Chapter 535 (1) - The Academys Weapon Replicator |
"You're saying it's not Azier's blood?"
"It's just a possibility. But..."
Dier reached for the blood again, but couldn't touch it.
"There's no other reason I can think of for why I can't touch this."
"You think this blood belongs to the culprit?"
Frondier asked back, pondering to himself.
It was a plausible theory. Especially since Frondier had fought Azier more than anyone else. He couldn’t imagine Azier bleeding.
The fact that there were no other traces of blood anywhere else around the area only strengthened his suspicion.
"Did you find something?"
"Yes, actually—"
Dier briefly explained his reasoning.
By that time, everyone around them had gathered, eager to hear what Dier had to say.
"...If this blood really belongs to the culprit, it actually raises another inconsistency."
Philly spoke, and Aten nodded in agreement.
"Why did Azier collapse?"
The pool of blood beneath Azier's body was far from ordinary. It was more than enough to kill an average person, and even warriors with considerable regenerative abilities wouldn't be left unscathed.
Why had Azier been defeated after being inflicted with such a wound?
"...Blood..."
It was Philly's second daughter, Sale, who muttered.
"With the current level of technology in the Empire, you would need several milliliters of blood to identify an individual. And that's assuming the blood is clean. You'd need a much larger quantity if it was spilled on the ground or contaminated over time."
Philly then asked,
"Wouldn't this amount be enough?"
"Yes, that's right."
Sale raised her head.
"Because it wasn't washed away by the rain."
"….!"
Philly's eyes widened at that. Frondier's as well.
However, Dier, unaware of the situation, tilted his head in confusion.
Frondier had already informed Philly about the situation before meeting with Dier. He had also told her about Philly's premonition.
The reason why Philly couldn't prevent Azier's death even though she had a premonition.
It was because it had been raining in her vision.
"Rain...?"
Dier, unable to comprehend after hearing the explanation, tilted his head.
Rain? The sky had been perfectly clear when Azier was found. Not only that day, but the Empire had been enjoying clear skies for days. It didn't rain that often in the first place.
Philly's eldest daughter, Elysia, spoke up.
"We were complacent because it wasn't raining. Whenever Azier was in danger, it would always rain."
It was Sale who responded.
"But because it didn't rain, the blood wasn't washed away, and we were able to deduce this much."
Aten looked at Frondier.
"Mr. Frondier, we thought we couldn't change the premonition even though we saw it. But perhaps..."
Perhaps, the premonition had already changed.
By none other than Azier himself.
"...."
Frondier covered his mouth with his hand.
At that moment, Frondier's mind was racing faster than ever. A different light flickered in his eyes. Seeing this, everyone fell silent and waited for Frondier to speak.
'The culprit was injured by Azier and bled. Perhaps that's when the culprit's plan went awry. It seems they intended to kill Azier through combat, but when that didn't go as planned, they ultimately resorted to different means to take him down.'
What were those other means?
Before he could ask, there was something more important.
"...Why did the culprit choose to fight Azier when there were easier ways to kill him?"
Unless they were obsessed with fighting, if there was an easier way to kill their target, they would have used it from the start.
Judging from the situation, Azier had no way to defend himself against the enemy's methods. That's why he collapsed. The culprit must have known this.
However, the culprit didn't use that easier method, and as a result, they were injured by Azier and even bled.
"...I know this might sound childish, but."
Frondier looked up at everyone.
"Don't you think Azier's death is... 'incomplete'?"
"I think so too."
Dier nodded.
"That's the only assumption that makes sense of this situation."
The culprit wanted Azier dead.
That's why they abandoned other methods and resorted to fighting.
Because their other means were incomplete. It all added up.
'Then what could those means be?'
Even Azier, in all his strength, couldn't react and collapsed.
No one could touch the fallen Azier. The same went for the blood that pooled around him.
Even the Empire's most skilled mages couldn't dispel the magic.
Within Frondier's knowledge, only one thing fit the bill.
'...Eclexis.'
The culprit had used Eclexis. They were capable of wielding Eclexis.
Considering they could go head-to-head with Azier and were confident in their victory, the probability of them being human was extremely low.
It was either a God or a Devil. And with the Seven Deadly Sins, including Satan, currently lying low due to Zeus, the odds were in favor of it being a God.
'But according to the Devils, no one dies from being hit by Eclexis.'
Frondier was the sole exception.
However, even for Frondier, killing was merely a consequence, not the intended purpose of his Eclexis.
'It's the opposite of mine. Unlike my power, which carries the risk of death even though it's not meant to kill, this one appears to kill, but it's not a complete death.'
However, judging from its effects, it was undeniably a power akin to death. This power couldn't subdue or subjugate its target. It seemed its very purpose was to leave them in this state.
A God among Gods who used Eclexis with an effect close to this.
But that alone wasn't enough.
To narrow down the culprit further...
"Why did the culprit target Azier? Was this act their sole objective, or are they aiming for something bigger?"
Jane inquired, her face etched with sadness as she thought of her former student.
"...I see."
Frondier raised his head.
"It was me they were after."
"What?"
"There was something that didn't make sense, but now it's clear."
If the culprit was indeed a God, there was no logical reason for them to target Azier.
Azier possessed no divine power and hadn't antagonized the Gods or done anything to warrant their hatred.
However, if Azier wasn't the ultimate goal, everything became crystal clear.
They were trying to lure Frondier in.
Using Azier's death as bait to draw Frondier out.
To their own territory.
In the human realm, Gods were limited in their power, and humans couldn't kill Gods.