Ode to the Undead, a Miracle Spun by Wavering Souls/2 - The Path of Saint Adriessene

{| class="article-table" cellspacing="1/6" cellpadding="2" border="1" align="center" width="100%" ! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;background-color:#b583dc; color:#fff;" |Writer: Happy Elements K.K. (Merc Storia) ! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;background-color:#b583dc; color:#fff;" |Location: Forest
 * colspan="2" |Ode to the Undead 2-1.png
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... I see. So that's what happened when you arrived...
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We decided to split up to gather more information after that giant monster chased us...
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Sakuma-senpai headed towards that old, beat-up mansion, Hakaze-senpai left for town, and we accidentally got lost in the forest.

We ended up sleepin' outside for two days in some unfamiliar mountains... It totally sucked.
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Not that it was that inconvenient cuz Adonis was there, but...

It’s not too uncommon to spend the night in the wilderness when hunting animals. I’m just glad my experience was useful...
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But, man, I still don’t get how we ended up in a totally different world... Like, the Country of the Dead, seriously...?
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Same here. I'm sure my older sisters would be shocked...
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You think it was then? That during the MC part of our concert, we got the whole place so hyped it popped open the Country of the Dead with our performance? We didn’t go openin’ a door to the underworld or whatever, right?
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... What’s "the underworld"?
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Ahhn? You seriously don’t know? It’s a different realm altogether, like... Well, it’s basically the afterlife!
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... You’re misunderstanding things, then. This most certainly isn't the afterlife.
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Keh. As if that wasn’t freakin’ obvious… What I’m tryin’ to say is, this world’s totally different than the one we came from.
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You’re onto something, Oogami. The scenery isn’t the only unique thing about this country named after the dead; their culture differs from ours, too.
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A religious country that exists underground is some real fantasy crap...
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And what’re those stones things everyone seems to have on ‘em here?

... It’s a special stone called a Bright Stone. Every citizen in the Country of the Dead keeps one on their person from the day they’re born until the day they die....
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When they pass and their soul leaves their body, someone who cared for that person in life attends a rite known as the Bright Stone ceremony in order to destroy the stone and let it drift off to the Heavens…

It allows their soul to rest in peace. Or, at least, that's what's said…

A country that walks in the valley of both life and death, then…
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“Life is merely a dream. To cling to life makes one no different than a spectre long past its time"...
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Such are Saint Adriessene’s words…

Hah! That’s a pretty cruel thing to say to UNDEAD.
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... "UNDEAD."
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Does that mean you're immortal? You’re not going to say yes, are you?

What, y’think that’s so impossible? How's that hard to believe but you were sooo quick t' accept us sayin' we came from the Spirit World?
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Come to think of it, it's true... Not a single person questioned our story. Not even Leroy or Benedetto…
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There ain’t some secret agenda here, right? If there is, ya better spit it out!
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… No, not really. That verse is from an old scripture in the church. About a saint who's traveled to and from Spirit World, just like you four...
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That’s why the church had me protect you.

! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;background-color:#b583dc; color:#fff;" |Location: The Country of the Dead (Town)
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A saint who went all the way to the Spirit World and back?
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I'm surprised someone like that even exists...
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His name is Adriessene. Saint Adriessene governs over time and brings about a great many miracles.
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Being able to travel the Spirit Realm already sounds enough like a miracle, but are you seriously saying he can do all that on top of everything else...?
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Wowie! He sounds just like a hero right out of an adventure novel~!
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... Sigh. Well, it's not like there's any connection between me and miracles or doing protag-ish things like that...
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That's not true! Because... Um...
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Because Yuu-san's Yuu-san is why! And you've made a whole lot of miracles happen! That's right! With your healing powers!!!

... Merc-san!
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Yuu-san!!
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From here on, I'll do my best to do what I can!
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That's the spirit, Yuu-san! Just work your way up little by little~!
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... (Coughs) You mind if we get back to the story, or?
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 * rowspan="2" | Sowwy...
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Though Saint Adriessene did God's work by saving people far and wide... A special Bright Stone ceremony was to be held, and he had to depart for the Spirit Realm long ago.
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A special Bright Stone ceremony...? Is this different than the ones held once a year?
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You know quite a bit, but I guess that's to be expected from a healer who travels the world. That's correct; there's a particular ceremony that's performed only once every ten years.
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Myuu~... If you're calling it a "special" ceremony, what's so different about this one?
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During a normal ceremony, close friends and family of the deceased bring their Bright Stones to us at the church, who then release the souls from the stones. However...
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For those who have no relations, the church takes care of their Bright Stones for a fixed period of time. The special ceremony is when the church releases the souls from these unclaimed stones.

It's not uncommon for relatives and friends to visit us in search of an unclaimed Bright Stone in the church's custody.

... I see. So that's why it's only held once every ten years, huh...
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But if you only do it every ten years, won't you end up with a pretty big pile of stones? Do you have to handle all of them yourself, Leroy?

No, it's customary to perform the ceremony with multiple priests.
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... If possible, I think I'd like to talk to every Bright Stone to understand the paths they took in life before returning their souls to God.

The reason being thus: this ceremony is of the most noble types of holy work a priest can do, and one that brings the greatest comfort to the hearts of the people.

(Myumyu? Leroy-san looks really proud of himself!)
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(Yeah. Looks like he really treasures his work and the people that live here.)
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Wow! Leroy-san, you're incredible! You're such an amazing priest!
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It's embarrassing to hear that directly... Still, I'm far from perfect&mdash; I still have a long way to go.
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Gosh, really?
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Leroy. Mm. I still don't have the skill to be able to release the souls of ten year's worth of Bright Stones all on my own; not yet.

... Speaking of, how many Stones are there right now?
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Right now, we have approximately a thousand Bright Stones in our care, which is among the largest amount of Stones we've ever had to hold a ceremony for.
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Myuwawa~!!! That's a ginormous amount!!
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While it's true that it'll require a massive investment of effort and time, it's a priest's duty to see it through to the end. Because...
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... those who sinned in life; those who embraced solitude and exhaled their last breaths alone; those whose final flames died out in the middle of a journey deep in the mountains, where no one noticed their passing...

It's for those special cases that this special ceremony is held. Over a period of seven days, we talk to them, comfort them, and help them find peace.

You're right! That really does make it special!
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Not to get off-topic, but we call this particular Bright Stone ceremony "The Path of Adriessene." It's in reference to the path he walked over the course of seven days...
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Adriessene went to visit the Spirit Realm during the ceremony, right? Are those two things somehow related...?
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... You're pretty sharp. During the Path of Adriessene, the Bright Stones are split into two groups on the first and last days for us to release their souls. However...
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According to the scriptures, Saint Adriessene departed immediately to the Spirit Realm after souls were released on the first day... and was to return while the church released souls on the final day.

During the Bright Stone ceremony, Saint Adriessene travelled elsewhere to bring about miracles... That’s the path he walked. Hence the name "The Path of Adriessene," I'm guessing...
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Wow! What super incredible deduction! But!! The genius detective Merc hasn't lost yet!
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N... No way...!!! All my hard work... Don't tell me you're about to blow it away...
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What are you two even competing over? You guys really are the weirdest duo...
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Myu~fu~fu~! Leroy-san's been talking all about all the miracles Adriessene-san made happen! However~! There's one thing you've been toeing around~!! And that thing is...! How you've kept hidden what miracles, exactly, Adriessene-san did during the Path of Adriessenne!
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Oho. I can't really argue with that hypothesis.
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Leave it to Merc, genius detective...
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I don't go through mystery novels like they're water for nothing!
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Ugh... Should I start reading mystery novels too...? Wait, setting that aside...
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Merc, you mentioned he's hiding these "miracles" from us?

Mm, honestly speaking... Just before St. Adriessene left for the Spirit World, something unthinkable happened to the church, which was supposed to purify the Bright Stones.
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W... what in the world happened?
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Musica attacked.
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"Musica"...?
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A massive, savage monster appeared, drawn here by the light of Bright Stones when they shatter after being purified... That's what Musica is.
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Myuu... Even though the Bright Stone ceremony is a day where you say good-bye, I've heard there's more to it than just being sad.
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On the days of the ceremony, lots and lots of people gather together, leave their homes, and sing hymns all in a group. If a monster showed up during all that...

... it must’ve been a total disaster.
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The last time Musica attacked, it destroyed several homes and critically damaged a large portion of the church. Fortunately, no one was injured...
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However, were the Bright Stone ceremony to continue, there would surely be casualties eventually. And just when everyone began to quail at the thought...

&mdash;Adriessene-san returned from the Spirit World!
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Bingo. Plus, using the power granted to him from the Spirit World, he was able to commune with the heart of the monster and drive Musica away.
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Yeah, that sorta is a pretty impressive miracle. Jeez, what kind of power did the Spirit World even give him?
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Being able to communicate with the hearts of monsters... That kinda gives me healer vibes.

Does that mean Adriessene-san has healing abilities, too?
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No, there's nothing like that written in the surviving scriptures and texts about him in the church. There's barely anything about what kind of powers the Spirit World bestowed upon him.
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But here's what I think: Personally, I believe Saint Adriessene must have had some sort of power that was akin healing...

A power akin to healing, huh...
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Soooo, is that why you asked Yuu-san for help?
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That's right! The story about the saint was so interesting I totally forgot to ask! I've been wondering&mdash; Why did you ask us to be your bodyguards in the first place?
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Mm, about that... You know of the good sir Jamo, don't you?
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Ohh, yeah, the merchant's guild hires us as a bodyguard often, so we travel through a bunch of different countries with him...
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And this time, Mister Jamo brought us here with him to the Country of the Dead! And then, we got even more bodyguard work because...
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... while we were on our way to go sightseeing, Leroy pulled us aside.
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The good sir recommended you both to me. He said that, though your arms may be awfully plush, those hands you use to heal are nothing to scoff at.
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... Jamo-san...!
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(Don't gossip about our muscles!!!)

(Right!!!!!!!)
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Yuu, Merc... Can I ask something of you again?
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I want you to lend me your strength to protect both the church to which I’m devoted and this town during the Path of Adriessene, so that we can carry out the ceremony in peace.

&mdash;During the Path of Adriessene!?
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I did feel like the Bright Stone ceremony going on right now didn't feel like a normal one... Don't tell me this one's going to be the super special one?
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Mm. We need only wait for the final day since we've already wrapped up the first.
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So we’re jumping into the middle of a ceremony that only happens once every ten years…?
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Correct. Musica's rampage triggered an outbreak of disaster during this year's Path of Adriessene.
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Huh!? Didn't Adriessene get rid of him!?
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Frustrating as it is, he's come back after so long of us not knowing his whereabouts. And even worse...
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Myuwawa! There's more!?
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Right as Musica attacked, some kind of berserk wolf-looking monster showed up...
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Rayne, a templar, has been lending us a hand and kept the town safe so far, but it wouldn't be strange if people were to end up getting hurt...

&mdash;Yuu-san! There isn't a moment to lose!
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Yeah. We’ll do everything we can to help!
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You have my gratitude. Merc, Yuu... May Saint Adriessene's divine protection be with you as you bestow upon us your strength...
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Myuu~! I'll pray too! I'll pray the Path of Adriessene can go off without a hitch! And also, I'm sure Yuu-san also...
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... Mmmh...? Oh, uh, yeah...
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Is something the matter? You look really lost in thought...
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Well, I'm kind of wondering why Musica attacked the church and town at all...
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If we could figure out his motive, couldn't we figure out some kind of countermeasure?

Ohhh, you're right... Myumyu?
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(Offscreen)
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~♪

A song... Yuu-san, listen.
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A song? Do songs have anything to do with Musica?
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That's not what I meant! I'm saying I can hear someone singing...
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(Offscreen)
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♫ Enveloped by your torn-up wings, your cloudy eyes&mdash; so fragile and confused ♫

♫ Please, I don't want you to be so sad ♫

Oh, there really is...
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This voice is so delicate and sweet, and overflowing with clarity... Just who does it belong to?
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A total bottom-feeding sleazebag lowlife.
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 * rowspan="2" | What'd they even do!?
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! colspan="2" style="text-align:center;background-color:#b583dc;color:#fff;" |Translation: hymnflower (Yuu, Merc, Leroy); Mandy (Rayne, Koga, Adonis) 
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