svetikya Page 371
Page 371
Because he made choices, he didn't lose the most important thing.
The six thousand years in the Fairy Kingdom were not wasted, but for Shiomi, only the parts related to Morgan and her companions mattered.
Everything else is useless; it's enough not to forget it completely.
While Shiomi was being questioned by her master and the others, Aoko, who was checking the accommodation registration book, showed a troubled expression.
But this hardship soon disappeared, replaced by a sense of enlightenment.
"It seems like Aoko has remembered something?" Orange asked.
"Stop staring at me, big sister." Aoko awkwardly looked away. "It's like we're really close..."
Then Aoko ignored Touko's strange smile and turned to the others in Chaldea, explaining what had happened.
“This incident is in trouble because ‘First Aoko’ didn’t explain things properly. Let’s just assume that ‘First Aoko’ was in a situation where no one could be trusted,” Aoko said. “Although it’s fragmented, because of the register, I’m barely able to keep up with what ‘First Aoko’ saw.”
She stood up and began pacing around the room.
"In May 1999, a 'star' appeared here. Although its true form is unknown, it can only be called a star. The 'star' that appeared blew away the Kumano area and then released magical winds that leveled the surrounding area. Most of the time, the 'star's' magical power is an endless, eternal storm that will continue to rise as long as there are humans."
"Humanity exists... If the human civilization on the planet's surface disappears, will the storm stop?" Shiomi asked.
As Aoko organized her thoughts, she shook her head: "If that's the case, it's just a case of civilization destruction, which is not within my jurisdiction. I'm in charge of 'human extinction'... although it's not something anyone can decide."
She said something extraordinary in an unassuming manner.
Similar to the operation of the parallel world by the Second Magician, the Fifth Magician also shoulders a similar responsibility.
“But the problem is that the ‘star’ was replaced after that,” Aoko said. “At least, the ‘first Aoko’ could only observe this replacement. The ‘star’ disappeared not long after it released the magical wind, and in its place, a ‘new god’ descended upon this land.”
Finally, Aoko's answer and Shiomi's speculation intersected, surprising everyone.
Including Shiomi herself.
"You describe it as a 'brand new god' because you've discovered that the god who descended did not originate from a distant age of gods, but is a new god born and established in this era." His expression turned solemn.
"Wow, that's really sharp."
Aoko was startled, not expecting Shiomi to be able to pinpoint the essence so accurately.
However, she quickly composed herself and continued:
"The arrival of a 'brand new god'—regardless of the impact it will have on this world that has long since departed from the Age of Gods—at least this new god is not quite right. From the moment of its arrival, it has been rewriting the rules of the world. Realizing that it could not solve the problem on its own, the 'First Aoko' sent the problem to the present, two years later, in 2001."
The implication is that Aoko is the reason for the birth of this singularity.
“So that’s how it is. The source of the singularity is you, the Fifth Mage. No wonder there was no reaction from the Holy Grail or anything like that. That’s why the ‘first two you’ were so cleanly and efficiently wiped out,” Shiomi said. “The power of the new god is incomplete; in theory, a mage should also be able to put up a fight—”
However, because most of their magic power is used to maintain this singularity, the price is that they lack sufficient combat power, becoming utterly mortal in the face of the gods, with no room for retaliation.
"If the singularity was transported from 1999 to 2001, why is everything still normal there, and why hasn't the situation Orange's sister described occurred? In other words, the event itself has been delayed. Now, relative to 1999, we are actually in the period before that new god has fully descended."
As Artoria spoke, she subtly turned her gaze to Shiomi.
"In other words, it won't be long before this place repeats the situation of 1999, and Orange's sister is here to find out why things happened before that." Scáthach had a vague answer.
However, Morgan interrupted his attempt to unravel the mystery and find the source.
"Whatever the reason, what's more important now is to resolve the 'New God' problem in 1999 so as to avoid repeating the same mistake in 2001."
She put one hand on her hip and looked quietly at Aozaki Aoko.
"Since our interests align with those of Chaldea, let's not waste any more time, Miss Magician."
Chapter 87 1999
“Mrs. Morgan…” Upon hearing Morgan’s words, Aoko, who had only just memorized the name, stared at her with a serious expression. “From the beginning, you and Mr. Shiomi have been acting as if you already knew what was going on. What exactly is going on?”
“Nothing much. I already mentioned it when I introduced myself on the way to this room,” Morgan replied casually. “My husband and I are not from this era. The real ‘Tianxi and Morgan of 2001’ who belonged to this era disappeared five days ago. Our arrival just happens to fill that void.”
Aoko jumped up: "She's been missing for five days! What happened?!"
“Initially, we thought that the singularity was simply excluding ‘us from 2001’ from the outside to prevent things from collapsing, and that ‘us from 2001’ would return once the singularity was repaired,” Morgan said quietly. “But the reality is quite different. Only by lifting the blockade on this singularity and returning the surroundings to 1999 will the answer become clear.”
"Moreover, there is only one reason why the 'first' and 'second' went to the hot spring bath in the early morning and used the Fifth Method to jump there—" Shiomi said, "that is, although the 'first Aozaki Aoko' temporarily suppressed the further expansion of the disaster by postponing the entire singularity, the existence of the 'new god' avoided this interference. In other words, the 'new god' had the ability called 'single manifestation' at the time of its establishment."
"The ability to descend to the mortal world alone..." Yuzhu fell silent for a moment.
"So the reason why Orange's sister goes to the hot spring bath every morning to use the Fifth Law is to stop the 'New God' and prevent them from interfering with this singularity?" Scáthach understood.
Having the ability to 'manifest independently' means that the 'new god' possesses a way of existing in any spacetime, which cannot be eliminated even if the Fifth Law manipulates time and creates time paradoxes.
"That's probably how it is." Aoko looked troubled. "Although the first two 'me's' were easily killed by the god, they mostly managed to stop the other side's progress."
Shio nodded in affirmation, but then added, "However, that's just a temporary delay. The reason why stopping the 'New God' at the cost of life is effective is simply because the 'New God' has not yet reached its complete form."
"So you mean to take advantage of the fact that the new gods are not yet firmly established and personally go to 1999 to subdue them?" Aoko understood Chaldea's idea.
If we can acquire this much combat power, there might still be a chance to prevent the 'New God' from being born further and even destroy it.
“Wait a minute, if that ‘new god’ possesses the ability to ‘manifest independently,’ wouldn’t that mean it has already become the larva of the Beast?” Artoria asked gravely, placing a hand on Shiomi’s shoulder. “Is this assessment truly accurate?”
“Most likely so.” Shiomi accepted reality calmly. “Even though the reason why I became Beast is still unclear, I think I will understand what happened once I get there.”
Orange looked at her sister and asked, "So, Aoko, what do you plan to do? Do you believe in our power, lift the blockade on this singularity, and confront the culprit causing it to worsen, or—"
“Is there even a question? Since you can deduce the actual situation that only I have access to based on fragmented information,” Aoko stood up decisively. “Then there is only one choice.”
Barely in sync with what the "first Aoko" saw, Aoko now basically understands that even if the cause of the singularity's birth is found in 2001, when the event was postponed, it cannot erase the fact that the "new god" was born.
Only by defeating the "New God" can the current crisis be truly resolved.
So, Aoko led Shiomi and her group, along with Kuonji Yuzu who had come along, to the alley behind the new hotel building.
That's where the garbage bins are located, where garbage trucks regularly come to collect the garbage.
But it is also a place where almost no one in the entire hotel goes near.
Even Shiomi and the others only checked out the situation here on their second day of arrival.
“Okay, let’s stop here. I’ll untie the fixation of the singularity covering 2001 here, just like restoring stretched rubber. The surroundings should then completely become 1999.” Aoko said, turning around, but was slightly startled.
Morgan and her three companions, who were just wearing casual clothes a moment ago, are now fully armed. Only Orange is wearing a uniform that combines combat and everyday wear, and remains unchanged.
“Let’s begin, Miss Wizard,” Morgan gestured. “None of us are ordinary people, so don’t worry about the impact of the timeline shift. The battle will likely begin as soon as we return to 1999.”
Therefore, Shio saw that they had already formed a formation, and no matter which direction the enemy was from in the next instant, they could immediately start fighting.
"That's great, everyone seems quite used to fighting." Aoko smiled happily. "But with so many powerful people coming together, it seems the anomaly in this singularity is quite serious."
tide Jian shrugged silently.
He was too embarrassed to say that everyone was actually going through the spirit transfer with the mindset of sightseeing and vacation, but they never expected things to turn out this way.
"Alright—! Reverse Canal Singularity, begin! Come on, let's head to Kumano Onsen in 1999! Open your eyes in three seconds and you'll be there!"
There is no spirit particle transfer container, nor is there any means to prove its existence.
Directly unfolding spirit particle transfer.
Of course, it wasn't that Shiomi and the others were transferred, but rather that the singularity itself was stretched and delayed, returning to the year 1999 when the anomaly actually occurred.
Even so, the mystery of the Fifth Law should not be underestimated.
Reality did not give tide Jian much room for shock and reflection.
With a vague premonition and answer in his heart, he opened a defensive barrier against the erosion the moment the surrounding scenery changed.
“The magic concentration here is already comparable to that of the Age of Gods! It seems we have returned to the Age of Gods…” Shiomi gave a wry smile. “No wonder Mother would admit that if I really became the Beast and held similar ‘reasons,’ I can only say that I would live up to the title of the son of Tiamat.”
Before them, the lush forests that once surrounded Kumano Onsen had vanished, as had the inns of Kumano Onsen. All that remained was a large crater, resembling a volcanic eruption, spewing magical winds.
Chapter 88 Confronting the Gods
What did you do?
The first to speak was Aozaki Aoko.
She immediately identified the problem, which was also the reason why the first two Aokos failed.
As Shiomi said, the rules of this generation's environment have been rewritten, and just stepping into this place requires resisting the erosion of the environment on oneself.
They then devoted more energy to fixing the singularity, thus preventing the rampaging gods from reaching 2001 and buying more time.
The second Aoko discovered this point, which is why she made the same choice as the first one.
"As you can see, what is rewriting this land is none other than the power of the gods." Shiomi gritted her teeth and spoke amidst the intense magical winds, "Even the Fifth Law cannot effectively resist it. Only a power that is also a form of authority can withstand this erosion!"
Now, what Shiojian is unfolding is a power barrier.
Otherwise, they would lose the initiative the moment they appeared here.
"Power?" Yuzhu asked in astonishment.
However, Shiomi did not continue to answer their questions, but stared intently at the center of the crater, at the thing in the center of the magic wind that was so thick that it obscured her vision.
It resembles a humanoid form yet possesses a gigantic body, reminiscent of a Tiamat dragon-like being.
Others might not recognize it, but Xijian only needed one glance to know the answer, even if she couldn't recognize it yet.
"Can you see it?" Morgan put her hand on Shiomi's shoulder, supporting him with her magic.
Only Shiomi has the power to resist erosion.
“Because the magical wind obstructs my vision, I can’t see very clearly, but I understand it better than anyone else.” Shiomi reached out and grasped the manifested Gungnir. “A power similar to ‘Anti-Genesis’… Do I really intend to reshape the entire world?”
Aoko and Yuzu couldn't help but gasp.
Morgan and the others remained silent. Before arriving here, they had already guessed the identity of the so-called "new god" from Shio's few words.
It was "Shiomi Tenkei in 1999".
While Aozaki Aoko extended the time frame and delayed the destructive impact of the singularity on the entire world, she also caused a consequence.
This conflicted with the events of 2001, which led to the disappearance of Shiomi and Morgan during that period.
Or rather, as the most directly involved party, they were incorporated into the events of 1999.
The reason why Shiomi from the future has not been affected is simply because he is not from the singularity. Before the singularity expands and erupts, he can temporarily exist independently of his past self.
Once the singularity erodes the planet's surface, every instance of Shiomi in the past and future will be incorporated into this phenomenon, becoming a unique existence in the river of time.
Simply put, it's a vertical version of The Second Magician.
Because of this change, the history of the planet will be rewritten.
"It's coming!"
Skadi suddenly raised her voice, her slender wand spinning in the air, completing the writing of runes in the blink of an eye. A colorless barrier opened in front of everyone, resisting the oncoming magical wind.
"Something extremely bad must have happened," Morgan said gravely.
“…If it’s just a simple merging of events, but you’re also missing from 2001, then it means…” Shiomi’s voice was bitter.
Morgan patted his shoulder, signaling that Shio didn't need to say anything more.
“The nature of the area outside the barrier is similar to, but not exactly the same as, ‘Anti-Genesis,’” Scáthach said. “Although we can leave the barrier to move around, we cannot engage in effective combat, let alone get close to ‘you.’”
“For the sake of distinction, let’s continue referring to my past self as the ‘New God’,” Shiomi reminded him casually, then her expression turned serious. “My existence has been noticed by the ‘New God.’ Similar powers have created an attraction between us, and once I take action, the ‘New God’ will attack—”
Artoria stepped back a few paces, distancing herself from the others, and slowly raised her right hand, revealing the Holy Lance.
"So, we need to temporarily suppress the actions of the 'New God'?"
“That’s right.” tide Jian nodded gently.
Without any explanation, Artoria had already guessed Shiomi's intentions.
Therefore, the Holy Lance rapidly absorbed the high concentration of divine magic from its surroundings, transforming into a beam of light that rose into the sky.
"Holy Lance, speak of your end! 'The Lance that shines at the end'—!!!"
Then, the golden light tore through the darkness, expanding and growing larger, before crashing down toward the enormous entity at the center of the crater.
A few seconds later, the Holy Lance struck its target, the torrent of light disrupted the trajectory of the magical wind, and the entire crater shook violently.
Now—!
"It piles up like rain, it accumulates like dust; it melts away like snowflakes, it vanishes like a lie."
As she spoke, Shiomi suddenly rushed out of the barrier and headed towards the location of the 'New God' whose movements were temporarily suppressed by the Holy Lance, while chanting incantations in a low voice.
"This is a reflection of my soul, the last remnant of the other side! 'Eternal Orkney'!"
Centered on Shiomi, who was running around, a blizzard, filled with dense and thick magical winds, swept across the entire crater, engulfing everything in his mental landscape.
When the world of ice and snow once again encroached upon reality, Shiomi stopped in her tracks.