Little Scythe

The gray fog before Nimrod's eyes gradually dispersed, soon seeping into the surrounding air and vanishing from his sight entirely.

He checked the time. Unlike the interminable meetings he had attended at school and work before transmigrating, the Tarot Club's proceedings were remarkably brisk, and the meeting had not lasted very long.

Though Nimrod still felt that part of the reason was that Klein's spirituality could not sustain it for much longer at present.

There was still some time before he crossed over into the "Circle of Inevitability timeline." To keep his mind clearer and his judgment sharper in Cordu Village, Nimrod decided he needed to rest first and replenish his strength in advance.

Although a Sequence 7 Beyonder's physique was considerably stronger than an ordinary person's, they had yet to acquire divinity and remained within the bounds of ordinary humanity.

Nimrod did not know whether he could draw on a Miracle Invoker's resurrections in advance, but he reckoned it was unlikely. And every extra second he spent in the nightmare-difficulty starter village of "Cordu Village" would increase the danger he faced.

After all, no one knew how much longer Grisha Adam, who was currently throwing elbows at God Almighty in the "Circle of Inevitability" timeline, could keep the other great existences' gazes obscured.

Suddenly, however, Nimrod felt his spiritual intuition stir. He whipped his gaze toward the corner of his room and saw a figure standing there silently.

The visitor wore a black robe that lent him a considerable air of mystery. His hood was down, revealing stiff, bristling hair, and his eyes were deep and unfathomable, like a vortex leading into an unknown world.

This was Botis, the "Saint of Secrets," a demigod of the Door pathway!

"...Your spirit body disappeared from your body just now," Botis said slowly, his tone inscrutable. "Were you... summoned by the Lord?"

Listening to Botis, Nimrod casually thinned the faint gray fog shrouding the inverted-cross mark on the back of his neck, making the True Creator's aura and gaze upon him-the signs of a god's favor-far more apparent. His tone was earnest and devout:

"This is the Lord's trial, and also the Lord's blessing."

Botis stared at Nimrod for a while, then slowly nodded, seemingly accepting his explanation:

"I cannot stay here long. I will hand over the rewards Kisma promised you."

"The rewards are a weapon formed from the Beyonder characteristic of a Sequence 5 Beyonder, and the potion formula for Fire Thief."

"Praise the Lord," Nimrod said solemnly.

"I will not disappoint the Lord's expectations."

Botis gave an almost imperceptible nod. He reached out and plunged his hand into the empty space beside him:

"This was left behind after a valiant Rose Bishop and a Sequence 5 Sun cultist killed each other. It takes the form of a sharp, curved scythe."

A scythe (note 1)... Nimrod's brow twitched, and some rather unpleasant memories seemed to surface in his mind. He watched as Botis slowly drew a pitch-black scythe patterned with gold from the air beside him and sealed it in midair:

"Besides being harder and sharper than ordinary objects, it has three properties."

"First, anyone holding this scythe will hear devout praise of the Lord. At the same time, its wielder will gain regenerative abilities approaching those of a Rose Bishop."

"Second, when this scythe injures an enemy, it produces the effects of both Purification and Flesh Magic. The Flesh Magic effect is random, but all possible effects inflict harm upon the enemy."

"Third, once every four hours, this scythe can unleash a Purification Slash equivalent to Sequence 5 in power. This Purification Slash also inflicts additional damage of an unknown nature on spirit bodies. Kisma believes this comes from the Lord's favor."

"In addition, this Beyonder item has two negative effects."

"The first is that using this item subjects you to extreme heat. This heat is real, born of the Sun cultist's blasphemy and resentment toward the Lord, distorted into malice."

"...Fortunately, the will of that valiant Rose Bishop suppresses the Sun cultist's malice to some extent. Soaking it in pure shadow for three hours each day will greatly reduce this negative effect."

Botis paused, his gaze growing somewhat gloomier:

"The second negative effect is more serious. Whenever you use this Beyonder item, praise for the evil Sun god will occasionally well up in your heart. This is an utterly blasphemous, utterly terrifying negative effect!... You must take care when using it. Do not let the evil Sun god's temptations seep into your mind."

Botis gazed at the Blessed before him. Even with his cold, hard disposition, he could not help offering an extra warning.

So even you, a Beyonder of the Door pathway, are a devout believer in the True Creator. Your devotion really rivals that of the Aurora Order's Hanged Man pathway members...

Nimrod silently grumbled to himself, but aloud he said solemnly:

"My faith will not be distorted by a cultist's temptations. Praise the Lord, and thanks to the Lord for His blessing."

Botis nodded and handed Nimrod a tightly sealed piece of parchment:

"This is the Fire Thief potion formula."

"I do not know the exact situation here, but Kisma asked me to tell you that, for some time to come, it will be difficult for you to receive support from the Oracles in other cities. This is our failing, but for now, we can only rely on you to resolve the problems in the Tingen diocese as best you can."

Nimrod nodded, watching Botis blend naturally into the surrounding space and disappear before his eyes.

He brushed his hand over the parchment before him, and the writing recorded on it came into view:

"Fire Thief potion formula:"

"Main ingredients: one Crystal Threadworm, an attachment from a Cloaked Wraith."

"Supplementary ingredients: 100 milliliters of freshly stolen fine wine, 10 grams of residual powder from a Cloaked Wraith, one citrine, 10 drops of larch essential oil, one fire seed."

Nimrod tucked the parchment into his clothes and grasped the scythe Botis had left suspended in the air. Frenzied sounds praising the True Creator immediately rang in his ears.

He casually grabbed a box nearby, tossed the scythe inside, then sent it above Sefirah Castle.

"Phew. Peace and quiet."

Nimrod, a "devout" believer in the True Creator, let out a long, satisfied breath as he said this.