Chapter 154
Ru the Luminescent was wounded, but he could still continue fighting. However, now that Lailnetia the Devouring had presented such an overwhelming stratagem, he would not be able to hold out any longer. It must have been because she was not fully confident in victory that she had kept such a trump card in reserve.
"To think you would harness the power of the Abyss... That is not something you should be able to wield..."
"Hehehe... It was never easy to wield. That's why I've awaited this moment for so long."
"The Abyss was never truly reflected, though..."
"I took it from Hazlodein. I had quite the struggle hiding it all this time."
Lailnetia the Devouring looked down at Ru the Luminescent and replied leisurely. Ru the Luminescent was slowly sinking, buried in the darkness of the Abyss. Of course, by using mana, he was able to slow that descent, but the outcome of being sealed within the Abyss would not change.
"So, you had been plotting this since before you were exiled?"
"And what of it? Were you able to anticipate what is happening now? If you had read the Book of All Things, you should have."
"The Book of All Things is a concept that governs law and fate. Compared to that, my own life is empty, ending in nothingness."
"You can't even laugh anymore, can you? The Book of All Things has abandoned you. Had it trusted you, it would have warned you of the danger to come."
"... The Book of All Things foresees infinite endings. You and I are but one amongst them. I'm sure it foresaw even this moment."
"And even knowing this, it allowed your sealing? You, who put your blind faith in the Book of All Things?"
"For me, erasing you completely is no easy task. However... the possibility does exist."
Ru the Luminescent instinctively recalled Tiksa the Frostbane and Radiance. Tiksa the Frostbane was already creating sweeping change through her descendant. If Radiance were to join as well, it might be enough to suppress Lailnetia the Devouring.
"Hahaha! Are you hoping to depend on Radiance? As it happens, Tiksa's descendant is still alive. But... what a fool you are."
"Radiance will split your darkness. Now, Tiksa's descendant can be called a dragon. You know this, and that's why you've stayed your hand, isn't it?"
"You will never find my darkness. Not even Tiksa could stand against me, so what could her descendant possibly hope to achieve?"
Lailnetia the Devouring was already aware of their existence. Surely, they might pose a threat, but she was in no hurry to confront them. First, she had to eliminate Ru the Luminescent, and unnecessary variables could not be allowed to multiply.
"You even go so far as to deny Radiance now? Had you stayed in Hazlodein's world, you surely would have witnessed its true might."
"Radiance only reveals its true worth once it touches my darkness. Chasing after mere illusions will only lead to death; there's no reason to fear."
"Rejecting the Book of All Things will only hasten your mortality. You are already approaching your ending..."
Thus, Ru the Luminescent was completely engulfed and sealed within the Abyss. Unless the master of the Abyss released the seal, or died, there would be no escape. Only after erasing all traces of the Abyss did Lailnetia the Devouring allow herself to be intoxicated by belated ecstasy.
"Ru the Luminescent, this is your defeat. The Book of All Things should have saved you. Were that the case, you may have stood a chance..."
"If I kill you, do I also obtain Ru the Luminescent?"
Lailnetia the Devouring sensed a familiar mana and gazed into its form. A human was walking atop the clouds, bearing two kinds of mana. One was Benelrode the Incandescent, and the other was Mwin the Thunderstorm. How could a human body have absorbed dragon mana not once, but twice?
"You are an unforeseen variable... but you rampaged quite entertainingly. I wanted to meet you at least once."
"I shall bring your demise, and yet you wish to meet me. Why?"
"Arrogant brat. But now that it's come to this, I can't deny your existence."
Lailnetia the Devouring gazed at the other, caught up in subtle contemplation. To confirm her victory outright, her opponent's momentum was too upright and powerful. Even if she used Devouring, that mana alone seemed overwhelmingly difficult.
"You act as though you know all about me. Do you truly believe you can defeat me?"
"Isn't this enough? What do you hope to do, even after absorbing my mana?"
"I will do nothing. I will merely... take that power."
"Keh... Obsessed with overwhelming strength? Dissatisfied with yourself, are you? If you joined my side, I could grant you even greater power."
"I'm not so foolish as to be drawn in by such words. Do you expect me to trust a dragon?"
The Knight of True Flame had always upheld a steadfast resolve. Though he could never rid himself of that emptiness, in the end, he had achieved a part of his purpose. With just one more step, even the remaining power of the dragons would be his to seize.
"I'll offer you some advice. You will never be able to kill me. If you don't want to end up like Ru the Luminescent, you should choose wisely."
"Your words aren't even worth listening to."
With a single motion, the Knight of True Flame drew his sword and imbued it with mana. Crimson fire and bright yellow current surged together, violently rising. With this much power, he might be able to slay a dragon without resorting to underhanded means.
"Do you need time to think? Perhaps experiencing my power might change your mind."
Leisurely muttering this, Lailnetia the Devouring spread a corrosive aura. The Knight of True Flame fixated on ultimate power, but was not entangled by complex relationships. If he could obtain what he wanted, he would act without hesitation. In that respect, perhaps their natures were not so different.
"It's most intriguing that you drive yourself toward ruin. You're already no longer human..."
"......"
The Knight of True Flame, swept up in fierce desire and murderous intent, directed his blade forward. Having come this far, there was no looking back at reasons or process. All that remained was to advance—the only path to a resolution.
'At the summit, only solitude lurks. What else could I possibly think about?'
* * *
Even as he practiced advanced magic, Alter was becoming aware of his own limits. For him, grasping even the principles of spatial magic was a struggle. Under such circumstances, trying to master space severance meant he couldn't even find its outline.
'They said only the first great mage ever accomplished it.'
Alter was once again struck by a sense of alienation from space severance magic. No matter how much humans might have created magic, the difference in talent was hard to overcome. Could someone like himself really accomplish a feat that even previous great mages had failed to achieve?
'If things stay like this, I won't be able to destroy Lailnetia the Devouring.'
From the beginning, Lailnetia the Devouring had twisted the law of nature through a unique ability. Therefore, simply replicating a dragon's breath would not guarantee victory. Of course, he could use Brillie's Radiance, but that was only one possible method.
'Spatial distortion is mostly for evading attacks...'
Spatial magic consumed a great deal of mana, so it had to be used as efficiently as possible. If it revealed itself mainly in a defensive form, he ought not to use it at all. After all, surviving didn't mean he could defeat his foe.
'Maybe I need to learn time magic?'
But he couldn't imagine a concrete form for it. Time magic existed only in theory; no one had ever actually wielded it. If he insisted on referencing time magic, his examples would have to be his mother and the fortune-teller.
'If I could foresee the future, I could prepare for danger, sure. But that doesn't mean I'd find a way to solve it.'
Even if he predicted the enemy's moves, he couldn't erase the corrosive abilities. In fact, such traits made it even harder to respond. If so, maybe he needed to go back to the basics.
'Let's keep it simple. Radiance should be enough to destroy Lailnetia the Devouring. Then, what is my role?'
Alter slowly reconsidered the role assigned to him. Upon careful thought, it was possible for Brillie to defeat Lailnetia the Devouring alone. But to reach that outcome, a proper process had to be followed. In other words, it was his role, as that process itself, to lead Brillie to her goal.
'Tiksa the Frostbane showed something other than her breath.'
Alter distinctly remembered that moment. The breath attack had only been used to neutralize enemy attacks. Surely, to help him, Tiksa had displayed magic besides the breath.
'Nothing moved at all. Should I view that as time having stopped?'
He belatedly realized that he had witnessed time magic. He alone had perceived that time wasn't flowing. Of course, he couldn't move at all in that state, but perhaps now things would be different.
'Does the answer lie in this magic?'
After a brief moment of contemplation, Alter shut the book. By following the abilities given to him, he might finally be able to master advanced magic. Especially given his current role, it was time to accept things as they were.
'If that's my fate... then so be it.'
* * *
Brillie, having visited the Lebhardin Society, faced Alraune directly. Alraune mentioned Radiance for the first time, and even uncovered its connections to the Lihines Knight Order. If anyone could reveal the secrets of Radiance and maximize its potential, it would be a great mage.
"... If so, allow me to ask: Do you believe my friend's prophecy?"
"I can't say I fully trust it, but I don't think we should doubt it. It couldn't just be a coincidence."
"Very well. That judgment is enough in itself. Nothing can conclude unless one first begins, after all."
Respecting Brillie's perspective, Alraune fell briefly silent. As he had suspected, almost no materials remained about Radiance or the Lihines Knight Order. After all, that power was only granted to a very few, and as an order of a fallen nation, it had naturally vanished. Still, a great mage's persistence and connections allowed any wish to take form in some manner.
"I have concluded that the Lihines Knight Order is linked to the Goddess Semerune. While I can't specify the exact relationship, they must have cooperated in some official capacity."
Brillie unconsciously recalled the warning given by the Goddess Semerune. The Goddess had recognized the existence of Radiance and had even mentioned Brillie's origin. If the great mage confirmed that, shouldn't she accept it as truth?
"However, the Semerune Holy Order has never announced this publicly. I suspect they kept it silent internally for the sake of Agnes Empire's legitimacy."
"Since it's an order from a fallen nation... I suppose it makes sense."
"Therefore, you must never share this information with anyone. One wrong move could cause great unrest."
"Yes. I'll speak to no one about this."
Brillie instinctively realized just how sensitive this issue was. The Semerune Holy Order is established as the state religion of Agnes Empire. If the object of their faith is somehow linked to a fallen nation, it would undermine Agnes Empire's very existence. That's why, from the first Holy King on, the truth was kept hidden to establish the order's identity.
"... Although this is yet unverified, I wanted to inform you regardless. It is said that Radiance originally stemmed from the intent to protect bonds. Thus, if Sword Flower cherishes someone deeply, radiance's mana may grow even stronger—don't you think?"