Essentia Caelestiss

I continued speaking to Airoku, trying to explain that following the path she had in mind wasn't a good idea. I wasn't doing this out of mere kindness or because of some notion that revenge is inherently bad. Maybe achieving it would leave her with nothing but a false sense of satisfaction, only to later ask herself, "Was it worth it?" The answer to that question varies from person to person, but eventually, they regret the actions they took to reach their goal.

But that's not the reason I want to stop her, and that only makes me feel worse. I wish I could help her purely out of kindness after seeing everything she has been through. Even so, I have a purpose to fulfill, and right now, that purpose is to convince her not to continue down this path.

"Airoku, listen to me, please. If you keep going like this, you will eventually regret it. I know because I know what kind of person you are."

Airoku didn't even look at me anymore; she just kept her head down while her shoulders trembled. She was probably furious, thinking I was just being intrusive.

"Airoku, dear… look me in the eyes and listen to me, please."

At that moment, Airoku raised her hand in front of her face, summoning her sword. With a dull thud, it fell before her, burying itself in the grass.

"I don't want to fight, little one. I just want you to listen to me. I'll try to tell you the truth, but just hear me out."

It would have been nice if she had listened easily, but I could see she didn't trust anyone. Well, I wouldn't either if I had been through what she had. She had suffered so much on her journey to this point, and I had only seen a fraction of it. So even if I had to take a risk—even if it meant telling her the truth—I had to make her stop.

"Airoku, I will tell you what I promised this morning. So please, lis—"

Before I could finish speaking, Airoku swiftly grabbed her sword and appeared before me, swinging it down over my head.

"Airoku, you'd better stop now."

I spoke seriously as I activated Condemnation on my right arm. In an instant, my arm grotesquely transformed into a demonic form. I stopped the sword with the palm of my hand, grabbed it, and shook it, sending Airoku flying a few meters. However, she managed to maneuver in the air and landed on her feet.

"Airoku, stop right now. I don't want to fight you."

I kept trying to talk to Airoku, but she wouldn't hear my words. She summoned her sword again, grasping it before it fully materialized. Holding it in her right hand, she raised it above her head while simultaneously running her palm along the blade.

Suddenly, the sword began to grow disproportionately, almost seeming to touch the sky. But my thoughts were focused on the chapel behind me. If that thing fell, the children would definitely be in danger.

"What the hell are you doing, Airoku?"

I shouted, my expression turning furious.

But Airoku, unfazed, let her sword fall. I watched as it slowly descended toward me, threatening to destroy everything nearby, including the children inside the chapel.

"Airoku, I don't want to hurt you."

I said, hoping she would stop her attack.

"I really didn't want it to come to this..."

I whispered.

At that moment, I applied Condemnation to my arms and legs. My body took on a grotesque form—my limbs swelled with muscle, bulging veins, and reddened skin. Just as I was about to stop the sword with my palms, it vanished… No, it had changed size. I saw Airoku charging at me with a thrust, aiming straight for my chest.

"I want to help you too."

At that moment, I reduced the size of my limbs without releasing Condemnation. Then, I threw a punch at Airoku. She tried to block it with her sword, using it as a shield in front of her body, but my blow landed fully, overwhelming her small frame. Although she managed to partially block the attack, she was sent flying several meters, crashing and bouncing along the ground until her body finally came to a stop. Her sword fell from her hands.

I released Condemnation from my body.

I had tried to use moderate force to knock her unconscious without hurting her too much. I didn't want to harm her if I could avoid it, but she wasn't giving me many options.

With a sigh, I started walking toward where Airoku had stopped after my strike. But in that instant, she appeared in front of me, catching me off guard. Seeing her face up close, everything became clear.

She was in a state of fading.

As I processed this, a blow landed on my stomach, sending me rolling several meters across the grass. I quickly jumped to my feet, took a deep breath, and raised my guard for the first time.

If Airoku had entered a state of fading, I had to be careful and end this as quickly as possible—for both her sake and the children's.

This time, I activated the state of Pardon, and a halo of light appeared behind my back. I launched myself toward Airoku, dodging the right hook she threw at me. Skillfully, I positioned myself behind her and struck the back of her knee, making her lose balance and fall onto one leg. Simultaneously, I placed my hand on her back and attempted to deliver the verdict, but before I could, Airoku summoned her sword from behind her—almost as if ejecting it—forcing me to retreat to avoid it.

As I stepped back, Airoku leaped into the air and kicked her sword, redirecting it toward me. I deflected it with the back of my hand, then spun it with my other hand, adjusted its direction, and finally pushed it with my palm, launching it forcefully at Airoku before she landed.

Airoku nullified my attack by re-summoning the sword directly into her hand upon touching the ground. She used the momentum and charged at me, pulling her sword back. I prepared to receive her attack, but at the last moment, she pivoted on her foot and unleashed a powerful slash. I dodged her attack by jumping, but she spun again—this time a full 360 degrees—using her initial momentum to put even more force into her sword, aiming to cleave me in two. I channeled Pardon into both hands and generated an explosion in Airoku's direction.

However, she was no longer where she had been moments ago.

Somehow, Airoku had ended up behind me. Her skill and speed took me by surprise, but they still weren't enough. I repositioned my left hand behind me and fired Pardon again, sending her flying until she crashed against a tree.

"That should be enough to stop her."

Once again, I was terrified by what the state of fading was capable of. And given the amount of karma Airoku was releasing, the god she was bound to had to be one of the major ones—which only worried me even more.

I muttered under my breath.

I looked toward where I had sent Airoku flying and realized she was getting up again. From what I could see, she was still in a state of fading.

I couldn't understand what had triggered it, but if it continued any longer, it would be dangerous.

I released more of the state of Pardon, causing wings to grow from my back, giving me a sacred appearance. I quickly moved in front of Airoku and, trying to be as careful as possible, struck her in the stomach. Her body collapsed to the ground as if the strings of a puppet had been cut.

I sighed as I looked up at the sky, thinking that things would only get more complicated from now on.

"I hope Luke comes back soon… I'm starting to get bored on my own here," I said while holding Airoku's body so she wouldn't fall.

I looked at Airoku again, noticing foam coming from her mouth.

"I think I hit her harder than I should have…"

I thought as I quickly began chanting a bodily prayer. I watched as her expression gradually softened, her face taking on a serene peace as she drifted into sleep.

"If only you could be a normal child…"

I smiled sadly as I watched her rest. I lifted her into my arms and carried her on my back. Watching her head rest gently, I started walking toward the chapel. Upon entering, I greeted the children and reassured them. Smiling, I explained that all the noise was because the big sister and I had been playing, but she had fallen asleep from playing so much, so I was taking her to her room.

Both of them said they wanted to play with us, so I promised that next time we would play together—but more carefully.

I continued to the room and laid Airoku down on the bed.

Looking out the window, a thought crossed my mind.

Why did a child like her find the legacy of a god…?

As I pondered, I began to leave the room. But just as I was about to step out, a voice called me.

"Where am I?"

I turned my body and looked toward Airoku.

"You're back in the room from this morning," I replied.

The little Airoku looked at me, and I saw in real time how her expression distorted—shifting between desperation and a blank stare.

"I…? What did I do this time?"

She asked with a face full of guilt. My chest ached at the sight of that expression.

—You entered a state of fading and attacked me.—State of fading…?—Do you not know what the state of fading is?—No, I don't know what you mean.—The state of fading is a condition in which gods or their apostles can overextend their karma or generate more than they normally could. The latter is more dangerous than the former, though both are only temporary. It's as if you exceeded the amount you can store or use and decided to introduce more than your body is allowed, causing it to overflow. As a result, you would enter a constant state of absorbing and expelling karma, increasing your abilities beyond normal.—So, the state of fading grants me an enhancement, and theoretically, it's like constantly filling a container while it keeps overflowing?

As Airoku asked, she observed the palms of her hands.

—Almost, but not quite. That only applies to the second case. In the first case, it's as if you push your body's karma to its limit. You could imagine it like forcing one of your muscles so much that it ends up tearing irreparably. In the case of karma, this rupture and the moment leading up to it generate more power than you would normally obtain.—And this lost karma, can it be recovered in any way?

Airoku looked me directly in the eyes, and at the same time, I could hear her swallow.

—Both types of fading carry an enormous risk because they slowly kill you. That's why they are not considered for combat use. Using both types of fading is practically suicide. Their use generates an irrecoverable deficit in your body; the more you employ them, the more deficit you accumulate, until eventually, it becomes so great that your karmic soul cannot withstand it, and you die. I assure you, it won't be a normal death.

Her face turned expressionless as she gazed toward the window.

—I don't fully understand what you're telling me, but if I'm not mistaken, every time I lose control, I enter that state… and that state is slowly killing me?

I didn't know how to respond, but I had to be honest with the little Airoku.

—That's right. I don't know why you enter the state of fading, but each time what happened today occurs, you are shortening your life —I said with a conflicted expression.—The trigger is my emotions… —she responded, her voice on the verge of breaking.

At that moment, I understood some of her behaviors and why she remained expressionless most of the time.

—And the cause is the sword.

Airoku turned to look at me the moment I said that, and while her face remained expressionless, she nodded slightly. Seeing her, I decided to be completely honest. I wanted to help her, and at the same time, fulfill my goal, so I had to be sincere with her.

—Airoku, I will tell you everything I know about you, and I want you to help us with something.

She looked at me with her empty eyes, but her lips formed a faint smile.

—I knew you had kept me alive for a reason. I'll listen to what you have to say and decide what to do accordingly.

After that, she looked out the window again. Deep inside, I felt guilty for this little girl, so I promised myself that I would try to protect her. It was the least I could do for her, knowing what was to come.