"Domain Expansion: Matrix Redefinition."

Responding to the changing situation, he etched and advanced the world in a matter of seconds, instants, and fleeting moments.

For Aldebaran, whose Authority did not allow him to go back in time significantly, this was a gamble that simultaneously ensured victory while also risking its definitive loss.

"Domain Expansion: Matrix Redefinition."

Step by step, move by move, action by action, he verified, confirmed, and narrowed down the possibilities on the board.

To think that super-class warriors accumulated these steps in a constantly advancing time, in a world of unceasing one-shot matches, was truly unimaginable.

"Domain Expansion: Matrix Redefinition."

Not only warriors, but also super-class intellectuals were similar in their ability to think in another dimension.

Rather, they might even appear more monstrous, assembling the progression of the world solely in their minds without actual practice, without the real scent of blood or the pain of wounds.

In any case—

"Domain Expansion: Matrix Redefinition."

Warriors had the right to call Aldebaran's way of being, which trampled on their efforts and the wisdom of intellectuals, as despicable and detestable; they had the right to spit on it. He was willing to be cut by their insults, but in return—

"Domain Expansion: Matrix Redefinition."

—he would definitely steal victory with this underhanded method.

×　　×　　×

"...At least be as charming as a pig begging for food."

The pig-faced man—"Pig King" Doltero Amule—spun his joke in a low, growling voice. Compared to his previous utterances that brought a sense of heavy despair, this one was hoarse.

It was only natural. His entire body was covered in lacerations from steel threads, and he was bleeding profusely from numerous wounds. Rather, it was more surprising that he was still conscious and that his face showed no sign of sorrow.

"I get it, you're not afraid of dying after all this. But even if you're not scared of death, pain still hurts, right?"

"Can't you tell from your own words? Death and pain ultimately bring fear. Therefore, we only need to swallow fear."

"...I don't get it."

Doltero's argument equated the fear of death with the fear of pain. However, Aldebaran believed they were different. The fear arising from death was distinct from the fear arising from pain.

Moreover, pain was a stimulus to the body, so it seemed different from fear as well.

"—. Whatever you say, it's just a pig's howl."

Before Aldebaran, Doltero muttered this, white foam forming at the corners of his mouth.

Dozens of ultra-fine steel threads were wrapped around the "Pig King's" thick neck, constricting his windpipe. Doltero tried to resist by inserting his fingers into the strangulation, but his two embedded fingers lost their function, and the massive body, now deprived of blood to the brain, finally fell to its knees.

Around the kneeling Doltero lay the fifty-five subordinates he had led.

Dealing with the "Pig King" while simultaneously taking down the other men one by one was, quite literally, bone-breaking, flesh-shredding, and life-threatening. It had cost him his life many times—23,008 times, to be exact.

This number of attempts was among the highest in Aldebaran's history of hard-fought battles.

While it was true that the organized attacks of the "Pig King" and his "Black Silver Coins" were incredibly meticulous, the primary reason was Aldebaran's lack of talent.

The steel threads entwined around Doltero's neck were not from Yae's hand but from Aldebaran's, who had borrowed a ring from her.

Manipulating the steel thread with a single finger, he gradually countered Doltero's fierce attacks, wrapped the thread around his neck, and bundled it to constrict that thick neck. It had taken over twenty thousand cycles to learn and master the steel thread technique from scratch within this harsh domain.

"――――"

With a heavy thud of his fist against the ground, Doltero's finally lost consciousness.

Even so, the "Pig King," who ruled the underworld, did not fall on his side but supported his massive body with the fist pressed against the ground, demonstrating his unbroken pride.

Though an enemy, his posture was admirable.

"Oh, Al-sama, you're incredible. I boasted that no one else in the village could master it besides me. Now I'm completely embarrassed."

Next to Aldebaran, who was panting in front of the silenced Doltero, Yae, who had suspended all enemies other than Doltero in the air, spoke.

Her cat-like narrowed eyes were looking at Aldebaran's steel thread technique that had bound Doltero. However, it was impossible to take her praise at face value.

"Don't be silly. Every muscle from the top of my head to the tips of my toes is cramping from using just one finger. You do this with ten fingers. You look slender, but are you actually ripped?"

"Oh, Al-sama, are you curious about what's under my uniform? I've given you plenty of chances to find out, but you've always turned me down, you meanie."

"...Lend me the ring a little longer."

Responding to Yae's playful sarcasm, Aldebaran stroked the ring on his right ring finger. He had tried various things, but for Aldebaran, wearing it on his ring finger felt the most intuitive.

Honestly, he had been reluctant to wear a ring on his ring finger, but he didn't have a left arm anyway. Such girlish sentiments were pointless in a battle.

Anyway—

"Old man, are you okay? Sorry I couldn't spare any attention for you."

"N-no, it's fine. I'm fine."

Heinkel nodded, though he stumbled over his words, in response to Aldebaran's concern.

During the fight with Doltero, Heinkel had honestly been useless and dysfunctional. However, he had contributed by knocking out the men Yae had bound and breaking the "Dialogue Mirrors," so Aldebaran recognized that he had done his job.

As expected, against opponents of a certain level—Doltero, of course, but also Gaston—it became difficult to count Heinkel as a combatant. Aldebaran didn't feel like blaming Heinkel for his mental fragility.

Everyone has opponents they can't even bear to face.

For Yae, it was Aldebaran, and for Aldebaran—well, that didn't matter.

"...Aldebaran, what the hell are you?"

"Hmm?"

"You had no chance of winning against that pig-man. He was superior in every aspect—skill, power, everything. Yet, in the end, you won. Almost unscathed, and overwhelmingly so."

"――――"

Heinkel spoke to Aldebaran with a look of awe.

Listening to Heinkel, Aldebaran revised his evaluation of the man, realizing that he was quite observant.

As an onlooker, Aldebaran's peculiarity must have been even more striking to him.

Aldebaran hadn't become stronger, nor was he particularly compatible with Doltero. If anything, it must have looked like he won by stacking up a hundred flukes.

"—You're a monster."

Therefore, Yae's straightforward attitude, not seeking anything further, was even pleasant.

She answered Heinkel on Aldebaran's behalf, her face devoid of awe or fear. For Yae, her impression of Aldebaran was already complete.

"Al-sama is a monster. We are traveling with a monster."

"...I know a lot of monstrous guys. But this one—"

"Monstrous individuals and monsters are different. Please don't talk about fakes."

Her tone was gentle, her expression smiling, but her manner brooked no argument.

Overwhelmed by Yae's superficially calm intensity, Heinkel fell silent.

"Whether I'm a monster or not, we'll continue with the same plan. Yae will suppress the numbers, and I'll handle the strong ones. Old man, follow my instructions and take care of the mirrors."

"O-okay, got it."

"Yes, sir. As Al-sama commands."

While Heinkel hesitantly nodded, Yae raised both hands, her fingertips moving intricately to manipulate the steel threads. Following her movements, the threads wrapped around the unconscious Doltero, binding the "Pig King's" limbs, who had shown his resolve by not falling, and suspended him in the air like the others.

Although it was a safety measure in case Doltero woke up, it didn't feel good. The same went for Rachins, who had to be beaten until he was unconscious.

"My head hurts..."

Honestly, he had underestimated Felt and the others.

Except for Reinhard and Ezzo, he had thought the rest were practically non-combatants. The old giant, as well as Grassis, Gaston, and the main target, Felt, were still waiting.

"If Al-sama would just remove one shackle, I could be much more useful, you know?"

"――――"

"It goes without saying, but... I'm better at strangling than binding, you know?"

Yae often whispered tempting words to Aldebaran, but these whispers struck his eardrums more sweetly than any invitation to bed.

Unlike Heinkel, who couldn't display his full strength due to emotional reasons, Yae's inability to show her true potential was solely because she was following Aldebaran's ego.

If he removed that shackle, the forest, with its many obstacles, would instantly become Yae's domain. Even if there were five hundred enemies, it wouldn't take long for her to dye the green leaves with blood.

However, Yae wasn't complaining about her inability to do so.

No matter how unjust the order, it was in her nature to obey.

So, the reason she whispered to Aldebaran like this was—

"—Thanks. But it's none of your business."

"Oh, my."

Yae stuck out her tongue, showing no sign of shock at her proposal being rejected.

It was a proposal made without expecting it to be accepted. Surprisingly—or perhaps not so surprisingly for her, as she wanted Aldebaran to achieve his goal—it seemed she was trying to motivate him.

Thanks to her sweet enticement, Aldebaran regained his depleted energy.

"We could escape through the south of the forest, but considering what's next, that's not an option. I'm sorry, but Miss Felt and her group will have to lose here."

"Understood. Shall we proceed as planned?"

Dispelling the atmosphere of their previous conversation, Yae tilted her head, and Aldebaran nodded.

Then, thinking of Felt and the old giant who were likely devising a plan to win on the other side of the forest, he quietly muttered,

"You guys are strong. But—the stars were against you."

△▼△▼△▼△

—With the breaking of the third "Dialogue Mirror," Rom-jii was certain.

"They are indeed doing more than just seeing through our plans."

Removing the now useless "Dialogue Mirror" from his gauntlet and tossing it aside, Rom-jii pondered the true nature of the helmeted man's optimal actions—immediately identifying the mirror-bearers and preventing them from gathering information.

Rachins had fallen, and even Doltero, who had rushed to the scene, had been defeated.

Although he had predicted it as a possibility, the defeat of the "Pig King" was something Rom-jii, who had known him for a long time, couldn't help but be surprised by.

"If he had been born ten years earlier, he might have made a name for himself in the history books during the Demi-Human War."

The man himself would likely laugh it off as an exaggeration, but in Rom-jii's mind, it was a fair assessment.

Of course, the Demi-Human War wasn't so close that Doltero alone could have changed the outcome. Even if he had made a name for himself, it was more likely that he would have been defeated by the "Sword Demon" or the "Sword Saint" of that time, ending his life as just another casualty.

In any case, Doltero had been defeated. Then, was the opponent on the level of the "Sword Demon"?

"No, that can't be it."

Shaking his thick neck, Rom-jii dismissed that pessimistic thought.

Honestly, the "Sword Demon" was a kind of trauma for Rom-jii. Against the "Sword Demon," even if they had a thousand men to his one, there was no sign of victory.

This wasn't about the "Sword Demon" being the strongest on earth, but about the presence that made one think that way.

Even if it wasn't actually the case, there were those who possessed the presence to make their opponents believe they couldn't win.

Felt, despite her lack of physical or intellectual prowess compared to the big names in the underworld, was still hailed as their king.

That was the unshakable "presence." —Something the helmeted man lacked.

Simply put, he wasn't scary. Though that could be attributed to his unknown nature.

"We need to crush that unknown nature one by one. —Launch!"

Following Rom-jii's raised voice, the twenty or so remaining soldiers moved.

Igniting fire magic stones, they fired the contents of the tubes from magic cannons—portable and reusable after cooling, but the launched magic stones were even more valuable.

That was—

"—Night Purge."

Immediately, a white light slashed through the battlefield's sky like a bolt of lightning, instantly clearing the clouds. The brilliance of the blue sky beyond drove away the approaching dusk, rewriting time. —No, that wasn't it. The effect of "Night Purge" was merely a reproduction of daytime.

When launched at night, it would rewrite the night sky, reproducing the daytime sky. If used on a rainy day to reproduce a clear sky, it could create the paradoxical scene of rain falling from a clear sky.

Originally, "Night Purge" was used to dispel the chaos of night on the battlefield, but this magic stone had another effect that many were unaware of.

Just as it rewrote night into day, and the eclipsed sun into the radiant sun, it had the effect of painting over reality with illusion.

In other words—

"—If they were watching us from the sky, their eyes are no longer reliable."

"Night Purge," prepared in case the battle dragged on into the night, had found its use.

Considering it a rare stroke of luck, Rom-jii took steps to seal off the possibility of the helmeted man's actions—surveillance from the heavens.

However—

"Number Six, I've found the helmeted man! I'm going to... ugh!?"

From the report of the mirror-bearer assigned number six, followed by the immediate loss of contact, Rom-jii was certain that the helmeted man had broken the fourth "Dialogue Mirror" and that the possibility of aerial surveillance had been eliminated.

However, there was no disappointment. From the beginning, he had estimated the likelihood of aerial surveillance to be low.

In response to the helmeted man's optimal actions, Rom-jii's first instruction was to rotate the mirror-bearers at regular intervals and to communicate the next move in writing through the mirrors.

However, the helmeted man had adapted, taking out two mirror-bearers in a row.

Even if he had observed their movements from the sky, he wouldn't have been able to respond so effectively.

That left only—

"A Great Spirit I'm unaware of, a powerful Divine Protection, or is he reading our minds? Or perhaps, he's not reading our minds but—"

He listed the possibilities that came to mind and planned to eliminate them one by one.

Based on the helmeted man's actions, a Great Spirit was unlikely. The true power of spirits lay in magic, but there was no evidence that the helmeted man was using a spirit's power to overcome the situation. While it was true that the effects of Yang and Yin spirits were harder to discern compared to other spirits, those spirits were also rare.

The possibility of him having one in tow wasn't zero, but—

"It has a low priority. —Seven, move east. Nine, move southeast. Head to Six's engagement point. No, don't support Six. Instead, coordinate the two units. Use both magic stones and projectiles, and force him to use at least two Divine Protections."

Normally, a single person could only possess one Divine Protection.

There were only a handful of people in history who possessed more than one, and if both were usable, the number could be counted on one hand. —It was strange that both the "Sword Saint" and the "Mad Prince" existed in this era with such abnormal luck, but the possibility that the helmeted man was the third was quite high.

Therefore—

"Bundle and layer the difficulties, and how he unravels them will reveal his Divine Protection. —It's not for nothing that I'm said to have killed the most Divine Protection holders in this world."

△▼△▼△▼△

Aldebaran felt the situation drastically worsen after the sudden "Night Purge."

The enemy's movements began to incorporate deliberate inaction, making it increasingly difficult to identify the mirror-bearers, which meant a change in the order of magnitude of the number of attempts.

"They're shuffling the mirror-bearers, so if I'm even slightly off in timing my approach, the person holding the mirror changes...!"

Furthermore, there was a marked increase in attacks that seemed intended to test their reactions rather than simply suppressing, defeating, and killing them. Setting aside the intentions behind these attacks, dealing with those that weren't directly life-threatening was a pain for Aldebaran.

If it were a fatal attack that would definitely take their lives, he could crush it without hesitation and take measures to seal off its initiation. However, if he removed every minor threat, like removing pebbles from the roadside, the required actions would become enormous.

"It's like, do I have to redo everything for even a scratch?"

However, he couldn't ignore attacks that, like a slow-acting poison, could create a checkmate save for Aldebaran. As a result, once he started doubting, he had to deal with every attack, and the number of attempts increased by another order of magnitude.

"That damn geezer."

△▼△▼△▼△

The more mirrors were broken, the more Rom-jii considered the situation's progression dangerous.

Thanks to prior communication from the leaders of each organization, the roughnecks of the underworld followed Rom-jii's instructions with surprising obedience. Even though some might fall without understanding their roles, they fell without a single complaint, which was admirable.

As a result, their hand was decreasing at an alarming rate, but in exchange, they were gradually and steadily exposing the opponent's hidden cards.

"They're a determined bunch. Felt created the relationship with Flanders, but it seems heaven is indeed watching those who struggle desperately."

He had sealed off the aerial surveillance with "Night Purge" and created a space that made spirits drunk by altering the mana concentration in the area with repeated waves of magic stone attacks, confirming the absence of a cooperating spirit. He suspected the effects of highly versatile Divine Protections, mixed direct and ranged attacks, physical and magical attacks, and used every Divine Protection he knew of—limited to those whose performance had been tested on Reinhard—to eliminate 90% of the likely candidates.

"It's not the 'Divine Protection of First Sight' or the 'Divine Protection of Second Coming.' If it's not the 'Divine Protection of Storms' or the 'Divine Protection of the Tiger's Den,' then there aren't many candidates left."

The remaining 10% could be useful in specialized ways depending on how they were used, but they weren't versatile enough to deal with the current predicament. He kept them in the back of his mind but mostly dismissed them as candidates.

From here on, it was no longer about magic, spirits, or Divine Protections—it was time to suspect Authorities.

"To twist the principles of the world, what arrogance for a mere human, helmeted man."

△▼△▼△▼△

As the flow of the wave attacks changed and the enemy's movements shifted again, Aldebaran gritted his teeth, realizing that the worst possibility that had been growing in his mind had come true.

The old giant—Valga Cromwell—had likely figured out that Aldebaran was using his Authority to overcome the impending crisis by accumulating countless matrices.

The continuous wave attacks and the variety of attacks that had followed were intended to narrow down the possibilities of how Aldebaran was escaping the overwhelming disadvantage.

He probably couldn't grasp the existence of the domain and the infinite number of attempts through matrix redefinition—the true nature of Aldebaran's Authority—but he had a feeling he was getting close.

The likely possibilities of magic and Divine Protections had already been thoroughly investigated, and he had a feeling they were now in the phase of suspecting outlandish, nonsensical Authorities. And just like Ezzo Cadner at the Pleiades Watchtower, it was highly likely that someone with a sharp mind would eventually decipher Aldebaran's Authority.

Of course, even if they figured it out, checkmating Aldebaran would be difficult. Ezzo's decision to fill the escape routes with water magic was a kind of optimal solution, but it would be extremely difficult to do the same in such a wide-open space.

Even so, a lingering sense of unease in his chest prevented Aldebaran from quickly updating the matrix, gradually increasing the difficulty of recovering from a single failure.

Besides, why was Valga Cromwell, a famous figure from the Demi-Human War, alive and cooperating with Felt? Wasn't Valga a notorious misanthrope and a ruthless strategist who had claimed thousands of lives during the Demi-Human War? The combination made no sense, and his boiling head wanted to scream in frustration. It was all so messed up.

△▼△▼△▼△

At this point, the worst premonition had reached an undeniable level, and Rom-jii, enduring the rising feeling of nausea, forcefully stroked his bald head.

He was now certain that the helmeted man was likely a user of an Authority—a power beyond Divine Protections or magic, a non-standard power once wielded by "Witches," capable of distorting the very principles of the world. Previously, Sphinx, the successor of a "Witch" who had been involved in the Demi-Human War, had said she was a failure who couldn't reproduce an Authority. To think that the helmeted man possessed an ability that even a "Witch" would desire so much—he had said he wanted to achieve something for Felt, but this was far too troublesome.

To make matters worse, although he didn't want to admit it, he had narrowed down the helmeted man's Authority to either "mind-reading" or "short-term precognition." However, at this point, he was leaning more towards precognition.

Given how he continued to evade their attacks, if he were reading someone's mind, it would undoubtedly be Rom-jii's. He had taken steps to confirm this.

He had given two units different instructions, ordering the first to pass through without attacking and the second to attack with full force. However, the helmeted man had dealt with the first unit, which he should have ignored, and had fallen into a pincer attack from the second unit. If he had read Rom-jii's mind, or the mind of someone in the first unit, he wouldn't have taken on unnecessary trouble.

That confirmed that the helmeted man's Authority was likely not mind-reading. In other words, the most likely candidate for his Authority was "precognition."

Just because it was narrowed down didn't mean it was a cause for celebration. Sphinx had spoken of it as a power that twisted the principles, but "precognition" was going too far.

What could one do against such a thing? It was all so messed up.

△▼△▼△▼△

"—Those who can't use 'Looped Flow' fall back! But don't stop!!"

Gaston roared in a deep voice, leaping out from the group and throwing a punch at the helmeted man.

Through the mirror-bearer, Gaston had already heard Rom-jii's deduction—that the helmeted man could somehow see a little into the future.

"If that's the case, then we just have to make it so that it doesn't matter!"

Bellowing, Gaston switched from a single powerful blow to a series of rapid strikes, blocking the helmeted man's escape routes and prioritizing landing punches.

However, the helmeted man responded by stomping hard on the ground.

"You used your head, Gaston. But here, it's better not to."

A rising wall of earth protected the helmeted man, blocking the weakened attacks. Just as he had said, it was a miscalculation. Immediately after, the helmeted man struck Gaston's forehead with an earth-covered fist, sending him reeling backward.

As Gaston reeled, there was a sign of a follow-up attack from the helmeted man.

"Here I go!!"

Gaston unleashed a kick with the momentum of a backward somersault, aiming at the perceived attack.

It was a nimble kick, similar to the cat-like agility Felt used when trying to escape Reinhard's grasp. It was unexpected for the massive Gaston to perform such a move, and it was a technique he had even used to land a blow on the Astrea family's gardener who trained him—

"I hit you, four times."

Along with the incomprehensible statement, Gaston's kick cut through the air.

He had honed it to the point of calling it a special move, but it hadn't worked. Before he could regret it, a strange sensation overtook Gaston's body.

It felt as if he were being grasped by a giant's hand, and his right leg was being pulled upward. —Looking down, he saw it was the ultra-fine thread extending from the helmeted man's right hand.

Not only his red-haired maid companion, but the helmeted man could also use it.

"Mine is only one thread. Honestly, she's a genius."

Hearing the helmeted man's listless praise of his companion, Gaston gritted his teeth.

His right leg was suspended in the air, raised to head level. His supporting left leg was on its toes, making it impossible to exert any strength. In this ridiculous position, Gaston was rendered powerless.

And to the incapacitated Gaston, the helmeted man turned his back,

"Old man, take care of him. I'm going to assist Yae."

With that, the helmeted man began to walk away as if Gaston's handling was complete.

Stepping forward in his place was Reinhard's father, as he had heard. The same hair and eye color as Reinhard, yet the atmosphere he exuded felt completely different.

Above all, the look on his face that screamed he was reluctantly following the helmeted man's instructions was irritating.

Therefore—

"—Hnngh, you, don't you dare move... boeh!"

He punched the man's stiffened face and immediately lunged at the helmeted man who had turned his back. However, before his arm could reach him, he lost his balance, and the half-turned opponent dodged his tackle, sending him sprawling to the ground.

He had failed. —He had forcefully pulled his leg free from the thread, and his nearly severed ankle had failed to support him.

"You, with that leg..."

"What about my leg!? I'm risking my life here! Do you think this is some kind of game where you quit after it hurts a little!?"

"――――"

"What pisses me off the most is that you guys are doing this half-heartedly. You're picking fights with people without even being able to laugh at your friends' efforts!"

As he vented his anger at the silent helmeted man, Gaston mustered his remaining strength and stood up.

His right ankle was still bleeding profusely, and the white bone was visible through the torn flesh. Yet, Gaston could stand because of the weight he carried.

Gaston had a woman he loved.

She had been frightened by the possibility that a villain with the "Divine Dragon" might come, hugged him and told him not to worry, and then pushed him to go with Felt.

Gaston had men he admired.

A friend who complained endlessly but always cared for those around him. A companion who, despite his inherent cowardice, never ran away even when his back was against the wall. A mentor who, despite his long-winded lectures, was caring and believed everyone had the potential to succeed. A fateful connection who loved a girl striving to achieve greatness and turned a cursed past into strength.

Gaston had a man and a woman he looked up to.

A strong man who could protect anything he wanted if he were only that strong.

A strong woman whose brilliance was so dazzling that you could never forget her, no matter where you were.

—Gaston had a reason to fight with his head held high.

"Those who don't have that shouldn't step into the ring where people are putting their lives on the line!!"

Roaring from the bottom of his heart, Gaston charged at the helmeted man again, deliberately stepping with his right foot.

Even if this step shattered his leg, severed it, and rendered him unable to walk again, it would be fine. Even if that happened, Gaston would find a way to keep going, and his companions wouldn't abandon him. —Right now, he wanted to defeat the helmeted man.

He stepped forward, his massive body lifting off the ground, and unleashed a knee strike with his left knee. Even if it was blocked by an earth wall, he had a follow-up plan to bring down his raised arms like a hammer.

Either way, he would crush that helmet-covered face—

"—Honestly, that hurt."

Matching his step and takeoff, the helmeted man closed the distance as if he had known it was coming.

Gaston's throat let out a slight groan as the helmeted man's rock-covered fist struck his face, sending his head snapping back.

"You're, kidding... me..."

In the end, none of Gaston's attacks had landed. Yet, whether it was a joke or sarcasm, there was no reason to laugh at the mention of it hurting.

His consciousness rapidly faded due to blood loss from his leg—

"—Raaaaaah!!"

—And finally, he saw a familiar high-pitched voice and a flash of white light at the edge of his vision.

△▼△▼△▼△

—That "Meteor" is called the "Star Staff."

Most of the "Meteors" existing in this world are said to have been created by a single "Witch" on a whim, driven by her curiosity and desires. However, the "Star Staff" is different.

It is a crystallization of wisdom, created by the "Witch" with a specific purpose in mind and with all her effort. —Even if that purpose was to silence a certain "Dragon," its power is real.

It absorbs the wielder's mana and releases it as a spell-less light, the star-like shario.

Of course, compared to the Al Shario that can even kill a "Dragon," it is a faint light. Still, it is an extraordinary power that an individual can obtain without any training.

Chased by the star's light that relentlessly pursued its target, Aldebaran took every defensive measure he could think of, but none allowed him to escape unscathed.

This type of attack, which cut off escape routes, was also Aldebaran's nemesis. Therefore, based on his priorities, there was only one option.

"Sorry, old man."

With an apology, Aldebaran used the raised earth to push up Heinkel, who had been knocked down by Gaston's counterattack, using him as a shield between himself and the starlight.

Naturally, Heinkel, realizing his intention, glared at him with anger, shouting "Aldeba—" But in that instant, the white light struck the red-haired swordsman, and the shock that could silence a "Dragon" pierced his entire body.

"—Ka, ho, guooaaah."

From personal experience, Aldebaran would have suffered burns to his brain and internal organs. However, Heinkel, despite rolling his eyes back, was able to kneel and writhe in pain on the spot.

Heinkel's abnormal sturdiness, demonstrated in Vollachia, during the "Aldebaran" incident, and throughout this arduous battle, and from which he seemed to derive no pleasure, saved Aldebaran. He looked at the source of the light.

There—

"—So you're Camberley."

A dwarf man, leaning on the "Star Staff" that had emitted the light, was bleeding profusely from his nose.

They had repeated this battle 29,221 times already. Aldebaran now understood the gathered roughnecks better than they understood themselves.

He knew the names of every opponent he had encountered so far. He even felt a strange sense of familiarity with them. Sorry, that was a lie. They were formidable enemies, and he was sick of them.

Anyway—

"...Even if you knew how to activate it, it shouldn't be usable by just anyone. How did you manage to activate it?"

"How, do you, think...? Hehe, worry about it, forever."

"—. Don't tell me, Hexcel?"

Seeing the blood coming from his eyes and nose, and the veins bulging on his neck and forehead, Aldebaran realized it was a side effect of a certain drug.

"Hexcel," made from Bocco fruit that activated the body's mana, was a strictly prohibited substance, even in the Kingdom of Lugunica. —The drug had narcotic effects, but its essence was the overproduction of mana through gate activation.

With that doping effect, even those who didn't meet the requirements could wield the "Star Staff."

"Even so, your insides will be a mess. To do something like that..."

"As if, I could back down. Rachins, Gaston, everyone's fighting so hard... Even Reinhard, right? Hehe, I'm in a, pretty amazing place..."

With a deathly pale face, not even bothering to wipe away the vividly visible blood tears and nosebleed, Camberley was in a state that could only be described as moribund.

However, his smiling words lacked the desperation characteristic of someone who had given up.

"Every single one of them..."

Beyond the writhing Heinkel, burned by the star's light, Gaston lay unconscious.

He, too, had clashed head-on with Aldebaran, dealing a painful blow not with his fists but with his words. There were many such individuals in this battle against Felt's faction.

Aldebaran had reached this point by steadily and meticulously defeating each of them one by one.

Through 29,221 iterations—

"—Helmeted bastard, you've never, not even once, risked your life in a fight, have you?"

"――――"

"I have. Right now. ...I have a reason, and the courage, to fight with my life on the line. I've, proven that..."

Trembling, Camberley gripped the "Star Staff" tightly, trying to summon its starlight once more.

But that was impossible.

"Gafu."

As if punishing him for not having enough mana to handle it, the "Star Staff" backfired, burning Camberley's gate and causing white smoke to erupt from his small body.

If an unqualified person followed the activation procedure, it wouldn't activate and would inflict a small penalty. It was a safety measure implemented by the "Witch" who created the "Star Staff" to prevent children from playing with it. The fact that she thought this would be a safety measure just showed how little she understood people.

Anyway, struck by the safety measure, Camberley rolled his eyes back and fell backward—

"Cam-kun!"

—A woman rushed forward and caught his small body.

She had brown skin and wore a seductive dress, and based on her features, she was the female boss of "The Flower of the Underworld." She embraced the unconscious Camberley and turned her fierce gaze towards Aldebaran.

"...You don't have to glare like that. I don't have the hobby or the leeway to kick a corpse."

"You people..."

"Seven days... No, it's six now. We don't intend to stir up the world for more than six more days. —Though none of you believed us."

So the boss of "The Flower of the Underworld" was Toto.

He had also been tormented by Doltero, the boss of the "Black Silver Coins," but her gaze, as she held her precious man, was just as sharp.

Aldebaran narrowed his eyes inside his helmet at the look she gave him. "You wanna go?" he asked, questioning Toto's will to fight. Come to think of it, this was the first time he'd encountered a woman on this battlefield.

He still hadn't seen the faces of Grassis, who had dealt him that first painful blow, nor Felt, their leader.

Ignoring Aldebaran's musings, Toto flexed her limbs and jerked her chin at him as if to say, "Bring it."

Aldebaran couldn't help but let out a wry chuckle at her bold attitude, and he turned his back to her.

And then...

"...Guh, ah."

Behind him, he heard the sound of Toto dropping the iron fan she had raised, struggling to pull the steel threads entangled around her own neck, and then collapsing to the ground.

Having accomplished this, Yae approached the fallen Toto and picked up the iron fan from the ground.

"Wow, it's got poison on it. From the smell and color... I'd say Jiranme? It's a fast-acting, deadly poison. She really was raring to go, wasn't she?"

"Don't be so angry."

"To say I'm angry when I'm being so cute, how rude! Besides, it's all your fault, Al. Turning your back on someone just because they're a woman. Sure, it might not matter to you how many times you die, but..."

"That was no death at all this time. Because you came here for me."

It wasn't flattery; he really did avoid being ambushed by Toto even once.

Hearing Aldebaran's response, Yae pressed her lips together in a difficult expression. It was Aldebaran's way of showing his gratitude, but it seemed hardly worth saying anything to her, considering her reaction now, despite her earlier complaints about his lack of appreciation.

"Anyway, we've finished suppressing everyone here... Ah, how's pops?"

"He's scorched, but alive and kicking. Isn't there something a little off with him, too?"

"Of course he's off. He's an Astrea."

"Even someone like him is an Astrea?"

Nevertheless, it seemed even a member of the Astrea family couldn't fully withstand a blow from the Star Staff.

Heinkel, who looked like he was experiencing the greatest pain he'd ever felt, was approached by Yae to check on his safety. She then gave Aldebaran a look that suggested they should just abandon him.

Aldebaran casually ignored Yae's gaze, his attention focused on the northwest.

"..."

The battle had begun with them being chased south through the forest by smoke.

After steadily chipping away at the enemy, who had initially numbered over five hundred, Aldebaran and his allies had finally returned.

Having returned...

"Huh, strangely, it doesn't feel like I'm seeing you for the first time, helmet-jerk."

"Same here. Maybe it's 'cause I've been thinking about you this whole time."

On the plains where they had first been pursued, Aldebaran finally, officially, came face-to-face with his enemy, Valga Cromwell, after 29,221 attempts.

△▼△▼△▼△

Valga Cromwell sat cross-legged on the vast plains, resting his cheek on his knee.

Seeing him up close again, he was huge. Even sitting down, his head was almost at the same level as Aldebaran's, either because of his sheer size or because his legs were short.

"I feel a sense of kinship. I'm also self-conscious about my short legs."

"I'll have you know, I've never been concerned about the length of my legs. Though, in my younger days, I did wish I had a larger body or longer arms. Can't have it all, I suppose."

"You look plenty young to me now. How old are you, gramps?"

"Who knows? I stopped counting after a hundred."

Valga's reply was curt, but giants were indeed long-lived.

Aside from the elves, who were said to be practically immortal unless killed, giants were likely the longest-living race in this world. And yet, the giants were on the verge of extinction just because they angered a single witch. People of the past really didn't know when to stop.

"There's that swordsman who went around killing dragons because he liked their meat, and that witch who nearly wiped out a whole race just 'cause she got mad at one guy, and then there's the elves who got caught in the Witch of Jealousy's rampage... It's ridiculous."

"For a young'un, you seem to be quite knowledgeable about history. And I hear you're on friendly terms with the Witch of Jealousy herself."

"Friendly? That's a bad joke."

Valga was clearly trying to provoke him, but Aldebaran couldn't help but retort. To be called friends with the Witch of Jealousy, even as a joke or sarcasm, was something he couldn't let slide.

"I'm pretty sure she hates my guts. We've never even made eye contact."

"...Making eye contact with the Witch of Jealousy, huh? Now that's what I call a bad joke."

"If you think that's bad, you have no idea. She's been hitting me with every dirty trick in the book, one after another... Where's Miss Felt?"

"Taking her out of the equation was the quickest way to resolve things with you. Did you think I'd leave her within your reach?"

Aldebaran clicked his tongue at that answer, and Valga let out a snort. He looked behind him at the forest, where their fierce battles had repeatedly taken place, and continued, "So."

"You sure killed a lot of people, didn't you? Five hundred or so."

"I think it's pretty tame compared to your kill count during the civil war. Besides... Ah, no, that's our business. Never mind."

"..."

He almost blurted it out, but forced himself to swallow the words. In this battle, Aldebaran and his allies hadn't taken a single life.

They had inflicted near-fatal injuries to reduce their combat effectiveness, but with proper treatment, all of their opponents should survive.

However, saying that here would likely not improve Valga's opinion of them.

He would only be questioned about their unnatural actions, wondering why they went to such lengths.

Naturally, as Yae had repeatedly suggested, there were many instances where it would have been easier to kill their opponents rather than go through all this trouble. Even if it meant increasing the number of attempts by an order of magnitude, Aldebaran stubbornly adhered to this restriction.

He had made up his mind. Aldebaran wouldn't let anyone else in the world she loved be lost, at least within the scope of his influence. With the sole exception of Natsuki Subaru.

To that end, Aldebaran wouldn't take anyone's life...

"...You can't bear to see any more lives lost before your eyes, can you?"

"...Huh?"

"I had my doubts. Ever since I heard that Ezzo and Flam had been taken down at the Pleiades Watchtower, but not killed."

"Hey..."

"Having Flam use the Telepathic Blessing to inform the Sword Saint, and then ambushing him at the Augria Sand Dunes where he's at his weakest... That in itself is a sound strategy, but it doesn't explain why you'd keep Ezzo alive. And Flam would be useless after using his Blessing."

"Hey, gramps... You old geezer..."

"Cut off any potential problems later. You didn't do the obvious thing. You asked me where I sent Felt, didn't you? I had her follow your escape route. And..."

Ignoring Aldebaran, whose voice was trembling, Valga raised his arm, the one with the Dialogue Mirror embedded in its gauntlet, and tapped one of the uncovered mirrors with his finger.

Aldebaran and his allies had broken twelve mirrors so far, and this was the thirteenth and final one. On the other side of that Dialogue Mirror was Felt.

"...There should still be quite a few who can still move if their restraints are removed. Maybe not five hundred, but do you still have the strength to face another hundred or more?"

"You... old geezer...!"

Aldebaran's brow furrowed inside his helmet at Valga words, which he delivered with a smile.

He was shocked that Valga had taken advantage of their no-killing rule and was preparing to send the incapacitated soldiers back into the fight.

But Aldebaran and his allies hadn't been idle either. They had not only tied them up, but also broken their limbs to make it difficult for them to return to the front lines.

"...Just in case, I had them prepare Hexel for everyone. Next time, you won't be fighting those who fear pain, but those who can't feel it."

"...Hah, bring it on! A hundred, two hundred, I don't care. I'll just do the same thing again..."

He was about to shout in a fit of rage when...

As Aldebaran was shouting, Valga suddenly narrowed his eyes, as if peering inside his helmet. Aldebaran caught his breath.

Valga pressed on with his words.

"I see. This conversation seems to be a first for you."

"..."

For a moment, Aldebaran froze, not understanding what he meant.

But it was only for a moment. Immediately, a chill ran up his back, and Aldebaran finally defined the existence before him as perhaps even more dangerous than the Sword Saint.

"Yae!!"

In an instant, Aldebaran strained his voice, ordering Yae, who had been waiting, to attack.

Using Yae's steel thread technique, they had to restrain Valga Cromwell and silence his thoughts. The quickest way to do that was to kill him. But he wouldn't do that.

Not for the reason Valga had stated, but because he chose not to, of his own volition.

"I'll put him to sleep for six days."

He hadn't come up with a concrete plan yet, but that was the best course of action.

To that end, he ordered Yae to move...

"There."

The voice that came was out of place, like a pot filled with various poisons, with an evil scent to its tone.

The man lying on the grassland, with a scale tattoo all over his body, turned his gaze to a point in the forest, his abnormally large right eye rolling.

It was as if an eyeball that didn't belong to him had been forcibly inserted. That gaze was fixed on Yae, who was about to move on Aldebaran's order.

The shinobi's stealth had been seen through by that man, likely the one known as Manfred of the Scales.

Manfred then placed his palm over his right eye, and with his left eye, which also had an ill-fitting eyeball, he locked onto Yae.

"Don't move."

"..."

The moment that command was given, a slight disruption occurred in Yae's movement as she was about to leap forward.

It was the effect of the Authority of Compulsion, which interfered with others through the weight of words. But if he had used the Authority of Far-Sight to pinpoint Yae's location, that meant he was using two different Authorities simultaneously.

"An Apostle of Typhon...!"

Ignoring Aldebaran's frustration, Yae instantly broke free from the Authority's compulsion.

After the one disrupted step, she regained her composure and extended her steel threads toward Valga with her shinobi agility. But in that one disrupted step, the transcendent beings intervened.

"Flam's enemy."

Grassis, who had also been hiding in the grass like Manfred, leaped and kicked Yae in the torso. Yae immediately crossed her arms to block, but the blow from the young girl who had mastered the Flowing Technique was incredibly heavy, sending Yae's slender body flying.

"I have nothing to do with your sister, though!"

"Pretty much everyone is Flam's enemy."

Yae was momentarily distracted by Grassis's rough retaliation.

Heinkel, who Yae had rolled into the forest, hadn't recovered from the earlier blow from the Star Staff, and even if he had, he wouldn't be much help in this situation.

That meant...

"Domain, redeploy. Redefining the matrix."

From here on, Aldebaran would have to silence Valga Cromwell on his own.

To that end...

"You've lost your cool. That's always the cause of defeat for the losing side."

As he expanded the sensation of twisting the world with his own rules through his Authority, Aldebaran saw Valga bite down on something in his mouth.

He knew because he also had a habit of putting poison in his back teeth. And in this situation, there was only one thing Valga would likely take.

"Hexel."

In an instant, a giant palm spread out before Aldebaran's eyes, and he instinctively leaned back.

He fell on his backside. The giant's body, which had risen in his place, seemed to have grown even larger from the effect of the forbidden drug, and Aldebaran gasped.

He didn't know Valga Cromwell's direct combat strength.

But in this moment, Valga's aura was on par with the many warriors he had faced before, the kind of intensity that only those who had staked their lives could possess.

He was almost overwhelmed by that aura when...

"Aldebaran!!"

A man he hadn't expected any help from shouted and pointed to the sky.

Aldebaran only caught a glimpse of him in the corner of his eye, but in this situation, the only reason Heinkel would point to the sky with such urgency, not out of fear or dread, was...

From the sky, the time limit that would end this battle was approaching.

"With this—"

"—Time's up."

Valga's voice overlapped with Aldebaran's, who was certain of the rapidly changing situation's end. But something was off. There was no resignation or panic in his voice.

If anything, it was as if Valga, too, had been waiting for this moment.

And then, in the next moment, the light that had once illuminated the sky flashed again from Valga's hand.

△▼△▼△▼△

In that instant, his body revitalized by Hexel, which activated his gate, Rom-jii crushed the Night Banishing magic stone in his hand, playing his final hand to defeat the helmeted man.

"Whether it's mind-reading or precognition, the helmeted man's actions don't quite add up."

He had ruled out the possibility that the helmeted man was reading their minds and countering their plans.

Then, he thought perhaps he was evading them by foreseeing the future, but this too didn't quite make sense.

The future is the result of countless choices stacked upon one another. Not just the choices of one person, but of countless people.

To read and perfectly counter this seemed unrealistic and improbable. Besides, even if he could see the future, he shouldn't know the mirror-bearers' positions.

However, it was a different story if he saw the outcome first.

If the helmeted man's Authority wasn't about foreseeing the future, but observing the results that occurred in the future, then his actions up to this point made sense.

He would probe someone's mind to identify a mirror-bearer. He would confirm the success or failure of that attempt, and then move on to the next. Repeating this process would explain the helmeted man's actions and their results.

"What the hell?!"

Now that it made sense, Rom-jii was furious.

It had been unreasonable to assume it was mind-reading or precognition, but seeing the results and then going back... he didn't know what to call it, but it was definitely a cheat, and how could he stop it?

"But there's a hole."

If it were truly an omnipotent ability to observe every situation and respond to everything, the helmeted man should have been able to avoid encountering them here in the first place.

He had successfully countered and trapped Reinhard, but avoiding him altogether would have been a much safer bet than fighting him.

The fact that he didn't meant there was a reason he couldn't.

—He couldn't go back too far in time after seeing the results.

And if he could choose when to use that Authority, creating a gap between safety and danger would naturally make him want to create a safe haven in that gap. —That's where he would set the trap.

He would make the helmeted man think he was in a safe haven, when in fact it was an inescapable trap.

And the final piece to be placed in that trap was...

"—I called you back, the Divine Dragon who is on your side."

"..."

The moment its presence was seen in the distant sky, both the helmeted man's side and Felt's camp knew it meant the end of the battle.

The only reason this battle was even possible was the absence of an overwhelmingly powerful being.

If the Divine Dragon returned and swept the plains with a single breath, it wouldn't matter if there were five hundred or a thousand battle-hardened warriors, they wouldn't stand a chance.

To prove that, the Divine Dragon would unleash a single blast to demoralize them. —This was undoubtedly a ritualistic breath that would be unleashed to end the battle.

And he would make it misfire in a situation where it couldn't be avoided.

"—The effect of Night Banishing is to make the night appear as broad daylight. In other words, it's to cover the true scenery with an illusion."

Normally, it would be difficult for even a skilled mage to give the Night Banishing magic stone a specific directionality, but Rom-jii, who had forced his gate with Hexel, could do it.

Why? —Because this was originally one of the plans that was never carried out during the Demi-Human War.

—It was a variation of a plan to use someone as a target, a figure the Kingdom's army couldn't ignore, and then unleash a powerful spell that would wipe out all the gathered enemies along with that person, a plan that would cost one's life.

"Back then, it was a plan to make someone a target and have them be targeted by magic. But today is different."

The illusion created by Night Banishing spread, enveloping Rom-jii and the helmeted man.

—As a result, the Divine Dragon, Volcanica, flying in from the distant sky, the dragon tasked with ending this battle, should see a vast, empty plain.

Without letting the dragon realize that Rom-jii and the helmeted man were there, he would induce a misfire.

Making it fire at a place it thought was empty, that was how Rom-jii—Valga Cromwell—would seal off the helmeted man's safe haven.

"—!"

The helmeted man tried to escape, but Valga Cromwell grabbed his leg.

Realizing he couldn't escape, the helmeted man gasped and looked up at the sky. The Divine Dragon couldn't see them. Its maw filled with white light, and a breath was unleashed at the 'empty' plain.

"—Felt."

In that instant, Valga Cromwell—no, Rom-jii's mind flashed with the image of his beloved granddaughter.

From when she was a baby, through her childhood, to the girl she was now, it all passed in an instant, and Rom-jii smiled, wondering if this was the scenery one saw just before death.

His unnecessarily large body had been filled with so much hatred and anger, but the faces of Libre and Sphinx, who had been through thick and thin with him, didn't even cross his mind.

With that final thought, Rom-jii, along with the helmeted man, was swallowed by the dragon's breath...

"—Are you kidding me?!"

In that instant, a star's light pierced the dragon's cheek in the sky, deflecting the breath that was about to be unleashed, causing it to explode in a truly empty plain.

"Wha...?"

Tossed about by the tremendous smoke and shockwave, Rom-jii couldn't keep his footing and fell over. The helmeted man was also caught in the fall, letting out a pained groan of "Guoah!"

The incredible power of the dragon's breath, if his plan had gone accordingly, would have undoubtedly trapped the helmeted man in an inescapable situation and defeated him.

And yet...

"I had a bad feeling about this. There's a huge difference between being prepared to die and wanting to die right away! You idiot, Rom-jii!"

It was the lovely granddaughter with tears in her eyes, her star wand, who had smashed Valga Cromwell's plan to shreds, and her red eyes reddened even more.

- By his sweet granddaughter, Valga Cromwell was defeated.