Chapter 438

The conference room was filled with a gloomy silence. No one could speak up. The five noble families of the Lord Vampire clan, including Antirianus, and Sarkagar were present. Eleris vouched for Antirianus' return, stating that he was not a traitor and had actually killed the leader of the Kantus Magna and returned. Eleris gave minimal explanation about Akasha's whereabouts, only saying that it was a tool of creation and was currently stored in a safe place. Following Bali's instructions, Eleris had moved Akasha to another location to be connected. They were gathered at the stronghold of Le Luyen, not at the fortified Epiax, which was no longer usable due to the many humans sent there for investigation. They all had some idea of what had happened through the traces of Epiax's collapse. Radia Schmidt had fought someone and disappeared, and the demon king and Royar were being held captive in the temple. Eleris turned pale at the mention of this. Sarkagar blamed Eleris for her weak mercy, which had jeopardized their mission. The only option was a violent confrontation. It was impossible to infiltrate with Sarkagar's shapeshifting ability and impossible to bring anyone out. The only thing to consider was a military conflict. Sarkagar asked if the Black Order could help, but Galarsch shook his head, saying that their cooperation was only to assassinate Kantus Magna, who had already disappeared. The Black Order might even be interested in Akasha. The Council had refrained from contacting them since the incident at the Lich's Tomb, as they were unsure of their reaction if they learned the truth about Akasha. The fact that Ephinhauser had conveyed the news of Bali's captivity was an excessive show of goodwill. Summary of previous part of chapter only for context: In this chapter, the five noble families of the Lord Vampire clan, including Antirianus and Sarkagar, are gathered in a conference room. Eleris vouches for Antirianus' return and explains that Akasha, a tool of creation, is currently stored in a safe place. They are gathered at the stronghold of Le Luyen, as Epiax is no longer usable due to the many humans sent there for investigation. They all have some idea of what happened through the traces of Epiax's collapse. Radia Schmidt had fought someone and disappeared, and the demon king and Royar were being held captive in the temple. Sarkagar blames Eleris for her weak mercy, which had jeopardized their mission. The only option is a violent confrontation. Sarkagar asks if the Black Order could help, but Galarsch shakes his head, saying that their cooperation was only to assassinate Kantus Magna, who had already disappeared. The Council had refrained from contacting them since the incident at the Lich's Tomb, as they were unsure of their reaction if they learned the truth about Akasha. The fact that Ephinhauser had conveyed the news of Bali's captivity was an excessive show of goodwill.

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Since the issue with Kantus Magna has been resolved and they have not shared the truth about their alliance with Akasha, it can be considered over. If they were to ask for help now that the demon king has been kidnapped, it would not be accepted, and there is a high possibility that the Order will ask for Akasha instead of that. The situation is such that they cannot ask for the help of the Black Order. The only thing that exists is the power of the vampire council. It is impossible to recover Bali. Eleris, who is most responsible for this situation, just sits there with a stern expression. Bali will soon die. Antirianus, who had been silent, smiles. "What if we use Akasha?" Sarkagar narrows his eyes at his words. "Didn't you say that Akasha is a tool of creation? How can that help in this situation?" "That's too simplified an explanation." Antirianus looks at Eleris with a subtle smile. "Akasha is already a source of very powerful magic in itself. There must be defenses in place at the palace and the temple that can withstand that level of magic, so it would certainly be difficult to resolve the situation with powerful magic... But what if you think about the fact that it is a tool of creation?" "...." Sarkagar narrowed his eyes. "You mean using it differently?" "For example, making the world only half, and somewhat clumsily." Antirianus chuckles. "Making only half the world...?" "Since Akasha is incomplete, if it is activated now... It will create something that is infinitely close to the world, but not yet the world." Eleris bites her lip at Antirianus' explanation. Although he did not see Akasha himself, as the leader of Kantus Magna, Lukren had heard an explanation of Akasha. As it was a tool of creation, he could only know how it could be used. He had already heard about how to use Akasha and the side effects of using it in an incomplete state. "It will make that world collide with this world." "A very big one." "Something that no one has ever seen or heard of before." "A terrible... very terrible disaster will happen." "Humanity will be in chaos. Castles, bridges, and houses will collapse and be destroyed, and humanity will face a great disaster." "What will happen then?" "Since the world is on the verge of destruction, won't the many wizards and knights who are stationed around the demon king to monitor him have to leave?" "To protect people's lives." "We'll take advantage of that gap." "We'll rescue our demon king." "They will be busy dealing with the disaster that has befallen the world, and they won't have time to deal with us trying to rescue the demon king." "Most of humanity may die, or even humanity may be destroyed, so wouldn't it be easier to rescue him and rebuild the demon world after that?" "So, what I'm saying is..."

"Let's use Akasha, but intentionally leave it incomplete."

Antirianus looked at Eleris, who was biting her lips, as if enjoying her hesitation.

Galarch, Lurien, and Lucinil were silent.

Sarkegar opened his eyes wide.

"That... that method..."

The extinction of humanity.

The rescue of the demon king.

And reconstruction.

They had a means to achieve Sarkegar's three wishes in their hands.

"There seems to be no other option but that method, or any reason to choose another method."

Half of humanity could disappear, or even perish.

Sarkegar thought that if he had such a means, he had no reason not to use it.

"Still... can we do it?"

Lurien hesitated and spoke.

A disaster of excessive scale would occur.

Even if they had the goal of rescuing Bali, it was not easy to make such a decision.

Lucinil looked at Sarkegar with a sad expression.

"I also... hope that our Bali doesn't die... but do we have the right to do that? Even if we cause such a thing... is it right?"

Sarkegar narrowed his eyes at Lucinil's worried words mixed with fear, as they were discussing a disaster of excessive scale.

"Humanity destroyed our world."

"They killed the sons and daughters of Darkland, enslaved them, and now they want to destroy our last hope."

"They destroyed us, looted our land and children, and now they want to destroy our last hope."

"Don't we, me, and them have the right to destroy them?"

"Who started the last war? Wasn't it humanity?"

"If it's not us, who has the right to destroy humanity?"

"They destroyed us, so they should be destroyed as much as they destroyed us, right?"

Lucinil and Lurien couldn't find any words to add to that justified hatred.

Sarkegar thought that Darkland's sons and daughters had the right to destroy humanity. Therefore, he had no choice but to agree with Antirianus' opinion of intentionally using incomplete Akasha.

It was the best choice they had to make.

Even if the demon king died, humanity would be pushed into a state of extinction.

An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

Since you destroyed us, you should be destroyed too.

That's not right.

That's not possible.

We have to find a way to coexist.

To those who have destroyed everything, such talk is nothing but cheap hypocrisy from those who have never been in such a situation.

No one could say anything to Sarkegar, who was filled with anger.

"Of course, I understand the idea of justice, but just because we decide to do it doesn't mean we can do it."

Antirianus smiled and spoke to Sarkegar in a soft tone. "The only ones who know the location of Akasha and can enter it are Charlotte de Gradia, Baliar, and the ancient demon Eleris. Eleris is silent, contemplating the responsibility for her own hypocrisy. Baliar's efforts to prevent the Gate incident will ultimately lead to its occurrence as part of his own scheme to save himself. Eleris considers running away or even taking her own life, but realizes that if Baliar dies and Akasha remains hidden, the Gate incident will not occur. However, she struggles with the idea of sacrificing Baliar's last descendant for the greater good. Sarkegar argues that despite the hypocrisy, they have the right to seek revenge against humanity for destroying their world. Antirianus finds the situation amusing and mocks their sad fate. Eleris remembers a lazy afternoon long ago when a boy entered her shop." "A boy who carried fireball scrolls and seemed familiar for some reason. A boy who had the demon's scrolls for some reason. When she found out that the boy was her last descendant. When she found out that the boy was Baliar's junior, who she had once taught for a few days. Eleris believed that she had a certain destiny. When the boy said he wanted to save the world and knew the future. She believed that her destiny was to save the world from destruction and that it would relieve her of the weight of her sins and killings. But was that not the case? Was her destiny not to do such a thing? Her hypocrisy, which she had built up to avoid the weight of her sins and killings, had pushed her to the edge. Trying to repay the sins she committed with killings through hypocrisy. In the end, committing a sin that no one in the world could forgive. Trying to save everyone. Killing everyone. Was that her role? '....' Was that my destiny?"