Chapter 9: The Truth, What She Desires

──My memories return.

The white fog that had shrouded key moments of my memories blew away. The monochrome images regained their colors and gradually became clear.

────.

──That day.

I was secretly watching my brother and his friend through a crack in the door.

It’s not like I meant to spy on them from the start.

It was just that the atmosphere made it hard to barge in.

“Hahaha! Look, □on! We did it! We’ve completed that ‘[Project: Revive Life]’! Hahahahahahahaha!?”

“…La□□l.”

In front of them was a glass cylinder filled with a strange liquid.

When I saw what was inside, I froze in shock.

“…Huh? Me…?”

The girl floating inside the glass cylinder, as if asleep… her face and figure were exactly like mine. Only the hair color was different. My hair is a fiery red, just like my brother’s. But the girl sleeping in the cylinder had pale blue hair…

“Sio□! Using your sister Illushia’s ‘[Gene Code]’ as a base, we created this body and integrated it with the personality and memory data—‘[Astral Code]’—transmitted in real-time through the bracelet we gave to Illu□ia. At last, the legendary ‘[Project: Revive Life]’ is complete!”

Huh? Bracelet?

I looked at the bracelet my brother had given me. What exactly is this bracelet—?

That blue-haired girl who looks just like me. The bracelet. The ‘[Astral Code].’

Could it be… that’s what Brother meant by ‘[Project: Revive Life]’…?

“Well, the ‘[Astral Code]’ being applied to this copy is still being updated as long as the bracelet’s owner is alive… but let’s set that aside for now!”

At that moment, my brother’s friend seemed more excited than ever before.

“The abbreviation for ‘[Project: Revive Life]’ is the ‘[Re=L Plan],’ right!? So, I went ahead and initialized this copy of Illushia with the name ‘Re=L.’ What do you think, Sion!? Pretty good naming sense, don’t you agree!?”

“Rainer…”

As I stood there, bewildered and unable to grasp the meaning, my brother—Sion—muttered with a pained expression.

“Let’s stop this, Rainer. This isn’t something that can be forgiven. Do you realize how many innocent people were sacrificed to create this girl…? Even if it was the organization’s orders, what we’ve done isn’t something humans should be allowed to do. We need to atone for our sins.”

“…Sion?”

My brother’s friend—Rainer—turned a suspicious gaze toward him.

“More importantly, Rainer, let’s escape this organization.”

“…What?”

“I’ve already made arrangements to defect to the Empire. A man named Glenn-san from the [Imperial Court Mage Corps] is our contact. I’ll take full responsibility for the sins committed during the research of ‘[Project: Revive Life]’ and face judgment. I want you… and Illushia to live freely.”

“Sion, you…”

“…Please, take care of Illushia… Now, things are about to get hectic. We’ll need to throw off the organization’s eyes…”

“Leave the organization? Defect to the Empire…? Don’t screw with me, Sion!”

Suddenly, my brother’s friend began to rage.

“We’ve completed ‘[Project: Revive Life]’! Do you understand what an incredible achievement this is!? The organization will finally recognize us, who they’ve treated like garbage! This is our chance! A chance to rise! To climb from the First Order [Portals Order] to the Second Order [Adeptus Order]! No, if we keep pushing this research, even the Third Order [Heavens Order] isn’t out of reach! We could even meet the great Grandmaster himself—!”

“What are you talking about, Rainer…!?”

My brother, unable to hide his confusion, trembled at his friend’s frenzied words.

“Have you lost your mind!? You know how many innocent lives were sacrificed for this research, don’t you!? This research shouldn’t exist! It needs to be destroyed—!”

And then, it happened.

Thud—a dull sound rang out.

“…R-Rainer?”

Blood trickled from the corner of my brother’s mouth.

“So… Sion… you’re betraying the organization…?”

My brother’s friend pulled a dagger from Sion’s left chest.

Blood splattered, and my brother collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

“—Brother!?”

Unable to stand by, I flung the door open and rushed to his side.

“Brother!? Brother! Brother! Stay with me! Brother—!”

“…I-Illushia…? I-I’m… sorry… I…”

It overflowed. Blood overflowed. With each heartbeat, it gushed out at a terrifying rate, unstoppable.

This… was unmistakably a fatal wound. Healing magic wouldn’t help.

“Ah… aahhh… aaahhh… Broth—!”

Shaken and panicked, all I could do was foolishly press my hands against the wound.

“Oh… Illushia, you were there…”

My brother’s friend stood behind me.

I was too stunned and numb to do anything.

“You… you’re no longer needed. We’ve already taken your ‘[Gene Code],’ and your combat skill data has been converted into an ‘[Astral Code].’ Naturally, it’s been copied into this ‘Re=L’ as well. We can make as many replacements for you as we want. Now, it’d be troublesome if anyone found out I killed Sion… so you’ll just have to—sleep here.”

Swish—

The sound of a blade slicing through the air rang out behind me—

────.

──I snap back to reality.

“What… was that…?”

Re=L, trembling violently, mutters.

“Why… does everyone… call me Illushia…? Who… is Illushia…?”

Sensing that Re=L had lost the will to struggle, Glenn released the gravity manipulation magic and stepped away from her.

But Re=L remained lying on her back, trembling.

“Hey… Glenn… what was that…? What was it?”

“Hell if I know. I don’t know what kind of memories came back to you. Probably nothing good, though.”

That’s why I didn’t want to use this method, Glenn muttered with a small click of his tongue.

“…No way… that blue-haired girl… why… is my face in my memories…? It’s like…”

It’s like someone else’s memories are inside me.

Just as those words threatened to spill from the back of her throat, Glenn began to speak haltingly.

“Two years ago, Albert and I raided a research branch operated by the [Researchers of Divine Wisdom]. We lost contact with an informant named Sion who was at that branch. On the way, in the great snowy forest of Iresse, we found Sion’s sister, Illushia. But she had been gravely wounded by someone and was beyond saving… She passed away soon after.”

“…”

“After that, I found Sion’s body at the research branch. At the same time, I secretly recovered and protected a certain girl stored in a glass cylinder. That girl inherited Illushia’s ‘[Astral Code]’… in other words, all of Illushia’s memories up until just before she died in the snowy forest of Iresse. She called herself ‘Re=L.’”

“…”

In other words. That means.

“Got it, Re=L? Your true identity… you’re the world’s first successful result of ‘[Project: Revive Life].’ A magically created human with a body alchemically forged from Illushia’s ‘[Gene Code],’ inheriting Illushia’s memory data—the ‘[Astral Code].’ You’re fundamentally a completely different person from Sion’s sister, Illushia.”

“…Ah… aah…”

“You don’t have a real brother… not in any meaningful sense. There’s no way you could.”

“…No… that’s a lie… it’s a lie…”

Staggering. Swaying.

Re=L stood up, fighting the sensation of the ground crumbling beneath her.

“Whether it’s a lie or not… you already know, don’t you? Would someone who really believed it was a lie make that face? Those memories that resurfaced—likely triggered by the keyword ‘Sion’—they’re probably…”

“Shut up… shut up, shut up, shut up!”

Clinging to her final stronghold like a defeated soldier, she looked at her ‘brother.’

“Nii-san… it’s a lie, right…? You’re my Nii-san… and that memory of you being killed by someone… it’s… it’s some kind of mistake…”

But.

“Hmm, I suppose my biggest mistake was…”

Her ‘brother’ suddenly changed his tone and began to speak.

“Killing Sion so carelessly back then.”

“…Huh? Nii-san…?”

“The formula for the project I envisioned was altered by Sion’s meddling, turning it into something that could be called his own [Original Magic]. Without Sion, the project’s reproducibility was lost… When I realized that fact later, I swear my blood ran cold. Haha, when things go wrong, nothing goes right.”

“Um… Nii-san? What… what are you talking about…?”

Re=L froze, her breath caught in her throat.

Her ‘brother’ was looking at her coldly, as if she were nothing more than trash.

“Hey, Re=L. Did you know? Sealing or fabricating someone’s memories is far more difficult than you’d think… If the altered memories clash with reality, or if the sealed memories encounter a trigger, the seal breaks. The human brain is surprisingly quick to correct its perceptions.”

“Nii-san…?”

“That’s why I mimicked Sion’s way of speaking. I even dyed my hair blue to match yours—really tried to sell the whole ‘sibling’ act… but in the end, it was just a cheap trick, wasn’t it?”

“I… I don’t understand… Brother…?”

Unable to grasp the meaning of his words, Re=L could only flounder.

“Look, you’re a copy that inherited the personality and memories of ‘Sion’s’ sister, ‘Illushia,’ right? So, if I didn’t do something about the memory of me killing ‘Sion,’ you probably wouldn’t listen to a word I say, would you?”

“Huh…?”

“There’s a technique in white magic’s memory manipulation called ‘Keyword Seal.’ It seals or fabricates memories associated with a specific keyword. I set ‘Sion’ as that keyword.”

“…Uh… ah… aah…”

So that’s why she could never recall her brother’s name, no matter how unnatural it felt.

“Two years ago, if I’d taken a bit more time to adjust your ‘[Astral Code]’—your memory data—your brother would’ve been completely replaced with me, and all the inconvenient facts would’ve been erased. You would’ve become my ‘sister,’ my perfect pawn… That was the plan, at least.”

Her ‘brother’ glared at Glenn with a venomous expression.

“I was so close to completion… but then the [Imperial Court Mage Corps] showed up… That’s right, I remember now… It was you… You were the one, Glenn Radars! You were the mage from back then! You’re the one who took my Re=L without permission!”

“…As I thought. So you’re Rainer, huh?”

“—!?”

Re=L’s eyes widened in shock.

“During that operation two years ago, when Albert and I destroyed that heretical research facility, the only person unaccounted for was a man named Rainer, who was working with Sion on the research… and who Sion had asked to help rescue Illushia from the organization. That’s you, isn’t it?”

“Tch, you figured it out. As expected of a former court mage, I suppose?”

The young man—Rainer—cast a chilling smile as he looked down at Glenn and Re=L.

“Still, how did you know ‘Sion’ was the keyword?”

“Hmph. It’s obvious if you paid attention to her behavior. It wasn’t hard to guess that some painful memories were sealed behind her brother’s name as the trigger.”

“Tch, what a wildcard. To think someone on your side would know that ‘Illushia’s’ brother was named ‘Sion’…”

Rainer shrugged and sighed.

“And naming her ‘Re=L’ by simply taking the project’s initials was a real mistake… It forced me to tamper with more parts of the ‘[Astral Code]’ than necessary, making the memory alteration incomplete.”

“…Uh, ah… aahhh…”

Re=L backed away, clutching her head, unable to accept the unbearable reality.

Rainer turned a lukewarm smile toward her.

“When I first made contact with that piece of junk this time, it took longer than expected to gain control. Even though the memory alteration and sealing were mostly done two years ago, I thought I could bring her to my side instantly. But for some reason, it was unexpectedly difficult… And when you showed up, Glenn, I’ll admit, I panicked.”

“…Piece of junk? …Shut your mouth.”

Glenn picked up a gun from the floor. The words he muttered dripped with barely concealed anger.

“Hahaha! Scary, scary! Don’t glare at me like that!”

The fear Rainer had shown when he first saw Glenn was gone.

Now, for some reason, he was brimming with confidence, almost playful.

“It’s a lie… right, Nii-san…?”

Meanwhile, Re=L, still unable to accept reality, continued to call Rainer her brother, clinging to him.

“It’s all… a lie… right…? You’re my Nii-san… and I’m your sister… We’ve always been… always… right…?”

But, as if mocking her, Rainer replied.

“Of course, you were my precious ‘sister.’”

He said it so casually, tossing the words away.

“But I don’t need you anymore. I have these girls now.”

“Rainer, you bastard—!”

Enraged by his callous words, Glenn rapidly chanted a spell.

“《O fierce Thunder Emperor・with the spear of aurora・pierce and strike》—!”

[Black Magic: Lightning Pierce]. A flash of aurora burst from Glenn’s fingertips.

The violet lightning tore through the air, aimed straight at Rainer—

But it was deflected by a shadow that suddenly darted between Rainer and Glenn.

“What—!?”

Glenn froze, his finger still outstretched, stunned.

Three figures had appeared to shield Rainer.

They were—three Re=Ls.

Though they wore black bondage outfits, all three were identical to Re=L in appearance and build, wielding greatswords forged through the alchemy Re=L excelled at.

In their place, the three ice crystal pillars from the ritual chamber in the back had shattered—

It was a nightmarish scene.

“Impossible!? ‘[Project: Revive Life]’ succeeded!?”

Glenn’s eyes widened in disbelief at the unexpected turn of events.

“How!? That was Sion’s [Original Magic], impossible without him! How the hell did you—!?”

“Hah… Did you think, ‘There’s no way you could do it’!? Fool!”

Rainer let out a twisted laugh of delight.

“Let me tell you, this time it’s perfect! I meticulously stripped away unnecessary personality and emotions from the ‘[Astral Code]’ beforehand! No more tedious memory adjustments! These girls are puppets that inherited only Re=L’s incredible combat skills—my puppets, moving exactly as I command!”

“Uh, aah… aah…”

Before her stood three Re=L replicas, truly like lifeless dolls.

Facing them, Re=L sank to her knees, clutching her head…

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah—!?”

At last, Re=L’s rationality began to crumble.

“How’s that, Glenn Radars!? This is my power! With this, I’ll climb the ranks of the organization! As long as I have that component called Rumia, I can make as many Re=Ls as I want! Sure, it takes quite a few human souls to create one, but who cares!? The more I make, the stronger I become! I can become infinitely strong! If this isn’t the ultimate power, then what is!? Tell me, Glenn Radars! Haha, hahahahahahahaha—!”

Glenn knew instinctively.

This man was the kind who absolutely could not be allowed to live. A ‘true evil’ who cared for no one but his own desires, whose very existence caused sacrifices to multiply exponentially.

He wanted to blast an assault spell into that twisted, gleeful face.

But—the three Re=L replicas guarding Rainer showed no openings, their skill seemingly equal to the real Re=L. The oppressive pressure he felt facing Re=L was now tripled. Likely, with their personalities and emotions stripped away, they were purely mechanical in their purpose, making them terrifyingly efficient.

“Tch… I could barely handle one Re=L, and now three at once? This isn’t just a tough game—it’s impossible…!”

Alongside his burning rage, an undeniable sense of panic gripped Glenn’s spine.

And then—

“Do it, my puppets! Eliminate them—!”

At their master Rainer’s command, the three Re=L replicas lunged at Glenn and Re=L with swift, beast-like movements.

One replica closed in on Re=L in an instant, raising its greatsword and swinging it down like lightning toward her head.

“Ah—”

Re=L, still dazed, could only stare at the blade that would cleave her skull—

“Re=L!”

In that split second, Glenn dove in from the side, striking the flat of the greatsword with a fist.

The deflected blade missed Re=L, embedding itself in the floor beside her—

“Hmph—!”

Glenn kicked off the floor, stepping forward sharply.

From an old-school boxing stance, he threw a left and right punch, then launched into a whirlwind-like high roundhouse kick.

The Re=L replica dodged each blow with graceful ease, leaping back.

Having momentarily driven off one replica, Glenn fluidly hooked his foot around Re=L’s waist—

“Here we go!”

“—Uwah!?”

He kicked Re=L’s light body, sending her rolling toward the corner of the room.

Glenn immediately leaped after her, landing in front of her to shield her as she lay in the corner.

“Sorry, Re=L. I had to limit the direction they can attack from to just the front, or we wouldn’t stand a chance.”

Indeed, fighting with the corner at their back meant all enemy attacks would come from within his field of vision. In a confined space, swinging a massive sword would be cumbersome, making their movements easier to predict.

While it meant cutting off their escape—a fatal flaw—it was an eminently rational choice in this overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation.

But what puzzled Re=L was… why had Glenn brought her to the corner? It almost felt like he was protecting her.

“Idiot. It’s not ‘almost’—I am protecting you.”

Glenn muttered as if reading her thoughts.

“Tch, cleaning up after a delinquent student is a teacher’s job, isn’t it? Ugh, what a pain! I wanna go back to being a jobless shut-in! Live off Celica’s dime!”

Glaring at the three Re=L replicas slowly closing in, Glenn grumbled under his breath, fists raised in a boxing stance—

(Dammit, I secured a good position, but… it’s like pouring water on a hot stone. What now?)

Despite his playful demeanor, Glenn calmly assessed the situation.

Coolly weighing the difference in strength between them—

(…Yeah, no way. We’re done.)

He was painfully certain that no matter what tactics or strategies he employed, once the fight began, they wouldn’t last a minute.

“…Why?”

Re=L muttered.

The moment the Re=L Replicas charged at Glenn with the ferocity of ravenous wolves was simultaneous.

“Tch—!?”

Glenn parried the three relentless blades closing in on him with fists enchanted with mana. The clash of fists and greatswords erupted in shockwaves and sparks, time and again, as Glenn’s body groaned under the strain.

From behind Glenn, Re=L murmured a question.

“Why… are you protecting someone like me?”

Glenn ducked to dodge a horizontal slash, then twisted his body to evade a crushing follow-up strike. The three Re=L Replicas took turns unleashing a barrage of swift sword attacks—

“Why, you ask—!? Quit yapping! Can’t you see I don’t have time to deal with you right now, you dimwit—!?”

Two Re=L Replicas lunged at him like a gale from the front and left.

In a split-second decision, Glenn dove into the right Replica’s guard, landing a counter-thrust kick that sent it flying. Spinning like a top, he delivered a spinning back kick to the Replica approaching from the left, knocking it back.

“Forget that nonsense! Take one of these things down, even if it costs you, and use the opening to escape with Rumia! Get to Albert!”

Without hesitation, Glenn caught the blade of a Replica slashing from the front with a bare-handed block above his head, redirected the sword to his right, headbutted the Replica, and drove a palm strike into it, sending it stumbling back.

“Got it!? You understand!? The only answer I’ll accept is ‘yes’—!”

A low sweep came from the left like a frosty gust, while a neck-aimed slash from the right sliced through the air like a divine wind.

Glenn twisted his body and leaped lightly, flipping sideways in midair. Blades of wind raged above and below his spinning form.

“I… have nothing…”

Landing, the three Replicas now attacked Glenn in unison.

With deft footwork, body movement, and fists, he dodged, deflected, parried, and redirected—

“Shut up, idiot! You think I’d go out of my way to protect someone with nothing!? I don’t do pointless things, that’s my policy!”

Knocking aside a gouging sword strike with a left hook, Glenn roared.

His fists ached. His bones creaked. His overworked muscles screamed.

Yet there was no time to rest.

The Replicas’ coordinated assault was like a steel tornado.

Glenn handled it calmly, parrying, deflecting, enduring—

“I’m… just a doll…”

Three steel blades whirled furiously around Glenn, and in a fleeting gap—

As he sidestepped a sword strike from the left Replica, Glenn landed a counter right straight in a flash.

His side was shallowly cut, but the punch struck the Replica’s face dead-on, sending it reeling and flying back.

“A mere doll wouldn’t have that tearful face, you moron!”

But he let his guard down. In that moment, the right Replica’s sword grazed his right shoulder.

A searing pain, like a branding iron, sapped the strength from his right fist.

Seizing the chance, a Replica charged from the front, swinging its sword upward—

“I’m… a fake… not even human…”

Glenn caught the heavy blade swinging down from above with crossed arms.

The tremendous impact jolted through his body from top to bottom, making it creak.

A second Replica closed in, aiming a sharp thrust at Glenn’s exposed torso.

Twisting his waist, Glenn blocked the strike with the pistol tucked in his belt.

The brutal impact tore through his insides via the pistol—

“Guh—!? Hah! So what!? I’ve got plenty of non-human family! Like Celica, Celica, and, oh yeah, Celica—arghhh—!”

Spitting a clot of blood, Glenn slammed his fist into the infuriating Replica’s face, swinging with all his might.

The Replica was sent crashing across the floor, bouncing as it rolled.

But the second and third Replicas attacked relentlessly—

“Ah, damn, that hurts!? I better get worker’s comp for this—wait, no! You’re you, aren’t you!? Nothing else! Why’re you moping around!?”

Once again, Glenn narrowly dodged the two frenzied sword dances before him.

As Glenn struggled to counterattack, the two swords became three again.

Slowly, bit by bit, they carved into him—red droplets rode the sword winds.

“I did such awful things to Glenn… said horrible things to everyone in class…”

“Then apologize to them later! Though, I won’t forgive you! That hurt like hell! I’m pissed, so you’re getting a spanking later! I’ll make you cry!”

Crack.

Failing to block a greatsword, Glenn’s left arm bone nearly snapped.

“I… don’t know why I was born…”

In his shaken state, a sword’s flat struck his side.

Several ribs gave way.

“Guh—!? Alright, teenage angst, good job—!”

Drawing his pistol with his right hand, Glenn smashed its butt into a Replica’s head.

“There’s no meaning, idiot! That’s how it is for everyone!”

Tossing the pistol aside, Glenn dove into the stunned Replica’s guard.

Grabbing its arm, seizing its collar, sweeping its legs, then pivoting on his left foot, he threw it over his shoulder—

“This memory… it’s not mine… it belongs to someone else…”

“Live for the future!”

The thrown Replica collided with another, both tumbling down.

But the last one dodged and charged at Glenn, sword raised—

“I’ve only lived for Nii-san… but Nii-san was never there to begin with… so what am I supposed to live for…?”

A chill ran down Glenn’s spine; he instinctively pulled back, but the sword tip still grazed him. A slash ran from his left shoulder to his right hip, a mist of blood rising—

“Enough already!? All you’ve been saying is crap about depending on others for your worth and purpose! Think for yourself! Yourself!”

Scooping up the spilling blood, Glenn flung it with a swing of his arm.

Blinding the Replica with blood, he closed the distance and struck with his right fist.

His already overtaxed right fist cracked, beginning to shatter—

“Is there really nothing in you!? Just an empty doll!? Spending time with Rumia and White Cat… you felt nothing!? Wanted nothing!?”

With his breaking left arm and crumbling right fist, Glenn knocked away slash after slash—

Spitting blood and bile—literally—Glenn shouted at Re=L behind him.

“I won’t let you say you have nothing! Those without anything don’t despair! That despair is proof you’re living as a human!”

Failing to dodge a counter slash, the blade sliced Glenn’s right thigh.

Flesh was torn nearly to the bone, severed vessels gushing blood.

“Arghhh—!?”

With his leg finally giving out, Glenn recklessly swung his mangled right foot, landing a whirlwind roundhouse kick to the Replica’s brainstem.

The Replica was spectacularly floored—but his right leg was done for.

“Live for something you cherish! Meaning, qualifications, reasons—don’t overthink it with your dumb brain! The world’s pretty simple!”

Glenn’s right knee hit the floor with a thud.

But there was no time to rest.

The Replicas closed in, closed in, closed in—

Only able to kick off with his left leg, Glenn’s movements were visibly sluggish.

Mercilessly, Glenn’s body was carved, carved, carved—

Yet Glenn faced the Replicas head-on.

Pushing his remaining body to its limits, Glenn kept fighting.

In the end, Glenn never stopped standing in front of Re=L—

“Listen, one more time! Live for something you cherish, Re=L! You’re not a doll! I wouldn’t go this far for a doll—get that through your thick skull, you idiot—!”

Glenn’s soulful cry echoed through the room. Mere vibrations of air, yet they carried an overwhelming heat felt on the skin, in the heart.

Throb.

Glenn’s roar shook Re=L’s soul.

That heat slowly melted her stubbornly frozen heart.

“Ugh… ah… aah…”

Tears began to stream from the corners of Re=L’s eyes.

Before her, the battered Glenn faced three Replicas raising their swords to strike—

Long past his limits, Glenn could only twitch in response—

“I…”

What am I living for? What do I want? Losing Nii-san, losing myself, losing all my anchors, I’m left floating alone in the void. I’ve lost everything, yet… what am I living for?

I bare the depths of my heart honestly. No more pretense. No more logic.

Clinging to the past, my feelings for my lost Nii-san, my grief, my despair—none of that matters now…

And then—it’s so simple. As Glenn said, the answer is surprisingly straightforward.

If I could wish. If it could come true.

I want to be with Rumia and Sistine again—

I want to play with everyone in class again—

“Ah…”

Now, I finally understand clearly. Since coming to the magic academy, that vague, fuzzy, yet warm and strange feeling I’ve always felt—its true nature.

Being with those two—it was fun, it made me happy—

The lively atmosphere of the class—it tickled, it felt good—

Those days at the magic academy were irreplaceable—shining like sunlight, vibrant for someone like me who’d lived in endless darkness.

So why—why did I turn my back on those sparkling, treasure-like days?

“…Ah… ah… aah…”

Overflowing. Overflowing. Hot tears stream endlessly from my eyes, trailing down my cheeks.

I’ve done something irreparable.

I can’t be by Rumia and Sistine’s side anymore.

I can’t be with the class anymore.

But I hate the thought of Rumia and Sistine looking sad.

I hate the thought of the class losing its lively laughter.

If Glenn dies—that’s what will happen.

No. No. No. The heart-wrenching sorrow and regret don’t matter now.

That alone—that alone, I absolutely won’t let happen—!

“…Ugh.”

And Re=L’s body—her leaden, powerless body—moved.

A surging passion from the depths of her heart, a burning zeal from her core, gradually filled her limbs with strength, igniting her soul—

“—Aaaaaaahhh—!”

It was truly a tempestuous gust.

With a roar, Re=L, who had been as good as dead, grabbed her sword and stood—

In that instant, her body moved with such ferocity it left afterimages behind.

Unable to move, Glenn was the eye of the storm as Re=L raged like a violent tempest.

In that moment, her slashing strikes flashed—three times.

That was all it took—just that—

The three Replicas tormenting Glenn bloomed with blood, scattered like leaves, their sad, fleeting lives—born of human malice—brought to an end.

Leaving Rainer frozen in shock at the abrupt turn of events,

Re=L stood shielding Glenn, sword in hand, quietly reflecting.

(…I’m sorry. My sisters.)

The same as her, yet different—pitiful selves, never even given an unique identity.

(It’s selfish… but I’ll live for you too…)

Softly.

Re=L closed her eyes, offering a silent prayer for her nameless sisters.

(…Goodbye.)

The final tear traced down Re=L’s cheek.

…

…

“…Checkmate.”

Albert, who had been repeatedly throwing knives, paused and muttered.

“Oh? Checkmate, you say?”

Burks smirked, questioning him.

“It’s obvious. You’re finished. That’s what I’m saying.”

His words held no bravado, no provocation, no triumph, no condescension. He declared it simply because it was an undeniable fact.

To Burks, that was irresistibly amusing.

“Ho ho, I’m finished, am I? I see, I see!”

It seemed this man, Albert, had finally completed the magical trickery he’d been covertly performing with his knives.

“How will you end me, I wonder? Oh, the wild ideas young people come up with are beyond this old man’s predictions… oh, how frightening!”

Burks surveyed the room.

Knives were scattered everywhere, seemingly in disorder… but their orientation, arrangement, and number held magical significance.

The spell woven with these knives was the Black Magic Ritual [Restriction]—a binding barrier. Once activated, it would magically restrain Burks’ every movement, no matter where he was in the room. To think he crafted such a spell using what appeared to be carelessly scattered knives—Burks had to give him some credit.

(…But you’re naive, war dog!)

Once a mage discerns the enemy’s plan, turning it against them is standard. Pretending to be flustered by Albert’s knife throws, Burks had secretly tampered with the spell Albert was constructing.

(When you activate this [Restriction] with confidence, it won’t be me who loses freedom—it’ll be you, war dog! I altered the spell so its curse rebounds on the caster! You haven’t noticed a thing!)

As proof, even as Burks began altering the [Restriction] spell, Albert continued building the barrier without a hint of change. If he’d noticed Burks’ intent, there would’ve been some reaction.

(Go on, do it! Activate [Restriction]! That’ll be the moment your smug, confident face crumbles pathetically! Come on! Come on! Come on!)

The humiliation and despair Albert would feel when his attempt to bind his foe backfired, binding himself instead.

Salivating at the thought of that moment, Burks glared at Albert with twisted anticipation—

“You seem to be misunderstanding something…”

Without chanting a spell, Albert slowly raised a knife overhead—

“Well, no matter.”

He threw the knife.

This throw was incomparable to the ones before.

A full-body, all-out strike, unleashing the spring of his entire form.

Swift, fast, sharp, heavy—the white blade’s flash tore through the air.

“—Guh!?”

Unerringly, the knife plunged deep into Burks’ throat, forcing him to reel back. A burst of blood mist briefly adorned the air.

“Guh!? Gah!? What…!?”

A knife throw at this stage? Burks couldn’t fathom Albert’s intent.

“…A word of advice.”

To the bewildered Burks, Albert spoke in a reaper’s tone.

“If you don’t want to die, you’d be wise not to pull that knife out.”

“What nonsense…!”

In a fit of irritation, Burks yanked the knife from his throat.

“Guh! Fool… did you… cough forget… my ‘Regeneration Ability’… cough!? This wound… cough will… heal… instantly…!”

Blood gushed profusely from Burks’ throat. Albert’s knife had completely severed his carotid artery.

But as Burks said, a wound like this should heal with the super-regeneration granted by his drug. No problem. There couldn’t be. It always had before.

“Gehahaha! Cough! See… it’ll… heal…”

But…

“Heal… heal? The wound… heal…”

The gushing blood showed no sign of slowing…

“…Cough!? It’s not… healing!?”

…The wound never closed.

“Gyaaa!? Cough!? Why!? Nooo—!?”

Burks descended into madness.

Desperately pressing his throat to stem the blood, he could only scream.

“You were up to some petty trickery yourself… but it backfired.”

“You—!? Gurgle!? What did you do!? Interfering with abilities through magic is impossible—!?”

“You still don’t get it? Fine. That troublesome Regeneration Ability of yours—it’s due to that drug, isn’t it?”

Albert said dismissively, utterly bored.

“Pathetic. If so, just drain the drug.”

“…What?”

“Your blood may replenish quickly with that ‘Regeneration Ability,’ but the drug’s concentration in your blood won’t recover. Ability enhancements from drugs lose effect when the blood concentration drops below a threshold. A perfectly obvious fact.”

“Im… impossible…!?”

Indeed, now that he noticed, the ‘abilities’ he could once wield freely were nowhere to be felt in his body.

“Then… the meaning of all those knife throws…!?”

It’s not like they set up some magical trap or anything like that. It’s far simpler—almost absurdly so.

Even with a powerful regenerative ability, you can’t seal a wound that keeps bleeding. So, the plan was simple: make you bleed out with repeated knife wounds—

“No way…!? Y-You… with [Restriction]… cough… you were trying to capture me…!?”

“Capture? What are you talking about?”

Albert glances at Burks, who’s crouched in a pool of blood, with eyes that regard him like filth.

“Do you think I’d let a wretch like you live?”

“Ah… gah… ooooh…!?”

“Die. I won’t even offer you a prayer. Repent for eternity as you burn in the flames of the Ninth Circle.”

Albert’s calm declaration evokes the image of ‘Gehenna’ from the Apocrypha, the Holy Song Calendar of the Supreme Realm—a ‘Demon King’ reigning over the Ninth Circle of the underworld.

But Burks, already delirious from massive blood loss, seems barely conscious.

He’s long been caught in the scythe of the Grim Reaper. Healing magic is useless, and with his throat so severely wounded and bleeding profusely, he can’t chant spells properly. With no blood reaching his brain, focusing his mind or gathering mana is utterly impossible.

“No… way…!? I, chosen by the heavens…!? I, who should be blessed by the world… in a place like this…!?”

The sheer absurdity, the overwhelming injustice of it all—Burks can’t comprehend why he must suffer such a cruel fate, why he must die.

How could someone destined to grasp the great wisdom of the heavens end up like this…?

As the unbearable, irrational hardship and maddening despair crash down on him, Burks sheds tears like a child, endlessly questioning himself…

“Do it in hell.”

Those merciless words of burial are the last Burks hears in this world.

“N-No wayyy—!?”

Three Re=L replicas are instantly felled by Re=L, tumbling across the floor.

Witnessing this, Rainer clutches his head, pale and screaming.

“Why!? Why are the replicas defeated so easily!? They’re the same! Those dolls have the exact same capabilities as Re=L! So why are my replicas being crushed so effortlessly by that piece of junk!?”

Ignoring Rainer’s panic, Glenn methodically checks his body’s condition.

It’s in rough shape, no doubt. But there’s no immediate life-threatening injury.

Aha, I see… Glenn nods to himself, oddly satisfied.

“It ain’t anything strange.”

Staggering, Glenn picks up the pistol from the floor.

“…It’s entirely possible.”

“L-Lies! No way that’s possible!? It’s… impossible… impossible… impossible impossible impossible! What kind of logic—!?”

Rainer rants as if this is some bad dream.

Glenn answers casually.

“Logic? It’s just the usual trope, of course.”

“Huh!? A trope!?”

“You know? Love, courage, friendship, hope, desire, madness… hm? The last few feel kinda off… whatever, point is, humans sometimes unleash insane power because of stuff like that. It’s, like, a trope, right? ’Cause…”

Glenn glances at Re=L and says,

“Re=L is ‘human,’ after all.”

“‘Human’… me…”

Re=L repeats Glenn’s words, as if savoring their weight.

But the truth is far simpler.

For the past two years, Re=L has fought as a mage in the Imperial Court Mage Corps, enduring countless brutal battles. A combat genius in her growth phase, honed by two years of life-or-death struggles—logically, her abilities couldn’t possibly be the same as they were two years ago.

The replicas, however, were created using the ‘Astral Code’ from two years prior.

At the start of the fight, Glenn panicked at the replicas’ identical appearance and presence to Re=L, but their inferiority soon became clear—they couldn’t even kill him despite their relentless three-on-one assault.

Three such replicas stood no chance against the current Re=L.

That’s all there is to it.

(In short, their data was outdated. They didn’t account for Re=L—‘humans’—growing. How ironic… Rainer never treated Re=L as human, yet in the end, he’s defeated by her humanity…)

Glenn casts a pitying glance at the flustered Rainer.

“D-Don’t mess with me! There’s no way such irrational nonsense—!”

“Ugh, whether it’s true or not doesn’t matter. What’s important is—”

Glenn aims the pistol at Rainer’s forehead.

“Your defenses are now zero…”

“…Eek!?”

“Out of replicas already? Should’ve made more, huh?”

Rainer frantically looks around, then stammers out a chant.

“D-Damn it…!? 《O fierce Thunder Emperor, with aurora’s piercing spear, strike through—》!”

But the spell doesn’t activate.

“C’mon, at least study your opponent’s specialties a bit…”

In Glenn’s left hand, unnoticed until now, is the Arcana of The Fool.

Original Magic [Fool’s World]. Complete suppression of all magic activation within a certain radius around the caster.

Still aiming the pistol, Glenn drags his right leg, limping step by step toward Rainer.

“H-Hii!?”

Rainer stumbles back in fear…

Glenn closes in, step by step, cornering him…

And then.

“U-Uwaaa…!?”

Backed against the wall, Rainer feels the cold barrel of Glenn’s pistol press firmly against his forehead.

“Sensei!? W-What are you…!?”

Rumia, watching with bated breath, can’t help but cry out.

“…Ain’t it obvious? After all the crap this guy pulled, I gotta make him pay…”

Though his tone is calm, Glenn’s eyes are wild, unhinged.

Covered in blood, he looks like a demon incarnate.

Rumia gasps at the sight.

“Sensei! No, you can’t! No matter what, that’s too far…!?”

“You’re too soft, Rumia. This guy… he’s the kind who shouldn’t be allowed to live…”

Glenn glares at her, and Rumia shrinks back.

“He piles up the sacrifices of innocent people for his own desires without a shred of hesitation or guilt. He genuinely believes it’s just. There’s no room for sympathy—he’s true evil. Back when I was a mage, I took out plenty of his kind… this time’s no exception.”

Click. Glenn cocks the hammer, the sharp sound brimming with killing intent.

“Sorry, Rumia… close your eyes. It’ll be over quick…”

Glenn’s cold, ruthless eyes send a chill down even Rumia’s spine.

She’s seen those eyes before. The eyes of the legendary ‘Mage Killer’ that struck fear into every dark mage. The same cold eyes she saw three years ago when she first met Glenn.

“Hiiiii!?”

Rainer, trembling, recalls the rumors within the organization about Glenn.

They say—Fear The Fool. Before him, mysteries become childish delusions, and wise mages are reduced to helpless infants.

“Nooo—!? S-Stop! Please, stop—!?”

In sheer terror, Rainer screams like a frightened girl.

“P-Please, don’t kill me!? I-I don’t wanna die…!?”

“Don’t give me that selfish crap…!?”

Glenn’s shoulders shake with rage at Rainer’s begging.

“How many souls did you sacrifice to make a single replica!? What do you think the replicas—stripped of their egos and forcibly created—would feel if they had hearts!? You toyed with innocent lives for your pathetic whims… quit thinking only about yourself, you scum—!?”

Rainer’s knees buckle under Glenn’s fiery tirade, trembling in abject fear.

“U… ua… h-help… I don’t wanna… die…”

“See ya. Say hi to the demons of the Ninth Circle for me…”

Ignoring him, Glenn slowly tightens his finger on the trigger—

Rainer, face twisted in despair, can only watch the trigger being pulled, his teeth chattering—

And—finally—

The trigger—

“H… iii… aaaaaaaaaaah—!?”

—is pulled.

Clank. A dry metallic sound echoes through the room, lingering faintly.

“…Huh?”

Rumia, bracing for the worst, cautiously opens her eyes…

“Whoopsie? Outta bullets? That’s weird, did I miscount?”

The cold, ruthless aura is gone.

Glenn twirls the pistol on his finger, playing dumb…

“A-A-A-A…”

And Rainer looks as if he’s aged decades from sheer terror and exhaustion.

“Oh, right! Before coming here, I shot that weird crab and slime, didn’t I? Man, I totally forgot!”

Glenn says with blatant insincerity, holstering the pistol at his waist.

“Hii… i… a-a… ugh… ah…”

“Hey, hey, didja think I’d do it? Did I scare ya? Hahaha! I ain’t gonna do it, idiot!”

Glenn mocks Rainer with an utterly condescending attitude.

“Pain in the butt, but I’m an instructor now. I-N-S-T-R-U-C-T-O-R.”

“U… a… aa… a-a…”

“Instructor, sensei, a holy profession. Killing? No way, absolutely not. Love and peace, hooray!”

After thoroughly taunting Rainer…

“So, yeah, that’s that. I’ve got one thing to say…”

Before the dazed Rainer, Glenn clenches his right fist tightly.

He grabs Rainer’s collar with his left hand.

Pulling his right fist back to its limit—

“Don’t you dare lay a hand on my students—!”

With a trembling arm, Glenn launches a full-force punch.

The fist sinks into the center of Rainer’s face—

“Gyaaaaaaaaa—!?”

Rainer’s body is sent flying, tumbling across the floor before falling silent.

“…Tch, making me go through all this trouble… I’d better get overtime pay for this…”

Muttering something utterly ridiculous, Glenn begins tying up the unconscious Rainer with a rope he’d pulled from somewhere.

“…Sensei… thank goodness…”

Rumia lets out a relieved sigh.

Glenn is a strong person. To protect his students or those he cares about, he’d stain his hands with the blood of evil without hesitation.

But he’s also too kind. No matter how vile the foe, he can’t fully cast aside the faint trace of compassion deep in his heart, leaving him to grapple with an indescribable aftertaste. And because he’s kind, he suppresses it for the sake of those he protects.

Above all, Glenn is an ordinary human who feels guilt and disgust at the act of killing. Rumia is genuinely relieved that he didn’t have to bear another heavy burden for their sake.

Just then.

“Rumia.”

Re=L silently approaches her.

“…Stay still.”

Re=L swings her sword.

The shackles and chains binding Rumia’s arms are sliced apart.

For a moment, Rumia feels a fleeting weightlessness and collapses to her knees.

“Rumia, I’m sorry.”

Standing beside her, Re=L murmurs softly.

“Really, I’m sorry. I did awful things to you and Sistine…”

“…Re=L.”

Her face is as emotionless as ever, but her slumped shoulders and back make her look like a dejected child.

“…I’m probably scary, right?”

“Huh!?”

“It’s okay. I won’t ever show up in front of you guys again.”

“Wait, Re=L…?”

“Not being able to see you and Sistine… yeah, it’s really lonely… If I can’t be with everyone… I won’t know what to live for anymore… But I’ll… try to find something…”

This is bad, Rumia instinctively senses.

“The sea we saw that night, the three of us… it was so beautiful… I wanted to see it again…”

Re=L clumsily, haltingly expresses her feelings.

But beneath it all, there’s a fatal, irreversible resolve.

“…Yeah, I don’t really understand, but…”

Finally.

Re=L gives a faint, wistful smile—

“Bye-bye, Rumia.”

Tap.

Re=L dashes toward the room’s exit.

“—Re=L!”

In that moment, Rumia acts on pure instinct.

She kicks off the ground, running after her.

Her disheveled state, her lack of athletic ability—none of it matters.

Right now, she has to catch up to that small figure. If she doesn’t, Re=L will slip away forever—beyond her reach.

That’s the only certainty in her heart, a gut-wrenching premonition of the worst.

Sure, what Re=L did wasn’t praiseworthy. But wasn’t she just being used? Her love for her precious brother manipulated—

No, even that doesn’t matter.

All Rumia can think of is that night by the sea. The beautiful night the three of them shared.

A vivid memory etched in her mind, a gem she can recall clearly just by closing her eyes.

She doesn’t want to lose it. Sistine would surely feel the same if she knew everything.

She doesn’t want to lose Re=L—so she—!

Desperately reaching for that small back—

And somehow, her desperate feelings reach the heavens.

Miraculously, Rumia catches up to Re=L, who’s running at full speed.

“Re=L!”

Rumia tackles Re=L from behind, wrapping her arms around her.

The momentum sends them both tumbling to the ground.

“…Ow, my leg hurts… It suddenly went numb, and I lost strength… What’s…?”

“Re=L… where are you going?”

“R-Rumia…”

Re=L awkwardly averts her eyes in response to Rumia’s question as she looms over her.

“…I… shouldn’t be around you guys…”

“I don’t think that’s true.”

Rumia’s gentle words silence Re=L.

“If anything, I’d be lonely if you went away.”

“But… I… probably… Sistine really hates me…”

“Sistie’s a kind-hearted girl who’ll forgive you if you explain properly and apologize sincerely. After all, she forgave me even after I did much worse things in the past.”

“…”

“Sensei said it, right? Live for something you cherish. It might feel confusing since it’s so sudden… but let’s find it. Together.”

Re=L’s shoulders tremble slightly.

“…Is it okay… for me to stay with you?”

“Isn’t the fact that I’m holding onto you right now the answer?”

“…Ugh.”

And then…

“…Uwa… sniff… R-Rumia… Rumia… hic… uwaaa…”

“There, there, it’s okay… Don’t cry, Re=L…”

Re=L begins to sob in Rumia’s arms.

Meanwhile, Glenn wipes the sweat from his brow and stands up.

“Tch, this is why dealing with captured mages is such a hassle… Still, this one’s kinda subpar… If I at least had a candle, it’d be more creative… And some flowers…”

As usual, Glenn is crafting his ‘artwork,’ glancing at Re=L, who’s crying in Rumia’s embrace, with an exasperated look.

“…Tch, always making me go through extra trouble till the very end…”

With a slight smile, Glenn pulls an ink bottle from his pocket and begins finishing his ‘work.’

At some point, a new bruise has appeared on Re=L’s right leg.

And nearby, a single pistol lies on the ground.