aircannonsinc Page 93
Page 93
Seeing that the scaled arm effortlessly blocked his attack, and noticing the change in Kenneth's aura, Brad, who had never encountered such a situation before, looked at Kenneth, who stood immovable amidst deathly aura and karmic fire, with disbelief.
He wasn't killed or scattered; the ghosts he commanded were directly erased from the records of the inherent barrier. Even though Brad's army was countless, this method made Brad realize something was wrong, especially after Kenneth revealed his non-human nature. Having glimpsed a corner of Kenneth's power, Brad immediately stopped his attack and landed beside Stuart.
“He’s acting very strangely right now. His aura is somewhat similar to that of the White Beast. Brad, buy me some time.”
As his hand traced the blade, the true demon, now imbued with the power of blood, once again entered a state of liberation. Seeing Stuart decide to unleash his full power, Brad, with his sword resting on his shoulder, stood opposite Kenneth, understanding his intentions.
"Oh dear, I'll do my best. If he really is similar to the White Beast, I won't be able to hold out for long."
Despite saying he couldn't hold out for long, there was no sign of tension in White Knight Brad's eyes. He rode his sword straight at the wind and waves, and the sky-covering ghosts transformed into a storm that surged into Brad's body. The ghosts were added to his body, and the sea was frozen by the cold. Brad's momentum reached its peak at this moment.
"Are you ready, boy of unknown origin? Prepare for the waves at the end of the storm!"
Chapter 242 Smelting
The frozen ocean collapsed, a sword covered in ice crystals cleaved the storm, the sky within the barrier collapsed, and the air waves from the darkness tore the frozen ocean into countless ice crystals. A torrent of blue ice filled the barrier and pressed down on Kenneth, and the ice swords that followed, carrying the chilling power to freeze everything, shattered the stagnant world.
Snap! Snap!
The ice sword extended with fine cracks. The dragon claws that appeared from space ignored the freezing cold of the world and grasped the ice blade forged by the world in their palms. The chilling air corroded the scales. The scales of the sixth beast shattered under the extreme cold that reached absolute zero. The evil fire clung to it and indiscriminately licked the exposed flesh.
Half black and half icy blue, one side frigid and the other blazing hot, in this world forged by ice and fire, the sixth beast under Kenneth's command felt pain for the first time. Its beastly eyes flashed with ferocity, and the fully revealed sixth beast crushed the ice blades and slammed them down on Brad below. The icy ocean shattered and squeezed out a hundred-meter-high ice pillar. The Reality Marble created by Brad trembled violently under this blow.
"Hey, hey, hey, this kind of power is cheating! I didn't expect you to be the same kind of guy as the White Beast? Now I'm really getting fired up!"
On the next scene, Brad, who felt he was about to ignite, was slapped away by the sixth beast under Kenneth's command. His body turned into a meteor and crashed into the shattered ice crystals.
To be honest, Kenneth's first experience using the Sixth Beast's body was quite subtle. It was a completely different perspective and sensory experience from humans. The Beast's instincts were trying to assimilate the consciousness that dominated the body, completely infecting Kenneth into a beast that devoured humanity.
"This feeling is truly unbelievable. Is this the authority of beasts, with chaotic consciousness dominating the power and collapsing humanity's sins?"
Beast's shell expanded the container's capacity, and the magic flowing within him allowed Kenneth to experience for the first time the fullness of breaking free from the shackles of his human body. Subconsciously, a figure kept whispering to Kenneth: Accept it, embrace it, and you will break free from the shackles of your frail body; you will become unique.
"Accept your existence and completely become the Beast?"
A mocking glint flashed in the beast-like vertical pupils. With a single claw, it shattered the ice blade that slashed down from the sky. Controlling this body, the sixth beast's dragon tail, which was now barely connected to the ice beneath its feet, swept away the attacking Brad.
"Don't laugh your head off. I am who I am, and I will always be who I am. What are you, who only barks and howls in my ear? Give me everything!"
The dissipated magic transformed into a shockwave that blew everything in the outside world away. The authority connecting to the Star Realm directly obliterated the personality that was alone within the Beast's body. Consciousness broke free from its shackles, and the degraded will was stripped away. The false beast took control of the real prosperity and ruled over this body that was capable of collapsing the world.
"Stuart, how much longer? I have a feeling this guy is getting into a very disadvantageous position for us!"
"Give me a little more time. I need time to deal with this guy!"
The aura of the Sixth Beast filled the barrier. Brad, who had just stood up from the ice, could feel the vibration of the Reality Barrier. After receiving Stuart's reply, Brad, who had only felt this kind of pressure from primate killers, looked at the Sixth Beast, which was undergoing some kind of transformation, with an extremely serious expression, his previous frivolousness gone.
"Do I need more time? Looks like I'll have to go all out too. Hey! Stuart, I'm going to relax a bit after this battle, so don't stop me!"
As he uttered a promise that sounded like "I'll go home and get married after this battle," Brad's aura surged at an unprecedented speed. Death energy overflowed from his body, and his icy aura froze the raging storm in the sky. The rapidly dropping temperature isolated all sound within the barrier.
Breath froze into ice, and the flames of karma ceased to flicker. At this moment, the world forged by the mind was put on pause. As Brad, whose aura had reached its peak, looked at the sixth beast that had completed its transformation and opened its eyes, he lowered the hilt of his sword.
In an instant, a pure blue light overflowed from Brad's body. No, it wasn't light; it was the resentment of a frozen ghost at the end of its life, a resentment that was indiscriminate towards all living beings. The solidified ice flowed, and the resentment of the dead turned this place into a forbidden zone for all life. The frozen sky shattered, and within this barrier where time did not exist, the atmosphere of deathly silence became the only keynote.
"Freeze here... End here... Return to the boundless, deathly cold!"
With a whoosh, as Brad finished speaking, the icy sea began to surge and churn. Icy blue light erupted from the abyss beneath the ice like a volcanic eruption. The flames of the dead burned away souls, and the curses of the ghosts transformed into pillars of light that pierced the sky.
The scales covering its body fell off, and the flesh and blood of the Sixth Beast, pulled uncontrollably by the ghosts, plummeted into the abyss below the barrier. Its consciousness was thrown into turmoil, and its soul was pierced by the light. Kenneth's riddled spirit felt the blow from the enemy of humanity at this moment.
However, this was not the end. The heart-like throbbing sound resonated throughout the world. Crimson veins dyed the azure sky crimson. The true demon unleashed its demonic nature, the frozen karmic fire broke free of its restraints, and the demonic sword spewed out black light that pierced the world. The accumulated sins crashed down upon the sixth beast, which was engulfed by the azure soul fire.
The world collapsed, and flames of blue and black indiscriminately burned everything. Sin consumed the body, and soul fire tore at the soul. Human sins corroded Kenneth's materialized soul, causing it to deteriorate, fall, and decay... The aura of sin seeped into consciousness. Flesh and blood decayed, and the soul rotted. The Sixth Beast's body seemed to have lost its vitality after being baptized by ten thousand years.
As the demonic sword struck the ground, Stuart, fueled by flesh and blood, knelt on one knee, his shattered body spurting out dense streaks of blood. His immortality, which had transcended time, weakened to its absolute limit at this moment.
"I'm going to relax tonight, so you can't stop me..."
Seeing that Brad was still able to move freely, Stuart was about to repair his body when the sound of a heartbeat almost broke his nerves.
"How is this possible? That guy is still alive?!"
Thump! Thump! Thump! The increasingly powerful heartbeat caused the barrier to tremble. The carbonized body of the Sixth Beast cracked open with countless fissures, and charred fragments fell like raindrops. Under Stuart's incredulous gaze, the reborn Sixth Beast appeared in this space unharmed.
"Human sins and the raging fire of ghosts have truly helped me a great deal. In return, feel the flames that burn away human reason!"
Towering black flames erupted from the Sixth Beast's mouth, instantly engulfing the flames of karma and soul in this dark ocean. The flames that shattered human reason crushed the world, cracks spreading throughout space. The rampant black fire burned away at Brad's mental image from its source. The world's attempts to correct itself seemed insignificant under this power. In just a few seconds, the mental image collapsed. Standing in the darkness before the world could correct itself, Kenneth, who ruled the Sixth Beast, looked down upon everything.
The karmic fire and soul fire were absorbed into his body, and the evil of humanity devoured the sin born from humanity. The Beast's physical consciousness was erased, and with the help of the Black and White Knights' attacks, Kenneth completely seized control of the Sixth Beast's authority.
Chapter 243 The Fall of the Black Moon
The foundations that make up the world crumbled, and the heart, like a shattered mirror, scattered in the boundless darkness as the inherent boundaries collapsed. The flames, freed from the world's constraints, dissolved everything they touched, merging into the most primal concepts. In the narrow gap between illusion and reality, the world's power, in a light beyond the rules, corrected everything at an extremely slow pace.
Humanity will fall into depravity amidst false prosperity. The sins born from humanity will breed evil that erodes human reason. The flames that burn the soul will take away the consciousness left in sin. The attack of the Black and White Knights will become the final piece of the puzzle for Kenneth to erase his beastly instincts.
"Is this the true authority of the Sixth Beast? False Beast, this is the raging tide of the ghoul world, this is the greed that shatters humanity. At the end of prosperity lies only emptiness. The False Beast will indiscriminately devour everything in its path with its insatiable desires..."
By controlling the body of the Sixth Beast and erasing its instincts, Kenneth completed his separation from the concept of the Beast. The Sixth Beast is Kenneth, but Kenneth is not the Sixth Beast. The boundary between human and non-human was severed. Nourished by the authority of the Sixth Beast, Kenneth briefly reached a realm that could only be glimpsed after transcending the concept of the Beast.
In that instant, through the sins accumulated by humanity on this planet for hundreds of years, Kenneth entered a mysterious realm, his mind connecting with infinite consciousness. Kenneth saw all the traces created since the birth of the human race and heard all the ugliness buried beneath the intellect of all primates on this planet.
It seems that with just a thought, Kenneth could trigger the collective consciousness of the group, allowing the impulses suppressed by reason to break free from their shackles, thereby causing the foundation that maintains human reason to collapse from the source.
"This feeling of knowing all consciousness in the world is so irresistible! It's a pity that the time spent in it is too short."
Savoring the omniscience that came with that fraction of a second, Kenneth looked with some regret at the Black and White Knights who had lost consciousness under the impact of the Sixth Beast, especially the Black Knight Stuart. If he hadn't known that the other party was not in a position to launch another awesome attack, Kenneth would have really wanted to experience that feeling of being burdened with sins once again.
Outside, the blood-pumping battle continued. The ground was stained red with blood, and pieces of limbs and broken bones were mixed with the soil. As the stench of blood in the air grew stronger, Arcueid's condition became increasingly out of control.
Gods and fantasy species will change their stance upon contact with humans, while the vampire impulse can firmly fix the True Ancestors and humans at the top and bottom of the food chain from the source. After the True Ancestors have drunk blood, their urge to seek blood will become stronger and stronger, and the power required to suppress the impulse will become more and more demanding.
It wasn't until the True Ancestor succumbed to instinct that the planet's creation of weapons to restrict primates reached its complete form. In the battle with Arcueid, the life-giving blood energy disturbed Arcueid's reason, and the power to restrain impulses loosened under the crimson gaze. With a tearing sound, Arcueid's arm was violently ripped off, and the spurting blood left a trail of blood on Arcueid's face.
As Arcueid threw the severed limbs to the ground, his expression gradually spiraling out of control, Altrouge, whose arm had been torn off, smiled instead. Her fingers plunged into the wound, and under Arcueid's gaze, Altrouge smeared blood on her lips, admiring Arcueid's constantly writhing throat. Pity was evident in Altrouge's eyes.
“My sister, do you crave my blood? How much longer can you endure? A year, two years? Impulsiveness will devour everything, and endless madness awaits you.”
"Enough with the nonsense! I won't! Lose to something like that!"
Almost gritting her teeth, she squeezed out these words. In the blood-red world, Arcueid, who was desperately trying to maintain her sanity, swayed uncontrollably from side to side. Looking at Arcueid, who was struggling to maintain her sanity under the influence of the blood-sucking impulse, Arcueid, whose body had been repaired, showed a trace of nostalgia.
"How pitiful, how truly pitiful. You, who are more whole than I am, have been bewitched by the snake and burdened with a curse. Such an ugly appearance has truly broadened my horizons."
Faced with Arcueid, who couldn't even answer at this moment, the Black Blood Moon fell, the contract replaced the laws of the earth, and the leaking magic pressed the earth and rocks beneath her feet into cracks. With this, Arcueid unleashed all her power.
“Arquette, rather than let you fall into madness, I will send you to your eternal rest in the name of Brunstad.”
After a thousand years, the ruler of blood and pacts regained all her power. With her raised arm falling, the sky seemed to collapse as immense pressure descended. The flowing wind, under the control of the pact, transformed into invisible chains that sealed off the space. As if she were at odds with the world, Arcueid's body suddenly froze in place under the pressure from all directions.
"With less than a tenth of your strength remaining, do you still dare to defy my will? Perhaps by following your impulses you could still defeat me, but if you were truly prepared to fall, you wouldn't have ended up like this."
The person who knows you best is always your enemy. As Arcueid's sister, with whom she had a love-hate relationship for hundreds of years, Arcurugi knew all too well the stubbornness of the fool before her. Although taking advantage of someone in distress was against her status, seeing Arcueid struggle like this inevitably made Arcurugi feel a pang of pity. Rather than letting her become a beast driven by instinct, sleeping eternally as Brunstadt seemed like a better ending.
“My sister, sleep well! I will make those who bewitched you repent.”
The snake, and the babbling Kenneth, and those who harbored impure motives towards Brunsstadt, the Black Blood Moon fell, and Altrouge, with her eyes closed, delivered a blow powerful enough to end Arcueid.
"Repentance? I think I don't need to repent for anything. Also, don't underestimate this fool's persistence, Altruchi."
A male voice, not belonging to the two sisters, rang out. Realizing something, Altrouge immediately changed her target and hurled the Black Blood Moon at Kenneth. Kenneth's threat had far exceeded her expectations, given that he had managed to escape Brad's Reality Barrier alive.
"Is this how you greet someone? If that's the case, then I guess I should also pay homage to the Gemstone Elder."
Pointing towards the setting moon, an infinitely abundant magical force surged into the sky with overwhelming force. The tide of magic overwhelmed the flames, and the blue jets pierced the black moon. The relentless magic, with its immense energy, propelled the shattered moon into space.
"How about it? Does my Infinite Magic Cannon have the same feel as it did back then?"
Magic rained down, and the azure light painted the night sky in a dreamlike hue. As Kenneth finished speaking, Altrouge looked somewhat absentmindedly at the night sky that resembled the night sky during the Moonfall War a thousand years ago.
"Are you a monster?"
Chapter 244 Challenge
It wasn't the same moonset, and Altrouge wasn't facing the same Jewel Elder who joined the battle out of mere dislike for the Crimson Moon. But in terms of the outcome, Kenneth's Infinite Magic Cannon reminded Altrouge of a magnificent scene identical to that of a thousand years ago. Emerging from her reverie, Altrouge took a deep breath and looked at Kenneth.
"I'd say about 70% of her, but I'm not her, and you're not the magician who shot down the moon."
"Only seven points? I thought I could get a perfect score."
Seeing Kenneth lost in thought because of her score, Eltrouge calmed herself down a bit, tidied her appearance, and gracefully gave Kenneth an old-fashioned aristocratic curtsy.
"Greetings, unknown mage, I am Altrudge Brunstad."
Amidst the ruins stained with blood and severed limbs, and under the burning sky, a noblewoman in a formal dress greeted him. Kenneth felt something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Greetings, Altrudge, Kenneth El-Mello Archibald, from another world, here to find something that has been stolen."
Barely managing to recall some of the traditional aristocratic greetings from Director Ken's memory, Kenneth awkwardly returned the courtesy to Eltrouget. Upon hearing Kenneth's self-introduction, Eltrouget's eyes involuntarily flickered a few times.
"Interesting. From a parallel world. No wonder you're entangled with that foolish little sister of mine. You were entrusted by that mage, weren't you?"
Kenneth nodded slightly in response to Altrouge's question and strode toward the imprisoned Arcueid. Altrouge also signaled to the arriving primate assassin to check on the two knights who were lying on the ground. Without saying much, the two introduced themselves and tacitly completed the hostage exchange.
“Wu, WuWu, Foufoufoufou..."
With its imposing physique, the primate killer emitted a distinctive cry that, to put it simply, gave Kenneth a strange feeling of having a heart attack.
"Is that so? Bremett, I understand."
Using a foreign language she had mastered over a thousand years, Altrouge achieved interspecies communication. After confirming that the Black and White Knights were alright, Altrouge, having witnessed Kenneth's strength, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
While Arcueid was examining the Black and White Knights' injuries, Kenneth returned to Arcueid's side. Seeing the idiot caught up in the urge to drink blood, Kenneth gave Arcueid a chop to the head with his usual hand. Taking advantage of his youth, Arcueid lost consciousness and fell asleep immediately.
The deal was struck, and the other party did not kill the hostage. As one of the few people who could stand, Kenneth's gaze inevitably met that of Altruchi. A few seconds later, as Kenneth's attention was entirely focused on the primate killer, Altruchi's expression began to falter.
Altrouge slightly raised her opinion of Kenneth. A knight wielding magic, capable of defeating her head-on, and possessing an intelligence superior to Arcueid—in short, Altrouge temporarily placed Kenneth on a position where she could communicate as an equal. Moreover, from the primate killer's explanation, Altrouge also learned that Kenneth possessed hidden power. This was a rare opportunity, and Altrouge, who rarely showed interest, wanted to learn more about the man before her.
Time ticked by, until the primate killer, feeling uneasy under Kenneth's gaze, began to bare his teeth. Only then did Kenneth, with a mixture of regret and anticipation, withdraw his gaze. Having observed Kenneth's every move, Eltruchi began to doubt her own charm for the first time.
“Leaving a lady you’re meeting for the first time standing there is a very rude reaction.”
"People's eyes will always fall on things that interest them, and I think my reaction is pretty normal."
Upon hearing Kenneth's explanation, Altrouge's expression froze. By human standards of aesthetics, Altrouge was at the pinnacle, but now, a male creature actually found four-legged creatures more attractive than two-legged ones, which made Altrouge begin to doubt whether Kenneth was even human.
It's no surprise that Kenny is interested in primate killers. Dead Apostles and True Ancestors are just research based on interest. What Kenny really wants is a primate killer with the qualifications of a beast. But unfortunately, the primate killer is only qualified. Compared to Fou's beastly side, the primate killer is more U-like. This is the reason for Kenny's regret.
As for why Kenneth was so eager to try, it's simple: no matter which side he leans towards, the essence of a primate killer will not change. With proper guidance, a primate killer still has the opportunity to become a beast. Kenneth really wanted to try raising a beast.
But no matter what Kenneth thought, it was a fact that Eltrouge had misunderstood. Looking at Kenneth with a troubled expression, Eltrouge wondered if Kenneth's XP system really liked four legs. After all, such a fetish was not uncommon in some noble circles, and Eltrouge knew the ins and outs very well.
Noticing that Kenneth's gaze had once again fallen on the primate killer, Eltrauge tentatively spoke:
"That's quite normal. May I ask, what do you mean by your interest in Bremett?"
“I’m interested in its body, and its inner self, and everything it represents.”
Hearing such treacherous words, the primate assassin's fur stood on end. As for Altrouge, veins were already faintly visible on her dignified face. She took several deep breaths, carefully choosing her words, and said softly:
"Your interests are quite unique. Bremet is my partner. If you want to take advantage of her, are you prepared to face my wrath?"
Kenneth was somewhat bewildered by Altruchi's sudden change in expression. It was no wonder he couldn't see through her; Altruchi was simply too well-managed. Apart from her anger, Kenneth couldn't detect anything unusual about Altruchi's soul.
"I don't think we'll even have the chance to sit down and have some tea. I've already sensed your anger."
Kenneth's words instantly extinguished the anger on Altrouge's face. Altrouge had sensed Kenneth's strength before, and now she recognized a kindred spirit—the kind who used power with strategic thinking. A smile returned, and Altrouge patted the primate killer on the shoulder before turning to leave.
“I am quite fond of you. I originally thought that only my foolish sister had any value in this Far East, but now it seems that you are also an interesting fellow. Do your best to please me. If you can control me, why not give Bremett to you? Of course, if you do not have that ability, I will keep you by my side, but as a pet.”
Suppressing her urge to fight Kenneth, Altrouge, full of anticipation for what was to come, left the ruins. She wanted to save the meal for last and see just how far Kenneth, who had spoken so arrogantly to her, could go.
"Is this a challenge? The winner dominates the loser, an interesting bet."
Trying to decipher what Eltrauge was trying to say, Kenneth, along with the three unconscious people, left the ruins in the opposite direction.
Chapter 245 Manifested Consciousness
With her fingers pressed against the window, Altolus, now back in her girl form, gazed at the endless night sky. Kenneth's feat of shooting down the moon with an infinite magic cannon reminded Altolus of many things. That aura, different from magic, was the law sought by the magicians, a mystery from beyond the world.
“A mage connected to Zelrich, an aura that could put Bremett on alert, the deceased Lord El-Melloi—it seems something very interesting has happened in that world.”
As Altruchi returned to the hotel, the information on Director Kenneth of this world was already laid out before her. After quickly reading through this utterly useless document, Altruchi simply couldn't connect the two people who had nothing in common except for their names. As for whether Kenneth might have used an alias, Altruchi hadn't even considered it. The extremely self-confident person wouldn't try to fool her on such a matter.
“Kenneth El-Melloi Archibald, you want to dominate me? Then let me see if you have the ability to make me obey.”
As the two knights awaited their awakening, the room fell silent. Altrouge, petting a large Fou, gazed quietly at the city below. Returning to the apartment, the two church members were set aside, and Kenneth was the first to check on Arcueid's current condition.
"This is getting a little tricky."
The urge to drink blood is a curse imposed by the planet. This time, Arcueid's state is different from the previous unconscious impulse. The thirst for blood has been etched into her soul, slowly transforming Arcueid's consciousness.
"Do as you please until I'm done with my work, just don't bother me."
As Kenneth's figure fell, Siel's hand, which was reaching for the Seventh Holy Scripture, paused. Realizing that his actions had not been concealed from Kenneth, Siel, who had been left aside by Kenneth, stood up decisively. His gaze fell on Arcueid, and Siel's eyes flickered, as if he was thinking about something.
"By the way, you should recognize that guy on the ground. If you don't want her to suffer a mental death, you should try to save her. The essence of that sword is not something an ordinary person can withstand."