Chapter 131

Long ago, Grandeous spoke.

What’s the most surefire way to change the future?

Predicting it? Knowing it?

No.

Above all else, making the right choices is the surest method.

But can you really do that?

So, I came to this realization.

…If only we could rewind our choices, wouldn’t everything become crystal clear?

What conditions are needed for that?

…If you can turn back time, everything solves itself.

Reaching such a conclusion like this…

Ultimately means altering the past and present to reshape the future.

But…

All his efforts amounted to nothing.

Only by rewinding time could one escape the punishment of an already decided future, he thought.

But in the end, even that resistance was part of the grand scheme.

When you look far enough ahead.

When you see wide enough.

The past, present, and future.

They’re all predetermined.

However, without the foresight to see far ahead.

Without the wisdom to perceive broadly.

Decisions remain undecided.

…I took too long to realize this.

Still, it’s not too late.

At the very least, because I can pass this knowledge on to you.

“……”

He said that, but I still don’t fully grasp the meaning behind his words.

I can only vaguely guess.

Still, there’s one thing that’s certain.

This world is structured within a system so vast and absurdly extensive.

Knowing or not knowing that.

That will be what separates the top from the bottom.

====

Unless the Two-Headed One was maliciously scamming us, this makes no sense.

‘Immature?’

Cain watched as frost dust climbed up his pale skin like rising water, gritting his teeth against the piercing cold.

Immature?

That doesn’t explain this ridiculous power.

Dodging a sudden sword strike, he hurled deranged townsfolk toward the enemy, using them as projectiles.

Even Cain’s physical abilities far surpassed those of an average human, but…

Something about that gaunt guy felt wrong.

And that instinct turned out to be correct.

Despite their malnourished state drastically lowering their physical functions, these half-mad people wildly exceeded normal human capabilities.

Yet, whenever they clashed with the man, they collapsed like rats hit by rocks, behaving more beast than human.

Even when they barely got brushed aside or kicked, they fell hard despite no serious impact.

AAAAHHH!

From somewhere nearby, the pathetic struggles of the two-headed creature continued.

Despite his massive frame, the giant froze solid under the woman’s touch.

Then, somehow shaking it off, he lunged again, forming a new body from his mouth mid-leap, only to freeze completely once more.

And that wasn’t all.

The instant he froze, some mysterious gale tore through him, shattering him into pieces.

Frost swirled violently, tiny icy particles moving like blades through the air.

Yet, none of this harmed the townsfolk directly.

Instead, it quickly redirected its focus back to the man, encasing and pulverizing the two-headed creature anew.

Anyone would be shaken seeing such resurrection repeat endlessly, but…

The woman remained as calm and collected as ever, her gaze and reactions sharp and precise.

And those bearing the brunt of her focus included…

Cain himself, naturally.

A single misstep and the ground beneath him froze over.

Every step he took met frozen surfaces.

Even enduring the pain of his sole being ripped apart, dodging proved futile.

Small whirlwinds awaited him mid-air, rushing in like they’d been lying in wait.

Countless specks of frost condensed into fine needles, tearing through his entire body.

Not just that—his raised arms trying desperately to block were also swept aside as the attacks struck home.

And it didn’t end there.

With every breath, the cold pierced him like needles.

It seeped into his body with each inhale.

Before he knew it, his insides froze, and the spreading crystals transformed into ice thorns.

These pierced his blood, turning it into icy spikes that shredded his internal organs.

“Guh!”

It’s as if countless needles and thorns erupted inside him, spreading poison-like throughout his body.

Truly a horrifying sensation.

A regular human would’ve died long ago.

And yet, he trembled.

Realizing that even great armies and numbers mean nothing against something like this.

No matter how strong someone is, if their body can be rendered powerless like this…

…they have no choice but to die, right?

Without prior assumptions or perfect preparation for such combat styles…

Anyone would crumble unknowingly before this authority.

And the fact that all this could be controlled was equally shocking.

Though the townsfolk seemed affected, none appeared fatally injured.

Unlike himself, coughing up blood and trembling, none of them showed such extreme symptoms.

Many fainted or passed out, but that was all.

Look at that guy swinging his sword wildly while breathing heavily.

Even though he slashes violently, unaffected by ordinary matter or physics, even someone wielding demonic swords capable of cutting through supernatural forces…

Was entirely immune to the woman’s authority.

Or rather, it wasn’t that he was unaffected.

…It was that he was deliberately spared.

Just this proves how finely she can manipulate her powers, doesn’t it?

Someone once said that the powers of Demon Kings surpass those of contemporary ones, piece by piece.

And now, it feels true.

Powers called “authority” typically reach realms incomparable to anything else.

And when used as violence, force, or military might…

They kill Demon Kings and trample vast armies underfoot.

Indeed, this is something capable of changing the era.

“When are you gonna drop dead, idiot?”

Crack!

Venus’ scathing remark and sword strike came simultaneously.

The two-headed one frantically retreated into the air after getting hit.

“Krrr!”

Whoever thought slicing fluttering scraps of cloth was challenging?

Yet Venus somehow managed to cut through them effortlessly—a bizarre sight indeed.

It’s not like his sword was some legendary blade,

nor a holy sword meant to sever the unholy,

nor an overwhelming demon blade wreathed in flames.

So, it must be the wielder who’s abnormal, right?

“Keep cutting me all day! Am I dying?”

The moment there was a gap, the two-headed one spewed mockery.

No matter how much you fight, you’ll eventually tire, falter, and collapse—that’s your limit.

We don’t fear since we can’t die anyway, right?

“That’s convenient.”

What is this lunatic saying now?

“I needed someone I could thrash around.”

In this weak world where a mere stab causes dudes to cry and wet themselves…

“You showed up perfectly, didn’t you?”

“What?!”

As the severed parts reattached,

a kick from this human flew toward him.

“But…”

Surprisingly, it wasn’t ordinary.

Wait, why does it hurt so much?

‘What the hell IS this guy?!!’

Even a charging bull wouldn’t pack THIS kind of power.

How can a measly human’s kick feel heavier than a horse’s rear kick?

And there’s no mana infusion or anything!

“Krr!”

Moreover, it’s not a one-off.

The kick ends just in time for the sword to slash in,

then a punch follows immediately after,

followed by a knee strike,

and then another kick sweeping low.

The sword swings horizontally in a half-circle,

the left hand shoots out, grabbing the two-headed one by the neck.

“You insane bastard!”

His mouth opens wide.

Its size stretches dozens of times larger than any normal beast’s.

“So what?”

The sword thrusts upward vertically.

Penetrating through the mouth, nose, and face, the blade emerges out the top.

And then, for some reason, Venus pulls it back forcefully.

Because the edge wasn’t sharp enough to slice cleanly through, the two-headed one’s mouth clamped down, flesh and muscles gripping the sword tightly.

Beginner swordsmen often mistakenly assume that after stabbing, the blade will come out smoothly as intended.

This misconception leads inexperienced fighters to panic and get hurt—or worse, killed—when faced with unexpected resistance.

But this guy handled it as if expecting such issues,

and pulled harder, gripping the neck with his other hand.

Without resistance, the two-headed giant was yanked closer in an instant.

“Kerk?”

What did he do next?

‘Is this guy INSANE?!’

The kid’s face approaches.

And then…

Toward his face…

The kid’s teeth chomp down instead.

Crack!

“KEEEEEEEK!”

The strange scream of the two-headed one biting the face.

A grotesque choir and orchestra erupts, filled with chaotic and vulgar echoes.

“GRRR!”

Venus bites down furiously on the two-headed one’s face like a mad dog, spitting out chunks of flesh while yelling.

“Who says you don’t need a mouth or teeth?!”

Spitting out thick, black blood like mud and sand from his mouth,

while continuously hammering the jaw with heavy knees,

he rips off a chunk and spits it out.

The recoil sends the sword flying, splitting the nose and upper lip in half.

But was that enough for him?

At some point unnoticed,

his left hand extends rigid fingers toward the large, glowing eyes of the two-headed one.

Like throwing a spear, he stabs straight in.

Puuk!

“KEEEEEK!”

“Shut up, moron!”

Annoyed even by the reaction to pain, he grips the eye and orbital bone firmly.

Even as the two-headed one writhes and screams, Venus hangs onto him like a parasite, swinging along with the chaos.

Yet, he swings his sword wildly with his right hand as if unaffected.

Thwock!

Using sheer arm strength, he wields the sword like a club, striking repeatedly.

Through fur and skin, it soon reaches flesh and bone.

Once isn’t enough—twice, three times, four times.

He cuts tangled fur away with brute force, strikes again, swings sideways.

The townsfolk caught in the chaos thanks to the two-headed one’s wild movements,

but Minette erects a barrier conspicuously, significantly reducing the chaos’s range.

Taking advantage of this new foothold in the air, Venus becomes even more aggressive in dealing with the two-headed one.

Eventually, after enduring the wild struggle, Venus seems satisfied, using the ice barrier as a launchpad and pushing off with full force.

Drawn by that momentum, the giant’s massive body followed, crashing unceremoniously to the ground.

BOOM!

Venus immediately hammered the now lower-positioned head.

Knee, fist, kicks, sword.

The two-headed one’s head gets smashed, crushed, and broken apart.

“Try recovering. Isn’t that your thing? Regenerate! Whatever—just hurry up! You think you’re winning? Let’s test it—your endurance versus mine. Training’s been lacking, so I’m kinda thankful!”

Do I look like someone who beats up immortal wannabes for fun?

You demon worshippers probably think being undead makes you invincible, huh?

“If that made you invincible, I’d have been Demon King ages ago, you fool.”

The pain humans feel and the pain these fools endure exist on entirely different levels.

For us, pain isn’t just pain.

When the pain gets bad enough, injuries follow; the worse the injuries, the more intense the pain grows, spiraling into an increasingly dire physical state.

Recovery isn’t easy either, let alone enduring combat with such a body.

Has the world ever kindly accommodated our pain?

Rather, think of it this way:

Even I become a mess when injured, right?

So logically, if these guys get hurt, they’ll become messes too.

Which means we just wait for that moment and strike!

So, if I can withstand this and inflict the same pain, wounds, and injuries on them…

They’ll likely end up whimpering pathetically.

Conclusion: Whoever endures wins.

It’s a battle of stamina, plain and simple.

That’s normal.

Struggle in this damn world means even the strongest trees break, and the toughest steel bends.

Nothing remains unbroken.

If the body won’t break, find something else to break.

Our fight boils down to who breaks first.

…There’s nothing difficult about it.

“Mi, mi, mi-crazy! What kind of crazy human is this?!”

What lunatic like this even exists?!

The two-headed one trembled for a different reason altogether.

The madness radiating from this human dwarfed the pitiful insanity of the surrounding townsfolk clawing at eyes, screaming, and collapsing in heaps.

Where did THIS guy suddenly come from?!

If it were divine power, white magic, sorcery, or ritual weakening him, that’d be understandable!

But what IS this? Who IS this kid?!

“Idiot. Do you enjoy getting beaten?”

Worse yet,

this guy talks WHILE never stopping his hands or feet.

The more he resists, the harsher the retaliation.

Now he’s outright hacking with his sword.

And when the body tries to recover, the kid waits patiently like he’s satisfied.

…Definitely not sane.

“…You really don’t die, huh?”

“What? That’s good, isn’t it?”

Is he serious?

While Minette grew exasperated by Venus’ fighting spirit, she approached Cain, whose whole body looked like frost flowers had bloomed across it, clearly in critical condition.

“You don’t look so good yourself.”

“…”

Half his body was frozen solid, making speech difficult.

But the internal damage was far worse than what met the eye.

That cursed cold was freezing his heart and brain too.

With his blood already frozen, breathing or anything else became irrelevant.

If he were human, he’d have been dead long ago.

Even the robust bodies of Aquarians, which differed dimensionally from other races…

…were essentially corpses at this point.

But he wasn’t human or Aquarian.

A race nonexistent in this Middle Realm.

Originally, he wasn’t like this, but…

“But why don’t these guys change no matter how much I beat them?”

The conscious townsfolk continue their chaos.

Would restoring their consciousness help? Or is this something else entirely?

Could it be a curse? A mental magic trap? Some related ability?

Could it be stronger than expected?

“If that’s the case, then this isn’t caused by them.”

Or does ending their lives deactivate it? Is it triggered?

If not, then…

“They might just be mediums or transmitters.”

“…Meaning there’s someone higher up controlling them, and whoever initiated this situation?”

You shouldn’t try to logically understand phenomena created by demons.

Though, complications are annoying.

“So, can we just kill them? I’m struggling, so you handle the cleanup?”

“…”

Since Minette entered the fray here, any chance these foes had to escape disappeared long ago.

Whether they know that or resisted because they realized it, or maybe they believed they could handle things themselves without knowing who Venus or herself truly were…

Maybe initially.

But after the failed ambush by the two-headed monstrosity, their mindset surely changed.

Even so, they had ample opportunity to attempt escape during Venus’ forward assault.

Why are they just standing there taking it?

More importantly, Minette had suspicions from the moment this incident began.

‘If this isn’t the center…’

And if this commotion wasn’t random but part of a plan…

Then…

Minette’s gaze reflexively shot toward the distance.

Straight toward the place manipulating and shaking up this country at will.

Where they gather densely.

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