“Would you like some tea?”
“No thanks.”
Reika nodded before pouring some tea for herself.
When the cup was about half full, Lukas opened his mouth.
“You created a very interesting religion.”
“…”
At those words, the tea stopped flowing into the cup.
“That’s quite rude, isn’t it? We didn’t create this religious organisation for fun. How could you call it ‘interesting’?”
After saying those words with a smile, she resumed pouring her tea. This would normally give someone a gracious and polite impression of her, but it only filled Lukas, who could see her true nature, with disgust.
His lips twisted subconsciously.
“Well. I think ‘funny’ would be a more appropriate expression.”
“…”
It was only then when the smile disappeared from Reika’s lips. With a cold glint in her eyes, she opened her mouth.
“You’re intentionally being rude. What do you know about our Church of Eternal Life?”
“I’m not interested in finding out.”
Lukas said those words in a cold voice, but Reika didn’t panic.
If the man in front of her was who she thought he was, then this attitude was to be expected.
“However, by imitating souls, you are disrespecting the dead. In my opinion, it is an act that is a lot worse than spitting on a grave or punching a corpse.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“At your level, it is impossible for you to interact with the afterlife. The power of Communication is great, but its essence is in the name ‘Communication’. Even at its best, it would be impossible for you to call souls from the afterlife and have them descend upon the mortal world once again. However, you make it a practice to show your believers their dead loved ones… And there is only one way that is possible.”
“…”
“You copied the memories and personalities of the dead.”
Reika was completely expressionless at that moment. Coupled with her unrealistic appearance, this caused her to look like a doll.
She slowly picked up the teacup in front of her, intending to take a sip.
ButLukas took this opportunity to speak in a low voice.
“Put your hand down. I’m talking.”
“…”
Reika’s movements froze at those words. This wasn’t because she had listened to his words. Instead, it was as though Lukas’ words were a command that she had no choice but to follow. As though the language itself had power.
Chtcht-
A white glow flickered in his eyes like an electric current.
This light reminded her of Arid’s eyes, but it seemed to contain more mysterious and dangerous energy.
‘What did he do… to me…?’
Looking at Reika, who was gritting her teeth as she tried to move, Lukas continued.
“Copying personalities and memories, things necessary to imitate a soul, wouldn’t be hard with the power of [Communication]. That is already an absurd action in the first place, but you weren’t satisfied with that. Instead, you looked for mediums to contain the imitation souls…”
Crack-
The teacup in her hand cracked and shattered, spilling hot tea all over Reika’s hand, as well as the table.
She wanted to scream at the sudden heat, but Lukas wouldn’t even let her do that.
“So you turned your sights on the wandering souls who had yet to find peace.”
They overwrote the personalities of those wandering souls and imprinted their imitations instead.
That was the true reason why Lukas was so angry.
“You captured them and forcefully overlaid your copies onto them. As they were weak, they had no way to resist you. Those confused wandering souls could only helplessly lose their consciousness. It can’t even be called death.”
It was something far more terrible than that.
It was then.
Bang!
A bright flash of light exploded around Reika’s body. The table was sent flying, and the entire room began to vibrate loudly.
With a cold expression on her face, she had managed to break free from Lukas’ restraints.
“Do you know why the wandering souls are called wandering souls? It’s because they are unable to let go of their lingering feelings, which causes them to be unable to ascend to paradise.”
That was why Reika didn’t feel guilty.
Because she did the right thing.
No. Rather…
“They should be grateful that we give them new identities. Thanks to the overlaying personality, they can feel happiness and satisfaction that they would never be able to experience while wandering the world.”
Feel happiness and satisfaction.
Those words weren’t wrong.
Because of the overlaying personalities, they were able to feel the happiness of reuniting with their families. But it was only false happiness.
They were just being deceived. In truth, they didn’t have any relationship with the people they met. Nevertheless, the wandering souls felt happiness as though they had been reunited with their real family. And they gratefully bowed their heads to the Church of Eternal Life, who gave them the opportunity.
They didn’t know that those were not their true feelings. That their existence in itself was a lie.
They didn’t know that they had been cut off from an important cycle.
From life to death. Afterward, they would pass through the afterlife before finally being reincarnated.
This was something that every human was entitled to.
And that was why Lukas hated them.
Regardless of whether they had been good or bad, one should never forget the path that one walked.
The righteous had the right to feel pleased with their right actions.
The wrongdoers had the right to repent and atone for their wrongdoings.
And yet, those rights were being stripped away by the humans in front of him. In order to pursue their own goals, they had done something that should never be done.
They had erased human lives.
Boom!
A large explosion sounded beneath them. It sounded like it came from underground. The entire building shook as if there was an earthquake.
A smile appeared on Reika’s lips.
“It seems there is a bit of a commotion downstairs.”
“…”
“I know what you are. Absolute.”
“You know who I am?”
“Huhu, did you think I wouldn’t know?”
Reika chuckled. After all, she was proud that there were things this cosmic being in front of her didn’t know.
Right. It was as Slei said.
Unlike their seemingly grand name, they were nothing more than servants of God who were tasked with maintaining balance and harmony.
“Absolutes. The only beings who can travel between the universes that are more numerous than the stars in the sky… Huhu! That is a great truth that most mortals are unable to know, but we can. For we can communicate with God. No secrets can escape our eyes.”
Lukas raised an eyebrow.
“It’s not your power. It is something you stole from that child.”
He knew even that?
But even when that secret was revealed, Reika retained her proud attitude.
“Arid. That is too much power for a child. Instead, meeting us was that child’s great fortune. Because we know the most effective way to make use of that gift!”
“You’re mistaken. That child doesn’t use his power recklessly because he knows just how dangerous his abilities are. But maybe you’re right. Maybe you do know how to use it more effectively.”
At that moment, the pleased expression on Reika’s face disappeared.
“After all, with your wisdom, you used most of your power to keep your young appearance instead of the way it was intended.”
“…what the hell are you…”
“Now, I get it. You seem to know quite a bit about Absolutes, but your knowledge is still lacking. You’re not actually communicating with God. You’re just one-sidedly asking for information from a void space somewhere in the universe.”
In other words, they were communicating with something known as the Akashic Records.
It was a Great Library of semi-transcendent information that recorded all information in the universe.
Of course, Lukas knew about it.
Unfortunately, despite its reputation, not everything was recorded in that library of information.
Rather than grand names like the Akashic Records or Great Library, Absolutes prefered to call it ‘God’s Diary’.
So what they thought was the voice of God was simply, actually just God’s diary.
Of course, that child, Arid, would eventually be able to communicate directly with God. But at his current level, that was still impossible.
Naturally, there was no way Slei and Reika would be able to do something that even the true owner of the power of Communication couldn’t.
That was why Lukas couldn’t help but wonder why they were so proud.
Perhaps they had managed to learn about Absolutes from the answer to one of their questions.
Perhaps.
They had heard about Lukas.
That he was the only Absolute who was friendly to humans.
After all, that was the only thing that could explain their strange confidence.
Lukas felt pure anger at that moment.
Everything he’d learned made him feel disgusted and nauseous.
And yet, there was one thing that made him feel the worst.
That was the fact that this human in front of him didn’t seem to understand what she’d done wrong.
“Do you think it’s impressive that you managed to obtain fragmented information about my identity, origins, or goals…? It’s not. All you need to know is that right now, I am truly disgusted by you.”
Suddenly, Reika found it hard to breathe.
And indescribable tightness seemed to fill her chest at that moment.
“Even the dumbest of wild beasts know fear. At least they know to be wary of predators. How about you?”
Lukas’ voice was filled with rage.
“Are your senses as good as a beast’s?”