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Celestial Church, Aurevia Province – Days After the Battle at Pelion Forest—
Inside a grand cathedral radiating with sacred light through the stained-glass windows, the Cardinal of the Celestial Church sat slumped on his throne. The once-regal figure now bore the marks of a brutal confrontation—his breathing labored, his robes tattered, and his body scorched.
Beside the altar hung a half-destroyed golden armor—once a divine relic that had protected him in battle. The silence was only broken by distant whispers of prayers and the flickering of eternal candles.
He closed his eyes—and memories returned. Memories of the battle with Samuel Leonard.
Flashback: Pelion Forest – Day of the Battle—
Under a blood-red sky, amidst the trembling earth and whispering trees, two figures stood locked in deadly confrontation. On one side stood Samuel Leonard, emanating the overwhelming presence of life affinity. As he extended his hand, a divine domain unfolded—"Hand of Helios", a devastating force that drained all life within its reach and conjured the Eternal Flame, a fire that burned not just the body but the soul itself.
In response, the Cardinal activated his own domain, commanding sacred elements to forge a divine blade—the Mystical Sword of Celestial Order. With it, he unleashed his strongest singular attack: Comet Slash.
Their powers collided.
A massive explosion erupted. The ground quaked violently, trees were torn from their roots, and a shockwave spread through the forest. A massive crater formed, obliterating everything within. Leonard's body was obliterated—nothing remained. The Cardinal barely survived by activating his church's Phase Four Evolutionary Characteristic: "Balancer", which summoned a golden mystical armor and a radiant crown.
Even so, the armor was half-destroyed, and the Eternal Flame had left a permanent spiritual burn. His body was thrown back violently, and he barely managed to escape and return to the church for recovery.
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Return to Present – Celestial Churchfound—
The Cardinal opened his eyes slowly, his face twisted in pain. The Archbishop stood nearby, nervously glancing at the blackened wound on his chest.
"These burns..." the Cardinal muttered, pressing his palm against the pain. "...won't fully heal. That bastard Leonard... even in death, he sins!"
His voice was laced with fury. "Find the boy who was with him. He's around ten years old, called Demian, dark brown hair. Send orders to every branch in Aurevia. I want him found."
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Back to Aetherthorn Academy – Department of Runic Constructs and Forgeworks—
Amid the clamor of gears and clanking machinery, Demian wandered through the department halls. Suddenly, a voice called out behind him:
"Are you Julian Everhart?"
He turned around. A man in a long coat, with tired eyes and messy hair, approached him. He introduced himself as Edmund Smith, one of the department deans.
"Come with me to my office," he said without delay.
Dean Edmund's Workshop—
The room was chaotic. Schematics, failed prototypes, glowing runes, and steam pipes cluttered every surface. The air smelled of oil and burnt copper.
"Julian..." Edmund began, eyes narrowed. "Are you close with Leonard?"
Demian's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?"
"I can sense remnants of that lunatic's affinity clinging to your body."
Panic briefly surged in Demian—but he quickly realized Edmund hadn't uncovered his identity, only sensing residual traces.
"I... was his student," Demian answered carefully.
Edmund scoffed, then launched into a tirade. He ranted about how Leonard always stole the spotlight—yet despite the jealousy, he admitted Leonard was a mad genius. Once, they had been research rivals.
Demian listened in silence, trying to piece together the bond between his mentor and the man before him. Then he lied—his voice low.
"Master Leonard is dead. He... fell ill."
The lie stung. He silently apologized to Leonard in his heart.
Edmund froze, the rants fading. "We used to work on research together... He was brilliant. A genius in two departments... and utterly insane."
A heavy silence hung in the room.
"I saw your duel last week," Edmund finally said. "You intrigued me. How about becoming my student?"
Demian blinked, surprised. "I'll think about it," he replied.
Edmund placed a hand on his shoulder. "Take your time. You were his student—so I won't force you."
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Demian's Dorm Room – midday—
His room was modest. A simple bed with worn sheets, a wooden desk cluttered with notes, and a metal locker. Diagrams and rune sketches adorned the walls. A steam-powered lantern glowed softly above.
Demian sat on his bed, flipping through Leonard's third book. It contained research on rune-engraved weapons—tools that could be remotely controlled via mystical energy. The requirement? 200,000 mystical energy, a mark of Phase 2 evolution.
He glanced at his hand—and froze.
His energy had reached 182,000.
"Is this... from training? No... Training only improves control, not quantity," he muttered.
Suddenly, ancient runes began glowing from his hands. Without conscious thought, his right hand conjured a fireball, and his left a swirling vortex of water.
"Am I... able to absorb church characteristics? Divine blessings... through these runes?"
A wave of fear passed through him.
"I can't let anyone see traits from the Deep Sea Church... that would be disastrous."
Click!—
The door opened.
It was Sebastian, returning from the department selection.
"What the hell are you hiding?" he asked, eyebrow raised.
"Nothing!" Demian replied, panic in his voice.
Sebastian leapt forward—and spotted the wet bed.
"You idiot... Did you wet the bed in the middle of the day!?" he shouted.
Demian groaned in frustration, unable to offer a reasonable explanation. He quickly cast a drying spell.
---
Late Night – Demian Staring at the Ceiling
Lying on the now-dry bed, Demian stared at the ceiling.
"Does this mean... I can create my own evolution trait?"
He closed his eyes, thinking deeply.
"I'll call it... Phase 1: Backdoor."
"To access a power system... without permission. To copy the divine laws of power without invoking a ritual. To tap into it—unauthorized."
A faint smile formed on his lips.
Sebastian stood by the door, his eyes narrowed in suspicion as he watched Demian sitting on his bed, grinning to himself while staring at his own arm.
"Hey, you idiot," Sebastian said, arms crossed. "Why do you always stare at your arm like that? Earlier you looked at it like it held the meaning of life, and now you're grinning like a lunatic. Are you mentally ill or something?"
Demian didn't look away. His smile widened as he turned his head toward Sebastian. "Maybe I am insane. This world's too complicated to make sense of. But... there are strange things—things that can't be explained easily."
He paused, then asked quietly, "Did you see the ancient runes on my arm yesterday?"
Sebastian blinked, recalling the strange symbols glowing faintly on Demian's skin. "Yeah, I saw them. That was part of your ritual spell, right?"
Demian shook his head slowly. "No. That wasn't a ritual. It's something else... It's a power that can mimic the characteristics of other churches. And I don't worship any god. I call it my own evolutionary phase: 'Backdoor'."
He looked Sebastian dead in the eye.
"You must keep this a secret. Tell no one."
Sebastian burst out laughing. "Right. Of course. A power that copies churches. You're completely nuts. You really *do* need to see a doctor. Maybe I hit your head too hard the other day and scrambled your brain."
Demian smiled calmly. Then he extended his palm.
With a low hum, a whirling vortex of water materialized in his hand, glowing with an eerie blue hue.
Sebastian's laughter died in his throat. His jaw dropped as he stammered, "T-that's... That's the characteristic of our church. The Deep Sea Church. How—how is that possible!?"
Demian gave a smug grin, his voice calm and sure. "I already told you."
Sebastian stumbled back a step, his face pale. He whispered, "Why did you tell me this? What if I expose you? You'll be hunted. Branded a heretic."
Demian let out a chuckle and clapped a hand on Sebastian's shoulder.
"Because we're roommates. And roommates share stories."
Sebastian lowered his head slightly, lips curling into a faint, uncertain smile.
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