Here’s the translated text, with paragraphs fixed for better flow:
I reunited with Dia at the terrace of a restaurant in a corner of the royal capital of Viais.
However, it was obvious that something was wrong with Dia’s appearance.
“…Dia, are you alright?”
“Hm, I’m fine, aren’t I? Rather, I was the one worried. Since you wouldn’t show your face, I thought something might have happened to Kanami.”
Dia smiled as if nothing was wrong and tried to walk back to the outer seating area where he had been sitting before. His carefree attitude was unfitting for a reunion after a year, more suited to meeting an old friend after a few weeks.
“It’s just that I had companions I needed to protect, so I couldn’t come to see you. I’m sorry, Kanami.”
Then, he turned his face towards the other girl sitting at the table.
The black-haired girl in his line of sight was named ‘Aikawa Hidaki’.
She is my sister.
Hidaki was frozen like a statue at the white table. Her eyes, half-open, suggested she wasn’t asleep.
“Hidaki…”
Like with Dia, her name naturally spilled from my lips. My legs moved on their own, carrying me closer to Hidaki, who was sitting at the white table.
Right now, the most important thing in the world was before me.
I had been searching for her continuously since I woke up in the labyrinth.
My most precious sister. My only family.
The one I almost reached in the battle against Palinkron.
With Hidaki here, my battles in this Another World could be considered over.
She was my ultimate goal, my final destination. And she was right before me.
It was natural for my body to move on its own, reaching out to my sister. But—
“…Eh?”
I sensed the generation of hostile Ice Magic. Simultaneously, my body sent danger signals to my brain as it was being eroded by magic.
By the time I realized the question, the hand I had extended—its fingertips were already beginning to freeze.
Having been attacked, my combat experience kicked in, and I instinctively jumped back.
I retreated about five steps from the white table and reconfirmed the situation.
The magic had been generated just as I was about to touch Hidaki.
It was magic of the Ice attribute. Probably the basic magic ‘Freeze’.
However, it wasn’t just a simple ‘Freeze’. A ‘Freeze’ that could instantly freeze warm human flesh was impossible without the magic power of a ‘Thief of Principles’ level.
My constantly active ‘Dimension’ confirmed it.
The current ‘Freeze’ was magic constructed by Hidaki, who was sitting there.
The confirmation of the situation, which was so obvious it hardly qualified as deduction, was over, and my heart pounded. I was shaken by the fact that my sister had attacked me with magic.
Seeing my distress, Dia apologized apologetically.
“Kanami, are you alright? Sorry, I should have said something first.”
Then, Dia approached Hidaki. He got closer than the distance where I had been frozen and cradled the back of Hidaki’s head.
“…’Christ’. These people are not enemies. Please calm down.”
He petted my sister’s head as if soothing a baby, calling her by the name ‘Christ’.
“‘Christ,’…? N-no, wait. Dia, that’s my sister. My sister, Hidaki. ‘Christ’ was a pseudonym I used, it’s not Hidaki’s name…”
“Kanami, what are you talking about…? You are Kanami, right? And Christ is Christ.”
I tried to correct the mistake from a distance. However, Dia’s response was one of genuine bewilderment.
Gradually, I began to understand the true nature of this abnormal situation.
“No. The one there is my sister, Hidaki.”
“H-hidaki…?”
Dia tilted his head as if hearing an unfamiliar name. I was sure I had explained about my sister to Dia during our ship journey a year ago. Yet, his reaction indicated there was no mistake.
“…Hey, Dia. First, can you leave Hidaki and me alone for a bit? There’s something I want to talk about.”
Deciding to secure what could be secured before talking, I pointed at Hidaki, whom Dia called ‘Christ’, and moved to approach her. This time, I intended to calmly ‘cancel’ any Ice Magic that might be generated.
“—Sorry. I can’t do that, Kanami.”
However, he immediately refused before I could get closer. Dia stepped between me and Hidaki, his expression stern, and began to speak.
“Only I can stay by Christ’s side. Only I can talk to her, only I can touch her. Since there’s only me now… I won’t give Christ to anyone… I won’t let her go again…—”
I felt Dia’s sanity, which I had suspected, instantly crumble. At the same time, the form of Dia’s supple ‘right arm’ began to collapse. Like kneading clay, the shape of his hand deviated from a human’s.
As Dia’s emotions unraveled, it became apparent that his supple right arm and left leg were not real.
First, the part of his right arm from the elbow down completely lost its form, transforming into pure white light particles. Furthermore, this light expanded, increasing in volume and becoming mist. Then, this mist of light slowly enveloped Hidaki, who was sitting nearby. It was as if a giant’s hand were gently grasping her.
Dia held Hidaki entirely within his own magic, and as he kept his declaration of “won’t let her go again,” he continued to speak.
“Ah, but don’t misunderstand, Kanami… Of course, I trust you, Kanami. It’s just that I can’t afford any more chances. I don’t want to lose anything precious again… I just want to protect her. Yes, I just want to protect her. From now on, until I die, I will continue to protect Christ…! I won’t allow a single scratch, won’t let her go anywhere, won’t let her talk to anyone—that’s what ‘I’ swore…! That’s why!!”
I listened patiently, clenching my fists, and tried to probe him.
“Dia, does that mean you intend to harm the black-haired girl standing there? It’s alright. That will never happen. So, please, just for a little while, let me talk to her…?”
Mirroring Dia, I posed the question without using her name. Honestly, I didn’t have much hope. Given the circumstances and Dia’s words, this was probably the case.
My guess was not wrong. Dia suddenly looked on the verge of tears and glared at me with frantic eyes.
“K-Kanami too, are you going to take Christ away from me…? Why? Why are you all trying to take what’s precious away from me…? Why…? Hey, why? Why are you all bullying ‘me’…? It’s strange, it’s wrong, it’s wrong, it’s wrong. It’s not right, you know…!”
Gradually, his eyes began to lose their light, and he seemed to be looking at something no one else could see. At the same time, Dia’s magic surged. The brilliance of the light intensified, and his left leg also began to lose its form, just like his right arm. This was the part Maria had burned in the battle against the Apostle a year ago. The part of his leg from the knee down transformed into particles of light, just like his right arm.
Crushing and collapsing—forming into a new shape.
This time, instead of mist, it transformed into countless light feathers. Feathers of light scattered from his leg, increasing in volume like spreading wings. In an instant, the streets of Viais were filled with light and feathers. The street, composed solely of immaculate white—a scene that could only be described as divine.
Even though she was beautiful, if one understood even a little about magic power, the first emotion that would arise would be fear.
It felt similar to when I faced Titty at her full power.
The girl murmuring before me now possessed the same power as that Demon King, to force all things, whether they be existent or non-existent, to bow down without question.
“Ah, it’s absurd… Absurd, absurd, absurd! I won’t allow it! *I* will protect *us*…! I absolutely will not allow it…! Ah, aaahhh, aaaaaahhh…!!”
Dia, spewing out magic power, looked at me and said, “I won’t allow it.”
From the color of her eyes, I felt like she no longer even recognized who I was.
Right now, her mind was focused on one thing.
Not letting go of the existence called “Christ.” That was all.
That’s how it seemed.
And with those vacant eyes, Dia took a step forward.
The immense, sacred magic power filling the surroundings also began to move, following its master.
Her hostility surged, aiming to eliminate me, the obstacle.
“Hmph…!”
Further conversation was impossible.
I had to subdue Dia before I could even speak to her—or so I thought.
“A—”
Dia opened her mouth wide and let out a single word.
Then, as if the power had been cut off, all the shining magic power simultaneously dissipated like mist.
At the same time, Dia lowered her head, and the hostility she had been building up also dissipated.
I had seen this sequence of events before.
Therefore, I calmly watched the “switch.”
Soon, Dia looked up, grinned, and showed an entirely different expression than before.
From that expression, so far from innocent, I was convinced that it was someone else there. Apostle Sis casually spoke to me.
“—Well, I’m at my limit. But, this is how it is. Oh, by the way, be careful, okay? Both Diablo and Christ go berserk if they get too far apart. My ally.”
“It’s been a while, Sis…”
I had expected her arrival from the beginning.
While calmly confirming the “switch,” I calmed the excitement I felt from Diablo’s and Hidaki’s appearance.
—It was going as planned.
Thus, Sis speaking to me was still a favorable development.
“Long time no see, my ally, and Snow-chan. Oh, Rouge is here too. And… a pleasure to meet you, the real Ruling King.”
Though it felt like we were greeting old friends, she offered a polite greeting only to Titty.
After quickly finishing the introductions, she got down to business.
“Now then—shall we have peace negotiations before the duel? After all, peace is the best in any matter. …Oh, surely you aren’t terrible people who would lay hands on an envoy, are you?”
Sis, as if testing us, showed us her defenseless back and moved to the large white table where Hidaki was, then sat down.
Then, she beckoned to us, inviting everyone to gather at the white table.
Without hesitation, I took a seat at the table.
My three companions silently followed. We had previously decided that if there were any dealings with Apostle Sis, I alone would handle them.
With the four of us seated opposite Sis and Hidaki, it looked as though a discussion between two teams was about to begin.
Once everyone was seated at the same table, I was the first to ask a question.
“Sis, what was that about Dia just now? Explain.”
“Don’t be so angry. I’ll explain properly. We are allies, after all.”
Sis picked up a cup from the white table and brought it to her lips with an elegantly graceful gesture.
“As my ally feared, Dia-chan thinks my dear friend Hidaki is ‘Christ.’ Isn’t it interesting? It was easy to make her mistake. After all, her body *is* ‘Christ,’ so in a way, this is more accurate now. Thanks to the Skill ‘Over-Protection’ targeting ‘Christ,’ it was quite easy. It’s not quite on the level of the Thief of Principles of Darkness and Light, but for me, it’s a complete success.”
For me, manipulating the heart was unforgivable above all else. However, suppressing my surging emotions, I focused on gathering information.
For Dia’s safety, I had to speak with Apostle Sis as calmly as possible.
“…Why did you do such a thing?”
“Because I had no other choice. For the past year, Diablo-chan’s heart has been chipped away, chipped away, until she was on the verge of a personality breakdown. Before that breakdown, I prepared something precious to her to stabilize her mind. I deserve praise for stopping her breakdown, wouldn’t you agree…?”
Sis glanced at my face.
She genuinely seemed to want praise, as if my understanding of her statement was crucial. From her demeanor, I began to grasp Sis’s personality.
Whether it was because I was observing her through the Dimension with caution, or due to our interactions a thousand years ago—in any case, I was certain.
Surely, this woman was a hero of justice.
A slightly biased hero of her *own* justice, but… undoubtedly, more than anything, she loved justice, and she loved and sought to protect the world with unwavering sincerity and integrity.
“And, while I was at it with that treatment, I incorporated various new spell formations. I worked hard to create them in order to secure an alliance with Aid. ‘If you try to harm Hidaki, Dia-chan’s light will pierce the enemy. Conversely, if you try to harm Dia-chan, Hidaki-chan will freeze the enemy. They will absolutely protect each other’—a spell formation with that rule. That’s why Dia-chan and the others overreacted just now. With the ‘condition enhancement’ of the Skill ‘Over-Protection,’ it becomes quite something, you know!”
Sis explained in a playful tone.
During that time, she poked Hidaki’s cheek, her neighbor, to show that she was unaffected herself.
Unlike when I approached, Hidaki squirmed as if tickled.
However, Hidaki’s eyes remained half-open.
She appeared neither awake nor asleep.
“Worried about Hidaki? Hidaki is currently sleepwalking. Frankly, she’s asleep.”
As I was guessing Hidaki’s condition, Sis, sensing my thoughts, resumed her explanation. Her consideration conveyed a genuine intention to explain for my benefit.
“She’s really asleep…? But she used magic earlier while asleep.”
“Of course, she did. She’s Hidaki, after all?”
I didn’t understand the meaning of that immediate reply. I had never encountered a creature capable of using magic while asleep.
Seeing my confused expression, Sis showed a questioning look, but quickly found the reason and resumed her explanation.
“…Hm? Oh. So, the ally I’m speaking to now has never seen Hidaki fight. Listen, my ally? For Hitaki, who possesses four types of unique thought skills, merely being asleep is no handicap whatsoever. Using magic while doing something else is her specialty. I’d say she’s probably the best in terms of magic dexterity.”
I couldn’t imagine my sister’s abilities in another world.
To me, Hidaki was a symbol of my original world, the embodiment of peace. I couldn’t even imagine my sister using magic, so the idea of her being skilled at magic didn’t quite register.
Besides, was it appropriate to simply dismiss magic used while sleeping as ‘dexterity’? Yet, Sis before me seemed to believe it wholeheartedly. Far from lying, she was boasting about Hidaki’s prowess as if it were her own.
Various questions flooded my mind, causing me to naturally frown.
Seeing my expression, Sis smiled gently.
“Calm down. Shall we talk while moistening our throats with tea? The tea and cake here are delicious. It’s a luxury we couldn’t afford a thousand years ago. Ah, there’s no staff, so I’ll pour it for you.”
While I welcomed the conversation, the overtness of it made me suspect a trap.
I continued to eye Sis warily as she served tea to everyone and cut slices of the waiting cake.
Noting my suspicious gaze, Sis’s expression darkened slightly. Perhaps she had genuinely prepared this tea and cake as a token of her affection.
“…Ally. I truly desire a peaceful resolution. I’ve learned from our conversation a year ago and have prepared a much better proposal this time. If I recall correctly, you were displeased with how I neglected Dia-chan, weren’t you?”
“…Ah.”
Putting down the untouched tea and cake, Sis got to her main point.
“Listen carefully. I have a plan that can save Dia-chan and fulfill my demands as well. It will take a little longer, but is that alright?”
I nodded again, prompting her to continue. Sis cleared her throat and began to speak.
It was her—no, the Apostles’—desire.
“First, I want you to understand the fundamental premise: I am acting to save the world. That is the truth. The ‘Apostles’ are messengers of peace born from this world. The sole condition for an ‘Apostle’ to be born into this world is when the world is on the brink of destruction.”
Sis gestured emphatically, desperately trying to convey her feelings. I could tell she was trying to explain it patiently for me, who had no memories.
“Now, the world is heading towards destruction… I want to stop it.”
She spoke of her concern for the world’s fate and her desire for peace.
Her excessively noble words struck me as incredibly suspicious, yet Sis before me seemed to be speaking with genuine conviction.
“Incidentally, the world was also on the brink of destruction a thousand years ago, which is why myself, Apostle Diplakla, and Apostle Legacy were born, the three of us?”
“When you say ‘on the brink of destruction,’ are you referring to that ‘Shaka Hōkan Jin’?”
“No, the world’s destruction is not something that would be caused by something of that magnitude. What we Apostles fear are the dark clouds currently filling the sky above the ‘Second Labyrinth City Daril’ in the heart of the mainland. When those dark clouds engulf the world, all living beings will be afflicted by ‘Demonic Poison’ and turn into monsters. Eventually, the human species will disappear, and the monsters will kill each other out of instinct, leaving no one in the world. That is our ‘mission’ as Apostles.”
Now, at last, the purpose of the Apostles, which had been unclear for so long, became apparent.
They sought to save the world, disregarding individual worth and transcending countries and even continents. It was a purpose that could be described as noble.
“However, Diplakla and Legacy ignored that ‘mission’… That is why I am the only one left who can inherit the Master’s will. Yes, I am the only righteous Apostle! That is why I cannot back down. I cannot afford to lose anymore. I won’t yield to anyone…!”
“…Wait, do you have a Master? What kind of being is it?”
“My Master lived long, long before the King of this land—more than a thousand years ago… In the distant past, a ‘Winged Human tribe’ was the first to reach the ‘Deepest Part’ of the world. At that time, the Master absorbed all the world’s poisons into herself and sealed herself with her own hands in the ‘Deepest Part.’ She can be considered the guardian of this world.”
A ‘Winged Human tribe’ from a long, long time ago…?
Even a thousand years ago is treated like a myth in this other world, so it’s difficult to imagine anything earlier than that.
From my memories researching in the Allied Nations’ library, there were no records of any such culture, and it was a realm where it was questionable if humans could even live normally.
“Due to my Master’s sacrifice, the world, which was on the verge of extinction due to the ‘Demonic Poison,’ gradually began to prosper again. However, even my Master was originally an ordinary girl… After over ten thousand years passed, her spirit reached its limit. She noticed that the poison sealed within her was leaking out and beginning to spill onto the ground. Seeing her own body riddled with cracks and fissures, my Master thought she needed a ‘Substitute’.”
The story of this ‘Apostle’s Master’ is difficult to fathom.
The scale is immense, but is it akin to human sacrifice stories common in my own world? From what I’ve heard, that girl also seems like a victim.
“To find that ‘Substitute,’ my Master mustered her last strength and sent three Apostles, copies of herself, to the ground. That was a thousand years ago. —Things connect like this. The reason our conversation is getting complicated is because Ally has forgotten this fundamental point. After hearing this story, what do you think? Don’t you want to hear the rest? Don’t you want to cooperate with me?”
Sis finished her explanation with a triumphant smile.
It seemed as though she was boasting about her own magnificence. Seeing her demeanor, I calmly urged her to continue.
“Ah, I want to hear the rest. I’ll listen silently, so please continue.”
“…Good. If this didn’t work, we would have truly started a battle to the death here. As expected, Ally, you understand me!”
I was still reserving judgment.
I maintained a stern expression and had not lowered my guard. However, Sis, with her eyes narrowed happily, began to eat her cake alone, looking relieved.
That sight only filled me with unease.
Sis’s personality was far too evident in her actions. And that revealed personality was far too—
“—A thousand years ago, the ‘Demonic Poison’ spread, and the birth rate of ‘Beastmen’… Ah, they were called ‘Demons’ back then. The increase in ‘Demons’ was proof that destruction was near. In the world around ten thousand years ago, there wasn’t a single ‘Beastman’ or ‘Demon.’ Naturally, there were no monsters either.”
Sis continued speaking, seemingly convinced that I would no longer interrupt. She proceeded to recount the world’s history.
“We Apostles, born on the surface a thousand years ago, attempted to create beings that could rapidly digest the ‘Demonic Poison.’ The first experimental subject for that was you—”
Sis pointed at the green-haired girl, Titty, and confessed that the ‘Thief of Principles’ was an experimental specimen.
Beside her, Titty showed no change in expression. It was possible that she had already begun to suspect this.
“To absorb the ‘Demonic Poison’ beyond its original capacity and to have control over it—the birth of a ‘Thief of Principles.’ In Ally’s terms, we succeeded in removing the soul’s limit. With that success confirmed, we subsequently selected and raised two or three more ‘Thieves of Principles.’ However, with the third one, we began to see the problems with this method.”
Sis took a bite of cake and moistened her throat with tea as she continued.
It was as if she were engaging in casual conversation by herself.
“Lord Titty, Teeda Runs, and Arti—the hearts of these three were simply too weak… We realized that the hearts of the three ‘Thieves of Principles’ were not growing, no matter how much time passed. We wanted them to grow into beings who could become our Master’s ‘Substitute,’ but we understood that they could never reach that level as ‘Thieves of Principles’.”
My understanding of the order in which the ‘Thieves of Principles’ were created was inadvertently clarified.
As suspected, given her age, Titty was indeed the first ‘Thief of Principles.’
“Therefore, we decided to find humans with strong hearts and exceptional talent from another place from the very beginning. The condition for that summoning was ‘a child with a stronger heart than anyone else in this world.’ The one summoned at that time was this child—the ‘Foreigner,’ Aikawa Hidaki. I thought Hidaki could gather all the ‘Demonic Poison’ in the world into herself and reach the same realm as my Master, but as you know, that was not the case. I still don’t understand the reason for that failure that day…”
Shis sighs, patting her shoulder despondently. However, it only looks like a mild disappointment, as if her favorite toy had broken, and my expression, which had been trying to remain calm, distorts.
“D-Don’t glare at me like that, ally… Please understand that it was all for the peace of the world…”
Shis cuts a new cake and offers it to me, apologizing. It’s clear from her desperate demeanor that she intends it as a token of apology.
For an Apostle, cake and human lives might be equivalent; there may be no difference. I feel a slight despair at this difference in values, losing the will to get angry.
“For world peace, we truly tried many things. Apostle Diplakla summoned the ‘Foreigner’ Aikawa Uzunami and they completed the ‘Magic Conversion’ formula, which converts the ‘Demonic Poison’ into power. Apostle Legacy cooperated with the ‘Saint’ Tiara to complete the ‘Magic Stone’ formula, which extracts stones containing ‘Demonic Poison’. However, both were only temporary measures… Honestly, only my ‘Shaka’ was of any use!”
She likely wants to boast about her own superiority. Shis’s face lights up with pride again, and she snorts. I don’t feel any malice from her. Precisely because I don’t feel any… the chasm between me and Shis only deepens.
“And so, my ‘Shaka’ succeeded brilliantly! …Of course, millions died in the process, but that was a necessary sacrifice.”
“You…!”
Up until now, world peace was the premise, so I could tolerate some things. However, with such a casual disregard for human lives, I am gradually losing my composure.
“Y-You were angry a thousand years ago too… Don’t be so angry. You already killed me, so it’s even, wouldn’t you say?”
Her expression tells me she genuinely believes it’s even. I have no choice but to think that Apostle Shis is simply — that kind of person. I suppress my anger and adopt a posture of listening to gather information.
“After that, I was killed, and my ‘Shaka Plan’ was passed on to my allies, Primordial Kanami and Saint Tiara. Thanks to them, the ‘Shaka Plan’ was renamed the ‘Labyrinth Plan’ and has survived to this era. Though, its objective then seemed to be ‘Hidaki’s Revival’ rather than ‘World Peace’ or ‘Creating a Substitute’.”
Originally, the Labyrinth was a space to select humans who would serve as ‘Substitutes’. It seems to have reached its current state because I continued to meddle with it for personal preference.
“I see. I understand your objective now. So, how do you intend to prepare a ‘Substitute’ from now on? What do you want me to do?”
I ask the questions to understand her actions from the origin of the Apostles to the present, and then to learn about her next move.
“My objective then and now is to prepare a ‘Substitute’ for my Master. That’s all. And the means are already in place. The ‘Magic Conversion’ formula that turns the troublesome ‘Demonic Poison’ into power, and the ‘Magic Stone’ formula that crystallizes a person’s entire soul! The vessel, ‘Diablo-chan’, that will absorb them all, and the ‘Labyrinth’, the stage for carrying them out! Yes, everything is ready! …So, I only ask of you a very small thing. Just a simple request.”
This is where the “story that can save Dia and also fulfill Shis’s demand” she mentioned at the beginning comes in. However, just from the story so far, I already know our viewpoints are too different.
“I want you to ‘help me level up’. If I simply level up normally, it will be the same as Hidaki—so I want many ‘Thief of Principles’ magic stones that can remove the level cap. And, lots of magic stones packed with ‘Demonic Poison’. So, first, I want you to raise your ally’s level. Using the ‘The One Who Steals Earthly Principles’ magic stones there should be enough until just before Level 60. I’ve already confirmed this limit with Hidaki, so there’s no mistake. Ally, look at Hidaki’s Status.”
As instructed, I ‘gaze’ at Hidaki. I simultaneously check the Status of Shis, whom I will likely fight soon.
【Status】
Name: Hidaki Aikawa HP587/587 MP2812/2812 Class: Explorer
Level 59
Strength 16.78 Stamina 17.11 Dexterity 40.21 Speed 29.86 Intelligence 60.76 Magic Power 132.55 Aptitude 0.79
【Status】
Name: Diablo Sis HP741/741 MP3412/3412 Class: Apostle
Level 59
Strength 15.11 Stamina 13.55 Dexterity 9.45 Speed 10.67 Intelligence 39.91 Magic Power 177.22 Aptitude 5.00
“—!”
Though I expected it, both have entered absurd numerical ranges. The last time I saw them, Hidaki’s level was 1 and Dia’s was 20, but now both are more than double my own level. The one-year delay was clearly understood through the numbers, and my body tensed, but I quickly reassured myself that Status is just a number. After all, it’s a metric created by my past self. I’ve experienced many times that it’s not absolute.
“And then. Once the Aikawa siblings reach their limit, you will die and turn into magic stones next. Naturally, you too, Demon King, and Aid. Unite the world with Aid and turn into magic stones cleanly. If you do that, we’ll obtain five ‘Thief of Principles’ magic stones—’Dimension’, ‘Water’, ‘Earth’, ‘Wind’, ‘Wood’—filled with a massive amount of ‘Demonic Poison’!”
Shis casually speaks of the deaths of four ‘Thief of Principles’ and also states she will take the magic stone of Rowen on my waist.
“Diablo-chan will swallow those five and convert all the ‘Demonic Poison’ into power! Then, she will surely reach the body that can withstand the Deepest Part of the Labyrinth—Level 99 (Counter Stop). The strongest body, with the spirit of an Apostle! Truly perfect! In other words, I, myself, can offer a ‘Substitute’ vessel to the Master who created me! Then, the outflow of the world’s ‘Demonic Poison’ will stop, the number of ‘Beastmen’ who have deviated from the human framework will decrease, and ferocious monsters will vanish from the world! See? It’s a very good story, isn’t it!?”
Shis must genuinely believe her blasphemous proposal is a good story. More excited than ever, she leans over the table.
“And you think I would agree to this…?”
“Is it no good? Dia will survive, of course. As an unparalleled existence.”
“…Of course it’s no good. It’s already ruined by the fact that Hidaki and I would be dead.”
“Eh? B-But! Hidaki and ally will be remembered as Saints who saved the world. Surely they will be told of as saviors and praised for eternity. Isn’t that the ultimate life for a human? The highest honor. More than anything, they can die with pride and conviction that they did good for the world! This time, it won’t be a wasted death! Hidaki’s life will be completed through a meaningful life and death! There’s no room for complaint, just acceptance and satisfaction! See? It’s a perfect story where everyone becomes happy!?”
“You…—”
I am dumbfounded, speechless. I understand why I was so volatile a thousand years ago. Talking with Shis feels like being forced to solve an endless, incomplete puzzle, and my frustration mounts. The sensation of not being able to share the same conversation, despite speaking the same language, is unsettling.
The moment I realized this was a discussion without an end, I could no longer find any words to return.
Seeing me remain silent, Sis asked with a hint of anxiety.
“……Is it… really impossible? Because it can contribute to world peace, you know? Isn’t that the most meaningful life a person can have?”
From Sis’s expression, I could tell that everyone truly believed they should willingly sacrifice themselves for world peace.
And I knew that this way of thinking had not changed for years, and moreover, it literally would not change even if they died.
“I apologize, but I cannot cooperate with you. It is Hidaki who will take you to the Deepest Part. That is how I have decided.”
I stopped the discussion and stated only what I would not concede.
There was no other way now.
“Ally, you cannot take Hidaki to the Deepest Part. This child has too many uncertainties and mysteries. I am the most knowledgeable about the workings of the world, so it is safest for me to go, and I have already cleared the hurdle of mental strength. I am the most suitable person.”
“You might be suitable, but don’t use Dia’s body without permission. You may want to be a Substitute, but Dia is different. Dia’s dream is surely still to be a ‘great swordswoman’…!”
“Dia-chan has consented, you know? After I explained everything up to this point in great detail, she said she would give up her dream and be a ‘Substitute’.”
A year ago, Dia had indeed shown signs of agreeing.
I remembered the last time I spoke with Dia. It was when we, along with Rustiara and Dia, partially regained our memories from a thousand years ago through Aid’s recovery magic for status ailments.
At that time, Dia had said, “’We’ did terrible things to ‘Kanami and the others’. ‘We’ have to atone.”
In other words, she had felt as if it were her own sin, the things Sis had done to my siblings and me a thousand years ago.
But that was absolutely wrong.
There was no way Sis and Dia here could be the same existence.
Since it seemed like she was conveniently using the kind-hearted Dia, there was only one thing left for me to do.
“Even so, I will not let Dia be taken to the Deepest Part. If it is about the world’s destruction, it will be a side effect of Hidaki’s treatment… but I will discuss and decide the solution with your master in the Deepest Part, not with you as a substitute. So, you should give up for now.”
“Ally discussing with my master…? That is absolutely forbidden. Only those who have the vessel to become a ‘Substitute’ can touch my master now. Only those with strong hearts and bodies, capable of perfectly controlling the world’s poison. That is not you, Ally.”
The discussion ended in a stalemate, with each side merely stating their demands.
I had known this from the beginning. Having extracted enough information, from here on it would not be a discussion but a barbaric battle.
“……Is it really impossible?”
However, Sis still clung to the discussion with lingering reluctance, asking me for confirmation.
“Ah.”
I responded to that confirmation with fighting spirit and stood up from my seat.
“……It’s really impossible then, is it? But Ally, you cannot win against me. Even if you could defeat Aid, you cannot defeat us two who are here. As the ‘Law of the World,’ it is decided. Will you still fight?”
However, Sis advised me not to stand up yet, saying I couldn’t win against her, as if she were worried.
But if I were to stop with such words, I wouldn’t have come this far in the first place. Without stopping, I stood up and placed my hand on the sword at my waist.
Sis, seeing that the discussion was over, showed an expression I hadn’t seen from her all day.
“Even after explaining this much… why doesn’t Ally understand…? I am an Apostle, a chosen being to save the world… Why……”
She bowed her head, her grief coming from the bottom of her heart.
She was grieving because others wouldn’t happily die for her convenience.
The chasm between me and Sis had become irrevocably deep, impossible to bridge.
If possible, I would have preferred to settle things with Sis through discussion. However, realizing how incredibly difficult that was, it was only natural to prioritize Dia’s safety. And now, my sister Hidaki had been taken.
—I had no choice but to fight.
Thinking so, I tried to draw my sword.
But at that moment, the entire continent seemed to sink by a few centimeters with a jolt, and my vision shook.
An earthquake, as if timed perfectly, struck us with a roar.
And I had grasped its cause with Dimension.
“Aid…!”
It was moving on the hill far ahead of this road.
The world shook due to the movement of the massive entity in the center of the Royal Capital.
—Viaisia Castle was now ‘activating’ and starting to move!
The castle on the hill at the center of the Royal Capital was the same as the Viaisia Castle reproduced in the labyrinth, and it was the largest I had ever known. Numerous trees adorned it, making it seem even larger than it actually was.
Countless leaves spread thickly across the castle’s roof, and vines and creepers stretched endlessly up the building’s walls. Long roots extended from four points of the castle, entangling, twisting, and becoming thick pillars like limbs.
—Gradually, the castle was approaching a humanoid form.
The thick pillars extending from the four points made it look like an oddly shaped giant rising up from a distance.
It was easy to imagine that thick pillars were growing inside the castle as well. Those pillars would be the bones, the vines and creepers the blood vessels and nerves—and there would be a heart at its center.
The castle was evolving into a being that could truly be called a giant ‘Person’.
Innumerable tree leaves rubbed against each other, making a sound like a sandstorm. Small birds that had likely rested on the castle flew up, chirping, and spread into the sky. Even now, the vines and creepers were growing, and the sound of them rubbing together, like snakes slithering, could be heard.
Finally, the castle’s two feet stomped on the ground, echoing another roar across the Royal Capital.
—The giant took its first step.
Without hesitation, it crushed a plaza that was on the path of the road, destroying everything that was there.
The second step also destroyed parts of the town. It likely tried to choose where to step, but damage was unavoidable. Using everything as a stepping stone, the giant, which one could not even look up at fully, approached them.
With just two steps, Viaisia Castle, which should have been far in the distance, had come close to the restaurant where they were.
By this point, Titty, Snow, and Rouge-chan could no longer be sitting at their tables casually, and everyone was in a combat stance.
The sunlight was blocked by the giant castle, and the restaurant fell into shadow.
Looking up at the castle that had come so close with the naked eye, one could not see its summit. The castle, already large, had gained even more height with its thick limbs.
It was immense. This colossal monster was not only tall but also wide. It was difficult even to visually confirm its edges.
It was like a wall.
A giant monster that could truly be called reaching to the heavens.
This excessively large monster let out a voice.
Just like in the Second Labyrinth City Daril, the ‘White Cherry’ blooming on the castle served as its mouth.
“—Sis-sama, the negotiations are over.”
It was Aid’s voice.
To save Sis from being attacked during the negotiation—the Guardian, the Thief of the Laws of Wood, had arrived.
