Pendragon's Infinity Gauntlet

Page 199

Tsuchimikado said this, concluding his explanation.

"That's very likely, what do you mean?"

"This hypothesis... is very strong, but it has several... contradictions, and these problems must be overcome, meow."

What could that be? Jing Shen frowned.

Tsuchimikado continued:

“Listen carefully, Pure God… The so-called ‘Apostolic Cross’ is something of great importance to Peter, one of the twelve apostles… who first created the ‘Primitive Church’ after the death of the ‘Son of God’… Of course, the initial opportunity to use this power to create the Roman Catholic Church was… ‘when Peter died’ or afterward.”

Tsuchimikado says that Peter was executed in the mid-first century, Constantine the Great recognized Christianity, St. Peter's Basilica was completed in the first half of the fourth century, and the Frankish kings actually ceded the territory in the eighth century, so there is a considerable time gap between the two.

Even so, the initial erection of a "cross in memory of Peter," followed by the declaration that "this land is Peter's legacy," marked the beginning of the long road to establishing the Roman Catholic Church, the core of a major denomination with two billion believers, all after Peter's execution.

"Well, the 'Apostolic Cross' was originally a cross used on tombs. It was probably made before the cathedral was even completed. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"The date used for the 'Apostolic Cross'...and the constellations are important, I agree on both points. But...Peter died...on June 29th. The season is different now...and the sky looks different...You should at least have heard of...summer and winter constellations, right? Also, the constellations visible in the skies of Japan and the Vatican are different due to latitude and longitude. The Vatican on June 29th is different from...the Japanese sky in late September. If this problem can't be overcome, the constellation theory can't stand, meow..."

In other words, the Apostle Cross cannot be used during this season?

Jing Shen frowned slightly.

"But what if we ignore the seasonal constellations when using the 'Apostolic Cross'?"

"Jing Shen, you want to... use a DC electric shaver... what if you used AC?"

"..."

"I don't know the extent of the damage... but at least... it'll be impossible for it to operate smoothly. If that's not the case, then there's no point in specifically including it in the 'conditions of use'... such an important item, isn't there?"

"...Then why did Orianna and the others bring in unusable spirit equipment...?"

"I don't know... there might be conditions to overcome this... meow. Damn it, there's not enough time... to think it through properly right now."

time.

Hearing this, Jing Shen became aware of the limitations of himself and others.

"Assuming Orianna and the others need to wait for a constellation to appear in the night sky in order to use the 'Apostle Cross,' is the time limit for activating that cross still sunset?"

"Not immediately. Depending on the constellation being used, it might take until all the stars from first to third magnitude are clearly visible, meow. Right now..."

Perhaps because the phone call went on for so long, it's now almost 4 PM. Sunset in late September is usually before 7 PM. Because the first star begins to shine before sunset, depending on the situation, it can be dangerous after 6 PM.

In other words, Oriana must be found within the next two to three hours. No, the "Apostolic Cross" may not necessarily be in Oriana's possession. Under these circumstances, the only option is to force him to reveal Lidovia Lorenzetti's whereabouts and then arrest Lidovia.

Time is running out.

There was no guarantee that they could capture Oriana, and the fact that they had to find Lidovia made it even more difficult.

"I feel like we're still missing a decisive blow... Anyway, let's move out of here. I'll retrace my steps... along the path Oriana has taken before? Search for commonalities in astrology... If things go smoothly... perhaps we can find out where Oriana is targeting next..."

"Wait...wait a minute! Is it alright for you to act in this situation?"

"This... situation? What?... Jing Shen, what kind of situation do you think I am, meow?"

Tsuchimikado said, feigning calmness.

On the other end of the phone, a fool covered in wounds yet still talking with a crooked mouth, appeared before his eyes. Besides magic, Tsuchimikado possessed the ability to regenerate flesh, but it was only a Level 0 ability with no power. While having it was better than not having it, it wasn't a convenient ability to erase wounds with an eraser.

The goddess of purity intended to say something, but she knew that nothing she said would make a difference.

"...I understand. So what should we do during this time?"

Well, just before Tsuchimikado was about to make his suggestion...

Behind the demon-slaying ritual, a fourth voice suddenly came from behind.

"…Jing Shen, what are you doing here?"

-

The automatic bus stopped at the parking lot.

Oriana Townsend, like the other passengers, glanced around quietly.

This wasn't a normal brief stop for getting on or off. The bus's AI, controlling it, made an emergency stop due to overloading. It seems that additional passengers boarded the already crowded bus, causing it to reach its limit.

A male voice came through the car's loudspeaker. It sounded like it had been pre-recorded; the intonation was monotone and devoid of emotion.

"We apologize, but for safety reasons, this vehicle has come to an emergency stop. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause to our passengers."

Chapter 357 Encountered Again

Chapter 357

The specific solution wasn't explained. If no one gets off midway, the weight limit issue cannot be resolved. Of course, if someone is willing to give up their luggage, that's a different story.

Oriana decided to get off the bus obediently.

I got out of the comfortable air-conditioned car and walked onto the asphalt road under the bright sun.

Rather than staying in a car that might not start for a while, it might be better to look for other transportation.

He then walked down the street. There was probably a large arena nearby, as there were quite a lot of people. The stalls around him were selling cheering equipment such as megaphones and round fans.

After Oriana could no longer see the parking lot,

(Oh dear, it seems Kanzaki Mizuori didn't come.)

He let out a soft breath.

(I've already confirmed whether anyone's following me. The word cards specifically for dealing with saints seem useless. They don't seem to have much effect on ordinary magicians either... So who's going to satisfy my unfulfilled desires? Oh well, I might run into a saint again in my long life.)

At that moment, Oriana recalled the black-haired boy whose upper body had been mutilated. Along with the severed flesh, the male student whose hidden cross had also been destroyed.

(...)

Oriana looked at the vocabulary book in her hand.

Oriana tore off the word card as if biting into something bitter, activating a communication spell. This was a spell to transmit imagined things between each other; Oriana sent out a scene that appeared in his mind.

"Libovia".

I know what you're trying to say.

The person being communicated with is Lidovia Lorenzetti.

However, what he directly heard in his mind was not the constantly interrupted method of speaking.

"The boy you're dealing with is just an ordinary person."

A tone of certainty.

"boom!!!"

Oriana kicked the ground hard.

Although he knew that doing so might attract attention, it was almost a reflex action.

(Not just once, but twice by mistake...!!)

The cold words resonated through Oriana's gritted teeth.

"The investigation report on the previous alchemist incident included a name and a photo. His name was Himegami Akiha. Although he possessed very important power, he was not a magician. The Colt cross was to seal off special power; it was merely a magical artifact given to him by another magician and had no offensive capabilities. To avoid misunderstandings, the Anglican Church had formally communicated with him."

Kanzaki Mizuori's intelligence was indeed a bluff.

Moreover, the boy who was previously mistaken for an enemy turned out to have no connection with British taxation.

"...the worst-case scenario."

"This is truly the worst-case scenario. We attacked ordinary people who had absolutely no connection to this matter, and twice at that. While the interference of hostile mages during the first competition was one of the reasons, this time it was purely our fault."

Lidovia said in a resolute voice:

“We took action against the people we should have protected.”

This is indeed the voice of a nun preaching to the ignorant.

"The ones we should reach out to are not the saintly gentlemen who have everything they need, but the lost sinners in need of redemption. This is what the 'Son of God' said when he dined with Matthew, the tax collector whom everyone disliked. We have violated this principle, and do you know what that means?"

"..."

Oriana fell silent.

Lidovia's words were not only uninterrupted, but also without a single question. From beginning to end, it was a voice speaking solely according to the Bible's ordinance, a voice that allowed no interference whatsoever, and—

"We cannot make the same mistake twice. For the sake of those who have been hurt, we must be careful and use the 'Apostolic Cross' to dominate Academy City."

His tone showed no hesitation.

Even if there are many negative factors, we must completely transform them into positive ones, Lidovia Lorenzetti continued with this feeling.

He both reflected on his actions and felt regret...

Lidovia must be even more heartbroken than Oriana right now.

But he would transform this pain into motivation. Understanding the meaning of the word "trial," no matter how painful it was, he would use this opportunity to speed up, therefore Lidovia would not stop. From birth to death, he would absolutely not stop.

Oriana suddenly felt a chill down her back.

It wasn't because of the difference in their strength, but because of the fundamental "difference" between them.

"Really……"

So Oriana asked the unwavering Xiu Nan:

"...If that's the case, everything will go smoothly, right? Once we bring Academy City under our control, all the problems will be solved, won't they?"

-

"...Demon Slayer, what are you doing here?"

Fang Cun was startled when he saw Jing Shen. He turned around in a panic and saw a boy in a cheerleader uniform standing in front of him.

He's holding colorful balls in both hands now. The calico cat, wrapped in the balls, probably hates the feeling of the plastic fur and is struggling slightly.

He tilted his head slightly.

His head was tilted slightly, but his eyebrows were furrowed as if he were angry.

(Oh no...! Our school, and next up is the arena nearby!?)

Outside Academy City, many mages are lurking, waiting for their chance. They come from different countries and organizations, and these mages frequently perform spells to detect the flow of magical energy within a one-kilometer radius of Index: A Certain Magical Index.

The detection technique allows them to immediately step into the academy city the moment they sense a certain magical power.

Furthermore, not all of those people will necessarily prioritize resolving the incidents caused by Oriana and Lidovia. The opposing factions in Academy City might use this opportunity to engage in various acts of sabotage.

"Hey, why aren't you with your classmates? Everyone's looking for you. We're all heading to the next 'arena' now." Index A Certain Scientific Railgun asked, as if searching for something. "It seems like you participated in a match this morning, but you didn't participate at all this afternoon. Why?"

The tone of the voice from the Forbidden Book Index, while reproachful, lacked its usual cheerfulness and excitement. A growing suspicion crept into the boy's innocent expression, as if something bad had happened.

It's probably based on past experience with the Pure God always interfering in matters arbitrarily.

Fang Cun quietly took a step back, and after listening to a couple of sentences from the side, he instantly understood. So what if he encountered a harem? He's a master at picking up girls... no, I mean, he's a master at picking up guys!

(That guy, Oriana, seems to have gone far away. He didn't seem to get off at the nearby stop!?)

The Pure Spirit's mind raced with thoughts. She now wished that Oriana, whom she was trying to catch, would run even further away; she was distressed by this ironic situation.

"..."

Chapter 358 Flag

Chapter 358

On the other end of the phone, pressed against his ear, Tsuchimikado silently watched how things would develop, while Jōjin looked ahead and into the distance to check for any automated buses.

"Hey, Demon Slayer, where did Akiha and Komoe go? Aren't they with you?"

Hearing his voice, Jing Shen couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine.

(By the way, Tyr and Teacher Komoe are using magic to heal Himekami...!?)

Her movements froze.

It's only about a kilometer from here to the scene over there. I wonder how things are now?

"Ah...ah. I heard that the operations committee is short-staffed, so they went over there to help. That's strange, I thought they were sending emails to the students in the class."

"e-mail?"