Isaiah's Dead End

Swish, swish, swish.

The moment the Warden finished speaking, the entire venue erupted. Several Sealing Swords were pressed against Isaiah's body.

The leading Guardian stared fixedly at Isaiah. "What else do you have to say now, Mr. Isaiah?"

With the Warden, who had returned from the dead, personally delivering the final verdict, even Mina, who trusted Isaiah most, could not help showing a lost expression. She seemed unable to determine whether her teacher had truly done it. Not far away, Luo Qi looked like he had narrowly escaped disaster, grateful that he had reacted quickly enough. Otherwise, he would be sitting at the same table as the Warden now. The Warden could return from the dead, but he could only go back and have a funeral feast.

Even Isaiah himself could no longer maintain his earlier calm. His expression quickly darkened.

Yet for some reason, Isaiah was not particularly surprised by the Warden's answer. Instead, he felt as though he were thinking, Just as expected of you, Hand Eye.

But how had he done it? Even the victim believed Isaiah was the culprit.

Although matters had reached this point, Isaiah still did not turn hostile. He forced down his surging emotions and asked quietly, "Are you really certain it was me, Mr. Warden? Are you sure the face you saw was this one?"

"What are you still trying to argue?!" The leading Guardian had already reached the end of his patience. He stepped forward again, and the Sealing Sword pierced Isaiah's mage robe, pressing directly against his flesh. "Do you really think we would not lay a hand on you?"

Seeing her teacher pushed to such a point, Mina had no time to think further. This concerned the dignity of the Star Relic Warlocks!

But before she could do anything, that Guardian had already anticipated her actions and shouted, "Take them down!"

The Guardians present all drew their Sealing Swords, instantly restraining every Star Relic Warlock before they could make a move.

Tonight was Spotless Night, arguably the period when Star Relic Warlocks were at their strongest. From the start, the leading Guardian had been guarding against the worst possibility. After controlling all the Star Relic Warlocks, he raised a curtain of magic power, blocking out the stars that filled the sky and cutting off the source of their power.

But even that was not enough, because the most troublesome ones were not the Star Relic Warlocks, but their leader, Isaiah, known as the strongest beneath the Gods.

The leading Guardian never took his eyes off this seemingly ordinary old man. He knew that Sealing Swords and the magic curtain could restrain ninety-nine percent of Star Relic Warlocks, but not Isaiah. At his signal, two more Guardians swiftly left the formation and approached Heaven's Obedience.

The moment Isaiah showed any intention of overturning the table, they would activate Obedience of Heavenly Voice immediately and use the power of the Gods to erase him.

The other representatives witnessed this scene as well. Although the representatives of the major churches had seen countless grand occasions, the rapidly worsening situation still made them nervous. The guards of each church hurried forward to protect their leaders, and Luo Qi especially looked as though he wished he could stand at the very back to avoid getting caught up in it.

For a time, the scene was utter chaos. Yet once everyone settled down, the tension became even more palpable.

However, as the center of it all, Isaiah still did nothing. He merely leaned forward slightly and allowed the blade to pierce his chest.

Blood stained the Starry Robe red.

"That should be enough, right?" Isaiah said indifferently to the leading Guardian. Then he looked back toward the Warden and repeated his earlier question. "Mr. Warden, are you really certain it was me?"

Such a composed attitude even left the leading Guardian at a loss, because one more inch and his blade would reach Isaiah's heart.

Was this man truly fearless... or had it really not been him?

The thought inevitably surfaced in the leading Guardian's mind. But thoughts were only thoughts. He did not lower his sword and merely waited for the Warden's response.

The moment the Warden gave the order, he would pierce Isaiah's heart with this sword.

Everything was like a powder keg waiting to ignite, needing only the final spark.

Yet that spark did not fall for a long time, and the oppressive silence continued.

Everyone looked toward the Warden. His abyss-like eyes were dim and lifeless, like a candle about to go out. Even his breathing sounded like that of an elderly man on the verge of death.

Had he... not fully come back to life yet?

The question arose in everyone's mind, but no one dared ask it aloud.

After a long while, when the bloodstains on Isaiah's chest had begun to congeal, the Warden finally spoke slowly.

"I... cannot be certain."

Everyone was stunned.

The Warden raised his head and looked Isaiah directly in the eyes. "The one who attacked me was very powerful. He not only tore apart my body, but also my soul. As you now know, I had long been dead. My soul was everything I had. My memories exist within my soul, so some of them were torn apart as well."

That could happen?

Everyone could not help looking at the Netherworld Envoy beside the Warden. The Netherworld Envoy nodded. "That can happen. And more often than not, what gets damaged are the memories from before death."

Such a thing really existed.

That immediately left everyone present at a loss.

"But those memories will return," the Netherworld Envoy said. "A soul is unlike a body. The parts it loses will eventually return bit by bit."

"How long will that take?" the leading Guardian asked. "Another week or two?"

"That will not be necessary. Once the soul as a whole has returned, the remaining small portion will return quickly." The Netherworld Envoy smiled. "A day or two, perhaps."

A day or two... but two days later was the day Heaven's Obedience would be activated.

The timing was truly awkward. Yet at that moment, the Warden spoke again, staring directly at Isaiah. "I have not forgotten everything. I still remember that the one who attacked me had a very special eye... an eye exactly like yours. In the end, he used that eye to tear me apart."

In an instant, everyone looked at Isaiah's eye.

Isaiah had cast a spell on his right eye, making it appear no different from an ordinary eye.

But whether it was because of the Warden's words or because that eye truly was special, everyone felt that Isaiah's eyes were incomparably deep, like a night sky with no end in sight.

"Mr. Warden." Isaiah maintained his calm. "You think it was me based on a single eye? If I remember correctly, the eye you described should be Visas' left eye, which Rhine lost. It is on Ulu, not me. This also proves my earlier guess... Ulu is here."

Isaiah had played a little trick here.

Visas' Corpse Pieces had strict corresponding positions. The left eye could only be installed in the left eye socket; placing it in the right eye socket would be useless.

So if the Warden believed the eye that killed him was the left eye, Isaiah could use that to prove his innocence, because his left eye was his own. Isaiah could also protect his right eye while clearing his suspicion, since apart from the people of Peach Blossom Paradise, no one knew the right eye existed.

"But why do I remember it being the right eye?" the Warden said slowly.

The atmosphere took another sharp turn for the worse.

Yet Isaiah still had a response. He said slowly, "The right eye? There was no mention of a right eye in the intelligence Rhine submitted. Where did this right eye you speak of come from? Could it be that you remembered incorrectly?"

That was also the reaction of most people present.

A right eye? Where had a right eye come from?

Only a very small number of people had their suspicions, and they all looked at Isaiah's right eye.

"Mr. Warden, you should think this through carefully." Isaiah did not give everyone much time to observe his right eye. He continued, "The one who assassinated you tonight was powerful and hid in the shadows. Right now, I may be the only one capable of facing him. If you execute me, no one will be able to stop him anymore."

"Is that so?" the Warden said slowly. "Then why can I not activate Obedience of Heavenly Voice twice?"

Isaiah narrowed his eyes again.

"Do not look at me like that, Mr. Isaiah," the Warden said. "When you first arrived, I already made the stakes clear to you, but you refused me."

"How could I give you something I do not have?" Isaiah's voice turned cold as well.

"I no longer wish to waste my mind on this matter," the Warden said. "Previously, I was unwilling to activate Obedience of Heavenly Voice twice in succession merely because the consumption and price were too great. But the strength that person displayed tonight made me understand that now is not the time to worry about consumption and price. Such a person absolutely cannot be allowed to live. No matter the cost, the Gods will forgive me. Even if They cannot forgive me, I must do this. I am willing to bear this infamy."

Isaiah was nearly angered into laughter. "What does reputation mean to you?"

"It means nothing." The Warden looked into Isaiah's eyes and said slowly, "Which is why I can carry this out without any burden... so, Mr. Isaiah, are you willing to prove your innocence with your death?"

Only now did Isaiah finally realize that Hand Eye's assassination attempt on the Warden tonight had not merely been intended to pin the blame on him.

Perhaps that had not been Hand Eye's original intent, but it had ultimately made the Warden realize Hand Eye's power. The Warden had changed the choice between Isaiah and Hand Eye into sending both away together.

Indeed, this was the Warden of Abyss Prison. He was the true embodiment of the Gods' will.

One name would kill thousands upon thousands of people. Two names would merely double that number.

As long as the threat could be eliminated, even if there were a third or fourth name, the Warden would continue without hesitation.

And Isaiah, the one under the greatest suspicion, would be the first sacrifice.

Isaiah stared fixedly at the Warden. At that moment, he truly felt the urge to overturn the table.

But he also knew that overturning the table was impossible, at least not now. He had no idea how Heaven's Obedience operated. It was highly likely that the moment he tried to act, the will of the Gods would erase him outright.

Ever since obtaining this eye, Isaiah had never experienced the feeling of being driven to the absolute limit.

But now, he discovered that there truly were things in this world that even this eye could not accomplish.

In that instant, intense helplessness and fury surged into Isaiah's heart at once. An indescribable pressure spread from his body. Everyone felt as though he were a volcano on the verge of erupting, scorching heat and panic filling every heart.

"Of course, there is still a chance to change things." At that moment, the Warden spoke again. "That depends on whether you can do it."

Isaiah's expression was icy. He no longer had the mood to maintain their mutual interests. "Speak plainly."

"Those Three Corpse Pieces," the Warden said. "As long as you hand those Three Corpse Pieces over to me."

"They are not on me."

"Then find them and bring them to me," the Warden said. "I only need to see the Corpse Pieces."

Isaiah was briefly stunned before finally realizing something.

"I will give you two days... no, three days." The Warden's mountain-like body leaned forward bit by bit as he enunciated every word. "For these three days, I will place no restrictions on you. As long as you bring the Corpse Pieces before me, I will not care how you did it or who held them before. The moment I see the Corpse Pieces, I will cancel Obedience of Heavenly Voice. If I do not see them..."

"Obedience of Heavenly Voice will begin calling names with yours."

An hour later, Mina had returned to their residence. She looked at Isaiah, who had not spoken for a long time, her face full of worry.

The Warden's meaning was already clear. He wanted Isaiah and Hand Eye to fight each other. If Hand Eye truly was here, Isaiah was the only one capable of opposing him.

If Isaiah could find and kill him, everyone would be happy.

And if he could not, then the Warden would activate Obedience of Heavenly Voice and begin indiscriminate name-calling. That would also make the Warden happy.

The only sacrifice, aside from those people with the same name who were caught up in it, would be her teacher.

That was why the Warden had not continued investigating where Isaiah had gone tonight, what he had done, or whether Isaiah had truly been the one to assassinate him.

The process meant nothing. He only wanted the final result.

"Enough. You may leave first." Isaiah, who seemed to have aged more than ten years overnight, spoke slowly. "Let me be alone for a while."

"Teacher..."

"Leave."

"...Yes."

Mina could only leave.

Isaiah sat before the mirror and looked at himself within it.

Only a few hours ago, he had been so high-spirited, convinced that he had seen through everything and could turn the situation around at any time.

But now, he was like a toy being played with in someone's palm. Every struggle seemed like a joke.

No matter how matters developed, he was already the loser.

"Why did it turn out like this..." Isaiah looked at himself in the mirror, and an indescribable confusion rose within him for the first time in a long while. "What exactly... am I lacking?"

Why was he being forced so hard by the Warden?

Why was he being so thoroughly controlled by Hand Eye?

What exactly was missing between himself and them?

"Power."

A voice in his heart answered him. It was Isaiah's own voice, because he already knew the answer himself.

Yes, power was what he lacked.

But why? He was clearly already the strongest beneath the Gods.

"Still not enough."

Yes, that was the answer. It was still not enough.

Having reached his level, ordinary power was no longer enough.

The Warden could force him because the Gods stood behind the Warden.

Hand Eye could control him because Hand Eye possessed more Corpse Pieces than he did. Isaiah had only two, and one of them had even been "gifted" to him by Hand Eye.

Isaiah's hand slowly clenched into a fist.

Yes, the Gods did not stand behind him, and he had fewer Corpse Pieces than Hand Eye. Possessing strength alone meant he could accomplish nothing.

He could neither contend with the Warden nor find Hand Eye.

He had already fallen into a dead end, with no possibility of breaking free.

"Unless you find a power that surpasses them." That voice spoke to him.

How was that possible?

What power could possibly surpass them in this world?

"Abyss Prison," the voice answered again.

Isaiah's pupils slowly widened.