Chapter Sixty-Six: The Origins of Talismans

After obtaining the eroded wisdom of the Lord of All from the master, Roland realized that although the other called himself a Demon Sorcerer and habitually wielded black aura magic, it was merely a preference; in the arts of righteous aura, he was likewise a grandmaster. In truth, the distinction between black and righteous aura magic stemmed only from the nature and alignment of the energy, a convenience of terminology; aura magic was the true name of these spells.

The two forms of aura could be interchanged, and the Lord of All stood at the very pinnacle of aura magic—at least, before his descent into Hell. Roland had initially expected little from a demon who had seemingly forgotten all the spells he once created, but now he saw that was not entirely the case.

Even residual fragments of these spells, when employed properly, could yield astonishing results.

“So effective…”

To suppress the soul of a god with such ease—no matter how proud one might be, faced with such miraculous means, it would inspire both longing and reverence.

A simple character, imbued with arcane structure and power, was enough to subdue a divine soul. It did not surprise Roland; after all, if the Lord of All's soul could be restrained by this magic, it was inevitable that it would work on Ishtar, who served only as a follower.

Though it lacked the ostentatious flourish of typical otherworldly magic, and was both easy to learn yet difficult to master—without talent, one could linger at the beginner's threshold for a lifetime—aura magic was unparalleled in specialized attacks: simple methods, overwhelming effects, and, once mastered, one could be called a god among men.

No wonder the Lord of All regarded the title "Demon Sorcerer" as part of his very being.

“What do you intend to do?” Realizing that her final hope had also been stripped away, Rin Tohsaka forcibly suppressed her fear, swallowing a mouthful of icy air.

“Don’t be nervous. I have no intention of harming you. All I wish is to pay my respects to the Goddess of Venus, and perhaps propose a trade.”

“A… trade?” Rin looked bewildered, unable to fathom what Roland, a Master in the Holy Grail War, could possibly want from her, especially since he already had control over Ishtar.

“Of course. If it wasn’t a willing exchange, surely the goddess would rather remain sealed than allow me to borrow her power?”

“I see…” Though she still didn’t understand his intentions, knowing he did not seem bent on harming her or Ishtar allowed Rin to breathe a little easier—only to be gripped by fresh anxiety a moment later.

“Sakura—just now you said Sakura is in your hands…”

“She’s well, safe and sound, and never entered the Matou family’s worm pit. If you wish, I can take you to see her in a while. How’s that for sincerity? Now, it’s your turn, Rin Tohsaka.”

Roland set Rin down gently, smiling as he extended his hand toward her.

“Return what belongs to me.”

“All right.”

Rin’s usually spirited voice dropped to a murmur. Trembling, she reached into her coat pocket and produced a delicate gemstone, placing it in Roland’s palm.

—It was one of the spoils she had picked up earlier.

Roland looked at the gemstone in confusion, the corner of his mouth twitching, unsure whether to keep it or hand it back.

Seeing his silence, Rin’s expression twisted with pain. She hesitantly took out another gemstone and placed it in his palm.

Roland’s expression grew even more contorted at this. Was he, the great Demon of Fire, mastermind of the Holy Grail War, calculating to demote a goddess for the sake of snatching back the jewels he’d once given away?

“That’s all—there’s really not a single one left!”

Seeing his expression, Rin squeezed her eyes shut, biting her lip, and poured out all the remaining gems from her pocket into his hand, as if unable to bear the sight herself.

“Who cares about these gems? What I want is my talisman. Take the gems if you want.” Roland sighed, covering his face with one hand while with the other he tossed the pile of gemstones to the ground as if discarding trash.

“Ah—my gems… What a waste! If they’re damaged, it’ll be a real loss. The talisman was actually yours? But I found it at the Matou house—no, I mean, I picked it up there.”

Rin looked on in distress, but cared little for the dragon talisman itself—it had, after all, been snatched, so she handed it to Roland without hesitation, then crouched down to gather up the scattered gems.

Roland paid her no further heed. Despite being Sakura’s sister, Rin’s personality was utterly different. He focused on the talisman, closing it in his hand.

“The first one is mine at last—and it’s the dragon, as if by destiny.”

The dull talisman, upon being gripped by Roland, was roused as though responding to a summons; the dragon motif upon it began to glow, melding itself into his palm, as if seeking to become one with him.

“Hmm…”

At that moment, Roland sensed something amiss. The dragon, source of energy, was now greedily absorbing his magic, like a pet starved for ages finally reunited with its master.

The speed at which it drew out his power was so intense that even Roland, with his extraordinary reserves of mana, felt discomfort.

Sensing his state, the talisman gradually eased its draining, as though intuitively aware of its master’s limit.

After absorbing a vast quantity of Roland’s magic, its appearance transformed dramatically: once dull and stone-like, it became as smooth as jade, shining with an unusual luster in the sunlight.

But Roland knew this was mere surface. It was still far from satisfied. For now, only he could use it; otherwise, its radiance would retreat, and it would revert to the form that allowed mortals to wield divine power.

Presently, its restriction to him alone was not good news. The talisman was, in essence, a fragment of his divine might. That power would not vanish, but the talisman now felt overused, as if it had operated ceaselessly for hundreds or thousands of years.

Even with his mana to nourish it, it would take decades to restore it to its original state as depicted in legend.

What on earth had these talismans been used for? Cross-dimensional travel?

“…Perhaps that’s exactly it.”

When he obtained the contract spirit, Roland had already confirmed that the Lord of All existed only as a soul, without a body. By rights, these talismans should not exist at all.

Unless, of course, the contract spirit had caused trouble during possession. With the Lord’s wisdom, Roland could now piece together most of the truth.

Driven by the instinct to reassemble, using the Grail for location and supply of mana, the spirit forcibly summoned the talismans from its world to this coordinate. But it only handled the summoning, nothing else.

Contract spirits possess no will; they follow only instinct, heedless of consequences. Even ordinary cross-world travel could destroy the object in transit, let alone crossing dimensions. If anything other than the talismans had been summoned, they’d have been destroyed en route.

Still, deprived of support, and after who knows how many long years draining the talismans’ divine power, their dormancy was inevitable.

“But if even the dragon talisman is in such a state, aren’t the rest much worse? Unless there’s a vast influx of pure mana to hasten their recovery…”

No wonder those two sought the Grail so desperately. As the threads unraveled, the full tapestry of past events became clear to Roland: Darnic, Zouken Matou, the Evil in the Grail, and countless talismans of unknown number.

Once he fixed upon revival as his goal, even if unconsciously, fate would draw him to know all he needed to accomplish it.

Unlike Yoshikage Kira’s uncanny luck, the favor of the black aura was like a mother who had long since paved the steps to the future; take but the first step, and the path to the heavens would unfurl beneath your feet.

“I truly am engaged in boundless greed… But so be it. That which is mine can only ever belong to me.”

A meaningful smile curled Roland’s lips. As if in response to his emotions, the dragon talisman embedded in his palm flared with blinding light, and the alien magic set his eyes ablaze with crimson once more.