“…Akari.” Her one and only close friend, who was summoned from another world. Menou had chosen someone she could drag into her bloodstained life. She’d made the choice, despite herself. And miraculously, Akari chose the same thing Menou had. The Guiding Force connection that flowed from their souls into their bodies brought down the boundary between Akari and Menou. They were able to share their lives with each other through that link. It was an experience that left Menou born anew. She was supplied with everything she’d lacked on her own and discovered a new way of life. For a brief moment, Menou became Akari. Now that they had shared their memories and experienced the other’s life, Akari was the only one who could truly feel the weight of Menou’s sins. Likewise, Menou felt Akari’s courage as she rewound time repeatedly, knowing her Pure Concept wore her memories away. Menou wouldn’t hesitate to risk her life if it meant saving the girl who’d relived the same events so many times to ensure Menou lived. Menou had three goals: Defeat Hakua, prevent any more Otherworlders from coming to this world, and save Akari. She would remake the world into a place where she and Akari could exist together. Not as the Executioner Flarette and the Human Error that resulted from a lost one, but simply as Menou and Akari. Menou and her best friend would smile and hold hands. They would reclaim those precious times. The corners of Menou’s lips quirked up at the selfish wish. “I can be surprisingly stubborn, as it turns out.” When had she become so greedy? She had trained all her life to survive alone, yet she wanted nothing more than a life with someone else. She’d strayed quite far from her master’s teachings, that much was certain. “But that’s just who I am.” And that was fine. Menou could accept her contradictions. She wouldn’t lie to herself about her feelings. Menou still had plenty of life in her. No matter what came next, she would keep fighting to survive and to see Akari again. Menou turned off the shower, smoothed back her hair, and looked at the mirror one last time. Her own reflected image stared back at her with determination, almost like a challenge. “…I told you… and again…” “…but no thanks! In fact…” As Menou stepped out of the bathroom, she heard snatches of an argument from the drawing room. They were shouting so loudly that it echoed in the changing room, penetrating the walls. The voices reminded her of the inconvenient discovery she’d made the day before. “It’s always something with those two…” Although she couldn’t hear much of the conversation, she could imagine their argument all too easily. Even Momo and Akari had managed to cooperate somehow, despite fighting like cats and dogs. However, these two were truly incompatible. Menou donned shorts and a thin tank top before opening the door to the drawing room. “You. Can’t. Have. Any. I’m going to feed these to my sweet little Menou, got that? It’s not for a shrimpy old lady whose Guiding Force is connected to some nasty underworld, thank you very much.” “Excuse me? You’re just a big bully. And should you really be making fun of me? I might be weak, but I won’t lose to the likes of you, Abbie. The Concept of Primary Colors is a joke—all I’d have to do is touch you, and I’d win, you know.” “Grrr, you little pest! Is that a threat? This is why I hate you oldies!” The scene was exactly as Menou had pictured. Abbie held a plate full of baked treats high in the air, while Maya grasped after them desperately. Abbie was a conjured soldier who originated from the Mechanical Society. She was so friendly to all humans that it could be downright off-putting, but she didn’t get along with Maya at all. They sniped at each other over every little thing. In this case, Abbie must have gotten a head start and stolen the snacks that were placed in the drawing room. Still steaming from the shower, Menou walked over to where Abbie held the sweets up high and gave her a light chop to the head. “Owwwie!” Abbie cried. But while she held on to her head and trembled, Menou knew that she probably hadn’t felt any pain from something so innocuous. “Eh… Eh-he-he-he… Even a chop from my little sister still feels like a treat!” “That’s enough out of you already.” Evidently, Abbie was trembling from joy, not pain. It was a true mystery to Menou why Abbie acted this way. Menou had met other Primary Color life-forms during her few trips to the Mechanical Society in the past six months, and none of the others had this weird obsession with younger people. Menou took the tray of sweets away from the creepily mumbling Abbie and handed it to Maya. “Here.” “Oh my, Menou, going to all that trouble for little ol’ me? You’re too kind.” “I don’t want to hear it from you, either, Maya.” Sitting on the sofa, Maya shoved a pastry into her mouth and smiled blissfully at the sweetness. Menou sat down across from the girl and crossed her legs in preparation to scold her. “So, I wasn’t able to ask you yesterday since we had to travel quickly. How in the world did you follow us here?” Menou had never intended to bring Maya to the north. The girl was supposed to be holding down the fort with Sahara in Grisarika Kingdom, where Ashuna could guarantee their safety. “Oh, I just hopped into the shadow of that piece of scrap metal there.” Maya pointed at Abbie. “I don’t know why she didn’t notice me. Maybe she’s getting a little rusty? Or does that just mean that I’m officially better than her? Heh-heh. It’s so clever of you to pretend to scold me so you can secretly compliment me, Menou.” Menou knew that Maya could use shadows to enter and exit a separate dimension. She had been inside that place once, and the experience was less than pleasant. Now she was both disturbed and impressed that Maya had endured that place for most of Menou’s journey. Still, that could only mean one thing. Menou turned a pointed look at Abbie. The conjured soldier should have noticed a Concept of Original Sin in her shadow. “Abbie? Care to give your excuse?” “I just couldn’t bear to leave my most adorable little sister in the whole world alone with the garbage of the south,” Abbie confessed, her expression meek. “I figured if she came with us, maybe you’d let me get rid of her once and for all.” Abbie was a clear example of honesty not always being the best policy. She was far too quick to admit her dangerous wants and motivations. At any rate, now Menou knew how Maya had managed to follow them here. However, she still didn’t know why the girl wanted to follow them in the first place. “Well, there’s nothing we can do about it now that you’re here… But why did you follow us?” “I mean, why not? I’m allowed to do whatever I want.” Maya smiled primly and shoved another pastry into her mouth. Menou pressed her anyway, determined to make her see the danger. “This journey isn’t safe. As much as we’re allowed to walk around freely in Grisarika Kingdom, we’re wanted criminals everywhere else.” “I know that, Menou, but don’t you know who I am?” Maya’s voice took on a dramatic tone. “I’m Maya Ooshima, a former member of the hero’s party! I’ve been accustomed to danger for a thousand years.” Maya struck a pose, prompting a groan from Menou. Obviously, there was no getting through to this girl. “Besides, who do you think gave you the information that sent you off to the north in the first place? You can’t leave me out of the fun when I’m the one who gave you the idea.” It was true that Maya had told Menou some details about the Starhusk. However, she wasn’t the only one. Menou had also drilled Director Kagarma, another individual who’d been alive a millennium ago, for all kinds of data. She’d ultimately determined that the Starhusk might be a weapon that could defeat Hakua. Maya went on to casually reveal a new fact. “I’m not letting you leave me out! Besides, how do you plan to talk to the Astrologer without me?” “What?” Maya grinned triumphantly at the momentary confusion on Menou’s face. “Seeee? That’s what you get for trying to ditch me. So, Menou. What’s your plan? If you tell me, I might just let you in on what I’m talking about.” “Ugh… All right, you win.” Once she realized how dangerous things would get, Maya might get scared and back down. In the meantime, Menou decided to review all the information. “First, let’s go over what we already know. We’ve come to the north to take control of Starhusk.” Menou looked to the others before speaking, hoping to ensure they were on the same page and, ideally, to convince Maya to give up on tagging along. The Starhusk was a powerful weapon. Supposedly, it was created by the Otherworlder who held the Pure Concept of Star, said to be the greatest of all, during the time of the ancient civilization. The Starhusk had a singular purpose. “It’s a conjured weapon that can hollow out planets and was designed as a deterrent. The apparatus can take in Japanese people who have become Human Errors.” Maya, who was there a thousand years ago, explained the workings of the conjuring that was inconceivable by modern technological standards. “The Star person was said to be the most talented of all of us, especially when it came to Guiding Force knowledge. I don’t know the details, but I’m told Star wasn’t trying to make a weapon. It was a total accident that it wound up as a device capable of swallowing Human Errors.” “Then it’s a conjured weapon that uses the phenomenon of Human Errors, not just Pure Concepts? The ancient civilization’s technology never ceases to amaze,” Menou remarked. “Yeah, yeah,” Abbie cut in. “They were great with Guiding Force technology back then, I know… But listen, shouldn’t that white liquid have seeped in and broken it by now? That stuff is material that can blanch most conjuring constructions into nothingness, right?” “What? No, it’s not broken.” Maya, who knew the secrets of a thousand years ago, was unfazed by Abbie’s interruption. “If the Starhusk broke, it would fall.” That was simple enough logic. “I’m guessing that the white liquid only surrounds it on the outside. It doesn’t touch the Starhusk’s interior.” Menou nodded. “Yes, that makes sense. I’ve seen for myself a weapon that still works after a thousand years.” At the end of the battle in the land of salt, Master Flare had activated a satellite weapon. That, too, had been manufactured by the ancient civilization. “So if we can steal the Starhusk, it should give us a means of attack effective against Hakua. “To that end, to acquire authority to use the Starhusk, we first need to meet with the Astrologer to get anywhere.” Abbie and Maya nodded. The Astrologer was one of the Elders who followed Hakua. It was said that the Astrologer acquired immortality solely to manage the Starhusk. And they already knew exactly where to find this Astrologer. “Given that I fought Executioners in the last town, we’ll have to proceed even more carefully… However, for the most part, our plan remains the same. And since it doesn’t seem like we’ve been followed, I imagine their next move will be to establish checkpoints and try to ambush us.” Menou spread out a map of the northern lands on the table. “Our current location is here, toward the eastern side of the north.” This region was roughly in the shape of a trapezoid, with a thin stretch of land connecting it to the western part where the holy land stood. Menou and company were on the opposite side from that. They’d arrived by traveling across the inland sea that separated the north and the east. “Our current destination is here.” Menou pointed at the center of the northern region, which was completely blacked out. “The City of Ruins lies underground in the Wild Frontier. We need to get there to meet the Astrologer, who manages the Starhusk…but it won’t be easy.” The Wild Frontier regions to the south acted as borders between nations in the center of the continent. Here in the north, however, the Wild Frontier was a section of land carved out by the Starhusk. The great hole was a neat semicircle, almost like the ground had been gouged out with an ice cream scoop. It was nothing but barren ground and mountains of rubble, since the Guiding Force there had died. Menou was bound for the ancient ruins beneath that wasteland. “The church at the border of the north’s Wild Frontier manages the entrance to the City of Ruins.” Menou watched for Maya’s reaction as she outlined the obstacles ahead. Maya, however, stared at a point on the map, hardly listening to Menou’s explanation. “But that was the central city… So I guess it really did end up… Hmm. And the location of this church is right where…” “The central city?” When Menou repeated the unfamiliar phrase, Maya jumped as she came out of her thoughts, then she turned away rudely. Just like the Astrologer situation, she seemed intent on refusing to give any clear answers. Menou shrugged and continued her review. “There’s essentially only one entrance to the City of Ruins. There’s a hole that leads underground as well, but the church is built to cover most of that.” The northern Wild Frontier was also where Master Flare and the Otherworlder with the Pure Concept of Light had traveled together. According to Kagarma, who’d faced off against them in his younger days, the pair met the Astrologer in the City of Ruins and learned the truth about returning to the other world. Menou was still following in her old mentor’s footsteps, even after Flare’s death. Approaching from the remote east, Menou and company had a few different options to reach the church that held the entrance to the City of Ruins. However, Menou was a wanted fugitive. Now that she’d left Grisarika Kingdom, she would have to be careful where and how she traveled. “We could get to the church by train, but…” “No such luck. There’ll be guards at all major transport points. Obviously, that includes every train station. It seems like they caught on the second we set foot outside Grisarika, just as we thought. This big sister is happy to know there are so many talented youngsters, though, even if they’re enemies. The future of the world is in good hands. Mm-hmm!” “What is this walking pile of scrap getting excited about? She really is broken.” “Just ignore her.” Menou and Maya rolled their eyes. Abbie, who’d deployed scouts in advance, drew red X marks on various parts of the map. With her ability to create insectoid conjured soldiers to gather information, no one was better suited to reconnaissance. “From what I saw, it’s all just little knights at the inspection points. We’d be able to fight our way through, if necessary. However, there are a few spots where someone on the level of a bishop might show up if they call for backup… That’d be here, here, and here.” Every member of the Faust was a skilled conjurer, without exception. Anyone experienced enough to reach the rank of bishop or higher was bound to be strong enough to possibly best Menou and Abbie. Looking at the routes that were crossed out, Maya furrowed her small brow. “Hey… Is it just me, or are there no normal roads we can take?” “Nope. Of course there aren’t. Why would they leave any roads unguarded?” When the Faust and the Noblesse combined forces to form a united front, they had plenty of personnel to spare. That meant they blocked all escape routes, at least within national lines. “Which means we’re going to have to take a route without any roads! That won’t be a problem with your big sister’s specially made conjured soldiers, though.” Abbie puffed out her chest proudly. They’d already come this far on the backs of her conjured soldiers. Abbie’s Primary Color creations could carry three people without issue. “Speaking of enemies, how do we know Hakua won’t show up? Isn’t Menou her mortal enemy now?” Maya asked. “Hakua won’t leave the holy land. That’s a definite.” Hakua was stationed in the Star Memory, a library that recorded all of humanity’s memories. For all her extraordinary circumstances, she was still an Otherworlder with a Pure Concept. If she left the memory storage, her lifeline, she could lose her memories and become a Human Error. However, even if Hakua couldn’t leave, she still had her position as the Lord that she had built up over a thousand years and all the power that came with it. “Okay, then what about…Michele, was it?” Menou and Abbie both grimaced when Maya mentioned that name. Michele the Inquisitor. Since the brief fall of the holy land, that priestess had pursued Menou and her allies on Hakua’s orders. Though she appeared to be a young priestess in her teens, Menou and the others had learned of her true identity over the past half year. She was the same person who’d previously been known as Elcami, the archbishop of the holy land. For nearly a thousand years, she’d changed names countless times, having her youth restored and memories reset to serve as one of Hakua’s Elders. “I couldn’t figure out where she is. At the very least, she wasn’t camping out at any of the checkpoints. It’d be great if she’s not around at all…but realistically, she’s probably at the entrance to the City of Ruins already,” Abbie said. “Most likely. Teach knew we were here, so I have to imagine Michele’s in the north somewhere, too. I have to imagine she’s waiting at the church for us.” Half a year ago, they’d fought Michele several times before reaching Grisarika Kingdom, so they knew that she possessed nearly inhuman amounts of Guiding Force. In terms of raw power, she possibly outclassed an average Otherworlder. Whether Menou and the others sneaked past the guards or fought their way through, defeating Michele was likely to be their final obstacle. “We’ll stay at an inn tonight. First thing tomorrow morning, we’ll buy supplies for the journey,” Menou stated. With the plan set, she looked to her companions, especially Maya. It was time to try to convince her not to come along. “Maya. You realize now how dangerous this is, right? You can just go home, you know. And even if you insist on coming with us…if things look bad, I want you to return to Sahara using a reverse summon right away.” Maya’s mentality was mostly that of an ordinary ten-year-old girl. Menou didn’t think letting her get mixed up in this difficult conflict was right. Since she could use summoning-based conjurings that ignored distance, Maya could return to Sahara in Grisarika Kingdom at any time. “Yep, exactly. A weak little twerp like you is just going to drag us dooOOOOWWWn!” “Stop that! I told you to be quiet!” Menou pounded Abbie into silence with her fists. But it was too late—her unnecessary insults had already put Maya into a sulk. “Why would you even say that?” It was clear from her tone that she was upset. Menou braced herself for another fight between the two, then realized with surprise that she was the object of Maya’s glower. “I’m not going back, no matter what you say!” Standing in a huff, Maya stomped loudly out of the drawing room. Menou stared after her blankly, then sighed at the stubbornness of children. She turned a glare on Abbie. “…This is all your fault.” “Whaaat? Are you sure about that?” Abbie looked utterly unrepentant, her blue eyes glittering mischievously. “You know, li’l Menou, you’re actually not very empathetic.” “What does that mean?” “Exactly.” Abbie smirked at Menou’s confused reaction. “But that imperfection is what makes you a truly adorable youngster.” With that mysterious remark, Abbie left the drawing room. Menou had no idea what Maya or Abbie were trying to tell her. In the end, she was left with more concerns than ever. Alone in the drawing room, Menou sighed heavily at the chaos of her current traveling group. The next morning, Menou was greeted by another troubling scene. “Sightseeiiing! Let’s go sightseeing, li’l sis!” Menou was being violently shaken. Abbie had seized her by the shoulders and was making a ruckus. While the woman appeared to be in her twenties, she shook Menou so excitedly that she seemed like a child. “Come on, just for one day! We’re finally out of Grisarika. And yesterday we had to keep moving because you went and started a fight, remember? Your big sister wants to see what all the cute little human children have built!” “Ahem.” “Fwah?!” She was being so loud and annoying that Menou decided to throw her mantle over Abbie’s face. Her goggles completely covered, Abbie flailed around in blind confusion. “…Why does she always have to make such a big scene? As if we’d seriously go along with her silly little demands.” Menou had to agree with the former Pandæmonium, even if she looked like a child herself. She’s so much more mature than Abbie, Menou thought with relief, then froze when she saw Maya’s expression. She beamed so sweetly that it could only be described as “angelic.” “So, Menou. You’re going to take care of me, right? Adorable little girls like me deserve to be spoiled, so why don’t you start by buying me some sweets? A cake would be nice. I don’t know where you’d get one around here, but make sure it’s a really good one, okay?” Where had her sour mood from the night before gone? This was equally difficult in its own way. Maya’s pure, innocent eyes were full of sincere faith that people caring for her was part of the natural order. It was as if she just assumed that all adults ought to do whatever she asked, no matter who they might be. “Do you two understand our situation? I thought I explained all of this to you just last night!” “I don’t caaaare!” Abbie gave an immediate and ridiculous answer. Menou’s face twitched despite her usually flawless self-control. “I want to go around and see the youngsters of humanity working and living to the fullest! I ran away from the White Night barrier so I could see those hardworking kiddos live their best lives, you know! I want to see for myself that this world is full of cute little siblings!” “Listen to me, will you? We’re in enemy territory. We don’t have time for any—” “Huh? That’s all the more reason to do what I say. Since we left Sahara in Grisarika Kingdom, you obviously have to take care of me, Menou. It’s important to protect cute, fragile little girls like me, you know. Do you really not understand that, silly-head?” While Abbie’s selfish demands were a straight, direct pitch, Maya’s impressively high self-esteem made for more of a curveball. What was Menou supposed to do with these two? They were treating this important journey like a vacation. Perhaps it was because this was their first time outside Grisarika Kingdom in half a year. That’s it, she decided. She would just have to ignore their demands. It was the most effective way to deal with the pair. “Hey, Menou, tell me. What are the local specialties around here? Are they yummy? There must be sweets, right?” “Later… Later, I said!” “What a sight for sore eyes… Just look at all these cute little youngsters! The world is so full of hope! Ah, a big crowd is headed that way! Can we go look, Menou?!” “Absolutely not! There’s a church over there!” Menou dragged her two useless companions along as she tried to shop for supplies. “Oh dear. Menou and that idiot got lost.” Maya’s mouth was covered in crumbs, and her remark was lost among the calls from the food stall hawkers. She stood in the middle of a busy street, munching on the remaining half of a tart. This was her treat for today. Menou was used to being broke, making her needlessly stingy, yet Maya had wheedled a purchase out of her. Food was one of Maya’s few pleasures. A thousand years ago, this world’s technology was at least as advanced as modern Japan’s, perhaps even more so. Now that Maya had her memories back, she understood that it had seriously declined, culture and all. Recording and communication methods were especially affected, and there was no kind of broadcasting whatsoever. For Maya, who’d grown up glued to a TV, this made things terribly boring. Folding the now-empty paper bag neatly and tucking it into the sleeve of her kimono, Maya pouted. “My goodness. Doesn’t Menou realize she’s much too old to be getting lost?” It was obvious to everyone but Maya that she was the one who’d gotten lost. However, her high self-esteem prevented her from recognizing that. Maya was widely acknowledged to be a beautiful girl. When she lived in Japan, she was able to get work as an actress thanks to her sheer cuteness. Adults did whatever she wanted. It was only natural that everyone should love her. Maya walked down a narrow alleyway in what she vaguely remembered as the direction of the main street. “Menou is so careless, taking her eyes off me like that. A cute girl like me turns everyone’s heads just by walking down the street, especially in this world that doesn’t have cars. Doesn’t she know I need to be protected? I’ll have to give her a good talking-to later.” Suddenly, Maya remembered what Menou said in the parlor the night prior. “You can just go home, you know.” Menou had meant the words to be kind. However, that’s what made them so hurtful. Maya had been with her for half a year, yet the girl who looked exactly like Hakua only saw her as someone to be protected. It was no different from a thousand years ago. The group had always left Maya out of things because she was young, keeping her far away from anything important. They didn’t get it. Not one person understood how Maya felt. “They all look down on me… I’ll show them, no matter what it takes!” She was no ordinary child, not anymore. She was a unique exception who’d been restored from Pandæmonium, one of the Four Major Human Errors. Her determination and self-awareness burned so brightly they could have illuminated the dark alley she walked down. “Miss Maya.” A cool voice stopped the girl in her tracks. Had Menou finally found her? Maya whirled around to give her a scolding, then gasped. A girl who looked to be in her late teens stood before her. She wore priestess robes modified for mobility and the armband of an Inquisitor. Her commonplace brown hair was tied to prevent it from getting in her way. Her expression was intensely serious. This was Michele. The woman they had to be most wary of on this journey bowed her head. “I am honored to see you again, Miss Maya.” “What are you playing at? How were you able to find me?” Where was Menou? Maya slowly stepped backward as she spoke to the priestess. “That incompetent bunch who failed at a surprise attack informed me that you were traveling with Flarette, so I set guards at the best bakeshops in the nearby towns. You’ve always had a weakness for sweets, after all.” Maya and Michele had a history, although Maya had kept that a secret from Menou. It went back to before Maya became a Human Error. A thousand years ago, when she worked with Hakua to try returning to Japan, Michele had been there, too. She’d only been a nameless mercenary, but by some twist of fate, she’d joined forces with Maya, Hakua, and the others. Back then, Hakua had been gaining a reputation as the Ivory hero, and Michele had been one of her greatest admirers. Maya had known Michele long enough to be utterly unsurprised that she had been serving Hakua for the last thousand years as an Elder. “What do you plan to do with me?” “I bear no ill intent. I simply wanted to pay my respects to you first.” “Respects?” Maya remained on guard against Hakua’s faithful servant, but Michele made no hostile movements. She even placed her sword and scripture on the ground to show she meant no harm. “When I first saw you a few months ago while chasing after Flarette, I was so surprised that it took my breath away. I was under the impression that you had become a Human Error as well.” Michele was referring to when Maya and the others had fled to Grisarika Kingdom from the holy land by way of the north. Michele must have learned that Maya was with Menou then and reported it to Hakua. “Were it not for your presence, I would not have hesitated. I doubt I would have let that imitation escape to Grisarika. That place…is home to a troublesome creature that has nested there for a thousand years. Between dear Miss Gadou’s Human Error the Mechanical Society and the Guardian who lurks in Grisarika Kingdom, our reach is more limited than ever.” The ”imitation” Michele referred to was probably Menou. Her voice dripped with contempt and loathing for the being created for Hakua to possess. “And what does my existence have to do with your hesitation?” Maya asked. “Isn’t it obvious? I cannot fight you.” Michele raised her head and put a hand to her chest, looking sincere. “I cannot bear to hurt you when you know the same pain that I do.” “…” Maya answered Michele’s serious declaration with silence. They did indeed have something in common. Both were victims of the cruel human experiments conducted by the ancient civilization a thousand years ago. Although they were subjected to different experiments, both had been put through suffering that no one was meant to endure. “Don’t you remember? You’re the one who gave me the name of an angel, where once I had none.” “…I’ve forgotten all that.” Maya averted her eyes but caught Michele smiling at her. It was a genuine expression, and a rare sort for the straitlaced priestess. Her attitude was the same as it had been a thousand years ago. She was always respectful to Maya, even though she was a child. Michele pointed at the scripture on the ground. “I’m told you’re after the Starhusk. When I heard that you were here, I contacted Lady Hakua.” Upon hearing that name, Maya felt blood rush to her head. In a sense, Maya owed her resurrection to Manon outmaneuvering Hakua. However, Hakua had destroyed Manon immediately afterward. “If you want to do something about me, why not just take me with you by force?! I’m sure you’re well aware! I’m just—” “There’s no point in results achieved by means that disregard someone’s wishes.” Michele sounded resolute. She had complete faith in her own righteousness, and in Hakua’s as well. “I have been entrusted with a message for you in case we ever met. Please listen and decide for yourself.” Maya opened the scripture that was offered to her with shaking hands. She flipped through the pages, and Guiding Light beamed out and formed a small figure. “Hey… It’s been a while, Maya.” The scripture conjuring played back a recorded video from a former friend. It was the first time Maya had seen her in nearly a thousand years. “I didn’t realize that you’d woken up. I couldn’t believe my ears when I heard about it six months ago. Michele told me that you left Grisarika Kingdom. I’m heading your way now.” Maya’s eyes widened at the unexpected message. Hakua was actually leaving her lifeline, the Star Memory, to see Maya. The girl looked up in surprise, and Michele nodded. Hakua really wanted to see her former friend that badly. “Since we were old friends, I don’t want you to misunderstand what’s going on. I want to see you and talk face-to-face. I’d like to do it one-on-one, since…Menou will probably get in the way if she’s around. After we talk, it’s up to you whether you want to forgive me or not. So let’s meet in the place where we parted ways for good a thousand years ago.” Maya’s chest tightened at the nostalgic sound of her old friend’s passionate voice. “I’ll be waiting where it all happened.” At this, the scripture’s displayed image changed to a map. It was a map of the north. There was a date and a symbol on a certain spot. It just so happened to be the church Menou was bound for, the one she’d called the entrance to the City of Ruins. More importantly, it was the place where Maya and Hakua saw each other for the last time, a thousand years prior. It was obvious from a glance at the map. The entrance to the City of Ruins was on the very spot where Hakua had betrayed Maya and the others. “Why there, of all places?” “Lady Hakua has left the holy land, despite the considerable risk. It has been more than ten days since she departed the Star Memory. Given the amount of time needed for travel, there is no other choice but to meet then and there,” Michele explained. “…I see.” Maya slowly raised her head, glaring at Michele from her much lower height. “This is a trap, right? Did you really think that I’d be stupid enough to fall for an invitation like this? Really. You must think very little of me.” There was a significant reason she didn’t trust Hakua. “Hakua killed Manon! Why would I ever do what she asks?!” “Lady Hakua only wishes to speak with you. As I have no memories of the past millennium, I am not entirely clear why you are no longer on good terms, but there seems to have been a misunderstanding.” “A misunderstanding?” Maya smiled in a mocking way that suited her young and elegant features. “There most certainly isn’t!” She shouted as angrily as her small body could manage. “She betrayed me! She killed my family!! She ruined all of our hard work! That’s all there is to it!” “…Please, try to get along with her as you once did. That’s all I ask.” Michele didn’t argue. She bowed politely and walked away, leaving the scripture behind. Maya tore out the page that reproduced Hakua’s voice and crushed it in her fist. This had to be a trick. It could only be a trap. Maya had no reason to trust Hakua after all this time. A thousand years ago, Hakua had suddenly betrayed the rest of the group. It had been completely unexpected. So much so that Maya had never doubted for a second that Hakua was her friend until it happened. She bit her lip. The turmoil in her churned even after Menou found her. The sound of flipped pages whispered through the room. Late at night, while every other soul was asleep, Menou leafed through a book in her bedroom at their base. The faint noise each time she turned a page only made the silence that much more pronounced. It wasn’t a scripture, of course. Menou had given up that book she carried everywhere when she left the Faust. Although it was an advanced conjuring tool that served as a very useful weapon, the risk that it might be connected to its creator, Hakua, was too great. Menou was writing in an ordinary diary that could be bought at any general store. “What an exhausting day…” In the course of one afternoon, she’d been forced to fend off Abbie’s and Maya’s selfish demands constantly as she went about her business. At one point, Maya even got separated from the group. Menou recorded the day’s events, then turned back to the earlier pages. The diary contained all of her past, detailing things as far back as her memories went. From her journey with Master Flare that began in a crumbled white town, to her time in the monastery where she met Momo and Sahara, to becoming the youngest Executioner of all time, and beyond. “I haven’t seen Momo in quite a while now.” How long had it been since she and her loyal assistant were separated for this long? Menou had forced herself not to check what Momo was up to. In the current situation, making contact was too risky. Menou had asked Momo to look after Akari’s body. Few people knew of Momo and Menou’s relationship. Since the activities of Executioners weren’t recorded anywhere, there were no documents to prove that Momo was Menou’s assistant, and Menou had exclusively trained with Master Flare during her time at the monastery. Most of the other instructors didn’t know anything about Menou. With the monastery documents destroyed, Momo should be an unknown to Hakua and her servants, making her the person Menou could trust the most. Momo would be able to evade Hakua’s extensive surveillance network and keep Akari safe. Hakua likely assumed that Menou was hiding Akari’s location, but in truth, even Menou didn’t know exactly where she was. “I really do rely on Momo far too much.” From when she still wore white robes to when she donned the indigo ones and Momo became her aide… Menou flipped the pages of the diary. Memories of her travels with Akari largely dominated the journal. Since it included records of the many times their journey had been repeated by way of the Pure Concept of Time, more than half of the diary—which was meant to contain ten years or more—covered the trip with Akari. Menou read over the section detailing when she’d given Akari a gift in Garm. “Ah, right.” She closed her eyes and recalled the scene. Menou had intended to make scrunchies as a present for Momo. However, when they’d stopped at a stall on a whim, Akari had begged, pleaded, and thrown a tantrum, until Menou gave in and attached a flower to her headband. “Ha-ha…” Menou smiled softly, an expression she never wore in front of her current traveling companions. What had happened next? This little scene had come after a day of carefree sightseeing. It was right before the fateful battle with Orwell, an enemy too formidable to forget. Menou, Akari, Momo, and even Ashuna had been caught up in that battle. Out of all the incidents in the three-month loop, that had been one of the direst. Menou closed the diary. She’d sensed someone’s presence. There was a gentle knock at the door. “Come in.” Menou could already tell who it was from the sound of their footsteps. Sure enough, Maya entered. “What’s the matter?” “Menou… About this afternoon…” “What about it?” “Well… Remember when you got lost for a while? You see, something happened…” All this trailing off was uncharacteristic for the usually confident Maya. She was oddly hesitant as she reached for something in her sleeve. Even though it was late at night, a light shone through the window. It was Guiding Light, gleaming brighter than the sun as it poured inside. Guiding Light always heralded a conjuring phenomenon, and its intensity was proportionate to the scope of the invoked conjuring. So this brilliance that looked like daylight had to indicate something truly powerful. Given that their hideout was obviously under attack, Menou jumped up so fast that she knocked her chair over. “Maya—ah?” She reached out to protect the girl, only to touch nothing but air. Maya’s body had been enveloped for a moment in crimson Guiding Light, then completely disappeared. The object Maya had been trying to retrieve dropped to the ground. It was a scripture. Why was Maya carrying a scripture? Before she could come up with an answer, Menou and the entire building were engulfed in Guiding Light. Falling rubble thundered. The house on the edge of town was utterly destroyed. No part of it survived intact. An excessive amount of Guiding Force had been pushed through the earthen vein channel connected to the house to power its Guiding vessels. The resulting internal pressure caused the channel to burst from the foundation. This was Michele’s work. She’d used the scripture she gave to Maya as a Guiding Force signal to lead her straight to Menou’s hideout. Right before Michele had attacked and destroyed the building, she moved Maya to safety. Her method had been exceedingly simple. “Monstrine, huh?” The crimson pill Michele had used as a sacrifice to summon Maya out of harm’s way disintegrated in her palm and vanished. Monstrine was the drug once distributed in Libelle, the port city on the southernmost tip of the continent. It was made from a piece of Pandæmonium’s body, and Maya was a piece of that same Human Error. Large quantities of monstrine were confiscated after the incident in Libelle, making it easy for someone in Michele’s position to acquire some. The body of an Otherworlder made for an excellent material. Naturally, it was also compatible with Maya’s Guiding Force, allowing Michele to summon her to the simple circle she’d also created with monstrine. “It pains me to deceive her in this way…but now Miss Maya will be safe. All that remains is to dispose of the criminals who kidnapped her.” Michele returned her attention to the ruined building. She was accustomed to far worse destruction. Whether it was her doing or her enemy’s, an attack of this scale was nothing to be surprised about. However, very few individuals in this era could cause so much damage with a single attack. “It’s remarkable how much technology has regressed.” Guiding Force technology had drastically declined compared to the era this young woman had lived in long before she started calling herself Michele. During that peak of civilization, there had been endless conflict all over the world. Pure Concept conjurings had been used often and aggressively, Guiding weapons were developed to combat them, and entire cities were razed on at least one occasion. And how did this modern era compare? “It’s so peaceful now. And it’s all thanks to Lady Hakua.” The continent’s population had been radically reduced, and culture and technology had declined sharply. When compared to the old days, it could seem like a downgrade. But it was better this way. Excessive Guiding Force technology only led to the creation of living weapons like Michele herself. Michele was a victim of the ancient civilization’s human experiments. They’d used Dragon as a template to attempt expanding the limits of human strength, sacrificing a great number of specimens in the process. Michele was the sole survivor, the only one compatible out of several thousand. Most likely, the researchers hadn’t expected her to gain immortality as a result of their attempts to surpass the limits of the human body. With the power Michele gained, she’d destroyed the research lab and escaped, wandering aimlessly thereafter. As a test subject, she’d never had so much as a name. Later, she’d met Hakua and her companions. She’d been deeply impressed by their noble efforts to change the world. Some conjurings, especially Pure Concepts, were beyond humankind’s ability to handle. It was better to thoroughly restrict such technology. Besides… Some of the rubble stirred, and Michele returned to the present. She narrowed one eye in a show of irritation. Debris was thrown aside to reveal an eight-legged conjured soldier with deep blue armor. The spider-shaped thing approached with a nimbleness that belied its appearance, though its weight did send a tremor through the ground when it brought its two forelegs down to crush Michele. A Primary Color–based conjured soldier. Judging by its all-blue construction, it had to be a mindless weapon that simply carried out orders. Michele’s entire body glowed from a Guiding Enhancement. Using the plentiful Guiding Force drawn from her soul to greatly improve her physical abilities, she raised her leg up just as the conjured soldier attacked. Michele’s slender limb collided with the spider’s sturdy ones. Despite the visible difference in mass between them, Michele’s leg won the clash. The conjured soldier’s legs were thrown back, knocking it over. When it landed, Michele stomped on its abdomen hard enough to destroy it and crack the earth beneath. Michele had taken on endless numbers of these unmanned conjured soldiers in the past. She didn’t need any conjurings to take down opponents of this caliber; even a group of them was no threat. Unsurprisingly, this one was only a diversion. Michele swung her broadsword behind her back to block the attacker who had sneaked up and leaped at her soundlessly. The impact sent a tremor through Michele’s hand clutching the hilt of her weapon. The blow was far stronger than what a normal human could achieve. “So some like you still remain.” She was a humanoid conjured soldier with light-brown skin and black sclerae. Born of the Concept of Primary Colors, this was a hostile being that would have been considered a major threat even a thousand years ago, when Pure Concept abuse was rampant. Such a creature could not be permitted to exist in a civilization that had been regressed to keep the peace. Michele needed to defeat this enemy. “For the sake of world peace, any technology that goes against Lady Hakua’s will must be exterminated.” “Exterminated is right! The world doesn’t need anyone old except me! I’ll destroy ’em all and become everyone’s big sister!” Michele, the Magician, was a living weapon born a thousand years ago. Abbie was an intelligent Primary Color life-form, a superior form of humanity created by the Human Error now known as the Mechanical Society. Two forces that far surpassed human understanding met in battle. Menou had survived the building’s collapse with a multi-barrier crest conjuring built into her clothes. She looked over her surroundings. The considerably sized house had been reduced to rubble in a single attack. It had probably been accomplished by twisting the earthen vein that ran beneath the city, but Menou hadn’t sensed any scripture conjuring. She could think of only one person capable of interfering with the earthen vein without using a scripture or conjuring ceremony. It had to be Michele. Menou had let their strongest enemy get a preemptive strike on them. “Where’s Maya?” The girl was nowhere to be seen. Menou thought back to what she’d seen just moments before. Right as Michele struck, Maya had been surrounded by crimson Guiding Light and vanished. Judging by her surprised expression, she hadn’t activated the conjuring of her own volition. “She summoned Maya somewhere else to…kidnap her? No, that can’t be it.” Going to such lengths to abduct Maya didn’t make sense. Michele must have made contact with her beforehand. That explained why Maya had been carrying a scripture. And if Michele had only been after Maya, she could have made off with her whenever they met before. Menou could only guess at Michele’s motivations. There was no way she’d come up with an answer right now. Setting such thoughts aside, Menou crawled from the rubble to find Michele and Abbie locked in battle nearby. Their fight was truly astounding to behold. Each attack and block sent out a shock wave when they met. Abbie’s attack scratched Michele but didn’t draw blood. Instead, Guiding Light poured out of the wound. Even the slightest scrape was immediately healed by Guiding Force, which restored Michele’s flesh to its ideal condition. Her body wasn’t wrapped in Guiding Force. Rather, the entity known as Michele was Guiding Force enveloped in a human body. She was the ultimate Guiding Force life-form. Even if her body died, her mind would survive as long as her core of Guiding Force remained. She wielded an unusual broadsword with a rounded tip. It was a Sword of Judgment, an Inquisitor weapon meant solely for decapitating heretics. Often, such a weapon served primarily as a symbol for those with the authority to wield one, but it became a fearsome weapon in the hands of a conjurer as skilled as Michele. “So you’re still alive,” Michele remarked upon noticing Menou. “No thanks to you.” Michele glared at Menou, irritated by her survival. She wasn’t looking at her like an enemy, merely like an object that needed to be removed. The only way to defeat a Guiding Force life-form like Michele was to force her to exhaust the supply of Guiding Force coming from her soul. But as far as Menou knew, Michele’s supplies were virtually endless. She’d served the Lord for a thousand years and had earned the title of Magician by being far beyond any ordinary conjurer. Her Sword of Judgment glowed with Guiding Light. “Abbie!” “Aye, aye!” Guiding Force: Merge Materials—Primary Triad, Pseudo-Concept of Primary Color—Invoke [Progenitor, Primary Color Insect Egg] Abbie reached into the gear design on her abdomen and pulled out an elliptical sphere made up of honeycomb shapes. The strange object emitted cracking and ripping noises, and colorful flying insects burst out. The swarm of beelike creatures plunged toward Michele, who was trying to invoke a crest conjuring. Her invocation interrupted, Michele brandished her sword at the swarm. Menou shuddered as she watched. One of those conjured soldier insects was enough to defeat the average priestess. She used the grip of her dagger gun to activate and reshape Guiding Branches. The barrel of Menou’s gun began to expand. “Quintuple Speed.” Guiding Force: Connect—Improper Communion, Pure Concept [Time]—Invoke [Decay Acceleration → Guiding Bullet] The Guiding bullet inside the barrel began to rotate. It spun so fiercely that the Guiding Branches forming the barrel heated up. Such a powerful shot could easily backfire. If she didn’t keep it precisely controlled, the explosion would probably reduce Menou to smithereens. However, Menou maintained perfect control over the urgently raging Pure Concept and fired the Accelerated bullet.
Chapter 107
43 min read