When I opened my eyes, I wasn't greeted by the familiar ceiling of my bedroom.
I was in a space completely enclosed by steel walls. In the center stood a round table with a design somewhat reminiscent of a halo.
Standing on the opposite side of the table, regarding me with an intrigued expression, was a certain man.
"It is a pleasure to see you again, O Greatest of Archangels."
"…Black Suit."
His name—or rather, his moniker—was a perfect fit for a man whose appearance was so utterly different from that of an ordinary person. As I said his name, I wondered why he had chosen to seek me out like this.
"My, it appears I am not a welcome guest. Considering the goodwill we have shown you, would you not agree that this reaction is a bit… discourteous?"
"So this is what you meant when you said you'd visit me in my dreams. Honestly, I can't fathom why there are so many people who enjoy barging into others' dreams uninvited."
"To be precise, I did not so much visit you as I did temporarily summon your consciousness to this space," he corrected.
Now that he mentioned it, the background did seem vaguely familiar. This was Gematria's meeting room… I think.
The members of Gematria really did have some bizarre abilities. One moment they're visiting you in your dreams, the next they're trying to sacrifice a student's Mystery to create their own Sanctum, or using underhanded abilities like 'Text,' or cloning and inverting Mysteries, or just haphazardly stitching them together to create something new.
Of all of them, I'd thought Black Suit was the most normal, given his position as a researcher and scientist. But seeing as he could summon my dreaming self to this place, it seemed he wasn't so normal after all.
"Well, I don't think any of that really matters. What I'm curious about is why you wanted to see me, whether you came to me or summoned me here."
"…There are several reasons. To begin with the most superficial one, it would be correct to say that it is because I have become aware of your clandestine support for the Horus of the Dawn."
"Horus of the Dawn…"
"I refer to the vice president of Abydos High School, known as Takanashi Hoshino. She is… a key subject in a personal research project of mine. Judging by the passing mention you made in the past, I presume you are already aware of this."
"No, not really. I was just wondering why you call her 'Horus of the Dawn' but refer to me as the 'Greatest of Archangels.' It doesn't quite track."
Honestly, 'Greatest of Archangels' was a bit cringe. Maybe it felt that way because it was laying the praise on a bit too thick.
If that was the case, shouldn't Hoshino be called something equally grandiose and embarrassing, like 'Incarnation of the Sun'?
"Hmm. It is not a matter I have considered deeply, but it appears the title we use for you is a burden. I see. The more religious nature of your origin may have instilled in you an unconscious reverence for the virtue of humility."
"Ahaha… If we're talking about burdensome, Maestro is in a league of his own."
No matter how you sliced it, all of Gematria's titles for me were embarrassing. But being called 'Mika-san' by these people would be just as distasteful in its own way. A certain distance was appropriate between myself and Gematria. It would have been even better if that distance had never been bridged at all.
"If you find it uncomfortable, how does Celestial Michael sound?"
"…That's better, I guess."
"Hmm. Is that so? Then, to return to the matter at hand, the actions you have taken for Abydos have caused a significant setback to my plans. The Sanctum of the highest order, a rarity even here in Kivotos… To observe the process and results of my experiment to instill fear into the Horus of the Dawn, who possesses it, it is necessary for her to cooperate with me of her own volition. Regrettably, due to your intervention, my progress in cornering Abydos has been… sluggish."
Because I'd let on that I knew a few things during our first meeting, Black Suit was laying out his objectives with complete transparency.
"You do not seem surprised. As I thought, you appear to know a great deal."
"So, what's the point of this story? Are you trying to tell me to back off from Abydos? Or maybe you want me to stop interfering with your plans any further? Unfortunately for you, Hoshino-chan would be the one to refuse my help in the first place. So I'd say… you've barked up the wrong tree this time☆"
"Hmm. It is a bit different from that. I am not so shameless as to make such a blunt demand. Celestial Michael, if you were a mere student, it might be a different story, but as we know you are a being like 'us,' we will show you the proper courtesy. Even Madame, who acted against Gematria's ideology, would have continued to receive my respect, had it not been for your assertion that she would summon The Color to this world. Her methods, particularly in establishing her own domain, were, in their own way, a fascinating course of action."
"…I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from mentioning Arius. I may have come from outside Kivotos, but I consider myself a part of this world. I won't hold it against you for treating students like lab rats… but hearing you say you stood by and watched Beatrice's methods is, frankly, deeply unpleasant."
Black Suit had schemed to get his hands on Hoshino, but that plan was destined to fail. Even if the butterfly effect from my actions made the situation worse, Sensei would be able to handle it. And if, by some chance, things went awry, I would do everything in my power to fix it.
But his admission of having condoned the events at Arius was a reality I had known but chosen to ignore.
Students were reduced to tools. They were gaslighted with sophistry—'You have the will to kill, therefore you are murderers'—and taught to be capable of killing one another. According to Saori, Arius students had actually died. Gematria, who had merely watched it happen, was just as vile as Beatrice, who had orchestrated it.
I knew they saw Kivotos through a different lens than I did, but it was unsettling all the same. That was why I wanted nothing to do with them.
"Speaking of which, I have a question. Beatrice is…"
"Kukuk… You need not worry; Madame has been dealt with decisively. Had the ritual she performed been a complete success, it was inevitable that The Color would have found this place. Thus, we had no hesitation. I thank you once again for thwarting that ritual."
"Right. That's a relief. So, when you said you weren't shameless enough to just demand I back off from Hoshino, you meant you wanted to make a deal. Am I right on that one?"
"You are. The first proposal I will present is this: you will take the place of the Horus of the Dawn. In that event, I will completely cease all plans to take her into my custody."
"Right, so you can instill fear into my body instead. No thanks."
"Kukuk. I anticipated as much. Then let us move to the second proposal. What if, instead of replacing the Horus of the Dawn, you simply owe me a debt? With a single, small promise of a favor, you can protect her."
At first glance, it sounded like a good offer. A single promise from me could potentially spare Abydos a great deal of hardship in the future.
But this was a blatant trap.
"I see. A 'small favor,' with no specific terms, would be enough to protect Hoshino-chan. Is that it?"
"My, my. I thought, given your personality, you would at least consider this one."
"Black Suit… what's the real deal you want to make? You'd never give up on Abydos that easily… which means you must have some other objective."
"Hmm. Was I truly that easy to read? You are correct. The previous offers were merely things that would have been nice to have, but were ultimately disposable. This next one is the true purpose of my visit today."
Pausing for a moment, Black Suit tapped his fingers on the round table.
"You have been experiencing some… strange phenomena recently, have you not?"
"…!"
He brought up a topic I simply couldn't ignore.
"It may be nothing more than a prelude for now, but the change has certainly begun. This is a crucial piece of information regarding your current state, which I, Golconde, and Decalcomanie have observed together. The changes experienced by a soul that does not align with its vessel… would that not be a fascinating research topic?"
"…Tell me."
"No, no, Celestial Michael. That is not how this works. What I am offering you in this transaction is the very information regarding the abnormalities and changes you are experiencing. In exchange, we ask that you grant us a small favor. Of course, it will not be a demand to replace the Horus of the Dawn or anything of that nature."
"…"
He was right. I was definitely experiencing something strange.
Just recently, an emotion that felt completely alien had suddenly influenced my actions.
But in a way, this wasn't a recent change at all. I was well aware that my speech patterns and overall personality were being influenced by this body.
However, up until now, these instances had been limited to Gehenna's demon students, like Makoto or Hina, so I had attributed it to the influence of my own Mystery.
Now that Black Suit had brought it up directly, it was clear that the obsessive emotion I'd felt was by no means a normal change.
The moment he mentioned Golconde, his credibility shot through the roof. That man possessed an uncanny ability that allowed him to see right through me from our very first meeting. There was no room for doubt.
And not only that, but the hallucination I saw just yesterday…
The reflection in the mirror—the image of another Mika, who was not me.
Perhaps this change was directly linked to the question I'd long been avoiding: what happened to the original Misono Mika?
"The price of this deal is… for you to permit us to conduct research on the Ancient Dogma in the Catacomb of Tenebrae. That should be a fair price, would you not agree?"
The moment I heard Black Suit's terms, my mind, which had been leaning toward accepting the deal, was doused in ice water.
…This was dangerous.
Just granting them permission to research there would create an opening for the appearance of not only Ambrosius and Hieronymus—bosses I thought I'd never have to see—but also Maestro's creations named after the other two of the Four Great Fathers of the Western Church: Gregorius and Augustinus.
If that were all, it wouldn't be much different from the original story and thus not a huge deal. But there was another variable in play: Maestro was in possession of a fragment of my Mystery.
In other words, if I accepted this proposal, the Total Assault bosses created based on the Ancient Dogma could appear, enhanced by the Mystery of the most powerful and greatest of Archangels.
But the price Black Suit was offering made it difficult to refuse. The fate of this body's original owner was a question that had always bothered me, a problem I had ignored because the more I thought about it, the further the answer seemed.
The chance to find a clue to that mystery, versus willingly permitting an event that could become a massive obstacle for Sensei and the students of Kivotos.
"I understand this is not a simple decision that can be answered immediately. Therefore, I will hear your answer at our next meeting. I do hope you enjoy your little festival to your heart's content."
As I stood torn between the two choices, Black Suit gave me the chance to defer my decision. With his final words, I woke from the dream.
"Wow…"
After dropping a bomb like that, how in the world was I supposed to enjoy a festival?
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