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Chapter 466

Isna could not easily catch her breath, a nauseating discomfort churning inside her as though everything within had been stirred into a mire.

It was because the gate she had been maintaining—leading to the Heavenly Realm—had suddenly shut.

“Isna unni! What happened?!”

Melissa, who had come with Arsha to assess the situation, revealed her flustered state as the gate connected to the Heavenly Realm closed right before her eyes.

“It closed. From the inside.”

“Then the archangels….”

“Oppa….”

Melissa muttered with a darkened expression, and Arsha’s voice trembled on the verge of tears.

As if to comfort her, the golden beast, Radon, bumped its head against her leg.

At that moment, Lispa denied their speculation with a hardened expression.

“That’s probably not it. Michael or Gabriel aren’t the type to use such a method. More importantly….”

Isna slowly steadied her breathing and agreed.

“That’s right. The one that just closed the gate wasn’t the power of an archangel. It was something darker… something far more viscous.”

Isna chose not to say it outright.

Even if she explained it, it would only bring about greater confusion.

What Isna had felt while stabilizing the gate moments ago was darkness steeped in endless malice—an abyss itself.

And she knew very well what it was.

All she could do now was attempt to reopen the gate.

Other than that, all she could do was pray that Leon and the archangels would manage somehow.

Meanwhile, Merkavalt—the Blue Dragon, Dragon Lord, and guardian dragon of Dragonforge—who could not properly grasp the current situation, could not hide the way her insides burned with anxiety.

“If he is harmed… what am I to do….”

Lispa stared straight at her restless state.

“W-What is it?”

At that, Merkavalt flinched as she looked at her, and Lispa let out a hollow laugh.

“You’ve ensnared yet another one already. I’m not really in a position to say this, but Raphael’s going to have a hard time.”

* * *

Kamael stared at Elpiria with eyes wide open, as though he could not believe what he was seeing even while looking at it.

“This makes no sense. The Heavenly Palace performed a self-purification? That is not within an archangel’s authority….”

“Kamael. Archangel who guards the heavens. Such a reaction is only natural.”

“Why?”

“The power that just flowed out from Elpiria is far too foreign to be considered that of an archangel.”

Kamael was the archangel in charge of this Heavenly Realm.

That was why he was deeply confused about the self-purifying action that the very space where the Heavenly Palace existed had just performed.

Originally, this place had not moved even once since the moment God fell silent.

What drove out the extradimensional monster was neither the power of the archangels nor Elpiria’s power—it was, precisely, the Heavenly Palace itself.

However, the purple masses of viscous substance that had spilled out when that creature appeared were still contaminating the Heavenly Realm.

Then—

KWAAG!!!

A flash shot in.

The archangel Michael, clad in full plate, appeared before Luna and roughly seized her by the throat.

“This is your fault. Raphael. You—You have finally polluted and brought down the final bastion.”

Michael’s voice trembled faintly with anger and sorrow.

“This last stronghold left behind by God….”

“Let go.”

KWAAANG!!!!

I flew in instantly and kicked Michael away, sending him flying before he could even react.

Luna did not even resist, tightly embracing Elpiria as if to protect her from any harm.

“Luna. Can you open a gate?”

The current Luna was fully using the power she had possessed as Raphael in the past.

“If it is a place filled with divinity like this, it is possible. However, it will take some time.”

Luna stepped behind me, as though shielding Elpiria.

“Then running is the right call for now.”

The Heavenly Palace was a palace in name only—it was no different from a vast sky city.

If we were determined, we could buy time just by hiding.

This moment, when they were distracted by something else, was our chance.

Of course, they would chase us soon enough, but… well.

Now wasn’t the time for them to focus on us.

If a direct clash broke out here, whether we could win or not was secondary—Elpiria would inevitably get caught up in it.

That was something the archangels would want to avoid as well.

At the same time, as Michael slowly began walking toward us, Uriel and Raguel raised their divinity, preparing to attack.

“Wait!!”

At that moment—

At the sudden shout, everyone’s gaze turned toward the source.

“Kamael? What is it?”

“Lord Michael. I understand the cause, but please—halt for a moment.”

The archangels showed confusion at Kamael’s interruption, as he was not one to voice his opinions so strongly.

“Speak.”

As Michael granted permission in a low voice, Kamael turned his gaze.

“That… it’s not certain yet, and it’s difficult to make a judgment, but….”

He spoke carefully.

“The power that child Elpiria used just now, in her sleep—it moved the Heavenly Palace.”

At those words, the other archangels’ eyes widened.

“What are you—.”

“That’s absurd! Since God fell silent, this place has never once moved on its own!”

Despite Raguel and Uriel’s objections, Kamael did not immediately concede and instead looked at Michael.

“Lord Michael. You know, do you not? That the one who closed the torn dimensional rift just now was not us. I am ashamed to admit it, but Raguel and I had expended much of our strength in the battle against Raphael and could not be of much help. And… you as well, Lord Michael….”

“Kamael!! Watch your words!”

Despite Raguel’s shout, Kamael did not respond.

It seemed he had also sensed that Michael had suffered considerable depletion from his battle with me.

Without a word, Michael repeatedly clenched and unclenched his gauntleted hand with a faint clatter, then nodded.

“I will not deny it.”

It was the same as acknowledging that he had suffered significant damage—even as an archangel, a being said to embody God’s martial power.

It was a completely different outcome from before, when he had seemed detached, as though testing someone.

Ordinarily, he would have handled things far more skillfully. But after the previous battle, he could not.

At Kamael’s explanation, Michael looked at Elpiria in Luna’s arms and asked again.

“That child moved the heavens? The Immaculate Archangel does not possess such power.”

“That’s why he asked you to wait for a moment. If Kamael’s words are true, then that child is not something like an Immaculate Archangel.”

Soon, Gabriel stepped in and walked into the center.

“Luna, is that true?”

At Gabriel’s question, Luna said nothing and kept her mouth shut.

She did not know what might happen if she answered carelessly.

Even so, Gabriel seemed to take her silence as an answer and asked Michael,

“Michael. Let me ask you one thing. On what basis did you determine that child to be the Immaculate Archangel?”

It seemed the other archangels also could not clearly explain it.

Only Michael remained silent.

“Answer me, brother.”

After a moment of silence, Michael lightly waved his hand and unfolded a peculiar barrier.

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At once, all sound was completely cut off.

“This is our chance, Luna.”

At my words, Luna followed me without the slightest hesitation, and we quickly left the place.

However, the archangels did not pursue us.

Perhaps they thought that no matter how much we fled, we were still within this vast Heavenly Palace.

Or perhaps they judged that they still had the luxury to spare.

Or perhaps they deemed something else more important.

Either way, we had bought time.

“Leon.”

“Yeah.”

“Michael… how was he?”

“He’s insanely strong. If I hadn’t come prepared, I couldn’t have guaranteed anything.”

At the very least, to face a being like Michael, one had to surpass the ultimate state I had reached at the end of the Labyrinth.

Of course, even that would not be enough—but I had many means to compress that power and explosively amplify it in an instant.

It was difficult to distinguish things purely by the difference in fundamental realms.

* * *

“Speak. Michael.”

Even after Leon and Luna disappeared, the archangels remained gathered in a circle without moving.

“In the Heavenly Archive, I discovered an ancient text. It contained records about the Immaculate Archangel.”

At Michael’s words, the archangels exchanged glances.

All of them knew of the Immaculate Archangel, but none of them knew how such a being came into existence.

“The text described it as the Ashen Archangel. It said that the Ashen Archangel is born in the form of a child, and that its place of birth is not the Heavenly Realm, but the Middle Realm.”

Up to that point, it certainly matched Elpiria.

The term ‘ashen’ was a bit unsettling, but in truth, Elpiria’s hair was a gray shade close to ash.

“That was all the record contained. However, considering the current situation, I judged that the last archangel to be born was that Immaculate Archangel.”

“So it wasn’t absolute certainty.”

“No. It is certain. From the outset, a child born in the Middle Realm possessing the power of an archangel—other than that child….”

“That is not so, Lord Michael.”

At that moment, Uriel, who had remained silent, lowered his gaze and carefully interjected.

“Explain, Uriel.”

“A moment ago, Kamael said it, did he not? That moving the heavens lies beyond an archangel’s authority.”

“That is correct.”

Uriel opened the Holy Scripture of Light in his hand.

The Scripture of Kalidel.

His weapon—and the source of his knowledge.

“I have just confirmed the records of that child Elpiria. However, there are portions that have not been recorded.”

“What?”

Gabriel’s eyes widened.

“The conclusion?”

“It is impossible at the level of an archangel. The only beings I know of whose existence is not recorded even in the Scripture of Kalidel, where all things are recorded… are only two.”

First—the trans-universal monster that rampages from beyond dimensions.

The Outer God, Yog.

And—

“Our Creator, who has fallen silent.”

“That’s absurd!!”

Raguel shouted fiercely.

“Then are you saying that child is our Creator—the God who made this world?!”

“No. That is certainly not the case. However….”

Uriel denied it.

Yet even he could not hide his confusion, unable to easily reach a conclusion.

“At the very least, one thing is certain. Elpiria is not the archangel we assumed her to be. She is a child connected to the power of the Creator.”

“To confirm it clearly, we must at least learn what occurred in the portion erased from the records.”

“Exactly when was that?”

“When that child was in the Middle Realm. At Leon Cascadia’s residence. The time was roughly early morning. For a brief period right after the child’s appearance changed to that of about a fourteen-year-old—there are no records at all.”

“We can simply ask them directly. Shall we bring them back?”

At Raguel’s question, Michael shook his head.

“No. In any case, they cannot easily leave this place. The contamination of the Outer God remains, and the dimension itself has entered a sealed state.”

“It may be that that creature aimed for this situation from the beginning.”

If that were the case, there was a possibility that the remaining two cores of the Lazarus dimension would also be attacked.

That was what it meant for the archangels to be bound here.

“For now, we purify the contamination that has fallen upon this Heavenly Realm. Uriel. Kamael. And Raguel.”

“Yes.”

“Use every means necessary to erase the traces of the contamination left behind by that creature.”

At those words, the three archangels turned into light and dispersed.

Afterward, Michael looked at Gabriel, who remained deep in thought.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Do you consider it fortunate, Michael?”

“….”

“You felt an inexplicable emotion from that child when you brought her here and faced her directly, didn’t you?”

At Gabriel’s blunt remark, Michael avoided answering.

“At first, I thought so. That it was simply because she was Luna’s child. That was all. But if that is not the case—if Uriel’s hypothesis is true… then the emotion we felt toward that child….”

It was not simply because she was a child and therefore adorable.

It was instinctive subservience. 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

In other words, the feeling they experienced the moment they met Elpiria was akin to encountering the Creator they blindly follow.

“If that child truly is something like that… what do you intend to do, brother?”

At Gabriel’s question, Michael remained silent.

He had not truly expected an answer.

Even Gabriel himself could not easily arrive at one.

“I will go meet them and find out what happened during that gap Uriel mentioned. You, meanwhile, clear your head—and verify the end of the Heavenly Crystal. I have a feeling that Yog’s goal is not simply to isolate us here.”

“…Do so.”

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