Chapter 36

“I’m sorry. It’s such a long story that I had a lot to organize in my thoughts.”

“…Is that okay?”

“It’s not exactly something I can just blurt out, but it’s not something I have to hide either. Above all, you might be with me going forward.”

“That’s a part I can’t give a definitive answer on.”

Alia firmly cut off the words of Aria, who seemed to be subtly trying to involve her.

Rarely, Alia smiled slightly with her eyes narrowing, and then opened her mouth.

“Um… I’m not very talented at finding the fun in these kinds of stories, so I don’t know where to start.”

“…There’s no need to try to make it amusing; you’re not a child.”

“Hu hu.”

Covering her mouth with her hand and laughing elegantly, Alia’s gaze was the same as when she usually looked at her succubus sisters.

For a moment, I felt a rush of resentment at being treated like a child due to her relaxed demeanor, but I calmly collected my thoughts and spoke.

“So?”

Despite trying to suppress my emotions as much as possible, my voice felt somewhat sulky.

Regardless of my demeanor, Alia began to speak slowly.

“Was it El Prigion you mentioned?”

“Yes?”

“The name of Elder Roa, who created Araya.”

“Ah, I don’t know exactly what Elder Roa is, but it was indeed that being who created me.”

“Creating a new life is the domain of gods. In the Eastern continent, the great beings that can create entities like us are referred to as Elder Roa. Unlike the Western continent, you can’t talk about the history of the Eastern continent without mentioning the Elder Roa.”

Alia continued her explanation, holding up her index and middle fingers in a V shape.

“The first Elder Roa is the oldest primordial Roa, Bruwon Krishaka, who desires the diversity of life and chaos.”

“The second Elder Roa is our great Father of Night, Ul Kanadiel, who possesses the powers of sleep, dreams, and death.”

“Essentially, the history of the Eastern continent can be considered the history of these two beings.”

◈ ◈ ◈

The existence of the first Elder Roa, Bruwon Krishaka, was mythic not only in the history of the Eastern continent but also in the history of this world.

When this world was still pure and primal, without change for a time close to eternity, a shard of chaos which had pooled from the origin of the star fell to the ground, shattering and taking refuge in various primitive beasts.

These shards of chaos removed various beasts from the natural order and gave birth to the omnipotent Roa.

Among them, a large shard birthed an extraordinary being among the Roa.

That being is none other than the first Elder Roa, Bruwon Krishaka.

It is said that Bruwon Krishaka, appearing as a gigantic stone monkey, and the Roa born at that time existed since the time when the Eastern and Western continents were one supercontinent.

“I shall move the time of the star, born of the will of the star!”

It is said that Bruwon Krishaka shouted that loudly to the world as soon as he was born.

And what he did was to disrupt the balance of nature at that time.

He was said to have devoured every visible beast, destroyed the forests, provoked volcanoes to erupt, and committed all sorts of atrocities, as Roa who have survived till now have said in unison.

When Bruwon Krishaka began to rampage, it had already been 50 years, during which the planet’s crust changed, and many Roa perished.

The most significant event of the tectonic shift was that, for reasons unknown, water gradually began to fill the ground and divided it into the Western and Eastern continents, as it is today.

“To know that there is another land at the end of the endless sea was nearly legendary for our generation. Fleeing this way was half a gamble.”

Alia elaborated.

However, after a time that equated to 50 rotations of the star, Bruwon Krishaka mysteriously quieted down.

The once stagnant ecosystem began to busily adapt to the changed environment.

The ecosystem had descended into chaos, filled with creatures that were desperate for survival.

“All life must struggle to become a better being! If you wish to survive, leave a superior version of yourself for future generations! Only the fit will become the masters of this star!”

He shouted contentedly before briefly disappearing from the Eastern continent, which had split from the supercontinent.

Though it was only for a moment, for transcendental beings like the Roa, it was merely a brief time; for ordinary beings it was a span of years.

Another shard of chaos fell on the Eastern continent.

From there was born the Elder Roa of Night and Death, Ul Kanadiel.

When Ul Kanadiel was born, a furious, colossal cry shook the entire Eastern continent.

“O star! How dare you create such beings while I exist!”

Bruwon Krishaka, believed to have vanished, appeared and stomped the ground as if to vent his anger on the star.

As a result, several mountains were flattened to become plains.

“There is no longer a need for a creature like you in this land!”

He then came to Ul Kanadiel and attempted to kill him without any preamble.

However, the Elder Roa of Night, Ul Kanadiel, could not defeat Bruwon Krishaka head-on, so he fled by leaping through the shadows with his powers.

As Ul Kanadiel fled and Bruwon Krishaka chased him, the Eastern continent began to fall into disarray.

As the ecosystem, which had been developing in a good direction, was destroyed, even the Roa who had been hiding away, without intervening in the world, began to emerge to mediate the fight between the two.

“Bruwon Krishaka! Are you going to ruin the land you created?”

“Have you ever seen such a foolish creature!”

“Three mountains and seven forests have already disappeared from your game of tag!”

When Roa resembling beasts confronted Bruwon Krishaka in anger, it was a colossal snail Roa that spoke up.

“Bruwon Krishaka, if you claim to be the spirit of the star that governs the flow of the star, you must rule in a manner befitting that title.”

“…Speak, Snail.”

He had been about to strike down the beast Roa that opposed him, but then began to attentively listen to the words of the snail who mentioned the spirit of the star.

“As you have said, the spirit is one who causes all life of the star to advance toward a better direction. Therefore, one who nurtures superior beings with better adaptability is more worthy of being a spirit, is he not?”

“Indeed, you are right.”

Agreeing with those words, Bruwon Krishaka proposed a wager to Ul Kanadiel.

“Let’s bet on who can nurture a better species between you and me! If you lose, then disappear from this land and never show yourself again!”

“…Why should I follow your arbitrary wager when you were the one chasing after me from the beginning?”

“If you refuse this wager, I will follow you until the end and kill you someday!”

Despite shaking his head at Bruwon Krishaka’s foolish attitude, Ul Kanadiel accepted the wager when he saw the desperate expressions of the gathered Roa.

“If I win, what will you do?”

“You will not win!”

“Even so, if I win?”

“I will no longer chase you and try to kill you!”

“…Alright.”

The duration of the wager would be ten years.

Bruwon Krishaka must have been confident.

After all, all lifeforms aside from the Roa that currently existed on the earth were his creations.

Among those were already lifeforms that had begun to show intelligence and form social groups.

In contrast, the newly born Ul Kanadiel had to start from scratch.

From the beginning, the victor was predetermined to be Bruwon Krishaka.

Ul Kanadiel was troubled.

It seemed challenging for him, newly born, to defeat an opponent who had already nurtured many and diverse species.

Ul Kanadiel looked around at the countless species and made a decision.

That day, various beasts vanished into shadows, absorbed into them.

And after the ten-year period ended, the competition began in a gathering where all the Roa had assembled.

Gigantic saber-toothed tigers with enormous, sharp fangs and claws.

Genetically modified monkeys that used their precise fingers and tools to hunt down massive beasts in packs.

Birds with eyes capable of seeing far from hundreds of meters in the air and precise claw strikes.

Incredibly resilient insects, black and hard, preferring dark, narrow, and humid places, with astonishing speed.

And various other types of life forms.

Bruwon Krishaka was confident.

There couldn’t possibly be a better species nurtured in those ten years.

Then, in the shade created among the gathered colossal Roa, Ul Kanadiel emerged.

Ul Kanadiel appeared before Bruwon Krishaka and the Roa for their wager, looking significantly weaker than before.

“Are you ready to be extinguished forever, coward? You seem to have accepted your fate, looking like you’re about to die at any moment?”

“I will win today, so you need not worry.”

“Hmph! So where are your children?”

At that question, numerous beings sprang forth from the shadows of Ul Kanadiel.

Small genetically modified monkeys.

Horned genetically modified monkeys.

Two types of genetically modified monkeys with wings.

And a monkey that appeared pale, as if its vessel of life had collapsed.

And a beast resembling a cow that can walk on two legs and breathes fire.

“You…! This is…!”

“These are my creations. In order, they are Imp, Mien, Succubus and Incubus, Vampire, and Balak.”

“The very first Succubus at this time is me.”

During the story, Alia pointed at herself.

“…The story you’re telling sounds like a tale from a very long time ago.”

“When speaking in the context of human history, it indeed is quite a long time ago.”

“…Can you tell me how long ago it was?”

“Um… I’d say it’s been around 400 to 500 rotations of this star around the sun? It seems like that’s how many seasons have changed.”

“So… does that mean you are about 400 to 500 years old?”

“That seems to be the case.”

At that moment, I was left speechless due to the vast difference in time. Alia continued her story.

The creatures that sprang forth from the shadow of Ul Kanadiel bore forms that could not possibly arise in the regular evolutionary lineage.

From the point the beings such as Succubi existed, the very concept of existence differed from that of normal life.

“Are you desecrating life?!”

“Well, wasn’t the goal to raise excellent species to live among the stars? What does it matter how they are born?”

“I cannot accept this!”

“The wager’s content was to nurture species with superior adaptability. There were no constraints on methods.”

“What do you all think?”

The gathered Roa came to judge, and those who had come to spectate were also perplexed.

“Um… well…”

“It’s ambiguous…”

The Roa saw the life forms spawned from Ul Kanadiel’s shadow.

They were beings that deviated from the normal lineage of life and possessed the energy of Ul Kanadiel.

Moreover, from the perspective of transcendent Roa, the existence of Succubi and Incubi did not even register as normal life.

“In particular, that species known as Vampires feels very alien.”

“Did you intentionally shatter the vessel of life? Quite unique.”

“I thought you had weakened, but did you draw out your own powers for this?”

“To share your caliber with lesser beings. Crazy!”

“Those beings seem stronger than you, don’t they?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. A cat, those things are not even a bite away from my fangs!”

Angered at the Roa who were merely buzzing but not giving an answer, Bruwon Krishaka stomped in frustration.

“Snail! Give me an answer!”

Hearing Bruwon Krishaka’s words, the wise Snail Roa thought carefully before soon providing a response.

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