Chapter 122: Retribution |
'An incomplete form of Chronos?'
'No, only his legacy...'
Yeruashi whispered, thoughtfully observing Dimaria's transformation across from him.
Chronos, much like Ankhseram, is a God responsible for certain laws. He is devoid of emotions like joy, sorrow, or anger, which are inherent to the human race. A God only manifests his presence when someone dares to encroach upon his authority.
An example of this is the Curse of Contradiction, cast by the God Ankhseram upon Mavis and Zeref as punishment for trespassing against the immutable laws of life and death.
Normally, the Gods refrain from interference, being essentially personifications of the world's laws, entirely alien to human emotions and attachments.
Therefore, the current situation inevitably raised questions.
Dimaria was utilizing a portion of the God of Time's power, which was certainly an infringement on the laws of time, yet for some reason, Chronos himself remained inactive.
If Yeruashi understood correctly, this magic exploited a certain loophole in the laws of time, allowing one to use a sliver of the God of Time's power with impunity.
'What terrifying magic...'
Meanwhile, Wendy, sensing the horrific magic emanating from Dimaria, immediately hid behind Yeruashi's back.
The young mage certainly possessed formidable magic. By the time she had set sail with Yeruashi, she was already somewhere at the level of the Ten Wizard Saints.
Furthermore, throughout their journey, a tiny fragment of Yeruashi's power had constantly nourished Wendy. This was merely unintentional energy radiation. But when dealing with a being possessing the power of hundreds of celestial bodies, even a "tiny fragment" was enough to radically alter Wendy's constitution.
Thus, during the time Wendy spent traveling alongside Yeruashi, her magical prowess had silently approached that of the Four Gods of Ishgar.
Yet even this level proved insufficient to resist the might of the Valkyrie in her God of Time form.
It was like a modest stream compared to a mighty river.
But.
Even now, to her horror, Dimaria found herself unable to break free from Yeruashi's time shackles!
Such a thing should have been impossible even with the power of the God of Time. Unless the Valkyrie could completely surpass Yeruashi's level—which was obviously impossible, given he held the power of hundreds of stars.
Additionally.
Calling the current state a "time stop" was fundamentally incorrect. It was merely a slowing of time, albeit by tens or even hundreds of thousands of times.
If it were a true time stop, Dimaria wouldn't even be able to think, let alone use magic and attempt to counter Yeruashi's power.
'No, it's impossible...'
Dimaria's unbelieving gaze was fixed on Yeruashi.
A gap in power, even a large one, could be accepted... But what was happening now went beyond all limits. She couldn't even manage to rattle the shackles of time despite all her efforts, including the power of a god. It simply wasn't possible!
"Sigh, I'm already tired of hearing the same thing, no originality at all..." Yeruashi said calmly in response, slowly raising his hand and pointing his palm at the shocked Dimaria.
Whoosh!
Then he lightly poked his finger—without any redundant movements, just a simple poke...
But to the helpless Dimaria, it felt as though an irresistible force had penetrated her, surging toward the most vital part of her body—her Magic Power Source.
Crack!
The Valkyrie's immense magic power instantly dissipated without a trace.
The magic fled her body like water gushing out of a punctured tank.
'My magic power...'
'No, no...'
Before long, fear reflected on the girl's face as the realization hit her, leaving no hint of her former pride and arrogance.
Her magic was gone!
For a mage, especially one as powerful as Dimaria, the total loss of magic power was akin to death. She was now no different from an ordinary person!
"Don't worry so much..."
Yeruashi smiled gently at the panicking and confused Dimaria. "I've only sealed your source. In a few days, everything will return to normal."
The Greatest Mage of Ishgar refrained from harsher measures, as he hadn't sensed any bloodthirsty or murderous intent from the Valkyrie toward Wendy.
Although... it wouldn't hurt to repay her in kind.
Soon, Yeruashi released Dimaria from her time shackles.
Thud!
She immediately collapsed to the ground.
Her legs, and indeed her entire body, went limp from the loss of magic power. Not only could she not stand, but she was also completely defenseless. The mighty mage could only manage to sink to her knees, staring at Yeruashi in terror.
However, the overall suspension of time remained, despite the shackles being removed.
Looking around, the weakened girl saw many immobilized soldiers of the Alvarez Empire.
Such a familiar and habitual environment now inspired only helplessness and fear, because she no longer had her magic!
No matter what the opponent did to her, she could expect no support, for she had no way to signal the empire.
"Now..."
"It is time for retribution!"
Yeruashi took a few steps and bent down to pick up Dimaria's sword, then gently ran the blade along her shoulder.
The weakened girl crawled away in fear, but what could she do without her magic power?
Whoosh!
Yeruashi raised his hand and swung the sword.
Dimaria squinted, bracing for death, but the expected pain never came...
Only a feeling of freedom and a slight chill across her entire body.
An eye for an eye!
Yeruashi repaid Dimaria with exactly what she had intended to do to Wendy.
The Valkyrie's clothes instantly shredded into countless tiny pieces. Not a single piece of fabric remained large enough to cover anything at all...
"Hiii..."
Dimaria immediately fell into a state of utter confusion.
She failed to maintain her composure upon becoming the victim, even though she had loved doing the very same thing to cute girls.
Thus, she felt the consequences of her own bullying on her own skin.
Dimaria felt immense humiliation, although those around her did not witness what happened, as they remained under the influence of Yeruashi's time shackles.
Meanwhile, Yeruashi himself calmly turned away, showing no interest in the scene. He was already surrounded by plenty of girls who were prone to pulling such stunts...
"Wendy, let's go..."
Whoosh!
He carelessly tossed the sword aside and walked away unhurriedly, choosing not to restore the world's flow of time immediately.
A God is both merciful and fierce.
Such was Yeruashi's mercy toward Dimaria.