The darkness of the First Magical Research Institute is cleared, and the "Flame God's Tablets" are lit one by one.
　The Master and the Director shouted at Tida's unplanned action.

''Tida......!?''
What?

　In the midst of all this, I was the only one who was able to calmly grasp the situation.
　Thanks to the fact that I had prepared my mind that that man could do something like this. The 'One Who Steals the Reason of the Fire' represented my feelings.

'I knew it: ......!　That traitor, at the last minute again: ......!　d*mn, the fire in my body ......!

　She tried to ignite the flames with anger, but her body shook and deflated as if blown by the wind in the process.

　The volume of fire that had replaced her limbs diminished. Then the flames in the lower half of her body that had been prodding her knees drowned out, and her upper body fell to the ground.
　Sensing the abnormality in his own body, the 'one who steals the logic of fire' shouted.

''Run away now!　Now we're being watched!　Through my 'eyes', the Lords of Fania have assessed the situation here!　No, this fast ......, I've been watching you from the beginning ......!

　While losing the fire in her body, she analyzes the situation and urges her to flee quickly.
　However, Master, who was still holding the hand of The One Who Steals the Reason of Fire, immediately shouts back to get her to stand up.

'If you're going to escape, you're with me!
'You can't do that!　If I follow you now, you'll never be able to shake it off!　My lord is taking all of my power!　If I wanted to, I could ignore my will and burn you with the flames of this body!　This me is his best weapon!

　Saying that, The One Who Steals Fire's Reason shook off his master's hand with the most force of the day, but his master did not back down.

''It's alright!　This lord and I will defeat him with my tiara!　Don't worry!
That man kept repeating the experiment just to fight the coming 'Apostle' eventually. ......!　I am absolutely no match for you. Please put aside the baggage that is me and just run away first, please ....... Please ......--

　Wherever the flames of The One Who Stole the Truth of Fire were strangled, the voice grew thinner and smaller.
　There must be a direct link between the function of the body and the flames.
　Closing her eyes, she leaves the last word.

'I'm so happy, I was ....... So please go ahead. Don't worry, I'm not going to die ....... I'm used to being treated here ....... Your "I'm here to help" - your words were really, really good ......, so get away from me... ...--

　Before he could say it, 'The One Who Steals the Reason of Fire' had lost consciousness.
　On the ground, where restraining bandages and chains were strewn about, one raw head was lying in a sparsely spread flame.

　The Master stiffened his body before the scene. Although he received a heartfelt plea to "run away," the virtues and values that Master possessed would not allow him to leave the girl who was left with only this head.　

　Instead of my master, who can't move an inch, I listen carefully.
　I had begun to hear noises coming from the other side of the door we had entered.

　It was probably the soldiers on guard.
　If this was the case, we would be trapped in a cul-de-sac.

　I wonder if Master had noticed this, and he couldn't bear the badness of this situation, so he stared at the nearby darkness and called out.

''Kuu--!　Tida!

　It's useless to call out to him - I thought - but somehow, out of the darkness of the law, the answer came back to me.

'...... I'm sorry for tricking you, Kanami.'

　Frankly, I was surprised.
　Lurking, Tida explained the situation, as if she couldn't be ruthless enough.

''Originally, the lord of Fania used 'The One Who Steals the Truth of Fire' as a decoy to wait for my arrival. The reason is simple: to obtain the source of the second miracle, the One Who Steals the Reason of Darkness (me).

　I understand that.

　But I don't know why Tida betrayed us at this time.
　The plan was working. If you wanted to save the One Who Stole the Theory of Fire, you should have stayed the course. If you wanted to use it as bait, you were more effective on the run. If your goal is to sell us out, then the place and timing of your betrayal is wrong.

　I don't see Tida's real purpose at all.
　It seems that his master had that question as well, and he asked the darkness head on.

''Tida, why are you doing this ......?''

　No, I thought that there was no way I would get an answer even if I asked - but my expectations were once again betrayed and a serious reply echoed from the darkness.

'Kanami, I've just been shown your choice ....... But not yet. It's not enough to trust you yet. I have not yet seen everything that is deep inside of you. So, now I'm going to test you. To see if you can really carry out the same situation I once found myself in, and not just talk about it. Can you still speak the same words when you know the source of this city: ......--

　Tida trails off in the middle of her argument.
　For some reason, despite being in such an overwhelmingly dominant position, her voice changes to a weak voice that looks like she's about to cry now.

'No (...). I guess I'm just scared after all. ......

　The way he changed and the way he said it, my confusion reached its maximum.

　Right now, this guy is definitely in the middle of speaking, troubled on his own, and his mind has broken on its own.
　He's too unstable to follow those thoughts. Over here, it's hard to just have one master alone. ...... This is like being told to read two books in different languages at the same time.

　The 'Stealers of Reason', including the raw headed girl there, are too weak-minded and too fragile. I finally realized here that my skill at reading other people's minds is ruthlessly incompatible with my skill.

Hey, Kanami. Please. Not only that girl, please save me too ....... I can't trust my life anymore ....... I can only think that someone will betray me again, just a few more times anyway. ...... I'm scared and I can't stand it. The only way to avoid being betrayed is to betray me first ....... Those thoughts have seeped into my head and won't go away......!　Ever since the day he died five years ago: ......!

　Tida boldly begged him to save them both at the same time, without shame or outward appearance.
　It was a weak voice, unthinkable from the threat he had felt to him just before.

　At the end of it, he blurted out.

'Kanami, show me your answer.

　In other words, there was no particular reason for our betrayal. We were left behind in the farthest reaches of enemy territory for the vague reason that we were worried that we wouldn't betray them before they betrayed us.
　If it were a book, my face would be twisted by the inexcusable pages (pages) with no preamble or foreshadowing.

　But unlike me, my master's face was calm. He seemed to have something that only the same weakling could understand, and he called out his name with a look of empathy.

'Tida .......'

　There was no sign of impeachment.
　He was almost tolerating the betrayal.
　The worst part of the master's bad behavior - too much sycophancy - has been exposed to the worst ever.

　The situation is also the worst ever.
　Somewhere in the back of my mind, I had planned to use Tida as a decoy to stun my master and run straight back to Hoozeyer's if the need arose. But, on the contrary, we were the ones who were used as bait, and the other party--.

　A bang and a wild sound rang out.
　The only doorway in the basement was thrown open.

　A huge man appeared at the door with a group of sluggish Fania soldiers in tow.
　He has a monstrous old scar etched all over his face, and his eyes are thin like lines. His head was neatly rolled back and he had the purity of a clergyman. However, the man's clothing denies him the job. He wore a number of extravagant necklaces, bracelets, and rings over his upper-class nobleman's clothes, and walked around with the sound of ore touching each other.

　Everything about his gestures conveyed a great confidence in the man.
　So I could see that before he could open his mouth, the lord of Fania had shown himself.

'I'm here to receive you, Princess of Fuzzyards and Acting 'Apostle'. I am Romis, head of the House of Neysha, which rules over Fania. This Romis Neysha is to be known henceforth.

　Lord Romis smiled, and we, the emissaries of the Hoozeyards, welcomed him with open arms.

　In front of him, my master and I gasped.
　It was because the 'Demon Poison' that was too thick was swirling around Romis.

　It was a bizarre scene. Lomis himself had no special power. And yet, that "demonic poison" was completely under his control.
　It didn't harm Lomis in the slightest, but only wavered in time with his movements.

　The intensity and quantity of the 'Demon Poison' lightly surpassed that of the master who had gone berserk in the evening.
　Anyone would be in awe of Romis. If he proclaimed himself to be a prophet of God, the public would be persuaded enough to nod their heads and say, "That's right.

　We are wary of the 'demonic poison' that Romis wears and cannot move an inch.
　In the meantime, two of the soldiers he brought with him moved and withdrew their hands from the Director's hand, who was trembling close by. Neither we nor the Director had any choice but to accept them without resistance as they were led away to a corner of the room.

　After watching the move, Romis began to speak.

''Kukku. Well, I was twisting my head all the way through the preparation of the banquet, wondering how I was going to guide you two to this place, but it saved me ...... a lot of trouble. Haha, hahaha. I can't stop laughing at you for being such a thoughtless guest. Please forgive me.

　That's a rather rude thing to say.
　As I knew, the lords here were our enemies.

　I would keep an open mind and respond with a smile. It's one of Yotaki sister's teachings to keep smiling when things are really bad.

''Hmph. Good evening, head of the Neisha family. If you know about 'The Apostle', you're talking fast. In order to dispel the dark clouds of this world, I need her help there - the one who steals the reason for fire. Can I take her to Fuzzyards Castle?　

　I pointed to the girl who was being beheaded alive just a few feet away, and told her proudly of our request.

'Do you want me to take her?　I refuse to do so. No matter how much of a homeland Hoozeyer's may be, we don't want anything from our Fania territory to be taken out without permission.
Hmm. Then can't we at least stop treating him like an object?

　I'd appreciate it if you nodded, even if it was a lie.
　Otherwise, the angry master next to me is in trouble.

　I can see that he's becoming belligerent after the persuasion of 'The One Who Steals the Reason of Fire' earlier, and I can see that he's becoming belligerent.

　However, I am eager to avoid a fight. The basement we are in right now is the enemy's territory (home), and we entered it without expecting a battle.
　The other side must have understood exactly what the advantage is. I answered very forcefully.

''Yes. I understand what you want to say, Princess. However, please do not misunderstand me. This kind of outrageous imitation, I don't want to do it either. As a lord, I simply chose the peace of mind of my fellow lords over her alone after making a painful decision. That's why I need to treat things coldly. I have a duty to make the most of the benefits of her precious sacrifice so that it will not be in vain. ...... please, can you understand?

　No doubt, it's a lie.
　So I decided.

　However, the master believed those papier-mâché words and offered a compromise.

''My lord!　Please listen to me!　As an alternative to taking her out, I have a good cure for that!　With our help, you won't have to worry about curing the disease of The Devil's Poison!　This is what we call "raising the bar"!　It's not perfect yet, but it's a much more effective treatment than phlebotomy!
''Oh, is that light called "Level Up" ......?　Crap, crap. Oh, pardon me. That was a very curious name.

　In the middle of the conversation, Romis held his mouth and laughed. He also shook his head at his master's suggestion while sighing heavily.

''【Level Up】....... That was really an afterthought.''
Yo, that's superfluous. ......?　That's the cure!　By trading "demonic poison" for "witchcraft" - or rather, by trading with this world, a method of converting poison into a living force - you can safely suppress the symptoms without any disadvantages!　I know it's a weird thing to say about dealing with the world, but really--
I know all about it. So I don't need any further explanation.

　He was interrupted crisply.
　Master was stunned, as if he hadn't expected that reply.

''Before you Fuzzy Yards, our Fania was aware of the 'World's Deal' as an example. We already know that if we use that thing well, we can cure the disease at its root.
'Did you know ......?　Then why do you have to go to ......!　Why aren't you using that in your treatment!
''Certainly, that 'leveling up' thing will be able to heal you. However, at the same time, a large number of beings with unworthy powers will be born in the territory. That's too dangerous. The only thing that Fania needs right now is not a cure for the disease, but to firmly lead her people. To do that, the method proposed by the deputy-sama is inappropriate. We can never allow a ruler to mass-produce and hold a bunch of healthy bombs for nothing.

　It makes sense.
　When it comes to wasted energy bombs, there is an example of me.

　Romis confidently tells the rest of the story.

'Okay?　I wish more than anyone else for the happiness of my people. However, that dream cannot be done only in a pretty way. The governance of a fief requires all of the fiefdoms to believe in one thing, and to move forward in unison towards a single dream. That is, for example, Altofelism. I will now personally teach you the splendor of it. I believe that if you know all this, you will become my understanding of it, too. ......

　In front of the eloquent Romis, the master was completely lost for words to refute.

　If this was the case, he would be easily defeated by the 'fraud' that the lord had. To avoid that path of total defeat, I forcefully interrupted the discussion in a rush.

''There's no need to listen, Master!　I don't care what you say, you can't go wrong with that (...)　This man is a bundle of selfishness. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to keep all this power to himself. He found out that the 'demonic poison' could be turned into power, so he monopolized all of it and brought it under his control. Of course he's leaving the city sick so that he can continue to exploit the weak: ......!

　We can see the thick 'evil poison' of the man in front of us.
　We can see that he has taken away from the people of the city to the extent that he has not cured them of their illness, including the information so far.

　When confronted with that fact alone, the master looks a little sad and squeezes out a rebuttal from the back of his throat.

'Mr. Neysha, that mouth gesture ....... You are much like. To the father and mother who abandoned me .......

　Speaking of Master's parents, Sister Youtaki also told me about them. Apparently, they were scoundrels comparable to this lord, but unlike sister Youtaki, Master was a little concerned about speaking in a loving way.

　The current master's mind was complicated, and he wasn't likely to be able to see through it from the outside without a second thought.
　Romis seemed to sense this as well, giving up on talking down to Master and changing his target to me.

''Princess Tiara. You are the one who should take a good look at this (...). This is really a great power. It's like a 'magic' power like in a fairy tale. It doesn't just burn enemies, it can be applied to all sorts of things and brings us dream-like effects.

　Romis manipulated his own 'magic poison' and ignited it in the empty air.
　The swollen flames danced around him like a little bird, proving the word 'magic' in the fairy tale.
　It's moderately my kind of performance. I found that his 'observational eye' has reached a level worthy of being described as a skill.

The result of its application is the Altofel religion?　A choice that suits my taste, my lord.

　I thought that Romis and I were close in sensitivity.
　I sensed a huge gap there, and I went along with the story that was brought up.

　Next to me, my mentor seemed to complain a bit, "You stopped me from talking, but you don't mind the tiara," but it was natural.

　My master and I have a different level of belly art.
　In order to increase the odds of getting away with it as much as possible, we need to clarify this guy's best aim first.

''Right?　The power of God became visible indeed. The "miracle" has become something we can touch close to home. ...... When do they say they will do it if they don't do it now?　In fact, the speed of propagation of Altofelism is unparalleled in comparison to previous times. In just one generation, it is on the verge of engulfing a continent.

　Romis walks with the little birds of fire, and turns his eyes to the 'stealer of fire's reason' near us.
　Then he makes the greatest use of his 'observation' to persuade me to make a speech of my choice.

'And yet!　At this critical time, the Altfelian Flame God was too pathetic!　Every time I get swept up in my emotions, I stop and whine!　Even though you've gained a mighty power, you haven't been able to make use of it at all!　He was weak and stupid - just a kid!　Then what is wrong with me, as an adult, working as a prophet in her place!
'So you took all of her powers away?　It looks like you're torturing the little guy for the sake of a good juice. I am.
'The only thing I took away was the power of ignition. And it is my tireless efforts that have honed that little bit of power to this point. I have discovered that faith replaces the power of fire, that fire dispels 'demonic poison', and that ores have flames in them, all of which I have discovered. It's only natural that I should be paid for that work, right?

　Romis speaks as if he alone did his best, but this is probably a lie too. I'm sure it was only discovered by some of his excellent subordinates working in the city's research institute and he takes credit for it.

　But that's the work of the lords, and it's a worthy achievement, no doubt. As a member of the Hoosiers' royal family, I can understand. He's a bit ruthless, but at the same time I sympathize that he's realistic.

　With that in mind, I guess Romis is talking.
　He has an 'observational eye' that can lead me to the most effective persuasion.

'I want to do a better job of it. I am well prepared to obtain not only the God of Fire, but also the God of Darkness. In just a few more days, Fania will be able to reach out to other territories.
'Wow, that's amazing. If you can control the darkness as well as the light, your faith will not only double, but increase tenfold. It's not impossible.
'On top of that, luckily, the God of Light came to me before I got the God of Darkness: ....... Kukkuk--!　Oh, I really can't thank the 'apostles' enough: ......!

　Romis shook his shoulders, unable to hold back his laughter as he spoke.
　He seems very excited that his master has fallen into the trap he has prepared for himself. I gave him a slightly cold look and blamed him for it.

''Shucks, you talk a lot about babbling. You're a little different from what I imagined you'd be like, lord.
...... sure. I wonder a little myself. Am I floating?　Find your own kind.

　It was a mild shake for me, but I got a different reaction than I expected.

　Now Romis seemed sincerely surprised.
　But it doesn't seem to matter much, and he reconstructs his smile again and reaches out to me.

'Yes, you are of my kind. That's why I invite you to join me. My goal is to 'rule over every god and rule all of this continent'. To do that, I need an accomplice like you, who is wise, strong, and of noble blood. Everything I've said up to this point is my sincerity to you.

　This is not a lie. It was a serious solicitation, I could tell.
　That means that Romis is not influenced by my infantile appearance and sees the essence of what he's doing.

　I found this guy's eye for detail to be sure, but ...... honestly, I'm troubled by it.
　When I heard the word "kindred spirits", my mentor turned his eyes on me a little uneasily.
　It's ruthlessly bad.

''So you want to use me, the youngest member of the royal family, as a clue to take over the Hoosiers. You're going to rule over the "thing that steals the logic of fire" and the "thing that steals the logic of light" and conquer them. That's a dream!
I've heard how you've been treated in the castle. It sounds like a good plan for the future, doesn't it?
'I'm sorry, but I have a prior commitment, so why not?　I am the master's student. I will follow my master for the rest of my life. No matter what, no matter what happens. That's what I vowed. I'm sorry.
...... surprising. Obviously, the princess is my kind of person. I thought you were just manipulating an easy-looking man there behind the scenes.

　Yumero.
　He said that in front of my master, I'm an innocent, pretty princess!

　I was quite impatient, but with a thin smile on my face, I continued to insist to Romis that I would never change my opinion.

　So, he finally understands, and with a second sigh, he abandons the negotiations.

'Feng ....... I wanted to get things (things) done with your story, but it can't be helped. ...... Then, we'll just proceed with things as originally planned. We have no choice but to capture the dumb boy there and treat him the same as the flame god.

　Then, with a horrible smile, he speaks to The One Who Steals Fire's Reason lying on the floor.

'Good for you, Fire God ....... You will make a friend. The Light God will be with you in this crypt for a long time, too. I will hurt you, bind you, torment you and torment you and manage you until you die together. Kukkaku, unlike with you, if you use the princess of the lover (...) who is there, his emotional control (control) will be easy and helpful.

　The brutal words spilled out, clearly containing a breakup.

　Then, Romis took out a red-black sphere from his pocket.
　It was immediately apparent that it was the same quality ore as the "Flame God's Stone". However, it was clearly different from the mass-produced products he had seen so far. The stone was crystal clear and shiny, free of any impurities, and the color intensity was extraordinary.

　Surprisingly, the raw heart itself was inside the stone.
　When I realized that it belonged to the girl from the "The One Who Steals the Reason of Fire" who had fallen, and that it was in the contents of the "Heart of the Flame God" that was set up in the center of this "First Demonic Research Institute" - the little fire birds that were dancing in the room split into several pieces, and their bills were It was pointed like an arrowhead and was flying towards me.

''Watch out, Master--!
-Oh!

　My mentor and I leap from side to side, avoiding the little birds of fire that have come flying in.
　At the same time, I suggest to my master that we retreat as planned. This will be the limit of the information we can extract from the lord.

''Master!　Abort the plan and get out of here!　I'll hold this guy back, so get ahead of me!

　Romis, who finally stopped mending his words to that voice, scoffed.

''Ha. This Fania is a city that specializes in the capture of you monsters. There's no way you can escape.

　They began to step towards us, trying to make a statement about the brutality they had just described.
　The soldiers around us followed suit, narrowing the siege.

　In the midst of this, Master drew the sword at his waist, revealing his anger.

''Tiara, I won't run ......!　I will stop this man if I have to fight for it!　At least the heart that that guy has right now, I'll give her back to you!
'Shh, Master!　This guy wants to capture Master alive!　Did you hear me correctly!
Because I heard you--!

　Knowing that his master was the enemy's primary target, he was only looking to rescue the 'One Who Steals the Reason of Fire'.

　His serious profile made my heart flutter as I wrinkled my brow, my heart fluttered.

　Honestly, the odds of winning a battle are higher without a master. The best form would be for the enemy's main master to be in the safe zone and for me to be in the vanguard, wielding my power freely. However, no matter how I tried to persuade him, my master would never take the option of "getting ahead of me and only one of us escapes".

　The reason is simple.
　I already understood it during yesterday's "Level Up" outburst.
　It's not "the 'ideal' Aikawa Kanami".

　I judged that it was impossible to persuade him in a short period of time, so I had no choice but to pull out the blade at my waist, just like my master.
　Seeing this, Romis stops and lets out a belly laugh.

''Kukku, kukku, kukku hahaha--!　I'll have to babysit you, Princess Foozeyards!　No need to panic over here, which is very helpful!　Take your time. I don't think they're going to escape!

　Hearing their instructions, the soldiers first attack me and my master, two at a time.

　The soldiers are clad in armor that would have been made in the city and raise their drawn swords.
　I maintain my composure in the face of a weapon that reminds me of death and blood. I'm young and inexperienced in the rough stuff, but I'm not as experienced as I was as a child. But a near-death experience from my childhood has made my mind as calm as still water," and I run forward.

　The soldiers were clearly upset when they saw me approaching carelessly toward the weapon.
　No matter how faithful I was to my superiors' orders, somewhere in the back of my mind I must have felt that if I was dealing with women and children, I would try to capture them with as little injury as possible.
　He would use that kindness against them to create a momentary stiffness in the enemy.

　Then, he wields his 'body technique'.
　Using the dagger in his hand as a decoy, he guided the gaze of the soldier who had taken the lead and made his legs twitch like a whip while leaping.
　First, he kicked one soldier who was caught off guard, kicking him in the tip of the chin to reap his consciousness.

　Without a moment's delay, he pounces on the other one.
　With an exaggerated flick of his sword, he does a foot sweep to get rid of both of his enemy's legs.

　If it was a child's kick, it wouldn't freak out. But my leg strength, strengthened by the 《Level Up》, was powerful enough to spin the soldier's entire weight in one turn.
　I grabbed the head of the soldier who had come within arm's reach with my free hand and slammed him to the ground.

''--Foof!''

　I finish the move so far in one breath, and then I look at Romis without a second thought.
　Romis' smile deepens as his eyes meet mine and he speaks to me.

''This is the benefit of the Light God's 《Level Up》 ....... Indeed, it's a threat. However, it's only one person's power. I'm sorry, but this one has a different number of people, okay?　Conflict is about numbers and numbers grinding against each other. It's about how many people you can get together in advance. That's what I'm trying to teach you now.

　Romis generates a large amount of flames from the heart in his hand, causing it to attack the soldiers nearby.

　As I thought, that heart seems to be the key to stealing the power of "The One Who Steals the Reason for Fire". I don't know how it works, but I can tell from the flames that Fania's years of research are hidden in the flames that writhe with misfortune and regularity.

　The soldiers did not avoid the flames of their lord, but accepted them.
　And the armor made by the city's 'Flame God's Stone' lit the flames like a torch. It never scorches the skin of the equipers, but leaps to burn only the enemy.

　Two newly flame-clad soldiers come towards me.

''Kukku. Now, this one is also a "level up". And that's with the blessing of the flame god, right?

　Just as Romis said, his movements were completely different from the soldier just now.
　Even if he moved just a few steps, his body language has increased significantly - his 'speed' has increased.

　I understood that it was a kind of 《Level Up》 that followed a different path from my master, and I took a stance without caution.