Chapter 159
Lailnetia the Devouring instinctively recalled the final resort.
There was an existence who could bring about the destruction of this world in her stead.
Of course, she could not be certain of the outcome, but eventually, that being would become intoxicated with desire and bring forth chaos.
"The Book of All Things... things... won't go... as you... wish..."
Lailnetia the Devouring released the Abyss and expended all her remaining mana.
While her own existence would flicker out at this point, at least the will toward destruction would be passed on.
Still, since she had managed to alter the fate destined for her, even if only a little, she could perhaps find some satisfaction.
"Ru the Luminescent... so you... were not foolish... No matter how much you try to deny it... haaaah..."
Lailnetia the Devouring let out a ragged breath and simply faded away.
No pieces of her body remained, and no sign of the aura of corrosion could be found.
Though she strove so desperately to twist the ending, did she ever think it would turn out true in this way?
"It appears to be over now."
Alraune finally became aware of his fatigue and slumped his shoulders.
In just a short span, bizarre events had happened one after another.
The form that devoured Alter, the flame Brillie had manifested, the descent of the Goddess Semerune.
From what perspective was he supposed to accept this situation?
"Forgive my rudeness. My reverence is late. The First Holy Apostle pays homage to the Moonlit Night's Goddess."
Berhan dropped to one knee and bowed his head in reverence.
Semerune gazed at Berhan for a moment, then slowly parted her lips.
"I am not an existence to be worshipped. Fulfill the way with your own faith."
"It is only because the Goddess Semerune exists that we have come this far. Please, do not deny us the chance to revere you."
"If you truly believe so, then tell no one of my descent. I am meant to exist only as an illusion."
"... I will honor your revelation."
Berhan accepted Semerune's words and quietly withdrew.
Semerune briefly glanced around, then fixed her gaze on Brillie.
At that, Brillie composed her unsettled heart and cautiously broke the silence.
"I am not a follower of the Semerune Holy Order. Why did you help me?"
"Because it was necessary. Just as it was at the beginning, can you not split the darkness apart?"
"In that case, lih—"
"Do not speak of that. Should the innocent be entangled in misfortune?"
Brillie instinctively accepted those words.
Alraune had mentioned this matter before.
It was likely unspoken on purpose, as the Semerune Holy Order could be threatened because of the Lihines Knight Order.
"Are you also trying to hide the truth about my bloodline?"
"Simply inheriting the primal bloodline does not mean Sacred Radiance will manifest. Bloodline is only a possibility, nothing more."
"But isn't there more to it than that?"
"Do you mean the Celestial One? That too originated from the beginning. It was a power awakened to suppress the companion's wrath."
"But I saved my companion with that power."
"If you are consumed by rage, it will end in self-destruction. Since you saved your companion from self-destruction, you are no different."
"......"
Brillie, though puzzled, soon accepted it.
The Goddess Semerune must in some way be connected to the Lihines Knight Order.
That was likely why she remembered the distant past and recognized Brillie's existence.
"I say this to all of you. The crisis is not yet over. Before her destruction, Lailnetia the Devouring released the Abyss. Along with that... she passed on her original power."
"To whom did she pass it on?"
"Ru the Luminescent and the Knight of True Flame were sealed in the Abyss. If annihilation was the goal, then the power was likely passed to the Knight of True Flame."
Even Semerune could not intervene in this matter.
Her only role was to expose the hidden darkness.
What followed had to be solved by those who protected this world.
"Is Ru the Luminescent still alive?"
"... He has not reached death yet. But he is greatly weakened."
"The Knight of True Flame must be defeated, right?"
"I cannot answer that. The Knight of True Flame has not broken the law of nature. He has endured dragon power with his own strength... For me, it is difficult to judge."
Alter deduced a secret about the Goddess Semerune from these words.
Even the fortune-teller had mentioned the law of nature, and Brillie had suddenly commanded golden flames.
In other words, perhaps the Goddess Semerune could only descend upon this world if the law of nature was disrupted.
"... Even if we must fight, I suppose you cannot help us?"
"Your words are correct. Now that the law of nature is restored, I have no reason to descend. You must defeat the Knight of True Flame on your own."
"Does that mean the Knight of True Flame will strike first?"
"If he controls himself, battle may not occur. But I cannot be certain. Having acquired dragon power once again, exceptional circumstances must be considered."
Semerune decisively separated practical conditions from possibilities.
As things stood, it was highly likely they would confront the Knight of True Flame.
Still, as she could not be certain, she decided to give warning in advance.
"... Is your descent coming to an end?"
Semerune examined her own body and spoke calmly.
Her form gradually faded, and silver fragments spilled from her.
Those who violated the law of nature were erased, and the world's balance was perfectly restored.
Thus, she had to be excluded from reality and could only return to an existence with no substance.
"Wait! There is one last thing I want to ask."
"What do you wish to know?"
"Please tell me your real name. Semerune is just a title, isn't it?"
"......"
Semerune gazed at Brillie, her face touched with embarrassment.
Her own name must have been long forgotten by this era.
Yet did Brillie, a descendant of that lineage, sense the true name?
"I cannot answer that. It would go against the natural order."
"But you were once human, weren't you? That's how you know about the beginning. I am asking you as a fellow human."
"A fellow human... Fufu... How interesting."
For the first time, Semerune smiled and was overtaken by a tranquil emotion.
Strictly speaking, she had not started out as a human.
She only went through the process of being human before transcending.
Even so, could she truly be regarded as human?
"I understand your feeling, but I still cannot tell you. I do not wish to cause conflict."
"But you're my benefactor—I don't even get to know your name?"
"... You truly resemble her. Is that why the Celestial One manifested in you?"
Semerune recalled someone's figure within Brillie, but quickly shook it off.
It was but a fleeting shard of memory, not someone of this age.
How could she have lingering regrets for a being long vanished?
"Rather than my name, why not cherish your own connections? If you can do so, you will not become unhappy."
"But still, you should at least tell me your name..."
"You're stubborn about unnecessary things. Someone like me ought to be forgotten."
Semerune responded definitively and turned her back.
Brillie tried to reach for Semerune, but she dispersed, becoming silvery fragments.
Alter watched quietly, then belatedly exchanged a look with Brillie.
'She must be trying to hide it since Brillie is connected to the Lihines Knight Order.'
The Lihines Knight Order, belonging to a fallen nation, had exterminated many monsters.
Thus, the Agnes Empire had no choice but to firmly reject the existence of the Lihines Knight Order.
A hero from a ruined land would only incite suspicion, betrayal, and even rebellion and conflict.
'Brillie must have her own destiny... so shouldn't I help her realize it?'
* * *
Ru the Luminescent, having escaped from the Abyss, managed at last to regain composure.
The seal must have been lifted since the descendant of Tiksa and the Sacred Radiance Lineage had eradicated Lailnetia the Devouring.
Perhaps Lailnetia the Devouring, by making that choice, had hastened her own demise.
'Nothing can be achieved by mere rejection...'
Ru the Luminescent could not help but grieve, yet resolutely parted the clouds.
Beyond them, shapes of the descendant of Tiksa, the Sacred Radiance Lineage, and other humans appeared.
On top of that, having glimpsed an otherworldly being, he could not help but feel a shiver.
'So that's how it is. The darkness hidden by the Moonlit Night has been exposed.'
Ru the Luminescent observed Semerune and soon understood.
The Moonlit Night cannot annihilate darkness, but it can reveal dark existences.
The Moonlit Night also originated from the universe, and was a remnant of celestial bodies.
'With all dragons except me extinguished, the destiny of an overseer is no more.'
If the subjects bound by order have vanished, then an overseer is naturally unnecessary.
Of course, depending on the case, he could return to the world of Hazlodein, but that would require complex conditions.
Perhaps it was better to remain in this world and simply await the approach of death.
'However... the power of dragons still persists.'
Ru the Luminescent thought of the Knight of True Flame and began searching for traces of mana.
The Knight of True Flame could not be considered a dragon, but so far had wielded the power of dragons.
As he stood in a vaguely defined position, Ru could not meddle recklessly as an overseer.
'That life has yet to flicker out... Hm?'
Ru the Luminescent read the presence around and instinctively sensed something amiss.
Normally, the Knight of True Flame should only contain the mana of Benelrode and Mwin the Thunderstorm.
Why, then, had additional mana merged, elevating him to an overwhelming realm?
'This mana... isn't it Lailnetia's? Could it be that even that was plundered?'
Ru the Luminescent repeatedly sensed the mana in disbelief.
But the result remained unchanged, and at last, he had to accept the reality.
Now, the Knight of True Flame possessed might greater than any dragon.
'No human can withstand such mana. Yet he still defies death...'
Ru the Luminescent, swallowed by tension, could only continue to anguish.
He had long believed that simply accepting the ending written in the Book of All Things was for the best.
That was why he had remained neutral until now, but even that had become meaningless.
'Book of All Things... is this the future you longed for? I would have let you tell it to me...'
Ru the Luminescent instinctively doubted the Book of All Things.
It was called the foundation of the law of nature, yet did nothing but watch the events unfold.
Why, then, had it bestowed such tremendous power upon a single human?
'If not that, did Lailnetia transfer her mana? To destroy this world? For it all to become so twisted...'