"――My collaborator has taken your father into custody."

At the moment he played his trump card, Aldebaran realized his own defeat. The number of trials in the matrix needed to clear a single problem—132,044 times. This habit of counting was instilled in him by the 'Witch,' and this was only the second time in his life he'd reached such a high number. And just like the first time, Aldebaran tasted defeat once again.

Despite laying down perfect preparations, devising every possible strategy, and having infinite opportunities to tweak his plans as long as his spirit was unbroken, he lost. He truly, truly detested how weak his own heart was.

A weak heart. More than a lack of talent, more than unrewarded effort, more than being unloved by anyone, this was the poison that made Aldebaran despise himself the most.

"――――"

After continuous trial and error with the 'Dragon,' he had finally succeeded in drawing blood from the 'Sword Saint'. That successful experience was overshadowed by the ridiculous blessing of the 'Bleeding's Blessing,' which makes one stronger the more they bleed. However, the fact that he rendered both arms unusable was a significant accomplishment. Honestly, Reinhard, who had continued fighting without sustaining almost any injuries, had been expected to show some vulnerability once he tasted pain. But unfortunately, the world's strongest, historically strongest, and all-time strongest man was also resistant to pain. Therefore, even with both his arms severely damaged, he did not show even a slight change in his expression. That is why—

"...I get it."

Aldebaran, looking up at Reinhard who was gazing down at him in the sea of sand, nodded. The unpleasant feeling of gravel in his mouth, the taste of blood overflowing from the cut inside his cheek, his entire body aching unbearably from the shock waves, yet he couldn't refrain from speaking. Throughout over 130,000 battles, Reinhard didn’t change his expression even when his arms were in such a state. Because he saw that face, contorted in extreme anguish—

"I get it."

Aldebaran repeated words of understanding to Reinhard, who looked like a child lost in the middle of a shopping mall after letting go of his parent's hand. Adding further, he continued.

"Family always holds us back."

"―― You really believe what you're saying?"

"Why don't you see for yourself? For instance... the 'Blessing of the Wind'. That thing that can tell if someone is lying, check if I'm telling the truth or not."

"That is――"

"Can't do it? ―― You have a trauma about taking someone's blessing, don't you?"

At that remark, Reinhard's expression flickered with discomfort.
The invincible and impregnable 'Sword Saint' showed a crack in his armor, like water bursting from a dam. The more he was drenched by the seeping water, the stronger Aldebaran's sense of defeat grew.
He couldn't surpass him in 'body' or 'skill'. It was an unfair move to attack the 'heart' because of that.

It was evidently an effective strategy.
Aldebaran was attempting what he couldn't accomplish even after more than 130,000 attempts - achieving it without shedding blood or sweat, just through cunning.
And for Reinhard van Astrea, who was born to become a 'Sword Saint', there was nothing wrong in that.

"Then, how about cornering him with logic?"

"...Logic?"

"Yes, logic."

As he lifted his body off the sand, Aldebaran cornered Reinhard further.
If 'Aldebaran' could stand up, he might have fought on while sowing the seeds of doubt.
But the collapsed 'Aldebaran' showed no sign of awakening, and he had already used the key to unlock the 'heart'. So now, all that was left was to pry open the closed path with this key. ―― That was Aldebaran's decision.

"As you can see, I've done everything possible to prepare for the 'Sword Saint'. Mountains of plans, the miasma-filled Augria Sand Dunes, and also"

"The 'Divine Dragon' Volcanica, which I allied with."

"Strictly speaking, that was an underhanded technique to manage that... but yes. Yet even after all that, I wasn't sure I could defeat you, and indeed, I couldn't. So, you get it, right?"

"――――"

"Your father was an ally of the princess. Opportunities... there were plenty of them."

Of course, Aldebaran was certain that the reason Priscilla brought Heinkel into her camp wasn't for any superficial reason. Arrogant and proud, Aldebaran's beloved woman, who unabashedly proclaimed everything in this world as hers, forgave both the beautiful and the ugly equally, regardless of her personal preferences. She was not supposed to have used Heinkel to target Reinhard nor did she intend to wound him deliberately due to the way he was. The true intention behind her actions was deeply hidden within her fierce heart, much like a blazing fire, and could not be clearly exposed.

—Perhaps, that was what should have been done.

Uncaring of the burns, perhaps he should have braved the flames with the only remaining arm left to Aldebaran, having lost his left arm, with full resolve that it too would become charcoal and ash. If so, Priscilla Barielle might still—

"...be here"

"Lord Al?"

"I have no reason to hesitate. I can take such measures without any problem."

As Aldebaran declared this, Reinhard's eyes narrowed slightly. Despite his reluctance to receive the 'Blessing of the Wind Reader' due to certain circumstances, he should have provided Reinhard with sufficient information to convince him.

――――

With a glance, he saw that Reinhard's injured arms had not begun to heal. It was said that Reinhard, blessed by the world and beloved by fate, would be healed by the spirits gathering around him if he were injured. However, in the Augria Sand Dunes, the miasma, a natural enemy to spirits, filled the air. Hence, Reinhard's spirit support could not gather. Perhaps, since the dawn of history, no one but Aldebaran may have cornered Reinhard to this extent—

"...What is it that you want from me?"

With a voice as if squeezed out, Reinhard came to the negotiation table. In response, Aldebaran, realizing that his emotional manipulation had paid off, exhaled a long, long breath and said,

"Nothing grand. I won't say something impossible, like follow me as if I were the 'Divine Dragon.' I won't make you betray your master; I won't make you do anything I'd hate if it was done to me."

"I don't understand nor trust this. While holding my father's life as a bargaining chip, you speak of conscience?"

"He's a shameless fool, isn't he? I sympathize with you for having to deal with someone like that. My demand is simple—I want you to let me go, just as it is."

"Let you go?"

In response, laden with an implication of disbelief, Aldebaran nodded his head. He wasn't intending to present any absurd conditions like ordering Reinhard to commit suicide or to hold the Sage Council's actions hostage in exchange for his father. He already understood—Reinhard would not engage in hostage negotiations.

"――――"

He genuinely cares for Heinkel's well-being, wants to avoid letting the antagonistic Aldebaran die, and is concerned about Flam and Ezzo, who remain in the tower. Yet, together with all that human compassion, when it comes down to it, he can sacrifice it all for the mercilessness required to maintain the balance of the world.

Reinhard can sacrifice the genuinely cared for Heinkel and kill Aldebaran, even if he doesn’t want to let him die, and worry over Flam and Ezzo while abandoning them to die. That's what it means to be a "Sword Saint."

Hence, only those who can protect the greater good by sacrificing themselves can become a "Sword Saint."

"Let me just say, even if you let me go here, the world won't be dramatically altered. In fact, with two rule-breakers out of the royal selection, the chances of your master becoming king should increase."

"Lady Felt does not wish to attain the throne by eliminating opposing forces."

"That's noble. But of course, if she had the kind of character that was okay with that, the royal selection could have just been resolved by process of elimination from the moment it started."

This isn't a negotiable point, and he knew it. Despite all the twists and turns, in the end, Priscilla had acknowledged the four other royal selection candidates besides herself. Those who had met her standards weren't going to partake in a trivial deal.

The whole hostage negotiation was, in short, an outcome-predetermined farce. No matter how he phrased it, Aldebaran's dangerous nature was proven by Reinhard's battered arms. Claiming himself to be a safe man at this point would allow no room for belief.

The idea that the "Sword Saint" Reinhard van Astrea would let Aldebaran escape is impossible.

Then, what is the purpose of this exchange? The answer is clear. Everything orchestrated by Aldebaran is solely to achieve his future goals.

"――He's here."

Aldebaran sensed the subtle change in the air before Reinhard, who was unexpectedly caught off guard, because Aldebaran had been waiting for it—the arrival of the thing that would end the never-ending battle with the "Sword Saint" Reinhard van Astrea.

It is—

"――No way."

Half a second behind Aldebaran, Reinhard finally caught the presence and let out a stunned voice.
Reinhard, who has likely peered into various world's abysses in half the lifetime of Aldebaran, should have remained calm even when the Divine Dragon Volcanica, with whom the Kingdom of Lugunica had a strong alliance and trust, turned against them.

Reinhard was speechless. It's no wonder. It was something he was seeing for the first time.
The Augria Sand Dunes, where the Pleiades Watchtower was built—the purpose of the tower's construction was neither for the "Sage" tired of fighting to retire nor for the curiosity-driven "Witch" to store a tasteless library tricking Od Laguna.

"――The Witch of Envy"

It was because that which had been sealed needed monitoring.

△▼△▼△▼△

――That was when Aldebaran's 132,044th battle began.

"With this, the first aid is done, but..."

Petra, having finished tightly wrapping the bandages, looked worriedly at the two injured people.
Petra had just been tending to Garfiel, who was unconscious and limp. Garfiel and Ezzo were found collapsed at the top of the Watchtower, on the top floor, and had been carried down to the fourth layer where as much treatment as possible had been administered.
Petra attended to Garfiel's treatment, and for the other, Ezzo's treatment was—

"Here as well, the treatment is complete. Thank you for lending me the tools."

"Hmm, it's totally fine. More importantly, are you okay, Flam?"

"Yes. Fortunately, Lord Al only restrained my movements, so I wasn't harmed."

Flam replied, gesturing to her body as she spoke. Hearing the name she mentioned, Petra's expression clouded slightly. Flam was safe, but Garfiel and Ezzo were critically injured—that was due to none other than Al's actions. Not just Flam, he hadn't raised his hand against Petra and the others either. However, that doesn't mean Al's actions can be condoned or forgiven.

"Are the two of you done with treatment?"

Petra fell silent, clenching her fists in frustration. Meili, who peeked into the room, called out to her from behind. Meili, who had declined the role of caregiver under the pretext of remaining on guard in the tower, looked at the heavily bandaged Garfiel and Ezzo, a small red scorpion perched on her head.

"Both Mr. Fang and Mr. Teacher are wrapped in bandages."

"…Both of them have severe burns all over their bodies. It would have been great if one of us could use proper healing magic."

"I'm sorry. Being by Young Master’s side has dampened my motivation to learn magic."

"Don't feel down, Petra. I can't even wrap bandages properly, let alone healing magic. When I used to do it for Elsa, I just did it haphazardly."

Even though Petra listened to unconvincing excuses and inadequate consolation, her heart remained troubled. It's not just a lack of aptitude for water magic, which is healing magic, but Petra's failure to acquire the necessary skills here is undoubtedly due to her own lack of resolve.

"If only Mr. Garf could wake up…"

He would have to treat himself, but Garfiel is the one who can use healing magic most properly in Emilia’s camp. With the 'Earth Spirit’s Blessing,' he becomes invigorated just by standing on the ground, and in that state, he can also use healing magic—that’s Garfiel’s strength and sturdiness. Therefore, it's fair to say that neither Petra nor the other camp members expected he would be the first one unable to fight. —No, this time, it wasn’t Garfiel who first became unable to fight.

“Subaru…”

Petra pressed her clenched fist to her chest and called out that name with her lips. Subaru and Beatrice were nowhere to be found within the tower. It seemed they had been neutralized by Al earlier than Garfiel and the others, but where on earth could they have gone? She didn't want to think about it, but she could only imagine the worst-case scenario where they vanished without a trace, leaving behind no corpses.

"Considering the attitude of that helmet guy, it seemed different though?"

"That's just comforting words..."

"It's not just comforting words. To say it's comforting words would imply I’m lying for your sake, Petra-chan. This is not a lie but my honest thought."

"――――"

"While I can rely on the power of my beast, which is exceptional, it's not so easy to make corpses disappear ordinarily. That's why I think helmet guy didn't kill your brother and the others, but took them away by some other method."

Meili put her finger to her lips with speculation, her words grounded in her dangerously high experience points, made Petra frown. If, as Meili said, Subaru and Beatrice were not dead, that would be best. If they were taken somewhere, there might be hope of retrieving them. What on earth was Al thinking—

"――No matter what Lord Al is planning, I'm sure his scheme will soon be crushed."

"My, you say that with quite some confidence."

Meili, who had interjected, tilted her head, winking one eye, while playing restlessly with her long braid. To Meili, Flam nodded in response, saying:

"I'll keep the details secret, but I’ve informed my sister, Grassis, about the situation here. Grassis is currently with the Young Master, so the Young Master should receive the same information."

"The Young Master, you say...?"

"Reinhard van Astrea, the 'Sword Saint,' that is the Young Master."

As Flam said that, she seemed to straighten her posture with pride. The term "Sword Saint" made Petra widen her eyes, but Meili beside her reacted with an exclamation of "Wow" that seemed both disgusted and sympathetic.

"If the 'Sword Saint' is rushing over, then it seems everything will be alright no matter what that helmet guy is scheming. Rather, I feel a bit sorry for him."

"Someone that Meili-chan could say so much about..."

"The 'Sword Saint' was fighting with 'Divine Dragon' as if it were the most natural thing, you know? Ah, but 'Divine Dragon' is with Kabuto-san now, so maybe you don't know."

"... I don't feel sorry for Al-san even if he gets beaten."

Rather, Petra couldn't help but think that he should be utterly defeated. It was still bearable that Petra's feelings were trampled on. Petra hardly knew Al, so even if her feelings were betrayed, the pain was minimal. The truly painful thing was for those who knew Al much better than Petra did. Subaru and Emilia were genuinely worried about Al and created this time, enduring the moments they wanted to be together for his sake. – Al betrayed them.

"I don't want to forgive...!"

Sometimes, Petra wonders if she is not a horribly narrow-minded, unpleasant child. It's not just the anger she has toward Al now. Ever since the incident surrounding the 'Sanctuary,' she has never forgiven Roswaal, and in the empire, she has encountered many unforgivable things as well. Petra's heart cannot forgive those things, nor does she want to. Petra only wants to be good to those who don't do unforgivable things.

Being around truly kind people makes her feel like an awful child.

"Petra-chan, you're plenty kind. I'll vouch for you."

Petra involuntarily looks down, and Meili gently pats her head. When she looks up at the touch of Meili's palm, Meili wears a somewhat strange expression. It’s a face that seems fed up, either with herself or with Petra, creating an odd atmosphere.

"... It's tough, but let's carry Garf-san down. It might heal better if we lay him flat on the ground because of the blessing."

Without mentioning either Meili's expression or the hand on her head, Petra makes the suggestion. Fortunately, Garfiel and Ezzo, despite being men, aren't particularly large. Above all, even though Petra and Meili are powerless girls as you see—

"Understood. Let's carry Ezzo-sama as well. It'll be a hassle to care for them separately above and below."

While speaking, Flam effortlessly lifted both of them. Despite being a girl of the same age as Petra and her friends, her physical abilities were unmatched. She was said to be a servant at the 'Sword Saint's' mansion, which might explain her strength. Nevertheless—

"I don't feel like this is over yet."

Al, who had done something outrageous, left the tower with the 'Divine Dragon', and before long, he would be pursued by the 'Sword Saint' Reinhard, prompted by Flam's message. Both Meili and Flam seemed to think that whatever Al's intentions were, they would be ruined. However, Petra couldn't view the situation so optimistically.

It might be partly because Petra didn't know Reinhard personally. But more importantly, she found it odd that Al, who had ensnared Subaru, wouldn't have any measures against Reinhard. If even Reinhard couldn't stop Al, then—

"—Huh?"

It was when Flam carried Garfiel and Ezzo out of the room, and Petra and Meili were packing up their travel gear to follow them. While pushing tools into her bag, Petra found something strange at the bottom of the bag and pulled it out. It was—

"…A book?"

The book that came out in Petra's hand was one she recognized. It was one of the many books in this tower, literally a mountain of them. No doubt about it. It was a 'Book of the Dead' from the third-floor library.

The presence of a 'Book of the Dead' itself wasn't unusual. However, having it here was strange. They had been strictly warned by Ezzo not to take the 'Books of the Dead' out of the library, and everyone had agreed to this. Nonetheless, a 'Book of the Dead' had appeared from the bag. And moreover—

"—Subaru's bag."

The bag in her hand was the one containing the personal belongings of Subaru and Beatrice. The bag, which held essential items like spare clothes and the 'Beatrice Growth Diary' written by Subaru, inexplicably had a 'Book of the Dead' hidden inside.

"I can't read the name…?"

Petra swallowed and examined the spine of the book, frowning. She had heard that on the spine of "The Book of the Dead" was inscribed the name of the person whose life and death were chronicled in the book. In fact, regardless of whether one was qualified to read "The Book of the Dead" from the library, the title on the spine should have been visible. However, the title of this book could not be read. It had been scraped off to be made unreadable.

"――――"

Petra imagined the true nature of the book with the erased title and the implication of it being hidden in the bag. It was obvious, but the intention behind erasing the title was to hide whose "The Book of the Dead" it was. The reason it was hidden in the bag was likely to conceal the existence of this "The Book of the Dead." And since this "The Book of the Dead" was hidden in Subaru's bag――,

"A book that Subaru hid..."

"Petra-chan? I’ve finished packing over here. How about there?"

"...Meili-chan."

Hearing that voice, Petra, who had stopped her hand, turned to Meili. At first, Meili tilted her head at Petra's unusual demeanor, but when she noticed the book in Petra's hand, she was startled.

"Petra-chan, is that book..."

"...It came out of Subaru's bag. Maybe, with this..."

"With that book?"

"There might be a clue about what's happening right now."

With a tight grip on the binding of the book, Petra considered that she might not be entirely wrong in her guess. The sudden rampage of Al in the tower ―― Al's original purpose was to read "The Book of the Dead" of the deceased royal candidate, Priscilla Barielle. Perhaps there was another purpose, but in any case, there should have been an objective in the tower. If the purpose was perhaps this "The Book of the Dead," and Subaru determined that he must not let Al have this book and hid it in his bag. If that was the cause of the decisive rift between Subaru and Al.

"If we read this book, we might understand."

"I think it's dangerous, so I wouldn't recommend it."

"――――"

"But I understand Petra-chan's feelings about not wanting it to end without doing anything."

Meili, with a look as if she wanted to complain, told Petra that, and Petra stuck out her tongue slightly and said, "Sorry."

No matter what Meili said, Petra intended to do it. ― She had been repeatedly warned by both Subaru and Beatrice that reading the "Book of the Dead" was dangerous.

Ezzo boasted that when reading the "Book of the Dead," the trick was to close your mind and become one with nothingness, but Petra wasn't sure if she could do it.

However, Petra Leyte was not the kind of girl who could sit idly by and approve of being left behind without doing anything.

So――,

"Meili, if anything happens, please take care of the rest."

"To make such a request to someone like me, Petra, you really don't have much judgment, do you?"

After exchanging such a dialogue, Petra took a deep breath, slowly turned the pages of the book placed on her lap――,

"――Ah."

――She touched the "memories" of this world, which were taboo.

△▼△▼△▼△

Aldebaran had no certainty as to when that would be.

Perhaps the girls' hearts were more fragile than Aldebaran thought, unable to accept the events, and might weep bitterly, resulting in the cards not being turned over.

If that had been the case, Aldebaran might have repeated one hundred and thirty thousand attempts another one hundred and thirty thousand times, continuing the infinite stacking of stones with no end.

However――,

"I thought the young ladies would think that far ahead."

The remaining girls, Petra, Meili, and Flam, possessed experience and wisdom beyond their years, as well as rare talents gained from their fortunate environment.

After finishing the treatment of the gravely injured Garfiel and Ezzo, Aldebaran read that they did not stop but began to take positive action for moving forward.

And those who intended to do so found it. ― A book of the "Book of the Dead," meaningfully hidden in Natsuki Subaru's bag.

For those who had nothing to rely on and had lost their way, it might have seemed like a glimmer of possibility left by Natsuki Subaru. If they could trace that thread of possibility, they would surely reach the light that would help them escape the closed dead end.

There was no room to realize that this was the trap set up by Aldebaran.

The "Book of the Dead"—,

"It's the book of 'Natsuki Subaru.'"

This "Book of the Dead," which defied the principles of this world, was truly something that should be considered taboo. What happens when someone deciphers it is far more intuitive and undeniable when witnessed than explained in words.

It is—,

"—Impossible."

Reinhard, eyes wide in his blue gaze, repeated the same word in astonishment. However, no matter how much he tried to deny that reality, it could not be overturned. If the "Sword Saint" Reinhard was something blessed by the world, this was something that cursed the world.

Blessing and curse are two sides of the same coin; it's not a power balance where one is stronger than the other. Therefore—,

"Nobody but the 'Sword Saint' can stop that."

Sitting cross-legged right there, he looked past Reinhard's shoulder at the sea of sand at night—a landscape relying solely on the starlight as a source of illumination—yet still saw the threat that continued to dye it black. It was the ultimate upheaval and chaos, coming from a sealed shrine even further east than the tower where the 'Sage' lived, at the easternmost edge of the world—an ominous wave, like a black tsunami, crafted from the miasma of the 'Witch.'

Touching the taboo and invoking the intervention of the 'Witch of Envy' into the world, that was the time bomb Aldebaran set up for confronting Reinhard—,

"—After dealing with you."

"If you're planning to take me down first, I'll resist with all my strength. But, let me tell you, if you don't go, the world will perish. And, honestly, I'm fine with that."

"What are you...?"

"Even if the world perishes, I will not perish. Because it continues to ignore me."

For this reason, Aldebaran himself couldn't become the switch for the bomb. Only those who are keen-eyed, intelligent, and courageous enough to break through obstacles can become the switch.

"Reinhard, I don't want to destroy the world. Rather, it's the opposite."

"Ugh..."

"I won't lay a hand on your old man. — Go."

"Lord Al, please do not assume that everything will go well."

Gritting his teeth in frustration, he must have cursed as much as he possibly could. Yet, leaving behind a knightly demeanor too refined for the occasion, Reinhard kicked up the sand.

Turning his back on Aldebaran and the others, Reinhard moved straight toward the encroaching clutch of the 'Witch of Envy' that threatened to swallow the Pleiades Watchtower, launching a fierce assault from the side.

In that instant, Aldebaran experienced the illusion of sound, color, light, heat, and all that was supposed to be, being stripped away from the world.

The white strike of the 'Sword Saint' collided with the black destruction of the 'Witch', creating a color that was neither white nor black.

It was comparable to the astronomical light, the bullets of lightning, and the fire that reduced the night to ashes, akin to those cataclysmic big bangs that occurred during the 'Sword Saint' and the 'Divine Dragon's' previous battle.

And this big bang was not a one-time event; it continued, continued, continued.

Over and over, repeatedly, endlessly, unceasingly, heat was born, light was born, color was born, sound was born, and they crashed as if to renew the world, as if to delineate the world of the past from that of the future.

It was a battle without resolution between what would not end and what would not perish.

'...I was put to sleep. What happened?'

The plan succeeded, bringing Reinhard and the 'Witch of Envy' into confrontation.

The legendary clash between the 'Sword Saint' and the 'Witch of Envy' took place close to the tower despite being several kilometers away, its terrifying aftershocks reaching even here.

Perhaps sensing those aftershocks, the unconscious 'Aldebaran' woke up.

Displaying an unbecoming disgrace for the mightiest dragon, 'Aldebaran' lay sprawled on the sand, squinting his golden eyes at the shockwaves that traveled from afar.

'Looks like you managed to pull it off.'

"Yeah. The sleepy 'Witch of Envy', who was not complete, and the 'Sword Saint', not at his best with miasma and injuries to his arms... it was worth crossing all those risky lines. Can you manage?"

'Except for my throat feeling scratchy and the mana in my dragon shell tanks being significantly depleted, I have no issues flying over the sand sea.'

"Alright. We'll sync up about what happened while you were asleep later. For now—"

The moment he tried to stand up and said "Let's go," something aimed at Aldebaran's feet came flying from afar with tremendous force, which 'Aldebaran' promptly knocked away with his tail.

The object that was deflected and rolled on the sand was just a small stone. — Most likely, it was something Reinhard had thrown at Aldebaran to stop the evil clutches of the 'Witch of Envy.'

"It'll keep coming! It might continue until we can't see it completely!"

While being protected as if enveloped by the wings of 'Aldebaran' amid the still-continuing attack of small stones, Aldebaran admired Reinhard's sense of mission.

He understood his role as a savior and still put his whole being into the parts that weren’t. — This 'Sword Saint' seemed more ambitious than the man Aldebaran knew.

Thinking it might be the influence of someone close to Reinhard —

"I told you, Hero. In the end, I'm the one who'll win. Even if I lose a hundred thousand times."

Leaving those unreachable words, Aldebaran, gripped by 'Aldebaran,' flies again into the sky.

The sight of the 'Sword Saint,' standing against the mad obsession of the 'Witch of Envy,' darker than night, on the sea of sand at night, was like a martyr facing a massive tsunami alone.

Though, that martyr would be left alone in the world after it is destroyed.

"At this rate, with that one joining in, can't we flank and take down the 'Sword Saint' too?"

"...What would be the point? If Reinhard's gone, there'll be no one to close the lid of hell. We need him to play the role of the lid."

"Just speaking my mind."

"It's a problem if he dies."

From the beginning, there wasn't even a shred of intention to let Reinhard die.

Simply, if he didn't launch an attack capable of killing, he wouldn't even achieve the benefit of wounding. The 'Sword Saint' was recognized as that high a wall, and that's all it was.

"Don't think that everything's going to go well, huh?"

A parting word from the martyr, isolated by high walls and left behind in the world, comes to mind. Could this also be a result of divine protection? If so, it might be something like the 'Protection of Weakness' or 'Protection of Critical Points' being activated. Indeed, Aldebaran has the power to attract the desired outcome through infinite attempts.

Even with that power—,

"Never once has something I truly wanted to work out actually gone well."

Even after reaching the other side of the 132,044th resistance, within the heart of something that is neither blessed nor cursed, that feeling of defeat never disappeared.