141 COI

The original Creator—in the mirror? Has the Primordial Demoness gone mad? To actually give Herself such a title, and moreover, to actually be able to point to Herself? Franca had originally prepared herself mentally not to be shocked or surprised, to prevent the Demoness of Black from launching a surprise attack, but the actual situation still exceeded her expectations.

The honorific name 'The Female Body of the Primordial God Almighty' was actually understandable after her initial shock—Lumian had previously suspected that the great terror deep within the special mirror world was related to the resurrection of the Primordial God Almighty, so the Primordial Demoness, who was closely involved with this matter and controlled it to a certain extent, quietly becoming 'The Female Body of the Primordial God' was terrifying but not entirely unexpected.

But 'The original Creator—the Oldest One—in the mirror' completely surpassed their imagination!

Why would the Primordial Demoness think She could bear such a title?

What great terror had She and Alista Tudor actually orchestrated deep within the special mirror world?

Could it be that They are about to destroy and recreate the world?

…

Deep within the special mirror world.

Primordial Demoness Cheek seemed like someone who hadn't had anyone to talk to for a long time or perhaps harbored some dangerous intention. Ignoring the frozen thoughts of the statue-like Lumian, She let out a low, ragged breath as cracks spread in the grayish-white surface, laughing in a rising and falling rhythm as She spoke,

'Plus, huff… the mirror world belongs to the Demoness pathway, huff…

'The answer becomes… huff… very… huff… very clear…

'The original Creator—the Oldest One—in the mirror…'

Lumian's mind was like fireworks exploding, with colors of all kinds, both beautiful and dangerous.

His face was cupped by those pure white, delicate hands, with bare arms like white jade art pieces connecting to the torso that had drawn a final line with charm itself. Countless black hairs, snake-like, glided all over his body, slick with a hint of sweat.

The marvelous female voice that made Lumian's very soul want to draw near sometimes was on his left side, sometimes ran to his right, sometimes descended to his chest with a wet sensation.

'The Primordial God Almighty… hoh… who accommodated the City of Calamity, knows very well… huff… this point…

'His resurrection arrangement… huff… had one part in the Chaos Sea and the five pathways corresponding to the Chaos Sea… huff… and another part hidden in the City of Calamity… huff… hidden in the Demoness and Hunter pathways…

'When the Demoness who commands chaos… huff… meets and combines with the Red Priest, huff, He will become the Trinity, in the City of Calamity, within the Chaos Demoness and the Red Priest… huff… simultaneously resurrecting, ultimately… hoh… forming a whole, returning in the mirror…

'Huff… but He perished too early, some things were not quite like the expected and arranged…

'The City of Calamity… huff… was sealed in the Western Continent, preventing Him from quickly becoming the Trinity, gathering all calamities, and moreover… huff… there was another change on the City of Calamity's side…

'His consciousness revived in me and Tudor, oh, Tudor, but without the City of Calamity's resonance and linkage, that consciousness grew very slowly… huff… suppressed and controlled by us…

'And, hoh… the place where we consummated was not the ordinary mirror world… huff… but the special mirror world created by Bethel…

'Bethel had already accommodated… huff… the Uniqueness of the Door pathway and all Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics… huff… and by the special nature of the Door pathway, self-sealed to prevent convergence, stopping Himself from becoming a god… hoh… but He also sensed the terrifying revival of the Celestial Worthy within Him… huff… The Fourth Epoch was not suitable for the three Mysteries pathways to become divine… ᚱ�

'Bethel created the special mirror world… huff… voluntarily, but whether there was an influence from godhood, no one knows…

'When the initial feminine and masculine sides, the consciousness of the Primordial God Almighty, and the special mirror world created by the Mysteries pathways combined, the development of things deviated from the Primordial God Almighty's arrangement!'

The female voice, now slightly hoarse, no longer panted and suddenly became high-pitched, like a swan forcefully bending its neck backward.

The Oldest One's body of both male and female… plus the power of the two direct pillars belonging to the Oldest One… Lumian, who had fallen into hell from desire, suddenly understood why the mirrored original Creator—the Oldest One—had appeared.

In this matter, the Celestial Worthy unconsciously or with a bit of consciousness applied influence, trying to prevent the Primordial God Almighty's resurrection. As a result, the development exceeded everyone's expectations. A true, unknown great horror was born in the depths of the special mirror world, causing the Celestial Worthy's plan to defeat Mr. Fool by using the Mirror Person's 'splitting oneself to clinch victory' to suffer a complete failure.

The female voice was no longer hoarse, becoming low and gentle, very smooth.

'The mirrored original Creator—the Oldest One—was thus born, but His consciousness was very weak, like all newborn infants…

'This gives me and you a chance, not only to suppress the Primordial One's revival of His consciousness but also a chance to become the true Creator…

'This is also dangerous, and the corresponding effort is the craziest behavior in this world, but you're not afraid—this is when you're most charming…

'Tudor and I attempted to merge with the original Creator—the Oldest One—in the mirror, one bearing the feminine side, one containing the masculine side, and then use this to control the City of Calamity, so we can be both separated and joined, both unified and contradictory, both whole and divided…

'This seems to be the only way for the Oldest One to stably exist, an unverified method…

'Now you've come, you even have the twin child of the Mother Goddess of Depravity on you, the seal of the River of Eternal Darkness. With all of this combined, the mirrored original Creator—the Oldest One—might be able to enter reality…

'By then, the mirror world will have a sun, will have a moon, will have stars, will have everything from the outside world, becoming exactly the same as reality…'

The gentle and smooth female voice gradually became heavy, mixing up the use of 'you' and 'Tudor' pronouns, seemingly wanting 'you' and 'Tudor' to ultimately become the same.

It carried a hint of laughter, and sweet lips blocked Lumian's mouth, the voice echoing in his oral cavity.

'Adam wanted to nurture you to accommodate the City of Calamity, but the first time I saw you, I felt that this body was prepared for Tudor and me. You should not become the Origins of Disaster, the Calamity of Destruction, you should be the original Creator—the Oldest One—in the mirror, be Tudor, also be Cheek…'

At this point, the tongue that brought countless stimulations and pleasures retracted, sighing and reminiscing. 'Our attempts gradually bore fruit, we could truly merge, but Adam sensed something was wrong. Those fellows also had a dangerous premonition, and the War of the Four Emperors broke out…

'Some wanted to deal with us, others attacked their enemies in the chaos…

'I actually wanted to kill Adam before we started trying, to prevent Him from discovering our plan. You also supported this, but that fellow ran faster than anyone and hid deeper than anyone…

'Unfortunately, our union was not yet complete, and we had so many enemies…

'In the last moment, Tudor wanted to forcibly complete the merger, using this to pull all other sefirot from the Western Continent, dragging the entire world to die, waiting for the Creator's symbolic manifestation in death…

'This was too crazy. Our dream was not yet complete, we had not yet become the original Creator—the Oldest One—in the mirror. I decided to let you die for a while, and then resurrect you later…

'I dealt Tudor the critical blow. Salinger completed His life's culling, sending His soul into the River of Eternal Darkness…

'Later, I went to Salinger, to resurrect you, to make Him deal with those seven self-proclaimed orthodox gods…

'Salinger, influenced by someone, actually relied on a tributary of the River of Eternal Darkness to forcibly accommodate the Red Priest's Uniqueness, going half-mad…

'This was good. This way, you would have a chance to resurrect in His body, and a half-mad person is easier to manipulate…

'I wanted to manipulate Him to collect Tudor's corpse in Fourth Epoch Trier, merge it with Himself, manipulate Him to touch the special mirror world, so you could be resurrected…

'Everything was originally going smoothly, but then an accident occurred…'

The female voice suddenly became heavy, as if suppressing Her own madness.

'Salinger's forced accommodation of the Red Priest's Uniqueness actually caused an aberration in the original Creator—the Oldest One—in the mirror, producing a certain self-awareness…

'She was exactly like me, just preferring to wear a black bone dress. She even said She was a pure female, heh, sometimes I can't help but wonder if it's not that the mirrored original Creator—the Oldest One—gained self-awareness, but that my own spirit and personality split…

'To suppress Her, to continue merging, I had to let the consciousness of the Primordial God Almighty in me further revive, seeking a certain balance…

'Since then, I've had to suppress the Primordial One's consciousness while fighting against the black version of myself, spending most of my time here, unable to effectively interfere with the outside world…

'Fortunately, the problem is not severe, only that my direct descendants and I will intermittently experience separation and loss of personality, spirit, consciousness, and memory…'

As she spoke, when Lumian reached an unprecedented state of pleasure, the female voice laughed.

'Now, your state is suitable, you will be equivalent to Tudor…

'Do not expect help from The Fool. He has only just initially awakened and is not yet a truly great existence. The mirror Creator influenced by me is enough to block Him…

'As for Adam's side, there are other problems…'

In Lumian's blurry vision, a pair of white, smooth arms that seemed to have a luster lifted a somewhat peculiar crown, rusty and stained with blood.

The crown quickly became ethereal, seemingly reduced to countless tiny light points while maintaining its overall shape.

The beautiful hand at the end of the white arm brought the 'crown' to Lumian's head, as if to help him wear it.

No, not wear—those hands forcibly pressed the 'crown' into Lumian's head, without any supplementary ingredients or advancement ritual.

Simultaneously, more white arms appeared, along with the snake-like black hair, entwining Lumian's body in various ways.

Suddenly, a beautiful face pressed close to Lumian's head, with pink lips sighing with joy and satisfaction.

'Who you are is not important…

'What you want to do is not important either…

'What's important is the role you're playing…'

This voice, soft and gentle, echoed outward.

-x-X-x-

As the rusty and blood-cast crown was slowly pressed into Lumian's head, Lumian, who was in a state of continuous pleasure and petrification, suddenly regained a bit of thought. Is this 'crown' the Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic of the Hunter pathway, Conqueror?

The one that fell into the Primordial Demoness's hands?

I've only partially digested my Weather Warlock potion...

Forcibly merging the Conqueror Beyonder characteristic with me in this situation, without supplementary ingredients or an advancement ritual, I will inevitably lose control and go mad....

Is this the future pointed to by the letter from the Circle of Inevitability, and the truth of the prophecy by the Post-Apocalyptic Scripture?

Lumian could flash a few thoughts but could not use his abilities, because the snake-like black hair that brought petrification was still entwined around him, and the white body that brought heaven and hell was still on him, encompassing him, embracing him from all directions.

The blood-stained and rusty "crown" gradually sank into Lumian's head, bringing tearing pain, a desire to conquer everything, and violent, mad emotions.

The female voice, filled with laughter and sighs, seductive and charming, once again sounded by Lumian's ear.

"When we truly become the original Creator-the Oldest One-in the mirror, you won't need to worry about the future or the apocalypse. Even if reality is destroyed, as long as there's a mirror left in this universe, the mirror world won't completely shatter. By then, the reality reflected in the mirror world will walk out of the mirror exactly as it was, all buildings will be restored, all humans will be resurrected, and they'll continue living happily-just with their left and right hands' habits reversed...

"I know what you want most is to resurrect your sister Aurore...

"She will definitely be resurrected, and I will eventually merge into this body of yours, becoming one with her...

"By then, I can continue to be your sister...

"Stupid, I am your sister..."

An unspeakable anger suddenly rose in Lumian's heart, but this still couldn't help him escape his current state and predicament.

The next second, a figure appeared in his blurry vision.

The figure was draped in blood-colored long hair, wearing black armor stained with crimson, with a rigid temperament and azure eyes, openly displaying a cruelty and madness ready to destroy everything at any moment.

The mirrored Blood Emperor Alista Tudor!

Lumian instantly understood that the one who had previously persuaded this mirrored Blood Emperor to leave was Primordial Demoness Cheek.

This might be because Lumian had not yet become an Angel at that time, or perhaps because the situation was not yet chaotic, with too many high-ranking figures watching...

The mirrored Alista Tudor looked at Lumian and the white body intertwined, let out a contemptuous laugh, and walked towards Lumian's body.

He gradually became ethereal and shrank, like a human reflected in an ordinary mirror.

Seeing this, Lumian instantly understood what the mirrored Alista Tudor was about to do.

He was going to use the forceful infusion of the Conqueror Beyonder characteristic and the residual Blood Emperor aura in his body to occupy this body and complete His resurrection!

For Tudor, who was originally Sequence 0 Red Priest, both the Weather Warlock and Conqueror Beyonder characteristics could be easily digested without any problems, and He would not lose control or go mad.

Lumian suddenly realized the true purpose of the Circle of Inevitability sending that letter.

He wants to fix this fate of losing control, making it a predetermined end...

This is not targeting me, but the Blood Emperor Alista Tudor He saw, who was about to replace me...

But would Tudor be afraid of going mad?

Would He care about this issue?

…

In the special mirror world, Jenna didn't dare to look directly at the enormous, distorted inhuman silhouette separated by the barrier, nor could she participate in the battle in that area.

She only knew that Mr. Fool had split into multiple crazily flickering human figures, only knew that the area had been destroyed multiple times and then restored to its original state, only knew that she sometimes felt dull, stupid, and her thoughts sluggish, sometimes felt that a segment of the middle process was missing, sometimes showed signs of losing control, and sometimes was in an incredibly good state...

What she also knew was that Mr. Fool seemingly couldn't defeat the distorted silhouette in a short time and enter the depths of the special mirror world. Her spiritual intuition and the mystical connection brought by the Mr. Fool told her that Lumian was at that moment in the depths of the special mirror world.

There was presumably Primordial Demoness Cheek, an unknown great terror. The longer time passed, the higher the possibility that Lumian would completely die or turn into Alista Tudor or some other monster.

For Jenna, each second now felt like an entire year, and many seconds had already passed.

Her heart gradually sank, becoming more and more desperate.

She hated that she couldn't help at all, and couldn't assist Mr. Fool in quickly resolving the battle.

Ironically, her Despair potion was rapidly being digested.

…

Deep within the special mirror world.

The mirrored Blood Emperor, now reduced to normal human size, suddenly had a human figure appear before Him.

This figure was draped in rust-colored long hair, wearing white armor, with iron-black eyes and a high- bridged nose, seemingly cast from the same mold as Blood Emperor Alista Tudor, only with many opposite details in color.

His eyes were rigid and hollow, seemingly possessing only a tiny bit of self-awareness.

The mirrored Alista Tudor overlapped with this figure, beginning to fuse intensely.

Lumian, whose mind was ravaged by violent and conquering emotions, vaguely knew who the Alista Tudor in white full-body armor was.

He was the product of the initial fusion between the Blood Emperor and the mirrored original Creator-the Oldest One-during the Fourth Epoch.

He was the true resurrection arrangement of the Blood Emperor Alista Tudor, always kept and protected by Primordial Demoness Cheek.

Now, with the mirrored Alista Tudor and the Sequence 1 Conqueror" Beyonder characteristic's "participation", the resurrection would become easier and more perfect!

The two Tudors, intensely fusing, came to Lumian's side. At this moment, Lumian's head had been opened, and inside was not white brain matter, nor iron-black bones interwoven with violet-tinged fire and symbolic patterns, but a phantasmal blood-stained "crown".

It seemed to be drawing on Lumian's flesh and spirit, merging with itself as the primary, rather than with Lumian.

The overlapping Tudors, still fusing and dropping various colored flames, pressed Their right palm into Lumian's brain, onto the rusty phantasmal "crown".

Their figures instantly entered Lumian's body, and the Blood Emperor residual aura on Lumian's right palm suddenly protruded and expanded, rapidly breaking through the Underworld Daoist's seal and igniting his entire body.

Violent, mad, cruel, and savage mental states swept through like a storm, destroying Lumian's consciousness.

Lumian finally lost that last bit of thought.

The perfect torso entwined with him and still consummating with him covered his body in a thick layer of frost, which did not quickly melt even under the violet flames, thus controlling the fire's burning, maintaining the best rhythm of Lumian and Tudor's fusion.

This torso stood up from Lumian's embrace, separating from him, no longer entangling or restraining him.

A bone-made dress flew up from the ground, draping over this white torso.

Her beautiful face revealed an obvious smile, speaking to the two Tudors still fusing with Lumian, "You haven't reclaimed the Red Priest's Uniqueness. I can't merge with this body's feminine side right now, as that would cause an imbalance, leading to the worst outcome.

"But it's fine. The problems brought by the Primordial God Almighty's consciousness revival are both troublesome and helpful. I can separate a personality containing the Sequence 1 Demoness of Apocalypse Beyonder characteristic, partial self-awareness and spirit, like a Visionary, without reducing my current level, just losing corresponding memories and cognition, causing certain spiritual disabilities…"

The Primordial Demoness spoke, Her expression suddenly twisting, revealing intense pain.

Her arms, shoulders, and head were all cracking.

After several seconds, a figure identical to Her, wearing a bone dress, walked out.

This supremely beautiful figure was wet, as if coated with a liquid containing all colors.

The Primordial Demoness's face returned to normal.

She ignored the self that had crumbled, seeming to have forgotten certain things.

The split-off Primordial Demoness, with the same objective as Her original self, let the bone dress fall to the ground, sitting again on Lumian, embracing him, entwining him, increasingly forcefully, with flesh beginning to fuse.

Almost simultaneously, the distorted giant figure at the special mirror world's edge was dramatically dragged back by an extremely exaggerated horrifying suction, quickly returning to normal.

She was another Primordial Demoness, breathtakingly beautiful, wearing a black bone dress.

She looked resistant, but under the original Primordial Demoness's intense suppression, was forced to shed Her dress, overlapping with the torso entangled with Lumian.

Suddenly, in this area where all symbols and prerequisites were now present, a light burst forth, so bright it seemed about to create a world.

This erupted from the fusion point of Lumian and the two Blood Emperors, the two Primordial Demonesses.

…

At the special mirror world's edge.

Seeing the distorted figure instantly retreat, Mr. Fool did not hesitate, preparing to penetrate the barrier and enter the most dangerous place.

Suddenly, an extreme brightness surged out, enveloping the barrier, forming a new obstruction, like the amniotic membrane protecting a baby, like the invisible layer protecting this planet.

An indescribable terrifying sensation spread out, causing Mr. Fool's figure to pause, with Jenna briefly losing her thoughts.

Not far from here, Red Angel Medici, leisurely eating an apple and patiently waiting for developments, had His expression suddenly freeze.

In His eyes was also reflected that unimaginable surging light.

After a few seconds, Red Angel Medici ground His teeth and muttered, "What the hell has that lunatic, Tudor, gotten Himself into..."

-x-X-x-

Franca, recovering from the mention of the mirrored original Creator—the Oldest One—continued her intense battle with the Demoness of Black Clarice.

Gradually, she discovered something was off.

The surrounding phantom black mirror tunnels partially shed their grayish-white color, no longer petrified, no longer obstacles to escape;

The Demoness of Black was more in a defensive posture, protecting the grayish-white altar displaying the Primordial Demoness's figurine;

The Demoness of Black had revealed the two hidden honorific names of the Primordial Demoness. Besides causing emotional fluctuations and creating a brief opening, falling into a temporary disadvantage, it had no other effect and did not bring the anticipated terrible corruption.

What was her true purpose in revealing such a significant secret? Just to frighten her and turn the tide? Franca felt a strong sense of doubt rising in her heart.

Suddenly, she had a guess: The Demoness of Black did not appear here to wait for me; she has another mission!

Is my encounter with the Demoness of Black actually the result of the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence?

The Demoness of Black detected an outsider mysteriously arriving nearby. Her first reaction would certainly be to seal the tunnel and eliminate potential risks...

After battling for a while and discovering I've completely digested the Unaging potion, realizing no quick victory was possible, her choice was to pretend to fight with full force, seemingly preoccupied, quietly lifting the petrification of some mirror tunnels, and attempting to scare me away using the two hidden honorific names of the Primordial Demoness?

What does this signify?

It indicates she has a very important purpose in arranging the altar here, and that the two hidden honorific names of the Primordial Demoness would lose their secrecy very soon!

Moreover, the Beyonder characteristic congregation force between us should not be strong enough to Teleport me near her. In the mirror world, there exists a Demoness of a higher level with stronger congregation forces...

Besides the Beyonder characteristic, what else 'attracted' me here...

Franca suddenly recalled the Primordial Demoness figurine in her Traveler's Bag.

Her peripheral vision swept towards the grayish-white stone altar, towards the bone-like Primordial Demoness figurine placed upon it.

Something's amiss!

Relying on the power of the Ice Mirror Charm, Anthony traversed the mirror tunnels densely interwoven like a spider web, heading towards the location indicating the team leader.

Just as he was about to reach his destination, he was met with a surging light as intense as a solar explosion.

Instinctively, Anthony closed his eyes, and grayish-white scales began to emerge on the surface of his skin.

This was a sign of loss of control.

He hurriedly Placated himself, controlling the fluctuations of his mental and emotional state.

Fortunately, the light's burst lasted only an instant, then condensed at the edge of the special mirror world, transforming into an invisible barrier.

Anthony persevered and returned to normal. Then, he saw Ludwig, whose body had just materialized, and Jenna, who had reopened her eyes. He also saw multiple flickering figures, seemingly belonging to Mr. Fool.

Jenna gazed at the light-condensed barrier, recalling the stellar explosion from moments ago that seemed capable of creating an entire world. Her heart plummeted completely, falling into an abyss.

The emergence of this situation meant that a mutation had already occurred in the depths of this special mirror world!

That great terror has most likely been triggered...

This means that the probability of Lumian surviving is now extremely slim...

At this moment, a voice sounded near Jenna's ear: 'Actually, there is still a chance to save Lumian Lee, a chance with some hope of success.'

Jenna swiftly turned her head and looked beside her, discovering a young man who had appeared at some point, wearing a pointed soft cap and a monocle, draped ina classical magical robe.

'Amon...' Jenna's lips moved, uttering this name.

Amon glanced at Mr. Fool who had 'split' new figures to look over here, then laughed and muttered to Himself, 'Why is it me again who has to do this?

'Next time, don't prophesize that I'll be the light at the dawn of the apocalypse...'

As He muttered, He took out a white piece of paper from somewhere and looked at Jenna. 'That chance is on you, and the price is your life.'

My life... Jenna repeated this phrase blankly.

Before Jenna could respond, Amon's speaking speed accelerated, as if multiple people were relaying the narrative, almost creating a majestic and layered effect.

'Time is limited, I'll only pick out the key points of the story.

'Commissioned by Amon, Celia Bello discovered Harrison from the Western Continent and obtained fragments of the special mirror world, encountering the phantom of Krismona.

'In her subsequent advancements, Krismona's phantom would repeatedly warn Celia Bello about the dangers of a pure female Demoness and the potential sources of danger. This failed to dissuade Celia Bello and instead stimulated her to persist on this path, because Celia Bello, who came from a humble background, had been a Showy Diva, and witnessed the death of her loved ones, desperately wanted to become powerful. She wanted to seize every opportunity to become strong to protect those she wanted to protect. The uniqueness of a pure female Demoness made her see the possibility of being used, and being used meant she might receive a 'gift' and become a high-ranking individual in a very short time.

'She was willing to bear the enormous risks that would come with this. She has always been someone skilled at going all-in.

'Arranged by the story's author, Celia Bello successfully evaded the Demoness Sect's investigation and, relying on the special small sacrificial square in the catacombs, escaped the gaze of the Primordial Demoness Cheek until The... Mr. Fool initially awakened.'

After saying 'The,' Amon paused, then switched with a slight upward inflection to 'Mr.'

Looking at the white paper, He continued, 'In the end, Lumian Lee and Franca Roland both entrusted their special mirror world fragments to Jenna for safekeeping, unexpectedly allowing her to gather three pieces—a trinity, three pillars that evolved all things.

'Now, Jenna has a chance, a chance to save Lumian Lee. That is, before the Despair potion is completely digested, forcibly advancing to Demoness of Unaging, utilizing the uniqueness of a pure female Demoness and those three special mirror world fragments to transfer the great terror in the depths of the special mirror world onto herself.

'This way, the barrier of the special mirror world will instantly shatter. The great Mr. Fool can certainly pull Lumian Lee, who only has Alista Tudor resurrected within him, back from the edge of consciousness death and mental alienation. Praise The Fool!

'This is a surmise; the events about to occur are not certain, supported only by three facts:

'The first fact is that the previously only pure female Demoness, Krismona, died in the War of the Four Emperors, and the Demoness Sect has been killing pure female Demoness early;

'The second fact is that Krismona's ghost once said that pure female Demonesses would face a trial when advancing to Demoness of Unaging, and if they fail to pass, something terribly frightening would happen—this has been confirmed as true;

'The third fact is that the great terror in the depths of the special mirror world is related to the Demoness and Hunter pathways.

'This indicates that both pure female Demonesses and pure male Hunters might attract that great terror, but only Demonesses are closely linked to the mirror world and Mirror People.'

Amon raised His head, adjusted His monocle, and looked at Jenna. 'The story's author only grasps these facts. Before the light burst just now, He was not clear about what was hidden in the special mirror world.

'That is to say, His surmise only has a certain probability of success. Unexpected changes might occur midway, leading to failure—a probability that is even quite high. However, with our great Mr. Fool, He can amplify the possibility of success and reduce the probability of failure.

'Even so, success is not guaranteed. No one knows what other special characteristics the great terror in the depths of the special mirror world might have.

'Celia Bello is at a crossroads of choice.

'On one side is whether Lumian Lee can survive, on the other is her own life.

'Regardless of success or failure, she will certainly die, because what's needed is not passing the trial during advancement, but welcoming failure during the trial.

'Because the great Mr. Fool awakened early, the story's author couldn't arrange Celia Bello's brother properly, which would cause many things to be exposed prematurely. So, Celia Bello doesn't need to be cornered now, doesn't need to be forced into a singular choice.

'So, what is her answer?'

Only at the last question did Jenna truly awaken.

At this moment, one of the high-frequency flickering figures split from Mr. Fool and said to her, 'You can choose not to choose, or choose the opposite.

'I will do my best to destroy the barrier in a short time. If I can't, I'll seal this place.'

Between voices that were sometimes near and sometimes far,

Jenna completely came to her senses, understanding what Amon had just described.

So my persistence in walking the pure female Demoness path was arranged... Even my emotions, reactions, and thoughts were anticipated...

So Julien almost became an arranged object because of my 'uniqueness', falling into a situation of imminent death or madness...

So I was never discovered by the Demoness Sect because I was always being arranged...

Jenna had actually expected to be arranged for a long time and was psychologically prepared. She was willing to take risks to become strong quickly and protect those she wanted to protect, to accept the 'bestowment'. But what she didn't expect was that there were no risks, only death—she was just a sacrifice, a tool, a puppet being manipulated on stage, a cheap puppet.

At this moment, she truly understood the feelings Lumian experienced during the arrangements before becoming a Demoness of Despair.

Everything seemed to have lost meaning, everything was so despairing.

Jenna felt she should be angry, should hate, should madly curse everything, and try her best to resist.

She actually had all these emotions, but...

Jenna turned her head and gazed at the barrier condensed with dazzling light.

A smile gradually spread across her face, and she softly said to herself, 'But... 'I am willing.'

-x-X-x-

That moment, Jenna felt hesitation, trepidation, fear, anger, resentment, with many words surging to be spoken, as if to convince herself, but after thousands and ten thousands of words rushed to her lips, only one sentence remained: "But, I am willing."

All those emotions ultimately condensed into a smile.

Amon, for reasons unknown and to no one in particular, shook His head, lowering His gaze to the white paper in His hand.

"Celia Bello, who chooses to become a Demoness of Unaging, will receive Amon's help. And Amon, taking advantage of the moment when the Demoness Sect's top leaders are all dispatched, stole a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact corresponding to a Demoness of Unaging, and thus arrived a bit late.

"As for the corresponding supplementary ingredients. the Visionary has long envisioned them into existence."

As He spoke, the white paper floated downward, and a potion that had been prepared at some unknown time appeared in Amon's hand.

The potion dyed its container a grayish-white color, clearly reflecting the mirror world around it.

It flew toward Jenna, landing in her palm.

Seeing this potion, numerous images suddenly flashed through Jenna's mind: her childhood falling asleep to her mother's humming, the excitement of first entering the Théâtre de l'Ancienne Cage à Pigeons to learn performance, the bitterness of struggling to survive with her mother and brother, the shock and gratitude of first meeting Franca, the series of events after encountering Lumian, the massive impact and disillusionment of watching her mother jump to her death from the sixth floor...

These countless fragments quickly settled, ultimately freezing into two scenes: one scene was after she finished singing a song at the Salle de Bal Brise, facing whistles and cheers, walking proudly to Lumian like a princess, laughing as she issued an invitation: "Handsome lion, dance!"

The other scene was when she inserted the long-handled silver fork into Hugues Artois's eye socket, piercing into his brain, with the frozen surprise, bewilderment, and fear on the Member of Parliament's face illuminated by the surrounding light.

Jenna raised the potion bottle, holding it like a long-handled silver fork.

This time, the "long-handled silver fork" would pierce her own face.

Jenna suddenly thought of something, turning her head to look at Anthony and Ludwig.

The latter seemed to want to stop her but was held back by the former.

Jenna opened her mouth, wanting to leave a word or two for Franca through them.

But she couldn't think of what to say. Whether a sincere expression or a kind deception would ultimately become an irreparable regret, an eternally unhealing wound.

She laughed self-deprecatingly, exhaling. "Tell Franca to live well, on my behalf.

"My spirit will forever be with her."

"Okay," Anthony responded in a calm voice.

The palm pressing on Ludwig's shoulder inexplicably revealed blue-colored blood vessels.

Jenna thought for a moment and added, "If the apocalypse passes, I hope you enjoy life.

"Ludwig, humans are always full of pain, but I still like being human."

Jenna withdrew her gaze, stabbing the potion into herself, her hand steady, not trembling, just like when she killed Hugues Artois with the long-handled silver fork, only less swift.

The taste of soil and stone mixed together, lingering in her mouth.

Her senses gradually went numb, her body rapidly petrifying.

She felt her spirit floating midair, seeing herself in the mirror.

She saw herself in the mirror, serene, with a smile, seemingly waiting to welcome herself.

Though no ritual was held and no reconciliation reached beforehand, Jenna suddenly understood that her mirror self was also willing to sacrifice herself to save Lumian.

"She is indeed more extreme than me...

"She should have made the decision earlier than me..."

Jenna laughed again, whispering two sentences.

Suddenly, she was no longer anxious, no longer panicked, no longer afraid, because on this path to death, she was no longer alone.

She had a companion, a companion who encouraged and supported each other.

During the process of her instinct drifting toward her mirror self, Jenna suddenly saw "her" face twist, alternating between normal and painful, as if becoming a stranger.

This change seemed constrained, as if bound by layers of chains, requiring tremendous effort and overcoming numerous difficulties to complete.

"Come quickly..." Jenna, for the first time, cheered on the enemy who wanted to kill her.

…

In the grayish-white, cave-like area behind a mirror.

Demoness of Black Clarice pretended to be at her limit, a step too slow, and could only "watch helplessly" as Franca escaped into one of the no longer petrified phantom tunnels.

Phew... she secretly exhaled.

Just then, her spirituality suddenly warned her, and she abruptly turned, looking towards the grayish-white stone altar.

Franca bizarrely appeared nearby, and a clear, misty light shot out from the eye protection of the mechanical half-face mask she was wearing, striking the altar.

The one who had just escaped was only Franca's mirror self!

And the one following the departing "mirror self" was a Mirror Projection!

The Demoness of Black's gaze instantly froze, but it was too late to stop it.

Invisible barriers suddenly appeared around the altar, provided by the ritual itself.

But for some reason, this protective power was insufficient, lacking the intensity a ritual for the Primordial Demoness should have, as if some inexplicable force had blocked most of the divine blessing.

Under the clear, misty light, the invisible barrier was instantly reduced to its most basic, minute components and ceased to exist.

Immediately after, the clear, misty light hit the bone- like figurine of the Primordial Demoness.

The figurine swayed and began to crumble.

Seeing this, the Demoness of Black was like someone trapped in a nightmare, frozen in place.

For added security, Franca took out the Primordial Demoness figurine and the Inevitable Gun from her Traveler's Bag.

She threw the figurine towards the altar, then fired two shots in quick succession.

Bang! Bang!

Two dim, green bullets shot out, each striking a bone-like figurine of the Primordial Demoness.

Certain Death!

Both the already crumbling and the intact statues began to rot, losing their luster, completely shattering.

…

Deep within the special mirror world.

Primordial Demoness Cheek smiled as She observed the changes occurring in Lumian's body.

His features were gradually being corrected, shifting towards Alista Tudor's likeness. On his body, the two intertwined Demoness figures were half-merged into him, driving his flesh to converge toward his neck.

After the earlier burst of light, the process was now irreversible.

Suddenly, one of the Demoness figures withdrew. attempting to straighten her body.

Her expression was vivid, filled with both hatred and longing.

The Primordial Demoness clad in the white bone dress instantly understood what was happening.

A pure female Demoness was ascending to the rank of Demoness of Unaging!

And at the most critical moment!

The stunningly beautiful face of Primordial Demoness Cheek darkened.

She was about to direct Her gaze at the advancing pure female Demoness to kill her first!

Although the barrier formed by the burst of light isolated the interior from the exterior-temporarily preventing The Fool from entering and also hindering the Primordial Demoness from directly sensing or influencing the external situation - Cheek had already made preparations to prevent unexpected outcomes.

She had instructed Her most trusted high-ranking Demonesses to set up altars at different locations within the mirror world, placing figurines there to conduct rituals. She used Her authority and symbols to establish a robust mystical connection!

By now, those connections must have weakened, and the rituals would no longer be strongly protected. Yet, as the mirrored original Creator-the Oldest One- Cheek could barely maintain the existence of these connections and use them to project part of Her power to eliminate hidden threats.

The Primordial Demoness swiftly cast Her consciousness toward the figurine closest to the target, only to discover with astonishment that the figurine had been destroyed and the connection severed.

Her expression remained unchanged as She immediately scattered Her consciousness toward the remaining figurines still involved in the rituals.

The next second, a vision appeared before Her eyes: it wasn't the advancing pure female Demoness - it was a black trench coat.

The interior of the black trench coat was empty, with the coat itself outlining a human figure.

Grafting!

The Primordial Demoness realized that Her gaze on Jenna had been Grafted by Mr. Fool back onto Herself!

In an instant, one of the Demoness figures entwining Lumian struggled to break free. A black bone dress wrapped around Her, and She disappeared from the spot, following the mystical connection to where Jenna was.

The fusion within Lumian's body immediately lost its balance.

His chest, neck, shoulders, torso, and limbs, along with the remaining Demoness figure, all collapsed inward, as if about to turn into a mass of flesh. The flesh converged into a clump, continuing to compress.

The two Tudors fused within his head, along with the Sequence 1 Conqueror Beyonder characteristic, were also dragged downward by immense force. They pierced through his skull, through the flames and frost, and through the writhing flesh.

The barrier of light at the edge of the special mirror world suddenly vanished.

…

Floating closer, Jenna finally saw the distortion and pain on her mirrored self's face disappear entirely.

"She" lifted her face and gave Jenna in midair a bizarre smile, opening her arms wide.

Jenna did not resist. She closed her eyes and moved forward, accepting the embrace.

She felt warmth and reassurance, which made her want to fall into a deep sleep.

She offered no resistance.

It was as if she had returned to her childhood, listening to her mother hum a lullaby and her father's soft snores, drifting into slumber.

Back then, though life wasn't particularly great, she had nothing to worry about. Her father and mother would take care of everything: she only needed to be a good child.

She grew more at peace, more tranquil.

She believed her mother and father would shield her from the storm, ensuring she slept soundly.

In that serene dream, she would be a princess, and her prince would walk toward her, inviting her to dance.

A smile appeared on her face.

Her thoughts dissolved into the encroaching madness, settling into a tranquil darkness.

-x-X-x-

At the special mirror world's edge.

Anthony watched as multiple manifestations of Mr. Fool disappeared into thin air, heading toward the Primordial Demoness, leaving only one behind to monitor Jenna's transformation, ready to act at any moment.

Jenna's features gradually relaxed, no longer distorted and pained, even tinged with a faint smile. The gray-white hue on her body was receding, as if she was on the verge of completing her advancement, gaining eternal youth, and reaching Sequence 3.

Ludwig quietly retreated several steps, hiding behind Anthony.

He looked visibly anxious, biting at his fingers.

Snap. He bit off a piece of bone, chewing on it bloody and swallowing.

Meanwhile, Anthony noticed a strange change in the surrounding scenery: one side reflected the real world—sunlight, stars, green trees, the sea, humans—chaotically jumbled together. The other side resembled a frozen, lifeless universe. Above, brilliant explosions of light continued to erupt, casting out vast amounts of matter, while below, deep, dark abysses consumed everything, compressing it toward a final singular point…

These were still illusions, mere reflections of the mirror world.

Yet even a demigod like Anthony felt an indescribable fear rooted deep in his soul and flesh.

Despite Jenna still being at Sequence 3, without higher-level Beyonder characteristics, her presence was nearly as terrifying as the terror emanating from the depths of the special mirror world.

Because she embodied a most unique and fearsome symbol.

A symbol of the creation and destruction of everything!

This transformation had to be stopped before the symbol was complete, before Jenna reopened her eyes!

At that moment, Amon's mocking voice reached Anthony and Ludwig's ears.

'Why is it always me doing the work?

'I'd much rather clear altars and figurines like the serpent…'

As He spoke, the Blasphemer, dressed in a pointed soft hat and a classic magician's robe, faced Jenna and raised both arms.

The monocle on His right eye shone brilliantly.

Behind Him, layer upon layer of resplendent doors materialized, while a vast, silent river of mercury-like symbols flowed majestically.

…

Deep within the special mirror world.

On Lumian's body, blurry flesh, iron-black bones, violet flames, and intricate, dangerous symbols were collapsing rapidly.

This process included the fragment of the Primordial Demoness, the fused Alista Tudors, the Conqueror Beyonder characteristic, and most of the madness.

Even Lumian's brain, split open like in a cranial surgery, and the remaining insanity were about to join this collapse.

Seeing this, the Primordial Demoness, clad in a white bone dress, smiled.

The balance is indeed lost…

It seems like a failure…

But no matter. I'll fuse myself in and see what kind of monster emerges in the end.

What I cannot obtain, no one else shall have. And I will take everything within the barrier with me to the grave.

This will be the grandest funeral for me and Tudor.

Suddenly, the Primordial Demoness noticed a delay in the extreme collapse happening to Lumian.

Two forces were preventing it.

One was the destiny fixed on madness and not on complete destruction.

When a conclusion was bound to be bad, steering it toward a lesser evil was far easier than reversing it to something good.

This was the true purpose of the letter sent by the Circle of Inevitability!

The second was a faint rebirth within Lumian's collapsing flesh, symbols, violet flames, iron-black bones, and Beyonder characteristics.

They were regrowing, extending outward, clinging to the last threads of life.

This new birth came from Omebella's bloodline and Zedus's vitalized soul fragments.

On Lumian's body, now condensed into a strange sphere, a lump of flesh protruded, resembling someone's head.

On the head, two alternating faces constantly shifted. One belonged to the high-nosed, madness-filled Blood Emperor Alista Tudor. The other was a ruby-eyed, nearly perfectly beautiful Zedus.

Lumian's deadened thoughts suddenly flickered, pulling him back from the eternal darkness into his spiritual body.

This new birth had brought him back.

He felt the most extreme, hopeless pain and saw the changes in his body.

He suddenly recalled Mr. Fool's insight on dealing with Omebella's bloodline and Zedus's soul fragments: 'This is a hidden danger, a risk, and also a variable, an opportunity.'

A variable, an opportunity… Could it be here? As Lumian gained this realization, he also knew the new life was far too weak to counteract the terrifying collapse that sought to annihilate everything after losing balance.

There were only a few seconds left before everything ended.

But Lumian did not give up. His style was always to fight to the bitter end, even in death.

The next second, he saw another flesh-crafted head growing rapidly on his collapsing body.

This head also had two alternating faces. One belonged to the extraordinarily beautiful yet innocent-looking Primordial Demoness Cheek. The other, unfamiliar to Lumian, was stunningly beautiful yet radiated a maternal glow.

Giant Queen Omebella!

Seeing this change, Primordial Demoness Cheek, who was about to fuse into Lumian's body and exacerbate the imbalance, stopped trying.

She smiled faintly at the manifestations of The Fool descending upon Her, Her endlessly alluring body becoming illusory and dispersing into the entire special mirror world.

She was the master of the mirror world—She was the mirror world. She could fuse with it at any moment. Destroying all the mirror worlds would be the only way to truly kill Her.

Though the mirrored terror's feminine aspect had been transferred to Jenna, the Primordial Demoness, who had spent millennia attempting fusion, could still partially leverage Her unique symbol until it fully broke free, becoming the true mirrored original Creator—the Oldest One.

The Primordial Demoness's form simultaneously appeared in every corner of the special mirror world, Her soft voice echoing into Mr. Fool's ears from all directions.

'Can you save Him?

'You should be able to…

'If you can't, I'll fuse with Him, and we'll invite you to our funeral. Everyone's funeral. The universe's funeral.

'Sounds exciting, doesn't it?'

Mr. Fool was unmoved by such words. Most of his rapidly flickering manifestations continued to fight the Primordial Demoness, trying to seal Her off and prevent Her from truly fusing into Lumian's body.

The remaining manifestation turned to look at Lumian, struggling to hold on.

He sighed softly.

…

At the special mirror world's edge.

Amon, having requested dual-pathway godhood and power from The Fool, seized the moment when the mirrored Creator had yet to fully assimilate Jenna, unable to control the Demoness of Unaging's body, and was in His weakest state. He adjusted the monocle on His right eye.

The Fool's manifestation outside the special mirror world suddenly had its black trench coat rise dramatically.

Anthony and Ludwig were enveloped in gray-white fog, as if transported to another hidden, bizarre world.

The next second, before Jenna's distorted, pained expression, now tinged with hatred, a searing sea of light appeared, engulfing her entirely.

Supernova!

Fueled by dual-pathway godhood and power, this was a Sufferer's reenactment ability!

It was nearly identical to the supernova used by Mr. Fool during the battle of Sefirah Castle.

Jenna's body instantly disintegrated, vaporizing before it could even evaporate. Amon, along with the surrounding mirror world, was also affected by the supernova, leading to inevitable collapse.

The special mirror world also began to crumble. This collapse spread for a moment but was halted by Primordial Demoness Cheek, preventing it from affecting the depths where Lumian resided.

The brilliant light that illuminated the darkness gradually faded. Suddenly, a holy glow, filled with redemption, shot out from the River of Fate.

Amon reappeared, still wearing His monocle, pointed hat, and black magician's robe.

He saw that amidst the chaotic turbulence of space-time, in the deep darkness, specks of soul fragments glowed faintly. Some belonged to Jenna, and some to the mirrored Creator. They intertwined, yet had not been entirely annihilated.

Even a supernova explosion could not completely kill the mirrored Creator, even in Her incomplete, feminine aspect!

These tangled soul fragments were on the verge of reassembling, ready for resurrection.

Deep within the special mirror world, standing before Lumian's mutated body, Mr. Fool raised his starlit cane with his gloved right hand, his black trench coat silently billowing.

Above him, far in the infinite heights, a door of light, tinged faintly with bluish-black light, flickered in and out of existence, surrounded by gray-white fog.

Sefirah Castle!

A shadow seemed to briefly open its eyes.

As Mr. Fool's starlit cane pointed toward Lumian, the tangled fragments of the mirrored Creator and Jenna's soul outside the special mirror world were instantly transferred onto Lumian.

Grafting!

A conceptual and physical Grafting, leading to a renewed fusion!

The Primordial Demoness, who had been manifesting and battling around the special mirror world, let out an amazed sound.

It was enough to satisfy any male's vanity.

However, unlike the earlier fusion, Omebella's bloodline and Zedus's soul fragments had now been activated, each merging with the Demoness of Apocalypse Cheek and the resurrecting Tudor.

The mirrored Creator's soul fragments, as if drawn by some mystical force, carried Jenna's portion and merged into the flesh mass alternating between Omebella's face and the Demoness of Apocalypse Cheek.

Mr. Fool added a glimmer of starlight to the remaining fragments of Jenna's soul, allowing them to withstand the erosion and fusion process for some time.

…

The countryside dreamscape was now in shambles.

Madam Magician and Madam Justice, who had assumed Mythical Creature forms through self-hypnosis, fought fiercely against the ancient dragon Edefana for an extended period.

During the battle, Madam Justice suddenly noticed two incongruities:

Our opponent is merely a Sequence 2 mind dragon. How can it continually suppress Fors and me when we carry a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact?

Moreover, Fors hadn't once thought to divide her shadow to support other battlefields…

At that moment, Edefana's ancient voice echoed, 'I have no desire to be your enemy. I am merely compelled.

'As a dragon born in the mid-First Epoch, as ancient as Ankewelt, unlike Ariehogg and the others who only witnessed part of the Second Epoch's history, don't you wonder how I, a mere Sequence 2, have survived until now?'

-x-X-x-

Hearing Edefana's words, Madam Magician froze for a moment.

She finally realized she should be using her high-speed Blinking to support other battlefields.

That was something she normally would have done.

From the very beginning, I've been subtly influenced? Edefana doesn't seem to be just Sequence 2. Madam Magician quickly followed her spiritual intuition, her figure Blinking rapidly as she appeared in various places across the Northern and Southern Continents.

Then, she found that the battlefields were stabilizing, with the forces of the orthodox Churches and government organizations gaining the upper hand. The only difference was how quickly they would eliminate the disruptors.

The only area with serious issues was beyond her ability to intervene or participate.

It was far too high-level!

While helping allied forces quickly clear out cultists, she redirected most of her attention back to Miss Audrey's dreamscape.

At this moment, Edefana, the ancient dragon, had stopped fighting and landed on the stone tower deep within the dreamscape.

Madam Justice had also reverted from her Mythical Creature form, gazing at Edefana. In Dragonese, she asked, "A normal Sequence 2 dragon couldn't survive from the mid-First Epoch to the present?"

Edefana's terrifying lizard-like face, its gray-white scales slightly dim, revealed an eerily human smile.

"Even Angels have a limited lifespan: it's just that most Angels don't live long enough to reach it.

"Vampire is a pathway that significantly increases lifespan. Didn't Round Moon Olmer have to seal Himself in a coffin, trying to slow the passage of time? He's also a Sequence 2 Angel, and nearly two thousand years younger than me."

Madam Magician flickered rapidly, ready to prevent Edefana from escaping, while muttering inwardly. Two thousand years older than Duke Round Moon Olmer? Truly worthy of being a dragon born in the mid-First Epoch…

Initially, she thought Duke Round Moon's age exceeded 3,000 years. After gaining more knowledge of mysticism, she suspected the Sanguine duke could be over 5,000 years old!

The Fifth Epoch was currently in its 1,359th year, and the Fourth Epoch lasted 1,233 years, adding up to 2,592 years. Duke Round Moon existed before the Cataclysm, so He was widely believed to be over 3,000 years old.

Madam Magician confirmed that this duke had truly followed the Sanguine's ancestor, Lilith, so His age must include the 1,086 years of the Third Epoch.

Moreover, Lilith's "demise" wasn't the hallmark event marking the end of the Second Epoch, being 800-900 years apart, during which Olmer followed Her for several centuries.

Considering all this, Madam Magician estimated Duke Round Moon to be at least 5,000 years old. Even as an Angel of the long-lived Sanguine, He still had to live an abject life in a coffin to prolong His life.

Yet Edefana claimed to be almost two thousand years older?

That aligned with His self-introduction as a dragon born in the mid-First Epoch.

Madam Justice discerned the unspoken meaning in Edefana's words and probed, "You were once corrupted by a power higher than your own, and even now, it controls you?"

If Edefana had used a Marauder pathway's Sealed Artifact to siphon life or relied on a similar method, He wouldn't have posed such a question.

Edefana's aged, lizard-like face appeared somewhat dazed.

"You're perceptive.

"I am a dragon of the mind domain."

Which means..., polluted by the Chaos Sea? Like the Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt? Then influenced and driven by the godhood of the Primordial God Almighty? Madam Magician's gaze sharpened. "It was the Primordial God Almighty who sent you to delay us?" R̃

Edefana chuckled, producing a deep, buzzing laugh.

"Yes, I'm able to tell you this because the influence he exerted over me has rapidly receded. Without His influence, I will soon age and die."

"Rapidly receded?" Madam Justice repeated, her tone heavy with foreboding.

Edefana unfurled His massive wings, His gray-white scales dimming further.

"Yes. He is retracting the powers he was covertly reviving. This isn't due to any mishap but because He is concentrating His will.

"Tonight, he has two opportunities for true resurrection-two!"

Edefana's voice brimmed with fear.

…

When the mirrored Creator's soul fragments, mixed with Jenna's, fused into Lumian's body, Lumian, tormented by the relentless cycle of pain and madness, his consciousness on the brink of collapse, suddenly ceased the unconscious twitching and twisting of his head.

His iron-black eyes became filled with violent emotions:

Jenna...

He wanted to stop struggling, to let the collapse happen, but he also understood why Jenna had become what she was.

He raised his head, letting out a pained roar.

It was a scream of anger, hatred, madness, and defiance.

At that moment, Lumian seemed to hear Aurore's gentle voice: "There's still a chance.

"Leave it to me."

Lumian seemed to see Aurore's phantom, cloaked in her thick golden hair.

His body began to change, becoming more feminine on one side.

His feminine aspect grew active, striving to merge Jenna's soul fragments with his own.

The mirrored Creator was truly Fooled, no longer caring about Jenna's soul fragments, allowing them to detach and integrate into Lumian's feminine side.

His consciousness focused solely on the Demoness of Apocalypse, Cheek, and the Giant Queen, Omebella.

They were fused together.

Balance was restored, but it was vastly different from before.

Lumian's body stopped collapsing, quickly expanding outward, gaining new life.

The two masses of flesh protruding from his torso surged toward his neck, vying to replace his head.

They competed, even as they began to fuse, High above, in the infinite heights, the faint light door tinged with bluish-black and surrounded by gray- white fog reappeared. Mr. Fool alternated the use of Fooling and Grafting.

The two fusing flesh masses abruptly shifted to Lumian's left shoulder, writhing as they formed a dripping wet head.

This head had two faces, one on each side. The right face was identical to the Primordial Demoness, Cheek - stunningly beautiful, pure, yet exuding maternal radiance. The left face resembled Alista Tudor but bore jet-black hair and a flawless, nearly divine beauty.

The madness and characteristics in Lumian's body converged into this head. Each face exuded its own raw, violent, or pathological nature, an unrestrained desire to destroy and create everything.

The two faces did not cease merging. At times, they overlapped; at times, they split apart, ultimately forming a vortex that absorbed their features.

From within the vortex, a liquid containing all colors and possibilities seeped out, leaving the face in chaos.

Deep within the chaos, a new face slowly began to take shape.

The previously grinning, observing Primordial Demoness, Cheek, abruptly retreated, disappearing from the area.

Before vanishing, Her black hair fully unfurled, thick and slick like venomous snakes, whipping furiously through the air as though resisting an unseen force.

Lumian, his mind flooded with pain, madness, and destructive desires, sensed an exalted consciousness, gazing down upon all, being born within the new head on his left shoulder and rapidly growing stronger.

Mr. Fool, witnessing this, prepared to use a Wish to suppress and delay the Primordial God Almighty's resurrection, seeking time to find a solution.

The new face in the chaos grew clearer.

In an instant, Amon hurled an object into the special mirror world, landing it in Mr. Fool's hand.

It was an extraordinarily bizarre dark-golden mask, large enough to cover a human face.

Lumian, his face twisted in agony and madness, recognized the mask.

It had been obtained from the sea prayer ritual, originating from Loki, later given to the Aurora Order.

And now, it was here.

Mr. Fool caught the mask, and a shadow from the faintly visible door of light above descended upon the dark-golden mask.

Mr. Fool pressed the mask onto the new face emerging from the chaos.

The face did not resist or stop him because, still unresurrected, He had been Fooled-Fooled into believing the mask would make Him unimaginably powerful.

The dark-golden mask merged seamlessly with the face, becoming inseparable.

The head paused, no longer absorbing Lumian's madness or characteristics.

The two faces reappeared on its sides-one belonging to Primordial Demoness Cheek, radiating maternal brilliance, the other to the more handsome and perfect Alista Tudor.

Each face held an unmistakable hint of madness and destruction.

The gray-white fog and the bluish-black-tinged door of light high above disappeared.

On Lumian's right shoulder, flesh writhed, abruptly forming a new head with two faces. One was the radiant Aurore, the other, the exquisite Jenna. Both had closed eyes, no consciousness, and bloodstained features.

Elsewhere in the mirror world.

Red Angel Medici, intending to leave without bothering with the two lunatics, sensed the changes deep within the special mirror world.

Here's the chance!

Though Medici didn't fully understand what had occurred, He hesitated not for a moment. Swiftly assessing the situation, He made His decision and prepared to execute His original plan.

His goals for today were twofold: to suppress any signs of the Primordial God Almighty's resurrection and to cull Lumian Lee, securing ultimate victory in the battle for 0-01.

He had no fear of The Fool's interference. Since He dared to come, He had a way to ensure The Fool couldn't act in time.

Red Angel Medici advanced, retrieving lifelike metallic soldier figurines from a small black pouch at His waist.

Each one contained fused Beyonder characterístics from different pathways, effectively making them Sealed Artifacts.

Medici scattered the figurines, allowing them to grow enormous, gain life, and surround Him.

The Red of War legion reappeared.

Meanwhile, within the astral world composed of abstract concepts and strange symbols.

The childlike doodle sun had long become a blazing golden-yellow fireball, terrifying in its intensity, opposing the crimson round moon beyond the invisible barrier.

The burning surface of the sun, pure and sacred, suddenly darkened in patches.

These dark patches extended outward, forming a colossal luminous humanoid figure surrounded by chaos.

The luminous humanoid instantly descended into the depths of the special mirror world, engulfing all of The Fool's manifestations!

-x-X-x-

The enormous luminous figure wrapped in chaos remained tethered to the blazing golden sun, never breaking free.

"It" was firmly restrained, like the hidden impulses and madness buried deep within many hearts—though present and impossible to ignore, they remained confined under the dam of reason and humanity in normal circumstances.

Moreover, the chaotic luminous figure formed from the sun's dark patches descended from the astral world into the depths of the special mirror world without impacting the blazing golden sun's efforts to maintain the invisible barrier against the crimson round moon.

Instead, the sun burned brighter, more intensely, and with greater sanctity.

At this moment, abstract concepts representing "gaze" and "observation" emerged within the astral world, all directed at the radiant golden sun.

The sun, illuminating the astral world and the entire world, remained unmoved, as if silently responding: Once, I betrayed myself.

Later, I spent over two millennia wrestling and contending with another version of myself. Finally, I achieved a temporary victory, reached a balance, and made Him serve me, while I remained who I am.

Now, I am betting everything.

Letting my allies become the Origins of Disaster, the Calamity of Destruction is my only chance to secure ultimate victory and avert the apocalypse!

Whether or not this succeeds, whether or not it leads to a tragic end, I will give it my all.

I would rather break than yield!

The colossal luminous figure cloaked in chaos enveloped all of The Fool's manifestations in the special mirror world, relentlessly pursuing His Blinking, preventing him from approaching Lumian at the speed of light and with immense energy.

One was manipulated, misled. One was Fooled, Grafted. Neither had any attention to spare for Lumian.

On the other side of the special mirror world, the Primordial Demoness retreated, Her black hair still thrashing in the air like a writhing cluster of serpents. Her breathtakingly beautiful face twisted into a new allure that had yet to fully unfold, still resisting some invisible force.

Nearby, the mirrored Empress Roselle silently watched, refraining from intervening.

She could not defy the will of the mirrored Creator, also known as the Primordial Demoness, Cheek. She could only hope the ensuing catastrophe would not lead to the complete collapse and destruction of the special mirror world.

For Her, unable to leave this place yet, such an outcome would be a death sentence.

As for Zaratul, who had previously hidden here, He had already fled, returning to Castle Dylan.

Lumian felt a surge of violent, cruel, twisted, and pathological thoughts emanating from the left side of his body. Like a relentless tsunami, they battered his mind and will, attempting to complete his assimilation.

From his right side came deathly silence, sadness, pain, and despair—emotions just as overwhelming and now spilling over into his consciousness.

These conflicting forces resonated with Lumian's current state to varying degrees, on the verge of blending into one another and bringing about the inevitable descent into complete madness.

In his blurred vision, silhouettes flashed by, beams of light flared up and dimmed again, all becoming indistinct.

Suddenly, a voice switching between near and far echoed in his ears: "My wish is:

"Lumian Lee can maintain moments of clarity, rationality, and humanity each day."

Destiny was sealed; madness was unavoidable. Even a Miracle Invoker could not fully reverse it. The only option was to exploit loopholes and lower the difficulty of the wish, allowing Lumian to oscillate between madness and clarity.

Nothing dictated that inevitable madness precluded occasional moments of lucidity!

As for how "occasional" was defined, that would be left to Fooling and Error to decide.

Lumian's blurry vision suddenly sharpened. The pain and fury still wrecked his body, but his thoughts and perceptions were no longer clouded.

He saw a vast array of figurines materialize ahead of him. Each wore uniquely colored metal armor, their faces sculpted with uncanny precision. Towering over ten meters tall, they marched in formation like a vast army.

Lumian also saw the figurines encircling Red Angel Medici. The King of Angels had revealed His Mythical Creature form, composed of deep violet, almost blood-colored, nearly invisible flames, steel-like bones, complex terrifying symbols, and bloodstained black armor.

Between His brow, a blood-red sigil shaped like a banner was prominently raised, vivid and dripping.

Medici had completed His sacrificial ritual in advance, summoning the aid of the essence of war.

The head on Lumian's left shoulder, adorned with the bizarre dark-golden mask, suddenly turned. The face resembling Alista Tudor now directly faced Medici.

The blood-red sigil between the brows of this face similarly protruded, surrounded by indescribable dark symbols that seemed to herald ultimate chaos.

He sneered with disdain and mockery, as if saying to Medici: "You coward, fancy seeing you here. Ready to be devoured by me again?"

Lumian then fully manifested his Mythical Creature form and drew a simple longsword from the Traveler's Bag that had fallen to the ground, untouched by prior chaos.

The longsword rapidly enlarged, matching his towering frame of over thirty meters.

It ignited with black flames, embodying destruction and madness.

Medici raised His own flaming greatsword. The two fiery giants clashed with a resounding boom.

Almost simultaneously, the soldiers of the Red of War legion raised their arms, leaning back slightly.

Their eyes burned iron-black, reflecting the pale markings on Lumian's body. In their hands, spears of deep violet, almost blood-colored, flames materialized.

They could simultaneously share all of Red Angel Medici's abilities and spirituality!

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

While Medici intercepted Lumian, a forest of flame-spears shot out, dense enough to obscure the sky.

Each spear targeted the vulnerable points on Lumian's body.

The masked head on Lumian's left shoulder turned once more.

This time, the maternal and radiant face of the Demoness of Apocalypse, Cheek, faced Red Angel Medici.

The face smiled sweetly, causing Medici's movements to slow slightly, and the deluge of blood-colored flame-spears to falter, as if held back by reluctance.

Next, Lumian's body grew illusory and layered, like projections from countless mirrors.

Rumble!

Countless flame-spears pierced through his body, triggering violent explosions that annihilated every projection in an instant.

Lumian's figure reemerged on the other side.

Red Angel Medici gave him no respite, transforming into a blazing comet of deep violet, blood-like flames, hurtling toward Lumian in a flash.

The soldiers of the Red of War legion followed suit, turning into similar flaming comets, roaring down from every direction with unstoppable force, using area-of-effect attacks to bypass the interference of the Fog of War.

As a King of Angels, Medici enabled His soldiers to share His rank. In this moment, it was as if nearly a hundred Red Angels were simultaneously attacking Lumian.

This was one of Medici's most potent abilities. Its only drawback was the massive expenditure of spirituality.

Effectively, it compressed what could have been a prolonged battle into a single, overwhelming burst, trading time for spatial dominance.

As an ancient King of Angels, Medici knew that the Eternal Blazing Sun could not delay much longer. Victory had to be swift, so He began with an all-or-nothing gambit.

Outside the special mirror world, Amon, wearing a monocle and pointed soft hat, took no further action, playing the role of a true spectator.

Neither obstructing nor aiding,

His expression remained unchanged as He bit into a red apple He had somehow stolen.

Faced with the flaming comets descending from every direction, Lumian did not retreat. His eyes burned with madness and battle lust.

He growled, for the second time today, invoking the aid of the City of Calamity.

The iron-black bones interwoven into his body and etched with complex symbols and patterns suddenly developed fine cracks. The violet-red flames roaring over them deepened in hue, taking on a bloodier shade.

Clad in pitch-black armor marred with bloodstains, he ignored the other fiery comets and locked onto the one transformed from Red Angel Medici, swinging his increasingly immense and terrifying Sword of Destruction.

Boom!

Deep violet and crimson flames scattered in all directions, forming a storm that engulfed the surroundings.

The explosion, imbued with destructive energy, left visible cracks in the depths of the special mirror world, rendering it precariously close to shattering.

Amid the roiling flames, the figure of Red Angel Medici emerged, a deep wound carved across His chest and abdomen, from which flowed flames so dark that even their depth seemed erased.

Lumian was in an even more dire state. His bloodstained black armor was tattered, and the iron-black bones intertwined with intricate patterns and symbols were heavily damaged and fractured. The deep purple, blood-hued flames barely clung to him, a faint layer that seemed ready to be extinguished by a passing breeze.

Shards of glass were scattered around him, remnants of his mirror self, which had suffered devastating destruction.

Lumian grinned, his smile bold and unrestrained.

He suddenly plunged the battered Sword of Destruction into the ground.

The already strained area collapsed with a thunderous crash, disintegrating entirely.

As the region crumbled, Lumian plunged into the chaotic flow of time and space, descending into darkness.

With his body undergoing new birth, he waved at the similarly falling Medici and the Red of War legion, his smile seemingly asking, "Care to join me? In the chaos of time and space, teams tend to get scattered, you know."

The Red Angel whistled in response, as if to say, "I can handle this on my own."

The two had no time for further interaction. The silent, perilous storm of space-time swept in, separating them instantly.

umian plummeted downward at great speed, using his Teleportation ability to evade the most dangerous zones.

He could no longer sense the outside world and had no means of escaping this place directly.

In a blink of an eye—or perhaps longer—Lumian landed before a massive, half-collapsed palace ablaze with invisible and colorless flames.

The depths of the special mirror world led to Fourth Epoch Trier.

-x-X-x-

As soon as Lumian's feet steadied, the head on his left shoulder began to sway from side to side.

Whether it was the hauntingly beautiful yet morbid face of Cheek or the savage and crazed gaze of Alista Tudor, both seemed perplexed.

Their consciousness, spirit, personality, and spirituality, blended and tangled amidst the resurrection of the Primordial God Almighty, had become a jumble. Eventually, they separated into yin and yang, left and right, forming a new consciousness and spirit, though still marked distinctly by Cheek and Tudor.

These were ultimately sealed within the dark-golden peculiar mask of the yet-to-fully-revived Primordial God Almighty, allowing only instincts to seep through, each affecting the respective face.

Their instinctive reactions seemed to tell Lumian that this place was different from their memories or expectations.

This was the Blood Palace of Alista Tudor, the site of His ultimate downfall. It should have retained remnants of the leaked power of various sefirot, yet it appeared unusually "clean," with only formless flames burning everywhere and evaporating black pus that perpetually dripped but never dried.

With the blood-red sigil on his brow protruding, Lumian involuntarily advanced toward the half-collapsed, ostentatious palace. Along the way, the formless and colorless flames parted for him, seemingly welcoming the return of the emperor of this kingdom, the master of this palace. Lumian only had to avoid the dripping black pus as it fell back to the ground.

Standing at the half-collapsed entrance, Lumian—with three heads—found his path blocked by an area of absolute darkness—so dark that even the concept of depth seemed devoured. He had no choice but to circle around to the palace's side entrance.

Clicking his tongue as if mocking Alista Tudor, he muttered, "Utilizing the power of the City of Calamity, the Blood Emperor was ultimately killed by the River of Eternal Darkness. Even His corpse has become different.

"Sometimes, these forces repel each other to extremes; other times, they fuse. And once they fuse, it spells annihilation, absorbing and neutralizing the nearby remnant powers of other sefirot."

"Your Majesty the Blood Emperor, are you planning to reclaim your corpse? I'm afraid it will drag you back into the River of Eternal Darkness—no, ultimate annihilation."

Speaking to himself, Lumian moved toward the palace's side entrance.

He intended to wait by Alista Tudor's divine corpse, anticipating the arrival of Red Angel Medici.

That spot would be ideal for him to fight in his current state—half of what Alista Tudor once was, though without a fully "restored" rank.

When he reached the crumbling side entrance, now narrow enough to squeeze through, Lumian suddenly noticed two corpses standing on either side of the doorway.

One male and one female, both burned into charred remains by formless flames, stood preserved in their scorched states. Each had a left hand swollen and translucent, its bluish hue marred by yellow-green pus flowing within.

The veins on their left hands were unnaturally clear, and along with the palm lines, they formed intricate and densely packed symbols and patterns.

"Left Hand of Decay…

"Why are the bestowed of the Monarch of Decay placed here as corpse statues?" Lumian murmured, lowering his gaze. As expected, he saw ancient Tudor coins beneath each of the four corpses, with denominations of "2," "7," and "13."

Lumian's face twitched, a wave of violent and destructive emotions surging within him.

Summoning a black-flame greatsword in one hand, he prepared to slash at the four corpses.

Suddenly, a gentle female voice came from nearby: "Their purpose is to symbolize one thing: making anything that can go wrong be most likely to go wrong."

Lumian turned both his heads simultaneously, spotting Madame Pualis, dressed in a black gown. Her subtle brows framed bright brown eyes, her brown hair styled in a high bun.

In her arms, she cradled a chubby-cheeked, adorably plump infant girl.

The baby girl no longer appeared ethereal but fully real, tangible, and vivid.

…

In the depths of Underground Trier.

Under the corrosive fog of history, the Tree of Shadow's trunk became increasingly illusory. Its bark and branches began peeling away.

Though the Tree of Shadow was intimately tied to every human in Trier and could not be completely destroyed, its aura weakened rapidly. The canopy extending above ground receded deeper meter by meter.

Suah and Tirié struggled with all Their might to hold the line, yet They could not reverse the trend.

…

Somewhere in Fourth Epoch Trier

Louis Gustav watched as the infants on his body dropped to the ground, dying instantly and decaying into rotted corpses.

0–59—The Divine Kingdom Without People!

The undead infants never had the chance to be reborn. Exposed to The Fourth Sun suspended high in the sky, they were instantly purified and vanished.

Birthing children was not an evil act for the Mother but a sacred one, immune to The Fourth Sun's purification. However, transforming the infants into undead made them susceptible to its power.

Losing all the infants, the "maternal body" fell with a look of anguish, rapidly disintegrating into a pool of blood and flesh. The flesh writhed as if attempting to reform into a bird's nest.

But it died mid-reformation, simultaneously decaying and regenerating.

Holy, radiant sunlight enveloped it.

…

Red Angel Medici and part of His metal soldiers landed in a desolate wilderness shrouded in gray-white fog, flickering between reality and illusion.

In this wilderness, shadowy figures wandered silently, moving slowly toward the edges—to them.

…

Seeing Madame Pualis holding the infant Omebella, Lumian beamed. Lifting the newly condensed Sword of Destruction, he prepared to strike.

"There's no need to rush. It's been a while since we had a conversation," Madame Pualis said gently. A stretch of wilderness appeared around her, creating distance between herself and Lumian. Her gaze shifted between Lumian's face and Aurore's tightly closed eyes, filled with a trace of sorrow.

Rumble!

Amid the booming explosions, her figure appeared on the other side of Paramita. Her tone was soft and soothing.

"It's pointless. Omebella has truly been born. The anticipated outcome has arrived, and nothing will change now."

Her maternal voice calmed the fury and madness in Lumian's heart.

Stopping his attack, Lumian said, "Omebella…"

He initially wanted to ask when Omebella was born, but a sharp pain in his head brought a sense of spiritual foreboding.

Instead, he asked, "In the dream city, why didn't you—or rather, the Mother Goddess of Depravity—help the Celestial Worthy? Why let Him fail?"

Madame Pualis, cradling infant Omebella, smiled and answered, "When I entered the dream city, aside from wanting to see you and Aurore, I had only one goal:

"To act on behalf of the Great Mother to eliminate any chance for the Celestial Worthy to reverse the situation if such an opportunity arose.

"However, all of you did an excellent job. You didn't give me that chance."

"Why?" Lumian asked with a frown.

Shouldn't balance have been maintained?

Maintaining her smile, Madame Pualis replied, "After the Hostel incident, the Mother's thoughts changed. She wished for The Fool to prevail.

"This way, The Fool would begin a process of simultaneously opposing and integrating the Celestial Worthy, while also accommodating Sefirah Castle. Such a process would be difficult to disrupt. Facing another crisis, even if The Fool wanted to give up and hand everything to the Celestial Worthy—or if the Celestial Worthy wanted to compromise and assist The Fool in controlling Sefirah Castle—the resulting state wouldn't be easily broken or altered. It would take a long time."

"Before such a state could fully change, the Lord of Mysteries's power would be at best comparable to that of Grisha Adam during Project Vortex. And even achieving this would require the Celestial Worthy's full cooperation."

"No matter what abilities such a Lord of Mysteries employs, it's impossible for Him to break through the barrier formed by the mirrored Creator in a short period of time. He can't prevent what's about to happen. The Mother has been anticipating this for a long time."

Lumian recalled the events that had just transpired and suddenly realized the night's major events were far from over.

Laughing, he said, "So, even you don't trust the Celestial Worthy to honor His promises after fully awakening?"

"No one would trust a Great Old One that symbolizes deceit," Madame Pualis replied gently, rocking the baby in her arms as if coaxing Omebella back to sleep.

Lumian glanced at Omebella and asked, "When was She truly born?

"And what will Her birth bring?"

With a soft smile, Madame Pualis answered, "After you were dragged into the special mirror world."

She explained with a smile, "Calamity needs to stay away from the mother. But have you ever considered—you're not the calamity, but the Mother—the one who gave birth to Omebella."

"The great terror in the special mirror world came from the fusion of the two pathways of Calamity, so it naturally symbolizes calamity?" Lumian suddenly understood the true meaning behind Mr. Fool's revelation.

This was a fate even great existences couldn't fully grasp.

Madame Pualis gazed wistfully at Aurore, sighed, and said, "That's one interpretation. But there's a deeper reason."

She turned to Lumian, her brown eyes deep, and asked, "Have you noticed? Tudor and Cheek's twins are also a boy and a girl, an elder sister and a younger brother."

An elder sister and younger brother… Yes, Krismona and the Demoness of Gray Judith were once siblings! Lumian was suddenly struck by a deep sense of foreboding.

Madame Pualis smiled again and said, "For true gods of the Hunter and Demoness pathways, it's normal for twins to be a boy and a girl. Anything else would be unusual. But why elder sister and younger brother, and not elder brother and younger sister?"

"Because They're also a reflection of Omebella and Zedus in some way.

"As for why…" Madame Pualis glanced down at the baby in her arms and smiled. "Omebella is far older than you think.

"She and Zedus were born in the mid-First Epoch. At that time, Giant King Aurmir was still a purely mad demigod-level monster.

"Their mother, strictly speaking, wasn't the Great Mother, but the Brood Hive ripped off from the Great Mother. When the Brood Hive was still within the Great Mother, Omebella and Zedus had yet to gestate.

"More importantly, Their father—Their true father—the one who fathered them with the Brood Hive.

"Guess who He is?"

…

In Madam Justice Audrey's dream.

The ancient dragon, Edefana, gazed at Madam Magician and Madam Justice, His voice buzzing as He said, "I can offer you one more piece of critical intelligence, originating from the mid-First Epoch."

Both Madam Magician and Madam Justice tensed inexplicably.

In a tone dripping with resentment and hatred, Edefana said, "The mother of Giant Queen Omebella is the Brood Hive currently sealed in the Western Continent.

"Her father is:

"The Primordial God Almighty!"

-x-X-x-