Chapter 3.04　



f*ck you!
　You gotta be kidding me. You're kidding me.
　Zhu Juan, the Guild Master of the Wandering Wolf Riders, thought to himself as he sent the Riding Wise Wolf galloping at a snail's pace.
　Out of the cloudy, low-hanging ink, a sheen began to dance. It was powdery snow. Unlike the heavy, wet snow, it doesn't rob you of your strength directly, but it dances in the wind and takes away your vision. Two lines stretched out like a long snake in the wilderness. Juhwang led the herd.
　Soon the mountains in the distance become dimly silhouetted.
　In this kind of weather, it's hard to get through the night. We have to find an encampment. Even if they can't sleep, they need a fire and a hot drink, or they will freeze, no matter how inexhaustible their strength. Moreover, the time available to the Great Wolf on which the group was riding was limited.
　The ground was hard and cold, and the dead grass was hard and cold.
　The wolf marched westward, kicking away the loose stones hidden behind the grass. The sun must have gone down behind a thick cloud. The cold was getting colder. A light blue magical light flickers from the "cold resistant" (resist cold) imprint on the cloak wrapped around his body. It's a seal that has the magical power to protect against the cold.
　This mark was carved by the engraver (Sigilmancer) in order to create production-grade magical items (magic items). When it was a game, it was a production-grade item for mid-level adventurers, with low marginal performance, so it could not be compared to mystical items, but nowadays, it is used in everyday life because it allows you to pinpoint your desired ability.
　The elite troops of the Guild of the Raku-Ronin Wolf Troopers tightly wrapped in their winter cloaks run into the white darkness, where snow danced around them.

　They stopped to rest just before the sun changed.
　In this vast wilderness, there are very few places suitable for camping. There are not a few hollows or ruins that might provide some shelter from the wind, but they are not always conveniently in their path. But tonight's trip was all about speed, and we were just going westward in the wilderness.
　The conditions were bad.
　The earth was completely frozen over by the scattered powdery snow, and on top of that it was starting to get wet. The members of the Raku-Ron wolf cavalry could only do so much, though it might hurt, to cover up the thick carpets and put up a curtain to protect them from the wind. The group began their camp by digging into the hard, tight, white-hot earth with the tip of a sword, using fire magic to start a fire, and setting a pot on fire.
　When I say rest, I don't mean a full-blown sleep. It was more akin to enduring time to get through the coldest hours.
　Some of the lowly wolves disappeared into the darkness when their duration expired. They would have to spend four hours before they could be re-summoned. The members of the group who had a mid-level wolf whose summoning time exceeded forty hours shared the warmth of the lying wolf's fur as they buried themselves in it. And the higher-ranking member of the group with the 'summoning flute' shared a cup of hot water to scout ahead of Juhuang's command and melted into the darkness.
''Gilmouth, can you catch up?
　A sallow-skinned member of the group asked me about the current situation in a stiff tone of voice. It wasn't their original tone, but it wasn't unreasonable in this freezing night. In the darkness, the eyes of my companions are looking at me, reflecting the slightest glow of the firelight. Everyone must be curious about the current situation.
''We received an additional report from the horse hug (submuscle) we left in town. It's not the Song Sword Gang after all. It's the Red Jade Kirin. --The Red King Faction has arrived in earnest.
What's the meaning of this?　Are they attacking us?
That's a bad thing if there's going to be a battle. There must be 5,000 of them. The City of the Grass is not a very good walled city.
Hey, boss. You're not going to run away, are you?
　Nodding at the roughness of his voice, Juhuang continued, "Of course.
He continued, "Of course. He continued: "Of course not. How can I abandon the city I've worked so hard to get to and become a part of? The Grassland City isn't just a center of exchange between the East and West. There are also many of the Earthlings living here. I even have a wife of my own! It's annoying, but I don't think I'm going to let them get away with it.
　Who the hell is that guy, and how dare he make a woman," he said, to which Juhuang grinned.
And it's not going to be that easy. Their goal is not the Grassland City. No, that's part of it, but it's even bigger. I've got some information from an old acquaintance of mine in Yeon-Dong, and it's more likely to be something called the Bujeon Ceremony.
"You're talking about turning over ownership of the entire surrounding area.
It's a guild war.
　That's right.
　The Sealed Zen Ritual is the climax of the guild war system. By praying at the Altar of Enzen, specifically at the Altar of Enzen, which has been built in several areas, you can spend your guild points earned so far to rewrite control of an entire surrounding area to your guild. This is a variant of the zone purchase system implemented in Elder Tail, and is a higher-level system that has a wider impact.
　In terms of the setting, it's supposed to "allow the Immortals and gods in the Temple of Heaven to rule. Of course, if the altar is taken away by another guild, or if a new "Seizhen ceremony" is performed, then the right to rule will be lost, but it is an attractive right that you want to protect even if you have to strengthen your defenses.
　In the days of the game, guild wars took place in a very limited area. These included the Da Da Dong in Shanghai, the Yan Dong in Beijing and the Yang Dong in Guangzhou. The large area around these player towns was the "reward" for the guild wars. Adjacent to the reward area, there is a battle area, and within the battle area, there is a steep mountain, where the Altar of Seon is enshrined. The guild that takes control of the battle area can perform a ritual and obtain a reward. --that could be said to be the outline of the guild war system.
　But that was not the case.
　Juhuang continued, "It has been like that since the days of the game.
Juhwang continued, "I don't know if it's been like that since the days of the game, but I don't know if it's still like that now. But it's not like those three were the only three altars in existence. No, maybe there were more but anyway, the sealen ceremony is being targeted.
　Seon is a ceremony in which the king announces his accession to heaven and earth, and thanks the king for the peace and tranquility of heaven and earth. It is a declaration of accession to heaven and earth, so to speak. In this sense, it is understandable that it is appropriate as a "last resort" so to speak for the Guild War. Even in ancient China, it is famous for being performed by Emperor Qin Shi Huang. At that time, it is said to have taken place in Mount Tai, famous as one of the sacred mountains of Taoism. However, it is said that the Seon is not necessarily at Taishan. At least in this Serdesia world, it is so. Otherwise, there could not be three altars of Seon in three places.
　And what exists in three places, there is no law that says it cannot exist in more than four places.
It is said that the legend goes that the mountains where the altar of feudal lordship is enshrined all lead to the sacred land. Of course, it is necessary to report to the Xian and gods. Unlike in our world, there are immortals in this world. So the Wolf King Mountain is just like that.
　The Red King Faction had spotted the altar.
　Juhuang told his companions in no uncertain terms.
　Indeed, this was a better situation than a real war. For example, if the City of the Grasslands were to become the scene of a large scale raid by the Adventurers, not only would the city's facilities and valuable cultivated land be destroyed, but the death toll of the Earthmen would be high. In the case of a raid, the Adventurers would have to fight each other in the wilderness, mountains, dungeons, and other places where there were no production facilities - in other words, areas of battle.
　At the same time, however, it was also a terribly cruel system. When the ownership of one's home city was on the line, the Earthlings and the Adventurers, who did not have the scale or strength to participate in a large-scale battle (raid), could not even protest. The fate of the raiders could have been decided without their knowing it, and that is exactly what was going on right now.
'According to reports, there are about thirty of them, just like us. Guild wars are like large scale battles (raids), that's why they've got their best men together. The Wolfsbane Mountain is not supposed to be a known large-scale raid zone, but I'd have to go there to find out for sure.
　Normally, the Seon Ritual is a procedure whereby guilds or coalitions of guilds engage in combat in the combat zone, and the resulting guild points are offered to the ritual altar. It is a form of ritual reaffirmation of the power struggle in the battle zone. But it's a method used to overturn control of an already occupied altar in order to weaken the defenders in control sufficiently to gain a large number of points as well as weaken the defenders in control. This time, none of the forces have found the ritual altar, so the ritual will be performed on a winner-take-all basis. It's a game of speed.
　Even if their forces have already completed the ritual, if we surprise and repel them immediately, we can re-ritualize them by offering a small amount of guild points from us. However, the more time they spent, the more they could solidify their defense and the more guild points they had to pay. That's exactly why all of the Raku-Ronin Wolf Riders ride in the dark of night.

''Gilmouth, hey, your head!
　In the midst of the rest, Juhwang heard the telephonic chime in his ears, while he couldn't sleep.
　One of the scouts sent out a hushed voice. In the palm of his hand, which he held up to his ear to block out the sounds of his surroundings and concentrate, the telephonic message played back like a smart phone in the world of Earth.
'Oh my God.'
What's going on? What's the trouble?
　Juhuang asked because the scouts' voices were hidden. Telekinesis, despite its name, is not a telepathic ability. In the days of the Elder Tail, it was called a telepathic whisper, a function that allowed you to transmit your words to your friends. As the name implies, whispering is the ability to send a voice to a friend's ear, so the friend must actually speak in order to communicate.
　The Rakuwolf Riders are a guild that trains, summons, and rides giant wolves, but they can be quite boisterous while riding them. When they try to talk to each other through the wind, they inevitably end up shouting at each other. It's the same when you're going through a telepathic conversation, and when you try not to let the sound of the wind get the better of you, your voice tends to get louder. This is the reason why guild members are called manly and cruel.
　The fact that such a member of the guild is hiding his or her voice makes it clear that he or she is not riding. And if they had to hide their voices even more in this vast, pre-dawn wilderness, then some more critical situation was expected.
'I don't know. I don't know, Gilmour, but I don't know. I don't know, Gilmouth, but maybe the problem is solved.
What do you mean?
It's the Red King Faction. They were about an hour ahead of us, and they were still camped out, but now they're gone. But they're gone.
　The voice of the scouts' report was trembling. Hearing an echo of awe rather than fear, Juhuang strained his stomach. It seems that something out of the ordinary has happened.

It was a raid enemy, I think. I heard birdsong in the black clouds. There was a thunderclap and a tiger claw. They fought back, and at one point I pushed them back, but there was a bright white light. --Then they got wiped out, the whole squad was wiped out. Every single member of the Red King's Faction has been sent to the Great Temple.
　It might have been a relieving report if it was supposed to be.
　The Red King Faction that was trying to control this land had been defeated.
　Of course, they would send troops again in the not too distant future, but this place was farther away than the central part of the Middle Plains. It would take ten days or so. It would take ten days or so to reach this place, which was a crucial time difference in the tense situation. It would be enough time for Juhuang and the others to perform the rituals and fortify their defenses.
　But what was the beast in the report?
　The only thing that can annihilate a large combat (raid) force is a raid enemy. Are you saying the field bosses are showing up?　It's been a year since I visited this world. Even since arriving in the City of the Grasslands, more than half a year has passed, and I have never heard of such a demonic beast.
　Of course, it was possible that the reports were exaggerated, or that the Red King Faction, which was buoyed by the darkness of night, had simply collapsed. However, Chu Juan (Juhuang) couldn't see it that way. The elite troops that were preparing for the guild war were helplessly pushed aside.
　The chaotic night in the withered grassland country seemed to be hiding a much more boring incident than he had expected.



Chapter3.05　



　Good things will come to you if you live an honest life.
　When he was a little boy, he heard such a line, but Leonardo did not basically agree with its purpose. A good thing is supposed to be an unexpected good fortune. The good things that happen as a result of hard work are rewards for hard work, not good luck.
　But what Leonardo is experiencing now is undoubtedly good luck, not a reward.

　There was some kind of rather small head at the mouth of the shoulder.
　Coppelia's body was so slender that she had an extra arm to hold on to. It was thin, supple, and seemed terribly fragile rather than soft. I couldn't help but want to hold her close and savor the feel of it, but I was terribly concerned and nervous that I would break a couple of bones if I did that.
　Shaking his head, Leonardo gently twisted his body so as not to wake up Coppellia, took out an inexpensive ''Moonlight Fairy Drop'' from his luggage and sprinkled it around his eyes with one hand. These eye drops produced by the dispenser would allow me to see at night like a cat, even in the dark, for a whole day. Because it uses consumable items, it is more powerful than the assassin's special skill. It would have been nice if he could create a magic light, but this is beyond Leonardo's control as a melee attacker.
　The pitch-black darkness eased to the moonlit night level in Leonardo's vision. Of course, this "ointment" (balm) does not enhance vision itself, so we cannot see the whole picture of the enclosed space we are in. However, as a non-visual pressure, Leonardo felt a massive mass beyond. It did not seem to be a very pleasant situation.
　On the other hand, the girl who was hugging him to protect him in the midst of that collapsing drama does not seem to have been damaged noticeably. The line of Coppelia's clean cheeks, her small cherry lips, and her eyelashes, which are usually laid down in the shade of her bangs, shine brightly at a distance where she can kiss them if she wants to. This is a pleasing situation.
(You're not. You should be more resolute in dealing with the crisis here, though!
　Leonardo shook off the temptation and went into action.
　Heroes are rarely given much.

　After carefully looking around again, it turned out that there was no imminent threat.
　There is no doubt that he was buried alive, but as long as we can hear water flowing from somewhere, it's probably not a completely enclosed space. If anything, additional disasters such as secondary collapses are more worrisome right now.
　It was tempting to go explore the surrounding area, but Leonardo was hesitant to lower the Coppelia in his arms to the ground, and he couldn't take a step back. The idea of laying the slender girl directly on the cold, damp, and rocky place was uncomfortable, and to be honest, it was a waste of time.
　Kanami, who is an instant doer (interpreter) when she thinks of it, routinely hugs Coppelia when she rides her horse, for example, but Leonardo (of course) doesn't have that opportunity. It's not that it's hard to let go of him...I mean, it's just that it seems to be hard to let go of him.
(Totally uncool.)

　Leonardo raised himself up in an eclectic side-hug and looked into the depths of the darkness.
'So you've managed to survive,'
　There was a slight reaction to that murmur.
　In the pale vision of Leonardo looking down, his pale white eyelids slowly fluttered open to reveal eyes like water-soluble gems, and after a few blinks he found Leonardo.
'Good morning, sir. 'Sir Leonard (Sir Leonard).'
Good morning, Coppelia.
　Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Leonardo hurriedly said while averting his gaze. In this darkness, it's a relief that Coppelia, who doesn't have the ability to see in the dark, won't find out about the blushes.
''I was caught up in the collapse.
　Coppelia mumbled something that sounded like a reality check.
　Leonardo didn't dare to reply to the girl, who seemed to be sorting out the memories and situations within herself, but waited slowly until she calmed down. After a ten-second wait, Coppelia selected the spell for summoning torchlight .
'I can walk,'
　Leonardo let her down to the stalactite earth with his proportionately curt words. Although he didn't mean it, Coppélia's words were sometimes direct and tried to chip away at Leonardo's spirit to be a hero. A little more emotional response (Notis), and he sets up a demand that is not met even by the application he makes for himself.
　The direction of gravity of this space, the rocks on the ground, are quite tilted, which is fine for standing, but if you drop a small object, it will roll endlessly and you are sure to lose it in the darkness. The biological smoothness is unique to limestone caves, and I've seen a documentary about how it's smooth because it's made of molten calcareous material, or volume, or whatever it is, by the flow of water.

"You wish to be cured?
Oh. Yeah, but also for me.
　Coppelia, who had turned her head, told me to check it out. Whether it was fall damage or impact damage, her HP had been reduced by about 20%. I thought it would recover over time if it was to this extent, but I also checked Coppelia's HP as she looked up at me and asked her to recover. The inside of the cave was also softly illuminated by the range recovery .
You're not going to be able to get it right. It's dangerous.
We are not detecting any hostile presence in this space. Coppellia thinks we should join them as soon as possible.
　Coppelia finished the spell and began to walk up the incline with no sign of fear of the darkness.
'That's right,'
　I want you to leave the lead, which may be dangerous, to yourself. Such feelings of Leonardo do not seem to be conveyed to Coppelia, and she walks on without looking back.
''Isn't Coppelia a scary thing?　Darkness and crumbling.
　After pondering the meaning of Leonardo's question for a few moments, the girl says, "Coppelia's vision is unaffected by the darkness. The data stream is stable," she replied. Is that what it is, Leonardo thought. Come to think of it, this mysterious girl had been explained to me before that she lived with a different kind of vision than Leonardo and his friends.
'With those eyes, can you see beyond the walls?　Like the cave exit. Or a map.
"It seems that we can only perceive what we call the visible light range. But from the visual history, we can augment the estimation vector.
What do you mean?
We have identified (mapped) 210 pairs of vectors in the current view structure. From the geometry, we believe that members with sufficient cross-sectional moment can be trusted.
　Scratching his head, Leonardo thought that the flow of the conversation meant that the area would not collapse in the foreseeable future. To be honest, I don't know what it means half the time. However, listening to Coppelia's voice, the irritation and anxiety mysteriously disappeared. I guess I shouldn't worry about it. Turning his shoulders around, Leonardo switched over.

　They made their way through the underground hollow that was so quiet that he felt himself being sucked in if he listened. It was a strange experience. What was supposed to be solid (and quite hard) limestone underfoot was illuminated by a faintly soft magical light, but as Leonardo moved forward by the faintly soft magical light, he felt fluffy, as if he were in a dream or an illusion.
　It's strange to think that Leonardo was caught in the middle of an Epic with such an incomprehensible commotion as a "catastrophe", but the mood was truly a fantasy. It was partly because this scene around him now was so fairytale like, and even more so because he was standing shoulder to shoulder with an innocent girl (Coppelia).
(How unfortunate am I that walking alongside my favorite girl is as much of a fantasy as a dungeon collapse? That makes it sound like I didn't have a single girlfriend.)
　He scoffed to himself like that, scratched his cheek with his index finger and sighed with a slumped shoulder.
　Oh well, it couldn't be helped. The only women I remember talking to recently in my former world are managers with triangular eyebrows or industrial physicians with triangular glasses or deli clerks with triangular (Indian) countries of origin.

'I saw Lord Elias in the direction of the sky as the rock was crumbling.
Yeah.
　I responded with a near-sigh.
　Yes, indeed, in the midst of the collapse, there was Elias in the sky that suddenly opened up.
　He was wielding a huge sword that sparkled like crystal and seemed to collide with the vermilion glow. It was less than half a second, but Leonardo had seen it, and Coppelia had seen it, too. Then it must be true.
'How is Sir Elias--'
　Coppelia's words disappeared like being sucked into the darkness of the cave and did not continue. The girl's shoulders were slumped and she looked lost, and Leonardo felt the same way.
I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I'm sure it's not a bad idea. At all.
　Leonardo remembered Elias's face and forced out the rest of the words that couldn't be continued. That's just an unemotional comment. I can't blame Coppelia.
　What was that look on his face?
　Why do I, Coppelia, feel this way?
　Elias-Hackblade is a real hero. He's the protector of this world of Seldesia. But that is how the Earthlings see him.
　From the point of view of the Adventurers, Elias Huckblade is a surprisingly familiar "old species. He has appeared in many quests, guiding and advising the Adventurers, and sometimes even fighting alongside them. In other words, he has a lot of opportunities to come into contact with you. He appeared more regularly in the game than the blacksmith in the nameless village we stopped in, for example.
　Of course, that was probably for the convenience of the game. When the demons overflowed, when the ship was attacked by a ghost ship and sank, when the Immortal Serpent King spread the miasma, Elias appeared. 'Now stand up!　The Elder Tail was a game, so he would run out to the battlefield shouting, "Light the darkness with the glow of justice!
　The Elder Tail was a game, so all sorts of natural disasters and cataclysmic events would occur there. Sealed magical beasts will be freed, ancient and evil magical tools will be stolen, and sub-humans will invade. This is an everyday occurrence (common event). And many of the Earthlings are saddened by this, and they are desperate to resist. Whatever they think of themselves, they were in that role in the past. And Elias, who is also a hero, says in the face of danger, "Now is the time to fight back! He shouted in a high voice.
　His appearance is certainly heroic and heroic, but it is also somewhat narrative, which makes me laugh. Elias, always heroic, clear and positive, was probably there from the start.
　Encouraging the Adventurer from within the game screen, he seems like a reckless hero who speaks of hope without thinking.
　Of course, that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. On the contrary, that's why people loved Elias so much. Elias-Huckblade, who was known as Seldesia's strongest hero, was called "the assaulting elf," "the commander," "Mr. Elias," and so forth among the "adventurers" (players). He was teased in chats, on message boards, and on video sites, and loved even more.
　After all, everyone knew.
　In the end, everyone knew that Elias's positive attitude and actions were the result of the Elder Tail's creation. Otherwise, there would be no one to introduce the adventurer (player) into the story. And his disappointments - the inability to punish the monster, the fate of failing at crucial points and leaving the rest to the Adventurer, the ridiculously large number of strange and confusing rules, and the fact that he is not able to get the job done. The setting - they were also created in the same way for the convenience of the game. Otherwise, the main character of the story would not be the adventurer, but Elias.
　In that sense, Elias's encouragement and frantic efforts were just a matter of convenience; in other words, a comedy play. But that's why Elder Tail fans loved him for his excessive sense of duty and failure. Fans around the world cheered for the two-and-a-half-year-old hero who waved the flag in the middle of trouble, but couldn't quite decide what to do with himself.
　But who, then, is responsible for Elias's crying face, which is now suffering and being torn apart between a made sense of mission and a made flaw?　With the loss of the Elder Tail, Leonardo found himself without an answer to that question.




◆ Chapter 3.06　



　If victory was the achievement of a goal, then Elias was now a loser.
　Not that he was, sitting on the hillside with stones lying like rubble, squirming with his beloved sword in his hands.
　This is because, despite the fact that he had hoped to rescue his compatriots and challenged the demons to a battle, he was unable to annihilate the demons or rescue his compatriots. And more importantly, to wreak so much destruction around them is nothing short of defeat for the guardians of the earth, the ancient species. Elias felt a sense of helplessness, as if something powerful inside his body was leaking out.
　However, that sense of helplessness did not have the despair that he had imagined sticking to it.
　Rather, there was a hint of a thin smile, as if I was relieved. It was a somewhat decadent sense of conviction that, if I had to put it into words, I might say "I knew it".

　It's hard to tell for sure because of the fuzzy sense of time, but several hours must have passed since the crash, that is, since the dawn.
　At the moment when the land was lost, Elias had planned to settle the matter with a great skill that he did not care about. He was going to unleash the Quad Aqua Harpoon, the most powerful attack from the Crystal Stream, on the incredibly powerful blue steel demon. It was a reckless attack.
　Elias uses the Fairy Swords (Fairy Arts) to create magical-like effects. In Elias's case, it was an offensive technique that appeared in the form of water or ice, depending on the attributes of the weapon he was using. But the Fairy Sword is a fairy sword, not magic. It's a martial art and a fighting method, no matter how far it goes. This is why I'd like to have a look at it. It is a sword technique, so the attack must be precisely manipulated to land.
　It's not possible to do that under those circumstances, and Elias's preparedness to strike a blow that would only cause more damage for nothing.
　Elias smiled bitterly and thinly as the slope looked as if there had been a major earthquake or a landslide. Elias knew that this was a far worse emotion than despair, but he couldn't stop it.
　If it is despair, then fight it. If you are spurred on, even if you can't win, it's still a contest of strength. But this ironic conviction comes from within the heart. No, this shallow smile is Elias' own.

　I had been feeling a strange sign since some time ago.
　What is the curse of the Fairy Eye?
　In other words, it's a cage.
　It is the prison that separates Elias from victory.
　Why is there such a joke of a curse as "no more than a certain amount of harm can be done to an adversary" in the first place?　Isn't it obvious how you can't reach any trivial victory with such a curse lodged in you?
　That is what I had a hazy feeling about. Do I not exist as an object whose wishes cannot be fulfilled?　Wasn't guardianship, victory and salvation born as such, placed out of sight and out of mind in advance?
　It was a suspicion that had stuck with Elias since the night they had gathered to storm the Great Fortress of the Apocalypse at the beginning of this journey.
That was a tough one.
　Elias murmured.
　What came to his eyelids was an avenging enemy with a sword, an indigo steel demon. It was a single living weapon, swinging a huge battle-axe (bardiche) as tall as it was, and coming at you like a storm. In its glowing eyes, Elias had an unfathomable, odd-shaped light. It's not anger or hatred, much less pride, but simply a strong craving for it.
　Elias must have had the upper hand in the battle from start to finish.
　Objectively, it should have been so, but Elias was unable to get a sense of it as if.
　No matter how much he attacked, he could only reduce his opponent's HP.
　HP is life force. If it is lost, you will be unable to fight, and eventually die. Death is not an absolute for the adventurer, but it is the decisive form in victory. In other words, reducing HP is not a metaphor, but should be a path to victory.
　Nevertheless, the color of that demon's eyes ignored that logic. If the act of reducing HP is not conducive to victory, then how can one wrestle away victory from such an opponent?
'Was that......... You reached out and grabbed the power?　Where is the power?　Twisting the rules....
　Even so, if he could scrape it off, even that demon might have stopped moving.
　But he had done something bizarre. It was true that Elias couldn't see the vision to win, but that didn't mean there was any of that on the demon's side. Rather, there should have been nothing but a future of defeat on that side. That man stretched out an invisible arm, grabbed some terrible power and invited it in.
　The magical and invisible power that fills a demon's body.
　What was that?
　At the very least, Elias didn't know, and for that matter, it was definitely outside the bounds of Providence. If it wasn't for that, Elias' attack would have most likely finished off the demon before the collapse.
'Why is that knight of the red branch bound by a curse, but only that one is so free....... That's the difference between the Adventurer and the Ancient Species.......is that a privilege?
　Envy spread over the faded fighting spirit and hatred.

'Master Elias,'
Mr. Elias.
　The thin voice that arrived on the wind overlapped several times, and in my raised vision, I saw a leafy lotus hermitess with thin silk fluttering in the wind.
　At this time, the feeling of shame finally returned in Elias. Even if he could not repent for himself, he still had his fellow countrymen, the 'ancient species', in this mountain.
'Are you all right?
Yeah. No problem.
　Elias replied as he stood up.
　Elias's body was more than stubborn, as if he was responding to Elias's own thoughts. Already the damage received in the battle just now is healing. Even the crystal stream that should have been cracked by the spilling of the blade has been repaired by Elias' own magical power.
I see. I was afraid that Elias-sama had been swallowed up by the devil's horrible plan, but I am relieved.
　The nymph approached with a slow, mysterious movement down the crumbling slope, and with a polite kneeling motion, she nudged Elias. Her long, glossy black hair leaked from the thin silk, and a hauntingly beautiful scene was illuminated in the clear light of the mountainous terrain. Elias, an elven knight who has no culture that would make a woman kneel, hurriedly grabbed the nymph's arm and made her stand up.
''I'm sorry. I failed to finish off the demon.''
I've seen it.
　Elias's chest ached uncomfortably at the nymph's casual words.
　It was an uncomfortable, if not unbearable, feverish pain, as if an iron rod had been inserted into an infected wound.
　Not knowing what it was, Elias repeatedly apologized, "I'm sorry.
　Elias is the head of the Red Branch Knights and is a wielder of the Fairy Sword. Besides, he's probably the most elite of all the "ancient species" still alive. It is an absolute mission to rescue our people and defeat the darkness in Seldesia.
　Having failed in that, he could only apologize to Elias now.

　In front of Elias, the hermitess paused to ponder for a full ten breaths, "No, there was some unusual power at work in that battle." she cut in, "No, there was some unusual power at work in that battle. She spun her words as if she herself wasn't sure, but she chose her words.
'They must have played with the power of life with that evil skill. That was the power of the rainbow.'
The power of the rainbow...?
　Elias had an idea for the reply. The fragments of light that the demon had shed during the final phase of the battle. It's the rainy sky after the rain is gone, and the shards are solidified into a thin layer of seven colors, which is what the nymphs call 'rainbow power'. All of the abilities of that berserk warrior were boosted in exchange for it.
　What came out of his mouth was not a question, but rather a murmur of confirmation.
'It is the intrinsic power that makes use of approximately everything between heaven and earth. The power that gives birth to all things and overcomes difficulties. It is also the power that connects the earth and people, the sacred land and the moon.
How could the Codex Alimentarius use such power?
　If what the hermitess says is true, then her power is the ultimate energy that is associated with magic, physical strength, the earth as represented by volcanoes, the sky with lightning strikes, and all other great powers.
That power belongs to the world of the Immortal World, or in other words, to the Knights of Elias. At this time, it was only acquired by that man because he had been given control of the sacred ground in the mountain. So many Diaojins were lost because of that...''
Huh.
　Thinking back, the light emitted from the Void Transfer Device repaired by the Technical Knight was also rainbow colored. It was the radiance and the cowardly ability of the Codicaster that united the roots. This realization set off a chain of further memories. Wasn't the great magic tree in the fairy land, the remains of Arv at the bottom of the sea, and the now-lost Seven Sacraments Sword, all wrapped in rainbow-colored light?
That man has also used his power to control the wolf's household. He must be scheming to find the observatory hidden in this mountain. If the altar in the watch tower is seized, the Zen ceremony can be performed. Then the whole area around here will be under his demon's control.
....
　Elias bit his lips.
　Elias's fighting ability is top-notch. He was proud that his equipment was also top-notch with magical abilities.
　But then he remembered the crazed eyes of the indigo steel man. The eyes of a starving beast that only wants to fight, to be on fire with both victory and defeat. Elias admitted to himself that he was unnerved by those eyes.
　To begin with, Elias was bound by the chains of a hero. Elias, the man who has the strongest abilities, but is separated from victory by the curse of the Fairy Eye, is a man named Elias. Elias had everything. All that is missing is victory, and is that all he can ever hope to have?
　Ten out of ten, even if Elias had beaten that man, would it still lead Elias to victory?　You are the strongest. The proud Knight Commander of the thirteenth knight of the Order of the Whole World.
Aren't you sure?
It's not!
　Elias reflexively shouted as he felt the pain in his chest being clawed at.
　The Yoren Fairy's delicate lips tightened just slightly. The expression on her face was one that Elias still didn't know and feared more than anything else.
　Disbelief and disappointment.
　Elias finally understood the meaning of the wound in his chest, which was festering and spitting gangrene. It was the fear of being discarded from the world. It was the opposite of the peace and tranquility that the Calamity had induced, but it was actually the same darkness.
　Wouldn't the strongest knight be discarded as unnecessary?
　In the first place, why has there ever been a need for the strongest that has yet to be won?
　What in the world had the whole Elias misunderstood? There is no such thing as the strongest that has never won.
　Elias, who bit his lip to the point of pallor, was now in the midst of his fear. Never before had the inability to win caught up with Elias so much.
'Master Elias, please listen to me. You must listen to me. I still need your help to save this land. I know that Elias-sama is in pain in your heart. But that suffering is a qualification. Yes, that is the qualification to rule the heavens and the earth.
　The praying gesture of the nymph whispered to Elias so slowly that he became jittery. It was a needle-thin, needle-thin guide to salvation that would allow Elias to regain his knighthood again.
　Elias grabbed the suggestion that would have been jumped off if he had the ruthlessness of the final passbook.
"Do the Sealed Zen Ritual. Then a part of the rainbow's power will be in your hands. That is the spiritual power of the source of all things. I am sure that any curse will be lifted and Elias will be healed of his anguish.
　Yes, Elias nodded with iron-smelling bitterness.
　No more curses that bind you to this body.
　You will have the power of the rainbow to avenge your enemies.