The banquet hall turned mysteriously silent.
Mere existences could not raise their voices, just like how a mouse would not growl in front of a lion.
Although the fallen angels started running towards them again carrying spears and swords, the dragons could not focus on their enemies. Their minds were on the beast.
In the battlefield, the beast moved its gaze. The man saw through the room in one glance, identified the location of his enemy and the distance, as well as how to get there.
Before long, he started to move. Heading towards Lugiathan in a straight line, the beast lunged forward.
“S, stop him!”
“Block him!”
Several black dragons raised their swords and tried to stop ‘him’ to protect their leader. There were five of them.
In that instant, black aura exploded out of their body. In a world that was not interpreted as a concept, they would have dispelled their polymorph.
Even though it was his first collision against them, ‘he’ did not waste any opportunities. He already identified and remembered most of the black dragons’ abilities and their strength from the previous iteration.
The man crouched down in the middle of his march. The [Shapeless Sword] hanging in his right hand started to increase its size and at last became a large and heavy greatsword reaching at least 7 metres in length.
“Kuuuk!”
“Diee!!”
Five adult black dragons were running towards him as the man straightened his body back up.
Then, he opened his eyes.
His body rotated heavily from his tough waist. The trajectory of the enormous Shapeless Sword swallowed its surroundings like a storm as it reached further out.
Kwagwagwagwagwa—!
The storm of killing intent shredded the bodies of the incoming black dragons. The dragons collapsed in pieces as blood surged out like fountains.
“I, impossible!”
“What kind of…!”
That overwhelming might frightened the dragons, and halted them in their steps.
The mightiest strength of dragons lay in their ridiculous vitality. In the real world, they would have taken at least a few hours to slice to death and yet here, they died in just one strike.
That was the difference in strength between ‘him’ and the dragons that was interpreted by [Conceptualisation (EX)].
Even though it might take some time, there was no way an adult dragon could ever fight against ‘him’.
“How dare you bring a sword into my palace!”
Infuriated like never before, Lugiathan personally carried her large chain-sickle and ran towards him. A chief of a dragon race was on the stronger side even among sovereigns.
The chain-sickle left a tremendous roar in its path as it attacked the man.
Kaangg–!
A shockwave was created from their strike, which trembled the banquet hall and shattered several glass ornaments and chandeliers.
Meanwhile, Yu Jitae also opened the necklace and mashed on the ever-fragrant flower petal. It was about time to move.
Picking up the longsword of a dead dragon, he aimed for ‘his’ back.
What he saw just then was the 1st iteration. Back then, ‘he’ would have realised that the sovereign Lugiathan was in this place, and must have been contemplating on how to ambush it.
‘He’ was able to copy one piece of information or ability when killing, or being killed by someone else. Although it wasn’t always fixed, it was generally the power of will that was copied when being killed, and authorities or abilities when killing others.
So in this 2nd iteration, he must be thinking of how he should kill Lugiathan to obtain [Conceptualisation].
Yu Jitae knew the method.
While Lugiathan was screaming out loud, her left fang inside her mouth faintly vibrated. That was the core carrying Lugiathan’s vitality.
So it would have taken ‘him’ 170 fights and massacres to discover that, and completely crush it to obtain [Conceptualisation].
However, Yu Jitae was now going to make the guy focus on him instead.
“Here. Look at me–!”
With a shout, Yu Jitae stabbed at his back at a speed that would frighten dragons.
Ting!
However, ‘he’ slightly dodged the attack and easily parried the sword.
Yu Jitae widened his eyes as if he was surprised, before fiercely stabbing at the enemy’s head again. It felt like the dimension was being sucked into his sword, but it was futile.
Ting! Kang!
‘He’ easily blocked and parried his attack.
One stab resulted in a strong aftershock that flew across the banquet hall and destroyed the walls and the sculptures. However, it was useless no matter how strong it was as long as it didn’t connect.
Next, ‘he’ swung the Shapeless Sword down at Yu Jitae.
Kwaaangg!! The entire floor of the hall echoed and bounced, creating a gush of wind that rose to the ceiling like a tornado.
Yu Jitae had raised his sword to barely stop the attack, but was now being pushed down onto the ground.
In that bout of strength, ‘he’ suddenly gave a frown. While Yu Jitae was one-sidedly being pushed down, one of his authorities twitched and the guy had definitely sensed it.
It was none other than [Conceptualisation (EX)].
The moment ‘he’ realised that, the guy glared daggers into Yu Jitae’s eyes. At the same time, the tip of ‘his’ nose twitched as if trying to remember the scent of ‘ever-fragrant flower’. It was to identify Yu Jitae as the next target.
As the fight continued on, Yu Jitae was gradually pushed back. “Kuhk!” Letting out a groan which he usually would never do, he let his enemy push him.
The enemy was indeed monstrously strong. The lowered Shapeless Sword reached his forehead and began digging into his head from the nose.
Blood gushed out of his wound.
“How dare you turn your back against me!”
It was then. Flying in like a bolt of lightning, Lugiathan severed one of ‘his’ legs with the chain-sickle. Although blood was erupting out of the clean cut on his thigh, the enemy gave little regard to Lugiathan who was slicing at his body and fixed his gaze on Yu Jitae.
After a lengthened battle, the fallen angels weren’t able to deal with the black dragons like the 1st iteration.
In the remaining time, ‘he’ also refrained from acting rashly and taunted Lugiathan with his stabs. It was a type of experiment, so that things would be easier in the next iteration.
Meanwhile, Lugiathan’s chain-sickle sliced off one of his arms and dug deep into his head.
However, ‘he’ did not die and paid no attention despite stumbling everywhere, as if there was no such emotion as fear.
At last when almost all the fallen angels were about to die, ‘he’ jumped out of the palace.
“Chase him!”
Lugiathan furiously shouted.
Meanwhile, Yu Jitae got up and poked his head out of the window. He, who had been constantly pushed back in the fight while screaming in pain, looked completely different.
With this, it should have been engraved properly into his head, that ‘an enemy I can beat easily is a holder of a tremendous authority’.
He gazed outside with the gaze of a beast.
***
Yu Jitae had commanded the young Bom to stealthily take her sister and the hatchlings out of the banquet hall. Even though that was partially to protect Myu and the hatchlings, it was more because he didn’t want baby Bom to see this tragedy.
This was very, very important.
Just like how the memories of the young Bom crossed through the parallel timeline to reach the adult Bom, all the things she experienced in this parallel timeline created by the transcendent authority would all have an effect on the future Bom.
If she had a horrendous experience here that was similar to before, Bom might not be able to survive in the original timeline.
After the war, when [Spatial Severance] was crushed, he heard the clanking noise of chains in the corridor. Baby Bom was hurriedly running back to the banquet hall.
“…”
The banquet hall was in a mess.
It was like a sea of blood and amputated limbs were scattered around everywhere. Their weapons, sculptures protecting the banquet hall, the beautiful chandeliers and artworks were all shattered.
Sixteen black dragons had been killed.
They were all relatives of the young Bom. Worried, he blocked her vision with his body but as if it was a meaningless concern, she shook her head and replied, ‘I’m okay’.
“Why didn’t you wait for them to clean up a bit more,” he said to her.
“I’m used to seeing blood.”
Despite saying that, she locked her hands as if she didn’t want him to see her shivering fingertips.
“More importantly, your face…”
Yu Jitae’s face that was drenched in blood due to the wound going down from his forehead to his nose made it feel all the more realistic for Bom.
“I’m fine.”
He shook his head.
“Princess. You cannot stay here.”
Soon, a protector came and tried to look after Bom but he couldn’t allow that to happen. While the dragons were still in a chaos, Yu Jitae followed after the protector and gave it a [Knifehand Strike] to the back of its neck.
Taking baby Bom, he took her to the room, [Primal Time], hidden behind the veil behind the throne.
This jet-black dimension of the Non-Providential World, was like Yu Jitae and Bom’s hideout.
“What happened to the devil? Why isn’t he going back in time…?”
Bom asked a question that had been haunting her the whole time. If time didn’t go back, then her relatives would all stay dead without coming back to life.
“He gathered information and now needs time to analyse them. You don’t need to worry about it, because time will rewind back for sure.”
“Nn…”
“To sum up, the 2nd iteration went according to plan. The guy clearly perceived me.”
In response to his words, the young Bom suddenly turned her gaze to his chest.
“I used it. The ever-fragrant flower.”
“Ah, how did it go?”
“It worked out well. He was smelling it and stuff.”
She nodded back, and looked slightly proud.
“The next iteration is the most important. Soon when we go back in time, you have to chase all the black dragons out of the banquet hall before he attacks.”
“But, I don’t think I can move far because of my handcuffs and shackles.”
“Of course I’ll open them for you. And I’ll be taking the [Chains of Hell].”
“Ah.”
“Can you do it? The lives of the dragons are all in your hands. You must take as many black dragons outside as possible.”
The child nodded with a stiff look on her face.
“I can do it.”
Closing his eyes, he thought for a bit.
So far everything was going according to plan. It was almost perfect. At this rate, he would be able to expel ‘him’ from this place without any problem.
It was when he returned to the banquet hall with baby Bom after finishing the strategy meeting.
He was met with a variable that was totally out of his expectation.
A very annoying variable.
Outside, the furious Lugiathan was wailing in front of the corpses of her dead kindred. Shedding tears, she was grasping her heart and the moment she saw Bom, she came up and kneeled to hug the small body of her daughter.
“My dear daughter. Were you surprised?”
“M, mum.”
“I’m sorry. It’s all because your mother is incompetent.”
“…”
“My heart is being torn apart. I truly feel like drying. Amutetaron. Liebemuka. Karlitipoyen… your mother’s brothers and friends, more important than my flesh, have died… And yet I do not even know who the killer is. He has nothing to do with me.”
Until that point in time, Yu Jitae was looking at the two of them with a myriad of emotions but Lugiathan’s next words immediately made him scowl.
“Have a look. At my memories…”
Endlessly shedding tears, she sent memories to her daughter – how ‘he’ massacred the black dragons. Seeing that, Yu Jitae was startled. He almost even ran up and separated Lugiathan from the young Bom.
“My daughter. Why do we have to suffer like this? It’s because we were expelled from Askalifa. It is because we were discarded by the dragons that we have to deal with such humiliation. There is no shelter for us and no-one protects us from danger. That is the miserable state we are in…”
He felt stifled. The scenery that he was trying his best to hide from her was being conveyed directly to Bom.
“Do not look away from it. The humiliation we have suffered.
“My daughter. Do not ever forget what happened today.
“Vow to yourself. That our children that will be born henceforth, will never have to suffer like this again…”
Hearing the sobbing voice of her kneeling mother, and seeing the disastrous scenery replay itself vividly in her mind,
The young Bom’s face turned deathly dark.