Check out my new translation!
=====
At the heart of the Withering Garden, before Nineveh.
Vast, ocean-deep energy surged within Sol, pouring into the golden-crimson greatsword held in his right hand.
Judgement of Shamash drank the power like a starving wolf, greedily swallowing it down.
Sol's expression did not change. With the [Type-III Perpetual Motion Engine: Stellar Particle], his energy was endless.
The sword's energy index shot upward—10%, 20%, 30%, 80%… and in an instant broke past its peak to over 150%.
The golden-crimson radiance of the greatsword grew hotter and more blinding, the terrifying flames forming its blade reconstructing once again.
A mechanism hidden within its core was triggered, transforming the weapon yet again as star-like brilliance burst forth.
Judgement of Shamash · Cataclysm Form (Might of An-Utu).
Infinite light and heat poured outward, shining in distant echo to the sun above.
The ground beneath Sol's feet cracked, then melted, turning into bright red molten lava.
Every nearby structure containing anything flammable burst into fierce flames, and the ether crystal pillars burned into crimson as well.
A dark red, hellish inferno formed in the blink of an eye.
Only Sol and the ice shelter seemed out of place—like an oasis in the middle of the desert, barely preserving a trace of life.
And even with the ice shelter blocking the heat, Miyabi, Yanagi, and the others could still feel warmth. Extreme ice could absorb temperature, but not light.
"Turns out… that wasn't even the sword's limit before."
Harumasa murmured as he watched the radiance outside.
The first appearance of Judgement of Shamash had already been blinding enough to burn Elite Ethereals to ash. But compared to now, that light had been far too faint.
It feels good to be alive, he sighed.
Miyabi stared tightly at Sol's hand wrapped around the sword. The temperature there had to be unimaginable.
The cursed blade [Tailless] often bit back, bewitching her mind to disrupt her combat.
But the weapon called Judgement of Shamash was several times more brutal.
Such terrifying heat—she couldn't imagine any heat-resistant material capable of enduring it, let alone a fragile human body.
This was a true master-devouring cursed blade; beneath its dazzling brilliance was the elegy of life.
Yet the hand holding the cursed sword was still steady and strong—whole and elegant.
Clearly, the backlash of Judgement of Shamash could not harm Sol.
Miyabi touched the ice layer before her—protective shielding crafted for them by Sol.
It was bitterly cold, yet under such terrifying heat it suffered not the slightest damage.
Even the ground around the ice hut was frosted over, completely incompatible with the surrounding inferno.
She had no doubt this ice could freeze the Judgement of Shamash.
So, this is what he meant—「"I hold this sword because I can break it, if I wished"」.
With an example like this before her, her resolve to master the cursed blade only grew stronger.
If even the Judgement of Shamash could be subdued by its master, why not [Tailless]?
And at this moment—
Five hundred meters away from the Withering Garden, nearly two thousand meters from Nineveh—
A group of researchers stared nervously at their instruments, watching the soaring energy index.
"The energy index has surpassed every recorded instance— even the Old Capital's Fall data never showed such an eruption!"
One researcher's legs trembled as he stammered, "Ray… are we really safe here?"
"We should be fine." Ray wiped her glasses, forcing a grim smile. "At this energy level, if something happens, we wouldn't be able to run anyway."
"Researcher Ray, that's not funny at all."
Several researchers, pale-faced, complained.
Another loosened his collar and whispered, "Hey… do any of you feel a bit hot?"
They all realized the same thing and exclaimed, "Yes—and it's getting hotter. Is that heat coming from over there?"
Ray kept her eyes on the instrument readings. "It is coming from that direction, but don't panic."
"With energy of that magnitude, the heat should be spreading faster. The fact it's only this warm means it's being contained."
This actually calmed her. Clearly, Sol Mercer had no intention of letting the heat spread—and had the power to suppress it.
"Ray really is bold and sharp," the researchers muttered, finally understanding—but immediately new doubts arose. "Still, what kind of ability can control temperature propagation?"
"Who cares? This isn't something we can study anyway."
"For now, recording the rest of the data is more important."
The researchers chattered wildly; between the terror of the ultra-high energy levels and the thrill of witnessing history, their adrenaline was skyrocketing.
The precious data they were collecting proved that all this waiting had been worth it.
Suddenly, one researcher noticed dramatic changes in the ether index and shouted, "Wait—Hollow Zero's ether activity is spiking! At these levels, the big ones in the core area are waking up!"
"What do they want?! Are they coming to rescue Nineveh?!"
"Impossible! Ethereals aren't that intelligent!"
"But if they come out, we're finished!"
Panic spread. Hollow Zero's exploration rate was extremely low; its core was a forbidden zone.
All they knew was that more terrifying Ethereals than Nineveh lurked within—even the first-generation Void Hunters couldn't move through it freely.
But the researchers did not see signs of Ethereals approaching. Instead, the ether index in their own area was steadily dropping.
One researcher gasped, "They're not coming—they're going deeper!"
"They woke up from the energy shock near the Withering Garden… and ran!"
Everyone stared at one another, utterly stunned.
Ethereals weren't supposed to have intelligence. Ethereals weren't supposed to flee. Yet both assumptions were effortlessly overturned.
The core of Hollow Zero housed Ethereals of higher evolution.
And now, they were afraid.
…
And at this moment—
Within the heart of the Withering Garden—
The heated airflow rose continuously, warping the visual space beyond recognition.
The thousands of bone bees that had once surrounded Nineveh began burning from their thinnest wings outward, each transforming into a fireball and falling from the sky—like a meteor shower, strangely beautiful.
Szzzt!
Nineveh struggled to ascend, like a caged bird trying desperately to escape. Dozens of slender ether tendrils wrapped around it, striving to shield its core from harm.
Having gained the faintest shred of awareness, it knew this was certain doom.
In this hellish inferno, Sol held his sword at a slant, his clothing completely intact.
Luckily, it was a purple formal suit—otherwise he would've ended up half-naked at best.
Sol looked at the escaping, caged-bird-like Nineveh and sighed, "Who permitted you to fly?"
Then he swung the Might of An-Utu.
A golden-crimson arc of light scattered outward from the blade—brilliant and burning.
Like the first dawn after night, a sliver of morning light stretching across the horizon. It seemed slow, yet reached the world in an instant.
Silence.
A deathly, absolute quiet.
One moment Nineveh was a sky-blotting shadow overhead—
The next, in the silence, it vanished completely, revealing the sky once more.
It wasn't even granted the dignity of becoming ash; the ether forming its body was annihilated instantly by the heat.
Nineveh was not even a match for a single strike.