Chapter 580
The Blue-Haired Girl paused for a moment, then raised her head, her clear eyes reflecting the afterglow of the sunset, and said softly in an extremely serious tone:
"It's someone I really like."
This Answer startled Paracelsus. Combining the fragments he had overheard with the physical characteristics of the "person he liked very much," a name instantly came to mind.
Novia.
I see.
Paracelsus shouldn't have come to buy ice cream today, but he had vaguely heard some interesting news, so he came to check it out. Unexpectedly, he actually made a pleasant surprise.
Although he didn't get to meet Novia in person, Paracelsus wasn't worried.
Once the existence of the other person is confirmed, they will meet again sooner or later.
Looking into Luce's pure and unwavering eyes, Paracelsus suddenly thought of Bavan Shi from back then.
Beneath this affection lay a deeper, suppressed longing and subtle hesitation, unknown even to the girl herself.
"With this kind of personality, she'll probably only gently keep this relationship within a certain safe framework, which is really troublesome."
A thought suddenly flashed through the Alchemy's mind.
However, even the Perfection substance sometimes needs a catalyst to reveal its true nature.
After a moment's thought, Paracelsus took a small glass bottle containing Pink Liquid from the pocket of his white coat and handed it to Luce.
"Consider this a small gift from me," he said in a gentle yet enticing tone. "It can't create something that doesn't exist, but it can give you courage."
This is a potion that can dissolve 'hesitation'.
Luce, of course, had no idea of the beverage's true effects; he simply assumed it was an ordinary gift from the friendly Mr. Paracelsus and happily accepted it.
"Thank you!"
Paracelsus smiled and nodded, then turned and left, concealing his accomplishment.
Luce stood alone at the empty Ice Cream Stand, waiting for a few more minutes.
For some reason, the time I usually spend waiting alone seems exceptionally long today.
Novia's presence seemed to linger in the air, in the wind, in the sound of the waves, and in every heartbeat of hers.
Luce knew that this companionship was mostly for Erice's benefit, but he was also happy, and his father should be happy too.
However, when the noise subsided and only the Blue-Haired Girl remained, that fleeting sense of Satya Yuga became a mirror, reflecting a deeper loneliness within her heart.
Luce glanced at the pink bottle of drink in his hand, and without thinking much, unscrewed the cap and drank it all in one gulp.
The moment the liquid slid down my throat, the world seemed no different.
The chaotic thoughts in my mind about my sister and rules seemed to be gently soothed away, and everything became simple, leaving only one crystal-clear wish.
A strong, irresistible urge rose within Luce, a feeling that as long as he followed a certain direction, he would surely find it.
Just as Luce was fiercely battling this sudden, overwhelming emotion, a familiar figure slowly walked back.
Novia has returned, but Lilith is nowhere to be found.
"Lilith had something to attend to and had to leave," Novia explained simply.
When Luce saw Novia return, the anxiety he felt because of the potion was instantly replaced by immense joy.
She suppressed her unease and helped Novia pack up the stall.
Just before she was about to pack up and push her cart away, she suddenly did something she hadn't anticipated.
Luce stepped in front of Novia to shield her.
Then, under Novia's slightly questioning gaze, the girl closed her eyes, stood on tiptoe, and said in a trembling voice, a mixture of nervousness and anticipation:
"... Kiss me."
The air seemed to freeze.
Novia's eyes showed unexpected surprise, but after seeing Luce's eyes, which were filled with a mixture of desperate courage and pure longing, she chose to hug Luce and leave a mark on his forehead.
The night was deep.
Luce lay on his bed, covering his head with the blanket.
But the blanket couldn't block out the warmth imprinted on my forehead, nor could it block out the sound of my heartbeat when I was held in your arms.
So,
Naturally, he had no regrets.
In the midst of this warm certainty, a faint voice suddenly rang out from the corner of the room.
Luce stiffened, but this time it wasn't out of fear.
She slowly lifted the blanket, turned around, and saw Erice standing there, her face full of confusion.
"Oh no, I was seen after all"—this thought flashed through my mind, but it didn't cause me to panic.
The girl was prepared to be questioned by Erice.
However, Erice's next reaction was completely unexpected.
Erice no Wrath, no despair, only a suspicious blush on her cheeks, her eyes darting around, her hands nervously twisting the hem of her clothes, and in a voice barely audible, she asked shyly:
"Th-that kind of thing... shouldn't it be forbidden? The rules are... that's how it is..."
Luce's mind, shaped by Yahweh's most rigorous doctrines, instantly understood what Erice's worries were.
I see.
My sister is troubled by the "taboo".
Seeing Erice, Luce's conviction and approval regarding 'closeness', which he had just received from Novia, became even stronger.
Luce leaped out of bed, walked to Erice, and took her cold hand in his. In a tone of pure confusion, he asked, "Is there a problem?"
Under Erice's confused gaze, Luce continued:
"Ya... no, people always tell me, 'Don't neglect the Rock that gave you birth, or forget the God who produced you.' So, I think it's perfectly normal to be close to the Rock that gave you birth and Novia who produced you."
Erice was taken aback.
I never imagined that Luce, who seems to be the most devout and dogmatic believer, would hold such a matter-of-fact attitude towards something that is considered most "taboo" by the secular world.
Even so, amidst the shock, an uncontrollable sense of smugness quietly crept into Erice's heart.
Because if even Luce thinks this is "normal"...
Doesn't that mean that I, as the older sister... am also allowed to do that?
Seeing Erice's shocked yet secretly pleased and wavering expression, Luce knew it was time to give her another push.
Luce gripped Erice's hand, looked directly into her azure eyes, and replied in a Divinity and solemn tone, quoting a line from the Book of Jeremiah:
"Now, just hold fast to the vows you made, and fulfill them."
These words solidified yet another decision in Erice's heart.
What Erice was unaware of was that the sentence Luce quoted was preceded by --
"To fulfill the vow made, burn incense and offer sacrifices to the Queen of Heaven."
The first Queen of Heaven recorded in the Old Testament.
It started with Anat, then Lilith, and later, after Lilith left, it was Shekinah who inherited Anat's concept.
Therefore,
If Erice 'Gluttony,' gets her wish, will she attract the 'Wrath' of Lilith, who is already here, or will she attract the 'Jealousy' Shekinah, who is Sorrow by the benefits of others?
581: Pouring libations on other Queen of Heaven angered me (6k)
The Pandemonium.
There is neither light nor pure darkness here.
The dome was impossibly high, like a starless night sky. Inside a certain room, there were two people.
One of them had long, crimson hair that flowed like molten lava from the earth's core, with two prominent dragon horns emerging from between the strands of hair, gleaming with an ominous dark red luster.
Rahab, one of Satan's many followers.
"Has Azazel's brain been gouged out by a goat's horn?" Rahab's voice was filled with barely suppressed Wrath. "Shekinah? That woman is indeed disgusting, and I want to tear her hateful face to shreds more than any of you. But now? At this critical juncture? Our only target should be 'He' high in the heavens! To spare precious energy to deal with a queen who has long since gone mad is simply putting the cart before the Queen of Heaven."
The reason Rahab Wrath with God was actually quite simple.
Initially, she was cast into Hell for disobeying God's command; later, she was restored to power after finding the Book of the Angel Raziel at the bottom of the Red Sea. That brief period almost made Rahab believe that she had regained her glory. However, when Moses left, she refused to part the Red Sea and was once again mercilessly cast back into the dark Hell by God, becoming a fallen Angel.
As for the characteristics of the Dragon Kind, it is quite simple. From a mythological perspective, the yin nature of the snake represents the latent and undeveloped nature of civilization, and slaying the Great Serpent is a symbol of the enlightenment of civilization.
Most myths feature stories of chief gods slaying giant serpents, such as the Babylonian Madic slaying the earth goddess Tiamat, the Canaanite myth of Baal slaying Lotham, and even the Japanese myth of Susanoo slaying the Yamata no Orochi. In biblical mythology, the slain 'giant serpent' is Rahab, which is why it has dragon horns. The 'Leviathan' recorded in the Bible is derived from 'Rahab'.
Book of Isaiah 51:9 in the Old Testament mentions, "Was it not you who cut Rahab in half and pierced the Great Fish?"
"What I hate is him, high above in the heavens," Rahab almost growled, his crimson pupils contracting into dangerous vertical lines. "And what is Shekinah? She once defeated me in Wisdom debate, manipulating me with those logical traps; that humiliation truly infuriated me..."
Rahab recalled that unpleasant past, Shekinah used her most prized "Wisdom," not strength, to humiliate him.
This sense of defeat is simply too painful.
"I can participate, but only I can kill her. It must be a fair, one-on-one duel, without any tricks or schemes!"
What Wrath Rahab most was that he, who should have been killed by God, was instead killed by Shekinah.
Upon hearing this,
Sitting opposite her was another Satan, Sangyangsha, who picked up a glass of dark red liquid and swirled it gently.
"Rahab, my friend, don't let anger cloud your judgment." Sangyangsha's voice carried a hint of amusement. "Azazel never makes decisions he's not sure of. When he utters this proposal, it means he already holds a winning piece. Presumably, every Satan, except for the less-than-bright Lucifero and the Ultimate Great Satan, has received his invitation."
"Hmph, a bunch of rabble who only dare to howl in the shadows." Rahab sneered disdainfully, his words filled with contempt for the crowd.
"Perhaps." Sangyangsha took a sip of wine.
"And what about you?" Rahab stared at Sangyangsha. "What are you thinking? Don't tell me you're just repaying a favor to Azazel."
The reason why Rahab trusted Sangyangsha so much was simple.
This supreme Authority who once ruled over the entire Egypt Heaven Realm Order was Sangyangsha's idea to pursue Moses when he led his people out of Egypt. He also formed an alliance with Rahab, who had already been branded "dishonorable" by God, against God. As a result, they both became the fallen Angel Satan.
"Favors should naturally be repaid," Sangyangsha said with a smile, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "It's only natural."
Even if Azazel must have prepared a way to destroy all Satan, including himself, after killing Shekinah.
Sangyangsha's opinion was understandable, given his familiarity with Azazel and his knowledge of his strength, as he was known as the "strongest of the gods" in Hebrew and the "strongest against/against the gods" in Syria.
"And that former Queen of Kingdom of Heaven, with her Divinity Wisdom —don't you think this in itself is a once-in-a-lifetime drama? We are fortunate to be actors in it, and even to personally draw the final curtain."
Sangyangsha also has another name, Azza.
According to legend, Azza was once seduced by a young girl and revealed the Divine Name to her.
There is also a legend that King Solomon's Wisdom did not come from the One God, but from glimpsing the mysteries of the Heaven Realm through his 'Azza,' thus making him the wisest man in the world.
From this perspective, could the King of Angel, who ruled over the Heaven Realm of Egypt, bear a slight resemblance to God?
The Bible records that when Moses led his people away, Ten Plagues befell Egypt, demonstrating God's majesty.
As mentioned earlier, the Old Testament is a record of everything that people saw about God.
Furthermore, the Ten Plagues have never occurred in the Type-Moon universe.
Therefore, in the distant past—
There is a god here.
To redeem the weak and kind, and to kill the beasts that seek to take their lives.
There have never been any mistakes, only constant battles, constant victories, and constant progress.
Therefore, it is inevitable that humans gather around.
Neither God nor Angel, but man.
But it didn't matter, because at that time Sangyangsha had not yet fallen, and there was no sorrow in her eyes, only a blazing fire.
In his view, it was a matter of course, Universe truth, for all mankind to prostrate themselves at God's feet and gather around Him.