I returned from the labyrinth, back to the school. Rimuru had already made it back to Tempest, so I wasn't in a hurry to do so, too.
I came to meet the kids and say my own farewell, but it seemed they already had a lesson to pay attention to.
A teacher by the name of Tiss was taking them, so I saw it best not to interrupt.
I just went to meet Yuuki for the last time, giving my farewell and getting the hell out of the place.
I didn't exactly know what that guy's deal was, but I guess I'll have to send Xavier to spy on him for me.
Not only that, but those mysterious people who are always hiding around that place; they're Disaster-ranked beings, aren't they?
At least, Reina-san's report suggested so.
Putting all that at the back of my mind, I took a little walk around the city and waited for a full day before planning to head back to Tempest.
It was a short stroll, but I guess that didn't matter. By the time I knew it, night arrived, and I found myself thinking of other things.
I'm going to have to wait for a few years to increase our military power before confronting the Eastern Empire.
At the level that they're at, we'll never be able to do a thing to that stubborn nation. We'll have to undergo serious power development if we want to go anywhere.
I think I'll do some things to make that happen.
Yeah, that'll be the best option. They had Velgrynd and Rudra, and maybe even Feldway, considering their goals.
There were seriously too many people to watch out for, but that wasn't the problem.
You don't know when one would act up. They might even plan to take you down at the same time, and there would be nothing you can do.
That just means we'll be vigilant at all times.
I was currently sitting on a tree, resting after the little stroll (not like I needed it).
Well, that's enough time wasted. Let's head over to Tempest. That's when I'll start this change.
◇◇◇
---------------------------------
「Note: Well, this is just me wanting to spice up the chapter a bit after a 2long reign of peace.😅
Let the chaos from ancient times resume. 😈」
---------------------------------
The stars above Engracia were unusually dim.
Sariel sat atop a tree branch, his eyes closed, but his mind was constantly working. Despite the silence of the night and the cold night breeze humming softly over the city, he felt the stirrings of something ancient and wrong.
He breathed in. Magicule-rich air danced around him like mist. Space, tonight, seemed to taunt him.
It wasn't a phenomenon that should occur, but it did. A sensation of being absorbed.
The cold wind blew once more. Then darkness.
He found himself standing inside an isolated vacuum. No stars, no winds-just a void of blackness.
A seemingly endless space, carved from streaks of violet and silver. But even here, in this void-like vacuum, something alien pulsed-a heartbeat that was and wasn't his.
"You finally came," a voice whispered.
Sariel turned sharply. The voice echoed-soft, ethereal, but heavy with presence. Before him, forming from swirling particles of black light and golden threads, was a young woman.
Her eyes were the color of Veldanava's fading twilight-silver-gold, both vibrant and empty.
Her hair flowed like a silver stream, reaching toward the heavens, yet tainted with an eerie violet shade.
He knew instantly: this wasn't a dream.
Sariel: 「Who the hell are you?」 he asked, though the answer clawed at the edge of his mind.
"Anarel," she said simply. "A name given to me by Feldway."
Sariel: 「???」
Anarel: 「I was born from her... but shaped by you.」
Sariel's breath caught. Visions swirled before him: the battle ages ago-against Iverage, the mindless void-born catastrophe.
Her rampage had scorched space and melted worlds. And that final blow-when her energy lashed out in a desperate, chaotic spiral-he had been hit.
He had initially thought the energy under control, but that one moment of weakness nearly cost him his life.
He hadn't known by then, but it had grown. Grown to become the heir of the Evil God Iverage. A terrifying existence that birthed multiple catastrophes.
Anarel was one of them, and she wasn't just a being of evil origin-she was also a mysterious figure, holding desires unknown to the world, even her allies.
She was one of the few people Sariel knew absolutely nothing of, so he was naturally extremely wary of her.
Sariel: 「You're... her child?」
Anarel: 「In part.」 she replied. 「I am a manas, just like that partner of yours-formed of pure information. My mother gave me her essence. You gave me a soul. You lived. You laughed. You hoped. And so, I became.」
Sariel frowned. His eyes narrowed.
Sariel: 「This can't be. You were pretty damn insistent on getting out. You were still just an energy mass when you escaped. I would have sensed it. I would've-」
Anarel: 「You did sense me. Every time your soul collapsed. Every time you died into the void. I was always there, Father.」
The word hit like a meteor. He flinched.
Sariel: 「I...am not your father.」
Anarel smiled-not mockingly, but almost... lovingly.
Anarel: 「Then what am I? I have her power, and I also have a soul forged from yours.
I am a manas with an ego, one formed from your experience, given purpose by your warmth.
I am born of destruction, but shaped by your love... however unknowingly.」
Sariel shook his head, trying to resist the surge of emotion.
Sariel: 「Alright, skip the mystery talk already, would ya? What do you want?」
Her expression turned grave.
Anarel: 「To awaken her.」
Sariel: 「Iverage? She was sealed to protect the world! You'd destroy everything-」
Anarel: 「The world is broken.」 Anarel interrupted, her voice suddenly colder. 「Your gods have vanished. The creator is dead.
The balance is a lie held together by those afraid of change. I will break the seal. I will let Mother see this world again.
And when it falls... He will return. Veldanava will rise.」
Sariel: 「You're mad.」 he growled.「Veldanava is gone. His soul has rested in satisfaction-」
Anarel: 「No soul is ever truly lost. I will find it for her since that is her biggest desire.」 she whispered.
The space shook.
Sariel released his overwhelming haki, pressuring the void near the brink of collapse.
Sariel: 「Fools like you only make my job harder. Won't it be easier for me to kill you now?」
He said seriously, as his energy spiked higher.
Cracks spread across the ground of this realm, and Anarel's body was enveloped in a powerful collection of energy.
Anarel 「I just came to thank you for giving me form. For giving me dreams. You may try to stop me... but I am inevitable.」
Sariel: 「I believe you」 he said sarcastically, his beautiful face a mixture of annoyance and suppressed anger. 「Let's just see how far your mouth can take you.」
With that, she acted.
Anarel didn't speak; her only response was a wave of destructive energy that shot toward Sariel like an unstoppable torrent.
It was her raw aura converted into cataclysmic waves of damnation, capable of collapsing any matter in the world.
The attack shattered the ground beneath it, sending shockwaves that split the air apart.
The force of the blast bent the light around them, creating a distortion in space-time as the energy surged.
But Sariel was prepared. Using Space-Time Domination, he froze the incoming energy, halting its progress mid-air.
He extended his hand forward, and with a flick of his fingers, the suspended energy morphed into an orb that swirled with chaotic magic.
As a Demon God, it wasn't impossible to manipulate the laws with pure will through magicules.
With Reina's wisdom, Sariel analyzed the attack's composition, and with a swift motion, he annulled the destruction waves by interfering with its wavelengths.
Anarel: 「Impressive. You're not only more powerful, but you've also evolved. I was right all along, it seems.」
Sariel: 「Do you ever shut up?! Why don't you try keeping your priorities straight?!」
Anarel wasn't done. Her form shimmered, and with a single thought, she manipulated the surrounding space, ripping through the fabric of reality itself to create portals all around Sariel.
Dozens of glowing orbs began to materialize, each pulsing with destructive potential. In an instant, they fired toward him from every direction.
Sariel smirked. He had faced similar attacks before.
Sariel: 「Too easy.」
Such attacks were usually useless in his front, but with the dense amount of energy and hidden destructive potential, it wouldn't be wise to embrace the impact.
With expert control, space was manipulated, and around him, it twisted, his body momentarily becoming one with the very fabric of reality.
The manipulation of space and time was done mainly by the use of 『Space-Time Manipulation』.
The portals exploded around him, but Sariel was already gone. He appeared directly behind Anarel in the blink of an eye, his sword drawn.
But Anarel was faster. She turned, her form flickering as if it were made of light, and her arm extended to meet Sariel's blade with a single, outstretched hand.
The clash of their powers was deafening, a massive shockwave emanating from the point of impact. Sariel's blade struck, and they met.
The shockwaves intensified, and destruction waves spread across the space even greater.
The atmosphere was ionized, and electric potential was being built.
Small electrical discharges were already taking place, and space plasmas formed from their clash began to turn the battlefield into a blazing inferno.
Sariel reacted with breathtaking speed.
His Soul Lord's Haki flared as he met her with his own chaotic energy, his body producing waves of dense, malicious energy as he matched Anarel's power.
He was controlling the battlefield with his will only, but even so, the onslaught was overwhelming.
Every swing of his sword, every spell he cast, felt like it barely scratched the surface of Anarel's true power.
It wasn't a do-or-die battle, but it had already transcended the scope of imagination mortals bore.
○
(Rimuru's POV)
Taking my leave of Yuuki and the children, I had reached the outskirts of the city.
Away from the gaze of others, I figured I could use Spatial Motion to return home without further delay. I thought so anyway, but for some reason, the skill wouldn't activate.
What's going on?
«Report. You are covered in a long-range barrier. Any spatial intervention skills targeted beyond the barrier are forbidden.»
Huh?
I didn't like the sound of that. In a way, I felt in more danger than I ever had before.
My suspicions were confirmed when I saw Soei appear before me, badly wounded.
"Sir-Sir Rimuru, you must flee at once-"
This replication of Soei must've expended all its strength coming here. The body was already starting to fade into thin air.
Rimuru: 「What happened?」
"Enemies, sir. More powerful than I could ever imagine-"
And then, he disappeared. Did he fall into a trap or something?
I called for Ranga from my shadow. No reply. Same with Sariel.
Just as the Great Sage warned, I was so shut away from the outside world that not even Ranga could intervene from beyond.
This barrier must have been the spatial-division type, fully
isolating me from beyond its borders. I could neither call for help nor run away from it.
«Report. You are covered in a long-range barrier. Any skill usage within the barrier is forbidden...Resistance succeeded. However, restrictions are in place on all magic-oriented skills.»
Shit!
I waited for my foe to make itself known, steeling myself against the potentially lethal threat surrounding me. Even if I wanted to release this barrier,
the Sage needed time to analyze it.
If I had to guess, this barrier extended over at least a mile-long radius.
It caught me completely off guard. I had to marvel at how well planned it was.
Time passed slowly... Then-
"Hello. I suppose this is the first time we met? It'll be good-bye before long,
though."
With that greeting, a woman appeared-right in front of me.
This was a paladin, a Church-ordained guardian of law and order-and a sworn enemy of all monsters.
Rimuru: 「I suppose it is, yes. What is it that you want from me? My name's Rimuru, but perhaps you have me confused with someone else?」
"You certainly are polite for the lord of the monster nation. No, there's no mistake. Your town, you know... It's a bother to us. So we've decided to crush it.
That's why we can't have you going home quite yet. Do you understand me?"
Rimuru: 「Why are you calling me a monster at all, much less a monster lord? I'm just a regular adventurer, as you can see.」
"Oh, playing dumb? Well, it won't work. We have an informant. I won't tell you who, but that's how we received word. We have 'eyes,' you know, all over
Englesia. You'd best keep your own eyes open-there's no telling who may be watching."
An informant? I couldn't imagine who. I had an eye out for people tailing me-any skill-based teleport, I executed with the utmost caution.
I didn't get it, but I could tell that she was pretty sure about it. And about killing me.
I'm in deep shit, aren't I?
She was armed with nothing but the rapier dangling from her hip. There was no armor, but she seemed totally at ease.
No one else was in the area, no
indication that the person or persons who built the barrier would be swooping in to assist.
They had this perfect trap for killing me, but it was only one of them? Or was that how strong this woman was?
Time was running out. Assuming her words were nothing but the truth, then I had another thing coming for me.
Rimuru: 「So I guess you won't believe me when I say you got the wrong guy.」
"No. I already heard the monster lord's name was Rimuru."
Rimuru: 「Oh.」
Well, great. She knew me by name.
"So are you ready?"
Rimuru: 「No.」 I swiftly replied as the woman motioned to unsheathe her rapier. 「But could you at least tell me your name first?」
"Since when were monsters interested in names? It didn't matter to me, so I forgot to tell you." She smiled faintly. "In that case: I am Hinata Sakaguchi, captain of the Chief Knights of the Holy Imperial Guard, the faithful servants of Luminus in the Holy Empire of Lubelius. I am glad to make your acquaintance, although I fear it will be a very
short one."
Aha. So this is Hinata Sakaguchi.
Rimuru: 「Hinata? I heard you were leader of the paladins, but you're running Lubelis's imperial guard, too?」
Hinata: 「You were aware of that? Not that it pleases me to be known among monsters. But yes, I am the holder of both positions, although it is meaningless. I serve Luminus, not the mortal Holy Emperor.」
She then drew her rapier, a clear sign that the conversation was over. Man, and here I was, hoping to buy time.
Rimuru: 「Wait a minute. There's something I'd like to tell you, and then something I'd like to talk to you about.」
Hinata: 「I care not for the words of monsters.」 she coldly replied as she jabbed at me
with lightning-fast force.
I could just barely keep up with it. If my nervous system weren't directly connected to my brain, that would've broken skin.
Being without Magic Sense is the worst experience ever.
Hinata: 「I'm a little surprised you dodged that. I suppose you really are the monster who killed my teacher...but revenge will be mine soon.
And a monster being Japanese? Miss Shizu asking for a favor of you? How ridiculous. Don't make me laugh.」
"
I said this in our native language. Hinata's got to believe me. But her voice sounded colder than ever.
Hinata: 「So you speak Japanese. Just as I thought you would. There is no need for any more of this act.」
Instead of believing me, she acted as if I just added more fuel to her anger.
What did she mean "Just as I thought you would"?! Does whoever leaked word about me to Hinata know I was Japanese?
Because only a handful of people did-Or did she think I could speak Japanese because I claimed to be from there?
Or was she just told that I killed Shizu and inferred that I must've known about other worlds and learned Japanese?!
That's not just blind guesswork. That's more...calculated by...
She smiled a light, bewitching grin as she whispered the question.
The next moment, a rainbow of colors shot out from the tip of her rapier-a supersonic slash. The afterimages of the jewels looked like a rainbow.
I took evasive action, but my body felt heavy, and my physical skills weakened. Too slow to react, I took three or so hits from her slashes.
Whoa, really?! I started to worry as searing pain raced across my body.
Pain? Don't I have Cancel Pain for that...?
Driven by the instinctual realization something bad was happening, I reared back.
That was the fourth strike. I felt like any more would be dangerous.
Hinata: 「Have you noticed the danger behind this skill?」 She gave me another quizzical look.
I guess there's a hidden power.
Hinata: 「There are some fools who confidently let themselves be struck, only to die completely helpless. You have some intelligence, I see.」
Rimuru: 「Thanks for the compliment, but I'd be a lot happier if you'd be willing to hear out my whole story...」
«Understood. This arts-based skill is believed to be a direct attack on one's spiritual body, not the material one.»
Tch, it's worse than what I imagined. I have to do something.
Hinata: 「Hmm... Trying to buy time, then? Don't bother. You are cornered.
This Holy Field prevents monsters ranked below A from even taking action.
It is the ultimate anti-monster barrier-the pride of the Western Holy Church.」
Not only did she see through my plan, but she also dropped quite a bombshell. This Holy Field was affecting me, making my body weak and my spirit weaker.
If it was slowing me down this much, it'd probably kill any monster who didn't merit C rank.
Hinata: 「Do you understand? All magicules inside this barrier have been purified. Even higher-level monsters like you find most of their energy taken up simply by continuing to exist. Your latent powers have left you.」
I didn't need Hinata to spell it out. Experiencing this for myself, I could tell right off how dangerous a barrier this was.
Time kept running out, and if this went on any longer, I could die. I really hope Sariel gets to the town.
Hinata: 「I suppose you were unhappy that I approached you solo, but normally, I wouldn't even need to show up for jobs like these. There is one reason, and one reason alone, why the captain of the paladin corps is personally handling this-」
I kept my distance from Hinata. Trying to gauge that rapier's range was a dangerous game-and the moment I thought that, I felt a pain on my left leg.
She got another strike in. Two left.
Hinata: 「-and that's because I heard you killed Miss Shizu. I told you, I want revenge.
Revenge, with your death, by my own hand.」
Rimuru: 「Revenge? I mean, all right, I did sort of kill her in a way, but that was-」
Hinata: 「In a way? It doesn't matter. The end result is the same. She was the only woman who showed me a shred of kindness in this world, and now she's gone...I don't really understand this feeling myself...」
But who told this woman Shizu was dead? Someone had turned me into the villain of this story. But I couldn't worry about that. My heart went out to the residents of Tempest.
Hinata: 「You worry about your friends? I'm sure you do. If you idle for too long here, you won't have any home to return to, will you? Not that I intend to let you.」
She was right. If a barrier of this level was deployed over the city of Tempest...
Damn it! Where's Sariel when you need him?! I really needed to figure something out.
So that left unique skills. My secret ones. I hesitated to use them, but ah well.
I used Battlewill to improve my physical skills, launching Steel Strength and Strengthen Body alongside it.
Just as I thought, skills or magic that activated my own internal magicules were still available to me.
Holding my katana straight forward, I struck down hard with a renewed force.
Hinata, perhaps surprised by this, immediately took a defensive stance. Or maybe just cautious.
The moment my powered-up katana strike was deflected by her rapier, it made me fully understand where this overwhelming difference in power came from.
My sword strike, its edge traveling at nearly the speed of sound, was softly, lightly deflected, and it didn't damage her own blade at all.
She had perfectly read my katana's path, speed, and force. Only someone at Hakuro's level could pull off a feat like that.
Then, as I went off-balance, she added a return blow of her own.
Hinata: 「It's over. I'm impressed you can move that well inside this barrier. To be honest, I underestimated you. But you know, you can't beat me.」
Rimuru: 「Because it'll take one more blow to kill me?」
Hinata: 「Oh, you know that? This sword is infused with a special ability known as Dead End Rainbow. On the seventh strike, it is guaranteed to leave its opponent dead-even if they only exist in spiritual form. You put in a noble effort, but haven't you had enough yet?」
There was nothing I could do. I had nothing to take advantage of. I really didn't think victory would be so hopeless.
Rimuru: 「I'll keep on struggling. I'm not enough of a sucker to just lie back and die, thanks!」
So I tested out everything I could. Recognizing my opponent was above me, I reached out for anything I was capable of. If magicules weren't around, how
about spirit magic?
«Report. Using the unique skill Deviant, the higher-level elemental Ifrit has been
separated into a pure elemental.»
Ifrit, transformed into a half monster, returned to full spirit form.
Rimuru: 「O Ifrit, greatest of elementals, defeat my enemy!!」
Then I released him.
Fully preoccupied with fighting off Ifrit, Hinata could no longer fully focus upon me. I could be killed in a single stab. Ifrit was far greater of a threat, and
he took priority. Exactly the situation I hoped to make.
Leaping behind her back, I attempted to land an enhanced strike, as punishing as I could possibly make it. But as I did...
Whipping around, Hinata turned her sword toward me, completely ignoring Ifrit. He stopped. Not being a monster, the Holy Field didn't bother him at all-and yet, reality could be cruel.
Before my eyes, Ifrit was curled up into a ball, grabbing his head...as if struggling under the command of two diametrically opposed orders.
Rimuru: 「Come back, Ifrit!」
Upon my words, Ifrit disappeared back inside me. I immediately launched Analyze and Assess to figure out what happened.
«Understood. Ifrit appears to have fallen under the effects of Force Takeover. It is believed that the magic channel connecting you prevented the takeover from
succeeding.»
Looking at Hinata, I saw an affectionate smile on her face. She must've been totally sure of victory, barrier or not.
Rimuru: 「So, you're a thief, huh?」
Hinata: 「I'm shocked. How did you know that? But if you noticed it, I might as well tell you-you're right. I tried, using my Usurper unique skill.」
Usurper? Great, I can already tell from the name alone.
Rimuru: 「Hinata... Shizu asked me to look after you, but I don't have time for that. I apologize, but I can't go easy on you anymore. I'm gonna decide this with my next move.」
Hinata: 「Hee-hee! Are you telling me you still haven't given your all yet? Well, all
right.
I'll give you some of my all, too, so I hope you're ready. This blow is going to make the pain you've felt before seem like child's play.」
We exchanged glances.
Before then-
"Hey, Rimuru! What in the heavens are you doing?! Why was it hard to reach out to you?"
Huh?! Finally!
"Hey uum, Sariel. I'm in a littlr hitch. That crazy lady spotted me! Hinata!"
I was glad to Finally hear his voice. This situation was so bad, I was actually really scared.
Everything seemed to go wrong right after leaving those kids.
"Hinata Sakaguchi? Weird. If it's about Shizu, then it's all your fault. I told you, that woman was trouble."
"Cut me some slack, would you?! Are you seriously still on that?! Our people are in trouble, and I gotta get away from this psychopath!
There's some stupid barrier capable of purifying magicules around me, so it was naturally impossible to reach out to anyone. I'm fighting someone stronger than me in a weakened state, and it seems she's ready to land the finishing blow!"
My thoughts were accelerated, but I had little real time left. Not when I talked big about Finally going all out.
"Alright, is that it? Then first of all, let's increase your thought processing speed."
"Wha-?!"
My thoughts were further increased by, uhh, millions!
We were currently communicating through our soul corridors, but it seems he could use this little connection between us for greater things.
"Now, let's free up a bit of your skills. Reina-san."
He called out to someone, but I never knew anyone going by the name Reina. A Japanese name.
I knew not what he did, but things seemed to weigh less.
"The barrier has lost its purifying properties. If you require energy, I'll lend you some using the soul connection."
I see... Whew, that was tense. I felt the weight upon my skills gone, and I had a feeling that I could break this barrier with just the right amount of force.
Time had resumed to flow normally, but her next strike was already underway.
Hinata: 「Die! Dead End Rainbow!!」
Rimuru: 「Too late! Dark Thunder!」
○
The air had long since died.
There were no sky-only layers of collapsing laws suspended in a vacuum of space-time distortions.
A fractured land of floating ruins and broken infons sprawled endlessly around them, a battlefield created by neither Sariel nor Anarel, but summoned by her will alone: a Manifested World of Chaos, drawn out from her existence and projected onto reality. It was a dimensional void that tore at magicules and twisted perception.
And yet, there they stood-two beings who had once been one.
Sariel stepped forward, his silver-gold coat fluttering with the residual ripple of crushed infons. His hand rested on the hilt of his soul-forged blade, Ares. His silver hair shimmered faintly, reacting to the wavelength of the space.
Before him floated Anarel-weightless, beautiful, and terrifying. Her eyes were like twin suns, brimming with compassion warped into obsession. Her form was not wholly physical but real enough to bleed. She hovered above the broken terrain, her aura so potent that the very laws of physics bent away from her.
Anarel: 「Sariel...」Her voice was soft-fond. 「Why do you look at me like I'm a stranger? I am from you, aren't I?」
Sariel's eyes narrowed.
Sariel: 「You were born from my soul, I'll agree. But I'm not your father. Besides, the path you follow... it's not one I can allow.」
She smiled.
Anarel: 「Then let's return to where we started. You'll remember... once you're inside me again.」
「Note: That statement isn't what you're probabbly thinking about, you horny dimwits. 😇」
It was a silent provocation, but the hidden intent was clear.
Anarel descended like a spear of distorted light. Her sword-an information construct forged from Chaos Magic-clashed against Ares. The impact forced the space around them into a momentary freeze. Though not a skill-simply the result of two ultimate beings colliding through sheer existence.
CLANG-!
The vibration from the clash bypassed the material dimension and rang across the information layer. Sariel adjusted instantly.
『Parallel Computation』 activated-his thoughts split across thousands of instances, each calculating possible countermeasures. Anarel's blade twisted mid-swing-information-level acceleration, instantaneous direction shift.
Anarel: 「Too slow.」
Anarel's kick smashed into Sariel's side. But even before impact-
Sariel: 「『Soul Blade Summoning』: Ares-(Phantom Layer).」
The blade shimmered, and in its place, another blade emerged to intercept the kick. Her foot pierced through the first-but the second layer severed the attack path, nullifying the essence disturbance.
Sariel's counter-strike came from behind.
Anarel vanished.
It was『Space-Time Domination』 at work.
She reappeared to his left, her own Chaos-forged short blade now split into five-each imbued with rainbow flares of spiritrons colliding with void energy. She launched them forward.
Anarel: 「Chaos Art: Event Collapse-Version Spiral.」
Each blade spun, tearing the laws of force and gravity into colored strands, reality unraveling with each spiral's rotation.
Sariel didn't dodge.
Sariel: 「『Ultimate Barrier』.」
A crystalline shell of overlapping dimensional prisons enveloped him. The spiraling blades made contact-and were absorbed into sealed layers, each one isolating and negating the interaction of the previous.
*Crack*... *crack*...
Two barriers broke.
The rest resisted. He emerged unharmed.
Anarel raised her hand.
Anarel: 「Let's take this to another level...」
As she said so, the infons across the battlefield began to scream.
It was the work of her innate ability, 『Information Fault』.
Sariel's perception shifted-infons bombarded him with trillions of fragmented realities: sounds, sights, histories, emotions. He immediately activated 『Skill Domination』, suppressing intrusive data across his analytical net. Yet the delay was enough.
Anarel closed the distance and struck with her palm.
『Law Manipulation』 → Target: Inertia.
Sariel's body froze in motion-he felt every law rejecting movement, his own mass unable to shift.
Anarel: 「I love you, Sariel. But I won't allow that simple affection to sway me from my ideals...」
She never held any ill intent against him, neither in the past nor the present, and certainly not in the future, but that wasn't enough to make her lose interest in her goal.
She had a terrifying dream, a dream that focused on her reunion with her mother, and to her, it was the only thing that mattered.
When that was done, she could focus on Sariel.
Sariel: 「『Soul World』-Isolation Field.」
A violet vortex of purple light opened behind Sariel-an abyssal maw from which pure will radiated. Her figure was beimg sucked into the vortex, but she relented.
With another application of her exceptional space-time abilities, she managed to teleport far away from the vortex.
Anarel: 「You... turned your soul... against me?」
Sariel: 「I didn't turn it against you. But it's the part of me that refuses to forget what's right. What do you plan to do if the case is that Veldanava doesn't return even after the destruction of the world?」
Anarel rose into the sky of nothingness. Her body pulsed with pure light. Rainbow colors radiated around her, swirling in a massive spiral above her head. Her voice echoed throughout the vacuum, resonating with a deep weight even though it was an unreasonable actuality.
There were no particles enticing the idea of sound transmissions, yet the weight of her words defied reality in a way.
Anarel: 「That situation is highly unlikely. I do not truly believe in his demise, and God would never agree to the demolition of the world, so that is that.」
Sariel: 「Heh. Is that it? Then you're more ignorant than I gave you credit for.」
Following his taunt, her Chaos Magic ignited.
It was unknown how or when the concept behind the magic was leaked, but as it was, she knew how to perform it.
Holy spiritrons clashed with void energy, unleashing a radiance that stripped the concept of observation itself-colors bled backward, and sound died outright.
Sariel, for his part, cared less about when the information was leaked. He had been intercepting his opponent since the beginning of the battle.
There was also the assistance from Reina, who handled defense, allowing Sariel to focus on attacking with the assurance that he was well protected.
Ares shimmered. The blade imbued with his malicious aura-becoming a weapon of pure destruction and chaos, glowing with an edge that absorbed light.
Sariel: 「Soul Collapse: Vacuum Slash.」
Sariel shot forward, and the two collided. There were no words. Only flashes.
Anarel's Chaos Art warped space due to the energy's continuous erratic movement-each strike creating ripples across space and erasing it.
Sariel's blade ate through energy, space, and matter, bypassing her Multidimensional Barrier wholly.
She gasped as her core trembled with pain due to the soul-disintegration effect taking place. She disengaged from battle and stared at Sariel with a complicated expression.
Anariel: 「You're... not trying to kill me. Why?」
He had performed arts that could damage her, but they weren't aimed to kill. They were likely countermeasures prepared for her.
Sariel: 「You have intel on Feldway, right? I'd rather try making you an ally than outright killing you. Besides, you talk as if it was a really easy thing to afford. I'm currently taking you on seriously, and you're busily playing around.」
Hearing his words, her expression visibly dulled. She didn't like the implications of his words, so it was only natural for her demeanor to worsen.
Anarel: 「Is that so?」she asked calmly, but her tone had dropped to a dangerously low level, her expression a mixture of anger and suppressed coldness. 「Then I'll end this. Our ideals differ, so there won't be any sort of comradery between us.」
Sariel: 「You weren't actually expecting me to assist you with such foolish ambitions, were you?」 He retorted with genuine confusion, his voice bearing the weight of the reality before them.「What did you expect? There's no way our ideals are ever going to align. No matter the number of times we meet, it'll likely result in a battle, and as long as you don't cease such nonsense talk about reviving God, then we'll never meet eye to eye.」
Both had different reasons for doing the things they do, and as long as the desire to see their ideals realized remained, they were never really meant to agree with each other.
They were destined to be long-term enemies, fighting to overwhelm the opponent with their will and desires.
Anarel somewhat understood this fact, but she wasn't one to give up upon a single failure.
Anarel: 「You speak facts, I'm afraid, and the state of things will never change as long as our ideals never correspond. Knowing this, I shall take my leave for now. I hope we meet again, and if we do, please try to reason well.」
Forcing things through wouldn't work, so another attempt would have to wait for another time. She understood this, so she was willing to let go for now.
Sariel: 「Hmph, I am good as I am. It is you that clearly needs reassessment.」
She simply stared at him, her golden eyes peering into his body. She couldn't understand him.
She found it weird how souls with extremely matching wavelengths couldn't simply exist in one body. It was almost ironic, but that was just how it went.
Anarel: 「Rethink things through, and when we next meet, let's try this again. I hope to see you soon, Father.」
Sariel: 「I'm not your father, damn it!!」
He couldn't get the message home as her existence had already dissipated into thin air, leaving a trail of bright darkness.
Sariel: 「Tch, this really left a sour taste.」
He had received a stress alert from Rimuru, so he knew something was wrong.
He could feel the waves of distress flowing through, so he had made contact with Rimuru during their early stages of their battle.
Now, he knew what he had to do.
Sariel: 「Let's make it back to Tempest to start with.」
Following that, he disappeared, his body being transferred to the targeted place.
As soon as he did, the vacuum containing their battle shrinked, the space undergoing hypercompaction, entombing the excess energy and strain done to the space within the dimension untill it disappeared into nothingness, containing the waves of transcendental destruction threatening to rip the outside world apart.
---------------------------------
「Note: Here comes another conclusion. Well, I didn't expect things to go the way it did, but I'll just hope it was for the best.
I did plan for this whole thing, but the battle between Sariel and that new character was somewhat lacking, I guess. I'm not really the best at these things, so just deal with it, okay?
I hope you found some sort of driving force from this chapter, and if you did, please remember to hit that vote button.
I'm done with all the trash talk, so let's part ways here. See y'all later!」
Word Count: 「6270」.