The Truth

Above the heavens, the blue moon was a grisly scar.

The young maiden stood in the air, her pink nightdress fluttering in the gentle breeze, her white hair scattered, dyed with a faint blue fluorescence.

Before that huge, blue moon that occupied almost half the sky, the young maiden looked so small, like a speck of insignificant dust.

But the moment she appeared, the deathly ghouls that had been frantically eroding the academy below suddenly froze.

As if time had been suspended, those shadows that had given Professor Planck such a headache, which had no physical form, were turned into twisted, laughable sculptures.

A terrifying gaze descended from the infinite sky. In that huge, deathly and insane will, there was a hint of… solemnity.

“It’s been a long time.”

The young maiden looked up, her red eyes reflecting the blue moon.

The moon was silent, only the menacing shadows formed by the craters and the lunar seas grew thicker.

“It seems you still dislike me as much as ever.”

The young maiden shook her head helplessly and looked at the grotesque ball of flesh to the side.

“And you. Why are you always so disgusting every time I see you, God of Love?”

The ball of flesh with only one eye writhed, and soon, that eye turned into a twisted mouthpiece, emitting an unpleasant sound like iron scraping against iron.

“…You… you’re still alive?”

“Hehe, are you surprised that I’m alive?”

The young maiden smiled. “But what’s that saying? A girl who likes to sleep always ages slower. For an eighteen-year-old fair maiden like me who has slept for decades, isn’t it normal to live a few more years?”

“But, God of Love, during the time I was asleep, you seem to have taken special care of my academy.”

The young maiden raised her hand and aimed at the grotesque ball of flesh, then, she made a grasping motion.

In an instant, the ball of flesh let out a sharp shriek, and with a bang, it exploded, turning into countless fine, fleshy particles, scattering in all directions

“Trying to escape?”

The young maiden’s cute, baby-fat face was now filled with an immense coldness.

“Since you’ve come to visit, you have to leave a little gift, don’t you?”

The young maiden lightly waved the pink star wand in her hand.

A huge rumbling sound echoed.

On the twelve black towers, a far more immense magical power than when Professor Planck had controlled them poured in, making them glow with an overloaded crimson.

The first layer of the Great Sealing Instrument was activated at the young maiden’s command. A new structure rose from the very bottom of the academy, and at the young maiden’s feet, it turned into a sea of silver.

Like an endless river of quicksilver.

The next moment.

The endless sea of silver instantly solidified.

As smooth as a mirror.

The mirror reflected the huge, blue moon, and the scattered, fleshy particles.

But as the particles fled, they suddenly lost their direction.

The remnants of the God of Love outside the mirror had disappeared. It was as if the reflections in the mirror had, without anyone noticing, become real.

The ball of flesh, realizing that it was trapped, turned to the white-haired young maiden outside the mirror and let out a furious roar.

“Don’t shout.”

The young maiden reached into the mirror and gently scooped.

The ball of flesh instantly lost its life, and then, it was as if she were holding something.

It was a twisted, formless substance.

Weighing it in her hand, the young maiden couldn’t help but show a look of pity. “No wonder you’re so weak after losing that Crown One’s body. So you only projected such a small part of your will? As expected of you, God of Love. To be such a coward. You’re not called the shame of the Evil Gods for nothing.”

The young maiden lost interest and casually tossed the twisted, formless substance back into the mirror.

She looked up and once again at the blue moon.

The moonlight was deathly and cold, falling like a waterfall.

But the moonlight, which should have been infinitely fast, as if it had met some obstacle, in the reflection of the silver mirror, it condensed into clusters of pale blue mist.

The mist floated above the academy, as if being blown by the wind, and it would not fall.

“Next, it’s your turn, moon.”

The young maiden’s leisurely voice, like a ballad, was transmitted to the moon above.

Like a blasphemer, reading a declaration of disrespect to the gods under the heavens.

And so.

The Silent Moon was enraged!

Countless shadows, from the back of those craters and the dark lunar seas, flowed out like thick drops of ink, spreading across the pale blue moon.

The spreading shadows formed two inverted, small crescent moons, and one large, upright crescent moon.

The shadows of the moon and the moon, as if they were outlining the grinning mask of a clown.

And in that deep darkness, blood-red eyes opened, glaring angrily at the insignificant, disrespectful person!

BOOM!

The heavens trembled!

The cloudless, black sky, as if it had been struck by an iron ball, rippled with a visible, formless ripple.

The barrier that separated the worlds seemed to be about to be shattered by some incomprehensible, great force. The moonlight spread, and the shadows of all things in the world seemed to come to life.

With it, the silver mirror at the young maiden’s feet also began to tremble.

And in that mirror, the infinite ghouls that had walked out of the land of death suddenly broke free from the bonds of time, and with deformed, black limbs, they roared and crashed against the very bottom of the academy’s structure.

In that moment, the Silent Moon completely abandoned its lockdown of this part of the world and instead began a reckless, all-out attack!

And so, in various parts of the world, many powerhouses were startled from their sleep and turned their horrified gazes to the heavens.

“Oh? You’re angry?”

The young maiden sighed softly. “But rules are rules. That world barrier is not so easy to break. If you’re so reckless, besides pointlessly consuming your own power, what can you do? So…”

The young maiden, without any fear, looked at the menacing moon that no longer had a trace of beauty, her expression solemn.

“Go back, moon. This is my territory. It’s not a place you can touch!”

The young maiden’s cold words fell.

And then a magnificent bell tolled.

The academy’s tallest building, the Great Bell Tower, cast a clear shadow on the silver mirror.

Like the hand of a clock.

And the twelve black towers standing on the edge of the academy were like the numbers.

The hand tilted, pointing between five and six.

And then, it tilted faster.

In just a few breaths, it had covered the final distance between five and six.

An invisible rule spread.

And so, besides a few of the very top powerhouses, no one noticed that on this morning, a whole half hour of time had been cut from the entire world.

Six o’clock sharp.

On the edge of the black sky, a faint light appeared.

It was the dawn.

The bell tolled again.

The young maiden, who seemed to have grown even younger, stretched out her hand, as if to grasp the menacing blue moon in her palm.

“Look, Silent Moon.”

Gazing at the gradually receding darkness, the young maiden coldly declared, “The day has broken.”

…

…

“It’s over.”

Looking at the gradually brightening sky and the increasingly dim blue moon, the young maiden couldn’t help but finally let out a sigh of relief.

After all, it was an Evil God that had almost descended with its true body. Even for her, it was quite a lot of pressure to deal with.

“Thankfully, the price I paid is still within an acceptable range.”

But pulling at her slightly loose nightdress, a hint of displeasure appeared in the young maiden’s red eyes.

I can’t get any smaller.

“Next, let me see why you suddenly came to my academy, moon.”

The cold words fell, and the dim blue moon in the young maiden’s eyes disappeared, and in its place were countless stars.

The stars twinkled, moved, and in the endless void, they outlined a series of profound and mysterious traces.

The young maiden looked at the traces, deducing the direction of fate.

“You’re… afraid?”

The first result of the deduction made the young maiden slightly taken aback.

The stars continued to twinkle.

“Because of… the Withered King?”

The young maiden’s eyes slightly lowered. She thought of the young man who had been blessed by the Withered King just now.

But this corner of fate that had been deduced only made her more confused.

The Silent Moon and the Withered King were Evil Gods of the same rank.

Their authorities were completely opposite, yet they were mutually reinforcing and restraining. They were natural enemies, yet they were the two most similar beings.

Normally, even if these two were to fight, it should be a stalemate where neither could do anything to the other.

But why was the Silent Moon afraid of the Withered King now?

And according to the deduction, the Withered King was indeed recklessly approaching the Silent Moon. In as little as two months, or perhaps as long as half a year, they would collide directly, and then a war between the gods would erupt.

The reason remained elusive. Already, deducing this much, which implicated several deities, was an extraordinary feat, the absolute limit of what could be discerned. Beyond this point, all was obscured by a deepening fog, hinting at the involvement of even greater, more complex forces.

And so the young maiden gave up on deducing and began to reason. Sometimes, you don’t need to see the trajectory of fate to know the truth.

For a supreme being, like a god, a change in behavior was rare and usually required extraordinary circumstances. The young maiden, possessing knowledge that surpassed the current era, quickly realized this. Her unique understanding allowed her to swiftly deduce the most probable truth behind the god’s actions.

“Perhaps… the Withered King must have discovered your weakness. Knowing this, He is now rushing toward you recklessly, intent on consuming your authority. Your fear is justified, as you know the Withered King, now privy to your vulnerability, truly possesses the power to succeed.”

“So, driven by a desire for new power and to escape being devoured by the Withered King, you trespassed upon the academy, seeking the object hidden beneath it.”

“I see. I think I understand now. It’s just…”

Gazing at the soon-to-disappear blue moon, the young maiden sighed with a sense of loss.

“As far as I know, there are only one and a half beings in this world who know the weaknesses of the gods.”

“No, the “one” of one and a half is already dead.”

“In other words…”

The young maiden’s eyes flickered slightly, and in her heart, which had always been as calm as a mirror, a ripple appeared.

“That thing… still exists in the world?”

…

…

“Professor Glen.”

“Don’t talk to me!”

In the sea of flowers, Glen, who had been taken apart piece by piece just like Ewan, said angrily, “I don’t know you!”

“Can’t you be a little less childish, Professor?” Ewan’s mouth twitched.

“Childish? You tricked me into this state, and you won’t let me be angry?” Glen said, glaring.

“Didn’t you trick me first, Professor?”

Ewan sneered. “Don’t tell me you were planning to eat that candy yourself.”

“…”

Glen guiltily looked away.

“Alright. I just want to ask you a question.”

Ewan sighed softly and asked, “What was the situation with the Silent Moon’s invasion before?”

“Hm? You’re only a student, Ewan. Why are you asking so many questions?” Glen asked with confusion.

“Curiosity.”

Ewan said with a straight face, “Wouldn’t a normal person be curious after encountering such a thing? To be honest, Professor, my curiosity is about to explode. I’m almost at the point where I’ll die if I don’t know the specifics.”

“Mm, that’s true.”

Glen nodded with a serious expression. “A normal person would indeed be very curious.But, unfortunately, I don’t know the specifics either. After all, when it comes to something like an Evil God, those who know will basically sign a Vow of Silence.”

A Vow of Silence…

Ewan frowned. “Then… some unimportant information…”

“What information can I know?”

Glen’s shoulders, which were a few meters away, shrugged. “I just seem to have heard that old coot Planck sighs that this matter seems to involve a third Evil God. I don’t know anything else.”

“A third Evil God?”

Ewan fell into a deep thought, and then he faintly grasped a clue, his eyes suddenly lighting up.

“Thank you, Professor Glen. I’m going to sleep now.”

“Eh? Sleep?”

Glen looked at Ewan with shock. “How can you sleep at a time like this?”

Not caring about Glen, Ewan closed his eyes.

His consciousness sank into the black book space.

The black book, which had been hiding somewhere when he was in front of the white-haired little girl, was now quietly floating in front of him.

As if it had expected him and was waiting for his arrival.

“It seems you know my purpose, don’t you, black book?”

Ewan’s eyes flickered slightly, and he asked, “Then I won’t waste any more time. The third Evil God that Glen mentioned is the Withered King, right? After all, besides the God of Love, He is the only one I’ve had contact with.”

[…]

“Then the reason the Silent Moon’s behavior changed is also because of the Withered King. The only thing that can completely affect the behavior of an Evil God is another Evil God.”

[…]

“And the reason the Withered King’s behavior changed in a way I don’t know is most likely because of my previous contact with Him. But I’m just a mere mortal. I can’t possibly affect the Withered King. In other words…”

Ewan paused. “The source of this series of chain reactions is actually you.”

[…]

“So, black book, at that time, in order to exchange power for me, what was written on the page you gave to the Withered King? I don’t believe it was just an IOU!”

[Sigh…]

Faced with Ewan’s pressing questions, a faint, almost inaudible sigh suddenly echoed in the space.

The black book suddenly flipped to a blank page.

And then, on that blank page, neat characters gradually appeared.

[Information].

“Information?”

Ewan was confused. “What information?”

The characters changed.

[The Silent Moon’s weakness.]

“Huh?”

Ewan was stunned for a moment, then his expression suddenly turned horrified.

“Weakness? The Silent Moon’s? Wait, wait, you actually know something like that? No, now is not the time to be concerned about that. You told the Withered King the Silent Moon’s weakness, which means…”

The two gods shared the same origin, yet the authorities they wielded were entirely contrary. Though they were destined as natural enemies, they were also the most alike of all beings.

So, once the Withered King got this information, he wasn’t about to go run over and share some dirty jokes with Her. Instead, he’d be totally out to get the Silent Moon, like, really hurt her,  skin her, smash her bones and suck her marrow, and basically, completely absorb Her authority.

So, that’s why the Silent Moon suddenly invaded the academy.

Ewan vaguely remembered that the original book seemed to have mentioned that there was something hidden under the academy that even the gods would covet.

The Silent Moon was after that thing, in order to gain new power to resist the Withered King who was rushing toward Her with a knife and fork!

“No wonder that white-haired little girl said that the power on me was not a simple gift from the Withered King, but a god’s blessing. A god’s blessing that can be used endlessly, a symbol of the partial manifestation of a god’s authority…”

The info exchanged was so valuable, so the Withered King couldn’t really be stingy, right?

“But…”

Ewan looked at the black book, still unable to understand. “Why did you do that? It was just a temporary emergency. Couldn’t you have just used something less important in exchange?”

[In order to.]

[Save you.]

The black book flipped.

The next moment, Ewan was in a daze.

A scene appeared before his eyes.

Under a black sky, a pair of pure-white wings unfurled.

Holding a holy sword, the Saintess of Purification stood before him, a brilliant crown on her head and an expression of profound pity on her face.

Pale-faced and leaning heavily on her sword, a seriously injured Ariel stood nearby.

Professor Planck was also hurrying closer, his expression clearly showing his anger.

He looked down and could vaguely discern a heart that had ceased beating, directly beneath the holy sword’s wound from which all blood had already drained.

“This is…”

[If the Silent Moon had not joined in.]

[The God of Love would not have had any thoughts about that object.]

On the black book, new characters quickly appeared.

[Everything would have proceeded according to the original plot.]

[The God of Love’s invasion would have been in a year.]

[The only difference is that His target would no longer be Ariel, but—you.]

“Me…”

Ewan’s pupils shrank.

In an instant, he understood the meaning of the scene that had suddenly appeared.

In the original plot, Ariel, facing the Crown One Saintess controlled by the God of Love, could rely on her plot armor and various cheat items to hold out until Professor Planck arrived.

But Ewan Campbell?

No, he couldn’t.

Because Ewan Campbell was not the protagonist.

He had no plot armor, and no cheat items.

He was just a blond villain who was hated by fate.

So.

If things had proceeded according to the original plot.

Ewan Campbell.

Would have definitely died.

…

[This is… the original prophetic dream.]

[A future that, without powerful external interference, would have been inevitable.]

…