Chapter 2: The Reborn Special Missions Annex

Thus, to save Re=L, to uncover Albert’s truth, Glenn once again donned the gear of the Special Missions Annex.

The day after Cyrus and his group appeared at the academy—early in the morning, when the sunlight had yet to fully rise, in the cold, dark chill.

In his room at the Arfonia estate, Glenn was preparing the various issued equipment.

A handgun, a military knife, steel threads, throwing needles inscribed with runes, various magic crystals, assorted scrolls… and so on.

Against his will, as he equipped the mage’s gear, each item he put on seemed to weigh down his soul, tainting it. The murky emotions and sensations from his military days resurfaced, clinging to Glenn’s entire being like sludge, as if corroding his heart.

(It’s fine… I’ll be fine…)

Taking a deep breath and listening closely, he could hear the voice of a certain silver-haired girl resonating in his chest.

Closing his eyes calmly, he felt the presence of countless students watching over him.

—I’ll be fine.

Having finished his preparations, Glenn let out a breath and slipped out of the estate as if hiding in the shadows.

 

“…Haha, how does it feel? Back in the field as《The Fool》after all this time?”

“It’s the worst. Go to hell.”

The designated rendezvous point was a desolate plaza in the redevelopment district on the outskirts of Fejite.

Glenn spat out his reply to Cyrus, who had been waiting there.

“We’re currently preparing to advance. Please wait a moment until we begin, Glenn《The Fool》-san. If you’re bored, care to take a look around?”

Though not exactly prompted by Cyrus’s words, Glenn surveyed the plaza around him.

The first thing that caught his eye was the presence of several Hræsvelgrs.

Hræsvelgrs were giant avian magical beasts. Resembling swans with their elegant forms, they had dazzling decorative feathers and the ability to manipulate wind with their wings.

[T/N: Hræsvelgr is a giant in Norse mythology who takes the form of an eagle]

The military tamed them for various purposes.

(These Hræsvelgrs… if I’m guessing right, they’re not for aerial combat. They’re for transporting soldiers and supplies, aren’t they?)

That made sense. Gathered here, working busily, was a small unit of about twenty mages—likely elite mages handpicked from the regular members of the Imperial Court Mage Corps.

They were currently dividing tasks, loading supplies necessary for a long march onto the Hræsvelgrs.

Among these mages was Illia, dressed in the formal attire of the Special Missions Annex.

She was probably the chief manager overseeing this unit’s operations. Issuing crisp orders to the mages, she seemed fully focused on preparing for the mission.

Glenn wanted to talk to Illia, an old acquaintance, to gather information, but she didn’t seem approachable right now.

Then, feeling a gaze on his back, Glenn turned around…

(!)

There stood the three unfamiliar Special Missions mages from yesterday, staring at him from a distance with blatantly displeased and unconvinced expressions.

(…Yare yare. Not exactly welcomed, am I?)

Well, if they knew anything about the circumstances of Glenn’s departure from the military, that reaction was understandable.

Coward, weakling, third-rate, traitor—it wasn’t hard to imagine the insults hurled his way.

That aside.

It seemed the plan was to transport the entire force to their destination using the Hræsvelgrs.

(To mobilize a unit like this just to take down one man, Albert… and to deploy six precious Hræsvelgrs? The military’s higher-ups are clearly serious.)

As Glenn sighed and assessed the situation…

“—!?”

Suddenly, his eyes caught sight of Re=L, who had been taken yesterday, bound on a stretcher and being loaded onto a cargo-carrying Hræsvelgr.

“Re=L!”

Unable to hold back, Glenn rushed toward her.

“Are you okay!? They haven’t done anything weird to you, have they!?”

“…G-Glenn…?”

She seemed conscious, at least for now. Re=L’s eyes, even sleepier than usual, barely moved to look at Glenn.

“Hey… where… are they… taking… me…?”

“Don’t worry about it! Just rest! I’ll definitely save you! So just sleep! It’s gonna be okay, trust me!”

“…Mm… I… trust…”

Perhaps reassured by Glenn’s words, Re=L, who had seemed faintly anxious, slowly closed her eyes… and fell back into a deep sleep.

“…Damn it.”

All Glenn could do was watch as the mages carried Re=L away.

“My, my… I’m terribly sorry for how this has turned out, Glenn-san.”

Cyrus approached Glenn, speaking in an overly apologetic tone.

“However, we’ll take special care with Re=L-san’s condition. So please, don’t worry.”

“You. Ever wonder why you’re so unpopular with women? Wanna get punched? Huh?”

Glenn grabbed Cyrus by the collar, glaring at him fiercely.

“Just spit it out already. What the hell are you planning to use Re=L for in that state?”

“Hm? I told you, she’s a hostage. We can’t have you running off, you know.”

“Run off? Like I’d do that! You’ve got her Sefirot Map in your hands!”

“Even so, it’s just a precaution. We’re in a situation where we need all the help we can get. Is it so strange to take every measure to ensure success?”

No matter how many times Glenn asked, Cyrus stuck to the same story. And as long as Cyrus held Re=L’s Sefirot Map, Glenn had no right to defy him.

“If anything happens to Re=L… I swear, in the name of the ‘Mage Killer’, I’ll kill you.”

Glenn hated himself for being reduced to such pathetic barking.

“Hahaha… It’ll be fine, I promise. I swear we won’t do anything to harm her. After all, she’s our comrade, and trust is the lifeblood of any deal, right?”

Comrade? Trust? Who was he kidding? Just shut that filthy mouth already.

Cyrus Schumacher… Yes, this man was filthy.

Everything about him reeked of deceit. Untrustworthy. Behind that saintly smile swirled something vile and dark, enough to make one nauseous. And he didn’t even bother hiding it, reveling in the wariness of others… That’s the kind of man he was. No wonder women steered clear.

But saying that wouldn’t change anything. With a click of his tongue, Glenn moved on to confirm what he needed to know.

“…Re=L’s life support is secure, right?”

“Yes, absolutely. Since yesterday, Illia has been in charge of Re=L’s life support and medical care. You know her abilities, don’t you?”

“…Yeah, that’s right.”

Glenn muttered, digging through old memories.

“Illia《The Moon》… She’s… a master of medical magic, on par with《The Martyr》. Honestly, she’s pretty useless in combat, but as rear support, there’s no one more reliable.”

“Exactly! With her handling Re=L’s care, everything’s under control. And you confirmed it yourself, didn’t you? Cecilia-san set up that mana supply life-extension spell.”

Indeed. That was yesterday, when Cyrus and his group had taken Re=L.

Before Re=L was forcibly taken, Cecilia, at the very least, had used contagious magic to construct a spell array on the spot, enabling remote mana supply. This allowed mana to be sent to Re=L from the infirmary where she’d been resting, even across great distances. Right now, Re=L here and the infirmary were connected by an invisible spiritual link transcending space.

At the academy’s infirmary, after Cecilia finally collapsed from overwork, Celica had taken over controlling the remote mana supply array. The students were taking turns pouring mana into it, sending it to Re=L.

“Man, Cecilia-san is incredible. To think she could set up a remote mana supply array in such a short time… She’s definitely someone the military would love to have.”

“Why don’t you try asking her? You’ll definitely get rejected.”

“Hahaha, probably. Being a hopeless bachelor is tough, isn’t it?”

Cyrus smoothly deflected Glenn’s sarcasm.

“But I don’t get it. We told you we had life-extension measures ready for Re=L, so why go through all that trouble, putting such a burden on the students?”

“Hah! Who’d rely on you bastards? Besides, the students themselves wanted to take on Re=L’s life support. You’ve got no right to complain.”

Though he snapped back belligerently…

Glenn was quietly mulling over a critical piece of information he’d just gained.

(…“Had life-extension measures prepared in advance,” huh? So, as expected, this guy knew Re=L would collapse from Etheric Dissociation Syndrome.)

This was getting murkier by the second.

But pressing Cyrus here would likely get him nowhere. Cyrus would just dodge the question.

A military unit on an expedition would naturally carry life-extension spell measures. Cyrus could brush it off with that excuse, and Glenn had no way to dig deeper based solely on that slip of the tongue.

More importantly, there were other pieces of information he needed to probe.

“…You said Albert tried to assassinate Her Majesty, right? Tell me more about the situation.”

He’d heard the rough outline from Eve, but he wanted to hear it from Cyrus himself.

“Very well. We still have time before we deploy.”

Brushing off Glenn’s biting glare with a cheerful smile, Cyrus began to explain.

“About two weeks ago,《The Star》—Albert—was supposed to return from a certain mission but failed to do so by the scheduled time and went missing. That’s when the incident occurred.”

“Missing? Him? …What was this mission he was on?”

“Escorting a routine maintenance team to the Sealed Realm.”

At this new piece of information, Glenn couldn’t help but ask further.

“…The Sealed Realm?”

In the Alzano Empire, there existed a dark, chaotic dumping ground for everything the nation deemed untouchable: top-secret information that could shake the country, forbidden magical techniques, arcane tomes, prohibited magical artifacts, even heretic mages who’d dabbled in forbidden spells, magical criminals, and magical beasts too dangerous for human hands. This was the Sealed Realm. Built within an ancient ruin, it was the empire’s greatest magical abyss and forbidden zone.

A place where concepts of taboo and aversion were concentrated and distilled, it had become a cursed domain, forming its own otherworldly reality. Monsters and magical beasts, born from the natural embodiment of these aversions, roamed its depths. Ordinary humans who ventured inside wouldn’t escape unscathed.

(…Routine maintenance of the Sealed Realm… Now that I think about it, a little over a year ago, that bastard Jatice’s last mission before he went missing was something like that, wasn’t it? His was an investigative mission, though…)

Despite the military’s desperate search, Jatice’s whereabouts remained unknown… until one day, he suddenly returned. Using《Angel Dust》, he caused a massive incident that shook the empire, single-handedly challenging the entire nation.

And in that incident, Sera… died.

“…And then?”

Feeling an unsettling sense of coincidence, Glenn urged Cyrus to continue.

“The incident happened a week ago—Arno’s Moon, the fifth day. That night, Queen Alicia VII was working late on official duties and was returning to the Feldrado Palace by carriage. As she stepped out of the carriage in front of the palace, Albert Frazer took a shot at her. From the top of the Ferotte Great Clock Tower.”

“—!?”

A week ago—that was almost exactly when Re=L collapsed from Etheric Dissociation Syndrome.

“Fortunately,《The Hierophant》Christoph was escorting Her Majesty at the time. His quick defensive barrier thwarted the assassination attempt. But the moment the attempt failed, Albert fled.《The Hierophant》Christoph and《The Hermit》Bernard pursued him, but their opponent was《The Star》… a truly terrifying man. Regrettably, the two pursuers were swiftly defeated. Their bodies are currently at St. Bardia Cathedral, awaiting the upcoming state funeral.”

Hearing this, Glenn could only grimace and grind his teeth.

The details were too specific, all easily verifiable. He planned to have Eve confirm them later, but they were almost certainly true.

Albert Frazer had truly aimed to assassinate Her Majesty and killed his comrades.

(…Christoph… old man… No way, right? You guys… really dead? Mages of your caliber… gone just like that? I can’t believe it…)

His mood grew as heavy as lead, as if his feet were sinking into a swamp.

The faces of comrades who’d once endured hellish days alongside him faintly surfaced in Glenn’s mind… then faded away.

Paying no heed to Glenn’s anguish, Cyrus continued.

“…And so, the higher-ups, viewing the situation with utmost gravity, decided to purge and subjugate the traitor Albert Frazer. I, as the new division head, was given an imperial decree, and this subjugation force was dispatched. That’s the story.”

“…Any leads on where the fugitive Albert is?”

“Yes, the intelligence department isn’t that incompetent. We’ve tracked his movements.”

To Glenn’s half-hearted question, Cyrus replied with a smile.

“…The ancient ruin city of Mares in eastern Cantare. He’s hiding there, it seems.”

“Mares, huh?”

The ruin city of Mares, nestled in a rugged mountainous region, was an ancient city devoid of inhabitants and urban functions. Far too remote, it wasn’t a place suited for human habitation.

Moreover, Mares was very close to the border with the Rezalia Kingdom.

Whether it belonged to the Alzano Empire or the Rezalia Kingdom had long been a contentious border issue.

“…He’s holed up in a real troublesome spot. Thanks to that, we can’t send a large force. Deploying a big army to Mares would provoke the Rezalia Kingdom.”

“Hence the Special Missions Annex, hence me… a small elite team, right?”

“Precisely.”

Cyrus nodded with a smile, as if Glenn had hit the nail on the head.

Indeed, few mages knew Albert as well as Glenn did.

If the goal was to take on Albert with every precaution, it made sense to drag out a third-rate mage like Glenn.

But one thing still felt off.

(What’s with this unit’s composition…?)

Looking around again, the equipment, supplies, gear, and personnel… everything felt out of place.

(This unit… wasn’t it originally an expeditionary survey team for uncharted lands or ruins?)

It seemed hastily reorganized into a combat unit for Albert’s subjugation. They’d pulled combat mages from the corps, maintaining some of the original survey capabilities while reshaping it into a subjugation force… That was the vibe.

(And a week since Albert caused the incident… That’s way too slow for a military response incorporating Hræsvelgrs into the strategy.)

Even accounting for the need for cautious, thorough preparations against Albert, a rapid-response combat mage unit could have been formed and deployed much faster.

So why didn’t Cyrus do that?

(…Judging by this unit’s setup, they were already preparing this expeditionary survey team for some purpose and then suddenly reorganized it into a combat unit for subjugation?)

If Albert hadn’t caused the incident, would Cyrus have appeared before Re=L within a day or two of her collapse, rather than a week later?

(Damn it… Either way, it’s all just speculation. I don’t have enough to go on…)

The more information he gathered, the less sense it made, and the gloomier his mood became.

“Well, it looks like the preparations for departure are complete, Glenn-san.”

At Cyrus’s words, Glenn looked up to see the small unit, fully prepared, lined up neatly beside their Hræsvelgrs, awaiting orders.

“Shall we go, then? To eastern Mares.”

“…Hmph, do whatever you want.”

Reluctantly, Glenn climbed onto the back of a Hræsvelgr.

With the several Hræsvelgrs spreading their wings and taking to the skies, he soared through the vast heavens alongside them—

 

Meanwhile, at that same moment—

In the courtyard of the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy, with its lush green lawn and well-maintained shrubs and flowerbeds…

Eve, Sistine, and Rumia, dressed for travel, had gathered.

From the crystal ball in Eve’s hand, a window-like projection floated in the air.

It displayed the scenery around Glenn, from his perspective.

Currently, Glenn was under a temporary Servant Contract with Eve, making him her pseudo-familiar. Thus, the visual and auditory information he perceived was transmitted to Eve, who projected it here via the crystal ball.

“…Looks like they’re off. Alright, it’s about time we got moving too.”

Eve, who’d been watching the projection intently, said this and turned it off. With a composed expression, she tucked the crystal ball into her pocket, brushing back her fiery red hair.

Sistine and Rumia, flustered, took turns asking her questions.

“U-um, Eve-san…? We’re going to follow sensei and the others now, right? They flew off at an incredible speed, though…”

“H-how are we supposed to catch up? A carriage could never keep up…”

Eve sighed in exasperation at the two.

Then, abruptly, she began chanting a spell.

“《Come forth now・proud friend of the wind with wings・I fulfill our contract here》—”

As she wove complex signs with her right hand, Eve pressed it to the ground.

Glowing lines of mana shot out in all directions, swiftly forming a pentagram magical array—a summoning circle.

The array blazed with dazzling light, opening a ‘gate’ in the void.

From that gate, a majestic bird emerged, flapping its wings and landing before Sistine and the others.

Adorned with brilliant crimson decorative feathers and a flowing tail, it had a sleek, streamlined form and powerful wings.

That bird was none other than—

“—A Hræsvelgr!?”

“Eve-san, you have one too!?”

“Well, yeah. This one’s been my friend since I was a kid.”

Eve, stroking the Hræsvelgr as it nuzzled her with its extended neck, spoke with a hint of pride.

“We’ll use her. Don’t worry, she’s a combat type. No way she’s losing to those transport types. Even among the military’s combat Hræsvelgrs, few can match her speed.”

Like a noble showing off a prized horse, Eve’s expression softened for a moment.

“That said, if we get too close to Glenn’s main force, they’ll definitely notice us. We’ll keep a good distance and head to the destination ahead of them. It’s gonna be a rough ride, so brace yourselves. …Come on, get on.”

“Huh? …Huh?”

“Um, Eve-san?”

Feeling an ominous premonition, Sistine and Rumia hesitated but climbed onto the Hræsvelgr’s back as urged.

And then—

“Alright! 《Fly》! Piera!”

With Eve’s command, the Hræsvelgr flapped its wings with incredible force and precision—its wings gathered, condensed, amplified, and enhanced the surrounding wind—

The moment the overwhelming wind energy reached a critical threshold…

The Hræsvelgr shot into the sky at a sharp angle with terrifying speed.

“—Kyaaaaaaaahhh!?”

Sistine’s scream was swallowed by the distant mountain skies.

 

The journey to eastern Mares, via Hræsvelgr, took two days.

Having taken off at dawn, Glenn soared through the skies with the Hræsvelgrs, crossing plains and mountains—

Relentlessly heading east, ever east.

Even in the imperial military, Hræsvelgrs were rare and valuable. The chance to ride one and enjoy the view from the sky was a rare treat, but unfortunately, Glenn was in no mood for it.

As he flew on, Glenn watched the sun rise from the east, slowly pass its zenith, tilt downward, and sink into the west.

And at sunset…

Having smoothly covered the planned route, Glenn and the subjugation team landed on the shore of a remote lakeside, far from human settlements, to set up camp and spend the night.

 

…

 

…Suddenly, I realized.

…I was in a pure white, empty world—a world of nothing.

Looking around, there was truly nothing.

The sky was white, the flat horizon was white. Only a single line separated sky from ground.

An inorganic world composed entirely of white.

“…”

Yes, there was nothing.

That… was my world.

I stood there silently, motionless, for what felt like forever.

…Sleepy. So incredibly sleepy.

I want to collapse right now, yet my body refuses to move.

And every time I grow sleepier…

Crack, snap, shatter…

My pure white, empty world… begins to fracture, bit by bit, crumbling apart.

I’m falling, little by little, into a pitch-black void where nothing exists.

My world… is breaking.

“…”

I can only watch it happen, silently, without any particular attachment.

…After all, I’m so sleepy.

Besides… this world is so utterly empty, so devoid of anything.

If it breaks and disappears, does it really matter?

“…”

Oh, I’m sleepy. Truly, unbearably sleepy.

I’m so sleepy I can’t even remember who I am anymore.

Whatever. I don’t care anymore.

There’s this overwhelming sense of loss. It feels lonely, sorrowful even.

But still, I’m just so sleepy.

I’m ready to cast aside everything in this hollow world.

And so, I gently… began to close my eyes… when it happened.

“…Is that really… okay with you?”

That voice stirred me slightly, enough to open my half-closed eyes.

“…?”

At some point—truly, I don’t know when—

A woman stood before me, her back turned.

Her blue hair, the same shade as mine, was tied back and hung down. She wore a cloak adorned with strange patterns, and at her waist hung a bastard sword with a cross-shaped hilt.

…Huh? That sword… I’ve seen it somewhere before. But I’m too sleepy to recall.

“Heh, pardon the intrusion… is that what I should say?”

Who are you?

I spoke to the woman through my hazy consciousness.

“Heh, don’t mind me. My name doesn’t matter anymore.”

I don’t understand.

“If you absolutely must call me something, hmm… how about ‘Princess’?”

Princess?

“Yeah. A friend of mine used to call me that. She was stubborn, probably meant it as sarcasm… but I kinda liked it. It’s cute, right?”

…What’s a princess doing in a place like this?

Why are you in my empty, hollow world?

“Meddling, maybe? I had a friend once who was completely oblivious to her own needs, and I couldn’t just leave her be. So… maybe that’s why.”

I don’t understand.

“Still, I’m surprised. For us to meet and talk in this world like this—it’s kind of a miracle, you know? Why do we click so well? It’s strange… Could it be that you’re connected to my soul—… no, never mind.”

…I don’t understand.

…Can I sleep now? I’m really sleepy.

“…You can’t sleep.”

Still facing away, the Princess shook her head.

“If you sleep, this world will completely shatter and vanish. …You can’t sleep.”

…? What’s wrong with that? This is just an empty, hollow world.

A world like this—it doesn’t matter if it’s here or gone. I think it’s fine if it disappears.

“…Really?”

The Princess quietly asked me.

“Is this really an empty world? I don’t think so at all. …Look closer. Strain your eyes, listen carefully.”

I don’t understand… but it feels like she said something important.

So, fighting my sleepiness, I do as she says.

And then—

 

—Re=L-chan, hang in there… You can do it…!

 

Suddenly, someone’s voice—small, faint—reached my ears.

 

—Get better, and we’ll go back to the academy together, okay?

—The teachers… they’ll definitely save you! So, please!

—Don’t give up!

 

Those voices—they multiplied, growing louder and louder.

What are these voices?

In this empty, hollow world, how could there be…?

—That’s what I thought, at that moment.

 

“Ah…”

 

…How did I not notice until now?

This world isn’t empty at all. Before my eyes, unnoticed until now, the familiar classroom stretched out before me—

“…Ah… ahh…”

My dear friends, the silver-haired girl and the blonde girl, were there.

At the teacher’s podium stood the black-haired young man who’s always by my side.

And around me were so many classmates.

They were all looking at me.

This world is filled with so many precious things—

“See? …It’s not empty, is it?”

“…Mm.”

I don’t know why, but I feel so lonely, so sad. My heart feels full to bursting.

Because this world, packed with all these precious things, is still breaking, little by little.

“Ugh… ah… no…”

Tears spill from the corners of my eyes, distorting the scenery into a blurry mess.

I don’t want this.

I—I don’t want to lose this world.

“That’s why… you can’t sleep. You have to keep going.”

“…Mm.”

“Right now, so many people are working hard to save you. So… don’t sleep.”

“…Mm.”

The Princess embraced me, gently stroking my head.

Pat, pat…

In this slowly collapsing world, she kept stroking my head, endlessly…

 

…

 

—In the dead of night, a white moon glowed eerily, like a skull hanging in the sky.

At a lakeside encampment, surrounded by a mirror-like lake and shadowy mountains,

Glenn quietly stepped into one of the several pitched tents.

There, Re=L lay on a simple cot. She had been restrained during transport for safety, but now those bindings were undone, and she rested quietly.

Glenn noticed that Re=L’s eyes were slightly open, gazing blankly.

“…Hey, you okay? You’re awake?”

“…Glen…n? Huh… where’s… Princess…?”

Noticing Glenn, Re=L stirred and turned toward him.

“How’re you feeling?”

“…Sleepy… so… tired…”

Her eyes, even more drowsy than usual, met Glenn’s as she mumbled softly.

“Gotcha.”

Glenn approached Re=L, setting something he was carrying to the side. He knelt beside her, gently stroking her head.

“…”

Re=L closed her eyes, looking content, and let him continue in silence.

After a while, Glenn spoke up.

“…Hey, I brought you some food.”

He picked up the bowl he’d set aside.

Field rations during a march are notoriously awful, but Glenn had clumsily built a fire and cooked, managing to make a porridge-like soup. He had no confidence in its taste, but he couldn’t help wanting to do something for Re=L.

“…Wanna eat? Can you eat?”

Glenn asked gently, doing his best to sound kind.

“Sorry… Glenn… don’t wanna… eat…”

Re=L opened her eyes slightly, refusing with a hint of guilt.

“C’mon, you gotta eat or you won’t keep your strength up. You’ve gotta force it down, here…”

“…”

But Re=L showed no interest.

With no choice, Glenn set the bowl aside and pulled something wrapped in paper from his pocket.

“—Aha! Knew you’d say that! So I brought this instead!”

Forcing enthusiasm, he unwrapped the paper to reveal a strawberry tart.

“Hahaha! Bet you wanna eat this, right!? How’s that!?”

But—

“…”

Re=L merely glanced at it, then lowered her eyes and weakly shook her head.

“…Ugh, damn… not even this, huh… haha, ha…”

Glenn’s trembling hands lowered the tart as well.

“W-Well… you’ll be better soon anyway. You can eat then, right? Until then, just think of it as a diet or something…”

Still trying to sound encouraging, forcing a smile, Glenn’s hand was suddenly grasped.

Re=L reached out with a trembling hand, weakly holding his.

“…Re=L?”

Glenn, confused, looked at her face.

“…Hey, Glenn… I’m… not smart, so… I don’t really get it… but… am I… gonna die…?”

“—!?”

Re=L’s whispered words struck Glenn, and he instinctively pulled her up, wrapping her in his arms, holding her head tightly to his chest.

“…Glenn…?”

“…Don’t say stupid things.”

Though Re=L couldn’t see it, Glenn’s face was contorted with anguish.

“You… you wanna stay with White Cat and Rumia more, don’t you?”

“…Mm. Wanna… stay… and play together…”

“And what about the academy? Lately… haven’t you started to kinda like it there, with the students?”

“…Mm, not sure… but being at the academy… makes me feel… kinda floaty.”

Re=L gave a faint, ever-so-slight smile.

“At first… I thought… just protect Sistine… and Rumia… but… now…? No… I don’t… get it…”

“…That’s what liking something feels like. …You don’t get it yet, huh?”

“…Like…?”

Re=L fell silent, as if pondering, then whispered.

“Like… Mm. Maybe.”

“…”

“Because… I hear… voices… everyone at the academy… telling me… to keep going… don’t give up…”

“…Re=L?”

“…And… Princess… said so… too…”

“P-Princess?”

Re=L’s words were growing incoherent.

“Hearing everyone’s voices” was bad enough, but “Princess”? That was completely nonsensical. Glenn had never heard her say that word before.

But it couldn’t be helped. Her illness must be clouding her mind, causing hallucinations or auditory delusions. There was no need to contradict her now.

“…Mm… so… I wanna go back… and be with everyone…”

“Right? Then don’t say reckless things.”

Glenn hugged Re=L even tighter, as if trying to pour life into her.

“I’ll figure something out. And it’s not just me—Sistine, Rumia… even Eve, they’re all working to save you. The academy folks are supplying Mana for you day and night. You’re connected to everyone by a lifeline… keeping you tethered to this world. They’re all doing it for you, you know? You’ll be fine. You’ll definitely be saved—”

But.

“…But… to do that, Glenn… you’re gonna fight… Albert…?”

“—!?”

Re=L’s sharp, piercing words left Glenn stunned.

“Y-You knew…?”

“Yeah… I… heard something…”

“N-No, I mean, it’s just…”

“No… I don’t want… Glenn… fighting Albert…”

Re=L continued softly, despite Glenn’s flustered reaction.

“You argue… all the time… but I think… deep down, Glenn… you like Albert… the way… I like… everyone…”

“…”

“…But… because of me… because of me…”

As she spoke, Re=L seemed overwhelmed by her own words.

Tears welled up in her sleepy eyes—

“…Maybe… I’m better off… not being here…?”

You idiot. Glenn wanted to shout, but at that moment—

Shhh! The tent’s entrance was flung open unceremoniously, the sound echoing through the air.

“Who’s there?”

Glenn turned to see three figures standing at the open entrance.

“Yo… Glenn-senpai? Or rather, Glenn, former《The Fool》.”

Leading them was the burly mage who hadn’t even been grazed by Glenn’s attack the other day.

Up close, he was surprisingly young—maybe a year or two younger than Glenn. Tall, muscular, with a rough, delinquent-like glint in his eyes shining in the dark.

“Haha, were we interrupting something? Sorry for barging in at a bad time.”

The red-haired young mage to his left said with a forced smile.

“We simply had to speak with you, our esteemed predecessor in the Special Missions Annex.”

Giggling, the blonde woman of refined age to his right spoke.

They were the ones who had tried to mercilessly fire spells at Glenn the other day, only stopped by Illia.

“…Come to think of it, senpai doesn’t know us yet, does he?”

“Then let’s introduce ourselves.”

“Tch… Fergus Stregger, Special Missions Annex Executive Officer Number 8,《The Strength》.”

The rough-looking burly mage spoke first, gruffly.

“Nicole Sorres, same, Executive Officer Number 19,《The Sun》.”

The red-haired young mage followed, introducing himself with an innocent air.

“Hehe… Likewise. Charlotte Ange, Executive Officer Number 14,《The Temperance》. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Finally, the refined blonde woman introduced herself with a gentle smile.

《The Strength》,《The Sun》and《The Temperance》. Those were numbers long vacant in the Special Missions Annex.

It seemed they were indeed new recruits who joined after Glenn left.

Honestly, Glenn couldn’t care less, but…

“How polite of you to bother with an old has-been like me. …So? What do you want?”

…When the three of them directed such a menacing aura at him, despite their words, Glenn couldn’t help but be on guard.

He knew he wasn’t exactly welcome, but their blatant hostility was starting to piss him off. Did they think he wanted to be part of this march?

Oblivious to Glenn’s growing irritation, the three rookie executives continued their insincere chatter.

“No, no. We just want to have a chat with you, our esteemed predecessor.”

“After all, we’ll be working together on missions from now on… Don’t you think we should get to know each other better?”

Nicole《The Sun》and Charlotte《The Temperance》said this with practiced politeness.

“Hey, let’s cut to the chase. Are you really as strong as they say, Glenn《The Fool》?”

But Fergus《The Strength》, diving straight to the heart of the matter, caused Nicole and Charlotte to exchange wry smiles and shrug.

“Glenn《The Fool》and Albert《The Star》… we’ve heard the rumors about you two. They say you were the Special Missions Annex’s unbeatable duo, completing countless top-tier missions, right?”

“Well, we’re military, after all. I get that they exaggerate minor victories to boost morale and prop up legends, but… isn’t it kind of annoying to still be treated like some mythical hero when you’re just a washed-up has-been?”

“Those achievements and feats of yours… no matter how you look at it, it’s obvious they’ve been embellished and outright fabricated. Don’t you find it troublesome, Glenn-sama?”

“Sure, Albert《The Star》seems like a decent enough mage based on the data, but you? You’re just a third-rate hack, aren’t you, Glenn-senpai?”

“Seriously, how did you even get into the Special Missions Annex? Backdoor connections?”

“And on top of that, you’re a coward who deserted just because a comrade died—snicker.”

“Oh, and your old partner? Now a national traitor. Yare yare, what a mess.”

For a moment, Glenn falls silent, then responds in a low voice.

“…So? What’s your point?”

“Tch, slow on the uptake, huh, senpai? We’re saying we’re gonna test your strength. See if you’re even worthy of tagging along with us.”

“The times have changed, you know? The division head’s been replaced, the old Special Missions Annex’s key players have either left or died… From now on, it’s our era—the new members’ time to shine.”

“If we take down Albert《The Star》, those military folks still singing your and Albert’s praises will finally have to face reality.”

“I mean, it’s just one guy, so there’s no way we’d lose. But if someone drags us down, there’s always the slim chance we might let him slip away, right?”

“Plus, seeing how strong you are will give us a sense of how strong that traitor buddy of yours is… So come on, humor us, senpai. Let’s have a mock magic battle. Ready when you are.”

Mockery, disdain, contempt, scorn—these emotions are plain as day on the faces of the three new Special Missions Annex members as they stare at Glenn.

“…This is so damn stupid.”

Glenn averts his gaze with a huff, turning his back on them as if he couldn’t care less.

“Like you said, I’m a third-rate mage. Hell, I don’t even know why I was in the Special Missions Annex. Sure, I teamed up with Albert a lot because our skills meshed well, but all those big achievements? That was all Albert. I had nothing to do with it.”

Then, he shrugs with an exasperated sigh.

“Our era’s over? It’s your time now? Yeah, yeah, sure, whatever. Take that ridiculous nonsense and wrap it up with a bow for all I care. I don’t want it. So go ahead, rack up your victories, churn out legends or whatever. …Not that I give a damn.”

“Hah. So that’s it, huh? You’re just running away from us. Scared that losing will tarnish your oh-so-glorious past, is that it?”

“…Oh, come on, give me a break.”

Glenn glances back over his shoulder, his irritation nearing its peak.

“My past, where I let everything I wanted to protect slip through my fingers—where’s the glory in that!? It’s already battered, scarred, and faded beyond recognition!”

“Ugh, so passive-aggressive. Acting all humble while secretly bragging, huh?”

Nicole’s taunting sneer only draws another weary sigh from Glenn.

What about this third-rate mage could possibly make them so eager to compete?

“Get lost, you three idiots. I’m busy taking care of Re=L.”

Ignoring them, Glenn turns back to tending to Re=L.

But—

“Fufu, such a kind Glenn-sama. You’re so worried about Re=L-chan, aren’t you? But… how unfortunate. Re=L-chan’s condition is so fragile, she could pass away at any moment.”

Charlotte’s giggling words hit him like a cold blade.

“—!?”

A chilling sensation slithers down Glenn’s spine, forcing him to turn around.

“Oh my, what’s wrong, Glenn-sama? You look awfully pale.”

“Listen, you bastards… if you lay a hand on Re=L, you’re dead.”

“Hmm? Whatever could you mean?”

Despite Glenn’s guttural threat, the three only smirk in response.

(Damn it… these guys…!)

It’s unlikely—almost certainly, these guys wouldn’t actually harm a weakened Re=L. That’s what he tells himself.

But the chance isn’t zero.

Honestly, Glenn knows nothing about these three, and the Special Missions Annex is strictly merit-based. People like Jatice《The Justice》or Executive Officer Number 15《The Devil》—radical, unhinged types—sometimes slip through the cracks.

It’s not impossible that, just to spite Glenn, they might actually kill Re=L.

And in this remote situation, there are countless ways to cover up the evidence.

Constantly guarding a weakened Re=L around the clock is simply not feasible.

If there’s even the slightest chance of that happening—Glenn has no choice but to take one path.

“…Fine. I get it. A mock magic battle? I’ll take you on, you bastards.”

Spitting out his resentment, he has no choice but to stand.

“…Glenn…?”

“It’s okay.”

Glenn gently pats the head of Re=L, who had been watching their exchange with faint unease.

“Tch… Let’s get this over with.”

“Haha, that’s the spirit, senpai!”

And so, Glenn is led away by the three division members, leaving the scene behind.

 

—

—Glenn follows the three mages through the dense, overgrown forest.

After a short walk, they emerge into a wide, open clearing.

The ground in the clearing smolders with heat, covered in a carpet of ash and charcoal, as if it had been scorched by magic just moments ago.

(Looks like they went out of their way to prepare a battlefield for me. How thoughtful.)

Yare yare. Glenn can’t help but let out a heavy sigh.

“Sure, it’s a mock magic battle, but we’re not some greenhorn students. We’re soldiers, right?”

Nicole says this to Glenn with a bright, beaming smile.

“Let’s make it a simulated real-combat format, based on actual battle conditions. Anything goes as long as you don’t kill. Don’t worry, we’ve got medics in the unit, so even if you get seriously injured, you’ll probably be fine as long as you don’t die. Probably.”

“…Real combat, huh.”

Glenn, thoroughly fed up, takes another look at his surroundings.

The area is completely flat, with no cover or obstacles in sight.

(…What kind of “real combat” involves fighting head-on in such an open field? This isn’t combat—it’s a damn match.)

To begin with, Glenn is utterly third-rate in straightforward magic battles like this. He’s survived this long by exploiting every aspect of his environment—ambushes, assassinations, surprise attacks, outsmarting his enemies. In short, by never fighting fair and square.

In a place like this, with no room for tactics, he’s at an overwhelming disadvantage.

He wants to just concede and say, “You win,” but he knows they wouldn’t accept it.

“…So, who’s up first? You’re not seriously planning a one-on-three, are you?”

Forcing himself to muster some enthusiasm, Glenn asks.

“Guess I’ll go first.”

Cracking his knuckles, Fergus《The Strength》steps forward to face Glenn.

Glenn sizes him up.

Tall and powerfully built, with a solid core. He looks like the type who excels in close-quarters combat.

Most likely, he enhances his physical abilities with magic and fights primarily in melee. Offensive spells are probably just a backup for when distance opens up. A common type in the modern Imperial military.

(…This guy… maybe I can take him?)

Glenn has some confidence in close-quarters combat himself. If he can use his Original Magic [The Fool’s World] to seal Fergus’s offensive spells or Black Magic activation, he might have a shot—

(But there’s no way they don’t know about [The Fool’s World]. They’ve definitely got some kind of countermeasure. Plus, that weird instantaneous movement I saw the other day…)

As Glenn hesitates, sizing up Fergus—

“What’s the holdup, senpai? Got a plan yet? Come at me, no holding back!”

Fergus, brimming with confidence, beckons him forward.

It’s a rotten situation. Fergus and the others know everything about Glenn—at least on paper—while Glenn knows nothing about them.

In a real battle, under these conditions, Glenn would absolutely choose a tactical retreat.

But to protect Re=L, he has no choice but to fight.

“Tch—Here I come!”

With a single breath, Glenn channels mana into the White Magic [Physical Boost] permanently enchanted on his body, activating its power.

This sustained enchantment, which only enhances physical abilities when mana is actively channeled, is one of Glenn’s lifelines, given his struggles with abbreviated chanting.

And then—

“Raaaaaaagh!”

Kicking off the ground with near-full physical enhancement, Glenn charges at Fergus.

His ferocious roar, brimming with resolve, signals the start of the mock magic battle.

As the scenery blurs past him like a raging torrent—

(Doesn’t matter if they know my tricks—I’ve got no choice but to do this!)

—Glenn draws The Fool’s Arcane Tarot from his pocket and activates [The Fool’s World].

Centered on Glenn, all magic activation in the surrounding area is nullified. It’s his only option.

If Fergus lands even a single one-verse offensive spell, Glenn’s chances of winning are zero.

“…Hmph? So that’s the rumored trick?”

As expected, Fergus seems to have anticipated this, remaining unfazed.

(Sorry, but—)

Undeterred, Glenn closes in on Fergus at breakneck speed, feinting a right punch—

Only to kick up the ash piled on the ground toward Fergus’s face.

“—!?”

Fergus instinctively turns his face to shield his eyes from the flying ash—

In that moment, Glenn leaps in the opposite direction of Fergus’s turn.

The distance between them, which had nearly closed, widens again.

Midair, Glenn twists his body, reaching for the pistol grip hidden behind his back—

(—I’ll end this quick!)

A spinning muzzle, a pulled trigger, the explosive crack of propellant—a lightning-fast quick draw.

The bullet fired by Glenn streaks straight toward Fergus’s leg.

There’s not the slightest hint of Fergus preparing defensive magic like White Magic [Body Up] or Black Magic [Force Shield].

This is it—Glenn’s sure of it.

He’s seized the perfect moment. No human could dodge at this timing.

(…What? For all his big talk, he’s surprisingly—)

Just as Glenn starts to feel a twinge of anticlimax—the next instant.

 

Snap!

 

Fergus’s arm moves as if teleporting, catching the incoming bullet in his hand.

“Hah, pathetic tricks. Don’t disappoint me, senpai.”

Fergus tosses the caught bullet aside and spits.

“…Wha—!?”

Faced with this unbelievable sight, Glenn can only freeze, drenched in cold sweat.

It was a sure hit. That shot was absolutely guaranteed to land.

Because when Glenn fired, Fergus hadn’t moved. The bullet’s trajectory was dead-on for Fergus’s leg. Which means Fergus reacted after the bullet was fired, saw it, and caught it.

“That just now… No way—!?”

Nowadays, a single defensive magic barrier can stop a bullet, but even so, its speed remains a deadly threat to humans.

A bullet’s muzzle velocity is typically over 300 meters per second. The propellant in Glenn’s gun pushes that to over 400 meters per second.

In contrast, human neural transmission speed is about 50–60 meters per second. Even the most highly trained superhuman can’t exceed 100 meters per second. With White Magic [Physical Boost] fully dedicated to reflex speed, one might reach 300–400 meters per second—enough to see a bullet in flight. But that exhausts the spell’s capacity, leaving no room for movements fast enough to match the bullet’s speed.

Strength, speed, stamina, reflexes, senses—balancing how much to enhance each aspect within a spell’s limited capacity is where physical enhancement magic shines.

In short, no matter how you slice it, a bullet’s speed far exceeds human reflexes. Dodging requires reading the gun’s aim and trigger pull in advance. Even Re=L《The Chariot》isn’t an exception.

(And yet, this guy—saw it and dodged…!?)

“Hahaha, what’s wrong, senpai? You look pale.”

Fergus mocks Glenn, who’s still aiming his gun, face ashen.

“Curious about my trick? Fine, I’ll let you in on it. I’ve pushed physical enhancement magic to its absolute limit… As a result, I can see at bullet speed and move at bullet speed.”

In other words, Fergus《The Strength》.

He’s a mage who’s specialized to the extreme in physical enhancement magic.

“Something no ordinary mage could ever achieve—‘total physical limit enhancement.’ That’s my Original Magic [Steel Anthem]. —Like this!”

Before Glenn can react, Fergus’s figure literally vanishes.

At the same instant, Glenn swings his pistol’s muzzle to the left—

And in that moment, a brutal impact explodes into Glenn’s left side.

Fergus, appearing at Glenn’s left, lands a devastating body blow.

“Guaaaaaaaaagh!?”

The force sends Glenn flying, tumbling spectacularly across the ground.

“Heh, not bad instincts, huh?”

Watching Glenn go, Fergus raises the fist that struck Glenn’s side, opening it. A single bullet falls from his palm.

“To think you’d try a point-blank shot at that timing… Well, the result speaks for itself.”

“—Guh!? Damn it…!?”

Using his momentum to spring back up, Glenn raises his pistol again—

Whoosh! Fergus is already gone, leaving only an afterimage.

In that instant, countless impacts erupt across Glenn’s body.

“Gaaaaaaah!?”

Fergus circles Glenn at bullet speed, raining down punches and kicks.

His figure is invisible, blurred by sheer velocity.

Glenn looks like a comical puppet, jerking and flailing alone in a mad dance.

Under a barrage of strikes from every angle, Glenn can’t even collapse.

“—Hah! Weak… Too damn weak, senpai!”

“Guhhh!?”

“You don’t need fancy tricks in a magic battle! Just crush your opponent with speed and power they can’t react to! That’s enough, right!? I’m going easy on you for now, though!”

“Gah!?”

“In a real fight, how many times would you be dead by now!? Offensive spells, Black Magic—I’ve got countless ways to kill you in one hit!”

And for the finishing blow—

“Oraaaaaaaaaaah!”

Fergus slams a full-force punch into Glenn, sending him flying.

“Gaaaaah—!?”

Glenn is blasted back, bouncing and rolling across the ground.

“Guh… pant… pant…! Cough… Hack… Ngh…!”

In just a dozen seconds, Glenn is already battered and swaying, barely able to stand.

Spitting blood, he grits his teeth and struggles to rise.

Then, at that moment—

“—!?”

Whish! Reacting to the sound of slicing wind, Glenn instinctively rolls to the side.

A split-second later, Thunk-thunk-thunk! Countless knives embed themselves in the ground where he’d been.

Each blade pulses with a nauseating “curse” so potent it makes one hesitate to even touch them.

This isn’t Fergus’s attack.

Rising with the momentum of his roll, Glenn looks toward the source of the knives—

“Haha, Fergus, that’s enough, right? You win. …Now it’s my turn.”

Standing there is the red-haired young mage, Nicole《The Sun》, smiling brightly.

“Tch… Do whatever. Man, what a letdown. So this is the legendary Glenn《The Fool》?”

With a dismissive shrug, Fergus turns away as if to say, “Fine, I’ll step back.”

Nicole, wearing a gleeful grin, steps forward to face Glenn.

“Now, senpai. You’re not gonna say something lame like ‘I give up’ after that half-hearted beating, are you? Right?”

“…!”

Wiping the blood from his forehead, Glenn turns to face Nicole.

“Cough… You wouldn’t listen even if I refused, would you? Just come at me already…”

“Yup! Don’t mind if I do! But, you know—”

In that moment.

Nicole’s smile twists into something dark and sinister—

“—I’ve already made my move…?”

—And in that instant.

The night around them seems to grow thicker, darker, heavier, as if cloaked in an illusion—

Thud. A clear sense of creeping death makes Glenn’s heart scream.

An unbelievable change overtakes Glenn’s body.

“What…!? My strength… it’s draining…!? My body feels heavy…!?”

Unable to stand, Glenn collapses to one knee.

Then, sensing the ominous pulse of mana surging above, Glenn looks up to the sky.

I hadn’t noticed until this very moment.

There—above me—a massive, dark sun glimmered black, as if it meant to obliterate the night’s darkness entirely.

To describe it as “glimmering black” feels strange, but there’s no other way to put it.

Such an eerie, unsettling sight loomed over my head.

“What… is that…!?”

“Geez, you finally noticed? Oh well, guess I’ll let you in on it!”

Perhaps pleased by Glenn’s paling expression, Nicole answered with gleeful enthusiasm.

“That’s the Black Sun—a false sun born from my Original Magic, [The Fallen Sun].”

“…Original Magic…!? A Black Sun…!?”

“I set it up here in advance, you know? You’re not gonna call that unfair, right? I told you, didn’t I? This is a real combat scenario!”

Glenn wanted to scream that no such ridiculous combat could exist, but he had no time for that. His eyes were fixed on the ominous, pulsating Black Sun overhead.

“Yeah, it’s intriguing, isn’t it? That’s a kind of barrier magic. Under that Black Sun, my enemies have their mana drained, their physical abilities and magical power restricted… In short, it’s a wide-area battlefield debuff spell, you could say.”

Nicole boasted, casually dropping something utterly outrageous.

“And unlike your [Fool’s World], which affects everyone indiscriminately—including yourself—this isn’t some clumsy spell. It can distinguish between friend and foe… Pretty amazing, right?”

“…No way.”

It’s absurd. Debuff magic exists, sure, but debuffs are fundamentally curses. That means they usually require direct contact to enchant the target. There are ways to apply debuffs remotely—like sympathetic magic or contagion magic—but those demand complex procedures and tools.

In other words, to debuff an enemy with magic, you’d need to individually apply the curse to each one through direct contact… That’s the basics.

Naturally, that’s hardly practical in combat. If you have that kind of time, you’re better off enhancing yourself or attacking directly with an offensive spell. That’s the common sense of magical warfare.

To cause such a powerful debuff across an unavoidable wide-area battlefield—and to selectively target only the caster’s chosen enemies? That’s insane. Unheard of.

“Fergus is straightforward and strong, sure, but he’s a bit too intense, don’t you think? I mean, instead of making yourself stronger than the enemy, it’s way easier to just make the enemy weaker than you, right?”

Saying this with evident delight, Nicole crossed both hands and raised them.

Shing. In an instant, countless knives materialized in his hands.

Each one was etched with a nauseating debuff curse.

A single hit from any of them would almost certainly render the target completely incapacitated in combat.

“Since your [Fool’s World] is still active on the field, I’ll play with these for now.”

“…Tch…!”

“By the way, what’s with [Fool’s World]? Sealing even your own magic? Is it literally the magic of a fool? Oh well, whatever. Let’s have some fun, senpai♪”

With a mix of amusement and disdain, Nicole began to move.

“Haa—!”

Darting swiftly to the side, Nicole hurled the cursed knives one after another.

“Kuh… Damn it!”

Dragging his increasingly heavy, mana-drained body, Glenn swung his gun’s muzzle around.

Fire, fire, fire—he shot down the incoming knives with pinpoint accuracy.

“Whoa!? Not bad, senpai!”

“Idiot! You’re the one who’s not trying hard enough!”

Glenn’s retort was spot-on.

Nicole’s movements, agility, and knife-throwing skills were first-rate, but not exceptional.

Likely, Nicole’s strategy hinged on this debuff-based Original Magic. His skill level was undeniably high, but you could probably find soldiers in the Imperial Army with similar prowess… That’s about it.

Against an opponent who’s merely strong, a battle-hardened veteran like Glenn wouldn’t go down so easily. If he could be defeated by someone of this caliber, he’d have died long ago during his military days.

“Yo! Take that! Hah!”

“Tch—!”

The cursed knives came flying, sharp and relentless.

Glenn twisted his body to dodge some, leaped sluggishly to avoid others, pulled the trigger, and barely knocked them out of the air with bullets—

“Ooooohhh! Don’t underestimate meeee—!”

“Oh, dear.”

Closing the distance to Nicole in a single rush, Glenn pressed the gun’s muzzle against Nicole’s shoulder—and pulled the trigger.

The gunshot roared with furious intensity.

But the bullet, fired at point-blank range, veered off Nicole’s body and flew harmlessly into the distance.

“Wha—!?”

“Too bad! [Rune of Arrow Deflection]! Physical projectiles don’t work on me!”

Nicole laughed, innocent yet malicious—at that moment.

Thud! Suddenly, Glenn’s body grew even heavier and weaker.

“—!?”

Unable to bear the overwhelming weight, Glenn collapsed to one knee, crumpling.

Nicole leaped back from the struggling Glenn, smirking with relaxed confidence.

“You seem to be misunderstanding something. My Black Sun… its power is still just getting started. I can make the debuff much stronger. I was going pretty easy on you until now, you know?”

“What… did you say…!?”

“I didn’t want you thinking it’s just that level, so I cranked up the debuff’s curse power by another notch. …How’s that? Bet you can’t even move now, huh?”

Glenn mustered his remaining strength to lift his heavy head toward the sky.

The Black Sun had grown even darker, its ominous glow intensifying.

No strength remained in his body. Mana was draining at a terrifying rate.

Even without further attacks, Glenn would soon run dry and die. It was hopeless.

“Just so you know, it’ll take some time from here, but I can make the debuff’s curse power even stronger. Under that sun, I’m invincible. So…”

With a look of sadistic pleasure, Nicole drew another knife.

“No way you can dodge anymore, right?”

With a cruel smile, Nicole flung the knife.

Glenn’s body was now far heavier, his mana draining at an incomparable rate.

To the sluggish, snail-like Glenn, there was no way to evade the thrown knife—

“Guh!?”

As the knife pierced his leg, the curse within its blade activated, plunging Glenn’s vision into complete darkness.

“—Guh!?”

The next strike, piercing his shoulder, killed his hearing.

“—…!?”

A third hit, lodged in his arm, sapped his strength, paralyzing his entire body.

“—, —, —”

Nicole was probably gloating, spouting victory taunts or insults at Glenn… but those words no longer reached him.

In a world of utter darkness, devoid of sound or light, Glenn was left drowning in despair, defeat, and humiliation.

But then—

“—Let there be light.”

Suddenly, light flooded Glenn’s vision.

“—What!?”

Light. A radiant, divine light that dispelled and eradicated every curse in its path.

The Black Sun overhead vanished, replaced by a dazzling light that spread like daytime.

“What… is that…!?”

With his senses restored as the curses were purged, Glenn’s eyes widened in shock.

A strange, resonant chant reached his ears.

“—Our God in heaven, may Your name be hallowed, Your mercy envelop us, and Your kingdom come—”

It wasn’t a spell—it was a passage from scripture. A holy verse.

“O Lord, O Lord, send forth Your glory. With Your power, grant them eternal rest. With unending light, shine upon them, save them. May they rest in peace—So it shall be—Fua Lan.”

At the center of the sonorous, hymn-like prayer stood Charlotte《The Temperance》, hands clasped, kneeling, gazing skyward.

From above her, brilliant light poured down, purifying and cleansing every shadow in its reach.

And behind Charlotte stood… something.

An angel.

Clad in radiant armor, wielding a great scythe wreathed in flames, with three pairs of six wings—an angel.

“The Flaming Scythe—!? Could it be…《Athos, The Angel of Judgment》!?”

According to the Elizares scriptures, the named archangels are divided into three celestial hierarchies: the First Rank, Seraphim; the Second Rank, Cherubim; and the Third Rank, Principalities.

The aforementioned《Athos, The Angel of Judgment》is of the Second Rank, Cherubim. An angel with the authority to destroy witches, demons, fallen angels, and any who turn against God.

“No way!? That’s insane! You… summoned a Second Rank Cherubim!?”

To summon a great conceptual entity from beyond the Veil of Consciousness, to manifest it in this world and wield its immense power—such magic does exist, in theory.

But it’s undeniably a ritual magic.

One that requires dozens, if not hundreds, of mages trained for a lifetime, mobilized for a grand ceremony spanning days. A single person couldn’t possibly achieve it.

“Stop it! Do you know how much mana it takes to sustain an archangel’s manifestation!? Send it back now, or you’ll be obliterated!”

Glenn shouted, but—

“…No need to worry.”

《Athos, The Angel of Judgment》… began to enter Charlotte, who continued her prayer… merging into her from behind.

“Huh…?”

“It’s because they try to summon angels through mana sacraments that it becomes so difficult. But the vessel for the angel to inhabit… is it not right here?”

Before the stunned Glenn, Athos continued to meld into Charlotte… invading and assimilating.

And then—Whoosh! From Charlotte’s back spread three pairs of six wings, formed of light.

In her hands, a flaming great scythe blazed.

Charlotte had transformed—into the form of an angel.

“…Possession Summoning…!? No way…!?”

It exists. Such summoning magic does exist, in theory.

But it’s impossible. To bring a conceptual entity as vast as an archangel into one’s own body?

Angels are concepts born from the prayers and faith of humanity worldwide—an act akin to bearing the weight of the world itself. No mere individual could possibly—

“O ye of little faith, why do you doubt? …Hehe, ever since I was a child, I could hear the voice of Lord Athos.”

“Huh?”

“Well, in magical theory, you’d call me an [Adapter]—that’s my Original Magic, my magical trait, I suppose. But that doesn’t shake my faith. Hehehe…”

She whispered proudly.

Charlotte spread her three pairs of light wings wide with a whoosh. Countless feathers of light scattered, their divine and awe-inspiring radiance nearly blinding.

“Honestly, Nicole-san, Fergus-san—I can’t stand to watch you both.”

With a single swing of her scythe, flames traced its arc through the void.

“Talking about becoming stronger or weakening others… You should listen to the voice of a greater existence and surrender yourself to it.”

“Kuh… Damn it…”

Glenn backed away. Slowly, cautiously.

For some reason, Charlotte《The Temperance》had summoned《Athos, The Angel of Judgment》through possession… and seemed to host it constantly.

But to manifest its power, she needed to offer prolonged prayers. A form of self-suggestion, perhaps—a switch to deeply attune to Athos’s voice and power.

Now that she had manifested through possession, it was too late for anything.

“Here I come, Glenn-sama. It’s my turn now. Please… let me test your strength—!”

Charlotte swung her great scythe wide.

From its blade-wind erupted a ferocious, superheated flame, surging toward Glenn—

“Tch—!?”

With the Black Sun gone, his body could move again, at least.

Whipping his battered body into action, Glenn pushed his mana to the limit, enhancing his physical abilities to the extreme, and dove to the side.

Boom. At the point of impact, a towering pillar of fire shot skyward, flames rippling outward like waves, leaving no escape.

“Guh, ooooh!? Damn it!?”

The effects of [Fool’s World] still lingered. His own magic remained sealed.

Indeed, [Fool’s World] was merely a trump card for catching opponents off-guard. When it worked, it was lethal, but when the enemy knew about it, it became a double-edged sword that cornered its user.

The Special Missions Annex uniform Glenn wore was permanently enchanted with [Tri-Resist], but it couldn’t possibly withstand an angel’s flames, and Glenn’s body began to scorch.

“Guuuuh!? You!? Are you trying to burn me alive!?”

“Hehehe… Purge… Purge… It’s a purge… giggle…”

It was no use. Charlotte’s eyes were vacant—she was clearly not in her right mind.

“Purge!”

Flapping her wings powerfully, she used the immense propulsion to charge at Glenn.

The shockwave from her wings tore up the ground, and with her flaming scythe raised, her eyes gleaming fanatically, Charlotte closed in on Glenn.

The sea of flames parted in two by her wings, a scene straight out of a scriptural tale of a saint’s escape.

Her speed was beyond human perception, impossible to dodge with human reflexes.

“Kuh, oooooooooh—!?”

In that moment, Glenn was driven purely by instinct and reflex.

The countless battlefields he’d survived, his hard-earned experience, triggered a spinal reflex—that was all.

“—Purgeeeee—!”

Charlotte’s scythe came crashing down at blinding speed.

Glenn shifted his body slightly to the right, narrowly avoiding a direct hit.

Letting the grazing scythe’s blade slice and burn his left side, Glenn pushed through the blood-mist rising from his body. In a cross-stance, he thrust the gun in his right hand forward, pressing the muzzle against Charlotte’s forehead.

Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger, the bullet piercing her forehead.

Bang! But Charlotte’s head only tilted back slightly.

Naturally, not a mark marred her forehead. With a great angel manifested within her, spiritually super-enhanced, a mere bullet couldn’t possibly harm her now.

“—Kuh!?”

Having used one breath for this desperate move, the gravely wounded Glenn—

“—Purgeeeeeeeeee—!”

—had no chance to dodge the scythe’s handle, swung like a tornado in a sweeping strike—

“Gwaaaaaaaaaaah—!?”

Taking the full force of the handle to his torso, Glenn was helplessly blown backward.

His body flew to the edge of the prepared battlefield, into the forest, snapping several trees and still not stopping.

“Geh… cough!?”

Finally, his body slammed into a massive tree, stopping. Glenn slumped against the crumpled trunk, spitting out a clot of blood.

The Special Missions Annex uniform was enchanted with [Body Up], amplifying physical resilience, but without it, every bone in his body would’ve shattered, his organs ruptured, and he’d be dead.

Toward the battered Glenn, Charlotte advanced once more—

“—Purgeeeeeeeeee—!”

Her eyes burned with unrelenting murderous intent and hatred. She was fully intent on killing Glenn. According to mythology,《Athos, The Angel of Judgment》is said to be close to a fallen angel. Her altered personality was likely being influenced by that concept.

Faced with this transformed Charlotte…

“Ugh, she’s completely flipped her switch.”

“Yare yare, same old story. What a hopeless woman.”

“Well… if senpai dies, we’ll just call it a training accident, yeah?”

“…Yeah. Too much hassle otherwise. …He’s dead for sure, though.”

Nicole and Fergus, watching from afar, exchanged cold, irresponsible remarks.

(—Damn it, is this it…!?)

Facing Charlotte, approaching with a storm of flames, Glenn braced for death.

He couldn’t move a single finger.

(…Re=L… I’m sorry…!)

As Charlotte closed in, tearing through the forest at terrifying speed, raising her scythe—

Just as Glenn was about to be pulverized into flesh—

“Don’t—!”

A blue shockwave shot in from the side, straight and swift—

“—bully Glennnnnn—!”

It slammed into Charlotte with a horizontal strike.

“Kyaaaaaaaa—!?”

A tremendous shockwave shook the air, accompanied by a piercing scream.

Charlotte was blown back horizontally, retracing her path.

“Wha—!?”

Standing protectively in front of the stunned Glenn was—

“Haa…! Haa…! Haa…!”

Re=L, clad in a thin hospital gown.

Breathing raggedly, as if she might collapse, she wiped tears from her eyes. In her hand was her usual greatsword, which she used as a makeshift staff to barely support her trembling body.

“Don’t… cough! Bully… hack… Glenn… cough… wheeze…”

Re=L began coughing up blood violently, collapsing to the ground.

The greatsword, embedded in the earth, crumbled into fragments of light, dissolving.

With her body in such a spiritually deteriorated state, she’d used the near-forbidden high-speed weapon-forging technique [Hidden Claw]. On top of that, unable to move normally, Re=L had overused physical enhancement magic to force her body to reach this point.

The backlash was now cruelly ravaging her.

“Cough! Hack! G-Glenn… Help… It hurts…!”

“R-Re=L!? Nooooooo!?”

Glenn’s near-lifeless body jolted into motion.

With sheer willpower and grit, he forcibly reconnected every nerve, rushing toward the collapsing Re=L.

“You idiot!? Why the hell did you come here in that condition!? Why did you use magic!? Do you even understand the state your body’s in right now!?”

“Because… cough! Glenn… hack, cough… ugh! Bullying… ughhh…”

Holding up the gasping Re=L, Glenn seized the moment—just as the effect of [Fool’s World] finally wore off—and began casting a healing spell.

But it was like pouring water on a scorching stone. There was no sign of Re=L’s condition improving. She coughed up blood violently, groaning in agony, and grew weaker by the second.

Death—its chilling presence radiated from Re=L, sending a shiver racing up Glenn’s spine.

And then, to Glenn…

“Hey, senpai… the mock magic battle ain’t over yet, you know? Come on, round two.”

“No way you’re done already, right? Let’s keep going!”

“…Heeheehee… Purge… purge… purge, purge, PURGE…!”

Fergus, Nicole, and an unscathed Charlotte began to approach slowly.

“You bastards…”

Toward those three, Glenn felt a fury so intense it seemed to burn his very bones to ash.

His vision was dyed the crimson hue of blood, and all the sounds of the world grew distant. Something within Glenn, which he had stubbornly refused to touch, snapped with a faint pop.

In his heart, there had been the voice of a silver-haired girl, always pulling him back from straying down a dark path, cleansing his soul—but now, even that voice had faded.

“…Fine. If you’re so dead set on fighting to the bitter end—”

The tone of Glenn’s voice shifted. Low, dark, and steady, he muttered as his hand instinctively gripped something hidden in his pocket.

Wrapped in oilpaper, it was—a spare cylinder for Glenn’s old-fashioned percussion revolver.

That spare cylinder was loaded with bullets charged with a certain special propellant.

Glenn pulled the barrel wedge from the side of the gun, separating the frame from the barrel. He dropped the empty cylinder from the frame, inserted the spare, and reattached the barrel to the frame with the wedge.

With fluid, water-like movements, he was about to finish reloading when—

“…That’s enough!”

A clear, commanding voice cut through the scene, and from the depths of the forest, another girl emerged.

Her hair gleamed under the moonlight filtering through the treetops—it was Illia《The Moon》.

“Just what do you think you’re doing!?”

Illia’s shoulders trembled with rage as she furiously confronted Fergus and the others.

But they were utterly unfazed, paying her no mind.

“Illia… you trying to get in our way again, huh?”

“We’re just getting warmed up, you know? Besides, senpai’s already at his limit, but we haven’t even shown half our strength yet.”

“Heh… hehehe… I want Glenn-sama to see just a little more of the real us… haha, hahahaha…!”

Facing the trio, who showed no sign of backing down, Illia quietly closed her eyes and declared in a slightly colder tone:

“Fine. If you’re going to destroy the ally who so kindly came along with us, I won’t stand for it. If you insist on continuing, I’ll take Glenn-senpai’s place and face you myself.”

“““—!?”””

At that, Fergus, Nicole, and Charlotte froze for a moment, their eyes widening slightly.

A heavy silence blanketed the area…

“Tch… forget it. I’m done. You’ve ruined the mood.”

Fergus turned away in disgust, dropping his combat stance.

“Illia《The Moon》… fighting you wouldn’t be any fun.”

“Totally agree. It’s just a waste of time, pointless, really…”

Nicole shrugged, abandoning his fighting spirit, while Charlotte canceled her angelic possession state.

“Hmph… fine. At least we got a glimpse of the former《The Fool》’s strength. Utter trash. If this is his level, we can guess how pathetic his partner《The Star》must be.”

“Well, realizing the so-called legendary duo’s reputation was just hot air is a decent enough takeaway, I guess.”

“This mission… seems like it’ll be easier than expected.”

Muttering among themselves, the three operatives left the scene.

Left behind were a battered Glenn, a critically weakened Re=L, and… Illia, standing tall with her back to them, resolute and unwavering.

“…Illia, you…?”

“We’ll talk later, senpai.”

Illia turned swiftly, her movements efficient, and looked down at Glenn.

Her earnest gaze pierced through him.

“Right now, we need to give Re=L first aid! Before it’s too late!”

“…You’re right.”

Grasping the hand Illia offered, Glenn stood up.

With Re=L on his back, Glenn, alongside Illia, trudged heavily back toward the campsite.

 

Back at the campsite, Glenn laid Re=L on a cot inside the assigned tent.

Illia immediately began emergency treatment. She administered spirit essence enhancers, transplanted mana, and performed the precise medical procedures Re=L needed.

Eventually, Re=L’s condition stabilized, and she began to breathe softly, asleep on the cot.

“Procedure complete. All good.”

Looking down at Re=L with relief, Illia wiped the sweat from her brow.

“…Thanks, Illia.”

“No, no, it’s my job.”

Illia blushed for a moment at Glenn’s gratitude, but then…

“…I’m really sorry, senpai.”

Her eyes lowered apologetically as she spoke.

“Hey, cut it with the ‘senpai’ stuff. In the Special Missions Annex, you’re the veteran, aren’t you?”

“But to me, you’re my senpai… is that not okay?”

When Glenn grumbled awkwardly, Illia puffed out her cheeks in mild protest.

(Illia is Eve’s contemporary. Even though I’m older, Illia has been an executive officer longer… Being called ‘senpai’ just feels ticklish, though…)

Unaware of Glenn’s inner thoughts, Illia eagerly continued speaking.

“We’ve had so many things keeping us apart, and I haven’t had the chance to really talk to you… but it’s been a while, senpai! I’m so glad to see you looking well!”

Snap! Illia gave Glenn a crisp, energetic salute.

“…You want your eyes gouged out? Does this look ‘well’ to you?”

Glenn’s face twitched as he gestured to his bandaged, first-aid-treated body.

“Eek!? No eye-gouging, please! I mean, I wouldn’t get to see your handsome face anymore! As your biggest fan, that’d tear me apart!”

“Ugh… you haven’t changed a bit, have you…”

To Illia, who seemed unchanged from the Illia in his memories, Glenn sighed in exasperation.

Illia gazed at him with admiration and continued.

“But… as expected of you, senpai.”

“What’s so ‘expected’ about me?”

“Oh, don’t play modest. To think you’d actually beat those three!”

At that moment, Glenn’s face twisted as if he’d bitten into something bitter, and he spat out:

“…Idiot. Are your eyes rotten or something?”

“No, I mean it! In that overwhelmingly hopeless battle, with such a massive power gap… you managed to get your gun right up to all three of them, didn’t you?”

“…Yeah, sure. So what?”

Glenn hesitated for a moment before shrugging sullenly.

Illia leaned in close, her voice rising with conviction.

“That’s victory! Because you’ve got [Fool’s Penetrator]!”

Original Magic [Fool’s Penetrator]. A lethal magic bullet triggered by a point-blank shot using Eve Kaiser’s Elixir. A single strike from the Fool’s blade behind an enemy can surpass even the greatest sages’ schemes. Before this bullet, all magical defenses are rendered meaningless. It’s a literal killing blow that pierces the soul itself.

“If that had been a real battle—”

“Hmph. What kind of ‘real battle’ is that?”

Glenn snorted, brushing off Illia’s praise.

“For starters, they weren’t even serious. If that was a real fight… I’d have been taken out in an instant, no question. And…”

Glenn thought of a certain silver-haired girl.

I don’t even have the confidence to fire something that terrifying without her watching over me… Glenn quietly mocked himself in his heart.

“Even if I used [Fool’s Penetrator]… let’s say, out of a hundred battles, I’d maybe win two or three at best. That’s how monstrous those guys were…”

Even now, recalling their absurd, otherworldly secret arts and forbidden spells sent shivers down his spine.

Just what kind of monsters had joined the Special Missions Annex?

“Hey, Illia. What the hell are those freaks? Where did they even come from? I assume they’re reinforcements for the division, but there’s no way the Imperial Army had people like that. If they did, they’d have been recruited long before I ever got in.”

“Their backgrounds and histories are unknown.”

Illia answered Glenn’s question with a hint of unease.

“With the recent severe manpower shortage, the new division head, Cyrus Schumacher, suddenly scouted them from who-knows-where.”

“…Cyrus’s people, huh.”

So, a shady guy brought in some shady characters.

“Where in the empire were they hiding? With skills like that, there’s no way they wouldn’t have been the talk of the military at some point.”

“…Right. Even the higher-ups were puzzled, but their strength is the real deal. The military, struggling with chronic shortages, ended up welcoming them with open arms… calling them the aces to lead the new era.”

“…Hmph.”

Well, fair enough. With that kind of power, they’re definitely aces.

“But this is bad. If those monsters are joining the mission to take down Albert… then…”

There’s a chance Albert could be taken out by those three with ease. If the goal was just to save Re=L, that might be fine, but it would bury Albert’s true intentions in darkness forever.

(I can’t believe Albert would just senselessly commit such atrocities… but it’s starting to feel like it might be too late… no, wait… damn it, what the hell am I supposed to do…?)

As Glenn fell silent, spiraling into a mental dead end, Illia spoke up.

“…As expected, senpai is senpai.”

“!”

Glenn looked up to find Illia smiling gently.

“I bet you’re thinking about how to save Albert too, aren’t you?”

“…”

“You’re still such a softie. Albert’s a major criminal with no excuses left. And yet, you’d still go out of your way, wearing yourself down for his sake?”

“I can’t believe Albert would stain his hands with such crimes for no reason. There’s got to be something behind it.”

“Even after hearing he took out Christoph and Bernard?”

“~~~ !”

The sharp jab hit a sore spot, and Glenn’s face twisted in anguish…

“…Even so!”

But soon, he declared with resolute conviction.

“First, I’ll uncover the truth. I’ll confront him about his intentions. Then I’ll decide what to do. Honestly, I still don’t believe he killed Christoph and the others. I think it’s some kind of mistake. Maybe they faked their deaths and are alive somewhere.”

“…”

“But… if Albert really did something that monumentally stupid… if he’s truly fallen to depravity… then it’s my job to slug him.”

The words slipped out naturally, and in that moment, memories of charging through battlefields alongside Albert flashed through Glenn’s mind like a carousel.

Looking up at them with distant eyes, Glenn declared clearly:

“…It’s probably something I’ve got to do.”

Thinking back, during their military days… Glenn had always relied on Albert, carried on his back.

Glenn was the idealist, while Albert was the pragmatist to the core.

When Glenn, like a child, screamed about saving all ten, Albert would coldly sacrifice one to save nine. Their clashes were too numerous to count on both hands.

But their core desire—to save as many people as possible from unjust oppression—was the same. That’s why, despite all the arguments, fights, and even fistfights, they never fully broke apart.

The number of times Albert saved Glenn’s life during missions was countless. Without him, Glenn would’ve been long buried.

Sera had been the main pillar supporting Glenn’s mental state, but… now that he thought about it, Albert must have been quietly supporting him in his own way too.

Silently, without a word, never seeking recognition, just clumsily steadfast.

He was somehow irritating, hard to like—but a reliable big brother figure.

Glenn had left that Albert behind, offering nothing in return, deserting the military for his own selfish reasons.

Yet Albert had only demanded a single punch as retribution and acknowledged the Glenn of today. Live as a teacher, he’d said.

If something had driven Albert to fall into depravity, maybe Glenn could’ve prevented it if he’d stayed by his side. Maybe he could’ve punched him and dragged him back.

So—

“This isn’t anyone else’s job… it’s mine.”

With renewed resolve, Glenn said it.

Up until now, he’d been sulking, caught up in the unfairness Cyrus had dragged him into. But now, sorting through the situation, something settled in his chest.

That’s right—this was his fight too.

A new flame of determination burned fiercely in Glenn’s heart.

“Save all ten. It might be a childish fairy tale, but that’s who I am.”

“…You really haven’t changed, have you, senpai?”

Despite her exasperated tone, Illia’s expression was endlessly gentle.

“But I’ve always admired that about you, ever since back then… honestly.”

“Sounds like a load of crap… I don’t trust a word you say…”

“Ugh, that’s harsh! Think back… the only ones who understood and cheered for your childish, dreamy ideals were me and Sera, weren’t we?”

“…”

Glenn gazed out at the starry sky beyond the tent for a moment…

“…Yeah, you’re right.”

…And eventually, he murmured.

“Brings back memories… me caught in the middle while you and Sera fought over me… Bernard egging us on… Eve and Albert looking at us like we were idiots… Christoph and Re=L just blinking in confusion.”

“…”

In Glenn’s mind, that long-gone scene naturally resurfaced.

…Suddenly, Glenn’s fist clenched tightly.

“Still, I’m relieved. I’d heard from old Bernard before he passed, but… I couldn’t believe you’d bounced back even a little after losing Sera.”

“…Yeah, sorry for worrying you.”

Then, Illia stepped in front of Glenn, looked him straight in the eyes, and said:

“No helping it. To be blunt, this situation is incredibly tough, but… can I lend you my strength, senpai?”

“…Illia?”

Glenn blinked, looking at her anew.

Illia’s face was utterly sincere… gentle yet deadly serious.

“Actually, I’ve been feeling this whole situation is extremely unnatural.”

“You too, huh?”

“Yes. Honestly… I still can’t believe Albert would attempt to assassinate Her Majesty or commit such atrocities.”

“…”

“Sure, he took out Christoph and Bernard… I can’t forgive that. He should face the consequences. But for someone like Albert, there had to be a reason he had no choice… that feels more natural to me.”

“…”

“And then there’s the conspicuously strange conscription of Re=L. There’s definitely something behind this whole affair… I want to know the truth too. Senpai, will you let me help you with your goal?”

Illia peered into Glenn’s eyes, her gaze unwavering.

No flowery words or pretense—just pure conviction and sincerity.

Thinking back, she’d always been this kind of girl, even in their military days.

So—

“…Yeah, got it. I’ll be counting on you.”

“My pleasure! Let’s do this!”

Glenn extended his hand, and Illia gripped it firmly, shaking it.

“Honestly, this is a huge relief. I’m completely out of my element here, surrounded by enemies. Knowing I’ve got even one ally makes all the difference.”

Then, Glenn posed another question to Illia.

“Hey, Illia. On this Albert subjugation expedition… do you think Cyrus is scheming something with Re=L?”

“Yes, it’s too unnatural to think otherwise. But what exactly he’s planning…”

“Then keep an eye on Re=L for me. You’re her caretaker, right? If Cyrus does anything to her or if anything strange happens with her… let me know.”

“Of course! Leave Re=L to me!”

“Got it. Haha, that’s reassuring. I’m counting on you.”

And so—

The night of the odd senpai-kouhai duo, finally speaking openly after so long, quietly deepened.

 

Meanwhile, at the same time—five kilometers north of Glenn’s campsite.

Beneath a sky full of stars, atop a towering cliff’s edge.

“Arghhh! I’m so pissed off!”

Sistine, watching the video and audio projected into the air from Eve’s crystal ball, stomped the ground in a fit of rage.

Sistine and her group, secretly trailing Glenn’s party, had chosen this skyward spot as their campsite for the night.

And right now, Glenn was still Eve’s familiar. Everything he saw and heard was being relayed to Eve. They were using this roundabout method of information sharing because using a communication magic device within the military unit risked interception by someone in the group.

However, Eve insisted that directly sharing vision or senses with Glenn, as one would with a typical familiar, was creepy and refused to do so. Instead, she received the information through a crystal ball and projected it into the air. This way, Sistine and Rumia could also see it, making it a doubly efficient solution.

“What’s with those three!? Unbelievable! To think that those people are really part of the Special Missions Annex!? Ugh, just remembering it makes my blood boil!”

And, of course, Sistine and the others had witnessed the tyranny of the Special Missions Annex’s trio toward Glenn firsthand. If they had been there in person, Sistine would have undoubtedly slapped them without mercy… That was the kind of furious intensity she continued to exude.

“Sistie, calm down. I’m upset too, but getting angry here won’t help. For now, let’s just be genuinely happy that Sensei and Re=L are safe, okay?”

Even as Rumia said this to soothe Sistine, her own expression was complex and strained. Deep down, she was likely seething with the same boiling rage.

Behind the two girls, Eve stood quietly with her arms crossed, speaking coolly.

“Rumia’s right. Barking about it now won’t change anything. It’s a waste of energy. Control yourself. Emotional regulation is the foundation of being a mage, isn’t it?”

“…Ah… Yes… I’m sorry.”

At those words, Sistine finally snapped back to herself, stepping back and lowering her gaze.

“B-But still… Illia-san from《The Moon》? It’s a relief to know someone like her is by Sensei’s side, right, Sistie?”

Rumia spoke up, trying to cheer up the slightly dejected Sistine.

“Yeah… Illia-san seems reasonable, and she said she’d cooperate with Sensei… She seems like a reliable ally we can count on. But…”

Sistine vaguely stared at the image projected into the void, showing Illia chatting with Glenn. From Glenn’s perspective, Illia’s figure had been continuously displayed for a while now, with scenes of her and Glenn talking amicably playing out repeatedly.

From Glenn’s viewpoint, Illia had a lot of smiles, looking cheerful… and happy.

(I know this isn’t the time to be thinking about stuff like this in a situation like this…)

 

She couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling. The way Illia acted around Glenn didn’t feel like the typical distance of a work colleague or former comrade… It felt like something more. Even in a situation like this, Sistine couldn’t help but be bothered by it, and she loathed her carefree, adolescent girl’s thought patterns for it.

To make matters worse, from the perspective Sistine and the others were seeing through Glenn, he kept stealing glances at Illia’s profile, and it seemed like he wasn’t entirely uninterested, which bothered her immensely.

(No… I can’t. I have to be more serious…)

Unable to fully control her emotions, Sistine was sinking into self-loathing… when it happened.

“…Glenn?”

Eve, as if noticing something, fixed her gaze on the projected image.

“Eve-san? What’s wrong?”

Rumia glanced back and forth between the image and Eve.

The footage showed nothing more than Glenn casually chatting with Illia from his perspective. To Sistine and Rumia, it was just an endlessly unfolding scene that stirred up feelings of unease… nothing more.

But then, the two suddenly noticed something.

In the audio being transmitted from Glenn… there were occasional faint, strange sounds mixed in.

Click, click… click. Click-click… click.

“…Huh? What’s that sound? Noise?”

“Be quiet.”

Silencing Sistine, who tilted her head in curiosity, Eve continued to stare intently at the image—

 

And—at the same moment.

“…So, how was Glenn《The Fool》?”

Late at night, without turning around, Cyrus addressed the three presences that had entered his tent.

“Hmph… He’s completely useless. What a weakling,”

The three who arrived were Fergus, Nicole, and Charlotte.

“Hey, Cyrus, seriously… Is that guy really the one who racked up all those achievements in just three years?”

“It’s hard to believe. I can’t help but suspect the records were tampered with.”

“I mean, with skills like that, how is he even alive? Some of the guys he supposedly took down were seriously dangerous…”

“To think he defeated Reik Fohenheim and Jin Ganis? That’s unbelievable, right?”

“But it’s the truth.”

Cyrus was seated at a portable folding chair and table, facing a parchment spread out before him. It was adorned with intricate arrays of magic circles and runes, and he was silently writing and adjusting something on it, engrossed in his work.

“He has something that turns the impossible into possible in the direst of situations. It’s not something to underestimate. If a coincidence happens twice, it’s a miracle, but if it happens three times, it’s inevitable… After all, a hero isn’t defined by the strength of their power, but by whether they can draw forth that kind of fateful something.”

“Tch… That’s ridiculous. Sounds like a story for women and kids.”

“In a mission like this, where failure is absolutely not an option… well, it’s not a bad idea to place some expectations on him as insurance, right?”

At that, Fergus glared at Cyrus with clear displeasure.

“You… You’re not seriously suggesting we’d lose to someone like Albert, are you?”

“Oh, no, not at all.”

Cyrus shook his head, his smile unwavering.

“Right now, you three are undoubtedly among the strongest mages in the imperial military. With three of you together, there’s no way you couldn’t defeat Albert alone. However—”

“—However?”

“To achieve our grand ambition, we must eliminate Albert this time with absolute certainty. There’s no room for even the slightest chance of failure. That’s why I said it—insurance.”

“Well, sure, Glenn-senpai worked with Albert-san on the most missions, so he probably knows his weaknesses and tactics inside out. He might be useful for something, right?”

Cyrus nodded at Nicole’s words.

“Exactly. Lately, there’s been some unsettling activity around our old haunts. And as for our backer, Lord Ignite… it’s hard to say how far we can trust them. That’s why we need to solidify our position with our own power.”

Pausing his work, Cyrus turned his chair to face the three.

“The new《Magician》—me, Cyrus. Fergus《The Strength》, Nicole《The Sun》, Charlotte《The Temperance》… and《The Chariot》.”

With a chilling, icy smile—Cyrus let out a laugh.

“Now… how’s the progress on that matter?”

He directed the question toward a corner of the tent.

“…No issues.”

A voice as cold as ice responded.

There, unnoticed until now, stood a figure clad in the formal attire of the Special Missions Annex, silent as a shadow.

A new face.

Until this very moment, there had been no trace of this person among Cyrus’s subjugation team.

But this individual must have been deeply disliked. The moment Fergus《The Strength》, Nicole《The Sun》, and Charlotte《The Temperance》registered their presence, they all made blatantly displeased expressions.

Unfazed by their reactions, the figure continued speaking in a flat, dispassionate tone.

“The final adjustments are proceeding without delay. If the conditions are met as planned… we’ll be able to resurrect that hero in this world.”

“Excellent. That’s most reassuring.”

Cyrus smiled with satisfaction at the report.

“Eve’s era as head of the Special Missions Annex is over. From now on, we will be the core of the division. We, who have always been oppressed in the shadows, will take center stage and dominate the path to radiant glory. With our connections to that organization, there is no path left for us but glory.”

At Cyrus’s powerful words, Fergus, Nicole, and Charlotte nodded, their eyes burning with an inexplicable fervor.

“Make sure there are no mistakes, each of you. Tomorrow, we reach Mares. The decisive battle awaits. That accursed Albert Frazer《The Star》… we will eliminate him here, without fail.”

 

………

Glenn and Illia, chatting cheerfully, solidify their resolve in front of the sleeping Re=L.

Sistine, feeling restless, along with Rumia and Eve, intently watch the sensory information projected from Glenn.

Cyrus and his group, secretly advance their schemes in the unseen darkness.

 

Swallowing all these various intentions—

—the night quietly deepened.