Chapter 224 ·Universe (1)

Universe ‍​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍(1)

The great devil used any means and methods to gnaw away at this world.

Everything they had done until now was, in the end, for the sake of regaining their original strength.

The demon realm that came into being simply by their existence was the same.

There was no need to even mention demonkin scattered all over the world, dark magic cults, and the Blood Sword Technique.

Every one of these things was but a foundation stone, an element for destroying this world and recreating it as their own.

Since all of this had originated from the great devil, for humanity, they were nothing but a calamity.

Yet, those calamities were now acting for the sake of humanity.

The Blood Sword Technique, born from the great devil's own blood, was now sweeping aside the monsters that threatened humanity, and the girl who possessed Great Devil Palmon's power was also fighting against the great devils.

These things, originally born to bring about humanity's extinction, were now fighting to protect humanity.

People showed all sorts of reactions to such a scene.

Those who didn't know any better were ecstatic, hailing the arrival of a savior, while the people of the holy church, who believed in divine prophecy, suffered cognitive dissonance, convinced that such a thing was impossible.

Of course, even the great devils who had created these things themselves could sense what was happening.

"Why..."

It was certainly a shocking thing for the strength they had created to be used for purposes different than originally intended.

Indeed, the unified form of the great devil wore a surprised expression.

"This can't be happening."

"What do you mean, can't be?"

The great devil glared at Louis and asked.

"Exactly how did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"You must have activated the Blood Sword Technique ritual. The fact that we've regained our original strength can't be explained except by that."

That was the only way for the great devil to return to their prime.

"But how is the Blood Sword Technique user still alive?"

When the ritual succeeds, the user of the Blood Sword Technique dies instantly.

No matter how it's performed, the user must inevitably die.

"This makes no sense. What trick did you use?"

As the great devil was doubting, a feeling of foreboding began to overtake him.

At the very point when the user of the Blood Sword Technique, who should have died, was still alive, it was possible the ritual had proceeded as intended.

If there had been some insurance for survival, wouldn't humanity also have secured countermeasures against the great devil?

"If you must know, Rio almost died. But do you think she was saved without any price being paid?"

Was he suggesting someone had sacrificed themselves in the ritual user's place?

If so, it was understandable, but still hard to accept.

"Even if someone sacrificed themselves, do you think interfering in the ritual is so easy? If interference is possible..."

It meant that one could come into contact with the great devils' power.

That also meant there was an entity who could harm the great devils, transcending both time and space.

"This is dangerous."

The great devil felt an ever-growing sense of threat the more he pondered.

"I can't let any of them live."

"You realize, don't you? All of that was caused by you."

"Hahahaha!"

Upon hearing this, the great devil laughed as he swung his hand.

"That's why I'll handle the aftermath myself!"

Louis' body, along with space itself, began to split apart—but Louis seized the splitting space.

"So you can block even my slash that cleaves through space itself."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not your average guy."

Louis flashed a confident smile and tried to restore the space.

"Then let me make you a mere mortal myself."

But the great devil had no intention of just watching.

Just as Louis was about to close the rift, the great devil charged at him in an instant.

...!!

As the great devil lunged at him with outstretched claws, Louis twisted his body quickly.

He managed to dodge, but the rift he had been repairing widened again, threatening him anew.

Just as the widening rift threatened to split Louis' skin as well, he leaped straight into the rift.

"Running away?"

The great devil also entered the rift after Louis.

"What is this place?"

Upon entering the rift, Louis' eyes widened.

He found himself in a pitch-black space he had never seen before.

'No...'

In fact, he had seen it once. It was in a dream he'd had long ago.

It looked similar to the dark space where the great devil and Chaos Dragon had clashed.

"This isn't outer space or anything...!"

In this unfamiliar space, Louis lost all sense of direction.

Because of that, he reacted too late to block the great devil's sneak attack from behind.

"Ugh!"

"This world is quite different from the one you know. No wonder your senses are dulled."

"What are you talking about?"

Louis, wounded by the great devil's claws, asked.

"As you say, you could call this place similar to the universe. More accurately, you should see this as the reverse side of your world."

"Reverse side?"

The rear world, or perhaps somewhere like the demon realm?

"As you'll notice, there's no oxygen here. If you were an ordinary human, you'd have died within a second."

That wasn't wrong.

Only because Louis had accepted the power of Chaos Dragon and the World Tree and had become reborn as a god, could he remain unharmed.

"In effect, this is no different from another universe. See the planets floating around?"

Huge spherical objects, as large as Earth, were drifting nearby.

Across from him, countless constellations sparkled in the distance.

"Thanks for running here. Now I can go all out."

As the great devil unleashed his full power, the planets nearby started to turn to powder.

This was the original source of Palmon's power—the ability Pram possessed.

"I also had a life-or-death battle against Chaos Dragon here before. But it'll be different this time."

Intense heat surged from the great devil's body.

He turned into a supernova, as if a sun was exploding.

"Now that we've become one... we're far stronger than we were back then!"

Louis knew that was no lie.

The great devil's power now was even greater than what he saw in his dream.

If the old Chaos Dragon were here, he would surely lose.

"Now is the perfect time to test out this new power!"

The great devil shot the heat from his body at Louis as a beam.

In that instant, Louis used superhuman kinetic vision and dodged aside.

The beam sailed straight ahead, piercing hundreds of planets and reaching the distant constellations beyond.

"It's not over yet."

As the great devil spread his palm, intense heat could be felt along the beam's path.

It felt to Louis like a lighter being ignited in a room filled with gunpowder, and he shuddered in horror.

"It's already too late."

The great devil clenched his outstretched hand.

!!!――――――

A tremendous explosion erupted, devouring everything.

A spectacle akin to the birth of a new sun unfolded, as though intending to erase the very existence of Louis.

The great devil smiled in satisfaction at this explosion which seemed to reduce all to 'nothingness.'

"Huh?"

Suddenly, a blue light flashed at the center of the explosion.

As the light slowly grew, the temperature around them dropped.

"Freezing?"

The great devil recognized it instantly, but it was already too late to respond.

The very explosion meant to obliterate everything became frozen in place.

A chill so cold it could even freeze the sun existed nowhere else in this world.

Minus 273℃. A force that had reached the ultimate extreme of cold began to spread in all directions.

And from the center of the chill, a purple mist emanated, dissolving all it touched.

"It's not some sort of heat."

There was no difference in temperature.

Even so, it seemed there was only one explanation for a substance capable of dissolving objects like that.

"Poison?"

Roots of a tree burst from the great devil's back.

Though the tree was sinister, it was called the source of life, and so it began to purify the spreading poison.

...!!

In that instant, the great devil saw it.

A single silhouette appearing within the center of the freeze.

The huge silhouette, resembling a dragon, looked very familiar.

"Chaos Dragon...!"

Its form was that of Chaos Dragon, yet something felt different.

There was no trace of the peculiar evil he had felt during past battles.

Instead, a sacred energy filled the void.

"Great devil. It's true you've grown stronger than before, but there's one thing you seem to be mistaken about."

That huge silhouette began to reveal itself.

"You're not the only one who's grown stronger."

Bursting out from the shattered frozen planet, it was Chaos Dragon, glowing gold.

"That's..."

Seeing a form of Chaos Dragon he had never witnessed before, the great devil was shocked.

"You know what happens when Chaos Dragon and the World Tree become one, right?"

The two were originally one deity that split into two.

Having lost each other, they were left with fatal shortcomings, but now that they were reunited, those weaknesses vanished.

"If what you faced long ago was a rampaging half, now it's the complete whole."

Revealing his true form, Louis grabbed a shard of the broken ice.

"So I'm going to go all out too."

As if gripping a bat, Louis swung the ice fragment, as big as a moon, once.

"What...?"

The great devil was horrified in that moment.

He only realized too late that he had been struck and his jaw dislocated by that chunk.

"Argh!"

Like a ball hit by a baseball bat, the great devil smashed through several stars and was sent flying.

"No way!"

The great devil tried to regain his senses and invoke his authority, but he had no time.

Another planet was hurtling toward him as a follow-up strike.

"Damn it!"

A huge planet was barreling toward him at an incredible speed, crossing multiple stars.

Its speed even exceeded starlight, but the great devil managed to barely dodge.

Yet, attacks kept coming, one after another.

"Shit!"

Each incoming star was a deadly threat.

They flew at him like mere balls, yet each threatened his life.

But even more absurd was something else entirely.

"Is that the authority of a god?"

If he had become a god, he ought to display powers worthy of one. Wasn't simply throwing things a bit much?

"This is my authority. You bastard."

Landing on a star, Louis gripped the ground with his hand.

In that moment, the atmosphere and space twisted, and the angle of the star tilted.

Lifting the star as is, Louis hurled it at the great devil with all his might.

"Ugh!"

The great devil was struck by the oncoming planet, which arrived even faster than expected.

"What is this...!"

The great devil could hardly believe it.

In truth, Louis did not even know what godly authority truly was.

He'd only recently become a god and couldn't use true authority properly yet.

So all he could do was utilize the abilities he'd wielded as Chaos Dragon and resort to brawling.

But even in that brawl-like throwing, the great devil sensed his experience.

This was not the skill of someone who'd just thrown something once or twice.

Having become a god, his once-precise technique was elevated to a matching level of power.

"Why are you making such a fuss over getting hit just once?"

Louis had already picked up another planet.

"Two more to go. Only a third strike is an out."

Again, a star flew at astonishing speed.

The great devil, regaining composure, punched at the incoming star.

"You piece of—!"

With a fist imbued with the great devil's authority, he shattered the approaching star in a single blow.

He easily brushed aside the attack, but failed to sense the follow-up shot coming behind it.

"Ah..."

It was overly fast and powerful.

Every movement required for a masterful throw was executed with unerring precision.

!!!!――――

In the end, the great devil's body was smashed to pieces by the subsequent blow.

As he watched the great devil's body destroyed without so much as a scream, Louis muttered,

"Strike three. You bastard."

Louis found himself thinking of the goal he'd once dreamed of in life.

Although he was forced into retirement due to injury, he now felt once more the thrill of that day and couldn't help feeling immense joy.

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