Lord of Mysteries 2: Circle of Inevitability

After several seconds, the Circle of Inevitability finally used the fixed tributary of fate to escape the influence of the Darkness symbolism.

However, neither He nor Eternal Darkness Amanises continued the battle. Instead, They both turned Their attention to a peripheral region of the star dominion.

There, an illusory mirror shattered, and Lumian, with three heads, three torsos, and six arms, emerged. His body was wrapped in rotting green-yellow flesh and burning with deep, pitch-black flames.

That massive body, covered in decaying flesh, continued collapsing inward toward a central point. It began with the chest at the center, followed by the right arm, and then the left side of the abdomen. Within the collapsing body, a dark spot emerged, so deep it seemed to contain the entire universe.

Each collapse greatly heightened Eternal Darkness Amanises's sense of danger, and She quickly realized that the development might not align with Their original expectations.

When Klein had fully awakened and accommodated Sefirah Castle, he had consulted only two high-ranking existences to plan Their responses to various scenarios. One was Lumian, who possessed the swirling face of chaos and both the masculine and feminine aspects of the mirrored Original Creator. The other was Evernight Goddess Amanises, who held the authority of Concealment. This prevented Klein's awakening and Their plans from leaking.

Snake of Mercury Will Auceptin, only learned of Klein's awakening in the Nation of the Evernight. Klein had helped Him accommodate His Uniqueness, but He was unaware of the details.

Thus, Amanises already knew how Lumian, as the Origins of Disaster, would deal with the Monarch of Decay and what would unfold in the process. Now, it seemed everything had gone as planned, yet the result appeared to have taken an unexpected turn.

The anticipated outcome was for Lumian to create a power akin to the Fourth Pillar, annihilating both the Monarch of Decay and himself while completely erasing the feminine and masculine aspects of the mirrored Original Creator, Cheek's consciousness, Alista Tudor's consciousness, and the malevolent dragon's consciousness.

If Lumian, as part of the Fourth Pillar by virtue of being the Origins of Disaster, Calamity of Destruction, managed to endure the destructive force longer, Eternal Darkness Amanises would withdraw the powers She had shared with him. This would destabilize the Fourth Pillar's terrifying force. Meanwhile, Lord of Mysteries Klein would employ New Birth, Grafting, and other methods to potentially save Lumian. However, in doing so, the chaotic cluster of consciousnesses within him might persist, leaving the fragile balance he currently maintained uncertain.
Now, this outcome was coming to fruition, yet it seemed something even more horrifying was brewing.

Moments later, Eternal Darkness Amanises observed strange phenomena surrounding Lumian's rapidly collapsing body.

An endless, frozen universe devoid of vitality appeared. Darkness, which seemed intent on swallowing everything and compressing it into a single point, emerged...

The symbolism of Termination-opposing the symbolism of Genesis - has appeared. This is not supposed to happen. The universe has not yet reached its end, and the Fourth Pillar cannot be born... Eternal Darkness Amanises's gaze suddenly froze.

She thought of a possibility.

Lumian's body not only contained the powers that composed the Fourth Pillar but also held the symbolisms of the Monarch of Decay and the masculine and feminine aspects of the mirrored Original Creator. When the power representing Termination collided with the feminine and masculine aspects of the mirrored Original Creator, which now finally had the chance to interact during this destruction, there was a possibility for the Termination power to sublimate into Termination symbolism! It had to be known that those symbolisms included "anything that can go wrong will go wrong."

Once Termination symbolism emerged, even if only briefly, it would be a terrifying event. At best, all life in this galaxy, including the Great Old Dominators, would be completely annihilated, unable to resurrect. At worst, the entire universe would reboot!

Eternal Darkness Amanises immediately withdrew the powers of Death, Eternal Silence, and Twilight that She had shared with Lumian. Yet, Origins of Disaster Lumian's body, consciousness, and spirit continued collapsing.

The arrival of Termination symbolism seemed inevitable.

At this moment, the Circle of Inevitability abandoned the golden giant Buddha representing the Key of Light and returned to Lumian's side through the astral world.

Seeing this, Eternal Darkness Amanises recalled the hint from Genie and did not intervene. Instead, She followed the Circle of Inevitability back to the original battlefield, closely monitoring the situation.

The attacks of the High-Dimensional Overseer against the Celestial Master and Celestial Thearch's projection slowed. He was already preparing to ascend dimensions and flee the galaxy instantly, though even that might not ensure His safety.

Primordial Hunger, which had been feasting on Grisha Adam, also paused. Acting primarily on instinct, He began showing signs of retreating.

The central body of the Circle of Inevitability, with its mercury-colored face of suffering, pointed toward the astral world. The Angel of Redemption, who had been fighting at the edge of the universe, instantly returned to Him, transforming into slivery-black light that merged into His embrace. The remaining Sinners, unsure of what was happening and now lacking the protection of the Sequence 1 Archangel, all chose to withdraw from the battlefield and return to Their divine kingdom.

Next, the Circle of Inevitability's left dark body and the right body composed of redemptive light simultaneously caused the illusory River of Fate to emerge. The main trunk represented the past that had already occurred, while its tributaries represented futures about to become reality.

The future was already determined, and every tributary led to the same outcome.

The Circle of Inevitability's two bodies each formed a hand sign. The Future Redemption Body created a new tributary within the mercury-colored tributary where no other possibilities or developments existed- a tributary capable of preventing the appearance of the Termination symbolism.

The Past Sinner Body caused the figures of the Monarch of Decay within the River of Fate's past to be replaced one by one with figures of the Circle of Inevitability. Conversely, the original figures of the Circle of Inevitability were replaced one by one with figures of the Monarch of Decay.

Substitution symbolism!

This was the highest level of the Substitution Spell.

Sensing His past being rapidly replaced, the Monarch of Decay did not resist. Instead, He hoped the Circle of Inevitability would succeed.

He saw the light of redemption.

As Lumian's body collapsed further, the Circle of Inevitability's Present Sufferer Body separated a Sequence 1 body composed of redemptive light. This body formed a hand sign aimed at Lumian.

In an instant, the decayed body of the Monarch of Decay within Lumian was miraculously switched with the Sequence 1 body of the Circle of Inevitability. One returned to the outside world, and the other entered within, completing the substitution.

Now, Lumian no longer accommodated the Monarch of Decay but rather a Sequence 1 avatar of the Circle of Inevitability.

As soon as the Monarch of Decay left Lumian's body. He was instantly covered layer by layer in golden armor plates. However, His surface bore multiple cracks that penetrated the gold and decayed flesh, with deep black flames still burning within.

The Monarch of Decay did not linger and entered the astral world, fleeing far away.

Even with the Mother Goddess of Depravity's healing, His wounds would take sixty years to recover. Without appropriate assistance, it would take hundreds or even thousands of years. He dared not remain in this star dominion any longer.

Eternal Darkness Amanises chose not to pursue Him. Instead, She continued monitoring the Circle of Inevitability while assisting the Celestial Master and Celestial Thearch's projection.

Having lost the symbolisms of the Monarch of Decay, the collapse of Lumian's body and the emergence of Termination symbolism slowed significantly but had not yet stopped.

…

The Mother Goddess of Depravity used Her power across space to "fix" the consciousness and spirit of the Goddess of Fate, preventing them from being stolen by the Lord of Mysteries. Klein, however, was pleased rather than angered.

High above in the boundless gray fog, a marionette that Klein had hidden in advance returned to this star dominion, appearing near the weakened Supernova Dominator, who had fate stripped.

From the start, Klein's true target had been the weakened Supernova Dominator, whose many symbolisms had been rendered unusable by the Final Judgment. His initial moves against the Goddess of Fate were meant to force the still-recovering Mother Goddess of Depravity to fully assist Her eldest daughter. This would make it difficult for the Mother Goddess of Depravity to intervene in Klein's subsequent actions against Supernova Dominator.

Unlike the Lord of Mysteries, every Great Old Dominator had Their own specialties.

Normally, a single marionette of Klein's would not stand a chance against a complete Great Old Dominator. However, Supernova Dominator had not yet recovered or fully returned after suffering Final Judgment.

Wearing his black coat and half top hat, Klein produced another Abomination Beyonder characteristic, covered in viscous black slime. Raising his star-encrusted cane, he transferred the massive star cluster-still unconnected to reality and unable to wield its symbolisms of weight and density-into the grotesque tree-like humanoid object.

The Abomination Beyonder characteristic began to bulge and crack as if it were about to explode. Klein's body then projected a bluish-black illusory door of light.

The door's projection landed on the Abomination Beyonder characteristic, stabilizing it. The object quickly transformed into a transparent, dreamlike crystal of constellations.

Klein then threw this astral crystal into the spirit world, continuing to seal it off.

This was to prevent the Mother Goddess of Depravity from aiding Supernova Dominator in escaping.

Of course, a Great Old Dominator like Supernova Dominator-whose consciousness, spirit, sefirah, Uniqueness, and Beyonder characteristics were all intact-could not be completely sealed. He was not in a state of post-revival dormancy but rather leaned heavily toward reality.

In two or three minutes, He would naturally break through the seal and emerge from the Abomination Beyonder characteristic. Even if Klein reinforced the seal, it would not delay Him much longer.

But a two- to three-minute delay was sufficient for the current battle.

If victory was achieved, Lord of Mysteries Klein would have ample time to retrieve the Abomination Beyonder characteristic.

While exerting his full symbolic power to seal Supernova Dominator, Klein abandoned his attempt to Steal the Goddess of Fate's consciousness and spirit, allowing Her to regain Her body.

This, too, was an opportunity.

Klein's coat billowed as he seized the moment to impose the Foolishness symbolism upon the Goddess of Fate.

Initially, he expected the Mother Goddess of Depravity to interfere, but both he and She became simultaneously aware of the developments in the other battlefield.

Klein wasted no time. Opening a Door, He traveled to the star dominion where Lumian and the others were, leaving behind a high-frequency flickering figure. He Deceived the Goddess of Fate, who was under the Foolishness symbolism, causing Her to foolishly enter the spirit world as it briefly opened. She intended to use it as a shortcut to the Key of Light.

Around the Goddess of Fate, a vast labyrinth rapidly formed as the spirit world's seal was restored.

For a Great Old Dominator in the domain of Fate, pure luck could enable Her to exit the space-time labyrinth and escape the spirit world through the River of Fate. However, this would take several dozen seconds.