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"Now, now, calm down! This man is not a Fallen One!" he declared.

"Not a Fallen One? That\'s ridiculous!" someone shouted back.

"How can you say that after looking at him?" another added. Their faces were filled with wariness, as if they were ready to attack Davey at any moment.

"If he\'s not a Fallen One, then what in the world is he?"

Ordinary mutants, the people of this world, had distinct traits unlike ordinary humans. However, Davey didn’t have any of those traits.

The situation was very ironic.

He couldn’t believe he was in a world where humans had become monsters.

Elder Schweitz gathered everyone\'s attention and began to explain. "This man is a true human.”

"What?" came the murmurs from the crowd.

"He’s not a mutant like us, but an actual human who has not been altered by the virus!”

His declaration caused a wave of shock to ripple through the crowd. People began to look at Davey as if he were some exotic animal in a zoo exhibit.

"Oh my goodness…"

"That can’t be true… There are humans who still haven\'t mutated?"

"Who in the world is this man…?”

"I can’t feel any mana from him at all…"

“He\'s human. Is this truly what you’re saying?” an elderly wizard finally spoke up as they raised their hand.

"Professor Weist, that\'s correct," Schweitz replied. "As a result of checking with our devices, I can confirm…"

Everyone went silent as Schweitz continued.

"The vitality he possesses is the same as the vitality we once had, back before everything changed. It is unlike the vitality of any current living being in this world."

Although Davey hadn’t said or done a single thing, the room buzzed, and a group of mages, including Professor Weist, rushed over to him. They then placed strange devices on his body, only to widen their eyes with excitement as they confirmed what Elder Schweitz had said.

"Oh… It’s true…!"

"Great Scott!"

It was clear from the way their lit-up eyes stared at Davey that mages, no matter where they came from, were always the same—driven by curiosity and a hunger for knowledge.

"Hmph! But how can this be accepted when it contradicts common sense? The Fallen Ones can still pretend to be human. How do we know he’s not just fooling us?"

“Well, the test results say he’s human.”

“People are constantly changing, even as we speak! It’s possible for a Fallen One to pretend to be human!”

His words stirred up confusion again. In the end, the meeting was suspended, and Davey inadvertently became the center of attention for the Magic Tower.

“Here! This is a new potion I’ve developed! Could you try it for me just once?”

From researchers obsessed with their experiments—

“Oh… This is a miracle.”

To mages crying out about miracles.

The chaos finally ceased when the Tower Master himself stepped in to bring order to the situation.

The Tower Master of the Sapphire Tower, leader of the survivors on the continent of Peslisa, personally examined Davey before ultimately siding with Elder Schweitz’s conclusion. They allowed him to stay here for the time being, in exchange for sharing information about his body.

“Here! You’ll find everything you need right here.”

Elder Schweitz, having determined that Davey was indeed human, offered him a great deal of assistance. He gave Davey hundreds of research journals and records that detailed the early stages of the outbreak and how they had changed over time. There were quite a few fascinating topics within them.

Davey was quite pleasantly surprised by the turn of events—his only intentions were to get some research regarding vitality and replenish the vitality of the continent of Peslisa using Thanato’s divinity. He began examining the various factors related to the current humans—those who were mutants, those who had become mysterious beings without mutating, and the Fallen Ones.

"Are you a scholar who studies magic?" inquired the Tower Master.

"I’m a mage," Davey replied.

"Strange," he muttered, looking confused. "For a mage, I can’t feel any mana from you.”

"If that’s what you believe, that is most likely correct. Is that what you truly think?”

“Haha,

a young man asking riddles of an old man,” he said, smiling bitterly as he rubbed his face with both hands.

“This land ended up like this because of the rift. The power that seeped out of it mixed with our own devil mana, and that triggered major transformations.”

“…”

Instead of responding, Davey focused on the research journals.

“Many people died. Others underwent unwanted changes. Someone who once loved helping others suddenly became a Fallen One and devoured those that had helped them. A righteous person turned into a mysterious being and mindlessly destroyed everything in their path.”

He continued to explain how there were only a few survivors left after everything happened.

“Those of us who survived have a duty—to resolve this disaster and return everything to the way it was.”

“And you’re saying I’m a necessary part of that process?”

“That’s right. I want to know why you aren’t affected by the virus.”

“Well, this probably isn’t the answer you want, but… it’d be impossible for it to affect me.”

The reason the power didn’t affect Davey was because he wielded the power of taboo. As the master of the Red Void, who had also attained the status of Death Lord, the two forces simply couldn’t affect him.

“There’s nothing impossible in this world. You can reach anything, it’s just the path that’s difficult.”

His determination flared, as if he refused to let go of even a sliver of hope.

“I’ll never give up.”

As Davey continued skimming through the materials, he suddenly closed his eyes in thought. Most of the Sapphire Tower’s research journals contained varied but not very insightful experiments and studies on mutants, mysterious beings, and Fallen Ones.

But one thing did catch his attention.

A strange form of magic had emerged from the magic circle that had appeared in the rift of the Red Void—the very source of all these events. And when that strange force connected with the devil mana, it caused an enormous amplification of vitality at the very core.

‘Most of the people on this land possess devil mana.\'

While Davey wasn’t sure how it was in the past, he knew that Rho Aias, the Death Lord, had changed her world this way when she saved it.

The essence of devil mana, much like holy power, was based on the vitality of living beings.

Davey then realized that the overflowing vitality here all stemmed from the devil mana these people originally carried.

The vitality was somehow amplified. It was as if something was creating it from nothing.

Davey knew something like that would only be possible through some Saint Miracle. Even a god would struggle to do so, which was probably why Goddess Freyja was just watching from the sidelines.

As such, he knew he needed to investigate this matter further himself.

Just then—

Boom!! Bang!!

A distant explosion rang out. Elder Schweitz staggered in shock and shouted in alarm.

“What’s going on?!”

“Mysterious beings! The mysterious beings are advancing on us!”

Elder Schweitz’s face turned pale. Davey remembered the mysterious beings as the creatures that had eerie red eyes, wondering why they were suddenly getting aggressive.

As Davey looked at Elder Schweitz with a puzzled expression, he hurriedly grabbed his staff and said, “Do you have something to say?”

“Are mysterious beings usually this aggressive?”

“Mysterious beings exposed to the rift for a long time become ferocious. Stay here. I must go and fend off their attack!”

With that, he rushed out. Davey went back to the research journal in his hand. He had a feeling he needed to figure out exactly what power was leaking out from the red rift—if he could understand it, he thought he might be able to amplify Thanatos’ divinity and keep this world stable for much longer.

He couldn’t afford to miss such an opportunity.

"Rinne."

"Awaiting orders."

"Let’s go."

Rinne quietly nodded.

* * *

When Rinne and Davey reached the barrier where all the noise was coming from, he saw mages bustling about.

"Hold the line!!"

"Mana Cannon Squad, take aim!!"

At that command, the mages who had been casting Dark Ball spells simultaneously aimed their staves beyond the great barrier.

"Fire!!!"

Whoosh! Boom! Boom!

A large number of the mysterious beings rushing toward them were swept away as the 3rd and 4th Circle mages poured out their magic.

Fortunately, the mysterious beings didn’t seem to have any special resistance to magic. While many of them collapsed under the low-level Dark Ball spells, however, those wielding shields still marched forward.

"Don’t let them get close! If this barrier falls, the next to be devoured will be our families!!"

At the shout of Holgon, the squad leader who had brought Davey here, the mages continued casting spells, determined to use up every bit of their mana. Those who couldn’t use magic used their enhanced physical abilities as mutants to fend them off.

But—

"Oh... Dear god."

There were just too many of them.

"Was it always this bad?"

"Pant… Pant… W-What are you doing here?!"

Elder Schweitz, out of breath from firing off 6th Circle area spells, looked at Davey with surprise.

"Go back! It’s too dangerous here!"

"Is there really a need to protect me so desperately?"

"You are humanity’s only hope! Even if I die here, you must survive!"

The only human left—not a Fallen One, not a mutant, not a mysterious being. For this reason, he considered Davey’s life more valuable than anything else.

But—

"A mutated mysterious being appeared!!"

Davey turned to see massive mysterious beings, about ten meters tall, emerging from the thick mist beyond the barrier, their figures swaying ominously.

"That one’s pretty big."

"Those are combinations of more than ten mysterious beings! Damn it! Why are so many of them gathering all of a sudden?!"

Judging from the situation, it seemed things had never been this bad before. The military, barely holding off the waves of hundreds or even thousands of mysterious beings, began to falter under the appearance of the mutated mysterious beings.

The giant mysterious beings rushed madly at the barrier, letting out roars that sounded like whales cries. They slammed themselves into the obstacle with their full momentous force. Despite being reinforced with magic, solid enough to withstand missiles, the barrier nonetheless trembled violently.

The overwhelming vitality of the monsters was absorbing the devil mana and scattering the defensive spells.

"Don’t fall back!!! If we retreat, everyone will die! Stand your ground!!"

Davey saw some of the elders and professors from the conference earlier. He didn’t know all their names, but he recognized their faces.

They were desperately holding the line, but the mages were running out of mana, and the physical fighters were slowly collapsing as well. Even so, the army of survivors continued to fight with all their might.

Against the mysterious being mutant and regular mysterious beings, they squeezed out their remaining mana, swung their weapons, and activated traps to slow their advance. They gradually reduced their enemy’s numbers little by little.

At this rate, though the damage would be severe, it seemed like they would be able to hold the line.

But—

Everyone fell silent at what came next.

As some of the ten-meter-tall mysterious beings collapsed, something even larger began to emerge from the black mist.

"Oh… Dear god."

The warriors, who had valiantly fought with all their strength moments ago, dropped to their knees as their fighting spirit vanished. The newly emerged mysterious being was over thirty meters tall. And unlike the others that looked human and had black skin, this one was bizarre and eerie.

"It’s over... This is the end..."

One of the dark mages, completely drained of mana, muttered in despair.

Everyone was frozen in fear.

"R... Run! We have to run!"

But among them, there was one who refused to give up—Elder Schweitz. He shoved Davey aside and yelled.

"I’ll hold the line here! Run to the rear and escape with the refugees behind the city walls…!"

- GRRR!!!

As Schweitz was shouting, his eyes suddenly widened and he collapsed.

"Mana… Mana reverse…”

Realizing what had happened, he muttered in disbelief.

Mana reversal.

The roar from the thirty-meter-tall monster had rendered the mages completely helpless. Its roar alone had caused their mana to reverse, but this wasn’t due to an ability. The mana itself had been altered into something else.

Davey stood silently, observing the battlefield.

The monsters, which had been hesitating, resumed their charge as the ten-meter-tall mysterious beings began slamming into the barrier again, scattering the defensive spells.

It was only a matter of time before the barrier would fall at the rate they were attacking. Davey couldn’t help but wonder why they chose now of all times to make such an assault. Given the city’s defenses, such a furious assault would have conquered them regardless—and yet they waited until now?

As he was thinking, he realized that the giant mysterious being had fixed its gaze on him.

‘The reason… is me.’

Realizing that, Davey tossed a few cubes to Rinne.

"R-Run… You have to escape…"

Elder Schweitz was still desperately shouting at Davey, even as his mana reversed. He was coughing up blood—he wouldn’t last much longer without immediate treatment.

Davey sighed briefly and gave Rinne orders.

"Rinne. While I heal him."

"W-What are you…?"

At the same time, the massive stigmata resonated on his back.

"Take care of all of them."

"Command received."

"W-Wait, you?!"

Davey ignored Schweitz’s confused shout, letting holy power surge through his body. At the same time, Rinne formed six shining wings and a geometric halo appeared above her head.

Whoosh!!

Rinne, now holding the Spear that Can Melt the Balance of the World, slowly rose into the air. Meanwhile, Davey placed his hand on the shoulder of the trembling Elder Schweitz and quietly recited:

[9th Level Ultimate Holy Magic]

[Saint Sanctuary]

Flash!!

A brilliant white light burst forth. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked toward Davey. The white feathers that began falling from the sky turned the battlefield into a Saint Sanctuary, and the immense energy began healing every allied mutant in the area.

"W-Who… are you…?"

Boom!!

Schweitz, who had been watching him in shock, flinched at the sudden explosion. Everyone who had turned around made astonished faces once again.

The thirty-meter-tall monster, which seemed impervious to all previous magic attacks, completely vaporized as Rinne took it down with her golden spear. She had thrown her spear toward it, making a tail of light in the sky. It obliterated the monster, and she landed gently on the ground, murmuring:

[Elder Brain command received.]

[Commence total annihilation of designated targets.]

Four massive golems then emerged from the cubes she had thrown, transforming with precision like intricate machines.

The siege golem Juggernaut.

The execution golem Doom that Tiara had made but was now under Davey’s command.

The defensive golem Tanker.

And finally, the all-rounder golem Megatron, who had given Doom a chainsaw and had a vicious drill.

[Operation start. Begin annihilation.]

As Rinne’s emotionless voice rang out, the golems began their slaughter, targeting the mysterious beings that had been pushing forward.

The mysterious beings, which even 6th Circle mages had struggled to defeat, were being torn apart by the golems. To Davey, it seemed the mysterious beings only had strong resistance to dark magic, and their resistance to other forces was far weaker.

He knew it was time to show that nothing could face overwhelming physical power.

As Davey cast large-scale healing magic, Sephiroth Rinne began her massacre across the battlefield, shocking everyone into silence.

ChubbyCheeks & FriedNook\'s Thoughts

Editorb’s Thought

Dudes are fighting honestly while putting their lives on the line and then the mysterious beings pull out fuckin’ VOLTRON to beat their ass

(full disclosure I had a hard time finding a gif that showed the full process. The joke is that multiple mysterious beings assembled themselves into a bigger being like Voltron or the Power Rangers)

Damn, I made this Thought before I finished the chapter, and now Rinne is pulling out Megatron AND Doomguy? Classic cartoons are having a real comeback—I wouldn’t be surprised if a Gundam shows up next.