Ragne stopped and reached out her hand forward.
Immediately, I looked back and confirmed what was in her line of sight. There stood the “Blood Doll” who had just saved me, as if protecting my back.
Ragne was captivated by the “Blood Doll.”
Her body trembled, her pupils flickered, and she uttered a small, name-like word as if clinging to it, “—Ri, Riel?” Then, as Ragne took a step forward, trying to approach the “Blood Doll,”
“Ah—”
The “Blood Doll” shook its head violently and its form crumbled. It turned into a large amount of blood and disappeared into the shallow pool of blood on the rooftop floor.
Ragne was stunned by the scene.
Frankly, she was defenseless. However, I did not attack her and instead spoke to her.
“Was that person someone you knew, Ragne?”
Startled, Ragne snapped back to reality, closed her mouth, and turned her serious gaze towards
me.
“Nosfy-san… By any chance, did that knight bring Nosfy-san here…?”
Ragne did not answer my question but instead asked me back.
As I intended to have “talks” with her, I answered honestly without any particular concern.
“Yes, that’s right. They saved me when I was in danger.”
“Is that so…? He saved Nosfy-san…?”
Ragne slightly frowned and then smiled. From her solemn voice, I could tell that the “Blood Doll” from before was something that touched upon a crucial point for her, and at the same time, something unplanned.
I wondered if Ragne was discouraged from the outset, or if there was another reason. Uncharacteristically, she continued the “talks” that I desired.
“So, that appearance… um, is it a Monster, the Snake type…? It’s been a while since I’ve seen one. They appear in the lower floors of the Labyrinth, right?”
Then, she threw a topic that was incredibly out of place, after carefully choosing her words.
Her appearance reminded me a little of my father.
She probably had things she wanted to ask me. However, she couldn’t smoothly bring up the main subject. It felt as if asking would break something important, so she kept taking detours. If I’m not mistaken, Ragne appears to be the same way right now.
“Yes. This is my true form. A “Demon” of a species called Serpent people from a thousand years ago.”
I acknowledged my form without shame.
Thanks to this body, I was undoubtedly able to come this far. I am grateful for it, and I will never deny it.
“…You’ve changed a lot, haven’t you? You look like a different person from this morning. Did you understand what I said? That “Immortality” should be better utilized by the stronger one, either me or Nosfy-san.”
“I’m sorry, Ragne. My answer hasn’t changed since this morning. I— no, we ‘want to save Aikawa Uzunami.’ The true “Magic” of the “Thief of the Principles of Light” is not for me or Ragne, but used on Father. —Definitely.”
It’s only natural that I look like a different person compared to this morning.
I am here now, as a “Substitute” for all my companions. In other words, my soul is not composed of just Nosfy alone.
“Definitely…? Honestly, I’ve been half-skeptical the whole time, but will that magic really bring him back?”
Ragne’s response was different from what I had expected.
I had prepared myself for an even greater outburst than this morning, but she was very calm. As I confidently asserted, she asked to confirm one premise. The one who seems like a different person compared to this morning seems to be Ragne more than me, with her quiet demeanor.
“Yes, he will absolutely come back to life. The power of the ‘stolen principles’ was all about that.”
The resurrection ritual is a single step and doesn’t consume much magic power.
It won’t take much time. I just need to perform the “Incantation” as usual, become the “Substitute,” and then he will come back to life.
Ragne must have grasped the simplicity of that magic.
She let out a dry laugh.
“People really come back to life, huh… And quite easily, too… Ha, haha. Hahahaha.”
From Ragne’s perspective, this is the resurrection of an enemy she killed at great cost. She seems shocked by this ironic reality.
Then, her eyes became even more vacant and started to wander.
She was comparing the corpse of ‘Father’ behind her with the trace of the ‘Blood Doll’ that disappeared behind me.
“Hahaha. And— even now, at this point, you’re still trying to confuse me? Not me or Nosfy-san, but Riel-sama too? And with Mama earlier, and interfering with our “Affinity,” really…! Really, just, ugh…!!”
Agitated, Ragne scratched her head.
From her demeanor, I could tell she was speaking words from the bottom of her heart. I thought that my magic was working, for better or worse— mine and hers.
I gripped the Banner of Light I held in my hand firmly and further amplified its effect.
Within the effects of this magic, “Banner of Light,” there lies a power that can be called the ultimate expression of the light attribute. It is the foundation of light magic and also the “Price” I am falling into.
—Light magic makes people “honest.”
It makes both oneself and the enemy “honest,” inducing a resolution through “talks” rather than battle. It is an attribute solely for world peace. That is light.
I, an expert in light, am sacrificing my life to scatter the highest light in history throughout the Great Holy Capital. Currently, the Great Holy Capital is a more compassionate space than ever before in history.
The soldiers, my companions, Fafnir, and I—Ragne is no exception.
Everything is within the scope of my light.
Therefore, I believe that “talks” are necessary now in many ways.
Only in the moment of the last brilliance of the “Thief of the Principles of Light” can I confront Ragune, who is likely less honest than anyone else.
After confirming sufficient chances of victory, I repeat the two names Ragune mentioned earlier.
“Ragune… Are ‘Mama’ and ‘Riel’ the important people to you…?”
I asked, predicting that these two, the never-before-heard name ‘Riel’ and ‘Mama’, whom none of us had met, formed the core of Ragune Kaikuola.
Ragune, who is usually eloquent, falls silent.
Convinced my prediction was not far off, I delve deeper.
“The two who are not in the Great Holy Capital right now… Do you want to reunite with them? If you want to reunite, return to your homeland together, and live as three people… If that’s what you think, the path you are taking is wrong. That wish is very similar to Rowen Titty, the ‘One who steals the logic of the wind.’ To clear that sense of emotional blockage, you should return to your homeland once, not to this ‘summit’—”
“That’s not it, Nosfy. …I don’t care about my homeland. The only important thing is to become the ‘best.’ To confirm if there are important people waiting there. Yes, just confirming is enough for me. That’s been my ‘dream’ since I was a child.”
Rustiara and the others, who had known Ragune for a long time, had said that Ragune’s true goal was either the ‘revival of her homeland’ or ‘reuniting with her mother.’ However, this was denied without hesitation. Helplessly, I began to look for a different approach.
“But, you are already ‘the best.’ This is the ‘summit,’ and you are above everyone else… Even in terms of simple strength, you are ‘the best.’ Now, you are stronger than anyone in this castle.”
“…Well, I guess so. Honestly, this is usually the ‘summit,’ isn’t it? Hahaha.”
Ragune is now wearing the ‘Aris Family’s Treasure Sword’ and ‘Hermina’s Heart’ at her waist, and she also possesses magic stones for the ‘Thief of the Principles’ of darkness, wood, and wind, drawing power from all of them.
I truly believe Ragune is the strongest in the current world, and she herself is proud of it.
However, even though Ragune is the ‘strongest,’ ‘at the summit,’ and ‘the best,’ she shakes her head.
“But it’s definitely not. Because my world is still dark. …It’s dark. Mama wasn’t here, and my life didn’t end. There was nothing at this ‘summit.’ No, maybe there was something, but it had no value. No worth. So, this isn’t ‘the best.’ There’s no way it is. —It’s definitely not.”
With a unique theory, stronger rejection returns.
It’s emotional, and the words are too abstract. It’s a story that’s impossible for others to understand.
But I can vaguely understand that rough emotion.
I too have experienced feeling dark in front of bright light. Days where no matter how hard I tried, the world remained dark, and I felt no sense of being alive.
After many things, I managed to escape from it. But perhaps Ragune has never experienced the light. If not, she wouldn’t be able to achieve such “affinity” with all the “Thieves of Principles.” No, far from it, this girl, if things go wrong, could even—
“It’s okay, Nosfy. I’m managing somehow, and the goal is just within reach. It’s really just a little further to be ‘the best’.”
Seeing my worried gaze, Ragune immediately put on a brave face, as if to say it’s unnecessary.
As expected, she is different. I need to make it clear the difference between her and the “Thieves of Principles” who are always seeking help from someone.
“…What exactly is that goal of yours, Ragune?”
“I told you this morning. Kill, kill, keep killing until there’s no one left in the world, and I’m alone, then I’ll be ‘the best.’ If the current me cooperates with Fafnir, it’s not that difficult.”
Ragune casually says that she can become ‘the best’ by killing.
She means killing her father, the ‘Senate,’ and the country of Fuziaze. If that’s not enough, then everything.
Despite my strong resolve to have “talks,” I am momentarily speechless.
It’s something I’ve known all along, but Ragune has a tendency to think of things only through killing. She firmly believes that killing people, taking away their value, and growing as a person is the way to live. That is precisely why her skills and power are specialized for it.
Will I be able to correct those values ingrained in her soul…?
No, even if it’s wrong, is it a value that others can casually deny? I can’t even decide that yet.
And while I remain speechless, she continues to speak of her ‘dream,’ as if pouring out everything within her.
“Kill everything in the world… drag out and kill the one pulling the strings behind the scenes of this world… Kill, kill, kill! I will be the last one! Then, I’ll be ‘the best’ with absolutely no one to complain!”
Perhaps it’s thanks to the light, but her words were not light. They had substance.
Therefore, I understand.
Ragune feels no guilt right now.
She cannot consider the feelings of the people who die in the process. Or rather, she might even consider pitying them an insult.
—She has become that way.
She has become that kind of person.
No, how was it made so impossibly strong in this distortion?
Just like Father, it’s impossible not to doubt its construction.
Without it, there are too many contradictions that cannot be explained.
“That’s why I’m saying ‘Immortality’ is important! I! More than an Apostle, a ‘Thief of Principles,’ or a ‘Foreigner’—I, who was born in this world, the representative of this world!! I’ll destroy everything in this world! I’ll deny the entire mechanism of the world! I’ll kill all those who pulled the strings from behind the scenes! Of course, I’ll apologize for Nosfy’s life at that time too! So—!”
And yet, Ragune seems to be living, understanding all of those contradictions.
It’s as if she knows she’s taken the wrong path, that ruin awaits in the end, that it’s all a meaningless battle, and yet she intends to aim for ‘First Place’—
“So, please help me! Nosfy! Not Kanami, but this Ragune! Be my strength!”
Ragune poured out everything, finally asking for cooperation.
It was a sincere request.
I felt no falsehood in any of her words up to this point.
It was a ‘Talks’ session on par with my time with Father.
However, all that was understood from the clash of hearts was that Ragune Kaikuola and Nosfy Fuziaze’s ways of life and beliefs were ‘opposite.’
“I understand what Ragune wants to say… Perhaps your argument is the most correct. From you now, I feel not only the weakness and mistakes of us ‘Thief of Principles’ but also the strength and righteousness of a ‘Person’… But I cannot do it. I cannot.”
I directed my gaze towards Father lying on the pedestal behind Ragune.
She followed my gaze and showed a warm expression similar to mine.
“Still, you’re going to… bring Kanami’s Older Brother back to life, aren’t you?”
“I am Father’s family. Finally, I have gained my own family. I cannot abandon that family.”
I stated it clearly.
Ragune accepted it with a smile.
It was similar to the expression she had when she saw the ‘Blood Doll’ earlier. It was a gentle smile, as if she had known it would be this way, and she cursed spitefully.
“…Family. Ah, family, huh? Everyone, family, family… Family, family, family, family… Ah, it’s truly ridiculous. —I already know that, you don’t need to tell me.”
However, she did not completely deny it.
Sensing hope there, I continued to speak.
“Ragune…! Surely, only family can dispel the darkness you feel…! I, and another ‘Thief of Principles,’ Titty, and Aid, everyone! We were walking through a dark world just like Ragune! But family saved us!!”
“Family… A family that saves you…?”
“Ragune, tell me about your ‘Mama.’ Perhaps there’s something I can do. Let’s have ‘Talks’ until you’re satisfied. Let’s consult until your ‘Lingering Desire’ is gone. Let’s find a solution where everyone is saved. Because there are no enemies here. I am not your enemy. Rather, it’s the opposite. I came to help you…!”
To prove those words, I thrust my weapon, a flag, into the nearby ground and extended my blood-stained hand forward.
It was the greatest expression of goodwill I could offer, but for Ragune, it seemed to be the opposite. She showed an expression as if insulted and laughed.
“Hahaha. Nosfy, you too, are saying the same thing as those scumbags? That’s what’s so fishy. Everything you’ve been saying is really fishy. Fishy, fishy, fishy, fishy—”
“I understand why you’d want to say that. Still, please believe me. Please, believe in me.”
I could have used honeyed words. You could say I’m an expert in brainwashing and manipulation. However, I didn’t use any such techniques, and continued to speak only with unadorned words.
What was necessary to save Ragune—no, to save a ‘Thief of Principles’—I had seen it up close.
Following that, I approached her defenselessly, without any magic power at all, my hand simply outstretched towards her.
“Hahaha. …Still, do you believe me?”
Ragune heard my completely exposed words and repeated them aloud.
She was willing to listen. She had the will to engage with my ‘Talks’ as much as possible.
That’s precisely why Ragune scowled, biting her lip once strongly.
And then, her gaze wandered. The sky and the ground, her footing and my footing—her eyes moved as if searching for a point of emotional stability that she could accept—
“—Family. To believe—”
And then, finally, she slightly averted her face, looked at Father behind her, and murmured softly.
At that moment, Ragune’s magic power surged, and my forelock swayed forward.
Her magic, which had been quiet until then, made a rumbling sound like the ground and changed its color.
It dyed itself black, just like this morning, and began to exert a strong gravitational pull.
As if another hole had opened on the rooftop, it began to absorb all the blood spreading on the floor.
Within that black magic, her twin pupils glowed, and a thin voice echoed.
“—Even so, to believe… it’s not possible. If I could believe, my Older Brother and I… wouldn’t be like this. …Even if I wanted to believe, I lacked the material. On the contrary, the truth was always the opposite. Everything was the opposite of what I desired… That’s why all I can do now is pretend to keep believing—”
Even now, the “Banner of Light” shines behind me.
It is bright enough to dispel the darkness of night and turn the entire rooftop into day.
However, all of that light is repelled by Ragune’s dark magic. She, who laments the darkness, rejects the light that illuminates her and covers her body. Naturally, her expression becomes completely unreadable.
As if to say it’s already futile, everything necessary for “talks” disappears. And then, cold words leak from Ragune’s mouth. Finally—
“—Nosfy, I hate you!”
Her voice, like Fafnir’s downstairs, was tinged with a touch of madness. It was filled with a profound rejection that made the person facing her realize the end.
Unlike Fafnir, the chasm of their break was deep because Ragune had made an effort to approach them until the very last moment.
There was no doubt that Ragune had tried her best. Thanks to the “Blood Doll” stepping in, the “talks” began very calmly, they were able to honestly express their feelings, and both sides began to walk the path of reconciliation. However, it was still impossible.
Ragune’s attack pierces me, proving this. Before I knew it, the tip of a blade emerged from my solar plexus.
“—!”
I see it with a groan. Seeing the transparent blade, stained with blood, I remember Ragune’s ability that Rainer had told me about. Rainer had insisted that there was no way to perceive, let alone see, that transparent sword, no matter what magic it was.
“My name is Ragune Kaikuola, the ‘Star Principle Thief.’ I will steal the light of Nosfy Fuziaze, the ‘Thief of the Principles of Light,’ and continue to challenge this world by shining eternally.”
Ragune mechanically announces her name and declares her hostility towards me as I stagger. There is not a single emotion in her voice. It is inorganic and low, as if an actor is playing the role of the ‘Star Principle Thief.’
“In the end, ‘talks’ are meaningless. Only one can win. A battle to the death, a comparison, and the weight of their lives will tip the scales, deciding one or the other. That’s how the world is made. One will lose everything, and the other will bear everything. What is borne is then carried forward. Always forward, forward, forward. That is what it means to be ‘human’—”
From her tone, I can tell that Ragune has given up on my request for cooperation and switched to obtaining the “Magic Stone” through murder. The sphere of darkness before me conveys that lukewarm means like persuasion are over.
“So, are you okay with this…? Don’t you think this isn’t good yourself?”
“Ragune Kaikuola decided to be ‘number one.’ When I was a child, on that day, in that place, I promised Mom. I loved Mom, and Mom loved me—so I can’t break that promise. Yes, I loved Mom so much that I came this far. Simply with the reason that if I become ‘number one,’ I can meet Mom, I’ve killed many people. Whether it’s good or bad, right or wrong, it no longer matters. The meaning and reason behind it are also irrelevant. Even their value has become irrelevant now. Even if I have no ‘meaning of birth,’ no ‘reason for living,’ and no ‘value in dying,’ becoming ‘number one’—that ‘dream’ is me itself.”
It’s clear she has no intention of conversing with me. She doesn’t even intend to maintain logical coherence. I am Ragune Kaikuola. Therefore, I aim to be ‘number one.’ That’s it. That alone constitutes her reason.
“Ragune—!!”
“Therefore, die for my ‘dream.’ ‘Thief of the Principles of Light.'”
Ragune’s ‘dream.’ The “talks” are over—but now that they are over, I can finally see the true nature of Ragune Kaikuola, the ‘Star Principle Thief.’
However, that essence becomes magic and bares its fangs at me. Ragune’s dark magic spreads across the castle rooftop, meticulously enveloping my “Banner of Light” and extinguishing the last source of light on the rooftop. It even covers the sky, making it impossible to discern the shape of the flowing clouds.
Ragune creates a darkness that rejects light, and within it, she conjures the blades of magic that are her greatest weapon. There are about ten of them. In a world where nothing should be visible, the outlines of the blades float clearly. Soon, they begin to spin. The blades swim in a sea of darkness, centered around Ragune, a mass of gravity. This is the same sight I saw when Ragune killed Father this morning. In other words, she has recognized me as an enemy of equal standing to Father and has activated her trump card.
“Kuh—!!”
As I try to confirm Ragune’s expression, who is in front of me, a blade approaches from my side, taking advantage of my momentary lapse. My body reflexively moves to dodge the attack. Though the blade is difficult to see, it’s not impossible to dodge with my dynamic vision.
I twist my neck and manage to avoid it, though I’m grazed by a sliver.
“—!”
But as I avoid it, my vision shifts. A strong impact jolts my side, and my body lurches violently. Recognizing the ensuing pain and heat, I understand that I failed to dodge the blade. I see a blood-stained blade piercing my abdomen horizontally. What I thought I dodged was a feint; this was the real attack. It’s likely that there are more blades circulating on the rooftop than I can perceive. Dodging all of them would be an extremely difficult task even if I were in perfect condition. Currently, it is utterly impossible for me.
Having judged this—I choose to advance, neither evading nor defending.
“Ragune, please…—”
I call out her name and simply push forward.
Naturally, this overly defenseless advance of mine comes at a great cost.
First, my lower body, which has turned into a snake, is impaled by two blades, one I can sense and one I cannot.
“Kuu—!!”
Still, I push forward.
Then, the next blow is another sword piercing my abdomen. Ten or more.
“—!!”
I no longer cry out.
Yet, I do not stop.
Even if my spine in my neck is severed, I focus solely on maintaining my posture.
My hands are not used for defense, but solely to pull out stuck blades.
My magic power is not used for attack, but solely for my own recovery.
I never fight, I only advance.
Just, straight.
Forward and forward. Believing I will reach it someday—
“You won’t die…! No, why aren’t you fighting me…!? You came to reclaim that, didn’t you!?”
During this, Ragune’s attacks cease, and she questions my lack of resistance.
I do not want to miss this chance for “talks,” so I try to reply quickly.
“Th-that—is, — *cough*!!”
But blood spills from my mouth, and I cannot form words properly. I have no choice but to stop, prioritize repairing my lungs and throat, and tremble my newly healed vocal cords.
“…There’s no point fighting Ragune. Before we even fought, I admitted defeat. I have absolutely no chance of winning against you, who defeated Father. ‘Thief of the Principles of Light’ concedes. Without a doubt, ‘Star Principle Thief’ is stronger than anyone. You are the ‘best’ in the world.”
I acknowledge my defeat, praise my enemy, and bless Ragune’s “dream”—her very being.
“My victory…? No. I haven’t even killed you yet. I haven’t stolen anything of value…! This isn’t over yet…!!”
However, Ragune refuses.
My vision is no longer functional, but I can tell she is shaking her head fiercely in the distance.
Ragune’s world is still dark, and there is likely no brightness befitting the “best” anywhere. That’s why she claims it’s not over yet.
Faced with such stubborn conviction, I make up my mind.
“No. Ragune has killed me many times since earlier. Please look closely at this me, full of holes.”
“That’s a sophism!! I haven’t killed you yet! ‘Thief of the Principles of Light’ is not dead! Therefore, it’s still—!!”
“Ragune, the sophistry is yours. Why do you say ‘it’s not over yet’ and refuse to acknowledge that you are the ‘best’? Even though you’ve always said you want to be the ‘best,’ it is your own heart that is pushing it away.”
Now that I can see Ragune’s true nature, I clearly deny her claim.
It’s something I’ve thought for a long time, but there’s no substance to the “best” that Ragune talks about.
If you’re going to use an abstract word like “best,” you first have to decide what kind of “best” you mean. If Ragune had decided on the “best” Knight or the “best” Fuziaze, this battle would have ended long ago. Even if her goal was to be the “best” in the world, she has already reached that point.
—That is why this battle is meaningless.
Ragune can end everything anytime simply by deciding on a single standard. If Ragune acknowledges that all the “best” she aimed for were neither bright nor anything special, only then—
“Now, you referred to yourself as ‘the dream itself.’ If so, when you fulfill that dream, you—”
“—! Die!! Die, die, die, dieeeeeee!! [Star Principle]!!”
It’s an act I can already confirm but refuse to let it be confirmed.
Just as I was about to point out this contradiction, she rejected me with a scream and expanding magic power.
Even in the darkness where I can see nothing, a poisonous magic power, visible enough to be perceived, is applied to the circling blades.
Even in the darkness, I strongly feel the world distorting.
From that forbidden wave, I, who use a similar power, am convinced that this is the “stolen principle” of that “Star Principle Thief.”
I’ve heard about the effects from my companions who received that power.
Maria-san said she “had her magic power erased and her consciousness knocked out.”
Snow-san said she “had her magic power erased and her Dragonization healed.”
Rainer, who fought Ragune for a long time, suggested it might be a power that “reverses the nature of things.”
And the timing of its use.
Ragune, blessed by me, handed over victory, and was cornered by the “best,” she resorted to power.
Only another “Principle Thief” would understand.
Ragune’s [Star Principle] has the power to “reverse” what she refuses to acknowledge.
Just as my [Light Principle] fully bloomed when I genuinely wished to be a “substitute,” she must have had a moment when she wished with all her heart to turn things upside down.
I understand the mechanism of the [Star Principle]. Therefore, to protect Ragune, I try to avoid all of its blades.
But I cannot avoid them all. I receive blades coated with the [Star Principle].
As a result, everything within me is “reversed,” and—
“—Ugh, ugh! *Gueh*, aaaahhh!!”
Ragune’s groan echoes in the distance.
Then, the sound of something splashing—the sound of Ragune vomiting—is also heard.
I stop in my tracks and understand the meaning.
Now, the battle between me and Ragune has begun.
