"..."
"Tch!" Medici wasn't foolish; his earlier misstep was purely due to outdated intel. With the new information, he quickly pieced it together, glancing at Azik. "I see! In that case, you're indeed not suited to claim the uniqueness."
Recalling Mr. Door's earlier comments, Medici easily deduced that this was Salinger's contingency for revival. If Azik's half-soul merged with the half holding Death's uniqueness, Salinger could likely resurrect through him.
"That's right." Alaric nodded, propping his chin with one hand. "But I still support reclaiming the Rose School of Thought. Their Artificial Death project involves Mr. Azik's other soul half. Letting them mess around could lead to unpredictable consequences!"
"And as a former Death Consul, it's only natural for Azik to take over the Rose School. Of course, it's up to you, Azik." Alaric turned to him.
"..."
Azik hadn't thought much about it. Until today, while he knew his soul was split, he had no idea it was tied to Death's uniqueness or that it was the Rose School's so-called Artificial Death.
The revelation left him reeling with absurdity. He rubbed his temples and looked at Alaric. "Thank you for telling me, Jack. So, the Rose School's Artificial Death is… me…"
Recalling Lucifer's words about the outcome of his two soul halves merging, Azik's eyes hardened with resolve. "You're right. I can't let the Rose School continue unchecked."
Whether he ultimately merged with his other soul half or not, Azik refused to let it remain in the Rose School's hands, subject to their experiments.
As Jack said, who knew what accidents might arise if the project continued?
"That's the spirit!" Alaric clapped Azik's shoulder. "Then it's settled. We'll help you reclaim the Rose School first. Once that's done, you can bring them into our cause. Everyone gets what they want... perfect!"
Azik hesitated, a bit embarrassed. "It should be me helping you, but now you're helping me first…"
"Don't feel bad, Azik. I want you to join our cause, but that doesn't mean I'm trying to exploit you. That'd be unethical. Mutual benefit is the way to go... I want us all to get what we need." Alaric said with a grin, unfazed. "Just don't run off with the Rose School later."
His words were sincere. Alaric had no intention of guilt-tripping Azik into joining the reform. Not everyone was a saint like the Sun God, and ensuring mutual gain was key. Reclaiming the Rose School would benefit Azik and serve Alaric's interests too. Even the Sun God had reaped rewards from reform... why shouldn't they?
"I wouldn't do that." Azik said, earnest and firm.
"I trust you." Alaric replied, nodding with a smile.
Azik's expression turned hesitant, then resolute, as if he'd made a decision. "Jack, I'd like to meet your teacher."
Alaric blinked, puzzled. "My teacher? Sure, but why? What's up?"
Azik lowered his gaze, sighing softly. "I want to meet the old me."
"The old you?" Alaric paused, realization dawning. He narrowed his eyes. "You mean the Death Consul from the Balam Empire?"
"Yes." Azik nodded.
"Why the sudden interest in meeting him?" Alaric had a faint guess.
"I want to regain more of my strength." Azik said with a wry, yet resolute smile, his gaze sweeping over Klein and Alaric. "I'm too weak right now. I need to be stronger to protect those I care about and to not hold you back. I don't want to be someone who just waits for your help, nor do I want…"
To be powerless when my other soul half tries to consume me.
If Azik once sought only to recover his memories without caring about strength, his recent clash with the Augustus family's Hand of Order and the revelation about the Rose School's Artificial Death changed everything. He now craved power like never before.
He was too weak to protect those he cared about in this increasingly chaotic world.
Though unclear on what soul fusion entailed, Azik understood that the weaker would be devoured by the stronger. Currently, he couldn't even fully wield his Sequence 2 power, while his other soul half, fused with Death's uniqueness, had become the Artificial Death.
If he didn't grow stronger, a future encounter and merger might leave him overtaken, with only the Artificial Death surviving.
Azik also had his pride. He saw himself as Klein and Jack's elder, yet Jack was now helping him. While he didn't mind accepting help from the younger generation, he refused to be someone who only relied on it. He needed to become stronger.
Alaric could see what Azik was thinking. Raising an eyebrow, he didn't refuse, nodding instead. "Alright. I'll write to my teacher. We should get a reply soon."
Initially, Alaric hadn't planned to help Azik recover his memories quickly, but circumstances had changed, and so had his intentions.
For one, when he'd summoned Roselle, the Shadow of Time had negated external influences. Summoning the Death Consul might similarly strip away Death's influence, making the meeting potentially beneficial for Azik.
For another, Alaric considered his Mask Maker ability. If it worked on Adam, it should work on a Sequence 2 like Azik.
"A love-attributed mask should keep Azik's divinity from spiking too quickly, and it'd help me digest the Mask Maker potion faster." Alaric mused, already planning his next steps.
***
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