Exo Universe (1)
While waiting for the official event in the Delta Annex, the cathedral operations team came in ahead of schedule.
"Sorry."
The operations chief's face was flushed.
"It looks like the event will be delayed by about ten minutes. The annex has been switched to Alert Level Two—"
The leaders who'd heard that much immediately started getting more details through their private channels.
From Tormia, one of Dante's subordinates approached.
"Chairman."
"What is it?"
"There's been an engagement at the main gate of Delta Headquarters. The combatants are southern warriors and the Rami Church's Exorcism Division."
Lupist echoed, "The south and the Rami Church?"
"Yes. That is—"
Albino cut him off.
"They're people coming from the direction of the pyramid. So they actually entered the cathedral? Since when?"
"The clash began at 9:45. Also, Yahweh and Satan have joined the battlefield."
Was he there?
It was certainly the hottest spot in the cathedral right now, but some details remained unexplained.
"You'd better avoid going there." The informant lowered his voice. "According to intel, something's off. The moment someone contacts those who poured in from the pyramid, they lose their will as if hypnotized and merge into the crowd."
Lupist said, "A Wave of Humanity. If they're all OOPArts, their magnetic field could shift."
"Yes. The annex is currently designated an Alert Level Two area and is off-limits. The cathedral secretariat has arranged for up to two people, including each nation's head of state, to be allowed out."
No one moved.
If the future intel was true, the world powers might be decided at this meeting. Even if it wasn't, the vote was tomorrow morning. If the king fled, they'd lose their legitimacy.
Only the nations' secretaries chattered busily; the annex itself felt chillingly still.
Lupist asked, "How dangerous is this? What are the chances the pyramid crowd will break through headquarters and reach the annex?"
Dante must have run the numbers.
"Fifty percent. It depends on what Yahweh and Habitz decide."
Fifty percent.
The most human, meaningless number.
"No—it's a hundred percent."
Albino said, "Now it makes sense. Why Fermi gave the nations future intel. What he feared wasn't that the Airon Kingdom would become the world power. He feared a future where Maya might not die." The informant asked, "What does that mean? Does that mean Kesia also wants Maya dead?"
"No—more precisely…"
Albino glanced at the empty seat reserved for the Kesia monarch.
"It must be what the gods want."
Lupist's eyes gleamed. "The Wave of Humanity. If they're all flooding the cathedral to kill Maya—"
"Yes. Shirone can't stop it. And we'll be swept up by the wave too and end up killing Maya. Most people in this room will lose their minds."
"But it's still hard to understand. Why would Fermi follow the gods' will? There was no intel that Kesia contacted the Paras Kingdom."
"Heh heh. Heh heh heh." Albino laughed, like someone easing a tickle in his chest.
"I know what he's trying. The laughter stopped. "Fermi doesn't want to change the future. Information entropy must remain zero."
"What does that mean here?"
"Because he knows the future." Albino raised a finger. "It's the trap of updating information. Living not knowing the future and living knowing it but making no changes—on the surface they look the same, but the quality of the information is completely different."
"Because you can choose."
"Yes. That's the power of information. Imagine there's a trap in the road. I didn't know and fell into it. Now imagine I do know about the trap—but I still fall into it."
"The result is the same. But are they really the same? No one would think so, because the latter chose to fall. Fermi doesn't want to change the future. If I'd known about the trap and taken another route—"
"It becomes unknown again."
"Right. Another trap might appear. More than that, your choices are taken away. As entropy increases, the range you can control narrows."
Albino stroked his beard. "The key to this design is Shirone. As the agent who changes the world, information about him must be cut off. That's the source of the unease you feel in Shirone and Fermi's actions."
Lupist stared ahead. "What are they waiting for? To keep the future as it is while the world's in this state…that implies something far worse is coming."
"Bold," Albino said.
Lupist nodded. "Yes. But it's impossible."
"That remains to be seen. A liar who only tells facts. I wondered what kind of bastard he was…" Albino looked up at the ceiling and split a grin. "Trying to deceive God?"
King Fermi of Kesia didn't go to the annex; he went to Seriel's room instead.
They liked being together, but both were worried.
"Are you sure you don't want to go? It's an important meeting."
"It'll be boring."
Seriel, who'd been leaning on Fermi's shoulder, sat up. "What are you scheming this time? I can tell by your face." She hesitated at Fermi's furtive look.
"What, what?"
"Should we… get married?"
"You can say that even now? You seem clever, but sometimes you're just weird."
He brusquely rejected the proposal, but the truth was a sudden fear had surged up inside him.
Seriel asked gently again, "Why say that? Are you worried something bad will happen to you? Huh? That's why you want to get married…?"
"Haha, this is why capable people are exhausting. It means nothing else. It's just a thought that came to me looking at you."
"No. You'd never be that kind of person." Seriel was genuinely hurt. "Tell me straight. I won't ask anything else. You're—you're okay, right? Right?"
"How should I know? I could stub my toe on the desk edge right now."
"Don't dodge."
"I'm not dodging. This is a battlefield. If we keep messing around like this, who knows what will happen… ugh!"
Seriel shoved Fermi onto the bed and straddled him.
"Ouch! That hurts…"
Her eyes glistened with tears. "Tell me."
He hesitated, then spoke. "…The apocalypse intel doesn't specifically say I die."
"Again! Don't try to trick me with facts! Say it: 'I won't die. I'll stay by Seriel's side even after this war ends!' Say it!"
Fermi wasn't lying. "See! I knew it—you—"
"I am." He spoke clearly. "I won't die. I will definitely be by your side after this war ends."
Seriel hiccuped and added, "Alive."
"Haha, yes. Alive."
Her tension finally broke and she collapsed onto Fermi's chest.
"You keep saying pointless things. Say that once more and I'll kill you."
Was she really that displeased?
"Sorry."
Fermi looked out the window. "…It's raining."
"What are you talking about? Why is it suddenly raining—?" Seriel asked, puzzled—just as the sound of heavy, monsoon-like rain filled the air.
Mother, knowing the future is a heavy burden.
Fermi thought, wishing even the sound of this rain were a lie.
The raucous noise at Delta's main gate was suddenly drowned by the downpour, as if buried underground.
Soaked in an instant, Shirone and Habitz couldn't take their eyes off each other.
Shirone asked, "Why didn't you run?"
According to the early Law of Creation, Satan could avoid Yahweh and run forever.
"And you?" Habitz's gaze was equally cold. "Why didn't you kill me?"
If he'd only intended to foil the Vanishing, Satan would have cut Entara down right away.
"Shall I guess?" Habitz squinted. "Because you have a single chance every hour. If I evade your attack, it's over."
"You could dodge it?"
"Don't blurt stuff out. I know why a coward like you is putting up a fight."
Fact and lie—the final duel would end in less than two hours.
In that time, one fact had to be proven.
Habitz's proposition was to either kill Woorin by midnight or kill Shirone.
If he killed Shirone here, he'd gain the advantage.
Of course, a wizard's propositions were the sort you could clear if you set your mind to them.
Love me, or hate me. It all depended on intent.
If you love me, you don't need to win. If you hate me, then from that moment I can do as I please.
"Coward?" As Habitz's temperament shifted, a violet killing intent began to seep out.
"Siok."
Twelve fanatics shot up from the ground.
"O Satan."
"Seize him."
As Satan gave the order, the twelve surrounded Shirone.
And I—
Vanishing.
Habitz, detached from the Law, aimed at Shirone's back while Siok whispered.
"Yahweh."
The twelve hidden codes mocked the world.
"Juma."
Whatever you desire.
Joy and yearning, conquest and domination—every wish a human could want was at hand.
Shirone's expression remained cold.
It won't work.
Watching from behind, Habitz tightened his grip on the longsword.
But I will win.
Up until now, Vanishing had been broken only because Habitz followed the rules.
That's no fun. Isn't that right, Balkan?
Habitz aimed his sword and charged through a tunnel outside Shirone's perception.
Yahweh's back looked broader than ever today.
You can do it.
Above all, the god's frequency.
Despite the tremendous discord, the name Habitz could be heard nowhere.
Still, of all humans he was the closest. Definitely an irritating bastard.
Habitz finally pierced through Siok and thrust his sword forward with everything he had.
It's over.
At that moment, a tremendous shiver ran down his spine.
"What?"
The instant the blade touched Shirone's back, Habitz's elbow bent forward at the same speed it had advanced.
"Kruuu!"
Not satisfied, he barreled past Shirone and tumbled across the ground.
"Sa—Satan…."
Vanishing had been undone, but Shirone only stood there.
As expected.
So he learned the truth at the world's end.
"Are you all right?"
Habitz sat dazed, as if he couldn't even hear Siok's voice.
Why couldn't I kill him?
The sensation he'd felt was one: Run.
Habitz watched his own fingers tremble, uncontrollably.
Because it defined nothing, he couldn't even form the thought of fear.
"What's wrong?"
It was by no means a pleasant feeling.
Shirone slammed the sword's hilt down hard on the back of Habitz's left hand—crunch, crunch—the bones broke.
"What the hell, what's wrong with you? Huh? Huh? What's wrong?"
"Habitz."
Habitz, who'd been moving his arm as casually as breaking a stone, froze at Shirone's voice.
"You cannot kill me." Shirone said as Habitz sucked in a ragged breath. "Which is why—you run."