It's well into the night, and we've made our way to Hoozeyer's in the Connection.
　Instead of heading to the cathedral with Rastiara, we entered the country's largest library in order to gather one last bit of information.

　To be honest, I've already done more than enough to build up my strength. The only thing I can do now is to learn more about the enemy. And for now, the potential enemies are Nosfi, the one who steals the logic of light, the one who steals the logic of wood, and Sith, the apostle. Fortunately, these three are people who were active a thousand years ago.
　He thought that the largest library in the Confederation might have some of their information left.

　However, in Titi's opinion, "Oh, there's no way that's a decent amount of information left.
　The next words were, "Well, the heroic tale of the children is that. It's not just a matter of how much time you spend in the field, it's also a matter of how much time you spend in the field. ...... No, it's just a matter of time!　There are many times when the country will not be able to stand, if we do not justify ourselves! This was the case. The king himself said it a thousand years ago, so it's reasonably convincing.

　And just as he said, we would be wasting our time.
　As soon as we arrived at the library, we looked for materials from a thousand years ago in the 《Dimension》, but not all of them were accurate. Just by looking at a rough chronology, more than 90% of them are usually pretending that there was no suppression of the 'demon' - even if I looked for places that were not released to the general public with the letter of introduction that Sera-san gave me, all of them differed from the story of Titi, the living witness! It's all documentation.

　There's only one thing I found out.
　All I know is that there is still a convenient history for the four people who seem to have survived the battle of the 'World Dedication Battle' a thousand years ago - 'The Founder Kanami', 'Saint Tiara', 'Apostle Legacy' and 'Arti, the one who steals the reason for the fire'.

　No matter how much I read the material from a thousand years ago, I could only find the battle where the 'Saint Tiara' and the others defeated the 'Governing King' (Lord), who was a bad adversary, just as Dia and Rastiara had explained to me before. I tried to find a name I knew, but I couldn't find a good one.
　If possible, I would have liked to know about the Apostle's abilities and the weaknesses of the "thing that steals the logic of the tree", but if this is the largest library in the United Kingdom, there is little hope of finding anything else.

　Titi has fallen asleep in the corner of the library after getting bored with this book full of lies early on.

　I have no choice but to end my search in the library, cancel the inn and terminate my useless "connection," while leaving Hoosier's Country.
　I've already digested most of the notes with Ryner's small talk on them. All that's left is something like hand-washing tips.

　We walked through the confederate country at night, which had become completely dark, and entered the port city of Gouliard with the Connection. Then, I look for a port where I can use my letter of introduction.

　In the largest port of the Allied Nations, many people continued to work with the lights on, even though it was the middle of the night. Apparently, the port was operating without a break, as the mainland was more at war.
　Immediately, I seek out a person of reasonably high status in the 《Dimension》 and I slap a letter of introduction on them with my name. Since I'm no longer comfortable using the name, I spoke a bit high-handedly to facilitate the conversation, making the other person's face turn blue.

　Then, after being guided by the highest-ranking Allied soldier in the harbor, we reach the huge ship floating at the edge of the harbor.

　The "Living Legend" was no different from before, leaving its magnificent appearance - it was gone, and the ship's deck and starboard port were scorched. I don't want to think too much about the reasons for this, so I'll let it pass.
　I looked at the ship with a bitter smile, while Titi next to me, in contrast, her eyes sparkled with excitement.

'--Yo, goodness!　I feel like a ship of the past!　You can't use this ship!

　For Titi, the scorched eye seemed to hit a good point. And maybe it's simply that in Titi's day, there were no ships this huge.
　Anyway, you can tell from the way he talks that he likes it.

'Yeah, we're both going to use this one.

　We decided to take the boat to the mainland where Ayde was.
　At first I thought about asking Titi to fly us, but she objected to the idea, first of all because of the lack of style. Of course, one decent reason was the degradation of my powers as a guardian (guardian) and the danger of simply flying for days on end with no rest.

　I ask the soldier for more details while answering Titi's question.

'Um, so can we get this ship out now?'
No, I just got a call yesterday, so I haven't been able to prepare the ship's magic yet ....... It's not a very fuel-efficient ship, so please visit .......
Okay. --I see.

　I didn't get a good reply, so I quickly checked the situation with dimensional magic.
　The inside of the "Living Legend" was exactly in a state where the word "on the way" was appropriate. Nevertheless, considering the busyness of wartime, I thought it was enough. Frankly, me and Titi could get by if we had a sail.

''From the looks of it, there's no problem for us, so we'll be sailing in this condition. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what to expect. The voyage can be done by both of us, so we'll get it out soon.

　As I speak, I move closer to the ship to put some magic power into it.

Oh, this thing works by magic. It's amazing.

　Similarly, Titi sees the ship approaching and puts a stop to it.

"Wait. If you do this, you might break it by putting too much in, so I'll do it.
Mmm. I'll break it!　I won't do that!
Yeah, I know you've got perfect control over your magic, but you might as well do what you're used to. But you should do what you're used to doing. Instead, you're going to use the wind to prepare to sail as best as you can figure out.
Hmm, it's no use. I've never been on a ship this big before, but I know the basics. I've never sailed on a ship this big before, but I've sailed on many ships in my time, so I know the basics. --I'm familiar with the basics.　

　While I put my hands on the ship and put my magic into it, Titi wrapped the entire ship in the wind. Then all the doors and windows of the ship were opened and ventilated by one person, the ropes moved like a living thing, the sails widened of their own accord, and the anchor was raised.

'Say, you're the quintessential 'Ayikawakanami Christ Eurasian Waldhusiers von Walker': ......

　I feel like I'm being donned by the soldiers who were watching me, but I don't care and get ready to go. In the distance, the sailors in the harbor point fingers at me and open their big mouths and surprise me, but I never stop doing it.

　Thinking back, I've always tried my best to keep a low profile in the other world.
　But I've given up.
　With the feeling that I've lost something important, I leave behind a mysterious luminescent phenomenon and poltergeist legend in the harbor.

　And within a few minutes, I finish preparing to leave the port, and after kicking Titi, who is responding to the sailors with a piece, to stop her, I go up to the deck of the ship.

'I'll be off then. Thank you for all the trouble you've taken care of me.

　I thank the soldier who is seeing me off and say goodbye.
　With that, Titi leaps to the deck. I kick her and she nearly falls into the water, but she's in great spirits.

Mmm!　Then let's go!　This "Living Legend" will be temporarily taken over by the children!　And so begins the great adventure of this brave Titty!　Today, from here!

　Not at all chastened by the kicking, Titi declares loudly to the few people in the harbor, and snaps her fingers with a snap. At the same time, the wind blows. A magical gust of wind, more than enough to propel the ship forward.
　With the addition of the ship's natural propulsion, the Living Legend sets sail with an unusual movement.

　I immediately took out a nautical chart from my possessions and pointed out the direction I should go with Dimension.

Ah, let's go. I'm aiming for the port town of Cork on the mainland. It's a place I've been to at least once. You can go there with your eyes closed. Above all, if you're the one who steals the reason for the wind, you'll be right there.
Yo!　All the way to the front.

　The ship accelerates like a jet.
　Leaving a white trajectory in the dark night sea, the Living Legend shows us a departure worthy of the ship's name, surprising all who see it off.

　And so, with amazement and screams at our backs, we fly out of the Allied Nations.
　Our friends are waiting for us on the mainland - to return to their beloved families.
　A new adventure begins.

　And - the path we are about to follow is also the "return path" of Titty's "last days".
　She returns home, this time to disappear.

　Titty's final adventure begins now...




◆◆◆◆◆



　--I - Rainer Helvirshein - picture the two of them in his mind.

''I'm sure they're just about to get on the boat by now. They shouldn't be so restless as to wait until tomorrow.

　He walks in the darkness, mouthing the movements of the Lord and Titi.

'You know exactly what I mean. After all, it sounds like a year of time together is a big deal.

　Serra, who has become my boss, listens to this with admiration. But I won't go so far as to say that I don't know Christ because of time, but because of something else.
　This power and knowledge that is in me (...) is the backbone of my life. I dare not correct you that the truth is that it is only a few days that we have spent time together.

'Christ is out of the confederacy now. Furthermore, this warded underground. We'll never be eavesdropped on again.

　We are in the basement of the Fusoya's Cathedral.
　Now, Serah and I are walking in the dimly lit underground passage.
　We have come to this place after passing through many layers of wards and many sealed doors.
　It's all in order to find out what Rastiara's plan is. For that reason, I separated from Christ with great care.

　...... But it's an uncomfortable cloister.
　There is a minimum of light and not a strange smell. It is clean and safe, not unlike a labyrinthine cloister.
　However, my mind wanders.
　I feel a sense of déjà vu.
　It's as if it's not the first time I've been here ....... It's as if I've had a scary experience here once ....... That's what it feels like.

'It's not absolute, is it?　Kanami's stuff's magic would be able to break through, no matter how far away and thick the walls are: ......
The dimensional magic (dimension) isn't that useful. To begin with, Christ is lenient with his relatives once they trust him. He won't chase after me and spread dimensional magic. Also, I even prepared a note like that just in case.

　I've prepared a memo with more than ten items to distract you from what we're up to - or maybe not.
　To be honest, all of the items are honest. I'm afraid those two are going to poke their nose in the middle of things.

''Hm. Even if the ability is strong, there are loopholes as long as the person who handles it is a human being. But it seems like you're tricking that guy, which is a bit distracting. ......

　Ever since yesterday, Mrs. Serra has been concerned about being an outcast to Christ.
　As my brother has told me, she has a fastidiousness about her.
　Somehow, she is like Christ. Surprisingly, Christ and Ms. Serah seem to be on the same page.

　Christ also had a soft and friendly manner towards Ms. Serah. It would be a lot easier ...... if you liked Sera-san instead of Rastiala anyway.

'There's ...... on, Rainer.

　With that in mind, we arrived at our destination.
　We open the heavy door at the end of the cloister and enter what is probably the thickest ward in the cathedral.
　It's a large room made of stone. But there was only one light, a single candle, and the only thing I could see was a bed in the middle of the room. I look around briefly, but there's nothing else to see.

　Immediately I approach the bed.
　Then I find a girl asleep with a white sheet over her head. No, if I look closely, I can see that she's not asleep, but dead. Being a knight in shining armor, I notice that the girl is not breathing.

'Let me explain to you in turn. Don't worry about that girl just yet.

　Sera-san cautioned me not to panic as I looked at the girl's corpse.
　She must be guilty of hiding the girl's body in the basement. But I don't harbor any of Sera's worrisome emotions because I know that the country of Hoosiers is not afraid to do more than this.

'...... Okay, I get it. I'll listen to what you have to say first.
Good. Finally, we can get down to business. I appreciate your help, Ryner. You talked that Kanami guy down.
'I don't think it would work at all if I let you meet with that Rastiara guy again. I agreed with that, so there's no need to thank me. When it comes to love, Christ is too crazy. I mean, he's not very good at it. I didn't think it was that bad.
'I agree with you on that. I didn't expect you to confess at that point in time: ....... No, the momentum itself wasn't bad, but ......
Oh, no, you don't, do you?　Usually, confessions are done after more preparation and setting the mood. You can't do it with that kind of energy. It's not good enough.
Really?　I'm not averse to that kind of confession, you know?　I even got a little nervous when I was just listening in the back.

　That one?
　He's a guy who really gets along with Christ. I'm at the point where we should both be dating already.
　When I was thinking that they are in bad taste from the bottom of my heart, Sera cleared her throat and then got down to business.

'And anyway. Anyway, that was too bad timing. Thanks to that, a lot of things have gone wrong. Anyway, let's go over last night's story again. This is the place to be, you know.
As I recall, isn't that saintly man, Lord Tiara, sleeping inside Rastiara right now?　So am I not wrong in recognizing that the response to Christ's confession was for two people?
...... Generally, I'm pretty sure that's it.

　That's what I mean.
　I heard that story while Christ was drunk, and this is how I ended up working with Serah.

'Oh my God, it's really a pain in the ass. Do you mean to say that you did the re-birth ritual in a year without us?
'No, it is not. A year ago, when the young lady and I returned to Fuzzy Yards, I'm sure that we looked for the 'Tiara-sama's Blood'. But when we came back, the Blood of Lady Tiara was no longer there. The horrible thing is that that Palinclone Legacy guy had spread it out ahead of time. ......
'Scattered ......?　Palinclone is ......?
'Hmm. It used to annoy me that no matter what we tried to do this past year, that guy was ahead of us. Even in death, what he has left behind will stand in our way. That's the kind of man he was.
You've done some really bad things since you've been dead, haven't you? That guy: ......
I agree. He's a real a**h*le.

　This is the only thing we seem to have in common. It doesn't matter what we're doing, whoever it is, they will call him a scumbag.

And what do you mean by that?　It doesn't mean what it says, does it?
The 'Tiara-sama's blood' is special. It is said that even if you dump the blood into the field, it will move on its own and try to return to the chalice that it had stored. It's like this, Uzuzo ....... In order to prevent that, Palinclone seems to have divided the blood into vessels called 'people' so that it would never gather in one place again.

　Palinclone is not a fragile thing, but this saintly tiara thing is scary too: .......
　What do you mean by blood moving on its own?

''Some of the 'Magic Stone Humans' (Jewelculus) that were mass-produced a year ago are in possession of 'Saint Tiara-sama's Blood'. Right now, the young lady and we are retrieving it.

　Without once stammering, Sera clearly told us what their plan was.
　But there is still much to ask.
　The reasons, the means, the progress and the results.

...... I understand what you two are doing. But why are you collecting such things now?　From what I've heard, it sounds like the saints aren't very nice people.
''Yes, so I thought, as did the young lady and I. But a year ago, through the magic of The One Who Stole the Reason of the Tree Aide, the young lady saw Tiara-sama's memories, and that changed our thinking. As the lore goes, Tiara-sama was kind-hearted - and strong. The young lady was convinced that she would help Kanami, so we aimed to 'Rebirth Tiara-sama' rather than 'level up' as Maria suggested.

　If you have seen Lady Tiara's memories, it means that you have seen a story from a thousand years ago.
　That would mean that she knows that Christ was the founder and that he built the labyrinth to help his sister.
　I still only know about the story as much as I've heard from Palinclone, but maybe Rustyala and Sela know more about it, too.
　That's why Rustyala knew that even if Christ and I were swallowed up by the 'World Consecration Squad', we weren't dead.

　And no matter what, no matter what happens, without a doubt, Saint-sama will save Christ, the founder - he seems to be convinced of that.

'I see. I'm beginning to see the story. So the person sleeping on the bed there is the final 'vessel' of Lord Tiara.

　It's a bit out of left field, but for the most part, it was expected and saved.
　We can't help the people we want to help, so we call the people we can help for a thousand years.
　It's a very straightforward concept compared to the three freaks I was talking to in my underground life just recently.

''Yeah, you're right. After this year, all the preparations are done, all that's left is--

　At that moment, a new visitor enters the room with the sound of scraping stone.

'Maybe I should talk to you from there.

　It was the central figure in the story, Rustyala Hoozeyars.
　He walked proudly with his golden mingled silver hair fluttering in the air.

　It was a well-timed appearance just before we got to the heart of the story. Maybe it was the fact that she had passed through the wards of the cathedral that revealed her location.

　Rustyala, who appeared, stares at me.
　Naturally, we meet eye to eye.

　Facing those golden eyes, I flinch a little.
　My level is now one of the highest levels of humanity, and my confidence has grown due to the many times I've gone through the rough spots. I'm now the best in the world, and I'm gaining confidence from the many times I've been through the trenches.

　When we met yesterday, she had called herself 'weak'. It's an intimidating word that can only be seen as nonsense.
　My mouth went dry and I felt as if I was going to bend my knees at any moment.
　That's how much eye power the 'Present Man God' in front of me has.

　Even here in the dark basement, there is an existence that creates the illusion of dazzle. Rustyala Fuzzyards.
　This is the second master I have to protect--