Capítulo 73: Chapter 73: Prelude
Chapter 73: Prelude
"Klein,Lanevus possesses the divinity of the True Creator," Klein explained immediately before Alice, who had been called over inexplicably, could ask any questions. "The church plans to captureLanevus here tonight."
Alice looked at Klein's face, which was hidden behind a happy clown mask, and felt a moment of confusion.
Although it had been less than a month since she left Tingen City, recalling her life there always felt like it happened in a previous lifetime.
—In a way, it wasn't wrong, since she had indeed died once.
Alice turned around and looked at the dormitory of the Dock Workers' Association. She was about to say something to Klein when scenes flashed before her eyes like animations.
Alice focused her gaze and saw a figure wearing a linen shirt, with ordinary features and round glasses.
It wasLanevus!
Alice watched as this figure descended the dim staircase, his expression indifferent and calm. Suddenly, a mocking smile appeared on his lips, and his eyes turned cold. He seemed to say something, then abruptly tore open his linen shirt.
Before Alice could see what was under the shirt, the scene vanished, replaced by another.
Alice saw a sewage-filled ditch, dark and dirty passages, and rusty metal pipes.
The scene zoomed in, and Alice sawLanevus running frantically through the cramped, enclosed passage.
He ran, spun, and leaped through the dark underground maze, seemingly familiar with every pipe.
The third scene also took place in the narrow sewer.Lanevus, who was running wildly, instinctively stopped and leaned back as a tarot card was thrust into his right chest.
Next, Alice saw a man of medium build in a worker's uniform, wearing a mask with a high-arched nose and a red tip.
Was it Klein?
Before she could think further, the fourth scene appeared before her eyes.
Klein stood in front ofLanevus's headless corpse, wearing a black glove on his left hand, holding a large stack of tarot cards aboveLanevus's body.
Then, Klein released the cards, letting them fall like leaves and cover the headless corpse. Some cards landed face up, displaying pictures and numbers, while others showed dark red backs with hidden patterns.
This was the last scene. As it faded, the dormitory of the Dock Workers' Association reappeared before Alice's eyes, and only a moment had passed.
Alice turned to Klein, looking at him thoughtfully. Given her understanding of Klein, she strongly suspected that he didn't have time to clean up the scene, which led to the final image.
Klein looked at Alice blankly and asked nervously, "What's wrong?"
Alice stared at Klein for a few seconds before pulling out a deck of tarot cards and handing them to him.
"...I have one too," Klein hesitated as he took the cards.
"It's different," Alice shook her head. "No one can use these to divine me."
"Huh?" Klein felt he had many questions but wasn't sure which to ask first.
"Listen to me," Alice continued, "Go to the sewer and wait forLanevus, and... I have some suggestions for your final scene setup."
"What?" Klein looked puzzled.
"Place the 'Wheel of Fortune' card and the 'Fool' card in the center," Alice instructed. "Hurry, don't ask so many questions."
Before Klein could ask more, they both lost the ability to speak.
The gas lamps in the area ahead suddenly went out, plunging the place into darkness.
Immediately, a familiar sense of fear erupted from the darkness, enveloping them.
Klein couldn't help but tremble, his legs weakening and his back bending, while Alice... her heightened spiritual intuition made her state even worse than Klein's.
She knew exactly what it was—an overwhelming pressure from a higher being! She had felt this from all higher-ranking Beyonders, but the last one to give her this feeling...
No, there wasn't a last one. The Goddess had never revealed her aura in dreams, and even the Mercury Snake couldn't compare to this presence!
It was a divine descent!
When the fear from the depths of their spirituality disappeared, and the oppressive presence vanished, Alice immediately looked at Klein: "Are you sureLanevus only has the divinity of the True Creator?"
Klein didn't respond; he looked uncertain as well.
Seeing Klein's confusion, Alice sighed and said, "Take out the 'Wheel of Fortune' card and the 'Fool' card, then let's go to the sewer."
...
In the sewer, Alice stopped Klein with her hand: "This should be the place."
Klein glanced at Alice, who had her eyes closed. He couldn't understand what she had experienced during this time to become so... mystical.
Although he had also played the role of a mystic in the Divination Club, Alice didn't seem to be acting at all!
But Alice didn't care about Klein's thoughts. She had brought him here not only forLanevus but also to confirm something else.
—Even if it wasn'tLanevus, but another opportunity for a battle with someone blocking the way, Alice would have come to check it out.
Alice glanced at Klein, who still didn't know what he was about to face, and chuckled: "The task of direct combat is yours."
"Huh?" A question mark slowly appeared above Klein's head.
"I need to confirm something... Hmm, it's not that I won't help you, but I need you to distract him for me," Alice said, blinking at Klein.
In the dark sewer, they couldn't see each other's expressions, but Klein didn't need to guess to know what Alice's expression was. Driven by a strange sense of trust in his fellow countryman, Klein finally agreed to the task.
...
After an unknown period of waiting,Lanevus finally appeared in Alice and Klein's sight.
Klein decisively threw a tarot card, andLanevus instinctively stopped and leaned back.
Alice pressed the pause button.
That's not quite right; perhaps it should be called the slow-motion button? But that didn't seem entirely accurate either.
—At this moment, in Alice's eyes, the concept of time seemed to have temporarily disappeared.
Alice was not unfamiliar with this state; the last time she experienced it was just a few days ago—with that demon dog whose jumping motion was broken down into frames.
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