Around the time Ars's figure disappeared completely behind him as he moved away, and even the sound that had been echoing disappeared, Loki rapidly slowed down.
　You must never miss it. A magician would definitely be able to notice it.
　There was no way that he, a hundred warriors, would not notice it. Still, he hadn't noticed it.

　Because it had been calling to us ever since we landed here.

　In silence, Loki began to walk. He doesn't even glance aside at the several forks in the road, his gait as if he knows the structure well.


　But for once, just briefly, Loki was forced to stay where he was.

　He did well. He held on well.
　A voice that seemed to comfort himself loomed up with an inner shudder.

　Even if I grit my teeth and keep my expression fixed, all sorts of emotions come together between my eyebrows. The wrinkles of grief carved into her face had turned her face into something inexplicably sad.
　Her heart is torn.

　Loki tightened his grip around his heart over his clothes to quell the strong palpitations that resembled a seizure.

　"Since when in the world?" there was no point in asking himself such a question.
　The slightest discomfort showed signs of breaking as a break. In that moment, I felt like I knew something fearless in Loki.

　A physical malfunction?

(No!)

　The contents of Ars were already broken. I had made up my mind not to force him to do so, but it was too late.
　If I had known, I would not have let Ars go towards this place. Even though he knew it was a resistance that could never be met, Loki would have tried to stop it.

　I'm not a fan of my own pettiness, which surges in like a wave.

　The body of a human being - more specifically, a body that possesses magical power as a magician - is equivalent to a state where the gears are interlocked without a flaw. It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.
　The warped gears would never match, and the current Ars seemed to be turning them forcefully. Countless cogs are screaming and only slightly moving the whole thing around........

　It's not that they shouldn't be forced, but they shouldn't be forced to do anything more.

　For Loki, who had sworn to put his full trust in him, even his life, the exchange of a few words or two pointed out a clear red light.

''But.........''

　Yes, I looked up and Loki's eyes hadn't given in yet. He asked me to support him.

'I don't need to be told.

　There is a determination in Loki that he has never forgotten, even for a moment, since he decided to be by his side. Then, as long as he is around, as long as he lives in this world, Loki's core will never be broken.



　There is no way he can put any effort into the melody of a scarce word.
　An anomaly that he himself is not aware of. It's not a physical breakdown, based on Ars's reaction, it must definitely have something to do with magic power. Magical power is a large part of defining an individual in that person.
　It's a direct result of the state of mind.

　Think of it as everyone having a thick pipe that connects their direct mind and magic power to each other. A number of magic power channels are stretched out. It's not confirmed, but it's a well-known fact that they are said to be affected by the state of mind.
　There are various ways to tighten the valves of the pipes.
　It is a technique of controlling the mind, or a strong mental strength, and there is plenty of room to train. It is not perfect, but a mage has the art of restraint and preparation for any situation he encounters.

　If it's Ars, naturally........

(No.........Al has protected himself by blocking out.)

　With a pale face, Loki was belatedly reminded.
　Ars, who had protected his mind with a strong shell, was probably why he had risen to the highest peak. He has not turned away from so many deaths, but has rejected them. Individualism to not be entrusted, to not be burdened with.....

'Al was aware!　No, what I've noticed is a change in myself.

　The little time spent at the academy has transformed Ars. Loki knows this, too. Loki knows this better than anyone else because he has been there and seen it happen.
　He was glad that the old Ars had changed, but he was still him in a fundamental way.

　But that was the biggest oversight.
　Why the military wouldn't put an immature child on the front lines of the outside world in the first place. It's a matter of the heart.
　They are defenseless against death.

　There are ways to face it individually as self-defense, but with an unstable, immature child, it often breaks down. They are shattered to the point of not being able to revive with the wisdom of magic.


　While trying not to think about it, Loki's steps keep a steady rhythm, as if his thoughts are interlocked with his own as he moves onward.
　Inside the deposit, the first thing you have to notice is the unnatural mix of magical power.
　The expression "magic power" was closer to a more sensory object. The flow of wind that was directed at Ars and Loki as they descended to this level, the vast amount of magic power that was stagnant. A willful magic power that drifted faintly in the impurity-free energy.

　A thin, smoky magic power was inviting us.


　The further you go, the more you become aware of the sender's existence.
　It's a strange sensation that's not like a demon.
　It's hard to determine that it's a demon, even though it's not the kind of magic power that is emitted by humans.

　It's a very strange sensation. It's a little different from the unique magic power of demons tainted with a nauseating sense of evil.
　It's not as if the information of emotions, which is only allowed to humans, is embedded in it.

　Maybe it's because there's a high probability that there's a felinella in this hierarchy, or maybe it's because my preconceptions have led me to think so unconsciously.
　Surely such a premonition made Loki feel that the rescue of Felinella was near.


　You'll be able to find out if you're going to be able to get the job done within the "thirty minutes" limit promised to Arus.
　Loki reversed his earlier opinion. The mission to keep them from fighting in vain must be reversed.
　As long as the rate was not as high as it was on the upper floors from the way Ars was looking so far, there should be no hindrance to some fighting.

　We should be more vigilant........
　Unknowingly, the damage caused by the disappearance of the shell that was protecting my heart.

(That should be due to the outside world that went with Fia-san and Alice-san.......Al thought he was instructing them tightly......but....

　He thought about it, just in case........
　Ars understands better than anyone else in his head. So much so that there is no need to preach about the ruthlessness of the outside world.
　That's why they diverge with their heads and hearts.


Huh?

　After a while, Loki's nerves sharpened even more as he was able to perceive his opponent's guidance more.
　There was no need to think about it anymore.
　She had made the decision in her mind as soon as she and Ars had parted ways.
　The abstinence passed at super speed. Her regret and anxiety would have been dealt with in the time leading up to her decision. As support....no, Loki had already made the choice to protect Ars.

　The pride of having lived only for him did not cause Loki to hesitate.
　Not for myself, but for him.
　It's a priority that won't change throughout my life, no matter how many times Ars chides me for it. That's why I don't hesitate, and I don't hesitate to tell lies.

　The invisible smoke, which could be considered a line of magic power, was gradually turning into a darker and more ink-colored color.
　At this point, there is no doubt that it is magical power. However, even if we got closer and found out that it was the monster class as well as the 【Selketo】 on the upper floor, it didn't clear our doubts about the magic power information.

　Rather, it could even be said that it deepened further.

　Something snatched at Loki's vision as he stopped in his tracks. I'm not going to be able to get to know you better, but I'm going to be able to tell you that I'm going to be able to help you.
　All the way back it moved as if it were being sucked into a hole in the wall. No, what Loki saw faintly was a much larger mass. It was like a ghost, penetrating the wall, leaving a shimmering curtain behind.

　The tension that ran down my spine dampened my hands before I even realized it.
　I felt like my heart had been grabbed. A forced, quickening breath.

　However, only the same strong will resided in Loki's eyes.
　Is it fortunate that he had once seen a monster up close and personal? Maybe the strange formula engraved on his arm had ironically made him more resistant to it.

　Lack of crisis perception - I guess you could call it paralysis, but even so, I could only avoid being unable to move now.
　What I couldn't solve was only the pressure and amount of magic power, there was no instinctive rejection like that [Jormungand].

''Whew!''

　Loki let out a shaky breath, "I'm still calling for you," he said, switching his attention to the situation. From here on, we must approach the matter with an even greater sense of urgency.
　First of all, check the situation.
　In addition to identifying the demon, we also need to confirm the survival of Felinella.
　Gathering information is the first thing to do.

　However, Loki found himself raising an inspiring voice in his chest.

(Don't worry, I'll help Felinella ... help ... help ... and it'll work.)

　After imprinting a curse-like purpose on the quickening heartbeat, Loki takes the other party's invitation. It would also be necessary to keep 【Force】 on standby to activate it as well, so that it can take off at any time.
　First of all, a glance.....then we have to make a decision.

　Was the emotion like an excuse, was there still a feeling of guilt for lying to Ars?

　Quietly, yet swiftly, he followed. The target scraped through the walls, but left deliberate traces in the several holes. A stream of vanishing magic pointed in one direction.

　Then Loki found an empty and eerie room 《pocket》. Even if he looked at it for a bit, it didn't feel like a natural creation there. It wasn't a rounded, irregular dome like the one he saw on the upper floor, but a square space that had been calculated.
　Some clean sections of mithril that looked like they had been cut off could also be recognized.

　Inside the deposit, Loki had come across such a sensory-distorting scene.

(Continued at the back here.) I can't spend much time on it.)

　I peeked at the edge of the entrance with my face slightly out, but I couldn't see beyond it because my vision was blurred.
　It was probably due to the influence of mithril, but the black wind-like magic was definitely the main cause.

　Loki holds the knife between his left hand and his right hand around his waist and grips the [Gekka].
　Preparations for making immediate disengagement possible. Yes, at this stage, Loki had grasped the difference in strength between him and his opponent.

''If we fight them properly, they will kill us.''

　With a small overflow, Loki still took a step or two into the room to check.
　Immediately afterwards, the black wind that had been obstructing his vision so much suddenly cleared and blew like a spider's spawn to the corner of the room 《pocket》.

''Ah, ah.........''

　Loki let out an inarticulate voice as the tip of the charcoal-like wind that had been removed - the whole thing was in sight.
　The knife slipped from his hand and made a high-pitched sound.
　Why now, he couldn't help but wonder.
　Instead of trembling lips, my head was stained with a single color.

(Da, meh, no, no, no.......................This is going to break Al.

　Loki's body was trembling as he refused with his whole body. It wasn't that he was afraid of the demon, he didn't want to see Ars seeing this.
　He shouldn't let Ars see this much right now. That much was for sure.

　I opened my mouth to gasp, but I couldn't spin my voice at the shocking sight. The voice I quickly squeezed out of my head was reverberating in my brain as a strong warning bell.

　In Loki's mind, the option of leaving this place has already been crushed. Of course, there was no way to report to Ars.

　Gulping hard on his face, Loki lowered his eyes and closed his mouth.
　With a single word, as if spitting blood, Loki called out the name of the known. One of the few who had shared his human-like time with him. The name of a precious woman who had been able to touch his heart, albeit only briefly, in the difficult life he had lived.

'Miss Felinella,'