The Beginning of Destruction (1)
Those who knew Havitz were aghast.
"An atrocity of the age."
That Satan had joined hands with Uorin meant the demon tribes were now under Kashan's control.
"Damn it."
A wave of tension swept through the gathered ranks.
"Havitz's ability is Vanishing. There's been a lot of research and analysis, but… the conclusion is, even if we know about it, we can't stop it."
"It's like letting dogs loose in a rabbit pen."
Of course, no one in the sanctuary thought of themselves as rabbits.
Lupist asked Shirone, "Did you know?"
"I had an inkling. But I didn't expect her to show herself so openly."
Shirone looked toward Uorin.
"What Havitz ultimately wants is the destruction of the world. Does she really want that?"
As if she'd heard the thought, Uorin turned her head toward Shirone.
"You finally see me." That alone stirred something in Shirone, though even without high gear, emotions could be hidden.
"What is the meaning of this?" Udrai, king of Corona, scolded her. "Empress of Kashan, at a time when you should be uniting the world and striving for peace among nations, you call Satan? Do you truly wish for humanity's annihilation?" It was a question everyone wanted answered.
"Of course not." Uorin smiled. "What we're doing now is a world war where every race vies for hegemony. Strategic alliances are basic, aren't they?"
"Do you really think that excuse will fly? This is a gathering of the top leaders of every nation. Who would attend while Satan is present?"
"That's why I'm introducing him like this."
When Uorin finished speaking, Havitz—who'd smoked Asker down to the butt—dismounted his horse.
"Grrk!"
Just his movement sent ripples through the Tormia and Corona guards.
"Vanishing is dangerous."
It wasn't simply disappearing.
There was no way to stop what happens outside everyone's perception.
"Havitz is here. Havitz is here." Even though they knew it was pointless, the guards forced themselves to etch his presence into their minds again and again.
"Well, an old acquaintance. The Empress of Kashan." Havitz said. "You should run a history check too. By the way, that woman made an intriguing proposal."
Concentration among the guards peaked.
"Havitz is here. Havitz is here."
"Come to think of it, I might have something to say at the Convocation. So—"
The moment Havitz turned his back, everyone in the procession, including the guards, blinked blankly.
"Havitz? What is that?"
As everyone else forgot Satan, only a few—Shirone among them—kept grave expressions.
"I'll make one proposal."
The scent of Asker lingered. Riding on Uorin's words, Havitz continued.
"Damn. Missed it!"
A few who'd realized belatedly shivered.
"I won't use Vanishing while attending the Convocation. Will you let me in then?"
King Pony spoke.
"Do you think we'd accept that? Even if we did, how could we verify you're keeping your promise?" Uorin asked.
"How about I stake my life on it?"
The moment she said it, the leadership of Tormia and Corona rustled.
Albino of the Thunder Legion ordered, "Find out if she has a daughter."
"Yes."
If a Mitochondria Eve had secretly given birth to a daughter, the empress's life would mean nothing.
As the think tanks busied themselves, Uorin gave a coy smile.
"Don't worry. I'm a maiden."
"Ehem. Ahem."
Older officials coughed.
"So you mean there are no other Mitochondria Eves. If I die, the Empress dies with me. If you want verification, I'll submit to formal procedures."
Gando's face darkened, and Kido, standing beside him, bared sharp teeth.
"Tch! Must we go this far?" Even if it was a necessary choice, allying with Havitz left a bad taste.
"He's the one who put you on your knees. You're the empress, supposedly the noblest among humans…" At least in Kido's eyes.
"Do you like that guy so much?" Shirone turned at the feeling of being watched and saw a goblin standing at the center of the guard.
"Kido."
A precious friend who'd endured hardship with him.
"Good to see you're holding up."
When Shirone greeted him with a smile, Kido slung his spear over his shoulder and snorted.
"You've grown more stalwart."
He'd heard endless tales about Yahweh.
"But I've come up in the world too."
Kido pointed to his captain's badge and shrugged; Shirone grinned.
"Ha ha."
Their gazes crossed briefly.
"I hope it goes well."
They walked different paths according to their beliefs, but they could still be friends. He wanted to believe that.
"Anyway, the decision will be made after the twelve nations convene."
Uorin continued, "For now, that's my proposal. We will take responsibility for and control Havitz's actions. If this rule is broken, I swear to lay down my life."
Udrai said, "I don't mean to disparage Kashan, but asserting that your life is worth more than the lives of eleven national leaders—isn't that a bit narcissistic?"
"Then what will you do? Will the eleven nations boycott the Convocation and exclude Kashan?" The Convocation was the supreme enterprise.
"I don't think anyone wants to scatter and bleed each other to death again. In that sense, Havitz's attendance, as the head of the demon tribes, lends a sort of legitimacy. If you can't accept it—"
Uorin said coldly, "We will release Havitz. Let him go free."
"...Am I a beast?" Havitz muttered. Shirone's gaze cooled.
"This is the biggest problem."
He was not someone who could be controlled from the start.
"Even if not Kashan, Havitz could attend the Convocation. The other nations' leaders would've run simulations and prepared countermeasures," Shirone thought, as he had trained the wizards.
"So the discomfort isn't that it's Havitz, but that Kashan preempted the demons. It's the irritation of someone else breaking a taboo you couldn't break because of face."
The balance of power was tilting toward Kashan.
"On that matter…" Udrai began heavily. "We should collect the opinions of the eleven nations. Raise an official objection at the Convocation."
When Corona, stronghold of tradition, stepped back, Uorin bowed lightly.
"Thank you for your consideration. Then—"
Kashan's procession turned their horses, and as if by agreement, Tormia and Corona fell back to either side.
"Kashan Empire! Inner gate, enter!"
Hearing the shout of the general guarding the gate, Albino laughed heartily.
"Har har! Right off the bat we got a hit. As expected, the Empress is no pushover."
Rai didn't look pleased. "This isn't something to laugh about. The ability Havitz used just now is on a different level than what we'd heard."
Rai's sense of unease showed how sharp his perception was. "The risk of an assassination attempt on a king is now a realistic figure. Set the alert level to maximum."
"Calm down. The royal guard is the king's strength; getting too worked up loses dignity."
"Better to be alert than to have your head fall. Other nations will be no different."
"Hmm."
Albino twirled his beard. "Perhaps that's Tormia's strength."
"Yes?"
"It's just that."
He brushed off Rai's question, then his expression went cold.
"Pony can die."
Unlike other nations, Tormia wasn't highly dependent on its monarch.
"Smart but politically unreliable. Even if King Pony is killed by Havitz, Tormia won't easily crumble. But other countries—"
They were different.
Especially the Kashan Empire, where Uorin was effectively everything.
"Hard to penetrate, but once breached, it collapses uncontrollably. That's Kashan."
Albino's lips curled. "A maiden."
Who would have thought the phrase "biological purity" would come from the mouth of a Mitochondria Eve.
"Heh. The Empress of Kashan is in quite a hurry."
Her single-eyed glare, copied from Iruki, shot sharp daggers.
"All right, where shall we strike first?"
Kashan's procession had fully passed, and Tormia and Corona faced off.
Shirone said, "We should yield."
Lupist agreed. "Corona has deep ties with Shirone. It's not a good idea to pretend otherwise."
King Pony, knowing his role, spoke. "The Ivory Tower stood against humanity's crisis. I believe Corona's deployment is a decision made for a great cause. Tormia respects that and will give way."
Udrai replied, "As I'd heard, you are a sage king. Declining here would be to accept only half of King Pony's courtesy, so I'll swallow my pride and go first."
They returned action for action with excessive praise — largely out of consideration for Shirone.
"You don't want to get on the bad side of the Five Great Stars. The faction fights in the Ivory Tower aren't minor."
Many stars had agreed to Shing's new world proposal, but Yahweh's influence remained strong.
As proof, even the stars attending the Convocation couldn't hide their awkwardness.
On the way to the inner gate, Rampa's satellite Chongi spotted Shirone and bowed his head. "Ah, Great Star. Good day—"
Rampa stopped him. "Don't be reckless. We're here as Corona's think tank. Refrain from private interactions."
"Reckless?"
"How so? My eyes met the Great Star's." Chongi knew better.
The Ivory Tower's stars were transnational entities; if a satellite respected someone, you couldn't blame him. But this time was different.
"We declared neutrality and left the Ivory Tower. Showing special feelings for Yahweh here risks politicizing the Tower as well."
Rampa mentally apologized. "I'm sorry, Great Star. Later, please scold this old man for me."
Of course Shirone understood, and when Chongi averted his gaze, Shirone accepted it calmly.
"Rampa. Chongi. Tsuoi. Muso. the Ten of Mado. All belong to the System Oversight Department."
No stars or satellites from other departments were visible.
"Rampa is the three-star head of the System Oversight Department. He probably couldn't hold out in the power struggle among the Great Stars. Choosing neutrality, then…" The nuance was delicate.
"Thank you."
Even the same neutrality, Rampa's defection hit Shing's side hardest.
"Rampa's resolution balanced things. But on the other hand, it shows how tense the power struggle inside the Ivory Tower is. I should probably see it for myself…"
Shirone's thoughts were interrupted when he recognized a familiar face in Corona's procession.
"Armin."
Armin of the Radiant Light walked with Keira.
"That's right. The Ivory Tower isn't just stars. The residents' abilities are top-class too."
Thirty-two percent of the world's hundred most dangerous people belonged to the Ivory Tower.
"The Guido lot."
Card players and experts—names that even casual listeners recognized—streamed on endlessly.
"Intellect."
The country of intellect.
"Corona Kingdom! Inner gate, enter!"