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Chapter 175, Chapter 174: Godslayer! Judgment of Erebus!

Erebus's feigned composure shattered instantly, replaced by an almost comical astonishment.

His gaze was fixed on the figure slowly walking towards him from the end of the crowd. "It's you—you came in person?!"

In a flash, all the clues in his mind suddenly clicked together.

Gu Yuan's line, "Who says I have to kill you with my own hands?" was not out of cowardice or a desire to take shortcuts, but rather the optimal solution that he had already calculated!

By using a just deity who holds the reins of justice to make a fair judgment, we can not only completely eliminate him as the source of chaos, but also allow Gu Yuan to avoid the stigma of "god-killer" and endless troubles that follow.

This achievement could even allow the banner of justice to fly even higher over Orario!

All the glory, prestige, and tangible victory will belong to the Astrea Familia!

"Damn it!"

Erebus practically spat out those two words through gritted teeth.

The meticulously planned stage, the anticipated tragic hero, never appeared; instead, he became a stepping stone for the opponent's perfect farewell. "This is not the hero I wanted to see at all!"

A surge of rage, fueled by utter humiliation, clouded his judgment. He abruptly turned to Gu Yuan, his voice shrill with agitation: "Are you really willing to accept this?! Gu Yuan!"

"Don't you want to personally savor the pleasure and glory of ending everything by slaying this evil god who has stirred up countless upheavals and repeatedly harmed your companions?!"

Gu Yuan calmly looked back at him and said matter-of-factly, "Of course I want to."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over Erebus's face, slightly distorted by his emotional outburst, and added, "But who told you to talk so much about the consequences of 'god-slaying'? After your analysis, I can't even do it myself anymore."

"————" Erebus was speechless for a moment, as if someone had choked him, and his chest felt tight.

He was too clever for his own good! Why did he have to be so talkative and use those words to intimidate and test him?

An indescribable sense of frustration welled up inside me.

However, his divine pride made him quickly suppress this momentary lapse in composure.

He took a deep breath and forced his expression to return to calm, at least outwardly.

Just as Erebus was racking his brains for a solution, another unexpected event occurred!

Gu Yuan's figure vanished from the spot without warning, and the next moment, he appeared like a ghost behind Alphia, who had just struggled to stand up!

Alphia reacted extremely quickly, but Gu Yuan's upgraded speed was even faster!

He gripped Alphia's wrists like an iron clamp with one hand, twisting them behind her back, while his other hand precisely gripped her jaw and throat, skillfully compressing them so that she could not make a clear sound.

"Ugh—!"

Alphia groaned, the magic power that had just gathered around her dissipated instantly because her vocal organs were suppressed.

She struggled desperately, but the old injury caused by her previous collision with Gu Yuan was churning inside her, causing her strength to plummet. Coupled with this absolute suppression of power, all her resistance seemed futile.

Finally, she stopped struggling and was forced to lower herself, her silver hair disheveled. She raised her head, looking slightly disheveled, her silver eyes fixed on the scene, accepting the reality of her capture.

Just as Alphia was completely subdued, the goddess Astrea stopped and stood in the center of the open space.

Her azure eyes, as blue as the sky, stared directly at Erebus, with an undeniable air of authority and scrutiny.

"We've finally met, the true culprit behind all this turmoil, the god of darkness, Erebus."

"—Yes." Erebus's voice carried a barely perceptible dryness and resentment.

He glanced around at the "audience"—some fearful, some angry, some expectant—his gaze finally sweeping over Alphia, who was being held firmly in place by Gu Yuan.

Is this the end for me?

As the director who planned the long-running production, how could he end it in such an undignified way, completely deviating from the script?

The "protagonist" they chose, along with "order," forcibly forced them to leave the stage?

No. Absolutely not.

A crazy and audacious idea, like a flame igniting in the darkness, suddenly rose in his mind.

He hasn't lost yet!

Even when he's at his wit's end, he'll maintain the decorum expected of a mastermind and steer the final act in the direction he desires!

On Erebus's face, that all-powerful, eerily charming smile reappeared.

The goddess Astraea ignored the change in his expression and continued in her calm yet divinely powerful voice, "It's all over now, Erebus. Do you have any last words?"

These words were like the flip of a switch; Erebus's smile widened, as if he had been waiting for this moment.

"My last words? Of course I have some."

He slowly raised his hand, his index finger pointing precisely at Gu Yuan, who was controlling Alphia, with a dramatic emphasis. "My last words are—that human must kill me with his own hands!"

Her words shocked everyone! A suppressed gasp rippled through the crowd, and even Astraea's seemingly unchanging eyebrows twitched slightly.

Erebus seemed quite pleased with the effect. He raised his head slightly and continued, his voice echoing across the silent open space: "And it must be in the highest place in Orario, atop the Tower of Babel!"

"Only in this way can his heroic deeds be witnessed by everyone, can the turmoil in Orario caused by me be completely ended, and can all villains be deterred!"

He abruptly changed the subject, dropping a bombshell that sent shockwaves through everyone: "Currently, there are still three evil gods lurking in Orario, and only I know their exact locations and identities!"

Astrea's eyes finally showed a noticeable change, and she subconsciously looked at Gu Yuan.

Gu Yuan sensed her gaze and his brows furrowed tightly.

This condition truly hits the nail on the head.

"As for the taboo of 'god-killing' that I mentioned before—"

Erebus seemed to see through their concerns and said calmly, "If Gu Yuan wields the sword of justice that you, Astraea, possess, to carry out the judgment, it will not be considered disrespectful or blasphemous."

"Because that was not vigilante justice, but a just trial of evil by order!"

He once again tossed the choice back to Gu Yuan and Astrea, his demeanor composed, as if he were the one delivering the final verdict. "So, make your choice: accept my reasonable dying wish in exchange for the chance to completely eradicate darkness?"

"Or should we give up now and let the potential crisis continue to fester?"

The open space was silent, and all eyes were on Astrea and Gu Yuan.

Astraea fell silent.

She knew that Erebus's words must contain a deeper scheme, but the information about the three unknown evil gods was far too weighty.

Gu Yuan also fell silent.

He had indeed intended to use the goddess's sword, but he never expected that it would be proposed by her in this way.

Their gazes met again in the air, silently exchanging doubts and weighing their options.

In the end, Astraea seemed to have made up her mind.

She looked at Gu Yuan with a look that only the two of them could understand, conveying a thousand words, and then nodded gently.

"—It's up to you now."

Her voice was gentle, yet it was full of unquestionable trust and entrustment.

Gu Yuan stared at the goddess, then glanced at Erebus, who had a victorious smile on his face, and Alphia, who was being suppressed by him and had a complicated look in her eyes.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his doubts and murderous intent, and replied in a deep voice, "————Okay."

The place of judgment is set atop the Tower of Babel.

A final judgment concerning the future of Orario has begun.