Mortis as soon as he killed the Kanaan sensed the arrival of several more Kanaan.
BOOM!
Twenty of them broke into the space immediately.
All of them wore a mask that had characters engraved on it.
As soon as they saw Mortis, all of them immediately tried to attack him.
But before they could take a step forward,
BAM!
All of them fell to the floor.
Confused, they saw that their legs were no more.
Mortis was also able to select which parts of the body would be affected by his Animus Flower.
"So they've sent you all to kill me I guess." Mortis commented.
He had already realised that the first Kanaan was obviously not a part of the End Space and was instead sent by someone else.
The Kanaan didn't respond and were silent.
BOOM!
They all blew up immediately with all the force being directed towards Mortis.
"Child's play."
The force and destruction didn't reach Mortis, being 'killed' by Mortis.
Mortis at his current level could 'kill' anything as long as they were either of the same level Aether that the Animus Flower was built out of and anything lesser than that.
"Is that so?" A voice questioned.
In front of Mortis appeared four individuals and Mortis knew them well.
"How are you all doing? Old Man Tallow, Drunkard Broth, Miss Grease or should I just call you all Hot Pot?"
Hearing this the four images overlapped with one another.
Now there was only a masked creature whose features Mortis was unable to distinguish as if hidden by a veil of fog.
"I presume you understood because of your Animus Flower?" The true Hot Pot questioned Mortis.
Mortis nodded.
Hot Pot didn't start fighting.
"You know we, the Kanaan, are just people in the wrong place at the wrong time. Back in the Wildlands we used to be considered acceptable warriors and thus were conscripted into the Army. The Army back then were just patrollers who made sure that the masses were safe. We didn't have much influence. Then we were forced to invade Paradise following which we were made servants to The Council. All because of that fucking Scavenger."
Hearing Hot Pot's words, memories started to pop up.
He had grown up the same way.
He was once the greatest member of his troupe.
How great it all was.
His son was so good.
Everything was t-
A mask was being created on Mortis's face, slowly covering it.
Chains erupted and ensnared Mortis.
Mortis's form that had nearly become that of a Kanaan was changed back to his original form.
Hot Pot nodded.
"I expected such. Very well then let me give you a tidbit of information of who I am." The mask that Hot Pot wore began to shift whereas his body began to twist.
"The name given to me is Grimgowl. I am the Kanaan of Ebenzer Vongray, Deputy Absolute Minister of Paradise."
Mortis's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Oh? Are you using those chains on me boy? It's no use. I am neither Corporeal nor Non-Corporeal." The End Space began to shift as thousands upon thousands of Kanaan appeared.
"I am Conceptual. I am Information itself." As soon as these words were spoken, all the Kanaan rushed towards Mortis who was overwhelmed with a series of words that clouded his mind.
"He is Conceptual, He is Information.
He is Conceptual, He is Information.
He is Conceptual, He is Information.
He is Conceptual, He is Information"
Mortis's mind couldn't bother to focus on anything else as those words repeated endlessly.
Soon all the Kanaan began to beat Mortis up.
BAM!
BAM!
BAM!
Some tore his limbs off.
Others took out parts of his bone or flesh.
Within a few moments, Mortis was reduced to barely a skull with a brain.
And those words kept repeating.
"He is Conceptual, He is Information."
As the horde of Kanaan were about to crush his brain, another thought began.
"He is neither Conceptual nor Information. If he was both he would've been able to deprive me of Information." This was not created by his brain but his Animus Flower.
Almost instantly, the brain seeing the logic focused on it.
"He is neither Conceptual nor Information." Before the Kanaan could lay a finger on him, they were all reduced to nothingness as they were 'killed'.
Mortis could feel his body again.
He felt something poking his head and reaching up, he saw a crystal that turned to ash. Looking at it as it faded, Mortis had the idea that it had been with him for a very long time.
"Good." A voice sounded.
Mortis was curious as to what had happened.
"I didn't lie when I said those words. I am in fact a Conceptual organism just like all the other Quasi-Deities but unlike them I am 90% Conceptual and thus incomplete. I can manipulate information into condensing or dispersing. That's why your chains won't work on me."
It was perfectly logical and Mortis already knew that judging by the abilities exhibited that Grimsgowl was beyond the capabilities of a Saint.
Information could be anything, truths or lies, thoughts or ideas.
An example would be the names of Hot Pot and the others stationed at Akkaris—they were condensed pieces of information created by Grimgar. Another fine example would be the Western Academy, Wilhelm's life, the dungeons, and the System—all of these were simply information given form.
"But he is not complete. At least he shouldn't be." Mortis thought.
He knew that Grimsgowl revealing information was just to spring up more ideas that could be manipulated by him like how he had condensed the idea that he was Conceptual and he was Information into a crystal that repeated it into Mortis's head.
He could have his flower latch onto the part that wasn't Conceptual but there wouldn't be enough force to continuously chain him.
"I have to finish this fast!" Mortis realised.
He could try to use the Conceptual force that had been lying around after melting Niflheim but he wasn't powerful enough to control it as a Saint and he might be injured critically.
Grimsgowl meanwhile was checking the hall.
"Truly I wonder why Karsus didn't allow me to construct this End Space. I could've done a far better job." He spoke out loud.
Hearing this Mortis had an epiphany and he quickly sent out his chains throughout the hall.
"What are you doing?" Grimsgowl was surprised and posed a question, wanting for Mortis's brain to leak the information by thinking about it.
As the chains embedded themselves into the walls of the hall, he quickly sensed Ethereal Aether being squeezed into every portion of the hall.
"Got it eh?" Karsus allowed himself a small grin.
Karsus had long calculated that perhaps on an off chance The Council may try to test Mortis in the End Space and so as a backup he had created the entire space out of Ethereal Aether.
Mortis on the other hand quickly began siphoning the Ethereal Aether as the Nullshade Oblivion Flower bloomed and several of its appendages shot at Grimsgowl.
"Chains are unable to touch me." Grimsgowl uttered as the chains phased through him before latching onto his entire body.
90% Conceptual means that each portion of Grimsgowl's body is at that rate of Conceptuality meaning that each portion also has 10% Mortality.
And this was what Mortis aimed for.
Grimsgowl, understanding the severity of the situation, began to pull on the chains as his entire 90% Conceptuality began to resist the chains binding and bringing death to him.
"An army protects me!" He uttered as an army appeared but also disappeared as they died.
"You will die today!" Grimsgowl roared again but as it was an idea and technically not a Concept, upon condensing it, it died instead.
Now it was just a tug of war of whether Grimsgowl could take the chains off.
The End Space began to shrink as it was converted into Ethereal Aether.
Blood dripped from Mortis's eyes as the continuous strain of absorbing and redirecting Ethereal Aether took a toll on him.
But he continued.
There was no motion between them and only a fierce staredown.
Time passed as both stood still in their positions.
The End Space has become as large as a room.
Then it happened.
CRACK!
Grimsgowl's entire body began to rot and fall off with even the bones turning to ash.
Once that happened no matter how much Grimsgowl tried to regain his lost parts, he couldn't.
As a being with only 90% Conceptuality, his existence began to crumble due to the instability.
Mortis fell to the ground.
"He must be exterminated!" Grimsgowl was a Kanaan and a Kanaan always followed orders dutifully.
He immediately dashed for Mortis and attacked.
As Grimsgowl was just before Mortis, he crumbled.
"A pity I wasn't able to complete Master's orders." Grimsgowl thought as he breathed his last.
Immediately after, the End Space was ruptured as Ebenzer Vongray appeared.
He ignored the crumbling space and was about to execute Mortis when he stopped.
With a grim expression, he took Mortis out as the End Space crumbled at last.
The Council was surprised when they saw Mortis's body in front of Ebenzer.
"The Absolute Minister has sent his decree! Mortis Vangieri is to become a part of The Council when he achieves Quasi-Deity following which he will be granted his duties. Until that is to occur, he will be under Karsus of the 2nd State!" Ebenzer revealed.
Hearing the mention of The Absolute Minister, The Council immediately understood the situation.
After all, The Absolute Minister was one of the few beings who had fought The Sovereign and survived at the cost of falling to the Quasi-Deity Stage.
"Do the Rex Grudus,Lunario Mendes,Bestia Regnum,and Derium Nexus agree?"
"We agree!" Came the unanimous reply from The Council.
"Good! Karsus! Take him away!" Ebenzer ordered.
"Aye aye captain!" Karsus happily ushered Mortis's body away.
—----------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Mortis woke up, he found himself at a creek, sitting in a chair with Karsus sitting beside him drinking tea.
"Mornin." Karsus greeted, his eyes hinting at something.
Mortis, acknowledging it, nodded.
"Mornin."
"So what are you going to do now?" Karsus said as he slurped up his homebrewed tea.
Mortis grabbing a cup as well answered.
"Start an Academy."
"That's a damn bad idea. What about a clan?" Karsus rejected and recommended.
"You aren't that good looking." Mortis rejected it as well.
"Tsk then what?" Karsus asked.
"Dunno man, but can you give me a list of things I probably need to know?" Mortis requested.
"Alright I'll give it to you later. Let me drink my tea in peace."
"Same, good tea."
"Good tea indeed."
The two drank in silence.
—----------------------------------------------------------
"Why have I been awakened again?" Carto questioned.
[The First Awakening has been accomplished along with the resurgence of No.3]
"Good, how close were we to our plans?"
[About 57%, most of it got derailed due to the interference of The Council; however the profit far outweighs our previous calculations.]
"So The Assimilation Event was scrapped then?"
[Yes.]
"Oh well, what has occurred can't be reversed, focus on No.2 and 4's nurturing, prompt the others to enter the scene."
[Understood.]
"Alright then, wake me up again when No.2 has awakened."
[Acknowledged.]
Arc 2 - Death [Completed]
Interval - Letters from a lonely lovely lover (1) [Begins]