The black-haired girl thought that was the easiest way.
Because of this, she felt that she could understand a little bit about the madness of those creatures who were crazy about fighting and killing.
That's right, because as long as I become like that... I will be free.
"Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you, Ji-kun, I have mobilized your black and white knights and the royal guards to deal with the sorcerers."
The mainstream religion of the Sassanid Empire was Zoroastrianism, and most of the sorcerers here believed in it, thus opposing the Roman Empire's Templar Church.
"...Avia, why are the knights and guards so willing to be manipulated by you?"
"Because, perhaps because of the alliance between you and me, everyone is very cooperative, right, Fufu?"
Altluchi, in the form of a 14-year-old girl, tilted her head slightly and asked a reasonable question, but the answer she received was extremely brief.
"And they all said to me, 'This body is the sword and shield of the master. It is the supreme honor to protect him to the end. If even a hair of Lord Ji is damaged, it is the highest humiliation for us.' Cathy also shouted happily at that time."
"Fufu, fufu, fufu, fufu!"
The white demon dog following at Altluchi's feet shouted with pride, but unfortunately its owner didn't even look at it.
"So it's you, not me, who should be in charge of them... But after all, I am the nominal highest commander... So..."
The silver-haired young man who was already known as another Hun king spoke calmly, as if it was no big deal. He said in a 'merciless, yet loving' tone that had plunged this dynasty, which had lasted for hundreds of years and had made countless people bow down to it, into crisis:
"Because this is my responsibility - Are you ready, Altuluchi?"
"Of course, since you and I are allies, we can do it anytime."
Altluchi looked at Avia with a pair of bloodshot eyes and answered.
At this moment, the northern part of the Sassanid Empire extending to the Caucasus region was completely conquered and destroyed by the Hun army brought by Avia.
In the original history, Attila, who attacked the Sassanid Empire, would be counterattacked and defeated in Armenia, and would give up the idea of conquering Persia and continue to move towards Eastern and Western Rome.
But now, another army led by Attila is also advancing rapidly in the Armenian region, almost unstoppable, and the Eastern Roman Empire even took advantage of the situation and robbed several important towns...
Before parting with Attila, Avia specifically instructed her not to completely destroy the Sassanid forces in Armenia, but to leave them a chance to survive.
Otherwise, allowing the Eastern Roman Empire to take over Armenia would always be disadvantageous to the Hunnic Empire.
After all, he had no plan to occupy the conquered areas. He could wait for the Sassanid Empire, which was facing internal and external troubles, to agree to his request, and then he could drive the Hephthalites out.
This was done not only to enhance the power and economic strength of the Hun Empire, but also to allow the Sassanid Empire to contain the Eastern Roman Empire when attacking the Western Roman Empire.
The reason why the Sassanid Empire has been slow to support the north is that the Hephthalites are frantically attacking Fars Province, the birthplace of the Sassanid Empire and also the first province of the empire. As early as more than 2,000 years ago, the Persian ancestors took an important step onto the stage of history from here.
The Achaemenid and Sassanid dynasties were established successively, becoming a superpower that could dominate the historical process of West Asia. Even during the Hellenistic and Parthian eras under foreign rule, the local native cultural roots were not affected.
Therefore, the major forces of the Sassanid Empire would never give up the province of Fars easily, and would naturally fight with the Hephthalites who had committed regicide, resulting in a bloody battle.
However, before Avia continued to move south, he still had one thing to do, which was the strange events that had recently been prevalent in the Hun army, the "masks" and sounds that brought death at night.
The silver-haired young man knew that it couldn't be Hassan. After all, his organization was founded in the 11th century, and it was only the 5th century now, a huge difference of years.
But the person who is considered the 'founder' was not born in the eleventh century. I'm afraid he is a person who has passed down from the Age of Gods.
After making inquiries from many sources, he found out that there was indeed a holy temple deep in the mountains nearby.
Although local people have never seen or entered it, they all say that it is a bell-ringing hall that blesses the end of destiny, or the "entrance" to the underworld.
139: Light of Relief
“Is this really where the so-called holy temple is located?”
Deep in the mountains of West Asia, in a valley still shrouded in mist in the dry area, two figures moving forward swayed like hot air.
"Really... not some reappearance of 'Hell' or something like that?"
Altluchi couldn't help but say to Avia that in her opinion, this place was no different from "hell". The breath of death was everywhere. Compared to the battlefield with rivers of blood, this place was the last remaining place of death in the Age of Gods.
"In this valley, life and death are blurred. You can think of us as experiencing death while continuing to live."
".....I'm a little curious, why do you know so much? It's as if you've been here before."
“I just heard what other people said.”
Logically speaking, Avia and Arteluci are indeed living people. They are walking on the boundary between the world and the underworld, with the aura of both worlds integrated into their bodies, and they just keep moving forward.
The roads leading to the holy temple are different but lead to the same destination. However, if you look back at the end, you will find that they are all the same road.
It is a concrete image of a concept that all living people in the world must go through, and it is a place that can only be reached by crossing a dangerous valley.
Soon, the two arrived at the gate of the holy temple.
"How is this going……"
At this moment, Ji Jun froze subconsciously. In order to stop his body from shaking, he almost used up all his mental strength. What happened suddenly was so beyond his imagination.
It was obviously different from the black smoke and fog, and it was not emerging. It was as if the image sucked all the surrounding light into one point and permeated around her.
Everything was taken away from his sight, even the feeling of the wind caressing his skin was gone.
The scene suddenly lost its sound, the air flow also completely disappeared, not even breathing could be heard.
It was as if I was suddenly trapped in a shadow without any thickness, my self being isolated from the world.
Then, a skull mask that seemed to symbolize death and a huge sword burning with blue flames appeared.
Even though it was just hanging there, the sound seemed to come from all directions. There was no arrogance or desire in the sound, it just existed there as a part of the world.
"You, a heretic, should not have come."
There was no doubt that the voice ringing in Altluchi's ears was a human voice.
"You, a heretic, should not go up the mountain."
The words, asked softly and very gently, penetrated into Ji Jun's soul. They sounded like a stern rebuke, but also like a gentle tolerance. It felt incredible.
Altluchi was speechless, or more precisely, she didn't know how to respond to these confusing words.
The voice continued:
"What you are doing now is like building a tower with corpses, sowing death, withering the green fields, and killing life."
The sound now came from only one direction. The black-haired girl looked up and saw shadows spreading around the skull mask, forming a tall human figure holding a big sword.
In the later 11th century AD, Hassan was known as the unreachable guiding star, the invisible norm, the inevitable "executioner", the founder of the embodiment of concepts.
When someone's assassination skills are damaged due to aging or corruption, or when someone indulges in desires and becomes corrupt, or when they indulge in human pleasures and justice becomes selfish desires, the "Faceless Old Man" will use the Blade of the End to take them into eternal darkness, just as the end of the world will surely befall all living beings. After all, no world can allow people without faith to survive.
"I deny you as a heretic, but the mountains and valleys allow you to enter, so..."
He no longer spoke in a kind tone, but left behind a dull voice, and his body appeared in front of Ji Jun.
Although the Age of Gods had ended, it was still in human form, but was covered in shadows, as if it had been absorbed into the entire underworld.
"Just hand over your head, heretic."
This being, who has already incarnated the realm of nature and phenomena, has witnessed the passing of the evening bells, and under his breath that seems to embody death, bells are ringing in the valley.
Altluchi still didn't respond, but a surge of blood suddenly rushed to her head, not because of anger... but an indescribable fear.
The confrontation on thin ice seemed eternal, but in fact it lasted only a moment, just when the old man in the mountain was about to swing his sword.
Suddenly, there was a person in front of him.
"Old man, saving lives, or bringing back lives, everything is light and shadow, war or killing, no matter where you go, nothing will change, that's all."
At this time, the object reflected in the girl's eyes changed. The creature wearing a skull mask that was originally walking slowly towards her was stopped by Avia beside her.
"Whether you are a believer or not, the only thing that is necessary is a spirit that cannot be shaken by anything."
Even though he was facing such a terrifying creature, his blue eyes seemed frozen, without a single fluctuation.
In the world seeping with darkness, a clear blue light seemed to appear naturally, as light as a star yet dazzling, illuminating everything around it and making the deep blue valley visible again.
“…Huh?”
The old man in the mountain seemed to be looking at Avia for the first time and made a surprised sound.
Indeed, at first he only saw Artluci and did not see Avia. It was only after she spoke that he realized there was another person present.
It is not someone who is wandering between life and death or someone like himself, but a living person who is truly living in the present moment.
However, the old man in the mountain felt that he should be here, but it seemed that he was not here, and there was an aura that made him extremely confused.
Listening to the doubtful voice of the old man in the mountains, the black-haired girl felt as if the danger of her death at any time had disappeared.
In the valley filled with the breath of death, as if death, as if an unbreakable curse, the breath that weighed heavily on the body - now it has disappeared.
"...I don't have a name, but you can call me the old man in the mountains. May I ask who you are?"
The old man in the mountain seemed to have no idea what to say, but still wanted to say something and opened his mouth.
"Avia."
"I see, that's the name... It's my fault for not sensing your presence when you came here, but have you made your choice..."
The old man in the mountain murmured in confusion as if he had just woken up from a dream.
"I understand now. Since you have made your decision, you have the right to carry out the divine punishment. I will not and should not stop you."
It seems to be saying that whether in the endless valley or in the sacred world, choice is a recognized matter.
"You don't have to give up anything for this wave, and you don't have to wander forever between the living and the dead. Just move forward, light of salvation."
140: Yes, I am the representative of the good gods in the world
"I......"
Artluqi didn't know how she got out of this valley. It felt like she had a nightmare.
When she came to her senses, she found herself being led away by Avia like a child. Although she wanted to let go, she had no strength due to the powerlessness caused by her previous fear, and could only let this human do what she wanted.
"No, it doesn't really make any difference whether I go or not!"
After thinking about it, Ji Jun suddenly realized that he might have been deceived, because it was Avia who said that he would rely on her strength, so he agreed to come together. But recalling the scene just now, he was taken to the temple by him and finally rescued by him. No matter how he thought about it, it was different from what Avia said.
"It seems so. I thought His Excellency Ji Jun would show his power, but I didn't expect to be frightened."
Avia said with a smile.
The black-haired girl didn't say anything, but just snorted, then turned her neck to look up at the silver-haired young man.
After a brief silence, she said:
"——I can't die, because if I die, everything I have will be meaningless."
"Don't mention death all the time. Look at you now. You are not dead yet. You are Ji Jun."
Avia sighed, seeming to feel helpless.
"Everyone once said that I was going to be the one."
Altluqi remembered what the Royal Guards and the Black and White Knights said when they followed her when she left Millennium City.
That was the only thing she could do. No, it was not only that, she also didn't want to forget the responsibility and purpose of her birth.
As long as you remember and persist, you will definitely be able to become the original 'one'.
"I want to be the original 'one' and give them the glory they deserve."
Avia sighed quietly at this answer. These words were not directed to himself, but they still made him happy.
After all, the reason why he brought Altluchi out was at the request of the two knights and the Royal Guards.
They said that their mistress had been unhappy since Van Pheam, and they hoped they could help and make her happy.
Although this trip to meet the old woman in the mountains didn't make her happy, it was the first time I saw her with a look of fear... I guess it was a success.
"—and you too."
"......oh?"
The sun rose completely into the sky, and the clear sunlight from outside the valley illuminated her from the front.
"I think that Avia, as my ally and the first human I contracted, should also get the honor he deserves."
