Seraphim is a Bystander

Constituent Force
 

This chapter shifts perspectives again—this time, it’s from Seras’s point of view.
Now then, I found myself in a bit of a bind.
The issue was how to teach Aoi how to use my—or rather, an angel’s—power. We angels, having been granted power by God, possess the ability to perceive and interact directly with the smallest units that make up the world.

These smallest units that compose the world—we call them Constituent Force. Angels can act indefinitely because we have a built-in mechanism that allows us to generate energy by circulating this force within our bodies. But… that’s not really relevant right now.
The real problem is this: Aoi doesn’t possess the divine faculties that allow one to interact with Constituent Force.
…So you’d think it’s impossible, right? But hold on a second.

Back when Aoi was still a baby—or more specifically, when he purified Sou—he used my energy to do it. He accessed the Constituent Force I had stored within me and interfered with it.
In other words, using [Overdrive: Overspec] to draw in abilities, Aoi was able to indirectly interfere with my Constituent Force by using his abilities as a medium.
Which means… Aoi, even if not on the same level as us angels, should be capable of interacting with Constituent Force.

…At least, I think so. Unfortunately, I have no solid proof.
“So… what should I do?”
Aoi, still not fully understanding the situation, asked me with an innocent look.

…This kid only recently found out about me, yet he trusts me so easily. Is he going to be okay? I really hope he doesn’t get tricked by some weirdo in the future.
“...For now, just stand still and don’t do anything. I’m going to hold your hand for a moment.”
I said that and gently took Aoi’s hand. Oh—there it is. A nice callus from gripping a sword—or is it a scythe? A mark of effort.

“Um… Seras-san?”
I had instinctively been checking how hardened his hands were, and before I realized it, I’d gone quiet while still holding his hand. Aoi looked at me with a mix of embarrassment and confusion.
It’s proof he’s been working hard. No need to be embarrassed.

“Ah—sorry! Okay, close your eyes for me?”
“O-Okay…”
Aoi obeyed and shut his eyes. From the emotions I could feel, he seemed… unsettled. Something was making him nervous, though it was hard to pinpoint what.
What I’m about to try is this: by letting him experience the flow of how I use power, I’m hoping it’ll stir something within him—awaken a new sense or recognition.

There’s no guarantee this will work, but I want to do everything I can.
“Aoi, take a slow breath.”
“Okay…”

I infused my words with power and spoke slowly, to center his awareness on my voice—on the present.
Gradually, I shifted that focus inward, guiding him to tune into himself.
“Feel your own ability… sense the outline of your body… become aware of the unconscious movements it makes…”

“……”
“Feel the boundary between yourself and the world.”
As I spoke, I began to move the Constituent Force within myself.

Normally, this action would take less than a heartbeat, but now I let it move… slowly, as if water were gently flowing downhill.
“Sense it—the common link between you and the world.”
I gradually began to flood Aoi’s body with Constituent Force. I shaped it into something familiar—something that would resonate with him.

“Remember—the thing you once touched.”
That flame of miraculous purity—born of his emotions from the moment he was born.
“Here we go. Purifying Flame.”

A great blue flame rose up, blooming from the space between our clasped hands and reaching toward the starry sky.
This wasn’t the imitation flame born from his own abilities—it was a perfect reproduction made entirely of Constituent Force. And unlike his version, this flame was enormous, lighting up my dreamlike starry world… and then quietly dissipating.
“...You can open your eyes now.”

“…”
With my prompt, Aoi slowly opened his eyes. His expression hovered somewhere between calm and stunned.
“Well? Did you feel anything?”

When I asked, he finally seemed to return to reality, blinking in surprise before speaking:
“Y-Yes. It’s hard to describe, but… something definitely flowed through me. It passed through me.”
I froze for a moment. Wait—seriously? He felt it?

Did he actually perceive Constituent Force?
I hadn’t actually expected him to succeed, even after suggesting it myself…
“Then… can you still feel what passed through your body just now?”

“Eh? Uh…”
He closed his eyes again and began to concentrate. I watched him, a rare hint of nervous excitement welling up in me.
…Could he really perceive «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» Constituent Force without a halo or wings?

If he’s even grasped the faintest trace of it…
I began to secretly gather some Constituent Force behind Aoi’s back. I wanted to make it just noticeable enough to stand out within the world’s natural flow—but not so overt that Aoi would notice what I was doing.
“…?”
“!”

Aoi opened his eyes and turned around. I almost gasped out loud but managed to suppress it, waiting for his reaction.
“...Huh? I thought something happened, but maybe it was just my imagination.”
He turned back toward me, looking a bit sheepish. I kept my expression as neutral as possible while running through my thoughts:

Internal Constituent Force can possibly be recognized during intense focus. Operability currently unknown. External force detection… shows signs of success? Was the earlier sensation only perceivable due to his ability acting as a medium? Either way, further testing is needed…
“Seras-san?”
Aoi’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

“Umm… what exactly was the point of all that?”
Ah, right—I hadn’t even explained why I did any of this yet.
“Oh, sorry. What you felt earlier is called Constituent Force. It’s the origin of the ‘abilities’ you normally use—in fact, it’s the root of everything.”

“The origin of abilities…?”
“Exactly. I use Constituent Force to perform all the things you’ve seen me do.”
“I… think I get it?”

Still not fully convinced, Aoi watched as I created a scythe before his eyes, summoned flame from thin air, and even opened a portal to another space—all while explaining.
“Just as the name implies, Constituent Force is the energy that constructs all things. It can become anything.”
I cut off my words there, dispersing the objects I had conjured.

And then, I produced something else—something familiar to Aoi.
The Purifying Flame, the one he hadn’t seen earlier.
“If you can learn to use Constituent Force, your power will grow dramatically.”

“……!”
His eyes sparkled the same way they had when he first used a Gift.