"This is the aura of the Church, far stronger than those rigid old bishops and priests. I felt something similar when I fought alongside Kanzaki," Tsuchimikado Motoharu said as a chill ran down his spine. He involuntarily stepped back, biting his thumb, his expression turning grim.
Arata's declaration that he was a saint had completely shaken him. Yes, even though it was hard to believe, the current Arata truly possessed the traits of a saint.
But after spending an entire semester with him, he had never once felt anything like this from him. He had always assumed Arata was simply an esper.
No, Arata was definitely an esper. If he were truly a saint, then becoming an esper would have been impossible.
Tsuchimikado Motoharu could confidently say that while he was not a leading expert in esper development, his understanding was still quite comprehensive.
Esper development relies on altering one's Personal Reality through self-suggestion, isolating a portion of the brain's common sense. By doing so, the foundation required for faith is eliminated. Without faith as a medium, there can be no connection to the Heaven phase, and God would never acknowledge someone who does not believe in Him.
Unless a person possessed two completely separate brains, which was absolutely impossible.
"This feeling... impossible. How can this be!" Stiyl Magnus's expression changed drastically, his pupils trembling as he stared at the overwhelming Christian aura radiating from Arata, which far surpassed his own.
"You... what exactly is happening?" Kanzaki Kaori asked in shock as she looked at Arata.
"What is happening? Is it not obvious? I am a saint as well," Arata replied with a faint smile, observing their stunned and conflicted expressions.
His body continued to be reinforced from within the unseen void. Even his internal organs and blood were undergoing transformation.
His vision sharpened to an astonishing degree. He could clearly distinguish every strand of hair on a person six hundred meters away. His hearing became equally refined, allowing him to isolate specific sounds even within overwhelming noise.
So this was the power of a Christian saint. It was overwhelmingly strong. His physical capabilities had increased more than thirtyfold. Ignoring the biological limitations of the human body, even moving at supersonic speeds posed no issue.
"What exactly is going on? It is an absolute rule that espers cannot use magic, let alone become saints. Likewise, a saint cannot become an esper. What kind of contradiction is this?" Tsuchimikado Motoharu waved his hand sharply, cold sweat pouring down his face as he struggled to process the situation.
Was Arata originally a saint who had concealed his identity and lived as an ordinary student? Had he been researching esper abilities all along?
What exactly had happened?
A being that combined both esper powers and sainthood. Such an existence was contradictory and completely illogical.
No matter how much he thought about it, Tsuchimikado could not make sense of it. Stiyl and Kanzaki Kaori were equally bewildered.
"Could it be that you were originally part of the Church, a spy who infiltrated Academy City? Or perhaps, as a saint, you betrayed the magic side and chose science?" Stiyl asked, his expression shifting as he tried to rationalize the situation.
"Heh." Arata let out a soft laugh, covering his forehead as amusement filled his expression. This was far too interesting. The ability to turn lies into reality truly allowed him to do whatever he wanted.
With such power and such intoxicating freedom, it would be easy to lose oneself.
"No, no, no, you are completely mistaken. I do not believe in God. This power was forced onto me without my consent," Arata said with a smile as he looked at the three of them.
It seemed that "God" had truly disappeared. Otherwise, what had just occurred would have undoubtedly attracted attention from the highest existence within the Heaven phase.
If that existence was truly gone, then the highest throne within the Heaven phase now stood vacant.
If someone could seize that position, they would become the new "God" who ruled over the Heaven phase and all angels.
This was an enormous and unclaimed domain.
It would require careful planning and gradual exploration.
"That is impossible!" Stiyl gritted his teeth, completely unwilling to accept such a statement. To claim to be a saint without faith was fundamentally contradictory.
"Even if I do not fully understand what is happening to you, your existence alone is a massive trigger for disaster," Tsuchimikado Motoharu said with a serious expression.
"You alone could spark a war between the science side and the magic side. No, it could escalate into a full-scale conflict involving both sides."
This matter was extremely serious. It even involved the "Index of Forbidden Books." War was almost inevitable.
The Roman Catholic Church possessed methods to verify the existence of every saint.
The balance between the science side and the magic side existed because each held knowledge and techniques the other lacked. That was what maintained their current equilibrium.
If someone possessed both esper abilities and the power of a saint, then in the eyes of both factions, they would be a heretic. A contradiction that could not be allowed to exist.
"Do not worry. I have never feared anyone. Whatever comes, I will deal with it," Arata said with a shrug. He had already considered this the moment he decided to obtain the stigmata.
A Christian saint who was also a Level 5 esper in Academy City. From the perspective of the magic side, this was equivalent to their ultimate weapon falling into enemy hands.
What would follow would be relentless suppression from the magic side.
Even Aleister Crowley, at the height of his power, had struggled when faced with the pursuit of the entire magic world.
Although that situation had been influenced by Coronzon, facing the full might of the magic side was no trivial matter.
It seemed he needed to accelerate his growth.
First, he needed to gain control over Academy City's "Imaginary Number District." Once that was achieved, any invading magicians would become weakened and ineffective.
With the Misaka Network, Aiwass, and other powerful forces as trump cards, controlling the Imaginary Number District would not be difficult.
The twelve positions of the "Void Star: Tai suu" were steadily maturing. When the time came, one could be given to Aiwass and another to Kazakiri Hyouka, who was still in the process of forming.
Through those positions, Aiwass could descend more stably, and even the Church would no longer pose a threat.
Kanzaki Kaori's expression remained cold as she fell into silence. Stiyl took out a cigarette and quietly lit it. Tsuchimikado Motoharu simply let out a long sigh.
He had never expected to encounter something so unsettling.
"Alright, enough about me. Let us talk about Index. But first, I will go home and feed her. After that, you can come and knock on the door," Arata said, glancing toward his apartment window.
Inside, Index lay listlessly on the floor watching television.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
...
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guilt_free_daoist
Jo!n d!sc0rd I!nk in synops!s.
GIVE ME YOU POWER STONES.