Chapter 134: Endless Pain
"I announce to all gods, those hidden away in their archive, library, be it garden or under the sea. The Ego of the World reclaims its Authority!!"
Standing under the Three Rings, who was still defending against the quite alarming assault from Charlotte. Like, that woman really wants this to be about herself. She just doesn't care about anything but herself.
And above it all, the sky cracked open... revealing a raptor eye, burning in black flame.
"I announce my name, I am Nature, I am Mother Ocean, I am Father Sky."
"Messtorrin the Endless Path of Pain."
Lea flinched at that title... that is a huge red flag, the biggest red flag she has ever seen!
Who calls themselves the Endless Path of Pain?!
But the "good" gods also include the Goddess of Madness and the Blood God. Surely this is just another one of those, right?
The Ego of the World just needs a good public relations team, right?
The humanoid form began to expand like a balloon, hardening before becoming a grey egg wrapped in chains. Then the egg cracked, as if recreating the myth of creation itself; the cry of a newborn bird rang out.
Shattering its prison, brilliant pale wings spread for all to see. An eagle-like being destroyed its egg with a breath of pale flame, but it let the chains that held its former self, its egg, once again wrap around it like a shroud.
Then, she announced.
"I release the bind Mystery has upon this world, release the Light that was taken unfairly."
Then the booming command of The Three Rings echoed. Still under attack by Charlotte and the Light Seeker.
"Rejected: Equilibrium has yet to be met."
Then the screech all too familiar to Lea echoed. She turned her head to one side of the crumbling forest, seeing the golden bat eight-winged bat, The Steam Bat. And standing on the biomechanical creature was Qaeidat.
"Rejected~ Equivalent Exchange has yet to be met!"
Messtorrin nodded, hearing the bearers of both Scales.
"I release the bind Mystery has upon this world, release the Light that was taken unfairly. To receive back those Attributes, one must fight for and unleash them from dormancy! Only then can they truly awaken their power!!"
"This shall not be in conflict with the previous methods of obtaining Attribute Powers, both Charlotte's Path System and the Blessed System."
A wave rippled from Messtorrin and spread throughout the world, integrating the new Law of the World. Both the Scale Holders said nothing, confirming their agreement.
Lea found this to be a good thing, at least for now. Though she doesn't understand what is going on, to have the Ego of the World back on its throne would have a positive impact, wouldn't it?
But the next Law contradicts what she just said.
"From this point on, no Outsider shall be able to claim the Divine Domains of this world. In exchange, I open the world fully to the gazes of the Stars above!!"
Messtorrin, as the Ego of the World, had fully opened this world to the wider universe.
"What...?", Solafant could not believe what they heard, "Do you know how dangerous the Star Gods are?!"
Messtorrin merely gave them a passing glance, then continued, "For the future of this world, to all Star Gods that had come and shall come, let your Light become the obstacle for this world, let your stardust become the nourishment for all life!!"
Lea can see it with her very eyes, the sky became clearer... even with the silver moon's light, it could not outshine the beauty of the stars above.
So beautiful, but also terrifying...
"For gods of this world, I decree upon you the duty to protect this world!! And to the demigods who fight for their personal gain and for others, this shall be the Trial to prove you are Worthy of being the new gods!!"
To fight the stars themselves, to kill them and let their foreign divinity be nourishment for this world. It was an insane plan...
"Why are you doing this?", Lea asked the Ego of the World, "Why plunge the world in deeper danger?"
Messtorrin ignored her.
"For a brighter tomorrow, through endless pain and suffering... may you all witness the brilliant rainbow all had forgotten."
It was then that one of the divine rings of the Three Rings flickered. Pulling Lea's attention to Them.
Charlotte had entirely ignored the whole world-changing speech and dealt permanent damage to the Three Rings.
Lea felt something was coming.
"Everyone, run.", her whisper spread to everyone.
Her voice was in their subconscious.
And then ran.
Lea ran in Charlotte's direction, knowing that behind Charlotte is the safest spot.
"Oh, you came to me?", Charlotte looked with a hint of interest.
"Being with you is the safest.", she replied begrudgingly.
"Since you have obtained the Divinity of Unconscious, you know what I am about to do, right?"
"Vaguely...", Lea answered.
She can only read Charlotte's thoughts if she was allowed to. The Chalk Princess' thoughts are way too chaotic anyway; making sense of any of it would be a pain.
Being so near to Charlotte, the screams and cries of the compass cannot be any louder...
Yet the Monarch's serene and calm voice was still clear. "Then I shall show you why going against me is a bad idea."
Charlotte swung her gun aside, letting it transform back into particles of blue light, returning to the compass. Then with a snap of her finger, she summoned Walpurgis Festival, tapping it against the ground.
It was then that the booming Command of the Three Rings came.
SMITE
Before her eyes, a curtain of lightning came down, covering everything in blinding light.
"Gilgamesh (First Hero)"
The shadow of the one who became the standard for all heroes to come formed. A muscular man taller than Lea.
Even as a Construct made with memories, the power this man possessed dwarfed Lea...
He wound his arm back and threw a punch— Reality bent around his knuckles, space folding like paper as his punch carved through existence itself.
The lightning curtain parted, like the ocean before a god. But before Them was a mere shadow of a hero.
His fist connected with the Ring of Salvation.
CRACK.
The divine form shattered.
Fragments of white light exploded across the sky, each piece screaming as it fell. The ring didn't just break; it unmade itself, unable to withstand the fury of the First Hero.
And so, the divine form of the Three Rings vanished in a flash of divine light, with one of Their rings broken.
Charlotte smiled.
"Ah... you hit the wrong ring.", she complained.
Gilgamesh's Construct gave her a shrug, as if saying, 'Not my problem'. Then disappear.
She could only stare in awe. A civilization built on death and survival, of violence and destruction. Even with only the memories of a warrior, she was able to defy God.
Lea looked at the retreating gods... the Blood God, burned His body away, leaving only a smoldering pile of ash and blood. The Maker had gone who knows when.
Dawn's group is still here, with her kneeling and crying next to where Auger was. With Kahelzar performing what looked to be a funeral rite.
As for the Steam Bat, it and its true form remained.
The monks had transformed back and began to meditate.
While most aircraft were destroyed, some remained flying in the sky.
Messtorrin perched on the shoulder of The Nova Blight, conversing something...
"One of the ten most difficult things to do in the universe is to convince a Lord of Annihilation not to destroy and form a sort of partnership.", Charlotte casually said, "Especially the First Lord, whom ephitet is Emerald Comet of the End."
So the Ego of the World made some sort of deal with a world destroyer... great.
"Anyway, do you want a ride home?", Charlotte took out a light-screen phone.
"No...", Lea looked toward the Steam Bat, "I have another place to be."
She just wanted to get home at this point, and get away from the screaming compass. Dealing with these sealed emotions will take a lot of time. She dissolved into darkness, travelling to the side of the Steam Bat.
"Can I get a ride back to Lacrosa?", she asked.
From above, Qaeidat jumped down. There was a green blob in her arms, jiggling like jelly.
"Of course~", the Steam Bat readily agreed, "It will be a thousand Cee for the trip!!"
Lea was about to take out her card... then she remembered she left it with her corpse, at the bottom of the sea.
"Uh... can I have a new card made?"
"It's alright, I just need your proof of identity.", Qaeidat replied with a smile.
"Well... that is going to be a problem.", Lea's right arm turned into black smoke, revealing nothing, "My corpse is kinda... underwater."
"I see~ well, come along now. We will work things out in my office!", that didn't bother the greedy bat at all.
Lea gave one last look at Dawn, who was still grieving. She didn't say anything; she didn't deserve to.
I'm just a runaway, after all...
The giant biomechanical bat opened its mouth, then swallowed them whole.
=0=0=
A garden of flesh and blood, where the Goddess of Madness resides.
The Garden of Life bloomed in impossible colors.
Trees grew from bone-white trunks, their branches hung with pulsing pods, translucent sacs containing human forms suspended in amber fluid. Their eyes were closed, faces peaceful.
Flowers sprouted from muscle tissue, petals made of layered skin that opened and closed like breathing mouths. Their roots burrowed into veins that spider-webbed across the garden floor, pumping crimson life through the entire grotesque ecosystem.
And standing throughout the garden, like statues in some mad sculptor's exhibition, were women.
Skinless.
Every muscle fiber, every tendon, every blood vessel exposed to open air. Their faces were recognizable as human, but raw lips pulled back to reveal teeth, eyes lidless and staring. Their bellies were swollen. Grotesquely pregnant. Moving with something inside that kicked and shifted beneath translucent muscle membrane.
They just stood there, hands resting on their distended stomachs, expressions vacant yet somehow content.
At the garden's heart sat Sularao, the Goddess of Madness. Kneeling with a writhing seedling in her hands.
She wore flesh-like clothing, strips of skin woven into a crimson dress that pulsed with borrowed heartbeats. Her hair was nerves and tendons braided together. Her smile was genuine, warm, maternal.
"Ah...", her pale grey eyes glowed, "It is time for you all to awaken..."
"Mystery had been pierced by Stagnation of all things."
"Ah... let it be known that the Ancient Gods shall be released upon the world..."