"It is time."
Within the dim space, Aleister's bare ankles rested against the edge of the life-support apparatus. Looking at the holographic display projected before him, he spoke in a calm voice.
The next instant, an astonishing scene appeared.
The holographic display before him suddenly divided. One became two, two became four, four became sixteen... Almost instantly, tens of thousands of holographic windows filled his entire field of vision, illuminating the enormous sealed chamber with their fluorescent glow.
A large portion of them showed girls with chestnut-brown shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. Their pupils appeared unfocused and dull, as though their attention had been evenly distributed across every object within their field of vision.
They were Misaka Mikoto's "Sisters," or more precisely, the mass-produced military clones who had survived after the Radio Noise Project and Level 6 Shift Project were frozen following their failures.
Some wore Tokiwadai Private Middle School uniforms with military night-vision goggles over their heads. Some wore white experimental tank tops while submerged in nutrient fluid within life-support tanks. Others wore thick winter coats while standing outdoors amid fields of snow...
Clearly, Aleister had already dispersed the Misaka Sisters among Academy City-affiliated organizations, research institutes, and welfare facilities around the world.
"The storm is coming... War with the Roman Catholic Church, leading to confrontation between the science side and magic side... Aleister, this truly is the worst possible move."
Tap... tap... tap...
A slightly overweight doctor whose face strongly resembled a frog stepped out from the side with his hands behind his back. A rain-frog sticker had been placed over the ID card on the chest of his white coat. He shifted his gaze away from the Misaka Sisters and sighed.
"My old friend, to be precise, we are going to war with the fanatical Stoics of the magic side. The Anglican Church and the Commonwealth are our allies."
Aleister precisely called up a holographic window concerning Selene and spoke unhurriedly. "Establish a common enemy and win over every ally who can be won over. That is Selene's explanation. It appears she has completed the coordination."
The holographic window displayed footage of Selene making an "OK" gesture with a golden gauntlet that was gradually fading away, along with footage of Selene speaking with Britain's Second Princess, Third Princess, and the former God's Right Seat member Acqua of the Back.
"Whether the process is good or bad doesn't matter. Achieving the objective is enough. My old friend, this time I did not touch your patients." Aleister turned toward the peculiar frog-like face of his old friend.
"It was Selene, wasn't it?"
Watching William Orwell being forcibly pressed to his knees by Selene and made to swear allegiance, the frog-faced doctor repeatedly shook his head.
"She's only a middle school student, yet she already dares to directly participate in coups within major powers and even initiate a world war. I really have no idea where that temperament of hers came from. She's normally so polite... Ah, I'm getting old. I can't understand how young people think anymore."
She had not shown the slightest intention of easing tensions. From the moment she acted, every deployment and preparation had been carried out with an uncompromising attitude aimed at killing the enemy and eradicating them completely.
The Roman Catholic Church might truly be in trouble this time.
It was not merely Academy City. Behind Selene stood the enormous military-industrial conglomerate gradually taking shape around the Schicksal Research Institute, the capitalist oligarchic financial groups bound deeply to it through weapons, medicine, aerospace, and advanced technology, as well as Academy City-affiliated institutions spread throughout the world and controlled through the Board of Directors...
At first glance, this force was inconspicuous and deeply hidden. But once full-scale war erupted, saying that the Roman Catholic Church would find itself facing enemies across the entire world would hardly be an exaggeration.
People called you "Your Holiness" in ordinary times, but did you really think that meant sincere faith? They respected you because you carried a big stick. Now that Academy City, leader of the science side, intended to make trouble for the Roman Catholic Church...
Which did you think there would be more of: people bringing their own supplies to the front lines to support a Christian holy war, or people gloating and secretly making trouble behind the scenes? It would already be fortunate if they refrained from kicking the Roman Catholic Church while it was down.
Especially in the Americas, where oligarchic politics exerted far too much influence. Recently, the Roman Catholic Church had also been exchanging increasingly suggestive looks with the Russian Orthodox Church in northern Asia, which had made many North American financial conglomerates and politicians unhappy.
As far as he knew, Selene had even thoughtfully packaged Terra of the Left's atrocities and memories and sent copies to them, all to help her "friends" better resolve problems with public opinion.
Who knew whether those Christian believers would start brawling inside parliament after seeing all the filth hidden among the Roman Catholic Church's upper leadership?
If both sides dragged their respective camps into war, one misstep could trigger World War III.
Come to think of it, the German-speaking regions seemed to have made rather "significant contributions" to both previous world wars. Uh... Well, Selene was Austrian...
"Old friend, you know what wish has kept me clinging to life until today..." Aleister paused briefly. "I hope our friendship never develops any blemishes. Don't make things difficult for me. It deserves to last for eternity."
Aleister's calm eyes reflected the frog-faced doctor's features, as though he wanted to engrave forever into his memory the friend who had both understood him during his darkest hour and saved his life.
After a long while, Aleister took a step forward. "Aiwass, let's go."
"As you wish, Aleister." A distorted voice mixed with static sounded as the Holy Guardian Angel, shining with golden light, reached out and tore at the air.
Rip!
The next second, accompanied by a series of cracking sounds, a fractured rift appeared, brilliant white light shining from within.
"Ah..."
Watching Aleister and Aiwass disappear through the rift, then looking back at the countless surveillance monitors filling the enormous space, the frog-faced doctor lifted his head with a somewhat bitter expression.
He now understood what Aleister had meant by eternity. It did not mean their friendship would last forever. It meant one of them would die first, leaving no opportunity for conflict to arise.
Wasn't that essentially eternal friendship?
He had seen clearly what lay beyond the rift for that brief instant. It was a city without shadows, weight, or airflow. It seemed so thin that it barely possessed any sense of existence, emitting only gray and chaotic visual signals.
At its center floated a tangible AIM Kabbalistic Tree of Life formed from concentrated AIM diffusion fields, stretching from earth to heaven. Countless enormous "fluids" vast enough to blot out the sky were continuously gathering toward the World Tree.
Those "fluids" varied in size. Each appeared to be composed of countless strings of data particles, slowly rotating in different sequences, directions, and speeds.
"Aleister, you've already resolved yourself to die."
...
Eastern Europe, the mouth of the Neva River, Saint Petersburg.
Across the world, Christianity could be divided into three largest denominations. First was the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican orthodoxy and the largest Christian denomination worldwide, claiming two billion believers. They governed the world... or at least, that was what they believed.
Then came the Anglican Church and the Russian Orthodox Church. Eastern Europe was obviously the latter's territory, and its purpose was to investigate and eliminate supernatural phenomena.
Aside from the three major denominations, there were also smaller sects such as the Amakusa-Style Remix of Church, the Spanish Star Sect, and the Athanasius Sect.
On precious riverside land, inside a brilliantly decorated domed cathedral built in a distinct ancient Byzantine architectural style, an unusual transaction was underway.
Inside one luxurious chamber of the cathedral, an extravagant crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling. The entire room was decorated in a lavish mixture of Baroque and Neoclassical styles, filled with rich, vivid colors. Triple-cross motifs in white with black patterns covered both carpet and walls.
The contrast between luxurious personal living and the sacred character of the cathedral, between coarse and delicate, vulgar and refined. Every tiny object seemed to proclaim the room owner's extravagant, indulgent personality.
"War? Why so sudden? What exactly is wrong with you people in the Roman Catholic Church?"
Reality matched the impression perfectly. The owner of the room, Nikolai Tolstoy, a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church, sat beneath an enormous banner decorated with the triple cross and spoke with obvious dissatisfaction.
Nikolai was a middle-aged man with typical Slavic features, including a full beard, and wore bishop's vestments that were obviously extremely expensive.
"Heh, don't ask too many questions. Just fulfill the contract. Still, I'll give you a little information. The latest news from Academy City..."
"Terra of the Left was killed. Acqua of the Back appears to have been dominated and brought under control. Vento of the Front was severely wounded. The Croce di Pietro was lost. Lidvia Lorenzetti was captured alive. Nearly a thousand priests sent into Academy City in advance to remain undercover and await orders were either killed or arrested. No mercy whatsoever."
A thin young man with blazing red hair sat with one leg crossed over the other and laughed loudly, showing not the slightest concern for the fate of his colleagues. Arrogance overflowed from every word.
"Even without me pushing them, after suffering a loss that huge and seeing Academy City treat the Vatican with complete contempt, those old bastards back home are already furious. When has the Roman Catholic Church ever suffered humiliation like this? They won't let it go. Just watch."
"Three members of God's Right Seat defeated... I see. The Lord's authority cannot be challenged. It is indeed time to teach those heretics a lesson." Nikolai's pupils contracted.
"Don't compare those three useless fools to me..."
Fiamma of the Right laughed dismissively, then asked, "All right, I came all this way. Nikolai, did you prepare what I asked for?"
"Of course. You were fortunate. After our exchange agreement, this woman kept disappearing together with members of Annihilatus. My people went to considerable trouble tracking her down."
Nikolai pressed a concealed switch on the table.
Creak!
Two Russian Orthodox believers carried in an unconscious petite woman. She had long, wavy golden hair that nearly covered both eyes, along with a tight garment that seemed designed to restrain her body and a translucent red outfit resembling underwear.
Magicians had peculiar tastes in clothing... Everyone present belonged to the magical world, so no one found the sight particularly strange.
"Sasha Kreutzev. The woman you wanted." Nikolai interlaced his fingers as he sat behind the luxurious solid-wood table. "Now it's my turn to state my condition. I want the Elizalina Alliance of Independent Nations."
"Since your faction has already begun taking action, the Russian Orthodox Church cannot afford to fall behind. As fellow believers in Christ, it is our duty to soothe more of the Lord's lambs."
Heh!
The Slavs' innate greed for land.
According to the agreement between Fiamma and Nikolai, Fiamma would help him rise to become the supreme patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, and in return, Nikolai would lead the Russian Orthodox Church to stand on Fiamma of the Right's side.
Now Nikolai was growing impatient. Among the Slavs, what brought the greatest prestige?
The answer was simple: expanding territory and winning wars.
Wasn't the Elizalina Alliance of Independent Nations simply an international alliance formed by multiple countries that had broken away from territories under Russian Orthodox influence? If he swallowed it whole, Nikolai would gain more than enough prestige to kick aside that imprisoned puppet patriarch and seize the position for himself.
Although Fiamma of the Right looked down on Nikolai's transparent excuse, he did not expose it. Greedy idiots willing to do absolutely anything and possessing almost no moral bottom line were difficult to find.
"Do whatever you want. As long as you can conquer it, I'll make the nations of southwestern Europe recognize your territorial claims."
Fiamma of the Right effortlessly lifted the unconscious Sasha Kreutzev with one thin arm and lost all interest in remaining there.
The atmosphere of this place made him sick!
The supreme patriarch of one of the three great denominations was a weak, easily bullied fool, while the bishop who actually wielded power was a pig like this. Truly...
At the same time, Fiamma of the Right became even more certain of his conviction.
As expected!
Only he could be the savior. Only he could save humanity and save the world!
The conditions required for the "Star of Bethlehem" were almost completely prepared... Next came John's Pen Remote Control and Index Librorum Prohibitorum.
Fiamma of the Right landed atop the cathedral's towering domed tower and looked toward the British Isles in the distance.
"Heh. An alliance? Then I'll start with you."
...
For the students, tourists, and parents enjoying Academy City's annual Daihasei Festival, time passed in the blink of an eye. Happy days always went quickly, but this year in particular, it felt far too short.
By late September, although a few scattered athletic events were still being held, everyone's attention had clearly shifted elsewhere, because...
Over the past several days, despite the Daihasei Festival proceeding perfectly normally, Christian believers around the world had suddenly begun expressing intense dissatisfaction toward Academy City and making all manner of unreasonable demands. Because the Board of Directors ignored them, anti-Academy City marches and riots erupted on a global scale.
The situation was especially severe in Western Europe, Southern Europe, and North Africa, regions where the Roman Catholic Church possessed strong influence. Violent clashes had already broken out, with large-scale riots causing numerous injuries and deaths.
Everyone waited to see how Academy City would respond, and what happened next left countless people stunned. Not only did the Board of Directors show no intention of conciliation, it even deployed heavily armed robots and powered suits to suppress the unrest!
Immediately afterward, Academy City issued a statement declaring that the entire situation was a conspiracy by the Roman Catholic Church. It claimed that during the Daihasei Festival, an esper-development organization within the Roman Catholic Church using something code-named "magic" had attacked Academy City. Academy City then publicly released a series of explosive revelations extracted from Terra of the Left's mind.
Naturally, the Roman Catholic Church denied everything, calling the information fabricated slander, while counteraccusing Academy City of conducting blasphemous research that violated Christian doctrine. It then called upon believers around the world to launch a holy war.
Neither side made the slightest attempt to conceal their hostility anymore.