Chapter 292
His mother burned to death.
White flames surging high. Within them, his mother's arms, raking the wall in agony until her fingernails were shredded.
At the time, young Figaro did not know why such a thing had happened.
So he asked the adults for the reason.
—Your mother was gloriously chosen by the "Essence of the Saint".
—But, your mother lacked the faith and devotion, so her body could not endure.
—It's unfortunate, but it could not be helped.
The adults' words were something he could not accept.
He wanted to find acceptance for himself.
Figaro strove, and at last entered a research institute for the Essence, one in which Israfil, the Saint of the Divine Sea, was involved.
Israfil, in secret from the Pontifex, was researching a method to remove the Essence of the Saint from the human body, and a way to block it from entering in the first place.
The reason, he did not know.
Still, their goals aligned, so Figaro researched the Essence of the Saint there.
The more he repeated his research, the more the rage and resentment within him melted away like snow in spring, and before he knew it, a new feeling had bloomed.
He was in awe.
He was captivated by the power called the "Essence of the Saint", of which there were only seven in the world.
He threw himself into research like a madman, to unravel the secrets bound to this power.
No one among the institute's researchers could surpass his achievements. But then—
—You have crossed the line, Figaro.
He was dismissed.
The reason was that Israfil had caught him carrying out reckless human experimentation.
His workplace changed. The new job was the simple work of ordinary clerics managing a monastery, but he was still enthralled by the Essence of the Saint, and continued his research.
People who came to pray.
People who came seeking counsel, to whom he would, under the name of "holy water", secretly administer small doses of drugs.
In his free time, he repeatedly carried out experiments on monsters.
—Brother Figaro! Wh–what is all this?!
The secret did not last long and was discovered by his superior. Again, he was met with harsh rebuke.
Efnelle despises science.
People are not curious about the principles behind the Essence of the Saint.
Being chosen by the Essence is simply regarded as being chosen by the great Goddess Dave.
If one dies because they cannot accept the Essence, then it is simply because their faith and devotion were lacking.
And so, they close their minds and accept it.
Because this is the power of the Goddess.
One must not dare to question it, nor harbor doubts.
It must simply be accepted as it is.
That is the law of Efnelle.
But Figaro could not understand such a culture.
Why?
Why is no one curious?
Why are there seven Essences?
Why can only women become Saints?
What is the standard by which the Essence chooses a human?
Can a man become a Saint?
Figaro's thirst and obsession toward the Essence grew all the more, and in the end, he lost his second job.
A few months later, he came to work in the Neutral Zone.
It was a clear demotion, but not a bad one. Rather, here, free from the Federation's gaze, he could conduct experiments more freely.
And then, one day in the Neutral Zone—
He met "that child".
"Kyaaaaaaa!"
An entire house was burning with white flames.
A young girl's agonized screams could be heard.
It was exactly the same sight as when his mother had died.
The villagers brought water in buckets to pour over it, but such a thing could never extinguish white flames.
Figaro rushed into the house.
And there, within the white flames, he saw a six-year-old girl burning.
What Figaro felt as he looked upon the dying girl—
It was not pity, nor sympathy, nor sorrow.
He "envied" her.
He "resented" her.
Figaro believed himself to be strong.
At least in this village, stronger than anyone else.
They had spent the same night in the same village, so why had the Saint's power not come to him, and instead gone to such a little brat?
But the question lasted only a moment—Figaro marshaled all of his research knowledge to save Sasha, and succeeded in sealing the Essence of Purification into a magic circle drawn upon her body. He was certain that he was the only one on this continent capable of such a thing.
But it would last, at most, two months.
Within that time, he planned to obtain this Essence and make himself the Saint.
How a man could become a Saint—
It was simple.
First, allow this girl, Sasha, to accept the Essence of Purification into her body.
Then, take her body for himself.
Her body would be the tool, the vessel for the Essence.
And the one moving her would be him, the Saint.
Knowing nothing, Sasha regarded the man who had saved her life as her godfather. To help her develop a body capable of withstanding the Essence of Purification, he created drugs that would drive her powers into overdrive.
Just as the research was proceeding smoothly, an unexpected situation arose.
Growing anxious that no new Saint of Purification had appeared, the Holy Federation dispatched people to the Neutral Zone to bring back individuals they had marked as "Saint candidates".
Before Sasha could fall into Efnelle's hands, he had to stop it at all costs.
He used all his connections to make himself the guide, and while receiving the students sent from Efnelle, he planned to stall for time. Meanwhile, he bribed gangs to take Sasha and flee.
He intended to stash the students in some suitably shabby place under the authority of the guide, then leave with Sasha.
But this time, Keyzen interfered.
They defeated the gangs and took Sasha, so he changed the plan.
He brought Efnelle's students to fight Keyzen head-on, hoping they would destroy each other.
While the two sides fought fiercely, Figaro snatched Sasha and fled.
There was no time.
Both Efnelle and Keyzen now knew Sasha's potential, and once the students failed, the real strong ones would be dispatched.
Sooner than expected, he decided to become the Saint.
* * *
'…What is that?'
Simon doubted his own eyes over and over again.
Just yesterday, he had been in this village with his teammates, but he had never seen such a massive tree.
[Boy.]
Feer's voice came.
[Wait. I'll show you the top of that tree.]
In the right eye socket of Feer's skull, which Simon was wearing, Darkness rippled and turned mirror-like. It was a kind of telescope effect.
Simon closed his left eye and looked only through his right, up at the top of the tree.
"…!"
Simon's expression went cold.
At the top of the tree, there was a man with orange-colored hair, said to be Sasha's godfather, Figaro.
His lower body was fused with the tree, with only his upper body protruding out. His skin, in several places, had also transformed into something like wood.
And just below him, a face could be seen.
'Sasha...!'
Sasha's entire body was buried in the tree, with only her face exposed, her eyes closed as if unconscious.
Simon shuddered in shock.
'Then this enormous tree… is Sasha?'
[Who is it.]
Just then, a massive voice resounded through the entire barrier.
It was Figaro's voice.
[I sense the presence of an intruder. To have forced your way through the barrier with strength alone, who are you?]
His whole body trembled. An overwhelming kind of power could be felt.
The same pressure as when he had faced the Saint of Purification, Plema.
'Don't tell me… he knows exactly where I am?'
Simon looked toward the top of the tree with his magnified vision. Figaro's eyes were wide open, staring straight in this direction.
Since he had already been spotted, Simon used Feer's voice to reply.
[If you want to know about me, isn't it only proper that you reveal yourself first?]
[Very well, I've nothing to hide.]
Figaro spread his mouth into a grin and raised both arms high.
[I am the new Saint of Purification, Figaro Mertens!]
Simon's face stiffened.
'…A S-Saint? A man?'
[Ah, yes.]
With a twisted smile, Figaro continued speaking.
[When a Saint changes, a new epithet is given! "Saint of Purification" is the old one, so what would be fitting now? Hmm—yes, yes. This will do.]
Uuuuuuuuuuuuum!
Suddenly, the tree's trunks swelled and grew until they covered the entire ceiling of the vast barrier. And from beneath the trunks, countless fruits began to form.
[The Saint of Sin.]
They were pure white fruits.
Plop.
Plop.
White apples fell from the tree trunks, descending toward the ground like a barrage of bombs.
And the moment they struck the ground—
Tuuuuuuuuuuum!
From the spot where each apple landed, massive pillars of holiness erupted upward, swallowing everything around them.
All across the city, such pillars of light were rising.
Frowning, Simon swung the Greatsword of Destruction toward the white apple falling over his head.
Slaaaash!
The split apple exploded, creating two separate pillars, and Simon, caught between them, let out a short grunt as he ducked low.
'It's unmistakable...!'
The same kind of holiness as when he had first faced the Saint of Purification could be felt.
Of course, its nature had changed.
If the former Saint of Purification's white flames had been purely a divine flame in form, then this technique carried with it an extensive physical destructive power as well.
Caught within it, even Simon, immune to holiness, would inevitably take damage.
[Is it not magnificent!]
Figaro's voice rang with intoxicated pride.
[The White Flame Fruit! This is the power I have gained since becoming a Saint!]
[Say it properly.]
Simon's voice was cold.
[That's not your power. It's Sasha's.]
[Sasha and I have become one. And—]
Figaro's lips curled upward.
[She is now no different from a vegetative husk. Her consciousness no longer exists in this world—only I remain!]
Crrrraack!
Creak!
[Worship me!]
From beneath Figaro's roots, a countless army of plant-type monsters large and small formed, advancing toward Simon.
And not only that—
'Even people!'
Humans with vein-like tree roots running along their bodies, their eyes unfocused, staggered forward.
Like zombies.
[Boy! They are already as good as dead!]
'Yes.'
Boom, boom, boom!
Craaaash!
Meanwhile, the vines and roots spread throughout the city grew even further, toppling buildings, while white apples continued to fall from the sky.
[Now, it's your turn! Reveal yourself, nameless necromancer!]
Simon gripped the Greatsword of Destruction and gave it a light, sweeping spin.
Slaaaash!
Ruuuuumble!
The approaching plant-type monsters were cleaved apart, buildings split, and the falling white apples exploded.
[Oh-ho...!]
[I am—]
The village was already annihilated, and in this barrier, there was no reason to hide his identity.
Simon reached his free hand behind his back, tearing open a subspace.
Click!
Creeeeeeak!
A mass of dark blue-flamed skeletons and corpse spiders poured out.
Lifting his hood back, Simon spoke.
[I am a Legion Commander of the Dark Alliance.]
The dead howled, forming a massive legion behind Simon.
Swaaaaaaaaah!
At that moment, countless branches on the ceiling swayed as if in the wind.
[What a twist of fate!]
Figaro was elated.
[That my first opponent as a Saint should be a necromancer, and a Legion Commander at that! Most impressive!]
To surpass even the greatest Saint, and to claim the honor of defeating a Legion Commander, Figaro thought there could be no more perfect debut battle.
[Stay right there.]
Simon lifted the Greatsword of Destruction and aimed its tip at Figaro.
[I'm coming up there right now, to take your head.]
[How amusing! Do it, if you can!]
Simon began walking forward with the greatsword in hand.
[Follow me.]
With a chorus of ghastly roars, the dead followed after Simon.
[I'll show you the overwhelming difference in our power! I am a being who has surpassed even the Saints!]
From the roots of the tree, plant-type monsters and the infected humans charged.
Inside the barrier where no one could enter, a colossal war, one that would never be recorded in history, began.