KRA-ANG!
The universe trembled with the thunderous clash of cosmic metal, signaling the finale of this divine conflict.
Unlike the complex, drawn-out battles of mortals, Aeons didn't rely on intricate tactics. For them, the collision of Paths, the raw confrontation of fundamental concepts, resolved itself in cosmic moments. Mundane strategies were meaningless.
After all, ordinary attacks couldn't possibly harm the body of an Aeon – a form constructed purely from the Imaginary energy of their Path, simultaneously symbolizing the Path itself.
Whoosh
An arrow of light, piercing through the fabric of reality itself, followed close behind. Imbued with the essence of the Hunt – vengeance, retribution, an eye for an eye – its sheer intensity, its searing heat, threatened to flay, even vaporize, anything that dared to gaze upon it directly as it zeroed in on its prey.
Destruction was not a weak Path, and Nanook was certainly not a weak Aeon.
However, facing both Lan of the Hunt and Qlipoth of Preservation simultaneously… The former, THEY could perhaps contend with, being a relatively young Aeon like THEMSELF. But the latter… Qlipoth had existed for countless Amber Eras, a venerable elder among Aeons who had witnessed the Twilight Wars.
Perhaps Qlipoth wasn't as powerful as Long, the Permanence, or IX, the Nihility, but beyond those few primordial entities, any Aeon stronger than the Amber Lord was likely only marginally so – a tier that definitely did not include Nanook.
A rumor once circulated throughout the cosmos: the grievous scar marring the chest of Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction, was inflicted by Aha, the Aeon of Elation.
[Qingque] didn't know if this tale held any truth. Perhaps it was real, perhaps merely another prank spread by Aha, or possibly even a fabrication by some imaginative Void Historian.
But none of that mattered. [She], Jiang Qiao, didn't care.
Because at this moment, [Qingque] was witnessing firsthand an event destined to be etched into the annals of cosmic history.
Under the furious, relentless blows of the Amber Lord's hammer, Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction, despite THEIR defiant struggle, despite attempting to counterattack, could only be overwhelmed by the vast, inexorable energy of Preservation.
THEIR body began to shatter.
The already fractured form splintered further, breaking apart like brittle rock, even THEIR head cracking into fragments.
Of course, such injuries would be utterly fatal to any mortal, instantly signaling the end of life, at least on a physical level.
But for an Aeon, it was different.
Physical form was secondary. Just as Aha could separate a part of THEMSELF to become the mask gifted to [Qingque] – a tangible absence reflected on THEIR own form – the shattering itself wasn't the true end.
What truly mattered was the meaning behind this fragmentation.
An Aeon's divine body was the symbol of their Path, reflecting its state to some degree.
If an Aeon's form shattered, it signified that their corresponding Path had also suffered grievous damage.
Sitting amidst the cluster of opal-like minerals, the girl watched this cosmic spectacle unfold, remarking with complex emotions, "Does this mean... I've just witnessed the fall of an Aeon?"
Aeons – beings of immense, unimaginable power, embodiments of cosmic principles, whom mortals could only gaze upon with awe, never truly comprehending their sublime existence.
It was difficult for ordinary beings to even conceive that such powerful entities could meet their end.
But… for [Qingque], for Jiang Qiao, this demise was something he had personally orchestrated.
Through 'despicable' scheming.
Then again, what did it matter?
Deviousness, cunning – these were among the very weapons mortals relied upon to overcome foes far stronger than themselves.
Aha seemed to feel it too, a rare note of melancholy entering THEIR voice:
"Ooh hoo hoo~ Yes~ The madman is dead~ Though HE was so boring, savage, crude, HE's dead~"
"Killed by the blockhead and the mute, just like that boring bug~"
"But it's okay, HE… will come back, just like that bug~ Heehee~"
But sorrow had no place in the Aeon of Elation, certainly not in Aha. With a burst of manic laughter, Aha was Aha once more.
THEY were merely stating a fact: Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction, would eventually return.
To this, [Qingque] nodded noncommittally, sighing softly, "Yes, THEY will come back."
Unlike any enemy he had faced before, Aeons were not simple beings.
Even if killed through some means, they would inevitably resurrect at some point, someday.
Because they only died when they should die.
Being 'killed' by an enemy was the most superficial understanding of an Aeon's existence. For them, the gain or loss of life depended solely on cosmic necessity, on the narrative of the universe.
The universe no longer needed Permanence, needed the Undying to die; thus, in that moment, the great Dragon fell.
Idrila the Beauty, Akivili the Trailblaze, Tayzzyronth the Propagation, and Ena the Order… their [deaths] followed the same cosmic logic.
And now, Nanook the Destruction was merely departing… temporarily.
"But isn't that the point of the present moment?" [she] mused aloud.
"Actually, you're quite happy about this too, aren't you~ Jester God." [She] smiled faintly, teasing Aha, who burst into laughter, "Hehehe, you really understand Aha~"
"A living madman is boring, but a dead madman makes Aha happy! A madman with no sense of fun is dead! Haha, this is just too amusing~"
As the Aeon of Elation, the very essence of Elation was a primal rebellion against IX the Nihility, against the harsh, indifferent truths of the universe.
If the ending was inevitably bleak, then one should at least revere in the present moment.
For Aha, what could possibly be more entertaining than witnessing the temporary exit of a certain destructive madman?
The madman who wanted to destroy everything was 'destroyed' first! Haha, it was hilarious~
"Mm-hmm~ It certainly is fun… However, we still need to figure out how to deal with the little mess HE left behind before dying." [Qingque] nodded, then sighed with slight exasperation, looking up towards a gaping hole torn in the fabric of reality.
Qlipoth and Lan were both tensely watching the encroaching presence peering out from that void, braced for another confrontation.
That greedy gaze, seemingly wanting to devour everything, made Aha burst into laughter again.
"Ooh~ It's the greedy gobbler that blockhead chased away~ This is just too funny~ The madman broke the blockhead's stone house and let the greedy gobbler in~"
A profound, chilling aura emanated from the void.
Accompanied by a guttural gurgle, the manifestation of one of life's most primal urges.
An incomparably beautiful, yet monstrously vast and bewitching figure appeared!!!
"The Aeon of Voracity, Oroboros."
Feeling the chilling gravitational pull that seemed to devour stars, sensing the endless temptation emanating from that gaping maw, urging one to plunge into its depths, [Qingque] rested her chin on her hand, observing the entrance of the 'greedy gobbler', as Aha called THEM.
Rumored to be a survivor of the Twilight Wars alongside the Amber Lord, an ancient existence that was both Aeon and Primordial Beast – the truth of these rumors was unknown, but clearly, regardless of origin.
Oroboros and Qlipoth were fundamentally incompatible.
During the Swarm Disaster, THEIR conflict with Tayzzyronth led to the extinction of two-thirds of the galaxies in the known universe. In that respect, this Aeon of Voracity bore a significant share of the blame for the devastation caused by the Swarm Disaster.
After Tayzzyronth's fall, Voracity also vanished. But clearly, THEY hadn't been eliminated by the other Aeons like the Swarm Emperor.
It seemed more likely that, seeing the unfavorable situation, THEY had strategically retreated, driven beyond the crystal walls by the Amber Lord.
After all, THEY didn't have the same irreconcilable ideological constraints as the Swarm Emperor.
But undoubtedly, Oroboros, the Aeon of Voracity, still coveted the 'little snacks' Qlipoth kept locked away in THEIR cosmic safe.
Previously, the sub-spatial crystal walls had been an obstacle.
But now, the shattered Nanook, likely realizing THEIR defeat was imminent before the end, had spitefully smashed Qlipoth's crystal wall, tearing a huge rift in it with the power of Destruction.
Without the barrier, and tempted by the fall of another Aeon – what could possibly be more alluring, more delicious to the Aeon of Voracity than the remnants of a fallen Aeon?
"Got rid of one, and another one shows up. Truly determined to cause trouble even in death… sigh…" The girl felt a headache coming on, annoyed by Nanook's adherence to Destruction even at the very end, attempting to achieve THEIR goal by siccing another cosmic menace on them.
[She] called out upwards:
"Hey, Rock Head!"
"I'll help you kick THEM out, you take the chance to fix the wall!"
Facing the menacing gaze of Oroboros, Qlipoth responded with a low rumble, likely signifying agreement.
While THEY weren't incapable of dealing with this old acquaintance, and Lan certainly wouldn't allow Voracity, a universal threat, to run rampant, even THEY weren't unscathed after the intense battle with Nanook.
After all, among Aeons, unless there was a power gap like that between Long/Permanence and the others, even stronger Aeons in the lower tiers were only relatively stronger. It should be remembered that even back during the Swarm Disaster, it wasn't solely Qlipoth's effort that defeated the Swarm Emperor; Ena the Order, who was ultimately tricked and killed by Aha, was also a major contributor in fighting the Swarm.
Now, having rapidly defeated Nanook – an Aeon arguably comparable in power to the Swarm Emperor – both Lan and Qlipoth were significantly drained.
Normally, such a battle should have lasted several Amber Eras before a victor emerged.
But circumstances were different now, unlike during the Swarm Disaster. The Amber Lord had countless constructions to worry about, and Lan also had other concerns. If they truly fought like back then… likely half the universe, including the Xianzhou currently battling the Legion, would be collateral damage.
Fighting Voracity again – whose destructive potential rivaled, perhaps even exceeded, Destruction, and who was evenly matched with Qlipoth at full strength… the Amber Lord was reluctant.
That was essentially what happened back then too.
After defeating the Swarm Emperor, and with many Aeons being unreliable tricksters, backstabbers, or mere spectators, Qlipoth, despite wanting to eliminate another old rival, simply lacked the strength.
THEY could only drive Oroboros away.
Of course—
Now, regarding [Qingque]'s offer, THEY actually harbored some doubts.
After all, could this mortal girl truly possess the power to drive away that monstrous Oroboros?
The skeptical Amber Lord pondered, already preparing to expend the last of THEIR strength to expel the Great Maw if necessary.
"Oh well, since you two helped me solve the biggest problem, I can't just leave everything to you~"
"Not contributing at all feels kinda awkward, you know?"
The girl slowly stood up, stretching her limbs, her pretty face looking relaxed. Feeling that greedy gaze wanting to devour her, looking up at the colossal figure, [Qingque] chuckled lightly:
"So… sorry about this, but I'll have to ask you to leave now~"
A Celestial Jade tile materialized – its blank face displaying the symbol of Elation.
Another tile appeared – showing the symbol of Trailblaze.
A third tile manifested – bearing the symbol of Propagation.
Simultaneously, smaller tiles flickered into existence, marked with the symbols of Preservation, Hunt, Harmony, Abundance… and numerous other Paths.
The three large tiles represented the three Paths [he] could temporarily command: Propagation through [Firefly], Trailblaze borrowed from the [Astral Express], and Elation granted by Aha's mask.
As for the smaller tiles… while he couldn't seize control of those Paths, operating on the principle of 'waste not, want not', Miss [Qingque] figured he might as well try tapping into them a little. It didn't cost anything!
Of course… doing so occasionally yielded surprising results. For instance, among the inserted tiles representing Memory, he could instantly feel the resonance of almost all Path power…
The girl couldn't help but glance towards a certain old voyeur peeking from the shadows. Fine, consider it the viewing fee.
Similarly, aside from Qlipoth needing Preservation's power to repair the crystal wall, almost all other Paths responded.
Somewhere in the cosmos, Yaoshi, the Abundance, lowered THEIR gaze and smiled faintly.
The next moment: Abundance Path fully opened.
Gazing upon Penacony, the Mother of the Cluster of Stars, Xipe, also felt the connection, smiling as SHE raised a hand.
"Compared to Akivili, the power of Harmony is more suitable for you now."
Harmony Path fully opened.
Wielding the power of multiple Paths simultaneously, especially including several equivalent to the full power of an Aeon, sounded incredibly impressive, but was actually almost unimaginably difficult.
After all… like the worm chosen by Aha, the power of just one Path, Elation, was enough to make it explode. What more multiple Paths, some completely contradictory?
Merely coordinating them was a monumental task.
Previously, Jiang Qiao had used Trailblaze's power as a sort of cosmic glue – he wasn't aiming for true fusion, just sticking them together well enough to function.
But now, with the full power of Harmony available, these wildly contradictory Path energies instantly achieved perfect coordination.
And that was just the beginning.
Following the actions of Xipe and Yaoshi, other Aeons became aware and responded in kind.
Erudition Path fully opened.
Enigmata Path fully opened.
"…"
The statue-like existence, HooH the Equilibrium, after a brief moment of consideration.
Equilibrium Path fully opened.
At this moment, aside from a few unique Paths or Aeons like Qlipoth (currently busy) or IX (completely inert), the Path powers available to [Qingque] multiplied exponentially, thanks to the 'friendly sponsorship' of various Aeons.
This completely derailed Jiang Qiao's original plan of a 'Trinity Force' composed of three Paths.
He looked at Oroboros with a peculiar expression:
…Does this guy have THAT many enemies?