There is nothing in the sky. So looking up at the sky is usually done without any particular reason. And there aren't that many idle people in the world.
Therefore, those who observed what was happening in that distant sky were few across the entire continent.
Something falls from above the Floating Star wandering the continent. It looks like a spear thrown by an enraged god. Wrapped in flames and scattering light, it roars thunderously toward the world at an angle.
The Floating Star blocks its path.
The Floating Star, which had been traveling along its trajectory, suddenly stopped and slowly fell. As if trying to receive that fury with its entire body, it leaps backward and prepares to block 'Pride.'
But the fierce spear of the god is too fast. A few minutes after it began its fall. The Floating Star's speed also quickened in an instant, but it was no match for 'Pride' which had already been shot toward the ground. It's like trying to shake off an arrow by running backward. 'Pride' catches up to the falling Floating Star in an instant.
And....
The problem with 'Pride' is its mass, but the real problem is its speed. The meteorite that wandered through space and reached this land is approaching at truly cosmic speed.
Unless we do something about that speed, we cannot stop 'Pride.' But speed itself is power. How on earth should we block that?
"Seong Rene. It's your turn. Settle your unresolved grudge."
Thwack. Shei's body soars. Accelerated by Rankart, Shei is thrown into the sky and meets 'Pride' emerging from afar one beat earlier.
It would be difficult with Jizan. Jizan itself is close to an extremely heavy sword. Since 'Pride's' weapons are mass and speed, weight alone cannot overcome it.
But, there is another.
Cheon-aeng has space.
"Cheon-aeng...! Please!"
Opportunity returned to Seong Rene. A chance to settle the grudge she had left behind in the past. Cheon-aeng creaks open, and the virtual space within reveals itself. The sincere and gentle Seong Rene only showed her savagery after death.
Unique Demon Path. Sky in a Pocket.
Just before 'Pride' collides, briefly. This space that belonged nowhere erodes the world. The virtual space within the Unique Demon Path. Rene's pocket is liberated and adds coordinates that didn't exist in the world.
That is Seong Rene's space. 12% of 'Pride's' volume is sucked into the virtual space in an instant. It hasn't been annihilated, and 12% alone isn't enough, but.
Seong Rene still had to do it.
-I cannot let him become a sinner.
Seong Rene's wish was not merely to protect the world.
She didn't want the scholar she respected to become a threat to humanity. She didn't want knowledge to become a weapon. She didn't want people to feel fear toward learning.
If accumulating more knowledge becomes a greater threat. Then knowledge itself would become a sin. The hall of knowledge she loved and nurtured would turn into a garden of sin.
-I cannot let him become an object of eternal resentment. Rather, even if it means I must sin.
So Seong Rene decided to swallow the Demon God's sin. Even knowing it would fall far short.
A dark and cold space bares its teeth. Rene's Unique Demon Path. Sky in a Pocket swallowed 'Pride.'
'Pride,' which was about to collide with the Floating Star, became submerged in Rene's virtual space. Rene's virtual space looks like a small pocket on the outside, but inside is a non-existent space. 'Pride's' speed briefly slowed as it passed through meaningless space. In reality, it didn't slow down, it only 'appeared' to have slowed.
That was enough.
The deafening roar tearing through the atmosphere, the heat generated by friction with the air, the intense light emanating from it—all disappeared for a very brief moment. Rene's virtual space devoured the meteorite's 'speed.'
'Pride' lost its speed for just a moment. Earlier it was a speed that would have pierced through the Floating Star, but now, having fallen into the virtual space, its speed precariously decreased. That single moment.
"Gravity anomaly restored. Prepare for docking."
The Floating Star's gravity guides 'Pride.'
'Pride,' which had been targeting the Earth Mother Goddess, mistakes the suddenly appearing Floating Star for the ground and aims for its center.
However, that was a trap. The Floating Star's demon path mages unleashed their power as if they had been waiting.
Unique Demon Path, One-Way Traffic.
The Green Tower Lord's power supports 'Pride.' The Unique Demon Path is a rule of the world imposed by an individual. That is no exception even for 'Pride.' The barrier of One-Way Traffic shook slightly, but the Green Tower Lord ultimately canceled out 'Pride's' speed as it entered her radius.
Even so, it was only a few dozen meters centered on the Green Tower Lord, but 'Pride' crumpled and bounced back as if caught on an iron nail.
Unique Demon Path, Peach Blossom Garden.
The Red Tower Lord burns 'Pride.' Just before collision, the flame aura she shot out precariously turned 'Pride's' surface into a bomb first. A massive explosion occurred on 'Pride's' surface. It was a powerful explosion that dyed the field of vision red in an instant. The omnidirectional blast pressure formed a buffer zone and pushed 'Pride' back.
However, perhaps as the price for shaving away at 'Pride.' Hot, sharp, and fast meteorite fragments rain endlessly onto the Floating Star.
Unique Demon Path, Vanishing Point.
The Black Tower Lord's power has too narrow a range to block 'Pride.' But those pouring fragments are a different story. The Black Tower Lord trapped the pouring fragments within the Vanishing Point. Then spun that small sphere around and fired it back. 'Pride' ended up being attacked by its own fragments.
Besides that, the Floating Star's demon path mages, while not comparable to the Tower Lords, added their power with sufficiently potent strength. The Tower's mages scattered their magical power.
All this power, all this magical power poured out—the result obtained after finally stopping 'Pride.'
'Pride' ultimately collided with the Floating Star.
'Pride' is smoothly sucked toward the Floating Star. As if trying to become one, 'Pride' pierces through the Floating Star's ceiling and embeds itself.
A massive shockwave occurs. Waves crash against the Floating Star's solid surface. 'Pride' half-penetrates the Floating Star, frameworks and bricks shatter and scatter, the things contained within explode, causing colorful explosions. The Floating Star, now one with 'Pride,' falls across the sky.
The impact was so great that it brightly decorated the continent's sky, which was still in night.
No matter how powerful a Unique Demon Path is, the body of the mage using it is fragile. Over 40% of the mages fainted or were incapacitated by the shockwave from the collision. And this was while protected by One-Way Traffic and Vanishing Point—without them, it would have been instant death.
Even if they weren't directly hit by fragments or storms, the scattered impact, noise, and heat alone were enough to harm people.
"...You're crazy!"
To prevent that, the Celsius mage moved.
The cruel magic that encloses humans in ice and imprisons them is now used to save humans. Ice Armor Magic. It doesn't hinder movement, and becomes ice armor that protects the caster from heat and impact, safeguarding the mages.
Elsia Celsius moved the ice she controlled and caught the mages who had been blown away by the impact.
Unique Demon Path, River of Ice. The extending ice catches the scattering mages. As Elsia Celsius, who barely saved two mages, stumbled from magical exhaustion, the Blue Tower Lord immediately supported her. Elsia Celsius said while shedding cold sweat.
"To receive a meteorite with the Floating Star. You certainly came up with a reckless plan."
"It's very reckless. Thank you for helping with this reckless plan."
The Blue Tower Lord quickly added.
"Sister."
"Hmph. Unlike your esteemed Floating Star people, lowly me governs the land of the lower realm. I can't let that meteorite fall to the ground."
"Same here. I absolutely couldn't let that happen."
"It's not because the Celsius family is down there, is it?"
"That's one of the reasons too."
Smiling briefly, Elsia stood on the twisted and shaking Floating Star and looked at 'Pride.'
"...So, what are you going to do now? Like this, the Floating Star will collide with the ground."
The Floating Star was falling rapidly. It had fallen to match 'Pride's' speed and then collided with 'Pride,' so this was a natural consequence.
Rather, the weight had increased. If it fell at this speed, it would be a worse result than simply letting 'Pride' fall.
The Blue Tower Lord took out a resonance crystal and contacted the Administration Bureau.
"...Administration Bureau. How is it? Can you float the Floating Star again?"
[....]
No answer. Could the resonance crystal be broken? Then that would be fortunate; in the worst case, they might be dead. Since 'Pride' had pierced through, the impact would have been transmitted inside the Floating Star as well.
"I'm sorry. Rest now. I'll handle the rest."
Receiving 'Pride' smoothly and then rising back into the sky. That was the best result, but like all hastily made plans, it failed.
Well, this much is sufficiently excellent. 'Pride's' momentum was already broken. Even if they escaped with the surviving mages like this, it wouldn't reach the point of the world ending.
"But, having come this far, I can't end with the second-worst result."
If they could at least save the Floating Star. Or save even a few more lives. The Blue Tower Lord must do so. She must pursue the best result. That is the Blue Tower Lord's duty.
"I'll find the Demon God that must be inside 'Pride.' Sister. Keep the communication going instead of me."
"Are you crazy? You're going to rummage through that meteorite? If you're outside you can at least escape, but if you go in there and can't come out in time, you'll fall and be smashed to pieces!"
"I still have to do it."
"No! How are you going to excavate that huge meteorite? How do you know where the Demon God will be?"
'Pride' is not hollow like the Floating Star. Inside is solid and dense rock. Now it's cracked here and there from the impact. Entering inside 'Pride' in this situation would be no different from saying you want to be buried alive under a rock.
"Distinguish between what you must do and what you can do. That's not within your power!"
No Tower Lord could accomplish it. Unless some kind of miracle occurs.
***
At that time. The highest peak in the Empire.
While a meteorite that might destroy the world was falling, a man was swinging a single sword.
"Wind Cut."
Whoosh. That slash only cut the innocent wind. As the scattered wind crumbled and fell, he silently grasped his sword again.
"This isn't it. Then. Sky Cut."
A swordsman flailing about while swinging his sword at the mountain peak. How absurd is this. It was as if someone had placed the most ridiculous clown at the highest point. As if to show everyone and mock them. Does it mean to laugh heartily before the world ends?
"Space Cut."
Like that for a while. That swordsman brandished his sword toward the sky. Thrusting, flipping, cutting, shaking, he successively slashed at invisible things.
In reality, nothing was cut, but he was as serious as if he had cut something. Occasionally thunder rumbled and lightning struck, and a single piece of cloud split into two, but that only happened once. Most of the swings ended meaninglessly.
"Cloud Cut."
However, no matter how meaningless a human's attempt may seem, it has value. Beyond reaching the truth, if one has grasped the truth in their hands, this is even more so.
Cut, cut, cut. If it doesn't work, until it does. If there's nothing to cut, until there is. Changing the target, overturning perception, turning the gaze. After infinite attempts, a miracle responded.
"Single Layer Cut."
Ting. The sound of a thin string snapping.
And the world responded.
The 'single layer' that the sword tip points to is entirely cut. The clouds, the world, 'Pride,' the Floating Star. Across the vast distance, the sword separates the 'single layer' and draws out what is contained within.
It was a slash so minute it would be invisible from such a distance, but the sensation of cutting remained in his hand.
"Found it."
This is the 'correct answer.' The Sword Saint, having intuitively realized this, readjusted his grip on the sword.
"The world is cloth woven from a single layer. What I hold are scissors to cut that cloth."
Perception is twisted. Now, within his mindscape. The world is a picture drawn on a single layer of cloth. Clouds and mountains are embroidered on blue cloth dyed with indigo. The sky is blue, the clouds are ethereal. It's a magnificent scenery that brings a smile just by looking at it quietly.
In such a beautiful landscape painting, one foreign stain. The bizarre structure falling from that distant sky.
It's uncomfortable.
The Sword Saint perceived it so. So he wanted to cut it. He wanted to tear this painting apart and excise that unpleasant stain.
That perception becomes a mindscape, and the mindscape twists the truth. Having reached the truth—no, something beyond that—he judges the world as he pleases.
The Sword Saint, having finished his meditation, slowly raised his sword. The sky catches on the tip of his sword. Folds form in space. It's as if he alone exists in the world. The sky and clouds are distorting solely by one person's whim.
What on earth is the world to him? Why is the world, which should be fair to all, so fragile to him?
This is not a rule, not a law, not an ordinance. It's merely the simple obstinacy of one human.
However, power that has reached the truth turns obstinacy into reality.
"Single Layer Cut."
The Sword Saint literally 'tore' the world apart.