346-Gatekeeper of the past




 I walked along with Jiste while turning my evil eye to the star of creation.
 When we passed through the narrow streets of Ettiltoheve, the area where the number of people had dwindled, we saw the temple of ruins.

 The circularly assembled stones hold ancient magic and are lined with austere columns.
 Some of them had collapsed or lay broken.

 There was no roof. Whether it was not there originally, or whether it had been weathered over the years, I do not know.

 If you stepped to the center of the ruined temple, you could see a vertical hole in it.
 A spiral stone staircase leads to the lower level.

 This is the thirty-second vertical hole in the ruin city where Yeejus is waiting for us.
 Jiste and I walked down those stone stairs in a relaxed manner.

 <A thought transmission (leaks) echoes in my head.

''Hmm, is this the end of our memories of the Creation Star?

'I don't know yet. I'll look into it.

 Eleonor and Arcana are talking.

'Anosh........was there........!

 Zecia said, ''Mm-hm,'' and Eleonor agreed.

''Celis came out too, but it seems like your language and personality are completely different from the other day.''

"...tampered with...?

'Hmm, I don't know. It's kind of a mouthful, but it looks like you were teaching Anos-kun some magic, right?''

 Then Arcana said.

'When the founding star reflected the memories, I saw an order other than the Creator God. The same as in the Book of Traces. It could be that of a mad god.'

"So, I guess it's been tampered with.

'I don't think it's going to be easy. Militia's wards are still alive. If they could have tampered with it, they should have just taken the Creation Star.

 When I say this, Eleonor sounds like he's thinking and not thinking, 'Hmm.

'Did I make it look like I tampered with it?'

 Arcana says.

'Is it reasonable to think so? Even if they couldn't touch the contents of the Genesis Aerial, they could at least make it look like another order was at work at the same time when those memories were projected on it.

 It was a desperate measure to make it look like she had tampered with it.

"I haven't tampered with it...!

 Zesia shouted with enthusiasm.

'But it involves Cerys. I can't be sure. The past has been altered. And it is conceivable that the god of madness dared to do so in order to make me believe that it was the real past.

"I don't like............................

 Zesia made a sound.

 Nine times out of ten, it was not tampered with.
 It was only a contingency.

 Is that the reason it flickers in your head, because that man left it there?

Well, let's not jump to conclusions. We'll make our decision after checking out the rest of the creation stars.

"I'm going to look for any signs of tampering.

 Arcana suggested.

'I got it.'

Oh, by the way, Demon King. I didn't tell you.

 Jiste, who is following behind me, opens his mouth.

''The Dark Lord is a seeker, one of the Eight God Selectors. I've been selected to be an aphraxian. I also saw him holding the Selection Bead.

 The selector?

That's odd, isn't it?

 Giste asked, a beat later, if it was an unexpected reply.

'Why?'

'The eight god selectors are, as the name suggests, eight. If you include Ahide, Gazelle, Gorloana, Diedrich, Viaphraea, Celis, and myself, that's already seven people.

 Curiously, Giste said.

'Isn't the last one the Dark Lord?'

Just now, Singh found Ghirisilis in the bowels of the earth. He is the Chosen One. The God of Magic Eye, Janeldofok, chose you.

 There is almost no doubt about the selectors so far.

 The only god of Ceris and the selection pact has not been confirmed, but if what Ceris said was a lie and the Dark Lord was the selector instead, then who made the pact with the mad god Aganzon?

 Of course, even if not as a selective god, there are times when a god can help people.
 The same was the case two thousand years ago during the war between the demon race and humans.

 Or it could be that the god of madness is acting in accordance with his own order, just like the Heavenly Father.

 But it doesn't make sense to me.
 What was the point of lying to Cerise about being the selector at the time?

 Even though Gorloana didn't remember it clearly, she would have confirmed Ceris as the selector with the power of the trace gods.

 It felt uncomfortable, as if the facts presented at the beginning were being painted over afterwards.

''.......What does this mean?''

I don't know, but we'll find out one by one. But we'll find out one by one.

 After descending for a while, they found a passage in the middle of the spiral staircase that led into the side.
 Giste looked in that direction and nodded his head in a persistent manner.

 If you look into the magic eye, a strong magic power was flowing out of it.
 As if to threaten us.

Hm. You seem to have noticed.

 I stepped out loosely and proceeded down the pathway.
 Eventually, I arrived at a place that opened up my vision.

 There are various murals around the area, even the high ceiling is densely painted.
 There was a wide stone staircase in the center, and at the top of it was the ruins temple.

 And in the middle of the stairs, a demon tribe wearing a large eye patch was standing with a spear. 
 It was the Dark Lord Iges.

'How dare you call for the demon king while Kaihiram is sleeping. Dumbfounded woman.''

 He turned his one eye on Jiste.

"Please. I don't know what the reason is, Dark Lord. I don't know what the reason is, but you don't have to be so stubborn. I'm sure that the ghosts that the Dark Lord wants to destroy will be taken care of by the Dark Lord.

 Then Yggess said.

'It is the role of the ghosts to slaughter the ghosts. It is not the act of the living.'

 He gives me a sharp look.

"This is territory that you are not allowed to enter.

"Yeejus.

 I headed straight for the stone steps where he was standing.

"Why did you take Viaflair?

It is known. It was necessary for my purposes.

To destroy a ghost?

I don't have to answer to you.

 He said, without a care in the world, "Who is this ghost?

"Who are these ghosts?

It's none of your business. This is my business. You can go home and worry about the peace in Dirheid. When the time comes, the men of the House of Heroes will return to Gaeladite.

What's it to me?

 Stopping in my tracks, at the bottom of the stone steps I looked up at Yeejus.

'Then why are you guarding the Genesis Aerial?'

If you ask the question, you won't get the answer.

 I don't mind Ygess's response, but I continue to speak.

'To defeat the ghosts? You can be ruthless for your own purposes. But before I met you, you were different. The you I saw in the Book of Traces and the you I saw in the Genesis Era were both compassionate, sometimes drifting, and in those harsh times, you were still a strong demon tribe that did not forget to be kind.

 Keeping his mouth shut, Ygess stared at me with his ship's eyes.

'Two thousand years ago, there was an event that changed you. And it had something to do with me. In other words, isn't the relationship between you, me, and that ghost shown in the past that the Founding Star Erial sealed up?

 To my question, but Yeejus doesn't answer.

'You keep it there so that I don't know about it. Maybe it's for a purpose, but it's what you do because it's consistent with your beliefs.

 If our goals are aligned, we will cooperate with those in different positions.
 The Dark Lord Iges is neither an enemy nor an ally of anyone, he just acts according to his own beliefs.

That's all well and good, but I would advise you, my dear. But I would advise you, Demon King Anos. If you try to cross the spear with the naive belief that I'm on your side, you will only end up in the end.

 The Red Blood Demon Spear Dichid Atem was held at the top of the stone steps by Yeges.
 So the question and answer is useless.

''Do you think your spear will be able to stop my steps?

Can and can't is out of your mind. If you insist on that, Demon King. I shall pierce this ghost's spear, which I have spent a lifetime perfecting.

 The mind that is being sharpened like a blade can be clearly seen from here.

 The Dark Lord's consciousness is focused only on the demonic spear in his grip and me below him.
 There's no hesitation or preoccupation. He even disregards his own life and turns into a single spear.

 It's like a ghost that is only doing its job.

 The state of affairs that the dark lord ejus, who has been training and refining his skills, has reached.
 The demon spear that has reached this point will show unimaginable brilliance.

It's amazing that you can't imagine the endgame in front of me. But if you have forgotten, I will remind you again and again.

 Magic radiates from my entire body and I pierce Yeejus with my gaze.

'Two thousand years ago, who did you lose to?