Chat group: My Fist of the North Star will never lose!

Chapter 483 Life is not something to be given up lightly.

The base of the "Masquerade Ball," the unknown mobile fortress "Star Palace" floating in the sky above the world, has been hovering above Misaki City for dozens of days.

Although the bubble-shaped concealment artifact "Hidden Sanctuary" hides the objects and people inside, the time spent in the "Star Palace," which travels around the world to transport members and apostles, is quite long.

This castle looks like a fortress, with only defensive functions and living spaces, no entertainment whatsoever. It is a beautiful castle full of practicality and rationality, without any superfluous decorations, standing in the night sky.

Just by looking at this castle, you can feel the ingenuity of its designers.

It is easy to defend but difficult to attack. If the Flame Haze wanted to attack from the ground, they would have to pay a huge and heavy price.

At the highest point of the Starry Palace, a solitary figure ascended to the top of the steps. The cold night wind caressed the black dragon's tail, and perhaps because of him, the entire night sky displayed an unusual clamor.

Ahead was a wide, semi-circular balcony. Looking up, the "divine gate" that led to the gap between the Crimson World and the Real World floated in the sky, obscuring the starry sky as if it were inlaid with a ring of black mirror.

In the center of the balcony, which reflects this figure, three figures stand side by side.

A grown man dressed in black armor, carrying the long spear "Divine Iron Ruyi," is the "Thousand Transformations" Xiudenan.

A petite, blue-haired girl dressed in a white shrine maiden-like outfit, wielding the "Triangle Staff," is Hecate of the "Seat of the Summit."

A three-eyed woman with an eye on her forehead, wearing a gray dress, and adorned with the "Hell Chains," is the "Arbitrator of Reverse Reason," Bellpeor.

Needless to say, the only person who could command such respect from these three pillars of the court was the leader of the masquerade ball—"The Serpent of the Ritual," Yuji Sakai.

The boy Mystius, who voluntarily chose to become the agent of the god of creation, is not a possessor, but a boy who also has the right to control this body.

Through the "Great Destiny Poems" that form the Free Style, the ritual snake in the gap between the two worlds synchronizes with Yuuji's spirit, thereby gaining the ability to freely manipulate his body.

The serpent of the festival projects the concept that constitutes its "existence" along with its own will in the form of information, and merges it with Yuuji Sakai, so that "Yuuji Sakai's power of existence" is assimilated into "the serpent of the festival's power of existence", and the flames that serve as "proof of existence" turn black as a result.

Yuuji, who possesses both the "consciousness projection of the ritual snake" and the "existence power of the ritual snake," is essentially an incomplete ritual snake. He can use the existence power to fulfill the duties of a proxy—"to use the power of the ritual snake in the present world to create a gate leading to the 'path of enlightenment'."

Now, none of them spoke; instead, they gazed at the space beyond the "divine gate."

In a corner of the spacious Starry Palace, there was a room that served as both a lounge and a meeting place. In the middle of it, a Crimson World banquet was being held. People crowded around, raising their glasses and drinking. Some proudly boasted about their achievements in the battle against the Flame Haze a few days ago, some talked about their memories of the deceased, and some were intoxicated by the world changes that were about to happen.

However, everyone tacitly remained silent, and no one mentioned the person whose true face had been revealed a few days earlier during the "major announcement"—

Ryuko Matoi, a chuunibyou girl who wields scissors and recklessly defeats all challengers, calls herself "PFALZ (Slash Emperor)".

……

A tense atmosphere unconsciously spread.

Everyone held their breath, completely focused, no one daring to be the first to actually fight the girl and determine who was superior...

Flame Hazes are not beings that can be mass-produced based on circumstances. They are usually created when humans experience intense emotions that transcend common sense, thereby achieving a synergy with the "King" of the Crimson World. Only after both parties agree to sign a contract and go through these essential procedures can a Flame Haze be born.

None of these situations arise easily, so every Flame Haze who appears on the battlefield has their own unique skills.

The Flame Haze, despite his young age, is already an exceptionally strong Flame Haze. Even without using an overpowered technique like "Summoning of the Gods," he is still among the top tier.

But the aider beside her wasn't some kind of 'strong person,' but a 'monster.'

Ryuko Matoi is invincible!
That pair of scissors, though thousands of meters away, felt as if it were right at their necks, ready to uproot their lives and futures with a single, gentle cut.

In the silent, breathless atmosphere, the massive seal gradually turned black, an ominous color.

In the sky, the creator god, represented by the youth, still proclaimed his great destiny with a loud voice.

"...【The Realm of Nothingness】, that is the manifestation of the desires of all Crimson World beings. Everything it possesses exists for you, and it will accept you with boundless compassion... There, filled with an everlasting power of existence, it is a paradise that exists for you!"

More than three thousand years ago, the Serpent of Ritual also plotted a similar creation, but he failed and was banished by the ancient Flame Haze warriors led by the "Priest of the Heart of the Earth" using the "Ancient Trap".

That time, the defeat was due to the presence of the Flame Haze, and the sudden attack. But this time it's completely different—He has the help of his old nemesis, "God of Punishment"!

When the two Crimson Gods unite, there is no reason for them to fail.

"What is about to happen is a good deed for everyone. We no longer need to engage in pointless fighting. Let us rejoice together. Let us celebrate together."

Centered on the sacrificial serpent, it expands endlessly—this is how the "masquerade ball" exists.

The Crimson World followers deeply respect and love the Serpent of the Ritual, who has listened to and responded to their expectations since ancient times. After learning the full picture of the "Great Mandate," most of the followers were filled with extreme amazement and emotion.

They devour the life force of humans to fulfill their own desires. If there is a new world with endless life force, then the law "prohibiting cannibalism" will be completely irrelevant.

Therefore, they accepted it very easily.

But... for a Flame Haze, what a careless line, what an arrogant attitude!
This has been the case since ancient times; the Creator God was never aware of the evil in His actions because He was simply fulfilling the requests of others.

It can be said that He is the omnipotent wish-granting machine in the mortal world.

It sounds good... But they came into this world in shoes, stealing the life force from the inhabitants, no different from robbers. Now they actually want to create a place that is advantageous to them. There should be a limit to how much they treat humans as idiots!

No way! I don't believe it!
Many great battles, much history, countless heroic sacrifices, betrayals, friendships, and deaths…

"Are you asking us to ignore all of this? To abandon the meaning of our fight and survival so far?!"

Suppressing their utter humiliation, the Flame Haze warriors questioned the girl who had stopped them from fighting.

"I said--"

As if possessed by someone, Ryuko yawned and gave them an extremely arrogant and irritating look, revealing her bad nature.

"What does this have to do with me?"

Although the craters they create themselves are not large in scale, the Flame Haze's Freedom of Magic and the distortions brought about by the Crimson Denizens will have far more serious consequences than simple acts of destruction. The battle between the two will cause excessive chaos and collapse in the world's balance...

Flame Haze and Crimson Denizens alike must not be allowed to continue fighting. Meanwhile, Ryuko Matsuri, the Red Flower Twin-Stickman Shana summoned by Shana, single-handedly drew the hatred to herself. "If there's no reason, then find one!"

"If it has no meaning, then find meaning!"

"Those guys who can't even put their clothes on properly, aren't they just a bunch of senile idiots! You naked [beep]!"

Extremely sarcastic.

That's right. In Ryuko Matoi's view, Flame Haze and Crimson Denizens should not exist at all! Just like the Life Dimensions, although they are intertwined with the history of humanity's past, they are no longer needed in the future.

No matter how angry or how hard they were to accept it, none of that mattered to Ryuko Matoi. All she knew was that her duty was to quell the conflict and prevent unnecessary deaths.

On the scissors she gripped tightly, the crimson light flickered erratically, growing ever sharper and more powerful, while terrifying starlight rose from her sailor uniform, and bursts of violent vibrations, like the beating of heavenly drums, erupted from her body.

At this moment, her aura was surging wildly, and the rolling waves of energy were like a giant object crashing to the ground, spreading in all directions with a heavy aura, forcing the naked crowd to retreat uncontrollably.

Ultimately, there is only one reason.

"Life is not something you can throw away so easily!!!!!"

As the sound of shattering glass rang out, the seal vanished, and all the severely damaged scenery began to be repaired under the power of the sacrificial serpent.

The Crimson Denizens followed "Thousand Changes" and flew into the sky, while the Flame Haze warriors, each with an expression of utter displeasure, disappeared in disgrace.

In short, if you're not happy about it, then keep it to yourself.

Until they can defeat Ryuko Matoi, the Flame Haze need not talk about mission anymore; it's all meaningless.

After this battle, at least for the time being, the Flame Haze warriors who still felt ashamed would not communicate with any of their comrades until they overcame their psychological trauma.

"Let's go."

Ryuko turned to look at Shana, took her hand, and let out a heartfelt laugh, radiating confidence and high spirits.

"Just like you said, that guy needs our help now... Hey, I didn't expect it to happen so quickly."

……

"See you at the next crossroads of cause and effect!"

"The Serpent of the Ritual" Yuji Sakai slowly closed his eyes, sensing their presence disappear into any corner of this world.

For those who use "tools for extermination," killing Crimson Denizens is their mission and the meaning of their lives. However... Shana, who was trained as an "assassin" from childhood, resolutely chose a path different from everyone else's—

It seems she has found the meaning of her fight.

"...Ah, so beautiful."

Her fiery hair, fluttering with powder, and her dazzling, eye-catching beauty were only a small part of her powerful and determined face, yet they were already so radiant and magnificent.

The snake sighed in the boy's mind. After being awakened from the gap between the two worlds, he found everything to be so unfamiliar.

Especially the God of Punishment, Alastor, although a consensus was reached, during the exchange, he always felt that this guy inexplicably started to look down on the Serpent of Ritual, who was of equal rank to him, and his words revealed a strange sense of superiority.

"...Yes, it's so enviable...this time too..."

The creator god, who is the wish-granting machine, once asked the boy what he wished to have fulfilled in return for entrusting his body to Him.

The answer is no; all I can do is smile bitterly.

He can't exactly say that if he doesn't do it, some nasty guy with a mohawk will cross the world, pin him against a wall, and beat him up, can he?

However, the snake's curiosity remained undiminished. Why would Yuji Sakai go to such lengths? Why would he spare no effort to prevent the war between the Crimson World and the Flame Haze?

He's just a human being, so where does this courage come from?

Under the light of the night, as the premonition of his destiny came, power surged continuously from the depths of Yuji Sakai's soul.

If I had to answer this question, it would only take two words.

"Aspiration".

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.

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.

On the other side of the "Starry Palace" stone tower, deep within the rocky area at the bottom of the massive mobile fortress, there is a hidden area where two figures are.

The two people stood around the three-dimensional, floating figure in a free-form pose.

The Free Style was intertwined in a complex and strange way, like tree roots, radiating a silvery light in the darkness.

These two masters, renowned as geniuses, were engaged in a heated discussion.

They were Professor Dantalio, the "Inquisitive Seeker," and Renanci, the top Free Style Master, the "Spiral Organ." One of them excitedly adjusted the Free Style displayed in the air with something resembling a computer keyboard, while the other calmly and carefully adjusted the Free Style with the tip of her cane.

Although the two geniuses are completely opposite in nature and hobbies, they respect each other's style and work together to adjust their long-cherished wish for the "masquerade ball" - a grand destiny.

A little further away, "Professor's" Rinko, "the excellent 28th self-taught product - Ganda Te Domino," commonly known as "Assistant Domino," was moving back and forth nearby, making "click-clack" mechanical sounds, following "Professor's" instructions.

"Oh...this technique!This method!"

The two geniuses exclaimed in unison, for it was an otherworldly demonic technique unlike any other free-form magic in this world—[Creation of Life].

(End of this chapter)