Chapter 42 - Vertus the Golem
“Two Fallen Angels?”
Hidden in a storage room filled with various classroom supplies—a place I’d snuck into to avoid interruptions during my conversation with Vertus.
After settling in the farthest corner, I began extracting the necessary information from him.
The Fallen Angels Silvanos and Alkemis. They bear the epithets ‘Ruler of Divine Records’ and ‘Incarnation of Jealousy’ respectively.
Silvanos was originally a god worshipped by druids, while Alkemis was the goddess of love and bonds before their fall, which led to their current forms.
“But how do you know that?”
“Hmm. You’re not lying, are you?”
“Ugh…”
It doesn’t seem like a lie. This guy has been pretty talkative so far, and he seems to at least acknowledge that we’re bound by fate now.
“But how did you know there were two? Was there someone else besides Beltane who emitted Corrupted Mana? And why didn’t you mention it before?”
[Negation. As of now, Beltane is the only individual who meets those conditions.]
“Their nature?”
“Ah.”
Now even demons are doing romance. What a filthy world.
“Hey. Then why are you telling me this now? If you could identify Fallen Angels by their mana, you should’ve told me the moment we encountered Beltane.”
Even when I show kindness, all I get in return is criticism… In my current state—a remnant soul parasitizing your dantian—it’s not that simple. I have to analyze the Corrupted Mana filtered through your body.
And as for Alkemis, even if she were standing right behind you, you wouldn’t notice her.
“What!?”
…
I frantically turned around, but there was no one there.
“You scared me.”
Don’t you understand metaphors? Anyway. Alkemis is the queen of all succubi. Among demons, she’s the Fallen Angel most skilled at deceiving humans. If she’s determined to disguise herself as a human, not even a priest of the Radain Church could detect her.
While Silvanos draws attention upfront, Alkemis works behind the scenes to execute their plans. That’s their usual modus operandi. They also share abilities—Alkemis can summon and control plants, while Silvanos can brainwash humans by manipulating their emotions.
“Annoying teamwork.”
“But is it okay for you to reveal this much? Aren’t you technically their ally?”
First. If I weren’t using you as a host to stay alive, I wouldn’t have said a word.
Second. The ‘Holy War’ for the demons’ Grand Scheme is underway, and yet they’re busy with their love affair. I never liked that from the start. Does that answer your question?
“…Okay. I’m convinced.”
So you’ve been single your whole life, huh, Vertus?
But now another problem arises.
“If they move together… I can’t handle both alone.”
If they attack me simultaneously 2-on-1 like Vertus did, it’d be manageable, but…
If they split up and attack separately, I won’t be able to cover both fronts.
“Ugh… What do I do? I can’t stick to Parmela 24/7…”
Pacing around the storage room, I racked my brain but couldn’t come up with a solution.
“Here?”
At Vertus’ question, I glanced around.
The storage room was filled with flying brooms, crystal balls for divination classes, and various other magical tools.
“Looks like a place to store classroom supplies. Judging by the dust, these aren’t frequently used items.”
I just walked in because I saw a storage room nearby, but this is what it was.
[Suggestion. May I propose a solution to the problem you’re currently facing?]
It’s rare for the System to interject first. Might as well hear it out.
“You have a good idea?”
[There is a method utilizing a new function.]
“New function?”
[Recently, by securing and analyzing mana samples from Fallen Angels other than Vertus, I’ve been able to strengthen my theory on ‘Corrupted Mana.’ As a result, I’ve discovered a new way to utilize it.]
“Go on.”
[First, inject Corrupted Mana into Vertus’ soul.]
“Ignore him and continue.”
[By enveloping his soul with Corrupted Mana, we can create a temporary barrier, allowing his soul to be extracted from your dantian and released outside your body.]
[Negation. This skill only provides temporary liberation. A minimal link must be maintained to continuously supply demonic energy from the main body.]
“Got your hopes up?”
[Using this method, Vertus’ soul can act as an independent entity separate from the main body for up to 10 hours, depending on circumstances.]
“So you’re suggesting I leave Vertus by Parmela’s side while I’m away, and if something happens to her, he can report back to me immediately?”
[Affirmative.]
“Hmm. Not bad.”
[Vertus’ consent is not a factor in this process.]
“Is that so?”
“But…”
Something feels… lacking.
Even if Vertus reports back, it’s useless if I can’t immediately intervene.
Lost in thought, I wandered aimlessly around the storage room until a familiar shape caught my eye.
“This… a golem. The ones that went berserk during Magical Engineering class.”
Dozens of golems—iron bodies adorned with wooden accents—stood motionless in formation inside the storage room.
Each one was bound head to toe in chains, with a “Do Not Use, Scheduled for Disposal” note pasted on their faces.
“Disposal, huh. These things are crazy expensive. What a waste… Wait.”
The moment I saw the golems, something clicked in my head.
“System. What if we implant Vertus’ soul directly into a golem’s core?”
[Processing user’s query. Simulating potential outcomes of injecting Vertus’ soul into a Magical Automaton’s structure…]
[…Calculation complete. Vertus can control the designated golem.]
I grinned like a mad scientist whose hypothesis had just been proven.
“What? You’re already dead.”
A humiliating memory suddenly surfaced.
Vertus shook it off and refocused on the figure before him—Professor Plentina, who was actually Alkemis in disguise.
“…Who is controlling this? Reveal yourself. Unauthorized use of magical tools within the academy is prohibited.”
“Hmph. Isn’t it a bit late to still be playing professor, Alkemis?”
“!! How do you know that name—”
“I don’t owe you an answer.”
Vertus glanced sideways to assess Parmela’s condition.
‘She’s already deep under their control.’
“Girl. Can you hear me?”
“…Are you talking to me?”
“Yes. A fight’s about to break out. Until then, stay behind me and don’t do anything stupid.”
“Don’t… Don’t joke around. I don’t know who you are, but I can fight… Ahk.”
Staggering, Parmela collapsed onto the floor.
“You can’t even stand properly. If you try casting magic in this state, your circuits will burn out. Stay put.”
‘Heavenly Demon. Can you hear me?’
The Heavenly Demon’s voice pierced directly into my mind. It was an odd sensation, but I ignored it as Vertus continued his report.
‘Alkemis is attempting to make contact with Parmela. Since the brainwashing is nearly complete, any further contact will turn her completely into Alkemis’ pawn.’
‘Then hurry back.’
‘Tch. Figures.’
‘What? Hey, wait!’
But no further reply came from the Heavenly Demon.
“…What’s wrong? Just going to keep glaring at me?”
Keeping Alkemis in his sights, Vertus quickly assessed the situation.
‘…This body is a piece of junk. The so-called “power” the Heavenly Demon shared is barely a trickle. And in front of me is the Fallen Angel Alkemis.’
By all accounts, this was a hopeless fight. But…
[Warning. Execute the command.]
The damned System’s voice kept echoing inside him, making it impossible to refuse the Heavenly Demon’s orders.
“Tch.”
Reluctantly, he channeled a portion of the demonic energy stored in his core, circulating it through the golem’s mana circuits.
Whoosh—
A whirlwind erupted around the golem.
“Step back, girl.”
Once again, the wind began to blow for the Sky Devil.
“…How surprising. This wind… Vertus?”
“Judging by how slow you are to realize, it seems your head is still filled with nothing but lust.”
“True. Your snark confirms it.”
From Alkemis’ arm, green rose vines extended, transforming into a whip.
“Why a dead man like you is possessing a golem, why you’re protecting Parmela… I’m curious, but you can wait.”
“I’ll subdue you first, deal with Parmela, and interrogate you later.”
“Hmph. If you can… try me!”
Whoosh!
The blades of wind summoned by Vertus surged toward Alkemis.
“Anyway, I left a guard by Parmela’s side, so she should hold out until I return.”
“What the hell… How do you even know about Alkemis’ existence? And a subordinate? From what I’ve observed these past two weeks, you don’t have any followers.”
Ignoring Silvanos’ questions, I flipped my knife into a reverse grip and approached him.
“W-wait! I have a proposal. Join us—”
Thunk.
I buried the knife in his chest.
At that moment, black mist burst from Beltane’s mouth and began fleeing in the opposite direction.
I reached out toward it.
[Would you like to absorb the target ‘Silvanos’ soul’?]
The System made the same offer it had with Vertus.