"I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."
Azik Eggers gazed deeply at the crimson phantom of the evil spirit, closing his eyes as though stirring the depths of his memory, churning up the sediment that had long settled at the bottom, dredging it up and trying hard to make out its original shape.
"Heh. I wonder which one of us you've seen before?"
Medici's cheeks split open on both sides into bloody wounds that turned into mouths.
"The Eggers boy, Consul of Death of the Baylan Empire. So many years have passed, and not only have you failed to advance, you've actually fallen to Sequence 3. Truly, the longer you live, the more pathetic you become."
"Medici, I'm genuinely curious what gives you the right to say that about anyone else."
"You yourself were devoured by Tudor as fuel for his advancement, and yet you dare mock someone else for their decline in strength. Your shamelessness and arrogance truly impress me."
The two bloody mouths spoke up at once, mocking without the slightest restraint.
During the capture of the "Saintess of White" Katrina, the three-in-one evil spirit had worked together in perfect coordination, but the moment they no longer shared a common goal, they immediately fell to squabbling among themselves.
"Oh, thank you both for the reminder, you useless things. That's about all you're still good for, after all."
Medici laughed as it struck back, bickering with the two mouths in a scene that was as eerie as it was faintly comical.
Klein and the others, including Tracy on the ground, stared at the spectacle with wide eyes.
What an embarrassment.
Silas Londor cursed silently in his heart, opening his palm to draw the evil spirit back into his body.
But Azik, frowning beside him, suddenly reached out and stopped his hand.
"Please, wait a moment."
Azik looked pained and bewildered, like an ancient tomb, radiating a heavy, icy weight.
"Lord Medici, and... the other two angels as well."
After composing himself somewhat, he addressed the crimson spirit solemnly.
"Back then, the 'Blood Emperor' Arista Tudor paid the price of half-madness to become the half-mad 'Red Priest.'
Those who knew the truth of the matter all believed the three of you had fallen for good..."
"Heh. My current state is only a little better than being dead."
Medici gave a cold laugh.
"For a thousand years I've been trapped underground with these two useless wretches, occasionally learning how history has unfolded from some 'Hunter' Beyonder foolish enough to throw themselves into the trap.
Your old man was quite capable, wasn't he, joining forces with the Demoness to stir up the 'Pale Disaster' on the southern continent.
If the Six Evil Gods and that newly ascended fellow hadn't set aside their differences and united, he might actually have succeeded."
"What a shame,"
it shook its head with regret. "Whether it was the War of the Four Emperors, the War of the Seven Gods, or the Pale Disaster, I, the 'Angel of War,' never got to witness any of it."
"You stopped being the Angel of War long ago!"
One of the bloody mouths jeered loudly, only to be forcefully shoved back down by Medici.
Silas listened quietly to the side, momentarily stunned by the shocking content of their exchange.
I've read about this bit of history in Roselle Gustav's diary. According to information provided by that man known as "Mr. Door," during the era of the Seven Gods' great war, the "God of Death" of the southern continent had allied with the "Primordial Demoness" to attempt a counterattack on the north.
But in the end, they were defeated by the united Seven Gods; the "Primordial Demoness" suffered grievous wounds, and the "God of Death" fell outright, creating the Wild Sea that now divides the northern and southern continents.
And Azik was actually the son of that "God of Death"?
He looked up instinctively and exchanged a glance with Klein across from him. The latter looked just as astonished, and appeared to be hearing this for the first time as well.
"..."
Azik fell silent as he listened to Medici's words, a faint look of pain gradually surfacing on his face.
"Hearing what you've said, I've remembered a great many things. But there seems to be something very important that I still can't recall, no matter how hard I try..."
"Heh heh, so I was right, there's a hidden reason behind the state you're in now." Seeing this, Medici gave a soft laugh. "In that case, I'd better not keep reminiscing with you, in case you actually remember something."
With that, the ill-tempered thing actually vanished its form and slipped back into Silas's body.
That bastard.
"Do you want to keep talking with it?"
Silas asked Azik. "If you do, I can pull it back out."
He himself was somewhat curious about those events from the Pale era, too.
"There's no need."
Azik looked heavy with sorrow.
He stepped back a few paces, stood at the ship's rail, and turned to gaze out at the sea, his whole body radiating a cold aura that made him difficult to approach.
The sea stretched out vast and boundless. It was nearly dusk, and golden sunlight danced across the water, reflecting the clouds unfurling lazily across the sky.
At that moment, Klein quietly came over.
"I saw from a distance that things were quite intense over here, like you were caught in a hard fight, so I brought Mr. Eggers along."
he said, his expression carrying a trace of guilt. "But from what just happened, did our arrival distract you and end up letting that Witch get away?"
He'd meant to help, and instead it seemed he'd done more harm than good...
"Your intentions were good."
Silas shook his head. "Besides, that Sequence 3 Unaging is extremely difficult to deal with. Her escape was only a matter of time."
"Tch."
Some red angel let out a scornful retort, but he ignored it.
"And her? What are you going to do with her?"
Klein pointed at Tracy, lying on the ground.
"So you finally remembered I'm here?"
Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy's wounds had already stopped bleeding, her pretty face deathly pale. Seeing the two of them turn their gazes toward her, she offered a bitter smile.
"Mm."
Silas glanced over instinctively; beside him, M spread her hands, signaling that she had already extracted the relevant information and memories, and that it made no difference to her what he did with the woman now.
"What do you know about Katrina?"
he asked her.
"I don't know much. I'm just a child she bore on a whim, a product she created to maintain a youthful state of mind.
As you've seen, she'll use me however she pleases and then discard me the moment it's convenient, all to protect herself..."
Tracy's expression carried the desolate weariness of a heart gone cold, a hazy glimmer of tears seeming to shimmer in her azure eyes.
Though the exact details were unclear, her fleet had presumably been destroyed, and with her lover having left her and her mother having abandoned her besides, the look on her face grew even more plaintive, enough to draw a sigh of pity.
The blonde maid beside her looked as though her heart might break, holding Tracy tightly.
Silas gave her a cold glance.
"Wow, that's so terrible for you. Even worse than the slaves you sold off, apparently."
he said flatly.
"!"
Tracy looked as though she'd been struck in the face, and fell silent at once.
That she was pitiable right now was true, but that she was deliberately using her ability to invite sympathy in order to survive was equally true.
"Whoosh!"
Silas stepped forward, radiating ring after ring of warm, pure light from his body. But the moment the light touched Tracy, she let out a cry of unbearable agony, the spirituality within her seeming to be violently rejected, shaking with intense turmoil.
The "Unshadowed's" Purification!
Tracy struggled, trying to escape the light, but Silas held her down forcibly, leaving her unable to break free.
The Beyonder characteristics within her body were repelled by the light, gathering together, and were forcibly precipitated out of her body!
"Whoa..."
Sensing the unrest of the characteristics within his own body, Klein quickly stepped back. He watched as Tracy's Beyonder characteristics were extracted from her, bit by bit.