Cutting through the wind, like a bird.
Soaring through the skies of the Allied Nations, bustling with the Final Festival, with demonic wings.
There are people on the ground, looking up and waving. I feel like I can finally share in the excitement of the festival, and I continue to fly straight ahead with a smile.
Upon hearing the report that Apostle Diplakla was rampaging, I immediately flew out of the temple window.
I don’t have wings like the Dragon People on my back. However, by gathering magic power, I can construct wings of magic to fly. But, that flight consumes a large amount of magic power and is supposed to be strenuous, yet—
“…My body feels light?”
Could it be because I just exchanged magic power with Dia?
Could it be because my mind and body have become one, and my hesitation has disappeared?
I felt good. There was no inconvenience in flying through the sky.
I truly cannot thank Dia enough.
And although it was very troublesome and annoying, so was the young girl from Helvishein.
Their appearance at the Cathedral drastically changed the course of my Final Festival.
For a moment, I catch sight of Fuziaze Cathedral towering behind me.
I left the resolution of the recent scuffle to Fenrir Aleis. Although injured, he is popular, so he should be reliable. That spirited old Sword Saint seemed to have come for that very purpose.
Then, once things settle down at the temple, Dia and Franryure Helvirshine will ride on the back of that beastkin Sera Radiant and chase after us on the ground.
But, before that.
I intend to go ahead.
Because the opponent ahead of me is—
“Diplakla is the same Apostle… No, because they were family…”
As I fly through the “blue sky” of the Allied Nations, I recall the dark cloud era of a thousand years ago.
It was the memory of when I received a physical body through the power of our former master, Noi, in the “Deepest Part.”
Using the small country of Fuziaze as a base, we Apostles were born together with the mission to “save the world.” Looking back now, what else could this be called if not a family of triplets?
I was given the form of an adult.
Legacies was given the form of a child.
Diplakla was given the form of an old man.
The reason we were given different bodies and attributes was likely because Noi wanted ideas from various perspectives… but, I can now deny that it was a fatal mistake.
After all, we, who were just newly born, had strong individual wills but were completely different in personality.
We cooperated on the surface, but we were at odds behind the scenes.
Ah, I really hated them.
I detested Diplakla and Legacies.
I wondered why I had to fulfill the wonderful role of “saving the world” with such people. Due to my mission, I had hidden it, but—now, I feel like I can say it openly without hiding it, “It’s good that I disliked you.”
In the end, there were plenty of other people I disliked.
Rather, the people I couldn’t dislike at all were the truly dangerous ones.
Thanks to those “Foreigner” siblings, I learned a lot.
It’s okay to dislike them.
It’s not strange for someone you dislike to be family.
The people you dislike and don’t get along with are precisely the ones who possess what you lack and can complement each other.
A thousand years ago, the three Apostles should have acknowledged their mutual dislike and then proceeded to cooperate.
Regretting it—but, it’s not too late, and I look forward.
I don’t think it’s too late.
Even a thousand years later, I saw those “Thieves of Principles” get saved and survive.
As promised a thousand years ago, Kanami and the others showed me many miracles of “Magic”—
“……!”
I found them.
Sensing a familiar magic power, I shifted from flying to hovering and looked down at the city.
My gaze is fixed on the luxury district of the country of Fuziaze, north of the Allied Nations.
Radiant said, “He’s rampaging in the middle of Fuziaze’s city,” but it’s not that far from the Cathedral. The streets, divided by lot numbers, are wide and long, with sturdy houses lining both sides.
There were figures leaping and fighting on the roofs of those many buildings, using them as footing.
It was a group battle, like a “Dance Battle Tournament,” focusing on mid-range magic.
At the center of this conflict is a tall, distorted man with messy, dark red hair. His limbs are unusually long, branches extend from his shoulders, and a halo of magic power floats above his head. The magic power emanating from him closely resembles mine as an Apostle, so there’s no mistake. The tactic of using Divine Magic to launch a halo is also the same as mine.
“Diplakla…!”
His appearance is very youthful, just like mine.
Diplakla has finally shed the “outer skin” I received from our former master.
Furthermore, it’s not just the “outer skin” he’s shedding.
There isn’t a single subordinate from the unit he led when he went out with Kuuneru around.
Did he leave them at the entrance of the labyrinth where he set up an ambush? Or were they abandoned because they couldn’t keep up with the Apostle’s rampage? In either case, Diplakla is alone now.
This isolated Apostle is being flanked by two parties, presumably Explorers.
One of the parties is full of familiar faces.
They are the sub-masters of the Guild “Epic Seeker,” where Kanami is the master. The three of them: Volzak the swordsman, Teiri Rinker the mage, and Rail Senks the fighter.
The other is the Guild “Supreme,” if I recall correctly. I wasn’t sure since I haven’t been involved with that guild or Kanami, but this one is also a trio.
Thanks to my aerial perspective, it’s easy to grasp the situation.
Three against three, they sandwich the Apostle and are thoroughly holding him at bay with mid-range magic.
Furthermore, as these seven fight, guild members who appear to be injured are casting healing magic on each other, watching from a distance. Outside of them are knights and “Magic Stone Humans” guiding the general participants of the “Final Festival” away from the area.
I can see the flow of events, albeit vaguely.
Presumably, the guild members, wanting to protect their precious city, are taking turns suppressing Diplakla.
I would like to confirm the situation further, but I can’t leave this any longer.
After quickly confirming everyone had evacuated, I plummeted from the sky, calling out a name as I approached.
“Diplakla! It’s me!”
As I closed the distance until I could discern his expression from the height of a flying bird, he seemed to notice me.
He raised his voice towards the sky, a greeting to a returning companion.
“Sis?! You came here?! But Elmiraud Sidd and Sera Radiant should have fled into the Cathedral! Those two insulted the Master publicly! They could threaten the ceremony, so you must return immediately and apprehend those scoundrels—”
“—*Invincible Field: Shaka*!!”
To prevent further damage, I first erected a field spell.
The battle was on a scale that reminded me of the Dance Battle Tournament, so I judged the barrier used on that theater ship to be appropriate and chose it. I added my own maximum possible modifications to the barrier.
“Wh-what are you doing?”
Diplakla froze in surprise at my sudden magic.
So did the members of the Guild fighting around us.
Seizing this opportunity, I shouted to the six warriors and gave them orders.
“Sis will calm Diplakla, as we are both Apostles! This barrier can be exited from the inside, so you all need to leave immediately! If you linger too long, you’ll melt away!!”
The magic *Invincible Field: Shaka* created a spherical, specially glowing dueling ground centered on me in the sky.
From a distance, it would likely be mistaken for a sun fallen to the ground.
If the six warriors tried to remain within this field, it would cause various problems.
For this reason, I had added aggressive modifications…
However, my worries were soon alleviated.
Rail Senks nodded to me, then began issuing instructions to those around him. He said, “Our objective is met!” and swiftly dispersed the other five, leading them out of the barrier.
It appeared I was incorporated into *someone’s* plan, and not just Kanami’s.
However, before I could ponder who that might be, I focused on the person in front of me.
Diplakla and I, the only ones remaining, faced each other on the sky and the rooftop.
Diplakla paid no mind to the opponents who had fled from our battle; instead, he scanned the field I had constructed.
Then, quickly noticing its spread utilizing the glowing *Magic Stone Line* throughout the town, he uttered an old name.
“This barrier, could it be…? Melting means it’s the *Shaka Hōkan Jin* from a thousand years ago?”
“Yes, it’s an improved version of that. …With the width of a dueling ground and a *Magic Stone Line*, no further preparations are needed. The barrier rejects everyone except Apostles.”
Thinking about it, a thousand years ago, I created many things with Tiara.
Kanami had told me that the *Magic Circles* were malicious traps, but I deliberately constructed the same type of magic circle to face Diplakla.
“Rejects everyone but Apostles… does that mean you have something you wish to discuss with me one-on-one? Or are you intending to take this opportunity to destroy me again, as you did a thousand years ago?”
“Neither. …And about that, your sealing from a thousand years ago was a grave mistake due to my immaturity. I’m sorry.”
Diplakla eyed my words and magic with suspicion. However, his doubt was understandable, and I could only apologize. The reason I made the barrier only harmful to those who weren’t Apostles was because I harbored no hostility. I truly hoped he would believe me.
However, my subsequent words, which seemed almost too sincere, made him wonder.
“Sis…? What’s really going on? If it’s neither of those, then what are you doing in here…?”
“I’m returning to the *Deepest Part* now. …I’m going to speak with Kanami properly once more. If, at that time, I see even a hint of suffering on his face, I intend to drag him down from being the ‘Master of the World’.”
I conveyed my objective concisely to my confused opponent.
Though I was trying to save time, this explanation seemed to require more time for him to comprehend, his confusion visibly deepening.
“…Huh? Wait. How did it come to this? …It’s impossible, Sis!!”
The moment he processed my meaning, his voice boomed.
A fierce inquisition was directed at me.
“Didn’t we swear together in the *Deepest Part*?! That we would continue to support our Master, who became a ‘God,’ from the ground?!”
“No. What I swore anew was to protect Kanami. Not as the ‘Master of the World,’ nor as a ‘God.’ …I will not let Kanami be ‘unmade’ from *my World*.”
“Even if he were to be ‘unmade’! Isn’t the story that the Master will continue to live in this *World* as a “God”?! Furthermore, if you drag the Master down, who will adjust the *Demonic Poison*?! Have you forgotten the Apostle’s mission to ‘save the world’?!”
“Before we were Apostles, we were *People*… Just like everyone else, we were *People*, which is why we worry like this, regret, and make *Mistakes*—”
“There are no mistakes! As long as there is the path of a ‘God,’ we who are His servants will never make a mistake again! Haven’t you seen the power of the ‘God’ who became our Master in the *Deepest Part*?!”
Diplakla vehemently insisted that they were not mistaken.
I, not to be outdone, strongly advocated my own thoughts—
“Yes, I saw it! But Kanami is no different from us! He’s just a *Person* who was cursed and forced to bear ‘Innate Differences’—”
“——!!” “Never speak of that again! To insult a blessed ‘God’! —*Divine Circle*!!”
In our heartfelt discussion, I had touched a raw nerve.
My careless words had shaken the very foundation of the Apostles, compelling the usually gentle Diplakla to instantly unleash an attack magic on a companion.
Diplakla attempted to correct me, generating nearly ten glowing rings of solidified magic energy from his long arms and launching them like sharp arrows.
“………!!”
I couldn’t completely evade Diplakla’s preemptive strike.
I managed to twist my body to avoid a direct hit to my torso, but I was struck in my limbs and wings.
First, my left arm and right leg were cleanly severed. Then, my wings were also torn, rendering me unable to maintain hover, no matter how special my method of flight.
I am falling towards the rooftop where Diplakla is.
Even though I could only use one hand and one foot, I managed to land safely thanks to the gentle slope of the roof. I was still far from a fatal injury thanks to my “magical life form.” However, seeing me fall to the ground, Diplakla unleashed his magic and shouted mercilessly.
“Behold! This power! Our bodies! Blessed by this ‘Demonic Poison’—how can you call this ‘Person’!!”
Diplakla was showing off his power. When he said “our bodies,” he was probably including the “magical life forms” of myself and Kanami.
He had believed that his master and “Apostles” were special.
It was the same as how I used to be.
That’s why I knelt, got up, and continued to speak.
“We are ‘Persons’ blessed with a little magic power and aptitude. There’s nothing special about us.”
“Sis… those were my words a thousand years ago. You should have learned by now that those kind but useless words can change nothing… What good did kindness and mutual support do?! The only thing that ever decided matters was unreasonable, strong power! Wasn’t the unreasonable power we were born with as Apostles the only way we could oppose our world!?”
“But even with your special, strong Apostle power, you couldn’t accomplish much a thousand years ago… In the end, we were no different from everyone else…”
Worse, I was merely used by Tiara and Hidaki.
When I pointed out this fact, Diplakla faltered.
Then, after changing his expression countless times, he began to mock himself.
“…………..Heh heh heh. That’s right. Even this Apostle’s unreasonable power is insignificant compared to ‘God’. It’s not much… I admit that the battle to find a way to save the world a thousand years ago was all a farce. Heh, heh heh heh, heh heh heh heh…”
Admitting it, he stared into empty space.
With eyes of blind faith directed towards what lay beyond the “rift,” he continued to speak.
“But it was a farce from the beginning, wasn’t it? We desperately searched for a way to save the world for decades on the ground, trying to be useful to Master Noi? …But not once did Master Noi ask about our progress. Now, you should understand what that means.”
It wasn’t just me who was expressing dissatisfaction with Master Noi here.
With the recent change in the “World’s Master,” Diplakla was now able to deny his creator.
“We were a failure from the moment we were born, and weren’t expected to do anything! You also saw Master Noi’s expression in the ‘Deepest Part of the Labyrinth,’ didn’t you? Didn’t she look like she never believed in us Apostles!? Master Noi only believed in the ‘God’ who became the new master! Heh heh!!”
The Apostles were needed by no one.
Wielding the power of an Apostle, Diplakla continued to complain with resentment.
“And even that ‘God’! Seemingly summoned by us, but it had nothing to do with us! If left alone, it was determined to appear through my sister Hitaki’s power! We mistook that for the Apostles’ achievement… hah, how comical, wasn’t it? Ah, we were truly comical!! Heh, heh heh heh! Heh heh heh heh, hah hah hah hah hah!!”
He burst into laughter, clutching his stomach.
An undignified act that would not have been tolerated in an old man’s form, but Diplakla was now liberated.
—In truth, these true feelings had likely been accumulating deep within his heart all along.
The Diplakla rumored a thousand years ago was the most accomplished among the Apostles, always calm, thoughtful, kind to people, and well-liked. I found that very annoying and hated him, but beneath the surface, he was so much like my past self. Like family.
“But it’s fine! That’s all fine! Even if everything about the ‘Apostles’ was in vain, ‘God’ has appeared! And that ‘God’ will save even us ‘Apostles’!! Then, all we have to do is worship Kanami as ‘God’! Worship him, worship him, worship him!! That’s all there is to it, isn’t it!? Sis, immediately retract your disregard for ‘God’!!”
His desperate state reminded me of a “Thief of Principles.”
Looking back now, all the “Apostles” created by Master Noi were probably prototypes of “Thieves of Principles.” That’s why they were equally susceptible to “Curses.”
Over these past two months, the “Thieves of Principles” who interfered with Diplakla were Blood, Nothingness, and Dimension – three individuals. Among them, Kanami, the “Thief of the Principles of Dimensions,” had a particularly good compatibility, and I felt the influence of “Confinement” strongly.
Or perhaps, Diplakla himself desired “Confinement.”
Just like Kanami, he no longer wanted to see anything but what he wanted to see—
When I shook my head slightly, Diplakla smiled sadly and continued to plead.
“Let us look only at ‘God’ now…!? If we only believe in ‘God’, then our ‘World’ will be saved! There is nothing else in this world that is needed besides ‘God’… Ah, I have the same thought as Master Noi! This ‘World’ no longer needs ‘Apostles’!!”
Diplakla, looking forward but not seeing, took a step forward.
An Apostle who had lost himself to “Confinement” approached, extending his arm.
That hand was gentle and kind, from good intentions—and completely misguided.
A chill ran down my spine.
Instinctively, while still on my knees, I swung my left arm to brush away Diplakla’s hand.
I had noticed Diplakla stealing and absorbing “Demonic Poison” from surrounding creatures earlier. He must have applied a “Spell Formation” similar to the “Shaka Hōkan Jin” to his body, much like my barrier.
However, the hand I tried to push away was easily caught.
Upon direct contact, my arm began to dissolve into particles of magic power.
“Hah, Sis! Finally, we Apostles have ended our long journey and reached the final answer! The truth that if you defy ‘God’, you have no value in existence! Heh heh heh heh!!”
Our conversation wasn’t even aligned anymore, let alone matching up.
To pull him back, I continued to throw words at him.
“Diplakla… look at us properly! Not as ‘Apostles’ or ‘Gods,’ but as us – look at us properly—”
“Properly, it’s time to get rid of your ridiculous toys called ‘Apostle’! In a world watched over by ‘God,’ ‘Apostles’ with excessive power will always be a nuisance! —Therefore, hurry! Before you expose yourselves any further in this ludicrous state! Before you tarnish the legend of the ‘Apostle’! Before these foolish Apostles are abandoned by ‘God’ and the people!! Isn’t it time to be the first to disappear, fulfilling our mission to ‘save the world’!! Ha, hahahaha!!”
“Urgh…!!”
My body is a ‘magical lifeform’ composed of magic power.
My body’s ‘Demonic Poison’ is easier to unravel and absorbs faster than other beings.
As if worried about my body, Diplakla whispered before me.
“Sis, it’s alright… I’ll follow you soon…! From this ‘Final Festival’ onwards, all ‘Apostles’ who saved the world will disappear without anyone knowing…! With that, only the peace and great deeds of the ‘Apostles’ will remain on the continent. Isn’t it beautiful? Leaving only those beautiful and wonderful days from a thousand years ago… from that thousand years ago… We can disappear! Ah, that’s right! If only those thousand years ago remain, that’s all that matters! I have no regrets—!!”
Diplakla, while mocking himself, calmly sought death for the Apostles.
I thought it was a ‘contradiction.’
He claimed perfection because an absolute ‘God’ watched over them, yet he had given up on a future where the Apostles could live in ‘happiness’—
“Diplakla… you…”
When he mentioned ‘God,’ despair seemed to seep into Diplakla’s expression. Conversely, only when he mentioned ‘from a thousand years ago’ did he adopt a gentle expression, like a kindly old man before he had become younger.
As someone who lived alongside him, I could empathize.
Because I remembered it well too.
The days I spent as an Apostle a thousand years ago— no, as friends with Kanami, Hitaki, and Tiara— were truly irreplaceable treasures.
And those treasures weren’t mine alone.
In my case, I was particularly close with Hitaki. But for Diplakla—
—He was always with Kanami.
The two, who got along well, often acted together, starting with the development of ‘Curse Techniques.’ I remember them creating countless made-up words like children, playing around, and using them enjoyably with each other. It was these two who constructed the concepts of ‘Level’ and ‘Status.’
A thousand years ago, if you went to Kanami’s room, Diplakla was always there.
And they would be making something together. Mostly, it was the creation of items related to ‘Curse Techniques.’ But I also saw them creating clothes. Besides ‘sewing’ and ‘knitting,’ I also saw them ‘cooking’ and ‘baking’—
Most of Kanami’s life-related skills were nurtured alongside Diplakla.
Unlike me or Legacy, their domestic hobbies aligned.
That’s right.
Kanami and Diplakla a thousand years ago were truly compatible.
They were always laughing together.
So, the focal point that Diplakla is now ‘narrowly’ focusing on isn’t ‘God.’
I struck Diplakla with my words.
As if to clash our hearts.
“Diplakla! What do you truly want to protect?! The existence of a perfect ‘God’?! The noble mission of the ‘Apostles’?! No! More than anything like that, you want to protect ‘from a thousand years ago—!!'”
“Don’t say anything more, Sis!! For the pride of us ‘Apostles’!!”
He shouted back, intensifying his absorption.
My body’s decomposition progressed, and magic particles erupted around me.
For me, magic power is as important as my soul or blood.
Losing it rapidly felt like my heart was being crushed.
Intense pain struck me, preventing me from crying out further. All that escaped my throat was unstable sobbing.
“K-, ah—!”
I wanted to settle this with words.
But I couldn’t even speak like this.
And with this much resistance, my ‘magical lifeform’ body was reaching its limit.
My body visibly thinned, and I began to lose my human form.
Seeing me, Diplakla, convinced of his victory, bids farewell.
“Wait for me ahead… I too was abandoned by the ‘World’.”
It seemed this was the end.
I also wanted to be a hero, not an Apostle, like everyone else.
It was ideal for family matters to be resolved by family alone.
However, reality wasn’t so kind as to allow things to go smoothly— but that was fine.
I just learned.
Now, I’ll rely on my soulmate friend.
The things that ‘Persons’ and ‘Apostles’ can do alone are limited.
So, we decided to work together.
Not just myself or someone else alone, but everyone—
“—《Aleis Wines – Guardian Sword》”
A voice echoed from behind.
And then, the wind blew again.
It was a ‘counter-wind— no, a tailwind magic’ that enveloped my entire body.
The user wasn’t Fenrir Aleis, but Dia Aleis.
Her favored Divine Magic was different in attribute. However, through the guidance of the ‘Sword Saint,’ it had been honed like a Knight’s sword.
The wind that intervened protected me and tried to blow away the attacking Diplakla.
The wind took shape, becoming a swarm of nearly a hundred blades.
The tips of some of these blades pierced Diplakla’s limbs— but magic is specialized for protection. Therefore, the wind blades only appeared to pierce Diplakla’s limbs, not creating a single wound.
It was magic that grasped the targets with sword-like wind, fixed them, and tried to push them away forcefully.
But even so, Diplakla still wouldn’t let go of my hand.
Voices of astonishment and doubt leaked out.
“What!? Wh-who is that…!? Only the Apostles should be able to enter here right now—”
They could feel with their skin that the field magic I cast earlier was not false. They seemed convinced that no one other than an Apostle could intrude on this battle.
However, that was a mistake from a thousand years ago.
In my story, it was never “only Apostles.”
How many times have plans been disrupted by the belief that the world’s fate was entrusted solely to the Apostles?
I turned around.
On the roof of the building next to mine, I saw one of them standing and casting magic.
“Sis, don’t rush ahead on your own! Your body is really fragile!?”
He was shouting from closer than I expected.
Realizing the intent of my field magic, he must have crept closer, but then, desperate to accelerate the absorption, he suddenly revealed himself.
Indeed, it made me happy.
I believed you would definitely come.
Just as you waited for your friend while you were fighting me, I too—
“I was waiting for you to come and help! —Dia, match my magic right now! I’ll shave off the ‘Apostle’s’ power from Diplakla!!”
“…! Ahh, ‘Diablo Sis’s’ serious magic! I’m seeing it for the first time!”
Dia and I had already clashed our hearts out earlier.
We didn’t need many words; we just matched each other.
That was enough.
” “—’For the sake of all new beginnings as a blessing.’ And, ‘Future, light, souls that meet, beloved ones!’ —Resonant Divine Magic: Sion!” ”
Originally, it was magic in the shape of light bubbles.
But using the blowing wind as a path, the light ran through it, transforming into a giant ‘Light Wind.’
The effect of the magic “Sion” is “magical interference.”
Though simple in a single word, it encompasses “activation of ‘Magic Nullification’,” “dispelling enhancement magic,” “recovery from ‘Status Ailment’,” and “suppression of degeneration by ‘Demonic Poison’.”
It could be called one of the ultimates of Divine Magic.
Furthermore, it is highly effective against ‘Apostles’ and ‘Thieves of Principles’ who have gained undue power by relying solely on ‘Demonic Poison.’
And it was used by the grown ‘Diablo Sis.’
The magic “Sion” shone vibrantly, as if it had been created for this very moment. It was a ‘Light Wind’ that healed me, suppressed Diplakla, and changed the flow of this town.
Immediately, with the arm that Diplakla had grabbed, I grabbed back.
It wasn’t them who captured us; it was us.
“If your ‘memories from a thousand years ago’ are that important, Diplakla!! You just have to create the same memories again, from the ‘present’! You really don’t understand something so simple, you ‘Apostles’! We, we are no longer!! For now, hurry up and recover!! —Invincible Field: Shaka Hōkan Jin!!”
Here, I further strengthened the field magic. The spherical barrier floating above the town of Fuziaze began to glow brilliantly, drawing a beautifully formed ‘Magic Circle.’
The ‘Spell Formations’ woven into it were first ‘Magic Purification’ and then the lately popular ‘Bloodline Dilution.’ Diplakla groaned and cursed at the power that reminded him of the ‘Shaka Hōkan Jin’ from a thousand years ago.
“Ngh, g—ah! Ar-are you going to repeat this again…!!”
“It’s not again! It’s not the same, and I won’t repeat it!!”
Just like me, Diplakla’s body was also starting to unravel.
However, this only applied to parts that were not in the human form prescribed by the Revannism.
First, half of his overly long and disproportionate limbs. Then, the branches on his shoulders, and the ostentatious and embarrassing halo above his head.
Diplakla’s monstrous form dissolved into the sky.
However, they did not disappear cleanly. The ‘Demonic Poison’ that Diplakla had exhaled began to accumulate in the sky of the ‘Final Festival.’ If left unchecked, it would become the source of the dark clouds from a thousand years ago. Before that, I tried to control the spreading ‘Demonic Poison’ so that the Allied Nations could share it.
However, the amount was far too great. It was difficult to control with newly created magic—but Dia would compensate for my shortcomings. Understanding what I wanted to do, she helped me with the control from behind.
With the combined magic of ‘Diablo Sis,’ the inside of the spherical field was instantly filled with light magic, shining like the sun on the ground.
It was now a grand illumination, large enough to envelop not just the town but the entire Allied Nations. This labyrinthine Allied Nations itself temporarily became a sun illuminating the continent—
Then, how much time passed? How many seconds did the full-power magic last?
Was it ten or twenty seconds? Or did it exceed one minute?
Time passed, and I couldn’t perceive it, being too focused on the magic. And then—
“Ah…”
I was about to collapse.
By the time I realized it, all the magic had vanished, leaving behind only a beautiful ‘blue sky.’
For me, a ‘magical lifeform,’ continuously releasing magic was akin to holding my breath.
But before I could pass out from magical oxygen deprivation, my back was supported. Before I knew it, Dia had rushed to my side. Magic flowed into me from her back. My weakened body regained sensation, and my limbs, which had been severed like ‘magic limbification,’ were repaired.
Thanks to her, I could still stand.
Without falling, I could continue to face the enemy.
“Ah, ugh…”
Before my eyes, Diplakla knelt and groaned.
Unlike me, even with momentarily depleted excessive magic, his body was basically intact.
In fact, without the extra halo and disproportionate features, his current state could be considered normal.
Diplakla, now a mere young man, raised his arm under the ‘blue sky.’
“Guh, ugh…”
But that was all.
Even if he tried to unleash some magic, his body wouldn’t produce any strength. He slowly lowered the arm he had raised.
His movements were extremely sluggish. The movements, which felt older than Diplakla’s past self, signaled the conclusion of the battle to us.
