Chapter 465

Chapter 465
Immediately after sparks danced through the air, a bolt of lightning struck the unoccupied ground. A loud crash and boom echoed across the area.

Emerging from the shower of bright sparks and the echoing rumble of the electric current, a figure could be seen down on one knee, pressing one hand firmly against the ground. Having waited for this exact moment, the individual let out a bold cry.

“I have arrived! The lightning that eradicates all wickedness—Lightning Surfer!”

The man wore a combat uniform that combined metallic plating with flexible spandex fabric to create a distinct, fashionable appearance. He struck an theatrical posture as he spoke his line. His well-rehearsed, meticulous actions, enhanced by the flashing electricity, were flashy enough to capture anyone’s attention.

“To think you would endanger the holy tranquility of the Pantheon! As long as I, the Guardian of California—Lightning Surfer—stand here, you won’t succeed…”

“Look, another one has arrived.”

“Hey, pal, the whole ordeal is already taken care of.”

Unfortunately, the grand introduction failed to impress anyone; the bystanders merely cast brief glances in his direction and shook their heads. At this stage, such arrivals were no longer remarkable.

Amidst the uncomfortable mood, the hero Lightning Surfer carefully inspected the area while touching his nose. Numerous individuals were present, but they were entirely occupied with clearing away the remnants of the chaos.

“Ahem, I see! It is a relief that the harm seems minimal. The moment I received the call for assistance, I hurried over, though the distance was rather great…”

“Oh! Are you the hero who journeyed here to assist us? We are deeply grateful for your arrival.”

As he stood up awkwardly, clearing his throat and whispering explanations that went completely unnoticed by the crowd, a priestess walked past with rapid steps. She neared him, offering a kind expression.

“Even though the crisis was settled much quicker than we anticipated, we will always remember that you responded to our plea, and we will ensure our appreciation is properly conveyed. If I may ask, what is your name?”

“Ah! I am called Lightning Surfer…”

“Lightning Surfer, understood! I will forward your name to the administrative department. Thank you once more for making such a long trip.”

She hastily recorded his moniker and offered another cheerful expression. This task was an essential part of her responsibilities. Although the current situation had concluded without much trouble, there was no assurance that future events would go as smoothly. Establishing positive connections ensured they could count on aid when a genuine emergency occurred.

Observing the activity from the window of his room, Heinrich breathed out a brief sigh.

‘Not just the Association’s Guardians, but even the Awakeners and heroes of California are rushing to this location. The Pantheon has evidently established quite a grand name for itself. Maintaining positive relations with the priesthood is certainly beneficial.’

The leadership group had requested a meeting with him immediately following the crisis, but he lacked the desire to talk, opting instead to delay the discussion so he could spend some quiet moments by himself. He required additional time to organize his reflections.

‘At the very least, this trouble has been mostly taken care of. It originated because of Joker and the Shadow of the Evil God that he brought forth, so this outcome makes sense.’

The event had inflicted serious damage upon the Pantheon. Fortunately, only a small number of people who encountered the initial purple vapor had sustained permanent harm. The majority experienced intense mental corruption, but given the abundance of priests on site, the Pantheon successfully provided immediate first aid. The true problem lay in the origin of the event.

It possessed enough gravity to threaten the unity of the spiritual alliance.

“The Shadow of the Evil God emerged from inside the Pantheon itself—there is no avoiding that reality. The partnership will not collapse right away, naturally, but the various sects will likely decrease their external initiatives, concentrate on internal restructuring, and behave with greater caution for the foreseeable future.”

Though it had been handled for now, this was not an issue to be dismissed carelessly. And in the middle of the tumbling disorder, a single individual had captured the focus of everyone present.

“…Well, this doesn’t turn out to be an unfavorable situation for me, does it?”

The otherworldly angel who had independently driven back the Shadow of the Evil God during its assault on the Pantheon, bringing an end to the emergency, was Saint Heinrich Saint Landgard.

‘I have unintentionally shown everyone just how formidable they truly are. This also elevates my own authority, allowing me to guide the Pantheon in opposing the Reverse Heaven Society…’

Heinrich cut his reflections short. The thought of the Reverse Heaven Society caused his thoughts to become disorganized once more. It could not be helped, considering it had been only a brief period since he experienced that mysterious glimpse of what was to come.

‘Managing them is already an immense burden… The Fruit of Myth, was that what it was called? What in the world is it, revealing an image like that to me?’

The most aggravating aspect was that despite witnessing so much, very little remained clear in his mind. It felt as though the details were locked away because he was not yet ready to possess them.

Looking down at his hand, Heinrich formed a tight fist. His muscular frame had diminished since transforming into an angel, yet the power contained within had increased significantly. Flowing holy energy into his clenched hand, he directed his concentration toward the unknown spaces beyond.

After an extended period.

“…Nothing is happening, it seems.”

Letting out a brief breath, he opened his eyes, massaged his neck, and turned his head from side to side. Immediately after the ‘Fruit of Myth’ shattered and permitted its radiance to saturate his physical form, he felt an unfamiliar element integrate into the sacred seed residing inside him. His character display merely indicated [???], leaving him without further clarification.

“That glimpse must have been triggered by this energy. Could I have triggered some sort of precognitive talent?”

Whatever the case, perhaps he could find a way to duplicate what he had observed. Ultimately, Heinrich abandoned the attempt and turned his attention to more immediate matters. He decided to address the pieces he could actually recollect.

‘Was that panoramic view truly the destiny of Earth?’

That remained his primary concern. The timeline within his vision was vastly different from the prosperous present; it displayed an Earth reduced to complete devastation.

‘Could it have been a planet resembling Earth…? No. It was without a doubt Earth.’

Setting aside the familiar text on the signposts and the recognizable traits of the area, the moment he took in the full view of that world, his intuition informed him. It was unmistakably Earth.

‘What caused it? How did Earth collapse into such a state?’

The exact reason for the destruction eluded his memory. It mirrored the Devour Realm after it was completely overrun by fiends… or perhaps the Koshias Realm where he initially encountered Lamy—an entirely desolated, lifeless existence. That particular depiction remained distinct in his mind.

However, that single piece of information was enough to establish his path.

‘…My obligations have expanded. I cannot sit idly by while Earth meets such a fate.’

Earth served as his native land, the central hub where all his resources and systems were situated. He had been able to act without restraint precisely because his primary body remained protected on Earth.

“It is time to take more direct action. Yes, I shall begin with the Pantheon.”

Since he could not know when the catastrophe would arrive, he had to take steps immediately to get ready, even if it pushed his limits.

“The collective Pantheon cannot be managed with absolute authority like my other organizations…’

Even so, abandoning such an asset would be wasteful. They had assisted in settling this matter with the backing of his own units—there was no knowing when they might offer critical assistance in the future.

‘This scenario provides the ideal moment.’

He moved forward with long steps and pushed open the entryway.

A slight twitching motion occurred.

As he departed from the space, a minute alteration manifested at the rear of his skull. It was a subtle, intense stirring, reminiscent of a creature breaking through its shell. The delicate vibration of the soft light disappeared completely before Heinrich could detect it, as if it were biding its time for the correct moment to arrive.

In an area beyond immaculate whiteness, a vacant realm completely lacking any pigmentation, the Reverse Heaven Lord floated silently at the epicenter and gradually unclosed his eyes. Having experienced countless developments during this specific cycle, he felt certain that even immense disruptions would fail to unsettle him. Yet, this specific occurrence was something he could not disregard.

“The Fruit of Myth…”

One of his meticulously arranged strategies for the primary objective—a project initiated more than two decades in the past—had just been obliterated. While disruptions had occurred in prior instances, this particular loss brought the sharpest disappointment.

“…This complicates matters.”

He had viewed that path as the optimal choice; now, he would have to content himself with an alternative option. The projected survival rate for human beings would decrease by an additional ten percent compared to his first calculations.

‘I must determine the precise origin of this disruption first.’

The Fruit of Myth served as an essential catalyst to cultivate extraordinary phenomena upon Earth. Naturally, he had implemented unique protections for it, entirely separate from those maintained by Joker, the manager of the Pantheon.

‘However… However.’

Verifying the status of his external links caused even an individual of his stature to knit his brows.

-“I hold no justifications to offer, Lord.”

He had already foreseen that the Oracle’s prophetic vision would eventually falter. When confronting a formidable opponent who existed outside the boundaries of normal destiny, her conflicting attributes restricted her capabilities. Even so, her insights had allowed the association to expand, providing direction while he traveled through different realms and the Doctor chose to ignore any matters unrelated to personal interests.

“That is precisely why an association was required to compensate for individual vulnerabilities.”

“-“Communication with the Doctor ceased some time ago. It is highly probable…””

The genuine crisis revealed itself next. The Doctor, who maintained the confidential networks and crisis communication links, had gone entirely silent. Had it merely been a disruption in communications, it would pose no major problem. Throughout his lengthy period of nonexistence following his return to life, had the automated mechanisms of ‘Deus ex Machina’ not managed every requirement successfully?

Yet, this situation was entirely different.

“-“He sustained a severe blow. A brief examination indicates that the entire network was completely erased…””

The operative tasked with the inquiry, a leading expert in her discipline, proved unable to discover what had befallen the Doctor. The current hypothesis suggested he had been caught unprepared by an entirely unprecedented digital corruption.

‘An incredibly well-timed event.’

First the Oracle, and now the Doctor.

Joker, who had integrated himself into the Pantheon without revealing his identity even to his fellow associates, depended entirely on the confidential communication lines provided by the Doctor. The abrupt and complete loss of contact had left him entirely vulnerable.

‘Is this a mere accident? Or is it… the restrictive influence of the world itself?’

As he perceived the momentum of the world shifting to oppose him, his features darkened. This exact scenario was the reason he had maintained such a high degree of vigilance.

‘I must plan for the least favorable outcome.’

His extraordinary perception, reinforced by additional details obtained from the Oracle, allowed him to arrive at a definitive determination. His supernatural awareness validated the conclusion.

“The momentum of the world has altered. A different formidable opponent has emerged upon Earth.”

A formidable opponent.

These were the unique entities that consistently obstructed the paths of the time-navigating Lord as he attempted to reshape destiny. On certain occasions, they possessed all-encompassing foresight. On other occasions, they utilized advanced technology that no one could have predicted. There were also times when they deployed terrifying force capable of freezing time itself. Every single confrontation represented a narrative filled with suffering and difficult challenges.

By pushing his capacities to their absolute limits, discovering avenues of escape, triumphing over these challenges, and moving forward, he had persevered. As his own power multiplied, their strength surged as well—by immense margins—yet his followers ensured he continued to make achievements toward his ultimate destination.

He had believed the struggle concluded once he entered this stage.

Evidently, that was not the case.

The Reverse Heaven Lord shut his eyes and let out a gentle breath. A viable route had to exist somewhere that he had not yet uncovered. An image of a desolated Earth materialized within his thoughts. Regardless of the hurdles that blocked his way, he would never abandon his purpose.

As it had always been.