Ep.07 Festival - The Lost Paradise
Not only Dante had become aware of reality in this world haunted by terror and illusions. 'What in the world is happening...'
The shape of paradise was paradoxically reminiscent of the hell described in the scriptures. People losing themselves and screaming in agony, terror spreading everywhere. Amid that horrific scene, Yuria had never lost her mind from the start. The stigmata engraved on her body would never allow demonic energy to take hold.
'A demon... A formless being. Why is something that should dwell in the Lost Paradise here...'
A divine figure floating high in the sky, gazing down solemnly at those in despair. Though it resembled a god, Yuria instantly recognized it as a demon.
'Its divinity is barely perceptible.'
Even a saintess constantly connected to God could only taste frustration in the False Paradise. Born to confront evil, she was still incomplete and thus doubted herself. It was only natural that her divinity felt faint when her confidence in herself hadn't fully solidified.
"This won't do... I can't just sit here hesitating..."
The miracle's revelation, the embodiment of mercy. The owner of divinity and the symbol of the Church. The saintess Yuria, who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with heroes—yet even she couldn't confidently move her body. For though she was a saintess, this was the first time she faced a true demon, not some mere demonkin.
For a girl who had become an adult only recently, it took time to muster her courage. She knew how irresponsible her hesitation as a saintess was.
'Ah.'
As Yuria forced her trembling legs to move and tried to stand, a single beam of light began pouring down from the heavens. The Day of Judgment mentioned in the scriptures. A shiver as if witnessing it firsthand. In that shiver, Yuria unknowingly regained her mental composure.
And she clearly saw with her own eyes the face of the person standing atop that beam of light in midair.
"...Ahh, Dante. Just how heavy a burden have you been carrying all by yourself?"
The empire's wastrel, the top student of the magic department. The prime suspect for demonkin whom she had doubted time and again. But Yuria now knew. The Dante currently exterminating that great evil was truly an apostle bearing a burden.
'I've... I've been the one doubting him all this time.'
Look at those eyes devoid of any mercy. How could those be the eyes of a demonkin? They reflected the true form of a Messiah, utterly different from such lowly beings.
'The demonic energy I felt back then must have been him confronting a demon...'
She had heard from the Church. That Dante had exterminated a demon during midterms. Yuria had harbored doubts about whether it was true, but now she was furious at her past self. How could she allow the heresy inquisitors of the anti-pope faction to be rude to such a man right by her side?
"Dante..."
Yuria softly called Dante's name. Those trapped in the False Paradise saw only illusions, so they wouldn't know Dante's name or his salvation. An act standing for everyone, even if no one remembered it.
'I'll... I'll remember.' Yuria vowed deep in her heart. Even if the whole world forgot Dante, she alone would acknowledge him.
Just as Yuria was shedding tears while gazing at Dante's figure, there was one more person admiring the scene.
"...What the hell is that?"
Dorothy Merhenia. The academy's genius mage. Even she, hailed as the greatest talent since Belhalm, couldn't close her gaping mouth at the bizarre sight unfolding before her eyes.
"...Hah, so she had this kind of power hidden...?"
The scene reflected in her light purple eyes was simple enough. A formless being from legends and the exterminator judging it. A sight from myths playing out in real time.
Simply put, the existence of an exterminator who judged the formless one.
Just moments ago, she had been sparring with him. She had thought of him as merely a junior with slightly superior talent. The handsomest one she knew, sure, but that was it.
'That's magic way beyond anything I can comprehend...'
Dorothy first tried to understand what was unfolding before her. At first, she thought, Oh, just a genius mage beating down a demon. But no, she was trying to grasp the magic Dante was unleashing right there.
'Could I even do that...?'
No. Absolutely not. It transcended modern magical theory entirely. It was a realm even Belhalm, who first established circles, couldn't touch.
"That's... that's Star Manifestation, huh."
A mage's highest attainable circle in a lifetime was generally around the 7th Circle. For remote mages or the unlucky, the 6th Circle was the limit. From the 8th Circle on, only war heroes or mage tower lords could wield it.
Dorothy herself was capped at the 7th Circle for now. That's why, right now, she decided to burn Dante's magic into her eyes.
It looked akin to divinity or miracles at a glance, but it was definitely magic.
"An advanced brain-attribute spell... Astrape, the Star Manifestation-level magic from ancient texts."
She'd heard it was a spell embodying the lightning of a forgotten otherworldly god. A magic that literally manifested a divine realm. In this era where ancient magical systems were mostly lost and circles dominated, it was a miracle no mere circle could produce.
"Our club president is way more amazing than I thought."
Not just some genius mage. Something beyond mere talent. Dorothy knew the False Paradise was a realm of illusions, and that Dante's magic couldn't be replicated in reality—but that didn't matter.
For a mage, knowing something meant the possibility of manifesting it. Since Dante had fully manifested the spell, his potential clearly reached Star Manifestation.
'That earlier thing wasn't luck after all.'
The mana resonance at the club booth wasn't mere chance. She'd dismissed it as youthful mage flair at first. But now she realized it was her own arrogant prejudice against Dante.
Overwhelming wisdom and overwhelming mental fortitude. Unlike her, blessed with illusion immunity, Dante was enduring purely on mental strength alone.
"I've got a lot to learn from you, President~."
Dorothy watched Dante exterminate the evil, a faint smile playing on her lips as if intrigued.
Paradise collapsed.
'Well... after using Astrape, that's a given.'
Star Manifestation-level magic was like that by nature. A magic reaching divine realms—its power and magnitude went without saying.
Moreover, the False Paradise was an incomplete world in itself. Even a complete world could barely withstand it; an unfinished one stood no chance.
"...Ah. But I'm tired."
The grand hall, which had been plunged into a horrific nightmare moments ago, was now proceeding with the demonstration as if nothing had happened.
Except...
"Whoa... I had such a freaking scary dream just now."
"For real? I dozed off too. It was terrifying. Felt so real."
"What? Everyone had dreams? Was this part of the demo too?"
Those who couldn't pierce the illusions would just chalk it up to dreams. Maybe that was natural. After the False Paradise collapsed, properly perceiving it would be the weird part.
But still, I ended up solving it again.
"Luel."
"Yeah?"
"Did you have a dream too?"
"Something warm and cozy? Felt all toasty."
"......Really?"
What the hell kind of dream did she have to feel that?
'Tried to catch the bus, but the driver didn't show, so I had to drive it myself.'
A sigh escaped at the reality of constant hardship, but... it wasn't all bad.
Trait:Seal of Original Sin has absorbed the demonic energy of the 'Formless One'.
Even snagging just one demon by sheer luck filled his entire body with overflowing power. Mentally exhausted, but physically in a state of perfect condition. On top of that, his circles had leveled up even though he hadn't pushed for it.
'Less than a year since enrollment and already 5th Circle. Can't stop this.'
5th Circle. His stats even outstripped it, so with focus, he could probably cast 6th Circle magic. Sure, his body would get wrecked, but still.
This alone was an absurd gain...
"As expected, you're the best."
With a soft smile, he turned his head slightly to the right. Opposite Luel on the left. There sat...
As if nothing had happened, smiling broadly from her chair, gazing at him.
"Master, it's been so long since we last met~?"
"Has it?"
"You've matured a lot in that short time, haven't you?"
"So have you."
The black-haired, red-eyed demon. Lilia was sitting there.