Chapter 4: Verdant Wind General

“…Are you… okay…?”

A voice reached him.

Amid the chaotic uproar, like a crucible of hell, a clear, resonant voice cut through.

“…Are you okay…? Are you okay!?”

How many times had it called out?

Drawn by someone’s voice, Glenn’s consciousness, wandering in a dream, rapidly surfaced.

“…Yeah, I’m fine…”

Shaking his head, Glenn sat up.

It seemed the damage from the battle had knocked him out. He was sprawled on the ground of the Magic City.

Opening his eyes, he saw a red-haired girl peering at his face with concern from the side.

That red-haired girl, the one Glenn had saved from the execution platform earlier… somehow reminded him of someone.

“…Um… I healed your wounds with magic to some extent, but… it’s not perfect…”

“No, it’s plenty. Thanks.”

Glenn stood up, checking his body’s condition.

Honestly, he was pretty banged up, but it didn’t seem like it would hinder his ability to fight.

Glenn took a moment to survey his surroundings.

“…What’s the situation?”

To sum it up in one word: war.

The Magic City was trembling violently.

The populace was shouting, heading toward the《Tower of Lament》.

The sounds of magical explosions echoed incessantly throughout the city, accompanied by roars of fury.

A feverish chaos was swirling through the Magic City.

The once lifeless city had transformed, as if something was on the verge of revolution.

“…The people have risen.”

The red-haired girl answered Glenn’s question.

“Seeing you, the disciple of Sora-sama… everyone was inspired. They realized things couldn’t stay this way and united to rise as one.”

“……”

Ignoring the girl for a moment, Glenn quietly chanted a spell, activating far-seeing magic.

Indeed, battles between the populace and the ruling class of mages were breaking out all over the Magic City.

The tide of battle was unmistakably in favor of the populace.

The mages, wielding their boasted Ancient Magic, fought fiercely but were succumbing one by one to mana exhaustion, screaming and fleeing in panic.

It was only natural.

This was a world where a mere handful of chosen mages ruled over everyone else.

The sheer numbers between the populace and the ruling mages were too disparate.

No matter how much superior their weapons, in the end, numbers were the ultimate force in battle.

Fueled by years of resentment and rage, this torrent of momentum was unstoppable.

“…Good grief… just like the fairy tale, huh…”

Glenn let out a sigh, his feelings a tangled mix.

Yes, in the fairy tale The Magician of Melgalius, a random “Disciple of the Mage of Justice” defeats Accelo Iero through some incomprehensible means, inspiring the oppressed populace to rise up… that was the storyline.

As a child, he’d thought it was a ridiculous plot, but… what a strange twist of fate.

“Huh? Fairy tale?”

“Nah, it’s nothing. Forget it.”

With that, Glenn started to dash toward the《Tower of Lament》.

But then, the red-haired girl instinctively grabbed the hem of his clothes.

“W-Wait!”

“…What is it?”

Given the situation, Glenn turned back to the girl with slight irritation…

“Th-Thank you so much! For saving me, truly, thank you, Sora-sama’s disciple!”

Her pure gratitude and admiring gaze completely disarmed him.

“Uh, yeah…”

“I was so moved! Fighting for someone… fighting to protect someone… I never knew it could make your heart race and tremble like this…”

“…Haha, it’s not that big a deal.”

“I… someday, I want to be like you! To protect someone… to become a beacon of hope for others…!”

Glenn could only manage an awkward smile, embarrassed by her words.

“…Sorry, I’ve still got work to do. I’ve gotta go take down the big bad Demon King with my master. So, I’m heading out.”

“Ah, y-yes…! I’m sorry!”

“Just… do your best, in moderation. Stay safe.”

“Yes! May fortune favor you!”

Just as Glenn left the girl behind and started running…

She shouted after him.

“My name’s Eva! Eva Ignite!”

“—!?”

Ignite—that surname made Glenn pause for a moment.

“Can we meet again… someday!?”

There was no time to turn back or stop.

Glenn kept running.

But—

“…We’ll meet again.”

With a faint smile tugging at his lips, Glenn muttered softly.

——

Run. Run. Run.

Glenn raced through the Magic City toward the《Tower of Lament》.

The city was now a chaotic crucible, turned upside down.

The populace had risen en masse, clashing with the ruling mages.

Fireballs were exchanged, lightning bolts rained down.

True, the mages’ spells were far more powerful.

But the overwhelming, tsunami-like surge of the populace’s fury left the mages with no choice but to be swallowed up.

The many against the few.

Glenn had never seen a situation so mercilessly dominated by that phrase.

But, of course, war was cruel.

No matter how much they outnumbered the enemy, fighting meant sacrifices were inevitable.

When this revolution ended, how many lives would lie piled upon the Magic City’s ground?

And he, who had sparked this fire—what would he feel then?

“…No point thinking about that stuff.”

Suddenly, he noticed.

Nameless had appeared beside him, floating lightly and running alongside.

“N-Nameless…!? You…”

Looking at her, Glenn saw that more than half of Nameless’s body had already faded.

Yet, unconcerned with her own state, Nameless spoke to him.

“Either way, if things continue like this, everyone will die with tomorrow’s dawn. Besides, if you, who came from the future, did this, then it’s the inevitable history leading to your future.”

“…!”

“You looked like you were mulling over some pointless stuff, so I couldn’t help but offer some unsolicited advice… How’s that? Was it helpful?”

“Yeah, you’re right… No time to be thinking about useless things now.”

Refocusing, Glenn put strength into his legs and kicked off the ground.

“…What about White Cat?”

“Well… I’m sorry… I lost track of her in the chaos…”

“I see. That’s a problem… Our communication magic device is already broken…”

“…You’re not angry? Not worried? Not going to look for her?”

“She’ll be fine.”

Glenn’s eyes were filled with boundless trust as he answered curtly.

“Besides… she came along with me, ready for anything. If I don’t do what I need to do here and waste time worrying about her, she’d chew me out.”

“……”

“More importantly, where do you think Celica is right now?”

“Probably taking advantage of this chaos to storm the《Tower of Lament》.”

“Figured as much. Let’s go.”

Nodding, Glenn agreed.

Together with Nameless, he raced through the red, burning Magic City.

The sun was slowly sinking.

——

《Tower of Lament》, Floors 50–89:《The Gatekeeper’s Post》.

A place where the upper echelons of the ruling mages resided.

The grand assembly hall on the 86th floor was now in utter chaos.

The mages gathered there were shouting incessantly.

“T-The populace… those livestock have staged a mass uprising!?”

“What are the soldiers outside doing!?”

“Hurry! Hurry! Suppress them! Right now!”

“Once they’re subdued, hang a thousand of them as an example…!”

“There are too many! The soldiers guarding the tower’s perimeter are on the retreat…!”

“How pathetic! To think mages would lose to the fangs of mere fools…!”

“W-What do we do!? Soon, those fools will come crashing into the tower!?”

“Three days ago, Sora’s invasion rendered Floors 10 to 49—the《Trial of the Fool》—completely ineffective! Our numbers have dwindled!”

“If they storm in now, they’ll reach us in no time!?”

“I-If that happens, we’re done for…! We’ll be killed…!”

“Oh… just a little longer… just a bit more, and Titus-sama would have achieved his grand ambition… ensuring our eternal glory…!”

“Damn it! Why must we, who should master all wisdom and glory, face this!?”

As they all lamented the sudden end of their era…

“…So, this is the answer. The time has come for us to face our reckoning.”

At the woman’s words, everyone turned to her in shock.

That woman was—Syr Viesha.

“I believed that Titus-sama’s ambition would bring true peace and tranquility to this world, and I served him knowing my sins. But… I was wrong. No one wanted this. This… is the people’s answer.”

“That’s just because they’re fools who don’t understand reason—!”

Syr Viesha’s words were met with hysterical, frothing rebuttals from everyone present.

“Exactly! They don’t understand a single thing about our noble ideals! That’s why they dare to commit such foolish acts against us!”

“Yes! If they just served us, they’d eventually enjoy unparalleled happiness!”

“For that, isn’t it only natural they offer their lives and souls for us!? What are these fools so arrogant about!? Who do they think we’re doing this for!?”

“Indeed! We, the wise, have done so much—!”

“Ungrateful, shameless fools who can only see what’s in front of them—!”

The room was on the verge of being consumed by raging fury, but—

“Enough with your nonsense!”

Bang!

Syr Viesha’s even fiercer shout silenced the room.

“We’ve committed too many sins! The time to atone for them has finally come… that’s all there is to it! We have no choice but to perish! We must accept the people’s wrath!

Our tower of arrogance and hubris—this dark age—has finally come to an end!

Just as we’ve done to them, now it’s our turn to be shamefully hung and exposed, to become the foundation of a new era! That’s the only path left for us! It’s our responsibility as mages! It’s time to face it!”

At Syr Viesha’s scolding…

“N-Noooo—!? I don’t want such a miserable end—!”

“I-I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die!”

“W-Why us!? Why!? Why!?”

“Aaaahhh—! I don’t want to face that kind of resolve—!”

The mages’ pathetic and ugly display was so disgraceful it was almost pitiable.

“…Well… there’s no time left to prepare anyway.”

Syr Viesha said, looking at them with disdain, as if they were trash.

—The tower shook with a tremendous roar.

“W-What was that!?”

“H-Have the fools already stormed in!?”

As the group panicked, a messenger rushed in.

“T-Terrible news—!”

“W-What!? What happened!?”

“S-Sora!”

At the messenger’s cry, everyone paled.

“She broke through the outer defenses and has re-entered the tower—!”

This time, the chaos in the room was beyond control.

“Impossible!? Wasn’t Sora dealt with by Titus-sama!?”

“Aaaahhh—!? We’re going to be slaughtered! Just like during her last invasion!”

“Run! We have to escape!”

“To where!? There’s nowhere to hide in this tower!”

“No, no, no! I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die!”

Amid the chaos…

“…Utterly pathetic.”

Syr Viesha, utterly exasperated, muttered as she turned to leave.

“…I’ve shown you something disgraceful, haven’t I?”

Syr Viesha spoke to a girl waiting outside the grand assembly hall.

“……”

It was Sistine.

Sistine was eyeing Syr Viesha warily, her guard up.

Yet, despite her caution, she seemed confused about what to do.

“I’m sorry, Sistine. For dragging you to a place like this so suddenly.”

“What’s your game,《Verdant Wind General》Syr Viesha-san?”

Sistine recalled.

During Glenn’s battle with Accelo Iero, this woman, claiming to be a Demon General Star, had appeared before her.

(Syr Viesha… According to the fairy tale, she’s one of the last Demon General Stars protecting the Magic City of Melgalius… the unparalleled ruler of wind and storm…)

Sistine, already nearing the realm of a master, had realized in an instant upon facing this woman.

She couldn’t defeat her—not now.

There was an insurmountable gap in their skill.

And if this woman was a Demon General Star, then she was an enemy.

As Sistine braced for death, desperately thinking of ways to survive, the woman made an unexpected proposal.

…Would you like to see the《Tower of Lament》?

“…Why did you bring someone like me to a place like this?”

Unable to grasp the woman’s intentions, Sistine asked.

“A mage of your caliber probably already knows, but I’m…”

“The companion of Sora’s disciple, causing a stir out there… Of course, I know. I’ve been observing the situation.”

Syr Viesha smiled warmly, without a trace of hostility. It was as if she were speaking to a distant relative or close friend.

Then why…?

As if reading Sistine’s thoughts, Syr Viesha spoke gently.

“Why, you ask? The moment I saw you… I just felt I had to talk to you like this.”

“…With me…?”

“…It’s truly strange. This is the first time I’ve ever done something so irrational.”

With that, the woman with silver hair like Sistine’s chuckled softly.

Normally, Sistine might have found it unsettling, but for some reason, she didn’t feel that way now.

Because…

(I’m the same as this person… I don’t know why, but looking at her makes me feel nostalgic… Somewhere deep in my heart, I want to talk to her a little.)

Before they realized it, the two had stepped out onto a terrace on the outer perimeter.

There, an infinite night sky stretched out, with a massive moon greeting them.

It seemed time here flowed differently than the outside world.

(…Oh. I’ve seen this place before…)

Suddenly, Sistine recalled.

This was—the exact same scenery she had seen before when she pursued the missing Celica, passing through 《The Corridor of Stars》 from the Taum Celestial Temple to infiltrate 《The Tower of Lament》.

(So that’s how it connects…)

As Sistine stood there, lost in a strange sense of wonder,

“This is… merely a conjecture based on the situation,”

Syr Viesha, standing beside her, began to speak softly.

“Sora, who was banished to another dimension, suddenly returned with her disciple and you. I suspect, Sistine… could it be that you’ve come from the future?”

“…!?”

Syr Viesha’s razor-sharp insight made Sistine gasp.

Glenn’s warning to avoid talking about the future as much as possible flashed through her mind, but with a mage of this caliber intent on uncovering the truth, hiding anything was utterly impossible.

Rather than having her mind or memories forcibly probed,

“Yes. We came from the future.”

Sistine answered resolutely, without evasion.

“Hehe, I knew it.”

Syr Viesha smiled warmly.

“The future world… it feels incredibly strange, doesn’t it…?”

“……”

Sistine felt the same way.

Talking with Syr Viesha somehow made her feel light and floaty.

Nostalgic, ticklish. What was this sensation?

It was somewhat like the atmosphere of chatting with her grandfather when she was a child.

“What’s the future world like? Could you please tell me about it?”

“Well…”

It was truly strange.

She knew she shouldn’t talk about it, yet for some reason, she felt an urge to tell this person everything. It wasn’t as if some coercive magic was being used on her—

“…Alright then. Where should I start?”

With a soft chuckle,

Sistine began to speak.

She described, as far as she knew, the broad strokes of the future’s flow of events.

And her own era, the people around her, and her daily life.

The fun days spent with friends at the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy.

The chaotic days being dragged around by a certain teacher.

Those were—without a doubt—days she could call “happy.”

But they weren’t always filled with just joy or happiness.

There were times of sadness and pain as well.

Above all, the world was still riddled with contradictions, carrying pain and lament, with people crying in secret.

And now, that future world was facing an unprecedented crisis due to the resurrection of an ancient Demon King.

Yet, despite all of that—

Sistine declared with confidence,

“Even so… I love the era I was born into. I love that world where we laugh, cry, and live with all our might.”

“…I see.”

Syr Viesha, who had been listening quietly, smiled gently.

“Yes. That’s why we have to return to our era. To defeat the Demon King, to connect the threads of fate… We have to fight to protect our world!”

Sistine said this without hesitation.

“So, what will you do to me, Syr Viesha-san?”

She looked straight at Syr Viesha’s profile and spoke.

“As I just said… I’m an enemy of the Demon King. I’m an enemy of you, Demon General.”

“……”

“If you can’t forgive someone like me… I’ll face you with everything I’ve got. Right here, right now. Even if I can’t win, I won’t go down without a fight.”

Sistine quietly braced herself, but somehow, she had a feeling about Syr Viesha’s response.

“…I won’t do anything.”

It was a serene, transparent smile.

“I see… So, after Titus-sama falls… the future flows in that way… Then, indeed, what I’ve been doing was a mistake…”

“Syr Viesha-san…”

“I agreed with Titus-sama’s ideals, ignored my clan’s protests, and devoted myself to him as a Priestess of Ithaqua. But deep down, I was always uncertain.

Are humans really so weak that we must manage them from above? Was what we were trying to do merely hypocrisy and arrogance?”

“Manage…?”

“…I have my answer now. My doubts are gone. Thank you, Sistine-san. I’ve made my decision.”

Syr Viesha turned to face Sistine directly.

“Your decision…?”

“Yes.”

With a nod, Syr Viesha raised her hand and gazed at it.

“My hands are already too stained with blood. Living to atone for something feels lukewarm. I… can only atone through death.”

“N-no, that’s…!”

“Even so, I must take responsibility for my actions.”

To the speechless Sistine, Syr Viesha continued resolutely.

“If I cannot atone, then at the very least—I will support the future you and your companions will forge, the future beyond the threads of fate you connect. That is likely the only atonement I can offer.”

With that,

Syr Viesha muttered something under her breath.

“Huh? What’s this…?”

The white cloak Syr Viesha wore began to dissolve into shimmering feathers of light.

Those feathers swirled around Sistine, gathering together—

Before she knew it, Sistine was wearing Syr Viesha’s cloak.

“…I’ve transferred ownership from me to you.”

“Ownership…?”

“That cloak is my family’s sacred treasure. I thought re-contracting it would be more difficult… but for it to change ownership so easily, perhaps you are…”

“…?”

“It’s a bit like ‘imposing,’ but… it’s surely something you need now. For your era… for your own future… to protect and connect what lies beyond.”

Smiling softly,

Syr Viesha began chanting something again.

Suddenly, a radiant wind began to swirl around Sistine.

In an instant, Sistine’s vision began to distort—

“W-what!? This wind…!?”

“It’s alright. This wind will carry you to where you belong. My wind is freedom itself… even within this sealed tower, it can reach anywhere.”

“Syr Viesha-san!?”

Sistine looked up at Syr Viesha.

“This is goodbye, Sistine-san.”

Syr Viesha sent her off with a gentle smile.

“The next time we meet, I will likely have to fight you… as the wicked Demon General《Verdant Wind General》Syr Viesha.”

That smile evoked the image of a saint who had accepted her destined suffering.

“I tried to protect this world… but in the end, I accomplished nothing. I only carved pain and lament into this world.

My life was one of committing senseless sins… but at the very end, thanks to you, perhaps my bloodstained life gained just a sliver of meaning.

I offer infinite gratitude for this miracle, for this twist of fate. I’m truly glad I met you.”

“Wait! Syr Viesha-san!”

As the wind swirling around her grew stronger, Sistine desperately reached out.

In the increasingly distorted and fading scenery—she called out to Syr Viesha with all her might.

“This is sudden, but!”

Sistine looked at Syr Viesha again.

Her silver hair. Her slightly upturned emerald eyes.

Above all, her face, now clearly visible without the hood of the white cloak.

She looked so familiar.

She resembled someone so much—

“Could it be!? Are you my—…?”

Syr Viesha didn’t answer Sistine’s question.

Instead, she smiled brightly.

Whoosh!

A particularly strong gust of wind suddenly surged through Sistine’s entire body—

Sistine’s vision went dark, and her body was enveloped in weightlessness.

——

Glenn ran, ran, ran.

Right now, Glenn was racing up the long, long staircase on the side of the pyramid-shaped structure, 《The Tower of Lament》, aiming for its apex.

The entrance to infiltrate 《The Tower of Lament》 was located at the top.

But by now, there were no guards around the area.

Glenn climbed the stairs with ease.

As he ascended, his line of sight gradually rose, drawing closer to the sky.

Looking up, the sun was already beginning to set, dyeing the magical city in an even more apocalyptic red.

From below, the clamor of battle still echoed. The roars of the people fighting for freedom resounded.

Turning his back on it all, Glenn continued to race up the stairs—

“…It’s strange.”

Nameless, following behind Glenn, muttered softly.

“I always thought humans were weak, fragile, selfish, foolish… incapable of doing anything, pathetic creatures.”

“…Nameless.”

“In truth, all I’ve ever seen is human foolishness and weakness. So… I believed only a handful of exceptional humans could achieve anything in this world.

No, maybe deep down, I even looked down on those exceptional humans…”

Nameless glanced briefly at the people fighting below.

“…But look at this. With just the smallest trigger, anyone can rise up like this… What even are humans? They’re such incomprehensible creatures.”

“Humans ain’t half bad, are they?”

Glenn said to Nameless behind him without turning around.

“Strength and weakness, wisdom and folly, kindness and cruelty… they shift and shimmer like a kaleidoscope. That’s what humans are.”

“……”

“Sure, the non-humans and those incredible mages aren’t wrong. Humans are weak. Sometimes they’re unbelievably cruel or stupid. Sometimes you can’t help but think it’d be better if some absolute being controlled everything from above.

Even so, I believe… no matter the twists and turns, no matter how many mistakes they make, humans will ultimately choose the right path and walk it. And one day, they’ll achieve the impossible together… Isn’t that like magic?”

“……”

“Haha, yeah, that’s it.”

Glenn said with a playful laugh.

“In other words, maybe anyone can become a ‘Mage of Justice.’”

“…Huh?”

Feeling a sudden pang in his chest, Glenn instinctively stopped running up the stairs.

“What’s wrong, Glenn?”

“N-no…”

Glenn pressed a hand to his mouth, sinking into thought despite the dire situation.

“Just now… did I say something important…?”

A vague, undefined question had been swirling unconsciously in Glenn’s heart.

For a fleeting moment, it felt as though he had glimpsed the answer to that question.

“I want to become a Mage of Justice”—the childish dream he once held.

But that dream had been shattered by cruel reality, and he had convinced himself that “a Mage of Justice doesn’t exist in this world”—or at least, he had tried to.

That wish, which he had long given up on despite his lingering attachment, had it truly been extinguished?

“…You seem to be struggling with some doubt or conflict.” Nameless said, as if to admonish him.

“But we don’t have time to think about it now.”

“Right…”

Snapping back to reality, Glenn put strength back into his legs and resumed racing up the stairs.

The top of 《The Tower of Lament》 was just ahead—

After climbing what seemed like an endless staircase, the top of the tower finally came into view.

There, on the side of the pyramid-shaped structure, was a gate leading inside the tower.

The gate looked familiar.

It was the very same entrance to the underground labyrinth he had seen before in the academy’s underground district.

Feeling a sense of dissonance that something meant to be underground was in a place so close to the sky, he approached the gate…

“…Oh?”

Someone was already there.

By her figure—it was Sistine. She stood quietly in front of the gate, her back to them, as if waiting for Glenn and the others.

“Yo, you’re safe, as expected. Well, with how you are now, I wasn’t worried at all…”

Suddenly, Glenn noticed something.

“…Huh? White Cat, what’s with that cloak…?”

Glenn saw the unfamiliar cloak Sistine was wearing.

It fluttered in the wind blowing through the sky.

It was a white-based, old-fashioned cloak. From its design and embroidery, it was clear it was a product of this era.

And it was impossible not to notice the immense magical power and enchantments woven into the cloak.

“…A magical artifact? Where’d you get that?”

“That cloak… Sistine, could you possibly…?”

To Glenn and Nameless, who looked at her suspiciously,

Sistine turned around and said resolutely,

“Let’s go, Sensei, Nameless-san.”

Her words carried an unshakable will.

In just the two or three hours they’d been apart, Glenn felt as though Sistine had grown into an entirely different person.

“…Yeah, let’s go.”

With a solemn nod,

Glenn, accompanied by Sistine and Nameless, stepped into 《The Tower of Lament》.

They pressed forward along the path Celica had likely taken just moments before—