On the verge of defeat, my master is distraught when he hears my confession.
　Romis watched it from a safe zone, but his expression changed midway through the process.

　Particles of light leaked out of Master's body as he screamed, and the air around him was distorted. The runaway that had been stopped by Tida earlier, and this time he could watch - he examined it closely, looking curious.

''Is this scraping up some 'demonic poison'?　If it's the same phenomenon as the Flame God, how can even I not see the pathway?

　What Romis was focusing on was the increase in his master's 'demonic poison'.
　This is a typical focus of his attention, as he believes that people's power is the most important thing.
　In contrast, I, who believe that a person's heart is the most important thing, paid attention to the changes in my master's expression and words.

　Master's eyes, which were tainted with grief and pain, flicker, and he continues to question himself, which is too painful.

'--I decided not to cry anymore ....... I could make you forget everything else, but I swore I wouldn't forget that one thing ......--

　Now the Master said clearly, "Even if they make you forget.
　I know what that means.

　The darkness of the "Gentile" that I have been wanting to see for a long time is now being exposed in its entirety.

　I know not only what it means, but I also know the cause of it.
　This entire trip to Fania has driven my master into a corner. To Romis, to 'the one who steals the truth of darkness', to 'the one who steals the truth of fire' - above all, this confession of mine has driven my master into a corner and cornered him, and finally deprived him of all leeway.

'-- I vowed to ....... 'We're all in this together', to 'her'. I promised to be a great big brother to Yotaki, even in front of my mom and dad. Oh, and that was the new 'Aikawa Uzumi'!

　What Master had in his possession became unavoidably understood.

　She," "I was made to forget," "I swore," "The New Aikawa Uzumi" - in other words, Master has had his memories of that "she" or something like that stolen from him, and the past "Aikawa Uzumi (Jibun)" has been altered.
　You will be able to find out what you need to do to help people.

　-- then who is taking it from him and who is making him do it?

　I look again at the white 'thread' that extends from my fingertips.
　It is like a manipulative thread that rests on me and does not come off.
　Even though I have mastered the art of witchcraft, I don't understand how it works, and the thread is escaping the eyes of Romis, an expert in "demonic poison" and the "logic stealers" who are present here.

　There is only one person who can control such things.
　And sadly, there is no one more suited to messing with a master's head than that one person.

''Aaaaaaahhhhhhhh--!　--Cursed Flame!

　When I gave my answer, the master remained in a shout, causing flames to erupt from his entire body through 'spellcraft'.
　The amount of heat that rivaled the flaming snake that bit into his body caused Romis to exclaim in surprise.

''Nah--!

　Just like when the soldiers extinguished the flames they were wearing, the flames and the flames ate each other and both were drowned out.
　It was a splendid offset by the Flames.

　But where did the source of this extraordinary firepower come from?
　The 《Flame》 is a 'spell' that said that just by creating a flame the size of a bonfire, one's memory is lost. What in the world would I have to throw away to create a flame comparable to Romis's Flame Snake?

　While I felt an unfathomable anxiety, the Master stood up.
　In the midst of several flickering, distorted particles of light dancing around, his black twin eyes stand out. The color was pure black and one color. The darkness is also black, terrifyingly quiet, and two eyes that are deeply submerged everywhere.

''Oh, I will definitely help Tiara. I can't help her anymore (・・・・・・・・), I can't allow (・・・・・・).

　The words of obsession itself leaked out of the master's mouth, along with the evil 'demonic poison'.

　The figure, the eyes, the words, I am convinced of it.
　The condition for being chosen as a "thief of reason" - a crack in the heart - is spreading now.

　The cracks in the heart are appearing to the extent that it is no longer viable as a vessel.
　It's cracking. It is cracking. It's dying.

　-- So, from earlier, the power as 'the one who steals the reason' is increasing and will not stop.

　It reminds me of one of the apostle's descriptions of the 'vessels that can adapt to the demonic poison'. It says, "-- Basically, he dies (・・・・・・). He loses a number of human functions and even sacrifices the most important thing about him. That's not all. Every time you use a power that is out of character, the world demands a 'price' for it".

　All sorts of speculations flashed through my mind, and finally my anxiety reached its peak and I felt a sob coming out of the back of my throat. Seeing me start to tremble, my master looks at me with his quiet, black eyes and speaks to me softly, "It's okay, Tiara.

It's okay, Tiara, it's okay. I can help you now. I'm going to make sure that you're glad that you got out of that tower that day. I have to--
-What?

　My cold heart began to beat again and stand on its gross hair.

　I was fascinated, fascinated to hear, and my thoughts were almost blown away.
　After all, my current master is the 'hero' of my 'ideal'. In the midst of dramatic adversity, he is the "protagonist" who is overflowing with the darkness of people beyond my expectations, looking straight at me and trying desperately to save me.

　Naturally, my heart continues to race with 'love'.
　However, my anxiety continues to swell to the point where I can't help but feel it.

　Excitement and anxiety.
　Sandwiched between these two growing emotions, my mind is in turmoil.

　Is Master, whose "demon poison" is increasing and cannot be stopped now, really all right?
　Earlier I shouted in my 'love affair' and was I really right?
　I feel like we would still be right (happy) if we had been defeated, captured, tortured, brainwashed and used by Romis. I may have been led by someone else towards the incorrect answer (FUCHS) - and I look at the 'thread' on my fingertips.

''--Cursery [Level up].''

　While my thoughts couldn't formulate, the master spoke his own best 'spellcasting' technique.

　Immediately, an enormous amount of pale light spread out.
　Just like yesterday, it's a colorless, transparent light that's not tinted with anything. And just like the Flame of the Flame, this light of the 《Level Up》, just like the Flame of the 《Flame》, also tried to eat the light of the flames emitted by Lomis, and it was eroding.

　Romis tried to counter it head on, and shouted to increase the heat of the flames.

''Flame and light, you can use both at the same time!　But that's about it!

　I continued to focus on my master's own 'Demonic Poison' without being blinded by the battle.

　At a quick glance, the 'Demon Poison' was colorless and transparent, but it wasn't crystal clear like water. Like a mirror, it reflected the surrounding light and was constantly emitting light.

　In that 'demonic poison', I could see my figure staring at it with concern.
　There was my face upside down, as if I had looked into the quiet surface of the lake, and behind it, a starry scene twinkled like a starry sky. The Tiara Hoozeyers reflected there were as fantastic and dramatic as the heroine in the book's story - the 'ideal' world I wanted to see in The Devil's Poison.

'Romis!　If you think you're a lord and you're taking all of this Fania away from me, then I'm going to ...... shift it back to the way it was!　What should be there is what should be there, all back to what it should be!

　The moment Master declares that, the moment he declares that, Master's 'demonic poison' distorts languidly and loudly.

　The quiet surface of the water I had been watching slowly begins to ripple, giving rise to a water current. It begins to move clockwise, gradually turning into a whirlpool, stirring up the pooled water.

　The lake, which had been colorless and clear, begins to take on color.
　As if the impurities that had sunk to the bottom of the lake were dancing in the whirlpool and mixing with the supernatant, the color of the lake - Master's 'Demon Poison' - turned a light purple color.

　Seeing the series of changes, Romis replies.

'Shifting, you mean ......?　That 'demonic poison' distortion - neither light nor fire, is that your essence!

　Wrong.
　I knew that Romis' analysis was wrong, ignoring the fight and looking only at the master.

　In essence, it is neither light nor out of place.
　It's the mirror-like surface of the water that I was seeing earlier.

　--Yes, a mirror.

　Perhaps, but the nature of a master is that, depending on the people around him, he can change into anything, whether it's the 'power of light' like the 'savior' of the world or the 'power of dimension' like the 'hero' of another world, depending on the people around him.

　Clearly, it's a nature where anything is possible.
　It's like saying that you can wield the most ideal power at any given moment.

"-- 'Thou shalt scrape and reflect,' 'Know the brightness of its life,' 'In me and in thee' --

　And the 'master' 'chants'.
　That ideal power displaces all of the flaming light that Romis emits - as if it were 'reversed' and erased from the world.

　It was a very strange sight, as if the "rules of the fire" that exist in the world were being twisted.

　All the flames in the central sanatorium were now spreading high temperatures and burning fiercely, yet there was no visual brightness.
　The flames cast a gloom, and Master was the only light that could be seen.

　This too insane scene confused the heads of the people around them, causing them to feel a strong sense of agitation.

''What, the Flame God's light is gone ......?''
'The flames are properly burning, hot and there, but ....... Why ......
'The light is ....... That, why ......, I got tears in my eyes .......

　The wall of believers who had been praying so single-mindedly is disturbed.

　From the looks of it, we can see that it wasn't just the visual lights that the master shifted.
　Perhaps the 'spell' that Romis contained in the flame to unite the hearts of the people together was also shifted and the effect was 'reversed'.

　The light of that flame would have been acting on the minds of the patients all along, giving them a false glimmer of hope and stopping them from thinking. If I were to coin a term like my master, it would be around the conjuring 《Light》.

　The effect of that light shifted out of place and changed from the reassurance that he should just trust the lord already to the anxiety of whether he could really trust the lord.

　The destination of religious faith in the central sanatorium was slowly going out of whack.
　On top of that, the only thing that Fania's patients are now exposed to is the light of their master. Romis, who seemed to judge the situation as remarkably dangerous, shouted and moved swiftly.

''Enough!　You're on, Tida!　Stop that man!　Now!

　First, I called for my collaborator, Tida, but the 'Stealer of Darkness' that must be lurking somewhere in this room - did not respond.

''Tch, he's still as useless as he is important!　-- but I knew it. The only person I can trust is myself. I am ready to end it all by my own power alone. I may not have the light, but I have the power to subdue it with fire!　First--!

　Romis accepted the negligence, even though he clicked his tongue evasively. He was prepared to tolerate this much if he was going to treat Tida as his boss.

　Then, first of all, he turned his gaze to me.
　From his grim expression, I could tell that he switched from securing me to taking care of me.

　The volume and temperature of the flaming giants on top of me increased rapidly.
　Romis is no longer able to afford it, and his true intentions are being drawn out. Excellent, his spur-of-the-moment decision was the answer to take care of all the uncertainties.

　His master seems to have noticed his change of heart and runs at full speed.
　His 'speed' was comparable to me and the flaming giants.

''Tiara--!　"Shining Flame Sword!

　The sword in his hand was covered in flames.
　It was the same one that Romis had first enhanced the soldiers' armor in the earlier battle. The master had stolen it at a glance and turned it into his own 'spellcraft'.

''--Cursed Art 《Flame Flamberge》!　Slash through the flames of the enemy!

　Through the 'price' of giving it a name, its power increases even more.

　My master's sword was extended many times in length by the flames, and its cutting edge reached the flaming giant that was on top of me.

　The movement of the 《Flame Flamberge》 sword was amateur, but its 'speed' was uncommon. Before the flame giants could brace themselves, they would reappear. On top of that, just by touching them, it shaved off the volume of their flames and drastically reduced them.

　The enemies that had been struggling so hard were being chipped away one by one by my master's sword.
　The one on top of me was also easily slashed and blown away by Master.

　When my body was free, I hurriedly stood up, enduring the pain. Then my master, who seems to be in a state of shock, hugs me vigorously.

''Tiara!　Oh, thank goodness: ....... I'm so glad. This time I was able to protect ....... I was able to protect it. Oh, tiara ....... Tiara, tiara tiara tiara tiara tiara tiara--

　Even though we are still in the middle of a battlefield, Master hugs my head with all his strength and repeats my name morbidly and endlessly.

　As my chest settles in, my vision becomes only Master's and I grimace.
　I'm happy, of course. However, it would be useless if I get swallowed up by this warmth and lose the battle. With both arms broken, I move my head from side to side and refuse to embrace him.

''Shh, Master. That kind of thing is later ......!　I mean, my back is hot!

　In addition, I also blame the 《Flame Flamberge》, which is being passed around my back, for burning my hair back a bit.

''Ah, ah. I'm sorry.''
'Oh, yeah. I'm fine now. ......

　The master understands my condition and poof, he lets go of my body.

　Then our two faces face each other, right in front of each other.
　Instantly, my heartbeat accelerates rapidly. My whole body is hot, which hasn't changed since my earlier confession. My cheeks are especially upset now, and my vision feels like it's in steam.

　Without a doubt, I'm getting a raw emotion, 'love interest', and I'm excited.
　On top of that, I know the inner thoughts of the master who is in front of me right now, as if I were flipping through a book, and I ask myself, "Could it be that my master and I are compatible with each other? A guess comes to mind.

　My head boils over the mess. 'Romis's aim', 'Tida's betrayal', 'my raw emotions', 'the identity of the white thread', 'the lack of master's memory', and other important information, but I didn't feel like I could put it all together at all.

'Stay back, Tiara.'

　As if to protect me from their confusion, Master takes a step forward.
　Even though Master has cut off some of them, the fire giants are still there. Romis is still alive and well.

''Master, it's better to go back to Foozeyers for once. Because the flame Master is using now is definitely not good for something. Even if we're going to fight that guy, we can win much, much safer with Sister Yangtaki around. Honestly, there's not a single reason to be reckless here.

　I wanted to make my escape a certainty, since I had escaped custody.

　Above all, I wanted time to re-organize all the scattered information once and for all.
　But Master, on the contrary to me, looked refreshed and answered in a very simple manner.

'I know. Still, I don't want to run away anymore. Thanks to Tiara, I finally understand. I can't be Yotaki. Because the person who wanted me to be as perfect as Yotaki is no longer - nowhere else (・・・・・・・).

　Admitting that he had a sense of inferiority (a complex) towards his overly talented sister, Master vows that he will not be defeated by it.
　His tone of voice was bright and his tone was positive, and his tone was powerful, as if he was expressing his master's growth.

　--Only, with those words, Master's 'demonic poison' continues to swell.

　I know only one condition for the 'evil poison' to increase.

　Now Master was smiling brightly. However, it looks to me as if he is throwing away something important, throwing it away and throwing it away to the point where it is empty - he is perfecting it as 'the thing that steals the reason for the dimension'.

''So from now on, I'm going to do what I am!　It's also clear now that being yourself is connected to your power as a 'stealer of dimensional reason'!

　I felt like my master's wishes were going wrong.
　But I can't think of the words to stop it.

'I'm going to be my 'ideal self' who can help everyone!　I know that's only in a book of made-up stories, but that's where I'm going to keep going!　Even though you know it's a place you'll never reach, even though you know it doesn't mean anything!　It's been my 'dream' to keep going that far!　Oh, it's been that way all along!　Like the other side of everyone's eyes, behind that glass, behind that page!　That 'ideal world' was the only thing that was my last peace of mind!

　I can't move with my cheeks upturned in admiration.
　The current master is so much like the 'protagonist' in the book itself that it makes me want to keep looking at him.

'There's still so much I don't understand!　But I'm not just lost anymore!　I'll never let the tiara get away with it!　And win against Lomis!　From here on out, that's all you need to know (・・・・・・・)--!　That's me, 'The One Who Stole the Theory of Dimension' Aikawa Uzumi!

　And with that last name, the battle between the master and Romis resumes.

'You're going to beat me here!　A child who was unprepared and unprepared and spoiled by the power that fell upon him!　Don't think that with that power, anything can go your way!

　He must have decided that the fire giants were too much for them to handle.
　At last, Romis moves to step forward on his own.
　In response, his master also steps forward.

''It's because of the power that has fallen and sprung up!　You can't lose to me here. I won't let you take this away from me!　This power of mine is to help Tiara, my friends, and--and everyone here in Fania!

　Master held the Flame Flamberge, and Romis also generated a huge sword with flame as well.

　In order to settle the matter, the two of them ran out at the same time and struck their flaming swords together.
　Two types of flames gushed out and a firepower comparison of flames took place.

''With this fancier!　Do not think that I, the Prophet of the God of Fire, will come true with fire!　This fire of mine is the culmination of the accumulation of people!　I have no reason to be defeated by the cursed power of you monsters!

　Gradually, as Romis was confident, his fire begins to push.

''Ah!　I know that!　Of course I can't beat you, of course I can't beat you!　Because my spell wasn't created to defeat you.　I made this 'spell' because I wanted to help someone else!

　With the flaming sword struck together, the master shouts out to begin the next 'spellcasting technique'.

' -- 'Thou shalt scrape and reflect,' 'Know the brilliance of its life,' 'It is in me and it is in you!'　--Cursery [level up]!
Light again!　So many times, I won't let you have free rein--!

　Once again, the light of the 《Level Up》 tries to spread.
　Romis tried to hold it down by spreading the flames thinly, but the Master's light broke through Romis' flames and filled the entire central sanatorium.

'I may be inferior to you in flame, but not in this one!　The 《Level Up》 I developed to heal Yangtaki is all I have!

　The light repeats the exact same scene as yesterday, in the same place.

　The "demon poison" that had accumulated in the patients around them was converted into the power to live, and they were relieved of their pain without a second thought.
　Everyone says that they feel healthier than before they were sick, and it's as if they are dreaming.

'The pain in my body is gone and I feel lighter ....... What is this ......?
What?　Ouch, no ......?　My body doesn't hurt!
'Hi, light ......?　A light brighter than a flame is fuller than a flame: ......

　The Master performs more 'miracles' than Romis, and then roars with the momentum of the battle.

'He wants to be cured!　Hoping for a cure, a cure, a cure, I came to Fania!　I never want to see anyone else suffer from a disease ever again!　Only this wish will not be swallowed up, even if it is your fire!

　Unlike yesterday, my master was complete.
　He was able to perform the 'ideal' figure of me and my patients without contorting his face.

　'The one who steals the reason of the dimension', Aikawa Uzumi, played brilliantly as the 'savior' who came from another world to dispel the 'demonic poison' of the world - the patients who were watching the battle began to wonder who their real ally was.

'The boy who is now fighting the Lord-sama over there, this light ......?
'You saved me with that light?　Us?
Nonsense. Then why would my lord fight that boy--

　The source of Romis' power is that the city of Fania itself is the 'price to pay'. In order for that to happen, the people of the territory must believe in the 'Altfel religion' and the prophet lord must be respected.

　There is now a hole in that power.

　In the center of Fania, a gaping hole - people who believe in the Light of the Aikawa Whirlpool Wave instead of the Altoffel religion - has appeared.
　The change will really affect the flame of Lomis.

'Kook, the flames flicker ......!
Not yet--!

　Master's 《Level Up》 did not stop.
　The next step was to apply it not only to the patients, but also to the fire giants.

　This is a unique application of 《Level Up》, a 'spellcraft' that specializes in conversion.
　Romis transformed the people into flames, and the master begins to turn them back in the opposite direction.
　Nevertheless, compared to the normal 《Level Up》, its perfection is low and very forceful. Even if Master consumed an ample amount of 'Demon Poison', they would not all be neatly restored.

　Of the more than a dozen flaming giants that were lined up, about half of them turned into burnt corpses, while the rest turned back into soldiers with full body burns.

　The soldiers who had returned to their former state seemed to have memories of their time as the flame giant, and while rejoicing in their survival, they shouted resentment at their bosses who betrayed them.

''Ha, ha, ha--, did you get saved?　Is it because of that boy's light: ......?
"Or, I can't move. ......!　d*mn, there's that guy over there: ......!
That bastard!　Romis Nayshaa--!

　The man with the least amount of burns among the returning soldiers wobbled forward to impeach his former superior.

'Romis!　You can't have enough of demons, not even your own soldiers, who have served you to this day!　You want to control everything to that point!

　His voice reverberated throughout the central recuperation room.
　The soldier's blood-changing appeal was enough to accelerate the agitation of the surrounding patients.
　If this continued, it would be known that the material of the flaming giant earlier was human.

　If that were to happen, the 'price' of faith would all belong to the master, though only in this central sanatorium.

　So Romis must have thought of that.
　He gave up the push of his flaming sword and kicked the master in front of him, taking a large distance away from him. He then begins to gather the flames to end it all in the opposite hand of the one with the 'Heart of the Flame God'.

　The flames, the flames in the room, gather together and condense into a spherical shape.
　I can feel the rise in temperature on my skin.
　My throat inhales the burned air and my lungs feel like they are going to be burned.

　Above all, the color of the condensing flames was extraordinary.
　From red to blue, blue to white - the flames were sublimating.
　That sphere of fire specialized in incineration makes the viewer believe that death is waiting for them just by getting close.

''Kid. Do you think you've turned the tables just like this?　There are many alternative research institutes. All we have to do is to get rid of this Fiendish Research Institute and we'll get rid of it now. I'll show you my true flame...

　When Romis spits those words out, the anger of the soldiers around him reaches its peak, and the murmur of the former patients grows louder. But no one can get close enough to them to face the overwhelming heat of the situation. With the air burning their lungs as well, people instinctively felt threatened and had no choice but to move away.

　In the midst of it all, only the master stepped forward to avoid completing his trump card flame.

''Let them or ......!

　At that moment, my skills will sense an end.

　--perhaps it's a done deal.

　That's why I turn my gaze away from the two of them and look for an enemy who isn't here.
　If I were that guy, I would move at this time.

　Immediately I run towards my master's back as fast as I can.
　And with both of my arms broken and useless, I rushed at Tida, the 'Stealer of the Dark Reason' coming out of Master's shadow.

''Teeda Landsh!''

　As expected, Tida was about to pounce on me again, from her master's blind spot.
　Thanks to that one too much of a pattern of surprise attacks, I succeed in colliding with my body from Tida's blind spot.

''--?

　By shifting Tida's body, the muddy dagger that was about to reach my master's back cuts through the air.

　I quickly regain my position and stand between Tida and Master.
　I stare at the enemy in front of me with a desperate determination to not let him interfere with my master even if I present myself - but my master denies that decision.

''Tiara!　No need!　Tida's one of us!　You don't have to stop!

　He stopped me by shouting that he was a friend, not an enemy.
　At that statement, Tida, the enemy in front of me, showed me a strong upset, even though she was noh-ish. Of course, I'm like, "Huh! I opened my big mouth and turned back.

　There was my mentor, looking only at Romis and trusting us both.

'I still believe Tida is my friend. So if you have something important you want to say to Tida now, I'll listen. --I've got to listen.

　Even though he had been betrayed, stabbed, and nearly stabbed again, his master never turned around.
　On the contrary, he stopped completely.

''Ba, stupid Master ......!
"What--?

　My and Tida's confusion grows many times over.

　Even now, Romis, who is in front of me, is gathering heat, not just in the room, but all of Fania, to complete his trump card flame. The heat is like the sun, which is incomparable to the flames we've seen so far. When it is completed, all of them will die.

　In that moment-to-second killing contest, if you're going to listen to your friends' opinions, you're still going to listen to a traitor?

　--That's impossible. It's crazy.

　But that abnormality was 'The One Who Steals the Reason of the Dimension' Aikawa Uzumi.
　In front of that figure, Tida also became confused and shouted unbearably.

''Ugh, lie to me ......!　Lie to me!

　More than anyone else, 'The One Who Steals the Dark Reason' doubts the trust of his fellow 'The One Who Steals the Dimensional Reason', and he questions the trust of his peers.

'What can I trust!　There is no one in the world who can trust a coward like me!　When you say you believe in something, you can't mean it!　I know what I'm talking about, Kanami!　You're like an empty vessel!　All the pretty things you say are borrowed!　What do you think you're doing underneath that stinking skin!　Let me hear it first!

　Unlike Romis, Tida saw the essence of her master.
　He declares that if he doesn't show the depths of his heart, there can never be a 'trusting relationship'.

　Hearing the request, the master immediately responds.

'Tida ....... Maybe I'm just like you. I'm afraid to live, too, and I can't stand it.

　He said he would listen to the story, but time is probably running out.
　Before Romis gave birth to the sun, the master spits out his true feelings as they are, without thinking about the decorated words. It was exactly the spur-of-the-moment answer that Tida had sought in the first place.

'I can't see anything in this darkness ...... and it's dark, dark, dark, and for a long time I don't know where to go ....... So I have no choice but to believe in the 'ideal' inside me. There's nothing more for me to do ...... except to get there, because there's nothing else for me to do .......

　I didn't understand the reply.
　But Tida was terribly sympathetic. Deep in the hollow space in that noh mask, she groaned, "Oh, ahhh, ahhh, ......" and her whole body was shaking.

'I don't know what you want to do with Romis, I don't know. But I do know that you want someone to believe in you, and you want someone to believe in you. And I want to make that wish of yours come true: ......!　So, no matter what happens from now on, I will believe in you to the end!

　Thus, like a mirror, the master finishes answering Tida's most wanted words.

　The figure must have been truly 'ideal'. Tida, as with me, knew it was wrong, but she couldn't stop admiring and listening to it, even though she knew it was wrong.

'Kanami ....... You can only live by other people's 'ideals'. That's the depth of your heart - or the 'crack' of your mind, okay?

　I don't know if that little confirmation from Tida reached the Master.
　But as if to affirm it, the Master ran out.

　Following Master's back with his eyes, Tida compared the two men ahead of him.

　'Romis' and 'Vortex Wave'
　The Lords of Phania and the thief of dimensionality.
　A friend who has been with you since you were born and a friend who you only met yesterday.
　A friend who only wants to take advantage of others and a friend who continues to trust you no matter how many times you betray them.

　If I were in Tida's position, I would trust my master without hesitation.
　But he grasped his own head tightly with both hands, contorted his noh mask and the hollow of his mouth to the limit, and let out an inarticulate snarl, lost.

　At the end of it, Tida fell to her hands and knees in her own shadow.
　She murmurs in a small voice that only I can hear next to me as she melts into the darkness and disappears, as if she were sinking into a swamp.

'Yeah, Kanami is weak ....... Just like me, she's really weak ....... That's why I can only believe in that 'crack' ....... It's not what I wanted, but is that the answer to 'The One Who Steals the Dark Reason' ......

　I could tell that the 'test' that Tida had said before she betrayed me was over.
　Deciding that Tida was no longer a threat, I released my stance and turned my gaze to my mentor and Romis.

　There, all the preparations had been made and Romis was smiling high, holding up a sphere of pure white fire. Master, who had been late to the party because of his conversation with Tida, was about to pounce on him.

''Kuhn, hahahahaha!　Nice stall, my friend!　Well done, you've got my attention!　Thanks to you, my best flame is more than enough to complete it!　Let's end it all with this sunshine!
Just in time!

　I look off that last page with relief.
　As I kept my distance from the battle between the two of them, I could see clearly.

　I could see where Tida was going - as she melted into darkness behind me and disappeared behind me.

"-- Yeah, it's over. Lomis.

　Thanks to the raised sun, Romis' shadow was darker.
　From the darkness of that shadow, Tida emerged and stabbed a dagger into his abdomen from behind.

　Romis, who was concentrating only on his master in front, was unable to avoid the deadly blade.

''--?　Tee, Tida?

　Romis turns his eyes only to the back of his head and calls out his name when he sees the man who has been forced to do so.

　Then, when Romis realizes that he was stabbed, he immediately throws away the 'Heart of the Flame God' in his hand and puts his hand on the wound to try to stop the bleeding.

　The moment Romis' consciousness turns to self-defense, Tida mercilessly activates the spell technique 《Dark》. That overflowing darkness enveloped the sun in the air.

　Then, as if digesting it with her stomach as it was, she easily absorbed all the flames and converted them into darkness.
　Tida amplified the darkness as she spoke to Romis, who was poking his knees in pain.

'It takes no training to wield a sword. Just as I taught you, my friend. ...... Oh really, you were right about everything. That's great, Lomis. Unlike me, you're an amazing guy ...... and have always been my dream for a long time.

　Tida "was" and speaks of it as being over.
　Romis can see that he's finished betraying his friend and intends to abandon him, and he cries out to create a new flame.

'You ......!　Tida!　Teadaaaaaaaaaa--!

　However, just as the flames were about to flare up, Romis clenched his hand against his abdomen tightly and stubbed out.

''Guh, gaa--!

　The mud that Tida had laced the wound with must have doubled Romis' pain.
　The intense pain would not allow Lomis to use the flame.

　It was no longer possible for Romis to use the 'power of the flame' without Tida's permission.
　At the same time as acknowledging this, I also understand the foulness of Tida's "Power of Darkness". The most advanced techniques, such as "spells" and "miracles," require steady emotions and concentration. And yet, the Power of Darkness lightly disrupts that premise.

　Even the master in front of Romis, who collapsed in pain, decided that the game was over and sheathed his sword in the scabbard at his waist.

'Tida, thank you for your help ......'
'Oh ....... That was just in the nick of time, because of me. ......

　''The one who steals the reason,'' the two looked at each other and nodded at each other for the success of their joint fight.
　Sandwiched between them, Romis slammed a shouting summons into Tida, his body shaking in small increments.

'Tida!　We've been friends since we were born, haven't we!　And yet, you trust such a shady man!　Rather than this me, the one I knew yesterday and today!

　The only way Romis can turn the tables from here is through Tida.
　He will be able to persuade him through 'fraud', even though he is in pain.

'Reconsider!　You've forgotten what you said earlier!　All you have to do is listen to me!　I know you better than anyone!　That's the only way I can make you happy!

　With every word, Tida nodded back and moved closer to Romis.
　Then she brings her muddy hands close to his face.　

'My friend!　Do you understand?!

　Romis found hope in Tida's soft movements.
　But just as their cheeks touched, Tida stopped her hands and began to speak.

'Romis. Now, I repent. Listen to me.

　Romis scowled at the words, which had nothing to do with the fight at all.

'What?　Za, penance, you mean: ......?

　The whole time they were talking, mud flooded from Tida's feet and wouldn't stop. Furthermore, the air around the two of them became darker and darker everywhere.

　It was the exact same scene as the master earlier, though different in color and nature.

　The mud and darkness swelled as Tida abandoned her friend.
　He also used each word as a 'price', and now 'the one who steals the reason for the darkness' seemed to be completing.

　Finally, the mud filled the central sanatorium, creating a pitch-black pond.
　Those who had been kept away by the sun of Lomis had no choice but to leave the room in the face of the disaster of that mud pond. Even the soldiers, tainted with rage, were leaving, carrying their wounded comrades on their backs.
　It was a crisis for Lord Romis, but not a single one of his lordship's people rushed to him.

　We were left alone in the middle of the pitch-black pond, and the penance was done.

'Romis, all the nightmares in this city are attributed to me, 'the one who steals the truth of darkness'. And you, who were my childhood friend, are the biggest victim of my 'curse' more colorfully than anyone else.

　First and foremost, Tida shook her head that the man who had been her friend was innocent.
　At that moment, she felt the complexion of the master next to her distorted.

　-- my childhood friend (・・・・), the 'curse (...)' (...), the biggest victim (・・・・・・).

　I take a step back.

　There is no doubt that the story of the two men now is coming to an end. But I dare to turn that last page, including not only Romis and Tida, but also my master in my view.