Reign of the Seven Spellblades, Vol. 5

Chapters: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 / ←Back | ←Previous

Prologue

In a job where full-squad wipeouts were all too common,
Terrifying, this world is, as usual
August 3, 2023

A giant sea monster’s death throes following a naval battle had caused a two-hundred-foot tidal wave. It was headed right for a coastal town, and doom seemed all but certain—but his squad had saved it. The stormy night passed, and the residents woke to calm waters
Ooh cool
August 3, 2023

“Nobody can predict where the Gates’ll open.” The Sea Silencer shook his head. “Augury pros narrow it down as best they can, and then we’re placed accordingly. W
Ooh so that's thier job basically, I see
August 3, 2023

“I’ll hold you to that!” she yelled. “Don’t you dare forget!”
Death flags much bro 😭😭😭
August 3, 2023

They knew . The Sea Silencer’s life was finished; his bodily functions served only as a seedbed. “…Don’t look so upset,” he told Chloe, who remained speechless. “We didn’t give up. Not a one of us. I swear.”
Yappari ne 😭😭😭 that's why you don't plant flags/jinx it!! Also, that's a terrifying plant (?)...
August 3, 2023

Plants held sway, and beasts served at their whim—the polar opposite of this world, an attempt to impose an alien order upon it.
Very interesting
August 3, 2023

“Those are…gardeners? Twelve…no, thirteen of them?” “Fifteen. We managed to take two down…barely. The moment they appeared, we knew how it would end. Sending seraphs in right away? Proof their god means business.”
What are they?? What god?!?! Where did they come from exactly and why???
August 3, 2023

“…Can I ask one last favor? Afraid I missed my shot at ending things myself.” The Sea Silencer saw the writing on the wall and spoke his piece. Chloe nodded and drew her athame. As his chest rose and fell, she placed the tip off-center, directly above his heart.
Mercy kill...🥺🥺🥺
August 3, 2023

This funeral rite was the first thing every Gnostic Hunter learned. Ever since her first day on the front lines, Chloe Halford had repeated this procedure more times than she could count.
Being Gnostic Hunters is hard...
August 3, 2023

Countless eldritch creatures swarmed from beneath the fallen trees; like the wyrms, they served the needs of their flora masters.
Flora masters...very interesting indeed
August 3, 2023

And because she was like this, because she insisted on following her heart, no matter where it led—her team followed her .
🥺🥺🥺🥹🥹🥹
August 3, 2023

Her two closest colleagues were chatting behind her. Not a snowball’s chance in hell that either of them would leave her side till the bitter end. All of them were laughing. Their camaraderie had been set in stone as students, and it seemed clear they were taking it to their graves.
Such good colleagues 😭😭😭
August 3, 2023

“Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha! Indeed, I’ve been fit to be tied! So worried poor Esmeralda and Edgar would get swept up in your latest harebrained scheme!” “Don’t try and hide it! You know you love me, too.”
Ah right, Emmy is Esmeralda, so Chloe's colleague is her. Who is Edgar too?? Also lmao the last line
August 3, 2023

A major setback to the task their god had entrusted to them, and their fury was palpable. Chloe was grinning. As it should be. Come and get some. Didn’t matter to her what world her foes came from. Didn’t matter if these things weren’t even technically alive. If they had a mind to go against her, she didn’t give a damn if she was fighting a bad drunk or a tír invader.
So they're from another world with a god?? That god tasked them?? And wtf is tir dari tadi omg?!?!
August 3, 2023

“You never did have a head for math. You clearly meant two-thirds.” “Now you’re talking, grandpa! What say we go first come, first served?”
I love their banters lmao
August 3, 2023

The harshest task of any and all mages—protecting the safety of the world, as Gnostic Hunters do.
Even as fucked up as they are, they're protecting the world, huh...
August 3, 2023

This was hardly the first such dream he’d had since he began harboring her soul.
(Drumroll) Reveal that Oliver is harboring his mother's soul somehow!! I got spoiled lol. Didn't know it'd bring memories too though
August 3, 2023

Chapter 1: Astronomy

A graduate once famously said that the main task of a first-year Kimberly student was to get all the crying and screaming out of their system.
Afshdkdkdk lmao
August 3, 2023

“Another year, another kid got bit. The annual idiot.”
LMAOOO 🤣🤣🤣
August 3, 2023

“Come, Pete Reston. I’m not letting anyone whose name I learned stay a nobody forever. I’m gonna train you myself.” “L-let me down first!” Dangling at Albright’s arm’s length, Pete flailed about in protest
AFSHDKDKDK Albright's character development is really nice to see, man
August 3, 2023

“Ah-ha-ha! You ’ave lost your precious pupil. Fret not, Oliver! I would be ’onored to take ’is place.” “……” This tall smiler was Tullio Rossi.
LOL THERE HE IS TOO, THE JOKER, MY BELOVED
August 3, 2023

The only thing in his mind was the sight of his stolen student training at the hands of another teacher.
NTR 🤣🤣🤣
August 3, 2023

“…Coming from you, it feels wrong.” “Hmph. So whose praise do you want?” Albright clearly knew the answer. Pete stiffened. He managed to keep himself from looking toward the person he had in mind, but he nonetheless felt his cheeks burning. “You’re an open book.” Albright chuckled. “Fair enough. Oliver’s attention is a prize.” “…Shut up…!”
Albright character development omg /still reeling lmao, it's just so nice to see. Then again, Albright and Pete did go through that Ophelia hell together. Anyway, Pete is so cute!! Ofc he wants Oliver's praise lol. Damn playboy, having so many people who wants his attention! 🤣🤣🤣
August 3, 2023

A tricky move, well off the beaten path—but in the year since his defeat at Oliver’s hands, he’d melded it to Koutz-style techniques, making it even harder to deal with. Unreadable footwork, Flash Wisp to blind you and move where you least expected him to be.
Ofc my boy Rossi grew so well too! We got hints but never this clear, so I'm very happy to see it!!
August 3, 2023

He sounded as peeved as he was frustrated. Not only had Oliver been clearly distracted, he’d still easily handled the attack. The difference in their abilities was all too clear. While Rossi had been rebuilding himself, Oliver had charged on ahead. “…And ’ere I am, eating dust.” Clutching his stomach, Rossi was grinning through the pain. This was what he wanted. What good was a goal that neither changed nor adapted?
ROSSI MY BOY YOU'RE DOING SO WELL YOU CAN CATCH UP!! YOU CAN DO IT!!! 🥺🥺🥺
August 4, 2023

Seeing Oliver’s eyes glued to the exchange, Rossi sighed. “…Now it is ’er turn? You do not lack for distractions, Oliver.”
Called out lmao 🤣🤣🤣
August 4, 2023

You’re doing the same thing.” “Ha-ha, that I am! Nanao is a sight to behold! ’Er blows grow sharper by the hour.”
🤣🤣🤣
August 4, 2023

alacrity
August 4, 2023

“? What is it?” Rossi asked. “You two look like you ’ave just bitten a lemon.”
Chela can immediately tell her father must've done something that night for Oliver to be so tense lmao. Meanwhile Rossi: "?"
August 4, 2023

He turned to find Oliver standing on Pete’s other side. “He’s in my hands right now.” “When you’re directly instructing him, yes. Doesn’t apply to observation.”
THEY'RE FIGHTING OVER PETE (THEIR STUDENT) LMAOOO THIS IS SO FUNNY 🤣🤣🤣 why are you so hung up on this anyway, Oliver??
August 4, 2023

“Bullshit logic. Shut up and let me handle this.” Albright grabbed Pete’s shoulder and pulled, but Oliver grabbed the other one, and leaned in, whispering in his ear.
THE GIRLS (BOYS) ARS FIGHTING!!!
August 4, 2023

“Oh, do calm down,” Chela said. “You’re making Pete’s head spin.” Too much information from both sides at once. Chela’s intervention silenced both Oliver and Albright,
LMAOOO GOD THIS IS SO HILARIOUS 🤣🤣🤣 thanks Chela for stepping in to help poor Pete lmao
August 4, 2023

“That’s basically it. Prove you’re stronger, make ’em submit. That’s how you make livestock outta wild beasts,” she said, turning back to the students. “If you blow it, they’ll kill ya. And since I can’t watch out for all of you at once, we’ve got some upperclassmen here to help. Come on down!”
Yet another magical biology class of torturing creatures. Katie won't take this well. Nice to see them taking precautions by calling in senpais to help look after the students, though
August 4, 2023

“Ms. Miligan!” she said, her face lighting up. “Hello, everyone. I knew this class would be Katie’s personal hell and decided I should swing by for moral
MORAL SUPPORT MILIGAN-SENPAI TSKR 🥺🥹
August 4, 2023

“Heh-heh-heh. That’s where the fruits of our research come in!” Miligan said, smiling. Her eyes caught Katie’s. “Interspecies communication studies. An academic discipline specifically created for just this situation. Isn’t that right, Katie?” “Absolutely, Ms. Miligan!”
Ooh, I remember this research! LET'S GOOOO!!
August 4, 2023

“Ha-ha-ha, it got me good!” Miligan cried, not the least bit discouraged. “A close-range sound wave attack! Mm? Sorry, Katie, I can’t make out a word you’re saying. And was the sky always this purple?” “Both drums and the inner ears are damaged!” “Possible cerebral hemorrhaging! Heal her quick!”
AGSHDJDKD THIS SPELLS TROUBLE FOR KATIE BUT MILIGAN MAKES EVERYTHING SO FUNNY I CAN'T HELP BUT CHUCKLE 🤣🤣🤣😭😭😭 Miligan is so goofy, I love her so much
August 4, 2023

Vanessa was doubled over laughing. That was extremely grating, but given what had just happened, Oliver was disinclined to protest.
I agree unfortunately 😭😭😭 it was goofy af too
August 4, 2023

“…Mm, sorry, let me rephrase,” Katie said. “We will be friends. Whether you like it or not.” Even with the wind buffeting her, Katie did not yield a single step. Her voice did not waver. A pang shot through Oliver’s heart. She could not have said this last year. This was a mage’s strength—an arrogance indistinguishable from madness.
Even Katie is a mage, indeed...
August 4, 2023

She never gave up. Even now, she was so focused on the griffin’s motions she’d forgotten the pain she was in. She observed each move it made, searching for a way to earn its trust. Oliver couldn’t stand to stop her. Any mage would respect Katie’s efforts.
Katie...🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭 They really take her seriously, she isn't a total idiot for staying to her ideals, and I can empathize with her. Love to see it. Such good writing
August 4, 2023

“Wait a goddamn minute! You need to butt the hell out, Sherwoods! You did the whole assignment for ’em! This is a second-year class, y’know!” “All we contributed was a performance to soothe its nerves and the final mediation. Well within the range of permissible support, Ms. Aldiss.”
The Sherwoods are here, making a grand entrance with music! Idk what they did but that was cool. Love music magic. Makes sense for Vanessa to complain though lol
August 4, 2023

“…Ha! I get it. If I can’t explain what you did, then I can shut my pie hole—is that it?” The magical biology teacher was referring to an unwritten Kimberly rule. No one, not even a teacher, could argue with the results of a spell they could not understand. If she wanted to overturn the results of the Sherwoods’ interference, she’d first have to uncover the trick behind it.
Interesting, but it makes sense. Very Kimberly-like. Students might be students but they're still mages, too
August 4, 2023

“so let me. Eighty percent of that was your doing, Ms. Aalto. Shannon just added a little push. We can’t tell you exactly how, and even if we did—you couldn’t copy it. It’s something only she can do.” He was very firm, and Katie had nothing else to say. The pair turned to leave. “You’re walking a thorny path,” Gwyn added. “But it does lead somewhere. That’s all we can really tell you.”
Interesting, very curious about what they did 👀 wonder how Katie can develop her communication skills/connecting to other creatures further
August 4, 2023

She’d managed to negotiate permission to train the griffin outside of class time, and the rest of lunch break was going to be spent furthering her connection to the creature. The rest of the group wished her luck.
And I was just wondering about it. Cool. Good luck Katie!
August 4, 2023

“Yo, wait up, Pete. I’m coming with.” “You are ?!” Pete gaped at him. The other three were equally shocked. Seeing eight eyes on him, Guy looked deeply uncomfortable. “D-don’t act like I grew another head! I read sometimes!
LMAOOO GUY?? READING?! IT'S LIKE THE SUN IS RISING FROM THE WEST 🤣🤣🤣
August 4, 2023

Perhaps spurred by his motivated demeanor, Nanao put her fork down and rose to her feet. “The pursuit of letters is a valuable discipline. Allow me to join you gentlemen.” “Of all people…,” Pete grumbled. “I mean, fine, but we’re really just going to read! If you nod off in there, the librarians get pissed .” “Don’t worry, already been through it. Didn’t need to sic a hoolibook on me, though…”
NANAO TOO?! 🤣🤣🤣 Surprise surprise
August 4, 2023

She was referring to the time her father had manipulated Nanao into fighting a back-alley slasher. Oliver had told her about that immediately.
LMAO OF COURSE HE TOLD HER IMMEDIATELY. MAKES SENSE. So much for a promise. Get rekt by your daughter, Theodore
August 4, 2023

“And when a mage of his skills grows obsessed, it is a powerful curse. I can promise you it’s not mere malice, but…that is hardly a comfort.” “Yeah… Frankly, Miligan was never particularly malicious, either.” And she’d still kidnapped Katie.
Mages are truly terrifying..."mages' actions can be easily life-threatening", eh
August 4, 2023

That sent further echoes rippling through Oliver. He’d known Theodore McFarlane was in the same year at Kimberly as his mother, but…to the point where he’d introduced her to his daughter?
:O
August 4, 2023

Talking about her was a taboo at this school.
It's taboo?? Why??
August 4, 2023

Chela had chosen to make this statement in public—at least partly as an attempt to rein her father in.
THE GAMBIT
August 4, 2023

“Instructor Theodore’s fixation with Nanao is related to Chloe Halford’s death. Is that what you’re saying?”
Very interesting. I did get spoiled that Nanao knows Chloe somehow, but that still doesn't answer this question. Mystery!
August 4, 2023

Protecting her friend even from her own father.
Chelaaaa 🥺🥺🥺🥹🥹🥹😭😭😭 also shows how fucked up Theodore is I guess
August 4, 2023

Belatedly, Oliver realized his blunder. Any mention of forced intervention from him would naturally remind her of what had happened in the Lily of the Valley on their weekend in Galatea.
OLIVER YOU IDIOT LMAOOO 🤣🤣🤣😭😭😭 just when I though it won't be spoken of again!!
August 4, 2023

but there were at least two pairs of eyes on them: Chela’s half sister, Stacy Cornwallis, and her servant, Fay Willock. “…Clearly, something happened between them.”
LMAOOOO THEY NOTICED
August 4, 2023

Fay sighed. As always, he was convinced being honest with herself would make things far easier for Stacy, but he had long since discovered saying that aloud would get him nowhere.
Chronic tsundere lmao
August 4, 2023

“Will we be skipping the class rundown and introductions?”
This is something students would say here too lmao (just to skip studying xD)
August 4, 2023

Oliver took this as a discrepancy in cognitive density—mages with particularly vast knowledge stores often had
[often had difficulty communicating with those less informed] so like a downside of being a genius? Yet another weird instructor lol
August 4, 2023

Because every little light in the night sky is a world distinct from our own—a tír.”
OOH??? FINALLY, MY QUESTION IS ANSWERED. MORE WORLDBUILDING!!!
August 4, 2023

“What is a tír? It is a world that operates on different principles and physics than our own. They have different environments and ecosystems, perhaps even cultures born of different intelligence. And many of them are controlled by the god of that tír. Like the ancient kings ruled over lands in human history.”
OOOHH very interesting. Something like neighbors in World Trigger I suppose, but far more otherworldly, and they're stars in the night sky
August 4, 2023

“Looked at another way, it is what remains of the god this world once had. We rebelled against its control, slew god with our own hands, and robbed it of its authority. This happened fifty thousand years ago, before the development of our current civilization. Thus, the age of divinity ended, and the dawn of our modern-day magical world arrived.”
Their world has no god, because they rebelled against god and took its power, which became magic...very interesting!! I love it!! I suppose that partly explains why mages are so insane
August 4, 2023

but while the god still controlled our world, these five progenitor demis were what we call clergy species, serving under that god.
(Takes notes)
August 4, 2023

Generally speaking, the brighter the star, the closer the range. Here that word refers not to physical distance but the composite difficultly of passage between the two worlds. Every tír is on a constant cycle, drawing closer to our world and then moving farther away again.
(Takes notes) Very interesting!!
August 4, 2023

August 4, 2023

He rattled off this list of bizarre names
I'm glad they acknowledge it's bizarre because damn right it is, wtf are these names lmao
August 4, 2023

These successful invaders often fill a key niche within the resulting ecosystem, so it would be a mistake to assume all such migrations are dire. There are entire fields of research studying the potential benefits therein.
Oh man this world is just so deep, I love it. I'd love to know all the research
August 4, 2023

The problem lies with the things that join the migrations with intent and purpose. Scouts for the tír gods—we call them apostles. We can afford no mistakes handling them .”
August 4, 2023

What do these apostles do here? Exactly what it sounds like. They spread the word. They teach people about the gods of their world, preach the allure of their control, and gather followers to their cause.
August 4, 2023

Smarter creatures are more likely to be unhappy with their lot in life and are more susceptible to religious persuasions. This creates intelligent species that worship tír gods.
So...an alien cult?!
August 4, 2023

the ultimate goal of every Gnostic is the same. Summon the god they worship here. Destroy the order and dominion of our world and remake it according to the unnatural rules of the god’s tír.
August 4, 2023

As Demitrio put it, the history of mages was the history of Gnostic wars. From ancient times to the modern day, the battles raged on.
August 4, 2023

Each fight I survived left countless comrades’ bodies piled behind—a sight some of you will likely witness for yourselves one day.” They all knew that time was not that far off. Gnostic hunting was a major post-graduation career path.
😢
August 4, 2023

Kimberly’s brutal curriculum meant it was often derided as a Gnostic Hunter vocational school. While there was some variation, anyone who survived their time here did learn how to fight.
Yeah, that's what I thought...it kind of makes sense, though it's still insane how spartan Kimberly is. I guess Aristides is just more sane and conscious of mage's responsibilities lol
August 4, 2023

“Uh, yeah?” Guy said, exasperated. “When am I not worried about you?” Katie made a face. “Sorry,” she said.
IS THAT THE SHIP SAILING??? 👀👀👀 LET'S GOOO
August 4, 2023

“…It’s bugging me. Sorry, Nanao!” “Mm!” She asked for no explanation.
NANAO'S UNWAVERING TRUST IN OLIVER AAAAAA 😭😭😭
August 4, 2023

and just as he’d feared, he found Pete looking up in surprise—and the mad old man with him.
Oh shiet
August 4, 2023

“You may join us—if you can keep up ! Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
This old man with a kid's heart...or just pure insanity lmao 😭😭😭
August 4, 2023

Chapter 2: Dea Ex Machina

Labyrinth trail running was one of these. As the name implied, runners competed to see who could dive into the labyrinth and get back fastest. Reserved for experienced upperclassmen explorers, it had enough of a following that there were official rankings for the run times. It was a perilous discipline, testing knowledge of the labyrinth’s construction, capacity for maintaining velocity, and ability to handle any traps or monsters encountered on the way.
LOL of course it exists. Very fitting indeed. And actually seems pretty cool and fun 👀
August 4, 2023

Trapped under Enrico’s arm, Pete gaped back at the spectacle. “She… threw it?!” “Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha! Your friend is something else! Never seen anyone handle it that way!”
MADMAN NANAO THREW THE SPHERE GOLEM WITH HER BARE HANDS LMAOOO INSANE
August 4, 2023

“You tackled a golem to pieces?!” Enrico howled. “Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha! You’re blowing my mind! How do you have such powerful mana circulation at your age?!”
Even Enrico is amazed lol Nanao is amazing!!
August 4, 2023

Yet, she had chosen to go for broke. The reason—well, given her own words just now and the gleam in her eyes, she was clearly just that worked up. Nanao had spent a year studying at Kimberly, and her own magic was aching for an outlet. For a chance to show off what she could do.
LMAOOO?? Understandable though, you go Nanao, show off your prowess!!
August 4, 2023

“I think it’s fun being around different people and learning to understand one another.”
Katie giving Teresa lessons on being a sociable human lol
August 4, 2023

“Looks like he’s interested in you .” “…He’s loud, obnoxious, and cringey.” Teresa sighed.
Oh, an innocent crush, I see. Dean is so cute 😊
August 4, 2023

“Mm? Oh, you two! Thought I heard a ruckus through this wall!” Alvin Godfrey, Kimberly sixth-year, student body president, and more commonly known as Purgatory.
GODFREY TO THE RESCUE!!!! SUCH GOOD TIMING 🥹🥹🥹
August 4, 2023

“This is Instructor Enrico’s cave golem—what’s going on?” “He’s got Pete, and we’re in pursuit! No time for details…!” “That’s enough for me. Teacher pursuit? I’ve done my fair share of the same.”
Just what have you been doing, Godfrey?? Why would you pursue a teacher?? Lmao
August 4, 2023

“Still, you’re second-years, and this is clearly excessive. Allow me.”
GODFREY-SENPAI CHUKI!!! 🥹🥹🥹
August 4, 2023

Flames belched forth
August 4, 2023

“Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! That cannon must be Mr. Godfrey! A surprise guest!” Flames hot on his heels, the mad old man cackled as if this just gave him a thrill.
Ofc it's thrilling for him lmao
August 4, 2023

“Sorry, sir,” he said. “We turn down your invite, and now—” “Ha-ha, cut the guilty act! I’m the student body president! It’s my job to be there for everyone who needs me.”
GODFREY-SENPAI CHUKI!!! 🥹🥹🥹😭😭😭💕
August 4, 2023

How does he manage to stay so put together in this madhouse?
I wonder too...it's amazing, and even a bit scary
August 4, 2023

Purgatory was treating them like pebbles.
Sasuga Godfrey, the protagonist of another story, he's so strong!! Way too strong!!
August 4, 2023

“Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! They’re fireproof! Three firewalls! They ought to give even you some trouble, Mr. Godfrey!”
Resorting to this now lmao
August 4, 2023

“Sorry, but you’d need five of those, Instructor Enrico.”
WOOOOO
August 4, 2023

These doors had clearly been designed specifically to resist fire. But the mage named Alvin Godfrey had punched through them with one double incantation—all three walls at once!
GODFREY IS WAY TOO COOL AND STRONG OMG 😭😭😭 I LOVE HIM SO MUCH
August 4, 2023

Godfrey’s flames had seared into his mind. Best just to be glad he’s on our side. For now.
I am so not looking forward for the day he becomes an enemy... 😭😭😭
August 4, 2023

“You’ve made it! Mr. Godfrey may have provided an assist, but nonetheless—well done!”
They made it, yay!! \o/
August 4, 2023

resplendent
August 4, 2023

This man’s assignments were punishing, but he delighted in his students’ initiative—for better or for worse, he was a teacher .
My thoughts exactly. Putting aside the hellish assignments, I'd say he's a pretty good teacher 🥺
August 4, 2023

Another pop quiz. The questions were all for Pete—clearly, the old man expected a lot from him. The bespectacled boy appreciated that fact and mobilized his wealth of knowledge in response.
It's nice for Pete to be acknowledged and show off his knowledge, but...coming from Enrico...mixed feelings lol
August 4, 2023

unbidden
August 4, 2023

As you say, this is a golem made from the flesh of living things! The exterior may be coated in magical metals, but the interior is all flesh and blood! Harvested from many different creatures, cultivated, grown, and connected!
That's terrifying, if Katie heard of this she'd faint
August 4, 2023

“I know not.” Nanao’s blunt answer fell like cut bamboo, and the mad old man’s shoulders slumped. “…I am aware this field has little hold on your attention, but it is part of the standard mage education.
LMAOOO SO FRANK 🤣🤣🤣 feel kinda bad for Enrico lol
August 4, 2023

They swung toward the voices and realized—it wasn’t all demis. There were a few humans here, too. Treated just like the demis, clad in rags, desperately clinging to the bars and pleading for help.
HOLY FUCK. I dunno what I expected but damn, even humans?!?! Insane. Katie would've fainted indeed
August 4, 2023

reproachful
August 4, 2023

That was hardly prudent. Unbefitting of a mage. The pursuit of sorcery lies outside the bounds of morality. I cannot abide the frivolous inclusion of such secular concerns.
A mage is a mage, after all...and he's a mad old man for a reason. Truly a lunatic
August 4, 2023

That description could be only one person. This old man, too, saw his mother in Nanao. Just as he did. “You remind me of her. Not physically—rather the nature of your soul,” Enrico said. “And for that reason alone—just this once—I will spare you further penalty.”
Nanao...do you actually have Chloe's soul, too??
August 4, 2023

They are all criminals.
Ok I feel better if that were the cass LOL h but still fucked up
August 4, 2023

So where is this vast energy stored? In the etheric body. Every living creature is composed of three components—the flesh, the etheric body, and the soul.
August 4, 2023

Every wall opened, and massive gears appeared, grinding through the prisoners within. Oliver’s eyes went wide, and all the blood drained from Pete’s face.
Jesus fucking christ, that's brutal and gruesome. Pete gonna vomit again at this rate
August 4, 2023

The key here is to provide as much fear and pain as possible before they die. We’ll be using them to fuel a giant golem, so ideally, we want their ether infused with resentment. We want them lingering
Brutal and evil but it makes sense 😰
August 4, 2023

malediction
August 4, 2023

A living golem, fueled by the energy of a curse, a prime example of how the worst kinds of inventions are the simplest. Faced with this desecration of the sanctity of life, Oliver couldn’t keep his voice from shaking.
😰
August 4, 2023

“…What is it even for ?! Countless lives destroyed to make a giant toy move, but to what end?!”
Oliver has a point
August 4, 2023

During my time in action, I saw three such incidents. And the helplessness and grief will never leave me.” He broke off, turning back toward the three students. He had never looked so grim. “Lives must never be wasted. You agree with that, I’m sure.” These words, from the lips of a man who’d just ground innumerable people to death. The irony was unbearable. Yet, it allowed Oliver a fleeting glimpse of his intent.
Oh...Enrico has a point, too...as fucked up it is, it's like necessary sacrifice to not sacrifice more
August 4, 2023

He spoke of weapons of war, fueled by the lives of those who caused it. This was the core concept of the machine goddess.
It's like a revenge...but also to not let more mages get sacrificed...
August 4, 2023

“Your overprotectiveness means nothing! Mr. Reston has already seen it all. The rest is his fight—whether that leads to acceptance or rejection.”
So he realizes how overprotective Oliver is...Enrico is insane but he has a point here. In the end Pete is the one to decide things for himself
August 4, 2023

Chapter 3: Ancient Records

Karlie shrugged this off, and Robert bobbed his head, glancing sideways at Oliver.
Glad they finally got names and faces
August 4, 2023

They all had good reason for wanting to know Oliver better. And he was perfectly aware of this, hence why he hadn’t pushed them away.
Valid but wow Karlie is a jerk she comes off childish instead lol
August 4, 2023

Karlie jeered, not even trying to hide the look in her eyes: Ain’t it nice to have your cousin protecting you, little lord?
JERK
August 4, 2023

Oliver didn’t doubt him for a moment, but chose to respond as a lord should. “Then I have but one thing to say: I have not granted either of you permission to die here.”
Ayy so cool~ the non-family comrades have doubts about Oliver but they're still willing to protect and sacrifice themselves for him...perhaps him having Chloe's soul is the key
August 4, 2023

“S-surprised? J-just as it l-looks. P-part of the t-tome’s contents h-have been recreated.”
Suddenly remembering SSS-Class Revival Hunter...cool
August 5, 2023

100

As the screams rang in his ears, Oliver fought the impulse to do something.
He really is kind at heart 😭😭😭
August 5, 2023

100

“Cannibal curses are just the thing for close-knit packs.”
KOWAI
August 5, 2023

102

This was how curses worked
So basically like a virus (initial creature harboring the virus > infects other creatures > they spread the virus more). That is realistic (or at least based on reality) and terrifying
August 5, 2023

102

“N-nasty, right? Th-that’s why they call her Bloody Karlie. She does the s-same shit to people, too.”
KOWAI KOWAI
August 5, 2023

104

A tower of bookshelves stretching skyward as far as the eye could see.
Pete will love this place lmao
August 5, 2023

104

“Reapers…!” “H-hilarious, r-right? Almost nowhere else can you still see d-death seraphs. But here they are, on p-patrol.”
Doesn't Harry Potter has something like reapers, too?? 😂 What a sight indeed
August 5, 2023

105

It was said they still appeared if mages attempted to escape their mortality, but few had ever seen them. Though some held this was because the sight of a reaper ensured your death.
Even mages can't escape mortality after all, huh...and Reapers are true to their name
August 5, 2023

105

The Survivor tried to cook in here once and nearly got himself killed.
LMAO
August 5, 2023

105

“Every book in here is one of those forbidden tomes. The bulk of them date from before the calendar began. To mages, a true treasure trove, but a mistake here—and the books’ll eat you. Don’t even dare treat this like an extension of the school’s library.”
Oh. Sasuga. Also once again SSS-Class Revival Hunter flashbacks
August 5, 2023

106

Meanwhile, two layers up, a different trio were tackling the labyrinth’s giant tree.
GUY, KATIE, AND PETE!! Trio of those who are left behind by their friends and so they try their best to improve 🥹🥹🥹
August 5, 2023

106

She and Guy had both spent more time down here than Pete and were playing support and leadership roles, respectively.
Nice to see them taking the lead for once (obviously since Pete is a bookworm)
August 5, 2023

107

Katie patted him on the back. “You don’t want Oliver worrying about you, huh? I know how that feels.” “I—I didn’t say—” “Sure, sure, you didn’t,” Guy teased.
🥹🥹🥹 Tsundere Pete as usual cute lmao
August 5, 2023

107

but it also drove home how much Pete still had to learn. He didn’t want to lag behind the two of them.
🥹🥹🥹 You can do it, Pete!! God the way they don't want to lag behind their friends is so cute and sweet
August 5, 2023

107

The rope snapped, and Guy dropped, no safety measures left.
NOOOO GUY
August 5, 2023

108

“Gah-ha! Been a while since I caught a plummeter! I just happened to be right under you—you got good luck, kid.”
OH THANK GOD, TSKR SENPAI 🥹 good luck indeed. Well I knew it wouldn't end badly...yet lol. Also, plummeter? Ofc it's a common occurrence 🤣
August 5, 2023

109

Guy was already reaching into his robe, pulling out a salt shaker.
WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT LMAO cause you're a gourmet club member??
August 5, 2023

109

Rely on your elders another few months. Watch what they do and copy it. That’ll make things come naturally.”
There are good senpais there after all 🥹🥹🥹
August 5, 2023

110

As he spluttered, flames belched out of his mouth.
HOLY SHIT?? BREATHING FIRE LIKE A DRAGON?!
August 5, 2023

110

rueful
August 5, 2023

110

“I’m actually not gonna get better. Don’t have much time left.”
BUT SENPAI, WE JUST MET...🥺😭
August 5, 2023

110

“Come now, don’t look so gloomy! You’re all mages, right? Failures have their upsides. The data I leave will guide research to come. And they’ll be able to avoid stepping in the same shit I did. I may have a date with death, but it’s one of the best deaths a mage can have! And I get to have a nice long chat with a few lucky underclassmen! Gah-ha-ha!”
WHAT A GREAT GUY 🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭 although it's still pretty fucked up, he got valid points. Like how safety rules are written in blood. Actually, thinking about it again, there are 100000 horrible ways for mages to die in this world. So perhaps that is indeed one of the best ways...
August 5, 2023

112

At the same time, it was a harsh reminder—research could lead to failure, and that failure to death. And that was hardly unusual at Kimberly.
The madness of a mage, in pursuit of magic/research...
August 5, 2023

112

he said solemnly before asking: “How’s the Blue Swallows’ ace doing?”
Ara? 👀
August 5, 2023

112

“She’s got her eyes on Nanao, poor thing… Granted, Nanao does seem to be having fun?”
Rivalry and they practice together so they get better, very shounen! I like it
August 5, 2023

112

Their headmistress attending practice was virtually unprecedented. He could hardly blame the athletes for stressing over it.
Agshdkdld poor them 😭😭😭
August 5, 2023

113

“Are you scared to fly without your usual catcher?”
Ah, that must be Morgan
August 5, 2023

114

But no matter how the Blue Swallows’ ace scowled, Kimberly’s top witch just kept going right for the source of her pride.
A teacher...the headmistress on top of that, and her student fighting lmao 😭😭😭💀
August 5, 2023

114

blithely
August 5, 2023

114

moxie
August 5, 2023

117

“Hmm. A brutal form of encouragement.”
Indeed...
August 5, 2023

117

“She already knows,” he said. “Nanao, Emmy’s headaches have a rather unusual cause. Simple cures will not help. I’m sure she appreciates the thought.”
So the headache is real...interesting. Perhaps it's related to Chloe or tir? Also lmao Theodore acting as Emmy's translator or something 🤣🤣🤣
August 5, 2023

117

“Emmy, you should say something,” he urged. “You have much to ask.”
This is like...how do I put it...even the headmistress feared by all needs some push from a friend lol
August 5, 2023

118

“Most mages see brooms as little more than familiars. That goes for Ms. Ashbury and for Emmy, too. But you’re different. And perhaps that’s why Amatsukaze chose you. Not as its master—but as its partner.”
Ooh makes sense
August 5, 2023

118

Nanao took this to mean Amatsukaze’s previous rider meant a great deal to both of them.
Indeed
August 5, 2023

119

He received only silence in response, and her expression had not once shifted this entire time. But Theodore was certain—she was enjoying this.
What an enigma...
August 5, 2023

119

“…I’ve been wondering about that for a while. How does Enrico have so many golems and traps ready and waiting?”
I wondered about that too
August 5, 2023

122

Meanwhile, our side has thirty-two committed to the attempt.
32?! That is a lot :O
August 5, 2023

123

That was one reason why he’d gone after Darius head-on, baiting him into a duel.
Ooh I see, that makes sense now :o
August 5, 2023

123

Even as he said it, a shiver ran down his spine. Fear, tension—and a dark glee that overshadowed those apprehensions.
Madness...
August 5, 2023

124

Chapter 4: Forghieri, the Mad Old Engineer

No wonder Pete’s having nightmares .
POOR PETE 😭😭😭
August 5, 2023

127

Blinking, Pete let himself be carried from his own night sweat–soaked bed over to Oliver’s. He was laid gently down and embraced from behind.
OLIVER YOU PLAYBOY LMAOOOO and the best part was he just thinks what's best for his friend to soothe him 🤣🤣🤣😭 even without the reversi thing a tsundere like Pete would be embarrassed either way...
August 5, 2023

128

Oliver’s contact with him, this narrow distance between them—both were clearly that of a close male friend. That hadn’t changed since he awakened as a reversi. Pete had preferred it that way and said aloud he wanted them to stay as they were before. Oliver had taken him at his word. And so Pete was sure if he even once said he was a girl today , that spell would be broken. And he might lose this warmth forever.
No homo bros. Honestly I have no idea if Pete doesn't want their friendship to change or he does harbor more feelings...Oliver you're so popular...
August 5, 2023

128

unaware of how much this contact rattled the boy’s heart.
🤣🤣🤣😭😭😭 You stupid dense Oliver!
August 5, 2023

128

wistful
August 5, 2023

129

“…But…I do have a role model.” Pete’s voice shook; it took all his courage to say that. It felt like leaping off a precipice. You’re my goal. It’s your path I’m following.
PETE YOU TSUNDERE, SO CUTE 🥹🥹🥹 I'm sorry Oliver's path is revenge though lol
August 5, 2023

129

That reaction told Pete the most important part had not gotten across at all . Oblivious to his roommate’s feelings, Oliver tightened his embrace, smiling.
LMAOOOO STUPID DENSE OLIVER!!! 🤣🤣🤣😭😭😭 He just gotta be dense at times like this lmao
August 5, 2023

129

Requests for clarification just added insult to injury. Oliver was stuck taking a headbutting to the chin for a solid ten minutes before Pete’s tantrum subsided.
Deserved 🤣🤣🤣 hit him more!!
August 5, 2023

130

hubbub
August 5, 2023

130

He felt like his face was a far more convincing actor than his stomach.
OLIVER IS SO TENSE AND STRESSED FOR THE MISSION AAAAAAAAA 😭😭😭
August 5, 2023

131

And their mutual damage felt good right now.
Wakaru, it is soothing to know you aren't alone 🥲
August 5, 2023

132

“What I don’t get is why it’s him . Not Gwyn or one of the other upperclassmen. But this kid. He’s a good kid! Too good to be at Kimberly at all. And forcing a kid like him to play boss puts a bad taste in my mouth. Even if this is about his mom.”
I've been wondering about that myself. So not even a comrade knows. And aww Karlie just feels bad for Oliver 🥺🥺🥺 she's right, he's too good for this whole thing. But that's also why seeing him struggle is nice lol. Also, so it's all regarding Chloe after all...? Still wonder why others help though
August 5, 2023

133

there stood a second Oliver Horn. A perfect imitation, down to the hairs on his head and even the shape of his nails. “Got your alibi covered. Go all out.”
Oh cool, they got even the alibi covered
August 5, 2023

133

“…I was drawing a blueprint. It’s gonna be the biggest golem in the world! I told you about my dream, right?”
Flashback to Enrico's past now?? Damn, that can't be good
August 5, 2023

136

“Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Your mom sure doesn’t pull her punches!”
The way this girl talks and the lollipops...Enrico takes after her huh
August 5, 2023

137

She might be ten years old, but in a small town like this, that was almost grown-up.
Ah, such a harsh world and society, even for nonmagicals...
August 5, 2023

137

A spell to stop his tears.
So the laugh and lollipops are...I see...
August 5, 2023

138

“So give me a ride on your broom someday, crybaby Enrico.”
Can't imagine the mad old man was a crybaby when he was a kid. He went through a lot...I'm sure this girl died somehow
August 5, 2023

138

“The night of April eighth, 1525, of the Great Calendar. Where were you, and what were you doing?”
Guess he's going to ask this everytime huh lol
August 5, 2023

139

“—and beat a student of ours to death. Taking our time with it.”
SO FRANK 😭😭😭
August 5, 2023

139

recalcitrant
August 5, 2023

139

bereft
August 5, 2023

140

Even surrounded, he did not seem the least bit disturbed. The gleam in his eyes suggested he was enjoying this.
Sasuga madman
August 5, 2023

140

Enrico crunched down on all of them at once, issuing a declaration of war.
Grandpa you'll get diabetes
August 5, 2023

140

inferences
August 5, 2023

144

incensed
August 5, 2023

144

chinks
August 5, 2023

145

Enrico dished this out like it was a reward for seeing through the trick. This placed him at a disadvantage, although the mad old man himself didn’t seem to care. In his mind, he was a teacher, surrounded by students.
I think "enemy being impressed that protagonist found out shit and explained shit" is an existing trope but it hits different here. Because it stems from the fact that Enrico is a teacher and a madman, so it makes more sense. And tbh I quite like this part of him. Why is he such a great teacher (excluding assignments)?? Now I understand why people would like him...but it hurts since he'll most likely die 😭😭😭
August 5, 2023

145

mottled
August 5, 2023

147

“A powerful spell, devoid of any delicacy! That must be you, Ms. Buckle!” “Ah-ha-ha! Brutal! I know my magical engineering grades sucked, but I still passed
Tfw you got found out from a not delicate spell 🤣🤣🤣 a bad student too lol
August 5, 2023

148

They’d been student and teacher for over six years and were trading quips and sarcasm even as they tried to kill each other. That was a mage’s battlefield for you.
Quite a sight, I like it
August 5, 2023

149

unabated
August 5, 2023

150

“Auditory spelljamming? And only affecting my voice. How deft!”
Spelljamming, like signal jamming...that's cool
August 5, 2023

151

Named but undaunted, Gwyn had known full well his actions would identify him. Much like the late Carlos Whitrow’s enchanted voice, the enchanted music he played was a rare talent indeed. No one else at Kimberly could do it.
Yappari ne, makes sense...but music magic is so cool!! A jammer on top of that? Handy!
August 5, 2023

151

You’ve dragged the Sherwood siblings into this? That is shocking.” Enrico’s eyes had gone from Gwyn to Shannon to the figure behind them. It seemed like the mad old man was finally wondering exactly who he was up against.
👀
August 5, 2023

151

Both comrades had escaped instant death, but neither could anyone stop to heal them properly.
EVEN IF THE PERSON IS SPLIT IN TWO IN THE WAIST??? I guess it all boils down to the brain and heart?
August 5, 2023

152

The mad old man was living all on his own, a century in the future. As this thought struck him, Oliver was forced to put aside his own opinion of the man’s character and face the truth—Enrico Forghieri was undoubtedly a genius.
:o
August 5, 2023

153

peals of laughter
August 5, 2023

156

The students’ plan had been a clever one, a real threat to him, and the sheer depths of their brilliance was causing explosions of joy. “This! This is what makes being a teacher worthwhile !” Enrico was delighted. Becoming a teacher was the right choice. Even with a flock of students out for his blood, he was having fun .
What a guy 😭😭😭
August 5, 2023

156

balk
August 5, 2023

157

“But I must make one correction! This is Deus Ex Machina. Look closely—this is not the incomplete goddess you know. This one’s form is masculine!”
That answers my question why it's Dea and not Deus like usual, fuck, it all makes sense now. What a hint!
August 5, 2023

158

“Whoops, not supposed to kill it,” Enrico muttered. “It would disrupt the whole ecosystem here!” The dragon was already unconscious and foaming at the mouth, so he simply tossed it away.
Poor dragon 😭😭😭 at least Enrico is still sane enough to care about not destroying the ecosystem lmao, little details
August 5, 2023

159

intractable
August 5, 2023

161

incessant
August 5, 2023

161

Oliver assumed a stance, turned right, hand low. A heretical form found in none of the three core sword art styles—but one he’d shown a hint of before, when dueling Nanao. Chloe style, unleashed.
OOOH WE FINALLY GOT TO SEE IT!! IT'S CHLOE'S FORM!!
August 5, 2023

161

By swallowing the soul of a genius,
Is this the first time the narrative reveals that Oliver has Chloe's soul? I think so. I'm not really sure since I accidentally got spoiled lol
August 5, 2023

161

His crimson-stained eyes gleamed with hellish hostility, and Enrico felt a chill he had not felt in years—and this sensation, too, gave him pleasure. “…What a thrill! So many mysteries…!”
He's still enjoying this lmao
August 5, 2023

166

The enormous strain ripped the flesh from his extremities, but every wound was healed within moments. It was like a punishment. He was a damned soul not even allowed the privilege of an end. As it should be , the boy thought. As it has to be . He laughed. There were two indelible sinners here. And he had never dared dream that one might be spared from torment.
Like purgatory, a fate worse than death, tormented over and over again...Oliver, you're that hard on yourself, huh...or whatever it is called. Anyway, I dig it
August 5, 2023

166

some comrades broke away from the pack, hopping on their brooms, determined not to let their young lord fight alone.
🥹🥹🥹
August 5, 2023

167

Oliver slipped in a spell and a hand, saving his two comrades from death by a hairbreadth.
And he's still kind 🥹🥹🥹 boy is too good for this world fr
August 5, 2023

167

They were no longer protecting that boy; he was protecting them .
Oh how the turns have tabled
August 5, 2023

167

The enchanted healing music was the only thing easing Oliver’s suffering.
Ah, so it's you...well, music magic so far (and usually) indeed seems good as support, so it shouldn't be that surprising. Still, cool
August 5, 2023

167

He’s fused with the soul of Chloe Halford, the mage of the millennium.
The cat is out of the bag completely!
August 5, 2023

168

“Even a momentary fusion is risky. And right now, he’s maintaining it, even as he fights. That’s not a sane act. Regardless of the foundation he’s built from repeated prior fusions…”
Oliver, you madman
August 5, 2023

168

“I couldn’t bear it. I couldn’t handle the pain for even a single second.” And he would never forget the sin of forcing his burden onto his cousin.
Ah, so that's why...
August 5, 2023

168

Shannon was casting healing magic through her tears. This was keeping her cousin’s body intact, yet also torturing him with ceaseless pain.
Ofc Shannon is healing too! I knew it! That's so cool (again)
August 5, 2023

168

Oliver was fighting while buffeted by both at once. And the pain Gwyn mentioned, the one brought by Chloe’s soul—that was yet a third source of suffering.
DAMN...how is he not broken and still fighting???
August 5, 2023

168

“It’s the other way around. Without the constraints of his rational mind, Noll is incapable of abandoning anyone. Even with his mother’s killer before him, even with his body racked by pain.”
Exactly
August 5, 2023

168

“…Deep down, he’s just nice . Incorrigibly kindhearted…!” His voice was an anguished cry.
OLIVER AAAAAAAAAA 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 BOY TOO GOOD FOR THIS WORLD
August 5, 2023

169

And the emotion in it was what allowed Karlie and her brethren to fully understand who their lord really was, what kind of person she’d allowed to lead her into war.
Now they know 🥹🥹🥹
August 5, 2023

169

“A once-in-a-generation ability, one that cannot be passed on through blood or education—we mages call that a soul skill. And Chloe had more soul skills than any other. There is but one way to obtain them—if you have access to that very soul. As you and the headmistress do.” When the seven of them had taken Chloe Halford down, the headmistress had absorbed her soul. That was her role—that, and the surprise betrayal.
Soul skill lol but makes sense. AND EMMY HAS HER SOUL TOO?!?! I did get accidentally spoiled (again) that she's like a raging lesbian to her, but damn
August 5, 2023

170

“On the night in question, the headmistress didn’t manage to steal all of Chloe’s soul, I see. A portion of it escaped her clutches and made its way to you. That’s the only explanation.”
Makes sense
August 5, 2023

170

The headmistress is managing to dominate the soul she stole, but even a witch like her is left with chronic headaches!”
Ah, so that's the cause of the headaches lol
August 5, 2023

171

Oliver’s body was only in one piece because his cousin’s healing was faster than his physical collapse.
Cool
August 5, 2023

171

“Humans can receive only a finite amount of healing in one lifetime. I’m sure you know that! How much of your total lifespan are you sacrificing for each minute you fight like this?!”
Huh, really?! Wonder why
August 5, 2023

171

And I’m afraid you have no such talent.”
Oof, father of the year /s
August 5, 2023

172

That’s where Chloe Halford’s soul comes in.
SO IT'S YOU, FATHER!! OF COURSE. To think he'd torment his own son and push him to the path of revenge like that...insane
August 5, 2023

172

All the training and pain so far had merely been preparations for the real goal. Oliver felt a cold wave of fear—fear he’d thought long since paralyzed. He couldn’t begin to fathom it. Suffering greater than this? How was that even possible?
Damn. Pain after pain and more suffering to come. Poor Oliver 😭😭😭
August 5, 2023

173

smidgen
August 5, 2023

173

All this time, his father had kept that mask of indifference over his heart, but these words caused its facade to crack. His nails dug into his quivering cheeks, stilling them. Between those fingers, Oliver caught the briefest glimpse of the man his father once was. Of the time when Oliver had been happy.
😭😭😭 They all broke after Chloe's death, huh...I can't exactly curse his father now, though things are still very fucked up...such is the thirst of revenge, I suppose
August 5, 2023

173

And so he sought it himself. So that his gentle sister—who felt the pain of others so deeply—would blame herself less. So that all this pain would be his and his alone.
🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭 I pity all of them. Both Shannon and Oliver are too kind for this
August 5, 2023

174

leaden
August 5, 2023

175

This had never been forced upon him. This suffering was not at his father’s command. By his own free will, he had inherited his mother’s intent, sworn revenge, and sought the power that lay within her soul.
O-Oh...sorry for blaming you, father. But still, to let a kid like him... 😭😭😭
August 5, 2023

175

“That is not hard work—it’s self-abuse! To let her soul in, to recreate her skills postmortem in an average body—you must have torn apart your body, ether, and soul, time and time again!”
So true
August 5, 2023

176

The effort to better yourself is unquestionably admirable! But what you have accumulated is torture and abuse, the denial of self! And that is nothing but pain and futility,
Bro spitting facts
August 6, 2023

176

irrevocable
August 6, 2023

176

I give! Mercy, please! My sides are killing me! Oh, my son. Noll! You are so good at making people laugh !
OH...so the reason his jokes fall flat now...is because his soul fused with his mother's, irreversibly changing his soul...and so he lost the ability to make people laugh. Damn that hurts 😭😭😭 and to think his flat jokes actually have such a deep reason...feels kinda bad for the manga and anime to skip it
August 6, 2023

176

“ That is what your blade lacks most. What you cannot obtain no matter how hard you try. Precisely because you denied yourself time and time again to let Chloe’s soul in. You would not allow yourself to be
BRO, STOP, HE'S ALREADY DEAD...😭😭😭 The contradiction, the irony...
August 6, 2023

177

“…Magic, my ass. To hell with mages. All you people do is toy with lives, chasing after madness .”
I can't refute that...
August 6, 2023

179

The Lantshire mages had blown an experiment on curses, tainting the surrounding land.
Well shit, this hits too close to reality
August 6, 2023

179

For better or worse, magical society had made pursuit of sorcery its sole priority. Other concerns—like welfare programs—were seen as comparatively trivial. The result was that the lower income ordinaries were abandoned to their fates, and Gnostic followers had learned to expand by absorbing these outcasts.
Not surprised but disappointed
August 6, 2023

179

Treatment of demis without civil rights was even harsher, and mere suspicion of Gnostic activity often led to villages being burned to the ground without any attempt to confirm the truth.
This society is truly fucked up. But this also rang true in real history...
August 6, 2023

180

She didn’t mean it to be, but these words became the lynchpin of his life. “It’s easy. We all just have to get a little bit nicer. That’ll make the world get better, too. That alone will end the Gnostic wars.” He’d been so young, the memories were fuzzy. But he had believed in that magic.
Ahh, so that's one of the reasons why Oliver is so nice and kind...🥹🥹🥹 But at this point, it might as well be a curse...
August 6, 2023

181

Palms on the ground, a torrent of vomit. His comrades gasped. The bloody vomit was filled with chunks of a necrotic, ejected lung, and the pool below him was the size of a throw rug.
HOLY FUCK...😭😭😭
August 6, 2023

181

delirious
August 6, 2023

181

August 6, 2023

182

In a world run by mages, lives were but a means to an end. In the pursuit of sorcery, hearts were there to be trampled.
😭😭😭
August 6, 2023

182

Or Carlos Whitrow could have
BRO STOP
August 6, 2023

182

been by his side, best friends for life. Or Ophelia Salvadori could have been there laughing with them. …And maybe, just maybe—Oliver could have stayed a happy boy who made everyone laugh. A comedian who lived a life full of smiles.
BROOOOOO 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭💔 HOW DARE YOU DO THIS TO ME HOLY SHIT AS IF OLIVER' AND HIS FAMILY AREN'T ENOUGH...YOU MUST BRING GODFREY, CARLOS, AND OPHELIA??? 😭😭😭
August 6, 2023

182

His heart yearned to use this life for a world where those things were possible. He put his feelings into words. Just as his mother once wanted—the one thing of hers Oliver had sworn to hold to, steadfast, forevermore: “…So the nice things…can stay nice…!”
OLIVEEERRR YOU PURE KIND BOY AAAAAAAAAA 😭😭😭
August 6, 2023

182

This was a lord worth dying for.
They acknowledge Oliver...!! 🥹🥹🥹
August 6, 2023

182

“Y-you could s-soften it a bit. I am y-your husband.” “Shut up. This ain’t the time for griping, sourpuss! I bore three kids for you.”
THEY'RE MARRIED??? WITH 3 KIDS?!?!?! SHOOKTH. I mean I know it's a thing but damn, wow...to see a real example...no wonder they're so close...
August 6, 2023

183

“…Our youngest didn’t turn out so good. Might not make it as a mage.” The boy listened in silence. Carving this into his memory so that he might not forget. Knowing it was her last words. “If you can make this a world where a kid like that can be happy, well… I couldn’t ask for more.”
WE JUST MET AND THEY'RE GOING TO DIE??? NOOOOO 😭😭😭😭😭😭
August 6, 2023

183

“A curse crafter’s true value comes in death. Right, Robert?”
That's cool but also...DAMN....ROBERT......😭😭😭
August 6, 2023

186

All six dead mages had been curse crafters, Robert included. They might not have been in Baldia Muwezicamili’s league, but they had quite a lot of curse energy stored. And the law of curse conservation meant everything they were harboring flowed into the machine god.
Also, curse crafter, huh? I think that's a new term (or did I forget from volume 4?) but makes sense I guess
August 6, 2023

186

The limit-breaking quadcant caused their bodies to explode. Even as they died, none of them lost control of the spell
KARLIEEEE 😭😭😭 basically like a suicide bomb, huh...damn...😭😭😭
August 6, 2023

186

And the result—was literally divine retribution.
Holy fuck...
August 6, 2023

189

“…You…burned my father…”
HOLY SHIT???
August 6, 2023

190

All he could do was be here for her. Hear her last request. While she was still human. “……Thank you……”
😭😭😭 I love this trope but that is VERY traumatic to a kid, holy fuck
August 6, 2023

192

“…Keep laughing, Enrico. Enough…for both of us.”
Yappari ne...😭😭😭
August 6, 2023

193

That weapon was only designed for battle against tír gods.
Yappari
August 6, 2023

195

Enrico sang praises to the fallen.
😭😭😭
August 6, 2023

195

With this explosion of rage, the mask fell from Oliver’s face. For the first time, Enrico recognized him. “…Mr. Horn. So it was you .”
Finally...
August 6, 2023

196

“…My mother,” Oliver croaked, his fists clenched tight. “Oh,” the old man said, his smile forlorn. “There really is no resemblance. How sad.”
BRO DIDN'T HESITATE AT ALL LOL 😭😭😭 it's the truth though. It's good for Oliver's mission that they don't look alike (as he stated when he killed Darius) but pain peko
August 6, 2023

199

His mother had not just been slain; she’d been beaten to death. Stabbed through the heart by a trusted friend, and when she could no longer fight back, subjected to every torment imaginable.
The worst way to die...
August 6, 2023

200

He could no longer hold back the tears. The more he thought about her torment, the more he hated the sorcerers who’d trampled her dignity—the further his life grew from what she’d wanted for him.
😭😭😭😭😭
August 6, 2023

200

“…You really hate yourself,” Enrico said. Once again, he saw it all: love for a mother, hatred for her killers, the ordeals he inflicted on himself, the crippling weight of this burden—and the screeching void that had been left in the boy’s heart.
AGSHSJS I said that in another scene but changed it (iirc) cause I was unsure if he truly hates himself or not, but I guess it's confirmed now. Thanks Enrico. And again, poor Oliver 😭😭😭
August 6, 2023

201

There was irony in the boy’s strength, the old man thought. He could tell this intense self-hatred was a key reason this boy could withstand the pain of the soul merge. This boy yearned to be punished and therefore accepted both the denial of self and the shattering of his soul.
😭😭😭 I love this pain
August 6, 2023

201

“Achieving results that can make up for that loss. That is the task set before us, as mages. Even if no such thing exists.”
I think creating Deus Ex Machina to fight tir and teaching the next generation are one of the ways he's trying to atone for this sin. Ofc he most likely detests tir for what was done to Noemi. At the very least, he is aware of a mage's responsibilities and what he took from the future by killing Chloe, so that's a BIG PLUS in my book
August 6, 2023

201

Speak to Esmeralda. It was her idea to torture Chloe and steal her soul. Thus, she alone knows the reason for it.”
And y'all just accept it without asking her why?? 😭😭😭
August 6, 2023

202

“Are we done?” Enrico asked. “Then one last piece of advice.” “You think I’ll just let you talk?” “Do listen. It’s for your benefit.”
Madman still giving an advice to his killer on his last moments 😭😭😭
August 6, 2023

202

the farther you will get from it and the more you will hate yourself.”
😭😭😭 It hurts
August 6, 2023

202

“Your best choice would be to pursue an entirely different path. Forget everything and move to some remote location, bury yourself in the activism of the civil rights crowd or find somewhere to look after the ordinaries. Any one of those would suit you well.”
I agree it'd suit him well
August 6, 2023

203

“…But if you choose otherwise…” Enrico went on, pouring what little life he had left into this warning. “…then along this thorny path…at least meet someone. Not a replacement for Chloe, but someone all your—”
🥹🥹🥹 (insert Nanao here)
August 6, 2023

203

Thirty-two entered combat on the fourth and fifth layers. Combat goal achieved. Enrico Forghieri slain. Eleven comrades lost in battle.
11 PEOPLE DIED ON THE SECOND TARGET ALONE...I can't even imagine, man 😭😭😭 actually, just 11 is kinda surprising, guess most mages survived in the fourth layer
August 6, 2023

203

Afterword

He has begun to forget the shape of his own soul. The border grows faint between sin and punishment, between salvation and destruction. Where will a life like this lead him?
This is so poetic, I love it. Note that down
August 6, 2023

205