As he looked at the silver haired human figure floating within the enormous life support tube, Arata felt vigilance, but not fear.
He did not know whether that calm came from the confidence granted by the "Void Star Tai suu" or because his very existence had already been altered by the Void star: Tai Suu , stripping away instinctive fear and dread.
After all, any being who possesses a simulated star chart, no matter how insignificant at the beginning, will ultimately stand at the center of a divine system spanning the multiverse. Such an existence would eventually have nothing left to fear.
Just as described in certain occult texts, Aleister was like a man and a woman at once, like an adult and a child at once, like a saint and a sinner at once.
That was because, aside from his broken and ruined physical body still being human, his essence had long since surpassed humanity.
He had obtained the countless possibilities humanity seeks, said to number one hundred million. Any single one of those possibilities would be enough to instantly annihilate Fiamma of the Right, the Right Seat of God who wielded the power of the Holy Right.
Moreover, behind him stood the archangel Aiwass, a holy guardian capable of destroying the Earth with a mere gesture.
Arata was not completely confident either. Even if he could seal Aleister, what if he were killed instantly before activating the Void star?
"I invited you here to answer your doubts, Arata. As for the significance of your existence, I believe there is no need for me to elaborate."
Aleister's emotionless gaze passed through the transparent wall of the life support tube and settled upon Arata.
If the observation is accurate, then he truly does not fear anyone.
"Chairman Aleister, I am not sure I understand what you mean."
Arata's thoughts sank. His pupils contracted slightly. Have they discovered something and are now testing me? Over the past ten years, he had not deliberately concealed himself. Any minor inconsistency could reveal that something was wrong.
"Hehe. There is no need to be overly anxious about your situation, nor is there any need to test me," Aleister said with a faint mechanical chuckle, having clearly perceived the shift in Arata's mood.
"…." Arata's lips twitched. He despised dealing with individuals who could peer into others' thoughts so easily. It felt like being led around by the nose.
Aleister's next words caused Arata's expression to settle once more.
"For ten years in Academy City, your records and actions have been flawless. Yet even so, certain traces expose you. Furthermore, there was no record of you prior to ten years ago. Would you care to enlighten me?" Aleister spoke gently, though his synthesized voice lacked warmth.
"Chairman Aleister, what exactly are you implying?"
Arata's eyes turned cold. An aura entirely out of place within this universe radiated from him.
Within his consciousness, the blood red celestial sphere known as the Void star:Tai Suu activated instantly. In that moment, a one hundred meter radius became his absolute domain, encompassing Aleister.
The Void star is an absolute authority that forcibly interferes with the external universe and replaces it with a personal cosmology. It is a form of unilateral overwrite, fundamentally irresistible.
If Aleister harbored even the slightest malicious intent, the sealing protocol would activate immediately.
Aleister's expression did not change. He observed Arata silently, though inwardly he had already confirmed something.
This power was unmistakable. It was identical to the force that had descended two days prior. In a single instant, his own existence had been reduced by half, accompanied by the unmistakable sensation of absolute sealing. It had not been an illusion. It had been reality.
Time passed.
Nearly twenty seconds went by without Aleister speaking. Arata began to grow impatient.
That old fox…
"Do you not intend to withdraw your power?" Aleister finally asked in his mechanical tone.
"Let it remain. It gives me peace of mind. After all, Chairman Aleister, you have made me rather uneasy," Arata replied with a faint smile.
"It seems that speaking directly has produced the opposite effect," Aleister said calmly.
"Chairman Aleister, if you know something, then say it plainly. Do not attempt to probe me piece by piece. I am an honest and timid person."
"Hehe. It seems Arata has admitted his identity."
"What is there to admit? And what is there to deny?" Arata shrugged.
"Beginning two days ago, Arata underwent changes that science cannot explain. Calling it a miracle would be insufficient."
"And?" Arata responded evenly. "You wish to learn the secret of this change from me?"
Such transformation could never be concealed within Academy City.
"Though I have considered that possibility, what you wield is an undetectable miracle. A power that belongs solely to you," Aleister answered.
"According to scripture, in every era there appears an individual who divides and defines the new age. Such beings are unpredictable. They have no discernible past. They appear suddenly and lead the world into a new era."
"In each age they bear different names, yet their essence corresponds to the biblical number 111. They may take any form of life, not necessarily human. Beyond the fixed number of humanity, they are those who transcend the laws ordained by God and assume authority over the new order."
"They are not bound by scripture. They possess power that transcends time itself."
"Your experiences and actions are disconnected from causality. That proves you possess knowledge of future events. You are a traveler from another timeline. You once revealed this identity," Aleister concluded calmly.
"I never hid anything, did I, Chairman Aleister?" Arata replied just as calmly. "I arrived in this world ten years ago. Why did you not seek me out back then?"
This world was filled with anomalies. Imagine Breaker, the Saint, the Gemstones, the Right Seat of God, the Magic Gods, reincarnators, even beings who returned from the past. A transmigrator like himself was hardly the strangest existence here.
"Indeed. The appearance of the biblical number 111 signifies the advent of a new era. I wonder, will this era belong to science, or to magic?" Aleister asked, his gaze steady.
"?" Arata frowned slightly. The biblical number 111 refers to me? Wait. It feels like we are speaking on entirely different channels.
"Are you unable to answer?" Aleister asked.
"What difference is there between science and magic?" Arata raised an eyebrow, genuinely uncertain what Aleister had been implying.
"There is a difference. The difference lies in whether God governs humanity's fate, or whether humanity governs itself. Whether God manipulates ignorance, or whether humanity advances toward true understanding," Aleister replied calmly.
"…." Arata's brow twitched.
We are absolutely not on the same channel. Does Aleister truly believe I am some epoch defining existence, that biblical number 111?
After a moment of thought, he answered simply.
"I live here now."
...
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