Holy Martial Arts - 2: Imbuing Apostle Powers into Divine Power
Holy Martial Arts—inbuing Apostle Powers into Divine Power. It was an explanation that was hard to grasp from words alone. As Vera's brow furrowed slightly, Trevo let out a small chuckle and added more.
"Well, to put it simply... that's how it is. Have you heard of enchant magic, by any chance?"
"...Yes."
Enchant. A spell that adds special magical properties to an object. Most of the weapons Vera had used in his previous life had been enchanted, so he was familiar with it.
"Holy Martial Arts using Stigmata is similar. Hmm, let's take the twins outside as an example."
The blue tattoo etched into Trevo's skin faded away. Then, having withdrawn his Divine Power, he leaned forward and continued.
"The Stigmata of Protection engraved on the twins comes with the Apostle Power called 'Unyielding.' Unyielding grants the power to rise again as long as one's spirit doesn't break, even if their body is crushed."
Vera nodded at Trevo's words. He knew that power well. How could he not? In his previous life, he'd heard earfuls about what the twins had accomplished with it.
"If the twins just use their Apostle Power as is, its effect is limited to the body. In other words, only the flesh is restored, so if their Divine Power runs out, they become nothing more than meat shields."
Trevo paused briefly to catch his breath, then continued.
"But if they infuse that Apostle Power into their Divine Power using Holy Martial Arts, things change. The Divine Power then gains the restorative property of 'Unyielding.'"
Only then did Vera understand what Trevo was getting at.
"...So the consumed Divine Power replenishes itself?"
"Excellent."
A broad smile spread across Trevo's face.
"As long as the twins use Divine Power infused with 'Unyielding,' they can fight indefinitely, supplied with Divine Power without limit, so long as their mental strength holds."
Vera's mouth fell slightly open at the explanation. Things were finally starting to make sense.
...Now I get how they endured that.
The secret to how those two had held off the Demon King's invading forces all by themselves in his previous life. It was revealed. And with it, the possibilities of Holy Martial Arts became clearer.
Vera felt his heart beat a little faster. Ambition. The eager anticipation of wielding far greater power than in his previous life, when he'd haphazardly wielded his Divine Power like a blunt instrument.
"How do you infuse it?"
Excitement naturally colored his voice. Trevo chuckled softly at the most lively expression he'd seen on Vera yet and continued.
"It's simple. You just think, 'infuse it,' and it happens."
It sounded like a total letdown. But Vera knew it couldn't be that easy.
"...Could you explain in more detail?"
"Hmm..."
Trevo's face clouded with thought. He pondered for a moment, then nodded and continued.
"When you ignite your Divine Power, focus on the Divine Power flowing around your Stigmata and think, 'infuse it.' The process itself isn't that difficult."
As Vera rolled up his sleeve to try following the explanation,
"Ah, not here—later. This is a delicate place; we can't have it disturbed."
Trevo stopped him. Vera nodded slightly in agreement and posed his next question.
"Then, you just incorporate that infused Divine Power into existing Holy Martial Arts?"
"No. You have to create your own Holy Martial Arts, Sir Vera."
"...Pardon?"
"No one but you can use the power of Oath's Stigma, right? What do you think happens if you apply Oath's Apostle Power to ordinary Holy Martial Arts?"
Vera fell silent at Trevo's question. Infusing Oath's power into body-enhancing martial arts. The obvious thought was reallocating physical abilities, but that wouldn't differ from his previous methods.
Deep in thought. Vera mulled it over and concluded that Oath's Apostle Power wasn't the type to infuse into martial arts. He licked his lips.
"...It's like wearing the wrong clothes."
"Exactly. Each Apostle Power has its own suitable method of use. I'd love to give you records from past apostles, but the Holy Kingdom's policies prevent it—such a shame."
Vera let out a dry chuckle at Trevo's response. Had he thought it too simple? The process was more complex than expected. His expression soured, his head throbbing from the rising concerns.
Trevo, seeing this, spread his hand, ignited Divine Power above it, and asked,
"What does this look like to you, Sir Vera? Martial arts? Or spellcraft?"
Vera's gaze shifted to Trevo's fingertips.
"...Just raw Divine Power."
"Yes, correct. It's merely Divine Power. Whether you call it martial arts or spellcraft, it's all about how you use it. Engrave it into the flesh for martial arts, into objects for spellcraft. You came here after hearing about 'form' from His Holiness, yes?"
"Yes."
"His Holiness's 'form' means using Divine Power efficiently."
Trevo cleared his throat and posed another question.
"You don't yet know how to array Divine Power, do you, Sir Vera?"
Vera nodded. From the perspective of someone who'd used his Apostle Power for a lifetime, it felt embarrassing, but he couldn't argue.
In his previous life, he hadn't arrayed his Divine Power for use; he'd amplified what he had to inflate his presence.
Trevo nodded back and continued.
"It doesn't have to be martial arts. His Holiness's 'form' refers to the array of Divine Power itself. Shape the infused Apostle Power into a usable form, and that's 'form.' If it falls under divine arts, it can be martial or spellcraft."
A more comprehensible explanation than before. Trevo continued,
"Plus, you probably heard about 'intent' as well. Right?"
"...Yes."
"'Intent' is the same. It's the theme of the Holy Martial Arts you'll create. It means defining the purpose clearly. What is this divine art for? Keep that in mind."
Trevo smiled faintly and added,
"I heard you use swordsmanship, so you're inclined toward martial arts, but there's no need to fixate on it."
The long explanation ended as Trevo straightened up. Looking at him, Vera felt surprise welling inside.
I thought he was just a madman...
He spoke more coherently than expected. No—in terms of logical speech, far better than the Holy Emperor.
Vera thought Trevo might not be as insane as he seemed and bowed his head in thanks.
"Thank you for the great help."
"It's only natural. Ah, could you wait a moment?"
"Pardon?"
As Vera voiced his confusion, Trevo stood, went to a corner shelf, pulled out a few books, and handed them over.
"These will be references for creating Holy Martial Arts. Manuals on existing martial arts, and interpretations of spellcraft formations. Reading through them will help."
Vera nodded, taking the books.
"Thank you again. When should I return these?"
"Whenever it's convenient."
A kind smile accompanied the reply. As Vera nodded and prepared to leave,
"However."
Trevo added. Vera's gaze turned back. Trevo, looking somewhat excited, stared at the spot on Vera's right forearm where his Stigmata lay.
"Could you show me your Stigmata, just once?"
A chill ran down Vera's spine. He glared at Trevo with eyes full of disgust, then backed away unsteadily, leaving only one sentence before fleeing the room.
"Next time."
Bam.
Vera kicked the door open with his foot and strode down the hall without looking back.
Sane, my ass.
He was a lunatic after all. The Holy Kingdom was toxic, no doubt.
*
Returning to the hut, Vera was greeted by two sturdy Holy Knights.
The twins?
Krek and Marek stood before the hut door. Puzzled by their presence, Vera approached, making some noise.
Rustle.
The sound of grass crunching drew both twins' gazes simultaneously. Spotting Vera, they bowed in unison, identical in posture.
"Pleased to meet you. We're here to repair."
"Same here."
Stoic words from stiff faces. Vera narrowed his brow and asked,
"Shouldn't you two be guarding the gates?"
"His Holiness said to do it properly."
"His Holiness told us to help."
An order from the Holy Emperor.
What's his game?
The inscrutable old man made Vera scrutinize every action for hidden motives.
Surveillance?
The suspicion arose amid his deliberations. His gaze fixed on the twins, who now stared blankly back.
...No way.
He wouldn't assign those dimwits to surveillance. If he had, the old man must have dementia.
If not surveillance, then no other reason comes to mind...
As Vera racked his brain for their purpose,
"So, repairs? What needs fixing?"
"I'm good at hammering."
The twins spoke up. Vera snapped from his thoughts and looked at them again.
"Ah, sorry. I was thinking."
"Thinking is good. But hard."
"I hate thinking."
Vera clamped his mouth shut. One word prompted two in return, each frustrating enough to seal his lips. But staying silent might leave them here all day, so he grimaced and spoke.
"...The door and furniture need fixing first."
"Furniture for me. I'm more delicate than Marek."
"I'll fix the door. Good at hammering."
With that, the twins headed to the hut. Watching their heavy footsteps, Vera felt inexplicable irritation rising.
A suspicion dawned: maybe the Holy Emperor sent them just to annoy him.