"Latest news: At 7:15 last night, a severe explosion occurred in a residential house at 22 Vinsk Street in Bridge South District. It is suspected to be caused by a gas leak. Fortunately, the house has been uninhabited for many years, and no casualties were reported..."
"They really can blame everything on a gas explosion..."
In the early morning, Klein,awakened by Mr. Devil's 'morning call' ritual,picked up the day's newspaper and quickly found the news he was looking for on the third page.
However...
'An explosion... Did that 'thing' have explosive abilities, or did the Punishers blow up the house to destroy the traces?' Klein slightly regretted not going to Bridge South District to watch, but then he shook his head. If he had been there, with his current Sequence 8 strength, the Punishers probably would have hauled him away for questioning.
'Anyway, this matter should be more or less over. Mr. Hanged Man seems to be in Backlund recently; perhaps he'll share something at the Tarot Club... Oh, right, he and Miss Justice requested a leave of absence yesterday... What a pity, Mr. Melas's commission is likely dead in the water. That was ten pounds!'
Klein sighed in agony. He took four steps and ascended to the grey fog to notify Mr. Sun and Mr. Devil that the next Tarot Club session would be suspended. Although he, Sun, and Devil could hold a session alone, maintaining his image before two knowledgeable Beyonders with no shared interests,without Mr. Hanged Man's over-analysis and Miss Justice's enthusiastic support,was simply too difficult.
...
"So it's suspended after all!" Snow listened to "The Fool's" voice echoing in his ears, feeling his potion digest a bit more.
If one were to ask who the most important member of the Tarot Club was, it was undoubtedly Miss Justice. Not because she was wealthy, but because she was a complete novice.
As a newcomer to the Beyonder world, Audrey was always able to ask the low-level questions The Fool needed to hear. This perfect 'straight-man' routine was the foundation of the Tarot Club's early sustainability.
Setting his thoughts aside, Snow went through the letters in his mailbox as usual. After confirming there was no business today, he began to read through his fan mail, picking out a few unique ones to reply to.
Snow enjoyed this process. He was well aware that these readers would become his anchors in the near future.
But his good mood didn't last long. Just after finishing the first reply, a familiar whisper suddenly rang in his ears. Before he could even discern what it was saying, layers of overlapping murmurs bubbled to the surface.
'The True Creator is a hidden existence, and so is The Fool. I can listen to The Fool's whispers without being polluted, so listening to the True Creator's shouldn't be a problem either...'
The whispers of the "White Horse is Not a Horse" ability formed a layered filter, stripping the pollution from the sudden murmurs and leaving only faint, echoing whispers:
"Come here! Come here quickly!"
'An oracle from the True Creator? Why contact me now? Is it because I'm now Mr. V, an Oracle?' The thought crossed Snow's mind. He immediately raised his right hand and tapped four spots on his chest, drawing an inverted cross. He said piously, "Your will is my wish."
With that, he rose, followed the murmurs, and pulled an [Ascetic] Beyonder characteristic from his cigarette case, dropping it into his shadow before heading out.
...
"It should be around here..."
Following the direction indicated by the murmurs, Snow scanned the surroundings with a frown. He didn't see anything unusual...
Ah! A sewer!
Snow's gaze fixed on the iron cover, which looked quite valuable. After a moment's thought, he activated his [Ascetic] ability.
He had to admit, the legacy left by the 'former Mr. V' was truly useful. Aside from the constant 'rapping' from the True Creator, it granted the user almost all the abilities of an [Ascetic].
What did that mean?
It meant that as long as one could withstand the whispers, even a commoner could gain the strength of a mid-sequence Beyonder.
Snow's body suddenly disintegrated into a pool of pitch-black shadows, flowing into the gap of the sewer entrance. After passing through the brief, foul-smelling zone, he saw a man.
"Lanevus?"
...
Lanevus felt incredibly unlucky. He had only wanted to make a statement, but he never expected to be played by the True Creator.
The sprout the True Creator had planted in his body was constantly influencing his mind. In a trance, he had come to Backlund,a city filled with depravity, numbness, resentment, and death. Even without feeling the sprout growing in his flesh, he understood what that Evil God wanted to do.
Fortunately, he was only a Sequence 8 Beyonder with limited capacity. To avoid killing him outright, the power the True Creator descended into him wasn't too massive. Being a "Swindler," he had used abilities like Charm and Thought Misdirection on himself to maintain a shred of sanity. He had avoided hiding in the East, Factory, or Dock Districts,where negative emotions would accelerate the True Creator's descent,and instead hid in Bridge South District, where life was slower.
But even after days of hiding, he had been found. He wasn't sure if the True Creator had influenced that woman, or if he himself had lost control of his mental misdirection. Or perhaps the woman was simply a hopeless romantic who ignored all his warnings.
Regardless, the woman's frequent visits had drawn outside attention, eventually bringing a Punisher strike team. And after fighting his way out, he had finally fallen into the hands of the Aurora Order...
...
"This is an important guest. Prepare some clothes for him. He'll be staying here for a while. Remember to keep it a secret." Snow brought Lanevus to Mr. A's residence and gave the butler instructions.
He wasn't worried about Lanevus attacking anyone here. In fact, Lanevus now wished for no one to die around him, because every death would accelerate the rate at which the True Creator replaced him.
After arranging Lanevus's stay, Snow turned back and said, "Respected Container, if you need anything, just tell them. As long as you don't leave this house, they will satisfy any request."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]
T/N: "Oracle" (神使) - A title within the Aurora Order.
T/N: "Container" (容器) - A human used for a deity's descent or possession.