The magic formation possessed two central nodes.
The first was occupied by Arianne's original body, still resting peacefully within the coffin of blue ice. The second was occupied by the clone vessel.
Countless lines of crimson light connected the two positions. Different energies flowed through the formation like rivers.
Jester slowly stepped backward. "Your turn now, Master."
Michael nodded.
At this point, everything that could be prepared had already been prepared. The mories had been extracted. The fragnts of Arianne's spirit had been gathered. The damaged portions had been repaired as much as possible.
What remained was the most important step. Transfer.
The ghost-like spirit containing Arianne's mories and sense of self needed to be implanted into the clone vessel. If successful, she would awaken. If unsuccessful, Michael did not want to think about that possibility.
"Let's begin, Master," Jester said.
Michael imdiately activated the formation.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The entire clearing trembled as countless runes on the magic circle lit up simultaneously. Streams of crimson light surged between the two nodes. Inside the ice coffin, Arianne's original body slowly began glowing.
At the sa ti, the clone vessel opened its eyes. She was not truly awake. Her body was simply reacting to the ritual. But the sight alone was enough to make Michael tense.
A faint translucent figure slowly erged from the original body. This was her soul, or more accurately, the reconstructed spiritual imprint they had painstakingly pieced together. The mont Michael saw it, his eyes brightened slightly, though he remained silent. The difficult part had only just begun.
The translucent figure slowly drifted toward the clone body.
Then suddenly, both Michael and Jester froze.
An inexplicable chill spread across the clearing. A strange pressure descended as the two felt a gaze settle on them.
Jester might not have recognized it, but Michael did. It was the gaze of the Origin Will. However, though he was certain it was the Origin Will, her gaze this ti felt odd. Cold, flat, and indifferent, while carrying a trace of majesty.
"Why are the heavens gazing at us?" Spartan muttered nearby.
Michael heard it and imdiately beca enlightened.
Yes. The heavens.
Just as the realm of Aurora had a will, Michael had long suspected the universe possessed one as well, a suspicion supported by the studies of others. If Aurora's will could be called the lower heavens, then the universal will could be called the higher heavens. Michael had always wondered whether the universal will and the Origin Will were one and the sa.
However, feeling the gaze on him now, though it resembled the Origin Will, it also felt distinctly different for reasons he could not fully explain.
Michael was confused.
anwhile, Jester seed to have realized sothing.
"…Master." His voice was unusually serious. "I think we should stop."
Michael slowly turned toward him.
Stop? After everything they had done?
Michael was not willing to stop. Even now, he still carried guilt regarding Arianne's death. Though he had avenged her and destroyed those responsible, it did not change the fact that he had been a cause. Now that a chance existed to bring her back, why would he abandon it?
However, Michael also knew Jester was not the type to speak without reason. Jester was very intelligent. Extrely intelligent. If he was saying this, there had to be a reason.
So Michael waited.
As expected, Jester imdiately understood his master's thoughts. "…You have no intention of stopping."
Michael remained silent.
Jester did not continue arguing. Instead, he looked back toward the heavens. "It is related to the gaze."
As expected, Michael thought, his expression becoming slightly more serious. "Explain."
Jester nodded. "It took a mont to realize it. I only noticed after recalculating the ritual."
His gaze remained fixed on the sky. "Master, what we are doing is a taboo."
The clearing fell silent.
Jester continued. "The dead are supposed to remain dead. When a living being dies, their spirit disperses. Their fate ends. Their existence enters the cycle of life to be reborn again. That is one of the fundantal laws of the world."
"What we are attempting is not ordinary resurrection. Not sothing like undead conversion or spirit preservation."
His eyes shifted toward Arianne's clone body. "We are attempting perfect resurrection. A true return. Essentially removing a na from the heavens' book of death."
The mont those words left his mouth, Michael finally understood. His gaze slowly rose toward the heavens. The pressure remained. Cold. Indifferent. Majestic.
"So that's what this is."
Jester nodded. "The heavens have noticed our actions and sent a warning."
Michael remained silent for several monts before asking the question he truly cared about. "If we continue, will sothing happen?"
Jester was briefly silent. Then he answered honestly. "Not imdiately."
Michael frowned.
Jester continued. "Every action has consequences. In cultivation, we call it Karma. The greater the violation, the greater the karmic debt. And returning the dead to life creates an enormous debt."
"And?" Michael pressed.
"And when Master attempts to advance in the future…" For the first ti since the conversation began, uncertainty appeared in Jester's voice. "The difficulty will increase. There are many forms such debt can take."
Jester finally looked directly at Michael. His expression remained calm, but his aning was obvious. "I believe Master should reconsider. It is not worth it."
Michael was not offended. Not even slightly, because he understood exactly why Jester was saying it.
Among everything Jester cared about, Michael stood above all else. This was a natural consequence of his identity as his master.
To Jester, Michael's safety and wellbeing mattered more than almost anything. It was not that he disliked Arianne, nor that he wanted her to remain dead.
He likely felt nothing either way about her life or death. But if saving Arianne carried even a small possibility of harming Michael's future, then Jester would naturally oppose it.
Such a conclusion was obvious from his perspective.
Michael himself could understand the logic.
Unfortunately, logic was not always enough.
His gaze drifted toward the spirit slowly floating between the two bodies. Then toward the clone vessel. Then finally back toward the heavens.
The pressure remained unchanged.
Michael slowly exhaled. "We've already co this far."
Jester closed his eyes. He had already expected that answer.
Michael's voice remained calm. "Maybe this is a mistake. Maybe it isn't. But if I stop now…"
His gaze settled on Arianne. "…I'll regret it."
The formation beneath them suddenly glowed brighter. Streams of crimson light surged across the clearing. The spirit continued drifting toward the clone body.
And high above them, the heavens watched for a while longer before their gaze finally withdrew.
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