The soldiers’ approaching movements were swift, and their swords were sharp.
With flames igniting their armor and gauntlets, I couldn’t get close enough to employ my martial arts.
“Kuh—!”
The soldiers, who had undergone Level Up, couldn’t be subdued with a single breath, and I was taking time.
During that time, my Master, who had knocked out two soldiers after me, approached Romis and shouted.
“Haa, haa, haa—!! Romis Neisha! Where did you get the Demonic Poison that fuels those flames!”
“What, you didn’t notice? It’s from Fanian on the ground, of course. After all, I am the Lord here. I have the right to receive it as tax revenue from my people.”
My Master questioned Romis, even though he already knew the answer. He likely wished to hear a different answer from his speculation, but the enemy did not oblige his expectations.
“As long as the people receive treatment, the Demonic Poison will be supplied indefinitely through the Right Arm of the Lord Flame God, Left Arm, Right Leg, and Left Leg that I’ve scattered around. In other words, I can now manipulate flames luxuriously without any worry.”
“You…!! You don’t save those you can help!! You mutilate girls’ bodies, deceive everyone, and make them keep praying!! Is that something a Lord who should protect everyone is allowed to do!?”
“Am I that bad? As the Lord, I have simply done my job and accumulated the necessary power for emergencies. In fact, with the power I’ve accumulated, I am now able to secure a Light God who can enrich Fanian. Everything is thanks to the preparations I made in advance. Considering Fanian’s prosperity, aren’t all my decisions the correct answer?”
Upon hearing that reply, my Master stopped and, while looking at The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire, surrounded by soldiers and sleeping nearby, retorted.
“You push her that far!! And you call it the correct answer!? The true correct answer would have been to cooperate with her and heal everyone suffering in Fanian, as many as possible! Not doing so is due to your greed! You wanted to hoard her miraculous power all to yourself!”
“Ah, that is also a correct answer. I do not deny it. …Light God, this power of flame is truly magnificent. As a Lord, I don’t have to rely on the power of a group. With this, I no longer have to trust anyone. I can solve everything by myself without relying on anyone. If it’s just me, I will never fail again—”
Romis, with composure, accepted all of my Master’s arguments.
Facing that attitude, my Master trembled with anger and charged forward. Then, facing the soldiers who stood in his way, he began to gather his full power for a Curse Technique.
“Return everything to her right now! ‘Blazing Severed Flame’!! —Curse Technique《Flame》!!”
Just like Romis, my Master generated flames from his entire body and unleashed them upon the soldiers before him. The soldiers couldn’t evade the flames that crawled towards them with serpentine movements. However, the《Flame》generated by my Master did not burn the enemies to death.
The target of the《Flame》was not human flesh, but Romis’s flames. The flames intertwined with each other, interfered, and tried to devour one another.
—In the end, flame and flame canceled each other out and disappeared.
With the soldiers stripped of their enhancements and flame blessings, my Master closed the distance and engaged in close combat.
Witnessing this scene, I was surprised, but realizing I couldn’t fall behind my Master, I switched my tactics. I remembered that the flames of the Curse Technique required memories as a Price. If this continued, my Master would endlessly sacrifice his memories. I couldn’t allow that, so I too accepted a degree of expenditure.
I etched into my heart, “The pain of burning flesh is light. It’s as if it doesn’t exist.” Then, I grabbed the arm of an enemy cloaked in flames. Using a technique taught to me by Hidaki Sister, I twisted and broke the arm. The soldiers had too much faith in the flames they wore. As a result, while my flesh was scorched, the limbs of the soldiers facing me were broken one after another.
The soldiers collapsed from the pain of broken bones, letting out voiceless screams. I leaped over their heads and moved towards Romis. On the opposite side, my Master was also approaching, incapacitating the soldiers. I thought that if we continued like this, my Master and I could pincer the detested Romis.
Just then, Romis’s expression changed, and he muttered.
“Using flames as well, huh. To my delight, the Light God seems quite capable. I had hoped to win without expenditure for future battles… but this is unavoidable. I will switch to a strategy that allows for expenditure and secure a certain victory.”
Romis raised the heart he held in his hand.
Instantly, the Demonic Poison in the room surged like a storm. After an illusionary sensation as if being swallowed by a tsunami, I heard the sound of flames igniting behind me. Feeling an extraordinary amount of Demonic Poison and heat, I turned around.
“Wha—!?”
The soldiers I had just defeated were engulfed in flames. This was no longer the mere igniting of flames on weapons and armor from before. The source of the flames was their flesh and blood. The smell of burning humans filled the room rapidly, and soldiers began to burn one after another. And this was not limited to the healthy soldiers.
“Lady Neisha!?”
The soldiers who could still fight called out to their superior, not understanding why they were being burned.
“Ah. I apologize, but the ingredients for this are classified. I need to silence you.”
“Th-that—”
However, before they could finish their words, the soldier was easily consumed by flames and lost his voice. Soldiers’ lives were fed to the flames, one after another, creating new fires. Leaving only the Director, who stood holding his head by the corner, all the soldiers turned into flames. These flames were about twice the volume of a person—and yet, they retained a human shape.
Monsters, which could be called giants of flame, were born, and my Master murmured, his body trembling.
“The intensity of this flame… A Price…? And using a person’s body…?”
Hearing those words, Romis replied with a brightened expression.
“Ah, the Light God knows that mechanism too. …Then, why doesn’t the Light God also utilize a Price? Are you going easy on me by paying the Price yourself this whole time? If so, then you are no different from that Lord Flame God… Ah, you are nothing like him, Light God! Why don’t you impose the Price on others!? Even a child knows the meaning of the word ‘sacrifice’! If you’re going to make someone lose, it should be others, not yourself!? That’s how you live in this world!”
“Neishaaaa—!!”
Faced with irreconcilable ideals, Master shouted and drew his sword to attack.
However, he was blocked by materialized flames halfway through. These were the Flame Giants that had manifested into monsters earlier.
Using the monsters as shields, Romis continued to speak.
“So, don’t get so angry. That’s what the Altofel faith is for in the first place. Don’t you think it’s amazing? Make the populace pay the ‘Demonic Poison’ and the ‘Price,’ leave the conversion to ‘Lord Flame God,’ and I, the lord of this domain, will wield the power of ‘Miracles’! Kukuku, I’ve wanted for so long to boast about this town to someone! Lord Flame God, will you listen more and more!?”
“Everyone is praying, you know!? They believe in you, their lord, and pray every day! With hope that it will be cured someday, every single day!! Are you going to use those prayers as a ‘Price,’ you…!”
“Ah, it’s all thanks to your prayers. And now, those innocent prayers are becoming the power to defeat you.”
Romis waved his hand sideways.
Then, the Flame Giants nearby simultaneously leaped towards Master. The Flame Giant born behind me also charged forward with agility unsuited to its size.
Unable to bear it, I and Master leaped back and created distance from Romis.
We had no choice but to concentrate on intercepting the Flame Giants.
I dodged with my ‘Martial Arts,’ and Master offset the flames with his ‘Curse Technique.’ However, due to the sheer number of enemies, we were gradually pushed back, and the distance to the detestable Romis grew wider and wider.
In that situation, Master expressed his regret from the bottom of his heart, uttering a curse.
“It’s because of you…! There were children who should have been saved but couldn’t be…! Because of your selfishness, your malice! Children with no guilt die unreasonably…!”
However, no matter how many words he spoke, they had no effect on the situation.
We continued to be overwhelmed by the Flame Giants.
Seeing this, Romis stopped his condescending tone and muttered to himself.
“…Is this it? A bit disappointing. Depending on the outcome of this battle, there was a possibility of changing your treatment, but in the end, you’re just children. Easily swayed, they cry and wail, and wield borrowed power to distort order. They are beings that can only serve the world by having their power absorbed by me.”
Though I had vaguely realized it, it seemed Romis’s provocative tone was to gauge Master’s abilities, values, ideals, and objectives.
And now that our worth had been assessed, Romis was about to end the battle.
With a mere wave of Romis’s hand, the heat of the facing Flame Giants intensified.
As their speed and skill increased, I realized that we had been going easy on them all along.
I could no longer handle the Flame Giants I was facing, and Master was also approaching his limit with just his sword and ‘Curse Technique.’
If this continued, we would be defeated and captured by the enemy.
I had already foreseen the ending of this story with my usual sense.
—I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing.
If protecting Master’s life is the top priority, losing at this point is the best option. Master would receive life-saving treatment as Lord Flame God, and I would be kept alive as a useful pawn. —And then, Hidaki Sister would be free.
Considering Romis’s words and actions up to this point, I was coming to terms with the fact that “he was an enemy worthy of defeat.”
I would likely suffer some hardship, but not to an extreme degree.
It would be on the milder side compared to the bad endings in books I’ve read.
Just as I was smiling, remembering how much fun the Fanian arc was, and starting to close the book—from Master’s direction, I felt a tsunami-like surge of ‘Demonic Poison.’
“—!?”
That surge, like a heartbeat, powerfully shook the world.
When I instinctively turned my gaze, I saw Master in a sword lock with a Flame Giant’s arm, staring straight at Romis and spewing curses.
“Losing…! I won’t lose to a scumbag like you…! That’s right. Aren’t you the kind of scumbag I hate the most? Ah, I couldn’t forgive you! No matter what ‘Price’ I have to pay, I absolutely must not lose to him…! Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely—!!”
Once again, Master was seized by an unknown obsession and tried to help someone.
At the same time, the air around Master began to distort as if it were a warped painting.
It wasn’t the heat of the flames. ‘Dimensional power’ was activating in sync with Master’s curses. ‘Demonic Poison’ was leaking from Master’s body, gradually turning a pale purple and shifting everything around him.
It was the same dangerous thing as when there was a wide-area ‘Level Up’ yesterday—
I had never seen him fully control that power of displacement. This should be judged as a state of rampage.
However, it was certain that only this unknown power could counter Romis.
Indeed, Romis, who sensed Master’s anomaly just like I did, wore an expression I had never seen before.
“What… is this? Isn’t he a wielder of light…?”
Romis observed cautiously, resuming his assessment.
Similarly, I significantly revised my prediction of the future outcome.
A path to a great reversal began to form in my mind. If I fought without selecting my means from here on, there was a good chance I could reach Romis.
Even as I thought this, Master’s power continued to swell. And at the moment when the path to a new ending was illuminated by the light of hope—
“I’m not done yet, Romis Neisha! I’m still—”
“That won’t do, Kanami.”
Darkness from ‘The one who steals the logic of darkness’ enveloped everything.
The moment I heard Teeda’s voice, the tip of a dagger emerged from Master’s abdomen. The owner of that dagger, as if emerging from a lake, was only the upper half of their body, peeking out from Master’s shadow.
Teeda, hidden in the darkness, had stabbed Master from behind with a dagger.
With that too-sudden fatal blow, Master could only fall to his knees without a sound.
“—!? Nngh, aah…”
“M-Master!?”
I shouted his name.
Judging by its appearance, it wasn’t a wound that would cause instant death.
If ‘Curse Technique’ could be used for healing, even damaged organs would be alright.
The problem, however, is the mud from “The one who steals the logic of darkness.” It was clearly smeared on the dagger and ingested.
Looking at my master’s face, it doesn’t seem like the pain I experienced has been doubled.
Rather, the opposite.
It’s as if the pain and the emotions associated with it are being suppressed. That’s why my master, despite collapsing to his knees from a fatal wound, can calmly pose a question.
“Wh-why…? Teeda…”
“Kanami, that’s pointless.”
Teeda, emerging from the shadows, completely reveals himself from my master’s shadow as he further amplifies the “Dark Power.”
By then, all the tumultuous emotions that seemed to shake my master’s world had already subsided. The “Dimensional Power” that seemed to erode the world had also all dissipated.
This scene proves that the power of “Thief of Principles” is closely related to emotions.
It also proves that “Dark Power” exhibits unparalleled strength in battles between those who steal principles.
I hurriedly try to deduce Teeda’s objective.
He seemed forced to appear, disliking the scenario where “Thief of Principles” overpowers enemies with overwhelming strength.
Romis, equally surprised, opens his mouth wide, his voice groaning “The one who steals the logic of darkness’s” full name from his throat.
“…Teeda? Could you be Teeda Runs?”
Teeda turns at the address.
However, he does not answer.
Still facing Romis with the monstrous, masked face of darkness, he continues to stare.
Seeing this, Romis’s face brightens.
With an innocent joy completely opposite to his previous impression, he ascertains that “The one who steals the logic of darkness” is indeed “Teeda Runs.”
“Teeda!! You are Teeda after all!! Hahaha, I’ve been looking for you!! My friend!! Teeda Runs!!”
“You still recognize me as myself…? Romis…”
Teeda responds to the address with a sense of resignation.
It’s undeniable that the two are old friends, and Teeda had been hiding it.
However, despite such an open betrayal, Teeda’s voice was trembling.
There are many things that concern me.
However, with my master’s life being the priority, I rush past them.
I kneel beside my gravely injured master and check his condition.
My master was already trying to staunch the wound with his hand and attempt healing with “Curse Technique.”
However, the caster himself, due to the pain, couldn’t concentrate, and the effect wasn’t favorable. I take out a thick book from my pocket, which I had been carrying as a makeshift armor. It’s a book containing the “Spell Formation” of “Price,” which my master had entrusted to me the previous night before Fanian’s arrival. Now, I have time to concentrate on healing using its contents.
After all, Teeda and Romis have left us behind and started talking amongst themselves.
“Haha, you ask if I recognize you? Of course. Aren’t we inseparable friends?”
Romis’s priority for us is lower than Teeda’s. The fire giant doesn’t attack and merely blocks our escape routes.
While eavesdropping, I work to close my master’s wound.
“Teeda, I was truly worried. I heard rumors that you were treated like a murderer in town? If you were with me, I would never let such a thing happen…”
“That’s because you…”
“But now, you can rest easy! If you stand by my side again like in the old days, everything will be resolved! Now, you are worthy of calling yourself a god of darkness—if the two of us are together, we will surely be invincible! …Ah, of course, you are special. After all, you are my friend. I will absolutely not let you be treated like that Lord Flame God or that God of Light.”
Romis talks about how worried he was without giving Teeda a chance to retort.
Teeda’s body continues to tremble as he listens.
He himself had said it. The lord of Fanian’s domain had originally been waiting, using “The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire” as bait to capture “The one who steals the logic of darkness.”
Without a doubt, Romis is lying.
He hides his true desire—to make Teeda his own—behind flowery words.
Because I am of the same ilk as Romis, I understand this. It was he who spread the rumor of “The Hanging Man” in town, gradually cornering Teeda.
“Hey, Teeda. You’re an adult, just like me… Unlike those children who just call themselves gods. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”
To the silent Teeda, Romis, like a friend, reaches out his hand while sharing memories.
“Three years ago, I overthrew my father, the head of the Neisha Family, and became the lord entrusted with the care of ten thousand people. And you are a member of the Runs Family, supporting the Neisha Family from the shadows… Above all, we have a friendship that has been nurtured since childhood. It is a bond that is not inferior to ties of blood. Tell me, isn’t that right?”
“Ah, you and I are fated friends, bound by fate since birth. There’s no mistake.”
From their conversation, it becomes clear that Teeda’s own family, the Runs Family, was a subordinate of the Neisha Family.
It’s also possible they were simply a “branch family” of the Neisha Family, in which case the two of them would be distant relatives.
Considering this relationship, I watch Teeda and Romis’s reminiscing.
“Then, my friend, what is there to hesitate about!! It’s always been like this, hasn’t it!? You just need to listen to what I say. There has never been a mistake in doing so.”
“Ah, I am very grateful to Romis. You taught me so much about how to win battles, about how to prepare for a fight and how to betray an enemy… Thanks to learning those tricks, I can say that I have survived until today.”
“Ah, exactly! Diligently training swords and going into duels, that was the work of foolish aristocrats, wasn’t it!? Teeda Runs alone understood! He realized before anyone else that battles are won with words, not swords! He figured out how to curry favor with the stronger, sometimes collude with enemies, and crush the minority. If there was an opening, he would take the duel opponent’s hostage, coerce or persuade them, and avoid senseless bloodshed. That’s the smart way to win!”
“That’s right… The repetition of betrayal and being betrayed is the essence of humanity… None of your teachings were wrong.”
“That’s right! As expected of my greatest confidant, Teeda! You understand perfectly! I’m truly happy to have a confidant like you!!”
Unlike her Master, Teeda was easily swayed by “deception.”
However, it seemed Teeda herself had no intention to resist the “deception.”
These two, who exchanged the word “friend,” seemed to be beyond saving in many ways.
“Well then, Teeda. Shall we resolve the misunderstanding and lingering grudges from three years ago now? As your best friend, I will forgive you for trying to betray me back then. So, you too—you’ll forgive me for burning your face, won’t you?”
Romis implicitly repeated his past teachings: “The stronger prevails.”
Toward those hands stained black with lies, Teeda placed her hands, stained black with mud.
“…Ah. Forgive me, or not, I don’t mind. That must have been some kind of mistake?”
“H-Hahaha! I knew you’d say that, Teeda! We’re best friends after all! Our bond won’t change over a single misunderstanding! Not at all!!”
“Ah, I believed in my best friend too.”
Teeda and Romis’s cooperation was decided.
—At that moment, I began to piece together the person that was Teeda.
First, the gaps in Teeda’s self-narration before our departure were neatly filled with the current information.
Thanks to that, I could use my usual specialty to write the prologue to “The Story of Teeda Runs” as if it were a book.
“Five years ago, a girl and a young man from Fanian were reborn as ‘The one who steals the logic of fire’ and ‘The one who steals the logic of darkness’ by an ‘Apostle.’
The reborn pair wielded their new powers in an attempt to help the suffering people around them.
As a result, in about a year, they revived the Town of Fanian.
However, the credit for this revival was stolen by a man named Romis Neisha.
Romis instigated his old friend, Teeda, ‘The one who steals the logic of darkness,’ to cooperate in capturing ‘The one who steals the logic of fire’ and taking over the Neisha Family.
Afterward, Romis, having gained ‘the logic of fire,’ attempted to capture Teeda as well, now that he was no longer useful.
Betrayed by his best friend, Teeda barely escaped with his life and continued to resist Romis’s town-building efforts while hiding in the Town of Fanian as the ‘Black Hanging Man’—”
There might have been major incidents, such as the betrayal by the Director of “The Seventh Demon Obstacle Research Institute,” but the general history should be correct.
I am confident in this speculation.
That is why I think: Teeda’s resistance, after having her face burned and everything stolen, is too lukewarm.
However, looking at his current attitude towards Romis, the reason becomes somewhat clear.
—After his background, I will read the mind of ‘The one who steals the logic of darkness.’
His heart is terribly fragile and weak.
The words he spoke earlier when betraying us, “I’m scared of being betrayed,” and “Help me,” were likely true.
I suspect Teeda truly craves the security of a real “trusting relationship.”
However, due to his abnormal timidity, he cannot find anyone to trust, and is even afraid of being trusted by others.
This is the condition for Teeda being chosen as a ‘Thief of Principles.’
It’s that crack in his heart.
Because of that crack, Teeda clings to a fleeting dream of the “trusting relationship” he once had with his past best friend. It’s an illusion, and even though he knows he’ll be betrayed someday—or perhaps precisely because he knows from the beginning that he will be betrayed—he might feel a sense of security.
—In other words, this is a troublesome man who, despite being afraid of betrayal, can only trust someone who will betray him.
And now, Teeda is testing his Master to see if he can truly trust such a troublesome ‘Thief of Principles’ as a companion—
“Ah, honestly…”
I believe I accurately read the thoughts of a weakling who is too troublesome.
But I cannot empathize at all.
I cannot forgive him for betraying his Master and putting him in danger.
As a form of admonishment, I confirm.
“Hey. I don’t mean to pry, but is that really okay?”
When asked, Teeda, after a moment of hesitation, replied.
“Romis and I are friends… we’ve always been friends, and I want to continue to be friends.”
However, the muddy Noh mask of his friend, who burned him, was grotesquely distorted.
It looked like it was begging for help. Of course, I, who had no obligation to see such a face, continued my cold questioning.
“Hmm. So, you deceived us, brought us here, and sold us out? To get back to that friend status?”
“…Ah. You can think that if you want.”
I had a lot I wanted to retort, but realizing it was all in vain, I said nothing.
“Kukuk! Too bad for you, Princess of Fuziaze! Now, Teeda! Prove our friendship!!”
Romis, eager to use his newly acquired piece, raised his voice.
Pushed by that voice, Teeda, gripping daggers in both hands, began to walk towards us.
Responding to him was my Master, standing beside me.
Holding the wound with his left hand and gripping his sword with his right, he began to move forward to confront them.
My priority is to protect my Master’s life, so I immediately stopped him.
“Master, no! Since he betrayed us, we have no choice but to give up!!”
“Haa, haa, haa…! Not yet…! Even if Teeda stands over there, my task remains the same!!”
Even though it was clearly impossible to rescue ‘The one who steals the logic of fire,’ my Master stubbornly refused to change his mind.
“Our original plan is impossible now! We can’t even think about saving anyone!!”
“Even so, I promised her I would save her! I can’t change that now, not for something like this!”
“You never promised *when* you would save her! Next year is fine! This time, let’s bring Sis and Hidaki Sister and make a serious attempt! Right, Master!!”
I grabbed the hem of my Master’s coat and held him back.
Only then did my Master stop, turn around, and repeat a single word.
“—Hidaki?”
“Yes! Let’s go back to Fuziaze to call for Hidaki Sister! Hidaki Sister can somehow fix this situation!”
When I repeated Sister Hidaki’s name, my Master’s momentum, which had been like a fired arrow, suddenly decelerated.
He removed all the strength from his body and asked me back with a look of more regret than ever before.
“Tiara… Does it have to be Hidaki Sister? Is it not okay if it’s me?”
“Master isn’t Hidaki Sister. Master has his own good points, and there are things only Master can do. If Hidaki Sister were here, I’m sure she’d say the exact same thing.”
“My good points…? Things that Hidaki can’t do, but I can…? That’s… –”
Master’s voice trembled.
It was good that he finally stopped, but now he looked completely demoralized. Tida quietly spoke to their distorted faces.
“Kanami, can you still do this?”
He dutifully kept his distance, waiting for Master’s decision.
Then, they exchanged words that only fellow “Thieves of Principles” could understand.
“Tida, I still believe you are a companion! I understand how you feel right now…! I feel the same way! Just, please wait a little longer! I’ll be back soon… At that time, I’m sure I’ll be able to help you…!!”
Unlike me, who had completely abandoned them, Master was still trying to help Tida.
There was empathy and understanding for the weak, which I lacked.
However, Tida himself shook his head, rejecting it.
“That won’t do. It has no meaning unless it’s in this situation. I want to know Kanami’s immediate choice right now…!”
With that, Tida ran off.
Master, after a moment of hesitation, squeezed a large amount of “Dimensional Power” from his body.
Although not as concentrated as when he was out of control, his expression conveyed that this was his maximum output.
“Tiara!! Use that power from before like a “Curse Technique”!!”
“Y-Yeah!”
I got into position as instructed and watched the power.
“Twist, bend —-!!”
Master’s “Dimensional Power,” which was about to fill the room, acted across my entire field of vision.
First, the room warped as if bending soft ironwork with heat.
This was close to the power of displacement Master showed when he was out of control, and it broke the principles of the world, such as space and distance.
Unlike when he was out of control, there was regularity in how the room distorted.
Master was on the verge of mastering a new way of using “Dimensional Power” during the short time spent in this Fanian.
The displacement warped clockwise around Tida.
In other words, Romis, who was behind Tida now, moved in a curve to the right. Conversely, I and Master, who were in front of Tida now, moved in a curve to the left.
Master forcibly swapped the two positions with “Dimensional Power.”
In this way, we overcame the wall of fiery giants and gained an advantageous position at the entrance of the room.
With this rationally controlled retreat to safety, I understood that Master had given up on rescuing the “The one who steals the logic of fire.”
While Romis and Tida were astonished by the “Dimensional Power,” I took Master’s hand, opened the door to the exit, and began our escape.
Without looking aside, as we ran through the corridor, several soldiers in the rear guard blocked our path, but we brushed them aside with brute strength and speed, leaving them behind.
As we went up the stairs leading to the ground, Master clutched his abdominal wound and muttered hatefully.
“Haa, Haa, Haa…! Damn it, again…! Again, I couldn’t save anyone… I’m pushing everything onto my sister…”
He felt ashamed of himself for trying to escape and pass the problem entirely to someone else.
I squeezed Master’s hand tightly and retorted without slowing our pace.
“It can’t be helped this time! Besides, Fuziaze has not only Hidaki Sister but also Sis Sister! Next time, we’ll all fight together! Then, Hidaki Sister’s burden will be lighter!!”
“W-We’ll all fight together?”
“Yes! This time, let’s welcome those betrayers to our home turf and beat them up!!”
“…Ah.”
When I persuaded him like that, Master finally relaxed his stern expression. Regretting his own weakness, he looked forward and increased our speed.
After climbing the dark, long stairs, we emerged onto the ground.
To save time, I chose the same route as yesterday’s escape. Then, I roughly opened the door to enter the central infirmary.
At the same time, a brilliant, spreading light filled my vision.
I involuntarily stopped in surprise.
“Wh–?!”
All of the “Lord Flame God’s Sacred Stones” were burning with unusual intensity.
The strong light burned our eyes, accustomed to the darkness.
“It’s… bright?”
Master, who entered next, was also surprised, his eyes burned, and he asked a questioning voice. I, whose eyes adjusted first, confirmed the situation in the central infirmary.
“And, already—everyone’s awake?”
Not much time should have passed since the night’s invasion. Yet, the scene was almost the same as it was yesterday.
All the patients who should have been asleep were on their knees, with their hands clasped towards the giant statue in the center.
In the light, everyone was mumbling words of gratitude.
I felt with my skin that each of these actions was becoming a “Price” without omission.
I understood intuitively.
The patients were “chanting” now.
As a result, a pillar of flame rose from the bare ground in front of the giant statue.
From the blazing flames, Romis, holding the “Lord Flame God’s Heart,” appeared as if parting the mist. His shadow was unusually dark, hinting at Tida, the “the one who steals the logic of darkness,” lurking.
It was like “Magic” from a fairy tale.
It was indeed a “Miracle” for the patients and believers.
“Ah! The lord has appeared for the morning prayer of awakening!!”
“Good morning, my lord!!”
“Please, give us the prophecy of the Lord Flame God! To this dark world, bring the flame of salvation!!”
As the patients rejoiced at the appearance of the prophet, I correctly understood the meaning: “Fanian is a city specialized in capturing monsters.”
