Chapter 84: Chapter 84

All around was pitch black.

His small voice echoed as if it bounced off the walls. Startled, Ran raised his upper body.

He realized belatedly that his hands and feet were free.

"This is your deep unconscious. Simply put, it's a dream."

A voice he'd heard before.

The owner of the voice appeared right in front of him, just like that.

"Nice to meet you again, Mad Dog Ran, the inquisitor. I introduced myself before, do you remember?"

Ran had a keen eye and a good memory even before his inquisitor days. Of course, he remembered him.

"Why are you here all of a sudden? And, where exactly is this place?"

The surroundings were still as black as a void.

'My body feels light, as if floating.'

He didn't particularly feel hostile toward Nelga. His perception and thinking seemed to move separately.

"I told you. It's a dream."

"You fell into a deep sleep after having been deprived of rest for so long."

Ran swallowed hard—or at least mimed the motion.

"But why are you in my dream?"

"It's amusing you ask me that. It's because I left a vivid mark in your unconscious mind."

"I haven't really thought of you much, though."

"No. You've always kept my words in your mind."

Nelga lifted the corner of his mouth. It looked exceedingly artificial.

"Shall we hear your answer this time?"

He pointed one long finger at Ran.

"My words: your power is yours and yours alone. Do you agree now?"

Ran's eyes widened. The empty, patchy spaces in his mind felt as if they were filled up. He grasped the situation naturally.

This was a world only he could enter, an inner self even a god couldn't peer into.

The Nelga in front of him was another ego.

An ego in the guise of Nelga was asking.

In other words, this was self-questioning.

Nelga's smiling face overlapped with his indifferent own.

"Because you admitted it, you could come up with such a bold plan. You intend to deceive not just others, but even Lord Asriel, don't you?"

Being a god didn't mean being of absolute good; even gods, being incomplete, birthed absurdity.

He'd thought he had accepted that much.

"I will help you again this time."

Nelga flicked his fingers.

In the blink of an eye, the darkness was replaced by blinding light.

Ran was at the center of an endlessly stretching light. Underfoot, clouds.

He instinctively realized it. This was the domain of the gods—the sky.

"So this is what it looks like. The sky as you imagine it."

Ran's other self, in Nelga's form, spoke in a mocking tone.

"What are you trying to pull now?"

Ran, turning around, froze on the spot. His eyes widened in shock. His heart began pounding as if it might burst from his chest.

From afar, a woman approached. She radiated overwhelming presence, standing alone in the distant void.

「Answer me, my follower.」

As if time had stopped and flowed again, Ran exhaled the breath he'd been holding back. For a moment, he'd even forgotten how to breathe.

'This is fake. Something imagined, a dream.'

Before he knew it, the woman was right before his eyes.

Ran had to look up to see her. The woman's feet did not touch the ground. The glow surrounding her body shimmered as she floated, and her garments fluttered.

「Are you truly set on betraying your faith in me, walking the path of apostasy?」

Only her small, plump lips had a tinge of pink on her snow-white skin. A prominent forehead, a straight nose, bewitching yet gentle eyes, pupils as deep as a lake, long lashes.

'I—I—I've never seen a woman ?'

A sudden breeze blew. The woman's thick hair swayed. A subtle scent of flowers tickled his nose.

Without thinking, Ran flared his nostrils.

「Cyrano. Tell me who I am.」

The woman furrowed her brow.

Ran stared at her newly pouting face, entranced.

「Cyrano. You should not mock me.」

The woman cupped Ran's face in both hands.

Ran's eyes went wide.

「Cyrano. Remember: I am your god and your master.」

The woman spoke gently, pulling Ran's face toward her embrace.

Ran couldn't budge. The elegant and soft curves of the woman were nearly touching his face.

A voice thundered. The bright surroundings flashed black and white in reversal.

Black chains whipped around Ran's body and yanked him violently. He was dragged helplessly away. The woman was swiftly receding.

「Struggling in delusions of your own making! Pitiful, beyond words!」

He hung in the air for a long time. Even while flying away, Ran didn't need to look to know who owned the voice.

It was the evil spirit he'd met before—Yacha.

「I thought you'd reached a higher level, but it was all in place! Secretly, you were still weighed down by guilt for doubting and betraying god, weren't you—!」

Beside Yacha stood Nachal. As at their first meeting, Nachal immediately picked up Yacha's words.

「I disagree. This is simply the manifestation of dark, lustful desire.」

Nachal scratched his jutting canine with a fingernail. He had previously hinted that Ran found Asriel an attractive woman.

Nachal glanced at Ran, who had fallen between him and Yacha, as if embarrassed.

Yacha bellowed again.

「Whatever the cause—it's the same! Cast off your delusions! Throw away the yoke of original sin, Ran!!」

Suddenly, the woman approached and reached her arms out to Ran. Deep maternal love was evident on her face.

「Cyrano, my follower. How pitiable. You endure harsh trials alone. The corruption and depravity of others is their fault, not a sign your faith is wrong.」

Through it all, black and white flickered rapidly.

Visions born from Ran's mind scolded, consoled, admonished, and persuaded him in turn.

Even in the dream, Ran closed his eyes.

He sank deeper within.

As he did, the fatigue and exhaustion stuck on him like old grime began to melt away. Vitality was returning to his sleeping body.

At around the same time.

Pontiff Arcangelo was seated in his quarters, facing Iel across a small lantern.

It had already been six days since the people from the safe zone arrived at Quersa in Northland.

Iel had continued to reject Arcangelo's requests for a private audience, using her health as an excuse.

But now, she couldn't refuse any longer.

The time had come. Tomorrow, the ritual would be held.

"Are you feeling all right, savior?"

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"How are you adjusting to Quersa?"

"I'll be a sacrifice tomorrow—why should I care?"

Iel's brow furrowed as she snapped back. Savior, guide, and seeker—she knew exactly who each title referred to.

Arcangelo gave a bitter smile.

"That's not true, savior. Even after your ascension, you will continue to be in Quersa—"

"I said you're annoying, old man."

Iel shot back and intentionally looked away, resting her chin on her hand with feigned indifference.

Arcangelo forced a smile. His face burned.

'She's a young girl before she's a savior. And at a sensitive age.'

He brought his steaming horn-cup to his mouth. His hand shook slightly.

"I am the seeker, pontiff Arcangelo—"

"Why won't you let me see Ran?"

"Savior, your body and mind are still frail. If you're stirred by lingering feelings and lose your composure even a little, it could seriously disrupt the ritual."

"? What if I refuse to take part in the ritual?"

He had just gulped down a hot drink. Arcangelo coughed as he choked.

"That's going too far. I've already finished all discussions with the guide. I heard you're quite close with him, no?"

"Did Ran say that? That we're close?"

"... What I mean is, we must not let his noble sacrifice be in vain. You too must steel your heart, savior."

Iel, her face brightening unexpectedly, straightened up. Her eyes shone with clarity.

Arcangelo quietly let out a sigh. In truth, he was a bit disappointed.

'I must have expected too much.'

The image he'd imagined of the savior was somewhat different from reality. Though she was young, he thought she would be mature, aware of her immense burden.

Arcangelo's pupils briefly glimmered blue. He saw the white radiance swirling within Iel.

'This is definitely real!'

Though it wasn't as vast as he imagined, its density and firmness were undeniable. Watching that pure flow sent chills up his spine.

Arcangelo's mouth hung open as he stared for a while at Iel's 'holy power'.

'She is the Savior, without a doubt.'

He had seen many forms of 'light' in his life. Each individual's light had different shapes, colors, and quantities.

A strange sense of duty and ecstasy enveloped Arcangelo. He suddenly felt that the whole reason he'd been given this special power by god was to receive this holy power before his eyes.

"Excuse me, old man."

"... Ah, yes. Please speak, savior."

Arcangelo stammered like someone caught dozing off.

A different look flashed through Iel's eyes.

'Let me remember what I have to do.'

Ran had conveyed a special mission to her through Rev. From the moment she entered the Pontiff's quarters, she'd been thinking only of that. Acting immature was also a tactic to make the other party lower his guard.

"I always knew. I guess you could call it my destiny. Ever since I was very little."

Iel's face took on a sad expression. Arcangelo furrowed his brow as he saw it.

"You must be strong and courageous."

"Aren't you saying that a bit too easily? If you had a daughter my age, could you say that so lightly?"

"Of course I could. It would be an honor, even. I am prepared for that myself."

"Then will you make a sacrifice too, old man?"

Arcangelo forced a smile. Of all the faces Iel had seen from him, this was the gentlest and most generous.

"If the Lord asks for my life, I will gladly give it. But as a seeker, I have a duty. It's a hard and weighty mission, to carry on both of your legacies."

"Is that written in the Apocalypse? That book is pure nonsense,"

"... Savior. Please watch your words."

"To be honest, I still can't trust any of this. Why are you so certain about Ran and me? Our names aren't specifically written anywhere—it could all be wrong, couldn't it?"

Arcangelo's face grew increasingly stiff. Iel, wary of losing courage, deliberately didn't look at him.

"S-so I just don't like it. If it weren't for Ran, I wouldn't even be here."

"I need to know what's causing the Savior's confusion."

Iel swallowed. This time, she mustered the courage to meet his gaze.

"To me, you just look like a conman riling up innocent people. Why should I trust you enough to give up my life?"

Silence fell between them.

Arcangelo's twisted laughter grew louder.

Iel was creeped out, but forced herself to appear calm.

"It seems I was the rude one after all. I lost sight of procedure in my haste. I should have told you my story first, savior."

The wheezing laughter faded. Arcangelo wiped away the drool trickling down his chin.