Hyli stands in the path to go.
　But her complexion is pale and her body is wobbly. I could tell from just one glance that she wasn't feeling well.
　Even so, Heili is still staring at me, his body filled with the will to fight.
　She has two swords at her waist and wears many magical tools, including rings. The clothes he wears have also been replaced with superior clothing, and he wears armor that does not interfere with his body's movements, yet provides solid protection.
　It appears to be in perfect condition, unlike the last time we had an encounter.

　Heili says from his horse.

''I've been waiting for you ....... I won't let you go beyond this point, boy.''

　I declare that it is a roadblock.
　From the look of it, I could tell that Heili was serious. But I also knew it was her kindness.

　Heili retains her wariness, but speaks to me with concern.

''If we jump into the place where those three are now, there's no way to predict what will happen. At least do it after Dr. Aydo leaves--''

　I shake my head, unable to accept the suggestion.

'--I can't do that. I have to go as soon as possible. I have business with Palinclone, but my main goal is the Apostle Sith. If we don't go before that guy escapes, we won't be able to save our friends.

　Not a second can be wasted.
　For example, it's possible that the more time that passes, the more time that goes by, the more chance there is that Dia's personality will be eroded by the Apostle Sith.

'Still, you must not go there. The boy shouldn't mix in there. If he goes--he won't be able to return (・・・・・・).
I don't know about that. Well, I have to help Dear. Please get out of my way, Heili. I don't want to take anything away from Dia anymore, so ......--

　Out loud, I realize. It's a compulsive notion that's driving me.

　It's the guilt I feel for Dia.
　Once, I lured Dia into the labyrinth and took her dreams and her arms away from her.
　Now, I'm about to take away even everything that's left.

　That's why I'm in such a hurry.
　I feel so strongly about it that I don't even know what I'm feeling.
　I don't want to repeat (・・・・・・・・), - many times (...).

'As you can see, I'm running out of room ....... I'm getting broken (・・・・・・・・) ......

　Looking at me trembling, Heili said pityingly.

　Both of her eyes were reflecting me like a mirror.
　She, like me, has the ability to observe through dimensional magic. That all-seeing eye is catching me.
　As if she understands the whole situation, Heili admonishes me.

'Because of Ayd-sensei's magic, Apostle-sama has been swallowed up by memories ....... No longer is that a girl named Dia, but an apostle named Sith. And yet you say you will help her?
...... We don't know that yet!　That's where Deere is!　You can't give up until you've done what you can do!

　I answer out loud without having to think about it.
　Hailey's face twisted in the face of that thoughtless immediate answer.

'Boy, calm down and listen to me. If you go, you will definitely lose yourself as well as the Apostle-sama. You already know that, don't you?　You are suffering from the same magic and have the same symptoms as the girl named Dia. It's ...... the same. The boy's body was almost invaded as well - no, it must have been pretty much after it was already invaded.

　Those words described my situation exactly.
　So I couldn't answer immediately this time.

　It wasn't long after I left Lauravia that I felt the anomaly.

　I had survived the battle with Rowen and gained new powers.
　However, I could feel that power pressing down on me in a dim way. The skills 'Parallel Thinking', 'Sensitivity', ?? Dimensional Magic, I couldn't handle all the power, on the contrary, I was constantly strangling myself.
　The only thing I could think of was that I was being wielded by an unworthy power. It was as if I was borrowing not my power, but the power of someone much greater.

　It wasn't until my level and skills increased that I became convinced.

　The stronger I became, the more inexplicable my anxiety became. I felt like 'experience' wasn't a grating thing, but something more 'bad' was accumulating in my body.
　And then I began to dream.
　A memory I can't remember.
　Only once did I recall a memory similar to it.
　That was when I received Rowen's "Flash of the Ghost (Von a Wraith)". At that time, I didn't have the skill to catch that move. But I was able to prevent it from happening with my memory and experience, which I don't remember. Now I know what that meant.

　When I crossed a certain limit (・・・・), the memories of The Masked Man were flowing into me.
　From the tendency, the more levels and statuses go beyond the human limit - 20 levels - the more intense the influx is, I guess.

　And every time I have a dream, new memories fill me up. They are filling my memory, filling my emotions, filling my body.
　Heili is worried about me ceasing to be me.

　Yes, she's worried about me: .......
　But.

I know that.

　I shake my head, saying it's unnecessary nosiness.
　Then he looks straight back at Hailey.

'I still (・・・・・・) don't mind (・・・・)'

　In other words, in the end, I don't mind either the current Uzumami or the old Uzumami.　
　It's a good thing that there is a replacement for the current Uzumami, even if the current Uzumami is destroyed.

　It's a good thing that you're able to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　It's a good thing that you're not going to have to worry about the fact that you're not going to have to worry about it. It's a good thing that you know that.
　Either way, (・・・・・・) it's not much different.

''......?　No, you mustn't go. The boy is underestimating.

　Hailey was upset by the answer.
　Then she spoke up and told him how horrible it was.

'Imagine, you know, the mixing of two memories?　
I know. That's what I'm doing now.
That's a different degree. The boy is still young (...), but it's a different story from here on out. The feeling of two people living in one body, that's not something one can bear.
...... I'm sure it's going to get more painful from now on. But you don't know that until you try.
I'm telling you this because I tried and I couldn't stand it!

　Heili's voice finally breaks out in response to my thoughtless response.
　The calm Heili was no longer there.
　And then she puts into words the pain that will come to me in the future.

'I can't bear it!　I'm so anxious and insecure!　It's so painful that I want to die!

　Miss Hein's similar grace is lost.
　There was a wounded girl there, though her body was unharmed.

　The desperation of the situation makes me realize that this is the pain that will come to me, but it is also the pain that Heili has now.
　It's the pain I'm going to have to deal with, but it's also the pain that Heili has now.

The memories in my head are mixing up, but they don't mix up at all, they are repulsive and painful, and I can't stand it!

　I open my mouth to the limit and scream so hard my saliva flies.
　I can see all of the plating that Hailey had been holding on to come off. Her calm pose is all taut, and I can see that the real Hailey didn't have this much time to spare.

　I continue to listen silently to Hailey's words as she changes into a leopard.

'That's what I mean when I say memories get mixed up!　There are so many of you in my head that I can't believe that any of them are me!　Your body is here, but you have no idea who you are or where you are!　There can't be two people living in one body!　It's hard to take a breath!　My unsteady mind is about to fall apart!　I'm afraid that this spliced body is now going to limp and collapse too!　Everything is so fragile and fragile, I'm almost overwhelmed with anxiety!

　The streaks in his throat were floating out and his veins were about to break at any moment.
　I looked at it and I thought, "Oh, she's the same way.

I don't even know if I'll live or die properly!　It's painful and 'she (I)' tells 'me' that she wants to feel better soon!　I want to make "her (me)" feel better as soon as possible!　So 'I' was always looking for a place to die!

　It was no longer shaped as a conversation.
　It was all in the first person, and I couldn't understand who was saying what to whom.

　But I did understand, because it's the same for me. --But I know because it's the same for me.
　There are different kinds of personalities and memories mixed together in Hailey now. The 'I' and 'she (I)' turned out to be someone different.

　It's only a part of the story, but I can feel the anguish of that agony.
　And I also feel the tenderness of not wanting anyone else to experience that pain. Hailey is exposing everything about herself in an effort to convince me.
　She's brave enough to express her feelings, even if it looks ridiculous.

'Is that why you were so desperate, Hailey?
Yes. ......
'...... No, can we call her Hailey in the first place?　Is Heili here right, Heili?

　I don't know if it's right to call her Hailey now, just as I can't call the current Sith Dia, so I check it out.

'We're calling us mixed up, we're calling her 'Hailey', so please keep it that way. In my case, both the material (source) child and the knight Hein have given their bodies to each other, so ......

　On the other hand, in Dia's case, they were probably fighting for each other's bodies. In that deprivation, Dia was defeated. So now, Apostle Sith is doing whatever he wants.
　And even in that situation, Dia was still worried about me to the end.
　Heili, even when she was on the verge of a heart break, is still worried about me.

'I understand that Heili worries about me, I understand that. But don't worry, I'll get over it. I'll get through it. ......

　So I'll be strong. I'll insist that it's nothing to worry about.
　But Heili doesn't appreciate my persistence.

'It's not okay. If we go down this road, we will not be able to return for sure. That Palinkron is the one we're dealing with. The boy will crumble for sure. That much truth still remains.
Truth ......?

　Hyli does not underestimate Palinclone.
　Then, with a divine look on her face, Heili moves her mouth.

'So before you go any further, listen to me. This is my guess. It's a guess, but I'm no longer certain of it.

　Every movement of his mouth seemed to be in slow motion.

'Perhaps the boy here now is not (・・・・・・・・・・) 'Aikawa Uzumi (・・・・)' (・・・・・・・). Just like the young lady who was the vessel of "Saint Tiara", the same as Dia-chan who was the vessel of "Apostle Sith" - the boy is probably the "Magic Stone Human (Jewelculus)" who was prepared to "re-birth" the founder, "Aikawa Uzumi". That's why the boy will never be able to get over it. ......

　It was a guess that undermined everything.

'I'm ......, "The Magic Stone Man (Jewelculus)" ......?　Not the 'primordial kanami' of a thousand years ago, but ......?

　I had lost that memory a thousand years ago in The Original Kanami. So as my level goes up, I'm remembering my memories from that time.
　Until just a moment ago, I had thought so.
　But the reality is worse than that, Heili says.
　That's the equivalent of saying that the 'Aikawa Yotaki' I desperately want to meet is a stranger who has nothing to do with me.

''Yes. It's not the 'Founder Kanami' himself from a thousand years ago, but the 'Jewelculus' prepared by the 'Founder Kanami'. I'll explain the reason for that now.

　He begins to tell the story of how he came to that speculation in a digression.

'It must have kneaded a lot of people to create a 'vessel' called a boy. That's why I used the boy's blood to fill in for him, and a lot of things have gone wrong with me. Gender is the best example of this. If the boy's body is the 'primordial kanami', then it's strange that the gender was pulled by a woman.

　Haili explains, stretching her own chest, a female symbol.

''If you're a 'Magic Stone Human (Jewelculus)', it explains why you were level 1 and why you had various skills at level 1. The initialization of the level is a typical 'Jewelcrus' characteristic of the 'Jewel Stone Man'. And his unusual 'qualities' should be in exchange for his own longevity.

　As a matter of fact, I am told that my life expectancy is short.
　But it's certainly an "incidental" story. It's not a shock to me.
　I'm sure it's more important than that.

Then what is this memory ......?

　Memories from a thousand years ago that I see in my dreams. And the memories I've lived in the original world.
　Certainly I have sixteen years' worth of memories.

"There's a good chance it's a prepared memory. It must have been 'adjusted' so that you wouldn't wonder why you became 'Aikawa Uzumi'. If it was the Founder a thousand years ago, that much should be easy to do.

　He is easily told that he is a fake.
　I felt my heart twitch as I heard those callous words.
　More than anything else than life expectancy, that shocked me.

'You're not 'Aikawa Uzumi'. You don't even have a name, you're just a 'boy'. Probably the same as the young lady - no, younger than that, just a few weeks ago, you're a 'magic stone human' (Jewelculus) that was born in the labyrinth.

　The upset only deepens.
　I'm going to argue as if to resist.

"Keh, but compared to the other 'Jewelculus', I'm totally different ......
Of course, this isn't just a Jewelcruise. He's the only Jewelcrus that was created in a legend a thousand years ago. It's only natural that he surpasses the Jewelcruise of today.
Ho, am I really a 'Jewelcruise'?　Not 'The Original Kanami,' but ......?
'Certainly, that was the first possibility I considered. If so, there are too many things that can't be explained. I think the symptoms I'm having now are simply the gradual acclimation of the 'blood' of the 'primordial Kanami' in the 'vessel'.

　I'm still not convinced.
　The 'Parallel Thinking' that is moving on its own also says that there are gaps in its claims.
　I remember the other 'magic stone humans' (Jewelculus) and mention the difference between them.

''But there's no 'elemental' ......
No 'elemental'?
'No, all magical stone humans have a skill called 'elemental body'. Isn't this the proof of the 'Magic Stone Human (Jewelculus)' ......?　I don't have it in me: ......!

　This should destroy the theory of the 'Jewish Stone Man' (Jewelculus).

　That's why I'm not alone in the world.
　I have a sister to help and a place to return to--

What--what are you talking about?　It says it right there: ...... and 'elemental body' is ....... Underneath the skill that you can't see very well, there's a skill called 'elemental body' ......

　-- but that hope was denied by the startled look on Hailey's face.

　For a moment, I didn't understand what he was saying.
　I get the same look on my face as Heili.

'Well, wait. Doesn't it say 'Gentile' in there: ......?

　A closer look at your skills.

--Skill Status.
　　　Inherent skill: swordsmanship 4.89 Ice magic 2.58+1.10
　　　Acquired skills: body arts 1.56 dimensional magic 5.25+0.10 sensory perception 3.56 parallel thinking 1.48
　　　　　　　　　　　Knitting 1.07 Deception 1.34 Magical combat 0.73 Blacksmithing 0.69
　　　?　???
　　　???　?????? -- ?

　A skill that always brings in trouble, "? (Illwill)'.
　And then there's the skill that's hidden underneath it, ?? ? I'm sure this was the skill 'Gentile' - I'm sure it was.

''What are you talking about?　The boy has the skill 'elemental body'. That's why I'm talking about the 'Magic Stone Man' (Jewelcrus).
Because ......--

　--Rastiara said.

　I couldn't put that much into words.
　It wasn't me who confirmed it. There is definitely room for error to intervene.

　My breathing became shallow and labored.

　Does that mean one of us is lying?
　But it doesn't look like Hailey is lying in front of me.
　So then Lastiara lied?　Please don't hurt me?
　That would make sense.
　On the other hand, the Hyli in front of me doesn't look like a guy who would lie to hurt people.
　The theory of the 'Jewish Stone Man (Jewelcrust)' becomes true.

'No wonder the boy was mistaken. The person who created the boy - well, probably the founder 'Aikawa Uzumi' - is quite a user. He must have cleverly 'adjusted' the boy so that he wouldn't doubt himself.

　Wait, "adjustment" ......?
　I remember.
　Skill '? The effect of 'Ilwil' is just that, 'adjustment' itself.

　Not to die, not to break, but to move forward.
　You mean, as a vessel, we were made to be strong?

'Boy, [You are not 'Aikawa Uzumi']. Palinclone must have intended to let them know this truth in a more mind-gouging way during the battle. He must have intended to take advantage of that opening to accelerate the mixing of memories. That's why I dared to say it first. To make the wound as shallow as possible, and not to step into irreparable territory.

　My brain reflexively spun to consider that joke. And when 'Parallel Thinking' decided that it was realistically possible, my body went rigid.

　If this had been said during the battle, it would have created a huge gap, no doubt.
　That's why Heili is telling me ahead of time. For me.

'The boy can still turn back if he doesn't get involved with those from a thousand years ago!　There's still a chance you can live as just a boy, without despair, without being invaded by the primordial Kanami!　So don't go!

　With her arms outstretched and her small body looking bigger, Hailey blocked the way.
　Her face was contorted.
　Looking at her face, I couldn't believe she was lying.

'I'm not a 'Kanami' ......?　I didn't have ...... or a sister ......?

　It really seems to be 'elemental' in my skills.
　At the same time, one of the predictions that had been stagnant due to lack of information is now a step forward.

　Progress - I get an answer.

　It is that I have been 'tuned' to help someone else's sister.

　Faced with that answer, I--.