Crackling and burning like a campfire, it was indeed the home where we lived.
A small crowd was starting to gather around the house. If things continued like this, it was only a matter of time before Valt’s guards showed up too.
I had to take Maria and leave this place immediately.
I had no lingering attachment to the burning house.
All I needed to do was act quickly.
That should have been enough, but――
The girls in front of me made me hesitate.
Maria, staring at us with vacant eyes.
And behind her, Arti, whose body was half transformed into flames, floating in the air.
Neither of them seemed approachable.
But standing here frozen wouldn’t solve anything.
I stepped forward and called out to Maria, who stood before the blazing house.
“M-Maria… Let’s go. Whatever happens, let’s just get away from here…”
Time was of the essence. First, I needed to urge her to move.
However, upon hearing my words, Maria, with her vacant eyes, murmured in a small voice.
“This is mine now… forever mine. All that’s left is Master…”
Her response didn’t sound like she understood what I said.
Maria muttered and glared at us. Then, as she tried to step forward, the girl next to her, Arti, stopped her.
Arti whispered something to Maria. Maria then became quiet, looked down, and continued muttering in a small voice.
Seeing this, I judged that Arti was the problem. I turned my gaze not to Maria, but to Arti.
Arti, sensing my stare, replied with a smile.
“――Welcome, Explorer Christ. This is the tenth floor. The domain of Arti, the Thief of Principles of Fire. I apologize for the rushed and improvised setup, but you can consider this hilltop as the tenth floor of the labyrinth. And, belatedly, I intend for you to undergo the ‘Tenth Ordeal’.”
As she spoke, Arti made an ostentatious bow.
Her gesture reminded me of a Guardian from some time ago.
She had the same smile and attitude as the unreasonable and selfish Teeda.
“Arti, you… You did this?”
“That’s right. I enticed Maria, lured her here, and created a situation favorable to me.”
“……!”
The moment Arti confirmed it, I felt as if the world had turned upside down.
Surely, somewhere along the line, I had started to trust this being called Arti.
Therefore, being betrayed by that trust, I was more shocked than I had anticipated.
Still in shock, I drew my beloved sword from my Inventory and shouted.
“Arti…! Why!? You’re a Monster… but still, we could talk! I thought we could understand each other! In the end, are you an enemy too, like Teeda, Arti!!”
I shouted as I advanced on Arti.
Seeing me approach, Arti gestured with her chin towards my rear.
“Yes, like Teeda. But are you sure it’s wise to approach so carelessly?”
I wasn’t so foolish as to be drawn to look behind me. In front of an enemy, looking away was out of the question. However, due to the nature of my magic, I could confirm my surroundings with a casual glance.
And at the tragedy that unfolded behind me, I held my breath.
“Apostle Sis, you’re a bit too much—”
With those words, Palinkron slashed Diya’s torso from below with his sword as she was chanting a spell.
Fresh blood splattered, staining Rustiara and Radiant.
Diya had likely been preparing to cast magic at the hostile Arti. Seeing this, Palinkron next to her had attacked the defenseless Diya. The blow deeply cleaved through her from her waist to her shoulder.
Her position was bad.
And most importantly, their relationship was bad.
Among them, only Diya didn’t know Palinkron well. Unaware of his chaotic personality, she was completely unsuspecting.
Furthermore, Palinkron was about to attack Diya with a counter-slash.
If this continued, Diya would die.
I immediately changed direction and tried to return, but it was too late.
However, Hein’s sword, which was nearby, blocked the deadly blade. Radiant, carrying Diya and Rustiara, leaped far away. She seemed to prioritize their safety.
But Hein, overexerting his exhausted body and positioning himself precariously, stumbled from the impact of Palinkron’s sword. Seeing this opening, Palinkron mercilessly swung his sword horizontally. The deadly blade sliced through Hein’s body.
“—!”
Hein kicked Palinkron away to create distance, his side gashed open.
Only then did I return to the rear and draw my sword, positioning myself between Palinkron and Hein.
“Palinkron! You!!”
“Heh, I’m not the one fighting Christ, big brother. Didn’t you hear? He’s about to receive the Guardian’s ‘Ordeal.’ I’m just playing with the masters for now.”
Palinkron laughed at my desperate state.
Immediately after, Arti unleashed an arrow of fire.
I twisted my body and dodged it.
In my line of sight were Arti, full of fighting spirit, and Maria, full of madness, both focusing on me.
I calmly and quickly analyzed the current situation.
The clear enemies were Arti and Palinkron.
It was highly probable that the manipulated Maria would also become an opponent.
On the other hand, we were five people.
However, most of them were utterly exhausted or severely wounded.
Rustiara had little MP left due to the ritual’s effects and was in the worst physical condition. She wouldn’t be able to move effectively.
Diya, from the previous attack, was bleeding profusely and her consciousness was fading. Rustiara, next to her, was desperately casting healing magic, but the magical light was weak and the effect was not promising.
Hein also couldn’t fight any longer. Without a doubt, Hein had fought the most today. Having been stabbed in the abdomen by Palinkron, he was clearly nearing his limit.
Only Radiant had not suffered serious damage. The limbs I had torn were healed. If I lent her a sword from my Inventory, she could contribute to the fight. However, that would leave the two on her back defenseless.
Then—
Having finished analyzing the situation, I raised my voice.
“Radiant, take the two of them and escape first! Rustiara, please continue to look after Diya! Hein, escort them! I’ll be fine here alone! This is my problem!”
If anything happened to Diya and Rustiara, all would be in vain. For now, my priority was to get them away.
“What—!? Christ, I will fight!”
Rustiara shouted while casting healing magic on Diya. But after shouting, she immediately clutched her head and swayed. It was clear she couldn’t fight effectively. Her presence alone was a hindrance. Honestly, if Palinkron took her hostage, it would be a terrible situation.
Hein, with a grimace as if he had eaten a bitter bug, glared at Palinkron and silently ran towards Radiant.
Radiant, having analyzed the situation just like me, pierced my eyes with her sharp wolf-like gaze and bowed her head. Then, carrying Hein on her back, the four of them huddled together and ran off to escape.
“Sera! Wait, don’t leave Christ! Sera—!!”
Ignoring Rustiara’s plea, Radiant took everyone and departed.
And so, I alone remained, caught between the enemies.
Seeing this, Palinkron showed an impressed expression.
“A quick decision. Close to the right answer. …Sister Arti, I’ll chase after those four, but is that okay? I’m the only one who can mobilize Valt’s soldiers.”
“Yes, you may go.”
“Then, I’m off—”
As Palinkron began to run as promised, Arti called his name to stop him.
“—Palinkron.”
“Y-yes? Sister Arti. We need to hurry or we’ll lose them.”
Palinkron stopped and pointed in the direction Radiant and the others had gone.
In response, Arti slowly closed her eyes.
“May your life be blessed, Palinkron…”
Then, like a nun from a church, she offered a prayer.
“W-what? That’s not like you, Sister. A blessing?”
I was bewildered by Arti’s sudden prayer.
However, Palinkron was even more confused than I was.
“Please forgive us, who have burdened you, a mere human, with our mission. Therefore, let me pray for you, Palinkron Legacy, the last Guardian of this era…”
Leaving us bewildered, Arti prayed.
The prayer, which was out of place for the situation, enveloped the scene in silence for a few moments.
“Hahaha. I’m just doing what I want to do…”
Palinkron’s words broke the silence.
He then ran off without looking back, and Arti watched him go with a blank expression.
Thus, only Arti and I remained on the scene.
And Maria, who looked down with vacant eyes. Now there were only three of us.
Arti confirmed this too and snapped her fingers.
Simultaneously, the intensity of the raging flames increased, leaping everywhere on the hill, engulfing it in fire. It was exactly what the tenth floor of the labyrinth looked like. It was understandable why Arti called this the tenth floor, as flames surrounded us.
“Well then, let’s begin… and fulfill my vow…”
Arti murmured with a solemn expression.
I focused my “Gaze” on the two of them, preparing for the beginning.
[The Tenth Guardian] The Thief of Principles of Fire
[Status]
Name: Maria HP 107/122 MP 855/132+723 Class: Slave
Level 10
Strength 4.48 Stamina 4.02 Dexterity 2.96 Speed 2.37 Intelligence 3.97 Magic Power 6.89+34.23 Aptitude 1.52
Condition: Mental Corruption 1.98 Confusion 3.42 Memory Impairment 0.78
Innate Skill: Keen Eye 1.50
Acquired Skills: Hunting 0.68 Cooking 1.08 Fire Magic 1.52+2.00
Concurrently, I gathered information about my surroundings.
Surrounded by flames, I confirmed that there was no escape.
If possible, I wanted to catch up to Radiant with Maria alone. However, it would be difficult to escape without defeating the Guardian before me. More importantly, given Maria’s “Condition” status, it was unlikely she would follow willingly.
I glared at my enemy, Arti, and made one last confirmation.
“Arti, was this what you desired…?”
“Yes. This is my vow…”
Saying so, Arti spread her arms wide.
If this situation, this tragedy, was her vow, then—
“So, killing me was your vow… You lied to me all along, calling it ‘Fulfillment of Love’…!?”
“No, ‘Fulfillment of Love’ is not a lie. I never intended to deceive you. If Maria’s love is realized, I will undoubtedly lose my power and disappear.”
Arti and I exchanged calm replies.
“—Therefore, no matter how things unfold. Today, here, I will disappear.”
At the end, Arti stated calmly that she would die.
I couldn’t hide my agitation and blurted out my genuine question.
“…!? I don’t understand what you want to do or what you’re saying… What do you want me to do!!”
I was extremely frustrated facing a humanoid monster that didn’t seem to care about dying.
“‘Fulfillment of Love.’ I want to fulfill Maria’s ‘Sorrowful Love’.”
“‘Sorrowful Love’…?”
Arti rephrased love as ‘Sorrowful Love.’
Not understanding the difference, I asked for clarification.
“Maria’s love is a ‘Sorrowful Love’… a love with a predetermined sad ending. Our ‘Eyes’ can see that. I want to fulfill it. If I don’t, I cannot die in peace.”
“That’s why I don’t understand…! I don’t understand what you’re saying…!”
“You give up because your love is unrequited? You despair because your love has no hope? Impossible. Love isn’t like that. Love is something more desperate, something that drives you mad. If you can’t reach them, your life is meaningless. That’s why you want to die together. You want to snatch them away even if it means killing them. You can’t afford to be picky about methods. You can’t stay sane. That’s what a sorrowful love is… it’s true love!”
Arti declared this with an intensity that suggested she saw it as a profound truth, a love that was far from ordinary.
Arti’s expression changed as she spoke. Her usual blankness broke, her face contorting as if expelling the passion within her.
I took a single step back from her intensity.
As I retreated, Arti continued speaking.
“Maria has the right to fulfill her ‘Sorrowful Love.’ More than anyone…”
Arti gently stroked Maria’s head, her expression softening.
Every movement of her hand conveyed her affection for Maria.
Undoubtedly, Arti cared for Maria more than anyone—more than I did. It was clearly visible.
Arti’s expression turned serious, and she glared at me.
“Therefore, Christ, today, here, you will become Maria’s. Even if it means eternal union through death… I will gladly see it fulfilled! And then, I too will disappear. Even if the three of us die here, I will be content with that…!!”
Arti stated it clearly.
She intended to make me Maria’s.
That was her objective and the ‘Ordeal.’
She had prepared this stage for that purpose.
Yes, she stated it clearly.
“For… for something like that…? Is that why you made Maria like this…?”
I didn’t want to accept it.
I didn’t want to accept Arti’s objective, her methods, or this stage.
Right now, I couldn’t stand anyone manipulating someone’s heart for their own convenience. And Arti’s methods were precisely that.
“For something like that…? Yes, for something like that. In my life, I couldn’t even do something like that. That’s a deep regret! Even if I tear my throat or rip open my chest, this agonizing regret continues to torment me! I couldn’t do anything back then; I was left behind! My beloved must have found happiness with someone else, unaware of me! I regretted that until the day I died! I regretted it until death, and I still regret it even after death! That’s why I will make it happen! Through Maria, this time, my sorrowful love will also be fulfilled!!”
Arti made the flames burn fiercely, expressing the emotions within her.
“For such a selfish thing!! Don’t involve Maria! Solve it yourself! That’s no justification for messing with someone’s heart!”
However, no matter what emotions lurked within Arti, Maria was not involved.
I absolutely could not accept Arti trying to make Maria deal with her emotional baggage.
I looked at Maria.
She was looking down at the ground with vacant eyes, muttering.
Like the skill ‘???’, manipulating someone’s heart is the one thing I cannot forgive…!
“I simply helped Maria’s heart become honest… This is the truth. I just showed her her true desire, the true flame of her love! This is her true form!!”
“That’s what you call messing her up! Who says everyone has to be honest all the time!”
The discussion was over.
It was just a petty argument now.
Denying each other, both Arti and I were converting the emotions within us into magic and constructing spells.
We both knew that battle was unavoidable.
I completed my magic first.
I thrust my sword forward and unleashed the spell.
The absolute best, which I had held back even during the rescue of Rustiara.
The true magic of winter.
I deployed winter across the entire fiery hill, and the range of my sword extended with dimensional magic.
A double magic circle was constructed, and magical snow fell upon the raging inferno.
The world of winter overlaid the world of fire—
“After all… after all! You’re just like Teeda!! You’re an enemy, Arti! —Magic ‘Dimension – Decisive Calculation’, Magic ‘Dimension Winter’!!”
In contrast, Arti began to envelop Maria with gentle magic overflowing from her hands.
A pillar of fire, glowing fantastically in colors that were neither red, yellow, nor blue, rose above their heads. The ascending fire scattered in the sky, raining down fiery snow.
“Christ, you remind me of the past! The past! Your resemblance brings back memories of days gone by! Only by defeating you will my sorrowful love finally be fulfilled! —Magic ‘Flame – Decisive Fire Zone’, Magic ‘World of Scorching Heat’!!”
In the overlapping worlds, red and white snow fell.
They were strikingly similar.
Their ultimate secret techniques were, curiously, the same type of magic.
I didn’t know the reason. It was a coincidence that couldn’t be explained by mere chance, but now was not the time to think about it.
I felt Arti’s special magic approaching from its heat waves and increased my vigilance.
Of course, I was constantly disrupting it with Magic “Dimension Winter.” However, with Arti’s immense magic power, it was utterly useless.
“Come on, wake up… Maria. Soon, your love will be fulfilled. You will be happy.”
Arti whispered in Maria’s ear.
Slowly, Maria raised her downcast face and looked at me. Her eyes were vacant. Worse than when she was a slave. Her eyes held the despair of everything.
I glared at Arti, who was likely the cause of this.
Arti, burning with the flames of madness, glared back at me and murmured.
“Let’s go, hero. Regret not choosing the girl—until the day you die.”
“Mind your own business, monster. —Regret it alone, and disappear alone.”
With that, I charged forward.
Now.
The ‘Tenth Ordeal’ by the Thief of Principles of Fire had begun.
