"You're back."
Looking at those red eyes, Avia smiled steadily.
"Well...I'm back."
111: The Crisis of the Fifth Century: Origins
In 422 AD, one year after Avia returned to the Western Roman capital of Milan, it was located in Gaul, in the Alps.
The current Governor of Gaul is here with the local Roman army to deal with the rebellion in the empire after many years.
And above the silver sky and the dazzlingly white earth, many people who are dissatisfied with the status quo are squatting on the steep westward slope.
As early as the late 2nd century AD, before the Roman Empire was divided, a serious social and economic crisis had already occurred.
Due to the long-term possession of most of the resources of the Mediterranean world, the core population has become corrupt.
Whether it was the citizens enjoying bread and economy in the cities or the retired soldiers receiving pensions and land, they were all consuming huge resources at the fastest speed. If it were not for the convenient sea transportation across the Mediterranean, the management system of Roman reforms, and the spread of Christianity, this situation might have plunged the empire into crisis just a few decades after its establishment.
Even with the church's funding, gradual corruption led to welfare cuts, and as the gap between the rich and the poor continued to widen, the proportion of the population living in extreme poverty began to increase exponentially.
So, 27 years after the empire was divided, when the east had been lost for many years, an uprising was naturally launched under the secret instigation of certain personnel and dead apostles in the Clock Tower, including some Germans.
It is known as the "Baguda Movement".
In the end, the Governor of Gaul, who had no idea it was a trap, was defeated, and the rebels obtained a large number of regular army weapons and armed forces. Since the church branches on the Empire's British Isles were completely destroyed, the local exploited tribes were also conspiring with the remaining fantasy species. At the same time, in the border areas, they were supported by the Germanic people.
Therefore, the Gaul region where the 'Bagouda Movement' was taking place did not have any serious worries.
When the news of the uprising spread throughout the Western Roman Empire, Avia, who was staying in Milan with Attila, realized that his life as a "hostage" with the white-haired girl was over.
Because the current Western Roman Emperor Valentinian III is only three years old, the Western Roman regime is currently controlled by the church headquarters in Rome, which supports secession.
The first thing the Cardinal of Milan did when he heard about the "Bagoda Movement" was to send out the Roman Guards, which still exist today.
In view of the management of Lucius of Novena and a series of reforms, the Guards rotated from all over the country every three years maintained their faith in Christ and the chartered faith of 'Mars'. Over the years, they have been the most powerful central legion of the Roman Empire.
At the same time, Attila and Avia who came to the Western Roman Empire were released, and Aetius, who was a "hostage" of the Huns, was asked to return to command the Praetorian Guards to quell the rebellion.
Aetius joined the army when he was a child and was the youngest soldier in the Roman army. He was quickly promoted to the Praetorian Guard due to his excellent abilities, and became the candidate for the next generation leader because of his devout faith. Originally, such a person should not have been sent as a "hostage" to the barbarian land in the eyes of the Western Roman Empire.
But like Attila the 'Scourge of God', Aetius, known as the 'last Roman', went to the so-called barbaric land voluntarily.
In fact, the three of them had been together for a period of time, because Aetius went to the Hun tribe some time after Attila and Avia came to Western Rome.
If you forget how to protect your arrogance, you will one day taste the taste of failure, so Rome will be destroyed one day.
Aetius once said this in private to two Huns whom he had just met, which was quite disapproving.
For this country that has lost its original roots and is completely controlled by a church that has gradually become a little strange, this is the inevitable future. Perhaps, it will happen in the near future, while I am still alive... I have this feeling.
Even so, we must fight to the last moment, not give up hope, and strive to find a way, even if it means struggling until death, just like our ancestors who adhered to principles until death and were full of honor. We must not succumb to inevitable despair, nor tarnish the principles of what makes us human. We must persist until the end of our lives and let the most basic covenant called good continue.
The words of Aetius, who was able to defeat the Hun Empire led by the giant's head while leading the army of a declining empire with his human body, really left a deep impression on Avia.
At the same time, he understood that Aetius was the last resort of the now devastated Western Roman Emperor. But unfortunately, Avia wanted to destroy the Western Roman Empire, even if it meant slaughtering everyone. The fact that the foundation had deteriorated could not be changed. At this point, it was impossible to change it.
Trampling the world, bringing death.
.......
Whether it's Qihuang who possesses the holy book and "faith" as mentioned by the Mage Marshal, or the giant god breaking free from the seal and Typhon's revival as mentioned by Odin, Avia thinks that the simplest of these three things is probably Typhon. Although it will take about two years, it will be resolved earlier.
Therefore, after leaving Milan, Avia asked Attila to go back first, as she had things to do. The white-haired girl didn't say much, after all, she was not the kind of person who would ask many questions. She just said, "It doesn't matter, just don't die," and walked on the way back to the Huns' tribe.
The mountain cone is spewing lava and volcanic ash, forming spectacular lava flows and volcanic ash clouds. The lava gushes out of the crater like a hot river, slowly flowing down the mountain. Its fiery red color forms a sharp contrast with the surrounding black volcanic cones.
This is Mount Etna in Sicily, which is also the battlefield where the Greek god Zeus killed and sealed the great dragon Typhon.
And it seemed that Mount Etna became more active in an instant because of Avia's arrival, and even gave people a feeling that it would erupt at any time. Lava flows and volcanic ash clouds spread on the silver wings covering the sky, dyeing the entire sky a blood-red.
It was like an extremely terrifying and ominous bloody dawn.
After the end of the Age of Gods, how strong would Taizu Dragon Typhon be now that he has his own machine?
Avia seems to be much stronger than the divine body Osiris. If he were in the Age of Gods, he should be able to fight against Albion, who is also a pure-blooded dragon.
But I don't know whether this revived Typhon is the real body or the swallowed one-day fruit...
With complicated thoughts, Avia used runes to bless his body and walked towards the magma chamber in the deepest part of Mount Etna, where the Typhon machine was located.
112: Typhon Efmilos
The interior of the volcano is a pitch-black space, but it is not completely dark.
Wisps of light rose up with the faint flickering firelight, and no matter how far away they were, they all looked exactly the same. This was the faint glow given off by magma and volcanic gases.
Avia walked through various lava tunnels and lava rivers. These lava tunnels and lava rivers were formed by the cooling and solidification of flowing magma. They crisscrossed like a huge maze. Under the blessing of high temperature, they were like a terrifying purgatory.
Although this illusion occurs, there is actually no magic inside this volcano. However, in this world during the Age of Gods, there did exist buildings that could produce magical effects simply by being constructed, just as perfect symmetry can capture people's hearts.
Perhaps it is the resurgent power of Typhon that gives this place its magic nature.
Even so, the silver-haired young man followed the runes on this dark road and moved forward wholeheartedly, while seriously thinking about how to deal with Typhon.
If it was Typhon, the origin of the main god of Japan or the same as Set of Egypt, a pure-blooded dragon with super weapon attributes created by Gaia's heart of revenge, Avia felt that the aura of Greek gods on him would definitely cause him to fall into a tough battle with the Greek Taizu Dragon. After all, it was a creature created to destroy the Olympian gods.
But if it was a one-day fruit, it would be a little easier, because she was eaten by Typhon at the behest of the goddess of fate to weaken her power. Her greatest wish was to have freedom, so if she knew this, she would be able to take action.
We came to the high temperature and high pressure magma chamber under the volcano, where the temperature of the magma lake was over 1000 degrees Celsius.
There is no doubt that ordinary magic after the Age of Gods can hardly block such a hot temperature, but for Avia, who learned the original runes from the phantom of the great god, it is still acceptable under the protection of the runes.
So he jumped into the molten lava and went to the bottom, where the Typhon machine was.
Unlike the common orange-red color, the magma here is blood red. On the way down, Avia saw the blood-red magma like liquid flame.
It is constantly rolling and flowing, emitting dazzling light.
It was also clearly seen that the bubbles in the magma continued to rise and burst, making a slight hissing sound. At the same time, the sound of the magma boiling could be heard. The low and powerful roar seemed like the roar of some creature.
Finally, when they arrived at the bottom of the lava lake, Avia saw a person who looked like a young girl.
Deep in the volcano, in the secret place of magma, that person was standing there, as if he was waiting for the arrival of the silver-haired young man.
The red hair spread out in the blood-red molten lava, and the eyes, one golden and one black, seemed to contain light and darkness.
The black thing covering the whole body looks like countless black snakes wriggling.
Because of this, Avia realized that she was Typhon.
"This aura, as expected." The red-haired girl who seemed to be the incarnation of Typhon looked at the silent Avia, "Albion, Zeus, the Greek gods, the conceptual cursed objects, and the great gods from foreign lands, um, in other words, the so-called heroes that those guys had high hopes for. However, I was resurrected because of you, and this disaster was caused by you."
As the red-haired girl's joyful words fell, the black tide of chaos covering her skin in her human form fell off, and crimson spots of light quickly burst out of her body. The detached tide of chaos and the crimson spots of light produced a strange sense of vibration and resonance, which spread to the surroundings.
In less than a second, the huge creature that transformed from a girl's body into a Typhon stood in front of Avia. Even though it didn't move, it made people feel as if the entire Mount Etna was shaking.
"Human, fight me, exhaust your life's destiny, until you let out a miserable howl. Maybe I will show mercy and let you go, and fulfill your wish before you die."
Countless feathers arced from both sides of Typhon's body, and the swirling thunder cut through the molten lava, painted red and black, the embodiment of destruction that evaporated the world. The vortex vibrated heavily, ignoring the laws of physics, and did not allow anything to stand in the way. No matter what it was, it would dry up immediately, and everything would be decomposed into molecules.
Such attacks came from both sides of Avia.
This weapon was created in a completely new way by Taizulong Typhon after he cracked Zeus's design.
It drives the elements of fire and wind, inducing charged particles with magical power of reversal, and releases red and black lightning at the opponent in one breath.
Although in terms of specifications, the output of this thing can only reach the level limited by Zeus——
"You are the thunder that tears the universe apart"
"Are you Taizulong Typhon, or Yiguo Efumilos?"
Avia didn't care about the magic power exploding on both sides, because with the blessing of Rune, she was still able to resist the damage that was not even Typhon's full strength output.
"Haha, I am the light that is cast as it should be, and the storm that is swept as it should be violent - Typhon."
The bubbles all around continued to rise and burst, making a slight hissing sound.
"As for the One-Day Fruit sent by the goddess of fate, it has already merged with me, and I have acquired its power. Zeus can no longer use such insidious means to stop me. Oh, yes, now that the Olympian gods have disappeared from this world and can no longer appear, I am really happy."
Typhon, who appeared in human form again, smiled cruelly and said, "Look now, whether it's humans or the world, maybe those guys in Olympus that humans think are valuable and precious and refuse to let go are all meaningless illusions. It's better for them to disappear."
"Is that all you wanted to say?"
Avia was like the silent god of death, looking down at the red-haired girl with sharp claws from his height advantage.
"... Um, by the way, I told you before that I have actually obtained the ability of the One-Day Fruit, which is actually a wish-making machine in your terms," Typhon smiled, "I am very kind and tolerant. Since I was revived by you, you can be considered my benefactor. Hmm, how about you make a wish for me? I always keep my word."
As the red-haired girl spoke, her brows gradually relaxed. She just raised her head and looked at the silver-haired young man "sincerely" with her golden eyes.
113: The Nature of Desire
Looking at the sincere red-haired girl in front of him, a smile naturally appeared on Avia's face.
Typhon in the Type-Moon world hacked Zeus's design and built a copycat machine, forcing the Greek gods to flee to Egypt for refuge, but then Typhon was deceived by the three goddesses of fate. After eating the Sun Fruit on Mount Nyssa, Typhon was defeated by Zeus.
The essence of One Day Fruit is an anti-wishing machine, which is a conceptual ability.
However, whether the girl in front of him was Typhon or Ichigo, from the moment she deceived Avia into making a wish to her, the silver-haired young man understood that all her previous actions were for the purpose of making him make a wish to her.
The original "You are the thunder that tears the universe apart" was to know how powerful she was, so as to create fear or dread in her heart. Then the so-called "benefactor" gave her a choice. If nothing unexpected happened, the red-haired girl probably thought that Avia's wish would be -
"Don't let Typhon resurrect", "I hope you can stay here", "Don't destroy the world" and so on.
It doesn't matter whether it's sincere or not, as long as you say it, it's fine, because the ability of One-Day Fruit is a reverse wishing machine, which means it can do the opposite of the wish you made.
Unfortunately, Avia was well aware of this and understood her thoughts.
So I probably understand that what the red-haired girl wants most in her heart right now is probably "freedom".
To escape the fate of having to be born to kill the gods, to escape the fate of being used by others.
Therefore, Avia has already thought of a way to make it follow him into battle.
"I will call you Typhon Ephmiros. Come to think of it, both Typhon and Ichigo should have hatred towards the Greek gods."
The silver-haired young man did not expose her directly, but instead brought up another topic.
"So it's normal for you to be even more angry towards me, a human with the aura of the gods."
"...Because you have done me a favor, I am doing this. Well, this is how I repay a favor. Tell me quickly, I will satisfy you in any way."
The girl smiled on her face, but was extremely angry in her heart.
Damn humans, of course I know about this kind of thing. Even if she dies again, she doesn't want to help and protect the so-called humans from the bottom of her heart.
but......
If resurrection had not been hindered by the One-Day Fruit mechanism, which requires and only allows you, the guy who resurrected me, to make a wish once, I would have eaten you long ago. You are laughing and talking in roundabout ways, which is so annoying. I wonder how those gods will react if I kill you?
The more painful the better!
Then again, the red-haired girl didn't know what her current situation was. Was she Typhon? Or a day fruit? She didn't quite understand.
As for Typhon, she didn't have a fixed human form like the gods did during the Age of Gods. It can be said that she didn't plan to become a human. If so, her own machine would be perfectly integrated, as if it were her real self. It's so strange. If that's the case, although she and Echidna were just normal data transmission of the machine at that time, and were friends on the same front, those guys formed with the faulty data during the transmission process are nominally her children...
Whenever she thought of this, the red-haired girl would feel an indescribable feeling of shyness all over her body.
But it doesn’t matter, I won’t see them again anyway. Now the only thing that has never changed is my hatred for the Greek gods, so all I have to do is take revenge on them.
Make a wish quickly, make a wish, let the evil wish destroy everything——
"In fact, I know that the essence of the One-Day Fruit is an anti-wishing machine, so you must be lying to me."
"...Damn it, I am Typhon, the one who almost killed Zeus. How could I lie to a human like you? I don't need pity from a guy like you—"
"No, Typhon Efmilos, you have had a hard time."
Interrupting the red-haired girl's conversation with a stern tone, Avia raised his eyes, his blue eyes sharp and bright in the molten lava.
"As a dragon born to kill the gods of Olympus, you went through untold hardships to obtain the schematic diagram of Zeus's body and were finally able to defeat him. However, it was just a pipe dream. The power you obtained could only reach the level limited by Zeus himself. In the final analysis, your fate is predetermined. You can neither kill Zeus nor get rid of him."
"Ephmiros, the goddess of fate once said to you, 'Typhon's wish is evil, so all you have to do is sacrifice you, and all you have to do is be eaten' -"
"So what! Even if you don't make a wish to me, I will recover sooner or later, I will definitely do so. No matter how many years it takes, I can wait. Then, I will take revenge! These guys are all bastards. They will just sit there and watch me die! Why am I the only one who will die!"
A red light flashed across Typhon's dark golden eyes for a moment, which was the endless anger towards the Greek gods of the past and his own inevitable death. Now the smile on his face seemed crazy, like a blade with a cold glow, so cold and cruel.
"Whether they are gods or heroes, I am just an enemy on their path."
