by Feng Yue
Caligula, sleeping before the fire, opened his eyes and sighed. The dove in the cage beside him had felt the unrest and flapped its wings in fear. Caligula grasped it and slit its stomach open, taking out the thin intestines. He hummed the ancient song lightly and deciphered the obscure sign under the firelight. After a long while, he tossed it into the fire.
“The fire will soon extinguish.” He read the message from the heavens. Looking up, he stared in the distance blankly as if he could see the spirit far away in the temple, dissipating into flames.
“Your Highness, I hope your gradually leaving spirit will gallop through the starry skies just as you raced across the lands…But sadly, there will be no family flame for you to rest in…”
Caligula lowered his eyes as he murmured. Thick blood flowed from his nostrils and dropped onto the back of his hand. There, grayness spread with the smell of disease and sickness.
Scales slowly grew on his ankles like an awakening demon. The disease that had been hiding inside the Romulusians had finally awaken and broken out. His vision went black and he stumbled, almost falling.
“Has this day finally come?” he murmured to himself as he pushed himself up. “Whatever, Romulus’s era should have ended long ago. The ashes of the old age should be pushed into the garbage.”
Behind him, the door was pushed open cautiously, revealing a young face. Elsa had been startled awake from her nightmare. She clutched her doll and looked at Caligula.
“Daddy, I’m scared.”
Caligula smiled with difficulty. He hugged her and petted her long hair. “Don’t be scared, Elsa, don’t be scared.” Wiping away his nosebleed, he asked softly, “Do you still remember Mommy?”
“Mommy…” Elsa hung her head. “I dreamed of Mommy. She told me not to be scared but I was still scared. Then she left. Daddy, will you leave too?”
“No.” Hugging her, Caligula hid his tears. “Mommy won’t leave you either. She loves strong children.”
Behind him, the family flame burned faintly. Wind seemed to blow. The fire would soon extinguish. Thus, a mournful song sounded in the flames.
-
The mournful song resounded over Auschwitz during the silent night.
“Come, let me tell you about the future, tell you the honors the descendants of god won, how your descendants will be…” This was a canto from long ago. It recorded the honors the saint had made on this land and the ballads that Romulusian poets had sung. However, these ballads were ineffably sorrowful and bleak.
As the song resounded, the Romulusians woke from their sleep. They saw the gray spots expanding on their bodies and the blood flowing from their nostrils. The family flames went out one by one as if the ancient souls living within them were dying. However, those dying souls were singing of the glory of the olden days, the city, and miracles that the Romulusians had once made.
Finally, all flames extinguished in the darkness as if their ancestors had burned to nothing in the fire. All was in darkness.
Then the earth started shaking. A terrifying rumble came from deep underground. The entirety of Auschwitz started trembling. Enormous slabs of stone collided against each other with shattering roars.
Under the deafening roars, countless cracks spread through the walls and buildings. Intense shaking followed one another.
The musicians startled awake from their dreams, sensing the changes in the world and the roars in the air.
“What’s going on?”
They looked up reflexively to the sky.
“Grandmaster Koch?”
In the reflections of those eyes, the black clouds were burning. Pained cries sounded.
Behind the clouds, firelight surged. The frail old man turned into withered bones that fell apart in the air. Dust fell from the sky, bringing murderous intent from the heavens.
Darkness came with disaster.
-
Five minutes ago, the clouds were illuminated by the bright moon. In the sky, Grandmaster Koch opened his eyes, his brows furrowing.
On the ground, aether waves rippled through the entire city. As if gales of wind had swept through, the family flames that had been lit for millenniums suddenly extinguished. The earth was thrown into darkness.
The moment the firelight was extinguished, his head shot up to see the abnormality. Darkness came from the starry sky, extinguishing the starlight. The darkness seemed to be a living creature. It enshrouded Auschwitz, instantly creating an immense shadow. He could not see his own fingers in the darkness.
Grandmaster Koch furrowed his brows. He drew in the air with his pen and a music score emerged on his sheepskin scroll. Gentle starlight rose from his scroll like a small sun. This was the ‘glow of insight’ from the School of Revelations. It allowed him to see all truth.
The darkness in the light’s path faded, shrunk, and revealed the dark music theory within. Under the glow of insight’s illumination, hundreds of rays of blood light appeared in Auschwitz.
Koch’s face paled and he gasped. Every dot of blood light represented a dark musician… The dots were mostly hidden in the outer inns and around the market. That was where the caravan that entered Auschwitz in the morning lived but how could a caravan be so scary? This place had turned into a demon nest!
Koch did not understand. He had been here since the trial began to supervise everything. How could so many people go undetected from his Starry Eye?
“No need to blame yourself,” an easygoing voice said. “They’re all believers blessed by the dark followers. They’re deeply protected and it’s quite normal that you couldn’t tell.” The voice was polite and filled with chivalry but Koch felt as if he had fallen into an icy gorge. Trembling, his pallor turned ghastly.
Even with the glow of insight, he still did not feel anything behind him. However, an empty hole appeared as the voice spoke. A black hole suddenly opened in the mass of light. An unclear figure came out. It stared at him and spoke in the human tongue. However, the hole seemed to reach into an abyss. The figure was inhuman and terrified him.
“I didn’t think the School of Akasha’s Book still has inheritors. You must be the current Recorder, yes?” The empty hole ‘stared’ at the sheepskin scroll in Koch’s hand and nodded in understanding. “What a pity.”
“Paganini!” Koch’s voice was hoarse. He stared at the comer. “Fallen saint Paganini’s Garment of Original Sin… No wonder I couldn’t tell! Are you all the ‘perishing praise?’ You’re Crowley Ergo?”
“No wonder you’re the recorder of Akasha’s Book. You even know this.” Crowley chuckled lightly. His true appearance was revealed from the Garment of Original Sin. His white face was like a youth but his withered hands were wrinkled.
Centuries ago, the sixth generation Paganini had crossed the forbidden line to search for the essence of music theory and turned to the natural catastrophes, thus becoming a dark follower.
The holy name of Paganini had fallen and was no longer passed down. At the same time, the musicians who had inherited his music theory also fell into the demonic realm. They formed the perishing praise and were third of the sixteen fallen orchestras blessed by Hyakume. They were guided directly by the dark followers.
These fallen musicians wandered through the world. Some even lived inside the dark world. When they acted, they were a synonym to natural catastrophes. Everything in their paths were reduced to ruins. No one had expected this group to dare to appear here!
Seeing Koch’s cautious expression, Crowley laughed. “You want to drag things out so the others can spread the news? It’s useless. We’ve obviously made some preparations since we’ve come so far. We at least have all of your information. There are people taking care of things below. You don’t have to worry.”
Koch’s expression darkened. “Is there something in Auschwitz important enough for the perishing praise to come out for? Or are you planning to declare war against the Sacred City?”
“I didn’t think you’d worry for us. How touching.” Crowley s
miled, his youthful face filling with innocence and joy. He pointed at the land below them. “Look at that flower…”
In the darkness, the world shook. Auschwitz drowned in wails. There was no flower but Crowley was captivated.
“The seed was planted a century ago. Now, it’s finally blooming.” He reached out as if gently caressing the city. “I thought it would take a few more centuries of care but sadly, His Majesty was gravely injured and we had to put the long-term plans to the side.
“After tonight, other than the mermaids, demi-dragons, and black moon spirits, our lord will have a new race following him… I’m sure the Romulusians will give birth to many demon children.”
“Your wishful thinking!”
Enraged, a dazzling light glowed within Koch’s wizened body. An immense star seemed to surge from his body, practically burning him to dust and breaking through!
359 The Gift of Life
The symphony of predestination instantly solidified and transformed into a cold star, practically leading the stars outside the Dark Atrium to move. The starlight was murderous and the twelve constellations rotated unstably. One could faintly see music notes surging and a grand melody shooting out. There seemed to be a muddled world within the glow of starlight. The Originator opened and all organisms began growing. The sight was splendid and dazzling.
This was the amazing miracle in Akasha’s Book created by countless Recorders who wove music theory through the centuries. Now, it was called forth, bringing strong murderous intent.
Then the music score stopped abruptly, shattering.
Crowley reached out. His figure went past the star map and pressed onto Koch’s neck, raising him slowly. The explosive starlight fell on him and was swallowed by something, disappearing without a trace. This was the artifact weapon that fallen saint Paganini had made from Crowley’s body and instrument—the Garment of Original Sin.
Back then, Paganini’s heart was captured by the abyss due to his greed for power and the Originator. He had sealed the secret of the abyss into his instrument, thinking that he would not be tainted by it. However, the listeners would see a demonic shadow when he played the instrument.
His appearance looked normal but the abyss had already devoured his insides. When he joined the natural catastrophes, his body and instrument had practically become the abyss’s physical incarnate on earth and led to the gates of hell.
He had transformed his body into a fallen instrument. Those who wore this garment would be wrapped in the abyss and supported by the natural catastrophe. One must have a killing artifact of the same caliber to penetrate it. Though the Recorders had passed Akasha’s Book down the generations, it was still not used for killing and could not penetrate the garment’s defense.
The power of the Garment of Original Sin immediately counterattacked. Layers of black aura seeped into Grandmaster Koch’s face, moving under his skin like a snake menacingly. The darkness was eroding him.
“Do not struggle.” Crowley gripped Koch’s neck and looked down with a cheerful smile. “You must know that there is a grand future in the abyss.”
Koch raised his head with difficulty. Staring with his bloodshot eyes, he suddenly laughed. “It was hard to have you come closer… Then, as you wish.”
Crowley’s expression changed.
Koch surrendered and allowed the power of the Garment to taint him, transforming him into a dependent of the abyss. However, his symphony of predestination on Akasha’s Book still in his hands quickly moved and released explosive starlight. In the gales, the book recorded by countless musicians from different schools slowly opened and flipped to the last page. There were only eight words on that page: The stars will fall. The world will end.
Printed with Koch’s symphony of predestination, it now contained his scepter. Now, the prediction of the world’s ending had arrived. Boundless starlight shot from the page and swept toward Crowley who was so close by.
Koch had ignited his scepter so Crowley could die with him!
The School of Revelations had always lacked the power to kill. It was the same for grandmasters such as Koch. The best way to use his shortcoming was to be decisive, even if it was deadly to himself.
Burning light instantly swept through the sky, engulfing Crowley. Even with the Garment’s protection, he was still gravely injured at once. Half of his body was burnt to crisp, turned into a torch by Koch’s self-sacrificing attack. His symphony of predestination was also damaged. The Dark Atrium that covered Romulus shook.
Koch, burnt to crisp, fell from the clouds amongst the blazing light. The burning Akasha’s Book flipped in the wind, recording the life of the last user and burnt away with him.
Grandmaster Koch, the second clerk of the Sacred City Parliament, passed away.
-
In the sky, Crowley’s expression was dark. His burnt face twitched.
The shaking from Koch’s self-destruction of his scepter had caused the Dark Atrium, Crowley’s scepter that had sealed Romulus, to practically break apart completely. The one attack had stirred the music theory. Even the general structure had become slightly warped.
If he could not fix it, he would not be able to maintain the Dark Atrium’s lock. Not only had the self-destructive attack created a big problem for Crowley, it also revealed his arrival to the other musicians. Even worse, these were all the small details. Koch had actually wanted to create a hole in the Dark Atrium, break through the lock, enter the aether world, and transform into a lighthouse to warn the Sacred City.
Thankfully, the Garment of Original Sin had sealed the last beam of energy. Otherwise, the problem would be worse.
Knights Templar, the Sacred Choir, and the saints could not hurry over because they were thousands of miles away. But the Pope of the Sacred City was apparently a demi-god!
Known as the interpreter of the holy message, the master of holy power, the holder of sacred authority, the Pope had inherited ten generations of the King of Red. The most intimidating thing about him was not the countless destructive music scores such as Fate, Emperor, and Ode to Joy. It was the ability beyond human limits to enter unimaginable states. Such as resurrection, incarnation, and teleportation, the extreme wish of the School of Modifications…
He could be at the church the last moment and be right before Crowley the next moment. So many infamous dark musicians had died due to this…
“Reinforce the lock.” Crowley’s voice was hoarse and vicious. “Tonight, this is the land given to us by our lord. Do not let anyone out.”
“Yes.” In the empty market of the dark Auschwitz, the hooded musician looked away from the sky. His lips twisted into a sneer and he looked back to the goods in the wagon behind him.
Under the moving of a few muscular men, the precious goods that had been transported thousands of miles were now thrown mercilessly to the ground and shattered. Finally, all that remained was a steel box.
They placed it before the hooded musician. Taking an excited breath, he grabbed a crowbar and pried the box open. Inside it was a writhing piece of flesh. It seemed to have grown into the steel. Veins appeared on the box, fusing the two together.
The lump of purple flesh writhed in the night wind. A girlish face appeared within. It quietly sang a song about life. It sang of all organisms growing, intoxicating all who heard it.
“The Dark Gaia…” the hooded musician murmured, his eyes filling with intoxication. “I am so honored to finally be able to see you.”
The steel box contained the flesh of the Dark Gaia. Or rather, it was a ‘container’ created by fallen alchemists that could bear the power of the Dark Gaia. The formless power had entered it and become one with it so the dark musicians could transport it.
“This power of life…the vitality of the abyss is so touching.” The hooded musician caressed it, allowing the flesh to eat away at him. However, the flesh was unable to seep into his skin and was sealed outside. Merely opening the steel box made all dark musicians feel as if they had arrive
d in heaven.
The demonic blood within them became unprecedentedly active and waited to evolve. Many prepared dark musicians took off their robes and stood beside the box naked. They fervently sang the fallen hymns and praises of destruction.
The flesh boiled under the song. Viscous liquid seeped out and trickled on the ground, crawling up the singers.
The singers ignited. They dance and sang crazily in the fire, letting their bodies burn to ashes and scatter in all directions. Like the seeds of a dandelion in the spring. They would bring the blessing of the deep abyss to all of Auschwitz.
A few moments later, those countless seeds had fallen into the Dark Atrium and mingled among Crowley’s scepter territory. It was as if the Dark Gaia had personally arrived to where the Dark Atrium enveloped. She selflessly gave the deformed lifeform to her children.
With their true nature revealed, the dark musicians grew more menacing. However, they were not the lifeform’s true target. Its target was the Romulusians who contained the demonic bloodline!
The rich vitality flowed into the Romulusians as a catalyst for their vigor and woke the demonic blood within them. This strong catalyst could complete hundreds of years of change in one night, completely awakening the demon in them.
The panicking Romulusians gradually fell unconscious. A layer of thick horn-like material grew on their bodies, cocooning them within. After this night, they would break through as newborn demons…
This was the true goal of the perishing praise. They dragged the Romulusians into the abyss using the Dark Gaia’s flesh to create true dark descendants. At the same time, they could capture the next generation of powerful musicians. It was two birds with one stone!
To most musicians captured within, the danger was much more serious than that. They quickly realized that the density of aether in Auschwitz was quickly rising after the Dark Gaia’s power had flowed into the Dark Atrium. It would quickly rise from the red zone to the black zone and enter the zone of absolute danger. The rising trend was not showing any signs of slowing down anymore…