Episode 906 Magic Festival (8)
I feel lethargic.
A sense of resistance ran through my limbs, as if I had fallen into the sea. It was so dark all around that I couldn’t even distinguish front from back, but I could clearly feel that I was sinking into a bottomless abyss.
Should I go up?
I don’t know.
I don’t remember anything. Everything was so cozy that I couldn’t recall anything. Also, I was tired and didn’t want to do anything.
Moves away from the water.
Into the darkness.
As I got closer to the floor, the unknown screams grew louder. They were indistinguishable. It was chaotic, like the screams of countless people.My once at ease trembled with anxiety, but I was unable to resist.
Like a corpse soaked in water,I gradually sank in.
Until a small light came.
───O Mother’s Lamp Embracing Humanity.
A beautiful voice was heard.
The light is eternal, and the will of the one who bears that divinity is also eternal. Please wrap us in the light, so that our bodies may once again illuminate the deep darkness and wash away the defilement.
Strength was felt in my fingertips, which had been limp and loose.My senses became vivid. Asense of self began to dwell within the empty will that had lost everything.
───Mother of Light, call the soul of the wanderer. Let him walk upon this earth again with your warm holy light.
The light seeping beneath the surface drove away the darkness that permeated the surroundings.
───I swear as a newcomer, please restore the lost breath. Let this pitiful lamb, the vanguard of faith, be reborn in a mother’s embrace.
He moved his arm with difficulty.Unconsciously, he reached out his hand with all his might toward the light shining on him.
───Goddess, O Luas.
The light took his hand.
Please give me another chance.
Pulled in in an instant, his body, which had been submerged in darkness, surged forth. The thick darkness and screams that had tried to completely engulf him faded into the distance, becoming mere dots.
The field of vision was filled with innocent white.
Salvation of the Divine
The moment I emerged from the water, all my memories returned and my consciousness became clear.I reflexively sat up.
“Gasp……!!! Cough, cough!!”
He coughed as the breath of the world suddenly soaked his lungs. Just as he was about to collapse back onto the floor, a soft hand supported his back.
Breathe slowly, slowly.
I desperately caught my breath and searched for the owner of the voice.Right beside me.
“Eh, Ersetia, Saint…….”“Archbishop Joseph.”
The miracle of resurrection, which currently only the Saint and the Pope can use—Archbishop Joseph, who had been lost along with the city of Goldhill, has returned.As the Archbishop’s robes were gone, his body was covered in a sacred cloth.
“Archbishop!!”
Bishop Lena hurried over and embraced Archbishop Joseph. Paladin Shane nodded slightly toward the revived Archbishop.
Me, resurrection… …?
This was the first time Archbishop Joseph had experienced the “salvation of the divine.”In fact, he had never even seen it.The miracle of resurrection was not a simple one performed in the Principality of Ruas. Throughout its long history, the number of actual attempts to resurrect had not even reached double digits.
Archbishop Joseph was merely surprised and not happy at all. He stroked the ruined land with trembling hands.
The miracle of resurrection is limited to only one person.Time is required to use it again.Ignoring this and manifesting the miracle again puts a strain on the very existence of the newcomer.
Paladin Railber who tried to protect him, the holy knights, the clergy, and the citizens of Goldhill whom he had to protect… …They are dead. They cannot come back to life.How, then, could he rejoice? The weight of death pressed down on his shoulders.
The saint said.
“Your mind may not be sound yet, but I need information right now. Archbishop Joseph, who exactly is the prisoner who committed the massacre? And what is his objective?”“The prisoner’s… the prisoner…”
Memories of just before death came to mind.
“His name is Barcazel. Perhaps what he desires is chaos on the continent…….
Is it because it was just moments ago that it had entered rest through death?
My sense of touch has become extremely sensitive,at least for now.
Archbishop Joseph glared and squeezed out a voice that was barely coming out.
“Be careful……!!”“!”
The saint was the first to react.
I saw something like a pitch-black dot flying from the far side of the sky. Its form became clear with the sound of piercing air. Its flight speed was truly transcendent.
Divine power spread out in all directions, pushing everyone, including Archbishop Joseph, back. Bishop Lena screamed and rolled around.Cardinal of the Three Orders and Serphania of Charity protected everyone except the Saint.
Whoosh───Boom!
Barcazel, the Prisoner of Massacre, advanced while colliding with the Saint, subduing her arm holding the Holy Lance and her slender neck.
“Is that the resurrection of the Ruas religion? Indeed, indeed. It is certainly good enough to boast of being a world religion. According to the original plan, I should have stalled longer, but… regrettably, I couldn’t hold out any longer.”
Barcazel thrust his dark purple eyes close.
“Struggle. With the power of being the strongest saint of all time.”
Barcazel, having pierced a mountain in a straight line, leaped with his wings and plummeted down, slamming the Saint’s head into the ground.
The ground split open, and the area sank.
Barcazel did not stop there and raised his arm, striking the Saint like a madman. The force that destroyed his prey in succession was greater than the one that had split even Archbishop Joseph in two with a single blow.
Bang bang
“Khahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!”
The mountain range trembled at the sound of cruel laughter.
Before long, only the debris of the earth remained beneath Barcazel’s feet. The entire valley between the mountains had nearly collapsed.In the terrible silence, every living thing in the mountain range held its breath.
It was then.
Cardinal Serfania.
A voice echoed from deep within the earth.The divine will reached the priests beyond the mountain.
“Take measures to avoid getting involved.”“I follow the will of the saint.”
As soon as Serphania’s answer was conveyed, a hand suddenly shot out from the ground made of large and small rock debris and grabbed the thick ankle.
Barcazel grinned.
He’s quite tough—
Boom!
The body, lifted high, was thrown and slammed diagonally into the floor.Moments crossed.Pitch-black wings aimed at the line of fire sliced through the air as if grazed, and the Saint’s fist struck Barcazel’s chest, sending him flying.
The saint took the stance of throwing a spear.
The Holy Spear, released from her hand, became light and pierced a straight line. The mountain, swallowed by the dazzling light, vanished in its entirety.
The light fades.
Barcazel, having shielded his entire body with his wings to defend against the Holy Spear, let out a low laugh. His wild instincts, which rarely budged, had reacted. He wonderedhow long it had been since he had felt a stimulus that could truly be called pain…
He certainly deserves to be called the strongest of this era.
Barcazel raised his head in maniacal laughter.
“You exceed expectations, Saint.”“The murder of the Archbishop, the massacre, the recklessness to dare challenge the Light.”
The saint looked down at Barcagell, her eyes flashing dazzlingly. Gray clouds were gathering. In a world falling in shadow, only she shone.
It is blasphemy.
* * *
The unknown island, the underground labyrinth.
Mauler moved steadily, smashing unknown mummies, but still had not found anything of note.All he had discovered in the past few days was an exploration team from another faction, something like that squad.
So far, that is.
“My wandering around was worth it. To think a conservative transcendent like you would ignore the Inland Sea Exploration Treaty.”“It is more stable not to follow the rules than to follow them.”
At the edge of Mauler’s field of vision was a boy.
Indren Piercia Rate, the control officer and an extra elder of the Artisan Magic Tower, stared at him while resting his staff on the floor.
“It is obvious that you are going to violate the treaty, so I cannot just sit idly by.”“That is why I have come here in person. So what do you intend to do now? Do you plan to subdue me and take me away? Just because I dislike change?”“I have told you time and time again. I am not opposed to change; I desire gradual change.”
Indren let out a sigh.
“But people like you just blindly try to bring about change as you please, regardless of what happens to others or the world. Since you won’t listen no matter how much I try to stop you, I have no choice but to step forward now.”“That is a tremendous decision…”“Mauler, Gareth Cyrilliard. Watch your words from now on.”
There was no usual kindness in Indren’s eyes.
The life King Su could not quite end. Before I take it.
* * *
Bang─! Boom──! Pop──!
Flames soaring into the sky exploded spectacularly, marking the latter part of the Magic Festival. Although it was a day with quite biting spring chill, the excitement of the festival filling the massive city showed no signs of cooling down.
More people were strolling the streets than during the early and middle parts.
Families laugh.Merchants rejoice.Wizards fly overhead preparing the stage for the second half of the Magic Festival.City patrols bustle about to maintain order against crimes big and small.Ignacia yawns as she looks down upon the streets, as if she were the god of Gargant… … .
Perhaps, it was because of such a peaceful daily life that many people were able to overcome their own arduous hardships.
“……What? You mean canceling?”“I said that.”
The wizard of Artisan Tower smoked an expensive cigarette and nodded to the wizard of Zentir Tower, his junior from the Academy.The preparation of the main stage for the Magic Festival is handled by wizards selected from each tower.
“I had a feeling you weren’t very proactive. I never imagined you’d give up on the opening of the second half of the Magic Festival just by being notified. Damn it, if it’s not going to work out, you should have at least told me in the morning.”“Considering the nature of the Magic Tower, it’s not that strange, but it is surprising. Even so, you’ve never missed the Magic Festival stage before.”
My gaze naturally turned toward the east.
“I wonder if something is wrong at the Darkwarton Magic Tower?”
The order of the second half is determined randomly.
Ranked 3rd overall – Darkwarton Magic Tower was chosen as the first in line… … .Neither the necromancers of the time nor even his only disciple, Haldirn Deiras, showed their faces at the magic festival even once.
It was unusual.
It is a magic festival being held properly for the first time in a whopping eight years, yet they only had a single lower-ranking elder from the Dark Warton Magic Tower attend just as a formality.Even he displayed an ambiguous attitude throughout the festival, and just now declared his non-attendance and immediately returned to the Magic Tower.
“I don’t know what it is, but it must be a serious matter. The Magic Tower isn’t the type to make a fuss over trivial things.”“It might be related to that group called the Glory of the Corpse. The Theocracy of Luas seems to be on high alert as well. Judging by the fact that they infiltrated the World Council, there are rumors that they are Transcendents.”“Well, whether they are unofficial Transcendents or whatever, it is a matter beyond our control, so there is no need to worry. The rulers will take care of it. And it will be resolved without any major issues.”
To dare show hostility at the World Conference is no different from baring one’s yellow teeth at the entire world.An unofficial transcendent being?No matter how great their power, they will ultimately meet a miserable end. For the power of the current world is overwhelming compared to any history.
War of the Transcendents?
The technological capabilities of the era 800 years ago and the present day are worlds apart.
“Anyway, if we continue like this, the beginning of the second half of the stage will end anticlimactically. We have no choice but to move the order forward.”“Huh? Is that okay with you? Just doing it on our own?”“Of course not. I will finish inspecting the stage, so go and ask the Akenad Sorcerer Kingdom and Eon for their understanding. Ask them if they could take on the opening.”
The wizard’s hand patted my shoulder.
“There are only two or three hours left. A little bit of time adjustment is acceptable, so accept most requests on the spot and make sure to get permission before you come. That said, don’t just blindly nod your head at everything. Got it? I’m counting on you, junior.”
Is this how you handle leftovers?
“Damn it…”“What did you say?”“I’m going straight there without stopping, haha.”
School ties, regional ties, blood ties.
The junior from the Gentir Magic Tower, unable to give up the best connections of a senior from the Artisan Magic Tower, could not refuse that request, which was not exactly a demand.
* * *
The sun is getting closer to the horizon.
The sky gradually darkened and began to be tinged with purple. A sunset more tranquil than usual enveloped the Magic Festival.
“What a chaotic sky. Perhaps that is why it is so perfect.”
Vangelis Ruin Akenard leisurely stroked his short beard. The twilight was reflected in his blue eyes, which were fixed upward.
“When do you think it will start?”
Verden said.
“It wouldn’t be surprising if it started at any moment. It could be today, or it could be tomorrow. Perhaps it has already begun somewhere.”“Since Reindel Nexreon seems to be sincerely preparing something, that is certainly possible. Furthermore, the whereabouts of several Transcendents remain unconfirmed. I am sure you are well aware of this.”“…….”“An unknown island rising in the Inland Sea of Hyaremar, an ancient king, the Dragon Sword. Relatively minor incidents have followed, so it is only natural that a major event is about to erupt.”
Will it be an era of turmoil?Will a dark age dawn?
But nothing can ruin today.
Vangelis asserted.
“Who should go first? You decide, Verden.”“So you mean the order doesn’t matter?”“If I go first, your presentation won’t register, and if you go first, only I will remember in the end.”
Verden let out a hollow laugh.
“You’re brimming with confidence. If you’re going to go that far, I’ll go first.”“You won’t be disappointed. But…”
Vangelis lowered his voice.
“Haven’t you decided on a title for me yet? Hmm? Since I’m Medrail’s older brother, simply calling me ‘Grandfather’ wouldn’t be bad… Hmm, I guess ‘Brother’ is better?”“Shut up, 7th Demon King.”“Hahahaha, don’t get so awkward. Well, we’ll decide on a title gradually. We don’t have that little time left.”
Numerous presences can be felt from all directions.
“Typical of the Master of the Magic Tower, Artisan, you’re quite the show.”
A familiar voice was heard.
───Master of Centrum! Successor to the Supreme Octagonal Star! The Seven Great Demon Kings, the greatest since the first generation! Vangelis Ruin Akenard!
───And.
───Leader of the Black Hour! Head of Eon! The first Tower Master! The greatest divinity of the Magic World, Verden!
It was Feldianne who had secured the role of host for the latter part of the festival with her overwhelming power. It was the moment when Verden and Vangelis went to their respective seats and stopped walking.
May you all be welcomed with respect.
The magic curtain blocking the stage from the inside and outside has disappeared.
In the middle of the square.
The street was packed with countless people as far as the eye could see. Even the building rooftops, where only a few were allowed for safety reasons, were full.
As if determined not to tolerate even the slightest disturbance, prominent figures in the magic world, such as the elders and seniors of the magic tower, volunteered to provide escort.
Paat.
The massive airship of the Artisan Magic Tower illuminated the stage with direct lighting.It was truly a lavish setup.
Even though the crowd easily exceeded tens of thousands, a deathly solemn atmosphere prevailed. The depth of that silence signified awe toward the two transcendent beings.
“I suppose you two don’t need an MC. Then I will observe from the closest possible vantage point. Hohoho.”“Ooo, hurry up and start!”
Ignacia, sitting next to Feldianne, booed while holding a freshly baked pastry.
