Raizel held his head with his hands for a few moments.It felt like something kept pounding in his head, the relentless pain refusing to let up. His eyes glowed without pause, and sweat streamed down his face.
"What's wrong, Raizel?" Maria asked gently.
"It's nothing," Raizel replied, removing his hands instantly.
Aizis smiled a mysterious smile.
"Let's go, everyone," Aizis said, casually.
Aizis drew a magic circle on the ground, surrounding all of them, and teleported away with a flash of light.
They appeared in a vast field. It was a floating space, a cosmic dimension. Above them, there was a massive space wall, nearly invisible, yet its presence was somehow palpable.
"So, this is the cosmic dimension that exists as a boundary between every layer.'' Aizis said, smiling a casual smile.
''Above this dimension, you are a real person, and below it, you are mere fiction. That's the gap this wall creates," Aizis said in a poetic tone, smiling.
Suddenly, a massive presence caused the ground to quake. Someone was approaching.
"Here he is—the guardian of the cosmic dimension and the ultimate barrier," Raizel said, fearless yet there was a trace of respect.
A tall figure appeared. He wore a skull mask, obscuring his face, and held a massive seven-foot-long sword in his left hand. His height made wielding the sword seem effortless.
"Who are you?" the guardian asked in a rough voice.
"Guardian of the sacred barrier, Rioshi Nasaki, we're here to deliver a message from the lower world regarding the world-sacrificing matter. Will you let us pass through the barrier?" Aizis asked with a sarcastic smile, There was a trace of false respect in his tone, yet the sarcasm lingered in his smile.
"You might be the greatest or the least, a fleeting ant or a towering beast. It all hinges on where you stand. To some, you'll gleam like a precious gem; to others, you'll be no more than debris in the wind. Perception bends with position—so learn where you are, and who you are, before letting their gaze define your worth." The guardian said calmly, warning tone.
''I wonder if you're aware of your position now.'' Rioshi took a breath.
The guardian chuckled. "You expect me to believe that the lower world sent a group of kids to discuss such a matter? What a joke."
"We're not here to discuss; we're here to deliver a message. Our so-called elders are too cowardly to visit the upper world, so they sent us," Marco retorted.
The guardian smiled. "You're interesting. I'll let you pass."
With that, the guardian disappeared like a shadow.
"That was surprising. He actually let us through. How did he even believe us?" Maria asked curiously.
"There are two reasons. First, he believes none of us are capable of causing damage in the upper world. Second, the other reason will remain hidden until the right time comes," Aizis replied.
"The right time? How much longer are you going to keep us waiting, Aizis?" Maria asked desperately.
Aizis smiled faintly. "Wait a bit longer. I'll tell you everything I know," he said calmly.
No one replied. Aizis smiled again, and Maria glanced at him before smiling herself.
"All right, let's go," Raizel said.
"How are we supposed to pass the barrier?" Marco asked.
Raizel stared at him, and as he did, the barrier vanished, revealing a wall of clouds.
Marco smiled. "So that's how it is."
"We've received the guardian's permission, so the barrier can no longer hold us," Aizis explained.
"To bypass the barrier, you have two options: defeat the guardian or gain his permission. Defeating him is beyond our reach. The guardians of this supreme realm are beasts, capable of overpowering even the rulers of other realms. Their magic is so immense that other realms dare not provoke this one," Aizis added.
"That's why the supreme ruler stationed them here—to conceal their terrifying influence. During wars, the ruler summons them to ensure victory."
"So, the reputation of this realm is why ours hasn't been destroyed by others," Marco said.
Aizis smiled mysteriously.
"It's not just the guardians. Their creator, the man who won every war and became the Cursed Monarch, is the reason. He's the strongest Supreme Ruler in existence," Aizis said.
"The strongest Supreme Ruler? Our realm's ruler is the strongest?" Maria exclaimed in surprise.
Aizis laughed awkwardly.
"Even the strongest can fall. His reckless nature led to his downfall. A dirty trick ended his reign," Aizis said with a smile.
"He… died?" Maria asked, her face filled with fear.
"You'll find out soon enough," Aizis replied.
"You're always keeping me waiting, aren't you, Aizis?" Maria asked, she seems to be annoyed a bit.
"Not intentionally, but the answers may take time," Aizis said.
Raizel drew a red magic circle, enveloping everyone, and they teleported away.
They arrived in a vast, empty city. Countless bubbles floated in the air, and endless castles stretched across the horizon. It felt like a world without inhabitants.
"Is this even a living world? It feels completely different. My magic power feels weaker," Marco said curiously.
"It's because you've transcended the lower realm and entered the Secretive World, a realm that views commoner worlds as fiction. Your ability to reach here suggests your roots lie in a higher realm. As you ascend, your magic power diminishes. Only those with immense power can ascend to higher worlds," Aizis explained.
"But how did you know we could ascend? We've never displayed such power in front of you. And how do you know the requirements for ascension?" Marco asked suspiciously.
"Let's keep that a secret for now," Aizis replied with a smile.
"I'll kill you," Maria said, her face filled with anger.
Aizis smiled again, a sarcastic smile.
Suddenly, a storm of purple lightning surged toward them. They dodged it effortlessly.
A figure emerged from the storm, his face hidden by dark fog. When the fog cleared, he revealed himself—a man of average height, wearing an armored suit and a red long coat. His expression was hostile.
"So, you're the ones who entered this realm. I doubt you're here for a friendly visit," the stranger said rudely.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" Raizel asked instead of answering.
"I'm Arsed Alphabed, a servant of the Supreme Ruler and the overseer of this place."
"So, the ruler employs guards here too. Not bad," Aizis remarked.
"Stop muttering and tell me why you're here," Alphabed demanded.
"We're here to ask you to stop the sacrifice ritual. I'm certain your Supreme Ruler is unaware of this, and you're acting on your own," Aizis said.
"That's none of your concern. We're doing this for the sake of the realm. If we don't, the realm will fall. Every other realm is waiting to destroy us. We have no choice but to use this method," Alphabed argued.
"Being the strongest comes with its own troubles. But do you truly believe this will keep the realm intact? The lower worlds won't endure this forever. One day, they'll rebel," Aizis said.
Alphabed remained silent for a moment.
"I don't care. If this is the only way to protect the realm, I'll continue. If you stand in my way, I'll stop you," he said.
Raizel stepped forward and raised his voice.
"You're doing this for a reason, aren't you? I can see it—you're chasing something to satisfy your own desire. But why? Why can't you live like a mortal, instead of surviving as someone who only seeks battle and destruction?"
Alphabed stared at Raizel for a moment before answering.
"I don't know why I'm still doing this... but I do know one thing—everything I'm doing now is for revenge. For someone I lost."
He drew a green magic circle around Raizel and the others. Before he could activate it, Raizel sliced through it with a golden magic sword.
"This isn't the time to deal with you. I'll see you soon," Raizel said.
Raizel drew another magic circle, and they teleported back to their world, appearing in front of the academy.
"That was insane," Maria said, taking a deep breath.
"Even in the upper world, his magic power was overwhelming. I've never felt such hostility before," Marco said.
"He's a servant of the Supreme Ruler. It's no surprise he's strong," Aizis remarked.
"In my current state, he's stronger than me," Raizel admitted with a sigh.
"If we had stood there any longer, we would have been dead already," Aizis said.
"Yeah, I didn't expect him to be so hostile toward us. What kind of racism is this? Why are our lives so cheap to them?" Marco asked curiously.
"Would you respect a character from a story you wrote?" Aizis asked.
"Inside the world, you are a reality, but outside the world, you are mere fiction. Regardless of position or power, it's not right to think of someone as useless or meaningless. They are still important to their story, right?" Marco replied calmly. Though his face showed no extra expression, his eyes were trembling slightly.
"Maybe you would, but the world doesn't follow a single path. Your thoughts, his thoughts, my thoughts—they're all completely different. He sees fiction as mere artwork, but you see it as an important existence. As for me, I don't know," Aizis replied with a smile.
Marco smiled sarcastically. He understood what Aizis meant, but something bothered him—something from the past. He didn't want to recall it; he hated to recall it. Was there a reason behind that? Perhaps, but it remained a hidden mystery.
"What are your plans, Raizel?" Aizis asked.
"You already know, don't you?" Raizel replied.
Aizis smiled slightly. "So, you're planning to shut down the rulers first. If that's the case, I wouldn't call it a bad idea. If we take them out, the upper worlds won't have any backup."
"I believe you aren't planning to completely destroy the supreme realm, are you?" Aizis thought to himself.