If it's that spell, even the Seal of Yahweh cannot stand against us.
"But that spell hasn't been tested, has it?" Azrael shakes his head. "Then why are you so certain that it would work?"
"Certain?" he asks, raising his eyebrows and inflecting his voice. "Does it look that way to you?" Arthur nods. Azrael cracks a smile. "Well, I'm not."
"You're... not?"
"As I said, this spell is all theory. Even though I'm a Primordial Deity, I can't see into the future." He pauses momentarily, then continues, "Well, it would be incorrect to say I can't."
"Wait, you can see into the future?"
"Of course, I can."
"Then... if you look into the future, won't it save you the trouble of pressuring Amanda for information? Also, can't you figure out the identity of the people behind Magus Academy's attack?"
"Arthur, there are four reasons why I don't look into the future. Firstly, it's irresponsible. If I peer into the future, I'll inadvertently create a new timeline and divert from destiny's path."
"Create a new timeline? What do you mean?"
"Time flows in a straight line, like a river. It can never flow backwards naturally, only forward. If I use future sight and avoid the path destiny has chosen for me, that singular path will split into two different pathways. This division can affect the lives of trillions, not only the ones who divert from the timeline. And while the future may change, it's not always for the better. A worse outcome may lie in store for the person."
"I see why you call it irresponsible. If it affects the lives of trillions, it would also change their fates. Innocent beings could lose their lives because of this decision."
"Right. Secondly, using future sight consumes an enormous amount of life energy. If I were to use future sight in my state, I would end up killing myself before I could even glance a second into the future."
"What if you were at full strength?"
"At full strength...?" Azrael places his hand on his chin and squints his eyes. "At best, I would manage to see a few days... maybe a week into the future."
"And as a Primordial Deity?"
"As far as I wish. Be it a week, a month, a year or a century. I have no limits. But, looking into the future is not my dominion, so I don't do it."
"Not your dominion?"
"I rule over death, not time. So my control over future sight is not as accurate as Horatia's. If I change the destiny of trillions because I see an inaccurate future, I would be a scumbag not worthy of the Primordial Deity's throne."
"And what's the final reason?"
"I don't want to."
"You... don't want to? Look into the future?"
"Yes. I don't want to see what the future has in store for me. It ruins the mystique and excitement of living through another day."
"You... Because of such a reason, you'd make life harder for yourself?"
"Harder? I don't think so. I'm not making my life harder. I'm just not making it any easier than it already is."
"You're impossible to understand." Arthur sighs, "Well, final reason aside, it looks like you can't see into the future. Then, why are you so confident in this spell working?"
"As I said, it's not confidence. This spell is theoretical—if in practice it works, then it works. If it doesn't work, I go back to the drawing board. It's as simple as that."
"What about risk factors? There could be a chance this spell harms either you or me. Even worse, it might injure those in our immediate surroundings or even the continent as a whole. Have you considered life-threatening factors?"
"True. Injuries may be inevitable for a spell on a scale as large as this."
"Then—"
"But if we take precautions in theory, using what we know and understand about casting spells, we can avoid injuries and fatalities." Arthur drops his head, silent. Azrael walks to him and places his hand on Arthur's shoulder. "I know you're concerned about failing but failures are a part of living. And when you do fail, you should keep pursuing success until you've reached your goal. If you can't do that, you'll never succeed in life."
Arthur remains silent momentarily before raising his head and smiling. "You're right. Plus, if I don't try, we might never know if the spell will work."
"That's the spirit." Azrael glances at Alora and says, "If she is not a traitor, does that mean Amanda lied to me?"
"Amanda? Did you speak to her?"
"Yes. But she refused to cooperate. I will speak to her once more, as you may have heard. But I'm not convinced she will behave any differently from how she acted earlier today."
"Well, I doubt what she said was a lie."
"What do you mean?"
"Apostle said something about an informant. I never felt a spy's presence near me and don't associate myself with many people. The only place someone could get information about me is from the academy, specifically Class 1A."
"So, there is a spy in our class."
"I don't want to admit it but that's the only explanation."
"I see. You did a good job, Arthur. leave the rest to me."
As Azrael turns his back to Arthur and walks to the door, Arthur calls out, "Azrael!" He stops under the doorframe and looks back. "Please... She may have attacked the academy but don't let her fool you. Try your best to convince Amanda."
The corner of Azrael's lips rises into a gentle smile, "I'll do what I can." With that said, when Azrael turns his back to Arthur his smile fades and his eyes fall into a squint. "I'm sorry, Arthur," he whispers as he walks down the hallway towards Marchioness Atalante, waiting for him.
"Lord Azrael, I have instructed all knights guarding Amanda Vlad to vacate the premises. However... are you certain this is what you want? She is a dangerous individual. And in your current state, I fear—"
"Atalante," he says casting her a glare, "Are you questioning my decisions?"
She falls to her knees, sweat rolling down her cheek, "I would never dare, Lord Azrael!"
"Lord Azrael?" Azrael and Marchioness Atalante jerk their heads, staring cautiously at the sudden presence walking towards them. "What an interesting turn of developments I walked in on. Tell me, Marchioness Atalante, who exactly is this gentleman you bow before? I am eager to know."
"Duke... Helios Flare... What are you—"
"Marchioness Atalante, forget what I asked. Rather," he says casting a terrifyingly massive wave of mana over Azrael and Marchioness Atalante, like a sheet over a bed, "I would like to hear from him." He stares down at Azrael, who stands unfazed at the duke's provocation. "What do you have to say, Professor Azrael?"