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*****
"I never expected the Earth Mother to actually be the Sanguine Ancestor."
Returning to his home in Backlund with the Sequence 3 and Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics of the Fool pathway, along with its Uniqueness, George couldn't help but give a mental thumbs-up to the Evernight Goddess.
As it turned out, the Goddess had begun her layout as far back as the Second Epoch to secure the characteristics and Uniqueness of the Twilight Giant. After the true Earth Mother, Omebella, had fallen, the Goddess used her authority over Concealment to help Lilith, the Sanguine Ancestor, disguise herself as the Earth Mother.
Thus, the God of Combat was under the firm impression that the Earth Mother was Omebella—the Queen of Giants—and a deity who would undoubtedly stand by his side.
In reality, the Earth Mother was Lilith, the Goddess's closest ally. Once a Divine War erupted, the Goddess would not only know every detail of the God of Combat's secrets, but the God of Combat would also suffer a devastating backstab at the most critical moment.
The true situation would not be two against four, but three against three. On one side: the Evernight Goddess, the Lord of Storms, and the Earth Mother; on the other: the God of Combat, the God of Steam and Machinery, and the Eternal Blazing Sun.
The God of Knowledge and Wisdom remained neutral, but even if he leaned toward the God of Combat, the Goddess's chances remained high. She was now a True Deity of both the Darkness and Death pathways; normally, she could hold her own against two gods, and in a one-on-one fight, she could secure a kill.
Furthermore, the Goddess held the Uniqueness and characteristics of the Moon pathway. When the war began, she would return them to Lilith. At that point, Lilith would become a dual-pathway deity of Life and Moon, possessing the power to fight two gods simultaneously while acting as a hidden mole.
Since it would be the God of Combat who initiated the Divine War, no one could object when he was eventually slain and his characteristics harvested by the Goddess. Now, with George's involvement and Roselle's eventual resurrection as the Black Emperor, the plan was even more secure. Even if the Primordial Demoness, the True Creator, or Adam intervened, the Goddess would still be able to clinch a steady victory.
"First, I need to advance to Sequence 4."
Whether it was the Royal Family's ritual or the start of the Divine War, there was still some time. George planned to use this gap to reach Sequence 0. If the opportunity arose, he didn't intend to stop at killing just one god.
The Goddess's target might only be the God of Combat, but George's goals went beyond merely reviving Roselle. If he could use the chaos to take down the Eternal Blazing Sun, the God of Steam, Adam, the True Creator, and the Primordial Demoness—and seize their Uniquenesses—it would be a worthy endeavor.
He already had the potion for the Fool pathway's Sequence 4, Bizarro Sorcerer. The ritual required him to kill a Sequence 4 Demigod in front of a wide audience. Killing a Demigod wasn't difficult; the question was who to kill.
The Demoness Sect and the Aurora Order were currently laying low because the Goddess's Church had seized their "vessel," and George had already dealt with Madam Despair and Mr. A. Additionally, the Royal Family had publicly cut ties with these organizations to appease the three major Churches. Consequently, no High-Sequence powerhouses were being sent his way, only minor Sequence 5s and 6s. They didn't meet the requirements for his ritual, and killing such cultists wouldn't provide a large enough audience.
"I might as well take out one of the Royal Family's Demigods!"
After a moment of thought, George had his answer. Since he was already standing in opposition to the Loen Royal Family, there was no need for politeness. Moreover, killing a Royal Demigod in broad daylight would be sensational and widely talked about, perfectly fulfilling the ritual's requirements.
"I choose you, Sihert!"
With a wave of his hand, George cast a tracking spell and transformed into a burst of flames. He first arrived beside his marionette, Jason, and then reappeared with him in the sky above Sihert's villa.
Sihert was a Demigod-level powerhouse within the Loen military and one of the Royal Family's key assets. He had been the primary coordinator for the kidnapping and human trafficking operations. After the scandal was exposed, the Royal Family—needing to handle the three Churches—claimed he was unaware of the crimes and merely suspended him from duty, confining him to his home. No further punishment had been issued.
Thus, Sihert spent his days at home, occasionally hosting balls and enjoying a life of luxury while waiting to be reinstated once George III ascended as the Black Emperor.
"A ball? Perfect. That's plenty of witnesses."
Looking down at the brightly lit villa and the extravagant party within, George's hands moved rapidly. Soon, a bizarrely shaped sword appeared in his grip.
"This should do it."
He handed the sword to Jason. While Jason had been modified to hold his own against a Sequence 4, it would still be difficult to finish one quickly in front of a crowd. When a Sequence 4 Demigod fought for their life, they could release their Mythical Creature form, which even a Sequence 3 would struggle to subdue in a short time.
To solve this, George had replicated the Sword of Rupture, Ea, from Gilgamesh. With a weapon capable of "cleaving the world" as support, the task became simple.
---
In the Queen's District of Backlund, within one of the most opulent mansions:
Saint Sihert, the focus of the ball, was chatting with several New Party nobles while holding a wine glass. Suddenly, his brow furrowed. He pointed toward the ceiling.
"Fire is weakened here!"
*Boom!*
A massive flaming javelin pierced through the roof, but as it entered the hall, it was continuously sapped by an invisible force. By the time it reached Sihert, it was only the thickness of a finger and was easily brushed aside.
"Who dares attack this General!"
With a sudden movement, Sihert flew into the air above the villa, releasing a powerful, commanding pressure. As a Sequence 4 Imperative Mage of the Arbiter pathway, he could hover mid-air in defiance of physical laws and project an awe-inspiring majesty to deter enemies. As a practitioner of Order, he could also distinguish between ordinary people and Beyonders based on their "position" and accurately gauge a Beyonder's level.
"Sequence 5 Desire Apostle... You are the one who assassinated Duke Negan?"
Looking at Jason floating in the air, Sihert immediately recognized him by his Sequence level and appearance. However, his face was filled with confusion. Based on what he knew, the Desire Apostle who killed Negan should have been on his side. Why was he attacking him now?
He soon lost the luxury of thought as the opponent attacked again. After a series of clashes, Sihert's expression turned grave. Although the opponent was only a Sequence 5, their actual combat power was not inferior to his own. In fact, he felt as though he was being suppressed.
Fortunately, the other Beyonders in the villa had reacted and began providing support. Moreover, given the scale of the disturbance, the three major Churches would arrive any moment.
As he expected, Demigods from the Church of Evernight, the Church of Storms, and the Church of Steam soon appeared in the distance.
"Enough spectators. It's time."
Seeing the Demigods arrive, George took control of his marionette and had Jason draw the Sword of Rupture, Ea.
(End of Chapter)