"..."
"What, did you not consider this possibility before coming here?"
"…You're taking my subordinates hostage?"
Ainsidel stared blankly at me for a moment—then burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! I like it."
Whoosh—
In an instant, he warped right in front of me, gripping my cheek with one hand.
"You need at least this much guts to make things interesting. Don't you think?"
I slapped his hand away and replied,
"I wouldn't know. I don't plan on sticking around."
"Mmm, no. You will. We'll be seeing a lot more of each other—I like you."
Again.
He said the exact same thing as before.
He studied my face intently and murmured,
"I don't know how you recognized me, but… For someone as busy as you to wait for me, I can't help but be touched. You must have prepared quite a few gifts in return. Trapping all my subordinates, for one…."
He swept his gaze across the empty cathedral before gripping my shoulder.
"And standing here alone—I'm sure you have a plan just for me."
"Of course."
I smiled as I answered.
He laughed heartily again—then stomped his foot.
In an instant, everything turned white.
"..."
"Do you think just anyone can become a bishop?"
I couldn't see him.
But I felt a hand grabbing my collar.
At the same time, his figure finally came into view.
"Bern must have been too weak. I suppose he really was too fragile to be elevated to bishophood."
"That's true."
"Hahaha! You and I understand each other. But he had a good head on his shoulders. If he had just a little more time, he would have succeeded in mass-producing those ridiculous little mosquitoes. Then, as a spy, he would have eventually climbed to chancellor."
BOOOOM—!
A black explosion erupted just beneath my eyes.
Ainsidel muttered as he observed my calm expression.
"…Doesn't work at all. I like that. I would have been disappointed if the one who killed Bern wasn't at least this capable."
Of course, it didn't work.
I was using spatial layering magic myself.
As long as I channeled magic to counterbalance the force, I could block any attack short of a full threshold breach.
The downside was that I, too, couldn't use magic beyond a certain level.
But since I had come here to talk, this was the optimal defense strategy.
"Well then… Let's take magic out of the equation."
Ainsidel stepped between my legs, shoved my shoulder, and kicked my ankle hard.
BOOOOM—!
"..."
"There's a critical flaw—you can still be touched."
He smirked.
"And I happen to be quite skilled in hand-to-hand combat."
Of course he was.
With a higher stamina stat than Elias, he had every reason to be confident.
And people always grew careless the moment they felt sure of themselves.
As I smirked, his movement halted.
His eyes widened, and his head snapped up.
BOOOOOM—!
A deafening explosion shattered the spatial magic around us.
From the cathedral entrance, Narce lowered his staff, smirking at Ainsidel.
"You picked the wrong target, Nicolas."
Ainsidel, still standing in shock, quickly recovered his composure and muttered,
"…How did you break in? I only have business with Nicolas."
"Well, I have business with you."
Narce's smile was unreadable.
"I'm here to negotiate."
"I've already told you—I have no interest in whoever you are."
"Oh, it's not me. That's a shame."
I had grown accustomed to Narce's usual carefree, amused demeanor.
But now, even while smiling, he seemed dead serious.
Ainsidel carefully examined Narce, then sighed in disappointment.
"You and Nicolas feel similar. So why did you waste such an entertaining opportunity by using him as bait?"
Because he was the only one who could hold him in place.
Ainsidel's obsession with me was evident—he had shown an unusual level of interest in the one who took down Berner Strauch.
But I wasn't about to explain that.
That would only make him wonder when I had first learned about him.
Narce also remained silent, simply raising his staff at Ainsidel.
"Step aside."
"…Hmm? I haven't done anything. Or are you afraid Nicolas won't be able to stand up because of me? Maybe you should have a little more faith in your ally."
"Haha. You're not a very logical person, are you?"
BOOOOM—!
Narce's divine power dissipated the Vitriol hurtling toward him.
His movements were almost playful—evidence that he wasn't even using half of his strength.
Ainsidel raised an eyebrow.
For a moment, his half-lidded eyes sharpened.
"…I see. You weren't affected by that magic. I would have preferred if Nicolas had fought me at his full strength…."
He retracted the Vitriol.
His smile was now genuinely warm.
"Alright. You both want something from me, don't you?"
"Well, now we're talking."
"I see one problem, though. There are two Nicolases. Or rather, one too many. Three people is too much of a crowd."
He shook his head.
"And besides, I don't enjoy violence. I'd rather accommodate as much as possible."
I gathered just enough magic to keep the spatial layer intact and pushed off the ground.
"That's a roundabout way of saying you're scared."
"…Since I clearly can't face you alone, what choice do I have but to cooperate?"
Still grinning, Ainsidel perched himself on the altar.
"Tell me—what did you blow this place up for?"
"Your memory."
"…Memory?"
"I need to erase it."
His brows furrowed before he suddenly grinned.
"No way. What if I forget Bern? Will you take responsibility for that?"
"Don't worry. I only need to erase the past week."
"…A week?"
His eyes darted around, deep in thought.
He was trying to figure out exactly what we were after.
I glanced at Narce.
Should we kill him instead?
'…His stats are a problem.'
He was a bishop.
Which meant he was part of Pleroma's leadership.
Even the faint magic emanating from him felt stronger than anyone I had faced before.
If he was this powerful, it wasn't a question of whether we could kill him—it was a matter of whether we should.
If the situation called for it, Narce would have already acted.
As our eyes met, Narce shook his head.
It wasn't the right time.
Or worse—killing him might cost us more than it was worth.
The risk?
If cornered, Ainsidel could activate his spatial magic and alert the rest of Pleroma's clergy.
Based on his hoarding behavior, that seemed unlikely.
But if he was about to die, all bets were off.
Ainsidel stroked his chin and muttered,
"…So I'll forget how grandly you welcomed me. I'll also forget Osnabrück's good relationship with the Catacomb. But what do I get in return?"
"You're in no position to negotiate."
At my mocking smile, he raised an eyebrow—then laughed.
"I never expected you to be like this, Nicolas."
"..."
"But you're right. And you even gave me a gift."
He grinned.
"I don't care if my subordinates die. But if they disappear all at once… things would get quite interesting for me in the church."
"Sounds like a fun spectacle."
"…Since you've got me cornered, I might as well accept."
He casually slipped a hand into his pocket and tilted his head.
Then, he smiled at Narce.
He was agreeing to the memory wipe.
"..."
Narce didn't lift his wand.
Neither did I.
Ainsidel smiled.
"What's wrong? The spatial magic is gone."
I narrowed my eyes.
"If you're planning something, forget it."
"Sharp as ever. Wow, you're paranoid—"
BOOOOM—!
As Ainsidel stomped his foot, something fell in front of me.
A person.
A child—barely old enough for elementary school—stood there, deathly pale.
Ainsidel spoke in an emotionless tone.
"Freshly gathered blood. I needed to drink it before the day was over, so this works out perfectly."
"..."
"Go ahead, erase my memory. If I recall correctly, the process varies depending on the individual. What do you think will happen to this kid's brain if you try using divine power on me? Might just be irreparable damage."
'So he's linked them.'
Just like I did with his attendant earlier.
I lifted my wand.
At the same time, I saw Narce tilt his staff slightly in our direction.
Immediately, Vitriol surged across the floor, engulfing the child.
"No, you don't."
"What do you mean?"
—Unless Yahweh guards the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.
A flicker of shock passed through Ainsidel's eyes.
But then, he steadied himself, immediately regaining composure.
He looked at me in disbelief—then laughed.
"…Hah… Hah! So you weren't trying to protect the kid. You were trying to put me to sleep? You never disappoint."
The stench of blood mixed with barrier magic.
He must have bitten his tongue to resist my spell.
Which meant—
I had one thing left to check.
I smirked and gestured toward Narce.
BOOM—!
Narce's golden magic shredded the Vitriol surrounding the child.
The child, terrified, hadn't even raised a hand to their mouth.
I let out a quiet chuckle.
"Just as I thought."
"…Ah, so that's how you figured it out."
Ainsidel let out a low whistle and flicked his wand.
At the same time, Narce chanted a spell.
—You are protected by Yahweh's power through faith!
BOOM—!
The sound was brief.
The Vitriol flying toward the child scattered against my divine power.
And then, in an instant, the child vanished.
Narce must have warped them to Richthofen.
This quick, effortless defense meant one thing.
'He never actually dispelled his spatial magic.'
From the start, his claim that he had removed the magic was a lie.
He was keeping the barrier intact—carefully.
I didn't know him well, but from his personality, he wasn't the type to stay in a prolonged standoff.
Now, it was all about timing.
"..."
Ainsidel stared blankly in Narce's direction.
"…This method is so boring."
The floor beneath him turned black.
And then—
A deafening explosion shook the air.
Narce gripped his staff with both hands, blocking the Vitriol.
'So he broke the spell the moment I started watching for it?'
BOOM—!
Darkness spread across the space as his attack surged toward me.
I shifted my weight onto my heels to brace myself.
'At this point, I need to remove my own spatial magic to stand a chance.'
But—
For a more certain victory, I had to wait.
Given the situation, Leo had likely joined the fight as well. Blue magic flared in the distance.
Ainsidel was pouring his full power into this battle, trying to hold his ground against the three of us.
When he said, "Do you think just anyone can become a bishop?"—he wasn't bluffing.
The air grew darker, his magic pressing down on us.
He was afraid I would erase his memory mid-fight.
Only silhouettes were visible now.
"If I push my power just a bit further, you'll send all my subordinates away, won't you?"
"Of course."
Narce smiled as he released another pulse of divine power.
"How about one every minute until you start listening?"
"Haha, scary talk. At this rate, we're just wasting time. How about a deal?"
"Let's hear it."
"Give me Nicolas."
Even amid the clashing magic, I heard Narce's laughter.
Then, his smooth voice rang out.
"…Shall we?"
I let out a dry laugh.
I was curious about Leo's reaction to this.
If I had to guess—he was probably stunned into silence.
Honestly, so was I for a moment.
Suddenly, the Vitriol receded.
Narce, still grinning, pointed his staff at Ainsidel.
—Enter through the narrow gate.
Yet Ainsidel remained unaffected.
Reapplying spatial layering magic was complex—
So instead, he had simply reinforced his barrier.
Ainsidel laughed.
"…Selling out your comrade? What's the plan?"
"I don't know. I barely even knew who you were— how could I have prepared a plan for you?"
"Good. Now we're speaking the same language. But if you want me to trust you… I'll need proof."
He rubbed his fingers together, and a white light flickered.
"…!"
Unlike Narce's or mine, it didn't have a transparent purity—but it was undeniably divine power.
'Strauch mentioned this before. Pleromas can use divine power, too.'
I just hadn't expected to see proof of it firsthand.
"..."
Narce simply smiled as he watched.
"If Nicolas wins, I'll accept it. But if he loses—"
His grin widened.
"…You'll give me your corpse. Right here, right now."
What the hell did he just say?
I frowned immediately, but Narce just kept smiling.
"Well, I don't see why not. But why?"
"Because your ability is impressive."
Ainsidel smirked.
"So, will you do it? You know how I fight."
"How could I not?"
Narce tapped his chest lightly with his wand, then spoke.
—Cut the parchment. This is the sign of the covenant between you and me!
Instantly—
The entire space turned white.
Only Ainsidel and I remained.
"…You're a clean person. But more than that—does your ally really trust you this much?"
I didn't know.
I just felt grateful that someone like Narce was on our side.
CRACK—!
Ainsidel kicked me again.
He was putting his words into action.
Since he realized Vitriol couldn't break my magic, he had immediately switched to physical combat.
It seemed he lacked common sense—but his situational judgment was sharp.
"I dropped mine. Shouldn't you drop yours too?"
"..."
"Come on, remove the magic. Stand up and fight properly."
I stared at him expressionlessly.
"Can't even grant me that much? Afraid that guy will die?"
"No."
"No?"
Ainsidel laughed, then stomped on my left hand.
Then—
He pressed down.
"…!"
A sharp pain shot through my fingers.
As I grimaced, he spoke.
"See?"
"..."
"I'm breaking your fingers one by one."
Sure, he might be able to do that now.
But it wasn't real.
The moment spatial magic collapsed, everything would reset.
I clenched my teeth and studied his face.
"You won't give in? Not even once?"
He was so obsessed with capturing Nicolas that he wasn't even watching me.
Which meant—
I could use that spell Narce gave me earlier.
Good.
I still remembered it.
Of course—that's why Narce trusted me enough to send me here.
"Not feeling pain? Are you just that confident?"
In that moment—
The white hair covering my body disappeared.
My height shrank.
My skin darkened.
Ainsidel's eyes widened.
Too many emotions flashed across his face—
I couldn't even tell which one dominated.
'Of course, he'd react like that.'
Because I had taken on Berner Strauch's appearance.
BOOOOOM—!
With all my strength, I toppled him and slammed my fist into his eyes.
"Ghk—!"
His eyes filled with shock.
It quickly turned to fury, but it was too late.
I grabbed his forehead and slammed it into the ground.
Then, I spoke.
—Enter through the narrow gate.