Follow me. Come on.

　After a truce with Tida, the "Stealer of the Dark Reason," we escaped from the city's pursuers with his guidance.

　Tida's power was extremely useful.
　I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to do anything about it.

　Once we are assimilated into the darkness, we move deep into the city without anyone noticing us.

　In parallel with the movement, I am having the wound on my shoulder healed by my master. By using the 'compensated' book as an example, I've managed to get the blood to coagulate.
　Once I'm no longer worried about bleeding to death, I make it to a large building.

　Naturally, I go around to the back of the building and enter with the darkness.
　From the building's construction and the nasal air, I knew that it was the same type of facility as the 'First Demonic Research Institute' that I had been in earlier. Perhaps it is the second or third institute.

　On the way to walk through the corridor of the building, Tida, who was walking at the front, called out to her master.

'Kanami. You asked me to accompany you to the Hoosiers and help the 'Apostle'?　...... conditions. I want you to rescue the 'one who steals the reason for the fire' that is being held in this city. If you take that one along with you, I'll agree.

　He then made a condition of exchange for the request that his master had presented during the move.
　Upon hearing this, the Master thanked Tida for her help and returned the question to Tida's back.

'Thank you for thinking about it, Tida. ...... But does that mean that the 'one who steals the reason for the fire' is now in a situation where it must be rescued?

　Tida did not immediately reply.
　She walked on somewhat in silence and stopped in front of one of the great doors.

'Look through the gap there,'

　He pointed to the door and urged.
　Master looks inside through the gap in the large door for the answer to his question. Chinami, I follow behind him and see the same thing from the side of Master's face.

　There was the same scene as the central sanatorium in the First Demonology Research Institute.
　A large number of patients were lying on a large amount of rush mats, praying to the giant statue (monument) in the center.

''What's wrong with that?''
'The big stone in the middle contains the shredded right arm of the Flame God - or rather, the one who 'steals the reason for the fire'.
...... Huh?　
The lord of the city shredded the limbs of the 'the one who steals the reason for the fire' when he was still a child and hid them in the worshipping statues in various parts of the city.

　--Heh!

　Admiration starts to show on my face - I suppress it and pretend to be shocked and rapt.

　Then calmly look beyond the gap again.
　Everyone is muttering and praying to the giant statue that resembles the God of Fire, muttering "God of Fire ......". But in reality, you're asking for salvation towards the arms of a child?

''By the way, that thing called the 'Flame God's Stone' contains the blood of the 'one who steals the reason for fire'. If I tell you this much, you'll get the gist of it, right?　All the miracles of this city have only come at the expense of those who steal the logic of the fire. ...... Rather than ......, it was originally the work of the Stealer of the Reason for the Fire that made this place rebuild. It's a good thing that the girl who performed the miracle is now being dismembered and burned like firewood. It's been a long time since the lord appeared.

　Master's face goes from amazement to sadness as he listens to that Tida's story.
　For now, I pluck the sleeves of my master's clothes in a worried manner.

''The One Who Stole the Truth of Fire'' is at the far end of the First Institute of Magical Disorders and continues to receive life-prolonging treatment as just a head. So the lord is holding her captive and imprisoning her to continue to exploit her power - miracles and faith. I, as a kindred spirit, want to save her.

　It was told solemnly, and the master managed to squeeze out his voice, saying that this was no time to be in a state of rage.

'Shh, you're being restrained ...... with your limbs cut to shreds?　How can you live like that?
'Yes, I thought I was dead once, too. But we were alive. Now, the tips of the shredded limbs of the 'Fire Reason Stealer' have turned into monsters. That thing is a mixture of elemental monsters, so from the neck down, it's fire itself. I don't know what the theory is, but it seems to be able to serve as a substitute for human organs. --I'm not sure what the theory is, but it's the same logic behind my face.
'Oh no ......, that's better than dying ....... Ah, .......

　Tida used her own muddy face as an example to explain the current state of The One Who Steals the Fire's Reason, using her own muddy face as an example.

　Hearing the information that he has a fire body, I again said, "--hey! I was tempted to be impressed, but I held on strongly and gathered the information I needed for the future.
　It was an uncomfortable feeling I remembered from the earlier battle.

'Hey, Tida-san. Are you sure you can see that?
'Rather than seeing, I know - I know. Only the outlines of things are drawn in a hazy black and white world. Instead, you can see the 'demon poison' very clearly, so you rely on it for individual identification.

　As I had expected, it seemed to be completely separate from human vision.
　That's why, ah, the movement in the battle was awkward.

'Ah, I knew it. That's why you were moving a bit differently than people in the fight just now.
'Perhaps, but I'm getting closer to the monster beyond the example of the 'demon'. ...... I have mixed feelings about it, as it turns out that the monster's vision, which has been a mystery to me for a long time, has been revealed in places I never thought possible.
I see. So, since the one who stole the logic of fire is no longer a human being, he's being treated inhumanely.
'I don't know.　If it had been a complete person, it would have been treated the same. I'm sure the Princess of the Hoosiers would know the story well, wouldn't they?
...... hmm?　Haha. Surely people might do anything if they're cornered?

　I mince my words.

　I've been feeling for a while now that this Tida guy is too well versed in the affairs of Hoosiers.
　I know he knows a lot about me, but I don't want him to reveal too much in front of his master. Right now I'm being marketed to my master as an innocent, small, cute, protective type of maiden (heroine). By no means am I an evil person who smiles when I hear about the shredded arms of a young child.

　So I fearfully check my master's face.
　Unlike me, there was an expression on his face that didn't have any room to spare at all.

''Are you really ......?　Really, that's such a terrible thing to do: ......?

　Slowly, Tida continues to speak to the trembling, kind-hearted master.

''It's not just 'the one who steals the logic of fire' that's being sacrificed. This city is built on the sacrifice of many 'demons'. That doesn't mean that they are enslaved to gain labor power, but as laboratory animals.
Mo, lab animals (guinea pigs) ......?
Yeah. Originally, this city was a place to study such things. For a long time, they have been buying "witches" from all over the world and repeatedly experimenting with them. Well, I heard that many of the targets of their research these days are seriously ill people who are dying.

　Furthermore, Master's face turned pale.
　I had a faint hunch, but it seems that Master was different.

　Tida is relentless, pointing her fingertips at the ground.

'It's still going on in the basement. Do you want to go see it?'
Dimension.

　Without hesitation, Master invoked his dimensional power and tried to verify the truth of his words.

　Then, after only a few seconds, he put his hand over his mouth and fell to his knees.
　He must have seen all kinds of things through a power that was not worthy of his master. He completely lost his blood, tears in his eyes, and his breathing was disturbed - and the air around his master became distorted again.

　The power of the dimension is clearly amplified, and with unfocused eyes, he first mutters a word.

''--help (...)

　It was a typical impression of a master.
　It represents the goodness of the person. But knowing that it was based on a mysterious obsession, I felt that it also represented a person's weakness.

　The Master stands slowly as he speaks of his mission.

'I will definitely help. If you don't help, you can't: ......

　Seeing this, Tida nodded with satisfaction.
　I'm sure she thought she had found a friend who shared her purpose.

'I see. If you say so, then we're in good company. I'd like to explain at length to Kanami first, starting with our birth and abilities, but before that--

　Having spoken up to this point, a woman appears from the darkness at the back of the corridor.
　She was fully wrapped in black robes and her footsteps were quiet, so I was slow to notice her.

'She is my collaborator. She comes from a noble family, has a high status in Fania, and is a very knowledgeable researcher. She's also the chief executive of this 'Seventh Magical Research Institute'.

　Tida lightly manipulated the darkness so that the woman's figure was clearly visible despite the lack of light.

　She was a young woman with darker shades under her blood red eyes.
　She is a short, beautiful woman with unusual black hair hanging down ...... but more striking is the blood sticky on her unadorned black robe.
　Just standing in front of you, the smell of blood makes it hard to keep your nose clean.

''Mr. Rands: ......　

　The woman called out her name at the opening. 'Probably Tida's last name,' she said.

Ah. "Yeah, Kanami is my kind of associate, and now she's become a collaborator. I'd like to add her to our plan, so let's set up a meeting right away--
'I'm sorry, Mr. Langs!　Because I betrayed him: ....... All the accomplishments of Master Rands and the God of Fire are now that man's......!　You two really saved this city. ......!　Fear got the better of me and I really can't get back ......, I am aaaaah ......, aaaaah ......!

　Tida speaks to her normally, but the woman looks half-crazed and goes on to say only what she wants to say.
　Her swashbuckling attitude caused me and my mentor to miss the opportunity to greet her.

'Hah ....... We've already talked about that, haven't we?　You just did your job. No need to worry about it.
'But Master Langs' face will never return. Never again!
'I don't blame you for anything outside of work. These things happen all the time. You've done an admirable job of putting your family first.
'But I am ......!　Me!
There was no reason to blame you. There was only reason to betray you. ...... true.

　With that, Tida finally waved her right arm lightly and let the example mud adhere to the woman's skin.

'......!'

　As soon as she does, the woman stops swooning and becomes very quiet.
　Apparently it has other uses as well as doubling the pain.

　Also, I don't miss the deep contortion of Tida's face when she releases the mud now.
　I thought she had raised her eyebrows at me for being a troublemaker, but she didn't. For a moment, I think she looked like she was going to cry.
　From that information, I can see the weakness of Tida's spirit (mind).

　But I still can't see the details.
　The special shape of her face makes it difficult to read her facial expressions, which is my specialty.
　If it were a book, it would be strangely frustrating, with little psychological description of the ground text.

　Then the woman whose mind is controlled by Tida's mud begins to regulate her erratic breathing and tuck in her excitement.

'Hah, hah ......, fwiw ......'

　It's quiet, but I can't shake the impression that he's a dangerous person in many ways.
　Perhaps noticing the look between me and my master, Tida added.

''As you can see, she's a bit weak-minded. Be careful what you say to her.
'Yeah, yeah ....... Is that guy really the greatest person here?

　Honestly, if a woman like this was my boss, I'd quit my job on my first day.

'She's brilliant. Decisive, very smart and very kind-hearted. ...... Well, I won't deny that sometimes she makes decisions too quickly and it can backfire on a lot of things. Sometimes his brilliant mind gives birth to demonic ideas that are used by others. Also, don't be vulnerable to threats from scary people, and don't easily break your heart and betray your friends.

　I had to chuckle at the cons that outweighed the pros by too many of them.
　When you get to this point, it falls into the category of better to take care of it as soon as possible. I wonder if Tida agrees with that, shrugging her shoulders as she replies.

''I guess the reason I'm able to do the Seventh Abbot is because I'm a member of the Lords Neysha family. Honestly, it's a patronage appointment.''

　I knew it.
　With that much backing, it makes sense somehow.

　And the fact that they refer to such an important person as a collaborator shows how easy it will be to develop in the future. Perhaps, but the plan to retrieve the "One Who Steals the Reason of Fire" that Tida talks about is almost over.

　I read a lot of information from Tida's words and the situation, but the master next to me seemed to have something else in mind, and threw a story to the director that had nothing to do with the 'thing that steals the reason for the fire'.

''Um, you're the one in charge here, right?　Then, about what we're doing in the basement here right now: ......
"......!　I-I can't do that.

　Before I could finish listening to everything, the director denied it.
　In contrast to earlier, he gave a very decent response.

''I bear all of the 'demons' who were sacrificed in my research until today. I won't stop until the souls of the sacrificed 'demons' are able to rest in peace.

　His words had enough weight in them for the Master to stop his pursuit.

'Of course, this is for the sake of the lives that are suffering in the world today. I believe that religion is not a trick, and that knowledge passed down from person to person is what will save the world. So, well, sorry ....... I will continue my research in the future. This is the only place that won't change.

　He seems to be a quick thinker, since he guessed his master's request ahead of time.
　Although his quality is different from his master and sister Yotaki's, he must be excellent in his own right.

　However, Master still doesn't seem to be convinced and stares at each other with the woman.
　Seeing the situation, Tida steps in between.

'Wait, Kanami. I would be in trouble if she interrupted her research and left her current position. Most importantly, if a woman as kind-hearted as she is leaves her research, things will be even worse here.

　They don't want to see the plan fall apart. He dismisses the air as if an argument is about to begin soon.
　Sensing Tida's concern, the master suppresses his emotions.

''I'm sorry. My feelings were distracted and I said something selfish. ...... I can understand your feelings, too, though only a little bit. I, too, believe that it's not make-believe peace of mind that saves people, but accumulated knowledge.
'What?　Ah, yes ....... Thank you .......

　The master wasn't hitting on her, he really seemed to know how she felt.

　Amazing. No, it's not surprising if you understand .......
　For what it's worth, Master is also a person who is more inclined to take care of it as soon as possible. ......

''Director. When all is said and done, there's something I need to talk to you about. I want us both to verify what I found in the Hoosiers. This is still a bit of a stretch for me to say ...... since I've been working with The Apostle on The Demon Poison.
"Oh, that 'apostle' and his research!　I see!　I see that!　And with the same body as Master Rands, he's going to know all sorts of new worldly laws!　If you'll let me validate your blood instead, I'm more than welcome to do so!
Blood?　Of course, I don't mind. Blood is very important in examining the 'demonic poison'.
Hmmm. ....... After all, did you know. Blood is the most important thing that makes up a person. It's the information group of the body and soul, the pathway of the 'demonic poison' and the fuel of life!
Yeah, there's a lot of information in the blood. There's a lot of information in blood, no doubt about it. But then, I believe that the human heart is the most important thing. ...... but I guess we'll have to talk about these things later.
Uh, yes. I'm sorry. Right now, it's more about rescuing the Flame God, right?

　They seemed to be on great terms with each other.
　Soon they dispelled the gloomy atmosphere of the last minute, shook hands, and promised to work together in the future.

　The scene reminds me of what sister Yangtaki said.
　Truly, Master is quick to make a move when dealing with a female partner.
　I puff out my cheeks a little bit, and Tida, who was right next to me, lets out her first laugh.

''Haha. Well then, let's get moving. This way.

　He thought they could get along well.
　He seemed to decide that no further mediation was necessary and led the way towards the back of the dark corridor.

　After a few turns in the street, he descends a staircase that leads to the basement and enters a small stone room. The interior is devoid of anything useless, with only a minimum of chairs and a desk. It must be a hidden room, as the staircase was in a difficult place to find.
　I know you want to talk about the details here, but it's too dark.

'Hey, Tida. Is there a light?

　I complained, including confirmation.
　To which Tida responds immediately.

'I'm sorry, but I can't turn it on. To explain why, let's start from the beginning. We were used as the vessel for the example - or is it the one that steals logic? That's what happened when we were made into that. To confirm, do you guys know why we were spotted by the 'Apostle'?

　As I predicted, Tida denied it.
　And, obviously, Tida has mistakenly assumed that "The One Who Steals the Reason" is the official name. It's a bit amusing.

'Well, I believe it's ....... Did I have to have a crack in my heart, or was it ......?
Yeah, that's right. It's just that in this world, it's not uncommon for people to have cracks in their hearts. For example, the Connery Director there would also meet the requirements. Clearly, the 'Apostle' could choose all he wanted from the candidates. And out of those many candidates, we were chosen because we were born with a special power. There was a big difference (...) between me and 'The One Who Steals the Reason of Fire' from birth and ordinary people. Hence, we were discovered by the devil called 'The Apostle,' and this is how we came to be.

　This is where the story differed a bit from 'The Apostle'.
　The story should have been that they chose a person who was on the verge of death, but the people who were chosen seem to think they were chosen based on their abilities.

　Perhaps the 'Apostle' side is lying. However, I don't think they have the sense that they were lying to themselves. With a light hearted feeling, they hid information that would be difficult to get known. Sneakily, as befits their age.

　Master seemed to have noticed that, but he decided it wasn't something to talk about now, so he didn't say it. What was more remarkable was that, like me, he said, "By nature, there is a big difference (...) between us and ordinary people.

The difference ....... So it's a 'skill': ......
'Technology (skills) ......?　Yeah. That's not a far-fetched expression. We had a skill. In the case of the Stealer of Fire, it's a skill called 'the ability to see a thousand miles ahead.'

　Thanks to Sister Yangtaki's translation magic, it was conveyed without misunderstanding.
　And one more thing, Tida has accepted her master's newly coined words.

　Thinking about it, the acceptance of 'The One Who Steals the Reason' earlier could also be due to the power of Sister Youtaki's translation magic. That was terrific, but at the same time, it was also a bit frightening. Because if there was an intended discrepancy prepared in the translation magic, we would have to accept it without realizing it.
　Even if it was a fatal (・・・・・・・) mistake (・・・・・・)--even if it was a fatal (・・・・・・・) misunderstanding (・・・・)

A few years ago, The One Who Steals the Reason of Fire was treated like a maiden of the Fire God in a rural village deep in the mountains. The miko's eyes were said to see through the essence of all events ...... and in fact, when there was an invasion from outside, she used her power to repel it. I'm sure you've heard the rumors about the priestess, and the 'apostle' came to experiment with her with glee.

　Tida gets a little foul-mouthed when she talks about The Apostle.
　It's somewhat obvious that this is his true self.

'At the end of the 'Apostle's' experiments, she lost a lot of things and her skills became more powerful. Being able to fly flames anywhere and use them as a substitute for her sensory organs is one of those enhanced skills.

　This is where I finally get the answer I've been guessing and hoping for.
　I nodded and insisted that my failure to escape was not my fault.

'Hmmm. That's the power of the 'one who steals the logic of fire'...' So, when I was near the flames that were born from her blood, the 'Fire God's Stone', the enemy found out where I was.... ...... Huh?　Isn't this the upside of Master's power?

　In addition, I poke him in the side of his head to ease the situation. If I leave him alone, he goes into a negative imagination of his own accord, and his face becomes gloomy to no end.

　After being poked by me, he said confidently, "Considering that I was able to escape earlier, my accuracy should be better than yours ....... Maybe ......," he said confidently but forcefully.

　Seeing this, Tida laughed lightly again and continued to explain the power of The One Who Steals Reason.

I'm sure you'll find a lot of people who have a lot of experience with this sort of thing. Combined with the power of the wind, I've confirmed that it's beginning to affect not only small animals but people as well.

　Unexpectedly, we also get a little information on a third person who isn't here.
　Surprisingly, Tida was well-informed.

''Lastly, the power of my 'The One Who Steals the Dark Reason': ......

　I waited in anticipation for his next words, wondering if his skills were the reason for this.
　But Tida paused long enough to get lost, and then looked away.

'I'm sorry, but I can't reveal my powers. This is a trump card for me.

　--Huh?

　I almost snapped out of frustration at the turn of events, as if the pages had been torn in the middle of the story. But the Master nodded without any complaints.

'Right. Even among our friends, that much is .......
No, no!　I know I can talk to Kanami about it!　It's just that the time hasn't come yet!　Time, but still ......

　In a hurry, Tida excused herself, saying that she had a reason.
　I left the pair of good friends alone and speculated with all my might to expose the power of the 'Stealer of the Dark Reason'.

　Tida had doubled my painful senses in the earlier fight.
　Furthermore, she forced the Director, who was confused earlier, to shut up.
　Just facing Tida now is strangely mind-boggling (・・・・). Undoubtedly, it's the power of darkness that acts on a person's psyche.

　Perhaps, but a forced confession is possible.
　No, exactly, around bringing out the darkness in a person's mind or ......?　I think it's definite that it can do something similar to that. However, it is worthy of the name darkness and may only be able to act on the negative side.

　An ability that specializes in the darkness of a person's mind or .......
　When I took a chance on that, what came to my mind was - Yotaki sister's face.

　This guy is useful (・・・・・・・).
　If you bring together Tida and Sister Yotaki, it's going to be very interesting.
　If I can expand the darkness of the Youtaki sister as an example, I might be able to see parts of her that I couldn't reach before I left.

　I smile at having obtained useful information and refocus on Tida's story.

''-- Thus, we who have been strengthened by the 'Apostle' begin to wield a new power, right? However, even though we have gained great power, our hearts are still full of gaps. No, our hearts were more tattered. Without even having a year to last, the 'one who steals the truth of darkness' and the 'one who steals the truth of fire' will lose everything. --I was betrayed.

　The explanation of this area is obvious from Fania's current situation.
　Above all, it is conveyed by the way this man behaved. The two men, both of whom had kind hearts, were probably trying to use their powers to help people.
　However, their appearance made them look foolish and dangerous to some people.
　So they were envied, hated, disgraced and robbed.

'I and that guy were betrayed by the people I cared about, the people I believed in since I was a child. It was worth it to us to let that happen ....... To put an end to it, The One Who Steals the Reason of Fire fell into the hands of the Lords of Fania and was turned into a device that would produce endless flames. It was really that simple. Very easily, as if an innocent child is falling into a pit for the first time .......
Did Tida make a face then?
'Yes. This was done to me by a man who was my best friend. Fortunately, unlike 'The One Who Steals Fire's Reason', I was able to get away with it. ......

　Remembering that moment, Tida puts his hands to his own face and falls silent.
　Even if it wasn't me, I could read the deep despair and regret in his heart.

　I'd like to hear the details, but digging around insensitively now would be a bad idea.
　Next to my thoughts that I will see an opening one day and expose him (yonder), my master takes a step closer to Tida and makes the best promise he can muster.

"Tida, I would never betray you. "I'll make a deal.
...... I see. You're a really sweet guy.

　Even though he didn't understand the meaning of the 'contract', the seriousness of it seemed to be conveyed to him, and Tida smiled happily. Even though he only has a mouth, his smile is clearly recognizable, and his master returns a smile of relief.

　Tida then looks at me and asks me a question.

'How about you, Princess of Foozeyards?'
What?　...... Well, I'm my master's student. If my master doesn't betray me, then he won't automatically betray me, right?
...... Right. ............

　It was a bit of an odd reaction.
　Tida was more concerned about me than Master. I've been acting as a bonus to my master all along, but I feel a strong interest that this is my true love.

　While I felt uncomfortable with Tida's words, he proceeded to talk.

'I understand how Kanami and the others feel. I'm ...... but I'm sorry. I still can't trust you guys. As I've said many times before, I'll only accompany you to the Hoosiers after you've rescued the 'one who steals the reason for the fire'.

　It's a lie.
　Obviously, Tida considers his master as his own kind and believes him.
　However, he relentlessly gets confirmation of the rescue of the 'one who steals the logic of fire' for the reason that he can't believe it.

　It was uncomfortable enough for me to think that he was hiding something.

'If you've been through that, it's only natural. 'I know, I know. All I can do now is prove that I am indeed on the same side by rescuing the Truth-Theater. We'll talk about the companionship, then.

　Without questioning Tida at all, the master claps his hands together with a pang and agrees to his request.
　Tida's joy deepened as she watched him.

'I see. Still (・・・・), you're cooperating with me, aren't you ......

　.............
　Honestly, I can guess what Tida is hiding.
　I can see what's going to happen in the future as thinly as I can see it in the book.

'Actually, Kanami, the plan to retrieve her has been in the works for quite some time. If you, the 'one who steals the reason for the dimension', will cooperate with me there, we can put it into action immediately.
Yeah, I see. If you go to ......, tell me your plan, Tida. Whatever it is, I'll do it.
'Haha, good reply. I haven't heard that in a really long time: ......, good reply.

　Master and Tida strengthen their friendship and readjust their plans to recapture The One Who Stole the Fire's Reason. In the midst of it all, I watch from the rear, as a bonus, and focus on my own mind.

　I turn the pages of this book, which could be called the Fania version, back and forth, reread it, think about it, and predict the pattern of the ending that awaits me at the end, examining it one by one.

　It's probably ...... and a half whether or not Tida's previous concealment of the story will be harmful to the master.
　But either way, I don't care which way it goes. Rather, being betrayed by the developments I'm speculating on is one of the things I'm looking forward to right now.

"Ihihi--

　I had the confidence to truly enjoy any ending.
　I'm never picky about the type of book (genre), the trend (style) or the ending (end). So I laughed quietly and unadornedly to myself behind my mentor and Tida.