Strait of Malacca, Sumatra Island, Banda Aceh.
For this coastal city, fortune lay in the fact that, as one of the junctions between science-side and magic-side forces, it had received heavy investment from Academy City in infrastructure construction, leading to rapid development.
Unfortunately, the climax of World War III erupted here—Banda Aceh endured the Roman Catholic Church's "Holy War" fleet's attack on its military base, Vento of the Front's bombardment using the Queen of the Adriatic Sea, Fiamma of the Right's destruction, the launch of the Star of Bethlehem fortress, and the aftershocks from Selene, Ollerus, and Othinus's clash.
One could hardly say the losses were merely heavy—Banda Aceh had been reduced to a state worse than pre–World War I, even more barren than before the arrival of Western colonizers. The once-vibrant city was gone without a trace.
Maps would have to be redrawn. The topography and terrain were completely altered, even the climate had changed. Apart from a few deep-underground fortified sections of the military base, all traces of civilization seemed smashed to pieces by an irritable giant's hands.
Yet with Vento, Fiamma, and Ollerus defeated in succession, and Othinus vanished, things seemed to return to an uneasy calm.
Gagaga!
Following preset procedures, countless engineering robots swarmed to the surface the moment the attackers halted, welding and cutting in a spray of sparks, as busy and efficient as bees in a hive.
"Layer up"—that was their goal.
So long as the war had not ended, Banda Aceh's purpose was to slow or stop any advance by the enemy, making urgent repairs to every damaged defensive wall.
On the worksite, atop a mountain-like stack of metal containers hauled and piled by the robots—clang!!
A heavy metallic crash rang out.
The next moment, a thin white beam appeared in midair.
A door opened outward with a buzzz—
"Oh~ such bustling activity. One way or another, looks like we made it just in time, old man 'High Priest,' and 'Nephthys.'"
First to step through was a pale-skinned girl in a highly revealing cheongsam with comically large sleeves, a headpiece topped with a floral plume, and an unusual rune affixed to her forehead. She spread her arms wide, inhaling deeply, then burst into loud laughter.
She drank in the air of the real world as though she'd just escaped from some prison.
"These ingenious steel creations are the product of the science Aleister pursued after abandoning magic? No trace of a magical ritual, nor are they spiritual equipment. Forgive my ignorance, but what powers them?"
The shriveled figure in ornate violet-gold Buddhist robes, skin clinging to bone, flexed fingers that looked ready to snap, shaking his skull-like head as he spoke in a rasping, parched tone.
With a wave of his withered hand, a nearby engineering robot—busy welding a massive support screw—suddenly disassembled in midair.
No sound. No sparks. No alarms. The army of engineering robots scattered across the scorched battlefield carried on obliviously, as if blind to the intruders.
"Looks like it 'worked,' then. No butterfly effect, no esper-style chain reaction twisting the world from behind the scenes."
Wielding his extraordinary power without consequence, the 'High Priest' figure cheerfully dismantled the massive black battery block before him.
"Of course. That's the unique gift of that 'Zombie' kid—able to harmonize disparate cultures, to show affinity toward anything. Without 'Zombie's timely intervention, we might have already torn a hole through reality itself."
The sultry, dark-skinned beauty known as Nephthys idly toyed with her long silver hair, casting a sidelong glance at the welders, drillers, and riveters working on the metal monstrosities. Her tone was disinterested as she reminded her two absorbed, true Gremlin colleagues:
"You two, don't forget our real task. Aleister didn't even think twice before breaking the 'Hidden World.' Clever little plan—he's betting we won't destroy the real world? Or is he betting that after we split ourselves off and and manifest in the real world, he can take advantage of the moment to wipe us out?"
Aleister's intent wasn't hard for a Magic God to guess. Normally, it should be counterplay—defying the expected move to avoid being led by the nose.
But Magic Gods are still Magic Gods.
I know, but I'll still choose the most rigid, most foolish way to do it: split myself, weaken my lower self, and—heh—what can you do about it?
Only those absolutely confident in themselves act with such unshakable boldness. And in the history of this world, if even a Magic God cannot be fearless in reality, then no one has that right.
Or put another way—
Ah, I want to die, I want to have fun—ahhh! Someone kill me! Someone bring me something interesting! These endless days of slumbering in some dark corner, I'm sick of it!
It perfectly fit the mindset of some Magic Gods after waking from their long sleep.
"Perhaps we should just kill him, shouldn't we?"
With a voice as soft and melodic as a song, Nephthys uttered the cold suggestion as if speaking of the weather.
"Um..."
From behind the door, the timid, stitch-covered girl poked her head out and whispered, "Nephthys... Othinus's presence seems to have vanished from the real world."
At that—
Sigh...
High Priest, still holding a dismantled battery between his fingers, rolled his bony shoulders as if put upon.
Yawn...
Niang-Niang only curled her lip in boredom.
"I almost forgot. Us being here in the real world like this—little Othinus will have noticed by now, won't she?" Nephthys's eyes shifted to a resigned shade of blue as she rubbed her brow.
The voodoo doll-like girl said nothing.
It was obvious that among the veteran true Gremlin Magic Gods, feelings toward Othinus were... less than fond.
"Hmph, perhaps she's hiding. Given our split, weakened state, if Othinus truly wished to evade us, we couldn't find her. Still so immature, Othinus."
Using his golden sword as a cane, High Priest made no effort to hide his disapproval.
"But..."
His tone shifted as he raised his shriveled head, his fearsome black-green eyes narrowing. "On that so-called science-side proto-Magic God in whom Aleister places such hope, I seem to catch a lingering trace of Othinus's scent."
One with the potential to become something entirely unlike a Magic God of magic—growing instead from the soil of science.
Such was the Buddhist Magic God's assessment of Selene. He even looked forward to the day true Gremlin welcomed a new member, and to the changes she might bring to the world.
"Oh? Let me see... You're right!"
Paying no mind to propriety, Niang-Niang lifted her skirt and planted a high-heeled foot atop a steel beam, shading her brow with her hand in a monkey-like lookout pose.
Spotting something intriguing, she waved her left hand high in the air.
"Nephthys, look, look! At the feet of those science-side proto-Magic Gods—black dwarves, godforce hosts—they're all Othinus's underlings. Looks like little Othinus took quite the loss."
"Seems we should step in. Otherwise, the title of Magic God will start looking a bit pathetic."
Bony fingers extended from the folds of his monk's robe, the desiccated corpse chuckling darkly.
Suddenly—
Bzzzt bzzzt bzzzt—
Every engineering robot halted mid-task, a burst of static noise squealing from their speakers.
A moment later, a familiar voice rang from each speaker.
"Magic Gods, I have never once looked down on you."
"Oh, Aleister. To see you still full of breath—good. I must have been deluded. An old man like me shouldn't let himself be driven by anger."
As the first Magic God to strike at Aleister in the Hidden World, High Priest was naturally the first to answer.
"Heh, in our current state, isn't this exactly what you were hoping for? Our power reduced to a level this world can explain—what better chance could you have to finish us off?"
The withered corpse let out a piercing, low laugh.
"Indeed. A gift from the gods—such a perfect killing opportunity—how could I let it slip by?"
As if long-held emotion burst free, Aleister's voice turned to manic laughter through the speakers.
"Magic Gods! I will shatter every phase, end every mystery! I will revive a pure world where anyone can rightly grow angry, rightly demand answers!!"
"I, Aleister Crowley, swear it before the heavens—this is my declaration of god-slaying!!"
Splutch!!
Almost with his final word, the withered body convulsed—something unknown had pierced straight through his dried chest.
"Wh...at...!?"
High Priest's black-green eyes went wide.
Nearby, Nephthys, Niang-Niang, and the stitched "Zombie" all pressed hands to their own chests.
At the same time—fwoooom—!!
Overhead, a heavy object screamed as it tore through the atmosphere.
...
On the Star of Bethlehem fortress—
"Selene, I ask for your aid."
Newly healed skin showed pale veins beneath, charred dead flesh flaking away in the wind. His face, now mostly restored, turned toward the stunning beauty before him. Under the astonished stares of those present, the founder of Academy City and a cornerstone of modern magic bent himself in a deep bow—nearly forty-five degrees—to the woman before him.
A century-old wish was now within reach, the light of an ending's hope in sight. Every condition was met; this was the decisive moment.
Aleister was willing to give anything.
"I, Selene von Habsburg, keep my word."
Stopping Aleister's bow at forty-five degrees, Selene supported him with undeniable strength. Voidstar Anchor in hand, her waist-length, lustrous white hair drifted in the breeze like silken banners. At the corners of her lips was the promise of kept vows, her heroic confidence radiating with every word.
The gathered Academy City Level 5 espers watched the scene with mixed emotions. For many, it was their first time seeing the fabled Board Chairman in person.
Handsome, yes—but standing beside Selene, even he seemed to pale.
At Kamijou Touma's side, Misaka Mikoto thought so silently.
Before, she had often felt Selene's personality was overly forceful—but that was from a student's perspective. If she changed her view, thought of herself as a soldier and Selene as her commander—
Then there was no comparison to the sense of safety it inspired.
That unshakable composure in the face of a collapsing mountain, that strength capable of moving seas and boiling mountains with a smile, that domineering air of I am the law—even Misaka Mikoto could not help but feel a spark of admiration.
With a gentle curve to her lips, Selene's long silver lashes trembled lightly, catching the sunlight in glittering flashes like tiny stars.
Her eyes shimmered, as if holding the starlit sky within them, radiant with the softness of morning light.
"Looks like the 'acting' in your title will be gone soon," Kakine Teitoku remarked, arms folded, his tone certain.
Returning to his cool, handsome demeanor, Aleister said, "They've manifested in the real world."
Selene nodded, gazing down from the floating fortress at the Magic Gods now in Banda Aceh. Her diamond-shaped pupils narrowed as they fixed on the ragdoll-like girl. "Priority target: 'Zombie.'"
"Understood."
Having shared the stolen parameters of the Magic Gods, Aleister instantly understood her intent.
The Magic God 'Zombie' possessed a unique ability—Infinite Division Technique—which allowed the Magic Gods to descend into the real world without disrupting its stability.
"Well then, shall we begin, my dear Director?"
"Teitoku, Accelerator—you two stay here with the others. Magic Gods will come to you. This is your greatest challenge—don't die."
With that, Selene flashed thousands of meters away in an instant. Her feet barely touched down before the sky exploded—an ear-splitting sonic boom cloud spanning at least a kilometer tore the sky apart, platinum radiance cleaving through the sea of clouds.
Let them fulfill their roles as in the original plan—hold off the Magic Gods for a while.
Selene's objective was simple: take them down one by one.
She knew well that aside from a few exceptions who would group together, most Magic Gods operated alone. Their bonds were not as strong as they seemed—in truth, beyond idle conversation, their relationships were almost nonexistent.
Even if you killed a Magic God before their eyes, it would hardly stir them. They would simply go about their business.
Revenge? Not a chance.
The era of the Magic Gods would end here.
"Kihara Noukan, link to the Anti-Art Attachment!"
"Understood. Target locked—Magic God 'Zombie.'"
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