Chapter 270 World Severance
"What is this place...!?"
Time rewinds a little.
Logan Abrams, who was teleported by Chronosphere, raised a confused voice at the sight before him.
There, the members of the Extermination Team who had been teleported earlier were gathered, and like Logan, they were looking around cautiously.
"What on earth...?"
The scenery itself was definitely a fantastical place, like the mirrored sky and lake they had just been in.
However, few would think of it as fantastical after seeing the same sight as Logan and the others.
Because the scenery had no color.
Black and white. Everything was expressed in shades of gray. Rather than being fantastical, it felt eerily unsettling.
"Lady Lucia."
Logan called out to Lucia, who was nearby.
She was probably the one who understood the current situation the best.
"Do you know where we are?"
"Yeah. This is inside the [Physical God Realm]. It seems we were just moved within the same floor."
Lucia said that they hadn't come to a different floor, but had just moved within the same one.
With that in mind, Logan asked.
"Is it possible for you and Sir Noah to take us back to the previous location? Aaron and the others are strong, but they are outnumbered. Plus, if the [Evil God] attacks, it would be better to gather our forces."
"No, it's impossible."
Lucia answered simply.
"Even in this Space, I can use Space magic, but I can't teleport outside of this Space."
"...What do you mean?"
"This is a closed Space. It's impossible for me to go outside. ...Most likely, [World Severance] is being used."
──[World Severance]
Logan heard about that magic from Lucia during a discussion with the 4 families.
"...Isn't [World Severance] a magic that is realized by the function of the [Seal Temple]? Can an individual... a Chronosphere use it alone? Or is he using the [Seal Temple]...?"
It's a big magic that requires the request of the heads of the 4 families and the approval of the Chronosphere. There's no reason for the current heads of the 4 families to request the activation of [World Severance]. So, did the Chronosphere use the function of the [Seal Temple] on their own?
Lucia denied both.
"The [World Severance] gathered at the [Seal Temple] should be on a much larger scale. It should cover the entire labyrinth or all the floors. Otherwise, the range would be too small to trap the [Evil God]."
She didn't bother to explain further, but with the [World Severance] from the [Seal Temple], you can't make adjustments after it's activated.
In other words, you can't pull someone in with teleportation magic into the severed Space.
However, right now, that impossible thing is happening. It seems to be controlled by a single caster's magic, not the rigid functions of the Magical Machines.
"If that's the case, is this the Chronosphere?"
Does that mean someone has the ability to do such a thing alone?
"Well... if it's a narrowed-down [World Severance], it wouldn't be strange for Chronosphere to activate it alone, but..."
[World Severance] is a magic that prohibits both teleportation to areas outside and physical movement, regardless of the amount of magical energy. To get out of here, either the Magical Machines using magic or the mage must stop the magic, or we have to defeat the objects or beings that are activating the magic.
"So... Chronosphere brought us here to hold us back?"
In this strange space, there is neither the figure of Chronosphere nor the false goddess.
If that's the case, Chronosphere's goal must be to keep them trapped here until the [Evil God] gets Fiona's body.
Confident in this, Logan spoke, and immediately after, an answer came back.
"Sorry, that's wrong."
Ripples spread across the colorless lake surface.
"""──!?"""
A wave of tension ran through all the members of the Extermination Team.
The voice did not belong to any of their comrades. However, they recognized that voice.
Everyone instinctively took a step back, readying their weapons and staring at the center of the ripples.
Then, as if rising up from beneath the lake's surface, a man appeared.
"Chrono, sphere... is that you?"
"Hey, hey, that's the old man from earlier, right? ...He really went for a bold makeover."
"What is that appearance...!?"
What appeared was Chronosphere.
However, it was not the Chronosphere they knew────it was not Jilva Caduceus's.
...No, the body was indeed Jilva's. But, that form had transformed into a monstrous shape.
With white hair and a white beard, he had a muscular body for an old man.
Those features remained, but his skin had darkened, and glowing red lines formed patterns all over him. His eyeballs also had their whites turned black, with golden pupils inside.
This alone was enough to be considered monstrous, but the variations did not stop there.
From the sides of Chronosphere's head, 2 thick black horns grew, with red lines running along their surfaces. His arms and legs were covered in tough, jet-black skin, and sharp claws extended from his fingertips, also black and hard.
And the red lines running all over his body were proof that this monstrous form was not just for show.
Chronosphere, who was bare-chested and only wearing pants, had the air around him shimmering as if it were heated.
──In other words, heat emission.
"Is that Sir Noah's!?"
Logan, who had been watching the battle between Noah and Aaron in the underground [Temple], recognized it.
The supernatural ability──[Devil's Brain] formed those devil-like horns. An organ to release the intense heat generated by massive computational processing.
However, that appearance was far more demonic than Noah's at that time.
"Chronosphere...!! You old fool!! How dare you trick me!!"
Noah shouted at the monstrous Chronosphere, his face twisted with anger and hatred.
In response, Chronosphere looked at Noah with a bored expression.
"Trick you? That's a harsh way to put it. I did fulfill your wish, didn't I?"
"What did you say...!?"
"Your precious Eva is safe, after all, right? That was the reward I paid for your efforts. I could have switched from this old body to that young one, you know. You should be thanking me."
"You bastard...!!"
"By the way, why did you and Ail come here? Humanity is bound to go extinct sooner or later, but if you stayed on the surface, you could have lived a little longer."
Chronosphere shook his head in disbelief and continued.
"Somehow, Logan's contract seems to have disappeared... but your [Testament (Contract before God)] remains. You can't even hit me."
"Of course, that's obvious...!! It's to witness your pathetic death...!!"
"Noah... it's better not to say things you can't do. The weight of your words will just keep fading away."
Chronosphere maintained his composure.
That, combined with his monstrous appearance, created a creepy pressure that could intimidate even the most battle-hardened warriors.
But...
"Hehehe...!!"
"Kukukuku...!!"
"Buhihihihihihih!!"
Some members of the ≪Wooden Sword Way≫ were laughing in a truly unpleasant way.
Chronosphere tilted its head in confusion.
"Hmm? What's wrong? Why are you suddenly laughing? Did fear make you lose your mind?"
In response to the question, those who laughed answered.
"Oh, no, that's not it. I just thought it was pretty easy."
"Easy? Easy how?"
At the answer from the drunken leader, Chronosphere looked genuinely puzzled.
Then, this time, the "Guardian of the Children" responded.
"In other words, it's like this. It's about whether it's easier to fight our master or you."
"...Hmm. Could it be that you think you can win against me?"
This time, the response came from the pigs.
"It pains my heart to think of bullying an old man..."
"We're used to surrounding one person with a lot of us, you know."
"I'm sorry, but we'll be using our well-trained lynching skills to the fullest."
"Hmm... So it's lynching, huh... Well, it's a hundred times better than hearing some ridiculous talk about justice, but I never thought those who would fight me here would be so accustomed to that..."
"Heh heh heh, even if you get scared now, you won't escape!"
"I'm sorry, but Chronosphere, we're going to lynch you now."
"Sub-master! As usual, please give us your wicked strategy instructions!!"
And so, the members of the "Wooden Sword Way" began to move, ready to surround Chronosphere.
"──Let me answer your earlier question."
To stop their movement, Chronosphere raised its right hand.
"My purpose is to answer the question of whether my goal is to hold you all back. And I said it's not. So, what is the answer?"
At the feet of the Chronosphere, ripples began to form all around.
"My goal is to eliminate you all here."
From beneath the countless ripples, beings with immense magical energy began to rise.
"Ickle... no, it's Lucia. Since you probably understand, I'll answer without hiding anything. I don't know how long it will take for Miriallia to get Fiona's body outside. If I just wait and run out of magical energy, it would be a bit troublesome."
[World Severance] consumes a huge amount of magical energy, so it's not a magic that can be maintained for long.
"That's why I'll take care of you annoying ones properly. And... I'm sorry."
What appeared from beneath the ripples were false goddesses with 6 pairs of 12 wings. The number was──
"I could only prepare this few. I don't know if this number will satisfy you, but I hope you enjoy it."
The number was──about a hundred.
Seeing this, many members of the ≪Wooden Sword Way≫ shouted.
"""Drunken! Pervert! Pigs!!!"""
"No way!? It's not our fault!?"
"That's an unfounded accusation!!"
"To attack us with such numbers is cowardly, Chronosphere!!!"
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