Tenth author's journal 2: Mikhail

32.2_Unwanted requiem

Chapter 32.2: Death of an archangel

[Contain “extreme violence” and “gore”. Proceed with cautious]

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‘glacies mausoleum’: A torturing spell that was born from Mikhail’s insane rationality when raging. Creating a frosted field that slowly freezes those in it alive. The acceleration of hypothermia and radius of the frosted field depends solely on the user’s mana flow and mana output. In short, it is quite unstable to use as the range from a normal freeze spell for treating overheating or an instakill spell against the whole army.

‘Thanatos metere’: A technique that requires high focus and skill in controlling mana manifestation. creating string-like manas from the fingertips to wrap around the dying enemy's soul. This is a high-risk technique as the penalty for failure range from losing the soul wanting to steal to possession in rare cases.

‘implode’: A space-wrapping spell that sucks everything in its affecting radius into nothingness. Isn’t used so much because of the danger of its sucking the wrong thing, the main usage of this spell is the space distortion attribute for breaking illusions and interfering with teleportations or time distortion spell

[Equivalent exchange]: Authority of Uriel, aspect of magecraft. With suitable catalysts, Uriel can cause an effect on targets that are greater than the sacrifice catalysts. For example, a healing potion shall be amplified with less content use when Uriel uses [Equivalent exchange].

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Ah, where were we? After my mana outburst creating those icicles to stab against Kushiel’s throat, that’s when I lost all of my reasoning as there wasn’t an inch of calmness in my still body. For ‘Exsultet’ has almost taken all of my mana, I used ones to stabilize my mana flow. Drinking the second bottle of mana potion, I conjure a shield that keeps Marvos safe from Kushiel's most vicious magic. There is one left…

“Now let us dance slowly to your death, you hypocritical inquisitor!”

Drinking that last bottle along with my sanity drained, it looks like Kushiel's throat is being healed by pa’s modification already. Within that useless vessel, I guess it still holds a value of mana that doesn’t sully the title of an archangel.

“You…you” How slightly as something didn’t even stay dead for its own good. Well, I guess I should be able to enjoy my vengeance for a little more. It won’t tenfold as those books have been written or at the level of equal as how countlessly does my death line up to this one only demise.

‘glacies mausoleum’, upon the ground where that display of a freak show stand, freezing ice spread upon its feet. I should be grateful for me not finishing it so soon.

“Release me, of this trickery; you vil-“ Before another word, I cripple its wing. Cutting through with piercing icicles, how fragile it is to snap right now does the steel wing once terrorize me. Red blood oozes from the cut, leading it around the formation of ice that will be its grave.

What did I say, a hypocritical human no more no less!

“Mikhail, the sins of existing are what you are going to say,” I say coming closer with the fire lance still in my hand. Who is going to care whether this one will redeem or not, all I am going to care about right now is how this one will die.

Once again, the throat is what I aiming for. Stabbing the fire lance onto its throat as the scream echoes through the battlefield and onto the audience. Grasps of how gruesome this is going to be? Well, what about the unseen misery I have felt?

“Didn’t I have heard it from you every time you gave those “lessons”? About how worthless I am compared to your toys, regardless I am nothing but your toy to play with.” Spinning my lance I cut both of its arms, and a voiceless scream turns vocal as its throat once again healed by pa’s modification. The frost spread across both of its legs renders it unable to move, with nowhere to escape.

“Regardless, a vile creature like you spread nothing but here-“ How irritating, I have given the chance for it to condemn itself by apologizing or admitting its faults. I guess something can’t be changed, even how merciful I am to it. The fire lance scorches completely the throat so his voice will become so hoarse that it can’t allure others at the final confession.

“Regardless of the chance I have given, you are still trying to sully my name. Given how awful you have treated I guess these are useless then, I shall remove it for you.” Being said, I gouge completely both its eyes, blood fallen upon the fire lance where its eyes completely reduce to ashes.

With the frozen spread onto his chest, there is no use for its arm to regenerate so it stops completely…I am impressed, even now, it still thinking of a way to escape rather than admitting its sins. But still…one last chance then, I am still reasonable enough to let it live as the high elf only ruled the immortal to unable to continue as a defeat. Now inquisitor, what will you confess?

Grasping for the last air, Kushiel says without a hint of regret “Wait until father gets a hand on you, then.” Those words can’t speak be spoken through a frozen, can they? The dirted soul slowly leaves the frozen corpse…as if I am going to let it be at peace this easily.

‘Thanatos metere’, mana strings spread from the tip of my fingers wrap around the soul. Blackish as sinful as it was, I am still able to wrap it fully before it enters the life and death cycle.

A soul is the best solution for one to improve their mana capacity, so I won’t be picky whether one is good or evil, but somehow it belongs to Kushiel makes it better for me to consume. Opening my mouth, I swallow the black soul whole. This won’t take longer than five minutes for my vessel to digest fully.

“Lord Mikhail…” Trembling Marvos voice speaks from behind. He must have been so afraid of me right now, did I become a monster in his eyes? For better or worse, I must deal with that frozen remaining of an archangel.

‘Implode’, a small distortion of space appears in between the frozen corpse. Slowly wrapping the whole space around into the core and disappearing when it fully cleans up the corpse from existence.

“It’s been long enough since you haven’t intervened. But it’s finished so make haste with your duty, announcer.” I scold with an irritated voice, where is the announcer when things escalate this much?

“Right away, demon representative.” The glass dorm dissolves and returns to the previous meeting room, as the battlefield sinks down below a white light show the elevator moving back to the meeting room. Marvos just sits there paralyzed with fear and anxiety so I have to carry him…?

My strength is well enough yet this form considers strange-looking, thinking as a child carrying a full-grown adult is unpleasing to the eyes. But I am too tired from that execution and Kushiel’s soul still hasn’t fully dissolved into my vessel so it may cause unwanted side effects.

“Lord Mikhail…you can put me down. I can stand now.” I drop Marvos lightly on the floor as his feet still tremble.

“So you awoke the whole time of his execution. It’s an unsightly side of mine to show you, so I find it reasonable not to trust me after this.” I perplex on the matter, nonetheless what I have guessed of this mortal was some exceptional against the common folk. Neither I am going to be a pushover or an aggressor, it’s Marvos’s choice after all.

“No, please don’t take this the wrong way but I am still so dazed as those were difficult to comprehend. As if I saw an apocalypse happen in front of my very eyes.” Marvos describes horrifically the events that transpired through that very mortal eyes; such a close dance with death does his sins and regret brought upon the table. Oh and must he overheard Kushiel speak of ‘Exsultet’.

“You are quite a quick deduction of things. While the pillar of fire is true of a sign of apocalypse weaved into a spell, the frozen coffin and the space distortion one aren’t.” I assure him…but knowing how even demons found my normalcy to be so skewered I doubt that he will ever reach it.

“Can I study it someday, lord Mikhail? I don’t want to feel that powerless anymore.” Marvos asks desperately.

“You’re still young, while a human still can learn it. I will only teach you once hand-picked you from the life and death cycle.” I answer with white lies, maybe I will be able to teach the royal messenger ‘Thanatos metere’ so he can collect Marvos’s soul for me.

Without notice, we reached the meeting room. Unlike before someone has gone missing, maybe because of a lack of interest perhaps

“Ragnorr, where are Tanwen and her guards?” Turning to Ragnorr who is writing no stop on the crystal table, I ask.

“They have left earlier, saying there is no use to see a battle where the ending has already been decided,” Ragnorr says but has no intention of stopping.

Marvos turns to his chancellor who is on the edge of his chair with the same horrified expression when I comfort Marvos. As heavy stepping of the king, his chancellor looks up.

“My king, are you unharmed?” The chancellor composes himself before making a bow.

“I have survived thanks to lord Mikhail’s protection. Let us go home, I feel my body is quite killing me.” Marvos speaks with a refined tone, it looks like he is a good secret keeper so as not to show such excitement from the previous exchange but a normal expected human reaction for such a traumatic event.

The mortal and beast-like representatives are gone there is only us left as there is no sight of Uriel so she must have gone back to report the death of Kushiel. I am quite envious of the genuinely worrying reaction from Marvos’s chancellor, but with Ragnorr being quite used to my normalcy, I doubt it would ever happen.

“Well Mikhail, it is quite done. Let us discuss this further back in Saudade.” Ragnorr collects the last of his unfinished papers on the table as we make our way out of the castle.

“Can you spare a moment for this one, lord Mikhail?”

Uriel’s voice halts my movement, Ragnorr flinches as he drops some of the papers to the ground.

“Ragnorr, please return to the carriage first, the eighth archangel wishes to exchange something with me,” I say as I give the dropped papers to Ragnorr before going in once again.

Ragnorr rushing out as I command, a few peaks back is considered enough. Steeping inside not long before finding Uriel in the waiting room, taking a potion in her hand for examination.

“What do you wish to talk about, Uriel? If vengeance is what you are after, I will gladly exterminate you along with that creature.” With so little mana I have left, I can aim 10 poison lances at Uriel and contaminate her mana circus to temporarily cripple her for my escape.

“Now now calm your horse, I am not here to fight. But first…” Uriel spreads her hand forward as my vitality is being regenerated, the liquid in the potion suddenly lost half its usual mass so she must have used [Equivalent exchange].

“You are healing me? But I won’t drop my guard down for it, Uriel.” I declare, just to have a chuckle for a response.

“Mikhail, you do know what I stand for and wish to do, yes?” Uriel suddenly quizzes. I don’t know why she suddenly asks but I have to play along then, for the information exchange I guess.

“Prophecy, magecraft, and lastly humanity.” I list all of them as she reacts most with the prophecy aspect, so she wants to mention a glimpse of the future she foresees then. What of it?

“Correct, if back there I would just need to reward you with a cookie and call it a day.” Uriel merely jests and my patience begins to run thin.

“And by bringing this up you have foreseen something in the future that bends completely to my side.” I assume for her to stop beating around the bush.

“Not completely but it is beneficial for me to switch sides is what I deduced.” Uriel shakes her head in defeat, as she seems not to have found this prophecy much agreeable then.

“How can I trust you with just words? I won’t be that naïve anymore for your information.” I declare as my shoes nearly sway away from this ridiculous conversation, if she so detests joining forces with me or dislikes being on the losing so why doesn’t she just run away with a declaration of neutrality?

“Well, you can have one of my belonging as proof. This one summons me instantly whenever you play it. It was crafted with a location rune so ‘Collocatione” will activate directly.” Uriel brings about a panpipe, the color and decoration are similar to that of an elf so she must have told the truth about this being her keepsake.

“This should suffice for me to trust you but if you ever…” Before my warning completes, Uriel scoffs boringly.

“I know what you are capable of when seeing how you deal with that thing today. Honestly, I am surprised that you have never lashed out until now.” Uriel laughs nervously while spreading her wing toward the window.

“Well, goodbye Uriel. I will have to make some arrangements before setting you up for an alliance meeting.” I bid my farewell

We part ways as I go to the carriage. For the sleepiness that follows immediately after, it may have been the consequence of pushing myself. The ride was as uneventful as it wasn’t waking me up. Only the high noon of the next day does I wake up in the middle of the journey back, it’s still quite shameful even when no one is criticizing me.

The end

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Speaking of normalcy on scales

Who said to be the adjured judge

May at least one rule be a must

Compared with Mikhail will always be stale