"Hmm… this counts as a church?"
Samuel stepped into a dilapidated monastery. How to describe its ruin? It was the kind of place that would've been condemned and demolished long ago for safety reasons.
The monastery lacked any past glory. Through computational reconstruction, Samuel saw its original state was modest at best.
Yet, who'd suspect a magical sect was hiding here?
Samuel stood in the courtyard, gazing at the starry sky. Moonlight bathed him, and the glint of a cold blade flashed across his body.
"Everyone, I mean no harm. I only wish to borrow your sect's magical knowledge for a look."
Samuel bluntly voiced a cardinal taboo of the magical world.
Just as an esper's program, once fully understood, could be countered by even a Level 0, a magical sect's proprietary knowledge held similar weight.
For instance, if the Amakusa-Style Remix of Church's concealment-focused magic was deciphered, a competent magician could nullify their stealth advantage, even crafting targeted spells to dominate them in battle.
Thus, it was the magic side's greatest taboo.
Hum…
A purple-red magical array formed beneath Samuel's feet, its mystical glow illuminating the monastery.
"Impressive, as expected of the concealment-specialized Amakusa-Style Remix of Church."
Even Samuel hadn't noticed the array's formation.
But…
Step.
With one stomp, Samuel shattered the array. Its pillar-like radiance dissolved into fleeting sparks.
He knew some magic, and this array wasn't sophisticated. Using computed mana simulation, he disrupted its nodes, causing it to collapse.
"Attack!"
The moment the array broke, enemies wielding cold weapons rushed from the surrounding ruins.
Leading them was a spiky-haired man with an elongated kris sword, leaping five or six meters into the air, descending with a mountain-splitting strike.
Boom!
His seemingly ordinary frame unleashed superhuman force, the sword's pressure cracking the brick ground.
"Hm…"
Catching Samuel behind him from the corner of his eye, he spun to swing horizontally.
But…
Snap.
His plan to pivot on one foot failed. Somehow, Samuel had tied his long shoelaces, trapping his legs.
He stumbled, crashing to the ground.
"Whoops, sorry! Your untied laces were bothering me, so I fixed them."
Samuel's smug voice came from behind, joined by the screams of his comrades.
As they charged, an invisible, bowl-shaped shockwave erupted, flinging the group back.
"Damn, he's fast! He restrained me before I could react. What kind of magic was that, taking out so many at once…?"
"Hey, Mr. Spiky-Hair, you must be the current leader of the Amakusa-Style Remix of Church, Tatemiya Saiji, right? I think we can talk."
Samuel loomed over the fallen Tatemiya, exuding victor's arrogance. Naturally, Tatemiya had no room to negotiate—nor was there anything to discuss.
Slash!
Despite marveling at Samuel's eerie methods, with the sect's legacy at stake, Tatemiya didn't hesitate, cutting the shoelaces and swinging at Samuel.
Samuel vanished again. Tatemiya scanned frantically.
"What spell is this? What faction is he from?"
In all his experience, Tatemiya had never seen such magic.
He didn't suspect an esper. Though the Amakusa were the sect closest to Academy City and most knowledgeable about abilities, he didn't think Samuel was one.
Common sense held that magic and science couldn't coexist.
Since Samuel sought their scriptures and legacy, he was unlikely an esper—such knowledge was useless to them.
But as a minor sect, Tatemiya's information was limited compared to major players.
Magic and abilities could coexist. Academy City had a case, albeit unstable and prone to conflicts.
Samuel suspected abilities were the result of someone's magical experiment.
Perhaps espers were, in a sense, permanent magic holders.
The incompatibility stemmed from differences in spell frameworks.
For example, the Roman Orthodox Church and Anglican Church, though from the same root, had spell incompatibilities, making cross-use difficult.
The Roman Orthodox's God's Right Seat, despite being magicians, couldn't use "ordinary magic," relying instead on angelic spells.
Samuel believed Academy City's ability programs, God's Right Seat's angelic spells, and standard magical spells were merely different methods of harnessing the same thing.
The variations in method led to varied outcomes.
That "thing" was likely "mystery" or "ability" from the soul's depths or a higher world.
Computational power and mana were just different expressions of it.
"Members of the Amakusa-Style Remix of Church, allow me to introduce myself. I'm Samuel, Level 5 'Eternal Variable' from Academy City. I wish to study your magical knowledge and offer you employment. Test me. If I pass, work for me. If I fail… well, I'd be done for. But if I pass and you renege… take a look!"
Samuel's voice drew their eyes to the church's roof. His words rang clear, and his "performance" left them horrified.
He tossed a coin. Blue-white electricity lit up the city, followed by an orange-red beam erupting from his hand. For three minutes, the world spun, and they saw towering waves.
Railgun! Using electromagnetic induction, the coin was propelled with immense force. Normally, a coin's range was fifty meters before disintegrating, but Samuel stabilized its form and mass with other abilities, extending the range.
It shot over ten kilometers, with power enough to raze a town.
This was a demonstration. Using half his restrained computational power (twenty percent of his total), Samuel showcased electromagnetic force to prove he could wipe them out.
His goal was achieved.
Their expressions told him that without a trump card, they'd surrender.
***
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