Chapter 146 - Edict of Erasure

Illeana gritted her teeth as she tried to keep the rampaging emotions from bursting out and ruining things. The vault was at its limits once again, and at this instant, fear leaked out of it.

Red strands extended out of Rupert's hands, and bloody flower stems appeared in front of everyone but her. Overlooking the hall with his single vertical eye, he proclaimed, "Extend thine hands and reach out, Overseers. I shall bear the burden of keeping you safe as we strive to achieve the Critical Consensus."

A shiver ran down her spine as she gripped the armrest of her chair tighter. It's not over? He really has another card up his sleeve? Can even Mr. Axiom not stop him for good?

The mere thought sent her barely controlled emotions into another round of frenzy. Her eyes involuntarily flitted towards the unfathomable Mr. Axiom, and her heart ramped up. An ancient yet amiable feeling radiated out of him as he stood there, completely unbothered by Rupert's proclamations.

It had yet to sink in that she was rescued by a being so terrifying he could affirm the whole world all by himself.

Wait! she suddenly gasped as a surge of embarrassment replaced the fear that flowed out of the vault. I didn't even thank him for saving me! A blush crept up her cheeks, and she hid her face in her hands. What is wrong with me!? she asked herself, trembling slightly.

Luckily, the stream of escaped emotion disappeared as quickly as it came, and she somehow managed to make her odd actions look natural.

Her face in her hands, she reflected as paranoia rushed through her mind, He knows. Surely, Mr. Axiom had already figured her out—realized that she was faking the number of her shades. That piercing glance he'd given her when helping her back up felt like her whole existence was laid bare in front of him.

The vault acted up again, sending who knows what emotions this time as she murmured, Yet, there's something so…human about him. His touch was even gentler than some of her dance partners.

After a few seconds, the stream of emotions trickling from the vault slowed down, and she shook her head, Ughh. Why am I thinking about all this?

It was hard to keep her thoughts straight now that the vault was overflowing with all these random emotions.

Somehow focusing on the matter at hand, she analyzed it as calmly as possible. The situation wasn't great. Rupert had begun his 'counter-attack' right when Mr. Axiom was about to fix the root cause himself.

This hateful bastard! she seethed, eyeing the floating Rupert. Can Mr. Axiom not just affirm the world before them?

Illeana quickly found a problem with that logic. Applying two different ideologies for critical consensus at the same time might do more harm than good. Yes, Mr. Axiom could affirm the realm himself, but that didn't mean he could negate others' effects as well.

She bit her lower lip. This is bad.

Turning her chair around, she stared at the crowd who plucked the red flower in front of them without any hesitation. The moment they did, their eyes closed, and their bodies emitted a crimson glow of their own before floating higher, matching Rupert's cadence.

She frowned. He's actually isolating them from this space, too. This was problematic. A new idea had just begun to take shape in her mind, but it was already falling apart.

Given that her plan of assassinating Rupert had failed miserably and Mr. Axiom seemed to be in a bind, she was hoping to become the catalyst of change.

And she could've done that by removing these very observers from the equation.

As much as she wished to never part with Father's Epoch Keeper and loathed the idea of murder, she knew this was the right thing to do. If killing a few people here could save the world's freedom, so be it.

She was more than willing to explode Epoch Keeper in the crowd behind her, essentially killing the pawns that Rupert wished to use to supplant his cancerous ideology.

The man was doing everything in his power to minimize the defectors. So, if she killed enough with her blast, surely he'll have to leave it all up to Mr. Axiom.

This wasn't an option before as these very people were essential for affirming the world. But things were different now that Mr. Axiom could do it all by himself.

Alas, it's not even an option anymore, she sighed. Rupert had expected Mr. Axiom to physically harm his herd of overseers and accounted for this eventuality. Yet, it indirectly threw a wrench in her nascent plan, too. He had done it so quickly she didn't get a chance to even think through it all.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

It's because of the vault, she frowned. She might have taken action faster if her mind wasn't going through all these random phases of emotions.

Her heart palpitated as the situation began slipping out of control once again. What do I do? she asked herself, her eyes flitting around, monitoring what everyone was doing.

Most behind her had their eyes closed, almost as if their conversation didn't need words anymore. Yes, it totally doesn't, she quickly realized. They were connected using the Essence Strands—they didn't need words for private conversations.

Yet, before too long could pass, Mr. Axiom suddenly smiled and pulled out the notepad he was writing on back during the early stages of the confluence.

Illeana perked up. Wait. Does he already have a plan to handle this situation, too? Her eyes lit up as she berated herself. Obviously, he does! Why did I presume to understand the methods of the divine?

These uncontrolled emotions seeping out of the vault had really muddled her mind.

That's when an unexpected but grating voice resonated in the hall, "Haha, what's wrong, the great Zeroth Axiom—the arbiter of balance? Can't do anything now?"

Illeana's eyebrows furrowed high as she eyed the speaker. It was that teenager again. He'd opened his eyes and extricated himself from the private conversation of consensus just to hurl taunts. What kind of backing was he leeching off to have so much confidence?

The guy had a really big mouth and was a hardline supporter of Rupert. So much so that he was willing to insult even someone as unfathomable as Mr. Axiom.

She couldn't wrap her head around the sheer recklessness of it. Even if Rupert had already won the exchange—which he hadn't—it was a universally agreed unspoken rule to respect the unknown.

And Mr. Axiom was probably one of the most mysterious entities to have surfaced since Duskfall—on par with the Elden Ones. Yet, this guy's arrogance had blinded him to the point he didn't even show a hint of cautiousness.

And this self-important leech wants to control how the world thinks? she looked down at him, disgust rising within her.

Not heeding her unspoken warnings, that leech sneered with a cold laugh, "Master Rupert has triggered the Dimensional Divide. We still dwell in the Nexus but are elevated to a higher plane. We stand above you! Your efforts are futile—nothing you do can stop us now!"

Illeana's gaze sharpened as she studied Mr. Axiom, who appeared utterly unfazed by the exchange. He really is different, she realized. All he exuded was that same profound greed from before, even in the face of these vitriolic comments.

"Hah, what Axiom? What Balance?" the leech taunted with palpable contempt. "Know your place, outsider! You're merely a specter of bygone days, less than human. You have no standing to interfere with our affairs. Begone!"

In response, Mr. Axiom's eyes merely narrowed slightly, the ghost of a smirk playing at the corners.

Regrettably, only the mildest of feelings leaked out of her emotional vault at the moment, actively stifling her urge to speak up. Otherwise, she would've put this leech in his place.

However, the existing seed of doubt further expanded in her thoughts. What exactly can Mr. Axiom do in this situation? Yes, the leech put it disrespectfully, but he wasn't entirely wrong.

"Each era has its own leaders, and we're the chosen ones this time around. If you cannot keep pace, get out of our path," he poured more venom with a curl of his lip.

Illeana felt like breaking something. This is too much.

Hahhhh.

Mr. Axiom exhaled a weary sigh as if the ignorance before him was a burden too trivial to bear. "I suppose the terror of institute has really left everyone's minds," he remarked, his voice echoing with a charming magnetism.

Some in the crowd opened their eyes for a brief instant, but most maintained their connection with Rupert, surely debating on how to better raise humanity like some cattle in the pen.

"Very well, then."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over them with an air of finality. "Consider this both the first and last warning I will extend to each of you," he declared, his tone firm yet eerily calm.

Illeana sat straighter. He's going to do something!

Slowly, he unfurled the notepad in his hands. With a deliberate motion, he penned a single word in an elegant, flowing script. He then turned the notepad towards them, displaying the words for all to see:

'Cease.'

However, Illeana saw more. Those tens of runes hovering all around him suddenly shone with a brilliant glow. Unsure what to make of it, she continued to watch.

He flipped the page with a flick of his wrist and added another, even as the air around them seemed to grow heavier, charged with an unspoken threat.

'Or be erased.'

Illeana stared at the words in confusion, a crease forming between her brows, What is Mr. Axiom doing…?

The crowd behind mirrored her reaction. Some had opened their eyes, probably afraid of the threat, but most didn't even bother.

The leech’s laugh cut through the tension, loud and mocking. "Hahaha, what a farce! Is this meant to frighten us?" he scoffed, rolling his eyes dramatically. "Oh, no! He’s written down a command—guess we all must scurry and comply now! Oh, the horror!"

"I simply must abandon my convictions because he demands it, or else he’ll be so very heartbroken. I should—" His voice choked off abruptly as his face paled, the mockery turning to a strangled gasp as if the words were physically snatched from his throat.

That was when Illeana felt it—a sharp, intrusive buzz in her mind. Who's sending me a note at this time? But then a thunderbolt struck in her mind, and a chilling realization dawned on her. Could it be…?

Even Rupert, previously aloof, stiffened in midair, his expression darkening. Fumbling, he began to write frantically in a small notebook, his movements desperate.

The rest of the crowd, previously unengaged, suddenly snapped open their eyes. Many hurriedly pulled out pieces of parchment or devices, while those without a means to imprint the notion on a paper looked around in panic, their eyes wide with dread.

It…It's real, she realized. Mr. Axiom just sent a note to everyone!

She quickly reached for the piece of her own convergence note hidden in her thigh belt. With a rustle, she unfurled the paper and smeared some rouge on her index finger, letting the invasive notion guide her movements.

Before she knew it, the words had formed on her paper:

'Cease.'

'Or be erased.'

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This…

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A cold shudder raced down her spine. He…he knows my viewpoint's trace!

She snapped her gaze back to the hall, which had descended into a palpable hush, the earlier air of defiance replaced by a suffocating pressure.

A simple thought repeated itself in her mind. He knows everyone's trace!