Shirone: "I'll trust you. I won't feel any unease."
Ikael: "That's it. Then let's begin."
Ikael closed her eyes and began the possession.
As her holy light body entered Shirone's mind, Shirone's eyes widened.
A flash of light burst from his pupils, and a strange sensation of two spirits merging washed over him.
Ikael (in Shirone's mind): Shirone, how do you feel?
Shirone (in his mind): Uh, uh? What's…
Shirone, experiencing possession for the first time, was flustered.
He couldn't tell if the thoughts rising in his mind were his or Ikael's.
It felt like he was acting out two people at once, like a madman.
Ikael (in Shirone's mind): Don't be confused. I am Shirone, and Shirone is me. Just let the thoughts flow.
He understood the concept, but the thoughts felt like his own delusions, sending chills down his spine.
Did he really have to think that? It seemed like he could think of anything else if he wanted to.
Ikael (in Shirone's mind): Don't doubt! If you start doubting, everything that makes up Shirone will collapse. Possession is a delicate technique. Just accept it.
Shirone decided to believe. Even if the thoughts in his mind were just his own delusions, he concluded they were real.
As his heart calmed, his heartbeat stabilized.
There had been a hiccup, but the angel's magic circle hadn't even started yet.
Ikael decided to tackle the first hurdle.
Ikael (in Shirone's mind): Now, we'll create a holy light body. Pull your spirit out.
Shirone transformed his Spirit Zone into the Separation Form.
An angel's halo is above the crown of the head, but Shirone pulled his Spirit Zone out in front of him.
It was the most familiar direction for humans.
Shirone (in his mind): Is this okay?
Ikael (in Shirone's mind): Yes. No, well done. Whatever you do, Shirone's decisiveness is important. You must find the most efficient method yourself. Now, we'll create the halo, the framework of the magic circle. Draw a perfect circle with light.
Shirone waited without thinking. But no voice came.
Shirone (in his mind): Uh… should I do it now?
Ikael (in Shirone's mind): Yes. Do it now.
Shirone, who had expected some advice, was flustered. But he assumed there was a reason for this and expanded the light into a ring shape.
A halo with a diameter of one meter appeared in front of Shirone.
At first glance, it looked quite impressive.
It was a clean circle, and the brightness was just right. It seemed comparable to an angel's halo.
Ikael (in Shirone's mind): It's woefully insufficient. Such a distorted circle can't compute vast amounts of information.
As expected, Ikael pointed out the flaw. At a level undetectable by the human eye, the circle was a mess.
There was no way to fix it. A perfect circle was just a concept. How could he create something that didn't exist in the world?
Shirone (in his mind): A perfect circle?
Shirone suddenly realized. There was one thing, the only perfect circle in this world.
Ikael (in Shirone's mind): That's right, Shirone. The Immortal Function. That's why the Nephilim are called the descendants of angels.
Opening the Immortal Function and expanding the spirit to its limit. That was the only perfect circle.
Because the whole was always perfect.
Shirone (in his mind): But if I do that…
The self would disappear. Hadn't he already experienced that in Miro's spacetime?
Ikael (in Shirone's mind): You must activate the Immortal Function to 100%. Then, after grasping it, manifest it in form. I'll control it, but it's definitely dangerous. Can you do it?
He had to return from the realm of infinity. This was the first gate to mastering an archangel's power.
Shirone (in his mind): I'll try. I've done it once, so the second time should be easier.
In truth, he didn't think it would be easy at all. But if he didn't say something lighthearted, the tension would drive him mad.
Shirone opened the Immortal Function.
It was a release without brakes or hesitation. His spirit disintegrated and spread out into infinity.
Shirone's spirit became the Akashic Records. But since it was already perfect, no information could be gained.
Ikael (in Shirone's mind): Shirone! Shirone! Listen to my voice! You mustn't let go of yourself! Engrave this sensation in your heart! Use Indestructible Diamond to pull it back!
Shirone pulled his disintegrated spirit back within the boundaries of Indestructible Diamond.
A massive ring of light swept everything up and surged into Shirone's mind.
A sound, as cold as cutting glass, rang out. Then, a perfect halo with no margin of error appeared before Shirone's eyes.
The speed of light rotating along the halo was truly the speed of light. Though it had emerged in Separation Form, the Spirit Zone was still the mage's spirit. Having such a thing spinning in his mind was enough to paralyze his thoughts.
In short, Shirone had manifested the concept of the Immortal Function in the real world.
"Shirone! From now on, I will engrave the Archangel's unique knowledge into your halo! You must not let go of your Indestructible Diamond! You must endure to survive!"
A red flash erupted from the front and collided with the center of the halo.
A red ripple spread, and the simplest magic circle, capable of distinguishing between 1 and 0, was born.
From there, the equations gradually began to grow more complex.
Countless flashes of light, coming from who knows where, rained down on the halo, engraving magic circles.
Numerous magic circles interlocked like gears and began to rotate.
The sight of magic circles rotating at different sizes, speeds, and directions reminded Shirone of the intricate mechanisms of a clock.
Shirone's mind was on the verge of exploding.
The first gear turned several gears, and those gears, in turn, rotated hundreds more.
The scale of the calculations was growing exponentially.
At some point, Shirone gave up on trying to calculate.
He couldn't comprehend the meaning contained within the halo.
How could he possibly understand the concept that 170,000 calculation circuits and 4,800 magic circles were trying to convey?
"Ugh!"
Blood trickled from his nose. He gritted his teeth and tried to endure, but the equations, numbering in the hundreds of millions, endlessly spiraled upward. Calculating this was beyond human limits.
Ikael: "Shirone! Don't try to understand! I'll handle the understanding! Just accept it through the Insight Circuit!"
Shirone realized Ikael's intention.
There was no need to calculate. Ikael was simplifying the complex concept into a universal truth and imprinting it directly into Shirone's brain.
When the number of magic circles engraved on the halo surpassed 40,000, Shirone experienced a divine realm.
It was none other than the speed of light calculations.
Yet, the fact that it was taking so long meant that the concept contained within the halo surpassed human capacity.
What it was, Shirone still didn't know, but it was undoubtedly something beyond imagination in its enormity.
Ikael: "This won't do. I can't go any further…."
Cracks began to form in the Indestructible Diamond.
It was only natural, as a human was forcibly accepting the knowledge of a higher-dimensional being.
This was the third hurdle Ikael had mentioned.
Ikael: "We're almost there, Shirone! Just hold on a little longer…!"
The backlash began to affect Ikael.
As the calculation progress exceeded 90%, the magic circles automatically began to move toward completion.
Shirone's mind was in a state of oversaturation. It felt as if a bomb planted in his head had exploded.
He could feel countless cracks forming in the Indestructible Diamond. His mind was breaking. In other words, he was going mad.
In reality, Shirone's psyche was heading toward a serious collapse.
Ikael watched with regret. Even if the magic circles were completed, Shirone wouldn't be able to endure. Once the information reached 100%, the Indestructible Diamond would explode.
At that moment, a special change occurred in Shirone's mind.
The Indestructible Diamond was shattering into countless pieces beyond mere cracks. If this was the current state of Shirone's mind…
Just thinking about it gave Ikael chills.
But the result was different from what he expected.
Even as the durability of the Indestructible Diamond approached zero, the form of Shirone's mind remained unchanged.
If the Indestructible Diamond was likened to an iron sphere filled with water, Shirone's current state was the process of that water freezing.
When water begins to freeze, the iron sphere would shatter.
But what if it were a rubber ball? The ball would simply expand as the ice grew.
Thus, Shirone had crushed his durability to the level of particles and added flexibility.
Softness overcame hardness.
Shirone's iron sphere had shattered into pieces, but the form of the ice inside remained intact.
Ikael's heart grew warm. Was this the potential of humans? Even though his mind had turned to dust, and despite the immense psychological pain, Shirone had maintained his sanity until the end.
That willpower had evolved Shirone's mind to the next level. It was the evolved form of the Indestructible Diamond—the realm of the Diamond Body.
He had broken the mold. Only the essence remained.
With nothing left to destroy, Shirone could remain unshaken in any situation.
If the Indestructible Diamond was the pinnacle of durability, the Diamond Body, free from its mold, was the pinnacle of human flexibility.
The density of information engraved on the halo had surpassed 95%. It was an enormous amount of information.
But the Indestructible Diamond had expanded in size to match the increased volume. And then it tightened again, trapping the angel's knowledge within.
Ikael: "Congratulations, Shirone."
Ikael offered unreserved praise. Could a human truly oscillate between such extremes?
Shirone had gained both strength and flexibility. It was an undeniable leap forward.
Shirone, buried in the angel's knowledge, couldn't think of anything. He only tried to endure and realized that it had become easier than before.
When the angel's magic circle was completed, his consciousness finally returned.
He saw the halo, with dozens of magic circles rotating at different speeds. Inside, hundreds more magic circles were likely operating.
It was a truly beautiful magic circle.
The halo Ikael had cast had become a part of Shirone's experience. Though he couldn't understand the principles, he could now imprint the completed concept like a stamp.
Shirone: "We did it, Ikael…."
With those words, Shirone closed his eyes. As his consciousness faded, the world was engulfed in darkness.
Shirone frowned at the intense light. When he opened his eyes, Ikael was looking down at him with a worried expression.
Ikael: "Are you okay, Shirone? How do you feel?"
Shirone sat up. For some reason, he felt a bit embarrassed.
This was already the second time he had lost consciousness after meeting Ikael. Being around a higher-dimensional being was proving to be quite exhausting.
Shirone held his throbbing head and asked:
Shirone: "How long was I out this time?"
Ikael: "A bit longer. About 20 minutes."
Shirone: "Huh? Why…?"
If it were Ikael, he could have woken him up sooner.
Shirone looked at him incredulously, and Ikael replied with an apologetic expression.
Ikael: "You were in shock. Even if I had forced you awake, you wouldn't have been in the best condition to fight. Especially since using the angel's magic circle would require all of your mental energy."
Ikael was right. But the fact that time had been wasted was still concerning.
Ikael: "Don't worry. Thanks to this, your mental strength has grown stronger. Plus, you've fully recovered, so you'll be able to reach your destination faster than before."
Shirone examined his changes. A much more powerful effect was taking place in his body than when he had reached the realm of the Indestructible Diamond.
As his mind was pulled into a much deeper place than before, Shirone regained his confidence.
Shirone (thinking): 'If I go at maximum speed, I can make up for the lost time. What about Rian and Canis?'
By rough estimation, they should have arrived or were close to arriving. If so, there was still a chance to catch up.