章節 1315: Fervor
Vahn knew it would be a logistical nightmare to observe and police every region without having forces of his own to occupy select areas. He had already been making preparations for this but, in his original timeline, it would have been several years before he started implementing assigned territory. Now, however, he realized that, without a representative force to keep order, there were quite a few people who would exploit the power vacuum to try and secure power and authority for themselves.
This wasn't something new to Vahn but he hadn't expected them to do something foolish like trying to seize, regulate, or even outright destroy the food production facilities. Common sense dictated that you shouldn't antagonize a powerful and unknown force but, as if this was a foreign concept to them, several groups around the world did just that. They didn't seem to consider the consequences at all, perhaps believing their actions went unnoticed.
Even these groups weren't the most troublesome, however. No, that title belonged to the various small religious organizations that immediately seized power within their social circles.
It turned out that, with a complete breakdown in communications technologies, people tended to flock towards authority figures to make decisions on their behalf. Since a considerable number of people around the world believed in one religion or another, people of similar beliefs began to band together. Vahn had even received reports of small towns and villages imprisoning those that had tried following the instructions provided by the Empire. They used their religious doctrine to make Magic out to be some dark craft and, in some of the fundamentalist communities, Vahn had even been labeled as the Devil.
The ironic part of this statement is that, while lambasting others as evil, these so-called righteous individuals would capture, imprison, or outright torture people who had just wanted to make their lives easier. What annoyed him more so was the fact that some people had determined that the phenomenon of people disappearing around the world was some kind of delayed Rapture event as it generally protected children and those known to be good people. This had caused a wave of religious zealotry to spread and, without the means to distribute information and properly police a frightened population, some truly terrifying acts had been carried out in the name of various gods.
Even more troublesome, though it was within his expectations, some people actually started to proactively commit suicide. This alone wouldn't have been a problem but, with rumors of the end of the world causing widespread panic, some troubled mothers and fathers resorted to drowning their children or jumping off buildings as a family. These events were witnessed by many people so, in the days immediately following the address, millions had resorted to committing suicide while some of the budding religious cults used the fact that someone didn't vanish into motes of light as an excuse to commit heinous acts.
Vahn had always known that dealing with the religious community would be the most difficult part of the transition as, no matter how much logic was presented before them, a surprising number of people would committedly ignore it. Anything that didn't coincide with their belief systems was, in their minds, just some kind of clever scheme designed to corrupt their soul. They would band together with like-minded individuals and fight tooth and nail against anyone who didn't believe in the same things as them, a sad truth that had plagued humanity for thousands of years.
Now, Vahn had committed one of the ultimate taboos in the minds of the religious inclined as, rather than affirm their beliefs, he broadly revealed the existence of multiple gods. This action alone had turned a large portion of the population against him as, no matter how much proof he provided, they had already determined he was lying based on the fact he didn't support their belief system. These people proactively interfered with the lives of other people and, more often than not, resorted to extreme violence on the premise that the other party was some pawn in a grand scheme to undermine their beliefs.
Because of these developments, Vahn felt a lot of pressure to deal with the Holy Church sooner, rather than later. They had actually sent a delegation to the waters around Avalon but, rather than sue for peace, the specialist group had been carrying holy artifacts that, in essence, served the purpose of weapons of mass destruction. They had been intending to gain access to Avalon and, once inside, use the artifacts in a final act of martyrdom.
Needless to say, the Holy Church hadn't taken kindly to the fact that Vahn essentially ousted their God as a being wholly different than what they purported it to be. Rather than some omniscient and omnipotent entity that had the ability to do anything, yet chose not to, it was just one half of the Counter Force. All of their Prophets and Saints were just people that had been chosen to act as an extension of Alaya's will while possessing some unique Innates that drew her attention to them in the first place.
Even if Vahn gathered together every mortal Prophet, Demigod, or Saint-turned-Counter-Guardian, it wouldn't matter when it came to convincing those that believed wholeheartedly in a specific system of beliefs. They had people willing to die in order to perpetuate their beliefs and, even if he exposed the many flaws and scandals within each religious organization, their believers would just chalk it up to hearsay or fabricated data. The only 'real' solution was to either wage war against them, which never turned out favorably, or focus wholly on a secondary system of beliefs that people were more drawn to.
Vahn didn't particularly care about communities that intended to separate themselves from the society he intended to build. So long as they did not instigate conflict, damage the planet, or repeat the same mistakes of the past, he would allow them to live as they please. He didn't even mind if someone wanted to become some kind of Hermit living out in the vast woodlands that would inevitably cover the planet as, in the end, the main purpose behind his system was to allow people to live as they please, so long as it was in a non-destructive manner.
With this in mind, Vahn needed to deal with the Holy Church and, if they were not willing to see reason, he would have to systematically cripple them. He was not going to wait around as they performed Grand Rituals and tirelessly attempted to assassinate members of the Empire so, after the initial delegation had been sent, Vahn teleported directly above the Vatican's airspace. This was where the headquarter of the public face of the Holy Church, the Roman Catholic Church, was located.
Vahn wasn't surprised to find nearly six-million people gathered together in the relatively small city as, being the center of one of the world's largest religions, they had a very large following in the surrounding city of Rome, Italy. Now, fearing the beginning of the end times, people had migrated from the surrounding regions to seek guidance from their Pope, the religious figure that supposedly served as the representative of God...
Seeing the 75-year-old Italian man attempt to pacify and calm his believers, Vahn actually felt a small amount of pity for the aged individual. From what he could tell, the man had a very pure aura and, though his Magic Circuits were almost entirely inert, his affinity with the Light element was extremely high. This was a rather curious development but, considering he had the beliefs of billions of people supporting him, it wasn't too far-fetched to imagine that his aura was actually purified as a result.
A stark contrast the religious fervor that seemed to be tearing apart other regions, the Pope's message to his people was patience, fortitude, and belief. He disavowed violence and, using the phenomenon of people vanishing into light as an example, encouraged people to live good lives so that they would ultimately be selected by God. His message was one of peace and tolerance, even though there were literally millions of people crying out for the destruction of the Empire...
Deciding to make time to meet with the Pope directly in the near-future, Vahn turned his attention away from the elderly man. His eyes passed over the various Cardinals and Bishops, many with far less pure auras than the Pope himself, before landing on a group of strangely dressed priests, the leader of which was glaring at him with hate-filled eyes. They were clearly members of the Holy Church and, unlike the people gathered below, they were extremely perceptive to the presence of a foreign entity within the Vatican City.
No longer concealing his presence, Vahn slowly began to descend from the sky as divine light began to radiate out from his body. This drew a lot of attention to him and, for a brief moment, silence seemed to dominate the massive crowd until a few people realized exactly who he was. Then, as if the words of their Pope had been for naught, a hysteria seemed to overtake the people nearest to Vahn as they attempted to surge toward him like a tidal wave of flesh and hatred, some shouting things like, "Kill the Devil...!" in borderline feral voices.
As if a chemical reaction had been set off within the crowd, a massive riot was on the verge of breaking out. This was one of the dangers of religions and mob mentality in general as, if you had just a few crazy people in the fray, they could instigate violence among the entire group. People always seemed to be on the verge of letting out their inner demons and, knowing there would be little to no consequences, they were quick to riot if they believed they could get away with it.
Unfortunately, no amount of normal humans had any hope of surmounting Vahn as, even in a state sealed by [Enkidu], he could still move upwards of two-million kilos. If they wanted to have any hopes of moving him, they would have to crush each other like a mindless swarm, something made impossible by the fact that those closest to him quickly cowed in the face of his aura. This was before he had even released it fully as, at least for the time being, he would attempt to settle things peacefully.
Despite setting in motion events that would ultimately claim billions, Vahnd didn't want the lives of millions of people on his hands. Thus, with the ease of a man taking a stroll through a park, Vahn slowly walked towards the landing of St. Peter's Basilica as an area of 10m in his immediate surroundings was virtually impossible to penetrate. This was in spite of the massive outcry his presence had caused by, whenever someone more zealous passed the group given pause, they too would quickly lose any willpower to trespass further as something deep inside of them made even a single step impossible.
Eventually, people began to realize something was amiss so they began to split and, by the time he had reached the landing, much of the fervor had died down. This was aided by the fact that, as soon as Vahn appeared, the Pope tried to keep people calm without turning tail. Rather, his hazy brown eyes actually reflected a subtle blue glow as a resolute yet kind smile adorned his wrinkled visage. This was a phenomenon that was only present in Tier 4 entities and those who were able to use Divine Power but, due to the Laws of the Nasuverse, even normal people could potentially rival gods if they had enough belief placed in them.
Fortunately, the Pope didn't seem to show any hostility whatsoever so, even without Vahn having to take action, the crowd was slowly brought under control by the aged man's aura. They began to look toward him as if he was a living god, some going so far as to kneel down, praying fervently in the presence of this unseen force. As for Vahn, he casually ascended the steps, passing massive stone columns and several nervous members of the Clergy that fundamentally lacked the courage to bar his passage...
(A/N: Existence is pain. I write because I feel the need to do so. I don't want to just post 'update' chapters anymore. Also, for anyone that might get upset about the presentation of some religions in the next few chapters, remember that this is a work of fiction. There are literal gods present in this world so don't treat it as a direct translation of reality. I'm not badmouthing any religions, its prophets, or its followers. Be good to each other.)
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章節 1316: Apostate
Vahn was admittedly a little surprised at the interior majesty of the famous St. Peter's Basilica. While it wasn't as impressive as the interior of the Ivory Castle, it was a marvel of architecture and, if not for the lingering emotions clouding the atmosphere, it would have been a truly beautiful sight.
Unfortunately, even under better circumstances, Vahn wouldn't be afforded the opportunity to look around at his leisure. In fact, after passing the relatively low ranking members of the Clergy, quite a number of bolder individuals had quickly gathered. None made any moves but it was very apparent they did not welcome him within one of their most sanctified halls. This caused the itching sensation that made his skin crawl intensify and, if not for his training with Scáthach, Vahn would have had a bit of trouble keeping his bearing.
Before he had been able to venture too deeply into the structure, the doors leading to the outside were closed by lower-ranking members of the Clergy as a man with scarlet red robes, elbow-length cap, white rochet, and a peculiar white mitre hat with two scarlet tassels. He had a distinctly ancient appearance and, based on the structure of his internal energy, Vahn would peg him around eighty-seven years of age. Despite this, the man had a fierce and determined look in his blazing blue eyes as he stood at the front of the assembly and stated, "Foul creature. You dare bring your heresy into these most hallowed halls?"
Hearing the man's accusatory and harsh tone, Vahn couldn't help but raise his brow curiously as he rebuffed, "How curious, a man who spins tales of an all-loving, all-forgiving God yet, when meeting a new face for the first time, he immediately resorts to besmirching others and instigating conflict. Tell me, Cardinal, did God personally appoint you to your position or did you, like many others, simply outlive the competition?"
With his ears, cheeks, and nose gaining a ruddy hue, the Cardinal scowled viciously as venomously stated, "You have no right to speak of our God, Blasphemer! My position is the result of my unerring belief, my willingness to die for the one true God!"
Stirred by the Cardinal's words, the wholly male gathering seemed to find even greater courage and, as a result, the burning sensation on Vahn's skin more than doubled in intensity. Despite this, he just stood there with a casual smile on his face, stating, "I am not here to speak with a fool who believes in a nameless God. Shouldn't you be off claiming credit for miracles or appropriating the beliefs of other cultures to empower your system of Thaumaturgy further...?"
Vahn's words were like a slap to the face for everyone present within the room, an assembly that now consisted of nearly three-hundred people. It was well documented that, throughout history, the Roman Catholic Church had borrowed doctrine convenient for themselves while replacing the belief systems of other cultures with their religious symbolism. They had a penchant for rewriting history in the most convenient light, changing their tune whenever it suited them. This was a rather curious thing, considering their God was presumably omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. You would think a being with such power, capable of seeing all points in history simultaneously, would have given them more pertinent instructions...
Just as the tensions reached a level where they were on the verge of exploding, a chuckle resonated through the vast chamber, immediately drawing the attention of the crowd. Then, in much the same way as the people outside, the gathering of clergymen parted to reveal an old man flanked by four peculiar individuals, each possessing a commendable amount of power, even if it was like four black suns rotating around a much larger, infinitely brighter, white star.
Despite having one of the highest standings in human society, the Pope actually wore relatively plain robes compared to the other members of the Clergy. If not for the ornate staff in his hands, showing a man crucified on a cross, he would have looked like any normal elderly priest, at least to those who couldn't see what lay beneath. He even walked at a slow pace, his scepter tapping against the hard marble flooring with an audible tap as he approached closer and stated in an aged voice, "So this is the man who God has sent to test our faith...quite a peculiar existence..."
Hearing the Pope's words, Vahn was somewhat disappointed as he hadn't expected the comparably kind and pure man to spew the same contrived nonsense as the rest. However, considering his post, it wasn't exactly a surprise to hear him say such things. If his beliefs weren't the strongest, there was no way the rest of the Cardinals would have elected him to the position. He was the person who had the highest authority within the most powerful organization in the world, a position not just anyone could fulfill...
Though he knew it was stepping on a landmine, Vahn decided to respond in a way that would both shock and mortify the procession, asking in a curious tone, "Perhaps you would be more willing to see reason if I resurrected the man you purport a Savior? I wonder if you would even besmirch the person most intrinsic to your faith in your vain attempts to deny the truth...?"
As if his previously amicable bearing had been an illusion, the Pope's expression hardened into a pointed glare as he gripped the handle of his staff and replied, "I had hoped to discuss the future at length with you...now, I understand there is no limit to your vile machinations. Do not think for even a moment that your words and actions have any weight here. What you have done to the outside is enough to prove the wickedness in your heart. Leave this place, you are no longer welcome within the Vatican. If you have any righteousness at all, you will leave without making a scene."
Vahn found the Pope's efforts to put himself into a morally superior position rather amusing as, even if he left without causing a scene, the Holy Church, sanctioned by the Pope himself, would not return the courtesy. Rather, so long as the Vatican remained untouched, he did not particularly care about the destruction of entire cities. Even if his people desecrated the holy grounds of other religions, tore apart religious texts, and committed horrible acts in the name of their God, he would ultimately turn a blind eye so long as it did not endanger the interests of the church.
With his impression of the man completely ruined, Vahn shook his head, smile no longer visible on his face as he stated, "More so than anyone present, I have the most right to be here. You pretend to be a representative of God yet, in all your time, have you ever truly heard 'his' voice? I have the literal being you worship on my person at all times yet, despite this inherent truth, you call me the heretic? Is there a greater form of blasphemy than the denial of one's own God...?"
Vahn's previous words and actions hadn't earned him any friends among the gathered clergymen but, hearing him essentially denounce their entire faith, he became the focus of everyone's hate in an instant. Curiously, however, the burning sensation on his skin began to gradually fade as, prior to the Pope giving his bodyguards their orders, Alaya appeared, this time in her 'original' state, a ball of pure light that had two rings revolving around it at varying speeds and angles that changed from the perspective of different people.
Though he hadn't told her to do anything, Alaya's presence caused the peculiar Bounded Field that was supposed to keep people like Vahn away to completely vanish. This had been a great source of confusion for the members of the Holy Church as, with the field still active, he shouldn't have been able to trespass so easily. What they didn't realize, or at least refused to accept, was that their barrier was completely useless in the face of Alaya. Rather, due to the structure of the field, Vahn became the new 'owner' as Alaya had the highest authority within the Vatican by default.
Suddenly, the Pope began to have a coughing fit as the holy light in his body began to rapidly gain a grey luster before turning just as dark as the rest of the Cardinals. This didn't mean he was an evil person but, having reached the highest position within a religious organization, the number of evil deeds he had been made aware of, yet willfully ignored, had tainted his Ego. Vahn had become able to distinguish whether or not a person was genuinely evil based, not solely on the color of their aura, but the structure and composition as well.
While three of the four bodyguards supported the Pope, nearly everyone else in the room had their eyes fixed on the true form of Alaya. Her presence was something even the gods themselves would not be able to fully comprehend so, as mortal men, there were a number of people that instantly fell to their knees. At the same time, Alaya spoke in a resonant tone that cowed everyone present as she stated, "Humanity has strayed from the path of righteousness. Vahn Aldrnari Mason will be the figure to guide humanity toward prosperity and the continuation of the species. If you oppose him, do so knowing that my Blessing will not aid you..."
Under normal circumstances, Alaya would not even bother to interfere with these matters but, as Vahn himself had elected to appear within the Vatican, she was prompted to act. Truthfully, it had never mattered to her what the church believed, so long as they endeavored to ensure the survival of humanity. Now that Vahn had usurped that role, they were a direct threat to the species she was bound to protect. Her power could not be used to oppose Vahn so, the moment they shifted their hatred toward him, she reclaimed the power they had been borrowing for millennia.
---
While Alaya was giving her speech, Vahn was feeling out the new authority he had suddenly gained. Previously, his senses couldn't extend very far due to the Bound Field's interference field but, now that he was the owner, Vahn's domain had extended throughout the entirety of the Vatican City. He could even stretch his senses into the chambers deep beneath the city, a fact that caused a frown to immediately develop across his face due to the 'truth' he had discovered.
The Holy Church had imprisoned a number of entities beneath the city, including humans, spirits, ghosts, Daemons, and other phantasmal species. They were treated as factories to produce various rare materials and resources, kept prisoner for hundreds or even thousands of years to support the interests of the church. It was a truly monstrous affront to basic human decency but, in the name of their silent God, there was very little the church wouldn't resort to if it meant spreading their belief and holding onto their ill-gotten power...
Shaking his head, Vahn turned to the only person left standing in the room, a woman with silver hair and pale-blue eyes. She was the only female present amongst the members of the clergy and, now that the Pope had lost Alaya's favor, she was by far the strongest person present. At the same time, her aura was almost pitch black and, while not inherently evil, Vahn could tell she had a twisted and vicious nature at a glance.
Even as everyone else was awed by Alaya's presence, the silver-haired woman had only spared the glowing blue orb a glance before turning her attention back to Vahn. She seemed to be in very deep thought, despite her expression being completely neutral and unperturbed. Then, seemingly having made up her mind, a sadistic smile marred her relatively beautiful face as she mused, "How tragic. To think that the infamous Emperor would march into the heart of the Vatican to murder the Pope and more than ninety percent of the senior clergy..."
As soon as the woman spoke, the three men helping the Pope paused for a brief moment before one, the second strongest of the trio, pulled out a black, cross-shaped, blade as he attempted to stab it into the Pope's back. At the same time, the other two men pulled out similar blades and, if not for the timely intervention of Vahn, they would have undoubtedly slaughtered the entire assembly in order to twist the truth. Unfortunately for them, Vahn wasn't just going to stand idly by as this event took place so, the moment they moved, all three men were forcibly ejected from the Bounded Field, their bodies transported several kilometers above the surface of the earth, death coming to them almost instantly.
Due to her power, the woman was not so easily forced away but, as it was never his intention to let her go so easily, Vahn had appeared like a phantom, his hand grasping her neck as she dangling off the ground with a darkening expression. She wasn't even afforded the time to react as Vahn, from the very beginning, had already been anticipating she would do something. Her unstable aura was something you only saw in homicidal maniacs and battle junkies so, if given the chance, violence was her go-to solution to every problem...
The woman hadn't been quiet with her words so, despite trembling in awe at Alaya's presence, the men in the chamber had all realized what had nearly happened. Despite this, they did not see Vahn in a positive light as, even with something as inexplicable as Alaya present, they adamantly refused to believe they were in the wrong. Instead, they would have rather been killed by the silver-haired woman as it would have made them into Martyrs, uniting their believers and allowing the church to withstand any trials the Empire might impose upon them.
Realizing this, many of the men that had been cowering began to tear away at their own throats with crucifixes while some elected to bite through their tongues. It was an utterly ridiculous sight but, as it was their choice to make, Vahn just watched with dull eyes while holding the woman up by her neck. He knew that, even if he stopped them, they would either commit suicide later or spend the rest of their days convincing their believers that Vahn was to blame for everything that happened. Even if he released an actual recording of the proceedings, people would just accuse him of falsifying things to suit his agenda, irrespective of the truth...
Shaking his head, Vahn bound the woman with [Enkidu] before carrying her under his arm like a sack of rice and heading deeper into the basilica. There were hidden passages connecting to a complex network of underground passages and chambers. Here, the secrets of the church were hidden away from the world, truths that would shake the very foundation of their doctrine.
Now, despite having come with the intention to negotiate, Vahn had thrown decorum out the window after the complete farce he had witnessed. He changed the properties of the Bounded Field to make everyone outside suddenly feel they needed to go home, causing millions of people to file out like zombies. They would be in the way of what was to come as, with their foundation exposed, the Holy Church would stop at nothing to eliminate him...regardless of the innocent lives caught in the crossfire.
(A/N: Once again, this is pure fiction. I have nothing against the catholic church, or any religious organization for that matter, so don't lambast me over something that has no correlation with reality. The fact I need to say this is rather disheartening but that is the political climate we live in these days x_x...)
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