Part Two, Section One: “Saints And Devils”
Chapter Fifty
“A devil named Asmodeus is trying to resurrect Great Saint Fiana? What does that mean exactly…?”
Exorcist Elsa explained that the purpose of the mysterious disappearances was to attempt the resurrection of the Great Saint, utilizing the magic power of young women and my body. However, thinking rationally, I found it hard to believe in the idea of reviving someone who passed away several hundred years ago.
“Do you know about the concept of reincarnation, Great Saint?”
“Of course. As taught by the doctrines of the Clamu religion, our souls undergo transmigration. Even after the body perishes, the soul does not vanish, taking residence in a new life, and this cycle repeats eternally.”
The circle of reincarnation was a fundamental teaching of the Clamu religion, the denomination to which we, saints, belong. The body was merely a vessel for the soul, and even in death, it merely transitioned to the next vessel. Memories might fade away, but the soul itself was eternally immortal.
“Well then, do you know where Fiana’s soul is? Even though she has passed away, her soul should still be existing, undergoing reincarnation, right?”
“Yes. But there is no way to definitely know the whereabouts of the soul of the deceased―”
I heard that Fiana, the first saint, was a possessor of magic power beyond human comprehension. Even someone like her, however, was not exempt from the laws of reincarnation. Yet, it was impossible to pinpoint the location of a soul. Just as I was about to respond in that manner, Elsa spoke up.
“That’s not true. Asmodeus knows. And so do we. I’ll tell you the answer. Fiana’s soul is… inside your body, Great Saint…”
““…!?””F-Fiana’s soul in my body…? How could they possibly know something like that?
“The Grand Anti-Evil Magic Circle… Philia, that spell you used… I remember it vividly. It emanates the exact same magical wavelengths as the one Fiana used about 400 years ago. You probably didn’t know that, Missy, but those waves are like a mirror reflecting the soul…”
Mammon casually confessed that he had witnessed Fiana using the spell 400 years ago. The concept that the magical wavelengths reflect the soul was new to me. It wasn’t written in any literature I had come across.
“Oh, devils sure are long-lived.”
“You have such a light reaction, Lina. That side of you is so lovely… By the way, Lord Asmodeus has been living even longer than me. His magical power is on a different level compared to a peace-loving guy like me, you know.”
“In other words… because of longevity, you all understand the laws of reincarnating souls?”
“Exactly! Isn’t it romantic?”
Although it was documented that devils, as a species, had an exceptionally long lifespan, discovering that Mammon was acquainted with Fiana added a certain depth. I would like to hear more about the unknown history from him if possible.
But that’s straying from the main topic, so I’ll restrain myself for now.
“Because you activated a huge spell in this situation where the Demon Realm is getting closer, Asmodeus learned that the reincarnation of Fiana exists on this continent. And so, an idea struck him. A plan to resurrect the human he once loved. By calling back the memories engraved in the soul and infusing the appropriate amount of magic power—the reincarnation of Fiana will become Fiana herself, according to his logic.”
My magical wavelengths reached even the Demon Realm because I created a magic circle that covered the entire continent. That’s quite a grandiose story, to come up with the idea of using my body to revive Fiana.
Even so, what piqued my curiosity was—
“That Asmodeus loved the previous Great Saint? Do devils truly harbor romantic feelings for humans?”
It seemed Leonardo also had the same question, as he directed it to Elsa. What was the relationship between Asmodeus and Fiana?
“…The last time the Demon Realm drew near the Inhabited Surface, three top-ranking devils invaded the Surface. Beelzebub, Azazel, and Asmodeus, the strongest in the Demon Realm. Exorcists confronted them, and it became a quagmire of war. The number of demons was beyond comparison to what we face now, so many people died. Humanity was on the verge of extinction, but a miracle occurred―”
Elsa began recounting what happened the previous time the Demon Realm drew close.
It seemed humanity was in quite a precarious situation.
“The girl, Fiana, possessed power equal to that of a god. Overwhelming even the highest-ranking devils, she swiftly turned the tide. Asmodeus, too, was defeated without being able to lay a hand on her.”
“Man, that was terrifying. I really felt grateful to be on the human side. Even from a devil’s perspective, that woman was a real monster.”
Elsa shared her impressions of Fiana based on hearsay, and Mammon described his actual encounter with her. For even Mammon, who was alive after getting his head cut off, to call her a monster―she seemed to possess power on a scale far beyond someone like me.
“While Beelzebub and Azazel fled back to the Demon Realm, even in defeat Asmodeus still tried to get close to Fiana. Being overwhelmingly crushed by her tremendous power caused him to abruptly develop feelings of admiration.”
“Why did it turn out that way…?”
“That’s just Lord Asmodeus’ preferences, I guess. Getting beat up by an incredibly beautiful lady seemed to be his type of pleasure.”
““…””“Of course not.”
“Ngyaa!”
When everyone fell silent at Mammon’s response to Himari’s question, this time, Elsa split his head in two with her falchion.
Familiarity was frightening, and I, for one, found myself observing his tissue regeneration almost absentmindedly, as my astonishment had faded. The mechanism seemed similar to automatically activating a recovery spell. In other words, regeneration might become impossible if the flow of magic power was cut off.
Mammon gripped both sides of his face, aligning the severed parts, and it regenerated back to normal. He then smiled as if nothing had happened.
“Many devils are fallen angels who were expelled from the Heavenly Realm in ancient times. Asmodeus is one of them. Fiana seems to be an entity closely resembling a goddess in the Heavenly Realm. Her inhumanity and sensuality appear to have stimulated his instincts, which are particularly strong among devils.”
“Sadly, Lord was completely ignored by her. No matter how much of a monster Fiana was, she was still human after all. She died in less than 50 years. What he wants to make is a Fiana that moves according to his will.”
The story of the Great Saint, known only as a legend from the exorcist and devil. Asmodeus’ feelings seemed quite selfish and distorted. However, we had to stop him. To avoid any further… victims…
“There’s a high chance Asmodeus is possessing a human on the Surface with a wicked, lustful heart. Julius, the prince of Girtonia, who disappeared from the prison. We suspect he is the one being possessed by Asmodeus.”
““…””I never thought we would hear about Prince Julius here. Was it the destiny of former fiancés entangled in this situation, perhaps?
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