“Antithesis? Does that mean that anything that correlates with this world is more than lethal for it? If it conforms to your world, then that’s only logical to say, right?” Aspara asked Victoria as curiosity got over her.

“That’s not it, Miss Aspara. Things that don't exist or not factual to her world is what Victoria meant.” Ivy answered Aspara’s doubt.

“Yeah, it is just what little Ivy said, things such as the law of physics still applies here and there are things that only possible with magic. For example, when I fought with little Ivy and Eiru, I immediately retreated. The reason is Antithesis won’t get through his ice because it exists in my world.” Victoria explained as she scooped a snow in her hand.

“That’s the reason why your Antithesis Bullet wasn’t impeded by Ivy’s time stop. Such magic does not exist in your world or it is fictitious…right?” Reysha, at her last sentence, she made it a question to smoothly gloss over the fact that she is a reincarnator herself.

“Like what little Reysha said, as long as it is not recognized as a fact in my world, the antithesis is lethal to it. It can pierce and temporarily disable a function of this world such as barriers and such.” Victoria confirmed Reysha’s statement.

As Victoria said that, she picked up a Glock from the ground and pointed it at one side of the crack and carefully aimed.

“If my theory is correct then…BANG!” Victoria fired off a bullet towards the crack.

A dark bullet with prism colored inside came out from the gun’s nuzzle and flies right straight to the edge of the crack. And at that moment the bullet meets its desired target…

SHATTER

“Oops…” Victoria muttered as the edge of the Dimensional Crack broke down and shatters that made a sound of glass. The fragment of reality was absorbed inside the Dimensional Crack and expanded a teeny tiny bit.

“That’s not what I had in mind…” Victoria followed as she meekly turns to look at Reysha, Aspara, and Ivy.

“What the freaking hell did you?!” Aspara shouted madly at Victoria as her eyes almost popped out from her socket.

“We are trying to close this not to pry it open further…” Ivy quietly said as she stared at the newly eaten Lost Reality. Her expression is mixed with confused, perplexed, and a little indignation.

“Ahahaha, sorry for that!” Victoria apologizes.

“You don’t sound sorry at all.” Falikh rebutted as he crouched down and looks at Victoria’s guns.

“Goddamnit…we are not going anywhere with this!” Reysha exclaimed as she turns heels and started marching back as she takes out a medicine made by Teth and drinks it straight up from its container.

“Ah…she got mad. Well, Miss Reysha is right, we won’t get anywhere now. We should plan everything carefully with the right people.” Falikh said as he stood up and follows Reysha.

With a troubled smile, Victoria followed. Seemingly nothing to do about it anymore, for now, Aspara, Ivy, and Eiru also retreated as they heaved a long deep sigh.

As they started marching back with failure lying on their shoulders, Reysha started contemplating about the facts that were laid out earlier. She’s nothing short of clueless about how to fix the crack, that’s a fact day ago.

“If we can somehow use Antithesis to reverse the cause of the Dimensional Crack then it is possible that there’s a way we can somehow seal it or rather, to retrieve back the Lost Reality that was eaten.” Reysha inwardly thought as she walks throughout the snowy forest.

As she strides with Falikh and the others following, they encountered two people, Morio and Hansen who are said to be patrolling the forest. Like Falikh, they are also lightly clothed and seems the cold doesn't bother them too much.

“Ah, Miss Reysha and Leader, also, there’s a lot whole more! Does that mean that Meriyal is on our base too?” Hansen asked as he stares at Victoria who is new to him.

“Hey, Hansen, Morio, how’s patrolling? If you are asking about your fiancé, yes, she is back in the base.” Before Reysha could say anything, Falikh came walking towards them as he answered Hansen’s question.

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“Sup, Morio, Hansen.” Eiru greeted with Ivy locking arm with him.

“Oh, oh my, Eiru is such a ladykiller. You should have told me of your romance blooming together with such beauty that demeans any fair flower that will be displayed with her.” Morio said as she flatters Ivy with colorful words.

“Y-Yeah…thanks, I guess?” Ivy meekly said with a forced smile.

“Stop clinging to me…” Eiru weakly muttered towards Ivy as he put up a troubled face.

Victoria saw Morio wielding a lute in his hand and her eyes brighten like a star.

“Hey, hey, can you play canon rock with that?” Victoria asked as he approaches Morio.

“Canon rock? I am unaware of such genre or verse. Can you please further elaborate it for me and I will try my best to perform it.” Morio happily answered Victoria as his passion for music was piqued.

“Alrighty then! Let’s head back quickly since we failed to gain something from this walk!” She bluntly spelled out.

“Oh, that’s a good idea, my granddaughter! Ivy and Meriyal will be departing tomorrow so let’s send them off with a party! I’ll have Teth prepare something!” Falikh happily said as he started walking faster in his excitement.

“I, Ivy Hellbeing, the Demon Lord, shall partake upon this party and when we say party, it’s all about drinking!” Ivy started running too as her excitement escalates.

“Hey, Ivy! I thought I told you to control your drinking habits! Listen to me, young lady!” Eiru screamed as he follows Ivy.

“Wow…these people are unfazed of the trouble that lies with that crack. I think I am just getting too worked up about it. I might as well take this little breather before I go back to Kerias for further research.” Aspara said as she walks leisurely.

“These people are just using the smallest things as possible to start a party whenever they want.” Reysha muttered to herself as she watches everyone racing back to the bandit’s base, the Mousseux.

“However, I wonder…despite knowing that they are bandits, despite knowing that they are not the best and nicest people out there…” Reysha’s word trailed off.

“Even though they are all pain in the ass…I wonder…why do it feels like…I belong here and I am at home…as if I am actually having fun…” Reysha, upon hitting an unexplainable emotion, puts her hand on her chest and tried to feel her heartbeat.

Unseen by anyone, Reysha broke out in a faint but sincere smile.

“There’s a lot of woes and they are just doing whatever they want…what a hopeless people…” Reysha simply thought as she started walking too.

Afterwards, together with the band of bandits, the Demon Lord, the Summoned Hero, a Princess of a Kingdom together with her two trusted knights, a King’s Councilor, and lastly, Reysha who is just someone who wanders into this place by chance and met all of this people, they partied all night like there’s no tomorrow as they let the winter night pass by.

Meanwhile, back at the Mesola Kingdom…

“What’s the meaning?! You are aware who put you in the position of a king right, Lodh!” Genesis screams as dozens of spears are pointed at her. She tried to stand up but her body cannot muster any strength.

“What’s wrong? Is there something wrong with your medication? Perhaps, you feel…a little hazy?” The man, Lodh, grins.

“You cannot mean…” Genesis said as she uses her golden staff to stand upright with her weak gaits impedes her.

“I do think that the Mesola Kingdom itself can become standalone, without relying on any gods and deities. They are revered but not a necessity anymore. With how we won the war against the Beast Kingdom, we are powerful even if The Kerias and the Breille Kingdom combine their forces. As such, my first thing to do for the reform is to overthrow you, the archpriest.” Lodh, a man in his forties, explained with smile leaking with evil intention.

“The Kingdom…of Mesola has always been revering Lord Eresti! Do you think destroying the foundation of this Kingdom will actually help? Or is it…” Genesis spoke as she realizes something is amiss.

“I want you out of the picture, Genesis. You are the symbol of the religion of this kingdom so without you, people would start relying on us.” Lodh said as he walks closer to Genesis. “Don’t worry, I won’t tear down your precious church, however, I need someone who will be loyal to me, as such, I found a great candidate, though it is more like an investment.” He added.

“What are trying to imply?” Genesis asked as she kept struggling to position herself to use her staff but to no avail, her body just got too weak.

“I heard that you are trying to have an offspring with your own son. It really doesn’t have to be with your own son…right?” Lodh said as he walked closer to Genesis and brushes her cheeks with a creepy smile.

“Kuh…” Genesis couldn’t resist. She knows that her condition is not fit for any strenuous movements.

Submitting to his will, Genesis just closes her eyes in defeat.

However…

“This I cannot accept.” Maria said as she appears in the doorway.

“A simple servant should know her place. Seize her.” Lodh said as he sighs thinking that Maria was a fool.

“I have great needs for her Divine Power. By my oath to Yod, the Highest Dragon Priest who passed away, I, Alef, will surely give rise to the Ninth Dragon Priest and bring back his lost memories.” Maria said as magic inside her rises, more than what a trained magician could muster.

In an instant, she crawled past the soldiers and carries Genesis in her arms.

“Y-You…! You are…!” Lodh could only gulp down his words as Maria shows her true form.

Two scaly horns protrude from her forehead, two scaly and robust wings sprouted from her back, and a thick tail with spikes flows down below.

“I am Alef, I may be the weakest among the Dragon Priests but I am no mere peasant to be gawk by low lives like you lot!” Maria, or rather, Alef shouted.

She then dashed towards the window with Genesis in her arms together with her golden staff and flew away.