Looking at himself in this form, Roland slowly reached out to touch the illusory yet real dragon silhouette in the mirror.
Only when the cold surface stopped his hand did he lower it with a trace of regret.
The longer Roland met the gaze of his reflection, its eyes burning like flames, the clearer his own face seemed to become.
Even by the loosest standards, he knew that he was no longer human.
Before making his decision, he had hesitated. But now that he had truly become this, those unnecessary emotions had vanished instead.
Whatever happened, he was still himself. Roland was still Roland.
"I can see so clearly now..."
Only then did Roland begin exploring the changes in his body. The most obvious was his eyesight.
Throughout his long years as a student, Roland had never quite needed glasses, but his eyesight could only be called normal. Now, however, he could clearly see even the paths of drifting dust motes that would ordinarily only show up in afternoon sunlight. When he focused a little, the dust even seemed to drift more slowly.
"Excellent dynamic vision, and night vision too?"
He cast a quick glance around. It was already late at night, yet even the corners untouched by the lights lay fully exposed to Roland's eyes.
Compared to the changes in his body, however, the improvement in his eyesight amounted to little. Now, simply clenching his fist let Roland feel power swelling and surging inside him, ready to burst forth.
Although he exercised regularly, it could not begin to compare to this. He could hear his heart pumping blood, and whenever he shifted his attention to another part of his body, he could feel the resilience and explosive strength of his muscles.
Yet his physique looked unchanged. To possess such strength while retaining a human body's structure made Roland begin to wonder whether what flowed through his veins was still blood.
"Let's give it a try."
Bolstered by his powerful body, Roland's curiosity began to grow. He tensed his legs slightly and gave a gentle leap, easily touching the ceiling with his palm.
Compared to before, the effort he had used did not even qualify as a small hop. Roland could feel that, if he wanted, he could easily leap onto the roof of an ordinary three- or four-story building without even taking a running start.
But Roland knew this was not a boost granted by his Contract Spirit's abilities. It was more like a bonus prize that came with his soul's elevation.
Even though his emotions had shifted several times, the only emotion Roland could sense in those deep crimson eyes in the mirror was indifference.
Just as humans would not regard insects as equals, anyone those eyes rested upon would feel only fear and unease, as though a natural predator had fixed its gaze on them.
"Is this sense of otherness caused by the sheer contrast between the body that interacts with reality and the noble essence within?"
Without needing any deduction or evidence, the answer to his question naturally surfaced in Roland's mind, as though he had always known it.
The strange sight in the mirror made the corners of Roland's mouth curl slightly. Then, as his breathing deepened, roaring flames spilled unconsciously from his mouth. Under that scorching breath, the gilded mirror instantly melted into a puddle that dripped onto the floor, leaving charred marks before slowly seeping deeper.
Even though he had prepared himself mentally, suddenly breathing fire still made Roland instinctively reach for his throat, driven by the habits of his former life.
Those flames could melt metal and glass in an instant, yet Roland felt nothing unusual in his throat. Instead, he felt a pleasant, relaxed comfort, as though he had taken a few deep breaths.
"Lord Roland? Are you all right?"
Sakura Matou jumped down from the sofa and looked worriedly at Roland, who stood frozen in place.
"So far, nothing seems to be wrong," Roland said to Sakura as he came back to his senses and looked at the ruined mirror.
"Sakura, I need a mirror. Help me get the one in the cabinet in the storage room..."
Perhaps because he was a little anxious, Roland noticed that his voice seemed to bypass his vocal cords, vibrating and ringing directly through the air.
It was an uncanny voice, hoarse and deep as though his throat had been scorched, yet possessed of a captivating resonance.
At his call, Sakura stopped before she could even move, and Roland swallowed the rest of his sentence.
-Because two servants with blue-gray skin, their bodies completely wrapped in black ninja garb, had already carried over a full-length mirror and placed it before Roland.
In the dark room, shifting shadows wound and flowed like snakes, like tendrils of Roland's will, surrounding him with himself at their center.
One black-clad ninja after another emerged, holding mirrors of every kind, in different shapes and sizes, until Roland seemed to be standing in a maze of mirrors. The Shadowkhan knelt on one knee, raising the mirrors high in both hands with their heads bowed, like subjects paying homage to their king.
Roland slowly looked around. Within the overlapping mirrors, the demon with a dragon's head and a human body faithfully reflected his current state, baring a ferocious, terrifying smile.
He gently stroked the Key of All Spirits in his hand and carefully examined the Contract Spirit information for the Soul of the Holy Lord.
-Contract Spirit [Soul of the Holy Lord] (Contract established) Manifestation: Your reflection in mirrors will reveal the appearance of your soul. Influence: Shendu's influence will elevate your current soul, making you as noble as he is. Furthermore, owing to his innate nobility, Shendu scorns all creatures beneath him. When making promises, if the other party cannot earn your respect, Shendu demands that you not honor those promises. While the contract remains in effect, you will become arrogant and inclined to rule. Granted abilities: Demon soul: You possess a soul as eternal and immortal as Shendu's, capable of enduring travel between dimensions and possessing and controlling creatures of a lower standing than yourself. You can be defeated, but you cannot be killed. Fire demon chi: You are a noble dragon of Li fire. Flames devour all things, obeying only their sole master. You can use demon chi to create thralls and corrupt others. Eroded wisdom of a thousand: This was once wisdom that stood at the very pinnacle of the world, sufficient to alter the stars and twist truth itself. But in a hell dimension where even the concept of time could decay, this wisdom was ultimately worn down until it was scarcely removed from that of a beast. Even so, its vastness remains beyond mortal reach. Bound power of shadows: This was one of the achievements of the wisdom of a thousand at its peak. Through spells, Shendu seized authority over the Shadow Realm, allowing him to wield its power, and bound it alongside his own soul. This authority is equivalent to General Hsi Wu's. Favor of dark chi: The will of the world's dark side has bestowed its highest favor upon you. You will possess a vast destiny capable of influencing the course of the entire world, and your wishes will always come true. Whatever state you are in, you will appear convincing; the more evil a person is, the greater their trust in you. Whenever you face a crisis, the greater its severity, the stronger destiny's rebound will be, and the richer the gifts the world bestows upon you. Assimilation requirement: Resurrection
"So this is the power of the Soul of the Holy Lord."
Even after reading it more than once, Roland still could not suppress his admiration.
Unlike Yoshikage Kira, it needed no further explanation. Though its price seemed exceedingly steep, the Soul of the Holy Lord had lived up to its rank. Even as nothing more than a soul, he had displayed his might in the most direct way possible.