"Evil... magic...?"
"Hm? Yes, that's right."
To destroy all evil Bloodline Magic.
She declared this with an unwavering smile of absolute certainty — "the Angel."
Even at Ermes' questioning voice, she seemed to not even fathom what there was to question.
"You were the same, weren't you? You were someone who could only use righteous Bloodline Magic, until you were shown the darkness of this country. You ended up being able to use evil Bloodline Magic, and it tormented you terribly."
"Th-that, is—"
"It's all right. ...I don't actually think Bloodline Magic itself is evil."
To Ermes, whose face twisted in distress, "the Angel" spoke as if gently guiding her.
"Even people can desire to use magic. Setting aside the perpetrators who stole Creation Magic, those who merely imitated it — and you, who are simply their descendants — bear no sin."
"..."
"Wanting to fly through the sky, seeking a better life — these things are not evil. And so the Bloodline Magic born from those desires, I shall forgive. God would have forgiven them as well."
But, she paused her words.
"—What I will not accept is only the evil intent."
She continued, calmly and with divine majesty.
"You see, that is something that did not exist in the age of the gods. The evil intent of humanity, swollen and festering because they obtained power beyond their worth."
"It must be eradicated. The current state of the Royal Capital is the result of permitting it. That this country has come to produce so many vengeful spirits, that beings who wreak unlimited destruction have appeared — all of it stems from the evil intent of humanity. Because magic exists that grants power to evil intent."
She truly harbored no doubts whatsoever about their ideology.
"That is why, from now on, we will manage things properly."
With beliefs terrifying enough to chill the blood, the "Angel" declared.
"We shall accept only the good Bloodline Magic, for the advancement of humanity and the continuation of the Divine Era. We shall not allow the evil Bloodline Magic to grow in power, and we shall destroy every last bearer without exception. In doing so, we shall rebuild the ideal kingdom once more — a kingdom free of the pain and suffering of old!"
...Ah, so that was it.
Exactly what the Church had described. Exactly what the records had shown. No discrepancy whatsoever.
"So you intend to destroy all evil magic."
"Yes!"
"Every last user, without exception?"
"Precisely! Once it has seeped into one's blood, it is already too late!"
"And you would simply disregard all of their feelings?"
"Of course! There is no need to consider them at all! ...Oh, you're feeling guilty out of kindness, aren't you, about erasing them? If so, you needn't worry about that either."
The "Angel" smiled. The "Angel" smiled.
Truly, without a shred of guilt — a face that saw only what was "good."
"If we make full use of Creation Magic, we can erase that guilt as well. Better yet, we can eliminate evil magic entirely — not just its existence, but every last memory of it!
So there is nothing you need to worry about. Every last piece of the evil magic that torments you good people — all of it, every last trace of its existence —"
With ringing conviction, she declared it.
"Let's wipe it all away — make it so it never existed!"
...I see, I understood.
They were — the "Angels" — beings of that nature.
In the Divine Era, they were entrusted with a portion of the gods' magic. One step above humanity, entirely and completely. Beings who existed solely to manage and govern people with pure, untainted intent, finding their purpose only in preserving the good. That was simply what they were.
(...Ha-ha.)
Ah.
What bitter irony.
Once again, she was shown a reminder. Her former self — immature, undeveloped. A past self who could only use magic born from good intentions, and who mindlessly discarded everything else.
Having accepted that fact, and now hearing the words of the "Angel" before her —
With the cruelest of irony, she was made to understand with utter clarity.
That she herself —
had been heading toward becoming something
like this.
"Come now!"
The "Angel" extends its hand.
And so. Ermes's answer came without a moment's hesitation.
"— I refuse."
Head-on. She hurled the words of denial.
◆
"…………? Why… is that?"
At Ermes's words of refusal,
the "Angel" before her tilted its head. As if it truly could not comprehend.
To "her" like that, Ermes continued speaking.
"I don't believe that's the case.
True, we fought against them. Because we held irreconcilable ideals, we clashed head-on in a battle of wills to see whose would prevail. ……If you call the act of continuing to exist good, and the act of bringing ruin evil, then perhaps their intentions were indeed evil."
Even Ermes himself hadn't fully organized his thoughts, but still. Carefully putting into words everything he had learned since leaving the Royal Capital.
"…Even so. Just because something is evil, that doesn't mean we should deny it entirely — treating it as something that should never exist. Acting as though none of it ever happened — I don't think that's right. Not ignoring it, not purging it. I believe it's something we have to face head-on, if we're not going to fight…!"
Those words.
Everyone around — Rose of course, but even Laplace and Chrono — listened with expressions of surprise. That was precisely because something in them had struck a chord.
…However.
"…I see."
For the "Angel."
For her, that was simply because she was something inhuman from the very start.
"It seems you too have been somewhat poisoned by wicked thoughts. Then — it appears I'll need to correct all of that as well, all at once."
"—!"
Having declared that,
she released her magic power even further, with an almost natural ease. It was immediately clear that there would be no room for negotiation. A combat stance she didn't even bother hiding.
Ermes quickly understood that talking was pointless. And so, he too raised his magic power.
The opponent was an "Angel." Someone Rose herself was on high guard against. A being that had likely played a part in shaping this kingdom's values regarding Bloodline Magic. In a sense… this being, too, was one of the monsters lurking at the kingdom's foundation.
But he couldn't afford to back down. Fortunately, since this was before the final clash, there was still some reserve left. On top of that, the strongest mages in the land were gathered here in one place.
If that was the case, then there had to be a chance of winning. Believing that, he staked everything on that possibility.
"Formula Replay — '
Fire Heaven Judgment
'!"
First, a reconnaissance in force — he would take the lead.
Ermes, acting on that thought, moved to activate the most powerful offensive spell he could unleash in the current situation—'
Fire Heaven Judgment
'—
—
failed.
"Huh—?!"
It wasn't that the spell was nullified.
If anything, it didn't even look like the 'Angel' had done anything. Because the reason it failed to activate was—
"Guh—ah!"
Magic power raged wild inside Ermes. The spell formula, excited in the wrong direction, spiraled out of control and turned its fangs upon Ermes himself.
(This is—?!)
No, he could understand the phenomenon that occurred.
It was a failure of magic control. After all, activating a spell through Creation Magic required exquisitely delicate manipulation. Even the slightest error in control would inevitably lead to this—Ermes himself had nearly suffered the same outcome many times during his training days.
But... but.
There were circumstances woven into this that could not be explained away by that alone.
Because, to put plainly what had just happened—
—
What occurred was that Ermes
lost control of his magic.
Those who knew him well would understand just how impossible this was.
(Ugh, again... That awful feeling I've had ever since the "Angel" appeared. What the heck is going on!)
While Ermes once again registered the strange sensation of being shifted and manipulated, he set that aside.
"Hey — stop obsessing over that one target, you damn Angel!"
She had likely confirmed that she was indeed the enemy and had entered combat stance.
This time, it was Laplace — who had until now merely watched — who launched the attack. Relying on the physical prowess he could exert within his rejection domain, enhanced by Genesis Magic, he hurled the power of rejection at the "Angel," intending to erase her in a single breath—
"Ghk!"
"Ga—?!"
—He crumbled to the ground.
This, too, was not because the "Angel" had done anything.
And yet, at the very moment he lunged—
For some reason, conveniently enough,
Laplace — and even Chrono — cried out in anguish and dropped to their knees.
The phenomenon that occurred was, once again, clear-cut. It was the same thing that had just happened to Ermes: a magic runout. The Genesis Magic Chrono was wielding spiraled out of control, and the backlash struck Laplace.
Yes, he could understand what was happening.
But... the timing was far too convenient. The instant an attack was launched against the "Angel," something went wrong at the most unfavorable moment possible for their side.
What on earth is this—
"I suppose you're confused, so allow me to explain."
Ermes and the others looked toward the voice.
Coincidentally—or perhaps not—looking down at the three of them who appeared to have knelt of their own accord, the "Angel" smiled warmly and spoke.
"The Fourth Genesis Magic that I activated just a moment ago—"
"!"
"—
◻︎◻︎◻︎◻︎◻︎
—is Genesis Magic that governs 'events.'"
That's right—Genesis Magic.
The "Angel" had activated this earlier—and now she was explaining it, another thing that had somehow been pushed to the back of their minds.
"'Events' are, quite literally, everything that happens here and now. Having activated Genesis Magic, I already have complete command over every event in this place. ...Shall I put it in simpler terms?"
"—"
"
Everything that happens
will go exactly as I wish.
No matter how minuscule the possibility, even if the probability is so small it could normally be dismissed entirely—I can pick up that possibility and guide it to its outcome."
He couldn't make sense of what she was saying.
No, he actually did understand. But it was so utterly preposterous that even Ermes couldn't bring himself to accept it immediately.
As if to deliver the finishing blow, the "Angel" spoke.
"—If there is even the slightest possibility of something happening, I can make it a reality exactly as I envision.
That is what it means to govern 'events.' The '
Fourth
'—that is the true effect of the 'Fourth.'"
If that is truly what she means—
then it is nothing short of what one would call the magic of a god.
"You remember the incident with Archbishop Johann, yes? Using malice and a mere fragment of this Genesis Magic—
the Ancient Magical Tool
Scaldrogia—he foolishly tried to seize control of the nation.
But he did not carry the shard of Genesis Magic within himself. That is why, even with the Magical Tool, the only effect he could produce was 'mere' precognition."
But. If it were this 'Angel'—
"If I reclaimed it and unleashed the true power of the Fourth Genesis Magic, its effect goes far beyond precognition. —I can create the future exactly as I wish."
I finally understood the source of that unease.
This was it. This was the effect of the Fourth Genesis Magic. We had been caught in its technique all along, unknowingly herded toward the future most unfavorable to us.
Ermes's magic going berserk, Chrono's limiter being released—events that should never have occurred. No, to be precise, events that would not happen ninety-nine times out of a hundred.
But '—
◻︎◻︎◻︎◻︎◻︎
—' forcibly turns that remaining one chance in a hundred into reality. Moreover, at the caster's chosen timing, however they see fit.
"With all that in mind, allow me to ask you once more."
Having made us fully comprehend an effect so immense that calling it 'extraordinary' would be an understatement,
the 'Angel' poses her question with a smile far too beautiful.
"—Children of man. How exactly do you intend to defeat me?"
Such a thing. As if that were even possible.
Her words threatened to push them beyond the boundaries of comprehension, and despair was already closing in ——
"——'
Meteor Throne
'"
All of it — even the despair of Ermes and the others.
A single beam of light tore through everything and struck.
"!"
A direct hit.
But when the smoke cleared, the 'Angel' stood there completely unscathed. Yet... the beauty who had unleashed the beam regarded it as though it were of no consequence.
From even higher above, the Sky Witch, Rose, gazed down upon the Angel with contempt.
"Haha, quite the bluffer, aren't you, God's messenger? That self-proclaimed title of yours — could it be
a pun on 'con artist'?
You've actually got more of a sense of humor than I expected."
"...'
First
Vessel'"
"The name's Rose — remember it. And Eli, plus Chrono and Laplace for good measure. Don't be fooled. Their Fourth isn't all-powerful. Not yet."
She conveyed what she knew by virtue of being Rose, along with what she had grasped through her thorough observation thus far. Analysis was, after all, her forte.
"As you can see, my '
Meteor Throne
" — hits him. Because this is magic that simply cannot fail. That's how thoroughly he's refined this technique.
Strictly speaking, there probably does exist an infinitesimally small chance, but the probability is far too minuscule for even him to pick up. At best, he can turn one into a hundred. Anything less than that... he cannot turn one one-hundredth into a hundred."
"—!"
"Now then, out of respect for your esteemed lecture, allow me to ask a question, Professor."
And with that, Rose pressed in for the kill.
With a smile befitting a true witch, she posed the critical question.
"—
How many more minutes
can you remain
manifested?"
"!!"
"Ha! If you can tell just from his expression, then he's beyond saving! Did you see that, Elle? He's not invincible—and on top of that, he has a time limit! I can't defeat him, but wear him down enough to force him out!"
She then turned her gaze to Laplace and Crono—primarily toward Crono.
"Next, Crono! Whatever you do, do not let him capture you!"
"!"
"
He's not omnipotent yet—
I told you that, didn't I! He only has 'the Fourth' right now, which is why this level of effect is all he can produce! But—"
"So that's it—if he were to take my 'Sixth' as well—"
Ermes arrived at the same conclusion simultaneously.
That's right. The Fourth Creation Magic governs phenomena — the power to guide the future toward one's desired outcome.
In its current state, it apparently had limitations. Its range of effect was restricted, and it couldn't pull in futures with too low a probability.
But still. ── What if it were combined with the Sixth?
The Fourth Creation Magic, which governs "phenomena" and allows one to reshape the future despite its limits, and the Sixth Creation Magic, which removes all limits from magic — what if those two were brought together?
In short — everything in the world would end up at the mercy of that "angel."
……Creation Magic.
Seven of them. The magics of beginnings.
Gather all seven
and you get the magic that can create a world
.
He was made to understand, once again, that none of it was an exaggeration.
And that kind of future — it had to be stopped. Without question.
"The decisive battle is off for now — forget our rivalries! This is something we 'humans' have to take down together! Everyone, keep up the coordinated attacks with guaranteed success! Then push your magic power to the manifestation limit and drive it back into the gap between worlds!"
With Rose's words, everyone understood what they had to do.
The enemy was the "angel." A relic of the divine age. A being that had nested in the kingdom since its very founding, greedily seeking Creation Magic. It had finally appeared — the bottomless monster of goodness lurking at the very depths of this country.
She sought to destroy all evil magic. Its wielders, their wishes — she intended to ignore all of it and erase everything, as though it had never existed.
……That was unacceptable, he thought.
He couldn't put it into words properly, and he didn't know how things were in the old days, but ── Ermes, as he was now, felt that this was wrong.
He was sure the others felt the same way. And so, there was no hesitation.
"……I suppose we have no choice."
Could they sense that fighting spirit in them?
The "Angel," despite so much having been exposed, remained elegant—brimming with an unfathomable presence.
"As you wish. Let us play a little.
Children of man, have no fear. ...Before long, you shall know the power of an angel."
With those words.
The battle that would truly decide this nation's future had begun.
The Fourth Creation Magic had been unveiled.
All Creation Magic tends to come with absurd effects, and the Fourth is no exception. Compared to the Sixth, its effect may have been somewhat harder to grasp—what did you think?
By the way, among the ideas the author conceived, there is one way of describing the Fourth Creation Magic's effect that is the easiest to understand, yet only truly reaches those who get it—expressible in a single sentence.
"A magic that guarantees victory in Po-mon battles."
I hope that helps those who understand.
In any case—next time. The Angel's extraordinary unveiling will continue, but the Sky Witch has already shown us the winning path. How will they fight back from here? I hope you'll read on!