The Time We Once Missed

Sub-space demons are entities forged from energy and spirit, unbound by the laws of the physical world. Their descent into reality invariably brings about severe repercussions. Even among these monstrous beings, Ephiel stands as a notorious figure, her existence chronicled in ancient secret tomes passed down through millennia.

These texts describe her as an “exceedingly noble, immensely majestic, utterly cruel, and overwhelmingly powerful Archdemon.”

…Well, save for the “overwhelmingly powerful” part, the rest is merely artistic embellishment.

“[CONTRACT ESTABLISHED!!]”

A crimson thread, connecting my ring finger to hers, erupted in a blinding flash of light. In that instant, a familiar, colossal surge of energy poured into my body. My bones groaned, a cacophony of creaks and cracks, and my mind buzzed incessantly.

This was my boon from Ephiel’s contract: a vast, magnificent, terrifying, and boundless vortex of energy!

[How does it feel, Corvus?]

Her voice now resonated directly in my mind, just as it always had. I flexed my hands, a simple motion that caused the very space around me to creak and groan. Surging energy coursed through my veins like molten lava, burned along my nerves like lightning, and rampaged through every limb and fiber of my being.

“It’s been too long, so I’m a little unaccustomed, but… it’s not bad.”

It had been a long time since I fought by her side.

We had once ventured into the world’s darkest corners, confronted enemies far too formidable for my younger self, and countless times found ourselves in perilous straits. Our bond had long transcended that of a mere contractor and contracted entity.

Those were old times, perhaps cherished, perhaps not, but products of a bygone era nonetheless.

Today, however, I would relive them.

“My apologies, Jadette.”

I extended a finger and gently tapped Jadette, who remained in a state of utter bewilderment. She immediately fell into a deep slumber. I instantly teleported to catch her in my arms, then carefully laid her on the ground.

Forgive me, but considering I’ll be making a swift exit once this is over, I couldn’t very well leave you conscious.

As for the other two, I wouldn’t be nearly as gentle.

“Ninth Apostle, you bastard! That’s my power! Mine! You stole it! You fu—”

“If you can’t even get it up, don’t try to play the cuckold.”

With a flick of my finger, the excessively dense magic instantly vaporized Paris’s limbs, leaving him a mere torso with a bald head. He finally lost consciousness. I spared his life for now; it would complicate investigations later if law enforcement agencies got involved.

As for the last one—

“Ahahaha~~ What’s the point of fighting~~ Excuse me, I’m out of here!”

—Parashana had already vanished within a teleportation magic circle. To activate a teleportation spell amidst sub-space erosion and abyssal turbulence suggested that the person behind her was no simple individual, but that was a mystery for another time.

[Should we not pursue her?]

“Someone important must be protecting her. We’ll deal with that later. Right now, the most crucial task is…”

I clasped my hands together, then pulled them apart. Like Xiao Wu unleashing the Spear of Thunder, I conjured a super-dense, integrated beam of magic, shaped like a colossal nail.

Abyssal fluctuations, you say?

Planar invasion, you say?

No need for anything flashy. Just—suppress it directly!

“HRAAAHHH!!!!”

I roared, driving the massive magical nail directly into the twisted ground. The moment it landed, it exploded into a gigantic pillar of light, like a divine sea-stabilizing needle. From the surface of the Abyssal entrance above, down to the distorted void beneath the sixth layer, every obstruction was utterly pierced through in an instant.

BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—CRASH—WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH-WHOOSH——————

The spatial tremors ceased, and the Abyss no longer boiled. It was as if a sheet of paper had been pinned to a table, no longer susceptible to the whims of the wind.

[Haha, if that girl Shirayuki Chihane were here, she’d surely find your use of magic far too crude, wouldn’t she?]

“She’s in no position to criticize me. When it comes to a real fight, she’s even more brutal than Justina.”

[Be careful they don’t team up for a combined assault on you, you know.]

“It doesn’t matter. Even if all those so-called wives came at me together—”

Finally, re-acclimated to the sub-space power, I stretched my body. The tearing agony subsided, my vision became incredibly bright, and all five senses, even my sixth, sharpened to an extreme degree. I could perceive everything; the entire world became an extension of my senses. This was an absolute transcendence over all things, a dogma that superseded life itself.

“—they still wouldn’t be my match!”

Forgive me, Jadette.

I feel no anger for you right now.

Nor do I harbor hatred for anyone.

At this moment, I simply feel…

This world…

It fills me with an unparalleled sense of exhilaration.

Above the heavens and below the earth,

I alone am supreme.

[…What meme are you playing with here?]

“It’s the latest, hottest trending meme! If I just use enough memes, I can become a big shot too!”

[What even is that?!]

“Ahem, while it’s a meme, those words truly reflect my feelings right now, Ephiel—”

I spread my fingers, their tips perfectly forming the five vertices of a regular pentagon, and lines of chaotic light connected these five points.

“—Lend me a hand. I’m about to cast a spell.”

[Alright!!]

I plunged my hand into the magic circle, and when I withdrew it, a cross-shaped longsword materialized in my grasp. Its blade appeared to be a mosaic of fragmented metal, rock, crystal, ice, and carbon, possessing a strangely chaotic beauty amidst its roughness. The moment it appeared, fine cracks spiderwebbed through the space around its blade, and all things in the world seemed to become smooth reflective surfaces, mirroring its dull sword light.

Sub-space Armament: Abyssal Eclipse Blade Aest.

“Let’s go!”

The Abyssal Eclipse Blade, true to its name, fed on darkness. The darker and more chaotic the place, the stronger it became, and the Abyss was its banquet table. I no longer needed to manipulate wind elements; the inexhaustible surge of energy propelled me upward like a rocket.

With a single swing of the Abyssal Eclipse Blade, a massive chasm was carved through several layers of the Abyss’s ground. The cross-section was smooth as a mirror, and the pervasive darkness surged forth like a tide, entirely absorbed by the demonic sword.

I flew straight upward, instantly obliterating every stray Abyssal beast in my path. I didn’t even need to act directly; once the darkness was siphoned from their bodies, they became utterly feeble, shattered by the sword’s radiating energy upon approach.

The path back to the surface was unobstructed. Darkness rapidly fell behind me, and within mere seconds, I had soared out of the entrance, instantly reaching the sky a thousand meters above.

[I was worried you’d been away from my power for too long and might accidentally self-destruct.]

“You worry too much.”

[How do you feel? This long-awaited serious mode?]

“Strong… incredibly strong, even more so than before.”

Truly worthy of the Archdemon Ephiel; her power surged endlessly, showing no signs of depletion. Though her inner nature was utterly that of a weakling, her power was undeniably immense.

However, sub-space demons cannot wield their full power in the physical world. While their presence causes tremors in reality, this is unrelated to their own will, merely an influence emanating from sub-space. To manifest their power to the fullest without a physical form, they must rely on a creature that meets specific conditions.

If their power were a vast reservoir, ordinary individuals could only release a trickle, like draining a pool with a small pipe, unable to fully unleash its immense force.

But I am different.

If others are small pipes, I am the floodgate of the Three Gorges Dam. There is likely no one in this world more suited to be a contractor than me.

“Guardians of the Star Cup, caress of the Benevolent Mother, Cradle’s Garden, protect this fragile world.”

For the first time in ages, I performed a complete incantation. The Sandra Great Seal, which had been torn wide open, visibly repaired itself at an astonishing speed, its silvery-white barrier restoring to perfect integrity.

All that remained was the tide of Abyssal beasts rampaging through the city.

The sounds of battle echoed everywhere. Mercenaries and soldiers clashed fiercely with the Abyssal beasts, while civilians fled for their lives at top speed. Sandra City had transformed into a battlefield, engulfed in the glow of flames.

How should I proceed?

Should I fly into the city, descend like a deity, and put on a grand show for everyone?

Please. I despise those overpowered, arrogant male protagonists in web novels who claim to “dislike being in the spotlight” yet are more eager than anyone to seize an opportunity to show off in front of a crowd, acting like complete fools. I’m talking about you, Zhou Yuhong.

What? Am I an overpowered protagonist too? Oh, never mind then.

“Let’s do something grand, then. A rare reunion with you, let’s make some beautiful memories—”

I extended a finger, using the void as a canvas, and sketched the shape of the Inverse Qliphoth. With drops of blood imbued with the weight of souls, I marked out ten sephirot.

Blasphemy

Stupidity

Resistance

Indifference

Cruelty

Ugliness

Profligacy

Greed

Instability

Materialism

SWORD OF SPARDA——

WINGS OF MUNDUS——

CHAOS OF ARGOSAX——

YAMATO OF VERGIL——

THRONE OF URIZEN——

With my proudest magic, I would end everything in a single strike.

“Moon Dust Requiem—Amber Coffin.”

That night, a divine, or perhaps demonic, radiance enveloped the entirety of Sandra City.

Crystals of pure magic descended from the heavens, blanketing the entire area. People, who had been fighting with bloodshot eyes, instantly calmed, while all the Abyssal beasts were frozen within the crystals, like insects trapped in amber.

Then, the crystals shattered.

The Abyssal beasts, too, dissolved into dust of light, ascending into the sky with countless crystal fragments, illuminating the restored night sky like luminous moths beneath the moon.

This absurd chaos had finally come to an end.