The space that awaited me after I fell was vast.
At first, I thought I had returned to my own room, but it seemed a Connection had been prepared elsewhere. Rather, the Connection to my own room and the one on the 57th floor had vanished when Nosfy declared hostility earlier. There was no doubt Nosfy had tampered with something beforehand.
As I confirmed that my escape routes had dwindled, Nosfy released his clenched hands, which seemed about to break from the strain. Then, he waved to the green-haired girl seated on the throne.
“I’m back. I’ve brought him as you asked, my Lord.”
There was a throne – meaning this was the grand “Throne Room” in the heart of the castle. Thick, imposing pillars lined the hall, and the light from numerous candles flickered eerily on the soot-stained stone walls.
There were only two doors. A grand entrance for the King to receive his subjects, and a private door for the King located behind the throne. A red carpet adorned with bold embroidery stretched from the grand entrance.
I was made to stand upon that carpet.
It seemed I had indeed been returned to “Viais” behind the 66th floor.
The green-haired girl before me was proof of that.
“—’Accelerate,’ ‘Accelerate,’ ‘Accelerate,’ ‘Accelerate,’ ‘Accelerate, Accelerate, Accelerate, Soul’—”
The Lord, with his head bowed, repeated a short incantation haphazardly.
That unique and immense magical power was something only she could possess.
Green magical power that glowed emitted light, adorning the throne. And behind her, a small flag with the emblem of this country, Viais – likely a bird and sword design – fluttered.
It was a strange sight.
Though the room was sealed, wind was blowing.
The wind swayed not only the small flag but also the Lord’s hair.
Unlike usual, the Lord had undone her green ponytail. This was close to the Lord I had seen in the garden on the second morning—and the noble “Ruling King” I had seen in my dreams.
And now, that bowed face lifted.
It lifted slowly, slowly—and I met the Lord’s eyes, eyes forged solely from dignity, devoid of any semblance of amiability.
Jade eyes. Though they shone brilliantly, they held a strange darkness, as if covered by a film of obsidian. Within those two small spheres, it seemed a tempest-ridden forest was condensed.
Exposed to those unfathomable green eyes, I felt a sense of awe—and also sorrow.
The Lord before me seemed to be on the verge of a precipice.
If I touched her, she would break.
And if things went poorly, she could engulf everything around her.
That’s what I thought.
She was so precarious that I couldn’t find the words to say to her.
Yet, the Nosfy beside me spoke casually.
“Hm? Oh, that’s strange. Where did Rainer go? I’m certain I dropped him here, but I can’t see him…”
Upon hearing that, the Lord flinched.
Then, averting her gaze from me, she muttered with apparent irritation,
“I’ve been tricked by Reinand Volz… Someone noticed the commotion here and intervened, taking Rainer away…”
“Ah, so that’s what happened. And it did turn into a fight, didn’t it?”
“I was refused…”
The Lord’s way of speaking was peculiar.
The amiability had vanished not only from her appearance but also from her speech.
It was such a drastic change that I almost suspected she was a fake.
“General Reinand Volz, the only subject who endured the attrition of souls? Hmm… It seems that even by manipulating the timeline ‘here,’ he can act freely. However, to outmaneuver the Lord in the few tens of minutes fighting Uzunami… Is he still a formidable general from the Great War, even in his decay?”
“Vol-Volz, he called me strange… He even said I was broken… This me, this me—!”
The Lord referred to herself as ‘Warawa.’
The words were the same, but I thought the meaning was different from before. The atmosphere, her demeanor, her tone, everything was different. That elderly way of speaking—it was as if she had even altered herself.
The two continued their conversation, leaving me behind.
“Ah, how terrible. I am sorry, my Lord. Due to the nature of the ‘Barrier,’ I was aware that only he might be able to defy the rules. This is my mistake.”
Nosfy lamented dramatically and apologized grandly.
His trite acting always carried an unsettling aura. However, the Lord seemed to accept it without any doubt.
“Listen to me, Nosfy. Volz betrayed this me and conspired with Uzunami and them. He tried to take my precious ‘subjects’ and my ‘younger brother’… Why! Why is only Volz, who was never kind to me, still remaining…? He’s been a nuisance, both in the past and now! I cannot forgive him, I cannot tolerate it!!”
“Ah, poor Lord. Then, I shall remove your lingering worries for you.”
Nosfy’s voice was soft, but it exuded cruelty. The Lord, who had been repeating angry words, trembled at his merciless statement.
“Remove…? What do you mean by that…?”
“You no longer need a ‘General,’ do you? Here, only ‘you,’ ‘I,’ ‘Lord Uzunami,’ and ‘Rainer’ are conscious. These four are enough. Let the others act as the audience. That way, you will be closer to the world you desire.”
“Are you going to eliminate Volz…? While I cannot forgive him, it is also true that he was a loyal vassal who served Viais until the end… Eliminating him…”
“That kindness is what allowed Helvishein to escape. Above all, do you require a ‘General’ in your world? Let us release General Volz’s soul.”
“…!”
Under the pressure of Nosfy’s incessant, irrefutable logic, the Lord, after faltering, slowly nodded.
“You promised each other that as two overworking children, you would return together and try again, didn’t you? It’s okay. I will soon take away that anxiety from you. So, please return to your usual self. Come, calm down…”
“Y-yes.”
Chastised by Nosfy, the Lord’s anger subsided.
Seeing this, Nosfy smiled with satisfaction before preparing to leave the room.
“Then, I’m off. During that time, Lord, please persuade Lord Uzunami.”
“That’s right… I should do as my friend Nosfy says…”
Nosfy left through the grand doors, and I was left alone with the Lord in the Throne Room.
I didn’t move not only because I had something to say to the Lord—but simply because I was being subjected to a magical power so intense that I couldn’t show my back.
Ever since I fell, the Lord had been directing a pressure befitting a king towards me.
Finally, she spoke to me.
“You’ve come, my Knight Commander. I have been waiting for you for a long time.”
“Are you… the Lord?”
I posed my biggest question first. If this premise was wrong, there was no reason to stay here.
“Is it strange that I am the Lord?”
The Lord tilted her head gracefully.
It seemed it was merely a faint hope after all.
“…A little. That way of speaking is too old-fashioned.”
She retained a trace of the Lord.
It was undeniable that the girl before me was the Ruling King.
The “Display” also identified her as:
**[The Fifty Guardians] One who steals the logic of the wind**
“I see, strange… But this is my original self, you see…”
“Why…?”
“I used the ‘Price’ of wind incantation to return to a little while ago.”
I wanted to ask the reason for her return, not the method, but the Ruling King only spoke what she wanted to say.
However, the story of her return was hard to believe. Her charm was gone, replaced by solemnity. Her childlike gestures were gone, replaced by slow, deliberate movements. Her youthfulness had vanished, and the vitality was lost from her eyes. Anyone would think the same as I did.
She looked old.
The Ruling King’s sharp gaze seemed to read that thought from my expression. She chuckled and corrected herself, as if stabbing herself.
“Hmph, I haven’t aged. I’ve become young again with this. Perhaps because I was too old before, my way of speaking was too broken, but this is normal…”
I couldn’t understand being told she had returned to a child with such an elderly way of speaking. Was it a full circle back to adulthood?
“Ah, everything is so nostalgic… That’s right, I used to speak like this, you see. But it’s still not enough… The life of a ‘Thief of Principles’ is far too long. If I don’t return to much, much further in the past, I can’t truly say I’ve returned. Ah, I must return to much, much further in the past…”
The Ruling King’s eyes drifted aimlessly into the void as she muttered to herself, not addressing anyone. Her appearance was pathological, convincing me that she was not sane.
Like a delirious patient, the Ruling King spoke to me.
“Hey, Uzunami. When do you think is the boundary between a ‘child’ and an ‘adult’?”
This was probably the biggest question the Ruling King was grappling with right now. She didn’t know who was a ‘child’ and who was an ‘adult’, or where she stood.
But I felt the same. I couldn’t clearly define the girl before me, nor myself. I wasn’t a great enough person to be taught such boundaries.
As I struggled to find an answer, the Ruling King gently shook her head.
“It’s fine. I don’t expect an answer. Even I still don’t know… But there is something I can say clearly. A thousand years ago, the pompous king who sat here was a child. He was an adult, but more of a child than anyone else.”
The ‘Ruling King’ was a child, the same person says a thousand years later. Surely for her, the boundary between child and adult wasn’t about appearance or speech. I understood that the child she spoke of was something deeper, something internal.
“It’s truly nostalgic. I used to welcome Uzunami from this throne just like this. Overcoming the opposition of many retainers.”
She seemed to want to reminisce about the past, but I couldn’t keep up at all. I quickly made my refusal.
“…I’m sorry, but I don’t remember that time.”
“Even if you don’t remember, you must answer. A thousand years ago, why did I, the wife of the Southern ‘Mıhata’, welcome Uzunami to the North… Do you know?”
Since I didn’t remember, I could only shake my head.
“I’ll tell you now. I gave my retainers whatever excuses came to mind, but the truth is, only Uzunami told me to stop being king.”
This was probably what the Ruling King had wanted to say all along. She wanted to tell me, who had lost my memory.
“Uzunami… told me that this way of speaking, more offensive than my current age, was outright strange. He even told me to speak more like a child. He said it’s good to meet the expectations of those around you, but it doesn’t suit you at all… and gave me that advice…”
And then, she probably wanted me to say the same thing again. Looking at her despairing expression, it was clear.
“I was undoubtedly the ‘Savior of the North.’ But for me at that time, Uzunami was ‘my savior.’ Of course, I couldn’t say it out loud…”
Squinting, the Ruling King recalled the scene from the past. She looked like an adult. No matter how much she said with her mouth, the person here was an old woman who had lived through a thousand years – an old woman trying to spend her remaining years reminiscing about the past.
“Only Uzunami understood what I couldn’t say aloud! Only Uzunami noticed my suffering, and promised to save me, to grant my wish! Uzunami, please say the words I want to hear again. Now, fulfill the responsibility of that time. Become my ‘vassal’, and persuade Rainer to become my ‘younger brother’!”
Even though I had told the Ruling King “I will help you” and “I will grant your wish” this morning, I couldn’t repeat the same words again. Naturally. The meaning was completely different now.
If I were to save the Ruling King now, it wouldn’t be about bringing Aid, but about making Rainer her new younger brother. I couldn’t do that. Such a fake. A false world. False happiness. I knew better than anyone what awaited at the end of that.
“I can’t do that.”
Seeing me quietly shake my head, the Ruling King became confused and began to tremble. What was a natural refusal for me was apparently not for the Ruling King.
“Please, Uzunami. Become my ‘vassal’… This country, ‘Viais’, cannot stand without you… It was the same in the past, and it is the same now… I’ve reached my limit alone…”
With hesitant words, the Ruling King, unstable like a flickering flame, stood from the throne.
“Nosfy said that Resonance Magic with Uzunami might have the possibility to extend the lifespan of ‘this place’. He also said that such space magic would likely require Uzunami to be ‘here’. Please, stay ‘here’ and continuously extend the lifespan…”
That request was new to me. I tensed up. It wasn’t just Rainer who was in danger.
“Are you by any chance trying to trap me here…?”
“I want to. Surely, that is why I have waited for Uzunami ‘here’ for so long. Ah, I have waited for Uzunami for so, so long…!”
Her frantic expression shifted to one of affection. Like the guardians of old, the Ruling King reached out her hand to me.
“After hearing from Uzunami about the fate of the other guardians, I am now certain. All the guardians are waiting for Uzunami. Even after death, their souls are bound to the depths of the earth, their memories fading, becoming monsters. Even after a thousand years, they still await the ‘savior who appeared from another world.’ And I believe Uzunami has an obligation to fulfill the lingering desires of those monsters… So, please…”
“So, you’re saying it’s my obligation to remain ‘here’…?”
“Ah, yes… Please maintain my peace of mind ‘here’…”
The thought of an unearned obligation that began with such a selfish request – that was one thing. I could tolerate that much.
But I absolutely could not tolerate that the Ruling King was mistaken about her own wish. I even felt anger.
“No…! That’s not the right way to maintain peace, Ruling King! Waiting ‘here’ with the four of us won’t change anything! There is no substitute for family! The ‘family’ depicted in that painting you cherished so dearly is Aid! Not Rainer! Your ‘friends’ from when you were at the orphanage weren’t me or Nosfy! Preparing substitutes and merely extending time in vain will only increase your suffering time! I will bring your real younger brother soon! So, you just need to wait–!!”
“Aid can no longer be called my younger brother! He has become someone who only worships me as Queen! I don’t need him! I don’t need him!!”
“—!”
My angry rebuke was met with an even fiercer one.
“I don’t need Aid or Seldra anymore! Now, I have a new ‘younger brother’ and a ‘friend’! I was never connected by blood to Aid anyway! What problem is there in welcoming a new ‘younger brother’ here!? Right now, I have ‘Rainer’ and ‘Nosfy’! And, I have my most trusted ‘vassal’ too! It’s perfect!!”
Referring to ‘vassal,’ she pointed at me. Rowen could see no one but us anymore. The three of us, trapped in the deep darkness of this Labyrinth, had become the entirety of her world. As if the past and Aid never existed from the start—she was fixated only on me, Rainer, and Nosfy.
“Once you realize it, you can’t stop anymore… You can’t hold yourself back… I thought that what I truly wanted was far beyond my reach. But I was wrong. This morning, I finally realized it. Before I knew it, everything I desired was complete! Everything, all at once! Ah, it was worth waiting a thousand years for! Haha, hahahahahaha!”
Rowen laughed, her unfocused eyes staring emptily. Looking into those eyes, I truly understood. The anger gathering at the top of my head began to dissipate.
Ah, ah… Rowen is already…
“Therefore, I won’t let Uzunami go to the surface! I will never see the unreasonable Aid again! Here, ‘Uzunami,’ ‘Nosfy,’ and ‘Rainer’ alone are enough! No, not just enough, it’s perfect! Kuhahaha!”
Rowen’s eyes saw only what she wished to see now. And she laughed, like an adult, yet like a child.
—Rowen… was already broken. Long ago. She claims she is reaching her limit now, but that’s not true. Before she even realized it, she had already passed her limit. Thinking about it, it’s only natural.
“If Uzunami continues to maintain ‘this place,’ it will be perfect…! In this peaceful Viais, I will finally obtain my happiness…! Yes, to live anew—! This time, I will live in a world where no one expects anything of me—!!”
If I recall our first meeting, I would know. A girl who lived for a thousand years wouldn’t speak so casually. She wouldn’t laugh like an ordinary girl.
“Ah, the past doesn’t matter anymore!! What does it matter, there’s plenty of time to weave a new past! The peace of Viais will last forever! Because I, who worked too hard, and Nosfy need rewards! Yes, rewards! I remembered again! As a reward, I promised someone I would bring eternal peace to the North! I must fulfill that promise! If I can achieve both of those, my lingering desires should naturally disappear! Ah, I will disappear! I will disappear! Kufufu, kuahahahaha!!”
Broken, she laughs, believing in those absolutely mistaken lingering desires. She is so shattered that she can no longer maintain herself without believing in those false lingering desires.
I was naive. Reinand told me, didn’t he? That Rowen went mad in the first hundred years… I was asked to save her because she wouldn’t break, wasn’t I…? But I—…
As the souls of the people of Viais wore thin, Rowen was left alone. She endlessly questioned her own lingering desires, and knowing that no one would return, not even the family she sought. And so—for a thousand years. A thousand years.
Did I truly try to understand the feelings of Rowen, who spent an unforgivably long time in that state—filled with loneliness and sadness? Did I try to ease even a little the heart of the girl who, realizing her lingering desires could never be fulfilled, feared she could never disappear forever? I thought that as the legendary ‘Ruling King,’ Rowen would be fine. On the contrary, I even suspected there was something hidden.
Naive. Truly naive. Everything was too naive. As soon as I woke up, I should have headed to the surface no matter what. If necessary, I should have stolen food from Viais and pushed forward. I should have brought Aid with me immediately. Because, by the time I met her, Rowen was already beyond saving—
“No…”
Regret and despair filled my body. But I denied it. I can’t give up. I never want that kind of end again. Gathering strength at the center of me—my abdomen—I tried to guide Rowen’s path, even just a little.
“It is not.”
But the only reply was a fanatic’s immediate retort.
“It is different!!”
“It is not! I myself am saying so! What is different!?”
“Even so, I’m telling you it’s different!!”
“Uzunami! You said you’d help me, didn’t you!? This morning too! That time too! Because Uzunami said they’d help me, I, I—!!” Haa!! Haa, haa, hyii!!”
As the argument turned into an exchange of emotions, Rowen began to hyperventilate. Her breath seemed to be both inhaled and exhaled, and exhaled and inhaled. Distorted by her labored breathing, Rowen’s face contorted. Driven by her difficulty in breathing, Rowen reached for the ‘Price’ of an ‘Incantation.’
“Hyu, hyuu—, hah, hah! ‘Accelerate KASOKU KASOKU KASOKU,’ ‘Ka SOKU suru ka… so ku suru ka SO KU suru’! ‘My soul ACCELERATES’—! ‘A soul spilling green light / clinging / running on,’ ‘a soul pregnant with death / yet still / running on,’ ‘a soul that lost its dream / became the sky / yet still / running on’—!!”
It was an ‘Incantation’ that lightened the heart and brought joy. With the ‘Price,’ she shaved away her heart, again and again, to lighten her feelings. From her drug-addict-like expression, it was clear that Rowen had become dependent on ‘Incantations.’ Her chaotic state, neither cheerful nor majestic, was unbearable to witness.
“Stop that Incantation! You won’t be able to talk calmly!”
“Hah, haha, haha… What are you saying… I am calm…?”
In Rowen’s eyes, peeking from her disheveled green hair, reason still resided.
Indeed… Although she is broken in many ways, perhaps due to the influence of the ‘Incantation,’ Rowen is still calm. The conversation can still be established.
Then, think. Recall past experiences. It wasn’t battle that always defeated the Guardians, but something else entirely. If I can find that, it’s not too late yet—!
“…Understood. You are calm, Rowen. Then, please listen to a personal experience of mine. It is the path I took, and it is the path you are trying to take now.”
“My path…? What is that?”
“I also spent time once thinking another girl was my sister. I’ll tell you about that now.”
“—!”
It seemed to be a surprising story for Lord as well.
Her eyes widened with interest, and she listened without a word.
“Defeated by ‘The one who steals the logic of darkness,’ my memories and identity were blurred, and I was trapped in a fabricated happiness with a sister who wasn’t Hidaki… But that false world, it broke quickly! Even if I found happiness in a fake world, I could never be satisfied with it! I know that better than anyone! Even if you escape to a world where no one expects anything from you, your past where you were expected cannot be erased! A voiceless scream continued from the bottom of my heart, it was agonizing, and I couldn’t stay there anymore—!!”
Remembering her life in Laura Via, she conveyed that regret to Lord.
“So, what you should do now is not escape to a convenient fake world! It’s to confront your past and settle it!”
“I-I can’t do that! Because I can’t, I am where I am now—!!”
“Even if I prepare a ‘younger brother who doesn’t expect anything from you,’ the fact that there was a ‘younger brother who expected something from you’ doesn’t change! It sticks to the corner of your heart, and the lingering desire won’t disappear! A replacement is just a replacement!!”
“You! You only say things that sound so right—!!”
However, it didn’t get through. It was only my experience. I had internalized that experience, but to Lord, it was someone else’s story. It couldn’t be accepted so easily, especially because of the long time she had suffered.
“What Uzunami is saying is all adult logic! If I could act according to that logic, I wouldn’t be suffering in the first place! I am not an adult now, but a child, so even if I understand, I can’t help but do it! Even if I know it’s wrong, I commit the mistake!”
Finally, Lord gave up on the discussion and started to whine. It was the same as Lord and Nosfy’s conversation yesterday. Telling Lord the right thing now would be bad—and even though I knew that, I seemed to have done it anyway.
“I’ve decided to become a child! I’ll restart my childhood with Nosfy! Nosfy also said she’d go back to childhood with me! Ahh, if Uzunami were here, I could recreate it here! There’s no way I can miss that chance!”
Irritated by Lord’s overly free assertion, I raised my voice and reiterated the right thing.
“Even if you could do it over, it wouldn’t be the same as the ‘childhood’ you lived!”
Hearing that, Lord shivered and then began to groan with teary eyes.
“U-uuu…! U-uuuuhhh…!”
She had been so aggressive just moments ago, but now she was on the verge of tears just from a little bit of logical reasoning. Although her appearance and tone were dignified, I had misunderstood. As she herself said, Lord now was more of a child than anyone else.
“Why! Why am I not allowed!? I granted Rowen’s wish, didn’t I!? I’ve also listened to Nosfy’s wish, haven’t I!? Don’t discriminate! Discrimination is bad! I cry easily, you know! I just cry alone where no one is around!?”
Tears alone carry pressure. Once you start crying, rational conversation is impossible. Moreover, if the argument continued any longer, Lord would start crying uncontrollably.
“…Hmph.”
Understanding that, I was at a loss for words. I knew it, but I had to prepare ‘something other than words’ for Lord. However, all I had prepared now were ‘mere logical words.’ I gave up trying to admonish Lord.
“So that’s the path you’ve chosen… Lord, I’m sorry. It’s my fault for not being in time…”
And then, I apologized. Hearing that, Lord regained her offensive, wiped her teary eyes, and smiled.
“H-haha, what are you saying? Not in time? Uzunami, you were in time? You fell down properly a month before ‘here’ collapsed. I’m grateful, Uzunami…!”
“But I wasn’t in time before your collapse… I can’t remember anything, so I can’t find the words to say to you… I’m sorry for forgetting the old you. I’m truly sorry…”
This was no longer a conversation. Lord continued to demand, and I continued to apologize. A perfect parallel line. Giving up on persuading her, I asked about another matter that had been on my mind.
“…Hey, Lord. Tell me one last thing. Did Nosfy suggest this to you?”
“…That’s not true, Uzunami. Rather, I invited Nosfy.”
“I see.”
For a moment, I wanted to blame Nosfy. But it wasn’t the case. Even without Nosfy, Lord would have ended up like this sooner or later.
“…It seems our talk is over. Then, give up, fight me, and lose. Besides, life ‘here’ isn’t bad, you know. I guarantee it. Childhood is a wonderful thing for everyone. Let’s all four of us live happily together.”
“I refuse. I can’t live like a child with this big body now. And I have to go… To what lies beyond…”
“Is that so… Then…—”
The conversation ended, and Lord’s magic began to surge. Since I couldn’t persuade Lord, I had no choice but to head towards the ground. I intended to leave through the door Nosfy had exited, gathering strength in my pivot foot. However, at the same time, a spell of opening battle was unleashed.
“—Zea-wind!”
A familiar intermediate wind magic name. A familiar gust of magic construction. However, the resulting effect was completely different. The Zea-wind, released by absorbing Lord’s immense magic power, was not a gust of wind—but a blast. The wind, far too vast, filled the Throne room, and the room exploded like an overinflated balloon rupturing.
The wind assaulted my entire body. Along with the explosion came fragments of the destroyed castle. While losing my balance, I read the trajectories of all those fragments with Dimension and deflected them with a single sword.
And then, where the wind magic had been, only two remained. Me, with my sword drawn, and Lord, whose back spewed out emerald particles. The Throne room, having lost its ceiling and walls to Zea-wind, was exposed to the outside air and began to be struck by falling rain. Viais, where the weather had always been constant, was now inexplicably caught in a storm. Just like on the Fiftieth Floor earlier, the outside was a swirl of strong winds and heavy rain.
Pointing the tip of my Crescent Pectoral Azure’s Straight Sword, slick with raindrops, at Lord, I retreated to escape.
“I have no intention of giving up, nor of losing. For your sake too, I will leave ‘here.’ Of course, I will take Rainer with me.”
“It’s futile. You can never escape. Look around you. Food for escape is already unobtainable.”
Rowen spread both hands and wings.
Because the Throne room was at the top of the castle, now that cover was lost, one could easily survey the castle town. I slightly diverted the Dimension outwards and glanced at the town of Viais.
“The town’s layout is… different?”
I couldn’t be sure because the magic of the Dimension was disturbed by the storm, but this wasn’t the Viais I knew.
What spread out below the castle was a town that looked similar but was different. The biggest difference was its size. The territory had expanded to an incomparable degree. The unique ends of that world were not visible. It was no longer a country, but a vastness that should be called an empire – a collection of countries. It was adorned with rich, natural trees as before, but the colors were completely different. Instead of green, a scorched brown was scattered everywhere. It looked like the aftermath of being ravaged by the flames of war—no, the embers were still smoldering.
The peaceful country of Viais was gone.
What exists “here” now is the “Northern Great Empire,” which expanded its territory through war and is still in a state of conflict.
“I haven’t returned to speaking like this for show or whim. This was necessary to move the timeline of “here.” With the cooperation of Nosfy, an expert in barriers, “here” has been recreated based on my memories.”
It might not be impossible.
Originally, “here” recreated a world that passed a thousand years ago. It was just that the time period was shifted.
In other words, this stormy Viais is also a scene from the past.
“As long as I desire, “here” will change its appearance accordingly. Utilizing that mechanism, I have precisely aligned the timeline to around the point where I and Knight Uzunami betrayed Viais. Therefore, “Viais” is now your enemy. No one will help you.”
“Ah, so that was your plan.”
If that’s the case, I might be a wanted person right now. I wouldn’t be able to go shopping casually at a store.
“—So what!”
However, I never intended to buy food; I plan to steal it. Judging that there was no problem, I ran out of the castle to escape.
“I won’t let you!”
Rowen flapped her wings of magic power, skillfully manipulating the wind. It wasn’t magic, yet it moved like a living creature, blocking my path.
“Have you forgotten the principles I stole?”
While generating a wind bayonet in my right hand, she approached with the speed of a gale.
I swung my sword as if to drive her away, but Rowen dodged it with ease and spoke.
“My attribute is wind. Evasion is my specialty. Just as “The One Who Steals Earthly Principles” stole “Unbreakable Crystal,” “One who steals the logic of the wind” stole “Free Wind.” When it comes to escaping, I’m the expert! —It’ll be over soon!”
And as she said, she completely read my movements as I tried to escape and grabbed my arm with her free left hand.
I felt like I couldn’t win in a contest of strength against Rowen, a true guardian.
Moreover, she’s not an enemy to be dealt with head-on. I immediately used one of my trump cards.
“—Magic! Distance Mute!”
Using a foul magic, I caught her off guard.
I escaped from Rowen’s arm by passing through it.
Rowen, who had been gripping me with all her might, lost her balance, and I delivered a full-power kick.
“Guh! Wh-what was that magic—!?”
It seemed to be a dimensional magic that had never been seen even a thousand years ago. Of course, I hadn’t shown her Distance Mute during my life “here” either. Sadly, the new dimensional magic worked as originally planned.
Leaving Rowen, who was frowning in surprise, I immediately used the next dimensional magic consecutively.
“—Magic! Dimension – Multiple Expansion, Default, Default, Default!!”
I deployed as many Dimensions as I could reach and set the best destination for escape. From there, I just need to compress space to get there.
With the three chants of Default, my body was pulled and pulled and pulled, as if disappearing—or rather, flying.
Simultaneously with a leap similar to teleportation, I rolled onto a wet street.
I had too much momentum and couldn’t take the impact properly. I repeatedly splashed through puddles. Just by moving, my HP on the Display had decreased.
However, the results of that reckless movement were significant.
I got up, my body covered in scrapes, and checked with the remaining Dimensions. I caught sight of Rowen, stunned, about a kilometer away, on top of the rubble-strewn castle.
Rowen muttered to my disappearing form.
“…There’s magic like that, too. …Well, that’s fine. If you want a long fight, I’ll just surround you as planned and finish you off. Don’t think that magic will work again, Uzunami.”
She must have thought she had won once she grabbed me. She puffed out her cheeks slightly in frustration.
However, she wasn’t flustered.
Even if it dragged on, I would only weaken. She must have thought that all circumstances were in her favor.
Indeed, Rowen was right.
She still had the advantage… Yet, Rowen’s face turned pale with anxiety, and her breathing became erratic.
“Hah, hah, hah… Hyuu—, hyuu…. My bullets are fast, Uzunami… After all, ‘my bullets accelerate the soul.’ Ah, ‘day after day,’ I ‘accelerated.’ ‘Flashed,’ ‘accelerated my breath,’ ‘and wore away endlessly, becoming lighter, and then—…'”
Rowen chanted as if it were a habit. She amplified her meaningless power, ‘accelerating’ everything. Due to that ‘Price,’ she forcibly normalized her shallow breaths.
Perhaps she couldn’t calm down without it anymore.
From her accustomed demeanor, it was clear that it had become a habit.
She must have cried in private and chanted without anyone knowing, somehow managing to force a smile at the last moment.
Even knowing that she would lose various things as a ‘Price,’ she must have wanted to keep smiling… To protect the castle walls of her heart called ‘Viais,’ she continued to smile like a child forever—
“Rowen…”
Without realizing it, I stared at her labored face through the Dimension.
Rowen, still muttering her chant, let her spread wings droop and began to walk around the castle swaying. Contrary to her chant, she moved very slowly.
She avoided the rubble in the heavy rain and moved to the exposed edge of the castle.
Her expression had the intensity of a hunter absolutely determined to catch their prey. The magnificent bayonet on her arm made Rowen look like a first-class hunter.
Then, she aimed the muzzle of her bayonet at me, a kilometer away.
“—!”
I instinctively hid behind cover.
What am I spacing out for?
I need to worry about myself before worrying about Rowen.
There’s no time to stop. There’s no time to think.
Immediately, I started running through the back alleys of the stormy town.
Ignoring the raindrops hitting my cheeks and the splashing puddles, I ran through the “Thousand-Year-Old North” to escape from Rowen.
