Deep within the inner realm, in a hidden domain revealed after the sea of blood had receded, stood a small chapel amidst a field of withered flowers. Inside, Dorothy gazed at a message left behindāone imbued with an unmistakably familiar auraāand fell into deep thought.
āThis... this really does seem like a message from Hyperion... There are indeed traces of His power in this domain. Itās not fake... So Hyperion had such an ambiguous relationship with Astarteāand even gifted her an entire domain?ā
Frowning, Dorothy examined the carvings upon a broken stone pillar, pondering carefully. Back on the undersea island that served as the domainās entrance, she had already found spiritual traces of both Lantern and Shadow. And within the domain itself, beyond the floral deityās divine aura, there were also lingering traces of Lantern and Shadowās divinity. She had been puzzled before, but now she had her answer.
In this cycle, the only one who had ever simultaneously held the dual divinity of both Lantern and Shadow was the Third Epochās Emperor of LightāHyperionāher grandfather.
āNo wonder Astarte wasnāt heavily affected by the Mother of Chaliceās fall. No wonder this domain, the so-called āFragrant Cradle,ā could remain hidden for so long even under the extensive search of the Afterbirth Cult. So it was all Hyperionās doing behind the scenes...ā
Dorothy now understood, shifting her gaze from the message to the ruined chapel as a whole.
āTch... As expected of the most āprotagonist-likeā god of the Third Epoch. Fortunes stacked on fortunes, overwhelming power, glorious achievements... Not only did He ascend to the most exalted status in the world as a mortal, He also managed to fall in love with the most beautiful among the gods... tsk tsk...
āIf He had just played it safe, He absolutely couldāve presided over the entire cycle of reincarnation and exited the judgment unscathed, returning in the next epoch as the Lord of Lantern again. But alas... He had to pull that Eclipse Calamity stunt...ā
Surveying the ruined structures, Dorothy sighed inwardly. So much of the chaos in this Fourth Epoch could be traced back to Hyperionās reckless Eclipse Ritual. Had He been more cautious, the world wouldnāt be so overrun with evil gods and disasters.
Going furtherāif Hyperion hadnāt gone off the rails and the Third Epoch Empire had endured into the present, her own succession to the Divine Throne of Revelation wouldnāt have been so troublesome. She might have already ascended by now.
āI suppose I can finally understand how Beverly felt...ā
Dorothy murmured softly to herself. Now she could better grasp why Beverly had been so agitated when recounting Hyperionās illustrious past. In their grand game, everyone had been playing their part, holding things together despite bleak prospects. Then the star playerāthe one everyone counted onāsuddenly made a ludicrous misplay that collapsed the entire team. Who wouldnāt have a spike in blood pressure?
āThinking back... When that automaton woman spoke to me about Hyperion, she still managed to remain calm, even with some positive remarks. Such composure... Truly worthy of a Stone god. Imagine if it were any other deity, things wouldāve gone very differently...ā
Dorothy mused again. Thankfully, the Northern Emperor Inut had already died during the empireās golden ageāhe wasnāt Hyperionās teammate. Otherwise, he mightāve spent millennia cursing Hyperion.
Eventually, Dorothy withdrew from her thoughts. Casting one last glance at the crumbling chapel, she slowly rose into the air and continued toward her predetermined destination: the distant, fractured āgiant egg.ā
Before long, Dorothy approached the āgiant egg,ā gradually lowering her altitude until she landed beneath it. Standing again on the withered flower field, she looked up at the towering crystalline āeggshell,ā hundredsānearly a thousandāmeters tall like a sky-piercing wall, riddled with massive cracks. At the top, a portion of the shell had already vanishedādamage caused by the Abyssal Serpent before Dorothyās arrival.
Staring for several seconds at the towering eggshell, Dorothy extended her hand and pressed it against the surface. Closing her eyes, she carefully sensed the lingering divine aura within. Then, she extended her own divinity to make contactāinstantly triggering a dramatic change in the broken āegg.ā
Cracksāmany more of themāspread rapidly outward from Dorothyās hand across the entire shell. Finer and faster than the previous ones, they quickly enveloped the entire structure. From within these countless fissures, a faint glow began to shine.
Then came the sharp crackling. The entire āeggā began to shatter from the top down. Tiny fragments of the eggshell split along the dense cracks, peeling away and disintegrating mid-air into glowing petals, slowly drifting down like a floral rainābeautiful and luminousācasting a touch of color across the desolate domain.
As the āeggā continued to unravel from top to bottom, the floral rain intensified. When it had fully disintegrated, what stood revealed before Dorothy was a towering tree amidst the withered flower field, its branches adorned with countless softly glowing cherry-pink blossoms. Some were wilting, others still in bloom.
At the same time, a gentle breeze arose, sweeping the falling petals toward the great tree, circling and floating around itāforming a breathtaking scene.
Within that rain of flowers, Dorothy heard a faint whisperāa soft female voice, but frail, broken with noise and static, almost indecipherable. Like a dying person murmuring in a fever dream, barely breathing.
Dorothy activated her abilities to process the sound, filtering out the interference and extracting fragmented information.
āAh... itās over... gone... retreated... the serpent...
āAt last... someone has come... too late...? Or not too late...? After the serpent... a new guest comes seeking something from me?ā
These fragmented words hovered around Dorothyās ears. After a slight pause, she asked in Imperial tongue.
āYou are the Goddess of Flowers and Dance... the Goddess of Beauty, Astarte?ā
After a moment, the wind and petal dance responded to Dorothyās query.
āAstarte... Ah... yes... that was the name I called myself in days of full bloom... though withered, I still cling to it... Iām glad... you still grant this name to what remains of me...ā
Though no form appeared, the voice from the swirling petals confirmed her identity. Hearing it, Dorothyās heart stirred slightly, and she asked again.
āWhat is your condition now? If you still have consciousness, then the Abyssal Serpent must have failed to completely reach its goal, right?ā
āWhat remains of me... is but one fallen petal... After the final seal faded... the serpent devoured most of my flesh... A small fragment lingered, converted into will... The serpent tried to devour my last will... and was repelled by you...ā
The drifting voice was faintāits owner clearly in an extremely weakened state. Dorothy furrowed her brows upon hearing it.
āYouāre a subordinate god as well. Couldnāt you defeat the Abyssal Serpent?ā
āIn full bloom... I did not fear it... But in slumber... I was but a curled bud...ā
The voice from the petals continued its halting tale.
āCountless ages ago... my most noble mother became a catastrophe that swept the gods... As one of her closest divine kin... escape was nearly impossible. I needed this cherished cradle-world as a hothouse barrier... and had to seal myself, curling into a bud in eternal sleep...
āIn such a state... I could not resist the invading serpent... I could only rely on the cradleās power to barely hold it off... But under its venom that stings the gods... even the cradleās shelter could not last forever...ā
Astarte's voice continued to respond to Dorothyās questions. It was now clear: though the Abyssal Serpent had entered the domain long ago by devouring Charles, it had not immediately consumed the slumbering Astarte due to the protective power of the so-called āCradle.ā There had been a corrosive process...
āWhen the Abyssal Serpent was corroding your protection, didnāt you awaken to resist it?ā
Dorothy continued her questioning, and Astarteās gentle voice once again floated forth in the same tone.
āThe Serpentās divine venomā¦ has the power to numb divinityā¦ The Serpent was cunningā¦ It deliberately prolonged the corrosionā¦ so that the Cradle would be numbed graduallyā¦ corroded little by little without being overstimulatedā¦ until it could penetrate the Cradle. By the time I awakenedā¦ it was already too late to resistā¦ Moreoverā¦ awakening in a weakened stateā¦ I stood no chance against the Serpent empowered by my fallen motherā¦ā
The voice among the drifting petals continued. After hearing this, Dorothy finally understood why, despite the Abyssal Serpent having entered the domain nearly a century ago, it had only recently begun devouring Astarte. It had taken a long time paralyzing the defenses to avoid prematurely alerting the Flower Goddess.
āIf most of your flesh was devoured by the Abyssal Serpent, then why didnāt I see it using your power during our fight?ā
Dorothy posed her next question, and Astarte replied softly.
āBecause it only devouredā¦ it did not digestā¦ not even absorbā¦
āThe Serpent merely stored my power withinā¦ not daring to merge with itā¦ It didnāt even dare assimilate it, fearing its own greedā¦ because it needed to deliver it intactā¦ bring it back to my mad motherā¦ My power holds greater significance for themā¦ So the Serpent needed to avoid any blending between its own power and mineā¦ā
Astarte whispered this explanation, and Dorothyās expression darkened further as she asked.
āFor what purpose?ā
āA ritualā¦ a divine ritualā¦
āMy powerā¦ along with that of the Serpentā¦ the Vultureā¦ and the Wolfā¦ the divine powers of the three fallen offspringā¦ with the proper methodā¦ is enough to conduct a terrible ritual for my mad motherā¦ Through it, She mayā¦ be set freeā¦ā
Astarteās ethereal voice uttered those dreadful words, and Dorothyās expression grew even more grave. After a moment of silence, she spoke again.
āFortunately, the Abyssal Serpent didnāt devour you completelyā¦ā
āUnfortunatelyā¦ even from the ritualās perspective aloneā¦ the portion it devoured is already sufficientā¦ The ritual may not be perfectā¦ but it can still proceedā¦ā
Astarteās answer made Dorothyās face turn even more solemn.
āIn the Abundance mystical text passed down by your hidden order in the mortal worldā¦ does it contain that proper ritual you mentioned?ā she asked, her tone now sharp.
āThe Abundanceā¦ mystical text? Ahā¦ yesā¦ that text indeed contains the corresponding methodā¦ā
Astarte responded after a brief recollection. Dorothy immediately pressed further, voice turning severe.
āWhy did you pass down such a ritual? Its contents are already known to the three divine offspring. And now that they have your power, theyāre fully capable of carrying out the ritual to release the Mother of Chalice!ā
Dorothy demanded, and Astarte responded again with her airy, dreamlike voice.
āThe ritualā¦ has already been leaked? Thatās unfortunateā¦ but really, thereās no need to obsess over thatā¦
āEven if the three divine offspring hadnāt obtained the ritualā¦ once they acquired my power, they could have eventually deduced the correct method through repeated attemptsā¦ The text simply gave them a referenceā¦ sped up the process, thatās allā¦
āIn the face of inevitable destinyā¦ what difference does a few hundred years make? Perhaps even the theft of my powerā¦ was simply the unavoidable result of this grand currentā¦ Everything was doomed the moment Hyperion failedā¦ Even with all the preparations He made to save meā¦ the tragic ending still could not be avoidedā¦ā
Her voice carried both confusion and lament. Dorothy, dissatisfied, pressed on firmly.
āYou still havenāt answered me. Why did you preserve the Abundance mystical text at all?ā
āHeheā¦ Such a curious childā¦ As expected of the new Arbiterā¦ā
Astarte chuckled softly before continuing near Dorothyās ear.
āBecauseā¦ to preserve hopeā¦ Before Hyperion embarked on His risky endeavorā¦ He had already envisioned the worst-case scenario. He thought of meā¦ and of our unstable mother in this cycleā¦ so He made many preparations across various fieldsā¦
āIn the Chalice domainā¦ Hyperion set two safeguards. The first upon our motherā¦ the second upon meā¦ In the endā¦ the safeguard on mother failedā¦ but mine still functionedā¦ allowing me to slumber within this domainā¦ shielded from the disasterās reachā¦
āSoā¦ I wished to preserve the knowledge of the grand ritualā¦ hoping that one day, someone could use it to free our mother from Her maddening tormentā¦ā
Astarte continued softly. After hearing this, Dorothy raised her brows and asked directly.
āHyperion set a safeguard on the Mother of Chalice too? What kind? Why didnāt it activate?ā
āThatā¦ I do not knowā¦ Hyperion never spoke to me of itā¦ Only that it existedā¦ and that it ultimately failedā¦ā
Astarte replied again, and Dorothy frowned in deep contemplation.
āSoā¦ Hyperion hadnāt overlooked the risk that His actions might doom the Mother of Chalice. He had arranged a safeguard for Her, but it failed when the calamity struckā¦ What happened during the Eclipse Ritual? Why did the Flower Goddessās safeguard work, but not the Motherās?ā
Dorothy pondered with a hand on her chin. And just then, she seemed to feel Astarte observing her.
As Dorothy sank into thought, the glowing flower petals began to swirl around her. A gentle breeze brushed her cheekālike a soft caress from an invisible hand.
āSo alikeā¦ Truly alikeā¦ You and little Mirror are almost identicalā¦ Are you and Moonlit Nightā¦?ā
The murmured voice drifted around Dorothy, curiosity and wonder in its tone. Startled slightly, Dorothy paused her thoughts and replied.
āI am the divine descendant of the Mirror Moon Goddess. Selene is my mother.ā
She placed a hand on her chest as she spoke earnestly. Upon hearing this, Astarte let out a sigh of understanding and emotion.
āI seeā¦ So you are little Mirrorās daughterā¦ I never would have imaginedā¦ that the one who came to rescue me would be the child of Mirrorā¦ Hyperionās divine lineage has not faltered after His fallā¦ and now, a new Lord God is soon to be bornā¦ What a wondrous fateā¦ā
Her voice brought Dorothy back to the present. She looked once again at the sky full of petals and asked with renewed clarity.
āBefore I came here, I found what appeared to be a message from my grandfather Hyperion in this domain. In it, he called you his belovedā¦ Were you twoā¦ married?ā
Dorothy asked frankly. At that, Astarteās voice took on a brighter tone.
āMarriedā¦ Hehā¦ I had longed to formally become His divine consortā¦ He once promised that one day He would place the crown upon me with His own handsā¦ But sadly, before that day could comeā¦ He fell during the Eclipseā¦ and so, we were only ever loversā¦ā
āThis domainā¦ was it a gift from Him?ā
āYesā¦ This place was originally Hyperionās secret baseā¦ even before He fully ascended, He was already using it to prepare for various great warsā¦ plan His many schemesā¦
āAfter we fell in loveā¦ this became our private meeting placeā¦ He continued His grand plans hereā¦ and we met here again and againā¦ Until just before the Eclipseā¦ when He finally gave it to me as a refugeā¦ā
Astarte spoke gently, and as Dorothy listened closely, her spirit stirred again and she pressed further.
āHe made plans hereā¦ then do you know why Hyperion wanted to perform the Eclipse Ritual? He must have prepared it here, right?ā
Though she asked, Dorothy didnāt expect to gain much from Astarte on this matter. But the answer caught her off guard.
āThe reason for the Eclipse Ritualā¦ yes, I did hear Him speak of it onceā¦ā
āHe told you? What was it? Why go to such lengths for this ritual?ā
Dorothy asked quickly. She hadnāt expected to find the answer Beverly couldnāt provide from Astarte instead. And Astarte softly replied.
āAccording to Hyperionā¦ the purpose of the Eclipse Ritual was summoningā¦ Summoning a powerful force from beyond this world and timeā¦ to intervene in this realmā¦ to introduce sufficient variablesā¦ to rescue a universe slowly decaying into annihilationā¦ā
āSummoning power from another world?ā
Dorothy frowned again, then asked in confusion.
āButā¦ donāt the Lord Gods of each cycle already perform summoning rituals at the beginning of every reincarnation? To bring in an outsider to traverse this world? Why did He perform another summoning ritual? Whatās the difference between the two?ā
Dorothy looked to Astarte with a puzzled expression and asked, and the latter promptly replied.
āThe difference liesā¦ in the target of the summoningā¦
āAccording to Hyperionā¦ the ritual at the beginning of each cycleā¦ is essentially this world producing a momentary pull toward the outsideā¦ drawing some unknown entity from beyondā¦ and allowing it to enter this worldā¦ Though the ritual is very stable and safeā¦ it cannot specify which external being will be drawnā¦ Itās entirely random who ends up being summonedā¦
āHyperion saidā¦ the worlds beyond are vast as the starry seaā¦ with countless intelligent beingsā¦ The summoning at the start of a cycle merely draws one at random from this endless multitudeā¦ Itās like drawing strawsāyouāll rarely get someone truly powerfulā¦ Instead, you get the mediocreā¦ And such mediocrity can never bring real change to this worldā¦ā
Astarte continued in her airy voice, sharing the hidden truth she knew. Dorothy, after hearing her, responded thoughtfully.
āSo Hyperion believedā¦ that the summoning rituals performed by the Lord Gods at the beginning of each cycle were too much like fishing in the ocean blindfoldedā¦ That they couldnāt summon anyone truly powerful? And that only a being already strong in the outer world could bring real change?ā
āExactly.ā
Astarte affirmed her words and continued.
āThrough countless cyclesā¦ countless people from beyond have entered this world, and yet none could stop its descent into chaos. Hyperion believed the key reason was that these outsiders were simply too weak. Even after receiving supplementary powers, they were still limitedā¦ The inherently weak could not generate enough of a variable to influence this world. To truly alter the fate of this worldā¦ what was needed was a greater forceā¦
āBecauseā¦ after each cycleā¦ the summoned outsiders would ultimately integrate into this worldā¦ making their tiny variables unable to accumulateā¦ Therefore, in Hyperionās viewā¦ the only way to introduce a massive variableā¦ was to summon an extremely powerful being from beyondā¦ To put it plainlyāan outer god.ā
Astarte whispered the details of Hyperionās plan. After hearing this, Dorothy paused, her eyes widening slightly in surprise, and asked.
āYou meanā¦ Hyperion wasnāt trying to summon a transmigratorā¦ but to summon a god from beyond?! He wanted to directly bring in an external god to introduce a massive variable into this world?ā
āPreciselyā¦ When the mundane are no longer usefulā¦ only divine power from beyond can stir the tides of changeā¦ That was the true goal of Hyperionās plan. But in this cage forged by Chaosā¦ executing that plan required immense powerā¦ power beyond the limits of His status as Lord of Lantern. To acquire that powerā¦ He took the risk of attempting to fuse the opposing divinity of Shadowā¦ in pursuit of an ancient, primordial divinityā¦ā
Astarte continued explaining. Dorothy nodded with growing understanding.
āSo thatās itā¦ Hyperion performed the Eclipse Ritual to acquire primordial divinity, all so He could conduct another summoningānot of humans, but of godsā¦ If an external god could descend, it really would create a colossal variableā¦ā
Indeed, since each cycle integrates the summoned traveler into the world, each brings only a tiny variableāand those canāt accumulate. The best solution, then, was to introduce a massive variable all at onceābeyond the Six Lord Gods and Twenty Subordinate Deities, a new outer god, directly into the world.
āThe ideaā¦ does have its logic. But itās a pity the Eclipse Ritual ultimately failed. Not only did Hyperion fail to summon an outer godā¦ He also inflicted serious damage on this worldā¦ā
Dorothy sighed, but Astarteās next response caught her off guard once again.
āNoā¦ strictly speakingā¦ Hyperionās Eclipse Ritual didnāt completely failā¦ Though His divine body collapsed and fellā¦ in that final instantā¦ He did reach the realm of the primordial godā¦ He obtained power that surpassed the Lord Godsā¦ And in that momentā¦ He began His summoningā¦ā
āWhat? Hyperion really tried to summon an outer god?ā
āYesā¦ Hyperion, with only a fleeting grasp of the power of the Primordial, launched an attempt to break throughā¦ Unlike the summoning ritual at the start of the cycle, which attracts an unknown from beyondā¦ Hyperionās ritual wasnāt passiveā¦ it was active. He tried to cross the boundary himselfā¦ to perceive and contact the divinity beyond this worldā¦ and to invite it inā¦ā
Astarte explained. Dorothy, listening intently, asked urgently.
āSoā¦ did Hyperion succeed? Did He make contact with an outer god?ā
She asked, hopeful. Since the Eclipse Ritual had briefly succeeded, surely there was a chance. But Astarteās answer was negative.
āSadlyā¦ noā¦ The Egg of Chaos is bound to all things in this worldā¦ and nothing in this world can escape its gripā¦
āWhen Hyperion attempted to cross into the beyondā¦ He immediately felt the pull of the Egg of Chaosā¦ It seized Himā¦ forcibly dragged Him backā¦ And the further He pushed into the outer worldā¦ the stronger the pull becameā¦
āWhen He finally broke through into the outer worldā¦ the force pulling Him back was already immenseā¦ Yet He had only just begun His journey thereā¦ far from reaching the level needed to contact divine beingsā¦
āHad He continuedā¦ He risked being torn apart by the pullā¦
āBut in the endā¦ Hyperion chose to press onā¦ to continue His journey beyondā¦ And so His body was torn apartā¦ the fragments falling back into the worldā¦
āThe farther He venturedā¦ the more severe the tearingā¦ In the end, His bodyā¦ His divinityā¦ even His spirit and memories were shredded and pulled back into this worldā¦ He reached the outer worldā¦ but ultimately, all of Him was dragged backā¦ā
Astarteās ethereal voice carried clear sorrow. Dorothy, hearing this, felt her heart grow heavier, her brows furrowed deeply.
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āThe Egg of Chaos pulled Hyperion backā¦ So in the end, He sent nothing into the outer world? He never truly contacted an outer god?ā
āNoā¦ On every level, Hyperion failed to escapeā¦ He tried to leave the worldā¦ but was entirely pulled backā¦ According to His planā¦ even if He couldnāt make contact, Heād at least broadcast this worldās situation into the beyondā¦ so that an outer god, upon receiving the signal, might become interested and interveneā¦
āBut He still underestimated the power of the Egg of Chaosā¦ If it could bind the Three Primordial Gods together, there was no way it would let Him escapeā¦ Not only was Hyperion Himself pulled backā¦ all the information He tried to send out was dragged back tooā¦ Not a single fragment reached the outer worldā¦
āIn the final moments before His fallā¦ He sent me one last messageā¦ filled with despairā¦ā
Astarte paused in somber silence. When she spoke again, her tone turned grave.
āNothing born of this world can escape itā¦ Not matterā¦ not energyā¦ not informationā¦ Anything that originates hereā¦ must return hereā¦ Hyperion gave everythingā¦ but because He belonged to this worldā¦ even total self-sacrifice couldnāt sever His ties to the Egg of Chaosā¦ and He was dragged backā¦ and perishedā¦ā
With that, Astarte finally fell into silence. Dorothy, after hearing her words, also remained quiet for a long moment, sinking into deep thought. She now understood more of Hyperionās secretsāand the brutal truth they unveiled.
āSoā¦ the flaw in Hyperionās plan wasā¦ that He was of this world?ā
āPerhapsā¦ This world itself is a cage forged by the Egg of Chaosā¦ Everything is built for the hatching of chaosā¦ What is born in the cageā¦ cannot escape itā¦ā
āThenā¦ if someone not born within the cage were to carry out Hyperionās planā¦ might it actually succeed?ā
Dorothy shifted the topic, and Astarteāafter a short pauseāreplied with interest.
āSomeone not born of the cageā¦ Ahā¦ So you are this cycleās outsiderā¦ No wonder you could inherit the Arbiterās divine throne as the daughter of Little Mirrorā¦
āIndeedā¦ according to Hyperionās final wordsā¦ If He had been an outsider, not a native of this worldā¦ perhaps the plan would have succeededā¦ But even so, I must advise youā¦ do not attempt to walk His pathā¦ The final outcome is completely unknownā¦ As the Arbiter, you are key to ensuring the smooth transition of this worldās cycleā¦ You cannot afford any accidentsā¦ If you must experiment with such ideasā¦ wait for the next cycle, and let another outsider carry them outā¦ā
Astarteās words echoed those of Beverlyāboth were trying to dissuade Dorothy from acting rashly in this cycle. Dorothy merely smiled and shook her head.
āI thought, since you once supported Hyperionās madness, you might understand my thoughtsā¦ā
āIt is precisely because I witnessed His fateā¦ that I cannot bear to see His descendants repeat itā¦ Please, listenā¦ young Arbiterā¦ I understand how you feelā¦ but donāt act on impulseā¦ The hope of this world surviving this cycle rests on your shouldersā¦ā
Astarteās plea was sincere. Dorothy didnāt answer directlyāinstead, she shifted the topic.
āEnoughā¦ Letās leave that for now. This domain is no longer safe. Let me take you out. The war with the Mother of Chalice will begin in full soonā¦ I hope youāll be able to lend us your aid when the time comesā¦ā
āIf it means granting my mother true releaseā¦ I shall give everything I haveā¦ā
Astarte replied softly. Dorothy, hearing this, prepared to actāto help Astarte escape in her current stateābut then paused as if something else occurred to her.
āOhā¦ rightā¦ I have one last question. Since you and Hyperion were loversā¦ then my motherāSeleneāis she your daughter? Are youā¦ my grandmother?ā
Dorothy asked curiously. A delicate laugh echoed from the drifting petals.
āHeheā¦ If only I truly had such a clever granddaughterā¦ and such a considerate daughter like Little Mirrorā¦ Sadly, while I did regard her as a daughterā¦ she is not my childā¦ She is Hyperionās daughterā¦ but not mine.ā
āWhat?!ā
Dorothy was stunned, frozen in place at Astarteās unexpected response.
ā¦
Central Mainland, Holy Mount.
Atop the towering Holy Mount, beneath a radiant divine halo, the grand and magnificent Holy Mount Cathedral stood at the most critical point of the mountaintop. Within its vast interior, a solemn meeting was underway.
Beneath the immense dome that pierced the skies, six of the seven sacred thrones were already occupied. Among the seated figures, a beautiful woman dressed in a plain robe stood, presenting her report to the assembly.
āAs I have explained, the book titled The Crimson Holy Mother contains a significant number of essential rites and secret ceremonies from the Second Epochās Church of Abundanceā¦ If the Afterbirth Cult were to use it as a reference, they would undoubtedly make major advances in their ritual practices related to the Mother of Chalice. Combined with the information just received from Her Excellency, it appears that the Afterbirth Cult has now acquired the final component for their prepared ritual implementsā¦ We donāt have much time leftā¦ā
Stepping slowly across a massive white stone slab, Shepsuna looked around at the gathered church cardinals. With her words, each face visibly grew heavier with concern.
āAccording to you, Lady Shepsunaā¦ the Afterbirth Cult is preparing a powerful ritual to channel the Mother of Chaliceās power?ā
Amanda, the Cardinal of Redemption, asked with a grave expression after listening to Shepsuna. The latter raised her hand and responded bluntly.
āNo, not merely a summoning of Her power. Based on what Her Excellency has uncoveredā¦ the Afterbirth Cult is very likely preparing to summon the Mother of Chalice herselfā¦ They now have the means to bypass layer upon layer of sealsāto allow a truly evil Lord God to descend into this timeline. Such a descent would bring upon this world the most devastating catastrophe of the current epochā¦ā
As Shepsuna spoke these alarming words, the expressions of the six cardinals grew even grimmer. They exchanged glances, all clearly shaken by the news.
āThe Mother of Chalice descending? Is that really possible? Madam, though you are an envoy of the Divine Child, one should not speak so recklesslyā¦ā
Cardinal Marco, visibly anxious, expressed his concern. But Shepsuna responded with solemn assurance.
āNot a word Iāve said is falseā¦ The situation in this world has reached a tipping point. We must act at once. I suggest the Holy Church immediately initiate your Great Holy War and launch a full assault against the Afterbirth Cult in the south. If we let them strike first, we may find ourselves on the defensive. Your Churchās forces should already be prepared, yes?ā
As Dorothyās envoy, Shepsuna calmly put forth her recommendation before the Council of Cardinals. Her words had barely faded when Hilbert spoke, face stern.
āIndeed, the Holy Church has deployed numerous forces in North Ufiga and across the Conquest Sea. Basic preparations are completeābut they were primarily for defensive engagements, to guard against a sudden attack from the Afterbirth Cultā¦ If weāre to go on the offensive, there may be some issuesā¦ā
Their current mobilization had been intended for defenseāespecially in the absence of the Popeāto guard against a large-scale attack, particularly by Unina. But now they were being called to strike first...
After all, even preparing for war was already a step toward overreach. And to now move from readiness to the actual declaration of a Great Holy Warāsuch authority traditionally belonged to the Pope alone.
To declare such a war without papal consent was far more serious than preparing for one. While all the cardinals present recognized the danger facing the world, some still hesitated at the idea of crossing that final threshold.
āDeclaring a Holy War in the Popeās absenceāsuch power is beyond even the combined authority of the six of us. I hope you understand this, Envoy of the Divine Childā¦ā said Cardinal Kramar, frowning.
At the same time, Artecheri spoke up, her voice solemn.
āIt may be a grave transgression, but given the crisis we face, perhaps we canāt afford to be so cautiousā¦ā
āIndeedā¦ Her Excellency has already helped us avert great disasters more than once. She has earned our deepest trust. Not once has Her foresight ever failedā¦ā
Alberto added respectfully. And so, the Council of Cardinals began to discuss the matter more heatedly. Unlike the matter of borrowing the Sacred Staff, initiating a Great Holy War would involve the entirety of the Radiance Churchāmillions of lives. Even with Dorothyās guidance, it was not a decision easily made.
Yet just as the councilās debate was growing intense, a violent tremor suddenly rocked the entire Holy Mount Cathedral. A wave of evil energy spread through the grand hall, causing the cardinals to halt their discussion and immediately enter a state of heightened alert.
āWhat? Whatās happening?!ā
āAn earthquake? Thatās impossibleāHoly Mount canāt quakeā¦ Is this an inner realm tremor? How could that affect this place?!ā
āThis sensationā¦ Itās Chalice powerā¦ such malevolent Chalice power, could it beā?ā
As Amanda frowned and tried to sense the anomaly, the most sacred object in the cathedral began to trembleāthe Tri-Sanctum Altar behind the high seat, blessed with holy and extraordinary force, began to tilt. The Altar of the Holy Mother crashed down with a deafening sound, shattering many exquisite ritual vessels on the floor and leaving the area in utter disarray.
A single tremor had toppled the sacred altarāsomething that had not happened once in the thousand-year history of Holy Mount Cathedral. The cardinals stood frozen in shock, while Shepsuna, gazing down at the shattered statue of the Holy Mother, murmured.
āTrulyā¦ a most ominous omenā¦ā
She shook her head as she spoke. Meanwhile, Hilbert, witnessing this unprecedented event, turned to look at the empty Papal Throne. There, he seemed to glimpse a faint ripple of light coalescingāsome kind of message manifesting.
Seeing this, Hilbert whispered softly.
āMy friendsā¦ given the circumstances, the Great Holy War must commence immediatelyā¦
āLet us purge the southern evils that fester upon this landā¦ā
Hilbert spoke decisively. And at that moment, not a single cardinal voiced objection.
Thus, after a long period of preparation, the war machine of the Radiance Church finally stirredāunleashing the flames of purification upon the southern Afterbirth Cult.
After more than four hundred years, another Great Holy War between Radiance Church and the Afterbirth Cult was about to begin. And this time, its scale would be unprecedented.