"At any rate, it seems we made a clean getaway."
The cold night wind cooled my flushed face just a bit.
Catching my breath on the rooftop, I took in a sweeping view of the Imperial Capital's nightscape.
I had sorted through the information.
We had two challenges ahead of us.
First, as expected, I had to participate in the Advent Festival and fight Reiji. To turn Reiji into a true hero, I needed to recreate The World as It Should Be as closely as possible.
Second, Seeds of Artificial Mythos had been implanted into people all over the city. From what I had seen with Master Eye, there was no doubt they were using the exact same method as they did with Eileen.
...Human lives come first.
Let's deal with the second problem first.
Zest, scan the whole city.
Whatever range you can manage is fine. We're going to root out everyone carrying a seed.
"Understood."
When I manifested Zest in my right hand, power swelled forth and radiated from the blade.
Zest always claimed he was bad at sensory detection, but at the very least, I couldn't pull off a trick like this on my own. Wasn't he just being modest?
"Hmph... You simply do not know any better. The sensory capabilities of the Holy Sword contracted to Reiji are tremendous. Given just a few seconds, it could scour this entire city."
That's... truly absurd.
When Logen was purged from the Order and went on a rampage through the Royal Capital using Chimeras out of spite, was that why Reiji's response had been so remarkably swift and precise?
While we spoke, the results of Zest's scan flooded into my mind.
However, this was...
"It is no good. I cannot process it all."
Looks like it.
There were far too many people in the city for the Advent Festival starting tomorrow. If we kept scanning like this, the information overload felt like it would fry my brain.
Dammit... I can definitely detect the Seeds of Artificial Mythos themselves, though.
The deadline was the finals of the Advent Festival. While we still had some time, there were a massive number of seeds this time around, so I wanted to make a move as early as possible.
...Wait a second.
Once more, I recalled the vision I had seen through Master Eye.
That hellish scene in the spectator stands where all those people implanted with the Seeds of Artificial Mythos transformed into Apostles at the exact same time...
Hey, Zest.
Based on what we've seen so far, we know for a fact that Apostles have ranks, right?
"Yes. Though the only two ranks we know of are Feather and Angel..."
With each rank an Apostle advanced, they gained the ability to wield multiple powers of a Mythos.
Since Logen was only a Feather, he could use just one type. Eileen, having become an Apostle equivalent to an Angel, could use two: Magic and Boundary.
In the vision I saw through Master Eye, every single Apostle emerging from the spectator seats looked identical to Eileen's transformed state.
In other words, their ranks were all Angel.
...Can Angel-rank Apostles really be mass-produced so easily?
Almost all the Apostles we had fought up until now were Feathers.
Logen was one of them. Even if he possessed zero talent, a man that ambitious had still stalled out at Feather. The wall separating Feather and Angel was likely anything but thin.
"Have the Seeds of Artificial Mythos been improved? Or perhaps..."
Or perhaps... the Seeds of Artificial Mythos were only implanted into a handpicked elite capable of reaching Angel, just like Eileen.
If so, I knew the exact place where those chosen individuals would gather.
"I see. The Advent Festival."
Yeah. Which means tomorrow.
I had already confirmed the venue for the Advent Festival through Master Eye. It was definitely that bowl-shaped stadium. With a venue that massive, it wouldn't take long to track down.
Zest. No matter how bad you are at sensing, if you limit your focus to just that stadium, you can find the seeds, right?
"Leave it to me. I am not so incompetent as to fail when the stage has been set this thoroughly."
Our plan was set.
Well then—it looks like things are about to get busy.
At the very least, there were ten Seeds of Artificial Mythos.
If I wanted Reiji to step over me as an unparalleled villain, I couldn't openly play the hero. That meant this time, too, I had no choice but to work from the shadows.
"It is a treacherous path."
I know.
Even so, back on that day... I had no intention of going back on the promise I made when I saved Eileen.
When it came to tragedy for Reiji, having me alone was more than enough.
Yuri, Lumia, and everyone else destined to die in The World as It Should Be... I'm going to save every single one of them.
Deep within the grand cathedral towering over the center of the Imperial Capital, a young girl offering prayers quietly opened her eyes.
"That sensation just now was..."
The girl placed a hand over her chest, her lips trembling faintly.
"An Evangelist other than myself is in this city...?"
She had felt the distinct presence of a Mythos.
For her, sensing such a presence without it channeling through her own body was a first.
Who was it? With whom? For what purpose?
Just as her mind began to race, footsteps approached from behind.
"Lady Saint, pardon the intrusion so late at night....His Majesty the Emperor requests your presence."
At those words, the girl's expression clouded slightly.
"He says he wishes to confirm the will of Lord Eternity regarding the upcoming renewal."
"...Understood. I will go at once."
The girl stood and departed the church.
Moonlight filtered through the stained glass, casting a faint glow across her cheek as she walked.
Once dawn broke, the Advent Festival would begin.
It was truly about to begin.