“Follow me. This way.”
After a truce with Teeda, The one who steals the logic of darkness, we fled from the pursuers from the town under his guidance.
Teeda’s power was incredibly convenient.
Thanks to his ability to wear darkness like a cloak, once we blended into the shadows between buildings, it was impossible for our pursuers to find us.
Having merged with the darkness, we moved deeper into the town without anyone noticing.
Incidentally, while moving, I had my Master heal the wound on my shoulder. By somehow using the book that had already been paid the “Price”, I managed to stop the bleeding.
With the worry of dying from blood loss gone, we arrived at a large building.
Naturally, we went around to the back and infiltrated along with the darkness.
From the building’s structure and the pungent air, I knew it was a facility of the same kind as “The First Demon Obstruction Research Institute” we were just in. It was probably the second or third research institute.
While walking through the corridors inside the building, Teeda, who was walking at the front, spoke to Master.
“Kanami. You told me to accompany you to Fuziaze and cooperate with the ‘Apostle’, right? …There’s a condition. I want you to rescue The one who steals the logic of fire who is being held captive in this town. If you bring her along, I will agree.”
Then, he attached a counter-condition to the request Master had made during our travel.
Upon hearing this, Master responded to Teeda’s back with thanks and a question.
“Thank you for thinking about it, Teeda. …But does that mean The one who steals the logic of fire needs to be rescued right now?”
Teeda did not answer immediately.
He walked on for some distance in silence and stopped before a large door.
“Look through that gap.”
He pointed to the door and urged.
Master, seeking an answer to his question, looked inside through the gap of the large door. Incidentally, I followed behind him and looked at the same thing from beside Master’s face.
There, the same scene as the central infirmary of “The First Demon Obstruction Research Institute” unfolded.
A large number of patients lay on numerous straw mats, praying towards a giant statue in the center.
“What’s wrong with that?”
“Inside the large stone in the middle is the severed right arm of Lord Flame God—no, The one who steals the logic of fire.”
“…Huh?”
“The lord of this town severed the limbs of The one who steals the logic of fire when she was still a child and hid them within the worship statues scattered throughout the town.”
—Oh!
I almost showed my admiration, but suppressed it and pretended to be stunned with shock.
Then, I calmly looked again through the gap.
Everyone was murmuring “Lord Flame God…” and praying to the giant statue modeled after Lord Flame God. However, in reality, they were seeking salvation from the child’s arm.
“Incidentally, that ‘Lord Flame God’s Sacred Stone’ contains the blood of The one who steals the logic of fire. If I’ve explained this much, you should understand most of it, right? All the miracles in this town are solely dependent on the sacrifice of The one who steals the logic of fire. …Or rather, it was originally The one who steals the logic of fire’s accomplishment that revived this place. Despite that, the girl who performed these miracles is now being burned like firewood, her body torn apart. This has been going on continuously since the lord appeared.”
As Teeda spoke, Master’s face shifted from surprise to sorrow.
For now, I tugged at Master’s sleeve with concern.
“The one who steals the logic of fire is at the deepest part of “The First Demon Obstruction Research Institute,” kept alive with only her head, and she continues to receive life-sustaining treatment. The lord is restraining and imprisoning her to continue exploiting the power she holds—miracles and faith. As someone of the same kind, I want to save her.”
Stated gravely, Master, realizing he couldn’t just be speechless, managed to force out his voice.
“S-severed limbs and restrained…? How can she live in such a state?”
“Yes, I thought I had died once too. But we were alive. Now the severed limbs of The one who steals the logic of fire have become monsters. Since she is mixed with Element-series monsters, what’s left from her neck down is fire itself. For some reason I don’t know, it seems to be fulfilling the role of human organs. …Incidentally, my face is the same principle.”
“No… that’s worse than death… Ah…”
Teeda used his own muddy face as an example to explain the current state of The one who steals the logic of fire.
Hearing the information that she had a body of fire, I felt like saying “—Oh!” again, but I strongly suppressed it and gathered information that would be necessary in the future.
It was a sense of unease I had remembered from our previous battle.
“Hey, Mr. Teeda. Are you really able to see?”
“Rather than seeing, I ‘understand’— As if in a blurry world of only black and white, with only the outlines of things drawn. However, I can see the ‘Demonic Poison’ well, so I rely on that for individual identification.”
As I suspected, it was completely different from human vision.
That’s why his movements during the battle had been so awkward.
“Ah, I see. So that’s why your movements in the fight earlier were a little different from a normal person’s.”
“Probably, he’s approaching monstrosity, surpassing even that ‘Demon’. …In an unexpected way, I’ve finally cleared up the mystery of a monster’s vision, and I have mixed feelings about it.”
“I see. So, The one who steals the logic of fire is no longer human, and that’s why she’s being treated inhumanely.”
“What do you think? Even if she were entirely human, she would likely receive the same treatment. If you were the princess of Fuziaze, you would understand well, wouldn’t you?”
“…Hm? Haha. Humans might really do anything when they’re cornered, right?”
I trailed off.
I’d been feeling it for a while now, but this man, Teeda, knew too much about Fuziaze’s affairs. I understood that he knew me well, but I wished he would refrain from exposing things in front of my Master. Right now, I was being presented to Master as a pure, small, cute, and protectable maiden. I was definitely not a villain who would smile at hearing about a small child’s severed arm.
So, I cautiously checked Master’s face. Unlike me, his expression was devoid of any composure.
“Really…? Did you really do such a horrible thing…?”
Towards my trembling, kind-hearted Master, Teeda slowly continued his story.
“It’s not just ‘The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire’ that’s being sacrificed. This town is built upon the sacrifices of many ‘Demons.’ I don’t mean that they’re made into slaves for labor, but rather as experimental test subjects.”
“Te-test subjects…?”
“That’s right. Originally, this town was a place for researching such things. In the past, they would buy ‘Demons’ from various places and repeat experiments. Well, it seems that recently, many critically ill patients on the verge of death have been the subjects.”
Master’s face grew even paler. I had vaguely sensed something, but Master hadn’t.
Teeda unsparingly pointed his fingertips toward the ground.
“They’re still doing it underground. Want to see?”
“—Dimension.”
Without hesitation, Master activated the power of dimension, attempting to verify the truth of those words.
Then, after only a few seconds, he put his hand to his mouth and sank to his knees. Through that power, which did not suit him, he must have seen all sorts of things. Completely drained of blood, tears welling up in his eyes, his breathing erratic—and the air around him distorted.
Clearly amplifying his dimensional power, he muttered one word with unfocused eyes.
“—Save.”
It was a fitting remark for Master. It showed his good nature. However, knowing that it was based on a strange compulsion, I felt it also represented human weakness.
Master slowly stood up, speaking of his mission.
“I will definitely save them. I have to save them…”
Seeing this, Teeda nodded with satisfaction. He must have thought he had found a companion with a shared goal.
“I see. If you say so, then we are companions. I would like to give Kanami a detailed explanation of our origins and abilities, but before that—”
As he spoke up to this point, a woman emerged from the darkness at the far end of the corridor. She was wrapped entirely in black, and her footsteps were so quiet that we were late to notice her.
“She is my collaborator. She comes from an aristocratic family, holds a high position in Fanian, and possesses extensive knowledge as a researcher. She is also the highest-ranking official of this ‘The Seventh Demon Obstacle Research Institute.'”
Teeda manipulated the darkness slightly, and even though it was a place without light, the woman’s figure became clearly visible.
A young woman with dark circles as deep as darkness under her blood-red twin eyes. She was a beautiful, short woman with rare black hair cascading down, but… what drew the eye more was the bloodstains clinging thickly to her unadorned black robe. Just standing in front of her was enough to make the smell of blood overwhelm my senses.
“Lord Ranz…”
The woman opened her mouth and called out a name. It was likely Teeda’s surname.
“Ah. Kanami is one of us, and has now become a collaborator. I intend to include him in our plan, so let’s have a meeting right away—”
“I-I’m so sorry, Lord Ranz!! It’s because I betrayed you… Lord Ranz’s and the Lord Flame God’s achievements were all credited to that person…! When it was really you two who saved this town…!! Because I succumbed to fear, I did something truly irreversible… I… I…!”
Teeda had spoken calmly, but the woman, in a state of near madness, only spewed out what she wanted to say. At her fierce demeanor, both I and Master missed the opportunity to greet her.
“Haa… We’re done with that topic, aren’t we? You did your job. There’s no need to worry about it.”
“But Lord Ranz’s face will never be the same again… Never again!”
“Outside of your job, I will not blame you for anything. These things happen often. You did well to prioritize your family.”
“But I…! I…!”
“There is no reason for you to be blamed. There was only a reason to betray… That’s the truth.”
With that, Teeda lightly waved his right arm, and the aforementioned mud adhered to the woman’s skin.
“!…”
The moment it touched her, the woman stopped her torrent of words and became very quiet. It seemed to have other uses besides intensifying pain.
And I didn’t miss Teeda’s face contorting deeply when he released the mud just now. I thought he might have scowled, finding her troublesome, but that wasn’t it. For an instant, I thought his face looked like he was about to cry. From that information, I discerned a weakness in Teeda’s spirit.
However, I still couldn’t see through the finer details. Due to the peculiar shape of his face, my specialty, reading expressions, was difficult. It felt strangely frustrating, like a novel with little psychological description.
Then, the woman, her mind manipulated by Teeda’s mud, steadied her erratic breathing and calmed her excitement.
“Haaah, haaah… *fwoosh*…”
Though the room had grown quiet, the impression of a dangerously unstable person remained. Noticing our gazes, Teeda added,
“As you can see, she’s a woman with a bit of a weak heart. Please be careful with your words.”
“Wh-what… Is that person really the highest-ranking person here?”
Frankly, if I had a boss like her, I’d quit on the first day.
“She’s very capable. Decisive, exceptionally intelligent, and very kind-hearted. …Though I won’t deny that sometimes her decisions are too hasty and backfire. Her brilliant mind can also come up with devilish ideas, which she sometimes gets taken advantage of for. Also, she’s weak against threats from scary people, easily breaks, and will betray her companions.”
Faced with flaws that far outweighed her strengths, I could only offer a wry smile. At this point, she was the type who should be dealt with sooner rather than later. Teeda seemed to agree, shrugging his shoulders as he replied,
“It’s probably because she’s a member of the領主ネイシャ家 (Neisha Family). To be honest, it’s a case of favoritism in personnel decisions.”
So that’s how it is.
With that kind of backing, I could somewhat understand.
And the fact that he referred to such an important person as a collaborator made it clear how easy the upcoming developments would be. I suspected that Teeda’s plan to retrieve “The one who steals the logic of fire” was nearing its end.
I was grasping a lot of information from Teeda’s words and the situation, but my Master beside me seemed to be thinking about something entirely different and asked the Director a question unrelated to “The one who steals the logic of fire.”
“Um, you’re the person in charge here, aren’t you? If so, regarding what’s happening in the basement right now…”
“…!” Y-You can’t do that!”
Before hearing everything, the Director denied it. Her response was completely different from before, and much more composed.
“I bear the burden of all the 『魔人』 (Demons) who have sacrificed themselves for my research up to this very day. I cannot stop until the souls of those sacrificed 『魔人』 (Demons) can rest in peace.”
Her words carried enough weight to make my Master cease his line of questioning.
“Of course, this is also for the sake of all the lives suffering in the world right now. I don’t believe in religion as a deception; I believe that knowledge passed down from person to person is what will save the world. So, I’m sorry… I will continue my research from here on out. Nothing will change about this place.”
She had anticipated my Master’s request before he even fully voiced it, so her mind seemed to work quickly.
Though her talent was different from my Master’s or Hidaki Sister’s, she was likely quite capable.
However, my Master still didn’t seem convinced and continued to gaze at the woman. Seeing this, Teeda intervened.
“Wait, Kanami. If she stops her research and leaves her current position, I’ll be in trouble. More importantly, if a woman as kind-hearted as her leaves research, this place will become even worse.”
He likely wanted to avoid a situation that would derail their plan. He dispelled the tense atmosphere that was about to escalate into an argument. Perhaps sensing Teeda’s concern, my Master suppressed his emotions.
“I apologize. I got carried away and said something I shouldn’t have. …I understand your feelings, if only a little. I also believe that saving people comes not from deceptive solace, but from accumulated knowledge.”
“Eh? Ah, yes… Thank you…”
My Master wasn’t trying to persuade her; he genuinely seemed to understand her feelings.
This was surprising. No, perhaps it wasn’t so strange after all…
Despite everything, my Master was also someone who should be dealt with sooner rather than later…
“Director. After everything is over, there’s something I’d like to talk with you about. I want to verify what I found in Fuziaze together. I’ve also been researching『魔の毒』 (Demonic Poison) with an『使徒』 (Apostle)… though it’s only been a little.”
“Ah, researching with *that*『使徒』 (Apostle)? I see! That makes sense! And if you have the same body as Lord Ranze, you must know all sorts of new worldly principles! In exchange, I’d be delighted if you’d let me examine your blood!”
“My blood? Of course, I don’t mind. Blood is very important when investigating『魔の毒』 (Demonic Poison).”
“Fufufu… As expected, you knew. Blood is the most important thing in constituting a person. It’s the information cluster of the body and soul, the pathway for『魔の毒』 (Demonic Poison), and the fuel of life!”
“Yes, blood contains a lot of information. There’s no mistake. However, above all, I believe people’s hearts are the most important thing… But perhaps it’s better to discuss this later.”
“Eh, ah, yes. I apologize. Right now, what’s more important is the rescue of the Lord Flame God, isn’t it?”
They seemed to be getting along incredibly well.
The two quickly dispelled the recent somber atmosphere, shook hands, and promised future collaboration.
It was a scene that reminded me of Hidaki Sister’s words.
My Master really was quick to lay hands on women.
When I puffed out my cheeks slightly, Teeda, who was nearby, let out his first laugh.
“Haha. Well then, shall we move? This way.”
He seemed to think they would get along well.
Judging that further mediation was unnecessary, he led us towards the back of the dim corridor.
We turned corners several times, descended stairs leading underground, and entered a narrow stone room. The interior was sparsely furnished with a few chairs and a desk, with nothing superfluous. Given how hard the stairs were to find, it was likely a hidden room.
I understand you want to discuss the details, but it’s too dark here.
“Hey, Teeda-san. Do you have any light?”
I voiced my dissatisfaction, also seeking confirmation.
Teeda replied instantly.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t turn on the light. To explain why, let’s start from the beginning. When we were made into that ‘Vessel’—no, a ‘Thief of Principles.’ That’s what happened. For confirmation, do you guys know why we were targeted by the ‘Apostles’?”
As I predicted, Teeda denied it.
Also, Teeda clearly mistook “Thief of Principles” for the official name. It’s a little amusing.
“Um, I think… The condition was having cracks in one’s heart…?”
“Ah, that’s right. However, in this world, it’s not uncommon for people to have cracks in their hearts. For example, Director Kone, who’s over there, probably meets the condition too. Frankly, the ‘Apostles’ had their pick from many candidates. And among those many candidates, we were chosen because we were born with special powers. My ‘fire thief’ and I had significant differences from ordinary people from birth. Therefore, we were favored by demons called ‘Apostles,’ and this is what happened.”
Here, there was a slight discrepancy with the ‘Apostles” story.
Their story was that they chose those who were on the verge of death, but the chosen individuals themselves seem to believe they were selected based on their abilities.
Perhaps the ‘Apostles’ were lying. However, I don’t think they felt they were lying. They casually hid information that would be problematic if known. Like children trying to keep secrets.
My Master also seemed to notice this, but judging that it wasn’t the time to discuss it, he remained silent. More importantly, he focused on the phrase, like me, “significant differences from ordinary people from birth.”
“Differences… In other words, ‘Skills’…”
“Techniques…? Hmm. That’s a close expression. We had skills. In the case of the ‘fire thief,’ it was the skill called ‘the ability to see a thousand miles ahead.'”
Thanks to Hidaki Sister’s translation magic, the message was conveyed without misunderstanding.
And with this, Teeda accepted another new coinage from Master.
Come to think of it, my acceptance of “Thief of Principles” earlier might also be due to Hidaki Sister’s translation magic. While I found it astonishing, I also felt a little fear. Because if the translation magic had intentional discrepancies, we would have no choice but to accept them without noticing.
Even if it was a fatal misunderstanding—
“Several years ago, the ‘fire thief’ was treated like a shrine maiden of the Flame God in a mountain village. It was said that the shrine maiden’s eyes could see through the essence of all things… Indeed, when invaders attacked from outside, she repelled them with that power. Hearing rumors of this shrine maiden, the ‘Apostles’ gleefully came to experiment on her.”
Teeda’s language becomes a bit vulgar when he talks about the ‘Apostles.’
I can tell, somehow, that this is his true nature.
“As a result of the ‘Apostles” experiments, she lost many things, and her skills became even more powerful. The ability to project flames anywhere and use them as sensory organs is one of her enhanced skills.”
Finally, I obtained the answer I had been guessing and hoping for.
While nodding, I asserted that the failure during the escape was not my responsibility.
“Hmm, hmm. So that’s the power of the ‘fire thief.’ And that’s why the enemy could find us near the flames born from her blood, the ‘Lord Flame God’s Sacred Stone,’ right? …Huh? Isn’t this an upgraded version of Master’s power?”
I playfully poked Master in the side to ease the atmosphere. If left alone, Master would fall into negative thoughts and become increasingly grim.
Master, poked by me, responded with feigned confidence, “Considering we managed to escape earlier alive, mine should have higher precision… Probably…”
Seeing this, Teeda chuckled lightly and continued explaining the powers of the ‘Thief of Principles.’
“By the way, the ‘wind thief’ far to the north had the ‘ability to control animals.’ Combined with the power of wind, I’ve confirmed that it has begun to affect not only small animals but also people.”
Unexpectedly, I gained a little information about the third person who wasn’t present.
Teeda was surprisingly well-informed.
“Lastly, about my power as the ‘darkness thief’…”
I eagerly awaited his next words, wondering if the reason lay in his skill.
However, after a significant pause, Teeda looked away.
“I’m sorry, but I cannot reveal my power. This is my trump card.”
—Hah!?
The story felt like pages had been torn out, and I was on the verge of exploding with dissatisfaction. However, Master nodded without any complaint.
“I see. Even among companions, that’s understandable…”
“N-no! I do think I can tell you, Kanami! It’s just, the time isn’t right yet! The time, it’s not yet…”
Teeda hastily made excuses, saying there was a reason.
I left the inseparable pair to their own devices and focused all my attention on deducing the power of the ‘darkness thief.’
In the previous battle, Teeda doubled my pain sensation.
Furthermore, he forcibly silenced Director Kone, who had been in a state of confusion earlier.
Just facing Teeda now makes me feel strangely uneasy. It’s undoubtedly a power that affects a person’s mind, a dark force.
I suspect I can force confessions.
No, to be more precise, it’s about drawing out the darkness within people… I’m sure I can do something close to that. However, fittingly for the name “darkness,” it might only be able to affect the negative aspects.
A special ability targeting the darkness in people’s hearts…
That’s what I was thinking when it occurred to me—Sister Hidaki’s face.
This person is useful.
If I can introduce Teeda and Sister Hidaki, things will become very interesting.
If I can expand Sister Hidaki’s darkness, I might be able to see things beyond my reach before I departed.
Smiling, as if I had obtained valuable information, I refocused on Teeda’s story.
“—And so, empowered by the ‘Apostle,’ we began to wield our new strength. However, even with immense power, our hearts remained vulnerable. No, our hearts were even more tattered. Within a year, “The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire” and “Thief of the Principles of Dimensions” lost everything. —We were betrayed.”
This part of the explanation is already clear from Fanian’s current situation.
Above all, it’s evident from the way this man carries himself. The two, with their kind hearts, probably tried to use their powers to help people.
However, some people saw their actions as foolish or even dangerous.
So, they were envied, hated, demeaned, and robbed.
“Both she and I were betrayed by people we trusted dearly since childhood. We were valuable enough… to be betrayed like that. To cut to the ending, ‘The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire’ fell into the hands of Fanian’s lord and was turned into a device that endlessly produced flames. It was truly effortless. Like a pure child falling into a pitfall for the first time, it was so easy…”
“Teeda, were you there at that time?”
“Yes. I was betrayed by a man who was my best friend. Fortunately, unlike ‘The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire,’ I was able to escape…”
As if recalling that time, Teeda placed his hand on his face and fell silent.
It’s easy to read the deep despair and regret within him, even without my insight.
I wanted to hear the details, but it would be a bad move to pry insensitively now.
While I was thinking of uncovering it when a chance arose, Master approached Teeda and made the best promise he could.
“Teeda, I will absolutely not betray you. I will make a ‘Contract’.”
“…Is that so? You are a truly kind person.”
Even without understanding the meaning of “Contract,” Teeda seemed to grasp Master’s sincerity and smiled happily. Even though he only had a mouth, his smile was clear, and Master returned it with a smile of relief.
Then, Teeda turned to me and inquired.
“Princess Fuziaze, what about you?”
“Huh? Uhm, I’m Master’s disciple. If Master doesn’t betray you, then I won’t betray you automatically?”
“…Is that so? ………… ”
His reaction was a little strange.
Teeda seemed more concerned about me than Master. Even though I’ve always been treated as Master’s afterthought, I felt a strong interest from him as if I were the main focus.
While I found Teeda’s words unsettling, he continued.
“I understand Kanami’s feelings well… but I’m sorry. I still can’t completely trust you. As I’ve said many times, I will accompany you to Fuziaze only after rescuing ‘The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire’.”
It’s a lie.
Teeda clearly sees Master as one of his own and trusts him completely.
However, he persistently seeks confirmation of the rescue of “The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire,” using it as an excuse for not being able to trust us.
It was a sufficiently unsettling feeling that made me believe he was hiding something.
“That’s natural, given what you’ve been through. I understand. The only thing I can do for Teeda right now is to prove that we are truly companions by rescuing ‘The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire.’ We can discuss accompanying you after that.”
Master, without a hint of suspicion towards Teeda, clapped his hands together and accepted his request.
Seeing this, Teeda’s joy deepened.
“I see. Even so, you will cooperate with me…”
…
Honestly, I can guess what Teeda is hiding.
The future development is also faintly visible to me, just like when reading a book.
“Actually, Kanami, the recovery plan has been in place for quite some time. If you, as ‘Thief of the Principles of Dimensions,’ cooperate with it, we can put it into action immediately.”
“Eh, really? …Then, tell me the plan, Teeda. I’ll fulfill whatever role is assigned.”
“Haha, that’s a good response. It’s been a long time since I heard… a good response like that.”
As Master and Teeda deepen their friendship and readjust the plan to recover “The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire,” I, like an afterthought, watched from the rear, focusing on my own thoughts.
I flipped through and returned to the pages of what could be called this ‘Fanian Arc,’ rereading and contemplating, predicting a large number of possible endings and examining each one.
Whether Teeda’s hidden agenda will harm Master… it’s about fifty-fifty.
However, no matter which way it turns out, I don’t mind. Or rather, being surprised by the unfolding events is one of my current pleasures.
“Heehee—”
I had the confidence to enjoy any outcome wholeheartedly.
I never pick or choose the type, tendency, or ending of books. That’s why, behind Master and Teeda, I quietly and unadornedly, by myself, chuckled.
