--Major, I'll make it through........


　An hour before the start of the operation. I was alone, tending to the Oboro Moonlight Night as usual. I must have already repeated that gesture thousands, if not tens of thousands of times. Ever since the Major had given me this demon sword, I had been handling it with great care.


　When I raised the sword to the sky, it glowed beautifully with a reddish-black light. I can remember as if it was only yesterday that the Major was also taking good care of it like this.


''Okay, something like this........''


　Then I sheath it. I step forward, feeling a definite weight on my waist. I'm almost old enough to be a major now. It was early, really early. It's been exactly ten years since the Major died. I don't know what the cause of it is, but today is exactly ten years. It feels as if we've spent more time without him than we have already.


　That much time has passed, and I have never forgotten him.


　The grief of losing a loved one continues to sting in my heart. It burns and torments me with a burning and burning sensation, and I am sure that it will not free me until I die.


　But that's good. For it is because of that sorrow, that pain, that I am able to remember the Major.



'Hey, Belle. I, you know, can't wait to see what kind of antagonist you're going to be.
What is it........all of a sudden........
I just wondered what you'll be like when you're my age now.
Does that bother you?
'Oh. You're not much of a talker, and you don't have a friendly antagonist, do you?　I'm afraid I'm isolated.
It's not your business.
Yeah, well, I hope so.



　I suddenly remembered that we had such an exchange. And in my mind, I give him a message, as I always do. It has become a habit to do this before a big battle.





　--Major. I'm old enough to have almost caught up with you. And I've had significant others. And like you I've made an apprentice. Can you imagine?　He's my apprentice. Just like when I was the Major's apprentice, I passed on my sword skills, and my secret sword, to someone else, right?　

　That's right, I'm getting old, too. But my student is Sherry, and she is a very talented person. She may not come from pure human origins, but she is definitely human in her heart.

　She will be a better swordsman than me. Already at the age of 15, she's handling all the secret swords, and she's as good as I am now. If it was her, maybe she would be able to use that secret sword as well. However, I'm still active in the field. I have no intention of pulling from the front lines. I think I can understand the Major's feelings at that time now. He said, "I can't pull back because I have a disciple.

　Please watch from beyond the blue sky at the end of this twilight. I, we will continue to fight in this twilight and one day I will make this world the same sky you are in. In my hands, a sure, blue sky.





Major, I can't join you yet. I will continue to fight alongside my brothers and sisters. I will always be...


　I mutter to myself. I can't die yet. I have not yet accomplished anything, anything at all. The only thing I want to accomplish is to avenge the Major. Since then, I've been searching for that demon. I've been looking for that demon who killed him. But there's no sign of her. I've asked the witch who slaughtered her, but there was no one to answer the question.


　I have no more time. I knew that more than anyone else.


　Twilight Syndrome 《Twilight Syndrome》. It's already..........................eroding as much as the Major back then. I've managed to cheat my way through it, but it's finally reached a realm where I can't cheat. At the last routine checkup, I was told that I wouldn't be able to keep it for another three years. In fact, he said, it was unusual for me to be able to fight normally like this. Indeed, if I look in the mirror, I can clearly see that this body has been invaded by twilight.


　Still, there's no pain, and no particular harm done; by my late twenties, I was in chronic pain, but beyond that I had adapted or felt nothing.


　Based on this and other factors, I had a theory.


　I thought that I might be able to overcome the Twilight Syndrome. Previous research has concluded that the Twilight Syndrome is something that causes people to turn into demons and then dies. But there are also the examples of Yulia-kun, Eira-chan and Shelly-chan. He or she is inborn, but I believe that this body may be able to adapt to twilight, even if it is acquired.


　I had a hunch, even if it was just a silly act of subjective denial of objective data shown in research.



　--I would surely be able to reach beyond the people.



　And so I stepped forward to take the lead of the first platoon.

　The time to stand still is over. Humanity will reach the end of this, the end of the twilight. With that oath in my heart, I move on.



　◇


　The operation is now underway. The target was an underground space located in the danger zone level 3. According to Riane's perception, there was a huge underground facility hidden there. And it was also said that there was a huge amount of magical elements congealed there. Even though it had been completely hidden until now, even I, with my low perceptual ability, could feel it like this now.


　--This magic element is extraordinary........not.


　The first platoon has already reached the target point. Incidentally, the other units are supposed to hunt the monsters around this place. The second platoon is scheduled to come to the underground space as backup, but that is still planned for the future. For now, Yulia-kun and I will cut through the front line.


''There it is, Belle-san. Here it is.
I'm sure of it, yeah.


　A cleverly hidden passage. It seemed to be a rather large hole leading underground. But this one was hidden by a ward, and it would normally be impossible to notice it. Julia-kun, and it would have been impossible if you weren't as perceptive as Liane-sama.


''Then shall we go?''
Well guys, let's move on.


　


''........Guys!　Go!　Quickly!


　Not unlike myself, I'm going to shout out loud. But here, this is what I should do.


'I'm sorry, Julia-kun. I've asked you all to .........
Mr. Bell I'll be back to help you once the target is destroyed.
Yeah but I'm going to kill this guy first so don't worry about it.......................
Okay. Good luck.



　With those last words, I send everyone into the underground space. Then I straighten my back and turn to the direction of the sign and slowly place my hand on the hazy moonlit night at my waist. At the same time, the figure shown from behind the trees was exactly the same as the one I saw ten years ago.......exactly the same.



'Hoho........you've noticed.
If you're spreading that much......murderous energy around, anyone can see....
Kukukuuku. I guess I've just taken a lot of pleasure in your presence. Hey, Bertina Light.
....
"?　Aren't you going to ask me about my name?
You must have heard it from Cyrus and Claudia or something.
''Oh. The inner workings of you guys have already been shared by the demon humans. By the way, my name is Alfred. I'm not going to be able to get out of it. It's nice to meet you.
''My memory capacity isn't big enough to remember the name of the one who's about to die...''
Well, you know, I don't hate you for it, you know, for that kind of stuff.


　Alfred pulls out his sword. The blade is the exact opposite of Oboro Tsukiyo. The whole thing is a bright red color, but only the blade is pitch black. That dusky color seemed to reveal the inner workings of that guy.


　And I also slowly pulled out my sword. When I tighten my grip with both hands, I look firmly at my opponent.


　I was also shaking with joy, just like this guy. This guy is definitely the demon I failed to kill ten years ago the one who killed the Major, the demon who killed the Major. I can't help but rejoice that the time to take revenge is such a dramatic moment.



"..........
.....



　And then we kicked the earth at each other and began that sword fight, the first battle we've had since ten years. Since then I've been working hard to make an effort. I've spent my days living in the belief that one day this kind of day will come, and I've spent my days living in this way to ensure that I can get my revenge.


　But.........as if to say that my efforts were in vain, the world is confronting me with reality.


''Kukukukukuku, ahahahahahahahaha!　What's the matter with you?　Hey!　Are you sure that's the little girl from 10 years ago?　Weak, weak....................Bertina!
Ugh...............


　A moment of aggression. I couldn't see it. The moment the opponent's sword tip was about to pass through my neck, I quickly twisted my body to avoid a direct hit, but it splendidly slashed through my left shoulder. Bota, bota, bota, spilled blood, pooling on the ground ... and spreading.

　My left arm probably won't move anymore. It's barely connected, it's just a hindrance now. I'm sure it's the equivalent of being connected by a single piece of leather, and that's something you don't need when wielding a sword.


　Then..........



'Oh!　Sounds like a bold move!
....


　I cut off my left arm with my own sword. If I can't use it anymore, then it's just a decoration and a hindrance. In that case, it's best to cut off the unnecessary weight. There is no hesitation. I am not thinking about the future. The only thing I am living for is the present. And I am only fighting for the sake of killing this thing. That is why I have no hesitation in choosing to amputate my arm. I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do anything about it. That is what the Major taught me. The left arm that doesn't move anymore I don't need it.


　And after quickly stopping the bleeding with my healing magic, I set up Oborozuki Yoru with only my right hand and focus my attention once again.






　The pain is already gone, thanks to the adrenaline. Even though he would lose his arm, it wouldn't interfere with his movements. The problem was that he didn't have his left hand, and he wondered if he could still use his sword skills, especially his secret sword, as he had before. The Major was also fighting in this situation at that time. Then I would do the same, too, until I fought. At that time, it was just the Major and me. But now it's just me.


　He is no longer with me.


　I know that for sure. But I could feel him next to me, whispering to me.



But I could feel him next to me, whispering, "Bell, listen. Believe me, you'll still be strong enough to fight, even if you lose your arm. Trust me, everything you've built up so far.
"Yes.


　Once again, he held the Oboro Moonlight Night right in front of him. I hadn't been caught off guard earlier. But I had received a fatal wound. It showed that this demon was strong to the point of pure strength. It was much stronger than it was ten years ago. What was missing was imagination. My measuring stick used ten years ago as a starting point, but it was already in my head. Even though I said I couldn't see it, I had already understood it sensibly with my Singularity Ability 《Extra》.


　Of course, I don't think that thing I just saw was the main area, but I understood the base.


　Tracing, tracing, tracing. With everything up to now, using all the techniques given to me by the Major I am going to kill this guy.



'Ho ... good eye. Let's take this one a little more seriously.



　The opponent also increases its killing intent. They don't seem to let their guard down, even with one flying arm. The opponent is probably the highest-ranked swordsman in this world. I understand that he is the highest-ranked swordsman among the demons. And the sword it holds is also probably a type of magic sword. Because I can sense an unusual magic element from that one.


''........''
....



　And so we are in a fight to the death. Literally, it's a life and death battle.


　There is nothing to fear anymore. Even if you lose your arms, you will simply cut down the enemy in front of you. That's all you have to do. That's all there is to it--that's all there is to it.