Chapter 1358: A Meeting

Deep in the God-Forsaken Land, atop one of the peaks, there stood a great cross, between the real and the illusory.

Upside-down upon it hung a blurred human figure; many ancient wooden stakes passed through Their body, stained with blood that still flowed yet did not drip downward, and were nailed fast to the frame.

At the foot of the cross, in a plain linen robe, his silver hair falling to the waist, sat the "Angel of Fate" Uleros, his expression gentle and reverent, his eyes closed in prayer.

Adam, half of his face covered by a pale-gold beard, walked up step by step and stopped before the great cross; he raised his head and gazed silently at the figure hanging upside down.

In one hand he held the "Magic Mirror" Arrodes, in the other the second "Blasphemy Tablet"; the light in his eyes was limpid, his expression composed.

How long passed, it was not known; suddenly the inverted figure upon the great cross grew faint and spread out into a curtain of shadow that joined sky above and earth below — and behind that curtain seemed to lurk a pair of cold eyes gazing upon the whole world.

In the next moment, the shadow-curtain split open, opening a gap; within was gloom without light, in which there faintly echoed the sound of phantom tides.

Adam at once lifted his left hand and made the antique, mysterious "Magic Mirror" send forth a dim, misty glow.

Within that glow, a viscous yet unreal black liquid surged and spread, and there emerged what seemed an endless sea, containing all colours and all possibilities: it appeared near enough to touch, and yet could exert no effect on reality.

Then Adam placed the second "Blasphemy Tablet" into that vision-like scene.

That image of the unreal sea, lying at infinite distance, swayed gently, and, centred upon the second "Blasphemy Tablet," formed with it a certain connection.

— The second "Blasphemy Tablet" was transformed from part of the corpse of an Ancient Sun God who in his day stood very near the rank of the Ancients, the equivalent of the master of the "Sea of Chaos."

Seeing this, Adam moved his left hand slightly, sending the "Magic Mirror" Arrodes flying away and dropping towards the "Angel of Fate" Uleros at the foot of the great cross.

He himself, holding the subtly altered second "Blasphemy Tablet," stepped through the gap in the shadow-curtain — one step at a time — and entered.

The shadow-curtain at once closed again, faded quickly, and was gone — leaving the great cross alone and empty upon the spot.

Throughout this entire process no one spoke; all was done in silence; the "Angel of Fate" Uleros made no attempt to open his eyes.

At that same time, Amon had ascended to godhood and, using the first "Blasphemy Tablet," stopped up the channel by which the "Fallen Mother" sought to invade; the "Lord of Storms" had shattered to pieces the imagined Cathedral of Bones and one of Adam's identities.

After yet a while, the "Tail-Swallower" Uleros opened his eyes and turned his gaze upon the "Magic Mirror" Arrodes that had fallen onto his lap.

On the surface of the "Magic Mirror," one silver word after another rose up amid the wavering, unreal ripples:

"You must know how it feels to believe devoutly in a great existence, and to pursue it?"

Uleros nodded, with a somewhat detached expression.

"So — could you send me back to my master's side?" Upon the surface of the "Magic Mirror," the silver words writhed and rearranged themselves into new sentences: "Once you have answered, you may put to me two questions."

Uleros looked silently at this antique mirror and did not speak for a long, long while.

Finally, the "Magic Mirror" Arrodes could no longer wait and a new question emerged on its face:

"Why do you not answer?"

Uleros, looking at his own reflection in the mirror, answered plainly:

"I have not yet decided."

"Three questions…" Across the mirror's face, silver light slowly traced out two words.

…………

In Backlund, on the lawn of a detached house.

Will Auceptin, already two-and-some years old, was running on his short little legs and chasing, in great delight, a great cat of bright golden fur, with a nursemaid and a maidservant in tow.

— Since this "Serpent of Fate" had been born, Allen Cres's business had grown better day by day; now he owned a private hospital, providing medical care exclusively to high society.

While running, Will Auceptin stepped on a slippery patch. With a 'whoosh', His body involuntarily tilted backward.

After several backward steps, He stepped onto a stone.

That gave Him the trend of toppling forward, and Will Auceptin, miraculously, regained his balance.

As to His own little misadventure, this child with his evident baby-fat felt rather wary: with His own degree of fortune, He simply could not have stepped onto a place that would make a person slip.

In His eyes there was at once mirrored a familiar figure.

It was Sherlock Moriarty, wearing a half-high silk top hat and a black double-breasted overcoat.

Will Auceptin spun his head and looked at his nursemaid and maidservant — and found that they were entirely unaware that a stranger had appeared on the lawn.

"I always feel that you will say: 'cry out all you wish, no one will hear you.'" This two-year-old, lavishly dressed, turned back and grumbled.

Without waiting for Klein's response, He spread out his hands:

"Anyway, congratulations are in order on your becoming the King of the Angels.

"Bullying children does not befit your present station."

Klein chuckled and said:

"Do you know how to fool fate?"

Will Auceptin lifted his head, glanced warily at Klein and said:

"Giving me false ice cream does not amount to fooling fate."

Then He made his complaint:

"Why don't you crouch down? At my age, having to keep tilting one's head up like this is bad for the neck's development."