Chapter 172: The Devoted Lamb Protects the Knowledge of the Mighty
『The Severance from Kihara Amata.』
Now that their objective was clear, Shiren and the others knew exactly what they had to do.
The “Book of Kihara” appeared to be rejecting both the behavior and ideology of Kihara Amata. In other words, to predict its next move, they needed to consult someone who understood how Kihara Amata thought and acted.
"…And that’s the situation. Souji-san, do you have any ideas?"
『Hmm. Enshuu would probably be better suited for this sort of thing, but…』
The voice that answered belonged to Kihara Souji, who spoke with his usual vague tone.
Among the Kihara lineage, Souji was a rare exception—someone who had worked directly under Amata and received his personal instruction. Because of that, Shiren had long suspected that Souji’s personality was among the closest to Amata’s.
『Well, first off, I’m not exactly a carbon copy of Amata-san myself. Especially after I started fixating on you and your group, I could feel myself branching off into my own kind of “Kihara.” Still…』
Souji paused for a moment, choosing his next words with care.
『If there’s one thing that defines Amata-san, it’s his capacity for “inheritance.”』
"…Inheritance?"
Shiren tilted her head slightly.
In the “True History,” Kihara Amata rarely appeared directly—only in scattered mentions. Still, Shiren had thought she understood what made him distinctive. Souji’s description, however, was something entirely new to her.
『Yes. My connection to him is one example, but Amata-san was surprisingly sociable for a Kihara. Nayuta, Ransuu-kun… even Byouri-san, too. He was skilled at both teaching and being taught.』
"I see…"
Shiren nodded thoughtfully.
The “True History” had never gone into detail about it, but thinking back, Amata—perhaps because he was the first Kihara to emerge—had numerous ties with other family members. Souji’s explanation was beginning to make sense.
『And more importantly… Amata-san was the one who developed the Number One, after all.』
"…Now that you mention it."
It was an easy fact to overlook, yet impossible to deny.
Kihara Amata had been responsible for developing Accelerator’s abilities. Even if Accelerator’s talent had been innate, the “support framework” designed to draw out that power must have been extraordinary.
In that sense, Amata’s brilliance was undeniable. The wave of derivative projects that followed the “May Project of Darkness” was proof of how much scientific progress the city had gained through Accelerator’s development. It all spoke to the formidable intellect of Kihara Amata, the chief researcher who had led that effort.
『There are plenty of other anecdotes, but to me, “inheritance” sums up Amata-san best. So if he’s trying to cast off his old self, maybe what he’s doing now is inheriting a new kind of knowledge—something that diverges from what he once was.』
"A different kind of… ‘inheritance’ from his old self… ah."
As Souji spoke, a thought struck Shiren.
The image of the “Book of Kihara” clashing with Aleister came vividly to mind. That could only mean one thing—
"Don’t tell me… that fight was the Book of Kihara trying to inherit Aleister’s technology?"
If that were true, it would explain why the Book—despite claiming to reject Kihara Amata—had gone out of its way to engage Aleister.
Aleister had no shortage of enemies, so his motives were often impossible to read. But perhaps this confrontation hadn’t been about killing him at all. Perhaps the real objective was to inherit Aleister’s science—and if that inheritance had succeeded, Aleister would have been cornered as a result.
"Aleister Crowley didn’t rely on innate talent or any special physiology. Or perhaps he couldn’t anymore. Either way, he’d be terribly incompatible with ‘inheritance.’"
What Shiren didn’t know was that Aleister bore the destiny of eternal failure.
If the Book of Kihara could acquire the same knowledge and techniques through “inheritance,” then Aleister—bound by his curse of failure—would inevitably fall behind. His chances of victory would eventually drop to zero.
『So that’s probably why Aleister dumped the job of cleaning up the Book of Kihara onto you, Shiren-san. He knows he can’t win because of that mismatch in compatibility. Meanwhile, you could erase it with a snap of your fingers—it’s a perfectly logical choice.』
"Well, I’m the one stuck cleaning up his mess, so forgive me if I’m not thrilled."
From what she had gathered, the Book of Kihara’s objectives didn’t even seem to conflict with hers.
Attacking it outright felt unreasonable, and more than anything, she was starting to think that perhaps she should step outside Aleister’s schemes altogether by finding a way to dispel the technique.
『…I wouldn’t be so sure about that.』
Souji’s voice, quiet yet tense, cut through her musing.
It wasn’t suspicion—it was the realization of something deeply troublesome.
『If the Book of Kihara attacked Aleister to inherit a different kind of system—say, magic—then its next move is easy to predict.』
Souji’s words served as a warning—not just to Shiren, but to everyone listening.
『Don’t you see? There’s still someone on the board—someone who holds an overwhelming repository of magical knowledge.』
In other words—
『Index, wasn’t it? After all, even Oriana Thomson—the “Original” from that recent incident—was no match for her. I’m sure Amata-san would do anything to obtain the knowledge she carries.』
Final Chapter — I Don’t Know What “Predestination” Means - Theory "was" Broken.
Chapter 145: The Devoted Lamb Protects the Knowledge of the Mighty - Index-Librorum-Prohibitorum.
"Haa… honestly, why is your big sister stuck doing this kind of thing…?"
"Oriana! It might’ve moved again! Ugh, seriously—how can it just hop around like that!?"
Meanwhile—
On the main street of District 7, Oriana Thomson rode a large motorcycle with a sidecar, Index clinging beside her and waving her arms frantically, shouting instructions.
As Index gestured passionately, Oriana looked utterly exasperated, listening to the younger girl with a mix of fatigue and disbelief.
"I know I’m a courier, but I didn’t sign up to be some overworked movie taxi, you know…?"
"We don’t have a choice! The world’s worst magician—Aleister Crowley—is our enemy. Analyzing his magic circles is absolutely essential. If we let Aleister finish preparing, even Touma and the others could be in danger!"
Her words were punctuated by a quiet but determined fire in Index’s eyes. Normally, she stayed on the sidelines during incidents, but her knowledge of the magical arts was unparalleled. If she could use that insight to analyze Aleister’s arsenal, even a magician who had once decimated the “Golden” faction would become far easier to counter.
For that reason, Index insisted on conducting a preliminary investigation into Aleister’s “human” technologies—before he could complete his preparations.
"…Well, I suppose using me as transportation makes sense, given my profession," Oriana muttered.
Oriana Thomson was, after all, a freelance magician. It wasn’t particularly strange that a former Roman Catholic operative—who had once infiltrated Academy City as a spy—was now working alongside Index of the Anglican Church.
What was strange, however, was how utterly oblivious Index seemed to the fact that they were technically temporary allies rather than true partners. As a professional magician, Oriana found the lack of tension unsettling.
"So besides Aleister Crowley, we’ve got those ‘Right Hand of God’ types wandering around too, right? Sure, they’re magic-side people, but the Roman and Anglican Churches might as well be mortal enemies. Honestly, I’m more worried about being blown to dust on sight."
"Hmm, you don’t need to worry too much about that. The Right Seat still has magic power, but it’s nowhere near Aleister’s presence."
"…Magic presence? Wait, you can sense that? But you can’t use magic, can you?"
"Heh! To be precise, I can’t generate magic power. I can’t cast spells because I don’t produce mana. But I can sense it. If I focus, I can tell who’s where—more or less track them."
"…Right. How very convenient, this girl."
It was clear why so many magical organizations sought her. At this rate, they might locate Aleister without stepping into any unnecessary trouble.
──Perhaps that thought itself jinxed them.
With a thunderous slash, a jet-black blade of energy tore across the avenue, cutting straight through the road in front of them.
Oriana slammed on the brakes, the motorcycle skidding to a stop. Her eyes went wide as she saw the figure standing ahead.
"No way… You were supposed to have been defeated by Reicia and her allies…!"
A man stood before them—clad in black, a pure white lab coat draped over his shoulders like a cape. The “original.”
The “Book of Kihara,” with spiked golden hair and half his face marked by a four-colored flame, grinned sharply.
"Yeah, that’s right. But now I’m here to surpass that guy! That’s all there is to it!!"
Then—
The Book of Kihara’s right arm swelled grotesquely, its surface twisting into a marbled swirl of four colors.
"…!? The Four Great Elements!? That’s impossible…! How could he be using the secret art of Kabbalah!? That Amata guy—he’s from the science side, isn’t he!?"
"Don’t ask me, I’ve got no idea!!"
Click.
Ignoring the two women arguing behind him, the swirling marble pattern froze.
"Alright, looks like that’s enough for a test run."
With those words from Amata’s Codex, the swollen arm shrank back to human form. In that right hand—was a silver staff.
Sparks flickered in the empty air, each carrying the image of a number.
"—!!!"
Oriana tore a page from her spellbook, panic in her eyes, and shouted—
"Manifest, devour my body, and turn it into strength—Witch-Hunter King, Innocentius!!"
A giant of flame and crude oil crashed between them, intercepting the attack.
With a sharp whoosh, the blow was scattered like nothing—but as the burning giant vanished, two figures appeared in its place.
"Don’t you think that was a bit careless?"
A red-haired man, a priest with barcode-like tattoos beneath his eyes, exhaled smoke, mocking Amata’s Codex.
"Aleister Crowley’s survival—now that’s confirmed—the Anglican Church has every reason to act. And just as that happens, Roman Orthodoxy launches a full-scale assault. When a rescue request comes from our old acquaintance, Shiren Blackguard, it gives us the perfect justification to deploy a small, elite force under the guise of aiding an ally."
He stepped forward.
Beside him, another magician moved into formation.
"And among them, it’s only natural to link up with Index, a fellow member of Necessarius—the Church of Necessary Evil. …Though, I suppose,"
The woman with long black hair tied in a ponytail spoke softly. Her jeans and jacket were asymmetrical, and a sacred blade nearly two meters long hung at her hip.
"Even without organizational reasons, I already have more than enough personal reasons to take up my sword."
Stiyl Magnus.
Kanzaki Kaori.
The two magicians glared at the enemy, ready for battle.
Behind them stood the pure-white nun.
That alone was enough to justify a certain name—
Because to them, she was the reason that name carried weight.
"We’ll prove here why our name stands as the strongest—Fortis931!!"
"To the unsaved, we offer a hand of salvation—Salvare000!!"
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