Bab 180: Wake Up.
Drop.
Drop.
The gentle 'sound' of droplets cascades through the stillness, a melodic repetition that seems to have no beginning and no end, hidden behind a veil of tranquil darkness, black as the midnight sky.
To call it simply a 'sound' would be a fallacy. There is nothing here to be heard, no audible presence to be perceived. In this place, the absence of both sound and sight holds sway, a realm where the senses are rendered useless.
The drops rolled up curses, as small as a fleeting irritation, as big as losing own self to depravation. It rained with powerful slowness, falling gently to join a landscape that could be called a hell on earth.
The drops rolled with it a deluge of curses, from the trivial and fleeting to the devastating and soul-crushing. It rained with a powerful slowness, falling softly onto a terrain that might as well be referred to as a hellish wasteland.
"This is fine"
The rain formally known as evil left Leo feeling numb. Insufficient and overbearing was the contradiction plaguing his mind and body. Strangely, his mind drifted to memories of needing to use the restroom during a critical exam... And the teacher refused.
*Sizzle* *gurgle*
The dark, sludgy mud began to bubble unexpectedly, as the light rain transformed into a tumultuous downpour. Malevolent thoughts surged forth, causing the "ocean of evil" to churn and boil. Leo's emotionless countenance twitched, as he struggled to keep his composure against his educational trauma.
[Big Sister Lion: Can you repeat that?]
In an effort to distract himself, Leo cast his gaze towards the holographic screen, which radiated an ethereal light and cast a pallid gleam upon his visage.
[Annihilation Maker: I feel like I am going to puke. I hope this information will help you one day in your journey, Adventurer.]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: As the only adventurer here, why would I ever want to know that? By the way, do you need a bag?]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): The universe is filled with unanswered mysteries, Kazuma. Don't expect an answer to everything from it and yes, can I borrow an ocean or two from your side?]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: How silly of me, but… what does the universe has to do with your puking? Is it going to explode or something? Don't answer that.]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Oh, sweet summer child. The little do you know.]
[Big Sister Lion: Shut it! You troublesome guy, answer me or I will…]
[NEET Princess: Go and get beaten?]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: L]
[Big Sister Lion: …]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): If I do, would you keep the gift function open? Friendly advice: Please prepare a desolated place first.]
[Big Sister Lion: … First of all, why my world?]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): It's already rotten and smelly. Surely, it wouldn't mind some extra mud.]
[Big Sister Lion: Leo, is it not? I am not very familiar with you, but I am not found of pushy guys, especially who insult my home. I know the empire is rotten, but that is in the past. We are looking at the future now!]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Are you lying to yourself? Poor child.]
[Big Sister Lion: That it! I don't care, I will smash that skull of yours today!]
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): I know this might be sudden, but can angels actually vomit like other living creatures? If yes, would it be a rainbow-colored lump of Ether?]
The last master of humanity (Fake), the master of Chaldeas, had an expression full of curiosity written on her face. Compared to the long list of heroic spirits and other beings, angels are something super rare.
Her mind could not recall any memories related to angels prior to encountering Lucifer.
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Open your gift function and you'll know.]
However, the angel's answer to humans' curiosity is a middle finger.
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): Why are you targeting me here! I didn't do anything!]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Idiot, I target everyone. Remember your unofficial, unthankful job.]
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): Humanity last master and savior… I think?]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Right, and what I am going through has a big relationship with humans, so I am going to put all the blame on you. Humanity is grateful for your services, totally won't run experiments on you after the Grand Order.]
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): … This is too much!!]
Feeling aggrieved, Ritsuka rubbed her hair before clenching her fists with anger flashing in her eyes.
One of Chaldea's goals should be to defeat the cancer of humanity (BEASTS), right? So, can she punc--- defeat Lucifer? For humanity, of course!
[Bri-Bri: Why is everyone shouting here? Never mind, don't answer. Have you completed your preparations for the mission?]
[Big Sister Lion: Ah, right! We should deal with it beautifully and get enough points to beat up this annoying scoundrel!]
[Bri-Bri: Don't you think such goal is pitiful? Beating someone or something… Wait, Leo is here. Oh…]
[Big Sister Lion: Yes.]
[Bri-Bri: I am right behind you.]
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): I am already in the queue. I have talked with Doctor Romani, so it should be alright.]
[NEET Princess: By that, you mean the Queen (EMIYA) and Eggplant (Mashu) are ready?]
[Gudako (Chaldea's Admin): … Why do I feel I am unwelcomed?]
[Advocate of Gender Equality: If so, trust your feelings and stay away! I am finally getting rid of the fate of poverty!]
[Annihilation Maker (Admin): Mission, huh?]
Leo was momentarily stupefied as he remembered something, which altered his expression. The subsequent message verified his thoughts.
[NEET Princess: You haven't been here lately, Leo. We didn't want to bother you because you seemed to be doing something important, but the side-missions are available and everyone is preparing. Do you know how tired I am from doing your job? Those damn capitalists of the World's Will still won't even make me an admin! THIS IS UNFAIR!]
Kaguya poured her resentment into the chat as the screen was instantly filled with mocking messages like 'L' and 'Git Gud' from a certain adventurer, laughing at her misery.
Leo sat there, stunned, and quickly scanned the chat. Apparently, the previously empty Side-Missions section had updated with a few missions, causing the chat to become active once more.
The entire chat appeared to be infused with an unusual fervor, and Kaguya was no exception. She embarked upon a bold campaign, with a clarion call of 'Taking Leo's job, make me an admin.' Yet, despite her valiant efforts, she was met with nothing but ridicule in the chatroom, as her efforts went unheeded and overlooked.
Kazuma possessed a steely resolve, a burning ambition to ascend from the bottom of the Chatroom's food chain and attain wealth and prosperity. This drive was all the more fervent after he had been scammed by his World's Will with a certain creation skill.
Mikoto, now appearing more composed, was the first to take on the newly available side missions. After her experiences on the last mission, she resolved to improve and took to regularly challenging the likes of Whitebeard and Saitama to battles, though with the results were still an absolute defeat.
Leone was in dire need of more power to sustain the stability of her world, as the revolutionary army had broken their treaty with other kingdoms and sought to resurrect the empire. Although she kept silent about it, the situation was fraught with difficulty due to the avarice of the corrupt leaders at the helm of the revolutionary forces.
Leone despises people like Esdeath and Budo, but she realizes the importance of having someone in their mold in her current situation. She never thought things would reach this point, but she must become such a figure, which makes her feel strange.
Whitebeard is aiming for a higher strength, beyond his world. He thought his time already passed, and even if the chat room helped him, he couldn't get rid of that thought. However, something seems to be triggered and he is pushing himself further.
Saitama has encountered many intriguing individuals in his world and has begun to participate more in the Chat Room. The notion of exploring the side missions has arisen at an opportune moment. He has even requested a change of his nickname because he got his Hero Name, but Leo was unavailable.
Epistles filled with ideals and aspirations streamed past Leo's gaze, as a peculiar yet detached emotion began to well up within him.
How long has it been?
Leo had abstained from interaction in the chat for a while to his involvement in the artificial dragon veins project. This lack of presence caused him to be unaware of the shifts and changes taking place.
Everyone seems to have found their call and are moving towards their goals.
The angel, who was said to exist beyond the ebb and flow of time, felt a fleeting sensation of time's passage once more.
{Since when did they move too far away? No, when did I choose to stand away?} Leo sat there stunned for a long time gazing blankly at the Chatroom.
This strange feeling. It been a while for sure.
{When did I start to think about these things? Feeling as if I can't fit with them anymore. Did it start from Asgard when I understood or when ROOT confirmed it?}
Looking at the side-mission tab, Leo wanted to click it before slowly lowering his hand. Is it really impossible to change this nature?
A fleeting memory from his life swept across Leo's mind, as a vivid image of his dearest friend presented itself. She had gifted him a pair of spectacles, and in jest, teased him for his blindness. Yet, he could not help but ponder the irony, for how could a blind person make use of glasses?
The Esper, whose powers were intimately linked to his eyes, released a sigh tinged with emotions before giving in to a self-deprecating chuckle. The sudden outburst caused alarm to a particular Yellow Dragon host who was nearby.
{LEO WAKE UP!! YOU ARE DROWNING IN SHIT!!}
The dragon's roar echoed through Leo's mind as he finally lowers his gaze from the chat. His body, the Balance Breaker of his Longinus, is marred with cracks, leaking a black, foul-smelling substance.
The space filled with All of the World's Evil has transformed into a boiling volcano, ready to erupt at any moment. The towering tree that once reached the sky now appears to have decayed as if several centuries have passed.
The once sturdy trunk had turned a bleak gray and the lush leaves were mostly gone. The black mud dripped from it, producing a sizzling sound as it came into contact with the water below.
Nakagami gazed in terror as his body remained frozen, not daring to move an inch.
{Get a grip on yourself! I don't what all of this malice is doing to your head, but you better snap out of it before I burn you myself!}
The threatening roar of the Red Dragon, which didn't actually carry much threat, prompted Leo to run his hand through his hair and wipe away the black mud droplets that had landed on his face.
"Don't threat me just because I wasn't paying attention to your boring stories." Leo said with a monotone voice.
{Partner, the stories of my battles with Albion are a treasure with a long history. You have no right to ignore it.}
"Ddraig, face it. You absolutely suck at story telling."
Ddraig, the dragon who promised his partner to awaken him should anything go awry, is more concerned with regaling his partner with tales of his battles with his best friend. Unfortunately, these tales are repetitive as a copypasta and have become rather monotonous.
'I boosted and he divided for the Nth time. My claw slaped his face and his tail smacked my head, then a big dragon breath.' Leo heard this until he decided to open the Chatroom.
He really wants to ask Ddraig if his true intention was to sabotage him.
{Nonsense, but at least you are awake now, so I was saying…}
"Thank you very much" Shaking his head, Leo stood up before the plastic chair. Glancing at the throne of motivation, Leo let a sigh of regret before putting Yamato away.
Sadly, it has to stop here. What a waste of time… Leo pursed his lips in dissatisfaction.
{Are you done playing?}
"No, it's just… this dream was short, but took a lot of time. I guess it's time for me to wake up and go too."
Nakagami cast a sidelong gaze at Leo as the latter muttered softly to himself. Suddenly, his vision flickered and he found himself transported to the very presence of the being who had instilled such fear in his heart mere moments prior.
"You can leave"
Glancing blankly at the Ouryuu, Leo said lightly, which made the latter expression twitch.
"I assume that I am unneeded now."
Looking at Leo nodding, Nakagami didn't show any more reaction, but he couldn't help but to glance at the scary looking cracks running across the Fall's body.
The primary aim of harnessing the power of the Yellow Dragon is to tap into the Dragon Veins and bridge the artificial and natural cycles, exposing Leo to the world's malevolence.
However, it's unnecessary for now. Due to the characteristic of Angra Mainyu in the Greater Grail as the source of evil (Scapegoat), the current malice stored inside the dragon veins all over the world "knows" that Leo is the "Scapegoat." They will flock towards him from the artificial dragon veins one way or another.
"What?" Leo tilted his head and asked, as if suggesting a new type of food to a friend. "As you can see, I am in a rather poor condition. Do you intend to take advantage of this?"
"Don't make fun of me."
Nakagami was left speechless. Only someone with a problem in their brain wouldn't sense the intimidating aura radiating from this guy.
Leo shook his head in a disappointed manner and said, "Oh... Well, if you'd like to watch along with your companions, you're welcome to. Now, off you go."
{Little friends?} Nakagami momentarily froze, before springing into action, yet with a mere flick of Leo's hand, he vanished into thin air.
"Now that we are alone... Let's see." Leo stuck his hand into a pink space portal and pulled out a small black and yellow piglet with blue horns.
"Good morning, Gugalanna..." Leo greeted the Bull of Heaven, but the latter twitched its small nose and struggled to break free.
Its expression seemed to indicate that it was thinking, 'Why do you smell like garbage?' This made Leo pout, as he had no excuse for the black mud on him.
"Long story short, Gugalanna, protect this place. If someone attacked, don't engage with them too much. Just drive them out."
"…"
Gugalanna glanced at Leo with resentment. It was woken up from its nap and forced to work after smelling a horrible stench. Where were the rights of Divine Beasts?
"I guess you don't want your own private garden with lush hills and nice climate"
Gugalanna's struggle for its living rights came to an abrupt halt. Despite being a Divine Beast, it doesn't have many requirements for living, as the gods keep tossing it around.
'Oh, this mortal is annoying me. Gugalanna, go and stomp them.'
'What? This kingdom refused the asylum of gods? Blasphemy, Gugalanna, show them the fate of those who dare to oppose the gods.'
It's been annoyed for a long time, and it doesn't want to return to the reverse side of the world, so it has chosen to follow this peculiar and weird 'god' that it didn't see before. However, this doesn't mean it doesn't know how to enjoy life!
No Ishtar, no gods, no cocky king and his clay doll, and a nice place to bask in the sun? Gugalanna's eyes sparkled before it turned into a ball of lightning and flew towards the bottom of the tree.
Leo wiped his hands from the traces of electricity and said "Well, that was easy. Now… *Sigh*"
{What are you doing?}
Looking at his partner sighing and looking at the sky before a bad grin flashed on his face, Ddraig felt chills.
"I have overestimated myself and misunderstood this world. I can't fight a war of attrition against All the World's Evil…"
He who had access to the quarry of information carved by the infinite light, was familiar with the paradox that often came with understanding: 'The more you learn, the less you truly comprehend.'
The philosophy of Immanuel Kant refers to the idea that, in order to understand and know the world, we must bring our own subjective experiences and understanding to bear on it. However, this subjective understanding can never fully capture the objective reality of the world, leading to a paradox.
The shallow understanding that comes from familiarity and repetition often fails to grasp the true essence of information. It is like the gaze of those who are so entranced by the beauty of the sky above, that they remain blind to the depths within their own being.
Leo has misunderstood this world.
Despite its crass and vulgar sexual humor and its tenuous chain of logic, he never truly comprehended it. No, he had understood it, but had become ensnared in a trap of his own making.
The Chatroom worldview integration and harmonization. In simpler terms, it allows the utilization of these abilities of various logics across different world, though with certain limitations and occasional imperfections.
But just because an ability can be employed within these new paradigms and produce the same outcomes, it does not guarantee that the world will conform and respond accordingly.
Type-Moon exists in a reality locked within itself, and no, he doesn't mean the endless cycle of self-loathing tanned people trying to stab themselves from the past.
The quantity of the world's evil remains the same according to the time period. It doesn't matter if you bring it to a parallel universe; the curses won't increase or decrease as long as your timeframe doesn't change dramatically.
Of course, the DXD World operates on a different set of principles. Its approach to curses and malicious intent is relaxed and nonchalant. Any ill-natured thought generates its corresponding Ki, which then lingers in the atmosphere as a miasma of malevolence until it is absorbed by plants and the earth, becoming part of the dragon veins' cyclical flow.
The massive surge of energy purifies the malignance, and the energy is then diffused back into the world through the dragon veins. The process is straightforward and unrefined. Some places even separated specific dragon veins to store the miasma and then send it to the underworld Like King Enma in Japan.
However, it fails to consider the possibility of a spatial dragon creating an extensive network of artificial dragon veins to join the cycle.
The additional empty space caused a sense of emptiness in the usually always full cycle, but this only lasted for a moment due to the existence of the Greater Grail.
Leo rubbed his shoulder, feeling heavy. As the Greater Grail is embedded with the 'Source of Evil', any type of malice across all the dragon veins is being absorbed and manifesting as black mud.
Coupled with the DXD World, which doesn't care what type of malicious thought can elevate, it's 2008, with a proximity of 6.801 billion humans, not to mention other races. The number of curses, big or small, generated every second is hard to imagine.
The results are a reality full of a swelling sense, which made Leo feel nauseous, as if he'll burst open at any moment soon. Just thinking that most of the curses are still within the artificial dragon vein network made his face twitch.
Even though the Annihilation Maker was squealing from the pressure to keep his body together, Leo's attitude towards the foreseen ending was bland.
Any negative reaction would ignite this "ocean of evil," so what's the point? However, simply standing still at the moment and waiting for an explosion is retarded.
"Therefore, the only correct way is to face it head-on."
*Click*
The amulet adorning Leo's chest snapped open, unleashing a massive surge of energy that swept through the surrounding area. A brilliant golden light converged upon his form, culminating in the manifestation of a distorted angelic halo, which appeared ready to fracture at any moment.
A flame of divinity blazed around Leo's body, as his eyes became completely engulfed in a lustrous gold hue. Discarding all other traits, he focused solely on raw strength and authority, with the purpose of purging the evil from humanity and claiming it as his own.
There's no helping it, he's not in a good situation. His core and soul are both damaged, so relying on this inefficient strategy is his best choice.
{Either you'll burn out or the malice of the world will become the fuel for you to keep burning. Partner, I know you're mentally unstable, but this has to be one of your sanest thoughts.}
"How come? Are you okay, Ddraig? Won't you call me crazy or something?" Leo was a bit taken aback, but it didn't show on his face or voice. The massive divinity is temporarily suppressing all his emotions to not be affected by the malice.
{No, you are crazy. There's no doubt about it, but who isn't? When I decided to seal my power and fight against Albion in the face of the three factions, weren't we considered insane by them? Now we're in this state, why would we wait for the malice to consume us? Partner, even if you usually act like a living bomb, you never actually intended to harm this world.}
{And I have to say, sometimes, just sometimes, your guts fit my taste so well. So… if you need some flames, I would be more than happy to ignite it.}
To ignite it with his own hands. For Ddraig, this held far greater significance than simply exhaling flames. He had made a vow to a cherished friend to abstain from using these flames, a promise he took to heart and adhered to with unwavering commitment, to the point of almost forgetting how to use it.
This is completely different from Leo using it via the Longinus, which Ddraig took it as 'my Partner is too strong, have fun Albion' mentality.
"…" Leo blinked his eyes before almost muttering 'Tsundere Dragon', but stopped. Well, it doesn't sound too bad.
Chuckling at Ddraig, who looked at him suspiciously, Leo raised his hand. The milky white star mark on his shoulder softly gleamed.
The boundless energy swirled and coalesced above Leo's outstretched hand, gradually taking on the form of a radiant golden chalice. And as the grail took shape, its golden aura blazed brighter, casting a warm, inviting, yet sinister light.
With the arrival of the Lesser Grail, time seemed to pause amidst the collapsing tree. An incongruous black dot materialized in the sky above, a stark contrast against the sky's canvas.
With darkness that seemed to devour all light, the point expanded into a massive hole that covered the sun like an eclipse. Just by looking at it, anyone would feel the massive malice surging forth, as if the doors of hell had opened.
"Well, blessings unto humanity. Wishes will accept all desires and fantasy would become a reality…"
With a searing gaze that reflected the boundless curses within him, Leo clutched the key to this unbridled chaos - the Lesser Grail. He gazed deeply into its shimmering surface, as if searching for a glimpse of his soul. And with a single, decisive motion, he lifted the Grail aloft, sending ripples of energy coursing through the black hole above, making it tremble violently.
{By the way, Partner.}
"Yes, Ddraig."
{Do you know where you'll go from now on?}
"… No"
*Booom!!*
The black hole erupted, spilling forth a torrent of inky sludge that blanketed the sky as if a volcano had erupted.
{Hmph, then we should just figure it out as we go.}
"… Yeah. That sounds good."
And with those final utterances, the waterfall of black mud crashed down upon the tree, engulfing everything with a thunderous roar as all sounds seemed to fade into oblivion.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone