"What condition?"
Yas put down his knife and fork. He was always vigilant about anything related to the Demon. At the Order Bureau, he was also firmly against employing Debtors. If Bologue showed the slightest possibility of losing control, it would catch his attention.
"Role-playing?"
Geoffrey said uncertainly. The term was unexpected. Before Yas could inquire further, he continued explaining.
"Bologue Lazarus... this person is somewhat paranoid and narcissistic. He extremely adheres to his so-called 'law of axioms.' Lebius thinks Bologue imagines himself as the 'Savior,' but compared to a 'Savior,' I actually think Bologue's idea is much simpler."
Geoffrey arched his brows, recalling.
"One day, Bologue suddenly told me that he understood the true meaning of life," Geoffrey said. "At that time, Adelle had just passed away. I thought he was merely overtaken by grief, rambling madly. But thinking back now, he might have been serious."
"What did he say?" Yas grew curious.
"He said Adelle was a person of faith. She had been a field medic years ago, went to the battlefield to save lives, and chose to do good even after retiring, serving her God... A person like her should rightly ascend to heaven, enjoying glory and warmth...
Yet her God gave her such an end.
Bologue believes that what they call God either doesn't exist, or if it does, then it's an extremely apathetic God."
There was a slightly helpless smile on Geoffrey's face as he continued.
"Bologue often uses peculiar metaphors to describe some things and frequently speaks many questionable fallacies, but there's one thing he wasn't wrong about.
Someone has to uphold that sacred 'law of axioms.'
If God doesn't respond to His believers, then Bologue will respond instead."
Geoffrey's voice became stern.
"Bologue Lazarus will correct it all."
"What does he want to correct?" Yas asked.
"The law of axioms.
Bless the good, bring down fire upon the evil, that is the 'law of axioms,'" Geoffrey said. "That's his 'role' in the 'role-playing.'"
"He says 'Good' and 'Savior,' 'Hero'... these terms are too noble for him. He can't be as great as the 'benevolent.' He is despicable and lowly, best at killing, fighting fire with fire.
So he calls himself the 'villain.'
"'The villain?'"
"That's right, the villain.
If God is unwilling to punish those who've sinned, then let Bologue Lazarus, the bigger villain, punish and do evil."
Geoffrey took a deep breath, squinting his eyes as if telling a terrifying tale.
"At the crossroads of hesitation, in the shadowy realm of Oath City · Opus, filled with filth and malevolence, demons lurk in every unreachable corner... It's full of villains there."
Thinking of it, Geoffrey chuckled as though worried for those villains.
"Now, a somewhat mentally disturbed Undead, obsessed with role-playing, is humming a tune, heading there fully armed.
Bologue isn't just venting his rage; he is also upholding his 'law of axioms.' He is his own god, a tyrannical and obsessive god.
Someone has to pay a blood debt for the death of his friend."
Yas understood Geoffrey's words. Just imagining that scene brought him an inexplicable pressure, as if he could smell the deep scent of blood at the tip of his nose.
"A group of villains facing another... bigger, more brutal villain," Yas whispered.
Geoffrey took a sip from his glass, trying to soothe his parched throat, and softly spoke.
"Back to the previous question, by what means will Bologue kill his way in? I think his means are... to have no means at all."
Geoffrey stared at Yas and asked.
"Now he represents the Angel of holy judgment, the folding knife in his hand is a blazing Fire Sword… Do you think an enraged Angel would sneak in for an assassination?
He wouldn't, Yas. Bologue isn't that gentle of a person.
He would only fiercely knock down the doors of villains with his sword, announcing God's verdict amidst their shrill wails."
Geoffrey laughed, like telling a bad dark joke.
"Death sentence, executed immediately."
...
In the dim clinic, as Bologue's words fell, the atmosphere completely solidified. The man behind the counter gripped the knife handle tightly, ready to draw for a kill. Meanwhile, the lurking figures in the darkness were all prepared for battle.
Bologue noticed this, but he did not prepare to confront. Instead, he closed a partly opened iron door and then latched the adjacent security door tightly.
Noticing Bologue's actions, the man behind the counter paused for a second, then let out a burst of derisive laughter, echoing in the darkness. The murmur of whispers could be heard, as they discussed Bologue and his apparent self-destruction.
"This is a new outfit..."
Bologue muttered, taking off the gray-black trench coat to reveal a white shirt and the array of blades hanging from his body.
With the protection of the 'Concealer' gone, the menacing hostility grew stronger. Although Bologue seemed quite ordinary, everyone couldn't help but feel the pressure's presence.
No one dared to act rashly.
Folding the gray-black trench coat and placing it on the adjacent chair, he took off his hat and set it on top of the coat. Bologue leisurely turned around to face the myriad of evil in the darkness, finally removing his gas mask.