"This is ridiculous," Judith was the first to refute Finnian's claim. "The power over the seasons or the sun and moon is a divine blessing. Only the chosen is born with it, and only the Great Three can welcome a divine child. A ritual could never achieve that goal for anyone outside our families."
Silas's probing stare made Zerath squint, as if already knowing what he was thinking. "Is there truly a way someone could receive the divine blessing?"
"'Receive' is the wrong word to use, Rudaheim Crown Prince," he smiled. "It's manipulation."
Arzan voiced his trembling thoughts. "A veil-born has both Yin and Yang essence."
"Technically, we all do."
A stumped gaze met Finnian. "Do you want to start a war by saying that? We carry the essence of the race we hate?"
Vivia reminisced about her master's words from the past.
'This burning hatred between us is the most nonsensical thing we could waste our time on. Idiots don't realize we all are one. Or maybe…' her gaze had drifted somewhere faraway in the distance. 'People willingly choose to remain idiots.'
Finnian smiled breezily. "Have you never sensed your own mana?"
"I have," Arzan said.
"And have you never noticed the presence of something other than Yin?"
"That…"
Though a demon's mana was primarily Yin, Arzan knew it held something else too. He remembered asking about it to Draconis once.
'Really? Do you feel that way? Hm. Probably some raw mana that hasn't fully manifested yet. I wouldn't worry too much about it.'
Silas laughed. "Ah. Is that what that foxy old man told you? Classic behavior to be always secretive. Sir Draconis knows. He just doesn't want to say it out loud."
"Sir Draconis would never lie to me!"
"Even parents lie to their children - what makes you think an Order wouldn't?" Silas rolled his eyes.
Finnian walked over and extended his hand. "Give me your hand."
Arzan gulped lightly and shot a glance at Zerath - half asking permission, half hoping for an excuse to refuse.
"Go ahead," he smiled.
My lord! Is it truly safe for this madman to hold my hand?
"Hmm, let's do it this way instead," Finnian said, "Summon your mana at your fingertip."
Relieved, Arzan obeyed. Channeling his mana, he let it gather at his fingertip. A small, dark sphere took shape. Finnian did the same and a white sphere gleamed from his fingertip.
"Now touch my finger."
Heart pounding, Arzan pressed his finger against his.
In a slow moment, the two distinct energies merged so naturally that knocked every breath out of Arza's chest. A single sphere formed - both light and dark woven into one. A tiny black spot formed within the white half, whereas a white spot formed within the dark one.
A trembling gasp escaped Vivia's lips. Even in this bleak and tragic place, a ray of hope and peace quietly settled in the air, as if easing away the nausea within her.
"Is it like this for everyone?" She asked, breathless.
"Yes. A small part of Yin courses through our veins while a small part of Yang runs through the demons. What you see here is called the state of balance."
Judith stared. "But this isn't common knowledge."
He laughed. "It'd never be or the entire foundation of both kingdoms will collapse. People are being led to believe that they are superior over the other race - while being completely in the dark of the truth. We hold a sliver of each other's energies, so, in a sense, are we not hating ourselves?"
Finnian closed his eyes. "Balance doesn't exist solely within nature. Balance is everywhere. We're alive because both energies make our heart beat. We fall sick when either Yin or Yang in our bodies gets disrupted. So essentially, we only differ on the outside. Underneath, we're identical."
Zerath held his breath. "So when a veil-born is born…"
"In very simple terms, the pure state of balance is achieved - what you see here. A veil-born can wield both forms of magic and…also carries the potential to be divine."
Arzan asked, puzzled, "But then what about the Great Three Families?"
"That blessing is natural - just as God decided centuries ago. When I say a veil-born could be divine, it certainly is not a natural approach."
Zerath's eyes narrowed. "If it's not natural but a manipulation, then where does the mana to perform such a ritual come from?"
"There are three ways."
Vivia and Zerath had a feeling they weren't going to like any of them.
"The most natural and abundant energy source is found in the pillars of our world. Lavos, Aetherios and the Realm of Harmony. But it's not easy to extract the usable energy from there. It's too potent. You truly need to filter out the energy, and we haven't been able to achieve that yet."
Arzan nodded.
"The second way is to build a mana well. Essentially, trap enough humans and demons to siphon their living energy to fuel the ritual. Eventually, they die."
Vivia's stomach turned. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the third.
"The third is to use a nature's spirit - the closest existence to God."
Vivia blinked once. Then her expression changed.
"...Someone like Eurus's mother?"
"Hm? Eurus? Who is he?"
A short summary of events later, Finnian's eyes sparkled. "A hybrid of a demon and a spirit? Fascinating…"
Zerath closed his eyes. "So humans and demons being abducted in our realms along with a spirit…does this all point to the possibility that someone is preparing to perform this ritual? Forcing divinity upon a veil-born?"
"Possibility?" He blinked. "No. It is already happening."
Judith's eyes squinted. "How do you know that?"
"Because that's why Martin Grisbane disappeared and so did the red-haired woman who the princess came to search for."
—
"They're doing what…?"
Audreya stared blankly. For a long time, she couldn't process the reality Martin had just explained to her.
"They are…forcefully making humans and demons mate for a veil-born on whom they could perform a ritual, granting them the powers of both Blesseds?"
Her gaze fell onto the child, who cooed against his mother's chest. In the most gruesome and crude way possible, humans and demons were being hunted, captured and forced to birth a mixed child.
'Your turn could come very soon.'
Audreya staggered back, the truth dawning upon her. She clutched her throat, nausea closing around it. This had gone way too far than mere slavery.
She threw a dazed look at Martin. "So you've also…with a demoness…?"
"No. I'm a slave doing odd jobs here. But it's true I was brought here for that exact purpose."
"What is wrong with these people! Are they crazy? This is lunacy! Who'd even think of such monstrosity!"
The woman beside them broke into silent tears, pulling her child closer to her chest. Audreya looked at the child and trembled. "W-what happens if the ritual fails?"
Martin took a somber pause. "They don't survive it. The energy is too immense for them to…"
"So they're sacrificed? That's what you're saying?"
The silence hit her harder than his response.
"Wh-who are these people?"
"That's exactly what I came here to find out."
Her eyes widened. "Came here? You mean you weren't taken by force?"
Martin held a certain careful look. "...It's a little complicated to explain. I'm here under orders to investigate the abductions."
"So the royal family already knows?" She gasped. "And yet these perpetrators aren't caught!?"
"That's…also complicated to explain."
"Fine. I'll ask a simpler question. How do we escape?"
"This is a secure hideout, deep underground. Magical traps are in place designed to catch you."
Her gaze turned cold. "I'll kill myself before I allow these bastards to force a man to touch me - human, demon I don't care."
"Escape at this moment is perilous, but there's one way to avoid that…fate for you."
"What is it?"
"This entire system depends on a woman or demoness being able to conceive. But if you're naturally unable to…"
"Is that what you did?"
"I told them that an earlier accident in my life left me unable to…" he cleared his throat. "There was no use even if I slept with a demoness. You must concoct a similar story, but you need to be very careful. It must be believable - especially in front of the doctor."
Her brow twitched.
That same doctor I just strangled unconscious? Will he believe my story no matter how world class I act?
"What will happen if the doctor believes me? Won't I just become useless to them?"
"In a way, yes," Martin nodded. "But you'll still be useful as a slave and to…"
Alarm rang all over in her mind. "And to?"
"Siphon a part of your life energy."
Silence.
"You should understand that this is a forbidden ritual and they consume a huge amount of mana. That's part of what I've been trying to uncover - their mana source. They take us to a separate chamber where there's a massive sphere. It stores the energy stolen from us."
Her blood ran cold.
"But this is the only way you have. You'd be housed in a separate quarter for slaves and would have much more freedom than the others."
Audreya took it all in and asked, "This child…will he too…?"
Suddenly, a guard's voice bellowed.
"Find that red-haired woman! Search every corner!"
Audreya panicked, but Martin held her down. "Don't try to fight them now. You're only going to lose," he exhaled. "For now, follow my lead."