Ivory Tower Grand Assembly (4)
When they reached the top floor of the Ivory Tower, Araka of the Internal Department was preparing a spatial teleport.
"Shirone."
Minerva of the Humanity Safety Enforcement Department greeted Shirone and his party.
"Miss Minerva."
Though she had long since detached herself from worldly affairs, seeing her fully clad in a witch's garb and holding a jet was not an everyday sight.
Luber approached, leading the stars.
"Good to see you again." She gave a slight bow, taking in each of the Unified Cosmic Administration's stars with her eyes.
Most faces were familiar, but Kira was unfamiliar even to Minerva.
'So that's Kira.'
Saint Kira, the corpse-collector.
An undead-type mage, she had once been a cataclysmic figure called the Second Minerva.
"Hello! Pleased to meet you! I'm Kira!"
Despite a long career at the Ivory Tower, she still carried a military rigidity. The sight was unnerving.
"All right. Let's get along from now on." It was mere pleasantry, but in the run-up to a grand assembly it carried clear intent.
Mini propped her chin on her hand.
'Well, Minerva did take part in the "Law-Slay" project, so she can't exactly back out. A community bound by fate, huh.'
Shirone scanned the members of the Humanity Safety Enforcement Department.
A holy brain floated in the air, and behind it sat men with fierce, ugly faces arrayed like guards.
"Who are those?"
Minerva turned her head.
"Oh, I'll introduce them. They're the stars of the Humanity Safety Enforcement Department. This one—" Before she could finish, a man whose face already wore countless scars strode forward.
He was Raska, a metal mage, a three-star resident of the Ivory Tower nicknamed the Butcher.
"Ke ke, sister. Is this the brat? Want to rip off his boyhood seal yourself?" he jeered.
Minerva shrugged after meeting Shirone's glare.
"Obviously I was joking."
Raska stepped closer to Shirone.
"Listen, kid. I don't care if you're one of the Five Great Stars or whatever. If you so much as lay a finger on my sister—"
The moment his eyes met Shirone's, Raska abruptly stopped as if struck.
'What is this?'
It wasn't murderous intent. Shirone blinked innocently; there was no hostility in him.
'Do I—scare him?'
Raska could stand up to some of Minerva's killing intent, which exuded a reaper's aura.
'Then what is it?'
Not knowing made it all the more terrifying.
"Tch!"
Raska, forgetting even his star's prestige, backed away. Luber gave a small, approving nod.
'He has transcendent senses.'
That Luber could, with a single look, read the streak of righteous madness Monga had detected in Shirone's REM domain was impressive.
'As expected of a three-star.'
The Humanity Safety Enforcement Department dealt with disasters and crimes in the human world. Ironically, aside from the holy brain, its members were once the evils that terrified the world.
Minerva smacked Raska on the back of his head.
"Ow! Why did you hit me, sister!"
"Then why did you try to act tough before even seeing what would happen? You make me look bad."
"No, I was curious because you said you were interested."
Minerva sighed, but she too had sensed Shirone's change.
'Right. You're going mad too, Shirone.'
It was true — this was not a world where one could remain sane.
"Sorry. I'll apologize on their behalf. As you can see, the people in our department are a real mess."
"It's fine."
Shirone answered briefly. He didn't explain what he meant—nothing really mattered, one way or another.
Minerva introduced her department's stars and satellites one by one.
There were no two-star members, but besides Raska there was one more three-star, and they introduced a one-star resident as well.
"Five people total. Sixteen stars. Second-most among the five departments. Add the Unified Cosmic Administration and that's twenty-eight. With that, we might be able to fight."
"What do you mean, 'fight'?"
"As you know, the five departments have different roles. We handle disasters and crime; the Balance Department maintains world stability; the System Inspection Department handles major-state affairs; and the Law Department governs the Law itself."
Minerva raised a finger.
"For example, if a powerful demon descended, the Humanity Safety Enforcement Department and the Law Department would get involved. If the descent occurs inside a nation, the System Inspection Department joins too. The problem is, they all have different views on how to resolve things. That's when your department, the Unified Cosmic Administration, becomes necessary."
That the Unified Cosmic Administration had long aided Taeseong was no coincidence.
"But the situation's changed. To be honest… we were crushed, weren't we? We don't know how the other departments will show up. In that case, the number of stars can serve as a criterion for Taeseong's judgment."
"Hmm. Judgment."
"Like the last grand assembly, the agenda this time covers the whole world. We'll discuss Habitz, Sion's situation, and countermeasures regarding Nane."
Shirone's head snapped up.
"You found Nane?"
"No. Even Taeseong's Gaia can't pinpoint Nane. She's with the False God Shura."
Shura, ranked seventh on the Ten-Peers Council—her gestalt made it easy to hide from the world's gaze.
Deep in the central continent's mountains.
In a pristine stretch of wilderness, one man was tilling the earth.
His face and body were densely tattooed; the sight of him swinging a pickaxe was unusual.
"Master."
At the distant voice, Nane straightened.
"Eat this and keep going."
Shura, in tattered clothes with a towel on her head, walked up balancing a tray.
"You've had it rough."
Though he'd secluded himself from human society deep in these mountains for some time, Nane's enlightenment had not progressed.
"If you're sorry for making me work so hard, then attain awakening quickly. The outside world isn't safe for you right now."
Nane gulped water and turned his gaze.
"The outside world?"
"They say some man named Habitz has gone extreme. The armies of hell are laying waste to the kingdom."
"I see."
Nane stared at the horizon and fell silent.
"When do you think you'll become a Buddha?"
"If I wanted to, right this moment." Shura brightened.
"Have you finally unlocked the world's secrets? Then teach me! Quickly!"
Shura grew impatient, but Nane only wore that inscrutable smile.
"There's something I need to confirm first."
Nane produced seeds from his bosom.
"What are those?"
"I don't know. I gathered them while walking. If I plant them, maybe something will sprout."
He planted the seeds and covered them with soil.
"I don't know what will sprout, but let's begin here. This is the start."
Shura, mulling over Nane's words, asked, "Planting seeds?"
"No."
Nane looked down at the earth with warm eyes.
"It's the heart."
The heart that wants to plant seeds.
'This will do for now. So show me, Shirone. What this world is…'
It wasn't yet time to define it.
"It's spring."
Shura followed Nane's gaze to the sky.
At the Earth Sanctuary, the 27 stars and their satellites sat, along with Araka and the Archives of the Internal Department.
Arranged in a fan around Taeseong, their looks burned with the sharpness of entering an enemy camp.
"With this, everyone is gathered."
The moment Taeseong spoke, every star bowed in unison.
"We greet Taeseong."
Araka swallowed at the sight of so many born into this world chanting with one voice.
'Incredible.'
What they could accomplish if all these wills moved as one was beyond imagination.
'That's exactly why it's impossible.'
Which was why they convened the grand assembly.
"Since this is the only public session held at the Ivory Tower, I'll comport myself. Before hearing your opinions on the present, let me briefly review the world's situation."
When Taeseong activated Gaia, a ground-level panorama, like a view from high altitude, spread across the front of the Earth Sanctuary.
Araka pinched the bridge of her nose.
"My goodness..."
From such a height that even the grandest features blurred, the march routes of the armies of hell were clearly visible.
"Approximately fifty million troops are advancing toward Kashan and sweeping across the central continent. What say you?"
The stars said nothing; their faces were composed.
Amanta of the Balance Department spoke.
"Eradicating the demon race is—"
"Wait. Sorry, Amanta." Taeseong cut in.
"Before we talk about monsters, there is something you must know. Currently, three humans have reached the state of apostasy. We also have one among us, of course, but…"
No one looked away, yet Shirone felt as if his body had been pierced.
"The first person to look at is this one."
The panorama shifted as if a planet had been rolled by hand, and the southern continent came into view.
As it closed in, Shirone recognized those fighting the armies of hell.
'Gaold.'
"Kill them! They're only humans!" Around the altar, the demons numbered in the hundreds of thousands.
"Disgusting, really!"
Kangnan charged into the sky behind Gaold, teeth bared.
The demons fell helplessly to her destructive martial arts, but their numbers were enormous.
"Kangnan, I'll do it." A black wave washed over Julu's eyes and a lich shot into the sky.
Lightning struck across hundreds of meters; the demons' screams pierced the heavens.
"Kreeee!"
Beyond the fireworks of demon corpses, they reached the altar at the heart of the spiritual domain.
"You're here."
Pisarochi, commander of the 11th Legion, a powerful mage nicknamed the Warden of Hellfire.
"You don't even need to go after the commander!" Those guarding Pisarochi were all brigade-level or higher—unlike any foes they'd faced so far.
"Ughh!"
Seeing Pisarochi, Gaold ground his teeth and his hair began to go white.
"Die…!"
With a thud the divisional commander's body flattened like liquid.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
As if invisible iron rods were dropping everywhere, presses struck from all directions, punching holes in the enemy ranks.
"Aaaah!"
Gaold's ultimate, the Great Primordial Burning Hell, unfolded and the surroundings turned into an inferno.
"Kuhahahaha! This place is ours—"
Another divisional commander was crushed.
'What on earth are they going to do?'
Watching Gaold, whose nerves writhed in agony, Kangnan bit her lip.
'They can't hold forever.'
Gaold paid no heed.
'Miro.'
The war might drag on, but for him it was only the instant a flash passed by.
'I'll finish them.'
Kukukukukuku—boom!
Scores, then hundreds of presses hammered from all directions, and like a great curtain being drawn back, the view opened.
"Pathetic fools!"
In the end Pisarochi gathered hellfire in both hands and rose into the sky.
"Ah——!"
At the same time Gaold's body twitched.
'Again—'
Julu, who had been charging, grabbed Kangnan and teleported them away from Gaold's direction.
"Dodge it!"
Kangnan worried for Gaold but had no choice; she surrendered to Julu.
"Grrr!" Pisarochi hurled a massive fireball.
"This ends it!"
Gaold lifted his head through tears of blood.
'It's coming.'
Something vast and uncontrollable.
'Damn it!'
At the edge of his paling consciousness, a laughing face came to him—Miro.
'Miro.'
Air Press.
Pisarochi's body, his thrown flame, and the countless demons around them vanished in an instant.
'All of you, be gone.'
The apostate's power pressed the ground, plunging hundreds of meters down as scorching heat shot upward.
Pfoooooom!
"Ugh!"
The explosion, which blasted a radius of several kilometers, sent the Earth Sanctuary staggering.
The twenty-six stars and satellites watched in silence.