Chapter 1074: Fear.
After a few seconds of thinking: "… He's too dangerous, we need to eliminate him." They decided that it was best to get to the root of the problem immediately. A Being that could move in a territory only for Administrators just meant that he was approaching the same level as a Primordial. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem because the Existence of this Being would be connected to Existence in one way or another, and they could deal with it.
…But 'that' Energy wasn't normal, and it gave them a horrible feeling.
"If he's dangerous, my Sister is too. Look, she can move as well." He spoke lightly.
The Judges of The Abyss looked at Jeanne, who was in front of the group of women, and saw her move her eyes toward them as well. Her gaze was shining furiously, and 'cracking' sounds could be heard around her.
"...And she's not happy at all..." Then he spoke seriously: "If my Sister decides, remember my position. Whether you're my co-workers or not, I will choose to fight alongside the one who protected me from 'them'."
"...Tsk, mark my words." They pointed at Victor. "That man is a problem that will come to bite us in the ass in the future."
"I clearly remember when you said those same words to me when <Light>, <Darkness>, and <Emperor> were gaining Power."
"Unlike those three bastards, this one is more abnormal. He will be a problem, and when that problem comes, we will be the ones who pay because of his position today."
"Perhaps..." The Universal Tree looked at Jeanne again and then at The Judges of the Abyss: "I will still stand by my Sister. I will not lose her again."
"You and your obsession will be our downfall!"
"... Remember, she was the one He chose to protect me, and he did it for a reason."
"He's dead."
"His Power isn't. A part of him is here." He pointed at Victor.
"And another is with Light."
"His Will is still alive and sustains Existence to this day. Don't make a mistake because of your fear. You are The Judge of Souls, not an ignorant Mortal."
The Judges of The Abyss just turned and walked away. For a moment, his gaze went to the women behind Jeanne. 'Maybe...' He thought of something, but when his gaze fell on them, his forebodings got worse.
He looked back quickly in Victor's direction. Unlike before, when nothing happened, malevolence was quite clearly covering his body, and crimson darkness shone with the Power of Negativity.
14:03
Crack, Crack, Crack.
The Existence around Victor began to break down at an alarming rate. Part of his head was already moving, and he turned his entire head towards the Primordial.
"… Are you deaf?" The Universal Tree's eyes shone with Power, and Existence trembled with the anger of 'Life'.
"I will repeat it again if you did not hear me. Do your job, comrade, and do not be paranoid because of your fear. You are The Judge of Souls, not a Mortal."
"Hahaha…"
The two looked at Victor and saw that his face was utterly deformed into something horrifying.
"… Hahahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!" With the Emperor's macabre laughter. Crimson light covered the world.
Crack, Crack, Crack!
With a wave of its hand, The Universal Tree dispelled the Power. 'The Power of Negativity… Is it synchronized?'
Among all the existing Concepts, there were two that were extremely special, the Concepts of Negativity and Positivity.
The Origin of Balance, Concepts that once belonged to only one Primordial. Unlike other Concepts, you could not 'train' this Concept or acquire it by your own Will.
You had to be chosen.
The top-ranked Primordials who remained in a semi-conscious state must choose their inheritor through their Will. Negativity was the one who chose Victor as his representative.
And as his representative, he could reach a state called Synchronization. Temporarily, the God who represents these two special Divinities can gain the Power of a Primordial.
When the light was dispelled in this stopped world by The World Tree, Victor appeared. His body was just a pure mass of Negative Energy.
For a brief period of time, the Concept of Negativity that encompassed the entire Universe could be used. This state couldn't be achieved with training since you had to be compatible with the Principles of Negativity, principles that encompassed much more than simple things like what was Good or Evil.
After all, Negativity didn't mean that the person or Being was evil. It was simply that they were on the other side of the scale and that they had different functions.
Victor was also compatible with the other side of the scale. That was why he Awakened the Concept of Beginnings that only lost in the hierarchy to Positivity.
But Positivity didn't choose him because he had already chosen someone to inherit his mantle.
Unlike Negativity, which had never chosen a representative before, the same couldn't be said for Positivity.
"...H-How? Just how long have you been chosen? How can you reach this state!?" The Judges of The Abyss exclaimed in shock.
"Isn't it tiring?" Victor's voice resounded as two crimson eyes opened in the place where his face should have been.
"...What?"
"Always using the same excuses?" Several eyes began to open all over Victor's body, and they all focused on the three existences that were essentially just one.
"He's dangerous, he's this, he's that. Always the same excuses." Victor's hand glowed, and several images appeared in front of everyone.
"I hold the Records of all your excuses." The 'I' he was talking about was not Victor but rather the very Concept of Negativity that made up all of Creation.
Negativity and Positivity were Energies that were spread throughout the Universe, in every location. They were The Balance that made everything work, and since they were everywhere, they acted as information collectors for the Akashic Records. Using this ability, he could bring events from the past to the present.
All these images showed that when an exceptional existence appeared, The Judges of The Abyss petitioned his companions to eliminate it.
"Emperor <Light> was chosen by 'him'. We need to eliminate him, he is very dangerous."
"<Order> is gaining Power in an unnatural way. We need to eliminate him."
"Why doesn't Death keep <Endless> under control? That useless guy."
"That… Those images… How do you have access to that!? They should be deep in the Akashic Records!"
"Have you forgotten? Negativity is everywhere, Judge."
'Now that he's pointed it out, he really did say that a lot.' The Universal Tree was so used to hearing him complain that it had become routine, and because of that, he didn't pay much attention to it.
"Most of the time, of the many truly exceptional Beings that came about, you didn't act and maintained your neutrality. But some weren't so lucky."
The images changed, and everyone saw The Judges of The Abyss eliminating powerful Beings.
"The Primordials don't intervene unless someone who breaks The Balance appears… But you, Judge. You're different. You always intervene. But it's not out of concern or because you're doing your duty."
Victor's smile grew distorted: "It's because you're afraid."
"..."
"You're afraid that something like that 'beast' will appear again."
The two Primordials opened their eyes wide, and then the image of something 'incomprehensible' appeared. Something that took the union of all the Primordials to seal.
"The Outer God, Azathoth." Just one name caused the two to pale visibly.
"They left a mark on you, right? A mark that you can never erase… Whenever you see someone too exceptional, you remember them. You remember the terror, you feel the fear." His smile grew even wider.
"I can see it clearly."
The three avatars took a step back when they saw those eyes. Even though they had a grotesque appearance, the eyes he saw were the same, the same eyes as 'his', the Creator who created him.
"I'm dangerous!? Hah!" An explosion of Energy occurred with Victor at the center. "Of course I am!"
"I am Victor Elderblood, the Being who opposed the two opposing sides of Creation."
"The Light." His left hand glowed with the Power of Beginnings, a Concept second only to Positivity, as his right hand glowed a brighter crimson red. "And The Darkness."
"Irregularity. God of Chaos. Monster. Being that breaks The Balance. You gave me many Titles and judged me. But in the end, I did nothing wrong."
"Existence itself allowed MY Existence. The proof of that is that I exist, and your System is not beeping as if a Bug has occurred."
"Just as I am dangerous, so are you! With one decision, you can wipe out countless lives. But it's okay, right? You're a Primordial, and you can do it again. As long as The Balance is working, it's okay." The disgust and disdain in Victor's words were so obvious that it didn't even need to be said.
"But it's okay, I understand, it's your job. I don't care, but…" The Negative Energy began to grow heavier and denser.
"Don't involve my Wives in your schemes, Judge."
"…Or what? Even if you have achieved synchronization, it's temporary. You are no match for me. You are no match for 'us'." He spoke in disdain.
To this answer, Victor didn't say anything, and even his bloodlust eased. His body returned to normal, and he appeared in his Human Form, wearing his elegant suit. Victor only showed a gentle smile to The Judges.
"Or I will end this Existence." His words were so gentle and tender that they sent shivers down the spines of the two Primordials. "After all, why would I live in a world where my Wives don't exist?"
"Such a world..." With the same smile and melancholic eyes, he said: "It doesn't need to exist."
"..."
This time, even The Universal Tree didn't say anything. But it wasn't out of fear or anything like that, but rather a macabre feeling that said Victor's predictions would come true.
If something happened to his Wives, and it was the Primordials' fault, he would kill them. And the consequences of killing a Primordial were clear. Existence would return to The Beginning and Begin again, effectively ending everything.
The two Primordials didn't know how he would do this since, effectively speaking, they couldn't be killed as they were part of the Universe. Even 'Death' couldn't kill them. They were abstract Concepts taken form that manage everything, The Pillars of Existence.
...But for some reason, they couldn't doubt him. They couldn't doubt that he would be capable of this.
For The Judges of The Abyss, Victor's danger level had reached the ceiling, and he was looking at him with the same eyes he had seen from Azathoth in the past.
The Universal Tree, on the other hand...
'As expected, it was the right decision to entrust my Sister to him.' He nodded in satisfaction.
As the one who represented the 'Life' and Maintenance of The Universe, he knew very well that Victor's nature, despite representing Negativity, was not evil. He was a Dragon who looked after his people, and if he was not provoked, nothing would happen. It was a shame that no one left him alone.
'But that's normal... After all, he's a Being who will always attract challenges.' He thought.
For the first time in all of Existence, The Universal Tree made a decision. He appeared in front of Victor and looked at his 'brother'.
"Judges... No." He shook his head, then looked seriously at the Primordial of The Soul. "Brother."
"..." The eyes of The Judges of the Abyss looked at his co-worker. When his co-worker called him 'Brother,' it was because he was completely serious in his decision and that he would not back down regardless of his relationship with him.
'For this man who would go so far to protect his Wives… My Sister, I will take a firmer stance on the matters of the Primordial Beings.' The Universal Tree thought with determination.
His stance was previously only for Jeanne, but now, it extended to the entire group of Jeanne's 'Sisters' and 'Daughters'.
"From now on, they are my 'children'." A declaration of non-interference. The Primordial of Life and the Maintenance of The Universe placed these Beings under his Dominion.
Life spread throughout the static world, and the frozen Wives began moving.
Jeanne wasted no time and spread all her Power. As the only one who had been capable of observing everything that took place, she took charge of taking the 'leadership' of the Family union and quickly passed on the information she saw through her memories.
Exactly 2 seconds after the released Wives were unfrozen, they assumed a battle stance, and the equipment that was always with them was summoned. Soon, a battalion of Dragon Gods were looking at the Primordial with hostility.
The Primordial of The Soul did not care about this, as he looked at his brother's eyes, and his senses were on Victor and Jeanne.
"Any interference from our brothers with this group will have to be passed on to me."
The Universal Tree, on the other hand...
It was strictly forbidden for a Primordial to enter the Domain of another Primordial unless, of course, the said Primordial gave permission. By declaring Victor's group as his 'children', he was giving them the same status as The World Trees.
The other Primordials cannot take, harm, or harass The World Trees since they are protected by the one who keeps Life in the Universe functioning. They are in his Territory and Domain.
The Primordials are ancient Beings, but that did not mean they were united. Yes, the issue of 'Balance' was something unanimous, and they would always stand together on that subject, but on some small matters, they often disagreed among themselves.
... At least the ones who were more active, like The Universal Tree, The Owner of Limbo, and The Judge of The Abyss. Other Primordials rarely left their Domain.
When they came into conflict, it was usually resolved between their subordinates under the supervision of both Primordials in conflict. After all, they couldn't really fight each other.
It wasn't that they were forbidden from fighting or anything like that. If they wish, they could fight each other. But the one who would suffer in the process was not them, but rather Existence itself.
After all, when the 'Soul' and 'Life' fought, the one who suffered was the Universe.
"You..." The Primordial of The Soul was going to say something, but the words died in his mouth. "Very well, I will not interfere, Brother." He turned around, looking at Victor for a few seconds, and focused his attention on his senses.
'The grotesque darkness is stronger... Is this the manifestation of your Negativity?' Divine Concepts are influenced by the user's mentality. Originally, Negativity was like a red sea or light, but it was always dangerous. Victor's manifestation seemed to be a darkness that swallowed everything.
'I see... This darkness is this man's self-control... The caged monster that is tightly bound and will only be released if something happens to the things he holds most dear.' The Judges of The Abyss understood that they had misjudged the situation, but they would not apologize.
Seeing that the darkness was not abnormal, he simply left.
... Little did he know that his judgment was not wrong. The 'darkness' he felt for that slight moment was the Power of an Outer God... A Power that was now being masked due to Victor's overflowing Negative Energy.
Synchronization? Pfft, even Victor, a genius monster, could not reach this stage easily since he did not understand its Concept very well, and he lacked experience in Negativity.
Yes, compatibility was necessary to access this state, but knowledge of its Concept was also necessary. Victor had not reached this state yet, and he barely understood what it meant to be The Representative of Negativity.
What allowed him to move in a territory that only Primordials could move in was… The Power of an Outer God. The moment The Abyss Judge looked at Victor's Wives, he almost exploded and sent everything to Hell, but he quickly held himself back. He couldn't act like a fool here.
Therefore… He cheated. Using the Essence of The Outer God, he boosted the Negative Energy within himself to sky-high levels. The convergence was absolutely terrifying. He was basically throwing away Power, but for his current purpose, that was enough.
Using his connection to the Akashic Records, he 'took' images from the past to put on this 'show'.
He didn't understand why the Akashic Records worked so easily for him now. As the Primordial had said, he shouldn't have access to such profound Records. But even so, the Akashic Records answered his call and gave him the information he needed.
He didn't know that there was something called 'synchronization'. No one he absorbed had knowledge about it, but he made a bet based on how 'important' the two most important Concepts were. A successful bet. Even if it didn't work out, he could 'blame' the abnormality on him being a God who can control Concepts on both sides of the scale.
In order to leave no room for error, he even put on a performance to demonstrate his 'abnormality'.
Combining all of this with the Essence of an Outer God, which broke the rules, he was able to deceive two Primordials... Everything worked out, so Victor should be happy, right? ... Right?
"...Darling?" Pepper looked at Victor, who was looking in a different direction from the group. Seeing the state of Victor, who had veins popping on his head, she tried to approach him, but Eleonor held her shoulder and shook her head.
"It's not a good time." Eleonor's words made Siena, Lacus, Natalia, Bruna, and Eve, who were nearby, nod their heads in agreement with her.
Everyone here knew their Husband very well. Victor didn't mind being threatened and even found amusement in it. But his Wives? His Family?
Not to mention that this 'dangerous' situation was only resolved because of things like 'coincidences' and hastily made plans... All it took was one mistake... One mistake and everything would be different.
Akashic Records giving permission when they shouldn't have, new information he didn't know. Two variables that he should have known but didn't.
Maybe he was judging himself too much. After all, dealing with Primordials was something that not even Beings from the Higher Sectors could do without care, and if you looked at his position, he was in a much better position than the others.
Not to mention that maybe the Primordial wouldn't have attacked since The Universal Tree was here, but that wouldn't be the case in the future. But Victor wasn't someone who hid behind the strongest in search of protection.
Victor didn't like it. He was the Emperor, and he carried with him not only the responsibility for his people but also for his Family. Variables this powerful were dangerous because they could threaten his Family.
He should be more prepared… But all of this was not in vain. Let's think positively here; he gained a permanent ally in the form of a Primordial.
Not to mention that he discovered a Primordial's weakness that he could exploit… His fear of the Outer Gods. That was something Victor could exploit if he played his cards right.
He even had his new subordinates who could destroy planets.
Overall, this encounter was more beneficial than harmful. So he should be happy, right?
But… Victor Elderblood at this moment… He still wasn't happy.
There was a saying in the past: Don't poke the Dragon's reverse scale. Only misfortune will befall you if you do… And that is exactly what the Primordial 'The Judges of Abyss' did.
What happened today would not be forgotten.
.....
Edited By: DaV0 2138, IsUnavailable
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