Hah ......, hah ......!

　Me and Maria breathe on our shoulders.
　Maybe it's because it's filled with a white haze of explosive magic, but it's hard to see the situation in Palinkron with our eyes.
　But I'm pretty sure she's not safe. If it were an ordinary person, his body would definitely be scattered to the four corners.

''-- 'Dimension.'

　He intensified his dimensional magic and checked inside the white haze.
　The earth had been scraped away by the explosion and craters had been created, albeit shallowly. Some parts of the ground have been vitrified by the heat. I suspected that maybe there was no trace of it left.
　But that suspicion, which could not be called fear or expectation, was soon betrayed.

　The center of the crater.
　A figure standing on two legs.
　In the midst of the destruction, with all four limbs torn off, Palinclone Legacy was not even on his knees. But it was clear that he was seriously injured. Some of the black liquid had been consumed, and the volume had been reduced from what he could see. Half of his body was iced over, and the other half was nearly evaporated.
　Yet Palinkron still smiles. Crunching and flinching, bobbing and bubbling, it makes us uneasy.

--Status.
　　　Name Palinclone Legacy HP11/512 MP213/392 Class None--

　As far as his status is concerned, his HP is sneakily decreasing. Dying is also dying.
　But still Palinclone is standing there, alive, smiling. And he continues to 'chant'.

So, "I'll get it back. "I will take back my sky, my dead sky, the world of the clearest day.

　It was crazy to get to this point. It's enough to make me wonder what's driving the Palinkron to that point.
　I tell Maria that the Palinkron is alive and well.

'Ma, Maria, it's not over yet!

　Hearing this, Maria tries to perform the magic construction once more with a shortness of breath.
　However, before the chase, Palinclone finishes activating the 'Magic Formation'.

''Spell building is over--'Activate the 'World Consecration Formation'.'''

　The 'chanting' was shorter than in the fort. I know the reason for this.
　It's because this is the 'center' of the 'World Devotional Camp'. That's why the response is so quick.

　The magic is formed and the "World Mission Statement" is activated.

　A dizzying tent of light (aurora borealis) falls from the earth to the sky and emits a pure white light like yesterday's fort. It was so bright that it swallowed the brightness of the flames. The light mixed with the colors of the flames is truly a light that is worthy of being called extreme light.

　Palinkulon must have spent a long time for this moment.
　I know this.
　Serving his country, becoming a general, leading his troops, fighting on the battlefield, all for this moment

　The light reflects diffusely on the falling raindrops and weaves its way through the world like a knitted pattern.
　It was a 'world of light' incomparable to that of the fort.

　If possible, I wanted to decide the winner before activating it. It was a pseudo-resonance magic for that purpose.
　However, Palinclone was able to withstand it.
　But for some reason, I thought that was natural. I had a funny trust that there was no way that Palinclone would fall before I cut the trump card.

　So I was able to respond calmly.
　This was not the first time I had been exposed to this light. I grit my teeth and endure the light that crept in.

"--This!

　Like a flashback, the memories I was shown at the fort came back to me, but I beat them away as if to dispel the fog.
　I quickly looked around after getting over the effects of the 'World Dedication Squad'.

''Maria, is everything okay over there!
I'm fine, but the wall!

　There was no change in Maria at all.
　After all, it seems that a person who has the magic stone of 'The One Who Steals the Reason' is not affected by the 'World Consecration Squad'.
　The only thing that had changed was the flames around her.

　The flames, which had been burning even after being hit by heavy rain, flickered.
　It gradually lost momentum and became unstable, as if hit by the wind. From the flow of magic power, it was clear that the 'World Consecration Squad' was sucking the flames away.

　Maria tried desperately to rebuild the wall, but her efforts were in vain as the flames faded.
　And then, as if the light from the World Order Refugee Squad had swallowed up the flames, the wall disappeared.

　The wall that separated us from the outside world was gone.
　At the same time, a different kind of heat than that of the flames hits our bodies. It's the hot air of the battlefield. The smell of blood tickles our noses and the shouts of rage hit our ears.
　The isolation is lifted and we mix into the war.

　There were countless soldiers around them. As expected, they hadn't gotten so far into a melee with the north. However, there was no doubt that they were floating and confused. The 'World Devotional Formation' was also being activated on the battlefield outside.
　Many of us were dazzled by the white light.

　Maria and I braced ourselves and prepared for the intrusion of the soldiers.
　A soldier who noticed the disappearance of the wall of fire quickly throws his voice over here.

''--Ho, the flames have disappeared!　General Legacie!　Are you okay!

　The soldier had put the general's safety before anything else.
　Then he looked for his own boss's face and his eyes widened at the sight of Palinclone.

'Are you General Legacie ......?　What the hell does that look like ......!
'-- Oh, uh, this black stuff is just a little enhancement magic. Don't worry about it. He's wounded, but it's nothing to fuss about.

　Palinkron replied as if it was nothing, and hurriedly repaired his body back to its original form.
　It was an impossible repair, but he managed to retain his human appearance.
　It was obviously a mutation with no excuse, but the soldier was satisfied. I'm afraid that our general would think that this would be as good as it gets.

　Next, other soldiers who noticed the disappearance of the wall of fire came by one by one.
　Some of the soldiers noticed me and Maria and pointed their weapons at me, but--

Don't mess with those two. They're guests.

　Palinkron stopped him.
　Me and Maria scowled at the unexpected turn of events.
　This one was going to at least burn them all down if there were soldiers in the way. It would be over our shoulders and we would miss the timing of our attack.

　We couldn't read Palinclone's intentions and the battle was interrupted for a little while. Even though Palinclone had stopped it, if we had made a move at this time, the soldiers around us would turn against us. We wanted to avoid that.
　So what we need to do now is to isolate them again. Whether it's fire, ice, or whatever, we need to create the 'dueling arena' once again to divide it up.

　While searching for a way to do that, the soldiers talk with Palinclone.

'But I'm glad the enemy's fire is finally out. Now we can retreat. As I suspected, their attack was aimed at General Legacey. That's why I was against their march today--

　Thankfully, they seemed to mistake Maria's fire for attack magic by the Union army. There is no air of wanting to attack us right now.

'Don't say that. It had to be today. It had to be for this.

　Palinclone turns his eyes to the pale light shining from the 'magic stone line' (line).

''...... Is this still the 'magic circle' of example?'''
Yeah, the plan. I just triggered it.

　The eyes of the soldiers shine as they hear the activation of the "World Service Squad". The whole area is filled with joy. But in inverse proportion to this, Palinkulon's eyes are cold.
　Noticing the discrepancy, I break out in a fat sweat.

　A soldier's jubilation spreads to those around him.
　The soldiers seem to have a common understanding of the "magic circle". When the moment they've been waiting for has arrived, the soldiers begin to make a fuss. Even though the war isn't over yet, even though the blood is still flowing, they are making a lot of noise as if to say that this is the moment to overturn it all.
　It was an extraordinary scene.

'Oh!　Finally!　It's finally happening, General Legacy!
'The general's secrecy is troubling!　An example day was today!
'This will end the war!　The Confederacy won!
'I hear General Palinkron's 'magic circle' is complete!
You-Know-Who!　Now?　Oh, here we go!　So this is finally the end!

　As always, the Palinclones were very good at creating distorted groups.
　However, unlike the 'Epic Seeker' this time, it was painful to see them in action.
　They believe that this 'magic circle' is a good thing. They don't know that this is the 'World Consecration Squad' that once caused 90% of the deaths in the war.
　There was a discrepancy there to be sure of that.

We've had a little bit of a delay in our plans. "We've got a bit of an early start on our schedule, thanks to our guest over there. This is the 'end', guys. Good for you.

　Palinclone smiled at me.
　I 'gaze', noticing the thorns behind that smile.

　And then I notice.
　That the levels and statuses of the soldiers are changing.

　The level of the person's "level," which can be said to be the manifestation of their life, and their "maximum HP," which can be said to be the very life of the person, are decreasing as if they are being gently plane down.

　They may not notice it because it is slowly dropping.
　When one's own body is in irreversible trouble--

　So I shout for them.

'Pa, palinkulon!　Stop the magic circle at once!
'I can't do that. I'm done triggering it. This time it's not the end or the test, so it won't stop if I'm dead. It doesn't matter, does it?　There's no reason to stop.
You're the only reason to stop!　At this rate, all of us here will be--
Ha-ha, I don't care what happens. All I care about is me and the boy.

　Along with the words, their eyes crossed each other's.
　I feel the pain through those eyes. Palinclone is serious.
　Even the truth of it can be gleaned from him, even if I don't like it. He really thinks that he would be willing to let all the people on the continent die if it meant to be alone with me.
　That was very scary - and sad.

'You don't have to do that, I'll fight you!　So stop it now!　This light is not a good light to shine on people!

　He thrusts out his sword, which he had unbearably drawn, and tries to close in on Palinkron.
　It is blocked by the soldiers.

'Guests, what!　What do you mean?　This 'magic circle' is our long-cherished dream, and with it we can neutralize the Northern Army!
'This is the end of the war!　That's right, General Palinclone!

　Those who believe in Palinkron speak of an impossible future.
　The one who indicated that future answered clerically.

'Oh, the war will end (・・・・・・). Just as the Levantine lore says.

　The whole exchange is painful.
　Certainly the response is not false.
　As the words go, the Union army will be neutralized. It just doesn't say anything about the Confederacy.

'Stop it, Palinclone: ....... These people believe in you, ....... And that, you know, you--

　Before that cessation is complete, something strange comes to the battlefield.
　I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what I'm talking about.

　--I'm not going to be the only one.

　The entire battlefield was emitting a faint white light.
　The light enveloped the entire northern part of the continent and permeated everything.

　It wasn't just the battlefield. The light shone indiscriminately on the streets of the mainland, as well as the innocent inhabitants.

　That light was supposed to be a type of magical power, but it was terrifyingly quiet and transparent. There was no concept of attributes, it was colorless, encompassing only a fundamental color.
　Its mercilessly gentle light clung to all living things, trying to dissolve them bit by bit (・・・・・・・・・・).

　I didn't have to let it 'display' --I've been 'decomposed'," he said.
　The composition of the body is unraveling and the organism is dissolving. The unraveled body returns to pure magic and floats in the light like fine ice (diamond dust).
　Light dancing in the light. The fantastic particles of magical power fell directly to the white earth and soaked into it.
　It was a snowy landscape that made me want to throw up.

　No living creature could withstand the "World Bongbong Formation". Equally, monsters, people, beasts, and insects are being decomposed. If this continues, more than a million people and a billion creatures will die. --with only one exception, the one with the magic stone of The One Who Steals Reason.

　That's when the soldiers around them finally begin to notice the change.
　They stared at their own bodies, which were becoming particles of magic power, and let out a voice.

''--?　Na....... This, what the hell is this: ......
The power of The Magic Circle.

　Palinkron answered everything when asked.
　But it was only clerical and not emotional.

　A buzz of joy turned into a buzz of confusion.
　Some of them couldn't bear the level down and began to feel dizzy. At last, about a third of the troops poked their knees, as if they were anemic.
　It seems that the lesser of the two, the faster the limits of their abilities are reached.

　Feeling death all around me, I let out a shaky voice.

You'll die if you don't ....... Your people are going to die ......?
'Haha. Yeah, right.

　My question was affirmed by Palinkron.
　However, unlike when the soldier asked me, he was not clerical, but emotional. He seems to be smiling a bit. It's a difference in response that shows that he really doesn't care about anyone but me.

　I'm painfully aware that words don't stop me.
　I put my hand on the front of my aching head and grit my teeth with all my might.

　In the meantime, the effects of the "World Consecration Camp" do not stop.
　First one. The one who had lost his skin screamed as it was converted into magic power.
　Then a second and third person, and their voices overlap. The flesh of his companions began to disappear, and he realized that he could see what was inside. A cutting cry rushed across the battlefield in the face of this grotesque sight.
　The unrest propagated just as easily as the jubilation.
　A fourth and then a fifth - and then the horror spreads.

　The battle between the north and the south was completely suspended as we grasped the distance in The Dimension. All hell is breaking loose in the war.

　I thought I should guide them before they plunged into depression.

'Ladies and gentlemen!　Get out of The Magic Circle now!　It's not too late!　And while I'm doing that--!
Kanami-san!

　But it was stopped by Maria next to me.
　I turned my eyes to Maria to ask her why. There she was, unguarded and on the verge of war.

'Do not turn your eyes away from the enemy. This (...) is also the attack of the Palinclone Legacy--, we are still in combat.

　And he told her in no uncertain terms to abandon everything.
　To Maria, the soldiers at war must be strangers to her. She tells me that there is something more important than that.

"Maria, but--
-Will anyone try to help him and fail again?　There's no room for that!

　Maria's hand grabbed my arm.
　I caught it tightly and didn't let go, not letting it go anywhere.

　I felt a wrenching dilemma.
　If possible, I would like to help anyone and everyone. That's the kind of person I am. I'm sure you can understand that now that you've lost everything. That's the only humanity I can be sure of being me.

　So it was a fascinating story to risk my life here to save ten thousand soldiers (・・・・・・・・). It was very, very fascinating, like an act in a play. If he lost his life to save them, he thought it was such an excusable death.

　But I knew very well that helping no one else was not going to do any good. A hypocritical, self-satisfied act of thoughtlessness would not solve anything. In fact, it often leads to worse results.
　I had that experience. Because Maria's advice also came in tandem, I had no choice but to give up. -- much to my chagrin (・・・・・・).

　Suppressing the urge, I stopped looking at the battlefield and turned my attention to one Palinkron. I focus all my attention on the sinner who caused this devastation, only to defeat him.

　Do not decipher the sound of the soldiers' suffering.
　Don't get caught up in it, no matter how much the battlefield is in a whirlwind.

　After all, it was already too late for anything.
　If we wanted to help these people, we should have done so from the beginning. Instead of going after the Palinklons, we should have fought for evacuation. Or, earlier, they should have followed the path that Palinkron had prepared for them and become the Lauravian Hero. In the position of the Hero, he could have helped many people. You could have been happy without knowing anything, without losing yourself.
　But I refused to do that and that's how I got here.
　I gave up a lot of lives on my way here. If it was my strength, I could have saved many lives in the war. I was that good. -- but I left them behind. I tried not to look.

　It's selfish of me to want to save them now. It's too selfish.
　Most of all, it's unrealistic to expect me to help every single soldier here. Without thinking it through, it's obvious that this is beyond my capacity.
　It's not surprising that Maria felt madness at me for still trying to help.
　I have a real sense of falling into madness myself.

　While we are staring at each other with Palinclone, the miserable hell stirs behind us.

　There is a scream.
　
　In the light, the throbbing and dissolving human beings cannot help but stand out.

　The battlefield was a screaming place.
　The eyes of the soldiers were stained with despair.
　The fear that there is no pain even though their bodies are melting. The nightmare that there is no way to avoid that slow death, only to be frightened and confused. It was a blasphemy of life. Most of all, the light of hope that should have ended the war turned into a light of despair, which broke the hearts of many people.

　One by one, the soldiers couldn't even speak, and one by one, they fell to the ground.
　The reasons for fighting that had inspired me to fight are disappearing one by one.
　The "wedge" that held me together is falling out one by one.

　In the midst of it all, a man of exceptional level and quality remained unmolested and unbending. I could tell that he was a high-ranking military official from the way he dressed unlike the others.
　And I can also tell somehow that he was probably close to Palinclone--

"--Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!　General, Palinkulon Legacy.　All of it, all of it was a lie!

　His voice was so loud that he refused to read in time.

'Oh,'

　To the man's question, Palinkron answered shortly.

'You never had any patriotism in you ......?'
Yeah.
'Do you have nothing to say about this devastation ......?
Yeah.
Was it your goal all along to sacrifice us ......!
Yeah.
'...... you are!　You're not a person!

　At last the man was furious with Palinkulon's attitude and shook his fist.
　However, his fist failed to reach the man.
　Before it could reach him, the man lost all his physical strength and fell to the ground. The fallen man spat out a curse with his last ounce of strength.

''It's not a person ......''
Yeah, apparently.

　With this man as the last soldier, all the soldiers around us had fallen.
　Within a few dozen seconds, the noisy battlefield had become quiet. There was no more shouting and shouting that was typical of the battlefield. The only sound in my ears was a groan.
　It was just me, Maria and Palinkulon standing on the ground that glowed white and pale to the horizon.

　Abominably, there was no longer room for interruptions.
　The elimination of anything that could help Palinkron was accomplished. It was supposed to be a joyous situation, but there was no way he could be honestly happy about it.

'Come on, boy. Now it's easier (・・・・・・・・・・) to do (...)?

　On a battlefield where there was no longer anyone on his side, Palinkron finally spoke his words.
　It was certainly easier to do. In two ways.

　No longer did he have any hesitation in killing Palinkron.
　It was easier to fight and easier to kill.

　There was no way she could do something shameful like asking for help from the Palinkron anymore.
　Whatever anxiety Maria was feeling was solved by Palinkron himself, no one else.

　Oh, it's really frustrating, it's just what Palinkron had in mind.
　There was no reason not to kill each other now.

　So, without answering Palinclone's question, I activate the magic that has finished building without hesitation.
　I no longer have to think about the aftermath to my surroundings.
　It's really quite neat. This one too, in two ways.

''-- 'Midgals Freeze'!

　Maria follows suit and releases.

''-- 'Midgall's Blaze'!

　Ice and fire. Two giant snakes are generated and head straight for Palinclone.
　Maria begins to build more magic without moving, and I run out to hide behind the giant snakes. It's an attack that clearly separates the roles of vanguard and rear guard.

　I go straight ahead and stare at the enemy (Palinkron).
　The other side is also staring at me. The one eye left on the Palinkron's body has caught me in its hiding place.

'Come on, Legacy. I'm getting as close to 'Kanami' as I can get. And I'm getting as close to being an 'apostle' as I can get. I'm almost there. I'm almost--

　In response, Palinkron builds his magic as well.
　He unravels his human form and transforms both arms into blades. He thinks that he no longer has to worry about anyone's eyes.

''-- "Dark Sphere

　He pointed one blade towards us and sent a black sphere flying.
　It collides with the two giant snakes and the magic pops in the air.

　The battle resumes.
　A fog of magical power of complementary colors mixed with black, blue and red spreads out.
　From within it, a small voice can be heard.

''-- All that's left is for Miss and Miss to leave and we'll be alone. Boy.''

　Blurting out, Palinclone muttered that, which was clearly heard by 'Dimension'.
　I eliminated more than 10,000 people around me who were in the way, and I knew that Maria was my next target.

　I'll be barking to prevent that from happening.

"Palinkulon--!

　He slammed the crystal sword into the palinclone.
　A dull sound rang out as it collided with the black blade.
　The high-pitched sound doesn't sound anymore--