“Based on the President’s explanation, I don’t think a half-baked defense method would be effective against Chaos. To defend with magic power, you’d have to flow it fluidly, like using a hose to push away oncoming mud. That means when entering the Chaos, you’d have to constantly release magic power from your entire body, right?”
“Yes, that’s why I said it’s dangerous to go into the Chaos.”
Theoretically, it might be possible, but when it comes to practical execution, I can confidently say it’s impossible.
That’s exactly what the President was talking about.
I could only offer a wry smile at such a prospect. If I were told to do that, I’d have to shake my head and decline, just as Himik suggested. This wasn’t a matter of taking a bad gamble; it was beyond that.
“Yes, that’s the most straightforward way to deal with it.”
However, our President isn’t a tyrant who would casually order such gambles. Knowing that, my instincts aren’t sounding any alarms. I can’t relax completely, but I can listen with a little more ease.
The President, anticipating my thoughts, erased the drawing on the whiteboard with a smile and began sketching a new one. I was impressed by the President’s artistic skill, thinking, “Wow, the President is actually a good artist.” The newly drawn chibi character was equipped with what looked like a Holy Sword. It was drawn in just over ten seconds, with a quality you might find in a four-panel comic strip’s bonus material. My President is truly multi-talented.
“What you described is what happens when you deal with it using regular magic power. As for dealing with Chaos, there are currently two main methods. One is a forbidden spell used by Nōraifu and several past Demon Lords: Chaos Magic. The characteristic of this magic is that by infusing the Chaos with your own magic power’s wavelength, you control Chaos with Chaos. It’s a brute force technique.”
“But if you infuse your magic power into the Chaos, won’t it just remain Chaos?”
“That’s not entirely the case. It uses a special technique, and by using that as an intermediary, you can control the properties of Chaos with your own magic power, at least within the area that touches you. It’s not that difficult. And when you’re in a state that possesses the properties of Chaos, it can act as a barrier, preventing other Chaos from touching you.”
The drawing was further modified, with a chibi character resembling a skull-faced mage added next to the Holy Sword-wielding chibi. I assumed it was Instructor Fushio (M). The likeness was uncanny and easily recognizable. The President’s unnecessarily high specs were on display again as they drew a picture of the chibi character transmitting thoughts like radio waves, while simultaneously watching something like a black slime creature moving around in real-time. I was unsure where to even comment, but ultimately decided that commenting would be losing, so I just watched in silence.
“An operator as skilled as Nōraifu can manage the dangerous feat of bringing their soul to the brink of Chaos and directly connecting their magic power to the Chaos, allowing them to control vast expanses of it. However, this is equivalent to bringing Chaos dangerously close to your own soul, separated only by a thin veil.”
The core of Chaos Magic is the incredible technique of controlling Chaos. It requires advanced magic manipulation.
“Don’t misunderstand, Giro. The Demon Lord speaks of it casually, but if a novice mage tries to send their magic power into Chaos, it will simply be absorbed. It requires mastery; only a mage as accomplished as Isal, who could be called a Court Mage, can manipulate Chaos. Even then, they can’t control it with complete fluidity. The ‘easy’ part is only by the Demon Lord’s standards.”
“That’s harsh.”
“I just can’t overlook statements that might mislead Giro.”
Although I knew it, the techniques the President explained so casually would likely require the kind of advanced skills that are normally considered secret teachings. I wasn’t surprised by Himik’s caution; rather, I felt a sense of agreement.
“Well, as she said, the drawback of Chaos Magic is its controllability. In terms of influence, Chaos, arguably the most terrifying substance in nature, possesses immense suppressive power. However, due to its nature, it’s inherently difficult to moderate. If even a small part touches the body, it will erode the soul. It’s completely unsuitable as a technique for subduing opponents; once a soul touches Chaos, it becomes something alien, forever altered. It’s a technique used to kill or destroy an opponent. Therefore, it’s classified as a forbidden spell, strictly prohibited from use. The reason it’s forbidden also includes the difficulty and danger of manipulating it because Chaos itself absorbs magic power.”
If there were an easy way to control Chaos, I thought, they wouldn’t need a Holy Sword, and the instructor could have escaped on their own. But the instructor is isolated within the Chaos, in a situation where that’s not possible.
“Furthermore, maintaining such precise control within Chaos is impossible for anyone with average willpower. There would inevitably be a breakdown somewhere. I don’t expect the Human King to learn Chaos Magic either.”
The training required to even learn it is dangerous. Even then, the chances of success are low. It’s a triple threat of immense risk. Doing something that even the instructor finds difficult would be impossible for me overnight. I even considered a long shot: cooperating with Valse-san to extend the time in the Dimension Room. However, it’s not designed to accommodate large flows of Chaos, and even a small amount is dangerous enough to damage its functions. Practicing through normal means is virtually impossible. Yet, with special methods, there isn’t enough time.
“Well, as a drastic measure, one could do what Raidou does and forcefully dominate the Sea of Chaos by expelling magic power from their entire body to swim through it. This way, you don’t need to control it; you’re suppressing the area, so there’s no worry of being eroded by Chaos.”
The President offered a compromise, but the idea of literally swimming in dangerous Chaos seemed as absurd as anything.
“Only the instructor can do that.”
“Yes, even I cannot do that.”
I shook my head and declared it impossible, even to the method the President added. The image of the instructor, clad only in a towel, swimming joyfully through a black, tar-like sea while laughing maniacally flashed through my mind. I couldn’t help but let a smile touch my lips, thinking how fitting that was. But conversely, it meant only someone like the instructor could possibly do something like that. Even the President said they couldn’t. That image likely wasn’t far off.
“Well, even for him, it’s only about thirty minutes before he reaches his limit.”
Indeed, even the instructor, the embodiment of recklessness, has a limit of thirty minutes.
“Frankly, lasting thirty minutes with such a reckless method is absurd in itself.”
However, upon hearing the President’s words, Himik’s eyes suddenly lost their color. The idea of enduring thirty minutes in the Chaos using such a reckless method was clearly unacceptable to them. I understood the sentiment, but in my case…
“Don’t say that, Himik. Just think of the instructor as the instructor. You won’t get tired that way.”
“U-um.”
Knowing the extent of their recklessness, I was actually more surprised by the fact that even such a reckless being reached their limit in thirty minutes. Even the instructor, with their absurd durability, couldn’t last an hour. It made me re-emphasize the sheer danger of Chaos. Himik also looked somewhat unconvinced, but regarding Instructor Kio (M), there was really nothing else to say but “he’s the instructor.”
“Haha, Raidou’s high endurance is something you can experience for yourself later. Raidou would probably be happy to fight a Seraph like you.”
The President didn’t elaborate further, only offering a wry smile.
“Now, as for Raidou’s outrageous feats, we can discuss them later when we have ample time. Let’s move on to the main topic.”
The Chaos Magic was just a prelude; the main event is the Holy Sword that Himik will repair.
“No matter how terrifying Chaos may be, it has weaknesses. Those are Holy Swords and Divine Swords. These armaments contain the power of gods, allowing them to minimize the influence of Chaos.”
“A question. Is that similar to the game-like element where light attributes repel darkness?”
“Hmm, perhaps Himik would be better suited to explain that than me. While the nuance is similar, it’s not exactly the same. Besides, I am a Demon Lord. When it comes to sacred matters, an angel would be more appropriate.”
I expected the usual trope of “holy swords cut through darkness,” but it wasn’t the case. The President tilted their head slightly, pondered for a moment, and then handed the explanation over to Himik. Himik, looking half exasperated and half resigned, let out a big sigh.
“Jiro, you know that there’s a legend that Holy Swords are weapons to defeat Demon Lords, right?”
“Ah, yes, I see that phrase frequently when looking at various documents.”
“The people of Isal interpret that as an ability to dispel the special magic barrier that Demon Lords possess. However, if you trace it back, Holy Swords were created solely to repel the threat that emerged when Demon Lords began to use Chaos. Their high performance allowed them to overcome the power of various Demon Lord Armies. This is likely how the legend came to be over time.”
“So, are Holy Swords and Divine Swords originally weapons for dealing with Chaos?”
“The original Holy Swords were. However, they haven’t remained in their original state. As time progressed, their abilities and forms changed with various effects and intended uses. But the root remains the same. The efficacy of Holy Swords can be broadly divided into three categories. By possessing these three attributes, they are made to exhibit the power described in the legends.”
I’ve encountered the term “Holy Sword” and even seen them in person, and I’ve read through documents about them. However, thinking about it calmly, this is the first time I’m seriously hearing about their abilities in a lecture. Himik began speaking, holding up a forefinger.
“First, Holy Swords are a medium for converting magic power into divine power, ‘Shinryoku.’ The difference between a Holy Sword and a Divine Sword is their conversion rate. A Divine Sword has a higher standard for producing higher concentration and purity of divine power. Aside from that, there’s virtually no difference between a Holy Sword and a Divine Sword. Even a Holy Sword can be forged from the same iron.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, while better materials certainly help, a Holy Sword can even be made from stone.”
“A Holy Sword made from a stone tool from the Stone Age? That’s too convenient.”
“Well, the quality of the Holy Sword will decrease with the quality of the materials, so I don’t recommend it.”
The first point is the difference between Holy Swords and Divine Swords. In essence, it’s the efficiency of converting magic power into an energy called divine power.
“Second, they can house the soul of a being with skills. However, this is not mandatory. While the performance will be lower, they can still function as Holy Swords or Divine Swords. But in Isal, they use abundant high-quality materials to construct Holy Swords, so they don’t compromise performance for humanitarian reasons. Or perhaps, the legend that it’s not mandatory was lost over the course of history.”
The second point is about artificial Holy Swords, something I know about, their inhuman aspect. I always thought it was a necessary element, but according to Himik, it’s not mandatory. Himik sighed sadly and held up their third and final finger.
“Third, this might arguably be the most effective attribute against Chaos. It has the effect of bringing the body of the Holy Sword’s wielder closer to that of an angel.”
“What?”
The third point was so unexpected that I almost questioned if it was true.
Today’s word: It’s always good to have multiple safety measures.
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