Chapter 781: The Finish Line Reached Long Ago
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 781: The Finish Line Reached Long Ago
A thick, black liquid churned beneath Divine Will’s ruptured skin, like a living thing constantly distending his flesh before it rapidly knit back together. The undulating surface made the once elderly and kind-looking man appear indescribably hideous.
In truth, the liquid wasn't strictly black. When Hamulein and Mela fixed their gazes upon it, it might look like pure ink one moment, only to shift into an iridescent shimmer like an oil slick the next. To another observer, it might have appeared as an entirely different color altogether.
It seemed as though the concepts of color and form did not apply to this eerie substance—this suspected Demon God’s Blood. It could be a shadow that led hearts astray, or a demon that eroded both soul and body.
It was all a manifestation of the observer's own heart.
"You need to find a way."
Hamulein’s expression was more solemn than ever. Her red eyeshadow arched high as she knit her brows, looking as if she might truly burst into flames at any moment.
"If that thing devours the millions of Demon souls within the Eternal Cycle, there’s no telling what it will become."
"I know that without you telling me. I’m thinking."
Mela rubbed her smooth chin, quickly sinking into deep thought.
To be honest, this turn of events had exceeded her expectations. She was starting to regret that she had only sent a powerless projection.
But regret was useless. Ultimately, the restrictions placed upon her were no fewer than those on the Evil Gods who couldn't touch this world due to the World Barrier. Without a vessel to house her power, sending a projection out to act was already her limit under normal circumstances.
Fortunately, she had dragged this Dragon along. Otherwise, the situation might have truly spiraled out of control.
"I’ll find a way as quickly as possible. Until then, can you destroy the Eternal Cycle?" Mela said rapidly.
"Destroy it?"
"Even if we can't deal with Divine Will for now, we can't let the situation escalate. We might as well destroy the Eternal Cycle ahead of schedule. At the very least, we can't let the Demon God’s Blood use it as a conduit to pollute those millions of souls."
"Are you sure about this?"
Hamulein looked Mela squarely in the eye.
"A thousand years ago, you were the one who went to such lengths to preserve these people. Now, you’re going to destroy them with your own hands?"
Their original plan was to take the Eternal Cycle away, allowing the remaining Demons in the Abyss to naturally enjoy the twilight of their final lives and walk gently toward death.
But if the Eternal Cycle were destroyed directly, all the Demon souls would lose their support and restraint. They would die instantly... whether they were High-Class Demons or Low Demons, whether they were high-and-mighty Grand Dukes or hiding Ratmen. This death would descend upon the entire Demon Race with absolute equality.
Though the entire race had fallen into madness under Divine Will’s manipulation, most of them were still innocent.
At least in her eyes, the civil wars they waged—losing their reason in a thousand-year cycle and driven by desire and instinct—weren't truly sins. At most, they were just the lingering flaws of the humanity the Demons once possessed.
If that were enough to justify slaughtering the entire race... she would have far too many people to kill.
"..."
After a brief silence, Mela sighed. "A thousand years ago was a thousand years ago. Now is now. After all this time, the Eternal Cycle has already served its purpose. The Demon God’s corruption no longer lingers on them; they no longer need to be imprisoned in this narrow cycle."
"In the end, it’s for the best."
Mela thought back to a thousand years ago—to that foolish person who seemed to have foreseen something and came to beg her before the disaster struck.
She would probably hope for this as well.
Just as the thought crossed her mind, Mela suddenly sensed something wrong.
She looked down and saw a black thread had pierced her body at some unknown moment. A terrifying pollution traveled along the thread, spreading instantly like spilled ink.
She was only a projection, but since the Demon God’s Blood could even pollute magic, it could naturally pollute her projection avatar.
"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!"
Divine Will roared in uncontrollable rage. "I won't let you have your way!"
"See? He’s getting desperate. Looks like this is working."
With a soft pop, as the pollution spread across her entire projection, Mela calmly plucked off her own head. Then, with a standard high-toss motion, she threw her head away.
It seemed there were perks to being a projection after all. At least as long as she had a head left to think with, she wouldn't suffer any real damage.
"Go on," Mela’s flying head said. "I’ll keep thinking of a way."
"..."
Watching this scene—which was, in its own way, just as bizarre as the mutated Divine Will—Hamulein’s eyes couldn't help but twitch.
"Let’s get this straight: since he’s on guard, the chance of success isn't a hundred percent. You need to prepare for the worst."
"I know."
"And..." Hamulein paused slightly, her tone serious. "The thing you promised before—you must fulfill it afterward."
"..."
Now it was Mela’s turn for her lips to twitch. "Of course. I’m a woman of my word. I won't go back on a small matter like that."
"I hope so."
Within the sealed space, a violent gale suddenly erupted.
Her red dress fluttering, Hamulein rose abruptly, looking down at the ground.
In the few dozen seconds she had been talking with Mela, a full third of the space had already been polluted by the Demon God’s Blood, turning into a land of mutated flesh.
If not for her isolation barrier, even the human girl on the throne and "her" skeleton would have been eroded long ago.
However, this isolation was only temporary. If they couldn't resolve the source of the problem, everything here would eventually become nourishment for the spreading pollution.
Divine Will stood at the very center of that polluted zone. Sensing the threat, he stopped chasing Mela’s nimble, bouncing head and looked up, meeting Hamulein’s gaze in silence.
"In terms of distance, I am closer."
The Eternal Cycle was right by Hamulein’s left hand, atop the Obsidian Throne, above the skeleton’s head.
At this distance, it was practically within her reach.
But distance was meaningless to the Demon God’s Blood.
"My Lord... please wait patiently. I am coming to welcome your return!"
Divine Will’s face was fanatical as he began to chant loudly once more.
However, his chanting was quickly drowned out by a piercing noise.
The viscous liquid behind him flowed, and amidst countless mutated, twisted forms, it seemed as if innumerable sinister eyes opened, staring at Hamulein in mid-air.
Though they stood ready, these filths ignored the poised Calamity.
In that single instant, a mutated crown manifested above Divine Will’s head. A dark gray, foul-smelling curtain extended, intending to envelop the Eternal Cycle at an unimaginable speed.
If summoning it directly would be easily blocked by Hamulein, then he would go to it.
As long as he touched it... just a light touch... because the Eternal Cycle was still under Divine Will’s control and had no defenses against him, a single touch would allow the Demon God’s Blood—which had failed to lay a finger on the artifact for a thousand years—to instantly swallow those millions of souls.
Even Hamulein would no longer be able to stop his ultimate, thousand-year ambition.
The joy of his King’s return nearly filled Divine Will’s heart at that moment.
—Even though he didn't actually have a heart anymore.
"It seems racing him is useless... then I’ll just have to use pure violence."
The Calamity would not let him have his way so easily.
The logic was simple.
Since she wasn't certain she could destroy the Eternal Cycle before Divine Will touched it...
Then she would suppress both Divine Will and the Demon God’s Blood together before he could reach it!
Hamulein’s crimson hair billowed. Within her majestic Golden Pupils, a brilliant light like a blazing sun condensed.
Unimaginable mana surged from her proud body, which even her long dress could not hide. It flowed and pulsed around her, fueling the gathering of an invisible force.
Boom!
The entire space shook violently, but the change didn't seem to happen here.
If someone could have looked down from tens of thousands of meters above the Abyss, they would have seen the spatial turbulence that had shrouded the Abyss for a thousand years suddenly cave in with a massive, clear depression.
A golden hue instantly stained the clouds and mist, even spreading upward to reach the true sky above the Abyss.
It wasn't evening yet.
But half the world seemed to have welcomed an early sunset.
Hamulein looked down from on high, gazing at Divine Will as she whispered the incantation that seemed capable of rewriting the world.
[Die.]
In an instant.
As that cold, profound word echoed, the entire world seemed to fall silent for a heartbeat.
Divine Will’s eyes widened, and he stood dazed and speechless for a moment.
There were no flashy visuals, no world-ending shockwaves.
He simply lowered his head slowly, watching his body crack and rot bit by bit.
Unimaginable injuries rapidly appeared on his body, which could barely be considered half-human, devouring his life force. He slumped to the ground, the churning black liquid flowing out of him. In the blink of an eye, he looked as pathetic as a clump of mud slammed into the earth.
It wasn't just him rotting; the mutated things around him were as well.
The frenzied lines were torn apart, the twisted tentacles rotted one by one, and the constantly churning viscous liquid gradually lost its vitality, becoming a pool of stagnant, dead water...
It seemed that Divine Will—and even the Demon God’s Blood within him—had met total death under Hamulein’s single word.
Her word was Calamity.
With just a movement of her red lips, she could destroy everything.
This was...
"Heh... heh... Dragon Language Magic..."
However, this death was very brief—even briefer than Hamulein had anticipated.
Divine Will, who had clearly died, suddenly snapped open his half-rotted eyes, his face contorted.
"As expected of... the Calamity that represents disaster..."
The viscous liquid, like black blood, began to churn again. New tentacles sprouted from the rotted meat, and though the scattered lines were torn, they became even more frenzied.
Divine Will spoke with a cold sneer, his voice now laced with noise that could corrode the soul.
"Unfortunately... it’s useless against me."
"Tsk."
Hamulein clicked her tongue in displeasure again, her face grim.
"The Demon God’s immortality..."
She was the Calamity Dragon, known as a disaster; she could easily bring pure death to all things.
But as it happened, this power wasn't very effective against the Demon God’s Blood, which had inherited the Demon God’s immortality.
Because even Dragon Language symbolizing death could not kill something that simply could not be killed.
According to the experience gathered during the great war a thousand years ago, the first thing she should have done was suppress the thing’s activity... but given the rushed circumstances, she didn't have the means.
"...But fine. I didn't expect to kill you like this anyway. Hindering you temporarily is enough."
Light flared behind Hamulein again as a complex magic array unfolded, aiming... at the Eternal Cycle on the other side.
Divine Will, having just revived from death, was powerless to stop her and couldn't even manipulate the Eternal Cycle to dodge in time.
Thus, a magnificent torrent of light and flame erupted, instantly swallowing the ancient and powerful relic.
The light and roar nearly tore at the senses, but amidst it all, everyone heard the unmistakable sound of something shattering...
"Ah..."
Divine Will’s smile froze, then transformed into a hideous rage.
"You... you actually dared... you dared to destroy the hope of my Lord’s return! You actually dared..."
Amidst Divine Will’s fury, Hamulein actually breathed a sigh of relief.
Regardless of how they would deal with Divine Will and the thing inside him later, at least for now, they didn't have to worry about the situation escalating...
"But unfortunately, I was lying to you. You didn't actually believe me, did you?"
The next moment, Divine Will’s expression shifted from pure rage to a mocking sneer.
"You didn't think I was so blinded by rage that I’d just be capable of nothing but impotent fury, did you?"
"...Aren't you?"
"Hehe... quite the opposite. I am clearer now than I have ever been. The ones who should be feeling impotent fury are you."
"..."
A bad feeling surged in Hamulein’s heart. As the magical torrent dissipated, she whipped her head around toward the Eternal Cycle.
Then, her pupils shrank.
Because amidst the fading mana, the Eternal Cycle was still floating perfectly intact above the head of the feather-robed skeleton.
Her full-power spell just now had only shattered a thin film of light protecting the artifact.
"What... is this?"
Hamulein’s gaze followed the film of light downward, passing through layers of rock and soil. She saw countless intricate runes carved into a high platform cast from magic-conducting materials. She saw those known as the "Royal Family" of the Demons—those few High-Class Demons with mana adaptability—committing suicide one by one, their blood staining the base of the platform.
And these things together constructed a massive, complete spell—an Ancient Magic.
"Do you understand now? This was never a race, because I started a thousand years ago. I reached the finish line long ago!"
Divine Will laughed exultantly.
For a thousand years, he had been preparing for his King’s resurrection. How could he not have left a final insurance policy?
The Ancient Magic he had spent everything to build was certainly more than just a foundation for resurrection. While it couldn't be called completely indestructible, it could certainly withstand three to five full-power attacks from a Calamity.
And now, even the Calamity Dragon, even the strongest human mage, could neither kill him nor destroy the Eternal Cycle in a short time... how could they possibly stop him?
"As old acquaintances, I hope our two distinguished guests can simply watch quietly and wait for the moment this festival reaches its grand finale."
"I imagine you both want to see her again too, don't you?"
Divine Will didn't want to waste his strength clashing with the Calamity—at least not yet. All the pollution contracted rapidly, the viscous, foul liquid flowing along the area Hamulein had isolated. Divine Will turned his gaze toward An on the throne.
Even now, he hadn't forgotten that the first step to resurrecting his King was to complete her fragmented soul.
"Mela."
Hamulein suddenly spoke.
"Have you thought of a way yet?"
"Isn't that a bit much?"
Mela complained with a helpless look.
"I might be a hundred times smarter than you, but it’s been less than a minute. How could my brilliant little brain come up with a way to counter the Demon God’s Blood in such a short time?"
After speaking, Mela’s remaining little head shook in protest.
"I know it’s asking a lot, but it seems the situation won't let you take your time," Hamulein said. "Also, you aren't smarter than me."
"...I don't know how you can say that when you’re crying and begging me for a solution."
Mela became increasingly helpless.
"But a way... well, it’s not like there isn't one."
She looked at the film of light protecting the Eternal Cycle.
While it indeed had the power to withstand several of Hamulein’s full-power attacks, in her eyes, it was riddled with flaws.
After all, Divine Will didn't actually know magic. His magical attainment was so low he couldn't even cast a basic Illumination Spell. That seemingly complex and powerful Ancient Magic was merely a thousand years' worth of scraps left behind in Gutons Fortress, cobbled together.
If her true body were here, she could break such a crude construction with a flick of her pinky.
So...
"In the end, do I still have to use that method?"
Mela sighed wistfully.
"The price is a bit high..."
*
The Empire.
Belland.
St. Maria Academy.
The Flower Sea.
Mela, lying quietly at the very center, slowly opened her eyes. Her amber pupils were incredibly clear, like the first ray of dawn shining into the mortal world.
As she woke, a grand sound began to rumble from the bottom of the Flower Sea, as if countless gears were turning beneath it, driving the operation of something unimaginably massive.
Bells chimed, and phantoms of clock towers rose around the Academy. Mela seemed about to float up from the Flower Sea, intending to gaze toward the bottom of the distant Abyss in her true form...
"Oh my..."
However, with a startled cry, everything came to an abrupt, jarring halt.
*
Mela, with only her head remaining, wiggled with difficulty until she could press her ear firmly against the ground.
Then, a certain sound finally reached her ears clearly.
"This sound, this fluctuation..."
Mela’s brow arched, and she spoke with immense delight.
"Oh my, oh my. It seems my adorable disciple has caused quite a stir again, one that even I didn't expect..."