*

　Late February, 43rd year of the imperial calendar--the cemetery north of the imperial capital was dark and gloomy by day.
　Ronald scraped through the wooden stakes and large stones placed in place of the tombstones, pushing away dead grass with his spear to see if any thieves were hiding there.
　Why do I have to do this, Ronald let out a small sigh, poisoning himself in his mind.
　Despite the poisoning in his mind, he knows that patrolling the cemetery is a guard's job.
　If they skipped their patrols, they would uncover the graves and take away the golden items.
　It's not only that, but there are even people who steal corpses, so it's unbearable.
　I know that, but I feel like I'm the only one who is losing money when I'm patrolling the cemetery alone on such a cold day.
　Ronald stopped and looked around the cemetery.
　The people buried in this cemetery are the poor and criminals.
　The ones with a little more money are buried in the sunny cemetery to the south, and if they have more money, they are buried in the temple cemetery.
　It's awful because the poor have a hard time not only when they're alive, but also when they're dead.
　And, incidentally, it's also ironic.
　The guards are hated by the residents of the city.
　Such a hated guard is guarding the graves of those who hated him.
　If this is not irony, what is?
　I'm not trying to tell you to be grateful for the dead, but I want the living to understand that the guards are doing their best to keep them alive.

'What, what is it?'

　Ronald narrowed his eyes.
　The stakes at the back of the cemetery were moving.
　Perhaps someone buried alive was trying to crawl out.
　The ground was moving as he ran up to the stake.
　I swallowed down a raw spit and strained my hand to hold the spear.
　Something outrageously bad is happening.
　Such anxiety rises.
　Suddenly, the stake collapsed and Ronald stiffened.
　The one that pushed away the soil and crawled out was a minotaur or a lizardman with a physique comparable to a minotaur or a lizardman.

''................Oh, hey.

　I called out to him, but the man remained on all fours and refused to move.

'Jeez, jeez, jeez,'
Hey, hey, hey. You okay?

　The man jerked as Ronald approached fearfully.
　There was a cracking sound, and something fell to the ground, hitting his cheek.
　Reflexively, he looked at the ground and saw that a finger had fallen off.
　A frozen corpse would break if handled roughly.
　Such knowledge passed through my mind.



　The man takes the fallen finger in his hand and tries to put it back in place.
　But the fingers don't stick no matter how many times he presses them together.
　No wonder.
　If it sticks together just by pressing down on it, you don't need a doctor, and you don't need a divine power technique.
　The man looks up.
　His eyes are cloudy white.
　No, I don't care that his eyes are cloudy white.
　The problem is his throat.
　There's a big hole in his throat.

'Jeez, jeez, jeez.
'Wait!　You are confused!　I'll get a doctor, don't move!

　Ronald backed away, controlling the man with his hand.
　I have no intention of calling a doctor.
　I'm going home.
　When I get home, I'm going to drink as much as I can and sleep until morning.
　And if that doesn't help, I'm going to the temple.
　Now!　He turned on his heel and kicked the ground as hard as he could.

'Jeez, Jeez, Jeez!
'God!　Let me go home!

　I hadn't gone ten meters before my legs got entangled.
　He fell haphazardly and then fell again as he tried to get up.
　When he looked down, he saw that his right leg was missing from his thigh.
　My foot was lying nearby.
　I don't understand why.

''Hiiii!''

　Blood spurted out and intense pain tore his thoughts into a thousand pieces.
　He screamed, but acted precisely.
　He unbuckled his belt and bound the base of the wound.

''Jeez...Jeez, Jeez!

　The man slowly approaches slowly, as if he is fearful.

''Hi, hi!''

　Ronald tried to crawl on the ground to get away.
　But he couldn't escape.
　A man grabbed Ronald's ankle.
　The man swung Ronald up and slammed him to the ground.
　The sound of bone cracking echoed from within.
　It's red in front of my eyes.
　All I can smell and taste is the smell and taste of iron.

''Jiiiiiiiight!''

　The man slammed Ronald to the ground again.
　He slammed into the ground again and again, his bones crushed and his guts crushed.
　This much monstrous power reminds me of a stake and a stone as a grave marker.
　A stake or just throwing a stone would blow his legs off.
　God, please let me die quickly, Ronald prayed.
　Well, it didn't take long for the prayer to turn into a curse...



　Crono sits in a chair in his office and slowly rolls up the report.
　The paper shows the number of crimes and their breakdown.
　The number of crimes fell sharply and then leveled off, with theft being the highest and assault being the next highest in the breakdown.
　Residents of the Twelfth Ward tend to have a lower psychological hurdle to commit a crime.
　Perhaps this is because the guards have been bought off by criminals and criminal gangs and have missed crimes.
　It changes the mindset of the residents.
　Just thinking about how much effort they have to expend is enough to make me feel bad.

''Well I hope the arena opens soon,''

　Crono leaned back and let out a deep sigh.
　The arena is currently in the process of inviting wealthy nobles and merchants to identify the problems.
　Personally, I think they've had enough, but Nicole seems to want to make sure everything is in order.

'Is this the place to tread?'

　The uncertainty of the future is demoralizing, but to say that the current situation is also dangerous is an understatement.
　It is difficult to maintain a sense of urgency when the end is in sight.
　If we make a mistake at this point, all of our hard work will have been for naught.
　I wish I had an idea to keep the tension, but just as I crossed my arms, there was a knock on the door.

''Come in.....

　It was White who opened the door and walked into the room.
　He was supposed to be off duty today, but what was going on?
　White stopped a short distance away from the desk and saluted Crono.

'What's going on?'
Got a message for you. Meeting in the Fifth Ward.
What else did he say?

　White shook his head from side to side.
　He had a bad feeling about this.
　That said, the guard captains were not very friendly towards Crono.
　Calling them all the way out here must be a situation where they want to help the cat.

''Well, I guess there's no point in sitting here thinking about it.

　Crono stood up and put his cloak on.
　When he looked at White, he was slightly prone and his tail was hanging down powerlessly.
　Normally, he would say he was going to follow me as an escort, but he must have something else to say.

''Shiro, is there something on your mind?''

　Crono asked, and White gave a small snort.

'If there's something that's bothering you, don't hesitate to tell me. I don't want to make a mistake here and lose the trust of the residents.''
"....Snow...

　White gave another small snort.
　The fact that he mentioned Snow's name means that he's wondering if he should be allowed to mimic selling out his friends in order to maintain order.

'White, I command you. Tell me what's on your mind.
"Snow, I smell blood.

　White opened his mouth after a moment of silence.

'It's not easy to react.'
I mean, no.

　I was plugged in.

'How long have you been doing this?'
Leila, The Day You Fell (Gururu)

　So there was a stab wound, Crono nodded.
　'According to Johnny, Gina was stabbed with a blade and then her guts were scraped around.

''Well that was a bit of a bypass.

　It's no wonder that Leila, who he adores as his mother, would act caustically if she found out that Gina was threatening him.
　Not wanting to bring it out in the open, she didn't tell anyone else about the situation except White and Hiilo, and enlisted her foster father's help, but it backfired.　
　As I was trying to figure out what to do, White looked at me with pleading eyes.

'Don't worry, I won't make you feel bad. It's a seed I sowed to begin with, and I'll harvest it properly.'

　White let out a breath of relief.
　He was working to help Leila, but his men, who didn't know what was going on, would think Crono had done nothing.
　And yet, if he punished Snow for trying to fix the trouble, he would lose his credibility.
　The bottom line is that Crono should admit his inadequate handling of the situation and punish Snow lightly - say, a week or so of house arrest.
　Crono took out a shift list from a drawer and let out a sigh.

'Snow works the day shift, huh? I'll deal with it when I get back from the meeting.''
"I'll keep him under control.

　Please, Crono patted White on the shoulder.

*

　When Crono entered the Fifth District's stuffing station the temporary conference room, the security chiefs of the Fifth through Eleventh Streets were already seated.
　There was no sign of the security chiefs of the First to Fourth Streets.
　This is because the jurisdiction is divided between the old city and the new city.
　When he took the vacant seat, the head of security of the Seventh District.......Farnos looked around to check everyone's reaction.
　Perhaps it was because he was the oldest, but he often acted as a facilitator.

''Well you're all here. We held an urgent meeting because someone murdered a guard in the Fifth Street District.''

　Farnos said as he let out a sigh, and everyone except Crono and the Fifth Ward's guard captain gasped in surprise.
　The head guard of the Fifth District's security guards is pale in the face.
　I know how you feel.
　It's hard to lose a subordinate.

''The........bodies....
Wait, I'll tell you.

　The captain of the Fifth Street Guard crossed his hands as if in prayer.
　He put so much strength into them that his fingertips turned white from anger at the killer.

'The dead guards the body of Ronald was found in the cemetery to the north. His whole body was crushed and his right leg was blown off around his thighs.

　That was probably the limit.

Shit, why did I have to die like this, like this?

　The guard captain of the Fifth Street Guard covered his face.

''The ... cemetery to the north?''

　Crono muttered softly.
　In the cemetery to the north they buried the man who killed Gina the man who killed Gina.......Deke.
　Deke not only killed Gina, but also murdered and decapitated the tavern's female warden.
　Somehow, I don't think it's unrelated.

'Marquis Erakis, is there something on your mind?
We buried the murderer of a prostitute the other day in a cemetery up north.

　Crono replied to Farnos.

'You, are you saying that a dead man came back to life and killed Ronald?　You're kidding me!　I'm the one that got my man killed!　You need to take this more seriously!

　The chief of the Fifth Street Guard shouted at Crono.

''I'm serious,''
'They say it's a joke to think that a corpse can come back to life!

　When Crono argued back, the chief of the fifth city district's guards became even more vocal.
　Since God is real in this world, it doesn't seem strange that a dead person would come back to life.
　I can't deny the possibility that they were pretending to be dead.

''I'm sorry.''
No, I'm sorry. I was just frustrated that one of my men was killed.

　Perhaps he didn't expect Crono to apologize, but the chief of the Fifth Street Guard said in a weak voice tone.

''I suppose we should assume that he encountered and was killed by grave robbers.

　When Farnos said quietly, the captains of the guards gave a look of near bewilderment.
　How can a mere grave robber crush the bones of a whole body?
　They must be wondering why they would commit the crime of grave robbing when they have that much power.

''The culprit must be caught and punished to the extreme. I know it's hard, but it's for our own protection. I want you to do everything you can to find the killer.

　The guard captains nodded quietly, and Crono nodded belatedly.
　Guardsmen who stand on the front lines of maintaining security have many enemies.
　In order to protect themselves, their colleagues, and their families, they need to be made aware that if they harm the guards and their associates, they will be retaliated against.

Then dismissed!

　When Farnos made his declaration, the guard captains left the room in silence.
　The only ones left in the room were Crono and Farnos.

''It was ... quite surprising.''
What's that?

　Farnos turned his gaze to Crono.

'I thought the Marquis of Erakis wasn't interested in these things.
You can talk to me like a normal person.

　Is the polite language an appeal that he is not speaking as a guard captain?

'To be honest, I didn't think the Marquis of Erakis was interested in these things. Well, I don't think it's a good idea to make a statement with a straight face that a dead man has come back to life.''
....
I don't blame you. Knowing these people, I can understand the Marquis of Erakis' concerns.

　Crono's eyes widened lightly.
　He could move even if he was injured in a way that would make him unable to move if he activated the Mark.
　He didn't expect Farnos to know that.

'What do you think, Mr. Farnos?'
'I think it's ridiculous that a corpse can come back to life. Well, I thought it was ridiculous when the Loo's grabbed me with their nearly shredded arms and attacked me with their guts scattered all over the place.

　Farnos gave a cynical smile.

'If that's what you're thinking, you could have convinced everyone, couldn't you?
Ridiculousness is improbability. If you look for a criminal based on the premise that it's impossible, you'll end up at a dead end.

　'Besides,' said Farnos, punctuating his words.

'I need someone to take my anger out on when my people are killed. An imaginary enemy, if you will. Otherwise, you won't be able to stay motivated. For example, for example...
....

　I didn't need to think about it so forcefully, but I wouldn't say it.

'What would the Marquis of Erakis do if he got a call about a bunch of upside down, naked men dancing in a circle?
Are you high?　And ranting.
Yeah, I think that's a possible response.
...?

　For some reason, my eyes were swimming.
　Maybe he was expecting an answer like chasing them away or blessing them with a few coins.

''The Marquis of Erakis's opinion isn't very realistic. Nevertheless, I'm thinking that such an approach is necessary.
So you're saying that you're willing to proceed on the premise of a dead man coming back to life?

　Farnos crossed his hands to cover his mouth.

'The right people in the right place. There aren't many crime syndicates that operate out in the open like Nicole's group. We're more used to investigating criminals and criminal organizations that don't operate in the public eye than you are.
I understand. Then the Thirteenth Order of the Kingsguard will proceed on the assumption that the dead have come back to life.
I'm sorry.
No, you're welcome.

　Crono bowed his head and left the filling station.

*

　After leaving the stuffing station, Crono headed to the Crawford mansion.
　In front of the Crawford mansion, Johnny was sweeping with a broom in his hand.

'Brother, what can I do for you?'
I'm here to talk to you about the big man Johnny killed.

　Perhaps sensing a sign, Johnny didn't show any signs of surprise.
　It's an unbelievable growth rate, throwing a dagger at Neige and killing Deku with a single dagger.

''Tch, you talented man. I thought you were on the same side as me, but this is a terrible betrayal.
You can't just click your tongue all of a sudden, can you?

　He didn't seem too shocked by that.

'So, about this big guy thing,'
Okay. But it's not a good time to talk in here. I want to talk inside.

　We go into the mansion and move to the dining room.
　It seems that my adoptive father and Myra are not at home.
　It's time for them to return to the southern frontier, so maybe they're making a greeting tour.
　When Crono arrived at the table, Johnny sat down face to face.

'What's going on?'
I'm sure you already know...
Yeah, that guard that was killed in the cemetery.

　It helps that they are quick to talk, but I wonder how they are gathering information.
　I just hope it's not through illegal means.

'I suspect the big man has come back to life,'
'Isn't the idea of a missing body a bit far-fetched?

　It was returned with a straight face.
　What pisses me off is that there's nothing more annoying than being lectured about reality by the inhabitants of a fantasy world.

''Have you ever noticed that when you're fighting the big guy?''
Hmmm, that was pretty hard to kill. Tougher than a brown bear.
Have you ever fought a brown bear?

　When I asked him back, Johnny scratched his head in embarrassment.

It wasn't because I wanted to fight," he said. They gave me a knife and threw me into the Areos Mountains. Tears to hear, tears to tell.

　Johnny's face fell as he remembered the moment.

'Oh, it's dark sss. It's dark. My eyes, he's looking at me from the dark!　Somebody, somebody please help!　It's coming!　Isn't it morning yet!　Cliff!　One-chan-dive off the cliff!　Hold on to a branch!　Heeeeeeeee!　The branch's broken!　Brother, help me!

　Immediately after scratching his head, Johnny gave a tight smile, as if a switch had been flipped.

'Sir Instructor, I'm glad you're letting me get rid of my virginity.
"...you son of a b*tc*.

　I knew it, I should say, but Johnny looked as if he was scared of something.

'Nah, what?　What do you mean, kill him?　Is this what it means to lose your virginity?　Are you okay with this?　It's not okay!　

　Suddenly, he hung his head with a gulp.

'It's all right. You are at the top of the food chain and you are at ease in the Areos Mountains. You are all very kind, Luu. I'm happy to give up my virginity.
Johnny, get it together!

　When Crono shook his shoulder, Johnny regained consciousness.
　Apparently, he'd had a spectacular experience before he got strong.

'I think I'm having another seizure.
Seizure?

　That would be a flashback.
　But I didn't want to point that out.
　I mean, I didn't want to open Pandora's Box.

'Can't a human being get something without sacrificing something?'
That's very philosophical.

　I'm talking about you!　I swallowed the words that came out of my mouth.

'Back to the point, how was it hard to kill?
He was moving fine, even though he was bleeding a lot. I stabbed him in the neck, but he was moving for a while.

　Hmmmm, Crono grunted.
　Deke's neck had a wound........maybe I should call it a hole........as it had almost gone through.
　If he could move after destroying his spine, he could crawl out of the grave and kill the guards.

'Have you figured out their identities?'
All I know is his name and that he was involved in the construction of the mausoleum.
You're not even caught up in the new nobleman's intelligence network?

　He wasn't born from a tree crotch, and he could at least understand how he came to the Imperial City.
　I had a bad feeling about this.

I had a bad feeling about this.

　When I returned to the ghost house, White greeted me with a pat on the back and a wagging tail.
　Judging from the atmosphere, he was able to successfully restrain his subordinate.

''Crono-sama, I've been waiting for you.'' (Gau)
I'm sorry. Things have changed.

　Crono explained the situation.
　As the story progressed, White's tail lost its power.
　The last one was hanging down in a shovel.

''Dead man, you will not rise.'' (Gau)
...I see.

　When he was even denied by White, he was worried that he was wrong.
　Maybe Farnos was only considering Crono's physical appearance.
　The possibility that he was thought to be a motivated idiot cannot be denied.

''Well, what should we do?''
I'm on the move.

　White said in a manner that made it sound obvious.

'Well, yes. The question is, how does it work?'
Smell, chase.

　I chuckle.
　He was trying to figure out how many people to investigate and how to change the shift, but he was thinking too hard.
　If they were going to work on the assumption that the dead had been brought back to life, a normal investigation would confuse his men.

'Okay, let's go with that. Fortunately, we have some time until Snow comes back from his day shift. During that time, let's proceed with the investigation as much as we can.
"Okay. I'll turn it over to my man, Hairo.
"I'll tell Leila about the murder, too.

　Crono pulled the communication magic item out of his pouch.
　He felt swept up in the situation, but he had never been able to completely control the battle before.

''Well I hope you're okay.

　He let out a sigh, remembering that he had very little experience in getting through a battle safely.



...a cemetery.

　Crono muttered softly and looked around.
　The communal cemetery to the north of the Imperial City was dim and icy.
　It wasn't due to its location, but to the atmosphere created by the dead grass and decaying grave markers that covered the ground.
　The dead die a second time by being forgotten.
　I don't know who said it first, but I think they are right on target when they see what looks like abandonment.

'A murder in a deserted cemetery? I hope it's not a killer in a hockey mask.'
........... (Gulp?)

　White, who had been crawling near the sunk ground ... the spot where he buried Deku ... turned around and tilted his head in wonder.

'No, this way. Keep working.
I get it.

　Crono said, and White went back to work.
　In a splatter movie, it's a splatter movie, and the victims are young people who are floating around.
　A couple doing s*xually explicit things, football, or basketball are high probability prey for the killer.
　If you have a fixed sports endorsement or borrow a car from your father, you're out.
　I'm going to hold out until the case is solved, and I'm going to clench my fists.
　I know I think I'm thinking of a silly thing to do, but I'd cling to anything that could reduce my chances of being injured in any way.
　As I was thinking about that, White jerked and shuddered.
　Crono caught on and freaked out too.

'What's wrong?'
...stinks.

　As White crawled forward on the ground, the ground was blackened.
　Perhaps this was where Ronald had been killed.
　White looked up at Crono.

''Crono-sama, I wasn't wrong.'' (Gau)
See, I was right!　You can't bring the dead back from the dead!　It's coming back to life!
...I said something terrible.
And White doesn't have to apologize.

　White said with moist eyes, and I hurried to follow up.

'Thanks to White, we've proven our hypothesis, and shouldn't we be glad we didn't have to take a detour?
"I'll do my best.

　White nodded widely and began to crawl on the ground again.

''Well this will be settled sooner than I thought, won't it?''

　Crono muttered as he followed White.
　I was in over my head when the secret murder happened.
　The killer is in here!　After declaring that he was going to torture each of the suspects....and then he would have to interrogate them one by one.
　White stopped moving and looked up.
　The city walls rose there.
　Apparently, the revived Deku had climbed the city walls.

''He climbed it?''

　I asked him to make sure, and White nodded with a divine look on his face.
　Johnny said it was hard to kill, but it was beyond the level of hard to kill by any stretch of the imagination.



　Snow was patrolling the Twelfth Ward with his companions.
　He stared at the alleyway that reeked of decay and let out a small sigh.
　He wanted to return to the Marquis of Erakis as soon as possible.
　I don't have any good memories of the slums or the Twelfth Street District.
　No, I have too many bad memories.
　For example, let's say there was a transparent sphere.
　If you put it in a bag with old nails and stones and shook it, it would be covered in scratches.
　The slums and the Twelve Streets are bags and the residents are old nails and stones.
　If you don't want them to be covered in scratches, you have no choice but to get rid of the old nails and stones.
　Suddenly, my vision fades.
　I look up and see the big man - the man who saved Gina - falling.
　The ground shakes as soon as it lands.
　I'm confused by the impact, as if I'm being pushed up from below.
　The surrounding buildings are three stories high at best.
　There is no way that the ground would shake violently just by falling from there.
　It's too unnatural.
　No, if you want to call it unnatural, then the big man himself was unnatural.
　His throat was punctured and his whole body was cracked, yet he was moving without a care in the world.

''Flame-bullet dance!''

　Snow distanced himself from the big man and released his magic.
　Even if you think about it, you won't get an answer.
　If that's the case, it's better to focus on the events in front of him without thinking about anything else.
　The countless flames went forward in a straight line and popped in front of the big man.
　It's as if they were blocked by an invisible wall.
　It's probably because of the attack.
　The big man stepped out towards Snow.
　Five infantrymen quickly broke in.
　They thought they should be wary of the big man since he was holding his spear.
　The companions are reliable in their response.
　The big man's body sinks down.
　The next moment, he accelerated like an unleashed arrow.
　The infantry re-positioned their spears.
　Instead of simply thrusting it out, he makes contact with the ground with a stone thrust and holds the spear in place like a pinching rod.
　The big man rammed into the spear without slowing down his speed.
　Five spears snapped at the same time and the infantry was blown away.
　The arrows pierced his back and the big man stopped moving.
　Of course, there was no archer to rest his hand here.
　Arrow after arrow stabbed into him, and the big man was like a needle rat.
　And then the dozens of arrows were played.
　The arrows leapt straight up as if they were blocked by an invisible wall.
　The big man's body sank down again.
　Snow kicked the ground almost on a hunch.
　Although he ducked once, he spread his arms and clutched at him.

''Jeez, Jina!　Jeez!　Jeez!
"I'm not Gina!　You're the one who killed Gina!　Whirlwind!　Flameball Dance!

　The whirlwind towered around the big man and took in more flames.
　What appeared was a whirlpool of flame - a synthetic magic 'flaming whirlwind' created by Aridid and Deneb after a period of trial and error.
　Although it can't reach the level of advanced magic such as Bakunetsumai, it has a power that surpasses the intermediate level.
　The next moment, Snow's eyes widened.
　The Flaming Whirlwind froze.
　There is no such thing as a flame freezing.
　The Flaming Whirlwind shattered, sending shards of ice down on Snow.
　I reflexively crossed my arms and immediately realized my mistake.
　The big man was close at hand.
　The big man flashes his arms in a flash.
　With that alone, Snow was blown away.
　The moment he was attacked, he thought he heard the sound of bones cracking.
　He was slammed into the wall and fell to the ground.
　He coughed violently and spat out blood.
　The big man slowly approaches me.



　How did Gina die?　Snow looked up at the big man.

*

　Crono jumped to the roof of the house and shifted the imprint into a dormant state.
　The next moment, his body suddenly became heavy.

''Shh, White, come down.''
...Okay.

　White climbed down from Crono's back and turned his nose upward.
　This is how he can detect the smell of Deku floating in the air.
　The beastmen's sense of smell is more reliable than human tactics.
　However, White doesn't have a way to land without stepping through the roof, so Crono is moving on his back.
　Suddenly, White looks right beside him.
　Out of the corner of his eye, flames were swirling around.

'A fire whirlwind?'

　It can't be, Crono shook his head.
　A fire whirlwind is a natural phenomenon that occurs when there is a large scale fire.
　Since it doesn't look like there is a large scale fire going on, we should assume that someone has used magic.

''What's going on here?''

　I whispered to myself.
　The flames turned to ice in an instant and shattered.
　Immediately activating the imprint, I jumped from roof to roof carrying White.

''Crono-sama, down!'' (GASP!)
I know!

　He jumps down from the roof.
　As soon as he landed, he put White down and looked around.
　There was my subordinate and Deku.
　Apparently, his subordinate had run into Deku while on patrol.
　Deku had grabbed Snow by the neck and held it high.
　Shortly after Crono ran out to help Snow, something strange happened.
　Deku's legs collapsed as if he could no longer bear his own weight.
　The mutation continued further.
　Both arms fell off his shoulders, and a strong stinking liquid poured out of the sections of his arms and legs.
　The liquefaction proceeded rapidly, leaving only bone and skin behind.

''........What in the world?''

　Crono slowed his pace and walked up to Snow to avoid stepping on the liquid.
　Snow was stunned.

'Snow?'
Well, Mister Crono?

　When he called out to her, Snow blinked at him curiously.
　His reaction was uncomfortable, as if he didn't understand the situation.

'Are you okay?'
I don't know why I'm here.　I'm a slum and I'm a... what?　The Marquess of Erakis?　Huh?　I see, I'm a soldier now.

　Snow seems quite confused about what was done to him.
　'We'd better call it a day on Gina.

Let's go back to the compound for once.
The mansion?

　Snow's eyes are busy moving.
　He looks frightened by something.
　Has he encountered Deke and dug up some serious trauma?

'It's okay,'
'What?　I'll be fine, okay?

　Bad, the conversation is not engaging.
　Crono approached Snow, spreading his arms to show that he had no hostile intent.
　Suddenly, sparks flew, and the 'field' that enveloped Crono and something that enveloped Snow appeared for a moment.
　A feeling of nausea rose in me.
　The "field" is a realm where the laws of physics can be distorted at the will of the surgeon.
　In theory, they could interfere with each other, or even repel each other.
　If so, what is this nausea?
　Snow turns over, breathing wildly and repeatedly.
　He wavers with a wobble.
　The next moment when I tried to hold her in my arms, a knife passed in front of me.
　Snow raised the knife.
　It was a fluke that he avoided it.
　I don't have the confidence to avoid it even if he asked me to do it again.

''Ouch!''

　He wiped his chin and the blood wet the back of his hand.
　Apparently, he was unable to avoid the knife.

''Crono-sama!'' (GASP!)
White, don't move!

　I exhale and stare at Snow.
　I don't know if it's a 'place' that surrounds Snow, but I'm sure he's on guard.

"Snow, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you.
'You're lying!　You're going to do something terrible to me by saying that!

　Snow disappeared and a crackling sound came from right beside him.
　I jumped back, relying on my intuition.
　I don't even want to believe my own instincts, but there's nothing else I can rely on right now.
　In the nick of time, I ducked Snow, who jumped at me from right beside me.
　I could knock him off, but Crono hesitated and lost the opportunity.
　But Snow doesn't do anything to miss the opportunity.

''Flame-bullet dance, flame-bullet dance, flame-bullet dance.......!

　He unleashes his magic in rapid succession and fills the road with flames.
　Without combustibles, the magic flames would be extinguished quickly, but it was enough to create an opening.
　Snow kicked the ground while Crono was frightened.
　He must be using some kind of magic.
　He leapt lightly to the roof of a nearby building.

''Snow!''
"Fast and furious!

　Crono kicked the ground after Snow and was knocked off balance by a gust of wind blowing down from directly above.

''Flame-bullet dance!''

　Flames poured down.
　Crono strengthened his 'field' and blocked the attack, but when the flames cleared, Snow was not there.

*

　Crono walks through the city in the twilight.
　White has been ordered to lead his off-duty men to protect Snow.

He engages a murderer who has been brought back to life by a mysterious jutsu and successfully incapacitates him, but one of his men has become delirious under the influence of the jutsu.

　I blurted out, hiding my mouth with my right hand.
　Who would be convinced by this excuse if Snow had hurt someone?
　If anything, it might be better to ask Neige to move in the direction of rubbing out the incident.
　Crono enters the stuffing station and climbs the stairs.
　As he opens the door to the communications command room, his gaze is focused on the door.
　He controls the communications officer who was about to stand up with his hand and walks up to Layla.

'Leila, did you find Snow?'
No, we're looking for him.
All right. Leila is in charge.

　Why can't we find Snow?　He sat back in his chair, wondering.
　Considering that White had tracked Deku by relying on the smell in the air, it seemed impossible for him to shake off the beastman's pursuit.
　It was possible that Snow knew how to disturb the beast's sense of smell, but if he could be disturbed that easily, there wouldn't have been military dogs, police dogs, or drug-sniffing dogs in the world over there.

Why can't we find them?
That's because she's confined to her own world.

　I just asked myself a question, but someone answered it.
　When I looked at the direction of the voice, there was a gray-haired young man.......Neige Hyades and Verna standing there.

''Crono-sama, don't get me wrong. I said I should knock, you know?
That's a refreshing amount of betrayal.
I'm not one of you.

　Verna said as she spat.

''Well when did that happen?''

　Leila looks at Neige and Verna.
　Apparently, she didn't feel a sign and her eyes widen in surprise.

'Do you know anything about this?'
As a matter of fact.

　Actually, I'm not.
　The door opened with great force and was blown open.
　There was a painful sound of a bang.

''Even if I wasn't called upon to pinch my brother, I'd still be there immediately!
"...Johnny.

　Is this guy really a terrific assassin?　And Crono looked down at Neige, who was lying on the floor.

'Oh, that?　Funny, isn't it?

　Neige sat up and stared at her palms.

'Is it a blur?'
How old are you?

　Verna said in a disgusted tone.
　If we are to believe the word that he is over fifty years old, it is no wonder that he is declining with age.
　Maybe Neige's heyday is also past, just as her adopted father was.

'So what do you know about it?'
'Actually the killer known as Deke and Mr. Snow were trained in The Arm of Death.

　'Well, it's not my 'arm of death',' added Neige excusingly.

'How do you know that?'
I thought I'd get rid of any potential competitors as soon as possible.

　So you're saying that Deke and Snow crushed the 'Arm of Death' that they belonged to.

'There was a lot of opposition, so the constituents who didn't know anything about it decided to keep it alive after monitoring it for a while, but look what happened.

　Neige let out a small sigh.

'You don't know anything?'
'I don't recommend brainwashing with drugs, though. If you just lose your memory, or even your judgment, you can't use them as pawns.

　Crono asked, and Neige cowered lightly.

'How did Deke come back to life?
''It's thanks to the art of manipulating magic power to generate a realm where one's will takes precedence. Well, let's say that you can generate a 'field' without the support of the Mark... what is it?　What's that bitter-worm-bitten look on your face?
'No, because when such a useful jutsu comes up, I'm not in a position to risk my life to learn the imprinting technique.
'No, no, it's not that convenient!　I'm the one who risked my life for you by accident!

　Verna let out a protest as her shoulders slumped.

'Have you ever been exposed to severe pain that could make you lose your sanity?'
No, no, not that one.

　Crono let out a deep sigh.

''Aside from Marquis Erakis' feelings, this technique is the art of creating a world just for me...''
'What?　Did they teach you such a great trick?

　This time Neige made a face as if she'd bitten down on a bitter bug.

'What's with that face?　I was only told that the technology was passed down from the east to surpass humans.　I mean, you didn't even tell me your name.
I think you've been careless.
'You didn't tell me anything, so I don't have a choice!

　When Crono rushed in, Verna raised her voice.
　The guy who tricked her is of course the worst, but I think we should be a little more cautious.

''........Crono-sama.
I'm sorry, Leila.

　Crono straightened his residence and looked at Neige.

'So you're saying that Deke was brought back to life thanks to your magic?
'Yes, you can interpret it that way. And the reason he died is because Mr. Snow erased the realm.

　You mean the higher order of 'place', Crono patted his belly as he remembered being skewered in the Holy Argo Kingdom.
　Even if you are mortally wounded, you won't die.
　If the technology could achieve such recklessness, it would be easy to make the body odor disappear and not spread.

'When I approached Snow, I saw sparks fly?
'That's what made the Marquis of Erakis so wary. No one would let someone of unknown identity into their home, would they?
''I thought Snow had a good relationship with Master Crono?

　Leila said hesitantly.

'I suppose my memory has returned. Even if you call it training, it's still a process of making convenient pawns. Of course you won't be able to trust others if you remember those memories.'
....

　Leila looked at Neige.
　The fact that she didn't say anything was probably due to the guilt she felt for joining the army without Snow.

'What do we do now?'
We'll protect Snow.

　When Crono answered immediately, Neige's eyes widened in surprise.

'They might think you're the enemy, right?
He's my guy.

　If it's a stranger, you adopt a safe bet, but if it's a subordinate, you'll have to push the envelope...to the limit...and in some cases, you'll have to push the envelope.

''I see. I'll cooperate with you if it's okay with you?
Nice to meet you.

　Crono bowed his head lightly.

*

　Snow woke up in the garbage.
　His thoughts are scowling, as if he is floating in a fever.
　He couldn't tell the difference between dream and reality.
　I was dreaming a happy dream.
　I dreamed that I was working with my mother.
　It is a dream, so it is natural, but the people in my dream were kind.
　I pushed away the trash and crawled out of the ground, even though that couldn't be possible.
　There are many places to hide in the city.
　Narrow gaps between buildings, abandoned houses, garbage dumps in the back alleys, stables, gutters... Just digging a hole in the ground like this one and covering it with trash is enough to provide shelter.
　You can't lurk for long, but it will buy you enough time to get the amateurs and guards to give up.
　Criminal gangs, however, are a different story.
　They are obsessed with face-saving.
　If you do anything to ruin their reputation, they will come after you relentlessly.
　In such a case, you must be hit early on.
　It doesn't matter if you are hit early or late, but the frequency and force are different.
　However, if they have a tendency to do that, if they are in a bad place, they will be hurt badly, and if they hit you badly, you will die.
　That's the kind of world we live in.
　My mom went off to the army alone.
　She was abandoned.
　I know it's not right to complain.
　We all love ourselves, and we would all fall together if we laid a hand on someone else.
　But when you're violent or hungry, when you're hungry, when you help out at the store and don't get the money you were promised, or when you do something you don't like to do and earn money, you want to complain about it.

It's ... the moon.

　He looks up at the full moon and mutters to himself.
　Apparently it's been nighttime while I've been hiding in the hole.
　I hold my mouth and cough.
　When I let go of my hand, my palm was stained red.
　I hurriedly wipe the blood off with my uniform.
　My whole body is hot.
　My heart is beating fast.

''I'm.......scared.''

　Vomiting blood is very important.
　When did she get this kind of injury?
　If he didn't go to the hospital, he might die.
　Since he was injured, he should have had enemies.
　If he didn't kill his enemies, he wouldn't be able to go to the hospital without worrying.
　He laughed at that thought.
　After all, I can't tell the difference between dreams and reality.
　There's no way a slum dweller can go to the hospital.
　Who should I kill?　And then he exhaled with an iron-filled breath, and it occurred to him that there was someone else.
　What was his name?
　I can only vaguely remember what he looked like.
　Well, as long as we kill him from one end to the other, it won't be a problem.

I see, he was hiding in the hole we dug. No wonder they took so much time.
You're just following me, aren't you?

　I looked at the direction the voice came from and saw a man and a woman approaching.

'Who is it?'
Just because we haven't seen each other in a while doesn't mean it's okay!

　The man exclaims.
　It sounds familiar if you ask me, but since you've forgotten, that's probably the extent of your association with him.

''Flame-bullet dance!''
All of a sudden?

　I unleashed my magic, but the man kept sidestepping as he approached.
　The next thing I knew, he was closing in on me in time.

'Teeth biting ssss!

　The man swings down with his fist.
　Snow kicks the ground lightly.
　He flies through the air and kicks the castle wall, landing on the roof of the building that is facing him.

'You got away!
I wasn't expecting to be able to jump that high!

　A woman flies through the air.
　Apparently, this woman seems to have acquired the same technology as herself.
　It seems that she is not used to using it and is close to floating.
　Naturally, there is no reason to wait for the opponent.

"Flamebulb Dance!
Type 2 magic bullet!

　The voices overlap.
　
　The moment they make contact, the flames explode and swell up.
　It's a lower grade magic called magic bullets.
　It is a magic that releases gravel of magic power, but there are many derivative techniques.
　However, the range is short and there are no secondary effects, so there are few people who like to use it.

What about my magic?

　The woman proudly puffed out her chest as she landed on the roof.
　Snow revises her evaluation of the magic bullet in her mind.
　On the contrary, the woman's reputation will drop.
　She shouldn't have used the magic bullets here.
　If he hadn't used it until the last minute, he could have created a fatal gap.

''Don't run away!

　Snow turned away and started to run, and sure enough, the woman was in pursuit.
　There's no need to fight anything head-on.
　You just need to run around and finish off the battered spot.

''Type-2 magic bullet!

　The woman unleashes her magic, but the crimson conglomerate cuts the sky empty.
　She is shooting while running.
　Accurate sniping is unlikely.
　If you are an opponent who has been on the field, you could use your magic as a check and guide Snow to where you want him to be.
　However, I can't sense such intentions from the woman.
　To be honest, she seems to be acting haphazardly.
　I kick the edge of the roof as I fall to the ground.
　My body accelerates with a gung-ho speed.

''Flame-bullet dance!''

　Snow jumped to the next building and unleashed her magic as she turned around.
　The woman is floating in the air.
　It was an arcing trajectory, as if she didn't expect to be attacked.

''Ni-2 magic bullets!

　The woman hurriedly unleashes her magic, but I have to say it's an error in judgment.
　The flames explode and block the woman's vision.
　I was planning to finish off the place where I was battened down, but I created an opening at that point.
　There is no way not to attack.

"Wind Blade Ran........!
I won't let you!

　The man jumped out of the way right before I was about to unleash my magic.
　How did he manage to get so close?
　If he was in his current state, there was no way he wouldn't have noticed the approach of the foreign object.
　Snow took a decent kick from the man and was blown away by it.
　He narrowed his eyes as he detected multiple signs.
　Then, a figure was approaching along the roof.
　Were these two people decoys?
　No, this is not the time to be thinking about such things.
　We should get away before we are surrounded.
　The next moment I kicked the roof, I felt a presence.
　I looked up and saw a woman.

'Bite your teeth!'

　Snow gritted his teeth and strengthened his magic power with the intent of rejection.

''Four-style magic bullets!''
.....

　The impact exploded, and I was knocked to the ground as it was.
　Coughing violently, I picked myself up and found myself in a cul-de-sac.

*

　A flash of light blinked overhead and Snow slammed into the ground.
　He coughs and picks himself up and looks around, but is blocked on three sides by the building.

'....the wall.

　Leila, who was next to me, gave the signal, and her men jumped out of the narrow alleyway and blocked the way with boards.
　The barricade was complete.
　I was anxious to get Verna and Jonny into the operation, but they both successfully drove Snow into it.

''Well you've managed to push him away.

　Crono chuckled as he remembered the time he made the plan.
　The plan had been set up smoothly, but it had taken him a while to decide on his role.
　No, I should say that it took time to convince Leila, Shiro and Hiilo.
　Layla, Shiro, and Hiilo pushed for Neige to be the cornerstone, while Crono pushed for Verna and Johnny.
　You can't trust Neige, although you think to yourself, "What's the big deal now," while you borrowed personnel to lay the groundwork for each side and back up the driving force, but you couldn't trust Neige.
　They would easily dismiss Snow if it came to their own harm.
　I couldn't get rid of those doubts.
　He couldn't deny Neige's values, nor could he blame her.
　Because even Crono would prioritize his own subordinates if he had to choose between himself and someone else's subordinates when it came to a situation where he had to choose between them.
　You can't put an untrustworthy opponent at the core of your operation.
　On the contrary, he thought that Verna and Johnny would be able to stick it out to the last minute even if the unexpected happened.

''After all, it's better if I persuade them........''
That's what we talked about.

　Crono activated the imprint.
　A jet-black shining mark colored his entire body.
　With the imprinting technique, he could withstand Snow's attacks somewhat.

''Leila's time will come when I can't move.
Yes.

　Leila nodded quietly.
　Maybe she felt like she was being tested.
　She hadn't meant to, but if she couldn't fulfill her role, it would be better to have her work as a civil servant.
　Crono removed his sword belt and gently placed it on the ground.
　Even after a number of occasions, the fear of death is hard to suppress.
　Even so, he has made much more progress compared to the time of his first battle.
　I'm not going to be able to even draw my sword back then.
　Thinking about this, he approached Snow.
　Snow knelt on the spot and drew his knife threateningly.

''Stay away from me!''
I'm here to protect you. I left my weapons behind to prove it.

　Crono spread his arms to show that he had no weapons.

'Protection is a lie!　You're going to do something terrible to me by saying that!
That's terrible.

　Crono let out a small breath.
　His heart ached just to imagine what terrible things Snow had done to him.

'Please, just trust me.'
No!　I know!　I know it!

　Snow shouted hoarsely and swung the knife around.
　He swung the knife around for a while, his arms hanging down weakly, as if he was tired.
　Sparks crackled, but there seemed to be less resistance compared to the evening's contact.

''Well you're going to dump me anyway.

　Snow said in a voice that sounded like she was about to cry and hung her head.

'I won't abandon you,'
Why?
...it's

　He asked back, and I was at a loss for words.
　He's an important man.
　It's not a lie.
　It's not a lie, but........
　Thump!　I heard a loud noise, "I can't believe it.

I knew it, I couldn't believe it!

　Snow pulls out a knife and Crono twists as quickly as he can.
　He reaches out to snatch the knife away and it pops off.
　The impact is as if a firecracker had exploded in his hand.
　My hand goes numb.
　There is no trauma, so the numbness is probably only temporary.
　Crono poisons his mind, saying that he's going to be played unilaterally or something.

'Stop it!
Shut up!　Leave me alone!

　Boom!　The sound of "I don't know what to do" echoed from beneath my feet.
　The next thing you know, Snow was sticking a knife into Crono's side.
　The moment he understood that he had been stabbed, heat developed in his side.
　The heat replaced the intense pain and hit his brain.
　Snow fiddled with the knife.

''Type-2 magic bullet!''

　The crimson gravel rained down and Snow hurriedly jumped back.
　Crono blocked the crimson gravel with his 'place', but his eyes flickered in front of him, probably because of the sting.

'Brother, are you alright!　You don't look okay!

　Crono fainted as he listened to Johnny's one-man rambling.

*

　Silver light flashes and the sound of clashing metal echoes.
　A burst of crimson light and an angry shout went off.
　Intense pain crawled up his side, and Crono remembered how he had failed to convince Snow.
　Why was he at a loss for words?
　Snow is an important subordinate.
　No, there isn't a single subordinate who isn't important.
　Is it not too late?　And Crono raised himself up.

''Well if you'd let me handle it, you wouldn't have been stabbed.
d*mn, that was after the hell.
It's not a very good line, sir.

　Crono spat, and Neige gave him a drawn-out smile.

Where's Leila?
You're doing well.

　Her eyes were misty from the bleeding.
　Narrowing her eyes, Leila looked sharply at the battle... although only Verna, Jonny and Snow were fighting....
　When she looked up slightly, she saw Neige's men standing on the edge of the roof.
　Apparently, Leila was planning to block the escape route and wear Snow down.

''It's absurdly tight!　What's three-dimensional?!
'If you have time to whine, keep up the attack!　I can't take it on my own!

　Johnny whines and Verna screams.
　Snow is toying with the two of them.
　They are moving in three dimensions, using the buildings blocking the three sides of the building.
　Perhaps it's because his agility is inferior, but Verna seems to be unable to take the same tactics.
　Crono stands up with pain, wondering if he should have asked Rio to help him.
　As if sensing a sign, Leila turns around and her eyes widen in surprise.

'Crono-sama, the doctor will be here soon. So please don't move.

　It's not a request to rest.
　I wonder if it's that deep, Crono looked down at his body and hurriedly averted his gaze.
　You shouldn't look.
　If you look at it, you'll be stuck.

'I haven't told you how I really feel yet.

　Crono let out an iron-smelling breath and looked at Snow.

'Jonny, Verna, back off!
Okay, okay!
I said, "Fit it!　I don't want to get stabbed because the timing isn't right!

　Jonny and Verna were away from Snow at the same time.
　But still, what kind of logic was Johnny using to fight Snow?

'Snow, you have to stop now.'
Oh, shut up!　We kill our enemies!　If you don't kill me, I'll be in a lot of trouble!

　Crono walks up to Snow with his arms outstretched as before.

'I'm not the enemy!　I wouldn't do anything terrible to Snow!
'You're lying!　We have to kill it, or it's all gone!

　Oh, Crono let his voice trail off.
　Surely that's what the world was like for Snow.

'So, I'm going to kill you!　Kill them!

　Suddenly, Snow's figure disappears.

'Brother!　Head!

　He hears Johnny's voice and tilts his head back.
　My shoulders are burning and blood gushes out.
　He looks back and doesn't see Snow there.
　He looks around and finds Snow stuck to the wall.
　Snow kicks the wall.
　His other shoulder scorches.
　You chase after Snow through the faint sounds, but you can't catch him.

'Brother, I'll help you right away!
Don't come here, Johnny!

　I shouted, but I didn't have time to look at Johnny.

'Die!　Die!
.....

　Blood gushes out every time something that looks like Snow passes by.
　It's as if I'm trapped in a cage.
　My vision is flickering.
　My whole body is burning.

"Die!
My brother!　Frontal!

　He activates the Mark and strengthens the 'field' to the maximum.
　Fierce sparks scattered and Snow appeared.
　Grabbing his shoulder, Snow looked up at Crono with moist eyes.

''Ha, let go!''
Magic bullet!

　The next moment Snow raised his knife, a crimson conglomerate snapped the blade halfway down.
　Verna unleashed her magic.

''Let me go, let me go, let me go!

　Snow cries out.
　But it seems he hasn't given up his will to resist, and sparks are crackling.

''I.....

　Suddenly the strength left his legs and Crono knelt there, leaning against Snow.

'I don't want to,'
What?

　Snow's eyes widened in surprise.

'I don't want Snow to kill someone,'
.....

　Crono is a commander and Snow is a soldier.
　I think I'm contradicting myself.

'Because, you know, I don't...'
I don't like it.

　I don't want a girl like Snow to kill people.
　I don't want them to be steeped in a value system that makes them feel like they deserve to hurt others.
　It's contradictory and hypocritical.
　But it's a true feeling.
　He patted Snow's head and fell to the ground.

'Master Crono?'

　When I looked up, I saw that Snow looked like she was about to start crying.



　When I wake up, I find myself in the mansion's bedroom.
　My body is lazy and my mind is fuzzy.
　I move my eyes only to check my surroundings.
　A woman was sitting beside the bed.
　She has droopy eyes and looks sleepy somehow.
　Although her face is childish, her limbs wrapped in unadorned robes are carnal.

''Oh my goodness, you're awake, aren't you?''

　The woman clasped her hands together in front of her chest and her mouth fell open.

'And you are?'
I'm sorry for my mistake. My name is Nam Korunu, leader of the 10th Kingsguard.

　Excuse me, and the woman........Nam Korunu leaned forward.
　Her breasts shook.
　She touches Crono's forehead with a soft smile on her face, whether she realizes she's looking at her breasts or not.

'You seem to have a bit of a fever. I would like to lower your fever with the Divine Majesty Technique...''

　Nam raised an apologetic eyebrow.

'It's enough that you've healed my wounds. God wouldn't be amused if I asked for too much.''
It's a very interesting thing to say.

　Nam sat down in his chair and chuckled.
　However, his eyes are not smiling.
　He is looking at Crono with eyes that seem to be stepping on prices.

''I'm sure you'll be fine now, but please don't push yourself too hard.

　Nam stood up slowly.
　His chest shook again as he stood up, leaning slightly forward.
　He must be up to something.
　It was probably because Crono's mind was dirty that he felt that way.

'I'll be back tomorrow, but if you need anything else, just call me.

　With that, Nam walked out of the bedroom.

''Well let's go to bed.''

　I close my eyes and that's when I hear a squeak.
　I opened my eyes to see if Nam had returned.
　Then Snow was staring at Crono through the doorway.

'Crono-sama, have you been sleeping?'
Is Snow okay?

　Yeah!　Snow nodded cheerfully and walked into the bedroom.
　Even though he hadn't decided what to do after protecting her, wouldn't there be a problem with not restraining her?
　Such a question snatched at his brain for a moment.
　Snow stood beside the bed and turned over apologetically.

'Crono-sama, I'm sorry.'
That's the hardest part about being a commander is that you can't get away with an apology.

　Crono chuckled.

'Does it hurt?'
More like lazy.

　Nam said something about being able to lower his fever, but he didn't want to shorten his life span by relying on the divine art.
　Snow climbed up on the bed and straddled Crono.

''Why are you straddling him?''
Master Crono can be so polite sometimes, can't he?

　Snow tilted her head curiously.

'Excuse me. I'm pretty tired, could you give me a break?

　Chet, Snow clicked her tongue prettily and got off the chrono.

'When is it okay?'
I'm afraid this is going to take a while.

　Snow's lips quirked up in frustration.

'Well, fine. I don't want to run off.'

　The images of Sue and Eryll snatched at my brain, but Crono didn't say anything.

''Bye, Crono-sama.''
Good night.

　I watch Snow leave the bedroom and then close my eyes.
　It's going to be awesome when I return to the Marquess of Erakis, but I decide not to think about it.