"The Cleansing," that power to reshape the world at will.
It could turn skyscrapers into pillars of salt, the air into gunpowder, and the Deva into Primogenitors.
So, turning a Primogenitor into a human would naturally be no challenge at all.
Crimson light particles enveloped the whole world, and within them, Arcueid's figure vanished without a trace.
His strained nerves suddenly relaxed, and Yaze Akishige thudded heavily onto the ground.
"Hahaha…"
The corners of his mouth lifted high as he let out a wild laugh. Air rushed ceaselessly from his lungs, whistling through his windpipe with a sound of pure delight.
Wiping the tears spilling from the corners of his eyes with his remaining arm, he fixed his gaze on the submarine ahead.
Killing the strongest Primogenitor—this feat alone proved the power of his "Cleansing." Investment would come pouring in without end.
Now, all that was left was to guard against the true intentions of the High Priestess—the "Priestess of Abel."
He'd realized long ago that this resurrected wraith's motives weren't pure. Still, the greater the risk, the greater the reward.
A shrine maiden who could wield the "Cleansing" was enough to make him stake his chips.
And guarding against the "Priestess of Abel" was simple enough. One of the conditions for activating the "Cleansing" was linking the "Cain's Coffin" to Itogami Island.
All he had to do was sever that connection, and the "Cleansing" couldn't be activated.
Even if the "Cain's Coffin" housed the wisdom of the Sinful God and boasted godlike computational power, at its core, it was still just a submarine.
If the submarine was cut off from Itogami Island, its only fate was to sink to the bottom of the sea.
A shame about Asagi Aiba inside, though. A fine sacrifice, but not an irreplaceable component.
Yaze Akishige took a deep breath, closing his eyes wearily.
If only he had champagne, he'd pop a bottle right now.
Countless crimson light particles tirelessly converged in the distance.
He lay still on the ground, his expression utterly tranquil.
It didn't surprise him that turning the world's strongest Primogenitor into a human would require immense magic power and time.
The corners of his mouth lifted in a comforting arc.
And then—
"So this is what the 'Cleansing' feels like…"
The words that drifted from within the "Cleansing's" light sent Yaze Akishige scrambling to his feet in panic, but the unfamiliar balance from his missing arm sent him crashing back down hard.
"'Priestess of Abel'! What's going on?!"
A few seconds later, the "Priestess of Abel's" voice slowly came through.
"I…" She was straining to combine the processing power of five supercomputers and the "Cain's Coffin," yet the crimson light only swirled around Arcueid, unable to penetrate. "I… can't change her. I can't alter this Primogenitor."
The distorted quality of her voice made the unease in Yaze Akishige's heart flourish wildly.
Why? What was happening?
The magic power consumed by the "Cleansing" was supplied by the leyline flowing beneath Itogami Island. As long as the island remained on the leyline, there was endless magic to draw from.
So then…
"Is it a computational power issue?"
Yaze Akishige gripped his gun handle uneasily, his arm trembling slightly.
The "Cleansing" was an ancient grand sorcery; what they were doing now was merely recreating its might through electronic means.
Executing such magic alone was impossible. Yaze Akishige had only been able to use the "Cleansing" earlier by relying on the computational power of Itogami Island's five supercomputers.
With this island's processing capacity, wielding the "Cleansing" should have easily erased a Primogenitor-class familiar.
But now…
"Is it her internal Beast Vassals resisting?"
"It's not the Beast Vassals," the "Priestess of Abel's" usually emotionless tone wavered. "I can't alter anything in her body, not even a single strand of hair."
The previously omnipotent "Cleansing" had become utterly feeble when trying to change Arcueid.
"No matter how much I increase computational output, her magic power always stays just a bit higher than mine. Just a bit."
"Oh my, so that's what you're focused on?"
Arcueid's cheerful voice continued to emerge from the crimson light. "Well then… let's get a little more forceful."
Instantly, the "Priestess of Abel's" voice vanished from the space.
Silence.
Had he not anticipated this situation? No, of course he had. It was just…
He hadn't wanted to face it.
He didn't want to experience this feeling of exhausting every effort and still being powerless.
In the vast underground cavern, only Yaze Akishige's ragged breathing echoed.
He stared intently at the converging light in the distance and asked softly,
"'Priestess of Abel'?"
The three words echoed through the cavern, the reverberations fading into his ears until they disappeared.
The surrounding silence made his hair stand on end.
After a long pause, the "Priestess of Abel's" distorted voice finally returned.
"She… her… output… is increasing…"
Overloaded computers were destabilizing her very existence.
"I can feel it already."
Yaze Akishige clutched his trembling legs hard, forcing his head up to look at where the "Cleansing's" light particles were gathering.
A pressure heavy enough to crush one's soul was radiating from the light. This wasn't just a difference in total magic power—it was something more fundamental.
The gap in life itself bent his back, and he strained with all his might just to avoid collapsing.
The "Priestess of Abel's" voice came again. Perhaps because she was preparing to halt the pointless attack, her words flowed more smoothly.
"…The 'Cleansing' is useless against her now." Her words came out like dying gasps bubbling through water. "Her current magic feels…"
The breathless wraith girl was panting in panic. "It feels as vast as this planet. Itogami Island's computational power isn't even one ten-thousandth of hers."
"…Then what do we do…?"
Yaze Akishige forced the words through clenched teeth. What had been effortless speech now required every ounce of his strength.
"…Revive the Sinful God Cain."
The message from the "Priestess of Abel" made him curl his lips into a grin even in this oppressive environment.
"…I see. So this was your real goal all along, you wraith!"
Reviving the Sinful God Cain would lead to the world's destruction.
The "Priestess of Abel," who had her life stolen by the "Cleansing" in ancient times, hated everything in this world. She desperately wished for the Sinful God Cain to destroy it all.
"With me and Itogami Island, the 'Cleansing's' reach extends only a few dozen kilometers around us. But if the Sinful God Cain, the original master of the 'Cleansing,' exercises his authority, the power could follow the leylines and destroy the entire planet."
"…Insane!"
Yaze Akishige wearily crouched down. For someone who cared about practical gains, the "Priestess of Abel's" plan was a mad product beyond comprehension.
"It's the only way now. And you can't stop me."
Reviving the Sinful God Cain only required using the "Cleansing" and extracting the memories stored in the "Cain's Coffin."
With Asagi Aiba now asleep, no one could hinder her.
If anything, her plan had already begun.
The "Priestess of Abel's" face once again broke into a wild smile.
The crimson light particles surrounding the princess gradually scattered as she withdrew her power, drifting toward the "Cain's Coffin."
And then—
She froze in place.
At that very moment, amidst the dispersing crimson particles, a pair of scarlet eyes turned to gaze at her.
Time seemed to solidify.
The princess within the light did nothing. She merely looked over.
No mystic eyes were activated, no magic cast.
Yet, the gap in their existence instantly crushed her soul.
Beside her, Yaze Akishige had already collapsed to the ground.
Breathing halted. Heart stopped.
Every cell froze as if staring directly at the mythical Medusa.
Fear stemmed not from the unknown, but from the unknowable—the impossible to know.
Faced with an utterly mysterious existence, the "Priestess of Abel's" senses had already shattered. Then, as if realizing something, her mind began to blur.
How could this be…
Even a novice learning magic could sense it. This planet was…
Weakening.
Leylines were the natural world's energy currents, massive spiritual pathways flowing across the Earth's surface—equivalent to the planet's blood vessels.
But these leylines, theoretically possessing limitless magic power, were… weakening.
"Played a bit too rough. Be more careful next time."
From within the scattering crimson light, a noble figure slowly emerged.
Golden hair cascaded like a waterfall. A long white dress, interwoven with golden patterns and lined with blue, appeared both gorgeous and regal.
Slender silver swords gleaming coldly orbited around her as the princess's footsteps came to a gentle halt before the "Cain's Coffin."
Brunestud cast an indifferent glance at the two distant figures, then lowered her gaze to contemplate the planet.
After noticing Yaze Akishige exploiting the leylines, she had synchronized slightly with the planet's leyline network.
The result… had been a bit excessive.
Endless magic from the leylines was pouring ceaselessly into her body. The overwhelming power was causing the land itself to weaken.
"It seems this planet is far more willing to support me than humans like you."
The planet had told her that humanity's true home wasn't Earth, but a world at the edge of another realm—"The Eastern Land."
Besides that, it wasn't just Yaze Akishige exploiting the leylines. Some foreign insects were also on Itogami Island, siphoning magic from them.
Brunestud narrowed her eyes with displeasure.
Behind her, a Neco-Arc crawled out of the crater Arcueid had made earlier and scampered over to the submarine, tinkering away.
Yaze Akishige's heart pounded wildly, almost leaping from his chest. His eyes were locked on the princess emerging from the light, as if pinned by the gaze of the abyss itself, unable to escape.
His mouth struggled to open, but no coherent sound emerged. He frantically signaled with his eyes to the "Priestess of Abel" beside him.
But the wraith-like girl only clutched her shattered soul, lost in her own screams, while the "Cleansing's" glow flickered unstably around her.
Cut off from the leyline's magic, the "Cleansing's" power couldn't be wielded steadily.
Crimson light particles scattered indiscriminately through the underground cavern. The stone pillars Arcueid had created earlier to support the ceiling were turning block by block into grains of salt.
Had they lost their minds?
Brunestud casually swatted away the light particles aimed at the submarine. Leyline magic sprouted a few blue flowers at her feet.
There were still people inside. Couldn't let them be destroyed.
"Your courage is still worthy of praise."
Brunestud spread her arms as if to embrace the world. The swirling magic around her made the entire artificial island tremble as if in fear.
"However, you've overestimated yourselves."
Space swayed. The scenery rippled.
Countless chains flew forth from around Brunestud, entangling the entire space as if to seal away the world.
Magic power cascaded around Brunestud, eroding the whole underground cavern.
"Marble Phantasm."
"Be swallowed by my thousand chains."
"This is a sacred, phantasmal mountain beyond mankind's ken."
"I shall show you…"
"...the canopy covering the stars!!"
Thud—
Suddenly, a sound as if cleaving the earth rang out.
Thud-thud-thud—
The entire Stratum Zero pulsed. The walls, the ceiling—all of it.
Dozens, hundreds, thousands of fractures appeared like chopping vegetables, snaking outward in waves.
The figures of Yaze Akishige and the "Priestess of Abel" vanished in an instant.
Not a drop of blood was shed. Their very existences were warped, severed, compressed.
What followed was a scene impossible in reality.
Blue flowers bloomed across a vast field. A mirage-like castle stood tall among the blossoms. High in the sky, a full moon cast serene light.
A breeze swept up petals, scattering them beneath the clear moonlight.
Golden hair swayed with the petals, and as if proud to display this scene, Brunestud's lips curved into a faint smile.
The reality of the underground cavern had been replaced, like switching a photograph, with this dreamlike scenery.
The crimson glow, as if sensing the "Priestess of Abel's" resentment, burst forth in one final blaze of color.
The "Cleansing" light that could change the world mercilessly struck the scene—yet couldn't so much as tremble a single blade of grass.
A single faint light particle drifted in the air, like a firefly resting on a petal, before settling onto a blue flower.
And then, slowly faded.
All that remained was a steady silence—
The silence that declared the end of the "Cleansing."
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.