novelraw Chapter 450 – The Warlock.
Chapter 450 – The Warlock.
"Alright, let's see here. If I make a few tweaks to the formula here... Here... Maybe sub out this line for this... Hmm... No, it's still not quite optimized enough... So let's try..." Zephiria spoke to herself as a series of magic formulas circled around her. She'd been standing in front of the Dumetor base experimenting and refining her magic ever since Akagi had gotten Hishya on the phone and was going over the results from her casting of The End of Everything while trying also to improve her other spells. She'd been mostly happy with how her magic turned out, though her ever racing mind caught areas of inefficiency. "It might've been overkill, but actually getting to see it in action was a treat, especially in a world as steeped in magic as this." She said, pausing as a familiar presence crept up behind her.
"Did Akagi finish interrogating you?" Zephiria said as Elariel stopped just beyond her ring of magic formulas. "Or is this just a pause while she rips Hishya three new assholes?"
"Such language." Elariel sighed, deciding not to chastise the Warlock for her foul mouth. "I have no idea what's going to happen to that Hishya girl you spoke of, but the Demon Lord being in a foul mood after finding out that a creature of Enoris appeared on Earth leads me to believe it won't be good." She'd overheard a bit more information on her way out and figured that Gale was testing the waters for an eventual incursion. That in and of itself didn't surprise her, what did was that Akagi seemed to have anticipated it and was less angry that it happened and more that Hishya hadn't done as she was told.
"I suspect Akagi is going to make a few changes back home." Zephiria said as she summoned a grimoire and flittered through its pages while continuing to adjust the formula. "That idiototic Dragon really thought it was a good idea to go overseas to train for weeks while nobody was close to the estate? Is she stupid?" She sighed. "If she was anyone else, Akagi'd probably use corporal punishment to remind her of her place. Friends or not, Akagi doesn't give too much slack when her actions put her Sister at risk."
"Its a bit hard to believe that a Demon Lord can be so protective of a blood sibling." Elariel commented as her eyes followed Zephiria's changes to the magic formulas. She was nowhere near as magically knowledgeable as her Sister, Cheofla. However, as a God she still knew it quite well and could tell that Zephiria was far beyond most mortals she met when it came to her comprehensive understanding of magic. "From what I know about Vikes, he cared little about such connections."
"Kana is a special existence, like Yumi." Zephiria answered as she summoned another book. "She's the only real connection Akagi has to her past and the only thing reminding her that she was once Human." She said while making air quotes around the word Human. "Akagi might joke around a bit, but at the end of the day, it's obvious that Kana holds a level of importance equal to that of Yumi. Hence why she's currently about ready to blow a fit. Putting Kana in harms way because the person mean to keep things under control was fucking around is quick way to piss her off."
"Hmm... And on the topic of special existences, what exactly do you make of yourself?" Elariel asked, finally coming to the true reason she wanted to speak with the Warlock. "I can see Akagi's power wrapped around... No, it's fused with your soul. You've become part of her in a way that's similar to when Demons make a contract with mortals for power."
"That's exactly what I did." Zephiria answered as she snapped her fingers dissipating the magic formulas, and returned her grimoires to her inventory. "I've essentially become one with her, and in exchange, she's allowed me to tap into power far beyond what I could ever hope to normally."
"So she's made you her servant." Elariel said as she walked off to the side, the wind kicking up and causing the brown grass to rustle loudly. "I've seen mortals sell their souls to Demons countless times across the eons, and it never ends well for them." Her comment caused Zephiria to laugh as she turned to face her.
"I knew full well what I was getting into when I 'signed' our little deal." Zephiria chuckled. "But I find it worth the cost."
"Selling one's immortal soul for power is never worth it, no matter how much power you've been promised you always give up something far more important." Elariel said curtly. She understood why mortals did such things, but always found it shortsighted and foolish. "Akagi now owns your very existence."
"As if she didn't already." Zephiria shrugged. "Just because one has not signed on that dotted line does not mean that your soul is safe. If anything, those not bound to her in such a way are arguably more at risk. At least with the deal I made with her, I'm guaranteed to avoid incurring her wrath and being arbitrarily deleted since I'm useful."
"And what makes you so sure of that? Demons
are not exactly known for being trustworthy. Surely, you must understand that any magical bindings placed on the contractee can be circumvented, especially if they're someone like her." Elariel had seen many Demons sign what looked to be fair and equitable deals with mortals only to later exploit loopholes that put the mortal in a position they would never have otherwise agreed to. "Demon Lords... No, just Demons in general should never be trusted. Under any circumstances.""As a general rule, I'd agree with you." Zephiria said as she pulled a small thermos out of her inventory and took a swig. "I'm so glad hot items stay hot in inventory. Otherwise, I wouldn't get to enjoy fresh cocoa in another world." She smiled. "Always a good energy refresher after using my magic."
"Speaking of magic, what exactly was that spell from earlier?" Elariel asked about the 11th tier spell she'd cast. "Akagi mentioned that it was something called Eleventh Tier Magic and that the name of the spell was The End of Everything. Such an ominous name for a spell, but it seems warranted given the level of destruction it wrought."
{I've never heard of magic being split into theirs, only categories for its elemental affinity. I suppose Cheofla would know better than I do, but generally spells are based more on one's control and magical power than some arbitrary categorization.} (Elariel)
"How much do you know about our situation?" Zephiria asked as she took another sip before using her magic to fall backward into a reclining position, hovering just off the ground as if she was relaxing in a chair. “Do you know how we came to be as we are now?”
"From what Halifax told me, your world is nearly devoid of magic, and it was only within the last year or so that anyone could use the level of power I've seen on display." Elariel had discussed what had happened on Earth once she'd arrived with the Divine Blade in some detail but found herself wanting more answers and being unable to get them. "Thus that brings up the question as to how you have such intricate knowledge of magic and a level of control over it that would rival some of the best mages I've ever seen. Someone from a world without magical ability couldn't possibly have this level of intricate knowledge or acquire your level of skill in a year's time."
{I was told she's not much more than twenty or so years old. Even the best prodigies that have trained with magic from birth would pale in comparison to this girl, so just what happened on Earth to create such a magical genius? It defies all logic.} (Elariel)
"Technically, you are responsible for the way I am now." Zephiria laughed as she put her thermos away and relaxed her hands behind her head. "The Gods chased the Spirits away, and their magic is the reason so many of us were granted abilities that were otherwise relegated to fantasy."
"Halifax did mention something to that effect." Elariel clicked her tongue, cursing her past self for helping to create this situation. "But even still..."
"I'll thank you for that, too!" Zephiria laughed as she channeled a bit of magic above her hand and made several balls of elemental energy appear before playing with them. "Your screw-up ended up giving me something I always wanted!" She snickered.
"Even if the Spirits' magic had the effect of giving you and others the gift of magic, that doesn't explain why you understand its fundamentals so well." Elariel continued as she analyzed Zephiria's magic. "I watched you change and manipulate those magic formulas so easily and quickly. That's something I've seen countless mages try and fail to do. It takes a level of magical understanding that goes beyond what someone could learn in books.” She continued. “Not to mention that I've only ever seen Cheofla do something even close to that spell of yours, as mortals generally cannot comprehend the amount of data that goes into even a simple spell, let alone one as complex as the one you cast. But here you are. Not only are you casting magic that would rival things used during our war with the Primordals but you can editing and refine a spell as if it were little more than rewriting a mathematical equation."
"I mean, I always did
like math." Zephiria said as she stretched before leaning to the side and resting her hand under her chin as if she were leaning on an end table. "Something about the definiteness and stability of numbers just sits right with me, ya know? Maybe that has something to do with it?"{I've heard that exact line before...} (Elariel)
"Magic is, naturally, built on a completely different foundation to math, but I've found that, at its core, it's similar to it." Zephiria wanted to compare it to programming language but knew that the Goddess wouldn't understand what she was talking about. "Input A always gives you output Z, unless you add variable X, which then changes it into output W, etc." She explained. "Once I boiled it down to something like that... Well, the rest just, I don't know, clicked." She shrugged as she flicked some magic between her fingers. "I've studied magic for over five years now, and that mentality has yet to fail me. It's how I've grown as much as I have and why I'll continue to grow in the future. Not to mention that I always had an interest in magic since I was a kid, and I kinda grew obsessed with it over the years." She'd more or less always played as a mage in any game that had it as an option for this exact reason.
"But why fixate on magic?" Elariel asked. She thought it strange for a mortal originating from a world with no magic to become so enthralled by it. "Why not put your effort into something else? A magicless world doubtless has other things that would interest you, and if it wasn't attainable until recently, it seems strange to focus on a power you'd never actually get to use."
"Because..." Zephiria paused, her face brow furrowing as she recalled an unpleasant memory from her past. "Because magic is an equalizer. Where one struggles with physical strength, through their mind, they can even the playing fields or even surpass those who rely on brute strength to get what they want." She said, a distant look in her eye telling Elariel that this was the heart of the matter.
"I suppose that I can understand that. Many find themselves at the stronger person's mercy and wish for something to enable them to fight back. Mages fight with their mind while warriors fight with their sword arm." Elariel understood the draw as plenty of people from Enoris felt the same way. "Even in a magicless world, it's only natural for people to have similar desires."
"I grew up the subject of ridicule by my peers." Zephiria said, finding herself uncharacteristically open about the subject and deciding to talk. "From about the time I was eight or nine, I found myself bullied, harassed and generally disliked... All over something that had nothing to do with me." She sighed. "The children called me the daughter of a rapist and a prostitute. They called me dirty, tainted, soiled... The list goes on and on..." She paused, looking up into the sky as she adjusted her position. "Neighbors and members of my family that had always shown me kindness and warmth suddenly turned me away, and naturally, such feelings trickled down to the kids at school." She laughed quietly, recalling the farce. "I endured it all. Beatings, having my things stolen, embarrassment in ways I don't even want to repeat... I had it all done to me... All for something... Something that wasn't even true!" She said, starting to yell but caught herself before becoming too emotional. "My Father was framed for what happened to that woman, betrayed by his best friend, and forced to take the fall for something that had nothing to do with him... And my mother..." Zephiria paused before leaning back further and putting the back of her hand over her eyes. "She had to do what she had to do to make sure our family could survive after all that..."
"It sounds like you've been through a lot." Elariel said, quietly understanding what she was getting at.
"A lot is putting it lightly." Zephiria replied. "My Father killed himself after half a decade of being called a rapist, and my Mother..." She shook her head as she stood up. "I visit her sometimes, but at this point, she's not really there most days. Losing my Dad, the constant stress, and then my disappearance for nearly half a decade really took a toll on her. It's a miracle she's even still alive after all that."
{Most times she doesn't even know who I am... I've tried everything I can to heal her with magic, but there's nothing I can do. It's just like Akagi told me when we first met after FWO ended. Physical wounds can be healed, but mental ones... Sometimes there's nothing that can be done for those.} (Zephiria)
"And at the heart of it all... She was the one... The one I grew to hate the most." Zephiria turned away from Elariel. "I'd been hoping to kill her with my own two hands, but when we got back from FWO... I found myself afraid of Zakuro again... When I saw her for the first time... It was as if I'd been sent back to being that scared little middleschooler again... And I ran..." She growled, her power welling slightly around her body and forming into a thin Azure flame. "I fucking RAN! Dammit... I couldn't even get my revenge. Akagi... Akagi had to be the one to do it... All because I was too weak in the knees when it came down to it."
{Zakuro Fujiwara. Spellhouser... The one who caused my Dad to... and she even had the gall to laugh to my face about it... She's gone... She's gone but... I still have this hole in my heart...} (Zephiria)
"So do you understand now?" Zephiria asked the Goddess without turning to face her. "I've become Akagi's pawn because I know this is the best way to get power. Power that will enable me to protect myself and ensure that nobody can ever hurt me like that again. If selling my soul to a Demon is the price, then I'd pay it again and again if that's what's required."
{I can't say I understand, though I can sympathize with her. I suppose... This may just be another area in which my understanding of mortals and their plights is lacking. Halifax always told me that I as well as the other Gods couldn't possibly understand what it was like to be a mortal, and this is probably a good example of what she meant.} (Elariel)