Chapter 256: Ragnarok (2)

Carl quickly scanned the surroundings.

Just from the presences he sensed, there were dozens—no, more than a hundred.

‘Four forces from the Demon Realm, and one from Prometheus’ side.’

There was no immediate need to confront the demigods.

They too, as beings who served the gods, would find the Demon Realm’s presence equally displeasing.

Even if they claimed neutrality, they wouldn’t interfere.

‘Let’s erase at least half before we begin.’

Carl had no intention of standing shoulder to shoulder with inhuman beings that had long been gnawing away at the continent, regardless of how Ragnarok was supposed to proceed.

Sshhk!

Just as Carl, who had kicked off the ground, was about to charge toward the watching Demon Realm faction—

Fwoosh!

—“…Combat within the central corridor is prohibited. Please abide by the regulations and pacts. Violators will receive appropriate penalties.”

A translucent force field formed between them, halting all movement.

Carl, who had been rushing forward, stopped in place and looked upward, retracting his sword.

“What a bothersome method. It could be settled more easily through a simple contest of strength.”

“Foolish.”

The response didn’t come from the Fairy King, but from elsewhere.

From one of the Demon Realm’s factions, a being radiating a menacing presence stepped forward, sneering at Carl.

“The rules of Ragnarok are a minimal safeguard. Without them, a mere human like you wouldn’t be able to raise his head arrogantly and speak so brazenly here.”

“A demon, huh. Laughable.”

Carl twisted his lips into a smirk.

Drawing forth the Divine Thunder Sword, he summoned his divinity as a vivid green light ignited along the blade.

Sensing the divine presence infused in it, the demon stiffened, his expression hardening.

“No need to be so desperate. Not a single demon will be leaving this place.”

“…So you’re a worshipper of the demigods. I see why you’re so conceited. But do you truly believe that with only the power of a half-baked god, you can stand against the Demon Realm?”

It seemed the four Demon Realm factions had already joined hands.

With the demigods’ worshippers, the Holy Church, and the human faction all participating, it was likely they had agreed to eliminate the outsiders first, then determine the winner among themselves.

It was a rational decision, but not one that matched the nature of demons, at least not the ones Carl knew.

Ssshh.

While Carl stood confronting the Demon Realm faction, others were also entering the central corridor through the passageway.

“……”

As the number of people behind Carl grew, the atmosphere within the hall grew increasingly heavy.

Then, the leader of Prometheus’ followers, who had remained quiet until now, stepped forward and pulled back the hood of his robe.

“How interesting. Has Kylos joined the alliance of the Chief God and humans?”

“Better than siding with heretics and demons.”

As Carl shrugged, the man chuckled softly.

“Well, I suppose that’s true. This must be the first time we’re seeing each other face-to-face. Shall we introduce ourselves?”

“Carlos.”

“They call me Matthias. I believe my people have owed you a few debts over the years.”

“……”

Matthias was a man with a slender build and short green hair.

He appeared to be in his early to mid-forties.

Considering that clergy possessing divine power often looked far younger than their actual age, he might have been older than he appeared.

Carl studied Matthias for a moment, then glanced behind him.

He sensed a few familiar energies.

They were likely heretics he had encountered before.

“I hope the outcome will be favorable to us all. Now then, Fairy King Mabel, it seems all qualified participants have arrived. Shall we begin?”

At Matthias’ words, the Fairy King Mabel scattered light dust as she gazed over those gathered in the corridor.

Then, nodding slowly, she finally opened her mouth.

—In accordance with the pact and regulations passed down from ancient times, I hereby declare to all dimensions that Ragnarok begins here and now. All participants, please remain silent.

Clap.

Her two small palms came together in perfect unison.

At the same time, immense mana erupted from Fairy King Mabel, filling the ceiling of the corridor.

“…This is…”

Crown Prince Yulian, standing beside Carl, widened his eyes and looked up at the Fairy King.

Though smaller than even a child, she was a ruler who governed an entire dimension.

The mana she possessed far exceeded all known limits.

As Carl watched the spellwork Mabel was weaving with calm composure, a question arose in his mind.

‘Why don’t such powerful beings participate in Ragnarok?’

It wasn’t just Fairy King Mabel.

Dragons, elves, spirits…

Even excluding those present, there were countless others across the continent who could be considered among the strongest.

Even the weakest force here—the humans—had joined Ragnarok, so why did those beings choose not to appear?

Fwoooosh!

The spell Fairy King Mabel had been drawing was complete.

From what Carl could see, it was a spell related to communication—sending a message somewhere.

However, the coordinates of the receiver were so twisted and complex that he couldn’t determine the destination.

He glanced at Yuria, who slightly shook her head as if to say she didn’t know either.

When all the light finally faded, Fairy King Mabel swept her calm gaze across the room.

—Now then, I shall begin the explanation of Ragnarok. This event is a ritual for Ascension, to be reborn as a true god. Those bound by shackles are not eligible. Only mortals may participate.

New information, never heard before, flowed out one after another.

“…Ritual of Ascension?”

“What in the world is that…?”

While confusion spread through the human faction and the Holy Church, the Demon Realm and Prometheus’ followers remained unmoved, as if they already knew.

‘I see.’

Carl, on the other hand, had been vaguely expecting something along these lines, and narrowed his eyes.

Ragnarok—just as the name suggested—was a battle commemorating the end.

Then what follows the end?

‘A new beginning, of course.’

A stage to determine the god of the new world.

And that right was granted only to mortals—to humans.

Pure humans, humans who served demigods… Then what about the demons—did that mean they were also a branch of humanity?

‘The Ritual of Ascension must refer to a demigod ascending to the full divine seat.’

He roughly grasped the human side’s role.

But if the Demon Realm emerged victorious, what would they gain?

Given the vast stretch of time, it was unlikely the Demon Realm had never once won.

Yet never in the history of the Middle Realm had a demonic invasion ever been truly successful.

That meant they had entered Ragnarok with their own purposes in mind.

‘If I can exploit that opening, perhaps I could use them.’

Finishing his judgment in an instant, Carl looked toward the Fairy King and waited for the next announcement.

—Ragnarok consists of a total of five gates. Points will be distributed differentially based on performance and results in each gate, and when all rounds conclude, the faction with the highest total score shall be granted the glory of Ragnarok.

Gates and points, huh.

Carl let out a hollow chuckle.

‘Looks like we’re holding Walpurgis Night here instead.’

Or perhaps, Walpurgis Night was modeled after Ragnarok in the first place, so it was only natural.

Carl carefully observed the reactions of the other factions.

After all, he still questioned the premise of this place being the stage of Ragnarok and even the authenticity of Fairy King Mabel’s presence.

‘But what if a faction refuses to accept the results?’

The existence of gates implied that various abilities, beyond simple strength, would be tested.

What if a dissatisfied faction attempted to crush everything with brute force and seize the throne of Ragnarok?

「That would be impossible.」

‘Kylos.’

Kylos, who had remained silent all this time, finally spoke.

Since entering the Ragnarok corridor, Carl had allowed her to observe the outside world through his eyes.

He had found her continued silence strange, but now she finally broke it.

‘What do you mean by impossible?’

「Fairy King Mabel isn’t the only guardian of Ragnarok. All those bound by shackles—those unqualified for the Ritual of Ascension—are watching.」

‘Which means……’

「If anyone tries to overturn the results by force, the guardians will step in. The Fairy King, the Dragon Lord, the High Elf Chieftain, and the Spirit Kings.」

Even hearing their names sent a chill down the spine.

It was thanks to such beings that the order of Ragnarok was being maintained.

‘In other words, if one possessed overwhelming power, they could overturn the result and dominate through force.’

「Don’t tell me you’re thinking of…」

‘Just a hypothetical. Even I couldn’t take all of them on at once.’

According to historical records, it took dozens of Sword Masters and mages working together to hunt a single fully-formed dragon.

If that was the case, the Dragon Lord, ruler of such dragons, would be a being beyond all measure.

Even if the entire NOX moved together, they might not stand a chance.

‘But we haven’t been idle either.’

Kylos’ divine power was an utterly foreign and contradictory force.

That was why Carl had instinctively understood.

To advance the Primordial Unity Divine Art to its next realm, he would need to absorb the divinity of all demigods and step into a new horizon.

‘An unexplored domain no one has ever set foot in.’

If he could reach that place where not even the Divine Warrior who created the Primordial Unity Divine Art had arrived—

Wouldn’t that be true godhood?

—You are granted a two-hour grace period before the start of the first gate. The theme of the gate is ‘water’. Within the corridor, you are free to move as you please, so long as you do not violate the pact or law.

“Is it possible to form alliances with other factions~?”

A female demon raised her hand and asked.

Fairy King Mabel nodded.

—Of course. Alliances are permitted, and you may even yield the throne of Ragnarok to another. Please, enjoy your time.

Fwoosh.

With a shimmer, the Fairy King vanished.

Immediately after, a universally recognizable countdown appeared midair.

【02:00;00】

“Let’s head in, then.”

As Carl turned his body, members of NOX followed behind.

Naturally, Crown Prince Yulian and the human faction joined them, and the Holy Church also moved in the same direction.

‘A magically expanded space.’

Upon exiting the central corridor, a palace-like space unfolded before them.

A vast lake, gardens planted with nameless flowers, endless rooms and dining halls for lodging, and even a training ground—everything was perfectly prepared.

“Well then, for now…”

Carl looked at Crown Prince Yulian and Cardinal Nadram.

The leaders of each faction had much to discuss.

Yulian and Nadram both nodded, and Carl turned to his subordinates.

“Everyone, take a rest for now. I’ll speak with them briefly and return.”

“Make sure to preserve your strength.”

“Queen.”

“Understood.”

The dozens of people dispersed quickly to rest.

Of course, the areas were strictly divided.

Even among allies, full trust was not assumed.

“Now then, let’s move as well.”

Crown Prince Yulian glanced at the floating counter in the air and continued briefly.

“Doesn’t seem like we have much time to spare.”

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