Episode 1076
Chapter 253: Gathering at Laprarosa Once More (7)
“Graaaargh…!”
Beltian roared relentlessly.
Yet, the beams from the restraints binding him only flickered slightly, showing no sign of releasing their hold.
‘Is it almost over? If Bligiet hadn’t had that change of heart, this would have been a real struggle.’
It was Bligiet’s primordial memories that made all the difference.
Without them, this situation wouldn’t have been resolved so easily.
Beltian would have resisted far more fiercely, and both Ziphl and Ganesto would have surely missed their chance.
“Bligiet, I curse you! You’re unworthy of being me!”
Bligiet, who had been acting like a frightened little bird all along, suddenly strode up to Beltian as he was being bound tighter by the restraints.
With a loud thud, she struck him hard on the head and shouted,
“After all I did to save you, you dare speak with such ingratitude, Beltian? Without me, you would have self-destructed and vanished. I was the one who gave you a chance.”
“Stop spouting nonsense!”
“Ah, since we’re going to be on the same side now, it’s best to settle the hierarchy early. From now on, you’re under me. Got it?”
“You’re acting like a pathetic mortal scum—ugh, ack!”
“This, this, this! Can’t you get it through your head? Don’t you understand? Right now, only I can attack you unilaterally. Take this! And this!”
“Ugh, graaah, ughhh!”
Amid this childish bickering—hard to believe they were creators of this world—Ziphl’s fleet overhead was being shot down one after another.
“[Sogaju, restraint complete! Operation successful.]”
Jin received a message from Luet, nodded, and scanned the surroundings.
Ziphl immediately realized there was no more opportunity and ceased generating troops; Ganesto’s presence was nowhere to be felt.
The ruined state of Laprarosa was visible.
The main hall of the battle temple had collapsed entirely, reduced to near ruins, but overall, the city was far less damaged than the Barmel Alliance had initially feared.
Laprarosa was, for Jin, almost a second home.
Had it been destroyed beyond repair or left in ruins indefinitely, it would have been a heavy blow to him emotionally.
That, too, was thanks to Bligiet.
For the first time since meeting her, Jin looked at her with a favorable gaze.
Beltian.
Among the massive forces that had gathered once again at Laprarosa to capture him, the victor was, once again, the Barmel Alliance.
“Bligiet.”
“Why do you call me?”
“Your contribution was significant. Honestly, I wasn’t sure if I could trust you, but you did very well.”
At those words, Bligiet smiled briefly before scowling and glaring at Jin.
“Thanks… no, that’s not it. Tch! Even so, you show nothing but disrespect? Just because I’ve decided to stake everything on you after regaining my primordial memories, don’t think you can treat me like a servant.”
“When I come to trust you more, and thanks to your abilities we can prevent more innocent sacrifices, then I’ll treat you as a senior member of the Alliance. For now… please be content with me using polite speech.”
Jin had quickly grasped Bligiet’s sudden change in personality. She was clearly the type who worked best when shown a certain level of respect.
There was even a childish side to her that got excited when acknowledged.
“Hmph, well… I’m not exactly satisfied, but I’ll accept it for now. I have my position to consider. Don’t think I’m doing this because I like you.”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”
Ban, Murakan, and the senior officers of the Alliance who had disembarked from the flagship of the Golden Fleet began approaching Beltian one by one.
Beltian looked almost unconscious, but he stirred as they drew near and began to watch him closely.
“Ugh…”
“Are you coming to, friend?”
“Araksion and Malugia… and the selves who share my will will ultimately lead you all to ruin.”
“That’s a good mindset. Keep that hatred alive. It’s what will keep you strong.”
“Neeeooom!”
“You’ll soon realize you have no choice but to cooperate with us.”
“Araksion and Malugia must think they can’t come to save me because they’re trapped by mortals like you and me.”
“Not at all. Araksion might be, but Malugia is only pretending to be captured by those Ziphl scum. Still, her power will inevitably be somewhat diminished in the process. She can’t handle these mortals alone.”
“Bligiet, what are you scheming? What are you trying to do by gathering those of us who once were?”
At those words, Bligiet looked at Jin.
“To stop the world from being broken and destroyed by someone—that’s all. And our Barmel Alliance will never let you go. You’d better adapt quickly, like Bligiet here, Beltian.”
The moment Jin addressed Bligiet with the honorific “-nim,” the nearby Alliance members flinched, exchanging glances between the two.
Bligiet couldn’t help but shrug with a hint of pride.
In the world of Rokia.
Joshua, his face somber, sought out the “Creator’s Space.”
There, he saw Rokia Ganesto in her original form and the unconscious Haelin Runkandel.
“…The riders have failed, Mother. In the end, Beltian fell into Jin’s grasp.”
“There’s no need to be so down; it was almost inevitable, Joshua. Sending the children this time was just a gamble on luck.”
“Luck… you say?”
“Yes. Jin Runkandel has always been favored by fortune. I hoped the world might smile on us once, but all I see is his expressionless face. No, it’s more like mockery.”
While Joshua pondered her words in silence, Rokia gently brushed Haelin’s hair and rose from her seat.
“If there’s any consolation, it’s that if Beltian had been destroyed, we would have lost any leverage to negotiate with the Demon God Corps. There’s still a clear reason why they haven’t disposed of this dimension yet.”
“The Demon God Corps… do they possess power strong enough to erase an entire dimension at will?”
“If they can overcome the constraints of dimensional interference, yes. In that case, it wouldn’t even take an hour for our world to vanish from the dimensional registry. They’d just erase the record. But it’s not at that level yet. However, if Kelliak of the Unified Ziphl and the elite of the Demon God Corps were to descend directly, that would be catastrophic.”
“I hate to admit it, but the current Runkandel and Barmel Alliance under Jin are clearly the strongest in the mortal realm.”
“Yes, it could be a good fight. And as always, if luck and miracles favor them, the Barmel Alliance might win. But it would be a hollow victory, and even then, only a victory in battle, not war. The Unified Ziphl haven’t sent their full forces. They have more to come, but the Barmel Alliance only gets one real chance to fight properly.”
“It’s a pity that the youngest and the Barmel Alliance don’t understand your will, Mother.”
Her will—Rokia’s purpose.
Rokia smiled meaningfully and met Joshua’s gaze.
“Do you understand me now, Joshua?”
“Of course. Since the day you first awakened me, I have understood. You want to return this world to the time when there was only one dimension and create a more just future.”
“Will that quench my thirst?”
“…Pardon?”
“Not to meddle endlessly as a creator in the world I made, but to enjoy the light as an ordinary member of a just world.”
“I will make sure that happens. For you, Mother, I am ready to do whatever it takes.”
“I hope the day comes when your words truly move me. But more importantly, Joshua, I think the reason Jin and his comrades spared Beltian in this battle is because my information was leaked.”
“You mean they tracked your meeting with Kelliak through record magic?”
“No, there was no trace of that. It was probably the dream abilities of the Phantom Demons. From now on, we must act as if the Barmel Alliance and Kinzel have overheard all my conversations with Kelliak. That’s not a problem, though. In fact, it’s beneficial. Some of that information was deliberately shared by me. One of those was that the solar deity’s self must not be destroyed.”
Though it stung her pride to be outmaneuvered by mere “dream abilities” after her recent reckless moves, Rokia saw no real harm in it.
“From now on, the Barmel Alliance will try not to destroy any of the solar deity’s selves. They’re actually safer from the Demon God Corps’ disposal. For now, it might even be better if the Barmel Alliance secures all the solar deity’s selves. Even if Malugia is beyond help.”
“…Wouldn’t that make it easier for them to track us?”
“We’ve made several miscalculations and mistakes before, so we have no choice but to accept greater risks. But I alone understand the true significance of the solar deity’s resurrection. Even if they secure most of the selves, they won’t know how to use them.”
The true meaning of the solar deity’s resurrection was something Joshua had yet to be fully entrusted with.
He bowed his head quietly, refraining from asking impatiently what it meant.
“Anyway, now that Beltian is in the hands of the Balmur Alliance, once he starts cooperating, their pursuit of the Tower of Stories will accelerate. Just like how I was able to locate the Tower immediately thanks to Araksion. We’ll have to manage things carefully from now on to make sure Keliak doesn’t die before the right time comes.”