“Uh, why? Where have you gone, my lord!”
Did Baal’s summoning fail?
The Pope’s flustered expression.
It was clearly not just a trick.
It should have succeeded in summoning.
Did Baal not respond?
“Please respond! Baal!”
I don’t know what’s going on, but….
Maybe this is for the best.
No matter how inferior he is compared to Deus, it would have been awkward to face the power present here.
Judah approached the Pope with a sense of relief and commanded the Holy Knights.
“Bind the Pope.”
“Yes!”
“Why! Baal! Why have you forsaken me… us!”
While the Holy Knights knelt the Pope and bound him, he showed no sign of resistance.
He merely howled to the heavens.
“This is disappointing. If I had made Baal my servant, he would have been useful.”
“……You! Servant of Deus! Don’t think you have won!”
“Don’t think I have won?”
The Pope glared at Judah, who was kneeling with his arms held by the Holy Knights.
“Then, what can you forsaken ones do to me?”
“The son of the Deus you serve is currently in Orias! And tonight, a ‘purification operation’ will take place in Orias! A ‘purification operation’ that burns away all impurity!”
“A purification operation….”
“Haha, it seems you’re scared of the danger facing your lord. Tonight, all impurities in Orias will be purified. Even your beloved lord… Gah!”
Judah kicked the Pope’s head hard.
“I know.”
“…Oh, you know?”
“The reason I’ve come this far is precisely that.”
Judah approached the Pope and placed her hand on his head.
“Tonight, even if I betray him, even if I go against his will, I will save him.”
Due to Judah’s energy, the Pope stood up with cloudy eyes and a dazed expression.
“Ugh… have I reached my limit?”
Watching this, Judah suddenly clutched her chest and grimaced.
“Hold on just a little longer. …If I can’t pull this off, then I will have no value in existing.”
As Judah exited the chamber of consciousness, the Pope, all the Cardinals, the Holy Knights, and the priests followed her.
“We’re going to Orias.”
To save him.
I led my disciples out of the building.
As I stepped outside, I saw a massive pillar of fire in the distance.
The pillar of flame rising from the imperial palace reached up to the sky.
That is… the Orias purification operation.
A prelude to the ‘cage.’
“What… is that?”
“What in the world…!”
The disciples were immersed in shock and dismay.
Among them, Aurelia looked particularly confused.
“S-sensei!”
She came to me and spoke.
“Do not be afraid.”
“…What?”
“Your Lord Deus is with you. Do not be afraid.”
“Ah…! Understood!”
In front of the distant pillar of fire floated a small figure.
That must be Dominic.
Finally, I have arrived.
The final destination of the son of Deus.
The time for the showdown with ‘Chaos’ has come.
Can I really do this?
No matter how much a clone it is, I have accomplished too much through this clone.
The fame I have built as the son of Deus.
And the companions I have gathered so far.
Things too precious to lose.
The burden has become too heavy compared to when I began my journey.
-Lily! That pillar of fire, ‘Chaos’ is involved. It’s too dangerous. Are you really thinking of going there?
-I have to go. Otherwise, Orias will disappear.
-B-but it’s too dangerous!
I know.
I’ve witnessed the overwhelming power of the ‘cage’ put forth by Dominic in [Deus Ex Machina].
As the story progresses into Part 2 and power inflation occurs, Dominic, the Emperor who was the boss of Episode 1, has gradually become weaker, but at the point of Episode 1, he is stronger than any human.
In fact, there was no one in the story stronger than him in terms of flame abilities.
And now, the remaining two gods of evil, Saros and Atzoatl, must have all intervened to face me, making them even stronger than before.
A huge flame pillar spread out in the middle of Orias, with countless branches extending.
Those branches took the form of a dome, enveloping Orias.
A cage of fire, a prison where no one can escape without the tyrant’s permission.
The power of the tyrant Dominic.
“Wh-what is happening…!”
“You told us not to be afraid! Let’s not be afraid… not be afraid….”
Looking at the scene, the disciples fell back into confusion.
Not only them, but the people of Orias were also in chaos.
A dome-shaped prison blazing against the black night sky.
It was enough to evoke primal fear in anyone who saw it.
-Oh, son of Deus!
A voice echoed throughout the city from afar.
No, it isn’t just someone.
Although it was the first time I heard it, it was a familiar voice.
The Emperor of the Nova Empire, Dominic Nova.
-How dare you claim to be the rightful king of my nation! In my country where I reign!
He’s really mad about that.
-If you truly are the son of Deus, if you have the right to call yourself a king, then come here!
Oh.
He wants to fight?
This was all as I expected.
Hearing Dominic’s message, I looked around at my disciples.
They all looked at me with worried expressions.
Dominic’s strength was a well-known tale throughout the continent.
But hearing about it and witnessing such a sight firsthand are two different stories.
When they decided to follow me, they likely thought I would easily defeat Dominic, but seeing this sight might change their minds.
And they had to turn their backs on me for my plan to succeed.
It would be better for them to harbor distrust towards me.
That said, it also meant they would betray me due to my plan, so I hope they wouldn’t feel guilty.
“I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me will live even if he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Silence followed.
Among them, Paulah came forward and spoke.
“Lord, yes. I believe that you are the Messiah and the son of Deus who has come to the world.”
“Your faith is true.”
With that, I soared high into the sky.
“Lord!”
“Sensai!”
Leaving their calls behind, I quickly flew towards the imperial capital.
Dominic’s figure drew closer from afar.
He stood in the sky with his arms crossed.
A colossal amount of flames whirled around him.
As he noticed me approaching, his face brightened.
“Son of Deus! You’ve come!”
“Dominic.”
“Ha. So, the son of Deus, the rightful ruler of the continent, is this pathetic youngling after all. At least your face isn’t too bad.”
-Ignis.
I summoned Ignis in my heart.
Whoosh!
Fiery flames surged up, wrapping around me.
-Ignis. What is the limit of time you can remain here without my magic?
-There’s no limit, Luke.
-None, you say.
Initially, I had prepared various methods to maintain her summoning during the fight with Dominic, but if she doesn’t need my power to remain in this world, then there’s no reason to use those methods.
I felt a slight sense of betrayal from the fact that she hadn’t informed me she could remain in this world without my magic, but Ignis, too, must have acted that way due to Deus.
Though I’m not sure what the significance of Deus is, I don’t think it will interfere with my battle against Dominic.
This fight will ultimately elevate her.
“Ah. Flames, is it? So you plan to fight me with fire? You dare challenge me with such a feeble flame…! How dare you even think that!”
Whoosh!
The flames surrounding Dominic came together to take the form of a nine-headed dragon.
Dominic’s ultimate technique, Hydra.
At this point, there is no one on this continent stronger than Dominic in terms of flame.
No grand sorcerer’s Hellfire can compare to his Hydra.
“Your pathetic little flame will now be used as kindling for my fire! Experience the difference in our levels!”
The nine heads lunged at me in an attempt to swallow me whole.
But.
-Ifrit, burn it down.
Whoosh!
Ifrit’s flames devoured and incinerated Dominic’s Hydra.
“What, what! How is my flame…!”
Ifrit is the fire spirit king who governs all flames.
No flame from the intermediate realms can defeat her.
“Now, who is the kindling?”
Dominic’s eyes widened in shock.
It was a face I had not seen even in [Deus Ex Machina].
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