CH 438

The council chamber was filled with a gloomy silence, and no one dared to speak.

Present at the council were the five leaders of the House of Vampire Lords, including Antirianus, as well as Sarkegaar.

Eleris had vouched for Antirianus, who had returned after betraying them.

Antirianus was not a traitor; instead, he had killed the leader of Cantus Magna and returned.

Regarding Akasha's whereabouts, Eleris only provided minimal explanation.

Akasha was a tool of creation and was now being kept in a safe place.

Under Valier's instructions, Eleris had temporarily moved Akasha to another location.

They were currently gathered at the base of Luvien (Previously Luruien,) not the fortress of Epiax.

Epiax was no longer usable, as many humans had been dispatched there for investigation.

Everyone had some idea of what had happened through the traces of Epiax's collapse.

Lydia Schmitt had fought with someone and disappeared.

Now, they knew the situation, as Epinhauser had informed them through Lucinil that the Demon King and Loyar were being detained in the temple.

Lydia Schmitt was presumed dead.

The Demon King and Loyar were being held captive in the temple.

Eleris looked pale.

"Your misguided mercy has endangered His Majesty, Eleris."

"..."

At Sarkegaar's sharp words, Eleris could not respond.

Misguided mercy.

It was that small cogwheel that had failed to mesh, exposing Valier's identity.

Even with Sarkegaar's shapeshifting ability, it was impossible to break in and escape.

Hence, a direct confrontation was the only option.

"It is certain that the place where His Majesty is being held is more difficult to enter than the Emperor’s central palace of Tetra. And to attack that place, we must first penetrate the temple with our limited forces. Can we now break through the temple and forcibly enter the prison where His Majesty is held in its depths?"

No one answered Sarkegaar's question.

This was not a skirmish; it was a full-scale invasion of the enemy's stronghold.

It was an impossible task.

Apart from the Council's leaders, they had other allies.

"Is there any possibility that the Black Order will help us in this matter?"

At Sarkegaar's question, Gallarush shook his head.

"The condition of our cooperation with the Order was to eliminate Cantus Magna. And since Cantus Magna has already disappeared, there's no reason for them to lend us more strength."

"We should rather worry about them coveting Akasha."

The Black Order was not present at this meeting.

As they could not predict how the Order would react if they learned the truth about Akasha, the Council had been restraining their contact with them since the incident at the Tomb of Lich.

In fact, it was overly generous for Epinhauser to inform them of Valier's detention.

Since the issue with Cantus Magna was resolved and they had not shared the truth about Akasha, their alliance could be considered over. Strictly speaking, it was a betrayal by the Council.

So, asking the Order for help to rescue the kidnapped Demon King would be futile, and the Order was more likely to demand Akasha instead.

There was no hope of receiving help from the Black Order.

The only power available to them was the Vampire Council.

Rescuing Valier was impossible.

Eleris, who bore the greatest responsibility for this situation, remained in a daze with a stern expression.

Valier was going to die soon.

Antirianus, who had been silent, smiled coldly.

"What if we use the Akasha?"

"..."

At those words, Sarkegaar narrowed his brow.

"Wasn't the Akasha said to be a tool of creation? How could that help us in this situation?"

"That's an overly simplified explanation."

Antirianus looked at Eleris with a subtle smile.

"The Akasha itself is already an incredibly powerful source of energy. The Imperial Court and the Temple must have defenses in place against such powerful magic, so it would be difficult to resolve the situation using powerful spells. However... what if we think about it as a tool of creation?"

"..."

"Use it in a slightly different way."

"Different way? What do you mean?"

"Let's say, creating only half a world, and doing it rather clumsily."

Antirianus grinned.

"Creating only half a world...?"

"Because the Akasha is in an incomplete state, if we use it now... it would create something infinitely close to a world, but not yet a world."

Eleris bit her lip at Antirianus's explanation.

Antirianus hadn't seen the Akasha himself, but he had heard about it from Cantus Magna's leader, Lukren.

As a tool of creation, he had no choice but to know how it could be used.

He had already heard about the effects of using the Akasha in its incomplete state, and the side effects that would occur.

"We'll make that world collide with our current world."

"A very big."

"Something no one has ever seen or heard of before."

"A terrifying... a truly horrible disaster would occur."

"Humanity would fall into chaos. Walls and bridges, houses would crumble and be destroyed, and humanity would face great turmoil."

"What will happen then?"

"Although it seems that the world will be destroyed, wouldn't the numerous wizards and knights who were stationed to monitor the Demon King have to leave their posts?"

"To protect people and lives, you see."

"We'll take advantage of that gap."

"We'll rescue our Demon King during that gap."

"They'll be preoccupied with dealing with the disaster that has befallen the world. They won't have time to deal with us, who are trying to rescue the Demon King from their grasp."

"Most of humanity will die or, in the worst-case scenario, humanity may be extinct due to this event, making the task of rebuilding the Demon World after rescuing him even easier, isn't that as clear as day?"

"That's why I'm suggesting."

"Using the Akasha, but deliberately using it in its incomplete state."

Antirianus looked delightedly at Eleris, who was biting her lip.

Gallarush, Luvien, and Lucinil remained silent.

Sarkegaar's eyes widened.

"Such... such a method..."

The extinction of humanity.

Rescuing the Demon King.

And reconstruction.

The method that could achieve Sarkegaar's three desires in one fell swoop was in their hands.

"It seems there's no other way. No, there's no reason to choose any other method besides this one."

Half of humanity disappears. Or they could even go extinct.

Sarkegaar thought there was no reason not to use such a method if they had it.

"Still... will it work?"

Luvien hesitated and asked.

It would be an overly massive disaster.

Even if their goal was to save Valier, could they so easily decide to cause such an event?

Lucinil looked sadly at Sarkegaar.

"I... I wish for our Valier not to die as well... but... do we have the right to do that? Can we... cause such a thing?"

As they discussed the excessively large disaster, Sarkegaar narrowed his brow in response to Lucinil's fearful and apprehensive words.

"Humans have destroyed our world."

"They have killed the children of Darkland, enslaved them, pillaged, and now they seek to crush the last hope for our future."

"They have destroyed us, plundered our lands and children, and now they aim to destroy our last hope."

"Isn't it our right, my right, to destroy them in return?"

"Who started the last war? Was it not humanity?"

"Who else has the right to destroy humanity, if not us?"

"If they have destroyed us, is it not just for them to be destroyed in equal measure?"

Since they have destroyed us, we have the right to destroy them. At these words, Lucinil bit her lip and gazed at Sarkegaar.

Neither Lucinil nor Luvien could find anything to add to that justified hatred.

Sarkegaar believed that the children of Darkland had the right to destroy humanity. Thus, he could not help but agree with Antilianus's opinion to deliberately use the incomplete Akasha.

It is the best option, with no reason not to choose it.

Even if the demon king dies, humanity would still be pushed to the brink of extinction.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

You have destroyed us, so you shall be destroyed as well.

That is not right.

That should not be done.

We must find a way to coexist.

To those who have lost everything, such talk is nothing but cheap hypocrisy uttered by those who have not experienced such a situation.

No one could say anything to the furious Sarkegaar.

"Of course, I understand your thoughts, but that doesn't mean it can be done just because you want it to be."

Antilianus spoke gently to Sarkegaar with a smile.

"The only one who knows Akasha's location now is the lord of Tuesday, and the only one who can enter Akasha is the lord of Tuesday."

The library in the underground of the demon king's castle.

Although its location has changed, only three beings can enter Akasha.

Charlotte de Gardias.

Demon King Valier.

And the ancient Archdemon, Eleris.

Eleris just stared at the table in silence.

"..."

Sarkegaar did not know that Eleris was an ancient Archdemon.

But even if he knew, it would make no difference.

A hornless Archdemon could not become the hope of the demon realm.

"Eleris."

"..."

"Take responsibility for your hideous hypocrisy."

"..."

At Sarkegaar's words, Eleris could not say anything.

Valier, who had been working to prevent the Gate incident until now, would eventually witness the Gate incident as part of a scheme to save himself.

As if by fate.

Chasing the Gate incident leads to the Gate incident occurring.

A bitter regret that nothing would have happened if nothing had been done.

Eleris pondered.

Should she run away? From the Council. From everything in the world.

Or, she could even take her own life.

But what then?

Valier, who sought to save all humans, dies at the hands of humans.

Misunderstood by everyone, he dies receiving hatred and resentment from all those he loved.

Her last descendant meets death just before achieving good deeds with good intentions.

Because of her own mistake.

As a price for indulging in clumsy compassion.

If Valier dies this way and Akasha remains hidden while Eleris alone remains silent, the world will go on without the Gate incident happening, as Valier intended.

Is that good enough?

Is that all it takes?

Due to her own hypocrisy, her last descendant dies.

If by witnessing the death of that descendant, countless beings can be saved, is that the right thing to do?

But they would say it was right, that even Valier wished for it, and that because of it, countless beings could live.

That this was justice.

Would she have to live, justifying herself like this?

"Eleris, are you going to keep spewing nonsense about how every being in the world has a reason to live, while you're intoxicated with your own hypocrisy to the very end? Sure, every being in the world has a value to live and a meaning to their existence. But, remember that the children of Darkland were also such beings."

Sarkegaar's words tormented Eleris's heart.

"Hehe… The Lord of Tuesday, who hates slaughter and avoids it so much… to have to take on such a role…"

Antirianus's laughter was like an itch in Eleris's ears.

"How… how can this be such a sad fate… Hehe, hehehehehe…"

As he listened to the insane laughter of the old vampire, who seemed to be at a loss for what to do in his enjoyment of the situation, Eleris thought back to a certain afternoon long ago.

As always, it was a lazy afternoon.

There were no customers, and lying on the counter, in a place where the dull afternoon sun shone in, she had been passing the time idly.

A certain boy entered as the shop door opened.

The boy seemed familiar, carrying a Fireball Scroll with him.

For some reason, he also had a scroll of the demons.

When Eleris realized that this boy was her last descendant.

When she learned that she had once been a tutor for a few days to the young Prince Valier Jr. of the demon world.

Eleris believed that there must be some destiny given to her.

When the boy said that he was trying to save the world and knew the future, Eleris believed that this destiny must be to save the world from destruction, and it would alleviate some of the weight of the sins and slaughter she had committed up to that point.

But.

Was it not the case?

The destiny given to her.

The last thing she should have done was not that?

The hypocrisy she built to avoid the sins and slaughter had driven her to the edge.

Trying to repay the sins committed through slaughter with hypocrisy.

In the end, committing a sin that no one in the world could forgive.

Trying to save everyone.

Killing everyone.

Was that her role?

"…"

Was that my fate?