Chapter 7: The Akashic Records

On the fifth day since beginning the exploration of the Taum Celestial Temple,

Glenn and Rumia had finally reached the deepest part—the Planetarium Chamber.

It was a beautifully polished, dome-shaped grand hall.

At its center stood a massive magical device resembling a balance scale. The cylindrical main body was entwined with exposed gears, crystals, and mysterious machinery. At the top of the device was a slanted arm, with enormous truncated dodecahedral crystals attached to both ends.

The heart of the Taum Celestial Temple, its greatest enigma—the Planetarium Device.

However, unlike previous sightings, this Planetarium Device was now actively operating with some kind of power.

Tremendous magical energy surged within the device, causing the various attached crystals to flash in myriad colors. The arm moved restlessly in incomprehensible patterns, and the surfaces of the surrounding monoliths, directly connected to the device, displayed a torrent of ancient runic inscriptions flowing like a raging stream.

The floor, patterned to resemble a celestial map, also glowed with transmitted magical energy.

In response, light emanated from the massive dodecahedral crystals on the device’s arm, projecting stars onto the dome’s walls, creating an ever-changing, fantastical cosmic spectacle.

And beside this Planetarium Device stood a lone boy, calmly poised.

He appeared to be around Rumia’s age, perhaps slightly older—a strikingly beautiful silver-haired boy draped loosely in a robe embroidered with ethnic patterns.

His face—Glenn already knew it.

The face that the deranged “Justice” had exposed and laid bare belonged to—

“The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom,《Heavens Order》, Supreme Leader《Grandmaster》Felord Belif!”

Glenn shouted, aiming his trusty antique percussion revolver at the boy—Felord.

“I had a feeling something would show up… but you, of all people?!”

“Hey there, Glenn《The Fool》… I know quite a bit about you, but this is our first time meeting face-to-face, isn’t it?”

“Tch, I’d love to say meeting you here is a century too early and put a bullet in you, but…”

Glenn cautiously kept his eyes on Felord while scanning the surroundings.

Celica was nowhere to be seen.

“You… what did you do with Celica? Don’t tell me—!”

“Hahaha, no, no. When I arrived here, she was already gone.”

Felord shrugged and responded.

“Besides, I have no reason to interfere with her. In fact, it’d be more troublesome if she stayed, and her departure is a historical inevitability… annoying as that is.”

Then, saying something incomprehensible, he looked up at the Planetarium Device beside him.

“Right now, this Planetarium Device has had a hidden function activated by Celica’s hand. With some analysis, even with your rudimentary magic, you could likely determine her destination and follow her.”

Clap, clap, clap… Felord smiled and clapped his hands.

“Congratulations, you made it in time. In three more hours, the power source for this device’s hidden function will run out… and you’d have lost the chance to follow Celica forever.”

“…Hmph, being congratulated by you doesn’t make me happy at all.”

What should he do about this Felord?

As Glenn hesitated…

“Felord-san… why…?”

Rumia, standing beside Glenn, spoke up, her voice tinged with confusion.

“Rumia?”

“Oh, right, Rumia… we met once before in Snowria, didn’t we? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to deceive you. But I just had to meet you at least once…”

“No, that’s not what I mean.”

Rumia shook her head, trembling as if afraid of something.

“I didn’t notice at first… but now, seeing you up close, it’s clear. Felord-san… you… you’re…!”

Just as Rumia was about to say something—

Clack!

A footstep echoed behind Glenn.

Someone’s presence was approaching them.

“Felord Belif. Spelled F-e-l-o-r-d, B-e-l-i-f… ‘Felord Belif,’ right? That’s the straightforward way to look at it.”

“White Cat!?”

“Sistie!? You’re safe!?”

Sistine had just arrived at the scene.

But without time to rejoice in their safe reunion, Sistine brushed past the surprised Glenn and Rumia, stepping forward to confront Felord directly.

“But that name… it’s actually an anagram. Rearrange it, and you get R-e-d-o-l-f, F-i-b-e-l… yes, ‘Redolf Fibel’… my grandfather’s name.”

“…Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden…?”

Glenn, baffled by Sistine’s words, stood dumbfounded.

“…”

Felord, meanwhile, maintained his amused smile, unfazed.

Facing him, Sistine declared,

“I remember now. The day my grandfather passed away and his funeral was held… I never once saw his face. Normally, the coffin’s lid is opened for a final farewell with the deceased.”

“And then… I read a diary hidden in my father’s study desk. It said that a few years ago, just before my grandfather succumbed to illness, on the very night he was at his worst, he suddenly vanished and went missing.”

“…Huh?”

Ignoring Glenn’s dumbfounded voice, Sistine pressed on.

“No matter how much they searched, they couldn’t find him. But with his body ravaged by that illness, there was no way he could still be alive, so they hid the truth from me, a child at the time, and held the funeral with an empty coffin… that’s what was written.”

“…”

Felord, still standing calmly, kept his smile intact.

“Tell me, Felord-san, leader of the Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom… who are you? Why does your face look exactly like my grandfather, Redolf Fibel, in his youth!?”

Sistine shouted, her voice tinged with urgency, as she confronted Felord.

“…!?”

Glenn turned to Rumia, silently questioning her.

Rumia nodded repeatedly in confirmation.

Ignoring their exchange, Sistine posed the decisive question.

“Felord Belif… are you, by any chance, really my grandfather!?”

Then,

“The answer to that… is both yes and no.”

Felord gave an ambiguous, evasive response.

“Don’t mess around! Answer me clearly!”

“I’m not dodging the question. I am your grandfather, Redolf, and at the same time, I am not. …It’s the《Soul Succession Ritual》.”

“《Soul Succession Ritual》…?”

At Glenn’s murmur, Felord let out a faint chuckle.

“You’ve come this far, so you must have already figured out my true identity—that I am Titus Cruo, the Demon King who reigned in what you call ancient times, right?”

Glenn, Sistine, and Rumia all gasped.

“Long ago, in a certain battle, I lost my body as the Demon King… and had to reside in a frail human vessel. But to achieve a certain purpose, I needed to live for a very long time. So, what do you think is the greatest obstacle when a mere human tries to live forever?”

“The body? Aging and decaying is inevitable…”

Rumia answered first.

“Wrong. That’s certainly a hurdle, but only for your inferior magical technology. For me, wielding true magic, bodily decay is easily overcome. Even if I’m dying from an incurable disease or on the brink of death from old age… I can restore that body to its prime.”

 

“Then… the soul? Once you die, the soul vanishes…”

Sistine answered next.

“…Wrong. That’s an uncharacteristically poor answer from an honor student like you. The soul eternally cycles through the《Wheel of Providence》. It may seem like the soul disappears from this world upon death, but unless it’s destroyed by some external spiritual trauma, the soul itself is immortal.”

“Ah…”

Sistine grimaced, realizing her obvious mistake.

Finally, Glenn answered.

“The mind… the heart.”

“Correct. As expected from a lecturer at the empire’s premier magical academy.”

Felord clapped lightly.

“Exactly, the mind. The heart. The astral body, one of the three components of a human. The wear and tear of the mind over time… the degradation of the astral body is something that cannot be avoided. Even if the body and soul are intact, if the ego or thought processes collapse, can you really call that living?”

“I see… so that’s what the《Soul Succession Ritual》overcomes, huh?”

“…Precisely.”

Felord spread his arms wide, speaking proudly and eloquently.

“As I said, the soul is immortal. It’d be a waste not to use it. I imprint only my primal《Will》as the Demon King onto my soul—my fundamental instincts, the root of my existence, my guiding principles, impulses, and beliefs… those sorts of concepts.

By passing my soul onto another, overwriting their fresh mind with my soul… a ‘new me’ is born, acting according to my《Will》, able to resume activity. How’s that? This is my way of becoming an ‘Immortalist’, without the blessing of La’tirika!”

A concerning term slipped out unexpectedly, but there was no time to dwell on it.

“Hah! So that’s why you’re White Cat’s grandfather and yet not him, huh?”

Glenn spat, his voice dripping with disgust.

“Your memories, personality, and body are exactly those of White Cat’s grandfather, but your core is something rotten and entirely different… feeding off others’ minds to keep only your《Will》alive. Man, what a vile, despicable trick you came up with.”

And then,

“Lies… that’s a lie!”

Sistine cried out, unable to believe it.

“You, my grandfather? No way… there’s no way!”

“Unfortunately, I am your grandfather… that’s an undeniable fact. You should accept it.”

“Lies… my grandfather, the most upright person I knew… would never accept a soul like yours…!”

For Sistine, it was a truth she couldn’t bear to acknowledge.

“You must’ve forced it on him when he was on the verge of death! How dare you… how dare you do that to my grandfather…!”

“Unfortunately… I—or rather, your grandfather—accepted me willingly. The《Soul Succession Ritual》only works with mutual consent.”

“No way…! That’s absolutely a lie—!”

As Sistine, in her fury, was about to scream hysterically, Glenn restrained her.

“No… it’s probably true.”

“Even you, Sensei…!?”

“Calm down and listen. I don’t know how strong the Demon King’s《Will》is, but it’s strange to think a person would just bend to it completely, don’t you think?”

“…!?”

To Sistine, who gasped, Glenn continued.

“White Cat… your grandfather was a dedicated magical archaeologist chasing the mysteries of Melgalius’s Sky Castle, right?”

“…Ah.”

“I don’t know the details of the Demon King’s《Will》, but it’s got to be tied to unraveling the mysteries of ancient civilizations. If, on the brink of death, he was shown the key to those mysteries he so desperately sought… and given a chance to pursue them again… even an upright person, being a mage, might impulsively seize that opportunity.”

“No way…”

At that moment, Sistine recalled something.

Her grandfather’s words from long ago—

 

“Unfortunately, this world is full of things that don’t go as we wish… My father, my grandfather, my great-grandfather—all of them failed to even find a clue to that castle…”

“It’s truly… regrettable…”

 

“Hahaha, Glenn, you’re really impressive… I almost feel bad calling you《The Fool》.”

Felord laughed brightly as he spoke.

“Indeed, a person’s《Will》is strong. You can forcibly destroy it, but subjugating and absorbing it is difficult. That’s why there’s a specific condition for those I can perform the《Soul Succession Ritual》on.

It has to be someone whose personality or principles align with the Demon King’s《Will》—those who seek to reach Melgalius’s Sky Castle or the truth beyond it. Only then can I ‘absorb’ them. In that sense, Sistine… your grandfather was incredibly easy to absorb. He was the perfect candidate.”

“You…! Taking advantage of my grandfather’s desperation and despair on the brink of death… how cowardly! I’ll never forgive you! Never!”

Sistine roared, her anger laid bare.

“Don’t be so mad, Sistie, my dear granddaughter. I have no regrets about that day’s choice. Thanks to it, I’m almost at Melgalius’s Sky Castle… I’ll soon grasp all the truths with my own hands… my lifelong dream will come true.”

“You’re not my grandfather! Don’t speak of his precious dreams with his face and voice!”

“Hahaha, say what you will, but I am your grandfather—body, soul, and mind.”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up—!”

Even Sistine, usually so composed, couldn’t control her heart in the face of this being that relentlessly defiled and blasphemed her beloved grandfather.

But at that moment,

“Why?”

Rumia spoke up, her voice resolute.

“Felord-san… why are you doing this…?”

“It’s all to reach Melgalius’s Sky Castle. And to grasp the truth beyond it—the Akashic Records—once more. I simply want to ‘govern, create, and master the wisdom of all things’… to ‘save humanity with the power of the Akashic Records’.”

“…!?”

Glenn felt a sense of familiarity with Felord’s words.

(The words Loran Ertoria left on the pyre… the second half is the opposite, but… what does he mean by ‘save’ humanity?)

Ignoring Glenn’s thoughts, Felord turned to Rumia.

“And to return to the Sky Castle… the key I needed… was you, Rumia.”

“…!?”

Rumia stepped back, a chill running down her spine at the smile Felord directed at her.

To Rumia, Felord continued with an almost emotional tone.

“It’s been… so very long, my beloved angel… since the day you were destroyed… it took so long to bring you back…”

“I… I was destroyed…?”

“Yes. Long, long ago, you were destroyed and torn apart. But your existence has always lingered, fragmented, within my soul.

There was only one way to restore you… to ‘continue producing children, generation after generation, with a certain clan cursed to bear only daughters’.”

“—!?”

The group fell silent, horrified by Felord’s casual mention of something so monstrous.

“It’s called the [Magdalia’s Conception Ritual]. It’s a magical ritual where I gradually restore your soul, fragmented and sleeping within me, by passing it on to the children born.

When those children grow up, I produce another child with them, combining the fragment of your soul they carry with the fragment I hold, passing it to the next generation, creating a child with an even stronger fragment of you. By repeating this… at the end of eternity, a nearly perfect you will be born.”

“What… are you even saying…?”

Glenn, still holding his gun, stood in stunned disbelief.

He had never heard of such a horrifying tale.

“The integration rate of the R-Factor is equivalent to the endowment rate of the [Ars Magna]. Rumia, your [Ars Magna] endowment rate is 98%. You’re practically her already. Though… one more child with you might have produced a 100% perfect version of her.”

“Ugh… ah… aah…!?”

Even the resolute Rumia paled and stepped back, trembling as she covered her mouth, overwhelmed by the sheer horror and visceral disgust of such blasphemy. She could endure pain or fear, but this physiological revulsion was unbearable.

“Hahaha, even within the organization, there was quite a debate about whether to proceed with your current completion level or aim for perfection. The ‘Status Quo Faction’ and the ‘Radical Faction’ clashed fiercely. Thanks to [Project: Revive Life], we managed to cheat your death to some extent… and even if that failed, I could have retrieved your soul and had your mother or sister give birth to you again, right?”

“Enough. I get it. Shut up.”

Glenn, fed up, raised his voice sharply.

“I understand you’re a genuine, irredeemable psychopath—the blackest evil in this world.”

“Don’t speak such vile things with my grandfather’s face and voice! Don’t insult him!”

Sistine stepped forward to shield Rumia, facing Felord head-on.

“White Cat, let’s do this. I don’t fully get this lunatic’s goals, but a world saved by a perverted master like him can’t be anything decent! We’re taking him down right here, right now! Get ready!”

“Got it, Sensei!”

“Oh my, oh my, oh my?”

Felord gave a wry smile at their rising anger.

“It’s not nice to interfere with someone’s love life,《The Fool》.”

“Don’t talk about love, you perverted stalker criminal.”

“Haha, even if that love is twisted… it’s a matter of the feelings between those involved, isn’t it? Right, Rumia?”

Felord spread his arms and slowly approached the retreating Rumia.

To her, he declared grandly,

“No… now is the time to call you by your true name! Come back to me across the vast expanse of time, my beloved!

Your name is—La’falia!”

The moment Felord proclaimed this,

 

Thump.

 

“…Huh?”

A pulse of some entity’s magical energy reverberated through the air from within Rumia.

It carried an unsettling, ominous wavelength.

“R-Rumia?”

“What’s… wrong…?”

“Ugh… ah, aaaaah…!?”

Rumia clutched her head, staggering back in pain.

Her consciousness flipped. In that instant, she glimpsed her inner world—

 

———.

 

It was a scene she had seen somewhere before.

A world where nothing existed, just an endless blue sky.

A place with no time, no concept of up, down, left, or right.

An infinite world complete with only a blue sky.

In that world—Rumia stood.

And she noticed another presence before her.

A figure identical to her, clad in ethereal garments, with otherworldly wings on her back.

The other self she had encountered several times before in her inner world.

That other self, with hands, feet, body, and wings… her entire form bound tightly by countless chains, hung alone in a world of empty sky.

Before Rumia, who gazed up in stunned silence.

That other Rumia—opened her eyes and murmured.

“Ah, my beloved.”

At that moment.

Crack! One of the chains binding the other Rumia snapped.

“Ah, my beloved. My beloved. My beloved…”

Each time the other Rumia wove those feverish words into the air.

With every utterance—crack, crack, crack, the chains broke one by one.

The other Rumia was gradually freed from her bindings.

“…Ah… Aah…”

Trembling with a premonition of something irreversible, Rumia could do nothing. She could only watch as her other self was set free.

“I missed you. I missed you. I missed you. I missed you. I missed you. I missed you. I missed you. I missed you. I missed you. I missed you—”

“No! Stop! That’s not right! Stop it…! Don’t… come out…!”

Rumia clutched her head, shaking it like a petulant child… but the chains continued to break, showing no sign of stopping.

And then—

Crack! At last, all the chains were broken.

The other Rumia descended softly before Rumia.

“Ah… Aah…!?”

As Rumia trembled and backed away, the other Rumia approached her.

And with a gentle smile, she said:

“I am you. You are me.”

“No, that’s not true…”

“Deep down, you already know, don’t you? What we truly are.”

“I don’t… I don’t know…!”

“Oh, I know… We existed for our beloved one… We must dedicate everything to our beloved one… That is my—our—reason for being.”

“No, that’s absolutely not true!”

Rumia could only back away, rejecting it.

The other Rumia pursued her with calm, measured steps.

“Look, Rumia…”

“Ah…”

Rumia froze in realization.

At some point, the other Rumia had taken hold of the《Silver Key》. The same《Silver Key》with immense power that she had wielded against Accelo Iero《Iron Cavalry General》.

“T-That’s…!?”

To the flustered Rumia, the other Rumia held out《The Silver Key》.

“Come, Rumia. Take it. This is your power.”

“No…”

“Haha, you don’t need to deceive yourself anymore.”

The other Rumia took Rumia’s hand, trying to make her grasp《The Silver Key》.

“I understand. Right now, you want nothing more than to give this《Silver Key》to our beloved one. You want to wield its power for our beloved one, don’t you?”

“T-That’s not…!”

“It is. Because you—we—have existed for our beloved one since the moment we were born from the womb of that god.”

With those words.

“Come now… Rumia…”

As the other Rumia was about to force the《Silver Key》into Rumia’s hand…

Thud! Rumia, with fierce determination, pushed the other Rumia away.

“…!?”

The other Rumia, wearing a look of shock, stared at Rumia.

“…I am not you.”

Gone was her earlier panic; Rumia stood resolute.

In her hand was a small《Rumia’s Key》.

“Get out. Don’t invade my heart. The one I truly love isn’t that person you speak of. You… are not me.”

“…”

For a moment, the other Rumia wore a dumbfounded expression.

But then.

“…So it seems…”

A shiver ran through Rumia.

The other Rumia’s face twisted into a cold, furious smile that chilled Rumia to her core.

“To reject our beloved one… to betray them… you could never be me…! Fine, then…!”

Grit. The moment the other Rumia gnashed her teeth.

The《Silver Key》in her hand began to emit an ominous glow—

Clank!

Suddenly, a chain with a shackle shot through the void, binding Rumia’s right hand.

“Huh!?”

Clank! Clank! Clank!

Before she could react, more shackled chains appeared from nowhere, binding her left arm, right leg, left leg, torso, neck… one after another, they restrained Rumia.

Soon, countless chains wrapped tightly around her entire body, hoisting her into the void.

Just as the other Rumia had been moments before…

“Ugh… Aaaah!? Stop…!”

Bound tightly by the chains, Rumia’s consciousness began to fade under the strain.

Over Rumia’s gasps, the other Rumia’s mocking laughter echoed.

“Haha, hahaha! Indeed, you and I are different, aren’t we!? I don’t care about you anymore! I’ll take your place! You can stay there forever, like that! Haha, hahaha, hahahahahahahahaha—!”

The glow of the other Rumia’s《Silver Key》intensified.

It dyed Rumia’s vision, her consciousness, pure white.

And then—

“Stop iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii—!”

Rumia’s consciousness—

 

———.

 

“《From the gate I emerge・From the sky I descend・Now I shall tear all chains asunder》”

Suddenly.

Before Glenn and the others, Rumia was chanting a spell.

“R-Rumia? What are you—?”

The moment Glenn asked that question.

Whoosh! An immense surge of mana erupted from Rumia, swirling explosively around her.

“Whoa!?”

“R-Rumia!?”

The shockwave sent Glenn and Sistine flying, tumbling helplessly.

A violent storm of mana raged with ferocious intensity.

Amid it all, silver light—overwhelming silver light—poured from within Rumia, enveloping her completely.

“That’s…!?”

“It’s the《Silver Key》…!? Hey!?”

The《Silver Key》appeared in Rumia’s hand.

And that key unleashed a torrent of silver light around her—

Within the blinding, searing light, Rumia’s very existence began to transform.

Strange wings manifested on her back.

They were identical to the wings on Nameless’s back, which Glenn and the others knew well—

“W-What!? R-Rumia—!?”

Buffeted by the fierce winds, Glenn and the others couldn’t get a single step closer to her.

And then, as the transformation and light subsided…

The girl known as Rumia was no longer there.

“Who… are you…?”

Glenn challenged the girl standing dazed before him.

Her appearance was undoubtedly Rumia’s, identical in every way.

Yet, her presence was clearly different. It was as if, beneath the same exterior, her essence—her very being—had been completely rewritten.

A divine aura radiated from her. A sacred, yet blasphemous, overwhelming divine presence.

An entity far beyond humanity, existing in a realm far above.

It was akin to the kin of the Evil God they had encountered in Milano, yet far more despairingly superior—an angel.

“…I remember.”

Rumia—no, the girl who had been Rumia—muttered with hollow eyes.

With a tap, she kicked off the ground, soaring into the air and landing beside Felord as if by teleportation.

“I am… La’falia… one wing of《The Celestial Taum》, La’falia《The Angel of Sky》.”

“H-Hey…!”

“What are you talking about, Rumia!?”

Glenn and Sistine shouted, but their voices didn’t reach her.

“No… I’m not Rumia… I’m La’falia… I was born for this person…”

Rumia—no, La’falia—wrapped her arms around Felord from behind, leaning into him.

“Long ago, I existed alongside this person for near eternity… Because I love him… My sister betrayed him, but I alone love him… That’s why I… I alone must stay by his side…”

To La’falia’s words.

“Ah, ‘Sky Maiden’ and ‘Maiden of the Night Sky’… My beloved angel, you’ve returned to me once more… Thank you…”

Felord murmured, overcome with emotion.

“You bastard…!?”

Glenn gripped his gun tightly, spitting out his words.

“What the hell did you do to Rumia…!?”

“Nothing much. I merely helped her recall her past life… no, her true self. After all, in the era you call the super magic civilization… she was my most devoted, beloved vassal.”

Sistine, trembling, shouted.

“L-Lies… That’s a lie…! Rumia would never… That’s impossible! Give Rumia back! Give her back!”

“Give her back? What a strange thing to say. She was always mine, wasn’t she?”

“…Yes, I am yours, my king.”

La’falia nodded in response to Felord’s question.

“Rumia…!”

Sistine could only stare in shock, her eyes wide with horror.

“…”

Glenn, overwhelmed by the situation, could only tremble as he held his gun.

Ignoring the two of them.

“…Ah, truly… it’s been so long…”

Felord looked up at the ceiling, overcome with emotion, and monologued.

“Everything was thrown into chaos by that woman… But now, I’ve finally set it right.”

“That woman…?”

“Since then, so much has happened… I created the Alzano Empire, set up the Rezalia Kingdom as its rival, established The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom, manipulated these three organizations from the shadows, instigated controlled conflicts, and gradually increased the population… I meticulously crafted this stage.”

“…”

“And now, the Silver Dragon, appointed as gatekeeper by that woman, has fallen, and the final key—La’falia—is in my hands. The path to Melgalius’s Sky Castle is now fully open. Heh, everything has gone according to my script… Hahaha! Hahahahahahahaha—!”

Before Felord, who laughed in triumphant joy.

Glenn exchanged a glance with Sistine.

(White Cat, let’s do this.)

(…S-Sensei…)

(We’ll deal with Rumia later. First, we take down Felord and restrain Rumia… Got it?)

(I understand. But… that’s the《Grandmaster》! Do we even have a way to beat him!?)

To Sistine’s pleading look, Glenn briefly showed her his pistol.

(…Right, the magic gun《Penetrator》…!)

(Yeah, if I can get to zero range, my Original Magic [Fool’s Penetrator] will finish him!)

(…I’ll cover you!)

(Counting on you.)

The moment Glenn and Sistine nodded to each other.

“《Zero’s Focus》!”

Glenn moved like a coiled spring.

He cocked the hammer of《Penetrator》and tossed it upward—

At the same time, he drew《Queen Killer》with his free right hand and fired immediately.

The deafening roar of the flintlock pistol shook the air in the dome as fire erupted from its barrel.

Simultaneously—

“《Obey me・People of the wind・I am the princess who commands the gales》—!”

Sistine raised both hands, chanting a spell.

Black Magic Modified II [Storm Grasper]—once activated, it could summon and freely manipulate all winds in the area, Sistine’s ultimate spell.

Whoosh! A tremendous storm erupted around Sistine.

Confirming the spell’s activation, Glenn pulled an Arcana card from his pocket.

Original Magic [Fool’s World].

It completely nullified the activation of any magic within a certain area.

With this, no matter how skilled a mage Felord was, he would be reduced to a mere fool in this moment.

And [Fool’s World] did not interfere with magic already activated and in effect.

“Sensei!”

Sistine activated Black Magic Modified [Swift Stream] from [Storm Grasper].

At the same time, Glenn released《Queen Killer》, catching the falling《Penetrator》’s grip.

Enveloped in fierce winds, Glenn charged forward with a pseudo-[Gale Kick].

His vision locked onto Felord, the scenery around him rushing backward like a raging current.

At this distance, he could reach Felord in a single breath.

If he could touch Felord with the gun’s barrel—Glenn would win.

“Zero range, got—!”

—But.

At that moment, Glenn noticed something was wrong.

“…What…?”

Glenn was moving at incredible speed, charging toward Felord.

The scenery around him flowed backward like a torrent, with Felord as the focal point.

Yet—the distance to Felord wasn’t closing. The gap remained unchanged.

Felord wasn’t doing anything. He simply stood there, calm and composed.

To begin with, where had the bullet from《Queen Killer》gone? It was supposed to pin Felord’s movements from all directions—

“Kuh—!?”

Forced to stop due to this anomaly, Glenn halted.

Naturally, the flowing scenery came to a standstill as well.

As expected, the distance between Glenn and Felord hadn’t closed by even a single step.

And then.

Clang, clang, clang, clatter…

Hearing a metallic sound, Glenn glanced down… and saw the bullet from《Queen Killer》bouncing on the floor near him.

“S-Sensei, what’s wrong with you, just standing there…!? This isn’t the time to mess around!”

Sistine’s scolding went unheard.

“…!?”

A chill ran through Glenn as he realized the truth behind what had just happened, his body trembling uncontrollably.

“Impressive deduction, Fool.”

Felord began to slowly walk toward Glenn.

“…!?”

Glenn couldn’t move. It was as if he were paralyzed, unable to budge.

“Se-Sensei! W-Wind—!”

Sistine manipulates the wind enveloping her body.

From [Storm Grasper] to Modified Black Magic [Blade Dancer].

Countless blades of wind roar and fly at ferocious speed, aiming to tear Felord apart—

Yet, for some reason, the wind blades slow down as they approach Felord… and then, abruptly, vanish without a trace.

“…Huh? What was that…?”

It wasn’t blocked. It wasn’t dodged. It wasn’t nullified.

Faced with a phenomenon she had never seen or heard of, Sistine stands frozen in place.

Meanwhile, Felord strides right up to Glenn, gently grasping the barrel of Glenn’s《Fool’s Penetrator》.

Then, he lifts the muzzle… and presses it against his own left chest.

“Go ahead, shoot.”

Felord smiles softly.

“Kh—!?”

Without hesitation, Glenn pulls the trigger of《Fool’s Penetrator》.

Boom! The destructive charge,《Eve Kaiser’s Elixir》, detonates.

A bullet of certain death, fired at point-blank range, was supposed to hit Felord—

But—

Clang, clang, clang, clatter…

The bullet of certain destruction doesn’t fly; instead, it pathetically strikes the floor.

“Get it now?”

Turning his back on the stunned Glenn, Felord casually strolls back to his original position.

There stands La’falia, holding the《Silver Key》.

“In short… your attacks aren’t reaching me.”

“…!?”

“My《Sky Maiden》La’falia is an angel who dominates and manipulates space through the《Silver Key》. Having nearly fully regained her blessing, I can wield her spatial domination abilities as I did when I was a Demon King. Right now, I’ve distorted space, stretching the distance between you and me to infinity.”

Felord, standing close to La’falia, turns back and smiles.

“Distance is the ultimate shield. None of your attacks, no matter what they are, can reach me. Even if you had an attack with infinite range… as long as time remains finite, it will never arrive.”

A heavy silence envelops the surroundings.

“…No way…”

Stunned, Glenn slowly lowers the muzzle of his gun, letting it dangle limply.

“…T-that’s…”

Sistine, equally dumbfounded, collapses to her knees.

It was overwhelming.

With just this, the hierarchy of strength between the two sides was decisively established.

The Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom,《Heavens Order》—Supreme Leader《Grandmaster》Felord Belif.

He was overwhelmingly, despairingly powerful. There wasn’t the slightest chance of victory.

The phrase “a being above the clouds” was made for someone like him.

They had faced countless extraordinary enemies in life-or-death battles before… but this man was beyond extraordinary.

How could they possibly fight an enemy this insurmountable?

An infinite distance. A simple, clear, and ultimate shield. Even drawing on all his combat experience, Glenn couldn’t find a single way to break through.

To the stunned Glenn and Sistine, Felord spoke.

“Now, eliminating you two would be easy. I could banish you to the edge of dimensions or crush you by compressing space itself. But… Sistine is my adorable granddaughter, and Glenn, I owe you for helping her grow this far.”

“Keh… what are you getting at…?”

Cold sweat drips from Glenn’s body as he responds with forced bravado, though his stance is nothing more than a pitiful bluff.

“Why don’t you two join the Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom?”

“—!?”

“Wha—!?”

The sudden invitation makes Glenn and Sistine’s eyes widen in shock.

Before the two, Felord continues cheerfully.

“Thanks to that maddening ‘justice,’ our membership has drastically dwindled… so new members are more than welcome. Sistine, your skills as a mage are more than sufficient for membership… and Glenn, well… let’s say you’re a bonus. I’d love for you both to agree with the purpose of our activities and walk the path we aim for together. Lend us your strength. What do you say?”

To Felord’s offer—

“Don’t mess with me… who the hell would join you bastards…!?”

“Stop it… you’re not my grandfather!”

Glenn and Sistine defiantly reject him.

“Oh, my, my, my?”

Felord laughs at their bravado.

“Well, hear me out. It seems you’ve misunderstood our activities. You think we’re just a terrorist group, mindlessly piling up sins and desecrating lives.”

“…How is that any different!?”

“It’s completely different. All our actions are aimed at reaching the truth—the《Akashic Records》.”

“The《Akashic Records》? Damn it, enough with the《Akashic Records》already! You created the Empire, the Kingdom, and the Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom, pitting them against each other in some twisted game, tried to revive the Evil God’s kin, and committed all those crimes—all for the sake of the《Akashic Records》!?”

“Exactly. And the《Akashic Records》—they reside in Melgalius’s Sky Castle.”

“…!?”

“And—I’ll show you both what the《Akashic Records》truly are.”

With that—

Felord turns the back of his left hand toward Glenn, unraveling the bandage wrapped around it with a soft rustle.

On the back of his hand is an enigmatic emblem, a stylized design of twin angels.

“W-What’s that…? An emblem? A caricatured twin angels’ emblem…?”

“The《Taum’s Emblem》—the destination that all mages seeking truth in this world inevitably reach. It always leads to this《Taum’s Emblem》. Now, Glenn, Sistine, behold. The《Akashic Records》—you will experience it with your very hearts—”

As Felord speaks, the emblem begins to glow faintly—

Its pattern burns vividly into Glenn’s mind.

The next moment—

 

“Uwaaaaaaaah—!”

 

Glenn feels his consciousness being pulled backward.

His body and soul left behind, only his mind being dragged.

Pulled, pulled, pulled by an irresistible force.

As his consciousness was dragged along, Glenn’s vision rushed forward like a raging torrent.

Before he knew it, in the blink of an eye, Glenn’s motionless body had become as small as a speck in the distance far ahead—until it finally vanished into the infinitesimal beyond, converging at a single point.

Yet still, his mind is dragged backward, backward—

“—Aaaaaaaah—!”

Overwhelmed by a sensation he had never experienced before, he felt his heart shattering into pieces, his sanity being shaved away bit by bit, unable to resist in the slightest—

Eventually, Glenn’s mind, dragged along, left the world—left the stars—crossing galaxies and soaring far, far, far into the vastness of the cosmos—

“—Aaaaaaaah—!”

The pulling doesn’t stop.

At last—Glenn’s mind, dragged at the speed of light, bursts out into the outer universe.

 

“—Aaaaaah!? …Huh?”

Suddenly—he notices.

(…A line?)

At some point, the universe where Glenn and the others existed—has become a single line.

A single line, stretching through infinite space at the speed of light, streaking like a meteor through an endless, boundless world.

Glenn realizes. The place he now exists in is not three-dimensional.

Unlike a body or soul bound by time and space, the mind is utterly free.

This is a four-dimensional world, transcending the yoke of time.

That single line of light, racing through infinite imaginary space, is the true form of the world they inhabit.

The world is something that constantly changes along the axis of time.

Thus, the direction that line of light extends, its vector, is the time axis.

Freed from his body and soul, Glenn has, for the first time, glimpsed the true nature of the world.

His consciousness is pulled further backward. His perspective widens, expands.

And then, Glenn perceives.

The world—the line of light—is not alone.

He notices countless other lines of light flowing parallel to it, in the same direction along the time axis.

Those lines are branches, diverging from Glenn’s world line.

They are “what-if” worlds, split by the tiniest possibilities. Perhaps a world where Sera lived, or one where Glenn never became a magic instructor… worlds branching from singularities, possibilities that could have been.

Yet, as they all aim in the same direction, as Glenn’s consciousness is pulled further away, these lines begin to overlap and merge into one—

(Parallel worlds—fifth-dimensional perception…!?)

As parallel worlds integrate within Glenn’s consciousness, granting him fifth-dimensional awareness—

Suddenly, the world line splits decisively at a certain singularity.

Unlike the earlier branches, which shared the same direction, these are different.

Two lines, now heading in entirely different directions—no longer mere branches, but entirely distinct worlds evolved separately.

Glenn catches a glimpse.

Freed from the yoke of time, he peers into another world line, branching off in a completely different direction.

That world is unlike anything Glenn has ever seen or heard of.

It is a world without magic.

The people there wear strange clothing.

For some reason, they live in tall, rectangular buildings, the roads are paved flat with gray stone, and vehicles move without horses. Giant mechanical birds soar through the sky.

The people walking about all hold strange card-like objects, busily operating them. The surfaces of those cards display moving images without magic, or they hold them to their ears to speak with someone.

How does this world function without magic?

Though the steam engines and scientific technologies of Glenn’s world seem entirely different, he senses some underlying connection. But why—?

One thing is clear.

This is another world—a world utterly different from the one Glenn and his companions inhabit.

(Another world—sixth-dimensional perception…!?)

Glenn’s consciousness is pulled further backward. His perspective widens even more.

The two branched world lines begin to split again.

Two become four, four become eight, eight become sixteen—

Countless branches form, countless other worlds standing side by side.

Eventually—a single world line becomes a single tree, branching infinitely.

He’s heard of it. He’s studied it in theory.

A single fundamental world unit, encompassing countless other worlds.

But to actually perceive it with his mind—he never dreamed it possible.

Yes, that single tree is—

(The Dimensional Tree…! Seventh-dimensional perception…!?)

Glenn, having gained the theoretical highest-dimensional perspective.

And then, he notices countless Dimensional Trees standing in all directions, infinitely vast.

It is—a forest of Dimensional Trees.

At the same time—

Within that forest, he sees monstrous beings, unlike anything he’s ever witnessed, locked in battle.

“A, a, aaaaaaaaah—!?”

In that instant, Glenn’s sanity begins to erode. He never knew the outer universe—beyond the world they perceive—could be so terrifying.

They are massive as mountains, mighty as suns, both sinister and divine—

Glenn instinctively understands—the names of these cosmic Evil Gods.

That grotesque, raging crimson lion of infinite heat is—《Flame King Chtugha》.

That towering, proud giant woven from threads of lightning is—《Golden Thunder Emperor》.

That queenly figure commanding a storm that warps dimensions is—《Wind Goddess Ithaqua》.

Beyond them, countless other blasphemous, horrifying, immense, and indescribable monstrous beings rampage, clashing fiercely.

Their battles are not mere natural disasters.

They are collisions of microcosms, supernova explosions.

Due to their dimensional differences, they cannot directly interfere with the Dimensional Trees.

And in the time it takes them to swing an arm, thousands of years pass within a Dimensional Tree.

The chances of Glenn and his companions encountering these outer cosmic Evil Gods are infinitesimally close to zero.

But can you imagine? That such monsters lurk just beyond the world they live in, within arm’s reach—

And then—

Glenn’s consciousness is pulled further.

His mind races toward the origin of all Dimensional Trees—their primal source.

Suddenly, Glenn realizes.

All the Dimensional Trees here sprouted from a single seed.

His consciousness is pulled, pulled, pulled.

And then—

“…”

Before he knows it, Glenn stands in a vast sea.

It is a beautiful place. A mystical place.

His 360-degree view is filled with a horizon shaped by the twinkling of stars.

The shimmering of countless stars forms this infinite sea—

“Stars… no, wait… this is…”

Glenn looks upward.

The sky is densely packed with the canopies of countless Dimensional Trees… from which particles of light fall like snow, raining into the starry sea where Glenn stands.

 

Each beautiful particle of light is a spark of life—a human heart.

“Eighth dimension… the《Sea of Consciousness》… the collective unconscious… the eighth world…”

Yes, this is the place where all human spirits… all hearts converge.

The memories of every human from every world gather here.

“Ah, aah… aaaaaah…!”

Suddenly, an overwhelming sense of euphoria wells up in Glenn’s chest.

Overcome with awe and happiness, Glenn sheds tears without realizing it.

“What is this place… everything is here… all of the knowledge is here…!”

Yes, this is the《Sea of Consciousness》. The place where all human memories and experiences slumber.

Thus, there is nothing that cannot be known in this place.

For a mage, what sublime joy this must be.

“Ugh, ah… aaaah… aaaaaah…”

Glenn, tears streaming down his face, is drawn forward through the《Sea of Consciousness》as if guided by something.

His destination—the single seed floating at the center of the《Sea of Consciousness》.

The origin of all branched universes, all Dimensional Trees.

The very first soul born in this infinite cosmic world.

The《Primal One》, said to have emitted the《Origin Melody》that forms the basis of all magic.

The zeroth singularity, the source of all that shapes this world—《The Primordial Soul》.

It is—right before Glenn’s eyes.

Close enough to touch if he reaches out.

As Glenn extends his hand—

“…Ah…”

Surely, it transformed into a form Glenn could comprehend.

The《Primordial Soul》unravels with a flutter.

Pages, inscribed with something, scatter and dissolve.

The pages gather on their own, binding together—forming a single book.

“…Ah.”

In Glenn’s hands, he holds that book.

Glenn stares at it intently.

“Uh, agh…”

He doesn’t understand.

“Aaaaaa…”

He doesn’t understand, but in this moment, he feels so happy that his very existence might melt and burst.

Too happy, too happy—he can’t think, doesn’t want to think.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa—!”

Glenn wept, without shame or reserve.

Clutching the book tightly, he simply cried with all his being.

He knew no other way to express this overwhelming, blissful emotion.

Holding this book, he was omniscient. And omnipotent.

Some might even call this book “God.”

With this book in hand—everything could be known, everything could be achieved.

Yet—because of that, he no longer wanted to do anything. There was no need to.

He wanted to stay forever in this blissful《Sea of Consciousness》, cradling this book, never letting it go, never leaving this place—

(Ah, so that’s why… I’m already—)

Immersed in the euphoria that filled his entire being.

Glenn’s mind was on the verge of shutting down completely, ready to end it all—when it happened.

“What are you doing, you absolute idiot?!”

A voice thundered from behind, scolding Glenn with fierce intensity.

His consciousness, which had been melting into happiness, snapped back to life at the sound of that voice.

“W-What… Nameless…!?”

Recognizing the familiar voice, Glenn instinctively tried to turn around.

“Wait, don’t look back!”

Nameless’s sharp warning froze Glenn in place.

“Please, don’t look… Not at this… not at this form… I don’t want you to see me like this… this hideous form…!”

“…Nameless… what’s going on…?”

“My true form is something you can’t comprehend. If you look at it directly, your sanity and sense of self will surely collapse…! And, well… I’m still a girl, you know! Have some tact, you idiot!”

“O-Okay…”

Honestly, Glenn didn’t understand a single thing.

For now, he just nodded.

“Glenn, don’t let yourself be consumed by false, illusory happiness. You have to return to reality.”

“…!”

“You understand, don’t you? This is a place where humans shouldn’t be… Don’t give in to that book’s temptation… Hold fast to yourself… You have to go back to your world…!”

At that moment.

“Why not just let him stay if he wants to?”

Was there someone else besides Nameless?

A strange, distorted, hoarse voice—neither male nor female—echoed from behind as well.

“If he wants to stay here, let him… After all, this man—Glenn—is quite fascinating… ufufufu…”

In an instant, a chill ran through Glenn’s entire body. Just hearing that voice stirred an indescribable mix of anxiety, fear, and discomfort, eroding his sanity.

“Lately, the one who drifted into the《Great Library》was pretty entertaining too, but more amusement is always welcome, right? Isn’t that so,《The Celestial Taum》…?”

Ihihihihihahahahahaha—a discordant, echoing laugh, like the reverberation of a mountain echoed through the《Sea of Consciousness》.

Glenn instinctively covered his ears. That laugh alone felt like it could blow his mind apart.

“Kh! Shut up,《Pure Darkness》…! I won’t let you lay a single finger on my Master!”

Suddenly.

A tremendous sound erupted from behind Glenn.

Likely, Nameless was fighting “someone.”

How could it be described?

The sound of space being torn apart? The dying scream of a monster? An explosion?

It was none of those things—but Glenn understood one thing: behind him, a hellish scene was unfolding, one that shattered stars and defied his comprehension.

And if he turned to look, even for a moment… as Nameless had warned, his very existence, his sense of self, would completely collapse.

“Don’t look back! Don’t look! Don’t try to understand! And—run, Glenn!”

Nameless, fighting behind him, shouted to the frozen Glenn.

“Throw that book away, hold fast to your will to return, and run! That’s how you’ll get back!”

Her words left Glenn stunned.

“T-throw away this book…? I have to… throw it away…?”

For Glenn, who had glimpsed a fragment of omniscience and omnipotence, that was a despair akin to death itself.

“That’s right. That book… you may have touched it through the means that brought you here, but you can never take it back with you.”

“N-No…! Not that… anything but that…!”

Glenn clutched the book tightly, shaking his head like a petulant child.

Throw it away? This book that held infinite wisdom and happiness—throw it away?

He didn’t want to. If he had to throw it away, he’d rather stay here forever.

He wanted to remain enveloped in this infinite, supreme bliss, drifting forever.

“I won’t! I don’t want to go back! I don’t care if I vanish like this! This book… I—!”

But.

“Don’t be so weak!”

Nameless’s soul-shaking scream rebuked Glenn.

“My Master, succumbing to a temptation like this?! I, who have waited for you all this time, absolutely refuse to accept it!”

“—!?”

“Remember! Don’t give in! Think of the people precious to you! The people you must protect! What’s in your heart… your bonds… are they so weak that they’d be blown away by some measly《Akashic Records》?!”

Startled, Glenn instinctively clutched his chest.

There… was the pendant with Celica’s red magic crystal.

It was strange. He had come to this world of pure consciousness, leaving his body and soul behind… yet this red magic crystal pendant was still with him.

Of course it was. That pendant was filled with “heart.”

It held Glenn’s feelings for Celica.

Celica’s feelings for Glenn.

The feelings of his students and comrades who believed in him and pushed him forward.

“…Everyone…”

In Glenn’s mind, the faces of those who had entrusted their feelings to this pendant flashed by like a carousel of memories.

The students who had gathered at that Noel festival party.

And Sistine, Rumia, Re=L.

And beyond them—Christoph, Bernard, Albert, Eve. Even Her Majesty and Fossil.

And above all—

 

“Farewell, my beloved son—”

 

A vision of a beloved figure’s back, murmuring those words—

“Uwoooooooohhhhhh—!”

Glenn—threw the book away.

Crying and wailing like a child, he threw it away.

Instantly, an overwhelming sense of loss and emptiness hit him. It felt as if a piece of his soul had been torn away, a searing pain in his heart. Despair. Longing. A sense that he no longer had any purpose in existing, that he might as well vanish—

But.

Even so.

This tiny book was nothing compared to—

“I… I—!”

There were things far more important to him.

Things he had to take back.

That’s why he had to return—!

“Uwaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh—!”

And so, he ran, ran, raced forward, clutching the pendant tightly in his hand…

“That’s right… that’s good, Glenn…”

“Aww, he’s leaving? Tch, what a shame…”

Feeling those voices behind him—or perhaps throughout his entire being.

Glenn ran at the speed of light… no, faster than light itself.

As a mental entity now, he had long surpassed the laws of physics.

Thus, at superluminal speed, Glenn retraced his entire journey backward, backward, backward—

 

—.

 

“—Haa!?”

When he came to.

Glenn was standing in his original place—the deepest chamber of the Taum Celestial Temple, the Great Orrery Room.

“Haa—! Haa—!? Haa—!”

Breathing heavily, he glanced at his hand.

Clutched tightly was the red magic crystal pendant.

“Haa… haa… what… was that…? Could that have been…?”

Beside him was Sistine, her face pale as she clutched her head.

She had likely experienced the same mystical journey as Glenn.

“Oh? It seems you both made it back safely.”

In front of them stood Felord, composed and serene, alongside La’falia.

“I expected Sistine, a true magician, to return, but you coming back too, Glenn? That was a bit unexpected.”

“Damn it…! Showing me something so ridiculous…!?”

In real time, it was probably just a second.

But it felt like billions of years—a journey of the mind beyond comprehension.

“So? How was it? What did you think of touching the truth—the《Akashic Records》?”

Felord asked gleefully to the unsteady Glenn and Sistine.

“You must understand the purpose of our actions now, don’t you? The happiness, the value of grasping that in our hands.”

“…Zee—! …Zee—!”

“At the same time, you must have realized… the existence of true evil that threatens this world. Do you understand now? Even if I’m called a ‘Demon King,’ all I wanted was to save the world… with the power of the《Akashic Records》.”

“Hoo… hoo…”

Glenn listened to Felord’s words as he steadied his breathing.

“So,《The Fool》… and my beloved granddaughter. Will you join us?”

To Felord’s question.

“…No way!”

“Absolutely not!”

Glenn and Sistine answered resolutely.

“Yeah, I get your ideals! I felt them in my soul! Damn, you’re right—it’s not something you can explain with words! I understand why those rogue magicians sided with you!”

Glenn glared sharply at Felord, his words rapid and fierce.

“As a magician, no one could resist the happiness of touching that truth…! Once you experience it, it’s either blind loyalty or ego collapse!”

“I… won’t give in to that temptation…! Stop insulting my grandfather, you Demon King!”

To Glenn and Sistine’s reactions.

Felord let out a surprised, then disappointed sigh.

“Yare yare, another failed recruitment. Things really haven’t been going well lately. I wonder why?”

Felord said, showing the emblem on the back of his hand.

“The mystical experience brought by this《Taum’s Emblem》—whether one can return from it—is the qualification for joining the Inner Circle of the Researchers of Heavenly Wisdom. But to return and still refuse the invitation… in the long history of the Empire, only four people, including you two, have done that.”

“…!?”

“Come to think of it, all those who refused were deeply connected to you, Glenn. Is that a coincidence? Just who are you?”

“…I don’t know, you old fool.”

Glenn snapped back, genuinely clueless.

For a while, Felord studied Glenn with keen interest, but eventually shrugged, losing interest.

“Oh well. If you won’t join, I have no choice but to eliminate you as obstacles.”

Felord snapped his fingers.

La’falia’s《Silver Key》behind him began to glow faintly—

Kin!

“—Ah—”

Sistine was suddenly trapped in a strange, transparent box, completely frozen.

She stood rigid, like a statue.

“White Cat!?”

“Relax. It’s just spatial freezing. She’s my beloved granddaughter… I’ll take my time later to make her understand the wonders of the《Akashic Records》. And—”

Felord glanced at Glenn.

“…Ugh… ah…!?”

Darkness spread across Glenn’s vision.

From all directions—front, back, left, right, above, below—an intense darkness surged toward him.

A darkness that sought to erase Glenn’s very existence into nothingness.

“Uwoooohhh!?”

Glenn desperately resisted the encroaching darkness.

He swung his fists, fired his gun wildly, unleashed every offensive spell he knew, trying every means at his disposal.

But all of it was swallowed by the darkness, reduced to nothing.

All resistance was futile. He had no means to fight back.

“Farewell, Glenn. Your existence will now dissolve into nothingness.”

“Damn… it…”

“Farewell, you book-eating pest in my script. You were quite entertaining.”

“Damn it all—!”

And so.

Glenn’s existence, helpless, was about to dissolve into nothingness—

—At that moment.

“…Huh?”

“What…!?”

The erosion of the void-like darkness consuming Glenn suddenly stopped.

Looking closer.

“…Rumia…?”

Something was happening to La’falia, who stood behind Felord, holding the《Silver Key》.

The key trembled in her hand, her entire body shaking uncontrollably.

From her vacant, emotionless eyes, tears streamed down.

“What’s wrong, La’falia…? What are you doing?”

“N-No… I don’t want this…”

Then, La’falia dropped the《Silver Key》, clutched her head, and collapsed to her knees.

“Why… why are you interfering…? I… we exist for this person… so why… why are you… ugh, aaahhh—!”

Screaming and writhing in agony, La’falia shook her head.

Seeing her, Glenn was certain.

(That’s right, Rumia hasn’t disappeared yet! I can still save her! I can still bring her back!)

But how? What should he do?

What options did he have in this situation?

How could he bring Rumia back?

(No good… I can’t figure it out…! What do I do—!?)

As Glenn wavered in indecision.

 

“HAAAAAA—!”

 

A tremendous roar echoed through the chamber.

At that moment.

Crashhhhh!

The frozen space trapping Sistine shattered and scattered—

The void-like darkness that had been consuming Glenn was blown away in an instant, dissipating completely.

“What—!?”

Freed from the frozen space, Sistine came to her senses.

“W-Was that… Dragon’s Shout [Vanishing Force]!?”

When Glenn instinctively turned around, he saw—

“…I’ve been waiting for this moment… the moment when La’falia becomes unstable!”

The figure of a young girl.

The mysterious girl whom Celica had once brought back from Snowria stood there.

“Glenn! Leave her—leave Rumia—to me!”

“Haa!? Why you!?”

“Just move! There’s no time for leisurely explanations!”

The girl kicked off the ground, leaping in front of Glenn and the others, spreading both arms wide with all her might as if prying something open—

The space crumpled with a squelch, and a loud crack split through the air.

“I’ve temporarily eased the ‘infinite distance’! Glenn! Sistine! Run! Chase after Celica through that planetarium device now!”

“—!?”

Even so, Glenn and Sistine couldn’t hide their hesitation.

‘It’s okay, no need to worry.’

Behind the mysterious girl, Nameless’s form emerged as well.

“Nameless!?”

Glenn froze in shock. In Nameless’s hand was the massive, golden-gleaming key he had seen before.

‘Rumia will be handled by me and her. So, you two, get out of here! You can’t deal with the Demon King in your current state!’

“B-but…”

‘Hurry! Please, just trust us for now! Even we can’t hold off that Demon King for long…! So… hurry!’

Faced with Nameless and the girl’s desperate urgency,

“Sensei, let’s go! It’s our only option now!”

Though she couldn’t fully grasp the situation, Sistine seemed to instinctively understand it was their only path.

“I’m worried about Rumia… but for now…!”

That settled Glenn’s resolve.

 

“Alright, got it! Nameless and you nameless kid! I’m counting on you!”

With that, Glenn, alongside Sistine, dashed toward the planetarium device.

“Uooooooohhh—!”

In front of Glenn and the others,

“I won’t let you.”

Felord raised a hand, beginning to chant a spell.

“That’s our line!”

The mysterious girl charged at Felord with inhuman speed, thrusting her right hand forward.

Tremendous magical energy surged in her right hand.

Felord caught it with the infinite distance generated in his hand—

The destructive force swirled around the mysterious girl and Felord, seeking an escape.

“…Le Silva… that power… so, you’re behind this, aren’t you…!?”

Felord’s gaze shifted to Nameless standing behind the girl.

‘…Obviously.’

Nameless responded resolutely, the《Golden Key》in her hand radiating dazzling light.

‘I thought you hadn’t perished… but to think you’d sustain your existence in such a horrific way. You’ve fallen so far, my former Master.’

“Demon King Titus! Even if your soul and body have changed, that vile spirit—your《Will》—hasn’t changed one bit since then! I won’t let you have your way any longer!”

Nameless and the mysterious girl shouted in unison.

And so, the girl and Felord began to clash fiercely.

But in that opening, Glenn and Sistine slipped past Felord—

—and finally reached the planetarium device.

“What do we do, Sensei!?”

“No time to check destinations or fiddle with settings!”

Glenn placed both hands on the device, activating [Function Analyze] to roughly examine the planetarium device, which supposedly had hidden functions.

Indeed, the《Corridor of Stars》was activated.

However, it seemed a specific destination had been set.

Checking the function history, no one but Celica had tampered with the device.

Then, without a doubt, Celica would be at that destination—

All that was left was to activate it.

But—

“What!? This mana consumption requirement…!?”

Glenn stared in disbelief at the mana value displayed on the control monolith.

“There’s no way I can cover that! You’ve got to be kidding me, after coming this far—!?”

“Sensei, use my mana!”

As if anticipating this, Sistine had already formed a temporary Servant contract with Glenn, linking her spiritual pathways to him.

This allowed Sistine’s mana to be fed into the device as well.

Even so, it was barely enough, draining their mana to the point of risking their lives—

But there was no turning back now.

“Thanks, White Cat! Here we gooo—!”

Glenn swiftly operated the nearby monolith.

Countless runic characters flowed across its surface like a torrent.

Disabling all safeties, fully activating all functions.

The function to transport them to Celica’s location was now initializing.

“Ugh, oooohhh…!?”

“Ah, aaaaahhh…!?”

The immense mana drain left them unable to stand, forcing them to their knees.

Yet, driven by sheer willpower, Glenn continued the operation.

The planetarium device’s mana surged, resonating with a deep, rumbling bass that shook the ground.

Sparks of purple lightning crackled wildly, the overhead arms began strange movements, and the stars projected in the dome transformed rapidly in bizarre, complex patterns.

A high-pitched keeeeeen rang out!

And with that strange sound, a “gate” began forming beneath their feet.

“Oooooooohhhhh—!?”

“Aaaaaaaahhhh—!”

The two poured even more mana into the device.

And then—

The “gate” was finally opening—at that very moment.

“…Sistie…”

A voice came from behind them.

“…!?”

It might have been a hallucination brought on by the acute mana deficiency caused by the tremendous mana consumption.

But they had definitely heard it.

“I’m sorry… I can’t go with you… Please… take care of Sensei…”

“Rumia…?”

Sistine barely managed to turn her head.

There, against the backdrop of the mysterious girl and Felord locked in a cataclysmic battle was Rumia, crying uncontrollably as she watched Glenn and Sistine go—

“R-Rumiaaaaa—!”

“Damn iiiit—!”

And then—the “gate,” the《Corridor of Stars》, opened in the void.

It radiated blinding light, painting the surroundings pure white—

And with a tremendous suction, Glenn and the others were swallowed into it.

They were being pulled.

Pulled away—to a place entirely different from here—

 

Gram’s Month, 31st, Holy Calendar 1853.

Holy Calendar 1852—

Holy Calendar 1851—

Holy Calendar 1850—

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Holy Calendar 1723—

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Holy Calendar 1658—

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Holy Calendar 1523—

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Holy Calendar 1254—

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Holy Calendar 1136—

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Holy Calendar 1005—

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Holy Calendar 972—

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Holy Calendar 132—

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Holy Calendar Year 1—

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Holy Calendar Pre-95—

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Holy Calendar Pre-167—

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Holy Calendar Pre-227—

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Holy Calendar Pre-1392—

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Holy Calendar Pre-2288—

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Holy Calendar Pre-3168—

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Holy Calendar Pre-3398—

Holy Calendar Pre-3399—

 

—Holy Calendar Pre-4000.

 

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