Taboo: "Grrrr! This can't be! How can I be bound by this…?!"
Taboo crouched down, exerting all his strength.
The immense physical force tugged at the chains, sending a wave of resistance straight to Shirone's brain.
The raw power was terrifying.
Shirone increased the tension of the Shining Chain with her unyielding will.
Unable to withstand it, Taboo's body straightened, and a roar of fury erupted.
Taboo: "Gaaaaah!"
The price of resistance was high. The chains of light dug into Taboo's tough surface, breaking through.
His limbs twisted grotesquely, and his waist bent at an impossible angle, threatening to snap.
Taboo: "Kekeke, kekekeke."
Taboo was dumbfounded.
He had never been in such a pitiful state in his entire life. And to think it was at the hands of a mere human.
Taboo: "Alright, you've caught me. But what now? You can't hold me forever, can you?"
Considering Taboo's durability, the only way to eliminate him was with a laser. But the problem was that Shirone couldn't cast other magic while maintaining the Gravity Chain.
Iruki, with his unique thought process, could use Double Spirit Zone, but it was extremely difficult for a normal human to think two thoughts at once.
Of course, there were exceptions, but most magic inevitably had delays.
For example, teleportation couldn't be used while casting other magic.
Especially since Shining Chain was a sustained magic that consumed mental energy in real-time, like Fire Wall, making it impossible to attack Taboo with other spells.
Shirone: "Where did you take my friends?"
Taboo: "To the Angel's Rest. To birth Nephilim. Kekeke, too bad. They're not your children."
Shirone's eyes turned bloodshot.
The word "Nephilim" didn't even register. She didn't know the details, but she could tell something horrific was happening.
Taboo stuck out his tongue, wagging it to its root.
Taboo: "Kekeke! Give up! You can't even handle a One-Horned Maraim. By now, those girls are probably in a pitiful state… Gah!"
The chains of light tightened with immense force, bending Taboo's neck at a dangerous angle.
The sound of Shirone grinding her teeth echoed.
Shirone: "Watch your mouth. I won't let you off easy."
Taboo: "Kuhahaha! This is thrilling! But why don't you listen a bit more? This is a truly forbidden tale! The real forbidden fruit!"
Shirone pushed the tension to its limit.
She didn't know where the limit was, but right now, she just wanted to shut Taboo up.
Taboo: "Gaaaaah!"
A scream erupted.
An irresistible force began to crush his body.
Taboo realized it.
This was his end.
Taboo: "Don't get cocky. I'll be back. On the day humanity's corruption reaches its peak, I'll find you! Mark my words… Gah!"
Crack!
A chilling sound came from Taboo's entire body.
The sound was not like the breaking of human bones but rather the crushing of solid rock.
As the Shining Chain disappeared, only Tabu's corpse remained. His entire body was grotesquely twisted, as if someone had kneaded a clay doll with their hands.
Canis felt a chill run down his spine at the power of the Shining Chain.
If Tabu could be crushed like that, then most living beings would be easily destroyed. It was like a rabbit caught in a trap—there was no way to escape death.
As soon as Tabu was annihilated, Shirone collapsed to the ground. He grabbed handfuls of dirt with both hands, his shoulders trembling.
There was no thrill of successfully casting the spell, no sense of accomplishment from defeating Tabu. Amy, Tess, and Arin had been kidnapped. And they said they would make them give birth to Nephilim.
A maddening impulse pounded in his chest. He had never felt such disgust toward an enemy before.
Peope flew over to Shirone.
As someone who used magic, she could roughly estimate how much mental energy the Shining Chain had consumed.
Peope: "Are you... okay?"
Peope mustered the courage to ask, but Shirone didn't even respond. When she listened closely, she could hear him muttering, "It's my fault."
Peope, unable to contain her frustration, pointed at him and began scolding.
Peope: "You idiot! Why do you always make things worse? Even if it's a fallen angel, it's a higher law than Shamain. What's going to happen to the people in this zone now? It's all because of you...!"
Shirone: "Aaaaah!"
Peope's shoulders jerked.
Shirone's face, now lifted, was a mess.
Anger, resentment, and sorrow were all mixed together, making him look like someone falling off a cliff.
Shirone: "Because of me... because of me, Amy... Tess... Arin... It's all because of me."
Peope couldn't scold him anymore.
The light in Shirone's eyes was no longer that of a living person. The image of him defying Ikilin and shouting at the banquet was nowhere to be seen.
Ikilin: "The women will be safe. For now, at least."
Shirone turned to look at Ikilin. She was unable to move due to the price of her false claim, and her face was serious as she pondered.
Shirone: "Safe? How can you say they're safe?"
Canis: "Icasa took the women because they're virgins. She plans to implant angelic information into their bodies to conceive Nephilim."
Shirone: "Then that makes it even more dangerous! You might not care, but humans value their chastity."
Rian: "What you're thinking won't happen. Angels consider it shameful to engage in relations with humans."
Shirone: "But that means it's still possible, right? There's no guarantee it won't happen in the worst-case scenario."
Ikilin: "Possibility and probability are different. Angels are a bisexual race. They can engage in relations with humans, but they would never do anything to tarnish their honor."
Shirone found hope in Ikilin's words.
If angels were rulers who adhered to principles and beliefs, then there was still a chance to rescue them. Moreover, depending on the situation, Amy and the others might be able to create variables themselves.
Rian placed a hand on Shirone's shoulder.
Rian: "Shirone, how are you feeling now? Have you calmed down a bit? I've never seen you this angry before."
Shirone: "I'm sorry. I got too worked up. I should've been thinking about rescuing my friends from the start."
Rian: "It's okay. I wasn't in my right mind either."
Anyone would have reacted the same way. Just as Amy was precious to Shirone, Tess was a friend Rian relied on. And Canis, too, had someone she needed to protect.
Arin...
Canis's heart burned like never before.
Arin, whom she had protected even through the horrors of Radum, had been taken so easily.
Why hadn't she immediately charged at Icasa?
It was because she had grown weak. Hope, a happy future—such things had made her heart fragile.
Arin, just wait a little longer.
Canis decided to return to her days as a stray dog in Radum. If she got another chance, she would focus on destroying the enemy without hesitation, even if it cost her life.
Shirone asked:
Shirone: "Tell me. How do we get to the Angel's Sanctuary?"
Peope looked at him incredulously.
Peope: "What are you going to do even if you know? Are you really planning to go rescue them?"
Shirone: "Of course, I have to go. Do you know how to get there?"
Of course, there was a way. Moreover, Shirone had a rough idea of where Amy and the others had been taken. But that was precisely why he knew he couldn't go. Even Ikilin couldn't enter the Angel's Sanctuary without permission.
Peope: "They'll never let you in! Don't you understand? Whether you're a heretic or a Nephilim, if you go there, you'll die!"
Shirone: "You never know until you try."
Peope smacked her chest in frustration. Even though Shirone had defeated a formidable enemy like Tabu, angels were on a completely different level.
If they charged in with their current strength, they would only die.
Peope: "Get a grip, you idiot! The place you're trying to go is the 6th Heaven, Zebul! It's where real angels reside!"
Angels were strong. Not just stronger than anyone else—they were beings who stood at the pinnacle of existence from the moment they were born.
But Shirone had to go to where they lived. Amy and his friends were waiting for him.
Shirone: "Peope, if you were taken by someone, how scared would you be?"
Peope: "What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
Shirone: "What do you think they're thinking? Aren't they desperately hoping someone will come to save them? Aren't they holding onto the belief that their friends won't abandon them?"
Shirone bit his lip.
Shirone: "Maybe we can't save them. But we can't extinguish their hope either. If we give up here, the ones who've been captured will have nothing left."
Peope couldn't accept it. No matter how beautifully phrased, death was still death.
If everyone were faithful to their own death, the world would be harmonious. Why did humans find the impossible beautiful?
A Meccan man approached.
Meccan Man: "The Angel's Sanctuary is in the 6th Heaven, Zebul. Geographically, it's right next to Shamain. But since it's five levels higher, you can't go directly. You'd have to go through the 2nd Heaven and work your way up, which would take days."
Shirone: "We don't need procedures. How long would it take in a straight line?"
Meccan Man: "A straight line? Even if you could cross the barriers of Heaven, it would take about a day to get to the 6th Heaven from here."
The distance was much farther than expected. Given Icasa's speed, she had likely already arrived at her destination.
With the uncertainty of even entering Zebul, a day's delay was essentially a death sentence for the women.
Noor Tribesman: "There's one way."
A man in his fifties approached. Judging by his appearance and attire, he was a Noor tribesman.
Shirone: "There's a way? What is it?"
Noor Tribesman: "Go to Zone 1 from here. It's the innermost zone of Shamain. Since it's close to the center of Heaven, you can take the central road from there to Zebul and save time."
Heaven was divided into six pie-shaped sections centered around Araboth. Therefore, the closer you were to Araboth, the shorter the arc length, allowing for a significant reduction in travel time.
Shirone: "How long would it take to get to Zone 1 from here?"
Noor Tribesman: "About 12 hours?"
Shirone's expression fell again. It was shorter than a day, but it was still too far to do anything meaningful.
The Noor Tribesman smiled.
Noor Tribesman: "That's if you go the normal way. There's a portal managed by the Noor's in Shamain. If you use the Light Spot, you can get to Zone 1 in an instant."
There was such a method. Having traveled through Purgatory using the Light Spot, Shirone realized this was the only solution.
Shirone: "Please take us there. Are there any other issues?"
Noor Tribesman: "If I had to point one out, it's that it's strictly controlled by the citizens. But I can handle that. I'm the control officer there."
Shirone trembled, unable to even laugh at the joke. For the first time, he felt hope.
Maybe... just maybe, they could save their friends.
Kanya approached, tears streaming down her face.
Kanya: "I'm sorry, Shirone. It's all because of my family. But... thank you. Really..."
Shirone wiped Kanya's tears. Though his friends were in danger because he had defied the banquet, how could it be the citizens' fault?
True power hid behind the system, invisible. He knew where his anger should be directed.
Shirone: "It's not your fault. I'll definitely save my friends, so don't worry."
Lena: "Wait!"
Lena came running from the fork in the plaza. She was carrying Signa and Exed, Meccan equipment.
Lena: "I brought these just in case. Do you think they'll help?"
Meccan equipment was encrypted for personal use, but swords and shields were public equipment that anyone could use.
Loaning them was prohibited by law, but with the banquet broken, no one cared.
Rian would need the equipment.
While mages could create variables with their ability to twist reality, swordsmen relied entirely on honest strength. As such, equipment played a significant role.
The sound was not like a human bone breaking, but rather like solid rock crumpling.
A simulation to increase mental energy per second began. In magic schools, this was called a "sequence formula."
Peope: "Go ahead, think whatever you want."
Peope waved her hand as if telling him to do as he pleased.
Shirone thought it was more important to gather more information than to focus on the sequence formula.
Above all, there was still a story he hadn't heard yet.
Shirone: "You said there's a way to save my friends, right? What is it? Can you tell me now?"
Peope rested her chin on her hand and fell into thought.
To be honest, it wasn't a plan with a guaranteed success. But it was far more realistic than charging recklessly into the angels' dwelling.
Peope: "It's less of a method and more about someone who deeply loves humans. I thought she might be willing to help you."
The controller signaled that the ancient magic was ready to be cast.
As Shirone stepped into the crowd of light, he couldn't contain his curiosity and asked again.
Shirone: "Really? Who is it?"
Peope spoke with reverence.
Peope: "The leader of the angels, the Archangel Ikael."
A pillar of light ascended.