Meanwhile.
Bbbrrrrrrrrmmmm!!!!!! The thunderous boom shook Russia’s night sky.
It was the first Eradication.
“She’s going too far,” murmured Fiamma of the Right from the Star of Bethlehem, floating over seven thousand meters high. The incredible shaking made it even to his feet, but this one hadn’t been a surface shock wave that had climbed up here.
It had been collateral.
The magic circle for Eradication that the archangel had prepared had deployed even higher in the sky than the Star of Bethlehem. And when Gabriel had restrictively dropped that Eradication, it had shaved off part of the Star of Bethlehem floating directly underneath.
Just by looking at the color in the night sky, he estimated she would fire a second volley within thirty seconds. The damage to the Star of Bethlehem would surely grow.
But there was no major change in Fiamma’s expression.
He only had to let her do as she pleased. In any case, now that the Star of Bethlehem had expanded enough, it had acquired self-repairing abilities. Even now, part of the crushed castle floated in midair, trying to return to its initial placement.
Fiamma, who had linked his senses to an extent with Gabriel, who he himself controlled, said “Is this all?” in a bored-sounding tone. “Is this all my enemies amount to? I know you could simulate how the war would change if an archangel appeared.”
The angel that seemed to belong to Academy City had whet his interest ever so slightly but hadn’t affected him much. And a certain esper, positioning to battle alongside that Academy City angel. He was probably the treasure, so to speak, of the science side—but even together, they couldn’t take down Misha Kreutzev.
The effects of Eradication were tremendous.
Even now, the Academy City monsters were persisting in their attack on Misha. But they couldn’t deny the damage was building up. At this rate, a second and third wave of Eradication in quick succession would stop them in their tracks for sure. After all, they couldn’t avoid it or defend against it.
No need to decide things in a single attack.
If Gabriel could slowly but surely whittle away at their strength, she could annihilate them with that accumulated damage.
This was the brute force of numbers the Roman Church so excelled in.
It was the same as river water eroding the land.
“If this is how it will end…”
Fiamma’s fingers brushed his staff.
“If nobody will stop me…”
That Soul Arm he had applied to the archangel’s control, embedded with the remote-control Soul Arm for Index.
“…then my Eradication will cover the world.”
That was when it happened.
Suddenly, a voice spread from within Fiamma of the Right, separate from his sense of hearing.
He knew exactly who owned that “voice.”
“…It’s been so long, Acqua. Do you still intend to call yourself a member of God’s Right Seat? Or have you reverted to the simple mercenary’s life by now?”
“It matters not, so long as I am in a position to stop your atrocities.”
“And how will you do that?” murmured Fiamma of the Right in a casual tone, twirling his staff. “Six billion now cross blades in heated battle throughout the world. You are but one man among them in this situation. How will you save them all?”
“…”
“In fact, you are the symbol of those battles. An affirmation of good, clothed in violence. You were a wonderful pawn, destroying unknown threats throughout the lands and sowing your seeds to the people you saved. People look up to you, thanks to that. And to your way of resolving problems through violence.”
And I have no use for a pawn whose role has ended.
Even regret toward releasing that great martial power was not present in Fiamma’s voice.
“I’m quite sure you understand why this war broke out. It was I who pulled the trigger. But bullets cannot fire without gunpowder. I know you comprehend the meaning behind this structure—and I will still ask you. How will you save everyone?”
“And that is enough reason to wield an archangel against the people?”
“Will you stop me? It would be resolution by violence, once again. A story unfit even for a farce—but how would you do it? Even if you join that Academy City angel, victory is already decided. You must know this—you are the one who infiltrated that city to retrieve Vento on September 30.”
A scornful voice.
“The existence of Academy City’s angel distorts the planes and produces a strong negative effect on sorcery control. That was what forced Vento into a needlessly agonizing battle. You are unable to fight on its side. And if you use martial force anyway, the most you would do is cause mutual competition, mutual chaos.”
“…”
“And if you took turns battling individually, Misha Kreutzev’s raw power would outstrip you all. Despite how it may look, it is a true archangel. The only one who could possibly win in a fair fight is me.”
Thus, he spoke his ultimatum: an utterly one-sided conclusion.
“You have some power, certainly, but only as a piece on my game board. However you choose to wield your sword now, however you utilize your violent force, the archangel will not be stopped. I can yield you the right to at least put up a futile resistance, but the better idea would be to twiddle your thumbs and watch.”
“I see.”
And then Fiamma heard a chuckle.
Acqua had laughed at him.
“Then I will show you a way using no ‘violent force,’ as you say.”