Today, two chapters will be posted.
A thousand years ago.
The country of Fuziaze, surrounded by mountains on all sides and its sky covered by demonic poison, was on the brink of annihilation.
The dead continued to swell due to starvation and rampant disease, and walking down back alleys revealed mountains of corpses.
The hastily expanded hospital wards were always overflowing with countless sick people.
They were not splendid houses.
They were hospital wards, partitioned by planks, with only rather unsanitary cloths laid down as bedding.
In these wards were patients afflicted by demonic poison, abandoned by doctors, and awaiting death.
Among them was a child.
Beside the child was a mother, tightly holding her suffering child’s hand.
She encouraged her sick child, wishing with a soul-crushing intensity, “Live.”
Seeing that parent and child, I must have been envious.
I must have wished to be like them.
Having been born a “Magic Stone Human,” treated like a tool, and without parents, that sight was my aspiration. Undoubtedly, parents were a “dream” for me.
When I was suffering and in pain, I wanted someone to firmly hold my hands like that.
For the mere reason of my existence, I wanted unconditional love from you.
I wanted to be blessed by you and live in this world as your child.
Otherwise, the meaning of my birth would be lost.
Walking through this dim world without even the feeling of being born was too frightening.
I too desperately wanted to be told, “Live.”
With that “lingering desire” as my fuel, I completed my power as a “Thief of the Principles of Light.”
And now, a thousand years later—
I have finally achieved my “dream.”
On the 45th Floor of Fuziaze Castle, Father reached out his hand to me.
My father and I, our figures overlapped with that parent and child in the hospital ward.
“—Nosfy!!”
Father called the name he gave me, looked only at me, and wished with his life, “Live.”
It was an act sufficient to make me feel loved.
I believe I became able to feel the same as the child in the hospital ward that day.
Undoubtedly, my “lingering desire” should have vanished… but it didn’t.
I did not disappear.
It wasn’t because Father was killed afterward.
Ragune didn’t even appear, yet I had no precursor to my disappearance.
Of course, being loved as a daughter was not unrelated to my “lingering desire,” and it was undeniable that I was beginning to weaken as a “Thief of the Principles of Light.” That scene was undeniably the “meaning of being born” that I had sought for so long.
However, disappearance was not possible.
My “lingering desire” had not been completely resolved.
—Then, what remains of my “lingering desire”?
I am aware of it.
After the words “Live,” Father added, “I’m fine dying for you.”
I’m sure the mother in the hospital ward felt the same.
But, naturally, I never once thought Father should die.
Even if only I could be saved, I would never wish to survive alone.
The child in that hospital ward must have felt the same as me. It wasn’t about wanting to survive alone, but not wanting to be separated from their mother that made them whisper, “I don’t want to die.” It was because being alone was more terrifying than dying that they suffered so much.
The “most important” thing is not having one’s life saved.
It is being with the one you love.
—Yes, I have arrived at the answer.
Of course, it’s not the same as the marital relationship I entered into with Father a thousand years ago. Even if two people are together, it’s meaningless if their hearts aren’t connected. Father, in his somnambulistic state, couldn’t maintain himself and mistook me for someone else. In that state, I could never say we were together, even if my mouth were torn apart.
—Ah, I understand it so well now. I can see it clearly.
My own heart, which had been so messy and dim, is now clearly visible thanks to the “bright world of light.”
What I truly envied.
What I truly needed.
The true meaning of my “lingering desire.”
My “lingering desire” is undoubtedly [I want a reason to be born].
That is why I wished to be reached out to with the words, “Live.”
However, for this “lingering desire” to be completely fulfilled, there were slightly special conditions.
This is probably my overly luxurious selfishness.
Compared to other “Thieves of Principles,” this is by no means a trivial wish. If Titty heard about it, she’d probably poke me, saying I’m too particular.
But I am a greedy, wicked child, so I wished for it.
—Neither one alone is enough.
—Only when both are loved and their feelings are understood can they be family.
Yes.
Like the parent and child in that hospital ward.
Even if they die, are buried, and fall into eternal slumber.
The most important thing was for the two of them to be in the same place, connected.
So, if I were to survive alone, it would be meaningless.
If I were to live separately from Father, even alone, there would be no value.
To live together, very closely, with our hearts connected…! That’s what it means to be true parents…!!
—And that will become my true “magic.”
The mechanism of that “magic” is very simple.
I die in “Father’s” place, and Father is brought back to life.
Frankly speaking, it’s inevitable that a being named Nosfy will die from now on.
However, even if I lose my life, I will not lose my feelings.
I am a “Thief of the Principles of Light.” As long as I have feelings, I can continue to exist as light.
Within Father, I will continue to shine my light forever.
Forever and ever, together.
—That is the “magic,”
My light will become a “substitute” for everything that torments Father.
But before that, greedy as I am, I open my eyes.
Although the “magic” is in the process of activation, I go to convey my final selfish request.
It will be over once I hear it. Even knowing that, to fully fulfill my “lingering desire” and perfectly succeed in the “magic”—I rise now.
***
The rooftop of Fuziaze.
The “bright world of light” where all things become vivid.
Here, the principles of the world, magic, and people’s feelings are all vivid.
I felt the success of the magic construction of
My withdrawn right arm flickered.
It blurred and distorted as if reflected on the surface of rippling water.
It was a weak light that would disappear with a single gust of wind, a substitute that was barely holding on.
That weak light would soon vanish.
Once the magic succeeded, that was absolute.
However, in its place, something was born.
At the tip of my right hand. Father, whose limbs had been severed, whose lungs and heart had been pierced with holes, and whose neck was about to be torn off.
All of it was restored.
His limbs lost on the 45th Floor were reattached as if nothing had happened, including his clothes. His lungs and heart were functioning normally, albeit emitting a faint, flickering light. The large wound on his neck, the small scrapes and cuts on his cheeks—all were healed.
And now, slowly, I open those eyelids.
The black eyes behind my eyelids flutter.
My gaze wandered slightly but soon focused on me standing right beside him.
My father recognized me, his consciousness awakening, and his lips trembled.
“Nosfy…?”
More than anything, he called out my name first.
That alone made me so desperately happy that I almost cried.
I, too, trembled and answered.
“Yes, I am Nosfy… Good morning, Father…”
With the smile of my life, I greeted his awakening.
Then, with the sole desire to get closer to my father, I tried to take a step forward.
However, my feet stumbled, and I almost fell backward. I instinctively tried to brace myself with my hands on the ground, but as both my hands lacked substance, I ended up sitting on my behind with a thud.
Upon closer inspection of my body, it wasn’t just my right arm that had turned to light.
My entire limbs were glowing, shimmering like mist.
This must be proof that I bore the “substitute” for my father’s severed limbs.
Though I had finally lost my limbs completely, there was no pain I had worried about.
The hardships that had tormented and eroded me were entirely gone from my body. This is proof that I am ceasing to be a biological being and am becoming “magic” itself.
However, the transformation into “magic” seems to take time, and I am slowly thinning out, like milk poured into a lake.
The reason for this delay is simple.
Selfishly, I believe I have not fully let go of my “lingering desire” as a “Thief of the Principles of Light.” Therefore, my body is resisting remaining in this world.
“——! Nosfy!!”
My father sprang up and quickly descended from the pedestal.
With his astonishingly fast thoughts, he must have grasped the current situation.
With his now-healed hands, he lifted my torso and hugged me tightly.
With his wide-open eyes, he looked only at me.
The fruition of that vow made me so deeply happy that I almost cried again.
However, having decided to part with a smile, I suppressed the heat in the depths of my eyes.
I returned a smile to the person right before me.
He seemed to understand its meaning.
His brows contorted, his two eyes continued to waver, and he shook his head slightly left and right, questioning the reason for my actions.
“Nosfy, why…? It’s no use helping me anymore…”
Even after having died once, he remains the same, which brings me comfort.
I responded to my father, who spoke such completely misguided things with an unnecessarily self-deprecating tone.
“Father, please help me… I can’t reach Ragune’s voice…”
“Ragune…? No, if it’s Ragune, then Nosfy fighting is the best…! With your compatibility, Nosfy can definitely win…!”
“No, I can’t win… Because there’s no battle to be had between Ragune and me… I came this far with that decision… Just like Father this morning, right? It’s the same as that.”
“Th-that is…—”
When I said I was just imitating my father, he lost his words mid-sentence.
During that time, my father continued to gaze at me.
Seeing my body no longer resembling a person, or even a living being, he contorted his face further and cried out.
“—! Ah, dammit! —Dimensional Magic《Dimension: Thousand Calculations Offset》!!”
He attempted to nullify my magic《Substitute Absent Light》with dimensional magic.
However, it’s useless. If he wants to do something about this, my father must also use true “magic.”
“Father… Rather than that, can we talk one last time? Precisely because it’s the last, I want to have the “talks” that you and I are good at—the “talks” between a parent and child that we could never have—I want to have them.”
If left to his own devices, my father might fall into the dangerous trap of using true “magic.”
To prevent that, I reached out my right hand. With my blurry, wavering hand of light, I caressed my father’s cheek, diverting his attention.
“F-for the last time…? For the last time, the parent-child “talks” we could never have…? Ah, aaaahhh…—!”
Upon hearing my wish, my father unexpectedly groaned deeply.
I may have stimulated one of his many traumas.
I quickly searched for a topic for “talks.” Racking my brain, I found a topic a parent and child could discuss, something I had always wanted to do.
“Um… Father… Was I a good child? Or was I a bad child?”
Even though I knew the answer myself, I wanted to hear an evaluation from someone else’s perspective.
Especially, I yearned to hear words from my father.
“I’ve done many things… With the sole intention of getting your attention, Father, I deceived, used, and sacrificed many people. I tried hard to be a good child, but in the end, I did many bad things… Will Titty forgive me?”
Recently, Titty, the “One who steals the logic of the wind,” has been my greatest regret.
Despite Titty’s efforts to be my friend, I could never be honest with her until the end.
“—! Titty undoubtedly forgives Nosfy…! Not only that, but she was always worried about you. Even in her final moments, as she was about to disappear, she prayed for Nosfy’s happiness. She even said you were her ‘proud friend.’ Ah, Titty understood… She knew Nosfy was a good child, more than anyone else. Yet, I… I…”
“I am a ‘proud friend’…?”
Hearing Titty’s last words at this point made me want to cry again. This time, it was my turn to be lost for words.
“Nosfy is a good child. Considering what you’ve done here in Fuziaze, anyone would say so. A thousand years ago, and a thousand years from now, Nosfy still hasn’t fully utilized Fuziaze. You haven’t sacrificed them completely. Nosfy might think she’s bad, but… rather, Nosfy was the one who was used and sacrificed. And we are the ones who made sacrifices. If only I and the ‘Apostles’ hadn’t been here, Nosfy could have been much… much happier…”
My kind father continued to tell me I was a good child.
However, that seemed to imply that he himself was not.
“Unlike some idiots, Nosfy tried her best…! Until the end, with a pure, righteous, and straightforward heart, she continued to believe in people! Even though there were more reasons to doubt than in my or Ragune’s case… still, Nosfy believed! Even this foolish me…!”
“Father… However, I have many flaws too. I wanted to remain in your heart as the ‘best,’ even if it meant being your enemy. I tried to get your attention in very cowardly ways. Considering that—”
“That’s not it!”
As I tried to stop my father’s self-pity somehow, I was strongly interrupted instead.
“Something like that was a birthright… Every child had that right. It’s just that what should have been natural, we couldn’t do… Far from complaining, we couldn’t even confirm it with a single word…”
That “we” refers to Aikawa Uzunami and Ragune Kaikuola. Now that I have gained a “Connection” with my father through light, I can vaguely understand.
While I was away from the castle for a bit, they confirmed it by themselves.
That’s why both of them are so weakened.
The two who were once so strong are showing unprecedented weakness.
But I don’t think that weakness is a bad thing.
For better or worse, whether strong or weak, I believe the two are now moving forward on their path.
However, that path is too dark. That’s why I——
“Father, even so—you must never give up until the very end! If you keep moving forward, if you keep moving forward, forward, forward… your wish will surely come true someday! It’s true! Yes, it was true for me…! Wishes always come true! They do! Father!!”
I’ll assure you that it’s going to be alright.
I emphasize that if you keep moving forward, no matter how dark, scary, or painful the path may be, light awaits you in the end.
Hearing that, my father squinted his eyes as if dazzled. Then, he closed his eyes tightly once, and slowly, powerfully replied.
“Yeah, I’ll move forward too… Just like Nosfy, I’ll move forward. I’ll stop looking backward. I promise…”
From his voice and expression, my peace of mind increased.
“Hehehe, I’m glad…”
The more we talked, the more I felt my lingering desires fading away.
I can truly understand the movement of my own emotions.
It’s thanks to the complete absence of any obstacles that could hide my heart in this light.
“Ah… Father, it’s truly bright here…”
Here, there’s no need to dress my words up.
I will, “honestly,” tell my father my final purpose.
“Please… In this bright place, grant me just one last request…”
To resolve “lingering desire.”
That’s why I came.
It was painful, painful, painful.
It was difficult, difficult, difficult.
It was agonizing, agonizing, agonizing.
Even though it was scary, scary, scary.
For that one word, I came all the way to this “summit.”
“Just one word…? …—!”
My father immediately understood my wish.
That’s why his face turned pale, and he bit his lip.
“Please, Father. That is the finishing touch on my true ‘magic’.”
However, to prolong its completion, my father shook his head repeatedly.
“Bu-but…! I still have so much more I want to talk to Nosfy about…! So many, many things I need to say! Countless things…! So, just a little longer! Please wait just a little longer…!!”
Trying to distance himself from that one word, he quickly looked for another topic.
“Whether I’m a good child or a bad child, whether something is right or wrong, in the end, it doesn’t matter…! As long as Nosfy is Nosfy, that’s good enough for me…!! Whether we have a blood connection or if she was a ‘Magic Stone Human,’ that’s not important either! While ‘talks’ are certainly important! I just want Nosfy to be by my side…! Because Nosfy is Nosfy, Nosfy is my ‘daughter’, and my true family! And then, and then…—Ah, I can’t organize my thoughts! Damn it!! Nosfy, wait until I can organize my thoughts!! — Just wait a little longer!!”
“It’s alright. I understand very well, Father. Because that’s precisely my ‘lingering desire’.”
But no matter what we talked about, it always returned to my “lingering desire.”
“‘Lingering desire’…!! Nosfy, wait! I still, to Nosfy…! Still…!!”
My “lingering desire” wasn’t complete with just one side. For me, what’s important is——
“——It’s for [each of us to reach out our hands, wishing for the other to live].”
Not just one side, but both.
For the two to connect is the most important thing, the prerequisite.
One person alone cannot find meaning in their birth, nor can they grasp the reason for their existence——
“I want Father to live too. So, please. Just one word is fine. Give me just one word. It’s alright. I will continue to live on within Father from now on too——”
“Ah, ah, ah…, Nosfy…. Ahhh, ahhh…——”
With me clearly defining my “lingering desire,” my father’s mouth hung open, unable to utter the next word, completely frozen.
My father wants to resolve my “lingering desire.”
However, if [we each reach out our hands, wishing for the other to live] is fulfilled, I will disappear.
My father likely doesn’t want me to disappear.
He doesn’t want me to disappear yet. He wants me to live. Please reconsider. But if he tries to persuade me like that, [reaching out our hands, wishing for the other to live] will be accomplished.
——That’s why he can’t say anything.
However, if I remain silent, I will still disappear.
To continue being a person, I have taken on too much as a “substitute”.
Especially my father’s death, which weighs so heavily, I’m barely holding on.
Therefore, even knowing that he will disappear if he speaks, my father cannot help but speak.
At the very least, before I disappear, I want to cleanly resolve his “lingering desire,” and make my final “magic” complete—— A kind father like him will surely make the right choice.
“No, Nosfy…——”
My father called my name and his eyes wandered, searching for any other way.
But there was nothing.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t find anything more than my wish.
My father himself understands that this is my “best” happiness.
Therefore, there is no other choice.
He has to say it——
“Nosfy…! Live!!”
My father hugged me tightly.
So, in my father’s embrace, I replied with the brightest smile of my life.
“——Yes! Father!!”
With this, Nosfy Fuziaze is over.
My disappearance is confirmed.
However, my heart is filled to the brim.
There is not a single iota of nagging “lingering desire” left.
——Father, thank you.
What was empty in my heart has been filled.
Now, I can accept being born.
I have found what I always envied in my heart.
Now, I am with the parent and child who were in that hospital ward that day.
I have reached what my heart had always longed for.
I can now proudly say that I have a family.
I was always anxious, but now I can say it.
I was born into this world, and I am truly alive.
I am alive. Alive, alive, alive, no matter how many times—
I will sing these feelings one last time.
“Ah… ‘This flesh and blood was a form of a soulless person.’ ‘I dreamed of birth and cannot die’… But I have been reborn. ‘All people are born and can dispel this darkness of unbirth and immortality’… As long as ‘your beloved voice that resonates in my soul’ does not fade, I am alive…”
I hope Father remembers this poem when he ever feels lost about being alive.
I hope he will call me with my “Incantation.”
In return for being saved by Father, I will surely save him.
“Nosfy! Don’t die! Don’t disappear! Live with me!!”
Father understood that I was leaving a will, and hugged me even tighter, shouting.
However, each of his words was more than I had hoped for.
It only served to stop me—
“Yes, Father… From now on, we will always be together. Our hearts connected forever…”
It has truly been a long journey…
Since I was born a thousand years ago, without anyone’s blessing…
I continued to walk a dark path, seeking a reason to live…
But at the very end, the best ending awaited.
“Hehehe, I’m so happy! I’m this happy, Father…! Being alive is this exciting!! This is the family love Legacy was talking about! I finally grasped it in my hands! I won’t let go anymore!!”
Ah, I’m so glad…!
It was truly worth it to try so hard to be a good child…!
I don’t have hands anymore, but I definitely grasped it…!
Our outstretched hands intertwined! Firmly, like a parent and child!!
“Father, I adore you…! I have adored you with all my heart! I was always here, wishing for your love! Right here!!”
There will be no more “not being there”!
Nights filled with the fear of being alone will never come again!
Everything that used to scare me when I slept is finally over!!
“N-No, Nosfy…! From now on too! From now on!!”
Yes, just as Father says!
From now on, I will “be there” within Father!
“Yes! We will always be together from now on! I will die from now on, but I will not die! I will live on, embraced in Father’s chest! This Nosfy Fuziaze, born of love, will be your “Substitute”! Yes, I was born for this moment! For this! To fulfill this mission!!”
“…Ah.”
Father affirmed briefly and embraced me.
My torso, the part of me that was a living creature, was now dissolving into particles of light. He held me tightly, as if not to let them escape. I was unspeakably happy about that.
“Ah, I’m so glad… I’m so glad…”
The words naturally spilled from my mouth.
I repeated “I’m glad” multiple times, as if to confirm it wasn’t a lie, and finally—
“Ah, ah, is that…? Ah, no… Father, this is—”
My vision suddenly blurred.
This was the result of my “Lingering Desire” being resolved.
The release of accumulated emotions.
A reward for enduring so much pain, suffering, and sadness.
And so, in time with my sobs, the particle transformation of my body accelerated.
The light in my limbs could no longer maintain their form, and they began to scatter.
Finally, everything from my torso to my throat, and then my head, turned to light. Just before that—
“I’m so happy about this… I’m so happy I’m crying… Ugh, I’m so incredibly happy, ah, my voice… my voice… —Ugh, ugh, ughhhhh— Ahhhhh, ahhhhhh!!”
I shrieked like a newborn baby.
“Ughhhhhhhh, ahhhhhh! Ughhhhhhhhhh!!”
It was the first time.
The first time I had ever shouted with such volume, without regard for my appearance, just as my emotions dictated.
Furthermore, it was the first time my vision had blurred this much.
Not just my sight. My hearing, smell, taste, and touch, all my senses blurred—transforming from human perception into magical ones.
And now that my torso was gone, I could no longer feel Father’s embrace.
“Nosfy, we’ll always be together. As long as Nosfy wishes, always… Always, always, always…”
But I could still hear his voice.
Did I still have a head?
Did my eyes still reflect the world?
—I didn’t know.
Now that all my senses had become “Magic” light, there was one thing I knew for sure.
—Father’s embrace was warm.
It was filled with light.
And with that, I—
“Ah, I’ve finally found… my… place… to… live…”
Disappeared.
Now, from Father’s arms, the existence that was Nosfy Fuziaze had completely vanished.
One life disappeared from the rooftop, leaving Father alone.
But strictly speaking, I vanished, yet I didn’t.
I simply became light itself and entered Father.
I continue to be his “Substitute” from within.
That’s why Father—
“Ah, stay there with me always… Let’s go together, Nosfy…”
He told me we would be together.
With those words as a catalyst, I formed an “Affinity” with Father.
The soul, the source of all, overlapped with Father’s soul. In other words, Father was me, and I was Father—the “Thief of Principles of Light” still existed and lived on—no, I had been reborn.
Therefore, the light from the rooftop of Fuziaze Castle did not cease.
Even though it was still night, there was no darkness, and within the pure white light, one could count the myriad stars.
On that shining “Summit,” Father stood up.
As per my will, he looked up, ready to move forward—to the next step.
His gaze was directed towards the stairs connecting the rooftop and the “Senate.”
—From those stairs, a girl appeared.
It was perfect timing.
Ragune Kaikuola had returned to the “Summit,” aiming for “First Place.”
Emerging onto the rooftop, she was blinded by the light that dispelled even her own dark magic.
“Th-this light…! This brightness…! Nosfy…! Nosfy, Nosfy, Nosfy…! Nosfy!?”
Then, trying to grasp the situation, she called out my name, the name of the “Thief of Principles of Light” she was searching for, whom she had been fighting until just moments before.
“Ragune…”
But I am no longer here. Only Father can answer that call.
Ragune turned her head as if to spring towards the voice that called her name. But there, only Father stood alone. Pitifully alone. I was not there. Furthermore, seeing Father, who had clearly gained Light’s Magic Power, Ragune understood everything—
“—Ah, ahh, ahh!!”
Twisting her face even more than Father, she let out affirmative sounds three times as if to vomit them out.
“How could you…! How could you do this!”
And then she continued to scream, so much so that I worried she might throw up whatever was in her stomach.
“—You killed Nosfy! It’s always like this! You always, always! You steal only the people I love! You take away only the things I cherish! It’s been like this forever!! Ever since that mansion! No, ever since we were in that hut, it’s been forever!! Taking them from your own child! Doesn’t your conscience hurt!? Don’t you feel ashamed to be alive!? Youuuuuuu—!!!!”
She must think I’ve already died and am no longer here. Thanks to that, I unexpectedly learned that Ragune loved me.
It’s very happy news… but her way of speaking was a little strange.
Father seemed to clearly understand the cause of it. Nodding that Ragune had the right to say it, he accepted it calmly.
“Nosfy was the one! Nosfy was ‘The First’! Without a doubt, among the three of us— no, in the world, Nosfy was the life with the most worth! Anyone could see, Nosfy should have been the one to survive! And you, you stole Nosfy’s life! You stole it!!”
“Ah, yes… That’s right, Ragune. You’re right. You’re a righteous person. You’ve only ever said what’s right.”
The two facing each other had equally tearful expressions. And before Ragune, Father seemed to be contemplating with a very pained look on his face.
“—Ragune, let’s fight again.”
After much thought, Father chose to fight rather than save Ragune. It was the complete opposite of my choice.
Hearing that, Ragune’s expression changed. While still looking like she was about to cry and in pain, there was also a hint of joy on her face—
“If you want Nosfy too, then fight. Fight me and take her from me.”
Father walked across the rooftop to where two swords were plunged. There, the “Aris Family’s Treasure Sword Rowen” and “Hermina’s Heart,” which had pierced my arms, were stuck. Father drew only the “Aris Family’s Treasure Sword Rowen” and stepped back a few paces.
“Which one is the true ‘First Place’… Let’s decide it here and now. But there are no do-overs. We’ve fought many times before, but this is the end. Swear to Nosfy’s soul that there will be no next time.”
He deliberately left one sword for Ragune. It was precisely a demand for a knight’s duel.
“My name is Aikawa Uzunami. I challenge Knight Ragune Kaikuola to a duel for Nosfy. It is a battle to the death for the life you love. —Now, prepare yourself for a fair fight.”
Father urged Ragune with the tip of his sword to draw “Hermina’s Heart.”
It was too cheap a provocation. However, faced with that request and provocation, Ragune’s face became filled with a profoundly nostalgic expression. Recalling the past, she gritted her teeth, and after much deliberation—
With sufficient fighting spirit, she strode towards “Hermina’s Heart,” causing the ground to tremble.
“Nosfy is mine! Don’t think you can win a ‘Battle to the Death’ against me! I will not let someone as trashy as you have Nosfy’s ‘Immortality’…!! Only Nosfy’s light is my light…!!”
Watching the scene before the duel, I thought they were a couple so close they were practically jealous. However, they seemed too close to be “honest.”
Therefore, I, who now existed as “Magic,” am adding more light. Wishing that there would be no secrets between the two, I made final adjustments to the stage lighting. The already bright rooftop shone even brighter. In response to that strong light, Ragune looked around.
Though I no longer have a face or eyes, I felt as if our gazes met. Ragune pulled out “Hermina’s Heart” and, rather than to Father, swore an oath to me.
“…I swear!! This is fine! This is it, this battle is my ‘First Place’!! My ‘Dream’ will come true starting now!!”
What she couldn’t say when we parted, she now uttered from her lips. Ragune seemed to have clearly decided now—what her “Dream” was, what “First Place” she aimed for. Hearing that, I understood my fight was not in vain. At the very brink of the end, Ragune found her courage.
As I felt happy, my own limits were finally approaching. My consciousness faded… The time was coming to end my human consciousness and become completely “Magic” itself.
“Ah. Welcome, challenger Ragune. …I apologize for being a substitute, but I will begin the ‘Ordeal’.”
I can no longer watch over them. However, I have left behind as much light as possible. From here on, the light I’ve left will protect everyone. Therefore, this is Nosfy Fuziaze’s—
“—This is the ‘Summit’ of this world, the sixty-first floor. The floor of Nosfy, the ‘Thief of the Principles of Light.’ Not hastily made, but truly the highest and brightest place in the world. Ragune, under this white light, let’s confirm. Expose your everything…! This is her legacy, the ‘Sixtieth Ordeal’…!!”
My floor. The ‘Ordeal’ imposed is the ‘Light’ of the ‘Thief of the Principles of Light.’ Both of you, with “honest” hearts, expose each other’s inner selves. Of course, no pretense is allowed here. The mirror can only reflect each other. There is no one’s ‘Ideal’ reflected, only the ‘Truth.’ Make sure you both examine yourselves thoroughly. Surely contradictions will pile up, forming a great wall. The path to turn back will be blocked by the remnants of shattered dreams. It may seem like a dead end, a checkmate on the board. But it is not yet the end. You two are by no means finished… Together, please live through this world… Yes, together…— So that no one will ever die or grieve again…— Live…— Father—, Ragune…— Please…— May a bright, luminous blessing be upon your world—
Tomorrow. Returning a little to Ragune’s perspective.
