The kidnapping incident had finally settled down. I had been planning to ask Alice—who had connections in the underworld—to investigate the documents I’d been given the day before, but then the very person who had handed them to me appeared out of thin air.
As I stood there, bewildered by the sudden appearance, the Phantasm King spoke in that familiar, high-pitched voice.
"There is no need to rely on that rat over there. I can provide whatever information you require myself."
"……Didn’t you give them to me specifically so I’d investigate them myself?"
"No, I simply said they were a reward. It wouldn't be strange to add a little something extra to a reward, would it?"
"……"
I felt a spark of anger when the Phantasm King called Alice a rat, but I bit back my retort. The King continued to speak in that same elusive, mocking tone.
Perhaps sensing my indignation, Chronoa-san stepped in front of me to face the Phantasm King directly.
"……It has been a long time, Phantasm King. Not since the last Hero Festival, I believe?"
"Chronoa, is it? Do you have business with me?"
"You are the one who spread information about Miyama to the world, are you not? Why did you do such a thing?"
"……He made for excellent bait, did he not?"
When Chronoa-san questioned the King with a sharp edge to her voice, the Phantasm King replied with chilling calm.
Bait…… I tilted my head, unable to grasp the intent behind those words, but Chronoa-san seemed to realize something. Her voice rose, laced with clear fury.
"……So that is how it is…… You! You used Miyama as a decoy!!"
"……A decoy?"
"Indeed. This one likely spread vague information on purpose, hunting down those who were foolish enough to be lured out by it…… In other words, they used you as a lure to smoke out unstable elements."
I gasped.
Come to think of it, I remembered Lilliwood-san mentioning something similar. She said the Phantasm King did not tolerate anyone who brought harm to the world's stability, and if they judged someone to be a threat, they killed them without mercy. In short, it seemed the Phantasm King had leaked my information to the world specifically to eliminate anyone who moved to target me.
I shuddered at the thought that I had been utilized by the Phantasm King without even knowing it, but at the same time, a strange sense of disconnect washed over me. What was this feeling? The logic made sense, yet something felt fundamentally off.
"……However, I find one thing inexplicable. Setting aside the other Six Kings, how did you persuade the Death King? That woman acts immediately whenever it concerns Miyama…… and yet, regarding these recent incidents, she has remained a silent observer. You were the one who made her stay her hand, weren't you?"
"……It was certainly a struggle to persuade Isis. I had to offer her exchange conditions involving significant concessions before she finally agreed."
It was true that Isis-san had once slaughtered every Black Bear in a forest just because I had been knocked unconscious. It felt strange to say it myself, but I truly believed she would come flying to my side the moment anything happened to me.
Yet, during these recent events—the attack, the time Megiddo-san came, and even this kidnapping—Isis-san had not appeared. Apparently, the Phantasm King had offered her conditions to get her to agree to stay on the sidelines…… but what kind of conditions could those possibly be?
Was the disconnect I felt earlier related to Isis-san? No, that wasn't quite it. I felt like another piece was still missing.
"Furthermore, what is with that manner of speaking? It is different from usual, is it not……?"
That was it.
The moment I heard Chronoa-san’s suspicious questioning, an entirely different thought flashed through my mind.
The Phantasm King’s goal, the words spoken when we encountered one another, the conditions that convinced Isis-san, the King's tone…… fragmented pieces began to snap together into a single shape inside my head.
I see…… So that was it. In other words, this was what the Phantasm King called the Fifth Trial……
I slowly stepped out in front of Chronoa-san and spoke in a quiet, steady voice.
"……I don't trust you. I have no intention of asking favors from someone I cannot trust."
"……Ho?"
"Miyama? Are you sure? The Phantasm King may indeed be untrustworthy, but their intelligence network is unmatched. This one could undoubtedly provide the evidence you need……"
Hearing my words, Chronoa-san tilted her head and asked if I was certain. I shook my head and shifted my gaze.
"……Chronoa-san. I do trust the Phantasm King. I’m even grateful."
"Hmm? Miyama, what on earth are you saying?"
"There was something that had been bothering me all this time. And now, I understand it clearly…… You aren't the 'real Phantasm King.'"
"……"
Chronoa-san gasped in shock, but the figure in the black robe remained silent. They didn't try to interfere, almost as if they were inviting me to continue.
Yes, this was the source of that disconnect. The first time I met the Phantasm King, I felt an eerie presence…… but the second and third times we encountered each other, that eeriness was far greater.
However, from the being standing before me now, I didn't feel that same level of chill. Until now, I had simply assumed my fear had grown as I learned more about the King's power, but it made much more sense if I considered them to be a different person entirely.
"Chronoa-san. You mentioned just now that the Phantasm King’s way of speaking was different, didn't you?"
"……Yes."
"Does the Phantasm King…… usually speak with a quirky and unique polite speech?"
"……That is correct."
Previously, Chronoa-san had described the Phantasm King as a loud and annoying person. But the "Phantasm King" I had met in the shadows didn't feel like that; they felt like a cold, eerie mastermind. And the moment I heard that the tone was different, I remembered something.
Someone who had used ordinary polite speech—different from their usual style—when talking with Kuro or Chronoa-san. I had assumed they were just intimidated by such incredibly high-ranking individuals…… but if the Phantasm King’s usual tone was distinctive, then using a different style would be the perfect way to prevent their identity from being exposed.
"……Chronoa-san, you were wondering how Isis-san was persuaded, weren't you?"
"Indeed. I do not believe the Death King would be convinced so easily. I cannot imagine any condition she would prioritize over your safety, Miyama."
"……I think the Phantasm King probably told Isis-san this: 'I will stay near him and intervene to help him if necessary'……"
"What?"
Yes. The Phantasm King likely convinced Isis-san to stay back by guaranteeing my personal safety. If I looked at things from that perspective, everything changed.
The attack, Megiddo-san's visit, the kidnapping…… If I assumed that in all three cases, the Phantasm King was trying to protect me……
"……During the first attack, they thought Anima and Sieg-san could win against Eta and Theta, so they didn't step in. But regarding Sigma, they judged that the exhausted pair would find it difficult to protect me…… so they intervened."
"……Miyama?"
"When Megiddo-san appeared, they disguised themselves as Kuro to make Megiddo-san lower his weapon…… and this time as well……"
I paused there and slowly turned around. There was one person who had been absent during the second and third appearances of the Phantasm King, but present for the first and current ones.
"……I want to be of help to Lilia-san, Lunamaria-san, and Sieg-san. They have all taken such good care of me."
"Kaito-san……"
"……So, please lend me your strength."
I took a deep breath and, looking straight into those eyes, I spoke the answer I had reached.
"Please, Alice…… no, 'Phantasm King No Face'……"
Dear Mother, Father——Come to think of it, that person always appeared out of thin air unless I was the one visiting. A mysterious existence whose depths could not be seen, occasionally showing a sharp presence. If my prediction is right, Alice’s true identity is——the Phantasm King No Face.