Chapter 547: The Phenomenon Called Shallow Vernal (1/2)
With the end of the fifth day of the Six Kings Festival, Kaito and Alice's date ended, and they returned to the Central Tower. After eating dinner with Kuromueina and Isis who were waiting for them, Kaito went to the hot spring to recover from the day's fatigue.
Tomorrow, on the festival's sixth day, Kuromueina will have a date with Kaito, so according to the rule that they decided upon after consulting with each other beforehand, Kuromueina and Kaito would be taking a bath alone that night.
After seeing them off to the bathhouse, Alice told Ein that she was going to go out for a while and left the place.
Once outside the Central Tower, Alice began to move at a speed that could be described as overwhelming, and arrived at her destination in the blink of an eye.
The place she arrived at was on the sea, about 1000km away from the island where the Six Kings Festival was being held. In that place stands Eden, quietly gazing at the sea.
[So, you've come.]
[……I was quite surprised when you suddenly sent a telepathic message to me though.]
[I thought you might want to verify your answers. Or perhaps, you still haven't finished your research after these few days? In that case, I would have to lower my evaluation to you.]
[You just have to agitate me every single time huh…… I've already finished it long ago.]
Alice replied to Eden's mocking question with a rather displeased expression on her face. Alice doesn't really have a great impression of Eden, but she knew that she had the most useful information for this matter, so she just kept her irritation to herself.
[……Based on the magic formula on the Summoning Magic Circle, analysis of the residual magic power, the materials used, and several other factors, the Summoning Magic Circle was created ”about 19000 years ago”…… At that time, let alone the Human Realm, there weren't any magic techniques that allowed one to summon creatures from another world even in the Demon Realm. So, there should have only been two people who could have created it at that time.]
[Keep going.]
[It would be either Kuro-san or Shallow Vernal-sama. However, at that point in time, Kuro-san wasn't involving herself with the Human Realm at all. Considering the time frame, it's also hard to imagine that Kuro made movements that I wasn't aware of. If that's the case…… It was Shallow Vernal-sama who created that Summoning Magic Circle, wasn't it?]
[……Good work. Your answers so far are correct.]
The first time the Hero Summoning Magic Circle was used was when the First Hero was summoned, but the magic circle itself seems to have existed much longer ago. And for it to be made by the hand of Shallow Vernal herself……
With a faint smile on her lips, Eden affirmed Alice's words.
[……There are two things I'd like to ask.]
[I knew you would have a question. No, should I say that your questions are less than I expected? Alright. I'll answer to the best of my ability.]
[However, there's one other thing I'd like to ask beforehand…… The only thing you can't answer is what concerns the match between Kaito-san and Shallow Vernal-sama…… Recognizing it as such isn't wrong, right?]
[Yes.]
[……Well then, let me ask you. What exactly is Shallow Vernal-sama? You once compared the true nature of Shallow Vernal-sama as the Epilogue. I'm not really clear with what you meant by those words.]
[……I see…… Yes, that's right. If you're going to eventually challenge someone, one must know who they're facing, isn't it?]
When Alice asked with a serious expression on her face, Eden nodded once…… and shifting her gaze to the moon in the night sky, she slowly began to speak.
[……First of all, let's get your perceptions straight. If you perceive that I and Shallow Vernal are evenly matched in power, abandon such a thought immediately.]
[……What do you mean?]
[……Compared to the past Shallow Vernal, ”I'm no better than a fly”…… No, in the first place, there is no one who can oppose her.]
[Huh? P- Please wait! You are undoubtedly a God who created a world…… You should have power close to omnipotent……]
[Omniscience and omnipotence mean nothing before Shallow Vernal.]
[Wha……]
Alice couldn't hide her astonishment from hearing that Eden, the pinnacle of a world, was no match for Shallow Vernal.
[She's someone who would suddenly appear before a world, and bring the curtain of this world's story to a close. Let's see, I guess it must be appropriate to say that…… what suddenly appears before these worlds is the ”phenomenon” called Shallow Vernal.]
[……Phenomenon?]
[Let me give you a brief description.]
As she said this, Eden-san made a book appear in her hand, casually opened it and showed it to Alice. On its page, there is a drawing of what seems to be a universe.
[For example, let's assume that the beings depicted on this page…… are infinite identical beings in an infinite multidimensional universe, with even higher capabilities of omniscience and omnipotence. One of them can erase multiple galaxies with a single breath, and obliterate worlds with a casual wave of their hand. How would you…… defeat such a being?]
[……An infinitely omnipotent being huh…… I honestly couldn't think of any. I might be able to pull off their authority and take them down one of them, but they'll just make up for it soon enough…… With its infinite numbers, it's impossible for me to defeat all of her bodies at the same time. I mean, in the first place, is it even possible to defeat such a being?]
[I, at least, wouldn't be able to beat such a being. Well then, as to what Shallow Vernal would do against such a being…… it's very simple. All she will do is this.]
Saying that, Eden ”closed” the book.
[……That is Shallow Vernal's power. ”End a story”…… Faced against an omniscient and omnipotent being, even with all the omniscience and omnipotence this being had, she would end their story. Faced with a being that exists in an infinite multidimensional universe which is more omniscient and omnipotent than other Gods, she would end the story of this being that exists in an infinite multidimensional universe which is more omniscient and omnipotent than other Gods.]
[……………….]