Chapter 139

It was a space of nothingness. It was a space filled with something.

The present moment was an instant. The present moment was eternity.

All opposites were originally one. Because there is emptiness, there is everything; because there is life, there is death; because there is darkness, there is light; because there is good, the concept of evil exists; because we know hope, we can speak of despair. The same goes for the opposite.

Creation and destruction, beginning and end, are two sides of the same coin. If you know the beginning, the length of every moment in between loses its meaning.

If you exist only between the concepts of beginning and end, even an instant or an eternity is ultimately just a fleeting process, and even this short moment can be stretched infinitely.

The time has come for the chant that touches all things and interferes with providence. O great and trivial time, be silent.

“Fire, burn all things according to my will.”

The fire burned according to my will, taking the form of a sphere.

“Water, drown the world according to my will.”

The water rippled according to my will, taking the form of a sphere.

“Earth, swallow all things according to my will.”

The earth and rocks rose according to my will, taking the form of a sphere.

“Lightning, strike down and take all life according to my will.”

The lightning struck down from the sky according to my will, taking the form of a sphere.

“Tree, sprout and announce the beginning of all life according to my will.”

The roots of the growing tree took the form of a sphere according to my will.

“Ice, summon winter and announce the end of all life according to my will.”

The steam froze according to my will, taking the form of a sphere.

“Light, illuminate all things in the world according to my will.”

The light that emerged shone brightly, taking the form of a sphere.

“Darkness, blind the eyes of all things in the world according to my will.”

The darkness that emerged squirmed, taking the form of a sphere.

The ten elements that form the foundation of this world were floating around me.

“Everything originally began from the root of the source. Even you are nothing more than a branch of the great tree. Return to the source. Take on the form of the beginning.”

Then, the spheres of the ten elements began to merge and split repeatedly. Just as one and infinity are one, merging and splitting were no different.

Thus, the sphere transformed into a translucent, square-shaped object.

It was both hot and cold.

It was both bright and dark.

The beginning and end of a great magic were now in my hands.

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Lancelot looked a bit flustered.

“What kind of magic is that…?”

“An imperfect beginning and end. And the symbol of complete annihilation.”

Even Werner, in his prime, had to lie down for a week after using this magic once.

“….So this is what it feels like to hold all things in your hands…”

Honestly, even Werner couldn’t use this Ars Magia perfectly. It was nothing more than a wide-range annihilation spell that forcibly released the magical restraints binding these violently repelling forces, causing them to explode. It was a 50-point magic that was successfully developed but never fully operational.

But even if it was imperfect, it was on a different level from other magics. It was the ultimate technique that could annihilate an entire island nation. If used now, not only Lancelot and I, but Camellia, Squar, the children she was taking care of, and even nearby cities would be caught in it. But I didn’t care.

My life? The lives that would be caught in it? It doesn’t matter. I have to kill this bastard here.

If I don’t kill this bastard, more lives will be lost meaninglessly. Then, some sacrifices are inevitable. After all, every endeavor comes with unavoidable sacrifices.

[You fool, that’s not how you use it.]

Yibai? Why am I hearing her voice? She’s supposed to be dead.

[You said it earlier. An instant is eternity. So, even in this brief moment, I can talk to you. Stop it now.]

“Shut up! I’m going to kill that bastard!”

[If you do that, you’re just affirming what that bastard said. Isn’t that against your way of doing things, where you protect your pride even in death?]

“Then what should I do! There’s no other way!”

[Our Bai, my beloved friend. No, Werner, there will always be good adults around you. So, don’t make hasty decisions.]

“What?”

[You’ll find out soon. And I love you.]

Just like that, the moment my first love whispered to me was erased as if it never existed. And someone grabbed my wrist. It wasn’t Camellia, but a warm, slightly trembling hand…

“You fool… Are you planning to wipe out an entire area…?”

“Old man…? What is this…”

I wasn’t the only one surprised. Camellia, who had been in despair, was also shocked and couldn’t close her mouth, and Lancelot’s pupils were dilated.

“Heavenly Demon… I thought you were dead…?”

“I thought I killed you… Did I make a mistake…?”

The Heavenly Demon coughed up blood and answered.

“Yes, I did die. But…”

He clenched his fist and stared at us with the same burning determination as before.

“If you thought death could stop me, you were sorely mistaken. Crossing the boundary between life and death for my comrades is something I can do anytime.”

“Even so, you’re still a dying corpse.”

“Black Wing Sword Saint, no, the demon who took the form of the Black Wing Sword Saint… Today, I will take your life. I will take your life and restore my master’s honor.”

That bastard is the Black Wing Sword Saint, the Heavenly Demon’s master? I heard the Black Wing Sword Saint was a man of impeccable character, but that bastard is just a lump of corruption?

“Interesting joke. A third-rate sorcerer who pulls out dangerous things in a fit of anger, a third-rate swordsman who loses his sword to emotions, and a Heavenly Demon swayed by sentiment—what can you possibly do together?”

“This is what we can do.”

The Heavenly Demon crushed the Ars Magia in my hand and absorbed the enormous amount of magical power within it.

“I’ll borrow this for a moment. And don’t worry about the burden on your body… It won’t be a problem…”

The Heavenly Demon absorbed not only the magical power of the Ars Magia but also the burden it placed on the body.

“Old man, if you absorb that…!”

“Even if it’s just a short reprieve from death, saving one foolish young man is the priority.”

As he said this, the Heavenly Demon’s body began to change. From an old man to a young man, and then to a young white-haired boy.

“Rejuvenation Technique… Even if you use it now, it only extends your short life by a few minutes. The fact that you will die doesn’t change. And to abandon your belief in not defying providence for just a few minutes of life is truly pathetic.”

“Black Wing Sword Saint, you will never understand, even if it takes you a lifetime. The meaning of what must be protected, even at the cost of pride.”

“What…”

The Heavenly Demon spread his hands. Then, a transparent spherical barrier formed around Camellia and me. It was as if we were trapped inside a giant sphere.

“Old man! What are you doing! Release this now!”

“Heavenly Demon! What are you doing!”

“Kids these days are so noisy. You should be grateful for what adults give you.”

The Heavenly Demon smiled brightly at me.

“There is no traitor among us. Tell Zick not to overdo it, and tell those two fools to stop fighting. And… tell Squar not to cry when she hears of my death and my last words. Tell her I was happy to have a friend like you.”

Then, he approached the transparent sphere and placed his hand opposite mine.

“Even if this transparent barrier of energy separates us, it’s no different from holding hands. Even if the wall between life and death separates us, I will always be by your side, youngest.”

Before I could respond, the transparent sphere shattered the ceiling at high speed and ascended to the surface.

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“….Why didn’t you reveal the existence of the traitor?”

The Heavenly Demon, who remembered the sad eyes and the expression of the traitor, decided not to reveal the existence of the traitor.

“You will never understand, even if it takes you a lifetime. But I don’t need to explain it to you.”

“So, is that your last words?”

“No, my last words are…”

The Heavenly Demon gathered energy in both hands. Not the black energy like a crow’s feather, but a pure white energy like a cloud, forming the shape of a sphere.

A technique not derived from what the Black Wing Sword Saint taught, but something created after seeing Werner’s magic…

“It will be the sound of your left eye exploding.”

White Sky Fang.