Kanami waits for my reply, which I fear. Beside me, in a corner of the cramped room, my childhood friend and elder sister in training, the cleaner, watches me as she always has.
“Neil…”
She calls out to me in a small voice.
The “past” watches me. Or is it the “present”? It felt as if God were nudging me, urging me that it wasn’t too late to save her.
“I, I am…”
Just as I was about to answer the “Contract,” the shaking began. At this crucial moment, suddenly, and so perfectly timed—
“—!?”
My vision swayed up and down. Kanami, too, looked up from her book, her attention diverted by the anomaly.
The stones of the ceiling weren’t crumbling; they were melting and dripping down like sludge. Like ice returning to water, the room’s stones were reverting to blood. Not just the ceiling, but the walls and floor too. The hardness of the stone pavement beneath my feet vanished, and my legs sank as if I were caught in a swamp.
The cleaner, unable to watch any longer, let out a cry.
“P-Prophet? What is this…?”
“It didn’t work, it seems…”
Kanami replied curtly and took a step closer to the cleaner. With that, her safety was assured.
Only I had no room to spare. Right now, my body was on the verge of disappearing, and magic like “Blood” couldn’t help me grasp the situation.
I could somehow predict what was happening. The room wasn’t collapsing; it was melting. Furthermore, the fact that this core area was affected meant that the magic of the entire “Blood Land” was likely being undone.
I had put many safeguards in place to prevent the undoing of the “Blood Land,” our lifeline. The power of the “Thief of the Law of Blood” was essential. Even then, a keen sense for and deep understanding of blood magic were necessary to prevent the delicate rituals from going haywire.
Does that mean Glen, fighting on the surface, was persuaded, or perhaps coerced into cooperating…? Or perhaps Seldra had more talent for the blood attribute than I expected…?
Both possibilities were unfathomable. This situation could only have been caused by a blood mage comparable to myself or Hermina.
“—! Then, could it be…?”
As I reached this realization, the flow of blood, melting and receding, changed drastically. The stone room melted and melted and melted, and all the blood that had gathered at our feet began to flow towards the room’s exit. Since the door was open, I could see through it to the stairs leading to the upper floors.
—It was being absorbed. All the vast amounts of blood I had accumulated were heading towards the surface. Something beyond my comprehension was happening on the surface, and by the time I understood it, the “Sacred Object Chamber” could no longer maintain its cubical form.
And then, the room reached its limit. First, the entire ceiling turned to blood and fell like a waterfall, attacking me. I tried to defend myself with a hand not holding the “Scripture,” but the floor beneath me also instantly turned to blood. I couldn’t stand. But I couldn’t even fall on my rear. The moment all four directions turned red, I was engulfed in a sensation of floating in water.
Swallowed by the sea of blood, I couldn’t tell up from down. Yet, this was not necessarily a bad situation for me. For me, who had mastered the “Power of Blood,” this was a favorable development—a realization that would be overturned all too soon.
I was sucked upwards with terrifying speed, and the blood’s surface gradually approached. Still floating, my body was lifted and breached the surface.
“Haa—!”
Escaping the sea of blood, I filled my lungs with air. Quickly wiping the blood from my eyes, I looked around. And the sight that greeted me made my eyes widen.
—The “Blood Land” had already vanished wholesale. The sea of blood had dried up cleanly, revealing the proper ground that should have been there. A normal, light brown wasteland, stretching to the horizon.
It was the surface. A normal surface. The madness and gruesomeness that should have been present were gone. Moreover, the sea of blood from which I had emerged was now a shallow pool, its water level further receding. I had vaguely anticipated the undoing of the “Blood Land,” but this speed was beyond all expectation.
The clouds and mist that had blocked the sun’s light to recreate a thousand years ago were gone. The “Blood Doll” and the “Blood Beasts” were also gone. While a few puddles of blood remained, the hellish landscape, said to drive one mad upon stepping into it, had completely disappeared.
The wasteland, dotted with red stains, possessed a strange beauty. Having been submerged in the sea of blood for so long, most of the vegetation had died, leaving only thin, withered trees standing. There were few man-made structures like houses, and only a minimal, rusted-out road remained. A little further away, I could see the “Living Legend,” beached in the center of the continent.
It was quiet. In this scene, which seemed to declare the end of the battle for the “Blood Land,” I saw a familiar face. A crippled Dragon Person was kneeling just a few dozen steps away. Though his entire body was stained red by the remnants of the “Blood Land,” I couldn’t mistake him. Seldra’s body was covered in stab and cut wounds, and the clothes on his upper body were in tatters. It was clear he had survived a fierce battle.
And it was also clear my companion had lost. Right in front of Seldra lay a grotesquely deformed monster. He, who had aspects of a bee mixed in, had his left half in an insectoid form, but he was also severely injured. More wounded than Seldra. On top of that, a large hole was gaping in his chest. My friend, Glen Walker, had apparently been utterly defeated. His “Hermina’s Heart,” which should have been in his chest, had been so cleanly removed. He was either defeated with considerable strength left, or he had fallen victim to a surprise attack that even seasoned explorers couldn’t counter—and as I theorized this, a large bubble burst from one of the nearby blood puddles.
Just like me, a young girl crawled out onto the surface. She brushed back her black hair, revealing red eyes, and offered a nonchalant greeting.
“Haa, haa, haa…! Nn, nnn …? Ah, it’s been a while.”
The girl, with a familiar scent, looked at me, her eyes narrowing as if in fond remembrance, and gave a slight bow. I blinked in surprise, mistaking her.
“He—Her…”
I immediately closed my mouth, realizing it wasn’t Hermina. After all, though the girl’s scent was the same, the aura she exuded was entirely different.
“Haaah. Well, with this, the ‘Blood Land’ is all wrapped up, you know. Even if there were some discrepancies, it’s all according to our ‘Plan.’ My, it’s so much easier when everything is already decided… I thought we had good compatibility, but your ‘Affinity’ with Hermina Neisha is truly perfect, I was surprised!”
I laughed with the air of a bar celebration after completing a major task. She was Kuuneru Chronicle Shuls Regia Ingrid, a long-lived superior demon like myself.
Her cheerful mood, on the verge of dancing, told me she had achieved a great victory.
Then, what about the Seldra who is now holding Glen’s body with both hands and struggling to walk with a pained expression?
The true ending of the ground world was faintly visible.
It wasn’t because of similar hair color or build that I mistook her for Hermina. It was definitely because of “Hermina’s Heart” within Kuuneru that I sensed a familiar scent.
And I was blending in.
I was blending in even more than Glen, who had been more suited than me.
After a “communion” that even Glen couldn’t achieve, she combined the characteristics of “Blood Power” and “Vampire Race” and transformed this entire “Blood Land” into a “Safe Zone” at an abnormal speed.
After finishing my analysis, I glared at the third-generation acting “Thief of Principles.” Kuuneru stepped back in confusion.
“Th-that…? Huh? Wait, have the underground team not… finished yet?”
As she spoke, Kuuneru hid behind Seldra, who had walked over, and used her as a shield with practiced ease. It was an overly timid judgment, despite the unprecedented magic power surging through her. But it was also an accurate judgment.
“Seldra-san…”
“Ah… it’s me.”
Seldra, the “Thief of Nothingness,” stood blocking Kuuneru, the acting “Thief of the Law of Blood,” as if to protect her. I felt a slight sense of déjà vu seeing that scene.
— Once, two heretical “Demons” clad in dirty cloaks walked across the wilderness. An adult and a child. A dragon and a spirit. Seldra and Fafnir. The child always followed behind the admired large back. Their hair was uniformly black, and like brothers or parent and child, memories of traveling across the vast continent—
The lid of my memories had completely opened after the battle with Kanami.
A thousand years ago, Seldra, as a senior “Demon,” taught me many ways to survive. He taught me not only how to handle my innate powers but also knowledge of history and culture from various regions. That was, for example, the “Hih.” As Seldra tightly gripped the “Scriptures” in one hand, he began to speak with a bitter smile.
“Kanami’s ‘Reading Shift’ had reached the higher levels… Judging by your face, you know everything now…”
It seemed I wasn’t the only one whose memories were returning. After the battle with Kanami, Seldra’s expression had softened due to nostalgia. However, he quickly began to blame himself.
“That’s right… It was all my fault. Most of your misfortune was also caused by me, the ‘Evil Dragon’…”
He confessed. His voice sounded like he wanted to be punished.
But that would be difficult. I already knew Seldra’s wrongdoing well. Moreover, I was even close to forgiving Romis Neisha. It was all too late now.
“You should abandon being the ‘Evil Dragon’ already… No one needs to be that. ‘Hell’s Light’ too. It’s unnecessary. You can now grasp ‘happiness’ as one of the many ‘Demons’ wherever you go. Leave the rest to Kanami… Right…?”
The body of the person I admired looked incredibly small. Seldra had lost much of his spirit more than I had grown. I understood the reason, having seen it earlier, but I didn’t want to accept it.
“If we proceed according to Kanami’s ‘Plan,’ we will finally be rewarded. No one has to undergo wretched ‘Ordeals’ anymore. The suffering and sadness will all be over. …Khaha, there’s nothing happier than this. Khahahaha!”
It was an uncharacteristic response. Seldra, who a thousand years ago had dispelled all sorts of difficulties with overwhelming power, was acting so uncharacteristically. That’s why I instinctively tried to persuade him by turning the pages of the “Scriptures.”
“…That’s not right. You should have read it too, Seldra. Chapter Seven, Verse ‘Ordeals are a gift of hope and good fortune. Proof that you have moved on to tomorrow—'”
“Throw away the ‘Scriptures’ too. Already.”
A third voice. My conversation with an old acquaintance was interrupted. It came from the direction Kanami had been, but the voice was feminine, not masculine. As I turned, I saw more familiar faces. With stiff hair and the uniform of a Fuziaze Knight, my supposedly dead master, Ragune Kaikuola, was kneeling and facing me.
However, she was clearly about a decade older. Her height and hair had grown, and her physique was more feminine than before. Her demeanor was calm and very demure. With the face and voice of her adult master, she spoke, sweeping her hand through the air.
“The words in that book are just scribbles written by an ‘Winged Human’ child a long time ago… As an excellent ‘Theologian,’ you should understand by now. That the god of the ‘Hih’ was all a lie… I’m sorry.”
I recognized the hand that was sweeping away all my support, and the pain from that hand told me she was the god of “Hih,” Noi El Rieber. And then, the goddess in Ragune’s form denied her own existence above all else.
“The world is full of lies… You can hear the ‘voices’ of the deceased like Ragune Kaikuola, but… it’s an illusion, just like the ‘Hih.’ You fabricate them in your head, seeking convenient voices. After all, her soul is now in our hands.”
That was also a denial of me. Noi meticulously denied everything, and finally, she blessed me.
“Therefore, I will speak on behalf of her soul’s ‘voice.’ –No one needs to challenge anymore. Kanami here is the true god you have been seeking. You have reached the ‘Summit’ of your life. Congratulations.”
Seldra nodded at the declaration. Kanami then joined the conversation with the timing he had been waiting for.
“Neil Lorelai. …I think it’s a good name. To ensure you never lose that true name again, I want you to make a ‘Contract.’ Let’s build a new future together.”
After being persuaded, persuaded, and persuaded again, a hopeful enticement awaited me.
How many times have I been persuaded up to this point? By Hermina as a cleaner. By Seldra as Kanami. Even by the god of the Hih, who was my spiritual support. They told me to agree to the “Plan where everyone can be happy.” They were blocking my escape routes at every turn.
Even considering sheer combat power, Kanami, who is aiming to reach another dimension, is facing against three subordinates: Seldra, the current “Thief of Nothingness”; Kuuneru, the acting “Thief of the Law of Blood”; and Noi, the former “Thief of the Principles of Dimensions.”
Two months ago, Rustiara Fuziaze challenged “Thief of the Principles of Water,” Hidaki, alone. Now, Rustiara Fuziaze felt as though she finally understood, even if just a little, what Hidaki must have felt then.
…
Ah, so that was it…
This is how it feels to be treated this way. So that’s why…
She felt as though she could empathize, just a little.
Guided by the “Threads” of superior beings, everything was perfect and truly effortless.
The setup and flow were truly beautiful. Everyone’s actions were predetermined by a divine script. It’s just that everyone is being manipulated by the “Threads of Fate” hanging over the world’s stage… like this…
Like this—
“—《Blood》”
Using blood magic, I manipulated the pools of blood on the ground and drew them up.
I concentrated the blood into my left hand, trying to shape it into a sword.
But it wasn’t working.
With my current abilities, I couldn’t even properly form a sword out of blood.
Instead of a beautiful, sharp, red sword, it became a rusted piece of iron.
But it was enough.
Grasping that sword, I intended to challenge Kanami to a fight until I collapsed.
I thought I should defeat him, take his Magic Stone, and go to the “Deepest Part” myself.
Because, I never thought—
I never thought that the “Plan for Everyone’s Happiness” was so fishy.
There’s no way the “Plan” is perfect.
Clearly, there’s someone who gets less reward than anyone else. Yet, everyone acting as if it’s a perfect “Plan” feels incredibly suspicious. It makes me angry. I can’t accept pitiful figures like Seldra, Kuuneru, Noi, and even Kanami, and a strange laugh is starting to escape me.
Today, I confirmed it.
I confirmed that there are people who are “unhappier” than me.
It seems I’ve had a “happier” life than I thought—
I can disappear unrewarded, unable to fulfill this newly born “Lingering Desire.”
It’s okay even if my and Helmina’s “happiness” is ruined.
For now, I just want to help the person suffering in front of me.
—Perhaps that simple fighting spirit was conveyed to everyone here.
Seldra, who had optimistically assumed that a fight wouldn’t break out, spoke.
“W-Wait, are you going to fight…? Why… still…?”
When asked why, I haven’t changed from how I was before.
I always act according to the “Scripture.”
“It’s simple, Seldra. Because it’s written in the “Scripture.” —Chapter 5, Verse 11: ‘Without respecting all souls, one’s own soul cannot find peace.’ I cannot be ‘happy’ alone by sacrificing just Kanami.”
“T-The ‘Scripture’? Didn’t Noi, who’s right there, say it was ‘fake’? In my village, it was passed down correctly. That a mere ‘Winged Human’ girl deceived God and spread a heretical religion across the continent! That’s why there’s no divine protection or guarantee for such teachings! Even protecting it, you can’t become ‘happy’… I couldn’t become happy!!”
“No, this is the ‘real’ one. Even if there is no God, its teachings have become my flesh and blood, my strength. A pathetic me has been saved by this ‘Scripture’ many times. It’s thanks to the many things I’ve learned from the “Hih” that I’ve been able to play at being a Knight until today… Isn’t your ‘Evil Dragon’ different?”
“…!”
Leaving Seldra, who had faltered, I moved forward.
Noi, who was next to Kanami, hurriedly took over from Seldra.
“A Knight? Then you should carefully consider the ‘happiness’ of your master, Ragune Kaikuola. Her soul is with us. If you’re thinking of your master first, you should absolutely make a ‘Contract’ with us, right? …Won’t you?”
“‘Ragune’ is within me. Even without her soul, those words have become my flesh and blood, my strength. A gullible me has been saved by those words many times. Even now, it’s a nagging voice inside me saying that everything going smoothly is too suspicious.”
“Uh, um…? It’s… over here…? But why can you hear—”
I’m pretending.
I’ve been good at that since long ago.
I can’t hear Master Ragune’s voice.
However, I can fabricate Ragune’s voice to my liking.
It’s just wishful thinking, a “Hallucination” status ailment, and if you ask whether it’s sanity or madness, it’s madness… but if Master Ragune were here, she would definitely say this.
Because my Master Ragune was that kind of person.
“Even now… Master Ragune tells me the path I should take. —Chapter 15, Verse 1: ‘God’s surface is made of mirrors, merely reflecting people’s wishes, thus there is no substance within.’ In other words, that’s what it was. Thanks to Master, I can read further into the “Scripture.” —Chapter 15, Verse 2: ‘The substance was you. You are the one who grants wishes.’ That’s right, the mirror that is Kanami has always reflected myself! Just like when we first met that day, Kanami was me! I was always me! —Chapter 15, Verse 3: ‘That’s right, God is you. God has always been within you. …In other words, no matter what, you know. Just don’t make a contract with that suspicious guy over there, okay!’ That’s what the God within me is saying!!”
“Huh? Wh-What is this person talking about?”
Noi, the creator of the “Scripture of the Hakuhi Religion,” was confused, hearing words she hadn’t written. Before me, desperately flipping through the “Scripture” and reading things that weren’t there, she retreated next to Kuuneru, who was behind Kanami.
Even a distorted “voice” can be useful.
Honestly, whether I look right or left, everyone here seems a little strange.
In that case, I have no choice but to throw myself into it with all my might.
I grip the “Scripture” tightly and, like a fanatic, approach.
One cannot defy a holder of the “Scripture.” That was my “Rule.”
This is also wishful thinking, and merely a “Confusion” status ailment— but as long as I continue to protect this “Scripture,” I am myself.
I won’t be manipulated by anyone.
Not by the ruler of the world, nor by God, nor by a benefactor.
So, if you ask which side I’m on, I’m on my own side.
“Kanami, this ‘Scripture’ says not to ‘contract’ with you… That’s why I will continue to pretend. As ‘Fafnir Helvishein,’ I will live until the end. If you wish to be saved, I will go in your place, even to the ‘Deepest Part of the Labyrinth.'”
I refused the “Contract.”
Hearing that, Kanami’s eyes and mouth opened, and his expression became one of utter surprise.
He looked both shocked and pleased that things were proceeding according to the “Plan.” It would be impossible to fathom Kanami’s thoughts now, as he had drifted too far away, without the “Connection” of “Distance Mute.”
Kanami, who had become incomprehensible to everyone, turned the pages of the book in his hand. He seemed to be mirroring my actions, as if in defiance.
“—Even so, you are ‘Neil Lorelei.’ This ‘Contract’ alone is the path that will bring ‘happiness’ to the ‘Seventh Demon Obstacle Research Institute’ of that day. Both you and I should be erased from existence. Absolutely––”
He reread the book and raised his hand.
Instantly, a shiver coursed through me – a sense of “malevolence.” My senses had sharpened precisely because I had learned so much and understood the flow of things.
Now, Kanami extended what was called the “Purple Thread.” For so long, Kanami had been restricting his own abilities out of pride for the sake of his “plan where everyone can be happy.” Just like his master Ragune, that was how he was.
However, Kanami had just declared earlier. If I became an enemy, he would show no mercy. Using that as a preemptive measure, he tried to forcefully negate my entire response with the “Purple Thread.” But, that––
“This is unbecoming, older brother.”
A scolding voice cut in.
It was a new voice. The shadow at Kanami’s feet spread and blurred as if water had been spilled on paper, and from it, a dark-skinned girl crawled out.
“How many are there within Kanami?” I braced myself. But the black-haired, black-eyed, dark-skinned girl wasn’t looking at me, but at Kanami. Furthermore, as she spoke, she also directed her gaze towards the empty air.
“Clearly, Fafnir-onii-chan’s recruitment failed. Look, not only Rustiara-onee-chan, but Sekai-chan too, has started cheering for the other side––”
Drawn by her, I also looked, and felt a gaze upon me. If this was the being that bestowed the “Curse” upon the “Thief of Principles,” then what lay ahead would lead to the “Deepest Part.”
No, that wasn’t right. “All souls have always been connected.” As I flipped through the “Scripture” and added that to the fifteenth chapter in my mind, Reaper declared, turning his gaze behind him.
“––Therefore, the judgment of the Grim Reaper does not permit the departure of ‘Fafnir Helvishein.’ Naturally, fabrications like ‘Neil Lorelei’ are also impermissible. Who are you even saying ‘Neil, Neil, Neil’ to? That person over there has never called himself anything other than ‘Fafnir Helvishein.'”
He affirmed my existence, as if cheering me on. His words carried a weight akin to the “Laws of the World,” and it made me strangely happy.
Grimm Rim Reaper. She was a girl I wasn’t very familiar with. But I knew her origin. A girl created a thousand years ago by “Shiso Kanami” based on “Saint Tiara” and a “Fairy Tale.” Her “Grim Reaper magic” was created by human hands, yet it deviated from human principles. Come to think of it, she truly felt like the culmination of Helmina’s “Five-Stage Thousand-Year Plan.” No, more than that, I felt such divinity from her that I could almost consider her, rather than Noi, the goddess of the “Hih” from today onwards.
And it seemed I wasn’t the only one moved by the weight of Reaper’s words. Kanami’s expression became momentarily ashamed, as if scolded by a parent, and he lowered his face.
But it was only for a moment. The next time Kanami raised his face, he had already returned to his usual expression. With a coldness reminiscent of the former Hidaki, he mercilessly turned towards the “Last Page”––
“—’—No, the boy from that day is my companion. From now on, he will fight alongside ‘Aikawa Uzunami’ for eternity. The boy is Neil Lorelei. A beautiful and cool name. I have companions. I have many companions. I definitely do––'”
Even to add to the book, the wording was too crude.
However, when Kanami uttered it, the atmosphere of the place changed drastically. A current formed, drawing in a future favorable to Kanami. Even though I couldn’t see it, countless “Purple Threads” must have been extending wildly, in large quantities, and chaotically. Kanami’s power, now unhinged, threatened to dominate this entire space, but––
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
A shrill, strange sound echoed, as if to interrupt the flow. A single “Black Thread” dashed before my eyes and passed by. It was so fast, so fleeting, that my eyes couldn’t quite catch it. But I understood what had happened. I had heard the voice clearly too. This wasn’t “auditory hallucination.”
“Faf––, nar…”
Turning my eyes to the source of the voice, I saw a man who, like me, had risen to his feet even with his heart emptied. Moreover, from both his arms, he extended more than ten “Black Threads” – no, all four – from his limbs, stretching them across the barren land. Several of them had entangled around Seldra, immobilizing him.
The number of “Black Threads” was increasing. As someone who had collaborated in the development of “Black Threads,” I knew how dangerous that was – but it was thanks to that dangerous trump card that all the “Purple Threads” threatening to fill the space were torn apart. Several “Black Threads” were being swung around with even more chaos than Kanami’s.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––!!
Furthermore, the strange sound continued to echo at a volume that shook my vision. It was the “buzzing of insect wings” comparable to a “Dragon’s Roar.”
At this very moment, all the unfair tactics like “Writing” and “Precognition” were nullified.
In an instant, I saw Glen’s crippled form. He had fought with all his might to survive. Although one of his eyes was crushed, his remaining pupil moved, his throat trembled, and he called out.
“Hel––, vi, l, shine––”
I had felt uncomfortable for so long. Being constantly called Neil, Neil, Neil, I had almost lost sight of my true self, but being called by a “friend” finally allowed me to answer with all my might.
“Glen! I’m here!”
I shouted and reached out my hand, not toward Kanami’s “Purple Thread,” but toward Glen’s “Black Threads.”
—Just then, I felt as if someone had laughed gleefully.
The moment I grabbed the “Black Threads,” I sensed a new magic being activated. The wilderness view instantly plunged into darkness.
“—Magic: Abyss Dimension Midnight.”
Along with Reaper’s voice, darkness spread as if night had exploded.
It dyed everything pitch black, making it impossible to perceive anything else. Like Noi’s “Black Shift,” this blackness not only overwhelmed the eyes but also the magical senses. It was as if they had coordinated, the “Black Threads'” camouflage color matched the darkness.
In a space where sight was stolen by darkness, hearing by strange noises, and only soul-severing weapons were swung, even Seldra and Kanami would not be able to move easily.
With the combined technique of Reaper and Glen, I felt a truly fleeting, albeit momentary, advantage.
To be honest, I had resigned myself to the fact that even fighting with all my might, I wouldn’t be able to match Kanami. However, perhaps now, I might be able to strike back.
As I thought this, the “Black Threads” wrapped around my arm pulled my body strongly.
“—!?”
My powerless body floated into the air and was pulled in. My sight and hearing were not functioning properly, but I knew by touch that I was being carried on Glen’s shoulder.
Furthermore, with my body secured by the “Black Threads,” he leaped. From the feeling of cutting through the wind, I knew the direction of the jump, and I let out a cry.
“We’re… moving away?”
There was a momentary advantage. But using all of it, Glen chose to retreat.
“…This was my first job.”
As he carried me in the opposite direction of Kanami, Glen replied softly. His voice, hoarse from “Demon Transformation,” was nearing a non-human sound; he would lose his human voice any moment now. I couldn’t ignore his question, which used his remaining words.
I knew Glen’s role was that of a scout and a recruiter. Long before Seldra arrived at the “Blood Land,” Glen and Elmiraud had already joined the party in question. Even after being freed from Hidaki and me, they deliberately remained in the “Blood Land” to recruit Fafnir Helvishein.
However, I didn’t expect him to still want to recruit. Perhaps this was the first and last opening, or even if it was to escape—
“B-but… can we really escape so easily from Kanami and the others?”
“Reaper-kun said we could escape. I don’t doubt her words.”
There was a bond between Reaper and Glen that I didn’t possess. I knew they had been together in the same party, traveling the continent. I heard this when I was summoned by Nosfy in the labyrinth and fought Maria, the agent of “The One Who Steals the Logic of Fire,” in front of the World Tree beneath the Great Holy Capital. During the year Kanami was missing, they conquered the “Second Labyrinth” located in the center of the “Mainland.” Glen and Reaper were the ones who were active then—
As I remembered this, that fleeting moment passed. We had exited the range of the magic “Abyss Dimension Midnight,” and the darkness that had stolen my vision disappeared.
In the opened view, a similar wilderness spread out. However, it was clear that it was a completely different place. I could see a darkness as large as a country spreading over the space we had just been in. It looked as if night itself was surging up from the horizon. Gazing at that magical darkness from afar, I realized:
“They’re not chasing…”
The darkness enveloping Kanami and the others did not clear, nor did any pursuers arrive. We really escaped… Or were we let go? Were the two “Demons” without hearts, left to their own devices, thought to die of starvation?
Or was there a deeper reason? For example, my self-imposed rule of “cannot defy the possessor of the ‘Canon’.” If Reaper, who claimed to be the judge, had found some loophole in a rule, it would be understandable.
I speculated various reasons, but in the end, I thought it was simply because we didn’t match. Kanami might be “writing” the futures of many people, but not everything proceeds as she writes. For instance, Kuuneru had blindly believed in the “Plan” and made a clear mistake in timing the release of the “Blood Land.” Kanami seemed to have an attitude that it was natural for someone to fight with all their might and deviate from “future sight.”
“No… But even so, the one who survived this time wasn’t me…”
The howling wind buffeted my entire body. Glen was running with me on his back, but his speed and stride were terrifying. It was less of a jump and more of a glide. The wind scraped against my skin as if to shave it, and I felt like I would faint from the pain. The reason for this abnormal speed was the acceleration provided by Glen’s “Black Threads.” Each time he leaped, he would wrap them around distant large rocks or tall dead trees, using the strength of his arms as well. Furthermore, he wrapped his spare “Black Threads” around his feet to assist his movement.
He was in a form completely specialized for high-speed movement, and Glen’s speed was exceeding its limits. However, in parallel, the “Demon Transformation” was progressing at a terrifying rate. Running with a heartless body, blood scattering from the scars and cracks on his limbs, as he fought to survive with all his might, the insect-like parts of his body were expanding. It wasn’t just his left side anymore. Almost his entire body had transformed into a monster—it was irreparable. However, thanks to this, Glen’s wings had increased, and his aerial time in leaps had extended.
I wanted to stop him, but I couldn’t escape the restraint of the “Black Threads” and could only be carried like luggage. In this short time, we had already traveled the distance of three towns. However, the opponent could shatter the concept of distance and envelop the entire world with “Dimensions.” Even if we escaped to “Another World,” Kanami would pursue us, as confirmed by Seldra. I wondered if there was any safe place, no matter where we went—
“Fafnir, I won’t let you down… I will definitely take you with me. To a place where no one’s ‘Threads’ can reach…”
In my mind, I cross-referenced the direction of our travel with the map. We had entered the Regia Kingdom east of the “Blood Land,” and if we went further east, we would reach Daryl, a city in the center of the “Mainland.” We were now heading toward the “Second Labyrinth” that Glen and Reaper’s party had once conquered.
