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*****
"No need. Wait until Amon completes his promotion before you resurrect."
George waved a hand dismissively, a slight smile on his lips. Roselle froze, momentarily stunned. This deviated sharply from their original plan.
Previously, George had held Roselle back from returning to life, fearing the immediate interference of the Eternal Blazing Sun and the God of Steam and Machinery. The logic had been to wait for George Augustus III to attempt his ascension to the Black Emperor. Under that cover, other deities—aside from the Evernight Goddess, who was in on the secret—would assume it was Augustus III succeeding. The only obstacles would be the likes of Adam, Amon, or the Loen Royal family's powerhouses.
To George, who possessed the strength of a True God, those were negligible threats.
Now, with Amon and Adam clashing directly with the Loen royals, it was a perfect case of the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. However, Adam's displayed strength was unexpected; he seemed to have already transcended Sequence 1, reaching the level of a True God.
Logically, they should strike now while Adam's side was still in flux. If they forced Roselle's return, they would have two True Gods on their side. Even if Adam was a God, a failed Amon would remain a mere Sequence 1, giving George's side a decisive advantage.
If they waited for Amon to succeed, wouldn't George have to face two True Gods simultaneously?
"Don't worry. My strength has grown again over the last few days; handling two True Gods is no issue. Besides, I'm curious to see how the Error pathway functions during a divine promotion."
Seeing the lingering worry on Roselle's face, George offered a reassuring word. His growth lately wasn't measured in small increments. In his eyes, a Sequence 1 Amon and a True God Amon were simply a small ant and a slightly larger ant.
Reassured by George's absolute confidence, Roselle let out a breath and relaxed.
---
Across the mausoleum, the trio led by Augustus I found themselves utterly unable to breach Adam's Corpse Cathedral. Seizing the opportunity, Amon successfully usurped Augustus III's ritual, ascending to the throne of a Sequence 0 True God.
George Augustus III, his ritual stolen and his foundation shattered, lost control instantly. His body erupted into a spray of mangled flesh, precipitating his Uniqueness and all his Beyonder characteristics. Amon swept them into his grasp without hesitation.
"Not bad, not bad at all. A very smooth promotion," a voice rang out.
George stepped out of hiding, leading Roselle into the open.
"Hand over the Uniqueness and the Sequence 1 characteristics you're holding. Do that, and I might spare your lives and let you walk away."
"I expected you to strike during my promotion. I didn't think you'd wait until now," Amon remarked, his face betraying genuine surprise.
He wasn't surprised that they were nearby—he had sensed shadows—but rather that George had allowed him to reach full godhood before appearing. Truthfully, Amon had prepared contingencies even if Roselle had tried to interrupt. Adam, in his quasi-omnipotent state, could have briefly suppressed Roselle's resurrection, ensuring Amon's success regardless.
"That's because, in my eyes, it makes no difference whether you've promoted or not."
George shrugged casually before turning to Roselle. "Alright, you can reclaim your Uniqueness and characteristics to complete your resurrection. I'll have a little chat with our friends here."
"Then be careful!" Roselle nodded, immediately invoking his authority as the Black Emperor.
Resurrection was a fundamental law of the Black Emperor. As long as no new Black Emperor had truly consolidated their position, the previous one could reclaim their essence at any time.
As an aura of boundless majesty erupted from Roselle, the crown symbolizing the Black Emperor's Uniqueness vanished from Amon's hand. It reappeared instantly, shimmering atop Roselle's head. With a beckoning motion, three Sequence 1 Prince of Abolition characteristics flew to his side.
Grisha did not move to stop Roselle. Instead, he poured his power into the Corpse Cathedral, sealing George within its confines. He knew others would deal with Roselle.
George currently held the Uniquenesses of the Fool and Door pathways, along with a Author characteristic and a Worm of Time. These were prizes that both he and Amon craved. Their primary objective today was Amon's ascension; the second was the hunting of George. Everything else was secondary.
"If you want to return, you'd better ask your old friends first," Amon said, adjusting his monocle as he looked toward Roselle.
Suddenly, the roof of the mausoleum shattered. Two beams of blinding, incandescent light pierced the gloom, converging on the resurrecting Roselle.
One beam carried a terrifying, localized heat—a molten, crimson glare that threatened to bake the very earth into dust. The other was a hazy, colorless shimmer, composed of a staggering amount of illusory information, capable of reducing matter to its most basic molecular structure.
The Eternal Blazing Sun and the God of Steam and Machinery had struck. They could not allow Roselle's return. They had conspired to kill him once; his return meant certain vengeance. Furthermore, as the former Emperor of Intis, Roselle's influence was peerless. His resurrection would cause a massive shift in faith, destabilizing the anchors of the two Orthodox Gods.
Snap!
George flicked his fingers. A barrier shimmered into existence around the ascending Roselle, effortlessly absorbing the combined wrath of the Sun and Steam.
In many ways, Roselle's relationship with those two gods mirrored Augustus III's relationship with the Evernight Goddess and the Lord of Storms: a fundamental conflict between Imperial and Divine authority.
Evernight and Storms were only less extreme because Augustus III had promised to maintain the primacy of the Church. With the apocalypse approaching, they also needed new gods to bolster the world's defenses. Roselle, however, had been polluted and had intended to purge the Churches from his Empire entirely.
"Fine. I might as well clean everything up today."
Trapped within the Corpse Cathedral, George stroked his chin, his mind made up. Since the Sun and Steam had decided to stick their noses in, George would have to reveal his true strength to stop them—perhaps even kill them.
But three Orthodox Gods falling (including the impending hunt for the God of Combat) would weaken the world's barrier too much, accelerating the apocalypse.
Why wait? George thought. He could settle it all today. He would sweep aside the Outer Deities, seize all the Sefirot, and begin the process of devouring this world. He could consolidate and digest the power at his leisure later.
Still, he reminded himself to be cautious. He shouldn't display power exceeding the "Great Old One" level too quickly. He didn't want to scare the Outer Deities away before he could catch them all.
(End of Chapter)