Arin, who had lost the Metagate at close range, was the only one who didn’t understand the situation. She stared at her empty hand, unaware that the fallen angel was standing right beside her.
Icasa said mockingly,
"Hmm, this is a Metagate, isn’t it? Even believers are forbidden from using it. Quite impressive for heretics."
Hearing Icasa’s voice, Arin’s face turned pale.
She had been over 30 meters away. How could she have taken the Metagate?
Moreover, grabbing an object while moving at high speed meant she had accelerated using only her physical strength.
"Hmm, you came here with the Metagate? Don’t tell me... did the Maze send you?"
Shirone didn’t answer. Instinctively, he felt he shouldn’t give away any information.
Icasa: "Hoho, you don’t have to speak if you don’t want to. I’ll figure out the coordinates once I analyze this thing."
The Metagate was a high-tech device of the Mechanoids. With their technology, they could extract the recorded coordinates without even activating it.
Of course, Icasa already had an idea. Especially after the boy had stopped the ritual of the One Flower. It was clear they were from the Maze’s homeland, that detestable place.
Icasa swayed her slender figure as she walked past Shirone’s group.
They were defenseless, but no one dared to make a move.
Icasa stopped in front of the women.
The tall angel looked down at Amy, who shrank under the pressure. But despite her fear, Amy held her ground, locking eyes with Icasa.
Icasa: "Are you a virgin?"
Amy’s face flushed red. The question was so out of line it felt like a verbal assault.
Icasa: "Kekeke! I thought so. What about you two?"
Icasa pointed at Tess and Arin in turn. Their faces turned just as red.
Icasa: "Hmm, I see. Humans are quite patient, aren’t they?"
Icasa bent down and scrutinized Arin closely. Black hair, black pupils, and a face as pale as moonlight.
Icasa: "Oh, you’re from the Eastern races. Very good."
Icasa was satisfied. She had come here to vent 20,000 years of resentment, but unexpectedly, she had stumbled upon a treasure trove.
The coordinates of the Maze’s homeland and three young women. This was more than enough to regain her status as an angel.
Icasa activated her halo, unleashing the power of an angel.
Amy, Tess, and Arin: "Huh?!"
As the three girls floated into the air, a ball of light formed in front of Shirone.
A Photon Cannon surged forward as Canis and Harvest launched a coordinated attack. Rian also raised his greatsword and charged.
Icasa extended a slender finger and swept it from left to right. All their attacks bounced off an invisible barrier.
Shirone, unable to shake off his anxiety, shouted.
Shirone: "Let the girls go! Come down! Fight us!"
Icasa looked at the group with disdain before soaring into the sky with the three girls.
Shirone felt like his heart would burst.
This couldn’t be the end. If things ended so helplessly, he wouldn’t be able to bear it.
As Icasa ascended, she accelerated her halo.
A swirling vortex of fire appeared before her, and a massive object began to take shape. It was a black body with glowing orange bands crisscrossing it, though its exact form was still unclear.
Icasa: "Taboo, kill the heretics. I’m going to see Lady Cariel."
Taboo: "...Yes, Lady Icasa."
Icasa quickly disappeared into the northern sky. Amy’s voice, calling out to someone, trailed after her.
Shirone stared at the sky with a dazed expression. It didn’t feel real.
He had prepared for danger when coming to Heaven, but he hadn’t expected to feel so powerless.
’It’s my fault... I was the one who suggested coming here.’
Shirone clenched his eyes shut.
He should have stopped them from coming to Heaven in the first place. He had thought the Metagate would provide some safety. What a foolish delusion. Angels were beings beyond human imagination.
The black mass crashed to the ground. Its surface was as smooth as polished stone. But as it unfurled its crouched body, it revealed a gorilla-like form.
Thin orange bands were symmetrically etched across its body, creating a grotesque contrast.
A triangular mark floated above its head, indicating it was a One-Horned Maraim. Though smaller than the Maraim she had seen at Noor’s Sanctuary, it didn’t feel any weaker.
Taboo: "Kekeke! I’m Taboo. It’s been a while since I’ve fought, so let’s make this fun."
Shirone’s group prepared for battle. But with the girls taken, their morale had hit rock bottom.
Whether he knew their feelings or not, Taboo crouched down excitedly.
Taboo: "It’s a bit embarrassing to show off in this suppressed state, but..."
The orange bands on Taboo’s body glowed as intense heat erupted.
Taboo: "It’s more than enough for the likes of you."
With that, Taboo charged forward, kicking off the ground.
Rian rushed to meet him, swinging his greatsword. Taboo didn’t dodge or block. He simply ran straight into the blade.
The impact sent Rian flying into the air.
Taboo bent backward, looking at Shirone upside down. Then, still in that position, he lunged at him. The sight of Taboo’s inverted face approaching was indescribably bizarre.
Shirone unleashed a Photon Blast. The light barrier struck Taboo, but he plowed through it without hesitation.
Taboo: "Kukuku, interesting magic."
Taboo’s face was now inches from Shirone’s. Where eyes should have been, there were glowing orange vertical lines. His mouth was split open like a crack, with no lips to speak of.
The Photon Blast fired mass at a rate of 20 times per second, but Taboo weathered it like a storm, completely unfazed.
He stuck out his tongue, which stretched down to his chest, and taunted Shirone.
Taboo: "Keke. Sad? Did you lose your girls?"
Shirone’s eyes filled with killing intent. He had to get Amy back.
Ironically, the moment he realized this, Shirone erased Amy from his mind.
His focus sharpened, and the power of the Photon Blast intensified.
This time, even Taboo couldn’t withstand it. Blasted away, he began to disrupt the battlefield with movements that defied description.
Creative? No, primal.
Like a monkey, he moved with elastic agility, delivering rock-solid attacks. Shirone’s group could barely block them.
’Is this the power of a Maraim?’
In terms of raw power, it might have been weaker than the Whirlwind Serpent, but Taboo’s overall level was far higher.
Speed, strength, balance, combat intelligence—he surpassed the Whirlwind Serpent in every way, despite its size.
If Icasa hadn’t lost her power, wouldn’t this monster have unleashed calamitous strength?
As Taboo’s fist hurtled toward Shirone, a Shadow Wall erupted from the ground.
A loud noise erupted from the other side of the shadow.
Taboo didn’t pull back his attack. He simply pressed his fist forward with insane force.
His fist broke through the Shadow Wall and struck Shirone’s forehead.
The first layer of defense absorbed the impact, but Shirone still felt the world spin.
Canis emerged from Shirone’s shadow.
Canis: "Ordinary attacks won’t work. Open the Immortal Function now."
Shirone: "What are you talking about? It’s been ages since I last opened it."
Canis looked incredulous. He knew better than anyone the power of the Photon Cannon in Immortal Function mode—he had been on the receiving end. And yet, they couldn’t even scratch Taboo?
Shirone: "Is a laser impossible?"
Canis: "It’ll be tough. He’s small and fast."
Energy accumulation took over five seconds. Against a massive target like the Vortex Serpent, it might have worked, but Taboo’s unpredictable movements made it a risky strategy.
Shirone: "Let’s try anyway. I’ll hold him off while you attack."
Canis activated his Shadow Bind. Shadows gathered like capillaries, wrapping around Taboo’s ankles, climbing up his knees, and tightly binding his wrists.
As Shirone’s laser struck Taboo, his body began to glow red. If this continued, even his durability wouldn’t save him from exploding.
Taboo: "Kuhahaha! Satisfying! This is it!"
Taboo’s thighs bulged as he leaped, tearing the Shadow Bind like paper.
In an instant, he became a dot in the sky.
It was too much. Shadow Bind specialized in restraining energy-based forces, but it wasn’t strong against physical power. To hold Taboo, they needed something far stronger.
Shirone: "Canis! Buy me a little more time!"
Shirone decided to gamble on Photon Sculpting. Though it had been criticized as inefficient, things were different now that he had mastered Shining Impact.
While Harvest engaged Taboo, Canis watched as spheres of light gathered around Shirone.
Unlike Shining Impact, the light’s intensity was weaker, suggesting she was reducing particle vibration to attempt sculpting.
It was a good idea, but would it work?
Harvest (telepathically): "Even if you suppress vibration, you can’t grow it to a usable size. Like Shining Impact, it’ll just explode."
Canis (telepathically): "No. It doesn’t seem like compression."
Canis turned his head again at Harvest’s words.
What Shirone had sculpted from the light sphere was a small ring, small enough to fit between his thumb and forefinger.
’That kid! Could it be...?’
An astonishing thought flashed through Canis’s mind.
Light magic, like dark magic, couldn’t achieve precise modeling.
But that didn’t mean sculpting was entirely impossible.
The ring of light Shirone had created began to replicate itself over and over.
Canis felt a shiver run down his spine as he watched.
There was a form that could be created with photons.
A fractal is a shape that replicates itself to form the whole.
Shirone had thought of creating the simplest form with minimal particles and then replicating it infinitely.
Once one form was complete, replicating it was instantaneous.
From the sphere of light in Shirone’s palm, chains of light gushed out like a waterfall.
Since it worked against the properties of light, the mental strain was far greater than ordinary magic, but it was the only strategy that could work against Taboo.
Taboo, who had been chasing Canis, sensed something was wrong and turned to look at Shirone.
Chains of light, dozens of meters long, shimmered around Shirone.
The power of light, called the power of angels. Among them, light sculpting was the most difficult.
Taboo: "You insignificant human!"
Taboo roared and charged. Shirone swung his arm, hurling the chains at him.
The chains, formed from spheres of light, began to wrap around Taboo’s body. Starting at his ankles, they coiled around his waist, dug into his armpits, looped around his neck, and crossed down to his thighs.
A sound like stone scraping echoed.
Taboo’s fist stopped just short of Shirone’s nose. His trembling fist betrayed his rage.
Taboo couldn’t move an inch.
The rings of the chain, imbued with gravity, pulled on each other, increasing the tension.
The slightest movement created gaps for the chains to tighten further.
The Fairy Captain, Igrin, stared at Taboo, bound in chains of light, with disbelief.
Even among angels, only a few could wield light sculpting.
Canis also found the situation hard to believe.
This wasn’t just a simple chain. It was a fractal structure, using mass to generate tension.
This was on a completely different level from Shirone’s previous magic. Photon Cannon, lasers, and Photon Blast were all powerful, but they were within the realm of known magic.
But this chain magic was something unique to the divine particles, something no other magic could replicate.
Harvest (telepathically): "The Unlocker’s omniscience is evolving at a terrifying rate. Each time, it’s a magic that defies common sense. After Shining Impact, now it’s Shining Chain?"
Canis remained silent. While it was good that his comrade was growing stronger in a situation where they needed to rescue their friends, his innate competitiveness made him feel a sense of defeat.
Harvest (telepathically): "Canis, your heart is racing. Don’t overthink it. We came to Heaven to grow stronger. You’ll surpass Shirone someday."
Canis (telepathically): "Yeah. I’ll have to surpass him eventually. For now, let’s focus on the situation."
Comforting himself, Canis walked over to where Taboo was bound.
The Era of Upheaval (Part 2)
Arin, who had lost the Metagate at close range, was the only one who didn’t understand the situation. She stared at her empty hand, unaware that the fallen angel was standing right beside her.
Icasa said mockingly,
"Hmm, this is a Metagate, isn’t it? Even believers are forbidden from using it. Quite impressive for heretics."
Hearing Icasa’s voice, Arin’s face turned pale.
She had been over 30 meters away. How could she have taken the Metagate?
Moreover, grabbing an object while moving at high speed meant she had accelerated using only her physical strength.
"Hmm, you came here with the Metagate? Don’t tell me... did the Maze send you?"
Shirone didn’t answer. Instinctively, he felt he shouldn’t give away any information.
Icasa: "Hoho, you don’t have to speak if you don’t want to. I’ll figure out the coordinates once I analyze this thing."
The Metagate was a high-tech device of the Mechanoids. With their technology, they could extract the recorded coordinates without even activating it.
Of course, Icasa already had an idea. Especially after the boy had stopped the ritual of the One Flower. It was clear they were from the Maze’s homeland, that detestable place.
Icasa swayed her slender figure as she walked past Shirone’s group.
They were defenseless, but no one dared to make a move.
Icasa stopped in front of the women.
The tall angel looked down at Amy, who shrank under the pressure. But despite her fear, Amy held her ground, locking eyes with Icasa.
Icasa: "Are you a virgin?"
Amy’s face flushed red. The question was so out of line it felt like a verbal assault.
Icasa: "Kekeke! I thought so. What about you two?"
Icasa pointed at Tess and Arin in turn. Their faces turned just as red.
Icasa: "Hmm, I see. Humans are quite patient, aren’t they?"
Icasa bent down and scrutinized Arin closely. Black hair, black pupils, and a face as pale as moonlight.
Icasa: "Oh, you’re from the Eastern races. Very good."
Icasa was satisfied. She had come here to vent 20,000 years of resentment, but unexpectedly, she had stumbled upon a treasure trove.
The coordinates of the Maze’s homeland and three young women. This was more than enough to regain her status as an angel.
Icasa activated her halo, unleashing the power of an angel.
Amy, Tess, and Arin: "Huh?!"
As the three girls floated into the air, a ball of light formed in front of Shirone.
A Photon Cannon surged forward as Canis and Harvest launched a coordinated attack. Rian also raised his greatsword and charged.
Icasa extended a slender finger and swept it from left to right. All their attacks bounced off an invisible barrier.
Shirone, unable to shake off his anxiety, shouted.
Shirone: "Let the girls go! Come down! Fight us!"
Icasa looked at the group with disdain before soaring into the sky with the three girls.
Shirone felt like his heart would burst.
This couldn’t be the end. If things ended so helplessly, he wouldn’t be able to bear it.
As Icasa ascended, she accelerated her halo.
A swirling vortex of fire appeared before her, and a massive object began to take shape. It was a black body with glowing orange bands crisscrossing it, though its exact form was still unclear.
Icasa: "Taboo, kill the heretics. I’m going to see Lady Cariel."
Taboo: "...Yes, Lady Icasa."
Icasa quickly disappeared into the northern sky. Amy’s voice, calling out to someone, trailed after her.
Shirone stared at the sky with a dazed expression. It didn’t feel real.
He had prepared for danger when coming to Heaven, but he hadn’t expected to feel so powerless.
’It’s my fault... I was the one who suggested coming here.’
Shirone clenched his eyes shut.
He should have stopped them from coming to Heaven in the first place. He had thought the Metagate would provide some safety. What a foolish delusion. Angels were beings beyond human imagination.
The black mass crashed to the ground. Its surface was as smooth as polished stone. But as it unfurled its crouched body, it revealed a gorilla-like form.
Thin orange bands were symmetrically etched across its body, creating a grotesque contrast.
A triangular mark floated above its head, indicating it was a One-Horned Maraim. Though smaller than the Maraim she had seen at Noor’s Sanctuary, it didn’t feel any weaker.
Taboo: "Kekeke! I’m Taboo. It’s been a while since I’ve fought, so let’s make this fun."
Shirone’s group prepared for battle. But with the girls taken, their morale had hit rock bottom.
Whether he knew their feelings or not, Taboo crouched down excitedly.
Taboo: "It’s a bit embarrassing to show off in this suppressed state, but..."
The orange bands on Taboo’s body glowed as intense heat erupted.
Taboo: "It’s more than enough for the likes of you."
With that, Taboo charged forward, kicking off the ground.
Rian rushed to meet him, swinging his greatsword. Taboo didn’t dodge or block. He simply ran straight into the blade.
The impact sent Rian flying into the air.
Taboo bent backward, looking at Shirone upside down. Then, still in that position, he lunged at him. The sight of Taboo’s inverted face approaching was indescribably bizarre.
Shirone unleashed a Photon Blast. The light barrier struck Taboo, but he plowed through it without hesitation.
Taboo: "Kukuku, interesting magic."
Taboo’s face was now inches from Shirone’s. Where eyes should have been, there were glowing orange vertical lines. His mouth was split open like a crack, with no lips to speak of.
The Photon Blast fired mass at a rate of 20 times per second, but Taboo weathered it like a storm, completely unfazed.
He stuck out his tongue, which stretched down to his chest, and taunted Shirone.
Taboo: "Keke. Sad? Did you lose your girls?"
Shirone’s eyes filled with killing intent. He had to get Amy back.
Ironically, the moment he realized this, Shirone erased Amy from his mind.
His focus sharpened, and the power of the Photon Blast intensified.
This time, even Taboo couldn’t withstand it. Blasted away, he began to disrupt the battlefield with movements that defied description.
Creative? No, primal.
Like a monkey, he moved with elastic agility, delivering rock-solid attacks. Shirone’s group could barely block them.
’Is this the power of a Maraim?’
In terms of raw power, it might have been weaker than the Whirlwind Serpent, but Taboo’s overall level was far higher.
Speed, strength, balance, combat intelligence—he surpassed the Whirlwind Serpent in every way, despite its size.
If Icasa hadn’t lost her power, wouldn’t this monster have unleashed calamitous strength?
As Taboo’s fist hurtled toward Shirone, a Shadow Wall erupted from the ground.
A loud noise erupted from the other side of the shadow.
Taboo didn’t pull back his attack. He simply pressed his fist forward with insane force.
His fist broke through the Shadow Wall and struck Shirone’s forehead.
The first layer of defense absorbed the impact, but Shirone still felt the world spin.
Canis emerged from Shirone’s shadow.
Canis: "Ordinary attacks won’t work. Open the Immortal Function now."
Shirone: "What are you talking about? It’s been ages since I last opened it."
Canis looked incredulous. He knew better than anyone the power of the Photon Cannon in Immortal Function mode—he had been on the receiving end. And yet, they couldn’t even scratch Taboo?
Shirone: "Is a laser impossible?"
Canis: "It’ll be tough. He’s small and fast."
Energy accumulation took over five seconds. Against a massive target like the Vortex Serpent, it might have worked, but Taboo’s unpredictable movements made it a risky strategy.
Shirone: "Let’s try anyway. I’ll hold him off while you attack."
Canis activated his Shadow Bind. Shadows gathered like capillaries, wrapping around Taboo’s ankles, climbing up his knees, and tightly binding his wrists.
As Shirone’s laser struck Taboo, his body began to glow red. If this continued, even his durability wouldn’t save him from exploding.
Taboo: "Kuhahaha! Satisfying! This is it!"
Taboo’s thighs bulged as he leaped, tearing the Shadow Bind like paper.
In an instant, he became a dot in the sky.
It was too much. Shadow Bind specialized in restraining energy-based forces, but it wasn’t strong against physical power. To hold Taboo, they needed something far stronger.
Shirone: "Canis! Buy me a little more time!"
Shirone decided to gamble on Photon Sculpting. Though it had been criticized as inefficient, things were different now that he had mastered Shining Impact.
While Harvest engaged Taboo, Canis watched as spheres of light gathered around Shirone.
Unlike Shining Impact, the light’s intensity was weaker, suggesting she was reducing particle vibration to attempt sculpting.
It was a good idea, but would it work?
Harvest (telepathically): "Even if you suppress vibration, you can’t grow it to a usable size. Like Shining Impact, it’ll just explode."
Canis (telepathically): "No. It doesn’t seem like compression."
Canis turned his head again at Harvest’s words.
What Shirone had sculpted from the light sphere was a small ring, small enough to fit between his thumb and forefinger.
’That kid! Could it be...?’
An astonishing thought flashed through Canis’s mind.
Light magic, like dark magic, couldn’t achieve precise modeling.
But that didn’t mean sculpting was entirely impossible.
The ring of light Shirone had created began to replicate itself over and over.
Canis felt a shiver run down his spine as he watched.
There was a form that could be created with photons.
A fractal is a shape that replicates itself to form the whole.
Shirone had thought of creating the simplest form with minimal particles and then replicating it infinitely.
Once one form was complete, replicating it was instantaneous.
From the sphere of light in Shirone’s palm, chains of light gushed out like a waterfall.
Since it worked against the properties of light, the mental strain was far greater than ordinary magic, but it was the only strategy that could work against Taboo.
Taboo, who had been chasing Canis, sensed something was wrong and turned to look at Shirone.
Chains of light, dozens of meters long, shimmered around Shirone.
The power of light, called the power of angels. Among them, light sculpting was the most difficult.
Taboo: "You insignificant human!"
Taboo roared and charged. Shirone swung his arm, hurling the chains at him.
The chains, formed from spheres of light, began to wrap around Taboo’s body. Starting at his ankles, they coiled around his waist, dug into his armpits, looped around his neck, and crossed down to his thighs.
A sound like stone scraping echoed.
Taboo’s fist stopped just short of Shirone’s nose. His trembling fist betrayed his rage.
Taboo couldn’t move an inch.
The rings of the chain, imbued with gravity, pulled on each other, increasing the tension.
The slightest movement created gaps for the chains to tighten further.
The Fairy Captain, Igrin, stared at Taboo, bound in chains of light, with disbelief.
Even among angels, only a few could wield light sculpting.
Canis also found the situation hard to believe.
This wasn’t just a simple chain. It was a fractal structure, using mass to generate tension.
This was on a completely different level from Shirone’s previous magic. Photon Cannon, lasers, and Photon Blast were all powerful, but they were within the realm of known magic.
But this chain magic was something unique to the divine particles, something no other magic could replicate.
Harvest (telepathically): "The Unlocker’s omniscience is evolving at a terrifying rate. Each time, it’s a magic that defies common sense. After Shining Impact, now it’s Shining Chain?"
Canis remained silent. While it was good that his comrade was growing stronger in a situation where they needed to rescue their friends, his innate competitiveness made him feel a sense of defeat.
Harvest (telepathically): "Canis, your heart is racing. Don’t overthink it. We came to Heaven to grow stronger. You’ll surpass Shirone someday."
Canis (telepathically): "Yeah. I’ll have to surpass him eventually. For now, let’s focus on the situation."
Comforting himself, Canis walked over to where Taboo was bound.