Mission:042 Search

Mission: 04-2 Search

This time, Beatrice showed a frightened expression as well. But it lasted only an instant. Very quickly, her face firmed, and she asked seriously, "You're going out to search for where the demons are, aren't you? Can you take me with you?"

"Take you with us?"

Nero was puzzled by the sudden request. "Why?"

There were quite a few questions packed into that word. Such as why Beatrice wanted to go with them, and why Nero should bring her along.

Beatrice's answer was somewhat beyond Nero's expectations. She said, "Actually, ever since I came home the day before yesterday, I've been sorting through all the rumors about demons in the territory."

That was an unexpected delight. If Beatrice really had gathered every strange rumor about demons nearby, then the Demon Pillar's location might very well be among them.

So Ritsuka immediately asked, "What have you found?"

"A lot. It'd be best to talk while we walk, or it'll take a very long time."

Nero pondered for a moment, then looked at Ritsuka. "I think we can."

Ritsuka voiced her concern. "Can we keep her safe?"

Naturally, Nero had considered that question too. After witnessing Giorgios's Noble Phantasm release up close, Nero had already reached a conclusion: in her normal state, Nero was basically evenly matched with that heroic spirit. At full power in her Demon Transformation state, which was what she had used back then to destroy the Savior and kill the Pope in one blow with the complete Anthem, she could probably reach about eighty percent of the total power of that Noble Phantasm release.

And what needed to be noted was that Nero's Demon Transformation could be used at any time, without the various restrictions of Giorgios's Noble Phantasm.

In other words, when facing enemies that were not demons or Evil Dragon types, Nero was very likely stronger than Giorgios across the board.

Using that as the basis for her judgment, Nero replied, "No problem."

"That's right, that's right." Mephisto laughed obnoxiously. "If a real crisis comes up, there's also my Noble Phantasm. Absolutely foolproof."

For once, those words made Nero slightly acknowledge it. As everyone knew, there were no weak heroic spirits in this world, only heroic spirits used in the wrong place. Giorgios was not especially powerful in her normal state, but it was different when she faced demons. If Mephisto was the type whose Main Body had little strength, with all its ability concentrated in its Noble Phantasm, that was not impossible either.

But that made Nero think of another question: yesterday, when the situation had been so tense, why had Mephisto shown no intention of releasing its Noble Phantasm at all?

She looked directly at Ritsuka and asked, "What is this guy's Noble Phantasm?"

Ritsuka said somewhat awkwardly, "I'm not sure."

"You're not sure about that either?"

Nero was dumbfounded. She had never imagined that Ritsuka would dare make a wager with her soul as the price when she was not very clear on a heroic spirit's origins, personality, abilities, or Noble Phantasm.

So she looked at Mephisto again. But it was obvious that this demon would not easily reveal that kind of information.

It tilted its head and gave Nero a smile that made her want to hit it.

So annoying. But she had to hold back.

The chance encounter with Giorgios in the garden last night surfaced in Nero's mind.

"Good evening." Seeing Giorgios sitting in the garden, Nero greeted her.

"Good evening," Giorgios replied. She looked up at the moon hanging in the sky and asked, "You're only a living human with Demonic Power, aren't you? It's so late. Aren't you going to sleep?"

Clearly, after a day had passed, Giorgios's Affection Level toward Nero had risen by a large margin. It had now changed from "hostile" to "friendly."

"I don't need to sleep for very long," Nero answered. Demons did not have the same physiological needs as humans, and as a half-demon, Nero could do something similar.

Just think of Dante. He could sleep for over a month without eating or drinking, then get up afterward still bursting with life.

"I see."

Giorgios did not seem to want to say much. Otherwise, since they had run into each other anyway, Nero felt there were some things she ought to ask.

Otherwise, she would waste this rare chance to be alone with her.

Nero spoke. She went straight to the point. "You seemed to have seen something in that demon?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell me?"

But Giorgios did not answer directly. She asked in return, "Don't you know its true name?"

Nero shook her head. "A name doesn't mean anything."

"No. To demons, a name means everything."

Giorgios said seriously, "They are not allowed to use false names, because a true name is their essence. For them, using a false name would mean erasing themselves.

"So after the Angel Lucifer fell and became a demon, his name would forever only be 'Satan,' 'the one who opposes God.'"

And so Nero understood why Mephisto had been unwilling to let Giorgios know its true name. Then what did the name "Mephisto" represent?

"You said before that it was a 'trial.' What did you mean by that?"

"The literal meaning. In This One's view, 'bringing trials upon the people of the world' is the root that drives its actions, the goal beneath its surface."

"So, have you agreed to take me with you?" Beatrice's voice broke the silence. She clearly had not understood anything about "Noble Phantasms," and had probably interpreted them as some kind of treasure used to fight demons.

"Mm. You can come with us." Nero pulled herself out of her memories and answered.

"Don't fall behind," Mephisto said with a laugh.

If the "trial" itself was Mephisto's goal, then it was understandable why it might have deliberately put the Master in danger, and its earlier string of temptations toward Ritsuka had a more reasonable explanation as well.

It also explained very well that inexplicable smile Giorgios had worn when she stated that she would not be shaken by it.

However...

A "trial" itself was only a process. Using that as a goal was rather difficult to understand.

Ever since she heard that explanation, Nero had been thinking: between passing the trial and failing to pass the trial, which outcome would Mephisto be more pleased to see?

The wager it had made with Ritsuka was to "let itself see the most radiant thing in the human heart," so it was probably the former.

What a strange demon.

Nero stepped forward and looked at Beatrice, who was following closely behind her. "Tell me. Where is the first place we are going?"

"It's the Demon Tree in the Wheat Field!" Beatrice answered immediately.

The place those Demonic Rats had attacked yesterday was precisely the wheat field. This place was also the closest to the town, so naturally they had to start here first.

The Demon Tree was a small tree standing in the middle of the wheat field that, no matter how many times it was chopped down, would grow again from its original spot.

The reason it was a small tree was naturally because it was always being chopped down and never had the chance to grow into a large tree.

Although this sounded a little strange, it clearly did not actually have anything to do with demons. The group soon headed to the next place.