C373. Divine Blood (1)
"Wow, really… a mermaid…?"
Penia murmured in surprise.
The Observer showed no special reaction, as if that response was already familiar to her.
"It’s been a while."
At Alon's voice, she turned her gaze.
"Yes, it has been a while."
"Did you know I would come?"
"I suspected it."
The Observer answered naturally and, after looking at Radan, Penia, and Evan—who were behind Alon—said:
"I am sorry to say that the companions will have to wait here for a moment."
"…Yes?"
"Yes."
Alon looked back, and the three nodded at the same time.
"Understood."
After confirming, Alon bowed his head slightly. The Observer extended her hand toward him.
Uuung—!
With a soft resonant hum, a bubbly sphere covered Alon's body.
"Then let us depart immediately."
Without further explanation, the Observer descended toward the water's surface.
And she took Alon to a space in the depths of the ocean.
A short amount of time passed.
"We have arrived."
They had reached the Observer's space.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Then, I will wait outside."
"…Huh? You’re leaving?"
When Alon asked in surprise, the Observer nodded.
"Yes, because the existence you will speak with this time is not me. Besides, I have a message to deliver."
"A message?"
"Yes, above."
Without giving him a chance to answer, the Observer turned around.
She threw her body toward the entrance of the abyss where absolutely nothing could be seen.
"Do not worry too much. When you finish talking, I will come down immediately."
She left those words behind and disappeared.
‘…What is she going to talk about?’
Alon, bewildered, shrugged his shoulders.
Just as she said.
The person he came to see was not her.
Alon walked into the naturally formed cave. Soon, the familiar chamber appeared.
A place where, even in the darkness of the deep sea, the sky could be seen clearly. The chamber had no differences compared to the previous times.
The only different thing was the sky.
Alon looked up without saying a word.
In the sky of that world, always filled with brilliant stars, the galaxy no longer existed.
Only the dark night and a moon suspended with elegance remained.
The stars had disappeared. As if they had never existed.
It was not the first time he had seen a starless sky.
Since he regained consciousness, he was told that the night sky had lost its stars. And when he moved again, he verified it with his own eyes.
Even so…
Alon gazed for a long time at the silent sky that only had the moon.
It was the sky, so he couldn't measure the degree of chaos reigning in the world. And yet, he felt it abnormally calm.
Eventually, he moved forward passing under the dark sky and went deeper inside.
He found the altar he had seen last time and placed the curved-beads he carried upon it.
Uuuuuung—!
He felt the presence of Sin magic resonating softly. But this time, he was not alarmed and waited calmly.
"Ancestor…"
A human-shaped soul appeared before him. A soul formed by Sin magic.
[You have already gathered them all.]
Before Alon could react, the Ancestor of the Observers spoke. He nodded, surprised.
"How did you know?"
[Because I asked you to do it, didn't I?]
[…Just kidding.]
At that awkward expression, the Ancestor smiled slightly and continued:
[In this state, I can perceive things more accurately.]
"Did you notice it from an extremely slight vibration?"
[Exactly. First, will you pass me those objects?]
Without arguing, Alon handed her what he kept in his chest.
The Mask of the One Who Walks Forward.
The Howling Blessing.
And the Gem of The One with Closed Eyes.
The Ancestor received them in silence.
She placed the three artifacts forming a triangle on the altar where the beads rested.
[First, this.]
Then, the magic of Sin began to flow toward the artifacts, forming a black sphere over the triangle.
And—
Pit—
A black thorn shot out toward Alon.
"…!"
So fast.
Was it a betrayal?
Could he react?
Even if it was impossible, could he survive?
Thousands of thoughts passed through his mind in a fraction of a second.
But Alon could do absolutely nothing. The thorn projected from the sphere was much faster than his response capability.
Just as he was about to grit his teeth—
Kwaajik—!
The black thorn embedded itself in something. Not in his body, but in something right behind him. And then—
"…!"
Alon felt it.
That black thing that was at his back began to fade slowly.
"T–This?"
Alon looked confused at the black smoke and turned his gaze back to the Ancestor. She answered calmly:
[I suppose it would be appropriate to call it… ‘Watcher’.]
"…Watcher?"
[Yes. The Watcher that has been watching you all this time.]
Alon looked back.
That which previously had form had disappeared completely.
"Can you explain it to me?"
[Of course… hm?]
The Ancestor, who was about to nod, suddenly stared at him.
"…Is something wrong?"
At that strange reaction, Alon asked, but she just observed him for a good while.
[…No, nothing.]
She shook her head and looked away.
[There is still time before that person arrives. Let's talk a little.]
As if nothing had happened.
But Alon's mind was plunged into chaos.
The missing Divinity.
The Divine Blood.
The secret of the world.
And now, the Observer the Ancestor spoke of.
He had more and more things to consider.
But meanwhile, the Ancestor kept silent.
Or rather, she seemed to be thinking.
About where to start.
And after a long while immersed in reflection—
[Let's start from the beginning.]
"…The beginning?"
[Yes. I tried to explain it simply, but it will be difficult. Although it isn't a bad story for you. It isn't something just anyone can hear.]
When Alon looked at her, she nodded.
[It is a story of the past. Older than the era of the Forgotten Gods.]
At first Alon did not understand, but he soon realized. He had already heard something like that from the Observer.
‘…You mean there is a past prior to the era of the Forgotten Gods?’
‘I didn't see it personally, but I am convinced it existed.’
‘Why?’
‘My master, the Ancient Observer, saw that past, left a message, and died.’
The Ancestor observed him calmly while he recalled those words.
[A very long time ago, two countries existed on this continent.]
[One was a nation that achieved dazzling development through magi-engineering, so powerful it could touch the sky.]
[The other was a country where, under the teachings of a Great God, they discovered the way to inscribe laws into this world.]
[Their names were: the Ilaneph Empire, and Babiloia.]
"…!"
Alon's eyes opened wide.
He knew the name Ilaneph because of Rine. And Babiloia… even without Rine telling him, he knew it.
"Babil… oia…"
He murmured it without realizing.
It was impossible not to know.
In Psychedelia, if one followed the path of the mage, they necessarily encountered that name.
The phrases and seals used in magic contracts came from Babiloia.
He himself had used a ring to make those pacts.
While countless thoughts crossed his mind, the Ancestor continued:
[I imagine you have already deduced that the seals and phrases you use—]
"Are all from Babiloia."
[Correct. To be exact, they belong to the ‘God’ who engraved those laws into the world. Or perhaps I should say, to the Divine Blood.]
Alon was surprised.
But only for a moment.
Quickly, his mind began to link the facts.
The Divine Blood of Babiloia.
How?
Magic engineering.
Ilaneph.
Sin.
Pluton.
"…It can't be."
[…I see that Sin told you the purpose of the Divine Blood. Then you already realized. I do not need to explain it step by step.]
The Ancestor smiled.
[That is right. Just as you imagined. Babiloia was the ‘womb’ built by the Divine Blood to be reborn as a True God.]
"Ilaneph was—"
[An obstacle that interfered with the future of that Divine Blood.]
Alon remembered something.
The encounter with Ulthultus… no, with the Monstrous God.
He was an Outer God from the forgotten era.
And yet, he knew Babiloia.
He even accepted to fight against Alon when he heard him name Babiloia.
But Alon did not interrupt the explanation.
[The two countries went to war. Both suffered great damage. And if that continued, both would have headed toward destruction.]
"…So they destroyed each other?"
[No.]
"No?"
[No. They stopped the war just before destroying themselves. The Divine Blood did not want to waste the ‘womb’ it had created, and Ilaneph also had a plan that required time.]
‘I don't know exactly what plan it was’, she added, and continued:
[Anyway, both countries survived. But—]
She shrugged her shoulders.
[Ilaneph and Babiloia ended up destroyed.]
"…So they didn't endure?"
[No. Even on the verge of destruction, the two countries were so powerful that they could recover. The laws engraved by the Divine Blood granted an almost omnipotent power to humans.]
The Ancestor sat on the altar.
[And magi-engineering, which had reached the sky, also granted them excessive power. That is why they recovered quickly. And then they were destroyed.]
"A second war?"
[No. They did not destroy each other. They were destroyed.]
"By whom?"
The Ancestor kept silent for a moment.
Then she said:
[By the Supernatural Blood.]
And Alon's eyes opened wide.
