Arc 9, Chapter 23 – “The Gang’s All Here”

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――By the time Rom-jii had woken up, several hours had already passed since the retreat from the siege in the forest.

???: [In the end, they only took Felt with ‘em and left the rest of us alone… This is what happens when we pick a fight. It’s lame as hell.]

So added Rachins, who had just finished reporting the damages to their camp to the recently awoken Rom-jii.

Rachins was unable to hide his feelings of embarrassment, and it was easy to imagine the sense of defeat stirring in his chest. Of course, the same sense of defeat was also present within Rom-jii’s wide chest.

However, Rom-jii had experienced far more lost battles throughout his life than Rachins.

Rom: [The number of losses I’ve got under my belt is pathetic, nothin’ ta be proud of.]

If Rom-jii were to count the victories in his life on his fingers, would he even require both hands?

Even if he could achieve smaller victories, he always came out losing by the end of the war; that was the win-loss record of the old giant who had wasted his years. He could not decide whether or not to be proud of the fact that he always managed to escape from each losing battle with his life.

It could be said that surviving and enduring the shame that followed led Rom-jii to happen across something irreplaceable in his life. ――However, he had now been deprived of that irreplaceable thing.

Rom: [What’s Felt’s situation? The best way ta find out is…]

Rachins: [About that, unfortunately they dealt with Manfred’s Divine Protection of Farsight. It ain’t just the helmet bastard, the maid that was with him seemed pretty sharp too. I guess he’s lucky he got away with only his eye gouged out.]

Rom: [As I thought, they didn’t leave that be. I suppose that was an unreasonable expectation.]

The aforementioned Divine Protection of Farsight was a highly practical Divine Protection in terms of possible tactics and strategies that allowed the user to locate and monitor a target’s location from afar.

It had been used by Manfred Madison, who served as the head of the Balance in the union of the Flanders criminal underworld that cooperated with Felt’s group―― however, the Divine Protection of Farsight itself was not borne upon him, but rather, he had gained it as a result of stealing it from someone it had been gifted to.

The Black Silver Coin and the Flower Prison Garden were also organizations deeply rooted in Flanders, but the Balance was different; it was a notorious group with a long and shady history that existed outside of the city.

Most notably, the Balance possessed a technique to steal Divine Protections―― Rom-jii speculated that they likely kept the original holder of the Divine Protection alive, having a proxy use the body part that served as the source of their Divine Protection.

In short, if a Divine Protection holder possessing the Divine Protection of Farsight, which affected the eyes, had their eyes removed and transplanted, the effects of that Divine Protection could be freely inherited. ――Of course, one could not just remove their eyeballs and replace them to use a Divine Protection at will. Therein lay the secret technique possessed only by the Balance, a sacrament never to be revealed to outsiders.

Regardless of the technique, if the eyeballs that served as the source of the Divine Protection of Farsight were destroyed, then relying on Manfred to continue tracking Felt’s movements was no longer an option.

Rom: [Still, with Manfred missin’ an eye ‘n the rest of us in such terrible condition… it’s a miracle we’re all still alive, ain’t it.]

Rachins: [A miracle, huh. I just can’t accept it like that.]

Rachins loudly clicked his tongue in a dissatisfied manner at the muttering of Rom-jii, who was rubbing his chin.

They had taken on this challenge with the determination to risk their lives, and they survived. As one would expect, Rachins would not say anything about regretting not being able to die as an imperial citizen would, but since he had lost to an opponent who had self-imposed unnecessary restrictions on himself, Rom could understand the feeling of being shown he was clearly outmatched in power.

But, if he was able to feel that frustration after giving it his all, then Rachins still had a future ahead of him. It was surely the same for Gaston and Camberley.

???: [――Rom-sama, are you awake?]

Rom: [Hm, that you, Grassis?]

And, just as the conversation came to a halt, Grassis suddenly appeared.

At the end of the battle, she had last been seen tied up by the thread user called Yae, but she seemed to be in much better condition than Rachins from the looks of it.

Despite their young appearances, she and her sister Flam were trained by the Astrea family from birth, ranking them in the upper echelon of the many combatants that Rom-jii had ever met. Her excellent control of the Flow Method greatly contributed to the recovery of her wounds and physical strength, so she already seemed to have fully recuperated.

Rom: [Don’t go usin’ that as an excuse ta be reckless, though… How’s yer Divine Protection lookin’?]

Grassis: [It’s almost ready to be used again… If Flam is not dead.]

Rachins: [Don’t jinx it like that…! But, I can’t say for sure if she’s alive… Even if the helmet bastard didn’t lay a hand on her, Reinhard and the Witch are still at the dunes…]

Grassis: [Rachins-sama, cheer up, alright?]

Rachins: [Why am I the one being comforted!? You’re the one who should be upset!]

Grassis gave Rachins a light pat on his hunched back, only for Rachins to snap at her, sticking out his long tongue in frustration.

At his outburst, Grassis let out a casual “Wah” without looking the least bit startled. Instead, she swiftly slipped behind Rom-jii, peeking out from behind him with a dramatic sulky glare at the childish young man.

It was their usual playful banter. But Rom-jii simply placed a large hand, bigger than the girl’s head, on her and gently ruffled her hair,

Rom: [We’re all feelin’ the same concern for those at the tower. Once yer Divine Protection is ready, let us know immediately.]

Grassis: […Roger that, chief.]

Rachins: [Who even talks like that!?]

Grassis gave a brief nod, accepting Rom-jii’s hand, while Rachins overreacted as usual.

It was precisely because Rachins responded so easily to their antics that the mischievous sisters always had a field day teasing him. But, perhaps acting like nothing was wrong was what Grassis needed right now.

And for Rachins, it kept him from spiraling into an endless cycle of defeat-induced frustration.

Rom: [The young ones should burn with a defiant spirit. Reflecting on this is my job.]

Despite gathering an army of five hundred men and carefully choosing the most advantageous battlefield possible, Rom-jii and the others had lost their fight against the helmet bastard and Felt had been taken hostage.

This was a devastating defeat, no doubt the worst since the Demi-Human War.

However, if there was one thing that set this loss apart from Rom-jii’s past failures, it was the fact that this time, it was neither entirely fruitless nor completely unforeseen.

――Though it was a method they had hoped to avoid, the possibility of the helmet bastard summoning the Divine Dragon in a moment of desperation had been a constant concern. Given that, Felt’s existence had always been considered a potential shackle to prevent such an outcome.

And they had known beforehand that the Divine Dragon Volcanica was the helmet bastard’s main force.

Thus, even if Felt’s group had been unable to defeat the helmet bastard in this battle, they had at least set a minimum goal of shackling his strongest asset. Of course, the ideal outcome would have been victory, but they had still met their lowest expectations, and on top of that, they now had a clearer understanding of the nature of his Authority.

If victory was the best possible result, then this was the second-best―― no, with Felt taken hostage, it was more like the third-best outcome.

Rom: [That said, now that he’s experienced it firsthand, the same method won’t work ta break his Authority again. Felt’s in his hands now… We’ll need ta get creative with our approach.]

Naturally, Rom-jii had no intention of giving up here.

The helmet bastard had chosen not to take their lives for his own reasons. Because of that, most of their fighting force remained intact, giving them the room to come up with a plan and strike once more.

No one would dare call making full use of this opportunity cowardly or dishonorable.

Rom: [For whatever reason, that helmet bastard seemed unwilling ta waste even a moment standin’ still. At this rate, even if he takes short breaks, he won’t have the chance ta properly rest anywhere. Mental exhaustion will only expose the weaknesses in his Authority. If Felt is shacklin’ the Divine Dragon, then our openin’ is even bigger. Surprisingly, it seems like the helmet bastard ‘n his allies aren’t as united as they――]

Muttering to himself, Rom-jii carefully processed the information he had gathered from the battle with his larger-than-most head.

If one were to accuse him of being calculating right after their loss, he had no excuse, but in Rom-jii’s mind, their defeat was already over. His thoughts had shifted toward the next battle, and strategies were already taking shape.

There might be some who would curse that as cold-hearted. Felt, who was practically his granddaughter, had been abducted, and he could not even be sure of her safety. Despite that, rather than turning his thoughts to concern and anxiety, he instead focused on the next battle.

But――,

Rachins: [――Shit. This is just making me feel even more pathetic.]

Looking at the profile of the cold-hearted old giant thinking, Rachins felt no hatred, only frustration that refused to fade.

Grassis: [Rachins-sama, do your best.]

Rachins: [Shut the hell up! Why are you acting like this doesn’t concern you!?]

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Aldebaran: [――Expand Territory, matrix redefinition.]

A whisper spilling out from within his mouth, Aldebaran defined a new restart point.

Finally escaping a predicament that had taken twenty-nine thousand two-hundred and twenty-one attempts of trial and error to surmount, thinking that he had passed a checkpoint, he took a small breather.

Long and deep, exhaling until all the air left his lungs, Aldebaran adjusted the position of his helmet,

Aldebaran: […Sorry, I’ve calmed down now.]

Yae: [No not at all~, please don’t worry in the slightest. Rather, are you really fine with that sort of a rest? If you’d like, Yae-chan’s thighs are available for loan?]

Aldebaran: [Nah, I’m fine without borrowing ‘em.]

Yae: [They’re super soft~ and spongy~, y’know?]

Aldebaran: [I’m fine.]

With a wave of his hand, Aldebaran bluntly refused Yae’s alluring consideration.

On the receiving end, Yae pouted her lips with a “Tsk~”, but she likely did not care as much as her reaction implied. Those invitations of hers were a habit, and Aldebaran also always refused her.

Even so, Yae’s presence, never leaving his side, was a huge help. In the sense that she shouldered the burden.

Aldebaran: [More or less, my headache’s subsided…]

Spilling those words, Aldebaran was relieved by the reduction of the headache induced by his mental state.

Including the fact that he had nearly been defeated, his battle against the Felt Armed Forces had exhausted him far too much mentally. The result of dismissing that whittled down state, was a near defeat that had just barely secured victory.

Aldebaran: [Naturally, I can’t do a mental reset in the middle of a fight…]

In this case, mental reset referred to how Aldebaran would use his Authority to spend as much time as possible in an absent-minded daze, then gulp down poison and restart his matrix. Doing that over and over was the drastic move that aimed to restore his dead-end of a mental state, heightened nerves and frayed mind.

As long as he had an environment to settle down in and the means to restart, it was a technique that allowed him to bring his heart to as much tranquility as he liked, but even if he settled his heart, there was a shortcoming in that the fatigue of his body and brain would not simply fade.

In reality, due to the extreme accumulation of lack of sleep and fatigue, Aldebaran was left with serious damage.

Aldebaran: [This is a joke, but if I borrowed Yae’s thighs, I’d fall in an instant.]

Yae: [Does that mean you’d fall deeply in love with Yae-chan?]

Aldebaran: [Nah, I mean I’d fall unconscious. When you talk flippantly like that to me, it helps to distract me.]

Slowly shaking his head, Aldebaran forced back the weight of his body as it leaned forward.

Currently, Aldebaran and his party were travelling west from the plain of the fierce battle, avoiding attention, and once he completed a thorough safety check, Aldebaran spent his time resting.

But then again, even if he was spending his own time, it was not a considerable amount of real time.

Aldebaran: [By the way, I’d like to consult you on this, but if I’m about to collapse, would doping on Dragon’s Blood be a possible option? Or no?]

And, fiddling with the metal fixtures on his helmet, Aldebaran raised an idea to “Aldebaran”.

Along with Yae, “Aldebaran” had been part of the personnel guarding the surroundings, and hearing Aldebaran’s question, it prefaced “Here’s the thing” as it skilfully scratched its snout with its front leg,

“Aldebaran”: [Ah, it’s difficult to draw a reliable comparison between this Dragon body and the exceedingly feeble original body of me, but if you take undiluted Dragon’s Blood I think you’d probably just go bang.]

Aldebaran: [Bang… a different outcome from the Duchess in Pristella, huh?]

“Aldebaran”: [I became aware when I got this body, but setting aside Natsuki Subaru, whose insides are a chaotic mess of curses, it’s a miracle that the Duchess could endure it in her condition. I suppose there’s the fact that she’s close to the Royal Family.]

Aldebaran: […Even if you say to dilute it, I doubt it’d be fine to simply water it down. By the way, I kinda have it in my head that shinobi aren’t just well versed in poisons, but medicine too, so what about Dragon’s Blood?]

Yae: [It’s a rare opportunity so I’m intrigued, but Yae-chan’s heart would never last if Al-sama became an even more frightening monster, so I’m agai~nst it.]

While an issue regarding feelings was pushed into the forefront, in truth, as long as one was not an expert, there was little hope that a deed such as the dilution of Dragon’s Blood could be carried out.

They could not mass produce a final elixir so easily. The world was not so simple.

“Aldebaran”: [I’ll at least apply some healing magic on you. There, passerby heal.]

Aldebaran: [We’re in the same party, so it’s not a passerby heal, but a dutiful heal.]

At Aldebaran’s riposte, the Divine Dragon unleashed an overabundance of healing magic through its power.

Unfortunately, he bore few external wounds, and it naturally did not grow Aldebaran a new left arm, but he did gain the consolation that he would be healed even if he bore any serious injuries.

Well, if he bore a serious injury he would gulp down poison instead of waiting for healing, so it was quite literally just consolation.

Yae: [By the way, Vol-sama, may I ask something~?]

“Aldebaran”: […Ah! Vol-sama refers to me? Took me a second since it didn’t click at all. What’s up?]

Yae: [Your feelings towards Felt-sama, have they calmed down a bit?]

Clad in a nonchalant air, Yae’s question was obvious in its intent through the slightly tensed atmosphere, so Aldebaran narrowed his eyes within his helmet.

And, having perceived the same thing, “Aldebaran” did the same.

“Aldebaran”: [If by calmed down you mean decreased, then it’s actually the opposite. It’s scary how much love is overflowing. The distance that keeps us apart only fosters stronger feelings.]

Aldebaran: [You’re not so far away to say there’s a distance keeping you apart, and I just can’t get behind that affection.]

“Aldebaran” was poking fun at Aldebaran with a choice of words styled after the latter, but since the emotions from when those words were initially uttered were shared between the two of them, a considerable portion of that was likely how it truly felt.

The intention of that also seemed to have been communicated to Yae, so she nodded with a “Is that so~”, and,

Yae: [She really is a hindrance~, that Felt-sama. Can we not get rid of her successfully?]

“Aldebaran”: [Yae, I’ll say this now, but…]

Yae: [Ah~, you’re jumping to conclusions. I knew Vol-sama would have that sorta reaction, so I wanted to discuss a non-dangerous method~. ――At worst, if Felt-sama happened to try to run away, me, Al-sama, and Vol-sama would all then be happy. Wouldn’t that make you happy, Vol-sama?]

Aldebaran: [Even I wouldn’t be particularly happy.]

Yae: [Even though a source of distress would vanish?]

Aldebaran: [――. You’ve also been a bit of a source of distress for me.]

Yae: [Oh dear, I’ve stirred the hornet’s nest.]

Facepalming her own forehead, Yae responded in a manner of jest.

The happy method she had hoped for was the condition brought up by Felt when she became their hostage―― that it was fine to kill her if she tried to escape; it had become a habit for Yae to touch upon that. Felt and “Aldebaran” had made a promise that if that time came, there would be no hard feelings even if she died.

However, even if that was a logical promise between Felt and “Aldebaran”―― no, the Divine Dragon, it was not an end that Aldebaran desired.

Things had ended up with this relationship and way of doing things, but Aldebaran wished to return Felt to the Royal Selection safe and sound, so that she could vie for the throne in high spirits until the very end.

Of course, judging by “Aldebaran’s” reactions, the suspicions regarding Felt, initially brought up at the Royal Castle Lugunica, were all but confirmed.

Aldebaran: [After all, this dragon’s way too madly in love from the bottom of its heart for it to just be brushed off as an accidental resemblance. In reality, how much of the original personality seems like it’ll come to the surface?]

“Aldebaran”: [The fact that this is a container, a dragonhusk, won’t waver. You don’t need to worry about the original personality popping out all of a sudden to say hi. The little amount of residual feelings just strongly assert themselves, and it’s sorta an image of the strength of that assertion undulating.]

Aldebaran: […By the way, those residual feelings, how much do you remember?]

“Aldebaran”: [I like Farsale. I dislike Reid. Everything else is fuzzy.]

Aldebaran: [The first generation Sword Saint, huh? Don’t bring up a legend so casually, it scares me.]

The first generation Sword Saint was a being whose name he had heard often from the Witch, but the tales told by those who knew him directly would paint him in the worst light of reputation. Recently a new testimony from the Divine Dragon’s residual feelings had been added, so it was likely true that he had been a good-for-nothing.

Aldebaran would be lying if he said that the rest being fuzzy did not bother him, but――,

Aldebaran: [Oh, that reminds me, Yae and the Dragon me are both here with me now, but what about lil’ miss Felt and the old man?]

Yae: [The two of them are on stand-by over there. Heinkel-sama is taking responsibility, keeping a keen eye on Felt-sama.]

Aldebaran: [Pairing those two together, that’s the worst thing you could’ve done!]

Yae: [――. Ah~, I messed u~p, Yae-chan was careless.]

Aldebaran: [――――]

Yae seemed to have done so on purpose, and hearing her response, Aldebaran took a deep breath, and stood up.

Due to the working conditions he was giving Yae, he had to be willing to accept this prickling harassment.

“Aldebaran”: [Oh, are you headed over to Farsale… I mean, lil’ miss Felt? I’ll come too…]

Aldebaran: [So long as you can’t remedy that verbal slip-up, it’s important that you don’t meet her, serves better for your favorability. Also, I wanna avoid tipping the scales any more in her favor.]

Explaining so, he had “Aldebaran” sit back down as it attempted to follow along, and left Yae to discipline it to sit and wait; ignoring her as she poked fun with an “It’s a group effort~”, Aldebaran began to walk towards where Felt and Heinkel were located.

Then, in a position where they could not hear the strategy meeting that took place in the tree’s shadow, Felt and Heinkel were waiting on the other side around the large tree――,

Felt: [――Pops, I’ll say this now, but you don’t gotta make excuses to me.]

As soon as Aldebaran peered in, a rather harsh statement struck his eardrums.

At a glance, Felt was sitting with her back leaned against the large tree, and stood opposite whilst looking down on her, was Heinkel.

From a filmmaking perspective, Heinkel, looking down on the other party from a higher point, had a psychological advantage compared to Felt in this scene, however.

Heinkel: [――Hk, e-excuses, you say? Why in the world would I need to do anything of the sort? Don’t say such foolish things, you brat!]

Felt: [In that case, stop looking at me all nervously. Your gaze is noisy.]

Heinkel: [Who’s…!]

Indignation erupting from his throat, Heinkel stumbled over his next words, and so it seemed that the conclusion offered from a cinematic perspective would not be of any use.

The two differed in both height and age, but even without quantifying anything, it was clear which of these two actors was on top, so as Aldebaran happened to be present at the unpleasant scene, he pitied Heinkel.

He would have preferred to conceal his breath and get out of there quickly, but,

Felt: [Hm?]

Heinkel: [Aldebaran…]

And, the two of them noticed him at around the same time, so Aldebaran had no choice but to walk up to them.

Then, choosing his words with an “Ah”,

Aldebaran: [Old man, quit getting involved with lil’ miss Felt. You’re at a disadvantage no matter what you say.]

Heinkel: [Wha… so even you’re saying that this brat’s gonna talk me down?]

Aldebaran: [It’s not a matter of who’d win or lose in a verbal argument, I’m saying the premise is botched to begin with. Old man, you’ve allied yourself with me, so from lil’ miss Felt’s perspective you’re an indisputable turncloak… or rather, fundamentally from anybody’s perspective, you’re a great enemy of the Kingdom of Lugunica, you know?]

Heinkel: [――Hk, I… know. Even so, I’m…]

A bitter look strewn about his face, Heinkel cast his eyes down, muttering those words as he opened and closed his hands.

Wearing a tired expression and placed in a tiresome position, nonetheless Heinkel was well aware of what sort of spider’s web he had reached his hand into.

That this was a deed that would tarnish the honor of the House of the Sword Saint, renowned in the Kingdom, that it would create an irrevocable disgrace, he knew.

Still, even if it meant bearing notoriety that persisted unfading for the next several hundred years――,

Felt: [You want the Dragon’s Blood. Pops, in order to wake your wife… Reinhard’s mother, you need that no matter what, right?]

Heinkel: [Brat, how do you…]

Felt: [Just where do you think your son kept me detained at first? I’m well aware of that idiot’s family situation. I also heard about it from Granny Carol and the others.]

Heinkel: [Then! You should understand! It’s necessary, I need the Dragon’s Blood! And, Aldebaran promised it to me! That’s why, I’m going along with this guy’s plan――]

Felt: [Like I said, don’t make excuses to me.]

His desperate pleas met with such a response, Heinkel’s words choked on a “Guh”.

Felt’s answer had left him utterly hopeless, tearing Heinkel’s meager conscience to shreds in a manner much more stinging than would have been accomplished via unskillfully harping on him.

Only, it did not seem like Felt had aimed to choose the method that would wound Heinkel the most. To evidence that, scratching her own head,

Felt: [Even I think it would be nice for Reinhard’s mom to wake up. I also get how you feel like you don’t got a choice in the means to accomplish that end. Hence, I won’t deny you, Pops.]

Heinkel: [――――]

Felt: [It’s just a matter of your methods differing from ours. It’s neither good nor bad.]

As Felt spoke with a single eye closed, it was clear from a single glance that her words had beaten Heinkel down. The definite discrepancy in their calibers was revealed, and what was meant to be a follow up became a kick to a dead body.

If they were to converse any further, Heinkel’s wounds would only expand. Feeling sorry that Yae’s pestering seemed to have paid off, Aldebaran patted him on the shoulder saying “Old man, that’s enough”, and dismissed Heinkel from keeping watch over Felt.

Then, when Heinkel, his shoulder drooping, left the two of them,

Aldebaran: [You’re merciless, lil’ miss Felt. Though you don’t look the part, are you perhaps angry?]

Felt: [Ain’t that obvious, asshat? Even now, I’m exerting all my self-restraint on my desire to kick your guys’ asses. It’s ‘cause I got this shit on my neck.]

Saying that, Felt touched the fine steel thread wrapped around her neck―― that which had also been brought up in the conversation with Yae and “Aldebaran”, and curved her lips into a smile to flash her high canine.

Her impudence was to the MAX, but for the most part, she was aware that her life was in their clutches.

Of course, since they had not taken the life of even a single of her comrades, it was possible that she was making light of the level of effective threat that the steel thread posed, but――,

Aldebaran: [――I’m not gonna fall in the same ditch twice.]

Felt: [――――]

It was not so much an announcement as it was an oath Aldebaran pledged to himself.

The girl before his eyes had been raised to be strong in the slums; she was not just a Royal Candidate suspected of being missing royalty, but a potential monster who had grown up being trained by Valga Cromwell.

There was a sufficient likelihood that she had already eclosed as a monster, becoming a being more dangerous than Aldebaran could imagine.

However, even were that to be the case, Aldebaran would no longer suffer defeat.

Aldebaran: [Even if this is my final part to play, there’s still meaning in my growth.]

The ability to handle “Aldebaran”, who was supposed to have been their primary strength, had gotten worse; Yae’s insolent and mischievous attitude was intolerable; Heinkel would get discouraged on his own regardless of Aldebaran’s intentions; he could not keep going without bringing along the uncooperative excess weight that was Felt; such was Aldebaran’s journey. ――To put it bluntly, things had ended up quite different from his initial travel plan.

But, in exchange for his exhaustion mental and physical alike, the unforeseen battle and tangible loss had stripped Aldebaran of his conceit, delivering unto him a lesson firm.

Aldebaran: [From here on out, I’ll draw out my Territory until it reaches its utmost limit.]

By using short-term updates of a matrix to instantly respond to a pressing situation, he thought he could reduce the retroactive time rather than the number of attempts, and that in doing so he would see long-term benefits.

But, in a case like the most recent one in which he was up against many enemies, that extreme level of matrix updating would cause the probability of being checkmated to skyrocket. If he continued to use it as he always had, then even against someone who did not possess Valga’s ingenuity, it was completely possible for his path to be closed off by way of simple misfortune.

Aldebaran: [If I let the intervals get too long, it’ll be a chicken race between my brain overheating and my mind getting worn down… but even if my soul is completely destroyed, it’s far superior to failing.]

From the outset, Aldebaran had no prospects for beyond the completion of this plan.

The Kararagi City-States: after arriving at the Grand Mogolade Geyser in that land, and accomplishing his objective there, he would clean up the mess he had made in his endeavors, and then end it all.

He desired nothing more. In exchange, he would ensure that everything up to that point would be carried out to fruition.

Felt: [――――]

As Aldebaran hardened his resolve anew, Felt silently watched him with narrowed eyes.

Aldebaran had deliberately ignored her gaze, but faced with the fact that Felt, who resembled her in no regard whatsoever, not personality nor facial features, nor physique nor anything else, did indeed share the same eye color with Priscilla and nothing more, he experienced an awfully awful sense of discomfort.

Aldebaran: [If possible, could you not look at me with those eyes?]

Felt: [Don’t be unreasonable. Sorry, but I’ve had these two eyeballs since I was born. I also don’t like ‘em since they stand out… nah, I used to not like them.]

Aldebaran: [――――]

Felt: [Now, I surprisingly think they ain’t half bad. Why, I ain’t gonna close my eyes.]

Leaning against the great tree, Felt folded her arms and sat cross legged on the ground, and taken by her gaze and the strength of her will, he could understand the feelings of the many who revered her for her radiance.

Right now, that radiance was the same to Aldebaran as the poison tucked behind his molar. Only, that radiance would not take Aldebaran’s life, it only served to torment him.

Felt: [So? I’m pretty damn hungry, got any food?]

Aldebaran: [You’re being way too audacious… Sorry, but we don’t have time for a meal break right now. Travelling takes priority.]

Felt: [That’s some poor treatment for your hostage. ――We headed to that something-something hole in Kararagi you mentioned?]

Aldebaran: [The Grand Mogolade Geyser. No doubt, that’s our final destination. Only, gotta make a bit of a detour.]

At Aldebaran’s comment, Felt knit her well-shaped eyebrows with a “Detour?”.

In response, as Aldebaran drew in his chin with a “Yeah, a detour”, he turned around to the scenery in the distance amidst which it could not yet be perceived, and imagining that place, he spoke.

That was――,

Aldebaran: [――Now is when they oughta be spread the most thin. I’m going to pick up a necessity for the plan.]

△▼△▼△▼△

Fortunately, the detour on the way to their destination went smoothly.

Unfortunately, the security was too dense to say they were spread thin, but due to what was sealed on the other side, their protocols for crisis management being this thorough was almost reassuring.

But then again――,

Aldebaran: [High security ain’t enough to stop me.]

If they were to truly stop Aldebaran, as Felt’s group had previously done, then surrounding and crushing him with several hundreds of people would have been the best course of action. For such a feat to be accomplished, at least a single Order of Knights would need to be deployed, even if it was the Royal Capital, a strategic point of utmost importance.

Thus, to ensure that could not be done, Aldebaran had taken measures in advance.

Aldebaran: [I ended up needing to call it back right away, so it was fifty-fifty on whether I could place hope in the diversion being effective, but…]

Aldebaran, driven to madness, assisted by the Divine Dragon, Volcanica.

It was not difficult to imagine the depths of the panic felt by those in the know, once the information got out that Reinhard the Sword Saint, who had gone off to stop them, had instead become occupied facing the Witch of Envy, freeing Aldebaran and Volcanica to escape the Sand Dunes.

They would have thought it the greatest threat to the nation since the Witch of Envy’s rampage four-hundred years prior.

For that very reason, the Kingdom had had no choice but to put on a display of all its strength to oppose “Aldebaran”, which was flying at heights so as to easily attract attention.

Even if that meant leaving minimal armed forces in the Royal Capital.

Thus――,

Aldebaran: [――Found it.]

――Four-hundred and seven times.

Via that trial and error, in the location he had sought to reach, Aldebaran had located what he was searching for. From the entrance door to the multilayered mechanisms in the room, it was sealed rigorously as to not permit the slightest bit of interference.

In reality, without any assistance, Aldebaran would have been unable to do anything regarding the mechanism before his eyes, regardless of having managed to reach this place, and thus would have ended up retreating in dejection.

However, the current Aldebaran had――,

Aldebaran: [――The Divine Dragon’s fang, I wonder how many holy gold coins it’d be worth.]

An article so rare that the ensemble of merchants he knew would all have dollar signs in their eyes, estimating its value with an abacus inside their heads; using it as a catalyst, Aldebaran destroyed the sturdy mechanism through sheer force.

Like nothing he had ever heard before, an aberrant sound of destruction akin to an iron bar being torn off a wall through brute force arose; the invisible wall that had certainly been present vanished, and Aldebaran stepped forth into the space.

That space, not wide in the slightest, was even more cramped than the restroom in the Barielle Mansion.

With naught a window nor an opening barring the entrance door, the room was suffocating, akin to a solitary confinement cell―― no, not akin, the place was most accurately described as a solitary confinement cell.

After all, sealed within was unmistakably a sinner, a criminal, an evil unpardonable.

Aldebaran: [By now, I’ve done enough to earn myself the death penalty a hundred times over, but…]

Yet, room there indeed remained to accrete sin upon sin.

As if to prove such, Aldebaran reached his hand out towards the blackness before his eyes. That was also the work of extraordinary principles, but this time the Divine Dragon’s aid was needed not.

Albeit different in essence, what laid there was similar to the coalescence of the Witch’s teachings, which Aldebaran had mastered at the end of rigorous training which had made it seem as if he would drown in his own bloody vomit――,

Aldebaran: [――――]

Passing his intent through the fingertips held aloft, the subsequent moment, cracks ran through the whole of it, shattering.

Into pieces akin to fragments of porcelain it fissured, however, no sound of its scattered shards rippled with the ground as the source. Instead, its composition unravelled, melting into the atmosphere.

Witnessing that run its course with his own eyes, before Aldebaran, in place of the vanished black mass, was a single human silhouette on the ground, down on all fours.

Aldebaran: [Obey, and follow me. ――If you do that, I won’t kill you here.]

???: [Hah――]

As Aldebaran quietly pronounced so, the silhouette made sure to let out a breath as it smiled. ――Nay, it sniggered.

Sniggering, sniggering, sniggering, licking the lips of the mouth from which sharp fangs protruded――,

???: [――How nice, so nice, quite nice, perhaps it is nice, surely it is nice, so quite nice, certainly it is nice, because it is certainly nice, because our chest trembles at how nice it is-! Gluttonous drinking-! Gluttony-!]

Indeed, within the solitary cell colored in darkness, the existence liberated from its jet-black coffin―― the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, Roy Alphard, amidst feelings of freedom and hunger, jubilated.

△▼△▼△▼△

――It was as if the world had come to an end, where heaven and earth were no longer separated, where there was no longer any distinction between Bright Time and Dark Time, where the lines between life and death blurred, and where the differences between the self and the “other” became unnecessary.

???: [Young Master! Young Master!]

And, desperately raising her voice like so was Flam, who one would never have imagined capable of such an emotional outburst, whose gaze was fixed on the other side of the sandstorm―― beyond the Pleiades Watchtower, where a great wave of black shadows was surging from the distance towards the red-haired hero, the Sword Saint Reinhard van Astrea, who was struggling to fight it off all alone, to stop it, resist it, and to repel it.

Flam: [Young Master――!]

While she had more faith in his strength than anyone else, the girl who also knew him well outside of his heroic appearance cried out, her voice betraying her, in an attempt to deny the absurd reality that had suddenly befallen him.

Flam’s voice, as if screaming, surely reached Reinhard, who was challenging that dark demise. There was no way he could have failed to hear it. That was because Reinhard van Astrea himself had decided that he had to be that kind of existence.

Despite that, Flam’s anguished voice went unanswered, as the strongest of the Sword Saints to ever have existed was being exposed to such a fierce threat that even a momentary lapse in concentration could be fatal.

???: [――――]

Countless black arms surged forward like literal waves, spreading out to fill everything in sight, continuously trying to crush their target with unstoppable destruction.

Reinhard wielded the Dragon Sword with both of his nearly torn-off arms, and swung the legendary sword that could not be unsheathed in place of his arms, breaking through the cage of black shadows that seemingly was inescapable in all directions, smashing it to pieces.

He repeated this over and over again, ten or twenty times a second, until the sweat that had formed and the blood that had flowed left his body as steam. Reinhard was completely absorbed in his task.

――That, was the decisive contest between these two legendary beings, the Sword Saint and the Witch of Envy.

???: [Ge~ez! This is unbe~lievable!]

Seizing the reins as she jumped into the driver’s seat, Meili, with her disheveled braids and clenched teeth, desperately tried to perform an unfamiliar role.

Patrasche, who was at the other end of the reins, was intelligent, with Meili’s handling of the reins being nothing more than for show. Nevertheless, Meili continued to stay there to show her determination.

With Garfiel and Ezzo unconscious, Flam, whose attention could not be peeled off from Reinhard’s figure, and Petra, who had not yet returned from reading the Book of the Dead, the only one who was able to act normally here was Meili.

Reinhard’s battle was a given, but it was no exaggeration to say that the lives of the entire party depended on Meili’s slender arms.

Meili: [That’s a bit of an exaggeration. Or rather, that’s a bit too mu~ch…]

Many times in the past, Meili had been involved in a situation where someone’s life was at stake.

However, in many of those instances, Meili was on the side that took lives, and she had been in a position where she held the power to decide whether to give or take a life in the majority of them.

The only time she had ever used her abilities to protect someone’s life rather than take it was during the Trial the previous time she had been at the Watchtower, and apart from that, Meili’s capabilities were probably only slightly more powerful than those of an ordinary person.

With such little experience, the Witch of Envy would not have been a good opponent to clash with.

Meili: [Please, Patrasche-chan… unlike with the Witchbeast-chans, I can’t understand what you’re saying, bu~t… everyone’s in dan~ger…!]

Patrasche: [――DODOGYUUUN.]

Meili’s appeal was conveyed through the reins, and Patrasche bravely replied.

The jet-black ground dragon strode furiously, not heeding the adverse conditions of the sandy footing, pulling the dragon carriage with everyone on board, running, running running running, running toward the end――.

Meili: [If this keeps up――]

It was then that she thought they could make it through the Sand Sea in one sweep.

Meili: [――Ah.]

For an instant, the earth seemed to bend and stretch as an incredible impact caused Patrasche’s feet to flounder off the ground, and the dragon carriage rose into the air along with all its passengers.

Meili: [――――]

This was bad, and the word that came to Meili’s mind was “pinch“.

They were in a pinch, a real pinch. When Subaru was in a dangerous situation, he often used the word “pinch“. It was easy to say, and once one got used to saying it, this word would keep popping into their head. But even if one were to keep chanting “pinch, pinch”, the solution would still not come to them.

The only sure thing was that once Patrasche slid into the sand, they would lose the Divine Protection of Wind Evasion that would allow them to leave the sand dunes safely.

Once that was gone, escaping alive from this place, where the boundaries between heaven and earth would become unrecognizable, would become utterly impossible for Meili and the others.

――What should I do now? Everyone, please, Onii-san, help me.

Meili: [Everyone needs he~lp…!]

Yes, it was when that completely useless and tearful voice was put together, as her vision was almost upside down.

???: [――Leave everything to me, Meili.]

Right after she heard that cute and reassuring voice, Meili saw someone leap from the overturned coach, using the driver’s seat as a foothold, and proceeded to jump onto Patrasche, who was losing her balance in mid-air.

It was a girl with a large bow and light brown hair that caught the eye――,

Meili: [Petra-cha~n!]

As Meili cried out, Petra, who had leapt out of the carriage, clung to Patrasche’s neck in mid-air before forcefully sitting on the ground dragon’s saddle, clinging on tightly as if she were biting her.

She hugged with all her might, using her entire petite body, and made her appeal.

Petra: [Patrasche! Calm down, and listen to my voice!]

Patrasche: [――DODOGYUUUN.]

Petra: [Yes, good girl… Now!]

Responding to Petra’s voice, Patrasche swung her long tail vigorously, forcibly controlling her position in the air; with significant momentum, she landed on the sand with her toes thrusting forward into the ground, gracefully controlling the momentum of the dragon carriage, allowing it to land on the ground without interrupting the safety of the Divine Protection.

She had managed to overcome that critical moment beautifully.

It had all been thanks to Patrasche’s incredible responsiveness and the girl’s skill in bringing that out.

Petra: [Meili! Chan! Are you safe and sound?!]

Meili: [I, I’m fi~ne! Petra-chan, that Book you read――]

Petra: [――I’m alright. More importantly…]

Cutting off her words, Petra narrowed her round eyes and glared behind her.

Before her gaze was a battle where Reinhard, defending the Pleiades Watchtower as the line that must continue to be defended at all costs, was holding back the Witch of Envy, who tried to cross that line.

The mere thought of the Witch of Envy was enough to cause shudders to surge up from the depths of her heart, and even Meili could not shake the fear that this reality had brought.

However, Petra, still mounted on Patrasche’s back, said to Meili,

Petra: [It’ll be fine; leave everything to me.]

Meili: [Petra-chan…?]

Petra: [Leave it for now; we need to get out of the Augria Sand Dunes. Let’s go!]

To the loud declaration of Petra, as she rode the ground dragon speeding across the Sand Sea, Meili responded by repeatedly nodding her head in agreement, feeling a sense of mysterious reliability.

With a smile at Meili’s reaction, Petra turned back to face forward and stiffened her cheeks.

Holding on tightly to Patrasche’s neck and leaving the manifestation of the end that loomed behind them to Reinhard, they ran, ran, and ran straight out of the Sand Sea.

And, while enjoying the illusion of being bathed in a cool breeze, Petra whispered to herself.

Petra: [We have some work to do. ――Right, Subaru?]

Subaru: [――Yeah, let’s do this. With everything we’ve got!]

Feeling the voice and presence of the one she loved so dearly, whom she was unable to touch, near to her, Petra Leyte raced as hard as she could, her heart burning with passion.

――To bring forth that wish, which must be delivered outside this sea of sand, she must give it her all.