"——Domain Expansion, Matrix Redefinition"

The predetermined phrase is a declaration of war against the world, the 'witch' said. Magic, by using incantations, is a means to defy the laws of nature and reflect one's will into reality. It is a high-level and delicate barbarism equivalent to forcing a rewrite of the script and changing the conclusion.

In other words, a magic incantation is nothing more than a polite way of saying, 'I am going to break the world now.' Naturally, being a greeting, it can be ignored or rejected. There are many possible failures: the construction of the spell could be flawed, there could be a lack of mana causing it to fail, or it could backfire and result in an unintended outcome. This entire analogy is a digression, to begin with.

What he is trying to do is not magic. However, the predetermined phrase he utters being a declaration of war against the world, its essence is the same. Thus, this is—

"——Domain Expansion, Matrix Redefinition"

It is a murder notice from a self who still wishes to break a world that does not want to be broken.

Kill. Break. Shatter. Trample. Ravage. Desecrate. Tear apart. Maim. Burn to ash. Crush. Smash. Melt. Saturate.

Any word will do. Just like magic. ——What matters is that the essence remains the same.

If the concluding phrase doesn't change, the process doesn't matter. No matter what happens, no matter how it happens, he will remove Natsuki Subaru by any means necessary. That concluding phrase absolutely cannot change. For that,—

"——Domain Expansion, Matrix Redefinition"

Even if it's a starlight beyond a myriad, he will surely reach it.

△▼△▼△▼△

——Four thousand sixty-one.

Surprisingly, the most difficult to remove from the board was the border marquis with the frivolous attitude.

He was highly perceptive and experienced in dealing with crises, so emotional appeals were completely ineffective on the Margrave, who maintained a rigorously strict attitude towards anything that didn't benefit his own interests. Given the circumstances, where they had no advantages to offer, attempting to persuade him with potential benefits was a non-starter. However, being sensitive to profit also meant he had an exceptionally keen sense for detecting losses.

Therefore, it was best to make him think he would incur a loss if he didn't cooperate. Once this approach was realized, untangling the complicated threads became easier. Although there was some guilt in exploiting Schult's situation, they needed someone's help to avoid future chaos in the Barielle territory anyway.

“You can take whatever you like. She’s no longer here.”

― Nine-hundred and seventy-two.

The next challenge came from the demon sisters, especially the elder one, who was a formidable adversary.

They knew in advance that she would need to be handled cautiously. Avoiding her unbelievably sharp intuition was no easy feat. However, in her case, there was a clear weak point—having lost her ‘memories,’ the long-awaited reunion with her sister, who had no apparent vulnerabilities, was her greatest and most opportune weak point.

The desire to bring her precious sister back to their stronghold as soon as possible was constantly present, so they just needed to exploit that. Achieving the perfect balance between blatant and subtle was incredibly difficult, making the seemingly unreachable goal an endless struggle to pursue. Although less cautious than her older sister, the younger one had overcome various trials in the Empire on top of her lost 'memories,' and she too had forged an unspoken bond, making her no less of a challenge.

It pained them to exploit the sisters' love, but it was fine. She was no longer here.

― Six-hundred and thirty-thee.
The most difficult to emotionally convince was the domestic official who was harsh on outsiders.

He had a tough personality that belied his soft appearance, and if you misunderstood and thought he was easily swayed, you would get burned. He was someone who made you feel the tension of fighting a bull with sharpened horns.   

His method of breaking someone down was similar to that of the margrave, but because he was far more human than the margrave, I was able to present realistic compromises and negotiate conditions to get him to say yes.   

No weapons, three-day period, and the accompaniment of a trustworthy military officer—none of these were painful restrictions as they were all expected. It was made clear that being greedy for more in front of him was dangerous. Once the conversation was cut off, there was no prospect of resumption.   

Even with him, the decisive factor was the same: letting him empathize with someone who feels responsible for the unstable self disappearing.   

It was painful to take advantage of kindness, but it was fine. She was no longer anywhere.

――Ninety-four.
Although the number of trials was few, it was an absolute condition to exclude rare blood from the list of companions in the sand sea.

The person with the understatedly elegant rare blood would have easily secured a place as a companion if left alone. There was no doubt or aversion to her personality or abilities, but the blood flowing through her veins was an obstacle to the objective.   

Ultimately, the quickest and most certain way to move a compassionate person in the desired direction was to utilize that compassion. Given her high sense of belonging to the group and strong aversion to disrupting harmony, it wasn't difficult to draw a smooth path for her.   

At this point, it can be said that I had grasped the interpersonal relationships within the camp, including those who had never met face-to-face. If it occurred to her that her presence would create a bad pairing that would burden a timid child, she would proactively work to resolve it.   

What's important is not to make the impossible possible, but to bring to light a possibility that is not zero.   

There were no words of comfort I could offer, but it was fine. She was no longer anywhere.

――Five.
I was well acquainted with how 'she' leaned her heart, and honestly, it was easy.

She, who is gentle, compassionate, and full of empathy, does not know how to doubt these words and tends to take everything as it is. Normally, her tolerance is such that she never makes a mistake, so any failure is not her problem but mine.

This is a story about the hesitation I felt in deceiving her and bending her thoughts to suit my needs.

If I ignore even the creak in my heart, it is easy to fill her violet eyes with sorrow. After all, she is someone who tries to stay close to my wounds. By appealing to her about what she could do best for me, her mindset naturally became fixed.

There is an unsalvageable part of me, but it’s fine. She is no longer anywhere.

—Zero.
And, Natsuki Subaru had never made a mistake.

He knew everything about Natsuki Subaru, and so there was no hesitation at all. It was just a matter of timing.
After all—

“—Ol Shamak.”

The priority condition was to involve Beatrice in this trump card.

“——”

Beatrice’s reaction was a moment delayed due to the unfamiliar incantation and the construction of an unseen spell, creating a critical gap in her protection of Natsuki Subaru.

The swift movement to draw her arms and respond was exemplary of a contracted spirit, but—that was exactly Aldebaran’s true aim.

“Three days. After three days, you would be on guard for something to happen on the third day, wouldn’t you?”

—The trump card, Ol Shamak, which is meant for use against witches, is a forbidden technique intended to forcibly seal the target's gate and restrict their movements completely.

It’s a forbidden technique, meaning it was meant to remain undisclosed, and even the creator, the witch, avoided recording it in any book, passing it down orally—and only to Aldebaran.

The reason it was entrusted to Aldebaran alone, rather than out of love or trust for her apprentice, was due to a cold certainty that Aldebaran would not misuse it and would understand its correct application.

“As a result, the night of the first day, after a good talk, is when you are most relaxed.”

In fact, Aldebaran had never intended to use this forbidden technique against the "Witch" or other "Witches," and he actually didn't. -- More precisely, it would be more appropriate to say that he couldn't direct it at those he should have.

In other words, the forbidden technique that was devised and taught finally saw the light of day.

"I understand, my friend... No, Natsuki Subaru. -- I will not kill you."

During the battle with the "Great Calamity," he used it as a trump card against Sphinx who claimed to be a "Witch," but that was an issue on Sphinx's side -- lacking the Witch Factor, she didn't bring out its full potential.

Therefore, this moment was the first time the forbidden technique "Ol-Shamak" had properly activated.

"――――"

He picked up what looked like a black glass bead from the floor.

Inside the sphere, which didn’t allow one to see through it, he sealed Natsuki Subaru and Beatrice together. -- Beatrice, the great spirit of the Yin attribute, would be problematic if she analyzed the forbidden technique.

It was a gamble to include her within the range of the magic and also make her the target of the forbidden technique.

But, he won the gamble. Beatrice, who was contracted with Natsuki Subaru and shared a gate with him, became a target of the technique and her existence was sealed within the sphere.

It was a struggle to set up the situation this far. But, it was merely a struggle.

She is nowhere to be found anymore. So, --

"I will begin, teacher. -- For me to be myself."

That was the moment when Aldebaran declared with resolve.

"Ooohhhh――!!"

With a tremendous roar, the golden beast kicked the floor of the library as if about to shatter it, lunging forward at arrow-like speed.

The flexible, imposing arm raised would easily crush Aldebaran with a single blow, and the force it contained would completely strip away his ability to act in a fraction of a second.

Probably, even if it only grazed his shoulder instead of his head, it would take more than half of his consciousness with it -- but, that was only if the punch was released.

"――"

"You bastard!!"

The wild beast Garfiel, who had dashed in at lightning speed with his green eyes blazing with rage, did not punch Al but instead grabbed his arm and pinned him to the floor of the library.

Overpowered by Garfiel's brute strength and unable to land properly, Al hit his chin on the floor and let out a groan. Ignoring that groan, Garfiel placed a knee on Al's back, baring his teeth, and asked,

"What the hell did you do to the captain and Beatrice!? Where are they!? That magic just now—"

"You're wrong, Garf-chan."

"What!?"

Garfiel, who seemed ready to interrogate him leisurely, received a low response from Al. Garfiel's throat growled in response, but that threat carried no weight.

In the first place, this exchange was meaningless.

"You should have knocked me out initially instead of just restraining me."

While responding diligently to this pointless exchange, Al moved his tongue inside his mouth. Ignoring Garfiel's bewildered reaction to his words, Al released the medicine capsule that had been hidden in his molar and swallowed it.

A tremendous heat boiled Al's blood throughout his body—

× × ×

"Ooohhhh—!!"

With an explosive force, the floor was kicked and the wild beast charged in like an arrow.

However, the beast's aim was not to punch Al but to grab his arm and pin him down. At that moment, Al dodged the approaching arm and raised his elbow.

"Gaah!?"

"This will—"

Just as Al thought he had thwarted his opponent's momentum, a shock hit his body.
With the momentum of his charge, Garfiel took Al's elbow to his snout, causing a nosebleed, and delivered a front kick that shattered Al's pelvic bone in a single hit, sending him flying backward.

Being incapacitated would be bad.

"You...!"

"Next."

Falling while entangling a bookshelf, Al released another hidden medicine capsule amidst the pile of books.

The impact pierced through his entire body—

× × ×

"Ooohhhh—!!"

With a fierce roar, the beast lunged forward. Dodging its extending arm, he raised his elbow. If he were to strike the opponent's snout with it, the result would be the same as before. Even knowing that, Aldebaran had no means to avoid the front kick being launched at such speed.

In that case, he just needed to make it so the front kick couldn't be made in the first place.

"Guagh!?"

Aiming his elbow at the face rushing towards him, he covered it with a rock-like protector and swung it with the force of slamming a pickling stone, striking it against the snout. The counter, which had gained momentum, hit Garfiel's face, causing him to recoil in midair and fly past Aldebaran, spraying nosebleed everywhere.

"With this――"

Garfiel rolled on the floor and was buried under the books that spilled from the bookshelf he crashed into. Keeping that in the corner of his eye, Aldebaran tried to leap far back, having successfully avoided the first strike. At that moment――,

"――El Shiya"

Right after the short incantation was recited, Aldebaran's entire body became heavy upon stepping on the floor――No, it wasn't that he became heavy. His entire body was enveloped in something restrictive. The true nature of what enveloped Aldebaran in restriction—that was an absurd amount of water, inappropriate for a library――,

"Knowing full well that humidity is the enemy of books, I apologize for my rude behavior."

"――"

"But fire is out of the question. I also want to avoid disturbing the library with wind or soiling the books with earth. I'd appreciate it if you understood this was a momentary decision borne of distress. Now then, as I've explained the logic behind my choice of water――"

As he said this, the small figure, Ezzo Cadner, who had raised his hand towards him, slowly approached, his black cloak fluttering. Rather than acting pompous, it was a tactic of a cautious sorcerer wary of his movements. While it was an honor to be regarded with such caution, Aldebaran felt he couldn't meet those expectations. The water encompassing Aldebaran was in an amount that completely fit his body like a bodysuit made of water, depriving him of both bodily freedom and the ability to breathe.

Against such extraordinary magical skill, Aldebaran had no means to contend. However, Ezzo maintained a certain distance from Aldebaran.

"Lord Al, will we hear a convincing explanation from you? The unknown magic that even I don't recognize from earlier – what was that? What did you do to Lord Natsuki and Lady Beatrice with it? They were worried that you would become reckless and neglect yourself. To those two..."

–– A hundred and six.
Calmly, Ezzo voiced an opinion that one could call an undoubtedly adult's rational argument.

Despite his youthful appearance, Ezzo Cadner is astonishingly proper and sincere. His integrity and respectfulness are ingrained in him to the core; he returns sincerity with sincerity, and responds to respect with respect.

Hence, when dealing with Ezzo, absolute sincerity and respect are imperative. As long as that is upheld, he will invariably remain passive. He tends to expect too much from others. In this regard, his approach is fundamentally different from Roswaal, even though they are both spellcasters.

If it were Roswaal, without considering the impact on the 'Book of the Dead', he would have immediately burned Aldebaran's limbs, assaulted his lungs with wind to render him unconscious, and solidified him with earth to restrict his freedom.
But he does not do that. That is why.

"—You fool!"

With a pause in his words, Ezzo shouted with a tense expression. Around Aldebaran’s face, covered by a membrane of water, a bright red color spread.

It was evidence that his burning, melting innards were regurgitated, passing through his throat and spilling from his mouth.

Immediately, Ezzo tried to release the magical restraint and switch to healing magic, but he was too late.

By the time he thought of it and realized, he couldn't catch up with Aldebaran's —,

× × ×

"—El-Shiya,"

"El-Dona!"

In contrast to the elegant and refined chant, the awkward and inelegant incantation was uttered.

But, the clumsy earthen armor that was rapidly conjured enveloped Aldebaran's entire body, overlaying and absorbing the delicate water membrane restraint.

"What!?"

The earthen armor instantly turned into a muddy one. Aldebaran then resumed his step that was supposed to be thwarted, broke the armor, and leapt back.

Sliding his heel along the library floor, he shifted his position backward and firmly captured in his secured view the two parties directing hostility at him.

Ezzo, who was vigilant, and Garfiel, buried under the fallen bookshelf's books, —

"You're freaking kidding me!!"

Reaching out from the buried pile of books, Garfiel pushes back the fallen bookshelf and returns. He steps forward with long strides to avoid stepping on the books on the floor and glares at Aldebaran.

As the blood from his nosebleed is wiped away with the back of his hand, the bleeding stops in just a few seconds. From the very foundation of his existence, his combat power is starkly different from Aldebaran's.

Dragging his sturdy and solid body, Garfiel begins to step forward――,

"Wait, Garfiel-kun! Approaching rashly is dangerous!"

"What!? You think this is the time for that, Sensei!? The boss and Beatrice have been turned into those incomprehensible orbs! We have to act immediately..."

"That's exactly why! That kind of magic is something even I don't know! Most importantly, right now, he perfectly defended against both our attacks! It's abnormal!"

"――!"

"I had never shown him my hand. Yet, he perfectly countered by absorbing the water binding into the earth. It can't be explained by mere combat prowess. We must act calmly. Right now, the only ones who can restrain him are you and me."

Ezzo, calmly adjusts his tone, holding back the hot-blooded Garfiel.

The persuasiveness of Ezzo’s words is evident as Garfiel's angry and excited expression gradually calms. Most importantly, with just one exchange of attacks, Ezzo's abnormal insight had noted and addressed Aldebaran's cheat-like ability as a peculiarity.

Indeed, Ezzo’s words were correct. No matter how much they tried to be inventive, there was no way to exclude Garfiel, who had accompanied them as a compromise of their team with the prior arrival of Ezzo and his party in the tower.

But that also meant that they succeeded in containing the opponent's fighting strength to just an ultrapotent warrior and magician duo.

"Even still, it's more than a hundred times troublesome."

Cursing under his breath, Aldebaran carefully observes the two of them.

Ezzo, vigilantly watching their every movement, and Garfiel, gradually regaining his composure due to Ezzo's words――they had gotten themselves into a highly troublesome stance.

Therefore――,

"You bastard!?"
"――Don't do anything stupid!"

While listening to the astonished voices of Garfiel and Ezzo, Aldebaran collapses to his knees. He falls forward onto the floor, rolling down the steps in the library, and all the strength drains from his body. Blood gushes out from around the neck of his helmet and flows profusely—

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　×       ×　　×

"Wait, Garfiel-kun! Careless—"

Just as Ezzo is calling out to stop Garfiel from approaching, Aldebaran grabs the nearby bookshelf and pulls it down all at once, causing it to fall like dominoes towards Ezzo at the lower step.

Originally, the bookshelves in 'Taigeta' were so packed with 'Books of the Dead' that they wouldn't budge, but the story changes if you secretly wedge a 'stone' under the base.

—Three hundred ninety-seven.
From the beginning, the plan was to make this the battleground, a place full of obstacles where it was easy to set traps.
The preparations were already complete. If suspicion arose, it could always be delayed for the next occasion.

"—Damn it!"

Ezzo, in a split second, generates wind to forcibly stop the toppling bookshelves, trying to protect the 'Books of the Dead' from falling to the floor.

His consideration for the books is admirable, but—

"Dona."

Then, Aldebaran also topples the bookshelves to Ezzo’s left and right and behind him, encircling him from all sides.

In the face of this avalanche of falling bookshelves and tumbling books, Ezzo, in bitter resignation, gives up protecting the books and, riding the wind, leaps away from the spot, avoiding harm.

"Sensai-san!"

Garfiel, who had not been stopped by Ezzo, widens his eyes and directs a furious gazing expression towards Aldebaran.

In Aldebaran's hand, between his thumb, index, and middle fingers, he holds a black sphere. With the remaining two fingers, he lifts it and pushes it into a gap in his helmet—

"Nggh."

—He forcibly swallows the rather large, harshly-throated object.

"You bastaaaaaard—!"

Seeing that, Garfiel charged forward, letting his anger erupt like a volcano.

In that moment, Aldebaran, feeling the overwhelming gale that was difficult even to follow with his eyes, severed their coordination and was struck with certainty that it shattered his composure. 

As the unrestrained fist gouged his insides, he nearly vomited out the sphere he had swallowed in his abdomen, with his dinner flowing backward inside his helmet, clenching his molars tightly.
And then—

"—Domain Expansion, Matrix Redefinition"

—He once again declared war upon the world.

△▼△▼△▼△

—Rage dyed Garfiel’s vision a deep red.

This fury was not only directed at Al, who had turned Subaru and Beatrice into black spheres, but mostly, it was towards his own pathetic self.

Garfiel had an important role entrusted to him by Otto, Emilia, and the others.

Everyone should have wanted to act alongside Subaru, who had finally returned from the Vollachia Empire.

But everyone had their own roles to fulfill, so they swallowed their various emotions and entrusted everything to Garfiel. Of course, Beatrice, Petra, and Meili, who had come along, also had roles expected of them.

Still, it was Garfiel’s duty to protect Subaru's safety.
And yet—

"You damn stupid bastard!!"

His clenched molars cracked, and with the 'Blessing of the Earth Spirits,' they were restored, only to crack again as he clenched them harder. Such was the intensity of Garfiel’s rage.

He had always kept an eye on Al’s actions.
After listening to Ezzo’s opinions atop the tower, he had been conscious of keeping a close watch to ensure Al didn’t do anything reckless with Subaru and the others.

However, Garfiel also had someone else to focus on besides Al.

None other than Subaru himself.

'Listen, Garfiel. Keep a close eye on Natsuki-san. He may not lose his head over Priscilla-sama, but... in his absent-mindedness, he might just do anything for Al.'

"—Tch"

The caution that had been instilled in him by his "big brother" figure was slightly dulled by the subsequent caution layered on top of it. As a result, Garfiel's reaction to Al's actions was half a step too late.

Al closed that half step as if he had anticipated it. No, Al had not only perceived that half step—he had seen through all the steps beyond it as well.

"Ruaaagh!!"

Garfiel's backhanded punch was dodged by Al as he crouched at the last moment. The power of the strike was diminished to the extent that it only grazed the base of Garfiel's pinky, causing him to grit his back teeth.

It didn't hit. Despite all these rapid strikes, none had landed a clean hit yet.
Moreover—

"Dona!"

With a short incantation, Garfiel's fine hairs stood on end from the sensation of magic impacting the world, making him tilt his body.

In the next instant, a stone block that appeared in mid-air struck Garfiel fiercely across the face as if to greet his tilted form.
A pained grunt escaped with a "Puhak," and his mouth bled. The intensity of the blow was weak. At least, for Garfiel, who had been continuously fighting top-tier warriors in the empire and even clashed with a 'dragon,' it was so weak that it couldn't even be considered proper damage much less incapacitating.

And he didn't think it was because the opponent was holding back.

"Huff, huff..."

Al, who had cast the magic that struck Garfiel's face, was breathing heavily and adopting a cautious stance.

This posture wasn't an attempt to make Garfiel lower his guard; it was genuinely because he was exhausted. Of course, based on Garfiel's assessment, the skill difference was such that just one proper hit from Garfiel would be enough to incapacitate Al.

It couldn't even be said that a single powerful strike was necessary.

If any one of Garfiel's flurry of strikes landed, it would be over. Garfiel could throw dozens of such decisive blows in a single breath.

Facing that, the mental and physical exhaustion one would feel didn't even need to be considered.

Even if it didn't need to be considered—

"They won't hit...damn it...!"

Garfiel was confused, unable to understand the events happening to him.

Both Al's movements and his counterattacks showed a significant difference in skill. As a factual matter, Garfiel, as a warrior, was several levels above Al.

Yet, none of his attacks, which should have hit, nor his evasions, which should have succeeded, were going well.

Garfiel's attacks kept missing, while Al's attacks kept hitting.

Although they weren't powerful enough to knock Garfiel down, they were sufficiently annoying to halt his advance and obstruct his pursuit—

“Garfiel-kun, step back! I’ll provide support!”

Once again, Garfiel found his advance impeded, his footing taken.

Ezzo, who was providing magical support from the rear, shouted to encourage Garfiel, urging him to take some distance.

For a moment, Garfiel considered heeding Ezzo's words to discern Al's incomprehensible tactics—

“Yeah, back off, back off. Go cry to your sis and granny, Garf-chan.”

“—I’ll crush you!”

At the moment he considered retreat, his thoughts were torn apart by the mocking words thrown at him.

With his vision painted red with rage, Garfiel swung both arms and charged at Al. This time, he was determined not to stop his hands or feet, no matter what interference he faced.

If his arms and legs were dodged, he would simply collide and grapple with his whole body.

“In reality, that’s the toughest thing to deal with.”

Sensing Garfiel’s intentions, Al muttered while exhaling heavily.

Garfiel took another strong step, fearing his footing would be manipulated again, and swiftly kicked off to launch himself forward, directly at Al.

Garfiel’s body surged toward Al with tremendous force—at that moment, his vision blurred.

“—Ga.”

With a familiar sensation hitting his eyes, Garfiel let out a groan from his throat.

It was the same sensation as when he had faced a sandstorm on his way to the tower. Fine sand particles flew into Garfiel’s eyes, mercilessly robbing him of his vision.

Again, it was one of Al’s tricks. Normally, his advance would have stopped in surprise—if he hadn’t resolved not to stop his arms or feet, no matter what.

Al was most cautious of this desperate charge.

Therefore, even if his eyes were gouged out, the best option was to latch onto some part of Garfiel’s body and sap his combat strength.

"Garfiel-kun!!"

Immediately after deciding to continue the charge, the desperate Ezzo called his name.

In response to Ezzo's voice, which signaled danger, Garfiel sensed something approaching from the front with his nose––and he opened his jaws wide to catch it with his fangs.

A powerful blow intended to take advantage of Garfiel’s blind spot by aiming for his face. However, this was not enough to shake Garfiel's resolve.

"Don't mess with me! Fix it later!"

Feeling his fangs sink into the fist to stop it, Garfiel promised that he would heal it after he had incapacitated his opponent, and he strengthened his jaw grip.

It was a ruthless decision, but Al had only one arm. If he lost the function of that arm, he couldn't fight. He intended to tear from the back of the hand to the elbow with his fangs––,

"––Huh?"

As he increased the bite force, he realized.
The fist Garfiel had bitten down on had the shape of a left hand, one that Al should not have.

"You fool!?"

In the next moment, Al’s fist, inside Garfiel’s mouth, swelled instantly. Unable to withstand the pressure, Garfiel’s jawbone shattered, and his upper and lower canine teeth were scattered in the air.

Furthermore, the fingers extended inside Garfiel's mouth and stabbed into his throat, causing an unbearable vomiting sensation––a gag reflex that occurs when fingers are thrust into the throat, immobilizing him. At that moment, a precisely targeted, hard and heavy blow slammed into Garfiel’s jaw at an angle.

"Ka...!"

Blinded, in a darkened vision with a sense of the world flipping upside down. His brain rattled from the jaw hit, destroying his sense of balance, and he fell to his knees.
As he was one-sidedly beaten, Garfiel realized with delay.

That desperate cry from Ezzo wasn’t just a warning. It was a predictive plea, knowing that this would happen if Garfiel took Al’s attack.

In other words, everything had gone according to Al’s plan––.

"The idea that reckless charges are the toughest is a lie. Those who don’t think aren't my enemies."

The humiliation and frustration caused by those provocative words continued to stain Garfiel's thoughts redder and redder, bright red.

△▼△▼△▼△

The relentless continuous attacks stormed like a tempest or tornado, blowing away those caught up like leaves or twigs with tremendous force. Despite being so one-sided, the outcome was decidedly one-sided in the opposite direction.

"Garfiel-kun!!"

Witnessing the abnormal phenomenon, Ezzo called out to Garfiel's back. Garfiel swung his arms wide and charged, determined not to let Al escape from in front of him. He realized his vision was being impaired by a thin layer of sand spread in his path. There was no magic reaction. It was simply a sand blinding trap—something Al had gathered from the sandy sea outside the tower and scattered.

Seeing the attack following the sand blinding trap, Ezzo shouted.

Al had used magic to form a left arm of earth to replace his lost one and struck with it. Garfiel opened his mouth wide to bite down on the earth arm, but that was a mistake. Ezzo's bad premonition was confirmed as the earth arm exploded violently inside Garfiel's mouth.

"—Bwaaa?!"

His mouth was destroyed by the expanding arm, scattering teeth and blood. Adding to this, Al covered his right arm with a stone gauntlet and struck Garfiel's recoiled jaw diagonally with it. Garfiel collapsed to his knees. —The seamless, continuous actions were all too efficient.

“Such a combination wouldn't even work in a prearranged practice match...!”

With a series of attacks that couldn't possibly be executed in a predetermined performance, Al had brilliantly halted Garfiel's advance, pushing Ezzo's alertness to the maximum. However, if Garfiel's advance was stopped, then it might even be a stroke of luck—

"There is no longer any room to underestimate you as inferior! Prepare to lose not only your left arm but perhaps even a leg! —Ul Shihan!!"

Worried about Garfiel engaging Al in close combat, Ezzo unleashed a powerful spell he hadn't used until now to sap the opponent's combat power. As Ezzo chanted, mana was released into the spell and rewritten into the world. What was unleashed was a violent torrent of 'wind.'

It was a disguised chant that mimicked a Shiya system chant controlling water, while actually changing the spell being activated.

Furthermore, they set up a trap combining this disguised chant with a Gore spell cast without an incantation, to attack from front and back simultaneously.

It is said that casting different spells at the same time requires two brains to think, a highly advanced technique that only five people in the world can achieve.

Compared to one of those five, Roswaal, there was undeniably a slight lag in the simultaneous casting, but that could be compensated for by combining the disguised chant and the incantationless spell.

"With this――!"

Even if it didn't decide the battle, a fatal blow would land.

That recognition of Ezzo's was clearly overwritten by Al’s subsequent movements.

Al turned his back without hesitation to the impending invisible wind's fury from the front, plunging toward the fiery mass behind while exposing his back to the wind.

Of course, it wasn't a level of firepower meant to incinerate him, but if hit directly, severe burns couldn't be avoided. Despite this, Al―― no, with the slight expansion of the stone gauntlet on his right arm into a shield, he charged head-on through the fiery mass.

"Uooooaaaah!!"

Even if he broke through the wall of flames, he would still be blown away by the wind.
Al should have been flung around by the wind, crashing his body into the walls and floor, rendering him immobile.
However――,

"――Impossible."

In an astonished voice, Ezzo muttered, questioning his own eyes at the wholly unrealistic sight.

Thrown around by the wind, Al indeed smashed into various parts of the tower with no means of escape. Yet, at every collision point, he had preemptively created mud buffers that absorbed most of the impact, thus escaping the wind’s grasp.

"――――"

Now at this point, Ezzo was compelled to realistically consider an outrageous hypothesis.

Despite being clearly inferior to Garfiel in combat skill, and despite evading even the inevitable techniques of Ezzo, the kingdom's greatest magician, some illicit technique must be involved.

Perhaps, if one were to speculate――,

"Could it be, an observation of an extremely short-term future?"

The fact that he had to seriously investigate that absurd possibility sent shivers down Ezzo's spine.

There are stories of exceptional warriors and martial artists who can sense their opponent's intentions and intuitively determine their next move.

In the world of magicians, theoretically, it is possible to read the opponent's next move through the properties of mana intricately woven with intent before the magic is cast.

However, the phenomena surrounding Al cannot be explained by such logic alone.

It is not just simple intuition or empirical rules—everything is the optimal solution.

Ezzo, having been fortunate enough to impart knowledge to others as an educator, knew well that unnatural answers are often accompanied by unnatural processes.

Answers that skip the intervals leading to their conclusion are often the result of eavesdropping.

Therefore, a similar possibility could be considered for the phenomena that Al was causing.

The problem is—

"Aside from sealing Natsuki and Beatrice, there is another unknown magic..."

Even Ezzo, who had read through numerous documents and acquired knowledge of the majority of existing magic, did not know of such magic. If it were a secret art not easily recorded, there could well be techniques that do not fit within the basic six attributes.

When considering that every move could be read, Ezzo maximized his estimation of Al's threat.

He could no longer stand guard with the notion that Al was an unknown enemy with an unknown purpose wielding unknown magic. The danger should be considered equally as high as that of an Archbishop of Sin or a 'Witch.'

Therefore—

"I will settle this while there is still mana remaining!"

△▼△▼△▼△

When she first heard the roar, Petra wanted to believe it was a mistake.

But—

She bit the inside of her cheek sharply, using the pain to bring herself to her senses.

Wanting to believe it was dangerous. People tend to gravitate towards ease and comfort. But what if something bad happened by doing so?

Would you expose important things or people to danger for a moment of self-comfort?

“Meili-chan, over here!”

Petra said that and pulled Meili, who had been helping clean up after dinner, close to her.

Even though Meili hadn't been much help and had only been making comments as usual, Petra was glad she was there. Thanks to that, she could lend a hand.

With Petra pulling her arm, Meili looked up at the ceiling where the sound was coming from and said,

"...Petra-chan, someone is fighting with someone."

"—. Do you know who it is?"

"No idea? But big brother and the big brother with the fangs have no reason to fight, so it's probably either Sensei or the old man with the helmet, isn't it?"

"Al-san and Ezzo-san..."

"If it's Sensei, then we also need to watch out for that girl Flam."

In contrast to the increasingly tense Petra, Meili's tone and expression remained unchanged as usual.

The difference between Meili, who was accustomed to difficult situations, and Petra, who wasn't, was starkly evident. Even so, thanks to her experience in the Empire, Petra managed not to lose her composure, which was fortunate.

It would be troubling if Petra's experiences in the Empire didn't help her life even a little.

"What should we do? Should we go up?"

"...No, let's not. If we were there from the start it would be different, but if we try to join in now, we'd just be in the way."

"That's true. Correct. We could send out just Little Red Scorpion for surveillance, but..."

Above Meili, who had posed a tricky question, Little Red Scorpion clacked its pincers.

It's good that it's aggressive and eager, but no matter how eager a small scorpion like this is, it wouldn't be much help. It wouldn't be much different from Petra and Meili going themselves.

Petra shook her head, damping Little Red Scorpion's enthusiasm.

And then—

"—We have to at least mentally prepare ourselves, no matter what happens."

According to Meili, it's highly likely that someone is fighting on the floors above—in the library of the 'Books of the Dead.' Those who went there for after-dinner duties should be present, including the two Meili mentioned.

And—among them was Natsuki Subaru.

"Subaru...!"

Petra prayed earnestly for his safety, who must be there.

Beatrice and Garfiel were by his side. With those two there, it should be much safer than with herself, she hoped.

And then—

"—Petra! Meili!"

"—Garfiel!?"

Suddenly, Garfiel's voice, like a shout, was heard, and Petra's head snapped up.

Hearing Petra's response, Garfiel rushed into the room where Petra and the others were with great force.

Petra, upon seeing a familiar face, almost rejoiced, but couldn't afford to.

"You're seriously injured...! What happened!? Let me treat you right away..."

"No time fer that! Use light magic on me! Quickly!"

"—!"

Seeing Garfiel, whose face was bloodied and missing several teeth, Petra stiffened for a moment but immediately cast an enhancement spell of light magic on Garfiel's body.

Though still inexperienced, her light magic, when used on others, was unstable, but Garfiel's desperate demeanor left no room for hesitation. Therefore, Petra had no choice but to overcome her inexperience here.

"Hrraa!"

"Kyah!"

As Garfiel received the effect of Petra’s light magic, he forcefully dug his hands into the floor of the room and tore up the stone flooring.

Meili screamed at the incomprehensible action, and while Garfiel held up the torn floor, she asked, "Wh-what are you doing?"

In response, Garfiel turned to the entrance of the room and,

"Take this!"

With that unclear shout, Garfiel blocked the entrance with the torn piece of floor.

Petra wanted to ask him what had happened and if that was to prevent anyone from coming in, but there was no time for that.

The reason Garfiel blocked the entrance was visible through the gaps in the blocked doorway.

"—Water!?"

Meili screamed again, and the little red scorpion above her head also stretched its pincers and tail toward the sky in astonishment.

In Petra’s widened view, beyond the entrance Garfiel blocked, the presence of a torrent of water flooding the hallway on the fourth floor of the tower could be felt through sound and pressure.

Why, for what purpose, and who created it?

"They say read ahead... But this attack's beyond what's readable...!"

Garfiel braced his legs against the floor, enduring the fierce force of the water, his cheek twisted.

Petra felt a shiver at his violent and combative smile mixed with anger. Who on earth was Garfiel fighting with this face?

And why did he run to Petra and Meili alone?

"—Hang in there!"

Chewing over the many questions that sprouted in her chest, Petra supported Garfiel's back.

"—"

With Petra's hand supporting his back, Garfiel put all his strength into his body.

Of course, Petra's slender arms could not add to Garfiel's strength. Concentrating on light magic would have been much more helpful.

But at that moment, Petra entrusted all her worries and trust to Garfiel’s back.

And Garfiel, in turn, tried to respond with all his might.

Eventually, the sound of the enormous torrent of water flooding the hallway became gentler, slowly turning into something like the trickling of water dropping from a gutter after rain.

Garfiel, who had been bracing himself, also eased up, moving the stone blocking the entrance aside and took a deep breath.

After that, he tried to turn to Petra who was touching his back—

"Garfiel! Come! Up there! Not the 'Taigeta' one!"

Was this another application of magic? Ezzo's voice was so loud it made the distance hard to grasp, calling Garfiel who raised his head as if jerked up.

With his usual sharp fang broken, he briefly hesitated, debating if he should explain the situation to Petra and the others,

"Meili... I'll... explain...!"

"—. Is it Al?"

"...That’s right."

Without many words, they only shared who had started it, and Garfiel rushed out with quick steps into the wet corridor to join up with Ezzo.

Seeing his back disappear, Petra let out a trembling breath and covered her face with both hands.

"Don't cry, don't cry don't cry don't cry don't cry don't cry..."

Petra desperately mumbled that, trying to drive away the unpleasant feeling that was welling up inside her.

However, she still couldn't stop the overwhelming emotions from rising.

"Petra-chan."

Gently, Petra's head, which was covered by her hands, was patted by Meili's hand, placed unceremoniously.

Then, her hair was ruffled, and what seemed like an annoyance to Petra, later realized it was just Meili being clumsy at comforting people.

As Meili ineptly consoled Petra, she let out a small sigh and said,

"It's probably my fault, you know. ...Not everyone can be saved by the kindness of an older brother or sister."

"That's... not..."

Petra wanted to definitively deny that, but she couldn't find the confidence to say it before sobbing uncontrollably itself.

△▼△▼△▼△

When he was struck by the torrent that filled the entire passageway, without any provocations or excuses, Aldebaran was engulfed by a sense of helplessness, realizing that his opponent had found the optimal solution.

Even with such an unfair technique, even with such an advantage, the seasoned ones still kept pursuing him.

Their strength was such that he couldn't help but be impressed, without any excuses.

“—Aboah!”

The inescapable torrent did not allow Aldebaran to stand firm or hold onto anything, swiftly sweeping his body away and mercilessly draining his strength and body heat.

The more he struggled and tried to resist the water, the more his strength was sapped, heavily exhausting him. The water poured into every hole of his body, thoroughly washing him out, leaving him helpless.

Unlike a somewhat directional wind, the flow of water could not be managed by earthen walls or stone masonry.

Therefore, what Aldebaran could do was only to be swept away by the water, dragged by the water, and nearly killed by the water. In reality, he had no idea how much water he had actually consumed.
Just—

“Ugh, blargh, agh...”

Gurgling and gagging, Aldebaran expelled the water he had swallowed, panting heavily.   

Without any strength left in his body, he struggled to sit up using one arm for support, barely managing to drain the water that had filled him to the brim like a water balloon.   

He felt as if water was flowing out from his nose, mouth, eyes, and ears. He couldn't sense anything from his lower body anymore, and was too scared to check if he had wet himself.   

After vomiting out as much water as he could, he looked ahead at what lay before him—

"—Now then, you should have no strength left to resist, so let’s hear your explanation."

A wizard and a warrior, who had climbed up slowly, stepped onto the stairs and looked down at Aldebaran.   

The two had ascended those very stairs on which Aldebaran had been swept up, battered and helpless, lying exhausted but still full of fighting spirit.   

On the other hand, Aldebaran looked like a waterlogged rag, thoroughly beaten and soaked to the bone.

"Heh."

Aldebaran let his arm, which was supporting his body, go limp and collapsed onto his back.   

As the sun set and night began to fall, he could see the faint glimmer of stars appearing in the sky. Feeling as if he was being looked down upon by those twinkling stars, he felt a deep-seated resentment towards the sky.

He hated the stars.   

He hated those stars that looked down from on high and shone on the world below at their own whim.

"Hand over the Captain and Beatrice...!"

Garfiel, who lacked his usual sharpness, spoke to Aldebaran who was lying on his back.   

Despite the bitter words spilling from his mangled mouth, prioritizing Natsuki Subaru and Beatrice over his own grievances made him admirable and worth supporting, but unfortunately, Aldebaran's views were the complete opposite.   

It was truly sad. It wasn't that Aldebaran disliked Garfiel.

He disliked no one.   

Not Garfiel, not Ezzo with whom he had just fought, not Petra and Meili who were in this tower, not Flam, nor anyone else he would inevitably end up fighting.   

The only ones he hated were himself and Natsuki Subaru.

"Hey, are you listening, you bastard!"

"Calm down, Garfiel. Also, Aldebaran, your silence here could be seen as provocation. A needless provocation, no less. You should know that by now."

"——"

"It seems that you have the ability to use unknown magic...perhaps some form of forbidden art, but that doesn't mean you are all-powerful. Whether it's me, or someone else, measures will be taken. No matter how skilled a warrior you are, you cannot win every battle."

Holding back an emotional Garfiel, Ezzo spoke calmly and rationally.

Ezzo's words carried sufficient weight for Aldebaran, who had been running amok up to this point. Ezzo analyzed and overcame Aldebaran's abilities through his own solid skill and keen observation.

At this very moment, he couldn’t move even a single finger, so there was no room for excuse.
However—

"—Ezzo-dono, you're absolutely right. I cannot win every battle."

Lying prostrate, Aldebaran affirmed Ezzo's words.

Garfiel and Ezzo each reacted differently to those words. Garfiel with irritation, Ezzo with heightened vigilance.

Even after saying this, they wouldn't let their guard down, which was frustrating.

But that's fine. She is not anywhere anymore.

—Seven hundred and forty-eight.
Drifting through a feeling of helplessness, unable to do anything in that many trials.

The only thing he could attempt was to see where he would be swallowed by the current. After being swept away, tiny Aldebaran could do nothing.

In exchange, he kept drifting, endlessly and endlessly, until he finally hit upon it.

And finally, he found it.

"I cannot win every battle. —That's why, I only need to win the last one."

"What are you…"

"I wanted to get here. This was the only condition for my victory."

Ignoring the puzzled expressions of Ezzo and Garfiel, Aldebaran continued.

There was no room for response. Even now, he was lining up ideas to avoid losing consciousness.

It wasn't out of pride or to make a triumphant declaration.

He just wanted them to understand. —How much stardust Aldebaran had piled up, a glimpse of it.

"———"

As Aldebaran lay on the floor, he somehow managed to lift his arm and pointed in a specific direction toward the two who radiated signs of bewilderment.

Seeing what lay where Aldebaran pointed, Ezzo and Garfiel realized with a gasp.

Even though the two did not fully understand the significance of its presence, they sensed the oddity.

It was――,

"A 'Book of the Dead'...!"

"Whose is it!?"

A single "Book of the Dead," soaked but still retaining its form as a book.

Seeing it lying open on the floor with its soggy pages, the two's eyes widened in shock, their voices trembling.

They had yet to grasp the full meaning. Frankly, even if they were given an answer, they likely wouldn't understand.

However, from the start, Aldebaran had come to the tower to find and use that book.

Because he knew it was the only way to prepare to eliminate Natsuki Subaru.

The title of that "Book of the Dead," written on it was――,

"My name."

"――――"

Ezzo and Garfiel were momentarily overwhelmed by a blank silence, realizing the answer.

It was a clear opportunity, but unfortunately, Aldebaran did not have the strength to seize this gap. The once-in-a-lifetime chance was not his to take.

Therefore, it was left to 'Aldebaran' to utilize this golden opportunity.

Gazing down at the soaked pages of the "Book of the Dead" on the floor, his eyes slowly lifted to look straight ahead.

Then, the entity said to be the strongest in this world, draped in blue-white scales, spread its wings and spoke.

"――The stars were against you."

In the next moment, toward the wizard and the warrior who stood frozen, the breath of the "Holy Dragon" Volcanica――no, the "Holy Dragon" Aldebaran was unleashed without mercy.