Evangeli's Intervention
The other eight Absolutes and Yuil Yongsinje showed no particular reaction to the Black Flame Absolute’s declaration that he would postpone the ranking war and return shortly. Everyone knows exactly who he intends to target and how.He may be the Grey Absolute’s past self, but he is still only a Creator Candidate from the Main Universe—there is no reason or interest in stopping him.With the ranking war currently on hold, there is likewise no cause to intervene.So long as he is not secretly attempting to recover from his injuries at the Wind Castle of Black Flame.
Thus, with everyone’s tacit consent, the Black Flame Absolute grew excited and prepared to rush straight toward the Main Universe. Yet his action never came to pass.
Thud—!
A golden staff descended directly in front of the Black Flame Absolute and planted itself in the ground. Then the Golden Absolute’s voice rang out, unable to conceal his quiet fury.
“Did I not say this was Grey’s trap? Grey has already finished recovering his divine power and has grown even stronger than before the ranking war. If you, whose power is currently depleted, clash with Grey alone, no one can predict the outcome. The order of the Absolute Realm is already precarious. The ranking war must end as it stands. Therefore, I will not tolerate any further reckless actions.”
At some point the Golden Absolute had drawn his weapon, and the golden spear now radiated a brilliant majesty. Roughly two meters of shaft and a spearhead that gleamed like a rainbow-hued gem shone with noble dignity. A golden cloth wrapped around the shaft was etched with an indescribable authority. It looked ready to unfurl its banner at any moment and reveal its true power. The subtle aura that leaked from it was so overwhelming that even the Black Flame Absolute and the other members of the 10 Mainstays were forced to raise their full guard.
This was the appearance of the peerless weapon that symbolized the Golden Absolute, who had maintained an unshakable first rank, and now represented dominion over the Absolute Realm itself—the absolute armament of the number-one seat.
“Evangeli—! Are you serious?”
“How many hundreds of millions of years has it been?”
“So he finally brought it out.”
The spear’s body possessed an immortal property on the same level as the Sword of Ruin and Soul, something even the 10 Mainstays could not destroy. Of course, it could erase even a Spiritual Being, and not even an Eternal Being could escape annihilation without suffering catastrophic damage. Furthermore, the authority contained in the banner wrapped around the shaft displayed power equal to any other absolute authority. The Golden Absolute had never once drawn this mighty absolute weapon that could activate two absolute authorities simultaneously, even during the countless crises of the ranking wars. Even when forced to use it, he had only operated it partially. The reason lay in the words inscribed upon the banner.
The moment the Golden Absolute reached completion, Evangeli had been forged alongside him, and the single word that most embodied his true nature had been written upon the banner. The Golden Absolute had refused to reveal it. The other members of the 10 Mainstays all knew why. The stronger and more radiant a being was, the deeper and darker its inner self tended to be. Considering the first Golden Absolute, the meaning was obvious, so none of them pressed to know. No matter who they were, touching the reverse scale in the heart of the Absolute Realm’s strongest being out of mere curiosity could prove unbearable. Besides, even without the banner’s authority, the Golden Absolute’s position at the summit remained unchanged.
Still, the power he had displayed when the first Golden Absolute had once overthrown an Eternal Being—shown for the first and last time—was said to be absurdly strong even in historical records. Once the Golden Absolute drew that weapon, any wounds he might suffer became meaningless. With his ultimate strength revealed, the Golden Absolute spoke to the Black Flame Absolute in a soothing tone.
“Black Flame. Once the ranking war ends, everything will be resolved. Please endure just a little longer.”
“Grrrrrgh—!”
In the end, the Black Flame Absolute, having understood the difference in power, let out a pained groan and sat back down. Even if his own authority were perfect, he could not bring himself to challenge the Golden Absolute who had drawn that weapon. Without the banner, the Golden Age enhanced by an additional absolute authority rendered even the Black Flame’s destructive power meaningless. The Golden authority was, after all, the perfection that overwhelmed everything except its wielder. Even an Eternal Being who had perfectly attained eternity and immortality in reality would be driven to annihilation by an even greater perfection.
Thus the divine armament of the number-one seat revealed itself during the ranking war. Yet none of them realized that one being was watching the overwhelming sight with a satisfied smile.
It was the Origin of the Mage God.
“Kuhuh—! It’s finally out. Even the Golden Absolute, in his incomplete state, would need that weapon to restrain the fully recovered Black Flame if the latter tried to rampage. Now begin the next phase.”
At those words, the Grey Absolute replied in a genuinely troubled voice.
“I can’t contact the Dimensional Mage God at all. He really seems to have gone completely berserk.”
“!!!”
The Origin of the Mage God, startled into silence, heard the Grey Absolute’s grumbling voice continue. Or rather, it was a sarcastic tone that suggested years of pent-up frustration.
“That’s why I suggested removing the complete berserk state from the plan, since I can’t control the Authority of Black Flame. I didn’t seal the Black Flame’s authority for no reason. It slips out the moment you let your guard down, and controlling it is extremely difficult. My past self would never have been able to handle it. Simply opening the Black Flame Absolute’s field of vision should have been enough bait to draw his interest, but you insisted on approving the berserk state to make it certain, and now we’re in this mess. Both my past self and the Origin of the Mage God are far too greedy—!”
“What did you say? I must have misheard. What exactly did our Grey say? Now that you’ve reached a high position, you want to slack off? Which Mage God are you? No, you must be the Self-Destruct God. Do you want to self-destruct right now?”
Thud—!
What appeared was a wooden sword that looked as though blood might drip from it at any moment. Held in the Origin of the Mage God’s hand, it seemed ready to fall upon the Grey Absolute’s forehead.
“As expected, no matter the risk, perfection and certainty are best. Truly, you are the great Origin of the Mage God. Of course, if an ordinary member of the Black Flame race were defeated in battle, the Black Flame Absolute’s nature would make him rush over immediately. But if even the berserk Black Flame beyond his full power struggles, he will never be able to endure it. That impatient, filthy temper of his isn’t going anywhere.”
Faced with the blood-stained Sword of Ruin and Soul that the Origin of the Mage God had drawn in response to his own sarcastic tone, the Grey Absolute reflexively offered an affirmative answer and flattery. If they fought seriously, his strength was clearly superior, but years of being disciplined during training had conditioned this reaction. Or rather, the debt of gratitude he owed was so great that he could not bring himself to rebel. As if that were not enough, the Origin’s gaze demanded further confirmation, so the Grey Absolute sighed and nodded.
“Haaah—! Understood. That idiot really is my past self. Whatever that damned fool started on a whim is ultimately my responsibility. I’ll find a way to stop him somehow.”
“Stop right there! It’s almost done. If we draw him in just a little more, he’ll be perfectly caught. If we’re lucky, even the Golden Absolute who already drew Evangeli can be counted as part of the results. If the Dimensional Mage God explodes like that, everything ends. How much have we invested? Do you think I’ll let it all go to waste? Since he’s your past self, you should be able to interfere directly, shouldn’t you? How can it be impossible to control a mere 50 billion worth of Black Flame authority with 1,000 trillion worth of Grey authority?”
The Grey Absolute held little attachment to this life. However, he desperately agreed that they could not afford to fail when success was so close. This was, after all, a contract and a request. Yet his past self’s wariness was so high that he had already erected a perfect barrier against interference using the Authority of Dimensions. The Authority of Dimensions integrated time and space to create an independent world. In other words, it possessed the highest-level barrier and defensive membrane that granted immunity to all authorities. And now that the Dimensional Mage God had surpassed the level of a Creator God, the Authority of Dimensions had become one with his body. Even while unconscious and rampaging, he maintained it constantly. Breaking through that from a distance and controlling the berserk Authority of Black Flame was by no means easy.
“Th-that’s because, as you know, the Authority of Black Flame is the antithesis of the Grey authority… time is short… That’s why I told you not to trust my past self completely… Ah, damn it—! What nonsense am I spouting now? There’s no countermeasure at the moment. To pierce the Authority of Dimensions, I would have to go there and suppress him myself, but then the Black Flame’s ‘Always Coin Heads’ would send the highest-level warning. That would be the end. So the only option is to leave him be for now. Thanks to his training so far and the title of Origin, he won’t explode and die immediately. I’ll reinforce the Authority of Dimensions just enough so that ‘Always Coin Heads’ doesn’t react. Now that the Black Flame Absolute has taken the bait, we can only hope he keeps his mouth shut.”
The Origin of the Mage God was dumbfounded by the Grey Absolute’s appearance—someone who seemed to have no confidence in stopping the berserk Black Flame authority, who muttered that one should not trust his past self, and who ultimately concluded that stopping it was impossible and only prolonging the inevitable was feasible. The final suggestion that they should simply hope the Dimensional Mage God did not die immediately while waiting for the trap to spring was utterly absurd. In the end, the Origin could not help but preach in this urgent moment.
“Considering that the Dimensional Mage God is your past self, how can you say such things? Even if he is the Mage God of Denial of Reality, he is still a god of light. Shouldn’t he value life to some extent? Yet if he cannot even cherish his own life, what does he think he can accomplish?”
But the Grey Absolute’s matter-of-fact reply came.
“Completing the request comes before life. If a Mercenary God values his own life and fails a request, he will never receive another. In the end, it’s over anyway. My past self would naturally accept that risk. No—that is exactly why he is acting so recklessly. Because he believes that method is the most efficient. I, too, have prepared accordingly. Since he himself chose the berserk state, he must take responsibility for the result. Half-hearted help at a time like this would only be a hindrance.”
Though the Grey Absolute had changed greatly, this aspect was exactly the same as the past Dimensional Mage God. The Grey Absolute, who usually grinned foolishly in front of the Origin, showed not the slightest sign of backing down. His will to endure anything for the sake of fulfilling the request overflowed.
These brats have forgotten that they spent their entire lives as Mercenary Gods. Normally they’re dull, but the moment they receive a request and begin carrying it out, their personalities change so drastically.
Excluding their personal training time, most of their social lives had been spent as Mercenary Gods on brutal battlefields, and that never changed. They craved only victory and success, stopped at nothing to win, and even rejected others’ help in order to monopolize the achievements. Therefore, any cooperation or discussion was impossible, and they single-mindedly carried out only the tasks they had been assigned. Without the slightest doubt, they researched and executed the methods to obtain the promised reward and the greatest possible compensation. The Dimensional Mage God had chosen the berserk Black Flame as the most optimal lure, even at the risk of his body exploding. The Grey Absolute had given up on saving his past self and was instead extending the time until that explosion in order to buy more time for the trap. Both the past Dimensional Mage God and the future Grey Absolute had revealed the true nature of the reckless Mercenary God. The Origin of the Mage God found himself at a loss for words at the mad idea and process that treated not only others but even themselves as mere tools.
And that process, which devoured such a price, was steadily coming to fruition.
Crunch-crunch-crunch-crunch—!
The Dimensional Mage God, falling toward the Main Divine Palace of the Main Divine Realm, used the combat instincts of the Black Flame to utterly destroy the eight Creator Candidates who specialized in close combat and had tried to stop him. Then, destroying every defensive and offensive authority raining down like a storm from the Main Divine Palace with his own body, the Dimensional Mage God finally broke through the final defensive line of the Main Divine Palace.
If he had perfectly evaded or defended against each defensive authority, this would never have happened. The Main Divine Realm had been created to block the invasion of the Substitute Race from the Creation Realm. It was designed so that not even a Creator General or Demon Emperor could break through. However, all defensive authorities were fundamentally designed to activate additionally on the premise that the opponent would defend or evade. The Dimensional Mage God had endured with his body, accepting fatal injuries, and prevented the chain activation. That was how he had pierced straight through in a single line.
As the price, even though he had sustained wounds so severe that one might doubt whether even a Creator God could survive, he had ultimately descended upon the Main Divine Palace. The Dimensional Mage God’s eyes, as he looked at the Creator Candidates whose expressions were frozen in shock at this impossible result and his horrific appearance, contained not a single thread of reason. Only killing intent and fighting spirit that would drive any ordinary being mad if they met his gaze rippled within them.