The Ultimate Magic Begins
In Jinri's view, there was no need to worry about the Spirit Realm war. Granting glory to the victor is the foundation of progress. There is no chance he would take measures that resemble a stab in the back. Such things were punishments reserved for the strong who resorted to sly tricks in pursuit of nothing but their own interests. So he added one more thing.
The fierce fighting spirit and killing intent that flared back to life at those words brought a smile to his face. To ensure the Ten Centers—who wore expressions of bewilderment at the overly generous measure—could hear, he transmitted his will.
I cannot confirm that what you desire now will benefit the future. What seems optimal in the present can become the worst outcome countless times later. That is life. Absolute Beings who possess titles must always keep this in mind and never become blinded by immediate gains, obsessing over reality. The focus must always remain on the development of one's own strength.
The Ten Centers nodded with expressions of understanding, but the Black Flame Absolute sent an urgent transmission. He appeared truly desperate.
Oh Truth—! I wish to change the opponent. A preparatory Creator God with a mere 100 billion innate divine power facing the highest Black Flame race with 5 trillion is far too harsh. Therefore, I intend to switch to the weakest race with less than 1 trillion.
The other Ten Centers stared at the Black Flame Absolute with utterly dumbfounded faces. It was laughable that the ruler of the most violent and combative authority would show consideration for an opponent. There had to be some other circumstance; fabricating words that didn't suit him at all was simply absurd.
The Black Flame Absolute felt his face burn and his insides boil at their mocking, incredulous expressions, but he had no choice but to endure. If things proceed like this, my intuition keeps warning me that I'll suffer utter humiliation.
Yet to make that happen, he needed to persuade both the Ten Centers and Jinri. Even he couldn't comprehend the absurd reality that the strongest Black Flame race would lose while the weak prevailed—it was driving him insane.
Eventually, a warning came from Jinri.
It makes no sense for you, Black Flame, to pity the trial subject. If you said you would step forward and kill him yourself, that I could understand. Yet you propose changing it to the weakest race? Since when has the Eternal Judgment been so merciful? Are you making this suggestion because you would lose otherwise?
Yes—! I don't understand it exactly, but if it proceeds this way, I will definitely lose.
Oh? Your intuition informs you of defeat? How can the weak possibly have better odds than the strong?
Your intuition authority is not yet absolute. Is there not a one-in-twenty-thousand margin of error?
Under Jinri's continued questions and warnings, the Black Flame's face flushed crimson. If he could explain it accurately, the Always Coin Heads authority that enabled perfectly correct choices should not hold such low standing. It was accurate, yet he possessed neither the logic nor the ability to persuade the other Ten Centers. The most fatal flaw was that one-in-tens-of-thousands error. Thus, even the perfect outcome provided by Always Coin Heads could only be refuted as potentially containing that same margin of error.
There is no solution to the distrust shown toward an authority that occasionally presents choices even I cannot believe.
He had known it would go wrong, yet had been helplessly dragged along by the group's will, forced to shoulder responsibility and clean up the mess more times than he cared to count. In his rage, he had once rampaged during a ranking match intending to kill them all, but he lacked both the courage and the power to do such a thing to Jinri. In resignation, he simply spat out whatever came to mind.
It is simply as I said. However, for the sake of the Eternal Judgment's authority, the replacement must be made. If an existence appears that passes in less than ten minutes, every titled being will take the power lightly and open their titles freely. Tremendous chaos will be unavoidable.
Heh—! You have grown considerably.
Pardon?
The exchange of wills halted for a moment. They were astonished by the strangely logical statement, something unthinkable coming from the Black Flame. What shocked them even more was that he had dared to threaten Jinri. Having witnessed firsthand what happened to those who spoke out of turn, he had still dug his own grave. Above all, the fact that he seemed unaware of what he had done made him look all the more pathetic.
Under the suddenly tense and altered gazes of the other Ten Centers, the bewildered Black Flame received a coin from Jinri. It was unusual—only numbers were inscribed on it, with no image on either side.
It is a coin with only backsides. Take it.
Ping—! Tap—! The coin flicked lightly by a finger flew toward the Black Flame Absolute, who caught it gently with both hands. The instant he wondered about the sudden object, Jinri's next declaration froze his entire body.
If it lands heads, you live. If tails, I kill you. Prove that your authority is an absolute befitting one of the Ten Centers.
It was a sudden death sentence. There were no lies in Jinri's words—he would truly carry it out. Above all, the Black Flame Absolute possessed less creative power than a lower god. Even if he tried to alter the surface, he lacked the ability. No other being would dare intervene in Jinri's actions.
Thus the Black Flame Absolute trembled violently in the face of unavoidable death. No matter how strong one becomes, one is always equally weak before Jinri. Regardless of strength or position, if there is valid reason, one can be disposed of in this manner. This is why I knew it was madness when the other eight Absolutes formed a faction to rebel against Jinri, yet I still participated. But they immediately held us accountable simply for expressing opposition.
The other Ten Centers, horrified by the sudden death sentence upon the Black Flame Absolute, urgently tried to voice their objections, but Jinri raised a hand to silence them. The Sword of Ruin and Soul was already brimming with indescribable killing intent. It was a clear challenge: if you object, come at me. To overturn the decision, they would have to defeat Jinri—and even united, they stood no chance.
Thus the will of the Ten Centers was ignored, and the decision would be carried out according to Jinri's intent. The cold verdict, akin to a death sentence, descended once more.
Open your hand.
His hand opened even as it trembled beyond his control. Respect and submission toward an irresistible superior were absolute to him—the Black Flame Absolute, the very embodiment of fighting spirit and killing intent. His sole goal was strength, and his reverence for one who had attained it knew no bounds. Therefore, even if the result was his own death, he obeyed.
The other Ten Centers exchanged frantic glances in search of a solution, but there was none to be found in this moment.
Flash—! Upon the coin that bore only numbers, a surface depicting a bird soaring upward appeared. An impossible heads had shown itself.
As expected of Always Coin Heads. Your choice was correct. If they fight as they are, the highest Black Flame race will lose. To win, the opponent must be replaced with a lower race.
Whaaaaat?
The Black Flame Absolute, saved by the sudden appearance of heads, was even more astonished. The surrounding Ten Centers checked one another's faces, but no one had intervened. Illegally interfering with Jinri's decision would lead to the same verification process, resulting in immediate testing and disposal regardless of whether one was a Ten Center. No one would shoulder such risk. Moreover, the Black Flame Absolute had only recently recovered from the severe injuries sustained in the ranking match and returned.
Whether an alliance against Jinri or anything else, if we do not beat them nearly to death equally, it becomes extremely troublesome. Alliances only formed between equal opponents. Of course, killing was impossible—the power vacuum would be too great.
Jinri smiled faintly while watching the Black Flame Absolute toy with the coin that had changed of its own accord in his palm, then rendered the final decision.
However, resolving the question of why the highest race loses and the lower race wins holds greater value than preserving the authority of the Eternal Judgment. The damaged authority of the Eternal Judgment can simply be rebuilt. But one cannot know one's own weaknesses without experiencing them directly. This is an excellent opportunity to identify the weaknesses of the Black Flame authority.
The words sounded reasonable, yet they were ultimately a rejection. If matters continued this way, he would suffer irreversible humiliation before the gathered titled beings and the other Ten Centers. The moment he tried to speak again, he felt something rushing toward him. No—Always Coin Heads was screaming a warning of crisis.
“!!!”
His body moved reflexively, but he soon fell into a daze. An unstoppable downpour of wooden sword strikes—far beyond comparison to the automatically triggered Sword of Ruin and Soul—crashed down at impossible speed. Yet the Black Flame's body desperately evaded the wooden sword's movements.
Kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa-kwa—!
Counterattacking was out of the question; merely avoiding fatal blows was the limit. The instant a lethal strike landed, impacts capable of bursting his body countless times overwhelmed him.
Unable to endure, his consciousness snapped. When the mangled Black Flame Absolute collapsed to the floor, Jinri's satisfied voice followed.
"You have progressed since last time, evading fatal blows at a one-in-twenty-five-thousand probability. Not only your mouth and authority, but your actual ability has risen as well. You did very well."
Trembling violently, the golden-light-filled existence gazed at the Black Flame Absolute who had been reduced to a rag and briefly recalled the horrific past before speaking.
I have always wanted to ask. Why is it that every time you meet the Ten Centers, you inevitably beat at least one of them to the point of turning them into complete rags?
Of course, they had grown dramatically stronger each time, but he could not help holding a grudge.
You can see their abilities just by looking, can you not? I do not understand why you insist on testing them directly like this.
For existences below the second circle, recognizing their ability or authority instantly revealed their full status. Jinri's circle was clearly more than two above theirs, so he should know immediately. Yet he always performed direct tests and confirmations like this.
The past Ten Centers suffered greatly as well.
In the end, they only gained liberation after completely awakening their unique authorities, obtaining the power to block a single strike, and becoming independent.
Yet that Black Flame Absolute strangely refuses to become independent and simply endures with his body.
That does not mean he is weak by any means.
Those who had looked down on that foolish appearance and let their guard down during the ranking match—excluding Gold, Daeshin, and Yuil Yongsinje—had all suffered severe injuries and required lengthy recovery periods. Even now, remembering how they had scrambled in every direction to fill the resulting vacancies made his head ache.
Before another such incident occurred, it needed to be somewhat mitigated. Then, like a parent teaching a child, Jinri's will flowed calmly.
Knowing through observation and experiencing directly offer different depths of learning. That is why you, who as a fourteenth-circle existence have transcended even Eternal Beings, cannot fully grasp the authority of a mere eleventh-circle being. Now then—has the analysis of the Dimensional authority and its countermeasures been completed? What is the strategy to defeat the highest Black Flame race with only 100 billion divine power? And why does the highest existence lose while the lower one wins?
The golden-light-shining existence bowed his head deeply and answered. Though he harbored a grudge from being constantly beaten in the past, everything had become their foundation and basis. Even now, excluding Jinri, their power, authorities, and positions could not exist. No matter what crimes existed, as long as he did not abandon management of the Absolute Realm, Jinri remained the most trustworthy ally.
Jinri is a strong being who surpasses all existences and strengthens the entire main universe and Absolute Realm. He reproduces the era of perfect absolutes yet does not rule, only working.
Just as Jinri had done before the eight Absolutes could no longer endure the time called eternity and went mad. Since they had not yet fallen enough to warrant Jinri's judgment, they held feelings of reverence and reported the truth.
The analysis is approximately ninety percent complete. What the Magic God of Dimensions prepared are the planetary magic formation, the magic formations planted throughout the surrounding dimensions, and the Authority of Black Flame. However, this alone can never secure victory.
What is your thought? Will you replace the opponent to preserve the authority of the Eternal Judgment? Or will you accept the loss for the sake of the knowledge and unknowns you have yet to encounter?
The other Ten Centers sighed while gazing at the Black Flame Absolute twitching on the floor. As expected of the Black Flame—whether due to stupidity or failure to understand despite such education. They had experienced loss and trials to the point of weariness. If enduring them led to greater strength, the path was already decided.
“We desire development over victory. No matter the price, if we can become even slightly stronger, we will walk that path. The endless pursuit of strength is the natural course for Absolute Beings who possess titles.”
The Ten Centers suddenly bowed their heads toward Jinri as they spoke. As the Black Flame lay collapsed in a wretched state, Jinri's words continued toward the bewildered Magic God of Dimensions. The exchange of wills between the Ten Centers and Jinri had been lengthy, but to an existence like the Magic God of Dimensions, it was merely an instant. The worlds they inhabited were simply too different.
Now begin. Pour forth everything you have prepared and pass the Eternal Judgment in spectacular fashion. If you win by mobilizing every means that even the Ten Centers could not fully comprehend, the reward shall be far greater than you imagine. Should you wish to correct past failures, I will modify even the past of the main universe according to your desires. However, should you be defeated or fall short of expectations, a price greater still shall follow. Magic God of Dimensions who bears the title of Origin. Black mage who was more than reckless yet endlessly brave, who promised me three prices in order to seize even that which does not exist by using everything at his disposal.
The Sword of Ruin and Soul moved gently and rested against the right shoulder of the Magic God of Dimensions. Jinri's physical form was fixed in adolescence to maximize developmental potential. Since the Magic God of Dimensions was taller, the wooden sword rested diagonally across his shoulder. It was a comical sight—a child pointing a wooden sword at an adult—yet there was no sense of dissonance anywhere.
Newly engrave the title of Dimensions into the Absolute Realm and the main universe and receive acknowledgment. Become my pride, just as you swore.
The sudden mention of the three prices he had recklessly committed to in his extremely immature childhood left the Magic God of Dimensions momentarily speechless. He gritted his teeth and answered.
“Everything shall be as Jinri wills. I shall accomplish it—now!”
The means to flee to the Otherworld had already been blocked. If Jinri possessed even the Dimensional authority, failure in the Eternal Judgment would make escape from punishment impossible.
Whether I die or live, I must see it through to the end.
Everything prepared across twenty thousand years had been for opposing the Black Flame Absolute. Therefore, even against the highest Black Flame species, his odds of victory exceeded fifty percent—and that was already far more generous than any battle he had fought until now.
From earlier, he had poured every ounce of his magic power into the black magic orb he held. He floated it into the air and quietly pushed it forward while chanting the activation words.
"Dimensional Planetary Magic Circle, activate."
"This is my own fourteenth circle that I shall one day possess. Borrowing the power of the Wind Castle of Black Flame, I manifest it temporarily. Temporary manifestation of higher circle."
⟨ ULTIMATE MAGIC: DIMENSIONAL SUMMONING ⟩
Like dropping an enormous boulder into water, the magic circle spread through the air. Magic constructs collapsed in succession, emitting loud impact noises.
Click—! Click—! Click—!
The magic circle that summoned victory burned as it filled the surroundings. Its form was both planar and three-dimensional, overlapping countless times and engraving innumerable shapes and characters like an illusion. The position occupied by the Black Flame Absolute was the overlapping point of the planetary magic circle installed in the adjacent dimensional space.
Without simultaneously activating not only the vitality of the Wind Castle of Black Flame but also that of other dimensions, my fourteenth circle cannot be established. My magic, formed through the Dimensional authority that requires more than ten times the vitality and computational power of ordinary authorities, consumes magic power and computational power to a disgustingly excessive degree. Of course, attempting this again at my current level would be impossible.
Having absorbed the vitality of the Wind Castle of Black Flame to its limit, the simultaneously activated magic circle drew an enormous formation in the distant cosmic space. At the sight of the manifested magic circle, voices of titled beings erupted from all directions.
Until now, no matter how strong the opponent in the Eternal Judgment, the difference was only about ten times above the first circle—not an absurd gap between 100 billion and 5 trillion.
Thus, even those with veto rights who had trained independently and achieved the feat of complete opening had gathered in near entirety. The depth of their training and experience was nearly unmatched. Those with some knowledge of magic roughly explained the identity.
“It’s a summoning circle.”
“What is it summoning? Was there anything among the possible targets capable of facing the Black Flame race?”
Those who would respond to a summons were ultimately losers like the spirit gods. Summoning was a means for mental bodies who had lost their physical forms to gather vitality and restore themselves. Therefore, there could be no existence in the Absolute Realm capable of defeating the highest-ranked Black Flame race.
However, when a figure the size of a Main God Star tore through space and dimensional boundaries to appear, exclamations of shock burst from the Ten Centers.
Ooooooh—! Uuuuuuuu—!
Twenty-six pairs of wings and a body surpassing planets pointed to a specific existence. Something that absolutely should not have been summoned had appeared. Its identity was enough to shock even the Ten Centers.
The weight of the summoned entity was not something the Absolute Realm could ignore. The being that had answered the call was a member of the Substitute Race, created as the next-generation god race. They had already replaced the god races of more than four hundred main universes, proven their worth, and were establishing themselves as the new ruling power of the main universe—a fresh highest species. Naturally, they were also mortal enemies to all god races and dark god races that had become their competitors.
Yet a mere preparatory Creator God’s summons had received a response from the Substitute Race. Moreover, it was a highest-tier Liberated Creator God who had appeared.
“It’s a Liberated Creator God—!”
“Innate divine power of one trillion? Which of the highest Creator Gods of the Substitute Race? No—why would such an existence answer a summons like this? There is no chance of victory against the highest Black Flame race.”
“Identify who that is immediately—!”
Unlike the commotion around them, the Magic God of Dimensions gazed at the Liberated Creator God he had summoned, raised both hands, and aimed them at the highest Black Flame race floating in the empty air that served as his target.
“This is the beginning of my ultimate magic.”