stonecrandall Page 181
Page 181
Even though the goddess was still eager for gossip, Tsuchimikado, who had gulped down his drink, gave her a look that said, "You don't need to know about this," and changed the subject, saying:
“However, Kanzaki’s abilities still have weaknesses. Listen carefully, so-called saints are humans who share the same nature as ‘gods’. Therefore, the power they possess also carries the characteristics and attributes of ‘gods’.” Tsuchimikado took a breath and said, “—simply put, they also inherit the weaknesses of ‘gods’.”
"what?"
Jing Shen couldn't help but make a sound.
"The 'Child of God' died once. Whether it was resurrected or ascended to heaven, it cannot change the fact that it died before. O Pure God, do you know how the 'Child of God' who died on the cross was killed?"
Tsuchimikado grinned at Jōjin:
"Assassination. Hands and feet are nailed to a cross, and finally, a spear pierces the side of the abdomen. As for whether the spear is used to kill, or to determine life or death, theologians disagree on this point. But regardless of the attack, it is 'assassination,' that will not change, meow." Tsuchimikado continued after downing his sports drink in one gulp, "'Thrusting Sword' is a spiritual weapon that extracts the religious connotations of execution and assassination, amplifies and condenses them to their limit. Legend has it that it can 'pierce a dragon and nail it to the ground.' While it has no effect on ordinary people, it can kill a saint with a single blow. No matter how far away, just pointing the tip of the sword is enough."
Upon hearing this, Jing Shen couldn't help but shudder.
Tsuchimikado, as if to reinforce Jōjin's imagination, continued:
"Isn't it terrifying? Once the 'Thrusting Sword' is activated, whether you're hiding in a nuclear shelter, at the bottom of the Earth, or even on Pluto, a single point of the sword tip can kill a saint. Its ferocity and convenience surpass even nuclear weapons. Because this sword was originally created to eliminate saints with selfish desires, meow!"
"What are those mages trying to do with this kind of trading...?"
"Of course it's war. In the magic world, a saint is equivalent to a nuclear weapon. Killing the enemy's saint makes a huge difference in the outcome of the battle, just in terms of protecting your own comrades."
war.
For an "ordinary high school student living in modern Japan," this is a concept that feels unreal. But Jōjin had encountered the fleeting light before. Previously, a three-way struggle had occurred between the Anglican Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Amakusa School over the grimoire "The Book of Law" and the monk Osō Aquinas, who claimed to know how to decipher it. If it were a real war, the scale would surely be much larger. That would truly impact the entire world, drawing in even unrelated people, and even altering geography textbooks.
"However, aren't there many magicians besides saints? For example, the Anglican Church, they can still fight even without Kanzaki, right?"
"Purifying God, that's not the problem. Regardless of whether victory is actually possible, the mere illusion of a possible victory can incite war. The death of a saint who symbolizes power could very well destroy the entire system of magical society. Just like when the royal family was murdered, the whole country was filled with despair, meow. People who see this as a great opportunity for success will throw themselves into war without hesitation—these people are completely unaware that a devastating defeat awaits them."
There was a chilling sense of oppression in Tsuchimikado's words.
Perhaps it's because she was a spy who traveled around the world and was familiar with its weaknesses.
"The wanton killing of saints and the disorderly balance of religious power in nations and organizations, coupled with attacks from internal and external magical forces, could ultimately lead to their destruction. While these situations may not be outwardly apparent, they can indeed devastate nations and the world. Once the balance in one place is disrupted, other places will attempt to re-establish a new balance, which inevitably carries the risk of war. The Church of Necessary Evil, the international security agency of the Zeroth Church of the Anglican Church, as a force against magicians, will absolutely not let this matter go easily."
This statement sounds almost like a resolution, but Tsuchimikado's tone when he made this concluding remark was extremely frivolous.
Whether this tone stemmed from the relaxed stance of a spy or from her complete suppression of emotions as an expert, the layman Jing Shen could not discern.
Jing Shen, sipping his now-cold beverage, said:
"However, for such a serious problem, wouldn't it be better to ask the Catalogue of Forbidden Books for help?"
That's right, the Catalogue of Banned Books wasn't there.
After listening to Tsuchimikado and Tyr's explanation, she was dragged directly to the arena where the giant ball rolled before she even saw the Index of Forbidden Books.
He is an extremely reliable helper when it comes to matters related to magic. As far as Jing Shen knows, no one is more knowledgeable about magic than him.
Tsuchimikado rejected the suggestion with a single sentence.
"No, we can't use the Index of Banned Books in this case. We can't let him get close to the scene of the incident, nor can we let him know any information about it."
"……Why?"
"Yes. Because there are a lot of complicated things. Okay, let me explain it to you from beginning to end."
Tsuchimikado scratched his head, looking somewhat annoyed, and said:
"Like I just said, the scientific world shouldn't interfere too much with the magical world. There are all sorts of problems inside and outside Academy City right now... Do you understand what I'm saying, meow?"
"Ah? I know that guards and disciplinary committee members can't directly fight against magicians."
She had heard similar stories when she and Tyr infiltrated the "Misawa Academy," where the alchemists were hiding.
The scientific world and the magical world each have their own domain, maintaining two separate worlds. Under these circumstances, if the security agencies of Academy City arrest a magician, there is a risk that information from the magical world could leak to the scientific world.
"To give an analogy, it's like our latest fighter jet crashing and being picked up by people from an enemy country?"
“That’s right. And if a large number of mages were to enter Academy City in an organized manner, the situation would become even worse. Therefore, in such a situation, mages who intend to conduct transactions within Academy City could do whatever they want. How could we possibly let it go unchecked?”
Jing Shen thought that, upon closer examination, this was indeed a rather foolish relationship. Everyone clearly shared the same goal, yet they were all stuck because of this reason.
"So, this time we'll make an exception and have just the three of us – me, Jōjin, and Tyr – go on this mission." Tsuchimikado grinned. "Of course, some organizations are unhappy about this. They've been watching for an opportunity to infiltrate Academy City. Some of them want to solve the problem, while others have other plans. These people are using radar-like techniques outside Academy City to sense the flow of magical energy. As soon as there's any movement, they're ready to rush in, meow."
Chapter 319 Foodie
Chapter 319
"Hmm... So that's how it is?"
That's all the Purifying Goddess could say. To be honest, she couldn't imagine what the flow of magic was.
"But what does this magical sensing have to do with Index? He doesn't even use magic. Even if those guys use radar-like magic, there's no need for them to dodge Index."
Although Jing Shen Tu Mo lost her memory, she still retained this impression. The Index of Forbidden Books, despite managing 103,000 grimoires, was completely unaware of magic. This was to prevent him from causing trouble by using the grimoires.
Faced with Jōjin's questioning, Tsuchimikado smiled wryly:
"That's where the difference in values comes in. Listen carefully, Pure Spirit. In recent months, many magical events have occurred around you, and you've resolved them perfectly. But within the magical world, very few people actually know anything about you."
"It doesn't matter. It would actually be a headache if too many people knew. But why is that?"
"What I'm trying to say is that, by comparison, the reputation of the Index of Prohibited Books has become quite prominent. People in the magical world don't think of this as 'an event happening around the cleansing of the gods and the exorcism of demons,' but rather as 'an event happening around the 103,000-book administrator? The Index of Prohibited Books.'"
Jing Shen thought to himself: Ah, I see.
Tsuchimikado seemed to see something in her face, and she said cheerfully:
"So most of those people believe that 'no matter what happens, it all revolves around Index.' Given that, common sense dictates that the search should focus on the area surrounding Index, right? But in reality, there isn't a large-scale sensing technique that can encompass the entire area of Academy City. Even with an organized technique like the 'Gregg Choir,' the radius is limited to about one kilometer, meow. So, as long as Index is kept away from the center of the incident, everyone outside will focus their attention on her. That way, if a magical battle breaks out elsewhere, she might not be discovered, meow. Conversely, if she's dragged into the heart of the incident, she'll truly be out of the game."
"In other words, we must ensure that the Index of Forbidden Books detects no trace of magic?"
Jing Shen thought to himself, this matter seems simple, but it is actually quite difficult. The Index of Forbidden Books was created to combat all magicians, which is why it has memorized all 103,000 grimoires. He shouldn't easily overlook any small clues; once he discovers one, he will naturally take action.
Even so, even if she had explained to him beforehand that she "shouldn't move," the Forbidden Book Index probably wouldn't have agreed so easily, right? He always hated getting others involved in magic-related matters, and he would never agree to let someone else solve the problem for him.
As Jōjin was pondering, Tsuchimikado gently shook the empty beverage container.
"However, for the Pure God, this is another kind of 'misfortune,' meow. All the credit for your work has gone to the Index of Forbidden Books. I'm sure you're not too happy about that, are you?"
"Idiot. I'm worried about that guy. That Index Forbidden Book guy is really something, he already has enough trouble of his own!"
Jingshen clicked his tongue, continuing to immerse himself in his thoughts. Looking at her profile, Tsuchimikado smiled slightly. The smile held neither sarcasm nor mockery.
"Anyway, that's it, meow. You'll be in charge of the Index issue, Jing Shen. Try your best to conceal the aura of the incident in Academy City, meow. Oh, and take him to other places to explore, try to keep him away from areas where magical battles might occur."
"Huh? What's so simple! You make it sound so easy...!"
"No problem! This is a piece of cake for the unfortunate cleansing spirit and demon-slaying warrior!"
"Where does your confidence come from?! What are we going to do about our competition? If we skip the game, the class monitor will go crazy! That's the scary part!"
"You'll have to handle that yourself! The more important thing right now is the Index: Forbidden Books situation. But you know, that Index: Forbidden Books should be easily manipulated with food, meow. If any problems arise, just throw some snacks in the opposite direction of the incident, meow!"
"...You bastard, if Index Books hears you saying that, he might bite your skull off. Wait, I don't think I've ever seen him bite any human other than me..."
Facing Tsuchimikado, who was patting him on the shoulder, Jōjin said listlessly.
When Jing Shen returned to the spot where she had parted ways with Index: Forbidden Books, the Index was nowhere to be seen. The curfew had been lifted, and the guard was no longer there.
Although Tsuchimikado said:
"While finding Lydovia and Oriana is important, it's equally important to prevent Index A Certain Scientific Railgun from discovering what's happening in Academy City. Pure God, we'll be responsible for ensuring the security of Academy City and investigating any traces of magic. You'll meet with Index A Certain Scientific Railgun regularly to keep him out of trouble. Otherwise, once he becomes suspicious of our actions, he'll definitely rush to the center of the incident immediately."
Given the current situation, there's nothing she can do.
"The location of the Catalogue of Forbidden Books is unknown; there's no one to ask, and no clues whatsoever. That girl's Zero Yen phone is dead, so we can't contact her... Could she really be lost?"
This shouldn't be a big deal for the Pure Goddess who's used to Academy City, but if Tyr finds out that the Index is missing, she might say, "I know. You're going to die," and then attack her without asking any questions.
"Hmm. Places that might be visited if it's related to Index: Forbidden Books..."
Jing Shen looked around, then his gaze suddenly fixed on what was in front of him. Across the main road, there was an area with student fair stalls.
"No...no way? Could it be that he couldn't stand being hungry and stumbled inside without any money? If that's the case, one corner might have been destroyed by the 'hunger boy's riot'...!!"
Jing Shen's face turned ashen. The "Imagine Breaker" power in her right hand could negate superpowers, magic, and even miracles with a mere touch. But against the biting boy, she was a Level 0 powerless individual with no abilities whatsoever.
Even so, she had to stop him with this hand. The goddess made up her mind and headed towards the stall area.
Suddenly, someone tapped him on the shoulder.
Turning her head, she saw Himegami Akiha, wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, and Tsuchimikado Takeka, who was sitting on a cleaning robot and selling bento boxes, both looking at her. Himegami was accompanying Takeka, who was still selling bento boxes, as they strolled and chatted on the street.
"You've been acting like you're about to battle the Demon King since the very beginning. Why are you putting on that warrior-like expression?"
"Why do you look like you're about to die? If you're hungry, just eat your lunchbox!"
Chapter 320 Suspect
Chapter 320
The Pure God, who was planning to storm the battlefield, wavered because of the two people's calm voices.
"I mean, it's because I went to the competition while I was starving and couldn't find him when I came back. The closest place to food was over there at the food stalls, and I was wondering if that hungry kid might cause a riot there...!!"
Hearing her tearful lament, the two of them were stunned for a moment.
“I saw that Xiu Nan over there just now.”
Himegami pointed in a completely different direction from the stall area.
"Thank you!"
The cleansing spirit split open and ran in the direction indicated by the goddess.
-
A blond man in baggy work clothes, a large signboard tucked under his arm, moved among the crowd. He was aware of his conspicuousness. Although he thought he was paying attention to his every move, his emotions couldn't perfectly handle unexpected events.
The man put his free hand into the pocket of his work trousers. His trousers slipped down slightly, but he made no attempt to conceal it. He pulled out flashcards for memorizing English words. But nothing was written on them; only thick white paper threaded through metal rings.
"Well……"
The man bit a word card with his teeth and tore it off the metal ring. At that moment, square characters appeared on the card, like litmus paper. The words "Water Symbol" were written in yellow ink.
These words, which signify "the symbol of water," are written in yellow ink.
The man put the vocabulary flashcard back into his bag and held the piece of paper he had been holding in his mouth close to his ear, like a seashell.
"Ah—ah—hello. This is Oriana Townsend. Can you hear me? If you can, please respond."
To this self-talk, the word card held close to the ear emitted a sound untouched by air vibration:
"Don't reveal your real name. Be careful your voice might be leaked. If your true identity is discovered, it could lead to more troublesome situations."
The tone was quite serious.
Upon hearing this, the man who identified himself as Oriana smiled wryly:
“We’re in trouble now. I prefer improvisational performances like this, but this probably isn’t the kind of situation you’d like, Lidovia Lorenzetti?”
Lidovia, the person on the phone whose real name was called, fell silent for a moment:
"Don't talk to me in such a vulgar way. I can't match your tone because of my religious beliefs."
“That’s true. For Xiu Nan, who likes to use patience to make people anxious, verbal punishment alone seems a bit too much. You know, from a scientific point of view, the angelic hallucinations that martyred saints saw before their deaths could actually be masochistic ecstasy.”
"..."
"Oh? Don't you like hearing about science? Are you the kind of person who would plug your ears and refuse to listen to church operations that exploit the psychology of the masses?"
"...The person I really care about is you..."
After the other person finished speaking, they fell into an unpleasant silence. Oriana began to panic; this rendered the call pointless.
"Did I go too far, young master? Well then, big brother, I'll apologize to you."
"I remember you were younger than me."
"Even so, you're still a young master, no matter how old you are. Growing old as a young master is Xiu Nan's greatest wish, isn't it?"
"For those who advocate for a simple life, referring to a wealthy person as 'young master' is inappropriate. You must also be a follower of the Bible, when a nun becomes a member of the Lord's family—"
Another lecture, just the same old thing? Oriana sighed.
Lidovia Lorenzetti, a typical Roman Orthodox, would become emotional whenever she talked about praying to the Lord or preaching doctrine.
Oriana listened absentmindedly as he read, looking for a suitable opportunity to interrupt.
"So, let's get back to the trouble I was just talking about..."