Chapter 420: The God-Sealing Realm, and the Trump Card.
(Author: The POV will change quite rapidly in this chapter.)
"... And where's this?"
It's not that everyone else disappeared. I was the one who was forcibly transferred here.
I looked around, but can't see anything. It's not like the place is dark; there's just nothing here. It's a space with an evening-like orange color, and dully glowing gold mist drifts all around me.
It's similar to the Spirit Realm, but this is different. I can't feel the power of spirits here at all.
"Welcome, to my Niflheim."
Yura, standing in front, bowed courteously. How can he say "welcome" when he's the one who brought me here without my consent, this bastard.
"… Niflheim?"
"Exactly. It's a little private space that I took a lot of time to make. Not connected with any other world, an isolated and yet complete dimension. Even if you have the power of a god, it won't be easy to get out of here. If I have to list a disadvantage, it would be the fact that this space cannot be activated without its creator being inside as well."
Hearing Yura's words, I understood that this space is a kind of special isolation barrier. And one that would be hard for even gods to escape from. So he brought me here together with himself, huh.
I tried using [Dimensional Transfer] and seeing if I can get out, but it failed. I can't really grasp the coordinates of the place I wanted to transfer to.
It feels like being thrown into the Fuji Sea of Trees without a compass or a map. I can't tell which way I should go. How should I say it; I can't find any landmarks, or something like that. If I can find one then I think I can get out of here, but my divinity is being scattered so it's not easy.
"Sure is an amazing world you've made here. Still, if I defeat you here, won't this world disappear as well?"
I pointed Brunhild in gun mode towards Yura, who had a relaxed smile on his face.
"Not a wise choice. It's true that a world who has lost its creator would disappear as well. However, you who are inside would disappear together, you know."
"Tch…"
Well, I knew that too, though. He probably dragged me in here aiming for that.
His goal isn't to defeat me. He just wants to make me unable to act.
In this case, all I can do is slowly search for a world that can be used as a foothold for [Dimensional Transfer] from here.
"Well, don't be so impatient; you should be able to head back quickly, after all. I don't know what the world you returned to would become at that time, though."
"What?"
Behind the smiling Yura, various images began popping up. There's Brunhild, and Belfast Kingdom, Regulus Empire, Strain Kingdom, Holy Kingdom Alent… Images of various countries appeared.
"Didn't you feel our numbers were a bit lacking? It's true that we cannot choose 'where' we appear when we come out of the dimensional gap. However, it's not impossible for us to choose 'when' we appear if we spend enough time on it, you know?"
"Don't tell me, you…!"
Yura smiled wider, and turned behind him.
I could only watch as, on the images shown, cracks in space appeared one after another…
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"Re, Relisha-sama! We're confirming spatial distortions all over the world! At this rate…!"
"Ku…!"
The first one to notice the abnormality is the Adventurer's Guild. The sensing boards placed at guild branches around the world had reacted all at once.
Plus, the predicted appearance times are almost all identical. Furthermore, she had been trying to call Brunhild's sovereign, who is their ray of hope in unexpected situations, but the call isn't connecting at all.
As the guild master, she also knows about the fact that the sovereign had headed to Eisengard with a large group. Relisha bit her lips, wondering if something had happened.
There's a spatial crack appearing near Brunhild too. However, since this country has Frame Gears permanently stationed, they can probably get through this.
However, the same can't be said for the other countries. They know where the enemies will appear, and how many will appear. However, the ones who would have to fight those variants are the countries' knights and soldiers, as well as the adventurers there. There might be huge casualties.
The variants are said to kill people and turn them into their own kind. This is a crisis on a world scale. Relisha stared at the smartphone in her hand.
"Your Majesty the Sovereign…! Is it still not ready…!?"
Relisha was waiting for the "trump card" the young sovereign had talked about before heading to Eisengard.
"Please…! Hurry…!"
Reports of variant appearances reached Rerisha's ears one after another as she prayed…
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"Your Majesty! Please take shelter immediately!"
"Stop your nonsense. Something like a king escaping before his people is ridiculous."
The Belfast king sat on the throne without showing any sign of unrest and calmly told off the nobles hurrying him to escape.
Well, it is understandable for them to be anxious. The spatial distortion in Belfast appeared right besides the capital, after all.
Their numbers are around 5000. If they all attacked the capital at once, it probably cannot hold for long.
Although a part of the cowardly nobles want to run immediately, the king at least has the common sense to know that the ruling class running before the evacuation is finished is bad.
"Rather than that, Viscount Swordrick. Has our army and knight order finished strengthening the capital's defense?"
"Hah! They've already taken up positions outside the walls. The adventurers in the capital are also lending us their strengths."
Viscount Swordrick, wearing an Eashen-style armor, replied to the king. The sword on his waist is an Eashen katana. He, who is the best swordsman in Belfast, will also be heading to the frontline.
"For the people currently fighting in Eisengard as well, we must protect this capital. I leave it to you."
"Yes sir!"
While saying that, the Belfast king took out the smartphone in his pocket which suddenly began vibrating, and checked the display.
"Mismede's Beast King huh… Yes, hello?"
"Yo, Your Majesty the Belfast King. How's it going there?"
"There's a predicted appearance near the capital, and I feel like I'm going to die from the stress."
"Hahaha! Same here. I've sent our imperial warriors all there, but at this rate it's going to be a tough fight."
Contrary to the contents being relayed, the voice of the Mismede Beast King was jovial. He was originally someone who liked fighting. He's most likely anticipating the great war that would begin soon; however, the Belfast king had noticed that it's not just that.
"—Still not here, huh?"
"Touya-dono sure likes to tease us. I've been thinking it's about time since a long while ago, you know."
The reason why they're relaxed is because they know of that youth's "trump card".
They did not think that it wouldn't make it in time. They simply waited in preparation for when the time comes, so they can move at a moment's notice.
While looking at their retainers hustling about with unrest, the two kings silently waited for the time to come.
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"Send the exorcists and the templars there immediately. This is a holy war. It can be said as a test from god. In order to protect those that we love, we must use all of our strength. —May the fortunes of God be with you!"
"Hah!"
The captains of the exorcists and the templars left the audience chamber.
Fortunately, the spatial distortion appearing in Ramissh Theocracy is far away from the capital Isla. However, there are still villages and towns next to it. Although the Adventurer's Guilds there should've issued instructions to evacuate, the situation is not optimistic.
The Ramissh Pope hugged her smartphone close to her chest and prayed. She prayed to the god she believed in, as well as the youth who is a messenger of that god.
"Your Holiness."
"Phyllis…"
When she raised her head in response to the voice, there stood a calm Phyllis, whose cardinal uniform fits her well now.
She is the Pope's right-hand woman, as well as the only other one who have seen god in person together with her. A smartphone was also gripped in her hands.
"As expected, His Majesty the Sovereign cannot be reached?"
"Yes. He must be fighting in Eisengard currently. We have to do what we can too. At that time, I'll have to ask you to work hard too, Phyllis."
"Yes. In order to save this world, I will bet my own life."
The two of them, as well, are waiting for the time to come.
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"Seems like something huge is happening."
While checking the newly-distributed news app on her smartphone, Sarutobi Homura heaved a sigh.
"Variants all around the world… Is it going to be alright?"
In a knight station in Brunhild, Fuuma Nagi, who was also looking at a smartphone, raised her head.
"It'll be fine. Subjugation members have already assembled at the Adventurer's Guilds all over the world, and His Majesty the Sovereign has also foreseen this situation."
The one who calmly replied was the last of the three ninja girls of Brunhild, Kirigakure Shizuku. She also has a smartphone in her hand.
"So, is 'that' thing His Majesty talked about really going to be distributed?"
"Probably. There's no other way we can break out of this situation."
"I'm looking forward to it and scared at the same time…"
"Firm up your minds. You are all Brunhild's knights as well, you know."
"""Wah!?"""
The one who appeared soundlessly behind the three of them is the chief of the intelligence department that the three girls belong to, Tsubaki. The three girls, who couldn't sense her presence at all, jumped in shock. Looking at them like that, Tsubaki felt that they're still not good enough and secretly decided to add more special trainings for them in her heart.
"You know what you have to do, right?"
"Y-y-y-yes! We'll depart as soon as the 'distribution' is complete!"
"Good. Exchange communications with the others, and act in concert. Do not get overconfident and act out of line. You heard me, Homura?"
"Eeh!? Why only me!?"
While giving extra precaution to the most worrisome subordinate of hers, Tsubaki also took out her smartphone. Tsubaki was also slightly nervous. To think things would come to this stage. Even if it's Tsubaki, she could only sigh at the usual outlandishness of the things her lord does.
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"Professor. Are we not going to do the 'distribution' before the variants appear?"
"Wait until right before then. It's better if more magic power is poured into this, isn't it?"
While flipping her oversized lab coat, Professor Babylon replied to the [Rampart]'s manager, Liora.
In front of them, the spatial distortions appearing all over the world are being shown on various monitors. The ones sending the video here are dozens of wasp-type spy golems made together with Dr. Elka.
"A total of 78 different locations around the world… They have appeared in almost all countries. If the variants appear like this, without a doubt, it would be a repeat of the tragedy 5000 years ago."
"And we're here to stop it. Tica, how's the magic tank doing?"
"Together with the amount Master poured in, we've also redirected [Tower] to it, so there's already more than enough. We should be able to handle the supply without problem."
"Good, good."
Professor Babylon nodded with satisfaction when she heard the [Laboratory]'s manager, Tica's words.
She was left in charge of distributing that app. She had said that to Liora just now, but for a "trump card" like this that can overturn the situation in an instant, the timing is the most important. It has to be activated at the best moment.
"When our opponent thinks he's got us and is complacent, we go in and *gatsun*, like that… They've gotta take psychological damage from that as well. Well, rather than the variants, it's more intended for that stupid man called Yura, though."
While saying that, the professor took out a thin aroma pipe from her coat pocket and took a swig.
"He might think he's outsmarted Touya-kun with this, but I guess he underestimated us. To us, this is our revenge after 5000 years. Allow us to rampage to our hearts content."
She had already heard about the fact that 5000 years ago, Yura was the one who orchestrated that huge Phrase invasion from his fellow ruler-class, Nei.
To the professor, her motherland was only the country in which she was born, and she didn't really have patriotic feelings towards it; even so, she still had a few friends there.
She won't say out loud that this is for those people, or anything pretentious like that, but the opportunity is here in front of her no matter what she thinks. There's no reason not to take it.
"Professor. The crack in western Regulus has broken. Variants are beginning to pour in."
"The crack in northern Strain has also broke. Variants are beginning to appear there as well."
"We can't allow them to do any actual damage, so I guess it's time. Alright, operation 'Full Moon' is a go. Start the app distribution."
"Understood. Starting distribution."
Liora's thin fingers danced across the console, and "that" is finally distributed.
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Breaking open the wall in space, variants began to appear all at once. Brunhild, Belfast, Regulus… They appeared all over the world, and began marching.
From what I can see, there are no advanced-classes. Even if there are, they're too big anyway; it would take some time before they can break through the world barrier.
"Kukuku, and now my brethren will welcome all humans living in this world, no, all living beings as new members of our race. I shall stand at the top of a new world order made solely out of variants. And using that power, I'll cross over worlds, and eventually reach my hand to even the world of gods…!"
Looking at the variants that have appeared all over the world and marched towards the various countries, Yura immersed himself in joy. Turning all of humanity into variants, and eventually invading the Divine Realm. So that's this guy's aim…
…Is he that stupid?
While looking at the variants that can be seen on the images behind him, I heaved a large sigh.
"What? You don't even have the words, do you. Curse your own powerlessness all you want. Even if you have the power of a god, in the end, you're a puny human. Someone like you—"
"You know, there are a lot of stories in my world."
Cutting Yura off, I spoke up. There's no reason for me to keep listening to this guy's nonsense; thinking that the "distribution" will start soon, I took my smartphone out from my pocket.
"There's a lot of different protagonists, and of course there's a lot of different bad guys too. Those bad guys, you see, usually all fall into several set categories. This kind of bad guy would do something like this, that kind of bad guy would do that, and stuff… Well, basically, there're stereotypes for them."
"… What do you want to say?"
"No, well. The ones like you, a lot of times they would do something like holding the protagonists' comrades as hostages, you know. In my case, it would be my friends and acquaintances. That's why, I also foresaw the possibility of something like this happening."
I know I shouldn't be the one saying this, but it's a good strategy to aim for the opponent's weakness. I mean, I do that all the time. Still, if we know you're going to do that, there's no way we wouldn't prepare countermeasures, right. I feel bad for you.
Oh, it's here.
"Ho. And? Is there anything you can do while being trapped here in this place?"
"I won't be doing anything. It'll be everyone else doing the work. With this."
I showed the newly-distributed application on my smartphone to Yura. Still, I had left it to the professor, but why'd she have to make an icon like this…
Under the app icon, which is a deformed illustration of my face, the following name is written.
"Mochizuki Touya"; that's the name of the app.