Chapter 427
Chapter 427
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 427
Chapter Title: Masquerade (5)
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Around the time the Executioner began clashing in earnest with the man wearing the lion mask.
"Oracle, we've got a problem here."
Nagaraja, the head of the Oath of Reverse Heaven's Southeast Asia branch, spoke in an urgent tone as he attempted communication with the outside.
The spatial blockade in this place was powerful enough to block all forms of communication, but naturally, the Oath of Reverse Heaven—the creators of the ritual—had already prepared a workaround.
-"Hmm, I've seen it too. The flow of causality went completely berserk. Looks like they caused quite the commotion, but what exactly happened?"
"As you'd expect. The Masquerade bastards barged in here. Four of them in total."
-"Four? Well, that's about what we anticipated..."
"Three of them are estimated to be on par with the Executioner."
-"...Huh?"
Even Oracle fell silent at Nagaraja's follow-up words.
The Executioner was the top martial powerhouse in their organization, second only to the Hierarch, wasn't he?
Of course, that didn't make him the number two in the Oath of Reverse Heaven.
There were others like Oracle, who oversaw the world's currents at a glance while keeping the organization's existence thoroughly hidden to reach their current position, or Doctor, who wielded technologies like composite rituals and dimensional generation that far surpassed conventional ability studies. They were talents who matched or exceeded him in comprehensive aspects.
But even they had to concede that in raw combat prowess, he was unmatched—and that was precisely why he was called the 'Executioner'.
He was the blade that had led the charge in eliminating threats to the Oath of Reverse Heaven on behalf of their Hierarch, who could hardly move freely.
In truth, the catastrophe the Burning Torch had faced was merely a repeat of events that had occurred multiple times across the world.
"Want to know the most shocking part? Two of them are that saint from the other world and the vampire phantom we've known about for ages."
-"...They were at that level? No way... Even with growth, reaching quasi-divine heights..."
"Save the pondering for later. Now do you understand why I contacted you so urgently?"
As Oracle grappled with the discrepancy from prior intel, Nagaraja cut him off decisively and pressed on.
As if everything until now had just been preamble to the real purpose of the call.
"If things keep going like this, everyone here is as good as dead."
In other words, do something quick if you don't want to see your people dropping like flies.
Put simply, it was a plea for salvation.
-"...Got it. Just hold out a bit longer. I'll make a move right away."
Naturally, Oracle couldn't just let it slide either.
Every one of the dispatched personnel was elite talent the Oath of Reverse Heaven couldn't easily spare.
Especially the Executioner, who had awakened divinity, and Nagaraja, an upper-rank transcendent—they had to be recovered safely at all costs.
"Ah."
But his response wasn't a sigh of relief.
It was a low, involuntary groan that slipped out.
-"...What now?"
"Ugh..."
Oracle sensed disaster from it and asked gravely, but Nagaraja couldn't muster any words.
He was too overwhelmed by the majestic sight unfolding before him.
"...Whatever you're going to do, please make it quick."
A wave of light surged in like a tide, as if proclaiming a sanctuary in this space.
It gently enveloped and healed the wounded Burning Torch executives, while delivering crushing pressure upon the Oath of Reverse Heaven members who opposed them. Divine power swept through the surroundings.
Paaat—
At the center of that miracle stood a being radiating an immense presence, piercing sharply into his vision.
"...Or we'll all be taken out before you can even lift a finger."
A being he had encountered several times before in his position as branch head.
But not cloaked in the familiar sunset glow—instead, an angel shrouded in platinum light like the break of dawn raised a sword of judgment.
Not toward anyone else, but glaring directly at them.
***
The middle-aged man with a short beard—the Leader of the Burning Torch.
The transcendent Mimic from the Oath of Reverse Heaven, wearing the exact same face, furrowed his brow.
'This is dangerous.'
The Executioner, who had initiated combat, clearly held a decisive advantage.
If things continued that way, victory was assured, even if it took time.
But the current problem was that the intruders weren't just that one opponent.
"Hmm, Mimic, was it? ...I see. Not fully digested yet, huh."
Mimic flinched as those words spilled from his opponent's mouth right after their eyes met.
A pair of golden eyes, shining like they held the sun itself, pierced through him as if peering into his very soul—untouched by the chaos of facing multiple transcendents alone.
'Damn it, no wonder things felt too lucky. How the hell did he figure it out?'
Mimic ground his teeth, struck right at his core.
He'd hidden it perfectly, without a single outward sign!
Up until he'd answered Oracle's summons without a second thought, come here, and carried out his mission, everything had gone smoothly.
In fact, he was thrilled with his assigned role this time.
It let him swallow whole a powerhouse like the Leader, whom he couldn't have handled alone.
Absorbing others' existences and stealing everything they'd built to mimic them perfectly.
That was his unique skill, the one that had allowed him to surpass the wall of transcendence.
'Ugh, this damn divine power is making the resistance even stronger!'
Of course, such a cheat ability came with restrictions.
Not only did full assimilation take considerable time, but without personally subduing the target first to claim the 'deed', the failure rate skyrocketed.
'Rotting hell, of all times... Just stay put!'
This time, with help from other transcendents, the absorption had succeeded, but since he'd only contributed a spoonful to the Executioner's captured prey, digesting a superior being proved extremely arduous.
At this rate, full assimilation would take years.
With the Oath of Reverse Heaven's overwhelming force this operation, especially trusting in the infamous Executioner, he figured he wouldn't need to step up personally...
"I was feeling a bit disappointed anyway. Perfect timing. With the Leader back, the Burning Torch might prove a bit more useful."
An angel gripping a radiant lightsword, eyes promising to gut him alive—
Far from holy, reeking of bloodlust. Facing that gaze made him realize this wasn't the time for complacency.
Kuwaaang—!
No, survival instinct kicked in first before any thoughts, as a massive pillar of light hurtled toward him head-on.
He had to do something right now, or it was over.
"Isolation zone set! Reinforced barrier! Exchange block! Reaction field... Khek!"
Even mobilizing every trick he'd stolen from countless powerhouses, his defenses shattered helplessly. Mimic spat empty air.
And the more power he used, the fiercer the internal resistance grew—he couldn't focus on either side.
"Coordinate lock, energy amplification, proxy divine barrier deploy!"
"Nothing shall touch me—Absolute Shield!"
"Trap card activate—Infinite Mirror Corridor."
They held on only because his allies were top-tier Earth transcendents.
Plus, linking mysteries from myriad worlds for peak efficiency was the Oath of Reverse Heaven's signature.
Chaeeang!
Their coordination extended beyond defense.
A giant hand erupted from the floor, shaking the swordtip wrapped in light; falling gravity widened gaps from above; a serpentine spear slipped in nimbly, targeting vitals.
"Impressive..."
Even Heinrich had to voice genuine admiration for their synergy.
Despite the vast gap in tier, they didn't crumble easily.
After all, they too had clawed their way through life-threatening battlefields to reach transcendence.
Each one a hero of their world—or a world-threatening disaster.
'Above all, my experience pales compared to theirs, and that's a big factor.'
Unlike Heinrich, who reached this level quickly through tricks and luck in a safe environment, they all had at least a decade of life-or-death training and combat.
Veterans adept at squeezing power beyond limits.
It wasn't strange they put up such a fight against him, overflowing with potential but lacking experience to wield it fully.
'...Well, fine. This could be an opportunity too.'
Heinrich's gaze chilled.
His breathing slowed, senses sharpened, and everything around him sharpened into graspable clarity.
No longer crushing with brute force—he began comprehending, analyzing each action's meaning, seeking 'answers' to them.
'Come to think of it, what better training dummies? It'll help against the Hierarch too.'
The same reason Harley insisted on one-on-one with the Executioner.
They'd chased efficiency too hard, neglecting maximizing individual potential.
Blindly stacking power in this state would just bloat them into hollow giants.
That shift in mindset soon manifested in reality.
Nagaraja, directing the anti-angel front as East Asia branch head, stiffened.
'Insane, what kind of nonsense...!'
The opponent's laughably numerous openings were patching up in real-time, vanishing one by one despite his inferior power.
Attacks that worked once failed the second.
Adapted counters were thoroughly blocked next.
Their best measures against a mighty foe—absorbed and applied at breakneck speed.
Hard to tell if this was desperate survival or debugging errors.
The others' faces darkened as they sensed it too.
'Kuh, no matter the tier gap, learning speed is separate!'
It worsened over time.
From fixing pointed flaws, now they were forced to answer his 'questions'.
Each move like a query.
How to counter this? That follow-up?
What's the efficient dodge if bypassed?
"Kuhuk! D-Damn...!"
The escalating chain of offense and defense unbroken.
First to break was Mimic, clinging desperately with his constraints.
Blood spewed as he collapsed in place; something bulged beneath his crumpling form, features dissolving.
As if something would burst out any second.
Straight out of a horror flick.
'Gotta recover him first.'
Post-separation, both sides would be vulnerable.
A touch of divine aid for insurance wasn't bad.
Mimic could rot for all he cared, but the Leader was a sturdy ally against the Oath ahead.
Hwaaak—
Three pairs of wings unfurled, blinding light sweeping everywhere.
And the next instant.
Mimic, sprawled amid the enemy lines, was suddenly in his grasp.
The Oath side didn't sit idle, but it meant little.
One dropout from their desperate hold, and now protecting him too...?
Impossible.
But as Heinrich infused divine power into Mimic, he realized another reason.
'Hm? This is...'
His eyes twitched at an artificial flow during infusion.
A mysterious force aiding the Leader's intact separation from Mimic.
His senses traced its origin.
And at the end—
'Anne? This sensation... Similar to when we pierced space to enter. Did they use this method then too?'
Anne, at the center of the recovering executives.
She'd timed her ability activation perfectly, conserving power used to support the group.
The effect was immediate.
"Grrrr—Kaaaaak—!"
Overlimit ability failure always brings fitting backlash.
If backlash is absent or weak, it's just within safe limits.
Not for Mimic, who tried swallowing a superior without proper 'deed'.
Chwaaaak—
Clothes tore as soul fled flesh... no, like a humanoid slime splitting—one became two.
Fortunate it wasn't horror-style vivisection, but hardly everyday.
"Kuhk, khek! Gulk!"
A gaunt man of indeterminable age rasped harshly.
Likely Mimic's true form.
That mummified husk from nutrients stolen elsewhere.
And the other...
"Frey!"
Anne's voice from behind.
...Definitely the real Leader.
Heinrich couldn't help but be flustered, out of place.
'Wait, really?'
The burly, bearded middle-aged man gone; in his place, a healthy-looking beauty collapsed on the floor.
Semi-nude, like Mimic.
'A woman? No, Leader Freddy was definitely male... Wait, Frey?'
Anne's shout suddenly clicked.
Watching via Ken's senses during the Oath's arrival, her words resurfaced.
-"The Leader—Frey, I said, what happened to Frey—!"
'Thought it was just a slip-up in panic.'
Her real name, after all.
Heinrich gazed at her curiously for a moment before tossing a blanket from subspace and turning away.
Funny thing: he wasn't the only one thrown by this twist.
"Huh? Who's that? Where's the Leader?"
"She's a real woman? Anne! What's going on?"
"Kuh, Mimic...! ...But is that really the Leader?"
"...No, but did Mimic seriously not know?"
Not just the Burning Torch executives excluding Anne—even the Oath transcendents who'd captured the Leader for disguise.
All bewildered by the revelation.
'Transformation-type unique skill?'
Apparently, incomplete absorption meant even Mimic hadn't noticed till the end.
Maybe that false shell slowed it further.
'Whatever. Doesn't matter.'
Result: reclaimed the Burning Torch's Leader, an upper transcendent, intact. Neutralized one dangerous Oath agent!
Now just mop up the rest.
'Still feels a bit short... but can't keep them pinned forever. Plenty more chances.'
Executives including Anne, approaching cautiously behind, handled the unconscious Leader.
Ken fleeing the overflowing divinity nearby and Harris from scouting converged.
"Then let's wrap this up."
As Heinrich raised his sword once more—
Pajijik—
A crack split the barrier sealing this space.