The Black Flame's Burning Rage
In the Otherworld War, the fury struck the Black Flame Absolute hardest of all. Even though he had foreseen the Grey Absolute's self-destruction through the authority of Always Coin Heads, he had brushed it off with a skeptical "no way"—only to suffer the full force of it head-on. On the surface he appeared unscathed, but his authority had been cursed, sustaining a devastating blow. That was why he ground his teeth harder than anyone, seething with rage.
"That goddamn Grey bastard—! He's one of the 10 Mainstays, so I never imagined he'd pull something like self-destruction! Self-destruction—! And what the hell is this? A vicious curse that doesn't just weaken the body and divine power of a superior being but even lowers the level of their authority? Is this the kind of power one of the 10 Mainstays, the rulers of the Absolute Realm, should possess? Becoming one of the 10 Mainstays with this? Thanks to him, everything's gone to hell. I won't let this stand."
Watching the Black Flame Absolute erupt, the Golden Absolute's voice cut through the air like ice. If left unchecked, the man looked ready to go berserk. They needed unity to handle the still-unharmed Yuil Yongsinje, so he could not allow it. Besides, he now had his own debt to settle with Grey first.
"Black Flame—! I have priority here. Grey killed my proxy without batting an eye. On top of that, the lowest rank dared to disrespect the number-one Golden Clan. And while we were absent, he ignored the order of the Absolute Realm and did whatever he pleased. He will pay for it."
The words were so coldly rational they dragged the Black Flame Absolute's slipping sanity back into focus. The 10 Mainstays possessed an absolute racial authority that could temporarily grant their clansmen power equal to their own. It was the same as being able to control every clan member's thoughts and actions for a single instant. They rarely used it, however; exceeding the time limit caused the body to explode under the strain, and the backlash from lower members was severe.
After all, no subordinate would willingly serve a superior who could seize their body at will, use it as he pleased, and then discard it.
That was why, even when Grey had brutally slaughtered the representative of the Golden Absolute's highest proxy clan, the Golden Absolute had witnessed the entire scene. Yet the sheer absurdity of the instantaneous, gruesome death had made him miss the moment to intervene. By the time he realized what had happened, Yuil Yongsinje had already seized the opening and charged again, leaving him no choice but to let it pass.
But the Golden Absolute was furious in a way no one had ever seen before.
Idiotic Grey fool. After provoking the Golden one, how do you plan to handle the consequences? Not even an alliance with the Wind Family will save you.
It was only natural. Under normal full-power conditions, Yuil Yongsinje could never defeat the rank-one Golden Absolute. He held the top position because his total combined strength was the greatest.
Though Yuil Yongsinje was pressing the attack now, the Golden Absolute intended to settle the matter the moment his recovery finished. Before that, however, there was one loose end to tie up—the faint unease that had been growing inside him.
As if the thought had only just occurred to him, he remarked casually, "By the way, what about that so-called Dimensional Mage God? He's Grey's past, isn't he? The boy has no future to speak of, so even if he grows stronger it'll be pointless. Let's dispose of him cleanly before he causes more trouble. I'll go handle it myself."
The infinite authority the 10 Mainstays wielded within their own domains of the Absolute Realm was a blessing granted by Jinri. Naturally, it came with restrictions outside those domains. No matter how high their rank, Jinri had bound them so they could not act freely in another 10 Mainstay's territory or in the Master Universes. In extreme terms, they could offer aid but could not impose restrictions.
The fact that Grey was rampaging wildly in his own domain was simply the freedom afforded to one of the 10 Mainstays; nothing could be done about it. Dealing with the Master Universe would require consultation with its Creator or the proxy Creator Generals, who would naturally oppose any such action. Moreover, if the target was the Lord God of the deity faction that ruled that universe, permission would never be granted. No superior would tolerate the arbitrary disposal of subordinates in their own domain, no matter how problematic the individual. It would trigger a catastrophic collapse of authority.
Therefore, to eliminate the Dimensional Mage God, Lord God of the Master Universe, they would need Jinri's permission or the approval of the current rank one.
And right now, the rank one is obviously the Golden one.
At the Black Flame Absolute's sudden suggestion, the Golden Absolute asked, puzzled, "Why are you so fixated on a mere Lord God of the Master Universe? Grey comes first. The ranking war is about to enter its true phase. We have no time to consult with the Creator of the 499th Master Universe. Unless you have a precise reason?"
"Th-that's... Damn it—! I don't understand it myself. Let's handle it later. It's not like he can run anywhere."
In the end, the Black Flame Absolute could not press the issue and let it drop. Even if he explained that Always Coin Heads had warned him the Dimensional Mage God could become a threat, it would never be believed. The signal was faint, but it was still a warning of danger; the uneasy feeling refused to fade. He had tried to deal with it quietly, yet he could not offer any explanation. After all, the very idea of a mere Lord God from the Master Universe threatening the Black Flame Absolute was common-sense nonsense.
If even I think that way, how could I possibly make an outsider like the Golden Absolute understand?
During the Dimensional Mage God's last Eternal Judgment, the highest clan had suffered humiliating defeat. Mentioning the bad blood from that event would only earn him ridicule. Even the Black Flame Absolute himself was no longer certain of his own motives.
Besides, his own authority was imperfect and carried a one-in-twenty-five-thousand chance of error. He could only swallow his anxiety, wondering if this was yet another mistake. Above all, his current priority was enduring Yuil Yongsinje's assault while he recovered. The enemy had already restored his body perfectly and was once more probing the gaps in Golden Age, aiming straight at them.
It was obvious the man had no intention of giving them time to heal their physical wounds or restore their diminished authorities, yet there was nothing they could do to stop him.
In the end, we have no choice but to continue this tedious war of nerves.
Since he was the only one capable of gaining the upper hand against the Wind Family in close combat, he had to hold the line once again. But he was steadily being pushed back, damage accumulating with every exchange. He had already lost count of how many times he had endured on the razor's edge of defeat.
"Here he comes again. This time he's unusually determined. Is Yuil Yongsinje really planning to fight us with his incarnation body? What do you think?"
The Golden Absolute answered bitterly. Though Jinri had scolded him as "only half," he was still the representative and successor of the Wind Family, Jinri's own bloodline. His power and authority were genuine, and so was his personality. He always wore a gentle, benevolent smile and lived accumulating virtue around him, yet in the end he was Jinri's direct descendant. He was not as extreme as Jinri, who dispensed both reward and punishment with equal detachment, but he was fully capable of becoming that way at any moment.
The Golden Absolute could never forget the instant his face had hardened with terrifying intensity when the decision was made to designate the Dragon God race as a protected species. He had not protested because it followed regulation, but the killing intent and fighting spirit had been chilling enough to remind everyone that this was Jinri's direct line. Afterward he had shown every possible consideration, but it seemed even that had been insufficient. The attacks in this ranking war now overflowed with murderous intent.
Yet the Black Flame Absolute spoke lightly. "After taking orders for so long as rank two, it seems his feelings were hurt more than we realized. He's old enough—why didn't you treat him a little better? Isn't it because you don't respect his age these days and keep overworking him?"
The Golden Absolute naturally flared up. What does age suddenly matter to a Spiritual Being? Only finite beings who possessed lifespans and therefore placed meaning on time would care about such useless things.
"What absurd nonsense is that? What meaning does age hold for a Spiritual Being who lives eternally? Once a Spiritual Being reaches adulthood, fifty billion years or ten billion years are the same. What matters is what level one has attained and what position one occupies. The accurate view is that he is acting this way because of the damage he suffered from our previous decision to make the Dragon God race a protected species."
The Black Flame Absolute nodded, but he knew it was not that simple. They had always been harshly scolded by Jinri over the Dragon God race's population decline; adding one more title to the list would not provoke this level of fury. He himself had noticed the momentary killing intent Yuil Yongsinje had directed at the Golden Absolute during that meeting. As the wielder of the Authority of Black Flame—the very purification of killing intent and fighting spirit—he could not have missed it.
Yet although Yuil Yongsinje's glare had been aimed at the Golden Absolute, most of his attention had actually been fixed on the origins of the deity clan and dark mage clan—the son and grandson—standing to either side. It looked less like he was dealing with the humiliation he had just suffered and more like he was worried about what his descendants would think of the scene.
As a Spiritual Being, I honestly don't understand it at all. But from the research I conducted in the past in order to surpass the Wind Family, I can at least grasp the general idea.
His intuition screamed that he had to tell the Golden Absolute this. Because right now, he himself was bearing the brunt of Yuil Yongsinje's fury. Even in perfect condition the man was no easy opponent; injured and brimming with venom, his charge was simply unstoppable.
"The Wind Family originated as a martial house that practiced one-person inheritance through the sole son across generations, correct? Even after becoming Spiritual Beings, they stubbornly cling to that tradition. Their attachment to face, descendants, and clan therefore surpasses imagination. The origins of the Wind Family are also direct descendants of Yuil Yongsinje, so they have their own pride. When his descendants are present, it would be wise to show consideration. Instead of commanding or speaking down to them, make requests and use polite speech. They listen anyway, don't they? The good-natured Yuil Yongsinje rarely did such things, but the lower origins of the Wind Family have exploded several times during negotiations whenever their clan was mentioned in front of them or when Wind Family descendants were nearby. They get dragged before Jinri and scolded afterward, but that part has never changed. This is the result of research I conducted before I became the Black Flame Absolute."
"There is no justification. As the higher rank, it is only natural that I command or speak casually. The idea that a Spiritual Being would value the face shown to descendants over profit is nonsense."
Though direct descendants might carry slightly more meaning, Spiritual Beings were ultimately independent entities. Descendants could not possibly hold such importance. Fighting desperately over the face shown to them made no sense.
The Black Flame Absolute pointed toward the distant origin of the dark mage clan, who was blocking the shockwaves of their battle with a defensive barrier.
"Yuil Yongsinje's grandson is that one over there."
Then he pointed at the exact spot where Yuil Yongsinje had just broken through, beaten him to a pulp, and withdrawn.
"It's always this side that breaks through Golden Age and charges in. Correct?"
Only now did the Golden Absolute seem to realize the truth; he fell silent.
"Don't you feel anything?"
"......"
"It's the perfect position for his truly adorable grandson to watch his performance clearly. Moreover, he can see the overwhelming superiority and that relaxed expression perfectly, can't he? He was happily laughing while beating me senseless, weakened by Grey's curse. He even adjusted his position to look good in front of his grandson."
"......"
"Still going to deny it? When Wind Family descendants are watching, at least mind your dignity a little. It's not that difficult, is it? Blocking all of the Wind Family's authorities with Golden Age isn't everything—! Against the Wind Family, I have to handle all the close-quarters combat—! If they get heated and go berserk, the one who takes the most damage is me! The Incomprehensible Eight Founders is originally an authority specialized in close combat—! Do you have any idea how much of a headache it is to face the origins of the Wind Family directly when they lose control?"
The undeniable facts made the Golden Absolute's head throb. The Black Flame Absolute required extreme computational power to control the Authority of Black Flame—the purification of killing intent and fighting spirit—and maintain his sanity. Because of this trait he was generally considered ignorant in other fields, yet he was by no means a fool. On the contrary, having once been renowned as the greatest sage in the past, he often pointed out critical details that even the Golden Absolute himself overlooked.
This time there is no room for argument.
The fact that Yuil Yongsinje, whose anger had risen to the boiling point because of the Golden Absolute's own actions, was now doing everything in his power to claim the rank of number one. Otherwise there was no reason for Yuil Yongsinje, who had never cared much about ranking, to fight so desperately.
It was a grave mistake. He is inferior to me, but he is still a rank-two powerhouse who is nearly my equal. Provoking such a being so carelessly was unwise.
Seeing a chance at victory, they had even formed an alliance to claim the top rank, yet he refused to retreat and instead fought with even greater ferocity. From the perspective of the Black Flame Absolute, who stood on the foremost frontline of close combat and therefore bore the majority of the damage, it was unbearably unfair.
"Damn it—! Yuil Yongsinje is proudly showing his descendants how he crushes me—the Black Flame Absolute, strongest in close combat—with his own close-quarters techniques. Even though he could end it by accepting the damage, he drags it out bit by bit, over and over—! At this rate he'll end up calling in the other origins of the Wind Family. What kind of humiliation is this? It's all because of Grey's self-destruction. No, nothing ever goes right once that bastard appears. The situation is exactly the same as it was with the first generation. Grey—! You damn bastard—! I won't let you get away with this!"
The roar of the Black Flame Absolute's wounded pride only fueled the ranking war further.