Chapter 287

Killian ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍followed Lan into the Holy Tower and looked around its interior.

‘It ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍is different from before.’

It ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍was still overflowing with divine power, but it was completely unlike the space where they had conducted the Divine Object response experiment.

The ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍greatest difference was that it was dark.

And.

‘It ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍is vast.’

It felt deep enough that he could not discern its end.

"……"

He naturally looked down at his feet.

With eyes strengthened by mana, he saw the dark floor.

It was made of solid stone.

An intricate formula was engraved across it in the shape of a huge circle.

Each line and character intersected, tangled toward the center.

‘A spiral?’

The formula flowed toward the center, gathering a particular power.

The walls were the same.

Crystals containing light had been embedded everywhere, and gentle divine power seeped from them.

‘They are mediums that maintain an Expansion Formula.’

What captured Killian's gaze was the pattern engraved on the ceiling.

Holy Script, as if written directly by His Holiness the Pope, flowed there.

They were not mere characters. They floated as if alive, constantly changing form.

As he was not a priest, he could not read them, but he could instinctively tell that they were the core of the space.

"This place is……"

Before he could finish, Lan spoke first.

"It is a Temporary Boundary. A Holy Sanctuary that will change your future."

‘A Holy Sanctuary?’

At the grand name, he examined the pattern more closely and saw an intense Sacred Mark engraved in the center where he stood.

"You have the look of someone thinking, ‘Was the Boundary not on the northern frontier?’ Of course, that one is the physically perfect Boundary. God Styx guards it himself."

"……"

"But that is only the first Boundary. Are there not countless Boundaries in the world?"

Lan explained calmly, unlike her usual self, saying that for an Apostle like her, a Boundary was merely the difference between whether it could be crossed or not.

"It seems to be a difficult formula to activate."

Unlike mages' magic, priests used formulas by using the Authorities of the Gods they served.

And the higher the formula's rank, the greater the price required to activate it.

At the most basic level, it could be divine power or stamina; it could also be life force or material things.

And what Lan was about to explain now must have been the formula.

"You seem to have roughly understood. Yes, this is not a formula I can activate merely because I want to."

To activate it, an explanation of the formula had to be given to the other party first.

Not only that, it was a Divine Formula that could be activated only after making them understand the ramifications it would cause.

"You can cross the wall of an 8-Star knight. For now, that alone is enough."

"It is difficult for something that merely crosses a Boundary. What sort of formula is this that will let me reach 9-Star?"

"I do not know what must be done to reach 9-Star."

In her era, Simon Eurasia was the first to reach 9-Star, and those who reached 9-Star through wicked arts like the Emperor were not true 9-Stars.

"But there was one thing I could be certain of."

After briefly pausing, she looked at Killian.

Fwaaaash.

The divine power in her eyes illuminated the surroundings.

"Killian Eurasia will reach 9-Star someday."

All he needed was time.

Thus.

"I intend to adjust your time a little."

‘Does she intend to make time flow slowly and give me more time to train?’

"If that is the case, would you not need God Cronis's Authority?"

"His Holiness the Pope's Authority is not so simple."

She said that to maintain an Authority of that degree long enough to interfere with fate, he would have to risk his life.

If it failed, Killian might be trapped in the Authority of Time along with the Pope's life.

"In the first place, the formula called Temporary Boundary was devised together with His Holiness the Pope. It was created to amplify the power of Holy Knights who had forged Hollyhearts someday."

That meant only those who had forged Hollyhearts could be targets of the formula.

"I will synchronize with the Holy Tower and activate the formula. You will use Hollyheart to cross the Boundary."

"I think your explanation is lacking."

"This is enough explanation to activate the formula. It will be more effective for you to experience the rest yourself."

As if her kindness until moments ago had been born of necessity, she nodded her chin toward the center of the space.

‘She does whatever she wants from beginning to end.’

Killian trudged toward the center.

"You could suffer reflux, so refrain from using your Mana Heart."

"You are telling me that quite quickly."

"Despite my thoughtful consideration, you show an insolent attitude."

Fwaaaash.

Divine power soared from Lan's body.

It was an amount difficult to compare to when she had performed the response experiment before.

‘Had she been going easy on me?’

"I, who do not fear the Boundary, make my plea."

She quietly chanted the formula.

The formula engraved in the space activated.

Rumble.

Hollyheart within his body reacted, and divine power rose.

There was no message like the ones that appeared when he synchronized with a Magic Tower.

There was merely this.

When he recovered his sight, which had turned white in a flash, the surrounding environment had changed.

‘This is…….’

A white space like blank paper.

When he looked up, there was a gate so enormous he could barely take it in at a glance.

A gate that was all too familiar.

"Ha."

A hollow laugh escaped Killian.

Only then did he understand.

"The true nature of the Temporary Boundary is……"

Then.

[Adamas.]

A delicate voice called him.

***

"It has begun."

Claudio de Cronis approached Lan de Styx's side.

From the moment Killian entered the space, Claudio had already synchronized with the Holy Tower.

"I thought you would at least greet him."

"What is important about something like that?"

"Still, it was too much to leave even the explanation to me."

Temporary Boundary was a Fusion Formula created recently with the participation of thirty High Priests and figures of cardinal rank.

"To open a door for humans to travel directly to the divine realm and restore the connection severed from the Gods."

Depending on one's perspective, it was a somewhat provocative act challenging the authority of the Gods.

"It was originally a space created for priests and Holy Knights. To think an outsider would use it in this way."

The problem was the uncertainty of Killian Eurasia's existence.

He was the child born between Simon Eurasia, a Superhuman who had reached 9-Star, and Tatia de Veritas, the Previous Saintess; a mutant who wielded both mana and divine power.

‘Up to this point, it can be said that things have gone according to plan.’

Claudio knew Killian Eurasia would come.

And among the future visions he had seen was one in which Killian entered the Temporary Boundary.

Success and failure.

He had seen countless possibilities.

"It does not matter if he fails."

There were several other paths as well.

What was certain was the disaster that would occur if Killian did not enter the Temporary Boundary.

It was what Claudio had shown Lan and what she had told Killian.

The future in which Killian did not experience the Temporary Boundary always led to the worst outcome.

"Your Holiness…… No, Father, did you meet God Cronis?"

Considering the formula's side effects, it was a question Lan would not normally have asked.

Why was that?

Now, it felt as though nothing would go wrong.

"There was no response."

Claudio seemed to feel the same way and answered without much concern.

"It was the same for me."

Upon entering the Temporary Boundary, they encountered an enormous gate.

They could not open the gate.

They knocked upon it again and again, prepared for annihilation, but in the end, there was no response.

‘What will Killian do?’

Even if he could not open the gate, he would avoid the worst future. If he opened it, he would gain some change.

Change.

That was the important part.

"It would make things easier if that man reached 9-Star."

It was not simply because the power of a 9-Star knight would be added.

Recently, the Barrier on the northern frontier had weakened.

It had weakened so severely that they discovered only belatedly that dozens of Curses of Anomaly had flowed onto the continent.

And the Empire was using the curses to augment its forces.

"We must deal with the sword between the Boundary and the Barrier as soon as possible."

Lan was referring to the Magic Sword that contained curses.

Adamas.

The treasured sword used by Edan Eurasia, Eurasia's ancestor.

Having cut down the Monster Lord and an Anomaly, it could also be called a Divine Sword, but now it was a Magic Sword containing Curses of Anomaly.

"It has reached Simon Eurasia's ears, so he will take action before long."

The reason he was not moving yet was likely that he judged it was not yet time for Killian to take up the sword.

"If Isaac Heinrich had become a complete 9-Star over time, the continent would have been busy dealing with an Undead Wave by now."

The Magic God Stone researched by the Black Duke and confirmed to have been completed by the White Duke.

Isaac Heinrich, whose power was like that of the Monster Lord through the power of Transcendents, was destined to stain the continent with blood someday.

Fortunately, because Isaac Heinrich had died, they had gained time.

"That is what would have happened if he had not met Killian Eurasia."

Those who met people born with destiny also came to be affected by fate.

Simon Eurasia had been so, and Killian Eurasia was as well.

"I have waited for a day like this alone."

"……"

Claudio gazed at the Temporary Boundary's formula with complicated eyes.

In his youth, weary of the Empire's exploitation.

He had resolved that, after becoming Pope, he would change the world.

When he became Pope, the world was more hopeless than he had thought.

The Gods who could lend their power had fallen silent, those who used Curses of Anomaly were everywhere, and the despairing oracles were steadily becoming reality.

He had thought himself born with destiny, but the power to change fate was in the man he refused to acknowledge.

It should not have been so, but he could not acknowledge it time and time again, so he turned away.

He did not help him, making the excuse that the future visions did not show it.

And when he faced the grown Killian Eurasia and learned that he, too, had been born with destiny.

He realized that the opportunity to realize his dream had come right before him.

‘The Emperor who seeks to turn back time through research into Transcendents, and the Monster Lord waiting for an opportunity in the mountain range.’

The world was growing more chaotic than ever.

The Holy Nation had broken the rule it had kept since its founding: maintaining neutrality.

Before long, the Holy Nation would wage war with the Empire and shed much blood.

"If he cannot reach 9-Star, I hope Hollyheart at least becomes stronger."

That alone would prevent one weapon the Empire would use for now.

"Let us wait and see."

How far Tatia's child could grow.

‘How far the destiny he was born with would take him.’

***

The delicate voice came from behind him.

There was an unwelcome face there.

[It has been a long time, Adamas.]

The being wrapped in a black cloak spoke.

Beneath the cloak, there was only white divine power gathered into a mass.

"Styx?"

[You should call me ‘God Styx.’]

"You cannot even manifest, yet you are so proud."

[…...]

As Styx displayed no particular reaction, Killian was about to continue taunting him.

[Do not be too harsh.]

Srrrk.

A golem-shaped Murus appeared beside Styx.

For some reason, only one Hollyheart was in his chest.

"Are you all right?"

He was the one who had not answered since the battle with Neptune.

Killian had worried that the shock might be greater than he had thought, but it seemed that worry had been unnecessary.

"Where is this?"

The answer came from Styx.

[Hell.]

"That is where you will go."

[…...]

Styx fell silent again.

[At this rate, a fight will break out.]

Murus, having seen enough, intervened.

[Adamas, calm down.]

"I am quite calm."

He emphasized that merely speaking with them rather than cutting them down as a sword meant he had not lost his composure.

"You said I could become 9-Star. Do I have to cut down this one instead?"

Killian said as he looked at Styx.

He said it because he thought cutting down a Godhead would aid his growth, but.

[There is something you need to know first.]

Styx spoke in place of Murus, who shook his head once.

Creak—

Features formed on the face of Styx, who had existed as a shape of divine power.

[Ancient Godslayer. It is time for you to recognize the laws of the world you changed.]