the person who should explain had already been decided.
The daoist realized this relationship and didn't hesitate. "I am called Tae Rang, in charge of enforcing the laws of the Kunlun. In order to overcome the difficulties faced by the central empire, I visited to seek assistance from old members of the Fairy Dance Lee family."
"Kunlun?"
"Yes. It is a fabled place that the daoists devoted their lives to gaining entrance to. It is rare for anyone to come down from the mountain, but the recent situation is too serious."
Theodore nodded. 'The group of daoists was more powerful than I thought. Since he's a lawkeeper, this daoist must have excellent skills.'
It meant that the power of at least three masters was secured. The daoist, Tae Rang, hesitated for a moment at Theodore's nod before suddenly getting up and saying, "Before I explain the rest of the matter, can I say something to the great one?"
He fell on both knees and bowed, then he pleaded, "Please calm this tribulation! I heard it is an inevitable disaster but a superhuman beyond the laws of causality can overcome it! Please show mercy to the people of the center!"
"Tae Rang."
"Those who came before were very supportive, but destruction is upon us!" Tae Rang lifted his head as he talked.
Theodore was surprised by the helplessness, self-doubt, and despair on the middle-aged man's face. The strife in the middle empire was enough to make a shaman with master level ability feel despair.
"Tae Rang," Theodore called him once more before sighing. "Let me hear your explanation."
Theodore placed the cold cup of tea to his lips and sensed it would be a long story. Despite becoming a transcendent, he still had a mountain of work to do.
Chapter 357 – Lusts Apocalypse (1)
Tae Rang, the man who had introduced himself as a daoist, took a deep breath and told a long story.
It had been a month ago.
The great empire and middle kingdom occupied more than half the East Continent, so the speed of transmitting news was slow. Even an express horse would take several months to reach one end of the kingdom to the other, so it had been inevitable.
There were 256 castles that ruled the kingdom, and eight princes reigned over the lords. This feudal style of governance contributed to the slowing down of communication.
There were institutions like the magic towers, but the situation was different from the Western Continent where magic power and by-products were spread widely throughout the continent. The East Continent handled the problem of sending and receiving information using homing pigeons.
"The supreme justice read the heavens and said that a disaster would begin from the capital city."
Theodore also had the ability to read the heavens, but he urged the daoist to continue.
"That night, the heavenly star was red, and the people in the middle kingdom started to turn into creatures, regardless of their identity, sex, and age."
It was literally a nightmare.
A prince of the central kingdom had claimed that the kingdom's population had already reached one billion people. The lords of each province had counted a significant number, and it was clearly over 100 million. What if all these people turned into monsters? Even half of it would be 50 million, and half of that would be 25 million.
A person who couldn't handle a single wild dog wouldn't be able to kill a top warrior who had turned into a monster. This catastrophe threatened not just the empire but also the material world.
'No, the monsters devoured each other, and the survivors protected themselves, like this village. Even so, the number was likely to be reduced considerably.' Unlike the first time, Theodore heard about the situation and was able to calmly measure the level of the disaster. 'I haven't figured out why, but the kingdom is under the influence of the Receptacle of Solitude. When the monsters eat each other, they fill their stomachs, but there is no sign of their power increasing. There is no one to do farming or other matters, so the survivors won't be able to last a year without sacrificing something.'
In some ways, it was the same with beasts. They had physical abilities several times stronger than that of ordinary humans, and their intelligence was enough to deceive hunters. A tiger or a bear couldn't be anything other than a predator in the ecosystem.
Then what was a predator's ���nemesis?' Something on the same level as a predator? A quick prey that couldn't be caught? No, the word 'nemesis' wasn't to that extent. A nemesis was something that couldn't be overcome. It was an empty stomach.
An environment in which all prey disappeared was deadly to predators, and these monsters were no exception. Once the monsters ran out of humans, wild animals, and wild birds, they would eat their own kind, and the numbers would be reduced.
Theodore got all these answers, but there was one problem left. "…The survivors need to defend themselves so that the monsters can't fill their hunger."
Tae Rang's eyes widened at Theodore's words. "Y-You are saying the same thing as the supreme justice. I only said a few words so how…?"
"It is obvious when calmly looking at the situation," Theodore said. Then while ignoring Tae Rang's eyes which were filled with admiration, Theodore asked about his colleagues who had come ahead of him, "Rather, my colleagues should've stopped in this village before me. Did you borrow the strength of those two people?"
"Ah, I'll explain from here!" Lee Seol spoke on behalf of Tae Rang, who was too busy admiring Theodore. "If you are talking about Theo's wife and the silver-haired girl, they went to help Hyungkang Castle 300 kilometers to the northwest."
"Hyungkang Castle?"
"Yes! The residents of the castle have changed into monsters. But since there is an outstanding master present, there wasn't any serious damage. All the nearby survives gathered in Hyungkang Castle along with a judiciary of the royal family."
As the strongest empire on the East Continent, the lords were competent. The number of monsters that were changed might've been small at first, but it wasn't easy to defend the castle and clam the confused people. However, if there was a master level shaman present, then the castle should be able to have defenses that wouldn't be easily surpassed.
Nevertheless, there was one reason why extra power was needed.
'The mutant monsters have master level mana.' Thinking about it again, Theodore found it strange. The power of a monster shouldn't change that much after the transformation.
According to the judiciary, there was little difference between a strong warrior and a monster. Then there must be a reason why the mutation was happening.
-User, Gluttony spoke as he came to this conclusion, -I am certain that I know the truth of this phenomenon.
* * *
After Tae Rang finished his story, Theodore asked for understanding from Aquilo and was left alone in a room without anyone else. Theodore confirmed that there was no one around with his senses and a transcendent's magic. Then he sat in a chair and spoke, "Start."
Gluttony replied like it had been waiting, -First, this is caused by Lust.
"I guessed. I wasn't sure until you confirmed it."
-I was the same. I realized the nature of this phenomenon after receiving a clue from User's reasoning, Gluttony continued in an excited voice. -Why did the mutations in shamanism occur? Why did the ability of an individual become so different and why is it irrelevant to their life before the change? The key to this question is Lust's struggle.
"Struggle?"
-That's right. It has to do with something you did. It is a little different but similar to the butterfly effect.
'The butterfly effect?' Theodore made a confused expression, but Gluttony didn't explain.
Gluttony raised its voice and exclaimed cheerfully, -Sloth! Prometheus' arrangement that you performed set fire to Lust. That is what caused this disaster.
"Crazy!" Theodore made a bug-eyed expression as he realized everything in an instant.
Gluttony's words were right.
By expelling Sloth, the mana concentration of the world would decline significantly after centuries. It was a future that couldn't be reversed and had struck Lust with a thunderbolt across the ocean. The decline in mana concentration would interfere with the conception of an upper species, blocking the purpose of her existence.
-Thus, Lust started the last chapter. How many children has she given birth to on the East Continent for over a thousand years and how many descendants did they give birth to? Lust has turned on the potential latent in those who inherited her bloodline!
"That is why they turned into monsters?"
-Perhaps. User, don't you know better than anyone the appearance of monsters? They aren't monsters but remnants of the parent species. Ulfheðnar, Arv, Vulcan… They were failures who disappointed Lust. Gluttony's explanation was clear, accurate, and cruel enough to not leave any doubts.
Theodore wasn't responsible, but he played a role in this catastrophe. The plan to expel Sloth and lower the mana concentration of the world had all come from the god who looked ahead to the future.
Theodore let go of his last protests. "I see."
He wasn't swayed by guilt and looked at the reality in front of him. "The mutation comes from the blood of the upper species flowing in their veins. She triggered all the blood relatives in an attempt to draw out a winner, and the monsters are just failures who didn't become an upper species."
-Yes.
"I don't understand the method of throwing everything into an unlikely possibility, but it is a grimoire." Theodore's head was cold like the liquid in his brain had been turned into ice water. "…Let's assume that at least one million people inherited Lust's blood. Is there the possibility of a winner appearing among them?"
-Well, I can't calculate it with my ability.
"Hrmm, I guess it is more like gambling than speculation." However, Theodore's eyes gleamed. "Can you answer my question, Seimei?"
It was a name that popped up without any context, but no one wondered about it. Gluttony was silent, and no one spoke for a while. Theodore waited a few more seconds before glancing at his left hand. It was a silent demonstration that Theodore would call him using the user's authority.
[…Ah. Were you waiting for me to comment?] Sure enough, the genderless voice was Seimei's soul rising to the surface of his consciousness.
"Haven't I been waiting for a while? I crossed the wall as you stated in your advice. Now that I am a transcendent, you should be able to confide in me. Am I right?"
[W-Well, yes.]
"The reason you told me not to approach the capital must have something to do with this grimoire."
[Kuoong…]
As usual, Theodore waited for Seimei to speak on his own. However, Seimei was silent for a few moments. Seeming to sense Theodore's determination in his words and gaze, Seimei withdrew his hesitation. [I understand. I'll tell you everything that remains in my memories.]
Theodore's eyes dimmed, and a person who looked gender neutral appeared in his mind. The person was dressed in white and red, and he had ebony hair and golden eyes. This was the appearance of Abe no Seimei, the strongest onmyōji in Japan.
Seimei greeted Theodore with a blank expression. [Now, I will start from the beginning.]
Despite this being a disturbing story for him, Seimei's determination didn't waver. Theodore listened as the old shaman confessed the truth that no one else knew.
[It is as you guessed. I am the child of a yokai and Lust—a person who is a descendant of the white and golden nine-tailed fox, and is neither a human nor yokai.]
He was a half-man, half-yokai. Originally, it was something that shouldn't be possible. Seimei was an upper species that had been created using Lust's power.
It was far short of her ultimate goal, but Seimei was a monster who could compete with a dragon when fully grown. Thus, Lust had to raise Seimei well and use him to protect her. Unlike her other failures, she had planned to keep him and even imitated a maternal figure.
However, a problem had occurred in an unexpected place.
[My father saved me.] Seimei smiled as he recalled the proud memory. [Was it because a nine-tailed fox was attracted to a transcendent body or my father's great paternal instinct? I still don't know. Personally, I hope it was the latter.]
"Thanks to him, you escaped from Lust's grasp."
[Well, that is what happened. You should roughly know what happened next. I hid in Japan and walked the path of a shaman, reaching the level of a transcendent. I instinctively knew that I couldn't work for my mother.]
Despite being born from a wicked yokai and a grimoire, Abe no Seimei's nature was just and good. He couldn't stand injustice and rescued the weak.
At that time, Japan was a small place consisting of several villagers, rather than a kingdom. It was the advent of the onmyōjis, led by Seimei. After a century of hard work and struggles, he settled in Japan with his successor and completed his organization.
[I thought I could win.]
Lust exercised absolute power over her bloodline, but she couldn't interfere with a transcendent who had been removed from the framework of cause and effect. Abe no Seimei had crossed the border with that conviction. He had passed through the lands of the empire, defeating everyone who went against him and entered the capital. Seimei had become incomparable from when he escaped from the empire, and he wanted to destroy his mother.
After revealing all nine of his tails, he had called down a meteor shower to hit the imperial palace in the heart of the capital. Then he was defeated.
[…It was my first and last mistake.]
Seimei erased the smile on his lips.
Chapter 358 – Lusts Apocalypse (2)
[Despite becoming a transcendent, the genes inside me obeyed her orders. Unlike my will, my fingers were paralyzed and my voice trapped in my mouth. As a result, I fought with 60% of my powers sealed, and my brothers died.]
It was too high a price for one mistake. Seimei had realized that a transcendent wasn't invincible and then lost his life. The genius of a century had gotten defeated and killed by his own inexperience and arrogance. If Seimei had used all his forces at the time, the outcome might've changed.
[Hahat.] However, he laughed instead of complaining. [Well, these are just the complaints of a loser. All my bad luck and the result are things I need to bear. Now, this Seimei will lead you to victory in the unfinished battle.
"What does that mean?"
[I will help you. It looks like you are quite likable.]
Seimei finally said he would cooperate with Theodore. Although it was a joke, it was true that he liked Theodore. An existence that was quite distant from humans was fickle. Even if Theodore was the only candidate, Seimei would bury the heritage forever if he didn't like the person.
[You might've realized it when listening to my story, but victory can't be guaranteed when fighting alone. My mother kept more than me in her womb.]
"Then how should I move?"
[Go to Japan to meet my descendants and ask for their help. Put your hands on my inheritance. It will make your unfinished power more complete.]
Theodore nodded and opened his mouth, "Can you tell me more?"
[They are the Heavenly Sword, the Eight Mirrors, and the Eight Jade Magatamas. The power of the three magic objects should accept a transcendent person.]
Even the clouds in the distant sky could be a sword, while the mirrors could bounce back even the power of a god, and the magatamas could create clones. Seimei had invaded the capital with his treasures, but he had sent them back before he died.
'…Amazing. I would've regretted it if I didn't hear about them.' Theodore couldn't help feeling in awe when he heard about the powers of the three treasures.
The Heavenly Sword, Eight Mirrors, and Eight Jade Magatamas would increase his magic power by more than double. The mirrors which reflected the power of the enemy and the magatamas which made clones were both worthy items. Furthermore, there was no reason not to use the Heavenly Sword. According to the tradition, it was possible for Yamato no Orochi to make a sword of water from his body.
[In Japan, there are a few youkai left. The leader of the Oni, the three-legged crow, and the Tsuchigumo will be helpful in this fight.]
"I don't know if they will follow my words."
[I will teach you to link to their souls. It isn't difficult, so you will learn it right away.]
This was more than expected. Theodore heard Seimei's explanation and decided to stop by Japan. Even Seimei had failed to destroy the capital… So, in order for the more inexperienced Theodore to take down Lust, he needed to mobilize all the unused power.
Between Japan and Hyungkang Castle, the scale tilted sharply to one side.
"I will go to the East Continent first."
If Tae Rang's words were true, then the defense of Hyungkang Castle was like an iron wall. It was important to secure Seimei's legacy as soon as possible, rather than checking on the safety of the two tower masters. Theodore made his decision.
* * *
"I will be away for a few days." There was an uproar at Theodore's words.
He had gathered together Lee Seol, Lee Joonyoung, Aquilo and Tae Rang to tell them that. Tae Rang looked like the sky had collapsed, and both of the Lees were quite surprised. It hadn't even been half a day, so they weren't expecting him to leave. Only Aquilo listened to his words in a calm manner.
"Aquilo."
"Speak, Boy."
"Go to Hyungkang Castle ahead of me. Convey my words to the two tower masters and tell them to wait for my return."
"Hrm," Aquilo made a vague sound like she wasn't interested. "I don't like this. I came here to follow you, but you want to act separately?"
"I'm sorry but I have something to solve as soon as possible."
Aquilo might be quite affectionate to him, but her nature was essentially one that was cruel. The evil dragon of the east sea—her name had been notorious for thousands of years, and apart from liking Theodore, she didn't have a reason to help the people of this land.
Aquilo pondered for a moment before reaching out a finger and pressing it against his lips. "Okay, I'll think of it as one of the two debts. Do you agree?"
There had once been a time when they would make an exchange, but now their positions had changed quite a bit. It wouldn't be a big burden to owe her this much. Thus, Theodore nodded without giving it much thought. It was a mistake because he didn't know the ulterior motive of Aquilo, a dragon who had been indulging in pleasure for over a thousand years.
'The temptation isn't much different from being unarmed.'
Loosening the helmet, removing the armor, and taking off the belt around the waist… The analogy of being disarmed was really appropriate in that the other person's alertness was gone. Sometimes, it was effective to break down the person with a fatal temptation, but she shouldn't approach Theodore with this method.
'It will be easier to embrace me after becoming accustomed to my body temperature and smell. The next kiss will lead to one night and then… huhu.'
Like a snake slowly squeezing its prey, she would draw him into a relationship and situation that he couldn't escape from. Aquilo bowed her head so that Theodore couldn't see the desire in her eyes. It was irritating and discordant for her to act so mildly.
Shortly after that, Tae Rang recovered his spirit and opened his mouth, "B-But Great One… The barrier is stronger and harder thanks to your grace, but there are still many factors that make the safety of this village unstable. Please reconsider just once."
"Ah, you don't need to worry about this," Theodore spoke without hesitation and clapped once. Clap.
Simultaneously, the air in the front yard flashed, and several massive objects appeared.
The smallest of them was five meters tall while the largest was eight meters tall. They were the various combat golems that Theodore had placed in his laboratory. Paragranum's power had been borrowed to finish renovating the golems, which were now monsters with the raw power of a magician or aura user.
There were 12 battle golems, so they should be enough during a siege.
"This should be enough. They can use aura and magic, so they can deal with any type of monsters."
"O-Ohhh…! The giant soul soldiers from old times…!"
"Additionally, support troops will be coming in a week, so you don't have to worry about the area near the Baekun Mountains."
If the White Tower Master led the battle, they could easily defeat 30,000 monsters. Theodore held a deep confidence in his expression as he moved slowly. He would move outside the barrier to carry out the space movement.
"Theo!" Lee Seol shouted to him from a distance. "Don't worry! I'm not a child who will just be protected anymore!"
It seemed she was still a young child.
"Haha," Theodore laughed as he waved to her, left the translucent barrier and rose to the sky.
Given the unusual physical ability of the monsters, he had to rise to 200 meters in order to be safe. Theodore closed his eyes in the serene night. 'Can I use it on the East Continent?'
The token he had received from Clipeus, the golden gate… With this authority, Theodore could read the spatial coordinates of the whole material world and 'twist' them. It was literally a power to protect this world. This power didn't distinguish between the East Continent and West Continent.
Kiiing! A radiant light burst out as the coordinates were engraved in Theodore's head. The place where Seimei left his heritage, the holy place of the onmyōjis in the capital of Japan—it was the precise spatial coordinates of Tsuchimikado Castle.
「 Transition. 」 Theodore's body moved at this one word.
"―Eh?" During the space jump, an unidentified pressure caught him!
『 Someone is trying to pass through my territory. You don't know your place, Human! Pay for your sin with your flesh! 』 There came a thunderous yell before Theodore could even grasp the situation.
There was no time to look back as several gusts of wind flew toward him.
Kwaaaaang! Theodore was struck by the huge storm and fell to the ground. There wasn't any big damage because the defense spells were properly deployed, but the surprise attack itself was a threat. Theodore's eyes lit up as he became combat ready. There was substance in the previous attack. It wasn't just wind that delivered a shock wave but a physical blow.
『 You aren't normal to survive my force! 』 There was a soft voice.
Then Theodore looked at the enemy. The being that had surprised him was far from a human.
They had one leg and two arms. The being also had two glowing eyes which emitted a strong sense of oppression and an unknown power that flowed from its bluish body. It seemed to be a monster that combined the cow and dragon in one body.
[A one-legged wind demon! I have never seen one before.] Seimei seemed to know what this monster was.
"One-legged wind demon? What is that?"
[They resemble a cow and a dragon and deal with wind and lightning depending on their birth. It is a wind demon if it controls the wind and rain, and a lightning demon if it controls wind and lightning.]
"Can I think of it as on the level of the youkai?"
[It is a different race from the youkai but… Well, there isn't a big difference when looking at just attack power. You can easily defeat it.]
It was enough. Theodore raised a finger to the wind demon observing him from the sky. It might be from a species other than human, but there should be old memories in its subconscious. It would know that this action was insulting.
Unsurprisingly, it responded to the provocation, 『 You! How long can you survive? 』
In less than a few seconds, a giant whirlwind was created around the wind demon's body and fell to the surface. It was a destructive power that could break down huge walls in one strike!
'…All sense of human identity from back then has disappeared.' Theodore laughed bitterly in front of the wind demon.
The power of this whirlwind probably surpassed magic of the 7th circle. As a power that couldn't be used by the human body, it became a monster of the wind. The insight of a transcendent allowed Theodore to see things he didn't want to see. From humans to other wind demons, the number of people this wind demon had eaten reached more than 10,000.
"I'll kill you."
Its sense of space and dominance over an area were nothing. Before a true transcendent, this whirlwind was just a remnant.
Forced Harmonization—Phase 2.
The transcendent stepped forward and cast a strange fire—Extinguishing Flames Image, Mode "SURT."
Theodore became a crimson fire man as the flames he summoned from Muspelheim surrounded his body. It was time to show the wind demon who it was facing.
Chapter 359 – Lusts Apocalypse (3)
――――――――――!!
Theodore's fire fist hit the ground, blowing out the surrounding air. Simultaneously… the wind moved faster than sound and clashed with the vacuum. It wasn't something that a human's physical abilities could cope with, and Theodore was knocked down by the clash of magic. Who would be able to tell that this fearful confrontation was just an 'exploration?'
'The power and speed are greater than those of a sword master, while the durability is dragon level.'
It was an absurd force that made Theodore take one step back. The wind demon's pattern of movement itself was similar to Veronica's, but the movement and force of the wind were unpredictable. It was hard to grasp the rhythm, so a frontal confrontation was stupid.
Kkuok.
However, Theodore raised his fists and faced it head-on.
Fairy Dance's Direct Transmission.
Hand Counterattack Technique.
Left Palm Lone Peak.
He read the timing precisely and stretched out his left hand toward the wind demon. Then the direction of the shockwave shifted. Originally, this attack should've hit Theodore directly and thrown him back. However, despite hitting an empty space, the shockwave still ended up shattering rocks dozens of meters away. It was a fearsome power that couldn't be ignored.
'Gotcha.' Theodore didn't shrink back. It was impossible to escape from the range of the wind demon.
Instead, he aimed for the monster's body with his burning red left hand. Theodore wasn't trying to beat it with his hands. Martial arts might be a part of him, but Theodore Miller was a magician in the end.
'Blaze Chain.' Flames in the form of chains emerged, and the thickness of the chains made of Muspelheim's flames was thicker than the large line of a mast. This was the true ability of the second phase of Forced Harmonization. Beyond integrating magic with the body, it was the power to manipulate completed magic like it was his own body.
『 What, a human can control flames…? 』
There was a vacuum, but the flames didn't collapse. Muspelheim's flames were unrelated to the combustion process. The wind demon saw through the essence of it and retreated in panic. Normal flames could be turned off by a vacuum, and it would be enough to blow them away with wind. However, the wind demon had to avoid this fire as much as possible. Instincts awoke inside the wind demon.
Kuooooh!
It used the wind to push its body in the opposite direction in order to escape the chains coming from every direction. In the midst of its escape, some of the wind demon's flesh was peeled off by the flames, but that was a cheap price. Of course, Theodore had no intention of ending it with this much.
"Do you think I will let you leave so easily?"
These were flames that blazed well without combustion. However, if they came into contact with the atmosphere, they would be no different from ordinary flames. Theodore used the red flames to aim at the wind demon's back at a terrifying speed. It was an accelerated flight which used a method that was even more ignorant than the one Veronica had used.
Reading the path of the wind demon's escape, Theodore reached out with his right hand.
Firefly.
Chain Bomber.
Something similar to small bugs emerged from his burning fingertips. Of course, the movements weren't slow. They moved ahead on the path of the wind demon that Theodore had predicted. Then the 'fireflies' played their role.
Ku kwa kwa kwang! There was a big explosion.
The contrast between their cute appearance and the power of the explosion was like the difference between the sky and the earth. The clouds split from the rising pressure, and some of the surfaces on the ground melted, turning into lava. The trail of Muspelheim fire, which was several times hotter than ordinary flames, was intense.
『 Y-You! You, youuuuuu―! 』 The wind demon soon emerged from the fiery hell.
Its scaly and leather body had been distorted to an extent that it was difficult to recognize. However, it hadn't lost its strength. Theodore increased his evaluation of the wind demon by two stages.
"I'll admit that you are quite tough." Theodore looked at the wind demon and laughed coldly. It had survived an attack that Theodore thought was a kill shot. However, that was all.
『 H-Human! A lowly human is looking down on me! 』 The wind demon became furious at Theodore, who couldn't hide his derision.
Although the wind demon might not be able to win, it couldn't endure this derision. There wasn't a single piece of its human self left, but the upper species simply couldn't bear this humiliation. The descendant of the extinct wind demon clan was ready to run wild. If it used up all its vitality to control the wind, it would be able to crush this cheeky human.
『 Look! Feel awe! This is the last of the great wind god! 』
If all the winds were gathered together, wouldn't this area be devastated…?
『…What? 』
The wind demon's call didn't work. Then the wind demon looked down at the enemy with a puzzled expression. There wasn't a problem with itself, so it felt the problem must be due to the enemy. The wind demon guessed right.
Theodore opened his mouth with a smile, "Do you think you are the only one with the privilege to control the wind?"
That's right. It wasn't possible to use it well in everyday life, but Theodore's body contained the divinity of the wind god, Aiolos. Now that Theodore had become transcendent, it was simple to awaken the divinity and take away the dominance of the wind. The reason he hadn't used this method right from the beginning was to test stage two of Forced Harmonization.
"Well, thanks for letting me play. I was able to loosen up my body."
After feeling like it had played in the palm of Theodore's hand, the wind demon muttered, 『…You, are you really human? 』
"Yes, just like you were once." Then Theodore didn't say anything more. There was no need, and he didn't want to talk to a monster that wasn't human. A huge fire fist appeared.
『――――――――――――!!! 』
The wind demon was in despair, but Theodore's fist didn't stop until it was dead. It was burned by Muspelheim's flames and crushed by the high pressure. This was a destruction technique that even a youkai couldn't avoid. It was a formidable attack that Theodore devised on the spot—a destructive magic which blocked the possibility of the wind demon running away using the wind.
Soon after, the moving fist became quiet.
"Is it dead?"
As the fire fist opened up to its palm, a handful of grey ash powder fell to the ground. It was the futile end of the idiot who had tried to fight Theodore. Theodore let go of Forced Harmonization and went over the battle again.
'It was nothing for me. Veronica would struggle for a while before catching the pattern. It is also the case with Aquilo.'
Theodore had been experimenting, but the wind demon had been quite strong. Its physical ability had been like that of a sword master, and it had magic power equivalent to a 7th Circle magician. However, it had lacked practical experience and hadn't known how to complement its weaknesses.
Orta, Sylvia, Randolph, and Titania might have a hard time if they hadn't known its identity.
"Tsk, things are becoming more troublesome. These guys might come out to interfere if I use space movement, and I can't kill them all…"
The wind demon was easy to take down, but the other upper species were still unknown. What if there was a monster whose strength was comparable to a transcendent? It was more efficient to fly with lightning than to risk space movement.
"It is a bit less than 800 kilometers in the southeast… I've moved quite far. Perhaps those who can interfere with space movement are rare."
Theodore checked the position of Tsuchimikado Castle and moved through the air. After becoming a transcendent, the duration of becoming lightning wasn't as burdensome as it had been before. If it wasn't in a combat situation, then he could probably last one day like this?
It was difficult to think of a means better than Lightning when it came to merely moving at high speed.
Pajijik. Shortly after that, Theodore turned to lightning and crossed the sky.
* * *
The most secretive place in Tsuchimikado Castle, Japan, was a shrine which contained intact records from ancient times.
A woman stood quietly in front of Seimei's tablet. "…It is an unusual day."
The white and red cloth, which was different from the uniform of the onmyōji, this woman wore proved that she was a miko (shrine maiden). Born as a human, living as a vessel of the gods… For the sake of their mission, the mikos were people whose lives were like dandelions. The 13th Seimei's miko, Suzuka, was such a person.
She rose slowly from her seat without disturbing her skirt and looked at the divine artifacts next to her: a great tachi which seemed to be around 1.6 meters in length; a stone mirror which didn't shine even though it was smoothly wiped; and eight jewels which were sewn on a string like a necklace.
They were the great artifacts which had never found a master after Seimei's death.
The three sacred artifacts from old traditions—those who weren't qualified couldn't own the artifacts and those who had an evil mentality were burned when touching them. She didn't know how many swordsmen and shamans had turned to ashes because of the artifacts.
"Why?" Suzuka tucked the hair like a night sky behind her ear and looked at the three artifacts with strange eyes.
She couldn't tell from the outset, but she quickly realized something. Even Suzuka, who had inherited the role of the miko, couldn't touch the artifacts except for when wiping off the dust, but she had just noticed that the surfaces of the artifacts were currently shaking slightly.
"May the great Seimei reveal the way," she prayed with palms raised in a sense of reverence. It was a prayer that never had any meaning.
Yet this time, a voice came back after her prayer, [Oh, you are the present miko?]
"――――."
[I don't know whose descendant you are. Still, it is nice that you haven't forgotten your origins. You pass,] the voice that Suzuka thought was a hallucination continued speaking. [Young miko, the man who will be the owner of the three artifacts will soon come to you. Give him my legacy and guide him to the great youkai sealed in Mount Inunaki.]
"…S-Seimei?"
[Are you still surprised? You are a bit dull.]
The voice was different from what Suzuka had imagined, but there was an undeniable weight to it.
Abe no Seimei was a great hero who had established the framework of Japan and calmed the continent where monsters were flocking, making a place where people could live. There were no records of him in other kingdoms, but in Japan, his name was equivalent to a god's.
Was this truly the voice of Abe no Seimei? The confused Suzuka couldn't answer.
[If you are uncertain, call me in front of him. You should know what to do as a miko?]
"Ah, yes! I know, Founder!"
[Yes. I will see you soon, kid.]
As Seimei spoke for the last time, Suzuka seemed to lose her soul. She heard the voice of Founder Seimei, and the owner of the three artifacts would soon appear… Suzuka was a miko, but anyone would think she was crazy if she said these to them. However, she didn't have much time to settle down.
"M-Miko! It is serious! Miko Suzu―!" The urgent voices coming from outside the shrine were getting closer.
Chapter 360 – Seimeis Legacy (1)
Kwarurung! There was the rumble of thunder and a flash of light. However, there were no rain clouds, and the lightning moved in a horizontal rather than vertical direction.
It was strange to see lightning cross a dry sky, but most people who saw it thought it was just a whim of heaven. Theodore would arrive at Tsuchimikado Castle before the news spread to anyone's ears.
'There isn't long left.'
There weren't any landmarks. It was said that mountains and rivers changed after 10 years. Now that it was hundreds of years later, there weren't many parts left that were consistent with Seimei's memories. However, unlike geographical features, spatial coordinates didn't change. Even if the mountains collapsed, the rivers were filled in, and there were no cities, the absolute numbers remained the same.
He moved forward maybe around 100 kilometers. It only took a few minutes for the lightning mode Theodore to start decelerating.
"Seimei," Theodore spoke as he split a cloud into two, "I have crossed the border. Are we moving to a secret place? If I enter this way, there might be some friction."
[I understand, but it doesn't matter,] Seimei spoke in a decisive way. Then he explained why, [The power of space movement is convenient, but you should've understood after you were caught by the wind demon. There are many means to interfere with spatial movement, and there are independent forces with authority over the sky.]
"Umm…"
[In the first place, if space movement were a flawless trick, then there would be no need for flying. Do you want to repeat constant short spatial jumps in order to fight?] Seimei said. Then he added a note, which was, in fact, the real reason for the frontal entrance, [My wards include the ability to block spatial movement and will attack any person who tries to go through. If you move through space blindly, you will be a wreck, even with your current power.]
"…It is overly impressive for a crime prevention function."
[Just think about the times. At that time, the ability to block space movement was essential. It was an age when famous people appeared in the cities in the double digits.]
In modern times, there were few people who could use space movements. However, they had been common in Seimei's time. The hard walls hadn't been able to stop anyone. Thus, the shamans had strengthened their wards for the purpose of protecting their valuables. Fortunately, spatial movement was vulnerable, and there were many methods to interfere with it. Moreover, if the obstacle was a transcendent like Seimei, it would be hard for Theodore to break directly through.
"Sigh, it can't be helped. I will go through the front door." Theodore was convinced and shook off his hesitation.
Kwarurung…!
He added a secondary spell as a boost, and the lightning bolt was twice as fast. If a conflict was inevitable, then it was better to take the initiative.
Theodore might have Seimei in his body, but it was difficult to prove this relationship. How many people would trust Theodore, who had the appearance of an outsider, if he showed up and said he had been given permission by a great man who had been dead for hundreds of years?
He would be treated as a madman, and they were likely to be hostile.
'I don't like this trick, but it is for the best…'
Some emotions were quite rational. Just as people who suffered great damage in a natural disaster didn't harbor hostility, there were people who stayed cool when faced with an absolute power gap. It took a lot to make a cooled down enemy burn with the will to fight. For example, things such as hatred or a sense of duty. Theodore intended to aim for the gap between these.
'Blow out the spark before the fire of hostility lights up.'
He would crush it all with strength.
Kwarururung!
The momentum of the lightning increased until it was like a lightning dragon. Simultaneously, it fell from the sky and down into Tsuchimikado Castle. It seemed like the sky was collapsing! The ward around Tsuchimikado Castle sensed the approach and immediately created a shield, but there was no collision.
[Emergency Order, open the way,] Seimei borrowed Gluttony's mouth to cast a spell, and a hole was bored in the middle of the ward.
Theodore dug in without missing this moment. "I have entered the castle."
[Turn right 30 degrees and go straight. My shrine is there.]
The lightning dragon moved following Seimei's guidance. People were shocked by the lightning, but none of them dared to fight him. Lightning had appeared in the clear sky in the shape of a dragon…? Theodore, the only transcendent since the Age of Mythology had ended, was like a god.
'No, some people are quickly approaching my destination.' Theodore was moving through the castle when he frowned at an overwhelming sensation. It was slower than him, but it was still pretty fast. They were master level, but their reaction speed was hard to understand.
"Nice move. Their speed suggests they knew about my approach beforehand."
[······.]
"Seimei, why do I have a bad feeling?"
[Well, I think you're mistaken?]
"I will see."
Theodore was filled with doubts as he arrived at his destination and landed on the ground. It was precisely the area around the shrine.
"Is this your work as well?"
[Yes, it is a moderate seal, but it still remains.]
There was a different type of ward protecting Tsuchimikado Castle. The Senbon Torii (shrine gates) were the main source blocking unqualified access. It might be a seemingly simple structure, but there were thousands of seals carved on them. Of course, Theodore could break through with his power, but what was the point of breaking down a legacy that contained great historical value?
"Stop!" A warning called out in a strange language. Based on Seimei's memories, it was hard to learn. Both the word order and pronunciation were different.
Theodore turned in the direction of the warning.
'Um.' All of his preconceived thoughts were blown away.
There were only three master class people. The combination was one shaman and two swordsmen. Among them, the swordsman who gave the warning was the strongest.
'Well, I will win.'
It might have been different back when he was in the 8th circle, but it wasn't enough to deal with him now that he had become transcendent. The swordsman also understood this and had cold sweat on his frowning forehead. His gut instincts told him that this unknown person was an existence beyond him.
They shouldn't fight. After deciding that, the swordsman said, "…A great person has come to see us. I am Nobutsuna of Japan. I would like to ask for your indulgence."
Likewise, the shaman, Toman, acted in a manner similar to the swordsman. The problem was that his grandson was immature despite being a master and lacked self-control.
"Grandfather, why are you lowering your posture? Who on earth is this ruffia―"
As the young master shouted, the faces of two elders paled.
"You! Don't speak rashly when you don't know anything!"
"G-Grandfather."
"If you say one more word, I will cut off your arm."
The young swordsman shut his mouth with surprise. Meanwhile, Nobutsuna hurriedly bowed to Theodore. "I'm sorry. I educated my grandchild wrongly."
"I will accept your apology."
"Thank you for your generosity."
Did Nobutsuna, a sword master of Japan, normally have such a submissive attitude? No. He was never like this. Neither the powerful nor the rich could compel him. Nobutsuna was able to overthrow thousands of warriors alone. Yet, he was now surrendering to a stronger power. Nobutsuna had built up life experiences over a hundred years and was forced to be careful.
'I don't think there is any hostility, but if we need to fight…'
Staring from Tsuchimikado Castle, the whole of Japan would turn into a sea of fire. Nobutsuna and Toman didn't see any future existing after. However, while the two of them were feeling fearful, a clear and gentle voice rang out, "It is nice to meet you."
Standing on the first threshold of the Senbo Torii, Miko Suzuka greeted them, "I am Suzuka, the miko of Founder Seimei."
"I am Theodore Miller."
"Can I call you 'Theodore'?"
Theodore nodded, and Suzuka licked her dry lips nervously. If the voice was true, then she knew this man's purpose. "Did you come to pick up the three artifacts?"
The eyes of the three masters widened while Theodore complained to Seimei, 'Hey, did you spread a rumor before I came?'
[N-No! I only told my miko. Wouldn't it be a mess if you met the miko without her knowing anything?]
'You didn't need to hide it from me.'
[Surprise…?]
'I will talk to you later.' He ignored Seimei and cut off the connection.
Theodore cleared up his mind and confirmed her words, "Yes, I think you received his message."
"That… Isn't it a bit rude?"
"Our relationship isn't a formal one."
It was a conversation involving only two people, but Suzuka felt like she was being ridiculed. Theodore had omitted the title for Founder Seimei and claimed he didn't have a formal relationship with the Founder… A living person was acting like he had a friendly relationship with the dead.
In that case, the voice she had heard might be a trick performed by this man. However, Suzuka hid her doubts, smiled faintly, and clapped her hands.
"Ah, it is like this. I'm sorry," she spoke in a gentle voice, "But Theodore, if you want to enter the shrine, you have to pass the test that the founder arranged. Outsiders aren't allowed to cross this torii." Apart from the seals on the Senbon Torii, Seimei had set up a test for those who wanted to cross this threshold.
It was to judge the personality of the strong person who appeared to become the master of the three artifacts. Catastrophic damage could be caused if the wrong person got their hands on the artifacts.
Suzuka warned Theodore, "If you walk up the stairs, please keep this in mind. Not one person has passed the test so far. "
The masters' eyes narrowed as they realized the meaning of Suzuka's words.
The test wasn't that easy to pass, and there had been many cases of mental or physical damage. This was a test, but it didn't mean it was safe. It was why no one had challenged it for over 300 years.
"Kuk." Why…? Theodore just laughed at her words.
"I understand," he gave a short reply and stepped on the stone stairs.
Tak.
Then he casually took two steps.
"…"
"…?"
"…!"
"…!!"
The expressions of the four people, including Suzuka, distorted with surprise, astonishment, dismay, and wonder. The test was terrifying to the soul, so why was this man okay? The reason was simple.
"I'm sorry but I passed the Heaven and Earth test a long time ago."
That's right. The identity of the test that Seimei wrapped around this shrine was the Heaven, Earth and Person test. It was something Theodore had experienced in the past after consuming the book, the Art of Yin and Yang Written Treatise.
Saving lives, keeping your will, bowing to fate—they were the trials that tested these three problems. Two were easy to solve, but Theodore had died hundreds of times in the last part. The same problems couldn't hinder him after he already passed them.
Then at that moment…
Huuuuuuong!
There was an unknown resonance. Theodore and the four other people stiffened. Suzuka knew what was at the epicenter of the resonance. "The three artifacts? Why?"
The three artifacts sleeping inside the shrine woke up. The oscillation was due to them stretching after having slept for a long time.
Flash! A light rose from beyond the Senbon Torii, flashing three times. There was no need to explain the identity of the artifacts again. The Heavenly Sword, Eight Mirrors, and Eight Jade Magatamas—those who possessed only one would gain the power of a hero. Yet, all three rushed toward Theodore now.
"Eh?"
Then they penetrated his body.