"Do humans truly possess that thing they call… free will?"
Arthur's voice was not loud, yet it was remarkably clear. It seemed that he was not merely asking Lloyd, but Anthony as well.
It was a rather strange gathering. Three men of different identities and positions, each representing entirely different interests, were now discussing something bordering on philosophy for the sake of a purpose they happened to share. Only minutes ago, the three of them had nearly drawn their weapons against one another, on the verge of turning the streets of Old Dunling into a battlefield.
"Setting aside all our respective positions, at the very least, we share one common goal. We all want to understand what exactly demons are, don't we?"
Arthur continued.
"For a long time, our Purification Bureau has studied them from a rational perspective. What we discovered is that demonic corruption appears to be connected to something we call the mind. You already know this information, Lloyd.
"They conducted an interesting experiment, one that was developed from the concept of 'conditioned reflex.' It was called 'operant conditioning.' A rat was locked inside a box completely isolated from outside interference. It was trained so that whenever it pressed a red button, it would receive food.
"But as the experiment continued, they gradually lengthened the interval between pressing the button and receiving the food. Perhaps the rat had to press it ten times before a single morsel was dispensed. Under those circumstances, the rat eventually gave up. It stopped pressing the button.
"But when the researchers made the delivery of food random, the results changed. The rat no longer knew how many times it had to press the button before food would appear. Perhaps it would be rewarded after a few presses. Perhaps after dozens, or even hundreds.
"But this time, it did not give up.
"It continued pressing the button."
Aside from the torrent of rain and the thunderous roar of the Iron Serpent racing along its tracks, there was nothing inside the carriage but Arthur's voice.
He spoke softly as he described that unsettling experiment. Lloyd remained expressionless, while a trace of curiosity appeared in Anthony's eyes. In Florence, a city where faith was treated as truth, the very notion of reason was considered heresy.
"The results of the experiment were fascinating. Every time the rat pressed the button, the behavior was reinforced. Again and again, it strengthened the belief that 'if I press the button, I will receive food.'
"The rat possessed no wisdom. Only instinct.
"And yet, it attributed the force compelling it to continue—something fundamentally contrary to its own instinct—to that very instinct itself.
"Mr. Lloyd Holmes, don't you think that sounds rather similar to us humans?"
Inside the sealed Iron Serpent, the air suddenly became heavy and oppressive. It was almost as though, from the moment Arthur began describing the experiment, the three of them had become rats trapped inside the box themselves.
"Why do we do so many foolish things? Why do we continue pursuing something meaninglessly even when we know there will be no reward?"
Anthony's expression grew solemn.
As the current leader of the Church, he understood better than anyone that what people called faith was merely a tool for controlling the ignorant masses. Yet within Arthur's story, he had heard something different.
"Yes. Actually, we can reverse the experiment as well.
"We become the rats inside the box. Every so often, an iron spear descends from outside and kills another rat. We are terrified. But so long as we continue pressing that red button, the spears will not fall.
"Of course, at that point, it should no longer be called a button. It deserves a more precise definition.
"The act of pressing it is worship.
"The squeaking is the recitation of holy scripture.
"And so long as we keep our eyes fixed upon that button called 'God,' the iron spears will never fall…"
Silence.
There was only silence within the carriage.
No one could have imagined that Arthur would interpret so-called "faith" in such a way. Yet after hearing the experiment, neither Lloyd nor even Anthony could find anything with which to refute him.
It was too similar.
So similar that it was frightening.
For the rat trapped inside the box, was that button not, in essence, its God?
"Of course, the conclusion drawn from this experiment is that humans possess no free will.
"We are all trapped inside boxes, influenced by countless different things—even by ourselves.
"Do we truly desire food? Or is it merely the sensation of hunger within our bodies driving us to act?
"And what of power, wealth…
"In the end, we are all prisoners of our own boxes, controlled by different desires."
Arthur had only spoken halfway through when he suddenly smiled, as though dismissing everything he had just said.
"But who can really say?
"We have lived upon this world for so long, yet every law and every principle must be explored by our own hands. We establish what we believe to be known, only to shatter everything we once believed when our understanding finally breaks through its boundaries."
That was the history of humanity.
They built nations, overthrew nations, and upon the ruins of those fallen nations, built new ones.
Destruction and rebirth continued in an endless cycle.
"An interesting interpretation."
Anthony spoke into the silence.
"I thought you might have suffered some sort of crisis of faith."
Arthur smiled.
"How could I?"
Anthony's answer carried a deeper meaning than his words suggested.
Then his gaze fell upon Lloyd, who had remained silent throughout.
"It's an interesting story," Lloyd said.
"So?" He looked at Arthur. "Is this your justification, Arthur?"
Sometimes, people were strange creatures.
Lloyd could understand Arthur's predicament. In the end, Arthur served beneath Queen Victoria. He had his own obligations and his own loyalties.
But understanding did not mean Lloyd could not feel anger.
"No. This isn't my justification. I have no need to justify anything.
"In fact, I was telling this experiment primarily for your sake, Lloyd."
Arthur finally turned the blade toward Lloyd.
His murky eyes reflected Lloyd's figure. Then, like a storm of chaos, something seemed to churn within them, distorting Lloyd's image into a tangled, incomprehensible shape.
"Me?"
"The Morning Star."
Arthur asked the question with uncanny precision, as though he could see straight through Lloyd.
"That name.
"Lloyd Holmes.
"That name…"
Arthur continued to explain the strange experiment.
"Every time the rat presses the button, the behavior is reinforced. The action itself is strengthened, and so is its desire for the result.
"Every time you speak that name, is it not the same kind of reinforcement within your own cognition?
"You are almost hypnotizing yourself, forcing yourself to become 'Lloyd Holmes,' rather than the so-called Medanzo… 047."
"What are you trying to say?"
That name was a wish.
A belief.
And whenever the subject was brought up, Lloyd became furious beyond reason.
"You are not free, Lloyd.
"You have always been influenced. Corrupted by the False Grail.
"Just like the rat inside the box, you cannot even recognize the absurdity of your own condition.
"Have you still not noticed what is strange about you?
"Humans cannot return from death.
"Nor can they manipulate the divine armor of the Old Century in… such a grotesque manner."
Silence descended once more.
A long while passed before Lloyd finally spoke.
"You no longer trust me, do you?"
"Perhaps not.
"To be honest, I've begun to believe some of the things Merlin is always muttering about. Things like… cursed knowledge.
"That stuff is truly damned.
"After learning all this, there are times when even I begin to doubt everything that currently exists. I start wondering whether any of it can truly be trusted.
"It troubled me for a very long time.
"But who really cares?"
Arthur offered a smile that was anything but pleasant.
In Lloyd's eyes, he looked like a man bound in layer upon layer of chains.
Chains called Arthur.
The Duke of Phoenix.
Father.
No.
It was not merely Arthur.
Everyone was bound by different chains.
They were so heavy that those who carried them could barely move beneath their weight.
And now those chains had wrapped themselves around Lloyd as well, pressing down upon him until he could barely breathe.
"I suspect that you are being corrupted by the False Grail.
"And the name 'Lloyd Holmes' is at the heart of it.
"Under the influence of the False Grail, that name has been continuously twisting your perception, turning you from 047 into someone who does not exist.
"042.
"That so-called Lloyd Holmes."
Anthony intervened.
As Lloyd's adversary, he possessed none of Arthur's hesitation or concern for their shared past. His words were cold and direct.
"And the False Grail is gradually devouring the people around you as well, Lloyd."
Lloyd immediately sensed the unease behind those words.
So this was Anthony's true purpose.
The damnable experiment, the strange story—none of it mattered. They had merely been groundwork for what was happening now.
The script of this hunt had been written long ago.
Lloyd had simply been forced to walk upon the path laid out for him, struggling to find even a moment in which he could breathe, let alone resist.
The deaths of those innocents.
The Queen's command.
None of these were what had truly driven Arthur to become so uncompromising.
What had truly transformed Arthur was the threat Lloyd represented.
Or rather…
What Moriarty had deceived them into believing about that threat.
"You saw your roommate as well," Anthony said. "He has been corrupted…"
His eyes fixed upon Lloyd.
"Corrupted by you."
"But you didn't even see him just now. How could you possibly know?"
Lloyd stared at Anthony.
When the demon hunters had attacked, he had left Hig in the alley. Anthony had never seen Hig.
So how could he possibly know his condition?
But almost immediately, Lloyd felt foolish for being so slow to realize it.
This was not a war of words across a negotiation table.
This was a hunt that had been meticulously planned from the beginning.
Anthony would certainly have a plausible explanation.
"Because we had already been watching your roommate long before that.
"He was corrupted.
"And according to the Purification Bureau's data, there has been no sign of corruption anywhere in Cock Street these past few days.
"Except you.
"That unknowable corruption of the False Grail.
"Perhaps we are already surrounded by your corruption right now.
"Who can say?
"Hig was corrupted. He descended into madness. He killed every member of the Mutual Aid Society, along with that poor psychologist.
"The Purification Bureau detected an abnormal concentration of corruption. After dealing with Whitechapel, they decided to take you into emergency custody."
Lloyd was not surprised by Anthony's words.
This was Moriarty's doing.
He must have captured some unfortunate victim somewhere and used him as a substitute for himself, placing the man into a state resembling death.
So long as Moriarty continued hiding in the shadows, Lloyd had no way to prove any of it.
After all, in the eyes of the Purification Bureau, "Moriarty" did not exist.
And even if a man named Moriarty truly had existed, he had already died in Whitechapel.
"Emergency custody?
"You mobilized every demon hunter you had, even the divine armor of the Old Century…
"I thought you were preparing to start a localized war right here in Old Dunling."
Lloyd found Anthony's explanation almost laughable.
The Purification Bureau possessed rapid-response teams specifically designed to handle sudden incidents. But even they could not possibly seal off an entire district in such a short period of time.
There had been only Lloyd—
And the enemies surrounding him.
"Because Joey has been corrupted by you as well, Lloyd."
Arthur spoke slowly.
Lloyd froze.
Then his expression shifted into disbelief.
"What did you say?"
"Joey.
"A few days ago, he was detected to be corrupted.
"But recently, he had been stationed here in Old Dunling, guarding one of our bases. He had not encountered any demons. He had not been taken away by the Perpetual Motion Pump for some experiment.
"And he was the contact we assigned to you.
"The thing he encountered most frequently, the thing closest to a demon, was you.
"Joey is a High Knight of the Purification Bureau. After undergoing mental specialization, although he is still inferior to the Knight Commanders, he possesses a certain resistance to corruption.
"And yet even he was corrupted.
"Within the very heart of the Purification Bureau.
"Within Old Dunling itself."
Arthur quietly spoke of that invisible terror.
"The False Grail is using you as its source, corrupting everyone around you."
For an instant, Lloyd felt as though countless invisible hands had seized him.
They bound his limbs.
They tightened around his throat.
The New Church had been plotting all of this for a very, very long time.
And now every conspiracy had finally overlapped, converging into the reality before him.
What could he say?
That the New Church could not be trusted?
Even Lloyd felt that such a defense sounded painfully hollow.
And then Anthony pressed the attack once more.
The hideous scar across his face slowly twisted as his muscles moved, resembling a centipede that had suddenly come alive.
Anthony smiled at Lloyd.
Then he spoke words like a devil whispering into a sinner's ear.
"Isn't this enough to prove it?
"Or do you want to see more 'evidence'?"
Evidence…
It was helplessness.
Guilt.
And fury.
Lloyd's gray-blue eyes locked onto Anthony's face, pinning it within the depths of his pupils like a corpse nailed to the bottom of an abyss.
He understood exactly what Anthony meant.
It was a threat.
And a provocation.
Moriarty was hiding in the darkness.
So long as Lloyd continued to resist, he would manufacture one "piece of evidence" after another.
This was Lloyd's failure.
He had become too complacent.
After killing Lawrence, he had believed that, to some extent, he could finally live a normal human life.
He had seemingly normal relationships.
Seemingly normal social interactions.
But he was fire.
A flame burning within the darkness of death.
His light illuminated the people around him, yet it also made those he cherished visible to terrifying things lurking beyond the veil.
All those familiar faces…
The time for a choice had come.
Should he draw his folding blade and kill everyone, then flee this place once and for all?
Or should he step into the New Church's conspiracy, surrendering himself so that those people might live?
Should he become human?
Or become a monster?
The oppressive air seemed to solidify into heavy lead, filling every corner of the Iron Serpent.
It pressed down upon everyone.
The atmosphere had reached the point of suffocation.
"I accept…
"I accept your custody, Arthur."
Under the unbearable pressure, even Lloyd's voice seemed blurred.
But upon hearing those words, Arthur released a long breath, expelling every trace of stale air from his lungs.
He had truly felt it.
That murderous intent had just reached its absolute peak.
He had believed that, in the next instant, Lloyd would ignite those surging flames of purifying fire and unleash an all-out war upon Old Dunling without a thought for the consequences.
Yet what Arthur had never expected was that even someone as fiercely defiant as Lloyd could have a moment when he lowered his head.
He had accepted.
But then Lloyd spoke again.
"Father Anthony."
The voice sounded once more.
"You are my enemy now, Father Anthony."
His voice was perfectly calm.
There was not the slightest tremor in it.
It was neither violent nor emphatic. Had one not been listening carefully, the words might easily have been swallowed by the roar of the Iron Serpent and the pounding rain.
It should have been a vicious threat.
Yet Lloyd delivered it as casually as if he were commenting on the weather.
Then his voice came again.
Arthur looked toward Lloyd.
For an instant, it felt as though an unseen hand had closed around his heart.
Fear spread through his body with every beat of that heart.
Lloyd looked perfectly normal.
His expression was calm, without even a trace of anger.
His gaze remained cold and distant, exactly as it had always been.
Yet this time, Arthur sensed something familiar.
In that instant, he suddenly remembered the first time he had seen Lloyd.
In truth, Arthur had first encountered Lloyd seven years ago, during the Red River Massacre.
It was a scene no one could ever forget.
The Thames had been dyed red.
Severed limbs and entrails rose and fell with the surging current, some of them even being washed onto the streets, spilling into the Lower City.
The gangs that had terrorized the district were eradicated in their entirety.
And above the ruins, the Empire that commanded the Shrike rose.
The Lower City fell completely under its control.
Arthur had first seen Lloyd in the intelligence files provided by the Shrike.
He had seen him in a black-and-white photograph.
Had the Shrike not pleaded for the boy's life at the time, Arthur would have killed Lloyd.
But during the years that followed, as Arthur came to know him, he gradually forgot that initial impulse.
And now, all at once, he remembered.
He remembered why he had wanted to kill Lloyd.
Even back then, the Duke of Phoenix was already "Arthur."
He had led the Purification Bureau in its war against demons.
And when he first saw Lloyd, he experienced a strange illusion.
The man in the photograph looked perfectly ordinary.
So perfectly ordinary.
And yet Arthur could somehow sense an inexplicable violence and madness lurking within him.
As though, in the next instant, the man in the photograph would break free from the confines of the paper, draw his sword, and cut down everyone in his path…
A man like a demon.
No.
More precisely—
A demon that looked like a man.
"You are my enemies now."
The demon's eyes were empty, as though staring into some unknowable void beyond the world.
"The New Church."
Brilliant lights pierced through the curtain of rain.
Armored in iron, the Iron Serpent raced along the tracks, hurtling toward the endless black silhouettes rising and stretching beyond the veil of rain.