Chapter 219 ·Ritual (3)

Ritual ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍(3)

The very first thing Louis did after regaining his original body was a test.

He wondered if, just as before, using the power of the Chaos Dragon would make him go on a rampage.

To confirm for himself, Louis transformed his entire body into that monster's form.

Louis, having turned into the Chaos Dragon's body that had been active for the past several days, first checked to see whether his body moved properly.

He started with light movements, clenching and unclenching his fists, lifting his legs, and wildly swinging his arms.

'The movements themselves seem fine.'

He also worried whether he might lose his sense of self or lose control over his strength, so he flapped his wings and breathed fire.

'In the past, I used to scorch everything around me because I couldn't control my strength.'

There had even been a time when he couldn't control his flight speed and ended up flying beyond the atmosphere, or when he tried to test the power of his fire by shooting a Breath from the sky and the entire sky turned red.

It had been so hot that the atmosphere became heated, cumulonimbus clouds formed, and a torrential rain poured down.

But now, none of that happened.

No matter how much he flapped his wings, there were no gales, and the fire he breathed from his mouth amounted to little more than a candle flame.

'Is it really thanks to the wisdom of the World Tree?'

Unlike in the past, when he was swayed by the Chaos Dragon's power, now his body had become one with the World Tree.

A divided avatar of god.

The Chaos Dragon existed to control the side of power and strength.

The World Tree, responsible for wisdom and purification, was supplemented in raw power by the Chaos Dragon.

In this way, each avatar supplied what the other lacked.

If even one of them vanished, it was inevitable trouble would follow.

If only the Chaos Dragon was left, that would naturally be a disaster, and in fact the World Tree, being separated from the other half, had become a tree.

And now, both of those powers were in Louis's hands.

No matter how much Chaos Dragon power he used, thanks to the wisdom of the World Tree, nothing would go out of control.

"Young master."

At that moment, a familiar voice reached Louis's ears.

Louis immediately dismissed his transformation and returned to his human form before answering.

"Rio. What brings you here?"

"The villagers are feeling uneasy right now."

"...."

On hearing that, Louis immediately looked up at the sky.

"It's not just the villagers. Right now, even the Imperial Court is asking what's happening with that sky."

"Of course they are."

Gazing at the sky, which was gradually staining black, Louis mumbled to himself.

The ritual of the Blood Sword Technique that Rio had performed had returned Louis to his original form.

Not only that, it had let him completely control the power of the Chaos Dragon that had tormented him until now.

It had been a ritual for which he was sincerely grateful, but it was not without its downsides.

The fear of disaster from the Chaos Dragon had vanished, but in its place it was calling forth another catastrophe.

"So in the end, those guys are resurrecting."

To the layperson, it might look like an ominously colored sky, but Louis and other capable individuals could sense the wicked energy that sky held.

The Great Devils, the formidable enemies Louis had defeated until now.

It was a sense as though the strength of each one of them was now coalescing into one.

"Palmon, Eramon, Hartmon, Goramon, Wigmon, Duramon. I can feel their presence right before me."

"Oh, that reminds me, about Eramon...."

Come to think of it, Eramon was currently suppressed by the Special Task Force and held underground in this village.

The guy had been blinded because his ability to create false memories and brainwash had been such a nuisance.

He had such little presence that Louis had forgotten about him, but Rio just now mentioned her.

"Her body has just evaporated."

"She disappeared?"

"And her so-called child, another demonkin, disappeared as well."

Louis now recalled Eramon had a child.

Likewise, the presence had been so lacking, Louis and Rio couldn't even remember the name.

Who was it, anyway? But that wasn't important now.

"But that one isn't even the real Eramon. Just some demonkin who only inherited Eramon's power."

"It's true—I've never heard of a Great Devil having a child."

But why did the child disappear as well?

Maybe that supposed child was actually just another avatar after all.

"The reason that guy vanished... it must be because of that."

Louis pointed at the sky that had turned black as he spoke.

There was no explanation for the sudden disappearance of the being known as the Great Devil except for that.

"Because we performed the ritual, they'll soon regain their strength. Even that Eramon is now gathering over there."

"Isn't there any way to get rid of that... right now?"

Eliminating them before the resurrection.

It was the only natural, reasonable move, but it was impossible.

"Grandpa Ferus already said so. That thing can't be physically interfered with."

If it could have been done, they would have done so already.

Louis had tried to approach the sky several times, breathing fire so hot it should have scorched the heavens, but it had no effect.

Even when hiring other high-level mages and bombarding it with all sorts of magic, and even when Pram pooled all her magic power for advanced spells, it did nothing.

That thing simply couldn't 'be hit.'

It was like firing a cannon at a ghost that everything passes through—pointless.

"According to the headmaster, only the space-time over there is distorted. In short, that thing is a being from another dimension."

If our world is three-dimensional, that being, existing in the fourth dimension, couldn't be touched.

"Young master. I don't get it."

"Just think of it as a ghost. For now."

It had been a week now since the black sky appeared.

In three more weeks, that ghost would be given a physical form and descend to destroy the earth.

"Because of that, the whole continent has turned upside-down. With the coming of a giant evil god, strange cults are rioting, and demonkin are rampaging as if they have their morale back."

To say a giant evil god was coming was no lie.

The demonkin's reaction, too, made sense.

"And now, in the Holy Nation, people are saying we must now worship the new 'Black God' and the sect has split into two factions."

"What?"

But Louis heard something even he couldn't rationalize from Rio's mouth.

"In the Holy Nation?"

"Yeah. Looks like, without the World Tree, they've switched tracks and are relying on something else."

"...."

Louis hadn't had much interest in remembering the Holy Nation.

They were just madmen drunk on religion, and everything they'd done up till now had been useless trash.

But on hearing Rio's words, he felt a deep impression form in his mind.

They'd worshipped and clung to the World Tree until things got dangerous, and now they'd switched allegiances.

Even to the Great Devil, which was the opposite of the holiness and purity they once pursued.

"At this rate, they can't be called the Holy Nation anymore, can they?"

They might as well rename themselves the 'Great Devil Nation.'

"So now, even though you've regained your original body and will never lose your mind again, another huge catastrophe is coming..."

Rio's voice was full of lamentation.

It was like trouble behind every mountain—a never-ending ordeal.

"Who'd have thought helping the young master would plunge the world into chaos like this? Why is the world so unfair?"

Like how gaining something always meant losing something, the price for regaining Louis's body was very high.

Maybe it was the law of the world that every good outcome was shadowed by some risk.

Having to awaken evil to prevent destruction must sound cruel to anyone.

"That's why there's a saying for this."

Necessary evil.

When solving a major problem, sometimes one has no choice but to embrace evil.

It was a concept that would make the pure-eyed kids—or those Hero types who only knew justice—feel dizzy.

"Take Dimo dying, which allowed the rest of us to survive. With no Hero left, we have to take up the role ourselves."

There was no longer a Hero to save the world.

With salvation vanished, what must humans do to survive?

Should they stick to their principles and wait for the Hero until the end?

Should they deny reality and believe the Hero isn't dead?

In the face of impending annihilation?

"People, after all, are creatures who knowingly consume what's bad for them."

Why do people smoke?

Why do people drink?

Why do they consume instant food, knowing it's unhealthy?

"Why? Because if they didn't, it would be a problem."

"...."

"I understand you feel the weight of what's happened because we made this happen."

With the signs of the Great Devils' resurrection, Rio trembled just looking at that sky.

Was the world now collapsing because of the ritual she performed?

That responsibility undeniably belonged to Rio as well.

And the very fact she was still alive even after the ritual made the burden heavier.

"But if we weren't here, who would stop the world's destruction?"

It was natural to feel the weight, but there was no need to deny their own existence.

"There are things in the world, evil as they may be, that are still necessary. That's us."

Even if everyone cursed them to disappear, if they really vanished, it would be a problem.

That was the Special Task Force.

"And you, too, are someone I couldn't bear to lose."

"...."

"Let's save this world, for the sake of the Bloodline uncle and aunt who disappeared, too."

At those words, the last messages from the two heroes echoed in Rio's mind.

"Young master. I have a request."

As Louis asked what it was, the look in Rio's eyes changed.

"When it's all over... will you grant my request?"

At that moment, Louis immediately sensed it.

He knew what Rio had resolved to do.

Louis understood her heart and nodded.

At that moment, something covered his lips.

Rio stood on tiptoe to reach Louis's height, and Louis allowed the unexpected kiss to happen.

Normally, he might have shouted at her, asking what the hell she was doing, but he didn't feel like it now.

She was a kid who'd nearly died because of a desperate ritual.

Originally, she would've met a tragic end.

In both her past and present lives, she had endured to the point her body was left in pieces.

Yet, the girl had received no compensation.

She'd nearly sacrificed her life or been ruined for this world, but had received nothing for it.

Though she never desired anything great, even that had been denied her by the world.

That was why Louis could not move.

It was his guidance that had brought this wretched child this far.

Not just her—so it was for every one of the Special Task Force.

"What is your wish?"

As their lips parted, Louis asked.

If no one else would grant it, he would do so himself.

"Um...."

Rio spoke her wish.

The wish she whispered against his lips was one that could only ever be granted by Louis.

****

Three weeks after that.

A month after the ritual had ended, the sky, which had suddenly turned black, finally vanished.

Some people now relaxed, thinking the sky had returned to normal.

But now was when the real beginning started.

Those who had relaxed looked up again and their expressions froze.

From the center of that blackened sky, an even thicker, darker sky had spread.

So wicked was the energy falling upon the earth that even ordinary people could sense it.

Floating at the center of that sky were five beings.

Those beings gazed down upon the earth in silence.

Hartmon was the first, as if stretching after a long nap, to swing his arm.

It was an everyday motion, as if a person were just stretching, but the shockwave transmitted down to the earth was immense.

A mountain range jutting into the northern continent suddenly was flattened to a plain.

The rest of the Great Devils also swung their arms in silence.

Though it looked like mere warmup exercises, the shockwaves they made were about to surge through the land.

Louis flew up to the sky that was the center of this disaster.

There, he could see the Great Devils twisting their bodies, seemingly celebrating their resurrection.

He could tell by instinct.

What just happened was caused by those creatures moving lightly.

If they went all out, the planet would not survive.

Louis steeled himself as he prepared to face the resurrected ones.

"Die!! No, die again!!"

"Shut up!! You die first!!"

"Let's go all the way and see where this ends!!"

The Great Devils were trading blows with their fists.

They were at each other's throats, unable to stand one another as if their relationships had soured beyond all repair.

"Today you die, and then I die!!"

"We finally got resurrected, why die already? If someone's dying, let it be you!!"

"Damn it!!! I SAID STOP IT!!"

It was just like watching a bunch of kids start a fight after an argument.

"Um, excuse me?"

Louis, having braced himself, could only stare wide-eyed and blurt out, as the Great Devils' brawl was splitting the earth apart.

---

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