Aurora Scroll

“It’s a trap!”

The members of the Arcanum Club sought clarification. Some argued they could benefit even if they entered the tourney and didn't go all the way. The prizes were that good.

“It’s a TRAP!”

“Okay! We get it. That’s the fifth time you say those words,” Paina sighed.

“IT’S A TRAP!”

“Damn it, Viers!” Paina looked exasperated.

“He just wants to say it,” Clarissa smiled. “And get a rise out of you.”

“It’s a trap,” Viers nodded like a sage. A Mon Calamari war-sage, hopefully.

“That might very well be. Still, I believe some of the cults would jump into the pit willingly,” Farley, the former cultist of Dumuzin, spoke up. “There are two reasons. One, to maintain legitimacy and reputation, the Church cannot snuff out the participant without excuses. Since they claim they are a holier-than-thou organization. So, unless you're blatantly using demonic power and the like, at least you’ll be allowed to compete and protected by the rules like everybody else.”

“It’s a trap,” Viers nodded again, along with a soul pulse that conveyed agreement.

“Two, well, the Church put out real good prizes for grabs. Rare things that money can't buy, even Pathseeker resources that they outright have monopoly on. That, combined with the low bar of entry, doing this might be their only chance to take the next step. Surely a lot of Pathseekers think that way.”

“It’s a trap.”

“Okay, are you going to be only saying that this entire meeting?” Clarissa asked.

“I wanted to,” Viers said. “Tournament, again... These people lacked artistic imagination. How abhorrently dour. As the Boss of this club, I forbid any of you to participate in this unholy arc. Let the Estellian Church waste their effort in that boring thing.”

“Reading between the lines, this is also a show of power from the Church. They wanted to raise the quality of their force before the crusade,” Hanged Man Carlo spoke up.

For the Age of Heroes, Viers internally corrected.

“There’s also the crusade... Against the Demon King,” Jessica the Star looked grim. “The southern part of the continent will become a battleground. Even if it is farther south, Zetel and the beastfolk will be heavily impacted.”

I’m surprised they have the manpower to do the tournament and crusade simultaneously. Based on the clues from soul search, the Popess is gone. Not dead but gone all the same. The Church is leaderless. Chaos is brewing everywhere, and THIS is the Church’s play? Uninspired.

“It seems a shame passing out this chance for growth, though,” Sakuya the Lovers said. “But I will follow Viers-sama’s order. If that’s the case, what are our plans now?”

Viers looked at Dia on the Sun’s seat, looking like a girl that showed she understood what was discussed but actually didn't. He found the girl dryad endearing. He gathered his thoughts before answering Sakuya’s question.

“Firstly, congratulations to you all who have reached Level 4.”

Viers smiled upon Farley, Paina, Sakuya, and Dia. Faiya and Futon weren't here but they too had leveled up.

The Empress Zerri, the new species of devouring swarm queen, was still Level 3 equivalent but it didn't bother her. She had her own path of maturity, and the new technique from her Overlord took much of her time.

“Now then, with the world in turmoil, I have a few ideas about what we can do. The Church will be busy in the near future. And unless they are very incompetent, the ones acting overtly evil during this time period will be in a world of pain.”

“...You think that’s what the Church is aiming for? A double-layered trap for the evildoers?” Ciel the Justice shifted on her seat. “Actually, you lot have a lot of nerve discussing evil plans in front of me.”

“Why, no, miss Justice. We’re all law-abiding, Goddess-fearing citizens here. We’re just concerned with the state of this good earth. By the way, I’m surprised they haven't called you back already.”

“They did,” Ciel sighed. “But I can't leave my homeland at this sensitive time.”

The Valentine Duchy was still in the middle of negotiation with the Harkelan empire about the ceasefire. The likelihood of war restarting was still very real.

“Ah, so many sinful people in the world...” Viers lamented. “So, In the spirit of mercy and compassion for our neighbors, I think-”

Viers wasn't able to finish his honeyed words, for a new projection appeared on one of the empty seats.

Izabella the Hermit had come online to the soul Zoom meeting.

The Blood Church’s vampiress enchanter big shot had not contacted them since the event of the Tower of Remorse.

Unlike the default cloaked projections to protect their identity from each another, Izabella showed up just as she was, without any veil.

“Hermit, what a pleasant surprise,” Farley said, voice terse. “Why the sudden visit?”

“Hmm.”

Izabella acted as if she didn't hear her. With a calm demeanor, she looked at the Arcanum Club members one by one, like measuring goods at a store. Her gaze seemed to pierce their true appearance without the cloak of anonymity.

Lastly, her eyes landed squarely on Viers.

Clarissa and Ciel were the two who raised their guard first.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

“You’re not her. Who are you?”

“Speak, or you’ll be treated as an enemy!”

Clarissa and Ciel were on their feet, tensions high. But Viers, he was still seated, as cool as cucumber, with a smile plastered on his face.

“Greetings, Devil God Yasterah,” he said. “It’s an honor to finally meet you.”

The Level 10 hijacking Izabella’s body carried herself with the poise of a ruler. Just the way she sat exuded a sense of majesty. Even though she hadn't used any power whatsoever, every man and women in her presence sensed the oppression of facing something immensely greater.

“Is that so? What do you call your action in the Tower of Remorse, then, child?”

Viers remembered it clearly. The split second moment when Tanael blocked Yasterah’s attempt at the Aurora Scroll. If he didn't act, perhaps the scroll would be in her hands instead of Freya’s.

“It’s a sign of respect to you and your great power. Letting you have the key to Fate was a far more unsettling outcome compared to Freya having it.”

“Or yours,” Izabella-Yasterah smiled. “Don't deny you wanted to get the scroll for yourself, child. It seemed, the favor of Estelle got the better of you.”

“Or mine, yes. Freya bested me. Yes again.”

“Because of your meddling, I suffer a loss. Ergo, you owe me,” Yasterah’s red eyes glinted with even redder light.

“No,” Viers said decisively.

“You don't have the option to refuse.”

Ciel moved first, swinging a blade of light against the devil god avatar. Clarissa followed suit, raising a cage of fire on the vampiress.

Yasterah was a soul projection, as were they all. However, Viers didn't think Clarissa and Ciel were that foolish of striking a moon’s reflection on a pond. No. He believed the two had a way of striking the moon itself through the reflection.

A remarkable feat. Except, the opponent was far beyond their league.

“Laudable, but futile.”

Every meeting of the Arcanum Club was conducted in the Velvet Sea, a special Biome Viers constructed solely for this. Now, the clear water was beginning to turn blood-red, starting from Yasterah.

It was as if she was a drop of blood so potent that a single touch was able to turn the sea into a blood sea.

“Ghhh...”

“Not...yet!”

As the water turned red, it naturally engulfed the other people. Ciel and Clarissa still struggling but they were held in place with a mysterious force.

Viers also couldn't move.

Paina and the others were similarly affected. Some tried to log-out but found they were unable to.

Yasterah was taking over this place, overwhelming the extensive defenses that Viers had constructed. He was quite vexed by how easily the blood deity took over but the defenses were not made for deities.

“Be honored and rejoice, your little group I deem fit to subsume personally. Little ghost,” Yasterah looked to Viers. “Quite promising children you’ve gathered here. You all now will be under my control. Don't worry, I’ll love you all plenty.”

Viers couldn't move. Despite his greatest effort, he could only slightly tremble. Veins of blood appeared on his body and encroached on his neck. He could feel his control slipping, something red was taking over.

“I... wouldn't do this... if I were you...”

“Oh? Why is that, little ghost?”

“My... Master... will... take offense.”

“Ah, yes. I have seen my child’s memory. Frankly, I think your master is a hoax. Even if he really exists, a mere charlatan playing to be bigger than he actually is,” Yasterah floated above the table. She approached Viers, with her feet on his chin, she nudged it upward so she could look down on Viers and look into his eyes. “He is welcome to prove me wrong.”

“Gladly.”

“Wha-!?”

A sea-quaking blow was struck. It was done by Viers’ mysterious Master. The newer of the Arcanum Club members saw him for the first time, but the founding members had met him exactly once, on the very first club meeting.

Now, the guy appeared again.

Like before, he wore a robe of white that obscured most of his face.

The Big Boss!

The guy that Viers confessed to Clarissa, Farley, Paina, and Jessica to be a fake creation.

That fake just gave Yasterah the bitch-slap as she turned around.

The four that knew Big Boss was a fake were even more confused than the rest.

Because the power from the Big Boss was anything but fake!

“...Who are you?” the devil god asked. “You aren't an angel. One of the Goetia nobles then? Which master do you serve?”

“I serve no one, female blood bat. You trespass. Suffer punishment.”

“I’ll enjoy putting a leash on you and make you bark like-”

The Big Boss struck again with a flurry of attacks. The aura of divinity rose to the heavens.

“I am the ruler of blood! Control is my creed! SUBMIT!!!”

What happened afterward was too much for mortal minds to comprehend.

“Snap out of it! We’re leaving!”

Viers’ words made the rest realize that Yasterah’s binding had come undone. They promptly severed the soul connection.

“Viers...” Clarissa looked at him with worry.

“Don't worry. I got this.”

Clarissa trusted him and left.

Far away and above, Yasterah was in the offensive. She was laughing like a haughty ruler. In the short time, how many moves did they exchange? At the very least, mortals weren't qualified to even guess.

“You’re not so bad. But you’re no match for me, slave.”

“Foolish. You’re in my domain!”

A gigantic divine bull appeared in the sky and charged down towards the sea like a meteor. On the other end, Yasterah held back the overwhelming celestial force that scattered the sea with a thin curtain of blood.

“Just a Level 7. Before me, you’re-”

“So chatty.”

Again, to Yasterah’s surprise, the mysterious man had taken her back again. She had been especially alert this time but the other guy seemed to appear from thin air once again. How?

The first time, the Big Boss struck hard. The second time, he strangled her using, at a glance, a black cloth.

“Uggghhh!? This is... Banbexi!?”

“The sleeping god sends his regards,” Big Boss whispered to her ear.

Yasterah screamed and there was a great red explosion.

When things settled down a bit, and Viers was certain that no space tear would sever his toes or neck, he approached.

“She escaped.” Big Boss said.

“Fucking Hell... If we hadn't looted the divine tier mana cache a few days ago, we’d be fucked.”

“Well, crisis and opportunity go hand in hand.”

Big Boss unfurled the black cloth a bit. It wasn't a cloth at all but actually a piece of Banbexi’s power, the Devil God of Night and Space.

The patron devil god of the Bone Ravens, the assassins' cult.

In the Tower of Remorse, Viers killed them for trying to assassinate him. Before that, they accomplished something in the prison. They got blessed by a tiny piece of the devil god’s power.

Perhaps power was pushing it. It was more like the clipped nail or fallen hair of the devil god, something that was utterly useless to the being himself. However, for mortals...

Viers gathered them all and made something out of it.

The result was that piece of cloth that looked like it was woven from the night sky itself, possessing the power of stealth, and some minor space wizardry.

Combined with the supreme art Vanish in Shadow that synergizes with each other, Viers’ ability to assassinate went to a whole new level.

The Big Boss showed a piece of a soul after unwrapping the night-given form.

Looking at a Devil God soul, even just a tiny crumb of it, brought a smile to Viers’ face.