She had defied an archangel's orders and helped humans. It wasn't just breaking the laws—it was completely burning them.
Giving up on excuses, Peope grumbled, "So, what are you going to do now? I'm done for."
Rian offered, "Come with us."
Peope asked, "What?"
Rian explained, "Come with us. There are many interesting things in our world. Since you saved us, we'll do our best to save you too."
Peope quickly turned away. Honestly, this was a bit touching. But she couldn't accept the offer. Going to the human world wasn't difficult, but that wasn't why she had done what she did.
Peope said, "Forget it, you fool! Think about saving your friends first!"
Rian kept his guard up while checking on Canis's progress. Currently, Canis was using the power of darkness to cut through the women's handcuffs.
A voice echoed from the ceiling: "Elixir of Life progress: 40%."
Amy shouted, "Hurry! We're running out of time!"
Canis snapped, "Be quiet, you pumpkin! If my focus wavers, I might cut your wrists!"
Canis was rotating a blade-like shadow to cut through the three women's handcuffs. Since the cuffs were tight against their skin, precision was crucial.
Kariel, moving to evade Harvest, was growing increasingly annoyed. He considered canceling the Elixir of Life and simply annihilating them. There were probably 50,000 ways to kill them using the power of creation. But he couldn't cancel the Elixir of Life.
Even though the information transfer had reached 40%, none of the women showed any positive reactions.
Kariel thought to himself, 'They're the best candidates. I can't give up on them.'
As a last resort, Kariel opened a portal. With his remaining mental energy, he could summon a fairly powerful demon, and he had just the right candidate in mind.
Kariel commanded, "Answer my call, Baalv."
As the new demon appeared, the Grand World Hall was bathed in an ominous light. Everyone except Canis looked up at the ceiling, counting the number of horns. It was a two-horned demon.
Baalv introduced himself, "The Sleep Demon, Baalv, at your service, Lord Kariel."
He was a dashing middle-aged man. His hair was slicked back, and his ears were pointed. He was as tall as an angel, wearing a cloak with a high collar.
Kariel ordered, "Subdue the humans. The Elixir of Life must not be interrupted."
Baalv replied, "That is indeed my specialty. Understood."
Baalv placed his right hand on his chest and landed on the ground.
Rian said, "Peope, hold this for a moment." He handed the Meta-Gate to Peope and charged at Baalv. But even with his determination, he couldn't get close. As he approached Baalv, his mind grew foggy, and his consciousness began to fade.
Rian thought, 'What's this? Suddenly feeling sleepy…' Feeling drowsy in a life-or-death situation was impossible unless he was insane. It had to be some kind of ability.
Realizing this, Rian quickly retreated. Once he was out of the invisible range, his consciousness returned. But the fatigue from lack of sleep remained in his body.
Rian muttered, "Damn it, what kind of trick is this now?"
From giants to fairies, demons to angels, they all had absurd abilities. Looking back, he felt ashamed that coming to Heaven had only burdened his friends.
Baalv turned with a dignified air. "It's useless. You won't even be able to swing your sword at me."
A red gem slowly orbited around Baalv. Maybe that was the problem?
Rian assumed a swordsman's stance and slowly closed the distance. As expected, once he crossed a certain boundary, the red gem glowed, and drowsiness began to overwhelm him again.
Rian thought, 'Damn it. It's that thing, after all. What is it?'
No one knew the gem's true nature, but Harvest, the magical creature, sensed its unique wavelength.
Harvest communicated to Canis, "Canis, this is bad. We should retreat for now. It's an Objet."
Canis replied, "An Objet? That's an Objet?" He had only heard about Objets from Arcane and was seeing one for the first time.
An Objet is an object. What sets it apart from ordinary objects is its ability to exert strange influences on the external world. Some Objets are even familiar to humans, like the cursed Blue Diamond or the flying carpet.
Humans often collect various items, so it wasn't strange for Maras, who had traveled through countless worlds, to possess at least one of these objects.
It was said that a certain Mara owned an object of bloodsucking that could absorb the blood of those around it. Another object, the object of hatred, could incite rage and drive someone to commit murder.
The object of Baalv was the object of slumber. Any creature that entered its area of influence would fall into a deep sleep.
As the gem's rotation sped up, its effects began to affect Canis as well.
An overwhelming drowsiness washed over him. He bit his lip, trying to endure it, but if he continued cutting the shackles like this, the women's wrists would be severed.
'No! I can't leave Arin behind!'
Blood seeped from his bitten lips.
Amy and Tess, who were watching him, couldn't offer any advice.
The only person who could stop him was Arin.
Arin: "Canis, there's still time. Step back for now. If you keep going, you'll collapse before you can save anyone."
Canis: "Damn it! Damn it!"
He knew he had to retreat.
Just a little more, and he could cut through the shackles. If only he had the immense power of his master, he would have already severed them all by now.
-Data transfer rate: 50%.
Canis: "I'll save you. Just wait a little longer."
Unable to face the women, Canis moved out of the object's area of influence.
As if by some miracle, his mind cleared. But the pain he had endured remained unforgettable. It was a force far beyond any sleep-inducing magic.
'That's right, coercion. That's the characteristic of an object.'
Objects were anomalies in the material world. Due to some cosmic error, the very concept of the object had been twisted.
Thus, since they didn't violate causality, it was impossible to block an object's power by any means.
Moreover, time was running out. Summoning the sleep demon in a time-limited situation was an excellent choice.
Canis: "Rian, stay back. I'll handle this."
Canis switched places with Rian. The object of slumber was like poison to a swordsman with weak mental resistance.
Peope: "Guys! Look over there!"
Peope pointed to the entrance of the Great World War and shouted.
The giant Ymir was charging toward them, dragging his massive body.
Rian's eyes widened. Though he seemed smaller than when they first saw him, there was no doubt it was the same giant.
Even the usually composed Canis couldn't hide his anger this time.
Canis: "Damn it! Even the giant is coming!"
Rian: "Stay calm. I'll handle the giant. You take care of Baalv."
Considering their compatibility, it was the right decision. But Rian wanted to face the giant himself, regardless of compatibility.
In their first encounter, he hadn't even managed to land a critical hit, but this time, it was his turn to show what he was made of.
As Rian reached the entrance, Peope flew over, holding the Metagate.
Peope: "Hey, what about this?"
Rian: "Guard it for me. We'll definitely come back."
Peope: "What? How can I handle something this important…!"
Peope couldn't finish his sentence. It was an overwhelming and unfair request, but seeing Rian's face, he couldn't bring himself to say anything more.
This wasn't the face of someone who was certain they'd return.
Peope: "But if things get dangerous…"
Rian turned to Peope with a gentle smile.
Rian: "Just abandon it and run. Nothing is more important than your life."
Peope clenched his teeth and made a sour face.
How could someone say such a thing? Why were humans so foolish?
Peope: "Stop talking nonsense! Why can't you just be honest? You want me to protect this even if it costs me my life, don't you? Without this, you can't return!"
Rian didn't respond.
Peope: "You idiot! The opponent is Ymir! The king of giants, Ymir! If you fight him, you'll die for sure!"
Finally, Rian realized. So, his name was Ymir? Not just any giant, but the king of giants.
Then he was a worthy final opponent.
Peope's chest tightened. Was this what it meant to be human? Compared to fairies, whose lives were as short as a mayfly's, did humans burn so desperately because of their fleeting existence?
Rian blocked the entrance. Backlit like a solar eclipse, he appeared strangely larger.
Peope: "Your name… your name…"
Peope struggled to speak, his voice choked.
Peope: "What's your name?"
He asked Rian. Revealing one's name in Heaven was dangerous, but Peope felt he needed to know. They had come to trust each other.
Rian: "I am Ozent Rian."
Rian raised his great sword and looked back at Peope.
Rian: "Shirone's sword."
Thud!
Rian drove his great sword deep into the ground, leaning against the blade and lowering his stance.
Ymir charged forward, his mouth twisted grotesquely.
Ymir: "Kukuku! So, we meet again? You'll need to do better than last time to call yourself a warrior."
Rian: "Come at me, king of giants."
Ymir didn't slow down as he rushed forward.
Feeling the overwhelming pressure of a rolling boulder, Rian braced himself and let out a roar.
Rian: "Uraaaaaah!"
Ymir's shoulder slammed into Rian's torso as he crouched.
The greatsword bent as if it would snap, then sprang back with elastic force.
Crack!
A sound of something breaking came from Rian's abdomen. Blood gushed from his throat, staining the sky red.
A shockwave pierced through Ymir's chest.
The battlefield where the greatest swordsman and warrior of Heaven clashed was devastated.
Craters marked where they had passed, and wind blew through shattered windows.
Ymir leaned against a wall, laughing. As the shockwave's siqgnal washed over him, his body began to disintegrate at the cellular level.
Ymir: "Kukuku, not bad. How does it feel? The feeling of stabbing me."
Ashur's expression was bitter. Though Ymir had lost his body, he wasn't one to allow such a strike easily.
Ashur: "…Was that your 'fragment'?"
Ymir was a giant who had achieved the tenth stage of the unparalleled legend of alcohol. No one knew how many bodies he had absorbed, but it was commonly believed to be over ten thousand.
Ymir: "Giants aren't incapable of using their heads. Take your time. I'll go ahead and wait for you."
As Ymir slowly collapsed, Ashur's sword sliced through his head and emerged.
Moments later, bubbles rose from Ymir's body, and it dissolved into a black liquid.
Ashur glared at the liquid pooling at his feet. As he opened his palm, his sword transformed into a signal and vanished.
Ashur: "Damn it, I let my guard down."
Ymir disliked strategy, considering it a weakling's fallback. But today, he set aside his pride and chose to head to the Great World War.
An animalistic instinct? No, a superhuman instinct.
Ymir liked simplicity but always triumphed over complexity because of one innate trait.
The instinct to smell war.
Throughout Heaven's history, Ymir had always been at the heart of war.
This time was no different.
He had sensed that the events of the Great World War would be the key to reclaiming his body.
Ymir: "I might be too late."
Though their natures were opposite, Ymir's sense of smell was reliable.
His decision to abandon the battle and disappear meant there was no need to stall. The situation in the Great World War was dire than expected.
Ashur kicked off the ground and left the battlefield.
Arin: "Canis! Step back! You can't go on any longer!"
Arin shouted. It had already been ten minutes since Canis entered the object's area of influence. Yet, instead of retreating, he increased the speed of his magical attacks.
Baalv had retreated, as if Canis weren't worth his time. While the Mara was fundamentally superior to Canis, with the object in play, he had no reason to intervene directly.