Chapter 417: War Of The Stars (8)
Kwon Oh-Jin felt like a hammer had struck the back of his head. “What...?”
He forgot about attacking Mobius with lightning and sank into thought for a moment.
So, the Black Heaven is targeting humans too because Celestials gave us Stigmas.
That part made sense. If the Black Heaven fundamentally wanted to devour all stars, it would naturally include those who received Stigmas.
But...
One question remained unresolved.
“That doesn't add up.”
“What do you mean it doesn't add up?”
“Humanity was already on the brink of collapse even before Celestials appeared.”
“Ah. You're talking about the first rift, right?”
“That’s right.”
Humanity facing destruction due to the Celestials’ selfishness didn't connect. Even before Celestials appeared on Earth, humanity had already been close to perishing.
“Demonic beasts would’ve wiped us out if Celestials hadn't bestowed us Stigmas back then.”
Large-scale wars like the first War of the Stars, which drove back the demonic beasts, would never have occurred if Awakeners didn't exist. If Celestials hadn't bestowed Stigmas, humanity would have already perished.
“Hmm.” Mobius asked, “Does saving someone from drowning give you the right to use them as you please?”
“I have nothing to say if you put it that way.”
As Mobius said, even if Celestials had saved humanity from destruction, that didn't give them the right to use humans however they wanted.
Kwon Oh-Jin asked back, “You can't accuse someone of sexual harassment just because they gave you mouth-to-mouth to save your life, can you?”
For Celestials, bound by the Law’s restrictions, they could only save humanity by bestowing us their Stigmas. After miraculously escaping disaster thanks to those Stigmas, humanity couldn't complain about receiving Stigmas.
“Hahaha. What an interesting analogy, but what if Celestials themselves were the ones who pushed humanity into the water in the first place?”
“What...?”
Did that mean the first rift appeared on Earth because of Celestials?
Vega glared at Mobius. “Nonsense! Did Polaris not say that the first rift on Earth had no connection to Celestials!”
Mobius replied, “That’s merely Polaris’s opinion.”
“But he possesses the power to foresee the future.”
“Knowing the future doesn't mean one knows the truth of all creation, does it? It's also a fact that the rift opened shortly after Celestials showed interest in humans.”
“Just because the timing coincides does not imply we caused it.”
“But you also can't lump everything together under the convenient label of coincidence.”
The argument between Vega and Mobius grew heated.
Kwon Oh-Jin took a step forward and intervened between them. “Enough. So, to summarize...”
The first rift opened shortly after the Celestials took an interest in Earth. When demonic beasts poured out to destroy humanity, the Celestials hastily bestowed their Stigmas as a last hope.
In other words, Celestials were not saviors who appeared to rescue humanity.
Mobius shrugged. “Roughly speaking, yes, that about sums it up. Celestials cherish humans as if they were their own children and watch over them just to preserve their own lives.”
His eyes, filled with hatred, turned toward the Celestials.
“No matter how much they preach about a Celestial’s duty or whatever, they will turn their backs on you without hesitation if they themselves face danger.”
Vega shouted, “That’s not true!”
“It's not? Then what are you all doing right now?”
On the battlefield where a fierce battle raged, the Celestials simply watched over the war filled with screams, wails, and the smell of blood. They only watched and did nothing more.
“You're just standing by and doing nothing while your children are fighting for their lives, aren't you?”
“That’s... because of the Law’s restrictions.”
Mobius clutched his stomach and burst out laughing. “Hahaha! Again, again, again! It’s the damned restrictions of the Law, isn’t it? Cut the crap.”
His fiercely burning gaze turned toward Vega.
“You know it too, don't you? That you can break the Law’s restrictions if you risk your existence being erased.”
As Mobius said, if Celestials willingly made the sacrifice, they could ignore the restrictions and use their power on Earth as well.
Of course, in the worst case, the price for that would be their existence disappearing.
“Don't you see the Awakeners here fighting with their lives on the line? Do you think they didn't come here prepared to die? Why is it that you all expect nothing but salvation without any sacrifices or costs? Is that what you call your lofty duty as a Celestial?”
Spica, the Celestial of Virgo, flew over. “There's nothing this bastard won't say! Do you think we're just standing by idly? We’re fighting alongside our children by bestowing our blessings!”
“Blessings! Right! Celestial blessings! What a grand sacrifice you're making! Now that you've bestowed your blessings, you can just pretend to be in pain from the Law’s restrictions, scream a bit, and then retreat to the Sanctum to recover. Is that it?!”
“T-That’s...”
Mobius stomped violently and glared at the Celestials with eyes full of hatred. “You all! You never had any intention of making a real sacrifice from the very beginning!”
Celestials would never sacrifice anything even as their children died before their eyes, were torn to shreds, and trampled on miserably. They were transcendent beings, born from stars, and fundamentally different from insignificant mortals like humans.
Mobius turned toward Kwon Oh-Jin. “Now, do you understand? This... is the truth of the Celestials you believe in and follow.”
Kwon Oh-Jin shifted his gaze to the Celestials behind him with his lips tightly shut. Their expressions were stiff and rigid as if confirming Mobius’s words.
Kwon Oh-Jin deeply sighed. “Haaa.”
Even if Mobius’s words were undeniable facts, he was only saying this now for one reason.
To ruin the relationship between Celestials and humans.
Creating distrust between them was undoubtedly Mobius's plan.
Vega looked at Kwon Oh-Jin with a somewhat anxious expression. “M-My child.”
He turned toward her and faintly smiled. “No need to look at me with such a tense expression. I have no intention of being swayed by what he said.”
It was impossible to dismiss Celestials as mere bystanders after receiving so much from Vega until now.
“Even after hearing the truth, you still side with the Celestials?”
Kwon Oh-Jin looked back at Mobius and smirked. “The truth, huh. The truth is, you slaughtered people who don't even possess Stigmas, and we came here to stop that.”
Mobius remained silent.
“Don't play the victim. The threat to us right now is you, not the Celestials over there.”
Mobius deeply sighed and shook his head repeatedly. “Haaa. Very well. It seems words alone aren't enough for you to understand.” He placed a hand over the left side of his chest. “Then, I will show you their true colors.”
Woong!
A black light erupted from Mobius and engulfed the surrounding area. Shadows spread across the land like black ink spilling on white paper. Those shadows surged from the ground and floated in the air like mist. This physically impossible phenomenon was a divine power that shook and mocked the laws of nature.
“Sacred Ground Deployment, Dark Moon.”
In this world shrouded in shadows, a pure white serpent opened its eyes.
Kwon Oh-Jin felt as if hundreds of invisible serpents were constricting his entire body. “Kugh!”
It became hard to breathe, and he couldn't move a single finger.
Vega flew urgently to Kwon Oh-Jin. “My child! I shall bestow my blessing upon you now!”
“Wa-it.”
It was too soon to use the blessing.
Kwon Oh-Jin took a deep breath and focused on his Stigma. A silver light brightly ignited, driving back the shadows coiling around him.
Finally, he could breathe again. “Pwah!”
Kwon Oh-Jin gripped his spear and scanned his surroundings.
Where is he?
Mobius was nowhere to be seen within the shadowy mist enveloping this area.
If only Kwon Oh-Jin could activate his Foresight at will, but even the Stigma of Ursa Minor didn’t react. It couldn't perceive anything beyond this pitch-black darkness.
As the soul-sucking silence continued, the shadow mist stirred, and a pure white sword emerged from within it.
Vega warned. “Watch out!”
Kwon Oh-Jin quickly raised his spear to deflect the sword.
“It's not over yet!”
“I know!”
The sword strike that came from the shadow didn’t end with just one. Another slash came flying in from outside Kwon Oh-Jin’s field of vision. Each strike contained enough power to be fatal.
Clang! Clang!
Sparks burst from within the shadowy mist.
Thousands of sword strikes rained down from all directions. Kwon Oh-Jin blocked each one, but they never ceased.
“Haa, haa!”
How long had it been? He couldn’t even tell where he was anymore, or whether this place was still reality.
Just then, Vega shouted, “Get a hold of yourself!”
Kwon Oh-Jin’s fading consciousness suddenly snapped back.
He took a deep breath and slammed his spear into the ground. “Phew...”
From the point of impact, a silver wave of light rippled out and illuminated the space that had been swallowed in darkness.
“Woong!”
Mobius emerged as the mist dispersed. “Hm. That’s unfortunate, but it’s already too late.”
What’s too late?
Before Kwon Oh-Jin could even finish the thought, Mobius swung his sword.
Kwon Oh-Jin leaped back just in time to dodge. “Damn it!”
What?
The sword wasn’t aiming for him, but the shadow beneath his feet.
“It’s over.”
Without hesitation, Mobius drove his sword straight into Kwon Oh-Jin’s shadow.
