Rainer, who had been pushed by me, quickly regained his balance and stood up, surprised by the surprise attack. However, his hands were already on the hilts of his twin swords.
I called out to him again, trying to stop him.
“Noi… You still can’t accept it?”
I directly asked for her opinion on this ending. Noi, hearing my question, could no longer hold back the dissatisfaction spilling from her throat.
“I can’t. Because it’s wrong.”
She answered frankly, just as I had. I understood her feelings perfectly. After all, just a little while ago, I had felt the exact same way.
“I’m sorry… But, as you were told, the ‘Masters of the World’ will be passed on to Rainer and the others. Your Contract will also be fulfilled by everyone.”
“That’s why it’s wrong. …Because you are God. Not these children. Only God can grant the wishes of me and everyone else?”
Noi shook her head, unable to agree. The reason was simple; she likely couldn’t trust Rainer and the others.
She had been seeking reassurance for a long time. That’s why she had patiently waited for thousands of years, never once appearing on the front stage. When Tiara and Hitaki showed up, she had fled and avoided danger.
Finally, after all her struggles, she had found me, a “Thief of the Principles of Dimensions” just like herself. She must have felt truly reassured. Having the same abilities as her, she was guaranteed that I would do the same things she would.
Noi’s assumption was correct. Without a doubt, I would do the same thing as Noi. And that’s precisely why I shook my head.
It meant that, someday, I would inevitably end up in the same state as Noi. Unable to obtain what I had pursued, I wouldn’t even be able to stand up like this. I explained to Noi what I had learned from Rainer and the others.
“No, it’s not just me who can grant everyone’s wishes… More importantly, I wasn’t cut out to be a god.”
“You are. Because with our Future Vision, we confirmed that you could bring world peace. There couldn’t possibly be a more suitable god than you…! You could bring happiness to all humanity and create peaceful days, just like harvesting rice! These children, on the other hand, are the opposite! They aim for days of turbulent challenges and growth…? I don’t want that. I don’t want to read that kind of book. In my old age, I want to quietly… feel only happiness, without any unpleasantness… and die in a dreamlike state.”
“I feel the same way. That’s why we had Affinity. But even so—”
I understood Noi’s feelings and her wishes. However, I had already dispelled my Skill, “Lake Surface of Dream Celebration,” and could no longer respond in a way that aligned with her Ideal.
“Even so, I can’t be a god… No, I don’t want to be.”
“But I did it. I didn’t want to, but I did it.”
Noi answered immediately. Then, the way she looked at me began to change. Her previously favorable gaze, as if looking at a “better half,” became tainted with resentment and jealousy, saying “How unfair.”
“If you look at our current state, you should understand. Relying solely on one person will eventually lead to collapse. You’ll fall, break, and never be able to get up again.”
“Even if I fall someday, peace is promised until then…! You, a ‘Thief of the Principles of the Moon’ who can become a ‘Thief of the Principles of Dimensions’ like me, can provide the same peace I brought…! I can see a perfect future filled with reassurance… are you going to run away…?”
“We should have already learned repeatedly that our Future Vision isn’t absolute. So let’s believe in the power of the two who defeated the ‘Thief of the Principles of Dimensions’ here… no, everyone’s power. Believe that we can draw in an even better future—”
“Believe? How could I believe? Even if countless young people who haven’t even reached a thousand years old gather, they won’t amount to much. They won’t even reach one person’s worth. For me, one person means only one person I recognize. Only you, Kanami, the ‘Thief of the Principles of the Moon,’ can fill the world with reassurance… Even that ‘Mirror Power’… If I have that, it’s enough… And yet you…”
Noi interrupted me, not wanting to hear my persuasion, and stared at me as if pleading.
But there was no longer a “mirror” beyond that point. No matter how many words like “That’s right,” or “I understand,” I drew out from her, I could no longer nod in agreement.
Besides, she was already dimly realizing it. Even while talking about the “Mirror Power,” her tone gradually weakened. She had started calling me “Kanami” or “you” instead of “God.”
Noi demonstrated the dispelling of her Skill and, with her gaze filled with jealousy and resentment, now mixed in disappointment and sadness.
“Y-You’re betraying me, Kanami too… I cooperated with you this far because you said you would be God…”
“I’ll apologize for that however many times it takes. I’m truly sorry. But I’m not abandoning everything. I’ll cooperate as one of everyone. If you cooperate too, Noi, we’ll be stronger and happier.”
I tried to persuade Noi, who kept shaking her head, to calm down—but as I spoke, I realized it myself.
It was futile. The way Noi looked at me now was different from before. Even I, who had been an equal “Thief of Principles,” was no longer—
“I’m, I’m disappointed… Disappointed, disappointed, disappointed…! And frustrated. Frustrated, frustrated, frustrated…! I hate feeling this frustrated. I hate this kind of development!!!”
To borrow from what I said earlier, perhaps I too was now “less than one person.” She looked at me with a gaze that said I was just like the despised masses, now that I wouldn’t wear the mask of “Ideal.”
And so, Noi, still crouched, raised her hand. Instantly, all the magic power she had been emitting was dyed a scorching black. This blackness, like ink that could paint over even darkness, spread further around her.
“If I have to feel this frustrated, I don’t want it. Make it disappear. —Black Shift.”
A black mist, easily swallowing one person, overflowed from Noi, accompanied by a sound like ■■■. Furthermore, like locusts or mosquitoes acting in swarms, it began to writhe, intending to devour me. She intended to obliterate me with her signature magic, for not wearing the mask of “Ideal” that suited her needs.
That act of making inconvenient things “disappear” was exactly the same as what I had been doing just moments before. Therefore, I also possessed the power to make things “disappear”—but I had no intention of using the same magic in return. Partly because I lacked the magic power and stamina, but also because I no longer needed to rely on it.
What I chose was to retreat. To fall back a little, even while on my knees. That was all.
With just that, the black mist, right before engulfing me, split vertically in two.
The one who erased it with his “Swordsmanship,” which cuts through anything, was none other than the True Knight I now relied on more than anyone.
“Do you think I’d just stand by and watch my master get hurt?”
Rainer stood before me. Noir, with a reluctant air, followed suit, facing Noi.
They had been standing by in a state of constant readiness. This way, they could immediately intervene if Noi made a move first.
Noi seemed genuinely irritated by the interference of the knight, Rainer. However, her expression changed and she began to show genuine fear the moment Rainer pointed the tips of his twin swords at her. Fear and sadness were added to her eyes, a mixture of various emotions, and her voice trembled.
“H-huh… You’re pointing your swords… your magic… at me. Not to protect, but to kill me, this me…”
Noi was trying to regain her original composure and strength.
Frankly, the Noi, who had been blinded by rage earlier, was easier to handle. Before she reverted to her unmanageable self, I tried to pull her back into the conversation, but—
“No, Noi. Rainer is just trying to protect us—”
“Ah, again. I’m just angry at the Contract breaker… and again, I’m the one being hated. Why? Why am I always right, always doing my best… and hating conflict so much… why am I the one who’s hated? …I-I’m scared. I’m afraid of all the enemies of world peace. Scared, scared, scared…”
But my voice didn’t reach her.
She probably no longer saw me as another person. Ignoring me, who was less than a whole person, Noi kept muttering to herself, only gazing at her own wishes and a distant future.
“I hate painful books… I’ve already said I just want happy stories… But why is it like this? Why won’t a prince come for me? Ah, I hate it… I hate pain. I hate getting tired any more than this. I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it…!”
In the end, she threw a tantrum by herself. No one could reach her anymore, and I couldn’t calm her down in her frightened state. I was certain of this because I had been in the same boat.
Terrified, Noi offered an awkward, forced smile, and then chose the most peaceful and safe future.
“…Let’s start over. Let’s pretend today never happened. That’s for the best. Yes, that’s the best. S-so… —Black Shift Field.”
More black mist overflowed with a *gurgling sound*. It crudely painted over the crimson light of the 100th Floor and the shallows with a flat, black hue.
This encompassed not only space but also conceptual time. It was attempting to paint over “today,” the day of the Final Festival, and make it as if it “never happened.”
As if a bucket of black paint had been overturned, the expansion of the *gurgling sound* was rapid. Furthermore, it was thick and humid, as if it had seeped through to the back of the canvas. I could easily imagine a future where the entire ground, from one end to the other, would be painted with the *gurgling sound*. After all, the power required for that was more than sufficient on the 100th Floor right now.
—Noi’s surroundings began to swirl.
The shallows and air. Then, even the large amount of magic power that I had spat out after having my magic stone stolen, Noi began to inhale it all as if taking a deep breath.
At the same time, her presence rapidly increased. Befitting her former status as “World’s Master,” she interfered with the “Magic Circle” that had been unfolding around the 100th Floor with a presence that could be mistaken for a god. She was forcefully snatching away what had previously been swirling around Noir with an even larger vortex from the side. Rainer seemed to realize that this was the magical “Levan” and a ritualistic usurpation, and immediately called out to his comrade next to him.
“Noir! Give me the magic stone and focus on that ‘Levan’!”
“————!”
Noir complied with the order and immediately rushed to pass the magic stone in his hand to Rainer, who was at the forefront. His “Speed,” enhanced by “Demonization,” was the best on the continent. He covered over ten meters in a single breath—but for some reason, he couldn’t reach Rainer, who was supposed to be only a meter away.
No matter how much he ran, the one-meter gap between them wouldn’t shrink. The reason for this phenomenon was explained by Noi.
“—Default Wall.”
She had activated an application of “Default” that manipulated the concept of distance, hidden behind the shadow of the black mist.
“I don’t think you’ll be able to reach the ‘Star Principle’ that easily… But just in case, you two will never meet again. I’m the only one who can cross that dimensional wall.”
She confessed that she had done it and elaborated on the details of the magic. Furthermore, she tried desperately to convey that she had no ill intentions, offering another unfitting smile.
“But you don’t need to worry about anything… Because I have no intention of fighting. You two are too scary. Being pointed at with swords… is too frightening, my body won’t stop trembling. So, I’ll just paint over this failed day, pull a warm blanket over myself, and retreat further in… S-so, don’t make that face? Don’t glare at me…”
“What insolence! You’re trying to destroy what we’ve all built up to this point!!”
Noi claimed that she herself was the victim and continued with tearful words, her posture low and fitting of her supposed weakness. But Rainer couldn’t accept it and, enraged, rushed forward to break through the “Default Wall.” However, Noi continued with a seemingly surrendered but actually condescending statement, implying it was futile.
“S-so… this is just ‘Default,’ right? Dimensional magic has no offensive capabilities. So, nothing will be broken. No one will be harmed. S-so… let’s ‘feel secure.’ More…”
“…………!!”
Enraged, Rainer changed direction without a word. He charged straight at Noi, intending to eliminate the caster, but he couldn’t reach her. The distance should have been only what Noi had rolled back, but no matter how much Rainer ran, it didn’t change at all. The further he advanced, the more the very space seemed to stretch like soft mochi. It was like being trapped in an optical illusion, and Rainer couldn’t move an inch from his current position. Yet, the black mist overflowing from Noi’s side approached unilaterally.
“Damn it—”
Rainer hastily slashed at the mist with his twin swords. However, his sword flash was duller than before, and it didn’t cut through everything cleanly.
I knew this would happen, but Rainer has exhausted his stamina and magic power in the previous battle.
Continuous use of true “Magic” has left him utterly drained, down to the core of his soul.
And it’s not just Rainer, but Noir and I as well.
The three of us can no longer fight properly. That’s probably why Noi, who should have been a coward, appeared.
And with our weak resistance, Noi became even more “at ease,” no longer even glancing at Rainer.
Without paying any attention to the shouted complaints, she only spoke to herself.
“W-was it no good… again? It’s all my fault again, I failed… I’m already at my limit… why doesn’t anyone understand…?”
Noi was clearly launching an unfair, one-sided attack. But there was no doubt or guilt in it.
Like me, she was deliberately “constricting” herself to her convenience.
Noi has always seen herself as a victim and justifies everything she does as self-defense. That’s why she can continue to use unfair magic as much as she wants, staring at the sky with eyes no one sees.
“Then, shall I… do the same thing as Aikawa Hidaki? U-until I can “feel safe” again and become a god like her… Kanami, today’s… — ‘I want to undo the World’.”
At the end of that, an “Incantation” was spun.
It was the first normal “Incantation” I had heard from Noi.
With words that suggested it would lead to her true “Magic,” the black mist gushing from her body intensified, and her target was firmly set on me.
And, like painting over a book titled “Today” with a thick black pen.
Everything in the 100th floor that she disliked turned into ■■■.
The sky with red light turned into a sky of ■■.
The shallows that sparkled like clear water turned into shallows that looked like ■■■■.
As it was dyed with ■■■, all of that blackness seemed to synchronize with Noi’s mind, shifting and unstably expanding and contracting.
All the surrounding ■■■ were distorted.
Though they should have been the same color, the blackness was diverse, with deep black, ink black, lead gray, and purplish black mixing together to create complex patterns.
When I fought Ragune at the “Summit” before, it felt like being trapped in a shining kaleidoscope, but this was the opposite. They felt like being trapped in a kaleidoscope overflowing with darkness.
It was overwhelming dimensional attribute magic power.
This is proof that Noi is the predecessor “Thief of the Principles of Dimensions” — the expression is no longer appropriate. To describe her, this is the proof of a true “Thief of the Principles of Dimensions.”
Compared to me, a “creation” of the Moon attribute, her purity is different. Her skill is different. Her experience is different.
Of course, I don’t think “creations” are inferior.
But that doesn’t mean “originals” are inferior either.
However, with just a single line of the current “Incantation,” Noi created a greater dimensional distortion than I could. And, from her complete safety zone, she was about to – but did not – utter the rest of the “Incantation.”
Without looking at us, she started complaining to the one who had prompted the current “Incantation.”
“…Hey. Isn’t our deal a bit too lenient? …You really haven’t changed, have you, World?”
Like Rainer earlier, she mixed “World” into the conversation.
And, unlike Rainer, she was admonishing it.
“But as you can see, the World misread it again. It was deceived by a new flow it only read a little… and failed the new transaction. …Hey, think more carefully and observe, won’t you? Do you really think those two children over there are stronger than us? Do you think they can possess god-like power? …Impossible. It’s just the momentum of the moment. There’s no guarantee, and zero safety. To be happy reading such a scribbled mistake is proof that the World is still immature.”
The more she spoke, the more the surrounding magic power gathered to Noi.
The continuation of the “Incantation” was not being performed.
However, it seemed as if she were threatening and coercing the “World” through that conversation.
“Because they’re immature children, they’re easily deceived and used… The World can’t live alone at all… and I can never “feel safe”… So, please discard this strange flow quickly, okay? You shouldn’t read dangerous things like this. You don’t know what kind of bad influence it might have. The World’s death is humanity’s death… so let’s be more careful about the books we read, okay? Let’s create a flow full of more “safety” and “happiness,” shall we? …Hey, am I saying something wrong? There’s no one more worried about you than I am…?”
Everything about her was the same as me, and it was starting to become a little tiresome.
Noi didn’t trust the “World” at all and looked down on it.
The earlier statement, “There’s no way I can believe it,” and “not even worthy of being alone,” included the “World” she was currently living in.
And, from her appearance, I was reminded of someone else.
Ragune and my mother had similar traits.
They try to keep their children from leaving the nest and continue to control them. They threaten, deceive, and force unfair transactions on those they are related to by blood without hesitation. They have no moral resistance to it.
Immediately, I shouted towards the overflowing mist of ■, reaching out to the World beyond, “Noi, that’s wrong! For these past two months, I’ve been interacting with the ‘Original World’… no, with the World.”
As I recalled, I separated the appellations for convenience.
The “Original World” for me was he.
This “Another World” was her.
“When I spoke to the World on a whim, there were times when it felt a little like… a friend. A sensation I never had a thousand years ago. As Rainer said, the World is also growing, little by little.”
“G-growing…? Are you serious? It’s not a person, you know? It is the World itself! A being of a higher dimension like this, how could it grow like a person?”
“Noi, do you really think you’re a being of a higher dimension? …Your desire to save your world might be genuine. But, like me, something is definitely off. As a ‘Thief of Principles,’ don’t you feel that you’ve moved away from your original wish? Will the ‘Noi’s World’ that you want to save truly be saved with that method?”
I couldn’t believe that Noi’s desired future would ever arrive if she continued to “constrict” herself alone like this.
However, the warning seemed to have hit a nerve with her, and her agitation only accelerated.
“I-I’m moving away from my wish…? W-w-where? Don’t say anything that will make me more anxious…! Two months ago, we agreed that our wish was “safety” and “happiness,” didn’t we!? To continue watching the “Dream” we’ve always admired is undoubtedly our wish! That’s why I want to “feel safe” and quietly, forever… I’m going to rest now! I’m entering my slumber, so don’t call me! Stop calling my name over and over again! Kanami, we had a contract that you wouldn’t call me Noi anymore, didn’t we!?”
Noi called my name, trembling, enraged, despairing, as if crying.
As if to further prove our final separation, she unleashed a genuine magic attack towards me, whom she had come to hate.
“Ah, that contract too. That, and everything else, all of it… all, all, all! ‘Let it cease to be’! ‘Let it cease to be’! ‘Let it cease to be’!! –《Black Shift》!!”
As if Noi’s words had taken form, a dark, distorted mist advanced towards us like flowing clouds.
It was a desperate and destructive magic that would paint over all things in oblivion. I absolutely couldn’t afford to be hit by it.
However, we had just finished a fierce battle on the 100th floor and had absolutely no remaining energy to counter. In contrast, Noi was in peak condition. Perhaps due to her natural inclination to conserve her strength, her stamina and magic power showed no signs of depletion.
The difference was stark.
There was nothing we could do.
Alone and unable to move, I would undoubtedly be overwhelmed and defeated. Therefore, I completely gave up—
I completely abandoned the idea of fighting myself.
“Rainer! You don’t need to push yourself! Aid! Focus solely on Aid and rely on him!”
I urged Rainer, who was in front of me, to “rely on him.”
It was a sudden and baseless command, but Rainer acknowledged it as a knight.
“…Ah, aah! Please, Professor! –Magic (King Falls to Earth)!”
A pale, verdant barrier began to form around Rainer.
If it were true “Magic” that could fix the entire space, it would easily fill this 100th floor. However, the range was extremely limited due to the caster Rainer’s magic power and compatibility. The circular barrier spanned a mere ten meters in radius.
Yet, it included the three of us. After confirming that a small, yet solid, homeland had been constructed to protect us, I shouted to Noir.
“Noir! Rely on Rouge and concentrate on the ground beneath your feet to regain the flow!”
I could sense that the shallow waters, covered by the dark mist, were rapidly changing. I couldn’t let that flow continue unchecked, so I also urged Noir to “rely on her.”
“…! Rouge, can you hear me!? –Resonance Magic (Water Vortex)!!”
Noir felt a slight dissatisfaction with my instruction. However, seeing me unable to stand out of the corner of her eye—and perhaps feeling slightly better at the prospect of a plea rather than an order—she chose to rely on her family as instructed.
Then, through her water-manipulating magic 《Water Vortex》, the flow of the shallow waters heading towards Noi shifted slightly.
Of course, merely manipulating physical water would not change the conceptual flow of this 100th floor. However, the manipulation of flow and water-attribute magic were deeply connected, and it undoubtedly assisted in that imagery.
Thus, I felt Noi’s surrounding magic power weaken slightly beyond the pitch-black mist. Seeing Noir’s magic power gradually being replenished, I became confident that there were still ways to break through.
Currently, I have neither “Future Sight” nor “Purple Thread.” All I can do is cast words from behind everyone. But—
“Both of you, take one step back… You don’t need to counter this black mist. There’s no need to combine magic stones either. As long as we are connected by the ‘True Thread,’ we’ll be fine. –Noi is not our enemy.”
Indirectly, I declared with certainty that we would win.
Rainer and Noir, who had been glancing back, were slightly surprised by my uncharacteristic assertion. It was only natural, as I had always appeared anxious, repeatedly urging them to “not be careless” and “not let their guard down.”
However, I genuinely had confidence. I had known this from the beginning. I had already been taught this during the “Dance Battle Tournament.”
From Rustiara, whom I loved, I learned, “It’s stronger to fight by looking with your eyes, without relying on dimensional magic or overthinking.”
From my best friend, Rowen, I learned, “What’s important in battle isn’t magic power, but the unity of mind and body.”
Because of this, I felt no despair. I didn’t feel like I would lose either.
Now, I had lost the magic stones I had gathered over two years, and my magic power and level had been drastically reduced. The “Plan” I had spent two months on had crumbled, and the ceremony I had been concentrating on all day had been stolen. My body was no longer a “Magic Lifeform,” and the strengths of a “Half-corpse” had been severed.
Furthermore, I had exceeded the limits of my willpower and stamina. My condition was the worst it could be; I couldn’t even hold a sword, let alone use magic, and kept my hands and feet pressed into the ground.
—All that remained was the power of my own “Thief of the Principles of the Moon.”
Thanks to this, I could no longer see extraneous things. With no extraneous power, I had no extraneous thoughts. The path of having to rely on everyone was the only one left, and it felt incredibly easy to walk.
Ah, that’s right… This is easy to walk… I realize I’m more suited to this than a lonely god…
Originally, my personality wasn’t suited for fighting on the front lines. I perform better with solid companions at the front rather than fighting alone. The situation where I can calmly stay at the center of the battle and issue instructions to the party while surveying the surroundings is where I demonstrate my greatest strength. I had already confirmed my true aptitude for this during my time as Guild Master, before the “Dance Battle Tournament.”
It was precisely because I reflected on my own life that I could be sure of what suited me. It was a completely obvious realization.
After all, what I have loved since I was a child… were role-playing games, where I would sit in front of a display showing fantasy characters, holding a controller and issuing commands to fight, without moving. My sister and I would spend hours shoulder-to-shoulder in dark rooms, wanting to replay the current situation. No matter how many times we got a “GAMEOVER,” we would start over without giving up. This purity, this mastery, this experience—no one could surpass it. —And when I understood the source of my confidence, it felt as if I had glimpsed the flow towards victory.
Perhaps the boss, enveloped in black mist, sensed it too. Our eyes met, and seeing the confidence on my face, she hesitatingly added,
“…! Well, well… It’s already my complete victory, but maybe I should use that? 《Overwrite》 of 《Black Shift》… the one Kanami confirmed… That’s not an attack either, just overwriting it with something better…”
Noi prepared her next attack, still trying to disguise her words as not being an attack. However, contrary to her declaration of victory, her body began to move away. Perhaps unconsciously, by strengthening her “Default,” she tried to retreat from the three of us, enclosing herself in a further safe zone.
The dark mist increased as if further frightened, accelerating Liner’s erosion and conquest of the “Song of the Living Red Light.”
Simultaneously, to snatch “Levan” from Noir, they attempted to regain the flow of the shallow water at their feet.
Before me, two precious companions groaned in pain.
“Damn it—”
“It’s… tough…!”
But I believed in them.
Furthermore, I asked for more.
“Liner, Noir. I know it’s painful, but believe in me and hold on a little longer… From now on, I will complete my true ‘Magic.’ I will follow everyone’s true ‘Magic’ so far.”
Frankly, the “Final Festival” ritual was already a mess.
The construction of “Magical Beings” had failed, and our bodies were in tatters.
We had no control over “Levan” on the continent and couldn’t even use a proper spell.
However, that is precisely why.
I believed that “Magic” would reach its completion now, in this situation that suited me the most.
No, perhaps it wasn’t complete.
It was neither a failure nor incomplete.
Because Yunagi-chan had taught me all the answers, not out of despair, but out of hope…
And that “Magic” had continued continuously…
Just as there is “Magic” that continues after death, there is “Magic” that continues unconsciously.
Therefore, from that day on, that dream-like “Magic” had been ongoing.
—I am now, here, bringing that “Magic” to a close.
As I thought that was the accurate expression, the two before me responded.
“Ah, understood… Continue, Lord. In that respect, you are more suited than I am. Everyone may be able to wield your power, but you are the only one who can wield everyone’s power…!”
“That’s why we’ve been saying for a long time that it’s about suitability! Getting rid of troublesome women like that is your only specialty, isn’t it!? Hurry up!”
I was happy.
I felt the most “reassured” I ever had, though I felt bad for the anxious Noi; this was the right path.
This path was easy to walk, and Liner and Noir were with me.
Of course, it wasn’t just these two.
It wasn’t only everyone.
If I were now, even with the self I hated—
“Ragune, cooperate. Complete the ‘Moon,’ not the ‘Stars.'”
I requested her help, needing her, calling out her name though she wasn’t here.
She was the last “Thief of Principles” who had not sided with Liner in the previous battle.
I sought advice from the professional of the “Moon,” who had gone ahead of me.
The “Song of the Living Red Light” was now completely blocked by Noi’s “Black Shift” and had completely ceased.
Perhaps it was because Liner’s magical power and stamina, which had been connected, had reached their limit. The “Black Threads” in my body also stopped trembling after I admitted defeat.
However, she alone was special.
—”…Well. You’re using my face without permission.”
I heard phantom voices.
Of course, it was a phantom hearing.
I was just guessing what Ragune would answer and believing it.
Just like Fafnir at the end.
If he could do it, why couldn’t I?
Ragune Kaikuola was my “Moon,” my true other half.
Therefore, it was incredibly easy to perfectly reflect what I would say and how she would reply.
I also visualized Ragune standing next to me as I knelt. Unlike the adult Ragune in knight’s attire over there, this one was in the familiar attendant’s uniform from her heydays.
“Let’s recreate the ‘Incantation’ in front of the ‘Mirror’ our way. Anew, so that Noi over there can also be saved.”
I acknowledged Ragune as one of the bonds I had built, and then asked for her help.
Then, I heard a familiar scolding.
—”Ah, suspicious. Saving enemies even now? You’re as awful as ever.”
I understood.
We understood each other perfectly in life, so I could only agree.
“Yeah, it is pretty suspicious… Because you and I never believed in the words ‘everyone together.’ We never believed in a future where victory could be achieved with bonds alone… Repeating ‘believe, believe, believe’ was actually suspicious… and I hated it.”
In that past, when we had not yet died, we doubted, resented, and cursed everything. However, now that we are dead—
“Still, if I don’t save them, won’t I ‘regret’ it? After all, Noi is one of our possibilities. It’s the same reason you were fixated on Nosfy.”
—”………Ahhh— really the worst… But I’ve already confessed that I hate that kind of thing but like it. Sigh…”
Ragune, on the verge of death, said it was a curse, but also a blessing.
This is the same.
Including whether this phantom hearing was real or fake.
Whether to like or hate is decided by oneself, and oneself alone.
Believing that Ragune’s “Reversal” was also a “Blessing”—
I heard the continuation of her dying words, albeit phantomly.
—”Kanami’s Older Brother. Our ‘Incantation’ undeniably ‘cannot even exist in the world.’ However, an old ‘Incantation’ that only resents such a world is not fitting for a new era, so let’s join the currently popular ‘everyone together’ trend.”
That somewhat casual, yet core-hitting voice was very nostalgic.
On top of that, Ragune mentioned a name that wasn’t here.
—”More importantly, you should adapt to the young lady. Even if it ‘contradicts,’ don’t you want to like the word ‘believe’ at the end, like the young lady?”
Ragune may have been “Knight Fafnir’s Lord.”
But before that, she asserted that she was also “Lord Rustiara’s Knight” and then pleaded with me.
—”This is not some “Magic” we’ve given up on reaching somewhere in our hearts, like our ‘Dream.’ Like the ‘Lingering Desire’ of the ‘Thieves of Principles,’ fulfill the “Magic” that cannot be abandoned even in death… —Lastly, we believe in our own ‘Magic.'”
I felt as if I had heard the essence of “Magic.”
I felt as if a missing piece of myself that had been bothering me was finally filled.
Heeding the advice from that self I hated, I whispered towards the darkness that filled these 100 floors.
“—’I too, love the world’—”
Like Noi, it was only the first line.
However, it was the opposite of Noi’s.
It was a blessing to the world, not a curse.
Of course, this was not just for the world beyond the darkness.
It was also for Rustiara, who was watching with that world.
And for everyone that Rustiara believed in.
I matched the rhythm, wanting to resonate with “everyone together.”
Turning the “Last Page” of Aikawa Uzunami.
