Multiverse: Why does the world show a health bar? !

"Aren't you going to oversee your plan?"

The mechanically processed voice of Aleister echoed through the space, sounding like an old man, a child, a man, and a woman all at once.

Everything that happened in Academy City was known to him. He was the founder of this city, its ruler, and its watcher.

To him, this place was the "Land of Thelemic Revival."

He watched over this city.

Li Mo had never thought of hiding anything from Aleister. He always acted openly and boldly. "No need. With all the preparations I've made, failure isn't an option. Of course, if you wanted to stop it, you could."

Aleister said, "I have no such inclination."

"I know. That's why I'm standing here so confidently." Li Mo smiled.

"Aren't you here to observe me?" Aleister asked.

"No, no, no, respected Chairman. Isn't it possible that I'm just waiting for the right time to act?" Li Mo tilted his head and said, "Personally, I think the moment you step out of that life-support pod will be the moment this war ends. And that's when the real action begins."

Memories don't lie.

Li Mo could clearly recall the events of the story. When the Star of Bethlehem fell, Kamijou Touma would give the escape pod to Fiamma of the Right, who would then be defeated by Aleister after fleeing to Russian soil.

Not a clone, not a possibility, but the real deal.

"You think I'll go to Russia?"

"For Kamijou Touma, you'll have to, right?"

Aleister, floating upside down in his life-support pod, showed no change in expression. His cold, impersonal voice echoed, "Do you know Kamijou Touma well?"

"I only know that there's something beneath his right hand, but I don't know what it is."

Kamijou Touma, the absolute protagonist.

When Othinus destroyed the world, it was he who stood up. At that time, many others would have remained conscious, but he was the first to stand before Othinus.

Li Mo kept his distance from Kamijou Touma.

Aleister's attention to Kamijou Touma made him uncertain.

"Is that so? Your view is that during this war, Kamijou Touma's true nature will be revealed, correct?"

"Yes. Fiamma of the Right isn't an ordinary magician. Among the four members of God's Right Seat, he surpasses the other three by several levels. He's currently in the 'Age of Osiris,' but his goal is the 'Age of Horus.'"

The concept of "Ages" is one of the key terms in Thelema. Aleister artificially divided magic into different ages, believing that each new age would surpass the previous one.

The "Age of Osiris" refers to the present, the era where Christianity reigns supreme. The "Age of Horus" refers to the future, a new existence that transcends Christianity.

Aleister: "According to your reasoning, it seems I must go to Russia after all."

"Yes. When the Star of Bethlehem falls, it will mark Russia's defeat. That's the perfect time to act, isn't it? The war will be over by then."

Li Mo spoke.

"Is that what you think? Worried about giving others leverage?"

"Internal strife during a foreign war is a sure way to hand your enemies an advantage. Six directors have already fallen recently, haven't they? Even though directors can be replaced at any time, replacing so many at once will inevitably disrupt the city's operations to some extent."

To Aleister, the Board of Directors were just high-level employees. The city truly followed only his will. So, replacing employees was no big deal.

But the city's operations still relied on the Board of Directors. In the past, Aleister would have maintained the city in every aspect, but ever since Kamijou Touma and Accelerator entered the city, his attention shifted from maintaining the city to focusing on these two, didn't it?

Li Mo hadn't forgotten that in the near future, the entire city would come to a standstill, and Aleister would do nothing.

"Respected Chairman, let me give you a reminder. Even though Aleister Crowley has been dead for over sixty years, the specialized departments dealing with him still exist."

"I understand."

Aleister's cold reply came through.

Li Mo fell silent.

The current Aleister was hard to read. If it were the silver-haired girl version of Aleister, Li Mo could have told him everything. At most, he would have hidden the existence of Lilith to prevent Aleister's "loser" trait from affecting her return.—Hadn't Aiwass told Aleister about this?

Next, Aleister fell silent, seemingly beginning his calculations.

He already had a cooperative relationship with the Anglican Church. During World War III, they would become comrades-in-arms.

But then again, would former allies stab him in the back later?

No... Coronzon later acted almost entirely independently of the Anglican Church's interests.

"You know more than I imagined," Aiwass's voice appeared in Li Mo's ear.

Here, Aiwass could reveal its form. This angel from the physical world, devoid of various phases, had an appearance akin to that of an angel—or, in a sense, it was even closer to the human conception of an angel than Raphael.

Li Mo said, "Aiwass, why do you think I know so much?"

"Do you enjoy peeking?" Aiwass asked. "Just like Aleister uses the Underline to monitor all of Academy City, you use some unknown method to monitor the entire world."

Li Mo replied, "I'm not a Magic God. How could I possibly do something like that?"

"Still, you've seen it," Aiwass said with a hint of humanity.

Only by seeing first can one explain.

If you don't know, how can you provide clues? It can't just be guesswork, can it?

Li Mo shrugged. "Well, you'll find out after I leave."

"So when are you leaving? I'm quite curious about your secrets," Aiwass said. "More importantly, in the not-too-distant future, I won't be able to maintain my presence in this world."

Aiwass's ability to appear in Academy City was closely tied to Last Order. When Accelerator took Last Order to Russia to find a way to stabilize her, it meant Aiwass would eventually lose Last Order as its "anchor."

Li Mo said, "If I weren't planning to leave soon, I might have been able to replace Last Order and allow you to remain in Academy City."

"I appreciate the sentiment. I look forward to that moment," Aiwass said gently.

And so, Li Mo waited in Aleister's building. The empty building was silent, with the three beings seemingly occupied with their own tasks.

Li Mo didn't feel awkward. On one hand, he remained vigilant, ready to leave at any moment. On the other, he immersed himself in studying the grimoires.

Soon...

Aleister broke the silence.

"As you said, I'm going to Russia."

Aleister, dressed in a green surgical suit, stepped out of his life-support pod.