have finally come to an end.Donna and Beck from the children’s group have gone to do their sacred task.
Sacred task―― in other words, killing people.
After sending off the two children on their journey, I finally resolved myself and raised the beacon for the rebellion.
It will be executed on the day of the Ma.s.s.
It seems there are several sacred tasks taking place concurrently. It wasn’t just Donna and Beck; quite a number of emissaries will be away from the Nest and will miss the Ma.s.s this time.
On the other hand, many of the executives will remain at the Nest in order to attend the Ma.s.s.
Even in the unlikely event that the emissaries become hostile, they probably won’t be able to fight properly because the majority of them will be under the influence of Mescaline.
My companions and I closely exchange information while waiting for the day of the Ma.s.s.
On the day of the Ma.s.s, I distributed the antidote to both Mescaline and Repchipa Gra.s.s to my companions, confirmed the plan over and over, and then went to the chapel.
Instead of the usual atmosphere, there was instead a nervous atmosphere inside the chapel.
In the beginning, I thought it was just that my companions and I were nervous because of the act we had planned, but somehow the executives, including Gazaine, also appeared unusually tense.
Today is a special Ma.s.s, and the wine containing Mescaline was poured into a goblet that was larger than usual.
I handed out a larger dose of the antidote than what was required so I think it should be fine, but I had cold sweat.
Recently, there hasn’t been a single calm place in the Nest.
It’s as though they were preparing for what was about to happen.
I don’t believe it, but… has our scheme been leaked out…?
However, no matter how much I probed, I couldn’t find any signs of such things.
Since I can’t postpone the plan because of a simple fear, we resolved ourselves and decided to take action today.
But it seems that those were groundless fears.
Immediately after the Ma.s.s began, the Archbishop was suddenly summoned, skipping Gazaine’s sermon.
I try [Appraisal] just in case, but there was no doubt that this was produced by Gazaine’s [Illusion Magic].
The illusion floated there with its eyes closed for a few minutes without saying a word.
It coughed once, fostering an air of hesitation. Among the emissaries who had drunk the wine (those who were not of Orochi’s faction), some crouched down in a bad mood.
After giving us plenty of suspense, the illusion slowly started spinning a tale.
《Dear emissaries… The time has finally come.
It’s time to build Evil G.o.d Monguenues’s kingdom above the ground with our hands…》
Those were words used to incite a rising to action.
I see, so the reason the executives stayed was this.
Nevertheless, isn’t it good that they were gathering everyone together even though it means halting the other sacred tasks?
In this case, there’s no need to revise the plan.
While I was nodding to myself, Archbishop Glutometsa’s illusion had disappeared, replaced by the appearance of Gazaine who proceeded to preach―― trying to appeal them to rise to action.
“――When those who are currently outside return… we will go usurp a kingdom.”
At Gazaine’s declaration, the emissaries who were present became noisy.
“Our target is Sanamana Kingdom’s royal capital, Monoccha.n.u.s.
At the same time, we will have the troops who have infiltrated the royal capital execute their task of spreading propaganda towards the citizens of the capital.
a.s.sa.s.sinate them without leaving anyone behind.”
Someone cleared their throat, and it sounded awfully loud.
“It’s the guidance of the Evil G.o.d.
Fellow believers, will you come with us?”
At Gazaine’s words, the chapel fell into silence.
Then,
I said, walking out from the chapel.
There were ten-odd adults, as well as several children.
“…What did you say?”
Gazain asked with a grim face.
“I said I don’t want to, Leader.”
“You b.a.s.t.a.r.d, what are you saying to your leader! ――《Reconsider》!”
Jumping out from the flank was one of the executives――His name is Gazlow if I’m not mistaken――but he spoke the keyword to the collar of “loyalty”.
However――
Click.
“…I already knew how to release this a long time ago.”
I said, lazily pointing at the released collar with my finger.
“What…!”
Gazaine talks instead of the speechless Gazlow.
“…that okay, Orochi.”
“What is it?”
“This is a clear revolt.
Your position is one with no turning back.
――You’re okay with that?”
“Yeah.
There’s no need to stick with the delusions of this religious a.s.sa.s.sination organisation any further… is what I’m saying.”
At my words, Gazaine once again turns his gaze towards the emissaries standing behind me.
“I did think you alone would try to kill me, but… just what is the meaning of this?
Where and how did you change your mind?
No, I should say, how could you change your minds?”
“Certainly, the various methods of brainwashing you used were nothing but a nuisance.
Though they were also wounded by your deception.
Even though I said that G.o.ds are but phantoms in reality, they didn’t listen.
If they can live on without sacrificing any more people, they would even believe in an inconceivable G.o.d, is what they thought.
Namo Amitabha Buddhaya!”
“”Namo Amitabha Buddhaya!!””
The emissaries standing behind me――No, the ex-emissaries all chanted the G.o.d’s name in unison.
The Evil G.o.d’s chapel shivered like they received an electric shock from the loud voices.
“You, just what did you do!?”
Gazaine screamed, glaring daggers at me.
I grinned, saying,
“――I didn’t do anything. Everything was the doing of Buddha.”
“Stop messing around!”
“Besides, what could a brat like me do?
I’m no more than an ordinary 11-month-old baby you can find anywhere.”
“As if such an 11-month-old baby exists!”
I was told off.
Although, that much was the truth.
“I’ll say this though, everyone here has consumed the antidote to Mescaline.
You won’t be able to manipulate them with just your magic.”
When I said that, Gazaine clicked his tongue loudly.
“s.h.i.t… You even got that old geezer Ganash on your side.”
Gazaine glared at me while scratching his head.
“Ah, I get it.
So you’re saying that I’ve been rejected by you?”
Gazaine is probably talking about the aforementioned invitation.
“Sorry.
But I believe.”
“In what?”
“In the people who think I’m important.
I don’t think I’ll follow something like the Evil G.o.d just because I have no one to rely on.”
“…Hm.
So you’re just a brat who doesn’t know about the world after all.”
“The world isn’t necessarily an easy to live in place, but there’s a better place if you search for it.”
“Then by all means, go search for one.
And no matter where, there are idiots that you can’t do anything about who will want to hang all heretics.”
“That’s not true.
Being different to those around you, being disconnected from common sense――you taught me the sorrows and dangers of that.”
At that time, a purple light flickered in the corner of my vision.
That was the trigger; lightning started flashing everywhere.
Afterwards, apart from us, the only ones left standing were Gazaine and his followers.
Naturally, that didn’t mean that we also beat down the emissaries who were confused by the situation and hadn’t chosen to be on on either side.
There might be some emissaries who got entangled in, but I had told them not to use lethal force.
Though I’ll forgive them if they’re in a crisis.
“――Tch.
To think I’d fail here.”
Gazaine says with a sour face.
However, there was no despair on Gazaine’s face.
The only thing showing on Gazaine’s face is irritation, no impatience.
I still can’t break the spirit of one of the top a.s.sa.s.sins, ’s leader Gazaine with just this much.“――Gazaine Munzter, fight me.”
“What did you say?”
“Here, you’ve lost to me as a religious leader.
In order to undo the brainwashing on everyone, I have to show them the defeat of ’s leader.”“Oi, oi… Are you saying that for real?
Who do you think I am?”
“If that’s what you think, just try me.”
“s.h.i.t, it’s not even funny… However, I have wanted to knock down your conceited mask at least once.
I’ll be the one to bring this guy down.”
Saying that, Gazaine takes a step forward.
Then, he retrieved a single copper coin from the pocket of his black clothes.
“――The signal will be when this coin hits the ground.”
“Alright.”
He snorted at my arrogant reply, then flicked the coin with his finger.
Not upwards――towards me.
I caught the coin with [Psychokinesis] but in that time, Gazaine had vanished from his previous position.
Then, a sharp blade came swinging down at me from behind.
I had already shifted the left half of my body, so I dodged the blow aimed at the vital point between my left shoulder blade and collarbone by a slim margin.
“You have… [Discern]!?”
Gazaine muttered in astonishment.
After the secret training I had with Elemia who was similarly unaffected by fatigue, my [Discern] skill had already reached Counter Stop.
Contrary to its name, Discern (all-seeing), this skill can grasp invisible presences approaching behind you, so it’s possible to dodge by a paper-thin margin.
Gazaine followed up with a kick, and I moved in accordance with the kick’s direction to completely eliminate the force behind it.
To counterattack, I use [Psychokinesis] to grab Gazaine’s boot and throw him.
“Nnn… Uooooh!?”
Gazaine did a tailspin in midair. He then twisted his body and escaped the overbearing throw that wasn’t restrained by my throwing posture, doing something that even Miguel couldn’t handle despite his [Qinggong].
Is this for real?
In that moment of surprise, Gazaine pushed off against the ground with one hand, and using the recoil from that, leapt back and took some distance away from me.
I recovered from my surprise and released a steel thread in Gazaine’s direction.
However, just before the dagger touched the steel thread, he hurriedly withdrew the dagger and dodged the steel thread by bending backwards.
The steel thread produced intense sparks and lost its momentum.
Right now, [Lightning Magic] has been added to the steel thread via [Enchantment Magic] but… Gazaine withdrew his dagger at the last moment as though he had a bad premonition about the steel thread.
Of course, no matter how much danger is sensed, it’s a meaningless skill if you don’t have the ability to avoid it. Needless to say, Gazaine does have that much ability.
However, Gazaine’s posture broke with his consecutive unnatural movements.
Here, I decided to play one of my trump cards.
“FireShoot (卜・ル)―― 《Flame lance》”
I produced a 《Flame lance》 with an instantaneous chant.
The trick was in the magic symbols.
卜(Flame) was i, ル (Conset) was r.
Naturally this was not Marquekt’s common language but j.a.panese.
Incidentally, it was enough to just keep both meanings in mind while using the p.r.o.nunciation of “ir“.
It’s an innovative chanting technique that would cause Abaddon, who I consider my mentor, to go wide-eyed in surprise.
However,
“Uoooh!? F-fast!”
Even the instantly invoked 《Flame Lance》 was avoided by Gazaine using his superior body movements.
However, that wasn’t a problem.
I repeatedly cast 《Flame lance》by etching ir, ir, ir.
Shooting energy b.a.l.l.s was a basic of 2D fighting games.
Aiming at Gazaine who was unseemly fleeing about, I threw incandescent fire lances out rapidly.
“Don’t get… carried away!”
Gazaine brandished the dagger in his hand along with a scream, and cut down the flaming lances that came flying at him.
There’s no time to cast [Appraisal], but he’s probably using a weapon imbued with magic.
I pile on further 《Flame Lances》 but Gazaine leapt towards me while cutting down every single lance of flame a.s.saulting him.
Then, Gazaine suddenly changed direction in midair, and his pointed shoe tip came aiming at my head.
――However, that was an action that I had read.
“Change to Scarlet (卜∨卜λ)――《Fire Blast》!”
卜(Flame), ∨(Spread), 卜(Flame), λ(Wind).
I split this into i and siu, applying the kanji for scarlet and effect, transliterating this into all-kanji style.
Even if I do this, as long as my mental image doesn’t lose shape, the kanji are effective as magic symbols.
To produce Julia-kaasan’s 《Flame Storm》, I still need one more of ∨, 卜, and λ respectively, but I have yet to be able to cast that seven-symbol invocation stably and successfully.
Thus, I omit 3 characters from 《Flame storm》and devised an original magic spell.
The burst of flame that gushed out from in front of my body directly engulfed Gazaine, who was midair and couldn’t move.
There was no way to avoid the red-hot tornado that formed a vacuum, even if it was Gazaine.
Reaching his limit, Gazaine was sent flying, his entire body wrapped in flames. He bounced on the floor as he tumbled over to the wall on the opposite side of the chapel.
The emissaries watching over my fight with Gazaine had their breath taken away.
There was no signs of movement from Gazaine after he collided with the wall on the other side, although his clothes had been burnt to pieces.
“――Did I do it?”
My muttering echoed through the chapel that was dominated by silence.