Chapter 1596 Echoes in the Shadows

Shortly after Vahn's departure from Ariadne, located deep within the most secretive region of the entirety of Mundus Magicus, a group of people dressed in flowing black robes had gathered near the base of an empty throne. Each had their expressions shrouded by habit-like hoods, and, further increasing their resemblance to members of the clergy, every member wore a crimson-red chasuble with gold trim. The front of the garment roughly formed the shape of a keyhole near the bottom, while, flowing behind them, the garment split into four distinct blade-like points.

Near the center of the group of seven, standing less than two-thirds the height of every other member, a child-like woman with golden eyes that shone through the shadows cast over her face turned to the tallest member of the group, a dark-skinned man with similar golden eyes, asking, "Were you able to ascertain where the irregularity is heading? Our Revered Mother is eager to reclaim the Key of Twilight. If we miss this opportunity, it will take hundreds of years to create another Key. Failure is not an option."

Meeting the gaze of the child-like woman, the inordinately tall man had a fierce yet stoic expression on his face as he answered, "That monster possesses the Power of the Gods and never rests. He has never once taken his eyes off the Key. Unless we reveal ourselves and seize the key by force, there is no practical way to recover it. To further complicate matters, he possesses the ability to manifest in multiple locations, and, from what my shadows have been able to discover, he can freely change his appearance and magical signature. His transformation is no simple illusion, either. Even with the Eye of Veritas, it was impossible to see through his disguise..."

Rather than show any sign of perturbation, the child-like woman raised her head in response to the man's words, an intrigued smile on her face as she mused, "It seems Our Revered Mother is correct in her assessment. This irregularity seems to have crossed through the Abyss. Based on his actions thus far, it seems he has some knowledge of future events. How curious..."

Hearing the musings of the young girl, every other member present showed expressions ranging from consternation to vehement disdain. They had been pursuing 'world peace' for hundreds of years, but, the moment they were on the brink of achieving their objective, several anomalies had emerged. Not only had one of their most senior members defected, rearing a humanoid weapon that threatened to undermine all their plans, but, to make matters even worse, an Ancient Dragon, apparently from the Abyss itself, had emerged out of thin air...

Unable to restrain his anger any longer, a burly man with heterochromatic eyes, one green, and one blue, shouted, "This is ridiculous! Let me deal with that bastard! I'd like to see how that damn lizard is able to survive my Rupturing Fist...!"

Losing her intrigued smile, the young girl glared back at the man, her eyes blazing like suns within the shadow of her hood as she plainly stated, "For that man to have passed through the Abyss, he must have come into contact with the Witch of the Abyss. Since the time of his arrival, however, the Abyss has become nigh-impossible to access. We can still send things through it, but trying to store and retrieve objects has become impossible. If that man has enough power to seal the Abyss, he is not an opponent we can afford to underestimate. Would you undermine twenty-six-hundred-years of effort and planning for the sake of your pride alone...?"

Though the girl held the greatest status amongst them, the burly man didn't seem to particularly care as he immediately exclaimed, "It's a hell of a lot better than just standing around! Are we just going to keep waiting for our enemies to grow stronger and stronger!? They're already calling that brat created by the traitor 'invincible'. If he is that strong as a snot-nosed brat, how powerful do you think he'll be by the time he matures!?"

Undaunted by the man's shouting, the young girl continued glaring at him, a sly smile spreading across her face as she mused, "Hooo~? Is Archon of Might, Adonaios, afraid a snot-nosed brat will surpass him in power? Are you sure you aren't just eager for a rematch against Iao?"

Hearing the name of the traitor casually uttered by the young girl, everyone, including Adonaios, had dour expressions. Then, discarding propriety completely, Adonaios' massive fist smashed into the young girl's head. This caused the upper half of her body to dissolve into pale-pink mist, but, as if she had suffered no damage whatsoever, the girl reappeared a few meters away, a dull expression on her face as she ordered, "If you wish to compromise everything Our Revered Mother has tried to accomplish, then go. Know, however, that you will also be considered a traitor the moment you act as you please..."

Following the eruption of a golden aura, the burly man's robes disintegrated into nothingness. His expression was filled with vengeful fury, but, without the covering of the robe, his peerless physique came into view. It was like every muscle on his body was sculpted to perfection, while, flowing from his head, a wild mane of reddish-brown hair began to writhe about against the pull of gravity as his phenomenal magic power surged through the vast stone chamber...

Before Adonaios could take action, the dark-skinned man pulled apart the sleeves of his robe to reveal unnaturally large, clawed, hands. At the same time, his figure seemed to melt into the void before reappearing between Adonaios, his robes swirling around his feet as if they had merged with the shadows. His magic power couldn't compete against the burly adonis, but, as one of the Shadow Apostles of the Mage of the Beginning, his power could tear through virtually any kind of barrier at near-light speeds.

Rather than immediately attack, Adonaios slowly walked until he was standing right in front of the dark-skinned man. His height increased from 193cm to 250cm over the course of his relatively short journey, and, rather than plateau, his power continued to increase with each passing moment as he stared down at the undaunted man and said, "Get out of my way, Dynamis. Do you think a puppet has any right to block the passage of an Archon? If our Master won't discipline her brat, I'll have to do it for her..."

Hearing Adonaios' words, two of the remaining four hooded members flickered next to Dynamis, their expressions severe as the shorter one, a man with spikey white hair, red eyes, and silvery-white gauntlets said, "You're going too far, Adonaios. Master placed Sophia in charge while she is away. If you continue like this, you really will become a traitor..."

Without backing down, Adonaios snorted through his nose, his magic power continuing to surge as he said, "It's not like that brat can die. I'm just going to teach her a lesson. If she thinks she can just insult me as she pleases, she is in desperate need of a reality check. Now, get out of my way before I teach you a lesson as well..."

With Adonaios refusing to back down, the trio guarding Sophia continued to release their auras, their power creating glass-like fractures within the void. Though these healed in an instant, Space was gradually beginning to destabilize around them. Despite this, none of the men backed down until a figure, occupying the once-empty throne, stated in a ghostly voice, "Enough..."

Even before the single word had fallen, nearly all of the magical energy within the room vanished in an instant. The only exception to this was the man named Dynamis, but, immediately after hearing the voice, he quickly retracted his magic power as he kneeled reverently towards the figure seated on the throne.

With the exception of Sophia, who now appeared similar to a mature woman in her early thirties, every other member present within the stone chamber emulated Dynamis' actions. This included Adonaios, who, after calming down, began to realize just how much he had erred. He considered himself one of the most devoted followers of their Master, but, after hearing Sophia compare him to the traitor, he had completely forgotten him...

Without looking, Adonaios could feel the gaze of his Master linger on him for several seconds. He could feel a pressure akin to a mountain pressing down on him, but, rather than offer any kind of resistance, he kept his head lowered in subservience. Even if he wanted to, there was absolutely no way he could stand against his Master, as, if she wanted to, she could strip away his power or even erase his existence itself with a singular thought...

Fortunately, after several seconds of tense silence, the cloaked figure, which seemed to be formed from the same shadowy fabric as Dynamis' cloak, turned to the woman named Sophia, its ghostly voice carrying a gentle undertone as it said, "It has been some time, Sophia...are you well?"

Unlike everyone else present, acting as if their lives were on the line, Sophia continued acting in a casual manner, a natural smile spreading across her beautiful face as she answered, "My days have been relatively peaceful since my appointment as the Master of the Gravekeeper's Palace. Though it seems like things are beginning to develop in an interesting direction, I am perfectly content. Thank you for your consideration, Mother..."

Waiting until her daughter raised her head, the cloaked figure, known to many as the Lifemaker or the Mage of the Beginning, gave a curt nod before saying, "I have failed to make contact with the Root of Apocrypha. Ever since that man's arrival, the past, present, and future have shifted in ways even I cannot see. I do not know the full extent of the shift, but, as more time passes, I can feel the tapestry of fate slowly coalescing into a single stable thread..."

While others might not be able to notice it, the Mage of the Beginning, Ialda Baoth, had become increasingly aware of Vahn's influence. She was not able to influence the past, but she had always been able to peer into it. Ever since Vahn's arrival, however, this ability had become more restricted, and, much to her surprise, several events that were supposed to have taken place had now ceased to be. It was like history was rewriting itself to allow for the man's existence in the present, almost as if he had become the lynchpin of reality...

Though it was an admittedly terrifying thought to imagine an existence that could 'rewrite' reality just by virtue of its existence, Ialda was not particularly concerned. Rather, while it did not rekindle her faith in man, knowing there were truths yet unrevealed gave her hope. She had even sensed the World Soul shift in response to Vahn, elevating him to Apotheosis and allowing him to overwrite the Master Program without the Code of the Lifemaker. This was something incomprehensible since the time of the Great Severance, the Absolution of Man, and the end of the Age of Gods.

From the moment of the Great Severance, it became impossible for Gods to manifest for any great length of time. It took a considerable amount of Belief, numerous sacrifices, and a Grand Ritual just to create an Altar upon which they could use their power. Even then, there were various restrictions in place, restrictions, which, if violated, would result in the True Death of the Manifested God. It was for this reason the Code of the Lifemaker had been created, and, without it, it shouldn't be possible to exercise the Authority of the Gods within Mundus Magicus.

Ialda was extremely interested in Vahn's existence, not just because of its anomalous qualities, but because it represented the removal of the restrictions that had directly contributed to the downfall of Man. Ever since the Great Severance, an event that was supposed to absolve Man of all sin, past, present, and future, the balance of World had been destroyed in favor of stabilizing the other eight Realms. As a result, the World became a breeding ground for Sin, a playground for the corrupt who believed all their actions, no matter how heinous, were already forgiven.

Following the Great Severance, Ialda had led countless innocents who became victims in the World that had been forsaken by the Gods. She had tried to create a paradise for them by converting the entirety of Inverse Mars, the Reverse Side of Mars, into one massive Altar. This allowed her to have unlimited Authority within Mundus Magicus, and, over time, she used that power to ensure peace and prosperity by creating a Phantasmagoria that overlapped reality. This power had given form to all the various magical and demihuman creatures that populated Mundus Magicus, creatures who, originally, were meant to dutifully serve Man.

Unfortunately, the plague of Sin gradually spread from Mundus Ventus, the Old World, to Mundus Magicus, the New World she had created. Even in a 'perfect' world, where they wanted for nothing, Man had been led astray by their errant wants and desires. Some began to see the creatures meant to serve them as equals, and, over time, this gave rise to rebellious thoughts. People quickly forgot the truth, and, in pursuit of their own interests, ideologies, and greed, they began warring amongst themselves, avariciously seeking 'more'.

In hindsight, Ialda realized she had been deluded to 'believe' in a version of Man that had already been forsaken by the Gods. She had felt guilty about 'suppressing' them with her absolute power, so, after providing them everything they needed to prosper, she placed a seal upon the Code of the Lifemaker. This effectively sealed her own power, and, seemingly out of spite for trying to succeed where it had failed, the Root of Creation cursed her with an ability only it was supposed to possess, The Resonance.

The Resonance allows and forces its wielded to feel the emotions of everyone and everything within the physical World. As a result, she was burdened with infinite empathy, a state which quickly drove her to madness. It was such a heavy burden on her mind that her physical body had been destroyed in its entirety, and, if not for the spiritual immortality she had obtained after combining the White of Mars and the Black of Venus, she would have been erased after being forced to experience the pain, suffering, and death of everything in an instant.

Despite experiencing incomprehensible suffering, Ialda had felt vindicated by the Root of Creation's attempt to punish her transgression into its domain. This allowed her to gradually recover her sense of self, and, though it was impossible to stave off the insanity that perpetually encroached upon her mind, it became the fuel that allowed her to endure into the present. The experience had also given her several ideas regarding 'permanant solutions', and, until she could bring all suffering to an end, Ialda was wholly committed to her cause.

Now that Vahn had appeared, Ialda couldn't help but take an interest in his anomalous power. His ability to wield the Authority of the Gods with apparent impunity was reason enough to secure and study him, but, more than anything else, it was his ability to alter reality without directly influencing the past that drew her attention. If she could understand the principle behind his power, she might even be able to completely erase the memory of the past. This would allow her to complete most of her objectives with relative ease, as, if they didn't remember why they were fighting, most people would accept the paradise she offered without resistance...

As that thought crossed her mind, a crazed smile spread across Ialda's face as she raised her head, her ghostly voice akin to the whispers of Death itself as she said, "The time for war has come..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'It's rarely a good thing when people are dressed like priests in a fantasy novel...','Plato be like, *heavy breathing*','Ialda is actually a very tragic existence...kinda similar to Olga from Fate Grand Order...')(A/N: There are A LOT of similarities between the Akamtsuverse and Nasuverse when you research them o_o...)

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