Extra Chapter: The War of Heaven and Earth (Part 2)

It is often said that an evil person can quickly sense if one intends to bring them to justice… it is their knowledge about the evils that they have done… and that the world desires to not see them roam free to do more harm.

However, what if the entire world is evil? What if that kind of judgement has no other who can judge it without bias?

That is exactly what humanity thought everything would go. When no one isn't evil as everyone is smeared with sin, no one can ever pass judgement without being judged themselves.

However, there is one being who has only appeared again now, who can do as such… and intends to do exactly just that.

"S-Stop him! Let's stop him before he gets to- GUAK-!"

"Hiii-! I-I'm not going to-! KUAH-!"

"Damn it! Stop him, I said!!!"

In not even moment, Law already slaughtered five of the well-known and powerful Tainted Spirits at the tower… but he knew that there is much more to do.

"Now that the Eye has locked all of you in these lands where you spread blood and terror, let me give back the favor tenfold."

"N-No… this power…!"

""

Above their heads, the dark crimson clouds was parted and the sky was torn, exposing the dark expanse of space to the human eye on earth.

""

"-!!!"

"R-R-RUUUUNNN!!!"

And as bright stars shone and seemed to grow in size every passing moment, the Tainted Spirits attempted to escape, but failed as a great force held their body in place.

"URGH! This is-!"

"I told all of you… No one will escape."

"-!!!"

"Judge the world according to your rules. May the Divine Principles bring you to ends unknown. To neither live nor die… to bathe in the void to which your very spirits you have sold to!"

"NOOOOOO!!!!!!"

""

At that very moment, the enormous city at the foot of the Tower of Babel, a city of sin, strife and unending hedonism, was erased from existence in a storm of divine light and holy fire.

"T-this is…"

"Sodomarai…"

To those who saw the destruction from afar, and once lived or heard about the fate of the ancient city of whores in the central continent, it evoked a sense of terror that welled from their very souls.

"A hail of fire and brimstone… a destruction so great that it seems like…"

"…hell on earth."

Back at the top of the Tower, Law watched with an unmoving expression the destruction of the city below him and listened to the cries of terror, pain and despair of the people caught in the destruction.

"Don't make it look like I am limited with just using this in here… Spread throughout the world and scorch every patch of land."

He looked up and spoke towards the rift on the sky, as if he is telling it to not shy away on causing more destruction.

"I don't intend to let any of these ungrateful and hedonistic mortals to live after my judgement. Strike them with fire and terror. That is what they deserve from me."

*GRAAAAK-!!! TIYAK-!*

Just as he said those words, the dark rift split the sky more and in a matter of seconds, a large slit on the sky appeared above everyone's heads where bright stars shone and shot out light, fire and even burning meteorites.

"Now then… to chase after that knave."

Though its surroundings are being burned and toppled by the rain of fire and meteors, the Tower of Babel stood tall and strong against any attacks. With its great blocks of stone hewn out of Mt. Hyperion, a mountain that contained the hardest basalt and granite stones in the world, and covered with black lacquer all around its structure, the tower suffered little to no damage… for now.

"…"

"R-R-Run! Get outta the way!"

"I don't wanna die!!!"

"…Burst."

*PA-KYAK-!*

In a single second, a hundred people who didn't make it out of Law's sight burst into pieces of flesh, innards and blood that covered that entire tower's floor. By lowering the ability of their body to tolerate the massive force of their heart's beating to send out blood, they exploded out like overinflated balloons.

"Argh…! My body…!"

"…"

"N-No! NOOO!!!"

*TYAG-!*

One Tainted Spirit, whom Law recognized as Spirit Despair, still had his decapitated head barely living when he made the mistake of groaning in pain and was pierced through the mouth by Law's spear.

"…Next."

Going down another floor through the stairs where the spilled blood is also flowing down, Law arrived at a floor where the dead body of a familiar man appeared in his vision.

"Gran Judis… Justice would've rewarded your loyalty to not fall to their side."

"…"

"Rest in peace… I shall enact revenge on your stead."

Without any delay, he faced the gathered men wearing armor and wielding weapons to stop him.

"Stand your ground!"

"He doesn't have any believeers!"

"The blessings of our gods and the Tainted Spirits are with us!"

"CHAAAAAARRRRGGGEEEE!!!"

The soldiers all rushed towards him with spears, swords and daggers. But Law didn't even lift a finger to stop them.

"…Crush."

*BYAG-!*

"KKKHHH!!!"

"STAND… UP!!!"

"Break."

*KYIK-!*

After pushing them down by increasing the effect of gravity on them, Law walked through them before using the amount of force that the human body cannot resist anymore.

The increased gravitational force was so great that it liquified their bodies, leaving no trace except for a massive pool of blood that mingled with the ones that are flowing down from the floor above them.

"…Next."

Law, just as he said, has already decided what he must do against these Tainted Spirits and the humans who have come to worship them.

And it wasn't his enemies that are trembling in fear from him… there are also those who can do nothing but helplessly watch from Caelestia.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"J-J-Justice… are you sure that Law truly spoke those words…?"

"I am… He said it and I know that he will certainly do it."

Law's words that he spoke towards Justice wasn't something that they can easily handwave away… it is clear to all of them.

"Law intends to eradicate mankind… and end this world."

Drive humanity into extinction and destroy the planet… both are things that aren't to be taken lightly… especially when you know that the being who said those words can certainly do it.

"Law has gone mad…"

"To end humanity is to end us Spirits as well."

"But when you think about it… What Law said is true…"

Up in Caelestia, the other Celestial Spirits are conversing about the statement spoken by Law and seemed to fear for their own end if humanity will truly be driven into extinction.

"Love is dead… Hope… all hope is lost."

"Guardian… We could've-!"

"I can't forgive those filthy Tainted Spirits… They've went too far…!"

Love's death was already certain even a few weeks before. But even with all of that, the Celestial Spirits lost a friend, comrade, fellow spirit, and to one of them, a spiritual sibling. The pain of lost is still strong regardless of how much they've prepared their selves for it. And because of that…

"I will join him."

"Knowledge!?"

"Are you listening to yourself?! You want to take part on that too?!"

"I am."

"Ah-"

Stating his desire to join Law's decimation of the world, Knowledge was questioned by his fellow Spirits and some even pulled him by the arm just to stop him.

"Why are you doing this, Knowledge?"

"Of course. It's revenge."

"Revenge? Even though you have already stated that your very principles of existence aren't allowing you to incur any strong feelings that can push you to desire revenge?"

"I have found a way around it that wouldn't Taint my principles. Revenge doesn't have to be pushed by emotions alone… there is also revenge rooted from a clear and logical principle."

"An eye for an eye…"

"And a tooth for a tooth… I am amused that you know of it."

"I am Justice. The first Gran Judis of Kleiv made that the rule of their land long ago with my permission."

After knowing that Knowledge isn't being driven to revenge by emotions, but instead, a desire to see things through for the sake of his spiritual sister, Justice let him walk past and jump down to the surface world as well.

"Justice! Is this really the right way?"

"…"

"If Law will truly kill off humanity and destroy the world, even us would die as well!"

"Then let it be as it should be."

"H-Huh?"

"If we will die after they have been eradicated, let us embrace that fate and disappear from Reality."

"T-That…"

"Disappearing would mean…"

"Oh-ho? Are you perhaps afraid to disappear, you lot?"

"-!!!"

"I believe you remember that breaking one's Principles and going against the reason of one's existence isn't the only way to become Tainted Spirits…"

With Justice's freezing gaze, all the other Spirits can do nothing but stand at exactly where they are as she told them about what would happen if they do start to fear death.

"We Spirits exist to represent an aspect of reality or idea of mankind… when we are no longer needed, we are required to disappear from reality completely. And those that will not comply would of course, be cancers in this world."

"""…"""

"If that is clear to you now, cease from fearing death and accept it when it comes. That is what you should be doing."

Although her warnings were clear and most accepted it, there are also those who cannot accept what would come for them once humanity is truly driven to extinction.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

At the lowest floor of the tower, six hundred sixty and four floors below the level where Law is currently at, the only voice being heard is the pained voices of two beings inside the same body.

"What was that…? WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT-!?"

"Law… how dare you appear now!"

Inside her own body, another being whom she allowed to co-inhabit with hers' cursed Law while holding the stump of her arm that was broken after Law's arrival and opening attack.

"The Bow of Nimrod… He got to break even a legendary relic of Chaos. That being really is-"

"This isn't what we agreed on, Babel! You said that he will certainly be out of the fight since he will mourn for Love!"

"It was a mistake, then! There is nothing certain in this world, you brat! I only said that because it was the most likely thing to happen!"

"Then… We are now…-"

From the stairs leading to the top, Freedom can sense the slaughter being done above their heads. She can hear the humans who still haven't sensed anything strange either because they are too drunk or preoccupied with their activities remaining on their floors, not knowing of Law's vendetta against all of them.

"Kh! Let's teleport out! It would've been better if we took Transfiguration with us so we can escape further, but my own teleportation ability should suffice for now."

"Right. It saved us from being killed up there. We can at least escape from this place for now and regroup with the other armies in the other domains."

Freedom made her body to stand and prepared to teleport out of the tower… but then, she sensed that something wrong has happened.

"W-W-What…?"

"What's wrong, Freedom?"

"I can't… I can't teleport to Itole."

It was strange to her. Although it do is far, Itole is still within the reach of her teleportation ability.

"T-Then try someplace nearer."

"A-all right…"

Again, she tried to use her ability and aimed it on the palace city of Lomein, halfway between Itole and Swistu.

"I-I-I also can't reach it."

"Then what about Frincia! That's just a bit further than Lomein."

Again and again, Freedom tried to teleport out but was stopped by a seemingly limited range in her teleportation ability unlike before.

"What is happening…? I used this power to bring Luxuria from the western isles all the way to Swistu! This ability can go that far, and I am struggling to get to just Itole!?"

"Can it be that…?"

"What?"

"Freedom… Go out and look at the sky."

She did as Babel asked, and her eyes almost bulged out of it sockets from her sheer disbelief of what she is seeing in front of her.

"The sky is purple… and slit open like broken glass…"

"No… No, no, no, NOOOO!!!"

"Babel?!"

"That bastard of a Spirit!!! Don't tell me he has been hiding all of this all along!"

Freedom can sense Babel shaking in terror from inside. His very soul is trembling in utter terror, and this made Freedom fear what is to come to her as well.

"If he's going this far, I am doing the same too! Freedom! Lend me full control for a moment!"

"W-Why?"

"I'm going to draw out power from the void! I'm wrangle us out of his hold!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"DIEEEE!!!"

"Burn!"

"H-He's not stopping!"

"Stand your ground!"

In Lodnia, one of the occupied city-states of the Tainted Spirits, Knowledge wreaked havoc across the city, toppling down the temples of the paganic believers and using her sister's Divine Weapon, Boundless Warmth, incinerating the cultists and other outsiders to ashes with impunity.

"Line up well so that I can get rid of you more quickly. I have a lot more places to go to."

"RAAAAHHHH!!!"

"Burn!"

"HIYAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"

"IT BURNS! HELP ME!!!"

Without even batting an eye or listening to their pained cries, Knowledge burned all of them and walked forward as if he is doing nothing that is bothering to watch.

"R-RUN! We can't deal with that guy!"

"And who told you that I would let you run?"

"H-Huh!? GYAAAAHHHH!!!"

"NOOO!!! KIYAAAAA!!!"

"I DON'T WANNA DIE!!! AAAAAHHH!!!"

Those that escaped the jet of flames that easily burned them faced a bombardment of stones from Knowledge. These stones, dug from gigantic boulders from under the ground and chucked to their targets at twice the speed of sound, was something that brought a longer and more painful death than simply being incinerated to those that didn't die instantly from the blast.

"D-Demon… DEMON!!!"

"Huh?"

"This being is a demon! By the name of our gods, Mardul and Dagron, I shall cut you down!"

"…"

One tall man, wearing a heavy armor and a large sword, charged towards Knowledge and intended to slash and kill him.

"Let me tell you something about those stone murals and statues that you call as your "gods"."

"ACK!"

"They're not real and they will never help you."

Knowledge took a small stone, something that can be held by just two fingers, and threw it to the forehead of the charging man.

"Waaaurgghhh…"

"See? They can't even change the direction of that pebble to not kill you. They're just statues and paintings."

The stone went through the man's forehead, piercing through his brain and out to the back of his head which exploded out in a grotesque manner. Even then, Knowledge didn't even have a change of expression as he kicked down the body that fell on its knees before turning on the others around him.

"…Now."

"E-E-EEEEKKK!!!"

"Who's going to call for divine strength from their false idols next?"

Lodnia would later be covered in blood and ashes. No survivor was left to speak of the horrors that Knowledge did in there… and to this day, it is said that no one… not even the innocent women and children that didn't put up any fight, was spared from his pursuit of revenge.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

An hour has passed since Law first landed on the Tower. And during that time, he has reached almost halfway down the structure.

*Tak! Tak! Tak!*

His footsteps echoed across the stairs as the floors became more and more spacious the more the goes down.

"S-S-S-STOP RIGHT THERE!"

"…"

"This is where you will die!"

"…!"

"HYAAAA!!!"

At every floor that he goes to, he is met with futile resistance from the humans whom he didn't even care to lift an eye to kill off. He simply continued walking down to the next floor downstairs as the humans were either crushed or had their innards and blood explode out.

"Hyaaahhh… AAAAAHHHH!!!"

Those that had the misfortune of not dying after being hit with his attacks suffered a long and painful death… and even then, he didn't give them the mercy of being killed quicker.

"…"

"P-P-Please! If I am just going to die, just kill me quicker!"

"…"

"Please, Great Spirit! I implore you! End my suffering!"

"Did you hear those same words from the men that you leisurely killed?"

"H-Huh?"

"How about the women and young girls that you partook with as spoils of war? Did they say the same words as you passed them around like toys?"

"-!!!"

"Those children whom you and your kind forced to work on the quarries and woodcutters, and when they were not picked by the paganic cultists, you buried alive in the foundations of this tower… did they not beg for their lives as well?"

"P-P-Please don't! Don't let me-!"

"Suffer…"

"-!!!"

"You should suffer the same fate tenfold."

"HYAAAAA!!!"

At every floor, there would be people like this who Law locked into such a state where they are bleeding to death, suffering so much pain of which, they were made hypersensitive of, and unable to do anything to escape their situation, can only scream in pain and hopelessness.

From the hundreds of floors above the still uncleared ones, a chorus of these screams filled the halls and rooms of the tower… but what accompanied just behind Law's heels was something more grotesque and horrifying.

"W-Wha?"

"What's this thing dripping from upstairs?"

"B-B-Blood!?!?!?"

The sheer amount of dead and bleeding bodies from above them was enough to create a river of that crimson liquid that not only flowed behind Law's steps but has also seeped to the lower floors through the porous mortar that they used to cement the stone ceilings together.

"J-J-Just what is happening upstairs!?"

"Hold your line! He's coming to us!"

"Gh!"

"We will stop him here even at the cost of our lives!"

"Protect our paradise, men! Anyone who can bring him down can have a go all by himself with the fresh women!"

"UWWOOOOOO!!!"

Such a lustful reward and the cheer that came after it was for naught.

"Hyaaa… Ahhhh!!!"

"My leg!!!"

"Kill me already!!!"

Law simply passed over them as they writhed on the ground, groaning and screaming in pain, and wishing for death from their assailant.

"No… Suffer first and reflect on your evils. Only then will you pass on and be burned in hell."

"-!!!"

"Don't worry, all of you will meet each other there soon enough."

Law… was never stopped by anyone.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"You traitors…"

While Law and Knowledge are fighting their respective battles, the same went for Justice… although hers is one that didn't cause bloodshed, but instead, the exchange of bitter words.

"You shut your mouth, Justice… You, Law and Knowledge are the ones who should be called traitors!"

"Right! Did you really think that we would take your side when Law and Knowledge are slaughtering everyone down there?!"

"We were born to lead and protect humanity! We were born from their wishes! We cannot let them be driven to extinction!"

At first, it was only those who were bothered with the idea that the two only Spirits who are on the surface shared the same intent of killing off all of humanity… but soon enough, half of the Celestial Spirits, and now all of them except for Justice and Faith, has taken the side of those who wanted to stop Law and Knowledge.

"Explain yourselves… Why are you defecting to their side now?"

"Of course! Because we don't want to die!"

"We're the personifications of our fundamental aspects of reality! If Humanity gets driven into extinction, nothing awaits this world other than destruction!"

"We're doing this for everyone's sake, Justice! You have no right to debase us!"

One by one, the Celestial Spirits all spoke their reasons, but only a few reached Justice ears… and these are the ones that are so awfully selfish, twisted to appear genuine and amusingly enough, self-serving while also dismissing criticism.

"Why am I even surprised… all of you are seriously pretending to care about humanity when its clear that you're just afraid of disappearing from existence."

"W-What did you say!?"

"I'm disgusted with the thought that I've considered you as friends and comrades for the past hundred years… Now that you are made to face your own mortality, you've shown your true selves."

"Why, you-!!!"

One of them was about to hit her but was stopped by his fellows who pulled him away.

"Let me go! Now that we are all against her, I can finally teach that naïve Spirit her true place!"

"Stop already! Are you chasing after your own death?!"

"Hit her and you'd trigger her Principles! You'd die without even noticing it!"

Unlike the young Spirit who hasn't ascended yet and was able to witness Justice's power, those who knew her well was aware that one hit is enough for her to have a reason to cut down her assailant with her sword.

"Let us leave! We still have humans to save! Leave her here and let her witness how we pacify those two!"

One of the leaders of the defecting faction spoke as such and led her fellow Spirits outside so they can descend to the surface world as well. Before she left though, Justice had something to tell her.

"Have all of your devotion, respect and love towards her disappeared now that she is gone?"

"…"

"Love was the one who vouched for all of your ascensions… If not for her words, Law would've never taken in any of you and allowed you to ascend to Caelestia."

Justice then spoke something ominous that even if she didn't want to accept it, was made to do just that.

"Let me be clear in this one and only this one thing, you fools… Your appearance and declaring of him as your enemy will do nothing to stop him and his objective. In the end… only what Law desires would come to pass."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It has only been a day since the Tower was finished and, in their bout to challenge Caelestia, Babel shot the arrow towards the floating island of the Celestial Spirits which started all of this madness for them.

But because of something that is continuously bathing the lands with a light purple glow, that one day… has become a terribly long month already.

"What the hell are they doing upstairs!? Why are more and more people fleeing towards here in the lower floors?!"

"Ready your weapons, men! Be alert and get ready to attack anyone not with us who will come from up there!"

Either because he let no one to properly survive his attacks, or the fact that all of the people in this tower are preoccupied with their own lascivious and frivolous actions, there was not any clear information about what is happening upstairs.

"W-What the…?"

"I-I-I-Is that… Is that blood!?"

"H-Hold your ground! Don't be tricked by this fake blood flowing towards us! It is clearly-"

The leader of the troop of men wanted to dissuade the belief that the crimson liquid flowing from the stairs are indeed blood… but when a pair of eyeballs, a piece of broken skull and even a decapitated hand floated above the flow of said liquid, terror quickly climbed to his heart.

"N-No way… It can't be true, right…?"

"C-Captain…?"

"I… I…"

Being one of the leaders of the raiding groups of the Tower, this particular man has extensive experience in killing people and has already saw all kinds of terrible things that he has now become desensitized with.

And still, seeing the flow of blood from the stairs that seemed like the sign of an incoming flood, his knees buckled, and his feet seemed like it was dipped in semi-hardened cement.

"E-Everyone… R-Ru-"

Before he can utter the order for his subordinates to run away, something grimy and warm covered his eyes which he hurriedly wiped off using her arm sleeves.

"-!"

"You've begun to fear for your life, haven't you?"

"A-A-A-A-Ahh…"

"Do it yourself. Don't trouble me anymore than the others did… or perhaps, you want to join the others who are filling this tower with their pained screams?"

With his underlings now nothing but crushed bodies whose blood has mingled with the other bloods flowing towards the stairs leading down, this man was spoken to by Law and was told to deal with himself using his own hands… with the alternative of being among those whose screams he can now clearly hear from upstairs.

"I-I will…"

"I have to warn you though, you will still go to the same place in the afterlife regardless of your choice. Hell still awaits all of your souls."

"…"

"Decide before I head down. If you don't, you will face the same death as your subordinates… and trust me, their death was painful even if it seemed instantaneous."

In the end, with his soul damned and his fate securely doomed, the man fell on his own sword… and even in death, received no reprieve from the sheer terror and bottomless hopelessness.

After that long month of endless slaughter in the Tower of Babel, Law has climbed down through its six hundred and sixty-six floors and finally arrived at the ground where he is greeted not by futile human resistance, but by the remaining Tainted Spirits that he hasn't encountered and disposed of yet.

"T-T-This is where your terror ends, Celestial!"

"We will stop you here and reclaim the world for our own!"

"You may have killed our believers! But we won't- GUAH-!"

Without even caring about what they have to say, Law stabbed the one nearest to him with his spear and pulled it in a way where the Spirit he speared remained on the blade as he lifted it up like a banner.

"…You talk too much."

"F-Fealty!"

"So, we can't convince you to back down, huh?"

In one single charge, the remaining seventy-two Tainted Spirits that has formed the last line of defense for the Tower's last floor brandished their weapons and intended to stop Law from taking even one more step past them.

Though it is true that Law is now no longer facing futile human resistance, it does not mean that the Tainted Spirits' struggle didn't face the same fate as the humans.

"I-I-I-Impossible-!!!"

"It can't be… You can't be serious!"

"G-GET OUTTA MY WAY!!!"

"I-I-I DON'T WANNA DIE!!!"

Seventy-two against one… the odds are very tilted, the disparity between the chances of success is so great… but it wasn't in the favor of the Tainted spirits.

"N-N-No… P-P-Please don't kill me… Please don't kill-"

"…"

"AGACK!"

Even against a great number of Tainted Spirits that has accepted the cult-like faith on them by humanity, received the blessings of the Spirit of Void and even amassed a great deal of negative aura from all of the ruthless murder and destruction that they have caused, none of them can match the sheer sundering power of Law whose martial skills has been refined for hundreds of thousands of years and possessed enough authority to be the one who defends Caelestia from any who dares to trespass.

*BLAG-!*

"EEEEEKKKK!!!"

"HIDE!!!"

At the base floor of the Tower, in the most secure room of the building made out of layers upon layers of rock that serves as the foundation of the Tower, the secureness of this area became the undoing of the remaining humans.

"O-Open the door already!"

"Stop pushing! I can't open the lock!"

Before, it was only those who showed resistance against him that he fought and killed, but now that those who escaped and never showed a sign of resistance has been rounded up in this last floor of the Tower, Law was finally able to do what is inarguably, his greatest display of cruelty.

"It's time for all of you to pay your dues… Just as how you've done to our people, the same shall be done to all of you."

That day… in the last day of his incursion in the Tower, it was said that from top to bottom, the once lively Tower that signified all evil… became a monument of death that flowed out an endless torrent of blood and bellowed out the screeches of the pained and damned.

At last, Law has given justice to his people who was wronged and killed. But the war is far from over.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"K-Knowledge…?"

"Oh… It's you, Faith."

No… Please…

"W-what happened to-"

"Oh, this? Ahaha… I just had a bit of fun while I'm also enacting revenge for my sister's sake."

"-!"

"Yeah, yeah… I know it looks brutal, but trust me, I know what I am doing."

Please tell me that this isn't true… I must still be in one of my many dreams while I am resting in my Domain…

Knowledge can't be… He can't be-!

"I wasn't able to do these experiments since both Law and Love tells me that its taboo… But look over there, there's clearly nothing wrong about this at all. I get that they labelled it as taboo so that no one would commit mass murder to get the right amount of dead people to extract their souls from, but if they're not our people, I don't think anyone would mind."

In front of us is a giant furnace that burned the dead bodies of the people that he recently killed… and attached to it is a strange translucent Insight stone that seemed to contain hundreds of floating miasmic objects that I instantly recognized as human souls separated from their bodies and unable to pass to the afterlife.

"Soon… Soon enough, I will know more about the worlds beyond this world. The knowledge that Law and Love has been privy about all this time… If they won't tell me about it, I'll just figure it out myself."

"K-Knowledge… Please stop-"

"I won't stop now, Faith…"

"-!"

"I can't… stop now."

The moment that Knowledge's empty and soulless gaze crossed my vision, I knew it… this is reality… and my greatest fear has been brought right in front of me.

"No… You have to stop, Knowledge. This was made taboo not because those two feared about you knowing it or killing people to gain the way to know it… but because they knew that you would do everything that you have to do to learn it."

"And as I said, I cannot stop now, Faith. I can sense it within my very essence… This is my greatest achievement. It would be an insult to my very principles if I ceased with this now."

"It seems like… You leave me with no other choice, Knowledge."

"Huh?"

"Come forth, Words of Devotion."

"-!!!"

I promised to her, you see… That if ever you become so enamored with your pursuit of knowledge and fall to the temptation of studying taboo subjects, I alone have the authority and responsibility to stop you.

"Heed my words, Knowledge, Spirit of Knowledge."

"So, you really intend to hinder my research? I must say, you are pretty underpowered to even act as a hazard to me!"

"Ispiri Logos, aila expunio iyo galpa entu ud aila otoracha, drosos iyo tot lisana."

(Spirit Knowledge, I condemn your actions and with my authority, order you to cease.)

"W-What the… Urk!"

"I am sorry, Knowledge… but this is for your own sake. You need to sleep… you were almost Tainted already."

With him finally snapping out of his delusion of desiring the knowledge that was denied from him, Knowledge was able to speak to Faith as they used to before… and his question before he lost his consciousness was something that tugged on Faith's heart.

"My true name… how did you know it…?"

"How can I not want to know… the name of the person that I wholeheartedly loved…?"

"Love… you are…"

Before he can speak a reply, Knowledge fell asleep as Faith caught him and let him rest his head on her shoulder.

"I shall take on half of your burden… just as how she did the same to Law in his darkest moment."

The dark miasma clashing with Knowledge's natural aura was taken on by Faith… that miasma from where a Tainted form comes… she took on half of it for the sake of this being whom she desired to nourish and protect.

This was the day that two of the only three other Celestial Spirits left in Caelestia shared an inseverable bond… that even into the future, changed the course of the world's fate.

Both can now barely be considered as pure Celestial Spirits because of the miniscule trace of Taint in their spiritual forms… but still, theirs is an authority and responsibility that still endures.

Their fate, although bittersweet as they are now no longer the same as they were before, it was greatly unlike those that Law would face off next… those traitors have brought nothing but destruction upon themselves.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

A mountain of corpses covered the horizon…

Rivers of blood coursed out from every pile of bodies and the lone Tower where all of the slaughter started…

The clouds, forced to take on the crimson liquid that has taken the place of pure water, dotted the sky and rained the blood back to the ground…

There was but one true way to describe this scene…

[Hell on earth]

"You lot…"

"We're sorry, Law…"

"You left us with no other choice."

"We promised to protect humanity… We are simply doing our duty."

"We don't want to die, Law… Please forgive us, but we intend to stop you here."

Friends… Comrades… Fellow Celestial Spirits, all of whom, he has worked and fought alongside with in order to nourish and protect the Northern Continent.

All of those joyous memories that he had with them was thrown aside… after he saw them brandishing the same weapons that he gave them during their Ascension in order to protect the Being of Chaos that he can sense behind all of them.

"You don't want to die? Then get out of my way. My only prey is that monster behind you."

"We will not, Law."

"We have decided… Even if it is a deplorable world, the world that Babel is proposing is a world that still has humans that can keep us and our principles alive."

"It is unlike your world where mankind is extinct and even us Spirits will die."

"…"

"We have made our decision, Law… Stand down, for we will not do it for you."

"Then that makes things simpler…"

"-!!!"

"Draw your weapons!"

"Prepare for combat!"

With their intention of finally turning traitor against him, Law lost all of his qualms about having to fight against these Spirits that he once called friends and family and even personally authorized to Ascend as Celestial Spirits.

"Your mistake… is thinking that you have any chance against me."

No one… was spared.

Without even being made to bleed or be hit by any of their attacks, Law walked past the dead bodies of the Celestial Spirits. With their pure white robes drenched in blood and their essences dissipating into the torn expanse of space above them, the fight was over just minutes after it started.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Darn it!!!

Just how ridiculously overpowered is this monstrosity of a Spirit!

No one told me that this World would have an Invalid this strong!

"…You escaped easily earlier, and it took me a while to clean up that Tower and your underlings… But now, you're back at square one."

"-!!!"

"I expect a lot from the two of you who managed to defeat Love… but I know how all of this would go already."

"How dare you underestimate-!"

*FYUNGK-!*

Before Babel can curse him, Law's spear flew past the side of their face and it made both Babel and Freedom, who is currently sharing the same body, to freeze in fear.

"A-A-A-Ahh…"

"I must be tired… I was sure that it would rapture your skull in one sweep."

"I will not let you-"

*BYAG-! KA-CRAG!*

"GUHAAAKKK!"

Before they can conjure a blast of wind to push him away, Law grabbed them by the arm and sunk his fist deep into their torso, giving them a punch that made them puke out spit and blood.

"HAH-! HRAH-!"

"I will not let any of the two of you to get an easy way out…"

"-!!!"

"Before I bring the two of you back to the void where I will seal you for all eternity, I will make you learn…"

"YOU-!!!"

"…why I am the first Spirit to be born amongst all others."

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

["Chronians… do not belong to this world… but I shall accept lost travelers like you until you can come back to your own world."]

These were the words spoken to me by her… the Being who met us and accepted us into her land as honorary citizens.

"Lady Cecilia, we're past the Ardenia mountain range already. The area of the fight will be within our equipment's visual range soon."

"Understood. Give my console the video feed and tell the helmsman to avoid entering the airspace around the battle area. We can't afford to have our ship be seen by the native populace… if ever there is anyone left."

"Roger that, ma'am!"

"…Don't fail us now, my ship. We all still need you to go back home."

From above the skies, an unfamiliar vehicle flew within the cover of the clouds. Anyone in the semi-Iron age civilization of this world will never recognize it, but anyone with at least modern knowledge would instantly see it as a spaceship not unlike many of those seen in sci-fi shows.

This is the secret that Cecilia and Love hid from everyone… Chronians, the people being led by Cecilia, do not belong to this world and are instead, travelers from beyond this world that was stuck in this planet.

"Law… Please don't fall to your ill feelings and become Tainted. If you do, that Invalid would have everything it needs to take over this Reality and spread out to the others… Please… Please don't let yourself be eaten by revenge."

"L-L-Lady Cecilia!"

"W-What?!"

"We have visual on the battlefield! It's Spirit Law and that Tainted Spirit!"

"No… Don't tell me that-!"

Cecilia's wish may not come true after all… Because right now, Law isn't just dominating in the fight between him and his opponent…

"He's getting more and more strong!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

How… How can this be happening!?

"Stop trying to escape. If you want to have a chance to live, fight me with all you have!"

"RAAAAHHHH!!!"

Babel said that we can easily defeat him after we built that Tower and amassed all of this energy from there!

But… But…!

"DIE ALREADY!!!"

"That's my line."

*BYUICK-!*

"AGACK!!!"

How can he still be this powerful!? Where on earth is he getting his powers from?!

"Babel! Hurry up already!"

["I haven't integrated it yet! Even if we use it now, we can't be sure if it would accept us!"]

"I don't care! We're both going to die soon if you don't do it quickly!"

["Khh!"]

We still have one chance… one chance to at least escape from him and get a start on what we were aiming for all this time!

"Put your attention on the fight, you fool. I want you to realize the futility of your actions before I lock you into the void with everyone else."

"Khh!"

I can't land even a single blow on you! I was able to kill Love because she didn't give it her all and she was aiming to extract Babel out of me… I knew that she could've took my life if she wanted to!

Those Celestial Spirits who turned on them were also strong, but you and her… You're absolute monstrosities!

*BYAG-! BYAG-! BYAG-!*

"KUHAKKK-!"

"Can't even put up a proper defense now?"

"DAMN YOU-!!!"

I sent out punches again and even a blast of wind that was enough to split the ground where it passed, but he sliced through it with his spear before charging forward and missing my neck by a hairbreadth.

"Kh-!"

"At least your reflexes are quick."

"HYAAAHHH!!!"

"…But counterattacking is not within your skills."

"-!!!"

I attempted to kick him away since he was near, but he dodged it and kicked me away instead, making me fly back far enough that I barely saw where we were fighting.

"Right! Now is-"

"Now is what?"

"Wha-!?"

*TYAGCK-!*

"KAAAK-!"

And yet, when I thought I gained enough distance in order to use ranged attacks that I am better with, he appeared behind me and kicked me on the back towards the ground.

"I can't… I can't survive from this anymore… Babel…"

["I'm almost done! Just a bit more!"]

"Your "just bit more" will not make it! He's going to kill us both now!"

["Just hold on!"]

Pure terror swallowed my heart and mind as I heard him dragging his spear across the stones on the ground.

"Khh!"

"It seems like I cannot force you to show your regret about claiming the life of Love… and doing all of these deplorable things against our people."

"You know that I am-"

"You truly are a monster that none deserves to save…"

"-!!!"

"This is it for you."

Just as he was about to run me through with his spear, I sensed that Babel has finished it and I activated that thing that the traitorous Celestial Spirits gave to us earlier.

"World Seed! Take my body and make me your custodian!"

"World Seed…?! They couldn't have-!"

"Hahaha… HYAHAHAHA!!!"

I knew it! I knew that we can finally do it!

"I win, Law! I am now the owner of this-"

*BYIIIII-!!!*

"WHA-!? AAAAAHHHH!!!"

Before I can take hold of Law and kill him, a beam of light hit me on the back and burned away the roots of the World Seed that was beginning to strengthen my physical form.

"Is that… Cecilia?!"

"Cecilia!? Those disgusting outsiders!!!"

Unfortunately for me and Babel, it seems like conquering this world wouldn't be achievable yet.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"Re-route the energy output of all except one Hyperion reactor to our weapons! Charge them until critical energy mass!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"All Hyperion reactors have been rerouted! All seventy-two Orion cannons are fully-powered!"

"FIRE!!!"

From my ship, the pride of my clan's Subjugation fleet, beams of plasma lasers fired at the single target on the screen and quickly burned away the wooden tendrils and roots behind her back.

"Target has been substantially wounded! Second barrage is highly suggested!"

"That's not a suggestion! That's a requirement! Fire our Pleiades secondary armaments while the Orion cannons are recharging! Commence all-out saturation bombing!"

"""Roger!"""

I am a veteran of countless fights, you Tainted Spirit! Even if I haven't fought anyone like you before, I am not willing to take my chances and end up being shot down!

"Pleiades cannons! Firing at full power!"

"Orion cannon recharging at fifty percent! Estimated time of refiring within ten seconds!"

"Open the external loudspeaker! I have something to say!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

I took the microphone from my console and shouted one thing to the other being that I knew is still there.

"Don't waste this opportunity now, Law! Do it!"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Cecilia's voice echoed in my ear even if the sound of repetitive explosions and the noise of wood being splintered and bent around was loud.

["Don't waste this opportunity now, Law! Do it!"]

Do it… That's right, I have to do it!

"Come forth, Primordial Blood Oath!"

"YOU-!!!"

I cannot claim that I alone was able to bring you down… but it doesn't matter to me now… my aim is only one thing.

""

"I won't let you-! GYAAAA!!!"

As that attack from Cecilia's ship made of countless beams of light hit her again, she wasn't able to reach me and now, I was ready.

"I rebuke you, Being of Chaotic void!"

"DAMN YOU!!! CURSE YOU, LAW!!!"

"Depart from this world! "

An orb of light flew from my hand and hit her body.

"URGH! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS-!?"

"…"

"I WILL COME BACK! I GUARANTEE THAT, LAW! I WILL COME BACK AND CLAIM THIS WORLD THAT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS!"

Before she was swallowed whole by the orb of light and was absorbed by my spear, she said such ominous words… and I knew that it would come to pass later on.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"I will bear your pain, your anger and the burden of your responsibilities. I will fulfill that which you cannot bring yourself to perform anymore. I will do all of this… so my dear friend, take my hand and believe in my promise."

"…"

"This is the only way, Law… There are survivors among your people and those who are with the Tainted ones. They will inevitably fight each other once they begin to recover from this destruction, all in the name of fighting for the sake of the Spirits that they once respected or worshiped."

After the battle, Cecilia spoke those words which I already knew to be true.

"I will do all that I can to make sure that when they return, we can mount a defense against them and not let this apocalyptic carnage to repeat itself. So, I wish you will take my terms and come to their aid when the right time comes."

"…I have one question before I accept this, Cecilia."

"What is it?"

"Just... who are you Chronians? And why do you trouble yourself on things like this when you do not belong to this Reality."

My question gained the worried expressions of the other people in her ship, but Cecilia simply sighed lightly before speaking out the answer.

"We Chronians are people trying to find a home… We escaped from our own universe when it was about to die out and with our technology, are trying to find a suitable universe in the infinite number of them in the multiverse that we can settle in and call our home."

"…I see."

"As for why we lent our help… it is my own selfishness… and probably because I wanted to repay the favor given to us by Love when we first came to this world."

"What do you mean?"

"Our mere existence in this planet invites invaders such as that Chaotic Spirit… Invalids whose sole purpose of existence is to devour universes and spread out to the other universes around it. That is to say…"

"You… brought that monster here?"

"That… seems to be the case. Although it would be wrong to say that we brought it. Instead, it is better to say that it was allured with our presence."

I clenched my fist after learning that she and her people might've been the reason why that Chaos Spirit came here and did all of this… but after I realized that she never wanted any of this to happen, I let that feeling go.

"What do you propose then…?"

"Instead of our plan to immediately depart from this world now that our ship's Hyperion Clock has been repaired, I have talked to my people and decided to remain in here along with my immediate family."

"Wait… are you saying that-"

"I made a promise with Love… I intend to keep it even if it means that I will fail in the task given to me by my family who sent me here."

"…"

"I will do everything in my power to pass on this promise, Law… and in a few years, few decades, few centuries or even beyond a millennium, whenever our enemies would reappear, I will make sure that my family will be there to keep this promise."

"Cecilia…"

"I promise to you, Law… My descendants will defeat them. And we will fulfill the dream that you and Love took amongst the Moonlight Lillies that night."

This is the only way… With all of the carnage that I did… and the fact that only four of us Celestial Spirits are left, I cannot manage to watch over the world and even dream of defeating Freedom and Babel once they re-emerge from the void.

"I entrust this world's fate to you, Cecilia… With my authority, you and your bloodline shall henceforward be Divine Challengers… protector of the Divine Principles and those with authority to brandish might against all evil."

"I accept."

And thus, tens of thousands of years after this very moment, I was reawakened in a world vastly different from the one I last saw and I knew that all this time, Freedom has reached out to this world from the void to affect its very foundations and even shape the fate being given to every person to her liking.

And yet, in a dark abandoned house in an old city, a single voice shouted a curse towards this world that is now being governed by her whims.

"I will curse this world more than all of you can worship it!!!"

And I knew then and there… that Cecilia… has kept her promise.