Aiwass's voice carried no trace of joy, anger, sorrow, or delight, yet within its calm tone existed unwavering will and boundless anticipation.
"I will serve you as the archangel recorded in Biblical mythology, Arata. All of my knowledge will exist for your sake."
A system of linguistic laws that Arata could not consciously interpret resonated throughout this space. At the same time, he felt an unprecedented connection to Aiwass. This connection was no longer merely that of a spiritual entity attached to a living host. It was a genuine and stable link between existences.
He could even perceive the Phase in which Aiwass resided. By simply synchronizing his consciousness with Aiwass, he was able to enter that Phase.
That Phase was neither the physical world nor an imaginary illusion. It was a realm composed purely of physical laws and principles. Its governing structure was fundamentally different from that of the material world. When Arata first arrived, he could not even produce sound, much less move freely.
"I sensed it, Aiwass. Can your true form not leave that Phase and descend into my Void Star Tai Suu?" Arata asked curiously. Since the Void Star Tai Suu functioned as a conceptual world detached from ordinary reality, it should theoretically be capable of accommodating a being known as a Magic God level existence or something close to it.
"I can descend. However, the moment I do so, I will be completely sealed into a corner of the material world by the Void star: Tai suu Universe. For me to fully descend into it, you must first deepen your understanding of your own power." Aiwass's voice sounded distant, like unstable radio interference that could fade at any moment.
"The reason my fragment of spirit can currently connect with you is because you harbor no hostility toward me. If hostility were to arise, I would also be sealed."
"Understood." Arata shrugged lightly before continuing, "But I am curious. As the so called 'Mysterious Leader,' what level of power do you actually possess? Let me phrase it in simple terms. Destroying a planet. Destroying a solar system. Destroying a galaxy. That kind of scale."
"Arata, your perspective still measures strength through raw destructive output. You remain confined to the application of energy. Only by approaching the position of 'Keter' upon the Sephirot of the Kabbalah can one comprehend that laws and concepts cannot be evaluated through destruction, but through understanding. A Mysterious Leader transcends because of their comprehension of the world's laws, and their ability to manipulate or even overturn them."
Aiwass's voice crackled faintly, as though distorted by static.
"Even with your present knowledge of the Void Star Tai Suu and the passage of time within it, you lack the capacity to fully comprehend such laws. Every Mysterious Leader who rose from humanity accumulated knowledge across countless years before performing an extremely forbidden Grand Ritual. The probability of success was less than one in a billion, and only then could they ascend beyond human limitation."
"To understand the laws is to understand everything. With sufficient comprehension, one could reconstruct the universe with a gesture, create overlapping Phases, erase Phases at will, destroy planets, or cause galaxies to collide through manipulation of conceptual frameworks."
"You are right. I do not understand it at all. I can only grasp fragments of what you are saying." Arata pressed his fingers against his temples. Laws were far beyond his current Level 5 framework. True comprehension would likely only become possible if he ever reached Level 6.
"Tell me. What exactly did you discover regarding the application of the Void Star Tai Suu?"
That was what truly mattered to him. Something practical. Something he could use.
Aiwass's gaze shifted toward the temporal rings encircling the crimson celestial body at the core.
"That is the newly generated authority derived from the Void Star Tai Suu."
"Like a timeline? Aiwass, what exactly do you perceive? How do I use it?"
"This is a newly born conceptual system of Time. In essence, it stands at the same rank as a Mysterious Leader. However, it is still immature."
"The position of a Mysterious Leader." Arata immediately understood. It was conceptually equivalent to a supreme position upon the Tree of Life. However, because the Void Star Tai Suu was structured upon Taoist cosmology rather than Kabbalistic mysticism, its foundation differed.
"In terms you can understand, the celestial region occupied by the Great Year Star, Jupiter, at the conclusion of each annual cycle forms twelve fixed positions. These are known as the Twelve Star Sequences: Xingji, Xuanxiao, Juzi, Jianglou, Daliang, Shishen, Chunshou, Chunhuo, Chunwei, Shouxing, Dahuo, and Ximu."
"The concepts of era and time were born from this system. Jupiter governs the yearly cycle and embodies the authority of temporal regulation. Arata, my earlier conclusion was correct. You possess the capacity to wield the laws of Time. However, as you remain within a mortal body, you can only express it as a superpower."
"The extent to which you can wield the Void Star Tai Suu depends entirely upon your own strength," Aiwass stated calmly.
"Time." Arata felt his heartbeat accelerate. If Aiwass asserted he could wield temporal power, then the possibility was real.
In any world, space and time were considered rare phenomena. Among them, time was even more exceptional.
Within Academy City, there existed hundreds of spatial ability users. Yet there had never been a confirmed esper who controlled time itself.
"Aiwass, with you guiding me, I will avoid countless unnecessary detours."
"Arata, even without me, it would only have been a matter of time before you uncovered your own authority. I am merely observing and analyzing the evolution of the Void Star Tai Suu," Aiwass replied.
"Then inform me whenever further changes occur within the Void Star Tai Suu. If the opportunity arises, I may even visit your Phase again and observe your true form directly," Arata said with a relaxed smile.
"Yes. I await your arrival. Only within that Phase can I directly transmit my accumulated knowledge to you," Aiwass responded.
Arata's consciousness gradually withdrew from the inner domain of the Void Star Tai Suu.
Now seated atop an abandoned building within District 7, he swung his legs idly while observing the empty experimental facility nearby. It had yet to be approached by anyone.
Excitement surged through him.
Time. The Void Star Tai Suu had evolved temporal authority.
Following Aiwass's guidance, he activated the Void Star Tai Suu. Its conceptual framework forcefully interfered with external reality, subtly overwriting the universal model within a one hundred meter radius with its own cosmological laws.
Moments later, it contracted and returned to dormancy.
An enormous quantity of information remained imprinted within his mind. The concept of Time had manifested as a superpower. However, within his mortal vessel, he could not yet comprehend the full law itself, let alone deploy it freely.
"A time manipulation ability." Arata murmured. "It can alter the temporal flow of objects within a five hundred meter radius. Acceleration or deceleration is possible. Biological lifespan is a limiting factor. I do not yet know how many times I can slow time consecutively. Tomorrow I will consult the Board Chairman and conduct formal testing."
He carefully sensed the structure of his newly awakened ability, speaking quietly to himself. Then his gaze was drawn toward a flash of brown in the distance.
...
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