The Angel Who Realizes Reincarnation (5)
While James Tardun was still marveling at the holy power spreading out...
Refri glanced once more at his gloves, Santus.
Santus.
◈ In the era when legends and myths were recorded in the Holy Chronicles, angels enforced the will of the heavens on earth with countless divine abilities.
◈ Sometimes aiding the weak and performing good deeds, sometimes filling the bellies of the starving, sometimes selecting heroes and vanquishing evil, and at times, even covering the world in floods as the authority of the heavens.
◈ One angel, gazing upon the submerged world, felt regret. An angel who should not know emotions like regret and sorrow shed tears as they looked beneath the waters.
◈ And the angel made a promise. "I shall judge this world no more."
◈ That promise became a rainbow bridging the world. Santus, the angel's promise, is an item that assists angelic divine abilities.
◈ Angelic divine abilities are closer to miracles than skills and cannot be controlled by the angel's will alone. Just as prophets in prophecies cannot control miracles.
◈ However, when wearing Santus, even divine abilities can be finely adjusted like skills.
⚠ Wearing this item increases Angel Power consumption!
⚠ Wearing this item allows fine control over divine abilities!
✅ This item is EX-rank and indestructible!
When he first obtained this item, Refri had been deeply disappointed. An EX-rank item, yet it came with the side effect of increased Angel Power consumption... and its ability was just "fine control over divine abilities"? That was it?
'At first, I really thought it was trash-tier gear.'
Refri nodded and gazed at the leather gloves glowing with rainbow hues.
'Now I'm convinced. Santus is a cheat item.'
The ability of Santus was fine control over divine abilities. But what exactly did "fine control" mean?
For example, suppose there was a divine ability to produce heavenly oil from one's hand. No matter what an angel tried, they couldn't generate that oil anywhere else. Miracles aren't something controllable by personal will.
But what if the angel wanted to produce that oil from their eyes...?
Don't ask why. Just assume there was a reason to generate it in the eyes.
That's when Santus came in handy.
And that wasn't the only way to use Santus.
'Night-Walking Reverse Angel's Steps originally erases everything angelic. That includes anything touched by an angel.'
Santus couldn't increase the power of divine abilities, but it could restrict them as the angel desired.
'But if I use Santus to limit Night-Walking Reverse Angel's Steps... restricting it to hide only traces of Angel Power...'
Then he could conceal his identity as an angel.
By combining Santus with Night-Walking Reverse Angel's Steps, Refri could even fool the eyes of the Shaman King, James Tardun.
James, peering into Refri's soul, had no choice but to acknowledge it.
'Such a pure and bright soul.'
In truth, Refri didn't possess a soul outstanding enough for James to rate so highly. He was greedy, sometimes cowardly, and far from pure.
The reason Refri's soul appeared this way now was...
'A human soul that looks just like a legendary angel?'
Because James perceived Refri as human.
Even if it was a soul close to corruption among angels, among humans, Refri was closer to the heavens than anyone.
"From the soul onward... there are too many strange things."
James finally spoke.
"One who worships the heavens wouldn't bow to the corrupt nobility. If you hated the heavens, you would've just watched as that holy studies girl—a servant of the heavens—suffered at the hands of the corrupt nobility..."
James couldn't comprehend the boy's soul or his actions.
"Why on earth did you save that holy studies girl?"
James's lips pressed shut.
And he resolved to use a spell.
"Taboo Release."
His eyes blazed red.
This spell allowed him to glimpse the past of whoever he directly beheld—a supreme technique.
"Crimson Insight."
In that instant, Refri's past flooded into James's mind.
A boy born as the illegitimate child of a chaebol family, raised with his mother's love. Happy days.
And then.
His mother trampled in a way too horrific to describe.
The boy hid under the sofa, praying to the heavens.
His lips cracked and dry, tear stains remaining, yet the boy's prayers never stopped.
But as prayers often are, the boy was betrayed in the cruelest way.
Blood flowing out even to beneath the sofa...
Sorrow, loneliness. The pain that child felt.
Emotions James knew all too well himself.
'After going through something like that, it's only natural to hate the heavens, isn't it?'
Yet this boy protected the holy studies girl. What on earth was his true nature?
'A holy power user who hates the heavens? All such beings are monsters born from betrayal and abandonment by the world, like Saintess Rebecca.'
Clear holy power gathered in his hand.
"Like me. Like me or Rebecca—monsters...!"
James laughed.
But a single tear welled in his eye.
'Yet how can that boy still hold onto such pure goodness...? Why doesn't he resent the heavens like we do?'
Before he knew it, James's gaze was fixed solely on Refri.
'Does that mean... that boy's will is stronger even than that Saintess Rebecca's?'
James reflected on himself.
'Even stronger than mine...'
A single tear rolled down James's cheek.
While James stared at the boy's soul, shedding inexplicable tears of his own...
Refri looked at Lamone and organized his thoughts.
'See, I have a perfect plan. Use Santus to hide that I'm an angel... save the holy studies senior and boost my favor with the holy studies department!'
Refri smiled.
'Plus, it's an angel-like deed, so I can farm Angel Power too!'
Saving the weak is an angel-like deed!
Angel Power acquired.
He could even gain Angel Power.
'Angel Power is crazy low right now. It's draining fast because of Santus... this is like rain in a drought!'
Though his Angel Power was depleting rapidly from using Santus and Night-Walking Reverse Angel's Steps, he had stockpiled enough to hold out for now.
'To keep hiding that I'm an angel during the upcoming past life awakening exam... I need to farm way more Angel Power.'
So, when was the best time to farm more Angel Power?
'I have a perfect plan. Saving the holy studies senior was all part of a thorough calculation. It wasn't some impulsive rush.'
Refri nodded with a smile.
The ultimate plan angel, Refri.
Well, in a way, no plan was the best plan.
"You're smiling?"
As Refri grinned, deluding himself, Lamone grabbed the boy's collar in rage once more.
"That jerk's grabbing my collar again."
The students moved to intervene for Refri, who was about to lunge forward.
"Everyone, it's fine."
Refri stopped them and looked at Lamone.
"Senior Lamone, Inquisitor. If you're confident, go ahead and try."
Refri's eyes were ice-cold.
"But if you're judged a heretic... apologize sincerely to every student here. Especially compensate those holy studies classmates you abused."
"Nonsense. That'll never happen."
Refri smiled.
"Is that so? I think differently."
Lamone couldn't contain his fury and shouted.
"I, the proxy of the heavens and direct descendant of the corrupt nobility! Me, afraid? Have you seen such blasphemy! Fine, I'll show you true heavenly punishment today."
With that, Lamone quickly used an item to check Refri's holy power.
'Low holy power! Of course a heretic like that wouldn't have high holy power.'
In truth, Refri's body had almost no holy power.
It was simply overflowing with Angel Power.
Angel Power, the superior form of holy power, appeared and functioned like holy power but ultimately wasn't holy power.
The item didn't lie.
Refri's holy power was less than Lamone's.
If judging purely by holy power, that is.
'Heretic scum, I'll judge you right now!'
Convinced of Refri's low holy power, Lamone immediately opened his black grimoire and began praying.
The prayer—not too short, not too long—ended.
Lamone muttered the final line.
Something burst forth with it.
"In the name of God, I forge this..."
From the grimoire rose a black sword—more precisely, the ominous blade called the Heresy Judge's Sword.
"This sword is sinless."
An executioner's sword with a blunt tip formed.
'So that's the Heresy Judge's Sword. The foolish blade that can't cut people or demons, only holy power.'
How many healers had lost their holy power to that sword?
Refri glared at it with hatred.
"Pure sword, sinless sword! Come to me, proxy of the heavens! And judge that heretic!"
Lamone declared triumphantly.
As if it were obvious the Heresy Judge's Sword would choose him.
Vmmm—
The black executioner's sword, hearing Lamone's call, slowly rose...
and settled into the hand of the chosen heresy inquisitor.
'But right now, it's a sword I need to use.'
Right into Refri's hand.
"...Impossible."
One holy studies student muttered unconsciously.
A direct descendant of the corrupt nobility chosen as the heresy inquisitor?
If it could judge even corrupt nobility descendants...
Then what on earth was this boy Refri?
"W-what? T-this is..."
Lamone stared at the Heresy Judge's Sword in bewilderment.
No matter how he looked, the one holding it was Refri.
"How on earth...?"
Refri slowly approached Lamone.
Lamone stumbled back step by step, muttering.
"C-calm down... wait, calm down!"
As Refri nearly reached him, Lamone whimpered.
"I, I was wrong. No, I'm sorry...!"
But Refri ignored Lamone and kept walking.
He looked at the terrified, huddled holy studies students.
"Yes, we're all sinners too. We bowed to the corrupt church powers and oppressed our juniors. More rotten than heretics—the orthodox church."
One holy studies student spoke resolutely.
He calmly removed his shirt, revealing his scarred body.
Scars from the Heresy Judge's Sword.
"Cut me. No excuses."
Refri raised the Heresy Judge's Sword.
"In the name of God, I created you..."
And deeply slashed the resolute holy studies student.
"You are sinless."
Yet the student's holy power didn't vanish...
Instead, the wounds inflicted by the corrupt nobility began to heal.
And with it, holy power began to return.
The holy studies student stared at Refri in shock, then felt his holy power restore and burst into tears.
Refri smiled.
"So don't sin again."
"But... I..."
The student, resolute even before the Heresy Judge's Sword, finally knelt.
"The Heresy Judge's Sword only severs holy power... how can it restore it...?"
Lamone muttered nearby.
His expression was quite the sight: disbelief, fear, despair, and awe.
'As expected of the EX-rank item Santus. I can use it like this.'
As Lamone said, the Heresy Judge's Sword originally could only sever holy power.
But with Santus, he sealed away the severing power, leaving only the property of interfering with holy power.
Then, in that interfered state, apply Life-Respecting Healing Angel's Cure to heal the wounds?
Healing the wounds of the innocent is an angel-like deed!
Angel Power acquired.
Correcting a wrongful judgment is an angel-like deed!
Angel Power acquired.
Thus, he gained Angel Power.
'Hmm, with this much Angel Power, I can sustain Santus for a while. Healing these holy studies seniors was the right choice.'
Having farmed Angel Power, Refri slowly approached Lamone again.
"Eek!"
Lamone was already terrified, tears streaming down his face.
He couldn't believe the sword had been taken, and now it was used to heal other students' holy power...
What on earth was this boy's identity?
"Senior Lamone."
"L-Lord Refri."
"I will judge you."
Refri raised the Heresy Judge's Sword high.
"Lord Refri! Just once, give me one chance!"
"..."
Gazing at the terrified Lamone, Refri's eyes gleamed.
And Refri began to have a wicked—no, angelic—thought.
"Even someone like you was created in the Lord's name..."
Profit angel Refri opened his mouth.
"So I'll give you a chance at atonement."