Chapter 582
Shekinah's figure, along with that earth-shattering pressure, vanished without a trace.
It's as if it never existed.
In the empty room, only the horrified eyes of the Satan remained, along with a scent so clear it could almost be detected by smell.
That is one of the most twisted and painful of the Seven Deadly Sins.
"Jealousy".
The children gathered firewood, the father stoked the fire, and the women kneaded dough to make cakes, which they offered to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to other gods, provoking me to anger. — Book of Jeremiah 7:18, Old Testament Bible
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582: This love as a 'daughter' (6k7)
After hearing Luce's words and making up her mind Erice did not immediately return to the Kuonji mansion to speak with Novia.
Perhaps it was some kind of subconscious Wisdom that inadvertently guided Erice, or perhaps it was the unease deeply rooted in 'relationships,' or perhaps it was Erice's identity.
Son of Izanami.
The Lord's Mind - Poimandres.
And Novia's "daughter".
Novia is the Demon King.
The Holy Spirit.
And... her "father".
So, Erice arrived at the southernmost point of Akihabara— "Holy Bridge".
Just hearing its name might involuntarily conjure up a solemn and Divinity image in one's mind.
Perhaps it is a magnificent stone bridge spanning the azure waves, with its white railings adorned with intricately carved Christianity reliefs, depicting Angel blowing trumpets in the clouds and saints praying devoutly below.
However, this is not the case.
The Holy Bridge is an arched bridge constructed of reinforced concrete in the early 20th century. Compared to the magnificent "Holy Bridge" of our imagination, it looks like a bald man.
So why is it hailed as Holy Bridge?
The Answer is simple.
Because it connects the two Sanctuary on both sides of the Kanda River.
To the north is the Yushima Sanctuary, and to the south is the Nikolai Cathedral.
Yushima Sanctuary, better known as the Tokyo Confucius Temple.
In the distant past, it was the site of the Shoheizaka Gakumonjo, the highest-ranking educational institution established by the Tokugawa Shogunate.
After the Meiji Restoration, the Institute of Studies was closed, and its research institutions, along with the Astronomical Department in charge of astronomy and the Vaccination Center in charge of medicine, were merged and eventually evolved into the predecessor of the University of Tokyo.
The historical roots of institutions such as the Tokyo National Museum, the University of Tsukuba, Ochanomizu University, and Tokyo Medical and Dental University are all more or less connected to this place.
For centuries, this place, along with Yushima Tenmangu at the northernmost tip of Akihabara, the site of which is dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, the god of literature, has been a place of prayer for countless students and their parents.
However, none of this was related to Erice's purpose for this trip.
The girl's goal was the Nikolai Cathedral on the south side of the Holy Bridge.
Its more formal name is the Tokyo Resurrection Grand Sanctuary.
Since the Western Rome diverged along the river of history, Catholicism flourished in Western Europe, while the path of Eastern Orthodoxy was fraught with difficulties. The Eastern Roman Empire eventually fell under the Banner the Green Crescent. Even in the vast Russia land, the spread of its Faith was not smooth sailing. However, despite their different Fate, they persisted in spreading their doctrines, influencing parts of Northeast China and Japan.
In short, Japan has its own Eastern Orthodoxy Church.
The chief bishop of the Japan Orthodox Church resides at the Tokyo Resurrection Grand Sanctuary.
It was built in the 19th century by Russia Eastern Orthodoxy Missionary Nikolai through fundraising.
Of course, since the beginning of the new century, there have been no more bishops or nuns here.
However, because it is located at a crucial point of the Leyline, it has long been regarded as a forbidden zone where outsiders are prohibited from entering.
Erice strolled slowly through the seaside park leading to the Sanctuary, the approach path beneath her feet rising and falling with the terrain.
After Tokyo experienced the devastating disaster that nearly destroyed everything and was subsequently rebuilt, the strict security measures in the Leyline management areas of various regions were gradually relaxed.
Logically, this approach should be filled with families enjoying the sea, students paying homage to Confucius, or believers seeking solace in the church.
This is how it should be.
Erice thought that in this New Era, ancient Sanctuary and the like were probably deserted and no one cared about them anymore.
But the crowd ahead did not disperse towards the beach; instead, they all converged towards the Sanctuary.
Upon further Erice understood.
It must be people with deep Faith who come to pray for peace and safety for their families.
Even though Servant are ubiquitous in daily life, the Faith that has been passed down in people's hearts since ancient times has not been abandoned. On the contrary, because the world Chaos now, people once again need local Deity as their spiritual support. Various Heroic Spirit from ancient and modern times, East and West, accompany their Master to worship Japan or Jesus in Japan... Only in the peaceful Marseille Mosaic City can such a scene be seen.
Suddenly, Erice thought of --
The Demon King is mine, he is mine, he belongs exclusively to me, and he is my Servant alone.
Erice's fingertips involuntarily curled slightly, as if trying to grasp something ethereal.
He didn't tell me what to do beforehand.
They never gave me any clear instructions about my Future.
However, he took the lead himself, going further and further down a path she had never anticipated.
Yes.
Yes.
If we don't keep a close eye on him, if we don't grab him...
It will definitely go further and further.
So far away that it is no longer within my reach.
So far away that I can only recall it again and again in my memories.
This is one of the reasons why Erice came to the Tokyo Resurrection Grand Sanctuary —to offer a prayer, especially after hearing Luce's words. Erice later learned that it came from the Old Testament Bible, and that a "Queen of Heaven" was mentioned before that sentence.
Queen of Heaven?
Erice's heart tightened suddenly.
This title always feels like it has some strange, unsettling connection to Novia...
But it's okay.
It doesn't matter anymore.
Since that's what Luce said, and since that's what I... have decided as well.
Well then, let's give it a try, albeit on a small scale.
Just trying it out.
A fee of 300 yen is required to visit the interior of the church.
The coin slipped from Erice's fingers, and she received a pure white candle. The wick was lit, and the small flame danced gently in the cool air.
Erice placed the candle steadily on the candlestick at the entrance.
The instruction manual next to it reads, "The spirit of man is the lamp of the Jehovah, searching the heart."
A verse from Book of Proverbs.
Eri She glanced at it, but a thought flashed through her mind.
This is probably because in ancient times, there were no convenient lighting devices. When believers came to pray, they would casually light a candle, both to bring good fortune and to illuminate the dim room. Over time, this became a customary practice, forming a kind of Divinity tradition...
The Black-Haired Girl shook her head, casting these unimportant thoughts aside, and stepped into the interior of the Sanctuary.
The Tokyo Resurrection Grand Sanctuary is a typical Greece Cross church.
This architectural form, with a square at its center and Cross arms of equal length extending in all four directions, can be traced back to the distant Eastern Roman Empire.
Looking around, Erice immediately noticed a striking feature.
Inside the church, the walls and dome are covered with Holy Statue of all sizes.
However, not even a single statue could be found.
This stems from the principles of the Eastern Orthodoxy Church.
They believed that statues sculpted based on the real, flesh-and-blood bodies of mortals were too realistic and bordered on presumptuous.
True Holy Statue should be symbolic, not realistic.
What should be depicted is the radiance of divinity, not the appearance of humanity.
Therefore, one of the most significant differences between Eastern Orthodoxy churches and Catholicism is the presence or absence of statues.
Erice's gaze swept thoughtfully over the surrounding sacred paintings, finally settling on the lower row of the Holy Statue wall.
It was a sacred painting depicting "three Angel sitting together".
Erice subconsciously opened the instruction manual in her hand.
It says on it, "This is the Holy Trinity..."
"Holy Trinity Icon."
A slightly familiar voice rang in Erice's ear.
Erice turned around abruptly and looked out the church window at the azure sea to her right.
A houseboat used as a water bus, for passengers to ride together, is slowly approaching a small breakwater on the shore.
That wasn't a proper boarding area; normally, ships would just pass right by.
But on that houseboat, a passenger nimbly leaped off.
Immediately afterwards, the ship turned around and, as if nothing had happened, quickly returned to its original course.
A young girl disembarked.
She had a lollipop in her mouth, a wide hood on her head, and long, dazzling Silver Hair that fluttered gently in the sea breeze.
His fair, almost translucent skin contrasted beautifully with the boundless blue sea behind him. He was slightly taller than Erice, and Erice could never forget his face.
"Yahu, yahu (yahu, yahu)."
The silver-haired girl turned her head and saw Erice. She winked playfully, put her index finger to the candy stick in her mouth, and made a lively sound.
"Isn't that... Erice?"
Lilith.
"How could you...?"
Erice's confused words were not fully uttered.
Lilith interrupted her, her black-gloved fingers slowly pointing to the figure in the center of the Trinity Holy Statue, dressed in a crimson robe symbolizing sacrifice and royalty.
"This is Son of God Jesus."
"... ha?"
Erice's brows furrowed tightly.
"Isn't that Angel?"
"Because it's an iconographic expression," Lilith waved her hand dismissively. "The original painting was done by Andrei Rublev, the Russia Holy Statue painter considered 'the greatest of all time' and also Saint. As for the three Angel, he referenced the three guests who visited Abraham in Chapter Number Eighteen of the Old Testament to announce that his wife Sarah was about to conceive. He combined these three guests with the imagery of the 'Trinity,' and all three are dressed in blue fabrics, which in the tradition of Holy Statue painting represent divinity."