LORD AERROR OF THE FALLEN

CHAPTER 41

[THE WARLORD CHILD OF SAL - HADAN]

[IN THE RAVAGED CITY OF NOTASH...]

The city of Notash had become the center of an unprecedented supernatural catastrophe. The Solarian Government had already initiated multiple evacuation procedures in an attempt to secure as many civilians as possible. However, the continued escalation of the conflict had made conventional evacuation nearly impossible. Entire sections of the city had already been damaged or rendered inaccessible by the repeated manifestations of the Arts of the Divine.

Three S.C.U.L.A.A.R.S agents had originally been deployed to contain the Unknown-Class anomaly responsible for the disturbance. Instead, the operation had escalated into something far beyond the initial threat assessment. Agent Lynx had summoned an ancient entity known as the Darr through the Ancient Art of Therion. Agent BrimJaws had transformed an entire region into a Verdaxian Forest through the Release of Verdaxis. Agent Wraith had utilized the Sequence known as Paradox of Mendes through the Ancient Art of Kairos, undoing a chain of events that had already occurred.

The Church had subsequently detected an unregistered Divine Authority within Notash. Operations Control had been forced to escalate the city's threat level. Then, as a final measure, the Behemoth of the Eighth had been released from containment. The situation had surpassed the operational capacity of S.C.U.L.A.A.R.S. And yet, somewhere within the ruins of Notash, the individual responsible for much of the chaos remained completely unconcerned.

[SOMEWHERE WITHIN THE BURNING CITY...]

Atop a partially damaged skyscraper stood a solitary figure. The individual possessed a lithe, feminine physique and wore a dark mask carved in the likeness of a horned demon. Two horns extended upward from the mask, although one had been cleanly severed near its upper portion, leaving the silhouette visibly uneven. The figure's clothing and hair moved continuously beneath the cold night wind. One hand rested upon the hilt of a blade.

She remained completely motionless while observing the city below. Smoke covered entire districts. Fires continued burning throughout the streets. Emergency sirens echoed between damaged buildings while distant explosions periodically illuminated the horizon. The screams of civilians could still be heard from several locations. Seismic disturbances continued occurring throughout the city at irregular intervals, each one originating from a different cardinal direction. Above everything, unnatural murky clouds continued stretching across the night sky. Lightning repeatedly flashed within them.

The masked figure remained focused on a particular direction: the Eastern Woodland Sector. A faint crimson glow emanated from behind the mask. Then lightning illuminated the entire skyline. For less than a fraction of a second, the figure disappeared. When the light faded, the rooftop was empty.

[THE EASTERN WOODLAND SECTOR — OR WHAT REMAINED OF IT...]

Before the arrival of the Behemoth of the Eighth, the Unknown-Class anomaly remained seated in its usual crouched position. The Child continued scribbling patterns into the dirt with a small piece of wood. It was a peculiar habit, one that had apparently existed for thousands of years. Several meters behind him stood the abandoned structure containing the Six. The ritual within the building remained undisturbed. The murky clouds covering the city's atmosphere originated from that ritual.

The surrounding woodland, however, had been almost completely destroyed. Trees had been uprooted and scattered across the surrounding terrain. Vegetation had been obliterated. Wildlife had either fled the area or been caught within the destruction caused by the previous confrontation. The abandoned structure itself remained untouched. That was not a coincidence. The building was the objective. The ritual was the objective. And the Six were the objective.

The Unknown-Class anomaly had been stationed there specifically to prevent outside interference. That was the reason it had separated the S.C.U.L.A.A.R.S agents. Rather than leave the woodland and pursue them individually, it had created three separate manifestations of itself. Each manifestation possessed a portion of its power while remaining connected to the original through a shared consciousness. As a result, the Unknown-Class was simultaneously aware of everything occurring on three different battlefields. It could perceive the conflict involving Wraith. It could perceive the conflict involving BrimJaws. It could perceive the conflict involving Lynx and the Darr. Three separate locations. One consciousness. Three battles. And yet its attention remained primarily focused on protecting the ritual.

Everything had proceeded according to plan. Nothing appeared capable of interfering with its objective. Until another presence appeared behind it.

A figure materialized several meters behind the Child. The sudden manifestation displaced dust from the ground. The figure stood there; from it's body several tiny streams of dust and ash escaped it,sending them drifting towards the direction of the wind across the ruined woodland. An effect of the Talisman of Annhul. The pressure accompanying the figure's arrival was immediately recognizable. The Child stopped scribbling. His hand remained motionless against the ground. For the first time since the confrontation with the S.C.U.L.A.A.R.S agents began, the Child displayed something resembling caution. He did not turn around. He already knew who had arrived.

A moment of silence passed. The Child eventually spoke.

"You seem upset about something. I can tell from your presence alone. I have also been on my best behavior throughout the entire week. So I wonder what went wrong."

The figure behind him remained silent. The Child continued gathering small branches and pieces of wood from the surrounding area.

"I watched your fight with Reagan, the Mercenaries' very own Kraken of Zall. I must admit, you Calamity-Class existences are truly something else. You nearly destroyed the entire city while attempting to eliminate a Seventh-ranked Behemoth. What you people apparently lack is something called restraint."

A deafening explosion suddenly erupted from somewhere beyond the Northern Mountain Ranges. The sound reached the Eastern Woodland Sector several moments later. The ground trembled. A powerful gust of wind swept across the ruined woodland. The Child stopped gathering wood. He waited. The figure behind him said nothing. The Child eventually resumed his activity.

"You must be feeling quite cold standing over there."

He snapped his fingers. Blue flames immediately ignited across his fingertips. He placed his hands against the pile of wood. The flames transferred to the branches. Within seconds, a small bonfire formed between them. The Child stretched both hands toward the flames.

"A little warmth should help. Aren't you going to say something?"

There was still no response. The Child sighed.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a habit of giving people the silent treatment?"

The figure finally reached up and removed the horned mask. Long hair moved beneath the cold wind. The woman revealed beneath the mask was none other than Ms. Evelyn Ronshire, the individual known within certain circles as the Beast of Iron. Her expression remained completely devoid of amusement.

"And what exactly do you think you're doing... Lord Aerror Of The Fallen?"

The Child continued warming his hands.

"What does it look like I am doing? I am making a fire for both of us. If you remain outside in this weather for too long, you might catch a cold. So come and join me. We can talk over the bonfire."

"No."

Evelyn's response was immediate. The Child sighed.

"Are you certain?"

"Completely."

"That's unfortunate."

Evelyn crossed her arms.

"Drop the act. Tell me why you are deviating from the Order's original plan."

The Child looked toward the fire.

"Deviating? That's quite an allegation."

"Don't play dumb with me. The city is practically in ruins because you have been unable to suppress your war instincts. You were given one assignment. Protect the ritual grounds and prevent external interference. That was all. Instead, you have managed to drag the entire city into our affairs. This is precisely why I was reluctant to have you carry out this assignment."

The Child remained remarkably calm.

"Like you're one to talk. Should I remind you about your confrontation with Reagan, the Kraken of Zall? Or perhaps I should remind you how much destruction your own battle caused? Your lack of restraint was one of the reasons the government eventually sent their agents here to investigate. That forced me to act according to the assignment I was given. And the result? A city that probably will not exist by morning. So don't blame me. This is your fault as much as it is mine."

Evelyn's expression became visibly displeased.

"Wrong. The Mercenaries of the Iron Altar were supposed to take responsibility for the city's destruction. The entire incident was supposed to be attributed to them. But now that plan is compromised. The involvement of S.C.U.L.A.A.R.S has changed everything. And now you are actively fighting three of their agents. Not only are you fighting them, but you are deliberately prolonging the encounters."

The Child's smile widened slightly.

"Perhaps. You are doing it because you enjoy the chaos."

The Child did not deny it.

"In my defense, the city was going to fall eventually. Perhaps even the country. So what difference does one city make? I doubt there is anyone in this entire country capable of defeating me. After all… I am the Warlord Child of Sal-Hadan."

Evelyn's expression remained unchanged.

"You continue underestimating the Solarian Government. There is a reason this nation has not collapsed despite the existence of organizations like ours and the Mafia. The government possesses more resources than you seem willing to acknowledge. I suggest you take the current situation seriously."

The Child remained silent for several seconds.

"True. But judging from the three agents I have encountered so far, I do not believe they will cause me much trouble. There is, however, one of them that concerns me."

Evelyn's eyes narrowed.

"And who might that be?"

"Wraith. The one carrying the Ancient Art of Kairos."

Evelyn immediately understood.

"The Art of Kairos. A Divine Art capable of manipulating the sequence of events."

"Precisely. He possesses the ability to reverse events that have already occurred."

Evelyn nodded slowly.

"Which means he can potentially undo the consequences of his own actions."

"He already demonstrated that ability. He and the other two agents were killed. And yet they returned. The entire sequence was reversed. That ability makes him dangerous. Someone capable of undoing an event is a problem for anyone attempting to execute a long-term plan."

Evelyn remained silent for a moment.

"From what I remember of Kairos, the user is supposed to be the only individual capable of retaining memories after a sequence has been altered. So how do you remember what happened?"

The Child stopped moving. The flames continued burning between them as the distant battle continued to reshape the city.