Gerie

Poverty, chastity, obedience—these are the three evangelical counsels. Clearly, Gerie has no intention of following any of them, yet she relishes playing her part in the Grand Sanctum. Her true purpose perhaps lies buried deep within her deranged mind.

She is the Chief Arbiter of the Dusk Arbiters. As such her overall capabilities, including combat prowess, are presumed to be exceptional, well beyond standard classifications, possibly amongst the strongest in Nova. But if combat ability alone were the key, it would contradict both eyewitness accounts and official statements. Gerie must possess other, far more "terrifying" abilities...

#Emor Mental Health Center ##Comprehensive Psychiatric Assessment Results ##Date: NA ##Total Individual Factor Score

Somatization Score: 3.4 (Moderate) Aggression Score: 4.2 (Moderate) Hallucination Score: 5.5 (Severe) Paranoia Score: 5.1 (Severe) Aberration Score: 2.5 (Mild)

##Remarks In previous evaluations, the subject's composite scores were consistently around 2.0, indicating mild symptoms with stable emotion. This time, however, her condition has worsened considerably, showing signs of psychological polarization and auditory hallucinations. Subject claims to hear incomprehensible voices. These may be tied to other triggers. Observation in the Containment Ward is recommended.

#For reference only. Not for diagnostic use.

Seeking individuals worthy of doing battle with me or those who can provide leads for locating them. Those who prove their worth will be generously rewarded. This commission is permanently active with no limit on submissions.

"Sealed ██-████" Following administration of a sedative compound for temporary normalization, the subject presented no observable differences from a typical human. Waveform readings showed standard shadow patterns, stable body temperature, and balanced mental state. Several hours later, shadows intensified significantly, imaging revealed blurred contours, accelerated heart rate, and her body temperature steadily rose. Upon reaching the safety threshold, the subject's total magic energy exceeded that of a typical human by ███ times. It is estimated that during combat, injury, or emotional distress conditions, her magic level may still surge to 1,000, potentially peaking at ████ times the baseline—though this would result in irreversible damage. Based on projected peak values, it is recommended that the subject release magic energy or take inhibitors at intervals of every █ hours.

A girl cursed from birth. She is the victim of original sin, yet is still "greedy" enough to keep on living. —Chief Justice of the Dusk Arbiters

There is almost nothing false in those statements—or rather, the subject shows no desire to conceal her own nature. Though parts were provided and edited by the Dusk Arbiters, it aligns with what everyone who's encountered Gerie has said of her: dangerous but pure. —Willow

「Subject Name: Gerie」 「Record No: 013」 Gerie, female, age 8. Routine observation shows the subject to be timid, withdrawn, highly sensitive, and easily frightened. In periods of magic energy surge, she is prone to experience mental instability that manifest as: restlessness, disordered thoughts, and the onset of aggression. This contrasts sharply with her original personality profile. Additionally, it has been observed that excess magic energy severely compromises several physical functions, including: diminished pain perception, decreased vision and hearing, dulled tactile sense, and near-total loss of taste. This is expected to be a lifelong condition, though its potential impact on the subject's survival remains uncertain.

Develop a method as soon as possible to help the subject release excess magic energy. ... ... (Verdict from the Great Luminar: Denied. Do not incur unnecessary development costs. Sufficient to keep the subject alive with drugs and ensure only basic motor function.)

The others came back for her, reaching out their hands. She did her best to grip theirs in return. She often remembered how, on that summer day, what she saw above wasn't the silver-colored playground equipment but drifting clouds under a boundless blue sky.

"This is boring. Let's build sandcastles today." "Did you bring water? You can't build them without water." "Ah! I—I left in a rush and forgot..." "It's... It's okay. Maybe we can build the sand castles without water..."

She crouched down and carefully scooped a handful of sand into her palms. But it sifted through her fingers, carried off by the wind only to fall back into the pit. Frustrated, she tried again, but the same thing happened.

"See? It won't work without water! Let's go fetch some!" "Wait, don't go..." "Leave it to us. You stay here. No point for you to follow us." "No... Don't leave me alone..."

She watched as they left, and a tangled emotion welled up inside her. It was disgust at her own body, but also jealousy at seeing others walking closely. It wasn't the first time she'd been treated differently, and she knew it wouldn't be the last. She had lost count of how many times she'd had this thought. And when that unease pressed too hard against her heart, something long-repressed finally began to break loose. She felt the restlessness take form, swelling, spreading outward from within her until everything around her fell silent.

The change struck her in a flash... By the time she came to, the world before her was no longer familiar. The trees that once shaded her were laying toppled across the streets, the playground equipment was bent and twisted, jammed into buildings, Screams replaced the birds and cicadas, and her friends were nowhere to be found. She lifted her gaze skyward: it was neither blue nor white, but a hue of red that looked almost black. No laughter echoed in the playground anymore, only an incomprehensible noise of chaos. The summer heat grew unbearable, as if it meant to burn everything to ash...

At last, she began to understand what was happening. She tried to stand, to run, but her body would not move. Looking down, she saw the sandy pit had become a scatter of broken stained glass, reflecting a twisted world—and her own face, blurred beyond recognition.

Her bare feet touched the cold floor. The chill she got was enough to make her happy, because it was proof that the excess magic had been purged. The results would only last a week, but for a few days she could feel what it was like to live as an ordinary person. Without even changing into her novice habit, Gerie sprinted toward the Grand Sanctum in her ritual whites. The choir faltered at her sudden intrusion, but Gerie filled her lungs with all the air she could and shouted in her loudest voice—"Don't mind me! Please continue!" Then she gasped for breath until she nearly passed out. She savored this sensation. After she was taken in by Grace Imperium, she learned her fate and the price she had to pay—a sliver of her freedom, traded for treatment that would keep her alive. Ever since then, she had but a single thought. "As long as I get to live, this isn't so bad." She no longer cursed fate, and she gave up trying to trace its causes. She only wanted to experience, as much as possible, what being alive felt like.

"How many times have I told you? Don't run around in that outfit!" An elderly woman hauled her up. She wore a nun's robe, but her authority was no less than a bishop's. "S-sorry... Mother, I was just released today..." The old nun looked over her frail body and sighed. "Never mind. After you eat, remember to come back and clean the chapel. No freeloading allowed if you want to stay here." "Mother, what are we eating today?" "I made you extra-spicy porridge. You can't taste much else, right?" "No, please... Last time you cut peppers, you were coughing for so long..." "You've always been a bother, and now you worry about me? Just eat it." Stubborn as ever, Gerie would not just sit and eat the food quietly. She tried to help fetch the knives, only to cut her hand by accident. The old nun stayed calm. She pulled out alcohol and cloth from her pocket to treat the wound, as though she had done so countless times before. "You heal fast and say you don't feel the pain. So you think you're made of iron?" Gerie stayed silent. She didn't want to argue. She only watched the old nun's calloused hands carefully cleaning her wound. Only in moments like this could she feel a proper child.

"You need to learn some life skills. You can't rely on me forever." "But you wouldn't let me handle the knives just now... Ah!" "That's different. The higher-ups only see you as a tool, but someone has to teach you how to live... Let's start with shelling beans." "And after the beans? Washing vegetables, baking bread, and, and..." "One thing at a time. You'll learn everything I teach you, and then you won't need to depend on me anymore."

Hidden blades, poison daggers, throwing knives... The man had overseen the development of countless weapons, and he knew immediately what he was looking at. The weapon Gerie designed had but one purpose—to wound without killing outright. "The Arbiters require missions carried out with efficiency, not someone like you treating battle as entertainment!" "But I'm like this. And you know that not only do I always finish my missions, I can also extract valuable intel without executing the enemy." Gerie smiled at him with unabashed confidence as she played with her hair. "I'll admit your methods work sometimes. But most of the time, even with targets who didn't matter, you did not strike them down. Which makes all this just excuses for your twisted tastes!" "Look at this design. Instead of reinforcing it for lethal efficiency, why waste effort on making it transform?" "Hehe~ But if the fight ends in one stroke, isn't that boring?"

The man could hardly believe that someone with a mind as unsound as hers had risen to the position of Chief Arbiter. Worse still, he could imagine what damage it would do to his belief if such a frivolous weapon were actually approved. "Enough! The fact that the Chief Justice favors you doesn't mean you can break all the rules. If not for your last assigned weapon being ruined in the endurance test—" "... Wait, that rampage wasn't an accident? You did it on purpose, just to get the excuse to design something new..." "There are some things you really shouldn't dig into~ Who knows? If another 'incident' were to happen here, people might just call it one of my little fits~" "As the most outstanding and authoritative blacksmith here, is getting a nice toy for an Arbiter really too much to ask of you?"

Gerie pushed the door open and stepped out, her face split with a grin she couldn't hide. The novice nun, who had been waiting outside for some time, hurried over and took the design plans from Gerie's hand. "How did it go? Did they approve it?" "Of course~ Thanks to you helping me design it, all credit to you, little Tessa." "No, no! Being able to assist you is already a great honor!" "It's just... there's one thing I don't understand. Why go through all this trouble? Is it really just so you could 'enjoy' fighting?" "... Life is too short. The words we want to say, the things we want to do... Most of the time, we never get the chance." "One's will to live is the fiercest when death is staring them in the face. That's why I show my enemies mercy, so they can fight for another breath." "I... I don't understand..." "And besides, watching people claw and struggle to live... It makes me so very happy. Fufu~~ Hahaha~~~" Light on her feet, Gerie skipped down the sunset-lit corridor, not caring at all about the stares around her. As Tessa watched her go, she couldn't help but wonder—was Gerie well and truly delirious, as the rumors claimed?