The first burst caused by Reed moved the final stage from the "Cradle of Chaos" to "Sanarak."
The ravenous Chaos Evil devoured the endless desert hell and the pyramid-shaped tower standing at its center.
As a result, the space itself twisted grotesquely, as if it had melted into the vile essence of Chaos Evil.
It was like the sea of the great flood, the depths of a swamp, the bottomless abyss, or an endless cave without an exit...
It couldn't be defined in one word, as it changed depending on the angle or time of viewing. But one thing was consistent—the brightness was extremely low.
Ssssss...
In the formless space, an intangible darkness slithered upward like a snake, feeling its way up Tesilid’s body. It repeatedly covered and uncovered his eyes as if playing a cruel prank.
Each time his sight failed, memories learned over thousands of years in the abyss stirred up like nausea.
However, unlike when he had nothing to protect, he didn't kneel weakly and stop.
Because it was different from when he had nothing to protect.
‘Ah.’
Even without physical light, he relied on the inner light he held, like a lighthouse, dragging his body forward.
The chilling sounds gradually grew louder, as if signaling that his feet were pointing in the right direction.
From the deep darkness, voices of men and women, young and old, each expressed their anger. Soon, their fervor converged in one direction.
An extremely evil choir resonated through the space, carried by a terrible dissonance and grotesque timbre.
Destruction. Destruction. Only destruction.
The will of the Evil God was becoming extremely simple.
In order to move the body of the god in accordance with the will, the one in charge of that will must be a being close to the divine.
However, the will originally possessed by Chaos Evil was nothing more than a low-level creation born from the accumulation of countless thoughts.
It could never even touch the distant condition of divinity.
Still, if one were to forcefully move the Chaos Evil God, the will driving it had to be simple yet intense.
And that was why the Chaos Evil God was now erasing everything from its consciousness except for one goal—"Destruction."
“...”
When Tesilid’s steps finally stopped, his eyes had finally adjusted to the darkness.
The giant mass of darkness, like clay being kneaded, repeatedly twisted and unraveled, pulsing with energy.
The materials making up the mass were hundreds of millions of pairs of red eyes gleaming like evil stars and thousands of swirling vortices turning in murkiness.
An overwhelming force was radiating from this entity, which claimed to be a god, as if it were insufficient to call itself the embodiment of evil.
Even the loss of intelligence, slowly becoming simpler, only fueled awe.
The concept of destruction, pursued to the extreme, had turned Chaos Evil into destruction itself.
In other words, the ultimate destruction was now before him.
Despite the overwhelming pressure that seemed to stop his physical functions just by facing it, Tesilid remained composed. In fact, he even let out a faint, almost inaudible sound of wind between his lips.
That laugh, resembling a bitter chuckle, was actually self-mockery.
The sight of the mass constantly chanting destruction looked like the same sight he had once seen when he chanted death.
At that moment, Chaos Evil God responded. A massive, singular eye formed, cutting through the darkness.
<How dare a mortal enter this place...?>
The eyeball blinked at Tesilid with curiosity.
To make it easier for it to probe him, it conjured a mist-like aura above both of his shoulders.
Surprise emanated from the eye. Fortunately, the evil god still had enough awareness to recognize him.
“It’s been a long time, Chaos Evil.”
<Didn’t you leave this timeline?>
“I am Reed, though not the Reed you know. This timeline was never Reed’s; it was mine. And I am the one who lived through Reed’s future and returned.”
<Reed’s future? How many cycles have you gone through?>
“117th cycle.”
The soul of a returnee grows more valuable the longer it stays. The evil god’s eye flashed with malevolent light.
The blatant greed the Chaos Evil God showed toward a human was far more tolerable than the sadistic affection given by some irresponsible god.
Pushing aside random thoughts, now was the time to haggle over the price of the body.
“From the looks of your consciousness level, it seems difficult for you to manage your body.”
<Uwooooo...>
Just in time, the low-tier evils that made up the evil god’s form howled like beasts. Thanks to that, Tesilid was able to continue speaking without interruption.
“Pursuing destruction is noble, but you wouldn't want to remain as just a writhing insect, driven only by instinct, would you? After all, you’re a god.”
<...>
“What you need now is a high level of will and spirit. I believe I can assist you in resonating with me again.”
There was no need to coax him out with explanations.
Chaos Evil God instinctively knew that it needed Reed.
A being with the will and spirit close to divinity. The one who matched that condition most perfectly was the returnee’s soul, forged through years of abuse by the gods.
Moreover, the Tesilid Arzent before him was a being who had been around for longer than the 100th cycle. A 117th cycle returnee who had even visited the abyss—he was far too tempting.
That was why the eye had been gleaming with greed earlier.
Like a headless monster desiring the brains of the living, the Chaos Evil God recognized Reed as a necessary organ.
Tesilid swiftly pierced through that desperate desire.
“I will be your ally in your destruction. Will you join me?”
<Uwooo...>
A roar of joy echoed through the area like a hellish scream. That was the clear signal of the contract being sealed.
It was as if a dam had burst, and darkness poured in rapidly, mimicking a liquid, flooding all around Tesilid.
In an instant, his body was submerged, but unlike water, breathing was still allowed.
The ground he had been standing on earlier had already disappeared. His body slowly sank to the bottomless depths.
As he descended into the deep sea, synchronization with the Chaos Evil God occurred.
A brand of the Fallen slowly appeared on his left wrist, gradually spreading across his body.
As the black pattern covered his lower half, a frown appeared on his forehead, and a faint groan escaped his lips.
Then, it happened.
“...”
The heavy voice signaling the completion of synchronization roused his drifting consciousness.
<Now, let us go forth and bring the most hideous destruction to the world.>
“...”
The joy of the Evil God was transmitted clearly through the darkness surrounding him.
However, despite the high level of synchronization, Tesilid’s face showed no trace of shared enjoyment.
“Our wish? It seems you’ve misunderstood something.”
His calm voice startled the Evil God.
“My contract terms were to assist in ‘your destruction,’ not the destruction of the world.”
<...!>
After the contract was concluded, it was common for attitudes to change. The most beautiful liar in the world revealed its true nature.
“Let’s sleep together, Chaos Evil.”
He had no intention of unleashing the Chaos Evil God into the human world. Even part of his body that had already escaped was retrieved with divine power and returned to its original location.
He could not release something so hideous, evil, and vile into the world where Ayleth resided.
The world where she existed had to remain as beautiful and pure as the green of her eyes.
So, the Chaos Evil God would sink into the abyss along with him.
Even if he was blackened and corrupted, he only wished for this will to remain vividly blue.
<No...!>
Here, the Chaos Divine Tomb became the tomb for the Evil God’s eternal rest.
The powerful will that sought to imprison itself with Chaos Evil was realized through divine power. Accordingly, a physical change occurred in the formless world.
The darkness wrapped around his limbs, fixing him in place. Then, he was violently slammed into an invisible wall, and up and down, left and right, were reversed.
In an instant, thorny vines grew over his body, severing the space, and walls rose from all sides, blocking his vision.
And finally...
Bang!
A lid was placed over his head.
It was the moment when the coffin for his eternal rest was sealed.
The remaining regret was °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° one.
‘Ayleth Rodeline.’
The person who gave him a reason to save the world once again.
Would she be hurt by his unilateral actions once more?
He wished he could sink down with that pain, but unfortunately, he was too foolish to manage that.
So he simply wished with all his heart.
If it had to be a painful memory forever, then he would rather forget it and hope she found happiness.
In that beautiful world, may she be happy on behalf of him. ✠
The demonic transformation caused by Armageddon spread rapidly across the continent of Serentra, starting from Parnel.
I hurriedly destroyed the spatial transfer stone before Mount Eltiro entered the realm of the demonic transformation. Thanks to that, I was able to swiftly travel through the winds of time and space to the Holy Office.
Even more than the ruined surface, the horrific scene unfolding in the sky immediately caught my eye.
“My God.” [‘The Eye That Watches the Chaos of All Things’ turns its gaze toward the disgusting sight.]
The lid of hell was not attached to the floor, but to the ceiling. The sky above the Holy Office was dominated by a gate resembling the eye of a typhoon.
From the enormous gate of destruction with an immense diameter, black darkness leaked out.
<Destruction... Destruction...>
<As we wish, the most hideous destruction of the world...>
The voices of men and women, young and old, mixed in a roar, writhing as they reached for the earthly creatures.
That sight stimulated both primal fear and disgust.
And of course, immense pressure.
“Ha...”
I clenched my fist tightly to hide the slight tremor in my fingertips.
“Lord, what should we do about that?”
It was then, as I sought guidance from my god in helplessness, that the Chaos Evil God’s momentum suddenly faltered.
<No... This is not the world’s destruction...>
It was as if time was being rewound, and the Chaos Evil God, struggling to break through the narrow hole, retreated back inside.
It was an unbelievable phenomenon. [‘The Eye of the World-Building Oracle’ confesses that this was not the work of his main body.]
“Then suddenly?”
Why? How? The confusion fueled more chaos.
<Ayleth, it seems like the Evil God is retreating back into the gate?>
“That’s right.”
My voice, answering, was subdued even to my own ears.
In contrast to the improved situation, I felt a growing sense of foreboding. And based on my experience, this feeling was never wrong.
Something was off.
As soon as I was certain, I hurriedly stepped away from the ruins.
<A-Ayleth?!>
A special privilege for the possessed.
