Fuuka and I had lost in the martial arts tournament semi-finals yesterday. Taking Huey and Kati along for the ride, we headed for the neighboring town of Maranto first thing this morning.
Why, you ask? Because the very first words out of Fuuka’s mouth when she woke up were that she wanted to eat Maranto’s dango.
Maranto is about an hour and a half by carriage from Tsutrail, and the town is famous for the quality of its dumplings.
Honestly, this princess is a bit too free-spirited for her own good. And eating dango the literal second she wakes up? Just how bottomless is her appetite?
Having successfully purchased a mountain of dango, we were currently being jolted around in a carriage on our way back to Tsutrail. I really hate these quick turnarounds; they’re exhausting.
That said, I had a dinner meeting with Alf-san scheduled for this evening, so I couldn't exactly blow it off.
"Fuuka, is it good?"
Kati spoke to Fuuka, who was still mid-munch. Fuuka responded with a series of vigorous nods.
"I see. That’s good then."
Normally, Kati would have been scolding Fuuka for her gluttony. However, Kati was convinced that Fuuka was still nursing a wounded heart after her loss to Orun yesterday, so she was being even more indulgent than usual.
...This girl definitely isn't hurt, though. I’d bet anything that the refreshed expression she’d worn right after the match wasn't one of regret.
Fuuka was fully taking advantage of Kati’s coddling, acting even more selfishly than she usually did. I’m certain the only reason she’d suggested going to Maranto was because she knew Kati wouldn't say no today. She really was something else.
◇
The outer walls of Tsutrail were just beginning to peek through the window when Fuuka suddenly stopped eating. She snapped her head up and began looking around restlessly.
"Fuuka, what’s wrong?" Kati asked, her voice laced with concern.
"......Haruto. Check on Tsutrail."
"Huh? Where is this coming from?"
Fuuka wasn't stupid. In fact, her mind worked quite fast. However, she was fundamentally self-contained; she tended to only speak her conclusions aloud.
In her mind, that request was likely backed by a mountain of evidence, but unfortunately, the world she saw was far too different from ours for us to ever fully grasp her intent. I’d grown used to it by now, though.
"Just do it. Quickly."
I suppose she figured it would be faster for me to see it myself than for her to explain.
As she requested, I closed my eyes and projected my consciousness into the sky above Tsutrail. This was my ability, Bird's-eye Vision.
It allowed me to move my field of vision to any arbitrary location within a few kilometers of myself. I didn't actually need to close my eyes to use it, but processing two different perspectives at once was draining, so I preferred to shut my eyes when I had the leeway.
I looked down at Tsutrail from the heavens.
"You’ve got to be kidding me..."
A voice leaked out of me at the sight of the devastation. In the northern district of Tsutrail—the area where the luxury estates were lined up—several buildings had collapsed.
"Grandmaster, did you see something?" Huey asked, having overheard my mutter.
"Part of the city’s been destroyed."
"—What!?"
Huey and Kati were left speechless by my answer.
"Wait, what's that?"
To get a better look at the ruins, I lowered my viewpoint. Suddenly, something nearby burst with a flash of light. When I turned my vision toward the impact, I saw two figures.
(Wait, they're in mid-air. Why are people—)
Those two were Orun and Oliver.
(The tournament finals shouldn't be happening like this. They should have been over ages ago. And that thing Oliver is wearing...)
"This might be the worst-case scenario. Oliver’s gone berserk. It’s likely that thing Christopher mentioned. He’s fighting Orun right now. And, as you’d expect, Orun is at a total disadvantage."
"That matter? You mean the reason you said we came to this city in the first place, Grandmaster?" Huey pressed.
I’d only mentioned it once a long time ago; he had a good memory.
"That’s right. We—or more specifically, Fuuka—came to this city to finish him off if Oliver ever lost control. We were told the possibility of a rampage was low, though."
"Where is Philly?"
Fuuka, operating with her usual brand of calm, didn't ask about Oliver’s status or location. She wanted Philly.
I surveyed Tsutrail again to find her. There, at the site where the Hero Party’s mansion used to stand, I found Philly locked in combat with Luna, a member of the same party.
I’d thought it was a reckless move to challenge Philly, but Luna’s magic barrier was incredibly sturdy; she was actually holding her own against Philly’s powerful attacks. Still, it was only a matter of time.
Currently, the only person near this city who could match Philly was Fuuka. But Fuuka’s role was to put an end to Oliver. I guess I was the only one who could risk my life to stall Philly...
"Philly is at the ruins of the Hero Party estate. I'll go buy some time, so you head over there once you've dealt with Oliver."
"No need. I will be the one to cut Philly."
As usual, Fuuka reached her own conclusion and tossed it at us.
"Fuuka, this is an emergency. Talk to me so I can understand. Your job is to stop Oliver. Why are you abandoning that to go after Philly?"
Fuuka tilted her head, looking at me as if to say, Why would you even ask that?
"Because Orun is there, obviously."
"That’s what I’m asking the reason for! Why do you trust Orun that much? I hate to say it, but if Orun keeps fighting Oliver like this, he’s going to die."
"..................Hmm? Wait, did Chris not tell you about Orun?"
Fuuka asked, as if she’d just realized something.
From Christopher? He’d asked me to handle the Oliver situation and support Fuuka, but I hadn't heard anything else. I raked through my memories, but there was nothing.
"...No, I haven't heard a thing."
"I see. That’s why we haven't been on the same page regarding Orun."
"Stop being satisfied and fill me in. Or is it something you can't tell me because I'm from a branch family?"
Fuuka shook her head at my question.
"No, nothing like that. I actually thought you already knew, Haruto. I'll explain. First... are you aware that the King of Special Ability Users has appeared?"
"I know that much. You mean the real deal who was born at the same time as Oliver, right? But I heard he died in a Cult attack ten years ago... Wait, you can't mean..."
No way. Seriously?
Was that why Orun had felt so unbalanced? He’d mastered martial arts that could rival Fuuka’s, and yet his physical abilities hadn't kept up with his skills. That would mean...
"Yes. Orun is the fairy tale hero who was placed under sealing magic—the King of Special Ability Users."
Everything clicked into place with that one sentence. All of Fuuka’s cryptic comments finally made sense.
"Then why is he losing? If he’s who you say he is, shouldn't he have been able to undo the seal of his own will ten years ago?"
"Did you also not hear what Philly did to Oliver ten years ago?"
"...I see. Perception Alteration. You’re saying Orun’s memories were also rewritten?"
"Exactly. He doesn't even remember how to use Ki, let alone how to break the seal."
Now that she mentioned it, when I’d brought up Ki after Fuuka’s second match, he’d acted like he’d never heard of it.
"Then isn't this a disaster? Even if he is the King of Special Ability Users, he has no chance of winning against Oliver while that seal is active."
"It will probably be fine. He doesn't remember Ki, but he had already partially undone the seal. I think Orun has a different way of releasing it. If he didn't, he wouldn't have been able to kill a Black Dragon by himself."
Right. He had taken down a Black Dragon solo. The King of Special Ability Users and the Hero, both moving to conquer the Great Labyrinth of the South... looking back, that was nothing short of a nightmare.
"We’re running out of time. I just saw a future where Philly kills Luna. If Luna dies, Orun will be sad. So, I’m going first. Haruto, catch up soon."
With that, Fuuka leapt from the moving carriage and sprinted toward Tsutrail at a terrifying speed.
Just how far ahead did she look!? That meant she wouldn't be able to use Future Sight for a while!
"Are you going too, Grandmaster?" Huey asked, his face pale with anxiety.
"Yeah. This is why we came to this city. When the carriage reaches Tsutrail, you two lend a hand with the civilian evacuations."
I considered Huey and Kati my comrades, but I couldn't drag them into this. A single second of hesitation would mean death. I didn't want them stepping foot into that slaughterhouse.
"I’m coming with you, Grandmaster."
"So am I!"
"You don't seem to get it, so I'll be blunt. If your resolve is half-hearted, you’ll die."
"I can tell that much just by looking at you and Fuuka. Even so, I want to help the people who saved my life. If I’m a burden, you can leave me behind."
"I feel the same way! If it weren't for you and Fuuka-san, I wouldn't even be here. I want to be of use to my benefactors!"
...Their eyes told me their minds were made up. We didn't have time to keep arguing.
"Fine. Then we move now. Kati, cast Agility Up on yourself and Huey."
"Understood!"
We had the carriage stop, and then we set off toward the ruins of the Hero Party mansion, chasing after Fuuka.