Conflict, conflict, conflict.
Number one, stop—
The Etherlite of the Eltnam family is considered heretical technology because it can secretly steal the refined wisdom that others have spent their entire lives honing.
Contradiction, contradiction, contradiction.
Number two, stop—
If this secret of the Eltnam family were exposed to the outside world, it would have been banned long ago. But Atlas is different; it allows all heresies, and all anomalies, and has no constraints except for that one prohibition. Growing up in such an environment, I naturally thought it was reasonable.
Error, error, error.
Number three, stop—
No matter how fearful or hateful, there is nothing wrong with the Mystic Code of the Eltnam family. No one has the right to deny Eltnam; not a single alchemist can surpass us.
Alarm, alarm, alarm.
Number four, stop—
However, from birth until now, all the knowledge, thoughts, concepts, and principles I have acquired were not produced by Sion Eltnam. They were all borrowed or read from others.
Disorder, disorder, disorder.
Number five, stop—
Infiltrating other information centers is equivalent to immersing oneself in another's self. This is an extremely difficult task because a mature "self" will expel any cognition and concepts different from its own. But because of Eltnam's ideology, I have always considered this normal, so I could unguardedly absorb information from that person.
Distortion, distortion, distortion.
Number six, stop—
We, the Eltnam, are life forms that cannot exist without information. We are beings that cannot survive without taking something from others. The reason I left Atlas was also because I had doubts about myself and needed to acquire more information.
Correction, correction, correction.
Number seven—
If this doesn't make us the same kind, then what does? In that case, why reject taking blood from others? From an existential perspective, Dead Apostles are far superior to fragile, short-lived humans. Why cling to being human?
Because I have always denied this, even when I sensed the error, I continued to deny it.
How foolish.
Cut—CutCutCutCutCutCutCut!
Sever! Sever! Sever! Sever! Sever!
"Ahhhhh—"
Roaring, madness, hysteria.
An unusual aura filled Touko's workshop—a black aura that did not belong to humans, carrying the bloodthirsty scent of a vampire.
When the contradictions deep within her soul were brutally exposed, when the last shred of her facade was stripped away, Sion's soul finally fell into chaos, and the last line she had always held onto crumbled.
She finally gave up resisting and willingly began transforming into a vampire.
Her ten fingers twisted, her nails lengthened, turning into claws.
Her expression became ferocious, fangs grew, baring her teeth.
This was the true form of a vampire on the hunt, the mortal enemy of humans, and a threat to humanity.
Seeing this scene, Touko sighed deeply, "Was it necessary to go this far? This is too much, it doesn't seem like you."
"It was necessary. She is the successor chosen by Zepia, and she has even greater potential than him. If she can't overcome this hurdle, she will eventually become a greater disaster."
Shinji also sighed. The repaired Indra's Thunder manifested, and the Divine Thunder Barrier unfolded, firmly restraining the girl who had not yet fully transformed into a vampire.
"What's your plan? Are you going to kill her with your own hands? Was all that setup for nothing?"
"Of course not—it's up to you now, Miss Life Coach."
"Me again, huh?"
"Who else but you? If you hadn't warned them about going down the wrong path, I wouldn't have resorted to such extreme measures."
"You are shameless."
Touko was both annoyed and amused.
"I've never been ashamed of it."
Shinji took pride in his response.
"Just tell me if you're going to help."
"I never said I wouldn't."
Touko's attitude mirrored Shinji's when he had dealt with taking in an apprentice earlier.
"But I can't do it alone; I need your cooperation."
"Tell me what to do."
"First, beat her until she's barely hanging on."
"That's easy."
Shinji raised his hand, and the lightning from Indra's Thunder became more intense. The divine thunder instantly pierced through Sion's body, leaving her charred and severely injured.
"What next?"
"Next, it's time for the life coach to step in. Speaking of which, why didn't I have someone to guide me back then?"
Touko lit a cigarette and walked over to the heavily injured Sion.
"Wake up, wake up, if you keep going crazy, you'll die."
"Ugh..."
Perhaps sensing the threat to her life, the madness in Sion's eyes slightly subsided.
"Good, there's still hope. Now, listen to what I have to say. It's not too late to make a decision afterward. First, I need to correct a fundamental error: not just you and Zepia, but all humans are beings who cannot exist without information."
"When humans are born, they can't speak. Why do they learn to speak? Because they acquire information from their parents. The language spoken by the parents determines the language the child learns, gradually becoming instinct. Everything learned during growth is the same."
"You think you've stolen the refined wisdom that others have spent their lives honing? Aren't others the same? The textbooks students use, the skills and experiences teachers pass on to their disciples—aren't these the same? Humanity has grown to its current state by relying on the transmission and development of such wisdom through generations. It's not just you Eltnams. Why do you think you're special?"
"My... my self..."
Sion's lips barely moved as she struggled to speak.
"The fact that you can converse with me proves yourself. It might not be as strong as others, but it exists. And is your 'self' really not strong? Your persistence over the past three years, regardless of right or wrong, for whatever reasons, is born from your own will. I can assure you that over ninety-five percent of humans would not be able to resist the impulse to suck blood for various reasons. So, there's no need for you to be conflicted."
"Then why... why me..."
"Because you're just afraid—afraid of your nature, and that's why you're using this way to escape."
"I'm afraid..."
Yes, she was indeed afraid. She didn't want to recognize that she was the same as Zepia because even if she did, she couldn't change it. She had been born and grown up this way, and now she couldn't and didn't want to change this way of living.
So, she escaped.
From Atlas—
From Italy—
And from her true self—
"What... should I do..."
"Who knows? That's something only you can figure out."
Touko lit her cigarette.
"However, one thing is certain—acknowledge your true self, recognize your weaknesses. Then, answer me, do you still want to become human again?"