"—Wait, I can already do a fitting tomorrow?"
"Mm, that is what she said."
At noon that day, the Master returned from Griffith Workshop with unexpected good news. My new prosthetic leg was nearly complete, and it seemed I was ready to enter the stage of a trial fitting for final adjustments.
"She wants to check the fit and feel before applying the final touches... Mnn, hnnph."
As soon as she entered my room, the Master stood on her tiptoes to hang her hat on a wall hook. She acted as if this were her own room, showing no doubt or hesitation. Lately, she rarely returned to her own quarters unless absolutely necessary, living as if she were room-sharing with me.
Once she managed to hook the hat, the Master spun around and puffed out her chest.
"As for the spell logic, I have finished everything, including the test runs....That mean, wicked, horri-bad logic no longer exists in this world, so you can rest easy, Wolka. It is all my spell logic now! Mine!"
"O-Oh... Good work."
She huffed with pride as she touted her achievement. Personally, I hadn't felt any particular aversion to the original spell logic—the Master was just treating it like a mortal enemy for some reason... Well, in any case, it was good that she felt a sense of accomplishment.
"But I think the original estimate for completion was over a month."
Of course, nothing could be better than having the prosthetic finished sooner. However, even with various support like the Master's maintenance, Anze's procurement of Star Silver, and Yulitia and Atri's material gathering, I wondered if it was really possible to reach the brink of completion in half the scheduled time.
The Master quickly snapped out of her near-Little Girl Mode.
"Mm... I do not know much about artisans myself, but Claesta's work ethic seems to have transcended common sense. The other artisans were inspired by her as well; the entire workshop was practically throwing off sparks."
"..."
I had heard her state was nothing short of ghastly, but...
"She has completely entered a realm where her every nerve is honed to a state beyond ordinary humans. A state of extreme over-concentration... It might be a little similar to you when you grip a sword."
—I will stake everything I have to complete this prosthetic. I will surely deliver the finest prosthetic to you.
Claesta's vow flickered in my mind. I didn't know the exact words the dying Ramsey had left for her. However, it made sense if the weight of what was entrusted to her in exchange for his life had awakened her latent potential, pushing her to reach a new frontier.
"Similar to me... huh."
Maybe so. Though the words were different, we were both people who had been entrusted with something by that old man. That sensation I feel every time I grip my sword is, in essence, a form of over-concentration. If so, was Claesta currently swinging her hammer within a white world where all distractions had vanished?
I have to respond to that, I thought.
We were in a situation where the evil hand of the Vampires could reach the Holy City at any moment. I wasn't someone who could change my hand at will depending on the circumstances, nor did I possess a hidden Joker—some cheat ability—that could overturn everything. I was a man with only a single card called a sword, and I had no talent other than sharpening it.
A frontier of pure white that had become familiar to my body and thoughts. No matter what happened from here on, no matter how powerful a Monster stood in my way—all I could do was swing my sword beyond Complete Self-Nullification.
"W-Wait, Wolka! That aura is coming out again!"
"...Ah, sorry. Habit."
I snapped back to my senses after being scolded by the Master. It seemed that ever since my sparring match with Rochehalt, my atmosphere changed unconsciously just by thinking about the sword. To be honest, my inner teenager was buzzing with the thought that looking like a master swordsman wasn't half-bad... but I needed to be careful about unintentionally ruining the mood.
From what I'd seen in the last few days, when I did this, Yulitia's breathing went ragged, Atri glared with a predator's eyes, and Anze wouldn't even meet my gaze. Dia was right to warn me that it was better not to let it out in front of people.
"Honestly. You really are..."
The Master let out a somber sigh and tightly clenched her hands on her skirt. Then, as if suppressing a massive surge of emotion, she remained silent for a while with her lips pursed.
"...W-Well then, I am going to take a shower! I have worked up a bit of a sweat..."
With an obviously stiff smile, she hurriedly left the room. Even the Master ran away... I really had to be careful.
For a while after that, I lay on the bed, groaning as I tried to master the art of switching the aura on and off.
"Wolka-chan, lunch is ready~"
Roze, the owner of the inn, went out of her way to come up from the first floor to call me. In the Holy City, where an unsettling atmosphere had been hanging lately, Roze was one of the few who continued her daily life as usual, neither anxious nor troubled. Her sweet smile, full of friendliness and kindness, supported our daily lives more than ever.
"Thanks. The Master is taking a shower, so I'll go down when she gets back."
"Roger that....Zazen again? You really are stoic, Wolka-chan."
About a week had passed since Luther was decimated, and the residents of the Holy City were gradually starting to polarize. There were those who believed the Holy City was the safest place on earth, and those who tried to evacuate to the Royal Capital or abroad. I heard that the ships at the port were fully booked for days, and some merchants were recruiting guards with rewards ten times the normal rate, desperate to flee by land.
However, as far as those around me were concerned, not a single person had left or intended to....Well, there was one pathetic man who whined, "If I'm allowed to run, I want to bolt right now~" before being dragged away by the scruff of his neck by Shannon.
Roze also didn't seem to have any intention of abandoning the city or her inn. She said that running away and leaving us behind would make her a failure as an adult, but I wondered if that was really the only reason.
"...Hey, Wolka-chan. If the Holy City is attacked by Vampires, what will you do?"
Roze suddenly asked the question. She still wore her usual smile, but her inherent brightness had receded a bit, and I knew she hadn't brought it up as mere idle chatter.
I answered.
"The Saints and the Knight Corps are here, so I don't intend to overstep with this body....But if I'm forced to fight, I won't hesitate."
"...I see."
It was a quiet reaction, neither an affirmation nor a denial. Roze usually played her cheerful character to the hilt, but every now and then, she showed a shadow whose outline was hard to grasp. She crossed her arms and shifted her focus to somewhere far away.
"Hey... can I say just one meddlesome thing?"
I nodded quietly. Roze's gaze blurred even further into the distance.
"I can't be so unreasonable as to say 'don't fight.' But you must never fight the way you did when you got those injuries again."
When I lost an eye and a leg—when I threw everything away with the thought "if I'm going to die anyway" and became so desperate that my memories evaporated.
"You think Rizelle-chan and the others are gradually recovering, don't you?"
"...Am I wrong?"
"Half of it is correct, and half is wrong. They're just hiding their cracked hearts in the shadows and doing their best to follow behind you. They haven't recovered in the true sense... I don't think the terror of almost losing a precious person right in front of your eyes is something you can get over so easily."
...Yeah. Maybe so. Even if I were in their shoes, it might not be a simple matter of getting over it just because I wanted to.
"They're probably terrified that you'll put yourself in danger again."
A man who once threw his life away was now looking ahead to a battle with Vampires, despite having a body that couldn't even move properly. It was no wonder they were worried; wanting to stop me was a natural emotion for a companion.
But even so, the Master and the others...
"Because they understand your feelings as a swordsman... instead of stopping you, they're trying to walk together with you."
"..."
Every time someone reasoned with me like this, I felt to my core that I had made a terrible mistake back then. Even if there had been no other way, the price for trying to throw my life away on my own was the state I was in now. I even felt like I was the one who really needed to make amends, not them.
"Remember this. With a fighting style that sacrifices your own life, you might be able to protect someone, but you can never save them."
Roze was right from beginning to end.
I must never again fight with a desperate, reckless feeling. I understood now how wrong that thinking was. Even if I felt like I had saved my companions by dying, the idea that the survivors would be saved in any true sense was nothing more than a convenient delusion.
Suddenly, I remembered Ramsey's words. Since I had decided to move forward even with this body, if I broke halfway, it would be a Bad End that dragged down everyone who believed in me.
Whether it's a human or a Monster, I have to crush and step over all my enemies.
Thinking about it now, perhaps that was the best possible way to express my reason for continuing to be a swordsman.
I clenched my fist and answered.
"Yeah. Even if I'm asked, I'll never consider dying an option again."
After all, I was left with the command to "live." In this shitty world, I'll live while struggling as much as I can... though I'm not sure I can be like Glenn.
"I'll remember it. I won't forget."
Apparently, that was a passing answer. Roze let out a sigh as she relaxed her serious gaze.
"...Are all kids these days like this? It makes me kind of embarrassed of my past self~"
"Is that so? Looking at you now, I feel like I'm no match for you at all."
Even if I grew old as I am, I didn't think I could ever become a capable adult like Roze. I didn't know what her past was like, but she must have been a much more mature and fine person than me.
...The past Roze, huh.
"Hey. Before you started this inn—"
"Oh stop, I told you before, didn't I? Whether now or in the past, I'm just an ordinary person who's not that strong. Just someone who likes to look good."
I guess I still wouldn't be told... It wasn't that she didn't trust us, I thought. Roze probably wouldn't talk about her past no matter who asked. It felt like she had tucked her past away quietly, keeping it only in her memories.
Along with a regret akin to resignation that would never vanish, no matter how many years passed.
"Well then, the meddlesome talk is over! When Rizelle-chan gets back, come and eat quickly."
"...Yeah."
Well, having a past you can't talk about was something we both shared. In any case, we had to overcome the threat in front of us together. Just because the Saint, one of the strongest humans, was protecting us, didn't mean there was any reason to be careless in this world of the Original Work.
Whether it was a Vampire or anything else, in order to keep being with everyone—
In order to live, I will fight.
The sun had tilted slightly from the true south, and the most vibrant time of the day in the Holy Court District was coming to an end.
Although a tense atmosphere hung in the air due to the crisis, the central part of the Holy City maintained its normal activities. Most shops were open with flags flying, boats constantly transported people and goods on the canals, and the Cathedral had its gates wide open for prayer. If anything, tourists had vanished, but the increasing number of refugees meant the city didn't feel empty.
On the road from the Holy Court District toward the Fertility District, three Adventurers were traveling on foot. It was a group consisting of a woman with a swaying orange side-tail, a handsome man with red hair, and a large blond man. The orange-haired woman was leading the way with a brisk pace, while the two men struggled to keep up.
They were Frixell, Rex, and Dino, the former A-rank party Flamberge.
"Hey, you guys, are you already wiped out? It's only just past noon!"
Perhaps because the two men's footsteps were so pathetic, Frixell looked back and scolded them with a sigh. It was still too early in the day for Adventurers to be exhausted, but the men seemed to have lost even the energy to talk back.
"My... my legs hurt."
Rex responded while barely catching his breath, and Dino looked positively shriveled.
"For the last few days, we've been doing nothing but running around, only stopping to eat and sleep. The fatigue won't go away... In fact, why are you so full of energy?"
In response, Frixell gave a small snort of laughter.
"Unlike a certain someone, I wasn't living a profligate life of spending money however I pleased~. It's just your stamina that's dropped."
"Urgh..." "Guh..."
They were in the middle of volunteering at the refugee camp set up in the Fertility District.
With the appearance of Vampires, the Holy City was busy dealing with refugees flocking from surrounding towns. Ever since the land in the Fertility District was opened as a camp, the number of temporary tents had continued to increase day by day, approaching a scale that could no longer be grasped just by looking down from the heights.
However, the Chrys Knights were busy with various missions, from strengthening defenses to searching for survivors of Luther and guarding refugees. Although a Rescue Party had arrived from the Royal Knights, there was still a limit to the personnel that could be allocated to the camp. That was why Adventurers and other residents were cooperating as volunteers to maintain order.
Frixell sighed.
"Good grief... You decided, didn't you? That we'd do what we can."
Some time had passed since that day of Judgement, and Flamberge had been released and had returned to their original lives.
But there was no sign of their former A-rank glory; instead, they were running around every day, desperately trying to crawl back up from the bottom. Their mistakes were known throughout the city, so they were treated coldly at the guild, and they could no longer receive trust-first requests like guarding merchants or investigating Dungeons. To clear their name, they needed a professional magician, but no one wanted to join a current D-rank party with a criminal record, let alone one they could boldly recruit.
As a result, they were either pitied as the party with the lowest standing or treated with cold hostility.
Honestly, the option of disbanding had surfaced once. However, Flamberge stayed together because they had decided not to look away from their mistakes.
The young man named Wolka, who had shouldered everything by himself, was moving forward without a word of resentment. They couldn't just turn their backs and run away to an easier path.
Rex and Dino had been the first to say so. That was why Frixell scolded them without being soft.
"Come on, pull yourselves together! How can you face those kids like that!?"
Helping at the camp for the last few days was the result of their resolve. Rex and Dino tightened their expressions.
"I know....Let's go to bed as soon as we get home today."
"Yeah, I don't even feel like drinking anymore..."
"My, isn't that a good thing? You should take this opportunity to quit drinking entirely."
They started walking again.
Where the Vampire that destroyed Luther was and what it was doing remained a mystery, with only uncertain rumors flying around. Refugees claimed to have seen suspicious figures, and citizens reported seeing things flying in the sky at night. Regardless, no decisive information had been found; it was like fighting against the darkness itself.
The camp hadn't been established for long, so there hadn't been major problems yet. However, if the refugee count kept rising, the stress would eventually lead to a deterioration of public order.
According to the official announcement from the Church, the Vampires were a group of at least three: one man, one girl, and one that had already been defeated—but...
"...Hm?"
Frixell suddenly stopped and looked toward the side of the road. Rex and Dino followed her gaze and just barely witnessed a pair of female knights from the Chrys Knights disappearing into a building across the canal.
It was a building at the end of a road along the canal, hidden in a blind spot. Normally, it wouldn't be a strange sight, but—
"That building..."
—If I recall correctly, it hasn't been used for quite a long time.
It was a vacant house far off the main streets, in a corner where almost no people or boats approached. Naturally, she wondered why knights would go to such a place.
Was it an investigation to reuse the building? At a time like this? Was it a storage place for supplies? That would be incredibly inconvenient.
—Or were they doing something they didn't want others to see?
"..." "..." "..."
Frixell and the others quickly exchanged glances. It might be a wild idea, but they had no reason to deny it. In the first place, they had only looked like knights at a glance; they couldn't be sure they were actually from the Knight Corps.
If it was just a misunderstanding, they could just apologize.
However, if they weren't mistaken—
"Let's go."
Communicating in seconds, they changed direction and approached the building. The windows were broken, allowing them to peek inside. Listening to the sound of her own heart, Frixell killed her presence and looked in.
It must have been a shop or a warehouse originally—a wide floor with no partitions. The female knights were found immediately. They stood facing each other in the center of the floor, staring down at the dusty floor.
And on that floor was a magic circle so large it covered almost the entire area.
"..!?"
Frixell let out a shallow breath. Magic circles weren't rare, but official ones required permission. Setting one up privately could lead to criminal punishment.
What official reason could knights have for hiding in a vacant house to set up a magic circle? Even if they had permission, they would usually put up a warning sign.
Were they investigating an illegal circle? That was also doubtful.
The two female knights didn't exchange a word; they didn't even show any sign of investigating the circle. They were just standing there blankly. It was an alien, unsettling scene.
"...I don't like this. I have a bad feeling."
It was no wonder Rex lowered his voice.
In such an unclear situation, Frixell hated waiting. Things rarely improved by waiting, and she had often regretted not acting sooner. Frixell steeled herself.
"If something happens, move in. I'm counting on you."
"Wait..."
She told Rex and Dino only that, then entered through the front door and shouted.
"Hey, you knights! What are you doing in a place like this?"
She expected surprise or confusion, but the two didn't even flinch. They slowly turned toward Frixell.
Frixell frowned. Something was wrong. Even if they weren't doing anything shady, a normal person would jump if a stranger appeared in a vacant house. There was no human emotion at all in their gaze.
One of the female knights answered in a flat, doll-like voice.
"...I understood."
The two of them looked away at the same time and deactivated the Accessorize on their bracelets.
Swords.
"!"
Frixell reflexively braced herself. The female knights' voices overlapped.
—We have to die here.
There was no hesitation or fear. In a fluid motion, the two threw away their scabbards and pointed the tips of their unsheathed swords straight at each other's throats—
"UUUOOOOOOOORYAAAAAAA!!"
—Right before they could strike, Dino jumped in from the window like a charging bear, stopping the blow with a flash of his greatsword.
"Tch...! Nice, Dino!!"
Dino held down one of the female knights with a body slam. Frixell quickly grabbed the other's right arm and pinned her to the ground.
"Hey, what are you doing!? Why are you—"
There was no time to catch her breath.
Red light burst forth like a lightning strike as the magic circle at their feet activated.
"Tch...! Ah, one thing after another!!"
Frixell cursed from the bottom of her heart. Cold magical power filled every corner, and a sensation like being dragged to the bottom of the earth surged up. It was clearly not normal magic. The space itself creaked, and the magical power leaking from the circle created a swirling wind. It was proof that high-level magic was being forcibly activated with crude spell logic.
And this ice-cold power indicated that the caster was not a human, but a member of the Demon Race.
At this rate, something irreparable would happen. The spell logic might blow up, or at worst, the building might collapse. Frixell tried to stop it, but she didn't know where the caster was, and she didn't have the luxury of searching. She had no choice but to blow up the floor—no, that would catch Rex and the others—
She wouldn't make it.
"—Demolition."
With a soft, muffled sound, the red magical power vanished.
Rex had thrust his sword into a point slightly off from the center of the circle, destroying the spell logic with a single strike.
The magic circle shattered. The creaking and the wind fell silent, and the cold sensation vanished. Their heads couldn't keep up with the rapid changes, and Frixell and Dino slumped to the floor.
...For now, it seemed they had managed somehow. Rex pulled out his sword with a sigh of relief.
"Good, it worked."
"...,...Nice, Rex."
Frixell blinked three times, wondering if this was real.
"By the way, I didn't know you could use Demolition..."
"Well, in a pinch."
Demolition was magic that destroyed magic. It interfered with spell logic to hinder activation or neutralize it.
It sounded like an all-purpose counter, but in reality, it was difficult. Most modern magic was designed to withstand some interference. In a split-second battle, it was usually faster to just blow up the caster.
But for low-quality or crude spell logic, Demolition was extremely effective.
"The spell logic was quite crude, which helped. Honestly, it was a gamble, but I managed."
Rex was a Magic Swordsman—an all-rounder who handled both sword and spell. Between him and Dino, they had stopped the factual suicide at the last second.
"Well, you two really pulled through..."
"Our stamina might have dropped, but our intuition hasn't gone dull."
I haven't seen these guys being active like this for a long time, Frixell thought. Their reputation had plummeted because of Alphanah, but as long as they had a weapon, they were still former A-rankers.
Then she snapped out of it. Right, the female knights.
"Hey, you two, explain what's—wait,"
Frixell shook the shoulder of the female knight she had captured.
"...She's unconscious?"
"Over here too. I didn't even hold her down that hard..."
"Then outside! The caster might still be nearby!"
"O-Oh."
Leaving the outside to Dino, Frixell checked the knight again. She was definitely out cold.
She muttered.
"Why would these two..."
Why would they try to kill each other without hesitation? Frixell remembered when Rex and the others were under Alphanah's Charm magic. Could this be the work of a Vampire?
As chills ran down her spine, Rex stated his guess.
"I think... that was teleportation magic."
"Teleportation? But that's not something you can use that easily..."
"Yeah....That's probably why they tried to die."
Frixell didn't follow. Rex's face twisted with disgust.
"It's a simple, forbidden method to activate powerful magic with minimal spell logic—a sacrifice."
She went cold.
"...Why would they do that?"
Instead of answering, Rex shook his head. They needed to move.
"Let's figure it out while we carry them. We have to report this to the Knight Corps immediately."
—In the end, though it was accidental, the actions of Flamberge in stopping that magic circle were enough to label them unsung heroes.
They had prevented the worst-case scenario: powerful Monsters being sent directly into the Holy Court District.
If the central district had become the first battlefield, the scale of the damage and the screams of the people would have been beyond comparison.
"I have a bad feeling. Perhaps the Holy City is already..."
In various parts of the Holy City, five teleportation spells activated.