Bab 2347: Convergence

Seeing Yuri depart without even trying to discuss things with Scathach, a rare frown marred the face of Queen Halloween. Shiroyasha had assured her that everything was in hand and that she could trust Vahn, but it was starting to appear like he didn't have a plan. Unfortunately, even with her power to slip between boundaries, she couldn't enter the Sage Dragon's Hearth to ascertain Vahn's intentions directly.

"How vexing..." muttered Queen Halloween. Azi Dahaka was a threat to all of Creation, so she was troubled by the notion that Vahn wasn't treating the situation with the consideration it deserved.

Fortunately, while Queen Halloween could not trespass the Sage Dragon's Hearth without permission, Vahn was unburdened by such impediments, remarking, "Frowning doesn't suit you." before appearing behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders.

Though she was initially startled, Queen Halloween immediately relaxed, a composed look appearing on her face as she said, "It isn't very polite to sneak in a woman's room without her permission..."

Channeling his Godhand, Vahn began to massage Queen Halloween's shoulders, musing, "I could sense you wanted to speak with me. Should I teleport outside and knock...?"

Leaning back in a way that gave Vahn a clear view of her ample cleavage, Queen Halloween remarked, "You're already here. You may as well take a seat."

Instead of moving around and sitting on the sofa like a normal person, Vahn surprised Queen Halloween by hooking his hands in the pits of her arms and phasing through it, ultimately reseating her atop his lap as he asked, "What did you want to talk about~?"

Swallowing the knot that had formed in her throat, Queen Halloween remarked, "You're such a rogue..." while looking down at Vahn's hands cupping her breasts. She wasn't really in the mood due to the ongoing Pandemonium Gift Game, but the notion of asking Vahn to stop never crossed her mind. Instead, she leaned against his chest and asked, "Do you have a plan to deal with the Demon Dragon God, or have you chosen to play things by ear?"

Blinking in surprise, Vahn asked, "Haven't we already been over this?" while thinking back to his previous 'engagement' with Shiroyasha and Queen Halloween. He was certain he had told them about the Ethereal Queen, but there was a chance the exchange had occurred in a timeline that no longer existed. After accumulating a functionally infinite amount of knowledge and experience across innumerable, ever-increasing timelines, events were starting to blend together in his mind.

Instead of responding to Vahn's question, Queen Halloween watched in silence as he peeled the wing-like coverings over her breasts and began massaging them directly. The warmth flowing from his palms seemed to fill her entire being, spreading through her chest and accumulating in her head like a cloud. She still appeared composed on the surface, but her thoughts were becoming muddled as a thin layer of sweat spread across her body.

Regaining her senses, Queen Halloween grabbed Vahn's hands and asked, "Are you attempting to distract me...?" in a slightly accusatory tone.

Adopting a smile, Vahn replied, "Indeed. Everything is proceeding exactly how it's supposed to, so you need not worry. Let's just enjoy the moment, spoiler free. Things are more interesting that way."

Furrowing her brows, Queen Halloween was tempted to press the issue but quickly decided against it. Her nature was somewhat contrary as she enjoyed surprises yet hated when things happened outside the scope of her knowledge and understanding. Since Vahn was the one telling her to relax, however, she guided one of his hands to her abdomen and said, "I hope you know what you're doing..."

Channeling even more energy into his palm, the corners of Vahn's smile curled upward as he teased, "Trust me...I know exactly what I'm doing..."

...

In the wake of her bout with Madara, the blue-haired automaton spent several minutes scanning her surroundings, passively eliminating Players and Azi clones until an area several hundred kilometers in diameter was completely devoid of life.

"..."

Though she hadn't been programmed with complex emotions, a strange sense of incongruity plagued the blue-haired automaton's processes. Her sensors had confirmed the erasure of the being known as Uchiha Madara, but she couldn't suppress the notion she was being watched by an entity that shared the same origin.

Interrupting the blue-haired automaton's silent introspection, a young, bare-chested man with unkempt white hair and blue eyes bearing distinct, cross-shaped pupils appeared a few meters away from her, his expression devoid of emotions as he flatly remarked, "It's been a long time, Eve..."

Turning toward the white-haired youth, the blue-haired automaton's eyes briefly shifted from red to blue as she replied, "Adam..." in a longing tone.

Frowning ever-so-slightly, Adam pulled out an apple from thin air, taking a bite from it before saying, "We've got trouble. Some monster calling itself the Sage Dragon Emperor has appeared in the backup Garden. Based on what we've seen, he's an even greater threat than the Demon Lord of Perpetuity and her Apostle. We'll need your power if we're to have any hope of defeating him."

Regaining her crimson-hued irises, Eve adopted a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes as she replied, "I live to serve. Please, tell me what I must do."

Clicking his tongue, a look of disdain marred Adam's face as he turned his back to Eve. The latter was only a copy of the original, so interacting with her filled him with inexpressable fury. If it weren't for the fact he was the only one that could influence her primary directive, he would never meet with her directly.

Tossing aside the remnants of his apple, the crosses in Adam's eyes burned with holy light as he said, "Come, there are a few insects we must crush before leaving this place..."

Maintaining her somewhat uncanny smile, Eve replied, "Understood." before flying closer to Adam. The reduced proximity caused the latter's body to tense, but he managed to restrain himself, bottling his fury with the intention of unleashing it in the upcoming battle...

...

With his Divine-Ranked Gift, [Fiery Eyes of the Buddha], Siddhartha could perceive the origin of all things. Kurma possessed a similar Gift, but Sidd's was in a league of its own ever since his name had become synonymous with the concept of Enlightenment.

Opening his eyes, Siddhartha calmly remarked, "I've found what I believe to be the remains of the Ouroboros Cycle..."

Furrowing her brows, Kurma couldn't help stating, "You must be mistaken. When the Demon Dragon God devoured her essence, the Demon Lord of Perpetuity's body was said to have vaporized into a shadowy mist. There shouldn't be any 'remains' for us to discover..."

Raising his left hand, a projection of the battlefield that he, Kurma, and Conquest were standing on appeared atop Siddhartha's palm. Moments later, it zoomed in to an area where a black-skinned titan could be seen, its colossal and rotund body riddled with massive spears of golden light.

Recognizing the entity in an instant, Kurma's pupils shrank to the size of pinholes as she muttered, "The Demon Lord of Gluttony..."

Nodding in affirmation, Siddhartha stated, "It would appear that the Demon Dragon God was not the only one to devour the Demon Lord of Perpetuity's essence. Fortunately, these spears of light appear to be the byproduct of Lord Murugan's Astra, the Divine Spear Vel. As an Avatara of Lord Vishnu, you should have no trouble removing them."

As Sidd wasn't the type to lie, a massive smile plastered itself across Kurma's face. Extracting the Ouroboros Cycle's essence from the corpses littering the ancient battlefield would have taken considerable time. With a piece of her original body functioning as a vessel and catalyst, they would be able to locate and extract her essence with significantly less difficulty.

"Get down...!"

Surprised by Conquest's outburst, Kurma's mind failed to process his warning as timely as it should have. She managed to teleport away, but a hand pierced through her back and emerged from her chest just before she apparated.

Fortunately, while the Laws of the Little Garden dictated that even the most powerful beings in Creation obey the limitations of their vessels, meaning Kurma should have died, such restrictions didn't exist within the Pandemonium Gift Game's battlefield. Thus, despite having a gaping hole running clean through her body, Kurma appeared relatively unaffected as she glared at her would-be assassin, a white-haired youth with a thin yet muscular build.

Immediately recognizing the man, Kurma mustered every ounce of scorn she could manage, growling, "Adam..." as the antler-like horns protruding from her head began increasing in size, followed by pristine white scales appearing around her eyes.

Flicking Kurma's blood from his hand, Adam's expression appeared cold and emotionless as he said, "Withdraw now, and I'll spare you. Without the power of Authority and the protection of your pagan gods, you have no hope of winning..."

Snorting through her nose, Kurma began gathering luminous energy in her palms as she declared, "No matter how desperately you try, you will never be able to supplant the current Order with your 'Truth.' Creation does not support a singular, all-powerful being. Your would-be Creator had to split itself into three parts and abandon their name just to avoid being brought to ruin by Poets..."

With Kurma's words sounding like a series of censored beeps in his ears, the fury within Adam's heart began to show on his face, manifesting as a scowl. Beings who ascribed to the 'Truth' were fundamentally incapable of perceiving anything that contradicted their programmed beliefs, so he didn't even know who he was fighting, only that there were two people in his way.

Spreading his hands, Adam shouted, "Domain of Man...!" as the crosses in his eyes exploded in size, intersecting to form a diamond shape in front of his face. At the same time, a spherical force spread out from him, 'erasing' the battlefield littered with the corpses of countless Gods and replacing it with a relatively modern but ruined cityscape.

Crossing his hands in front of his body, Adam manifested a pair of black and white pistols before leaping into the air and losing a flurry of bullets onto Kurma and Siddhartha. Conquest had also recognized Adam, so he elected to teleport away shortly after warning Kurma, sparing them from having to fight him as well...

Contrasting Adam's expectations, the sanctified bullets fired from his twin pistols impacted powerlessly against the barrier produced by Kurma. His Domain of Man was supposed to restrict the power of Divine entities and Gifts, much like Enkidu, but he couldn't utilize it fully due to the rules and restrictions of the Pandemonium Gift Game.

While Kurma provided a nearly unbreakable defense, Siddhartha slowly brought his hands together as if he were about to pray. In reality, his movements were far beyond the speed of light, but even a blind man would have been able to perceive them due to the influence of various Laws.

Adopting a faint smile, Siddhartha muttered, "True Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva," causing a golden Buddha statue with a thousand arms to appear behind him. Then, while Adam was still in the middle of his leap, one of the hands reached out, slapping him out of the air and sending him crashing through numerous skyscrapers.

Gritting his teeth, Adam attempted to right himself and retaliate, but the column he impacted ended up being a giant golden finger, appearing as golden static within his vision. Then, before he kick off against it, the hand closed, trapping him within as Siddhartha gazed down at his right hand in unveiled amusement. There was a reason he was regarded as one of the favorites to win the entire event...

...

(A/N: Sorry for the super delayed post. I was contracted to do some story work on a mobile game and have been busy the past few weeks. I'll try to release extra chapters in the coming days to make up for it.)

komentar 21 komentar

Pilih

Bab 2348: Troubles Abound

After his encounter with Death, Izayoi took a moment to rest before heading deeper into the Inner Gated territories. He didn't know for sure, but his intuition was telling him that the closer he got to the center of the former Little Garden, the easier it would be to locate World Dragon Kurma. If not, well, at least he would encounter some strong opponents along the way.

With such thoughts in mind, Izayoi passed through an invisible membrane that put him in the center of a vast, seemingly endless forest. Looking up, he discovered that the sky was completely obscured by the canopy of an incomprehensibly vast tree that resembled an ever-shifting cosmos from below.

Whistling in admiration, Izayoi remarked, "That's one big ass tree. Looks like I just entered the former territory of the Norse Faction. Either that or their predecessors..."

Desiring a better vantage point, Izayoi flew into the sky, the pupils of his eyes briefly contracting as he became aware of the corpses of dozens, if not hundreds, of mountain-sized giants. One, in particular, towered over the others, its hollow eye sockets resembling massive voids within which entire moons could sit.

Though he had witnessed colossal creatures in the past, the sun-sized Vahn being a good example, this was the closest Izayoi had ever been to one. He was fairly confident in his strength but seeing the planet-sized corpse, even from a distance, gave him the impression he was still a small and insignificant being in the grand scale of the cosmos.

Interrupting Izayoi's thought, Seiunn remarked, "Behold, the corpse of Aurgelmir, the First of All and Father of the Giants. That must make this space Ginnungagap, the Graveyard of the Void."

Blinking in surprise, Izayoi parroted, "Aurgelmir?" before asking, "Isn't that the original name of Ymir...?"

Nodding his ethereal, whale-like head, Seiunn replied, "Indeed. In Norse Cosmology, Aurgelmir was born of the dew formed when the ever-ice of Niflheim met with the all-consuming flames of Muspelheim. According to some accounts, his flesh, bones, and sinew are the foundation atop which six of the Nine Realms were built."

Scratching the back of his head, Izayoi remarked, "That's interesting and all, but what am I supposed to do with such information? We need to get out of here and find that World Dragon chick."

Exhaling an echoey sigh, Seiunn responded, "From what I can tell, this space functions similarly to a Game Board. If you want to leave, there is an objective you must fulfill. If I had to guess, this situation is similar to the 'inheritance tests' commonly experienced in Cultivation worlds and novels."

Blinking in surprise, Izayoi asked, "Seriously? You mean to tell me I got dragged into this place to be tested for a power I don't give a rat's ass about acquiring...?"

Shrugging his non-existent shoulders, Seiunn answered, "Based on what I've been able to extrapolate, that appears to be the case. If you want to file a complaint, I suggest you take it up with that enormous corpse over there. I sure as hell didn't drag you into here."

Adopting a deadpan expression, Izayoi retorted, "But you 'should' be able to get us out. Isn't breaking out of spatial locks and prisons supposed to be your specialty?"

"..."

Instead of answering Izayoi's question, Seiunn raised its gaze to the massive canopy blotting out the sky overhead. His Creator had always had a particular 'affinity' with the Norse Cosmology, even as far back as the Record of Danmachi. Thus, while it was possible for him to liberate Izayoi from the Ginnungagap, his curiosity compelled him to at least try to obtain the inheritance contained within.

Exhaling a sigh of his own, Izayoi muttered, "What a pain..." before taking off toward the corpse of Aurgelmir. Even without Seiunn responding, Izayoi had a pretty good idea of what was going through the whale-like Companion's mind. Thus, while he was eager to track down World Dragon Kurma and have her divulge her relationship with his adoptive mother, he didn't mind taking a detour to satiate his friend's curiosity...

...

"Is it over?" asked Kurma, her amethyst-purple eyes narrowing as she stared at Siddhartha's right hand.

Nodding in affirmation, Sidd stated, "Though I am weakened without my Power of Authority, Buddhist Sealing Techniques are the most powerful in the current Order. So long as my hand remains closed, Adam has no hope of escaping."

Furrowing her brows, Kurma remarked, "I am well acquainted with the power of Buddhist Sealing Techniques. That's why I'm suspicious. Even if he is blinded by the Truth, why would someone like Adam attempt to fight us directly? Even the leader of his Community is a 3-Digit, Chieftain-Class Deity. How could he hope to contend against Avataras representing single and two-digit Communities? It doesn't make any sense."

Prompted by Kurma's words, Sidd looked skyward, narrowing his golden eyes to focus on the massive construct orbiting hundreds of thousands of kilometers away. It resembled an array of angelic wings from a distance, but as he focused on the epicenter of the construct, Siddhartha became aware of the blue-haired automaton controlling it.

Adopting a faint smile, Siddhartha calmly mused, "It appears we've been lured into a trap."

Following Sidd's gaze, the draconic pupils of Kurma's eyes shrank as she also became aware of Eve's presence. Unlike Sidd, however, she was fully aware of Eve's capabilities, shouting, "We need to dodge...!" with a hint of panic in her tone.

Seemingly disregarding Kurma's words, Siddhartha raised one of his free left hands, musing, "Immovable Golden Buddha..." just as Eve unleashed a beam of purging light comparable to a solar flare. Said beam appeared to blot out the heavens themselves, but the moment it encountered Sidd's comparably small shield of golden light, it was as though it had struck an immovable object. The ruined cityscape surrounding him and Kurma was reduced to sub-atomic ash, but everything within Sidd's spherical barrier was untouched by Eve's orbital bombardment.

Forming a series of seals with his free hands, Siddhartha wove together a series of golden runes into a mantra-like passage before gently pushing it forward, declaring, "Karmic Inversion..." in a deep, resonating tone. The moment his words fell, the beam of light impacting his shield appeared to freeze, becoming a solid column of light whose particles began moving in reverse. Moments later, the light retreated into the sky, followed by the previously destroyed cityscape reconstituting itself as Siddhartha calmly stated, "The way is not in the sky but within our hearts. What we believe, reality becomes..."

Using one of his right hands, Siddhartha made a vertical slicing gesture with his index and middle fingers. As his fingers reached the lowest point of their arc, Eve's landed face-first into the ground, transported hundreds of thousands of kilometers in an instant but suffering no damage from the descent.

Gazing down at the prostrate automaton, a rare hint of disdain appeared in Siddhartha's gaze as he muttered, "Your existence is a mockery of the living..."

Though the Buddhist Faction purported the notion that 'existence was suffering,' they also believed that life and, most importantly, freedom of choice was sacred. Those who sought to escape the natural cycle via mechanical means or the transplantation of the soul were regarded as worse than demons, so while most would consider Eve to be among the most beautiful constructs in all of Creation, Siddhartha viewed her as less than an insect.

Bringing his hands together to form the Uttarabodhi Mudra Seal, Sidd was prepared to eradicate every trace of Even when a deep yet feminine voice emanated from behind him, declaring, "That's my prey. I suggest you and your little dragon friend depart before I make you my next targets."

Following the declaration, Madara emerged from thin air wearing ghostly blue armor in place of her usual crimson ensemble. She had been waiting patiently for a chance to attack Eve, so there was no way she would allow someone else to steal her glory.

Before Siddhartha could order Madara to identify herself, Kurma's brows furrowed as she said, "You're Uchiha Madara, one of the highest-ranking Villains in the West. Is the Ormus Society your enemy as well...?"

Meeting Kurma's gaze, Madara plainly stated, "I have no true enemies. I simply seek to battle powerful foes. If you eliminate that woman before I've had the chance to redeem myself, I'll have no choice but to target the two of you in her stead."

Creasing her brows even further, Kurma was tempted to point out she was aware of Madara's relationship with Vahn and the Aldrnari Empire. Instead, she pointedly inquired, "Is this the will of your Master, or are you acting independently?"

Crossing her arms, Madara firmly declared, "I am my own Master. Now, leave this place before you lose the opportunity to depart of your own accord."

Before Kurma could respond to Madara's provocation, Siddhartha made a pushing gesture with one of his left hands, muttering, "Sacred Palm of the Buddha..." in his characteristically resonant tone. As he did so, an illusory golden palm slammed into Madara like a runaway train, rapidly increasing in size and speed as it pushed her back and through several buildings.

Seeing Siddhartha send Madara flying, an indescribable sense of panic swelled within Kurma's chest. Things hadn't been going as planned since the beginning of the Pandemonium Gift Game, but it wasn't until this very moment that she felt that their actions were futile.

As if to confirm Kurma's suspicions, the luminous golden palm produced by Siddhartha abruptly shattered, followed by the appearance of a moon-sized, dragon-themed Susanoo covered in runes...

Situated in a jewel on the dragon's head, Madara had a battle-crazed grin on her face as she shouted, "You've done it now, you bastards! I'll take on all three of you at once...!"

...

Confirming Seiunn's hypothesis, a deep, resonating voice entered Izayoi's mind the moment he entered the cavernous void that was Aurgelmir's left eye, stating, "Welcome, mighty warrior. We sense within you a powerful resolve that defies the 'reason' of this world. Overcome our Trials, and we shall help you draw out your latent potential to its fullest..."

Though he didn't really expect an answer, Izayoi called out, "And what if I don't want to undergo your trials? I'm the type that likes to shatter my limits with my own strength. I don't need hand-holding from some ancient giant to draw out my full potential."

Matching Izayoi's expectations, there was no response from the booming voice that had echoed within his mind. Instead, a blue, vortex-like portal opened up in front of him, the center gradually clearing to reveal an army of Elven warriors standing in formation on the opposite side. Only then did the voice explain, "Your First Trial is to aid the armies of Elfheim. Claim the heads of the Dökkálfar's nine Generals if you wish to advance further. Fail, and you will suffer the same fate as the rest of Elfheim's citizens..."

Without waiting for Izayoi's response, a powerful suction force began to emanate from the vortex-like portal. He could have resisted with very little effort, but as his goal for participating in the Pandemonium Gift Game was to promote and spread the name of his Community throughout the Little Garden, Izayoi just sighed internally and allowed himself to be drawn inside. He might have no use for it, but obtaining the legacy of a Progenitor-Class Deity was bound to increase the status and reputation of the No-Names by a great deal...

...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The downside of being a protagonist is that fate 'will' find a way to fuck you over...','Madara's switch has been thoroughly flipped...','I can just imagine the entire Norse Faction with deadpan looks on their faces as Izayoi claims and then just gives away one of their most legendary inheritances...')

komentar 19 komentar

Pilih