Gambling on the Truth
There was but a single reason why I chose to believe in her promise instead of following the logical choice that I have reached as Law, Spirit of Law and Order.
Love gave me the ability to understand mankind, their emotions, their motivations and most of all, their hopes and dreams. Instead of making decisions that are perfectly sound and "for the common good", she taught me that even if things wouldn't be ideal, if those who would live with that decision can do so without regrets, it is the right decision.
{"Sometimes, the ideal answer isn't the right answer. If they will decide something that they will later on regret and never move on from, it might be better to not choose that at all."}
She was right in a way. Humans are fragile, short-sighted and oftentimes, selfish. I learned all about that when I travelled this world and saw civilizations grow and fall again and again all across its plains and shores because of human error and inability to be unaffected by what their "heart" says.
And yet, when I myself gained that "heart", I learned that even I, the Spirit of Law, can be moved from my mindset of choosing what is the best course of action… not because of what my "heart" selfishly says, but because of what it held important more than anything else.
{"I and my descendants promise you, Law… We will finish this on that fated day."}
Cecilia spoke those words while all of my logical reasoning points me to just simply end this world… and I chose to believe in her. And now, that descendant that she promised has come and he spoke the words that filled my heart back then.
{"Please Law… I… I don't want to destroy this world."}
Perhaps, it wasn't just a coincidence that of all the great descendants of hers', he was the one that appeared and carried my decisions from way back then.
"Show me, Ephraim… That you are worthier than I to bring an end to all of this."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Not all of the ones destined to fight in the war went to the place where they should be brought according to the wills of the Seers of Death.
"…Finally."
Some of them, ended up in places where they wanted to be.
"My, my… Your brother would surely be infuriated once he learns that you reached this place and gained an audience with me while I continuously drive him away."
"For a Celestial Spirit, you sure have a sadistic side."
"Ahaha! No need to hit me with snide, little lassie."
"…"
"…After all, just like everyone who learned of its existence and did everything to get here, you're after some answers that I and only I can give, yes?"
In the Hall of Words, the domain of Spirit Knowledge, a lone young woman stood in front of the Spirit of Knowledge himself and without shuddering, looked at him straightly.
"Considering everything that happened down there in the real world, I believe the time is already ripe for you to finally give answers to all of us."
"And to what end do you say such things?"
"…For the sake of the goal that both of us share."
"…"
"Stop with the act already… I deduced it long ago when Keiji confirmed that this place is reachable through Psychic means and that he senses that the "answer" that he is trying to find can be found here."
"Heh. Your idiot of a brother is wrong. That knowledge isn't-"
"Then why haven't you closed that path since then? Why has Keiji managed to enter this place, only to be stopped by you from stepping in?"
Being pressed with that question, even the smug expression on Knowledge's face was removed and it was replaced by a mix of grief and exasperation.
"It didn't make sense at all. According to the Tainted Spirits, the accessway to Caelestia, especially its specific domains and chambers can be totally isolated by their owners. There is no logical reason for your domain to remain open… unless of course…"
Finally, the young woman took off the hood that was covering her head and revealed her identity to be none other than Miyazono Himari.
"…if you wanted someone to come here after all."
"…You mortals sure grew out some solid courage for you to think that you can talk to me like-"
"You don't scare me, Knowledge."
"-!?"
"No, scratch that. None of you spirits scare me. After everything that happened to me, none of what you can do can scare me anymore."
"Fearlessness of the cornered, huh?"
"You can call it whatever you wish to call it as."
"Heh… let's keep it at that, then."
After their exchange, Knowledge stretched out his hand and from the marble floor came out a chair where Himari sat at and stared at him with a cold expression.
"If you're going to hound me with questions, let's make this a bit more fun."
"Fun?"
"Just like you have deduced, I indeed kept the pathways open to my Domain to invite over those that I took an interest on or have found a way to enter because of their utmost desire to find an answer from me."
At that moment, Knowledge raised another chair and from behind his throne came out someone that Himari least expected to be here of all people.
"You are…"
"It's been a while, Himari-san."
It was a young female student whom she is familiar with, Amakano Sayaka.
"How did… No, why are you here in the first place? You were supposed to be dead."
"I sure am supposed to be dead. Too bad, the man you sent to inject poison into me while I was hospitalized died before he can even reach my room. They said that he had a stroke inside of a toilet cubicle in the hospital where he wrote down a thousand digits of Pi at the walls."
After hearing that detailed explanation from her, Himari turned to Knowledge who simply gave a frank shrug of his hands to show that it was indeed his handiwork.
"While I was in a comatose state, Spirit Knowledge over here told me all about what happened, both things that I would've found out and things that I never would've. Psychics, Astra energy-based superpowers, Mental Subspaces… all of it."
"If you were smart, you would've stayed away from all of it."
"Right… Not so smart of me then, huh?"
Unlike her bright and bubbly self from back then, Sayaka now carries an empty expression not unlike those who have experienced betrayal again and again… in that respect, she was alike Himari.
"To make the long story short, I have been in the care of the Sumeragi syndicate's Imamura clan and have been supplying them with valuable information that are being given to me by Spirit Knowledge."
"…May I ask what you're giving in exchange for that kind of information?"
Himari looked at Knowledge to ask him about the transaction, but it was Sayaka who answered her.
"The same thing. I also give him information. Although lately, he's been mum about things that I personally want to know. He keeps on saying that he's waiting for someone to fight over those answers with me."
"Fight over?"
"You'll learn soon enough. In any case, both of us have limited time to spend in this place. Let's get this started so that we can both go back to our bodies."
As Sayaka nonchalantly took her seat beside Himari, both of them facing Knowledge, a marble table formed from the floor and on it came out cards made of glass.
"What is this?"
"A deck of cards from the ancient game of "Kapala Uka" of the Domain of Kleiv. It's a game well loved by Spirit Justice's people because it is infallible to tricks and cheats, sparing them from the wrath of their guardian spirit."
"Kapala Uka…"
On the table are 36 cards as big as flash cards used to teach children in kindergarten. They are scattered and have been placed frontside up. The cards, split up between four color variations, is numbered from one to nine.
"The game is played by two or more players who all possess the same number of points. Every play, I will turn over two cards and the objective of the game is to turn over a card closest to the number between the two cards that I turned over."
With a snap of his finger, all of the glass-like cards turned backside up.
"If that isn't clear, let's have a demonstration round."
Knowledge reached out to two cards and their values are 2 and 7. They also do not share the same color, with the 2 being red and the 7 being yellow.
"It would be easy if both numbers are even or odd, but in this case where it's not, the closest number is the one on the greater side. And that is-"
"Five."
"-!"
Without missing a beat, Sayaka turned over one of the cards and it was a yellow one that bore the number "5".
"Excellent, Sayaka. You even matched the color of the bigger number to get a bonus point."
"W-Wait! What the-!?"
Over her head, a virtual-like counter appeared and from being 500, the number shrunk to 425. Meanwhile, Sayaka's went from 500 to 575. It was clear to her that she lost that round.
"Don't panic, Himari. This is just a demonstration. I think you already know how to play it and how the point system works?"
"Y-Yeah… I think I got it down good enough. However, I have one last question."
"And that is?"
"What would be the prize if I won here?"
"Well, here's something. For the price of a hundred points, you can ask me a question that I cannot lie about or deny answering. However, you obviously only have a limited points to spend… and I'm sure that both of you have less than enough points to get every answer you want from me."
As he said that, Himari and Sayaka exchanged glances where they both showed that they aren't willing to lose.
"Well then, shall we start, ladies?"
"Yes."
"Let's get going."
With that, their points were reset, the cards were shuffled around and the ancient game that was once used as an infallible method to ascertain someone's temperament between virtue and vice was played by the two who wanted answers more than anything else.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Based on how you acted from before, I expected you to be someone that I can easily defeat so long as I can take hold of your frustration about Charon's death.
How wrong I was to believe that any of you in the Seers would be so predictable…
"Hahaha!
"Tch!"
As soon as he sensed an opening, he flicked three coins towards me with a velocity similar to a sniper bullet. Without enough time to dodge it, I put up a blood barrier to catch the coins before they hit me.
"Heads or tails! Reveal the odds!"
"What the-!?"
"How unlucky~!"
Although all of them were caught, as soon as he shouted those words, two of the coins that showed up as tails suddenly emitted an enormous amount of Astra energy and in a split second, exploded with a tremendous amount of force.
"Drat! Tch!"
Surprised with all of it, my arm was caught in the explosion and it became a better choice to just cut it off by the shoulder so I can regenerate it faster.
"Hey, hey, hey! Slowing down now, are we?!"
"Stay back!!!"
However, he gave me no pause to recover my limb.
"Hahaha! Hyahahaha!!!"
"Darn it! How can you still-"
"YAA-HOO!!!"
"-!!!"
With only one arm to wield my spear, blocking his persistent attacks became difficult and he eventually ended up breaking my guard and taking a stance whose attack would mortally wound me.
"Heh! Just kidding~!"
"Why, you-!!!"
"Hup-hup!"
I swung my spear around to swat him away and he jumped a few meters back to a distance that both of us were comfortable with.
"Why?"
"Heh?"
"Why didn't you take your chance? Why did you just jump away instead of attacking me?"
It doesn't make sense.
All this time, he's been sending out attacks that are clearly out to injure or kill me. But all of a sudden, when a golden opportunity presents itself, he just holds his ground and even shows a mocking expression without dishing out the fatal attack.
"You don't understand at all, don't you, O dear Challenger?"
"What?"
"My reason for being here instead of the First or the Second is because I am the best fit to seeing if you're good enough for the role in this play that all of us are partaking in."
Play… like a theater play? What the hell is this guy saying?
"Right now, everyone who has dipped their hands or stared long enough into the abyss of the world of Psychics are being rounded up for the long overdue prologue of the theatrical performance promised to humanity by us Seven Seers of Death."
"What on earth are you monsters doing now? What is this "theatrical performance" that you are talking about?"
"What else! The Maestro's "Requiem of Finality" is almost complete. Once the opening tune starts, ready or not, all of us has to dance to its tune and act according to its script!"
As he danced around with a charge of frivolous energy whilst giggling around like a child, I realized that there is something very wrong that is happening here.
"Wait… are you talking about-"
"Yes, dear Challenger! It's your fault!"
"!!!"
"If you didn't~! Didn't~! Didn't interfere back then~! All of this would've turned out according to how you saw it in your premonition!"
"Liar!"
"Hyahaha! Puzzled now if I am telling the truth or not, are you?"
"You damn pest!"
After my arm regrew and I regained sensation and control on it, I charged towards him with my spear and tried to skewer him.
"Poof!"
"W-what the-!?"
However, his body transformed into an exploding pile of coins, only for the real him to appear far away behind me.
"Don't get too hotheaded now, Challenger. After all, impatience makes you decide things haphazardly and soon enough, every bad luck you'd get would pile on and on to further frustrate you."
"Stop messing with me! You heard what said! How did my interference back then change everything!?"
"Wondering now that it's been revealed by my silly slip of tongue? You sure have a shallow sense of wonder, Challenger."
"Just answer me, damn it! How… no, why does the Seers know about that future too?!"
After I gave that question, he chuckled heartily for a moment before giving me another infuriating response.
"Why should I tell you about it?"
"-!"
"As I said before, I was sent here to assess if you're ready for the final confrontation between all of us involved in this thing. The First and the Second are also out there, Maestro is finishing up his Requiem and the Third… hold on, what was little Mirai doing again before we split up? Eh, whatever…"
"That child… wait a minute! You don't know where she is and what she is doing?"
"Hey, we all have our respective task to fulfill. I don't know what she has been assigned with, but it's probably connected to what I am doing too."
That child… I saw her on my premonition too. She… she's supposed to be fighting alongside the other Seers, but if she and the Maestro isn't out here, then…
"Oh-ho! I like that look on your face. It's the same one that those who gamble with even the most important things in their life make when they know that they're going to lose, or they regret putting whatever of value it was on the betting table."
"I don't understand! Charon asked me to bring his body back to you guys to somehow unite our three sides against the Miyazonos!"
"…"
"Why… why are you five Seers doing something like this that is against his wishes?!"
"You really know nothing, do you, Chronian?"
"What the-?"
Shocked about being addressed like that, a sense of fear welled up inside me as his eyes turned jet-black.
"Charon never had the intention of us joining your side against the Miyazonos. Us who represent Nihil, The Spirit of Death and Finality, have no use for sides and alliances."
"You liar. If you really have no intention to do so, then did you gather followers and-"
"For the same reason why Spirit Death became a null Spirit. Let me show it to you then."
"What the… my eyes…?!"
In an instant, he approached me and placed his hand over my eyes. I struggled to swat him away at first, but at that moment, a memory that doesn't belong to me played in my mind and showed me a scene already familiar to me from the countless times that it came up randomly.
Mountains of corpses and rivers of blood came from an enormous pyramid emanating with the disgusting odor of death. It was the day when Spirit Love died and seeking justice and the death of those responsible for it, Law perpetrated this bloody massacre that almost culled mankind from the face of the planet.
However, this scene wasn't focused on the battle that happened on the ground, but instead, on the pyramid that reeked with death and damnation.
"That… is impossible…!"
"You're right. As the Spirit of Death, there is no way for a being like that to be born, but so great was the carnage and despair that came from that place that it bore the possibility of an impossibility."
From the dark miasma that covered the pyramid of bloodshed and death materialized a being carrying such a malicious and deadly aura… but their singular appearance was short-lived as they split into seven fragments wherein six each flew out to a far-away distance.
"T-That guy!"
"Right… it seems like Spirit Law witnessed it too and knew what would be coming but didn't even bother with confronting him. After all, he himself chose not to follow the logically right decision himself by believing in your ancestor and her promise."
On the ground, the one fragment that didn't flew away materialized and I recognized his appearance to be no other that Charon, the one that we assumed to be the leader of the Mori cult and the Seven Seers.
"Spirit Nihil, the Spirit of Death and Finality, would violate their very principles and reason for existence by being "born". Which is why it split itself into seven fragments in order to get past that rule. Of those seven, six would take the identity of the six great people martyred for their defiance against the wiles of Chaos and would scatter across the world, possessing those who fit the virtuous qualities of the martyrs."
The ethereal figures would roam the earth until they found and possessed humans whose qualities corresponded to the six people who died siding with the Celestial Spirits. As for the one who remained on the tower, he would journey around the world, tracking down and collecting the other fragments back into their collective.
The memory stopped and he backed away from me. Although still bugged by the implications of this revelation, I knew that I cannot afford to show that I was rattled by this reveal.
"We are the Vessels of Death. With these bodies made of porcelain and blood made of tar, we exist as the sign of this world and its inhabitants' unavoidable finality. In due time, we will come for the soul of all that has life and whatever side you may take, we will not discriminate."
"I will stop you, then."
Knowing now what they intend to do, I no longer have a need to hold back.
"Stop me? Stop us, the Seers of Death? You seem to not be listening intently, O dear Challenger. We already know what the future holds! You can never-"
Before he can react, I launched myself forward and charged at him with my spear.
"HRAAAHHH!!!"
"Kh-!"
Although he stopped my weapon's blade before it can reach him, he made the mistake of catching it instead of dodging or parrying it away.
"
"What on-!?"
You're right. The future is already set in stone. I have seen it and it seems like you Seers do too.
"
"WUO-AAAHHH!!!"
However, there's one thing that you missed.
"
Only I, the Vessel of Law, knows how that future will come into shape.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Here are the cards. Red card 3… Green card 9."
In the Hall of Words, the fourth round of the game between Himari and Sayaka begun, and it was clear that both sides have been doing well for their selves in the past three rounds.
"…Darn it."
Himari was the first to turn over a card and unfortunately, she overshot it and got a blue card with a number 9.
"Same case."
Sayaka failed to win as well after she drew a yellow card with the number 2.
"Another default, huh. Let's reshuffle it then."
With a snap of his finger, the cards changed faces while still being turned on its back. With this, an advantage of good memory is rendered unusable and the fairness of the game was preserved.
"Here are the cards. Yellow 8… Blue 1."
"…Yellow 3, I'll fight with it."
Himari turned one of the cards and even though it isn't a good card, she chose to fight with it."
"This one's yours. I drew a Red 9."
She won this round but instead of looking triumphant, she had a sour look on her face. This isn't because she looked is annoyed with only gaining 25 points after she didn't get a number closer to the higher number, but because both of their points are back to square one.
"Five hundred and five hundred… Do you get now why I said that we shouldn't waste our time?"
"Yeah, yeah…"
She knew that it was an old game, and its rules are the same. But it does bug her that there is a real threat of this game to drag on if they don't manage to clear up the table by matching them quick enough.
"Hey, you said that you'll answer our questions in exchange for a hundred points, right?"
"Yeah. Why do you ask?"
"Then I'll be using one now…"
"Heh."
"And what are you snickering for?"
After she declared her desire to use up some of her points for a question, Sayaka let out an involuntary giggle which gained her annoyance.
"I don't think that's a good idea, Himari-san."
"Oh-ho? What's wrong? Are you worrying that you'd be in a disadvantage since you can't take those points from me?"
When she let out those words, Sayaka simply shrugged and stayed silent which worsened her sense of annoyance. Still, she pushed on and in exchange for a hundred points, asked a question to the Spirit.
"I want to know what pushed my father to go through this entire thing. Building a business empire, siding with entire countries in a war and even indirectly controlling the world after the war… oh, his involvement with Freedom too."
"You father, huh… Miyazono Ryuuichi started out as someone who did have a thirst for wealth and power and this drove him to be involved with more and more like-minded people. However, unlike them who holds something much more important than that desire for wealth and power, such as their loyalty to their country, their faith in a certain belief and even the lack of acknowledgement that humans deserve to have supposedly unalienable rights, Ryuuichi held absolutely nothing more important to him than wealth and power…"
"So, I was right all along…"
"That absolute desire would later be dry wood for the fire that Freedom would throw into him… In a way, it was pretty obvious. Humans always desire power after securing wealth and after securing power, their next goal would be-"
"Immortality."
"Right, but it's not as simple as "just immortality"… Freedom's promises was greater than that… but that is an entirely different subject not covered by your question."
"…"
"You'd have to pay up to know more about what he promised to your father… after all, that information is something too huge to be included in your question by virtue of its relatedness."
"Fair enough… Now then, let's continue."
The game started again and this time, the pair of cards that was turned over was a perfect pair in both number and color.
"Yellow 2 and 8."
"My loss. It's Blue 7."
Himari nonchalantly turned over one of the cards and simply dismissed the loss as a matter of fact. However, what happened next earned her undivided shock.
"Yellow 5. It's my win."
"-!"
At that moment, her counter that had the number 400 suddenly dropped to 200. It was a loss of 200 points that went straight to her opponent.
"Hold on! How the hell did you-!?"
"Perfect between numbering and color match. It's a quadruple bonus."
"-!"
At that moment, Himari realized that she was played like a fiddle after feeling a sense of elation when one of the mysteries that she wanted to be answered was finally resolved.
"You cheating-"
"Hold your tongue, young lady."
"Kh-!"
"Don't dare accuse her that when you are not sure… lest you wish to incur the wrath of Justice."
"…"
In a fit of rage, she almost spouted an accusation but was stopped by Knowledge before she can utter it. After calming down, she immediately demanded to know how that happened.
"Just dumb luck. Even I didn't expect it."
"What?"
"While I did aim for at least a color match, it's totally a coincidence that I got the number between those two. I don't have anything else to explain."
Even if there really is a possibility that all of it is just a product of luck, it was still something that bugged Himari. Nevertheless, she is more bothered with the fact that in one fell swoop, she lost 200 points and are a few losses away from never getting any answers from Knowledge.
"Shall we go ahead then and-"
"I have four questions to ask in exchange for 400 points."
"What?!"
However, that suspicion went back when she suddenly spent a huge part of the points she amassed for answers to her questions.
"Well then, state your first question."
"How and why is Rai-san… No, Ephraim Chronia, involved in all of this?"
"…As far as my records state and what I personally know, Ephraim came from a lineage who promised to us Celestial spirits long ago that they will end the death and destruction that happened after the great war that could've destroyed this world and drive mankind into extinction. As the last of those who inherited this promise, all of it falls on his shoulders and personally, he also has his own reasons to partake in all of this carnage."
"What is the coverage of this oath and why is he compelled to fulfill it if he just inherited it?"
"The coverage of that promise is that he will take our place in the final battle that will decide the fate of this world. As for why he is compelled to fulfill it, there is the fact that it is literally his destiny to fulfill it… and who knows, maybe he is being driven by another reason that he has never outwardly mentioned which is why I myself don't know it exactly."
"Will he win? Will the Miyazono faction be beaten and he can finally be freed from that promise?"
"Oi, oi… Are you picking a fight? I'm right here-"
"Shut it!"
When Himari raised a complaint, she was promptly scolded by Sayaka which made her back down with an annoyed expression on her face.
"Well? Give me an answer!"
"…I don't know. It's beyond my knowledge and ability to accurately predict."
"W-what? You said that-!"
"I said that I would answer your question and I won't lie or turn it down. If I told you something that is inaccurate, it would be a lie and I would be violating my Principles."
"…"
"Choose another question. I cannot answer that one which is beyond my capabilities."
For a while, Sayaka had a frustrated expression on her face and grinded her teeth in annoyance. She kept on muttering words under her breath until she snapped back up and gave a new question to replace the rejected one.
"Currently, is Ephraim strong enough to defeat everyone who is going against him?"
"…"
Interested with that question as well since she once fought him herself, Himari listened to the answer of Knowledge.
"He isn't. He's disastrously underpowered and with far too few allies on his side who are strong enough for the oncoming onslaught… after all, as I am seeing it…"
Knowledge's next words earned the shock of both Himari and Sayaka.
"Everyone in the Sumeragi syndicate and the S.S.S is going to die… and Ephraim himself will be going against the one who gave herself up fully as a Spirit Vessel."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Somewhere in the real world, the Third Seer who is missing in action stood in front of a portal made of tar as she faced a woman who bowed for one last time in front of a shrine.
"…You've went too far, old friend. It's one thing to take control of them when they are in mortal danger from which we can save them."
"…"
"But even as someone who literally need the body of their Vessels just to exist materially, isn't what you are doing worse that what I do?"
"You have no right to speak to me like that, Null Spirit."
"…"
"I have made my judgement and no matter what anyone says, this is what I have decided on."
As she walked past the little girl who is speaking on behalf of Spirit Death (Nihil), the woman raised her hand and materialized from bright sparks of lighting an exquisitely made sword that emanated a strong power.
"Heh… If it will truly come to pass, then we will await the outcome of your judgement… Vessel of Justice."
At last, Imamura Kirin, Vessel of Spirit Justice, enters the fray!