……Ever since Ermes returned to the Royal Capital, he had faced a great many "enemies."
The arrogant prince, the self-deceiving noble, the monster of the evil-nature theory, and so on.
As he confronted and defeated all those many beings who needed to be taken down, a certain thought began to bud inside Ermes.
Namely — was it truly necessary to defeat every single one of them?
The catalyst was probably his confrontation with Laplace.
Until then, the enemies in his eyes had been "irredeemable" beings. Empty shells who distorted even their own consciousness and twisted the thoughts of others to suit their convenience — beings who were outwardly polished but hollow within.
……But after that, things changed.
Increasingly, he found himself facing beings who — even if crooked, even if warped — still acted underpinned by certain thoughts and ideals, who possessed, so to speak, a firm "conviction."
Lucius had undoubtedly been such a person, and Laplace probably was too. Even Archbishop Johann, come to think of it, seemed to have held onto that kind of conviction.
If that was the case, then……
Even if those people existed, and even if he ended up opposing them — he had come to want, first and foremost, to hear them out.
Because if such a firm conviction existed, there must be a past that shaped it, some event that led them to believe in it.
And at the very root of it all — something beautiful enough to justify honing one's power to such heights and refining one's magic to that degree.
A beautiful "aspiration" — surely there must be one.
From that perspective, looking at Archbishop Gregorio, with whom he was currently at odds……
He was certain. Gregorio was probably the kind of person who possessed conviction. The unique aura of someone with a solid core was oozing from him, and those around him swore loyalty to him from the bottom of their hearts — something that could never be produced by someone vague and wishy-washy.
……If that was the case, then — using what he had learned from Sara about connecting with others……
He thought he should hear him out: his conviction that supported his actions, the feelings buried at the very bottom of it all.
If he did that — perhaps somewhere, somehow, he might find something to sympathize with, something he could truly understand.
Under that conviction, Ermes faced off against Archbishop Gregorio.
◆
"Bloodline Magic — '
Revelation of Innocence
'"
At last unleashed—Archbishop Gregorio's Bloodline Magic.
Before Ermes and the others, who ratcheted their vigilance up another notch, Gregorio raised his hand—
—and from it, as though a tree were putting down roots,
something like a net of light spread out near the ceiling of the archive.
The first thought that sprang to mind upon seeing it:
(Capture? A barrier-type spell like Lady Sara's... No, that's not it. This belongs to an entirely different lineage.)
He reached that conclusion in an instant.
Even to the eyes of Ermes, who had witnessed countless spells, that net of light exuded neither the air of a barrier nor, for that matter, any hint of aggression.
If anything, it was more like... The moment that thought began to form—
"...
Soul Extraction: Fruition
"
In sync with Gregorio's incantation, orbs of light budded from the net as though bearing fruit—
—and rained down upon Gregorio's soldiers.
The orbs vanished as they were drawn straight into the soldiers' chests.
Immediately after, the soldiers' bodies began to glow with a faint light.
At the sight of that magic... first, Liliana cried out.
"! This..."
That's right.
The magic Ermes had identified. Its closest defining trait was—
—Liliana's enhanced territory magic.
As if to confirm that intuition of Ermes'—
The soldiers all raised their hands at once, and from them, a volley of magic far more devastating than before rained down.
"—!!"
Sara's magic alone wouldn't be enough.
Having made that instant judgment, Ermes and Sara simultaneously—
Spirit Veil—
—activated the Spirit Veil. Blocking the worst of it for the moment, Ermes instantly began to deduce the nature of Gregorio's magic.
(...The enemy's magic is, as expected, the same territory-enhancement type as Lady Lilily's. But that's not all—there must be another element involved. The similar magic type that comes to mind is—Lady Katia—!)
And then, the sensation of something clicking into place.
Perhaps the enemy had cut off their magic at the same time—the pressure of the barrage weakened. Seizing that opening, Ermes switched spells—
maintaining—
what she had kept in reserve—
Magic Bullet Archer—
—and activated it. With that counterattack, they barely managed to resume the ranged battle.
Ermes fixed his gaze on Archbishop Gregorio and declared with conviction.
"—
Possession
, isn't it."
"!"
"First, much like Lady Katia's '
Netherworld of Salvation
,' it summons some manner of... in this case, a soul excelling in magical attributes. It then possesses an ally with 'Possession,' artificially boosting that ally's magical abilities—something along those lines."
"Impressive... to have already seen through it."
Gregorio's reaction confirmed that he had guessed correctly.
...Though it was awkward to even say it himself, this was an extraordinarily advanced piece of magic. He was already astonished that Liliana's territory-enhancement Bloodline Magic existed, and beyond that, Katia's—the Netherworld of Salvation, which was leagues above any Bloodline Magic Ermes had seen before—
Netherworld of Salvation
—and the effect related to the Soul, which was the very reason for its sophistication, being layered on top was nothing short of astonishing.
"Yes, that's right. You've got it."
And, not the slightest bit bothered at having been seen through, Archbishop Gregorio spread both hands wide as though boasting and continued his explanation.
"Magnificent magic, isn't it? With this, no matter who you are, no matter what magic you possess, you can always display a certain level of power. Anyone can become an extraordinary being.
Yes—just because someone isn't blessed with magic, or because the magic they have is lacking. To discard someone for reasons like that alone is the height of foolishness. Every person deserves the right to play a magnificent role."
"—"
That...
It was, coincidentally, almost identical to the theory Liliana had put forward.
Furthermore, the effects of the magic were almost identical to what Liliana had envisioned — the desire to turn everyone into a brilliant magician.
—Though I'm surprised that someone in the church shares the same way of thinking.
Reflecting on this once more... I'm sure there's room for understanding with this archbishop. If I can properly talk to him, I should be able to reach the ideals at the root of it all.
That said, our respective positions are what they are. As Gregorio stated earlier, we cannot simply stop fighting at the drop of a hat.
So first, I'll defeat him decisively. And then, I'll hear him out once more.
With that resolve, Ermes steeled himself anew.
"H-Ermes, at this rate—!"
It was then that Sara's strained voice rang out.
The barrage of bullets from soldiers enhanced by Gregorio's magic must have been more powerful than anticipated. Ermes's magic had turned the exchange into a proper shootout, but they were still being pushed back gradually. It would only be a matter of time before their defenses crumbled.
But—
"...It's fine. Just hang in there a little longer."
Ermes calmly analyzed the situation and said as much.
As his words indicated, there was no need to panic. Now that the mechanism behind the enemy's magic was understood, both its weaknesses and countermeasures had already been identified. That was—
"This offensive won't last much longer."
"...What?"
At the quietly spoken words, Sara's eyes went wide.
"To begin with, 'possession'... assigning someone else's soul to another body is extraordinarily difficult for people with strong individuality. It places a tremendous burden, and no matter how much experience one accumulates, some degree of rejection is virtually guaranteed.
What's more, when someone with no experience at all attempts possession, intense rejection is unavoidable. Before long, the enemy's possession should break apart. That's what we aim for—"
"Oh, so you figured that out, did you?"
However.
Ermes's analysis was interrupted — no, rather, it was affirmed, and then some.
Archbishop Gregorio, without a trace of impatience, clapped his hands as though offering praise.
"Yes, that's all true enough. But you see… I didn't climb to the rank of Archbishop for nothing. I know my own magic's weaknesses well enough."
"!"
"And the countermeasures for them, too. …Marc, you're up."
With that, Gregorio designated one of the soldiers on the opposite side.
The soldier who was called rushed to Gregorio's side, visibly overjoyed at having his name spoken aloud.
"You're the right man for this. I want to show that even someone who wasn't blessed with magic can fulfill a remarkable role.
—Will you go prove the true value of this magic?"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
Receiving those words, he nodded with an expression of resolve—
—and charged straight toward Ermes.
(!? What is he—)
Caught off guard by the unexpected move, Ermes faltered for a moment.
But if anything, this was convenient. Targeting the spellcaster who serves as the launching point for attacks is the obvious play… but the opponent is Ermes, a mage who excels in close combat as well.
Looking at the soldier's movements, the one called Marc didn't seem to be someone particularly specialized in melee either. In that case, dealing with him would be simple — Ermes could handle it even while firing off spells. If anything, it would just reduce the enemy's firepower by one, putting her side at an advantage—
(…No.)
Ermes reconsidered. This was not such an easy opponent.
By now it was already clear from their exchanges: Archbishop Gregorio was someone who treasured his soldiers above all else.
That meant there had to be some kind of hidden card. Something that could turn the disadvantage of Gregorio's magic into an advantage — some trick that would forge this soldier into an extraordinarily powerful and useful close-range mage. There had to be something that would prove what Gregorio called the "true value" of this magic.
Some tremendous enhancement? Unconventional movement? An unexpected spell?
Taking every possibility into account, Ermes faces the charge head-on with the conviction that he will endure it all no matter what.
Matching his resolve, the soldier called Marc steps forward with a smile brimming with unwavering trust and confidence.
To drive his blade into Ermes, Marc takes that final step to close the gap — and in that instant, the light of the soul dwelling within him blazes ever brighter, as if granting him yet more power —
— and then
it detonated
.
"My magic's weakness is the rejection reaction of the soul."
Before Ermes's eyes, a blinding white light erupts. At the same time, a torrent of magic power and a shockwave engulf him.
"That meant the full enhancement of an ally couldn't be sustained for long enough. That was the fatal flaw."
By the skin of his teeth, his body moved on reflex. In a panic he conjured a barrier of Enhanced universal magic, trying to shield himself from the blast.
But without Bloodline Magic, the defense was insufficient. The shockwave he couldn't fully block tears into Ermes.
"…However, when I identified that and confirmed it, I reached a conclusion."
He barely manages to limit the extent of his injuries, preventing wounds that would make continuing combat impossible. He escapes the shockwave's range and regains his footing.
And then, finally — tap, tap, tap.
"— So then, conversely,
if I just make it
reject
even more
instead —"
Not bad at all.
"With that kind of power, you could even make a magic bomb that exploits rejection responses—"
A large glob of blood struck Ermes's cheek.
—The last remnant of what was once Mark had splattered across him.
"……………………Huh?"
His body reacted on instinct, trained reflexes dealing with the blast wave with precision.
But Ermes's mind had long since crossed beyond the threshold of confusion.
...What had just happened.
In blunt terms.
A human being had exploded right in front of him.
Archbishop Gregorio had turned one of his own soldiers into a bomb.
He could not process the event as anything other than something out of a fever dream. And there, before the stupefied Ermes—
"What do you think, young Ermes? ...It's a truly, truly splendid use of magic, wouldn't you say?"
Gregorio, his gentle smile unchanged as ever.
—
Without
any hidden meaning
or pretense
,
sincere conviction
With that same
expression,
they told me.
"The Church is a terrifying place."
The words echo in my mind.
"That's why — if you become deeply entangled with the Church, you might end up 'seeing' something so unimaginable, so utterly beyond comprehension that you can't even fathom it..."
Those were the words Yurugen had spoken to me before I set off for Church headquarters.
Now they reverberate through my emptied thoughts with terrible force.
The Church arc begins in earnest from here.
If you'd like to follow along, I'd be grateful for your company.