Chapter 65

In the end, Master did not say he would save Lastiara.

No, he couldn’t say it.

He was unable to grasp her unstable spirit, and she left before he could find an answer.

I felt a faint sense of relief wash over me. However, knowing I couldn’t afford to let my guard down, I steeled my resolve and opened the door.

Beyond it stood Master, wearing an expression that looked like the end of the world.

“You heard…?”

“Yes.”

I affirmed without deceit, proceeding to confirm Master’s intentions.

“Lastiara is…”

“She’s gone. Just like you heard.”

Master pointed weakly toward the window.

“Are you okay with this, Master…?”

“There’s nothing to be done. The problem is too big…”

Hearing those words, I felt my turbulent heart begin to settle. I made sure not to let it show on my face as I asked about what comes next.

“So, when the new Tiara arrives, will you just think of her as Lastiara and continue as usual…?”

“…She won’t be Lastiara. She’ll be a different person. There’s no way things can continue ‘as usual’.”

My calmed heart was immediately flooded with joy. I desperately hardened my expression so Master wouldn’t realize I was reveling in such ugliness.

Master continued, the words spilling out of him.

“At the very least… it’s impossible for us to be comrades…”

When he stated clearly that Lastiara would no longer be a comrade, my restraint reached its limit.

“Thank goodness… Truly, thank goodness…”

The relief from the depths of my soul leaked out and turned into words.

“Eh…?”

Seeing my smile, Master looked at me with a bewildered face.

I thought, ‘Oops,’ but then decided this was actually a golden opportunity. With Master weakened and left behind by Lastiara, I might be able to draw out the words I’ve always wanted to hear. It was a chance to make my position unshakable.

My “eyes” told me that now was the time. The “eyes” that ruined my life were actually proving useful for once. Lastiara did something similar. So, why shouldn’t I—?

“I had thought you loved Lastiara, Master.”

At those words, Master’s eyes widened. I could tell exactly how his thoughts were failing to keep up with the abruptness of the statement. Given how flustered he is, there is likely only one answer he can give.

Master, who ignored Lastiara’s plea for help and failed to stop her, couldn’t bring himself to say he “loved” her even if his life depended on it. Even if he did, he couldn’t say it. Not because he chose not to, but because his logical nature made it impossible.

Logic dictates that if he “loved” her, he wouldn’t have ignored her “save me.” Since he did ignore it, he must “not love” her. That is how Master thinks.

And once he puts that into words, Master will be unable to act. Master is good at deceiving himself. He will surely believe his own words that he “doesn’t love her” and give up on everything.

The Master I know would give up when faced with the overwhelming power of a nation. He fears risk and chooses the passive path. Knowing this, I pressed on.

“I mean, Lastiara has her quirks… but she’s so beautiful, strong, and bright. She’s mischievous, but at her core, she cares for her comrades. She’s a dreamer, but she’s the ideal Labyrinth explorer. She’s so much like you, Master, that you two get along perfectly—”

With every word, Master’s face twisted further.

But this was necessary. This was what had to be done for the sake of our parting. So, for Master’s sake as well, I asked:

“I really thought you loved someone like her. But I was wrong, wasn’t I? That’s the truth, right?”

I prodded for an answer, almost like a threat.

Though lost for words, Master’s mind was racing. I could see from his expression that he was recalling the past and the present, desperately searching for an answer.

To be honest, I didn’t even need to hear the answer; I could see it with my “eyes.” Master would undoubtedly follow his pattern of rationalizing his emotions and ultimately compromising. He would think and think, and in the end, he would definitely give up—

“Ha… haha… hahahaha…”

—My vision flipped, and the world distorted.

Master suddenly burst into laughter. Simultaneously, I felt a sharp pain in my “eyes.”

“…!”

As if possessed, Master’s expression changed instantly, and he continued to laugh with a clear, unhesitating joy. And yet… while laughing, he was angry…?

I was bewildered by this unpredicted reaction. My “eyes” hadn’t foreseen this at all. I didn’t understand why he was laughing and angry at the same time.

My “eyes” gave no answer. More accurately, they were screaming that they couldn’t fully grasp the existence known as “Master.”

No way… It’s true Master was always hard for my “eyes” to capture… but it was never like this. Not this chaotic—

“W-what’s wrong…? Master?”

I asked fearfully, wondering why he was laughing like a different person. Master suppressed his smile and looked at me. However, the laughter hadn’t vanished entirely.

“Haha… No, it’s just a little funny… You’re right, Maria. I don’t love Lastiara. There seems to be no mistake about it.”

“E-eh? Is that so…?”

I heard the words I wanted—“I don’t love her.” However, the fact that he answered so easily filled me with unease. I had expected a more bitter, compromising answer. But before me was a radiant smile. I couldn’t understand the reason behind it.

“More importantly, you said something interesting. That Lastiara and I are alike… You noticed that well.”

Master spoke, unconcerned by my agitation. I answered without adornment; I didn’t have the luxury of choosing my words.

“More importantly…? …I-I can’t put it well, but I felt you were alike at the core. From my perspective, both of you are like ‘fabrications’—perfect beings without waste.”

Hearing my honest impression, Master laughed again. This time, it was a dry laugh.

“I see… We’re alike at the core.”

“Yes…”

It’s true that Master has a difficult personality. He’s indecisive, and his values and way of thinking are so unique that an ordinary person can’t keep up with his sensibilities.

—But this is too abnormal.

While I was reeling, Master began to move briskly, as if he had found his answer.

“Maria, I’m going out for a bit. I’ll be back by noon.”

“E-eh…? Master, where are you—!”

By the time I tried to stop him, Master was already heading out. With movements full of conviction, he exited through the window, just like Lastiara.

I could only watch him go. My mind couldn’t keep up, so I couldn’t react. I slowly lowered my reaching hand and sat in one of the chairs in the living room.

“J-just what on earth happened…”

I sat there trembling, facing the fact that I didn’t understand Master’s feelings at all. I never realized that not knowing someone’s feelings—especially those of the person I love—could be this lonely and terrifying.

It was something that had never happened in my life before. Because I have my “eyes,” I have never been in such a state. Even with Master, who was good at deceiving himself, or Lastiara, there was never a time where I understood nothing. I could always read a little bit of their hearts.

“C-could it be, again…? Is it because of the ‘eyes’ again…?”

Memories of the past resurfaced. I remembered the village, and ■■, burning away because of the judgment of my “eyes.”

…Eh? Wait, who was ■■?

The word wouldn’t come. I couldn’t remember? What exactly did I lose before?

“N-no, stay calm… First, I need to calm down…”

I tried to regain my composure through experience. Whether it was the village, the war, or my time as a slave, nothing good ever came from losing my cool. I took deep breaths, straightening out my muddled thoughts.

It was the first time I didn’t understand Master’s feelings at all. But that’s how human relationships are supposed to be. The “eyes” that understand everything all the time are what’s abnormal.

Yes, the “eyes” are the problem. But I’ll set aside my anger toward the “eyes” for now. First, I need composure. Most importantly, I have to predict Master’s actions.

Master said he “doesn’t love” Lastiara. But from that point, everything started to go crazy. He said the line he should have said after much agony—but he said it while laughing.

It wasn’t self-destruction. He wasn’t angry at me or himself. He was laughing at a clear “something” and angry at a clear “something.” But I didn’t know what that “something” was.

I calmly gathered the fragments of information I had. Not just Master and Lastiara’s conversation today, but integrating information with a wider perspective to find the factor.

Then, it occurred to me. Alti had said, “Those two aren’t trying to change,” and “The surroundings won’t allow it.” Is this it? I can’t think of any other reason for Master’s sudden change.

In other words, Master was changed by the hands of his “surroundings.”

The ones who come to mind are the knights of Huzya. With the cutting-edge magic, magic items, and chemicals of a great nation, it wouldn’t be impossible. Was Master changed by some cruel method—and upon realizing it, did he laugh, get angry, and go to save Lastiara?

The possibility is high. No, if that isn’t it, I don’t understand the meaning of him leaving at this timing. There’s no reason for him to be alone at this moment other than to save Lastiara. If he were going to the Labyrinth, he would use the magical door.

So, the answer is…

Master didn’t say a word to me and left me behind to go to Lastiara…?

“N-no… anything but that…”

The answer I reached made my body tremble uncontrollably. The scenes of my returning memories showed the same flow as before. One unnecessary word said because I over-trusted my “eyes” changed everything drastically.

It’s exactly the same… I’m going to lose everything again because of these “eyes”…

Unable to bear it, I knocked over the chair, threw open the front door, and ran outside.

---

A man was standing outside the house.

It was our third meeting. We met at the slave market, then again at the tavern with Alti—and now, here.

My “eyes” rang an alarm bell. They screamed that the man before me was dangerous. But by now, I couldn’t trust my “eyes” at all. I didn’t know what to believe anymore.

The tall man with sharp features curled the corners of his mouth and approached.

“Yo. We meet again.”

The man spoke to me with a smile plastered on his face.

“W-what do you want…? I’m in a hurry…”

I responded curtly, feeling that I shouldn’t get close to this man. However, he didn’t seem to mind.

“I thought it was about time. I came to see how things were.”

“About time…?”

I didn’t understand what he was saying. But I did know he was thinking of something no good. I decided not to engage and stepped forward to pass by him.

But my steps were halted by his next words.

“Don’t you have something you want to ask someone from Huzya? Even if I look like this, I’m a very, very high-ranking knight of Huzya. I have deep ties with Lady Lastiara and big brother Christ. If you want, I can give you some advice.”

“You… are a knight of Huzya…?”

A knight of Huzya. A clear enemy who is highly suspected of confusing Master!

“Yeah, that’s right.”

I felt the blood rush to my head. The emotions that had nowhere to go found a target in this “Knight of Huzya” and began to overflow.

“What did you people do?! What on earth did you do to Master?! Master is acting strange! Ever since you Huzya people got involved, he’s been going crazy!!”

I swung my arm with all my might, striking the knight before me. The man caught it with a cool face and responded calmly.

“No. What we did was only to our lady—Lastiara Huzya. We haven’t done anything to big brother Christ.”

“That’s a lie!! I know you’re trying to use Master! That’s why you put a spell on him, right?! To try and control him!!”

Facing a man who didn’t show the slightest agitation, I lost my cool and denounced him.

“No, I really didn’t. You should be able to tell if I’m lying, little lady.”

Saying so, the man pointed to his own eyes. It seemed he had a skill similar to mine and had seen through the true nature of my “eyes.” He was telling me to look at him and judge the truth for myself.

But I had already made my judgment. I knew well that the man wasn’t lying. Even though I knew, I no longer had the confidence to know what to trust.

Biting my lip, I asked the reason for Master’s state.

“Then!! Why is Master in that state…!”

“I haven’t seen that state directly, so I can’t say for sure… but there is something I do know.”

“Something you know…?”

“Big brother Christ is the kind of guy who, in the end, can’t abandon anyone. Even if he suffers, wavers, or makes mistakes… in the end, he can’t abandon someone he’s grown attached to. That is ‘Christ Eurasia’.”

The man before me gave the answer simply. Master is kind, so he went to help. He stated it with absolute certainty.

I didn’t want to admit it. Was it because I wanted to hog that kindness all for myself…?

Or was it for some other reason…?

“That might be true… I know Master has that side to him… But more than that! Master is a coward, he’s indecisive, and he’s pathetic! That’s why, normally, there’s no way he could ever go to save Lastiara!!”

“I suppose so. You’re right. I know that well, too.”

The man nodded, hearing my assessment of Master. He didn’t deny it. Instead, he aligned himself with my words and continued.

“Because he’s a coward, he fears the Labyrinth; because he’s indecisive, he hurts his comrades and never says what he really wants to say. A being who does nothing but dive into the Labyrinth. That is ‘Big Brother Christ.’ At the very beginning, he was even worse.”

“R-right? That’s why—”

Using the man’s agreement as leverage, I tried to push my own perspective. But I was cut off by his unpleasant smirk. He laughed mysteriously and stated the exact opposite.

“Haha. So, isn’t that why Big Brother Christ is trying to change? Isn’t he working hard to grow stronger, to pull in a better outcome? To face the Labyrinth with courage, to make decisions so he doesn’t hurt his friends, to be honest with his own feelings—perhaps he’s trying to change right now?”

“…!!”

I don’t know a Master like that.

The Master I know is different. He is a person like a lost child who has lost even himself. He’s not someone who steps forward like that.

But that information came from my “eyes.” It wasn’t something I gained through my own strength. I couldn’t find the confidence to deny the man’s words.

I couldn’t refute him.

What if what the man said was true…?

What if Master isn’t running or wavering, but is trying to move forward…?

If he does that, I’ll be left behind in an instant. No, have I been left behind already…?

In fact, I am alone in this house. All alone.

“N-no… I don’t know that… I’ve never seen that…”

“I bet. That guy is special. So many circumstances are tangled up that he’s particularly hard to see. That’s why you couldn’t understand anything about Big Brother Christ. It’s the limit for a little lady who’s relied entirely on her skill.’”

Master was trying to change? Because I relied entirely on my “eyes,” I didn’t notice? Did I make another mistake because of my “eyes”?

Before I knew it, Master might have grown strong and gained the will to resist the massive wall that is Huzya. That’s why he might be angry at “something”—at Huzya—and trying to save Lastiara.

“Little lady, time’s up. Come tomorrow, Big Brother Christ is going to save his Lady. and in his grown state, he might just pull it off brilliantly.”

Ah… ah… He’ll save her…

Master is strong. His spirit is appropriate for his age, but in terms of ability alone, he’s like a hero in his later years. He will surely save Lastiara dramatically and move even further ahead.

“If that happens, ‘Lastiara’ and ‘Christ’ will be bound by a fated bond. Yes, a fated bond…”

Bound by a fated bond, the two of them will move on to the next stage as the hero and heroine of the story.

I wonder, will I be there? Will I, who am nothing more than a bit player from the previous chapter, have a role in the next stage?

No. Surely not.

Characters with no role are always shaved away and erased. I’ll be left behind. Abandoned right here.

“But you have nothing, little lady. No mutual understanding, no bond, no fate, no power—nothing.”

I have nothing. I don’t have Lastiara’s perfection. No beauty. My personality isn’t good. I’m not a noble lady, nor do I have a past involving a nation. I have no talent, no power.

There’s no way someone with nothing like me could stay by Master’s side.

“All you have left is a one-sided promise of master and servant. And even that is a promise Big Brother Christ might not even be conscious of. You yourself have nothing.”

I know that without being told. It’s precisely because I knew that I sought a different connection. I sought power. I sought what Master likely wanted most, no matter the sacrifice—

I breathed shallowly as I snapped back at the man.

“I-It’s still… it’s still okay. As long as my magic… as long as my magic gets stronger…”

I showed the possibility I held. To avoid being crushed by his words, I struck back. But the man continued mercilessly.

“And you think a mage more capable than you won’t appear in the future?”

The man tried to crush my potential. He threw reality in my face as if he were enjoying it. I couldn’t deny it.

As time passes, Master’s acquaintances will only increase. And among them, it’s not impossible that a mage superior to me will appear. If that happens, I surely—

I shook my head, desperately searching for my place.

“I…! I was told I could stay here…!! That it was enough if I just cooked meals here—”

“You know, don’t you? That was pity. You were only told you could stay out of compassion. Cooking isn’t important to him. He’s good at it himself, and replacements are a dime a dozen.”

I knew. I knew that was a role given to me out of consideration. Cooking wasn’t actually needed. To Master, I’m actually—

Actually, already—!

—Ugh, ugh…

The words that followed were too terrifying. I wept in my heart.

“H-He hasn’t…! He hasn’t said he’s going yet…! I haven’t heard him say he’s going to Lastiara yet…!!”

I didn’t want to admit the reality laid out before me. I kept denying it, betting on a single thread of hope.

“Is it really okay to be that optimistic?”

“I haven’t heard it, I haven’t heard it, I haven’t heard it!! Master isn’t going anywhere near Lastiara! From tomorrow, it’ll be the two of us again! We’ll explore the Labyrinth together from this house again—”

Seeing me stubbornly repeat myself, the man shrugged his shoulders in exasperation and left one final word as he turned his back.

“Believe what you want. But if you play it wrong, you might be left behind along with this house. You’d better think hard.”

Leaving that behind, the man departed. I couldn’t say anything back to those final words.

These past few days, I’ve been completely out of the loop. Today, too, I am alone at home. Unable to keep up, “left behind along with the house.” That was everything.

In other words, alone again.

The terror from when I fell into slavery resurfaced. ■■ will disappear again. I’ll lose him. Just as I lost ■, ■, and ■, I will lose Master.

That terror spread through my limbs, and my knees hit the ground. Then, with a hazy consciousness, I stood up and began to walk like a ghost.

Searching for Master, I wandered the streets of Wald. I checked everywhere he might go. The tavern, the church, the shops for Labyrinth supplies—I searched them all.

But he was nowhere.

Which meant Master had headed somewhere other than Wald. Facing the reality I didn’t want to admit, I staggered toward Huzya. Desperately suppressed my desire not to go to Huzya, I moved my legs even as I fought back nausea.

I want to see him. Anyway, I just want to see him.
I want to see him, I want to see him, I want to see him.
I want to see him, I want to see him, I want to see him, I want to see him, I want to see him, I want to see him.
I don’t want to be alone anymore.

As I repeated this in my head, I ran into a familiar face. It was the red-haired girl, Alti.

“A-Alti…?”

I found someone to cling to and approached her, tears welling in my eyes. Alti welcomed me with eyes of compassion.

“…Maria, are you okay?”

“Alti…! If this continues, Master will…! Master will!!”

I couldn’t put my feelings into words properly and simply repeated, “Master will.”

“I know. I know, Maria. Calm down. It’s okay, so calm down…”

Alti held my head and stroked it as I spiraled. As she repeated this, I slowly began to settle.

“Alti… I feel like Master is going somewhere with Lastiara, and I—”

“It’s still okay, Maria. I met Christ just a moment ago.”

“W-With Master…?”

Hearing a trusted person say the name of the one I love, I felt a slight sense of relief.

“He hasn’t gone anywhere yet. He’ll be home soon. You don’t have to worry, Maria.”

“He’s coming home…?”

That small bit of relief grew in volume within my heart.

“However, from what I can see, whether Christ will go save Lastiara… I’m sorry, but even I don’t know. We won’t know until tomorrow…”

“…Tomorrow?”

I felt a sense of dissonance. It was the feeling when my “eyes” find a contradiction. But I didn’t want to doubt Alti, whom I trusted, so I didn’t pursue it. Above all, by now, I didn’t trust my “eyes” anyway.

The only one I could trust was Alti, who had worked for my sake until today.

“Yes. If he’s going to save Lastiara, it will be early tomorrow morning. During the ceremony is the best opportunity. If he’s going to save her, that’s the only time. Listen, Maria. Tomorrow morning, make sure you are by Christ’s side. Then, let’s confirm it. Everything.”

Alti seriously told me how to understand Master’s feelings. She always gives her all for me. I could never doubt those feelings.

“I understand… Tomorrow, then…”

“Yes, tomorrow… Everything follows that.”

With that, I returned home with Alti. Then, Alti promised to come again tomorrow and left.

Holding onto a faint hope, I waited for Master in the empty house. The Huzya knight had arrogantly declared that Master would surely save Lastiara, but that was yet to be seen. Even Alti said she didn’t know, so there had to be hope.

Alone at home, I brooded while repeating magic training and cooking—and then Master returned. I welcomed him with a smile.

He came home… He came home!!

As I thought, it wasn’t like that. We can go back to our life together. Convinced of this, I smiled at Master.

Nothing was strange. We ate together and talked a little. Afterward, Master returned to his room. Lastiara wasn’t mentioned. I went back to my room, believing things would return to normal.

—The abnormality occurred in the middle of the night.

Concerned about Master’s state, I passed by his room and found cold air leaking from the gap in the door. I concentrated my consciousness inside the room. I recognized that flow of mana.

It was the same as when I was training flame magic. Master is training ice magic in his room. And he’s trying to create something at a level he’s never reached before. I knew this because I had been doing the same thing.

If it’s magic for the Labyrinth, that’s fine. But I still don’t know.

Tomorrow, will Master go to the Labyrinth? Or will he go to the Cathedral?

I couldn’t sleep a wink that night. But I didn’t want to waste time, so I kept tinkering with flame magic in my room. Right next to Master’s room where he was training ice magic, I kept training flame magic.

Over and over and over. I chanted countless times. For some reason, it was calming.

The way my emotions were being shaved, overflowing, and becoming biased was very settling. I had a premonition that something important was being altered. Even so, I couldn’t stop. If I didn’t, the anxiety would have crushed me; I couldn’t bear it.

I murmured.

“‘Flare up, Severing Flame’—”

As if praying, I kept chanting.

“‘Sprout, Birthing Flame’—”

I kept chanting and waited for morning.

“‘Please,’ ‘Don’t go,’ ‘Don’t abandon me,’ ‘Don’t leave me behind.’ ‘I,’ ‘I—’”

In my hazy consciousness, I paid the “Price” and kept praying. But that prayer was in vain. The next morning, everything broke.

---

“So you really are going. Master…”

The next morning, Master tried to leave without saying a word to me. So that was it. He was trying to leave me behind…

“…I’ll be back with Lastiara soon. So, Maria, wait here for me.”

Master replied, trying to smooth things over. I confirmed the truth of it with my “eyes.” But I didn’t know.

Coming back? Really?

“We’ve decided to flee to a different country after that. Maria—”

Hearing that they would flee to a different country, I remembered Lastiara’s line: “Will you travel with me to somewhere far away?” If I didn’t stop Master here, they might have gone to a different country together.

Leaving me behind, just the two of them—

“—Maria, come with us. Let’s escape, the three of us.”

Was it meant to be two? Was it meant to be three? I don’t know anymore. Since I don’t know, I ask back the only thing I can understand.

“Escape…? Then, what about this house…?”

What will happen to this house? It sounds as if he’s never coming back. This house, the one Master entrusted to me and told me to cook in every day.

“I’m sorry, but we have no choice but to abandon this house… It’s a waste, though…”

But Master stated clearly, “Abandon.”

My dream of living humbly and happily in this house. Now, that dream was shattered cleanly. And that shattered dream was immediately converted into black flames.

“…N-No.”

In this one night, my inside had become filled with black flames. So, the new black flames spilled from my mouth.

“Eh?”

“Please don’t go, Master… I beg you. Please, please don’t go…”

I couldn’t stop the flames from spilling out and began to vomit out everything from the bottom of my heart.

“Maria…? What on earth is wrong…?”

“If you go, you’ll never be within reach again… I’ll be left behind…”

“No, that’s why I’m saying let’s go together. I’ll never leave you behind. I promise. Why would I ever leave you behind, Maria?”

“That’s a lie. Even if the three of us escape, I won’t be there… It won’t matter if I’m there or not… I hate that!”

But I couldn’t believe any of that kindness. I couldn’t trust a single thing.

I couldn’t trust Christ Eurasia. Because Master lied. He tried to go save Lastiara in secret.

I love him, but… because I love him! There’s no way I can believe him!!

“Why…? Why are you saving Lastiara? You don’t love her or anything, right?”

“Why…? Lastiara is a comrade, right? She’s a necessary comrade for our Labyrinth exploration from now on.”

From now on? No. I don’t want to hear about “from now on.” I want to go back. I want to go back to ■■.

Back to ■■? No!! I want to go back to the time when it was just me and Master!! To a world (place) where there is no one else but the two of us!!

“For Labyrinth exploration from now on…? Until when is ‘from now on’?! If you go, Lastiara will surely be saved! If that happens, again…! It’ll be the same! I don’t want to go to the depths of the Labyrinth! You don’t have to go, right?! If we could just live peacefully in this house, that would be enough!!”

I swung my self-centered opinions around.

The heat from the black flames in the pit of my stomach spews out incessantly, refusing to stop.

“Maria, please, calm down…! The fact that I’m going to the depths of the Labyrinth is the one thing I can’t change…!”

“You’re being greedy! You don’t have to go to the depths! If you just earned money safely around the 10th floor, we could live normally! Happily! That’s what I want! And you don’t need Lastiara for that, do you?!”

In response to that scream, Master approached me and gripped my shoulders with both hands. He held them firmly, locking his eyes with mine. Being so close to the person I love made me flinch.

“We aren’t talking about that right now, are we? We’re talking about the fact that if we leave things like this, Lastiara will die, so I’m going to save her. Maria, are you okay with Lastiara dying…?”

He questioned me about Lastiara’s death. Remembering the kind Lastiara who had supported my love, I snapped back to my senses for just a moment.

“…Lastiara is a good person. …I don’t want her to die.”

“Right. Maria, calm down… We have to save Lastiara… She’s a comrade.”

For a split second, the strength drained from my body. That was the length of time earned by the kindness Lastiara had shown me. But immediately, I recalled her words from yesterday, and the strength that had left me surged back, amplified.

She is a comrade. But yesterday, she tried to steal my Master. Using cowardly means, she tried to become something more than a comrade.

Master and Lastiara are comrades?

I can’t believe that for a second…!

“Comrades…? Because she’s a comrade? Is that the only reason you’re risking your life to save her, Master?”

“Y-yeah…”

That’s a lie, for sure. Things turned out like they did yesterday precisely because “comrade” isn’t enough to describe them.

“Comrades… that’s… that’s a lie. It’s crazy to risk your life for just that reason. …Yes. It’s crazy. You just want to look good, don’t you? To her! You want to show off in front of Lastiara, not me! Even though you acted all cool for my sake when she wasn’t around!!”

Lies.

Lies, lies, lies.

Another lie.

The fact that I was being lied to made my black flames roar. And finally, they began to leak from my body as physical fire.

Now, I was certain.

Master is a liar.

He’s hiding everything and trying to leave me behind.

He chose Lastiara over me.

Then, there is only one thing I can do.

There is only one thing left.

While constructing a sword of flame—the product of endless, repeated training—I slowly approached Master.

“…!! —Magic, 《Dimension: Glaciate》! Magic, 《Freeze》!”

Cold air filled the room. This annoying chill was trying to snuff out my fire. I won’t let it. This fire is necessary to make Master mine. This is the fire that will slash the legs of the Master who tries to leave me behind.

I drew back and swung the flame sword with all my might. Master dodged it by a hair’s breadth with his abnormal kinetic vision and tried to grab my hand. A common response. My skills can’t grasp Master’s inner thoughts, but I can predict a common tactic like that.

I grabbed the hand that was trying to grab mine.

I scorched that hand with fire.

“—It’s hot!!”

Master’s body stiffened from the heat. Seizing the opening, I swung the flame sword again. But it merely cut through empty air. Master’s mana swelled. Our eyes met. He had the eyes of someone playing for keeps.

In the moment my spine froze, it was all over.

Both my arms were seized and forced behind my back. I was pressed down onto the floor.

“Maria, listen to me!! Have you met a knight named Palinchron lately?!”

“P-Palinchron—?”

It was a name I had never heard.

“He’s the knight who won the bid for you at the slave market that time! He has eyes that look at people like he’s observing them, he’s a bit taller than me, and he’s a suspicious guy dressed like a merchant!”

“Who cares…! More importantly…!”

None of that mattered. Right now, capturing Master was the priority.

“Maria, were you hit by some kind of magic?! You’re confused beyond belief!”

“Magic…?! Confused…?!”

That was Master. The one brainwashed by magic was Master, and I—

I tried to talk back, but I was stopped by the chill of mana coming from my back. Just as I was venting fire from my body, Master was venting cold air from his. That chill cooled my flames—my black flames.

My whole body was freezing cold. It was a chill I hadn’t felt once in recent days. It sealed away the fire that was the source of my power from the very root.

“That’s it, calm down… Slowly, take a deep breath and calm down…”

Master’s voice whispered in my ear. I did as I was told, taking a deep breath to settle my heart. Gradually, I regained my composure. The sludge-like emotions that had dominated my body began to cool.

“Eh…? Eh, wait…?”

“Are you okay, Maria…? Are you calm now?”

As I cooled down, I also came to understand the situation. Various parts of the house were scorched, and I was being held down by Master.

Why…?

I pointed a flame sword at Master…?

W-Why…?

There was no way I could win one-on-one. Even if I did this, there was no way Master would like me for it. It was meaningless. In fact, he’d hate me…! Why…?!

“I-I’m so sorry…! What have I done…!”

“It’s okay. I know. I know you said things you didn’t mean because of the confusion. You don’t have to apologize…”

His words were kind. However, Master looked exhausted as he moved away from me, focusing his attention outside.

Ah, ahhh…

No. No, no, no…

My cooled head realized I had done something irreversible. I had spewed out the fire I had kept hidden from Master all this time.

I don’t understand any of it. My mind went blank, and I could only pile up words of apology.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry… Master…”

I kept apologizing.

I wanted him to forgive me.

I didn’t want him to hate me.

I didn’t want him to go.

I wanted him to stay with me.

My various feelings mixed together, and I could do nothing but keep apologizing.

“You don’t have to apologize. More importantly, are you okay? It looks like the confusion has mostly subsided.”

“Yes, it’s completely… I’m really sorry, I…”

Master stroked my head as he checked on me. His palm felt so good…

But I couldn’t. I couldn’t let myself surrender to that pleasure. I had done something irreversible. I didn’t know why it happened. But I did know that I had to apologize to Master.

“—Maria, I’m going to bring Lastiara back now. It’ll be quick. I’ll be right back.”

“Y-yes… If that’s what you’ve decided, Master, then of course…”

Thinking I mustn’t upset him, I answered without thinking deeply.

“Until then, Maria, wait in this house. Lock the doors and absolutely don’t let anyone in.”

“Anyone…?”

“Yeah, not even me. I’ll break in through the window. Don’t let anyone in through the front door.”

“I understand. No matter what happens, I won’t let anyone in!!”

If I don’t listen, he’ll hate me. That was the only thing swirling in my head. If he hates me, I can’t be with him. That, and only that, was unacceptable. If that happened, I would be—

“Then, I’m off… Maria.”

“…Yes, take care. Master.”

But if I let him go like this—

I really didn’t want him to go.

I wanted him to stay by my side a little longer.

I wanted him to tell me what was going on.

I wanted him to help me.

Help me.

Help me, Master.

Please, don’t go anywhere—

—But Master left anyway.

Leaving me alone in the house…

He left…

---

I sat down in a daze. Swept away by my emotions, I had gone on a total rampage. And in the end, Master left. You could say it was the worst possible outcome.

I don’t know the cause. It was my first tantrum in a long time. It’s been so long I can’t remember the last time my heart was that disturbed. Moreover, the tantrum didn’t end as just a tantrum. Pitch-black emotions overflowed from the bottom of my heart, and I couldn’t stop them. It was a nightmare where I stopped being myself.

The “me” at that time was thinking of something terrifying.

—If I burn him with fire and make him unable to move, he’ll be mine alone.

I certainly thought that. A shiver ran through me at the feelings that had surged from the depths of my soul. Was my true heart really this hideous?

Ah, I don’t know. Not only do I not understand Master, but I don’t even understand myself anymore. I just sat there, staring into space.

“…Maria.”

Before I knew it, someone was standing next to me, calling my name. I had locked the doors just as Master told me. Yet, Alti was there as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and she sat down slowly beside me.

As if vomiting, I clung to the only person I could trust.

“Ah, ahhh… Alti, I don’t know what’s what anymore… Please help me. Help me…”

“It’s okay, I’m here. You have me, Maria.”

Alti pulled me close and whispered gently.

“But I! I tried to burn Master to make him mine…! And then…!!”

“I know, Maria. I understand that feeling very well.”

She affirmed everything about me.

“Eh…?”

“You want the person you love to be yours. You want to stop them even if you have to use force. If you can’t have them, you want to burn them and make them yours. I understand perfectly. That’s a natural emotion.”

She affirmed it, even going so far as to say “it’s natural.” But that wasn’t exactly what I wanted to hear.

“N-Natural…? That… there’s no way this is natural. That’s not it—”

I didn’t want comfort. I wanted to know the reason for this incomprehensible state. I just wanted to know why this happened, what was wrong, and who I should resent. Because I didn’t even know what was strange anymore. In fact, already—

“I can only think that I am the one who’s gone wrong!! I hate this…! I don’t even know what’s wrong! Help me…! Someone, someone help me…!!”

I was going crazy. Or maybe I was already crazy. I didn’t even know since when. I didn’t know where the madness started. I couldn’t believe anything. My “eyes” hadn’t been of any use. On the contrary, they had destroyed the things I held dear, and now I had nothing left.

“I’m sorry, Maria.”

I heard a voice from far away. But I no longer understood what was being said. My consciousness was sinking. Sinking into a deep, deep, sludge-like black world. Falling further and further to the bottom. Slowly, toward the bottom where the embers of the black flame lay—

“If possible, I wanted to end things in the way you desired most, Maria. I could have moved more slowly. But I couldn’t. I’m truly sorry…”

I was falling, but I wasn’t alone. There was someone falling with me. Alti was staying with me, no matter how far we went.

“The timing was too perfect. It can’t be helped anymore. Today is the only day Lastiara is unable to move. Today is the only day I can be one-on-one with Christ, who is my equal in every sense.”

As we confirmed each other’s heat and blended together, we headed toward the black embers.

Ah… As I thought, Alti is a relief… Only Alti won’t leave me behind. I can trust that she’s not a liar.

“Because today is the only day that ‘I’ (Alti), who has gained Maria, and the ‘battered Christ’ (Kanami) can be alone together…”

I finally understood. This was the “affinity” Alti had mentioned. Our lives are similar. Meaning they are too similar. We were assimilating. Consciousness and consciousness were mixing; fire and fire were burning each other. I was becoming Alti, and Alti was becoming me.

“Finally, my long-cherished wish will come true. My ‘fulfillment of a tragic love’ is today—”

And so, I understood why Alti had always looked so sad.

---

Burning.

Ah, everything is burning.

All the ties that bound me are burning away. The morality that was in the way, the calculations, the consequences—I don’t need any of it anymore, so I’ll just turn it into fuel.

Having blended with Alti, I gained a clear answer.

I understood what had to be done from now on.

I understood all of Alti’s long-cherished wish.

In the end, Alti was just like me. Because we were the same, she had been so supportive. She had thought about it as seriously as if it were her own situation.

“Fulfilling a ‘tragic love’…”

The fulfillment of an unreachable love. That was Alti’s only wish. And now, it was my wish too. By assimilating with Alti and losing all my ties, I could now be honest with that wish.

I’m tired of it. I hate being alone. I hate being unhappy. I hate the pain. I don’t want to lose anything. I want to keep gaining. I want to be with the person I love.

Master. Master. Master. Master.

I want Master.

I don’t want him to go anywhere.

I don’t want him to leave me behind.

I don’t want him to leave me alone.

Look at me.

Look only at me.

Live looking only at me.

I will live only for Master’s sake, so I want Master to live only for mine.

—Such a simple, clear wish. At the end of the complexity of emotions. Finally, I gained my true dream. For that dream, I was prepared to lose everything. Like Alti of the past, I had no hesitation in burning everything.

—And while I was staring into the rising flames, the time came.

The ‘One Who Steals the Principle of Fire’ whispered sadly to me, “Come, let’s confirm it.” ‘Christ Eurasia,’ the lying Master, appeared from the bottom of the hill. The kind person chosen by my ‘eyes’ to take the place of my ■■. A person so precious that my ‘eyes’ could no longer fully grasp him. A hero among heroes.

—My beloved has come.

But my beloved didn’t come to get me alone. Naturally, there was an intruder behind him. Lastiara was there. I know she supports me. But she’s an object of envy. Someone who shouldn’t have been there. Just by Lastiara being there, Master is drawn to that light. No matter how much she said she supported me, the reality was that her mere presence was an obstruction.

Abominable. Everything is abominable.

Kind and dazzling Lastiara. The knights of Huzya who keep meddling. The new comrades trying to push their way in. Every single one of them is nothing but a nuisance…!!

Master and I… the two of us would have been enough. If the two of us could just live humbly and happily, that would have been enough for me. Yet there are so many people trying to steal that small happiness of mine.

—I have to burn them.

Alti agrees. Today, I was left behind because of Lastiara. So, I have to take him back. I’ll take Master back from Lastiara…! Because I was the one who found Master first…! It was me…!!

“—Give Master… back… G-give… him back—”

A part of the hellfire spilled from my mouth. Once it has flowed out, it can never be held back again. All the fire inside my body rushed toward the exit. My feelings, under the name of hellfire, were leaking out.

I’ll burn everything with this hellfire. That is the only way my tragic love can be fulfilled. Even if my ‘eyes’ tell me that in the end, everything will turn to ash and vanish like ■■. Even if Alti, who knows how it all ends, is smiling sadly.

Because now, all I can do is burn—