Reed immediately recognized the gravity of the situation. This artifact was as poisonous as it could get. It had already dug into his skin, constricting his veins and reaching his heart.
Ping-!
Ayleth released the end of the Black Chain she had been holding.
The tension between them vanished, and the distance between them grew even further.
To keep her in check from a distance, Reed immediately summoned his legion of cursed blades.
“We don’t have much time. Go.”
More than twenty cursed black aura blades, forming three rings, circled around him, moving rapidly and occupying the space around him.
As their rotation sped up, the diameter of the rings quickly expanded, taking over the area.
And within that zone, the black blades began mercilessly attacking Ayleth.
But Ayleth didn’t stay still.
[System] Transcendent Skill ‘Future of the Instant’ is activated.
As soon as the divine revelation descended upon her, the dazzling white aura blades around her surged forward.
Without hesitation, she adjusted the attacking trajectories of the black blades, leading them to crash in futile directions.
Next, Ayleth stomped her left foot into the ground as if to dig in.
[System] Ultimate Skill ‘Queen’s Might’ is activated.
[System] Transcendent Skill ‘Dance of the Heavens’ is activated.
Boom!
The explosive speed imbued in her legs created a crater where she had stood.
Simultaneously, an overwhelming force wrapped around her entire body.
But that was not all. The divine power enveloping her body added an even stronger blessing.
A holy and beautiful halo appeared behind her like a full moon.
[System] Conditions met. Special effect of ‘Holy Halo Effect’ activated.
[System] Exerting powerful pressure on your opponent. The heretic is neutralized.
“This is a bit much.”
Despite the pressure from the halo, Reed rearranged his aura blades.
He didn’t forget to firmly grip his cursed sword, preparing for Ayleth’s fast-approaching charge.
Meanwhile, Ayleth thought to herself...
‘Not enough yet.’
After several rounds of fighting, they had already gauged each other’s abilities. She was still lacking the critical strike to land a blow on Reed.
Thus, she activated the skill she knew could fill that gap, her final card.
“By royal command.”
“That won’t work.”
Reed gave a heartfelt piece of advice. But Ayleth ignored him and continued to activate her skill.
Her voice, carrying the weight of great will, gave the command.
“Defeat Reed.”
“......!”
No, it was a command to herself.
[System] Transcendent Skill ‘Royal Command’ is activated!
Royal Command. The absolute order skill now reshaped Ayleth, enabling her to fulfill the command by transforming her own being.
Her potential was drawn to its limit, pushing her body to the very edge of what it could endure.
Based on this absolute buff she had given herself, Ayleth was granted the full measure of her strength.
“......”
Time seemed to stretch and slow as she took her step forward.
With her scythe raised, she aimed at Reed with a force that exuded only one goal—victory.
As the vanguard of the era of doom, she unleashed a decisive blow, a strike meant to crush Reed.
The divine aura scraped the ground, and with a mighty blow, it collided head-on with Reed’s dark magic and aura, shattering them into pieces.
A transcendent clash of power.
Instead of creating a sun-like light sphere on the summit of the snow mountain, it devoured all sound.
──!
In the silent world, the holy wave sped through the vast sky of the snow mountain.
Time passed, and after a while...
In the eerie silence that seemed detached from the world, the light of destruction finally faded. Soon after, the two figures emerged from the center of it all.
“......”
“......”
Ayleth and Reed stood motionless, weapons pointed at each other, as if time had frozen.
The only movement was the aurora created by the aftermath of their powerful clash, slowly undulating across the sky.
Reed slowly lifted his gaze, looking up at the beautiful aftermath of their battle, and parted his lips.
“......I’m sorry, Ayleth.”
A voice, sweet like the sound of a stringed instrument, shattered the silence. Then,
Clang-!
The cursed sword slipped from his hand and shattered against the eternal ice.
“You should have just accepted my persuasion.”
A blood-red flower blossomed on his left chest.
Thud, the defeated man collapsed to his knees.
Rumble.
The ground beneath him crumbled.
The battlefield of the two transcendent beings began to collapse as soon as the outcome was decided, as though fulfilling its role.
Reed’s body was helplessly pulled into the abyss of white, along with the eternal ice and snowflakes.
As his vision began to blur, he saw Ayleth growing smaller.
As if sensing the impending farewell, he faintly smiled, wishing to leave a final impression.
But Ayleth did not accept this parting.
‘......!’
Instead of pulling away, she moved closer to him.
In the range of the fall, she chose to remain with Reed.
“Why......”
“......”
Without a word, she gently embraced him, as if she could not bear to let him fall alone.
The buoyancy of her Divine Descent surrounded them, like the embrace of a god.
Instead of a vast fall, a gentle landing awaited them.
✠
The Elthio Mountain, located in the warm southern regions of the Serentra continent, was a place of tranquility.
Unlike the snow-covered peaks that never melted, wildflowers could still be seen even in the middle of winter on the lowland foothills.
“......”
“......”
On the lush green grass, a woman sat quietly, her upper body resting against the chest of a handsome man.
Their peaceful time together was like a tender painting of a loving couple.
But who could know? The one who had extinguished his life was none other than she.
“......What will you do with me now?”
His once beautiful voice, like a stringed instrument, had become rougher.
His question contained many meanings.
The condition for Tesilid Arzent’s return was “to save the world.”
And there were two ways to save the world.
Reed’s method was to establish the Evil God and save the world. In his world of demons, death, pain, and destruction would become the “normal state,” so there would be no need to bring peace.
On the other hand, Ayleth’s way was traditional. In a world with gods, she would seal the Chaos Evil. The first condition had been met, and now only the second remained.
Thus, since the Chaos Evil God had not been sealed, the returnee could not rest.
This was still a world of reincarnation, and he was not permitted death.
“......”
Reed gazed at her, who was softly embracing him.
He forced a smile, wiping the expression off his face, but the emotions flowing from his eyes could not be hidden.
Reed thought as he looked into her green eyes.
Those were the eyes of someone who felt pity and sympathy.
And perhaps, those eyes also held some affection, not just pity.
She loved the 117th iteration of Tesilid Arzent, so maybe, just maybe, she would hope for the 99 iterations shared with him.
Reed almost felt like laughing at the thought—what a nice stake it was.
Yes, Ayleth Rodeline. You are weak to me.
Even now, your eyes are full of that desperation to save me.
If that’s the case, you’ll grant my wish.
‘......You’ll kill me.’
To do that, Reed couldn’t die until the final moment when the Chaos Evil was sealed.
He would have to delay his death, and after “saving the world,” he would face his execution.
Only then could his soul be permanently and irreversibly guided to the destination of death.
Ayleth Rodeline would know this.
Therefore, she should leave him now and let him slowly die in solitude, away from everyone.
But...
“Reed.”
She showed no signs of leaving him. Instead, she said words that contradicted his expectations.
“Reincarnate again.”
“......”
“Reincarnate and live properly.”
It was the cruelest judgment in the world.
Reed’s smile faded.
“Are you serious?”
“......”
“Ayleth Rodeline.”
“......Yes.”
He swallowed the blood that almost burst from his mouth, struggling to hold back his emotions.
“You’re going too far...”
“......”
“Just let me die.”
He had hoped to embrace death, but why, how could she deliver such a judgment?
How could someone who had suffered such bitter decay make such a decision?
It wasn’t something someone else could understand, but how could you, Ayleth Rodeline, how could you?
‘How could you, to me?’
His life and death were completely in her hands.
The helpless Reed could only show his emotions.
For the first time, his eyes held resentment and betrayal as he looked at her.
“Please.”
“......”
“Just throw me into the Abyss.”
Ayleth did not avert her gaze. She didn’t block out his heartbreaking plea.
She responded, suppressing her emotions.
“You tried to do things your own way, didn’t you?”
“That’s......”
“I’m doing the same.”
“......”
“That’s right, Reed.”
Special privilege for the possessor.
