Greyashe chapter 272 is entitled 'Heresy'.

Previous chapter 271: Event Horizon.

Next chapter: 273: Luck.

Summaries page.

-Short summary-

Anna Rose explains her reasons for being in Rexcist, along with giving the brave band of heroes a sound warning that also doubles as an inadvertent pep talk.

-Long summary-

Guy and Reid manage to snap out of their surprise induced stupor long enough to realize they are in the presence of an (ex) goddess and the mother of their friend. Guy quickly resumes where he left off the last time he saw Anna Rose, and immediately puts the moves on her. Anna Rose manages to get his attention back to the situation at hand by explaining that there will be plenty of time for 'that' later. Anu quickly agrees, their pursuers won't be kept at bay for too long, so they'll need to come up with countermeasures ASAP. Reid and Guy turn to Kani who to their surprise keeps her composure despite being in the same room as one of her heroes. The two men realize that her ire towards Van has managed to even trump her fangirl like worship of the goddesses, and he is -without a doubt, doomed once they reunite with him.

Anna Rose looks into Kani's eyes and nods slowly, already ascertaining the situation between her son and the young witch. She isn't one hundred percent sure, but they seem to have had a disagreement recently and now Kani is hurt and confused. She tells Kani not to fret, that men have their way of doing things....they just don't feel complete unless they can handle things on their own, despite others being more than willing to offer their help. She can't help but let her pride show through a smile; her boy is becoming a man who stands beside his convictions.

Candle is tired of being left out of the loop and asks why a goddess and a farseer are in a city which has been enslaved by magic. Anu quickly amends Candle's statement; she isn't a goddess any more. She had been attacked by one Joel Lupine while trying to save a few GMAGY students from the prototype goddess killer. Her 'immortal coating' had been eradicated, so while she managed to survive the encounter her powers had bottomed out and disappeared. She's no more than a magic tool user now, and so Ancasta had dropped her off in Rexcist to keep her safe from their enemies. Unfortunately when Butcher had used the 'recall', anyone who had high level agape became hostile, and those who weren't already in the city became drawn to it, like Ra and Grendel. Since up until now she had her agape to rely on, having to get used to being powerless had been difficult for her.

Anna Rose continues the explanation stating that she had come to Rexcist to enlist the help of a strong magician to help a friend of hers only a few days ago. After Kutkh had cruelly separated her from Van during their short reunion, he had left her in the hands of Ricther McCullough. This time Guy, Reid and Kani are surprised since Ricther had been taken in by the authorities after their battle with him. Anna Rose reveals that Kutkh had freed him from prison on a whim, and left her with him on a whim. Little did they know that Desmond Larter had come looking for his wife after Kutkh had 'kidnapped' her. Ricther had put up a good fight and defeated Larter, but his body had been changed by tapping into agape after relying on mainly alchemy his whole life. Feeling indebited to him, Anna Rose decided to take it upon herself to find a magician or a magic that could possibly reverse his transformation. Rexcist seemed like a good place to start, especially since it's library of magics and magic knowlege is second only to the one in Luxar. She had run into Anu who was being targeted after the 'recall', and decided to train her in the knowledge of handling 'tools'. Apparently Ancasta had thought something like this would happen and left some in her hands. The two had been running and ducking magicians for a little bit of time now, but despite the danger, Anna Rose refuses to leave until she gets what she came for.

Kani rubs her forehead in irritation while muttering how similar mother and son are. She explains their plan to talk to Baker and possibly avert the world end scenario, in which Anna Rose agrees it's probably the best course of action. She then surprises the group once more by revealing that she had actually talked to Baker a few times while she had been looking for information in Rexcist. He had always been alone, and Anna Rose being the busybody she is tried to strike up a conversation with him on several occasions, but while he would listen to her talk he never once replied to her. Lately though she hasn't seen him around....so she figured he must have left a few days ago.

Candle argues that this isn't true since she just felt him moments ago, and while theoretically he could 'sense' her since his power had grown exponentially since the 'recall', he would have no idea who she was with since no one in their group uses magic. Anna Rose stares into her eyes for a moment and then flatly says to Candle and the whole group that they're sadly mistaken. Kani is the only one in their group that isn't using any magic at all. Reid and Guy are simply 'suppressing' their potential. She surmises that since agape only works on those who actively practice it, they figured they would be safe. The misconception that most people have is they think it's people who do not use agape who are not affected by magic attacks. Kani being unique as she is, is the only one who could take a magic attack head on since her body is rejected by magic for one reason or another. Farseers are another class that can take advantage of this loophole, but humans like Guy and Reid are not so lucky. They're simply suppressing their agape, which is not the same as not having it. If they take an agape based attack they'll die the same as any other magician.

Kani then asks angrily what they can do? Van may have given up and accepted magic, but for them it's not that easy. She doesn't know the reasons why Reid and Guy suppress their agape but that's their choice. Is she really trying to tell them that the only way they can win is to become what they fight against? To give in to their enemy? Anna rose shakes her head and denies this, in fact they're actually within their rights. No one has ever said there's only one way to fight against the end scenario. Accepting magic, fighting against magic, creating paths around magic, even becoming invisible to it are all acceptable ways to proceed. The great thing about being human is that choices are always there to be made. A heretical view like fighting toe to toe with magic without agape of one's own is crazy, but it's a choice. A choice that can be made and even if it should be the wrong one, respected. As long as humans don't fear their own mortality, they will always have the upper hand against any foe. Agape and even the gods themselves all bank on the idea that a human will be supressed as long as someone waves the fear of death before them. Once humanity breaks free from that however, magic and the gods now have to fear the unfettered desire of humanity to be free.

Reid smirks to himself all the while admitting Anna Rose's wiliness. She made it sound as if she was talking to all of them, but really her sermon was directed at Kani, so that she would accept Van's decision and stop despairing over being unable to stop him. They all can take something from the farseer's words; no matter how heretical their struggles may be, as long as it is their struggle and no one else's, that is what matters. Reid glances over at Kani, who has a mute expression but nods in comprehension.

Anu patches Reid's wound as Kani explains what Ra's power is. Guy had slammed him the face before she could earlier, so she clarifies now that he is primarily known as a sword smith. Most magical blades were crafted by him and his intricate knowledge of masonry and agape. If his powers had been augmented by the 'recall' it would be safe to assume that....

Suddenly the top of the building they're in quakes and tilts to one side. The group runs outdoors quickly, and comes face to face with Ra Sumner who has a giant blade where his arm used to be. He sweeps the grand sword in the air and countless smaller swords erupt from the ground, scattering the group. Reid readies his own blade, and snarkly comments that Ra literally cut into their conversation. Anna Rose surprises the group by grinning and walking towards the sword user. Kani tells her to step back, but the farseer assures her that she is fine. Even with the 'recall' augmenting people's magic, there's still the issue of 'image'. Despite agape level, one cannot use magic that they are not able to 'imagine'.  Ra swings down on the farseer, but to everyone's surprise when the blade makes contact it shatters into a million shards of light. Anna Rose turns to Anu and asks if she would please grant Sumner rest, and before anyone can blink she is upon him with a lightening charged tool that shocks him into submission, Anna rose's enigmatic grin and motherly chiding the last things he hears and sees respectively. She informs Sumner that 'creating swords' and 'using them' are two different practices, and it would serve him well to make that distinction before going into battle.