Chapter 67
Angel Summoning is, for now, a skill that only Rifiris can use.
Historically, there have been individuals who possessed this skill, but they were extremely rare.
It's a very useful skill, so Rifiris is glad to have it. However, the enemy is so overwhelmingly powerful that even this joy is overshadowed.
(Even with Angel Summoning, I don't feel like I can defeat the Demon King... Anyway, the Chapel is, as always, a very beautiful and serene place...)
Entering the Chapel, Rifiris lets out a small sigh of relief.
The largest Chapel in the Holy Capital isn't overly extravagant. Yet, the stained glass and pure white walls are beautiful, creating an atmosphere that purifies the heart. Rifiris secretly thinks that a place like this would be perfect for a wedding...
(The pews have been moved to the sides. There's a Magic Circle in the center of the floor? The choir is lined up at the front... What are they planning to start?)
About forty men and women dressed in white gowns with a sacred aura stand in front of the altar.
A bit apart from the choir, there is a middle-aged male priest. His name was Garim, if I recall correctly.
And then, there are ten ordinary believers in white robes, along with a child of about ten years old.
(What kind of group is this? Why are even ordinary people gathered for an angel summoning?)
"......We will now perform the ritual of Angel Summoning."
Priest Garim announced.
(......A ritual? What's that? Angels can just be summoned with a skill, right?)
No special incantation is needed. There's no need to even utter the skill name. In this world, the basics are incantation-free. As long as you have magical energy, angels can be summoned.
While Rifiris is still confused, the ordinary believers line up along the circumference of the Magic Circle drawn on the floor. Furthermore, the child moves to the center of the Magic Circle.
"Um...... What are you doing?"
Rifiris asks the priest.
"Lady Rifiris, please wait for a moment."
"Okay......"
"Now, choir, begin the hymn."
The choir starts to fill the Chapel with their beautiful voices.
Rifiris, having grown up in Japan, isn't particularly interested in religion, but she finds this song, which she has heard often, to be beautiful.
(I prefer J-POP over hymns, though.)
One of the downsides of being in another world is not having easy access to various kinds of music.
While Rifiris is casually thinking about such things, the ordinary believers begin to groan in pain.
"Huh...... What......?"
Rifiris still doesn't understand the situation.
However, even as Rifiris remains confused, the ritual continues.
Eventually, a sacred light begins to emanate from the Magic Circle, and magical energy gathers around the boy in the center.
It's not ordinary magical energy. In numerical terms, it might amount to hundreds of thousands of magical energy.
"What...... is this......?"
"......Lady Rifiris. Please summon an angel using that boy as a vessel."
"......Huh? Use that child as a vessel? How?"
"It's not difficult. You summon angels all the time, don't you? Just align the manifestation point with that boy."
"I see...... But, is it really okay to do something like that?"
"Yes, of course it is. This is a secret art left behind by a great Saint of the past. It's a safe magic."
"I see......"
"Now, please give it a try."
"Understood......"
The priest wears a gentle smile. Rifiris judges that there's probably no real danger.
"......Angel, summon."
Normally, Rifiris would feel magical energy draining from her body. However, this time, there was almost no such sensation. Instead, a vast amount of magical energy overflowing within the Magic Circle is consumed.
The boy's body begins to glow. It's not just glowing; it's as if his body itself has transformed into light.
That light gradually changes shape, becoming a knight in armor with wings. The height is about that of an adult man, equipped with a sword in the right hand and a shield in the left.
Eventually, the light subsides. An angel in silver-white armor has manifested.
"Wow, this is amazing. It's a much more powerful angel than the ones I summon on my own."
Rifiris doesn't have an appraisal skill, so she can't determine the angel's exact strength. However, she can tell that it harbors a far denser magical energy than Emma.
Judging by the priest's smile, the secret art must have succeeded. Rifiris claps her hands lightly in applause.
However.
"......Huh?"
The believers who had been sitting along the circumference of the Magic Circle collapse on the spot, like marionettes whose strings have been cut.