Chapter 6: The Nameless One

“…Me? Well, I suppose you can call me Nameless for now.”

Guided by a mysterious girl who looked exactly like Rumia, Glenn and his group had escaped the arena.

Driven by urgency, they moved swiftly, putting considerable distance between themselves and the demon before finally allowing themselves a moment of relief.

Naturally, the question on everyone’s mind surfaced, and the girl answered in that cryptic way.

“…Nameless, huh?”

Glenn let out an exasperated sigh at the blatantly fake name.

The gray, frozen world from before had somehow returned to normal, leaving them in the same dark realm where only the faint glow of magic provided any light.

Carrying the unconscious Celica on his back, Glenn followed Nameless, who led the way.

Rumia stayed close to Glenn’s side, while Sistine trailed behind him, her steps hesitant and cautious.

Bringing up the rear, Re=L kept a vigilant watch on their surroundings… albeit with a sleepy expression.

“I’ll help you. Follow me,” the strange girl, Nameless, had said.

If it came down to trust, Glenn figured she was probably trustworthy.

If she meant them harm, she wouldn’t have gone out of her way to save them in that dire situation, using some incomprehensible power no less. Her actions suggested she genuinely intended to help them, just as she claimed… That much seemed certain.

But—

“Hey… who the hell are you? What’s with those weird wings? Why are you helping us? What was that creepy demon back there, and what’s up with that gray world you used to save us? How do you know about us? And why do you look exactly like Rumia? Are you related or something?”

“…”

The girl calling herself Nameless remained stubbornly silent, refusing to answer any of Glenn’s questions.

She merely cast a fleeting, sullen glance at him with those brooding eyes.

It felt like trying to drive a stake into a swamp—utterly futile.

No matter what he asked, it seemed he wouldn’t get a single scrap of information about her.

“Tch… what a charmless brat…”

If you ignored the bizarre wings on her back, she really did look identical to Rumia.

But her demeanor and attitude couldn’t be more different. It was as if she were a Rumia who had grown weary of the world, disillusioned and jaded. Nameless exuded a gloomy, decadent aura that grated on Glenn’s nerves.

“Man, even if you look alike, you’re nothing like a certain someone… You’ll never get popular with that attitude, you know.”

Surprisingly, Nameless seemed to take offense at that, and retorted.

“That’s quite a thing to say. I’m not keeping silent to be mean or anything.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Don’t you get it? It’s not that I won’t tell you—it’s that I can’t. If I answered every single question you’re probably dying to ask, it’d cause a lot of trouble down the line.”

“Huh…?”

“Sometimes, knowing something leads to the worst outcomes, and ignorance brings the best results. To begin with, I never intended to show myself to you like this. All I can offer is the bare minimum of help… Got it?”

She said she hadn’t planned to reveal herself, but…

A few days ago, Glenn could’ve sworn she’d appeared before him when he was alone.

“…Ugh, I don’t get you at all, you fake Rumia.”

“Fine. I’ll tell you one thing… about me.”

Then, Nameless began to speak, her words slow and deliberate.

“Right now, I’m something like a lingering thought, clinging to the spiritual ley lines that run through the ruins across the world. My physical body is long gone. So, this form you see? It looks real, but it’s not. You called me a hallucination earlier… and, well, that’s not entirely wrong.”

Glenn could only grimace and sigh.

That wasn’t what he wanted to know. That wasn’t what he was asking.

“As a thought-form bound to the ley lines of ruins, I can appear anywhere in this country’s relics. That’s my true nature… So, how’s that? Helpful?”

“Oh, yeah, super helpful. I’m done with you, you damn nuisance.”

It was an utter waste of time. Glenn clicked his tongue in frustration.

“Come on, Sensei. You shouldn’t be so rude to Nameless-san…”

“Oi, Rumia, don’t go defending this shady weirdo…”

Glenn could only sigh at Rumia’s usual soft-heartedness.

“I mean, look at those gross wings. What even are those? Don’t they make you nauseous just looking at them?”

Glenn shot a disgusted glance at the bizarre wings on Nameless’s back, but—

“Uh, um…? Gross…? They’re a bit unusual, sure, but…”

“Sensei, you’re overreacting. Calling them gross is too much. They’re more like butterfly wings—kind of beautiful, actually.”

Rumia tilted her head in confusion, while Sistine gave Glenn a judgmental stare, scolding his choice of words.

“Hah!? Beautiful!? Those twisted, deep-sea-fish-looking wings!? Are you guys out of your minds!?”

“Sensei, what are you talking about? Are your eyes okay?”

As Glenn and Sistine started bickering, ignoring them…

“I’m sorry, Nameless-san. Sensei’s just really stressed out from trying to protect us. He’s usually a much kinder person, you know?”

“I know.”

To Rumia’s apologetic words, Nameless gave a peculiar response.

“More importantly, I haven’t thanked you yet… Thank you so much, Nameless-san, for saving us.”

Then… Nameless suddenly stopped and turned to face Rumia.

The group, caught off guard, halted as well.

“I don’t know why you look exactly like me… Maybe it’s because of that, but… I can’t help but feel like you’re not a stranger.”

“…”

“Maybe, in a past life, we were sisters or something?”

It wasn’t flattery or empty words.

Rumia was simply expressing what she genuinely felt.

…But Nameless stepped closer to Rumia and…

“I hate you, Rumia. I really, really hate you.”

Her face twisted with hostility and loathing as she glared at Rumia.

“Sisters? That makes me sick. If only you had died back there…”

The sudden venom in her words left even Rumia speechless, frozen in place…

Tension crackled through the group. Sistine gasped, Glenn’s hand tightened on the grip of the gun hidden behind his back, and Re=L raised her mithril sword, ready to strike.

“…Relax. I don’t intend to harm her. Besides, with this body, I couldn’t even if I wanted to… It’s just venting.”

Nameless gave the tense group a dismissive glance before fixing Rumia with another cold stare.

“I know it’s unfair to say this to you now. But I can’t help it… If it weren’t for you…!”

She spat the words out and then tore her gaze away from Rumia, resuming her lead of the group.

“You’re… a very kind person, aren’t you?”

But to Nameless’s lonely, retreating back… Rumia spoke those words.

“…How do you figure that?”

“Because, even though you hate me so much… you still saved me, too.”

“…That was just… incidental.”

“I don’t know why you hate me. So I can’t just apologize lightly… That would feel like a lie.”

Then, Rumia looked straight at Nameless’s back and said clearly:

“So, at the very least, let me thank you…”

“…”

“Thank you for saving me… for saving all of us.”

…And then.

Suddenly, Nameless’s form melted into the darkness, vanishing completely.

“H-Hey!?”

“…I’m going to disappear for a bit. Need to cool my head.”

To the panicking Glenn, Nameless spoke coldly.

“Don’t worry. I’m… pretty much everywhere in these ancient ruins you call relics. Just keep going the way I told you. See you…”

Her voice echoed around them, and then Nameless was gone entirely.

“Goddamn… what is that girl…?”

Glenn sighed in exasperation, scratching his head.

This whole ordeal was just one incomprehensible mess after another.

Glenn was thoroughly fed up… when it happened.

“…Ugh… n…?”

A faint stir came from Glenn’s back.

Celica, whom Glenn was carrying, was slowly regaining consciousness.

“…G-Glenn…? …Where… are we…?”

“Celica… you’re awake…”

Glenn let out a relieved breath.

Sistine, Rumia, and Re=L also seemed to relax at Celica’s awakening.

“Hey, how’re you feeling…?”

“…Awful.”

In response to Glenn’s question, Celica mumbled weakly, resting her head limply against him.

The wounds on Celica’s back had already been fully healed by Rumia’s [Healer Spell].

But Celica’s condition still seemed far from good.

“That strange demon’s magic blade… it devours and absorbs the soul of anyone it cuts, converting it into its own power… My soul—etheric body… it’s been severely consumed…”

So that was the trick behind the demon’s ability to wield such extraordinary magic single-handedly.

One piece of the puzzle fell into place.

Getting stronger the more damage you deal to your opponent? That’s just unfair.

“…Soul damage can only heal naturally… But with this much damage… Ha… I… I might never be able to use magic again…”

“…Don’t say stupid crap like that.”

But Glenn couldn’t laugh.

Soul damage was a fatal wound for a mage. In magic, which relies on spiritual senses, the state of one’s soul—the etheric body—has an immense impact.

Even if she didn’t lose her ability to use magic entirely, it was easy to imagine that Celica would face some kind of lasting impairment as a mage.

A heavy silence enveloped the group for a while. They trudged forward mechanically, advancing through the passage.

The hollow sound of their footsteps—clack, clack—echoed emptily in the void…

Until, suddenly…

“Hey… Glenn. By the way, what happened to… that thing? The demon…?”

Celica broke the silence, her voice faint.

“We managed to shake it off for now. Some weird girl named Nameless helped us out.”

“…Nameless?”

Celica furrowed her brow at the unfamiliar name.

“Who’s that…? Wait, there’s someone else down here besides us?”

“Uh, well… it’s hard to explain. She’s some kind of inhuman weirdo… just showed up out of nowhere… Oi, Nameless! You listening? Get out here!”

Glenn called out into the void, but…

“…? She’s not coming… What’s that girl up to…?”

Even after waiting, Nameless didn’t show herself.

“Well… whatever. Doesn’t matter who she is. I can’t believe there’s anyone else in a place like this, but… if you trust her and rely on her, then… that’s fine… More importantly… cough… cough…”

At that moment, Celica choked, wincing in pain. The damage to her etheric body was causing a misalignment between her physical and spiritual forms, throwing her body into spiritual disarray.

“H-Hey!? You okay, Celica!?”

“Don’t worry about me… More importantly…”

Celica fell silent for a moment, as if steeling herself…

And then, she said clearly:

“I’m a burden… Leave me behind.”

Glenn was momentarily speechless at Celica’s words.

“…I’m… as you can see. I can’t even move on my own for a while…”

Her usual confident, commanding tone, brimming with vigor, was gone—replaced by a frail, faltering voice.

The figure of the mightiest mage was nowhere to be seen.

On Glenn’s back was just… a wounded, broken woman.

“…Like hell I’d do that, idiot.”

Glenn brusquely rejected Celica’s words, his tone laced with irritation.

“From the look of it, I’m guessing… that demon’s still chasing us, right…?”

“According to Nameless, that thing’s a petty, vindictive stalker. Since we trespassed in its arena, it’ll probably hunt us to the ends of hell. But…”

From the scant information Nameless had shared, despite her tendency to clam up…

That demon was apparently bound to the deep layers of the underground labyrinth, from the 50th to the 89th floor, known as the [Gatekeeper’s Post]. It couldn’t leave that domain.

“…So, basically, we just need to get the hell out of this damn labyrinth ASAP. Nameless said she knows the closest escape point from the arena.”

“…Then… all the more reason…”

Celica weakly gripped Glenn’s shoulder.

“With me like this… it’ll slow you down… make fighting harder… put you at a disadvantage…”

“Yeah, you’re right. Absolutely spot-on, damn it.”

“…Right? So…”

“But I refuse.”

Glenn kept walking, carrying Celica on his back, his steps unwavering.

“…Please… just this once, listen to me…! If this keeps up…”

“Shut up! Be quiet, you loudmouth!”

Glenn snapped at Celica, roughly readjusting her on his back and continuing to walk steadily.

“I’m taking you with me, no matter what! We’re getting out of this shitty labyrinth together! That’s the plan, and it’s not changing! That’s an order from the leader of this expedition team, got it!?”

Celica flinched at Glenn’s shout, then stared at him in stunned silence.

“Why…? Why go this far… for me…?”

To Celica’s faint murmur…

“Because we’re family!”

Glenn roared back without hesitation.

“If our roles were reversed, you’d drag me out of here no matter what! Even if it tanked our chances of survival!”

Then, lowering his voice, he muttered sullenly:

“…That’s what family does, right?”

“Glenn…”

Celica, dazed, rested against Glenn’s back for a while…

“We’re… family…?”

“What else would we be?”

“Really…? Truly, really…?”

“God, you’re persistent… Yeah, that’s what I said!”

“…I see… We’re family… Haha… sniff… sob…”

Then, Celica let out a deep breath, as if relieved…

And quietly began to sob against Glenn’s back.

“Why are you crying…?”

“The truth is… I’ve always… been so scared… That I was the only one who thought of us as family…”

“You idiot…! Why would you even think that…!?”

“Because… no matter how you look at it, I’m not human…”

“Huh!?”

And then… in a tear-choked voice, Celica finally began to pour out her heart.

She spoke of her long life, spanning roughly four hundred years.

A path of thorns, colored by anxiety, frustration, loneliness, and endless battles.

The ‘inner voice’ that had tormented and driven her—a mysterious sense of purpose.

And then, that ‘inner voice’ had spoken to her one day.

When Celica became a professor at the Alzano Imperial Magic Academy to support Glenn and took on exploration requests to venture into the underground labyrinth for the first time—the ‘inner voice’ had told her that her purpose lay in the deepest depths of this labyrinth.

“So that’s why you were so obsessed with this damn labyrinth? Because that ‘inner voice’ was pushing you…?”

“…At first, yeah.”

“At first?”

Glenn tilted his head at Celica’s odd phrasing.

“At first, I was definitely driven by that ‘inner voice,’ doing reckless things… But now, I barely care about that mission that I still can’t remember…”

“Then! Why the hell did you keep doing such reckless crap…!?”

To Glenn’s question…

“Because… I was scared…”

Celica whispered, her voice so faint it seemed it might fade away.

“Living with you… I started to get more and more scared… My unexplained immortality… the ‘Immortalist’… My time and your time are different… You and I are different… Every time I saw you growing up, little by little… I was constantly reminded: ‘Oh, you and I are different beings.’”

That’s right. That’s exactly—

“That’s why… deep down, you don’t really… see me as family, do you…? You think of me as some different kind of creature, don’t you…? You’re only by my side because you pity someone like me… aren’t you…?”

It was the “illness” that had afflicted Celica, her heart brittle from years of solitude.

“Glenn… I…”

Celica’s slender arms tightened around Glenn’s neck. Her head pressed against the back of his, and a faint, warm sensation spread there.

“…I don’t care about some ‘inner voice’ anymore… or some mission I can’t even recall… It didn’t matter… As long as I could… be with you… that was enough for me… I…”

“……”

“…I… wanted to be a ‘human’ living in the same time as you…”

At Celica’s frail, sorrowful murmur,

Glenn, understanding everything, closed his eyes and gritted his teeth.

“…So that’s why, huh.”

To unravel the mystery of her immortality, to become “human” instead of an “Immortalist,” she ventured into the underground labyrinth.

Her “Immortalist” nature surely tied to her lost mission.

All because she wanted Glenn to see her as human, as true family.

That’s why she suddenly insisted on joining the investigation of the Taum Astronomical Temple.

Rumors spoke of ancient secrets related to time and spatial transfer magic hidden in the Taum Astronomical Temple. Frustrated with her stalled labyrinth exploration, Celica must have thought it could help unravel the mystery of her immortality.

Truly—

“You idiot… You’re such an idiot…”

Glenn’s trembling voice dripped with anger as he spoke.

“…Glenn?”

“…You, agonizing over something like that… and me, too blind to notice your struggle… We’re both such damn idiots…! Damn it…! Damn it all…!”

Come to think of it, it was the same before.

When Glenn grew to hate magic, Celica wrongly assumed he hated her too, and forced him to become a magic instructor… hoping to rekindle his love for the magic he once cherished.

Celica Arfonia. The greatest mage Glenn admired—a true magician.

Glenn’s dream of becoming a “Mage of Justice” from fairy tales stemmed from wanting to be like Celica.

To Glenn, Celica was a towering figure he’d chase his whole life—a sacred, untouchable hero living in the pages of a story.

That’s why he kept forgetting. Before being the mightiest mage, before being the supreme magician, Celica was a woman.

Worn down and fragile after four hundred endless years, she was just an ordinary, perfectly human person.

Glenn had no absolute way to erase her anxieties.

He had no definitive means to prove what she sought.

So—

“You and I are family.”

He’d say it as many times as it took.

“You and I are family, Celica. What else could we even be? Seriously.”

Again and again.

“What have you been looking at all these years we’ve lived together? Idiot. Seriously. If you’re feeling anxious, just say it. That’s what families do—share stupid worries, clash over them, and work it out. You don’t get that?”

Over and over. As many times as needed.

“You’re such a kid sometimes… How old are you, huh? Geez, you senile old hag… Looks like I, your family, will have to take care of you for a while, huh? Seriously…”

Every time she felt that anxiety, he’d say it again—

“…You’re fine as you are, Celica. You don’t need to carry any burden. Whether you’re an ‘Immortalist,’ non-human, a god, a demon, or a demon king… you’re my one and only… precious family…”

Glenn spoke calmly, pouring his heart into every word.

Until Celica understood, until she felt at ease, he’d say it as many times as it took.

“You’re… fine as you are…”

“Is that… so…?”

Celica, listening intently to Glenn’s words, let out a dreamy sigh.

And then…

“…Why… couldn’t I see… something so simple…?”

“…Celica?”

With that, Celica slipped back into a deep sleep.

“Geez… Making me go through all this trouble…”

Grumbling as if annoyed, Glenn carefully readjusted Celica on his back.

Rumia and the others watched Glenn and Celica, who was breathing softly like a child, with warm smiles.

“…Tch. What’re you staring at?”

Noticing his students’ gazes, Glenn turned away, flustered.

…And then.

…Thank you, Glenn.

“Whoa!?”

Nameless, who had appeared beside Glenn unnoticed, suddenly said that.

“Idiot, don’t scare me like that! …Thank you? Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

…Nothing.

With a huff,

Nameless turned away.

The group pressed on through the endless underground labyrinth.

Silently, fearfully, aware of the threat likely closing in from behind…

But, as if mocking their hope for an uneventful escape… it finally came.

“…They’re here.”

Right.

Glenn and the others halted in the corridor, turning to look back. The oppressive presence of something powerful and sinister was drawing near… its menace prickling their skin.

…They’re still some distance away. But it’s only a matter of time before they catch up.

“If we hurry, can we escape?”

Impossible. We’re still far from our destination. It’s closer than the door you used to enter, but… even so…

Then, there was only one option… they had to face it.

“I’ll stay here. You take Celica and get out of this labyrinth, no matter what.”

With grim resolve, Glenn set the sleeping Celica against the wall.

“No way! Sensei, you have to come with us…!”

Exactly. What are you saying?

Surprisingly, Rumia and Nameless were the first to protest Glenn’s words.

Glenn… you can’t die here.

“Then what do we do!? They’re definitely going to catch up, right!?”

…That’s…

“If we stick together, we’ll all get wiped out at once. We’ve got no way to counter that thing. So, I’ll stay here and buy even a second of time. You guys—”

No way! Especially you and Celica have to survive! Please!

“Against an invincible, immortal monster like that, you think we’ve got time for this!?”

Glenn and Nameless argued fiercely, precious time slipping away.

Even if you act as a decoy, they’ll still catch up to the others and kill them!

“Then what do you suggest!? Just sit here and—?”

It was a powder keg ready to explode… and then.

“…Sensei.”

Sistine, who had been silently lost in thought until now, suddenly spoke with resolute determination.

“If we can’t escape… then let’s fight. All of us… against that demon.”

For a moment, Glenn thought Sistine had lost her mind to fear.

“Let’s defeat that demon together. It’s the only way for all of us to survive.”

Her words were surely born from mustering every ounce of courage she had.

Sistine’s shoulders and lips trembled faintly.

“Are you insane…!? There’s no way we can win!”

Knowing the demon’s overwhelming power, Glenn, already on edge, snapped at Sistine.

“Sure, if we had a chance, I wouldn’t hesitate to fight together! But that thing doesn’t die even if you shoot it through the heart or slice it up! How do you fight something like that!?”

Glenn’s right.

For some reason, Nameless backed him up.

No one in this world can kill that demon. …Unfortunately. I don’t know why, but… that thing is immortal. No matter how many times you kill it, it never dies.

Her words carried an odd certainty and weight.

But Sistine, undaunted by their objections, responded with striking calm.

“With all due respect… that demon’s immortality… I believe it can be broken.”

“…What?”

Huh?

Not just Glenn, but Nameless widened her eyes in shock.

“If my hypothesis is correct… that demon likely has a weakness.”

With that,

Sistine set down her backpack and began rummaging through its contents.

“…I thought it might come in handy somehow… but I never imagined it’d be useful like this…”

What Sistine pulled out was…

“…Huh? ‘The Magician of Melgalius’…? That book Celica brought?”

“Yes.”

Under Glenn’s skeptical gaze, Sistine began flipping through the pages.

And then—

The place Glenn chose for their stand was a kind of aerial garden within the labyrinth.

The vast space held several relatively small platforms at varying heights, connected by a maze of intertwining staircases. Though now dry, there were fountain pools and channels that once must have formed waterfalls and sprays, suggesting this was once a breathtakingly beautiful place.

(Well… the fact that the ceiling’s a dome of stone blocking out the sky kinda ruins it… This is more like an underground garden than an aerial one…)

“…Hm? What’s up, Glenn?”

Beside Glenn, who had glanced upward, stood Re=L, holding Celica’s mithril sword.

A short distance away, on a terrace two or three meters higher than their platform, Sistine and Rumia waited with tense expressions.

“Nah, just counting on you guys.”

“Got it. Leave it to me. I’m Glenn’s sword.”

Re=L muttered flatly, while Sistine and Rumia nodded.

Soon,

An overwhelming presence drew near.

Slowly, so slowly…

The chilling, pitch-black aura that sent shivers down their spines grew stronger…

…And then.

‘You stand against me without retreating. Foolish mortals, yet admirable…’

The demon appeared before Glenn and the others. Its dizzying, malevolent pressure was as intense as ever. Just facing it made their knees shake, cold sweat streaming down their backs and foreheads.

‘Knowing you cannot win, knowing you cannot kill me, you bare your fangs with reckless courage. Foolish, yet splendid. As a reward, I shall grant you a painless death…’

Clack, clack, clack…

The demon ascended the stairs connecting the platforms, slowly approaching their position.

The pressure grew even more suffocating, their terror-stricken hearts screaming in protest.

But—

“Is that so? I don’t think you’re completely untouchable.”

Glenn put on a show of confidence, taunting the demon below.

“After all—your remaining lives… are down to four, right?”

‘…’

At Glenn’s cryptic words, the demon’s ascent halted.

“Alright… time to end this little party, yeah?”

Smirking boldly, Glenn recalled Sistine’s earlier explanation—

—.

“…Before I explain the demon’s immortality and its weakness…”

Sistine paused her page-turning, abruptly changing the subject.

“Hey, Sensei. Do you know about Loran Ertoria?”

Annoyed at the interruption, Glenn furrowed his brow.

“…Huh? …Yeah, I know him, but now’s not the time to—”

“It’s important! Please listen!”

Sistine insisted firmly, continuing.

“Loran Ertoria. A renowned magical archaeologist in modern times, often called the father of magical archaeology. He focused his research on Melgalius’s Sky Castle, with his seminal works titled none other than ‘Melgalius’s Sky Castle’… and ‘The Magician of Melgalius’…”

“Yeah, sure. The first is like a bible for Melgalius fanatics like you. The second’s a fairy tale every kid in this country reads at least once. He was a magical archaeologist and a children’s author…”

Unable to grasp Sistine’s point, Glenn reluctantly played along.

“Loran’s works as a children’s author compiled ancient myths, legends, and folklore from around the world, reinterpreted through his unique analysis. His masterpiece, ‘The Magician of Melgalius,’ is the culmination of this—a grand tapestry of ancient myths. It’s a fairy tale, yet also a valuable reference for unraveling pre-Saint Era history.”

“…So what?”

“In the end, Loran Ertoria published ‘The Magician of Melgalius’ and, shortly after, traveled to the neighboring Rezalia Kingdom to research ancient traditions. There, he was captured by the Church of St. Elizares, which rules the kingdom, branded a ‘heretic’… and sent to the stake.”

“!”

“His crime was ‘spreading wicked ideas through his book, leading innocent people astray.’ The Church forcibly collected all copies of ‘The Magician of Melgalius’ in Rezalia… and burned them.”

“That’s… that’s awful… I read that book as a kid, but… it’s just a fairy tale, right…? There’s nothing in it that should’ve angered the Old Church…”

Rumia, puzzled and pained, chimed in.

“Exactly. It’s bizarre. There’s got to be more to it… don’t you think?”

At Sistine’s question, Glenn fell silent.

“Let me repeat: ‘The Magician of Melgalius’ was written based on ancient traditions from around the world. So… doesn’t it make sense to think Loran Ertoria saw something he shouldn’t have about ancient civilizations, wrote it into ‘The Magician of Melgalius,’ and was killed for it…?”

“…!”

“Loran’s supposed final words on the stake… ‘The scriptures govern the wisdom of all things, creating and controlling them… thus, they will lead humanity to ruin.’ Doesn’t that sound awfully significant? Almost like… ‘The Magician of Melgalius’ was based on some forbidden original text called the ‘scriptures’… Don’t you think?”

Glenn mulled over her words in silence for a moment…

“That’s just a ridiculous conspiracy theory. So what? What’s this got to do with dealing with that demon?”

He finally scoffed, brushing it off.

“Sensei. Now for the main point. About that demon…”

Sistine locked eyes with Glenn and said,

“A red magic blade in its left hand that negates magic… a black magic blade in its right that devours souls… an immortal demon that won’t die no matter how many times it’s killed… Doesn’t that sound familiar? You loved ‘The Magician of Melgalius’ as a kid, Sensei, so you must know.”

Sistine opened the book and showed it to Glenn.

The illustration of a dual-wielding swordsman facing an army of thousands sparked a memory.

That image, and Sistine’s words, triggered a sudden flashback in Glenn’s mind.

“…The Demon Blade General, Al-Khan!”

In the picture book ‘The Magician of Melgalius,’ the protagonist’s enemies include the “Demon King” and his “Demon Generals.” The Demon Generals are immensely powerful subordinates directly serving the Demon King, often former humans who abandoned their humanity in some way.

Among them, the Demon Blade General Al-Khan holds a unique position. While serving the Demon King, he seeks a worthier master to pledge true loyalty to, battling countless warriors and even turning against the Demon King at times.

His defining traits are the dual magic blades and the thirteen lives he gained by overcoming thirteen trials imposed by an evil god.

He can only be defeated by killing him thirteen times. In other words—

“—What, are you crazy!? That’s just a fairy tale! White Cat, are you seriously saying that demon is the Demon Blade General Al-Khan? Even for you, that’s…”

“I know it sounds insane! But don’t the similarities seem too much!? Is this really just a coincidence!? Isn’t it too perfect for a coincidence!?”

Indeed, now that she mentioned it, it really did seem uncanny.

Could this really be dismissed as mere coincidence?

In most cases, one or two similarities might be chance, but three or more are almost certainly intentional. To write it off as coincidence without investigation would be the act of a fool.

And as Sistine said, ‘The Magician of Melgalius’ isn’t just a fairy tale. It’s a grand compilation of ancient myths—the soul of the great storyteller Loran Ertoria.

“Sensei… why not bet on this possibility? If that demon is Al-Khan…”

Right. As is typical for heroes and antiheroes in stories, weaknesses are par for the course.

If that demon truly is the Demon Blade General Al-Khan, an ancient antihero—

—there’s a way to defeat it, a strategy to follow.

(…What do I do?)

It’s a gamble.

Cling to this slim thread of hope, fight the demon, and bet on the chance they all survive.

Or abandon that hope, accept that someone will certainly die, and flee in desperation.

Glenn looked at his students.

Sistine, Rumia, Re=L.

Each gazed at him with earnest expressions, as if pleading for something.

──I’ll follow your judgment.

──I won’t regret the consequences that come with it.

Those eyes speak more eloquently than anything else.

They… have long since steeled their resolve.

Sistine, Rumia, and… Re=L.

If these three lend me their strength… if they fight alongside me… then maybe, just maybe.

“…I made a promise to them… that I’d bring everyone back safely… yeah… that’s why I…!”

Facing these girls, Glenn finally makes his decision──

──.

(…To think I’d bet on such a tightrope of a plan…)

While confronting the demon, Glenn clicks his tongue softly in his mind.

There’s no guarantee that this demon is truly the Demon Blade General Al-Khan.

It’s all just coincidence… If that assumption is wrong, the chances of Glenn and the others defeating the demon are less than one in ten thousand.

But──to dismiss it as mere coincidence, the circumstances are far too perfectly aligned.

If everyone is to survive… they have no choice but to cling to this possibility.

(That’s right… in the story… Demon Blade General Al-Khan challenged the Demon King to acknowledge him as his master, was killed four times… and fought to stop the righteous mage who stormed the Sky Castle to defeat the Demon King, dying three times… a total of seven deaths…)

Glenn, feigning a composed expression, glances at the demon.

(And… the bullet I drove into its heart, the strike Re=L landed… that’s two more… If its original stock of lives was thirteen, then…!)

Facing the demon, Glenn assumes a boxing stance with unwavering vigilance and boldly declares,

“That’s right, you’ve only got four lives left.”

“…………”

“Sure, I alone can’t handle a legendary hero like you… but lucky for me, I’m not alone. I’ve got these guys.”

Glenn puffs out his chest, pointing a raised thumb at his dependable students.

“With them… if the four of us fight together, we can beat you. If your stock of lives is down to just four… we’ll find a way, you bastard.”

Now, it’s time to see if he’s right.

Honestly, Glenn has no certainty that this is indeed the Demon Blade General Al-Khan.

The idea that it has only four lives left is heavily colored by Glenn’s own hopes.

But to gain that certainty, Glenn puts on the performance of his life.

Suppressing the trembling fear threatening to make him flee, Glenn relies on bravado and bluff, acting as if he’s utterly convinced he can win by killing the demon four times.

He maintains his boxing stance, lightly stepping, circling slowly to the demon’s right, and muses──

(Please… let it look like I’m certain you’ve only got four lives and I’m just waiting for an opening to strike… Please, take it that way…!)

Killing this demon four times will demand everything Glenn and the others have in an all-out battle. If the demon doesn’t fall after that, it’ll be a catastrophic, worst-case scenario.

He needs certainty. Certainty that killing this demon four times will bring it down──

(Please… let my bluff work…! Show me some reaction that confirms your immortality has a limit…! I’m begging you…!)

“……………………”

The silent demon glares at Glenn, as if appraising him.

For a moment, a heavy silence, thick as lead, blankets the scene…

A gut-wrenching tension assaults Glenn, twisting his insides…

(Ugh, damn it… cold sweat…! Shit, my act’s gonna fall apart… I can’t keep this up…!)

The sweat beading on Glenn’s forehead is just about to trickle down his cheek…

…At that moment.

“Very well. How you fools learned the secret even my true master did not know is beyond me… but struggle as you will, foolish masses. With the strength of your group, try to kill me four times.”

The demon readies its twin magic blades──and utters the decisive words.

“…………!?”

Glenn wins the battle of wits. The demon’s nature, as the stories describe, favoring “honest confrontations,” works in Glenn’s favor.

“Hah… that was the plan all along… Don’t cry when we wipe that smug look off your face, huh…?”

Behind his feigned confidence and composure, Glenn is choking on jubilation.

(──Hell yeah! It’s confirmed! This is Al-Khan! We’ve got a fighting chance now!)

Still, who exactly is Loran Ertoria…?

What did he see in his pursuit of ancient civilizations…?

And the Demon Generals──were they not just figures of myth…?

…But now’s not the time to dwell on that.

“Let’s go, Re=L! Sistine! Rumia!”

“Got it. Leave it to me!”

Glenn and Re=L burst apart to the left and right like explosions──

“I’ll cover you!”

“Yeah!”

Sistine and Rumia, positioned at the rear, raise their left hands toward the demon──

“Raaaaaaaahhhhhh──!”

“Yaaaaaaahhhhhh──!”

And with a fierce, resounding spirit, Glenn and Re=L charge at the demon.

“…Come.”

Facing the oncoming Glenn and Re=L, the demon crouches low and ready──

And so, the ferocious battle begins──

“Hmph──”

Glenn makes his move──swooping in from the demon’s right.

“Yaaaaah──!”

Re=L attacks──leaping in from the demon’s left.

The two strike simultaneously from both sides.

Their movements are like a storm of lightning, as if streaks of thunder crisscross the ground.

“Shi──!”

Glenn’s fist, enchanted with magic amplified by Rumia’s [Sympathetic Amplifier] ability──

“Yaaaaah──!”

Re=L’s mithril sword, borrowed from Celica──

With fierce momentum, they roar, slicing through the air, closing in on the demon.

Of course, both are enhanced to their physical limits by Rumia’s [Physical Boost] white magic, their movements already superhuman.

“Hmph──”

But the demon’s twin blades dance with elegant, swift, and sharp precision.

A chaotic flurry of red and black curved sword arcs splits the vision in countless ways.

The demon parries Glenn’s fist with its right blade, Re=L’s sword with its left, effortlessly blocking, deflecting, knocking aside, and redirecting their superhuman attacks.

Fists meet the magic blade and the sword clashes with the magic blade, striking repeatedly with high-pitched impacts and sparks of magical energy, colliding and grappling fiercely.

“Raaaaaaah──!”

“Haa──!”

Undeterred, Glenn presses his assault, and Re=L continues slashing.

Sometimes in unison, sometimes staggered, over and over, relentlessly.

But──the truly superhuman demon calmly and methodically counters them all.

It dodges Glenn’s right straight with deft body movement──

In that instant, it blocks Re=L’s overhead strike, falling like a meteor──

Without missing a beat, it redirects Glenn’s whirlwind-like left hook──

And simultaneously repels Re=L’s returning silver slash.

It’s as if the demon is dancing, twirling gracefully.

Unlike modern swordsmanship that overwhelms with sheer volume of strikes or knightly swordsmanship that crushes with power and speed, the demon’s sword dance, with every motion tracing circular arcs, is mesmerizingly beautiful even to its enemies.

The sword and fist pressures from the intense clash seek escape, raging around them like a storm──

“Hmph──”

“Yah──!”

Glenn and Re=L time their attacks, positioning themselves so the demon must engage Glenn with its right blade and Re=L with its left, striking with precision.

This is the bare minimum condition for Glenn and Re=L to fight a demon of such transcendent skill.

The right magic blade, Solute, the Soul-Eater, is Glenn’s responsibility; the left magic blade, Wi Zaya, the Mage Killer, is Re=L’s──that’s the starting point for even having a chance against the demon.

Even with Rumia’s ability enhancing his fists with magic, if Glenn touches the left blade, his magic would be instantly nullified.

Even wielding a single mithril sword, Re=L lacks the volume of attacks needed to counter the right blade, and a single graze from its edge would be her end.

Only Glenn, with two magically enhanced fists, has the attack volume to handle Solute.

Only Re=L, wielding Celica’s mithril sword immune to Wi Zaya’s effects, can face the left blade.

Thus, Glenn always attacks from the right, Re=L from the left.

Combined with the synergy honed through their days fighting as mages, they’re barely able to hold their own against the demon──

But this strategy falls apart if the demon switches its blades between hands during the fight…

(No, that won’t happen! According to White Cat’s info──!)

──.

“That strategy’s impossible… No, Re=L and I could probably pull off that kind of positioning… but if it switches its blades mid-fight, we’re done for, aren’t we…?”

During the strategy meeting before the battle.

“No, it’s probably fine. There’s a cycle of epic poems called the ‘Khan Cycle,’ a collection of tales about Al-Khan from ancient lore. Loran referenced it when writing ‘The Magician of Melgalius,’ and…”

Sistine explained.

“The two magic blades Al-Khan received from the ‘Maiden of the Night Sky’─Solute in the right hand, Wi Zaya in the left─can only unleash their powers when held in those specific hands… That’s how it’s described in the legends.”

“So…?”

“It means it won’t suddenly switch blades mid-battle. Having you and Re=L each handle a specific blade is extremely effective!”

──.

“…!”

“Haha! Looks like you’re getting annoyed, huh!? Finding it tough, eh!?”

Glenn shouts as he throws punches at the demon.

No matter how many times they attack, the right magic blade meets Glenn, and the left meets Re=L.

That’s because Glenn and Re=L coordinate to force the demon into those positions.

The only way to break this is for the demon to unexpectedly switch its blades──

“Go on, try switching your blades! Huh!? What’s wrong!?”

“…………”

A faint trace of irritation seeps into the demon as it continues to parry Glenn and Re=L’s attacks.

But there’s no sign of the demon switching its blades.

This was a victory for Sistine’s obsession with ancient civilizations.

(But we’re still being outclassed──damn it!)

While relentlessly attacking the demon with seamless coordination, Glenn grits his teeth.

“…………”

The demon calmly deflects Glenn and Re=L’s coordinated assaults.

It gracefully wields its twin blades, effortlessly handling Re=L’s heavy sword strikes that could blow anything away with a single touch.

And worse──

Catching the fleeting gap in their coordination, the demon seizes the moment──instantly landing a kick on Glenn and striking Re=L with the hilt of its blade.

“Guaaaah──!?”

“Ugh!?”

The impact sends Glenn and Re=L flying, tumbling across the ground.

(Damn it──I was so focused on the blades, I didn’t account for other attacks…!)

But it can’t be helped. If they worried about other attacks, they wouldn’t be able to handle the demon’s blades.

“Guh… cough!? What’s with that power…!? Are you kidding me, you jerk…!?”

“…Ow… it hurts… cough…”

What a heavy blow.

Even with the Eastern technique known as Hard Qigong, [Body Up] white magic, which toughens their bodies, making them highly resistant to physical impacts, the strike feels like it shattered their bodies into pieces, leaving Glenn and Re=L unable to move.

The demon, of course, doesn’t miss such an opening──targeting Re=L, whom it deems the most troublesome, it closes in with a step that’s practically teleportation──

At that moment.

“《O fierce thunder emperor, with auroral lances, pierce through》──《Zwei》! 《Drei》!”

Three bolts of lightning──[Lightning Pierce] black magic──rain down from above the demon.

It’s Sistine’s spell, cast from a higher vantage point at the rear.

For support, Sistine has adjusted her [Physical Boost] settings, sacrificing strength and stamina boosts to enhance only her dynamic vision and reflex speed.

And with Rumia placing her hand on Sistine’s left, activating her ability.

The result is devastating power and perfect timing.

The sheer volume of electricity ionizes the air, creating plasma that glows blue as the lightning bolts streak toward the demon attacking Re=L at blinding speed──

“Petty tricks!”

The demon leaps back, dodging the first strike.

It swings its left blade smoothly and sharply, neutralizing the second and third bolts.

The remnants of magical energy scatter as particles of light, dissipating──and in that moment.

“Sensei! Re=L! 《O merciful angel・to that distant land・bestow thy radiant glory》──!”

Rumia raises both hands, chanting her spell with a clear voice.

[Life Wave] white magic──an advanced healing spell that sends restorative magic over a distance.

Waves of healing light pour down, enveloping Glenn and Re=L──

“…Sorry, you saved me!”

“Okay, I’m good.”

As the suffocating pain eases, Re=L and Glenn recover their stances──

“Haaaaaaah──!”

“Yaaaaah──!”

Once again, they charge at the demon with lightning-fast speed──

Thus, through their tight coordination, Glenn and the others barely manage to hold the demon at bay.

But this is a false balance.

Because──

“Hmm… these fools are quite capable…”

The demon mutters this while parrying their attacks.

(Damn it! This guy’s actually enjoying this fight…!)

Having the leisure to enjoy it… means it’s not even fighting seriously yet.

(Underestimating us, huh…! But while you’re busy looking down on us, we’ll end this quick…!)

Glenn aims for an ultra-short decisive battle.

For a mage to upset a superior opponent, it’s always about a surprise attack in a short fight.

A prolonged battle is hopelessly disadvantageous; the longer it drags, the more their true strength is tested──

(You think we’re beneath you, that you’ve got four lives to spare…!)

Glenn thinks as he parries the storm of blades with his fists.

(But for the first three times──I’ve got a high chance of killing you…!)

From the demon’s behavior and movements, Glenn has identified three opportunities.

The first──the moment Glenn deems the perfect chance.

“Re=L!”

“Got it!”

“Hm!?”

Suddenly, Glenn and Re=L switch positions with afterimage-like speed.

Now, Glenn faces the demon’s left blade, and Re=L faces the right.

“Take this──”

In the midst of the switch, Glenn draws his pistol.

At the very edge of the demon’s blade range, with a hand moving so fast it blurs, he aims the muzzle at the demon──

“Not so fast.”

Clang! The left blade flashes, striking Glenn’s pistol.

The muzzle is knocked off course, veering away.

“Tch──!”

Glenn leaps back to create distance, re-aims, and pulls the trigger──

But.

Clank! The falling hammer echoes with a hollow metallic sound. The bullet doesn’t fire.

“Hmph—”

Seeing this, the demon turns to face Re=L, who charges from behind with a raised sword—

In that instant, Glenn’s left hand blurs with sharp motion, flicking the hammer of the pistol held in his right hand.

In a fleeting moment, three shots roar like thunder, overlapping as one.

Glenn’s triple shot—his right thumb, left thumb, and left pinky rapidly flick the hammer three times, making the muzzle spit bullets in near-simultaneous succession.

The three bullets, unleashed in a relentless barrage, strike with pinpoint precision, converging on a single point of the demon’s right-hand sword.

The tripled physical impact catches the demon off guard, wrenching the sword from its right hand and sending it flying—

“What—!?”

“…That’s one down.”

Glenn flashes a fearless grin, and at the same moment—

“Yaaaaaaahhh—!”

Re=L’s sword, slashing in like a raging tempest, fiercely catches the demon and sends it hurtling back.

(That’s right, you didn’t know about guns… and lucky for me, you completely misjudged their nature at first glance…)

The demon had assumed the gun was a “weapon that hurls lead bullets with explosive magic.”

Because of that, it believed that by touching the gun with its left-hand mage-killer, Wi Zaya, the weapon would be rendered useless… It had been led to that conclusion. By Glenn.

In truth, Glenn’s gun was a “weapon that propels lead bullets with the explosive force of a primer-triggered propellant.”

Its scientific firing mechanism was entirely unaffected by the mage killer Wi Zaya.

And by deliberately showing a misfire with an unloaded chamber for the first shot, Glenn had completely fooled the demon into believing the gun’s function had been nullified by Wi Zaya.

A trick that would never work on a modern mage who understands guns—but against this demon, it had a high chance of succeeding, at least for the first encounter.

Because this demon… hails from an era without guns… from a time so ancient it’s sung of in myths… a denizen of a world of stories.

And then—

“Tch—!”

Having lost one of its lives to Re=L’s sword so easily, the demon, knocked back, dashes at godspeed toward the sword rolling on the floor, aiming to retrieve it—

“That’s right, if you lose your sword, you’ll always prioritize picking it up above all else—it’s the proof of your valor and pride! That’s your story! It was written in the book!”

Glenn shouts.

“White Cat! Just as you predicted! Go!”

A fraction of a second before the demon’s hand reaches the sword—

“Got it! 《O mighty wind》—!”

Sistine’s chanted [Gale Blow] sends the sword skittering even farther across the floor.

“Mgh…!? You cunning little…!”

And then—

“Aaaaaaaahhh—!”

Re=L, raising her sword high, chases after the demon like a ferocious hound.

The demon, having lunged for the sword, is off-balance—

“Take this!”

Glenn’s body spins, the muzzle whirling—gunshots, fanning, more gunshots.

Glenn fires the last bullet remaining in the cylinder—

The demon, dodging with a leap, loses its balance even further—

“《—Let it illuminate their journey》!”

At that moment, Rumia, who had begun chanting in sync with Sistine, completes her spell.

The white magic [Saint Fire] activates.

Holy flames, ignited by the sprinkled sacred oil, ride Sistine’s [Gale Blow], swirling into a storm.

The overwhelming blaze engulfs the demon, making it flinch for just a moment—

Whether this purification spell is effective against the demon is uncertain.

So, this is a decoy—a momentary distraction.

The real strike is—

“Yaaaaaaahhh—!”

In that instant, with the demon’s vision completely blocked by the swirling inferno—

Re=L, sword raised, bursts through the flames, splitting them left and right, charging ferociously.

Even a demon like this can’t withstand having its balance disrupted twice and its vision obscured.

“—!?”

The demon barely manages to block Re=L’s sword head-on with its own—

But Re=L, with overwhelming brute force, smashes through the demon’s defenses and cleaves right through.

Taking the full brunt of Re=L’s all-out strike, the demon is sent flying once more—

“…That’s two…!”

And inevitably, the demon’s next move is predictable. It was written in the book. When it loses several lives and is cornered… it begins to wield magic.

According to the myths—this demon is not only an unparalleled warrior but also a mage of immense power (talk about cheating)… though it prefers swordplay over magic.

Sure enough, the demon, righting itself midair, lands and—

“—《■■■—》”

Chants a spell with an eerie, incomprehensible resonance, just as Glenn had witnessed before.

Above its head, a blazing orb of light and heat, like a sun, begins to form—

In the stories, this is the divine fire said to have incinerated tens of thousands of enemy soldiers in an instant.

(What a ridiculous tale… but since it’s chanting a spell, that means it’s ‘magic’!)

If the opponent is using magic—

“Here we gooo—!”

Without hesitation, Glenn draws the Fool’s Arcane Tarot—covered in countless blood-written runes—and activates his original magic [Fool’s World].

He had hesitated to use it earlier due to a misjudgment, but now that hesitation feels like a stroke of fortune.

Thanks to that, the demon likely never suspected they had a “magic that completely seals spell activation.”

(The question is whether my [Fool’s World] will work against its magic… Please, let it work!)

That part is a gamble, but the outcome of that gamble—

“《—■■■■》… What—!?”

—Glenn’s victory.

The demon’s magic is sealed mid-activation—the sun-like orb forming above its head vanishes.

At the same time, Re=L charges toward the demon, closing in with a fierce strike.

“Yaaaaaaahhh—!”

Aiming for the demon’s left-hand sword, she slashes upward against the wind—

“Guh—!?”

This time, wary of Re=L, the demon doesn’t let go of its sword, but it fails to fully parry her transcendent slash, forcing its left arm back dramatically—

And in that opening—

“《—With auroral lances, pierce through》—!”

Signaled by Glenn’s [Fool’s World], Sistine, who had already begun chanting, unleashes [Lightning Pierce] at the perfect moment.

A blue bolt of lightning, amplified by Rumia’s ability, tears through the darkness—

“Gah—!?”

It completely pierces the demon’s left chest, flung backward.

Glenn seals the magic, Re=L buys time, and Sistine, with Rumia’s assist, lands the killing blow… The terrifyingly perfect execution of their plan makes Glenn smirk.

In this critical moment, Sistine is fully showcasing the fruits of her daily training with Glenn.

“…That’s three, huh?”

“Ngh…! What did you just do… you bastard!?”

Amid the crackling lightning coursing through its body, the demon growls in frustration.

“Sorry ‘bout that… Turns out, I can use a ‘magic that remotely seals an opponent’s spells one-sidedly’… Well, let’s call it even on the cheating front, yeah?”

Glenn’s bluff of a lifetime.

His original magic [Fool’s World] isn’t that convenient. It’s a “spell that seals magic activation within a certain radius around the user”—Glenn and Re=L are also sealed from using magic.

The reason Sistine could activate her spell is that she was positioned higher up—outside the current effect range of [Fool’s World].

Originally, [Fool’s World] was designed with a narrower effect range upward to allow for magical sniping support from above. Glenn had improvised further, using blood runes scrawled on the Arcane’s surface to tighten the upward range even more.

That’s why they had positioned themselves in this location—a spot where the demon would struggle to take higher ground than them.

“…To think the Fool’s fang could accomplish such a feat…!?”

But the demon, unaware of these intricacies, is deceived. The fact that its own magic was sealed while Sistine’s spell took its third life only reinforces the deception.

From now on, as long as Sistine and the others keep providing magical support, the demon will likely refrain from using magic on its own… even if it takes higher ground than Glenn’s group.

Preventing the demon from using magic… that’s the most critical factor.

According to legend, Al-Khan incinerated ten thousand soldiers in an instant with solar magic. Given how accurate the legends have been so far, that tale is likely true as well.

If it could unleash such power with a single verse of chanting, no defensive or counter-spell would stand a chance.

Their magical defenses would be effortlessly pierced… leading to an instant game over.

“So… just one left, huh? How’s it feel, big guy?”

Buoyed by their stellar progress, Glenn smirks confidently.

Dominating the fight without letting the opponent show their full strength and clinching the win—that’s the thrill of giant-killing.

“…Very well. I acknowledge you all as my obstacles.”

The demon’s demeanor shifts as it readies its sword.

The playful air it had, as if enjoying the fight, has vanished.

It wasn’t careless before, but it now recognizes the group as a far greater threat than anticipated—foes capable of hunting it down.

Though only a few minutes have passed since the battle began, Glenn senses the fight has reached its climax.

“…Sistine, Rumia, Re=L… this is where it gets real. I’m counting on you.”

The girls nod at Glenn’s words.

“Here we gooo—!”

“Yaaaaaaahhh—!”

Glenn and Re=L charge fiercely at the demon.

Shock meets shock, and the deadly struggle resumes…

…The demon was a terrifyingly formidable foe.

That said… at this moment, Glenn was somewhat optimistic.

After all, they were in an overwhelmingly advantageous position.

They’d forced the demon to lose its right-hand magic sword, sealed its magic, and made it waste vast amounts of mana.

The demon’s only remaining weapon was its left-hand magic sword, the mage-killer Wi Zaya… which, in this situation, posed no particular threat to Glenn’s group.

Meanwhile, they were still largely unscathed and in good shape, holding advantageous terrain.

And in this situation, they’d successfully taken three of the demon’s lives, with just one remaining.

We can win. We’ve got this.

It was only natural to think that way.

Not just Glenn—any modern mage in this situation would be certain of victory.

…But.

What it means to be named in legends, myths, and tales as an anti-hero…

Glenn and the others would soon learn.

…In the most painful way possible.

…

“…Hm…?”

Sensing the faint stir of battle, Celica stirs awake.

The clash of swords and shouts echo from below.

“…Where… am I…?”

The place where Celica had been lying was something like a terrace.

A domed ceiling looms just overhead.

“—Gaaah!?”

“Sensei!?”

A scream rings out from below the terrace.

(…What’s… what’s happening…!?)

Celica drags her body along, gripping the terrace railing and staggering to her feet.

And far below—a complex arrangement of plazas and staircases comes into view.

“—!?”

The scene that leaps into Celica’s vision is—

Glenn thinks, dazedly.

They’d successfully taken three of the demon’s lives, certain of victory…

How long had they been fighting since then?

It feels like an eternity has passed.

Or perhaps it’s been a mere half-hour.

Regardless, one thing is undeniably clear—

Glenn and his group are now hopelessly cornered.

“…You’ve done well to cling to me this far… Be proud.”

The demon—still standing strong.

It stands firm on both feet, towering before Glenn and the others with imposing majesty.

“…Tch…!?”

In contrast, Glenn, down on one knee, is battered and broken. No fatal wounds, but he’s in a pitiful state.

“…Ugh…”

Re=L, who had relentlessly faced the demon’s attacks head-on, is equally battered, having just lost consciousness moments ago, her sword slipping from her hand as she collapsed.

Both of them can no longer be healed by Rumia’s remote healing magic—it’s not keeping up anymore.

The healing magic’s effectiveness is waning… they’ve reached the limit of recovery.

“Cough, cough… What… kind of monster…!?”

“…Haa… haa… haa…”

Sistine and Rumia, positioned behind Glenn, are already suffering from mana depletion.

Any further spellcasting could endanger their lives.

(…Damn it… so strong…!)

Wiping the blood and sweat obscuring his vision and staggering to his feet, Glenn grits his teeth.

Against a mythical demon, Glenn and his group had indeed fought valiantly.

Just one more. A single remaining life.

But that final life felt despairingly out of reach.

The demon’s skill as a warrior, its sheer resilience, far surpassed anything Glenn and the others could have imagined.

(…Oh, right, that’s how it was…! This thing gets insane when it’s cornered…! The book said so, that damned beast!)

It’s a tale recorded in The Magician of Melgalius. An enemy king’s scheme had sealed Al-Khan’s magic and stripped him of his magic sword, Solute.

The Demonblade General Al-Khan has fallen—everyone thought so.

But Al-Khan, facing over a thousand of the king’s elite soldiers, fought on with just his left-hand sword. After three days and nights of battle, he achieved a thousand kills and slew the enemy king himself.

Uncannily, Glenn and his group had recreated a similar scenario.

According to the legends—

—He bears the protection of the Maiden of the Night Sky.

—In his moments of peril, the hand of fate will shield him.

—Only one who surpasses his fate—a Demon King—can break through.

(…It didn’t have to be this faithful to the legend!)

In any case, the demon had endured Glenn and his group’s relentless onslaught, handling it calmly, steadily, without ever faltering, until the very end. Glenn and the others were completely out of options.

And then—

“…I see. So that’s how it is… You’ve thoroughly deceived me.”

Suddenly, as if realizing something, the demon leaps high into the air, putting distance between itself and Glenn’s group.

Tap, tap—with light footsteps, it ascends a nearby terrace and lands there.

“—!?”

The spot the demon has taken is higher than Glenn’s group—outside the effect range of [Fool’s World].

“Hah… Your expression’s changed, Fool… So that’s how it was, huh?”

Damn it, Glenn curses, grinding his teeth.

The demon has likely figured out the trick behind the magic sealing—the altitude difference.

(Of course… Sistie and the others up high have been casting spells left and right, while we haven’t used magic even once, no matter how many openings we had… It was bound to notice something eventually!)

They needed to settle the fight before the demon caught on… but they were too late.

As Glenn and the others’ despairing gazes converge on it, the demon declares resoundingly—

“…To think you managed to stand toe-to-toe with me using nothing but petty tricks and lies, I’ll give you praise… Though you are mere fools, you were undoubtedly strong! As your reward, a painless death!”

And so, the demon begins to chant a spell.

Once again, a sphere of ultra-intense light forms above the demon’s head—

The immense energy visibly converging within it makes it easy to imagine that, once unleashed, it would instantly and indiscriminately incinerate everything in the vicinity.

In myth, this flame was said to have burned through ten thousand soldiers in a single moment.

Sistine and Rumia can only stare at it in dazed horror.

And then—

“Now, in solemn reverence—perish!”

The demon prepares to unleash the spell—

“Damn it—I won’t let you!”

Glenn, with reckless abandon, charges toward the demon, who stands poised with calm arrogance.

Knowing he won’t make it in time, he races up the stairs leading to the demon—

“How utterly deplorable! Don’t tarnish your final moments, fool!”

Suddenly, the demon’s left arm lashes out like a whip, sharp and swift.

With a roaring whoosh, the demon’s blade is hurled from its high perch.

Cutting through the very air, it streaks toward Glenn like a beam of focused light.

“—What!?”

Naturally, Glenn has no room to dodge in his current state—

“Sensei!?”

“Nooo!”

The girls’ anguished screams echo through the air—

—And at that moment.

(Glenn—!)

Celica, watching from a higher vantage point, retrieves it with an eerily calm motion.

An ancient pocket watch—the magical artifact, La`tirika’s Clock.

The last true trump card left to Celica in this moment.

Instinctively, she moves to activate the deepest secret spell hidden within it—

—.

“Stop, Celica.”

“!”

Suddenly, the scenery before her changes.

…Before she realizes it.

Somehow, Celica is standing in a place utterly different from the underground labyrinth.

This place—she recognizes it.

A sky dyed the color of blood. Dry, parched air.

A barren wasteland stretching endlessly to the horizon, a desolate expanse.

A world where all change has died, where time itself has stopped—

Yes, she could never forget.

Four hundred years ago, the place where she first awoke—the land where it all began.

“No. This is your inner world, Celica.”

Before Celica stands a girl with otherworldly wings.

“This is the boundary between dream and reality, the edge of consciousness and unconsciousness… A domain crafted within your soul, a projection of the mental landscape rooted in your spirit. Thus, it is a world severed from the flow of time in the outside world. Rest assured, time here is but a fleeting moment in the external realm.”

“…Who are you? Rumia Tingel…? No, that’s not right…”

Without a hint of fear, Celica questions the girl who looks so much like Rumia.

“I am… Nameless.”

“Nameless? Oh, you’re the one who helped Glenn and the others, right? Haha, thanks for looking after my kids back then…”

Celica gives an exaggerated shrug, continuing her words.

“But more importantly, why’d you drag me into a place like this? You say time flows differently here, but Glenn and the others are in the middle of a crisis… I’m not exactly in the mood to stay calm, you know?”

“Stop, Celica. Don’t use that spell.”

Nameless speaks to Celica in a flat, matter-of-fact tone.

“Instead… flee. You alone can escape.”

Her words sound cold and detached… yet there’s a faint undertone of pleading in them.

“Fortunately, there’s a passage behind you leading to the upper levels. If you escape through it… I’ll handle the rest. My power is nearly spent, but… I can at least save you.”

“No thanks.”

Celica replies firmly, without hesitation.

“…What are you saying…? You understand your current condition, don’t you?”

“Yeah, my soul—my etheric body, is in tatters, thanks to that weird blade.”

“Then… you must know what will happen if you use that spell now.”

“Yeah, it’ll be bad. That spell puts a massive strain on my soul…”

Toying with the pocket watch in her hand, Celica assesses her condition with chilling calm.

“…I’ll probably… never be able to use magic again, will I?”

“If you understand that…!”

Nameless’s voice rarely rises with emotion, but…

“Doesn’t matter.”

“…!?”

“If losing my magic is the price to save Glenn… that’s a bargain.”

Celica says it so casually that Nameless is left speechless.

“…You… you’ll regret it…”

“Oh, I’m sure I will. Do you know how many centuries I’ve spent reaching this level? To throw it all away? Of course I’ll regret it. I’m no saint.”

Yet, despite her words, Celica’s expression is as serene as a saint’s.

“…Then why? You have a mission, more important than anything else. Without magic, how will you fulfill it?”

“I’d love to ask how you know about that… but that’d be a bit tactless right now, wouldn’t it?”

With a bright, carefree laugh, Celica answers.

“It’s simple. There’s something more important than magic, more important than my mission, more important than regret.”

“…What’s that?”

Nameless furrows her brow.

“Let me make this clear. You only feel this way because you’ve forgotten. Your mission is your entire reason for being, your everything.”

“…Yeah, I figured as much.”

That’s why she’s been chasing it so desperately, without even knowing why.

For four hundred years… what a foolish story.

“Even if you can’t remember now, you’ll eventually recall your mission, your true identity, and you’ll have to fulfill it. What will you do then, without magic? Without it, you can’t achieve your purpose… I’m telling you, don’t do this. You…”

“Doesn’t matter. I’m living in the now, with him. Because…”

Celica smiles—a clear, unhesitating, carefree smile.

“Because… I’m his family.”

“…!?”

“My mission, the one I still can’t remember… Yeah, you’re probably right. It must be something incredibly important to me… But.”

“…”

“I love Glenn. He accepted me as family, despite everything. He embraced my selfishness, healed my loneliness. For him, I’d…”

Her words carry the unwavering conviction of a sage who has reached enlightenment after endless trials.

For a moment, Nameless remains silent.

…And then.

“You’ve always been like this… Why do you always choose the path of thorns…?”

Nameless sighs, as if giving up.

“I won’t say anything more. At the very least… I’ll give you what little power I have left… And may peace and happiness await you at the end of the arduous, painful path you’ve chosen…”

Then, Nameless traces a strange symbol in the air with her delicate fingers…

“…To you, the most cursed existence in this world, I, the most defiled, offer my blessing.”

She gently taps the center of Celica’s chest.

Celica feels a faint sensation, as if some kind of power is flowing into her.

“Thanks. This is weird… It’s definitely the first time we’ve met, but… it doesn’t feel like it. Before I lost my memories… did we know each other somewhere?”

“…You’ll understand eventually, Celica.”

“Yeah, I figured. I’ve got that feeling… Let’s meet again, Nameless.”

And then—Celica’s vision begins to blur—

It fades to pure white—

—.

“—Original Magic [My World]—Activate!”

The moment she returns to reality, Celica flips the switch on La`tirika’s Clock.

Click!

In that instant.

The world—stops.

The world loses its color—transforming into a monochrome realm.

Glenn, the demon, Re=L, Sistine, Rumia—every single thing in the area freezes like statues, drained of color.

Even the sun above, even the demon’s blade, moments from piercing Glenn’s throat, is fixed in midair, as if sewn in place.

In this gray world, only Celica retains color and movement.

This is the ultimate secret spell that elevated Celica Arfonia to the pinnacle of the seventh rank, the greatest mage on the continent.

Original Magic [My World]—a time-stopping spell.

The cessation of time is the cessation of all change. Only Celica and what belongs to her can escape the law of stagnation—a world truly hers.

Now, let’s go. The party’s reaching its finale—

(…Hey, Glenn… I…)

“…Five.”

Counting down, Celica kicks off the floor, leaping from the terrace.

The scenery rushes past like a torrent, flowing from below to above—

(…I really think… meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me…)

“…Four.”

Landing, Celica darts forward, running, running, running—

She streaks past Sistine and Rumia, moving like a gust of wind.

She leaps again, vaulting over the terrace’s railing.

(…Yeah, that’s right… I’ve known for a long time… We’re family… I’m not alone anymore…)

“…Three.”

Memories of cherished days flash through Celica’s mind as she races forward.

As she passes, she snatches up the mithril sword lying beside Re=L…

(…The days I spent with you give me courage, even as I live through eternity… Your determination to keep moving forward gives me strength, even as I face eternity…)

Crossing the plaza… she charges up the stairs leading to the demon in one swift burst.

Her body, long past its limits, screams in agony.

It hurts, it’s excruciating, it begs her to stop with every fiber of her being.

But…

(But I’m a clingy one… It’s lonely, watching you drift further away each day… I just want to stay a little closer to you… Heh, guess I need to let go a bit…)

Her body is in agony… so why does her heart feel so warm?

(…Everyone walks their own path alone… but being alone doesn’t mean being lonely… Because we’re not lonely, we can walk alone… We’re all the same…)

Wrapped in a sense of happiness and omnipotence, Celica runs endlessly…

(…I’m okay now… I’ve been saved… You gave me something irreplaceable… I won’t lose sight of it again…)

“…Two.”

Halfway up the stairs, she races toward Glenn…

As she overtakes him…

(So now, it’s my turn to save you… no matter what I have to lose…!)

“…One.”

Celica slams her sword into the blade hurtling toward Glenn’s throat.

With time stopped, the blade doesn’t budge, doesn’t make a sound—

Undeterred, she surges past Glenn—

Celica aims her sword, drawn back at her hip, toward the demon—

(…Haha, I said I’d regret it earlier, all dramatic and apologetic…)

Squeezing out her last ounce of strength, she kicks the ground, coughing blood, staggering, climbing—

Her legs falter, but she closes in on the demon—

(But… I think, maybe…)

“…Zero!”

In that fleeting moment, the silver glint of her thrusting blade sears Celica’s vision—

—I don’t think I’ll ever regret… the choice I made today, will I?

—.

“What—?”

For a moment, Glenn couldn’t comprehend what had happened.

The blade that had been roaring toward his neck, about to pierce it, suddenly veered off with a loud metallic clang, flying off in some random direction—

“…Zero!”

Thud.

At the top of the stairs… Celica had appeared out of nowhere before the demon, her sword plunged into its chest.

“…Cough… Hack… Haa… Haa…”

Celica collapses to her knees, gasping in pain.

“Haa… Haa… Yeah, that’s right… No way I’d ever regret this…”

Closing her eyes and bowing her head, Celica murmurs softly… her face utterly serene.

Meanwhile.

“The fourth… Heh… To think I would fall…”

The demon, impaled by the sword, slowly staggers back.

Slowly, slowly… black mist rises from its entire body…

“Though this body is but a shadow of my true self… to think I’d be felled by the fangs of fools…”

Glenn catches some ominous words, but he has no capacity to pursue them now.

“I see… Celica… Truly, you are worthy of my master…”

“Shut up. I’m not interested in being some lackey like you. Go find someone else.”

Even as she brushes him off so curtly.

The demon seems to tremble with something akin to joy.

Glancing down at Glenn and the others in turn, the demon declares loudly.

“Even with Celica’s aid at the end… Well done, children of the foolish masses! You’ve slain me admirably…! I offer you my highest praise!”

Spreading its arms wide.

The black mist erupting from the demon’s body surges with sudden intensity—and it begins to vanish.

“We shall cross swords again one day, mighty children of fools! Beyond the noble [Gate], I shall await you… Farewell!”

A swirling wind rises from nowhere—

The demon disappears completely, leaving not a single speck of dust… as if it were a fleeting illusion.

The two demonic blades, every trace of the demon’s existence, vanish without a hint.

Silence and stillness dominate the scene.

“…Is… Is it over…?”

“Looks like it…”

Stunned by the abrupt conclusion, Glenn stands dazed, while Celica mutters quietly.

“Phew… I don’t really get what happened, but… we’re saved…”

Glenn lets out a deep, exhausted breath, slumping in relief.

Suddenly, Celica’s body sways, and she tumbles down the stairs…

“Celica!?”

Glenn scrambles up the stairs, catching her just as she falls.

“Hey! Hang in there, Celica!? What’s wrong!?”

“Haha… I’m fine… I won’t die…”

Celica, limp in Glenn’s arms, murmured weakly.

“…But… what’s that… I’m a bit tired…”

Then, Celica nuzzled her head against Glenn as if seeking comfort.

“…Sorry… for a while… just like this…”

“H-Hey…?”

Leaving the bewildered Glenn behind, Celica drifted into unconsciousness as if falling asleep.

The old, worn pocket watch, now still, slipped from Celica’s hand.

Yet, in stark contrast to the flustered Glenn, Celica’s face—softly breathing with peaceful snores…

Was as innocent as a young child’s…

And looked utterly, blissfully happy.