Chapter 279: Revenge - I

Atlas nodded at Eliomor’s final statement as he understood that there must be some kind of history behind everything that had happened. He turned toward Seraphiel, but his mind slowly drifted toward a question he had been thinking about for a long time, one that had remained in the back of his mind ever since he decided that he would eventually exact his revenge.

’What would I do after the revenge?’ He had already thought about it many times, and the answer had always seemed simple, ’I had thought of living quietly and peacefully without a care in the world...’

That had been his plan from the beginning. After getting his revenge on the Human King, Atlas had intended to leave everything behind, travel across the entire world, and simply live peacefully without involving himself in anything else.

Yet as he thought about it again, something inside his heart seemed to hesitate. ’Maybe...’ He didn’t allow himself to finish the thought. Instead, he dismissed it and turned his attention back toward Eliomor.

"I understand everything you’re saying, but the thing is, I won’t be killing Azarion that easily. I will do as you told me to, and I will erase him completely, but before I do that, I will give him Hell while he’s still alive, even if it’s only for a short amount of time." Atlas spoke calmly, without any excitement or anger in his voice.

To him, simply killing Azarion and giving him an easy death no longer felt appropriate. After everything Azarion had done and everything Atlas had endured because of him, he wanted Azarion to experience the consequences before his existence was finally erased.

The five figures, including Eliomor, became silent after hearing those words. They knew that Atlas was being driven almost entirely by his desire for revenge in this matter, and, fairly speaking, they were the ones who desperately needed his help.

It wasn’t as though Atlas needed them to accomplish his goal. As for why they couldn’t simply deal with Azarion themselves? the answer was rather simple.

Eliomor itself could never kill Orivian, and not only Orivian, but any living being that had been born within its world. It was almost like comparing it to a mother killing her own child. How could such a thing be possible when Eliomor was the world that had given those beings life and allowed them to exist within its embrace?

The souls that had been pulled out of their bodies were not entirely the result of Eliomor’s own actions either. Even if it possessed the ability to pull a soul from its body, Eliomor could never truly kill that soul.

As for the other four figures, they were already occupied with something far more important, something that had been continuing since the ancient era and would be better explained later. For now, there was no reason for Atlas to know about it.

Eliomor eventually nodded. "Alright, you can do whatever you want before erasing him completely. No one will interfere."

Atlas nodded in response because he already understood that they had no choice but to allow him to do exactly what he wanted. However, just as he was about to speak again, Seraphiel’s voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.

’Is that why you carried that much hatred? I won’t say anything about your personal life, Atlas, but I just want to say one thing...’ Her voice remained soft and hesitant, but Atlas could clearly feel the concern behind her words.

’Please don’t let your hatred cloud your judgment. From what I can see, you somehow saw the future that I saw, right? If you did, then you already know what happens when you let that hatred get out of control. It can even kill you. So please... remain calm and execute your revenge without making reckless decisions.’

Atlas’s eyes widened slightly as her words reached him. For a brief moment, he remained completely silent before a realization slowly surfaced inside his mind, ’...I let my hatred control me again?’

He had already promised himself that he would never allow his hatred to control him. He was supposed to be the one controlling his emotions, not the other way around. Yet once again, he had allowed the desire for revenge to influence his judgment. He had been so focused on making Azarion suffer that he had nearly forgotten the resolve he had formed after experiencing the future Seraphiel had shown him.

Seraphiel’s worried plea brought that resolve back to him.

’...Thanks, Seraphiel.’

Atlas sent the words through their telepathic connection before turning toward Eliomor. His expression had become calm again, and the hatred that had briefly clouded his thoughts was now under control.

"Alright, now send me." Eliomor nodded, and a portal immediately appeared beside Atlas. Space around its surface fluctuated violently, twisting in a way that made Atlas observe it for a brief moment.

He wondered whether he could eventually create something similar with the new ability he had gained, but he quickly dismissed the thought. There would be plenty of time to investigate it later.

Atlas then turned toward Seraphiel, "You should stay here, this might be the safest place for you for now."

Seraphiel nodded, although she clenched her fist slightly as she watched him. ’I... also want to support him.’ She knew she couldn’t simply stand by while Atlas returned to face Azarion again, but she also understood that following him immediately would only become another burden for him.

Aurelis, who had been watching Seraphiel throughout the conversation, narrowed her eyes slightly before a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. ’Huhu~ Finally, someone to teach. She is a special kind of my race, I see...’

Aurelis had immediately noticed Seraphiel’s unusual eyes and the special constitution hidden within her body. There was clearly something different about the Angel standing in front of her, and Aurelis had already become interested in finding out exactly what that difference meant.

Atlas nodded once more toward Seraphiel before turning around and stepping through the portal.

- - -

A few moments earlier...

After Zaakrax had teleported both Sylvaris and Kael away from their respective positions, Azarion could be seen completely out of control. The spikes that had previously formed behind his body were now moving violently against his own will, repeatedly striking the very Shrine he had summoned from beneath the ground while he shouted in rage, "YOU DAMN BASTARD! LET GO OF ME!!"

His own right hand continued extending forward despite his attempts to stop it, while the spikes behind him repeatedly slammed into the roof of the Shrine. The situation had become so dangerous that every ruler had already moved far away from the battlefield.

Even Velmira had been forcefully teleported away by Zaakrax despite her resistance, leaving the center of the battlefield almost completely empty.

Kael could be seen sitting on the ground some distance away. His clothes were still soaked in blood, although the wound across his stomach had already healed completely. He breathed heavily as he stared at the chaotic scene in front of him, his body exhausted after everything that had happened.

’Fuck... This is the first time I feel like I’m not the protagonist of the story!’ Kael cursed internally as he watched Azarion’s body struggle against itself.

For a brief moment, he wondered if Luberion was actually the true protagonist of this entire situation. After all, from what he remembered, the edgy characters who appeared at the very end of a story were always the ones who turned out to be ridiculously important.

’Sigh... System, you really didn’t come in handy this time.’ As he sighed internally, Vesper and Noctis suddenly appeared in his hands through a brief fluctuation of space.

Kael immediately pushed himself up from the ground and tightened his grip around both swords, preparing himself for any unexpected attack or sudden change in the situation, ’System, the description said Vesper and Noctis could evolve during mid-battle, right? How much have they evolved?’

Kael was just about to receive the System’s answer when his eyes suddenly shifted toward the battlefield.

A portal appeared directly in front of Azarion’s body, Kael immediately recognized it. It was the exact same portal that had dragged Atlas away only moments earlier.

Before he could even understand what was happening, a figure stepped out from within the portal.

Atlas.

His expression was completely calm.

In the very next instant, Atlas’s right hand pierced directly through the chest of a Progenitor as though there were nothing obstructing his path. At the same time, Kael’s sword remained embedded deep inside Azarion’s body.

Kael’s eyes widened.