Chapter 2209: The worst case...? "The puppets you have created are vile and displeasing. I’ll be cleansing them." Seraphielle spoke as she looked into Farah—or the Anomaly’s—eyes one last time and— SFWWOOOOSH A silent wave of bright light spread outward. The halos of the Light Borns present in this world reignited. The Thal’rens—those who had survived and those who were resurrected—felt their hearts filling with warmth and reverence. Even the Fallen—still unable to move because of Seraphielle’s restraints—felt something. But unlike the Light Borns and Thal’rens, their experience was not pretty; their forms... began to distort. Seraphielle was an Infinity, a being born at the very beginning of time, a being who knew what most did not, a being who could sense what most could not. It wouldn’t be wrong to say she was the Universe’s favored; there weren’t many beings or entities the Universe had a stronger connection to than her, and because of their connection— Seraphielle could feel it. None of the Fallen were connected to their Universe. And this confirmed it. The Anomaly—he came from another Universe. He—or his Universe—somehow managed to breach the protective mechanism that stopped two Universes from interacting with each other. Even now, Seraphielle did not know how he did it; none of the Infinities did, because if they did, they too would have started preparations to attack other Universes—but right now— They were the ones who were being attacked. The worst part? They had next to no information regarding the enemy, and the enemy... knew a lot. Yes, all four Infinities had made preparations for such a day; this was the entire reason none of the Light Borns, not even Auren—otherwise known as the Strongest Child of Light—knew anything about Seraphielle or the other Infinities. This was a measure all four Infinities had come up with to prevent any information leak to any enemies. And while this measure did work and prevented the most important information from leaking out, the amount of information the enemy had was much more than what they had. Because of all the beings they had captured and the worlds they had devoured, other than the information regarding the four Infinities, the enemy knew almost everything there was to know about their Universe. As for them... They knew... Nothing. They did not know how old the enemy Universe was, how many Infinities they had, how strong they were, how many major worlds or races existed, or how many energies existed in their Universe. It was a problem. And this problem was even bigger because it didn’t seem like the Anomaly had any plans of making moves on its own—not until they were completely ready. Even today, instead of moving their own forces, they used beings they had captured, brainwashed, and brought to their side. It was filthy, but an efficient strategy. After all, even if they captured these corrupted forces, they would gain nothing from it—no information, no idea about what kind of races existed in the enemy Universe, the cultivation bridge their people followed, or the type of Laws their warriors comprehended. It was... perfect. And to counter this perfection and force the enemy to use their true forces, Seraphielle could only think of one way— Erase the Fallen. Once this ragtag group they had gathered to do all these odd jobs perished, they would have no choice but to use their true forces—and then, and only then, would they be able to get some information regarding the enemy. And that was exactly what Seraphielle did— She could tell that the Fallen were connected to the enemy Universe; killing them would simply send their souls back to the Universe they were now connected to, allowing them to resurrect. This was the reason the Fallen were... undying. So, using her Authority as an Infinity, she did what most beings could not—she ’erased’ their existence, their souls that would return to their Universe every single time they died. She devoured them—like one would devour worlds. Yes, just like how the Anomaly does it. She put a true, absolute end to their vile existence—an end that would not repeat any longer, no matter how ’old’ or ’mighty’ their souls truly were. Their existence was destroyed from every single level possible—their connection to their Universe, to... anything—erased into nothingness. A True, Absolute Death. No reincarnation, no resurrection, nothing. And after this— Silence followed. The Light Borns, the Thal’rens—every being that witnessed what happened today—stayed silent, not daring to utter even a single word. Yes, Seraphielle had killed what couldn’t be killed but... they could all tell that this couldn’t be considered her victory—especially when they all sensed how the Universe reacted just now. Although Seraphielle’s face did not show it, every single being present here knew. Something had happened. And that something... was not good. As the silence grew, the beings present felt their bodies tremble; the calming golden light around Seraphielle still existed but... none of them could feel its effects anymore. And finally— [L-Lady Seraphielle?] Lord Light called out; he too was no different from the other Light Borns and Thal’rens. No, his case was worse, because he knew everything that happened—he was... even more nervous. He did not know how to talk to Seraphielle. In his entire lifetime, this was the second time the Light Infinity had... lost. And while the first time was still manageable since the enemy was Zylarith, the Progenitor of the Fifth Progenitor and the strongest Infinity to ever exist in the Universe, this time... the enemy was completely unknown. Even Lord Light did not know how Seraphielle would react to this. But Seraphielle— "What happened to Auren?" Seraphielle asked directly. Auren was sent to Aurendor; if the Anomaly got there, then the most likely outcome would be... [I... cannot sense him any longer.] Lord Light answered in a grim voice. Seraphielle, of course, did not have a strong reaction; it was something already within her expectations. "Did he say something before his disappearance?" She asked calmly, almost as if her mind hadn’t even registered a ’defeat,’ as if to her... the battle was still ongoing. [He... did not. By the time I noticed something wrong and tried to act, it was too late, and he disappeared. It was... almost too coincidental. As if the enemy was waiting for me to notice before he made his move.] Lord Light shared his experience, his tone couldn’t be more bitter. After all, he too had never felt something like this. It was... humiliating. It wouldn’t be an issue if the enemy was stronger, but he could see it too. The enemy was a coward. He was avoiding a direct confrontation with Lady Seraphielle. And if there was anything more annoying than a weak enemy who knows how to hide, it was a weak enemy who knows how to hide and doesn’t stop taunting you every moment he gets. Such beings were frustrating to deal with, and the Anomaly was no different in that regard. Seraphielle, who could hear Lord Light’s thoughts, shook her head. "Do not underestimate him." She spoke; again, there was no change in her tone. "Auren only needed a thought to be connected with you, but he didn’t even get that chance before he disappeared. It means that Auren lost before he even realized what happened to him—the enemy overwhelmed someone like Auren in such a way. He... is not weak." [Does this mean... the enemy is an Infinity?] Lord Light asked. He knew the conclusions the consciousness of the four Infinities had come up with inside the room of discussion. They too had concluded that the enemy was an Infinity but... that was just an assumption. But with how Lady Seraphielle was talking— It... no longer seemed to be just an assumption. "How many Eternal-level beings can you think of who can take down Auren without him ever reacting to them?" Seraphielle asked, and once again, Lord Light turned silent. No one. He could not think of anyon— Or maybe... There was one. One existence who, even as an Eternal, made the Infinities notice him. But just as Lord Light thought about his existence— "Zylarith couldn’t do it either." Seraphielle shook her head. Lord Light tilted his head in confusion, and Seraphielle continued— "Zylarith was strong. When he completed the Body of Chaos, no Eternal in the Universe could match him. Auren was no exception either; they fought, and Auren lost but... No matter how one-sided it was— That was still a battle, a battle where Auren could think, react, attack, and counterattack. But against the Anomaly..." The Light Infinity did not have to speak anymore. "So the best-case scenario would be the Anomaly being an Infinity— Or the worst-case scenario would be that the Anomaly... is an Eternal far stronger than Zylarith ever was." [The worst case...?] Lord Light repeated those words; soon, however, he understood the meaning behind them. If the enemy was an Infinity, it would be... much easier to deal with since that would be the limit of what he could reach. But... If the enemy is... an Eternal, then... it would mean he still has room to grow. And if that is the case and the enemy does manage to grow— Then he would become an entity far worse than Zylarith ever was—an entity that could threaten theirs and their very Universe’s existence.