The story of Fanian, who saved Tiara Fuziaze from Romis Neisha, is set in what would be called a “Frontier” a thousand years later. The continent had a proper official name, but it was lost forever due to the massacre of the “Shaka Hōkan Jin.”
On the day of the “Shaka Hōkan Jin,” so much was lost from the world.
For example, the calendar. Because I counted the years after the “Foreigner” was summoned as the “New Calendar,” no one remembers the old calendar names anymore.
It was me who didn’t let them remain.
The falsification of history was the privilege of the last one standing.
In other words, the true history of the continent can now only be traced with special magic or skills.
“Year Zero of the New Calendar.”
“Uzunami, who was summoned to another world, traveled with Tiara Fuziaze, the princess of Fuziaze, to Fanian in the northeast. There, he met Teeda, ‘The one who steals the logic of darkness,’ and the three of them sneaked into the research institute where ‘The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire,’ Arti, was being held.
Despite Teeda’s betrayal along the way, Uzunami impressively defeated the lord Romis Neisha, who was waiting for him, and fully awakened his ‘power of dimensions.’
Arti, who had been sacrificed, was saved, the distorted town was corrected, and Uzunami took his first step as the ‘Savior.’ However, on the return journey of that adventure, the grudges of those who were sacrificed during the battle attacked Uzunami and his party.
Survivors of the blood experiments conducted by the Fanian research institute stood in their way. Among them was a boy who would later be known as ‘Thief of the Law of Blood.’ Nevertheless, the two of them joined forces and overcame the boy’s ‘ordeal’—”
At the end of that journey, I was stabbed by a survivor of the blood experiments and nearly died.
Furthermore, due to my master’s “Curse Technique,” I had to fight many monsters and demons in a severely injured state.
However, as I am the one speaking here, you must understand that I didn’t die from something like that.
“I, who was determined to survive no matter the sacrifice, far surpassed the ‘gentle world’ that patiently waited for those to sacrifice themselves.”
—As a result, my master and I managed to escape the pursuing monsters, persuade the artificial demons who stood in our way, and successfully returned.
And upon reaching the castle of Fuziaze, my master first strictly ordered me, “Do not move and remain at rest,” and then set out to find Apostle Diplakla for treatment.
Watching his back, I walked away alone with a wry smile.
Ignoring the gaze from the “rift” behind me, I followed the “threads” extending from my fingertips, along with the smell of death clinging to my body, and slowly made my way to the place where the person I was waiting for would be.
From here on, it is a scene that my master, with only his “Past Sight,” could never see.
However, if I connect my blood to it now, I can see it.
Holding my aching abdomen, I walked through the streets of my hometown, Fuziaze, and entered the castle garden.
Walking to the place where we always practiced our “Curse Technique” and “Martial Arts,” I found a girl sitting with her back against a tree.
Hidaki Sister was looking down, combing her long black hair.
When I saw her before, her hair reached her waist… but now, “threads” were extending endlessly from the tips of her hair. Her long hair spread throughout the garden like a lake, swirling like a water current. Perhaps because of its white color, I thought it looked like the “snowfields” of Hokuriku I had read about in books.
“—So this is how it is.”
Observing the source of the “threads” and analyzing their mechanism.
When my words of impression echoed in the white garden, Hidaki Sister looked up in surprise.
“…Tiara?”
I thought she could see through my presence here… but it seemed not to be the case.
There was hope in this fact.
More than surviving after escaping the “rift,” I was moved by seeing Hidaki Sister’s surprised face.
Even Hidaki Sister isn’t infallible. That’s why I could come back alive now and say the words I had always wanted to say.
“Yes, it’s me. I’m back… I followed all your instructions, Hidaki Sister.”
Hidaki Sister, with her eyes wide, ignored my greeting and murmured.
“Why…? You certainly loved my older brother… with the ‘Contract’ and the ‘Price,’ you were already—”
“Love? Hehehe, what are you talking about?”
Since she asked why, I honestly answered.
I felt like I was showing off my homework.
“To me, Master is just Master. I like him as a master, but I’ve never once thought of him as a ‘lover’?”
I denied my role towards both Hidaki Sister and the “rift.”
I deliberately used the word “lover,” which had been replaced with another word by translation magic, to talk evasively.
“Certainly, I like Master… but honestly, I can’t compete with your yandere tendencies, Hidaki Sister. Even though you’re siblings, you’re both so lovey-dovey that it’s almost unnatural. You two are like ‘lovers’ yourselves.”
With my words and actions, Hidaki Sister seemed to realize everything. She immediately put on a smile and engaged in conversation with me.
“—Fufu. Is that so? I think a relationship like my brother and mine is quite normal.”
“You two are normal? Hih, the fact that you say that so easily is precisely why I say you’re lovey-dovey. I think anyone, no matter who they are, would say the same thing as me… Anyone, I mean.”
I repeated my words and conveyed them to the “rift” behind me.
I insisted that the black-haired girl standing there was the appropriate one to be the “Price.”
“Well… that depends on the household, doesn’t it? Perhaps it’s because Tiara’s household is special that you think so… More importantly, how was your trip to Fanian? I won’t say it was a honeymoon, but I imagine you enjoyed it like a date, right? After all, it was the ‘adventure’ you desired.”
Hidaki Sister removed her hands from her hair and turned to face me.
In response to her movement, a large amount of white “threads” rose from the ground, entangled my entire body, and began to stroke me.
“‘Adventure’ is completely different from reading about it in books! Along the way, I was attacked by bandits, the food was bad, and there was nowhere safe to sleep… it was truly the worst! Moreover, Fanian was plagued by a disgusting religion, they even conducted human experiments, and I was stabbed in the stomach by one of the test subjects! It was a complete disaster, I wish I hadn’t gone!”
I activated the “Reading” skill and channeled power into my nerves within my body.
Even if Hidaki Sister’s “threads” penetrated me, I hardened my will not to be dominated.
I would never again say “I love Uzunami Aikawa” under the pull of the “threads.” Instead, I would maneuver to make the other person say it.
“Ah, Tiara… You truly are…”
Neither Hidaki Sister nor I yielded an inch.
Watching us, I could clearly sense the “rift” behind us was bewildered.
I felt the demand for the “Price” lessen, albeit not by half, but by some amount.
It’s really that simple.
I’ve realized this during my journey so far; frankly, the world is easy to manipulate.
This softie can be left alone.
More importantly, Hidaki Sister in front of me now is the priority.
“That is correct. You have a good understanding of how the world’s transactions work. Basically, the world observes and judges the ‘price.’ It doesn’t possess the ability to read people’s minds like us… That’s why naming and incantations are so important. …You are truly a smart and lovely girl, Tiara.”
Hearing the word “correct” from Hidaki Sister, whom I admired, my entire body burned with warmth.
Pleased with the praise for my homework, my face turned red with joy and excitement.
Hidaki Sister’s expression as she looked at me now was very serious. I even felt a flicker of respect mixed in. It was completely different from the expression she had when she said “incorrect” before I departed for Fanian.
While my personal emotions were overwhelming, I finally took the first step towards the dazzling “Foreigner.”
“Hidaki Sister, this… isn’t absolutely certain, is it?”
I said, looking at the “threads” attached to my fingertips.
When I first saw them, the “threads” that could never be cut filled me with fear, but now I could analyze them calmly.
These “threads” are creating a “connection” between me and Hidaki Sister.
However, it is highly likely that Hidaki Sister is selectively choosing what to gain from this “connection.” If I recall thoroughly, during our training before leaving for Fanian, Hidaki Sister herself said, “It’s not me thinking, it’s the ‘skill’.”
“Yes, it’s the same as my brother’s ‘power of dimensions.’ …Basically, all power depends on the person using it. I can create a ‘connection’ with the other party using ‘threads’ and guide them to some extent… but this time, I judged that Tiara was undoubtedly dead and diverted my abilities elsewhere. You have skillfully slipped through that gap and come this far.”
This is probably a similar mistake to when my master lost his carriage despite possessing the “power of dimensions.”
As the pieces of the puzzle fit together, I—
“Frankly, I cannot yet say that I have complete control over these ‘threads.’ Guidance requires a lot of preparation and planning, and like the innate skills of other ‘Thieves of Principles,’ they can sometimes go out of control… That said, Tiara is the first to have so brilliantly slipped through my ‘threads’.”
“Heh, heh, heh. So, I’m the first?”
I couldn’t help but grin.
I was happy to get closer to the person I admired, to be praised and acknowledged.
Seeing my reaction, Hidaki Sister asked with a hint of exasperation.
“You seem genuinely happy, Tiara. You were almost killed after I pushed you, weren’t you? Don’t you have anything else to say? Perhaps some complaints or whatever…”
“I have nothing. …I love you, Hidaki Sister, just as much as I love Master.”
“…Even though I’m trying to kill you?”
“Isn’t everything that’s happening now thanks to you, Hidaki Sister? The situation in this world, the actions of the Apostles, the coolness of that Master, everything! It’s all a story written by Hidaki Sister!”
Dying halfway through an adventure is a common trope in books. Now that I’ve survived, I can say that it was one of my favorite plot developments.
Seeing me suddenly become excited, Hidaki Sister’s exasperated look deepened.
“You should understand by now, Tiara. It’s true that I did write and guide the path in Fanian to some extent. However, not everything went exactly as I planned.”
Hidaki Sister shook her head in denial.
But that was modesty.
As a book lover, I wish she could understand how moving it is in this real world to be able to “write the path to some extent.”
To convey this feeling, I spread my hands and approached Hidaki Sister.
“But! If it was Hidaki Sister who wrote that development! That battle! Then just that alone makes me a huge fan of yours! I, Tiara, greatly, greatly, GREATLY admire you!!”
I trampled through the garden blanketed in white “threads” and hugged her.
By deliberately increasing the “connection” of the “threads,” I conveyed my feelings. However, even after receiving this confession made with the resolve of a suicide attack, Hidaki Sister narrowed her eyes and doubted me.
“…Tiara, is that true?”
Hidaki Sister, for some reason, seemed unaccustomed to being liked and was genuinely suspicious.
“It’s true. This much is not a deception. I love Hidaki Sister. That’s why I want to know everything about you. I want to talk a lot with you. I want to make many memories. I want to be by your side forever, and if possible, someday—”
I held her tighter, so she would know I wasn’t saying this out of strategy.
I knew that the more I embraced Hidaki Sister, the more I would destroy myself. The closer our hearts got, the more I would become corrupted. Even so, I wanted to fully experience Hidaki Sister as a person.
“—I want to be ‘equal’.”
And finally, I revealed my ultimate goal.
It was a confession like no other in my life, but I was refused again.
“…That is impossible. You saw through the world’s mechanisms from my words, utilized my advice to grow, and even mimicked and acquired my powers. It is truly impressive. However, unfortunately, you will inevitably die from the ‘Curse’ someday. After all, ‘Tiara Fuziaze’ made a ‘Contract.’ The final page of your destiny is already decided.”
“…Then, if by the final page, I am still alive and standing before you, Hidaki Sister, will you acknowledge that we are ‘equal’ then?”
That final page was not “Tiara Fuziaze dying in Master’s arms,” prepared for me.
I declared that I would absolutely survive until that point, referring to the final page meant for Hidaki Sister.
Hearing this, she sighed with a look that seemed to regard me as an unmanageable younger sister.
“…Haa. Very well. If you can shake off all my ‘threads’ and stay by my side until the end, then you will undoubtedly be my ‘equal’.”
“Alright!! Hidaki Sister, it’s a ‘promise’!!”
I immediately took Hidaki Sister’s hands and shook them up and down, nodding in response.
Hidaki Sister, though giving a wry smile, also nodded in agreement, saying, “Yes, it’s a ‘promise’…”
“…However, I will be strict with you from now on. I will show you a little of my true power and corner you.”
That wry smile was filled with killing intent.
Furthermore, with the intention to “kill,” the “threads” enveloped my entire body.
As something less than human prodded my body, a chill ran down my spine.
“How many years has it been since I exerted myself even a little? This lukewarm other world is finally becoming more engaging. Tiara—”
Completely enveloped by the overwhelmingly white “threads,” the light of the world was blocked, and the world in front of my eyes turned pitch black. I thought this was the “darkness of humanity” that Hidaki Sister possessed, the very thing I had desired. I was happy that I could draw it out solely through my own power, without meeting Teeda.
Hidaki Sister declared towards me.
“—You will absolutely become my brother’s ‘one and only destined person in the world’.”
My body trembled.
The reason I am alive now is entirely because Hidaki Sister is choosing the “method of killing” while considering my future. Thus, my primal instincts made my body tremble continuously. The trembling wouldn’t stop, but—
—We are not on familiar terms now.
My lips were still curved in a smile.
This was not a farce. It had truly become a life-or-death battle.
At that moment, the word “Duel,” which I had read in a book, came to mind.
“Bring it on, Hidaki Sister! …This is a duel already! It’s a duel between me and Hidaki Sister!”
“A duel? …Indeed, now that we’ve made a life-or-death ‘promise,’ this is undeniably a duel. Fufu. Tiara, you truly love these kinds of story-like things, don’t you?”
“Hih! Yes, I love them! Reading duels, fighting duels—”
Laughter finally erupted.
Perhaps enjoyment had overtaken fear.
Hidaki Sister also laughed “fufu fufu” at me.
I could clearly feel a “connection” that hadn’t existed before we departed.
I could see that the name “Hidaki Sister” was beginning to carry real substance, not just in name.
—And so, under the watchful eye of the “rift,” Hidaki Sister and I begin a “Duel to make the other person say ‘I love Uzunami Aikawa’.”
The rules of this Duel are not that difficult.
All that is required is to make the judge, the “rift,” acknowledge that we are mutually in love.
The points to note are also clear.
First, under no circumstances should we create a pleasant atmosphere in front of Master. Even when Master is not present, we must not utter the word “love,” thereby giving the world an excuse.
The key is acting ability.
Like a theater actress, I need to play the role of a “pure and innocent younger sister who admires her master.” I must emphasize that I love Master as a disciple and make the confession in Fanian entirely Master’s misunderstanding.
Fortunately, Master seems to have had many such misunderstandings in his life (likely involving Hidaki Sister), and I have already finished acting on the way back from Fanian.
So.
According to the Duel’s rules, from here on, everything we do will be a play.
This is the behind-the-scenes story I wanted Master to know.
Of course, this is not all that lies hidden behind the scenes. There are still many truths that cannot be seen from Master’s perspective.
I hope you will see them with the “magic” of a thousand years later.
Even if Master foresaw his final “New Calendar Year 13” like Hidaki Sister, from “New Calendar Year 1” to the birth of Rustiara Fuziaze in “New Calendar Year 13″—
I want to impose the “Price” of the “magic” that can kill Hidaki Sister upon Master and my daughter.
