Chapter 502
"You mean those ridiculous lies? Then I can say a lot more."
Haha, who knows?
Watching the two chatting so happily, Erice in amazement. "How come these two are so naturally friendly?"
They're actually quite familiar with each other already.
"Why? Isn't this our first meeting?! Could it be that we were acquaintances before?"
Erice looked at Cleopatra, who had suddenly spoken up, while the blue-haired woman who called herself Cleopatra smiled elegantly and said, "For Alchemy of the Atlas Institute, making friends is not based on time, and if we are both Alchemy, then it goes without saying."
"That's true."
Chitose nodded. "Because the Atlas Institute's High-speed Thought processes simulate the years in each other's lives."
Just as a martial artist can discern the years of experience accumulated by his opponent through a short match, the Alchemy of the Atlas Institute can understand the personality, character, and environment of another person through a small gesture or an unintentional remark, and thus begin to use Partitioned Thought to simulate the years of interaction between themselves and their opponent.
In other words, two Alchemy from the Atlas Institute could become bosom friends or irreconcilable enemies in the blink of an eye.
"What a convenient feature."
Erice sighed.
She believes that if she had this ability, her life would be much more colorful.
However--
John Dee is now completely dumbfounded, because even though he can simulate the course of the world, he simply cannot simulate anything about this person.
Chapter 517 The Savior is a Girl
"This is Underworld Tokyo, long since reduced to ruins and submerged by the sea."
In the various Marseille Mosaic City of the New Era, there are City that provide Od for the residents or unmarked Servant to survive. However, there is almost no Od in Tokyo. In fact, for Servant who cannot generate Od on their own, staying here for even a second is torture.
However, the shape of the sea was clearly visible.
In the Tokyo ruins reflected on the seabed, which resembles a starry sky, a faint light fills the space, as if some unseen force is supporting it. Not a single drop of the overflowing seawater spills out, just as the Tokyo Tower, which was twisted as if punched from the sky, is still stubbornly holding on. But everywhere here is extremely Serenity.
After meeting John, Night Watch in Tokyo, Erice and the others, led by him, slowly made their way forward.
The only sound in the silent seabed was a kind of indescribable sound. Erice recalled that she used to like this silly-sounding sound and that kind of clattering feeling, but at this moment Erice was clutching the clothes at her chest and shaking her head violently.
I can't come back... I can't come back yet.
How did I end up here because of that little bit of random information?
Erice knew exactly why.
Because she really wanted to come back; she thought about coming back all the time.
She wanted nothing more than to run away on the spot, not even bothering to greet her Grandmother, Tiamat, and the others in front of her, just like the day she left Tokyo nine years ago.
However, before Erice could escape, Novia reached out a hand and stopped her.
"Feel sorry."
A gentle breeze from the seabed tousled Novia's hair like piled-up snow. "I didn't expect you to dislike coming so much."
"No..."
It wasn't Novia's fault; I'm the one who should apologize to him.
Erice felt a surge of energy, her ears even felt hot, and she clenched her hands tightly together.
"I just feel like I'm doing the wrong thing..."
"Even if it's wrong, it doesn't matter. Erice, you don't need to do anything for anyone."
"Waaah..."
Erice saw the shadow of the Demon King in Novia before her.
It was that gentle, old-man-like guy who used to always argue with her.
Although the two seem to be walking on completely opposite and incompatible paths—one leading to the light at the end of the world, the other falling into the darkness of an abyss; one with a holy name, the other a notorious Demon King —they are subtly similar.
No, no, I can't show such weakness, especially in front of anyone other than the Demon King. Absolutely not.
"Yes, that's right."
Erice immediately perked up, pointing her small, thin hand straight ahead, "I already made a promise to someone that I'd go far, I don't need you to remind me."
Even doing so will not allow me to regain what I have lost.
"Really? That's good."
Watching Novia turn away, Erice relaxed her tense body and sighed.
Finally, he's gone. This kind of overly concerned guy is the easiest to misunderstand and gain favor with. He already has Tiamat and... that Chitose, can't he be a little more self-aware? What a nuisance...
That being said, Erice couldn't deny that he and the Demon King shared some similarities, but they were still different. The Demon King, on an unknown journey, couldn't possibly exist here... nor should he be here. If he really were...
If such a miracle could truly happen, it would certainly have significance.
Yes, absolutely.
Erice cheered herself up.
Even though I am as lowly as I am, the Fate we both hold in our hands must be waiting for me somewhere unknown.
Above them was not a sky, but a dark blue sea. The group walked through the ruins of Tokyo, which had sunk into the sea. Soon after, a building resembling a Temple rose from the ruins.
At the same time, a huge door that looked more than ten times the height of a normal person, as if disrupting the sense of distance, blocked their way.
"Although I previously expressed my hope that you all would have a pleasant time here, there are some things I would like to tell you."
Dee said seriously, "Don't tell anyone else what happens next."
"Is this why you didn't tell the City in the communications, John?"
"Yes, Manazuru Highness, I think this matter should be kept secret as much as possible, because it is extremely dangerous."
"I understand, you're concerned for the safety of Marseille Mosaic City, and I can understand that."
After pushing open the Temple's enormous door, the group entered a peculiar corridor, one that was completely devoid of echoes.
At the end of the corridor was a huge plaza with no walls on any side.
Looking up at the Ceiling plaza, one sees an underwater scene reflected in the sky, like a starry night.
The part on the ground is a 17-meter-tall Buddha Statue, just like those placed in Temple.
John began, "There wasn't Temple at this location in Tokyo before, but it suddenly appeared recently. I've lived in Tokyo for many years, so I'm very familiar with the locations in the ruins, and I noticed something was wrong at a glance."
"What's wrong?"
"It would be too much trouble for me to say everything, so please let this Buddha Statue answer it itself."
The Alchemy thus declared.
"... Really."
The Buddha Statue standing before them resembled a fledgling bird hatching from its shell. In the next instant, a blue-haired girl with a compassionate and gentle expression sat cross-legged on the pedestal, and the fragments around her transformed into lotus flowers with thousands of petals.
"In that case, I have no choice but to speak."
"... Who are you?"
"Ah, just in case, let me say this beforehand: this isn't remote control or anything like that. My body is just like this right now. It's really stupid; if someone in this world hadn't used other methods to activate me, I probably would have just kept sleeping like this."
The blue-haired girl shook her head as she spoke to the crowd a name that was very familiar to Novia herself.
The prince of Kapilavastu, having abandoned the ideal path of the Chakravartin (universal Wheel-Turning King) who ruled the world, found enlightenment as the Savior of the 'end' in the path of Renunciant.
My name is Rushana.
The Buddha has Three Bodies. The Sambhogakaya is the Nirmanakaya that the Buddha attained through the cause and effect of his practice. It is the manifestation of Satya Yuga practice and complete enlightenment.
Vairocana Buddha is the Shakyamuni.
Dainichi Nyorai is the Dharmakaya of Shakyamuni.
The most artistically valuable piece in the Longmen Grottoes is the Rushana Great Buddha, modeled after Prototype Wu Zetian. To some extent, it is thus given a female image. However, Wu Zetian would rather be Maitreya, the Future savior of the world, than the idealized embodiment of Buddha, Rushana.
"And then, what is lost here is the fruition and wisdom of Vairocana Buddha."
The blue-haired girl, who was using the Dhyana Mudra, raised her hands to her forehead and touched the six Kuro that were not Ordination Marks. She then spoke these words to Novia, who showed no reaction.
Faced with the girl who exuded a gentle aura, Erice and Chitose, grandmother and granddaughter, were speechless.
How should I accept this?
This girl is actually the renowned Savior Gautama form? Although Erice has seen examples of Servant with male Limits but female Servants before, this is still incredibly shocking. He's Savior whose fame rivals that of Jesus...
He—no, she— Gautama Siddhartha was actually a woman!
Tiamat, on the other hand, was relatively calm, merely looking at Rushana with considerable curiosity.
Buddhism? Never heard of it. In India, wasn't it Bharata? The children there, like Yama, are completely different... Are they the second generation of gods who ended the reign of the first generation? I remember the children there were very mean, treating other children like toys.
Since Tiamat had never encountered Buddhism, her memories only suggested it was something like a pantheon that overthrew the previous generation.
In contrast, Rushana calmly asked, "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
"No, that..."
Erice was so shocked that she couldn't utter a word, becoming a creature that could only barely open and close her lips.
"No... Lord Novia should understand Lunásser's condition, right?"
Dee smiled knowingly at the silent Novia, "As fellow Alchemy from the Atlas Institute, Novia, you must have already figured it out, right?"
Of course, as Gautama's Teacher, and the Buddhism Dipankara Maitreya, how could Novia not recognize Gautama?
If that guy were a girl, how could Novia, who had been her Teacher since childhood, not know?
And given that guy's personality, it's absolutely impossible for an ordinary person to summon him.
"This is indeed 'Rushana,' a replica of the personality known from the Holy Relic, copied by the Alchemy of the Atlas Institute. If the World War hadn't happened, in another hundred years or so, modern science would probably be able to use Artificial Intelligence to mimic an individual's personality."
"But imitating personality and imitating soul are two different things, aren't they?"
Erice couldn't help but retort.
Because humans are divided into three elements: Flesh, mind, and soul, in other words, the soul is not a metaphysical existence, but a real one.
"According to the Alchemy John's estimation, there's a 99% or higher chance I'll say the same things I said in life. Well, as Rushana, not Vairocana Buddha, I won't bring up that topic; anyway, I don't know."
Barefoot, Rushana joyfully leaped down from the pedestal, followed closely by the thousands of lotus petals.
"Anyway, you can treat me as a girl who claims to be Rushana and possesses Gautama's memories. Whether it's real or fake, that part doesn't matter, right?"
Novia asked, "You say you are Rushana, not Vairocana Buddha, why is that?"
"Because I currently lack the attainment of Buddhahood and the Buddha Wisdom."
As he spoke, Rushana straightened his chest, which remained completely still.
"By performing the Six Perfections and Ten Thousand Practices and myriad virtuous deeds, one manifests the True Wisdom of the Buddha—this is the Vairocana Buddha, manifest for Bodhisattva of the First Ground and above. The Sambhogakaya resides in the Land of Reward and Ornaments. However, I do not know who stole my Buddhahood and Buddha Wisdom. Originally, I should not have been here. It is only because of that Alchemy that I have been able to maintain the status quo."
"Hehe, that's it."
Dee laughed, "I met Rushana by chance a few days ago, and learned from her that her Buddhahood and Buddha Wisdom had been stolen, causing a significant decline in her strength. Although I can't determine whether it's a good or bad omen, if it were stolen by someone with malicious intent, it would likely have a great impact. After all, the power of a Buddha is like that of Amaterasu, and it might even cause the destruction of the world..."
Will the world end?
Faced with Novia's question, John, who believed he was an Alchemy from the Atlas Institute, was not confused, but replied very seriously:
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean for you to reveal your achievements, Novia."
"Because some people genuinely want to save the world, they will constantly resist destruction. That's why the tragedy will never end. The more thoughts there are about resisting destruction, the more destruction will occur in the world."
Every time Atlas Institute devises a strategy to avoid annihilation, it also becomes a means that could lead to its own demise.
"... They're all beyond redemption?"
Dee stroked her chin and asked tentatively, "Novia, is this what you wanted to say?"
Since he was unable to simulate everything about Novia using High-speed Thought and Partitioned Thought, Dee became wary of Novia.
How is that possible?
How could there be someone in this world that I can't even imitate? Unless they're not human... No, even a Heterodox Faith god couldn't escape my imitation, the 'Angel' I created through Alchemy destroyed the entire academy... Could it be a purely inanimate object?
But how can there be anything dead in the gift of God, in the image of All Things, in the abundance of life?