Infinite Mana In The Apocalypse

Chapter 4221: Feasts and Festivals! V

In the current Era.

In the Early Veiled Shore.

The fervor of their unified cry, "Whatever it takes," still lingered in the air of the Radiant Shore, an electrical charge of pure, unadulterated purpose.

The feast continued, but its nature had changed. It was no longer a simple celebration of a single victory, but the solemn, joyous meal of a people who had accepted their shared, desperate destiny.

The taste of the concept-infused fish was still a symphony on the tongue, but now each bite was a reminder of the desperation they had chosen to embrace, the power they had to accumulate!

Malphas, a silent, graceful shadow amidst the radiant light, moved through the gathering.

Noah watched it all calmly.

As he was observing the glorious scene, the figure of Malphas appeared before him, a silent, respectful presence.

He bowed lightly, his crimson eyes holding a deep, analytical light.

"My Lord," he began, his voice a low, cultured baritone that cut through the ambient joy of the feast.

He conjured a shadowy screen in the air before Noah, a window into another time, another place.

"I have a report."

...!

The screen flickered to life, showing the chaotic, war-torn skies of the Transcendent Origin Folds. From this impossible vantage point, Malphas’s narration began.

"Schrodinger’s movements were... masterful," he said, his tone holding a professional, almost chilling, respect.

"He used the chaos of the battle, the very presence of The Dead, as a cloak. His paradoxical weavings allowed him to move undetected, evading the defensive measures of those still remaining in the Heart of Origin. He bypassed reserve forces that, I can confirm, hold power equal to or even greater than the nine-headed turtle."

HUUM!

The shadowy screen zoomed in, following a faint, almost imperceptible distortion in the fabric of spacetime. "His purpose was twofold," Malphas continued. "One, we do not yet know. He made his weavings murky, even to my perception, for a brief, critical moment within the Heart of Origin. The other purpose, however, is now clear. He went to free a prisoner."

The screen shifted, showing a deep, hidden chamber within the Heart of Origin, a prison carved from the very concept of immutability.

And within it, a woman. She was wrapped in a tattered, obsidian robe, held together by chains that seemed to be forged from solidified paradoxes and origins.

She was on her knees, her form so frail she did not even seem capable of walking. But then she looked up, and her eyes... her eyes held a terrifying, untamed power, a gaze that could unmake Folds!

As if she could feel the gaze of Malphas’s crows upon her, she turned and looked directly at the screen.

And in that moment, both she and Schrodinger, who had just appeared beside her, vanished.

"Her name," Malphas said, his voice a low, somber note, "from the little I was able to extract from her weavings... is Leonore Rureaux."

...!

The name echoed in the quiet space around Noah. And then, a sharp gasp.

"Leonore Rureaux?!"

Moiraine shot to her feet, her usual serene, paradoxical grace shattered.

Her eyes were shining with a brilliant, fervent light, a mixture of awe, respect, and a dawning, terrible dread.

"She...was a legend," Moiraine whispered, her voice buzzing. "One of the oldest, most powerful Living Paradoxes, a close, devoted follower of THE Living Paradox themselves. The stories said she was a force of nature, a being whose command of paradox was so absolute she could turn an enemy’s own strength into the weapon of their demise!"

WAA!

She took a deep, shuddering breath, what she knew of her people spilling from her.

"Eons ago, she was injured in a battle in the Wandering Territories. The Coalition of Living Existences saw their chance. They ambushed her with their strongest while she was at her weakest. She stood against them all, alone. The battle was said to have shattered three entire Folds. We all believed she had fallen, that she had been collapsed in that final, glorious stand. But... it seems she was alive. They didn’t kill her. They kept her locked up, all this time."

Noah listened, his expression a mask of cold, analytical calm.

"So," he said, his voice cutting through the heavy, emotional atmosphere, "what does Schrodinger want with this Leonore Rureaux?"

Moiraine pondered this, her mind racing. "Leonore was more than just powerful. She was a leader, a figure that all Living Paradoxes would follow without question. Schrodinger has attained a similar height, but she... she was above it. Her return... I can’t imagine what it would mean."

Malphas looked between his Lord and Moiraine, then bowed. "I will expand my reach into the Transcendent Paradoxical Folds. I will endeavor to obtain more information, My Lord."

Noah gave a single, permissive nod. As Malphas turned to leave, another figure approached, her steps hesitant but her eyes filled with a new, burning determination.

It was Liora.

She bowed respectfully before Noah. "Sir," she began, her voice a soft, yet firm, plea. "I wonder... if it would be okay for me to go and rescue my Father? With the power I have now..."

She fiddled with the fabric of her white dress as she spoke. Noah smiledm

He remembered Bob. Or, as Thauron had liked to call him, Little Bobby!

He looked at Liora, at the young woman who now radiated a power in excess of 10 Trillion, a power that now surpassed her own father’s.

He gave her a nod. "Bob is in the lands of The Living Laws, touring a prison while devouring the Paradoxes jailed there. You can go, but..."

As he spoke, a figure walked up from behind Liora. His son, Henry.

"I... will accompany her, Father." he said, his voice steady and confident. "And I’ll take a few others, to ensure that everything goes smoothly."

Noah’s eyes, sharp and assessing, moved between Henry and Liora. He saw the quiet resolve in his son’s eyes, the grateful hope in Liora’s.

He smiled calmly, then turned his gaze towards the Inevitability Ranch Sanctuary.

"Take one of these little guys as well," he said.

He beckoned, and one of the young Inevitabilities, the one that had taken a liking to him, came bouncing over like a happy, terrifyingly powerful puppy.

Henry reached out and stroked its writhing tentacles with a calm, familiar gesture. He looked over at Lilith, Ayame, Lodovico, The Bard of Quintessence, and a few others.

A small party was forming, a rescue mission into the heart of the Living Laws’ domain. A party of ridiculously powerful Dukes!

Liora gave a light, grateful bow to Noah. He waved his hand, and a radiant, white-gold light enveloped them.

In the next instant, they were gone!