DOTM: Chapter 595/597

Chapter 595: Distortion of Rules

Hearing Ethan's refusal, Madeline showed no sign of surprise, as if she did not care.

"You do not seem surprised that I would refuse?"

"That is what makes it interesting."

Ethan realized that Madeline had not expected him to refuse. Rather, she simply did not care whether he refused or not. His refusal seemed to have heightened her interest.

As the two spoke, a group of unrelated onlookers had already arrived in the courtyard. They kept their distance from both Ethan and Madeline.

If they could, they wished to leave immediately. Even Shirou was no exception, despite it being his home.

Unfortunately, the surrounding situation made it impossible for them to leave. They could only stand there blankly, watching the two extraordinary beings talk.

"Maybe you find it very interesting, but I am not interested in playing with you anymore."

Ethan lightly clenched his left fist. His left hand erupted with brilliant blue light, and immediately after, the pattern of a teleportation circle appeared beneath his feet.

The teleportation circle activated normally. It seemed this small world could not prevent Ethan from leaving. However, just as he was about to initiate it, he sensed something and immediately stopped his magecraft.

"Did you notice?"

Ethan lowered his left hand and looked at Madeline. He had not expected that Madeline would think of using this method to stop him.

"When you arrived in this world and created this new worldline, you formed a connection with this world. Although such a connection is difficult to grasp, if you were to use that method to leave in front of me..."

Madeline did not finish, but Ethan already knew what she meant.

If he cast teleportation magecraft under Madeline's close watch, using his connection to this world and the close distance, Madeline could follow him through the spatial rift opened by the teleportation.

This meant Ethan's main world would be exposed to the eyes of one or even a group of Main Gods.

"So? You still cannot stop me from leaving," Ethan said, looking at Madeline. "Especially since your true body cannot truly face me."

The Madeline in front of him was just a projection of a clone, possessing no great power. Trying to suppress Ethan with strength was laughable.

The real Madeline was guarding outside the world, ready to track Ethan at any moment.

"So what? You cannot leave. Are you willing to stay here and waste time with me indefinitely?"

"You are overthinking it," Ethan shook his head. "Like you just said, for you to catch up to me, I first need to use that ability in front of you, and the most important thing is the connection I have established with this world itself."

"So?"

"So I just need to cut off this connection. Then, even if you see me use that ability, you will have no way to chase me."

Madeline's expression finally changed. She frowned and bit her lip slightly. It was not that she had not thought of this, but she could not figure out how Ethan could cut off this connection.

According to her observation, Ethan had not fully mastered that power, which meant many connections were established by the ability itself and were not under his personal control.

"It is simple. Just destroy this world..."

Madeline's mouth dropped open. She had not expected Ethan to say something so extreme. Destroy a world? That was far more complex than destroying a planet.

However, upon closer thought, she realized it was not impossible. After all, this was a nascent world. If he found the right method, he could destroy this world easily. Even if he could not completely annihilate it, he could shatter it into pieces, throwing the world's rule power into chaos. At that point, the connection Ethan had established with the world would also fluctuate, and he could seize the opportunity to leave without worrying about being tracked.

So, the only question now was, did Ethan have the strength to do all this?

"I do not believe you can do that."

"By myself, it is indeed difficult."

Ethan admitted this frankly. Even a nascent world could not be destroyed casually. But just because he could not do it alone did not mean it could not be done. Ethan alone might not be enough, but he had friends.

With a slight lift of his hand, two spatial rifts appeared above him. These rifts were like patches of blackness that suddenly appeared in mid-air, capable of swallowing everything. Even these two rifts posed a significant threat to the nearby Servants. Accidentally brushing against one meant that part of their body would be completely severed from this world.

When the rifts appeared, everyone involuntarily retreated farther, almost reaching the edge of the small space.

For Madeline, these rifts were nothing remarkable. What concerned her were the two powerful energies emanating from the other side.

"But I have been wandering outside for so long, I have made some friends. They will be very happy to lend me a hand right now."

In the application of magecraft, rules, and energy, these two were top-tier existences. They did not even need to truly appear. By lending him some power, Ethan could complete the demolition of this world.

As powerful energy mixed with various rules surged from the two rifts above, it resonated with the energy Ethan released below, forming an inverted triangle. A chaotic energy sphere began to condense at the center point of the three locations.

There was no earth-shattering sound, no dazzling light, and no suffocating wind, yet this strange energy sphere gave off an incredibly terrifying feeling. Even in Madeline's heart, a sense of fear arose, a feeling she had not experienced in who knew how many years.

"Is this really okay?"

Madeline looked at the crowd watching from the side. If Ethan destroyed this world, even if they survived, they would lose their homeland. Although Reincarnators in the Main God's Space often destroyed entire cities or even planets at the drop of a hat, that did not mean Madeline appreciated such methods.

From the beginning, she had thought Ethan was a good kid leaning toward the good alignment, which was why she was so eager to recruit him. Had she misjudged?

"I admit what I am doing is not a good thing, but that does not mean I refuse to use such methods when necessary."

Madeline folded her arms and suddenly made a suggestion.

"How about we make a bet? If you can win, I will not only let you leave, I will even give you this world as compensation."

Madeline did not want to completely fall out, but Ethan was never the type to follow the opponent's script.

"Why do you think I would be willing to make a bet with you?"

He was not without a way to resolve this crisis, so why should he act according to the other party's wishes? You say bet, and he has to bet? Did she think he would not just plaster this energy ball onto her face?

Madeline found that her suggestion was completely ignored by Ethan. This made her even more interested in him and less willing to let him leave.

However, the current situation was not about what she wanted. Ethan did not want to say anything more to her. Amidst the terrified faces around them, he slammed the energy ball in his hand onto the ground.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no terrifying scene of world destruction. Apart from the confinement space created by Madeline suddenly shattering, it was as if nothing had happened. People like Shirou and Rin barely noticed anything strange. Only the Servants suddenly felt something was wrong.

"I feel... something has changed."

Just as a few Servants were about to check, Illya suddenly knelt on the ground in pain, and blood began to seep out of her body continuously.

"Ah..."

Indescribable pain filled her entire body. The blood quickly soaked her clothes.

"Have a good sleep. When you wake up, you will find everything is different."

Ethan appeared beside Illya at some point. He lightly brushed his hand over her head, and Illya, who had been in too much pain even to faint, fell into a deep sleep.

At this moment, everyone noticed that most of Ethan's originally black hair had turned gray, and fine wrinkles had appeared at the corners of his eyes.

"You... what did you do?"

The moment Ethan appeared beside her, Rin instinctively wanted to use magecraft for defense and attack. But when she pulled out her gems, she was surprised to find that she could not feel any mana at all.

"Rule distortion."

"What does that mean?"

Some understood a little, while others did not understand at all. Madeline, who had recovered from her shock, explained, "You modified the rules of this world?"

"This way, my connection with this world was also erased during the modification. Now I can leave whenever I want, and you cannot follow."

Ethan had modified more than just his connection to this world. He had directly erased the magecraft system of this world. The change in rules would have more effects, such as a certain old man who was barely clinging to life through magecraft. With the loss of mana, his lifespan had completely reached its end.

"It seems you have won this time, but your current state is not looking good." Madeline was not angry about Ethan escaping her clutches. She even felt that this state made him more worth pursuing. "If you pledge allegiance to me now, I can help you resolve these troubles."

The aging was still ongoing, but Ethan did not care. "This is not a trouble for me."

"Your troubles are not just this."

Madeline lightly pointed to the top of the wall nearby. A woman with a long spear was sitting there at some point, quietly watching Ethan.

"Your actions just now directly got rid of her home."

"..."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 596: The True Libra Guardian

"Ah, oh, it seems you are in trouble."

Cú Chulainn, who had been quietly watching as a bystander, looked at Ethan with a gleeful expression after seeing the person on the wall.

Although he knew Ethan was very strong, an existence on the level of a god, the person before him was a truly powerful being with the ability to slay gods, the queen of the Land of the Dead, the Land of Shadows, and also the teacher who taught him spearmanship and Rune magecraft.

Ethan had just used Rule Distortion, changing many rules of this world, and the resulting effects were numerous. Besides a certain old bug being certainly dead, people who had undergone magical modifications, like Sakura Matou, would also be affected. Since she was healthy, the effect would be a positive change. All the messy magical modifications on her body would lose their effect under the rule change, allowing her to recover and become a normal person.

Pure magecraft constructs like the Greater Holy Grail and the Einzberns would completely lose their effect. To some extent, Ethan could be said to have thoroughly destroyed the Einzbern family and the Holy Grail War.

Special existences like Illya, who is half magecraft construct and half human bloodline, would also be severely affected if not dealt with in time, as seen from her condition just now. However, whether she could ultimately transform into a normal person or directly die was a fifty-fifty chance. At this point, it would depend on Illya's own mental fortitude to withstand that painful modification.

However, before Ethan, Illya would not face such immense risk and struggle for survival based on her own willpower. Ethan had enough ability to ensure Illya completed this transformation without any risk.

In addition, the Land of Shadows, which belongs to the mysterious side, was also affected. Under the distortion and change of rules, the Land of Shadows was directly destroyed.

"Rule Distortion... such powerful magecraft... No, this kind of power should be called True Magic, right?"

Directly rewriting the rules of the entire world, such a powerful ability is something probably only a few true gods could achieve. Rin never expected this Ethan to be such a powerful existence.

Although Ethan stated outright that this was not something he could do alone, and that he completed this feat with the help of two other powerful friends, everyone present was also very curious about who those two helpers were. However, this did not hinder their admiration for Ethan.

No matter in any era, any world, or in the eyes of any person, the strong are always worthy of reverence.

Although this strong person does not look so good right now.

That powerful True Magic, capable of distorting the rules of the entire world, would have terrible side effects after being cast, which was a fact everyone could completely accept. Ethan's current appearance was like an elderly man around sixty years old.

Although his body was still strong and tall, his back did not seem as straight as before. His hair had completely turned gray, and more and more wrinkles had appeared on his face. Even though he had become an old man, Ethan was still a very charming old fellow.

"This world is just so unfair."

Zouken, who should have been the cause of the incident but was now completely ignored, looked at the still handsome old Ethan and sighed unhappily, who would not want to be a handsome guy? He also wished he could be full of charm even when he became an old man.

And the very charming old man, Ethan, casually took a bottle of Fountain of Life from his storage space, then gulped down a large bottle, stopping the continuous aging of his body.

Although he did not immediately recover to his peak state, the worsening symptoms were under control. As long as he rested quietly and took medicine, he would recover quickly.

"However, I presume you will not give me that time."

The woman opposite, with long purple hair, had jumped down from the top of the wall. She held a red demonic spear identical to Cú Chulainn's and continuously sized up Ethan.

"A god from another world?"

"Something like that."

"I am Scáthach of the Land of Shadows."

Scáthach turned her head and glanced at Cú Chulainn not far away. Cú Chulainn happily greeted her, "Yo, I really did not expect to see you again, Master!"

"I had always hoped to see you again, Setanta, but unfortunately, you were never able to appear before me again."

Cú Chulainn looked a little embarrassed. He knew what Scáthach meant. Scáthach had always hoped that someone could defeat and kill her, preferably someone she had taught and gifted the red demonic spear to. The most promising among them was Cú Chulainn, but he failed to meet her expectations.

"However, being able to see you before the final battle is also something worth being happy about."

Ethan looked at Madeline. Madeline took a few steps back, clearing the space in the entire courtyard. "Do not mind me, I am happy to enjoy a wonderful battle."

Then she turned her head again and asked Ethan, "Do you really not need me to help you deal with this trouble?"

"I said, this is not trouble at all for me."

Although Scáthach was a powerful existence who had achieved the feat of god-slaying while still human, and had gradually become a demigod or infinitely close to a true deity over the long years, Ethan did not think she could cause him any trouble. Even if he could not win, would he not be able to run?

With a slight lift of his hand, condensed mana gathered in his palm, forming a blue energy layer that solidly blocked the red demonic spear that instantly appeared before his eyes.

"Since you have finally met your dear disciple, are you not going to exchange a few more pleasantries?"

"What needed to be said has already been said long ago, there is no need to waste any more time."

While Scáthach was speaking, the movements of her hands did not stop. As the first thrust was blocked, she smoothly withdrew her spear and twisted her body. At the same time, another red demonic spear suddenly appeared in her originally empty left hand, and using the twisting motion, she thrust it toward Ethan from another tricky angle.

"After all... I have been waiting for this battle for too long."

The demonic spear passed through Ethan, but it was as if it had struck air. As the spear pierced through, Ethan's figure slowly dissipated. When he defended against the first thrust, he had already left his original position and moved behind Scáthach.

Almost at the same moment Scáthach pierced the illusion he left behind, fifty fireballs had already begun to rain down on her back.

The rumbling sounds of explosions continuously rang out. Although the barrier that trapped everyone had long since disappeared, none of the people present wanted to leave.

For the Servants, such a battle was rarely seen. With Ethan having distorted the world's rules, whether they could continue to exist, or how long they could exist, was a question. Witnessing such a battle between god-level beings as their final memory before completely dissipating could be considered a good ending.

As for Shirou and Rin? This was Shirou's home, and although Rin had lost her mana and could no longer be a Magus under the distorted rules, this did not mean she lost interest in such a battle. In fact, she was even more engrossed than the other Servants.

"What a pity. It seems your physical condition is not very good."

Ethan's current condition was obvious to anyone with eyes. He was not in his peak state. Distorting the rules of a world, even with the help of Merlin and the Ancient One, was not a simple matter.

His current physical condition, mana level, and even mental strength had all dropped to a low point. It was precisely because of this situation that Madeline said he was in trouble.

"Yes, if you want to have a match with me at my peak, why do you not wait until I go back and recover before fighting?"

Scáthach continuously twirled her hands, batting away or piercing and detonating all the fireballs Ethan threw out. After that, the red demonic spear in her left hand disappeared again. Her left fingers slid repeatedly in mid-air, and then several fireballs, many times larger than the ones Ethan released earlier, hurtled toward him.

"I am not that picky of a person."

Ethan chuckled wryly, looking at the several fireballs before him. He gently spread his hands, and a transparent wall appeared in front of him, swallowing the Rune magecraft released by Scáthach.

This move was supposed to first swallow and then return, but as it swallowed the fiery light, Ethan suddenly discovered there was also a silent arrow closely following the fireballs. It was even attached with a spell-breaking rune. Taking advantage of the momentary gap caused by the structural change as the defensive wall swallowed the light and prepared to return it, the arrow pierced through the defensive wall and truly reached Ethan.

Clang.

It was just that close. This arrow could have hit Ethan's forehead, but at the last moment, it was blocked by a golden shield.

"How do you even have this thing!"

Others did not recognize it, but Zouken recognized what that shield was.

"I forged it myself. Although there are some differences from the original, it is also a very powerful piece of equipment."

Along with Ethan's voice, streaks of golden light appeared from the void and landed on his body. When the golden light dissipated, Ethan, who had been wearing casual clothes, was clad in a set of golden full-body armor. The shield that had been floating in front of his forehead also landed on his right shoulder.

At the same time, he gently raised his left arm and used the round shield on it to block a sudden slashing attack from Scáthach, who had closed in.

"Hm?"

Not just Scáthach, but Madeline, who was watching from the side, also noticed that Ethan's physical condition seemed to have instantly returned to its peak.

"Not recovery, it seems like an enhancement?"

Even more miraculous was that Ethan's originally aged face was slowly returning to its youthful appearance. Besides wearing the golden armor, Ethan had also returned to his previous look.

"Could that summoning chant also have a prophetic effect? This time, he truly became the Guardian of the Scales..."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 597: Classic Landing Posture

The Gold Cloths crafted by Ethan restore the abilities from the original work as much as possible, but there are still many differences in the specific details.

For example, the Libra Cloth he was wearing. In the original work, the status of Libra is very special because Athena, the goddess whom the Saint Seiya pledge allegiance to, is a goddess who hates violence. Therefore, her Saint Seiya are not allowed to use weapons, chains seeming to be an exception, and all fight with their fists and feet.

Among the Gold Saint Seiya, who hold the highest status, there are two Cloths that are relatively special.

One is the Sagittarius Gold Cloth, which is equipped with a bow and arrow. It is said that Sagittarius's bow and arrow have the ability to kill true gods, although this point is debatable.

The other is the Libra Cloth.

Compared to Sagittarius retaining its bow and arrow due to the constellation's legend, the situation with Libra is even more special.

Because Athena dislikes her warriors using weapons, the Saint Seiya do not have weapons. But this does not mean that Saint Seiya cannot use weapons, or that they will never need them.

Especially for the Gold Saint Seiya, the highest-tier combatants, when they need weapons, they are certainly facing powerful enemies, most likely during a Holy War against Hades's army. This requires powerful weapons suitable for the Gold Saint Seiya to use. Ordinary weapons would probably not be as powerful as the fists and feet of the Gold Saints, and all these specially made weapons are in the hands of Libra.

At the same time, as the Libra Saint who safeguards the twelve golden weapons, he is also the only one, besides Athena herself, who has the authority to approve the use of weapons by Saint Seiya. This shows the special status of Libra.

Of course, for Ethan, the Gold Cloths he crafted himself do not have so many restrictions. This Libra Cloth does not seem to have anything special about it except for being equipped with the twelve golden weapons.

Ethan certainly would not be satisfied with such a design, so he made some modifications when crafting the Libra Cloth. Considering that Libra is equipped with twelve golden weapons, this Cloth is clearly suited for close combat.

Speaking of close combat, one cannot ignore physical fitness, so Ethan specifically added an ability to the Libra Cloth. It can better unleash the body's potential, allowing the wearer to erupt with more powerful close combat abilities.

This was not difficult to do. The Gold Cloths themselves have the ability to enhance various attributes, but the Libra Cloth is more extremely focused on pursuing the various physical attributes required for close combat. At the same time, it can convert all energy into the energy the body needs, ensuring that the physical condition remains at its peak. This was also the reason Ethan's appearance returned to youth after putting on this Cloth.

Scáthach watched Ethan's appearance change from old to young at close range. As the Queen of the Land of Shadows, who has lived for an unknown number of years and seen countless magical things, this kind of event was not enough to shock her. So, at the same time her surprise attack was parried by Ethan, she launched a new assault.

Again, the red magic spear, taken out from who knows where, stabbed toward Ethan's vital points from a strange angle.

Compared to the previous attack that directly aimed at fragile internal organs, Scáthach's attack this time fully demonstrated her rich combat experience. This time, it was aimed at the connection points between the armor pieces, and from this angle, once it pierced the body, it would happen to penetrate the kidneys.

The Gold Cloth appears to be fully covering armor, but it is not a single solid structure. There are gaps or relatively weak areas at the joints between each component. Experienced warriors do not even need to study the specific structure of the armor. They only need to understand human anatomy to determine which areas are easier to penetrate.

However, Scáthach's attack still did not achieve the desired effect. Just as the magic spear approached Ethan's body, a golden longsword had already guarded the spear's path in advance. With a light tap, it deflected the red spear to the side, then, taking advantage of the fact that a long spear is not suited for close quarters, launched a counterattack and forced Scáthach to distance herself again.

In a flash, Ethan's appearance gradually stabilized and stopped changing. His body seemed to have returned to its peak state again. At the same time, he held a golden longsword in his right hand, paired with the shield on his left arm, forming a standard sword and shield combination.

The long knife in Scáthach's hand disappeared again, leaving only a red magic spear. Many Heroic Spirits possess multiple weapons or items. A convenient aspect is that these weapons can turn into nothingness at any time and be summoned or condensed when needed, as if everyone has a personal space for storing weapons and other equipment.

But Scáthach's situation is slightly different. Strictly speaking, she is still a living person, or rather, a being who evolved from a human into a demigod, even infinitely close to a god, through her own training and years of combat. The weapons she uses cannot turn into nothingness like those of Heroic Spirits. All her weapons are real. They are just stored away using magical means in normal times.

"It seems... my long-cherished wish is finally about to come true."

Scáthach has lived for a very long time, so long that she no longer wishes to live, but she has no interest in ending her own life. She hopes to die at the hands of a stronger enemy, like most warriors. It is just that most of the time, she is the one who kills her opponents.

She has been searching for powerful opponents and even personally trained outstanding warriors, such as Cú Chulainn, then waited for them to challenge or even kill her.

Apart from this, Scáthach is not usually belligerent. Often, she is too lazy to fight, and she even avoids combat when there is no reason.

This is why Scáthach did not appear when Ethan arrived in this world, but only showed up after the Land of Shadows was destroyed under Ethan's rule distortion.

The destruction of the Land of Shadows gave her a reason to act, and Ethan was powerful enough to make her entertain the thought of fighting to the death with him.

Ethan also knew that Scáthach had an absolute taboo that must not be mentioned. Once mentioned, she would cast aside all principles and instantly unleash her strongest combat power.

Considering that he was not a masochist and had no habit of seeking abuse, he did not intend to provoke Scáthach into unleashing her strongest combat power.

Ethan, who had recovered some of his strength thanks to the Libra Cloth, was now thinking, maybe I should just leave.

The reason he could stand here unharmed and consider whether to leave, without being disturbed by Scáthach, was that he had not forgotten his true identity.

He was a mage. Even while wearing the Libra Cloth and usually liking to swing a sword to cut people, he would not hesitate when he could cast spells.

After forcing Scáthach back, five hundred fireballs appeared around Ethan. When fifty fireballs were ineffective, his solution was always this simple and direct.

Dense fireballs surrounded him. With such a dense formation, even Scáthach could not pass through unharmed. In fact, when these fireballs began to attack, she could only passively dodge and parry, with no spare energy to continue attacking.

Watching his master being fiercely ganged up on by fireballs, Cú Chulainn, who was watching from the side, did not know whether he should laugh at the struggling Scáthach or complain about Ethan. This quantity was simply cheating, was it not?

Scáthach once again displayed her rich combat experience and skilled techniques. Realizing there was no way to dodge, she began using throwing darts and the thrown magic spear, Scáthach, who is skilled in crafting magic spears, had who knows how many stored, to detonate the fireballs in mid-air in advance, creating space to dodge. Otherwise, with the dense fireballs raining down, no matter how agile her movement technique was, she would not be able to avoid them.

In this way, she successfully endured the attacks of three hundred fireballs, then was sent flying backward by a sudden charge and slash from Ethan.

Rumble.

Scáthach managed to block Ethan's sword with her magic spear in time, but the powerful force still sent her flying. Her entire body turned into a human cannonball and crashed into the house, completely demolishing Shirou's home.

"My physical condition is worse than expected."

Ethan had originally wanted to throw all five hundred fireballs at once, but he found that his mental power was also severely affected. Although his body had recovered somewhat after putting on the Libra Cloth, the drain on his mental power and mana had not been alleviated. In fact, because he had made this Cloth excessively focused on close combat, it had conversely affected his control over spells, which was why he had to send the fireballs in batches, giving Scáthach a chance to dodge.

With a flick of his left hand, the shield on his forearm detached from the vambrace. Ethan grabbed the handle inside the shield and swung it, sending the golden shield flying directly toward the figure rushing out of the ruined house.

Besides being used for defense, the golden shield could also be used as a flail, chain, or other weapon. There was a handle with a chain on the inside. After Ethan threw it, the shield directly entangled Scáthach in mid-air. Before she could break free, he gave a fierce tug, pulling her, whom he had just sent flying, toward him.

His right hand, which had already put away the golden longsword, clenched into a fist. Greenish-blue energy had already condensed on his knuckles, and he punched toward Scáthach's faintly visible abdomen.

Dragon roars rose and fell, and greenish-blue energy dragons surged out from Ethan's fist. Scáthach, who should have been in front of him, was carried high into the air by one giant dragon after another, continuously colliding with the remaining hundred-plus fireballs.

The continuous explosions and the power contained within each green giant dragon sent Scáthach to an altitude barely visible to the naked eye. Not until all the power slowly dissipated and the terrifying force that erupted was completely spent did the black dot, which had ascended to an unknown height, grow larger again and crash heavily onto the open ground behind Ethan, landing face first.

(To be continued.)