Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 1373 Dust to dust to dust
Within the astral plane, filled with various concepts, abstract chaos, and distortions, divine kingdoms with different appearances operate on their own unique trajectories, sealing the gaps in the fragile barrier that constantly appear and disappear with the ebb and flow of tides.

One of the divine kingdoms, whose surface reflects the light emanating from other divine kingdoms and is surrounded by concepts such as "disaster," "yin," and "chaos," is constantly experiencing disasters such as meteorites, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions. Upon closer inspection, one can even discover tiny black holes that are constantly devouring lava, smoke, light, and heat. However, the core area of ​​the divine kingdom remains intact amidst these disasters and presents a streetscape in the style of Rune.

Angel, the mistress of the divine kingdom and the goddess of calamity, was sitting in her most relaxed position on a single sofa in the living room at No. 6 Narcissus Street, watching the image floating in the mirror in front of her, as if she were watching a movie.

The scene in the mirror was a pale, deep underworld, with a huge palace floating in the void and the phoenix progenitor with outstretched wings, as well as Fors, Azik, and Renette, who were equivalent to her followers.

This certainly doesn't mean that "The Fool" Klein's followers were stolen by her. Although Klein probably wouldn't mind, Angel believed that in the hearts of these three angels, "The Fool" still held a much higher position than "The Goddess of Calamity".

However, they had already recited Angel's full name for various reasons. When she was still an angel, she had already fixed the corresponding faith light in the mirror world, and after becoming a true god and establishing her own divine kingdom, they still maintained a two-way connection.

This connection wasn't very useful during the angelic period. It could only provide convenient functions such as true vision, granting power, or accepting sacrifices for a period of time after the other party recited the name of the angel. If the other party also possessed the status of an angel, this connection could even be blocked.

This is also why she didn't suspect that Klein was "The Fool" for quite some time after becoming the "Disaster" witch. After all, it's not something a saint could do to pull people into the gray fog at any time like the Fool, or to send images and sounds of other members.

After Angel became "half of the Old Ones", he discovered that this kind of thing could be easily done as long as one's status was raised to the level of a true god or above. Although Klein could not do it, the "Source Castle" he possessed was a real source substance, with a status higher than the Seven Gods.

Now she can sense the prayers of her countless followers every moment, notice their every move, and even their thoughts will leave a trace in the divine kingdom if they involve the existence of the "Goddess of Calamity". If she hadn't used the mirror to isolate herself from most of the invalid information long ago, she would have lost all patience in the flood of information and brought terrible disasters on those followers who blasphemed the gods in their dreams.

Of course, because of this situation, she also truly understood why the existence of the "Old Days" is itself a kind of forbidden knowledge. If one does not have an angelic status or similar power to protect them, once a concept of these great beings is formed in one's mind, even without fully knowing the name of a particular being, one will establish a mystical connection with these beings in the starry sky, and then be watched and tragically corrupted.

Because each Old One possesses an indefinite number of "symbols" and "concepts" that are necessarily effective throughout the entire universe. These symbols may not be unique and may be possessed by multiple great beings at the same time. However, as long as these symbols and concepts persist, these Old Ones can be firmly bound to them. In any part of the universe, the corresponding concepts will form a mystical connection with a specific Old One, thereby attracting the attention of the Old One through an automatic prayer-response mechanism.

At the level of true gods, this connection is limited to reciting their names or calling out their names in ancient languages ​​containing natural power, such as Hermes or Giants, like "Leodorus." Moreover, even if a connection is established, true gods mostly do not descend their power or bother to cast their gaze upon them, unless the believer is already under their watchful eye or the content of their prayers interests the gods, in which case it is possible to break through automatic response mechanisms such as a mirror image or a "spirit worm" clone and be perceived by the divine being itself.

This is not just because the gods are unwilling to respond to every believer, but because this two-way connection itself represents a certain degree of pollution. Although it is not as strong as the malicious and uncontrolled power of the "Old Days," it is not much different for ordinary people.

As is mentioned in the scriptures of every church: Do not look directly at God.

The subtle difference between the Old Ones and ordinary gods is probably something that most angels do not understand. They understand the terror of the "Old Ones" and know that the corresponding knowledge itself is pollution, but without reaching a higher level, it is difficult for them to distinguish why the information of the Old Ones is deadly to touch, while the true God leaves some room for it. They will naturally attribute it to the difference in power and status, or they will think that the Old Ones are all crazy beings, and that contact with or understanding them is equivalent to pollution.

However, if you come into contact with some believers of evil gods who worship a great being, you will find that although they know the concept of the "Old Days" and even have a clear belief in a certain external god, such as the "Uncertain Mist" or the "Mother Tree of Desire," they are not watched or corrupted by the barrier and are able to remain clear-headed.

Furthermore, according to information Angel obtained from Mr. "Door" and Ms. "Magician," who traveled through the stars, there exist many civilizations in the universe that believe in external gods yet thrive. Some worship the "Great Mother," regarding reproduction and procreation as their sole purpose, spreading their existence to every planet they can reach; some, under the leadership of the angels of the "Superstar Ruler," have developed advanced societies spanning multiple star systems; and some believe in the "Uncertain Mist," wandering among multiple planets, acting as matchmakers and witnessing transactions...

This is enough to prove that the "Old Ones" are not truly insane beings. They can restrain themselves from corrupting ordinary people who establish mystical connections at certain times, so as to develop believers, rather than turning everyone who knows them into corrupted and evil creatures.

The naturally born Old Ones do not need believers to maintain their balance; their consciousness is their own within their source matter, and their spiritual imprints of extraordinary characteristics are their own spiritual imprints. However, the corresponding concepts and symbols can be strengthened through believers. Therefore, the Old Ones also have a certain need to develop their own faith.

Even so, it doesn't mean that Earth can survive under the rule of the Old Ones. Once the barrier is broken, the nine Old Ones, who are eyeing this planet, will naturally manifest their symbols, enough to tear Earth apart and kill all humanity.

Even without all nine Great Old Ones, the arrival of the "Superstar Overlord" alone destroyed all celestial bodies, including the Sun. When the end comes, Earth will be just like any other planet.

However, none of this had anything to do with what Angel was doing now. The thought that flashed through her mind was simply because after becoming a "half-Old One," she was already able to do things that ordinary gods needed to descend to do.

She can instantly grant a believer greater power to the spells they use, which can even severely damage a god.

Looking at the scene floating in the mirror in front of him, Angel slowly stretched out a hand and pointed at it.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

In the underworld, the battle between the three angels and the false "Grim Reaper" has entered a fierce stage.

After being reminded by Renette, Fors quickly realized that the resurrected "Phoenix Ancestor" was not a true god. After all, the three "Pale Emperors" and uniqueness that He originally possessed had long been taken over by Salinger, and then gradually fell into the hands of the Goddess of Night after the latter's fall. Even the second Grim Reaper did not have the opportunity to be resurrected, so how could it be Greygardy's turn?
He can open his eyes and bring "Pale Calamity" to the surroundings, suppressing Azik, the descendant of the god of death, entirely because of his own status. This status, brought about by "uniqueness," is real and true. Even without extraordinary characteristics, he can invoke the corresponding authority unless a new god of death is born and takes back these authority, or the "Eternal Darkness," the ancient being, appears and unites all symbols and concepts into one.

This also means that the three angels had the opportunity to kill Him and achieve the feat of god-slaying!
Thinking of this, a burning flame also surged in Fors' heart, who was used to hiding and being tolerant when wandering in the starry sky.

Wait, could I have been influenced by some goddess...? The thought had barely crossed her mind when she was filled with soaring fighting spirit. Her body, glowing with "purification" light, flashed rapidly through the pale kingdom deep within the underworld, appearing in several locations simultaneously.

Some of these rapidly flashing figures purified the surrounding deathly power with scorching sunlight that burned themselves, restoring the pale wastelands, palaces, and towers to their original colors. Others released thick lightning bolts, summoning meteorites that appeared out of nowhere to strike the phoenix progenitor with outstretched wings, ready to take flight. The one closest to the core of the palace complex, Fors, raised his hands high, as if supporting a heavy object, and slammed them down.

Between her two palms was a fist-sized object, completely black, unlike the pale sky or the void at the end of the wilderness. It was a utter stillness that absorbed all light and heat, and a massive mass that could distort space and time.

That is a "reappearance" of the black hole at the center of this galaxy.

This was the most terrifying and dangerous astronomical phenomenon Fors had ever seen during her travels through the universe. After becoming a Planeswalker, her original ability to "record" had been transformed into the ability to "reproduce" scenes. Faced with the enormous and difficult-to-avoid Greta Garley, she immediately thought of the gravitational source that could devour everything.

Of course, a real black hole can even devour a true god, and the scene she recreated was less than one ten-thousandth of the original, but it was just right to deal with the false god of death. Moreover, there were no living beings left in the underworld, so Fors did not need to worry that this astronomical phenomenon would harm the innocent or severely damage her own planet.

The edge of the black hole she flung out immediately brightened. It was the boundary formed by the distortion of light that had been attracted by it but had not yet fallen into the event horizon. The towers and palaces below, which were slowly being swallowed by the void and were constantly collapsing, were lifted up by an invisible hand, began to rise and shatter, and were captured by this small star. They fell into the black hole along different paths but with the same destination.

The enormous Greygardy was also affected, slowly rising from the magnificent dome of the main hall, the pale flames on her body being drawn away by the immense gravity.

Just then, Greygardy flapped her wings violently, her enormous beak between her eyes opened, and she let out a silent roar. Fors felt her vision go dark; the gold of the Death Palace's exterior, the shimmering boundaries of the black hole, the colorless core, and even her own figure appearing in different locations simultaneously due to high-speed teleportation all seemed to lose their color.

Nine Fors immediately merged into one, the purifying flames on her body were extinguished by some force, and even her own color disappeared, her brown hair, blue eyes, and elegant high-necked dress all turned pale.

This is the "Pale Kingdom" of Death, signifying decay, tranquility, and death. A thousand years ago, the progenitor of the undead phoenix used this power to destroy Death's palace and kill countless descendants of the Aegis family.

In this kingdom, colors die and extraordinary abilities wither quickly, which is exactly what makes Fors, the "Planetary Planeswalker" who is used to appearing in multiple locations at the same time to unleash different abilities, a trait that is effective against.

Not only her, but the black hole, which was absorbing everything around it and growing larger and larger, also lost its own color. It changed from a deep black that devoured all light to a solidified pale white. The pale flames and shattered stones that were attracted to it in the air fell down and entered the void below.

Just then, Azik, who had recovered from the oppression of the lower-ranking people by the false "Grim Reaper," raised his hand and took off his silk hat.

At the top of his black hair was a crown made of white bones, like swords pieced together pointing to the sky. It had been hidden by his top hat, but now that it was exposed, it immediately exuded a strong aura of death, even covering the power of the underworld that caused people to die.

Sealed item 0-65, "The Pale Crown"!
Azik's expression immediately turned cold and lonely, as if he had become the indifferent governor of the Byron Empire in the Fourth Age, and the pale wilderness beneath his feet was covered by another pale color, but one that did not belong to Greta.

When worn by members of the Aegis family, this bone crown, in addition to its original abilities, can greatly enhance the abilities originally belonging to the Sequence 2 "Death Archon," transforming the "Death Kingdom" ability, which could only cover one city, into a power almost identical to the Sequence 1 "Pale World," capable of transforming an entire kingdom into a Pale Kingdom.

This is why the original owner of the sealed artifact, Shia Palenque Eggers, was known as the "Pale Queen" as a Sequence 2. Now, Azik uses it to fight against Greygardy's Pale Kingdom, allowing his teammates to be free from the limitations of their surroundings!

Azik's "kingdom" quickly swept over Fors, who had almost lost all her color, restoring her color rapidly. She instinctively teleported away to a distance before surrounding "Phoenix Ancestor" again with more rapidly flashing figures.

Each of them stretched out their right hand to grasp at the space beside them, trying to pull a figure out of the mists of history.

In the air, "God's Curse" Renette finally completed her curse.

Having solved the "recurrence" of the black hole, and about to further expand her kingdom, Greta Garry, who had locked her eyes on an enemy who was about to deliver a "death sentence," suddenly froze in mid-air.

His body, which should have been eternally asleep in the underworld, no longer matched the soul that was gradually growing under the influence of "new life." His body went from being dominated by the spirit to being a prison of the spirit.

Within each of His enormous bronze eyes appeared a figure dressed in an elaborate black dress.

Using the power of "binding" and the possession of a vengeful spirit, Renette briefly transcended her rank and controlled the phoenix, which, though lacking true power, was essentially a deity.

A look of struggle flashed in the latter's eyes. Under the influence of "rebirth," the bound spirit grew again, trying to break free of its restraints and regain its freedom.

Seeing this, Azik, wearing the "Pale Crown," reached out and grabbed at Greta in mid-air, attempting to extract her newly formed spirit from her body. This might not succeed, but even if it failed, it would still cause chaos for her.

One of the nine Fors has successfully pulled a projection out of the mists of history; it is Angel, the witch angel who has not yet become the "doomsday" witch and does not yet possess uniqueness.

But before they could make any further moves, Renette, who had already appeared in Grey's eyes through mirror jump, voluntarily broke free of the possession and transformed back into a giant rag doll.

But He had already come from the sky where the River Styx flowed to stand before this giant phoenix, appearing above its bronze eyes and enormous beak.

The true purpose of this "divine abomination" was to restrain the opponent and close the distance, rather than to kill the false "Grim Reaper" through temporary control.

Before the phoenix Greygardy could break free from the separation between spirit and flesh, the prison of body and mind, the blonde, red-eyed Renette stretched out her long, slender, fair-skinned hand and pressed it against the other's forehead.

Between his fingers was a purple, transparent talisman with countless intricate patterns engraved inside.

"Disaster."

As if to make the other party understand, Renette activated the divinely bestowed spell in Giant's tongue.

At the same time, power that had pierced through the astral realm and the spirit realm and arrived in the underworld was poured into the talisman.

The "Phoenix Ancestor," existing in a state of both life and death, with its spirit and flesh yet to be re-fused and filled with contradictions and imbalances, instantly disintegrated and exploded in mid-air. Rotten flesh, pale flames, and oil-stained feathers scattered everywhere, some landing on the magnificent Palace of Death, some on the pointed tops of nearby towers, but most falling into the void below, as if swallowed by the underworld.

Greygarlie, now just a skeleton consisting of a long, narrow body and the skeletal wings on either side, crashed heavily onto the main hall, creating a deafening roar that echoed throughout the Pale Kingdom.

The "Pale Kingdom" that He created also disappeared at the same time, covered by the kingdom that Azik formed with the help of "0-65". Upon seeing this, the latter also restrained its own power, restoring the original colors of the wilderness covered with black broken stone slabs, the gold-plated spires, and the palaces engraved with words praising death.

In this world of black and gold, a wisp of deep red aura slowly rose from the pale remains of the phoenix ancestor, dissipating before the group before coalescing again and flying towards the enormous black bird egg beneath Greygardy's remains, seemingly slowly but actually rapidly.

Just as the aura was about to touch the bird egg and penetrate it, a small mirror fell from the sky and landed perfectly between them.

The aura shot into the mirror in an instant, staining its surface with an ominous red hue.

P.S.: Thank you to "Angel's False Ring" for the generous donation! (Actually, it's an alt account of "Remembering the Past Sun"...)
　Thank you to "Angel's False Ring" for the generous donation! (Actually, it's an alt account of "Remembering the Past Sun"...)
　　
　
(End of this chapter)