--The girl was walking alone.

　The afternoon sun was shining, and the sky was gray and overcast.
　The dull clouds looked as if they would drip water if they were squeezed.
　No wonder so many people carry umbrellas, she thought, as if it were someone else's problem.

　It's dark.
　Every time I go down an alley, I think.

　That is to say, every time her eyes become accustomed to it, she steps deeper and deeper into it.

　It was a dirty alley, unsuitable for a young girl to come alone.

　A foul odor stung her nose.
　Just as she furrowed her brow in slight displeasure, a beggar-like man crawled out from the side.

"Oh, ......, oh, ......, there you go, miss .......
Hmm?

　A stinking man, dressed in layers of rags. It's not that he's dark. It's not that he's dark-skinned, it's just that his face has been blackened by a combination of dirt and grime, and he holds out a fingertip that looks like a bone.

"There's ...... nothing to eat. ...... something. ...... something. ...... something.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't have anything like that.
Don't say that. ...... It smells good. ......
Do you think so?　I don't hide candy in my pockets these days. ......

　A girl who is worried about being defenseless.
　I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've.

"Hee hee, woman!
"Oh, my God.
What?

　A complete blind spot. But she quickly turned her body away and avoided the man who jumped at her.
　As a result, she crashed head-on into the begging man, causing a terrible accident.

"Oh, and ......, are you okay?
I'm not okay, you f*cking b*tc*!
......?

　The girl's eyes widened slightly at the exasperated shout of the man who had only just shown a weak appearance.

"Oh, shit, that was a mistake!
"Shut up, you should have attracted him a little more!

　The girl's eyes widen slightly.
　It's just - I guess it's true that I've fallen so low that I'm begging. He didn't look like he was moving very well.

"You're just excited because it's been a long time since you've been on top. ......!

　The exchange was unbearable to hear.

　I don't know what I would have done in the past.
　I might have just walked away, or I might have beaten him to a pulp and left.
　But. But now she doesn't have what it takes to beat me up.
　She doesn't have the stomach for it.

　For a few moments, she lowered her eyebrows and puzzled over what to do.

　It was just then that the situation changed.

It's unsightly.

　At that word, the men froze.
　The light clacking of heels sounded very innocent in this dirty alley.

I don't think so, gentlemen.

　I'm sure you don't think so. You can call it a three-eyed gaze, but it is clearly looking at the men.

　The thin, small lips slowly open.

"For example, if that girl is just a stray. What were you doing in my path?
"Oh, ...... no, ...... that's .......

　A rusty brown umbrella that snaps shut.

It is very good that you can live in a world of the weak and the strong. I'm not sure what to make of it.

　So, the hand that opens through the glove.
　The girl's hand is not large, but the men scream as if they are terrified.

　They know. What will she do to me?
　What will happen when that hand grabs you?

　It's nothing, because I've seen the example before.
　I've seen with my own eyes what happens when you disobey her.

　I tried to say, "Wait," in a hushed voice, but I couldn't.
　Death looms before you.

"...... Wait.

　And then it stopped.

　She looked at the girl with a disturbed look in her eyes.

You're still here?　You don't have a weapon, you don't use your power. It's not a place for a warmonger like you to wander around.
"I don't care. Just because it's ...... doesn't mean you should kill it.
Even if these people are skilled and have preyed on many girls?
It's .........

　I'm sure you're not the only one.
　I'm sure. You can find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier. --The girl doesn't know, doesn't understand.



　Because I've never lived in such a filthy place.

No, no!

　The sheltered men fled, using the girl as a shield to keep her in the line of fire with the "horror".
　She was caught in the middle, and even though she was unarmed, she stood proudly in front of her.

　Looking at the girl in a cumbersome manner, "she" opened her mouth.

"So what brings you to this place?
"Well...

　Even though it was a narrow, dark alleyway, her posture did not change.
　She maintains her ladylike demeanor, as if this were a royal palace or a mansion.

"...... Aylin.

　She said the name.
　"Her name is Aylan B. Smiles.
　A princess of the execution grounds with wavy golden hair who believes in the struggle to kill.

　The girl who looked straight at Aylan met her gaze.
　What does the girl look like in her eyes?

　The girl who does not have a spear, but opens her fist and tries to talk to him.
　Arawn.


　Aylin's eyes were as apathetic as a stone lying in front of him.
　Aylin gazed at her with eyes as apathetic as those of a boring rock lying in front of him.


"I've come to talk to you about .......
"Talk?　You and me, you and me?
Yes.

　She put her hand on his chest, as if grasping his heart. He wrinkled the center of his clothes tightly.
　You can feel the will in her eyes, as if she has made up her mind about something, or is holding something back.

　Aylin boredly untied the ribbon, wishing he could just let it go.
　Then he leisurely tied it back together. The back of his head felt a little tense. Maybe it was the humidity.

　--That was more important.

I thought there were things to do ...... before denial.
Is that what you're talking about?　I thought there were things to do before denying them. You're listening to the person you're about to cross talk and talk and talk?
...... That's right.
......

　Apparently, cheap provocation is not enough.
　Aylin became more and more depressed, thinking that he had made up his mind in a strange way.
　Why would a woman who was supposed to be a worthy prey appear in front of him again, rotting herself away?

　Is it because of his own bad behavior?
　I don't think so.

　It's not that I don't think it's true.

How can you ...... do such dirty things with such impunity?

　I could have dismissed the question as misguided.
　But I just wanted to vent my frustration in some way, so I said something back.

"Let me ask you this backwards. What do you mean by "dirty"?　I don't know how noble sword fighting is, but ...... I'm not interested in sword fighting.
That's absurd!　At least follow the rules!
I don't know what you're getting at. I've never complained about losing by foul play, have I?　I've never complained about a foul loss, and I've always followed the rules of sword fighting to the letter.
"......

　I'm sure you're right.
　I'm not sure if you've heard of this, but I'm sure you've heard of it.
　She has never complained about the judges' decisions because that is the rule of sword fighting. If breaking the rules results in a foul loss, she accepts it.

"Then why do you insist on ...... fighting swords?
"Stick to sword fighting ......?

　Aylin tilted his head.
　I hadn't thought about it that way.
　You'll be able to find a lot more information on this subject in this article.

I see, the story is more important than you think. You were making a terrible mistake when you came at me.
What?
It's the strong I want to fight. I only want to fight the 'strong' ones because they happen to be the only ones who will fight me in sword fights. Isn't that what a challenger is supposed to do?

　It's that simple.
　The only reason I started sword fighting was because Futa and other "strong men" I wanted to fight happened to be in the Colosseum.
　If they were mercenaries with a reputation on the battlefield, they would have happily joined the other side.
　That's all I was saying.

"............
Is that all you have to say?　If that's all you want to know, I'm not really into staying in dirty places, so I'll just leave.

　I'm not the kind of person to invite home.
　That's what she said in a very annoyed tone.
　This is what I mean when I say I can't help it.

"Why do you want to fight the strong?"


I thought that was the only thing we had in common. I thought that was the only thing we had in common, but I guess I was wrong about that too.
Don't put me in the same boat as you, ......!
Well, I don't really care either way.

　I'm not sure what to make of this.
　I guess it really doesn't matter.

　I'm sure that the lack of interest is the same as the guards on their knees or the former assassin with the baby girl.

　A beast with its fangs pulled out does not interest me in the slightest.

　She still prefers the rambunctious soldier.

I don't have to answer that, but if you do, get the hell out of my way.
"......

　Either she took the silence as an affirmation, or she was not interested in affirmation or denial.
　Aylin continued.

　"The reason why you keep challenging and destroying the strong...

It is the right of those who are born weak.
"...... rights, interests?
I had nothing to cling to. Everything I wanted was taken from me when I was born. I wasn't even a person. So...
So you're saying it's okay to do whatever you want?

　He shook his head and said, "Don't be so quick.

　The girl blinked at the words that were spun.
　Because it's the same thing that someone has been chasing.

　Yeah, that's why.

　She thought that man was "the same thing"?


"So I'm going to show the world that I can make it to the top, even from the very bottom.


　To do that, I will do whatever it takes.

　That's the way Arawn B. Smiles lives, she told him.

"Now, if you understand, please step aside. "Now, if you understand, please step aside. "Now that you've answered," she said, "get out of the way.

　Step forward, step forward. I slipped past her and pushed her shoulders apart with my hand.
　It didn't take much effort.

　I'm not interested in the girl standing there muttering, "I don't understand .......
　The ramblings of a loser are not worth listening to.

　If I fought here and now, there is no reason why I should lose.
　If it is the challenger's right to be accommodating, then it is also the loser's right to make way for her.

　By the time she got through the alley, she forgot all about the girl, and Arawn suddenly remembered to tell her.

"Oh, everyone. --The two gentlemen who made me uncomfortable in front of me.

　The alleyway was empty. 　
　But there were many windows to watch through, and behind them, many eyes twinkled like those of a hunter. It was like a bat that had found its prey in a cave.
　Smiling gracefully, the mermaid princess of the mountains and rivers of blood gave the order.

You are free to do as you please, my lady.

　"At any rate," she smiles.

　It's not just her strength. There was another reason why she had established herself here.
　They only vaguely knew that she had connections to the country.

　A whispered "correct answer".

"Her Royal Highness, the kind princess, pretended not to have seen the killings in this place.

　--That's the one right she has.

　It's one of several agreements she made that rainy day.
　Rights come with a price.
　But what that price is, I can't say right now.








　--It was raining.

　It started raining in the afternoon, not hard, but big drops.
　The rain, which had begun to fall in the afternoon, was not strong, but the drops were large. It was cold and deafening, as if one could imagine what it would be like if it were squeezed out of that cloudy sky.

　A girl was walking alone in it.
　Without an umbrella. She didn't have her long handle, which she normally carried on her back.

　If only one day.
　She was soaking wet, as if she would happily say, "If you swing it up in the air, it won't rain.

I don't understand .......

　The little murmur was lost in the hustle and bustle and the sound of the rain.
　As she staggered out of the alley, I wondered if it was fortunate that she hadn't gotten mixed up with anyone strange in the unsafe area - or if it was because she had been exposed as an acquaintance of Aylan B. Smiles.
　She wasn't sure, or it could be both.

　But there was no doubt in her mind that she had no time to think about it.

　She walked down a crowded street under the castle of the capital.
　As the carriage drove away, her lower body was wet from the spray.

　Too lazy to bother with her mud-covered thighs, she trudged on.
　She was headed for Spectacula.
　Was it a sense of duty that made her want to go to work, or was it because she didn't have to think about anything else when she was working?

　I don't even know.

　I turn my head and walk.
　Through the main street, into the safe bustle.
　I wonder if it's because the people here are more open-minded that I'm starting to see more concerned glances at the dirty, rain-soaked girl.

　Would she be able to avoid them if she went a little further into the aristocratic district?
　Not likely, she shook her head.


　Most of the nobles know each other now. They all know the girl who's guarding Richter's place.

　I don't know if they're really worried about her, but they won't take her for granted.

　--And, of course, this is unthinkable for her right now.
　Of course, she can't think like this right now. No, she can't reach this kind of calculating thinking anyway.

　She is not a good thinker by nature.
　That's why she's stuck in the muck she got stuck in.

　That's when it happened.

　A tremendous rumbling of the earth and a burst of flames.

　Even the girl looked up involuntarily.
　Gently avoiding the wet bangs that were blocking her view.

"What ......?

　In the direction of the aristocratic mansions.
　The ash smoke rising from the sky was eerie, blending in with the overcast sky. It was as if a giant tree was spreading its leaden branches and leaves in the sky.

　The situation made her feel uneasy, as if something important was being taken away from the world, and she started to run.

　Contrary to the people who were screaming and running away.
　She ran in the rain.

　She pushed down her frustration, hoping that she wasn't in Richter's house.
　Before I knew it, the mud on my thighs had disappeared as if it had been washed away.

"What's going on?

　Fortunately, it wasn't Richter's house.
　Fortunately, it wasn't Richter's house, but it was definitely his friend's house, which Prim had visited several times as Richter's escort.

　There was nothing Prim could do about the house, which had been burned to the ground and was on fire even in the rain. No, but...

"Is there anyone in there?

　I shouted, grabbing the shoulder of an onlooker who was looking up at me blankly.
　But he just seems to be passing by and shakes his head.

　You step onto the grounds of the mansion and run down the path to the neat entrance.
　She screams and kicks down the door, ignoring the well-meaning calls for her to come back.

　She shouted out to see if anyone was there and listened carefully, but all she heard was the wailing of a world on fire.
　The girl coughed and screamed into the wind-driven flames.

　Again, she wondered if anyone was there.

"Ah!

　I heard a voice.

　Then there was only one thing to do.
　For her, there is no reason not to save a life that can be saved right in front of her.
　She knew it was better to cover herself with water, but she was soaking wet anyway.
　Just enough to dry myself off.

　I step in.
　I ducked under a pile of building materials falling from the ceiling.
　I scream until I'm hoarse.

　--And then I found it.

　Someone's voice, trapped in a small room, fortunately not on fire.

Don't worry, I'll help you soon!

　It'll only take a moment to spear through this thing.
　I clenched my teeth at that thought.

　I clenched my fist, and with an unaccustomed twist of my waist, I slammed a blow into the wall.

Aah!

　A terrible pain echoed around my fist as if it had exploded.

　But it didn't matter. The wall was going to collapse soon enough.

Get away from me!

　I said, and for a few moments.
　A few moments later, he sensed a slight shift in the air and kicked through.

".......
Okay, let's go!

　There was a girl, not much older than me.
　I believe she was the daughter of a noble family.

　I took her in my arms and looked back the way we came.
　I think I can still make it through.

　Her running legs are heavier than usual.
　That's true, you're carrying a child.
　But it doesn't matter.
　Haven't you been working out?　Your body is slowing down?　What does it matter?

　If you use that as an excuse, you don't even have the spear in the first place, so you haven't even broken through this wall.

　I'm running, running, running.



　It's going to collapse, someone said.



Then we'll hold you up!



　Someone said.


　The crumbling building material fizzled out just before it slammed down on Prim's head.

"Yeah, .......
Thank you!!!　Thank you for saving my daughter--thank you ...... for saving my daughter!!!!

　A moment later, someone hugged me.

　She was relieved to see that Hura Walcott was hugging Prim Lancaster, along with the girl she had called her daughter.