Chapter 39. Manifestation
A week with the Orakans.
In that short period, had I grown attached to them?
Watching them prepare to return to their original world, I felt more concern than envy.
Could just those three really ensure the Revolutionary Army’s victory?
No.
Even if they rejoined the Revolutionary Army, nothing would change.
The odds of the Revolutionary Army defeating the government were incredibly slim.
Though Rizenova was one of the strongest Orakans on the Lumina Planet, no matter how much training they had over the week, it wasn’t enough to reverse the inevitable outcome of defeat.
And for good reason—the difference in power between the government and the Revolutionary Army was overwhelming.
Just hearing about the difference in their forces made me wonder how the Revolutionary Army had managed to hold out against the government at all.
If there had been even a single full-scale battle, the Revolutionary Army would have been annihilated.
With these worries in mind, I asked Rizenova a question.
“Do you really have to go back?”
“Do you really have to fight a battle you can’t win?”
In response, Rizenova answered like this:
“We must, regardless.”
“Our fight goes beyond mere victory or defeat.”
“Even if our chances of winning are slim, our struggle itself is the spark for Lumina’s future. If we give up now, it’s not just the revolution that will fail, but the very soul of our race that will be lost.”
“For freedom and equality, to pass on a better world to future generations, we are prepared to face death and fight until the end. Even if I fall and perish, our resistance itself will be the seed that changes the future.”
To ensure the Orakans, oppressed by the government, wouldn’t lose hope.
To keep the flame of revolution alive.
Rizenova was unwavering in his decision to return.
【Pururu】─I’m suddenly touched.
【Pururu】─Sorry for telling you to get lost earlier…
【Mysticism】─😭
In the end, I had no choice but to let them go.
However, I didn’t want to leave them to die.
After much thought, I made a decision.
Before the Orakans returned, I decided to make Rizenova a proposal.
It was a proposal that would benefit both Rizenova and me.
***
The capital of Lumina Planet, Neo Astra.
Today, the execution grounds towering in its center were shrouded in an even darker and more ominous atmosphere.
Under the blue sky, a heavy silence hung over the scene.
In the stillness, so quiet you could almost hear the crowd’s breathing, numerous Revolutionary Army prisoners knelt with their heads bowed on the execution platform.
The despair in their eyes flickered along with the embers of resistance that had not yet been extinguished.
“Carry out the execution.”
A low voice resonated.
At that moment, the executioners standing before the prisoners raised their swords high into the sky in unison.
Then.
*Zzzt-!*
With the sound of something tearing, a dark portal ripped through the fabric of reality.
A portal had opened on the execution platform.
The eyes of the crowd immediately turned toward it.
Even the executioners were no exception.
Soon, three silhouettes slowly emerged from the darkness.
The citizens gasped and covered their mouths.
“Th-those people are…”
“Ah… they’re alive!”
Rizenova, Therio, Ayulla.
It was the return of the three Orakans, symbols of the Revolutionary Army.
Seeing their return, the eyes of the Revolutionary Army prisoners changed.
“Commander-in-Chief!”
“You’re safe, Lord Rizenova!”
“Therio and Lady Ayulla are here too!”
Hope glimmered on the faces that had been engulfed in despair.
The same went for the citizens who had been groaning under the oppression of the government.
Meanwhile.
The Orakans aligned with the government were visibly shaken.
“Why is Rizenova here…?”
“Didn’t he die back then?”
“Sh-shouldn’t we try to capture him?”
“Us? Capture Rizenova when he’s not even restrained?”
“Contact the higher-ups first!”
While the executioners muttered amongst themselves.
Standing atop the execution platform, Rizenova slowly surveyed the area and furrowed his brow upon spotting the bound Revolutionary Army members.
With a light wave of his hand.
The energy flowing around gathered in one place, and that energy flew out like a blade, cleanly severing the executioners’ necks.
Thud.
The executioners’ bodies collapsed limply to the ground.
The act was so sudden that not even a scream echoed through the air.
“Ayulla. Free them.”
Rizenova gestured towards the Revolutionary Army prisoners.
Ayulla responded energetically, obeying Rizenova’s command, while Therio stood behind Rizenova, speaking in a low voice.
“This timing for our return seems a bit off.”
Rizenova shook his head slightly at those words.
“No, this is actually for the best. We’ve shown the people that we’ve returned, saved our comrades from execution, and most importantly, there’s no longer any need to waste time fearing the government’s reactions.”
After saying that, Rizenova moved forward.
He took a few steps and looked down from the execution platform.
Taking a deep breath, filling his lungs to the fullest, he spoke with a resolute expression.
“…Children of Lumina! Hear me!”
The silence that had enveloped the execution grounds was shattered.
Rizenova’s powerful voice resounded across every corner of the square.
“Today, we will rewrite the history of Lumina! The time has come to break the chains of oppression and greet the dawn of freedom!”
His voice carried the weight of authority.
In the tense silence, even the weapons held by the government-affiliated Orakans trembled faintly.
Though Rizenova sensed their unease…
Without batting an eye, Rizenova continued his speech.
“I swear, when the sun rises tomorrow! Our struggle will no longer be remembered as a mere rebellion but as a righteous revolution!”
His voice was filled with certainty and determination.
Each word from Rizenova ignited a fire in the hearts of the crowd, and the oppressed began to see the spark of hope flicker in their eyes.
“The story we write with our blood and sweat will become a symbol of courage and pride for our descendants!”
His voice rose an octave.
His words carried power, and that power resonated deeply in the hearts of the crowd.
“Lastly, I issue a warning!”
Rizenova’s gaze turned fierce.
With a commanding presence that swept over the entire execution ground, he shouted.
“To those who will stand with us! To those who have chosen the path of justice! From this moment, we will judge the minions of tyranny. If you are not a servant of tyranny, I advise you to leave this place immediately and hide in safety for a day! When the sun rises tomorrow, the government will fall! And their downfall will mark the beginning of a new Lumina!”
The execution grounds descended into chaos.
There were those trembling in fear due to their ties to the government, those excited with anticipation, and others filled with resolve, all mixing together in a whirlwind of emotions.
Aside from Rizenova, Therio, and Ayulla, no one else knew.
They didn’t yet realize that Rizenova’s return would be the spark to change Lumina’s destiny.
Nor did they know that this would open a new chapter in history.
***
After hearing Rizenova’s speech, most of the crowd fled the execution grounds as if running for their lives.
The only Orakans left now were either government lackeys or members of the Revolutionary Army.
“Capture all the rebels!”
“Reinforcements have arrived! Capture them alive if you can, if not, kill them!”
Unlike the Revolutionary Army, who had not yet received word of Rizenova’s return, the government forces immediately dispatched all available combatants to the execution grounds.
“Protect Lord Rizenova!”
“Don’t back down! The Commander-in-Chief said reinforcements will arrive soon!”
Despite being outnumbered.
The Revolutionary Army members who had been freed from captivity fought desperately against the government forces.
Therio and Ayulla also stepped forward, preparing for battle.
“Doom-ba.”
Therio wiggled his hips slightly.
“Doo-doom-ba.”
Ayulla responded, shaking her hips in sync.
The two exchanged glances, communicating silently with their eyes, and then,
“Doom-ba! Doo-doom-ba!”
“Doom-ba! Doo-doom-ba!”
They shouted in unison, revving their hips into full motion.
The government-aligned Orakans watching this bizarre scene were dumbfounded.
“What the hell are those lunatics doing?”
“Heh… They’re dancing like that in this situation?”
“They’ve clearly lost their minds.”
“Kill them first!”
Let them talk all they want.
Therio and Ayulla paid no mind to the stares of others.
Whether they were mocked or ridiculed, they only focused on shaking their hips even more vigorously.
“Shall we dance with joy?”
Therio grinned as he spoke.
“Shout with excitement! Dance with joy!”
Ayulla responded, shaking her hips with dazzling intensity.
*Wiggle, wiggle.*
Their hips moved rhythmically to an unseen beat.
The government Orakans scoffed and charged at them.
However…
“What the—! Why aren’t our attacks landing?”
“They’re dodging everything while dancing? This makes no sense…”
“These guys’ movements aren’t ordinary!”
“Hit them! Just hit them already!!!”
Therio and Ayulla, with nothing but their dancing, dodged every attack and made fools of their opponents.
Then, Therio suddenly accelerated his hip movement and struck a government Orakan in the face with his rear.
“Doo-doom-ba!”
“Urgh?!”
Therio immediately twisted his hips, slamming another Orakan’s face with his backside.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
“Argh! What is this?!”
“I’m being taken down by a filthy dance… Ugh!”
The government Orakans began falling rapidly, unable to withstand the unexpected and powerful hip attacks.
Watching this scene, Rizenova murmured in admiration.
“Oh… I didn’t expect that dance to be so effective… I don’t want to learn it, but it certainly seems efficient.”
As Rizenova muttered to himself, seven figures slowly approached from the distance.
Figures whose mere presence commanded an overwhelming force.
The highest authority in the government—the Seven Captains—had all appeared.
One of the Captains looked at Rizenova with a puzzled expression and asked.
“Huh? I thought you’d run away, but you’re still here?”
“I stayed here on purpose. It’s a rare opportunity to deal with all of you at once.”
Rizenova didn’t even look at them, his eyes focused on the sky.
The Seven Captains burst into laughter.
“Hahaha!”
“Amusing, very amusing. Where’s that confidence coming from?”
“Hm. Something about him feels a bit different. Like he’s gotten just a little stronger.”
“Not that it’ll make much of a difference.”
None of them took Rizenova’s words seriously.
They just dismissed them as mere bravado.
“Kuh-kuh. Don’t mock him too much. He must have stayed because he has something up his sleeve.”
“Hah. I’m genuinely curious what that might be. We’ll wait patiently, so go ahead and try something.”
They ridiculed and taunted Rizenova.
No matter what they said.
Rizenova continued to gaze into the sky.
“It will come soon.”
In a barely audible voice, Rizenova whispered.
“The one who will show you hell.”
It was at that moment.
「A Designated Dispatch Ticket has been used on Lumina Planet.」
Ripping through the vast sky,
「The target has been selected.」
「Target: Rizenova.」
A massive rift appeared behind Rizenova.
「Coordinates have been set. Dispatching now.」
The space twisted, tearing the veil of reality.
From the fissure, an ominous light seeped out, distorting the atmosphere around it.
「The dimensional barrier is collapsing.」
「The dispatched entity’s power is being unleashed. The dispatched entity has reclaimed its true strength.」
Then, from the center of the rift, darkness swirled, and a figure began to emerge.
The surrounding debris floated in sync with the figure’s steps as if dancing.
The Seven Captains instinctively tensed up.
Even just the outline of this being exuded an overwhelming aura.
They immediately realized that this creature was in an entirely different league from themselves.
「The Demon King, Psycho Clown, has manifested.」
