The pen touched paper once more.

Mimir began writing names in some of the slices he'd created, his handwriting surprisingly neat and legible despite the awkwardness of holding a pen in a claw.

Reinhard watched the names appear one by one.

Erlik.

Lamashtu.

Pazuzu.

Camazotz.

Nemesis.

"These are some of the Beast Spirits who control curses as Angra Mainyu does." Mimir explained, tapping each name with the tip of the pen. "They share the same fundamental domain, though each expresses it differently."

Reinhard stared at the names, a sense of unease settling in his stomach. "There isn't a way to tell them apart? Just from sensing their presence or magic?"

Mimir shook his head. "There is, but that requires me seeing their form like how we saw the crimson-black flames erupting from the ground in Eastern Hesod. Visual manifestation provides clarity that a magical signature alone cannot."

Reinhard's lips twitched with frustration. This basically meant Mimir would have to wait until a Beast Spirit was actively wreaking havoc or putting itself on full display instead of just sensing its aura or magical presence from a distance.

But he can't blame Mimir since his All-knowing knowledge is restricted at the moment, but this still sucked.

But that would explain why he can't tell the Beast Spirit of someone until they summon it. Reinhard thought.

"Even if I did make a guess based purely on a magical signature." Mimir continued, as if reading Reinhard's thoughts, "I would never say Angra Mainyu specifically." The crow's tone became more serious, almost grave. "High-level Beast Spirits or Beast Spirits at the very top of the Throne of Myth are extremely hard to appear in the world. The highest chance of them appearing is through a connection with a Beast Master, and even that is extremely low."

Mimir paused, his dark eyes fixing on Reinhard with unusual intensity.

"Let alone a piece of them somehow rooting itself in Paradise independently." The crow finished quietly. "The probability approaches impossibility. I would most likely assume it would be one of the lesser curse-domain spirits rather than the Source of All Evil itself."

Reinhard absorbed this information in silence. His gaze drifted back to the diagram on the paper, that circle divided into countless slices, each representing a different Beast Spirit sharing overlapping domains.

It was more complex and interconnected than he'd imagined.

"So when you sensed the curse domain." Reinhard said slowly, working through the logic, "You knew it was one of these curse-related Beast Spirits. But you couldn't pinpoint which specific slice of the pie it was without seeing it directly."

"Correct." Mimir confirmed.

Reinhard stared at the names written on the paper.

Erlik, Lamashtu, Pazuzu, Camazotz, and Nemesis. Then there was Angra Mainyu, the one he'd actually encountered, the one whose symbol now marked his hand.

The Source of All Evil.

He thought about the dreams to come, the emotions he would feel, and the experiences he would live through. His hand unconsciously moved to his right wrist, fingers brushing against the spot where the new symbol rested beneath his current glove.

"Thank you for explaining." Reinhard said finally, looking at Mimir with gratitude.

Mimir bobbed his head in acknowledgment, then hopped off the desk and returned to Reinhard's shoulder.

But then a new question formed in his mind, pulling at a thread from an earlier conversation.

"You mentioned before that Janus and Scath's Beast Spirits are related as well," Reinhard said, his light blue eyes focusing intently on Mimir. "What did you mean by that?"

Mimir shifted his weight on Reinhard's shoulder, his golden horns catching the light streaming through the window. The crow's dark eyes gleamed with that ancient knowledge that sometimes made Reinhard forget he was talking to a bird.

"Scath's Beast Spirit is Scáthach." Mimir began, his voice taking on that lecturing quality again. "And Janus's one is Cú Chulainn. Both of them can be said to come from the same era and the same time periods."

He paused for emphasis before continuing. "In fact, they knew each other. Scáthach was Cú Chulainn's teacher. She trained him, shaped him into the warrior he became, taught him the skills that would make him legendary."

Reinhard's eyes widened in genuine surprise. His mouth opened slightly before he found his words. "That's amazing..."

He wondered if Janus and Scath were to go on the same mission together, would they coordinate easily? Understand each other's combat styles instinctively? And would the bond between their Beast Spirits push them to bond as well?

"Are there any others that are related? Anyone we've met that you know about?"

Mimir's head bobbed in a nod. "Honor's Beast Spirit Thanatos and Gran's Beast Spirit Hercules are from the same time as well and from the same side." The crow shifted again, talons gripping Reinhard's shoulder more firmly. "But it's not just those two. Anasha's future Beast Spirit Nyx is also from their time period."

Reinhard's eyebrows rose at that. He knew Anasha Beast Spirit was a SSS class like his, but he didn't think it was related to Honor and Gran.

That was unexpected.

"But Nyx isn't on their side." Mimir added before continuing without a pause. "As for Scath and Janus's Beast Spirits specifically, there isn't much of a relationship beyond teacher and student. But they are on the same side in their era."

Reinhard nodded, processing this information. His mind raced through everyone he knew, everyone he'd met during his time at the Academy and on missions.

"What about Roana, Nikki, and Amiya?" he asked, naming the three women who'd been part of their Eastern Hesod expedition.

Mimir tilted his head, considering. "There aren't any similarities between their Beast Spirits in terms of shared connection or era." He paused. "But Amiya's Reaper Spirit does intersect with Honor's Thanatos in the domain of death. They both occupy slices of that particular pie, so to speak. Different expressions, roles, and uses of the same power."

Reinhard hummed thoughtfully, his fingers drumming against his knee.

"What about Lloyd, Bruno, Kyle, Jessie, and Suzy?" He listed the members of Team Cup one by one. "Also, Casseo and Vlad's Beast Spirits?"

Mimir seemed to settle more comfortably on his shoulder, as if preparing for a longer explanation. "The members of Team Cup and Casseo all have Beast Spirits from the same era, but different specific time periods within it. Think of it like... They're all from the same book, but from different chapters. The time is shared between all five, but the individual stories happened at different points."

The crow's voice shifted slightly, taking on a more definitive tone. "As for Vlad? His Dracula Beast Spirit has no relation to any other Beast Spirit you've seen. It's from a completely different time, and it stands alone among the ones you've encountered."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.