Omega Year 999 (2)
The underground facilities of the cathedral.
Uorin walked through the uneasy clamor of the engine room, on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
"I can't see it."
The tremors in the timeline were too great and too rapid — she couldn't find any reference point anymore.
"Where am I supposed to go?"
Shirone was using Elykia to suppress Havitz's assassination game, but variables remained.
"If he could have used it freely, he would have kept using it. There's a delay to the ability that breaks Vanishing."
Probably once an hour.
Above all, Shirone, who was unfolding simultaneous events, couldn't possibly be keeping tabs on Havitz alone.
"If someone else somewhere falls into danger, Shirone will use that power."
Because he was Yahweh.
If a foreign power were going to target someone in this situation, it would obviously be the Empress of Kashan.
"Every kingdom is aiming at me."
Why wouldn't they? The Wind Province had been annihilated, and Gando was dead.
In all of Kashan's history, had an empress ever been this defenseless?
"Is this the end for me?"
Dizziness swept over Uorin and she braced a hand against the wall.
"Hah. Hah."
Her chest felt clogged as if she'd swallowed something; blood wasn't circulating and severe vertigo rose.
Kido supported her.
"You okay? I'll carry you. You should rest a bit."
"Haha."
She laughed, incredulous.
"This is ridiculous, isn't it? For the Empress of Kashan to have nothing left but a single pet goblin."
Kido showed no anger.
"Get out of the cathedral. While the guard distracts your decoy, we need to run. If it's discovered the terrestrial empress is a fake, there won't be any escape."
"No."
"Why are you being so stubborn? You're smart. Kashan or nothing — if you don't live, there won't be a later."
"Still no."
Uorin ground her teeth. "I could hand over an empire in a heartbeat. But I must remain the Empress of Kashan to the end."
"Why?"
"Otherwise I mean nothing to Shirone."
Kido fell silent.
"If I have no voice in the cathedral, no formidable military force, no authority as empress — what am I? Just a woman. An ordinary woman who can't even fight like Amy," Uorin gripped Kido's shoulder. "Do you know how long I waited for Shirone? You can't. From before humanity began… I waited for Shirone! So why—why should I be the one to give up!"
"Okay. Calm down."
"I will never give up! There has to be a way. If I hold on just a little longer…"
She was nothing more than a primitive Gaia-born woman longing only for a single burning love.
But—
"I can't fight."
No matter how many of the best genes were selected across history, becoming Amy was impossible.
Not Shirone, Rian, Kuan, Gaold, or Miro — no strong one could become that.
"They couldn't."
Because what was needed wasn't reachable by traits alone; it required something beyond life itself.
"I'll keep it."
That was the depth of her defeat to Amy.
"I can't lose Kashan too."
"All right. Got it."
Kido gripped his double-edged spear in one hand and supported Uorin as they moved.
"Let's go. Where to?"
Just as Uorin tried to activate Future Sight again, a thick mist rolled in.
"What—"
An old East-Asian–style gate rose where nothing had been and opened with a chilling creak.
"The Gwisamun."
Anchal, director of Jinchun, stepped into view.
"Future Sight doesn't work on me, the one who handles welcomes. This is as far as you go, Empress of Kashan."
When she removed her patch, the arcane eye embedded in Anchal's sight shone a clear blue.
Uorin clenched her fist.
"Damn."
It was already extraordinary that the terrestrial guard had broken through and discovered the decoy.
"I found you, Empress." Natasha dangled from a pipe line, and from the shadows beneath, a masked swordsman approached.
It was Rai, captain of Tormia's guard.
"Three of them, too," Anchal added.
"You thought you were clever, but you're not the only one with a brain. Give it up. Kashan is finished."
Kido didn't let Uorin speak.
"Hey, do you think I'll even blink if scum like you try to take me? If you don't want to die, get lost."
Of course he knew the enemy's strength.
"There's still hope. Thirteen minutes until Havitz's assassination game. If we can hold on until then…"
Anchal asked, "Who goes first?"
When Natasha and Rai didn't answer, she nodded and stamped the ground.
"Loser owns the prize."
As the fight began, shockwaves detonated everywhere except around Uorin.
"Pungran."
The arcane eye flashed and hundreds of blades materialized from the air, flying toward Kido.
"Grrr!"
Less penetrative than manifestation techniques, but with nearly limitless applications.
"Annoying."
Anchal of Mind, Natasha of Speed, Rai of Technique.
"Ten minutes left."
Kido took all three attacks at once; small wounds accumulated over his body.
"This is goblin-tier?"
Anchal marveled. "No — it's past the limits of a species. This is something neither human nor goblin."
A fire lit in Kido's eyes.
"Immovable Mind."
With a Buddhist-like enlightenment, he shattered the phantasms and bound Natasha's speed with an earth-spirit restraint.
Rai infiltrated from the rear.
"I'll catch him."
Kido deflected the attack to the side, widened his eyes, and spun his spear.
"Dominion of the Source."
A strike that cleaves between atoms — that cuts every substance — the strongest blow of all.
"Kuk!"
The assassins who had kept their distance saw electricity slither through the air like snakes.
"If we'd blocked without knowing, we'd be dead." Kido exhaled roughly and planted himself in front of Uorin.
"Two minutes left."
Anchal stepped closer. "How grotesque. No, revolting. You bear the taste of the Great Purifier, but you are not Truth — a monster stitched from every enlightenment."
Her gaze fixed on Uorin. "Does the Empress of Kashan have no humanity? What did you feed this beast?"
"Everything but my flesh."
All that Anchal's power could procure composed Kido's body.
"So what? What my dog eats is none of your concern. Want me to feed you too?"
The arcane eye flashed. "No shame at all."
Smoke rose from all sides as Natasha and Rai primed to move, and then Elykia's light flooded the cathedral.
"Havitz—"
Those who'd experienced it already checked Satan's position without surprise.
"…I see."
Anchal withdrew and the Gwisamun sealed.
"Leave the cathedral at once, Empress. This may be your last chance."
Like a dream the gate vanished; Natasha and Rai melted back into the dark.
Kido dropped to his knees. "Phew. That should hold for a while."
With Havitz's location revealed, killing Uorin would now be an international violation.
"Don't let your guard down. He'll be back soon."
"Of course you're priority number one to eliminate. But the side that does the eliminating would be expelled from the Directorate. You can't act rashly."
As long as Elykia existed.
"The worst case is if many die while Elykia isn't active."
In that case, Havitz could have killed anyone and the culprit couldn't be identified.
"Thanks, Shirone."
It probably wasn't a choice made for Uorin, but—
"Let's go. Keep Future Sight up even if it's hard. Don't let Anchal tail us again."
"Okay."
As they walked toward the engine room, Kido glanced up at the ceiling.
"One more casualty." May they rest in peace.
Ten minutes before Elykia activated.
Zettaro trudged into the Gustav Sector with his shoulders slumped.
"Smodo went home first." Why Smodo?
"Because he wanted to play with me more? Or was I never even considered? Why…?"
The truth was unknowable.
"It's starting again. If Havitz thinks about someone, Vanishing hasn't activated yet. Who'll be the next target? Maybe this time it'll be me…" Zettaro's steps halted.
Down the corridor, Havitz — lips cracked — muttered to himself as he walked.
"Tch, I took a hit. So that's the strategy, huh? Fine, then—"
Their eyes met.
Zettaro's heart felt like it would burst, but Havitz didn't even flinch.
"Hmm, right. This will be fun. The point of this game is you can lose."
As if seeing Zettaro for the first time while passing, Havitz's indifference told Zettaro one thing.
"I'm not interesting anymore."
A declaration of severing ties.
"Has an hour already passed?"
Giving up thoughts of the wizard, Havitz streaked down the corridor in Vanishing state.
"Hurry up and finish."
It was the king's office in the Corona Sector.
"The power of the demon clan has grown too strong. At this rate the Ivory Tower will be annihilated. We must act quickly—"
The door was flung open, but the officials inside continued their meeting as if nothing had happened.
People playing cards, Armin, and the Ivory Tower's stars had gathered.
Havitz snorted. "Who should I kill?"
Having been hit twice by Elykia, Havitz chose to arrive early and wait.
"You."
He waited, blade at the throat of King Udrai, watching the time.
"Four seconds. Three. Two—"
Suddenly Udrai's eyes widened and he kicked away his chair, springing to his feet.
"Your Majesty!"
A red bead tumbled from his pocket and split into two as it rolled across the floor.
〈The Last Scream of the Jäger House〉.
An object now rare — impossible to obtain no matter the money.
"These are real—"
As Havitz's eyes narrowed and he charged, Elykia's light flared brilliantly.
"Havitz!"
The Ivory Tower stars who had reached enlightenment beyond ordinary limits all turned at once.
"Kill him!"
Before Elykia could vanish.
When Armin cast Stop Magic, Siok spun up and shattered time.
"Perfect form."
In the midst of the supersonic clash, Havitz glanced back at King Udrai.
Guards were already shielding him.
If you lose the game—
Faced with an unprecedented event in Satan's history, Havitz lost reason and rushed forward.
"Stop him!"
The stars tried to interpose Udrai, but Havitz's target was the kneeling maid.
"Ugh!"
When the blade found the maid's neck, the stars — and even Siok — ceased fighting.
"This is…no plaything."
A murder committed to avoid losing the game proved Satan was on the run.
The stars were furious at the meaningless sacrifice.
"You're acting worse than a third-rate crook…!"
"What's that?"
Havitz withdrew the blade from the maid's neck. "Not a bad result, is it? If I lose the game, I'll start the slaughter."
Indeed.
"Havitz proposed the game. There's no set price for losing. Then why is he so obsessed with it?"
Vanishing activated again.
"Shall I prove it now?"
Even without Havitz, the stars mustered unprecedented will and expanded a Spirit Zone.
"Damn! We missed something. Focus!"
"Hah."
Havitz sneered and, contrary to his threats, began walking for the door.
"You can't end the game yet."
At the very least, the rules had to hold until midnight, when the "Truth and Lie" game would close.
"Feel a little anxious."
As Havitz turned to open the door, a shock struck his flank.
"Ugh!"
He was thrown several meters, clutched his stomach, and lifted his face in pain.
"Urrgh!"
The stars, snapping back to their senses, widened their eyes.
"Who are you?"
"Sorry. For a moment—"
A wizard who had slipped through the door crack spoke nonchalantly.
"We're playing hide-and-seek."