Brain bloom

Next, as long as Dandelion uses that weird method to awaken the group of "darkness" lurking in people's nightmares, waiting for the princess to summon them, and then washes them into the Four Seasons, everything will be pretty much settled.

The duty she was summoned to perform was indeed coming to an end.

If she went to keep Melia company, that other part of her would be happy too... And Mori herself actually had quite a good impression of Melia. So she didn't refuse Melia; instead, she was inclined to accept the invitation.

"—The coffin bearers." Suddenly appearing was the ancient Demon King, who seemed to have come with some business. "Aren't you leaving yet?"

"We're just waiting for Yuan to finish moving the stones so he can come and see us off, that's why I'm chatting with Melia here to kill time."

"Yes, that's true."

"I can give you a ride."

“Uncle, King of Ancient Demons, why do you seem to be chasing us away?” Melia asked curiously.

"We were indeed rushing you, because the person delivering the coffin was carrying something troublesome that absolutely couldn't be given to Yuan first. That ancient phantom dragon really did a good deed but ended up causing a lot of trouble..."

Volume 1 #210 - A Harsh Interlude

"thing?"

Upon hearing the words of the ancient demon king, Melia's appetite was whetted, and she immediately turned to Sen Shi.

"Dad, what are you talking about?"

“It’s a painting—before I came to see you, I went to see Yuan’s…wet nurse? Something like that. She gave me a painting and asked me to pass it on to Yuan.”

"Oh, that ancient phantom dragon... wait, why would a painting cause trouble?"

She cast a questioning glance at the Ancient Demon King, wondering why the ruler of the demon realm would be so anxious. Mori Toki was equally curious about this.

Before answering, the ancient demon king looked around to make sure his daughter was still moving stones in the fire demon's territory. He then jumped onto the stone table, met Sen Shi's gaze, and appeared very cautious.

It answered slowly—

“Coffin bearer, you are also a true god. You should be able to understand that things created by beings of our level with our own hands and hearts have special meaning—and often influence reality.”

"Hmm? I don't quite understand." Mori's understanding of the true god was limited to "having to pay a great price."

"...In short, the artist of that painting is the true god who controls painting. Her brush can easily replicate time and space. Although it was painted with paint and brushes, it perfectly recorded that Winged Cloud."

“I can understand that, after all, he is a true god… but isn’t this what he wanted to see? The scenery he was pursuing until his death… until his death?”

When that heavy word slipped lightly from her lips, she finally understood the meaning of the ancient demon king.

Mori's voice was low and deep: "She still has more than two months left to live. If she can see this kind of scenery before then..."

"Yes, who knows, after she gets rid of her regrets... she might just end her long suffering."

"That……"

"Let's give it to her at the very end."

The Ancient Demon King's tone was filled with helplessness, and he finally shifted his gaze to the distant Phantom Dragon's Nest.

"I will explain to that phantom dragon. You didn't break the agreement, so don't blame yourself."

I promise you.

Mori agreed, silently offering prayers for her countless times in her heart. She hoped that the gratitude embodied in this nation could help her. Otherwise, what kind of life is it to have to be so hesitant and timid even when appreciating a painting…

Mori reached into his bag and stuffed the painting even deeper.

Another person present, having deduced everything from the few words exchanged, asked—

"Father, is that a painting left by the true God? It depicts... the winged clouds of you Four Seasons?"

"Well—at least that's what I've heard."

"I really want to see it! I've heard about this sight for ages... Shall we open it and take a look?"

But she immediately shook her head, biting the sharp nail on her thumb, her pupils filled with struggle and choice.

"Never mind... After all, this is a scene meant for Yuan, and it would be too impolite to peek at it privately. But Father, I'd like to learn about the customs of your Four Seasons people. What exactly is the situation? Is it so beautiful that even the True God went to paint it?"

“Ask this ancient owl; it knows everything.” As an incompetent Seasons Keeper, she casually passed the question on.

"Alright, since you've granted my request, I can answer this question as payment."

The ancient demon king nodded; in those few words, a deal seemingly completed without anyone noticing had been made. It closed its eyes, searching for memories from its long history, and slowly began to speak:

"Winged Clouds is indeed a beautiful sight... but ultimately, it's just a group of beings who experience the cycles of the four seasons, going through the cycles of the soul and nature, but..."

"but?"

"Even today, after experiencing Winged Cloud firsthand, I'm still puzzled as to why the dark souls of the Four Seasons could construct such a sacred and beautiful scene..."

"Holiness?" Melia's imagination ran wild.

Mori asked casually—

"It sounds like you were spying on me too?"

"Uh……"

This seemingly muttered question, almost like talking to oneself, unexpectedly stirred up a chord within the owl, its face contorted with dread. Clearly, it was terrified of following in the painter's footsteps.

"...No, no, don't say that! Coffin bearer, I didn't peek at Yiyun...I went to see her openly and honestly! That happened after the Rose Queen passed away! I was invited as an old friend...So this is a huge misunderstanding, I swear it's true!"

"I won't do anything to you... Calm down."

"That's good, that's good. You are a very rational Four Seasons Walker, which is rare. We have avoided a conflict... On behalf of the Demon Realm, I thank you."

Seeing the Ancient Demon King's reaction, Melia remained outwardly silent, but secretly swallowed back the words that were about to escape her throat: "You're going to hold a Winged Cloud event later, right? Can I participate?" Fortunately, there was still a painting to satisfy her curiosity.

After discussing this matter, the ancient Demon King began to dismiss them again—

"Then hurry back to your world. My poor, remote place can't even find much food for you."

"It's alright, we'll just find a wild beast, chop it up, and roast it. I always carry seasonings with me," Melia said, already searching for prey.

"Why are you rushing us? Didn't I already promise not to hand it over to Yuan...?" Mori asked.

She casually closed the half-finished design, a question flashing through her mind. She wondered, was she worried that she, the true god of the four seasons, would cause trouble in this world?

But the ancient demon king has not yet provided the answer; the world itself has already written it down.

That was a mournful cry.

Below the meeting, there was that small, undeveloped market.

In that instant, Mori felt an indescribable chill. The Ancient Demon King's gaze sharpened, and Melia immediately gathered magical structures at her fingertips, ready to provide Mori with a full set of protection at any moment.

"What happened?" Mori asked.

"Once, the Four Seasons were the rulers of this vast realm of demons."

The ancient demon king spoke out of nowhere, in a storytelling tone that seemed completely out of place with the suddenly tense atmosphere. But both Mori and Melia listened intently, sensing that something was amiss.

"That wasn't a glorious history, but thankfully it faded away with your departure. After I took over, I also tried my best to erase the traces of that era... But some things can't be killed. They've just been dormant, and even after thousands or tens of thousands of years... they'll awaken when they sense something."

"So, they came for me." Mori said with a mournful face.

Volume 1 #211: The Troublesome Contradictions

The open-air meeting platform, used for emergency meetings, was built by human hands.

People of that era wanted to express an attitude of pride and complete severance from the devil, so they built very tall structures.

Therefore, the people chatting on the conference platform did not immediately witness what happened. However, below the conference platform, in the only market in the Demon Realm, an uproar arose due to some strange anomalies.

Those who come and go here are always beings belonging to darkness.

Horrifying demons are common, and even if one were to stroll among many souls, no one would find it strange; in fact, it would be considered normal. This is because this place is the realm of demons, untouched by the light of day.

But a ray of light mingled with it.

The native inhabitants of the Demon Realm could not describe this creature's appearance, nor could they comprehend it, for it was a saint with six wings and armor as smooth as white jade. It was not human; its features were indistinct, but its entire body was enveloped in an extremely dazzling radiance, and a halo hung above its head.

Only a few ancient demons who happened to be passing by recognized what it was.

Messenger of God.

Something that should have ended with the age of mythology and been crushed into dust by the wheels of history.

It appeared at an inopportune time, in the realm of demons...

Therefore, the cries of some ignorant demons were because their eyes had been burned by this radiance. The market below was in chaos, while Sen Shi, Melia, and the Ancient Demon King stood high on the platform, overlooking the situation caused by this strange being.

"Am I seeing things? Is this reality? Or is it a myth to lull children to sleep?" Melia squinted, but couldn't change the fact that her gaze was fixed on something that didn't look normal at all.

Mori stared at the other's six wings and murmured, "This thing... uh, is it also one of my followers?"

"No, this is an attempt to eliminate you."

After giving a blunt warning, the ancient demon king's claws became embedded in the railing, even carving deep marks into the stone, indicating its deep regret.

"I shouldn't have talked to you so much, I should have just sent you away... but instead I've brought out this huge trouble."

"Is it too late for me to leave now?"

"It's too late. If we don't eliminate them, nothing will come of it," the Ancient Demon King added with a sigh.

"Is this thing... called an angel?"

In Mori's eyes, its wings were pure white, and it had a small halo above its head, making it look quite sacred. But it was also very unsettling to look at; it had no beauty whatsoever, and instead, it was so distorted that it made her feel uneasy.

"A messenger of God, an old thing."

The ancient demon king explained—

"In ancient times, God created these things to annihilate 'darkness'... pure tools of slaughter. A batch was thrown into the realm of demons back then, and I never expected that there would still be remnants today... It really takes me back to that nostalgic era."

It let out a strange laugh, then lowered its head and sighed.

"But it's ridiculously strong. You who are delivering the coffin, you'll probably have to show your divine power... otherwise you'll be the one who dies."

A host of questions swirled in her mind, but Mori knew that this thing had caught the scent she left behind in the Demon Realm. It was carrying out a battle command from thousands of years ago… or perhaps even earlier, and it was powerful, aimed directly at her.

The messenger of the gods stood still, seemingly waiting for something, but its movements were incredibly fluid, clearly indicating that it was functioning normally. It didn't seem to be a creation of machinery or technology, but rather a physical body formed from magic and divine power.

Mori stared at it—

[Level 100 - The Indelible Messenger of God]