Waver was quick-witted in many ways. Sensing that I, who had remained calm even after seeing Flauros, was now genuinely flustered, he swiftly herded his students and me back to our guest cabin.
"…So, setting aside Flauros for a moment, who was that last man who walked in?"
"You already know Kirei Kotomine… Right, that last one is a man named Souren Araya. He's something of a rogue monk who specializes in Bounded Field magecraft. He is dangerous in several respects."
"Dangerous?"
"He's the one who laid a convoluted trap to obtain a 'Connected One'—the possessor of the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. For the record, he studied under the same master as Touko Aozaki and Cornelius Alba… though he was eventually excommunicated."
"He studied alongside that Touko Aozaki, you say…"
Waver tilted his head slightly before pressing me with more questions.
"I don't understand. A man like that shouldn't be enough to make you lose your composure."
"Before the Clock Tower declared war, I was actually in Misaki City. I was rounding up promising individuals to use as staff for the project."
"Ah, those with the Dual Existence and the Mystic Eyes of Distortion."
"And the one with the Unified Language. Anyway, all those people I gathered were actually 'pieces' set on the board by that damn monk, Souren Araya."
"…What?"
Indeed.
The Mystic Eyes of Distortion.
The cannibalistic killer.
The Dual Existence.
The Ogawa-Heim apartment complex.
They were all part of Souren Araya's elaborate scheme to trigger the awakening of Shiki Ryougi.
However, I had proceeded to shatter every one of those plans or simply steal the pieces away. In the final stage, I had even planned to demolish his lair, the Ogawa-Heim, and end his life.
The problem was that the massive incident of the Clock Tower's declaration of war occurred right at that moment. Because my attention was entirely diverted toward that front, Araya managed to slip out of Misaki City and go into hiding…
"The issue is that he knows I'm the one who did it, and…"
"Flauros… Yes, that combination is certainly problematic."
Individually, they weren't a fatal threat.
In fact, even the 'All the World's Evil'—Angra Mainyu—was nothing more than the mud of the Grail; it wasn't a direct threat to us and could be dismissed with a single blast from Saber's Excalibur.
"Lev Lainur… he is undoubtedly a Demon God Pillar, isn't he?"
"I'll stake my word on it. That thing is definitely a terminal of the Demon God King."
Waver was a man who had stood by my side and witnessed the moment a mere manifestation of 'All the World's Evil' awakened as one of the Evils of Humanity.
Of course, compared to the mud of the Grail, Araya was a mere speck of dust, and our opponent was but a single terminal named Flauros… the problem was that our own military strength had also been significantly reduced.
"Kirei Kotomine likely suspected something the moment he saw Lev Lainur. The problem is that we need that man to draw Karabo's attention for a while."
"Wouldn't it be better to just bring in the Holy Church's Executor? You've already made acquaintances within the Burial Agency, so surely you can request cooperation?"
"It's no good. The Burial Agency member currently here is an anti-demon specialist… the type who deals with threats by possessing their own body with a demon. Their compatibility is abysmal against a Demon God Pillar that specializes in raw destructive firepower."
"…Moreover, that Demon God Pillar's current identity happens to be a retainer of House Animusphere. If our luck remains this foul, we're about to have a very messy public incident on our hands."
At this point, I even began to harbor the absurd suspicion that Marisbury had sent Lev Lainur specifically because he knew about our circumstances.
Waver puffed endlessly on his cigar, while the three students—unable to follow the depth of our conversation—could only look back and forth between us in a daze.
My heart wanted to call in Arcueid or Aoko-nee right this second and burn that son of a bitch to ash. But if I did that, it was certain we would lose the trail of Iskandar's mantle and Dr. Heartless's movements—Waver's ultimate goals. Furthermore, the Rail Zeppelin, whose assistance we would need later, would undoubtedly expel us.
"Essentially a three-way… no, perhaps a four-way entanglement."
"It's not just an ultimate threat. There's a high possibility that the Demon God Pillar and Araya will act as separate, hostile entities."
"But given the abilities of a terminal of the Demon God King, using those powers to bring others to his side is a very real possibility. Is it not?"
"I can't deny that."
As Waver and I discussed the coming events, the voice of Rodin echoed through the speakers once again.
[We shall now introduce the second Mystic Eye being offered. Participants are requested to gather in the dining car in one hour.]
* *
Ultimately, regardless of the tension, the queen of the Mystic Eye Collection Train was Rita Rozay-en. For the moment, neither Araya nor Lev Lainur seemed inclined to show their true colors and engage us in battle.
Whether Rita Rozay-en had grasped their true identities or was simply choosing to ignore them, she began to introduce the Mystic Eyes with total nonchalance.
"The Mystic Eyes of Binding. A Noble Color of the Ruby rank. With the motto of 'Simple is Best,' these eyes forcibly bind the target within their gaze, rendering them unable to move. However, due to the nature of these eyes, we must disclose that the recipient may experience sleep paralysis and physical discomfort after the transplant…"
"Noble Color ranks are being traded as if they were commonplace."
"Are you interested, Father Kotomine?"
"No. To begin with, I have no desire to rely on things like Mystic Eyes. My daughter is much the same."
Caren Hortensia, seemingly bored by the train journey, was leaning against Kirei and sleeping soundly. I looked at the scene with a faint smile before asking him.
"By the way, where have you been lately? It's been hard to reach you, and even when we do talk occasionally, you don't say much…"
"I was keeping an eye on the White Wing Lord's faction. After you blew away Nrvnqsr Chaos, they went into hiding, so I shifted my observation toward Van-Fem in Morocco."
"…One of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors? But with Arcueid having crushed the White Wing Lord's forces, it should be difficult for them to move for the time being."
"Still, is it not always best to be wary of any contingency?"
"I can't argue with that."
"…More importantly, that man, Lev Lainur… he is certainly the opponent we believe him to be?"
"Most likely."
At that moment, Rita Rozay-en brought out a new set of Mystic Eyes, drawing the crowd's focus back toward her.
"The Mystic Eyes of Petrification! A direct succession from Medusa's Mystic Eyes, Cybele. These have been specially processed into a Mystic Code; even without a transplant, they can be utilized as long as the owner is registered. However, as a trade-off for safety, the output has been somewhat reduced, and one must be aware that the Mystic Code may be destroyed if pushed to its limit."
"Medusa's eyes, huh…"
"They're likely a significant downgrade compared to the real Medusa's."
While the genuine eyes of Medusa reached the rank of Jewel, these eyes were merely a Noble Color of the Sapphire rank. Having been processed into a Mystic Code, their potency had further weakened. Even if they represented the pinnacle of the Stagnation-type eyes, such a reduction in power was unavoidable.
"So, do you intend to kill that man now?"
"…What do you plan to do about Executor Karabo or your daughter?"
"My daughter is a member of the Burial Agency. For the sake of an evil that threatens to destroy the world, she can act whenever necessary."
"Can you persuade the Executor?"
"It would be futile if that man already used your enemy, Araya, to brainwash someone into making a preemptive strike. If it comes down to it, I will have to stake my position as a priest and my very life."
Kirei was advocating for removing Lev Lainur from the board right here and now.
Waver, who had been listening, nodded in agreement, and both men eventually turned their gaze toward me.
"…There's an obstacle. If we're going to act, we have to remove that first."
"What is it?"
"First… the Predictive Future Sight. The woman attending to Olga Marie Animusphere."
"I'll handle the Olga Marie side," Waver stepped forward and said.
"If I bring up the talk of the auction involving the Rainbow-rank eyes, even Trisha and Olga Marie won't be able to stay still. As for protection, that can be resolved with those familiars you summoned from the Animal Path… Above all, that young lady's skill in magecraft isn't entirely lacking."
"True. With your ability to stitch any words together into a coherent logic… you could probably even persuade someone with Predictive Future Sight."
"That sounded remarkably like an insult."
"It was a compliment… Next is the 'Snake' of the Department of Policies. How shall we deal with her?"
At that, suggestions popped out from Waver, Kadoc, and Daybit in turn.
"Throw her off the train."
"Couldn't we just abandon her?"
"Elimination to ensure silence."
"…Hey, why are you all so aggressive?"
"We went through a fair amount of trouble because of her at Adra. If it weren't for Kadoc and Daybit being there with me, I might have been framed as the culprit."
"You've certainly had a rough time."
In the end, everyone decided to ignore Adashino.
Why bother protecting a woman whose only confidence came from the backing of the Department of Policies? At least in my mind, there was no reason.
"Does Caren Hortensia possess any Mystic Codes?"
"She has the St. Shroud of Magdalene."
"Araya is male, and Flauros is a male-type entity, so she should be able to manage self-defense at the very least. Waver, I want you and Caren to protect the other passengers."
"I may lack strength, but I shall do so."
Just as Kirei was about to stand up, saying he should probably break the ice with Karabo, the train jolted once again, followed by a sudden burst of static.
Thinking it was just the second scheduled stop, the others prepared to rise, but the conductor's urgent voice blared through the cabin.
[An abnormality has occurred in the train's current course.]
"…What?"
As Jean-Mario, who had been loudly chatting away while admiring the Mystic Eyes, dropped his steak, the conductor's voice rang out again.
[We repeat. An abnormality has occurred in the train's current course. The Rail Zeppelin has deviated from its designated route. By our current estimation, we are expected to enter Aalsmeere Valestien in approximately two hours. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we request that all passengers ensure their own safety until the auction resumes. We repeat. The Rail Zeppelin has…]
* *
As Rita Rozay-en left the stage with a pale, frozen expression, those present began gathering in small groups to whisper or prepare themselves for the impending disaster.
"…Hey, Karma. Is 'Aalsmeere Valestien' the one I'm thinking of?"
"…It likely is. I didn't think crushing the Sea of Brambles would cause a monster like this to crawl out."
"Excuse me, but where exactly is Aalsmeere Valestien?"
When Kadoc asked curiously, Kirei rested a Black Key against the soundproofing Bounded Field Waver had set up and began a brief explanation.
"It is the territory of the Dead Apostle Ancestor, the White Wing Lord. It is classified as a top-tier land for leylines, and a magical ritual has been in progress there for decades. The Holy Church and the Mages' Association have both been monitoring it to seize the outcome of that ritual… though the situation became somewhat chaotic recently due to the calamities within the White Wing Lord's faction and the resurrection of the True Ancestor. Nevertheless, the Church is still keeping a close eye on that place."
"…And it is suspected to have some connection with the No. 1 of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors—The Dark Six."
"The Dead Apostle Ancestors… We certainly seem to get entangled with that name often. Still, I wonder if we can break through the White Wing Lord's territory with just this group."
"Even they wouldn't dare touch the Rail Zeppelin recklessly. But Karma, you seem to be bothered by something else."
As Kirei's sharp insight pierced through, I gave a faint nod.
"Yeah. For several reasons."
The No. 1 of the Dead Apostle Ancestors. Or perhaps the Sixth Ritual…
Setting aside older interpretations, in the current context, it was speculated that 'The Dark Six' shared a certain connection with the Evils of Humanity.
"It might be an Evil of Humanity."
"What… surely not something like Angra Mainyu…"
"It likely hasn't fully awakened. The ritual itself was a failure to begin with, and by now Arcueid, the Church, and perhaps even Merem have joined in the fray to wreck the place. But the fact that he is here…"
"I see. Lev Lainur Flauros… that's what you mean?"
While there seemed to be complex constraints, the King of Demon Gods was capable of awakening an Evil of Humanity, even if incompletely. And a terminal of his was currently on this train.
"…If we're unlucky, we might have to fight a Beast of Humanity without any Heroic Spirits."
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