episode_0099

000

It was the day before that the Black Covenant, having reached the limit of its patience, ordered their disciple, Rail, to move directly to seize the vessel of the god.

An automata battle occurred in the city, and upon checking the surveillance footage, the girl, one of the Magisword’s party members, broke free from Demiurge’s mind control.

It seemed they thought it was a lucky break that she left Layla Flamewatch’s mansion, reducing the number of resident personnel.

From Rail’s perspective, under their command, it was impossible to even `think` about doubts, complaints, or grievances against them while standing in the center of the stone tablet.

The moment such thoughts arose, Rail would be subjected to corrective punishment from them.

`Vessel of God`.

One of the doctrines of the Saint’s Protection Order, which had failed to infiltrate the Academy, refers to chosen humans with high divine magical power suitability, like heroes and saints.

But in reality, it is one of the curses and blessings unleashed by the ancients upon humans, possessing adaptability to specific factors engraved in specific bloodlines.

The Saint’s Protection Order was simply interpreting it arbitrarily and calling them that.

Rail’s master, the Black Covenant, with a sense of mockery towards such modern humans, refers to them as `Vessels of God`, using the very name they use.

A hero containing the power of the Holy Sword, a saint containing divine magical power to assist the hero.

It was a mockery of the foolishness of modern humans who arbitrarily interpreted the legacy left by the ancients and elevated it to an object of faith.

Does the Order even know that the Holy Sword is ultimately a mass-slaughtering weapon of destruction created for individuals to wage war more efficiently in a war against humans?

No, even if they knew, they would hide that fact.

They would not do anything to tarnish the image of the Holy Sword that has been ingrained among believers for so long.

Moreover, if it becomes known that the Vessel of God is a descendant of combat slaves created through human experimentation to control that weapon.

It would not be good for the Order, which reveres them as guardians of the Trinity.

Furthermore, the Black Covenant’s goal is to infuse the Vessel of God with the factor of the ancient demon Demiurge and cause it to go berserk, which, from the Order’s perspective, is the worst blasphemy.

The irony was that a being hailed as a savior among humans would become the trigger to lead the world to destruction.

And if that being was someone precious to him, Rail had no choice but to act.

The first vessel chosen by the Black Covenant, who had completed all preparations, to contain Demiurge’s factor was `Hero Aruru Tromia`.

A trained, strong body, and a high aptitude as a hero to match.

And a noble spirit, which is the Black Covenant’s preference. The Black Covenant’s original goal was to break it down and make her fall into a corrupted hero standing at the pinnacle of evil.

However, the Black Covenant lacked a physical body, and they needed limbs for numerous behind-the-scenes maneuvers to achieve their purpose.

What they focused on there was another vessel beside Aruru.

Although her quality as a vessel was far inferior compared to her, and she was a human with a fragile mental strength that seemed easily breakable.

That is why she was even more suitable to be used as their limb.

By sending illusions and auditory hallucinations into his head, surpassing the wall of his weak mind, it did not take Rail many days to succumb to them.

Within the illusions Rail saw, Aruru, dominated by demons, repeatedly destroyed the world.

However, Rail also had his own will.

Aruru was the human Rail had to protect the most, and to stop her from defining herself as a hero since childhood and living with self-sacrifice while cutting off her own desires.

If he could use Demiurge’s power to alter and change everything by reforming a human’s mind, it was also possible to liberate her from that duty.

Therefore, finding a vessel to replace Aruru and bringing it to the Black Covenant was Rail’s top priority.

The first one he set his sights on was `Albein`, a young hero who had just made a name for himself in a city on the continent’s border called `Elessia`.

When he leaked information about him to the Council of 12, who were full of academic desire for knowledge about heroes, they immediately started acting like fish that had taken the bait.

That is how Layla Flamewatch left the Academy temporarily, under their instructions, to scout Albein and bring him to the Academy.

However, trouble occurred during the mission.

The Magisword who was expelled from the party caused the party to collapse from within, and in the process, Layla was forced to give up her mission.

Rail felt a gut-wrenching stress at the time, but soon decided to use a new hand.

He tried to send the vice-chief of the Execution Department, a foolish magician intoxicated with power and Beatrix’s older sister, to Elessia to bring Albein by force.

However, Albein was still a hero of the Holy Sword, even if he was corrupt, and even if she was foolish.

The power of the Golden Holy Sword he possessed protected its master from her charm of the Evil Eye, even if it was not awakened.

Therefore, she also tried to lure Albein to kill the Magisword who had made things difficult for them, in exchange for bringing Albein to the Academy.

She was also a foolish person who never dreamed that she would lose her life because she could not suppress her desire for power and knowledge.

If this continues, he may have to offer Aruru Tromia to the Black Covenant as the Vessel of God, as originally planned.

In that despair, Rail was feeling the limit of stalling the Black Covenant, who was gradually pressuring him.

He then heard that Layla Flamewatch, accompanied by the Magisword who had screwed him over and interfered with his plans, was returning to the Academy.

And he learns that there is a `Saintess` among them.

The Black Covenant was interested in Layla and Cleon, but Rail was scheming to use `Quon` as a Vessel of God to replace Aruru or Albein.

The first step for him was to separate her companions who were protecting her.

Cleon, Layla, and Sasha had to be separated from her.

And when that opportunity came, the Black Covenant ordered Rail to move without delay.

Rail, who easily predicted that those who called themselves his disciples would also turn their blades against him without hesitation if the worst situation came,

stood in front of Layla Flamewatch’s mansion.

001

Inside Layla’s mansion, the atmosphere inside each room reflected the personality of those who used it.

In Layla’s case, if it was a flamboyant room with a red color scheme, with things scattered here and there because she did not organize the room well.

Sasha’s room was decorated with cute decorations that well revealed her girlish sensitivity.

In Quon’s case, it was a calm and quiet room with a reverence like a small chapel.

As expected of her, who was less interested in decorating her appearance, there was no dressing table.

A wardrobe containing the minimum amount of clothing, a bed that was a little too big for one person to lie on, and a simple desk were all the furniture in her room.

And on that bed, Quon, the owner of the room, was sitting with her back against the headboard, looking a little pale.

The cause was none other than the recent deviation of cute Sasha, who had felt like her own younger sister…

Or rather, it was because she herself felt something somewhere.

Unlike Layla, who basically did not have much interest in the remaining amount of daily necessities or life in general.

Quon was more sensitive to the living environment than Layla, the owner of the mansion, because she was involved in all aspects of housekeeping.

Therefore, Quon had vaguely noticed that someone other than them had been residing in this mansion until recently.

Perhaps, that person is an adult male. He is close to the other residents of the mansion.

Perhaps, he was in a very close relationship with them, an individual who was intimate enough to spare time for each other.

Quon, who realized that, tried to remember that person somehow.

However, the situation continued like a fog had set in in her mind, and her frustrating feelings and stress only grew.

She somehow endured without showing it to Layla and Sasha, but when she heard the story that Sasha had left the mansion and followed a man.

Quon ended up ruining her physical condition with a fatigue as if the accumulated stress had rushed in all at once.

There was concern about Sasha, of course, but she realized that the man Sasha had followed was the `someone` they had forgotten.

And Quon’s own existence, which could not remember anything about him, aroused her guilt.

“Are you feeling okay?”

Quon nodded her head a little heavily at Innis’s question, who had entered the room to nurse Quon.

Her physical condition had improved a little after a day, but she was still heavy and languid.

If you say that this is because of stress, it felt a little different, as her `magical power`-related organs inside her were showing abnormal reactions little by little.

She had never felt this before.

It was a strange feeling as if she was notifying the owner of the body that some danger was approaching her.

However, what kind of danger would approach inside the Academy, especially Layla’s mansion, who is the top of the magic department?

Without even being sure of that, Quon was thinking of going to find Sasha with Layla when her physical condition improved and meeting the man she had followed.

Suddenly, Quon’s gaze turned to Innis.

She is an artificial life form created by Layla, that is, a being different from humans.

Of course, just because she is different from humans does not mean that she does not respect her with a self as an individual.

She is similar in shape to a human, but strictly speaking, her body structure is different from that of a human.

Therefore, Quon opened her mouth with a sense of hope and asked her.

“Innis. You said that there might have been a man who went shopping with me before…. Are you talking about the man Sasha followed?”

“… …”

Innis did not show any change in expression to Quon’s question and just closed her mouth. Perhaps, she might have been a little surprised.

“…I thought Innis was joking at the time, but now that I think about it… Innis remembers that there was another person living in this mansion, so you brought up that story, didn’t you?”

“That’s right. Quon-nim. I remember the person you have all forgotten.”

Quon was surprised by Innis’s answer and grabbed Innis’s hand.

“W-Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It was because there was a high possibility that I would not be trusted even if I told you. Especially, my proud creator. Master is highly likely to think that I have made an error. On top of that, it was not only you who changed, so I needed to be careful.”

“…Certainly, Layla wouldn’t easily accept the fact that there is a man between us…”

Quon bowed her head and spoke to Innis’s words.

“…No, I’m sorry. I wouldn’t have believed it easily without Sasha’s incident, either.”

Innis also grabbed Quon’s hand and replied to Quon’s words.

“I think it is almost a miracle that Sasha-nim remembered anything about that person. According to the explanation I heard, humans cannot resist this memory manipulation in the first place, according to that person’s explanation.”

“…I see…”

Quon nodded her head, feeling grateful for Innis’s kindness, who seemed to be comforting her.

“Hey Innis, that person-”

The moment Quon said that and tried to ask Innis something else.

An unusual alarm that echoes throughout the mansion.

And, the sense that the barrier surrounding the mansion was breaking was conveyed to Quon and Innis.

“Intruder…!”

As Quon tried to get up from her seat, Innis sat her back down on the bed.

“Quon-nim, please stay here, I will go and check.”

“But-”

“Don’t worry. I am a housekeeper homunculus made by Master.”

In the next moment, a flambart made of flames appeared in Innis’s hand.

“Protecting the safety of everyone residing in this mansion is my role.”

002

Tssssk-

The sound of evaporation that sounds like cold water touching a hot iron plate is heard.

The source was from Rail’s mechanical arm.

As a result of forcibly increasing the output to break through the barrier set up by Layla, the overheated arm was emitting smoke as it touched the air.

The encroachment of black magical power approached his neck through his shoulder, but Rail decided not to pay much attention to it.

What was important was that this would have been conveyed to the humans inside the mansion that he had invaded.

Before Quon ran away, he had to go inside and secure her.

In the next moment. If he hadn’t quickly pulled his body back from the presence he felt in the sky.

Rail thinks that he would have been pierced from the head by a pillar of fire falling from above – a red sword.

What appeared in front of him was an expressionless woman with crimson hair wearing a maid’s uniform.

In her hand was a two-handed sword of flame made of magical power.

“Homunculus… Layla’s tool, huh.”

As soon as Innis landed, she pointed the tip of her sword at Rail and spoke with an expressionless face.

“There is someone in the mansion who is not in good physical condition. I’m sorry, but guest. Please go back today.”

“A fluent homunculus, huh. If I were your master, I wouldn’t have put in the ability to speak to a tool.”

In the next moment, Innis swung her sword to aim for his neck without changing her expression.

It was a fast, accurate, and sharp attack.

Because the burning sword does not have a physical form, even if you try to defend yourself by using a physical sword as if you were dealing with a normal sword.

It was an attack that could pass through the sword as it is and cut the opponent unless the sword was surrounded by magical power.

On top of that, the threatening attack speed coming from the homunculus’ unique physical abilities that transcended human limits, and the sword.

Rail cursed Layla inwardly for making such a troublesome thing, and once again swung the mechanical arm he had received from his master.

The arm of `Enkidu`, called the Golem of God, arbitrarily absorbs magical power from Rail’s body and uses it to exert various outputs.

It is not impossible to grab the hot sword of flame by flowing magical power into each joint of his fingers.

Innis, seeing Rail grab the sword of flame without any hesitation, hurriedly let go of the sword and tried to step back.

There was no problem with that decision itself, and it could rather be said to be accurate.

A sword of flame is just a temporary object made of her magical power.

She just needed to create some distance and regenerate it.

However, the black magical power that flowed in through the sword of flame grabbed her hand as it was and prevented her from letting go of the sword.

Even if she tried to destroy the sword itself, the control of magical power was not achieved.

“Kuh…! This is…!”

In the instant that her body was not moving normally due to the penetration of magical power. Rail pulled out the sword hanging from his waist and pierced Innis’s abdomen as it was.

“Cough…!”

Homunculi are beings with more vitality than humans. She does not die or anything just by having her abdomen pierced.

However, even so, this was a big wound, and furthermore, the flow of black magical power flowing into her body slowly hardened her body.

“How boring, after all, a tool is just a tool.”

The moment Rail said that, Innis’s eyes changed.

She concentrated Layla Flamewatch’s magic of flame flowing throughout her body into the hole in her pierced stomach.

“…Then, would you like to get a hit from that tool…!”

At the same time, Layla’s trademark omnidirectional attack magic was activated from Innis’s body.

“Flame Burst!!”

A powerful storm of flames raged, and an explosion engulfed Rail, who was holding the sword, including the entrance of the mansion.

With the huge impact, Rail flew backwards, and Innis poured out all her magical power to the point of straining, and fell forward on the spot.

Whether Rail’s sword was shattered or melted by the explosion just now.

It was no longer visible.

Rail hurriedly protected his body with Enkidu’s arm, but it was not without damage.

Whether he hit his head when he flew away and rolled on the ground, blood was flowing.

It was rare to find a part of his body with exposed bare skin that was not burned.

“Kuh…! To think a homunculus would…!”

Just as Rail was twisting his body and rising, and was about to completely finish off Innis by stretching out Enkidu’s arm and using magical power spray-

“Innis! Are you okay!?”

Quon, who heard the explosion, ran out of the mansion and looked at Innis, who was collapsed.

And Rail, who is stretching out his arm towards her.

The moment Quon and Rail’s eyes met at the same time, Rail’s aim turned towards her.

But Quon’s eyes saw the demon Demiurge in the depths beyond Rail’s eyes.

In the next moment, Rail realizes.

That he and his master had misjudged.

From the observations so far, Quon has always been protected by two powerful adventurers, Cleon and Layla.

She is just a person who supports the two from behind.

Of course, that was because Quon herself was originally a person who did not like fighting very much.

Because she herself was aware that her role was to heal the wounded as a priest.

But there was another thing that priests did.

That is, `exorcism`.

Demons are severely damaged by divine magical power, and only strong divine magical power can purify their souls and eliminate them so that they do not return to hell.

In the original party with Albein, Quon’s role was of course to assist others, but she was also saving divine magical power on a regular basis to subjugate `demons`.

In addition to the magical power encroachment by the Golem of God, Enkidu, Rail, who was no different from being soaked in demons all over his body, instinctively confirmed the explosive amplification of divine magical power felt from her at the same time as seeing her and had no choice but to step back.

However, the amplification of that divine magical power was heterogeneous.

Compared to other priests, Quon’s change was beyond the realm of common sense.

That is the possibility that the Black Covenant and Rail had forgotten.

Why did they mistake that there was only one adversary who descends when a great evil appears?

When Demiurge descends, he calls in the golden comet as an adversary behind him.

Rail thought that there was no contradiction even if there were questionable points in the plan itself.

However, even before the evil called Demiurge appeared.

The Black Covenant and Rail were existing in this world as evils that threatened the human world.

Rail thought that the Black Covenant’s adversaries would be `Cleon` and `Beatrix`.

Then, the adversary assigned to himself, who sold his soul to the devil-

In the next moment, a pillar of divine magical power falling from the sky pours down on Quon.

A phenomenon like a miracle of God unfolds before their eyes, and a halo of light gathers on Quon’s head and transforms into a halo, the symbol of an angel.

While Rail was momentarily stunned by the sight, Quon reached out to Rail with an emotionless face, just like Innis.

Then, eight spears of light that appeared like wings from behind her body.

At the same time, they flew to Rail and pierced his body.

“Kuh!?”

No physical wounds were inflicted. The spears of divine magical power pierced Rail’s body, burning the black magical power existing inside his body and purifying Rail’s body from the inside.

In the process, it was a perfectly mechanical purification work that did not care about the burden on the body.

Quon, who had awakened as an adversary, was only seeing Rail as a `seed of the devil`.

Blood flows from Rail’s mouth.

If he touched the spear of divine magical power with Enkidu’s arm, he could destroy it.

But the damage left in his body could not be erased.

In the next moment, a dimension gate opens and others arrive at Layla’s mansion.

“…Quon!?”

The panicked voice calling her was Cleon’s.