19 Chapter 19: The fruit of victory

"So how do I use this thing?"

I held the fruit up in my hand as I knelt in front of the disembodied head.

"Ah...that. Bring it to the temple and you'll understand."

I raised my head and glanced at the temple, which was now exposed to the elements now that the protection of the forest had disappeared.

"I hope you're not asking me to eat it."

"…"

Asura didn't reply. His metallic mask and green, glowing eyes gave off an eerie feeling, but there was no longer any hostility or killing intent. I wouldn't go so far as to say I trusted him, but I at least knew that he wasn't going to attempt anything.

I grimaced when Asura didn't reply. There was no way I would eat a fruit that served as a heart of a demon and been inside his body for goodness knows how long.

But there was another thing that concerned me. The Forbidden Fruit served as Asura's core, the source of his power. If I ate it…

"What will happen to you when I take away your core?"

"…"

As I waited for an answer, the knights bustled about me. The surviving soldiers surrounded me excitedly, staring at the defeated boss and my kneeling figure.

"He actually defeated the Blooming Buddha!"

"That kid…he's really strong, isn't he?"

"Shouldn't we recruit him to our order?"

"Yeah, he'll make a fine knight!"

I ignored them and focused my gaze on Asura's head, waiting patiently for a reply. When he didn't, I prodded him.

"Will you disappear?"

"Kid…are you pitying me?"

I closed my eyes and placed my staff down on the concrete floor, shaking my head.

"Not really. But I do feel that it's a waste to kill off a fellow follower of Lyia, especially when there's so much I can learn from you…Senpai."

"Whatever you need to learn, you can learn from the temple. Now that you're the victor, all its resources will be made available to you."

Asura seemed to hesitate a little, but then he continued.

"As for me…don't worry. As per the conditions of our battle, now that I have been defeated, I will die."

The Blooming Buddha didn't seem very dismayed at his fate. Rather, he sounded very pleased and satisfied.

"It has been an honor to lose to someone smarter than me."

"I'm not smarter than you."

"You give yourself far too little credit."

Asura's eyes shone a little, and for some reason I had the impression that he was smiling.

"You knew that you couldn't win me in direct combat…that you were far weaker than me in terms of physical and magical capability. So you devised a plan to corrupt me from within. Very impressive. I revise my opinion of you."

The Blooming Buddha boomed with laughter.

"Rage? No. I admire such deviousness. That is the path of all who worship the goddess of knowledge. To rely on our intelligence instead of raw power. For me to have forgotten all that…I must thank you for reminding me…Kouhai."

I bowed my head respectfully, then rose to my feet. While I did so, the knight commander stepped forward.

"Honorable sir…"

"I'm not any honorable sir," I responded wearily. The knight commander shook his head.

"Nonetheless, you saved me and my men. I would like to express my thanks."

"No problem."

I allowed my curiosity to get the better of me and used Absolute Appraisal. The knight commander's information immediately materialized in front of my eyes.

Name: Dante Infernius

Species: Human

Job/Rank: Knight/Captain

Special Abilities: Swordsmanship, Charisma

"Captain Infernius…?"

The veteran knight raised an eyebrow, taken aback when I addressed him. It was clear that he was wondering why I knew his name.

"I am very sorry for using your men like this. I'll put them to rest immediately."

"No…not at all." Dante looked sorrowfully at the zombies. "I'll admit that seeing my men like this does not sit well with me, but in the end you saved our lives."

"Yeah! You killed the demon!"

"You were amazing, kid!"

"As long as you bury our dead, all is cool and forgiven."

The knights added their support. I glanced at them, and then bowed.

"Right."

I dismissed Thousand Astral Graves and was about to dispel the Reanimation spell that I casted on the zombies when the Blooming Buddha's voice boomed out again.

"Wait."

The knights and I turned to him, surprised, but he continued, unfazed.

"There are new enemies approaching."

"Huh? Enemies?"

I tensed up, and the knights drew their swords, only for the Blooming Buddha to chuckle.

"No, not for the humans. For you."

"I'm a human, though?"

"Former human," the Blooming Buddha's beheaded head corrected. "You're an undead. Anyway, even if they're allies of those humans, they're not necessarily your allies."

"What are you talking about?" one of the knights demanded, but his question was answered abruptly as a horde of horses stampeded into the clearing.

"Hey, get out of the way!"

The lance-bearing knights rode ferociously into the temple grounds, placing a gauntleted hand on one of the swordsman knights to shove him aside. At the arrival of the newcomers, the first group of knights spun around.

"Eh? You guys are…"

"Be careful."

Before I could crane my neck to get a good look at the newcomers, the Blooming Buddha drew my attention back to him.

"Be careful, kid. There are many deadly enemies among the humans. Among them are their so-called heroes, the Chosen of the goddess, Evelyn. Even I cannot predict their future, but I can see that your fate is closely intertwined with theirs."

I smiled ominously. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

The Blooming Buddha regarded me for a few more seconds, and then understood the meaning behind my words.

"I see…so you've chosen the path of vengeance. Is that the reason why you seek knowledge?"

"Uh, no. well, maybe."

I thought for a while, and scratched my head.

"It's not the only reason. I don't need a reason to seek knowledge, do I? I like to learn. Knowledge is power. It'll help me have an advantage over those so-called heroes, but that's not all. Knowledge is beneficial in general."

"That's a good answer."

"Really?" I glanced at the fruit in my hand and scoffed. "I'll probably end up upsetting a lot of people. But then again, that's the whole point…"

"Yes. Now enter the temple. The torch of knowledge has been passed to you. I hope you'll make better use of it than I ever did…"

The Blooming Buddha was about to say something else, but someone stomped on his head, cutting him off before he could finish.

"Hey!" I snapped, glaring at the intruder. Like the knights who had fought by my side earlier, he was dressed in silver armor, but his heraldry was different. Unlike the crimson heraldry with double lions and crossed swords, he sported a cool, blue heraldry with a snake coiled around a spear. Sneering, he pointed his spear at me.

"So…you're a necromancer, aren't you?"

I pushed my glasses up as I regarded him. Behind the solitary armored figure, dozens of spear or lance-bearing knights formed up behind him, putting on a show of intimidation.

But I didn't fall for it.

"Yes. So what if I am?"

"Be careful."

Dante Infernius stepped forward, and I could tell that he was being cautious.

"They're the 5th Lancer Dragoon Company. One of the strongest knight orders in our kingdom of Legnica."

"They're also known for being extremely ruthless," one of the surviving red-heraldry knights added, his voice quivering.

I watched them warily, but the name sounded familiar. And then it struck me.

"5th Lancer Dragoon Company? The ones who were supposed to reinforce you earlier?"

"That's right," Dante affirmed. I snorted.

"Some reinforcements they are. Showing up late to the party, long after we've defeated the demon."

"Hey," one of the knights whispered to me urgently. "You don't want to mess with them. They're extremely dangerous."

"As dangerous as the heroes?"

"No, but…"

"Then whatever," I cut him off impatiently before turning back to the lead lancer knight. Narrowing my eyes, I scowled at him. "Hey."

The lancers stared at me, stupefied, but I didn't have the patience for them to wrap their heads around the simple fact that someone could be unintimidated by their aggressive appearances and arrogant attitude.

"Can you move your leg?" I asked, gesturing with my hand.

The lead lancer responded by grinding the Blooming Buddha's head further into the concrete, cracking the helmet.

"What's wrong? This is a demon, isn't he? I'm giving a demon the proper treatment that he deserves."

Uh, what?

I held his ominous gaze evenly. Unlike Dante, his face was concealed behind his helm, but I could almost see his glowing eyes that were supposedly hidden behind his visor. There was no question that this guy was strong.

But I wasn't afraid.

"You got a problem?" the lancer sneered. I sighed and shook my head.

"Well, for starters, he is my senpai. And for another, I was talking to him. If you continue stepping on him like that, he won't be able to answer my questions."

"Hey, brat, do you know who you're talking to?" the lead lancer snarled. I'm the second in command of the 5th Lancer Dragoon Company."

He slammed his spear against the ground before infusing it with divine energy. The entire shaft of the silver spear glowed white.

"And your attitude is pissing me off."

"Wait, Monka…"

Dante Infernius tried to step in, but the lancer dismissed him.

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"Ah, Captain Infernius. Commander of the 8th Knight Company from the Order of Blood. I see that you're still alive."

"I ask of you, Monka, this kid means no harm. Please do not…"

The lancer named Monka didn't even wait for Dante to finish his sentence. He lifted his spear and aimed it at me. A white blast lanced out of the spearhead and arced toward me. I instinctively ducked, and the immense beam sailed over my head and shoulder. It slammed into a tree in the forest behind me before detonating.

"!"

My jaw dropped when I saw the enormous explosion wipe out an entire segment of the forest, erasing a dozen trees and leaving a colossal crater in the woods.

You've got to be kidding me…and this guy isn't a hero, right?

"Hey, brat."

Lowering his smoking spear, Monka glared at me in disbelief.

"Not bad. To think that you were able to dodge that…"

This guy…just one attack and it was so strong?

"What, don't tell me you're impressed by this level of attack?"

The white shroud of divine energy around his spear intensified.

"That's…!"

"Captain Monka's signature attack!"

"Huh, doesn't look all that impressive."

I rolled my eyes and suppressed a sigh. I was already getting bored with all this talk and bragging. If he wanted to attack, he should shut up and hurry up.

"Hmm? There's something strange about this kid."

"He doesn't seem all that afraid."

The lancers were murmuring amongst themselves, but Monka shut them up with a glare. Turning back to me, he smirked.

"Ah…I see. This brat doesn't know."

"Doesn't know what?" I snapped impatiently. God, if he was going to continue talking any further, I would doze off there and then.

"Our boss is one of the heroes. The spear hero, the Divine Lancer, Suzuki Shirou. Mess with us, and you'll surely regret it."

The beads of perspiration on Dante's face was clearly visible. His men too were backing away, shrinking when they heard Suzuki's name.

However, I smiled broadly.

"Suzuki? That Suzuki Shirou? Oh. He might not be one of my direct bullies, but because of his nonchalant attitude when Kobayashi Kenji and the others beat me up, he's one of my targets for revenge."

My grin broadened.

"I wonder…if I beat you guys up, will Suzuki show up?"

"You…!"

"Wait!"

Dante intervened, stepping in between us to defuse the situation. He glared at me, as if trying to get me to shut up.

As if I would listen to him. I wasn't one of his subordinates.

"Please, Captain Monka. This boy saved the lives of my men…of my knight company. He is our benefactor. Could you let him go?"

"Hah! Have you sold your honor and soul to the devil, Infernius?"

Monka sneered, and then pointed his spear at my zombies.

"He's clearly a necromancer…someone who committed a taboo and engages with forbidden rituals to raise the dead. The price of such heresy is…death."

"Wait!"

Dante wasn't able to stop him in time. Monka unleashed a second blast at me, which blew up the entire area and sent several of the nearby Knights of Blood staggering from the shockwaves. Monka and his lancers laughed as the smoke billowed about the temple grounds.

"If you dare to shield a heretic like him, then we'll arrest you for treason, Captain Infernius."

Dante gritted his teeth, but he was powerless to act. His knights also backed away, their jaws dropping in horror.

"This guy…!"

"How despicable…"

"All heretics should die. Isn't that the law of Legnica?"

"Well, I'm technically not a citizen of Legnica, so I shouldn't have to follow your laws. I'm not under your jurisdiction."

"…!"

The lancers reeled back when they heard my voice. As the smoke cleared, I stepped out, completely unscathed. My Dark Barrier shimmered before shattering into translucent fragments. Casting them a glance, I shook my head.

"Man, you're not even half as strong as my friend there."

"!?"

It was Monka's turn to drop his jaw in disbelief, but I didn't bother waiting for him to digest the scene that was unfolding before his eyes.

"…and I already told you to take your leg off him, didn't I?"

Monka never saw my attack coming. My staff collided with his face, smashing half of his helm and sending him hurtling across the temple grounds and crashing into a tree several dozen meters away. The thick trunk groaned from the impact before snapping cleanly in half and falling on top of the lancer, burying him in splinters and wood.

"Captain Monka!"

"Sir!"

The rest of the lancers cried out, but they were too stunned to move. I didn't even bother to deal with them. Walking past them, I headed straight for the temple after scooping up the Blooming Buddha's disembodied head.

"I don't want to waste time fighting you guys."

They recoiled from my glare, but none of them dared to challenge me. Especially after witnessing what I did to their leader a few seconds ago.

"Thank you for your help, Captain Infernius," I told the commander of the Knights of Blood. "But from here on out, I'll handle this place on my own. This is probably where we part."

"Eh? Wait…"

Dante tried to stop me, but he was too slow. Ignoring him, I walked through the entrance of the temple of Lyia. The zombies moved between the entrance of the temple and the lancer knights, forming a defensive row that barred their entrance.

The message was clear. If the Lancer Dragoon Company wanted to stop me, they would have to get through my zombies first.

I felt bad for breaking my promise and keeping them under my control even though I was supposed to release them, but my life and goal were more important than honorable promises to someone I didn't know.

With my back being guarded by familiars that would never betray me, I entered the temple.

The doors then slammed shut behind me, sealing me and the Blooming Buddha's head inside the sacred place and cutting us off from the outside world.

"…?"

I glanced around, surprised by my surroundings. There was nothing inside the temple. Literally nothing. Not even a floor or ceiling, or walls.

"This is inside the temple?"

"That's right."

Blooming Buddha's head replied. I stared at him inquisitively, then glanced back at my surroundings in disbelief.

The two of us were floating in a white, empty space. There was nothing inside the temple except pure whiteness. I couldn't even feel the ground beneath my feet even though I was walking across the vast expanse.

The whole thing felt so surreal. I glanced at the Blooming Buddha's head warily, in case this whole thing was a trap.

"What's going on? Why is the interior of the temple like this?"

The Blooming Buddha boomed with laughter.

"There's no mistake. You're the one who misunderstood. The temple of knowledge isn't a fixed place. It's a place of knowledge…and what better place is there to store knowledge than your very own mind?"

"At least ask if I mind having my mind used in this way…"

The Blooming Buddha ignored me and floated forward.

"Come, this way."

"What way?"

I couldn't tell front from back, left from right, up from down. So disorientating was the place that I almost felt dizzy. There were no indications of a three-dimensional space – not even constellations of stars or planets to orientate myself with. The whole place was just empty space.

At least, that was what I thought, until I saw the altar in the middle.

"What's this?"

"The altar of knowledge. That's where we shall complete the ritual."

"…ritual?"

I didn't like the sound of that. But I didn't want to waste eternity walking around this massive, white space, so I complied and approached it.

"What ritual is this for?"

"The transference of ownership. For now, you shall be the new owner of all this knowledge."

"Uh, what knowledge?"

I was feeling a bit apprehensive. I didn't want my mind to be overloaded with knowledge. Having seen what it did to Asura/Blooming Buddha, I wasn't very keen on having an avalanche of information snap my mind into insanity.

"No, don't worry. It's not like what you imagine. You'll see. Trust me."

"Hard to trust a guy when he spent the last hour or so trying to kill me," I muttered before I stopped at the altar. It was a short, stumpy structure that resembled a desk. Spread atop it was a single, blank grimoire that displayed its empty pages. "So what do I do?"

"Eat the fruit."

"Seriously?"

I grimaced and stared at the fruit, but having gotten this far, there was no turning back. Holding back my revulsion, I took a bite out of it.

As a zombie, I couldn't eat fruits or vegetables. I had become exclusively carnivorous. From previous experience, I knew I would throw up after biting the fruit. The juice dribbled down my throat, and the taste of the soft fruit made me retch…

…eh?

I blinked. The fruit didn't taste as bad as I thought it would. Even though I was an undead, I still found the fruit sweet and juicy. Shaking my head, I quickly devoured the rest of it. When the last of the fruit went down my throat, the grimoire atop the altar glowed.

"Whoa!"

I shut my eyes as the entire space vanished in a single, bright light. When I opened my eyes, I found that I was no longer floating suspended in empty, white space.

Countless shelves, each packed full of books, surrounded me. Chairs and tables were placed in the center, and one of the desks had a pile of books spread messily over it. Soft, brown carpet laid out across the floor, while chandeliers hung from the ceiling that was so high above they seemed like stars dispersed across the heavens.

I looked around me. Circles upon circles of many levels surrounded me. The bookshelves were stacked in what looked like a tower-like interior. I couldn't find any ladder or stairs, but when I headed toward a particular level four stories overhead, a luxurious-looking plank floated down toward. Without thinking, I stepped onto the plank, and it immediately floated toward the level I wanted to visit. Hopping off, I stepped onto the carpeted floor and gazed at the shelf before me.

"History of Restia. Introduction to the Geography of Restia…History of Nations. Rise and fall of Kingdoms. The Great Wars."

Exactly what I was looking for. The books I needed to get the basic knowledge of the world I now found myself in.

"Thank you."

Without glancing back, I knew that the Blooming Buddha's head had floated next to me.

"Time travels much more slowly here than in the outside world. For this is your mind, so you can control the temporal dilation. That said, do not get overly obsessive and spend too much time in here. If you get too carried away with acquiring knowledge, your mind will crumble and you will lose your humanity."

And go insane like you.

I didn't voice that out, though. Fortunately, it seemed that the Blooming Buddha had recovered a portion of his sanity after I defeated him.

"Thank you."

"I shall pass the torch of knowledge to you, young man."

The disembodied head drifted around me, his eyes shining emerald.

"This Library of Eden now belongs to you."

"I'll take good care of it."

"I know you will." The emerald eyes flickered a bit and then he seemed to bob in midair, almost as if he was nodding. "My mission is now accomplished. For the battles ahead, and to increase the glory of our goddess, Lyia, allowed me to bestow upon you one last parting gift."

"Huh? Parting gift?"

Emerald lightning danced around us, the force of the electricity causing the pages of the books to rustle. From his severed neck, a green, serpentine body of lightning emerged, snaking around like the Green Dragon (Seiryuu) I saw him summoned as his ultimate technique.

"I do not want to be part of the war between humans and demons, but alas, conflict is inevitable. To survive against the Chosen of Evelyn, you cannot fight alone."

"…"

I didn't deny that, but I had no idea where I was going to find allies on this world that would help me stand up against the so-called heroes of humanity.

"But remember this, my successor. I'll always be fighting by your side."

The whole place vanished from view as green electricity washed over me.