Chapter 500
Then Chitose's gaze fell on Erice was resting her chin on her hand, and she revealed a helpless look in her eyes.
Then, the silver-haired woman, with an air of gentle Nostalgia, softened her expression as if in jest, moved closer to the disdainful Erice, and placed her pale fingertips on her shoulder. "I came here for a reason; Alice asked me to."
"... oh."
"Want to go to the Kuonji's house together?"
"... I understand. Anyway, you'll force me to go with you even if I don't agree, right?"
Erice's reply was full of dissatisfaction, to which Chitose simply shrugged slightly. When she thought of the communication in Alice said she would take Erice to Tokyo, she immediately guessed that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Novia and Tiamat must have returned. Otherwise, given Alice's personality, she wouldn't have done that.
Therefore, at this moment, the Chitose was both happy and nervous.
Important.
But who exactly is this for?
For Novia?
Or was it referring to 'Erice' back then?
Or is it--
Manazuru Chitose, dressed in a very traditional Black Sailor Uniform, looked ahead at Erice was running as if fleeing a disaster.
"However, I'll assume Novia is mine for now."
She murmured quietly.
Tokyo.
It is a city described in modern times as the capital of Japan, and also a 'Underworld' in the New Era, as if it were punished by the Deity, causing the entire territory to become distorted and crooked.
"Izanami's daughter... a woman imbued with the aura of the Yomi... Utsumi Erice... she's finally coming."
Inside the equally distorted Tokyo Tower, a voice rang out—from a blue-haired woman with long, bright red fingernails.
"Although I don't quite believe it, she's really coming."
Then, the man standing next to him said this.
This was a Long Robe dressed in an Artists's robe with drooping sleeves and slits, whose skin was fair, clear, and as white as milk; from a human perspective, he was an incredibly handsome man.
His name was John Dee, an Alchemy and political Consultant to Elizabeth I. He coined the term "British Empire" and is considered the Prototype for James Bond.
"Yes, she shouldn't have come."
The blue-haired woman echoed.
The sound also seemed very distant.
The two should have been in the same space, but it was as if they were in a different world.
"Well, as a being who can swallow the 'Lord's Mind' without any contradiction, Poimandres is very unconventional. The reason why people can maintain their identity is because the soul, Flesh, and spirit are always the same."
Therefore, even with a lack of spirit, identity can be maintained, but if excessive expansion is injected, maintaining identity is almost impossible. Even Foreign God’s Child with divine blood shouldn't be able to do this; one of the three will become unbalanced.
John Dee spoke fluently and without hindrance.
"That is why she was born as a means to prevent the world's destruction, and is almost synonymous with a means to destroy the world."
As an Alchemy, Dee was naturally a member of the Atlas Institute, as was the blue-haired woman beside him.
"So, the Deity in the Himalayas is also nearing the end of his plan. What do you think?"
"Listen carefully. How can the power gained by suppressing the concept of humanity fully utilize the current state of Primate? He cannot fully obtain the Himalayas; this is a fundamental difference, which determines that he will only fail. That is certain."
Dee smiled happily, making an "O" shape with her index finger and thumb towards the Himalayas, like a proper mark. "How can the myths of the past, long since swept into the dustbin of history, compare to the glory of my Lord?"
The blue-haired woman did not refute his words.
As a Sixteenth Century person, Dee was naturally a believer in the Church, and the woman, as an Alchemy, was also a believer.
The only difference is that one represents the New Covenant, and the other the Old Testament.
"You are truly Supreme Being as an Alchemy. To have honed your skills to this level is something I, as one of the founders of Alchemy, sincerely admire. Therefore, I am very interested in how the Atlas Institute and the Holy Church view your current state."
Hmm, I heard you almost became the Seventh Foundation Founder within the academy, but you refused. Was it because of your faith in the Lord? So, is all of this what you've been hoping for the ultimate goal you're pursuing?
In the Holy Church, they made a special exception for Dee, allowing him to complete all his ordinations, from baptism to Priest, in a single day.
"Do you know Girolamo Cardano? He's my friend. Together we researched a so-called Perpetual Motion Machine and a gem that supposedly possesses True Magic properties. After our research, I discovered that the gem truly embodies True Magic concepts; it's likely something left behind by the Grand Sorcerer."
Dee smiled and spoke again, slowly turning his head to take in the distorted Tokyo Tower as he continued.
"And so, I later came to see the sky—"
Suddenly, in an instant, the smiling man trembled as if swallowed by something unseen.
They were bewildered, as if they had forgotten where their souls lay, and lost all semblance of composure.
The blue-haired woman knew.
She knew that expression very well.
That was the typical expression on an Alchemy's face after encountering something completely unexpected and unforeseen. To a failed Alchemy, it was the expression of someone whose life's work had become meaningless, whose distant history and significance had turned to ashes.
His expression resembled that of Vampire dragged into the Sun.
"That man..."
John Dee has "stagnated".
This is not a physical cessation, but a cessation originating from the spiritual level.
He was born in the Tower district of London. His father was a merchant and also a gentleman court Consultant to Henry VIII. Needless to say, his family was extremely well-off. The Tower district was a region where many industries were booming in London at that time, including shipbuilding and textiles.
So, by some chance, Dee, unable to resist the urge to dabble in things, secretly went to work at one of the Factory there. One of the shipyards in particular left a deep impression on him. Even years later, he still felt that the silver-haired factory manager's movements as he handcrafted parts of the ship were like a natural Alchemy.
"What's wrong with you?"
"Sorry, I was thinking about something, it's not important."
Dee readily admitted it, and then continued the topic she hadn't finished discussing earlier.
"I saw Angel, then I created Angel through Alchemy, and finally I became Angel. This is the ultimate goal I have pursued all my life. Life is not birth but consciousness; change is forgetting, not death. We do not need to be the strongest, we only need to create the strongest. This is also the mission of the Atlas Institute."
"Turning mystical doctrines into a Magecraft Formula, Alchemy them, is to a certain extent a reconstruction of the Foundation Magecraft, creating a complete Magecraft system, even though it has Prototype of Church god—"
"No, no, no, you misunderstand. God is something that can never be imitated. There can only be one God in the world. If God can be imitated, then he can never be called God. It seems that you and I are both believers, but you are disrespectful to God."
"That's true, after all, you only survived as one of Novia's escapees."
Dee said firmly to the blue-haired woman.
"The Lord is the first God, Novia is the second, the world is the third, and mankind is the fourth. The Lord is the creator of the world and all things in it. Novia and mankind rule over all things together, and mankind rules over complex things."
Novia is in charge of all of this—his focus should be used in this way—so that he and the world may both be Lord; given humanity's Divinity nature, it is absolutely right to call his actions justice.
The blue-haired Alchemy remained silent, offering no response.
"The Alchemy mysticism I have studied all my life, 'Poimandres,' promises two things to mankind—not to any other mortal animal: the mind and thought-provoked words."
They are of equal value to immortality, and both reside within her. Consider this: such a monumental achievement wasn't built to establish Magecraft system or ensure the world's continuation, but rather for a single, once-in-a-lifetime miracle of salvation—"
The color in Dee's eyes deepened.
"Isn't that proof that the glory of the Lord has been revealed again in this hopeless world?"
After a moment's thought, the blue-haired woman spoke:
"In that case, there's one more thing I can say: Erice once had Servant resembled Demon King by her side, probably her Shepherd."
"... The Demon King? That one from the Germany region? What a strange connection."
But it doesn't matter; this plan is eternity itself: irresistible, immovable, indestructible. So that beings thus created may prove Lord while praising and worshiping the heavenly God, caring for and ruling over the creatures of the earth—"
Dee tilted her head and said.
Not long after.
"Let us guide her from the Underworld of death to the Human Pasture."
Dee said this in her usual relaxed voice.
"My friend, Pretender Cleopatra."
Chapter 516: A mechanical monster encounters a numerical monster.
The sky over Akihabara was unusually gloomy today.
The daily field exploration, as usual, came to a peaceful end.
As Yuzhu sat leisurely sipping Alice Black Tea in the living room, she thought to herself, then looked at Tiamat sitting upright and Novia, who was just as relaxed as she was. She sighed wearily and reached out to touch the table.
"Now that you've informed Manazuru through my communication system, it's time to take action. After all, we can't take any action without first surveying the scene."
"Yes, I'm going to Tokyo."
'Tokyo...'
Alice was only saying this to herself; she was pondering this question in her heart.
In that sense, Tokyo Abandoned-God Rebirth City, was also the first Marseille Mosaic City to be Abandonment. Apparently, the Holy Grail War that took place there caused the surviving people to have a strong aversion to the mysterious and only to have complete trust in technology.
What are we going there for?
Although she could have simply asked Novia about this, Aoko Aozaki couldn't bring herself to say it.
She was already completely lost.
He kept it from Erice Novia was the Demon King, but he didn't do much afterward. If that's the case, why didn't he just tell Erice the truth from the beginning? Then she probably would have ended up like that with Tiamat...
Because such a scene easily comes to mind, I feel a little suffocated.
I still have his Command Spell.
The Black-Haired Girl had a strange thought.
"Oh right, Mom, I haven't asked Alice if you want to come along! Let's go together, Mom, I really want to!"
Tiamat's words snapped Alice back to reality, but she didn't immediately fall silent. The light streaming through the window shone on her face, and after a few seconds, her speech returned, and she smiled faintly.
"Sorry, I won't be going."
"It's not bad to enjoy life once in a while," the New Era Witch secretly adjusted her mood.
"What? Why aren't you going, Alice? Mom, I'm so sad."
"It's okay if we only go outside the vicinity of Akihabara. I don't really want to go anywhere else."
After speaking, Alice fell silent, her eyes fixed on the Ceiling. Novia knew the determination in those eyes.
"Is it because you're worried about the Kuonji residence?"
"Yes."
Alice's sharp eyes turned to Novia. "I'm the kind of person who, once I possess something, will never give it up to someone else."
Novia understood Alice's brief answer.
Aoko Aozaki's obsession with her possessions can be attributed to her Witch bloodline; she never lets go of what is hers—in other words, she doesn't tolerate betrayal. This is also proof of her girlish fastidiousness. And since she said so, Novia doesn't intend to force her.
Not long after, the Great Gate of the Kuonji Western-Style Mansion opened—
"I have come as promised. I am Erice's Grandmother Manazuru Chitose."
A bold smile appeared on Manazuru Chitose's face.
Like the smile of a lover on a date, it's incredibly charming and refreshing.
It's hard to believe that this tyrant, Chitose, would actually make such a childlike expression... Could it be some old acquaintance? Well, if he knows Kuonji, he might also know her. Hmm, a friendship despite the age gap? But Novia looks quite young.
"Huh?! It's Erice!"
"I'm here, don't make such a fuss."
Seeing Tiamat's excited state, Erice collapsed onto the Sofa.
Oh right, Magecraft... since Chitose, as my Grandmother, is like this, then Novia must be pretty much the same... meaning she's essentially an old person?
"Ah, yes, Erice has been here all along. I'm really surprised, Mom..."
Tiamat covered the right side of her face with her small hand.