Why...?

　It was Arcana who muttered.

'Why would the god of alignment end the subterranean?'

　At her question, Viaflair returned a disgusting smile.

'You know what I mean.　God is the order of this world. And selection judgments are meant to maintain that order. A ritual to restore the order that has been disrupted and to bring it back into alignment.

　Veerflare turns his sticky gaze on me.

''Boldinos told me that there is a Demon King who disturbed the order of this world two thousand years ago. Boldinus said that two thousand years ago, there was a demon king who upset the order in this world. He took away the order of destruction, Averniu, the god of destruction. The balance of order was greatly disturbed, and everything was turned away from destruction.

'So the selection tribunal now works to undo that?

Yeah. But it's not just about the God of Destruction anymore. Since you took Averniu from me, the world has gone on in a distorted form without destroying what should have been destroyed. Various orders have been warped. The Selective Judges, you see, are trying to balance the books. Maybe that's why they're making the selectors fight each other and the gods fight each other.

　Because of the way the selection process works, it is difficult to avoid conflict if you want to win out.
　If the powerful selectors fight each other, they will be able to bring the country into the fight.

　In other words, the root of the destruction will increase by that amount.

'I don't know how long we've had selection judges, but do you mean to say that the rules were different before they took place under the ground and did not require a fight, unlike now?

I don't know. Maybe. Maybe. All we know for sure is that it's true underneath the ground now.

　Before I got my hands on the God of Destruction, it may have been a rare occurrence for order to go out of whack.
　If so, then selective judgments are not a frequent occurrence either.

　It would not be surprising if it happened once in a thousand years, or even tens of thousands of years.

'Anyway, from what Boldinos tells me, the order you've distorted will never be fully restored. The God of Destruction didn't perish, he just transformed himself into the Demon King's Castle Delzogade. The order of destruction will never be restored. So it's like this.

　As if to blame me, the High King said.

Because of the Demon King, the underground is doomed to destruction. After repeated trials and tribunals, the order of destruction will be repaired, and the day of calamity will come. The earth's depths will be destroyed and all life that has survived will be brought to an end.

　For every life that was saved by the disappearance of Averniu, the God of Destruction, the root that was born under the ground will be destroyed, right?

''Hmm. Well, I understand the convenience of the God of Harmony, but I won't let you do as you wish.

'Yes, you do. So you will lead the selective judges to their demise. Find your first representative and destroy the order of Elrolarielom. Then this subterranean will be saved.

　Viaflare let her hand touch the blade of possibility.

'Hey, could you pull out this sword?'

　With a thin smile, she said.

'Because, you know. ─ I believe our goals are the same,' she said, 'but Boldinos' goal is to save the earth. Boldinos's goal was to save the earth, and I want to take his place. He has lost his mind and I want to replace him. ─ You call me a foolish woman, but without the earth, none of the children of this country would have survived.

It's hard to hear. Are you now going to tell me that your mouth was too busy struggling to prevent the day of misfortune from coming?

I won't tell you. I won't tell you, because all I want to do is wait for the return of Bordinos and make his wish come true. There is nothing more important than that.

　Clearly, Viaflair assured him.

''But even so, it's still worth keeping alive, right?　Wouldn't it be better to avoid the destruction of the underground than to kill the High King?

　You still know what else you're talking about.

You're a much better pleader for your life than you were before.

And they will not overturn the prophecy, even though it is given to Agach. On the Day of Reckoning, the canopy will fall and the earth will be consumed. You're kidding me.

　She said this with a hatred for God.

　At that moment, there was a loud clatter.
　When I looked at her, I saw that the door to this room was open.

''Ha, that's a very convenient thing for you to say, Viaflair.

　The two men who came were a pair.
　They were Diedrich, the Sword Emperor of Agaha, and Nafta, the Future God.

''........Why.......?''

　Viaflare turned a puzzling gaze at the two of them.

''........You're supposed to be engaged with the Knights of the Phantom Name.......Boldinos......?''

He's probably in the middle of a game of tag with the dragon knights. You've fallen for the bait. It's not a good idea to go head-to-head with them.

　Snickering, Diedrich says.

'I got to play with prophecy.

　Have you disturbed the Phantom Knights and deceived your own actions?

　If you are going to challenge Diedrich, who can see the future, to an information war against him, Cerise will be no match for him.

Well, that guy, anyway.

　Diedrich walks loosely over to us and stands in front of me and Viaflair.

'It's true that the Selective Judge caused the shaking heavens and eventually the canopy to fall.

　He corroborated Viaflair's earlier statement by saying.

'But to say that the demise of the Selective Judgment will save the earth's depths would be an overstatement. That would be the end of the world, not just the end of the earth.

You don't see the end of selective judging in Nafta.

You're right. If you can't see it, it means that there is no future beyond it. In the first place, even if you can't see the future, don't you know that if you think about it?　The Selective Judge is the power of Elrolarielom, the god of alignment, to restore order and consistency.

　With a heavy bass voice, Diedrich declares emphatically.

'Then what happens if we destroy the God of Alignment to end the Selection Judgment?　It's not going to be much more than a canopy falling from the sky when all the rules of order are out of alignment.

　In theory, I suppose.

　With the disappearance of the god who holds the balance of order, it would not be surprising to see whatever mutations might occur in the world.

'Gadeisiola was originally Agaha. Wasn't that part of the Agaha prophecy seen by the first Sword Emperor in the forbidden book of Gadeisiola?

What do you mean?

　With an absent-minded look on his face, Viaflair asks back.

"Hmm. I see. I've always thought that Gaddesioso's locking up his people is not just because she's crazy, but also because she's crazy.

　Diedrich nodded widely.

At the end of the Selection Judgment, the Agach's prophecy may have shown us the only place that will survive the collapse of the world in one piece, and that is this place, Gadeisiola. That is this place, Gadeisiola. Are you, by destroying the world, trying to end the Selection Judgment to destroy God and destroy the believers of other nations who believe in God, so that only you can survive?

That's your guess, right?　I wonder if Nafta can see that future?

'Unfortunately, the contents of the forbidden book are the only thing I can't completely see. There is not a single future in which you speak of it. That's why I came here to find out and overturn the prophecy.

　If we compare Diedrich's words with what we have learned so far from the earth, we can see the general

'The prophecies of the Agaha, the forbidden books of Gadeisiola, and the scriptures of Geordar. All of them are involved in the end of the subterranean, is that right?

　I applied
"He should have been conscious from the time I ripped off the High Dragon.

　As the words were spoken, Gorloana raised herself slightly.

''Gorloana. The reason why Geordal wanted to erase that canopy with the Divine Dragon Embryo (Behelom) is because he wanted to prevent the canopy from falling eventually, right?

　Slowly the Pope folded his hands and prayed to God.

''Well that may be so. However, there was not that much specific lore in our scriptures. What we did know was that between the earth and the depths of the earth, that canopy, the rain of grace falls on that side and the rain of destruction on this side. Successive Popes began to pray to erase that absurdity.

　The rain of destruction?

　There is a trembling rain in the depths of the earth.
　The canopy itself would have suggested that it was coming down.

'Just as well.'

　Turning to the three kings, I said.

'Diedrich the Swordsman of Agaha, Viaphraea the High King of Gadeisiola, and Gorloana the Pope of Geordar. Here are the kings of the three subterranean kingdoms.

　Vihlea and Gorloana braced themselves.
　Diedrich listened to my words with a serious look on his face.

'The Sword Emperor of Agaha continues the Selection Judgment, to overturn the prophecy. The High King of Gadeisiola wishes to end the Selection Judge and to destroy other nations and gods. And the Pope of Giordar has erased the canopy and the earth and prayed for a world of equality, and has continued to contend to this day.

　The High King, the Sword Emperor, and the Pope were roughly evenly spaced so that they stood at the apex of the triangle.
　They turned their gazes towards each other as if they were checking each other out.



　Vierfleur glares at Diedrich in alarm.

　The Pope has already lost his god and the High King has been crucified.
　In this situation, the Sword Emperor would be sure to win if he fought.

''No matter. Now is the time to talk.''

　Viaflair's expression twisted as if he hadn't expected the words.

'If we continue with the selection judges, the canopy will fall. If we end the selection judges, the end of the world will come. This subterranean is destined to end one way or another, but if you three and I work together, we'll be able to reach an ending that satisfies everyone.

　Vihlea wondered and Gorloana just concentrated on her prayer.

Maybe if we put the scriptures, the prophecies and the forbidden books together, we will be able to find a solution. Let's talk about it.

　They released the words and waited for a moment, but none of the three men would open their mouths.

'Diedrich,'

　To the Sword Emperor of Agaha, I said.

'You will speak first.'

'Well there's no future for them to talk about whether I talk to them or not... that guy's a bad influence...'

　Teethily, Diedrich replied.

'You came here to overturn the prophecy, I believe.

　Diedrich meets my gaze squarely.

'Then show me your mettle. "Then show me some guts," he says, "and I'll show you. But if you are carried away by the winds of cowardice and fail to show sincerity, your opponents will never respond to you.

　With a grim look on his face, Diedrich clenched his fists.
　Nafta just stood beside him, waiting for the Lord's decision.

　The two of them could see a bad future.
　But even if they continue to avoid it, what they end up with is a day of disaster.

　If the prophecy is to be overturned, the time will come when he will have to see things with his own eyes, not with his God's eye that sees the future, and decide.

　He will have to jump into the future that Nafta's God's eye sees, which is not the best.

　Diedrich must be wondering if it is now.

"-- says the Agaha prophecy.

　Soon, he uttered a wild voice.

'When the three subterranean kings gather in the castle of Gadeisiola, the Sword Emperor of Agaha will utter a prophecy that is now invisible. Then the first deputy will bring the figure into relief.

　Surely, Diedrich had made a decision.

　And at the very same time.
　An eerie, ear-splitting dragon rumbling resounded throughout the room.

''Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

　The scream, tainted with pain, belongs to Ahide.
　A number of dragon heads were coming out of his body as if they were eating through him.

　And so the dragon was biting into the shoulder of Arcana, who was close by--