At that moment, in Russia.
Kukwakwakwakwang!
"Kuhahahahaha!"
Craaack! Clang! Kwaang—!
Yuri Orlov, surrounded by radiant light, erupted in mad laughter. The area was already devastated, but how could he not laugh? Thomas Andre! He was proudly fighting back against that absurdly strong giant!
"Hahahaha! Do you see! I have truly achieved it!"
[Achieved what?]
Kwaaaaaang—!
Thomas Andre, now the King of Giants, Monarch of Conquest, retorted to Orlov's words while simultaneously, mercilessly slamming a giant fist down upon his head.
Ruuuuumble!
This was truly overwhelming power. A massive crater formed as the ground sank under the King of Giants' fist. The impact gouged the earth hundreds of meters deep, and the shockwave rattled the entire land… And yet, despite it all, Orlov was unharmed.
"...Hehe."
Countless S-rank barriers. Orlov had succeeded in blocking Thomas Andre's overwhelming power by layering his barriers one after another. Of course, each of those barriers was 'merely' S-rank. No matter how transcendent S-rank Hunters were among humans, they were not at a level to dare block the power of a Monarch.
"...Hahahaha."
But at this very moment, it was different.
Fwaaaaaaah—
Between the overlapping barriers, Orlov, having blocked Thomas Andre's fist with both hands, burst into arrogant laughter.
"Uwahahahaha! Did you see! This is me! The Unwithering Spring is finally complete!"
Flash!
Simultaneously, even more divine power began to pour out from his entire body. The project he had prepared while deceiving even the apostles! The Unwithering Spring plan was a grand success!
The result: even without reaching the Arctic base, an endless stream of divine power had been flowing into Orlov's body for some time now. In fact, even after blocking that tremendous attack from Thomas Andre just now, his mana was not depleted. Quite the opposite! An even greater amount of divine power was flowing into him! It was truly the completion of the 'Unwithering Spring'.
Boom!
Orlov, having blocked the attack, soared high, surrounded by radiance. And then, a counterattack!
"How dare you! Invade… My… kingdom!"
Contrary to his furious shout, Orlov's face was filled with ecstasy. He no longer cared why Thomas Andre had suddenly invaded Russia. He didn't care how he had gained the ability to transform into a giant. The only thing he was somewhat curious about was how Thomas Andre had managed to wield 'Apostle-level' power.
"I know not how the likes of you obtained such unmanageable power, but!"
…It no longer mattered.
Flash!
Orlov, soaring high, sharpened several barriers using immense divine power.
Craaack! Clang clang!
"With a target this large, every spot is a weak point!"
And unleashing that power in all directions, he began to indiscriminately shred Thomas Andre's giant body.
Swish swish swish swish swish!
How could he contain his laughter on such a joyous day?
"Kuhahaha! Behold, everyone! I shall show the entire world! Me, Yuri Orlov, overwhelming Thomas Andre! Now I no longer need to bow and scrape before the apostles!"
At this very moment, he was recalling the past. The numerous humiliations he had felt while dealing with the Outer God Cult. The apostles of the Outer God. Those unidentified beings possessing power far transcending human limits, before whom he had to curry favor, forcing smiles through those nauseating and shameful moments! And then. All the moments throughout his life as a beggar, when the whole world had laughed at him.
Flash—!
All those moments of humiliation, at this very instant, had become nothing but radiant glory, held in his hands.
"Behold this power! Can you even dare to feel it!"
Orlov shrieked like a fanatic, relentlessly pushing Thomas Andre to the point of breathlessness. Pouring the powerful divine energy, which refilled endlessly no matter how much he used it, upon the giant before him.
"This endless power held in my hands! Finally, the great Itarim's divine power resides within me! Now I have truly become…! An apostle with infinite power!"
[Apostle of the Infinite]
To become an apostle of an Outer God with no power limit. That was the true goal Yuri Orlov had endlessly craved until now.
Crrrrrack!
His plan had succeeded.
"Now this world is mine!"
And along with the endless power granted to him, Orlov's suppressed greed also grew uncontrollably.
"Now I will become not just the ruler of Russia! But the ruler of the entire world! The ruler of the world! Yuri Orlo—!"
[Tsk.]
Unable to watch any longer, Thomas Andre finally clicked his tongue.
[How childish.]
Then, with a thoroughly unimpressed expression, he deflected Orlov's fierce attacks with one hand. As if tearing down the curtain of a terribly childish and uninteresting play.
[I kept listening to see what nonsense you were spouting, but…? World conquest? Hah, you get a paltry bit of power and that's all you can think of?]
"…?!"
At that moment, Yuri Orlov's eyes widened in bewilderment. Thomas Andre had clearly been on the defensive, unable to even dodge his fierce attacks, taking them with his bare body. But was it all a trick?
Wooooooooosh—!
Suddenly, an immense aura began to pour out from Thomas Andre's entire body spreading in all directions. At the center of that immense power, Thomas Andre looked down on Orlov from an impossibly high place. …With an expression of utter revulsion.
[My interest has waned. You foolish and disgusting old man.]
"Wh-what did you say?! How dare you…!"
Yuri Orlov once again focused his infinite divine power and unleashed an attack. But there was no intention of holding back any longer.
[Just die.]
Thomas Andre scoffed, taking the attack with his bare body. Then, he immediately raised a giant foot and stomped down hard on the ground where Yuri Orlov stood.
Boom!
Yuri Orlov's body, insect-sized when compared to the King of Giants, Monarch of Conquest, was crushed flat. The impact was enormous. The surrounding several kilometers vibrated from the pressure alone. Buildings shook, trees in the forest were sent flying, and the sound of the atmosphere tearing was heard. At that moment, Yuri Orlov deployed S-rank barriers layer upon layer, just like before, to block the overwhelming attack.
Craaaaack!
But this time, the result was a little different. The moment the mountain-like giant's foot descended, its shadow alone plunged Yuri Orlov's entire vision into darkness. And from beyond it, Thomas Andre's sneer was heard.
[Infinite power, you say? Fine. Try blocking this for the rest of your life… However long it might be]
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Thomas Andre did not stop. He lifted his foot again and stomped on Yuri Orlov, again and again. Until Yuri Orlov's barriers, hard as a turtle's shell, became as thin as an eggshell.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Several times.
Crack! Crack! Thud!
…repeatedly.
And as that overwhelming attack repeated…
Keuk! Euk! Eok…!
Yuri Orlov began to be flattened along within the hard fishbowl he had created for himself. A tiny scream seemed to come from beyond, but Thomas paid it no mind. After all, hidden by the giant foot, the vermin being crushed to death below was not even visible. All that could be seen was the shockwave spreading in all directions, shaking the earth each time the mountain-like foot slammed into the ground. Just the afterglow of the tremendous power unleashed by the King of Giants.
Kuuuuuuung!
And eventually, Yuri Orlov met his end. Trapped within the fishbowl he had created, crushed into a pulp within the cracked and flattened, sturdy barrier. Lifting his foot, the horrific sight was revealed. Thomas Andre clicked his tongue.
[Tsk. Is it over? That was all he amounted to?]
It was a little anticlimactic. For a scumbag who had betrayed humanity and secretly consorted with the invaders from the outer universe…
Faaah—
It was then. The body of Yuri Orlov, beaten to a bloody pulp, suddenly floated into the air.
[…Hm?]
Faaaaaaah—
Thomas Andre couldn't help but be bewildered. A golden divine power was still flowing from the corpse, which had been crushed so much it no longer resembled human form. But an even more surprising thing happened next. From the completely flattened, bloody pulp of Yuri Orlov, a monotone voice began to flow out.
"Great Itarim— Bless us—"
That voice was perfectly identical to what the fanatics at the Arctic base had been muttering.
Fwaaaaaaah—
[…?!]
Thomas Andre was bewildered, an even more radiant glory burst from Yuri Orlov's corpse. Simultaneously, his body, which had become a flattened mess of blood and flesh, began to rapidly return to a human form.
'Forcibly.'
However, the result was by no means 'human.' Thomas Andre's eyes widened.
'Barrier.'
Thanks to the endless divine power, the barrier that had surrounded Yuri Orlov's body was being restored into a 'human form.' And within that human-shaped fishbowl, something that had already become a bloody pulp and died was flowing inside, in a bizarre and grotesque form. Like a transparent container filled with a mound of mud. And… that mound of mud opened its mouth, continuing to 'pray' in a monotone voice.
"Great Itarim— We offer ourselves as a sacrifice—"
[…?!]
It was a prayer and an incantation directed at an unknown god. A curse, and a blessing.
[A sacrifice?]
At that moment, Thomas Andre, who had become a Monarch possessing the Primordial Darkness, instinctively realized the hidden truth.
[Don't tell me this guy was a sacrifice?]
This was a sense akin to instinct. A 'truth' he automatically realized through the Primordial Darkness he harbored. How could he not know? Monarchs too had embraced the Primordial Darkness in a similar manner…!
It was none other than…
'A Ritual.'
There is a prayer. There is a wish. There is a vessel. And a sacrifice was offered.
[Are you listening, Sung Suho!]
Thomas Andre shouted urgently. Hoping his words would be transmitted through Sung Suho's Shadow Soldier, listening somewhere.
[This guy, Yuri Orlov, was actually a sacrifice for Itarim! And his purpose was surely…!]
'Summoning.'
Or…
"Oh Itarim. Descend upon this land."
'Advent.'
Before long, Yuri Orlov was smiling, even in his bizarrely transformed state. After all, he had succeeded in his plan. Until now, Yuri Orlov had striven to pierce a hole directly connecting to the dimension of the Outer God. The goal was for the immense divine power of the outer universe to be endlessly sucked into Yuri Orlov through that hole.
And indeed, that experiment succeeded.
But. Itarim was by no means a merciful god who would grant the prayers of a mere creature. Consequently, while Yuri Orlov's plan succeeded, the Outer God's true purpose also succeeded at the same time. The moment Yuri Orlov died, holding an immense amount of divine power personally handed over by the Outer God, beyond the limits of his own body. He was completed as a true 'sacrifice.' Thus, a 'ritual' in the truest sense was performed. And the immense divine power that lost its master through Yuri Orlov's death returned entirely to the Itarim. The result was truly tragic. At least for humanity. Itarim could now exert its 'influence' much more directly on Earth, with just a single 'eye.'
And right at that moment. In the secret Arctic base hidden by Yuri Orlov. In its very center. The 'eye' of Itarim, which had been peeking into this world through a deep, narrow hole, found 'Sung Suho.'
[Oh.]
The Outer God Itarim's voice directly penetrated Suho's mind.
[Interesting.]
Interesting. This one word was by no means simple. The being called by the name Outer God was an absolute existence that had lived for long eons. To them, who had watched countless universes be created and destroyed, most events were now just tedious and boring. They were truly beings living in endless nihility. But very occasionally, events that piqued the Outer Gods' interest would occur somewhere in the universe. At that moment, they would pour all their attention into that 'interesting thing'. In that sense, the moment the Outer God's 'eye' found Sung Suho, the Outer God became very interested in the existence known as 'Sung Suho.' In the first place, it was rare for an Outer God to utter the word 'interesting'… That word in itself was very 'powerful.'
Flash!
At that moment, the Outer God's eye looked beyond Sung Suho, and came to 'see' the entire planet called Earth. Immediately, that power realized. Because the 'ritual for the god' had been completed with the death of the perfect sacrifice, Yuri Orlov.
* * *
He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.
— Friedrich Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil
* * *
"Wh-what… is that…"
Suddenly, before the eyes of all humanity living on Earth, the sky began to open. Like a crack forming on a giant pane of glass, a black line was drawn across the blue, peaceful firmament. And soon, the crack gradually widened, and the sky itself split apart.
Crrrackle! Crrackle!
Beyond each crack in the sky. The scenery of a far, distant dimension of the universe unfolded. It was the dimension ruled by the Outer God, Itarim. That place was truly a living hell… First of all, the colors were different. If Earth's sky was a warm blue, the world beyond was a mixture of crimson red and toxic purple, a color nauseating just to look at. And in that sky, black rain fell ceaselessly. But it wasn't water. A sticky, vivid liquid was falling like droplets of blood.
"Uuup!"
"What on earth is that…!"
People couldn't help but retch upon seeing the sight. Just by 'looking,' an instinctive and fundamental fear welled up. The 'god' had merely looked at this land, but that alone forced all mortals living here to look back at that place. And the scenery of the dimension ruled by the god who governs that distant universe… pierced through the dimensional wall far beyond the sky and 'was simply seen' by the eyes of every creature on Earth.
And they saw what filled that land, what writhed upon it. They were monsters of a form far more horrific and bizarre than the magical beasts that had invaded Earth so far. Giant centipedes the size of mountains crawled around by the dozens, and spiders even larger than them had spun colossal webs. Countless corpses hung from those webs. Those corpses were of races completely different from humans. And the identities of those feasting on those corpses… a few defenders of Earth realized.
"Good heavens."
"Don't tell me all of those are…"
"Apostles?"
The apostles who had invaded Earth were teeming beyond the sky.