Past Arc 24

"Nice to meet you."

Sariel understood, the moment her foot stepped onto the device, that she had been isolated into a different space by some unknown interference.

And that unknown entity resided within the darkness before her.

Even the darkness that had been invisible in Gyuirei was perceptible to Sariel—she could discern the truth concealed within it.

The one who had greeted her was a woman.

Appearance barely past childhood, still fitting the description of a girl.

Yet, on her face, there was no trace of youth matching her appearance.

A blank expression, as bottomless and dark as the surrounding void.

"Call me D. Now that introductions are complete, I’ve come for negotiations. No pleasantries. I’ll state my purpose directly. Join me in my game."

It sounded like an invitation to play—but also like a demon’s invitation.

That perception was not incorrect.

Calling it play, yet speaking with a tone devoid of amusement—Syrilis said it was interesting, though no joy or excitement appeared in his expression.

Had Syrilis not been present, one might have felt unease at the unsettling sensation of something wearing a human form, pretending to be human.

Yet Syrilis felt no fear—only pure, unadulterated combat intent.

This being before him should not exist.

Its existence was a sin.

Though an outcast, as an angel, Syrilis instinctively recognized this presence as harmful to the world.

The disparity in strength, the mission he had once clung to—none of it mattered. It had to be destroyed here, by any means necessary.

“Ah, no fighting. No refusal. Please. Otherwise, I won’t be responsible for what happens to your precious children.”

Yet Syrilis’s power remained locked, unliberated.

Empty words bind Salier’s body.

Stronger than any binding magic, these words render Salier immobile.

With only these words, Salier is sealed entirely.

Called negotiation. Correct term: coercion.

“What is your desire?”

“Fine. You will become the core of the large-scale magic I am about to activate.”

D accepts Salier’s words as consent and unfolds the overview of the magic.

It resembles a schematic—a design blueprint. Anyone who sees it can understand the nature of the spell.

Yet, unfortunately, Salier cannot comprehend what kind of magic this is.

Salier is an angel specialized in combat.

Skilled in destruction. Poor at deciphering the mechanics of magic.

“This is a spell designed to replenish the planet’s energy.”

Whether or not Salier understood the nature of the magic, D began the explanation.

The first words alone left Salier without a reply.

D’s intent remained unclear.

Despite having abducted Salier the moment they stepped into the device meant to restore the planet’s energy, D now spoke of using a spell to save the world.

The timing suggested sabotage. Yet the action presented was the exact opposite.

As with D’s existence, their actions defied comprehension.

“Ah. You’re making that expression again. You don’t understand why I’m doing this. Simple. A certain young dragon pleaded with me to save you. I am kind, so I am fulfilling their wish.”

The revelation left Salier once more without words.

"Ah, youth is such a blessing," the words of a D-class elder passed by unheeded.

In Salier's mind, only one question remained: why?

Gyulie was someone he considered a friend.

Yet the optimal solution to saving the stars required Salier's sacrifice.

He could not comprehend Gyulie's attempt to alter that outcome.

Salier had never fully understood how others perceived him.

Nor did he value himself.

If fulfilling his mission required it, he would discard his life without hesitation.

Thus, he could not comprehend Gyulie's decision to rely on an unknown deity—ambiguous, unpredictable, unreliable.

"Indeed, you should not look at that dragon with such blame. It was because that dragon turned to me that you avoided a pointless death."

"Pointless death?"

Salier showed no awareness of this, but his mind was deeply unsettled.

D responded with mechanical precision, repeating the question verbatim.

"The developer of that device would not simply channel energy into a star without resistance, would they?"

Salier experienced yet another rigid pause.

Since D's arrival, every time she spoke, Salier was frozen in place.

Salier had heard of Potimas's reputation.

Yet, because the president and others had maintained maximum vigilance and proceeded with caution, she had been certain it would succeed.

No—she had believed it would succeed precisely in order to avoid confronting the possibility of suspecting Potimas.

Now, that fact was forced upon her.

“You can’t disassemble a god with something like that device. The defense barrier unconsciously woven around them will block it effortlessly. Only if you controlled that unconscious defense yourself and willingly submitted to disassembly would the situation be different. But even if you succeeded in disassembling it, and escaped the developer’s magic, the star wouldn’t regenerate. Energy isn’t a single category. Injecting energy obtained from disassembling a god into a star is like transfusing blood without confirming blood type—using blood from entirely different species. It’s guaranteed to cause rejection. You don’t even know that? That’s why angels are such brainless nuisances.”

The rapid-fire delivery of shocking truths.

Sariel’s thoughts froze completely.

"Therefore, I have prepared a perfect plan. If you consent to being bound as the core of this spell, recovery of stellar energy is possible—though it will take time. Do you consent?"

D’s hand extends toward Sariel.

The palm bears a magical restraint.

Taking this hand will establish a contract.

With dulled cognition, Sariel grasps at the offered straw.

Accepts by taking the hand.

"Contract complete."

Had this been a demon, it would have smirked at having successfully sealed the pact.

D’s expression remains unchanged.

Despite having just outmaneuvered and neutralized a rogue archangel wielding upper-tier divine power.

Magical chains coil around Sariel’s body.

Invisible, they immobilize her, drain her power, and spread across the stars.

One star falls under the law set by D.

Controlled by the magic called the System.