'Miss Ellie, calm down!　Ellie-san.........!

　Elitia grabs her sword and tries to jump out of the way, unable to hide behind Alfeca's shadow. Igarashi-san joins her from behind, and Melissa cooperates to barely stop her, but Elitia still watches the butterflies flying around her.

''Elitia, what the hell........''

　I gulped when I saw the look on her face. It wasn't hostility or anger that was there.

　--Elitia's lips trembled and she was frightened.

''No........that's not how.......neither Arihito nor Suzuna would be scared of me......''

　The license shows that "Blue Butterfly" used a skill called "Guilty Feel". It doesn't even show what happened to Elitia - I know it's a terrible thing, but I have no choice but to ask her.

'I've never been afraid of Elitia, I've never been afraid of her. And there's absolutely no way that's going to change now.
"...I know...but the truth is...

　Elitia doesn't look at me, but instead turns her back to me, with Igarashi-san holding her in his arms.

'Maybe it's hard to just say the words, but believe me, I want you to believe me. I'm not afraid of Elitia. If you lie to me, then........
"Beyond that, the less said the better. "Contractor, consider carefully the events leading up to this point.

　The vision of Alphecca, the incarnation of the wheel, appears on the palanquin - and advises me.

That meant that she attacked a neutral enemy, and her karma went up...)

'That butterfly is inviting the explorers to raise their karma... perhaps they have the ability to engage in karma.
Then why is Ellie the only one...?

　The other members didn't attack that butterfly on their own. Why is the butterfly targeting only Elitia and not using 'Guilty Feel' on us - is it a coincidence or is there a solid reason?

''........Because I have committed a crime.
Elitia, please calm down. You're a dead man if you keep this up.

　Melissa's voice was unassuming as usual, but she clearly articulated her fears. Even so, Elitia's consciousness was still trapped in the blue butterfly.

''........I have to understand before the enemy sets something up for me. Elitia........That blue butterfly has used the skill called 'Guilty Feel'. What the hell happened to Elitia?
'You don't have to talk about it if it's hard for you but if you do, I'll do my best to help you. I may not have the strength to do it myself.

　In response to Igarashi-san's speech, Elitia relaxes from her hand holding the sword. And without looking back at me, she said in a small voice.

Because........I heard everyone's voice.......

　--who could stay calm after being told that?

　Even though the blue butterfly used the skill on Elitia, her karma did not go up. It was different from saying that he used the 'Trickster' to cover up the activation of the skill like Gray did.

''........You mean you only stimulated the guilt (guilty feel)? That doesn't raise your karma, that's just sophistry.
Rear....

　We all do. We can live in relationships where we can only see one side of another person and still try to believe in them, so we can live.

　We are truly afraid of Elitia. If you take advantage of such a weakness and make them attack you - if you call it karma (karma).

"Fine ... if that's the rule, I'll go along with it.

　Karma is the embodiment of the laws that the explorers of the labyrinth nation abide by. If you go up, you will be bound by the Guild Saber and receive some sort of penalty.

　Sirone had encountered that butterfly while his karma was up, and then cut off his tracks. In other words, it would be dangerous for Elitia to fight with her karma raised. He should first think about leaving this place once - but.

'I cannot escape from this fog until I can lift it in some way. And I can't move the wheel ... if I do, I'll touch that butterfly.'

'Yeah, we'll take care of it here. That big butterfly wasn't labeled as 'neutral', so it's not like we can't attack it...
Mr. Ellie?

　Current Situation
　- "Elitia" is "? Attack on "Blue Butterfly W

　Jumping out from behind Alfeca, Elitia tries to slash at the blue butterfly - I can't let him raise his karma any more.

''--Eritia, don't take me up on my invitation!

　Current Situation
　Aricht activates 'Support Exaltation 1' → Elitia's morale increases by 13.
　Elitia uses its morale to recover from "Confusion".



　Current Situation
　Aricht activates 'Support Recovery 1' → Elitia's health is restored.

　I activate 'Support Recovery 1' in the hope that it will make me feel a little better - I was fortunate that I was able to stay on with my morale consumption, but I also wanted to reassure Elitia as much as possible.

'Me and everyone else will never hurt Elitia. Trust me.........!
I ... I ... I'm not going to doubt it again either ... but ... but ...
"-Rearly-kun, we have to do something to bring that butterfly down.......or else we won't even be able to bring Sirone back, let alone us.......!

　'Pity Phantom Winged Butterfly' is not labeled as neutral. However, when I attacked it, I couldn't shake the suspicion that my karma would go up by ignoring it, now that I've done so.

(What happens if karma goes up I can't even take a gamble if it's a deadly one. If I can't be sure I can launch an attack on him ... or is it something else?　How to attack without raising karma........)

"Rearward, what is that big butterfly doing...!

　Current Situation
　Pity Winged Butterfly activates Clear Tentacles → Target: Elitia

　The wings of the Winged Butterfly float in the sky, bathed in moonlight, emitting a faint light. In the next moment, I felt an unspeakable chill and screamed.

Elitia, run away!
H..........?

　Elitia tries to fly backwards as soon as my voice reaches her - but she can't get there in time.

　A swarm of blue butterflies leaves Elitia and an invisible violence strikes her.

'Wahhhhhhhh!
Theon..........

　Current Situation
　Sion activates Covering → Target: Elitia
　Aricht activates 'Support and Defense 1' → Target: Theon
　Theon is hit by the Invisible Tentacle, damaging the Hound's Leather Vest.

Caw...!
Sion-chan...!

　Unable to mitigate the damage with 'Supportive Defense', Sion is flung off - 30% of his total strength is taken away. Even the armor on his body was partially broken.

　On top of being able to attack on the ground from that altitude, it's almost impossible to see in this fog - the only thing that was barely visible in the 'hawk's eye' was the outline of a huge, transparent arm-like shape.

''Grrrr...!
Theon, retreat!　Everyone be careful, those butterflies will attack you at long range and you can barely see them.......!
"They only attack the enemy and we can't do anything...?　That's against the rules...!

　Igarashi-san is indignant - I feel exactly the same way. No matter what they do, their karma doesn't go up, and if we were to go up, even if we were able to defeat the 'Phantom Winged Butterfly', our members' karma would still be in an elevated state.

　However, I slide my eyes to the display of the license and I understand.

　◆Current Situation ◆
　The karma of "Winged Butterfly of Pity" has increased.
　Pity Winged Butterfly activates Tranquility of Innocent → Terrain Effect: Karma gradually decreases.

　As Sion 'covered' the attack aimed at Elitia, the karma of the 'phantom winged butterfly' rose. Immediately after that, the situation of the 'Phantom Winged Butterfly' changes again - it emits a sound like a high frequency, which gradually becomes smaller and less audible.

''........What's happening?''
'The enemy also raised his karma when he attacked Zion. They're trying to bring it down.
'It's not good for that butterfly if his karma stays up...?

　If Melissa was right, it might be possible to block the action by raising the karma of 'Phantom Winged Butterfly'.

　If Elitia's elevated karma would also be lowered by the terrain effect, then the blue butterfly would no longer use 'Guilty Feelings' - it wasn't going to happen.

''.........No.......Aricht isn't afraid of me.......no........'' ...

　Current Situation
　'? Blue Butterfly D activates Guilty Feel → Target: "Elitia

　--Is Elitia's karma not fully down, or does 'Guilty Feel' have nothing to do with karma?

What I have to do now is.......!

　There's only one way to make the attack reach the "phantom winged butterfly" floating at that altitude. It's a big risk, but we have to save Elitia as soon as possible - that's why.

"Sorry guys I'm going to have to be a little reckless. When that butterfly gets down to altitude, point it there...!
Rear-end man!
Huh...!

　Current Situation
　Aricht activates Backstand → Target: Winged Butterfly of Pity

　My consciousness was momentarily interrupted and the landscape changed - I was thrown out of gravity and I was behind the 'phantom winged butterfly'.

(Murakumo........can't get out now.......!

"Warn the master. Striking a major blow against this demon is a risk.

　There's only a limited amount of time when I can pull the Murakumo out - even when she doesn't recommend it herself, which means I can't ask for help.

　Even so, I must go and do the maximum damage possible on my own, to the extent possible. In order to lower the altitude of 'Phantom Winged Butterfly' as much as possible.

''--Fall!

　Current Situation
　Aricht activates the Force Shoot Freeze.
　Pity Winged Butterfly activates Flare Division and changes the target of Aricht's attack.
　- "Force Shoot Freeze" is "? Three Blue Butterflies are hit. A weakness attack, freezing.
　'? Defeats 3 Blue Butterflies. Aricht's karma increases.

d*mn it...!

　The body of the Winged Winged Butterflies disappears as if it were shaking, and then moves - the ice magic bullets that are released shoot through the blue butterflies as if they were substitutes for the Winged Winged Butterflies.



　But now that we've risen to this altitude, we can't go down to the ground for free - because 'Backstand' is one of the skills I have that consumes a lot of magic power, and I can't shoot it for nothing.

(I just got it, but I'll have to use my magic gun to shoot the 'Stagnation Stone'... no, there's a chance that it will deflect my aim again... no, there's no way to do it now... ...!

　Current Situation
　Aricht activates "The Boat Jump".

　I leap in the air to get some distance from the 'Phantom Winged Butterfly'. If I leap again just before falling, I should be able to descend unharmed.

　-- but I let gravity take over as I fall. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.

　The current situation◆
　Pity Winged Butterfly activates Redemption Pain → Targets: "Aricht" and "Elitia".
　Aricht and Elitia take damage based on their karma, and their karma is reduced.

Ughhhh...!
"--Aahhhhh...!

　A pain that felt like my whole body was being torn apart - not only me, but also Elitia's screams on the ground were heard.

(Oh no, I'm unconscious.......if I don't, I'll hit the ground......!

Wow!

　How many times have I been saved by Sion like this - Sion catches me as I jump in and barely escapes colliding with the ground.

　◆Current Situation◆
　Monk's Ankh's effect is activated → Avoid a fatal blow and add experience at the point of death.

　The amulet that was hanging around my neck like a pendant - the 'Monk's Ankh' - felt as if it was emitting a soft heat. I had apparently been saved just in the nick of time by Sion and this amulet.

(But if I take even one more blow.......I don't think the effect of the 'Ankh' that is activated by probability will work twice in a row.

Come on, Rearward, answer me!　Rear-kun.........!
It's okay........it's okay......he's alive, Igarashi-san.......!
"...I didn't look okay at all. I thought my heart was going to stop beating...
"Arihito, pull back, please........don't go near that monster.......

　Elitia's damage is less than mine - considering the upper limit of her physical strength, Elitia has considerably more than me, but even so, her damage is shallow compared to me who was dying.

　That's because I, who had killed the three "Blue Butterflies", had a greater increase in karma than Eritia, who had just tried to attack.

(As soon as I was damaged by 'Redemption Pain', my karma dropped... but if it's as I expected...)

Arihito, the butterfly... get away from the butterfly, now!

　Blue butterflies are gathering around to blame me for hurting their friends.

Gallulu...!
'Theon, wait!　Don't attack!

　Sion was very close to activating the Fire Boxstone attached to the Beastly Crow, but Sion stopped short of activating it. If this raised Theon's karma as well, the situation would be even more confusing.

　However, not being able to touch the 'Blue Butterfly' meant that I, who was in the current state of 'ever rising karma', would be the target of the butterfly's skill.

　◆Current Situation ◆
　'? Blue Butterfly' activates 'Guilty Feel' → Target: 'Aricht'

　Even if you listen carefully, you can't hear the fluttering of a butterfly's wings like someone else's voice.

　It's a long time ago - no, it's not.

　That sound, similar to a voice left in an old memory, makes the ripples born in the fountain of consciousness grow without limit.