Chapter 1116 – Distinction Between Affection and Madness

000

＂Everything… For Fleur, you say?＂

Cleon now needed a moment to think about whether what he heard was true, or whether he was just hearing it.

No, it must not have been an illusion, because everyone standing around him was looking at this old man with an expression as if he was wondering what nonsense he was talking about.

In some ways, the person who was most embarrassed by this declaration, which could be said to be refreshing, was none other than Fleur.

＂What on earth is that-＂

“Fleur. You are so pure. The goodness that cannot bear the ‘dark side’ of this sacrifice and cannot take a step forward even though it knows it is wrong. It is your ‘virtue’, but in the end, it will become a huge obstacle for you as you live in this cruel world. Yes, that’s right… Just like those kids did…”

He speaks sadly, yet confidently, as if he had experienced something like this before.

There was a person who loved with everything, but the end of happiness disappeared as if slipping out of his hands.

Someone who tried to protect but could not.

It was as if I was seeing all of that superimposed on Fleur in front of me.

Therefore, what is in those eyes is not simple ‘love’ or ‘affection’, but madness.

There was one more layer of something invisible in his eyes, like the sunglasses he was wearing.

＂What are you talking about…?! This is the world I want…! For me, that kind of thing-“

However, Fleur could not understand her grandfather’s madness.

No, it would be better to say that I don’t want to understand.

Coming this far, she just wanted to know Oldburn’s true intentions in doing this.

Why can’t he break the relationship with the returner?

Why does he, at the same time, continue to show affection for himself?

If it had been just one side, Fleur wouldn’t have had to worry and suffer so much.

‘Completely understanding’ the person named Oldburn Descartes may be impossible even for him.

“Oh, of course, Fleur. You won’t understand. But that doesn’t mean you’re bad. What is wrong is this side of the world. Why, why is this a world where people like you always lose out?”

That anger, that resentment.

The hatred for this world grew based on my love for Fleur.

And, disbelief.

He betrayed Adam and gave everything to just one person.

It seemed to be the cause that made him pour out his absolute love to the object of his love, Fleur.

＂…＂

There must have been people who sympathized with the idea itself.

Malice always comes from an unexpected direction and disrupts their fate.

Even if you are prepared for it, even if you live without incurring someone’s resentment.

One day, the world and humans suddenly sink their teeth into themselves.

＂Grandfather, no way… I still have to do things about my father and mother… ＂

“Ah… Good Fleur. I guess you are worried about this extra cost. But there’s no need to worry. Just think about it! If only people like you were left in this world…!”

My granddaughter who is kind, afraid of hurting others, and wise.

“Don’t you think that such a world is a world for you? That is, for you, an ‘ideal world’!”

“That…! To create such a world, there is no need to use power like Adam-“

“No! I need it!”

To Fleur’s words, Oldburn responded firmly and with a loud voice.

“It’s necessary, Fleur! This world is overflowing with people who cannot understand things like ‘dialogue’ or ‘mutual respect’! If we do not artificially eliminate all humans with such malicious intent, there will never, ever be a world where you can live in peace! It means they won’t come!”

＂…＂

“There is a way! All you have to do is reach out and grab it! There is a path that must be followed, so is there any need to turn your head away from it!? The Descartes family did not prosper that way!”

His voice becomes more intense.

Tendons grow on the hands that are clenched into fists.

Oldburn finally released the intense anger he had been harboring inside him for a long time, as if he was releasing everything he had been hiding.

＂Then… What on earth is different from ‘Adam’…?”

Fleur, touched by his sincerity due to his madness, asked him in a trembling voice.

“Adam, the father of all things… Believes that he can control even all evil beings by placing them under his control. Even that ‘malice’ will be kept on a leash in the world where he stands as a god.”

Adam’s goal was to rule over everything under the order he established.

It was also the most arrogant purpose, a machine created by humans and ordered to serve them.

Ultimately, his goal was to ascend to the position of god and surpass his creator.

“But that’s soft. It’s as soft as baked custard pudding. I don’t think the world will ever get better with such weak methods. I know that even in the world dominated by Adam, malice remains, and that malice will eventually erode good will one day.”

Even though the law exists and there are people who protect order, there is always a possibility that someone who deviates from it will appear.

“So, I am cutting out all malice and its bud. It produces humans whose evil intentions have been eliminated as Adam Kadmon, and causes all existing humans created from Adam and their descendants to disappear from this world. Everyone except you, ‘Fleur’.”

＂!!!?＂

＂Uh, old man…!＂

Not only Fleur, but even Kshat, who quietly stood by her side and listened to the story of the increasingly aggressive Old Burn, could not close her mouth.

In other words, he was talking.

Using Adam Kadmon, the extinction of all ‘humans’ on this continent.

All that remains are humans who have been created with no possibility of malicious intent.

There may be differing opinions on whether it can be called a human being.

＂That kind of thing…! That makes no sense! So, how much sacrifice…!”

“Even so, it is something that must be done. Someone.”

“Okay. But it doesn’t have to be you.”

Fleur and Oldburn, a voice that seemed to be interjecting in the conversation between the two.

Old Burn, who knew well who the owner of the voice was, would have been startled and turned his head.

The direction is outside.

Then the next moment.

Coogung! As the sound rings out, a wall somewhere collapses.

Ceiling? Or, the outer wall?

Or, the floor?

＂Be careful!＂

When Laila shouted that, Kuon slammed his staff down on the ground, which happened almost simultaneously.

She gathered all of her magical power and created a barrier surrounding herself and her group, successfully blocking the large debris that was attacking them.

＂Wow!＂

Attis screams.

It was clear that if the concrete stone block several times the size of hers had not been blocked by the green wall that spread at the right time, it would have crushed her whole body and turned it into a lump of blood.

And, what emerged from that collapsed place.

A huge lump of flesh.

A giant of flesh.

The huge, bizarre figure had no skin and was made of muscle fibers bundled together, and there was something resembling a ‘throne’ in the area where the head should be.

Sitting on the throne was a red-haired woman who looked familiar to the group, and she was looking at the group and Old Burn.

Amidst the collapsing and flying debris, Oldburn, without moving from where he was standing, suddenly appeared and saw an uninvited guest-

No, I look at ‘Darwin’, the original owner of this facility, who should have burned to death by now.

Thud! And, even though debris is falling right next to him, the sight of him not moving a single step should be said to be very courageous.

Or is it impossible to move at the right time with that old body?

Although I wasn’t sure which one it was.

Nevertheless, what is clear is-

＂Darwin… Is alive?!＂

Lila raises her voice in confusion.

I guess he is like that too.

Darwin was earlier, in front of the group.

To be precise, in the video shown by Old Burn, he should have exploded and burned to death.

Did Oldburn lie to them?

No, there is nothing like that.

If he had told a lie, there was no reason to wait this long, there was no need for Darwin to suddenly appear, and there was no reason for Oldburn to tell everything.

Oldburn really did dispose of Darwin – he ‘let his guard down’.

Why? It’s simple.

＂It seems you didn’t get on Apsaras…＂

Old Burn muttered as if he understood.

Then Darwin will nod his head and talk.

“Yes, that’s right. You were so obvious right from the beginning. He made me retreat and even told me about clones. As if you want me to do that. I thought something was strange there, so I didn’t get on the ‘Apsaras’. The only thing burned there… Is now the inventory of useless ‘type A clones’.”

＂!＂

At her words, the long sword clone that was standing behind the group as if hiding opened its eyes wide.

But Darwin wouldn’t even pay attention to those clones, and he would continue his story.

＂Old Burn… I never thought that your loyalty to your father would fade as you continue to repeat your past life. As expected, the reincarnation factor seems to be unstable in that it cannot perfectly maintain the soul.”

“To me, ‘Fleur’ is just more important than ‘Adam’, Madame.”

“So you’re trying to betray your father and create another ‘Adam’?”

“Eavesdropping is not a very good hobby.”

＂On a topic I was chattering about without even paying attention…＂

Between the two, an uneasy atmosphere flows.

No, of course.

Old Burn was definitely trying to kill her.

Even as Darwin, there was no need to keep the betrayer alive.

Moreover, if left unattended, Adam might fall before the world in which his son will be resurrected arrives?

Because that much had to be prevented.

“Now that it’s like this… If both sides don’t stop it…!”

If Kuon speaks while applying strength to the staff he is holding to spread the barrier, Amelia will nod her head.

Somewhere, the party also thought that Darwin was not dead, so it wasn’t like there would be such a disruption in the plans.

However, it must be said that this situation itself, where a three-way match was formed including Oldburn, is a bit strange.

Now that things are like this, Oldburn will try to deal with both Cleon and Darwin, who have a lot of potential to interfere with him.

Darwin, too, had been intent on killing Cleon and his group from the beginning, and he would also try to kill Old Burn, who had tried to kill him.

Cleon and his party also had to stop Oldburn, who had made a crazy plan, and defeat Darwin, who was the center of Adam’s plan.

＂Kuon, how much magic power remains? ＂

＂It’s close… But it’s okay.＂

Since the barrier was opened suddenly, a significant amount of magical energy may have been consumed.

When Cleon asks her about her concern, she smiles weakly but replies that she has no problem.

“Don’t overdo it. If possible, focus on recovery and assistance.”

However, she is one of the few people in her group who can use recovery magic professionally.

Therefore, her stay was quite important.

＂Amelia, Melusine… And Schrödinger is the vanguard with me. Quartz and Uni. And Nemeia, escorts non-combat personnel.”

＂I will do so.＂

＂Yes…!＂

＂Heung.＂

After hearing the answers of the three remaining escorts, Cleon’s gaze turned directly towards Lila and Sasha.

“Lila and Sasha, please provide fire support from the rear as always.”

＂If the situation arises, I will also become Hwahwa and dig in from now on.＂

＂Me too!＂

＂Thank you for your heart, but the vanguard is enough. The role of these two people is to understand the entire battlefield.”

Both Lila and Sasha could not help but nod their heads in understanding at Cleon’s words.

＂Me, I…?＂

And then, the clone of the long sword asks Cleon.

＂You…＂

Cleon was trying to say something to her for a moment.

“… You, too, join with them and protect those who cannot fight.”

When it comes to that defense, a meat shield would be the most suitable role.

At Cleon’s words, the long sword clone nodded.

There wasn’t even something to call it an operation.

Each member of the group does their best in their respective positions.

Thinking like that, we finally took the lead with Cleon.

It was when the final fight against the executives of the returnees was about to begin.

＂Magic Swordsman Cleooooon!!!!＂

A sound so loud that it shook the heavens and the earth rang out.

＂!?＂

The earth shakes and space vibrates.

It was as if there had been an earthquake, and it was incomparable to when Darwin attacked and destroyed this place a little while ago.

And the next moment.

Ugh!!

With the sound of a loud crack, what appeared piercing the ground.

＂What, hey…!?＂

It was a mouth so huge that it covered the entire space.

At that appearance, Cleon, Darwin, and even Oldburn opened their eyes wide as if they had not expected it.

They had no choice but to look with open eyes at the huge maw that was closing in on all of them.

It’s like the mouth of a catfish or angler fish, and it’s clearly a modified life form.

And, the familiarity of the voice I just heard.

＂Raffle, las…!?＂

Kwasik!

The moment Cleon muttered that, everyone present was swallowed by that huge mouth.

As the surroundings became dark, the group felt something pulling them in.