"Dear friend, you've broken our pact... but I'm more curious—why turn on me now? Are you certain you can take me down, or is this merely a foolish misstep?"
In the vast cosmos, a crystalline wall enveloped the solar system, separating it from the infinite void beyond. Amid that void, faint glimmers of stars—perhaps other worlds—flickered.
Outside this crystal barrier, a colossal entity, its energy density rivaling a star, floated and conversed with a seemingly insignificant being within the barrier.
The apparent size difference between them was greater than an ant to a planet, but for both, physical scale was irrelevant.
If he wished, Samuel could become just as immense.
"Your dog has run too wild, so naturally, I'm here to settle accounts with its master!"
Debts were settled with people, and dogs had to be dealt with. A well-behaved dog could be granted the status of "friend," but an unruly beast had only one fate—death.
"Oh? Is that so? Do as you please, then!"
Nyarlathotep was indifferent, unconcerned by the so-called "excesses" or Samuel's challenge. To Him, this was a mere sideshow. Even if Samuel killed Gilles outright, it wouldn't matter. His favored "actor"—or rather, "clown"—was Kariya Matou.
Nyarlathotep was much like Aiwass, both consummate "spectators." If worlds were ancient Roman arenas, they were the nobles in the stands, betting on the combatants below, sometimes even handpicking fighters. Exceptional performances might even earn their favor.
Samuel, however, was more like the arena's overseer. In his domain, whether it was a noble's lapdog or a common slave, all had to follow the rules.
He'd confront nobles or slaves alike without hesitation. In his arena, only his own could break the rules.
This was a standoff between a grand noble and a ruthless enforcer.
The noble, fearless, believed the enforcer could do nothing to him.
His attitude screamed, "So what?"
If Samuel truly had no means to challenge Him, he'd become a laughingstock.
But fortunately... Samuel wouldn't have come without a plan.
One step...
Samuel crossed the crystal wall. Though they seemed separated by a mere barrier, the actual distance was nearly a light-year.
Distance, to them, was a trivial concept.
Light wings unfurled behind him, stretching nearly a light-year, their tips vanishing into the cosmos, seemingly linking to another world.
Samuel's aura shifted. His eyes turned molten gold, his short hair flowing longer, reaching his waist.
Nyarlathotep's massive form showed no reaction, but Samuel knew He had entered a state of heightened alert.
This was a conceptual exchange; their appearances were mere illusions.
Snap!
Samuel snapped his fingers, his right hand making a "grabbing" motion toward Nyarlathotep.
"What?"
Nyarlathotep felt a sudden suffocation, His form bound by an invisible force.
It was a chokehold on His very essence.
From Nyarlathotep's "down payment," Samuel had deciphered part of His nature. Using this, Samuel's calculations enabled a targeted strike.
But that was the extent of it.
Causing real harm or prolonged control was impossible.
This brief restraint, however, was enough.
The world shifted. The realm at the edge of Samuel's light wings rapidly eroded the void, enveloping it—or rather, manifesting within it.
It swiftly engulfed Nyarlathotep.
"A illusory world? Amusing, but it's meaningless to me!"
Nyarlathotep broke free, His massive form stirring. Tendrils extended, transforming into dragons that lunged at Samuel, each bite capable of shattering a lifeless, unremarkable planet.
Lightning gathered in Samuel's right hand, forming a spear he hurled forward.
The thunder tore through the illusory space, piercing the first dragon and splintering into arcs that shattered the others.
This was the "Thunder of Calculation," imbued with Samuel's computational essence, designed to collapse anything he had analyzed.
Nyarlathotep's essence was "Existence."
Pure, unadulterated "Existence." His power was as literal as the word.
"Nonexistent matter," "nonexistent species"—all were "Existent" to Him. Nothing was beyond His "Existence."
His creations were nearly incomprehensible, even to Samuel's calculations. Without Nyarlathotep's "down payment," confronting Him would've been impossible.
For beings like Samuel, their "laws" were tied to their "essence."
Samuel's Scientific Magic and Leumas were projections of his "Human Order" and "Calculation."
Nyarlathotep's knowledge bore His "Existence."
Thus, Samuel's "Thunder of Calculation" could affect Him.
ARRRRHHH!
Terrifying, grotesque, seductive, divine... Nyarlathotep's roar was an amalgamation of infinite "things," their voices weaving into an indescribable cacophony.
Eyes opened in imaginary number space, and with His roar, Nyarlathotep's "Existence" began to erode the realm.
Illusory waters flowed, resetting everything to its origin.
Imaginary number space alone couldn't resist Nyarlathotep's invasion, but Samuel's manipulation washed it away effortlessly.
"Hmph! You can't kill me or do anything to me!"
"Indeed... not by myself."
Samuel chuckled. He had won this battle.
A massive figure emerged from the illusory waters, a white hand reaching for Nyarlathotep.
Amid the cascading waters, Nyarlathotep saw eyes reflecting a sea of stars.
Simultaneously, Samuel struck decisively—his right hand wielding the "Thunder of Calculation," his left the "Fire of Human Order," both unleashed on Nyarlathotep.
***
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