The Trap of the Black Flame
The former Origins of the 500th Master Universe, who had collapsed to the ground under the crushing fighting spirit of the Black Flame Race and the Black Flame Absolute, stared with blank faces at the Magic God of Dimensions. He had just hurled the baby aside and burst into roaring laughter.
‘To laugh even after being sentenced to death by the Black Flame Absolute, who possesses over 1,000 trillion in innate divine power and boasts the strongest physical combat ability among all physical-type beings… it’s utterly absurd.’
‘Even among the 10 Mainstays of the Absolute Realm, this is a situation that demands tension.’
The Black Flame Absolute had thrown his body forward to catch the baby sent flying by the dimensional shift. His fury was so intense that even the nearby members of the Black Flame Race scrambled to get out of his way.
But at that moment, an anomaly occurred.
One of the Black Flame Race members charged straight at the Black Flame Absolute’s defenseless back. And judging by the way he was willing to risk injury, he had poured everything into the strike. A deafening roar that shook the entire space erupted from his heart and reverberated throughout his body.
Kukukukukung—!
Puhahahaha—!
His 5 trillion in divine power instantly surged more than tenfold. At the same time, a massive double-headed axe of black flame materialized and slammed down toward the neck.
It was Pahoton, the divine weapon and authority that symbolized the Black Flame Absolute. Its ability was to momentarily amplify divine power by ten times and concentrate it into the divine weapon.
Ordinary divine beings could output ten times their maximum power, while even other members of the 10 Mainstays could only reach fifty times. But the Black Flame Race could achieve a hundredfold amplification when limited to physical ability alone. Of course, this was only possible because their black-flame bodies could suppress the backlash to a minimum.
This was precisely how the Black Flame Absolute had suppressed the other 10 Mainstays and maintained his rank of fourth. Alone, his combat power could rival first or second place, but once the collective forces of the other 10 Mainstays were factored in, he barely held fourth.
Moreover, activating his power to this extent meant that even the strongest body in the Absolute Realm could not avoid catastrophic injury and a sharp drop in divine power. That was why his ranking had been adjusted downward.
His 5 trillion in divine power, though only for an instant, rocketed up a hundredfold and concentrated into Pahoton. A strike totaling 500 trillion in power descended upon the neck of the Black Flame Absolute, who could not defend himself because both hands were occupied catching the baby.
It was an unforeseen situation for the Black Flame Absolute, who had momentarily released his Exploding Blood to catch the child and whose Always Coin Heads had been shaken by rage.
“Now the Black Flame Absolute is me—!”
Even without amplification, he possessed 1,000 trillion in divine power. But if he took a direct hit from Pahoton, which had transformed that mass of fighting spirit and killing intent into a divine weapon, his neck would fly off regardless of the difference in divine power.
No matter how strong the Black Flame Absolute was, he could not withstand such a reckless, undefended attack that unleashed ten times the output for even a single moment. If he fell, all of the attacker’s divine power and authorities would transfer to the victor.
That was why he had always been cautious. Yet after overwhelming the other 10 Mainstays in single combat and receiving their concentrated guidance and support, his power had risen from 10 trillion to over 1,000 trillion. He had grown somewhat complacent.
He never imagined that a member of the Black Flame Race would dare to strike at such a massive opening at this very moment.
‘To deal with the other 10 Mainstays, whom I’ve beaten mercilessly to the point of becoming near-enemies, he would need absolute confidence. That’s why I let my guard down.’
Even if he won and absorbed the vitality, it was not 100 billion but 1,000 trillion. Properly digesting it would take hundreds of billions of years. During that training period, he would naturally be checked by the other 10 Mainstays and suffer a miserable fall.
Now that the Black Flame Race had begun asserting themselves after earning their rank through endless struggle in the Absolute Realm, replacing their representative was a fatal risk.
‘In the worst case, our numbers will drop below 100 million and we’ll end up like the Divine Dragon Race—reduced to an ultra-rare species under protection and turned into a laughingstock of the Absolute Realm.’
Although he himself had been unable to leave Wind Star due to treating the injuries from unleashing his maximum output during the rank-deciding battles against the 10 Mainstays and perfectly mastering Always Coin Heads, he had been steadily building his forces, much like the Cyber Realm that actively supported him.
Everything he had achieved so far rested on the fact that he, with 1,000 trillion in divine power and nearly perfected Authority of Black Flame, could overwhelm the other 10 Mainstays.
If he disappeared, it would all turn to dust.
“You stupid bastard—! Of all times, why now—!”
Yet he could not abandon the baby born from him and his partner. He hurriedly prepared to receive the blow with his body, rapidly raising all his divine power.
No matter how powerful Pahoton’s might was, there was still the gap between 5 trillion and 1,000 trillion in innate divine power.
‘If I’m lucky, my neck won’t be severed and I’ll only suffer an injury.’
But the Black Flame Absolute, who knew the power of Pahoton all too well, could only grit his teeth and pray for a miracle.
However, the expected impact never came. Instead, the Magic God of Dimensions, the one who had created this situation, let out a burst of mad, joyous laughter.
“Kahahahahahahat—! As expected, you fell for it. Even the clumsy Always Coin Heads of a mere Black Flame Race member couldn’t suppress his desire. From now on, if a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity suddenly falls into your lap, make sure to check if it’s a trap before you grab it.”
Uuuuuuuung—!
Papapapak—!
A space shaped like a person about to swing an axe appeared, and dozens of rectangular masses of concentrated magic power began raining down above the Black Flame Absolute’s head. At the same time, the unique dimensional ripples of a dimensional shift began to appear in the distant void.
He immediately understood what was happening.
The Magic God of Dimensions had used a dimensional shift to hurl the Black Flame Race member—who had launched an all-out attack—entirely into the empty void.
“What kind of trick is this? Do you think I won’t kill you just because of this? Should I thank you for pulling me out of the trap you set? I’ll kill you first and think later.”
The Black Flame Absolute had been forced to struggle to catch the baby that had been sent flying by a dimensional shift even he could only faintly perceive. And it had been thrown right in front of the Black Flame Race member who had been aiming for his position.
Thanks to that, even as he rose to his feet while cradling the baby, suspicion did not leave the Black Flame Absolute’s face at the sight of the Magic God of Dimensions laughing so hard that his black robe shook.
Even when faced with the Black Flame Absolute’s voice dripping with killing intent, the Magic God of Dimensions’ response did not change.
“Heh heh heh—! I don’t have such childish thoughts. In general, small grudges tend to come before great favors. However, I will take that Black Flame Race member as my opponent. O Black Flame Absolute, who is also the Judge of Eternal Judgment. A top-tier Black Flame Race member with 5 trillion in innate divine power should be more than sufficient as the final opponent for ‘Eternal Judgment,’ so you will naturally approve, won’t you?”
The absurd declaration that he would challenge a top-tier Black Flame Race member who had even aimed for the Black Flame Absolute’s seat caused an automatic response to burst out.
Because the Magic God of Dimensions, who had been obsessively targeting the weakest baby, had suddenly changed his attitude, the reaction was also strangely prolonged.
“Hah—! Are you crazy? If you think you can, then try it. But with only 100 billion in divine power, you’re going to kill a top-tier Black Flame Race member with 5 trillion? You can’t even properly absorb the Authority of Black Flame, so you can’t use Exploding Blood or Pahoton. What exactly are you going to use? No, even if you could use them normally, you still couldn’t win. Even if he unleashes a hundredfold maximum output, suffers a fatal wound, and his divine power drops, he’ll still have over 1 trillion left. How exactly do you plan to beat a Black Flame Race member with that much power? Wait—! Huh? Huh? The Magic God of Dimensions has a chance of winning? If that traitor is in that state right now, he might actually lose? A Creator Candidate with only 100 billion in innate divine power against a Black Flame Race member with 5 trillion? That’s impossible—! How could that even be possible? Of course my intuition is right, but… how would he win?”
It was incomprehensible by common sense, but the result conveyed by Always Coin Heads was astonishing. It faintly indicated that the Magic God of Dimensions had a chance of victory.
The Black Flame Absolute fell into a panic at the gap between common sense and intuition. When it became clear he would not recover anytime soon, the Magic God of Dimensions shook his head and looked up at the empty air.
The permission had essentially already been granted.
The final opponent for the Eternal Judgment of an Absolute who had fully unlocked their title but failed to meet the conditions and had been turned into an insect and dropped onto Wind Star was a member of the Black Flame Race. There was no need to question his strength. The baby had even been approved as an opponent.
‘But for me, who mainly uses magic that denies reality, that baby—who is the very embodiment of pure Black Flame Authority—was the worst possible matchup.’
If the opponent had been a normal child of the 10 Mainstays, victory would have been much easier. But with the excessive protection he received and the way he wielded the Authority of Black Flame as naturally as breathing thanks to a baby’s instincts, there was no chance of winning.
‘The alternative I chose as a last resort was that being over there.’
If it was a top-tier warrior of the Black Flame Race at that level, no matter what means or methods were used, passing the trial was guaranteed. He had spent the past 20,000 years preparing an overflowing number of countermeasures.
Ujijijik—! Ujijijik—!
At that moment, the Black Flame Race member who had been forcibly transported beyond the dimensions by the multi-layered dimensional shift began to thrash wildly, trying to break free. As expected of a Black Flame Race member whose physical ability was monstrous even in the Absolute Realm, the multi-layered dimensional shift that could cut through any material could not inflict even a single wound. The most it could do was move him within the visible area.
Even thousands of layers of dimensional barriers could only buy a little time against a Black Flame Race member.
But he had simulated this situation countless times and prepared accordingly.
The former Origins, who had been lying on the ground, looked at him with complicated eyes.
‘They still haven’t made up their minds.’
The bodies he had created for them were temporary. Although they had been cultivated over 20,000 years of struggle within accelerated time, if anything happened to him—the manifester of the magic—they would immediately disappear.
No matter how powerful they were, they could not compare to the bodies implemented and provided by the Divine Realm, which had almost no restrictions.
‘It’s ridiculous that they’ve grown attached to bodies with such limitations. But now is the time when I need them.’
If the opponent had been the baby he had originally planned for, they would not have been necessary. But against a top-tier existence of the Black Flame Race, they were absolutely required.
“As promised, offer your lives now. For my victory.”
The voice of the Magic God of Dimensions pressed down on the former Origins. Their expressions said that the time had finally come.
“We cannot trust you.”
“Even the affectionate oath the Creator General made in the name of the divine race has been discarded like this the moment the situation changed.”
“So what exactly are we supposed to believe in to die for you?”
“Do you even have the power to keep your promise of giving us new bodies after we die for you and supporting us as we regain our original strength?”
“Do you truly believe victory is possible against that mighty Black Flame Race member?”
“Wasn’t the original plan to face the baby?”
Objections poured out from all directions in a chaotic frenzy. Even though their bodies were bound to him with restrictions, they could not abandon their habit of digging their own graves and charged forward.
Their ability was inferior to a Main God despite being Origins, yet their mouths were more arrogant than a Creator God.
‘Well, even if their bodies are tied to me, over 20,000 years they would have prepared some countermeasures.’
It seemed they had supplemented the bodies so that even if their capabilities dropped sharply, they would maintain a certain level as long as he did not disappear.
It was an extremely realistic judgment that it was better to maintain the bodies with some restrictions than to give up bodies that had recovered power surpassing their prime through 20,000 years of struggle after receiving the black flame vitality on Wind Star.
At the former Origins’ refusal to sacrifice themselves, the Dimensional Pope urgently stepped forward.
‘I will handle this.’
The ‘Noblesse Oblige’ possessed by the Dimensional Pope, who originated from the Yellow Emperor’s legion, could persuade and shake even the hearts of gods.
But these were the former Origins who had once been the very source of the divine race’s authorities, no matter how fallen they had become. Moreover, there was no way they would let themselves be taken advantage of again after losing everything and starting over.
And the Authority of Black Flame residing in his heart throbbed, issuing a warning. It instinctively told him that the moment the Dimensional Pope stepped forward, it would become a threat to his own survival.
It seemed his intuition, which had once been for victory, had now completely transformed into one for survival.
‘No. I will do it. They have already prepared countermeasures against your Noblesse Oblige as well. It won’t be as easy as the first time.’
‘But…’
In the Dimensional Pope’s judgment, the Magic God of Dimensions could not persuade others. As someone who knew well how eccentric and difficult to handle a mage who had devoted himself solely to training, advancing his realm, and making contracts could be, he understood perfectly.
Moreover, the Magic God of Dimensions had virtually no experience with human relationships at all.
‘Even after rising to the ranks of the gods through the Authority of Dimensions, he has lived a difficult life dragged along by distorted and unfair contracts. Thanks to that, he has rapidly grown stronger up to this point, but without his title, he would have faced continuous crises where he could have been extinguished countless times.’
The venom and distrust toward the world that had built up during that process were fatal flaws when it came to maintaining smooth human relationships and persuading others.
The Pope had been filling in that flaw and bringing them this far, yet the Magic God of Dimensions suddenly refused and stepped forward himself.
Looking at the former Origins who were prepared to flee from Wind Star at any moment, the Magic God of Dimensions spoke as if delivering a verdict.
“I cannot understand you. Therefore, I will not trust you either. Furthermore, I have lived by my own power alone and will continue to do so. Where in this world does help, faith, or trust without a price exist? I have neither seen nor experienced such things. They are all nonsense.”
At the extremely self-righteous and world-demeaning assertion that had begun once again, the Dimensional Pope felt as if he would cough up blood.
‘This is exactly why persuasion never works.’
The faces of the former Origins listening to those words also hardened miserably. It was clear that in this situation he should be begging them, yet he was coming at them so extremely that they were confused about how to respond.