“I will defeat you. This alone must not be pushed aside. It cannot be entrusted to anyone else. You are the wall I must overcome. My sworn enemy, my eternal rival, Aikawa Kanami!!!”
Ide’s words were spoken with unshakable resolve. Titee reacted before I had the chance to.
“Ide, is it possible that you...” Titee must’ve thought the proposal was so disadvantageous to Ide that she couldn’t help but worry about him, even though they were in the midst of a fight. However she clearly sensed something in her brother’s reckless challenge that led her to fall silent.
“Your sister and ally and I await you in Viaysia. If you defeat me, I promise full cooperation in return, but you must fight me fair and square.”
All of his words during our conversation had been unexpected.
“Fair and square?” I repeated.
“There is no other way to save the heart of the Sovereign Queen Lorde. I must prove to her that I, the chancellor, am more reliable than you, the Founder, not just eliminate you.”
“Understood. I accept the duel.”
Ide was a support-focused Essence Thief and had no offensive magic. Honestly, there couldn’t be a more convenient opponent for me. Even if it was a trap, nodding in agreement now was undoubtedly the better choice. Above all, I found myself agreeing with at least some of the reasons Ide had given. With that calculation in mind, I accepted.
“Let us end the communication spell here. I must prepare for the confrontation with the Founder and will be unable to respond at all. Is that acceptable?” Ide asked with concern. It was concern about whether we alone could actually make it to him.
“Yes, that’s fine. We won’t make any detours; we’ll head straight there, so wait for us,” I said.
“You really are the Founder. Even entering the enemy’s heart without any preparation, you have absolute confidence in your victory. But I will definitely prove that confidence wrong,” he said, letting out a slightly frustrated noise. “Well then, excuse me.”
After sensing that all the magic dwelling in the surrounding trees had vanished, I turned to Titee. “I’m sorry. I promised to face him without asking you.”
“No, that’s fine. But something seemed off. I thought Ide was like me, a little crazy, but maybe not toward the end? Could he have regained his senses partway through? If so, when? Do you have any idea, Kanamin?”
Even Titee, his older sister, couldn’t seem to gauge Ide’s current state of mind. Naturally, I had no idea either. Had Ide regained his composure after Rouge and Noir appeared? Or was it simply thanks to Titee’s final scolding?
Just as I was trying to guess what was going on inside his head, Titee spoke up again. “I’m sorry, Kanamin...”
She probably couldn’t figure it out either, no matter how much she guessed. That’s why she seemed to feel that the only way through was to meet him directly and talk face-to-face.
“Yeah, I get it. Let’s hurry to Viaysia. Maria has Glenn and Reaper with her. We’ll ask them to wait just a little while for us to catch up.”
In that earlier memory, it had seemed Maria and the others hadn’t had to deal with any enemies. Having Glenn and Reaper—both levelheaded and acting as restraints—alongside Maria was a huge factor. Above all, they had the proven track record of traveling safely for the past year. Calmly, I decided to head north, not south.
“That’s a relief. If I’d said anything, it would’ve been pointless. I just want to see him as soon as possible,” Titee said.
“I know exactly how you feel.” That was what family was like. That was why we’d come this far. We decided to stop making detours and push forward along the remaining stretch home.
Realizing that, Titee spoke with a hint of reluctance. “It’s been fun, Kanamin, but it seems it’s over now.”
“Yeah, looks like it’s over.” Knowing Titee and I would never play together again, we shared a wistful laugh.
“So, what about them? I hit their heads pretty hard. Hope they’re not dead...” Titee spoke cheerfully as usual, as if to shake off that loneliness, as she pointed at the fallen Jewelculi.
“Nah, they’re breathing, so they’re not dead. Still, leaving them like this feels a bit wrong.”
If what Ide had said was true, they were spies or something sent by the Northern Alliance to the second Dungeon town of Dahrill. If we left them like that, they might get captured by the soldiers of the Southern Alliance and suffer terribly. Watching Rouge, the only one not unconscious, cast healing magic on her fallen comrades, I pondered their fate. As I did so, the fallen Jewelculi began regaining consciousness one by one.
“Damn, they’re tough...” I muttered. Noir was obviously an exception, but the others must have had something special about them too. Even if they couldn’t stand up, they were staggering as they tried to raise themselves.
Among them, only Noir muttered curses under her breath, still holding on to her will to fight. “What? I...lost? No, no way! No way, no way, no way! I’m a saint! I shouldn’t lose to anyone anymore! Yes, I’m a being that surpasses even that of a god in human form! And yet... Aah, Apostle! Why?!”
Shaking off Rouge’s attempts to restrain her, Noir crawled toward us. I thought I’d try to persuade her calmly this time, but Titee shook her head to stop me. She seemed to want me to leave this to her.
“The Sovereign Queen Lorde from a thousand years ago and the Founder! I won’t allow it! I demand a rematch! Fight me again!” Noir shouted.
In response, Titee cast Wynd. “A rematch? I’ve spent a lot of time on the battlefield and fought troublesome fools like you many times, which is why I know some won’t understand unless torn limb from limb. Next time, I’ll kill you. You still want a rematch?”
A swift gust of wind sliced through the air, leaving shallow cuts on Noir’s neck and limbs—a threat proving she could’ve killed Noir right then if she’d wanted to.
Faced with reality and the overwhelming magical power of a Guardian once more, Noir let out a shriek befitting her age and collapsed. While she could maintain her fighting spirit against me, it seemed impossible against the real deal—the girl once called the Mad Queen.
“Just stay put for a bit, kid. You need the rest,” Titee said in response.
Noir began trembling like a frightened puppy and couldn’t stand up. With that, the enemy was done. And just as I thought that, Rouge, who’d been silent the whole time, stood up and, looking at us, began giving orders to the other Jewelculi.
“Everyone, take care of Noir. Don’t head North; escape west instead. That’s what our teacher said at the end.”
“Understood. Good luck.”
Hearing one of the Jewelculi respond, Rouge stepped forward. She approached without fear, even as Titee’s Wynd, brimming with murderous intent, lingered.
“Please, Aikawa Kanami and Dr. Ide’s sister, take me with you,” Rouge pleaded with us as her own party moved away.
“Hm? Hmm? That’s impossible. You lot are Ide’s people, aren’t you?”
“I know I’m asking the impossible. But please...I’ve been waiting for the two of you all this time. This whole year...”
“Despite what you say... Well, Kanamin?” Titee looked at me with a troubled expression as Rouge bowed deeply at us.
I felt the same as Titee. Just moments ago, we’d been subjected to a suicide attack by the Jewelculi—those who worshipped Ide—who viewed their own lives as worthless. Allowing Rouge, who seemed to be one of their comrades, to accompany us meant we couldn’t predict when the same thing might happen again.