Bodjanoy
“Is everything ready?”
“It was finished ages ago, fake Sister.”
At last, once the preparations were done, Katerina spoke.
“That took longer than I expected.”
“I’ll throw that right back at you.”
“This is a sacred rite using consecrated holy oil. Did you think we could just swing swords around like some idiot?”
Lawrence looked at the chest she had inspected.
Inside the prayer-inscribed box were four golden-hued vials and a silver bell.
“Is that really holy oil?”
“It’s Chrisma holy oil, personally consecrated by Saint Laurelei. Unfortunately, it was made only half a year ago. Still, it’s more than enough to send back a spirit weakened by prayer.”
Holy oil was different in nature from the holy water known to the public.
If holy water was famed as a miraculous elixir that surpassed even potions, then holy oil was a miraculous elixir reserved for a handful of special rituals.
It went without saying that Lawrence had never seen the real thing before this moment.
“May I ask what kind of rite this is?”
“If I had to put a name to it, it’s close to an exorcism. That spirit by rights should never have been in this world. Through the ritual, we send it back to the world where it belongs.”
Katerina drew a dagger from its sheath.
When she touched the hilt, the blade astonishingly lengthened.
The hilt remained that of a dagger, but the blade had become something close to a longsword.
“That balance is a disaster. It can’t be used in real combat.”
“It’s a ritual dagger. Its purpose is to be consecrated with holy oil, not to be wielded as a weapon.”
Katerina began anointing the dagger with the holy oil.
One vial to one blade.
The four daggers were dyed gold.
A sacred light settled into them.
Once the consecration was complete, the daggers emitted a fierce radiance.
It was like the aurora had descended from the heavens.
“Check the pillars yourself.”
“I was going to whether you told me or not.”
“Good. You understand the importance of the mission better than most.”
“……”
Caelo answered with silence.
Katerina plucked out a strand of hair and connected it to the dagger.
Perhaps because of the holy oil, even the faded hair turned a brilliant gold.
She placed the daggers upon each pillar.
When the four pillars were linked by the daggers, their shape strangely became the holy cross symbol of the Order.
“Isn’t that dangerous?”
“If Bodjanoy goes wild, then yes, it’ll be dangerous. But so long as it doesn’t break free from the prayer’s influence, we’ll be fine. And if it comes to it, you can trust that idiot over there.”
“No. I was referring to you, Sister.”
Miracles. Rituals.
To be honest, Lawrence did not know enough to understand them well.
But as one who crossed between the Spirit World and the real world through dreams, there were some things he could know.
The boy remembered the witch’s teaching.
The Red Eyes in the Shadow Forest.
The nameless spirits who had attended Veles’s journey.
Spirits were beings born from nothing.
They were not created within the great cycle shaped by nature.
They were dangerous existences rooted in the warped desires of humans.
Even with consecrated holy oil in hand, could they truly carry out the rite safely against that spirit?
For some reason, Katerina looked at Lawrence in silence.
“Junior. How old are you now?”
“I’m seventeen this year, but… why are you asking all of a sudden?”
“Ha. If only you were five years older…”
“Pardon?”
A small sigh escaped her.
She clicked her tongue as though truly disappointed, then went on.
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it. This is exactly the sort of thing we Celestials do. Once the ritual begins, there’s a good chance a Horn Bore will appear. I’m leaving the guard duty to you, junior.”
“Understood. I’ll take care of the surroundings.”
Caelo, with his greatsword slung across his back, moved forward.
Once she confirmed the preparations were finished, she began the ritual.
“Therefore, rejoice, O heavens, and you who dwell in them. But woe to the earth and the sea, for the ancient one knew that his time was short, and in great wrath he had gone down upon you.”
Clink.
Along with the prayer, a clear bell chimed.
The four daggers planted in the pillars each rang in turn.
Strangely enough, the sound made by the daggers was exactly the same as the bell Katerina had shaken.
And then it happened.
The spirit that had been sleeping soundly until now opened its eyes.
A faint headache stirred.
Lawrence understood Bodjanoy’s words.
What lay in them was rage.
Bodjanoy was exposing a fury too intense to hide.
The eyes turned, whirling, and caught Lawrence.
“Interesting. This feeling. This■■. To think a beloved child would■■ remain in the material world. Beloved child, can you hear the call of this body■■?”
“……”
Lawrence did not answer.
There were too many eyes here.
He could not afford to make any move that would invite suspicion from the two of them.
“So. You cannot hear me■■? Poor thing. You couldn’t even gain ears to hear with■■… Even a beloved child is useless■■ in this age of twilight. Then your life—before it can become a changeling and bring calamity■■—I shall take it instead.”
What had it just said?
He had not misheard.
The spirit had said it would take his life.
Bodjanoy lifted a massive foot.
Beyond the prison of light, the water gathered within the shrine began to move.
No way…
Sensing the ominous shift in the air, Lawrence gathered mana.
A sphere of water.
Before long, it swelled to the size of a human head and shot forward.
“!? Holy Shield!”
It was a good thing he had prepared for the possibility.
The reinforced Holy Shield intercepted the water sphere.
“Ggh….”
The shield of light battled the sphere of water.
If it broke through, that was the end.
Mana poured from him without restraint.
This was the strongest defensive magic Lawrence could currently handle.
It was not something that could be shot and left at that.
As though amused by the resistance, Bodjanoy’s foot moved again.
Crackle.
The sphere of water began to accelerate.
Spinning madly, it etched cracks into the Holy Shield.
The pain squeezing his chest grew savage.
The Holy Shield greedily devoured mana.
Lawrence bit down hard on his molars.
He would hold this line.
He could not drop the shield and run.
Behind him stood Katerina, wholly absorbed in the ritual.
The moment the shield collapsed, she would be dragged into the disaster as well.
Endure.
Prove the worth of all the effort you had built up until now.
“Not bad.”
Bodjanoy’s laughter rang out.
The sphere of water shifted from blue to red.
Something was coming.
The thought had barely taken shape when a flash of swordplay split the air.
Shhkwak!
The water, losing its form, scattered across the floor.
Lawrence dismissed the ragged remains of the Holy Shield.
Overwhelmed by the terrible exhaustion, he dropped to one knee.
As the boy worked to steady his breathing, Caelo stepped in front of him.
“This is not what I was told, fake Sister.”
Katerina, focused on the ritual, could not answer him.
The four daggers.
One of the pillars was already collapsing.
Three left.
If all the pillars fell, would the ritual end?
“Are you all right, Lawrence?”
“I’m fine.”
“Buy time. I’ll block that thing’s attacks. I leave the abnormal incidents around us to you.”
Lawrence nodded.
For now, Caelo’s judgment was right.
Bodjanoy’s attacks were a terrible match for Lawrence.
It was largely because the defensive magic he could use was light-based.
What was strong against water was earth.
The only earth-type magic Lawrence could use was Bind, inspired by the witchcraft of the forest.
But Bind was by no means a perfect defense spell.
“Foolish thing. It will only lengthen the time of your suffering.”
In front of Bodjanoy, a sphere of water rose into the air.
The water orb, which had been circling in place, shot forward.
A sword flashed.
The water sliced by the greatsword split in two and scattered.
“……”
No sphere of water escaped his eyes.
His movements were already beyond human limits.
Only after he had cut down five more water spheres did Bodjanoy realize his mistake.
“Is that all, frog?”
With his greatsword resting on one shoulder, Caelo crooked a finger.
“……”
The sac beneath Bodjanoy’s throat swelled dramatically.
A low, long croak reverberated through the shrine.
The Horn Bores answered the call of the deep and appeared.
Fortunately, they did not head for the pillars.
Whether the provocation had worked or not, the Horn Bores charged toward Caelo.
Once his breathing had steadied, Lawrence cast Shadow Spear.
The Horn Bores that came along a fixed path were easy enough to handle.
The problem was the ones that burst out of the water without warning.
Lawrence had already poured out a good deal of mana.
He knew his body was not in perfect condition.
The more he used Shadow Spear, the more his chest felt as if it were being packed tighter and tighter with lead.
“Do you still have strength left?”
“I do! But at this rate, it’ll never end!”
Lawrence looked at Katerina.
Completely absorbed in the ritual, she seemed not to notice what was happening around her.
Her lips moved without pause, giving shape to the prayer.
The golden radiance trailing through her hair brought down yet another pillar.
“Two left!”
“Too many.”
That was exactly right.
There seemed to be no end to the Horn Bores surging in.
The only consolation was that Bodjanoy still had not launched a full-scale assault.
At this rate, there was no telling whether they could hold out until even two pillars fell.
No—this could end in the very next instant.
Had it judged the smaller water spheres useless?
Now the water was no longer being fired; instead, it was swelling larger and larger.
The movement of mana was anything but ordinary.
The ever-growing water sphere fed his unease.
He felt it instinctively.
He could not let it use that thing.
“Mr. Caelo!”
“Speak.”
“Can you cut it?”
There was no need to ask what “it” was.
Caelo, too, had seen the water sphere growing massive.
“I can cut it. But I can’t guarantee your safety.”
“……”
Lawrence had suspected as much.
This was unlike any of the water spheres Bodjanoy had used until now.
Dangerous.
The water had turned red, beyond even blue.
If it were ordinary water, there would be no reason for its color to change.
The reason it did not fly at them right this second could only be simple whim.
Whim.
Yes. Whim.
At the thought that flashed through his head, Lawrence spoke.
“Could you buy me a little time?”
“…You’ve got a good move in mind?”
“I’ve got a trump card!”
If he was going to do it, now was the time.
Spirits of the Spirit World were, by nature, fickle beings.
He had to seize this chance while that thing was indulging its whim.
Caelo fell back from the front line.
The Horn Bores filling the narrow passage were sent flying into the air.
Anyone who entered the range of his sword did not survive.
After cutting down dozens of Horn Bores, he reached Lawrence’s side.
“I’m going to use the strongest spell I have.”
“So you mean to erase that thing with a shockwave. Good. I’ll trust your judgment. Offense is the best defense. Leave the escorting to me. You go give that frog one good hit.”
Lawrence nodded.
He prepared Shadow Trap.
There was no time to worry about the Horn Bores pouring down like water.
Don’t mistake the enemy.
The one ruling this battlefield was Bodjanoy.
He would strike before the water sphere was ready.
Shadow Trap.
Where there is light, shadows are cast.
The shadows scattered throughout the shrine began to weave together.
Under the boy’s will, the shadows converged and took on a massive shape.
Do not rush.
He could hurry, but there could be no mistakes in the process.
It was far larger than the Shadow Trap he had handled in practice.
Considering Bodjanoy’s size, anything smaller would not land a proper blow.
That naturally meant the process required more time.
Thread by thread.
Like building a house, he set the foundation and stacked layer upon layer.
Fortunately, Bodjanoy seemed only interested in the miracle gradually taking form before him and made no other move.
That, too, was whim.
He staked everything on the spirit’s fickleness.
He had no luxury of admiring the completed Shadow Trap.
Without even catching his breath, Lawrence cast his next spell.
Shadow Light.
He sent Shadow Light rising above his head.
The shrine, revealed in that light, was covered in Horn Bore corpses.
He had been so focused on Shadow Trap that he had not even noticed.
Looking at the greatsword that still never stopped, Lawrence said, “Shadow Spear.”
His vision collapsed.
In the meantime, insects had devoured the clock.
Could he hit it?
He had no spare energy left to use rope.
Without being able to see, a drop in accuracy was only natural.
He had never once landed a shot over that distance without rope, either.
Lawrence slowly closed his eyes.
Calm yourself.
There was no need for negative thoughts now.
“Lift your head. Straighten your shoulders. Put strength in your eyes and look at your opponent. Do not shame the effort you have poured into yourself. You are Lawrence, student of Acheron, the Last Guardian. You are the child acknowledged by Veles, Master of the Wind. Wherever you go, keep that truth deep within your heart.”
I know, Acheron.
I know what I need right now is unshakable faith.
Believe in yourself.
Do not rely on your eyes.
Hundreds of times. Thousands of times.
Practice repeated again and again never lies.
He pictured the Shadow Trap he had made above that thing’s head.
Within the dark clock that should have shown nothing at all.
A black shape took form.
He gripped Shadow Spear.
Stay calm.
This was not difficult.
If he could not hit it, that would be the strange thing.
It made no sense to miss a target that had become this clear.
Point to point.
As the lines of his mind crossed and linked.
Lawrence hurled Shadow Spear.
He collapsed as if falling apart, then lifted his head.
Between the insect-eaten clock, the shadow spear vanished.
Black radiance flashed.
The trajectory cut forward.
Shadow Spear and Shadow Trap collided.
Immediately after, a deafening roar exploded through the shrine.
The entire structure shook as if struck by lightning.
Stalactites rained down from the ceiling, caught in the blast.
An unpleasant ringing filled his ears.
Darkness swallowed the light.
The explosion from Shadow Trap devoured sound and burned the water away.
Lawrence could not see all of it.
His senses, broken by overuse of magic, sent a violent wave of dizziness through him.
What was up and what was down?
He even had the grotesque illusion that the ground beneath his feet was hanging upside down.
Still, one thing was certain.
He had landed a blow on the languid Bodjanoy.
“Well done, beloved child.”
Amid the receding ringing in his ears, a satisfied voice reached him.
“This may be our final meeting, but if you ever find your way to this body’s lake, I shall welcome your visit with open arms.”
Something collapsed.
The last one.
The pillar for the ritual had fallen.
The immense presence occupying the shrine vanished with it.
“……”
Someone was calling his name.
He had no strength to answer.
Lawrence raised his head a little and, with great effort, gave a thumbs-up.
Bodjanoy was no longer there in the half-broken vision before him.
He was glad he had not been late.
If that red water had been fired, there was no telling what might have happened.
For now, it was time to be grateful for the spirit’s whim.
But in the place where Bodjanoy had vanished, something remained.
A massive stone and something that looked like parchment.
It also resembled a sheet torn from a book.