System's POV

Chapter 1473: I Am The Thirteenth Son Of Heaven [Part 1]

An XIII symbol glowed on the throne where Thirteen sat.

The other members of the Order of the Apocalypse also sat on their respective thrones inside the conference room.

Contrary to the calmness they feigned, they could feel their heart constrict from anxiety. After all, Thirteen had just declared that another battle would soon take place, and joining or not was up to them.

"How ironic," Beelzebub said with a smile. "We were once invaders of this world, yet here we are, gathering to discuss whether we’ll help defend it against the Infernals."

"I know what you mean, Beelzebub," Zagan commented. "Fate is really a wicked mistress."

The corner of Thirteen’s lips twitched after hearing the forbidden word. If only he could erase it from the world’s dictionary and never hear of it for the rest of his existence.

The Jinns inside the conference room couldn’t help but smile after hearing colleagues say such things.

Just like the Infernals, the Jinns were a race of conquerors. They would invade other worlds and make them their own through sheer force.

These two races prided being world conquerors, and there had been more than one instance where they had clashed over the ownership of a world.

In their home world of Gomorra, the leaders of the Jinns were composed of Demigods and Pseudo Gods.

They were a formidable force that even the Infernals didn’t want to fight head-on unless absolutely necessary.

However, there was one key difference between them.

Since the Infernals had existed for longer, they had more powerhouses than the Jinns. They might skip facing the Jinns in a head-on confrontation if they could help it, but they didn’t fear the other at all.

The Jinns also knew this, so whenever the two forces clashed, they would first deal with the matter using diplomacy or skirmishes. Even if it took a few rounds, they would never escalate the conflict into a full-blown war between the two races.

Metatron sat on his own throne, presiding over the conference.

As a believer of free will, he had no plans to say anything lest it affected their decision.

"Are you sure the army we are about to face will make the previous battle look like a joke?" Camazotz asked in a serious tone.

"Yes," Thirteen replied. "The main army of the Infernals will likely try to descend on this world."

"That’s really bad news," Baal frowned. "I fear that if we participate in the next battle, the chances of us dying are very high. Kamrusepa, have you divined the outcome of this battle?"

"Not yet," Kamrusepa replied. "But I have a feeling that even if I did, I won’t be able to see anything. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try."

The Majin Princess took out a pouch with purple powder inside. She then grabbed a handful and tossed it into the air.

The purple powder shimmered like countless stars before forming a symbol. And that symbol was the number XIII.

Everyone glanced in Thirteen’s direction before shifting their attention back to Kamrusepa’s divining arts.

The symbol XIII glowed faintly, but a sword made up of radiant light suddenly pierced its center. Cracks formed on the symbol’s surface before shattering completely.

Above the shattered symbol, the silhouette of a long-haired lady appeared. No one could see her face, but they saw tears streaming down her cheeks as if greatly saddened by what she had done.

The divination then dispersed, leaving Kamrusepa gasping for breath. Beads of sweat streaked down from her forehead, her mental and spiritual powers depleted from using her ability.

No one said anything.

There was nothing to say.

The divination was akin to a prophecy—a warning of what would happen in the future.

If Kamrusepa’s divination came to pass, it only meant one thing.

Thirteen was going to perish in this battle.

However, the young man in question didn’t look troubled. In fact, he was even smiling faintly as if he saw something very amusing.

"Zion..." Camazotz looked at his friend. "Are you hiding any treasures? If yes, give it to me now. I promise to take good care of them for you. I’ll even put some flowers on your grave once a year to remember you."

"Thanks, Camazotz," Thirteen replied calmly. "You’re a real friend."

"Well, can I have your treasures for being a real friend?"

"No."

"Tsk!"

Paimon clicked her tongue. "The two of you can still treat what you saw as a joke? Are you for real?"

Camazotz shrugged. "Kamrusepa’s divination isn’t set in stone. It can still change. Also, now that Thirteen has seen what might happen to him, he can make plans to avoid it. Aren’t I right, Thirteen?"

Thirteen didn’t reply right away. Instead, he closed his eyes and a few minutes of silence descended inside the conference room.

"Have you heard the saying that the more you run away from Fate, the more likely it is to come true?" Thirteen asked. "However, you don’t have to worry about me. I have a rather complicated relationship with Fate.

"What you saw is something she especially prepared for me. Whether it will become a reality or not, I’d love to see her try."

Beelzebub sighed. "But Thirteen, you already said you won’t have time to prepare anything when you arrive at Godfall Cradle. You won’t have a magical formation that can turn the tide in your favor and help boost the strength of your allies like what you did in the Fortunate Isles."

"That’s right." Thirteen acknowledged Beelzebub’s statement. "I’ll be going in blind on this one. I’ll only be using the things in my arsenal, and that’s it."

Camazotz chuckled. "Then tell me, what are your chances of winning?"

"One hundred percent," Thirteen replied without hesitation.

The gaze of everyone in the room changed the moment he made his declaration.

"A hundred percent?" Zagan snorted. "Based on what?"

"Please tell us the truth, Thirteen," Beelzebub commented. "That way, we can realistically decide whether we will sit this one out or join you in defending this world."

"Whether you go or not doesn’t concern me," Thirteen answered. "You can choose to stay out of this battle, and no one will think little of you. After all, the stake is your life.

"While I do admit the stacks are against me, I don’t give a damn. I will win, and that’s all there is to it."

His words were firm and confident.

His gaze was devoid of fear, anxiety, and struggle.

His body language told everyone that he was in control.

Despite Kamrusepa’s divination, Thirteen remained calm as if he had already seen that ending over a thousand times already.