Chapter 306
Chapter 306
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 306
Chapter Title: Great Rift (6)
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"...Did it work?"
"Into the Great Rift?"
"That 'Sepiro'?"
The demon gods stared at the Great Rift.
The Great Rift had swallowed Sepiro along with the Sovereign's Spear.
The moment Sepiro's body entered it...
...the gate closed.
However, the 'Great Rift' did not disappear.
"What happens to the Great Rift now?"
"Doesn't it vanish once it closes?"
The demon gods were just as puzzled.
Every Great Rift that had appeared so far had vanished once its gate shut.
Yet here it was, plainly closed, but the Great Rift still lingered in place.
Swaaaaaaaa—.
It was then.
A chilling sound echoed from all directions.
It resembled someone's scream, or the scraping of something, a maddening noise that began spreading across the entire domain of the fourth night.
The demon gods looked up at the sky.
The red moon.
"The Black Witch."
"...She's become the 'Manager of the Night'."
The witch's eyes overlaid onto the moon.
The shattered barrier was rapidly repairing itself.
This place was no longer an ordinary 'night' domain.
It was the Black Witch's territory, the witches' land, and at the same time...
"The Abyss."
"......"
It had transformed into the 'Abyss'.
The deepest bottom of the Abyss.
The place where all manner of curses flowed down and gathered.
Some might wonder about it.
After crawling up from the Abyss with such effort, why turn it back into the Abyss?
After handing over all the Abyss's curses to Sepiro, how could the Abyss persist?
The answer was simple.
Original witches could not survive long outside the Abyss.
Moreover, the curses gathered in the Abyss...
...never disappeared.
The nexus of all curses, holding every curse of the Abyss—how could they simply vanish by becoming Sepiro's mana?
Once etched, a curse was eternal.
Furthermore, under the influence of 'night', the power of the curses was rapidly growing.
"Can we strip her of the manager position?"
"It could be done through a demon god council."
"No, it's impossible."
One of the demon gods shook his head.
His eyes were fixed on the 'moon'.
Soon, the other demon gods agreed.
"...She seems to be more than just a simple night manager."
"She's become the master of the night."
"That 'moon'......"
The problem was the 'moon'.
The 'replicated moon' that Sepiro had created was absolutely amplifying the night’s influence.
The replicated moon had transferred all its influence to the 'Black Witch'.
And not just that.
Along with that moon...
"Could it be connected to the Great Rift?"
"It looks that way."
"...That 'avatar' is still alive inside it?"
The demon gods shuddered.
They had broken free of the barrier and regained freedom of their bodies.
But the process of that battle was incomprehensible even to them.
Sepiro's realm had far surpassed their understanding.
Yet he was still alive after being sucked into the Great Rift?
......Truly worthy of the being who had slain the Ten Sovereigns' 'Lord of the Void'.
He was the only one among the Twelve Races to achieve 'Great Sovereign slaying'.
He had killed the demons' god, earning the title 'Godslayer' as well.
But surviving inside a Great Rift crossed the line.
It was something no one had ever accomplished.
An impossibility even the demon gods dared not attempt.
In other words...
"...He's fighting inside it?"
"Against that 'Outer God'?"
"Is it possible to fight an Outer God inside the Great Rift...?"
There was a reason Outer Gods had to emerge from the Great Rift to be hunted.
If killing them inside were possible, the Nine Great Sovereigns would have gathered and slain them before they emerged.
Thus, among demon gods, the notion that 'Outer Gods within the Great Rift are invincible' was practically common sense.
That common sense was shattering now.
There was only one reason the moon hadn't vanished and the closed Great Rift still existed.
The demon gods stared at the Great Rift in horror.
Sepiro was fighting.
Inside it.
Against the Outer God.
Or perhaps...
...against even more Outer Gods.
He was lost.
No, there was no path here to begin with.
The moment he entered the Great Rift, Sepiro realized it.
"The realm of nothingness."
There was nothing here.
The interior of the Great Rift was a world of emptiness.
A void space that should have been utterly barren.
Yet something existed.
The only things permitted to survive in this world of void.
Outer Gods.
There had been endless speculation about their true nature.
"You are beings of the negative."
They could not exist in the positive world.
As negative entities, they could only dwell in this world of emptiness.
Then what of himself?
To adapt here, he would need to become a negative existence.
Sepiro looked up.
Soon, his eyes met those of the colossal 'Outer God' that had dragged him in.
No...... it wasn't just that one.
"You're an amalgamation of Outer Gods, aren't you?"
Countless 'eyes'.
Clearly different from any Outer God that had appeared before.
It had devoured and fused innumerable Outer Gods, evolving.
Into an even greater 'negative'.
Touching it would mean losing everything.
His level, all his positive essence.
Sepiro glanced down at his abdomen.
Now he understood why the 'Sovereign's Spear' wouldn't come out.
This death was negative.
The 'Master of Nothingness' that reset everything to zero.
A monster incomparable to the Ten Sovereigns' 'Lord of the Void'.
It possessed the power to warp common sense.
The origin of all errors.
Or perhaps the end.
Roooooooarrrrrr.
The Outer God bellowed.
A sound like fanfare before a delicious meal.
Its countless eyes opened wide in ecstasy.
Sepiro gripped the 'Sovereign's Spear'.
And then...
Tzwaaaack!
He pulled it out.
He knew now.
How to wield this spear.
The only number that could exist in the realm of negatives.
"Life Restriction."
Restrict life.
Though already dead, maintain a state of life.
The method was simple.
Sepiro boldly sacrificed one vital heart from his avatar.
Or more precisely...
"I offer my heart as sacrifice to you, O Death."
In exchange...
"The term lasts until I exit the 'Great Rift'."
He would exist in that interval.
It was fine.
Even if he forfeited one heart as sacrifice.
The colossal 'Outer God' before him now...
...held value far beyond that.
He would devour the Outer God.
Absorbing that mass of negativity would evolve his magic to the next stage.
Transcending creation, surpassing even apocalypse.
"...I shall be your end."
Thus, Dragon God Sepiro could finally reach the ultimate he sought.
This was not their territory.
The Abyss itself, overflowing with curses.
And after finishing the battle with Sepiro, their power was utterly depleted.
"......We withdraw."
"We'll hold a council on the 'night'."
The seven demon gods decided to leave this place first.
No matter how mighty they were as demon gods, they knew full well how foolish it would be to clash with the Black Witch in the Abyss.
The Witch.
Cursed race.
Nemesis of demons.
Why hadn't they exterminated the witches and left them in the Abyss?
The reason was solely the 'Black Witch'.
The Black Witch, wielding infinite curses from the Abyss, was truly 'invincible'.
Limited to the Abyss, she could wield power surpassing even demon gods.
However...
The Black Witch could not easily touch the demon gods either.
She would need time to adapt as master of the night.
【Divine Inviolability.】
The Black Witch proposed.
Let us respect each other's domains.
Hold them sacred and do not invade.
The seven demon gods exchanged glances.
The 'Sovereign of Great Sin's Spear' they had come to retrieve had been sucked into the Great Rift.
With Sepiro gone along with that blemish, there was no need to stay longer.
"...We need a council."
"At the very least, we'll vote in favor."
The seven demon gods made a pact.
When the council convened, they would vote yes to leaving the Black Witch as 'master of the night'.
The remaining 65 demon gods' opinions would need to be heard, but seven votes were no small number.
【Agreed.】
Swoooo!
One side of the repaired barrier opened.
A sign to get out quickly.
The demon gods scowled but had no choice.
Shuk!
Shwooo!
The demon gods vanished with warps.
Completely escaping the night.
Soon, the barrier sealed shut again.
And so...
...the night became a complete 'world of witches'.
"It has truly been a long journey."
Beneath the red moon.
The 'Black Witch' walked the ground, bathed in moonlight.
Swish.
Swaaish.
Soon, witches materialized behind her amid black mist.
Gazing at the new land with eyes full of emotion.
"I can feel it."
"It's connected to all 'Abysses'."
"This is our new land."
"Our sanctuary!"
They had escaped the sewer-like bottom of the Abyss.
Thanks to the deal with Sepiro.
It wasn't without issues, but as 'master of the night', the demons wouldn't dare touch the witches easily.
Of course, only demons could become 'master of the night', but she was the Black Witch.
The one and only being who could seize all qualifications.
"What shall we do with the remaining humans and demons?"
A witch standing right behind her asked.
An error had occurred, halting the night’s trial.
That error remained unresolved.
It probably never would be resolved.
As long as that 'moon' hung in the sky.
The moon would only vanish after the Black Witch died, following Sepiro's avatar's death.
"Imprison them all. Caught in this massive error, they might prove useful someday."
The Black Witch replied.
This place had birthed an unprecedented grand error.
Even the Great Rift had opened, shaking the Abyss.
Those here would naturally be affected.
For better or worse.
Killing them now would be a waste.
"......?"
It was then.
The Black Witch sensed something odd and looked up.
From the sky above.
Something was falling.
Plop!
A man and a woman.
One of them looked familiar.
"Adora?"
"Isn't that the Death Witch Adora?"
"She's alive?"
"Didn't she betray us?"
The witches murmured.
Adora plummeted to the ground, clutching Park Chan-woo.
The Black Witch waved her hand.
The two bodies floated lightly toward her.
The Black Witch smiled.
And reached out, caressing the cheek of the unconscious Adora hovering in the air.
"Adora. You've finally come home."