Blood tax

Chapter 584: Okay, let’s finish. If you see no problem, sign it. At the end, write—

"Join me and stop the end of the cycle of reincarnation," said Salorian. "This is my last chance for you."

This is a lie!

According to Erza, Salorian's motivation is to transform himself into the ultimate Shoggoth and be with Iletia. Griffith can confirm this from the "Potion Brewing Notes" and past clues - Salorian has been exploring the transformation and fusion of different life forms.

The original intention of fighting against the end of the cycle might be true, but it is more likely to avoid being swallowed by the virtual world before or after becoming a shoggoth. Moreover, with the shadow copied by "The Loser Eats Dust", Salorian does not need Griffith to carry out his plan... It can even be said that at the current stage, Griffith with self-awareness is an unstable factor.

Then, why did Salorian say this? It concerns the fate of himself and the world. There is no reason for a big man in the high position of dictator to take risks... Griffith and Erza exchanged glances quickly and made speculations almost at the same time.

"I was killed once before you came."

"Oh, is that so?" Erza's eyes flashed with a smile, "It seems that Galadilla's efforts to destroy the ring Minos have not been in vain.
"Mr. Dictator, Griffith and I are indeed at a disadvantage, but we are not in an irresistible situation. You still have two weaknesses."

Salorian and the two shadows were silent. Erza saw through the flaw in an instant:

"First, you are worried about the interference of the gods. The more desperate the Hand of God is, the more powerful the intervention of the gods will be. The erosion of the Void Devourer is indeed dangerous, but the blessing bestowed by our gods is by no means a joke!
"Second, you can't easily kill us in 'The Losers Eat Dust'. Every field has rules. I speculate that if you are killed in this field, you will enter a deeper level or time and space. Only when the rules are triggered, we will not be annihilated, and the shadows will not truly replace us. Their existence is limited in time and conditions..."

Before Erza finished speaking, the terrifying figure of Salorian was approaching. Griffith tried to resist, but Erza's shadow attacked from the side and broke his wrist with just one blow.

At the last moment, Griffith saw his own shadow raising Conviction and aiming...

"Bah!"

……

The violent echo hit the brain, and the vague but close mumbling sound lingered in the ears.

who am I?
I tried hard to open my eyes, and saw two swords and a spear and shield scattered on the ground. The moonlight shone through the window and fell on the dark floor.

where am I?
A ball of fireworks suddenly appeared before my eyes, exploded with a "bang", and the colorful fireworks lit up the night sky.

what am i doing?
The noisy sound echoed in my head, as if someone was desperately ringing the church bell in my ear. After a while, a clear voice came into my ears...

"Griffith!"

"Hey, wake up!"

The pitch rose slightly and a hand slapped across the face.

Erza leaned over and shook Griffith anxiously, trying to wake him up. Seeing no response, she found a glass of water from somewhere and poured it on Griffith's face.

"Ah, cough!"

Griffith struggled for a long time. All kinds of confusing feelings pressed on his chest like a mountain, and his head was splitting.

"I felt like a lance had stabbed into my head," Griffith pointed to his forehead. "It hurts terribly."

"We were just killed once, and your painful memory was that your head was blown up by your own gun." Erza's face was also very pale, "By the way, I died miserably too.

"Thalorian can't directly wipe out our existence, but he can inflict pain and make us collapse."

So where is this place?
Griffith staggered to his feet. He looked out the window and saw a bustling market, with beautifully dressed people happily crowding the streets. The buildings here looked familiar. This was not Homerworth, but a small town somewhere...

"Is this Bremi Town?" Erza looked at it for a while and understood, "Look there, on the other side of the sea, that's the outline of the Carefree Palace." "So, this is the celebration of the summer meeting!?" Griffith asked in surprise, "Can Salorian's domain really create time and space?"

"There must be some restrictions!" Erza pulled Griffith towards the door. "Whether traveling through time or creating time and space, an anchor point is needed. Salorian may be using his own memory or consciousness, or he may be using a seal or a psychic node to locate. In any case, it is only a matter of time before he and our shadow arrive here. We cannot stay here, let's take a look at the environment first."

It was obvious that this was a second-floor guest room in a small hotel. The room was well furnished, with elegant carpets, a double bed, a wardrobe, a table and chairs, and a bathroom. The two pushed the door open and ran into a burly man.

"Griffith? Ugh! You, Valkyrie!?"

The big man was startled by the two people who pushed the door open. He jumped back like a mouse that stepped on a mousetrap and almost fell off the railing on the second floor. Griffith looked closely and found that it was Lana.

The boy was wearing casual clothes, with a sword hanging from his waist. He was not wearing any armor or uniform.

"Rana? What are you doing here?"

"Ah, this... I..." The sturdy hussar blushed and was speechless, "What are you doing?"

As he was talking, Fiona came around the corner of the corridor. She was also surprised to see Griffith. Then, she saw Erza beside her and was surprised for a moment, then her expression became even weirder.

"Griffith~" the Countess asked word by word, "Who is she?"

"..."

……

Griffith quickly explained the situation. While he was giving a brief explanation, Erza looked around cautiously, and Fiona stared at the huntress with hostility. Rana stood aside like a bear caught stealing honey, smiling awkwardly from time to time.

"The world is about to be destroyed... I am the Hand of God... The key to victory lies in...

"Salorian has become Archon, and he wants to turn us into puppets...

"Galradia is in danger. During our investigation, we fell into the realm of Salorian, a constantly changing time and space..."

Fiona gave Lana a pen to take notes and asked questions from time to time:
"This red-haired Miss Erza is the only one who entered the realm to help you?"

"Is such that."

"She was your former squadron leader and one of the Hands of God?"

"Is such that."

"Then, you were teleported here?" Fiona asked, "to the suite of this Chestnut Carl Stew Hotel, and left at ten o'clock in the evening."

"I think your wording may cause misunderstanding..." Griffith leaned over to look at Lana's shorthand and thought it could be modified.

"Just tell me, did you two come out of the hotel room at 10 o'clock at night?"

"Uh..." Griffith muttered for a while, but finally responded, "Yes, that's it."

"Okay, let's finish it," Fiona snatched the paper from Lana's hand, who was smiling, and handed it to Griffith, "Check it and sign it if there is no problem. At the end, write -

"'I have reviewed the above information and confirmed it is correct.'"