Unusual Fate Records

Chapter 102.040. The Beginning of the Final Chapter

Iris Opera House.

Thick smoke billowed from inside the building.

Even in secluded places, the rumbling inside can be heard.

Greedy dodged the antelope's charge with its horns, but when it turned around, it saw the hippopotamus galloping towards it, trampling the ground. It had no choice but to give up the idea of ​​fighting. Meanwhile, the giant ape dismantled a row of iron steps used by the chorus in the opera house and used them as projectiles. The violent impact caused the steps to collapse into countless iron frames.

"They can't be killed!" Greed plunged his knife into the beasts' heads countless times, but the four beasts remained alive and well the moment afterward.

“This isn’t an opera house at all, it’s more like a gladiatorial arena.” He quickly bandaged his arm with a strip of cloth, his body covered in sweat, blood splattered on his forehead, a dagger dangling from his mouth, yet he still had the mind to joke.

“These are all inanimate objects.” Arrogance stood back to back with him, holding a short, curved blade to intimidate the beast horde.

They continued to roar and charge forward, completely irrational.

“They’re all puppets. Since we can’t see through their magic, let’s just behead them.”

Greed gripped the dagger in its mouth again, then plunged it into the head of the approaching antelope. Taking advantage of the hippo's weight and immobility, it forced the temporarily lifeless antelope into its mouth.

The giant ape tore down the ceiling, its fins cutting through the water like a shark's, and scooped up all the steel and concrete above, breaking them off like pieces of biscuit, then grabbing a stone slab and throwing it away immediately.

Although the noise was loud and the smoke billowed, it lacked accuracy. The corridor had many recessed spaces, and one could easily squeeze in sideways to avoid the shattered stones.

The python did not attack again from beginning to end. Using its two large bodies as cover, it coiled around the still intact fire pipe and stared at the two people from a distance.

After a moment of greedy maneuvering, his gaze passed through the entrenched beast and looked towards the inner glass window, where the stage was located in the very center.

“He’s there,” Arrogance said, understanding perfectly.

"I think so too." He grinned greedily, then his face darkened. "Go."

"I wonder if these guys are afraid of fire." He unfastened the safety pin, bit off the metal ring, and threw it at the bulky hippopotamus.

Just as the bloodshot hippopotamus threw out the remains of the antelope, an incendiary bomb banged right in front of its eyes, and the sound of the hippo crushing wood echoed from the stairwell.

Flames spilled from the windows of the stairwell, and the shattering glass rattled softly.

Undeterred, the giant ape braced itself on its forelimbs, unleashing flames, and relentlessly pursued, leaving a trail of craters with every step. Fierce flames flickered in its eyes, and its sharp fangs made it appear even more menacing.

After it swept away the flames in front of it, it found that there was no one around the corner.

At this moment, the lights in the opera house went out, and rows of red cushions could be seen in the darkness. Further away, only a few lights on the stage, like crisscrossing bands of light, cut through the space, creating a clear distinction between light and darkness.

Pride and Greed exchanged a glance. They were standing on the highest stand at the bottom of the entrance hall, overlooking the entire stage except for the circular railing above.

The roars of beasts outside, mixed with sounds of violence and destruction, shattered the tranquility of the space. Arrogance and Greed cautiously moved forward.

The steps were covered with a red carpet, and the two of them carefully stepped over them.

When they reached the middle of the altitude, the two stopped.

"Thump, thump, thump."

Four spotlights focused on the center of the stage, converging on a man who could be vaguely seen leaning on a cane, one hand supporting the tall hat on his forehead.

"Here he comes."

The man's voice echoed throughout the hall through the sound system.

Qingliu raised her head, the brim of her hat reaching her eyebrows, her eyes smiling, yet carrying a touch of nostalgic warmth.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

Even during their last encounter at the hotel, the two never looked each other in the eye.

He grinned greedily, but said nothing, silently raising the dagger to his front with his hand reversed.

"Hmm," Arrogantly replied.

"You said you saved me back then because the white color I was wearing looked good. Does it still look good now?"

Arrogance, through the gauze, seemed to examine it carefully for a while before saying, "Now, it's black."

Aoyagi chuckled and raised his white glove to cover his mouth.

"Because of your words, I once thought I was unique." The tenderness in his eyes slowly faded, as if falling into an ice cave, covered with fine frost. "Until you saved Ryoma, it must have been for the same reason, right? He was also pure white, wasn't he?"

Greed squinted his eyes, and arrogance appeared cold on the surface, but that didn't mean he was oblivious to emotions.

"Ah."

"Then there's no place for me anymore." Qingliu muttered, rubbing her temples in exasperation. "There's movement, there's movement again..."

"Tch tch." Aoyagi chuckled to himself, raising his hand to pinch the brim of his hat. "Then let's begin, our final performance."

"Although you arrived early without prior notice, it doesn't matter. I've been working hard for this moment for three years!"

He became more and more passionate as he spoke, and at the end, he spread his hands, causing all the stage lights to turn on at once.

The interior of the opera house is clearly visible.

Looking up, you see a golden, arched building, concentric circles that converge to form the central "Eye of Heaven" with exquisite patterns. A dazzling array of colors—gold, purple, orange, and red—is displayed against the sky. The interior design exudes eclecticism, blending Baroque style with classically simple column curves. The circular arches and rich color blocks, along with the pristine white stone sculptures, create a striking visual impact.

Arrogance and greed were both serious.

The red and white carpet, interwoven with brocade patterns, was filled with rows of red cushions trimmed with gold, where silent spectators sat.

They were groups of puppets, staring blankly at the stage, tilting their heads with a slight creak, their pupils colorless and lightless, without any extra movements.

"Dear audience members, today we will be performing the play, 'The Final Judgment'." Aoyagi bowed respectfully to the audience with a graceful and composed demeanor, like a poised and elegant host.

"Let's give them a round of applause."

After he finished speaking, the puppets, with their heads hanging down, suddenly started clapping jubilantly like a tidal wave, making a creaking sound.

"Now, let's invite the actors to come on stage; they're already eager to go."

Greed had no interest in this kind of impromptu acting with him, his gaze burning: "You're too immersed in the role."

As Qingliu turned around, his face suddenly turned cold. He beckoned with a gloomy expression, and as if given permission, giant apes, giant hippos, antelopes, and jungle pythons rushed out from the passageways, accompanied by bursts of beastly roars.

The giant hippopotamus, with its bulky body, rammed in along with the entire door frame, plowing over all the cushions and piling them up like a small mountain. The giant ape was equally imposing, prying open the wall with its left hand and ripping up the seats, nails and all, with its right hand. It gripped a row of seats tightly with both hands, forcibly standing them up to a height of five meters. The crooked cushions, thrown by its immense force, flew through the air towards Greed.

Arrogance vanished instantly, it shifted its position, leaving a trail of light as it rushed toward Green Willow; while Greed, understanding the situation, immediately turned to fend off the four unintelligent and brutal beasts.

(End of this chapter)