In Onigashima, where powerful demonic beasts and monsters roam the streets, there is only one place where the people can live in peace.

　The fortress city built by the founder of the Itto School of Illusionary Art and the first Sword Sage is called Hiiragi Miyako.

　A bird's-eye view of the Hiiragi Metropolis from the zenith forms a beautiful seven-pointed star.

　It was a so-called star-shaped fortress, and it was one of the two absolute duties assigned to the Eight Blue Lined Banner to protect these seven defensive battlements from the outside world.


　The seven units from the second to the eighth flag were responsible for defending the seven garrisons. The first banner, led by the head of the family himself, was deployed in the center of the Hiiragi City.

　They were the rear of the Seven Banners and were also charged with another absolute task: to protect the center of the Hiiragi City.

　That is, the role of holding back the demons that overflowed from the demon gate that existed in the center of the Hiiragi Capital.



　A threat from outside and a threat from within. In the more than three hundred years since its construction, the Hiiragi City had been constantly exposed to these two threats.

　It is a desperate situation that in any other city or country would have crushed the inhabitants and others in the blink of an eye.

　But Hiiragi City was still alive and well today, and within its walls, adults worked with sweat on their foreheads and children laughed and whispered.

　They believed. There was no threat to frighten the Hiiragi Metropolis, or if there was, it would never happen to them.

　That trust was neither blind faith nor an illusion. It is a solid reality, a trust that has been brought about by three hundred years of peace, a trust that has roots and roots.

　Because of that miracle, the trust of the swordsmen who governed the island was thicker than the walls of Hiiragi, and higher than the watchtower - Goz Sima thought, and looked proudly at the back of his lord who was walking in front of him.



　The seventeenth Sword Sage, Miken Shikibu.

　His body was slim and he was not remarkably tall.

　He had a medium build and medium height. He was taller and thicker than Gozu.　

　However, the power stored within his body is incomparable. The name of a swordsman is not to be confused with the name of a swordsman, and in addition to their position, they stand at the pinnacle of the eight flags of the Blue Forest in terms of strength.

　The strongest in Onigashima, which means the strongest in the Empire, and by extension, the strongest in the world.

　Goz respected his lord with all his heart, and he felt an unparalleled honor that his sister Cecil had given birth to his lord's child.



　Shikibu's children were many, and his nephew, Ibuki, who would be four years old this year, would not be taking over the Gokens' family.

　But that fact did not affect Goz's emotions in the slightest. The blood of a swordsman entered the Seema family, and that alone was enough for Goz to be proud of his late parents and the generations of Seema family heads.

　He couldn't wait for the day when he would be able to teach the grown-up Ibuki the sword.


　--When you think about it, the image of a boy suddenly comes to mind and a sinking feeling runs through Goz's face.

　He is a legitimate son of the sword once entrusted to him by his lord.

　A bitter memory of trying to raise him to be a full-fledged bannerman, but failing to do so.

　It's been five years since we parted company. What are they doing now? - Even as he was thinking about that, Shikibu was moving forward, and Goz hurriedly followed his master.



　Eventually, Shikibu stepped into the basement.

　He went down a long flight of stairs, then down and down some more to reach a room in the depths of the earth, where the light of day did not reach.

　In a confined space where not a single breeze was blowing, there were seemingly countless candles lined up.

　Almost all of the candles were lit.

　The lack of wind means that the flow of air has ceased to exist. There was no way the place could be lit indefinitely, but every candle was burning brightly and showing no signs of going out.


　As soon as he stepped into the room, Goz unconsciously furrowed his brow.

　In the center of the room sat an old woman surrounded by countless candles. Goz knew that the candles in this room were all the old woman's mental attire.

　His ability to grasp the state of all the Qinglin Banners while he was here.

　Naturally, there was a portion of the candle for Goz, and perhaps a portion for Shikibu as well.

　It was terribly unsettling to have one's life embodied in the form of a candle and left in the hands of an old woman.

　That's why Goz didn't like this place-not that life would go away if the old woman blew out the fire. I understand that.

　And here, Shikibu spoke up for the first time.


'Which of the bannermen was the one who fell?'


　A low voice echoed through the room. The old woman opened her mouth in response to the lord's question.


''The fourth flag is in the ninth position, Your Highness.

...Jijinbo.

As you wish. As he was wearing a heart robe, I am certain that he was killed in battle.


　When Goz heard it behind him, he raised his eyebrows in a different way than he had earlier.

　Goz didn't know who Jijinbo was or where he was or what he was doing. But if there were any war deaths on the island, Goz would surely hear about it.

　This means that Jirinbo was killed outside the island.

　A single-digit wielder who had mastered the mind attire was killed by people outside the island. It wasn't a surprise attack or a surprise attack, but rather with the use of his mind-armor.

　It was an anomaly that caused even a warrior as big as Goz to move his eyebrows.




　After a brief silence, Shikibu's mouth moved.


''It's Goz.''

Ha!

Jirinbo was busy in the Canary Kingdom. "Jirinbo was in love with the Canary Kingdom and had a secret order to consummate the marriage of the crown prince of that country and the princess Sakuya. This was an imperial edict, and if they failed to do so, the emperor's advisors would be in an uproar. The identity of the person who attacked the bannermen of the Qinglin family is also a matter of concern.

As you wish. Then I will go to the Kingdom of Canary and show you what is going on.

You're in charge. Take two of the bannermen under your command.


　It was not because he doubted Goz's skills, but rather an order to go show the young bannermen the outside world.

　From the point of view of education, it was necessary to show the young man, who only knew life on the island, the outside world.

　However, even an ordinary soldier on the island could become a hero in the outside world. Some of the young men who came to know this fact were more interested in the glory of the outside world than in the brutal battles on the island, and so they made a run for it.

　Hence the need to have someone to look out for them, and Shikibu ordered Goz to do it while he was gone.

　It was clear that Shikibu did not consider this case to be of any importance. All he cared about was his sword and the protection of the demon gate.

　However, no matter what is in the master's mind, as a vassal, you must respond to the orders given to you with every fiber of your being.

　Goz nodded emphatically.


'Yes, sir. I will take you at your word and show the young ones what's out there.


　As he said that, the names of two young people came to his mind.

　Strangely, they were the same age as the earlier legitimate son that came to mind the other day.

　Like Ayaka and Laguna, they were two of the seven who were hailed as the golden generation.