Supernova Dominator, having had His tributary of fate severed, now existed without a future, isolated from reality and unable to sense the spirit world or astral world.
For those not Above the Sequences, this would mean watching helplessly as death and an end approached, with no way to reverse fate. Even most Great Old Dominators would lose Their powers and authorities in such a state, unable to wield many of Their symbolisms. At that moment, a decisive attack from Their enemies could prove fatal.
The final judgment of fate could not directly kill a Great Old Dominator but could temporarily strip Them of most of Their symbolisms, reducing Them to a weakened state, rejected by fate itself-a miserable wretch with no future or dreams.
At this moment, Supernova Dominator wasn't concerned about the Goddess of Fate landing another blow. What He feared was the Lord of Mysteries seizing this opportunity to render His existence worse than death.
As a Great Old Dominator, while He leaned more toward reality than mystery. He was not entirely without means to escape His predicament.
Supernova Dominator quickly caused the myriad explosive suns comprising His body to eject countless particles. Using His symbolism as the Controller of Fundamental Forces-untouched and unremovable - He caused those particles to draw closer, triggering repeated nuclear fusions, transforming into various elements, and creating true matter.
This matter began forming their own fates, weaving together and attempting to break through the isolation, seeking to rejoin the vast, illusory mercury - colored River of Fate.
This would allow Supernova Dominator to find reality and return to the River of Fate.
Within the intricate mercury-colored River of Fate connected from head to tail, the consciousness and spirit of the Goddess of Fate swiftly coalesced, unstoppable and irreversible.
…
Meanwhile, in the other star dominion.
Primordial Hunger had consumed a sliver of chaos, devouring some of The Hanged Man's abilities. Grisha Adam, with a stoic expression, calmly placated, guided, and managed the situation, showing no sign of failure.
To Him, the greater threat than Primordial Hunger was the increasingly revived consciousness of the Primordial God Almighty.
The golden giant Buddha sat cross-legged in the boundless void, His eyes tightly shut, motionless. The two golden hands extending from the fissures in His body hung limply, as it had fallen into slumber.
At this moment, He was entirely incapable of resistance, relying solely on the blessing of passive good fortune.
This growing vulnerability made the greed and convergence instinct within the Circle of Inevitability's godhood surge uncontrollably. It was as though a miser had spotted a long-coveted treasure suddenly left unguarded, with the added assurance of impunity upon taking it.
Eternal Darkness Amanises noticed that the Circle of Inevitability was increasingly fixated on the golden Buddha. She deliberately shifted Her focus to the Monarch of Decay, creating distance from the Key of Light and the other sefirot.
A few seconds later, the Circle of Inevitability could no longer resist His godhood's instinct to converge, His three bodies worked together, setting up several Loop triggers on the battlefield before turning toward the Key of Light. Using the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence, He flung Himself toward the golden Buddha, causing the Buddha to be drawn toward Him in turn.
Suddenly, a straight, illusory dark river flowed forth from the cosmos, heralding the stillness of fate and the proclamation of death.
This was a river that did not Loop. It always moved forward.
Even death itself would dissipate within its currents.
River of Eternal Darkness!
Amanises, though She was truly Above the Sequences, was burdened by the lingering consciousness and spiritual residues of many Dao integrators of the Haoli lineage. Her condition was less than ideal and required time to adapt and purge the negative influences. Thus, except for Her emergence as a Great Old One to fend off the Outer Deities, She had refrained from utilizing Her concentrated symbolism of the River of Eternal Darkness.
But now, understanding the urgency of the moment, She set aside all other concerns, using this river to forcibly break the remaining Loops, prevent the Circle of Inevitability from accommodating the Key of Light, and keep Him occupied, creating a one-on-one opportunity for Lumian against the Monarch of Decay.
The colorless, illusory river submerged all Loop nodes, causing them to instantaneously perish and vanish without taking effect.
The River of Eternal Darkness placed itself between the Circle of Inevitability and the golden Buddha, transforming into denser darkness that enveloped the area, forcing all three bodies of the Circle of Inevitability to close their eyes.
Symbolism of Darkness, compelling thought to silence and inducing slumber!
The body of redemptive light on the Circle of Inevitability's right side also closed its eyes and fell into a state of sleep. Yet, before Him appeared countless tributaries of fate, each representing the same possibility: that the Circle of Inevitability would soon awaken.
Symbolisms of Future and Destined!
The Circle of Inevitability had anticipated His current predicament and prepared in advance, setting the future in motion.
This foresight stemmed not only from insights drawn from the River of Fate but also from His clear understanding that the Key of Light, as the embodiment of fate, would inevitably have absolute good fortune at critical moments, disrupting any attempts to accommodate Him.
This was why He had not fixed the tributary of fate representing His successful accommodation of the Key of Light-it was simply unfixable!
Maintaining the dense darkness, Amanises extended two hands. Before the destined fate could manifest, She plunged an orange-red twilight greatsword into the darkness's edge and into the void.
The dense darkness contracted. The flow of time slowed, converging toward a single point.
The fate of the Circle of Inevitability's destined awakening remained unchanged but was now delayed, pushed several seconds into the future!
Symbolism of Space-Time-in-One!
Though Incomplete, it proved sufficient.
After restraining the Circle of Inevitability, Amanises glanced at the golden Buddha.
Even She couldn't help but marvel at His fortune.
Despite having been schemed against and facing grave issues that forced Him into slumber, He had unwittingly drawn the Circle of Inevitability's attention, granting Lumian the opportunity for a one- on-one confrontation with the Monarch of Decay.
Though it might only last a few seconds, it was still an opportunity.
As the essence of war, Lumian naturally wouldn't let the opportunity slip. He unfolded the mirror world originating from the City of Calamity, forcibly dragging the Monarch of Decay into it.
Within this realm lay an endless starry sky.
Immediately, massive stars erupted around the Monarch of Decay, ejecting vast quantities of matter, creating a sea of destructive burning light and expanding explosions.
Above and below the Monarch of Decay, two black holes revealed themselves through accretion disks, tugging at His body in opposing directions and causing the distant mirror world's barriers to fracture piece by piece as if seeking to escape.
Calamity of Destruction!
Time around the Monarch of Decay grew increasingly sluggish. The intense sea of light dimmed rapidly before even nearing Him, decaying with astonishing speed, rendering it less terrifying. The two black holes began evaporating at an unimaginable pace, shrinking steadily.
Suddenly, a radiant starlight door manifested amidst the slowed time behind the Monarch of Decay. Three- headed, three-bodied, six-armed Lumian stepped out, opening the door and wielding a black flame greatsword bound with destruction and chaos.
He had used the last charge of his Door pathway contract ability.
Immediately, he felt his body decaying and rotting, his internal balance accelerating toward collapse.
The Monarch of Decay remained expressionless, as if such things were already dead and decayed.
As a Great Old Dominator, His golden mummy-like form was free from the limitations of a human structure. He welcomed the Origins of Disaster stepping into a region dominated by slow time and the strongest symbolism of decay.
He extended His rotting, pus-seeping left palm toward Lumian, His head having rotated 180 degrees at some point, gazing upon His sluggish-moving target.
Sure hit, certain death!
Lumian first used the symbolism of Calamity of Destruction to interfere with the Monarch of Decay before opening the Door-not to confuse the enemy but to buy time for one action.
He had transmitted his intent to all his followers: "Call my name!"
On the peripheral planet of the universe, Lugano, Leon, and other Sick Church believers heard the resounding command echo in their ears. They bowed their heads devoutly, repeatedly chanting, "Great Malady God!"
"Great Malady God!"
Amid the prayers, the face of chaos on Lumian's left head turned toward the Monarch of Decay.
He seemed barely affected by the slowed time, pulling both time and space into Himself.
At this moment, the previous and current Malady Gods finally met.
Lumian did not hope that this meager symbolism would equate this Malady God with that one, making his injuries synonymous with those of the Monarch of Decay. The mystical connections between the two remained too weak, and the necessary symbols insufficient.
The connection between the Uncertain Mist and the Mother Tree of Desire had been exploitable for mutual destruction because Genie and the Tenebrous World had once been one. Moreover, Emperor Roselle and the Chained provided an ideal intermediary linking both sides. Lumian could only become the Mother Goddess of Depravity because She had permitted it, creating those links and ultimately providing the critical correspondences.
Currently, none of these conditions were met.
Lumian's purpose in enhancing the symbolism of the Malady God was not to rely on mystical similarity to wound the Monarch of Decay but to offer Him an opportunity.
For great existences, anyone who invoked Their former names and stole Their followers would establish a mystical connection with Them, allowing Them to curse, doom, or even kill the offender-or seize their body. If not for the astral barrier and Mr. Fool's protection, Lumian would have long since perished or become the Monarch of Decay.
Now, Lumian deliberately amplified the symbolism of the Malady God to give the Monarch of Decay a chance to possess his body!
-x-X-x-
The Monarch of Decay sensed that the prayers to the Malady God were directed at the Origins of Disaster, creating an overlap in identity and offering Him a direct opportunity to seize His target's body.
But He didn't take the opportunity-He wasn't foolish. Killing the Origins of Disaster first and then accommodating the sefirah was the only correct choice!
To seize the other's body now would mean engaging in a battle of consciousness and spirit. The Monarch of Decay wasn't confident of a guaranteed victory at the moment. If, He lost, He would end up being accommodated and devoured by the Origins of Disaster, becoming part of that collective consciousness. Moreover, in such a war of consciousness, defeat would mean no chance of escape, given that His opponent was of the same tier.
Thus, any Great Old Dominator with a functioning mind would never take such bait from Lumian.
For Lumian, having prepared this plan, there was naturally a follow-up strategy: You're rational? You're not foolish? That's fine, I'll make you foolish!
As the believers chanted "Great Malady God" and the Monarch of Decay launched His Sure Hit, Certain Death attack, Lumian activated the contract mark left by Mr. Fool. He could still use it once.
Fooled!
This contract, signed after The Fool Klein accommodated Sefirah Castle, carried a trace of the Foolishness symbolism.
As the mark on Lumian's body glowed a bluish-black, the Monarch of Decay's outstretched left palm suddenly slowed.
He hesitated. He stopped.
For a being as truly great as the Monarch of Decay, the Fooling imposed by half a Lord of Mysteries had limited duration and effect. It wasn't potent enough to make Him lose all reason and act purely on instinct. But Lumian had never expected it to succeed outright.
At that moment, the middle head on Lumian's body laughed, radiating intense provocation, as if saying, "A naturally great existence like you can't even match a lowly one like me who advanced the ranks? If you don't seize this opportunity now, you'll end up being accommodated by me! What's the matter? Did the Mother Tree of Desire ignite your survival instincts so much that you're too cowardly to confront my consciousness head-on? You might as well crawl back into the Mother Goddess of Depravity's womb and be reborn with a new consciousness!"
Simultaneously, Aurore's and Jenna's faces smiled in turn, each glancing mockingly at the Monarch of Decay.
Provocation plus Charm! Symbolic-level Provocation and Charm!
Another of Lumian's bodies, the one with the face of a swirling vortex of chaos, followed his main consciousness's lead, activating the City of Calamity's convergence force.
The Tudor face brimming with the desire to challenge and the amused Cheek face cooperated perfectly with this attempt, invoking the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence and sending an irresistibly alluring invitation to the Monarch of Decay.
Come, accommodate this sefirah. Take over our body!
Still under the influence of Foolishness, the Monarch of Decay could no longer control Himself in the face of Provocation, Charm, and the Law of Aggregation. His vision fixated solely on the hateful yet irresistibly enticing target before Him. Without hesitation, He stepped forward, shedding the golden plating covering His body to reveal a heavily decayed, oozing yellow- green pus-covered body.
That body rapidly expanded, instantly enveloping Lumian's three-headed, six-armed body.
In the blink of an eye, within Lumian's consciousness space, the bloodstained stone-brick floor became covered in a nauseating yellow-green fungal carpet.
The Monarch of Decay saw several figures standing before Him.
Aurore with her, hair darkened and eyes deep brown; Jenna with an expression of disdain; Cheek, radiating excitement; Alista Tudor, eyes blazing with madness; and the stationary swirling face of chaos.
Behind them loomed the coiled twin-bodied malevolent dragon.
Beyond the malevolent dragon lay the staircase ascending to infinite heights, atop which sat Lumian - wearing a white shirt, black vest, and dark trousers-on a crimson-blooded throne, his right foot resting on his left knee, gazing down at the Monarch of Decay with a bright smile.
As the Origins of Disaster who was Above the Sequences, Lumian's consciousnesses had long since unified into an entity. He was simply using the Visionary's ability to manifest six arms of his consciousness as six figures for ease of unleashing different attacks later. In the real world, his six arms could independently employ distinct abilities, though not involving symbolisms.
…
Within the mercury-colored River of Fate, as the intertwined destinies coalesced into the Goddess of Fate's consciousness and spirit, She prepared to surface, to leave this realm and reclaim a body.
Suddenly, Lord of Mysteries Klein appeared above Her, clad in his black long coat and silk half top hat.
Klein extended his black-gloved left hand.
Steal!
Klein sought to extract the Goddess of Fate's consciousness and spirit from the River of Fate, stealing it into his grasp!
He hadn't attempted this earlier because the Goddess of Fate had not yet intended to leave the River of Fate. Her existence, intertwined with the fates of all matter in the universe, was too heavy to steal. Once She fully regained a body, the Lord of Mysteries would also be unable to directly Steal the consciousness and spirit of a Great Old Dominator from Her united form. Only this moment presented the opportunity.
A strange, tree-like humanoid object coated in black slime floated in front of Klein. It was the Sequence 1 Divine Abomination Beyonder characteristic of the Chained pathway.
Once he stole the Goddess of Fate's consciousness and spirit, he would immediately place it into this formless entity, then use his symbolism to seal Her.
For the Chained pathway's Binding symbolism, high - Sequence Beyonder characteristics were ideal sealing material.
The Goddess of Fate's consciousness and spirit were uncontrollably drawn out from the illusory mercury - colored River of Fate, about to fall into Klein's hand. Just then, crimson moonlight descended, and a broken oak tree grew in the void, "fixing" the Goddess of Fate's consciousness and spirit in place.
The Mother Goddess of Depravity had come to aid Her eldest daughter.
…
Within Lumian's consciousness space.
Still under the lingering effects of Foolishness, the Monarch of Decay stretched His Sure Hit, Certain Death left palm toward the malevolent dragon's figure across the void.
At the same time, He fully invoked the Decay symbolism, slowing the surrounding flow of time and hastening its approach to the terminal point.
The malevolent dragon-represented by one of Lumian's arms-did not dodge and could not dodge. Its two heads spat black flames of destruction bound with madness toward the decayed palm.
Cheek's figure conjured an apocalypse before Him, creating a chaos vortex encompassing all possibilities and colors, rapidly spreading toward the Monarch of Decay's left palm and body.
Alista Tudor's figure revealed a blood-red mark on His forehead, clenched His right fist, and struck the void ahead. The void cracked inch by inch, collapsing space-time toward the Monarch of Decay - the Destruction symbolism from the Red Priest pathway.
Aurore did not use the authority of Origins of Disaster or Calamity of Destruction. Instead, she shared a corresponding power from her ally Eternal Darkness Amanises, summoning dense darkness that silenced everything, enveloping the Monarch of Decay.
Jenna wielded an orange-red twilight greatsword and slashed it toward the Monarch of Decay.
The swirling face of chaos held a pale book formed of coiled feathered serpents, flipping its pages silently.
At that moment, chaos, destruction, death, eternal silence, and twilight-along with the Monarch of Decay's previous attack-gathered in the consciousness, space. Some forces repelled, others blended, swiftly collapsing into a terrifying black dot.
The black dot drew the entire consciousness space toward itself, absorbing all forces and causing countless cracks to form, igniting pitch-black flames.
Under this influence, time was nearing its end, and space converged toward the unstable black dot.
Neither Lumian nor the Monarch of Decay could escape this consciousness space, unable to avoid the singularity of unified space-time and all things!
Though not yet true Fourth Pillar power and lasting only briefly, it was enough to kill the consciousness of a Great Old Dominator. Moreover, the Loop nodes in this area had been erased, and the Circle of Inevitability remained restrained by Eternal Darkness Amanises, unable to rescue the Monarch of Decay,
Thus, Lumian had no fear of the "Sure Hit, Certain Death" strike.
Everyone here would die.
It was reminiscent of how the Master of the Shadow Cottage and Farbauti had drawn Inextinguishable Ravings into Themselves and cursed Themselves. The difference was that Their consciousnesses weren't strong enough to sustain such a battle or hold back Inextinguishable Ravings without the Key of Light's help. They lacked the ability to kill a Great Old Dominator, only capable of wounding one severely.
But Lumian was a genuine great existence. Once the accommodation process began, without external intervention, the Monarch of Decay couldn't escape the battle of spirit, Lumian could harness Fourth Pillar- related power to obliterate the Monarch of Decay alongside himself.
In the collapsing consciousness space, surrounded by pitch-black flames, the Monarch of Decay had one thought: Kill the Origins of Disaster first, destabilize the Fourth Pillar's power, and let it collapse on its own!
This was the Monarch of Decay's only chance for survival.
At the top of the staircase leading to infinite heights, on the blood-stained throne, Lumian sat still, surrounded by a cracking consciousness space filled with burning black flames.
With his right foot resting on his left knee, Lumian smiled brightly as he watched the Monarch of Decay desperately trying to kill the figures to destroy him.
It's useless.
I will die, and so will you.
-x-X-x-
After several seconds, the Circle of Inevitability finally used the fixed tributary of fate to escape the influence of the Darkness symbolism.
However, neither He nor Eternal Darkness Amanises continued the battle. Instead, They both turned Their attention to a peripheral region of the star dominion.
There, an illusory mirror shattered, and Lumian, with three heads, three torsos, and six arms, emerged. His body was wrapped in rotting green-yellow flesh and burning with deep, pitch-black flames.
That massive body, covered in decaying flesh, continued collapsing inward toward a central point. It began with the chest at the center, followed by the right arm, and then the left side of the abdomen. Within the collapsing body, a dark spot emerged, so deep it seemed to contain the entire universe.
Each collapse greatly heightened Eternal Darkness Amanises's sense of danger, and She quickly realized that the development might not align with Their original expectations.
When Klein had fully awakened and accommodated Sefirah Castle, he had consulted only two high-ranking existences to plan Their responses to various scenarios. One was Lumian, who possessed the swirling face of chaos and both the masculine and feminine aspects of the mirrored Original Creator. The other was Evernight Goddess Amanises, who held the authority of Concealment. This prevented Klein's awakening and Their plans from leaking.
Snake of Mercury Will Auceptin, only learned of Klein's awakening in the Nation of the Evernight. Klein had helped Him accommodate His Uniqueness, but He was unaware of the details.
Thus, Amanises already knew how Lumian, as the Origins of Disaster, would deal with the Monarch of Decay and what would unfold in the process. Now, it seemed everything had gone as planned, yet the result appeared to have taken an unexpected turn.
The anticipated outcome was for Lumian to create a power akin to the Fourth Pillar, annihilating both the Monarch of Decay and himself while completely erasing the feminine and masculine aspects of the mirrored Original Creator, Cheek's consciousness, Alista Tudor's consciousness, and the malevolent dragon's consciousness.
If Lumian, as part of the Fourth Pillar by virtue of being the Origins of Disaster, Calamity of Destruction, managed to endure the destructive force longer, Eternal Darkness Amanises would withdraw the powers She had shared with him. This would destabilize the Fourth Pillar's terrifying force. Meanwhile, Lord of Mysteries Klein would employ New Birth, Grafting, and other methods to potentially save Lumian. However, in doing so, the chaotic cluster of consciousnesses within him might persist, leaving the fragile balance he currently maintained uncertain.
Now, this outcome was coming to fruition, yet it seemed something even more horrifying was brewing.
Moments later, Eternal Darkness Amanises observed strange phenomena surrounding Lumian's rapidly collapsing body.
An endless, frozen universe devoid of vitality appeared. Darkness, which seemed intent on swallowing everything and compressing it into a single point, emerged...
The symbolism of Termination-opposing the symbolism of Genesis - has appeared. This is not supposed to happen. The universe has not yet reached its end, and the Fourth Pillar cannot be born... Eternal Darkness Amanises's gaze suddenly froze.
She thought of a possibility.
Lumian's body not only contained the powers that composed the Fourth Pillar but also held the symbolisms of the Monarch of Decay and the masculine and feminine aspects of the mirrored Original Creator. When the power representing Termination collided with the feminine and masculine aspects of the mirrored Original Creator, which now finally had the chance to interact during this destruction, there was a possibility for the Termination power to sublimate into Termination symbolism! It had to be known that those symbolisms included "anything that can go wrong will go wrong."
Once Termination symbolism emerged, even if only briefly, it would be a terrifying event. At best, all life in this galaxy, including the Great Old Dominators, would be completely annihilated, unable to resurrect. At worst, the entire universe would reboot!
Eternal Darkness Amanises immediately withdrew the powers of Death, Eternal Silence, and Twilight that She had shared with Lumian. Yet, Origins of Disaster Lumian's body, consciousness, and spirit continued collapsing.
The arrival of Termination symbolism seemed inevitable.
At this moment, the Circle of Inevitability abandoned the golden giant Buddha representing the Key of Light and returned to Lumian's side through the astral world.
Seeing this, Eternal Darkness Amanises recalled the hint from Genie and did not intervene. Instead, She followed the Circle of Inevitability back to the original battlefield, closely monitoring the situation.
The attacks of the High-Dimensional Overseer against the Celestial Master and Celestial Thearch's projection slowed. He was already preparing to ascend dimensions and flee the galaxy instantly, though even that might not ensure His safety.
Primordial Hunger, which had been feasting on Grisha Adam, also paused. Acting primarily on instinct, He began showing signs of retreating.
The central body of the Circle of Inevitability, with its mercury-colored face of suffering, pointed toward the astral world. The Angel of Redemption, who had been fighting at the edge of the universe, instantly returned to Him, transforming into slivery-black light that merged into His embrace. The remaining Sinners, unsure of what was happening and now lacking the protection of the Sequence 1 Archangel, all chose to withdraw from the battlefield and return to Their divine kingdom.
Next, the Circle of Inevitability's left dark body and the right body composed of redemptive light simultaneously caused the illusory River of Fate to emerge. The main trunk represented the past that had already occurred, while its tributaries represented futures about to become reality.
The future was already determined, and every tributary led to the same outcome.
The Circle of Inevitability's two bodies each formed a hand sign. The Future Redemption Body created a new tributary within the mercury-colored tributary where no other possibilities or developments existed- a tributary capable of preventing the appearance of the Termination symbolism.
The Past Sinner Body caused the figures of the Monarch of Decay within the River of Fate's past to be replaced one by one with figures of the Circle of Inevitability. Conversely, the original figures of the Circle of Inevitability were replaced one by one with figures of the Monarch of Decay.
Substitution symbolism!
This was the highest level of the Substitution Spell.
Sensing His past being rapidly replaced, the Monarch of Decay did not resist. Instead, He hoped the Circle of Inevitability would succeed.
He saw the light of redemption.
As Lumian's body collapsed further, the Circle of Inevitability's Present Sufferer Body separated a Sequence 1 body composed of redemptive light. This body formed a hand sign aimed at Lumian.
In an instant, the decayed body of the Monarch of Decay within Lumian was miraculously switched with the Sequence 1 body of the Circle of Inevitability. One returned to the outside world, and the other entered within, completing the substitution.
Now, Lumian no longer accommodated the Monarch of Decay but rather a Sequence 1 avatar of the Circle of Inevitability.
As soon as the Monarch of Decay left Lumian's body. He was instantly covered layer by layer in golden armor plates. However, His surface bore multiple cracks that penetrated the gold and decayed flesh, with deep black flames still burning within.
The Monarch of Decay did not linger and entered the astral world, fleeing far away.
Even with the Mother Goddess of Depravity's healing, His wounds would take sixty years to recover. Without appropriate assistance, it would take hundreds or even thousands of years. He dared not remain in this star dominion any longer.
Eternal Darkness Amanises chose not to pursue Him. Instead, She continued monitoring the Circle of Inevitability while assisting the Celestial Master and Celestial Thearch's projection.
Having lost the symbolisms of the Monarch of Decay, the collapse of Lumian's body and the emergence of Termination symbolism slowed significantly but had not yet stopped.
…
The Mother Goddess of Depravity used Her power across space to "fix" the consciousness and spirit of the Goddess of Fate, preventing them from being stolen by the Lord of Mysteries. Klein, however, was pleased rather than angered.
High above in the boundless gray fog, a marionette that Klein had hidden in advance returned to this star dominion, appearing near the weakened Supernova Dominator, who had fate stripped.
From the start, Klein's true target had been the weakened Supernova Dominator, whose many symbolisms had been rendered unusable by the Final Judgment. His initial moves against the Goddess of Fate were meant to force the still-recovering Mother Goddess of Depravity to fully assist Her eldest daughter. This would make it difficult for the Mother Goddess of Depravity to intervene in Klein's subsequent actions against Supernova Dominator.
Unlike the Lord of Mysteries, every Great Old Dominator had Their own specialties.
Normally, a single marionette of Klein's would not stand a chance against a complete Great Old Dominator. However, Supernova Dominator had not yet recovered or fully returned after suffering Final Judgment.
Wearing his black coat and half top hat, Klein produced another Abomination Beyonder characteristic, covered in viscous black slime. Raising his star-encrusted cane, he transferred the massive star cluster-still unconnected to reality and unable to wield its symbolisms of weight and density-into the grotesque tree-like humanoid object.
The Abomination Beyonder characteristic began to bulge and crack as if it were about to explode. Klein's body then projected a bluish-black illusory door of light.
The door's projection landed on the Abomination Beyonder characteristic, stabilizing it. The object quickly transformed into a transparent, dreamlike crystal of constellations.
Klein then threw this astral crystal into the spirit world, continuing to seal it off.
This was to prevent the Mother Goddess of Depravity from aiding Supernova Dominator in escaping.
Of course, a Great Old Dominator like Supernova Dominator-whose consciousness, spirit, sefirah, Uniqueness, and Beyonder characteristics were all intact-could not be completely sealed. He was not in a state of post-revival dormancy but rather leaned heavily toward reality.
In two or three minutes, He would naturally break through the seal and emerge from the Abomination Beyonder characteristic. Even if Klein reinforced the seal, it would not delay Him much longer.
But a two- to three-minute delay was sufficient for the current battle.
If victory was achieved, Lord of Mysteries Klein would have ample time to retrieve the Abomination Beyonder characteristic.
While exerting his full symbolic power to seal Supernova Dominator, Klein abandoned his attempt to Steal the Goddess of Fate's consciousness and spirit, allowing Her to regain Her body.
This, too, was an opportunity.
Klein's coat billowed as he seized the moment to impose the Foolishness symbolism upon the Goddess of Fate.
Initially, he expected the Mother Goddess of Depravity to interfere, but both he and She became simultaneously aware of the developments in the other battlefield.
Klein wasted no time. Opening a Door, He traveled to the star dominion where Lumian and the others were, leaving behind a high-frequency flickering figure. He Deceived the Goddess of Fate, who was under the Foolishness symbolism, causing Her to foolishly enter the spirit world as it briefly opened. She intended to use it as a shortcut to the Key of Light.
Around the Goddess of Fate, a vast labyrinth rapidly formed as the spirit world's seal was restored.
For a Great Old Dominator in the domain of Fate, pure luck could enable Her to exit the space-time labyrinth and escape the spirit world through the River of Fate. However, this would take several dozen seconds.
-x-X-x-
Within the collapsing and burning space of consciousness centered on the deep black point, Lumian, who had reverted to his three-headed, three- torso, six-armed form, rested his two middle arms on the armrests of the bloodstained throne. Leaning back against the chair, he calmly observed as everything in this space headed toward destruction.
He was aware of the terrifying transformations resulting from the collision of various symbolisms, but at this moment, he could neither interrupt nor end what was happening.
Suddenly, he noticed that the Monarch of Decay, surrounded by the power of Termination, had been replaced by an avatar of the Circle of Inevitability, composed of redemptive light.
Lumian froze for a moment, then couldn't help but burst into laughter, leaning forward slightly.
So, this is what the hint about utilizing 'the universe's most powerful and genuine Angel of Redemption' truly meant.
Whenever a situation arose that could threaten the entire universe, the godhood instinct of the Circle of Inevitability would compel Him to perform redemption!
This was perhaps His most fundamental symbolism and the reason He had been born as the child of the Original Creator and the Mother Goddess of Depravity.
The Goddess of Fate symbolized the weaving of chaotic destiny into a semblance of order, forming the foundation of the current River of Fate. In contrast, the Circle of Inevitability symbolized the possibility of salvation in apocalyptic crises brought about by the inherent chaos of destiny, allowing the universe to continue in relative stability until its ultimate end.
As the Sequence 1 avatar of the Circle of Inevitability Substituted the Monarch of Decay within Lumian's collapsing body, the formation of the Termination symbolism noticeably slowed. However, it did not stop entirely and began accelerating once more.
Seeing this, the three bodies of the Circle of Inevitability simultaneously formed identical hand signs.
His true body began to fade and contract, leaving behind only the light of redemption. Meanwhile, the Angel of Redemption avatar within Lumian's body rapidly expanded, sprouting a pitch-black Past Sinner Body and a mercury-colored Present Sufferer Body.
The Circle of Inevitability used His true body to replace the avatar, personally entering Lumian's body to face the encroaching power of Termination!
The universe's most powerful and genuine Angel of Redemption!
The power of Termination continued to consume and collapse everything within the consciousness space, pulling it toward the deep black point. At this moment, the six arms of the Circle of Inevitability extended simultaneously, cupping the terrifying black point as though holding a lotus flower.
His three bodies simultaneously bore the ravages of the power of Termination.
Then, the three bodies unfolded in a strange manner that defied human anatomy, encircling the deep black point held in six palms, and began to spin.
The spinning grew faster and faster. The black turned into mercury, mercury became transparent redemptive light, and the light was dyed black again, repeating over and over.
Before long, the pitch-black Past Sinner Body morphed into the initial scene of the Termination power's formation. The mercury-colored Present Sufferer Body stabilized the current event of destruction. The holy light-formed Future Redemption Body froze the moment when the Termination symbolism was about to emerge but had not yet fully formed.
Next, the Future Redemption Body, spinning rapidly, became dyed black once more, transforming into the scene corresponding to the Past Sinner Body,
Lumian's collapsing body suddenly reverted to its original state-the state it was in when the Termination power had just begun to form but had not yet transformed into symbolism. His broken limbs, chest, abdomen, and other parts were all restored.
Eternal Aeon symbolism!
Using His Eternal Aeon symbolism, the Circle of Inevitability achieved Redemption.
He immediately allowed His external Sequence 1 avatar to replace His true body once again, sealing it within Lumian's body. The true body returned to reality, regrowing the Past Sinner Body and the Present Sufferer Body.
From now on, the Angel of Redemption avatar would slow the transformation of Termination power within Lumian into Termination symbolism. It would also assist in balancing the consciousness and spirit of the reviving malevolent dragon. When the delayed transformation once again reached a critical stage, the true body of the Circle of Inevitability would replace the avatar, enter Lumian's dreamscape, and use the Symbolism of Eternal Aeon to reset the crisis to its initial state.
In essence, every day, His true body would endure destruction alongside Lumian due to the Termination power. This cycle would repeat daily, eternally!
Seeing that the crisis had been redeemed, the Circle of Inevitability did not linger and departed for the astral world.
Neither the newly emerging Lord of Mysteries Klein, who had just stepped through a Door, nor the massive crimson moon in the sky attempted to stop Him.
After arriving at a distant region of the boundless universe through the astral world, the Circle of Inevitability manifested the River of Fate once more.
In the mercury-colored illusory river, His images, which originally belonged to the Monarch of Decay, had been replaced by His own through the influence of the Substitution symbolism.
This created a profound mystical link between Him and the Monarch of Decay.
He discovered a series of weathered, decaying planets and began pursuing the direction they pointed.
…
By the time the Circle of Inevitability had left, Lumian had regained his balance. Once again, he was the genuine Origins of Disaster and Calamity of Destruction, now carrying even more active and intense masculine and feminine aspects of the mirrored Original Creator. These aspects were nearing a convergence, poised to form a symbolism.
In an instant, Lumian understood his current situation.
For the next hour, he would remain in peak condition, able to wield the full power of a Great Old Dominator.
After that, his body would begin collapsing, and the Disaster symbolism would become uncontrollable, bringing calamities or disasters to the surrounding star dominion. Only by entering slumber could he minimize such occurrences and slow the completion of the Termination power's convergence.
This phase would last for 22 hours. The true body of the Circle of Inevitability would replace the failing Sequence 1 avatar within Lumian's dreamscape, endure destruction for an hour, achieve Eternal Aeon, and reset Lumian's physical state to the beginning,
Realizing this, Lumian paused, feeling both amused and reflective.
In simple terms, I have a Sequence 1 Angel of the Inevitability pathway sealed within me, resetting my physical state every 24 hours...
After all these twists and turns, it seems I'm back to the beginning…
However, the essence of fate was ultimately disordered, and the entire situation didn't completely align-during the final hour, what was sealed wasn't a Sequence 1 Angel of the Inevitability pathway but Inevitability Himself. Moreover, the state didn't reset at 6 am every day but at 12:30 pm.
After a moment of pause, Lumian raised his head.
The crimson moon high above descended once again.
The Mother Goddess of Depravity had once again returned!
Faced with this change, the figure of Lord of Mysteries Klein, clad in his coat and top hat, grew abnormally enormous and rose to confront Her.
Origins of Disaster Lumian dashed without hesitation toward Primordial Hunger, ready to replace Grisha Adam and confront this Great Old Dominator.
Eternal Darkness Amanises first enveloped the nearly out-of-control Grisha Adam in dense, silent darkness. With His cooperation, She helped Him fall into slumber to delay the revival of the Primordial God Almighty, then joined the Celestial Master and Celestial Thearch's projection in Their fight against the High-Dimensional Overseer.
In the next second, She sensed that the heavily injured Inextinguishable Ravings seemed to have returned!
Amanises instinctively analyzed the current situation to devise the most appropriate response.
At this point, the Mother Tree of Desire, Monarch of Decay, and Circle of Inevitability were no longer capable of returning to the fray and could be eliminated from consideration along with the Uncertain Mist. Among those remaining, the Supernova Dominator would remain sealed for another two or three minutes, likely unable to rejoin the battle in time, making Him a negligible factor. Meanwhile, the Goddess of Fate would need another ten to twenty seconds to escape the labyrinth and leave the spirit world.
In the immediate term, the only opponents to contend with were the Mother Goddess of Depravity, Primordial Hunger, the High-Dimensional Overseer, and the still- weakened Inextinguishable Ravings. However, if the situation wasn't resolved swiftly and dragged on until the Goddess of Fate returned, or until the Primordial God Almighty's revival progressed beyond suppression, then hope would be lost, and defeat would be certain.
With a precise understanding of the circumstances, Eternal Darkness Amanises made a decisive call.
The Lord of Mysteries would hold off the Mother Goddess of Depravity. Origins of Disaster Lumian would engage Primordial Hunger. The Knowledge Moor, Nation of Disorder, and the soon-to-awaken Key of Light would continue stalling the High-Dimensional Overseer. Amanises Herself would leverage mutual restraint among the symbolisms to ensure that the already gravely injured Inextinguishable Ravings would be forced out of the battle-or even eliminated- within a short timeframe!
This had to be accomplished before the Goddess of Fate returned. The Primordial God Almighty's revival should take slightly longer.
Amanises immediately caused the dense, silent darkness to spread outward, seeking the formless Great Old Dominator and preparing to manifest the name of Inextinguishable Ravings on the illusory book coiled by feathered serpents.
At the same time, Lumian descended above Primordial Hunger.
The central body of his body reconstituted the burning Sword of Destruction, and he projected a thought toward Ludwig at the edge of the universe. "Call me Father!"
Ludwig, who had already devoured the Chaos Gastric Juices and was playing a pivotal role within the Red Angel Legion, was momentarily stunned before instinctively shouting aloud, "Father!"
At that moment, Primordial Hunger, shaped like a dark vortex, seemed to hear another version of Himself calling the enemy above as "Father," utterly baffled.
But in the next instant, He sensed a familiar aura emanating from Lumian - the aura of the one who created this world and would ultimately end it. He saw the formation of all things and the freezing of the universe.
Wh-
In the instinct of Primordial Hunger, a term emerged: "Father!"
He seemed to have encountered his true father!
He immediately began trembling and froze in the void.
Seeing this, Lumian smiled again.
Extracting the power of Primordial Hunger from the Box of the Great Old Ones and helping Ludwig consume it wasn't just about creating a Sequence 1 Archangel to assist in defending the protected zones. Lumian had intended to establish a symbolic connection!
Now, Ludwig carried power directly derived from Primordial Hunger. He had long acknowledged Lumian as his godfather-his father.
This was a symbolism.
While projecting this symbolism onto Primordial Hunger wasn't easy, Lumian carried both the masculine and feminine aspects of the mirrored Original Creator, who was the genuine father of Primordial Hunger!
Of course, the symbolic connection between Ludwig and Primordial Hunger remained too weak to truly equate Lumian to Primordial Hunger's father. It could only create illusions and exert some influence. This would have little effect on other Great Old Dominators, but for Primordial Hunger-a being driven primarily by instinct-it might work well.
Coupled with Mr. Fool's Deceit, "perhaps" could become "certain." This was why Lumian had first targeted the Monarch of Decay - so Mr. Fool wouldn't be too occupied to help. Additionally, the contract seal could only be applied to one target at a time to borrow a power. With Foolishness, there could be no Deceit. Moreover, if Lumian had targeted Primordial Hunger from the start, the Circle of Inevitability might have intervened to save Him.
At this moment, Lumian did not seek Mr. Fool's assistance. After the recent events, the masculine and feminine aspects of the mirrored Original Creator within him had become far more active and substantial.
That was enough to deceive Primordial Hunger!
As Primordial Hunger stiffened briefly, Lumian ignited his entire body in crimson flames. Wielding the Sword of Destruction, he descended from the heavens and struck downward.
The blade hit the dark vortex of Primordial Hunger directly.
Primordial Hunger let out a headache-inducing howl of pain, and the dark vortex spat out what it had recently swallowed but hadn't yet digested.
Terrified, He fled into the astral world, carrying the burning flames of destruction and a body riddled with cracks. Panicked and disoriented, He fled far away from the battlefield.
In just two seconds, Lumian had grievously injured Primordial Hunger, driving Him away and completing his task.
In the name of the Father!
-x-X-x-
Lumian did not pursue Primordial Hunger, just as he had refrained earlier from borrowing the other three powers from Eternal Darkness Amanises to try to kill Primordial Hunger in one strike. Such an action would have triggered the opponent's survival instincts, helping Him overcome His fear of "Father" and mount a strong resistance, thus exposing the deception.
Reaching this point was sufficient. By the time Primordial Hunger, a Great Old Dominator that relied primarily on instincts, figured out what had just happened and realized the falsity of "Father," hours or even days would have passed before He returned-still bearing severe injuries.
Lumian's decision was to immediately rendezvous with Eternal Darkness Amanises. Together, they would confront the already gravely injured Inextinguishable Ravings, aiming to either eliminate Him within ten seconds or inflict wounds so severe that He would no longer dare to return.
At that moment, the Lord of Mysteries Klein imposed the symbolism of Foolishness on the newly materialized body of the Mother Goddess of Depravity.
However, every part of the Mother Goddess of Depravity was in a state of constant New Life, including Her soul, consciousness, spirit, and intellect.
This caused Her to recover Her intellect as soon as She became Foolish, rendering Her immune to the core symbolism of the Lord of Mysteries.
For now, Lumian had no intention of joining the battle between the Pillars. He quickly arrived at the battlefield where Eternal Darkness Amanises and Inextinguishable Ravings were engaged.
The formless Inextinguishable Ravings abruptly vanished, no longer resonating within their minds or affecting their consciousness and spirits.
He had fled the battle to observe from another star dominion, awaiting an opportunity to return. Gravely injured, He chose to follow His survival instincts, avoiding the battlefield where two Great Old Dominators capable of combining into the Fourth Pillar's power were present.
With the distraction of Inextinguishable Ravings gone, the High-Dimensional Overseer did not linger either.
He ascended to the highest dimension, taking advantage of the Celestial Master and Celestial Thearch's projection having a minimal influence on this domain, and quickly fled the battlefield to hide.
He covertly observed the area, waiting to see if another opportunity might arise.
At this point, Origins of Disaster Lumian and Eternal Darkness Amanises were without opponents.
Their gazes simultaneously turned toward the Mother Goddess of Depravity, whose form was adorned with clouds of swirling crimson moonlight and drifting ash, serving as Her celestial attire.
They prepared to join the battle between the Pillars.
However, they were acutely aware that if the two of them engaged in a fierce fight with the Mother Goddess of Depravity, Inextinguishable Ravings and the High-Dimensional Overseer would inevitably return to this star dominion. Moreover, the Mother Goddess of Depravity would swiftly heal Inextinguishable Ravings, allowing Him to fully unleash His symbolism, which countered collective consciousness and spirits. This could delay them until the Goddess of Fate emerged from the labyrinth, escaped the spirit world, and broke free of Foolishness.
Although the situation had improved compared to before, the crisis was far from over. Additionally, Lumian and Eternal Darkness Amanises needed to remain vigilant over the slumbering Grisha Adam. If anything went awry there, they would have to join forces immediately to kill the Primordial God Almighty before His revival could be completed.
At this moment, they saw Lord of Mysteries Klein take a deliberate step back. His thoughts reverberated through the spirit world, spreading across the star dominion. "Does your contract with the Primordial God Almighty have a deadline for fulfillment?"
Origins of Disaster Lumian and Eternal Darkness Amanises exchanged glances and chose to trust Mr. Fool's judgment. They did not return to that battlefield but maintained their vigilance.
Despite their precarious advantage, Mr. Fool's sudden decision to negotiate with the Mother Goddess of Depravity indicated that something problematic was happening in the background!
The Mother Goddess of Depravity stared at Klein for a second before manifesting the various concepts, authorities, and symbolisms comprising the contract in the astral world.
Lord of Mysteries Klein glanced at it, finding the contract drafted by the Primordial God Almighty to be exceptionally tight, leaving no exploitable loopholes.
Smiling, he raised his star-encrusted cane and Replicated the Distortion power originating from the Black Emperor pathway.
A clause in the contract immediately twisted, though it did not yet form a usable loophole.
Almost simultaneously, Klein extended his left hand, gloved in black.
Deceit symbolism!
Under the dual effects, the clause in the contract finally changed: "The time limit is until the conclusion of this event."
Klein immediately smiled and addressed the Mother Goddess of Depravity, "Why not wait until your period of weakness ends-until you can wield the unique symbolism of the Chaos Primogenitor-before fulfilling the agreement?
"After all, you haven't yet reclaimed the Uniqueness of the Mother and Moon pathways, nor achieved all your objectives. This means that the current event isn't over; it's merely reached halftime.
"There's no rule stating that a single event can't last two or three millennia."
These words, exchanged via telepathic communication, were delivered in an instant.
The Mother Goddess of Depravity's flawlessly beautiful head turned toward the High-Dimensional Overseer and the Goddess of Fate, who was still ten seconds away from leaving the spirit world. She casually healed Inextinguishable Ravings.
These were the Great Old Dominators who could rejoin the battle within two minutes.
Next, the Mother Goddess of Depravity shifted Her gaze to Origins of Disaster Lumian, Eternal Darkness Amanises, Celestial Master and Celestial Thearch's projection, and the newly awakened golden Buddha.
Finally, Her eyes landed on the face of Lord of Mysteries Klein, scrutinizing him for a moment.
"Three more seconds before we continue fighting." Klein's consciousness transmitted.
After assessing the situation and determining that the chances of victory were slim, the Mother Goddess of Depravity finally made Her decision. Nodding lightly to Lord of Mysteries Klein, She said, "Okay."
The weakened Pillar wasted no further time. She once again transformed into a crimson moon and vanished into the astral world.
Seeing their Mother leave, the High-Dimensional Overseer and Inextinguishable Ravings also abandoned the fight, retreating rapidly from the star dominion.
On the planet at the edge of the universe, Franca and the others were astonished to see the Outer Deities' followers retreat like a receding tide, hurriedly leaving behind numerous corpses.
"Is it over?" Unburdened by the sudden loss of pressure, They felt momentarily bewildered.
Red Angel Medici sensed the information filtering through the spirit world. Turning around, He smiled and confirmed, "It's over."
Hearing these words, The Star Leonard and the others visibly relaxed. It was as if the sun shone down on Them, and a breeze carrying the scent of grass gently caressed Their faces.
Within the battlefield of the Great Old Ones.
Seeing Lord of Mysteries Klein return, Eternal Darkness Amanises tacitly shrouded the star dominion in deeper darkness, concealing all information to prevent any leaks.
Klein gazed at the shrinking figure of the Celestial Master, the increasingly shadowy projections behind the Celestial Thearch, and the golden Buddha slowly reverting to the Buddhist Kingdom of Light, He sighed and said, "They could only temporarily exhibit power approaching that of the Great Old Ones. I tried to make 'temporary' last longer, but it's still close to ending.
"More importantly, once the fighting becomes intense, the Mother Goddess of Depravity will realize that I'm as weak as She is."
This was the cost of forcing both the Supernova Dominator and the Goddess of Fate out of the battle in the shortest time possible.
Lumian immediately understood why Mr. Fool had opted to negotiate with the Mother Goddess of Depravity despite having the upper hand. He had helped Her avoid the constraints of the contract.
Given the current situation, if the battle continued, Mr. Fool would be tied up holding off the Mother Goddess of Depravity and unable to intervene elsewhere. The Celestial Master, Celestial Thearch's projection, and the Key of Light would soon exit the battle. Lumian and Eternal Darkness Amanises would then have to face both the High-Dimensional Overseer and the healed Inextinguishable Ravings. Even as a team, they wouldn't be able to force either out of the fight within seconds. By then, the Goddess of Fate would return.
"So, you Deceived the Mother Goddess of Depravity to make Her overlook your and the Celestial Master and company's states?" Eternal Darkness Amanises understood Klein's choice but didn't grasp why the Mother Goddess of Depravity had agreed.
Lord of Mysteries Klein shook his head. "She only overlooked my state and was fully aware of the Celestial Master and company's condition.
"She agreed mainly because She's in a weakened state and fears suffering another loss against me.
Meanwhile, the Celestial Master and company's problems wouldn't directly translate into Her ultimate victory. From Her perspective, She knows we still have other measures."
Hearing this, Eternal Darkness Amanises and Origins of Disaster Lumian both turned to the increasingly unstable projection of the Celestial Thearch.
Indeed, there was still another way.
That was to abandon the Nation of Disorder, letting the High-Dimensional Overseer take and Raw accommodate it. Then, they would unseal Genie from the Magic Wishing Lamp, releasing Him to return to the Nation of Disorder and engage the High-Dimensional Overseer in a battle of consciousness.
In doing so, the High-Dimensional Overseer-no true ally of the other Great Old Ones-would certainly withdraw from the battle and hide in the most secretive location, quietly contending with Genie. Lumian and Amanises would only need to deal with the Goddess of Fate and Inextinguishable Ravings, with a good chance of forcing one of Them out within two minutes.
At that point, even if Supernova Dominator broke free from His seal, the situation would only return to a balanced state.
The problem with this approach was the loss of the Nation of Disorder. They would later have to find the victorious High-Dimensional Overseer or Genie to negotiate terms, ensuring They wouldn't hinder Roselle's resurrection.
For Klein, Lumian, and the others, this was a last- resort strategy, but the Mother Goddess of Depravity, a born Great Old Dominator, would see it as an inevitable move.
Given the lack of hope for victory and the chance to avoid the contract's constraints, the weakened Mother Goddess naturally agreed to a "temporary" truce.
Amanises cast Her gaze toward the still-slumbering Grisha Adam. "There's still one problem.
"Even in His slumber, it's no longer possible to stop the Primordial God Almighty's consciousness from gaining dominance."
Klein and Grisha Adam had tacitly agreed on how to handle such a situation. With a solemn expression, he signaled Eternal Darkness Amanises to lift the slumber imposed on Grisha Adam.
"I'll do it," Lumian volunteered.
Klein glanced at him, then nodded, saying, "Wait a moment."
He then teleported all the participants back to the original star dominion.
Standing amidst the vast emptiness of the infinite darkness, Klein's thoughts naturally drifted to the days he had wandered the continent as Merlin, restoring houses and cities one by one.
He removed his silk half top hat, placed it over his chest, and bowed slightly as he said,
"My wish is:
"For this star dominion to be restored to its state at the end of the previous epoch."
Accompanied by his words, the materials left behind by the Supernova Dominator converged rapidly with the scenes from the fog of history.
Boom!
Dense matter ignited, becoming a blazing star - becoming a sun.
Planets took shape one after another, and beneath Lumian and Amanises lay a green-and-blue orb of exceptional beauty.
Next, Klein made another wish, "My wish is:
"For Earth to be restored to its state before the descent of the Mother Goddess of Depravity."
One by one, buildings rose swiftly from the ground of the beautiful blue planet, Cities like Backlund, Trier, and Shanghai were rapidly rebuilt. Farmland was reclaimed, and the oceans brimmed with life once more.
Having completed this task, Lord of Mysteries Klein teleported the protection zones and Angels from the planet at the edge of the universe back to their original locations, lifting the barrier and restoring all beings to their rightful places.
Across the land, the sounds of human voices erupted in joyous celebration.
-x-X-x-
After gazing at the revitalized blue planet for two seconds, Klein turned slightly to Amanises and said, "I'm ready."
Eternal Darkness Amanises turned toward the slumbering Grisha Adam and lifted the influence of the Darkness symbolism.
A change occurred instantly. The naturally spreading Chaos Sea fully contracted, leaving only the massive cross and Grisha Adam nailed upon it.
Grisha Adam wore a simple white robe, with rusted nails protruding from His limbs, stained with darkened blood.
At this moment, the holy sun, the raging storm, the white tower of books, and the five-headed shadow had all vanished, as if withdrawn into Grisha Adam's body.
Grisha Adam's face, covered with a faint golden beard. slowly opened His golden, baby-clear eyes.
He saw Lumian with three heads, three torsos, and six arms and noticed the Sword of Destruction held by Lumian's central body.
Lumian stared at Grisha Adam and the cross for a few seconds, his expression indifferent and his voice low, "Go and fight for your next chance."
With that, he raised the massive black-flame greatsword that bound madness and chaos, Grisha Adam shifted His gaze downward.
He saw the green-blue planet below, the Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Continents, the five oceans, the bustling cities, the peaceful villages, and the people still laughing, crying, and busy.
Retracting His gaze, He looked back at Lumian with a warm smile on His face.
Lumian said nothing more and brought down the giant sword, burning with black flames and symbolizing destruction and chaos.
At that moment. Lord of Mysteries Klein and Eternal Darkness Amanises each bowed respectfully to Grisha Adam in their own ways.
Boom!
The massive cross shattered into pieces, and Grisha Adam's body instantly disintegrated and collapsed.
He made no defense or resistance, nor did He give the Primordial God Almighty any opportunity.
His crumbling body completely disintegrated, turning into beams of light that flew toward the blue planet.
This included the miniature sun, the storm wreathed in lightning, the dense shadow, the illusory white tower of books, and the grayish-white object resembling a fusion of brain and mind.
They created a dazzling and dreamlike meteor shower over the planet, displaying a myriad of colors.
This spectacle drew many humans to stop and admire it. Some were excited, some were awestruck by the beauty, and others hurriedly made wishes, praying for their realization.
God loves the world.
…
In the boundless cosmos, Klein, accompanied by Lumian and Amanises, entered the spirit world and found the astral crystal sealing the Supernova Dominator.
No spirit world creatures lingered nearby, instinctively avoiding the soon-to-explode object.
Amid the dense, layered colors, the three great existences simultaneously sensed that the Goddess of Fate had exited the spirit world and returned to Her divine kingdom.
Lumian glanced at the astral crystal and suggested, "Shall we unseal Him now? One of us controls Him, and the other attacks - let's try to finish Him off quickly?"
The confidence to kill a Great Old Dominator in a short time was unique to powerful existences of destruction like Origins of Disaster, Eternal Darkness, and the Monarch of Decay.
Lord of Mysteries Klein shook his head. "No. Supernova Dominator leans toward reality. Even you two can't kill Him in one strike if He resists. His counterattack would break the spirit world's seal from within, giving the Mother Goddess of Depravity a chance to interfere. She won't let us reduce our enemies now-that would hinder Her actions once She recovers from Her weakness."
Indeed, the sealed spirit world could block the Mother Goddess of Depravity from entering, but not if a Great Old Dominator inside cooperated to break the seal.
This was why the Goddess of Fate could leave the spirit world through the River of Fate but could not use it to enter.
If the Mother Goddess of Depravity descended again, the High-Dimensional Overseer, the Goddess of Fate, and the healed Inextinguishable Ravings would certainly follow. Alongside the still - unkilled Supernova Dominator, the situation would become dire.
Klein continued, "My ceasefire agreement with the Mother Goddess of Depravity holds no binding force. She's probably waiting for the Supernova Dominator to break the seal.
"But just because we can't fully seal Him or kill Him in time doesn't mean we can't do something else."
Upon hearing this, Eternal Darkness Amanises swiftly cloaked the area in concealment.
Lord of Mysteries Klein nodded to Her and smiled.
"Let's not let the Mother Goddess of Depravity know exactly what we did in those two seconds after the seal is lifted."
Then, he turned to Lumian. "As the seal breaks, I'll cast the Foolishness symbolism on Supernova Dominator and maintain it with full force. While He's Foolish, you will Hypnotize Him and implant a Virtual Persona to make Him our friend-a friend who will help us when it matters most.
"This Virtual Persona should seem normal but must follow the logic that the Mother Goddess of Depravity and other Great Old Dominators intend to harm Him. He must avoid and have no contact with Them. This way, the Mother Goddess will only know I meddled with Him but won't figure out how.
"This won't threaten His life or cause His fall, so He won't instinctively resist under deep Foolishness. Later, we'll discreetly visit Him from time to time to maintain His Foolish state and keep the Virtual Persona effective."
Lumian thought it over and found this plan feasible, especially to counter the Mother Goddess of Depravity's possibility of turning hostile soon.
The Monarch of Decay and the Circle of Inevitability wouldn't return to this unfinished matter, ruling Them out.
The Mother Tree of Desire would need a long time to fully re-accommodate the Tenebrous World. Due to the fusion and influence of various Dao integrators, the Tenebrous World had developed a new consciousness and spirit. Although both it and the integrators fused within it had been destroyed by their self-curses, Its spirit remained indestructible, chaotic, and extreme. Moreover, the Mother Tree of Desire was still in a severely wounded state, requiring at least decades, if not longer, to fully accommodate the Tenebrous World and completely recover. Thus, She was unlikely to be a factor in the near term.
Similarly, the severely injured Uncertain Mist would also need decades to recover. More importantly, to avoid detection and becoming prey to other Great Old Dominators, He had completely hidden Himself-even the Mother Goddess of Depravity couldn't locate Him to offer healing. This made it impossible for Him to recover and participate in any battles soon. The Mother Tree of Desire had also gone into hiding to recover and accommodate in secrecy, preventing interference or being hunted, further ruling out any possibility of healing.
Primordial Hunger was in a similar state, but driven by instinct, He might still attempt to participate in battle despite His severe injuries, seeking healing afterward.
In other words, if the Mother Goddess of Depravity turned hostile again and descended soon, the only Great Old Dominators capable of fighting would be the High-Dimensional Overseer, the Goddess of Fate, and Inextinguishable Ravings. The participation of Primordial Hunger remained uncertain.
If Supernova Dominator stood with the Lord of Mysteries, the Origins of Disaster, and Eternal Darkness, even if Earth's side couldn't win outright, it wouldn't lose either. If Primordial Hunger joined as well, the Nation of Disorder, Knowledge Moor, and the Key of Light, having had time to recover, could once again display power close to that of the Great Old Ones.
Lumian glanced again at the astral crystal and found it somewhat amusing, as if seeing another Genie-one who wasn't sealed but was still equally powerless to act freely.
"Alright," he replied to Lord of Mysteries Klein.
After confirming that Eternal Darkness Amanises was ready, Klein conjured a door glowing with a bluish-black hue on himself.
Then, he withdrew the door's projection from the astral crystal.
The Abomination Beyonder characteristic had just been pushed to its limit when Klein's coat flared, and the bluish-black door radiated brilliantly.
Foolishness symbolism!
Supernova Dominator, poised to make the surrounding stars explode and destroy everything nearby, suddenly halted, blankly and dazedly surveying the surroundings.
This time, Klein didn't stop after casting the Foolishness symbolism but maintained and deepened it.
Outside the spirit world, crimson moonlight flared again, but without internal cooperation, it couldn't break through the seal immediately.
Seizing the opportunity, Lumian turned the face of the chaotic vortex toward Supernova Dominator.
On the surface of this face, an eye-like hole appeared first, borrowing the Omniscient Eye ability to quickly analyze Supernova Dominator's daily behavior. Based on this, Lumian wove an appropriate Virtual Persona.
After the Primordial God Almighty was killed, He hadn't tried to resurrect within Lumian, as adding anything else to Lumian's body would render even the most powerful and genuine Angel of Redemption unable to redeem the situation.
Within just two or three seconds, a hazy, illusory glow flickered simultaneously across Supernova Dominator's stars and then swiftly receded.
Seeing this, Klein withdrew Sefirah Castle back into his body and stored away the newly reformed Abomination Beyonder characteristic.
Supernova Dominator looked at them and let out a low hum. "Well done."
Lumian chuckled and spread his six arms. "Praise be to you, Ruler of Stars!"
Supernova Dominator exuded satisfaction and joy, avoided the Mother Goddess of Depravity's gaze, and left the spirit world.
Watching His starry figure depart, Eternal Darkness Amanises suddenly asked, "There won't be a crisis for decades, but what about after that?"
By then, the Mother Tree of Desire, Uncertain Mist, and Primordial Hunger would have fully recovered.
Lord of Mysteries Klein pondered and replied, "Decades later, the consciousnesses within the Nation of Disorder should have fully merged and unified, possibly birthing a new Great Old Dominator. If not, we must find a way to resurrect Roselle ahead of time, though that's difficult and would only give us limited extra time.
"In the Knowledge Moor, Stiano's attempt to obtain the Celestial Master's bloodline isn't easy. If he only integrates a small portion, like Lumian's Omebella bloodline, it's simple but only effective against unintelligent, instinct-driven beings or when reinforcing symbolism. Past Celestial Masters within the Knowledge Moor still retain fragments of consciousness and spirit. The best strategy now is to have the current Celestial Master consume potions, advancing from Mystery Pryer to Hermit as quickly as possible.
"We should pursue both paths. Whichever progresses faster, the other should step aside. We must ensure Their survival, even if They themselves may wish to defer to the other,
"The Key of Light remains unpredictable. When and who among Them will ascend to a Great Old Dominator depends on luck and opportunity.
"Regarding the Chaos Sea, after this near- resurrection, the Primordial God Almighty's consciousness has significantly strengthened. Without hundreds or thousands of years to wear it down, none of those five paths are suitable for birthing a corresponding Sequence 0, much like how in the Fourth Epoch, the Kings of Angels of the Fool, Door, and Error pathways couldn't ascend."
At this point, Klein glanced at Lumian. "In your dreams, you, Aurore, and Jenna have the time and opportunity to strengthen yourselves. I hope you find ways to achieve a better and more stable balance, aiming to significantly increase your daily active hours. I will also fulfill my promise to give you a second form you can switch to.
"If necessary, I can even trigger your body's reset earlier."
Lumian, Aurore, and Jenna exchanged slightly complex smiles and nodded.
Klein turned to Eternal Darkness Amanises. "Barring any surprises, in a few decades, we will have five Great Old Dominators, plus Supernova Dominator, totaling six. Meanwhile, the Mother Goddess of Depravity's side will have at most seven."
This referred to the Mother Goddess of Depravity.
Mother Tree of Desire, High-Dimensional Overseer, Inextinguishable Ravings, Primordial Hunger, the Goddess of Fate, and the Uncertain Mist.
Klein then smiled. "Without the Uncertain Mist, They would be disunited, each fighting for Themselves. We could easily drive Them back or even severely teach Them a lesson.
"Right, I will fulfill my promise to return the Magic Wishing Lamp to the universe, using it to lure out the hiding Uncertain Mist and secretly influence Him."
Eternal Darkness Amanises nodded slightly. "It seems the apocalypse has passed, and the past despairing situation won't return."
Lord of Mysteries Klein gazed at the dense, layered colors and the boundless cosmos beyond the spirit world, adding calmly and warmly, "But that's only if we all remain in good condition."
Lumian followed his gaze beyond the spirit world. Klein's words echoing in his mind.
Only if we all remain in good condition…
This phrase reverberated through the deep, boundless spirit world, where direction held no meaning.
-x-X-x-
Loen Kingdom, Backlund, Saint Leonard's Cathedral.
The Star Leonard glanced at Antigonus beside him and cautiously asked, "Are you sure we don't need to weave and implant Her original memories back into Her?"
Antigonus, with half-gray hair but a youthful face, shook His head without saying a word.
A few seconds later, a figure appeared at the cathedral entrance. It was a woman, wearing a hooded classical robe, with long black hair draped over her shoulders.
She had a delicate face but a dazed expression, like a lost child.
Antigonus quickly approached her.
The woman still looked confused upon seeing Him, unsure of who He was. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, she suddenly felt at ease, no longer afraid, and instinctively felt this person was trustworthy.
Standing before her, Antigonus spoke with both joy and concern, "Let's go."
The beautiful woman did not hesitate and softly nodded, "Okay."
Antigonus immediately relaxed and turned around with a smile, guiding her forward.
They walked side by side across the square, sending flocks of white doves flying into the sky.
Leonard watched them disappear before turning back toward the cathedral.
As he approached the entrance, he saw several Nighthawks wearing red gloves hurrying out.
"What happened?" Leonard asked habitually.
The Red Gloves glanced at him, respectfully tapped the star symbol on their chests, and the leader quickly replied, "A Beyonder seems to be losing control. We need to handle it."
Leonard gave a slight nod, not delaying them, and proceeded down the stairs into the underground area.
He entered his room, sat on the armchair, casually picked up a newspaper, and began reading.
…
Angel of Time Pallez Zoroast followed behind The Magician Fors, passing through a grand door forged by brilliant starlight, Above, two suns seemed to hang in the sky, and silver-black spaceships either landed back at the spaceport or soared into the vast cosmos on missions.
"This is Planet Lorbath, home to an advanced civilization that worships the Stars. Don't be surprised when you see them-they may look like lizards, but they're friendly. They won't find our presence odd either; this is a hub for several nearby star dominions," Fors explained to the "tour group."
Judgment Xio, The Hermit Cattleya, Temperance Sharron, and Hela from the Church of Evernight all listened attentively.
Angel of the Holy Spirit Reinette asked earnestly, "Can we just call them lizards?"
"No," The Magician Fors immediately shook her head.
"Best not to even think it. They communicate telepathically. Of course, at your level, you don't have to worry about them hearing anything they shouldn't. They won't recklessly probe your thoughts-they've suffered for that before, nearly leading to their civilization's destruction."
Hearing "telepathic communication," Franca glanced around and asked, "Madam Justice didn't come this time?"
Judgment Xio answered for The Magician Fors, "Madam Justice has been busy guiding the parliament to pass bills limiting royal power, protecting workers' rights, and expanding suffrage. She said radical change leads to problems, so it must be done step by step."
I see... Franca relaxed, but The Magician Fors then specifically reminded The Sun Derrick, "Don't spread Mr. Fool's faith on this planet. Control yourself."
"Okay." The Sun Derrick nodded sincerely.
Beside him, The Hanged Man Alger pulled a mirror from his Traveler's Bag. In it, flickering prayer lights of the Sea God Church clergy, key followers, and ship Beyonders appeared.
"This really works," Alger thanked The Empress Franca.
This way, he wouldn't have to worry about his trip delaying crucial matters for the Sea God Church and the Blue Avenger.
"Of course it does," Franca smiled, pointing at Aurore.
"That mirror was provided by the Ruler of the Mirror World."
Such mirrors always came in pairs-one remained on Earth, infused with the user's aura for a quick response, while the other relayed prayers via the mirror world. All of this lay within the Ruler of the Mirror World's domain.
This solved the problem of Angels responding to prayers across star dominions without troubling Mr. Fool into being part of the relay.
Aurore, with thick black hair and stunning beauty, curiously observed the massive steel fortress floating above-a structure nearly the size of a city.
Suddenly, Franca chuckled softly. "I just thought of a classic joke."
"What is it?" Aurore asked casually.
Franca replied seriously, "If our 'tour group' were painted, the artwork could have a name."
While others looked puzzled, Aurore faintly guessed the punchline and smiled ahead of time.
Franca cleared her throat and said, "The painting would be called... 'Mr. Moon Being a Homebody.' "
…
Intis Republic, Trier.
Returning from her travels, Franca put on a cap and stepped outside.
Passing a nearby school, she saw Anthony waiting for Ludwig to finish class while he remained vigilant. She didn't disturb him.
Soon, she arrived at a cathedral that was established in the past few weeks.
Saint Audrey Cathedral, under the Church of The Fool.
Upon entering, Franca saw a large golden retriever in spotless white robes weaving among the believers - chatting, praying, and exchanging greetings harmoniously.
The believers found nothing strange about the dog speaking human language and respectfully addressed it as "Your Grace."
Franca didn't correct them and casually sat down, smiling at the scene.
She had avoided visiting the Saint Franca Cathedral under the Ruler of Calamity Church and came here just to enjoy this heartwarming sight.
After watching for a while, Franca was about to leave when she noticed someone she knew, though that person didn't know her.
It was a woman with black hair and brown eyes, delicate features, and wearing dark pants and a skirt - Melissa Moretti.
"Why are you in Trier?" Franca casually sat beside Melissa.
Melissa turned to look at her, momentarily stunned by her beauty. She quickly composed herself and asked, "Who might you be?"
"I'm Franca Roland. Not sure if you've heard of me?" Franca tried to make her smile friendlier.
Though in her heart, she added: But I know your brother, Klein Moretti.
Fellow countryman!
Roommate!
Melissa paused. "I've heard of you..."
"Drop the formalities." Franca waved it off. "So, why are you here in Trier?"
Melissa considered her words. "I was sent to study at a research institute under the God of Steam and Machinery Church."
"Oh, I see." Franca chuckled, "If you've heard of me, that means you're a Beyonder now, right?"
She had long been aware of this matter. She was raising the question mainly to find a topic to talk about.
Melissa nodded slightly. "Yes, I'm a Sequence 5 Astronomer of the Savant pathway."
"Finished digesting the potion? Got the ingredients for advancing to a demigod?" Franca asked, just as she once cared for Lumian, the brother of a fellow countryman.
"I've finished digesting, I should get the ingredients after this study ends, but... I'm hesitant about the ritual..." Melissa had been troubled by this matter for some time. She couldn't hide her thoughts in front of Franca, who was so beautiful that she couldn't help but let her guard down.
The advancement ritual to Alchemist required drawing all life force from an area, turning soil barren and lakes dry.
Franca smiled brightly. "That's no big deal. Rituals always have alternatives - like choosing an uninhabited planet. Or, you could cultivate the Dao first. Once you succeed, the Celestial Master could grant you a corresponding talisman, allowing you to adapt to the corresponding power ahead of time. When you later consume the potion, the ritual's requirements would drastically reduce..."
Melissa listened carefully at first but grew confused.
Talisman?
Celestial Master? Who's that?
Seeing her confusion, Franca smiled. "Let's find a café for a chit chat. I'll explain everything in detail."
"Okay." Driven by curiosity for knowledge, Melissa stood up.
As they walked out of Saint Audrey's cathedral, Franca casually asked, "Have Benson and the others come into contact with mysticism and also become Beyonders?"
"Yeah." Melissa nodded slightly.
"Good for them." Franca sighed, "Though the mysticism world is dangerous, as long as you don't advance too high, it's fine. Plus, higher Sequences mean longer life and ways to extend it. Definitely a good thing..."
Hearing Franca, Melissa reflected on her journey-her love for machinery leading her to believing in the God of Steam and Machinery and making contact with Beyonder powers.
After becoming a Beyonder, then interacting with the Church of the Evernight Goddess's Nighthawks and her brother Klein's colleagues like Leonard Mitchell, she slowly uncovered the truth of that particular event.
Later on, she learned more and more…
As her thoughts raced, Melissa recalled Mr. Leonard's words to her a few days ago.
"He's not in good shape lately. You can only reach him through rituals. In a few years, he should walk the earth again..."
A few years... Melissa gazed at the golden sunlit streets ahead, a faint smile appearing on her face.
***
-x-X-x-
"When you need to advance to Sequence 3, you can come to me." Franca stood at the street corner, took out the Face of the Arcane from her Traveler's Bag, and showed it briefly.
Melissa smiled and nodded, waving goodbye to this enthusiastic older sister before heading towards the research institute under the God of Steam and Machinery Church.
After chatting leisurely for over an hour at the café, Franca had accompanied her all the way here.
Only when Melissa's figure disappeared at the building's entrance did Franca turn around, strolling leisurely under the shadows of Intis parasol trees, blending into the lively streets.
Along the way. she saw the Trier citizens who, as always, loved to stand out. She also spotted Daoists and monks traveling from the Northern Continent, and many young people from the Western Continent here on studying abroad exchanges. Some maintained their original clothing styles, while others adapted to local customs.
Franca also noticed many newly built cathedrals, belonging respectively to the Church of The Fool, Eternal Darkness Church, and the Ruler of Calamity Church-the three mainstream faiths in the world today.
The Eternal Darkness Church had evolved from the merger of the Evernight Goddess Church with the Churches of the God of Combat and the Death. The Ruler of Calamity Church originated from the Sick Church and the Demoness Sect.
Among the remaining orthodox churches, only the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery maintained its former influence. The Churches of the Eternal Blazing Sun, Lord of Storms, Earth Mother, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom still existed but had become secondary choices with limited influence.
Many Trier citizens even followed trends, engaging in Daoist practices or Zen meditation.
As her thoughts drifted, Franca cast her gaze towards the distant Eternal Blazing Sun cathedral.
Even across a sizable square, the stained glass windows of the cathedral vividly projected the interior scene into Franca's eyes.
At the altar stood a golden-embedded cross, and before it, a figure knelt quietly in prayer.
The figure had long silver hair and wore a simple linen robe. It was none other than Angel of Fate Ouroboros.
He had returned from the Western Continent, merging the Aurora Order with the Eternal Blazing Sun Church, turning the Aurora Order into the shadow under the sun's rays, handling tasks inconvenient for clergy, and executing acts of punishment.
Franca sighed with mixed feelings and withdrew her gaze.
Naturally, she thought of another King of Angels in the domain of fate - Will Auceptin, who had also returned to Backlund.
"Even if He might attain greatness in the future, He still has to listen to mom now, studying hard, and improving every day..." Franca muttered, purposely making a detour to Quartier de l'Observatoire. At the entrance of an apartment, she saw Jenna's brother, Julien, and Ms. Bella, formerly of the Moses Ascetic Order. Julien appeared confident and ambitious, while Bella looked calm, free of past worries.
They had married and chosen to settle in Suhit. This time, they returned to Trier specifically for the wedding, with Jenna attending in person to offer her congratulations.
After ensuring Julien and Bella boarded a carriage to the steam locomotive station, Franca breathed a sigh of relief and continued her aimless wandering, sometimes in the streets and sometimes within the mirrors.
After some time, she returned to the market district, where she saw Rue Anarchie and Auberge du Coq Doré.
Smiling, Franca entered and skillfully made her way to the basement bar, ordering a glass of absinthe with a dreamy green hue.
Wearing her cap, she took a sip and shook her head in distaste.
This drink never tasted good!
"The landlord of Auberge du Coq Doré changed again?" she casually asked the bar owner, Pavard Neeson.
Without looking up, the ponytailed Pavard Neil replied, "Yeah, I heard some tycoon bought up the entire street's properties. But he promised not to change Auberge du Coq Doré, just maybe renovate it."
"What's his name?" Franca curiously asked without performing any divination.
Pavard Neeson thought for a moment. "His name is... Danitz, I think."
Danitz? Mr. Fool's oracle? Already a Sequence 4 Iron-Blooded Knight, and he's still interested in buying property? And he happened to purchase a building once occupied by the highest existence of the Red Priest pathway... Isn't this another example of the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence? Franca's spiritual intuition quickly confirmed it, and she found it somewhat amusing.
Suddenly, a commotion sounded behind her.
Turning slightly, she saw a young man in a white shirt and open black vest, holding a beer and leaping onto a small round table, cheerfully addressing the crowd, "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm back!
"Though I stayed in Suhit, got another promotion and raise, and became a true middle-class, civilized man, my return to Trier only raised my rank by one, but still - I'm back!
"Don't you want to know why?
"Because this is the Trier that we both hate and love!
"Cheers!"
…
By the afternoon, Franca returned to the villa where she lived.
It was time for the monthly Tarot Club's Divine Council.
Soon, her figure appeared above the gray fog, seated beside Madam Temperance, Sharron.
She held The Empress card.
Madam Justice, Mr. Hanged Man, Madam Magician, Mr. Sun, Madam Judgment, Mr. Star, Ma'am Hermit, and Mr. Moon were all present.
Lord of Mysteries Klein, sat at the head shrouded in gray fog, with slimy tentacles briefly flickering in the fog behind him.
Madam Justice stood first, curtsying politely.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool-"
The formal members of the Tarot Club were still most comfortable addressing him this way.
After the greetings, The Magician Fors sat down and awkwardly glanced at the end of the long bronze table.
"Mr. Fool, there isn't much to report this month: we've mainly been on interstellar travels."
Lord of Mysteries Klein leaned back in his chair, chuckled softly, and said calmly, "Then tell me about your travels."
He added, "In detail."
Madam Magician Fors carefully said, "This time, we went to Planet Lorbath, where we even encountered the God of Steam and Machinery. He was quite interested in the local knowledge and technology…"
Seeing Mr. Fool listening intently, The Magician Fors relaxed and spoke more thoroughly.
With additional details from Mr. Hanged Man Alger, The Empress Franca, and others, the vivid retelling of the trip made Justice Audrey and The Star Leonard, who missed it, feel as though they had been there-and regret it even more.
Klein quietly listened with a faint smile, never interrupting.
…
After the Tarot Gathering ended and she returned to reality, Franca walked towards the full-length mirror in the master bedroom.
Relaxed, she stepped through the mirror, plunging into a strange sensation of rapid descent, arriving on a desolate, lifeless planet.
A thin fog emerged before her.
She walked into it.
What met her eyes was an ancient city.
There were skyscrapers, speeding cars, airplanes piercing through clouds, and pedestrians holding cell phones.
Suddenly, two blinding headlights flashed towards her. nearly blinding her.
A rideshare car stopped in front of her.
Franca opened the door and sat in the back seat, complaining to the driver with a monocle on his right eye, "Can't you turn off the high beams?"
The driver pointed to the golden sun ornament on the dashboard and smiled. "Ever since I stole it, I can't turn them off."
Franca said nothing more, admiring the city streets of the past pass by while in the car. There were many buildings from Trier.
Eventually, her spiritual intuition drew her gaze to the screen inside the car.
A beautiful yet pure-looking woman on the screen excitedly announced, "Citizens, I am your Mayor Cheek. My next plan is to eliminate traffic lights and crosswalks..."
Before She finished, the screen distorted with harsh static.
When the picture returned, Mayor Cheek solemnly said, "Ha, that was a joke. Now, onto the main topic."
Franca clicked her tongue, turning back to the window.
Outside stood a Trier-style cathedral, bustling with people.
Through the window and mirror, Franca saw a man at the altar-blood-red hair, blood-stained black robe, handsome and masculine but not sharp - it was Alista Tudor.
He was the priest of this cathedral.
The vehicle continued forward and soon arrived at a vast square.
In the middle of the square stood a peculiar statue. It resembled a vortex, yet its color was indescribable, as if it encompassed all possibilities.
The vehicle kept driving until it reached the edge of the city.
There, a village appeared with lush green pastures and a gently flowing stream.
Franca got out of the car and casually waved at a girl herding geese by the river and the young man beside her, serving as a greeting.
Like returning home, she naturally followed the country road into the village. In the distance, she saw a towering earthen pillar several dozen meters high. At its peak sat a figure with three heads and six arms, quietly enduring the wind and rain, basking in the sun and storms.
Franca headed straight to Ol' Tavern and, unsurprisingly, found Lumian sitting at the bar in his white shirt and black vest. A glass of La Fée Verte sat by his hand, while Jenna, dressed in a light, flowing dress, passionately sang lively songs for the farmers and their wives in the middle of the tavern.
A smile spread across Franca's face as she watched Jenna perform. She strolled to the bar and sat beside Lumian.
"One glass of Kirsch." She snapped her fingers at the bartender, then turned to Lumian and asked, "Where's Aurore?"
Lumian, with his blood-red hair, chuckled and said, "At home, writing travel notes."
Franca let out an "oh" and happily said to Lumian, "I'm planning to stay in the Western Continent for a while soon. Aurore already agreed to come along. Want to join us?"
"Sure," Lumian turned slightly, smiling as he gestured toward the center of the tavern. "You can ask Jenna yourself if she wants to go."
Franca followed his gaze just in time to see Jenna finishing the last few lines of her song. With a bright smile, Jenna extended an inviting hand toward both Franca and Lumian.
Her cheerful singing echoed throughout the entire tavern.
"As long as Trier endures, mirth and glee will never falter!"
(The End)