Limits of Training (1)
Oris, who had been staring at Shirone's face for a long moment, came to his senses and clasped his hands.
"Uh, right. Thanks. But… even with her dynamic visual acuity, there's nothing left in memory."
"How did you do it?"
There was no way to explain the realization of destroying an avatar that followed a quantum movement.
'I mustn't explain.'
Right now he was Yupi, not Yahweh.
"It's not over yet. She's not someone you deal with like this. Step away for now."
Oris pursed his lips.
'What, now you're just ignoring me? That's harsh.'
He couldn't retort because he had personally confirmed Son Yujeong's Mu-wi.
"I lost in a head-on fight, so I won't complain, but why not fight together? If it were me, I could at least play the bait—"
At that moment the side wall exploded and a Moonom—its body grotesquely evolved—arrived.
"Huuuu!"
One arm was massive like a gauntlet and its skull had stretched so far the back of its head bent against its spine.
Shirone understood.
'Ultra-evolution.'
This wasn't a mutation only of the body; its brain functions had evolved as well.
As proof, Moonom swept its gaze over the area and assessed the situation.
"Did it fly that way?"
The voice was an enormous, low rumble.
"Moonom, the enemy is stronger than expected. All Seven Generals must join forces. Especially Yupi's power."
Moonom's single eye fixed on Shirone.
"…Is that so?"
The brutality it had shown in the barracks was tempered now by an intelligent look.
"If you say that, then it must be Royal blood. But I'm a warrior who trained for a hundred million years. I'm not the sort to back down without a fight."
Moonom's evolution was driven by mutation.
"I pierced a 2.7% probability and reached the fourth-generation upheaval. I can kill it."
If anyone other than one of the Seven Generals defeated the enemy, it would be a disgrace to the Crusade.
As Moonom faced forward, Son Yujeong approached, smoke trailing from her mouth.
"You."
Her expression was serious.
"What was that you just hit me with? What technique was that?"
The belligerent woman's request to speak first wasn't just because the attack was powerful.
'A crack went through the avatar.'
Feeling the weight of a Buddha in an ordinary demon's blow could not be mere imagination.
'That strike carried enlightenment. And if it felt like it connected with me, its level of attainment rivals a Buddha's.'
Even Son Yujeong—whose stats made her fearless—felt uneasy in the presence of an attained one.
While Shirone stayed silent, Moonom moved toward her.
"Did you kill the Crusade?"
It looked like something from hell, but Son Yujeong didn't give it more than a second's glance.
The Red Yeoui pointed at Shirone.
"Answer. What are you? How did you infiltrate the faction's intent—"
Bang!
Moonom's massive fist slammed into Son Yujeong's side and sent her into the wall.
"Tch. Not much."
When it withdrew its fist, Son Yujeong hung stamped into the organism-like wall, scowling.
"Want to die?"
When she finally focused on it, Moonom, satisfied, rotated its shoulder.
"You're certainly tough. But—"
The air vibrated with a roar as Moonom hurled its bulk and unleashed a flurry of strikes.
"Hit until it breaks." As Son Yujeong deftly twisted her waist to close the distance, her eyes widened.
"Huh?"
As if anticipating it, Moonom's fist abruptly changed trajectory and struck her.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Dozens of blows landed almost simultaneously, and her head spun.
'It doesn't feel that fast. How is it predicting my movements?'
Moonom, which had reached fourth-generation upheaval through ultra-evolution, had an IQ in the seventeen-hundreds.
'I can see every variable. No matter how you move, I will never miss.'
The barrage accelerated.
"Kwahahaha! Die! I am the strongest of the demons!"
Oris muttered, watching.
"Fourth-generation upheaval. It evolved again and again with death in mind. With that ability…'
It might be able to fell Son Yujeong.
"No."
Shirone shook his head.
"That won't do." In fact, the face contorting from effort was Moonom's, from the repeated strikes.
"Krrrgh!"
Unbreakable?
No—the blows had weight and sting.
'Then it must be a living being of blood and flesh. But why…?' Moonom reached the limit of breath and roared.
"It won't break!"
Realizing Yupi had been right, Oris immediately pushed off the ground and leapt.
Two of the Seven Generals coordinated an attack, but Son Yujeong was the one dominating the exchange.
"This won't do, you two. You don't qualify."
Wielding two clubs in a dazzling display, Son Yujeong suddenly twisted her waist.
"Die."
A massive surge of kinetic energy formed, time slowed, and the surrounding buildings seemed to bend outward.
'Huh?'
Oris pursed his lips.
'This time I can see it.'
The red clubs approached as if splitting into many along their path through space.
Inside the seesaw of time, not a fingertip could move—Moonom was frozen too.
'I can't dodge.'
The seventeen-hundred IQ analyzed the situation with merciless clarity.
'It's over.'
They were going to die—Oris, Moonom, even Son Yujeong didn't doubt it.
A fixed future.
Shirone cast Miracle Stream on that frozen event—a lawlike instant.
Hand of God— the palm technique. A palm of light swept up Oris and Moonom and released the seesaw of time.
Kraaaang!
Buildings within tens of meters were hurled away, but the Seven Generals were untouched.
Son Yujeong blew smoke from her mouth and glanced over her shoulder toward the front.
"What was that now?"
It felt as if a specific occurrence had simply vanished.
But impossible things can make you think they disappeared; that was probably what had happened.
'Can that be done? At the level of law?'
A chill ran through him, but the strangeness beyond normal sent his thoughts cold and clear.
'A Buddha wouldn't do this.' Because it wasn't truth.
'Still, I wouldn't think its attainment lower than a Buddha's. If that were the case…'
A god.
A little later, the palm of light that had set Oris and Moonom down washed out to white and dissipated.
"Huh? Huh?"
Oris looked around bewildered; Moonom stood dazed, mouth open.
How the seventeen-hundred IQ had analyzed things was unknown, but it never spoke.
Shirone stepped between them.
'This is the limit.'
If Son Yujeong activated Hwa-an Geumjeong, Yahweh's identity would be exposed.
"I'll take the intruder. You two generals go to Itaka and receive the new strategy."
Moonom's single eye hardened.
"Don't be ridiculous. We're demons. Do you not know what it is to flee from the enemy?"
Shirone was not a demon.
"Hmph. Royals are always like that. Itaka too. They act like efficiency is all that matters, like humans…"
"Moonom."
Shirone said coldly.
"Go."
Perhaps ninety percent Yahweh—Oris trembled as if pierced by that gaze.
'I, one of the Seven Generals, feel fear.'
At the same time, a sweet, strange sensation he'd never felt before washed over him.
'I… that demon…'
Of course, if that feeling amplified to a hundred percent, affection would turn into hatred.
Oris grabbed Moonom's arm.
"Come. For now it's better to leave it to Yupi. Itaka will think the same."
"Grrk!"
In the end Moonom yielded and left. Oris looked back at Shirone.
"Be careful, Yupi."
Faced with the catlike expression hoping for a tender touch, Shirone felt his chest grow heavy.
'I shouldn't have called him Yupi.'
He hadn't meant to mock them.
"I'll be back soon."
Oris brightened at Shirone's smile, nodded, and flew off.
Son Yujeong asked, "Will you tell me now?"
She had watched until now because Shirone's slow turn of gaze had already spoken.
"Hoho, you finally show your true colors." His eyes were so clear that simply looking into them felt purifying.
"…Did Nane send you?"
"Hmm."
Feeling as if she'd conversed with a Buddha, Son Yujeong stroked her chin and fell into thought.
'I really don't know. She didn't chant the Gingoju, so she's probably not equal to a Buddha.'
Shirone knew the Gingoju, but to activate its effect he would have to be a hundred percent Yahweh.
"Go back and tell Nane. She's busy anyway—tell her to deal with her own tiresome baggage."
Son Yujeong's eyebrows twitched.
"Fine. From now on I'll just ask the Yeoui. Are you ready to fight?"
"Move to another place." Preferably somewhere Oris isn't. "What place?"
Lowering her center of gravity, Son Yujeong launched herself like a body heated to molten iron fired from an arrow.
"Ha ha ha! Why should I care about that?"
'Like a thunder fool.'
Disdain curling her nose, Shirone activated ninety-three percent Yahweh and charged.
Kurururung!
The city shook and a vast plume of dust rose into the sky.
Rete slammed the table.
"Whatever Yahweh's nature may be, the Pyrotechnician's position doesn't change. The Grand Duke is making a grave mistake."
"What do you mean…?"
Tired of the same round-and-round, Rete rose coldly.
"If the Grand Duke doesn't know the numbers, I'll do the same as him. I'll wait here. One year or a hundred, the Grand Duke's lies will be exposed."
"I prefer quiet research," the Grand Duke said with a cold smile.
"Now you're scared? If an informant hasn't detected anything, it means Rian is still in the lab."
When Rete carelessly inspected the lab equipment, Magrite spoke softly.
"They're sensitive machines."
"Then speak! Don't let the Grand Duke have the numbers!"
"I have nothing to hide. I understand the Director's feelings, but this is a waste of time."
"Hmph!"
Rete moved toward Merchede.
"Be honest, Merchede. Have you ever seen Yahweh or Rian in this lab?"
"No, no I haven't."
Merchede's eyes narrowed.
If it were the Grand Duke's mind confronting Rete, Merchede wouldn't have been able to withstand it.
"Don't worry. I won't let you suffer. Just say one word."
"No. I didn't see them."
Merchede looked close to tears.
"You know, don't you? Now stop dodging. Look at me. Look into my eyes."
Under Rete's stare, the succubus felt terror like her mind would fly away.
'Huh? Uh?'
No matter how much a child lied, a mother's eyes could not be deceived.
'We're going to be found out.'
Seeing the signal of falsehood flare in her pupils, Merchede made a decision.
"Lady Rete."
She smiled faintly.
"It's true."
Just as Rete was about to shout at the confirmation, Merchede's head exploded.
"Ah…!"
Rete's body shuddered from the mental shock as he stared blankly at the faceless corpse.
"Me… Merchede."
Memories of laughing and gossiping with her flashed through his mind, every scene intact.
Magrite stepped forward.
"Let's go. We must clear out the lab. I'll send word separately."
Rete steeled his eyes and turned his head.
"Grand Duke, with this, I—"
"Do you want to ask me as well?"
Though the Grand Duke would not make the same choice, his words only increased Rete's guilt.
'I'm sorry, Merchede.'
Like Gaia in the real world, every demon had equal worth to Rete.
"This is the last time. When I come again, I will never back down."
To avoid rendering Merchede's resolve meaningless, Rete vowed future reckoning.
When the lab door closed, Magrite lifted the faceless corpse's hand and kissed the back of it.
"Rest in peace."