If Evan used the Akashic Page to cast the World Isolation Barrier, its potency would be on an entirely different level, powerful enough to hold even Transcendents at bay, if only temporarily.
And even if the barrier was broken, Evan could simply cast it again, as he suffered no spell backlash thanks to being the Akashic Page's owner.
"I see what you're getting at," Evan muttered. "But like you said, Causality always tries to destroy it. So, how am I supposed to use it to protect Arthur long enough for him to become Transcendent?"
Charisse opened her mouth to speak, but Evan raised a hand to stop her and went on.
"There's also the fact that Arthur and I will likely be on separate battlefields, facing different opponents due to our power difference. So I may not even be anywhere near him when the time comes."
"Addressing your second concern first," Charisse said, "I would like you and your companions to operate as a group.
I've already spoken to Sir Arthur about this, and now, I'm letting you know as well. The reason I gave him was that having both Destruction users in the same place would allow us to better anticipate enemy movements and set traps for any devils targeting either of you.
As for the ladies in your group, setting combat power aside, I've been told the two goddesses possess support abilities that will also be valuable. With that in mind, he's agreed to my suggestion."
It was clear Charisse had already arranged for them to stay together, and after making that known to Evan, she added,
"And now, to address your original concern. What if I told you I have a way to protect your item from causality?"
"Mind enlightening me on the nature of this means?"
"Simple. I will act as a 'lightning rod' to attract and redirect causality's wrath away from you for a limited period."
Hearing that, Evan gave her a skeptical look and asked,
"So you're really willing to let yourself get struck by causality, just so I can protect Arthur?"
"Yes."
Her immediate response had Evan narrowing his eyes.
"Why are you willing to go that far?"
"Because in all the possible futures I've seen, our success largely hinges on both you and Sir Arthur fulfilling certain critical roles. If Sir Arthur is incapacitated, he cannot fulfil his role, which is meant to clear the stage for yours.
For the sake of the continued existence of Spirits on Iohodis, I would go that far."
Charisse's voice was filled with strong conviction, and after a moment, she added,
"Besides, my comprehension of causality makes it less effective on me, especially since I'm not the 'target' it's trying to destroy. The only real consequence I would suffer is for deflecting its wrath from its intended target. That wrath itself cannot truly affect me, because it's not meant for me."
That line of reasoning did make sense to Evan. After all, causality's 'lightning' had the property of selective destruction, so unless it was the Akashic Page it was trying to destroy, the damage it could deal wouldn't exceed a fraction, barely 1%.
'Provided my singularity nature doesn't mess things up…'
"How many know about this plan of yours? Letting yourself get struck by causality?"
"Besides you, no one," Charisse replied, eliciting a chuckle from Evan.
"Thought as much. With how the spirits idolise you, there's no way they'd stand by and let you put yourself in danger."
After a brief silence, Evan nodded and answered,
"Alright. I'll protect him."
"That would be appreciated," Charisse replied, then added,
"I was informed that you were in need of fire law crystals, which are currently scarce in the mines around Tír Síorghlas. Are there any other laws you require crystals for? I'll have them included in the final batch as added compensation."
"I'll send you a list before the day's over," Evan said, preparing to rise from his seat, but Charisse raised a hand to stop him.
"One last thing. A question, if you don't mind."
"??"
As Evan turned to look at her, clearly waiting for her to go on, Charisse clapped her hands, and ten skill descriptions materialised in front of his eyes.
[Archivist's Labyrinth]
[Archivist's Burn]
[Archivist's Armament]
[Archivist's Aegis]
[Archivist's Geass]
[Archivist's Drain]
[Archivist's Rupture]
[Archivist's Memory]
[Archivist's Insight]
[Archivist's Ruin]
As Evan's gaze shifted to the translucent tabs, Charisse posed her question.
"In a scenario where you have only a little time left and need an immense burst of power to take down a troublesome opponent, which of these skills do you think would give you the best momentary boost?"
"…"
Evan examined the ten skills, instantly recognising that they belonged to a Skill Series. When he reached the fifth one, a line Azzonnin once said resurfaced in his mind, prompting him to ask,
For the first time, Charisse's expression shifted to one of surprise.
"How did you…?"
"A certain Soul Devil who enjoyed talking a little too much," Evan replied, focusing now on the description of Archivist's Geass. Reflecting on Charisse's earlier question, this one stood out as the most viable choice.
'A Geass is a restriction in return for power. It can prove useful under extreme situations.'
With that in mind, he pointed to the skill, and upon seeing his selection, Charisse asked with a hint of concern,
"That one is quite restrictive. The conditions might linger for a considerable time."
"That's why I'd define the limit myself, rather than letting the skill impose it."
Evan replied with a casual shrug, and seeing his demeanour, Charisse nodded lightly.
"Very well. Your choice will be relayed to 'Taemia'."
The Rogue Hero gave her an odd look at that, but eventually shook his head and chose not to ask any further questions.
"Anything else?"
"For now, no. If anything arises, I'll inform you."
Evan nodded, rose to his feet, and exited the room, just moments before he sensed a massive surge of spatial law energy that signalled Arthur's return.
He had brought the final group of cultivators for the briefing, but just like what had happened on Denerth Prime, assembling thousands of individuals, many hailing from wildly different backgrounds, naturally stirred tension.
Scuffles erupted here and there, voices clashed in arguments, and some unruly figures began testing the limits.
Charisse intended to address them and provide a clear explanation of the situation before the Elders arrived, but it quickly became apparent that doing so wouldn't be easy.
Her repeated attempts to command attention were ignored, and several individuals went so far as to behave aggressively, issuing demands that had Charisse's guards just an inch away from unsheathing their weapons.
Arthur's timely intervention swiftly put them in their place, but unlike the Cultivators who believed Arthur was shielding Charisse from them, Evan, Arthur, and the Elder Spirits all understood that Arthur was protecting them from Charisse.
Her status as the 'Prophetess' often made people forget, but Charisse was, in fact, a Transcendent at the Intermediate Stage.
There were very few among the gathered forces who could hope to be her opponents in a fight.
In any case, that brief incident was quietly smoothed over thanks to Arthur's intimidate—correction, intervention, and the briefing proceeded as planned.
The night passed, and by the following morning, they commenced the march to the east, where Triffid's forest was located.
The armies were divided into Ground Units, Aerial Units, Reconnaissance Units, Support Units, and Logistics Units, with the latter broken down further into subdivisions handling Supplies, Weapons, Consumables, and Transportation.
Each segment of the force was entrusted to a Level 800+ magician, responsible for casting Army Magic spells over their respective troops.
These spells imbued the soldiers with enhanced stamina, allowing them to maintain endurance and quicken their march.
For a force numbering in the millions, this was the only viable way to sustain their momentum, as gathering enough mounts for everyone would have been utterly impossible.
On the second day of their march, they arrived at a region that had once been under Infernal Devil control but had been partially reclaimed following Yujia's death.
Even so, the marks of the Infernal Devils' occupation were still painfully evident.
Artificial mountains and volcanoes littered the terrain, with molten lava spilling across the land—clearly a deliberate tactic, left behind to slow the advance of the Spirit forces.
When the army had reached a safe distance from the volcanic zone, the march came to a halt to allow the soldiers some rest.
At the forefront, Arthur, Evan, and Charisse stood surveying the volcanic field, speaking one after the other.
"I'd bet these volcanoes are rigged. One wrong step and this place could blow."
"A single trigger could set off a chain reaction."
"They've likely left wards. These volcanoes could erupt in an instant."
Though each of their warnings was worded differently, the message was the same—the terrain ahead was likely riddled with traps.
"We need to neutralise the volcanoes."
"So, we need powers of fire, earth, water and ice?"
"I only prepared rewards for those with Water and Ice elemental abilities."
Again, they spoke in sequence, their coordination so fluid that the nearby Spirit Elders couldn't help but wonder when the three of them had become this synchronised.
Leaving Arthur aside, Evan had only met Charisse two days ago.
Whether they were aware of the spirits' thoughts or not, neither Arthur nor Evan showed it. They simply exchanged glances and each took one of Charisse's hands, after which Arthur teleported all three of them to the area where the cultivators were resting.
|¬Alright, everyone! Listen up!¬|
Arthur's faux True Voice drew the attention of everyone present, even the Spirits and Elves, despite not being the intended audience.
Immediately after, Evan spoke up, his voice infused with magic power.
[There's a high possibility that all those Volcanoes there are rigged to blow us to smithereens when we try to pass. So, we gotta take them out and secure a safe passage.]
They then explained the need for cultivators with water and ice powers, elemental opposites capable of quelling the volcanic hazard, and informed the crowd that Charisse was ready to provide immediate rewards to any who volunteered.
When they finished, they turned to her, and for a moment she stood blinking silently, before snapping out of it and speaking.
She then revealed the rewards she had prepared: elemental flowers capable of permanently enhancing one's affinity with the water and ice attributes.
Unlike the usual promises from the Spirits, this reward was immediate, a tempting offer that drew numerous volunteers, all eager to claim the rare flowers.
Arthur's display of dominance the previous day had made managing the cultivators noticeably easier.
Tensions had eased, and the once-feuding factions were now far more focused, though, as expected, a few troublemakers remained. Still, they were a minor issue now, barely noticeable in the larger crowd.
As the volunteers assembled, Evan leaned back, casually rocking his chair beside Arthur, Artemisia, and Beatrix.
His eyes swept over the crowd of eager cultivators, scanning each face, until they locked onto one man stepping forward.
The man had short, tousled blue hair and eyes to match. His striking features drew lingering glances from women, but the cold expression he wore kept them at a distance.
Recognition flashed in his eyes, and he jerked forward in surprise, nearly tipping over. The chair tilted precariously, but he balanced himself just in time, landing back with unexpected control.