In the southwest direction of Danshen Hill, there was small amusement park on the Gate of the Ghosts[1].
It was an amusement park that was run without any interference from the ministry or government. Although it had become a little desolate at this time of the year, but whenever the season suitable for amusement parks came, the amusement park would put up flyers and many families would bring their children to come and play. It would be very noisy.
That night, it was two in the morning.
A couple of people entered the vicinity of the amusement park.
There was a bright moon in the night sky, it was very close to full moon as it was the fourteenth day in the lunar calendar.
Under the moonlight, in a square overlooking the old Ferris wheel, there was a large round magic circle array.
“About the magician who broke the Taboo—Otou-sama’s matter, I already know of two things.” Adilisia told them:
“Firstly, their movements are limited by the Fey lines. When the previous <Night> ended, it escaped into the fey line, so this proved my point.”
Danshen Hill—it had a fey line that came out of the goblin factory, reaching into the middle of the amusement park.
“And another point is—Otou-sama is a failed product of trying to become magic. If he wants to become Solomon’s magic, then he has to devour all Seventy-two Demons. Otou-sama is not complete, so if there is the opportunity to gain these demons, Otou-sama will try to come and devour them no matter what, right?”
Following that, Adilisia took out a brass container.
“…Simply said, it also refers to the demons that I inherited from Otou-sama.”
The battle plane was very easy.
First, they would summon the remaining demons that Adilisia had.
Then they would draw out the cause of this <Night> — Oswald. Until then, if the <Night> was going to progress as it had the previous time, then they would use Mikan’s barrier to isolate him. Then they would leave Oswald who had been lured out, to Nekoyashiki and Honami.
To avoid being detected by Oswald, everyone would hide in the nearby carousel, except for Adilisia.
“Let me say this again, magicians who have become magic are not opponents who we can defeat. Because it controls all the dimensions of magic, they have a different structure from us.” Nekoyashiki warned everyone:
“Our target is to ambush him before the demons are absorbed. If the enemy starts to summon demons, then please think of how to escape. The timing of when do we retreat shall be decided by the President.”
Anyway, Itsuki was the rear guard and he was to keep an eye on the battle situation.
However, Itsuki was the only person to stay in another location—he was standing on the observation deck of the Ferris wheel some twenty meters away.
They used their hand phones’ earpieces and microphones to stay in touch with each other. Because radio waves and magic were different, so this would not affect anything. But Itsuki found it rather profound that the magicians would actually use hand phones to contact each other.
“Huuu—”
Itsuki breathed deeply, hidden on the observation deck.
His heart didn’t feel like a part of his body.
Although his breathing was delivering oxygen to all parts of his body from his lungs, but he felt that it was still lacking. Itsuki felt that he had lost his calm, before even talking about whether he was afraid, his body felt like it was disconnected.
“Ah, really, calm down—”
Itsuki tried to persuade himself. Oswald hasn’t even appeared yet and you’re already so scared?
(Oh yes, this is the first time—)
Itsuki suddenly thought.
In the past, Itsuki was always suddenly dragged off, without anyone telling him what they were about to do. Itsuki had never participated in ‘work’ of his own will.
So this was his first experience.
This is the first ‘work’ that he was going to do of his own will as the President of <<Astal>>.
“…”
Calm down, calm down, Iba Itsuki!
His sweaty fists were clenched. Itsuki bit his lip. He hit his face with a soft ‘pa’!
“…Alright.”
He mentally prepared himself.
He gathered the will power to continue.
Itsuki picked up the binoculars beside him that had a night vision (it seemed to be Nekoyashiki’s personal item) and used a weak voice to call Adilisia who was standing in the parade square.
“…That…Can you hear me?”
“There’s no problem.”
Itsuki’s voice made Adilisia who was drawing the magic array nod her head. So that she would not be hindered while drawing the magic array, her earpiece and microphone were extensions.
The brass container was placed in the middle of the magic circle arrary.
– Bael
–Asmodeus
–Astaroth
–Belial
From these containers, four of the seventy-two demons were hidden here. They were the most powerful demons she had. And they were the remaining demons that Adilisia had—even she was unable to summon these demons.
So the demons protecting her now were mini Eligol and the silver chimaera who was swimming in the air in its spiritual body—Forneus.
“That… Can I ask a question? If it’s not convenient, you can decline from answering.”
“Ask.”
Itsuki hesitated for a moment at her prompt.
“Adilisia’ father—why did he have to break the Taboo?”
“There is no reason, because magicians always want that kind of stuff.”
“That kind of stuff?”
Itsuki’s question make Adilisia chuckle.
“They are a bunch of people who want to be king!”
Her eyes were distant.
“That…what?”
“Otou-sama—Oswald Lenn Mather, was a magician who was proclaimed to be the reincarnated King Solomon by the world.”
“Solomon?”
“It is the name of the famous king who ruled Israel three thousand years ago. He is also the ancestor of <Goetia>, he was an amazing magician who led the Seventy-Two Demons.”
“He was a person who all magicians aspired to be?”
“Yes, Otou-sama spent all of his life learning about Solomon. He said that as a magician, it also meant that you had to be a king of knowledge. Otou-sama was always learning about the magnificent deeds of King Solomon, always looking after King Solomon’s figure, from the broken legends, from the speeches that were left by King Solomon, looking after a rare genius that he would be unable to reach.”
Adilisia paused.
The night wind blew gently.
She closed her eyes and continued.
“Otou-sama was always muttering that he was unable to become King Solomon. Even if he was able to control the seventy-two demons, it was only a figment of what King Solomon could use.”
Was this the difference between the genius Mozart and the talented Salieri[2]?
Although he had learnt much, but he understood that he would be unable to catch up with the king who had lived three thousand years ago, learning that his own existence was so tiny.
Although he knew that what he was doing was miniscule in comparison to the king that had existed long ago, but the others called him a reincarnation of that famous king and had high expectations for him, who was actually worthless.
“So… he broke the Taboo because of that?”
“Maybe… No, I think it was definitely because of that.”
Adilisia changed her words.
Four months ago, Oswald had carried out a ritual in secret. He had sacrificed his apprentices’ bodies as an offering, his own body had been shredded into pieces, this way, Adilisa’s father had opened the road to becoming magic.
But…
“Even if this happened, I didn’t tell anyone. I will never say that that was a worthless life, even if he had no chance to become the king, there would be no meaning in trying to reach that stage, wouldn’t there? Even if it was Otou-sama himself, I would not allow him to say that.”
“…”
Ah, so it was like that.
Itsuki could finally understand.
Adilisia’s motive in coming to Japan was not because she wanted to bury her father’s remains.
It was because she wanted to protect her father’s reputation.
“Is that so?”
Itsuki said.
“Then… Eh…”
“Eh?”
“Adilisia-san, behind you!”
She turned around.
A figure had suddenly appeared there.
Up until that moment, she had not felt any magical disturbance, but that body that was distorting the whole world was living, as if it were a vengeful spirit.
A block of mud that had warped into a slightly human shape appeared there.
“I am here. to. eat.”
The sludge announced.
“My. cute. Addie”
As if smiling, something equivalent to the sludge’s mouth opened.
“Adilisia-san, behind you!”
Itsuki yelled when he saw the sludge appearing on the parade square.
At the same time, the magic in the amusement park started to gather.
There was a sharp pain from his right eye through his eye patch.
“Nekoyashiki-san!”
Itsuki withstood the pain and contacted Nekoyashiki.
“—I know. The timing for the ambush will be decided by President.”
“Al…Alright.”
Itsuki groaned as he looked into the binoculars.
“Otou-sama.”
“You. have. come. at. the. right. time. Cute. Addie.”
The sludge said with a hungry tone, it looked behind Adilisia.
It looked at the four remaining pillar demons of Solomon.
“What. is. it.”
They were in the brass containers in the magical circle array.
As the sludge asked this, its figure seemed to be more complete than it had been the day before. The roiling mud seemed to be much calmer than yesterday. If it had a cloak and a cap, then it might be able to disguise itself successfully as a human.
But that horrible stench was impossible to hide.
Just by nearing that sludge, there was a rotting smell that made one’s innards twist. Only a Fallen human would emanate that kind of rotting stench.
Adilisia spread her arms, as if wanting to block its path.
“I didn’t bring the demons here because of you.”
She said strongly.
“Oh? Then. why?”
“…These demons are the power.”
“Po.wer?”
“The power… to destroy you.”
The magic suddenly coalesced.
Following the gathering of the magic, a whirlwind appeared in the middle of the magic circle.
“…I do advocate and conjure thee”
Adilisia said with a calm but determined voice.
“…I do advocate and conjure thee”
She repeated it again in a lower voice, clutching the five pointed star of Solomon in front of her chest.
The grass shook in the wind and the wild white flowers growing outside were blown in, adding a myriad of colours to the whirlwind.
The magic was sucked into the magical circle.
According to Adilisia’s intentions, the magic changed to give the demons’ their bodies.
“Hu.huhu.hu.”
The sludge seemed to laugh happily.
Through the earpiece, Itsuki could hear that laughter.
It seemed as if he could hear something else from the voice that was like a squashed slug.
That kind of tone, was like a father protecting his daughter.
“Hu.huhu.hu.”
– But now.
Itsuki felt chilled.
Now, all of the sludge’s attention was fixed on Adilisia’a body. Even Itsuki, who was watching from the side was clear about this.
It was about time, Itsuki took another phone.
At this moment—
“Oh. yes.”
The sludge spoke to Adilisia again. It used its torn mouth to say—
“This. is. the. thing. that. you. have been waiting. for, right?”
“—Itsuki! Run!”
Adilisia’s cry sounded through the phone, piercing Itsuki’s ear.
“Eh?”
But Itsuki was still unable to understand.
But the area where he was suddenly darkened, Itsuki looked up.
There was a huge demon that was in the shape of a bird laughing madly, its dirty wings covering the moon.
It was laughing with the same face as the sludge.
“Ah—”
The phone clattered against the floor.
Itsuki tried to escape.
But sharp teeth pierced into his left leg as he tried to escape.
Pssh…Ssha…craack.
There was a strange sound from his ankle, but Itsuki didn’t feel any pain. Pain and agony were numbed by terror.
Itsuki dangled from the bird demon as it soared into the night.
“—President?”
The phone that was used for communication suddenly crackled to life.
At the same moment, a silhouette of a large black bird holding on to a boy flew up from the observation deck.
It was Itsuki’s silhouette.
Mikan pointed to the sky, her face changing.
“President-onii-san!”
“Eh, Mikan, the reinforcement will be left to you.”
Nekoyashiki told her and charged towards the parade square.
Adilisia’s summoning was fake. She had been unable to summon those demons even though she had spent a year trying to do so, she couldn’t abruptly learn how to summon them.
The most important point was that they attack at this point.
They had to keep Oswald’s attention on the demons and grab that chance to attack him.
Since Itsuki had already been attacked, they couldn’t allow for any more mistakes in the place. Nekoyashiki had used Mikan’s magic to force his presence a mere smidge so that he would not be detected.
He still had fifteen meters to Oswald’s back.
Thirteen meters.
Eleven meters.
Nine meters.
Mikan’s voice spoke from behind Nekoyashiki’s back again.
“I present the God, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto with praise of awe, and to the rest of the Divinities who were born from the Cleansing of Izanagi-no-Mikoto—”
Mikan waved her jade beads as she chanted the incantation.
At the same moment, magic was erected inside and outside of the parade square. This was to prevent the <<Night>> from happening, it was prepared to let Oswald escape. There was a separation from the fey line and the magic.
“…Wha.at.”
As though noticing this, the body made of sludge trembled.
But it was too late.
Seven meters.
Five meters.
“Ji!”
Four vertical lines and five horizontal lines—Nekoyashiki drew the nine-worded mantra that repulsed evil and slapped an amulet in the middle.
The red amulet had the chinese characters '急急如律令' written on it with black ink that was like mercury.
This amulet was an amulet that would summon the fires in hell.
The amulet summoned the fires of hell and they flowed towards the body of sludge as if flowing down a volcano.
At the side of the parade square as the sweltering hot magic that was higher than thousands of degrees Celsius was released.
Adilisia saw the tree that was hung in mid-air and immediately, Addie made a choice.
She stopped the summoning ritual and shouted:
“—Come, Forneus! Dominate the Marquis of the Twenty-Nine Legion!”
The silver chimaera that had been waiting in its spiritual body formed and then swam in the air. It immediately approached the black bird and broke its neck.
As Adilisia was about to command Forneus to rescue Itsuki—
In the red hot fire, there was someone who was quicker than her.
An arm stretched out from the sizzling unnaturally red fire.
The arm stretched out—literally.
It was like a snake.
No, that wasn’t right.
It was a snake.
It was a bundle of thousands of snakes biting each other and it became a large snake, revealing its fangs to Forneus.
Psssh! The blood of the spirit splattered all over the place. The large snake didn’t stop. It continued to eat the scales of the chimaera, its tail, abdomen and it punctured its heart. The blood continued to rain down and the ravaged Forneus became a pile of black snow.
The fire on the parade square was extinguished by the blood rain.
Leaving behind an uninjured human-shaped sludge body. Its arm, which had become a large snake, wriggled as it opened its mouth.
“I’ll. eat. one. first.”
The sludge that had eaten the demon said very happily in a low voice.
Then it moved its arm.
“…Ei!”
“Yaaa!”
Nekoyashiki was sent flying out.
He collided with Mikan and she collapsed too.
When the sludge body retracted its arm, Adilisia discovered that its movements had struck the youth.
The sludge tilted its head unexpectedly.
“Too. weak. Addie.”
The sludge seemed to laugh, its shoulders trembling. It was like an emulated human, the sludge’s movements made one feel uncomfortable.
“…”
Adilisia moved back slightly.
She was very clear.
Because she used the same Solomon magic, she would understand why the sludge was acting so unnaturally.
Despair clouded her vision black.
He was about seven meters, no, ten metres above the ground?
The chimaera was moving through the air, chasing to the tree where the black bird was.
The chimaera opened its jaws.
“…Eh…”
In the next moment, Itsuki’s vision was filled with red.
The chimaera had bitten off the black bird’s head.
Of course, Itsuki’s body continued to fall.
Bang!!!
His back struck the ground.
“…Wu, eh!”
Itsuki couldn’t even cry in pain. When he struck the ground, all his senses had felt pain. If he wasn’t landing on the soft soil of the parade square, before Itsuki felt pain, he could have reported to Heaven already.
“Wu…ah…”
Itsuki flipped around and raised his head with much difficulty. Just by doing this, he could feel the pain in his back and neck. Itsuki tolerated it.
Even under this kind of situation, Itsuki’s right eye was still watching.
Still watching the sludge that was surrounded with fire and the snake that climbed out of that sludge arm.
(This man…has changed…)
When Nekoyashiki released a fire attack, the sludge’s body had changed completely to another form.
Although Itsuki didn’t know its name, but it was probably a demon that was resistant to fire, right? It had the appearance of a knight and it resembled Eligol.
When it stuck that arm out of the fire, only the arm changed to mud, then if became a large snake.
(…This is chaotic!)
Itsuki thought.
That person’s strength did not only control a large number of demons, but it was able to suit its needs and become the demonic shape that it wanted it to be.
—Controlling a different dimension of magic.
It was like what Nekoyashiki had said.
It was like that.
It was clearly using magic, but it didn’t need to chant incantations or do rituals, it didn’t need spells or conductors. Even Adilisia had spent a year and half a lunar calendar to summon Eigol and the others, but that monster could summon all of them in a moment.
Because it was magic itself.
Compared to Nekoyashiki and Adilisia who had to start the magic from scratch, it just needed take out something that it had.
What a large difference!
(Can’t escape…No…)
There was only this thought resounding in his head as he was unable to think clearly.
From the corner of Itsuki’s vision, he could see Adilisa standing there, stunned. She had probably reached the same conclusion as Itsuki, right?
“Sweet.Addie.”
The sludge slowly approached Adilisia.
--Rage suddenly poured into him.
(Adilisia will—die--)
“Wu,wuoh--!”
Itsuki used his uninjured leg to stand up.
But in his state, he would not be able to reach them. With this injured leg, he would not be able to catch up to the sludge.
“Adilisa--!”
“..Addie..come.with.me.”
Just when the sludge was about to touch Adilisia—
A slim arm reached out from the side and pulled Adilisia away.
“…Honami.”
A witch sat on the broom, wearing a pointed hat and carrying Adilisia with one hand.
She faced the sludge with the moon that was in the fourteen day of the lunar calendar and raised her other hand.
“Moon Goddess! I summon you under the full moon! Destroy the calamity in the north with thy breath!”
A mistletoe dart pierced the air.
Honami shot our five darts in a breath and they flew towards the sludge from different directions.
Five big holes were punched in the body of the sludge.
But even so.
“Destruction.of.Celtic.magic.cannot.be.compared.to.Solomon’s.”
The darkness suddenly had a substance to it.
Demons started to form from the sludge’s body and chased after Honami who was escaping.
There were five in total.
“Stop--!”
Itsuki’s yell could not be heard.
The five demons who were chasing Honami immediately shot her down.
“Yaa--!”
The faint cry was stopped immediately.
“Stoop--!”
Itsuki trembled, a chilly feeling descended upon his body.
The chilly feeling urged him and Itsuki finally rushed out. He dragged his injured leg and ran forward, his speed decreased by half.
“Honami! Adilisia!”
Then a large body blcked him.
It was one of the Seventy-Two demons, a weak bull that seemed like an accessory.
But this was enough.
“Use.less.”
The bull laughed with Oswald’s voice and charged to Itsuki’s abdomen.
Itsuki flew through the air.
He hit the ground again.
The soil and sharp rocks scratched his skin and Itsuki rolled for a few meters.
He struck the ledge of the garden in the square and there was an ominous sound. Even so, Itsuki tried to stand up. At this moment, his left ankle was twisted in an odd direction.
“…Eeeeaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!”
Itsuki released a scream that he never thought he would let out.
—Ah, I can’t win.
Even if it is a magician, in the end, we’re still human.
But a monster isn’t a human.
A human cannot win something that is not human.
This was a simple concept.
Of course, this concept was so natural that no one would blame it.
So humans want to be something not human, that is why something like this is a Taboo.
{That…is magic}
The voice spoke.
Really, that is magic?
Itsuki finally understood. That was right, if that was so irrational, then it couldn’t be called magic.
{Is it fine this way?}
The voice spoke again.
--[But, I still feel a little grateful.]
A person’s embarrassed voice said.
--[President Onii-san is amazing, amazing!]
She jumped around and clapped her hands.
--[So, you will inherit this company]
She said with an amused voice.
--[You said ‘our company’, do you have the slight awareness of being a President?]
That wasn’t a joke—but talking to him seriously?
“…….How can that…be…good…”
Itsuki told himself even more strongly.
He put his hand to his injured left ankle, and then pushed his joint back. There was the sound of his flesh being squashed, his bones rubbing against each other and the sound of the bone rubbing against meat. Until now, what meaning was there in minding such trivialties?
(Be angry! Be angry! Iba Itsuki.)
Itsuki stood up.
Itsuki turned his grief and pain into fury, staring at the scary figure of the sludge.
(This…is my ‘work’)
“Come.give me.Addie.”
That person had not regarded the situation around him, but had completely focused his attention on the demons that Addie held. This was a good chance!
“Ah…”
Itsuki panted.
It was hot.
His right eye was very hot.
His right eye was more hot than his left leg, it felt as if his eyeball had become fire. That heat made him feel glad.
“Alright… Come…”
He couldn’t stand it and took off his eye patch.
Under his eye patch, was his eye that was not the same black-coloured eye like his left eye.
It was a ruby red—a colour that did not exist in humans—flaming red eye.
“Miaow~”
“Meow~”
The cats licked Nekoyashiki and he opened his eyes.
Although it hadn’t been one minute yet, but it seemed as if he had fainted. And in his vision, Nekoyashiki saw something that should not exist.
“…President?”
A gleaming red eye.
It was a ruby red eye that contrasted against the thick magic-polluted air.
Nekoyashiki was so surprised that he was unable to speak.
“Hey, Nekoyashiki-san, get up… eh…President…Onii-chan?”
Mikan who had been his cushion, blinked several times, stunned.
“…”
The youth walked out slowly.
He walked as if he were like a broken marionette, hesitantly, but then he started to walk with a smoother gait. Every time he walked, his blood would drip onto the ground with a plat, plat sound.
Not long after, the sludge noticed him.
“Eat.him.”
The sludge seemed to have no interest in the boy, it didn’t even turn to the boy when it gave the orders.
A shadow emerged from the sludge and formed a body.
It was that devoured golden lion—Marbas.
Marbas’ strong claws aimed at Itsuki and slashed with a stunning speed.
The youth stepped to one side.
It was only that, but suddenly Itsuki was behind the lion.
“Wh.at.”
Itsuki passed by the sludge and knelt in front of the two collapsed people.
“—Honami, Adilisia.”
He called.
“Honami, get up quickly.”
“…Eh…Icchan?”
Ice blue eyes opened slightly.
“…Itsuki.”
Adilisia woke up later, her eyes widening.
“Itsuki! Behind you!”
The sludge moved the arm that had become the snake towards Itsuki.
The attack slashed through the air towards the youth.
But Itsuki only tilted his head and the attack missed. He moved as if he had already planned this out, he moved naturally.
“Are the both of you alright?”
He asked, standing up. His left ankle was bleeding again, but as long as it could withstand the next five minutes, it would be fine.
“You.bas.ta.rd.”
Itsuki looked back, the sludge was mumbling as it moved.
A few demons appeared.
But those attacks were the same.
No matter which demon, their magic would only move in one direction, those attacks were no different from the clichéd comics or novels.
Itsuki only needed to step away and the attack would pass through the space he had been in earlier.
It was amusing.
You plan to… call that magic?
“Itsuki…”
Adilisia called the name of the youth dazedly.
Even if she was seeing it with her own eyes, she was unable to believe it. She had already asked Honami. Even if it was a talented magician, it was impossible to see the actual body of the magic flow.
–Glam Sight.
It was the legendary magical eye.
It was a fairy tale legend that the magicians had – The Illusion Eyes. Unlike Adilisia or Honami who could see the apparitions, if it was the true Glam Sight, then it was said to be able to see through all apparitions.
It was said that as long as the wielder was looking at it, the Glam Sight would be able to look through all of the happiness, sadness and anger of the apparitions.
But, at the same time, it was said to be danger.
Those pair of eyes that could see too much, would erode away at the spirit of the wielder.
Because of that, magicians who had the Glam Sight often died young. Some of these people become apparitions themselves, but others went on to a sprite’s world that was not in the human world.
But…
Was Itsuki’s eyes only that?
…Was it only that kind of eyes?
“What.are.you.”
The sludge said, its voice wavering for the first time since the battle.
“…”
Itsuki didn’t reply.
He only avoided the increasingly vicious blows of the demons and ordered:
“Nekoyashiki, Honami, Mikan, these are the President’s orders.”
It was the same voice, the same intonations and variation in tone—but the present Itsuki was slightly different.
The three people, as if reacting to Itsuki’s order by reflex, didn’t hesitate to doubt his order or anything of the sort.
“Nekoyashiki, use your fire amulets and aim to the left by twenty-six degrees and six meters to the front.”
The amulets flew from his sleeve. The amulets started to burn again and started burning the demon that was absorbing all the magic.
“Mikan, perform a Cleansing to the front, from forty-two degrees to eighty-four degrees.”
She twirled her jade beads and stopped the fire, lightning and curses released by the demons as if she had prepared for it.
“Honami, shoot two mistletoe darts to the upper right corner from sixty-four degrees to seventy-six degrees separately.”
The mistletoe darts were released from her soft fingers and the demons who wanted to attack from the sky were struck down by the darts.
It was effortless.
In conclusion, no matter what kind of magic was used, depending on which divinity, all of them were based on the quality of magic and the flow.
If this was so, then he only needed to interpret the flow of the magic, then he would be able to analyze the movements of the demons, their powers and weaknesses.
But, Itsuki’s ability was not only this.
(I must see.)
He said silently in his heart.
I must see, I must notice, I must observe.
He had to look to the deepest of the deepest, he had to see the most basic of the foundations, he had to find the interior of what was inside. Without missing anything, without reservation, I have to observe until it is beyond your superficial selves.
Destroy all feelings of terror.
Crush.
Shatter.
Rewrite— this meaningless character!
“Icchan…”
Honami couldn’t help but cry.
Itsuki’s right eye was bleeding. This was to be expected, the Glam Sight used more energy that the human body had, if it was overused, don’t even talk about being blind, even the nerves and the brain would be damaged. No, even if it was the sight, or brain—even the ‘soul’ would be damaged.
But even so, Itsuki had no plans to stop.
(There should be…)
Itsuki analyzed the demon’s movements and commandeered the members of the company, it was slowly decreasing the sludge—Oswald. Every time a portion was eliminated, the sludge would cry heart-wrenchingly.
“What.are.you.”
The sludge asked Itsuki.
(You should definitely have it…)
Itsuki didn’t reply, but asked the sludge.
“Oswald--!?”
He asked:
“Do you really want to be magic that much!!?”
He continued:
“You don’t treasure your daughter, but make use of her, you eat the lives of your disciples, what kind of Solomon do you want to become!!”
“…!!!”
“Itsuki…!”
Adilisia clasped her hands to her mouth.
They had defeated thirty four of the demons. If they continued, Nekoyashiki’s amulets, Honami’s darts and Mikan’s energy would run out. Compared to that, Itsuki’s body had already reached its limit a long time ago.
But even so…
He still wanted to look.
He wanted to look at those things that had existed since the beginning, those things that were clumped together, those things that had completely distorted.
Noticing this, recognizing them as the things that gave the physical shape to the formless body.
--Establish order among the chaos.
Itsuki slowly shortened the distance between him and the sludge. When he reached a distance where he could touch it, the boy raised his right hand.
“Your pride—”
He breathed deeply:
“—Will be repayed by you!”
Itsuki raised out his right hand.
“Wu. Sssh.aa.aa.aaaaa.aaaaaaaaa!”
In a moment, the sludge spread with a splash!
“Icchan!”
Including his hand, the rest of the boy was swallowed by the sludge. No matter how many demons the sludge had lost, it was simple to devour a mere human. Until the last moment, the boy had made a wrong move. At least, that was what the sludge thought.
In reality, it was different.
The change came moments later.
“What.did.you.see.”
The sludge asked.
It wasn’t talking to anyone, but it should have been talking to Itsuki, who had been devoured by it.
“—I saw your—beginning.”
The sludge itself had been a failed product of magic.
It was a failed product that had been trying to imitate Adilisia’s father’s great spirit. So Itsuki had been unable to find its ‘core’. Even after a long time, the ‘core’ wouldn’t have changed until it was unrecognizable.
“It’s this!”
Itsuki threw himelf and that thing out of the sludge. That thing flew through the air and rebounded two, three times before rolling to Adilisia.
A small red seed.
It was a small sapling that was like frozen blood and growing red thorns.
In that moment, Adilisia’s breathing stopped.
“Aaaaa.aaaa.a.aaaaa.aa.a.aa.aaaahhhhh!”
The sludge screamed and lunged towards the girl.
But the sludge met the attack of Nekoyashiki’s flames, Honami’s mistletoe darts and Mikan’s Cleansing barrier.
At last, Adilisia raised up her magical weapon—an athame knife and cut the red seed in half.
“!”
The sludge convulsed.
“Ah…”
Adilisia raised her head.
Even so, the sludge didn’t stop moving. The parts of it that were in contact with air started to crumble, the sludge slowly moved closer to the blond girl.
“Cute.Addie.I…”
Then the sludge collapsed in front of the girl.
“Didn’t….become.magic.”
Oswald’s dream to devour the Seventy-Two Demons and become magic had crumbled with the form of sludge.
“Icchan!”
Making sure that the magic had been dealt with, Honami frantically rushed towards Itsuki.
Seeing her rush over desperately, it was hard to remember the usual calm Honami.
Mikan and Nekoyashiki followed slightly later.
Itsuki remained lying on the ground.
“Itsuki!”
Then, Adilisia knelt down and reached out to Itsuki’s face.
Honami also did the same.
Touching the face that was stained with blood from his right eye—the two girls breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed their shoulders.
“………..Baka[3]!”
“………..Really.”
Itsuki lay on the ground, snoring leisurely.
In the southwest direction of Danshen Hill, there was small amusement park on the Gate of the Ghosts[1].
It was an amusement park that was run without any interference from the ministry or government. Although it had become a little desolate at this time of the year, but whenever the season suitable for amusement parks came, the amusement park would put up flyers and many families would bring their children to come and play. It would be very noisy.
That night, it was two in the morning.
A couple of people entered the vicinity of the amusement park.
There was a bright moon in the night sky, it was very close to full moon as it was the fourteenth day in the lunar calendar.
Under the moonlight, in a square overlooking the old Ferris wheel, there was a large round magic circle array.
“About the magician who broke the Taboo—Otou-sama’s matter, I already know of two things.” Adilisia told them:
“Firstly, their movements are limited by the Fey lines. When the previous <Night> ended, it escaped into the fey line, so this proved my point.”
Danshen Hill—it had a fey line that came out of the goblin factory, reaching into the middle of the amusement park.
“And another point is—Otou-sama is a failed product of trying to become magic. If he wants to become Solomon’s magic, then he has to devour all Seventy-two Demons. Otou-sama is not complete, so if there is the opportunity to gain these demons, Otou-sama will try to come and devour them no matter what, right?”
Following that, Adilisia took out a brass container.
“…Simply said, it also refers to the demons that I inherited from Otou-sama.”
The battle plane was very easy.
First, they would summon the remaining demons that Adilisia had.
Then they would draw out the cause of this <Night> — Oswald. Until then, if the <Night> was going to progress as it had the previous time, then they would use Mikan’s barrier to isolate him. Then they would leave Oswald who had been lured out, to Nekoyashiki and Honami.
To avoid being detected by Oswald, everyone would hide in the nearby carousel, except for Adilisia.
“Let me say this again, magicians who have become magic are not opponents who we can defeat. Because it controls all the dimensions of magic, they have a different structure from us.” Nekoyashiki warned everyone:
“Our target is to ambush him before the demons are absorbed. If the enemy starts to summon demons, then please think of how to escape. The timing of when do we retreat shall be decided by the President.”
Anyway, Itsuki was the rear guard and he was to keep an eye on the battle situation.
However, Itsuki was the only person to stay in another location—he was standing on the observation deck of the Ferris wheel some twenty meters away.
They used their hand phones’ earpieces and microphones to stay in touch with each other. Because radio waves and magic were different, so this would not affect anything. But Itsuki found it rather profound that the magicians would actually use hand phones to contact each other.
“Huuu—”
Itsuki breathed deeply, hidden on the observation deck.
His heart didn’t feel like a part of his body.
Although his breathing was delivering oxygen to all parts of his body from his lungs, but he felt that it was still lacking. Itsuki felt that he had lost his calm, before even talking about whether he was afraid, his body felt like it was disconnected.
“Ah, really, calm down—”
Itsuki tried to persuade himself. Oswald hasn’t even appeared yet and you’re already so scared?
(Oh yes, this is the first time—)
Itsuki suddenly thought.
In the past, Itsuki was always suddenly dragged off, without anyone telling him what they were about to do. Itsuki had never participated in ‘work’ of his own will.
So this was his first experience.
This is the first ‘work’ that he was going to do of his own will as the President of <<Astal>>.
“…”
Calm down, calm down, Iba Itsuki!
His sweaty fists were clenched. Itsuki bit his lip. He hit his face with a soft ‘pa’!
“…Alright.”
He mentally prepared himself.
He gathered the will power to continue.
Itsuki picked up the binoculars beside him that had a night vision (it seemed to be Nekoyashiki’s personal item) and used a weak voice to call Adilisia who was standing in the parade square.
“…That…Can you hear me?”
“There’s no problem.”
Itsuki’s voice made Adilisia who was drawing the magic array nod her head. So that she would not be hindered while drawing the magic array, her earpiece and microphone were extensions.
The brass container was placed in the middle of the magic circle arrary.
– Bael
–Asmodeus
–Astaroth
–Belial
From these containers, four of the seventy-two demons were hidden here. They were the most powerful demons she had. And they were the remaining demons that Adilisia had—even she was unable to summon these demons.
So the demons protecting her now were mini Eligol and the silver chimaera who was swimming in the air in its spiritual body—Forneus.
“That… Can I ask a question? If it’s not convenient, you can decline from answering.”
“Ask.”
Itsuki hesitated for a moment at her prompt.
“Adilisia’ father—why did he have to break the Taboo?”
“There is no reason, because magicians always want that kind of stuff.”
“That kind of stuff?”
Itsuki’s question make Adilisia chuckle.
“They are a bunch of people who want to be king!”
Her eyes were distant.
“That…what?”
“Otou-sama—Oswald Lenn Mather, was a magician who was proclaimed to be the reincarnated King Solomon by the world.”
“Solomon?”
“It is the name of the famous king who ruled Israel three thousand years ago. He is also the ancestor of <Goetia>, he was an amazing magician who led the Seventy-Two Demons.”
“He was a person who all magicians aspired to be?”
“Yes, Otou-sama spent all of his life learning about Solomon. He said that as a magician, it also meant that you had to be a king of knowledge. Otou-sama was always learning about the magnificent deeds of King Solomon, always looking after King Solomon’s figure, from the broken legends, from the speeches that were left by King Solomon, looking after a rare genius that he would be unable to reach.”
Adilisia paused.
The night wind blew gently.
She closed her eyes and continued.
“Otou-sama was always muttering that he was unable to become King Solomon. Even if he was able to control the seventy-two demons, it was only a figment of what King Solomon could use.”
Was this the difference between the genius Mozart and the talented Salieri[2]?
Although he had learnt much, but he understood that he would be unable to catch up with the king who had lived three thousand years ago, learning that his own existence was so tiny.
Although he knew that what he was doing was miniscule in comparison to the king that had existed long ago, but the others called him a reincarnation of that famous king and had high expectations for him, who was actually worthless.
“So… he broke the Taboo because of that?”
“Maybe… No, I think it was definitely because of that.”
Adilisia changed her words.
Four months ago, Oswald had carried out a ritual in secret. He had sacrificed his apprentices’ bodies as an offering, his own body had been shredded into pieces, this way, Adilisa’s father had opened the road to becoming magic.
But…
“Even if this happened, I didn’t tell anyone. I will never say that that was a worthless life, even if he had no chance to become the king, there would be no meaning in trying to reach that stage, wouldn’t there? Even if it was Otou-sama himself, I would not allow him to say that.”
“…”
Ah, so it was like that.
Itsuki could finally understand.
Adilisia’s motive in coming to Japan was not because she wanted to bury her father’s remains.
It was because she wanted to protect her father’s reputation.
“Is that so?”
Itsuki said.
“Then… Eh…”
“Eh?”
“Adilisia-san, behind you!”
She turned around.
A figure had suddenly appeared there.
Up until that moment, she had not felt any magical disturbance, but that body that was distorting the whole world was living, as if it were a vengeful spirit.
A block of mud that had warped into a slightly human shape appeared there.
“I am here. to. eat.”
The sludge announced.
“My. cute. Addie”
As if smiling, something equivalent to the sludge’s mouth opened.
“Adilisia-san, behind you!”
Itsuki yelled when he saw the sludge appearing on the parade square.
At the same time, the magic in the amusement park started to gather.
There was a sharp pain from his right eye through his eye patch.
“Nekoyashiki-san!”
Itsuki withstood the pain and contacted Nekoyashiki.
“—I know. The timing for the ambush will be decided by President.”
“Al…Alright.”
Itsuki groaned as he looked into the binoculars.
“Otou-sama.”
“You. have. come. at. the. right. time. Cute. Addie.”
The sludge said with a hungry tone, it looked behind Adilisia.
It looked at the four remaining pillar demons of Solomon.
“What. is. it.”
They were in the brass containers in the magical circle array.
As the sludge asked this, its figure seemed to be more complete than it had been the day before. The roiling mud seemed to be much calmer than yesterday. If it had a cloak and a cap, then it might be able to disguise itself successfully as a human.
But that horrible stench was impossible to hide.
Just by nearing that sludge, there was a rotting smell that made one’s innards twist. Only a Fallen human would emanate that kind of rotting stench.
Adilisia spread her arms, as if wanting to block its path.
“I didn’t bring the demons here because of you.”
She said strongly.
“Oh? Then. why?”
“…These demons are the power.”
“Po.wer?”
“The power… to destroy you.”
The magic suddenly coalesced.
Following the gathering of the magic, a whirlwind appeared in the middle of the magic circle.
“…I do advocate and conjure thee”
Adilisia said with a calm but determined voice.
“…I do advocate and conjure thee”
She repeated it again in a lower voice, clutching the five pointed star of Solomon in front of her chest.
The grass shook in the wind and the wild white flowers growing outside were blown in, adding a myriad of colours to the whirlwind.
The magic was sucked into the magical circle.
According to Adilisia’s intentions, the magic changed to give the demons’ their bodies.
“Hu.huhu.hu.”
The sludge seemed to laugh happily.
Through the earpiece, Itsuki could hear that laughter.
It seemed as if he could hear something else from the voice that was like a squashed slug.
That kind of tone, was like a father protecting his daughter.
“Hu.huhu.hu.”
– But now.
Itsuki felt chilled.
Now, all of the sludge’s attention was fixed on Adilisia’a body. Even Itsuki, who was watching from the side was clear about this.
It was about time, Itsuki took another phone.
At this moment—
“Oh. yes.”
The sludge spoke to Adilisia again. It used its torn mouth to say—
“This. is. the. thing. that. you. have been waiting. for, right?”
“—Itsuki! Run!”
Adilisia’s cry sounded through the phone, piercing Itsuki’s ear.
“Eh?”
But Itsuki was still unable to understand.
But the area where he was suddenly darkened, Itsuki looked up.
There was a huge demon that was in the shape of a bird laughing madly, its dirty wings covering the moon.
It was laughing with the same face as the sludge.
“Ah—”
The phone clattered against the floor.
Itsuki tried to escape.
But sharp teeth pierced into his left leg as he tried to escape.
Pssh…Ssha…craack.
There was a strange sound from his ankle, but Itsuki didn’t feel any pain. Pain and agony were numbed by terror.
Itsuki dangled from the bird demon as it soared into the night.
“—President?”
The phone that was used for communication suddenly crackled to life.
At the same moment, a silhouette of a large black bird holding on to a boy flew up from the observation deck.
It was Itsuki’s silhouette.
Mikan pointed to the sky, her face changing.
“President-onii-san!”
“Eh, Mikan, the reinforcement will be left to you.”
Nekoyashiki told her and charged towards the parade square.
Adilisia’s summoning was fake. She had been unable to summon those demons even though she had spent a year trying to do so, she couldn’t abruptly learn how to summon them.
The most important point was that they attack at this point.
They had to keep Oswald’s attention on the demons and grab that chance to attack him.
Since Itsuki had already been attacked, they couldn’t allow for any more mistakes in the place. Nekoyashiki had used Mikan’s magic to force his presence a mere smidge so that he would not be detected.
He still had fifteen meters to Oswald’s back.
Thirteen meters.
Eleven meters.
Nine meters.
Mikan’s voice spoke from behind Nekoyashiki’s back again.
“I present the God, Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto with praise of awe, and to the rest of the Divinities who were born from the Cleansing of Izanagi-no-Mikoto—”
Mikan waved her jade beads as she chanted the incantation.
At the same moment, magic was erected inside and outside of the parade square. This was to prevent the <<Night>> from happening, it was prepared to let Oswald escape. There was a separation from the fey line and the magic.
“…Wha.at.”
As though noticing this, the body made of sludge trembled.
But it was too late.
Seven meters.
Five meters.
“Ji!”
Four vertical lines and five horizontal lines—Nekoyashiki drew the nine-worded mantra that repulsed evil and slapped an amulet in the middle.
The red amulet had the chinese characters '急急如律令' written on it with black ink that was like mercury.
This amulet was an amulet that would summon the fires in hell.
The amulet summoned the fires of hell and they flowed towards the body of sludge as if flowing down a volcano.
At the side of the parade square as the sweltering hot magic that was higher than thousands of degrees Celsius was released.
Adilisia saw the tree that was hung in mid-air and immediately, Addie made a choice.
She stopped the summoning ritual and shouted:
“—Come, Forneus! Dominate the Marquis of the Twenty-Nine Legion!”
The silver chimaera that had been waiting in its spiritual body formed and then swam in the air. It immediately approached the black bird and broke its neck.
As Adilisia was about to command Forneus to rescue Itsuki—
In the red hot fire, there was someone who was quicker than her.
An arm stretched out from the sizzling unnaturally red fire.
The arm stretched out—literally.
It was like a snake.
No, that wasn’t right.
It was a snake.
It was a bundle of thousands of snakes biting each other and it became a large snake, revealing its fangs to Forneus.
Psssh! The blood of the spirit splattered all over the place. The large snake didn’t stop. It continued to eat the scales of the chimaera, its tail, abdomen and it punctured its heart. The blood continued to rain down and the ravaged Forneus became a pile of black snow.
The fire on the parade square was extinguished by the blood rain.
Leaving behind an uninjured human-shaped sludge body. Its arm, which had become a large snake, wriggled as it opened its mouth.
“I’ll. eat. one. first.”
The sludge that had eaten the demon said very happily in a low voice.
Then it moved its arm.
“…Ei!”
“Yaaa!”
Nekoyashiki was sent flying out.
He collided with Mikan and she collapsed too.
When the sludge body retracted its arm, Adilisia discovered that its movements had struck the youth.
The sludge tilted its head unexpectedly.
“Too. weak. Addie.”
The sludge seemed to laugh, its shoulders trembling. It was like an emulated human, the sludge’s movements made one feel uncomfortable.
“…”
Adilisia moved back slightly.
She was very clear.
Because she used the same Solomon magic, she would understand why the sludge was acting so unnaturally.
Despair clouded her vision black.
He was about seven meters, no, ten metres above the ground?
The chimaera was moving through the air, chasing to the tree where the black bird was.
The chimaera opened its jaws.
“…Eh…”
In the next moment, Itsuki’s vision was filled with red.
The chimaera had bitten off the black bird’s head.
Of course, Itsuki’s body continued to fall.
Bang!!!
His back struck the ground.
“…Wu, eh!”
Itsuki couldn’t even cry in pain. When he struck the ground, all his senses had felt pain. If he wasn’t landing on the soft soil of the parade square, before Itsuki felt pain, he could have reported to Heaven already.
“Wu…ah…”
Itsuki flipped around and raised his head with much difficulty. Just by doing this, he could feel the pain in his back and neck. Itsuki tolerated it.
Even under this kind of situation, Itsuki’s right eye was still watching.
Still watching the sludge that was surrounded with fire and the snake that climbed out of that sludge arm.
(This man…has changed…)
When Nekoyashiki released a fire attack, the sludge’s body had changed completely to another form.
Although Itsuki didn’t know its name, but it was probably a demon that was resistant to fire, right? It had the appearance of a knight and it resembled Eligol.
When it stuck that arm out of the fire, only the arm changed to mud, then if became a large snake.
(…This is chaotic!)
Itsuki thought.
That person’s strength did not only control a large number of demons, but it was able to suit its needs and become the demonic shape that it wanted it to be.
—Controlling a different dimension of magic.
It was like what Nekoyashiki had said.
It was like that.
It was clearly using magic, but it didn’t need to chant incantations or do rituals, it didn’t need spells or conductors. Even Adilisia had spent a year and half a lunar calendar to summon Eigol and the others, but that monster could summon all of them in a moment.
Because it was magic itself.
Compared to Nekoyashiki and Adilisia who had to start the magic from scratch, it just needed take out something that it had.
What a large difference!
(Can’t escape…No…)
There was only this thought resounding in his head as he was unable to think clearly.
From the corner of Itsuki’s vision, he could see Adilisa standing there, stunned. She had probably reached the same conclusion as Itsuki, right?
“Sweet.Addie.”
The sludge slowly approached Adilisia.
--Rage suddenly poured into him.
(Adilisia will—die--)
“Wu,wuoh--!”
Itsuki used his uninjured leg to stand up.
But in his state, he would not be able to reach them. With this injured leg, he would not be able to catch up to the sludge.
“Adilisa--!”
“..Addie..come.with.me.”
Just when the sludge was about to touch Adilisia—
A slim arm reached out from the side and pulled Adilisia away.
“…Honami.”
A witch sat on the broom, wearing a pointed hat and carrying Adilisia with one hand.
She faced the sludge with the moon that was in the fourteen day of the lunar calendar and raised her other hand.
“Moon Goddess! I summon you under the full moon! Destroy the calamity in the north with thy breath!”
A mistletoe dart pierced the air.
Honami shot our five darts in a breath and they flew towards the sludge from different directions.
Five big holes were punched in the body of the sludge.
But even so.
“Destruction.of.Celtic.magic.cannot.be.compared.to.Solomon’s.”
The darkness suddenly had a substance to it.
Demons started to form from the sludge’s body and chased after Honami who was escaping.
There were five in total.
“Stop--!”
Itsuki’s yell could not be heard.
The five demons who were chasing Honami immediately shot her down.
“Yaa--!”
The faint cry was stopped immediately.
“Stoop--!”
Itsuki trembled, a chilly feeling descended upon his body.
The chilly feeling urged him and Itsuki finally rushed out. He dragged his injured leg and ran forward, his speed decreased by half.
“Honami! Adilisia!”
Then a large body blcked him.
It was one of the Seventy-Two demons, a weak bull that seemed like an accessory.
But this was enough.
“Use.less.”
The bull laughed with Oswald’s voice and charged to Itsuki’s abdomen.
Itsuki flew through the air.
He hit the ground again.
The soil and sharp rocks scratched his skin and Itsuki rolled for a few meters.
He struck the ledge of the garden in the square and there was an ominous sound. Even so, Itsuki tried to stand up. At this moment, his left ankle was twisted in an odd direction.
“…Eeeeaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!”
Itsuki released a scream that he never thought he would let out.
—Ah, I can’t win.
Even if it is a magician, in the end, we’re still human.
But a monster isn’t a human.
A human cannot win something that is not human.
This was a simple concept.
Of course, this concept was so natural that no one would blame it.
So humans want to be something not human, that is why something like this is a Taboo.
{That…is magic}
The voice spoke.
Really, that is magic?
Itsuki finally understood. That was right, if that was so irrational, then it couldn’t be called magic.
{Is it fine this way?}
The voice spoke again.
--[But, I still feel a little grateful.]
A person’s embarrassed voice said.
--[President Onii-san is amazing, amazing!]
She jumped around and clapped her hands.
--[So, you will inherit this company]
She said with an amused voice.
--[You said ‘our company’, do you have the slight awareness of being a President?]
That wasn’t a joke—but talking to him seriously?
“…….How can that…be…good…”
Itsuki told himself even more strongly.
He put his hand to his injured left ankle, and then pushed his joint back. There was the sound of his flesh being squashed, his bones rubbing against each other and the sound of the bone rubbing against meat. Until now, what meaning was there in minding such trivialties?
(Be angry! Be angry! Iba Itsuki.)
Itsuki stood up.
Itsuki turned his grief and pain into fury, staring at the scary figure of the sludge.
(This…is my ‘work’)
“Come.give me.Addie.”
That person had not regarded the situation around him, but had completely focused his attention on the demons that Addie held. This was a good chance!
“Ah…”
Itsuki panted.
It was hot.
His right eye was very hot.
His right eye was more hot than his left leg, it felt as if his eyeball had become fire. That heat made him feel glad.
“Alright… Come…”
He couldn’t stand it and took off his eye patch.
Under his eye patch, was his eye that was not the same black-coloured eye like his left eye.
It was a ruby red—a colour that did not exist in humans—flaming red eye.
“Miaow~”
“Meow~”
The cats licked Nekoyashiki and he opened his eyes.
Although it hadn’t been one minute yet, but it seemed as if he had fainted. And in his vision, Nekoyashiki saw something that should not exist.
“…President?”
A gleaming red eye.
It was a ruby red eye that contrasted against the thick magic-polluted air.
Nekoyashiki was so surprised that he was unable to speak.
“Hey, Nekoyashiki-san, get up… eh…President…Onii-chan?”
Mikan who had been his cushion, blinked several times, stunned.
“…”
The youth walked out slowly.
He walked as if he were like a broken marionette, hesitantly, but then he started to walk with a smoother gait. Every time he walked, his blood would drip onto the ground with a plat, plat sound.
Not long after, the sludge noticed him.
“Eat.him.”
The sludge seemed to have no interest in the boy, it didn’t even turn to the boy when it gave the orders.
A shadow emerged from the sludge and formed a body.
It was that devoured golden lion—Marbas.
Marbas’ strong claws aimed at Itsuki and slashed with a stunning speed.
The youth stepped to one side.
It was only that, but suddenly Itsuki was behind the lion.
“Wh.at.”
Itsuki passed by the sludge and knelt in front of the two collapsed people.
“—Honami, Adilisia.”
He called.
“Honami, get up quickly.”
“…Eh…Icchan?”
Ice blue eyes opened slightly.
“…Itsuki.”
Adilisia woke up later, her eyes widening.
“Itsuki! Behind you!”
The sludge moved the arm that had become the snake towards Itsuki.
The attack slashed through the air towards the youth.
But Itsuki only tilted his head and the attack missed. He moved as if he had already planned this out, he moved naturally.
“Are the both of you alright?”
He asked, standing up. His left ankle was bleeding again, but as long as it could withstand the next five minutes, it would be fine.
“You.bas.ta.rd.”
Itsuki looked back, the sludge was mumbling as it moved.
A few demons appeared.
But those attacks were the same.
No matter which demon, their magic would only move in one direction, those attacks were no different from the clichéd comics or novels.
Itsuki only needed to step away and the attack would pass through the space he had been in earlier.
It was amusing.
You plan to… call that magic?
“Itsuki…”
Adilisia called the name of the youth dazedly.
Even if she was seeing it with her own eyes, she was unable to believe it. She had already asked Honami. Even if it was a talented magician, it was impossible to see the actual body of the magic flow.
–Glam Sight.
It was the legendary magical eye.
It was a fairy tale legend that the magicians had – The Illusion Eyes. Unlike Adilisia or Honami who could see the apparitions, if it was the true Glam Sight, then it was said to be able to see through all apparitions.
It was said that as long as the wielder was looking at it, the Glam Sight would be able to look through all of the happiness, sadness and anger of the apparitions.
But, at the same time, it was said to be danger.
Those pair of eyes that could see too much, would erode away at the spirit of the wielder.
Because of that, magicians who had the Glam Sight often died young. Some of these people become apparitions themselves, but others went on to a sprite’s world that was not in the human world.
But…
Was Itsuki’s eyes only that?
…Was it only that kind of eyes?
“What.are.you.”
The sludge said, its voice wavering for the first time since the battle.
“…”
Itsuki didn’t reply.
He only avoided the increasingly vicious blows of the demons and ordered:
“Nekoyashiki, Honami, Mikan, these are the President’s orders.”
It was the same voice, the same intonations and variation in tone—but the present Itsuki was slightly different.
The three people, as if reacting to Itsuki’s order by reflex, didn’t hesitate to doubt his order or anything of the sort.
“Nekoyashiki, use your fire amulets and aim to the left by twenty-six degrees and six meters to the front.”
The amulets flew from his sleeve. The amulets started to burn again and started burning the demon that was absorbing all the magic.
“Mikan, perform a Cleansing to the front, from forty-two degrees to eighty-four degrees.”
She twirled her jade beads and stopped the fire, lightning and curses released by the demons as if she had prepared for it.
“Honami, shoot two mistletoe darts to the upper right corner from sixty-four degrees to seventy-six degrees separately.”
The mistletoe darts were released from her soft fingers and the demons who wanted to attack from the sky were struck down by the darts.
It was effortless.
In conclusion, no matter what kind of magic was used, depending on which divinity, all of them were based on the quality of magic and the flow.
If this was so, then he only needed to interpret the flow of the magic, then he would be able to analyze the movements of the demons, their powers and weaknesses.
But, Itsuki’s ability was not only this.
(I must see.)
He said silently in his heart.
I must see, I must notice, I must observe.
He had to look to the deepest of the deepest, he had to see the most basic of the foundations, he had to find the interior of what was inside. Without missing anything, without reservation, I have to observe until it is beyond your superficial selves.
Destroy all feelings of terror.
Crush.
Shatter.
Rewrite— this meaningless character!
“Icchan…”
Honami couldn’t help but cry.
Itsuki’s right eye was bleeding. This was to be expected, the Glam Sight used more energy that the human body had, if it was overused, don’t even talk about being blind, even the nerves and the brain would be damaged. No, even if it was the sight, or brain—even the ‘soul’ would be damaged.
But even so, Itsuki had no plans to stop.
(There should be…)
Itsuki analyzed the demon’s movements and commandeered the members of the company, it was slowly decreasing the sludge—Oswald. Every time a portion was eliminated, the sludge would cry heart-wrenchingly.
“What.are.you.”
The sludge asked Itsuki.
(You should definitely have it…)
Itsuki didn’t reply, but asked the sludge.
“Oswald--!?”
He asked:
“Do you really want to be magic that much!!?”
He continued:
“You don’t treasure your daughter, but make use of her, you eat the lives of your disciples, what kind of Solomon do you want to become!!”
“…!!!”
“Itsuki…!”
Adilisia clasped her hands to her mouth.
They had defeated thirty four of the demons. If they continued, Nekoyashiki’s amulets, Honami’s darts and Mikan’s energy would run out. Compared to that, Itsuki’s body had already reached its limit a long time ago.
But even so…
He still wanted to look.
He wanted to look at those things that had existed since the beginning, those things that were clumped together, those things that had completely distorted.
Noticing this, recognizing them as the things that gave the physical shape to the formless body.
--Establish order among the chaos.
Itsuki slowly shortened the distance between him and the sludge. When he reached a distance where he could touch it, the boy raised his right hand.
“Your pride—”
He breathed deeply:
“—Will be repayed by you!”
Itsuki raised out his right hand.
“Wu. Sssh.aa.aa.aaaaa.aaaaaaaaa!”
In a moment, the sludge spread with a splash!
“Icchan!”
Including his hand, the rest of the boy was swallowed by the sludge. No matter how many demons the sludge had lost, it was simple to devour a mere human. Until the last moment, the boy had made a wrong move. At least, that was what the sludge thought.
In reality, it was different.
The change came moments later.
“What.did.you.see.”
The sludge asked.
It wasn’t talking to anyone, but it should have been talking to Itsuki, who had been devoured by it.
“—I saw your—beginning.”
The sludge itself had been a failed product of magic.
It was a failed product that had been trying to imitate Adilisia’s father’s great spirit. So Itsuki had been unable to find its ‘core’. Even after a long time, the ‘core’ wouldn’t have changed until it was unrecognizable.
“It’s this!”
Itsuki threw himelf and that thing out of the sludge. That thing flew through the air and rebounded two, three times before rolling to Adilisia.
A small red seed.
It was a small sapling that was like frozen blood and growing red thorns.
In that moment, Adilisia’s breathing stopped.
“Aaaaa.aaaa.a.aaaaa.aa.a.aa.aaaahhhhh!”
The sludge screamed and lunged towards the girl.
But the sludge met the attack of Nekoyashiki’s flames, Honami’s mistletoe darts and Mikan’s Cleansing barrier.
At last, Adilisia raised up her magical weapon—an athame knife and cut the red seed in half.
“!”
The sludge convulsed.
“Ah…”
Adilisia raised her head.
Even so, the sludge didn’t stop moving. The parts of it that were in contact with air started to crumble, the sludge slowly moved closer to the blond girl.
“Cute.Addie.I…”
Then the sludge collapsed in front of the girl.
“Didn’t….become.magic.”
Oswald’s dream to devour the Seventy-Two Demons and become magic had crumbled with the form of sludge.
“Icchan!”
Making sure that the magic had been dealt with, Honami frantically rushed towards Itsuki.
Seeing her rush over desperately, it was hard to remember the usual calm Honami.
Mikan and Nekoyashiki followed slightly later.
Itsuki remained lying on the ground.
“Itsuki!”
Then, Adilisia knelt down and reached out to Itsuki’s face.
Honami also did the same.
Touching the face that was stained with blood from his right eye—the two girls breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed their shoulders.
“………..Baka[3]!”
“………..Really.”
Itsuki lay on the ground, snoring leisurely.
