Bethlehem, a small city in southern Palestine with a population of fewer than thirty thousand.
No matter whether one judged it by natural conditions, resources, or geographical location, this place was nothing more than a backward, barren corner beneath the endless stars. Yet because one person had been born here, it became famous throughout the world, attracting millions of Christians on pilgrimage every year and single-handedly sustaining the surrounding residents.
Because according to legend, this was the birthplace of Jesus.
Manger Square, Church of the Nativity.
Inside the church, elaborately carved beams and painted rafters surrounded murals depicting stories from the Old Testament and New Testament. A marble altar covered in gold leaf and precious stones stood beneath stained-glass windows radiating sacred light...all proclaiming the holiness of the place where Jesus had been born.
Yet the stone pillars, vaulted ceiling, and walls of the great hall were scarred and mottled with layers of old and new damage, as though telling visitors of the destruction and rebirth this ancient structure had experienced after being repeatedly ravaged by war throughout the long current of history...
Within this ancient Christian relic, a dense crowd of believers followed the chanting nuns in solemnly singing sacred hymns that praised the birth of the Lord.
With the full outbreak of World War III, this remote little city had immediately become overcrowded. Devout men and women from all over the world prayed for victory and peace to arrive. Naturally, the victory they prayed for was Christ's victory, not the victory of heretics.
Rattle...
As though sensing some kind of vibration, the balding middle-aged man in a bishop's robe standing at the altar slowly raised his head. An earthquake?
No...that wasn't right. A bad premonition suddenly welled up inside the middle-aged man's heart.
That creak, creak sound seemed to be coming from above, from the church tower itself.
The next moment—crack crack!
The ancient church spire, the Grotto of the Star of Bethlehem that had witnessed the birth of the Son Jesus, and the enormous crucifix depicting Jesus' suffering enshrined above the altar...all of them completely ignored gravity and gently floated upward!
The entire Manger Square split in half down the middle, cracking apart under the vibrations. People screamed, wailed, prayed...countless stone bricks, crosses, and other objects symbolizing the glory of God drifted into the air without any wind, transforming into meteors as they flew toward the southeast.
Almost at the same time, in France, the enormous spire of Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey was torn free.
In Italy, large numbers of pillars from the Church of Santa Maria were ripped out of the ground.
In India, the solemn and enormous pipe organ of St. Joseph's Church flew out.
...
Across the entire world, the countless churches and monasteries built by the Roman Catholic Church, which possessed more than two billion believers and had cultivated its influence across every continent throughout its long history, began collapsing from this moment onward.
Regardless of architectural style, design philosophy, location, era of construction, or the culture they symbolized, the important components that formed these churches and monasteries—brickwork, crosses, stained glass, statues, reliefs...were pulled free as though attracted by an enormous magnet, screaming through the air as they flew eastward.
Toward the Strait of Malacca.
Toward the space beneath Fiamma of the Right's feet, converging upon the celestial magical formation created by the Star of Bethlehem spell.
BOOM!!
An unending series of thunderous crashes rang out from the opposite side of the strait from where Selene stood.
"Authority...temporarily?"
Murmuring the key words, a faint trace of emotion entered Aleister's voice. "It seems Student Selene has hidden far more than I imagined."
The difference between authority and ability was only a single word, yet the meanings they represented were worlds apart.
"Likewise."
Selene clasped her hands behind her back and smiled faintly, her crimson irises reflecting the earth-shaking changes occurring across the strait. "After all, an appropriate amount of distance and a few little secrets can bring people closer together. I've never investigated your little secrets either, Chairman."
As long as she knew the ultimate objective behind everything Aleister did and discarded unnecessary sympathy, Aleister had absolutely no reason to attack Selene.
Unless some master of persuasive speeches suddenly descended from the heavens, talked Aleister into switching sides, and somehow made him abandon a plan he had spent centuries preparing.
"I help you achieve your goal, then I inherit everything you leave behind. You either die for your ideals or survive as a cripple and retire. It's that simple. Don't worry. If you're still alive afterward, I might even build you a retirement home myself."
"How generous of Lady Selene to show such kindness."
Aleister chuckled softly.
Now that he had already emerged from the life-support apparatus and even his brain activity no longer depended on computer assistance, Aleister had displayed more changes in emotion and expression recently than he had throughout the previous half-century combined.
"Such utterly undisguised greed and avarice."
Aleister looked toward the opposite side of the strait, toward the person who had become his proudest "work" after Academy City was established.
As for why Selene was not his proudest work, even if no one else knew, how could he possibly not know?
Even Aleister had completely failed to understand the slightest clue behind Selene's transformations and her growth, which had advanced by geometric leaps.
How had she done it? She seemed to possess abilities from spatial manipulation to practically every other category imaginable. Was she truly just exceptionally gifted? A naturally born embryo of a scientific Magic God?
"It has begun. The Star of Bethlehem." Selene's words drew Aleister's attention.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!
Rumble—!
The stars filled the sky in dazzling brilliance, as though the Milky Way itself had converged overhead. Beams of flowing light illuminated the heavens, gathering and radiating a luminous glow. A magical celestial body forged from ice and earth began to rise beneath a cloudless sky.
At this moment, the stars of the universe seemed brighter than ever before. Their radiance traveled from the distant depths of space, passing through the twisted, overgrown "forest" that covered the sky before falling upon Selene, casting mottled shadows across her face.
Leaning against the edge of the sea cliff, Selene raised her head. Her crimson eyes slowly widened, and the golden diamond-shaped cross-ring pupils within them shone like brilliant stars in the night, reflecting the dazzling star now appearing at the very summit of the heavens.
The Star of Bethlehem, according to the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible, was the great star that appeared in the sky when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. It was also the greatest star in the entire Christian world.
"I see, I see...illuminating the darkness in people's hearts and guiding them toward mankind's savior, Jesus Christ...I see. Selene, you intend to use the true Star of Bethlehem as the anchor point for the Artificial Heaven."
The instant that great star appeared, Aleister glanced sideways at the gradually rising corner of Selene's lips, and in that moment he understood the broad outline of her entire arrangement.
Spreading the Misaka Network and the Artificial Heaven's network across the entire world was merely the first step. For Selene, everything had only just begun.
The enormous fortress known as the "Star of Bethlehem Fortress," formed by Fiamma of the Right through an ultra-large magical spell that gathered Christian churches, monasteries, and other religious structures from all across the world, was merely the shallowest surface layer. What Selene had truly been waiting for was the object that resonated with the "Star of Bethlehem Fortress," the symbol of the birth of the Son Jesus—
The true Star of Bethlehem!
Neither Selene nor Aleister could control or guide the Star of Bethlehem, because neither of them believed in the religion at all. Forget being devout, they openly scorned magic, mystery, and faith in God.
One wanted to replace God, while the other wanted to eliminate mystery and erase the Phases...both were blasphemous beyond measure, great heretics who deserved divine punishment and execution at the stake.
Something like this could only be opened by someone like Fiamma of the Right, who firmly believed he possessed the power to save the world. Someone with power and status who nevertheless continued to consider himself a devout believer of the Roman Catholic Church, stubbornly convinced that his so-called "saving the world" was correct and that he was truly redeeming humanity.
That was the real reason Selene had turned a blind eye to everything that ultimate sucker, Fiamma of the Right, had done, and had even pushed events along from behind the scenes while waiting and waiting.
If Selene or Aleister tried instead, then even if they possessed conditions far superior to Fiamma of the Right's, the Star of Bethlehem probably would not even acknowledge their existence.
Respond to Selene and Aleister?
Forget it. They were already lucky it hadn't struck both of them dead with a bolt of lightning.
Aleister's composed face, normally impossible to read, collapsed in an instant. The corners of his mouth rose uncontrollably, and whatever dignity the Chairman was supposed to possess was tossed completely aside. What even was that?
"I look forward to seeing it, Selene. What form will your authority take when it finally appears before my eyes?"
Standing beside Selene, he raised one hand high as though attempting to grasp the brightest star in the sky, letting out a laugh so completely unlike his usual self that it seemed as though all the joy, anger, sorrow, and delight he had suppressed for so long had erupted at once.
Selene gave no response. She wandered across the barren precipice of the sea cliff, gazing toward the pillar of light shooting into the sky above the "Star of Bethlehem Fortress," before her footsteps slowly came to a halt.
"It should be about time...the deployment level of the Bethlehem spell."
...
"Star of Bethlehem Fortress."
Crack crack crack—!
Already having risen to an altitude of ten thousand meters, thousands, tens of thousands, and even hundreds of thousands of important construction materials from monasteries and churches throughout the world gathered in one place and intertwined in complex patterns.
The outline of the fortress had already taken shape. It was an enormous cross-shaped celestial fortress with a radius of approximately forty kilometers, floating ten thousand meters above the ground.
Its castle-like main body occupied the center, with long bridges extending in four directions, though their lengths were not completely identical. Across them had also gathered churches, monasteries, and other Christian religious structures from all around the world.
Even though the materials had been disassembled and reconstructed, the buildings were by no means crude patchwork or piles of debris. Instead, like a master watchmaker repairing an intricate broken clock with tiny gears, components that had absolutely never been intended for such uses were combined together with extraordinary precision and ingenuity.
Taken as a whole, it resembled a restoration project for ancient churches fused with an enormous number of structures made from ice. Calling it a work of supernatural craftsmanship would not have been an exaggeration.
Ptoo! Ptoo ptoo ptoo!
Spitting out the filthy clumps of snow in his mouth, Kamijou Touma had no luxury of appreciating any of this scenery. Looking rather miserable, he brushed dirt and debris from his forehead and clothes.
Because of the sudden upward acceleration of the land beneath his feet earlier, the abnormal pressure had slammed his body hard against the ground. There had not even been time for confusion. In the blink of an eye, the mist around him had suddenly vanished.
All he could see was blue sky and white clouds.
And the roaring wind. Freezing air poured straight into his nostrils, throat, and collar, making Kamijou Touma shiver and sneeze repeatedly. Naturally, he understood exactly what that meant.
He had been carried up to an altitude of ten thousand meters.
"Is everyone okay?!" he shouted, naturally directing the question toward the girl whose hair always smelled strangely sweet.
"I'm fine! Ugh! Damn it, Purisaz Naupiz Gebo—surge!"
Stiyl's exhausted voice sounded inside his mind, and in the next instant he let out a painful groan before irritably chanting an offensive spell.
"Cough, cough. I've run into a group of Roman Catholic knights. Their punitive forces were brought up onto this floating island by Fiamma of the Right as well. Whoever's closest to me, come give me a hand."
"I can see your flames. Hold on! Stiyl, I'm heading over now. The Queen of the Adriatic Sea was transferred onto the celestial fortress too. The Roman Catholic magical combat units are targeting me."
Accompanied by the metallic hum of a blade being drawn, Kanzaki Kaori's voice came through.
"Where are you?"
With the crackling of electrical arcs in the background, Misaka Mikoto, who still sounded to be in fairly good condition, also joined the mental communication channel.
"Hey! You Level 0! We've got that ring-faced old hag pinned down. Rank 3 said your ability can nullify both esper powers and magic, so try seeing whether you can dismantle this flying coffin! There's no way this thing counts as a scientific creation!"
It was Mugino Shizuri's voice. Judging by her breathless tone, the endless explosions in the background, and Accelerator's increasingly uninhibited laughter, Kamijou Touma knew the fighting over there had become complete chaos.
"..."
Kamijou Touma let out a breath. As long as everyone was okay.
Although he was worried that suddenly being transported to such a high altitude might cause altitude sickness, he only had a slight ache in his temples. Taking deep breaths did not cause breathing difficulties or narrowing vision either. He should still be able to move normally.
"Got it!"
As Kamijou Touma responded, he looked down at his right hand.
He gently pressed his palm against the stone wall beside him. Bzzzt—!
Amid an orange glow, the composite structure of ice, earth, bricks, and stone immediately cracked apart. Everything within roughly a meter shattered. Yet under the influence of some unknown force, the falling fragments floated in midair, returned to their original positions, and reassembled themselves.
No good. There had to be something like a core somewhere nearby, or perhaps he would need to strike the caster directly.
After defeating so many magicians, Kamijou Touma had accumulated some experience of his own and immediately formed a guess.
"Someone's missing!"
A voice suddenly sounded inside his head, but...whose voice was that again? Every time he tried to remember this person's name, for some reason he could never quite manage it.
"Huh?! Who's missing?! Ah! How the hell were you watching them?!"
Before Kamijou Touma could speak, Accelerator's irritated and urgent voice exploded over the channel.
The voice had belonged to Shokuhou Misaki. Apart from acting as the internal communication network and suppressing everyone's emotions inside the underground base, she had also been babysitting. The instant she said someone was missing, Accelerator immediately jumped into the conversation and even stopped laughing like a maniac.
"Little Misaka is fine. She's right beside me. It's that little nun named Index."
At Shokuhou Misaki's words, Accelerator instantly relaxed, but Kamijou Touma's voice abruptly rose by three octaves instead. "What?! Index is missing?!"
"Fiamma of the Right's celestial fortress carried all of you up to an altitude of ten thousand meters. Since I have to maintain your mental communication link, I need to focus completely on adapting it through the Misaka Network. By the time I noticed, Index had disappeared. I asked the Schicksal troops, and they said that little nun went out looking for you."
"..."
Kamijou Touma went numb.
Thinking back on Index's personality, he knew he really couldn't blame the mental ability user girl in the underground base. Index had pulled this sort of thing so many times already...he wasn't surprised in the slightest. He didn't even know whether to laugh or cry.
Only someone as absurdly nice as Kamijou Touma would put up with it. If Selene were in his place, she certainly wouldn't play the sucker. A teammate who only rarely carried the entire battle, usually performed terribly, and constantly caused trouble would get beaten several times at minimum until the lesson finally stuck, no matter how close they were.
Cute? She'd still get hit! Let her whimper about it afterward.
"Well, well, it's fine. I'll go look for her. Maybe she wasn't brought up onto the floating fortress...probably."
Kamijou Touma comforted himself that way.
Unfortunately, the things you least want to happen are often destined to happen...
Thud!
A heavy object was dropped onto the ground.
"You mean her?" came Fiamma of the Right's mocking voice.