Stunned by That Sheer Audacity—!

Volume 2 is finally out!

For this volume, I’ve compiled Chapters 3 and 4 from the web version and beefed them up with five brand-new stories!

You’ll get the long-awaited first meeting between Delta and our protagonist!!

Plus, the legendary TRUTH-OR-FALSEHOOD SHOWDOWN between Beta and Epsilon!

And don’t miss Master Shadow’s war chronicles, handwritten by Beta herself. As for the final two stories? You’ll just have to buy the book to find out!

EPSILON

I was glued to Master Shadow’s every move.

My cheeks were flushed a deep cherry-blossom pink, and I could feel my eyes practically sparkling.

"As expected of Master Shadow...!"

God, that was cliché, I thought to myself.

His vast knowledge of history’s forgotten secrets, the profound insights he drew from them, and that combat prowess that could stir even a HERO'S SOUL... any words I could come up with were a pitiful, shallow description of his greatness.

But honestly? Even if I drained my entire vocabulary and slapped on the finest modifiers known to man, I still wouldn't have found words worthy of what he had achieved.

In that case, I didn't need fluff.

I just needed to speak from the heart.

For me, that was the ultimate expression of respect and praise.

"Go... to the path that connects the past, the present, and the future..."

Master Shadow was addressing the vanished spirit of the hero, Freya.

Every little thing he did—even a casual remark—was so incredibly refined and beautiful.

The past, the present, and the future... I wondered just how much hidden meaning he’d packed into those words. The immeasurable weight of his voice left me completely overwhelmed.

"Epsilon, are you alright?"

"Y-yes! Thanks to you, Master Shadow, I don't have a single scratch! Of course, I dedicate my entire body and soul to—"

"Freya, was it...? Her swordplay wasn't half bad."

"You were a million times more incredible! The way you dodged her blade with such effortless, efficient grace... it felt like watching eternity itself unfold! And that final, supreme strike you unleashed—the one that seemed to slice through the very world—it completely dominated the hero Freya! It was the single most shocking thing I've seen this century—"

"The post-battle cleanup should be settling down soon. It's grown quiet around her as well."

"—and it will surely be carved into the history books and passed down for generations! Wait, by 'her,' do you mean...?"

I’d noticed her existence the moment I’d infiltrated this castle.

The WITCH OF CALAMITY, Aurora. One of her fingers was sealed away in this very land.

This was supposedly the spot where the hero Freya vanished from history. Perhaps the WITCH OF CALAMITY was involved in that, too.

But of course, this was a realm of understanding reserved only for Master Shadow—the man who had unraveled the truth of history.

"I think I'll go pay a friend a visit."

"Wait—what!?"

I shuddered at his words.

I was absolutely floored by his sheer nerve. To refer to the WITCH OF CALAMITY... no, to call the DEMON DIABOLOS a 'friend'?!

He treats even the DEMON DIABOLOS like a casual acquaintance...

I gulped, hard.

"Well then, shall we?"

"I shall accompany you anywhere!"

I stared at Master Shadow’s back with an ardent, burning gaze as he led the way forward.