--that was twenty-five days ago.

　I could clearly remember that I had abandoned the future of the 'Stealers of Reason' and others.

　However, even though my memory was this clear, I couldn't remember the name of the former Abbot, or even the lord. Before my master warned me about it, I managed to try to dredge up my memory.

　In the meantime, the lord and master share one of their findings with me.

''Oh, and Kanami-kun. About those people in the example you asked for: .......
"--Hey!　What did you think!　Was there anyone left?!

　Probably the people whom my master and I gave treatment (leveling up) in the central recuperation room here on the first day.

　They were disposed of by Romis simply because they had begun to worship their master.
　As I recall, the story was that they were sent to the basement to be used as material for experiments: .......

'They were left in the basement, where they came of age. It seems that they were forcibly turned into demons in one night - no, they were treated in an atrocious manner that couldn't even be called an experiment. Most of them had died.
...... I see.

　As we knew, they all seemed to have met a tragic end.
　But that wasn't the end of the story, and the director continued.

'It's just that every single one of those matures was checked by me against the patient list, but only ...... a few names couldn't be filled in. It seems that some of the people who had endured the experiment on the day of that debacle had escaped from the basement.
...... Does that mean that maybe there are survivors?
'I see. There was a boy in that group who said he had guided Kanami-kun through the process. ...... The trend seemed to be that the younger, more talented kids could withstand the demonization.
'Oh, she's ......!　Yeah, right!　Sure, the kid was really smart and full of talent!　Ha, ha!

　There were only a few survivors, but thanks to the mixture of my favorite boy there, my master's face lights up a bit.

　That boy, like the new lord, couldn't remember his name, but he only remembered that he had been carrying the scripture under his arm for a long time.
　Most of all, when he was saved by his master, he used the words 'The Great Savior (Magna Messiah)' and his eyes lit up more than anyone else.

　When I heard the good news, I raised my voice just in time to hear it.

'See, Master!　I was right!

　I was a little concerned about it.
　During the battle of Lomis, I irresponsibly exclaimed, "All the people my master saved are alive. I am grateful for the good fortune that those words have turned out to be true in some small way.

'Optimism isn't good, but that means pessimism isn't good either!　This way, what a good thing it was, too, comes out a little bit like this!　I'm not going to feel responsible for anything, Master!
'Oh ....... Good, really. Hahaha .......

　I emphasize the good news, hoping that this will cure my master's morning habit of indiscriminate "leveling up".
　Perhaps sensing my thoughts, the lord also praises my master's achievements.

'Kanami-kun, you were definitely the 'savior' of Fania ....... Thanks to you, so many people who will die of disease in the near future have been saved, indeed. It's a bad habit of yours to ignore those people you saved and only count those you couldn't save.
...... Yes, I did. I did the best I could. I have no regrets there.
'Yes, that's all right. The light you brought was truly sacred, like the 'magic' of a fairy tale, and it shimmered so beautifully. ...... The people of Fania will remember that light until the day they die.

　Lordship looked at her master and uttered a heartfelt assessment.
　Unlike me, her unadorned words seemed to resonate strongly with the master's heart and made him nod his head honestly, "Yes.

　As I watch the two of them, I repeat a single word.

''Holy (...)--''

　Well said.
　Exactly, I thought it was most appropriate for a master and I liked it.

'So, finally, Kanami-kun. In return for the book you gave me on "The Technique", here is my book. I hope it will add to your sister's treatment: ......

　The lord then hands him one thick book.
　After receiving it, the master turns the pages on the spot to check the contents.
　I peeked at it from next to him.

　The book had details of the techniques I had seen in Fania written into it.
　Even with a quick glance, I could tell that the city's secrets were sparingly recorded.

　Perhaps the book contained the entirety of the lord's researcher's life. Understanding that it was a sign of the greatest trust, the master returned his thanks solemnly.

''So much detail ....... Thank you. I will never let it go to waste.
'I'm grateful to you. When I met you, I was convinced. What is swirling around in this world is not a poison. It's a medicine in its own right, depending on how you use it. --from now on, if Fania and Fuzzyards work together, we can prove it to the entire continent.

　The lord looks up at the dark clouds that cover the sky, while expressing his thoughts on the 'Demon Poison'.
　Master agrees with that, while also looking at the dark sky as well.

''That's right ....... The world isn't all bad. There are also good things. Even if it's not possible now, someday--
'Someday, we'll clear all the clouds in the sky. I want to see that 'blue sky' you mentioned, too.
Yes, 'Blue Sky' is beautiful. Please look forward to it.

　They make a promise.
　The figure reminded me of the 'Stealers of Reason' of twenty-five days ago.

　Is that why?
　Right now, I feel as if the lord has made the same amount of connections with us as the 'things that steal reason' and others - suddenly, a sentence comes to my mind.

"--that promise will not be fulfilled. At the end of the day, Helmina (・・・・) and Neysha (・・・・) did not reach the 'blue sky'. She continues to be gripped by the vindictive voices of the dead under the bright red 'blood sky' --　

　As soon as I saw the very desperate ending, I remembered the lord's name.

''Eh--''

　I knew that was the power of my skill 'reading'. I suppose I could read the future of doom from her purity and instability.

　But even if I knew how Helmina Neysha would end up, there was nothing I could do about it. I've just decided to abandon the 'Stealers of Reason' and focus on the 'Gentiles'. So I had no choice but to say goodbye, along with a bit of guilt.

''--So, then, Helmina-san!　See you later!

　When Helmina calls my name for the first time, she replies, looking very impressed.

''Yes, Lady Tiara!　I'll see you soon!
'Tiara ....... I thought you forgot Helmina's name again, but you remembered it right: ......

　Hearing that farewell greeting, Master stepped over Al-Auna, who was waiting nearby, while letting out a slightly relieved voice. Besides, I followed on the back of the other one with the leaping power I gained from the 《Level Up》.

''Ssshhh!　I never once forgot my lord's name!
No, that's not true.

　Helmina giggles as we joke around with each other. Then, as with Tida and Arti, she waves to us, finding bright hope in the future.

'Come again, Kanami, please come back. Fania will always be waiting for you.
'Yes ....... I'll be back!

　With that, my master and I let Al'auna run.

　As we had heard rumors, the Fania-specific Al'auna was a very good riding animal. It didn't require any skill and even a child could control it with ease. Surely, these two animals were probably the most talented of all the Fania.

　Helmina-san and her attendant saw me off and ran through the streets.
　The streets of Fania were a little darker than we had come with Arti's departure. The lords have managed to keep the fire going, but if you compare it to the lights of the 'Flame God's Stone', it's inevitably inferior to the lights of the 'Flame God's Stone'.

　However, I can be sure now that it is not 'abnormal' but 'normal'.
　The light that was made up of a single girl as a 'price' is not normal. That's why this slightly darker cityscape looked much brighter to me than it did before. I wasn't Tida, but I felt dazzled, not by sight, but by spirit (mind).

　I walked through the streets of Fania and reached the gate.
　There was a gathering of lords who had been cured by their master after he "leveled up". We say goodbye to them as we walk out of the wall.

　Spreading out beyond the gate was a huge dark cloud that seemed to close the lid on the endless plains.
　Perhaps it was because I had become accustomed to living with the lights in Fania, but the darkness was even more pronounced. However, while running across that plain, Master ruminates on Helmina-san's story earlier while touching the 'demonic poison' in the air.

'Not poison, or ......'
...... All along we've been calling it 'demonic poison', is that what you think Master?
'Yeah. Honestly, I've never been sick, because I've been saved by 'demon poison' all the time: ......

　Come to think of it, it is.
　A different word seems to come to mind for the master, who has no real sense of poison.

''Then, would you like to change the wording?　Just go with the flow.

　I try to continue with the bright topic and encourage him to coin a word.
　Upon hearing this, my master lightly widens his eyes and then goes on to make a slightly anxious suggestion.

''Well, ......, I'm thinking of calling it 'magic power' instead of 'demon poison'. What do you think, Tiara?
Shut up!　Heh, magic power. Nice!　Honestly, 'demonic poison' to us is already treated as an emergency power (energy)!

　I had been bracing myself for more weird coined words, but I was relieved to see that the words were translated more maturely than I expected.

　Rather, this seems to be a quote from another world, rather than one made by my master. I've recently come to understand my master's tendency to choose words, so I can judge that much.

''Good, ....... Even for people over here, 'magic power' is an uncomfortable word, isn't it? Then let's just go with it. No, this was the only way to start. This world is filled with 'magic power' ......!　It's not 'evil poison'!

　As Master ran, he bathed his entire body in his 'magic power'.
　I can feel that Master, who had a lot of self-deprecation in Fania, is now back in his element.

''Oh. You're getting knocked up, Master!

　I rejoice in that, and we continue on our way back to Hoosiers.

　Along the way, we spared no time in our travels and dabbled in the development of 'spellcraft'.
　Although we are restrained so that Al-Auna won't be frightened, our master smiles as he fabricates the 'magic power' in the air.

''Magic Power'' ....... So now I'm dealing with 'magic power' ....... Hmph, hmph--

　He looked strangely happy.
　I could tell that the word was special to my master.

　Imitating that master, I also felt 'Demon Poison' modified 'Magic Power' with my whole body.
　Only to feel a sudden chill due to Al-Auna's speed, and I hurriedly held my nose.

''Heck, heck!''
...... tiara. Are you cold, by any chance?

　My master hears me sneeze and fears for me.
　The temperature isn't that low, so he's worried about some kind of illness.

''Hmm, it's kind of cold-like. I've never had this kind of thing since I received my master's 《level up》. ...... I've had a strange chill lately. ......
'Sure, Tiara had a darker than normal 'level up' but just because she's ...... doesn't mean she's sick-free. Take care of your body.
I love you!　...... Oh, yes. Show me your book, Helmina, and show me your book. I heard you were also a doctor, so maybe you write about the common cold.

　I wasn't too interested in my condition, so I successfully fluffed up the book my mentor had.

'No, isn't it strange to write ...... about such things?　But tiara. Can you read it while you're running your horse?
I'm proud to say that I'm still the best at reading. I'm the best at reading while I'm at it!　I mean, I'm already getting used to running Al-Auna (this guy)!　This guy is really easy!　We'll definitely import it to Hoosiers!
Are you used to it?　Ha, you're early, Tiara ....... No, I know I'm a very smart horse, too, but ......

　I successfully maneuvered Al'auna as declared and approached my master.

　In a short amount of time, I had been able to master the controls completely. Having seen this solid manipulation, my master takes me at my word and hands me Helmina's book.
　I get my favorite book, get a little buoyant, and push Master to do his chores.

'Thank you, Master!　Well, I'm reading it while I run, so I'm asking you to be vigilant about your surroundings, Master.
'Yes, yes, yes, yes. This was bound to happen all along: ......

　The division of roles is nicely defined.
　While moving, the master would search for the enemy and I would proceed with the research.
　There was no doubt that this was ideal if we didn't waste time.

　Leaving the lead to my mentor, and relying on Al'auna to even follow him, I drop my gaze to the book in my hand. The thickness of the book was no less than that of the Master's book I had read before, and flipping through it with one hand was a bit of a challenge.
　With my other hand holding the reins, I proceed to read the book.

''Hmmm. ....... This is Helmina's book: ......

　We will follow its contents, one by one.
　First of all, on the first page, it was written about 'Majin'

　--'Majin' refers to humans with monster characteristics on their bodies.
　The people of the continent began to discriminate against and ostracize these 'witchdoctors' simply because they were different from them. This is also the main reason why there is still constant warfare while the disease is spreading across the continent.

　At first, Fania was researching the "Fiendish Cure" in order to suppress that discriminatory mindset.
　There is a record of somehow finding out the cause of the creation of 'demons' and trying to suppress it.

　At that time, Helmina had discovered that the cause of the birth of the Fiends was the Devil's Poison. At the same time, she also discovered that the world itself had reached its limits and that it had a will.
　He is a self-proclaimed genius.

　And it seems that Romis Neesha had intervened from this area.

　The results of his research on the "Flame God" and the "Dark God," which were the upperclassmen of the "Majin," began to appear in a row of books.
　At first, just like the "Majin", this one seems to have been aimed at suppressing the "Power of Fire" and "Power of Darkness", but the "Curse" threw off the direction of the research.

　In particular, the record of repeated attempts to recreate the 'fire power' and 'deal with the world' was horrific even if you only read it in writing. The sacrifices made by the 'demons' who were not treated as human beings were more horrible than death.

　During this experiment, Helmina realized the importance of blood.
　Many habits were recorded in the book, such as the fact that the 'demon poison' travels through the blood and that a lot of information is contained in the blood.
　The reason for the discovery was that the blood that flowed from the corpse of the "demon" that had been repeatedly experimented on seemed to have caused supernatural phenomena on its own.

　And Ms. Helmina tentatively called it the "power of blood" and began to study it intensively.
　While blood has power, it does not have the will of man or the will of the world, and it seemed to be easy to process and manipulate - easily, Helmina was able to use the power of blood to cause phenomena similar to miracles.

　Helmina drew out the blood of 'demons' and 'fire gods' and trapped them in the ore to add to the livelihood of the lords. That was the red-black lines drawn on the buildings and the 'Flame God's Stone'.

''Hmm, 'Blood Power' huh? ......''

　From what I've read, The Power of Blood feels like it's for people who are not special.
　With this, I might be able to use the same foul power as my masters.
　Of course, there would have to be a lot of sacrifices to 'pay for it': .......

'Oops.'

　As I flipped through more pages, I found a plan for a study.
　It was written in large letters, "The Five Step Thousand Year Plan.
　I thought it described the future of the Blood Power, so I focused on reading that page.

　As it was called the Five Stages, the plan was divided into five major phases.

　--The first stage was the 'Altofel Teaching' plan.

　The content of the plan was to make people pay a little bit of 'price' by using 'trading with the world' - Helmina-san seemed to have named it 'Altofelism' as it was. Her sense of naming is closer to mine than my master's, and I feel a little more at ease.

　It's a plan that was the source of Romis' power.
　He would reuse the religion that existed in the past to prepare a god that would become an idol and gather the generated power in one place as a 'price' for having him pray to it.
　In addition, Romis had the flame god in his hands, playing the role of that god, and had the enormous 'power of fire' at his mercy.

　At the end of the column, it was written, ''Complete in one year.''

　--The second stage was the 'Magic Stone' plan.

　The content of the plan is to put the blood of a 'demon' into a special ore in Fania to mass produce 'magic stones' that will cause supernatural phenomena.

　This is also easy to understand. The end result of this would be the 'Flame God's Stone' with Arti's blood in it. Like the Altfel cult, it is written that this is also 'completed in one year'

　--The third step is the 'Magic Stone Line' project.

　The content of this plan is to draw a line through the mass-produced "magic stones" like a line to transport the "demon poison".

　According to the documents, this line had already been drawn across Fania.
　Was it because of this that the "Magic Poison" was gathering in Lomis' body without stagnation? I'm a little unsure, but I have a feeling that the red-black lines used in the building of the 'First Demonology Research Institute' were also included in this. Also, the locks that only Helmina was able to solve?

　Unlike the above two, this one was marked as "ten years in the future" and was treated as incomplete.
　It seems that the final objective of this 'magic stone line' was to have all of the territory's 'demonic poisons' sucked into the huge ore called the earth.

　-- The fourth stage was the 'Magic Stone Man' plan.

　The content of the plan was to artificially create "demon humans" that could safely purify the "demon poison".

　As supplementary material, it depicted a large number of corpses of "Majinin". It said that the organs of the dead were reactivated with the power of blood, and the blood vessels were replaced with magical stone wires to create a pseudo-life activity. Apparently, after much trial and error, they came to the conclusion that the most efficient way to do this was to create them from scratch.

　It said 'one hundred years planned', a date that lightly exceeded Helmina's lifespan. From that, it was clear that she was not keen on the 'Demon Stone Man'.

　This plan would be scrapped now. It was decided in Fania that she would tolerate the risk and convert the 'Demon Poison' with 《Level Up》

　--The fifth stage was the 'Magic' plan.

　This seems to be the summation of the above four plans.
　It was roughly described as a rough vision of the future, that in a thousand years, all of mankind will be able to master magic, have it help them live their lives and save the world with it.

　I chuckle at the fact that it's a bit too fantastical when it comes to this point.
　Perhaps this is Helmina's personal wish here. I skipped the fifth step and finished reading the book.

　Then I read it again.
　Once I've got the whole thing down, it's time to extract the important parts.
　So far, the only thing I wanted to copy was the third step, "The Magic Stone Line". The fourth stage, 'Demon Stone Man', was too unrealistic.

　It seems that Helmina had made a copy of the human anatomy when she imitated the doctor, but I don't think it's possible to replicate life with this...

Hmm?

　As I was flipping through the medical pages, one picture caught my attention.

　It was a picture of white 'thread' like lines drawn underneath a person's skin.
　On the page of nerves (...), I stopped.

'Does it look like ......?'

　I muttered as I compared it to the white 'thread' that stretched across my fingertips.

　When I was a child, the castle's resident physician told me once that the human body has lines called nerves.
　It was said that the human body is lined with lines called nerves, which carry instructions from the brain to move the hands and feet.

　Ms. Hermina's book contained a list of detailed information about nerves.
　Next to blood, nerves are second only to blood in relation to 'demonic poison'.
　The nerve is the second most closely related to the "demonic venom" after blood, and is responsible for transporting the "demonic poison," even if only slightly.
　This transporting process stimulates the nerves and leads to the extraordinary suffering of the 'Devil's Poison' disease.

　When I read that information, I suddenly remembered a piece of knowledge - it's something I learned from my master.

　-- it was about the mechanism of the spell, "Level Up", that my master taught me.

　The 《Level Up》 is imagined to be the transformation of 'demonic poison' into 'human life force', and among the processes is the creation of a cellular analogue (・・・・・・) (...).

　It's also a 'cell with no mass as a substance' that apparently replicates a human organism.
　I don't understand everything yet, but my master told me that "leveling up" is also possible for immunity, instantaneous power, speed of nerve (...) transmission, expansion of the brain area, etc.

　So, for example: .......
　With enough 'demonic poison', can the nerves and so forth be increased indefinitely ......?
　The longer the replication continues, the more invisible nerves will grow until one day they can no longer fit inside the human body.

　Speculation led to speculation, and in a chain of events I also remembered the pained face of my sister Yotaki.
　Then I checked it against the notes on nerves in the book at hand.

"The nerves are very sensitive and delicate organs. It is not something that can be removed very well, as it also controls the sense of pain. Just the mere touch of air would cause a large adult to scream. It could be an alternative to the magic stone wire, but if they tried to remove it, the subject would go insane with pain. First of all, it would be impossible to perform a surgical act in a space with 'Demonic Poison'.

　As I recall, it was said that sister Youtaki's body had more 'demonic poison' going in and out of it than others.

''No ......, that's not true ......''

"Aikawa Yotaki is the most special of all," he thought he knew better than anyone else.
　With his special thinking skills, he treated me, a fool with power, like a baby.

　But even if you are special, is that really possible?

　An instinctive fear slowly spreads in his chest.
　That swelling anxiety is about to explode at any moment...

Tiara!　Forward, look ahead!

　I was about to shake my body when an abrupt cry snapped me out of the crucible of my thoughts.
　My master, running next to me, was pointing ahead.

''There are people ahead!
What?　Oh, yeah!

　I lifted my eyes from the book and focused on the reins.
　We were now on a path that stretched along the perimeter of a forest. In the middle of the path, a child was squatting on his or her stomach.

　Wary of the thieves, we stop Al-Ana and watch carefully from a distance.
　Then I look at the profile of the squatting child and let my voice trail off.

'Huh?　That time at ......?

　Not only did he recognize her face, but also her sick clothes.
　It was the girl I saw in the 'First Demonic Research Institute' ward thirty days ago.
　She was the girl I met when I was searching for the darkness in people, and she was also the one with a strong heart who smiled at her parents, telling them that she was fine, even though she was dying from her illness.

　I thought she was also disposed of by Romis because she was exposed to her master's 《Level Up》: .......

　Could it be that she was among the defectors that Helmina-san had mentioned? If so, I'm a little glad. My master may have liked the boy, but I liked this girl.

''Could it be that you know Tiara?''

　Seeing my eyes light up, my master wondered.
　I nodded back at his question.

'Yeah. Speaking of acquaintances, do I know you?　Maybe it's the girl Helmina was talking about that didn't fill the roster.
"--Hey!　Really!
'Did you run away from Fania and hide in the woods here ......?　I can't wait to reassure her.

　I quickly stepped down from Al-Ana, left the book with my master, and approached the girl at a small run.

　I had a smile on my face.
　The girl had once defied the expectations of my skill 'reading' and had a mind as strong as mine. Maybe she could help me get rid of the anxiety in my chest right now. With that little bit of hope, I run up to her and gently call out to her.

'Hey, do you remember me?　I've seen you in the hospital before, haven't I?　I'm on my way back to Hoosier's right now: ......

　In order not to frighten her, I first told her that I was not a Fania person.
　However, the girl didn't move, not even a twitch. I thought she would run away in a hurry, but that wasn't the case. I became concerned and touched the girl's shoulder as she squatting and tried to look at her body.

'Does your tummy hurt?　Are you okay?

　I was on my knees, trying to look into her face--


"-- not okay (・・・・・・・)


　The light glinted in the girl's hand, along with her twin eyes, which were coated with murderous intent.
　The dagger she held was so smooth, it stabbed into my abdomen.

''--!

　The surprise was greater than anything else.
　This is because the girl is so different from before.

　The head is the same, but the rest of the body is not human. The hand that held the weapon has three fingers, and the arm is full of feathers.
　The features of the example Majinin are showing. However, I had been told of the change by Helmina-san beforehand, so I wasn't that surprised.

　What surprised me the most was the girl's twin eyes.
　The gentle eyes that had once accepted everything in the world were completely stagnant.
　It was as if the whole world was cursed - a person's darkness swirled around them.

　When he confirms this, the dagger thrust into his abdomen begins to move.

　--Ugly.

　If the dagger is twisted like this, the organs will be damaged to the point that even the 'spellcraft' cannot recover.
　You're too careless. How could I be so careless--

Oh, my God!

　I shouted and backed away from the dagger.
　But the girl, anticipating this, leans forward and tries to thrust the dagger forward.

　-- in that life-threatening moment (・・・・・), my skill 'reading' is activated.

　And then, very messily, a series of sentences float through my mind.

"Quickly, Tiara Hoozeyars drew the sword at her waist. Then, using her momentum, she slashed right across the torso of the girl who had become a demon. There was no hesitation in that movement, and the girl who had just become a demoness could not avoid that flash.

Oh.

　By the time I came to myself, it was all over.

　I escaped the dagger and avoided the fatal wound.
　Instead, there was a girl lying on the road, split into her upper and lower body.

　In front of me, a pool of blood pooled in front of me.
　There was nausea in the back of my throat, my eyes and nose were oddly sinking, and my vision was red from the return blood.

　I've used my sword.
　I had used only 'body arts' all my life, and in the end, I had never gotten my hands dirty, but I had finally slashed a person.

　But I didn't expect - at this time, I didn't think I would use this sword against this opponent, and I dropped the sword in my hand. Then, in that confusion, I run up to the girl who put it on my hand.

'It's ......, you're okay!　Hey!　Are you okay?

　Many times I listened, hoping that miraculously the words would come back to me: "It's okay".
　But in response to the question, the girl spits blood out of her mouth and starts talking about something else entirely.

'Hah, hah, hah--ah, ah, ....... Wow, we were happy ....... I was so happy while I was being tricked .......

　Thanks to the demon's life force, the girl was still alive even if her body was cut in two pieces.
　However, her last words were the opposite of what I wanted.

''My lord is as kind as a saint ...... in a world where there is not a single scary person and only gentle people ......

　I can also see that the lord of the world is Romis, not Mr. Helmina.
　I can also see that the world the girl is referring to is the Fania before my master and I came.

'That man (...) ......, why didn't you stop--?'

　The girl turned her gaze to her master, but kept whispering to me alone.
　I guess the girl, like Romis, knows exactly who was the most evil person in the world. I can be blamed for why I pushed my master's back that day.

'Hey, please - send us all back over there ....... I don't want to die in a place like this ....... I don't want to disappear in this dark truth ...... yet.

　As her voice died out, the girl wished that she could turn back time to just before the 'magic' was broken, and she wept. And then, just like that--.

I wish I could have believed in ...... and been happy until the moment I died.

　She stopped.
　The girl remained still, eyes open, staring at the dark clouds.
　The only thing that moved was the blood that flowed.

'Dead, is that ......?'

　With a flash of my stupidity, my torso was detached from my body.
　He had to be dead.
　I just couldn't believe that fact yet.

'Oh, I didn't mean to ......, but now it's ......'

　In my confused mind, I could tell for sure.
　The girl was happy as long as she believed in the 'Altofel religion'.
　It was us who took it away from her. So, the girl resented and cursed us, and died.

'--Thiara!　Take a deep breath!　Calm down and listen to me!

　As I continued to tremble in front of the girl, my master shouted in my ear.
　He then placed his hand on the wound on my abdomen and muttered while performing the treatment with 'spellcraft'.

''It can't be helped now. If I didn't do it, Tiara would have been killed.''
Can't help it: ......?

　It can't be helped.
　The master didn't hear the girl's will - the last words of resentment. That's why he could say such a thing. If I had listened to it, I'm sure I would have been the one to be killed, of course--

"-What?　I can't stop bleeding!

　As if to reflect my thoughts, she continued to bleed from her abdomen.
　The 'spellcraft' that completely healed the broken bones and burns from the fight with Romis did not heal the girl's stab wounds alone.

　The master approaches the girl's corpse in an attempt to find out the cause of this.

'The knife wasn't coated with poison. It's not even rusted. Even the 'magic power' is enough ......!　Why ......!

　Unable to find anything, the Master grunts.
　Seeing the contorted face of my master, I instinctively try to be strong and move.
　But his body has no strength at all, and I prod him to his knees.

''Ah, le......''

　The chill I had been feeling all along had suddenly doubled here.
　It felt as if my mind was getting colder and colder as my body temperature was getting lower and lower.
　Both my mind and body were weakening, and my vision shook greatly.

'Tiara!　Come on.
-------- ------tttt ！！！！

　My master tried to support and encourage my body, but he was interrupted in the middle.
　The roar of the beasts rang out in layers from the forest.
　No, more accurately, it was a distorted cry than the beasts - the roar of the monsters (monsters).

'Mo, monsters!　d*mn it, at a time like this!

　I could hear the distinctive footsteps of a heavy animal. I could tell, even in my dazed state, that monsters were approaching from all directions.

'Tiara, get out of here!　Just bear with me for a minute!

　My master hurriedly got on his own alauna with my body in his arms and let me run.
　It was a spur-of-the-moment two-man ride, but perhaps thanks to my small size, the clever Al'auna tried to respond.

'Hah, hah, hah--'

　My breath is ragged. The fact that I've been in bad shape for a while now adds to the pain.
　I'm just used to being painful, and as I'm carried away, I check out the situation.

　--something is wrong.

　The girl is waiting for me when I'm upset by the book and I'm stabbed with a dagger. And by chance, my body is in a slump, my mind is weaker than ever before, my treatment with 'spellcraft' has failed, and the monsters I don't often encounter are now approaching in large numbers. Even if they were drawn by the smell of blood, there are too many of them. Too fast.

　-- too badly done (・・・・・・・).　

　He turns his attention to his own abdomen.
　There was a wound there that not only couldn't be closed, but was festering at a frightening rate.
　Some kind of special power -- Fania's 'blood power' may have been involved.

　-- An inconvenient thing, too much of a chain of events.

　When I thought about the reason for that bad luck, I suddenly felt -- I felt pulled (・・・・・・) by a 'thread'.

'--Huh?'

　I just had a feeling, but it was enough for my gaze to shift.
　I would see what lay beyond the 'thread'.

　The 'thread' continued into the plain on the road - a break in the air (...).

　Naturally, I thought that the Thread was connected to Hoozeyer's. But it was not.
　But that was not the case. Where there should be nothing, there is a gap that one person can pass through, and the "thread" continues to the vast world that lies behind the gap.

　And my gaze followed the end of the thread, and

　Eye contact (・・・・).