Apocalypse Forecast

The piercing alarm sounds triggered panic and screams within every shelter. Amidst the chaos, there were constant cases of trampling and crowding.

But all the noise and clamor came to a sudden halt at that moment.

As Morando raised his hand, a bronze-colored bell appeared in his grasp, swaying gently.

The clear ringing of the bell spread through the night, carrying with it the lingering echoes of nightmares.

In that instant, countless red eyes opened in the darkness, bursting forth with overlapping whispers, narrating a tale from the Abyss.

”Nightmare.”

The old man murmured hoarsely, ”A nightmare is hatching...”

The teenage girl cried out in horror, ”A woman, an ill-omened woman walks in the darkness.”

An infant in the cradle opened its naive eyes, staring at the phantom world before it as it blurred into flesh and blood, uttering the piercing language of the Abyss, ”The affectionate mother opens her arms, embracing this despair in full...”

”It’s a fine night,” someone called out softly.

”Yes, it’s a fine night—”

Behind Yuan Yuan, the stupefied Yuan Zhao opened his hollow eyes.

”—The fine night at the end of the nightmares is waiting for us.”

On his fingertips, which had once touched a bracelet, the dark breath of the curse unfurled, beckoning the arrival of nightmares.

What followed were laughters: hoarse laughters, clear laughters, laughters mixed with coughing, and the laughters of maniacal fear.

”Paradise!”

Hundreds and thousands shouted in unison, ”Paradise is coming!!!!!”

At this moment, at sea, time seemed almost congealed.

Within the clefts carved into the sea trench, rigid and fractured shadows violently trembled, emitting sharp cries mixed with joy and sorrow.

Writhing, writhing, writhing!

From within the broken scars, a pitch-black fountain burst forth from the sea, heeding the call of the Believers, howling towards the silent Group Star.

It was as if a writhing black hand firmly gripped the edge of Group Star, crossing that line of despair.

Discarding the bulk of its shell and might as if they were worn-out shoes, the Ruler from Hell descended upon Group Star—

And right at the edge of Group Star, next to that writhing hand of darkness, the middle-aged gentleman leaning on a cane raised a finger and slightly tipped his hat, greeting the uninvited guest embarking upon the vessel.

The writhing darkness paid him no attention, not even pausing for a moment, and desperately flowed toward the deeper parts of the vessel.

Matthes smiled faintly, unconcerned, merely glancing briefly before retracting his gaze.

He raised his cane, and with the sharp eagle’s beak at the tip, he slit his index finger.

Bracing against the acrid sea breeze, he lifted his finger and stretched it forward, letting that single drop of crystal-clear blood fall from his fingertip into the sea, vanishing without a trace.

As if admiring a breathtakingly beautiful scene, he opened his arms wide and chanted loudly in adulation, boasting to the world of this unparalleled achievement of his own.

”—S Rioghail Mo Dhream!”

How noble is my blood!

And thus, the Endless Sea boiled over, as if unable to bear the too-precious blood within.

With every deception and seal unveiled, this power from [Golden Dawn] operated unobstructedly in the sea, sprouting and multiplying rapidly, as if to reap the fruit immediately after planting the seed.

This single drop of blood, carrying the endless genealogy of the Abyss, began to rapidly take root and germinate, expanding and corroding, causing the entire shattered sea to boil.

With earth-shattering roars, countless bright lights emerged from the sediment of the Abyss.

They were the sharp crystals breaking forth from the sea.

Numerous sharp and angular crystal pillars tore through the ocean’s cover, soaring skyward, spiraling upwards, until at last, they formed solemn massive columns that stretched dozens of kilometers high.

In a perfect double helix, the spiraling pillars of crystal shone with scorching light.

Thousands of columnar stones crisscrossed each other, forming a defense, a fortress, or perhaps more accurately... a prison, isolating the inside from the outside.

At this very moment, both Group Star and the Rotten Dream Queen were completely engulfed within this spiraling cage spawned by the blood of the Abyss!

Three minutes had passed since the first explosion.

”Checking the time, it should be about now, right?” Matthes mused, slightly lifting his eyes, gazing at the exterior of the crystal prison, the dark sea beyond, waiting quietly.

「Meanwhile, outside Central Decision Room No. 4 of the Asian Jurisdiction Bureau.」

Flames blazed, but they didn’t dance.

The vast buildings disintegrated, but there was no collapse or rumbling.

This was because the instant the explosion occurred, everything was forcibly frozen in place by the laws of physics. As if a supreme decree had been issued, every molecule was locked in place, unable to move.

Time stood still at the instant of the explosion.

A semi-transparent projection emerged from the void, looked up at the spectacle of the explosion before it, nodded, then turned to the approaching rescue team and instructed, ”Follow the established procedure for gradual unlocking and rescue. Hurry to salvage the losses and personnel. From here on, I leave it to you.”

The Scholars presiding over the Border framework saluted and assented.

The projection then vanished without a sound.

When it reappeared, it was above the silent sea, gazing through the crystal jail at the face of Matthes.

”How should I address you?”

In the projection, the man, also holding a cane, gazed at Matthes’s face. ”Which master from the Golden Dawn has come here? Edward White? Woodman? Or perhaps... Creator Matthes?”

”Samuel McGregor Matthes.” The graceful middle-aged gentleman lifted his hat and introduced himself.

”Yegor,” the new arrival reported his name.

”The pillar of the Jurisdiction Bureau, the hand of peace.” Matthes nodded in realization. ”The preacher’s fame reverberates even in the Abyss. As a successor, you have done well.”

”Now that swords have been drawn, let’s dispense with the pleasantries, Mr. Matthes,” Yegor spoke coldly. ”It doesn’t matter why you fell into the Abyss. When you stand in the way of the Astronomical Society, you become our enemy.”

”So how do you plan to defeat me then?” Matthes laughed, relaxedly asking, ”Do you intend to beat me with your cane? Although I have always considered myself a scholar, I wouldn’t lose to someone suffering from childhood paralysis in a fight.

”Or perhaps, do you intend to use your sermons and sharp teeth to refute my beliefs? To reform me? Ah, Current Circumstances seem to be quite fond of such plots recently. Might I also experience it?”

”You might be disappointed.” Yegor shook his head. ”As the Secretary General of the Central Decision Room of the Jurisdiction Bureau, I am not adept at fighting. I’m here merely as a mascot. The one who will truly be your enemy has just arrived.”

Behind the projection, a rainbow light descended from the sky and flashed by.

A giant engulfed in flames stepped forward, trampling the sea beneath him, shouldering a sword of bright light from the Miracle Imprint. The sword blade shed fiery light as if the sun itself had been endowed with an edge.

Divine tyranny!

Colonel of the European District Jurisdiction Bureau, a Fifth Stage Sublimator from the Nordic Genealogy, The Crowned One—Surtur!

Following him was a grim man wearing a black robe and a Bachelor Crown. His eyes were narrow, his expression harsh and stern, as if he held great discontent for the world.

Yet with his appearance, it was as if time itself had abruptly reversed; even the wind and tide beneath his feet seemed completely changed.

All the crystal pillars above the sea area instantly shrank by a large portion and could not grow back. The defense, previously impervious, now showed slender cracks.

There on his black robe’s chest was a white Tower Emblem. His Bachelor Crown, adorned with gold tassels, attested to his exalted status.

The vice-principal of the Ivory Tower, renowned for his erudition among the thirty-two scholars, and also a Sublimator from the Heavenly Kingdom Genealogy, a Fifth Stage Sublimator on the Road of God Marrow

—Cronus!

The last who arrived, tardy, had disheveled hair as if he had just awoken. He held a coffee cup in his hand and looked around with an air of nonchalance and composure, as if he were on an outing.

However, his courtesy was impeccable.

He bent slightly in respect towards Matthes, the old predecessor.

”The Existence Institute’s junior, Shah.”

The overly young Creator nodded to one of the members of the Element of Destructive, the Golden Dawn, standing before him. ”Before I was born, you were already a luminary in genetics; I hope you can offer some guidance on my oceanography.”

Matthes glanced at him with a hint of a smile. ”Whether your studies are truly in oceanography or life science is probably something only you know.”

”Aha, that’s too exaggerated.”

Shah casually tossed the coffee cup aside, preparing to exchange more pleasantries, but was interrupted by the grim vice-principal from the Ivory Tower, Cronus, who scoffed and launched a bold Offensive.

The wheel of time emerged!

BOOM!

A grand power collided in the void. The crystal prison trembled slightly, fracturing, then quickly healing.

”The youth of today are indeed fearsome.” Matthes smiled calmly. ”This old man needs to preside over the double helix’s Secret Ritual and cannot extricate himself; the other two colleagues shall take my place...”

As he spoke, from above, within the endless Abyss, two fearsome stars suddenly emerged, plunging down toward the Endless Sea.

From the midst of the wild rumbling, a shocking blast of air spread in all directions.

From that moment, the war began.

Boss, it’s bad news!

The thought had blared in Huai Shi’s mind five minutes earlier, just as she had found a quiet corner and attempted to communicate with The Fly King—an alarmingly terrified roar from Beelzebub.

It’s all over, it’s all over, it’s all over! Pack your things, divide up the Border Relic, and run away—

”Calm down, my friend.”

Huai Shi sighed with resignation. She’d seen it all. How could a tattered old book be so alarmist? Perhaps it had never seen the world before. ”Has some black-hearted woman been kidnapped again?” she muttered.

Beelzebub screamed frantically from between the pages, I smell it, the Golden Dawn! It’s undoubtedly them! Those Second fifths are coming to kill us!!!

”What the heck?”

Huai Shi felt a darkness before her eyes. It was like being hammered hard, her brain rocking wildly. Her legs nearly gave way, barely able to stand.

Heavens, real trouble is brewing.

She was barely holding on.