Chapter 30: Chapter 2: The Witch-Hunter Moves Along With the Flames. Part 8
The fake Aureolus continued to tread the corridor's long, seemingly endless distance. After he was grabbed by the boy, he had lost all of his power, which was over all trivial. The golden dart was merely a materialized tool. Limen Magna's actual identity was the entire fortress called Misawa Cram School.
Even if the tool's mana supply were cut off, as long as the main body was supplied with mana and the shape was recreated, it was reusable. Though, this was not the reason for the fake's escape. The power in the boy's right hand had seemed limitless. No matter how much mana was placed from the main body into each dart, the right hand still eroded it. If such a cycle had continued, the body would have eventually been depleted of mana, a possible crisis that sent chills down Aureolus' spine.
"Ku, damn…" The fake Aureolus still planned the next step. Even if Limen Magna itself were ineffective, both Stiyl and the boy had to carefully avoid the molten gold. "…In other words, if there's so much gold they can't dodge, they'll be powerless. Ha. I have 1982 pieces of material in here and naturally, it'll be more than enough to be rid of them."
The area of question was large, but it was still a building. If he chose to pour enormous amounts of gold from the top level like water bursting from a dam, he could have easily flooded the levels below. Just imagining it, just imagining it consume his unhappy feelings was enjoyable for the alchemist.
"HAHA! DESTROY DESTROY! DESTROY DESTROY DESTROY DESTROY! THAT'S RIGHT! I CAN'T DIE! THERE'S STILL DEEP BLOOD AND ALL SORTS OF RESEARCH MATERIALS THAT'RE INCOMPLETE! HOW COULD I DIE! NO, THERE'RE MORE! THERE ARE STILL 50,000 HUMAN SPECIMENS IN THE WORLD WORTH RESEARCHING! HAHA! IT'S JUST A PITY THAT THE BOY MUST DIE BEFORE I GET TO UNDERSTAND THE SECRETS OF HIS BODY!"
Fortunately, the alchemist had placed the cram school students on the back of the coin and now he simply had to gather these materials. Once done, all that remained was the trivial matter of piercing Limen Magna through them. Giving it consideration, Stiyl had destroyed the core of the Gregorian Chant replica, the tool that allowed him to manipulate the students' actions.
"Regardless of anything, these guys are against me…" Anger ripped the air like a burning blade but the sounds of footsteps behind him were even sharper. "…!?"
Aureolus' back seemed to visibly shrink as he heard the footsteps. When afraid, ordinary people would typically choose to run away. It was a normal response. People would choose to run rather than endure irritating and painful events. If possible, they would ignore it.
However, the footsteps disallowed the alchemist even the ability to act on primitive instincts associated with normality. The footsteps contained killing intent, bringing with them despair. If he had turned away, he believed, he would have chopped into 100 pieces. Thus, Aureolus could only seek its source. His heart told him to crazily run away without looking and his mind was already unable to endure the pain. However, like a puppet, the alchemist could only look on.
There, ten meters way, Kamijou Touma stood like a savage beast that had escaped a laboratory.
"Wh-What's going…" He did not understand. He was supposed to be perfect. How could someone have pushed him so far?
But, Kamijou Touma truly stood there.
"…Have you had enough fun?"
Kamijou's muttering caused Aureolus to frown. It was the voice of one standing in the midst of icy cold rain. Onlookers would have been confused as to who had pushed whom into despair.
Kamijou had seen Hell. He saw people die before him and he understood that somewhere, he knew not where, many had died. But, he had managed to save just one injured girl. The alchemist before him had taken away his heart's one saving grace. Kamijou spoke not of this for if he had the time to speak, the efforts were better spent elsewhere. His eyes glared at his enemy a look filled with the iron inferno of murder.
"Ugh..." Aureolus disorderedly raised Limen Magna out of pure fear, which gave Kamijou even more determination.
Wordlessly, his feet dashed, or rather exploded, with all his might towards the alchemist. Consumed by fear and anxiety, Aureolus fired the dart at Kamijou's face to keep him from approaching. In response, Kamijou crouched like a spider and easily dodged, even taking an additional step at the same time.
"!?"
The alchemist's nervousness rose. However, even if his restlessness caused Limen Magna to be less effective, he could still prepare six in a single second. He recovered the dart and once again fired at the boy's face.
Having already bent down, Kamijou had nowhere to go. He used his right fist to land an uppercut into the alchemist's abdomen, shattering the dart and chain in the same stroke. The perfect counterattack had seemingly predicted the dart's path.
Crouching down was a ploy. If there were no retreat options coupled with a large opening, the enemy would predictably attack. Thus, the straightforward trajectory was much too simple compared to the rule-less alleyway brawls. With a distance of ten meters, just dodging the first dart would not have covered the distance. Kamijou had devised this tactic as a way to dodge second attack.
And… if he could do it…
"Wait!" With a stunned, twisted expression, Aureolus roared in an attempt to fire a third. However, before it could happen, Kamijou's fist had found its way to the alchemist's face. Then, without slowing down, despite the one-head difference in height, Kamijou smashed his forehead into Aureolus' jaw.
Having taken two direct strikes to the head, Aureolus stumbled to the floor. He attempted to roll away but Kamijou did not allow. He stamped heavily onto the gold prosthetic and maneuvered his foot to remove it. With the sound of crushing fruit, the wound, which was given makeshift treatment, ripped.
"GYYYYAAAAAAAAH!!!" Aureolus screamed in pain and shot another Limen Magna at Kamijou, who was about to sit on the alchemist.
Despite the risk, Kamijou used his left hand to grab the golden chain in order to keep it intact. It seemed he had not considered that the slightest mistake would have turned him into gold.
He twisted his left hand and tied the golden chain to his arm. Once Limen Magna was completely sealed, Kamijou looked down upon the alchemist.
Idiotic… if this keeps up I'll be killed. Aureolus' better judgment had him cut the golden chain linked to the inside of his suit. Having previously balanced his balance with the chain's resistance, Kamijou swayed. Utilizing this opportunity, Aureolus rolled away and escaped Kamijou's clutches. The alchemist cried in his own heart. Rather than the Limen Magna he so believed in be destroyed, he had abandoned it of his own will, questioning his entire belief system.
He had believed that he could save his life if he abandoned everything, which would have been for nothing if it failed. However, Aureolus could not walk, let alone run, with his prosthetic leg ripped out.
Kamijou raised the golden chain and whipped the crawling Aureolus. The heavy hit caused the air to leave his lungs, causing him to roll about on the floor in pain.
"…"
Kamijou silently closed in on the alchemist and stepped on his back, proceeding to wrap the chain around its former master's neck. He could have then hanged him by pulling on the chain. What he could not do was break the neck because Kamijou was right-handed, not left. The boy was not acting on emotion, simply because he could not. His mind was infuriated and blank, reality having little hold.
"I—gya—sp-spare—me."
The words seemed to douse Kamijou's brain in cold water, clearing him of his anger. It was an unreasonable request. How many had he killed? Considering how many, there was only one option. Even in superhero movies with special effects that were shown to children, none would have hesitated to kill such a person.
But, Aureolus was inhuman. He knew he could not run, but he continued to stretch his arms to struggle.
Kamijou began to recall the knight, abandoned in the hall, the students who still continued incanting the Gregorian Chant, damaging their own bodies, and the anonymous girl who was morphed into gold because she protected Himegami. He knew there was only one option.
Kamijou wordlessly tugged at the golden chain… but… in the end chose to let go.
Aureolus crawled away on the floor, only capable of escaping the boy who had caused his downfall, wondering what misfortunes befell him. He was relieved to be living.
He was still human, how could Kamijou have killed him?
The fake Aureolus no longer even knew what floor it was. Though he managed to tumble down a few floors, he no longer had the strength to crawl. His body no longer had the energy. His back rested against the wall of the dark emergency staircase while he stared at his remaining hand.
Since he was punched by the boy, he felt like the strength that supported him was being taken away. The sense of powerlessness told him that a certain mana source was cut off.
It was then that the fake Aureolus realized. He was not human. If the existence that provided him energy ceased to exist, he could not even stand. He was like Limen Magna, a tool amongst numerous substitutes.
"Ahh…" The alchemist sighed as the feeling in his fingers gradually faded. He somehow felt satisfied.
What is this? Whether it's Limen Magna or this body, magic is negated on contact. What is that boy's right hand? Thinking of such things, the alchemist was like a teenager looking through a telescope, his eyes sparkling with the thirst for knowledge.
The greatest question in his heart appeared: How much humanity can you maintain while you raise existence and pride?
Aureolus seemed to find his answer. Though the boy's abnormal power was a part of it, it was the fact that, though he had such power, he still grew angered and saddened like a human.
Considering it, his tragic fate seemed meaningless. A scholar who found his final answer had no reason to live on and think.
Footsteps…
He weakly looked up the stairs and found Stiyl standing there.
"Naturally I can see that… you haven't gotten tired of killing me?" said the self-mocking alchemist. "Even if you leave me alone, I'll certainly die anyways. Why do you still want to kill me?"
"Yeah. It's true I have no interest in killing you. Besides, that child didn't interact with you." Stiyl responded with disinterest. "Speaking of which, a member of the 13 Knights was killed. I suppose you didn't do that, right?"
The fake Aureolus continued to lean and continued to stare up. His weapon was Limen Magna. Though he could not turn anything and everything into gold, it could not have possibly forced the enchanted knight's armor into that dented shape.
"…Hmph, speaking of that… Certainly, I never killed any of them."
"What?"
"Inevitably, I lost. You can go ahead and think of the reason." Aureolus said with a smirk. "Speaking of which, since you're not interested in me, why're you here? Naturally, can't I die alone?"
"It's the complete opposite you idiot. I'm here to send you off. Could you endure dying by yourself like this?"
"…" For some time, the alchemist stared blankly at Stiyl.
Then, he smiled.
It was a rarity for the man, but he smiled. Though a fake, he was a scholar and, as of then, was extremely satisfied that he had managed to obtain the answer to humanity's highest limit.
There was still some time until he died, less than ten minutes.
He was a scholar. In the remaining time, he would think of a new question to ponder, perhaps a research topic waiting for him.
However, the alchemist lacked the time to ponder. For a scholar, it was Hell to have doubts that were not researchable before death. It was an unavoidably unhappy feeling of regret.
It was also why Stiyl spoke.
"Before you find that sweet question and ponder hard, let me send you off while your goals are complete."
"Hmph." Aureolus smiled. "I can't tell if you're an angel or the devil."
"Those two are similar beings that only differ from whom they take their orders from." Stiyl slowly walked down the stairs. "I prove why my name is the strongest. Fortis931." Stiyl's black coat writhed and numerous runic carts scattered about like sakura petals.
"Magic name, huh?" muttered Aureolus as Stiyl walked down the stairs. What was his magic name? The alchemist began to recall. "Oh. I remember."
My honor is for the world—Honos628.
Having finally remember his name and purpose, the alchemist's eyes narrowed.
"Do I need to make a final prayer for you as a priest, alchemist?" Down the stairs, Stiyl Magnus spoke as he arrived before the man.
"Stop dragging this out. You're just a magician."
The moment the fake Aureolus replied, Stiyl's flames entered him through the mouth, quickly consuming the inside of his body. The flames burst out from every opening and the abdomen shattered, splitting him in two. Copious flames continued to burst out and Aureolus' upper body shot out like a rocket.
...
In a certain student dormitory, or rather, a certain student dormitory's bathtub, the girl named Index, watching over the house, was exchanging looks with the stray cat named Sphinx. The calico cat seemed an indoor cat, lacking a cute personality. It did not chase after thrown balls of yarn, nested under tables even after being called and snatched people's food while they ate. The final point was significant to Index, who had a voracious appetite, and to Kamijou Touma, who cooked for her.
It seemed imperative that she train it. Having decided to abandon the loving treatment, she now battled the bubble covered calico cat. As a side note, Index read through Kamijou's elaborate explanation of how to operate the bathroom's automatic hot water supply and had gingerly figured it out.
…But, where did Touma go?
A few questions rested in her mind. The first was from during the conversation. It was not because Kamijou had said that he had wanted to test whether the phone would work but rather when Kamijou had so easily forgiven that she had eaten his pudding.
Speaking of which, it was the same for the shampoo-bubble covered cat whose fur was standing up. To put it simply, Kamijou did not do what he did not want to do. Even if he knew there was no other way, if he truly did not want to do it, he would pursue an alternative.
It was truly odd that Kamijou had not pursued those two things that he disagreed with.
Having decided, Index nodded her head. She exited the bathroom and donned her habit, the Walking Church. At the corridor, before she even opened the door, she realized that even if she wanted to question Kamijou, she had to know where he was. Of course, calling was not an option. In all honesty, Index knew not how to operate the phone and since Kamijou's residence phone had a faxing function, there were so many buttons that Index did not know where to begin.
Would she give up? As Index considered returning to the room, she noticed what appeared to be a tarot card stuck on the wall. It was the runic imprint that the magician Stiyl Magnus utilized.
"…" Index stared at the card with distrust. Something was happening. Kamijou had surely gone alone to deal with something.
Index recalled that a few days ago, she had met the feeling-less teenager. Despair and anxiety caused Index restlessness.
Run. She could only run.
Luckily, with the knowledge of 103,000 grimoires, she understood the workings of Stiyl's magic. The runes required the magician to continuously provide mana to maintain it.
For example, when a soul is lost, a thin string-like something would link the soul and body. Though Index could not use magic, she could trace the mana to prevent from getting lost.
And, like that, Index ran off for the battlefield while neglecting to even lock the door.
She did not know that that action would bring about the worst consequences.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
OmnipresenceBeing
OmnipresenceBeing Chapter 2: The Witch-Hunter Moves Along With the Flames. Notes :
1. ↑ Black Jack
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