A storm of explosions coming from a distance.
　Perhaps it's the Lord's wind magic. My Lord's magic is much quieter.

'The Lord fights freely, doesn't he? "I see that the Lord fights freely, then, Helvirshine, shall we go and fight in the middle of nowhere?

　With a comfortable shakiness, Nosphy walks down the street with his back to me.
　He's confident that he can handle being slashed from the back with a surprise attack. I can tell from his behavior that he thinks of me, and others like me, as nothing more than a prelude to a fight with Christ.

　I will not follow behind it.
　I will never follow him.
　To be honest, I have a bad feeling about going along with what this woman with a bad character is doing.
　I've got to get away from the Lord and Christ. I'm going to fight right here, right now.

I'm going to give it my all right from the start. I'm not going to let my guard down, Guardian of Light.　--Mr. Rowen!　Sylph Luf Bringer!

　I'm going to pull out my sword and demon sword and put my magic power into them.
　I also pour in all of the magical power that I collected when I imitated Christ when I chanted earlier.

　The legendary swords gain magic power and regain their brilliance.
　But even this isn't enough.
　Not yet.

''Accelerate,'' ''Accelerate,'' ''Accelerate,'' ''Accelerate, accelerate, accelerate--!

　Further magical power amplification.
　I perform 'chanting' in imitation of Lord.
　The magic power of my body's wind expands at a frightening rate. This seems to be more suitable for me than Christ's chanting. But in return, the 'price' also swells up faster.

　Everything is being chipped away, chipped away, chipped away, chipped away, as if lightness is necessary for acceleration.
　The ego, the experience, the memory - the soul is being scraped away and becoming lighter.
　That self-harm was accompanied by a pleasant feeling. The grinding is so pleasurable that even now I want to laugh out loud.

　But behind the pleasure, there are many things that cannot be undone.

　I almost forget.
　I feel like I'm going back.
　It's almost like going back.

　I want to go back to the far past, beyond the time of a baby, back to before I was born, and I want to die.
　It was a horrible 'price'.

"Haha!　Hah, hah, hah!

　Before I knew it, I had stopped breathing.
　Instead of the magical power he had gained, he had been deprived of all sorts of things he needed to live.

''Oh, is that Lord's chant?　It seems that you, the descendant, are no different when it comes to imitating other people's 'chanting'.
"This kind of chanting is not normal. ......!　It's not something people can recite: ......!　But this is what Lord was reciting: ......!　I was laughing and reciting a poem while I was at work: ......!

　I manage to connect the memories. Some of them are memories of Lord kindly teaching me magic.
　Although she was clumsy, she still taught me with great care.
　Seeing that figure reminded me a little bit of sister Fran, I guess it's because of the kindness in her roots. We pruned the garden together, and we even ate together. It was fresh in my mind that when we imitated the vigilantes, she bought me lunch with her sisterly style.
　But the thought of something like this behind that smile makes me want to gouge out my heart.

'If you're saying that Lord was so driven that he had to rely on something like this!　More than that!　I'm not going to let you pass from here!　I'm not going to let you get anywhere near those two!
...... I'm not sure I understand. If the Lord is suffering, isn't it me, your friend, who is most in need?　I want to see you smile, too, from the bottom of my heart, Lord, don't I?

　Go ahead and pull it out. You b*tc*--!

"--Not possible (・・・・・). I trust my instincts. There's no way, no matter how hard I look at it, that you're the source of all evil. Yeah, you're the root of all evil!　The good-natured Lord may still believe in you deep down, but not me!　I don't care what you have to say or what's going on here!　No questions asked, I will make sure--I will kill you!

　I declare.
　Maybe it was because the Lord was away from me, but this would be just fine against Nosfy.

'Didn't ...... Uzurinami-sama tell you to restrain me?'

　Look at that.
　That Nosfi guy doesn't even change his face.

　He's still smiling and calmly trying to fry the story.

'Yeah, Lord's orders are to stay put. But I'm just about out of the business of being a serious knight. I'm going to kill you by accident!　From the beginning!
I see. Helvirshine's determination has been well received by me.

　Even with my all-out killing spree, Nosfi didn't lose his posture like an understanding wise man.
　After all, the difference in power as well as experience is obvious.
　According to Revan lore, the war history of the girl who became the 'Mikata' is extraordinary.
　Once she appeared in the history books, she is a fierce warrior who has run through a thousand battlefields at a rate that fills the chronology.
　That's my opponent.
　But still I cannot be defeated.

　The Lord Christ has believed in me and asked me to do this. I can't betray that trust.
　Above all, as a knight - no, as Rainer Helvilshain, I can't lose.

"Oh, I can't lose to you... ......
I don't even... ......?
...... I'm sorry, but I just can't believe you're stronger than that Miss Rowen.

　I saw Mr. Lowen's battle in Lauravia, the one who stole the logic of the earth.
　At that moment, I didn't feel like I could win at all. There was no room for stalking, and no matter where I was or what I did, I knew I would be decapitated in a single breath.
　But this "The One Who Steals the Reason of Light" nosphy is a little different.

　Only when it comes to combat ......, it's somewhat warm.
　Mr. Rowen specializes in combat, but Nosfi specializes in something other than combat. I feel like that.

''You understand very well. Yes, if it's just simple combat skills, you're right. But that's only natural, right?　Because it's no good if the knight you're protecting is weaker than the Lord.
'Oh, a knight has to be stronger than the Lord to protect him. That's not really a knight. ...... However, my Lord Christ is victorious over Mr. Loewen. That means I can't afford to be bothered with the likes of you, who are probably weaker than Mr. Rowen.

　He prevents himself from escaping by talking about why he can't lose and thinks only of the inevitable victory.
　Hearing this, Nosfi opens his mouth with a pout, and after being a bit dumbfounded, he starts laughing.

''Hmph, hmph, hmph. That's a good aspiration. Except for the problem that it's definitely impossible.''
'I'm on a mission to be stronger than Christ. Yes, I must win, even with my life. So, yeah--!

　He ignored Nosfi and kept telling himself to ignore it.
　I knew from experience that this pledge was the most important thing in battle.
　In a sense similar to 'chanting', the shouting--.

'To be a knight in Christ in the true sense of the word!　Today, here!　I will be strong when I defeat my guardian!　I will kill you!　--Ix-wind-o!

　-- turning the wind's magic into propulsion and rushing out.

　In contrast, Nosfi mutters, keeping room for it, and weaves a light magic.

'...... Oh, it's irritating to watch. Its irreverence, arrogance and recklessness. You know yourself that it's impossible to do such a thing, but you're deceiving yourself by saying it out loud. That kind of thing reminds me of the old days, so can you stop?

　Naturally, its magic construction is divine speed.

''--『Light Rod, Flag of Light (Nosfy Flag).

　Before I can get to it, he finishes filling the flag with magic.
　Then I waved the flag right side once.

　There was no shockwave flying or magic flying at me. It's just that the flag's light shimmered.

　I'm going to bathe myself in that glow.
　It doesn't matter. I'm not going to be able to prevent it anyway.
　If you want to control the "blood", you should do it.
　The seed is cracked, so this time you just need to focus on the sword and not the magic.

　But as if to disrupt that concentration, a voice rang out in my ears.

(-- Helvirshine. (Please listen)
What--?

　He looked at Nosfi out of the corner of his eye, but his mouth hadn't moved at all. A spare smile was strapped on his face and his mouth was tied together.
　But now, I'm sure I hear Nosphy's voice.

　Here I realize.
　The light wasn't trying to control the 'blood'.
　It's not the Blood that is trying to control it, but me.
　That 'discussion' thing is being set up head-on--!

(-- just listen to me for a moment. ...... Fighting doesn't produce anything. So let's put away our swords and discuss it first. Hurting each other only breeds hatred. That hatred will also create a battle. That is too sad. That would not save the world too much. The battle will spread everywhere, involving everyone around it. The sword will not kill the enemy in front of you, but innocent people. One day it will kill your beloved neighbors. When you have slain your enemies, you will have slain the things you wanted to protect on your back. That's war. That's war. Please understand that truth. Conflict produces nothing. What we need to do now is to talk to each other. Talking is the way to true peace. Let's talk, let's talk. Let's talk with me. Let's talk, let's talk, let's talk, let's talk, let's talk, let's talk, let's talk, let's talk, let's talk, let's talk, let's talk (......--)

　In the light emanating from that flag, a myriad of words were condensed into a myriad of words.
　All of the words, collectively, were pounded into my head.

　It is a pleasant heavenly voice.
　They were warm words, like a mother singing a lullaby, like a congratulatory note echoing in the main hall.
　Perhaps, but this is the original use of this light magic. Persuasion with an overwhelming amount of light without any tricks.

　I'm on the verge of shaking my head because of the light.
　But I put all my strength back into my body and shake my head to the side.
　The mere fact that the words are composed of Nosfies is enough of a reason not to be swallowed up by that light.

'Shut up!　I know that much already!　But that kind of neatness doesn't make the world go round!　We're past the point of discussion!

　He marched straight ahead in the blinding light and closed in on Nosfi.
　At the same time, he swung his twin swords like scissors to reap the enemy's head.
　Nosfi dodged it lightly, leaning back and lightly avoiding it. Perhaps it was because the light made it difficult to measure the distance, or maybe it was a little shallow to step in.

''Oops. Even if you are exposed to this light, won't you be moved? If you do that much 'chanting', you would normally have a gap in your mind ....... It's strange. You're paying the 'price' and still holding your own?　No. Are you stepping over the 'price' by sheer force of will?

　It doesn't matter if he can avoid it or not.
　He takes a step further and continues to swing his twin swords from right to left, left to right, at high speed.
　Avoiding it with an empty handed fist seems to be tough even for the quintessential Nosfi, so he stops making the flag glow and treats it as a defensive weapon and flicks the sword.

'Descendants of Helvilleshain, Rainer Helvilleshain ....... It's possible that you could end up in the same realm as us through dishonest (just) procedures. It seems to be more than all the 'reason-stealers' in terms of mental power. Well, well, it's not surprising since the condition for being chosen as a 'thief of reason' is a mind full of gaps.

　While bouncing my sword with the light flag, he analyzes me with plenty of room to spare.
　I can't bear to let him lose that leeway as quickly as possible, so I increase my sword speed.

''It's quite interesting to wonder why we're on this stage. I'm starting to want my brother too. However, unlike the Lord, I don't love him, but as a brother worth torturing.

　Finally, he begins to love me as I fight.
　A chill runs through me, and I refuse to pay off my sword hard.

'Who will be my brother!　Your light is evil!　You have the same eyes as those rotten knights in the Hoosiers!　They use the same language!　That light hurts people!　Now, I'm going to choke the life out of me right here!

　I know that Nosfi stare.

　It's the eyes I remember from my childhood.
　I came from a commoner's background and was adopted by a great nobleman, and I was constantly harassed by the people around me. I guess that too specific an origin made it easy for me to toy with them. I was constantly being bullied, which was easy to understand.
　At that time, every single knight who played with me was glowing. Because they were not born lowly like me, their language and demeanor were perfected as nobility. Their families were very rich, their blood was old and long and noble, they were talented, and everyone wore beautiful clothes, had a beautiful face - and smiled, and enjoyed harassing me.

　Those knights, Nosfy reminds me, are the ones who remind me of that.
　They don't think of their own deeds as evil, but rather humiliate people with the casualness of an afternoon tea time.

'Is this my breathless ......? But just as a kindness, I'll be blunt and blunt with the facts: ......, there's no way you can beat me, is there?

　With twin swords flying around at super high speed, a generous Nosfi ruthlessly tells me that I have no chance of winning.

　His words were convincing.
　Right now, I would be strong enough to lightly fend off the seniors of the former academy. I'm sure that even if there were a hundred regular knights of the Fuzzyards, they wouldn't be able to deal with me. But Nosfi is far from it. He's an existence that can lightly take on the Academy of Eltralieu or even the Foozeyards country itself. He has a different status as an existence. It has the power to make you think so.

　Not only does it have a singular light magic, it's a monster that's beyond the standard for even close combat.
　They can comfortably defend against my full-length twin swords and even have time to make jokes.

''Hey, this oooh!

　He raises a roar and swings his sword.
　Even in the labyrinth, I've never wielded my sword this seriously before.
　Before she fought Nosufi, she had thought that this all-out effort would work a little better. However, she shattered that faint expectation with a cool expression.

''Hmph, it really is a nostalgic sword. But because I miss it, I'm used to it.''

　Nosfi's eyes narrowed.
　He missed the fact that he was in the middle of a battle.
　His attitude made him angry. However, the statement also bothered him more than that.

　-- Hey, are you used to it?　Why?

　In the battle in the labyrinth earlier, he was sealed off while I was in his face. The fight between me and Nosfi is still a total of one minute to reach or reach. No matter how substandard she is, it's too early to get used to it.

'Is it strange that she is so easily handled like this?

　Nosfi must have sensed this confusion.
　Then his face turned a little nasty and he folded the light flag in his hand.

''Nah!''

　The folded flag separates into two sticks and changes its shape.
　It became a shape just like the 'Loewen, the Treasure Sword of the House of Aleis' and 'Silhulhu Bringer' that I am currently holding.

''It's not enough, Helvirshine. It's probably better than I am at handling that sword. Hmph.''

　Smirking, Nosfi resumes the fight with his twin swords of light.
　That Nosfi's stance. And the trajectory of the light swords waved from left and right.
　It looked too familiar.

''This, this is ......, could it be the twin swords of Helvirshine ......!

　The same stance and trajectory prevented it from happening, even though he was baffled.

　No doubt about it.
　Nosfi has mastered the twin swordsmanship of Helvirshine. It's also at a higher level than me.
　Even though they are inferior in basic physical ability, it's too disadvantageous if there is a difference in their skills as well.
　In a hurry, I try to change my fighting style.

''Then--!　Mr. Rowen!

　He tries to work on the magic stone of "The One Who Steals the Reason of the Earth" to draw the skill from the sword.
　But before that, Nosfy laughs. He no longer hides his expression and has the face of a typical bully.

''Is the sword of Aleis next?　It's not a bad idea, but if it weren't for Aleiss herself, it would never reach me. I'm better at this, too.

　He binds the twin swords of light together and turns them into a single sword.
　Then, he unleashes a sword flash reminiscent of the Rowen-san of the past.

　He holds his twin swords in a cross position to prevent it. Naturally, I'm not as sharp as Rowen-san, but I'm not as sharp as Rowen-san. However, it's definitely a faster sword flash than the current me.

''--Tauschus Wind Magic 《Tauschus Wind》!

　Perhaps it's because of the subconsciousness of not being able to win against Rowen-san, he hates close range and releases wind magic on the spur of the moment. But that also makes Nosfy laugh. Her cheeks flushed and she dodged the oncoming wind stakes like she was dancing.

'It's good magic, but it shows the habits of the masters in the construction of magic. I'm used to reading its activation. I don't even need to borrow magic to 'discuss' it in order to offset it. ...... I'll tell you, offsetting your magic at the labyrinth was a sort of performance to break your heart. Essentially, I have the ability to handle it without offsetting it.
............!

　I'm raptured.
　The confidence I had gained in the past month in no small measure is crumbling.

　Na, then--!

　Trapped, I compose the magic I had sealed into my legs.

''--[Ix-Wind] oooh!

　He releases the wind that has compressed into his legs and kicks the ground.
　The skirt of my left leg's trousers tears and the skin pops off in the wind. But I gain the speed to match the damage.　

　After the best step of my life, I fire a sword flash at Nosfy.
　It's a blow with all I've got.

　But the scene in my eyes is impermanent.
　There was no one in the place where Nosfi had been just a moment ago, and the twin swords only slashed through the sky.

　And then a tap on his shoulder.
　A voice can be heard from behind.

''-- The idea is just like that idiot knight (Helvilleshain). But I'm used to it. I'm not sure how many times I've stopped that self-destructive technique. Haha ......

　A warm sigh caught my ear.

'No, Nosfi!

　I looked back - a moment later, my vision was turned upside down.
　Just before I reversed, I was able to catch a slight glimpse of Nosfy. He brought the sword of light back to its original stick shape and paid off my leg with it.

''Guh!

　He slammed into the ground. Then pain and weight hit my hands.
　I adjust my shaky vision and open my eyes.

　There was Nosfi, with his big thighs open, stepping through my hands with both feet. And a stick of light in his hand. The tip of it is at the tip of my nose.

　A perfect mount. Too clean a check.
　I failed miserably in all things sword and magic.
　There is no excuse for this defeat.
　My face contorts at its too quick end.

I'm going to be able to say that I won - but I think I overdid it a bit. My heart is starting to ache, so let's get this over with. Seeing someone else's seriously pained expression makes my heart feel jumbled and uncomfortable, so ....... Hmph, after all, there's only Uzumi-sama for me. Fufu, fufufufu!　Oops, I'm drooling just thinking about it. It's so impolite.

　Drool nearly falls onto my face, but Nosphy wipes it away with his futilely fast reflexes. From the way he looks at me, I can tell that there's still plenty of room for Nosphy.

　I haven't even been able to stall for time, let alone hunt him down.
　That was my current situation.

　--shit ......, dammit .......

　My mind is naturally filled with swearing.

Then, let's have him pass out for a bit. I'll go strong, so please don't bite your tongue.

　Nosfi re-focuses on his hand holding the light stick. And then the tip of the stick in front of him floats a little, and he feels as if he is about to be pierced through the brain.

　--It was then.

　The earth shook with a thud.
　A roar louder than thunder rang out in the distance, and the world was struck by a massive earthquake.
　With that, the final blow was off.

...... Oh?　Oh, well, well, it looks like the Lord is finally getting serious.

　Nosfi turned his gaze away.
　It seems that the Lord has unleashed a great magic on the battlefield over there.
　If you look at the sky, you see an unrealistic crack in the sky. And you could see the sky peeling away in tatters to meet the cracks. That's not all. If I shifted my eyes to the side, I could see countless cracks in the earth.
　A scene that can only be described as a world collapse is spreading across the world.

　This is the aftermath of the battle between Lord and Christ.
　They should be fighting in the distance, but the grandeur of the battle is palpable.
　It's a clash of forces that I can't imitate.
　I look at it and grieve.

'You've been so reckless to this point and I still can't reach you ......!　d*mn it: ......!

　I know that I can't reach the guardians (guardians) now.
　I should have known what I was doing and followed Christ's advice to stay on my feet. I was too poorly thought out to try to prevail in my arrogance.
　Hearing his lament, Nosfi returned a gentle voice.

''Yes, I can't reach you. Helvirshine, you have lost. You are weak. You are spectacular, but you are not yet our 'stealer of reason'. But above all, the main problem is that your life is too thin. By the looks of it, you've only lived a little over ten years, right?

　I could tell from the tone of his voice that he wasn't trying to undermine me.
　Nosfi is just laying out the facts and evaluating me.

'Compared to the other three here, you are inevitably lacking. And that deficiency is not going to be filled no matter what you do.
You'll have to do it even if it doesn't fill up: ......!
'What's more, you haven't caught up with the power in your body. Perhaps you have become so strong by subterfuge?　To be honest, my impression of you is that you're just patching things up with borrowed power, but inside you're very flimsy.

　Nosfi takes my spoiled response gently.
　This sounds like advice.
　That meant that I wasn't being treated as an enemy.

　Nosfi's advice reverberates in his head.
　Reiner Helvirshine is a flimsy one. He's just mending with borrowed power. He is a coward who relies on subterfuge.
　That's why he can't keep up with Nosfi, Lord, Lord, or anyone else.

　--I know (・・・・・).

　I know that from the beginning.
　First of all, the level and magic power right now is almost Hailey's power. I'm finally able to stand here after she gave me her soul.
　And the sword skills were a gift from Rowen-san. The same thing can be said for magic.
　The same can be said for magic. With a little teaching from Aide and Lord, I managed to get up to a practical level, but again, I didn't study it by myself, I just received wisdom from a thousand years ago.
　All of this equipment was also a gift. Not only was it not made by me, it wasn't even the magic stones I collected. There is not a single gold coin I paid for, it was all provided by Christ. The fact that he lends me Mr. Rowen, who is probably a friend of Christ's heart, shows the depth of the Lord's concern for me.

　--oh. I hate to admit it, but I know.

　In this enclosed underground space, Christ must have been worried that I'd wind up in a fight. Because he had a sneaking suspicion that I would be the only one not strong enough for the coming battle.
　So he was trying to make me stronger, even though I was in danger too.

　The Lord is truly kind.
　I can't say it out loud, but I think he's a fine human being, more worthy of service than anyone I've ever seen.

　That's why my frustration is doubled.
　I'm frustrated that I'm not strong enough to be that ideal knight of the Lord, even though I could have become one. I'm frustrated that I can't live up to the expectations of the people who trusted me and entrusted me with Nosfy's partner, but I'm frustrated, I can't stand it--!

'Oh, dammit, ......!　d*mn you, ......!

　How weak I am...

　Weak, weak, weak, too weak!　
　A weak knight is worthless!　If you can't defend the Lord, what good is it?
　Garbage!　I'm just a piece of trash--!
　No, less than a piece of garbage!　Instead of being helpful to someone else, you're just dragging your feet!

　Oh, I knew it, I'm nothing more than a worthless piece of trash--!
　It's not going to change anytime soon!　I've lived this long and nothing has changed!

　--so I scream in my mind, and I feel myself breaking down with my swearing.

　As is my usual habit, I almost give in.

　But (...)!　
　Still--!

　There's a feeling that outweighs that frustration.
　It's a feeling I've never had before. The desire to simply live up to the trust.
　A pure feeling of wanting to win for the Lord.

'Well, lose ......, rukaaah ......!　I took an oath!　You said you'd protect the Lord!　So aaaaahhhh--!

　He roars as he falls to the ground.
　He continues to chant to gain power.

''Accelerate, accelerate, accelerate!''　'The road that leads from the sky' and 'The road that leads to heaven'--!

　Nosfi observed this with a dumbfounded look and continued to calmly advise him.

'I am not so weak that I can manage to pay the 'price'. You can rely on the world, but the world is not so convenient. You should know that.

　During the 'chanting', Nosfi's words caught my ear.

　--I'm relying on the world?　

Just pass out for now, please. It's over.

　Again, the finish is about to be wielded.
　The tip of the rod of light is getting closer.

　If this is the case, Nosfi was right, it will be over ...... but there were things that bothered me more than this fight. There was one word I couldn't miss.

　Just before the defeat, my head spun like never before in that momentous hour.
　My thoughts sped up like a runner-up.

　-- 'The world'?

　Something like that. For something. It's something.
　Why would I ever rely on something like that?

　--No.

　Reflexive denial. No wonder.
　It's something else I'm relying on. This chanting isn't about the world I have in mind, it's about the faces of the people I trust.
　Mr. Loewen, Id, Lord, reminds me of the teachings of Christ.

　So, instead of relying on the world - the 'enemy'.
　Ever since he was born, that hasn't changed.
　That's Rainer Helvirshein's first thought.

　Oh, it's not 'the world' that I believe in. Of course, it's not myself either.

　When I realized that, there was no magic activation.

　--the wind blows (・・・・).

　A soft breeze flowed between Nosfi and me, and my bangs swayed.

　It wasn't Lord's wind or my wind. Of course, it's not Nosfi's wind either.
　But I knew the feel of that wind.
　I knew whose wind it was.

　Now the tip of Nosfi's light stick was about to swing down on my brain.
　The light at the tip grows and grows and grows, and is defeated now - that moment.
　I know exactly where my power really comes from.

'Ahhhhhhhh ......!

　--Remember (remember).