Black haired wise man Chiyuki

It happens.

　Cyrone has returned from the tower and we talk to him.
　We, too, had finished our search and were now all back at the villa.
　It was already past noon and it was almost evening.

'I'm curious about that person the vampire was talking about.

　That person who awakened the vampire came to the tower and went away, leaving the angel behind, and the angel who was supposed to be there was not in the tower either.

''What do you think, Chiyuki-san?''

　Syrone would ask me, but I couldn't make a judgment based on that alone. I thought that the person might be Dihardt, but if that was the case, it was strange that there had been no action for three days. Besides, Dihardt didn't have a dragon with him the last time they met.
　Also, the gentleman seemed to be stronger than the vampire, so Striges, who was weaker than the vampire, would not be that one.

'I don't understand. I wonder what he is.
'I see, and if Chiyuki-san doesn't understand, I can't help it.

　Cyrone replies ruefully.

'Speaking of which, did you find the deviant?

　I shake my head at Syrone's question.
'I used Kyouka-san as a bait and had Nao-san check everyone in the Roxx Kingdom, but I couldn't find anyone who looked like that.

　In the end, I couldn't find a man who looked like that. Is it possible that they have a high incubation capacity to search this hard and not find him?
　The only other possible scenario would be if he was outside the kingdom while investigating, but that would be far too well timed.
　Thanks to this, Nao says she is tired and lies down.

'But I've had a harvest. 'We found someone who looks like Striges.'
'Oh really!'

　Cyrone makes a startled sound.
　Nao found a demon that was transforming into a human during her search.
　Some demons can change into humans. At first I thought the demon was a pervert, but since the demon is a woman and has been in this country since before our arrival, it's probably not a pervert.
　Yakushi Orua. That's the name of the demon.

''So what's the matter?''
So far I haven't done anything. We don't even know if it's him yet.

　Although I said that to Cyrone, I think it's probably the culprit.
　And even if a demon living in the form of a human isn't the culprit, it's definitely a very suspicious entity.
　The reason I'm keeping an eye on it is because, although unlikely, it may not be the culprit and may not be dangerous to humans.
　Of course, Rage is right, we might as well exterminate them as soon as possible. It's a difficult decision to make.

''For now, Lord Lucullus and the others are keeping an eye on them, but since Sirone and the others are back, we'd better report to Lord Rember as well.

　We are strangers. It would be preferable for our country's affairs to be handled by its own knights first.
　I haven't said much, but I'm sure Lember will do well. Or rather, the only knight in this country who is useful is Rembar. I've met with the other knights, but I honestly don't think I can trust them with it.
　It is better to leave the guard duty to Lember and others than to the temple knights.
　If that happens, Lucullus, who is on guard, should be able to return to his original duties.
　Is Lucullus, who is on guard, doing well?





Temple Knight Captain Lucullus

'Hulos you ....... Manipulated by .......

　I get on my knees and look at the Temple Knight in front of me. My eyes are unfocused. It's as if he's dreaming while awake.
　In the middle of monitoring the demon that turned into a human, I was attacked by Hyros, the temple knight who was supposed to be my subordinate.
　Since it was sudden, I couldn't respond and was hit by the paralyzing poisonous smokescreen they unleashed.
　The smokescreen seems to have been made from a rather powerful magic potion, and my body can't move freely.

'Captain Lucullus: ......'

　My subordinate, who was hit by the same paralyzing poison as I was, calls out to me.
　I hear a voice. I look and see the woman who was the object of my surveillance walking towards me.

It seems to have been noticed, but it's good that I instructed the person who brought these temple knights to you guys not to talk about me. The brave woman noticed me, but as expected, she didn't notice me over here.

　I have not heard any reports of contact between this woman and Hulos and his men. The people who carried the Hyros to their place must have been under their control. They didn't tell us anything about the demon woman in front of them.
　Maybe I should have defeated her quickly, as the brave master said.

''But, Orua, there is no doubt that the brave men have noticed you. What do you plan to do now?

　A voice comes from behind the woman who was under surveillance.
　Hearing that voice sends a chill down your spine, even though your body is numb.
　The person who uttered the voice approaches from behind the woman.
　The person's face is hidden by a mask, so it's hard to tell who he or she is. It seems to be a man from the feeling of his voice. And it seems to be a fellow watcher.
　Then I wonder. According to Chiyuki-sama, there should have been only one target of surveillance. Who could it be? I have not heard of such a person.

'Yes, Master Zarxys. Now that you have been made aware, you must move.

　The woman bows her head reverently.
　From her demeanor, the man seems to be the superior one.

Well, we'll move. I'll be moving, too. I'm not going to be able to get to know you. You can get revenge on the brave man to your heart's content.
Yes, Mr. Zarxys?

　The man called Zarxis leaves.
　The man leaves and the woman who was called Orr looks at me.

"You will be my tools instead of killing you.

　The woman comes closer. I try to get away, but I can't move.

"Tonight is the end of the kingdom.

　The woman laughs high and mighty.

'Chiyuki-sama: ......'

　He called out the name of the dark-haired girl.
　That's when I lost consciousness.



The gatekeeper of the Kingdom of Rox.

　The night has not yet come, but the cloudy sky makes it darker.
　I look at the sky through the window of the hut that was the checkpoint and sense that night is coming.
　Since Lord Lember's return earlier, we have had no work to do guarding the gates of our own walls.
　It's been ten years since I became a gatekeeper myself.
　The gatekeepers of the city walls are important jobs that control the entry and exit of people from the city.
　Therefore, they are paid better than their previous job as guards on the walls.
　However, the more pay, the more responsibility they have.
　Unlike the guards who only need to be on the lookout for demons, the gatekeepers have to deal with humans as well.
　If any people are allowed to enter the country, the security of the country and the food situation will deteriorate.
　Therefore, they have to be very selective in who they allow to enter the country.
　Those who can enter the country are not only citizens of their own country, but also citizens of allied countries and those who have been introduced or guaranteed by their own citizens. Otherwise, they basically do not allow exiles into the country. Some of the exiles will appeal to your emotions or threaten you. It is necessary to have a strong spirit not to be influenced by such things. Therefore, the gatekeepers basically act intimidatingly towards the exiles who don't have the right to citizenship so that they don't show any opportunity.
　However, there are exceptions. In the Kingdom of Roxx, even exiles are allowed to enter during the festival.
　Of course, they can't just pass through, so their names, ages and places of residence must be recorded. Therefore, the work of the gatekeepers during the festival has increased to three times the normal workload.
　We are tired of dealing with more people than usual today.
　A replacement should come after dark. I think I'll have a drink on the way home.
　That's when I noticed something strange. A panicked voice comes from the top of the city walls.

'What's going on ......?'

　And I also notice something strange about myself. Someone is approaching the gate.
　The number of those approaching is high, more than a hundred.

'That's the demon ......'

　The people approaching are not humans, but demons such as goblins and orcs. And they weren't just any demons.

Zombie ......?

　Some of the demons approaching had no heads or had holes in their bodies.
　It reminded me of the zombie incident that happened the other day.

''Ha, close the gates fast! And call the palace!

　There are three gatekeepers on duty at all times. He turns around and hastens to give his colleagues instructions.
　But they don't answer. He looks over and sees that one of his colleagues has fallen. And beside him is another colleague.

"Whoa! Hey, what happened?!

　The other co-worker looks at you. His eyes are unfocused. And in his hand was a cudgel-like object in his hand.

'You ......'

　The colleague swung the club down against him.




The black-haired wise man Chiyuki.

What's going on, Nao-san?

　As I was leaving the pavilion to go to the palace, I was stopped by Nao.
　She said she was tired from her daytime exploration and should have been asleep.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world.

''Ummm... ...... Chiyuki-san, I think there's something strange coming ......''

　Nao says with a troubled look on her face.
　I don't know what's coming, but since Nao says it, it must be something.

'I'm going to go check it out. Nao, gather everyone together.'

　I fly through the air with the magic of flight.
　It's already dark in the area.
　Bonfires have already been lit on top of the city walls and at the gates, so I've managed to see the country.
　There seems to be some commotion going on at the gates.
　I use my farsightedness magic.
　I'm not as good as Nao, but this magic allows me to see some distance.

''Hey, the gate has been breached!

　I could see the zombies invading through the main gate to the south.

'This could be a little bad: ......

　I hurried back to the pavilion.





Gallios, the freedom fighter of the Kingdom of Rox

What's going on, Black?

　Black, walking beside me, stops abruptly.
　He is on his way back home after leaving Lember to report to the royal palace.
　I look at Black and see him looking into the distance. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.
　But Black wasn't normal from the first time I met him.
　I remembered the first time I met him.
　I remember the first time I met him, when I tried to crawl home in the forest at dusk, unable to move because of the injury to my leg.

'Are you okay?'

　When he was called out to me, I turned my head and saw a young man standing there. That was how I met Black.
　I didn't notice him until he called out to me, but once I did, I couldn't take my eyes off of this young man.
　I was also surprised that he carried a body thinner than mine.
　Probably Black is not human. He's probably not human, and he's probably very strong.
　In fact, Black was the only one who could solve the problem in the tower just now.
　Why was he pretending to be human? I don't know why.
　I just couldn't leave this young man alone. So I invited him to my house.
　And after hanging out with him and talking to him, I couldn't believe that this young man was a bad person.

Gallios: "Gallios: ......

　Black calls me by my name. At first he was distant, Gallios-dono, but now he has opened up and calls me Gallios.

You might want to hurry up and call the freedom fighters we just parted ways with: ....... I have a bad feeling about this.

　Black says, sounding flustered.
　How do you know that? I wanted to say that for a moment.

'I can't tell you the details, but I think something is about to happen. ...... I want you to believe me: .......

　Black said, frustrated.
　But his eyes are serious. I don't think Black will ever tell a bad joke, despite our short relationship.

'Yeah, I get it,'

　I nodded.
　I decided to trust Black.
　I knew that Black could see something that we couldn't. Something terrible is going to happen now.

'Thank you, Gallios.'

　Black thanks him.

'That means it's good!'

　I went back to call the freedom fighters I had just parted with.





　The People of Rox.

Zombies!
'The gate is open!　Why?!
Help me!

　The people around me are starting to make a lot of noise.
　It was just as the sun was setting and night was beginning to fall. An avalanche of zombies came crashing through the gate.

'What are the gatekeepers doing here!

　Of course, the gatekeeper's job is to close the gate when the demons approach.
　That has not been accomplished.

'Hurry up, knight or guard!

　The zombies are slow moving and are still only in the square near the gate. But there were so many zombies that if they were left alone, they would be in trouble.
　That's when a gust of wind blew.

'What is ......'

　When I looked, the zombies near the gate were gone.
　Instead, the one who was there was a girl with wings.

''It's an angel!
The angels are here to help!

　People around me say.

''I'll hold this place down, hurry up and evacuate!

　The girl turned around and laughed.




The black-haired wise man Chiyuki.

You made it.

　Syrone seems to be holding the zombies back near the gate.
　The rest of the time I look to the north. The kingdom of Roxx has a back gate to the north as well as a main gate to the south. It might be dangerous there too. That's why I have Kyouka and Kaya go there.
　I also have Reno and Sahoko to rescue the injured and patrol the interior of the city.
　And I've sent Nao to capture the demons that have been disguised as humans, which are probably the cause of the zombies.
　And I'll be standing by at each location in case something happens.
　The rest of the time, we'll use Rage's sunshine magic to wipe out the zombies.

'I hope this works: ......

　I mutter.
　How did this happen?
　They probably found out that we were watching them.
　Could Lucullus have screwed up?
　Maybe that's how he thought he was exposed as a demon, so he took action.
　Maybe I should've been quick to exterminate it. I would regret it.
　Nao is on his way, but he's probably gone. I hope we can find him soon.

'Sorry I'm late, Chiyuki.

　They call out from behind me.

'No, he's fast for you,'

　I turn around and answer Rage.
　Rage is fast-paced, so I don't know when he's coming. Sometimes it's too late.
　I say this with a bit of sarcasm, but Rage is still cool as ever.

'Well, let's do it then,'

　Rage's hand begins to glow.
　After a little while, I'm so close I can't even open my eyes.
　Rage throws the light into the sky.
　The light illuminates the night sky, giving me the illusion that the sun has risen again.
　It's the magic of extreme sunshine. It's a skill that only a rage that specializes in the attribute of light could have.
　That sunshine illuminates everything in the Kingdom of Rox. I'm not going to be able to get my hands on them.
　I look down.

''Eh, no way. ......''

　The kingdom is shrouded in a kind of black mist.
　I notice this for the first time when the sun shines on it.

'That's the night's robe, isn't it?'

　Rage was right, that black mist-like thing is probably a night robe that prevents the magic of sunlight. But this is the first time I've seen a night robe enough to cover an entire country.
　This makes it impossible for Rage's extreme sunlight magic to reach it.

''To be able to use this much magic, ...... is the culprit really Striges?

　I don't think there was anyone in Striges the last time we fought that could use magic like this. It might be a considerably more powerful demon than that.
　If that's the case, Nao is in danger. It would be better to go and help her.

'Rage-kun. You'd better go to Nao's aid: ......

　I start to say and look at Rage. Rage is looking at the royal palace.
　There's something wrong with Rage.

'Rage-kun?'
Chiyuki!

　Rage suddenly speaks up.

'What's up, Rage-kun?'
'The alumina is in danger!　Take care of the rest!
Hey, Reiji-kun!

　Rage disappears without me having time to stop him. Pursuit movement magic. He probably went to Alumina's place.

''Already ....... It's all on its own .......

　I complain about the space where Rage is gone. What do they think is going to happen over here?
　Ever since we arrived in this world, I feel like they've been treating us a little bit sloppy.
　I'm tempted to go to the royal palace and complain about it, but that wasn't the case. We need to hurry and get to Nao's place.
　Nao has a low attack power instead of a high evasion ability. That's why it can be a struggle.
　If the demon that Nao is looking for is only the Striges we met last time, there is no problem, but it might be stronger than that. We'd better hurry.
　I'll use my magic to explore Nao's location.




Knight Lember of the Rox Kingdom

　When I catch the sword, I hear a kink.

'Such ...... Lord Lucullus. Why ......?

　I call out to the man in front of me who wields the sword.
　The man who wielded the sword was Lucullus, the temple knight who protects the heroes.
　He is the battalion commander of the temple knights who came to this country and I have spoken with him several times.
　Unlike the other temple knights, he didn't look down on them, and he seemed to be a person of excellent character.
　Why would this man attack the royal castle?
　He returned from the tower and after reporting to the king, he went to see Alumina, armed and intact.
　And it started when I was talking to Alumina when I suddenly heard a scream.
　I sensed something was wrong and was running to get Alumina and the king to safety when I met Lucullus.
　Lucullus had just defeated one of his fellow knights at the time.
　When he looked, he could see the guards and some other knights down as well.
　I honestly didn't know what was going on.
　And then Lucullus suddenly came towards me and swung his sword at me.
　It was a spur of the moment thing, but I managed to catch the first blow.

'Why? Lord Lucullus!　Why are you attacking us!

　But Lucullus has no answer. It looks like his own voice isn't being heard.
　That's when I finally realize that Lucullus's eyes are not sane. It's as if he's lost his emotions.
　But right now, he didn't seem to have time to worry about such things.
　He crossed swords with Lucullus. The opponent's sword was so fast that it was barely possible to prevent it.
　And I've been somewhat powerless since a while ago.

''Lember ......''

　Alumina, who is behind me, calls out to me anxiously.
　As long as Alumina is behind me, I can't let myself fall down.
　Lucullus unleashes more swords.
　That sword is fast and heavy. He was barely able to protect it.
　As expected of a temple knight. He is much stronger than I am.
　I bring out my sword and block Lucullus' sword.
　It was when we were meeting swords for the umpteenth time that Lucullus suddenly pulls his sword back.

'What is ......'

　Before he knew it, one person was behind Lucullus.

''You are Medicine Man Orua ......''

　I knew that person.
　He was Orua, the medicine man who came to this country two weeks ago.
　Orua was blind and always wore a black cloth around his eyes. It has been removed.

'You were a strigess: ......

　Orua's eyes were not human eyes. The eyes were round and large and white and yellow, they were the eyes of an owl, the eyes of a strigeth.
　And then I notice something. That the first place where the fallen temple knight was brought in last night was Orr's shop.

'Well, at that time ......

　I notice, but only later.

'You seem to do a bit of that, unlike the other knights.

　Orua laughs and approaches me.
　I didn't expect someone to come in disguised as a human.
　As a general rule, no one is allowed to enter the kingdom without being introduced by a citizen of an allied country or a citizen of Roxx.
　But of course there is an exception. That is if the applicant has a special skill such as a sorcerer. The reason for this is, of course, that it is in the country's best interest to have such a skilled person in the country.
　Orua was also allowed to stay in the kingdom because of his knowledge of medicine.
　However, from now on, it might be better to restrict the entry of even skilled people into the country.

'Well, let's have that princess handed over to us. You will be the tool to defeat the brave.
I'm not gonna let you do that!

　It looks like he's going to use Alumina as a hostage and use her as a shield for the heroes, but I won't let him do that.
　I'm going to brandish my sword and charge at them.
　If you defeat this woman, everything should be over. Orua has let his guard down and is letting Lucullus down. Now's our chance.

Feather Arrow!

　Orr waves his arm and something flies out.

''Nah!''

　I hurriedly take a defensive stance.

'Guh. ......'

　The pain in my body is intense.
　Unable to prevent everything, a flying object stabbed into his body. The stabbed object was a bird's feather.
　The bird's feathers pierced through the armor and into my body.

'd*mn. ......'

　On your knees. I can't move.

'Lember!

　Alumina lets out a distressed cry.

'Alumina, run away ......'

　But I don't think we can. To escape, we'd have to go back the way we came, and that way would be a dead end.
　I was on the verge of tears. Why am I so helpless? I can't even protect the one woman I love.

"Hmm, I guess I underestimated the importance of being the only woman.

　I kick myself as Orua approaches. He kicks me away and I roll straight to the end of the aisle.
　Orua goes straight up to Alumina.

'Such ...... alumina ......'

　I was so sad that all I could do was watch.

Come here.

　I can't see his expression from Orua's back, but I can see that he's laughing.

''No!　Help me, Rage-sama...!

　Alumina calls out the name of the brave.

You're going to call the brave one? Well...

　Orua was about to say something when Alumina's front glowed.

''What!!!''

　Orr jumps backwards over himself.

'Rage-sama!

　Alumina's happy voice.
　After the light subsided, there was a brave man.

''Alumina! I'm here to help!

　The brave man laughs.
　Alumina's expression as she looked at the brave man was an expression she had never shown herself.



Silone, the maiden of the sword.

'Deyahhhh, Sunlight Blade!

　I wield my sword and take down the zombies.

'What the hell is this shadowy thing already!

　I complain.
　It looks like Rage-kun called up the sun, but a black fog-like substance is covering this whole area and the light can't seem to reach it.
　I also put out a sunshine, but it was blocked and couldn't reach me, so I had to fight it by granting it to my sword.
　I breathe on my shoulder.
　I feel like I'm more worn out than usual.
　I look around and see Gallios and the other freedom fighters fighting the zombies.
　If it weren't for them, the zombies would be avalanche in the city center.
　It was a sudden thing, but the freedom fighters were fast enough to save us. In contrast, the knights and guards in this country seem to be moving slowly.
　Could it be that something happened in the royal palace?
　I want to make sure, but right now I have to do something about the zombies in front of me.
　I slash at the approaching zombies.
　Gallios and others also manage to hold back the zombies.
　However, the zombies are coming incessantly. Sooner or later, they will reach their limit.
　If it were true, I should be able to handle it on my own, but I don't have the strength to do it.

Is it because of this black fog-like thing?

　Maybe it's this black fog that's limiting my power.

Could it be a very bad situation ......?





Rember, Knight of the Kingdom of Rox

Awesome ......

　In front of me, the brave men and the temple knights were crossing swords.
　I lay my wounded body down and watched the battle.
　The brave men are blocking not only the opponents I couldn't match, but also the other temple knights and Orr's attacks.

''It's okay Lember. I'm sure Rage-sama will be able to help you.

　Alumina balks at herself.
　Blood was flowing from the wound, and she felt like she was going to lose consciousness.
　But I thought it was strange. I think the One who was one of the brave man's wives was much stronger in the tower.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this.

''Master Rage: ......''

　Arminna also noticed that the brave man was acting strangely and looked at him with concern.

'Goddess, please bless Rage-sama. ......

　Alumina prays.
　And I closed my eyes and prayed to the goddess as well.



Chiyuki, the black-haired wise man

I didn't know there were underground passageways like this in this country.

　I muttered as I walked.
　As I was magically searching for Nao's location, I found the entrance to an underground passage in an alleyway near the royal palace.
　It might normally be closed, but the entrance was now open, and Nao seemed to have entered the underground passage from here.
　When he entered, the passage was long and he couldn't see the destination.

''Even so, you're consuming a lot of magic power.

　Just a little bit of the magic of the lighting is enough to make fatigue overwhelm me.
　Perhaps it's the influence of the black fog that seems to be covering the country.
　This black fog seems to be spreading over the entire country. I can see how high the magic power of the person who created this fog is.
　I'm worried about Nao's safety. We'd better hurry.
　As I walked, I found a door in the middle of the passage. It looks like Nao is in there.
　The door opens into a large room.
　The room is not very bright, but there is a light on, illuminating the room, albeit vaguely.
　And a little away from the door, Nao was lying on the floor.

'Nao-san!'

　I run up to Nao.

'Pull yourself together, Nao!
Chiyuki-san: "Chiyuki-san: ......

　I call out to her and Nao responds weakly.
　Her life seems to be intact, but Nao's face is pale and lacks her usual energy.

''Nao-san, ...... I can't believe you were hit,''

　I couldn't hide my shock.
　Nao is the most evasive of all of us. Not a single person has been able to defeat Nao since she came to this world.
　That Nao has fallen.

'No Chiyuki-san ....... Don't touch Nao. ......

　Nao warns.
　If you look closely, you can see what looks like black thorns wrapped around Nao's body.
　Probably magical thorns. The thorns seemed to make it impossible for Nao to move.
　Nao told me not to touch it, but I can't leave it like this.
　I touch the thorns to try to peel them off.

'Ugh. ......'

　I felt as if the slightest bit of the spikes took away my strength.

''What! You barra!

　This time I tried to use a hand-held knife, but the spikes were in the way and there was nothing I could do.

'No, Chiyuki-san ....... Run away fast, before that guy gets to you .......

　Nao shakes her head, urging her to run away.

'Who the hell is that guy!　Did it do this to you?

　I asked Nao, but she didn't seem to be able to answer anymore.

'No more ......'

　Then Nao doesn't answer anything.

'Nao-san!　Get a grip!

　I called out to Nao, but there was no answer.

'Ho ....... It looks like another butterfly has taken over.

　Someone comes out of the back of the room.

'Who?!'

　I stand up and brace myself.
　From the darkness at the back of the room walks a masked ...... probably a man.
　The man's mask, decorated with spiders, was eerie.

'You're Nao-san?　Who are you?

　I couldn't find this guy when Nao searched for him in the daytime. Could it be one of the demons he found?

'Your enemy. The black-haired sage.

　He clearly states that he is the enemy.
　I feel like a pretty powerful enemy. I have a feeling that this is not an ordinary demon.
　If it's a demon like this, maybe it's from Nargol.

''Could it be?　Do you think it's the hand of Nargol?

　I asked and the masked man nodded.

'How true.'

　Apparently, it's definitely under Modes' control. There was no one like this when we attacked Nargol.
　Does the Demon King have a habit of being generous with his offerings?

'Well. I'll have you guys, who are under the control of that d*mned goddess' daughter, become my sacrifices!

　I can feel a powerful wave of magic from the masked man.
　It's like he's trying to use some kind of magic.
　I decide to make the first move.

''Ultrasonic Wave!!!''

　As I chant, a sound wave attacks the masked man.
　However, the sound wave disappears in front of the man.

'No! I prevented it without defensive magic!

　And then an amazing feeling of exhaustion comes over me. There's no way I'd be this tired with this level of magic. Something is wrong.

"This country is already my domain. "This country is already my domain, and those who do not have Nargol's blessing will be deprived of their power within this realm.

　The masked man was right, there was no strength in his body.

'How about it, you won't have any strength. You seem to have powers comparable to the gods of Elyos, but you can't do anything within this realm.

　The man comes closer.
　I fall back.
　I can't win by myself. I'm sorry for Nao, but I should call for help here. I try to leave.

'I won't let you. 'Binding of the Black Blood Rose!

　The masked man senses that I'm about to retreat and uses his magic.
　A black thorn comes out of the ground and binds me up, just like Nao.

''I ...... hurt ......''

　He is tied up by Ibarra and moans. I have no strength.

'Lucky me. We were going to take the life force of the only humans in this country, but we didn't expect the brave men to come to us.'

　The masked man laughs.

'I had to look into the brave men because I was going to kill them eventually. It was easy enough to find out about you guys. After all, you stand out, you guys. The girl there is good at detecting things, but she's not so good at hiding herself, is she? There are many ways to avoid detection as long as you keep an eye out for that girl. Now let's get this over with.

　A man's hand reaches out to me.

"You will be my sacrifice. I will not kill you immediately, but I will slowly, slowly suck the life out of you.

　Fear rises in me.

'No!　No!　Help me, Mr. Rage!!!

　I cry out and call for Rage.

'The brave cannot come to help. This room is warded and it is impossible to communicate with it by magic. And now the brave man is fighting Orr to save the princess of this country. I don't think he can afford to help you. You're not going to be able to do that as long as you're in my area. I'm here to help, and I'll return the favor.

　The heartless words of the masked man.
　Am I going to die like this? No, someone help me! I scream in my mind.
　The masked man's hand touches my cheek. His hand is so cold, it freezes my heart.
　I squeezed my eyes shut.
　I was so terrified that I couldn't handle it.
　Then I heard a door open from behind me.

''What!''

　The masked man lets out a panicked voice.
　Suddenly his body comes free and he moves away from the masked man.

'Are you okay?'

　The voice that was called was a very gentle voice.
　When I looked, I saw someone there with a mask covering his face. From the sound of his voice, he was probably a man.
　I'm being held by the man's right arm. I felt the warmth of the man and the fear I had felt before was gone.

'I want this girl ......'

　The man who hid his face was holding Nao in his left arm. Nao has already been unbound in Ibarra's bindings, as have I.
　I am lowered to the ground and handed Nao to him.

'Ugh. ......'

　Nao moans. He's fainting, but he looks alive.
　I put Nao's right arm around my shoulder to support him.

'Who are you?'

　He appears out of nowhere, removes me and Nao's thorns, and then steps back to the door with me in his arms. It's incredibly quick. This is not just any man.
　But the man who hides his face does not answer the question, but points to the door behind him.

"Take the child and run away quickly. I'll take care of the rest.

　Who is this man? The masked man is dangerous; I wonder if I'll be able to handle it alone.
　But somehow I felt reassured by the man's words.

'Okay, ...... thanks. But don't take it easy, I'll go get help.

　I'm going out the door. I'll have to call Raige. It won't be safe for him to be alone.
　I walk down the underground passageway, supporting Nao. I'm so powerful in this world that I can move fast, even if I can carry at least one person. But right now, I could barely walk with no strength.
　You have to hurry. But my steps were not getting faster.

'I should have asked for your name: ......

　I'm going to regret it a bit.
　If it helped, I'll find him and thank him.
　I kept walking towards the ground.