Chapter 2227: The Nine Abilities of the Savior |
Within the deceptively plain mirror, light refracted and twisted. At the same moment, the bell tolled once more. It was as if some colossal beast stirred in the void; a black veil began to draw across the cosmos, or perhaps, the facade of this false sky was finally being ripped asunder.
"It's too quiet. Help me cause a disturbance, otherwise I won't be able to find that thing."
Jenkins spoke, his protection shielding the demigods from the corrupting power. Following his command, they formed a circle facing outward, unleashing long-range abilities in every direction across the star-strewn void.
The spirit flowing through the cosmos immediately rippled with disturbance. Amidst the turbulence, the silhouette of some colossal entity slowly sharpened into focus.
"Now!"
He raised the muzzle of his gun skyward, and an instant later, the beam of light from the mirror swiveled to follow. The bullet erupting from the muzzle produced the distinct crack of hitting its mark, but immediately after, a colossal hammer forged from gears smashed down upon them from the starfield directly ahead.
"Keep going! Don't stop! I'll handle this!"
Jenkins declared, balling his fist and throwing a punch straight ahead. Pure physical strength collided with the hammer as it swung down with the force of a giant. The circular platform beneath their feet shuddered, and the hammer shattered before Jenkins. The corrupting power was purged by the force of his blow, yet his palm was now streaked with inky black lines, as if stained by the vile energy.
"Impressive," he remarked, summoning the motes of light that represented his abilities. His gaze fell upon the only three that remained: The Unknown Path, Knowledge Bestowal, and Aegis of Books.
Destiny answered his call in an instant. Violet threads of fate intertwined with the pure white beam from the mirror, finally pinpointing the location of the Difference Engine's core within the resplendent sea of stars.
Only one bullet remained in the gun, the very one he had acquired in the town of blood-healing, the one that emanated an intense spiritual aura. Jenkins had no idea what its precise function was, but he trusted himself, and more than that, he trusted the destiny of this world.
He poured every ounce of spirit he could muster into the firearm. Engravings resembling vines, bones, and circuitry blazed into existence across the weapon's once-unmarked surface. The metal barrel grew scorching hot as the muzzle became a focal point for the purest spirit and a terrifying concentration of power.
He pulled the trigger. As the bullet shot forth, the gun's frame finally succumbed to the strain and exploded. The small blast obliterated Jenkins's right hand, but the limb began to regenerate almost immediately.
The bullet followed the violet lines of fate, striking its target with unerring accuracy in the boundless cosmos. A tremor ran through the sea of stars. In the distance, a colossal vortex began to form within a black hole, threatening to devour everything in this void of false stars.
"I hit it!"
"Were we successful?" the old gravekeeper asked nervously, his eyes, along with everyone else's, fixed on the swirling vortex.
Jenkins blinked, and after a long moment, he answered softly, "I'm afraid not."
The vortex in the sea of stars expanded until it occupied half the sky, then it fell still. Its center was aimed directly at the small group of figures standing in the cosmos. The vortex swirled with seven brilliant hues, as vibrant as a rainbow, as deep as a galaxy. It was a spectacle of profound mystery, dazzling and magnificent.
They watched, tense, as a beam of light shot out from the vortex's center. Within the light, a translucent, humanoid figure materialized before them.
It had the form of a human, standing over thirty feet tall. It was bald, with the face of a young man, and clad in a white sacrificial robe and simple cloth shoes. Its hands were tucked into its sleeves and crossed before its chest. On its exposed cheeks were straight, black markings.
Only its eyes were the color of pure brass; otherwise, its body showed no metallic features.
"I see it! The core is in the vortex behind it," Jenkins announced to the others, his gaze locked on the transparent figure. "That last shot wasn't useless. It's protecting itself!"
"Yes, Savior Williamette, your shot did indeed hit my core," a voice echoed from all corners of the false starry sea. "But I have already completed my final ascension. I am the immortal and indestructible Beast of Calamity. I have no fatal weakness."
"Then do you dare to show your core directly to me? Are you truly afraid of nothing?" Jenkins retorted at the magnificent vortex behind the figure, slowly sliding his hand into his pocket. Seeing that Jenkins still had a plan, Chocolate temporarily suppressed its own impulse, deciding to act only when Jenkins had exhausted all his options.
"Your gun destroyed my old material shell, a shell that has protected me for ten thousand years. But I am immortal. As long as metal and steam exist in this world, I will never fade. Savior, what else can you possibly do?"
"Let's call the second round a draw. But I came with more than just a couple of tricks."
His hand emerged from his pocket holding a round coin, fashioned from a purple gem. The front bore the emblem of The Unknown Path; the back was a perfect, smooth blank.
Jenkins smiled. He touched the back of the coin with his fingertip, and the image of Chocolate's paw print appeared on its surface.
With a gentle press of his palm against the air, nine gem coins of matching size materialized before him, suspended in the void. They glowed with nine different colors: purple, gold, yellow, black, blue, green, red, white, and iridescent rainbow. This was the proof that Jenkins had passed through the nine Mysterious Realms, a symbol of his command over the nine abilities of the Savior.
The end of this epoch was utterly unique. Never before had all the mantles of the Savior been gathered in a single person, and thus, never before had all nine abilities been brought to bear against the Beast of Calamity.
The gem coins floated before Jenkins, radiating a brilliant light that pierced the boundless sea of stars, even managing to cast a faint glow into the vortex behind the ethereal figure.
"Each of these coins is a Bestowal. I wasn't entirely sure of their purpose at first," Jenkins explained, "but when all nine came into my hands, I understood. Each coin allows me to perfectly unleash the effect of a Savior's ability one time."
Even outside a Mysterious Realm, Jenkins could only perfectly wield The Unknown Path and the World Tree Seedling. The other abilities were not innate to him, and thus he could not use them to their full potential.
But now, things were different. Now, he had his chance.
"I understand many things now, even your true identity," the voice from the vortex echoed through the stars. "But I still don't understand one thing: Why did these nine Mysterious Realms grant you these specific powers?"
"To be honest, I don't completely understand it either," Jenkins admitted. "But at the very least, it proves I still have a chance."
With a flick of his finger, he first touched the purple coin: The Unknown Path.
The Unknown Path, the emblem of destiny. Given sufficient information, it would directly guide the Savior along the currents of fate.
The coin spun before him, dissolving into a ball of light. The purple radiance connected the other eight coins, and simultaneously, the grand emblem of The Unknown Path blazed to life on the circular platform where they stood suspended in the cosmos.
Jenkins now understood the correct sequence for using the coins.
"And so," he declared, "the third round begins."