273rd Chapter
A magic gear glowing red near Vargan.
It was stuck and unable to roll, like something was holding it back.
Every time it tried to move forward, it jolted and returned to its spot.
However, after Vargan revealed himself in front of Erica.
As if to announce that preparations were complete, it turned blue and began to roll.
“…It’s time.”
Vargan, facing Erica, whispered softly and moved the mana.
The mana leaking out of Vargan spread in an orderly manner, like a fleet responding to a captain’s command.
Then,
—Gugugugung!
The barrier surrounding the Academia vanished in an instant.
That massive floating city began to move its heavy body slowly, descending to the ground.
The Academia, a symbol of the Church and Heroes, was falling.
As if it had gained the authority of Gulemashia.
The enormous Mana Stone that supported the Academia completely obeyed Vargan’s command.
Kwahgahgah—!
Pervabeng—!!
As the barrier protecting the Academia disappeared, the noise of war, louder than thunder, reached them.
The external moonlight shining on Vargan and Erica.
Feeling its intensity waning, Vargan spoke.
“The darkness is lifting. By the time the Heroes rush in here, dawn will be upon us.”
With Gamigin dead now.
The battle would swing in favor of the Church. Ultimately, the forces of Gamigin, now without a master, would be defeated.
That meant some of the soldiers active on the battlefield would fly to the Academia.
To assess all the circumstances.
Vargan ran simulations in his head, then looked at the small woman fervently moving her mana in front of him.
Her trembling hands were almost heartbreaking.
“Erica, there’s no need to cast healing magic. It’s meaningless.”
“…You don’t know that yet.”
“…I can tell.”
“No! You still don’t know!”
Erica, now very close to Vargan, teared up as she moved her mana.
The warm healing magic surrounding Vargan seeped into his skin, partially healing the bruises that were scattered over him.
But it was only for a moment. Soon, it spread throughout his body like ink dropped on white paper.
Vargan moved his bloodied mouth.
The mouth that bled began to move.
“Don’t bind me too roughly, Arcane.”
“……!”
Somehow, Arcane had approached and targeted Erica.
Arcane stretched the darkness like rubber and enveloped Erica, sealing her movements.
What seemed like a black cloth wrapping around her soon became transparent, making it look as if Erica was standing still all alone.
The Spirit of Darkness completed its task.
Arcane leisurely entered Vargan’s staff.
“Let me go, Vargan!”
“If you try to move, it will only bring you pain. Unlike when Arcane is on its own, the power of the staff is also amplified now.”
“Let go!!”
“…I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. Didn’t I tell you? Healing magic won’t reverse this.”
“No… no…!!”
Erica, with eyes brimming with tears, was helplessly shaking.
Looking at desperate Erica stirred a sense of sorrow in Vargan’s face.
Vargan moved the shadow that had returned to him, which lifted Gamigin’s heart that was lying around Erica and brought it to Vargan.
Still holding the heart, Vargan murmured.
“…You asked why I did this. Why I brought you here, and what I’m thinking.”
“…….”
“Will you listen to a story for a moment?”
I will show you the truth behind your questions without lies.
Saying that, Vargan did not take his eyes off Erica’s blue irises.
Erica barely tried to move the mana that was stuck along with her body, and even knowing this, Vargan began to unfold the story.
His words divided into dialogue and actions like a play.
A young man asked.
—Really… really, will that remove the soul?
The young man, who had slowly lost control of his body over the past five years, was desperate.
Already, having fallen for the devil’s temptation for years, with no other option to rely on, the young man could only glare with bloodshot eyes.
Then the devil answered.
—You’ve been following my words, and hasn’t everything gone smoothly? You can trust me again. I don’t hate humans. Rather, I desire coexistence.
At the devil’s whisper, the young man swallowed hard.
It was true that everything had gone well by following the devil’s words so far.
Deep down, the young man was already dependent on the devil and couldn’t turn back.
If he simply left things as they were, he would completely lose control of his body and possibly even vanish.
That fear made the young man join hands with the devil.
—Yeah, I’ll trust you. Jephar.
As soon as the young man spoke, the devil chuckled. Then, it moved the young man to a secret place while continuing to whisper.
—You already know that the heart is where the soul resides. The heart is the so-called home of the soul. But if you extract the heart from a healthy body, where will the soul exist?
—…I’ve heard it from you before. It’s in the body.
—Heh. Right. Just because the house is destroyed or blown away doesn’t mean the land where the house stood disappears. The resident of the house will build a new one, but they’re not likely to leave that land.
You usually don’t leave that land, do you?
—…….
—The same goes for the soul. The heart is the dwelling place of the soul and also a device for protection. So, to remove the other soul inside you, it means we essentially need to detach your heart for a while. That’s why I’m planning to surgically extract your heart temporarily.
The Devil continued grumbling.
—If that Belle had helped, it could have gone smoother. But she absolutely detests humans. Tsk tsk. Foolishly so. The hardliners are still far behind. Recently, for some reason, they recruited a human named Vargan, but… it’s obvious he’ll just be used like a toy.
Come to think of it, the name Vargan must sound familiar to you, right? The Devil smirked as he said this.
The young man remained silent, and the Devil kept talking.
Being a talkative Devil, the words poured out non-stop.
—By the way. Want to hear another interesting fact about souls?
—Interesting fact?
—It’s something that shouldn’t be disclosed outside, but… you’re not an ‘outsider,’ are you? No reason to hide it. Hehehe.
—…….
A laugh that was unsettling and made the listener feel uneasy.
The young man kept his mouth shut and listened to the continued speech.
—One soul can contain only one ‘power.’ It’s impossible to fill one vessel with two or three powers.
—Power, huh…?
—The ‘power of the Goddess.’ In other words, it refers to ‘authority.’
—…….
—No matter how great a Cardinal you are, you can only possess one authority. Me, Belle, Gamigin, and Amon as well. The reason is simple: the vessel, the soul, is only one.
The Devil looked at the young man with an insinuating gaze.
—What a pity that despite having two souls, one has to be erased.
Like a delicious meal going to waste. The Devil clicked his tongue.
Continuing, the Devil explained that the original authority comes from the power of the Goddess, which is shared.
The vast and special Mana of Altife serves as a material to solidify the vessel of the soul.
It takes on a crucial role in allowing the potential to be contained.
—The quality and quantity of Mana. That’s the absolute difference between humans and Altife, as well as the reason why humans couldn’t use ‘authority.’
—…….
—But, I had a question. What would happen if the power of the authority were weakened? Or if the total amount of Mana reached an overwhelming level to meet one of the conditions?
The Devil laughed.
Reflecting again on the historical moment, a satisfied expression crossed his face.
—So, I created a ‘blessing’ that dilutes the power of authority. Since it’s diluted, if it’s just the right fit, those can manifest the same blessing. It could be cultivated in many.
—Using that ‘blessing’ as bait, we explosively increased human believers….
—That Amon used it well. I got a lot of samples, so it worked in my favor too.
—…….
—Well, anyway. It’s been confirmed that we can cultivate weakened authority in humans. As their total Mana grows, we could also develop the cultivated blessing. Naturally, that raises expectations, doesn’t it? What happens if the total Mana of someone who received the blessing reaches an overwhelming level?
“Well, naturally, one would feel a sense of anticipation. What if the total mana of the blessed individual reaches transcendence?
The blessing would then exhibit power that influences authority.
The Devil, seemingly thrilled by the thought, raised the corners of his mouth and proposed another assumption.
—What if, from the very beginning, the individual’s total mana was already transcendent?
The Devil spoke with a grin.
—I am confident that such a being could accept not just a diluted blessing, but even the pure essence of ‘authority.’
“……”
Tick-tock—.
Inside the Grand Clock Tower.
Erica was being held tightly by Arcane, unable to move.
Upon hearing Vargan’s words, her body, which was tensed up to resist, slumped down.
Her eyes filled with tears, she gazed up at him with confusion.
This was a story she couldn’t comprehend.
“Vargan… what are you talking about…?”
“It’s an answer to your question. I’m here to tell you why I’ve moved this way… and what I’m trying to do.”
“What does that even mean…. And what about Jephar…!”
“It’s okay if you don’t understand. This is merely for my own satisfaction.”
Vargan said.
He had been lying to her until now, but didn’t want to keep that up until the end.
The word ‘end’ pierced Erica’s heart like a knife, making her unable to continue speaking.
Vargan looked at her with pity and reached out a hand to her face.
Her soft cheek was damp from her tears.
“…Vargan. …You!”
The moment his cold hand touched her, Erica realized. His mana was taking on an abnormal form.
While it was still extremely unstable and leaking out like before, it didn’t feel alien.
However, currently, Vargan’s mana was very peculiar.
As if it had become something not of a man, but of Altife.
Erica hastily glanced down to see Vargan holding Gamigin’s heart in his hand.
The heart he had been holding was now dropped on the floor. The core at its center appeared drained of color, like it had been sucked dry.
“How long are you going to…!”
Erica’s trembling voice escaped.
He turned away, spilling some incomprehensible drama, yet continued his covert task.
“…The Devil said, ‘Of course, to use authority, the owner of transcendent mana must have a healthy soul.’ A young man, listening intently to this long conversation, began to question.”
Vargan continued the drama as he wiped away Erica’s tears.
Sensing a sense of foreboding, Erica kept repeating that she didn’t want this.
However, Vargan didn’t stop and kept reciting the story from the original that he remembered in its entirety.
“‘Then…. what happens if that soul isn’t healthy?’ To the young man’s question, the Devil retorted, asking something ridiculous.”
And with the Devil’s last line, the scene came to a close.
“You’d end up dying soon after using authority.”
Vargan moved his mana.
It was, as usual, colorless and odorless.
Yet it was mana infused with the wicked aura of Gamigin’s power that consumed memories.”
