Chapter 89: The Aftermath
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 89: The Aftermath
Upon seeing the two newcomers, the Cult Leader of Chaos immediately dropped his previously calm and elegant demeanor.
Standing before him were two Demigods who had already begun to unlock their True God-level Authority.
Death and War.
"It seems I have interrupted your plans. If you two don't mind, I shall take my leave now."
As he spoke, a wisp of black mist drifted up behind the Cult Leader.
"A pity. I had hoped to study the Witch bloodline, but it seems that will have to wait."
Just as the black mist began to envelop the Cult Leader, Strife flashed in front of him instantly.
[Duel Horn Lv.1]
[Locks a circular area with a twenty-meter radius. Only two individuals are permitted inside. No one may leave the area until one side is dead.]
In an instant, the black mist surrounding the Cult Leader dissipated, replaced by a shimmering red border encircling the perimeter.
"A spatial lockdown similar to a Windless Zone? And it appears it can only accommodate a duel between two people..."
Watching Strife prepare to charge, the Cult Leader calmly drew a silver longsword.
Clang—!
The moment their blades collided, Strife immediately leaped back.
Realizing that ordinary strength wouldn't be enough to overcome his opponent, Strife cast aside the heavy blade in his hand.
As a shroud of crimson smoke billowed outward, a towering Red Horse Knight manifested before the Cult Leader.
His weapon had also changed—now a massive spear that matched his gargantuan frame.
"Is this... a Divine Artifact?"
Before the Cult Leader could react, Strife was already upon him.
Simultaneously, Strife activated a barrage of Demigod-level skills.
[Calamity Song Lv.1]
[Apocalypse Lv.1]
[Blasphemy Lv.1]
[Dusk Lv.1]
[War God Gathering Lv.1]
Instantly, Strife’s aura exploded with violent intensity.
The Cult Leader realized his own power was being heavily suppressed. Most notably, his Mana Value was forcibly drained to zero.
Furthermore, the killing intent from the distant battlefield condensed into physical power, swirling toward Strife’s red spear.
At this moment, all the power accumulated throughout the entire war was gathered by Strife, focused into a final strike aimed directly at the Cult Leader.
BOOM—!
-450.3 Billion!
In a flash, the Cult Leader’s body was impaled by the giant spear. His previously overwhelming aura plummeted instantly.
But it wasn't over.
Following the first strike, Strife’s remaining follow-up attacks descended like a hurricane.
-697.65 Billion!
-844.15 Billion!
-939.92 Billion!
-1.01 Trillion!
...
-1.59 Trillion!
-1.62 Trillion!
In the blink of an eye, the Cult Leader sustained tens of trillions in damage.
In less than a second, his form completely vanished.
As the world bled back into color from the monochrome of the duel, Strife reverted to his human appearance.
"How was that, Big Brother? My strength is more than enough to handle trash like that."
Thanatos looked at the spot where the Cult Leader had vanished and shook his head.
"You did indeed kill him just now, but that was only a part of him."
Strife was confused by the explanation. "What do you mean? Was that just a clone?"
"It wasn't exactly a clone. I felt a true cessation of life from him; you could consider it the original body, but a very fragmented one."
"Uh... you mean he split his main body apart?"
"Exactly. Dividing one's power into multiple portions to be reintegrated later is a common method for bypassing world restrictions. However, the downside is that each portion becomes an independent entity with its own thoughts. None of them want to be the one getting 'integrated,' which easily leads to internal conflict. Yet, that Cult Leader just now... he clearly could have reacted to your attacks, but he didn't resist at all. He looked completely indifferent, as if he didn't care about this version of himself dying."
Strife still didn't quite follow. "Then isn't it a total loss to accept death without gaining anything? It can't be because he just didn't want to cause trouble for us, right?"
"That possibility cannot be ruled out."
"Ugh... what a weird guy. I remember the Chaos Church's goal is to destroy the world. If this were back in our era, he might have even ended up as a comrade-in-arms."
Strife glanced back at the three people lying on the ground. "By the way, what do we do with them?"
Thanatos followed Strife’s gaze and pondered for a moment.
"Let's take them back to The Master. We might be able to bring them over to our side."
*
Thump.
With a dull ache, White Robe woke from his coma.
"Ugh... where is this... I remember I was just trading blows with the Cult Leader..."
Muddled, White Robe forced his eyes open.
The first thing he saw was an incredibly delicate, youthful face.
"You aren't dead?"
"Huh?"
After a brief moment of daze, White Robe took in her appearance.
Short stature, dressed entirely in blue, with dragon horns and other draconic features.
"The... Dragon Race?"
Realizing the identity of the little girl before him, White Robe spoke subconsciously.
"Are you... Lord Aisarakus?"
"Yes. What of it?"
"Uh... the contrast is a bit different than I imagined. You're actually quite cute..."
WHAM—!
With a flick of Aisarakus’s dragon tail, White Robe was instantly embedded into the wall.
"You fellow, you have no manners at all..."
Aisarakus looked at White Robe with irritation, but a moment later, she realized the gravity of the situation.
"Guh... oh no. I accidentally hit someone again. I hope no one nearby noticed..."
"Ahem... Your Majesty?"
Hearing a somewhat unfamiliar voice, Aisarakus turned her head stiffly.
"You... you are Thanatos? Uh, right... you brought this person here, didn't you?"
Seeing Aisarakus’s guilty expression, Thanatos looked at the now-unconscious White Robe.
"Yes, Your Majesty. But more importantly, your actions just now seem to have landed you on Brandon's prohibited list. I will need to report this."
At the mention of that name, Aisarakus instantly tucked in her wings.
"Um... I'm sorry... I was just a bit impulsive. Can... can you not tell him? Please, I'm begging you..."
Aisarakus lowered her head further and further, but Thanatos showed no mercy.
"Your Majesty, this matter also involves the will of The Master. Forgive me, but I cannot harbor you on my own authority."
"Ugh... fine..."
Dejected, Aisarakus moped away from the area.
"Hmph... if it were Strife, he probably would have let me off the hook..."
As Aisarakus drifted away, White Robe happened to wake up again.
"Ugh... strange, what exactly happened..."
The next second, he saw Thanatos standing before him.
"Once you're awake, try to behave. Her Majesty Aisarakus does not like people discussing her appearance—especially not calling her 'cute.'"
White Robe snapped into full alertness at those words.
"Wait, what did you just call Aisarakus? Your Majesty? Wait, you are..."
Seeing that White Robe was finally lucid, Thanatos nodded.
"Yes. As you can see, I am a mere general of the Northern Empire. The one you saw just now is our Emperor, Aisarakus."
Faced with Thanatos’s admission, White Robe fell into deep thought.
"That Frost Dragon is your leader? Not a human?"
"When did we ever fly the banner of humanity?"
"That... fair enough. If it's that Frost Dragon, she is indeed fit to unify the North. But I remember she hated showing her face. How did she end up as the Emperor..."
Thinking of this, White Robe looked at Thanatos again.
"So, what's my situation? Am I a war criminal who stood in the way of unification? Are you going to execute me now?"
Thanatos shook his head.
"No. The... Her Majesty has decided to pardon your death sentence. Instead, you will be given pioneer duty to atone for your crimes."