Chapter 1142: To ’Protect’ This World

"How many answers I get? Hm... You’re a peculiar one. I believe I have only had this question asked to me around eight times give or take. A frighteningly low amount." Oth’Zeruun chuckled?

Alice wasn’t sure if what she heard was a chuckle but if gave off the impression of one.

However!

The main issue was that this had been asked eight times! There were eight other people who had asked this Outer the same question.

Perhaps they had the same idea as her. If they did...

She had to be careful with her approach.

"I would get an answer one every three or four attempts. Sometimes my manifestations are too strong and harsh on the mind. They simply couldn’t accept my presence.

"As for answers I enjoyed, it’s rather sporadic."

Alice nodded her head.

Oth’Zeruun was humouring her in this moment. Like a person with a passing affection towards a stray cat.

Soon enough, they would go about their day.

"I’m guessing my answer was rather common."

"Indeed. When questioned like this, few are able to understand the true nature. Fewer can give true answers for doing so requires them to understand themselves at a deeper level.

"One must consider what they are willing to do for the world."

"Huh?" A confused expression appeared on Alice’s face yet Oth’Zeruun didn’t blame her.

"When one is hurt by something, it’s only natural to seek vengeance. To be hurt then hurt back. Of course, depending on circumstances, forgiveness can be given.

"But that is not the case for the world. If the world order is inherently wrong, how can one even give forgiveness? I’ve had dear children ask me to erase such misguided history. And in return, I have done exactly that."

’F*ck! Can he not say scary things like that??? ’ Alice wanted to cry on the inside!

She wanted to fight! She wanted to solve this with brute force but she couldn’t!

She had to act like she was sitting on a chair of nails!

Each word could be a possibility of destruction. Simultaneously, it could also be a guiding light.

"Then... If I had said I didn’t like the world, would you destroy it?" Alice smiled nervously.

"Perhaps. But that also depends on whether or not this world is worth the effort. Sometimes they spiral down the path of destruction themselves."

Alice raised an eyebrow.

"Outers can get laz- COUGH!!! Sorry, I meant to ask if you got bored of your status." She blurted out instinctively before quickly correcting herself.

[. . . I swear to gods if you die from saying the wrong thing.]

’. . .’ Alyss wanted to pull on the cheeks of her twin!

How could her twin be so competent in fighting yet be so foolish at the same time?

"I don’t get bored. No, our emotions simply register differently. Erasing worlds is no different to breathing. It’s simply a necessity. But like how you humans prefer clean air over miasma, there are certain worlds that we prefer over simply consuming everything in sight." Oth’Zeruun explained.

Alice noted it down as being picky which earned another beating from both Cayla and Alyss.

Trying her best to ignore her mental self taking the beating of a lifetime, Alice turned her gaze back onto the strange Outer who had done nothing to harm her so far.

At least... nothing compared to Nyer and the others.

He had been ’relatively’ peaceful.

The question now was...

"You mentioned whether or not a world is worth the effort. What do you think of this one? Is it worth your safe keeping?" Alice asked.

As contradictory as it may seem, she needed to offer this world to the Outer before she could think about saving it.

"No."

A simple answer that broke her plans apart.

But she didn’t lose hope.

"No?"

"Indeed. This planet does not warrant the effort of waiting." Oth’Zeruun shook his head.

An omnious feeling crept over Alice’s heart.

Her fingers tightened.

"Does that mean you want to destroy this place?"

Oth’Zeruun tilted his head momentarily as though not understanding Alice’s question.

"I do believe I mentioned that sometimes a world would spiral down destruction on its own."

Usually, Alice might’ve felt glad hearing this kind of news. But for some reason, the bad feeling refused to disappear.

She so desperately wanted this scary Outer to be someone she could reason with but...

"Sh*t..." Alice mumbled, massaging the bridge of her nose.

[I’m ready to go.] Cayla now had a serious expression. Though she had been beating Alice up for her foolishness a moment ago, she had also split off a portion of her focus to repurpose Velouria’s golden chains.

Taking a deep breath, Alice turned to the Outer God one last time.

The final moment of their peaceful discussion.

"You don’t want to wait nor do you want to destroy." Alice stared him in the eye. "You’re going to remake this world before it travels down the spiral of destruction aren’t you?"

*CRRRACK

The Outer God’s mask split apart.

Shards broke and revealed ’void’ beneath the layers.

A hollow curve.

Its eye arched into a crescent moon shape and he stood motionless while staring at Alice.

Oth’Zeruun ’smiled’.

A strange smile that was both merciful yet the most creepy thing Alice had ever seen in her life.

A smile that sent chills, a smile that caused her instincts to scream.

Either run...

Or be prepared to give up your life in defiance.

There was no middle ground, no mercy.

Run and prolong her life for a few extra measly seconds or fight for a slither of hope which would most likely end up with death.

"It is the best mercy that I can give to you. A world devoid of hope, hopelessly tumbling towards destruction. I can see it.

"I can see the pattern of this blue star. Countless piles of sacrifices in the name of justice and defiance. Only to fail in the end. Even if you win...

"At what cost?" Oth’Zeruun’s voice was transmitted into Alice’s mind.

He had stopped ensuring Alice’s safety during their conversations as blood trickled down her nose and eyes.

"Are you going to be the ruler of an empty world? Are you content with allowing your enemies victory? If he is going to wipe out this world to start anew, why not let me handle its recreation. I assure you, you and everyone you love will be right by your side."

Before he could continue, Alice transformed Helena into a longsword with floating copies around her.

*BANG!!!

Stabbing the sword into the ground, golden chains were projected from the copies as a barrier formed around Alice.

"PUAH!!!" She could finally breathe. Taking deep breathes, she forced her gaze at the Outer.

"Yeah but that’s just me and everyone ’I’ love yeah? What about people I don’t love? The people I don’t know? In this new world, are there even space for the people I have never met?"

*KRKKKK!!!!

The skies tore asunder with the widening of Oth’Zeruun’s smile.

As though the very shifting of his emotions could dictate the stability of this world.

"I just love seeing honest smart children like yourself."

Alice’s face twisted in displeasure.

"How many have you tricked? How many worlds have you destroyed?"

Closing her right eye momentarily, Alice placed her palm over it as golden energy shimmered above her hand.

*BANG!!!

Three Abyssal Relics resonated with one another as Alice activated Cayla who was now burning with a radiant golden flame over the purple iris.

Oth’Zeruun’s authority was momentarily pushed aside.

His incomplete name revealed itself.

Though letters were missing, Alice could still understand what it was trying to say.

His descent was near completion but it wasn’t over yet.

"Have you ever counted the number of breathes you took? Though I may focus on this singular moment, I am beyond the confines of this world. My sense of time, my sense of scale, far eclipses your tiny world. I wave my hand across the cosmic sea and waves upon waves of stars are extinguished at a glance...

"How could I possibly count them all?"

"Tch! So you never reached out to the light because you were curious. It was simply in your way huh?" Alice spat.

Combat was unavoidable.

This Outer could not be allowed to remain in their world.

Even if it attacks from the outside, so long as Velouria’s barrier was in place, it could buy them precious little time for a solution to be made.

Like a ratchet joint, Oth’Zeruun’s head tilted ninety degrees with sickening cracks.

"And here I thought that little head of yours was filled with nothing but thinking of ways for me to ’protect’ this planet. To keep it safe until the time was right. So that no other Major could turn their gaze here.

"You fear the one known as Nyer gaining the knowledge of what has transpired as well as the descent of Outers, yes?"

"A little rude to be reading a girl’s mind now don’t you think?" Alice didn’t make a move.

Not yet.

There was only a brief window of time where she had the opportunity to stand against the Outer.

And that chance had not shown itself yet!

She could not move, she could not attack!

"Be glad that though you were thinking of concealing the truth, you had not lied to me. But even so... Neglecting to tell the truth deserves punishment."

"Resorting to cheating now yeah? Not telling the truth is concealment. Not a lie. But that doesn’t really matter now does it? Not when your nature isn’t even being the False Ancestor." Alice spat.

Before her stood the Major Idol, a star destroyer.

Oth’Zeruun – The One Who Conceals.