"Don't worry, 'We' aren't going to harm-"

"Arthur, RUN!!! They're here to harm us!" 

Alex had no mind to listen to the priest. Visions had started clouding his eyesight. The psychotic looks of those cultists flashed in his head. Their strength. The sheer commitment they put into hunting him down.

I kinda felt bad seeing how traumatised he was. The memories of those times were likely still fresh. There was deep distrust in Alex's eyes. Not even the least bit moved by the statements the priest had made. 

Who'd believe what the priest was saying?

In fact, it sounded more ominous for him NOT to 'cause harm'... What was this villain planning to do to them? Alex was about to run, but his friend had instead taken a different approach on the matter.

Arthur stood his ground.

"Take me to your leader!" Rather expectedly at this point, Arthur didn't take his bro's pleas into account a second time. Instead, he angrily spoke a single demand with a righteous tone. Alex couldn't believe this stupid meathead had challenged their boss! 

What made him think this Cultist would do that?

His mouth-gaping appearance on the verge of dislocating his own lower jaw. I myself was also astounded by his... 'straightforwardness'(?). Wait, I was getting a sense that Arthur thought this was a genius idea. He really thought this plan would work!

(°□°)

No, Arthur... Stop looking at them like that. Don't you see how embarrassed Alex is? He's getting ready to leave you there. Seriously, stop looking like you won something. Even the priest is getting awkward.

Thankfully, Alex recovered and whispered to him:

"Bro, they are not aliens!" The nerdy lad quipped sarcastically at the side. Though I guess only he himself knew this old pop culture reference. If meeting their leader was so easy, they would have been able to find the true 'Final Boss' years ago. 

What possibly made Arthur think they'd agree?

"I got to make a distraction..." Alex thought and threw the black rune he'd recorded on his 'Arcane Fingers' technique. Knowing that he'd have to let go of a lot to escape. Leave behind some valuables.

He planned to throw most of his personal assets around to cause the crowd to fight each other. There were a lot of rare materials from all over the world among his vast riches... Enough to make a mew millionaire from what they could sell them for.

Some could even heal the sick and frail.

Treasures rarely seen in Lancia.

Dragon scales, phoenix feathers, giant meat, harpy claws, etc. Only the most recognisable ones were to be thrown. It wasn't like everyone knew or could figure out the value of his truly rare riches anyway.

However, Alex was only halfway through his action before the world seemed to slow down. Whether it was the birds in the sky or the people surrounding them on the ground... everything had became still.

A grey hue covered the entire world as he knew it.

The only ones who seemed to be able to move in this frozen world were: The gentlemanly priest still giving Arthur a look of superiority, the incoming new arrival, and himself. Only three could move.

Arthur was the only exclusion.

He stood there motionless like a statue. Still sporting that self-satisfied look after asking the impossible from an enemy. The abnormal and sudden change in circumstances caught Alex completely off-guard. 

His face said it all.

Maybe I'm reading too deep into it... Ah, anyway…

It was as if the sea of time suddenly stilled all its rippling waves. A familiar power to those who lived in Lancia, and a legendary ability to Alex. He who had only heard of this overpowered magic elsewhere.

He was ready to fight at any time.

There was a distinct glow on the lad's palms...

Alex did not speak first.

Watching the priest as he was breaking the ice:

"'We' already knew it wouldn't be easy to subdue that reckless warrior over there... and you, a ‘Magic Prodigy’ with a 'Unique Class', without causing a commotion high enough attract attention." 

"So it's only natural 'We' requested assistance from someone who could help complete this difficult task with minimum effort." These words of the cultist allowed Alex to regain his bearings somewhat.

The young man started to understand what was currently happening to them. His head turned to see an unfamiliar man in luxurious attire. A noble who walked towards him from the crowd frozen in time.

"I am-" The luxurious figure started to speak.

His eyes gazing down on those who opposed him.

"You don't need to introduce yourself, since I already know... ‘Crown Prince’, Drake Lancelot." Alex once again cut the other party off. He wasn't going to be very polite... considering his bud’s current condition.

Time around Arthur started to flow again.

Although the lack of grey hue on his friend's body signified he was of the same 'Time Flow' as the rest of them, that didn't change how his bro was still unable to move a muscle in this frozen world. 

The only thing he could do was listen to them talk...

Glancing at his friend's condition, Alex spoke:

"The 'Royal Kinetic Force Formula', huh?" A runic glow appeared in his brown eyes, and he stood close at back. This was in case they took advantage of the opportunity to attack Arthur in his powerless state.

"Don't you have a conscience? Why is a big-shot like you helping a great evil like the 'Radiant Sword Mirror Cult'?" Alex didn't know his anger, but one didn't need to hear or see it to know his feelings.l 

He knew the two of them had no choice but to keep on talking in this unfavourable situation. Until he figured out a plan, they could only stay in the mercy of those with power. This was exactly why he wanted to avoid them. Feeling powerless didn't feel good.

This was all judging from the understanding I got of him off-screen. I've practically known Alex his whole life… so don't think I'm unreliable. Mr Author and you all have no idea the amount of PTSD he had.

Alex had this entire arc about trying to control it.

"Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not here to capture you two. The only thing I want is to make sure you both wouldn't be harmed by them. This is my reason." Surprisingly, Drake Lancelot didn't retort or blame… and instead apologised to them. 

This caused Alex to raise a brow at the cultist.

The way he talked was filled with formalities...

...but could he trust nice words from an enemy?

He had to think wisely.

"His Highness speaks the truth. Though that is to be expected..." The priest nodded his head. Flattering the crown prince openly. This was likely to make sure there wouldn't be any difficulty in cooperation.

"Yeah~ Your words hold so much weight~! How could I NOT believe you~?" Alex laughed at them sarcastically. He really felt like they thought of him as some kind of brain-damaged lunatic right now.

Their fretful faces spoke clearly...

Alec wasn’t interested by them:

"Priest whatever-your-name-is, it's hard to believe the words of someone who had tried killing us once before. You recognised us from the beginning, but still decided to keep up the act of being harmless."

"What would allow you to show some semblance of trust in 'Our' words?" The gentlemen priest still spoke as if he was not one, but many... This was despite being the only person speaking to them.

Alex recognised this way of taking quite well...

"Does 'he' know of your origins and powers?" Alex replied with a question while pointing at the Crown Prince. He didn't bother asking them to release Arthur, since he knew they wouldn't do so. It's not like his friend was much of a negotiator anyway...

"His Highness, in fact, doesn't." The priest spoke up.

"Then reveal your secrets." Alex narrowed his eyes.

"Pardon?" The priest gave a vague response.

"I do not see why that's necessary." Drake sighed.

"You want my trust? Then explain about your history and that strange power your cult shares out to members who join your ranks." Alex interrogated while thinking of his next plan of action to escape their grasp. His curiosity also got the better of him.

That journey they had in the past was filled with too many mysteries... Even now, he didn't have that much of a grasp on the Mirror Cult's limits. He'd decided to use this opportunity to get answers.

Alex wanted to know why someone of such a high status like the crown prince, Drake Lancelot, would be tempted by a cult leader to betray his morals. He didn't believe any of the junk the cultist spoke about while handing out leaflets. Not even for one second.

It was only right to be cautious against a 'religion' being advertised on the streets... It was likely a way for the Radiant Sword Mirror Cult to brainwash people into becoming the same kind of criminals. 

That's what Alex believed. He had never forgotten his prejudice towards these psychotic, cunning, and unpredictable 'crazies'. They were all evil. Nothing could be done to change them from that alignment.

He'd never believe them. They deserved his ire...

The priest started to monologue with a 'heavy heart':

"That had been 'Our' intention from the beginning anyway. 'We' have decided to become very open about 'Our' powers after being reformed. All 'We' want to do is bring peace and prosperity to Gaia."

"However, 'We' can only share the secrets of 'Our' origins with those of status who have joined 'Our' cause, like the Crown Prince. 'We' believe knowing about 'Our' weaknesses should be enough to show the lengths 'We' will take to be trusted."

"'We' hope that you and 'Our' Religion could sort the differences ‘We’ have in a peaceful; civilised manner." The priest was patient. Not leaving out his intentions. All to make the point extremely clear.

It was quite ironic. 

Alex couldn't feel any wickedness or hidden intentions from the suspicious priest. Despite being a subordinate of the 'great evil' he once tried to defeat in the past, now he was the one trying to use a Shounen main character's most useless superpower of 'talking things out'. Did he forget the genre? The priest was too scary. Not worth debating with.

That face wasn't pleasant to see. Especially when it resembled the terrifying 'Fake Leader' that Alex had beat years ago with Arthur's support. That cruel final villain who ended his journey to save the world...!

"Speak." Alex ignored the prince next to him and asked coldly. He looked a little restless. This really could be considered the Radiant Sword Mirror Cult going all out. At least, that's IF they were willing to reveal their secretive abilities to settle a grudge. 

He couldn't help but start to believe the gentlemanly priest's words. The sincerity that was being shown towards him seemed real. His prejudice started to die down along with his many groundless biases.

"You know the legend of the ‘Seven Sins’, right?"

The priest changed his attitude.

"Of course." The lad nodded his head.

Who didn't? 

It was practically a legend that spoke of virtuous heroes fighting again seven demons- Ahem... Well, that would be the most conventional version of the tale spread out by the 'Luminous Church'.

In truth, he had done his research and found that the so-called 'Holy Attribute', and the virtuous heroes praised by suspicious holy priests... weren't all as overwhelmingly powerful as the church claimed. 

The 'Evil Attribute' and 'Holy Attribute' of this world were equal in strength, so how did five heroes beat a total of seven sinful demons? There was definitely something hidden behind that 'virtuous' facade...

Although he knew there was something fishy about the legends told by the church, Alex really wasn't in a position to judge them. Not after his hero's journey to defeat the one leading the cultist before him. 

On top of that, his mentor was part of the Luminous Church. How could he dare to question the religion his fatherly figure believed in? The only thing he could do was try his best to be understanding.

"Then this will be easier to explain." The smiling priest opened his palms. He released a demonic power that seemed to be filled with malice. It was a pitch black energy that could poison everything upon contact. Truly deserving of being called 'Evil'.

But why...? I couldn't tell why he was confident.

Everyone had got their answers:

"Holy Magic and Evil Magic have two states. The latter has distinct changes and naming: That being the 'Original State', while the other being the 'Sinful State'. The 'Original State of Evil Magic' is what you see before you. Contaminating and tainted power."

"It is simply poisonous... without any form of righteous aspects to speak of. This unlike Holy Magic's 'Original State', that can be used to heal or create miracles." The cult priest spoke exposition.

An explanation to the three people before him.

Arthur's eyes showed a deadly glare. This was despite not having moved from the way he was previously. The crown prince not far from Alex gasped. Sensing the decay and wickedness within.

‘Evil Mana’ really didn't look beneficial.

It was as if he'd just came to realise the people he worked with had such a vile power. Though it was normal considering how no one of the cult usually showed off how vile their powers could be at times.

Alex shook his head with a sigh. He wondered if the successor of Lancia Kingdom was an idiot or just too ignorant. How could he not know that an evil cult would use magic as wicked and vile as this...?

As expected, his perception of the cult was not wrong. Their appearance fit what's on the inside perfectly. It was natural that a religion that spread taint to all its members... would in turn be 'Evil'.

As he was thinking, he noticed a change occurring in the demonic energy in the man's hand. A bright yellow light illuminated it. This was until the inherent vileness within the toxins was no more...

"This is the ‘Sinful State’ used by members of 'Our' cult after we 'reformed' that demonic energy within it. It is called the ‘Sinful State of Original Sin’, named by the leader of ‘Our’ religion as 'Vanity'." The priest finished while dispersing the energy on his palm.

Both Alex and the Crown Prince were confused at the incomplete explanation they were given. They all looked at the Cultist suspiciously. He gave a look that told them not to be impatient, then continued to monologue while controlling the conversation:

"There existed 'Seven Sins' in the past. A total of seven immortal 'Demons' were born in Hell. They represented the sins lurking within the heart of all life on Gaia. Fixed evils that couldn't be erased."

So far so good. It looked like there was some lore to the world I didn't think about. It made sense that there was so much authority behind the church, but the relation between the church and cult was-

"The ‘caring’ Luminous Religion claimed they defeated the demons of past.  They did it by raising exceptionally talented heroes. Those who fought and overwhelmed evil, but in truth the real reason for their downfall... was their lack of interest."

Now this part was funny. Imagine the Heroes throwing tantrums and Demons just chilling out in boredom. It's kinda pathetic to hear, but strength was relative to the potential evil they could do.

If they were this strong, then I guess these Demons likely weren't interested in causing mayhem. There would have been so much useless deaths if that was the case. More tall tales about their names.

The priest continued his monologue:

"They were not bloodthirsty fiends that sought conflict and the misery... but miserable creatures themselves. Those forced to have cursed powers they never wanted to receive in their lifetimes..."

I looked at Alex and saw he deep in thought.

"'Our' power originated from the ‘Pride Demon’ and has been refined to the point... that it no longer contained any of the mind-corrupting power it had in the past. This was the purity of prideful vanity."

I looked at Drake and saw he was also the same.

"The ‘Collective Radiance’ that 'We' share among our new members allows 'Us' to share spell slots. Even 'Our' own thoughts pass to each other. This was without having to worry about any external influences like brainwashing or hypnotism."

My omniscient sight tried not looking at Arthur.

ʚ(╹ڡ╹)ɞ

It's not like I could interfere.

No matter how bad I felt for poor old Arthur.

"It also made us completely free from the worst forms of co-dependant habits. Other than that, ‘We’ solely relied on 'Ourselves' whenever ‘We’ come across a problem." Now this part was pure nonsense.

Their whole gimmick is being a Cult, after all.

"'We' are united in our stand to bring coexistence between Beasts, Humans, Mermen and all others children of Gaia. 'Our' legion of the mirror. The tough and solid foundation of 'Our' Religion was not uncontrollable vileness, but 'Reformed Evil'."

Gotta use that as the title for this chapter.

Seems important.

"It is in 'Our' teachings that even the worst of individuals can become good people with the right guidance and help from others." The last sentence spoke by the priest seemed to come straight from his heart. Unknowing the rippling effects of such words.

If Alex was unwilling to believe the priest had changed before, then the words spoken by the Cultist only served to confuse him. If they were as evil as he thought... then would they have spoke so patiently?

He was too invested in the explanation.

Reformed evil...?

Alex had never heard of a 'great evil' reforming itself. 

Doubt appeared once again.

The 'Final Boss' was saying it's a pacifist now? After all the misery it put them through, did they have the right to suddenly 'reform'? He couldn't believe their gall. The META of tropes says that this must be a trap to ease them into a false sense of security...!

"In other words, you were serious while handing out those leaflets? You don't want to kill people?" This was hard to believe. There was no way Alex could instantly start putting trust in such empty words.

"Correct, 'We' are good people now." Like a reformed criminal, the priest spoke with a sincere gaze. It was hard to tell if this was fabricated, and whether having doubt would benefit their future relationship.

"And you... You want to help them because they are 'good' now? You also want coexistence between races?" Alex asked the crown prince while rudely pointing at the cult priest. A glare was in his eyes. 

"It is the reason I decided to help them. I am unable to stand the 'Purist' ideals of the Luminous Church that considers all Beasts to be evil... Their teachings of ostracising all Mystic Races disgusts me." The crown prince spoke with a tone of righteous anger.

"Impossible." Unexpectedly, it was none other than Alex himself, who despite having rigid morals that still persisted in his current life, that didn't agree with them. This threw the other two for a loop.

Unable to understand his statement.

"...What?" Both the Crown Prince and the priest spoke in disbelief. The former wasn't used to others expressing themselves frankly, and the latter did not understand why anyone would disagree with them.

Wasn't racism a bad thing? Drake, with the highest status as royalty, opened his mouth in a daze. The amount of emotions he was expressing was unlike a high status social butterfly. Which was a bit strange.

 (?Д?)ノ

Weren't royalty supposed to be the best at this?

"Beasts are complicated in nature. There are the intelligent ones with a 'Human Form'... and there are the unintelligent ones who can ALSO have a Human Form of sorts. This could only mean that there are no ways to realistically be at peace with them." Alex wasn't going down easy. He had went deep into the reasoning he has. His own research regarding them.

"They are now part of society as a whole, and their place is fixed. There's no changing that fact. The tasty chickens I cook are Animalistic Beasts, even if they don't have human intelligence or a Humans Form. I'm sure there are even some in there that may have had human-like intelligence. So I have to ask... How are you planning to make these big dreams of yours a reality?" Alex started to lecture.

Almost making them role their eyes in laziness.

"This is why I call you all crazy... Be rational for a minute." Alex would not change his opinion. Some things sounded nice on paper, but were stupid to do in real life. The structure of this magic world didn't allow 'peace between all races'. It was the opposition.

It was hypocritical to go into a butcher store and feel sorry for dead chickens, even though the person had already once cooked them in their meals without thinking earlier. These thoughts helped no one.

He didn't value this thought process whatsoever.

"While you have a point, 'We' are quite flexible in 'Our' custom and won't fall into such a simple pitfall in 'Our' belief system. What is more important is the coexistence of intelligent species?" The priest didn't falter.  Using the moral dilemma against him.

"Anything else can come after that." Surprisingly enough, the Cultist wasn't the type to instantly get angry at his 'heretic beliefs' and try to force him into a 'illogical' Religion. He gave some respect...

But that didn't make his pursuit any less dumb...

They were trying to battle 'Authorial Intent'...

Alex wanted to fight with words a little more, but decided against it after realising that doing so would be useless. There was no point arguing about a Cultist's religious beliefs anyway.

It's not like persuasion worked at this stage.

"As long as you're not threatening people in my presence, then everything is all well and good. The reason I went against your Cult before was because it was an immediate threat to everyone on Gaia. If you all really have 'reformed', then just stay away from me. You can at least do that, can't you? That will be the condition for our truce." Alex spoke arrogantly despite dripping with sweat not too long ago. He was ready to use his ultimate self-created technique.

This young man may not be an invincible existence on Gaia, but he was annoying to fight due to his mysterious and tricky Arcane Skills. There was also his sense of justice cultivated in his last journey.

Anyone who talked to him had to consider this.

As Alex was a master of Martial Arts, Magic Skills, Rune Tech, and much more crazy inventions and skills... Drake had a fair amount of animosity towards him. He wasn't going to underestimate.

With the teachings of his good Mentor, Alex went from a inflexible youth who wanted to do good (who was too scared to risk himself for others), to a realistic wannabe hero that didn't fight with only emotions. He was much more rational than that.

Although there was no way he'd forget what the Cult had done to them, he was willing to forgive them for a greater purpose. This was the kind of 'Political Nobility' etched into Alex's heart years ago...

It also helped that he didn't have to recklessly fight them as a 'Wannabe Hero' anymore. Alex was too tired to go back into 'adventuring' again. He'd rather live a peaceful life now with his good friend.

Only the brawny youth behind him would ruin that.

"'We' agree on this condition. 'We' hope you and your friend won't antagonise our great Leader by destroying our Sanctuaries again. Your magical abilities are extremely frustrating to deal with." The priest nodded and agreed to the rational condition.

"Even with that illness of yours stopping you from manifesting your innate Spirit Essence or form Spell Slots, it would be in 'Our' best interests to have less conflicts with you. 'We' will be leaving now."

Arthur's eyes silently turned to Alex.

"Your Highness, 'We' will fulfil 'Our' promise and explain 'Our' origins at your castle." And with that out of the way, the priest turned and left. The luxurious and scary young man disappeared into thin air like a ghost, and time started moving again.

Arthur finally let out a gasp as he found not being able to move a single inch for such a long time to have been suffocating to say the least... He never felt so powerless before after gaining great power.

He looked at the location Drake Lancelot once stood and felt that, despite his hard efforts into becoming strong, he was still as powerless as ever after growing up. There was no way around it.

However, something else drew his concern more than the strength of the crown prince, and that was the last words the cultist spoke. The youth got up to look at his friend with sharp eyes and asked:

"What illness?" Alex felt a headache coming on as an old secret of his was finally being revealed.

He'd rather not talk about the past..."Don't worry, 'We' aren't going to harm-"

"Arthur, RUN!!! They're here to harm us!" 

Alex had no mind to listen to the priest. Visions had started clouding his eyesight. The psychotic looks of those cultists flashed in his head. Their strength. The sheer commitment they put into hunting him down.

I kinda felt bad seeing how traumatised he was. The memories of those times were likely still fresh. There was deep distrust in Alex's eyes. Not even the least bit moved by the statements the priest had made. 

Who'd believe what the priest was saying?

In fact, it sounded more ominous for him NOT to 'cause harm'... What was this villain planning to do to them? Alex was about to run, but his friend had instead taken a different approach on the matter.

Arthur stood his ground.

"Take me to your leader!" Rather expectedly at this point, Arthur didn't take his bro's pleas into account a second time. Instead, he angrily spoke a single demand with a righteous tone. Alex couldn't believe this stupid meathead had challenged their boss! 

What made him think this Cultist would do that?

His mouth-gaping appearance on the verge of dislocating his own lower jaw. I myself was also astounded by his... 'straightforwardness'(?). Wait, I was getting a sense that Arthur thought this was a genius idea. He really thought this plan would work!

(°□°)

No, Arthur... Stop looking at them like that. Don't you see how embarrassed Alex is? He's getting ready to leave you there. Seriously, stop looking like you won something. Even the priest is getting awkward.

Thankfully, Alex recovered and whispered to him:

"Bro, they are not aliens!" The nerdy lad quipped sarcastically at the side. Though I guess only he himself knew this old pop culture reference. If meeting their leader was so easy, they would have been able to find the true 'Final Boss' years ago. 

What possibly made Arthur think they'd agree?

"I got to make a distraction..." Alex thought and threw the black rune he'd recorded on his 'Arcane Fingers' technique. Knowing that he'd have to let go of a lot to escape. Leave behind some valuables.

He planned to throw most of his personal assets around to cause the crowd to fight each other. There were a lot of rare materials from all over the world among his vast riches... Enough to make a mew millionaire from what they could sell them for.

Some could even heal the sick and frail.

Treasures rarely seen in Lancia.

Dragon scales, phoenix feathers, giant meat, harpy claws, etc. Only the most recognisable ones were to be thrown. It wasn't like everyone knew or could figure out the value of his truly rare riches anyway.

However, Alex was only halfway through his action before the world seemed to slow down. Whether it was the birds in the sky or the people surrounding them on the ground... everything had became still.

A grey hue covered the entire world as he knew it.

The only ones who seemed to be able to move in this frozen world were: The gentlemanly priest still giving Arthur a look of superiority, the incoming new arrival, and himself. Only three could move.

Arthur was the only exclusion.

He stood there motionless like a statue. Still sporting that self-satisfied look after asking the impossible from an enemy. The abnormal and sudden change in circumstances caught Alex completely off-guard. 

His face said it all.

Maybe I'm reading too deep into it... Ah, anyway…

It was as if the sea of time suddenly stilled all its rippling waves. A familiar power to those who lived in Lancia, and a legendary ability to Alex. He who had only heard of this overpowered magic elsewhere.

He was ready to fight at any time.

There was a distinct glow on the lad's palms...

Alex did not speak first.

Watching the priest as he was breaking the ice:

"'We' already knew it wouldn't be easy to subdue that reckless warrior over there... and you, a ‘Magic Prodigy’ with a 'Unique Class', without causing a commotion high enough attract attention." 

"So it's only natural 'We' requested assistance from someone who could help complete this difficult task with minimum effort." These words of the cultist allowed Alex to regain his bearings somewhat.

The young man started to understand what was currently happening to them. His head turned to see an unfamiliar man in luxurious attire. A noble who walked towards him from the crowd frozen in time.

"I am-" The luxurious figure started to speak.

His eyes gazing down on those who opposed him.

"You don't need to introduce yourself, since I already know... ‘Crown Prince’, Drake Lancelot." Alex once again cut the other party off. He wasn't going to be very polite... considering his bud’s current condition.

Time around Arthur started to flow again.

Although the lack of grey hue on his friend's body signified he was of the same 'Time Flow' as the rest of them, that didn't change how his bro was still unable to move a muscle in this frozen world. 

The only thing he could do was listen to them talk...

Glancing at his friend's condition, Alex spoke:

"The 'Royal Kinetic Force Formula', huh?" A runic glow appeared in his brown eyes, and he stood close at back. This was in case they took advantage of the opportunity to attack Arthur in his powerless state.

"Don't you have a conscience? Why is a big-shot like you helping a great evil like the 'Radiant Sword Mirror Cult'?" Alex didn't know his anger, but one didn't need to hear or see it to know his feelings.l 

He knew the two of them had no choice but to keep on talking in this unfavourable situation. Until he figured out a plan, they could only stay in the mercy of those with power. This was exactly why he wanted to avoid them. Feeling powerless didn't feel good.

This was all judging from the understanding I got of him off-screen. I've practically known Alex his whole life… so don't think I'm unreliable. Mr Author and you all have no idea the amount of PTSD he had.

Alex had this entire arc about trying to control it.

"Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not here to capture you two. The only thing I want is to make sure you both wouldn't be harmed by them. This is my reason." Surprisingly, Drake Lancelot didn't retort or blame… and instead apologised to them. 

This caused Alex to raise a brow at the cultist.

The way he talked was filled with formalities...

...but could he trust nice words from an enemy?

He had to think wisely.

"His Highness speaks the truth. Though that is to be expected..." The priest nodded his head. Flattering the crown prince openly. This was likely to make sure there wouldn't be any difficulty in cooperation.

"Yeah~ Your words hold so much weight~! How could I NOT believe you~?" Alex laughed at them sarcastically. He really felt like they thought of him as some kind of brain-damaged lunatic right now.

Their fretful faces spoke clearly...

Alec wasn’t interested by them:

"Priest whatever-your-name-is, it's hard to believe the words of someone who had tried killing us once before. You recognised us from the beginning, but still decided to keep up the act of being harmless."

"What would allow you to show some semblance of trust in 'Our' words?" The gentlemen priest still spoke as if he was not one, but many... This was despite being the only person speaking to them.

Alex recognised this way of taking quite well...

"Does 'he' know of your origins and powers?" Alex replied with a question while pointing at the Crown Prince. He didn't bother asking them to release Arthur, since he knew they wouldn't do so. It's not like his friend was much of a negotiator anyway...

"His Highness, in fact, doesn't." The priest spoke up.

"Then reveal your secrets." Alex narrowed his eyes.

"Pardon?" The priest gave a vague response.

"I do not see why that's necessary." Drake sighed.

"You want my trust? Then explain about your history and that strange power your cult shares out to members who join your ranks." Alex interrogated while thinking of his next plan of action to escape their grasp. His curiosity also got the better of him.

That journey they had in the past was filled with too many mysteries... Even now, he didn't have that much of a grasp on the Mirror Cult's limits. He'd decided to use this opportunity to get answers.

Alex wanted to know why someone of such a high status like the crown prince, Drake Lancelot, would be tempted by a cult leader to betray his morals. He didn't believe any of the junk the cultist spoke about while handing out leaflets. Not even for one second.

It was only right to be cautious against a 'religion' being advertised on the streets... It was likely a way for the Radiant Sword Mirror Cult to brainwash people into becoming the same kind of criminals. 

That's what Alex believed. He had never forgotten his prejudice towards these psychotic, cunning, and unpredictable 'crazies'. They were all evil. Nothing could be done to change them from that alignment.

He'd never believe them. They deserved his ire...

The priest started to monologue with a 'heavy heart':

"That had been 'Our' intention from the beginning anyway. 'We' have decided to become very open about 'Our' powers after being reformed. All 'We' want to do is bring peace and prosperity to Gaia."

"However, 'We' can only share the secrets of 'Our' origins with those of status who have joined 'Our' cause, like the Crown Prince. 'We' believe knowing about 'Our' weaknesses should be enough to show the lengths 'We' will take to be trusted."

"'We' hope that you and 'Our' Religion could sort the differences ‘We’ have in a peaceful; civilised manner." The priest was patient. Not leaving out his intentions. All to make the point extremely clear.

It was quite ironic. 

Alex couldn't feel any wickedness or hidden intentions from the suspicious priest. Despite being a subordinate of the 'great evil' he once tried to defeat in the past, now he was the one trying to use a Shounen main character's most useless superpower of 'talking things out'. Did he forget the genre? The priest was too scary. Not worth debating with.

That face wasn't pleasant to see. Especially when it resembled the terrifying 'Fake Leader' that Alex had beat years ago with Arthur's support. That cruel final villain who ended his journey to save the world...!

"Speak." Alex ignored the prince next to him and asked coldly. He looked a little restless. This really could be considered the Radiant Sword Mirror Cult going all out. At least, that's IF they were willing to reveal their secretive abilities to settle a grudge. 

He couldn't help but start to believe the gentlemanly priest's words. The sincerity that was being shown towards him seemed real. His prejudice started to die down along with his many groundless biases.

"You know the legend of the ‘Seven Sins’, right?"

The priest changed his attitude.

"Of course." The lad nodded his head.

Who didn't? 

It was practically a legend that spoke of virtuous heroes fighting again seven demons- Ahem... Well, that would be the most conventional version of the tale spread out by the 'Luminous Church'.

In truth, he had done his research and found that the so-called 'Holy Attribute', and the virtuous heroes praised by suspicious holy priests... weren't all as overwhelmingly powerful as the church claimed. 

The 'Evil Attribute' and 'Holy Attribute' of this world were equal in strength, so how did five heroes beat a total of seven sinful demons? There was definitely something hidden behind that 'virtuous' facade...

Although he knew there was something fishy about the legends told by the church, Alex really wasn't in a position to judge them. Not after his hero's journey to defeat the one leading the cultist before him. 

On top of that, his mentor was part of the Luminous Church. How could he dare to question the religion his fatherly figure believed in? The only thing he could do was try his best to be understanding.

"Then this will be easier to explain." The smiling priest opened his palms. He released a demonic power that seemed to be filled with malice. It was a pitch black energy that could poison everything upon contact. Truly deserving of being called 'Evil'.

But why...? I couldn't tell why he was confident.

Everyone had got their answers:

"Holy Magic and Evil Magic have two states. The latter has distinct changes and naming: That being the 'Original State', while the other being the 'Sinful State'. The 'Original State of Evil Magic' is what you see before you. Contaminating and tainted power."

"It is simply poisonous... without any form of righteous aspects to speak of. This unlike Holy Magic's 'Original State', that can be used to heal or create miracles." The cult priest spoke exposition.

An explanation to the three people before him.

Arthur's eyes showed a deadly glare. This was despite not having moved from the way he was previously. The crown prince not far from Alex gasped. Sensing the decay and wickedness within.

‘Evil Mana’ really didn't look beneficial.

It was as if he'd just came to realise the people he worked with had such a vile power. Though it was normal considering how no one of the cult usually showed off how vile their powers could be at times.

Alex shook his head with a sigh. He wondered if the successor of Lancia Kingdom was an idiot or just too ignorant. How could he not know that an evil cult would use magic as wicked and vile as this...?

As expected, his perception of the cult was not wrong. Their appearance fit what's on the inside perfectly. It was natural that a religion that spread taint to all its members... would in turn be 'Evil'.

As he was thinking, he noticed a change occurring in the demonic energy in the man's hand. A bright yellow light illuminated it. This was until the inherent vileness within the toxins was no more...

"This is the ‘Sinful State’ used by members of 'Our' cult after we 'reformed' that demonic energy within it. It is called the ‘Sinful State of Original Sin’, named by the leader of ‘Our’ religion as 'Vanity'." The priest finished while dispersing the energy on his palm.

Both Alex and the Crown Prince were confused at the incomplete explanation they were given. They all looked at the Cultist suspiciously. He gave a look that told them not to be impatient, then continued to monologue while controlling the conversation:

"There existed 'Seven Sins' in the past. A total of seven immortal 'Demons' were born in Hell. They represented the sins lurking within the heart of all life on Gaia. Fixed evils that couldn't be erased."

So far so good. It looked like there was some lore to the world I didn't think about. It made sense that there was so much authority behind the church, but the relation between the church and cult was-

"The ‘caring’ Luminous Religion claimed they defeated the demons of past.  They did it by raising exceptionally talented heroes. Those who fought and overwhelmed evil, but in truth the real reason for their downfall... was their lack of interest."

Now this part was funny. Imagine the Heroes throwing tantrums and Demons just chilling out in boredom. It's kinda pathetic to hear, but strength was relative to the potential evil they could do.

If they were this strong, then I guess these Demons likely weren't interested in causing mayhem. There would have been so much useless deaths if that was the case. More tall tales about their names.

The priest continued his monologue:

"They were not bloodthirsty fiends that sought conflict and the misery... but miserable creatures themselves. Those forced to have cursed powers they never wanted to receive in their lifetimes..."

I looked at Alex and saw he deep in thought.

"'Our' power originated from the ‘Pride Demon’ and has been refined to the point... that it no longer contained any of the mind-corrupting power it had in the past. This was the purity of prideful vanity."

I looked at Drake and saw he was also the same.

"The ‘Collective Radiance’ that 'We' share among our new members allows 'Us' to share spell slots. Even 'Our' own thoughts pass to each other. This was without having to worry about any external influences like brainwashing or hypnotism."

My omniscient sight tried not looking at Arthur.

ʚ(╹ڡ╹)ɞ

It's not like I could interfere.

No matter how bad I felt for poor old Arthur.

"It also made us completely free from the worst forms of co-dependant habits. Other than that, ‘We’ solely relied on 'Ourselves' whenever ‘We’ come across a problem." Now this part was pure nonsense.

Their whole gimmick is being a Cult, after all.

"'We' are united in our stand to bring coexistence between Beasts, Humans, Mermen and all others children of Gaia. 'Our' legion of the mirror. The tough and solid foundation of 'Our' Religion was not uncontrollable vileness, but 'Reformed Evil'."

Gotta use that as the title for this chapter.

Seems important.

"It is in 'Our' teachings that even the worst of individuals can become good people with the right guidance and help from others." The last sentence spoke by the priest seemed to come straight from his heart. Unknowing the rippling effects of such words.

If Alex was unwilling to believe the priest had changed before, then the words spoken by the Cultist only served to confuse him. If they were as evil as he thought... then would they have spoke so patiently?

He was too invested in the explanation.

Reformed evil...?

Alex had never heard of a 'great evil' reforming itself. 

Doubt appeared once again.

The 'Final Boss' was saying it's a pacifist now? After all the misery it put them through, did they have the right to suddenly 'reform'? He couldn't believe their gall. The META of tropes says that this must be a trap to ease them into a false sense of security...!

"In other words, you were serious while handing out those leaflets? You don't want to kill people?" This was hard to believe. There was no way Alex could instantly start putting trust in such empty words.

"Correct, 'We' are good people now." Like a reformed criminal, the priest spoke with a sincere gaze. It was hard to tell if this was fabricated, and whether having doubt would benefit their future relationship.

"And you... You want to help them because they are 'good' now? You also want coexistence between races?" Alex asked the crown prince while rudely pointing at the cult priest. A glare was in his eyes. 

"It is the reason I decided to help them. I am unable to stand the 'Purist' ideals of the Luminous Church that considers all Beasts to be evil... Their teachings of ostracising all Mystic Races disgusts me." The crown prince spoke with a tone of righteous anger.

"Impossible." Unexpectedly, it was none other than Alex himself, who despite having rigid morals that still persisted in his current life, that didn't agree with them. This threw the other two for a loop.

Unable to understand his statement.

"...What?" Both the Crown Prince and the priest spoke in disbelief. The former wasn't used to others expressing themselves frankly, and the latter did not understand why anyone would disagree with them.

Wasn't racism a bad thing? Drake, with the highest status as royalty, opened his mouth in a daze. The amount of emotions he was expressing was unlike a high status social butterfly. Which was a bit strange.

 (?Д?)ノ

Weren't royalty supposed to be the best at this?

"Beasts are complicated in nature. There are the intelligent ones with a 'Human Form'... and there are the unintelligent ones who can ALSO have a Human Form of sorts. This could only mean that there are no ways to realistically be at peace with them." Alex wasn't going down easy. He had went deep into the reasoning he has. His own research regarding them.

"They are now part of society as a whole, and their place is fixed. There's no changing that fact. The tasty chickens I cook are Animalistic Beasts, even if they don't have human intelligence or a Humans Form. I'm sure there are even some in there that may have had human-like intelligence. So I have to ask... How are you planning to make these big dreams of yours a reality?" Alex started to lecture.

Almost making them role their eyes in laziness.

"This is why I call you all crazy... Be rational for a minute." Alex would not change his opinion. Some things sounded nice on paper, but were stupid to do in real life. The structure of this magic world didn't allow 'peace between all races'. It was the opposition.

It was hypocritical to go into a butcher store and feel sorry for dead chickens, even though the person had already once cooked them in their meals without thinking earlier. These thoughts helped no one.

He didn't value this thought process whatsoever.

"While you have a point, 'We' are quite flexible in 'Our' custom and won't fall into such a simple pitfall in 'Our' belief system. What is more important is the coexistence of intelligent species?" The priest didn't falter.  Using the moral dilemma against him.

"Anything else can come after that." Surprisingly enough, the Cultist wasn't the type to instantly get angry at his 'heretic beliefs' and try to force him into a 'illogical' Religion. He gave some respect...

But that didn't make his pursuit any less dumb...

They were trying to battle 'Authorial Intent'...

Alex wanted to fight with words a little more, but decided against it after realising that doing so would be useless. There was no point arguing about a Cultist's religious beliefs anyway.

It's not like persuasion worked at this stage.

"As long as you're not threatening people in my presence, then everything is all well and good. The reason I went against your Cult before was because it was an immediate threat to everyone on Gaia. If you all really have 'reformed', then just stay away from me. You can at least do that, can't you? That will be the condition for our truce." Alex spoke arrogantly despite dripping with sweat not too long ago. He was ready to use his ultimate self-created technique.

This young man may not be an invincible existence on Gaia, but he was annoying to fight due to his mysterious and tricky Arcane Skills. There was also his sense of justice cultivated in his last journey.

Anyone who talked to him had to consider this.

As Alex was a master of Martial Arts, Magic Skills, Rune Tech, and much more crazy inventions and skills... Drake had a fair amount of animosity towards him. He wasn't going to underestimate.

With the teachings of his good Mentor, Alex went from a inflexible youth who wanted to do good (who was too scared to risk himself for others), to a realistic wannabe hero that didn't fight with only emotions. He was much more rational than that.

Although there was no way he'd forget what the Cult had done to them, he was willing to forgive them for a greater purpose. This was the kind of 'Political Nobility' etched into Alex's heart years ago...

It also helped that he didn't have to recklessly fight them as a 'Wannabe Hero' anymore. Alex was too tired to go back into 'adventuring' again. He'd rather live a peaceful life now with his good friend.

Only the brawny youth behind him would ruin that.

"'We' agree on this condition. 'We' hope you and your friend won't antagonise our great Leader by destroying our Sanctuaries again. Your magical abilities are extremely frustrating to deal with." The priest nodded and agreed to the rational condition.

"Even with that illness of yours stopping you from manifesting your innate Spirit Essence or form Spell Slots, it would be in 'Our' best interests to have less conflicts with you. 'We' will be leaving now."

Arthur's eyes silently turned to Alex.

"Your Highness, 'We' will fulfil 'Our' promise and explain 'Our' origins at your castle." And with that out of the way, the priest turned and left. The luxurious and scary young man disappeared into thin air like a ghost, and time started moving again.

Arthur finally let out a gasp as he found not being able to move a single inch for such a long time to have been suffocating to say the least... He never felt so powerless before after gaining great power.

He looked at the location Drake Lancelot once stood and felt that, despite his hard efforts into becoming strong, he was still as powerless as ever after growing up. There was no way around it.

However, something else drew his concern more than the strength of the crown prince, and that was the last words the cultist spoke. The youth got up to look at his friend with sharp eyes and asked:

"What illness?" Alex felt a headache coming on as an old secret of his was finally being revealed.

He'd rather not talk about the past...