"Can the 'Sage's Spirit Blood' even use that kind of attack!? Is it Amazuka? ”

"No, it was done by the 'sage'"

Nina replied in a stiff tone that seemed to have lost its temperature. The voice was so timid that it didn't look like hers.

"What?" Gu Gu asked unhappily.

"Don't you think it's strange? Why is that liquid piece of metal called the 'spiritual blood of the sage' - whose 'spiritual blood' is it? ”

"Really? I see, is the 'spiritual blood of the sage', that is, the 'spiritual blood' of the 'sage'? The master of the 'spiritual blood' is the 'sage'! ”

"Hmm"

Seeing Nina nodding, the ancient city's face became solemn.

"Who exactly is the 'Sage'?"

"Do you know the ultimate goal of an alchemist?"

"Transcending everything, without any weaknesses, truly immortal, perfect 'God', right?"

"Correct. However, even though it is a god, it does not refer to a super-existence that exists in the concept of a higher dimensional space. It was an artificial 'perfect human' created by an alchemist."

"To put it bluntly, 'gods' are just human beings with great power!" Gu Gu said disdainfully, "But even this is far from the meaning of 'perfect'!" ”

"That's why there is a 'sage', after all, it is a true and complete existence made by alchemists. However, in a sense, it is the biggest failure. ”

"Although I don't know much about it, maybe the perfection of the 'sage' is precisely its biggest 'imperfection'!"

"Yes." Nina smiled self-deprecatingly, "It's true that species have unavoidable weaknesses, but that's why they help each other. Even emotions are nothing more than delusions that arise when a species needs help to exist. ”

"Even if it's an illusion, people have to survive the way they like, and if they really become perfect, then they don't need companions, they can only be lonely forever, I'm right, Nina!" The ancient city stared at him.

"Yes!" Nina smiled fearlessly.

"And the world's ecosystems are made up of the sum of many of these ideas that want the population to continue. If you think about it this way, it may not be an illusion that love supports the world."

"I learned that the 'sage' doesn't need food and oxygen to survive. Even if all the creatures on Earth died and became a death star, that guy wouldn't care. This will be more beneficial to him. Because the only thing that guy fears is that other creatures evolve and then appear more 'perfect' than themselves. ”

"Therefore, as long as there is no other species in the world and there are only 'sages', then there will definitely be no more perfect existence than it, right?"

"Bastard!"

The ancient city closed his eyes in disgust. An artificial "god" who wants to keep himself the only perfect being and expects the extinction of all living things except himself

It is not at all possible to be called a 'god' not a being who seeks self-perfection, but an existence that destroys the 'perfection' of the world.

“…… So, what is the 'sage' that was created? ”

"The 'sage' who is an immortal being cannot be destroyed, so he is sealed. We extracted all of that guy's 'spirit blood' to take away his power and seal it. That was two hundred and seventy years ago."

"Is the blood that was drawn at that time the 'spiritual blood of the sage'?"

Gucheng finally understood what was going on, and he sighed wearily. Then I immediately noticed that Nina was missing an important part of her explanation.

"Wait a minute, Nina. So what's going on with you. Why can you manipulate the 'Sage's Spiritual Blood'? ”

"The concubine body is a caretaker who exists to prevent the resurgence of the 'sage'. My spiritual power was outstanding even among the alchemists of the time, so I was chosen as the caretaker of the 'spiritual blood'. In order to monitor the immortal 'sage', the caretaker must also be immortal. Therefore, I transferred my consciousness to this 'spirit core' and managed the 'spiritual blood of the sage'."

This is simply a living sacrifice, Gu Gu almost blurted out, but swallowed the words back.

The lonely administrator who is forever bound by the "spiritual blood" in order to prevent the resurrection of the immortal "sage" - this is Nina? Adillard's truth. The alchemists at the time gave her the title of "The Great Alchemist of Legends", which was the least of their atonement. And Nina herself knows her position all too well. Nor did the concubine acquire such a body because of desire...... Gucheng remembered the lonely expression on her face when she whispered this.

The ancient city didn't know what the reason for Nina, who was given the immortal ** that he didn't crave, came to the "Demon Special Zone" and established a monastery. But she got her family here and lived in peace. Until the destruction of the monastery five years ago -

"Nina?"

Lost in a brief contemplation, the ancient city noticed that Nina had stopped a little far away from him. That's where the battle took place. She crouched down, scattered around her with fragments of the destroyed vehicle and countless bullet casings, and then a few drops of "spirit blood" remained slightly. The debris that had been frozen by the attack of the SAR garrison was thawed and moved again. But what Nina reached out and picked up was not "spiritual blood". It was human bones scattered on the ground.

"These bones...... It's not a member of the SAR Garrison. Why, so ......"

The ancient city was stunned when he noticed the number of bones left behind. That's not the bones of one or two people, it's more than a dozen people. Among them, young children have a lot of bones. There was only one relatively new skeleton in it, which felt like a tall man's. Other than that, all the bones were rotting to the ground.

"That's the nuns and children who were devoured by Tenzuka. I don't know who the man is. I'm afraid it's a bait used to get the 'pseudo-alchemy' into the concubine's body."

Nina stood up again, her sad gaze always looking at the ground. The ancient city was shocked by her words.

"Nun ......? Were the inhabitants of the monastery caught up in the events of five years ago? ”

Well, Nina smiled lonely.

"Five years ago, Tianzuka said that he wanted to be a disciple of the concubine body, and he appeared in front of the concubine body. At that time, what that guy brought was the 'Pseudo Refining Core'. Although he said that he wanted to investigate this thing, from the beginning his purpose was only the body of a concubine. That guy is planning to take away the 'Sage's Spiritual Blood'."

The ancient city nodded silently. He couldn't blame Nina for being deceived. If the "Pseudo Refining Core" can really control the "Sage's Spiritual Blood", Nina will be able to be liberated from the situation of eternal living sacrifice. It's a pretty good temptation for Nina.

However, even this small hope is part of Amazuka's plan to resurrect the "sage".

"But Amatsuka failed, right?"

Hearing the ancient city's question, Nina smiled bitterly

"The 'sage's spiritual blood' left the concubine's body and went viral, and all the people in the monastery died. Amazuka was also devoured because half of his body was devoured, and it was right to die at that time. And it was Natsune Haze who stopped the 'spiritual blood' from going berserk - the little girl with rare spiritual power and Kensheng Haze who was watching her behind her back."

"So, the reason why Amazuka wanted to exclude Haze and Uncle Haze in the first place—"

"He's worried about being disturbed by the father and daughter again."

As she said this, a cold look of anger appeared on Nina's face.

"I've always wondered why someone like Amatsuka could create a 'pseudo-refining core' - but if Amatsuka was manipulated by the 'sage' from the beginning, then it makes sense."

"You're saying that the 'sage' used Tenzuka to resurrect himself...... Why?"

The ancient city remembered the puzzling actions of Tenzuka so far. Of course, Amazuka's behavior will make people feel meaningless and illogical. Because Amazuka doesn't act for his own gains and losses. His actions were to resurrect the sealed "sage" - nothing more. Even his own doppelganger was sacrificed.

Then

"Hey, hey!? Nina? ”

Gucheng panicked when he saw Nina suddenly untie the collar of her uniform. Anyway, Nina is now using a shallow onion body. In the eyes of others, you can only see the shallots suddenly taking off their clothes in front of the ancient city.

"Fragments of 'spiritual blood' that escaped from the domination of the 'sage'...... Although it is a bit insufficient to reshape the body of the concubine, it is still a little ......" However, after Nina whispered in a serious tone, she reached out to her chest and ripped out the crimson gem buried inside.

"Nina!?"

The shallot's body slowly collapsed in front of the startled ancient city. The gem that fell from between her fingers made a clear, pleasant click and fell to the ground.

……

The large ferry "Phaton" continued to sail smoothly. The route that stops at the "Demon Special Zone" on the island of the string is much more troublesome than other routes. Most of the cargo transported by the ship is special items, and the procedures for entering the island and quarantine are also complicated. And now it's time to return home after this lengthy formality.

The crew on duty in the wheelhouse carried out their work with a relaxed atmosphere.

The sky is clear, the view is very good, and the waves are relatively calm. Students make up the majority of the passengers on school trips, and although it is a bit noisy, it is also expected. As long as the weather doesn't change drastically, you can easily get to the mainland.

It happened just when everyone started thinking that.

"-What are you!?"

The extraordinary shouts of the guards rang out, and the crew turned their heads. Ferries on the String God Island route are required to have at least four security guards. Most of them come from the special forces of the police or the SAR garrison. Although they are not allowed to carry firearms, they are all professional martial artists who are allowed to carry electromagnetic batons and swords. They also have a lot of experience in fighting demons. And like this, they are visibly afraid.

Entering the cab was a thin man in a white coat. But the cab entrance door is still heavily locked and closed. The man didn't open the door to enter, he appeared through the air-conditioning vents in the ceiling as if oozing.

"Don't move, stop!"

The guards drew their weapons, and the thin man turned around and smiled coldly.

"Yes, but it's you who have to stop."

"W-"

One with an electromagnetic baton and a guard stopped moving in a posture of wanting to say something. Stiff, his whole body turned the color of rusty iron. Alchemist-Amazuka Mercury's right hand reached out like a tentacle and rolled up a guard. And then turned the guards into metal. The remaining two guards and the navigator standing at the helm were all turned to metal one by one.