That day, the sky was perfectly clear.
"..."
The northern alliance's base fortress—the fortress that had been seized just before Ermes and his group arrived here. For the soldiers of the Harvist domain, it was a testament to their defeat.
Before that... today. The soldiers and Ermes stood there, determined to reclaim their former honor.
"...They're coming out."
Katia murmured.
Just as she said, the entire northern alliance army—easily several times their own numbers—had assembled before the fortress they now faced.
They had formed a battle line with the fortress at their backs, ready to crush the Harvist soldiers who had marched out to meet them.
"Normally, it wouldn't be unusual for them to hole up in the fortress and wait for reinforcements, but..."
"Yeah. Well—"
"That would've been"
"better,"
"but I guess that was never going to happen."
Yurugen picked up where Sara left off.
Indeed. Under normal circumstances, when the enemy was cornered, a base was available, and reinforcements were known to be on their way—the standard strategy would be to hold up in the base, await those reinforcements, and execute a decisive pincer attack.
But they weren't doing that. No—they had likely intended to, but given up. Probably because of the Archbishop's foresight.
After all—on their side, there was Ermes.
It was simple, really. With Ermes and the destructive power of his magic... a fortress was something he could level with ease.
In other words, if they foolishly holed up, his magic would simply rain down on them without restraint. That was precisely why the Archbishop, having foreseen this, made the decision to deploy their forces in front of the fortress.
And if there were one more reason on top of that…
"…They must believe they cannot possibly lose."
Looking at the forces of the Northern Alliance arrayed for battle, Albert said as much.
His assessment was probably not wrong. In fact, the knights of the Northern Alliance, positioned in a flawless formation, seemed to be wearing expressions of undisguised superiority—perhaps buoyed not only by their overwhelming advantage, but also by the comfort of knowing they could retreat into the fortress if things went south.
No… it did not seem to be merely their expressions.
"So you've finally come around, you remnants of Harvist!"
"Fools who cannot hear the voice of God—humans who have sold their souls to evil!"
"Today, we shall be the ones to bring the hammer down! Let us become the foundation of the Kingdom of God, wrought by His Excellency the Archbishop!"
Such voices could be heard ringing out.
The soldiers of the Northern Alliance were clamoring. Their faces were blank, all higher thought stilled—expressions of people who believed in the Archbishop from the bottom of their hearts, harboring not a single shred of doubt.
This was partly because the key figures among them were already under the Archbishop's control through brainwashing.
And beyond that—the temperament of this nation. Class stratification enforced by Bloodline Magic, and the influence of the Church that had, over many years, defined how Bloodline Magic was wielded, cultivating an absolute hierarchy between superior and inferior.
That temperament had forged it. A place where one must never defy, never question, the decisions of those above. And at its apex, under the name of "God"—a dark realm where every vice was permitted.
And then.
—to destroy that, right now. That was why they were standing here.
"O Great Excellency the Archbishop!"
At that moment, one of the Northern Alliance knights raised his voice.
True to his words, every knight in the alliance stirred as the Archbishop Johan emerged at last from within the fortress.
"Your Grace, we are ready at any moment! Give us the signal to deploy!"
"The Harvist scum have done exactly as you said and come out to meet us!"
"Why don't we annihilate them right away — no, better yet, what if Your Grace were to bestow 'Divine Punishment' upon them personally!?"
At the words "Divine Punishment," the Harvist soldiers who were listening stiffened.
...Just as expected. The spectacle they had witnessed on their way here. That devastating beam of destructive light that Archbishop Johan had rained down from the sky — it was enough to freeze one with terror.
Having considered all of this — Ermes thought.
"...Fine."
Perfect timing. —
First,
from there,
I'll break them.
—So went his thoughts.
And so, he stepped before the soldiers who were visibly shaken — daunted by the Archbishop's imposing presence and the near-fanatical morale of the Northern Alliance troops. He raised his arm and drew in a breath.
"—
Meteor Throne
"
He declared the spell's incantation.
The soldiers' eyes went wide. The Northern Alliance and the Harvist side alike.
Immediately after, beams of light rained down from the sky.
But these were not attacks. After all, since hostilities had not yet begun, both the Northern Alliance soldiers and their fortress were well out of range from where Ermes's forces currently stood.
Instead, with deafening roars, the beams struck the middle ground. Seven of them hit the flat plain that stretched between the two forces — precisely where the two armies would collide if things continued as they were.
At first glance, the seven impact sites seemed utterly meaningless... but of course, Ermes never did anything without purpose.
This was not a show of force.
After all, even when measured within the scope of Bloodline Magic, the power of the Archbishop's Divine Punishment was close to the absolute pinnacle. Ermes's '
Meteor Throne
' —had the two clashed, his side would lose. Anyone who saw the spectacle before them would be convinced of that.
......But.
Ermes knew it would not turn out that way. Because—
"—Rest easy, all of you soldiers."
He declared. Using a voice-amplifying General-purpose Magic, he addressed the Northern Alliance soldiers—and the Archbishop as well, as though driving the point home.
"The Archbishop's Divine Punishment. There is no need to fear it. Because—"
He paused mid-sentence, and shifted his tone.
One breath.
"—The seven locations just struck. The Divine Punishment—"
"there—and"
"nowhere else—"
"will it"
"absolutely"
"not fall."
"......"
Time stood still.
The Harvist regular soldiers—who had not been briefed on the details beforehand—and the Northern Alliance soldiers even more so. A silence brimming with utter shock echoed across the surroundings.
Into that silence, Ermes struck like a hammer blow.
He spoke the revelation that would strip away the pretense from the Archbishop's imposing grandeur.
"
It can only
be fired at
predetermined
locations.
That is the technical limitation exchanged for the overwhelming power of "Divine Punishment."
—Isn't that right, Archbishop Yohan?"
Regarding the "Divine Punishment" Technique the Archbishop had unleashed upon them when they first arrived here,
Ermes had analyzed it thus: by carefully combining Magical tools and taking sufficient time to prepare, it was possible to fire that level of bombardment alone—but one could not freely aim it at any desired location.
That technical problem had not been resolved.
Presumably, just as he said—they took time at a specific point, performed magical preparations, and then set up a guidance Technique for the uncontrollable bombardment, trading accuracy for power, to make it land there. Something along those lines.
If so, that fell within what Ermes could accept, given his knowledge of Magical tools.
Then the remaining question was—why had they been able to target them at that time?
On that point, too... the analysis of the Archbishop up until now should have already produced an answer.
—Yes. He had "foreseen" it.
He had performed pinpoint foresight—"Ermes and the others will be at that place, at that moment, on that day"—and had pre-set the guidance Technique to that very point.
It was, in a sense, an outrageous, almost fraudulent act.
It wasn't that they had targeted their position with the bombardment.
The outrageous feat of pre-aiming an untargetable bombardment — then placing it ahead of time at the very spot where they themselves would be stationed.
However, if such a thing were unleashed at the very first moment of contact, when the opponent's full picture was still invisible... the apparent effect would be overwhelming. It amplified tenfold the one irrational power they possessed — "foresight" — making it appear all the more terrifying and inscrutable.
That, perhaps, was Archbishop Johann's true strength.
Taking magic or techniques with severe constraints, yet never letting those constraints be seen for what they were, and unleashing them at the moment when they would appear most fearsome, most devastating — he was extraordinarily skilled at that.
The number two of a religious organization, naturally well-versed in the art of performing miracles for all to see.
──But even so, the trick had been exposed.
Once the mechanism was understood, it became possible to identify where the "Divine Punishment" would strike — for instance, by detecting the guidance Technique, just as they had done now. The concealment had been masterfully subtle at first, nearly undetectable. But once you knew "it exists somewhere," Ermes's magical perception was more than sufficient to pick it up.
If it could only arrive at a specific location, and that location was known in advance, then the Technique was no longer a threat. That was precisely why Ermes had declared they had "nothing to fear."
And at the same time ── once the trick was exposed, it was only fair to return the favor.
Expose the trick before the public eye, use it to shake the morale of the Northern Alliance soldiers while boosting their own.
......Archbishop Johann was formidable.
Even possessing irrational power was not enough to achieve what he had. He wielded his own abilities, his authority, and every card in his hand — including his Magical tools — with devastating effectiveness. In a different way from Ermes, he understood "how to use magic" better than almost anyone alive.
But.
That was precisely why, if they were afraid beyond what was necessary, they would play right into his hands. With cool-headed analysis, they would strip away the shadow that loomed so large and expose it for what it truly was — lay bare the full visage of God's mouthpiece, and drag him down from his throne.
With that resolve, Ermes made his declaration.
Archbishop Johann, upon hearing it, responded in kind — likewise employing the amplifying General-purpose Magic.
"──How tedious."
So he said. There was no agitation. Instead, laced with something entirely new — undisguised loathing.
"Your aim is transparent. You intend to goad me with words, manipulate my response, and force me into using 'this magic.' I have no idea what you plan to do after that, but......"
"......This magic is not so lenient that I would let it be used simply because someone like you provokes me."
Ermes was convinced by the seamless, flawless reply that so cleanly deflected his question.
...As expected, at the very least, he had been "read."
"——And now, I ask you, servants of God.
Are you truly so incompetent that you cannot even defeat such a paltry band without borrowing God's power?"
Heavy, solemn words delivered with a commanding gaze over the soldiers below.
The Northern Alliance soldiers instinctively straightened their backs. The soldier who had earlier asked the Archbishop to "use God's punishment" stiffened as every eye turned to him, his voice strained with even greater tension.
"N-No, Your Eminence! P-Please rest assured! Those wretched, God-defying rabble are no match for the Northern Alliance! We shall cut them all down, immediately and without exception!"
Words laced with excessive embellishment. Yet Johan showed not the slightest hint of being moved.
"Good. So long as you understand."
He said it curtly, then swept his gaze once more across the Northern Knights.
"——Knights, this is a righteous battle. A battle to exterminate every last heretic and proclaim God's divine majesty across the land. Therefore, so long as you give your all and truly do everything in your power for the sake of victory, there is simply no way you can lose.
——
For that
,
is God's
will
."
Perfect intonation. Perfect gestures. Perfect tone of voice.
The meticulously calculated speech, combined with the atmosphere of battle and the Archbishop's Bloodline Magic, sank deep into the soldiers as unparalleled words of encouragement.
Having confirmed its full effect—the Archbishop's lips twisted into a smirk.
"
Go.
Rampage as you please. Do whatever your heart desires.
Now then, Lucius."
"At once!"
At the call of the Knight Commander's name, a young man with dark blue hair emerged from the shadows.
As if accepting everything without question, he took over from the Archbishop, drew a deep breath—
"—All forces, charge!!"
In that instant, it was as though a drawn bowstring had been released.
The entire Northern Knight Order—all the forces in the fortress—surged forward with a battle cry.
"...They won't be shaken by that alone, will they."
And so, Ermes observed the soldiers who would soon be bearing down on them, and spoke.
The objective of shattering the Archbishop's phantom and raising their allies' morale had been accomplished.
But this outcome—the Archbishop, unmoved by Ermes's observations, restoring the soldiers' morale all the same. That, Ermes had anticipated.
After all, this was...
...because until he saw through the mechanism of the "Divine Punishment" and identified this landing site, everything had been—"Ermes's actions."
Every action Ermes was directly involved in could be read. That principle still held firm.
Once past that one exceptional night, it was over. Every action would be read through and sealed away, as was only natural.
—And so. From here on, he would entrust it to another.
"I'm counting on you. Lily."
"Yes."
Ermes echoed her voice.
A young girl with beautiful red hair, not yet of age, stepped forward — her eyes burning with unwavering resolve.
The place she stood was here, at the very front line of the Harvist soldiers.
The most dangerous position — the exact opposite of Johan, waiting at the very rear.
To put it bluntly, it was no place for the supreme commander to be.
...But he thought this was right.
Liliana currently lacked everything. Strength, caliber, dignity. It only worked because those around her — and her master — were extraordinarily capable. She understood better than anyone that she herself was still halfway down the path.
...Then again. If she wouldn't risk danger, risk her very life, what would she do?
"—Is that all right, everyone?"
She turned around and addressed the crowd.
There stood her subordinates — and the soldiers of Harvist territory.
The question was aimed at the latter. Understanding this, one of them spoke on their behalf.
"...Of course, Princess Liliana."
Towa, the Knight Commander, answered.
"To you, who showed us the future of this kingdom. To you, who understood our deepest desire — to protect this land with our own hands.
—We of Harvist territory pledge our swords. We will realize the future you speak of, with our own hands."
"!"
Hundreds of loyal gazes fixed upon her all at once.
This was different from before, when only a handful of her closest advisors had stood by her. Countless feelings, countless lives — she could feel them all being placed upon her shoulders.
……It was heavy. Incomprehensibly heavy.
But she had chosen to bear it. For the sake of her wish, she had chosen to carry it on her back and press forward.
And so, Liliana. One final time, to steel herself.
"…Master. Will you… take my hand…?"
She called out to the reliable presence standing beside her.
Asked, Ermes blinked for an instant, but soon smiled and did as she was told.
"Are you alright?"
"…Yes. …To tell the truth, I'd like you to hold me as well, but…"
The warmth reaching her through their hands was courage enough for now.
Shaking off her last trace of fear, she released his hand and raised her head.
"…I'll save that for a reward after we win."
Wearing an inappropriate smile inherited from her master, upon the beautiful face inherited from her grandmaster.
With an expression so like someone else's that even Ermes momentarily saw a vision, she—
Drew a breath and sang.
"——[
Thus
was the world created.
Infallible
truth is inscribed here.
Throughout all heaven and earth, without distinction—for the sake of the one true miracle.]"
And so, Creation Magic is revealed.
The girl who had materialized the emerald script board stood here, for the first time.
To present the future of this country in tangible form. The crystallization of her thoughts—the embodiment of what she had conceived and her master had brought to life.
The words of the Reproducer, which would truly mark the beginning of her battle.
She proclaimed, loud and clear.
"——Technique, re-enactment!"
Next time: the unveiling. Stay tuned!
This will be the last post of the year. The next update should go live on January 1st if all goes as planned... but given the date, it might slip by a day or so. My apologies...!
And once the new year kicks off, I should be able to share some announcements!
Thank you all so much for following along with this serialization since it started back at the end of April!
Please continue supporting The Reproducer of Creation Magic next year as well!!