The Rebirth Of The Hero’S Party’S Archmage [EN]: Chapter 252

252

“Let’s end this?”

As if dumbfounded, Zernique’s six eyes narrowed simultaneously as he repeated those words.

“Heh heh heh, who do you think you’re ordering around? This time, I’ll teach you some manners for sure──”

Suddenly, a bizarre mutation occurred in Bel Curios’ world of 0s and 1s.

He thought he was reading the ability, but he couldn’t even grasp the omen of its power. A mighty flash flew in.

Bel Curios couldn’t even react, so he had no choice but to absorb it into a dimensional barrier right before impact.

“Even if you do that… No?!”

Clearly, the dimension closed again after swallowing the power, but suddenly the dimension swelled up in blotches, then exploded with cracks.

‘I can’t blow it away to another dimension?’

It was Zernique’s left arm that flew away in the explosion of that ‘uninterpretable power.’ Unspeakable pain washed over him.

‘Regeneration is slow.’

What is this?

The impacted area feels like it’s burning… No, it’s not even comparable to that little dragon’s flames from before. Something is fundamentally different.

This power, which seems to nullify existence itself rather than being a flame?

“Bel Curios!”

As soon as he escaped the explosion, he directly exerted the power of dimensional interference on that body.

The moment he was certain that the body was twisting and its upper half had flown into another dimension… unbelievably, the dimension split again.

And his body returned to normal.

‘What is this…’

Is he standing beyond the realm of providence that even Zernique cannot interfere with?

No, that can’t be.

Simply put, it can be seen as devising a countermeasure against dimensional magic.

‘Then I just won’t use the dimensional barrier.’

I can offset and annihilate it. With these eight elements that I can freely control.

“No, no. There’s no need to be afraid at all. There’s no wisdom on this earth that I can’t think of and know.”

「…….」

“I’ll give you credit. For devising a strategy to counter this great senior’s dimensional magic.”

The eyes that sprouted on both sides of Zernique’s forehead drew a grotesque curve.

“What you just used is a trap-type magic that actually doubles its power the moment it’s interfered with, right? You probably designed the runes with an amplification-type Delbyshire formula.”

He instantly grasped everything.

You must have judged that you could beat me if you just blocked dimensional magic, but you’re way off.

“I’ll show you the difference in class. It’s perfect. I wanted to know how far your body, which has endless evolution, can exert its power.”

The magic power condensed in the main circuit spread out like wings, then split into eight spheres.

The characters engraved in the center are the root runes.

Runes known to exert the most powerful force from ancient to modern times.

“Secret Art, Elemental Deployment.”

The elemental spheres merged one by one, emitting a burst of sound that seemed to paralyze the senses.

As soon as they merged, a new sphere floated in the empty space, and it was combined with another magic and merged again.

The magic prepared in that way was a whopping 23. Spheres of power burning more dazzlingly than the sun.

“You can’t even make this great senior kneel!”

Originally, it was a force that would devastate the area, but in this state, it would be more than enough to blow away this entire [Likely a floating continent or city].

“I’ll teach you that clearly!”

He hasn’t even calculated any magic yet.

He hasn’t made any hand signs, there are no amulets, and there isn’t a magic circle rotating on his palm.

There’s no way he can respond to the transcendent destruction that will soon pour down like rain. Maybe he can block one or two.

The power that reached its peak was about to pour down all at once, scattering the light of despair──

──It exploded.

The power of the 23 elements, gathered with ultimate lethality, twists, melts, destroys, and crushes Zernique’s body.

‘What.’

His ribs are crushed by water pressure, his lungs burst from lightning, fire burns the skin of his entire body, iron tears his muscles, and poison melts his bones.

‘What happened?’

The six Bel Curios, who had gained power that had become so great that they could lengthen the perceived time, were interpreting this chaos in a terrifyingly clear way.

‘I’ve been deprived of control of the magic?’

He couldn’t believe it even though he was seeing it. The Bel Curios were conveying that information, but the doubt didn’t disappear.

In the midst of the intense pain, the melted bones regenerated, tendons sprouted, and skin grew.

Super-fast regeneration instantly filled the lost body… but what’s frightening is not this physical pain right now. What the hell did I see?

He doesn’t have Bel Curios in his body?

“Huk, cough, keh heup…”

It was an explosion that completely burned and melted one side of the city, but unbelievably, he didn’t suffer any damage.

His companions and that shrine maiden who were collapsed here and there in the city…

On the other hand, Zernique, who barely repaired his body from that absurd damage, could only pant.

「Looks like you just kneeled?」

Lin’s eyes, looking at such Zernique, were just as calm as before.

「One knee.」

There was no sense of satisfaction or exhilaration from seizing the victory in a match that had been constantly pushed back. As if this was natural.

“Don’t crawl up…”

How dare you look at me with those eyes?

Eyes that look like they’re looking at a pitiful guy, that old man Ryuken was looking at me with those eyes too.

“Don’t get cocky just because you succeeded once──!”

The moment he burst out with a scream-like shout, suddenly an abyss poured out from his entire body and swallowed the body.

The rampaging abyss.

The sky is covered in black clouds in the midst of wailing, and the earth begins to melt in the midst of screaming.

In a disgustingly squishy sound, his arms, legs, body, and face are transformed into dark blue alien matter…

When the transformation was over, what was in front of him was not a human. Something wearing the frame of a human.

「Ah, so this is what molting feels like…」

The 41 tentacles that sprouted abnormally from his back looked like snail’s eyes, and all of those eyeballs were Bel Curios.

「It’s not about controlling providence, it’s about simply dominating it under my feet.」

The moment Zernique grinned, red wavelengths burst out from the 47 eyeballs.

「At this moment, I have transcended humanity even in body.」

The power was not even comparable to the power that had been blowing away local dimensions. The power to twist, collapse, and swallow the entire dimension.

「Hahahahahahahahaha!」

A transcendent gravitational vortex that swallows matter, ability, light and darkness, and providence.

「Lin!」

How powerful was that force?

Even Friede, who had gathered her companions and moved far away from the battlefield, felt an enormous gravitational pull.

‘The barrier of the Divine Ashes seems like it’s about to break just from the gravitational pull.’

Zernique has finally risen to the ranks of true transcendence.

‘The abyss is making him even stronger than the old nobles.’

How much favoritism is he receiving from the ?

As despair filled Friede’s mind, the vortex of darkness momentarily lost its power and began to fall apart.

And the matter, light, and nature that had been forcibly denied and trampled on were returning to their original state and being restored.

「What’s so surprising?」

To Zernique, who was blinking his 47 eyeballs, the being standing in the area where everything had been normalized said.

「If destruction is the authority of the abyss, then the authority of light has creation.」

「……?!」

「Let’s really end this now. I was watching your condition for a while thinking you might come to your senses, but it was my misjudgment.」

Zernique couldn’t just stand there and watch Lin’s next action.

‘No.’

Something, what should I say.

How can that be a magic casting motion? He just clasped his hands together in a reverent motion.

Magic is not a theory of faith. But why is he like those clergymen praying…

‘This doesn’t make sense.’

I’ve never seen it, but I’ve heard of it. I’ve read about how Karenden, the progenitor of magic in the age of the gods, used magic.

「Phenomenon Embodiment, Asura True Soul Mirror.」

* * *

Ryuken, when Karenden asked about the truth, began to tell it in a voice that was both excited and sad.

It was a truly amazing experience.

To be able to hear the story of the great mage of a thousand years ago, and to be able to empathize with that story.

– Take this opportunity to go out into the world, Lin.

Clearly, if I had heard this story without any foundation, I would not have been able to realize it.

Anything.

Just as I didn’t even understand that magic was about putting your heart into it back in the Lin era.

– There are countless things in the world that are not in books. Beautiful things, scary things, fun things, sad things…

But my life’s journey.

The footprints of life in the past life and this life made me realize all the teachings with all my heart.

– If you see those things with your own eyes, hear them with your own ears, and touch them with your own hands, you will gradually realize them without even knowing it.

What is magic.

And how to use power.

Ah, Headmaster. It was just as you said. I had already heard the truth from you.

– Aboo.

If ‘putting your heart into magic’ is the realization needed to cross the threshold of truth, then what is needed to climb that peak is knowing ‘heart’ itself.

Heart.

The heart that dwells in the providence of creation.

The heart that the creation gods had when they spread this land, drew the sky, and molded each and every one of us.

– Abaht!

It is to look at everything that exists in this world with love.

– Mani didn’t wait for you.

If there is love, you will know that the potential of the object is infinite.

– Ppantchi ppantchi Aki ppantchida!

It is patient and gentle, does not act arrogantly, does not commit rudeness, and does not fall into self-interest.

– Dur-Maurice, Aki is here.

Just as the possibility of numbers is infinite.

Numbers are like people.

Although the potential is limited for each one, if they join forces, love each other, and help each other, the potential becomes infinite.

– Ssa-bu, Lin Ssa-bu!

Just as the combination of numbers can solve all mathematical formulas that exist in this world, so can we build the world while helping and cherishing each other.

– Evil-eeyo-oh…….

The creation gods created this world so beautifully with such a heart.

And with that very heart.

Karenden created the theory of mathematics so that humans who do not know love can realize it even with reason.

‘I could have known everything, I could have known everything.’

When Ryuken organized and said these words like a formula, the days I spent with Aki, Toureina, and Nen made me realize it.

The joy and happiness I saw from those children were all different, and the potential of those children was also different.

It is to examine all things in this world with such a heart.

‘That is the truth.’

The creation gods did not hide that truth somewhere. They just made us realize it implicitly while loving and helping each other and living together.

Ah, how beautiful it is.

The love of the gods dwelling in this world, the structure itself that allows us to know the heart from the relationship is so beautiful.

– The power of the gods is not like that. It is to hope, to pray, and to receive.

Thank you, Alakish.

For giving me the core teaching at that time.

– The name of this Alakish’s daughter is Akirea. It means freedom. I’ll leave everything to you now.

Thank you, Alakish.

For entrusting Aki to me at that time.

If it weren’t for Aki, I wouldn’t have reached this realization.

‘I’m praying here now.’

Clasping hands together means praying with all your heart and mind.

May I know the will of creation.

May I embrace the heart of creation.

May that sincere prayer lead the one who prays to infinite possibilities.

‘Now I know. What structure the three-headed dragon Asura of the age of the gods was made of.’

If the realm of 6 stars allows you to embody your own mental image, then the one who has reached 7 stars, that is, the truth, changes the phenomenon itself.

‘He embodied the memories, joy, and realizations he gained while traveling with the Light Dragon, Fire Dragon, and Water Dragon by weaving them into one.’

It was neither a biological weapon nor a combination of the three dragons. It was a separate existence. Not an existence, but a power.

Just, right, like this.

Is this realization I have gained correct? Karenden.

「Phenomenon Embodiment, Asura True Soul Mirror.」

I’ll take these kids to the future.

So that someday everyone will know the will of creation and your heart.

– I called you to record and convey it.

Does conveying it mean those children? Is that why you called me?

「What is that magic…?」

In overwhelming awe, perhaps even reverence, the great mage of the abyss gaped blankly.

The magnificent and noble form embraced the beauty of providence and scattered the light of creation in all directions.

A dragon with brilliant light.

A dragon with fiercely burning fire.

A dragon made of gently swaying water.

Three dragon heads sprouted from one body and looked down at him menacingly. Each of the three pairs of arms held a spirit orb, a wish-fulfilling jewel.

‘I don’t even feel fear.’

It was impossible to interpret with Bel Curios. Not interpretation, but just witnessing was possible.

The power of the black sun Karenden, which had been shrouded in mystery, the power that fought against the old kings of the age of the gods.

‘No.’

That’s why I felt unpleasant.

Is this brat, who has lived for at most 40 years, standing in a realm that I have been trying to reach for a thousand years?

‘That can’t be.’

That can’t be.

If it was that easy, if I could have reached it that easily, what was my life for?

What was the wandering of my life for?

「Get rid of that ridiculous illusion! Is that a rookie who hasn’t even lived for a hundred years showing off that he has reached the truth before this Zernique!」

As the three dragon heads opened their mouths all at once, light overflowed from their throats and began to be concentrated.

The light that restores the world, which was miserably destroyed, ruthlessly devastated, and fleetingly perished, as He intended.

「Show off? Zernique, you should have reached the truth before me. In fact, the positions should have been reversed.」

The runes that make up that power did not belong to any of the eight root runes.

In fact, all the root runes were nothing more than derived from this rune.

The name of this rune is Light, a power that only those who are in harmony with the heart of the gods can wield.

「I just received the teachings that you should have received from Ryuken Ludwig instead. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have had the chance to receive those teachings.」

「What?」

「You know? You’re the one who ruined that opportunity.」

「This impudent brat, spouting nonsense without knowing properly──!」

Bel Curios’ dimensional interference.

The apocalyptic power of elemental combination.

They poured down countless times as if responding to that wave of light, but it was meaningless.

「──That old man is!」

Each time, light poured out from the wish-fulfilling jewel held by the three-headed dragon… and the power that originated from it was 7-star magic.

「He only cherished me superficially! To use my talent!」

Just as darkness cannot overcome light, it just breaks and disappears fleetingly.

「There’s no way he would have given me such teachings!」

He tried to open a dimension and leave this place to plan for the future, but it doesn’t open. Everything succumbs within that creative providence.

「Does defending what you did in that way make you feel better?」

Then, when Lin took something out of his arms and showed it, Zernique’s eyes widened and he suddenly stopped struggling.

「The reason you’re obsessed with Bel Curios isn’t because of its ability.」

It was a book.

「You actually wanted to become Ryuken’s blood relative even if it meant taking over his body, didn’t you?」

The book that he had kept for a thousand years, the lifelong regret he left behind when he abandoned Zernique’s body.

「You’ve never sincerely raised a child or disciple in your thousand years of life, have you?」

The creative power, dazzlingly concentrated in the three dragon heads, finally overwhelmed his consciousness and vision with absolute radiance.

「Poor guy, so you can’t help but not know.」

At that time, the black sheepskin hanging around Zernique’s neck emitted a mournful light.

「There is no parent or teacher who can hate their child or disciple.」

The light of creation.

To reach the soul of the wicked person, sunk deep in the abyss stained with sin and darkness.

「Goodbye, Zernique.」