--the smell of burning.

　Time in the royal city of Razhuisen has stopped for two years now.
　I heard it from the rumors in the wind, I believe it was a single article. Saeki attacked with a legion of holy knights, and afterwards, a pillar of fire was raised throughout the royal capital. I don't know the details. Is it the work of Saeki, or is it something else? Is it a demon, a witch or an observer? A human being?

　Near the half-destroyed main gate. Even though it is half destroyed, the defensive wall that remains unbroken is pitch black and looks as if it might collapse if it were to be poked. There was not a trace of the gate.

"What do you think," an observer asked blandly.

'What do you think...'

You know who did this?

Come on.

'That's the difference between the Observer and the King of the Abyss,' said the Observer. 'This is the work of Saeki Kenta.

What's up, Saeki?

'He took advantage of his automata technology and covered his entire body with steel prosthetic hands and legs. He told the Grayberg technicians to make the lower half of his body look like a spider's leg, an appearance of instant disgust to anyone who saw it. He wore scorpion claws on his right hand and a prosthetic hand that resembled a human hand on his left. The fact that he retained some of his humanity is a sign of his own hope. It wasn't a clear idea. Saeki was left-handed. He dreamed of one day using his left hand to touch his daughter and his wife's cheek again. Before he died, I dreamed about it every day.

You look like me.

Do you still dream?

....

That's the difference between a man and the King of the Abyss. You haven't dreamed since. Because you never sleep.

Tell me why you brought him here. We'll put you back in your cage if you're bored.

'You don't have to go back, you'll always be in a cage. You have no intention of getting out of it, in fact, you don't even want to get up. You're sitting on the ground. The door is always open, even though it was never locked in the first place.

You're a depressing person. That's what people do.

'Four years ago, Saeki's routine disappeared. Since then, he wished for revenge and destruction. The result is this. Saeki planted a bomb in his body and received an audience with King Arnold. It activated as soon as his heart stopped and the pillar of fire rose from the royal castle. O King of the Abyss. At least in that moment, Saeki was not in the cage.

　An observer walks out unexpectedly. He passes through the main gate and enters the royal capital.
　As I look at the scorched city streets, they overlap with the images in my memory, on their own.
　Sharon is talking with the adventurers at a shop. Across the street is the Adventurer's Guild. When I look inside, there is a gathering place and it is crowded with people. A yogi is waving a mug in both hands. The adventurers around him are laughing at the sight of him with a beer spilled from his mug on his head. The noise is getting more and more comfortable, and I naturally smile as well. The Toa, Nem, Sufilia, Sierra... they were all laughing, and before I knew it, they were holding mugs in their hands.

　After a short walk, we came to the central square. As I recall, I drank juice with Toa on a bench at that end.

'Hidaka Masamune--'

　When he heard voices, the landscape had returned to its original scorched earth. A wasteland of nothing but blackened rubble.
　The observer pointed to the top of the country.

''... stairs?''

　On the hill of Rathhausen once stood a royal castle. And between the castle and the magnificent white gate that served as the entrance, there was a long grand staircase. Every visitor and comer to and from the castle passed through that staircase. It was spacious enough to be visible from the town, and next to the castle, it was symbolic.

　--the great white staircase was visible on the hill.

　It began at the end of the molten, curved gate and seemed to go on forever, past the ruins of the royal castle and up into the sky.
　The staircase is said to lead to the Pleiades. It is said that beyond that, there is a dwelling place for this guy called the 'Hidden Room'.

I've been observing humans for a long time now. "I've observed humans many times in my life, but I've never liked them. I don't like humans. I dislike them. Disgusting.

'Wasn't the observer supposed to be a noble being, talking like a human being?

The sublime is out of the question.

　I felt a presence and looked next to him and saw Romero there.
　It's an uncomfortable combination. Romero was a former observer, but he was also an outcast by an observer.
　As I was wondering, Romero said, as if he had guessed, "The world deserves to exist.

'The world is unified by what deserves to exist, he said. And I thought I should be, too.

The answer to that is a no-wind belt.

'It's a misunderstanding. Nowadays, man himself is windless. An existence that has lost its independence has no meaning. You see, the existence of the Windless Zone in Greiberg is inevitable. Even if he does not summon it, the Windless Zone will eventually cover all of Bannome. And the windless zone will spread outside of the continent as well. The present day is already a world of demons.



*



　The two of us began to climb the white stairs, step by step, as if they were leading to a peach garden. Romero calls out to me as I stop in front of the stairs, "Your Majesty, let's go".
　I feel cheated - I'm not one to obey demands that start with that one word.

　A high-pitched roar is heard and a black dragon passes overhead. Flames rained down and we were bathed in them all at once.
　We swept it away with our arms to remove the fire from our sight.
　Immediately after the observer pointed to the flying Carpent, something like a stake suddenly and instantaneously protruded from the blue sky. It penetrates from the black dragon's back to its belly.

''Carpent-sama!

Go, Ichijo.

　I hear a conversation from above the sky.
　I saw a shadow of something jumping down from the dragon's back and it landed right in front of me and Romero. It was Ichijo.
　Sprinkling blood spray like lame, the Carpent fell into the distant forest.

　We faced each other wordlessly.

'What do you mean?'

　Ichijou makes an overtly angry face.
　He shifts his gaze far behind Ichijo and asks the observer on the stairs far away, "What do you mean? I told him to explain instead.
　Romero replies, "I'll explain it to you. Ichijo interrupts him, "I'm asking you, Hidaka-kun! I shouted angrily.

'He wants to make me the next observer, you know, me.

Don't be silly.

　I heard whispers that sounded like they were shaking with rage.

You're kidding me!　You can't save any of them, you're going to turn away from the hard stuff, turn away from the hard stuff, and run away to the end like that!

　With Ichijou's back to the heat flying, Romero gave a thin, cryptic smile and went up the stairs again.
　I walked past Ichijo and went up the stairs too.
　A voice immediately flies up my back.

'I didn't keep you alive because I wanted to save you!

Well, you're right. You're not that much of a softie, either.

'I'm not a hypocrite. I didn't kill you because I thought you were still worthy of being used, because I thought you were the only one who could save this world anymore. Because I couldn't even stop the demon invasion!

Yeah, I know.

Do you know what the situation is with Greberg now?

It's a no-wind zone.

Windless zone? And Ichijo didn't seem to know.

'They say humans are dying,'

　Ichijo's eyes looked at Romero and the distant observer, as if seeking an answer. 'So that's what you mean,' stammered Ichijo, aghast.

'You're okay with that. You tried to leave the beastmen and demons alone.'

　I certainly tried to leave it behind. But I don't even know what that means anymore.
　I can't remember what I was thinking about two years ago, and I can't remember now.
　Four years have already passed since I forgot to breathe.

'The present day is already a world of demons,'

　Whatever he was thinking about, Ichijou drew his sword. It's a golden, brave man's sword.

'Hey, hey, what are you going to do about that?

　He ignored my question and suddenly slashed at me. With a skilled sword.
　In a flowing sword technique, he said, "《Explosion King's Extreme 《Explosion Machina》! With the blasting attribute in the tsurugi, Ichijo unleashes his fighting spirit and slashes at you. It is elusive and seamless as the flower petals dance. And powerful. He is truly a brave man.

''I heard that Saeki has escaped from his cage.

....

I think it's time for me to get out of the cage, too.

''Well what does that have to do with you becoming an observer? It looks like the opposite, King of the Abyss!

　From Ichijou's armless left shoulder, something golden grew out. As if we abyssal masters were controlling a red-black existence, Ichijo's was molded into the shape of a human arm and became a left arm.
　I catch Ichijo's sword as it slashes into the air with the Humanism Blade. At the moment of contact, a wind pressure was created that made me lose my balance and arch my back. The recoil was so great that we both let go of our swords.
　Quickly, Ichijo's fist plunged into my left cheek. I turned it right back on.
　We were barren for a while after that. A hapless exchange of blows ensued.

"The lightning bolt of divine destiny, Saber Lightning!

　As soon as Ichijou said that, countless golden swords rained down from the sky, and they concentrated on my left arm.
　I'm not going to be the only one who can do that.

I'm going to have to say goodbye to you," grinned Ichijo.

　It's an irritating grin.
　I grabbed Ichijo's right arm and said, "Well, I'll take that right arm too - "The Spawn of Repentance (Parturé Pigma)!
　Ichijou seemed to have instantly done something to his right arm, which was bumpy and swollen. There was a single flashing light, and the effects of the magic flowed from his right arm to his fake left arm. Instead, the left arm burst off, and Ichijou was left with only his right arm, the same as mine.
　And then they formed a golden left arm and a red-black left arm, respectively--.

　In the midst of a collision that made the air tremble, Ichijou's eyes run with blood. Serious killing intent. I couldn't help but laugh at that because it was somewhat funny.

''Humans, we can do it all over again!

Dead men don't come back. The rest of the Greeberg survivors should have been wiped out by now. You should have stopped the windbreaker first, not me.

　I could see behind Ichijo's grim expression.

'I can see that. You're reasonable, you know. You've abandoned the rest of us, haven't you, the rest of us?

....

'I know why, you can go back to Greberg now. But you won't, you don't have the power to stop the no-wind zone. It will spread across the Bannome, across the sea, and to other continents. And when that happens, there will be no more Greberg. Human regeneration will be impossible.

　Ichijo gritted his teeth in frustration. It was as if he didn't try to hide it, which was the purest thing about this guy.

'You thought rationally and left the last humans in Vanome to die. You're used to living here, you've noticed the discomfort of the lack of wind. But you preferred to meet me.

It was a tough decision but I was still willing to try again.

'Yes. That fine judgment of yours will be talked about among the humans of Bannome.

I don't enjoy being sarcastic.

It's fun.

"You don't want a second chance!

　Ichijo's voice swirled up into the sky and spread out, bouncing in the heavens.
　The acrimonious conversation was over.

　Even the barren conversation was disgusting enough to make the hurt sting. Every time Ichijou lashes out with his words in an attempt to persuade me, I can't help but make fun of him. I'm not going to take it head on. That's the limit.

　I stare blankly into the distance. A crack in the mountain range leading to Artemias - an ant-like shadow that seemed to be a swarm of demons was leaking out of the mountain path.
　Ichijo noticed it too, but said nothing.
　Both Radshausen and Grayberg are now a den of demons. If the windless zone spreads across the great forest, the demons will die. That would end the vanome completely. If it spreads to the west, the beastmen will die.

I ask you again... Have you ever thought of starting over?

　The question of the past system says it all. Ichijo finally realized that he, too, had finally come to his senses.

　The next thing he knew, Romero and the observer were standing a few steps away, side by side. 'That's enough,' the observer asked Ichijo. But the person in question made no answer.
　Ichijo sat down halfway down the stairs, as if he had lost his motivation.

　Then a few moments of silence passed. We didn't say a word, as if we were just before we parted, and the two guys behind us didn't say anything either.
　Ichijo kept his back to us and looked up at the sky for a while.
　Then he said in a whisper.

'You're a lazy bastard.'