[739] Toward the Stars (3)
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Minerva calling the Corona Kingdom the terrace of the Ivory Tower was no exaggeration.
A tower four hundred and sixty-eight floors high—the product of magic, law, and engineering—and it even had perfect stealth that no creature could reach on its own.
Shirone watched the view outside the elevator without a trace of excitement until the sky's color darkened.
Minerva asked in a dry tone, "You're not very surprised, are you?"
This was his first time seeing it with his eyes, but the feeling he returned with from the realm of omnipotence left him composed.
"I don't know. It's wondrous, but not… particularly—"
"Huuuu."
Minerva blew a breath into his ear. Shirone jumped back in alarm.
"What are you doing all of a sudden?"
"No, your KAR was so low I thought your personality had vanished. I wondered if you might be a psychopath."
Shirone fumbled at his ear, flustered. "Of course not. And what does blowing air into someone's ear have to do with being a psychopath?"
"You say that? I don't understand it."
The moment he met Minerva's eyes, Shirone felt his heart burn away.
'This is…'
Nothing in the world could press on Shirone—who had mastered the scale of the universe—by mere emotion alone.
'This isn't just killing intent. It's killing itself.'
How many lives would someone have to end with their own hands to convey a feeling like this?
The fear-pheromones that creatures exhale at the moment of death clung to Minerva like an indelible stench.
"Now you finally see me."
She had tried countless times since the Corona Kingdom but had never been able to make a supersensual being tense—until now.
That was why, at this moment, she was at a hundred percent.
If anyone other than Shirone had been in that elevator, they would already be dead from shock.
"Why didn't you accept it?"
For the first time, the smile vanished from Shirone's face.
"I don't want to fight. You wouldn't understand."
When Mirac Minerva once shook the world with terror, her epithet had been Death.
Not an official record, but she had been the human who had killed the most in human history.
"Right. You'll never understand me."
A witch has no persona, and therefore no taboos.
"The best way for me to solve a problem is to remove the problem. If the conflict between Nane and me is the issue, killing both of you would fix it. Or at least one of you."
A simple solution.
"But I couldn't. If the probability of killing you had been even fifty-one percent, I would have carried it out in Corona."
She judged it wasn't even that high.
"The stars have clear wills. They don't want armed conflict, but it happens sometimes. Before I go to Tae-seong, there's one last thing I want to check."
Minerva's broom-sweeper shuddered loudly.
"Forgive me."
The aura of death rising from Minerva swelled inside the elevator like it might tear the cabin apart.
'Death.'
She had never counted how many she had killed.
By population density estimates, the number of humans she'd slain was roughly forty-two million.
Forty-two million pheromones—collectible only from beings facing death—hit Shirone full on.
Could he forgive her?
He might not be able to accept that he should—he might vomit blood and collapse first.
"Yahweh."
Shirone drew Minerva into a warm light embrace.
"We've arrived."
On the Ivory Tower's final floor, the one that led to the Great Earth Temple, the stars who'd spoken with Tae-seong waited for the elevator.
When the elevator, having sped through dozens of floors in an instant, slowly came to a stop before them, Tzuoi stepped forward.
"Congratulations. I never thought you'd become a star."
Since the Tormia Kingdom had once greatly dampened Shirone's presence, it seemed fitting that she should be the one to welcome him.
"Guh!"
As the elevator doors slid open, the blood drained from Tzuoi's face.
When the scent of a great catastrophe leaked out, the other stars gave little sounds of dismay.
"This is… Black Death, isn't it?"
It was like the black magic Fermi had used in the graduation exam, but on an entirely different scale.
'Who on earth would do such a thing?'
Inside the elevator stood Shirone and Minerva side by side, as Ruber watched.
"Minerva, when did you arrive?"
Minerva, stepping out first, did not look pleased.
She scanned the surroundings with cold eyes; no one dared meet her gaze.
'This person called Death…'
Just the smell that came off her made spines chill.
"Wait a moment—"
Seeing Minerva for the first time, Tzuoi glanced at Shirone in astonishment.
'You took an elevator alone with someone like that?'
Shirone's expression wasn't exactly pleasant either, but there was no trace of the fear she inspired.
Noe's projection watched expressionlessly as dream-form Ruber slowly approached and asked, "Long time no see, Minerva. But such murderous magic inside the Ivory Tower—"
"This settles it."
Minerva cut Ruber off, throwing a brief glare at Shirone before turning.
"The Humanity Safety Enforcement Division will kill Nane."
Shirone forgave Minerva.
"Come, Noe."
Her direct subordinate Noe nodded and followed behind Minerva.
"What on earth is that all about—"
Tzuoi muttered in disbelief. Shirone smiled and stepped forward.
"Good to see you again."
Through Tae-seong's ability Gaia, they already knew Shirone had reached the realm of Infinity.
'But this is…'
It felt like a newborn suddenly becoming an adult in the blink of an eye.
"You really are the kid from back then?"
Even then Shirone had been a world-renowned prospect, but by Tzuoi's standards he fell far short.
"He was the same height back then, though?"
"Don't joke! How can this be? You reached this level and still couldn't stop Nane?"
That had been one of Minerva's puzzles as well.
"Exactly."
Nane's strength could only be known by those who had faced him, so Shirone had no way to explain.
"Well met, Shirone. Do you remember me?"
At the sight of dream-form Ruber, Shirone narrowed his eyes but showed no strong emotional reaction.
"You're a resident of the Ivory Tower."
"You're working at the Integrated Universe Administration now. The stars have no formal ranks, but leaders are needed. From now on, you'll likely follow my orders."
Mahagaruta of the Integrated Universe Administration—formerly one of the Five Great Stars—had attained enlightenment, creating the vacancy.
"Hello. I'm Mini of the Twelves."
Mini, who had been perched on Borbor's head, straightened and waved both tiny hands.
"I'm a two-star, and I major in Scale magic."
Mini's size made her rank obvious, but the scale Shirone now occupied was Infinite.
To Mini, Shirone had reached the pinnacle of the discipline; despite being on the same star, her eyes shone with longing.
"When I heard from Tae-seong, my heart raced. If you could teach me your secret—"
"There isn't much time."
Ruber cut in; Mini fell silent at once.
"Nane will liberate the entire altar within forty-eight hours. Make sure you receive the star title from Tae-seong before that."
"If it's that urgent, shouldn't you deal with Nane first?"
At the Ivory Tower, where the world's top mages gathered, where earning a five-star title was at stake, Shirone remained indifferent.
Ruber smiled kindly, as if he'd expected that.
"Of course, but filling the vacancy among the Five Great Stars is just as urgent. Tae-seong will think the same. Come with me."
Since this was an Integrated Universe Administration event, residents from other departments dispersed.
Walking beside Ruber at the top of the Ivory Tower, Shirone glanced down at the sounds from below.
"Huff! Huff!"
Mini had leapt from Borbor and sprinted at full speed to follow behind Shirone.
"You okay? You look tired."
"Ah, it's—if I release my scale I get too big. Don't worry. I'm fast when I run."
Shirone knelt on one knee and held out his palm.
"Sit here. Let's go together."
Ruber shot a sharp look, but Mini couldn't contain her burning desire.
"Well then, pardon my impertinence."
Mini settled onto Shirone's palm with a mischievous grin. Ruber shook his head and resumed walking.
"By the way… I thought I'd be able to choose which department to work in."
According to Arte he'd met before, the Ivory Tower had five departments, and residents typically chose one based on their philosophy.
"Usually that's true. But the Five Great Stars are an exception. It's more accurate to say the departments don't matter there."
Mini added, "The Integrated Universe Administration is more like a command center among the Tower's departments. It mediates Tae-seong's opinions on proposals from the other four departments."
"Mahagaruta worked closest to Tae-seong. You don't have to be exactly the same, but—"
At the top of the Ivory Tower, Ruber turned to Shirone and pointed upward.
"You should at least know how to get up there."
When Shirone looked up, all he saw beyond the glass ceiling was a bluish expanse—space.
"Somewhere up there is Tae-seong?"
"You can't approach without Tae-seong's permission. Mahagaruta was the only one ever granted free entry. Now you'll have to prove your qualification."
Because it was space, not sky, even mages couldn't simply fly up.
'I can go.'
But that wasn't the whole truth.
'Being able to enter freely means Tae-seong doesn't have to open the gate.'
Putting Mini down, Shirone said, "I'll be back."
Yahweh's light gathering in his hand meant that all the world's information lay on his palm.
"Open."
At that short word, Shirone's body turned to light and vanished.
"Wow, this is—"
Mini's eyes widened; Ruber nodded as if he'd guessed something.
"This is not a Buddha who wields righteousness. It's as if all things in the world are willing to abandon truth for him."
That was why it was a miracle.
This universe loved Shirone enough to deny the existing law.
"How can that be?"
Ruber looked up.
"Because he gave everything first, I suppose."
Great Earth Temple.
Shirone arrived at Tae-seong's sanctuary by crossing space and looked around with calm eyes.
A woman with star-filled eyes and an innocent, pure face descended the stairs in flowing white robes.
"You're here, Hexa."
Sadness touched Shirone's gaze.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't call you my child."
All life born from the stars might be Tae-seong's children, but Shirone was an exception.
"Is there any creature more pitiable than you? Think of this universe as your parent."
The hand Tae-seong used to stroke Shirone's cheek was cold, but it didn't feel unkind.
"So, how does it feel to be a god?"
Probably meant as a light joke, but after experiencing Andre's nineteen thousand worlds, Shirone could not smile.
"There's something I want to know."
A troubled look crossed Tae-seong's face.
"Am I a user—a player?"
This was the truth beyond Infinity.
"Or am I a ghost that exists only within the system?"