Five Major Systems (3)
When Rian's Great Diagram thundered, the Satanist assembly hall was razed to the ground.
Siok couldn't believe it.
"Why isn't the hidden code taking?"
Ten Sioks activated their abilities at once, but Rian's movements were unhindered.
"No— it worked."
The proof was Siok's face, twisted like a demon, tears of blood streaming down. In Rian's eyes at that moment, Shirone was the enemy who had slaughtered his family, the villain who had tortured everyone he loved.
"It worked, but it doesn't matter."
Rian's gaze never left Siok.
"I am Shirone's sword."
A knight keeps the vow he swore himself, no matter how Shirone might change.
The Three of Obstinacy said, "...Are you an idiot?"
When the Great Diagram slammed into the ground, a shockwave raced outward at a speed impossible to react to.
The One of Pride reversed the selection and shifted Siok's position, but the chill remained.
If you're that much of an idiot, it's a talent. This is going to ruin the plan. Yahweh glanced to the side.
Even as Rian fought desperately, Shirone still stood his ground.
The Company's executives, led by Rete, bared killing intent and closed in on him.
Shirone asked coldly, "Do you intend to fight?"
"As I said, our first principle is negotiation. But we cannot lose Siok."
Of course, what she truly wanted lay deeper.
We must stall until the ultra-ancient civilization opens. There's not much time left.
The moment the outside world connects, the administrators' authority will only grow.
Satan will handle it. If we subdue Yahweh in reality, nothing can stop the OOPArts.
The OOPArt in question was the Parath king, Kitra.
Benistov said, "Decide now. If you accept our terms, there will be no reason for conflict." Shirone looked over the Company's board.
They are administrators.
Unlike demons, Agape's heart would not perturb them.
A confrontation of force against force.
Hexa's smoke—devoid of Agape's feeling—seared Shirone like flame.
Rete's eyes chilled. "So you really can't compromise? How foolish. Is fighting magic all Yahweh has?"
"You're the foolish one."
Power hardened in Shirone's eyes.
"Free the True Tone."
"You said you couldn't. She can't become like Siok. And you accepted that."
"Just purify the six brains. Right?" For the first time, Rete's eyes flickered.
"Of course there would be no harm to Limbo. But that means she could purify herself at any time."
The agent's face twisted horrifically.
"What prevents that is clinging to life. If the torment of falling into Hell without ever tasting the joy of birth is the essence of the six brains, then you simply release that torment."
"...How?"
Rete asked.
"You know. Logic doesn't work on Limbo. No reasoning will convince them. They don't even know what 'torment' is. It's just a vast obsession that can't be put into words. I didn't lie to you."
"True. But you didn't tell the whole truth either."
The vague, unsettling feeling simmering in Shirone's head found its shape.
"Do you know how to purify the six brains?"
"I don't."
Rete's lips trembled.
"Tell me."
She could not reveal it.
If the six brains—the central processing unit—were purified, all the karmic burdens in the other world would reset.
Demons couldn't survive in such a world.
In real terms, it would be like the sun—the source of life—vanishing.
"Let me be clear: there is no such method. Yet if you absolutely must hear..."
Hellfire sprang to Rete's hand.
"I'll tell you through corpses."
As violet flames glowed in the agents' eyes, a roar came from the twelfth floor.
It was the sound of Rian pursuing Siok.
The scent containing Shagal's memories thickly filled the Karma Administration Bureau's private chamber.
Etella, linked by the Taeguk chain, traced those memories as if following Shagal's footsteps.
Why Archbishop Raphael?
Etella had met him around age seven, when she'd been sinking into the pain of the Overflow.
She had no concrete memories—only images of sliding into deep darkness and of a slightly cynical child.
The Raphael in her memory asked, "Your name…?"
"Shagal. Unless it's special, orphans are usually named after the place they were found."
"I see."
Taking the child in, Raphael watched the blank-eyed Shagal closely.
"This child… his eyes?"
"Yes, there's almost no light response. Sunlight must have damaged his vision. He shows slight reactions, but the doctors say he'll go blind." Etella glanced at Shagal.
What?
Blind?
Shagal stared blankly, as if he didn't know.
"I'm blind? That can't be. Then what have I been seeing all this time?"
He knew Tia, but he couldn't form a clear image of her face.
Maybe Etella's face too.
Was I seeing by smell?
The answer came through Raphael's words carried in the scent of the incident.
When Shagal was about four, he could walk without any aid.
He performed acrobatics impossible for a normal child, his schema clearer than most.
"Amazing."
Raphael, then the assigned priest, couldn't help speaking when he discovered Shagal's secret.
Instead of seeing the world, he examined his own body more deeply. Of course, it was also innate talent—his parents must have had strong physical ability.
A small oddity: he sniffed whenever he walked.
Should I tell him?
That he was blind.
I don't know. The child thinks he sees like everyone else. He even focuses his eyes.
It was the power of the sensory schema.
Truly an astonishing nose—able to extract information from the particles of matter.
Raphael made a decision.
Not now.
One day the truth must be told, but he didn't want to wound a young heart.
Anyway, no one at Karsis Monastery knew Shagal was blind.
Raphael smiled. "Shagal, come inside. You need to eat."
"Yes!"
Running to the teacher who was like a father, Shagal's face was as bright as any child's.
It was a happy time.
And the scent that held a vast span of time pushed Shagal back to being seven.
"Hello. I'm Romi Etella." The expressionless child with large glasses bowed to the priests.
In reality, Etella inhaled that scent even deeper.
That child… is me.
At seven, after falling into the Overflow, she had received help from Karsis Monastery.
The priests greeted her with kind smiles.
"Yes, you're Etella. We've heard much about you. Don't worry. You have innate talent. You could become a fine mage."
Peeking from behind a pillar in the hall, Shagal puckered his lips.
Oh—a mage.
The young Shagal found her interesting, but what drew him more was Etella herself.
She's pretty.
That was the scent she gave off.
A few days later, Raphael called the two of them.
"The Yin–Yang Wave Fist is a powerful weapon against the evils of the world. The usual training age is ten, but Shagal could start now. Etella…"
Raphael turned to Etella. "Would you learn too? You're the same age as Shagal, and physical training will help you overcome the Overflow."
Learn martial arts?
Her goal had been to become a mage, but if it helped overcome the Overflow she wouldn't be picky.
"Yes. I will work hard."
Training began.
"For now, face each other, hold one hand, and practice pulling and pushing. You can treat it like a game at first. What matters is learning how to use force."
While Shagal's heart pounded, Etella showed little interest.
She's not an adult, and we're the same age—there shouldn't be a strength difference. I can win easily.
Her opponents had always been adults.
"Huh?"
The moment Shagal moved, a force flowed out of Etella's body.
She seemed to lose control of her own body.
A feeling of my strength being drained. How can this be? I don't lose in perception.
It was no illusion.
It far exceeded her senses. Pride stirred; she fought back with everything she had, and the practice went on for over ten minutes.
Remarkable talents.
Raphael was pleased.
Shagal's physical abilities were almost superhuman. But Etella also had balance in her mind–body schema.
Gritting her teeth, Etella lunged forward—Shagal sensed the finish was near.
Use this force against her…
At that instant, Shagal lost his breath at the face that came close.
This is Etella.
Sniff, sniff. Sniff, sniff.
As he pressed his nose to the nape of her neck and inhaled, Etella yelped and shoved him away.
"What are you doing?!"
Shagal hit the ground with a thud. She couldn't contain her anger.
"You little pervert! In a sacred training hall you do this? How can you call yourself a monk?"
"I—I just thought you were so pretty… I only looked."
Who does this just because someone is pretty? Even if you have no parents…
"Etella!"
At Raphael's call, Etella flinched, but her prickly mood didn't calm.
"I'm leaving."
She stood and left. Raphael went to Shagal, who was in tears.
"Are you all right?"
"I hate Etella. She has parents and a nice home. She doesn't want to be friends with me."
"Try to understand. Etella is in a confusing time. An adult mind is in a child's body."
"No. Etella doesn't know what being an orphan is. I would never do that."
"Shagal, everyone makes mistakes. Many mistakes they don't even recognize. And the reason you can think such thoughts is…"
Raphael said gently, "Isn't it because someone has already forgiven you?"
Shagal trembled.
Why?
Why would Archbishop Raphael say the same thing as Raiden, leader of the Leaf Circus?
Etella looked back at Shagal.
Did I really say something like that? Impossible. I don't even remember Shagal.
No—maybe…
Maybe she truly forgot.
We live surrounded by countless acts of forgiveness we are unaware of.
"Etella, I'm sorry."
Shagal kept apologizing at the door.
"Forgive me now. Let's train fun again like before, okay? I won't look anymore." No answer came, and Shagal hung his head and turned away.
And that was the last.
The Great Purification.
A new universe began; it was the day after Shagal and Etella had fought.
Of course, Shagal was gone.
Etella, training the Yin–Yang Wave Fist, asked Raphael, who was staring at the sky, "Master, why do you look like that? Your expression is so dark."
"I don't know."
His chest ached for no reason.
"It feels like something very precious has left us. But… I don't know what it is."
The scent of the base incident—a powerful déjà vu.
What am I missing? Surely someone should be by my side…
How had the world changed?