Magician in Type-Moon

Page 533

His voice was weary and tentative, as if he were casting a probe at some weathered statue.

"Didn't you just say that duels between magicians are no longer popular?"

“What I’m saying is,” Inole said slowly, her tone suddenly softening, like a layer of frost under the early winter sun, yet still cold, “meaningless when there is no need for it.”

She picked up the empty wine glass beside her, her fingertips gently tracing the rim, making a soft, rustling sound—

That wasn't the sound of glass, but rather the sound of gravel.

The particles spun, coalescing into invisible vortices at her fingertips, emitting a low, husky resonance that almost froze the air.

That was a sign foretold by the realm of magic mastered by the monarch of the Creation Department—

Construction, calculation, disintegration, regeneration.

The fundamental form of the world is about to be rewritten.

Magdana instinctively took a step back.

It wasn't much; his back just lightly pressed against the chair back, but that movement was enough to reveal the nerves inside him that had instantly tightened.

He knew that if he took another half step closer, the aura of that patch of sand would drag him in like quicksand.

"Heh." He chuckled softly, "Your entourage is a bit too exaggerated."

“You don’t really think,” Enolae finally put down her wine glass, the sand falling and scattering silently, “that if the heads of the two great noble families were to fight each other right now, it would only be a matter between you and me, do you?”

The atmosphere was like a fully drawn harp string, ready to snap at the slightest touch.

The air seemed to be separated by a transparent film, and even the afterglow of the setting sun outside the window became blurred.

.........

"Hartles is attempting to use the Albion Tomb to redefine the way all modern magicians exist."

Matou Ike's voice rang out in the twilight. It was as if the world was already on the verge of disappearing, and his declaration was the fuse that would ignite the collapse.

Yvette simply blinked.

"……what?"

She uttered only one syllable. It wasn't a question, nor a denial, but pure incomprehension.

"How do modern magicians exist?"

She repeated the words in her mind, but couldn't connect them with the reality she perceived.

Because in that instant, she finally realized that this was a far greater issue than any struggle she could have imagined. It wasn't about the victory or defeat of political factions, nor the gains or losses of a particular study, but rather it touched upon the very essence of the "magician" she had always taken for granted.

"The magician's goal is to reach the root."

"It's Matou Ike," she said softly.

That wasn't an explanation, it was a confirmation.

This belief, of course, was already engraved in her heart.

It appears as a matter of course, whether in the opening remarks of a Clock Tower course or in the introductions of papers at every academic conference.

Yvette has used this phrase countless times to convince herself to walk the path she is on today.

"That is a goal more worthwhile than any sacrifice."

"It is a deep and persistent thought that has lasted for two thousand years."

"That's also the reason why the clock tower exists."

"That's why some people say they'd rather redevelop Albion, the Tomb of the Dead, to place their hopes on the next generation."

With each word he spoke, the once solid structure in her heart began to crack, as if being struck.

But the next sentence truly shattered everything:

"But what if it's no longer necessary?"

"……what?"

She repeated her previous reaction, but this time, her voice was softer and her brows were slightly furrowed.

"This is how the same thing?"

"The magicians of the mythological age did not aim to reach the source."

Matou Ike answered without hesitation, his voice calm to the point of being cold.

"Because they don't need to."

"For them, the root is not the end point, but an existence that can be reached at any time."

Yvette was stunned.

She had never heard of such a thing. Or rather, she had never seriously considered this possibility—because it was a premise that was considered impossible.

"The reason why modern magicians are so eager to find the source is because we have already lost it."

"Our magic only relies on magic formulas and driving laws to temporarily deceive the simulated structure of this world."

"It cannot last, much less fundamentally change the world."

"It's just a trick of using techniques to cover up the blanks time and time again."

“But magicians in the mythological era were different.”

“They drew magic directly from the beings that connected to the source—no, at that time, those beings were called gods.”

When Matou Ike uttered the word "god," there was no trace of reverence in his tone; it was as if he were describing some kind of lost mechanism.

But that's precisely why the words are all the more chilling.

Chapter 585 Deconstruction (4k)

"If modern magicians are merely deceiving the laws of the world within a limited scope, then gods are rewriting the world with their rightful powers."

"Ike Matou said, his tone calm, but his words fell into Yvette's heart like lead."

"Because the power of the gods inherently possesses such attributes."

"Of course, I'm only referring to a small part of it. But even so, it's already a world apart from modern magic."

He raised his hand and gestured slightly, as if he were describing two completely different ranks.

"On the surface, they all seem to be able to change the world: they can all manipulate gravity, reverse time, and interfere with causality. But in reality, they do not operate on the same level."

Advanced magic tricks involving more than ten sections require elaborate rituals, immense magical power, and perfect design to barely shake the rules of the world in a very short time and within a very small area.

But gods, simply by 'speaking a word' or 'proclaiming their divine name,' can directly alter reality itself.

This is not just a difference in the efficiency of magic tricks, but a fundamental disconnect.

Matouchi pondered for a moment, a few symbols flashing through his mind:

Rule changes.

It is one of the most dangerous and profound areas in modern magic.

In theory, when a magic trick reaches ten or more sections, it is indeed possible to achieve a "law shift" within a tiny area.

Examples include "the direction of gravity here is reversed," or "in the next three minutes, the speed of light will decrease to the speed of a normal person running," or "time in this area will be completely still to the outside world."

There are also inherent barriers—those ultimate spells known as "forbidden spells" are also temporary illusory lands constructed at the cost of distorting the rules of the world.

Even so, it is still a "deception".

The magic of the gods does not "deceive" the world.

Their words are the law of the world itself.

"...Um, uh...uh, please wait a moment."

Yvette frowned, as if she could actually hear a burning sound in her mind. She raised her finger, then lowered it, lost in confusion.

"You mean—magic from the mythological era is completely different from modern magic, I can understand that to some extent...maybe, possibly, should?"

Because magic in the mythological era was inherently close to the origin, and even didn't need to 'search' for the origin at all... I can accept that..."

As she spoke, her tone suddenly changed, and she asked in surprise:

"But what does this have to do with what Hartrace wants to do?"

Matouchi nodded, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

“…That’s the crux of the matter,” he said, his voice lowering slightly. “—Most likely…no, without a doubt, Hartres wants to create a ‘god who exists for magicians’.”

For a moment, Yvette was stunned.

A silence descended upon them, like a pulse suddenly stopping.

"……What did you say?"

"He wants to create a god."

“A new god who exists in a non-historical world but not in the mythological system of the divine age.”

"Moreover, he is a god who serves magicians."

Yvette involuntarily took a half step back.

"Is such a thing... even possible?" she heard herself stammer.

"You want to ask about the possibility?"

Matouchi smiled calmly.

"Iskandar—that is, Alexander the Great—was originally said to have Zeus's bloodline. In fact, the Roman Senate even proposed to include him as one of the twelve Olympian gods."

"Many ancient heroes were elevated to constellations or gods in mythology. Hercules, Gilgamesh, Orion, and even in Egypt there is a belief that Alexander was the reincarnation of the god Amun."

"This phenomenon is called the anchoring of deification in mysticism."

As Matouchi recounted her story, Yvette gradually held her breath.

Matouchi couldn't help but think of the "myth reconstruction" issue.

The two seem to be inextricably linked in some way.

"To go further,"