Everything was ready. Then the two of them took action. First, they gathered the special class anti-magician in one place and then denounced Yulia. Then they would fold up and lead them there. It was probably expected by both of them that the opinions of the special class versus the demons would be divided.


　Then Silas called an emergency meeting, and everyone gathered in the conference room as before.



''Well, gentlemen of the special class anti-magicians. Thank you for agreeing to the sudden summons. Also, about that warding, I have already finished analyzing it. That's a magic that was used hundreds of years ago, but it takes quite a bit of time to activate. That's right ... years of time. The amount of magic element is the same, but it's still quite difficult to construct a magic form. We already have the means to counter that, too. So, we've asked you to gather again this time, but that's not the main issue.


　It's all very plausible, but it was all set up by them. Silas continues to speak while hiding that fact.


The cause of death was hemorrhagic shock death. There were no signs of resistance and a single stab to the heart. She died a few minutes later. The body has now been sent for an autopsy to determine further cause of death.
"...Wha...?


　All of them have a look of astonishment on their faces. Claudia also brings her hand to her mouth with a look of disbelief, but it's an act. She already knows that she killed Ellie because she has shared information with Silas.


'Yulia-kun you are a suspect in Ellie's murder. The time of the murder coincides with the time of Ellie's arrival and departure from the lab. And the other researcher who also caught sight of you can you tell us your story?
...What?



　Julia makes a pouting face. That's as it should be. He was moving through the twilight at the time of the incident. It's only natural that he looks uncomprehending after being told something he has absolutely no idea about.



'I was moving through the twilight at the estimated time of the murder!　I have an alibi!
You think Sherry Amis can prove that to me?
...Yes.
What if she was part of it?
....
'The time between killing Ellie and moving on to the next warded city. You guys could do it if you're serious about it, right?　That satisfies that requirement. And most importantly, there was a faint trace of your magic element at the scene. That's solid information.
....


　You already know what they have to say and so on. All that's left is to have a conversation as I expected. And here's where the spear from Claudia comes in, but it was all being done in a dismissed manner.


'Hey, Silas. Isn't it funny. A traitor who hasn't even let us have our tails up until now makes such a simple mistake?　It's too poorly done to make witnesses to the killing. And even if he really did kill Ellie, I don't think he would have bothered to come to this summons.
'There may have been unstoppable circumstances. Ellie's area of expertise is the study of twilight. Maybe he knew she was on to something true and had to take some hasty action. Besides, he'd been in Dusk for two years. No wonder he was a pawn of the demon tribe. At any rate, whether he's the culprit or not, we need to listen to him. Yulia-kun, I would like you to be honest with me, but it would be troublesome if you resist. I'm going to have to restrain you. That's why I've summoned the other special-grade antagonists as well. We don't know what kind of power you have in you.


　This exchange was something we both had been thinking about from the beginning. A ploy to ensure that Julia was cornered.


''Well I won't let you do it.
Miss Bell, why?
'Yulia-kun ... run away. The situation is already so bad we're completely trapped. And if you are trapped here, I'm sure that if you are trapped here the situation will end there. You are our last hope but if we can just find Lady Liane we can make it work. ...
''Do I just have to find Princess Liane?　But....
'Yeah I'll hold them off here ... run ...'


　It was expected that Belle would come. She has been working with Princess Liane for many years, and she is also good at espionage, and it's only a matter of time before the identity of the traitor is discovered......Silas and Claudia thought that it's only a matter of time before the traitor is discovered. Also, this is just a hunch, but perhaps........Princess Liane is awakening as a saint. They concluded that because they had sensed one strange magical element stirring in this city.


　And she would be heading to the box garden. It would not be possible to completely block out the magic element that leaked out of there.


　But that was convenient. What was more important than the revelation of the secret was the release of the Sephiroth Tree. We can no longer pretend to be something we're not. It will be your last days in this city. You can't fail to succeed and end that final time.


　And then Yulia left this place with Belle's support. I won't chase after him. I'm not sure if this is a good idea. He met up with Shelly and chased after the princess. In other words, the three of them would head for the box garden. Now all we need to do is get the rest of them, Eira, to that place and we're done.



(Claudia, as arranged.)
Okay, okay...


　After exchanging only a glance, Claudia activated the transition. Then the battle between the special class versus the mages begins, but Silas quickly leaves. The rest of the members will fight, but Claudia timed her timing while showing the pretense of fighting seriously.


(I wonder if it's about time...)


　The battle was already in a climax........or rather, the timing was now or never. Then she gathered a large amount of magical elements around her and activated her magic as it was.



　''-- World Shrinkage [Pycnosis].



　As soon as she said those words, everyone in this place was swallowed by the magic circle that appeared on the ground. She then set the humans to fly out of the twilight, and those mixed with the blood of the demon race to fly to the front of the box garden. This process is relatively easy to do since it's just a matter of allocating the unique area 《Personal Field》... but the problem is the magic element used for the world reduction 《Pycnosis》. The amount of magic element is not so necessary if you just want to open it, but the amount of magic element used to make the transition is extraordinary. That's why we supplemented that amount of magic element with Yuria, Shelly and Eira. When the magic element taken from them is used to make a path, all of them will be knocked to the ground as it is.


''Well, the actors are all here. Silas, can you restrain them?
Yeah.


　I'm convinced, looking at the members assembled here, that it's going to work. We're going to do well. If we've come this far, we have nothing to fear. There is nothing to fear. I have succeeded I will reach the truth of this world.


　On the way there, Claire had come, but it didn't matter. Rather, since they were twins, it would be fine to meet separately at least at the end. That's the extent of my thinking. Then Claudia opens up.


''It's ... open, but what is this?''


　The pure white world in front of you. The bright red substance that lies beyond. It's probably a type of Relic, but it's strange. Is this what the Sefirot Tree is like?　Silas, Claudia, and Claire were too distracted by something so stupefying to notice. To the mutation that was happening inside Julia. It was definitely a mutation. Claudia didn't know. She had no idea that he would awaken at the last minute like this.


　That is the legacy that Ellie left behind. The Sacrament of Forbidden Sacrament 《Sacrament》 that frees Julia. The girls were conceited. They never thought that on the side of humanity there was a magic user that surpassed them. I am a kind of ultimate being. That idea led to this situation. And the one who appeared........was Julia Curtis, who had awakened as a full individual.


''What........what the hell is that......''


　Claudia was transfixed by the alien being that had appeared before her. Even her thoughts were taken away. She had never seen such ... such an individual. Even demons had never seen an existence like that.


　Awe.


　Pure fear. Do you think that was the same being as you?　Is that the true individual that Dr. Wells was looking for?　The information is mixed up in my brain. There are no straight thoughts already. I just kept searching. I kept searching for an answer, an answer I couldn't find. But there was no way to find it. Julia had already become a being beyond human knowledge.


'Claudia!　It's a perfect specimen!　Get back!


　Silas steps forward to protect a stunned Claudia, who is stunned. A moment later, his left arm is flung off. I couldn't perceive it at all. When I noticed, Silas's arm was waiting in the air.


''........Oh no......why........''


　I don't understand. Was it this much, or was this what the doctor's ideal was... then I... what was the existence of the individual Claudia? ...Are you saying that it was all a process that led up to him? She was losing her significance. It was just denial. She was just a defective person and he was the finished product. Then she was shocked to the point of thinking that she was........for what.......


'Claudia!　What about the retrieval of the Sefirot Tree?
It's over ... somehow ...
All right. I'm out. I'm a little tired of dealing with full individuals. Claire, can you take care of him?
Okay. You two can leave now. I'll keep my brother company.
I don't mind killing him.
Yeah, I hope so. It's a bit of a stretch.
Worst case scenario you know what I mean?
Hmm?　Oh yes, yes, yes. I know.
Then do it.


　Leave. I was relieved to hear those words, relieved to hear them. I can't face that existence. I'm going to lose my mind any more. No, just as she thought that, she saw it. It was an accident. It was just in her line of sight. But her twin eyes looked directly into Liane's glowing orbs.







　Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot. Hot.


　She tried to hold both eyes, but she couldn't remove her gaze. The scarlet line connected, and she felt That she, as an existence, was being looked into. The moment she realized this, she tried to force her gaze away from it to avoid unconsciously taking the information. The sensation that her eyeballs are about to be torn off, and even more painful, as if her brain is on fire. It's a pain that an ordinary person would never be able to endure, but Claudia still manages to escape from Liane's spell.





　The last thing she saw was Liane collapsing on the spot and Julia leaning against it. It was taken from her, but still not all of it. It's not the end yet.



　◇



That's all. Her memory of what I saw, I've told you all about it.
....
....


　Me and Belle have heard all about Princess Liane. It's hard to believe, but I'm the same as Claudia.......it seems. And she seems to be acting to expose this world. Certainly, that goal is an individual's choice, but it's not a reason to be allowed to kill many people. I clench my fists again. This has to end. Absolutely ... absolutely.


''Yulia-san, I'm sure you'll be called back in a few days. Probably about the matter in the future. Until then, please give it a good thought.
Thank you very much.


　Princess Riane says such things with my heart in mind. I can certainly understand it as a fact. I also know that what she is saying is not a lie. Still, I was shaken by this fact. I have hatred for the demons, but I feel like I'm losing the purpose of my existence. What qualifications do I have to protect humanity? A creature that has both human and demon characteristics. That's me. What should I do in the future? And what will I accomplish in the future?


Well I'll be leaving now.
Yes, sir.
Yulia-kun I'll see you later...


　I bowed politely to them both and left the hospital room. What lies ahead is an even harsher battlefield. In order to face it, I have to be even more prepared to face it. In order to face it, I will have to face up to myself. I used to run away from it, but I still faced it, but that was in the past.


　But now, it's time to face the person that we are. Strictly speaking, I'm not a human being, but that's not the point. As a way of being, not as a component, I want to choose a human being rather than a magician.


　Claire chose a witch and I chose a human. As the way of being. But why... why are we so... why are we being played by fate?


　This world is ugly. As much as I want to lament, as much as I want to wail, the world is full of tragedy and lament, and twilight to it. It is true that the weak and the strong is the way of this world and the truth of it. But I want to build a peaceful world under the blue sky some day, instead of just oppressing and violating others. That's what I thought. After all this, I would hold up such an ideal. But what would be the point of a world without ideals? It is impossible to decide the future of the world without being able to decide my own way of life.


　Let's go. I just keep going. I will bring a blue sky to this world beyond the billions of corpses.


　I vowed again that I would bring the blue sky to this world.