Samayou Shinki no Duelist

“Hey, hey, over here——”

Lea reached out with both arms, taunting the enemy.

The foe in question was an enormous grizzly bear. However, this beast had three arms on each side of its body, for a total of six.

Each arm seemed to operate autonomously, attacking independently of the others.

Each attack was, however, skillfully avoided; at times Lea dodged by a hair’s breadth, other times she raised her dagger to deflect the blow.

The monster roared, frustrated at its inability to catch its prey. It kicked off the ground and charged her, seemingly intending to crash directly into her.

Lea threw herself to the ground an instant before the collision was to occur, narrowly evading the attack.

Its momentum propelling itself forward, the bear flew forward into a wide, empty s.p.a.ce – where two others were waiting.

“I leave it to you, Sera~” Lea called out cheerily, as Serafina revealed a Divine Pearl and began to focus.

——In the next instant, the bear fell to the ground in an exaggerated manner.

That made things easy. Dispatching an immobile foe was beyond trivial.

“AmnisBlue Water Pike!”

Stefan called forth his weapon, piercing straight through the beast’s skull in a single stroke. Its ma.s.sive body gave one final convulsion before ceasing movement.

“The beast is dead; nice! Good job you two——” Lea declared as she walked over to the other two.

She was covered from head to toe in sc.r.a.pes and bruises, but showed no sign of any major injuries.

Giving the bear’s corpse a quick glance, she frowned.

“…Ew, that’s disgusting – its head’s completely split open.”

“That’s what a celestial Dragon Fang weapon’s like.”

A legendary weapon capable of slaying even the G.o.ds. Its destructive potential was simply incomparable.

“Even so, those things have a mind of their own, right? For it to work so hard on your behalf, it must be quite fond of you, you know?”

“…”

Stefan turned his gaze to the spear in his hand. That was a thought that had never before occurred to him.

Now she mentioned it, he realized that if he left the Oath Legions, he’d lose this gift from the “Shinki who Supports the Sky.”

——He’d feel rather lonely in that case.

The three were currently investigating the depth to which the phenomenon had taken effect.

Their journey so far had been surprisingly smooth.

The three’s skills synergized quite well in combat.

Even if the appearance of Void Beasts had defied what had previously pa.s.sed for common knowledge, they nonetheless had no difficulty dealing with these beasts. Small Void Beasts such as poisonous insects were quickly burned to ash by Serafina’s Orisons. Larger Beasts such as the bear just now were handled in the same manner they’d used to slay the one just now: Lea acted as bait, Serafina sealed its movements, and Stefan dealt the killing blow.

Lea’s acrobatic ability was simply stunning, and Stefan felt sincere admiration for Serafina’s deft command of Orisons.

The Orison she’d just employed to get the bear to fall over had been an illusionary magic. For a beast which relied on its sight as it had, shifting the angle of its vision by 90 degrees had been more than enough to cause it to lose its balance. Comparing this technique to a more direct – and forceful – approach, not only was this method far more sparing of divine energy, in certain situations, it might prove far more effective.

——Getting this cleric of few words to explain as much, however, was another matter. Even with Lea’s help, it had taken no small amount of time.

(…A cleric, huh.)

Stefan was suddenly reminded of another young cleric girl. He’d heard that she’d recently attained third-rank qualifications.

The time they’d been able to spend with one another as adventurers was pathetically small… Perhaps that might yet change in the future.

The lost adventurers had already begun to find their way back to the surface one by one. Their best guess was that the constant rearrangement of the labyrinth had finally opened up paths of escape for them.

Unfortunately, no one knew what had happened to the group he was most concerned about.

“This is the last floor. Yeah, we’ve sure seen a lot,” Lea commented as she opened a map.

The lines and words on the map were incredibly messy; Stefan could hardly believe she was able to piece anything together from that mishmash of scribbles.

“…Lea, please explain.”

Seeing Stefan’s expression, Serafina came to his a.s.sistance.

“Right, right. ——Because the labyrinth’s layout is in constant flux, I’ve long since given up on trying to map it out. Instead, I’ve been tracing out our path and trying to figure out the rules that guide the changes. This is what I’ve found.”

Flipping over her notes, she continued.

“This phenomenon takes effect in a portion of the labyrinth – roughly the first through the thirtieth floors – and divides up the entire area into smaller regions which are then rearranged. Everything – roads, rooms, even stairways – is affected.”

“And the cause?”

“Unknown,” Lea answered.

“There are several noticeable tendencies, however. First of all, the effect is focused. Look around us: this thirtieth floor is almost unchanged. The epicenter is above us; I’d estimate the third or fourth through the seventh floors.”

“I see.”

This info had already been pa.s.sed on to headquarters. It was likely that even now they were focusing their efforts on investigating the specified area.

“Here’s where the situation changes. Look, we’re currently on the thirtieth floor, right? That makes the next floor down the 31st; I went ahead and checked it just now.”

Stefan and Serafina nodded.

The 31st through 35th floors were special. Rather than five separate floors with ceilings and floors, they were instead comprised of a ma.s.sive stone pillar stretching the span. It would be impossible to mistake it for anything else.

“Well, that’s where the problem appears. If this is the thirtieth floor, how many sets of stairs did it take to get here?”

“Is it not thirty?” Stefan asked with a frown.

Counting the first stairway in from the entrance, it should take thirty sets of stairs to reach the thirtieth floor.

“That’s what you’d think, right? The problem is I’ve counted – and there are only 29.”

“I never noticed…” Serafina whispered.

“So what you’re telling us is that there’s a floor missing?”

“Exactly.”

Lea nodded in confirmation.

“Given that, the next question then is, ‘Which floor is missing?’ The most obvious suspect would be one of the floors that form the epicenter, namely the third through seventh floors. It’s quite likely that one of those floors has become isolated. Moreover, because we haven’t noticed any extra sets of stairs, it’s likely that s.p.a.ce itself has become distorted.”

“There’s a possibility that… some missing persons are trapped within.”

“…”

Missing persons, was it?

“If we can find that missing stairway or perhaps a teleportation device of some sort——”

“We’ll break the floor.”

“…Huh?”

Lea’s mouth hung open in shock. Serafina blinked in surprise.

“That is both the simplest and most efficacious method. Even if the stairway isn’t present, but from what we’ve seen, the floor itself ought to be where we expect. That being the case, then we should be able to reach it from above. We can’t not reach it. Rather than wasting our time on what could be exploring in vain, this way is far faster.”

“Wait just a——”

“First things first, we need to see how big a hole we can open up with Orisons and offensive-type Reliquia. If that doesn’t work, we’ll just have to have people dig a——”

“Wait, wait, wait. Stefan, you need to calm down, alright? Are you trying to destroy the labyrinth?”

“It’s nothing major; we’re just digging a hole in the ground, after all. I’m already calm.”

“…I’m happy to hear that, but please calm down more than you already are.”

Lea waited for a moment before continuing.

“First of all, even if you did that, you’d have no guarantee of actually breaking through to the target area. This is the labyrinth, you know? We have no idea what the structure between floors is like.”

“…”

“Furthermore, even if you did succeed in making a hole to the next floor, it’s possible that the act of excavation could cause a cave-in right above the very people we’re trying to save. Worst-case scenario? We cause the entire floor to collapse.”

“…”

The rational part of Stefan’s mind echoed her words.

“I never would have guessed that you’d simply act without thinking like that… You seem rather anxious?”

“Is that how I look?”

Lea and Serafina nodded in unison.

“…I hadn’t noticed myself. That said, my sense of things more often than not differs from others; I’m very aware.”

“Losing your calm while maintaining a poker face like that can’t be good for you. Anyway, I have an idea. Let’s head back to the surface and then investigate more carefully this time.”

“…”

Serafina seemed to be in agreement.

“There’s no need to worry. Your sister’s an amazing adventurer, right? Don’t worry – she’s definitely okay.”

“…?”

Stefan frowned at Lea.

“Hmm? Oh, your sister? I heard about it from Leader.”

“That’s not what I was wondering about. ——I hadn’t said once that I was ‘worried about my sister.’ Why would you think that?”

This time it was Lea’s turn to furrow her brows.

“Are you some kind of idiot or something?”

“…What do you mean?”

“No, never mind. Sorry.”

Lea sighed. She looked utterly flabbergasted.

“Anyway, what do you think about my proposal? I think we can get at least gather the latest intel that way.”

“…Alright.”

“I understand. Then let’s head back for the time being.”

The three returned to the stairway up.

Their journey was without incident, and they only encountered a handful of Void Beasts.

“…I don’t think I’m worried,” Stefan murmured as they walked.

Lea looked over.

“About your sister? Wait, don’t tell me you’ve been thinking about that this entire time?”

“I once had a goal. For that purpose, I trained endlessly and became an adventurer. However, my goal, that which I sought after… everything’s lost its meaning.”

Lea and Serafina didn’t speak.

“That girl – she is all that remains of my hopes.”

The pain and sorrow that came from losing someone precious. She was his family, the only person he could share this with.

“I think the reason I’m so concerned about her is because if I lost her as well, then nothing I’ve ever done would have any meaning. That’s why I don’t think ‘worried’ is the right word. I just… want to save her, for my own sake.”

Stefan was no more talking to them than he was to himself. As he spoke, those uncertain feelings that had long lingered in his heart slowly grew clearer.

So when Lea spoke up, he was somewhat surprised.

“That’s what we call ‘worrying."”

“…”

“Reasons might vary, but that feeling of wanting to help someone else doesn’t change, right? That’s what we mean by ‘worrying.’ ——Regardless of the reason, the desire to be of service to someone else has a worth all of its own. There’s no need to overthink things to this degree.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes, just so. I said it, so it can’t be wrong. ——But seriously, here I am speaking such deep and profound truths and your expression seriously hasn’t so much as twitched. Do you not think anything of what I said?”

It wasn’t that he didn’t, but rather that he didn’t know what expression he should be wearing right now.

So he asked.

“Can I ask why you two are doing something like this?”

“What’re you referring to?”

“Does drawing maps make you happy?”

“Ah…”

Lea considered his question for a moment before finally answering.

“Rather than happy… I should say that I want to leave something behind. There’s nothing wrong with people’s memories, but if everyone that knew you pa.s.sed on, then wouldn’t any trace of your existence be gone? That thought makes me lonely. Although I draw maps because they’re a necessity, the truth is that I also write stories and plays.”

“And you, Serafina?”

“I, um, I was… dragged into this by Lea…”

“Once this girl starts writing, she becomes a real chatterbox. It’s a sight to see, let me tell you,” Lea retorted.

“Our guides to the labyrinth are all written by her, I’ll have you know. She’s even written some romance novels recently!”

“L-Lea, t-that…”

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. When we get back to the surface, you should give Stefan a copy. I’ll tell you now – her book’s pretty popular right now, you know?”

Suddenly Lea froze.

A strangely serious expression took hold of this bubbly girl.

“…You have to be kidding me. What the h.e.l.l are you thinking——” Lea muttered, looking up at the ceiling.

“What’s the matter? Is something wrong——”

“Stefan! Over here! Get down!”

Just as Lea screamed warning, a loud roar sounded as the labyrinth shuddered violently, throwing Stefan into the air.

——She was ready for death.

Her ears filled with the sound of falling rocks, and a cloud of dust obscured her vision.

Originally, she’d been on the floor, but now she was thrown about in mid-air, like a leaf flitting about at the mercy of a whirlwind.

——Just how many times had it shook?

As her consciousness returned, she noted that her surroundings had fallen silent.

“Ow…”

Franka struggled to rise, enduring the pain that shot through her body as she did so.

What had happened? She struggled to pull her thoughts together, and slowly the memory came to her.

An intense, forceful shaking had savaged the area their party had been in, throwing them off their feet. She hadn’t had the luxury of worrying about others while the incident was ongoing.

The walls had broken, turning to rubble which had fallen all around them. She’d been struck… and that was all that she remembered.

From the looks of it, she hadn’t been out long. The dust from the cave-in still filled the air, making it hard to see.

Franka leaned against the wall for support, and, using an Orison, created a source of light.

She surveyed around her——

“——”

What she saw left her speechless.

All around her lay broken slabs of rock the size of a full-grown adult, perhaps the remains of what had once been the walls and ceiling of the labyrinth. Had anyone been unfortunate enough to have been trapped beneath one, death had certainly found them.

“Y-Yuuki-san! Master! Anyone——”

“——Franka?”

The voice of a young man answered her call.

“Yuuki-san! Thank goodness… How’s everyone else?”

“I’m not sure. They should be around here——”

Yuuki’s voice faded, as he was unwilling to give voice to other possibilities. Franka mirrored that sentiment.

A small frame slowly rose, coughing.

Franka turned to look, heaving a sigh of relief.

“Kaya-chan… are you okay?”

“I’m alright. Edgar and Selim are over here.”

Franka and Yuuki ran over to look them over.

The two were caught in a narrow crevice formed by two slabs of rock. They’d narrowly avoided being crushed by these enormous slabs of stone – a miracle.

“They’ve just fainted, thank goodness. ——That leaves…”

“Uncle and… Tina,” Yuuki replied in a sober tone.

When the shaking had begun, the two had been walking together, at the front of the group. Because Franka had been caring for Selim’s wound, Tina had been lighting the way in her stead.

Franka and Yuuki extricated the two children from where they rested, and gave them to Kaya to watch over while they went off to explore.

In what might be considered a stroke of luck, they found no sign of the two.

Had they been caught under one of the falling stones, or perhaps——

“…Over there. Quickly, look over there,” Yuuki commented unhappily, pointing.

He was pointing at a wall – one that hadn’t been there before the shaking started.

“On that note, just after the shaking ended, I was struck by the same headache and ringing in my ears as before… In other words, the shaking and the alterations occur one after another. Uncle and Tina have been separated from us, huh?”

Franka looked to Yuuki for direction.

“…The first thing we need to do is get these kids back to the surface. That’s our priority here.”

Yuuki spoke in a dull monotone, stifling the emotions raging within him.

“If we dilly-dally here, then we might just get in a second cave-in. I don’t think Tina or Uncle would forgive us for making such a mistake. We need to go, and quickly.”

“R-Right.”

“I’ll carry Edgar and take the lead. You take Selim and follow me, Franka. Kaya, you help Franka carry her stuff and the lantern. ——You had better stay close.”

Just what had those final words meant? Kaya’s expression stiffened and she nodded strongly.

Their group advanced through the treacherous terrain as one.

By the time they arrived at the summit of the floor, there had already ceased to be any trace of a cave-in. The quaking had been extremely localized.

“…Is there a way out?”

Franka immediately regretted asking. Her anxiety had overcome her, causing her to ask this most meaningless of questions. It went without saying that Yuuki had no more idea than she whether or not such a thing existed.

Strangely, however, he answered.

“I’m looking for the stairway up. If my guess is correct, I think we’ll find it.”

“I-I see. Why——”

Do you know? she had wanted to ask, though she cut herself off mid-sentence. ——Because he’d continued to speak.

“…I can still do better. There has to be a better solution to all of this. That’s what I’ve been telling myself ever since that happened. How many times must this repeat itself? I seriously haven’t improved one bit.”

His words carried within them a profound sense of regret.

Franka didn’t know what she should say in such a situation.

Should she comfort him?

Tell him that it wasn’t his fault?

——No, such words would not salve his torment.

In any event, did she even have the right to do such a thing?

In the end, she decided to hold her silence, sighing at her own weakness, as she continued forward.

“Ah——”

Suddenly, Kaya called out.

A Void Beast had appeared, and it was of a type that made its residence below the tenth floor.

It was an organism that had no a.n.a.logue in the world above. If it had to be described, it might be likened to a tusked rabbit.

However, its size was that comparable to that of a small child and its speed was nearly impossible to follow with the naked eye.

“Yuuki-san, I’ll——”

Bind its movement with an Orison, Franka had been about to say, but what she saw left her speechless.

A faint sound, like the puncturing of a bag of water, sounded, and the beast fell to the ground, dead.

Yuuki held Edgar in one arm, his dagger in the other.

From the scene before her, it was obvious that Yuuki was responsible. He’d drawn his dagger and killed the monster, slicing it into quarters.

The terrifying thing was that it had all been done in a literal blink of an eye. Not only had Franka failed to catch the moment when he’d cut the beast, as far as she was concerned, he hadn’t moved at all.

This was far beyond what even Alfred or Stefan were capable of. Never before in her life had she witnessed such exquisite swordsmanship.

——No.

(I’ve seen this once before…)

It was when she’d encountered the legendary Void Dragon and had sunk into the depths of despair.

Just then, both she and her brother had been saved.

“…Let’s go.”

As prompted, their party set off once more.

Weathering the silence for a time, Franka finally resolved herself.

This wasn’t the time to keep quiet. Nor was this the time to worry about either hurting another or being hurt. She didn’t think she could claim to know him thoroughly, but she was at least confident enough to say that this was necessary.

Three times she slowly inhaled and exhaled.

(——Okay.)

She sped up, catching up to him.

“There’s… something I’d like to ask, is that alright with you?”

“…What? Is it really something you need to talk about right now?”

“Yes. It’s very important.”

He offered no more resistance, so Franka took his silence as acceptance.

“So um, I heard from Tina-chan earlier, but… Yuuki-san, there was a girl you were close to before? What kind of person was she?!” Franka gasped out in a single breath.

“——Uu”

“…?”

“Uwahahahahahhahaha! The heck is that?!”

Yuuki burst out laughing.

The wry smile on his face notwithstanding, he’d returned to the Yuuki that Franka knew and was familiar with, all trace of his former gloom gone from his face.

“…Seriously though, that girl just doesn’t know how to keep her mouth shut. When we get back, I’m going to have to teach her a lesson, maybe make her skip a few meals.”

“P-Please don’t be angry with Tina-chan… U-um…”

“Ah, yeah. There certainly was someone like that. ——Before, I… wasn’t really a good person.”

Yuuki stared off into the distance.

“Truth be told, I was party to some pretty terrible things… At the command of my superiors, I committed numerous sins. That was the kind of place I grew up in. Not once did I question the morality of my actions. Later on, I was granted the opportunity to realize what I had become. ——I was a tool. I was simply being exploited by others, unfit even to be labeled ‘human."”

“That…”

“I was filled with regret.”

His voice was steady.

“The life I’d lived filled me with a deep, deep sense of regret. Deep within my heart, I thought that I’d pay any price for a second chance. It was then that she took me in. She was such a strange one: proud, resolute in her ideals, and – at times – willful, like a small child. ——She was the one who taught me what it meant to be human.”

“And where is she now?”

“Dead.”

That a single word could contain such immeasurable sorrow.

“To express my grat.i.tude, I told her I’d protect her, but I couldn’t keep that promise. She died because of me.”

“…”

“That’s why now that Tina and Uncle are separated from us, I’m feeling a bit down. If I could just find my way back to their side, I’d protect them. It’s alright, though. I’m feeling better now.”

“…Thank goodness. The look on your face was so strange I was starting to worry.”

“Franka, you——”

“Hmm?”

“…No, never mind. Thank you.”

The bright, carefree smile which usually adorned his face made its return.

Franka thought to herself that perhaps he’d seen through her.

The topic she had just broached was a painful one for him, and so it wasn’t one she’d talk about lightly.

So why had she intentionally raised the issue? She’d wanted to distract him from his worries, even at the cost of risking his anger.

He’d begun to lose himself in a cycle of blame and guilt, a storm of internal strife in which he’d be lost. For that reason, she’d had to draw him “out.”

Franka had noticed something.

The strange recurring phenomenon was the product of someone intentionally targeting their small party.

If that was indeed true, then his battle… was not yet over.

Even if it meant he’d be angry with her, as long as his focus was turned outward, he’d be able to recover. He had to.

And thus Franka had intentionally set out to trample upon the grounds of his heart.

Even if he resented her for it, hated her for it, she preferred that to watching him lose himself in guilt.

——That had been Franka’s thoughts on the matter.

“Stairs!”

Franka raised her head at Kaya’s shout.

The stairway up for which they’d been searching for what seemed an eternity was now before them.

“As I thought.”

Yuuki turned to look at Franka.

“That should lead to the fourth floor. Things should be alright from here on. I’m sure the Oath Legions are even now investigating the situation. You just need to find them, and they’ll get you guys back to the surface. I’m sorry, but——”

“I know. I can handle things from here. Leave the kids to me.”

Franka forced herself to laugh.

Yuuki blinked in surprise, never having expected her to understand so quickly.

“You’re going to save Tina-chan and Uncle, right? I’ll have to leave things to you. The two of them are very important to me.”

“…Yeah, leave it to me.”

“I-I’m going too.”

Kaya made her way to Yuuki’s side, trembling all the while, her head bowed.

Franka wasn’t surprised. She, too, must possess “something.”

The world they lived in and the world she lived in were too different; she didn’t have the qualifications necessary to set foot on that side of things. ——At least for now.

Yuuki walked a few steps and then turned back.

“Franka. Thank you. Really.”

“Oh, um, you’re very welcome…”

Franka couldn’t speak, and instead sent the two off with her eyes, before finally heaving a sigh.

“Now then, it’s just about time to return to our normal lives. Edgar- and Selim-kun seem just about ready to wake——”

Franka frowned.

Several Void Beasts had appeared, the same kind as the tusked rabbit that Yuuki had killed earlier.

It looked like they were planning on having a meal now that the troublesome person had left, or perhaps they were desiring to avenge their fallen comrade.

“My apologies.”

Franka gripped a Divine Pearl as she gave a wry smile.

“——But I’m not going to lose.”

An enormous conflagration enveloped the Void Beasts, turning them to charcoal.

Two had managed to escape the flame’s wrath, however. Her extreme exhaustion had caused her aim to suffer.

“You——!”

The Void Beasts prepared to attack once more. Am I going to make it——?

A gale of wind suddenly blew by.

The twin Void Beasts, preparing to charge their foe, were instead cut into two halves which fell lifelessly to the ground.

Franka turned back, catching sight of a certain person.

Said person held the celestial Dragon Fang weapon AmnisBlue Water Pike in his hands. It was the first-ranked adventurer known as a prodigy, a person most familiar to Franka.

“…Nii-san…”

“Are you hurt?” Stefan asked expressionlessly.

“I’m okay. ——That sure gave me a shock. This is so sudden.”

“…”

“What brings you here? Are you investigating the abnormality?”

“…Yes.”

The quaking just now had separated Stefan from his party members, so he’d continued the investigation alone.

Although he’d found himself surrounded by no small number of dangerous Void Beasts, as far as Franka’s brother was concerned, he hadn’t been in any danger whatsoever.

Once upon a time, Franka had felt that her brother’s stony expression was so grave as to be frightful.

She didn’t feel that way anymore.

“I apologize for disrupting you while you’re working, but do you think you could help me take these kids back to the surface?”

“…”

Wordlessly, Stefan took the children into his arms. At long last, Franka felt peace settle over her.

“…Um, Yuuki-sensei?” Kaya asked. “How long ago… did you notice?”

“I began to suspect you right after the anomaly first occurred. The huge working of divine energy affected you very harshly, much more so than it did Franka; it affected you almost exactly the way it affected Tina, in fact. There’s no way a human could be that sensitive.”

“…”

“My suspicions were confirmed when you were protecting Selim. When you swatted the wasp away with your hand, it stung you, and yet you were completely unharmed.”

Kaya blinked.

“You saw that…?”

“Please don’t look down on the motion vision of a former Duelist. The nail in the coffin came when Franka was sharing the story of the Shinki with all of you. ‘Did the Lunar Shinki-sama of that time not have anything to say about it?’ you said. ‘Of that time’ – those were your words. In other words, you know that there are multiple Shinki of the Moon. ——Because we’re short on time, I’m going to have to ask you directly: which Shinki are you?”

“…The Moon.”

Kaya shrank as she responded.

“…So you’re Muriel’s successor, huh?”

Yuuki stifled the pain that filled his heart. This wasn’t the time for such things.

“Your plan was to separate Tina and myself and ambush us once we were alone, am I right?”

“Yes…”

Kaya sighed dejectedly and continued.

“This plan was devised by my Duelist – Jahar-san. Do you know him, Yuuki-sensei?”

He had indeed heard that name before. A moment’s consideration brought the memory to mind.

He’d been a member of Stefan’s party, a dark-skinned young man who wielded a huge blade.

With this, many things fell into place. So he’d been under watch for that long.

“When the time was right, I was to teleport Jahar-san here. Afterward, Yuuki-sensei… and Tina… one by one…”

“We’d be killed. So he has a celestial Dragon Fang weapon then. ——You haven’t teleported him over yet, correct?”

Kaya nodded.

“The shaking and alterations to the labyrinth – what caused them?”

“I don’t know either. Perhaps Jahar-san used some kind of Reliquia.”

All this Shinki had been responsible for was watching over them and teleporting Jahar when the moment came.

Now that he thought about it, the Moon’s Oath Legion had been disbanded. She didn’t have any subordinates she could rely on.

In that case, they’d better meet up with Tina and Alfred as soon as possible——

“U-Um…”

Kaya looked at Yuuki through fearful eyes.

“What’s up?”

“A-Are you… going to kill me now?”

“Huh?”

“Jahar-san said… He said… that it was only natural that people who would kill others… would be killed themselves. I… think so too.”

“Do you want me to kill you?”

She shook her head with great force.

“Then I won’t. Anyway, you’ve had it rough too. The reason I figured things out was because you protected Selim. Also… that cave-in just now, I know that you saved us with your powers.”

“…”

The fact that Yuuki and company hadn’t been caught in the rain of falling rubble was no coincidence.

He presumed that Tina had also tried, but her frankly pitiful store of divine energy would have been unable to produce the effect they’d seen.

“On the contrary, let me thank you instead.”

Tears began to run down her cheeks.

“I… I never wanted anyone to get hurt…”

“I know.”

Yuuki nodded.

“You haven’t teleported your Duelist over, after all. Plus, you’ve revealed everything without trying to run from the responsibility. ——All that tells me that you’re done doing things that way. Oh, that reminds me – how much divine energy do you have left?”

“Eh…? Oh, not that much, sorry…”

“That’s okay. I’ll need your help then. We need to bring Tina and Uncle here. If you have the energy for it, can you teleport them here? You could also break down the walls between us, if that works better.”

Yuuki walked over to a dead end. Kaya obediently followed behind.

“…Um…”

“Yes?”

“Yuuki-sensei, can I ask you – a Duelist – something?”

“Make that former Duelist, but sure.”

“The Duelists are people who protect the Shinki, right?”

“Yes.”

“So why doesn’t Jahar-san protect me then? He doesn’t listen to me at all, and his personality’s terrible… If I think about it, we’re nothing alike.”

Yuuki pondered her query for a moment before answering her with a question of his own.

“Let me ask you something. Why do you think the Duelists protect the Shinki? There’s no way they do it without hope of reward, right?”

“Hmm…”

Kaya’s face clearly demonstrated the depth of her perplexity.

“…I’ve never thought about that before. The only answer I can think of is that it’s the Heavenly King’s will.”

“If I had to describe the Duelists, I’d say that almost without exception they are terribly powerful… and also broken,” Yuuki replied, reflecting on his own experience.

“When I say broken, I mean to say that we’re all somehow deficient. At one point, each and every one of our souls cried out that that defect might be fixed, and it was in that state that we were summoned to this world. We are then paired with the Shinki that has the ability to heal what ails us.”

“Heal…?”

“In return, the Duelists protect the Shinki. I’m sure you’ve heard that the ‘most suitable person’ is chosen as Duelist, right? This is what that saying means.”

“I don’t really understand…”

“Every Duelist has ‘something they want to do’ or ‘something they want to receive.’ The Shinki are responsible for realizing that dream. That’s basically what I mean. ——You heard what I said to Franka earlier, right? I was once nothing more than an unthinking, unfeeling tool; I knew nothing of what it meant to be human. All of this Muriel, the previous ‘Shinki Crowned with the Moon,’ gave me. It’s because of her that I now live a normal person’s life in the city.”

“…And what is it that I can do for Jahar-san? If you ask me what it is he lacks, all that comes to mind is that he refuses to listen to me?”

“I’m not him, so I can’t say. ——Think about what it is he wants more than anything… you must have some clue, no?”

Kaya thought for a moment.

“He… always talks about ‘obtaining victory.’ He wants to ‘fight, and seize victory.’ That’s why he’s always angry that I have no desire to fight.”

“That’s it then.”

Had he once failed, searing regret into his heart?

Perhaps he was even now seeking redemption as Kaya’s Duelist.

On the other hand, the Shinki standing before him clearly despised conflict; she wasn’t the type to fight to win.

Maybe he was looking at it all wrong.

“I’m so tired of all of this…”

Kaya laughed weakly and heaved a sigh.

“I’m sorry… There’s no point in complaining to my enemy, Sensei.”

She looked so young, but she was wise beyond her years and bore a heavy sense of responsibility.

Even though she knew what kind of situation she was in, and the dark future she’d chosen for herself, she hadn’t sought to escape that responsibility.

Yuuki scratched his head awkwardly.

“…Let me ask you something. What do you want to do right now?”

“Huh?”

“When things go wrong, the first thing to do is set a short-term goal for yourself. That’s what the Gramps who taught me business always said.”

“….If things were to go smoothly for me, that’d be bad for you, Yuuki-sensei. Should you really be telling me something like that?”

“Hearing something good makes you wary, huh? Business might just be a good fit for you. Much more so than mine, anyway.”

Yuuki smiled wryly.

“——Whether you’re a Shinki or my enemy or whatever, none of that changes the fact that you’re my student. Teaching you is my job. Does that reasoning work for you?”

“…”

Kaya didn’t know what kind of expression to wear as she stared numbly at him. Finally, she bowed her head.

“I… want to have a sincere talk with Jahar-san.”

“That’s a good choice.”

The reason she wanted a “sincere” discussion was because she knew she hadn’t tried her best either. If she’d come to that realization, then chances were that things might yet change.

“Right. First, I need to find Tina and Alfred, and bring them home. Are you coming?”

The “Shinki Crowned with the Moon” gave a firm nod.

Just then——

“…Kaya?”

Yuuki frowned.

She’d suddenly frozen up.

“Why…?” she whispered, her face ashen. “I hadn’t heard a thing… I haven’t done anything…”

“Calm down. What’s happened?”

“…Teleported.”

Kaya’s eyes finally returned to meet Yuuki’s.

“Jahar-san is already where Tina is.”

“Grr——”

Tina humphed as she stared down the object in their way.

“What a pain! It’s in our way!”

“…You can get mad all you want, but I get the feeling the wall doesn’t mind,” a droll voice called out from behind her.

“Just forget it. There’s nothing you can do, anyway.”

“Hmph. I guess you’re right. There’s no need to worry, Alfred. Master will come for us.”

Tina had the utmost confidence that that was true.

Alfred was right that there wasn’t anything they could do in this situation.

The violent shaking earlier had caused a cave-in. She’d used her divine energy to protect the party, and the exertion had left her nearly depleted.

Once the quaking had finally subsided, they’d found themselves cut off from Yuuki and the others. Given the discomfort the experience had subjected her to, the labyrinth-altering phenomenon had likely occurred again.

Alfred and Tina had already explored all there was to see of the s.p.a.ce they found themselves in; it hadn’t taken much time. There wasn’t all that much to see, truth be told.

The walls were laden with bioluminescent moss, so their surroundings were clearly visible even without a lantern. The light illuminated a broken-down room of some fifty square meters without any doors.

In other words, they were trapped. The one small blessing of their situation was that at least they did not have to worry about Void Beasts.

However——

(…Just after the shaking stopped, I felt the powers of several Shinki activating.)

If she had to say it, then yes, she was worried. That said, she didn’t have any divine energy left at her disposal; even if she wanted to investigate further, it simply wasn’t an option.

When it came down to it, all they could do was wait to be rescued.

“…You know, you really trust Yuuki, don’t you, Tina-chan?”

“Yeah. Master is worthy of Tina’s trust.”

She stuck her chest out proudly.

“…You don’t find him frightening?”

“Eh? Well, sure, when Tina makes a mistake counting the bill or accidentally breaks store inventory, then yeah, he’s scary. On those days, dinner shrinks a dish, after all. If that’s not to be feared, I don’t know what qualifies.”

“I see.”

Alfred revealed a bitter smile.

“Still, I have to say that was a strange question, really. Are you afraid of Master then, Alfred?”

“…I don’t know.”

His tone changed.

“If the feeling of awe at overwhelming strength and frightening talent can be cla.s.sified as ‘fear,’ then yes, I am. However, just like those who wield power can vary, the ways in which that power is wielded can vary as well. In that sense——”

The latter half of his words seemed to be directed more to himself than to Tina.

Tina was left thoroughly bewildered; she couldn’t make heads or tails of what this man was saying——

Suddenly, she stiffened.

“——Watch out! Behind you!”

Alfred drew his weapon as she cried out. The metallic clank of metal against metal sounded, and blood sprayed into the air.

“Ohh? Those reflexes of yours aren’t half bad. What were you called again? Al… Alf?”

Before them stood a man wielding a gigantic sword.

“My name’s Alfred. I appreciate the compliment.”

The calm manner in which he responded belied the ill look of his face. His armor had been cut open from his shoulder downward. Blood flowed freely from the wound.

“You were a member of Stefan’s party once, weren’t you? You disappeared during the incident with the Void Dragon; everyone was under the impression you’d died.”

“Just call me the Immortal Jahar.”

Jahar laughed unconcernedly.

His face was familiar to Tina.

Not only did she know his face, but she also remembered how he’d attacked her without so much as a warning.

“Again, it’s you! And just as contemptible as always! What’s your problem? Don’t tell me you’ve caught some strange sickness that compels you to attack others lest you die?”

“I definitely haven’t heard that particular explanation before, but it’s true that seizing the initiative does indeed lower the risk of death. Oh, let me just say this first – my target’s not Alfred over there.”

“…Your name was Jahar, right?”

Tina’s eyes narrowed.

“You teleported here. You serve one of the Shinki?”

“Wonderfully deduced. Yes, I’m a Duelist. ——Now that we’re all clear on who I am, you must know why I’m here, ‘Sixth Shinki’ Albertina.”

Jahar slowly raised his weapon.

This feeling was familiar. This was that which could penetrate the ScutumHoly Shield, that which could slay even the G.o.ds themselves – a celestial Dragon Fang weapon.

“This is the IgnisCrimson Flame Claymore. If you accept your impending death, then I will promise you a painless pa.s.sing. It will turn your very bones to ash long before you can feel the slightest pain.”

Jahar casually brushed aside the sword that was thrust in his direction.

“No one likes a man who treats women so poorly. You must not be popular.”

His tone light, Alfred looked anything but calm. His shoulder wound was deep indeed.

“Tina’s his only target here! Alfred, please stay back!”

As she called out, Tina agonized over the fact that she lacked the energy even to heal his wound.

“When I find a girl I like, I chase her with everything I have. Popularity’s completely meaningless. ——Anyway, Alfred, do you really want to do this? I attacked you just now because you were in the way, but if you just stand there quietly, I’ll let you go.”

“Unfortunately, I’m quite the coward,” Alfred laughed. “I fear that, should I do no more than spectate, Franka and Yuuki will have my head afterward. If I have to choose, I’d say I find them far more frightening than I do you.”

“That’s not even funny as a joke. ——Have it your way. Allow me to teach you what fear really is.”

The sound of slicing wind——

Tina hadn’t seen any movement. She only noticed because Alfred had managed to deflect the blow.

“Really? Because I don’t see anything to be afraid of.”

The air was filled with the sound of metal striking metal in rapid succession.

“——!”

Alfred was too busy defending himself to spare a word.

Even if he hadn’t been wounded, there was an insurmountable gap both in the quality of their weapons as well as their raw strength. The disparity between their swordsmanship was even larger.

Moreover, it hadn’t taken more than the tiniest fraction of his true ability to forcibly suppress Alfred, an experienced swordsman. This, even Tina could tell.

Alfred failed to defend against a horizontal slash, and lost his balance.

Jahar followed up immediately with a slice clearly intended to take his head clean off his shoulders. Alfred only just managed to block it.

The two held their positions, with Jahar finally breaking the silence.

“…This is such a waste of time. Do you really not have anything else up your sleeve? Well, either way you’re a dead man, so I guess it doesn’t really matter.”

He didn’t appear to have exerted any additional force, but Alfred felt the force against his sword double.

Alfred sank to one knee with a groan.

Jahar suddenly broke off the stalemate, and raised his claymore high into the air.

“This is goodbye.”

His blade came down forcefully from above with a slight diagonal slant to it.

The celestial Dragon Fang weapon easily parted his armor, cutting Alfred into two——

——Or at least, it should have.

“You——!”

Tina had charged forward.

The ma.s.sive sword had impacted her body and sent both her and Alfred flying, though their bodies retained their original shape.

“Ha! How’s that? Tina stopped you!”

Tina slowly rose to her feet.

The skin on her wrists had been torn, and fresh blood flowed down her arms. That was, however, the extent of the damage she’d sustained.

“That claymore looks like it’s in its first phase? It can’t break the ScutumHoly Shield like that.”

“…What an impulsive little girl you are. Well, it’s not like I didn’t know what your personality was like already.”

“‘Personality’ is the wrong word. Try ‘duty.’ ——If someone in front of me is about to be killed, how could I stand by and watch it happen?!”

“And who exactly do you think you’re fooling with that act, ‘Serpent of Demise’?”

“…Huh?”

Tina frowned. That wasn’t a term she’d heard before.

“I can’t tell if you’re just playing dumb or if you really haven’t realized, but it’s not like it matters either way. ——Your defender looks to have gone to sleep, so what’s your plan now? Judging by the way you charged over here in person, I’m guessing you don’t have any divine energy left.”

Alfred had collapsed on the floor. He was… still breathing. Tina sighed in relief.

“Sorry to be the one to break the news, but Master’s going to arrive any moment now. Why don’t you rest there for a bit?”

“You have that much trust in someone who isn’t even a Duelist anymore?”

“Of course. As far as Tina is concerned, he’s someone far more important than any Duelist could be,” Tina retorted proudly.

“…”

Jahar frowned ever so slightly, her words having disturbed him somehow.

“——That aside, know that I have no plans of merely standing here quietly and awaiting death. If I don’t put my all into struggling to live then I could never hope to stand by Master’s side.”

Tina’s breathing was rough as she glared down her enemy.

“Even if I’ve used up every last bit of my divine energy, and am nothing more than a pitiful little girl, you can bet that I will fight. I will fight you to the very end. Come, Jahar! Just try and kill me!”

“…This is pretty difficult.”

Jahar sighed lightly.

“You are much, much stronger than that girl of mine who has not the least intention of fighting.”

“Hmm? Are you telling me you’re not here on the orders of your master?”

“The situation’s pretty complicated. It’s not like there’s any need for me to explain things to someone who’s about to die, though. ——Let’s just say that there’s at least one Shinki and Duelist who have no need to trust one another. That’s all you need to know.”

“Why?” Tina asked, puzzled. “That way’s just too lonely. The Shinki and Duelists are both abnormal existences. That’s precisely why they must cooperate and compensate for one another’s weaknesses.”

It wasn’t like she was stalling for time. She truly could not comprehend his reasoning.

“For various reasons, Tina has no Duelist. Things have been that way ever since Master took Tina in. That’s precisely why I understand just how painful it is to be alone. To stand alone, without anyone in whom to place your trust… to be isolated from this world is terribly sad and lonely.”

“From a Duelist’s perspective, we have a mission that takes priority over all else. Compared to feeling at ease, that mission is infinitely more important.”

“I notice you didn’t refute my words.”

“…”

Jahar clicked his tongue irritably.

He swung his sword. Its shape changed, growing twice as large.

Tina stepped back unconsciously, pressured by the oppressive atmosphere.

“Rather than wasting your time on idle chatter, begging for mercy would be a better use of what little time you have left. You would really trust Yuuki Takamigahara even unto death? ——This is a celestial Dragon Fang weapon, you know. It has three phases, increasing in power with each shift. This is currently in its second phase, able to pierce through even the ScutumHoly Shield. Ready yourself, ‘Sixth Shinki."”

“I don’t need you to tell me that. I will definitely survive until Master comes.”

She was afraid, to be sure. She was drenched in cold sweat and her legs trembled ever so slightly.

Though she would never admit it, even if that meant taking it to her grave.

“…You Shinki take life and death far too lightly.”

Jahar’s lips twisted in disgust.

“I’ve heard more than my fair share of hollow words and empty ideals. It’s true that peace and trust are indeed important, but what you guys need to understand is that those things lose all meaning once you’re dead.”

“I understand that very clearly, believe me.”

“Like h.e.l.l you do!” Jahar roared.

Tina’s eyes opened wide in surprise.

His exclamation just now had held not the least trace of his normally frivolous tone. His true feelings had shone through for just an instant.

“——Whatever the case, all we can do is follow our convictions. That’s what Tina believes.”

“…”

Jahar didn’t answer, but he lowered his weapon, opening his mouth to speak.

“…I said something utterly unlike myself. Your stalling tactics were entirely too effective, Tina-chan. We’ve wasted enough time here, let’s end this.”

“Tina wasn’t stalling anything——”

She moved just as she finished speaking.

She retreated backward, shutting her eyes and covering her ears as she did so, drawing on every last bit of power she had remaining.

“——!”

Jahar’s eyes were blinded by a brilliant flash, his ears deafened by an explosive roar. The light filling the room made it seem as if it were midday.

As she’d been speaking, Tina had been absorbing the divine energy contained within the lantern at her feet.

——Unfortunately, even that had now been completely consumed.

The light and sound would do no more than temporarily stun Jahar. By her estimation, within the next five seconds, he’d become active once more. How should she escape…?

Tina raced away as she considered her next plan of action, but what happened next rendered her efforts futile.

A horrific surge of energy carved out a crater in the floor, sending a terrific heat into the air.

“Aah——”

Fortunately, Tina hadn’t been hit directly, but finding herself standing on nothing but air, she was thrown into the ground.

Jahar hadn’t bothered to wait for his senses to recover, instead attacking immediately with his IgnisFiery Crimson Claymore.

Tina executed a brilliant spin – or rather, failed to, instead tripping awkwardly. With all her might, she struggled to her feet.

The claymore’s blade drew level with her eyes.

“Not bad.”

Jahar watched her, a cold, cruel smile on his face.

There was nowhere to run. Even if she could stand up, there wasn’t a thing she could do to stop that enormous blade from cleaving her in two.

Instead, she looked up and, meeting his eyes, spoke.

“…There’s something I want to confirm, Jahar.”

“And what would that be?”

“You just asked me whether or not I ‘really trust Yuuki Takamigahara even unto death?’ Listen, it’s not ‘unto death.’ ——This Shinki, Albertina, declares that ‘even if I die,’ I trust him!”

As she spoke, she kicked off the ground. Even if just by the tiniest degree, she’d do everything in her power to stave off death. She had to survive until he came.

However, Jahar was faster than she was.

The claymore’s blade pressed against Tina’s tiny frame, cutting apart the ScutumHoly Shield——

“Uwa——!”

Tina collapsed onto the stone-cold floor. She’d been struck from behind, the breath scared right out of her lungs.

However——

(I’m… alive?)

Although she had indeed been wounded, the wound was shallow.

The pain caused her to stand in a hurry.

Two new figures now stood in the room.

One of the new figures, wielding a longsword as white as the driven snow, spoke.

“Any lost children here? I’m here to pick you up, Tina.”

“…You’re late,” she replied, not noticing that her sobbing had drowned out her words.

Just before Jahar’s Claymore had struck Tina, it had been intercepted and deflected by the NixSnow Blade.

Kaya’s teleportation had just barely made it in time.

“——Well, well. If it isn’t the Snow Blade King.”

Jahar shrugged exaggeratedly before turning his gaze to the young girl at Yuuki’s side.

“As well as my master, the ‘Shinki Crowned with the Moon.’ …I thought it was bad enough that you refused to help, but I never would have guessed that you’d even betray me.”

“I-I-I said from the start… that I wanted no part of this. You teleported with the help of the ‘Shinki who Scatters the Stars’?”

“Indeed.”

“The quakes have been her doing as well, I a.s.sume? Her goal is to confirm Tina’s battle strength and condition?”

By throwing her into desperate circ.u.mstances, and by observing her actions in such a situation, she’d be able to determine Tina’s standing. The changes made to the labyrinth had been intended to isolate Tina from those around her.

“Pretty much. Even with the ScutumHoly Shield, if she were to get caught in a cave-in, she’d be unable to move. She’d be forced to call upon her reserves to prevent such a thing, this we knew. As it turned out, she didn’t have enough energy to teleport, so we used the cave-in to drain what little energy she had left.”

“The alterations to the labyrinth don’t seem to have been too controlled. What were you guys going to do if you’d failed to separate Tina and I?”

“We’d simply continue until it worked. Kaya was to draw your attention, distract you; there were many small things we could have done. I have to say, though, I never expected that girl to be so proactive about getting in my way like this. I’d originally thought she only knew how to cry off in the corner by herself, so I had the Stellar Shinki lend me a hand.”

“Jahar-san, you—— You’re more submissive to her commands than you are to mine?”

“When it suits my purposes. For the sake of victory, I’ll do anything, no matter how dirty, even if that means a.s.sociating with some rather unsavory individuals.”

“What meaning is there in a victory like that…?”

Kaya closed her eyes.

Summoning her courage, she looked up and looked at her Duelist through firm, resolved eyes.

“Lower your weapon, Duelist of the Moon.”

Jahar’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“Whoa, whoa, how impressive. Have you come to a decision of some kind? Or has the Snow Blade King over there said something to you?”

“I——”

“Let me ask you something first. Do you really think it’s fine to lose? Even if that loss heralds your death?”

“H-How could I be fine with something like that?”

“Then what could putting away my weapon possibly do? Nothing can change the fact that the Shinki must slay one another.”

Jahar’s lips curled upward, but his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

“This should be engraved deep within your