Noah Spirit

◀　Read from EP1

◀　"The Trail of Chien Aura"

▼Noah EP8-4 (2096): Astral of the Apocalypse (1) - "The Terminal Disease"

Lilith (36) Adam (37) Noah (34) Eve (12) Abel (25)

Fifteen years have passed since then.
We had all grown up to be good old adults.
Lilith ended up marrying that bastard in the blink of an eye.
He was always so bossy at first, as if saying, "I am right," but then he came to be at Lilith's beck and call, and even to me he became a little more respectful. I reluctantly said, "Well... I'll give him a chance at forgiveness.”
So, I reluctantly allowed my "sister" to get married.
Lilith seemed to be very happy, and soon after that, a beautiful baby girl was born.

I was also very attached to her daughter, Eve, and together with the little girl, who was very affectionate toward me, I would often try to get Peco and friends to go to the man's house and prank him. We had a good time, and before I knew it, I was 34 years old.

▼

The time was early in the morning. I had worked late last night, but I still had some work to do. I rubbed my sleepy eyes and casually turned on the TV.

“...... This is the 112th case of unexplained sudden death. The medical field is in turmoil at the moment, and we are still waiting for the government's response."

As soon as I turn on the TV, I hear the newscaster's voice reading out the disturbing news, and my face clouds over. Yes, there has suddenly been an outbreak of a "mysterious disease.”. The common symptoms are, impaired speech, the erasing of memories, then one day they suddenly collapse, and eventually die suddenly. Even priest-class recovery magic does not seem to have much effect.

Noah "Wow...now a politician...huh? There are so many of them these days."

I have to be careful, I thought to myself. Well, even if I am told to be careful, I don't know the cause of the problem, so what can I do?

Noah "For now, wear a mask outside...! And nutrition...! Peco, pick up the jam there!”

Pecola "Kyu!”

Dexterously placing a small jar of jam on top of its round body, my fairy is helping me prepare breakfast.

After Adam's visit to the north, the study of "pseudo-spirit" had shown rapid progress.
Now, the problem of magical element interference when using high-intensity magic, which was a problem before, has been greatly improved, and unless great power is used, Kagaribito do not suddenly short circuit anymore.
The world has become a place where there is no particular inconvenience for anyone except those who have the so-called "Astral Flare eater" level of extraordinary magical power, such as Eve, Dr. Odd, and Adam at maximum firepower.

Moreover, as time passed since the end of the war, the world became more and more peaceful,and the people's lives have also become more affluent with the rise of the Kagaribito.
These days, except for a few people in certain professions, people do not have to work very long hours to make society work.
Lilith's dream is coming true.

Lilith ― They help others and we treat them well,
And if we can share our hearts with the new life we give birth to in this way
I am sure our society will be more prosperous.

I smiled to myself, nostalgically remembering her words when we were young, and enjoying my breakfast toast.

▼

Noah "Good morning~. What's wrong? You look so serious..."

Lilith "Hm? Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

Noah "Mmm. I'm a little sleep deprived, but I'm fine? What's up?"

Lilith "What?"

Noah "You have a wrinkle between your eyebrows...?"

Lilith "Oh, haha. I was just thinking. It's okay, it's nothing."

Noah "What? Did Adam do something again?”

Lilith "Hey, Noah, is what we’ve been doing not good enough...?"

Noah "Are you still worried about 'that thing'?""

Lilith "...Um yes…Well”

"That thing" is the story before Eve was born.
The time when a large number of Kagaribito, which work by consuming astral flares, were in operation, and unexpected ecological changes occurred in many places while the beasts went berserk.
It resulted in the deaths of a large number of people in a city.

“The Tragedy of Infirma"(2083)

The tragedy, which is not widely remembered by the general public, was the story of the miners' town in Southland Fomalhaut.
The town was located at the foot of the ETNA Vulcanus, and many of the miners were originally preyed upon by the beasts of the mountain, the Small Central Station defense line had no way to defend against the beasts.
The reason why such a tragedy has been forgotten by the public is that before the war ended, the Infilma people were the "slaves" of the powerful southern tribes.
Although this system was abolished after Adam became a hero, there were still many "ex-slaves" who could not return to their homeland.
Adam respected their decision and promised to provide them with the minimum necessary support. Of course, they were also offered the opportunity to stay in Central's People's cities, Altair, or Deneb.
"Why didn't they just stay in Central, under the protection of their heroes?"
That was the public's thoughts, and this is why, even when they were sacrificed in large numbers due to the effects of ecosystem change, most people said they had been "punished" or something similar. No one cared much. The first day the news broke, it was all over the news, but within a few days their tragedy was forgotten.

However, Adam was urgently called to Central at the time to help with the rescue efforts at the site. He had been in the north for about a year, had started dating Lilith, and was beginning to settle into the area. When he returned to the north after completing the rescue work, he had a dark expression on his face that I had never seen before, and he was exhausted. He was from the south, and there were many familiar faces in Infilma.

Adam "We only saved...eight people. What a hero I am. I'm... helpless."

I actually witnessed his frustration as he said this.

Erde told me that from the time Adam was a child, he was a man who did not treat his slaves as slaves. Lilith was also pained to learn of his upbringing.

It reminds me of what she said at the time.

Lilith "It's like I killed him..."

Of course, those words were denied by Adam, who was still her boyfriend at that time.
Adam probably does not know that she has had a habit of thinking when she is alone.

I'm sure she is thinking today too.

Noah "Isn't it about time you forgot about this?"
I tried to cheer her up by continuing, "Adam wouldn't want you to keep worrying about it,"but all I got was the same sad grimace.
She is a perfectionist. If she makes one mistake, she is in the habit of worrying about it all the time. Although the ecological changes cannot be reversed, the city's defensive measures have been further strengthened since then. The change in policy by the Central government has also led to the imposition of "Astral Flare restrictions," so there was no need to worry about power interference with Kagaribito nor has there been any major damage caused by the rabid beasts.
Both Lilith and Adam should have learned from their mistakes.

Noah "Don't be so down. You gave birth to the Ark.
You are our goddess, as Hermes has acknowledged."

Lilith "in the n'rth, th're is one who is't endues f'rth the destruction of the stars. That gent shalt leadeth us in his ark on our journey."
Was it?. ...... Noah, I sometimes wonder if the one who created the destruction of the stars... was me."

Noah "What? Really, that’s what's wrong? How can that be?
The world is so much richer now...!"

Lilith "...Today, I received a call from General Null. She was talking about the disease that has recently spread.
It hasn't been made public yet, but the cause is...
The cause is the rapid depletion of astral flares around the world."

Noah "......... what?"

▼

I am currently participating in an emergency meeting on the "Terminal Disease" called by Central.

Null "These are the autopsy results of the 112 people who died suddenly.
All of them had no power source…in short, traces of astral flare, are gone from their bodies."

Odd "So all the patients showed confusion and memory degradation..."

Noah "What do you mean?"

Adam "Astral flares are energy bodies that have a great effect on the psyche of everything.
The astral flare is the energy that disperses all over the planet, In other words, it is like "air" for the spirit.
If there was no "air," we would die, right?
The same phenomenon occurs in the psyche.
That is the power of the energy body called astral flare.
And... Null. Can I tell them?”

Null "...ah, it's an emergency. Permission granted."

Lilith "......?"

Adam "I would like to ask you to keep what I'm about to tell you in confidence.
It is said to have been sealed by the first emperor, Levia Lyne, the truth about Eden, the God of the Central.”

▼

Erde "You mean, you guys broke into Eden, or the forbidden Garden of the Four Intersections...
I knew that the damn snake there was immortal, but I didn’t know that…Adam…
That god gave him different powers... that's what you're saying, right?"

Null "That's what I mean."

Erde Sin, the Colonel of Central, who had been listening quietly up to this point, touched on this point, and General Null replied. This prompted Erde to turn her astonished gaze toward her superior, saying,"You can't be the first emperor, can you?”

Adam "It was a confidential matter. I'm sorry I didn't tell you about all this."

Odd "I understand the situation. But what does it have to do with this illness?
I still don't see the connection..."

Adam "You all know the anecdotes of the pacification I left behind in various places, don't you?"

Noah "Well, well..."

Adam "...I touched the source of the "astral flare" at that time.
I found it. Bonfire."

Lilith "Bonfire...?"

Odd "It's a mythological symbol in Central.
There is a bonfire in the fountain where astral flares are born, the first human who touched it lost "eternity" in exchange for gaining the knowledge of good and evil.”

Noah "Oh, I know that one too.
"If thou sear the fire from the south 'i the "dream fountain", the wind shall join from the west, sending green smoke 'i all directions."
It's a passage from the creation myth story of the West, or rather, of the land itself. My village is a people who worship the wind, so this passage is especially important to us...Carrying the smoke that fire burns… In other words, it is my Lord Hermes who delivers astral flares to the world, we all live proudly."

Null "...you two are learning a lot."

Lilith "I mean...Adam, you were able to pacify the war so quickly because...
"Because you were given the mysterious power of the "Knowledge of Good and Evil", the God who put the spirit in people....
Am I right in saying that...?"

Adam "That's what I mean.
To put it simply, the blessing of this bonfire is the power to control all "spirits".
That's how the people who were fighting came to the peace table one after another.
It is not that I am a virtuous person who is loved by all.
I only issued a verbal 'ceasefire order' to those who continued to want to fight even after dialogue."

Null 「"Oh, no. This is the end of your heroic story.
The true identity of Adam Blaze, a peace-loving man of character, is a maniac who has the power of the dreaded "Eden". And so am I."

Odd "I still think you're a hero, though.
Even though you have the power to control people's hearts, you never tried to be the "king of the world". You always face the other person properly and never give up on having a dialogue with them. You must love everyone...the world...peace...to be able to do that. So, for me, Adam, you are a hero of justice. You know better than anyone what "astral flare" is, and now, you, If you say that the cause of this "terminal disease" is the "depletion" of this energy, I think we should destroy all "Kagaribito".

Lilith ".........."

Adam "...For the past dozen years, I have been searching for a way to "coexist" with them.
Humans have been enriched by their rise. The new "life" that Lilith gave birth to was my hope.
Even with the bonfire in my hands, I could not do it… I thought I saw a world where everyone could be happy. But alas, the total amount of astral flare that can fill the world is fixed. I wanted to share it with Kagaribito somehow. I've been dealing with their "hearts" for a long time, but....
It's time. I want to put human life first, in the name of the people's "hero."

Noah "Oh no... But, Adam has a contract with Eden, right? Then can't you do something about it...?"

Erde "...He told us about it because he can't...
I agree with Adam. If we die, there is nothing we can do.
There's no other choice."

Lilith "......... I agree with you."

Noah "Lilith...! But why?!. But you’ve worked so hard to get this far..."

Lilith "......... sorry. Can you leave me alone for a minute?"

Noah "Lilith..! Wait..."

I was about to go after Lilith, but General Null stopped me.

Null "Leave her alone for now. This is too hard for her…”

She usually makes fun of me, but she said this with a serious look on her face.
A heavy silence fell.
I stood there stunned, not knowing what the right thing to do was.

▼

We are now on our way back to the Northland.
After the meeting, Dr. Odd decided to remain at Central Headquarters.
He said directly to General Null, "I want to do my best to treat those who are suffering until Adam completes what he has to.
Although the decision was made to destroy the machines, Kagaribito are active in various fields all over the world.
In the meantime, there will surely be more deaths.

Lilith "We need to make it known first that the depletion of astral flares is the cause."

Adam "I agree. If we recover Kagaribito in stages, there will be dissatisfaction from the regions that were able to recover it quickly.
The whole world will be convinced that we are "regressing civilization.”
I have no other choice but to gather Kagaribito within the range of my power.
Then I can use the power of the bonfire to control their minds.”

Noah "What do you mean?”

Adam "...I'm going to ask them to commit "suicide".
In short, my power is a combination of the power to "force" and the curse of "death". Null has the curse of life, as I told you before. If I have the power of the bonfire, then maybe..,
I once had tried to compel a mortal to live. Only it didn't work.
The "garden" that guarded the bonfire imposed the "price of death" on me for my hubris.
If I give the order to them, they will probably choose "death" at once. I have never used the power of the "Garden" until now, but the fact that Null can't die, no matter what Null does, means that the opposite power will be activated as well. Eden has already confirmed this.”

Noah "No, wait, that's too much..."

Lilith "It's okay, Noah. We're not the ones having the hardest time."

Adam "...I'm sorry. This is all I can offer."

Noah "......."

Lilith "Hey, Noah. You should go back to your hometown in the west."

Noah "What?"

Lilith "I will be denounced by the whole world after this.
I don't think you should be there."

Noah "What are you talking about...that...that's not allowed!
Everyone has enjoyed the benefits of Kagaribito until now, right?
Everyone wanted it.... You can't be the only one to be denounced!”

Lilith "Noah. I have killed 112 and probably more.
Even the Tragedy of Infilma. It was so flawed that it would have changed the ecosystem.
If I had destroyed Kagaribito then, none of this would have happened.
My ego killed so many people."

Adam "....... Justice must be served. I'm just as guilty. I'll bear it with you. Lilith."

Noah "......... I don't accept that. I will never.
I'm not going back. If anyone tries to judge Lilith, I will tear them to pieces. Do not underestimate the power of a fairy.
I will protect you. So let me stay by your side..."

Lilith "...I'm so glad you feel that way. Thank you, Noah."

▼

Adam "For now, let's take today off. Tomorrow, we'll be busy."

Lilith "Yes, you're right. Good night. Adam, Noah.”

Noah ".........."

When I left Falsedad Cor, I went home without saying a word.

Noah "Is there any other way...? A way for Kagaribito, humans, and everyone else to coexist..."

No matter how much I thought about it, I could not come up with an answer.

Noah "...Can't we at least freeze them...?
Suicide...is just too much..."

There is still time. Tomorrow, I'll make another proposal to Lilith.
We've been working together for so long. If only we could buy time to improve them....
These thoughts were swirling around in my head.

▼The next day

(This is where Lilith goes crazy = morbidity / important section that will remain as Noah's regret)

Noah "Good morning...Lilith."

Lilith "Good morning. Noah."

Lilith does not seem as depressed as I had expected, and with some relief, I ask her for advice about last night.

Noah "Hey, Lilith. I was thinking, why not just freeze them? With Adam's power, we don't have to make them kill themselves...Why not just have him order them to go to sleep? We've had plenty of problems in the past, but we've solved them… If we can buy enough time to make improvements, I'm sure we can..."

Lilith "Freezing...? Hm, I see.... If we put them to sleep..."

Noah "...! Yes, that's right! You should ask Adam to do it, Lilith!
I'm sure he won't brush off what Lilith says.
Adam is a person who has always taken such good care of his family. I'm sure...he'll consider it."

Lilith "Yeah...I guess so. ...... Thank you, Noah. You are my best assistant after all..."

(Her expression is somewhat vacant, but this is because Noah thinks that Lilith must be depressed. No one notices anything wrong with her at this stage...)

▼

*Alone in his office, Adam is preparing to inform the whole world of the depletion of astral flares.

Adam "......."

Lilith "Hey, Adam."

Adam "Hey, Lilith. Are you feeling okay?"

Lilith "Yes. I have an idea.
I don't think it's a good idea to let them kill themselves.
So let's put them to sleep. With your power."

Adam "Lilith... I know it's hard.
No matter how hard you try, if they operate, they'll get astral flare again.
You know that better than anyone... don't you?"

Lilith "I still have about 40 years until I become a grandmother.
I'm sure we can make improvements that won't consume astral flares.
Besides, if I'm accused, Eve won't get away unharmed.
I feel sorry for her. So, you know?"

Adam "We shouldn't let them live in such uncertainty.
They are a life that continues to love "people". We created them that way.
They would never want people to suffer.
And yet, they are killing them. They have killed them.
That's why we have to put a stop to it, don't we?
Besides, I'm ready to save Eve to Null and Odd.
You said yesterday that we should atone for our sins, didn't you?”

Lilith "Yesterday was yesterday, today is today. I changed my mind."

Adam "............ Lilith? What's wrong with you...? You don't seem like yourself."

Lilith "Oh, I'm perfectly calm. It's you who is acting strange, Adam.
You might not be able to stay with Eve.
You're so nonchalant about atoning for your sins. Don't you care about Eve?"

Adam "............ I never thought that.
I thought you knew me best, but it seems I was wrong.
Lilith, you are disgusting.."

(*This last line is the one I mentioned in Adam’s section.
The point is, This line is false, he loves Eve so much, and that's a no-no.
Adam's blood rushes to his head, but Lilith has already contracted the disease at this time,
He will forever regret his response to Lilith at this time.)

▼

(*This is where Lilith begins to forget about Eve and obsess over Kagaribito.
Maybe her memory is deteriorating every time something stressful happens.
For her, Adam's comment above was such a shock...)

Lilith "Hey, Noah... I think Adam hates me....
I'm in trouble.... I can't get Kagaribito to... sleep if I don't do something about it. ......"

Noah "Well.... I’m disappointed in you Adam...."

▼Noah EP8-5 (2097): Astral of the Apocalypse (2) - "Anomalies"

※Noah can't come out from here, so once again, this is from Adam's point of view.

I apologize. I thought so. Lilith is a human being too.
There are times when you may want to turn away from the painful reality.
But when it comes to me....

Adam "I said too much.
I should have been the one to be there for her.
I need to talk to her again...."

※After making Lilith's favorite tea for both of them, Adam goes to her room.。

Adam "Lilith.... Um, excuse me."

Lilith "................"(*Not noticed. She is looking out the window with depressed eyes.)

Adam "Ignoring me...is hard.
You’re angry...right? I'm sorry. I was out of line earlier.
.................. Lilith?" (Since she doesn't respond, I walk over and tap her lightly on the shoulder.)

Lilith "...... Oh? I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you.
Are you Adam Blaze...? Welcome to the Sanctuary of the Dolls.
I'm sorry to bother you so early, but I absolutely need you to work for me."」

(*↑The line of Adam and Lilith's first encounter.
She’s forgotten all her memories of Adam.)

Adam "...... ah......."

(*Adam just realized Lilith's illness.
The matching mugs he brought to make up with her, slips from his hand and breaks into pieces.)

▼See Eve’s Episode.※Adam decides to leave the Northland at this point in the timeline.

After this, he becomes an ogre who gives priority to the destruction plan anyway.(To save Lilith).

Noah EP8-5 (2097): the Astral of the Apocalypse (3) - "The Scourge of Falsedad Cor (1) - Lilith of the Wickedness"

“We will save the planet and save Kagaribito, because they already have a heart.
Failure is not an option. I don't want to hear anything but "yes" or "yes ma’am,” Adam. Now put this nonsense to rest and get back to work.”

"I'm sorry I can't do what you want, but the answer is NO.
There is nothing more important to me than you and Eve.”

"Is that so..then you're just going to get in the way. In that case, I hope you both die here.”

"No, Mama..."

(*Lines from Lilith's Episode)

▼Noah EP8-5 (2097): Astral of the Apocalypse (4) "The Scourge of Falsedad Cor (2): The Believers in Ruin"

Lilith “Noah, kill them. I know you can do it.”

Noah "...yeah. Death to the traitor. Right. I know, Lilith. Leave it to me."

"The Useless Daughter"　▶

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