The Demon Lord Is An Angel
Chapter 180: Reifying

Chapter 180: Reifying

Long into the night, Kir talked to Sam. About Noir. Caroon and Namosa. Their baby.

There was a lot of shared heartache, but in the end he felt that there was a much better understanding between them now. He promised to do everything he could to look after them and their child.

Kordia made a similar promise, but Stella very loudly made no promises, which for some reason brought a quiet laugh out of Sam.

After Sam departed for their room, Kir, Kordia, and Stella shared the same bed, continuing to talk.

Kir learned that Stella had been able to tug on Sam’s emotions to get them "over the wall" as she put it, while Kordia provided the right words.

"It was a bit harrowing, feeling all that," Stella said. "But you know... it kinda feels good, helping them out. Like they’re a younger sibling or something..."

"Are you saying we’re like family now?" Kordia asked. "I think the pod analogy is... not enough..."

Stella sighed. "I don’t know what we are. Especially not with Rain and Rena gone and... well... I was hoping to get to know them a lot more. And you and me still got some catching up to do..." She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"Ground rules," Kordia said in response.

"Right. Right," Stella sighed again.

Since Kordia mentioned the pod, Kir had wistfully thought about what would be the right analog for their relationships.

As soon as the notion occurred to him, he said, "A constellation..."

Kordia’s ears perked up. "Hm?"

"We’re a constellation," Kir said. "Stars, planets... sometimes we change orbits. Sometimes we get nearer or farther, but we’re still together, no matter the distance. Still bound by the forces of attraction... and always in each others’ light..."

Kordia kissed Kir on the cheek. "I like that," she said, her tails gently fanning out as she prepared to sleep.

"Me too," Stella said.

They fell asleep on either side of Kir, and with one last look at the sword on the table, Kir fell asleep too.

*

That night, Kir dreamed of Noir’s death. That his father had held the sword, then him. That Caroon and Namosa were corpses, standing at the Academy’s core, or inside the crystal, watching him. Lucifer the Bard became a shadowy ghost, unable to be struck, smiling as Kir sliced and stabbed for him, only to strike nothing. And then, only to have Noir slide out of Kangetsu, biting away the flesh of Kir’s heart with his teeth as he stood paralyzed... Apologizing over and over and over-

*

Kir started awake in a cold sweat.

As gently as he could, he pried himself free of Kordia and Stella, before making his way to the table and sitting heavily, staring at the sword.

Things had been going better when he fell asleep... and now he was just distraught. He needed to know... To know if failing to save Noir had doomed him to a trapped eternity...

Kir placed his hands on the hilt and blade. He closed his eyes, but he could still feel the gentle outflow of mana from the blade. The idea struck him to circulate his mana to his hands, through the blade. Almost as though he was being guided...

As his mana found the gap he’d sensed, there was a sensation, like something snapping into place.

For a long moment, Kir felt as if Noir were there, sitting on his lap and hugging him...

But then the moment passed, and in the blade, Kir found himself standing on a field of black sand, underneath a white sky.

He called out. Not with words, but with his longing. His hope. His mourning...

And what returned to him was warmth. Understanding. A desire to be with him...

Kir opened his eyes. Nothing had happened in the physical world, but now he could feel a connection to the blade. It had felt like Noir... but it wasn’t.

The blade had been given life... a simple will and a nascent mind, but he sensed it was not a mind that could hold memories. Only purpose. A simple desire to exist with the one who could bond it... and Kir had bonded with it.

Relief poured into Kir, and sadness. He had not doomed Noir to either eternity as a sword, or a second death... but that meant Noir was truly gone.

Mentally exhausted, Kir leaned forward, resting his forearms along Kangetsu, and fell asleep.

*

A loud clearing of the throat woke Kir. Terry, holding the day’s breakfast.

As Kir leaned back, uncovering his body from Kangetsu, Terry quirked a feathered brow but simply moved to place the tray on the table, before stepping back and bowing, then turning to leave.

Storing Kangetsu, Kir looked at the day’s fare.

He beheld a veritable mountain of food. Bacon and pancakes, three steaks and a pile of eggs, a punchbowl’s worth of fruit, various soft breads and pastries, and a gravy-bowl’s worth of butter. A steaming carafe that smelled familiar announced the presence of coffee, though there was no cream or sugar for it. There was, however, a note from Lumin, leaning against the pot.

Eat up. The process can be physically taxing. Terry will fetch you and the others when it is time. Be decisive.

Obediently, and because he hadn’t eaten in days, Kir picked up a fork and got to work, looking towards the bed to find that Kordia and Stella were now embracing each other.

He tried the coffee...

It was good.

*

The time came that evening.

Terry brought everyone, except for Sam, to one of the basements beneath the mansion.

"Uh... this seems a bit much," Stella said as soon as she saw it.

There were heavy iron chains along the corner of the wall, and in the center, a spell circle had been deeply etched and filled with gold. Kir’s sight showed him the residue of mana in both, and it gave him the sense of magic meant to contain.

Lumin was waiting on the far side of the room, a staff in her hand that Kir instantly saw was similar to Kangetsu... only much, much stronger.

"The binding circle is necessary," Lumin said, "for our protection. I did not lie when I said that the process could turn you into a monster. Often it is better to reify slowly, naturally, and if you choose that path, we can leave this room and discuss our steps."

"What happens if I succeed?" Kir asked. "What will that make me?"

"In social terms, amongst mages, you would be an archon, without ever having become an archmage. A wild archon. You will be treated as a master of magic by those who can see you for what you are, and you will be expected to maintain certain degrees of... decorum... when it comes to managing your mana. But the latter is a matter of polish. Your mothers already taught you mana suppression, which you maintain unconsciously. I will simply refine their work."

Kir nodded. "And if I become a monster?"

"Then it falls on me and everyone here to kill you," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "There will be some instability in your form as the fulcrum does it work. But until you attempt to break your containment, I will stay my hand."

"What?!" Stella shrieked.

"If you cannot help, then leave," Lumin said. "This is the only time I will offer this to you, Kir. There are secrets that can be shared with an archon that cannot be shared with a mage... Secrets that have necessitated I lie to you in the past. If you are not absolutely certain that this is what you want, the only thing you will lose by refusing is time."

"I’m certain," Kir said. "I will do this."

Kordia touched Kir on the elbow supportively. Stella stood her ground, but she gave Kir an uncertain look.

"Enter the circle then," Lumin reached lightly to the side and drew forth the fulcrum from her storage. She handed it to him, and whispered, "For your sake, if you cannot find the form of who you are, choose to die."

Kir sat cross-legged in the circle, and he felt as Lumin flowed her magic into the circle, bubbling him within a half-dozen layers of unlatticed shields. At the same time, the chains lit up with inscribed circles as they floated off the floor, ready to deploy should he break containment.

Looking at the fulcrum, Kir closed his eyes and began to meditate. As he passed his mana through it, he could feel it... bloom... in a way, before returning to him. Cycling upward into his mind and drawing him deeper. He was almost across the threshold when he felt something was missing...

But oh, he knew what it was.

He barely noticed when, from outside the circle, the sounds of distress began.

"What is that?" Lumin raised her voice.

"It’s Kangetsu!" Kordia shouted.

"Oh fuck. Oh fuck..." Stella panicked.

Lumin’s voice was the last he heard.

"What has he done..."

*

The world went away.