The target of the Level Up wasn’t just the praying girl, but the entire space.
The atmosphere in the central infirmary changed.
The light was colorless. The Demonic Poison converted from the air hadn’t yet been tainted by any power, so it possessed no color at all. It then sparkled and danced, seeking a vessel to become power and spreading out.
From the patients whose bodies held the most concentrated Demonic Poison, a large amount of the colorless light powder scattered. The malevolent poison that had only brought harm was now faintly glowing, transformed into the power of life.
Combined with the installed “Lord Flame God’s Light,” the room truly took on the appearance of a starlit sky.
As I was moved by this magnificent Curse Technique, the surrounding patients began to murmur and stir.
“Hii—, w-what is this…?”
“What…!? The light, it’s warm…!”
“It’s overflowing from my body… What is this?”
Everyone was surprised by the sudden brilliance of the light, yet they all intuitively understood that it was warm and gentle.
The sensation of human vitality overflowing, as their Demonic Poison sickness vanished, relaxed their bodies’ innate caution.
Amidst this drastic change, the girl who had been on the brink of death before her Master’s eyes gazed at her own body and murmured a single word.
“Huh?”
She was bewildered that her own body was moving.
She was confused by the unrealistic recovery.
Yet, because she intuitively understood, tears began to fall.
“Huh? Huh? Haaaah?”
In the light, the girl shed large tears without understanding why, and her eyes searched for the person who had caused it. She saw the man praying nearby, continuing to weave the Curse Technique beyond his limits.
There was no doubt in anyone’s eyes that the “Thief of the Principles of Dimensions,” clad in that anomalous power, was the source of the light in this room. The girl’s parents, the nearby patients, and the Doctor all turned their attention to her Master.
However, her Master’s face remained stern, and without looking at anyone, he focused solely on his own Curse Technique.
“Still…!! Not yet…!!”
He spat out, as if resentful, that it wasn’t enough. As mentioned before, her Master likely wouldn’t rest until he saved everyone within “his capabilities.” Using that Dimension in conjunction, he unleashed the light of Level Up upon everyone, without exception.
Her Master’s inner thoughts were clearly conveyed. He couldn’t stop, because he wasn’t at his limit yet. He absolutely couldn’t forgive himself for compromising just before his limit. He convinced himself that such a self shouldn’t exist—and drove himself relentlessly.
That appearance, combined with the fantastical light, was a little bit manic.
I widened my eyes, looking at my Master, and felt the need to explain to the people around. If things continued like this, her Master might be misunderstood.
“Everyone!! This is… ‘Light.’ If we, Fanian, believe in the power of fire, then we of Fuziaze revere the ‘power of light.’ It is merely purifying your Demonic Poison with that light right now. Please be at ease…!”
My voice cut through the murmurs, and everyone in the room looked at me, then their eyes were drawn to the light-emitting Master, and they began to understand. A miracle worthy of my words was happening there. To me, it was merely the conversion of Demonic Poison according to the world’s transactions, but these people had no such knowledge. Judging that they had the groundwork to mistake it for the work of a god, I deliberately exaggerated and publicized the light.
“Listen. This light is the light of benevolence. Master has liberated my homeland, Fuziaze, from darkness and shown us a new path; he is our benefactor. His radiance, here in Fanian, will instead banish the Demonic Poison in place of the heavens and save you, the lost people…”
With seemingly plausible words—
It’s not dangerous—
It’s an act of goodwill—
So please, don’t be angry or flustered—
—I conveyed.
Perhaps because of that effort, people, while still bewildered, gradually began to accept the miracle. Those who had actually experienced the disappearance of their Demonic Poison’s suffering and gained vitality were especially quick to accept it.
“Th-this is light…? The ‘power of light’…?”
“The Demonic Poison is being washed away… I can feel it. Even I…!”
“Aaaah…! In the country of Fuziaze, it’s light! Light will save us…!! Thank you…! I thank you, God…!!”
Scattered words of gratitude began to fall. One of them, tears streaming down his face from the brilliance of the light dancing in the air, began to pray towards her Master. Following suit, many patients, along with their recovery, offered their prayers.
“I-I’m healed…!? Am I healed, me…!?”
“Me too…! I can stand…! I can stand now, aah, thank you…!!”
“Aah, aah, aaaah—!!”
The patients who had accepted death in their despair stood up, finding hope in life and rejoicing. Recognizing their own inner desire to live, they began to worship the Master who had granted them that life.
Seeing that, I smiled. The religion called the Art Felism was slowly crumbling. The one who had stolen that faith was the Master, who still didn’t look happy.
“Go-good… One room down. Haa, haa, haa, next is the one next door—!”
After confirming that the Level Up had filled the entire room, he immediately glared at the area beyond the wall and began constructing further Curse Techniques. The colorless light increased in volume. The boy guiding the light, seeing it up close, hastily opened the scripture he held, muttering as he read a specific page.
“Could it be… is this you, the ‘Great Savior’…?! Right here, in front of me!?”
For some reason, I had been given an absurdly grand title.
This Master, who steals faith and tries to usurp its very origins.
However, it seemed the limits of his power had finally been reached, and his body began to falter.
He had a pale face, his breathing was ragged, and he was sweating profusely. His body was sending out numerous danger signals. Finally, Master planted both hands on the ground and dispelled the Curse Technique.
“Guh, aah—!!”
With a groan, the light in the room scattered as if bursting, with a ‘pang.’ A scene like countless small meteors falling unfolded for a few seconds. Afterwards, the central recovery room returned to normal. It was a room warmed by the high ceiling and the ‘Heart.’
However, even if the room returned to normal, the people did not. Their conditions and minds had been completely transformed by a single Curse Technique.
Immediately, I calmly began to confirm the results of Master’s Curse Technique. Quite a number of patients had recovered, but not all of them. The wide-area deployment of Level Up was likely still rough and unstable. Nevertheless, leveling up this many people simultaneously was simply incredible. If he could grow this much in just a few days of travel, how much power would he gain in a year…?
As I expanded my expectations for the pages of the future, I approached the current Master.
“Master, are you okay?”
I had seen Master in this condition several times during our training in Fuziaze. It was the depletion of stamina and the demonic poison within his body due to the use of his Curse Technique. I watched, accustomed to the sight, but the former patients around us were not.
Seeing Master’s condition, they panicked—but, unsure of what to do, they first turned to me.
“Disciple of Fuziaze, are you alright…?! No, more importantly, what is that person’s name…?”
“Ah…! Doctor, please examine him rather than me! He saved us—”
“Please, your name…!”
Hmm.
When asked, I pondered how much information I should reveal. After skillfully calculating the pros and cons and my own preferences, I provided the former patients with the minimum necessary information.
“Master’s name is Kanami. He is the Banner of Light who descended upon the country of Fuziaze, and the savior of this dark world.”
Hearing my words, Master, though still swaying, stood up and rasped,
“Ti, Tiara—!?”
Could it be that after all this, he intended to say “no need to call me by name” and leave? With Master, it was a scary thought that he might do something like that. However, a chorus of grateful voices, proving that impossible, soon engulfed him.
“Kanami…! Kanami-sama…! It’s Kanami-sama…!”
“Ah, finally…! Finally, light in this dark world…!”
“Kanami-sama, thank you!!”
Surrounded by a throng of former patients, Master was unable to move and soon began to deflect with a smile.
“Ye-yes… But it seems not everyone was… I actually intended to convert more… Hahaha.”
“Kanami-sama! Everyone confined here was a severe case, deemed beyond hope! And you cured them! It’s undoubtedly a miracle!!”
“H-hahaha.”
Faced with such overwhelming praise, Master’s face contorted. At first glance, it looked like he was smiling more deeply and feeling shy, but I could tell it was different. Overwhelmed by the many “thank yous,” Master was once again cornered.
I read Master’s thoughts. Compared to when he was dealing with Hidaki Sister, they were many times warmer.
Right now, Master likely doesn’t see the results of Level Up as his own achievement. The reason is that the power of the Curse Technique, which he acquired so suddenly, doesn’t feel like his own yet. Furthermore, there’s a sense of guilt because he acted out of compulsion, not his own decision. In the first place, Master likely lacks the conviction that he is even himself. Therefore, even though he was the cause, he feels resistance to accepting this gratitude and praise as being for his sake.
Watching Master struggle like this, I—
“Fufu—”
Smiling because I found it endearing. Because if this kept up, no matter what Master did, he wouldn’t enjoy it. Even if he tried his best, his heart would never be satisfied. There would be no satisfaction after hardship. No reward. Naturally, he wouldn’t reach any destination.
I was looking at the distant sky and was shocked all by myself.
It seems that I was able to hear the doctor and the guards’ conversations because I hadn’t yet dispelled the 《Dimension》 I had used earlier.
“Master, teach me too.”
As their guardian, I demanded with a little more force. Sensing my seriousness from my tone, Master quickly shared the information they had obtained with me.
“They are saying they must capture me, no matter what. And if they can’t capture me, they say it’s okay to kill me…”
“…I see. Hmm, well, it wouldn’t be strange for that to happen, would it?”
It was one of the reactions I had anticipated.
While picturing escape routes in my head, I pushed aside the surrounding former patients.
During that time, Master’s smile had completely crumbled.
“I just wanted to help… And then…–”
He looked frustrated.
Master, trembling, looked as if he was about to collapse.
Before that could happen, I swept Master’s legs out from under him and embraced him forcefully. I held his back with my right arm and passed my left arm under both his knees. It would be an awkward position for Master, but I hoped he would bear with it for a little while.
“Wh-What?! Tiara, what are you–”
“We’re escaping, Master. This concludes our proper site inspection. The chase begins!”
I made the decision to forcibly withdraw as his guardian.
I ran down the path I had just cleared and headed straight for the room’s window. At that moment, the voice of the guiding boy echoed from behind.
“Ah! Pl-Please wait, ‘Great Savior’!”
The former patients also followed the boy, calling out, “Wait for us!” to stop us. Of course, the guards who were waiting around the crowd demanded we stop with voices several times louder.
“Stop!!”
“Don’t let them escape!!”
Ignoring all of it, I ran through.
My Strength and Stamina have been raised to an abnormal degree by 《Level Up》. Even while carrying Master, no one could match my speed.
I ran past the guards and leaped out of the window.
I landed on the street, which was densely paved with flagstones, and immediately headed for an alley.
I needed to get as far away as possible by slipping between buildings.
In any town other than Fanian, the escape would have been successful by this point. However, here, “Lord Flame God’s Sacred Stone” lights were installed in abundance even in the alleys, making it impossible to hide in the darkness.
I continued to run and run, careful not to leave any trace of our escape.
However, no matter where I went, soldiers who seemed to be pursuers were waiting, searching for us.
“This way!! Go around! We’re running out of Time!”
“Understood!!”
Watching them from concealment, I muttered in confusion.
“Hmm…?”
The encirclement was developing too quickly. There were several soldiers who seemed to have been waiting more promptly than we had escaped.
Were personnel mobilized to capture us from the start? Furthermore, it felt like our approximate location was constantly being revealed to them.
I pondered, trying to understand the intentions of the opposing side. However, before I could, Master in my arms spoke and put his feet on the ground.
“Tiara, it’s okay now… I can walk on my own.”
“Roger that. …Ah, is there anything to hide my face with?”
Confirming Master had started moving, I interrupted my thoughts.
Looking around, I found a suitable stall just outside our hiding spot. It was a mask shop whose owner was busily packing up due to the strangeness of the town.
I approached from the back, took two items without question, and tossed some random silver coins.
“Hey, are you packing up? I’ll be taking these. No need for change!”
The young female shopkeeper, though surprised, accepted the money.
Having confirmed that, Master and I moved away from the stall and took refuge in another back alley.
Black and white. Two simple masks were obtained.
Master took the black mask and asked me, “A mask…? Won’t it be conspicuous instead?”
“I think it’s better than being seen. Thanks to the festival, there are a few people wearing masks in town.”
“Hmm. If anything, maybe a ‘Curse Technique’… No, or rather, change the mask’s decoration–”
“Later with that! It will definitely take too long, so later!!”
Master, who was prone to detail, was attempting to apply some kind of ‘Curse Technique’ to the mask.
Although it was characteristic of the cautious Master, now was not the time for leisurely tinkering.
As I asserted that, the brightness of my vision suddenly inverted.
“–! It, it got dark…?”
All the flames of “Lord Flame God’s Sacred Stone” in the town suddenly went out, and the light that had illuminated even the back alleys disappeared.
Master spoke of its meaning.
“Is this the ‘Long Night’?”
“Ah, that. Honestly, it’s a great help for someone who’s about to go into hiding.”
I reveled in the improved situation, fiddling with the masks in my hand.
However, I also found it strange.
It was not logical to extinguish the lights when there were fugitives hiding in the town. Perhaps this night was something that could not be stopped.
“Tiara. Look, over there.”
While I was speculating, Master pointed to the street from behind cover.
Several soldiers were walking there. However, unlike before, they were completely at a loss, unable to determine our location. Then, after a short while, the guards began to move towards “The First Demon Obstruction Research Institute.”
“Hmm, they’re retreating…? Perhaps there was something planned with this?” I voiced my thoughts. My Master seemed to agree, looking relieved as he began to walk, appearing to withdraw deeper into the alley.
With the immediate threat of pursuers lessened, we had the space to converse.
“It seems so. This ‘Lord Flame God’s Sacred Stone’ doesn’t just produce fire; it appears to have various functions.”
“I see. So, next we should try fleeing in a way that avoids the flames, right?”
“No, given there are this many ‘Lord Flame God’s Sacred Stones,’ I think we should assume we’ll be found as long as we’re in town.”
“Then, should we go around and destroy the ‘Lord Flame God’s Sacred Stones’ while it’s dark?”
“That would be a clear crime. Let’s not cause trouble for the townspeople.”
“Well, I figure we’ll probably be arrested anyway with some made-up charges.”
My Master and I walked side-by-side down the alley. Our journey up to this point meant we were accustomed to moving in the dark. We had repelled over a dozen muggers, and our confidence in navigating back alleys had grown. Even so—
“Tiara, even so, crime is not allowed. I’ve realized we can act freely at night. From here, let’s stay put until daytime and gather information at night—”
“Precisely. The night, free from flames, means her eyes cannot reach us. However, there is one point of caution.”
We didn’t notice the third party’s approach until their voice cut into our conversation.
“—!?”
“Who are you!?”
My Master and I instantly turned back-to-back, preparing for an unknown assailant. Then we scanned our surroundings, moving our gaze up, down, left, and right to pinpoint their location. We peered through gaps between wooden crates and pots placed on the stone pavement. We checked the stone walls, the wooden doors, and even the rooftops, but the voice’s owner remained unseen.
“—From this night onward, it is my time.”
From the empty darkness, they emerged as if emerging from the surface of water. They wore a scorched, oversized robe, held two daggers in each hand, and had a jet-black Noh mask for a head—no, it was a Monster. Its face bore a resemblance to the mask we currently wore, but it was fundamentally different. A viscous, black fluid merely took the shape of a human face; there was no hair, eyes, ears, or nose, only a single void resembling a mouth. From this mouth-like opening, a muffled male voice echoed.
“Hey. Was that you two from earlier?”
I immediately understood what “that” referred to. It was likely Master’s wide-area ‘Level Up’ Curse Technique. The Monster before me possessed the power to sense it. After all, it was distorting the air around its body, just like Master. It wielded ‘Demonic Poison,’ converting it to gain power. If one were to name it, it would be ‘Dark Power.’
Therefore, Master spoke.
“Thief… ‘The one who steals the logic of darkness’…?”
Taking a determined step forward, as if this conversation was his role.
“Tiara, leave this to me.”
“Thief of Principles…? What does that mean?”
“Ah, ‘Thief of Principles’ refers to a ‘Vessel capable of adapting to Demonic Poison.’ Therefore, you are ‘Dark—'”
“Ah. Yes, you are correct.”
The conversation did not continue. Master’s resolve was in vain as the man, flashing his daggers, lunged. Prepared for such a surprise attack, I immediately kicked Master sideways. With my tremendous strength, Master was sent flying into a wooden crate in the alley, escaping the threat of the daggers. He was quite accustomed to surprise attacks. If I hadn’t learned ‘Martial Arts’ from Hidaki Sister, Master would have been seriously injured.
The man, regretting his failure to kill his target, turned his head and searched for any hidden allies besides me.
“Tch, you’re fast. …But, are the ‘Apostles’ really not here?”
I silently watched the enemy’s movements. From my reaction, the man became convinced there were only two of us and readied his two daggers.
“If they’re not here, fine… but I have no intention of letting anyone connected to the ‘Apostles’ escape.”
“…Hey. We just came to talk, you know? Seriously.”
“Talk? Ah, that is important. As a person, talking is a very, very important thing. But do you think I can do that with companions of the ‘Apostles’ who turned me into a monster? Because of those ‘Apostles’ who wouldn’t listen to reason at all, I am like this now. In other words, your scent is unpleasant. Do you understand? Right now, I am extremely, extremely displeased. I can’t possibly endure fighting scum like you…!!”
The more he spoke, the rougher his tone became, and his anger grew evident. From his appearance, I could vaguely imagine the scene of his first encounter with the ‘Apostles.’ He was likely forced into becoming a ‘Thief of Principles’ without any chance to talk. His resentment wouldn’t even allow us to converse.
As soon as the man finished speaking, he attacked. He showed no mercy, even towards my youthful appearance. Facing his direct charge, I gave up on conversation and focused solely on winning. The man held his short swords in reverse grips in both hands, preparing to swing them from left and right. I retreated slightly, dodging the blade tip by a hair’s breadth. He wasn’t that fast. Compared to Hidaki Sister, he was utterly ordinary. As he followed up with a kick from his right leg, which I also skillfully parried, the man’s expression changed.
The air around distorted, and the alley’s darkness became unnaturally deep. It was likely the transformation ability granted to the Apostle by the Demonic Poison. In other words, the Dark Power.
The man’s body merged with the darkness.
Then, in that state, he attacked once more.
Faced with this strange power, I remained calm.
It was an interesting ability, but the man wielding it lacked the skill. He had made himself hard to see, yet his swings were wide, creating a whistling sound as they cut through the air. His footsteps were still audible, and his short sword held no discernible technique.
I thought it was the typical approach and movement of someone who could make their body disappear.
It wasn’t difficult to read through his crude tactics.
More than anything, his movements felt somewhat clumsy.
Just as before, I dodged, found an opening, and struck the man’s abdomen with my palm—but the sensation returning to my hand startled me.
“Guh—”
It wasn’t human flesh.
The feeling of my hand sinking into something like mud made me realize I had failed.
Normally, the opponent would have flinched considerably from my inhuman palm strike, but that didn’t happen. The man swung his short sword even as he was struck in the abdomen.
I twisted my body, forced to shift my aim from his neck to his shoulder.
“—!”
The cold iron entered my flesh. The wound tore through skin and blood vessels, reaching bone, inflicting intense pain. It was a wound deep enough to make a child faint and an adult cry out in agony.
However, I resisted using a technique I acquired in my childhood.
It was excruciating pain, but a single sentence floated through my mind, which I meticulously recorded.
It was: “Tiara Fuziaze’s shoulder received the deadly blade of a shadow-clad assassin. However, accustomed to pain through a lifelong, arduous illness, she endured the agony.” The last few words were particularly important.
As a bibliophile, I believed them, ingrained them, and applied them to reality.
Enduring the intense pain, I counterattacked.
“Uraaa!!”
“Wha!?”
I kicked up my left leg, aiming for the man’s right wrist.
The man, who believed he would surely flinch from this one strike of his short sword, just like me, took it head-on.
The impact made him drop his short sword.
Though surprised, the man retreated momentarily, raising his now empty fist and throwing something at me.
I immediately leaped sideways, but something like water droplets adhered to my cheek.
—Mud?
The moment I wiped it off with my sleeve, the wound on my shoulder throbbed with heat.
It wasn’t that the pain was intensifying—I understood.
It was my mind that was changing. It was hard to put into words, but my experience or tolerance for pain was vanishing, and the pain itself felt like it was growing.
“—Wh-What!? It hurts!”
But for now, I added “Endured intense pain,” “Endured intense pain,” “Endured intense pain” to my mind and maintained my fighting stance.
Seeing this, the man clicked his tongue.
“It’s not going to end with just pain, monster…!”
“Tiaaaaraaaa—!!”
Just then, the master, who had been blown away, rejoined.
He leaped from behind, but his shout just before ruined the surprise attack.
The man easily dodged him and, as a consequence, also had some of that mud-like substance attached to him.
“Tch—”
“…!?”
Like me, the master wiped off the mud and retreated.
However, the man watching this showed the greatest consternation he had all day.
He stopped his pursuit and muttered.
“This… my darkness doesn’t affect them…?”
Apparently, unlike me, the master had neutralized the mud attack.
As I thought it was somehow unfair, the man sheathed his short sword within his coat and his fighting spirit gradually waned.
“Meaning, kindred spirits… You, little one, are protecting our kindred? What a thing…”
With a heavy sigh, the man opted to talk.
My master and I, who wanted just that, waited for his next words with caution.
“Haa… Let’s stop. There’s no point anymore. …And I apologize. I’ve been betrayed repeatedly lately, so I’ve become paranoid. I deeply apologize.”
He bowed his head, requesting a truce.
As we nodded in return, the man began to introduce himself.
“My name is Teeda. I am a ‘vessel capable of adapting to Demonic Poison,’ able to control darkness and shadows. By the way, here I am called the ‘Black Hanging Man’.”
My master hastily replied.
“Ah, um, I am Uzunami. I am also a ‘vessel capable of adapting to Demonic Poison,’ and I can convert it into ‘Dimensional Power.’ I was summoned from Another World by the Apostles and am currently involved in various things.”
“Polite language is unnecessary. I understand now. You and I are undoubtedly kindred spirits. I admit it.”
Teeda offered his hand without defense.
He was likely asking for a handshake. But knowing the power of the mud from before, I approached my master to stop the handshake—only to be stopped by my master, who told me, “It’s okay.”
The master shook Teeda’s hand back, they gazed at each other, and he laughed as if self-deprecating.
“That’s right. I understand now. What it means to know someone when you meet them.”
“To know someone when you meet them, huh… Ah, that’s right. I understand now too, in many ways…”
Teeda seemed to share a feeling with my master, wearing an identical smile.
However, I, having my battle end so anticlimactically, harbored feelings of dissatisfaction and alienation.
