Chapter 390

Did Dagon really experience this when the Age of Gods still existed? Perhaps he did, perhaps he didn't, but at this moment, he did it involuntarily, for no reason other than pure instinct.

It was both the instinct of the 'primordial god Dagon's and the instinct of the 'Outer God Dagon' that Dagon saw, in the distant Universe, around the Throne, invisible dancers dancing to the sound of flutes. The dancers seemed to be dancing to the sound of the flutes, but they also had their own Melody.

Because the most crucial Melody stopped, the creature that had seemed to be sleeping above the Throne suddenly let out a terrifying wail.

It is completely disconnected from numerous Planet and Myriad Universes, an overwhelmingly terrifying mystery, which is one of the ultimate forms of this alien pantheon.

Dagon couldn't immediately grasp the meaning of the wailing, but his body and mind reacted instinctively, spontaneously choosing death.

At the same time, in the deepest Chaos beyond the Universe, at the boundless center, a tall, humanoid Brown Figure, acting as both dancer and musician, carefully put the blindfold back on the creature atop the Throne, forcing it back into a state of barely-there hibernation. Then, the Humanoid glanced at the 'door' not far away, or perhaps at the being behind the 'door'.

Then, after sensing the lingering 'aura' within the lock, the tall Humanoid looked back at the Throne, which ruled over all infinite time and space beyond the Universe. Its body was composed of all the bright stars in the visible Universe, but its appearance was hidden in darkness.

She understood that if she spoke up now, before she could even fight the person on the other side, the one in front of her who 'didn't think, did, or consider anything' would wipe them all out first.

After all, the only 'relative' is missing. In order to find them, this irrational Deity outside the Universe will awaken and search for them, then bring chaos and disorder to the Universe they are going to. And it is only natural that this action and purpose will conflict with that of the one on the other side... It's a pity that they were not brought back before.

Well...

After letting out a sigh, the tall, brown-haired Humanoid pushed open the 'door' and gazed at the moon not far from the Ocean Planet, pondering a solution.

But after thinking about it for a long time, she finally made a rather subtle discovery:

Now that it's over, there's clearly nothing I can do. I can only choose to rely on or merge with a vessel, or give power to the vessel, just like the 'door'.

Chapter 419 I can teach you, Ritsuka.

For Ritsuka Fujimaru, and indeed for everyone present, this was a long-awaited reunion.

After all, in terms of the passage of time, Novia, who departed from the Fourth Singularity, had spent two thousand years concerning Kama and six thousand years concerning another world, totaling nearly eight thousand years.

As Dagon's body instinctively chose death, silence filled the Prison Tower. Ritsuka, wanting to speak but holding back, lingering for a long time. Just as she took a breath and was about to come up to say hello, Novia nodded to her and then walked towards Dagon's body.

Immediately afterwards, the black smoke that had previously bound them enveloped Dagon, and his severed head and hands returned to their original positions, allowing Dagon to remain in his prostrate posture.

"After all, even Deity sometimes need to have self-awareness. At the very least, losing oneself is something that Deity should feel ashamed of."

Novia shook her head, seemingly helpless, and slightly raised her hand to touch Dagon's head before continuing.

"But I know, Dagon, that you are the ancient god of Crops, that you truly existed, that you were once worshipped not as Outer God, but as a true god who brought bounty, for what I have codified is a new covenant, not the covenant of the past."

As a Philip deity, Dagon is only mentioned in the Old Testament Bible. The New Testament, compiled by Novia, does not mention him. Moreover, the core of the New Covenant is not the conflict between Heterodox Faith deities in the Old Testament, but rather the life, teachings, establishment of the early Church, and teachings on the lives of believers of Jesus Christ.

Well, this isn't the first time Novia has encountered an example of a stigmatized 'god'. Previously, in the FSF Holy Grail, he directly chose to destroy Beelzebub, the demon king. But Dagon before him is not only stigmatized, but his divinity has also been distorted by human Faith. More importantly, since Dagon chose to become an 'Outer God', the object of his chanting in the Prison Tower has always been Novia resides in the 'Pride Room'.

This made Novia feel somewhat uneasy. Although this guy had chosen to go astray, his genuine trust in her seemed a bit odd.

At that moment, because the Melody surrounding him resembled Buddhist chants, Novia pondered for a long time. It wasn't until she saw Dagon, with the power he had gained through prayer, defeat Edmond, who was supposed to defeat Dagon, that she stepped forward. At that moment, the Melody spontaneously stopped.

Dagon, after only glancing at him, instinctively chose to commit suicide.

But Novia also understood that Dagon's condition was entirely due to Outer God. He wasn't entirely sure which one it was, but it was unlikely to be the 'Gate,' since Abi possessed the 'Gate's' power; therefore, it might be one of the other two pillars?

As for the ultimate one, Novia hadn't thought about it, because he remembered that this 'blind and foolish god', who had neither intelligence nor thought, wouldn't care about any external actions, even though he had to listen to music to sleep all the time.

"I understand that in situations where one is 'forced to be twisted,' one would more or less choose to struggle in desperation. After all, your divinity has already been twisted to its limit, a choice that cannot be changed by willpower alone. So even so, may you rest in peace."

As Novia finished speaking, the black smoke that had been swirling around Dagon's body emitted a white light, and Dagon reverted to his divine form, becoming the Demon Dagon described in Paradise Lost as having the upper body of a human and the lower body of a fish.

At that moment, the despair on Dagon's face vanished, replaced by a peaceful smile, as if he were entering a dream.

Then, they dissipated as blue particles.

"So you've been here all along."

Amakusa, who was located there, smiled at Novia, then looked at the silent Edmond, "You who call yourself the Christ of Revenge, have you not also been constantly praying for yourself and for others? Perhaps you didn't save everything because of the Lord's teachings, perhaps it was just something you did on the way of Revenge? However—"

"Shut up."

This time, Amakusa did not stop in the face of Edmond's rebuttal, but continued firmly.

Even so, you have indeed saved some people, haven't you?

After saying this to Edmond, Amakusa bowed to Novia again:

Please forgive me for taking my leave now, for in the face of your glory, there is no need for us to do anything more for you.

"That..."

Unlike Amakusa, who could speak openly with Novia, Jeanne d'Arc, unable to forget her actions in the Fa Holy Grail War and the behavior of the France Singularity, seemed somewhat conflicted. In the end, before leaving with Amakusa, she shouted with all her might.

"The Dragon Witch, although she's now officially recognized, there are still two... Anyway, if you have the chance, would you be willing to come and see her?"

The Heroic Spirit residing in the Throne of Heroes can communicate with each other. Jeanne d'Arc Alter, who has obtained the 'Throne' qualification, resides very close to Jeanne d'Arc. Therefore, Jeanne d'Arc has been enjoying being the older sister during this time, but this only applies to Jeanne Kuro; Jeanne d'Arc Alter, on the other hand, is quite disdainful of it.

The reason for saying this was that Jeanne d'Arc would occasionally mutter things like, "When will Dragon Husband take me away?" which led Jeanne d'Arc to subconsciously say this to Novia.

To this, Novia nodded and replied:

Let's talk about it another time.

After the three blue particles dissipated, Ritsuka approached Novia and asked curiously.

"Consultant, have you resolved the matter concerning Kama during this time?"

"Of course, I also incidentally saved the world and created New Primates."

Novia's tone was so serious that Ritsuka almost actually realized it, but she quickly realized that Novia was probably joking.

After all, saving the world is a long story, and there are still three Singularity, and... what are these New Primates? A new type of monkey? Does the Atlas Institute, where the Consultant works, even research this kind of subject?

That's enough small talk.

In an instant, the Prison Tower seemed to fall silent again, except for Edmond speaking with a loud laugh.

"Hahahaha, this tower is an evil entity, and Ritsuka Fujimaru, you are too. You really shouldn't exist in this world."

"What's the meaning..."

Hearing Edmond's cold words, Ritsuka couldn't understand why he had changed so drastically all of a sudden, and could only subconsciously look at Novia.

Novia, of course, understood why Edmond had said those words; it was because of 'Faria the Priest,' which was him.

If the final "Pride Room" hadn't been Faria, Edmond would likely have killed anyone, even his former love Mercédès, to rescue Ritsuka from the Prison Tower, even at the cost of his own life.

Edmond, who had experienced such a fate himself, did not want to see anyone else suffer the same end as him, so he preferred to become 'Faria, the Priest would sacrifice himself to get Edmond out of prison'.

Edmond, who left the Château d'If' If only because he was redeemed by Faria, was inspired by Faria's teachings— Teacher and mentor—to save others as the Priest who had saved him. But what if the real Faria were given the Priest to leave the Château d'If?

Edmond always felt that the Human Order should have left the Château d'If' If was Priest, and indeed, should have been Priest.

That's probably why he said that to Ritsuka, which was unusual of him, after meeting Novia.

He has probably already made up his mind that he must get the Priest out of the 'Château d'If, where only one person can leave', no matter what. Perhaps Edmond will even take over Novia's identity in the 'Pride Room'.

As expected, after laughing, Edmond looked calmly at Novia and Ritsuka.

"To end one's life as a guide to hope, in the face of defeat and despair, is perhaps a meaningful thing. Let me tell you, Ritsuka Fujimaru, the person beside you is not the true Judgment, but the undisputed innocent, the one for whom even God must lament!"

But the true Revenge belonging to the realm of the gods, the true manifestation of Pride, the true ruler of the seventh 'Judgment,' is none other than myself, who has always been helping you—"

A flame of fantasy flickered in Edmond's hands, the secret treasure of Christ Mountain.

"Exactly, Avenger!"

Silence remained.

Edmond should have attacked first, dealt with Ritsuka in front of Novia, and then dealt with himself, so that the Priest could leave.

But he couldn't do it; his movements remained frozen.

This is natural; when he was Faria, Novia told him this:

Because I am your Teacher, I will stay by your side after I die, like a shadow.

Therefore, everyone in the world is an enemy, but I am also your Teacher. I am by your side, fighting alongside you.

I will stay with you, never leaving your side. Even if one day you grow tired of me, please remember that I am your Teacher.

Edmond, who knew the Priest's character well, was fully aware that his actions completely violated the Priest's teachings and his own conscience, yet even so, he still yearned for it immensely—

I can never tire of you, I can never forget you, Priest. You were my Teacher. You should have left the Château d'If. You should have lived. Really, you were the last person who should have died. You shouldn't have died like this...

"... Although I was planning to offer you some tobacco, Avenger, I can't do it right now, so let's talk about something else to pass the time."

In this atmosphere where it felt like a battle was about to break out at any moment, Novia walked towards Edmond.

"What may seem like a boring past to me is hailed by the world as the greatest Revenge story. In my opinion, it was about an incredibly outstanding man, even one who was completely ignorant of the evil that permeates the world. He was still incredibly outstanding and worthy of pride."

Upon hearing this, Edmond closed his eyes:

"In the end, he was just a stupid man."

Ignoring Edmond's words, Novia continued speaking quietly.

Perhaps, but excellence and stupidity are not opposites. Sometimes, it is the so-called 'stupidity' that is more worthy of being remembered than 'excellence' in a broader sense.

Imagine a situation where you knowingly admit that you are not an innocent, insignificant person, but the real convict. Doing so would mean losing your hard-earned reputation, the wealth you've accumulated over a lifetime, and the prestigious position of mayor.

Even so, after hesitating, he still went and exposed himself.

To many, this might seem foolish.

"... This person possesses unquestionable kindness and humanity; he is not foolish."

Edmond shook his head. "And that man spent fourteen years in Hell, becoming Avenger, abandoning all the goodness that humanity possesses, and gaining Demon cunning and power. Priest, you must not speak with Demon."

Upon hearing this, Novia said thoughtfully:

"Demon power... does it refer to the treasure located on Christ Mountain? If so, then the one who tells the man where the treasure is is the real Demon."

"Because..."

Edmond drew out a sound, then pressed his hat down to hide his face in the shadows, and burst into laughter again.

"I used the body of Priest who was like a father to escape from Hell at all costs! I am someone who fell into Hell and survived by devouring Hell! Hahahahahahaha!"

"... I imagine you must be getting tired of playing the villain for so long after I appeared, right?"

The Avenger, who was laughing loudly while holding his hat down and looking down, heard the words of the silver-haired man who was hugging him.

And with a gentle touch, the pain was put to an end.

"Didn't I tell you long ago? You must live on, let your life, stained with despair, burn brightly amidst the rampant darkness of this era! You are already my proud student, not Avenger, but Edmond Dantès, Sailors of Marseille, the Count of Count of Monte Cristo!"

Those blue eyes, like the sea, gazed at him.

With an almost eternal smile, quietly appreciating his previous pretense, Edmond felt a pang of sadness.

"Thank you for helping Fran and Moriarty, and thank you for delivering the message for me. Speaking of which, did you deliver it for me, Edmond, more than a hundred years ago?"

"I will not break my promise to you, Priest."

"Yeah."

Novia nodded. "That's good. In that case, let's go out now."

"But..."

"I know what you're thinking. No one can escape from Château d'If. Except for one person, and the same goes for this place, reconstructed by hundreds of millions of resentments. Only one person can escape, only one person can get out alive. Yes, that's what everyone says, and that's how it's presented."

After exchanging glances with Edmond, Novia looked at Ritsuka.

"This is a fact belonging to the mysteries of this Present World and the Planet, but not a fact belonging to Outer God."

Only Edmond Dantès survived the Château d'If, an indisputable fact based on the Planet's memories. However, besides the Sailors from Marseille, there was actually another person, Abigail, wasn't there? But even if we count them that way, there are only two, which is insufficient to satisfy the three people at this moment, since Faria ultimately 'died'.

So, is using force to destroy the Château d'If the only option? With Novia's power, that's certainly possible.

Only.

Why did Favia, as Faria, instinctively suffer from 'epilepsy' as soon as she left the Dungeon?

Actually, that's because there's only one "him." After all, didn't Favia return to the era before him and fight tirelessly with the Star Eater ORT, for an unknown amount of time beneath a distant continent?

But the day the man finally defeated ORT was also the last day of his life.

It was on that day that Edmond was able to send the letter to the Fairy who had been waiting for him for many years at a celebration in a faraway land.

Therefore, only three people actually left the Château d'If.

One is modifying the past, one is moving towards the Future, and the other is watching over the present and the directions of both sides.

"Priest, what a... hopeful ending this is!"