Returning from the investigation, they arrived at the district head's office to report directly to Mr. Edi Damansyah. The three of them recounted every detail of the preceding events.
The atmosphere was cool yet aesthetic, defined by the room's neat and orderly layout.
"So... what are your thoughts?"
Radiz spoke with firmness and self-assurance.
"There's nothing amiss, in my estimation. As one of Celis's former peers, I can attest that he rarely, if ever, lies."
Mr. Edi Damansyah rose from his chair, rummaging through a drawer filled with documents.
"And their current status?"
"They are securely contained, and we've transferred them to qualified medical professionals. I have every confidence they'll receive proper care at the hospital or the local health clinic."
Mr. Edi listened attentively, holding two sheets of paper in his hand as he sat back down to review them.
The documents contained background information and profiles on Celis and Robert.
Noticing the surname "Von D'e" attached to Celis, Mr. Edi explained with a grave expression.
"Robert Pattinson has been a fugitive for two years. He's a ruthless individual who manipulates human souls, ripping them from their bodies and transmuting them into the phantoms we now face. Among his victims are Celis's own parents—Witches who bound themselves to Calumny.
Strangely enough, however, they haven't risen from the dead. As the persistent rumors suggest, those who pledge themselves to Calumny are supposedly granted immortality until their Vow and Destiny are fulfilled, a pact that should resurrect them."
Mr. Edi displayed a physical portrait of Robert.
"Without anyone's knowledge, he's been arbitrarily harvesting people's souls to turn them into specters."
Zinia asked firmly, "What are our directives, sir?"
"For now, your objective is to gather intelligence on Robert, and specifically regarding Celis—you must prepare yourselves. From what I've foreseen in the future, you are headed for a fierce collision with him, especially you... Radiz."
Following the briefing, the trio gathered in a separate room. Fariz and Zinia shed their suit jackets, removed their ties, and unbuttoned their collars.
"Whew... Exhausting work for what was essentially just a walk."
"Still better than sitting through lectures at school."
Radiz simply sat in silence, a heavy contemplative look on his face. Fariz walked over and threw an arm around his shoulder.
"What's on your mind, Diz? Talk to me if something's bothering you."
"It's nothing, just... I've been wondering, has my personality changed since I acquired this power?"
"Hah?! What are you talking about, relax. You're still you, nothing's changed."
Radiz responded with a faint, quiet laugh.
"Ahaha... Yeah."
Years ago, Radiz had been walking home alone, carrying a black plastic bag filled with groceries.
A sudden, oppressive unease had washed over him. Confused, he glanced left and right. The atmosphere grew thick and suffocating, the very air feeling entirely alien.
"What is—"
A tattered black cloth drifted down from above, bearing a traditional panji mask. It hovered directly in front of him. It was Calumny—the mysterious entity of unknown origin that bestowed power.
Seized by fear and confusion, Radiz stared at the iconic mask.
A chilling, unearthly voice spoke directly to him.
"Make a Vow!"
Uncomprehending, Radiz broke out into a cold, uncomfortable sweat.
The mask radiated an aura of dread, and the disembodied voice paired with the floating fabric paralyzed his limbs, locking him in place.
I don't understand what's happening, I can't move my body. Is that thing a Kuyang or what?
Once more, Calumny repeated the exact same phrase.
"Make a Vow!"
Slowly, Radiz's lips parted, and he cried out against the paralysis.
"I... I don't understand what you want from me."
"I am merely granting you power."
The statement only deepened his bewilderment.
"Power?!"
"Your power depends entirely on the Vow you make to me. Make a Vow!"
Spontaneously, Radiz blurted out his answer to the entity.
"I vow to protect my family, no matter the circumstances! I will live for them, and I want to protect everyone who holds life!"
With every word Radiz uttered, Calumny's form slowly dissolved into a blinding light that surged straight into his solar plexus.
He experienced an unprecedented physical sensation as his body absorbed the power.
An overwhelming wave of agony mingled with a strange sense of relief, plunging him into an ambiguous mental state. Gasping for air, Radiz dropped to his knees under the strain.
Then, just as suddenly, his breathing normalized, and the oppressive atmosphere vanished back to normal.
That was the genesis of it all—the dawn of the era when humanity changed forever.
Celis had returned to the spot where he had first fallen asleep, turning over the previous encounter in his mind—specifically how Radiz had proven completely immune to his Slashing Durability, a fact that still irritated him.
"Unbelievable. And here I thought all that training would amount to something."
Amidst his annoyance, his thoughts drifted back to a magic theory lecture from class.
Professor George had stood before them, lecturing on the manipulation of magical energy.
"The methodology of magical manipulation is actually quite straightforward—"
Lifting a hand forward, Professor George summoned a crackling arc of thunder, holding a shimmering blade composed entirely of raw lightning.
"—You simply conceptualize what you desire and bring it into manifestation. So, what kind of new magic will you forge? Your spell or technique will materialize instantly without requiring external components. In other words,"
Professor George tapped his temple with a single finger.
"—you need only imagine what you wish to achieve."
Sitting cross-legged on the ground with his Sumitsu sword and Kaden's cloth resting beside him, Celis tried to figure out what to focus on.
"True enough. I manage to pull off new techniques on the fly during actual combat all the time, so why is my brain drawing a blank the moment I actually try to think about it..."
He weighed his options.
"A fireball is out of the question. How is a butterfly-based manifestation supposed to suddenly turn into fire? Hm... my abilities are strictly limited to velocity, regeneration, and butterflies. Not to mention they're all borrowed. But wait."
He recalled his battle against Hella, during which she had instantaneously constructed and fired a cannon directly at him.
"If I recall correctly, Hella combined spatial and darkness manipulation to form that cannon... but what am I supposed to do? Most of my kit is geared toward defense and evasion, not offensive output."
"Should I just merge the powers instead of carrying this cloth around and overheating? Besides, why did the vow bind to this fabric in the first place instead of me?! That kid made no sense."
Doubts immediately crept back in.
"And how on earth am I supposed to transfer it anyway?"
Celis scratched his head in frustration.
"Man, life gets complicated real fast when reality decides to upend itself."
He cycled through a few ideas: forcefully ripping the radiant light out of the cloth and fusing it into his own body, simply throwing the cloth away, or doing nothing at all.
Remembering that power could be divided, Celis decided to address the fabric directly.
"Hey cloth, I—you know what, arguing with a piece of clothing is a surefire way to lose my mind."
He resumed scratching his head.
"Arrrghhhh! Being forgetful is a curse. Let's start with a reference point. A video game? An anime? Or maybe a novel..."
Opting for his first strategy, he resolved to tear the light out of the cloth by sheer force of will. Picking up the fabric, he extended his free hand like a fortune teller preparing to divine a secret.
Channeling pure intent and vivid visualization, he began to pull. It felt heavy and resistant, but bit by bit, a glowing luminescence began to peel away from the cloth until a bright orb of light rested in his palm.
Setting the depleted cloth aside, Celis took the light in his hand and pressed it directly into his solar plexus.
The physical reaction was entirely different from his previous experiences. Instantly, his senses sharpened to an extreme degree; he could perceive the presence of surrounding wildlife within a four-meter radius of where he stood.
"I can actually feel them."
The butterfly power had fully integrated into his biology. He no longer felt entirely human; his instincts and perception of nearby living creatures hummed continuously without any conscious effort on his part.
"I didn't think this through, but is it because this power belongs to butterflies? My instincts are acting like an insect's? Wait, do butterflies even have instincts?"
He could sense a colony of ants moving beneath the soil, a mother bird guarding her eggs in a tree overhead, and even tiny subterranean worms.
"Bizarre, but admittedly useful. I suppose..."
Reaching for his sword and the cloth—deciding it was too valuable to simply throw away—he manipulated the fabric, reshaping it until it seamlessly merged into the pommel and tip of the Sumitsu scabbard. The tip now gleamed with a deep midnight-blue hue.
"There. Much better than tossing it in the trash."
Grip tightening around the hilt of his sword with his right hand, Celis hardened his resolve, his gaze sharpening once again like a drawn blade.
"All right. What's my next move?"