"Selimia...!"

Clay shielded his eyes with his hand from the pouring streams of light. At the same time, a gale blew, forcing him to plant his sword into the ground and hold on for a moment.

How much time passed like that?

The wind subsided, and he could slowly see what was in front of him.

"!"

What entered his eyes was Selimia, standing alone without the human figure.

"Selimia?"

As he called her name, he could immediately tell that Selimia had changed.

『…….』

She slowly turned around.

Her appearance was no different. She was identical to the Selimia he knew. However, the atmosphere was different.

The always favorable gaze she had for him was gone. Now, she wore an expressionless face, as if her emotions had been stolen.

『Demon King.』

She seemed to have become a different being entirely.

『Are you the one who turned away from Elhaen?』

A divine being.

At the immense pressure, Clay let out a hollow laugh and said.

"I don't think even Crea was this much."

『Crea.』

Selimia muttered for a moment.

『That is not a name for the likes of you to utter so freely.』

"Seeing as you're hostile to me right off the bat, it seems you're on Elhaen's side."

It was clear she shared memories with the original Selimia, as she knew his name. Clay said with a hardened expression.

"Who are you?"

『You should already know.』

Selimia answered softly.

『There wouldn't be another god who knows of Elhaen.』

"Are you saying you're one of the ancient gods of this world?"

The gods whose existence had not yet been confirmed were few.

'But...'

Wasn't Crea the strongest of the ancient gods? There should be a clear difference in their renown, yet Clay couldn't understand how she could emit such power.

『It seems there is something that conflicts with your common sense.』

Selimia said, as if she had seen through his thoughts.

『Indeed, based on ability alone, Crea might seem the strongest.』

"You are..."

『Aium of Eternity.』

She told him her name.

『That is what I am called.』

Aium of Eternity.

One of the ancient gods who had not yet revealed themselves.

"Aium of Eternity..."

Clay let out a sigh.

'I thought it might be, but...'

She was quite different from the Aium he had expected.

'Wasn't she a similar type to Athanasia?'

Athanasia the Immortal and Aium of Eternity were bound to be thought of as similar gods due to the adjectives attached to their names. Of course, the fact that Aium was much stronger than Athanasia had been passed down through legends. Even so, this was beyond imagination.

『It seems you cannot understand.』

Selimia, no, Aium, walked towards him.

『Well, considering you had the foolish thought of using me as your pawn, it's only natural.』

"What happened to Selimia?"

『You mean the soul of the shattered fragment?』

Aium shrugged her shoulders.

『It was absorbed.』

"Absorbed?"

『The soul that girl possessed was too small to even be called a soul. It was merely born from my will, which needed a physical body. It was a temporary consciousness that existed only because it needed a will to get this far.』

Aium belittled Selimia's existence.

『It was an accessory, is what I'm saying.』

"Insolent."

Clay frowned.

"She is not a being you can speak of like that."

『Is that so?』

As Clay looked at Aium tilting her head, he spoke again.

"Because at least she did not betray her own side."

『You.』

Aium's expression darkened rapidly.

『Are you trying to insult me?』

"Seeing as you called me a traitor to Elhaen, it seems you sided with Elhaen and betrayed the other ancient gods."

『Shut your mouth.』

"Wasn't it because you couldn't overcome that guilt that you separated your own spiritual body?"

『You run your mouth without knowing your place.』

Aium expressed her anger.

『What does a mere being of this era like you know? In the first place, the ancient gods were not even my comrades.』

"Right, you weren't on friendly terms. That's why I want to ask."

Clay looked straight at Aium.

"Then why did you feel guilty?"

『What?』

"If you chose Elhaen to survive, you could have been more shameless. Why did you hide away like you are now?"

Clay couldn't understand that.

"Did you feel guilty about something other than the ancient gods?"

『Shut up.』

"What was there in that era?"

『I have no reason to answer a human like you.』

Human.

"So there is something."

Clay swung his sword and got a firm grip.

"I want to find out what that is, but for now, I need to get Selimia back."

『What did you say?』

"It will be easier to get an answer if Selimia returns. She would have shared your memories too."

『You speak nonsense.』

She let out a hollow laugh as if she had heard something absurd.

『Selimia was made for me.』

"Really, is that so?"

Clay's gaze went to Aium's feet.

"Then why can't you move any further from there?"

While saying she needed a physical body, she wasn't expressing any of the joy of an escapee.

"Weren't you trying to isolate yourself?"

When he asked about her guilt, she hadn't denied it itself.

"And you're saying Selimia returned because you needed her?"

It didn't add up.

"Perhaps it was Selimia who needed you."

『What kind of nonsense are you spouting.』

"I'm saying that your un-imprisoned, fragmented will might have finally created a physical body and came looking for the rest."

A speculation that because it was such a small fragment, it wandered without knowing what it was, but after meeting Clay and finding a direction, she might have reached this place.

『How absurd.』

Of course, it might have been a wild guess.

『Just because you think and say as you please doesn't make it the truth. The world does not revolve as you wish.』

"I know that well."

He had known that ever since he became the Hero for Elhaen's sake and fought the previous Demon King.

Because the results of battles didn't always turn out as he wished.

On top of that, he was even betrayed by his fellow humans. And from the ones who were most precious to him.

So he knew well that things didn't go as planned. And he wasn't naive enough to be optimistic about everything.

But,

"This time, I have grounds for it."

『!』

Aium lowered her gaze.

A cold chill was rising from the floor. And Aium's feet were freezing to it.

"If it's not your will, then it must be the will of something else."

Kwajak!

Aium moved her leg and shattered the ice.

『Insolent.』

Aium's eyes shot up.

『Even this cold chill is now nothing more than mine.』

She raised her hand. All the cold chill that had tried to freeze her gathered there.

『I will make a statue of you here.』

Hwaak!

The cold chill, gathered like a snowball and thrown by Aium, exploded like dust right in front of Clay.

Although Clay swung his sword to create a wind, a part of the cold chill had already clung to his body.

Kwadeuk!

His left arm froze. Clay immediately rushed at Aium and swung his sword.

Kwak!

But an ice spike created by Aium shot up from the floor and blocked the sword.

'This is different from before.'

The strength was immense. To the point where it didn't feel like ice. Clay pulled out the sword stuck in the spike and imbued it with divine power.

'It's unpleasant to use, but.'

To face the Aium before him, he too had to have that much resolve.

This time, he cut down the spike that shot up towards him with his sword. Seeing this, Aium instantly created a large number of spikes.

It was too much to cut them all down. Clay kicked off the floor and jumped up.

'Damn.'

The spikes continued to grow, following him. Clay pressed the maximum amount of divine power into his sword.

KWAAAAAAAANG!

A strike close to an explosion.

Aium, who had protected herself with a sphere of cold chill, glared at Clay as soon as the smoke from the aftershock cleared.

『I wonder if you're really thinking of taking back the one who was absorbed by me.』

"It must have been quite dangerous, huh?"

Clay said as he landed on the floor.

"I know well enough that I can't face you half-heartedly if I want to get Selimia back."

『That's only if this body is intact.』

Aium replied as if it was absurd.

『Of course, there's no reason why I, having regained my physical body, would be defeated by the likes of you.』

"Really, is that so?"

Clay stared intently at Aium.

"I know you haven't shown your true power yet."

What Aium was using now was Selimia's ability.

"You probably need time to adapt to that body."

She was still not using her full power at all.

"Which means I still have a chance to win."

『You speak foolishly.』

Aium sneered at Clay.

『Even if it takes time to adapt, that doesn't mean you have a chance to win.』

Aium instantly appeared in front of Clay as if she had skipped through space.

『Especially since I've already adapted to some extent.』

Aium struck Clay with her foot. Although Clay blocked the attack by raising his sword, he couldn't offset the impact.

Clay's body was sent flying far away, crashing into the already toppled bookshelves.

『You know nothing about me.』

Aium, who had appeared next to Clay in the middle of his flight, said.

『I am not one of the ancient gods.』

The fist she swung struck Clay's waist as he was flying.

"Keoheok!"

Letting out a short gasp, Clay tumbled across the floor this time.

『You plan to face Elhaen with just this much power?』

She said softly as she landed and walked over.

『You are severely underestimating Elhaen.』

In her words was the lament of one who had already experienced Elhaen's true body.

『That being is a god of conquest. His purpose is different from the gods of this world, and he possesses the power to match.』

She said, as if giving him the answer.

『So how can a puppet like you face him?』

"...It's possible because I am a puppet."

Clay muttered as he got up.

"He needs a body born in this world. It must be a condition to obtain the power of this world."

A process to match the 'rank' was needed for that.

"In short, I am a vessel for him."

It meant that in terms of the body's rank, he would absolutely not be inferior to anyone.

"And, it seems you've also underestimated things quite a bit."

『You...!』

Aium suddenly collapsed. Cold chill spewed out from her mouth and nose.

"Sorry, but it seems it's not the time for you to fight me."

『Impossible...!』

Aium lamented as she looked at her own freezing body. She swung her hands as if to resist, but she couldn't break free and fell to the floor. Clay said to her.

"Go on."

Their fight was still to come.

(End of Chapter)