Chapter 609 — Arc 9, Chapter 21 – “Valga Cromwell”

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Aldebaran: [――Expand territory, matrix redefinition.]

Dealing with alterations in the situation, second-by-second, moment-by-moment, instant-by-instant, he advanced the world.

For Aldebaran’s Authority, incapable of turning the clock back on a grand scale, this was a gamble that reeled his victory in steadily, but simultaneously posed the risk of definitively relinquishing his victory.

Aldebaran: [――Expand territory, matrix redefinition.]

Step-by-step, move-by-move, action-by-action, he verified, defined, and moved the board towards a checkmate.

The way the highest caliber of warriors would unceasingly and continuously advance in this manner, piling up experience in a world of ceaseless bouts all decided by a single move, he really could not imagine it.

Aldebaran: [――Expand territory, matrix redefinition.]

And that was not limited to just warriors; the highest caliber of intellectuals were the same in the sense of their ability to think in a different dimension.

Rather, since they were not directly involved in practice, they would go without knowing the true fragrance of blood and the pain of wounds, merely constructing the progression of the world within their heads, so there was possibly more of a monstrous sense to them.

In any case――,

Aldebaran: [――Expand territory, matrix redefinition.]

Trampling on the discipline of warriors and the deliberations of intellectuals alike, disregarding the law of reality that dictated an inability to ascertain the results of two different choices simultaneously, Aldebaran would merely snatch victory away even in battles that were to be decided by a single blow. The former had every right to curse, loathe, and scorn his way of being as contemptible.

Let those vilifications of theirs cut into him as much as they liked. In exchange――,

Aldebaran: [――Expand territory, matrix redefinition.]

With this dirty method, he would absolutely seize victory.

×　　×　　×

???: […At this point, I bet you’re hoping for as much amiability as a pig wanting to be fed.]

Wringing out a low, groaning voice, the joke of the pig-faced man―― the King Pig, Doltero Amule, when compared to his previous dignified, despair-inducing ones, came out a husky rasp.

That was only natural. His entire body was covered in lacerations from steel threads, and he was losing copious amounts of blood from his innumerable wounds. Rather, the fact that he was still conscious, and that his face wore no grievous expression, was far more strange.

Aldebaran: [Having come this far, I know you’re not afraid of dying. But, even if you don’t fear death, pain should still be painful, yeah?]

Doltero: [You don’t understand even when saying it yourself? Both death and pain are ultimately things that make us afraid. Then, all we gotta do’s swallow that fear.]

Aldebaran: […I can’t understand you.]

Doltero’s point was that the fear induced by death and the fear induced by pain were one and the same. But, the way Aldebaran saw it, those were different things. The fear borne of death, and the fear borne of pain, were different.

To take it further, since pain was a stimulus to the body, it seemed rather distinct from fear.

Doltero: [――. No matter what you say, it’s the backbiting of a pig.]

Before Aldebaran, white froth emerged in the corners of Doltero’s mouth as he muttered thus.

Around the thick neck of the King Pig, a fine steel wire was wound around several tens of times, applying pressure to his trachea. Doltero had resisted that strangling by slipping two fingers in, but those fingers sunk into his neck and lost their function, and with blood no longer circulating to his brain, his large body finally fell to its knees.

Having fallen to his knees, Doltero was surrounded by the fifty-five collapsed subordinates who had accompanied him.

While taking on this King Pig, he had taken down the other men one-by-one, an effort that had literally broken his bones, cleaved off his flesh, and robbed him of his life numerous times. ――In total, twenty-three thousand and eight times.

With this many attempts, this was among the top echelon of Aldebaran’s veteran history of losing battles.

Of course, one contributing factor was that the organized attacks of the King Pig and his underlings of the Black Silver Coin had been exceedingly thorough, but the primary cause had been Aldebaran’s own lack of talent.

The steel thread entangled around Doltero’s neck was not one that extended out from Yae’s hand, but from the hand of Aldebaran, who had borrowed one of her rings.

Manipulating a steel thread with a single finger, he had closed in on Doltero’s fierce attack one move at a time and affixed a thread to his neck, tying it around to apply as much pressure as he could to that thick neck. ――Amidst this harsh territory, learning the Steel Thread Technique from square one until it was viable for him had required the time of over twenty-thousand attempts.

Doltero: [――――]

Boom, sounded the fist as it vigorously slammed into the ground, Doltero falling completely unconscious.

Even still, the body of the King Pig, who reigned over the criminal underworld, did not topple over sideways; rather, his large body was supported by his own fist pressed into the ground, a demonstration of his dignity. Unbowed, unbent, unbroken.

In spite of being his enemy, he could not help but commend that posture.

Yae: [Haah~, you’re outrageous, Al-sama. I was proud that no~body in the village except me’d been able to learn it, but isn’t this now a disgrace~?]

And, beside Aldebaran as he stood out of breath before the silenced Doltero, Yae, having strung every last adversary aside from Doltero in the air, spoke so.

Her eyes, narrowed like a cat’s, observed Aldebaran’s Steel Thread Technique that had tied up Doltero. Be that as it may, it was impossible for him to easily accept that praise.

Aldebaran: [Don’t be ridiculous. With just a single finger, all the muscles from the top of my head to the tips of my toes are on the verge of cramping. Doing ten times that with ten fingers, are you actually super muscular despite looking so thin?]

Yae: [Eh~, are you taking an interest in what’s under my uniform, Al-sama~? I’ve given you so many chances to check for yourself, and yet you were always so mean as to turn me down.]

Aldebaran: […The ring, let me borrow it for just a little longer.]

Responding to Yae as she mischievously poked fun at him, Aldebaran stroked the ring fitted on the ring finger of his right hand. He had tested it on each finger, but it felt the most intuitive on Aldebaran’s ring finger.

In all honesty, he had been reluctant to put a ring on his ring finger, but he did not have a left hand to begin with. It was nonsensical to bring such emotional obstinancies of a little girl onto a battlefield.

In any case――,

Aldebaran: [Old man, you aight? I didn’t have much leeway to pay attention your way, my bad.]

Heinkel: [N-no, that’s fine. That’s… alright.]

As Aldebaran checked on his well-being, Heinkel choked on his words as he nodded.

During the battle with Doltero, Heinkel, to put it bluntly, had fallen into a useless state of malfunction, but after Yae had tied up the men, he had contributed by knocking them unconscious and breaking the Conversation Mirror of the mirror-bearer, so Aldebaran would acknowledge that he had done his job.

As expected, against a certain level of powerful individuals―― Doltero was a given, but it would be difficult to count Heinkel among their fighting strength when it came time to clash with those in the same ballpark as Gaston. Aldebaran had no intention of reproaching Heinkel, who harbored such a mental fragility.

Everyone had an opponent whom their soul would absolutely refuse to face.

For Yae, that was Aldebaran, and for Aldebaran, that was―― it mattered not.

Heinkel: […Aldebaran, you, what’s really the deal with you?]

Aldebaran: [Hm?]

Heinkel: [You… had absolutely no chance of defeating that pigman. He was someone who utterly exceeded you in both skill and power. And yet, you were the one who won in the end. And mostly unharmed at that, overwhelmingly so.]

Aldebaran: [――――]

With eyes as if he was beholding someone truly august, Heinkel spoke thus to Aldebaran.

Listening to Heinkel’s words, Aldebaran revised his evaluation of him to that of a man who was quite observant.

Perhaps precisely because he had been watching as an onlooker, Aldebaran’s irregularity had left more of an impression.

Neither was it that Aldebaran had grown strong, nor was it that he was a strong match against Doltero. If it must be said, it would have appeared as if he had won by piling up a hundred lucky shots.

Yae: [――He’s a monster.]

Hence, plainly declaring so, and not asking for anything more, Yae’s attitude was rather pleasant.

Answering Heinkel in Aldebaran’s stead, her face bore no semblance of fear or awe. After all, within Yae, her impression of Aldebaran had already been completed.

Yae: [Al-sama, is a monster. We’re working alongside a monster, y’know?]

Heinkel: […I know a lotta people who’re like monsters. But, this guy’s…]

Yae: [There’s a difference between those who are like monsters and actual monsters. Please don’t talk about such shams~.]

Her speech was gentle, her expression a smile; however, her phrasing was neither a confirmation nor a denial.

Overpowered by the calm yet threatening demeanor Yae showed on the surface, Heinkel was at a loss for words.

Aldebaran: [Regardless of whether I’m a monster or not, we’ll proceed from here just as planned. Yae’ll suppress the opponent’s numbers, and I’ll deal with the strong ones. Old man, I’m counting on you to follow my directions, and deal with the mirrors.]

Heinkel: [Y-yeah, got it.]

Yae: [Aye a~ye. As you command, Al-sama~.]

Next to Heinkel as he timidly nodded, Yae lifted her arms in a hurrah, and with a fine movement of her fingertips she controlled her steel threads. Guided by her fingers, the steel threads coiled around the fainted Doltero, binding the limbs of the King Pig that had demonstrated his obstinacy to not collapse, stringing him up in the air with the others.

Even if he understood that it was a safety measure in the case Doltero woke up, it did not feel good. That went not only for Doltero, but for Rachins too, who had needed to be beaten to the point of fainting.

Aldebaran: [My head hurts…]

Frankly, he had underestimated Felt’s group.

Outside of Reinhard, he had thought them all to be non-combatants excluding Ezzo. Still, the old giant himself, Grassis and Gaston, and the main target of Felt were waiting for him――,

Yae: [If you’d just remove that single shackle, Al-sama, I’d be way more effective, y’know?]

Aldebaran: [――――]

Yae: [This goes without saying, but… rather than tying them up, I’m better at strangling people to death, this little ol’ me.]

Every so often, for various reasons Yae would speak words to tempt Aldebaran, but even more so than when those whispers tried to lure him to the bedroom, these struck Aldebaran’s eardrums in a much more alluring manner.

Unlike Heinkel, who was unable to demonstrate his true strength for emotional reasons, the reason why Yae could not show her true worth was none other than because she was abiding by Aldebaran’s ego.

Were he to lift that restriction, the forest abundant in cover would instantly become Yae’s hunting ground. ――Even if the opponent was five-hundred strong, it would not take much time before the green leaves were all stained with blood.

Only, it was not that Yae was muttering in discontent for being unable to do that.

After all, no matter how bereft of legitimacy those directions were, it was her nature to follow orders.

Hence, the reason she was whispering to Aldebaran like this was――,

Aldebaran: [――Thank you. But it’s none of your concern.]

Yae: [Oh my.]

Sticking her tongue out with a “Behhh”, Yae was unsurprised that her proposal had been rejected.

From the start, it was a proposal she had no expectation of being accepted. Surprisingly―― no, it was not surprising for she who wished for Aldebaran to accomplish his goal, but it seemed to have set him alight with motivation.

Thanks to that sweet, tempting complaint, Aldebaran regained his exhausted willpower.

Aldebaran: [We also have the option to continue through the forest and slip through the south, but that’s a no-go when considering what’s to follow. Unfortunately for them, we’ll be having Lil’ Miss Felt and her crew be defeated here.]

Yae: [Understood. Then, proceed as planned?]

The atmosphere from the preceding conversation vanished, and Aldebaran nodded at Yae as she inclined her head.

Then, thinking of Felt and the old giant who were likely working out a plan to secure victory on the other side of the forest, he quietly muttered.

Aldebaran: [You guys are strong. It’s just―― your stars were bad.]

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――Witnessing that the third Conversation Mirror had been broken, Rom-jii became convinced.

Rom: [As I thought, you’re doin’ more than just seein’ through our plans.]

He removed and discarded one of the Conversation Mirrors fitted onto his gauntlets; having lost its counterpart, it no longer served any purpose. Rom-jii considered the helmet bastard’s optimal conduct―― immediately identifying the mirror-bearer, ordained with a Conversation Mirror, an action whose essence was to disrupt the flow of information.

Rachins had fallen, and even Doltero, who had rushed to the scene, had been utterly defeated.

Although he had estimated it to be a possible outcome, Rom-jii could not hold back his surprise at the defeat of the King Pig, having known the latter for quite a long time.

Rom: [If he’d been born a mere ten years earlier, his name prolly would’ve gone down in the history books tellin’ of the Demi-Human War.]

The person in question would have likely laughed at that statement and brushed it off as an exaggeration, but in Rom-jii’s mind, it was a fair assessment.

But, then again, the Demi-Human War had not been such a close affair that Doltero alone would have been able to make the difference between victory and defeat. Even if his name would have been recorded in the annals of history, he most likely would have been among the many who had lost their lives at the hands of the Sword Demon or that generation’s Sword Saint.

Either way, Doltero had been defeated. Did that mean the opponent was on the same level as the Sword Demon?

Rom: [Nah, that ain’t it.]

Shaking his thick head from side-to-side, Rom-jii discarded his pessimistic thoughts.

In truth, the existence of the Sword Demon was something of a trauma for Rom-jii. Against the lone Sword Demon, even if Rom-jii were to command a force numbering a thousand, he would glimpse no sign of victory whatsoever.

This was not to say that the Sword Demon was the strongest in the world, but rather that his renown made him appear that way.

There were indeed those proprietors of renown such that their opponents would be made to feel that victory would be unattainable, even if that was not truly the case.

Even for Felt, the prospect of competing head-to-head against the big shots of the criminal underworld was unlikely, both in terms of physical strength and intelligence. Nonetheless, they still looked up to her as their queen.

That, was the unshakeable quality known as “renown”. ――Something in which the helmet bastard was lacking.

To put it simply, he did not inspire fear. However, it could be said that it contributed to the unknowns of his character.

Rom: [Well then, we just hafta eliminate those unknowns one-by-one. ――Launch ‘em up!]

Following the orders called out by Rom-jii, the fighters who remained on hand, numbering around twenty, began to move.

Fire Magic Ore was ignited, and launched were the contents of the Magic Cannons―― the latter were valuable items that could be carried by hand and used continuously if properly cooled; however, the Magic Stones which they had fired held even greater value.

They were――,

Rom: [――Night Banishers.]

Immediately after, white lights sliced across the sky of the battlefield like bolts of lightning, instantly scattering the clouds. The glow of the blue sky peering out chased away the approaching dusk, rewriting time. ――No, that was not the case. The effect of the Night Banisher was merely a reproduction of daytime.

If launched at night, it would overwrite the darkness, giving the appearance of a daytime sky. It was even possible to create an inexplicable phenomenon in which raindrops would fall from a clear sky if one were to be emulated on a rainy day.

Originally, the Night Banisher’s intended effect had been to drive away the night that caused chaos on the battlefield, but this Magic Stone had another effect that most were unaware of.

To rewrite an overcast day into a sunny one, to turn night into day, was the effect of painting reality over with an illusion.

That was to say――,

Rom: [――If he’s been watchin’ us from the sky, then he can’t rely on that view no more.]

As the battle dragged on, the Night Banishing Magic Stones that had been prepared for nightfall came into play.

Judging this to be a rare stroke of good fortune, Rom-jii took steps to seal off one of the possible explanations behind the helmet bastard’s actions―― an eye in the heavens, which may have been surveilling them.

But then again――,

???: [Unit Six reporting, we found the helmet bastard! We’re going to… WOAHHH!?]

Judging by the report of the mirror-bearer assigned to Unit Six, and the subsequent lost communication, the helmet bastard had broken a fourth Conversation Mirror, and as such Rom-jii was convinced that the possibility of an eye in the heavens had completely vanished.

However, he was not discouraged. In the first place, the likelihood of an eye in the heavens had been low.

In response to the optimal conduct of the helmet bastard, Rom-jii’s first instructions were for the mirror-bearers of each unit to alternate at regular intervals, and to report the next movements in writing through the mirror.

However, the helmet bastard responded to this by eliminating the designated mirror-bearers right away twice in a row.

Even supposing he was able to observe their movements from the sky, he would not have been able to fully respond to every move.

In that case, what remained was――,

Rom: [It might be a Great Spirit I know nothin’ ’bout, or a powerful Divine Protection, or he might be seein’ inside his opponents’ minds; otherwise, perhaps it ain’t minds that he’s seein’, but――]

And so, he listed each possibility that came to mind, and made plans to eliminate them one-by-one.

It was hard to imagine that the helmet bastard had a Great Spirit with him, considering his actions. A Spirit’s true talent was magic, but the helmet bastard showed no signs of using a Spirit’s power to overcome this onslaught of challenges. Assistance from Spirits of the Yin and Yang attributes would not have been as noticeable as from Spirits of other attributes, but those Spirits were also of high rarity.

The possibility that one was accompanying him was not zero, but――,

Rom: [It’s of low priority. ――Unit Seven, go east; Unit Nine, proceed southeast. Hurry ta where Unit Six’s fightin’. Nevermind, there ain’t a need ta support Unit Six. Instead, let’s get yer two units workin’ together. Use both Magic Stones and throwin’ stones, we’ve gotta see if we can make him use two or more Divine Protections, no matter what.]

By nature, only a single Divine Protection could dwell within an individual.

There had only been a handful of people in history who held multiple Divine Protections, and the number of people whose Divine Protections both proved useful could only be counted on one hand. ――It was odd that among those individuals abnormally blessed by fortune, the likes of the Sword Saint and the Mad Prince both existed in this current day and age, but there was a possibility that the helmet bastard could be a third one to be added to those ranks.

Henceforth――,

Rom: [You can ascertain someone’s Divine Protection by bundlin’ ‘n stackin’ up hardships, ‘n watchin’ how they handle ’em. ――It ain’t for nothin’ that I’ve been called the one who’s killed the most Divine Protection holders in the world.]

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From the sudden deployment of the Night Banisher onward, Aldebaran sensed that the situation had worsened dramatically.

With the movements of the opposition clearly being laced with contrived inaction, even merely identifying the mirror-bearer had become increasingly difficult, ramping up his number of attempts up by an order of magnitude.

Aldebaran: [Because they keep shuffling around the role of mirror-bearer, if the timing of initiating the confrontation’s even slightly off, a completely different guy’ll have the mirror…!]

Moreover, in place of straightforward attacks that aimed at simply suppressing, defeating, or killing Aldebaran and his allies, there was a marked increase in attacks that seemed to be aimed at testing their reactions. Setting aside those underlying intentions, Aldebaran was tormented by having to deal with such offensives that did not directly threaten his life.

Were they attacks of lethal nature, assured to rob him of his life, he could crush them without mercy, unhesitatingly taking measures to stifle them at their inception. However, since that intent was nebulous, and since its impact was minimal, comparable to that of clearing a pebble off the roadside, the conduct required of him was overwhelmingly extensive.

Aldebaran: [Taken to an extreme, even a single scratch means asking whether I should start over.]

Having said that, he still could not ignore attacks that, akin to a slow-acting poison, would force him into a softlock because he had merely been struck by them. As a result, once that uncertainty took root in him, Aldebaran had no choice but to deal with each and every attack, ramping up the number of attempts by yet another order of magnitude.

Aldebaran: [You’re getting on my nerves, shitty old geezer.]

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As the number of mirrors being shattered continued to accumulate, Rom-jii grew increasingly wary of how the situation had been progressing.

Thanks to prior directives from the heads of their respective organizations, the ruffians of the criminal underworld had followed Rom-jii’s instructions with surprising obedience. Given the situation, some of them likely fell without even understanding what their role had been, and yet fallen they had, with nary a word of complaint; such an attitude was indeed admirable.

Owing to that, the number of cards in his hand were dwindling at an alarming rate, but in return, the face of the card kept concealed by the opposition was slowly but surely being revealed.

Rom: [They’re a resolute bunch indeed. Felt might’ve built the relationship with Flanders, but the heavens still fervently keep watch over those who struggle.]

The effect of the Night Banisher obstructed any eyes in the heavens, and by stacking wave upon wave of Magic Stone attacks to alter the Mana concentration, the area was rendered intoxicating to Spirits, which thus confirmed the absence of any cooperating Spirits. Suspecting a highly versatile Divine Protection, through a combination of short and long-ranged attacks, both physical and magical, the Divine Protections of which he was aware―― which were limited to the ones whose efficiency had been ascertained by using Reinhard as a test subject, had their characteristics targeted, and thus ninety percent of the potential candidates for the current scenario had been eliminated.

Rom: [This ain’t the Divine Protection of First Sight or the Divine Protection of the Second Coming. So if it’s neither the Divine Protection of Stormy Skies nor the Divine Protection of the Tiger’s Den, not many candidates remain.]

The remaining ten percent could possibly serve as one-trick ponies, depending on how they were used, but they lacked the versatility to deal with a situation as dire as this. With that, nearly all the candidates were dropped, relegated to the back of his mind.

From here on out, he would move on to the stage of suspecting something that was neither magic, nor Spirit, nor Divine Protection―― an Authority.

Rom: [Bending the laws of reality itself, wouldn’t that be pride beyond the station of man, helmet bastard?]

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When the tide of the wave attacks shifted, and the opposition’s movements took a turn, Aldebaran ground his teeth, sensing that the worst possibility that came to mind had been right on the mark.

In all likelihood, that old giant―― Valga Cromwell, had an inkling that Aldebaran was using an Authority, overcoming these imminent critical situations by stacking up countless matrices.

The succession of wave attacks, and the sequence of numerous attacks rich in variety that kept up for a while, had been meant to whittle down the possibilities of how Aldebaran was escaping from such an overwhelming disadvantage.

Near infinite trial and error by means of redefining a matrix and the existence of the territory―― it was likely impossible that they had grasped that to be the true nature of Aldebaran’s Authority, but he had a keen feeling that it had been narrowed down to something quite close.

The chief possibilities of magic or a Divine Protection had already been eliminated through an exhaustive investigation, and he got a sense that they had entered the stage where a tremendous, absurd Authority was starting to be suspected. Similar to Ezzo Cadner back at Pleiades Watchtower, there was a high possibility that clever individuals would see through Aldebaran’s Authority.

But then again, it would be difficult to corner Aldebaran even if one had seen through it. Ezzo’s judgement to flood the escape path with Water Magic had been optimal in a certain sense, but it would have been a herculean task to accomplish a similar feat in a space this expansive.

Even so, the nasty premonition that tinged his heart did not disappear, causing Aldebaran to hesitate about updating his matrix in such a short timespan; the difficulty of recovering from a single failure was steadily ramping up, little-by-little.

To begin with, why was the notorious Valga Cromwell from the Demi-Human War still alive, and serving Felt at that? Was Valga not the Great Strategist who harbored an immense hatred of humans, taking the lives of several thousands with his merciless stratagems in the Demi-Human War? His head was on the verge of seething as it blurted out complaints towards the incomprehensible combination. There’s something wrong with this, seriously.

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Having come this far, he had come to a point where there was no longer any room to doubt the worst possible premonition; as Rom-jii endured that bad feeling in his chest, he vigorously stroked his own bald head for no reason.

Likely, the helmet bastard was using an Authority―― neither was it a Divine Protection nor was it magic, but an extraordinary power said to have once been used by the Witches, a power capable of bending the laws of the world; of this he was convinced. In the past, during the era of the Demi-Human War, when he had been acquainted with the successor to a Witch, Sphinx, she had stated herself to be a failed creation, unable to reproduce an Authority. However, though he had expressed his wish for Felt to gain achievements, with the enemy possessing an ability so desperately coveted by that Witch, this was far too troublesome an opponent.

And though he was loath to admit it, he had narrowed down the helmet bastard’s Authority to one of either “Reading the Thoughts of an Opponent” or “Seeing into the Short-Term Future”. However, at the current point, Rom-jii surmised that precognition had a higher probability than mindreading.

Since he had continued to evade this side’s attacks to this much of an extent, even supposing he was reading the mind of another, Rom-jii thought it would undoubtedly be that of his own, and had thus deployed the measures to ascertain if that was the case.

He had given unique orders to two different units; the first unit he commanded to pass them by without attacking, and the second he ordered to launch an all-out offensive, but the helmet bastard had gone to deal with the unit it would have been fine to ignore, plunging himself into the predicament of a pincer attack in between the first and second units. If he had read Rom-jii’s mind, or the mind of somebody in that first unit, then the helmet bastard would have just burdened himself with needless hardship.

At that moment, he ascertained that the helmet bastard’s Authority was not that of mindreading. That was to say, the true nature of the helmet bastard’s Authority was now mostly narrowed down to precognition.

Even if it had been narrowed down, he likely could not cheer out an “I did it!” with this conclusion. Sphinx had triumphantly spoken of them as powers that twisted the laws of reality, but something like “Precognition” was going too far.

Just how am I supposed ta deal with somethin’ like that? There’s somethin’ wrong with this, seriously.

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???: [――Anyone who can’t use the Flow Method, fall back! But don’t stop moving!!]

His sonorous voice raised in a shout, Gaston leaped out ahead of the group, and swung at the helmet bastard.

Gaston had already obtained Rom-jii’s theory from the mirror-bearer. ――Apparently, that bastard could see just a little ahead into the future, something like that.

Gaston: [Then all I gotta do’s finish it the moment he sees ahead!]

Bellowing like thunder, Gaston abandoned the idea of landing a single, glorious blow. Instead, he switched to a relentless flurry of strikes, aiming to cut off the helmet bastard’s escape routes by giving priority to landing a punch.

However, in response to the barrage, the helmet bastard stomped the ground hard,

Helmet Bastard: [Smart thinking, Gaston. But this time, thinking was the wrong move.]

A swelling wall of earth shielded the helmet bastard, halting the powerful onslaught. He gritted his teeth; just like the bastard had stated, his plan had backfired, and immediately afterwards, his opponent turned the very same earth into gauntlets around his arm and smashed Gaston in the forehead, sending him reeling back.

And as it was, Gaston, still reeling back, sensed the helmet bastard was going for a follow-up.

Gaston: [ORAAA!!]

Gaston channeled his momentum into a backflip, unleashing a kick towards that sensation.

The nimble strike delivered while spinning through the air was a facsimile of an acrobatic technique of Felt’s used when attempting to slip away from Reinhard’s grasp, like a cat twisting out of a hold. It was inconceivable that a brute like Gaston would pull off something so acrobatic, not even the old man who served as a gardener for House Astrea, who had been hit by it during training――,

Helmet Bastard: [You got me. Four times, at that.]

Alongside those cryptic words, Gaston’s kick had sliced through empty air.

An attack Gaston had honed to the level of a finishing move had been rendered useless. But before he could even dwell on that frustration, a strange sensation seized his body.

He felt oppression as though the hand of a giant had grabbed hold of him, yanking his right leg upward. ――Upon closer inspection, he came to see that there was a near-invisible thread restraining him, extending from the helmet bastard’s right hand.

Wasn’t it just the red-haired maid accompanying him, this helmet bastard can use it too?

Helmet Bastard: [Mine’s just a single strand, though. In truth, she’s a genius, that one.]

Hearing the helmet bastard’s lifeless tone as he spoke words of praise for his comrade, Gaston ground his teeth.

His right leg suspended by the thread, his foot was raised all the way to head height. His left foot, barely touching the ground, was forced onto its toes, his body being left utterly powerless. In this ridiculous, helpless position, Gaston had been completely neutralized.

And with that, the helmet bastard turned his back on Gaston,

Helmet Bastard: [Old man, I’m leaving him to you. I’m gonna go back up Yae.]

With those words, the helmet bastard strode away as if Gaston had already been dealt with.

Taking his place was a man Gaston had only heard about, Reinhard’s father. Donning the same hair and eye tonalities as Reinhard he did, yet the ambience his body was enveloped in exuded an entirely different quality.

But more than anything, that expression, one that said he was only following the helmet bastard’s orders because he had no other choice, reluctant and unwilling, pissed Gaston off.

Therefore――,

Heinkel: [――Hk, you better not move awkwardly or… Bweh!]

Gaston struck the hardened face of his opponent and immediately lunged at the helmet bastard’s turned back. But before his hand could reach the latter, his balance faltered, and his opponent easily evaded the charge with a lunge, letting Gaston crash hard onto the ground.

He had failed. ――Having forcibly ripped himself free from the thread, his nearly torn ankle could not hold him up.

Helmet Bastard: [You, with that leg…]

Gaston: [What’s one damn leg worth!? I’m putting my life on the line here! You think this is some game where I’d quit just ’cause it hurts a little!?]

Helmet Bastard: [――――]

Gaston: [But what really pisses me off the most’s that you guys are doing this reluctantly. Don’t go picking fights with people if you can’t even laugh in admiration of your own comrades’ hard work!]

Gaston hurled his fury at the silent helmet bastard as he forced himself to his feet with every last ounce of his strength.

Even now copious amounts of blood yet poured from Gaston’s right ankle, the torn flesh exposing glimpses of white bone beneath. And yet, the fact that he clenched his teeth and stood, was due to the importance of that which he carried upon his back.

Gaston, had a woman he had fallen for.

A woman who, perhaps feeling trepidation upon discovering that a villain with the Divine Dragon in tow was coming, had nonetheless held him and told him not to worry, before finally pushing him onwards to journey alongside Felt.

Gaston, had men he admired.

A friend whose mouth would run unceasingly with discontent, all while worrying about those he was surrounded by. A lifelong companion who, despite being a coward at heart, never would withdraw and retreat. A mentor who despite always providing him with tedious, troublesome lectures, was very caring, howling that all held the right to achieve greatness. A bad influence who, loving the girl who would puff her chest out and make manifest her braggadocio, was turning his past, a past akin to a curse, into strength.

Gaston, had a man and a woman he looked up to.

A strong man so strong, he could protect all things he wished to protect.

A strong woman so radiant, no matter where she was, forgetting her would be absolutely impossible.

――Gaston, had every reason to stand tall and fight.

Gaston: [People like you, who don’t even have that in ‘em, got no damn right stepping into a ring where others are giving it their all!!]

With a roar from the deepest depths of his soul, Gaston charged at the helmet bastard anew, deliberately stepping forward with his right foot.

Even if that step were to shatter his leg, tear it apart, leave him unable to walk ever again, it mattered not. Even then, Gaston would still find something he would be able to do. Even then, he knew his comrades would never abandon him. ――Right now, all he wanted was to beat the helmet bastard.

Pushing off the ground, Gaston’s massive frame rose into the air as he drove his left knee upward in a crushing strike. Even if blocked by a wall of earth, this time he had his upraised arms ready to hammer down at any moment as a second-stage backup.

Whichever it was, he would smash the helmet that hid the bastard’s face――,

Helmet Bastard: [――Honestly, it landed.]

As if he had anticipated Gaston’s movements, the helmet bastard had already closed the distance in perfect rhythm with the takeoff.

Right after Gaston’s throat let out a faint groan, a fist clad in a gauntlet of stone struck his face as he sprung up into the air, causing his head to jerk backwards.

Gaston: [You’re fucking… kidding me…]

In the end, not a single one of Gaston’s attacks had landed. If his opponent was indeed making a sarcastic joke or a bitter remark about them landing or something of the sort despite that, there was nothing to laugh about, even one bit.

With the blood loss from his leg contributing, Gaston’s consciousness rapidly faded――,

???: [――RAHHHHHH!!]

――At the end, concurrent with a familiar high-pitched voice, a burst of white light at the edge of his vision came into sight.

△▼△▼△▼△

――The name of that Meteor, was the Star Staff.

The majority of the Meteors which existed in this world were said to be the handiwork of a single Witch, driven by curiosity and desire, simply for her own amusement; the Star Staff, however, was different.

With an aim in mind, the Witch had painstakingly forged a crystallization of her intellect to realize that goal―― that aim, though perhaps something so petty as silencing a quippy Dragon, its power was genuine.

By siphoning Mana from its wielder, and by abridging the procedures, the power unleashed would become the starlight of Shario.

Of course, it was a light insignificant in comparison to Al Shario, which could slay even Dragons; however, its power, which any individual could acquire without study, could still be described as extraordinary.

Pursued by starlight that would ceaselessly track its target until striking true, Aldebaran took every defensive measure he could conjure, but none could withstand the assault while also avoiding injury.

An attack of this nature, which left no route for escape, was Aldebaran’s nemesis. For that reason, in accordance with Aldebaran’s own list of priorities, only one viable option remained.

Aldebaran: [Sorry about this, old man.]

With that muttered apology, Aldebaran caused the ground beneath Heinkel, who had fallen on his bottom upon receiving a counterattack from Gaston, to rise up, thrusting him up as a shield in between Aldebaran and the starlight.

Naturally, realizing his intentions, Heinkel had begun to yell “Aldeba――”, with anger evident upon his face; however, in the next instant, the burst of white light struck the red-haired swordsman, his entire body permeated by an impact that could silence even a Dragon.

Heinkel: [――Kah, oghh, gwoaAHHHhh!]

Aldebaran, who had experienced it firsthand, had suffered damage that seemed to scorch his brain and internal organs to a crisp. However, though Heinkel had fallen to his knees, passing out, he still possessed the leeway to writhe in agony on the spot.

Whether in Vollachia, or that instance with “Aldebaran”, time and again, through brutal struggles was the extraordinary sturdiness which Heinkel possessed proven. ――Having been saved by the resilience that seemed to bring Heinkel himself no gratification whatsoever, Aldebaran looked to where the light had originated.

Thereupon――,

Aldebaran: [――So, you’re Camberley?]

Leaning against the Star Staff that had unleashed a burst of light, blood dripping from his nose, was a man of the dwarf race.

As of now, this battle had been done over twenty-nine thousand two-hundred and twenty-one times since its commencement. Consequently, Aldebaran understood the ruffians who had gathered here better than they did themselves.

Of the opponents he had encountered thus far, he knew every last one by name. In a way, it could be said that he had developed a sort of one-sided kinship with them. Sorry, that would be a lie. He was sick and tired of facing such formidable opponents.

Regardless――,

Aldebaran: […Even if you’re aware of the activation method, that ain’t a Meteor that any half-assed amateur can put to use. How on earth did you manage to activate it?]

Camberley: [How, do you think, I did it…? Hehe, keep guessin’, for the rest, of your life.]

Aldebaran: [――. Don’t tell me, you used Hexcel?]

Blood dripping from his eyes and nose, along with bulging veins on his neck and forehead; this sight led Aldebaran to the conclusion that these were adverse effects resulting from the use of a certain illicit substance.

Commonly referred to as “Hexcel”, it was an illicit drug produced using bokko fruit, which in its raw form had the property of revitalizing the Mana within the body, and the use of Hexcel was prohibited even in the Kingdom of Lugunica. ――Although the drug had a narcotic effect, it would, in essence, generate excess Mana through the activation of the Gate.

Under the effect of that doping, even those unqualified could wield the Star Staff.

Aldebaran: [Even then, your insides’ll be ripped apart. Doing that sorta thing…]

Camberley: [You think, I’m the only one, who’ll back down? When Rachins, and Gaston, and everyone else, are riskin’ it all… even Reinhard, y’know? Heh, I landed up, with an amazin’ bunch…]

With his complexion deathly pale, not even bothering to wipe away the bloody tears and nosebleed that appeared starkly vivid by contrast, Camberley was in a state that could certainly be described as hopeless.

However, spoken with the hint of a smile, his words lacked the typical recklessness of a desperate individual.

Aldebaran: [Every last one of them…]

Behind Heinkel, who was still writhing from being burnt by starlight, Gaston lay unconscious.

He was also one among those who, having clashed with Aldebaran head-on, had wounded him with his words more than his fists. Individuals of such a sort numbered many in this battle against the Felt Camp.

Only by defeating all of them, one-by-one, thoroughly and painstakingly, had Aldebaran been able to arrive at this juncture.

After twenty-nine thousand two-hundred and twenty-one times, stacking up attempt after attempt,

Camberley: [――Helmet bastard, you’ve never fought, with your life on the line, not even once, ain’t that right?]

Aldebaran: [――――]

Camberley: [You see, I have. That’s what I’m doin’ now… To fight with my life on the line, I got both a reason, and the courage. That much, I’ve certainly, proved… Hk.]

Stating thus with his trembling voice, Camberley tightened his grip upon the Star Staff in his hands, and once more, he tried to invoke the light of a star.

However, that was an impossibility.

Camberley: [Gauhghh.]

The Mana to operate it was insufficient in him. ――And, as if to punish a wielder in that state, the Star Staff backfired, burning Camberley’s Gate and causing white smoke to billow from the entirety of his small frame.

If an unqualified person were to execute the activation procedure, not only would it fail to be invoked, but there would also be a small penalty. Installed by the Witch who had created the Star Staff, it was a safety measure to prevent children from playing with it. The fact that the Witch believed that this would serve as a safety measure, showed that she really did not comprehend the human heart.

Anyway, the safety measure had performed its task, and Camberley fell backward, passing out――,

???: [Car-kun!]

And, a woman rushed over and caught his small body before it collapsed onto the ground.

The woman, with dark skin and wearing a lascivious dress, was the girl boss of the Flower Prison Garden, judging from her features. Embracing the unconscious Camberley, she directed a stern glare at Aldebaran.

Aldebaran: […You don’t need to glare at me like that. I ain’t got the time or the interest to kick a dead body.]

Woman: [You are all…]

Aldebaran: [Seven days… No, now it’s just six days. I’m only gonna cause a stir in the world for the next six days, no longer than that. ――Though none of you guys are willing to believe me.]

The boss of the Flower Prison Garden called Toto, was she?

The boss of the Black Silver Coin, Doltero, had also tormented him relentlessly, but the gaze of this woman, holding the man precious to her, was just as cuttingly sharp.

At her gaze, Aldebaran narrowed his eyes behind his helmet, probing Toto’s fighting spirit with a simple, “Shall we?”. Come to think of it, this marked the first time he had encountered a woman on this battlefield.

He had yet to see the faces of either Grassis, who had delivered that painful first blow, or Felt, their leader.

Ignoring Aldebaran’s sentiments, while tensing all her limbs, Toto jerked her chin at Aldebaran as if to say “Go”.

A wry smile eeking out due to her self-assured attitude, Aldebaran turned his back to her.

And then――,

Toto: [――Kuh, ah!]

Behind Aldebaran, Toto had dropped the iron fan she had raised, struggling to tear away the steel thread wound around her neck. Unable to do so, the sound of her falling down reached his ears.

The doer of the deed, Yae, approached the collapsed Toto, retrieving the iron fan that had dropped to the ground, and spoke,

Yae: [Wow, there’s poison in this. From the smell and color… jiramme, I’d say? It’s an instantly lethal poison, so it looks like you were rea~lly eager to go all out, weren’t you?]

Aldebaran: [Don’t get so angry.]

Yae: [Even though I’m this ado~rable, it’s rude to say I’m getting angry! First of all, it’s Al-sama’s fault, y’know? Just because the opponent’s a woman, you turn your back with a grin. I guess, for Al-sama, it might not matter how many times you die, but…]

Aldebaran: [――Now’s the first time. It’s ‘cause you came to help.]

It was not flattery, the truth truly was that he had not been caught off guard even once by Toto.

Upon hearing Aldebaran’s response, Yae fell silent with a “Hmph” and wore a displeased expression. That had been Aldebaran’s way of showing gratitude, but despite her complaints about how he did not thank her enough, she would always react like this whenever he actually did communicate his thanks. There was no avail in saying it to her.

Aldebaran: [Anyway, we’ve finished suppressing this bunch too… And, the old man is…?]

Yae: [He’s burned, but he’s still alive and kicking. That guy, don’t you think he’s a little off?]

Aldebaran: [Of course he’s off. He’s from House Astrea.]

Yae: [Even someone like that is still an Astrea, huh?]

Be that as it may, even for a member of House Astrea, the blast from the Star Staff seemed to have taken its toll.

Heinkel, appearing to be in more pain than he had ever been before, was approached by Yae for a quick check on his condition. At the same time, she shot Aldebaran a look that clearly suggested that they should take this chance to leave him behind.

Ignoring Yae’s gaze with his usual indifference, Aldebaran turned his attention northwest.

Aldebaran: [――――]

Since the start of the battle, they had been cornered, pursued by smoke, and forced further and further south through the forest.

While steadily whittling down the enemy force numbering five hundred people in their path, Aldebaran and his group had finally made it all the way back.

And upon making it all the way back――,

???: [――Well now, strangely ‘nough, it don’t feel like this’s my first time seein’ ya, helmet bastard.]

Aldebaran: [Same goes for me. Maybe it’s ‘cause I’ve been thinking about you this whole time.]

At last, in the very plains where the chase had begun, at the end of a trial and error that had lasted twenty-nine thousand, two-hundred and twenty-one attempts, Aldebaran had succeeded in coming face-to-face with his true enemy―― with Valga Cromwell.

△▼△▼△▼△

Sat cross-legged upon the needlessly spacious plain, Valga Cromwell rested his chin in his hands.

Looking at him once more, he was huge. Even though he was sitting, his head was still level with Aldebaran’s simply due to his body being so large, and perhaps because his legs were short.

Aldebaran: [Relatable. I’ve also got a complex about my legs being short.]

Valga: [I’ll say this now, but I ain’t ever made a fuss ‘bout the length of my legs. Tho’ back in my heyday, I used ta wish I got a bigger body or longer arms.]

Aldebaran: [You seem young enough even now gramps, how old are you?]

Valga: [Who knows. I stopped countin’ after a hundred.]

Valga gave a cold answer, but as expected, giants had quite a long lifespan.

Excluding the elves who were said to live forever unless killed, the longest lived race in this world were probably the giants. Considering that those giants were now on the brink of extinction due to having angered a lone Witch, the people of yore must not have known any limits to their rage.

Aldebaran: [A swordsman who went on a killing spree ‘cause his favorite food was Dragon meat, a Witch who almost wiped out a whole tribe due to being angered by a single member, an elf who got caught in the splash of the Witch of Envy, the list goes on.]

Valga: [Ya seem awfully knowledgeable ’bout history for a young’un. Besides, weren’t’cha all chummy with the Witch of Envy?]

Aldebaran: [Chummy? Well there’s an unfunny joke.]

In their tit-for-tat, Valga’s voice held a transparent intent to agitate him, however, Aldebaran could not go without refuting that statement.

Something like getting along with the Witch of Envy, even if that evaluation was sarcastic or in jest, he would not let it slide.

Aldebaran: [That one really does hate me to an extreme extent. Not once have our eyes ever met.]

Valga: […Meeting eyes with the Witch of Envy, hm? That in itself’s gotta be an unfunny joke, eh?]

Aldebaran: [If y’ain’t laughing, neither am I. Every step along the way, you’ve taken the sorta measures I hate the most… where’s Lil’ Miss Felt?]

Valga: [Capturin’ that girl’d be the quickest way for ya ta end this, ain’t that so? Ya think I’d put her somewhere within yer reach?]

Aldebaran clicked his tongue at that response, and Valga snorted his nose as he gazed behind the former―― to the forest wherein a fierce battle had been unfolding until now; he continued with “And so”.

Valga: [So ya really went ‘n done it, killin’ five-hundred people, huh?]

Aldebaran: [Though, you might think it’s cute compared to your kill count during the civil war. Besides… Ahh, nah, I’ll keep it to myself. It doesn’t matter.]

Valga: [――――]

This too was a tit-for-tat, so he forced himself to swallow the words he had begun to utter. ――In this battle, Aldebaran’s party had not robbed a single person of their life.

In order to weaken their fighting strength, he had gone as far as to give them grievous wounds that put them on the verge of death, but none of their lives would be in danger if they received the proper treatment.

But, mentioning that here would not have a positive influence on Valga’s impression.

It would only prompt skepticism regarding why he had taken such measures, such unnatural conduct.

Naturally, as Yae had proposed several times, rather than adhering to non-lethality, there had been several points at which taking their opponent’s lives would have made surmounting them easier. Even if the order of magnitude of his attempts thus increased, Aldebaran stubbornly abided by that restriction.

He had made up his mind. Aldebaran had.

From the world she had loved, not a single person more would be lost in the scope of his interference. Save for the one exception, that of Natsuki Subaru.

For that reason, Aldebaran would not take the lives of any――,

Valga: [――You’re no longer able ta bear the sight of anybody losin’ their life before yer eyes, ain’t that so?]

――.

――――.

――――――――.

――――――――――――Ah?

Aldebaran: [――Ah?]

Valga: [I had my suspicions. ‘Twas when I’d heard that Ezzo and Flam’d been done in at the Pleiades Watchtower, but their lives hadn’t been taken.]

Aldebaran: [Oi…]

Valga: [Flam used the Divine Protection of Mindspeak, and receivin’ the news, the Sword Saint went ta intercept’cha at the Augria Sand Dunes where he’s the weakest… that in itself’s a stratagem I could understand, but there was no reason ta let Ezzo live. Once Flam used her Divine Protection, too, she’d have served her purpose, yeah?]

Aldebaran: [Oi, gramps… Old geezer…]

Valga: [Any worries that might crop up in the future oughta be eradicated. Ya didn’t take those natural measures. ――If I recall, ya asked me where Felt’s gone off ta. That girl, I had her follow yer escape path. Thus…]

Ignoring Aldebaran’s trembling voice, Valga raised his arm―― a gauntlet fitted with Conversation Mirrors, and tapped the single one that did not have its lid down.

Aldebaran’s party had shattered a total of twelve mirrors now, and that fitted in his gauntlet was the thirteenth and final one. On the other side of that Conversation Mirror, Felt was present.

Valga: [Fact is, ya guys ain’t takin’ lives, n’ there’s no shortage of people who’ll still be able ta move once their restraints are removed. Even if five-hundred’s impossible, do ya think ya still got enough strength ta take on more than a hundred again?]

Aldebaran: [You, old geezer…!!]

Valga flashed a smile as he spoke, and inside Aldebaran’s helmet, a vein bulged on his forehead.

The fact that Valga had flipped his side’s restriction on killing against them, having vigilantly progressed arrangements for returning those who had been neutralized to the frontlines, was a surprise.

However, it was not as though Aldebaran’s party had been bereft of judgement either. Not only had they tied them up, but they had also broken their limbs, making it difficult for them to return to the battlefield――,

Valga: [For when push comes ta shove, we’ve provided enough Hexcel for everyone. Next won’t be a battle against those who don’t fear pain, but a battle against those who can’t feel pain.]

Aldebaran: [――Hk, ahh, bring it on! Be it a hundred or two-hundred they’re welcome to come at me. I’ll just do it all over…]

Again; it was when he was about to shout out in the spur of the moment.

Watching Aldebaran as he raised his voice in anger, Valga abruptly narrowed his eyes. The gaze seemed as if it was looking right into his helmet, and Aldebaran’s breath involuntarily caught.

Thereupon, Valga closed in with words.

Valga: [I see. ――Seems like this conversation’s a first for ya.]

Aldebaran: [――――]

For a moment, not understanding what that signified, Aldebaran tensed up.

But, it was for just a moment. A terrible chill immediately crawled up his back, and Aldebaran finally defined the being before his eyes to be a threat greater than the Sword Saint.

Aldebaran: [YAE――!!]

Instantly, Aldebaran used his voice to the fullest to command Yae, who he had kept on standby, to attack.

Through Yae’s Steel Thread Technique, Valga Cromwell would be restrained; there was no choice but to shut his mouth, which had the potential to speak those thoughts of his. The quickest way to achieve that would be to take his life. However, that would not be done.

Decidedly, he was doing that with his own intentions, not for any reasons like the one Valga had described.

Aldebaran: [So that you don’t wake up for six days, I’ll put you to sleep.]

He had yet to come up with a specific method, but doing that would be the best strategy.

In order to do that, he ordered Yae to move――,

???: [――There you are.]

As if from a stew in which a multitude of poisons simmered, a man’s out-of-place voice hung in the air like a malicious fragrance.

The man had been hiding in the grass of the plain―― with an unsightly appearance, consisting of tattoos of balance scales inked all over his body, he directed his gaze to a spot in the forest, and wriggled his bizarrely large right eye.

With a crookedness as if he had forced in an eyeball that did not belong to him, that gaze of his pierced Yae, who had jumped out in an effort to obey Aldebaran’s command.

The covertness of a shinobi had been seen through by that man―― likely Manfred of the Balance.

Then, Manfred placed his palm over his right hand, and capturing Yae in the gaze of his left eyeball that did not match in size,

Manfred: [Don’t move.]

Yae: [――Hk.]

As soon as the command was given, a slight disturbance was born in Yae’s movements.

Interfering with others through the weight of one’s words was the effect of the Divine Protection of Coercion. However, if the Divine Protection of Farsight had been the one to pinpoint Yae’s position, this made it two unique Divine Protections at the same time.

Aldebaran: [An Apostle of Typhon, are you…!?]

Aldebaran gnashed his teeth, however, Yae overcame the Divine Protection’s power of compulsion in an instant.

With the step following the one disturbed she regained composure, and with a shinobi’s mobility she attempted to extend a steel thread out towards Valga. ――However, upon that one step which had been disturbed, those transcendent, would intervene.

???: [――Vengeance for Flam.]

Having hidden in the grass as Manfred had, Grassis leapt up, and drove a kick into Yae’s torso. Yae promptly crossed an arm over to catch it, but the strike from the girl who had mastered the Flow Method at her young age was frighteningly weighty, sending Yae’s slender body a great deal back.

Yae: [Though, I’ve got nothing to do with your big sis!]

Grassis: [For most of you, vengeance for Flam.]

Receiving Grassis’s sweeping retribution, Yae’s hand was instantly broken.

Left in the forest by Yae, Heinkel had yet to get back up after getting hit by the Star Staff earlier, and even supposing he had indeed risen again, he could not be counted upon in this situation.

That was to say――,

Aldebaran: [――Re-expand, territory. Matrix redefinition.]

From this point on, Aldebaran would shut the mouth of Valga Cromwell with naught more than his own strength.

For that purpose――,

Valga: [――Ya lost yer cool. No matter the era, that’s always the cause of defeat for the losin’ side.]

Exercising his Authority, the moment he bent the world to his own rules, Aldebaran realized that before his eyes, Valga was chewing something up in his mouth.

Since he also had a habit of gulping down the poison stored behind his molar, he could tell. ――And in this situation, there was only one thing that Valga could be dosing on.

Aldebaran: [Hexcel.]

In an instant, an enormous palm spread out in front of Aldebaran, and he immediately bent backwards.

He fell on his backside. In exchange, the physique of the risen giant seemed to have enlarged even further from the effects of the contraband drug he had taken, and Aldebaran’s breath caught.

Valga Cromwell’s direct combat ability, was unknown to Aldebaran.

However, Valga’s drive in this moment was no less than that of the numerous warriors he had come to face until this point, and in him dwelled a dreadfulness only found in those who staked their lives on the line.

It happened, at the moment in which that drive had overwhelmed him.

???: [――ALDEBARAN!!]

The shout of a man upon whom he had harbored no expectations of contributing whatsoever, was pointing to the sky.

Aldebaran had likewise caught a glimpse of him in the corner of his eye, but for Heinkel to point at the sky with a sense of urgency rather than terror or fear in these circumstances, there was but one reason.

The time limit that would bring denouement to this battle, from beyond the sky, it cometh.

Aldebaran: [With this――]

Valga: [――Time’s up.]

As Aldebaran’s words were convinced of the demise of this hectic situation, they overlapped with Valga’s voice. But, something was strange. In that voice, not a shred of resignation or irritation was present.

On the contrary, it seemed as if Valga had been looking forward to this moment.

――In the subsequent instant, it came to pass. The light that had illuminated the sky on Valga’s command, now flashed anew.

△▼△▼△▼△

――At that moment, as Rom-jii crushed a Night Banishing Magic Stone within his hand, his body invigorated via his Hexcel-boosted Gate, he played his final move for the purpose of felling the helmet bastard.

Rom: [The helmet bastard’s behaviour, be it mind reading or precognition, doesn’t make a lick of sense.]

The possibility of his mind being read, and this stratagem thus being countered, was eliminated.

In that case, consideration then fell upon him predicting the future and evading accordingly; but that too would be a tad incoherent.

The future was something that existed only once innumerable choices were added up, naught more, naught less. Moreover, it was not just the choices made by any single person, but the countless choices performed by countless people; the future could not be said to be decided by anything else.

Infeasible it was, to peruse the future, to respond to it perfectly, it was all somewhat lacking in realism. To begin with, even supposing he could witness the future, the positioning of the mirror-bearers would be unknown to him.

But, if he had witnessed results even once, it was a different story.

If the helmet bastard’s Authority was not one of looking forward into the future ahead, but rather one of observing outcomes that had come to pass in the future, then his conduct up till this point stood to reason.

He would inspect pockets in order to identify those designated to be mirror-bearers. He would validate its resulting outcome, and go on to the next. Supposing he had repeated this, the actions of the helmet bastard up till this point, and their results, stood to reason.

Rom: [What in tarnation’s that s’posed to be!?!?]

Because it made logical sense, Rom-jii had become incensed, thinking “That don’t make a lick of damn sense!”.

Mind-reading and precognition were both illogical, but returning after witnessing results―― what to call it eluded him, but whatever the case, it was a rule-breaking ability. Just how could it be thwarted?

Rom: [But, it’s got holes.]

In the first place, were he to possess the almighty ability to observe and respond appropriately to every possible circumstance, the helmet bastard would have been able to even avoid encountering them at this juncture.

This individual had prepared countermeasures for Reinhard, and had succeeded in entrapping him. But compared to meeting him head-on, it would have been much safer to evade him.

As to why he had not done so, was the reason of why he could not do so.

――To witness the outcomes and do things over, he did not have that much time.

And thus, were the usage of the Authority entirely up to the helmet bastard, supposing a lull between danger and safety arose, he would naturally wish to create an area of safety in that opening. ――And therein would the trap be set.

From a position that the helmet bastard was made to believe was a safe zone, all he needed to do was fashion an inescapable crucible of traps.

Thereupon, the final aspect of the trap he had concocted was――,

Rom: [――You’ve summoned yer ally back, the Divine Dragon.]

Helmet Bastard: [――――]

The moment its presence was sighted outwith the sky, the helmet bastard’s faction and naturally the Felt Camp alike were convinced that it signified the battle’s denouement.

At the end of day, the absence of anybody possessing overwhelming power was the primary factor in this battle coming into being.

Were the Divine Dragon to be returned, and were it to lay devastation upon the plains with a single one of its breaths, be there five-hundred or be there a thousand ruffians hardened in their resolve, they would not hold a candle to it.

And as to demonstrate this, the Divine Dragon would unleash a single attack that would cause all fighting spirit to be lost. ――This, unmistakably, was a breath serving as a closing ceremony to the battle, one that would be let loose no matter what.

And that breath would be made to be fired in err, unto a situation in which it could not be evaded.

Rom: [――The Night Banisher’s effect’s ta fake night into lookin’ like daytime. By extension, it’s a deceptive veil that shrouds the true landscape.]

Normally, aiming a Night Banishing Magic Stone in the desired direction would be a difficult affair without being a skilled magician, but Rom-jii, having strained his Gate via Hexcel, had been able to bring that about.

But for what reason had he done so? ――Because this was originally one of the stratagems not carried out during the Demi-Human War.

――Targeting an entity that the Royal Army could not disregard, a great magic would be fired to wipe out all the enemies gathered around said being; a variant of a strategy performed in exchange for a life.

Rom: [Back then, the plan was ta target someone ‘n aim magic at their location. But today’s different.]

The deception produced by the Night Banisher extended, with Rom-jii and the helmet bastard in it enveloped.

――Consequently, Volcanica the Divine Dragon, inborne from heavens faraway, the Dragon tasked with terminating this bout, would without doubt lay eyes upon a sprawling plain bereft of people.

Rom-jii and the helmet bastard’s presence there would go unnoticed by the Dragon, thus causing it to attack erroneously.

Having the Dragon fire its breath at a place it thought no one was present in, was Rom-jii’s―― was Valga Cromwell’s method of nullifying the helmet bastard’s safe zone.

Helmet Bastard: [――Hk.]

Instantly the helmet bastard attempted to escape, yet his leg was seized by Valga Cromwell’s grip.

Realizing that escape was impossible, the helmeted man gulped, and gazed up at the heavens. The Divine Dragon’s eyes were unable to see him. Its mouth came suffused with white light, a breath was released directed at the “desolated” plains.

Rom: [――Felt.]

At that moment, within Valga Cromwell’s―― Nay, within Rom-jii’s mind flashed the figure of his beloved grandchild.

Her time as an infant, her time as a toddler, the woman she now was, all went by in a single instant; wondering if this was the scenery he would get to behold just before his passing, an out of place smile arose upon Rom-jii’s visage.

So much so in fact, that even though anger and loathing were supposed to have filled this pointlessly gargantuan body of his, the faces of Libre and Sphinx, who had skirted death alongside him, flickered not in his consciousness.

Bearing those powerful emotions at his terminus, Rom-jii and the helmet bastard both were engulfed by the Dragon’s breath――,

???: [――Cut it with the crap!!]

In that instant, starlight darted past, smashing through the side of the airborne Dragon’s maw, and the breath that was to be sicced loose veered off towards a different direction, exploding upon a plain that was verily desolate.

Rom: [Wha…]

Jostled about by the humongous plume of smoke and the shockwave, Rom-jii was unable to hold firm, and tumbled over. Dragged by the former’s fall, the helmet bastard likewise raised a cry of pain of “GWOAHH!”.

Had it gone entirely as his own self had anticipated, the unthinkable might of the Dragon’s breath would have, without a doubt, finally driven the helmet bastard into a situation with no escape, leaving him defeated.

And yet――,

???: [I had a bad feeling and this is what I find. Being prepared to die and wanting to die right away are two totally different things, you know! Big stupid Rom-jii!!]

The one to roar thus, having smashed Valga Cromwell’s stratagem into smithereens, their red eyes reddened a degree further whilst bearing tears, Star Staff in hand, was his adorable grandchild.

――By his own adorable grandchild, Valga Cromwell had been defeated.