Epilogue: The Chaos Still Swirling

“Phew… It’s over…”

Under the night sky of Milano, Glenn walks side by side with Rumia, letting out a relieved sigh.

Behind them, Eve follows at a slight distance, her expression cool and composed.

“Man, why do our battles always have to be such close calls…?”

“Hahaha…”

To Glenn’s exasperated grumbling, Rumia can only offer a wry smile.

“Still, we managed to beat those monstrous freaks thanks to you. Thanks, Rumia.”

“Oh, it’s not like I…”

As Rumia modestly brushes off the praise, Glenn continues.

“But seriously, your power… the《Silver Key》, right? It’s changed quite a bit from before, hasn’t it?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, compared to the old《Silver Key》, its raw power is quite inferior. But my《Key》can now be wielded freely according to my will.”

“According to your will, huh…”

Sensing the faint trace of unease in Glenn’s words, Rumia flashes a bright smile.

“It’s alright, Sensei.”

It’s not the fragile, precarious smile she used to show.

Nor is it the resigned smile of someone who has given up and found enlightenment.

This girl is going to be just fine now.

She’s grown, step by step, and has already begun to walk her own path, no longer needing to hold my hand.

Above all, it’s a smile that instills that unshakable confidence.

“Sensei, I believe in you.”

Rumia says to Glenn.

“Please, Sensei, walk the path you believe in, the path you wish to take, without hesitation. I’ll… I’ll be your strength. I’ll help you, Sensei. So…”

“…Thanks.”

Glenn places a hand on Rumia’s head, a gentle smile spreading across his face.

“…Well, and also…”

Then, looking off in a random direction and scratching his cheek, Glenn mumbles.

“…………You too, I guess, thanks, Eve.”

At Glenn’s sudden words—

“!”

Eve, who had been sporting a sulky, half-lidded glare as if to say, “What’s with these two flirting? I’m right here, you know?”, blinks in surprise.

“Rumia’s power played a big part, but honestly, in this fight, we’d have been screwed without you making up the numbers… or something like that? I mean, I’m kinda grateful for that part? Kinda?”

“…………”

“I mean… you’re kinda amazing, aren’t you, Eve…”

At Glenn’s words, a faint blush creeps onto Eve’s previously displeased cheeks.

And then—

“Hmph, whatever. It’s a superior’s duty to clean up after their subordinates’ messes, isn’t it?”

“…Tch. As expected, she’s still not cute at all.”

“What was that?”

Rumia gazes at the two, bickering as usual, with a fond, almost amused expression.

Splash!

Wine is violently splashed across Chase’s face.

“You fool! I ordered you to make the imperial team drop out!”

Slamming the empty wine glass onto the floor, Cardinal Archibald roars with fiery rage.

Perhaps due to his overwhelming fury, Archibald’s complexion looks particularly grim.

“…My deepest apologies.”

Allowing his gray hair to be stained crimson by the wine, Chase offers a flat apology.

“You…! Do you think I’m keeping a filthy vampire like you alive for nothing?! You useless wretch…!”

And at that moment—

“—Guh!? Ugh—!”

Suddenly, Chase clutches his left chest, writhing in agony.

“Ch-Chase!?”

Luna’s face pales as she rushes to Chase, who is crouched over, gripping his heart.

“Does it hurt? It hurts, doesn’t it? How does it feel, Chase? The divine might of the《Nail of Yoth》, driven into your heart, never to be removed…?”

In Archibald’s hand is a hammer, its surface engraved with holy scriptures, radiating a divine light.

“—Gah, aaaaaaah—!”

As if responding to the hammer’s glow, Chase writhes in torment, smoke rising from his body as though it’s burning.

“Shall I reduce this incompetent fool to pure white ash and destroy him completely? Hm?”

“P-Please, wait, Cardinal Archibald!”

Tears welling in her eyes, Luna throws herself at Archibald’s feet in desperation.

“I-It’s my fault! I underestimated that man… Glenn Radars! The failure is my responsibility! Do whatever you want with me, I’ll do anything! So please… don’t kill Chase! Don’t kill my last family! Please, I beg you! Please!”

“L-Lu… na… ugh, guh…!”

Luna pleads desperately, over and over.

Chase tries to stop her, but he can’t move a finger or utter a single word.

Cardinal Archibald gazes down at the two with a cruel expression.

But—at that moment—

“…That’s enough, Archibald.”

A strangely casual voice echoes from the corner of the room.

“There’s still work I need those two to do… Crushing them here isn’t a smart move.”

A young man, wearing a tall top hat and a long frock coat, sits at a table in the corner, where expensive wine bottles and glasses are placed.

However, what he’s drinking from his glass isn’t wine but grape juice poured from a nearby pitcher.

That corner is shrouded in a thick curtain of darkness, obscuring the young man’s detailed appearance.

“Oh, my friend!”

Archibald spreads his arms wide at the mysterious young man’s words.

Instantly, the holy light from the scriptures on the hammer fades…

“Gah, ha—! Haa, haa, haa…!”

“Chase… hang in there… stay with me!”

The agonizing pain consuming Chase finally begins to subside.

“But… my friend, is this truly alright? At this rate, the plan will be disrupted…”

“Relax. This much is ‘unexpected,’ but still ‘within calculations.’ Especially if that man gets involved.”

Kukuku, the young man chuckles from beyond the curtain of darkness—

“Indeed, the timing for us to act is critical. The magic festival’s final match and the summit meeting are scheduled to start almost simultaneously—due to the schedules of the foreign dignitaries, it’s impossible to change now.

For our goal, we need to assassinate His Holiness Funeral and Cardinal Fais during the summit meeting while simultaneously securing that girl.

If we capture the girl before the summit, even Alicia VII would have no choice but to cancel the meeting, making the assassination impossible. If we try to capture her after the summit—after the assassination—the imperial army escorting her would be on high alert, making the kidnapping extremely difficult.

…Yes, the timing must be simultaneous. The assassination and the kidnapping of that girl must happen at the same time… swiftly, like a lightning strike. What a troublesome affair.”

“Exactly… That’s why we needed the imperial team to drop out before the summit began. The grand arena is protected by a severance barrier. During the match, no one can directly interfere with the competitors from the outside.”

“Yes, precisely. Our plan to secure her hinges on her being outside the arena… In other words, if the imperial team advances to the finals, it becomes impossible to carry out the assassination and kidnapping simultaneously…”

“That’s why we had to ensure, without fail, that the imperial team was eliminated before that, and yet these useless fools…!”

Reigniting his anger, Archibald raises the hammer.

“…N-No…!”

Knowing it’s futile, Luna can only cling protectively to the crouching Chase—

“…Haha, it’s fine. Relax.”

The one who saves the two is the mysterious young man.

“No need to get so desperate, Archibald. Actually, even if the imperial team advances to the finals, I’ve already thought of a proper way to secure that girl…”

“R-Really!?”

“Yes, really.”

To the stunned Archibald, the young man speaks calmly.

“Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course I do! I have absolute faith in you! If you say so, it can’t possibly be wrong! I see… I see! As expected! You’re on a completely different level from these useless dogs!”

Archibald immediately bursts into a flurry of delighted chatter.

“Yes, it was your advice to accept and exploit the invitation from that vile Eleanor of The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom… It’s because of you that we’ve come this far! Together, you and I will outwit that detestable organization and seize everything… the《Faith Weapon》… isn’t that right!?”

“Of course. Those evil researchers must be wiped out… That’s justice, after all.”

“Hahahahaha! You never change, do you!?”

“I’m deeply honored by your praise…”

In the darkness, the young man grins… a chilling, eerie smile. Archibald laughs heartily.

At that moment, Luna is utterly dumbfounded.

This man, Archibald… He’s notoriously suspicious, cautious, and distrustful of others.

Whenever he schemes, he always takes hostages. Just like with us. Everyone around Archibald, from his closest aides to his subordinates, has some weakness or hostage held over them, to varying degrees.

And yet—why does Archibald place such boundless trust in this young man?

It could simply be that they hit it off, but… there’s something warped and bizarre about their relationship that fills Luna with an indescribable sense of fear and revulsion.

(Just who… who is this guy!?)

Luna glares sharply at the young man smirking in the darkness.

Thinking back, Chase—the one person who is Luna’s greatest vulnerability—

The “wedge” driven into his heart—the《Nail of Yoth》.

The one who stripped Luna of her control over it was none other than this young man.

Because of that, Luna has no choice but to obey Archibald’s every whim.

(How could a mere human do something like that…!?)

This young man is far too enigmatic. His depths are unfathomable.

Peering into the abyss within his eyes feels like being ensnared and dragged into it… He’s human, yet somehow beyond human.

(I died once and gained power at the cost of my humanity… I became a monstrous being, sacrificing my humanity to obtain unimaginable strength. So, I should be stronger than him. As a living being, I surpass him.)

That should be true. It has to be true.

(And yet—why don’t I feel like I could ever beat him!? Why can’t I envision defeating him in a fight!?)

It has nothing to do with the《Nail of Yoth》in Chase’s heart.

For some reason, Luna can’t even imagine that simple victory—

(Why…!? This man, and Glenn too… Why, when I’m supposed to be overwhelmingly stronger…!? And it’s not just that… Why does everything, everything, keep going so wrong…!? I gained this power to protect, to fight against this kind of injustice…!)

As if seeing through Luna’s inner turmoil—

“In the end, you’re just a monster. Not human. You’re no match for me or that man—Glenn.”

The young man speaks coldly, with disdain.

“Someone like you, who’s only strong, is weak. Honestly… I think the old, weak you was far more of a formidable opponent to me. Kukuku…”

“—!?”

“Now, I’d like you two to keep working for me a bit longer… Is that alright?”

Whether aware of Luna’s frustration and confusion or not—

The young man stands, smiling gently.

His form, previously hidden in the darkness, is illuminated by the candlelight, revealed at last—

“Heh… Getting to work, Jatice?”

“…Yeah. Leave it to me.”

At Archibald’s words, the young man—Jatice Lowfan—smiles chillingly.

“I-I won’t keep quietly obeying you forever! Let me make this clear, I’m stronger than you…! If I wanted to, I could—”

Luna barks defiantly at Jatice, mustering all her courage, but—

“Oh, you’ll obey. No matter how many tens of thousands of times this situation repeats, you’ll listen to me. You can’t cut ties with Chase, your final stronghold. …I’ve read you.”

Her meager bravado and threats fall flat. Luna can only collapse to her knees.

It’s no good. I mustn’t obey. If I follow this young man’s orders, something irreversible will happen. She’s certain of it… but there’s nothing she can do.

“So, I’ll make my move. …Don’t worry, don’t worry, I won’t let you down. If you do exactly as I say, everything will work out… It’ll work out just fine… Kukuku…”

Jatice smiles.

He continues to smile down at Luna, as if mocking her—

Glenn, fighting for his students.

Alicia VII, concerned for the empire’s future.

Lord Ignite, burning with ambition.

Cardinal Fais and Pope Funeral, hoping for peace with the empire.

Cardinal Archibald, harboring murderous intent and malice toward them.

Eleanor, the depraved mage of The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom, scheming in the shadows.

Luna and Chase, collared and stripped of their freedom.

And—Jatice.

Now, countless wills and motives intertwine, converging toward a single design.

What pattern will it ultimately form? Who will have the last laugh?

Only God knows—