System's POV

Chapter 1378: When The Sky Rejects Both God And Fiend

Camazotz scanned the entire island, scrutinizing every part of it.

But no matter how intently or wherever he looked, he found nothing special about it.

However, at the thought of everything that happened in the Fortunate Isles, the Death Bat refrained from asking. He trusted the teenage boy, who was currently standing at a cliff, overlooking the wide open sea.

In his hand was a pale blue conch that looked pretty unremarkable.

Thirteen had obtained this item from the Treasury of the Apocalypse a long time ago and had been carrying it ever since.

A few minutes later, the teenage boy’s gaze sharpened in determination and he slowly raised the sea conch to his lips.

The sound of a horn spread in the surroundings as Thirteen blew on the sea conch.

Camazotz hadn’t anticipated the loud volume, causing him to desperately cover his ears in fear that he would become deaf if he were any later.

Thirteen didn’t blow the sea conch only once.

He blew it twelve times, each succeeding blare stronger than the previous.

As a bat, Camazotz’s ears were super sensitive to sound, so he attempted to flee. But for some reason, he felt like he had lost control of his body.

In the end, the Death Bat could only collapse on the ground. His palms pressed tight against his ears as he gritted his teeth tightly in frustration.

Thirteen paused for a bit... mayhaps nearly half a minute before placing the sea conch back to his lips, as if wanting to end things with the number thirteen.

He took a deep breath and was about to blow the sea conch one last time when a roar reverberated in the surroundings.

The sea seemed to rise on its own—a mere illusion from a mysterious gigantic figure emerging from the waters, roaring as if annoyed that someone had woken it from its slumber.

"Who dares to summon ME?!"

Camazotz, who was lying on the ground, gawked at the sight of the creature looking down at them with a glare.

It was a giant sea serpent with scales as red as blood. Its eyes glowed in a radiant blue color, and the entire sea trembled as if to cheer for the coming of their lord.

"I summoned you, Forneus," Thirteen said without batting an eye, which made Camazotz’s face turn pale from fright.

"I knew it..." Camazotz cried out weakly. "Damn you, Thirteen. Are you trying to kill us both?!"

Thirteen ignored the pitiful Death Bat’s complaint as he held Forneus’ gaze.

The creature was none other than the Immortal Fiend, who made up the Seven Fiends of Solterra along with its brethren.

And right now, this creature who possessed the title of a Fiend yet could unleash the power of a Pseudo-God was glaring at Zion with anger.

"Hah! Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you and that little bat beside you!" Forneus demanded.

"L-Lord Forneus, I am innocent!" Camazotz pleaded. "I simply brought him here, not knowing what he planned to do!"

Forneus roared. "SILENCE! I wasn’t talking to you! Or do you want to die first? I can make that happen."

Camazotz covered his face that contorted with injustice. He wanted to weep bitter tears, but doing so would not help them at this point in time.

He just hoped that the teenage boy knew what he was doing, or else, both of them would die today.

"I came here at the behest of ’Eldest’s’ orders," Thirteen replied.

All the colors in Camazotz’s face disappeared, knowing that Zion was trying to bluff his way through the Fiend’s question.

’Damn it!’ Camazotz cursed internally. ’Thirteen, I will haunt you even if we both go to the afterlife!’

The Death Bat had prepared itself to be killed then and there and had already braced himself for the pain.

But the pain didn’t come.

After nearly half a minute, he slowly opened his eyes to look at the Immortal Fiend, who towered above them.

Camazotz blinked once, then twice, after seeing the shocked expression on Forneus’ face, his eyes revealing skepticism as he looked at the teenage boy.

"DON’T LIE TO ME!" Forneus roared in anger. "How dare you use the Eldest’s name in front of ME!"

But to Forneus and Camazotz’s surprise, Thirteen’s reply to the Fiend’s roar was quite simple.

He simply clicked his tongue.

Forneus seemed to have hit the limit of his patience and opened its mouth to unleash a breath attack.

He planned to annihilate the teenage boy, alongside the Death Bat, once and for all!

"Forneus, when the right time comes, the bearer of this conch will come to find you," Thirteen said calmly. "It may not happen in a hundred years, perhaps not even a thousand, but that time will come. And when he appears before you, please, help him.

"For he will be the one to set the record straight. He will right the wrongs... and drown the lies that have festered beneath the tides of history."

Thirteen’s voice was calm, yet every word carried an inexplicable weight, as if the world itself was leaning closer to listen.

"When the seas run red not from blood, but from truth revealed,

When the sky rejects both god and fiend,

And when even immortals begin to doubt their own eternity...

That will be the age he walks upon this world."

Forneus froze.

The breath attack gathering within his maw dispersed like mist struck by sunlight.

"The conch will sound again," Thirteen continued, lowering his hand. "Not to summon you... but to remind you of a promise made before thrones were raised and before the Celestial and Fiends bore their titles."

Camazotz felt his heart seize. He could no longer tell whether Thirteen was speaking to Forneus... or to fate itself.

"The bearer will not kneel," Thirteen stated, his voice filled with pride that wouldn’t bend to anyone. "Nor will he command. He will come to ask you whether you wish for Solterra to be reborn anew... or be finally swallowed by its own abyss."

The sea trembled.

Forneus’ glowing blue eyes narrowed, not in rage, but in something far more unsettling.

Recognition.

"...You speak words that should not be remembered," Forneus said slowly. "Words that the Eldest spoke to me before he went on a journey, never to be seen again."

Thirteen met the Fiend’s gaze without fear.

"Yet you remember his words," Thirteen replied. "That is proof enough."

Silence descended upon the island, heavy and absolute.

"Is... the Eldest still alive?" Forneus asked, his voice solemn and alike the calmness before the storm.

"Yes," Thirteen replied. "But he is in a position where he cannot personally interfere with the world. As such, I have come to carry his burden and ask you whether you are willing to accompany me in my mission."

The Immortal Fiend slowly lowered its head, eyeing the teenage boy closely.

"And that mission is?" Forneus asked.

"To beat a Celestial who is a piece of sh*t," Thirteen answered.

"While the Celestials are all a piece of sh*t in my eyes, the most smelly of them all is Zaphiel," Forneus commented. "Are you referring to him?"

Thirteen nodded. "That piece of sh*t is trying to open Pandora’s Treasury. Worse, he is not alone. Aside from a few Celestials, he also managed to convince the two Fiends, Belial and Pharzuph."

Forneus snorted. "I’m not surprised he managed to convince those two. They’re all birds of the same feather."

The Sea Serpent then sneered before asking the teenage boy a question.

"So... when are we going to deal with that piece of sh*t?" Forneus asked.

Thirteen held the Fiend’s gaze before turning to look at the North, where the main continent of Solterra lay.

A sneer also appeared on his lips as he gave his answer.

"Right now."

And with that, the seas trembled as their Lord nodded in agreement.

However... there would come a time when Forneus would discover that Thirteen simply tricked him so he would help the teenage boy fight a battle that would decide the world’s fate.

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A/N: Sorry for the irregular updates. I still haven’t recovered, and am still waiting for my scheduled 2d Echo with Doppler, which will happen tomorrow.