Chapter 2

Pariaach flew freely through the air. Its movements, which ignored gravity, were not those of a human. It was the only spirit that existed in this world.

Meanwhile, the one facing it was a talented member of the Royal Guard Corps. Aaron was also a member of the intelligence organization, a man with multiple faces.

The two were not meeting for the first time. They knew each other. They were connected by mutual grudges. That was precisely why the battle grew fierce.

“The familiar—Magic Missile!”

The mysterious trajectory could not be read. The mass of mana split into several pieces in midair, each drawing its own independent path. It could be called an attack that fully displayed the caster’s skill and twisted personality.

“Izosaar-style Court Swordsmanship: Curtain Lightning.”

Consecutive thrusts were unleashed while dodging the attack. The rapier clad in lightning magic pierced the Magic Missiles and scattered them into mist. The repeated attacks, accurately targeting the starting points, were the work of a craftsman.

“There’s still more to come!”

“…This is nothing.”

Pariaach, which had been moving gently, suddenly changed its rhythm. It rapidly descended from above with a flying kick. Aaron dodged it with light steps. The missed attack stabbed into the ground and left a large crater. Despite its childlike appearance, it possessed considerable power. If he took it head-on, his bones would likely be crushed.

“There, there, there!”

Its offense, which had mainly consisted of long-range attacks, shifted to close-range martial arts. Unlike a human, Pariaach was always floating, so there was no axis to the martial arts it unleashed. If one fought a martial artist, one could predict attacks from their axis, but Pariaach had none.

“You move strangely as always. Is that because you are a spirit or something?”

“So you already know. …That’s right. Unlike you humans, I’m special.”

Fists were swung in succession. Their speed was not constant, but varied between fast and slow. Magic was occasionally mixed in as well. It was a tricky combat style.

“Special, huh… From a spirit’s perspective, what sort of beings are humans?”

“That’s obvious. Ignorant, foolish ingrates. Your human civilization was born because we spirits existed, you know!”

Aaron slipped past a kick and thrust his rapier. Perhaps having read it, Pariaach rose high into the air and easily dodged.

“Where did those great spirits disappear to, then? Are you not lonely all by yourself?”

“It’s useless trying to confuse me. Once the gate opens, all of you will be finished anyway.”

“Sorry, but we are the ones who will win.”

“No. I’m the one who will win.”

Human and spirit scattered sparks for the worlds they desired.

“Signal me if you want a buff!”

Eris sent support magic with various effects to the right places at the right times. Buffs displayed their true value when used according to the battle situation. If the effect was unnecessary, it could instead weaken the target. Having a broad field of vision was what made it possible to find a path to victory.

“As expected of Vice Commander Strohk’s daughter. You lot! Don’t miss this chance!”

The kingdom’s army answered the commander, who encouraged his allies, with their achievements. By scattering buffs on allies and debuffs on enemies, the gap in combat strength widened greatly.

It was an advantage that monsters and the fake Knight Order did not possess. This was where they wanted to push through.

(The one fighting Aaron is… the spirit.)

Surging lightning bared its fangs at Pariaach, but it was deflected by a mysterious barrier. It was a technique that humans like Eris did not possess. Was this the power of a spirit?

Eris also knew about Pariaach. The only spirit in this world. A mana aggregate with a will. The spirits once called gods were extremely ill-natured and cruel. They thought nothing of human life. She did not know whether all spirits were like that, but she would prefer never to be involved with them again.

(It tried to kill Atri. It’s the enemy who killed Zeke’s parents.)

A piercing high-pitched sound came from the battlefield where Aaron and the others were. A Royal Guard was fighting without falling behind even against a spirit. There was a reason Zeke acknowledged him.

If Eris were honest, she wanted to join that battlefield too. Emotionally, she wanted to, and in terms of the battle situation, letting Pariaach roam freely was dangerous. …There was a terrifying uncertainty in not knowing what it might do.

(Even so… you really never know what life will bring.)

Like her father, Eris had once been troubled over whether to become a knight or a mage. She had confidence in her sword handling, and she also had knowledge of magic. She had thought she could do anything. …It had truly been an arrogant thought, but Eris had believed herself to be a genius. Until she met the real thing.

(I’m alive because he was there, and I was able to become decent.)

When she shifted her gaze to another battlefield, a giant hammer was being swung down. The hammer, clad in cold air, crushed monsters, shattered the ground, and made the icy earth surge upward. How many soldiers of the kingdom’s army was he worth by himself? The self-defeating thought that perhaps everyone should support Zeke crossed her mind. …But that was no good. It would have no meaning.

(…You probably don’t know. The other meaning placed into this battle.)

They were fighting Elzen’s group, who intended to change the world with the power of the spirit of prayer. That was the main course of the war. It was the common understanding everyone had… but for some people, including Eris, it was different.

Diabalet and Lagias. The oath and the Watchmen. The corrupt nobles hated by the entire country.

She had known that Zeke was different from the other members of Lagias. She had known that Zeke was hiding something. She had known that he was desperately trying to change something. …That was all she had known. That was why she had been unable to do anything. Eris and her companions had known nothing about the true meaning of Lagias. Without knowing, they had pushed everything onto him.

(You’re trying to save us, even though we forced sacrifices onto Lagias. How can you go that far?)

Lagias was evil. That had been Eris’s understanding. The others were the same. Lagias had been a convenient evil they were allowed to hate unconditionally.

It would be only natural for Zeke to resent them. Normally, it would not have been strange if he abandoned them. The people living in Diabalet had treated him that badly.

(Even so, you saved us again and again.)

No matter how badly he was spoken of, he never justified himself. He never argued back or explained himself. He only showed it through his actions. Even though it must have truly hurt because of his parents and Lagias. Even though it would not have been strange if he had pursued revenge.

(That’s why we decided. We won’t make you carry everything alone.)

Unconditional trust was nothing more than imposition. Seeking something without bearing responsibility was no different from filthy violence.

Zeke was strong enough that royalty and nobles wanted to keep him close. He certainly was strong, but that did not necessarily mean his heart was the same. As long as he was human, his heart would grow exhausted and worn down. That was why Eris and the others would support him.

(If you fight, we’ll fight too. That’s what an equal friendship is, right?)

In reality, there would likely be things only Zeke could do. There would surely come moments when they had to rely on him. …At least until that time, each of them would do what they could. So they could send him off without worry.

(Once everything is over, let’s all go adventuring together. Forming a party wouldn’t be bad…)

Eris and the others fought for the future they desired.

“Bolt Whip!”

The lightning magic wrapped around the rapier became a flexible whip and aimed for Pariaach as it flew around. The whip moved as if it had a will and caught the spirit, but the restraint was immediately undone. The attack was blocked by a mysterious power.

“Somehow, I’m starting to get bored.”

“Then may I ask you to go home? You do not enjoy fruitless conflict, do you?”

“No, no, are you really saying that as a human?”

Aaron’s attacks could not get through to Pariaach, but Aaron himself had not suffered major injuries either. The situation continued with neither side able to land a decisive blow.

“Why are humans so desperate? You’ve always done nothing but fight.”

“…Is that a question about history?”

“It’s the same now. Wealth, power, territory, money. You’re greedy, aren’t you? What do you want so badly?”

Pariaach stopped attacking. Before anyone noticed, its smile had vanished.

“Look around you. Knights, mages, adventurers, clerics. Swords, staves, and so many weapons. Why are you so desperate?”

“That goes without saying. You will destroy the world. That is why we will prevent it. It is a simple matter.”

“No one said anything about destroying it, though.”

There seemed to be no hidden meaning. Pariaach looked at the kingdom’s army with genuine puzzlement. Its expression said that it truly could not understand why they were going that far.

“You even turn a conflict like this into something on the level of war. You humans haven’t changed at all. You haven’t grown one bit since hundreds of years ago.”

“Is that a spirit’s impression of humans? Certainly, it is painful to hear. But that, too, is part of being human.”

“Are you going to justify it like that and deceive yourself? Even if you people win this battle, the same thing will happen again.”

The spirit slowly landed on the ground.

“That’s why—let’s end it already.”

“This is…”

Pariaach leaped high into the air again with a fearless smile. The moonless dark night began to turn white.

“—Can we make it in time?”

“What do you mean?! It’s already too late!”

The soldiers of the kingdom’s army, who had been swinging swords and casting magic, suddenly looked at one another after feeling something strange. Their swords became heavy, and their bodies’ movements slowed. Most decisively of all, their magic stopped coming out.

“My strength is leaving me…”

“You heard about it from those foolish swordsmen, didn’t you? Why didn’t you prepare countermeasures? Well, you couldn’t have anyway!”

Perhaps noticing the abnormal situation, unease spread through the kingdom’s army.

“Humans display their power by using the mana contained within themselves and the mana circulating in the atmosphere as sustenance. I can sever that connection.”

The lake spreading behind Lagias Manor. The kingdom’s army stood within a white domain covering the entire battlefield. They had not only their magic, but even their body enhancement sealed. The battle situation tilted all at once.

“This is bad…”

The kingdom’s army went from superiority to inferiority in an instant. They could no longer feel mana, an existence they had perceived as naturally as breathing. Confusion turned into chaos, and then into a scene of screams and suffering. Damage expanded everywhere.

“Look at that. The Lagias you people rely on at times like this seems to have his hands full. …How pitiful, being expected to help only when it’s convenient.”

Zeke was fighting giant dragons. Three of them at once.

“Gathering the mana that exists in the atmosphere… Was that the Dragon God’s power? It seems like he does something grand, but it looks tough while facing ancient dragons.”

He was fighting three powerful dragon species that seemed capable of destroying a great nation while his mana was sealed. If it were anyone other than Zeke, it likely would not even have counted as a battle. The enemy had taken steady measures against Zeke.

“That old man they call the Sage can’t do anything either. Back then, I had to conserve my power, but… this is the end! No more holding back.”

Glanz, who had been mentioned, did not move. As Pariaach said, it may have been because he had no means to act, but they could not afford to use their power now either. The battle awaiting them after this was their role.

“Now then… this is your final chapter. Will you scatter beautifully?”

The spirit turned a cruel smile toward the battlefield. Its expression was twisted with mad joy.

“What’s wrong?! Where’s that lightning magic you’re so proud of?!”

“Guh…”

Aaron took a sharp kick. If he could not dodge, barely defending was all he could manage. He had no choice but to move so he would not receive a fatal wound.

“Humans really are fragile when they can’t use mana.”

He rolled to avoid the Magic Missiles fired in succession. Perhaps he had been guided, because Pariaach was waiting where he dodged. A knife-hand strike that seemed to pierce the air caught Aaron’s arm. A dull sound echoed around them.

“What’s wrong? You can scream more if you want!”

A storm of consecutive fists was unleashed. Air was forced from his lungs, and several ribs broke. He was then kicked away and rolled violently across the ground.

“Is this as far as you go? Looks like it’s game over.”

Aaron could not stand up. Blood flowed from his body, and bones were broken everywhere. He was in a state that required treatment immediately.

“Come on, try listening. You can hear them, can’t you? The hymn of the humans.”

There was no hymn to be heard. What entered his ears were the screams of the suffering kingdom’s army. Even at this very moment, while Aaron lay fallen, the damage continued to expand.

“They’re suffering so much because you can’t beat me. How pitiful.”

“…”

A mocking laugh filled with sarcasm. Aaron could not answer.

“You people are the Izosaar, was it? What pathetic brothers you are.”

“—What did you say?”

“An older brother who misunderstood things on his own and got beaten by Lagias, another brother used as a spare. And a foolish younger brother who lost to me and crawls on the ground. It’s hilarious, really.”

Aaron himself did not think he was an outstanding person. He did not believe he had lived a life he could boast of to others, and he understood that he could not complain if he was mocked. …But he could not forgive anyone who insulted his brothers.

—Not yet?

To Clotted and Tsaity, Aaron had probably been an unwanted younger brother. Perhaps they had not even thought of him as a brother. They likely hated and resented him. …Even so, to Aaron, they had been precious older brothers. He had believed that one day, they would acknowledge him. …And you destroyed that.

—There is only one chance.

“Hm? Maybe you’re waiting for something, but Lagias won’t come. Now that he has finished his role as a Watchman, that guy is just unnecessary garbage.”

No one had needed him. He himself had closed off his heart. That was why he had become lonely. He had assumed that was only natural. What changed that was his friend.

“…One correction, kid. There is no existence in this world that is unnecessary.”

“What? I can’t hear you.”

He felt its foot stepping on his head. It ground him into the earth. Someone with normal sensibilities might have felt humiliated. But Aaron felt nothing. Only anger at his friend and brothers being insulted.

“I declare this, spirit. I will certainly defeat you.”

“Huh? Ahaha! What are you saying? What can you do all by yourself?”

The pressure on his head grew even stronger. Perhaps he had been cut, because blood flowed into his eye.

“I told you. We are the ones who will win.”

“…What are you even saying?”

Thunderclouds appeared in the sky over the battlefield where Pariaach’s domain spread. Lightning occasionally flashed within the heavy black clouds, and the rumble of thunder could be heard.

“This is… natu—”

“It is no natural phenomenon.”

It was magic he had cast before his mana was sealed. Thunder he had called.

“This is my trump card. It took me years to master it.”

The extreme point of lightning magic, which he had finally taken form after pleading with Baccus. It was an inefficient spell that consumed most of his mana to activate. But in a situation where his mana was sealed, that great drawback no longer mattered.

“There’s no way I’ll be defeated by desperate resistance like this!”

“I wonder… Carve it into your soul. This is heavenly thunder that protects pride.”

Sound vanished from the world. A judgment bolt that embodied divine wrath fell from the heavens. Fierce thunder and vibration shook the battlefield.

—Dimension Bolt.

The target of the magic was Aaron himself.

A gigantic bolt of lightning poured down from the heavens. Its impact was great enough to stop allies and enemies alike from fighting. After their vision recovered, what entered their eyes was Aaron collapsed on the ground.

“Huh…? Ahaha! You surprised me, but what was that?! Are you an idiot, messing up the control and attacking yourself?”

Even with powerful lightning magic, he had been unable to destroy the spirit’s domain. The kingdom’s army still remained in a state where their mana was sealed.

“I was wondering how I should kill you, but for your end to be self-destruction—what a masterpiece! Ah, how funny.”

Pariaach held its stomach and laughed. It continued laughing, forgetting that it was in the middle of battle. That was why it did not notice Aaron’s change.

“…Haa, since you entertained me, I’ll end this—now?”

Surging lightning. Roaring thunder and dazzling flashes.

Power on the same scale as the heavenly thunder from earlier was released from Aaron.

“Wh-What… is that?”

“…My trump card. I told you that.”

Aaron slowly stood up. What clad his body was heavenly thunder.

“You asked why we did not prepare countermeasures, was it? This is the countermeasure.”

Lightning resided in his crackling, electrified body. The current Aaron was like lightning itself.

“If mana is sealed, I simply have to become lightning myself. It is a simple matter.”

“You directly took magic into your body? Absurd…”

“—You failed to see through that absurd fool’s idea. Was that not the cause of your defeat?”

“?!”

Silver light covered Pariaach’s temporary body. Its body, made with the same structure as a human’s, recovered pointlessly.

“You are… from the ducal house.”

“It does not matter whether you know me or not. You will vanish in this war.”

Pariaach leaped back. Whether because of agitation or some other reason, its movements looked sluggish.

“How can I use sacred arts? It is not such a difficult matter. If one traces it back, sacred arts also come from the blessing of spirits.”

A power equivalent to that of spirits, which were mana aggregates. The essence of the power was no different. That was why, even if he was not in perfect condition, he could still use sacred arts, Aktor explained. Then he quietly murmured that His Majesty’s advice had been useful.

“Sacred arts are not only a power for healing. …Excessive recovery destroys the body from the inside. As you are not human, you would not know that.”

“You third-rate nobody!”

“Oops. Looking away is forbidden.”

The enraged Pariaach rushed toward Aktor, but Aaron stood in its way.

With a charge clad in lightning, he knocked the spirit away. As Pariaach tried to regain its posture, Aaron had already circled around. He launched consecutive attacks too fast for the eye to follow.

“This is for Clotted-nii-san.”

A thrust from his rapier. A storm of thin-sword techniques clad in lightning pierced Pariaach.

“This is for Tsaity-nii-san…”

Red lightning crawling along the ground burned Pariaach to ashes.

“Receive the retribution for insulting my friend.”

Red lightning became a jaw and bit into the spirit.

“…Don’t get carried away!”

Pariaach escaped from the relentless storm of attacks. It soared high into the sky and glared down at Aaron.

“With my original power, there is no way a spirit could be inferior to a human! I will absolutely kill you. I’ll kill you brutally.”

“…How pitiful. You, who exist alongside those humans.”

“Shut up! …Elzen is different. He promised he would definitely open the gate.”

Pariaach constructed ancient magic. The unique formula used by spirits closely resembled something they had seen before. …Did it intend to escape like this?

“The next time we meet, I will definitely kill you. I will absolutely kill you and the other half of Diabalet too.”

Its temporary body had gone wrong due to the influence of the sacred arts. Pariaach decided to attack again after regaining its posture. Its eyes were dyed with anger. It thought only of killing Aaron and Aktor. On the other hand, it still retained its reason. If it soared high into the sky, there would be no pursuit. Judging from Aaron’s condition, it decided he had no long-range attacks.

“Perhaps humans are powerless, as you say. …But if there are three of us, we can win even against a spirit.”

“?! Impossible… How?”

A chill and killing intent came from behind Pariaach. Cold murderous intent attacked without mercy.

“What is wrong? Did you have a pleasant dream?”

“…But you were fighting three ancient dragons. There should be no way you could properly handle mana inside my domain…”

It was true that Lagias had been fighting dragons. That understanding was not mistaken. The only difference was that the three dragons had already become corpses. The reaper approached.

“How many times must I say the same thing? Do not measure me by your standards.”

“I am a spirit! There is no way I can lose to a mere human!”

The special body prepared for this battle was already unusable due to the influence of lightning and sacred arts. In that condition, facing Lagias was nearly impossible.

“Rest assured. Your main body and Elzen will be buried by them. So die for now.”

Pariaach was struck by a powerful kick in midair and sent soaring even higher. The reaper used ice generated in the air as footholds and chased after it.

“You mere human! I am special!”

“Did you not know? Lagias is more special than anything else in this world. Fall already, lower spirit.”

A kick was swung down from the heavens. There was no way Pariaach could dodge in its current state, and it plunged toward the ground. Waiting there was the rapier wielder clad in lightning.

“This is our unison. Burn it firmly into your eyes.”

The heavenly thunder clad around him converged on a single point of the rapier. The bluish-white lightning turned black. Judgment was passed upon the sinful spirit that had touched divine wrath.

“Izosaar-style Court Swordsmanship: Black Thunder!”

Pariaach was swallowed by black lightning without even having time to resist. When the thunder vanished and their vision recovered, the spirit in question had completely disappeared.