Nosfy’s appearance interrupted the duel.
Elmiraud, standing before me, grimaced as he knelt on one knee, bowing his head to Nosfy above him.
“Damn it, so fast… I never expected him to be this fast…”
Following him, Perciona, who had retrieved Noir-chan and was carrying him on her back, also fell to her knees. She bent only her front two legs out of the four that had multiplied during her Demonization, and spoke.
“Ah, Nosfy-sama! You’ve finally come…!!”
From their reactions, it was clear they were completely under Nosfy’s control.
And the wolf Nosfy was probably riding, Sera, was likely in the same state. According to the ‘Display,’ her name and ‘Purification’ status were confirmed.
I had heard Sera had headed for the Great Holy Capital before us, but it seemed she had fallen into Nosfy’s hands much earlier.
Nosfy, now the temporary master of the knights, directed an enraged voice towards Elmiraud from the rooftop.
“Elmiraud, that reaction… You’ve been aiming for this exact timing this whole time…! Just like Aleis and Helvishein! That’s why I can’t trust male knights! All pride and no use! Boasts of romance and can’t even stick to one plan!”
Nosfy, who seemed to have my acquaintances in her grasp, looked quite irritated.
In response to her scolding, Elmiraud coolly laughed and replied.
“Hahaha, Nosfy-sama. That’s a very hurtful thing to say. Elmiraud Sidd has always been sincere in his duties. This was unavoidable as it was unplanned. Please understand that I was unwillingly drawn into this duel.”
“Th-This man…! After fighting so joyfully, how can you say it was unavoidable…! You probably initiated it yourself, disregarding any plans…! If there’s a next time, let’s assemble the Royal Knights with only women! Only female knights are trustworthy! They get the job done properly…!”
They began bickering the moment they faced each other.
Watching them, the expressions of the surrounding townspeople gradually brightened.
After all, it was the appearance of the Saintess who had become the talk of the town recently. I could see the continuous murmurs turning into cheers.
And amidst the rapidly changing situation, I fixated on one thing.
It was the pendant around Nosfy’s neck. Though different from the one Elmiraud held, it was a similar type of pendant.
No need to ‘Display’ it. Those were the magic stones of Idol, the ‘Thief of the Laws of Wood,’ and Titty, the ‘One who steals the logic of the wind.’
Seeing that what I had entrusted to Snow had been stolen, I confirmed the gravity of the situation and called out to her.
“Nosfy, how did you get here…?”
Nosfy was now a more critical threat than the duel with Elmiraud.
As I glared and cautiously questioned her, she replied cheerfully and lightly.
“…Fuh, fufu. How did I get here? Kanami-sama, do you really not know?”
“If I knew, I wouldn’t have this expression… What about Rustiara and the others?”
“Fufufu. Please don’t make that face. Seeing that look makes me want to explain everything immediately. I really want to explain it all to Lord Uzun, who didn’t understand anything.”
Nosfy writhed, seemingly delighted by my anxiety.
I wanted to raise my voice immediately, but to confirm the situation of my companions even slightly, I patiently continued to listen to her story.
“It’s all thanks to you, Kanami-sama. First, for easily relieving the burning of the Underground City at the Senate’s gentle urging. Then, for revealing the whereabouts of Tida’s magic stone before me last night. And most importantly, for taking Rainer out of the mansion today. Fufu, you’re truly too kind, Lord Uzun…”
As if boasting, or perhaps mocking me, she listed the blunders I had seemingly made. These three actions, performed casually, seemed to have been unexpected fortunes for Nosfy.
“—Thanks to that, Glenn, who was on standby under the floorboards of that mansion, was able to do as he pleased. Thank you, Lord Uzun.”
Finally, the name of the person who seemed to have created the current situation was mentioned. It was the name of the person who possessed Fafnir’s ‘scripture,’ someone I intended to search for next.
“Glenn was in the mansion…?”
“Yes, he was. He’s been there all along.”
Nosfy affirmed.
It wasn’t an impossible scenario.
When I visited that mansion, everyone assumed the building was completely safe and secure. After all, Maria’s flames were raging around it, preventing even an insect from entering.
But if someone had infiltrated before Maria surrounded the mansion with flames, it would be a different story. Then, even Maria’s flames wouldn’t detect them. And I couldn’t use ‘Dimension.’ Everyone, who usually relied on Maria and me for detection and alert, had become overly lax. Seizing this psychological gap, Glenn had been hiding within the mansion…?
Then, the coincidence of my visit to Shiya-chan overlapping with Elmiraud’s today wasn’t a coincidence. Did she decide to visit at the same time after hearing about my ‘The one who steals the logic of darkness’ magic stone last night? That’s why–
“Christ! That doesn’t matter! There’s no way to know what’s true with Nosfy saying it!”
Rainer shouted in my ear, and my thoughts stopped. Unbeknownst to me, he had stopped blocking Elmiraud and the others’ escape route and had come very close.
He, like me, recognized only Nosfy as his enemy, glaring at her with a stern expression.
To Rainer, Nosfy replied with extreme irritation.
“As always, you’re not easily fooled, Rainer.”
“Of course. The enemy’s commander is right in front of me, so it’s simple. Defeat the commander, and it’s over… Nosfy, how dare you show your face before us. Have you finally broken free from your restraints and let your guard down? Unfortunately for you, I have no intention of–!”
Rainer leaped before he could finish.
He probably figured that fighting rather than talking was the best countermeasure against Nosfy. Wrapping his legs in wind, he displayed his greatest speed of the day, heading straight for the rooftop where the enemy was.
However, mid-leap, a dagger flew from the market townspeople. Two aimed precisely at Rainer’s throat.
“–!”
Rainer managed to dodge the dagger by twisting his body in mid-air. However, due to the strenuous evasion, his jump lacked the distance to reach the roof.
Clinging to the edge of the window frame of Nosfy’s house, Rainer looked in the direction the dagger had come from.
“The former ‘Strongest’ of the Walker family…! So you were here after all!”
A man, wrapped in a large coat, stood at the very back of the crowd of townspeople watching the events unfold. His eyes were hidden by his hood, making him difficult to identify, but Icould confirm him with my ‘Display’.
[Status]
Name: Glen Walker HP234/352 MP34/156 Class: Scout
Level: 29
Strength 7.74 Stamina 8.90 Dexterity 17.78 Speed 19.79 Intelligence 10.23 Magic Power 10.22 Aptitude 2.19
Innate Skills: Luck 1.03 Misfortune 3.55
Acquired Skills: Earth Magic 1.78 Weapon Combat 1.56 Exploration 2.25
Stealth 3.12 Apothecary 2.22 Thievery 2.25
Condition: Purification 4.76
As if noticing my gaze, the man who threw the dagger lowered his hood with a look of resignation.
There was the face of someone I knew, someone who appeared timid yet kind.
Glen, having revealed himself, first shouted at Nosfy above him.
“Nosfy-sama…! Just as Rainer-kun said, you’re being too careless! What are you revealing?! We still had Kanami-kun and the others unaware of my presence! This means my surprise attack won’t work! You said it yourself, didn’t you?! To attack Kanami-kun, you need to come from outside their awareness!”
For a brief moment, I still held out hope that Glen wasn’t an enemy. However, this shout confirmed that the person who had once called me his adopted brother and saved me was now an enemy.
Though I felt a slight tremor of dismay, Nosfy on the roof appeared even more shaken.
“I… I revealed it…? Huh…? Ah, yes, that’s right… Why did I answer so readily just now… Why…”
Nosfy pressed one hand to her forehead and lowered her gaze slightly.
With Glen’s words, her confident expression from moments before vanished completely. Glen, seeing this, grumbled with vexation.
“Tch…! Is this the consequence of the previous battle…?!”
Nosfy’s condition was strange.
I was confused by the rapid developments since visiting the Legacy family, but perhaps Nosfy was equally confused.
Upon closer inspection, neither Nosfy nor Glen were unscathed.
The hems of their clothes were scorched, and several scratches were visible. They must have faced a fierce counterattack while escaping the mansion.
If both sides are in disarray, the conditions are even.
I knew there was no point in fighting Elmiraud and the others who were being manipulated. As is common in games, the optimal strategy here was to take down the caster, Nosfy.
With that decision made, I took a step forward. Just then, seeing me move, Nosfy hurriedly pulled a book from her pocket and shouted.
“—N-No, I won’t let you! In the name of my lord, Nosfy Fuziaze! I command you! Knight Fafnir Helvishein! Dispel that magic!”
The name called was Fafnir, the “Thief of the Law of Blood,” who should have been at Fuziaze Castle.
From the name, it was highly probable that the book Nosfy had just taken out was the “scripture” she had mentioned. It was indeed an old book with a leather cover, just as described.
That “scripture” must have been the key to the magic.
I felt the activation of some magic and simultaneously the dissolution of some magic.
Then, from the opposite direction where Glen had been in the crowded market, a familiar voice reached me.
“Wha—Ugh—!?”
As I turned my gaze in that direction, I saw Ragune-chan holding both hands to her cheeks.
I had thought she was late in catching up to us, but it seemed she had been hiding amongst the populace, observing the situation. Perhaps she had intended to intervene if I had been on the verge of losing my duel with Elmiraud. Ragune-chan was that kind of person.
Ragune-chan, looking flustered, pushed through the crowd and ran towards me.
“Kanami’s Older Brother! It’s bad! The wound Fafnir-san was sealing…!!”
Blood was leaking from between her hands pressed to her cheeks.
The magic dispel Nosfy had mentioned seemed to refer to the hemostasis Fafnir had applied to Ragune-chan.
I stopped my approach towards Nosfy and went to Ragune-chan. I immediately retrieved a thick, clean cloth from my ‘Inventory’, wrapped it around her head, and applied pressure to stop the bleeding.
I remembered from my previous world that humans could die from blood loss if they lost about half their blood—several liters. Based on that vague knowledge, I tried to reduce the amount of blood leaving her body as much as possible.
Seeing our actions, Nosfy murmured.
“Fufufu… As I thought, Ragune was also hiding and planning a surprise attack. I never let my guard down, no matter the opponent…”
It seemed the magic dispel was also intended to draw out Ragune.
However, even after Ragune revealed herself, the blood continued to flow. Seeing Nosfy’s lack of intention to reapply the hemostasis, I glared and shouted.
“Nosfy! How could you…!!”
“Lord Uzunami. Only Fafnir or I can stop that bleeding. However, I will never let Fafnir stop it again. I will not let him. From now on, I will always possess his ‘scripture’ and punish his magic.”
Nosfy held up the “scripture” and declared her intention not to staunch Ragune-chan’s bleeding.
“Nosfy, if the one injured were me, fine! But it’s Ragune-chan! You don’t need to go that far against Ragune-chan, do you!?”
“That… is the fault of your overwhelming power, Lord Uzunami. There is no one in this world who can defeat you anymore. The power of the ‘Thief of the Principles of Dimensions’ is simply too great… Therefore, I, who am fragile, will fight you by taking your acquaintances hostage and manipulating your acquaintances around you.”
She had brazenly declared her intention to resort to cowardly tactics, and I judged it impossible to persuade her on the spot. I immediately ceased relying on Nosfy and began searching for ways to stop the bleeding while casting basic healing magic on Ragune-chan.
“―Magic [Cure Fool]. Ragune-chan, use healing magic too…!”
“Y-yes…! ―[Cure Fool]!”
However, even the universal healing magic of this world showed no sign of closing the wounds.
I grit my teeth as I watch blood drip from the heavily bandaged cloth.
“Lord Uzun, once you confirm that Ragune’s wounds are not healing, you should come to me. I am very much looking forward to seeing you bow your head and beg me to heal her.”
“I’ll lower my head as much as you want! But, as expected, you—!!”
“Yes. Of course, I won’t heal them just like that. As expected of Lord Uzun, you see through everything I think.”
Nosfy seemed genuinely happy to see my contorted face.
Her expression, as if she lived solely to see my face, offered a glimpse into the true nature of her “Lingering Desire.”
But for now, stopping Ragune-chan’s bleeding is more important than Nosfy.
I know Nosfy won’t heal them for free. She’ll surely impose some condition. And that condition will be devised to torment me further—
“—No, I’m not thinking of any conditions, you know? What I’m thinking of now is laughing before Lord Uzun, who is desperately begging for treatment, and repeatedly saying things like ‘I’ll consider it’ or ‘I’ll do my best’ insincerely. That’s all. Fufufu— Ah, just imagining it makes my heart leap. You desperately implore me, but your feelings never reach me. And then, Lord Uzun will witness his friend’s blood continuing to flow, weakening, and dying because of his own actions… Fufu, fufu. Fufufu—!”
“You—!!”
Being told she wouldn’t heal them just for spite, my anger flared uncontrollabley.
“Fufu, will you weaken me until I obey, like you did to the other Guardians!? Or will you find another way!? Choose whichever you like! Of course, I will do as I please too!”
I was nearing my limit with Nosfy shouting whatever she pleased on the rooftop. Liner, stuck to the wall of a house, seemed to be in the same boat.
“Christ! Just take the ‘Scripture’ already! That’s the priority!”
There was a visible solution.
It was the ‘Scripture’ that Nosfy was currently holding.
I intended to move up the priority and focus on reclaiming the ‘Scripture.’
“Ah, ahh…! In the end, I just need to get the ‘Scripture’ back. Nothing has changed in what I need to do—”
“Lord Uzun, is the Fafnir’s ‘Scripture’ truly what you should prioritize? Are you sure? You don’t need to see the situation over there…?”
However, Nosfy disrupted my focus.
She deliberately averted her gaze, as if to say she still had other cards to play.
Drawn by her gesture, I turned my face and saw it.
—Pillars of fire reaching up to the sky.
A giant flame, far exceeding the height of houses, in the middle of the Great Holy Capital.
It rose towards the heavens like a tower, clearly visible even from the market where we were.
“F-fire pillars…? In the middle of town…! Could it be…?”
Such flames could not be a natural phenomenon.
It was clearly magic. And that magic flame was rising from the direction we had come from.
Naturally, I arrived at one conclusion.
Magic flames were leaking from the Underground City. And there was only one person I could think of who could wield flames reaching from the underground to the heavens.
“Ehh! It’s just as Lord Uzun imagined! Right now, in that Underground City, everyone is fighting! That’s just the aftermath, the residual effects. Even the aftermath is like that. Fufu, everyone is truly strong… Oh, and speaking of which, Rustiara was close to death just from the glimpse I saw when leaving. If things continue like this, Rustiara might be getting killed by everyone soon.”
Nosfy said those flames were born from battle, and Rustiara was exposed to them.
“You…! Did you manipulate everyone with the magic you used on El and the others!?”
“No, that’s not right. [Light Mind] generally doesn’t work on opponents of similar levels. And to be honest, it didn’t work at all on them, with their strong wills, in terms of ‘charm.’ Even if magic could make them ‘obedient,’ they are too kind to escalate to a fight. Although they have intense feelings deep down, they are fundamentally good children… Yes, I can’t ‘manipulate’ them like Lord Uzun says… I can’t possibly do that.”
Nosfy admitted her own limitations and pretended to gnash her teeth with regret, but soon her lips, drawn into a thin line, relaxed, and she continued as if boasting.
“—However, luckily for me, there was someone at the scene who was an even greater expert at sowing discord than I! I borrowed magic from that expert through “Talks”! That’s all I did! Fufufu, Lord Uzun…! Don’t you know of a magic that ignites the murky, dark emotions at the bottom of one’s heart?”
I had a feeling.
It reminded me of the situation when I fought Maria. More precisely, it was the words of [The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire] Arti, embracing Maria in front of a burning house.
At that time, Arti had said she had incited Maria and made her honest. Her magic was very similar to what Nosfy was using.
“Did you borrow Arti’s magic, not Maria’s…?”
“Yes. Maria-san properly inherited her magic and had it etched into her blood.”
She casually admitted to repeating the magic that caused that tragedy.
At her careless actions, I finally shouted in anger.
“Why would you do that…! Didn’t you hear from Maria!? Maria and I nearly died from Arti’s magic!”
“Of course, I know.”
“If you know, then why?! Weren’t you getting along with Rustiara and the others so well! You were all laughing when I wasn’t around—!!”
“All together…? Me…? H-ha ha, please stop saying things like that…? I beg you… Please don’t misunderstand! I like Lord Uzun more than Rustiara and the others! I, I love Lord Uzun!!”
However, a scream returned, strong enough to drown out my fury.
Nosfy bombarded me with words, not giving me a chance to interrupt or even catch my breath.
“You were on good terms with Rustiara?! No, I hate Rustiara! Her voice reminds me of that person! ‘Everyone together’ is good?! You want to live in harmony?! Hah, hahahaha!! It’s ridi-cu-lous!! It’s ridiculous, isn’t it?! There’s no way that’s possible, right?! Isn’t that just a convenient delusion?! Right, Lord Uzunami, don’t you think so too?!”
“…!”
Swallowed by her intense momentum, I became calm instead.
Then, I calmly looked at Nosfy’s face.
It didn’t look like she was acting now. I didn’t know which words had touched her sensitive spot, but it felt like something from the depths of her being had burst forth.
“Maria-san, Dia-san, Snow-san, everyone! I hate Rustiara, who stole Lord Uzunami! I bet I want to kill her! Of course, right?! That’s how it should be! Isn’t it strange otherwise?! I simply corrected that strangeness with magic!!”
Nosfy’s face was flushed red with excitement, contorted to her limit.
She felt suffocated, like she was going to puke, like she was going to cry—but at the same time, her expression seemed serenely relieved.
Having poured out her emotions, Nosfy laughed, catching her ragged breath.
As usual, with that peculiar smile meant for me.
“Hah, hah, hah… Hahaha. Please don’t look at me like that… It makes me tear up with joy. With such joy, truly tears… Fufu, fufufu…”
Finally, Nosfy’s eyes welled up with tears. Her instability was just like Elmiraud and the others from earlier—no, like Fafnir herself whom I met yesterday.
Indeed, Nosfy was not right now. I was convinced that her plans, which she had mentioned earlier, were not going well, and she had fallen into an irregular situation.
“…Fufu. Lord Uzunami, I love you. It’s precisely because I love you that I want to be mean to you. I want to torment you somehow. Because, just for receiving your hostility and murderous intent all at once, my heart pounds uncontrollably. To have our eyes meet and to be able to talk—even if the content is bad, my body trembles with joy.”
Nosfy clutched her chest with both hands, tears and smiles plastered on her face, and confessed her love.
Compared to the confession Rustiara and I exchanged a little while ago, it was dreadfully dark. It was so genuinely painful to watch.
“Just talking to you now makes my heart race and race, I feel so fulfilled… Honestly, I’m so happy to have you all to myself… Yes, it’s so much more gratifying than being ignored…! Compared to when I was a perfectly good girl, saying “yes, yes” to everything you asked, being the convenient woman, serving you and serving you and serving you—and still not even being looked at—it’s so much more gratifying! Fufu, fu—That’s why I have no choice but to do this! Everything, such as being mean like this, it’s all your fault, Lord Uzunami!! All, all, all of it, it’s all your fault, Lord Uzunami!! Fufu, ahahaha! Ah, hahaha…”
For the first time, I truly understood how much dissatisfaction had accumulated in Nosfy’s heart.
At the same time as loving me, she strongly resented me.
I now knew the depth of that resentment.
Mid-confession, Nosfy’s laughter gradually faded. Her gaze slowly lowered, and her words shifted from addressing me to questioning herself.
“H, hahaha, hah… Why, Lord Uzunami, do you not look at me…? Why, why, why, why—am I alone in that room…? Why—”
Her eyes gradually lost focus, and she began to repeat the same words.
Facing Nosfy in this state, I hesitated on whether to act.
Honestly, I couldn’t tell if Nosfy was weakening or about to explode. Even the combative Rainer couldn’t move, seeing her now.
Glen-san, who had been among the crowd downstairs, was the first to move.
He leaped onto the roof in a single bound, shed his coat, and, just like Elmiraud and the others, revealed his demonized form. From a distance, the changes were minor. Both his eyes had become insect-like, and needle-like appendages protruded from the base of his wrists.
“Nosfy-sama! Please excuse me for a moment!!”
Glen-san approached the delirious Nosfy, knelt, and stung her arm with his needles.
Then, Nosfy’s trembling and laughter gradually subsided. It had an effect akin to administering a sedative with a syringe.
Her unfocused gaze steadied, and Nosfy turned her face to Glen and thanked him.
“—Hah, hah, hah… Thank you, Glen. You made me uselessly demonize… It seems the ‘Price’ of the ‘Incantation’ was harsher than I thought… I need to have a stronger heart, or I’ll end up like Lord…”
“Please catch your breath before thanking me. Even my poison would have had difficulty restraining you in your current state, Nosfy-sama.”
From their exchange, it became clear that Glen-san was a Monster mixed with some kind of poisonous entity. They had likely used that poison as medicine to calm Nosfy’s spirit. Glen-san was most likely an insect-type Demon capable of freely manipulating multiple types of poisons.
Having calmed his master, Glen-san stood up and directed his peculiar, yellow eyes towards me.
Then, in Nosfy’s stead, Glen-san continued to speak with us.
“Kanami-kun, what you just saw was her ‘honest’ true feelings. Nosfy-sama overused the ‘Incantation’ of light in her battle with Rustiara-chan and the others, and as a ‘Price,’ she has become more ‘honest’ than us Knights.”
…That was Nosfy’s ‘honest’ state?
As I frowned, wondering if I should believe his words, he began his explanation with a gentle expression.
“The more you chant the ‘Incantation’ of light, the more your heart is purified. To save others, even at the cost of oneself… The mechanism is that by making people ‘honest’ with magic, the user also becomes ‘honest’ at the same time. In other words, using light magic erases the walls in people’s hearts and fills the world with humans who do not doubt others.”
“Glen, wait… What are you talking about…?”
That explanation must have been unexpected for Nosfy, his master. While stumbling, Nosfy glared at the knight who was freely exposing his plans.
However, Glen didn’t stop. While maintaining a gentle expression towards me and Nosfy, he tried to resolve the situation.
“…Alright, is that good? Then, Radiant-san, let’s get out of here. Nosfy-sama’s ‘Price’ is more serious than I thought, and our side can’t hide anything anymore. The longer we wait, the more Nosfy-sama will reveal the operation details himself. …It’s a bit early, but the operation begins.”
Glen placed his hand on Sera-san’s shoulder, who was carrying the dejected Nosfy on her back, and asked them to move. Nosfy’s voice grew louder at being so completely ignored by his subordinate, who didn’t seem to consider him his master.
“I said, what are you doing without permission…!! I am your master…!!”
“Nosfy-sama, it’s alright. According to the plan, Kanami-kun or Rustiara-chan should have been bleeding, not Ragune-san… but given Uzunami-kun’s personality, it won’t be much different, will it? No, it might even be better. Don’t you think so?”
Finally, Glen replied to Nosfy.
His tone was gentle, as if embracing him. Unlike Elmiraud, I could clearly feel his intention to calm his agitated master.
Nosfy seemed to realize he was being worried about, took a slow, deep breath, and answered quietly.
“…Yes. As you say, the outcome won’t change… Uzunami-sama, who values others more than himself. A kind Uzunami-sama like that… will surely come for that girl… Surely…”
With that, Nosfy turned his gaze towards Fuziaze Castle in the center of the Great Holy Capital. He showed his defenseless back, indicating his intention to leave as is.
One could attack him from behind if they wished. However, I couldn’t ignore the pillar of fire rising in my peripheral vision.
Perhaps impatient with my indecisiveness, Ragune-chan next to me urged me on – whether to fight Nosfy now or to regroup once.
“Kanami-niisan! What are we doing after all!? I’ll do whatever you decide, niisan! I can’t win alone anyway!”
Ragune-chan probably wanted to rush to Nosfy and ask for treatment for her bleeding cheek right away. However, it was clear from Nosfy’s earlier statement that this wouldn’t be easy.
But, my opponent is a “Thief of Principles”.
It would be difficult to force them to obey through strength.
What’s more, the battlefield is too advantageous for them.
The Great Holy Capital was now under Nosfy’s control.
Even though Nosfy was spewing such vulgar remarks from above, the people gathered in the market continued to be captivated by the saintess.
It was a clear sight that everyone was ‘charmed’. The Fuziaze Castle waiting ahead would likely be in the same state.
The reason for my hesitation wasn’t just the pillar of fire.
Seeing me unable to move due to various factors, Glen seemed to have decided that he had no intention of pursuing.
He leisurely delivered a long farewell.
“Kanami-kun, one last thing I want you to hear… Right now, Nosfy-sama is mustering courage that he doesn’t even have, trying to bring everything to a conclusion. I ask that you also make a courageous choice. I heard from Fafnir-sama that you too are in a terrible state from ‘Incantations’, just like Nosfy-sama. It seems that ‘Thieves of Principles’ in their final throes can barely even recognize what they are doing themselves… Nevertheless, we believe in you.”
Glen was my enemy, but I could tell from his voice that he was cheering me on. He was also worried about me. However, the nature of his concern was completely new to me.
I’m in a terrible state from ‘Incantations’…? I can’t recognize what I’m doing myself…? Naturally, I don’t recall being troubled by such symptoms.
“I will be waiting for you all at Fuziaze Castle, Kanami-kun. Please be sure to come. My master desires to see you suffer… Well then, see you later!”
With that, Sera, carrying Glen and Nosfy, dashed across the rooftops. Nosfy looked back at me with regret until the end, but left without saying anything.
Next, the demons on the ground also began to leave the market.
Perciona-san, having retrieved Noir-chan and placed her on her back, urged Elmiraud on.
“We’re going too, Lord Siddharuku!”
“Is it too selfish to go any further…? Alright, we’ll meet again! Kanami!!”
Elmiraud and the others also separated from me and fled.
Watching the backs of the departing enemies, I looked at Ragune-chan beside me. More precisely, I checked the condition of the wound on her cheek.
As if sensing my thoughts, she answered about her wound before I could ask.
“…I think it’ll hold for a while. The wound isn’t closing, but it seems like continuously applying ‘Cure Cool’ is helping with anemia. So, you can prioritize the ladies, ussu.”
“I’m sorry, Ragune-chan… I want to go back to the mansion first. At least, I need to confirm if there’s really a battle going on or not…”
From the looks of it, Ragune-chan won’t die immediately. Even if I can’t stop the bleeding, there’s still time.
However, the mansion is different. Flames reaching the ground level would mean casualties. I don’t have the luxury of putting it off.
Rainer seemed to have come to the same judgment. He descended from the wall he had been clinging to and rejoined us.
“…I agree with Christ. It’s not realistic for just Christ and me to face five demons and two ‘Thieves of Principles’. If we go to the castle, there will undoubtedly be a trap.”
“Let’s hurry back. To the underground mansion where everyone is—”
I stopped looking at the backs of the departing enemies and turned back the way I came.
“Ussu!”
“Understood.”
In response to the two knights’ replies, I ran.
Piercing through the murmuring crowd, I ran straight towards the pillar of fire in the sky as my guide—directly to the Underground City without looking back.
