Chapter 35 : The war has started

At that moment, Audrey's prayers resounded above the gray fog.

She explained that Xin Jian told her that she wanted to start a war, Audrey asked if she was authorized to participate in this war.

Xin Jian : What would you have done if Mr. Fool was not my accomplice ? This is called delation, you know. But at least the brainwashing I did to her was efficient…

Mr. Fool didn't answer this prayer since it was Klein's responsibility anyway.

A few minutes later, Klein arrived into Sefirah Castle and replied to Miss Justice.

« Can. »

Klein's thoughts : What the heck ? Xin Jian wants to start a war ? So Xin Jian is Miss Justice's teacher sent by the church ?

—————— I am the dividing line~

Gehrman stepped onto the Future.

A few Tarot meetings ago, Miss Devil had revealed that the entrance of the abandoned land of the gods was located at the end of the Sea of Ruins, in the easternmost front of the Sonia Sea.

Interested, The World made a deal with the newly-joined Cattleya to bring him there.

He would need anchors when he advances to Sequence 2 anyway, and the abandoned land of the god was a good candidate.

When he digested his Sequence 4 potion, bringing the City of Silver to the real world would also complete the ritual to become a real angel.

(Miracle Invoker's ritual : Return a piece of history that has been left behind to the present era.)

Cattleya welcomed him and introduced to him the people on the boat.

Queen Mystic, who was hidden, used a Beyonder ability to see through him then her eyes began to bleed.

Gehrman's spiritual intuition was triggered and he turned his head.

Cattleya, who saw Bernadette suddenly appear with bleeding eyes, was startled.

When Gehrman looked at her, Bernadette apologized.

« Sorry, Mr. Moretti. »

She knew the abilities of the Seer Pathway and had realized that the person facing her was Klein.

Bernadette : Still, I am already an angel, why are my eyes bleeding while looking at him even now ?

(Mr. Fool : Sorry, at this point it's my fault.)

« Huh. Hello. »

Klein waved awkwardly.

It wouldn't be polite to stay into character since she had recognized him, right ?

Huang Beibei and Uncle Zhou unexpectedly reunited.

Klein, whose vest was lifted : It's not a big deal. After all, what does Klein have to do with me, The Fool ?

…was trying to fool himself.

So Klein, his niece (?) and his adoptive niece's daughter (+ her crew) left on a nice (?) family trip (???).

(Klein : When I put a question mark, it's not that I have a problem, but that I think you have a problem.

Author : Cough ! Cough ! This narration was also done by Xin Jian. *avoiding responsibility.jpg*)

Cattleya : ???

Did they already know each other ?

—————— I am the dividing line~

While Mr. Fool was watching Klein going on a family trip, he also looked at Xin Jian.

In the real world, she was finishing the preparations for the bloodless war.

After checking that the Demoness Sect had successfully become a martial arts sect, she went to see the newly born Will.

« Hey, Will, I need your help to create a war. Can you use your ability to reboot right now ? »

« I'm just a baby ! »

« Yes, yes. And I also wanted you to lend me the Life School of Thought. »

« This is child abuse ! »

Xin Jian made a gentle smile.

« Nice, there isn't a law to protect children in this country anyway. »

Will shut up and sulked.

Xin Jian's face returned to her usual stoic expression and they reached an agreement.

In the next few days, Xin Jian was very busy. She had decided to make the bloodless war begin in the middle of June.

Audrey had helped with the details of the plan and Adam acted behind the scenes to help Xin Jian put everything in place.

Amanises had agreed to send an oracle to the members of her Church to not kill anyone but put them to sleep with Beyonder abilities or charms, or just subdue their opponents if they could. The ones who disagreed with that would be punished.

Lilith said that she would do the same.

However, it was obviously impossible to guarantee that accidents would not occur.

Making the members of Their Church pray to an unknown existence (The Fool) in the middle of a battle (to monitor it) would make the goddesses lose credibility (or their believers think that they are being sacrificed), so that suggestion was pushed aside.

As for making Leodero send an oracle to his Church to not kill anyone in the upcoming war and subdue their opponents…

Lol.

Even if He did, with the temper of the Storm Pathway, something would definitely go wrong anyway.

Xin Jian also convinced the king to reduce the casualties because it wouldn't affect his plans, and the gods agreed that knocking out believers could still slightly weaken the opponents' anchors since they couldn't pray or have faith in their gods while they were unconscious.

With an oracle from the True Creator to the high-ranking members of the Psychology Alchemists and Adam's psychological hints, the members of the Psychology Alchemists would spread false rumors to create the illusion that people were really dying in this war, and prevent people from going overboard because of the despair. Hermes would help too.

Behind the scenes, Audrey was ready to manipulate the population to reduce the differences between the social classes and push the nobles to help and donate to the poor before the war begins.

Audrey and Hermes (who went to see Xin Jian again) also helped Xin Jian to find ways to increase the conflicts regarding the lost war and Balam colonies.

Adam made the members of the Twilight Hermit Order, which was composed of many important people, seize this opportunity and begin the war.

Xin Jian set up many people to protect the citizens at the locations Feysac was supposed to attack first.

In Winter County, in the Amantha Mountain range, where the headquarters of the Evernight goddess, the Church of Serenity, is located, Xin Jian set up many members of the Secret Order, the Demoness Sect and the Numinous Episcopate, as well as the secret puppets from the Aurora Order and from the Rose School of Thought Indulgence faction that fake Xin Jian had hunted with the Church were mixed with the Evernight's Church forces.

At least one secret puppet was put in each battle to let Xin Jian monitor everyone. Thanks to the ability of a Bizarro Sorcerer, Xin Jian could make the secret puppets use her abilities so she was sure that they wouldn't accidentally be killed.

In heavy industrial cities on the east coast of Midseashire, the important harbors by Sonia Sea and Loen's colonial army in East Balam, Xin Jian also set up many secret puppets and members of these organizations including Zaratul, Sia Palenque Eggers and Panatiya.

From that day on, a legend spread in the other orthodox churches that they saw the members of the Demoness Sect subdue their enemies with martial arts.

Just in case, Miss Messenger, the Rose School of Thought's Temperance faction and the Life School of Thought were stationed in Lenburg.

Will was also ready to do child labor just in case.

Xin Jian, who had to control all of her secret puppets, rediscovered the definition of the word "multi-tasking" and decided to make the future Church of The Fool create a new dictionary without this word (maybe it would solve everything).

Mr. Fool watched her and erased is presence because he had no intention to participate in this mess.

Amanises drank tea with him and decided to go on a holiday. Anyway, it's not like Her Church would need Her to fight.

Leodero was still a tsundere and didn't join Them.

Lilith was a responsible person and kept watch on Her Church members, but also drank tea above Sefirah Castle.

Leodero regretted being a tsundere and sulked on the side.

All of the members of the secret organizations and Xin Jian's secret puppets that were left were scattered across Feysac and Loen in strategic points.

Fake Jian had to manage her unit of the MI9 and used a psychological hint on them to make them only subdue their opponents.

The people who finished fighting hid their opponents in some bases prepared in advance (while some parasitized members of the Iron and Blood Cross Order watched over them in these bases, in case they woke up), then went on to another battlefield.

Lilith's Church members, who were on the God of War's side, also participated in this plan and assured that people seemed to die on the two sides.

Above the gray fog, Xin Jian was working day and night. Even if she didn't need to sleep, she acted as if she was on the verge of dying for the first few days. However, when more people started to fight and she got even busier, she had to stop complaining.

Soon, after the war begun in the middle of June, a few months passed and Xin Jian urged the gods (that were still tea) to go out there and try to kill each other before Feynapotter also entered the game.

On the population's side, everyone was in despair but the Beyonders of the Spectator Pathway prevented them from going overboard.

Finally, Audrey had made a lot nobles create charities and donate to the poor in the short time before the war, and made the population revolt in front of the now indifferent attitude of the nobles who only cared for themselves and sold back the food they had collected at higher and higher prices.

The God of War was ready to fight and Amanises and Lilith sighed as they went to the astral world.

Meanwhile, Audrey had decided to also participate in a battlefield like a big girl.

This is war.

(Xin Jian : Erm. The conclusion seems a bit wrong… It doesn't match the vibe at all.)

Conclusion : This is bullshit.

*Xin Jian, master of conclusions, at your service*

« Are sure you want to fight without any help ? »

Since they lacked manpower, Audrey had asked Xin Jian to fight in a battlefield without any secret puppets.

« Yes. »

Seeing the determination in Audrey's gaze, Xin Jian accepted and told her to be careful since she didn't have any battle experience. She reminded her to simply call her name if she was in difficulty and someone would come right away.

Even if she was worried, Xin Jian still respected Audrey's decision and decided to watch her through the crimson star.

At the same time, Amanises began to fight against Lilith and the God of War and the Church of the God of War received an oracle.

« Send a few high Sequence Beyonders to Pritz Harbor. »

Above Sefirah Castle, Amon had unexpectedly come to chat with Xin Jian and watched the crimson stars with her.

When Klein had come back from his "family trip", he saw that a war had begun and made sure his siblings were safe. Then, he set up a charity as Dwayne Dantes and was now scaring away the soldiers from Feysac's side to digest his Bizarro Sorcerer potion.

That's how he unintentionally helped in Xin Jian's plan.

*coincidence.jpg*

I told you Adam would take care of the details…

This war was not a matter of luck.

It was a matter of data and careful strategizing.

Xin Jian worked with Adam to adapt it in real time and her secret puppets collected the data.

However, it was also a matter of trust and cooperation.

Was everyone really trustworthy ?

When the God of War seemed to know that Lilith was planning to backstab Him and brought the Eternal Blazing Sun into the fight, Mr. Fool frowned and began to suspect something.

Unexpectedly, a Sequence 6, a Sequence 5 and a demigod arrived to Pritz Harbor, where Audrey was fighting since a few days.

« Xin Jian, I think Amon may have leaked information to the God of War. »

Xin Jian looked at Mr. Fool.

« What are you saying ? You shouldn't suspect others without evidence. »

Xin Jian's true thoughts : What are you saying ? Of course Amon did it ! »

While she had a new headache, she anxiously watched Audrey engage in battle.

She was obviously cornered but didn't call for help.

« What are doing ? Audrey, you just need to say my name… »

Audrey saw a civilian in the distance.

It was a child, he was looking their way with a teddy bear in his arms.

She ran to the other side and lured her opponents away. She didn't want the child to be swept up by the battle.

However, she arrived to a cliff and had nowhere to escape to.

She wasn't sure she could survive if she jumped from there, but the Beyonders blocking her path were also too strong for her.

The Spectator Pathway was not fit for fighting.

Since Klein was worried, he had made The World lend her creeping hunger.

Audrey tried to teleport but the demigod of the Black Emperor Pathway stopped her.

« Teleportation is forbidden here ! »

Audrey had no way out.

At that moment, Xin Jian made Mr. Fool send an oracle and Audrey heard Mr. Fool's voice.

« You can call for help right now. Do you want to call for help ? »

The only thing stopping Xin Jian from helping right now was because Audrey chose to not ask for help.

Audrey refused.

« No. »

Audrey was scared.

Anyone would be scared in this situation.

She was terrified.

However, she still held herself proudly and looked at the Beyonders in front of her with a determined gaze.

Even if she was terrified, she answered calmly :

« I want to take my fate into my own hands. »

She raised her head.

I decided that I would change things, and I decided that I would fight here today to help change things. It was my decision, my choice, and I will handle the consequences of that choice. »

Above the gray fog, Xin Jian didn't say anything as she listened to Audrey's answer.

« Even if I am scared, I will continue to fight until the end ! »

As she said this, her gaze didn't waver.

In her ears, she heard an answer.

« …Okay. »

Xin Jian lowered her head.

Audrey took a deep breath and looked at her opponents.

At the edge of the cliff, she charged at them at attacked a last time.

Under Xin Jian's gaze, Audrey died.

But she died with dignity, and confronted her death head-on.

(Author : Guys, if I die today, the culprit is Editor-nim, okay ?

Xin Jian : No, I think you should suspect me too.

Author : Mr. Fool, my will is in the drawer.)

Xin Jian stayed silent.

On the gods' side, the God of War was finally killed.

Amanises took his Beyonder characteristics and handed over the authority of the moon to Lilith.

Adam was also promoted to Sequence 0.

There was a war and the God of War died in the end. It was enough.

Many people had also used this battle for advancement.

After the end of this battle, the war ended.

It was as if all of the soldiers struggles until now were insignificant.

Then, the people detained in the bases were released and went back home.

The population had not yet realized it but the war had ended without any deaths.

It was a true miracle.

It was a bloodless war.

But in truth, it was not really bloodless. After all, there were two deaths.

The ones who died were the God of War and Audrey Hall, a noble, daughter of an influential banker, member of the psychology alchemists and also known as Miss Justice of the Tarot Club.

« Mr. Fool, is it my fault ? »

Mr. Fool turned his head to her.

Xin Jian's expression didn't change, it was as stoic and emotionless as usual.

However, Xin Jian was sad.

"Only when I was able to interact with the real world, Audrey died. Then, is it my fault ? »

It was the first round that Audrey had died.

This war was bloodless. It was a miracle.

But in truth, it wasn't really bloodless, there were two casualties : the God of War and Audrey.

But would anyone know about Audrey ?

Xin Jian didn't care about all these people who should've died in this war. Compared to them, she would've preferred Audrey to live.

To her, it was a tasteless victory.

« I advanced an inevitable war to make sure there would be no casualties, but a person I knew died instead of all these strangers. Am I really only making bad decisions ? »

That day, Xin Jian lost a friend.

—————— I am the dividing line~

It was the Tarot Club.

As they greeted Mr. Fool, everyone noticed Audrey's absence.

Miss Devil announced :

« Miss Justice has died in the war. »

Everyone was shocked.

Some of them glanced at The Fool Klein.

The realization that one of their members had died made the atmosphere heavy for a while.

Klein had learnt by Audrey that she wanted to participate in this war a few months ago, but he didn't know that she went to fight in Pritz Harbor.

Klein controlled his facial expression.

It was all Xin Jian's fault.

It was her who had started this war and made Miss Justice participate in it.

If the Evernight goddess knew that the existence of the Tarot Club, does that mean that Xin Jian was voluntarily targeting Audrey ? (Klein doesn't know that the Amanises is a member of the Tarot Club.)

"Why are you doing that to me !"

Klein didn't know that Xin Jian wanted to make a "bloodless" war, but he thought that Xin Jian didn't like him.

He had to digest his Sequence 4 potion even faster and take revenge !

Klein now viewed Xin Jian as a person who had made thousands of civilians die, and as an enemy.

—————— I am the dividing line~

Xin Jian decided to take out her frustration on Amon.

She went down to the real world for the first time after a few months and found Medici, who had helped starting the war for his promotion ceremony by deepening the conflicts between Loen and Feysac (as expected from the Hunter Pathway).

« Medici, let's beat up Amon. »

« No. »

However, Medici's refusal unfortunately stopped her there.

« Eh, why ? »

Medici, who was realistic and knew that he didn't have the strength to beat up a king of angels, didn't want to die yet.

In a mocking tone, Medici retorted :

« Are you stupid ? I knew that there was something wrong with your brain, but I seem to have underestimated the problem. Tsk tsk. Did you really think I wouldn't know that you are planning to use me as a tool ? But why would you bring me to fight in your stead when I am of a lower Sequence than you, Miss "Lord of the Mysteries" ? Go there, fight. I'll at least watch you. »

Xin Jian realized that she had indeed pretended to be the Lord of Mysteries in front of Medici, and that he also knew it was a fluke since Mr. Fool was the true Lord of Mysteries.

Xin Jian sneered.

« Are you not scared of Mr. Fool at all ? »

Medici had an arrogant smile at the corner of his mouth.

« Of course. »

"Look at you, you're so confident."

Xin Jian suddenly had the thought that she should beat up Medici instead of Amon.