{Mirabel Barvavosta.}
My foolish Nicholas. He was a fool because he was himself, because he could never change the nature he was born with.
And yet, as I stand amid flames and darkness, sword gripped tight, with his image drifting through my mind.
I can only lament the future he has surely seen and surely breathed.
The rest of them are fools because they fail to recognize the different scents within the Sea of Time.
And because of that one mistake, because they cannot understand the taste of futures and the fragrance of regrets.
I know with absolute certainty that every mocker among them must be false.
Demons rushed at me in waves, scrambling across scorched earth, trying to tear me apart.
The portal towered only a few meters ahead, spiraling with a violent blend of magicae, logicae, and animae.
These three forces formed the foundation of gateways that pierced down into lower planes of existence.
Creatures like these demons were not simply sent through such passages.
They were shaped by the passage itself, molded from the conflict of energies that the portal forced together.
Regardless of how one interpreted their birth, they were nothing compared to true demons.
So I cut them down as they came, every slash parting flesh and shadow alike.
Wave after wave fell until the grass beneath me steeped red, my armor scorched, and the portal finally dragged me into its pull.
I lifted my sword.
I invoked my Regalia, a power I had abandoned for ages.
And in that moment, the portal, a construct existing beyond time and space, collapsed.
It was forced back into the origin it crawled from, belittled and reduced beneath my will.
I sheathed my sword and turned away. With this matter settled, Nicholas awaited me.
I still disliked the idea of leaving him with Griffin, but I was certain he would not die.
I felt a terrible and suffocating aura from Griffin earlier, so I followed it, only to discover this blasphemous gate that spawned evil.
In truth, it chilled even me.
The Central World possessed a governing system, named by the Silent Court as the World System.
It was named a system because it functioned with terrifying precision, regulating the unnatural and the illogical.
This world's contradictory nature, its blend of reason and impossibility, required strict laws to keep it from collapsing into pure chaos.
The World System enforced these laws with quiet tyranny.
For this was a dual world, one built from logic yet equally from illogic.
The first of all worlds, the blueprint of every realm that came after.
It was precisely because of its vastness and its cosmic heritage that a gateway to Hell could even exist here.
This world was so immense, so impossibly high in hierarchy, that it stood as the final step before Earth.
To surpass it was to step into the true domain of creation.
That did not mean Earth and Hell were equal in the greater cosmos.
It simply meant this world served as a bridge, a stage upon which the strong measured themselves before daring to challenge creation itself.
And Griffin had forced the World System to allow such a gateway.
It was a minor invasion, only a thousand demons, but still an overwhelming feat.
To influence the World System at all meant one's power was monstrous.
This system could impose laws upon magicae, upon the spiritual, upon the metaphysical.
It was a judge that favored the strong and despised the weak.
I once attempted to perceive the World System directly, seeking enlightenment.
I nearly lost my mind. Though I was a child, the memory still chills me.
I exhaled slowly and began walking back, erasing any trace of what happened. Nicholas had been right.
The Golden Authority truly was demonic.
Their manipulation of such a grand power, all done in an effort to force their hand in Anstalionah, felt grotesque in its elegance.
It could be seen as a direct attack, even if I understood their intentions were meant to help us.
They needed a reason, a fruitful enlightenment I had just gained nonetheless.
I should probably report this to Midir, since that damned philosopher would relish in this discovery.
He also disliked the Golden Authority, given how Griffin was praised as a founder and a pillar of religion.
Meanwhile Midir's efforts to understand God's world were used so brazenly by others.
And yet no one dared to praise his rather hard-to-pronounce name.
I decided that walking back would take too long, so I leapt into the air and fell downward.
However, while I only aimed for wherever Nicholas was, it seemed he had been in the throne room.
I appeared on his lap just as he let out a sigh. He looked at me, surprised, but smiled.
"So, how was your mysterious trip?"
I looked around for a moment. No one was here, so I leaned in and kissed him.
"Fruitful. I've discovered many things, so we need to act fast."
I jumped from his lap. "Wait. Was someone here just now?"
I turned back to him, and he nodded. "Jacquline. She has agreed to my demands, and I to hers."
Really. Surprising. She always seemed to dislike Nicholas from our talks.
Maybe his changed nature redeemed him.
Come to think of it, looking at him now, it seems Cradella has marked him with power.
He might be able to beat a knight with a little more training and some power.
I was proud of him. His sudden growth scared me a little, so I was wary, but it seems truly genuine.
I think it is about time to teach him magical theory. Realizing it now, it may help him better formulate spells.
I took a deep breath and stretched my arms. "Alright, buttercup, prepare yourself for some lessons."
For some reason, he blushed at that and grinned. "From you! I'll be the absolute best student!"
***
Class was in session now. Nicholas had quickly changed into clothes far less fragrant, while I simply removed my armor.
I wore dark clothing, black pants and a long-sleeved black shirt.
We made our way to the study, and I sat him down at the desk before beginning the lesson.
"So, because of your past actions, you didn't go to the academy, so I'll have to start from the basics."
He looked genuinely excited for this.
Whether it was excitement for me or the knowledge itself, I doubted he would ever admit it.
"Magic: it is the principle and the dogma through which all things beyond the natural sciences can be explained. Because of this, it is called the unnatural."
I raised my hand and formed a thin sheet of red mana across my palm.
"Magic can be divided into three categories, each one coming together to comprise the magics."
He leaned forward, eyes wide as the red sheet began to bubble and ripple. His gaze followed every motion like an eager child.
"This is magicae, the manipulation of force. It is the dogma through which anything can be done, for God has gifted us His subset of miracles."
The sheet flipped over and shifted form, reshaping itself into countless intricate patterns, some too vast and others too small to describe.
"This is logicae, the manipulation of definition, information, logic, and rational structure."
He interrupted, hand shooting up.
"Teacher, teacher, how does one create a great big spell?"
I struggled not to laugh.
"I am getting to that. You first need to understand animae."
The mana folded in on itself and transformed into a miniature version of me, perfectly mirroring my color, shape, and expression.
Then it opened its tiny mouth and spoke.
"Animae is the dogma of emotion and reason. It is feeling and personality. It is the discretion and distinction found in all of God's creations."
I let go of the sheet of mana entirely, and as it dissolved outward it blossomed into a great red star above the desk.
"This is magic. When all three are combined, you can create anything within this world and accomplish anything, granted you have the right skills."
I raised a finger to the air. "Alright, now moving onto the juicy stuff."