Chapter 135 – To the Otherworld

The Beast King, who had blocked the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord, had a crimson radiance flickering in his eyes.

The Authority of [Madness], wielded by Odin—an Apostle of the previous Lunar Constellation summoned by the Authority of [Moon Shadow]—was resonating with Fenrir’s myth, further strengthening the Twilight Orb.

This was thanks to the simplified recreation of the myth where Fenrir, freed from Gleipnir at the start of Ragnarok, devoured Odin.

According to myth, Fenrir’s upper jaw reached the ends of the heavens, his lower jaw touched the ends of the earth, and he swallowed everything between them, even the Main God Odin in a single gulp.

Creeeeak—!

Therefore, it was no surprise that the Three Calamities, which destroy worlds, were all being swallowed by the [Twilight Orb].

The ‘Twilight’ in Twilight Orb refers to the twilight of the gods, ‘Ragnarok,’ and the ‘Orb’ uses the character for ‘swallow’ (呑).

Interpreted differently, it could be seen as the one who swallows the end, allowing it to swallow the Three Calamities Sword, which also possessed an end-related attribute.

However.

“Graaaaaah!”

In the myth, immediately after swallowing Odin, Fenrir had his jaw torn apart by Vidar—Odin’s son, designated as the avenger, and second only to Thor in brute strength—and was stabbed through the heart by his sword, ultimately dying.

Thus, there existed a restriction: when the Twilight Orb swallows something comparable to Odin, its Authority could no longer be used in that fight.

Zzzzzt…

The illusory form of the giant wolf, which seemed poised to swallow the world, vanished along with static noise.

But it wasn’t just the Twilight Orb that disappeared; the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord’s Three Calamities Sword, which had been swallowed along with it, was gone as well.

For the duration of this battle, it was as if the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord could not use his Authority.

“I’ve blocked Dokgowol’s Authority! Arhat!”

On the other hand, even though the Beast King had lost the Twilight Orb, he was in a situation where he could borrow other Authorities from the Divine Spirits affiliated with the Lunar Constellation through the Authority of [Moon Shadow].

Believing the tide had turned, the Beast King and Arhat began unleashing new Authorities against the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord.

Kwarurururung!

Arhat borrowed the hammer Mjölnir, imbued with Thor’s Authority [Thunder], as a replacement for his shattered Star-Shattering Fist.

The Beast King borrowed Artemis’s Authority [Hunt] and bestowed absolute Certain Hit upon Mjölnir.

Kwa-gwa-gwa-gwang!

Just as Mjölnir, thrown with a thunderous roar, was about to crush the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord.

Srrrrt.

His Three Calamities God-Slaying Sword moved.

Although the Three Calamities Sword was temporarily sealed, the Skill that formed its original prototype still remained within his body.

[Heavenly Demon’s Great Annihilation Calamity!]

Creeeeeeng!!!!

A Myth Skill that transcends myth, capable of opposing Authorities even though it wasn’t one, deflected Mjölnir.

[Haha, this is fun. It’s been a truly long time since I’ve been in a situation where I’m the weaker one.]

The Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord, who had fallen into a disadvantage after entering the Reverse Side of the Corrosion Zone, having his Constellation Authority sealed, and even his Innate Authority sealed along with the Twilight Orb, laughed savagely.

Heavenly Slaughter means killing the heavens, a defiance of heaven.

Demon also means defying the righteous path, a defiance of heaven.

From the very beginning, the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord was a rebel who had grown accustomed to toppling the strong as the weak.

[I shall become your death.]

Sssssssssss!

A pure aura of death began to envelop the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord’s Three Calamities God-Slaying Sword.

One of the twelve layers of dimensions he had perceived since reaching the 12th Star.

The aura of Heavenly Slaughter, drawn from the abyss of the Heavenly Slaughter Constellation, [Netherway], was showing the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord the path of death leading to the demise of Arhat and the Beast King.

[I’ll kill you.]

“Who are you to say that!”

Kwarung— Kwang— Ururung— Kwang! Kwang!

In response, Arhat borrowed the spear Astrape, imbued with the [Lightning] of Zeus, the golden Apostle of the Atlas generation, and unleashed a dazzling display of Spear Arts, firing lightning bolts incessantly.

Thanks to the Authority of [Hunt] still deployed by the Beast King, a barrage of Certain Hit attacks poured forth continuously.

Creeejejejejejeng!

The Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord deflected all the lightning bolts head-on, gradually closing the distance.

Even if it was Certain Hit, it was meaningless if he didn’t evade but faced it head-on.

Of course, the power contained within the lightning bolts wasn’t at a level that could be easily deflected.

But the aura of death coiled around the Three Calamities God-Slaying Sword was killing the very phenomenon of the lightning bolts shot by Astrape.

Sssssssss—

A force that seemed like the concept of death itself given form.

A premonition arose that being cut by that would mean death, even for a Transcendent Awakener nearing Immortality.

Even now, having grown stronger by being able to use an Apostle’s power, no future where they defeated the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord was visible.

Even though the total amount of power itself clearly placed Arhat and the Beast King above the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord.

Clankclankclankclank!

It was precisely then that the Sun Star King was sealed by the Fallen Angel and the Black Knight.

―Shall I help?

“I shall join.”

Naturally, the Fallen Angel and the Black Knight, now with room to spare, joined Arhat, and all four of the Unchain’s Heavenly Outsiders began confronting the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord.

But even in this more unfavorable situation, the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord showed even sharper movements, displaying growth even while fighting.

At the very least, it didn’t seem like the conclusion would come immediately.

* * *

Meanwhile, while the four Heavenly Outsiders of Unchain were fighting, taking on the two Apostles.

The Galaxy Guild, which had also gained the power of an Apostle, did not rashly interfere in their fight.

This was because they well knew that the power of the Apostle summoned through the Authority of [Primordial Fusion] had a time limit.

‘It would be good if we could defeat the Sun Star King and the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord within the time limit, but that would be difficult.’

According to the calculations of the Sun Star King and Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord’s combat strength assessed with Insightful Eye, even if all of the Galaxy Guild’s Apostle Rank combatants joined the Heavenly Outsiders, defeating those two within the time limit would be precarious.

Even if they could kill them, killing Earth’s Apostles here was a poor strategy.

Considering the future Great War or the Hounds of Void, weakening Earth’s combat strength would ultimately harm the Galaxy Guild as well.

“Everyone, over there!”

Therefore, instead of intervening in the fight, Lee Hanseong decided to head towards the Otherworld, where Apostles could not cross, as originally planned.

Pointing towards the Aokigahara Flood at the foot of Mount Fuji, seen when the Celestial Sky Path collapsed, Lee Hanseong quickly relayed the plan to his comrades connected through the Swarm.

“Grrr! Understood. Master.”

Creeeak!

Lycan was the first to deploy the Twilight Orb and swallowed what remained of the Celestial Sky Path’s stadium.

Including the Heavenly Palace Tournament Main Tournament participants and the Galaxy Guild’s new recruits.

Yu Sehee and Jin Yuseong, who had become Apostle Rank combatants and were not swallowed, along with Lee Hanseong, were riding on Lycan’s back.

“Conceal our existence.”

Next, Yu Sehee, possessed by Seras, activated one of the Seven Deadly Sins, [Humility: Humilitas], using the Authority of Radiance.

Srrrt.

A Stealth-type Miracle at its peak concealed the Galaxy Guild’s existence from the other Apostles.

Then Jin Yuseong used his power.

Activating the Authority of [Sky], borrowed from Uranus through the Authority of Gold.

Pat!

He moved the space they were in to the interior of the Aokigahara Flood.

Using Shrinking Earth could have achieved the same result, but the reason for using an Authority to move was to prevent Tracking.

Even a Transcendent Awakener could read the traces of spatial movement and follow.

‘But with the Authority of [Sky], which governs the sky and space itself, it’s possible not to leave any traces of spatial movement.’

Entering the interior of the Aokigahara Flood, densely packed with giant trees as if they had come to Arcadia’s Great Flood, Lee Hanseong first caught his breath.

“Now that we’ve come this far, the Apostles won’t be able to find us immediately.”

The Aokigahara Flood was a type of Dungeon, a Reverse Side World within the sunken Japanese archipelago inside the Reverse Side.

A sort of double dungeon, one might say.

If the Eastern Sea of Arthalia, which had eroded the dimension and emerged, was at the very surface layer.

Then the Japanese archipelago was at the Reverse Side layer, and the Aokigahara Flood was at an even deeper Reverse Side.

‘And going further from there leads to the Otherworld, the Arthalia Continent.’

In other words, the center of the Aokigahara Flood Dungeon was the Boundary Layer closest to the Otherworld.

If they deployed the Void Fairy Path there, even a mortal body could safely cross the Void Space.

“The center is… over there.”

Lee Hanseong led the group in the direction discerned through Path Revelation.

―Kieeeeek!

―Kihihihihihi!

Since it had become a Dungeon, Awakened Monsters of Phantom Beast Species at the Seven Star level or above occasionally popped out.

Phantom Beast Species specialized in insidious attributes like darkness, death, and shadow.

Normally, they should have tucked their tails and fled at the presence of Lycan, a 12-Star Divine Beast, but it seemed they attacked because their aura was concealed by the Authority of Humility.

Seoreok.

But such creatures were lightly cut down with the Heart Sword, their hostility severed, and they were quietly sent back.

It was to avoid causing a commotion that might allow their presence to be sensed from outside the flood.

Moving directly without using Authorities was also to conceal their existence.

Paaaa…

“Ah…”

After proceeding for a while, prioritizing stealth.

The Authority of Humility that had been shielding them was released.

Seras, Asta, and Lycan had dropped back to the 11th Star level.

The duration of Primordial Fusion had ended.

“Let’s hurry.”

Paaaa—

No longer concerned about stealth, they deployed Shrinking Earth.

Perhaps because the flood itself possessed labyrinthine characteristics, space was distorted, causing a delay before the movement was completed.

―Aah!

So, by the time they reached the center, the fight between the Heavenly Outsiders and the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord outside had already been decided.

Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-ga!

No sooner had Arhat’s Divine Form, sweeping through and flying across the center of the flood, entered their sight.

[We almost missed you by being just a little late.]

The Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord, who had already broken the Sun Star King’s seal and flown here with him, blocked their path.

In the Sun Star King’s hand, the Fallen Angel, with wings bent in an odd direction, was captured and hung limply.

In the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord’s hand, the Beast King hung with his chest pierced.

“Run! Successor!”

The Black Knight, who had entered the interior of the Aokigahara Flood a step later than the two Apostles, urgently shouted as he interposed himself between the Apostles and Lee Hanseong’s group.

Srrrng— Chwa-ja-ja-ja-ja-jak!

Although the Black Knight alone had lost the Authority of Darkness, his combat strength hadn’t decreased significantly compared to when the Authority of Primordial Fusion was deployed.

This was because he could reproduce the Authorities of the Seven Deadly Sins, which he had grasped through the Authority of Darkness, with the Formless Sword.

Chompchompchompchompchompchomp—

[Gluttony: Gula] swallowed the auras of the two Apostles.

Paaaat!

[Pride: Superbia] amplified the Black Knight’s Grade based on that aura.

Zzziiing—!

With the amplified Grade allowing him to deploy one more Formless Sword, he imbued [Sloth: Pigritia] into it, slowing the two Apostles’ speed.

It was an Authority that could even slow down Apostles who had somewhat transcended time.

[You’re putting up a futile struggle.]

Sssssss—

The slowed time died by the Three Calamities God-Slaying Sword swung by the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord.

In the incomprehensible spectacle of time dying, the Sun Star King, having discarded the Fallen Angel, aimed his bow at Lee Hanseong.

[I had my suspicions since first seeing you, but the fact that you’re running away like this means you’re in cahoots with Unchain after all. Die.]

Pee—yung!

Agneyastra was shot, targeting Lee Hanseong.

It was different from the arrow shot at the Fallen Angel.

Back then, it was in a nerfed state due to [Envy: Invidia], but now it contained the full power of All for One.

The Black Knight poured out his Heart Sword to block the arrow, but all his Heart Swords died upon the sword of the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord, who interposed himself.

However, he hadn’t expected anyone to block it for him in the first place.

‘Cut.’

Lee Hanseong imbued the Formless Sword with Lycan’s Twilight Orb, Seras’s Annihilation Lamp, and Asta’s Star-Shattering Fist.

Originally, only one Authority could be imbued into a Formless Sword, but with the addition of Primordial Chaos Gang Qi, that restriction had disappeared.

[Primordial Chaos Formless Sword]

While the Primordial Chaos Formless Sword that Blundell had deployed in the Historical Alteration only drew power from himself across parallel worlds and the multiverse of past, present, and future.

The current Primordial Chaos Formless Sword was a sword that drew power not only from himself but also from other beings connected to him.

Chwaaaaaaak!

Agneyastra was severed in two.

Even the explosion that should have followed belatedly was cut in half and dissipated.

Even the Sun Star King’s bow, which had shot Agneyastra, was cut.

[…What?]

With Constellation Authority restricted and the Heavenly Slaughter Demon Lord unable to use his Innate Authority.

In a situation where even the Sun Star King’s Divine Artifact, the only one capable of containing the power of an Authority in an attack, had disappeared.

The Black Knight replaced the now-useless Sloth with [Wrath: Ira] in his second Formless Sword.

Gogogogogo!

The Black Knight’s raging momentum, which burned even the Immortality of a Transcendent Awakener, was something the two Apostles, with their Authorities restricted, could not ignore.

“Hurry, go!”

The Black Knight, having created a Darkness Formless Sword by overlapping the Formless Sword imbued with [Pride: Superbia] and the one imbued with [Wrath: Ira], blocked the interference of the two Apostles, buying time for Lee Hanseong’s group to escape.

Joo-waaaaang!

Lee Hanseong’s rainbow-colored Void Fairy Path stretched out beyond the Boundary Layer closest to the Otherworld, creating a path.

Lycan, carrying Lee Hanseong’s group, immediately ran along the Void Fairy Path and advanced towards the Arthalia Continent.