-1563- Demon's Seclude

— Another World.

For others, this might seem like an unimaginable event, but for Rozen, it wasn't surprising at all.

After all, Rozen himself was a traveler between worlds, a magus who had crossed into various different worlds.

However, the worlds Rozen traveled through were entirely distinct, with worldviews that couldn't possibly be connected. These were, in the truest sense, entirely separate realms.

They couldn't interfere with each other, nor could they even know of each other's existence. Only Rozen had the privilege of traversing between them. This was the true reason why the "Miracle" that astonished even Altera was so unique.

But in worlds with the same worldview, "otherworld" typically refers to a different dimension or space.

For example, in human society, there are concepts such as Heaven, Hell, parallel worlds, and in the world of "Strike the Blood," even Beast Vassals and spirits come from these otherworlds.

Thus, being a figure deeply familiar with these otherworlds, and having pieced together various histories, clues, and analyses, Rozen arrived at a conclusion.

That conclusion was that the Armored Beetles were actually creatures from another world, and the so-called "Gate" referred to the passage connecting this world and the world of the Armored Beetles.

"Otherwise, there's no way to explain how such a remarkable species would suddenly appear in the human world."

Rozen stated this plainly.

"The reason Her Holiness the Pope is so concerned about the dragon is that she believes I might have accidentally opened a passage to another otherworld and summoned the dragon from there. She's worried that humanity may once again face a new enemy or invader, just like 400 years ago, which is why she's so anxious."

Hearing this, Emilie, Cris, and River finally understood why Annerose had been so agitated.

This was something that could indeed impact the survival of humanity.

The three of them nearly broke into a cold sweat.

It was only now that the trio realized the true implications of the dragon's appearance.

As a result, they began to feel a lingering fear.

If even they felt this way, one could only imagine how Annerose, the highest-ranking human authority who had likely witnessed history unfold, must have felt.

"…Just as you said, the Armored Beetles are creatures from the otherworld that passed through the 'Gate.'"

Annerose, after a brief moment of silence, spoke in a voice that seemed to have calmed herself down.

"Not just the ordinary Armored Beetles—even Emilie and Cris, who stand here, are beings from another world."

Annerose's words caused Rozen and River to shift their gazes toward Emilie and Cris.

The two did not hide the truth anymore and nodded, admitting to the matter.

"In our world, since several hundred years ago, disasters began to occur frequently."

Cris explained to Rozen in a narrative tone.

"Diseases, famine, floods, earthquakes—one disaster after another occurred in various places, plunging the entire world into chaos."

To escape these disasters and find a place where they could live in peace, the people of the otherworld continued to migrate and struggle, searching for a place where life could flourish.

It was then that a phenomenon began to appear across the world.

"—'Demon's Seclude.'"

Emilie picked up where Cris left off.

"That refers to the phenomenon where humans suddenly vanish from some corner of the world without a trace or any warning."

In simple terms, it was like the otherworld's version of the folklore known as "spirited away."

At first, people didn't know what was happening and believed it to be a new kind of disaster.

But as time passed, people gradually realized that those who experienced the "Demon's Seclude" had, in fact, accidentally passed through the "Gate" and ended up fighting in another world.

That world had land that could sustain life.

That world had resources that could make human prosperity possible.

The people of the otherworld rejoiced, believing it to be a gift from the gods, thinking this was the only opportunity for humans to escape the disasters and live peacefully.

As a result, they no longer referred to the phenomenon as "Demon's Seclude" but called it the "Holy War," drawing in all kinds of people to pass through the "Gate" and come to this world.

However, people quickly realized that this so-called "Holy War" came at a cost.

"In our world, people also use mana to interfere with phenomena and perform miracles. Many people are Mages, which is similar to the Wizards you mentioned in this world."

Cris continued explaining.

"When Mages pass through the 'Gate,' they gain a special power, one stronger than mana."

That power was jutsuryoku.

However...

"Upon gaining jutsuryoku, those who pass through the 'Gate' are also subjected to a trial to see whether they can control it. Their inner desires are unleashed, forcing them to confront their inner darkness, which greatly affects their minds and souls." Cris said with a heavy expression. "As a result, those with evil desires or those who fail the trial are transformed into monsters, specifically the Armored Beetles."

That's the reason why this world is filled with Armored Beetles.

In the face of the trial, the invaders from the otherworld, unless they had an exceptionally strong will, would inevitably become mindless monsters, turning into Armored Beetles and endangering the world.

Unfortunately, most of the people who chose to join the "Holy War" did so for selfish reasons, hoping to escape the frequent disasters of the otherworld, invading this world for their own well-being.

As a result, when they descended upon this world, almost all of them became Armored Beetles.

However, there were a few exceptions.

"If one could pass the trial, they could retain their human appearance and reason upon arriving in this world." Cris said calmly, "This is the origin of the humanoid Armored Beetles."

In other words, humanoid Armored Beetles were not some special mutation of the original Armored Beetles, but were, in fact, actual humans from the otherworld who hadn't been turned into monsters.

"When passing through the 'Gate,' we all obtained jutsuryoku. Some lost their mana, but those who didn't discovered that by combining the two powers, they could create Collapse Force."

Emilie declared.

"Thus, we were the first to discover Collapse Force."

The Alchemist Division's hypothesis about the existence of Collapse Force was only put forward after the appearance of jutsuryoku.

But the humanoid Armored Beetles had already gained both powers and fused them, proving the existence of Collapse Force and how it was born.

This explained the origins of the Armored Beetles, jutsuryoku, and Collapse Force.

However, this led to another question.

"So, how exactly did the 'Gate' that connects the two worlds come into existence?"

Rozen's sudden question caused everyone to hold their breath.

Especially Annerose, who first widened her eyes, then showed a rare sign of disturbance.

Seeing this, Rozen understood something.

A hint of mockery flashed in his eyes.