Volume 9 Chapter 59 White Vs Gray, Part Two
The white-stained library seemed to absorb all sound like a tree, with the only moving figure being Eris Philin Centraris reigning as queen.
"Hurry up and come out. Neither of us wants to waste time."
Vice Ornette appeared from the gaps in the forest, ash spilling from him.
Blood seeped from his clothes, creating a patchy pattern on the ash-covered ground.
Eris used the Spiritual Penetration Art (Shinrei). The outcome was expected.
However, being exceptional magicians, they both saw a different result.
Eris's 'Shinrei' was perfected as magic.
At a much higher level than Vice's.
Vice marveled internally at whether these were the Four Heroes.
There would be no magician surpassing her in the Sarnold Empire.
"Impressive, Eris Philin Centraris."
"Yes, thank you."
As thorns were conjured with words, Vice blocked them with an ash shield. However, the thorns pierced through easily, penetrating Vice's shoulder and leg.
"I wonder if you can't use 'Shinrei' without an army. The outcome won't change either way."
Vice's 'General (Ash General)' was a magic specialized in enhancing his own army, not for solo combat.
Even if 'Shinrei' were activated in the current state, the result was clear.
Against the perfected 'Everlasting Garden,' breaking through with ash weapons was impossible.
There was that much of a difference between Vice and Eris.
Still, Vice couldn't retreat.
It wasn't about warrior's pride. Fighting Eris was for a different reason.
"Indeed, your magic is beautifully strong. Even if I were to challenge you properly, there would be no chance of winning."
"Then, as a general, why not graciously admit defeat? My business is not with you."
"That's not possible. Eris Philin Centraris, I cannot admit defeat to you alone."
Eris narrowed her eyes in puzzlement.
Indeed, Glaive, Eris's mentor, and Vice had been long-standing enemies. While it was understandable to be viewed as an enemy, the murky emotions in Vice's eyes couldn't be explained by that alone.
Vice twisted his mouth into a smile.
Eris could clearly see what Vice was thinking.
Even if she explained, he wouldn't understand.
Vice himself was aware that these feelings were selfish.
Eris Philin Centraris was a curse.
* * *
Finn Canatilla Sarnold, Vice's master, was born with the true name Fiona.
'Look, Vice, isn't she adorable? My beloved angel.'
Saying so, that woman held Fiona, laughing. Her crimson hair was always neatly combed, and she often sang lullabies she composed herself.
Fiona's mother was of common birth. Born as the daughter of a wealthy merchant, she had been active as a theater singer when she caught the eye of the emperor.
Being noticed by the emperor was a euphemism.
In reality, she was toyed with for a night and happened to get pregnant. That was all.
She was a theater Madonna, popular even among some nobles. To prevent the scandal from worsening, the emperor, who disliked bad rumors, had her reside in the castle in name only.
A spacious room, luxurious meals, handmaidens, and knights as guards. Even if it was in name only, she was given many things.
She was intelligent. Understanding her luck well, she didn't show off and lived quietly with Fiona.
Fiona received her mother's love and grew up to be a cheerful and innocent daughter.
Their protection was one of the tasks assigned to Vice. Due to her common birth, it was a job imposed with mockery.
But Vice liked seeing the happy faces of the two.
It seemed to symbolize that the country he protected was at peace.
'Vice, Vice, I want to hear stories from outside! You're not busy today, right?'
Dressed in a lovely dress, with golden hair that bore no resemblance to her mother's, Fiona, who was charming to everyone, begged Vice to tell her stories about the city and the nature outside the country.
Above all, she wanted to hear about the 'heroes.'
The heroic tale that Fiona's mother told her before bedtime seemed dazzling to Fiona.
Fiona listened with great interest to Vice's story, while that person watched over her.
It was a peaceful time like a dream.
Yes, until that time came.
'Is it true that girl has acquired magic to manipulate space?'
The Emperor, accompanied by imperial guards, visited Vice.
It was unknown who leaked the information. Who it touched and whose strings it struck were also unknown.
What mattered was that the fact was significant enough to move the Emperor.
At that time, Vice was unaware.
Fiona's appearance and magic matched the characteristics of the Saint hidden by the church. Information that only the church should know was known by the Sarnold Empire.
And the existence of the Saint could become a joker against the church with overwhelming authority.
The Emperor took that woman with him.
Vice could not help but imagine how she, who had the potential to give birth to a new Saint candidate, would be treated.
He begged to at least let him see her once, and after several years passed, he was given a wooden box.
Inside the box was a cluster of red hair.
He couldn't bear it alone. The truth could not be hidden.
He put it in a luxurious box, added a lie about falling ill, and handed the hair to Fiona.
But Fiona was as wise as her mother.
With her mother not returning and herself being confined to the castle, she immediately realized that her fate had changed.
And from that moment on, whenever Vice went to see her, she would always ask:
'When will the hero come to rescue me?'
The heroic tale left by her mother.
The fact that the hero appeared for the God-Demon War was a topic even within the castle.
Yes, if the hero Fiona had heard about was the one, he would surely have come to rescue the imprisoned princess in the castle.
But reality was different.
The hero was called to the enemy country, the Centraris Kingdom, where the continent's greatest prodigy, Eris Philin Centraris, resided nearby.
The hero would never set foot in the Sarnold Empire.
Yet, she could not convey that fact.
'Yes, eventually.'
'Yes. I look forward to it.'
At that moment, Fiona would smile because of that. In the midst of despair, the appearance of the hero was a beacon of hope.
Even if hope was crushed, leaving behind a deeper darkness, Vice continued to lie.
And when the God-Demon War ended, and rumors reached Fiona's ears that the hero had been summoned to the heavens, she broke down.
'Why?! Why?! Why won't he come to help me?! Mother, why, why, why, why?!'
Her long imprisonment had steadily eroded her mind, and the disappearance of the hero was the final blow.
From that moment on, Fiona changed her name to Finn Canatilla Sarnold and, using her magic and talent, rose to the heart of the castle.
She sacrificed everything, herself, the Sarnold Empire, the hero, to bring about their destruction.
Vice looked at Eris again.
A pure-blooded royal, a hero who traveled with the hero and accomplished great deeds.
Her power was beautifully refined.
If even one of the threads of fate had been twisted, Fiona might have had a similar future.
"You cannot defeat me."
"What are you talking about? You look like you've been through a lot already."
Vice raised his bloodied arm.
His words were true now.
Against Eris Philin Centraris, Vice Ornette could not win against Fiona.
Because...
"Because I am not insane."
Blood spilled from Vice, staining the ashes and forming geometric patterns. His 'Shinrei' was originally a military enhancement.
But the mad Vice, along with Fiona, twisted even the essence of magic.
This was an expression of anger and hatred.
It whispered to the saved, the resentment of those who were not saved.
"Spiritual Penetration Art - 'Negative Ash General'"
What appeared behind Vice was a giant skull.
But it took shape for just a moment. The dark blue ashes blew towards Eris.
"That's not the kind of Shinrei you'd expect from a general."
At the pinnacle of magic, Eris did not falter in the face of the manifestation of the spritual penetration art magic. Her absolute trust in magic itself.
But that trust became her downfall.
No matter how perfect one's magic may be, it cannot defeat twisted magic.
They are not on the same level.
Eris used the "Mist Lord" and deployed a thorough defense.
The 'Negative Ash General' gently blew towards the impenetrable maze, where the spellcaster could never reach.
In terms of momentum alone, it was a much weaker attack than before.
But this ash was not just ordinary ash.
Symbolizing the end, it dragged everything it touched into the abyss of destruction.
The 'Mist Lord' withered away.
The thorn forest was invaded by ash, turning a bluish-black color and crumbling.
And the fallen plants all emerged as new negative ashes.
Such a technique cannot be used in war. It engulfs even one's own forces, leaving behind only a contaminated land of ash.
It is not a battle but a merciless massacre of soul-piercing.
An answer that those raised with proper morals and ethics can never reach.
Therefore, a sane individual cannot defeat a mad one.
Eris swung her rapier, aiming directly at Vice and released thorns.
But it never reached him. It crumbled into ash before making contact.
"Die, Eris Philin Centraris. No matter how beautiful something may be, it will eventually decay."
The white forest, the library, everything was covered by negative ashes, and the curtain of silence fell.
"Fiona-sama, let's go together. Even if it leads to destruction, I will――"
At that moment, Vice caught sight of red hair in his vision.
It was all too familiar, belonging to that woman.
"Ah, Helena-sama."
She smiled. The same gentle smile as back then.
"Please forgive me. I couldn't guide Fiona onto the right path."
So at least, let us walk together until the end.
It was the only way he could atone for not being able to save them.
'It's okay, Vice. It's okay now.'
Helena's voice echoed in his mind.
In response, Vice realized something.
Helena's red hair had turned crimson.
And her face, her body, everything returned to reality as if glitching.
"I wonder if you had a good dream, Vice Ornette."
Eris stood before him.
And her rapier, held in her hand, pierced Vice's heart accurately.
The once bluish-black eroded land was now pure white.
At that moment, Vice understood what had been done to him.
"...Poison... you... poisoned me..."
"Yes. My 'Everlasting Garden' can also produce poison. When it comes to the 'Sign' class, the durability is on a different level, so I've included components that allow for pleasant dreams. It's ironic, isn't it? magicians who are greedy for ideals end up drowning in a fleeting paradise."
In other words, the outcome was decided from the beginning. Whether the wound was inflicted at that moment or if it had been scattered from the start.
Vice couldn't even call upon his shinrei, unaware that he was already losing.
He coughed up a clot of blood and words.
"...A princess of a kingdom... consorting with... a heretic..."
In the wars among the human races of Asteris, there are rules.
The use of magic like poison and disease is heavily restricted. These magics that easily and indiscriminately take many lives produce unnecessary harm.
This becomes a significant constraint in the God-Demon War.
Therefore, those who study such magics are shunned as heretics even among magicians.
Eris was well aware of this.
Being seen as a heretic, facing condemnation. In some cases, international punishment was also considered.
Is that the extent of the drawbacks?
"Have you ever fought against a Lord? The King of Plagues? The Disaster? The Demon King?"
"..."
"You probably haven't. You can't continue fighting them with proper ethics."
Eris didn't just dabble in poison magic. In order to defeat the Demon King, she had taken on numerous dirty tasks.
"Let me enlighten you."
With a swift thrust into his chest, Eris pulled Vice closer, her face coming right next to his.
Her eyes held the same light as Fiona's, a sight he had seen many times before.
"A woman standing beside a hero cannot be sane."
The rapier was pulled out, blood gushing out.
Vice, who lost support, collapsed into ashes.
"Helena...sama..."
"I can't say that I hate men who cling on... it's not something I can say."
Thorns wrapped Vice's body and dragged it into the ashes.
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