All the troops! --

　That was the moment when Kawachi's command began to echo.

　The destination of Kotori's gaze, with the anti-magic spear in hand, watching the time.
　It was not Masamune, but always Sufilia.

　Sufilia and Kotori.
　The two people's gazes were connected.

　Furthermore, the blue ring that they both wore on their left hand ring finger, even their consciousness was in sync with each other.
　Even though they were silent, they were able to talk to each other.

''Come on, Kotori-san, it's now!

　At the same time as Sufilia's signal was heard in her head, the little bird pressed the switch on the tube (tsutsu).

　A black spear tinged with anti-magic unfurled.
　She took a stance, and after strengthening her body with her skills, she threw the spear.

　In the progress report of the spear was the figure of Masamune.
　Behind her was the figure of Toa.

　The spear's trajectory was slightly off, but there was no problem.
　It's because Sufilia is operating with thin magic power.
　The spear thrown by the little bird was always scheduled to penetrate Masamune's body.

''Wave of Erosion [Disappearing Aura]!

　Masamune's body, he noticed, was in the center of a red-black sphere.
　It's an eroding force that can chip away at the earth.
　Masamune's back is to Toa to protect Toa, with a dim view that it was a little bird that threw it--.

''Gah! ..........

　Masamune realized that it was not just a spear, but he did not know that it was an object tinged with anti-magic and the effects of anti-magic.

　The spear easily slipped past the wave motion that was supposed to encroach on it, even the intent.
　The wave motion was completely ineffective against the spear and the magic did not work.

　After a few seconds, Masamune looked down at his own chest out of discomfort and realized that he was looking at his body with a hole in it.

''The spear...''

　The spear reached and penetrated Masamune's heart.

''Guh........''

　A few seconds later, Masamune fell to one knee.

　Of course, the healing magic has been exercised.
　The light green light at his chest is proof of that.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more information on this.
　A baffled soldier.
　It's not clear why Masamune is kneeling on his knees, holding his chest down.

''Toatrica-sama!''

　He heard Lisa's shout behind him.
　Masamune looked behind him as if he'd been caught off guard.

　It was calling for Toa's voice, "Get a grip! And Lisa's tense voice continues.

'....Toa?

　Masamune turned around, asking questions.

　And what he saw was Toa lying there with blood pouring from his mouth.

'What's this? ..........

　I didn't understand the situation.
　Why was Toa lying there wounded?

　But when he saw the figure of a black spear piercing the ground in the distance, Masamune understood the situation.

''Spear.........''

　The spear that had pierced his heart continued and shot through Toa's heart as well.
　It then stopped as it pierced deep into the ground.

　Masamune felt physical pain for the first time in a long time.
　He couldn't speak due to the intense pain.

'Toa? .....

　Masamune slowly walked up to Toa.
　He immediately applied healing magic to Toa's chest instead of himself.
　But the wound is not closed at all.
　In the meantime, blood is leaking out of his body.

''Why, so........''

　Following Toa, Masamune was in danger.

''........Masa, Mune.

　When Masamune managed to touch his hand, Toa's eyes opened slightly.
　A faint voice sounded like it was leaking out.

''Toa........''

　He tries to apply the healing magic again, but Toa's wound doesn't close up.

'Toa, get a grip.......Toa!

　I heard Lucius' voice, urgent.

'Lisa, the recovery spell!'

'I'm trying!　I'm trying, but...

　Masamune approached Toa as he fell on his back, moving to lie on his stomach.
　He manages to hold Toa's hand.
　Feeling his own death, he crawls on the ground to get even closer.
　He finally touched Toa's cheek.

'Toa.........'

　It's as if something unseen is refusing to be affected by magic.
　All magic makes no sense.

"This is ridiculous........this can't be, this can't be.......

　While Lucius's voice of "get a grip" could be heard faintly, Masamune could no longer see anyone but Toa.

　Sufilia's body was trembling as her hands swung to her lips.
　She should have been able to predict this scene.
　It was her own mental strength that misread it.
　The depths of her eyes were shaking.
　She doesn't want to run around to follow Lucius and Lisa.

'....Sorry, dear.

　Lying down, Toa said faintly.
　But that voice was a small one that no longer could be heard by anyone but Masamune.

'Toa, a.....

I've ruined you, haven't I?

What are you talking...

I didn't want you to kill me, I said I wanted you to...

　Toa had always regretted that moment when he had told the Masamune that he wanted Ignotus killed.
　As a result, Lagparos was now a more peaceful country than it had been when Ignotus had ruled by the Masamune.
　It had been transformed into a sunny country, with buildings lining the ground as well as the interior of the Great Pit.

　But for Toa, it came at the expense of Masamune's heart.
　It was he who changed the good man Masamune and forced him to intervene in the Jishi's bloodline and war.
　Toa has been carrying a regret that he can't confess for a long time.

'I shouldn't have said that........'

　Masamune had no idea what was being said.
　Because to him, the incident that Toa wanted him to kill was only a trivial matter.

''I'm sorry, come on...''

　Toa bleeding from her mouth.
　Tears spilled and ran down her skin.

'No I don't ... I don't ... I don't care.

　Masamune searched for the meaning of the Toa's words and realized.

'It wasn't the Toa's fault........'

I'm not sure...


　---- Toa had already taken his last breath.


　It was not Toa's fault.
　The Toa had died before he could tell them that Ignotus' death was his own decision.
　But Masamune himself was not the last person he wanted to have such a conversation with.

　More of a different, different story....

　But now, what was there to talk about?
　What should I have done to save Toa?

　--What should I have done?

　That's all that keeps going round and round in my head.

'It's a lie...'

　Lucius collapsed to his knees.

'The Toa ... my daughter can't be dead!

　Lucius' rage echoed at the gate.

''Toatrica-sama........''

　Lisa stopped moving as she stared hard at the lying Toa.

'Toa? .....

　Nem gently touched Toa's body and poked him as if he couldn't understand death.
　It was once Nem's gesture when he was still a child.

I don't like this!

　A transient thing.
　The mental shock of Toa's death had brought Nem's mind back to his childhood.

　Masamune gently traced his finger on Toa's cheek.
　But Toa's expression didn't change.
　He didn't feel the faint breeze when he breathed when he brought his face close to it.

''It ... can't be there.''

　This was not reality.
　It's a delusion or a dream of sorts, Masamune said, and he looked with hazy eyes at the sky, which was beginning to turn back to gray.
　The scene shows no signs of changing, and Masamune looks at Toa again, seeking hope.
　But there was something worse than gray, the despair of Toa's death.

　Sooner or later, when the sky returns to complete gray--.

'.........nothing has changed...............'

　Masamune denied everything he had ever done in his life.



*



　The time since I heard my voice in the future--

　The time since I started looking for a way to save Toa.
　All of this is turning into something useless, as if the sky were returning to gray.

　What was wasted--that is, the time before I jumped off the roof of the school building.

　He killed himself and came to another world.

　My hopes were dashed, but I got what I wanted.
　I met Sierra, I met Toa, I met Nem, I met Sufilia, I traveled....
　It's a miracle.

　I've made the world a better place by changing.
　My world.
　It should be.........

　But the next thing I know, there are still ashes in the sky....
　Nothing has changed from the world that has existed since before I flew down.
　There was neither before nor after, it was just the same time that had continued.

　Nothing has changed.........

　He looked right and left in his vision for answers, unable to settle, and then he stared at Toa again....

　Staring at the Toa.........

　I looked at the gray sky again.

　And the Toa...........


　----.


　But there is no way it can end like this.

　I know now.........
　The future me was talking about this moment.

''Ku........buh-hah.......''

"Masamune-kun.

I heard Lucius-san's deflated voice.
Has this person already given up?

''Lucius, Mr.........''

　I shouted my last voice and asked Lucius-san for help.
　When I appealed with my eyes, Lucius-san seemed to understand my heart, and he supported my body.



Help?

　I turn the pages of the book in my brain, having drilled it into my head so much that I hate it.

　The title of the book is - Death and Life's Foolishness and Deception.

　I followed the contents of the book I had memorized and began chanting my magic.

'You'd better not do that, okay?'

　Suddenly, he called out to me.
　It was a ridiculous tone of voice, as if he was making fun of what he was about to do.

'Shupi, Luman.........'

　That annoying man was standing there.
　In his hand, he was holding a black spear that had been stuck in the ground in the distance earlier.

"Amadeus-kun........no, Masamune-kun. That magic won't give you the results you want, will it?

....

What do you know about what?　Of course I know that. Because I'm the one who invented that magic.

　What did he just say?

What did you say? ..........

　But the one who was even more surprised than me was Lucius.

'Da-ka-ra!　Because I invented it. --The taunts and deceptions of death and life, aren't they?

What are you talking about?

Calm down, Lucius. What's a demon race as big as yours getting upset about, demon king?

You're going to tell me you're a rogue, aren't you?

　Lucius's voice trembled.

'You want to say?　Ha ... no, no, no. Not at all. In fact, I'm the Rogue Joker Rabbits. Reincarnated, in this body.

"Reincarnation...

'Oh. The experiment was a success!　This body belongs to the Spillman, but its consciousness belongs to the Rogue Joker Rabbits. But I will at least live as Spillman for the Spillman who gave me this body without my consent to make amends.

What the hell are you talking about...

To Mr. Lucius' question, "Nihi! Spielmann laughed.

'Once again. Nice to meet you! --It's Spielmann! .....

　Lucius-san was still supporting me, looking as if he was shaking with anger.

''Rogue.........''

　--Rogue Joker Rabbits.

　I heard that name before from Mr. Lucius.
　He was an old sub-human friend of Mr. Lucius' and, above all, the author of that "Fools and Deceptions of Death and Life".
　His name was also mentioned in the book.

　The magic described in this book was invented by a rogue, and Lucius-san helped him a little in that process....

'Lucius, let me tell you why your daughter's wound didn't heal. It's this--

　Spielman - the rogue showed the black spear he was holding.

'You don't remember this black blade, do you?'

................black sword?

'Yes. This is the best magic tool that you and I made that day, the black sword - regardless of magic or skill, it just doubles and amplifies something as simple as power. A single thrust with it will chop up the target's entire body in an instant. When you light it, in an instant, the entire area will turn into a sea of fire.

　Mr. Lucius looked away, as if he regretted it.

'Look, Lucius, something with that kind of ability, and look, Lucius, Johanssen's anti-magic powers have been applied to it!

　Rogue said as the child spluttered with the gift in hand.

'Anti-magic?'

In the olden days, there was a kingdom of dwarves and elves in Banome. A dark magic, anti-magic, was created by Johanssen, the Dwarf king's tribe, in order to eradicate the elves, who were the king of a forest at the time. But when he was about to destroy them, humans attacked both countries. So the two nations were destroyed, and the Horde was scattered across the continent. And their knowledge of anti-magic was with them. The last people seen were called Goldim or something like that.

I don't care!

　Mr. Lucius shouted at him.

　But I understood the story.
　Anti-magic I don't know anything about that.

　But I don't care about that anymore.
　I don't care why I couldn't heal the wound........

''d*mn--!

Masamune!

　I resumed my chanting.

'Oh my God, you don't listen to me at all, do you? I told you it was impossible.

'Masamune, there's no point in doing that!　That magic is....

　Rogue's stunned expression.........

　I don't know.........

　I don't know.........

　I don't know.....

　But for me, it's all I have left! --.

Mr. Lucius....

..........

I'm going to bring Toa back to life and that's it.

　Chanting--.

"/Transfer of Life (Anima Animus)...

　As if some kind of gravitational force worked, Lucius-san was blown away from me.

''Gu--Masamne-kun! --

　Losing support, I fell to my knees in place.
　The light silently surrounded me and Toa, who was left behind.
　A circle of light - it appeared to envelop us.

　Several circles of light overlapped and spun around in a circle.
　The afterimage had created a sphere there.

　I hadn't noticed it because I was only looking up.
　Suddenly, a group of small, palm-sized clowns appeared around me.
　They were holding hands and circling me and Toa in a circle.
　The clowns are spinning around again and again in time to the sounds that seem to be coming from the circus.

　As they turn around--.

'A fine line between dying and living!　It's a fine line between dying and living!

　He sings a funny phrase repeatedly.

　This is the magic of giving one's life to a subject in the form of a transfer.
　That's what it says in the book.
　The fact that it was in a forbidden book in Heilkwaite's forbidden library suggests that it must be a form of forbidden magic.
　You know, after this spell, I will die.

　But sooner or later.
　And I'll....

　Another clown appeared above my head.
　A slightly larger clown than the one dancing around me.

'Then let the games begin!　Its name is a paper-thin game of die and live!

　In the midst of his fuzzy and now interrupted consciousness, he heard the voice of a joking clown.

　The clown was wearing a slot around his neck.
　There is a lever.
　Pull it and three lanes turn in style........
　It's a very ordinary slot.

''Ar you lady?''

　The clown asked.

　He didn't have time to think about it anymore.
　When the lever was pulled, the three patterns began to rotate.
　Meanwhile, the clown let out an annoying voice, "Guru-guru-guru.

''If you get an angel, the transfer is complete, otherwise I'll just take your life, I can't transfer it!

Okay..........

Now, a fine line between dying and living, a fine line between dying and living!

　A chorus of little clowns around us.
　The slots gradually slowed down....

"Boom!


　That moment. The slot exploded...


...Heh?

　Bright red blood and guts of some sort stick to my face.
　They don't belong to anyone else, they've popped out of the slot.

　Toa's face and body are also wet with red, and the clowns watch the scene with laughter.
　They are lying down, flapping their legs and holding their bellies laughing.

'What the hell is this........'

Yes, that's it!

　With that, the clown in front of me held up his index finger in front of my face.

'Unfortunately, it failed, so I'll just take your life, right?　Buh-ha! --I mean, she couldn't come back from the dead, right?　Buh-ha-ha-ha-ha!　You're dead!　Don't live under your illusions!　You're dead! ----

'Toa..........'

　

　I remembered Lucius-san's words.
　This isn't what I thought it was........

　Finally, my eyelids fell quietly.

　I'm going to die again.........

　In that case, it would have been better if I had died then....