Chapter 320: Apostle's Cross (First Update)

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"Who has the Stab Sword right now?"

Hovering invisibly in the sky, George asked Aleister.

All he needed to do was follow the person currently in possession of the Stab Sword, since the key issue was to prevent this unique spiritual weapon—capable of instantly killing a Saint—from leaving Academy City and falling into the hands of the Roman Orthodox Church.

So no matter who was carrying it, if anything went wrong, he would simply intervene and seize it. That alone would be enough to complete the mission.

"It's in the hands of Oriana Thomson. But something's off—Lidvia Lorenzetti of the Roman Orthodox Church entered Academy City, made a single round, and already left."

Aleister, ever the cunning schemer, had already caught a whiff of conspiracy from the suspicious actions of the two magicians.

If their goal had truly been to make a deal for the Stab Sword, they would have made contact as quickly as possible, completed the transaction, and fled immediately. Wandering around the city or just leaving after a brief loop didn't align with that objective.

"Should I just take her out now?"

George asked again.

His usual approach was to eliminate problems before a conspiracy could even unfold. That was the safest method.

But clearly, Aleister didn't share that mindset.

"A magician dying within Academy City would cause a lot of trouble. Let's observe for now. See what exactly they're up to."

"Suit yourself. Doesn't matter to me either way."

George nodded.

Whatever scheme the Roman Orthodox Church had, it didn't actually concern him. He was only doing a job in exchange for something from Aleister. So however Aleister wanted to handle it, he would follow along.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that Aleister's refusal to let him act immediately wasn't entirely for the reasons he'd just stated.

It seemed to have something to do with that Kamijou Touma.

George's instincts told him Aleister was placing great importance on that boy.

Understandable, really. A power that could nullify all magic and esper abilities—Imagine Breaker—was certainly worth paying attention to.

"There she is."

Following Aleister's guidance, George soon located the courier, Oriana Thomson.

She appeared to be a mature woman in her thirties, with dazzling, voluminous blonde curls and striking blue eyes. Her outfit was nothing short of provocative, and her figure was downright voluptuous.

She wore a gray men's work shirt on top, but only had one button fastened, leaving her chest entirely exposed beneath. As she walked, the shirt swayed precariously—like that lone button could pop off at any moment.

Her pants matched the work shirt, but she hadn't even bothered to fasten them or zip up. If not for how tight they were, she'd likely have exposed herself just walking a few steps.

Slung over her back was a long, cloth-wrapped item of unknown origin.

"Is that the Stab Sword? Why can't I sense any magical energy from it?"

George's eyes briefly flashed with doubt as he stared at the object on Oriana's back.

But he didn't dwell on it. A spiritual weapon capable of killing Saints in a single strike was undoubtedly a top-tier artifact. It made sense if it could suppress its magical presence.

Besides, carrying something that powerful, she might have deliberately cast a spell to mask its magical signature to avoid detection.

"This guy… he's strolling around like he's shopping, with no sense of urgency."

Floating above Oriana, George noticed that she was aimlessly wandering around, at most taking the opportunity to scout and familiarize herself with the surroundings of Academy City.

"Really strange."

Over an hour later, George saw that Oriana actually sought out Kamijou Touma, pretending to greet him with a handshake while attempting to use some kind of magic on him.

Unfortunately for her, Kamijou's right hand nullified her magic, causing her to retreat immediately.

But by then, Kamijou had already realized something was wrong. He contacted his two teammates and discreetly began tailing her.

Sadly, Kamijou's pursuit didn't last long. As a master tracker, Oriana quickly noticed she was being followed.

She reached into a stack of cards, each tied together with a metal ring, and pulled out one. Holding it in her mouth, she activated a spell that transformed the card into a communication device, similar to a phone.

From her words, George deduced she was likely calling Lidvia Lorenzetti, a high-ranking member of the Roman Orthodox Church.

"This magic is pretty interesting."

Watching Oriana use a single spell to communicate over a distance, George couldn't hide his curiosity.

The magic he had learned so far didn't have a similar effect.

He could have his guardian send messages over long distances, but it required time for the guardian to travel. He could create magic crystal balls from the Fairy Tail world for communication, but that was a magical artifact that needed time to prepare—it wasn't as convenient as this.

"Since you're here, I suppose your magic is mine now."

It wasn't the right time to act out in the open, but within Academy City, he could follow the same method he used with Sherry—stealthily reading Oriana's memories when the time came, copying the magic knowledge from her mind directly into his own.

Unfortunately, the high-ranking Roman Orthodox Church official wasn't in Academy City. Otherwise, he would have copied their memories as well.

After Oriana noticed Kamijou's tailing, she fled, eventually entering a large warehouse. There, she drew several more cards and began setting up traps with her magic.

At the same time, a mage from the Protestant Church and one of Kamijou's classmates arrived, summoned by Kamijou's phone call.

A fierce battle erupted in the warehouse, but Oriana managed to escape, thanks to the array of elemental traps she had set up.

Meanwhile, George continued to follow her.

The chase continued throughout the afternoon, a constant back-and-forth of tracking and counter-tracking spells. Eventually, Kamijou managed to catch up to Oriana.

Using his Imagine Breaker, Kamijou nullified her magic and defeated her in close combat, seizing the object on her back—the Stab Sword.

However, when he opened the package, it turned out to be a simple store sign rather than the powerful Stab Sword.

"Fake. What do we do now? Should I step in?"

George, still following Oriana as she fled, found an isolated underground staircase and reported the situation to Aleister.

Soon, Aleister replied:

"Take action. The Protestant Church has confirmed that the Stab Sword doesn't exist. What they brought with them is the highest-level spiritual weapon that the Roman Orthodox Church has long denied—the Apostle's Cross!"

"Apostle's Cross? So that thing really exists."

George was momentarily stunned upon hearing that.

He had seen the description of this spiritual weapon in Sherry's memories. However, the Roman Orthodox Church had consistently denied its existence, dismissing it as a baseless rumor spread by rival churches to slander them.

(End of Chapter)