Chapter 181: Black Tide
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 181: Black Tide
Amidst the morning mist, the rising sun, and the gentle breeze, the inverted city seemed to stir from its slumber.
Dong—
The bells of Belland Cathedral tolled. Worshippers folded their hands in prayer, their devotion palpable under the radiance of the Goddess.
High atop the soaring Tower of Origins, mage apprentices diligently practiced their flight spells. However, the practice soon devolved into a spirited game of tag, only for the youths to scatter in a panic at the sharp reprimand of their instructor.
The Adventurer’s Association threw open its doors. Stretching and yawning, adventurers poured inside, ready to order their first ale of the day in the warm morning light.
Everything felt so real, as if...
"Is this truly Belland?"
Archbishop Canterbury lost his composure for the first time. He stood abruptly, staring at the inverted city. Within his aged eyes, an infinite Holy Light suddenly burst forth.
Through the Holy Eyes bestowed by the Goddess, all illusions were meant to be pierced.
Yet, no matter how brilliant the Holy Light erupting from his eyes was, the bustling city hanging overhead remained just as real... and just as vivid.
"That is indeed Belland."
"If that is Belland, then where are we?"
"We are naturally in Belland as well. Another Belland."
Hathaway reached up to push her gold-rimmed glasses back onto the bridge of her nose. The reactions of those present were well within her expectations; she wasn't the least bit surprised.
"Everyone, look over there."
With another wave of her hand, the gray mist shrouding the hall was completely dispelled by an invisible force. Behind the walls that had long since been gutted, one could look down from their high vantage point and overlook the entire city.
It was a city that seemed to have fallen into a nightmare. As all color and light drained away, the silhouette emerging from the mist appeared sinister and hideous, like a demon gnashing its teeth and sucking blood in the darkness.
This, too, was Belland. A pitch-black Belland, the diametric opposite of the hanging city above.
"What... what is this?" someone at the round table whispered in terror.
These were Crown Bearers, individuals who had surpassed human limits and stood close to the divine. They should not have felt fear toward a mere blackened city.
Yet at this moment, even Archbishop Canterbury’s withered hands could not stop trembling.
His gaze swept past the blackened districts, over the Old Rhine River that flowed with blood-red water, past the Lower District where ghostly shadows seemed to linger, and finally reached... the city's outskirts.
There lay a sea.
A sea of pure black that didn't exist in reality, looking as though it might swallow the entire city at any moment.
And where the sea met the sky in a blurred horizon, a baleful, pale blue crescent moon rose from the depths. It looked like a weary eye, looking down upon everyone with cold indifference.
An Evil God.
The Silent Moon!
"Everyone."
Hathaway lowered her eyes, seemingly afraid to look directly at that blue moon. She spoke softly:
"Welcome to the Shadow of Belland. A city of shadows built by divine authority, born as an Embryonic Divine Kingdom!"
"Impossible..."
A sea breeze carrying the scent of decay wafted in from the distance, snapping everyone out of their shock. But even for Crown Bearers, their faces turned uncontrollably pale.
"Impossible!"
Archbishop Canterbury roared in fury, "How could the Silent Moon be here? Under the Holy City's surveillance, He was clearly about to make contact with the Withered King! How could He possibly appear here?"
"Archbishop, calm yourself."
Audrich III remained leaning against his hand, his expression languid, as if he had long since grown accustomed to the presence of that blue moon.
"That is merely a projection."
"Even if it is a projection..." Archbishop Canterbury murmured in disbelief, "to divert His power at such a critical juncture—is He truly not afraid of losing to the Withered King? Those two are nearly equal in status. Even the slightest external factor could completely decide the outcome of their war!"
"I thought so as well, initially."
Audrich III glanced at Hathaway, signaling for her to explain.
Hathaway nodded slightly and clapped her hands to draw everyone's attention back.
"Everyone, I know it is baffling that the Silent Moon would descend a projection here. However, based on my research and the analysis of the entire Special Countermeasures Department, combined with His previous attack on Saint Maria Academy, we have reached a conclusion—"
"The Silent Moon may have felt He was no match for the Withered King from the very beginning. Therefore, He has been... searching for a way out."
"Are you saying... the Silent Moon wants to flee?"
"Exactly."
"But how could He flee?"
Most people still found this bizarre turn of events hard to believe. An Evil God thinking of fleeing before the fight had even truly begun? How was that possible?
"According to our current intelligence analysis, the Silent Moon's goal should be..."
Hathaway continued, "To use His authority, with the Shadow of Belland as a foundation, to evolve His Divine Kingdom. Then, by utilizing the properties of a Divine Kingdom, He intends to bypass the restrictions of the World Barrier... and descend completely into the mortal realm!"
Hiss—
The sound of collective sharp intakes of breath filled the room.
A Divine Kingdom.
A realm evolved from a deity's own rules. Within a Divine Kingdom, all laws are controlled by the deity themselves. If He used the properties of such a kingdom to bypass the World Barrier... it didn't seem impossible.
"I have a question."
Dodge suddenly raised his hand.
"Please, speak."
"You just said that even with the Silent Moon's authority, He could only evolve an Embryonic Divine Kingdom based on the Shadow of Belland. That is a far cry from a true Divine Kingdom. Furthermore, from what I can see, the Silent Moon hasn't even fully mastered this embryonic form yet. Otherwise, we wouldn't be sitting here right now."
Dodge stared into Hathaway's eyes. Without realizing it, he had crumpled his mage hat into a bunch of rags.
"Fundamentally, the Silent Moon's plan is unfeasible. If a Divine Kingdom were that easy to evolve, those Evil Gods would have descended in their true forms long ago."
"Correct."
Hathaway habitually pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses. Through the reflection of the lenses, one could see the exhaustion accumulating in her eyes.
Even so, she remained standing tall in her ten-centimeter heels, her back straight and her tone solemn.
"As Mr. Dodge said, the Shadow of Belland is currently still under our control. The Silent Moon's desire to descend via a Divine Kingdom is undoubtedly a fool's errand. However—"
Hathaway’s tone shifted.
"If this place were to fall into the Silent Moon's grasp... and He then used it to inversely corrode the real Belland, turning millions of people into His sacrifices..."
Hathaway didn't finish the sentence, but everyone knew the ending.
At that point, amidst the flowing blood and wailing souls of millions, the Divine Kingdom would be fully evolved. The Silent Moon would become the second Evil God in history to successfully descend.
For all of humanity, it would be an absolute catastrophe.
Just like the first time.
...
At that moment, the eerie blue moonlight grew even more sinister.
"Waaa—"
A piercing cry, like that of a human infant, rang out.
The black tide surged violently. Countless long, terrifying shadows emerged from the sea.
Their bodies were covered in scales that reflected a cold glint, and thick, powerful serpent tails thrashed in the waves, looking as though they could crush steel.
Upon their scale-covered faces, expressions of extreme greed and fanaticism were visible, as if they were heading toward a feast of flesh and blood.
"Snake People..."
The sea was suddenly parted, as if an invisible celestial blade had fallen, carving a canyon-like abyss into the water's surface.
From within that abyss, terrifying monsters the size of Godzilla stood upright, their hideous silhouettes outlined by the moonlight against their carapaces.
"Moon Beasts..."
The crying suddenly stopped. A more melodious sound, like a whale's song, echoed over the Shadow City. It sounded like a sacred hymn descended from a god, yet no one could pinpoint its source. They could only catch a glimpse of a massive black shadow gradually approaching from the depths of the ocean.
"A Calamity-level monster, the Sea Demon Leviathan... It has actually followed the Silent Moon."
Like a gambler revealing his chips one by one, as each terrifying monster—any of which could cause unimaginable disaster in the outside world—revealed itself, the observers finally extinguished the last spark of hope in their hearts and accepted reality.
The Silent Moon... was playing for keeps.
What they were about to face was an Evil God who, in the face of death, was struggling with reckless, desperate madness!
...
"Do Evil Gods feel fear too?"
In the cold, silent atmosphere, someone asked subconsciously.
"Heh, it is precisely because they feel fear that they are called Evil Gods, is it not?"
The one who answered was not Hathaway, but Audrich III.
He was no longer languid. He rose from his throne and reached out a hand, as if to firmly grasp the city that belonged to him.
He lowered his gaze, and it seemed as if a majestic sun was rising within his eyes—a gaze so intense that even Archbishop Canterbury dared not meet it.
Beneath his feet, within that deathly silent Shadow City, a sudden clamor of noise erupted.
"Quick, quick, quick! Level one defensive alert!"
The entire city began to hum violently. Massive steel plates, driven by precision magical instruments, slammed into place, constructing an indestructible wall.
Atop the city walls, the Royal Knight Order, clad in silver armor, stood ready. New weapons developed by the Royal Research Institute, known as "Magic Cannons," had replaced the old magic ballistae. Their cold barrels glinted with a chilling light, aimed at the approaching monsters.
Behind the walls, even more people were rushing about, mobilizing supplies, preparing fortifications, and digging out a second line of defense.
Those well-dressed noble lords, with radiant family crests pinned to their chests, were as pale as sheets. Their bodies shook as if they had just returned from a naked run through a midwinter night, yet they gritted their teeth and did not flee. While cursing the damned Silent Moon, they commanded their subordinates to bring out their treasured heirlooms one by one, looking heartbroken to the point of death.
—They had no choice. When Audrich III had immediately sealed all exits from Belland under the pretext of "cracking down on smuggling," they had become passengers on this lone ship.
If Belland sank, they would go down with it!
So the Silent Moon and His whole damn family can go straight to hell!
"A rare and beautiful sight, is it not?"
Glancing at the scene below, a smile played at the corner of Audrich III's mouth.
But then, his expression turned solemn.
Step by step, with a firm stride, he walked to the edge of the hall.
His gaze swept past the Shadow City, past the walls, past the monsters and the black sea, and met the pale blue moon in a calm, direct stare.
"My lords, look. This is why I have summoned you."
Audrich drew the sword at his waist. Under the silent gaze of the crowd, he pointed it at the cold, hideous Silent Moon and issued a majestic declaration that sounded like a clap of thunder:
"The war has begun!"