Law Tremor (3)
Shirone and his party arrived at the sun.
They were still some distance away, but further approach was impossible because of the crimson blaze and the corona's attacks.
Ashur said, "Nothing can withstand solar energy. Only the mental body can survive."
The space vessel shook in the solar wind.
"Ikael won't be a problem, and Amy can handle the Idea of Fire, so she'll manage. But—" Everyone turned to Shirone.
"The systems will clash. Even if half of this world is quantum, the sun we have to endure now is a concept with the greatest power under the Law."
Amy asked, "Are you sure? If it looks like you can't hold on, there's the option of just Ikael and me going. When simultaneous events occur, if one fails the whole operation is at risk."
Shirone looked at the sun.
'Can we do it?'
Even after dropping light transmittance to nearly zero, all that showed outside the window was a blinding white.
"We'll be fine. We'll hold on with everything we've got."
"Then we'll destroy the ship. When it vanishes you'll be exposed to tremendous energy at once."
The group swallowed.
"Please… be safe."
When the space vessel split into panels and disappeared, the sun struck them at the speed of light.
"Gah…!"
Amy's physical body ignited, and Ikael also struggled to maintain his presence.
Before the sun's overwhelming signal, no concept could be sustained.
Shirone grit his teeth.
'It's still the Law, after all.'
The Miracle Stream wrapped his body and began to repel the solar energy.
The space Shirone secured that way was at best a sphere seven meters in diameter.
"Phew."
Amy, now transmuted into the Idea of Fire, and Ikael, whose body had partially melted, turned around.
"You did it."
Though only seven meters in radius in the vast universe, Ikael trembled at the fact that a human could endure it.
Another solar blast hit them.
"It should be Satiel. The Law of this world changes starting from the sun's core."
Amy asked, "Even if something changes at the core, shouldn't it take time to reach the surface?"
"Time doesn't matter. Once something happens, the result is already determined. Believing causality is experienced strictly in sequence is a human misconception."
Shirone added, "The moment the cause changes, the result is already altered. That's why Omega's record is given in thousandths. You can't compute a percentage without a fixed end. The ancient Gaia people — no, Anke Ra — must have known the end."
Amy looked bitter. "This is Omega year 999, right?"
"Yeah. It's probably around 99.9 percent — nearly one hundred. We're right before entering the Outer World."
There wasn't much time left.
"So that's how it ends. Human life, this universe — the moment the Outer World opens…"
"It's just the Law's judgment."
Shirone said, "It's only the program's computation. In the end, it's humans who determine this world."
God wouldn't admit it, but Ikael, too, trusted the heart shown through the Geffin and yet felt conflicted as a creature of God.
'Human minds might also be programs. No one can know yet.'
Not until they reached the Outer World.
'In any case, humanity has come this far. Really to the threshold of the Outer World.'
The emergence of Yahweh — an event so rare it would be exceptional even across infinite multiverses.
Shirone stared at the sun.
'The universe must have spent an enormous time to reach this point. But if the Outer World — where imaginary time flows — looked at this place... all these events would be a mere instantaneous error. So the god would only now discover the billions of years Shirone traveled.
'Yahweh would probably write it off as an error. One more world among the many already destroyed.'
Would that be true?
The McClain Geffin, a mind-bearing god, was the one who sent the only signal beyond the photon realm.
"Hexa."
It would pierce humanity, pierce the heart.
Through Elikia's light, the temple realized that Havitz had killed Smudo.
In other words, a one-hour reprieve.
In that span, officials from each nation confirmed whether King Kitra of Paras was dead.
With Mito Shirano of the International Tribunal notarizing, the Paras side opened the coffin.
"Please confirm it personally."
Kitra lay peacefully with his eyes closed; a venomous snake coiled around his neck flicked its tongue.
"What is this snake?"
"It was a pet the king treasured in life. By national law, it'll be buried with him."
They did not want to interfere with another nation's customs, but the problem was they couldn't touch the corpse.
'Is he really dead?'
At first glance his face was pale and there was no sign of lungs moving.
Shirano stepped forward. "I'll check. After all, it's public business."
Without hesitation she reached out, and the snake bit the back of her hand with its fangs.
"Eek!"
The officials recoiled, but Shirano, expression unchanged, felt for the carotid.
'The heart isn't beating.'
The snake bit her hand several times — hiss! hiss!
True to her nickname, the Swamp-Colored Witch, the serpent's venom did her no harm.
She licked the bitten hand with her tongue and announced, "Death confirmed. Anyone with doubts can check for themselves. Don't complain later."
"Hmph."
When no one stepped forward, the Paras official closed the coffin lid and said, "An acting ruler will be decided soon. You'll receive voting rights then, so please proceed."
"All right. Best to do it quickly. I hear the temple is holding an emergency session in an hour."
Because of Havitz.
"I understand. It won't take long."
Shirano watched uneasily as the workers carried the coffin back to the sector.
'Was he stabbed to death?'
Aside from the elderly king of Kesia, it didn't seem like an injury severe enough to instantly kill someone like Balcan or Jingang.
'Well, I've confirmed it at least.'
Officially, Kitra was dead.
Kesia sector.
Fermi brought Seriel into his room and handed over a neatly organized file.
"Here — the angel production method."
Seriel took it quietly and pretended to check the contents as she flipped through the papers.
'That's not why I came.'
Fermi's expression that morning and the belated news of the king's death.
"You okay?"
When Seriel looked up again, Fermi sat slumped in his chair.
"What do you mean?"
"There's too much happening. People die, terrorism erupts, all within a few hours."
"Terrorism."
He'd already thought that far.
"I don't understand how things are unfolding. It's just confusion."
"Don't overthink it," Fermi said. "There's only one reason humans move: desire. Some want money, some want power, some want pleasure."
"And humanity? A world turning into hell? The countless people suffering in it?"
"We weren't born to worry about that. We're just living. If you give humans meaning, nothing becomes predictable."
"That's not true. Even now many people are angry. Protests in front of the temple..."
"Of course. That's what politicians want."
"What?"
"A basic strategy for money flow. There are two cases when people spend wildly. One: they have more money. Two: they get so angry they lose control. Politicians aren't the main actors in the economy; they parasitize corporations to siphon funds. Corporations have to pull money from the people. So what should politicians do? They make people as angry as possible."
Fermi tapped under his Adam's apple. "Make life unbearably hard right up to the breaking point. If you cross the line you get riots, but if you don't cross it, it's far more effective than handing out money. As overall quality of life worsens, pointless consumption increases."
A sigh slipped from Seriel at his grim logic.
"Turn it off. You do what you have to do. Make medicine and save patients. Don't get tangled up with politicians. As long as you believe humans are special, those beasts will win."
"And you?" Seriel asked. "Don't you think humans aren't special either? Just animals driven by desire, nothing more?"
Fermi was silent. To be capable meant being able to endure again and again until you achieved the result you wanted.
Seriel, expecting an answer, looked disappointed and turned away.
"I'll go. Take care."
She'd probably come to comfort him.
Watching her retreating back, Fermi impulsively stood and called, "Wait."
He hugged Seriel from behind; her shoulders jolted.
"What are you doing?"
"Just… stay a moment longer."
Of course he'd come to comfort her, but he hadn't prepared to go this far.
"Don't do this."
Seriel clenched her fist. "One mistake might be forgiven, but twice is irreparable. You're smart. You'll ruin everything."
"...I can't always be stupid, and I can't always be clever. You know that. But right now I feel like a fool."
Like in their school days.
"I don't like it. I don't want this, and I don't think I can handle you. Let me go."
"Then go. Just let go of my hand and leave this room. You're clever — you can do it."
Seriel bit her lip.
A storm of inner conflict raged, but in the end she bowed her head.
'I don't even know anymore.'
When Seriel turned and kissed him, Fermi pulled her down and they fell to the floor.
Their reunion was brief, but the two faces lying side by side were flushed.
Seriel caught her breath. "Crazy… man."
She shot upright and glared at Fermi. "This is no time for jokes! Do you think we're still the sort of people to make mistakes like this? Playing such dangerous games—!"
"This isn't a game," Fermi said. "Not now, not then."
Feeling the sincerity, Seriel's expression softened. "Then tell me. What on earth are you thinking? What do you want?"
"Can't you tell me too? I'll help. I won't betray you."
"I—"
As she opened her mouth under heated emotion, a cold realization pierced Fermi's mind.
'No.'
He would lose control of the situation.
"It's time to go."
Seriel rose and adjusted her clothes.
"I'm not giving up because of this. We'll meet again, and you'll tell me everything, no matter what."
'Yeah. You're that kind of woman.'
Someone who respects others' feelings as much as her own.
Fermi thought perhaps humans weren't merely animals chasing desire.
"Seriel."
She turned, and Fermi said, "The reason you failed Amy on the graduation exam wasn't because you were trying to hold her back — it was because she wasn't someone you needed to check."
"Hmph."
Seriel stuck up her middle finger at him, smiled faintly, and left the room.
Left alone, Fermi stared at the ceiling and fell into thought.
'Mother.'
Yolga, who had the broadest vision.
'How did you endure it? Seeing things others couldn't see — how did you bear it?'
A path that no one would acknowledge.
"Let's begin."
Fermi sprang up, his eyes bright.
"Because I'm Yolga's son."