Chapter 1: The Sound of the Trumpet Heralding Collapse

Tap, tap, tap…

The sound of footsteps echoed and reverberated in the cramped space.

Dusty, stale air filled the surroundings, and an infinite darkness, as if painted over, stretched deep into the distance.

The magical light kindled at the youth’s fingertips faintly dispelled the darkness, dimly illuminating the surroundings.

It was—a passageway.

Walls, floor, ceiling—all were formed of peculiar geometric stonework.

And every surface was engraved with ancient scripts, symbols, and celestial caricature-like pictographs.

In such a place, a young man, with a magical light at his fingertips, advanced with unwavering steps.

Jatice Lowfan.

“Surprised? To think there’d be ruins like this beneath Milano.”

“Hmph… Just where are you taking us?”

Following Jatice were two members of the Thirteenth Holy Execution Squad—Luna and Chase.

In Chase’s arms, a bound Maria was carried horizontally.

Maria had been put into a deep sleep with a sleep-inducing magical drug, her body limp.

“Isn’t it about time you told us your goal?”

“Now, now.”

To the visibly displeased Luna, Jatice returned a refreshing smile.

“That’s something to look forward to… once we arrive.”

“This…! If Chase didn’t have《Nail of Yoth》stabbed into him, I’d slice you down in an instant…!”

The forbidden secret of the Church of St. Elizares, [Angel Reincarnation].

Luna Flare, the《War Angel》, was both a candidate and a success of this ritual.

The sole reason she, despite her power surpassing human limits, was at Jatice’s mercy because of《Nail of Yoth》pierced into her partner Chase’s heart.

《Nail of Yoth》, a holy relic that destroys the undead. As long as it was embedded in the vampire Chase’s heart, his life and death were entirely in Jatice’s hands.

Luna tightly shut her eyes, clenching her fists.

(…I won’t let Chase die…! Because… he’s all I have left…!)

For now, she had no choice but to obey Jatice. She had to.

No matter what else she had to sacrifice—

“Luna…”

Chase could only silently gaze at Luna’s anguish filled demeanor.

The passageway branched complexly, like a labyrinth.

Yet Jatice’s steps showed no hesitation.

It seemed he had known exactly where he was headed from the start.

Eventually, the group emerged from the labyrinthine passage—arriving at an open space.

“There was a place like this beneath Milano…?”

Luna and Chase, dumbfounded, looked around the space.

It was a vast, dome-shaped chamber. There wasn’t just one entrance; similar passage openings were scattered across the dome’s walls.

The floor and ceiling were grandly etched with mysterious patterns resembling a celestial map.

At the center of the dome stood a pyramid-like, tetrahedral altar, surrounded by a row of strange black monoliths of unknown material.

“This is an ancient ruin called the ‘Naiar Ritual Site.’ Unless you follow a specific route through the labyrinth, you’ll loop endlessly and never reach it.”

Jatice said proudly.

“Figuring this place out was no easy task. I nearly got outdone by that Fossil.”

“I don’t care about your convenience!”

“Fair enough. Shall we get started?”

To Luna, who was growing increasingly irritated, Jatice shrugged in response.

“Could you lay the《Pure Maiden of Darkness》on that altar?”

“…”

Chase, holding Maria horizontally, remained silent and unmoving.

There was no need to say it—nothing about this felt right.

“…Oh? Can’t follow my request?”

Jatice, with a playful grin, pulled a hammer inscribed with holy verses from his pocket.

It was《Hammer of Yoth》, the holy relic that controlled《Nail of Yoth》embedded in Chase.

Yet even then, Chase didn’t budge.

“…Please, Chase. For now… do as he says. That’s an order.”

Luna relented. Her face, as if clinging to hope, was filled with unbearable bitterness and anguish.

“…Understood.”

Receiving Luna’s order, Chase sighed and laid Maria on the altar.

“《Obey my threads》”

Jatice chanted the White Magic [Marionette Work] spell.

Then, still asleep, Maria sat up. Kneeling on the altar, she clasped her hands at her chest, arching backward dramatically to gaze at the ceiling.

And then…

“…Na… stan… ru… gasana… naru… naru…”

She began muttering something, like a prayer.

“Heh…”

Jatice grabbed the left sleeve of Maria’s robe and tore it off in one swift motion.

Maria’s left upper arm was exposed.

There, a strange pattern—like a Z repeatedly drawn in a single stroke—glowed red and began to heat up in response to her prayer.

“W-What… is this…? What’s happening…?”

“Now, it’s your turn, Luna.”

Jatice turned to the bewildered Luna.

“Huh? Me?”

“That’s right. You’re a《War Angel》, aren’t you? Meaning you can wield Angelic Oracle magic.”

“Sure, but… what about it? Why now?”

“There’s a forbidden [Number Thirteen] in that magic, isn’t there? Sing it for me.”

“…Huh? How do you know about that…?”

Luna blinked at Jatice’s request.

“Sing it here and now? Why? Sure, [Number Thirteen] exists, but… it’s a song with no meaning or power.”

“…You don’t have the right to refuse, sadly.”

Jatice waved《Hammer of Yoth》tauntingly.

“But if you sing [Number Thirteen], I’ll free Chase. Trust me.”

“…Huh? …Seriously…?”

Unable to grasp Jatice’s intentions, Luna could only falter in confusion.

([Number Thirteen]… It’s called forbidden, but for some reason, this song has no power… So singing it here shouldn’t cause any problems… But this song…)

Unsure what to do, Luna hesitated.

“…Luna. Don’t listen to him.”

Chase sharply warned.

“I have a bad feeling about this. It could lead to something irreversible. Don’t worry about me. I’m already… dead.”

“…”

Luna’s gaze darted between Chase and the《Hammer of Yoth》in Jatice’s hand.

After a moment of indecision… finally.

“Ya …Ahahaha…La, La, ALaLaLa, Lala…Ahaaa…yha……”

With resolve, Luna began singing a solemn melody.

Her clear voice echoed resoundingly within the dome, swirling through the chamber—

“Luna…”

Chase could only watch her with a complex expression.

“Heh… That’s good. …I was reading it.”

Jatice let out a dark, faint smile.

Luna’s song, as if drawing the listener’s soul into the abyss, continued resoundingly…

…and eventually ended.

And the moment Luna’s final hum faded…

Vwoom…!

With an ominous low rumble, magical energy surged through the celestial map etched on the dome’s inner walls, and glowing letters began flooding the surface of the black monoliths like a deluge.

It intensified. It swelled.

A violent, overwhelming magical energy, nauseating in its magnitude, grew within the dome—

“W-What…!?”

And then… cracks appeared in various parts of the dome’s space.

From those opened fissures, amorphous monsters slithered and oozed in.

If one were to describe these creatures, they were like grotesque deep-sea fish mashed together, a sludge with gaping mouths and eye-like orbs scattered across their forms.

These amorphous monsters moved along the lines of the celestial map on the floor as if with purpose… and began enveloping Maria, who was offering a bizarre prayer on the altar.

The amorphous monsters multiplied endlessly, as if they knew no bounds.

“Ugh, ah…!? W-What…? What are these things!?”

Pale and recoiling, Luna screamed at the blasphemous, horrific sight.

“Jatice…!? What the hell are you doing!?”

The look in Luna’s eyes as she glared at Jatice was now one of pure fear, as if seeing a monster.

“You were working with Lord Archibald to start a war between the kingdom and the empire, to profit alongside him… That was your goal, wasn’t it!? Kidnapping Maria—Miriam Cardis—wasn’t it just a bargaining chip against Bishop Cardinal Fais Cardis…!?”

“Do you really think I’d bother with something so trivial?”

Jatice shrugged dramatically, as if genuinely offended.

“Well then, shall we have a little long talk here?”

And so, he began to speak nonchalantly.

“Long ago, in an era called the Super Magic Civilization, there was a mad king known as the Demon King.

The Demon King, with powers derived from cosmic evil gods like《The Celestial Taum》and《Demon General Star》, ruled the world as he pleased.

One of the Demon King’s powers… the《Pure Maiden of Darkness》. The Demon King kept a clan capable of summoning the kin of the cosmic evil god《Pure Darkness》as his subordinate priestly house.”

“…《Pure Maiden of Darkness》…?”

That was the term Jatice used to refer to Maria.

Luna had thought it was just a codename for strategic purposes…

“‘That being, with its indescribable grandeur and mountain-like form, was truly a colorless tyranny’… The kin summoned by the maidens were, in a sense, soldiers working as the Demon King’s hands and feet.

In other words,《Evil God Soldiers》—ancient superweapons. According to legend, these《Evil God Soldiers》brought several nations that opposed the Demon King to ruin.”

“…”

“And this place, in the ancient civilization, was where the summoning rituals for these《Evil God Soldiers》were performed… one of the few ritual sites still existing in modern times.”

“Wait! You mean… that girl (Maria) is really the《Pure Maiden of Darkness》… a descendant of the clan that summons the kin of an evil god!?”

“Exactly.”

“Jatice, you’re trying to summon a cosmic evil god!?”

“Bingo.”

Luna and Chase were left speechless by Jatice’s casual admission.

“Right now, the descent of the《Evil God Soldiers》has just begun… It’ll take a long time for them to fully ‘become’《Evil God Soldiers》. For now, their ‘roots’ are still multiplying.”

The amorphous mass swallowing Maria, slowly growing.

And as it grew, a profane, blasphemous divine aura swelled in the space.

There was no mistaking this sensation. An overwhelming presence, instinctively understood as an absolute superior existence, beyond reason.

Truly, the kin of an evil god was descending here—

“W-What…!? The descent… of an evil god’s kin!?”

Unable to keep up with the scale of the situation, Luna panicked and shouted.

The descent of an evil god’s kin. It was as if the Great Magic War from two hundred years ago was happening again.

Ignoring the speechless Luna, Chase, who had quickly regained his composure, sharply questioned.

“Why you want to summon an evil god’s kin is irrelevant now. What I don’t understand is… why did Luna’s song trigger the ritual?”

“!”

Luna’s eyes widened in realization.

There was no doubt—this horrific ritual began because of her [Number Thirteen].

Why would the holy Angelic Oracle magic of the Church’s prized《War Angel》cause such a thing…?

As if mocking the doubts in Luna’s heart.

“That’s something you’re better off not knowing. Don’t worry about it.”

Jatice teased playfully.

“Answer me! Why did my song, as a《War Angel》, start the ritual!?”

“Who knows? Maybe it’s just a coincidence?”

“Tell me! I’ll cut you down!”

Just as Luna, enraged by Jatice’s infuriatingly flippant attitude, was about to lose it.

Something spinning flew toward her face.

Luna instinctively caught it with her hand.

It was…

“…Huh?《Hammer of Yoth》…?”

Astonishingly, it was《Hammer of Yoth》, which held the power over Chase’s life and death.

Jatice himself had relinquished the sole reason Luna had obeyed him.

“A fake…?”

“The real deal. You’d know, wouldn’t you?”

Luna examined the hammer with her spiritual vision.

Indeed, it was unmistakably the genuine《Hammer of Yoth》.

“…No way…”

The hostage, Chase, had been freed so easily.

Stunned by this unbelievable fact, Luna could only stand there.

“I told you, didn’t I? If you sang [Number Thirteen], I’d free Chase.”

Jatice, who had just given up his lifeline, casually adjusted his hat with a composed expression.

“I’m a man of my word. I have no more use for you two. Good work.”

“…”

“I’m busy preparing for my next guests, so off you go, shoo…”

The moment Jatice said this, still in his playful tone.

A white flash—surged through the space, striking at Jatice.

“…Whoops, careful now. What’s that about?”

Tap. Jatice landed lightly ten meters away.

A split second earlier, Luna stood where Jatice had been, her drawn sword swung through the air.

“Are you an idiot?”

Luna readied her sword, pointing it at Jatice.

“Now that Chase is safely freed, there’s not a shred of reason to let you live.”

“Oh my, how harsh.”

“Chase, get ready! We’re taking down this evil man right here! He’s not getting away!”

Perhaps fueled by the frustration of being toyed with and used, Luna’s fiery resolve and anger swelled, as if to crush Jatice.

“I’m telling you, don’t do it.”

But Jatice brushed it off lightly.

“We were comrades, however briefly. Let me give you one piece of advice. You two should leave this place immediately.”

He pointed to one of the dome’s entrances.

“The exit’s that way. It’ll take you straight outside. You probably can’t return to the Church, so I suggest hiding in the Eastern countries for a while. Haha, consider it my kindness.”

“Hah!? You think I’d listen to your pathetic begging now!?”

“If you don’t want to lose the last thing left to you, after losing everything else, leave now. Otherwise, you’ll regret it forever.”

“Don’t mess with me! What do you think you know!?”

She couldn’t take it anymore. Not a single word from this man was worth hearing.

Enraged, Luna spread the three pairs of six wings on her back, ready to lunge at Jatice—

“Wait, Luna!”

At that moment, Chase grabbed her in a restraining hold, stopping her.

“What are you doing, Chase!?”

“What this man is saying is probably true!”

Chase desperately pleaded with the enraged Luna.

“This man’s foresight, like some kind of prophecy, has something beyond reason! It’s frustrating, but we should retreat for now! Let’s hide together!”

“No way! I won’t let it end with us being mocked like this!”

Luna threw a tantrum like a child, shouting and thrashing about.

“I can’t stand it! Not Glenn! Not Jatice either! Why, when I resolved to become《The War Angel》for the sake of others, am I being toyed with like this!?”

“Luna…! Calm down!”

“It’s an order, Chase! We’re going to defeat that evil man right here! Got it!?”

“~~~ !?”

Bound by her command, Chase, Luna’s magically enthralled servant, could not disobey.

With a face full of anguish, Chase drew his twin swords and took a stance against Jatice.

“Hmph! Jatice, you really are a fool! The tables have turned!”

And with that, Luna declared triumphantly.

“The legendary《War Angel》! And a true ancestor vampire! No matter how mysterious you are, do you really think you can defeat both of us? Come on, chant your holy verses!”

However.

“…Yare yare, how pitiful.”

Jatice adjusted his hat low over his eyes and spoke with genuine pity.

“If you had retreated here… you could have lived a modest but happy life with him.”

At that moment—

Katsun.

Two new shadows appeared on the scene, their footsteps echoing.

One was a boy, draped in a loose robe embroidered with ethnic patterns.

His face was obscured by a deep hood and silver hair, making his features difficult to discern.

The other was an elderly man. Despite his advanced age, he had a sturdy build, clad in opulent priestly garments, with a jovial, grandfatherly expression.

Luna didn’t recognize the boy, but the old man was familiar.

“His Holiness Funeral! Why are you here!?”

Shocked by the sudden appearance of someone she greatly respected, Luna moved instinctively.

“Your Holiness! It’s dangerous here! Please step back!”

She flapped her wings and flew to stand protectively in front of Funeral.

“I’ll explain everything later! For now—”

With that resolute declaration, Luna readied herself to face Jatice again.

But then.

“Haa… Luna Flare. I once told you, did I not? That you must not sing [The Thirteenth] until I permitted it.”

“…Your Holiness?”

“I’m disappointed… in your ignorance.”

Behind Luna.

Hyu! The sound of slicing wind.

“It’s dangerous, Luna—!”

Chase’s scream tore through the air.

In that instant, don!

Luna’s body was shoved aside by someone—

Bushu!

“…Eh?”

“Gof…!?”

Glancing sideways as she was flung through the air, Luna saw…

Chase, his chest pierced by Funeral’s hand, shaped like a blade.

“…Wha…? Eh…? Your… Holiness…?”

Collapsing onto the floor, Luna stared at the scene in a daze.

“Oh? Not destroyed in a single blow? As expected of a true ancestor’s fragment, even if it’s a replica.”

“Ga… haa… guaaa… aaah!?”

Funeral’s hand, piercing Chase, was infused with an ultra-dense, pitch-black magical energy.

Chase, impaled by it, writhed in unimaginable agony.

“But, well… it’s trivial.”

The ring on the finger of Funeral’s piercing hand began to emit an ominous dark light, enveloping Chase—

Bashu!

In response, Chase’s body burst apart, scattering into multiple fragments.

“…Eh?”

To the stunned, frozen Luna.

“…Luna… escape…”

Chase, reduced to just a head floating in the air, squeezed out those words.

But even that soon crumbled into fine dust and ash, dissipating…

“…Sorry…”

With those final words,

what was once Chase vanished completely.

Clang. Something rolled across the floor.

It was the《Nail of Yoth》, which had been embedded in Chase’s heart.

“…”

Silence. A heavy, oppressive silence.

And then.

“…Chase…?”

As if finally remembering how to speak, Luna murmured.

“W-where… where… did you go…?”

“To the afterlife, perhaps?”

Funeral, smiling as kindly as ever, answered her.

His usual grandfatherly demeanor remained unchanged. Cruelly so.

“This is your punishment. For the sake of your heart, I turned your dead beloved into a true ancestor vampire (a copy) and made him your magical servant. But now, the doll is confiscated.”

“…Lord… Funeral…? Why…?”

In a daze, Luna looked up at Funeral.

Then, Funeral began speaking incomprehensible things to her.

“Originally,《The War Angel》Ysiel was one of the outer cosmic evil gods, alongside《The Angel of Time》La’tirika and《The Angel of Sky》La’falia, an adversary of《Pure Darkness》.”

“…Huh…?”

“Thus,《The War Angel》holds the power to repel《Pure Darkness》and can also summon it. That’s why we created you… but, yare yare, it seems we were the ones used instead.”

The figure of the old man reflected in Luna’s lifeless eyes was no different from usual.

Yet, unchanged as he was… he had become something otherworldly.

—Luna Flare. You failed to protect everyone because you are weak.

—To gain great power, the power to achieve something, a price must be paid.

—If you wish to protect—resolve to become a lonely monster.

—Otherwise, true strength cannot be attained.

—Do you have the resolve to abandon your humanity to gain that power?

Come to think of it… who was it that recommended the path of becoming《The War Angel》to her, when she had lost all her comrades and was drowning in despair?

To begin with, four years ago, in the battle against the true ancestor vampire《The Immortal King》… who was it that sent Luna and her comrades into that fight, where she lost everything?

Who was it that conveniently swooped in to save her when she was on the brink of death?

Finally, everything connected in Luna’s mind.

“…Ah… ah… aaaa…!? No… it can’t be…!?”

Oh, she had realized it all too late.

If so, her tears back then, her despair, her resolve, her determination, her courage—

The lonely path she walked, abandoning her humanity for an unrewarded cause—

Everything.

It was all just—

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!”

As if to drown out the word farce, Luna roared.

“Funeraaaaaal—! Youuuuuu—!”

Roaring, roaring, roaring endlessly.

As if expelling her raging emotions, shedding tears hot as hellfire,

Luna charged ferociously at Funeral, slashing with all her might.

But—

“Yare yare, to let such a trifling despair shake your heart. What weakness.”

—Funeral leisurely swung his hand like a blade.

In that instant, Luna’s three pairs of six wings were severed at their roots, and her body was carved with countless deep slashes.

“Aguuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu—!?”

Blown away, Luna sprayed blood everywhere, crashing into the wall.

And with that, she fell silent, motionless.

“My, my, I truly apologize, Grandmaster.”

Having dispatched Luna with ease, Funeral bowed respectfully to the boy beside him.

“This blunder, caused by my pet’s incompetence… how can I possibly make amends?”

“No, it’s not your failure. He was simply one step ahead.”

The boy stepped forward.

Removing his hood, he stared straight at Jatice.

Flowing silver hair, emerald eyes, and a fairy-like beauty were revealed.

“I underestimated you, Jatice Lowfan. To think you’d go this far.”

In response, Jatice—

“Kukuku… fufufu…”

His body trembled.

“Ahahahaha, ahhahahahahahahahahahahaha—!”

Swirling with joy and madness, he laughed uproariously to the heavens.

“Finally! Finally, finally, finally, finally, finally! I’ve caught you! I’ve reached you! The mastermind of The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom—《Heavens Order》[The Grandmaster]! And his deputy—《Heavens Order》[Magister Templi]! I’ve finally smoked out the filthy roaches who’ve been skulking in the shadows of history! Hyahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha—!”

“Indeed, that’s right.”

To Jatice, the boy smiled brightly and responded.

“Congratulations. You’re the first human to uncover our true identities on your own. In respect for your achievement, I’ll introduce myself. My name is Felord Belif.”

“I am Powell Fune.”

“Yes, that’s right. We two are the founders and eldest members of The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom. You could say The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom is us.”

Shrugging with a relaxed expression, the boy—Felord—continued.

“May I ask one thing, Jatice? Why are you doing this?”

“I told you, didn’t I? To smoke you out.”

Jatice answered, his eyes gleaming fiercely.

“To achieve your long-cherished ambition, several conditions must be met. One of them is ‘a war between the Alzano Empire and the Rezalia Kingdom.’”

“…”

“To that end, you’ve been scheming in the shadows for ages. You nurtured the Empire and the Kingdom, increased their populations, and this time, manipulated them into a full-scale war. You did so by granting the Kingdom《Faith Weapons》and the kin of an evil god. But too bad for you…”

Jatice spread his arms wide, declaring provocatively.

“Your plans end here! The war between the Empire and the Kingdom won’t happen anymore! If you miss this celestial alignment, when’s the next chance? Five thousand years? Ten thousand? Ahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha—! Take that!”

To Jatice, Felord sighed in exasperation.

“Honestly, you… To think you’d disrupt the meticulously crafted stage of my heartfelt play like this. Isn’t that a breach of audience etiquette?”

“Hah, the stage is only fun when you’re on it. And honestly, it was a blast!”

“Fun for you, maybe. But unfortunately, things won’t go your way.”

Felord, still composed, spoke calmly.

“The war between the Empire and the Kingdom is an essential event for the grand finale. Sorry, but I’ll have to correct the plot you’ve twisted. Everything you’ve done will be for nothing.”

With that, Felord stepped forward.

“Now… shall we have the uncouth audience member who disrupted the stage exit…”

He raised his left hand toward Jatice. In that instant—

“Ahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha—!”

Jatice suddenly burst into even louder laughter—

“That’s right—I read you!”

With a radiant smile full of joy and madness, he declared.

Even Felord and Powell furrowed their brows at Jatice’s incomprehensible behavior.

“If I ruined your plans and hijacked the ritual to summon an evil god, you’d have no choice but to rush here in a panic to reclaim control of the ritual—because no one else can interfere with it. I read you!”

“…And? What of it?”

Felord sighed.

“Whether you read us or not, your life is at its end. Do you think I’d let someone like you slip away?”

“Even now, you’re so off the mark, Grandmaster! My life doesn’t matter! I told you, didn’t I? I smoked you out!”

“!?”

“Haven’t you noticed yet? What the people of Milano, what the people gathered from all over the world in Milano, are seeing right now—!? Hahahahahahahahaha—!”

——

—The Free City of Milano.

At that moment, every person present was struck speechless, eyes wide in shock.

Suddenly, an image projected into the sky, hijacking Milano’s Ley Lines—

It was—

“Impossible… this can’t be…!?”

Glenn, dumbfounded, glared at the scene projected in the sky.

“Jatice, that bastard…!? No way…!?”

The image showed the interior of some ruins—

An altar where a strange, amorphous monster writhed, with Maria at its core—

Jatice’s figure—

And the figures of the Grandmaster Felord Belif and Powell Fune.

Glenn stared intently at Felord in the image.

An unbelievable event had occurred. Without a doubt, history had shifted.

The greatest mystery and darkness in the Empire’s history.

Its very existence, let alone its identity, was spoken of only at the level of legend.

The supreme leader of The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom—

“That guy… he’s the Grandmaster…!?”

Meanwhile—atop the spire of Scorforts Castle.

“…”

“…”

Christoph and Bernard, witnessing the same scene projected above Milano, were so stunned they couldn’t close their mouths.

Their greatest enemy in the Imperial military.

For over a millennium, they had fought a bloody, relentless struggle, sacrificing countless lives, yet never grasping the leader of the enemy organization.

Who could have predicted that the one to expose their identity for the first time in history would be Jatice Lowfan《The Justice》—the Empire’s greatest stain and worst traitor?

Overwhelmed by double shock, they couldn’t utter a single word.

And, ignoring the two of them—

…Giri.

The magical staff《Blue Lightning》in Albert’s grip creaked under his tightening grasp.

His hawk-like eyes, sharper and colder than ever, pierced the figure of a certain person projected alongside the Grandmaster in the sky.

“I had a hunch during the summit, but… it’s confirmed now.”

With quiet fury simmering, Albert muttered under his breath.

“—I’ve found you, Powell…! My sworn enemy…!”

——

“Hahahahahahahahaha—! Hyahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha—!”

Jatice’s triumphant laughter echoed through the ruins.

“How’s it feel!? You, who’ve been playing the mysterious director behind the scenes, are now on the stage for the first time in history! What’s it like!? Hyahahahahahahahahahahahaha—!?”

“…”

“No turning back now! I won’t let you slink away to enjoy the finale from the wings! You’re full-fledged characters in this absurd Grand Guignol now! Come on, try to fix things to follow your script! But you’re stuck as players on the stage now, aren’t you!? Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha—!”

[T/N: Grand Guignol is often used as a general term for graphic, amoral horror entertainment, a genre popular from Elizabethan and Jacobean theater]

In response, the Grandmaster sighed and closed his eyes.

Indeed, the identity of the mastermind remains unknown.

That was the greatest advantage held by The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom.

However, due to Jatice’s demonic schemes, their true identities have been exposed to the light of day.

That footage was likely disseminated through the ley line network of Milano.

If so, from the records left in those ley lines, their magical energy, soul patterns… all information that could identify them as individuals would be scattered across the world.

Even they couldn’t hope to achieve their grand ambitions while hiding in the shadows of history, not when their personal information has been so thoroughly exposed. The magical technology of the world’s militaries is no longer so lenient.

“Yare yare. To think that I, of all people, would fall into such a trap.”

The Grandmaster, Felord Belif, lightly taps the ground with his toe.

With a sharp bachun!, the spell formula Jatice had secretly embedded in the ley lines for information dissemination is destroyed.

“Hahaha, we’ve been had, haven’t we? Touching the ley lines risks our movements being detected by intelligence mages across nations, led by that《Hierophant》Christoph. That’s why we operated covertly, avoiding contact with the ley lines… but that backfired spectacularly.”

Powell strokes his beard, speaking with a tone of admiration.

Avoiding contact with the ley lines entirely was a feat of absurdly advanced skill by modern magical standards, but it was precisely this that prevented them from noticing Jatice’s trap.

Had they even brushed against the ley lines, they would have detected this formula.

Their monstrous magical prowess had, at last, led to their identities being exposed.

“Ahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”

It echoes. It resounds. Jatice’s triumphant laughter reverberates through the ruins.

Yet, even so—

“…So? What of it?”

The Grandmaster Felord Belif’s composure remains unshaken.

“You think you’ve cornered us? Let me make this clear: even with our identities exposed, it’s hardly a problem.

We’ve always prepared double, triple contingencies for situations like this. Our plans aren’t so flimsy that they’d collapse under your reckless interference.”

“Oh, I’m sure that’s true, isn’t it? No, I bet that by you stepping boldly onto the stage, a great war between the empire and the kingdom will erupt in the near future, won’t it? …Perhaps even now, as we speak, it’s already in motion… an unstoppable tide of history.”

“If that’s the case—”

“—But now, it’s a contest.”

Jatice retorts triumphantly, thrusting his words back at Felord.

“Until now, it wasn’t a contest. Humanity’s defeat was inevitable. After all, the enemy’s identity was unknown. They couldn’t even comprehend why they were doomed to perish… they could only lose. Your ultimate goal would be achieved without anyone able to interfere… and everything would end.”

“……”

“But—now, the enemy’s identity is clear. Humanity has finally recognized who their adversary is. And with that—they can fight. They can resist. It’s a contest now.”

“…Jatice… you don’t mean…?”

“You underestimate humanity, Felord. You think of humans as weak, insignificant beings far beneath your grand, sublime selves. You believe that if you got serious, you could crush them however you pleased. Hahaha! Fool! That’s why you came up with such a pathetic ultimate goal in the first place!”

And then, with fierce triumph, Jatice laughs, making a slashing gesture across his throat with his thumb as he boldly declares:

“Don’t underestimate humans, Demon King.”

“Jatice…!”

At last, his irritation with Jatice surpasses his patience.

Raising his voice ever so slightly, Felord swings his arm.

In that instant, a surge of silvery magical energy bursts forth—

And the world, illuminated by its radiance, transforms.

The ceiling vanishes, the floor disappears, the walls fade—all morphs into an infinite void.

“—Ancient Magic [Dimensional Exile]. I banish you to another dimension.”

Boom! Jatice’s body is blown away by some invisible force field.

He’s hurled into the boundless, empty void beyond.

“…Farewell. You’ll never return to this world. Wander the alternate dimension for eternity.”

And then, the void begins to close.

It’s overwritten by the real world once more—swallowing Jatice along with it.

But.

“Hahahahahahahahahahaha! Hyahahahahahahahahaha! Ahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!”

Until the void completely seals shut,

Jatice’s grating, triumphant laughter continues to assault Felord’s eardrums with unrelenting irritation—

After banishing Jatice to the edge of another dimension,

“…Yare yare, what a mess.”

Felord shrugs with the exasperated expression of someone who’s witnessed a child’s prank gone too far.

“You see, Jatice Lowfan… back when we met at the ‘Sealed Realm,’ I was just a shadow then… but I intended to give him this ‘key’.”

Felord pulls something from his pocket.

It’s a single “gray key”.

“Oh? The one belonging to《Marshal of Justice and Crime》Jarl Zia?”

“Based on his abilities, I thought he was qualified. So—I showed him a glimpse of the truth… through that emblem, you know.”

“……”

“But… isn’t it strange? A mage shown even a fragment of the truth should be unable to resist the immense temptation of its profound mysteries. They all, despite differing ultimate goals, join The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom, chasing the truth as if worshipping a god… yet back then, he rejected my invitation with some incomprehensible nonsense.”

“…Hmm? If I may be so bold, Grandmaster, could it be a misjudgment on your part? Perhaps he was a true madman, incapable of grasping the value of the truth?”

“That’s the only explanation, isn’t it? Oh, and speaking of which, the ‘blue key’… the one I gave to《Thunder God General》Varu Vhol, to that Albert fellow… he rejected me too. Yare yare, lately my recruitment efforts haven’t been going so well. Quite the headache.”

“Hmm. To have the chance to grasp the truth yet cling to trivial matters, hesitating and letting it slip away… they’re simply men of that caliber, nothing more… Though, I must admit, I’m a bit disappointed myself…”

At that moment, Powell notices Felord lost in thought.

“…Is something troubling you?”

“Oh, it’s nothing major. It’s just… with Jatice, with Albert… lately, it feels like the characters are straying from my script and direction more often than they should. Normally, that shouldn’t happen, so what—or who—is causing this?”

“Hmm, I haven’t the faintest idea… perhaps mere coincidence?”

“You’re right. In the long span of history, these things happen, don’t they? Besides, it’s within a range I can easily correct. No point dwelling on it.”

With a faint chuckle, Felord smiles.

“The real question is how we move forward from here…”

“Indeed. Once this ritual has begun, there’s no turning back. After all, the next celestial alignment won’t occur for another thousand years… We have no choice but to accelerate the plan.”

“The war between the empire and the kingdom… instead of waiting for it to arise naturally, we’ll have to force it to happen, won’t we?”

“Precisely. To do that… we’ll need to act openly.”

“Yes. Just as Jatice intended, we’ve been dragged onto the main stage.”

“But… will we make it in time?”

Powell says, looking up at the ever-growing, amorphous monster.

“We’re one month away from the evil god’s descent. In that time, the astute Queen of the Alzano Empire will likely rally the nations of the world and launch a counteroffensive against us.

If that happens, we won’t be able to spill the vast amounts of blood needed here in Milano, the heart of the empire, for the final battle.”

“It’ll be fine. Humanity’s counteroffensive will be delayed—severely.”

With a confident smile, Felord replies.

“After all, the empire has Lord Ignite on its side. Anticipating this very scenario, I entrusted him with the ‘red key’.”

“I see… at this timing, he’ll make his move, won’t he? And in doing so, he’ll end up joining us—a perfect two birds with one stone.”

“I’ll focus on managing this sloppy evil god summoning ritual and seizing control of the descended god for a while. Powell, you…”

“Yes, I understand. Scenario Route 18-6, correct? I’ll get Eleanor moving at once… Leave the finer details entirely to me.”

With a respectful bow, Powell murmurs:

“Glory be to the wisdom of the heavens—”

One month until the evil god’s descent.

The hour of ruin draws ever closer, moment by moment—