Chapter 139 - Mirrors

Through the Mind-Piercing Eye, Serena had heard what Yohan truly felt. He wanted peace. He was fighting alone to prevent the destruction that would come someday.

What form that destruction would take remained unknown, but at least Serena now knew that Yohan was not an evil spirit bent on humanity's extinction.

The Thirteenth Apostle of the End was, instead, the world's protector.

That was the conclusion it all led to.

Serena was utterly bewildered. Everything she had taken for granted had collapsed in the space of a few days. The Watcher of the Abyss, who had seized control of the kingdom's political scene, was a half-demon—and an Apostle of the End who wanted world peace.

And that half-demon was now her fiancé.

Serena felt as though she were dreaming. She stared at Yohan, slightly dazed. He gave a faint chuckle.

"You look very tired. Why don't you go home and get some sleep?"

Serena had not slept a wink last night. She ought to have been exhausted, yet her mind was strangely alert. The enormous shock had driven all sleep away.

She spoke.

"... I don't think I could sleep even if I went home now."

She would be buried in thought, unable to sleep a wink. Yohan considered for a moment before speaking.

"Then would you like to come and see Serin with me?"

Serena looked incredulous.

"See my sister? How?"

There was no way to interact with Serin by physical means. Magic was absolutely necessary. And Yohan was acquainted with an archmage.

He shrugged.

"Well, it's probably just what you're imagining."

"You can't mean..."

Yohan rose.

"You will have to grow accustomed to magic, sorcery, and every other kind of demonic phenomenon the Church forbids. As long as you are with me, my lady, such taboos will be part of your daily life. Come along."

He offered his hand. After hesitating for a long while, Serena took it. The truth was, she wanted to see her sister too. They headed straight for Lumina's workshop.

* * *

Serena's eyes went wide. The very space around her was wondrous. They were clearly indoors, yet she could see no ceiling. It was too high to make out with the naked eye.

The bookshelves scattered throughout the vast interior were strange as well. Each was larger than most citadels. Countless forbidden books lay strewn across the floor, as though even those shelves could not hold them all.

This was the archmage Lumina's workshop—the heart of spatial magic. To an ordinary human, it was the very embodiment of the unknown.

Serena looked around in awe. She felt as though her reason might slip beyond reach. Just as the sight threatened to overwhelm her, a lilting voice came from somewhere.

"Oh, you really are pretty in person! That title of Gold wasn't an exaggeration."

A pure-white figure was slowly descending from high overhead, like falling snow.

Yohan said to Serena,

"Say hello. This is Lumina, the White Mage."

Serena came to her senses at once.

"... Lumina? So it was as I thought."

Not long ago, the archmage Lumina had committed a horrific act. She had tried to sacrifice the royal capital to summon the Archdemon Muel. Of course, her plan had failed. The Thirteenth Apostle of the End had stopped her crime.

In the end, she had been taken to the execution grounds and burned to death.

Now it seemed that the entire sequence of events had been nothing but a staged affair. Lumina was alive and well, working with Yohan—the Thirteenth Apostle of the End. In other words, Yohan had deceived everyone in the royal capital.

That was what Serena thought. Yohan did not particularly deny it either.

He said,

"Your assumptions probably aren't entirely correct, my lady. A few details will differ, but I won't go out of my way to correct you. You likely have the general picture."

The Muel summoning ritual had not been staged from the outset. Much of what had happened was unplanned; Yohan had merely strung one coincidence onto another. In the end, he had profited considerably. It would be more accurate to say he had made good use of a stroke of fortune.

Lumina frowned.

"Serena, was it? With your limited understanding, would you please refrain from making assumptions or jumping to conclusions about me? It's rather unpleasant."

Lumina had always been rather prickly. Ilea appeared from somewhere and sighed softly.

"Lady Lumina, don't be rude. She is an Apostle's consort now."

The moment Serena saw Ilea, bewilderment spread across her face.

"Lady Staviana?"

Ilea's eyes curved in a smile.

"I suppose I should introduce myself again. My name is Ilea. I am the only witch left in this world."

Today, Serena had come face-to-face with the world's dark side. Demons, witches, and apostates of every sort were wearing human guises and toying with the kingdom's politics. A disbelieving laugh escaped her.

"... This really has been a shocking day."

Yohan remained composed.

"It won't do to be overwhelmed already. We haven't even reached the main business yet."

Serena spoke with a look of resignation.

"What else is there?"

"Just a moment. Lumina, can we do it now?"

Yohan turned his gaze toward her.

Lumina nodded.

"It worked. You can go in whenever you like."

A master of spatial magic, she had spent several days taking apart and analyzing Serin's world within the mirrors. Her research had already yielded numerous results. One was unrestricted entry and exit. With Lumina's magic, everyone could now come and go freely from the world within the mirrors.

Yohan looked satisfied.

"An archmage indeed. Well done."

Lumina spoke with affected haughtiness.

"This much is child's play. Who do you think I am?"

Ilea gave her a pitying look.

"How should I put this...? For all your abilities, Lady Lumina, you really are difficult to respect."

Lumina bristled.

"W-what?! You little brat, barely out of—"

Yohan stifled a groan. Before things could get any worse, he stopped her.

"Enough. Take us to the mirror."

Trembling with anger, Lumina turned her head sharply. Without a word, she flew off somewhere.

Ilea sighed.

"She's going to bring the entrance. Please wait a moment."

Just as she had said, Lumina soon reappeared. A pure-white rift slowly descended through the air alongside her.

The rift was an entrance connected to Maphel’tan's Book of Doom. Since only Apostles could access the Book, Lumina had created a separate intermediary to bypass that interdiction. The result was now before Yohan's eyes.

Yohan slowly approached the rift.

"Can we use it right away?"

Lumina answered sulkily.

"Yes, well. Just touch it."

Yohan nodded and looked at Serena.

"Shall we, my lady? Serin is waiting."

Serena swallowed hard. If that rift truly was the entrance to the world within the mirrors, she would finally meet Serin. For the first time in her life, she would stand in the same space as her sister.

Anticipation and excitement rose within her alongside anxiety and fear. She could not help hesitating.

As she wavered, Lumina shouted impatiently,

"Hurry up and go! Experience my masterpiece for yourself!"

Ilea spoke gently.

"It's safe, so don't worry. Yohan and I will be going with you."

Yohan took Serena's hand and led her forward. Watching their joined hands, Ilea gave a peculiar smile. There was something chilly about it.

Yohan cleared his throat, then plunged into the rift. He, Serena, and Ilea were immediately transported into the world within the mirrors.

* * *

Utter darkness surrounded them. They could see nothing ahead.

Yohan spoke.

"It's too dark."

At that moment, a cluster of blue light rose into the air, brightening their surroundings a little. Ilea had used magic.

She looked at Yohan with smiling eyes.

"We've arrived safely, yet you're still doing that."

More precisely, she was staring at his hand. Serena quietly let go of it.

"I-is this my sister's world?"

Ilea nodded.

"Serin is in that light at the end of the passage. Go on."

A faint glimmer seeped from the far end of the dark space. That was Serin's room. Yohan had been there once before.

He spoke.

"Serin will be waiting for you too, my lady. Go and see her."

Yohan did not want to intrude on the sisters' first reunion in person. He also had other things to do.

Serena swallowed hard and took a step forward. Her pace gradually quickened. Before long, she was running toward the light.

Once Serena had vanished completely from view, Ilea turned to Yohan.

"Well, the nuisance is gone. Now let's get on with our work."

They intended to conduct a few experiments in the world within the mirrors, which Lumina had reconfigured. The first was transport through another mirror.

Yohan spoke.

"We need to find the mirror in Miyatro Castle first. I marked it earlier."

At once, the cluster of blue light Ilea had created began darting through the air. The countless mirrors hanging all around flashed and flickered in the racing light.

Yohan frowned. His eyes hurt.

"I think I've found it. Would you check?"

No sooner had Ilea finished speaking than she and Yohan began rising slowly into the air. In an instant, they drew up before a particular mirror. A blue ribbon hung from its edge.

Yohan said,

"This is the one."

Ilea immediately drew up her mana. Complex equations appeared at her hand and seeped into the mirror. At the same time, it began to blaze with light.

A boy appeared on the glass. Today, as always, he was seated at his desk reviewing countless documents. It was Raguel.

With a faint chuckle, Yohan placed his hand against the mirror.

* * *

For nearly a month, Raguel had lived buried in work. He had not once left the office. He even ate and slept there.

His body, now that of a High Elf, felt no fatigue, but his mind was another matter. He was so miserable he felt ready to collapse.

"Seriously, how does Yohan live like this every day?"

Yohan did not sleep. He kept working, human by day and Demon by night. It ought to have worn him down mentally, yet he never once complained of weakness and was always on the move.

Raguel could not help admiring him for that. He himself, by contrast, was still weak.

As he heaved a deep sigh, Zal’karin, who was sorting documents beside him, clicked his tongue.

"A little bird will split its legs trying to match a stork's stride. Raguel, work within your abilities. Keep comparing yourself to the great End, and you'll work yourself into an early grave."

For once, Zal’karin was making sense. Raguel nodded slowly.

"Yohan really is..."

Before he could finish, a familiar voice came from somewhere.

"Truly remarkable, isn't he?"

Zal’karin and Raguel whipped their heads around at the same time. Yohan stood in a corner of the office, his back against the wall.

Raguel sprang to his feet. Zal’karin toppled backward. Both stared in shock.

"Y-Yohan...?"

"G-great End! Have you now transcended even time and space?!"