"[Et sculpes nomen meum] (I shall engrave my name)."
"[Si vis ut non] (Whether you wish so or not)."
Arima started chanting his Black Art and a thick aura of death and madness, mixed with slaughter intent, was spread throughout the entire planet. Raylein's expression darkened. He didn't know what was going to happen and he couldn't even do anything to stop it.
‘I hope Ambrogio won’t kill me for this…’
"[Quae fides est fides et quaerere] (Faith and loyalty is what I seek)."
"[Trans spatium et tempus] (Across time and space)."
"[Erit sanctuarium in sempiternum hic stantibus] (This sanctuary will be forever standing)."
At the same time, some of the Guardians present in Melumnia finally started moving but it was too late as Arima's magic couldn't be stopped anymore, nor could they arrive in time.
The miasma Arima had released earlier was now producing lightning and a sound that resembled a continuous rumbling. That noise was so powerful it was making the ground tremble.
"[Non accipies spem] (I do not take hope)."
"[Vos can quoque oderunt me] (You can even hate me)."
"[Aut via, et divinitatem erit vester] (Either way, I'll be your divinity)."
Arima's sigil glowed as he was chanting his magic. He raised his head and directed his eyes upward. Right above him, you could see that something was coming out of the miasma. As the incantation continued, it was becoming clearer and clearer.
"[Pro reverentia vitae] (Reverence for your life)."
"[Respice ad illum sollicite] (Look at it carefully)."
It wasn't only in this place, something was coming out every thousand miles around Arima. It first seemed to be something like an enormous wooden pole. The square surface at the bottom, which was slowly making his way toward the ground, was at least five hundred meters wide.
"[Genua] (Kneel)."
"[First Black Art, Diuinitus, Crucem Genus Daemoniorum] (Divine Intervention, The Kind Demon's Cross)."
After a moment, the whole thing was out of the miasma and revealed for everyone to see "What…the hell is this?" Raylein muttered. He was astounded and couldn't even comprehend what it was. He didn't know if it was sacrilegious, or simply demoniac, or if it had an actual meaning.
It looked like a Christian cross at first, but when the upper part was shown, it was something completely different and particularly disturbing. Over the horizontal and vertical lines, there were two diagonal ones, forming an eight-branched cross.
Then, at the junction point, right in the middle of that cross, there was a giant silver skull with red lights in the eye sockets. It had its mouth opened and was clacking its teeth as it laughed. The same kind of strange monument appeared everywhere on Melumnia.
Inside the skull’s mouth, there were a lot of thin and long black chains resting. Each time the skull moved its jaw, they would make a loud clatter. When the wood crashed on the ground, the skull laughed again and the chain in its mouth started coming out and coiled around the eight-branched cross. When the black chains were all over the cross, they glowed with a red light and the wood became polished and inscribed before gaining a metallic luster.
When it was over, the skull's 'eyes' were extinguished while holding the end of the chains in his mouth. The monument was then left there. It had destroyed a few houses but there was no casualty. The same thing occurred in countless places.
"What is this?"
Arima smiled at Raylein and waved his hand. The miasma in the sky was then sucked in by the skulls. In just a few seconds, it had disappeared and the only thing left were those mysterious giant objects.
Arima sighed and landed on the cross right below him. "This is the First Black Art's second variety, as well as its hidden aspect; the Kind Demon's Cross," he said to Raylein and since there was no need to continue binding him, the Lawless Tome was dispelled and disappeared by himself.
When Raylein regained his freedom but he simply stood still. He didn't plan to attack Arima.
"…Tell me the truth, please. What did you do?"
"I said it, it's an insurance against you Guardians. I still didn't do anything bad. This planet merely became my 'sanctuary'. The Kind Demon's Sanctuary."
"Your sanctuary?" Raylein frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Well, literally, I made this place my sanctuary. No matter if they want it or not, people who are close to my crosses will be treated as my ‘faithful believers’. In that case, I will be able to suck energy from them to use for myself. Anyone weaker than me will be affected by it."
"Of course, that's not it. Those crosses cannot be destroyed or damaged. And, at any time I choose, I can make them explode. It won't affect the surroundings on a physical level but everyone around will have their souls and mind robbed to be given to me," Arima explained and Raylein's expression twitched as he observed the cross.
"So, that's your insurance against us… By curiosity, what is the first variety of this magic?"
Arima smirked. "Messor (The Reaper)."
Raylein snickered. "I see, I seriously hope you won't have to use it to fight us," he shook his head and looked around. Four different auras were coming their way at an unbelievable speed. "Well, now you've done it. Four of them are already coming for you."
Arima shrugged and released his Kind Demon form. Night reappeared beside him and Layla sighed in relief and returned to his side along with Karma.
Barely three seconds later, the four Guardians arrived and circled Arima.
"Who is this, Traveler?" One handsome man with blue eyes and hair asked Raylein while staring at Arima. There was also a stunning woman next to him with the same hair and eye color. They seemed to be twins at first glance.
The two other people were a middle-aged man, with a thick beard, and a small kid with blond hair and golden eyes, who seemed to be around ten years old.
Raylein smiled wryly. "That's my successor. I’ll be thankful if you don't kill him, Shiva."
"Your successor?" Shiva furrowed his eyebrows. "Shakti…" He whispered to the woman beside him and she nodded before drawing a simple rune on thin air. It wasn't a fancy rune. Even Karma who had the least knowledge about it knew it just meant 'analyze'. It was oddly straightforward.
After a few seconds, Shakti wore a complex expression. "I can't see anything," she said and Shiva scowled. He then heard Raylein's chuckle and turned his head toward him.
"What's so funny?"
"You're underestimating him," Raylein said. "There's simply no way for you to probe his abilities with such a low-level analysis. Even for you, Shakti."
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Shakti glanced at Raylein then spread her arms. A large and intricate circle was drawn, with the same rune in the middle. "[Show yourself]," she intoned and countless smaller circles formed around Arima and created a sort of cage.
He was still sitting on the top of the cross while smiling indifferently. Even after that analysis magic was cast, he didn't even bother to move or say anything. Of course, he didn't want those people to know his real strength or even some of his secrets. But he didn't need to do anything for that.
A minute later, Shakti's expression sunk. She lowered her hands and the circles vanished.
"…I'm sorry, I’m unable to determine his power."
"Why so? Does he have a countermeasure?" Shiva inquired.
Shakti shook her head. "No, I just can't do it. It's clear that he is weaker than us, but I feel like I can't even touch him."
"Of course, you can't," Arima's voice cut them. "What I'm sitting on right now defines me as a target of worship. By this theory, as long as you stand near this cross, you will never be able to affect me with that kind of magic. You can't survey God. That's the same principle with me. No one knows if the God you worship exists or not, after all."
Shiva listened to him talking until the end, but his expression was gradually becoming scarier. His hand was being covered with a layer of ice. Arima didn't react in any way to that and just smiled.
"Oi, oi, don't get carried away, Shiva," the middle-aged man spoke up and Shiva sneered.
"Why should I listen to you, Ganesha?"
"Did you forget who I am? I know that if you attack this human, you'll regret it."
Shakti sighed and grabbed Shiva's hand to make him stop. "Don't do anything. We don't know what kind of magic he used or how powerful he is. It's too risky," she said and Shiva reluctantly made his ice evaporate.
Arima squinted his eyes and mused. "Your energy is Brahman, huh?" He uttered and everyone froze. Their pupils dilated to the maximum. Even the small boy who had been silent since the beginning was shocked.
"…Who are you?" Shiva sharpened his look. "There's no human who can recognize a worldly energy by just looking at it," he said and turned toward Raylein "Traveler, who did you bring here?"
Raylein made an innocent face. "I don't know," he declared and Shiva glared at him. "…Well, you could say that he is the last Life Hunter alive and also the strongest mage I've ever met."
"Oh," Ganesha rubbed his beard.
"Life Hunters?" Shiva frowned. "Aren't they that stupid race that was wiped out because of their stupidity?"
Arima calmly looked at Shiva. "I have nothing to with the rest of the Life Hunters. I was born and raised amongst humans."
"What's your name?" Ganesha suddenly asked.
"Arimane R. Blade. I’m from the Reigen Clan if that’s what you wanna know," Arima responded without even looking at him. There was no point in hiding it and if that middle-aged was truly Ganesha, as in the legends, it would not be wise to get him on his bad side.
"So, it's indeed you," Ganesha nodded with a never-changing smile. "You see, I heard about Life Hunters while they were still alive and got really interested in them. Their ability to steal life force and go through the limit of the Heavenly Realm was fascinating."
"But not nearly none of them ever reached transcendence…" Ganesha observed Arima with a pensive expression. "But in any case, the main point is that I heard about the Reigen Clan; and their plan to leave everything to an offspring fated to be the strongest Life Hunter who ever existed. A demon in human skin, Ahriman," he told and Arima chuckled.
"That would be me."
"Ganesha, stop wasting our time with useless chatter. You, tell me what these crosses are," Shiva interrupted them.
"It's just a simple 'hostage situation'. This whole planet's future is in my hands with these," Arima explained and pointed his thumb at the cross he was standing on.
"What…?" Shiva speechless and Shakti seemed to be quite anxious. "Explain yours-!" Shiva was abruptly cut by a child's humming. The boy who was there acted as if he had just found out about something and approached Arima.
He floated around him then looked at him in the eyes. "…Why?" The boy asked and Arima tilted his head in confusion. "Why are you blind?" He asked again.
Those words astounded the three Guardians around. Even Shiva was weirdly silent all of sudden. It was weird to know you were talking to a blind man all this time. Especially in this kind of situation.
"Oh, don't mind. I discarded my sight to save myself. I don't regret, or have any problem with it," Arima answered kindly as if he was a completely different person. Maybe because the Guardian in front of him had the voice and attitude of a child.
"You can't even heal your eyes at your level. Pathetic. Don't sympathize with him, Gilgamesh. You don't need to waste your artifacts on him."
Arima's eyes narrowed when he heard the name that came out of Shiva's mouth.
‘Gilgamesh?’ He was stunned to hear that name here. ‘The Babylonian King, huh? He just sounds like a child to me,’ he wryly smiled. ‘You can never believe legends,’ he thought then suddenly summoned Superore before firing to his left. The two bullets flew and exploded in mid-air.
"…I am impressed you spotted me," a voice resounded as a figure calmly walked out of the smoke. The four Guardians behaved themselves almost instantly and even Shiva closed his mouth.
Arima smiled when he saw who came out. "I apologize for shooting. I felt a small killing intent and acted on instinct," he apologized and his entire group was surprised.
"No, it is my fault. My bloodthirst comes out from time to time against my will," the owner of the voice came out of the smoke then appeared right in front of Arima. The latter could now see the full appearance of this person. Perfectly arranged features, pale skin, vermilion eyes, two small fangs, and a black and red coat.
"Let me introduce myself. I am the First Plane Guardian, The First Vampire, Ambrogio Vaistros. Pleased to meet you, Kind Demon," he bowed courteously.