The past Bethel paused at Alaric's words, a hint of confusion in his voice. "I can open a one-way door to ensure we can enter while preventing the Bethel inside from coming out. However…"
He hesitated, his expression growing serious. "To keep the future me from escaping, the seal on the otherworldly space was designed with great care, making it nearly impossible to open from the inside. If we go in unprepared, even I would struggle to create an exit. I'll need to prepare some materials first."
Back then, Mr. Door had taken every precaution to ensure his contaminated self wouldn't wreak havoc on the world. As a result, the seal was so intricate that even he couldn't easily break it from within without preparation.
Of course, with the right rituals and materials, opening an outward passage wasn't too difficult for Mr. Door.
Alaric wasn't surprised and simply asked what Bethel needed, sending someone to gather the materials.
During the preparations, the past Bethel seemed to recall something and turned to Alaric. "Did something change?"
Having known Alaric for so long, Bethel found it odd that Alaric had never mentioned visiting him in the otherworldly space before but was now suddenly intent on doing so. Naturally, he was curious about the reason.
Alaric didn't hide anything. In a few quick words, he explained his plan to use Nyarlathotep's power to balance the Outer Deity's contamination. To reassure Bethel, he added, "I've already had a successful case... Roselle, the Black Emperor from later times. You should know of him."
"Beyond that, I've also mastered a small trick to suppress the Celestial Worthy's will using my power. However…" Alaric paused, hesitating. "Considering your endurance, Bethel, let's hold off on that for now. You should rely on your own strength first."
Balancing contamination and suppressing the Celestial Worthy's will... Alaric was genuinely concerned that Bethel might not withstand the strain.
Bethel visibly froze, clearly not expecting that the contamination plaguing him for so long could actually be resolved. Even if it wasn't complete removal, balancing the contamination to grant him freedom from the Outer Deity's interference was as good as a full cleanse in his eyes.
As for Alaric's mention of suppressing the Celestial Worthy's will, Bethel didn't mind. Unlike Antigonus, his will wasn't fragile. While the Celestial Worthy was a nuisance, it wasn't yet at a point where he needed external intervention.
"Also, a heads-up: even with my experience, the treatment process will still involve unavoidable pain. You should prepare yourself mentally," Alaric added honestly. Though his skills had improved since treating Roselle, some pain and madness were inevitable. Even Alaric could only mitigate it, not eliminate it entirely.
"I understand. I'll prepare myself," The past Bethel replied with a nod. Though he hadn't undergone the procedure yet, he'd experienced contamination cleansing before and knew it wouldn't be a pleasant process.
But no matter the pain, he could endure it for the sake of true freedom.
"Alright then, shall we head out now?" Alaric asked, not dwelling on the matter further.
The past Bethel nodded.
At that moment, Amon spoke up. "Perhaps you'll need my help? Like holding Bethel down if he struggles."
Having assisted in several such procedures, Amon was clearly familiar with the process.
Alaric thought it over and nodded, agreeing that they'd need someone to restrain Bethel.
Since Amon was coming along, Alaric turned to Antigonus. "Want to join us?"
Antigonus hesitated but, after glancing at Bethel, nodded.
Unlike Amon, Antigonus had a decent relationship with Mr. Door back in the day... not especially close, but friendly enough. For something as significant as freeing Bethel from an Outer Deity's control, he naturally wanted to be there to witness it.
The past Bethel glanced at his two colleagues, who were clearly just along for the spectacle, but didn't object. He nodded in agreement.
With Alaric present, he trusted that neither Amon nor Antigonus could cause any trouble.
Once Bethel's materials were ready, the group set out. With a King of Angels of the Door pathway leading the way, they quickly arrived near the otherworldly space sealing Mr. Door.
The past Bethel asked Alaric to wait a moment while he set up outside the space. A few minutes later, he finished and turned to Alaric and the others. "It's ready."
As soon as he spoke, a massive door appeared beside them.
"Let's go rescue the princess in the tower!" Alaric quipped, pushing the door open. With one step, he found himself in an entirely unfamiliar space, filled with a contaminating force that made him frown.
Not far away stood a familiar figure, identical to the past Bethel but far more haggard, his eyes carrying the weight of countless experiences. He was clearly conscious and, upon seeing Alaric, gave a faint smile. "Should I say it's our first meeting, Lucifer?"
"I think 'long time no see' fits better," Alaric replied with a smile, sensing several figures appear behind him... Amon and the others.
"Bethel, long time no see," Amon said, adjusting his monocle. He gazed at his old friend with a nostalgic smile. "I never imagined we'd reunite in a place like this. I thought our next meeting would be at your fall."
Amon knew Bethel well. He was certain Bethel would never submit to an Outer Deity. Without a solution to the contamination, their reunion would likely have happened in only one scenario: Bethel returning in a contaminated state, completing his apotheosis ritual but choosing not to become a catastrophic deity. Instead, he would have willingly let Amon steal his ritual, sacrificing himself to aid Amon's path to becoming the Lord of Mysteries.
This was their unspoken understanding, a bond between two Kings of Angels who had worked together for years, needing no explicit agreement.
Though Bethel knew Amon wasn't the most reliable choice, without knowledge of Klein's existence, Amon was his only option.
But clearly, none of that would happen now.
"Disappointed?" Bethel asked, reading Amon's thoughts in his expression. A faint smile crossed his lips.
***
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