"Lord... Captain..."
Rosemary curled up in Elias' arms, staring dazedly at the demonic youth so close before her. At this moment, he resembled Lucifer, who had fallen into hell and become the fallen angel Satan.
His jet-black hair and six wings were deeper than the abyss and more tranquil than the night sky. And yet... even draped in endless darkness, this person still shone so brilliantly.
Although her injuries had already healed, Rosemary's entire body remained weakened by the agony of being burned at the stake. She should not have been able to move even a single finger. Yet now, as though she had forgotten all that pain, she instinctively raised a hand and placed it against Elias' cheek.
No one knew what she was feeling at this moment.
She was cradled in the arms of a demon.
It felt as though the entire night sky had gently embraced her.
Rosemary suddenly felt an urge to drown in Elias' arms, to pour out every grievance and sorrow within her heart, because she knew this person would undoubtedly accept all of her with tenderness.
"I'm sorry, Rosemary. I came too late."
Elias looked at the young woman in his arms with heartache.
The authority of Reason constructed a new evening gown in the colors of the night, replacing the clothing that had been burned away. Dressed in her new attire, Rosemary looked like a bride of the underworld.
She matched Elias perfectly in his current form.
"I always knew a day like this might come, because I understand that not every story can reach a perfect ending. Even though we did everything right this time and held the most beautiful intentions, we still received such an unreasonable conclusion."
This world had betrayed them.
Unforgivable!
How unjust this ending was.
Unpardonable!
Malice surged within Elias' heart. At the very moment Rosemary completed her act of salvation, the people of the world branded her a witch who had destroyed everything, cruelly bound her to a cross, and subjected her to torture by fire!
How utterly absurd and ridiculous.
The [Nightmares] had failed to defeat this young woman, yet her own people had succeeded. The vileness of the human heart was far more terrifying than any disaster. From the very beginning, true salvation had never existed for this bubble world!
Elias had never known there could be something in this world capable of enraging him to such an extent. Yet strangely, he was now incomparably clear-headed and rational, like a black flame blazing fiercely within ice and snow.
"Don't worry, Rosemary. I will obtain justice for you!"
"Lord Captain... there is no need to go this far."
"No! If I do not, I cannot accept this."
Elias kissed Rosemary's forehead. Then, when his gaze left the young woman and fell upon the traitors...
Everyone trembled violently and instinctively collapsed to their knees.
It was like being stared at from the depths of the abyss! An inescapable chill coiled around their souls!
"I don't believe in divine retribution. Every hatred in this world should be avenged by one's own hands. I won't spare a single person who hurt you. I will return your pain to them a thousandfold, ten thousandfold!"
"N-No! Stay away from us!"
"Run! He's going to kill us!"
"W-We did nothing wrong! Nothing wrong!"
"This has nothing to do with me! Don't hurt me!"
The instant they sensed Elias' fury, everyone present became instinctively terrified. It was the wrath of an existence far nobler, stronger, and more inviolable than any of them.
They began denying responsibility, attempting to flee and putting on the faces of innocent victims, as though they were the ones who had been wronged.
"How... nauseating."
The six black wings behind Elias spread wide.
It was as though night itself had descended and shrouded the world.
The twelve gemstones embedded within those wings resembled stars in the night sky. Three of them were currently shining—the Gem of Destruction, the Gem of Serenity, and the Gem of Haste.
A powerful gravitational field descended upon the entire bubble world. Tenfold gravity instantly crushed everyone to the ground, shattering the bones and organs of many.
Then scorching flames ignited upon every person, impossible to extinguish no matter how desperately they struggled.
Just like the demon's fury at this moment.
Their skin roasted beneath the flames, and their bones snapped beneath the crushing gravity. It was agony no ordinary person could possibly endure. Compared to this, death itself would have been a merciful release.
But how could Elias possibly let them off so easily?
The power of creation poured into every person's body.
The White Flower of Creation, regarded by countless people of the Previous Era as a symbol of healing and beauty, had now become a flower of judgment that allowed the guilty to endure punishment without end.
"I judge you with devouring stone and sentence you to kneel forever upon shattered bones!"
"I judge you with undying flame and sentence you to the torment of scorched flesh and burning hearts!"
"I judge you with the flower of creation and sentence you to suffering without end!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH—!!!" xN
Heart-rending screams echoed across heaven and earth.
Keeping one's word was a fine virtue, and Elias did exactly as he had promised. He returned the pain Rosemary had endured to these shameless and wretched people a thousandfold, ten thousandfold.
They had bound Rosemary to a cross.
So Elias used gravity to pin them against the earth.
They had dared execute Rosemary with fire.
So Elias repaid them with Herrscher flames a hundred times hotter.
They had made Rosemary suffer for several minutes.
So Elias used the power of creation to heal them while punishing them, forcing them to spend the rest of their lives repaying their sins.
Even those who wanted to escape through death found it impossible. This excessive power of creation, far beyond what ordinary humans could withstand, restored them instantly even if their hearts were pierced, their necks twisted apart, or they suffered any other immediately fatal wound.
"I'm sorry! I was wrong! Please spare me!"
"Ahhh! Stop! Please stop!"
"We apologize! We were wrong!"
"It hurts! How can you be so cruel?!"
"Kill me! Please, just kill me!"
The corners of Elias' lips lifted slightly. The screams of enemies were always so pleasing to hear, but this was not over yet!
"Since you're so dissatisfied with this world, fine. I will grant you a world suited to people like you!"
Following Elias' words, even more gemstones upon his six black wings began to glow—the Gem of Conquest, the Gem of Stasis, the Gem of Sentience, and the Gem of Desire.
Destruction was always easier than creation.
That was especially true for a Herrscher.
Had the gaze of the Cocoon of Finality been able to observe this bubble world, it might have wept tears of joy. The savior who had always beaten it into the ground...
Was actually capable of doing something this vicious!
Dark clouds blanketed the entire bubble world. Countless bolts of lightning fell ceaselessly like rain, while enormous and terrifying tornadoes tore apart and destroyed everything in their path.
Every ocean in the bubble world froze into everlasting ice in an instant. Then a withering mist of death spread across the land, infusing everything in the world with poison. Finally, the gravity throughout the entire bubble world became three times stronger than before.
And with the final application of psychic power, everyone in this bubble world lost the ability to dream forever.
The environment, normal only moments ago, had become so horrific that merely remaining alive in this world was now a form of torture.
In other words...
Elias had transformed this bubble world into hell!
Perhaps not everyone in this world deserved such a fate.
But Elias no longer cared to distinguish between the innocent and the guilty. He had protected this world as its savior, yet the moment it harmed someone precious to him, he ceased to care what became of it.
Although this was his first time doing such a thing, Elias discovered that it came to him with remarkable ease.
He said, "Since you don't want to live in a normal world, I'll build you a hell instead. How does that sound? Don't you think this world suits you perfectly?"
"Demon... You're a demon..."
"No, you are! A pack of shameless degenerates who repay kindness with betrayal. You don't deserve to live in this world. You are sinners fit only to exist in hell. This is the fate you deserve! Hel!"
This was the new name Elias gave the bubble world.
In the language of the Previous Era, it meant "hell."
Elias looked upon his masterpiece with satisfaction. In his eyes, the world should be fair like this. Those who deserved happiness should be happy, while those who deserved punishment should suffer. If fate refused to provide such fairness...
Then he would provide it himself!!
Vroooooom!
At that moment, a gigantic battleship appeared on the horizon. It was the Hyperion. Since Ai had been unable to keep up with Elias' speed earlier, he had told her to bring the battleship over.
"Rosemary, stay by my side from now on," Elias said to the young woman in his arms.
"Mm... Yes, Lord Captain."
"...I will protect you. I will never allow anything terrifying to happen to you again, my witch... my Rosemary."
Elias gently stroked the young woman's hair. Truthfully, even after going this far, the fury within his heart had barely diminished. Yet he felt even greater pity for the girl in his arms.
She had granted salvation to the world.
Yet the world had betrayed her.
How utterly worthless and absurd.
At this moment, Elias made his decision. Since Rosemary's world did not love her, then he would love her in its place.
Just as he had declared earlier, if she was a witch, then he would become a demon.
"Thank you, Lord Captain... No, I should say thank you, my... Lord Demon."
Crystal tears uncontrollably spilled from the corners of Rosemary's eyes.
She had always been skilled at controlling her expression and emotions, but now she could not do so no matter how hard she tried.
An unprecedented feeling was gradually taking root within the witch's heart. As though she wished to brand his figure upon her very soul, she stared at the young man before her—the one willing to descend into darkness for her, transform into a demon, and punish the world itself.
At that moment, Rosemary made a certain vow within her heart.
...
Elias carried Rosemary back aboard the Hyperion. The Eternally Unsinkable Ship then initiated a short-distance warp, passing through the membrane of the bubble world and returning to the Sea of Quanta.
"Captain, this bubble world..."
"Ai, chart a new course. It's time to leave."
"...Yes."
Ai obediently nodded.
But she still cast one final glance at the Hel bubble world behind them.
With the Ether Anchor—the lantern—depleted of energy, and Elias choosing not to absorb the bubble world, the power of the Sea of Quanta would decompose Hel within a few short years.
As far as Ai was concerned, they deserved it!
Elias: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, blood for blood. Since this world betrayed Rosemary, then this time, I will be the one to abandon this world. That's fair, isn't it?"
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