What in the world was going on? What sort of nonsense was Ciel spouting? Kazen could not wrap her head around her words.
'There's no way… right?'
Magic existed to make the impossible possible. However, certain immutable laws couldn't be broken. One of those laws was the death of living beings.
The body or soul—preferably both—had to be present before the person could be brought back to life. The reasons stemmed from the complex nature of life, and the connection of Magic to every single element.
Ultimately, even if there was a loophole, it had to operate under the laws that existed—the power that be.
Even the solution to the impossible return of the Nether was only feasible with the convergence of the powers of the Arcanas. Any other way and it simply wasn't plausible.
Unless…
"It looks like you've caught on, Kazen." Ciel smiled, stretching her hand forward.
Instantly, projections of multiple cards began appearing in the air. The cards had various colours, but they were shrouded in Ciel's white light.
"I have lived for a very long time. Longer than you all have. That time has provided me with the means to create a second Original Magic—one as complex and intricate as this."
Kazen's eyes widened when she saw the floating projections. She realized it the moment she decided to take a closer look…
'T-those aren't mere projections!'
The patterns, the formulas, the nature… the projections that hovered above Kazen's grasp resembled the real thing in every sense of the word!
They were replicas!
"My initial Original Magic: [Eye Of The Wise], grants me perfect clairvoyance in this world. I can see all things present, so long as certain conditions are met. Utilizing that to my advantage, I created my second Original Magic… [Forge Of Creation]."
Kazen was lost for words, but everything started coming together.
"N-no way…" Her eyes widened the more she thought of all she had heard from Aloe, and what she had experienced since she came to this world.
"The war against the demons… the search for the Arcanas… the clash between the Nether Cult and everyone else… all of that was for—"
"Precisely!" Ciel's grin widened to a terrifying degree, causing Kazen to tremble.
She finally realized the truth behind Ciel's initial words, and how completely plausible it was.
"My magic [Eye Of The Wise] shows me when the Arcanas are being used, and I analyze their properties and functions down to the tiniest detail. With [Forge Of Creation], I can recreate the Arcanas perfectly. With these two abilities under my perfect control, I do not need to possess any Arcana."
'So that was why she was able to easily distribute the Arcanas to the Cult Members! Not only did she not need them, but by facing the Cult Members with Arcanas, Jared and his allies would have to use their Arcanas as well, allowing her to learn and absorb all the information she needed.'
Kazen instantly realized how they had all been duped by Ciel's elaborate trick.
'T-then… does that mean… that her plan is—' Kazen stopped herself before she could complete her thoughts.
She realized something as she thought of how absurd Ciel's new Magic was. It was subtle, a critical element that almost escaped her notice. However, she caught it anyway.
"Energy! You lack enough energy to supply them with enough power!" Kazen yelled
Granted, Ciel was very powerful. However, the Arcanas were made with the aid of the Root. Merlin and her comrades were connected to the very source, and they drew power from there with their Arcanas.
That was also why their Arcanas couldn't be destroyed.
'Even if she duplicated them, how will she have enough power to charge all the Arcanas?'
"Did you really think I didn't consider that problem?" Ciel's cool tone interrupted Kazen's thoughts, causing her to snap out of them instantly.
"What do you think I spent my time doing all this time? Over a thousand years… and yet I didn't expend any energy, nor did I actively search for the Arcanas. Where do you think all that excess power went to?"
'N-no way!' Ciel had been storing over a thousand year worth of energy just so she could achieve her goals!
Still, Kazen could not believe it! She could not believe that Ciel had access to all the Arcanas! She could not accept that the enemy was on the verge of winning.
"The only Arcana left is yours, Kazen. Once I have that, it'll be complete. I can't thank you enough for coming here."
'Tch!' Kazen braced herself.
"You think I'm ever going to use my Arcana after hearing all of that? Over my dead body!"
Ciel let out another light laughter, her face depicting amusement. She seemed so carefree about the whole thing that it made the tension Kazen was currently experiencing seem like a joke.
"I currently have twenty Arcana abilities in my possession. I also have a thousand years' worth of energy. Tell me, Kazen… do you really think you have a choice?"
Ciel slowly began to walk away from her previous position beside the Cult Leader. Each step she made depicted elegance, and the clacking sound of her heels echoed within the silent hall.
Kazen's current expression was nothing like the face she had made when she first arrived. The stubborn and angry expression she previously had was nowhere to be seen.
Her confidence had evaporated, and it was now replaced with a look of frustration and fear. Not the fear for her own life—no, but rather fear for the lives of every single being in the world. She was frightened because she now realized the truth.
The fact that she had lost this game…
"Whether you use it or not doesn't matter. After all… I can just pry the Arcana from your corpse."
… And the fact that Ciel had won!
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[A/N]
Well, dear readers, what do you think?
Do share your thoughts. Based on the exchange between Kazen and Ciel, it seems the MC and his crew are royally screwed.
