Meeting Medici Again

"Marionettization," Beyonder Ability possessed starting from Sequence 5 the Seer Pathway, allows one to manipulate the "Spirit Body Threads" naturally present in all living beings, turning them into their own Marionette —this is all information that Klein shared with Luther.

As Sequence 3 "Scholar of Yore", Klein can gain initial control over a target in just two seconds and transform it into a controlled Puppet in ten seconds.

How long does it take to "Marionettization" the target in the Zaratul of Sequence 1?

The answer is a fleeting moment.

As soon as Luther arrived at the eerie and bizarre church, he spoke only one sentence to Zaratul before feeling his entire world become incredibly stagnant. His Consciousness and soul floated up, connecting with something deep within the church, soaring into the air alongside the corpses...

Immediately afterwards--

"Whoa!!"

Instinctively, he heard an angry Tide surging deep within his mind, flowing out along an invisible connection and crashing against the opposite side.

At the top of the eerie church, all the hanging corpses stared wide-eyed at the same time!

"Aaaaaaah--"

They let out Distortion screams, so shrill they seemed to be from another world. It was as if an invisible Tide was crashing against them, causing their corpses to swing and collide violently in mid-air, like ripe, rotting fruit hanging on branches, which suddenly exploded into clouds of bright red Blood Fog!

"Boom!" Not only the church, but the entire bizarre town trembled and teetered on the brink of collapse!

"Cough cough..."

Nourished by the Tide, Luther's Consciousness returned to clarity.

He opened his eyes and looked up to find that the dark church was almost in ruins, with the walls crumbling. The corpses that had hung from the ceiling were nowhere to be seen, and only the blood raining down from the sky seemed to silently tell the story.

Deep within these ruins, a strange old man appeared out of nowhere. He wore a black hooded robe, and his beard was completely white, long and thick, as if it hadn't been trimmed for decades, making it difficult to discern.

Zaratul.

The leader of the Secret Order looked at Luther, and deep in his murky eyes, a hint of pain and surprise seemed to flicker.

"... Sefirah?"

His voice was hoarse and indistinct as he said, "And it was... the most dangerous one... no wonder my Divination went wrong..."

"Stop talking nonsense."

Luther met his gaze without flinching, his eyes fierce. "Do you think I need to tell me?"

Zaratul's presence here clearly indicates that he aided George III. Furthermore, his questioning of Luther about Klein's whereabouts further confirms Luther's suspicion that the latter harbors ill will towards his fellow transmigrator! Klein shares the same Pathway as Zaratul and possesses the mysterious "Sefirah Castle," meaning he absolutely intends to harm Klein...

Having figured this out, Luther's gaze towards Zaratul became even more hostile. Thankfully, time was of the essence; the Mausoleum needed to Destruction as soon as possible, and Klein was waiting for his rescue. Otherwise, he would have definitely given this guy a hard time.

With a flick of his wrist, he retrieved an antique-looking jewelry box, inlaid with various gemstones, from a hidden space.

"The Box of the Great Old Ones"!

"Creak--"

Luther carefully grasped the first layer of the jewelry box and slowly opened it towards Zaratul in front of the church.

With a thick beard and wearing a hood, Zaratul silently stared at the jewelry box. He did not flinch, but Luther could sense that the old man who remained in the same spot was no longer the same as before, as if he were just a false phantom or an empty shell.

Even Angel would need to avoid the influence of a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact!

However, just as Luther was about to fully open the jewelry box, he suddenly changed direction, positioning the jewelry box directly next to the church, facing a pitch-black void where nothing existed.

This world seems to be related to Zaratul's abilities, strangely isolating space and making it difficult for those within it to interact with the outside world. The "Box of the Great Old Ones" has the power to forcibly collect this entire space into a box!

"Tear!"

With a sharp tearing sound, a hole was ripped open in the dark void, revealing the outside world. Upon seeing the opening, Luther's figure flashed and quickly disappeared from this space. He had used "Travel" to reach the front of the real Mausoleum.

"..."

Deep within the church, Zaratul remained where he was. He neither hindered his departure nor unleashed Historical Projection to pursue and attack him; he simply watched silently as his figure receded into the distance.

Outside Backlund, amidst layers of mountains.

"Call!"

Luther's figure reappeared, facing the mountain peak in front of him.

Hidden within this site is the former tomb of the Blood Emperor, known as "Ruin No. 1".

According to the previously established plan, he, Klein, "Queen Mystic" Bernadette, and the Demoness Trissy would each enter a Mausoleum and attempt to destroy it. Now, Klein is being held hostage by Amon, Bernadette seems to be holding back the "Nation Builder," Demoness Trissy is also struggling. She still has seven Mausoleum to choose from.

Without hesitation, he chose "Ruin No. 1," the closest to Backlund and the most likely place to hide George III's body.

Using the mixed blood of 22 extraordinary Pathway and the symbols provided by Mr. "The Door," Luther successfully opened the illusory gate leading to the hidden interior.

As he stepped through the gate, a magnificent, mountain-like mausoleum immediately came into view. The mausoleum had a strange shape, a blend of two different styles. The overall structure was ancient and weathered, with obvious Fourth Epoch characteristics, but also showed signs of new carving, blending into the mountainside.

Numerous glowing mosses clung to the damp rock walls, bathing the entire Mausoleum in a hazy, cool, greenish glow.

However, this cool color was soon replaced by a more vibrant light.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Pillars of purple flames ignited in the darkness, one after another, encircling the Mausoleum and illuminating the entire space, enveloping Luther within them. The bright, blinding light of the flames reflected off the deep black Mausoleum, giving its surface a slight sheen.

Deep within the flames, a flamboyant and unrestrained figure suddenly emerged.

The newcomer had long, flowing, deep red hair and wore jet-black armor tinged with bright red, as if it had just been splashed with blood. His forehead was decorated with banner-like flame patterns, and his hair was deep red. He was young and handsome, with a touch of androgynous beauty.

The Red Angel Evil Spirit, Medici Sauron Einhorn.

"It's you?!"

Luther's eyes narrowed when he saw the familiar yet unfamiliar figure.

The former simply looked at him with a smile and said:

"It's been so long, are you still looking for death every day?"