Chapter 71

…

My throat was parched…

My head felt heavy and fuzzy, like I was trapped in a dream…

That was it. It was that specific sensation of being in a dream. My perspective felt distant, and there was always a one-beat delay before my body would actually move.

From within that lingering, drowsy darkness, I slowly began to wake up.

A wooden ceiling came into view. However, it was dark. Because of the gloom, I couldn’t even be certain if it really was wood.

I moved my neck, searching for a light source. I couldn’t lift my body, so I had to settle for scanning my surroundings by just turning my head.

First, I confirmed I was lying on a bed. Next to it, I spotted a small stand with a candle and a water pitcher. It seemed the candle was the only source of light in the room.

Beside the stand, a man was sitting in a chair. He was someone I had never seen before—a sturdy-looking man with countless old scars etched into his face, appearing to be in his late thirties or early forties. Judging by his attire, he was clearly someone of significant status.

The rugged man noticed I had opened my eyes and spoke to me.

“…You’re awake, Christ Eurasia. First, allow me to introduce myself. I am Rail of the ‘Epic Seeker’ guild, which serves directly under the nation of Lauravia. Given your capabilities, I have been mandated to be present at all times.”

The man identified himself as Rail.

Lauravia. If I recalled correctly, it was one of the Allied Nations to the southwest. However, I had never heard of ‘Epic Seeker’ or ‘Rail.’ I didn’t understand why I was in an unfamiliar country, facing a man I didn’t know.

I tried to remember. Unless I could recall who I was before I woke up, I wouldn’t be able to grasp the situation.

“You are currently under a great deal of suspicion. There are good suspicions and bad ones—a variety of things. Therefore, you are being detained.”

Hearing the word “detained,” I felt a surge of panic. But as I tried to put strength into my body, I realized I couldn’t move as I wanted. Something like heavy weights had been fastened to my limbs.

Bit by bit, the situation began to click. The more I observed my surroundings, the more I realized this was no time to be dazed.

My right hand was hanging off the bed, and blood was being drained from a cut on my finger. Furthermore, something like incense was burning in the corner, filling the room with smoke. It had no scent, but I had a feeling it wasn’t good for the body.

I tried several times to force myself upright, but it was useless. My physical condition was clearly abnormal. My thoughts were blurred, and my body felt completely wrong.

“I understand you’re confused. But please, calm down. First, moisten your throat. I’ve prepared water.”

Seeing me struggling on the bed, the man named Rail picked up the pitcher. He moved to give me a drink.

“I… don’t want it…”

Fearing what might be mixed into it, I moved my parched throat to refuse.

“I see. If you can speak, that’s fine.”

With that, the man placed the pitcher back on the stand. He didn’t seem obsessed with making me drink. Perhaps he really had prepared the water out of genuine goodwill.

Thinking I might have just trampled over someone’s kindness, I tried my best to steady myself. Then, with a clearer head, I remembered my own abilities. I had forgotten even the basics.

I used ‘Focus’ to confirm there was no tampering with the water, then checked—

I confirmed the identity of the man named Rail. His name wasn’t a lie, and I could tell from his stats that he was a powerhouse in this world.

“S-sorry, Rail… Could you explain the situation to me…?”

At the very least, I understood that Rail didn’t harbor any immediate malice toward me. I made an effort to speak politely as I asked for an explanation.

“Hm… You regained your composure quickly. Impressive…”

Rail looked slightly admired as he continued.

“First, I’ll tell you where we are. This is a building in the center of Lauravia—the headquarters of the ‘Epic Seeker’ guild. Since we report directly to the crown, you can consider yourself currently in the hands of the nation of Lauravia.”

Thanks to Rail’s detailed explanation, I began to piece the situation together. I also started to remember what happened before I woke up.

I had definitely gone to save Lastiara, returned to Wald, killed Alti, and lost to Palinchron. But right now, the most important thing was—

“I understand where we are. Thank you… S-so, are there any other children being detained?”

I went to say Maria’s name but caught myself. Even if I was being held for some crime related to Huzya, Maria was innocent. It was probably better not to explicitly state we were companions yet.

“I’ve heard about your comrades. Currently, Lastiara Huzya, Diablo Sith, and Sera Radiant are fugitives. Here, a girl named Maria is being detained.”

“Is the girl being held safe…?”

Rail had said he’d “heard about them.” But there was no telling how much he actually knew. I chose my words carefully as I asked about my friends.

“She isn’t dead. More importantly—”

“Hey, Rail. Looks like big brother Kanami is finally awake.”

The sound of the door being roughly thrown open cut Rail off. Along with it, a cheerful voice echoed through the room. It was a voice I knew. I could never mistake it.

It was Palinchron…!!

“Hmph. Palinchron, so you were ‘Monitoring’ us… The boy is indeed awake, but…”

Rail turned around, glaring with a bitter expression at the person who had appeared. I glared at him with ten times that amount of hostility, my throat trembling with a curse.

“Ah… aah… Pa… Palinchron…! You… YOU…!!”

I poured enough strength into my limbs to feel like they might snap, trying to stand. I forcibly gathered my haywire mana, attempting to construct the magic “Dimension: Overwinter.”

Of course, I couldn’t stand, and I couldn’t construct the spell. Even so, I couldn’t stop myself from trying to kill the man in front of me.

“Don’t be so angry, big brother Kanami. Look, I brought something tasty. You should eat something first.”

Palinchron emerged from the shadows in the back, smiling as he showed me the prepared bread in his hand.

“Don’t screw with me! Don’t you dare screw with me, Palinchron!!”

I responded with nothing but pure rage. If it weren’t for him, everything would have been resolved. If he hadn’t betrayed us—if he hadn’t slashed Dia—if he hadn’t appeared at the very end—! Right now, I should have been in the southern nation of Gliard, laughing with everyone else!!

That fact alone was agonizing. The fact that I lost to Palinchron was simply infuriating.

I poured all of those emotions into mana, converting it into cold air, letting it go berserk in an attempt to freeze everything binding me. I expanded my Dimension Magic to its limit to strike at the man before me.

The iron shackles and chains binding me rattled. They emitted a distinct metallic clanging as they tried to neutralize my power. Gradually, I began to vent my mana outward, and my body lifted slightly off the bed.

“What?! He’s under triple Magic Locks and shackles five times the normal weight! There’s no way he can generate mana—he shouldn’t be able to move!! W-wait! Both of you, wait!!”

Sensing the wave of mana I was releasing, Rail jumped to his feet in a panic, interposing himself between me and Palinchron.

He was in the way. Rail was in the way, and so were the ‘Magic Locks’ and ‘Shackles’ he mentioned. I knew they were sealing my body and my mana. So, I twisted my body to the absolute limit, refining the cold air, trying to shatter the ‘Magic Locks’ and ‘Shackles.’

“Rail, leave it to me. My new power is starting to feel quite familiar. —Magic: Variable Relay.”

However, before I could break them, Palinchron’s hand touched my head.

“Ngh, again…!!”

Palinchron’s mana flowed into my body, and I felt my racing thoughts rapidly turn cold and stagnant.

“It’s just medical magic. It only has a sedative effect. Now, calm down, big brother Kanami.”

I immediately checked my status.

It was true; he wasn’t lying. Looking at the status, it seemed my composure had simply been forcibly restored. There wasn’t enough abnormality to trigger the skill ‘???’… or so I thought.

However, that didn’t mean my anger had vanished. I simply understood that if I tried to fight Palinchron while restrained, he would strike first and I would undoubtedly lose. With my head cleared, I decided that negotiation was the better path.

Sensing this, Palinchron sat in a nearby chair and began to speak.

“Now, shall we begin? It’s time for a fun, fun interrogation.”

Rail watched us, let out a breath, and stepped back looking uneasy. Palinchron noted this and proceeded.

“Right now, big brother Kanami, you’re under a lot of suspicion. We’ve tracked most of your movements over the last few days through the ‘Mana Lines,’ so there’s no point in making excuses. Though, I should say, we only know about those last few days.”

Like a detective in a TV drama, Palinchron addressed me.

“A boy calling himself Christ Eurasia appeared abruptly from within the Labyrinth fourteen days ago. Yes, abruptly. That’s the problem. We only know this boy’s movements for those fourteen days. I’ve checked all the ‘Mana Lines’ of the five Allied Nations, and there is no record of Kanami Aikawa entering the alliance, nor any record of him entering the Labyrinth. In the truest sense, the boy ‘appeared from inside the Labyrinth’.”

Palinchron was trying to strip away my identity and background. I could tell from the way he framed the conversation. Conversely, that meant my origin was a card I could play. Trying to strike a deal with him, I let my mind spin coldly and rapidly.

“In response to this, the higher-ups in Wald suspected Christ Eurasia of being a Guardian from the 30th floor. Their theory: someone reached the 30th floor, a Guardian appeared—just like with Teida and Alti—and it came to town for a stroll. Since there are already two precedents, the bosses looked at it and basically said, ‘Not again’.”

Realizing I was being categorized alongside Teida and Alti, I reflexively denied it.

“I’m not…”

Being treated as a monster never led to anything good. I decided I would at least deny being a Guardian.

“You say that, but for now, big brother Kanami, you’re being treated as a monster. Those ‘shackles’ are the proof.”

Grinning, Palinchron feigned sympathy and pointed to the restraints on my limbs. I calmly thought of an excuse. If I just said I came from another world, that might end it. But the thin smile on Palinchron’s face made me hesitate.

“I’m a Dimension-attribute mage… There is a spell called ‘Connection.’ With that magic, one can enter the Labyrinth without leaving a record. I am human…”

I weighed the cards I could reveal against the ones I should keep hidden and disclosed the existence of the spell “Connection.” It was a card I wanted to keep secret, but I was desperate.

“Wrong. You didn’t acquire ‘Connection’ until after you met the little lady, Maria. I’ve already confirmed that with the magic shop owner.”

Palinchron denied it instantly and coldly.

“…What does that matter? I’m telling you that such things are possible with Dimension Magic.”

I shot back just as coldly.

“I see. So you’re saying you entered the Labyrinth using a Dimension spell similar to ‘Connection.’ In that case, that spell is—”

“I’m under no obligation to tell you. My point is there are plenty of ways to enter the Labyrinth without a record.”

I only needed to suggest the possibility here. I had to assert that I was human and prevent them from concluding I was a monster. That was enough.

“Well, I suppose that’s how it is.”

Palinchron shrugged, appearing to give up. He didn’t look frustrated. As always, I couldn’t see his goal. I couldn’t grasp his priorities at all. One moment he seemed like a pure hedonist, the next he showed a strange obsessiveness. I’d think he was acting logically, but then he’d chase a whim just because it was his “hobby.” In terms of difficulty to negotiate with, he was undoubtedly top-class.

I decided to start by asking about my companion. I had to at least find a breakthrough for the negotiation.

“Palinchron… where is Maria…?”

“Detained.”

Palinchron answered shortly.

“Let me see her…”

I had expected her to be detained. I tried my best to keep my request calm. Upon hearing it, Palinchron’s expression shifted. He looked serious, yet there was a glint of amusement in his eyes.

“I can’t do that. You two are very, very important guinea pigs (guinea pigs). There’s no merit in letting you meet.”

“Gui… guinea pigs…?”

Hearing that word, cold sweat broke out and my face contorted. It was the word I had feared most since coming to this world. Back when I was Level 1, the terrifying possibility of being an experimental subject had restricted my every move. As my level rose, the danger seemed to vanish, and I had put the word out of my mind—only for it to resurface now.

“Yeah. She is the first human in history to merge with a Guardian. It’s only natural she’d be treated as a guinea pig, right?”

In an instant, my heart twisted and cracked. Blood seemed to spill from the fissures, and a pain so sharp I wanted to scream surged through me. This was the absolute worst-case scenario.

“W-wait…! Wait, Palinchron!!”

My voice turned harsh with heartache, anxiety, and desperation. Not that… Anything but that…

If it were just me, I could say I deserved it. But Maria was different. This wasn’t her fault. It was mine. I was the one who pulled her up and then failed to fulfill any of my responsibilities. I had already forced so much misery on her, and now I was going to make her miserable again. The reality of it nearly broke my mind.

“Yes?”

“Maria is a child! She’s a fragile young girl! She hasn’t done anything wrong! Let her go! She isn’t someone who should suffer any more than she already has!”

“Haha. Fragile? Thanks to you, big brother Kanami, she’s become a monster that a whole squad of explorers couldn’t match. Oh, every bit of this is thanks to you.”

“Fine! It’s my fault! I was wrong! But Maria is innocent! So please, let her go! I’ll be the guinea pig! What I said before was a lie. I’m not just a normal human. I’ll tell you… I’ll tell you everything, so just… just spare Maria!!”

Throwing away all pride and shame, I screamed. I had no composure left. Negotiation had vanished from my mind. All that remained was the vow I had made to give Maria everything—the promise to make her happy that was now being torn to shreds. The reality that I could never atone—

“Big brother Christ isn’t a normal human? I know that. And you’ll be a guinea pig instead of the girl? Don’t be stupid. You’re both guinea pigs. There’s no way we wouldn’t investigate both of you, right?”

“…!!”

Palinchron’s response made me feel like I was falling into an abyss. It was the terror of a freefall from high above the clouds. I realized that while I thought I had calmed down, I wasn’t calm at all. Everything had been decided the moment I lost to Palinchron. Maria and I had fallen into his hands, and we had no freedom. There was no room for negotiation. That had been set in stone.

“Ah… aah… Aaaaaah…”

I groaned, consumed by self-reproach. At this rate, Maria would become an experimental animal. It was my fault. It all started when I saved her on a whim. I reached out so foolishly—and as a result, she was facing a fate more terrifying than dying as a slave.

A guinea pig. Even with my limited knowledge, I knew that was an existence with less dignity than a person or a slave. And who was responsible for dropping her there? Me. If I hadn’t existed, this never would have happened.

What was all that talk about “not letting her suffer anymore” or “promising not to leave her alone”? I hadn’t kept a single promise. In the end, just as Alti said, it was all empty words…

I bring misery to everyone around me. If Maria hadn’t gotten involved with the Labyrinth, she never would have been targeted by Alti. She wouldn’t be here, detained with me.

Come to think of it, Dia was the same. If he hadn’t crossed paths with me, he wouldn’t have lost his arm. Both people I lured into the Labyrinth have ended up miserable.

“Aaaaaahhh, aaaaahhh…!”

It hurt. Being terrified for myself was bad enough, but involving others made that anxiety swell manifold. I couldn’t take it. At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to endure. The skill ‘???’ would trigger.

Change your perspective. Remember the good things. It’s not over yet. It’s too early to despair. I have allies.

—I had Lastiara. She was the one person I could proudly say I “saved.” I could say it was good that I was there. And she was safe. Her strength and character were guaranteed. Once she recovered and learned what happened to Maria and me, she would undoubtedly try to save us.

It’s not over yet…!!

I stopped groaning and took deep breaths, gathering information to break through this situation.

“Hm. A shame. You still have hope, I see. The Master and her group, I assume.”

Palinchron muttered expressionlessly as he watched me. I tried to keep my face just as blank so he couldn’t read my thoughts. As if to shake me, Palinchron spoke again.

“Well, I wonder if they’ll really come to save you? Neither the Master nor the Apostle can recover instantly. At the very least, they won’t be coming right away.”

Knowing he was trying to break my spirit, I shot back defiantly.

“Hein and Radiant are with them…”

To that, Palinchron replied shortly.

“No, Hein is dead.”

“—What?”

He announced the death with blunt brevity and immediately tried to move to the next topic.

“Sera will be busy guarding the Master and the Apostle. With the loss of their strongest piece, Hein, those three have very few ways to save you and Maria.”

Palinchron continued as if nothing had happened. But his next words didn’t register in my brain.

“Wait, what? Hein is… dead…?”

“Yeah. That idiot traded his life to let those three escape. And then he died.”

Once more, Palinchron gave a concise answer. I felt my breathing grow shallow.

I felt my forcibly regained composure crumbling due to my failing physical state. My palpitations quickened, and a sickening sweat began to pour off me.

I had no reason to believe him. It was sheer nonsense to trust the words of Palinchron, my arch-enemy.

“Ha… haha. Oh, so you’re saying that Hein died? The Hein?”

I tried to repel his words by implicitly invoking Hein’s strength. I chose to believe that Hein—who was surely one of the top two most powerful knights among the Celestial Knights—couldn’t possibly be dead.

“Yeah, he’s dead. By the time Hein reached the Cathedral, he was already at his limit. That’s all there was to it.”

Only when speaking of Hein’s death did Palinchron stop smiling entirely. It might have been a poker face meant to deceive me, but for some reason, I couldn’t bring myself to think it was a lie.

“But, even so…”

I tried to weave words together to resist.

“Hein is dead, and the schemes of Acting Prime Minister Fedelt are still ongoing. In such a situation, isn’t it cruel to ask for a rescue from the Master and the others while they are fugitives?”

Palinchron pointed out the low probability of rescue and continued. He went on as if the bad news didn’t end there—as if there were plenty more.

“If anything, the one who needs to go help is you, big brother Kanami. As the Hero who snatched the Master away from Huzya, you have a responsibility to go save them… Before long, they might fall into the hands of Fedelt and his people, you know?”

He was right. Taking Lastiara and the others out of the Cathedral hadn’t been the end. Rather, the life of a fugitive was the real ordeal.

In my plan, utilizing my magic [Connection] was supposed to make their escape easy. But I wasn’t by their side. No matter how much Lastiara and Dia were outliers, I didn’t know if they had the means to deal with a nation’s long-term human wave tactics. For all I knew, they might be captured by Huzya as early as tomorrow.

If things went poorly, would those two die as well?

Just like with Maria, because I had reached out halfway, a much worse future might have been waiting.

“Can those three—awkward and socially ignorant as they are—really escape the pursuers of Huzya? There isn’t a single person among them with any street smarts.”

Palinchron wore a malicious smirk as he stood and walked through the dark room. He moved slowly into the depths of the shadows as he spoke.

“I’d like to join the hunt for the Jewel Crucis and the Apostle myself, but as long as I have the ‘Hero’ and the ‘Half-Guardian’ in my hands, I won’t be greedy. I have enough experimental material, after all.”

A wet, squelching sound of meat and water mingling reached my ears. It was a physiologically revolting sound. Palinchron picked something up in the corner of the room and returned.

Because of the darkness, I couldn’t see it clearly. Palinchron sat back down holding something rounded.

“First, let’s put Hein’s remains to good use—”

Then, Palinchron held that rounded object up to the candlelight, showing it clearly to me.

It was a human head. The head of a handsome man, sleeping with a peaceful expression. It was the severed head of Hein Helvillshain.

“A… aaahhh…!! Aaaaaah…!!”

Vivid golden hair fell over his eyes, and his cheeks were covered in numerous abrasions. Red blood dripped from his mouth—and there was nothing below the neck. It was a dead man’s head, fantastically beautiful and mercilessly lifeless.

“Haha! If I use the ‘materials’ here, creating a being that surpasses Lastiara Huzya isn’t just a dream! There’s no reason to be obsessed with the Master or the Apostle anymore!”

Palinchron called Hein’s head a “material.” Surely, that “material” included me and Maria as well.

The clear intended use for us as guinea pigs became apparent, and my face contorted. I knew it even without a mirror. My face must have been twisted beyond recognition with terror and grief.

My needlessly shallow yet broad knowledge put my imagination to work. Looking at the severed head, I imagined scenes of butchery and dissection. The photo of a frog dissection I had seen in a school textbook as a child flashed through my mind; I projected myself onto it, and a small scream rose in the back of my throat.

Am I going to die like Hein?

In an alternate world with no family, dying without even having my human dignity protected. And dying while taking a girl the same age as the sister I swore to make happy down with me. Dying halfway through my goals, leaving behind Lastiara and Dia whom I had tried to protect.

Am I going to die here?

Hein’s severed head, thrust before me, made me feel a definitive end. The end. In other words, it made me feel death.

Die. Die. Die. Die. From here on, I will de—

The heart that wished not to die activated it. I had no strength left to resist it. And the rampage wasn’t over yet. The description for the skill ‘???’ continued.

The confusion reached the 10.00 range, which I had instinctively avoided—

—Everything was being refunded.

“E… eh? A… aa… aa…—”

A… “refund”?

The first “Display” of its kind appeared on my retina, and I couldn’t understand its meaning. And then, I broke. Without understanding the meaning, I was made to experience it.

Suddenly, my thoughts became a torrent. Various negative emotions blew through me like a storm. The exact same emotions from my past were returned.

The despair of being betrayed and thrown before a ferocious beast assailed me. The sense of isolation—being all alone in an alternate world—enveloped me. The anxiety that I might lose someone precious welled up. I recalled the humiliation of being toyed with through inhuman means. The stress of being caught up in unreasonable tyranny eroded me. The discomfort of having my world forcibly rewritten surrounded me. The fear of death when facing a mighty existence froze my spine. The various instances of magic-induced mental pollution recurred. My feelings for Lastiara reignited—

Every single emotion directly linked to death was returned to me in one lump sum.

“A… aah!! Aaaaaaa, aaaaaah, aaaaaaaahhhhhhhAAAAAAAAAAAGGHHHHHHHH!!!!”

No, “refunded” was too mild a word. It was being forcibly paid back with interest added.

All of it intertwined and fed off each other. It wasn’t simple addition; it was multiplication. Malice, swollen by orders of magnitude, filled my entire heart.

I screamed.

I was wound back to the mental state of that day when I had first wandered into this world, roamed the Labyrinth, been deceived by people, and been about to be eaten by wolves—and then, every bit of malice from then until today was slammed into me. It far exceeded the capacity of a single human being.

“W… what? Big brother Kanami, suddenly—”

“AAAAAAAAAGGGH!! N-NO, NO NO, NO MORE!! Why! Why, why, why did it turn out like this!? What is wrong with me!? Why, WHYYYYYYYY!!”

I heard Palinchron saying something in the distance. But I didn’t have the composure to listen and understand. I just screamed.

I… I couldn’t breathe. Even though I was sucking in so much air, none of it stayed in my chest. It didn’t get any easier. My diaphragm spasmed. Every time it spasmed, the air in my lungs leaked out. Losing oxygen, I panicked and moved my lungs again, causing the diaphragm to spasm even more. Eventually, it went beyond spasms; pain shot through me, and my entire body writhed in agony.

“Was Hein’s corpse really that bad for big brother Kanami? No, was ‘death’ itself a taboo?”

The voice was distant. A massive amount of sweat, enough to make me anxious, flowed out, stealing the heat from my body even though I wasn’t flushing. My body wasn’t flushing—I was sure of that—yet for some reason, my brain felt hot, and the sweat wouldn’t stop. It was as if my brain were mistaking the sludge-like, blackly burning malice for heat, and to cool it down, sweat poured like a waterfall.

It felt like being forced to drink boiling oil while being showered with ice-cold water that peeled the skin. It was unbearable. I couldn’t stand it. I wanted to lose consciousness right then, but the pain wouldn’t allow it. Even though I knew it would hurt if I tensed up, I couldn’t endure my body breaking down and ended up straining. I gritted my teeth and twisted my neck to its limit. My eyeballs felt as if they were really going to pop out.

It hurt… It hurt, it hurt, it hurt… It hurt enough to die!! I was really going to die!!

“This is bad, Palinchron! The boy is irreplaceable, so weren’t we supposed to wear him down slowly!? At this rate, the boy’s mind will break!!”

“I know that! Just shut up for a second, Rail! Tsk, to think I’d have to use Teida’s mental magic for treatment!”

Aaah, aaaaah… Aaaaaah, could people… Could people really come this close to dying just from the influence of their mental state? In dramas and manga, I had often seen characters who fell into a state of shock after experiencing something tragic. They looked like they were suffering greatly, but I hadn’t believed it. I had thought it was impossible to suffer that much just from a problem of the heart.

That wasn’t true. I was just immature and hadn’t understood because I hadn’t gone through the same thing. It wasn’t an exaggeration at all. It felt like my breathing was about to stop. It felt like my heart was about to burst. Consciousness faded from the intense pain. I wanted to claw at my throat. If my carotid artery were to be severed and death would release me from this suffering, right then, I would have reached out for it.

Ah, aah, die… I’m dying. That’s right. If I die, it’ll be easier. Finally at peace…

I tried to reach out for the hope that was death—

The hand I had reached toward my neck stiffened.

Ah, e… h? It hurts… Let it be over… I’ve had enough. So, let death—

Stop it… Stop it… Even doing that isn’t enough. Don’t you understand that?

Even if the skill 『???』 were to trigger ten times over, it wouldn’t be enough to erase the malice from the “Refund.” This was because the interest had created a surplus of negative emotion.

At this rate—

—It would only pointlessly increase the interest on that malice once again.

It was meaningless. Didn’t the skill understand something so simple?

Ha… haha.

Ah…

Right. In other words—

—This skill 『???』 was a defective product.

It didn’t have enough to trade away. At this rate, interest would be added for no reason, and another “Refund” would come—!!

It was no use. If that mass of malice was “refunded” one more time, I would—

“—Magic: [Variable Relay], Magic: [Variable Down]!!”

Palinchron’s voice, and Teida’s nostalgic magic—they pushed back against the skill 『???』.

Just a little… It was truly only a tiny bit, but a murky light pierced through to the bottom of the sludge-like darkness.

I heard a voice.

“Kanami! Big brother, have hope! It’ll be a problem if you die! —Magic: [VARIABLE RELAY]!!”

The man I hated most was screaming at me to “have hope.” I felt him expending a massive amount of mana, constructing magic to save my spirit. Palinchron was acting with a level of desperation that seemed almost human.

It was a strange sight.

“Kanami! Don’t despair! It’s not over yet! Stay conscious! Listen to the rest of what I have to say!!”

The magic linked me and Palinchron together. Through that connection, a loathsome yet powerful mana flowed into my entire body. That mana washed away the malice eroding my frame. As it flowed, I felt the pain throughout my body begin to ease.

Anxiety vanished, my pulse settled, and the sweat receded. A small margin of room to think was born.

“Ah, aahhh…”

At the very last second, I pulled my mind back together.

“Whew… haa… The ‘Twentieth Trial’ is only just beginning… Did I threaten him too much…?”

Opening my eyes just a crack, I saw a breathless Palinchron with no composure left, his shoulders heaving. He wiped sweat from his brow, unable to fully hide his agitation. Rail, who had been standing by, looked much the same.

“Palinchron, is it even possible to carry it out while the boy is in this state…?”

“…I have no choice but to adjust it more gently than planned. If I don’t adjust it with a dose of hope, Kanami’s mind is liable to go necrotic first.”

I heard the words “carry out” and “adjust.” However, I had no energy left to analyze their meaning. The danger of death had passed, but my body still wouldn’t move an inch. Along with my mental exhaustion, my physical form seemed to have been drained to its absolute limit.

The mana from Palinchron that had stabilized my mind now began to race through me, seeking to toy with that very psyche. It was no longer the mana used for life support from moments ago, but that repulsive mana characteristic of Palinchron.

“Ngh…”

Even if my life were saved, being toyed with by Palinchron was unacceptable. I poured strength into my body to resist with everything I had. But there was nothing I could do. Between being restrained and, more than anything, being broken in body and soul by the repetition of the skill 『???』, I was falling apart.

Seeing me try to exert strength, Palinchron made a troubled face.

“Kanami… Accept this. If you accept it, I will save Maria. I promise, I will definitely save her.”

After that troubled look, Palinchron said he would “save Maria.”

“A-ah… Like I… can believe that…”

Stirring my near-dead spirit, I fired back with a curse.

“I don’t tell lies. I keep my promises. I let it slip earlier, but it’s true that it would be a problem for us if you died. If you were to resist with the intent to die, it would be extremely troublesome. That’s why I’m saying I’ll save Maria in exchange for you not committing suicide.”

Palinchron wasn’t using his usual mocking attitude; he was speaking with a sincere tone. It seemed the rampage of the skill 『???』 earlier had changed his outlook more than he had expected.

“As if I could believe such a thing…! But… but, I’m already…”

Honestly, no matter how much Palinchron changed his attitude, there was no way I could trust him. Yet, it was also true that in this situation, the only path for Maria and me was a miserable death. I had no choice but to accept his honeyed words.

“There’s… nothing else left…”

Truthfully, I felt like tensing up and dying just to spite Palinchron, since he had said my death would be a problem. But once Maria was brought into it, it was over. I had a duty to do my best for her sake.

I poured my last bit of strength into a threat.

“Listen, Palinchron…! If you break that promise, I’ll kill you! I’ll definitely kill you! No matter what happens, I’ll kill you! I’ll murder you!!”

“See, Kanami, the fact that you can only say ‘I’ll kill you’ makes you a kind guy. No, really…”

However, Palinchron parried it with a cool face. If anything, he looked relieved to hear the threat. With that, I lost my last bit of strength, and my consciousness drifted away.

“Regarding Maria, you don’t need to worry so much. There’s also the promise I made to Alti… Well, she probably won’t be saved in the way you’d hope, but…”

Likely, after this, I would be violated by Palinchron’s mental magic until it permeated my very flesh and blood. I would end up in the same state as Lastiara and Hein.

“You’re going to mess with my heart, aren’t you…?”

In my hazy consciousness, I confirmed this with a small voice.

“You don’t need to worry so much; I won’t touch the core of Kanami Aikawa. That’s something precious to me as well. I’m just going to shift your direction a little and have you misunderstand a few things.”

What did he mean, “a little”? Because of that “little” bit, every single person had met a terrible fate.

“Am I going to end up like Hein?”

“No, it’s a bit different from Hein’s. If anything, it’s the same type I used on Alti and Maria. I’ll just do it more strongly, adding the power of 『The One Who Steals the Dark Principle』.”

“Y-you…!!”

In an unexpected place, Palinchron’s misdeeds were exposed. I felt anger along with shock that he had even laid hands on Alti. But I had no power to fight. Even keeping my eyes open was reaching the limit.

The moment I closed my eyes, Palinchron’s mana swelled even further, and that energy flowed into me.

“Now, shall we begin? First, Kanami’s skill. This is far too much of a problem.”

Palinchron’s mana permeated my entire body, and my free will began to vanish. I, who should have been the master of my body, drifted away as Palinchron’s evil hand touched my spirit.

Palinchron chanted many spells. Bolstered by the power of 『The One Who Steals the Dark Principle』, it had become something far more powerful than Teida’s magic from before. After a time that felt both short and long, I saw a “Display” behind my eyelids.

I wanted to stay conscious as long as possible, but I had reached the end. I heard a voice that I couldn’t tell was near or far.

“—Tsk. But with this, all the suspicious innate skills have been taken care of. Perhaps because Kanami is in despair, the magic passed through easily. But the ‘Price’ is a pain, too…”

Even if the “Display” and the voice reached my brain as information, I could no longer understand their meaning. I was so sleepy, as if I hadn’t slept for days.

“Now then—”

My consciousness fell to the bottom of a slumber and sank. Likely, once I had fully sunk, I wouldn’t wake up for days. And I could not resist it. As I let my consciousness sink into that dark swamp, one last time—

I checked my own status. Seeing the thoroughness of Palinchron’s settings, I felt a sense of exasperation—and then I lost consciousness completely.

---

—And so, I failed.

In a pitch-black space, I held a solitary reflection session. In the end, what was the cause of my defeat?

In terms of combat, there was no problem.
In terms of capturing the Labyrinth, there was no problem.
…
I knew…
What failed was the connection between people.

I didn’t try to open my heart to anyone. Even if I tried to use them, I never thought to ask for help. I didn’t feel the necessity to open up. That’s why I lost my mental composure so many times.

It was bad that, precisely because I could see statuses, I mistakenly believed I was stronger than anyone else. I thought I was the only one who could do anything, and the idea of relying on others never occurred to me. Not to mention Maria—I even looked down on Dia and Lastiara as weaker beings than myself. I decided that while I would help them, I would never be helped by them.

I understood it now.
I should have consulted someone and voiced more complaints. I should have shown more of my honest, unfalsified emotions. Ideally, someone like the owner of the tavern. If I had consulted an adult who had a firm sense of self, the conclusion surely would have been different.

Interacting only with talented young people and exceeding my own capacity was likely one cause. It felt like the more talented and charming a person was, the more they harbored some kind of mental defect. I should have been more steady and looked for a reliable presence, even if their talent was average.

And so, the days passed without truly connecting hearts with my companions, and the entirety of that debt concentrated on the day of the Holy Birth Festival. At the moment I accrued that debt—no matter what I did on that day, I could only have saved either Lastiara or Maria.

In short, I was checkmated. Trying to force a rescue for the one I couldn’t save created the opening for Palinchron to strike, and that was the end.

The end.
My loss.
…
If.
If there was a next time, I wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.
I definitely wouldn’t.

I would open my heart, believe in people, and not tell lies.
I would live as Kanami Aikawa.
I wouldn’t run away into a fake identity like Christ Eurasia.

I swore it.
Next time.
For sure…