Capítulo 2346: Cooperation
While chaos gradually spread through the domain of the Outer Gates, the representatives of some of the most powerful beings in the current Order were gathering at the heart of the former Little Garden, a vast battlefield fated to remain unseen by the spectators.
Back when the original Little Garden was abandoned, only a handful of those in the 1-3-Digit Gates and their progeny managed to escape. As a result, very few people knew just how close the current Order had been to destruction. Those that did had refused to take part in the Pandemonium Gift Game, so it was their Avataras and direct descendants who had been entrusted to achieve their long-held dream.
Staring at the remains of an ancient deity, whose eyes still glistened with a hint of awareness despite a vicious, multi-pronged black spear running through his body like the twisted branches of a tree, Kurma couldn't help remarking, "How dreadful...." in a muted tone.
Standing, or, more accurately, floating next to Kurma atop a blooming lotus, an incredibly emaciated yet remarkably beautiful man with tanned skin, long green hair, and golden eyes replied, "Such is the fate of those who dedicate their existence to the pursuit of power. Not even the Gods are exempt from hubris..."
Snorting from a location several meters away, an exceptionally arrogant-looking man with mane-like white hair and luminous golden eyes retorted, "Such foolishness. Even single-celled organisms live according to the Law that the strong devour the weak. It is through desire and conquering their environment that civilizations develop. Only once that has been achieved can peace-loving fools like yourself dedicate their lives to asceticism and conquering themselves. You spit in the face of violence and conquest, but the very foundation of our world is built atop a mountain of sacrifices."
Turning to face his uncannily white companion, the bronze-skinned man smiled as he replied, "There is wisdom in your words. However, evolution means constantly moving forward. Should a civilization fail to reach a point where it can coexist with itself, its neighbors, and its environment, it will inevitably meet its end. Therefore, I do not condemn violence but the people who impose it on others for personal reasons or selfish ends..."
Furrowing his brows, the uncannily white man looked like he wanted to argue but stopped when Kurma interjected, saying, "Conquest, Sidd...now is neither the time nor the place for your bickering. If we fail to obtain the World Anchor before Azi Dahaka or the Ormus Society gets their hands on it, the Divine Realm will be split in twain. We can't just leave everything to the Sage Dragon Emperor, not when his representative refuses to reveal themselves..."
Nodding his head in affirmation, Sidd, better known as Siddhartha the Enlightened, remarked, "World Dragon Kurma is correct. While the Sage Dragon Emperor appears to be acting in the interest of the current Order, he exudes a certain...selfishness. His rise may be inevitable, but we have a duty to preserve the peace and stability of the current Order for as long as possible."
Crossing his arms in defiance, Conquest retorted, "And how do you propose we go about completing our objective when even the Old Ones were forced to flee? Just take a look at our surroundings. Even dead, there are beings present who exude even greater Divinity than the three of us combined."
Though he rarely agreed with Conquest, Sidd's brows creased ever so slightly as he nodded his head. He had the distinct impression that the three of them were either being used as bait or forced to bear witness to something. However, as this was a task entrusted to him by the Divine Aspect of Buddhism itself, he had no choice but to see it through to the end.
Continuing his aggressive diatribe, Conquest asked, "First off, how are we supposed to find this Demon Lord of Perpetuity? Didn't Azi Dahaka devour her near the climax of the Genesis War...?"
Shaking her head, Kurma's expression became serious as she said, "While it is true that Azi draws power from the Ouroboros Cycle, the nature of the Demon Lord of Perpetuity makes it impossible for any singular entity to subsume. She is the first and final Last Embryo, slumbering within the hearts and minds of every being in the current Order..."
With a clearly unamused look, Conquest pointed out, "Thanks for the history lesson. Now, how about answering my question? You say this isn't the time or place for squabbling, yet waste time providing exposition? Are you daft, or just that full of yourself...?"
Though this was far from her first interaction with Conquest, his brash manner of speaking caused Kurma's left eye to twitch. Her Origin may be the turtle that carries the world on its back, but she was still a member of the Strongest Species. Being talked down to by a brat that only came into existence after the formation of the second Little Garden was unpleasant.
Reminding herself she was on a mission, Kurma forcibly calmed her anger, explaining, "As you so astutely pointed out, there are several beings here whose power and Divinity exceed our own. More importantly, they fought against the Demon Lord of Perpetuity directly. If we can draw her essence from their bodies, breaking the seal on the World Anchor should be a simple feat."
Matching the sentiment in Conquest's mind, Sidd adopted a remarkably rare expression of scorn as he asked, "Have you and Lord Vishnu gone mad? Gathering the Demon Lord of Perpetuity's essence is the same as reviving her. The majority of her power may have been subsumed by Azi Dahaka, but she is the origin of all Demon Lords, Kings, and Gods. All the damage you see here was caused 'after' her heart was devoured. Are you seriously suggesting we bring her back?"
Leaving her two companions speechless, Kurma nodded her head and answered, "Indeed. However, when you consider that we're just one of the groups trying to resurrect her, seizing the initiative puts us in a better position. If the Ormus Society manages to get their hands on her before us, they will become a threat to all of Creation. Are the two of you willing to stand by and allow that to happen?"
Reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose, Conquest's voice revealed his annoyance as he grumbled, "You are aware that I'm one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, correct? At best, I am neutral towards the Ormus Society..."
Exuding tremendous pressure from her body, Kurma glared at Conquest as she said, "If their plan succeeds, the very concepts of War, Conquest, Death, and Famine cease to be. Isn't that the entire reason you, War, and Famine chose to abandon the 'Truth?'"
Unable to refute Kurma's words, Conquest crossed his arms and looked away. The penultimate plan of the Ormus Society was to subsume and ultimately freeze all of Creation in its current state. In their view, it was the only way to bring an end to the perpetual cycle of death, destruction, and inequity that plagued all realities. While that was certainly the case, there was very little difference between freezing and destroying all of Creation. As a result, the Ormus Society was one of the few groups that both Gods and Demon Lords opposed in equal measure.
Understanding that Conquest would help, even if he really didn't want to, Kurma shifted her gaze to Sidd to see what he had to say. The latter was among the strongest beings participating in the Pandemonium Gift Game, so their success heavily depended on his cooperation.
Seeing through Kurma's thoughts, Sidd exhaled a faint yet profoundly exasperated sigh before his entire demeanor abruptly changed, his eyes exuding boundless wisdom as he calmly stated, "You have my support." in a voice that resonated within the hearts and minds of everyone that heard it.
Realizing that Sidd was channeling the Divine Aspect of Buddism(True Buddha), Conquest paled while a broad smile developed across Kurma's face. True Buddha might occupy the 3rd Gate, but his power was on par with the entities inhabiting the 1st and 2nd. The Big Three even shuffled Gates every now and then to emphasize this equilibrium, so having his support was the same as having the backing of the most powerful being in all of Creation...
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Feeling a peculiar itch in his nose, Vahn was about to scratch it when Sis beat him to the punch, using the tip of her pointed nail as she asked, "Is something the matter~?" in a teasing tone.
Shaking his head, Vahn replied, "Of course not. I was just thinking that things were about to get interesting."
As she shared Vahn's awareness, an amused giggle emanated from Sis's throat as she returned her head to his shoulder. Their interaction earned them an eye roll from Mikoto, snuggling with Fenrir in Vahn's lap, but the envious Pikachu didn't say anything and just focused her attention on the display following Madara. The latter may have fled from the blue-haired woman after having her existence temporarily erased, but Mikoto knew it was only a matter of time before the battle-crazed Uchiha returned to the fray...
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Seeing that Scathach wasn't chasing her, Yuri decided to take a short break before searching for her next opponent. However, the moment she sat down, Scathach, now wearing a Maid outfit, appeared next to her and mused, "You're quite fast."
Furrowing her brows and adopting her characteristically vicious grin, Yuri retorted, "And you're starting to piss me off."
Shrugging her shoulders, Scathach replied, "I have little influence on how others perceive me. I just came here to talk."
Staring at Scathach in disbelief, Yuri issued a confused, "Haaaa-?" before stating, "I didn't join this competition to team up with people. If that's the reason you're stalking me, then you can fuck right off. I'm not even a little interested."
Adopting a slightly wry smile, Scathach scratched her cheek, choosing her words carefully before asking, "Didn't the Sage Dragon Emperor send you here to help in the sealing of Azi Dahaka? I understand you have your dignity as a warrior, but we'll need to work together if we're to achieve our shared objective..."
Tilting her head to the side, Yuri left Scathach speechless by asking, "Azi Dahaka? Is that the name of a strong competitor...?"
Recovering from her momentary stupor, Scathach asked, "If you didn't enter the Pandemonium Gift Game to help seal Azi Dahaka, why are you here? The Sage Dragon Emperor must have chosen you for a reason..."
Grabbing her breasts, Yuri's expression became somewhat wolfish as she replied, "He chose me for many reasons. However, my participation in the Pandemonium Gift Game is unrelated to any of that. I came here to have a bit of fun and to promote my Community. This Azi Doohiki, or whatever his name is, has nothing to do with me."
Sensing no falsehoods in Yuri's words, Scathach just stared blankly for several seconds as the former bounced and squeezed her breasts. She had thought that Vahn had carefully selected people that could contribute in the battle and subsequent sealing of Azi, but that apparently wasn't the case. Now, she had absolutely no idea what his plan was...
Providing Scathach a thread of hope, Yuri suggested, "You should seek out that battle maniac, Uchiha Madara. She's one of Vahn's Templates, so she would know if he had some grand plan. If even she has no clue what you're talking about, just find a place to sit back and relax. If that Azi fella is a genuine threat, Vahn will deal with it himself. No need to stress or get in a tiff."
Pushing her breasts together one last time, Yuri added, "Now, unless you want to face me fair and square, I have other places to be. If I meet that Azi guy, I'll be sure to give him a punch or two on your behalf."
Turning around, Yuri was prepared to leave when Scathach called out to her, saying, "Wait. Even if Vahn didn't send you here to cooperate with us, you should know what you're getting into. Azi Da-"
Interrupting Scathach's words, Yuri landed a heavy punch against the former's invisible barrier, a massive shockwave rippling through the area as she growled, "Since you apparently didn't hear me the first time, let me make things crystal clear. Either fuck off or fight me. Those are your only options. If I wanted to hear someone ramble on about things I didn't give two shits about, I'd attend one of Eva's lectures."
Finished with what she had to say, Yuri retracted her hand and teleported away. In her wake, countless green bubbles manifested around Scathach, each creating minor spatial distortions that made conventional forms of teleportation impossible. If Scathach chose to follow her after she made it 'very' clear she didn't wish to continue their discussion, she would have no choice but to teach the purple-haired spearwoman a lesson...
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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Civilization is built atop a mountain of corpses...','A true Uchiha never yields...','Yuri isn't self-conscious in the slightest xD...')
Capítulo 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..."
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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...
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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...
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(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.)
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