Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Rare Editor note: Sorry for the irregular mass uploads, from now on you can expect 2 chapters every week for regularity. Thank you for still sticking with us – APM

Iris

For a moment, the Beast of Spiritual Chant seemed to have been subdued. However, it proved to be nothing but a brief respite.

The sea of flames surged again with renewed ferocity.

I sensed faint life readings indicating that everyone had managed to evacuate. However, I missed my chance to evacuate when I had to take cover behind an ice wall.

Hearing the sound of the ice behind me shattering, I suppressed my trembling body.

I knew Milly-san was desperately creating more walls to keep the flames at bay, but I calculated that it wouldn’t hold for much longer.

I hope you understand that you can’t hide your true nature forever.

I recalled the words Master Nephilim said to me yesterday.

“Protection” was still on cooldown. My only option might be to risk exposing myself to Shin from the player aid organization.

Three walls left, then two… This is my limit. I decided and tightly closed my eyes, opening my mouth to begin the incantation for ‘Wide Protection’—when suddenly…

“BLAZE REVERSAAAAAAAAL!!”

In a flash, Reiji-san appeared right in front of me.

With a great shout, he swung one of his “Form is Emptiness” swords at a speed impossible for the eye to see.

The slash was so fast that it carved apart the approaching flames into circles, then Reiji-san’s “Blaze Reversal” activated, blowing Thanatos’ flames away in a literal act of fighting fire with fire.

Its power was incomparable compared to the very same skill in the game. Watching in awe as the flames pushed back against each other, I was suddenly lifted and carried out of the danger zone.

“Sorry, I’m late… You alright?”

“Yes… I knew you’d come…”

As he looked down at me with concern, I smiled weakly at him and replied, my heart still pounding.

“You made me really worried when I saw you in the flames, you know…”

“Sorry about that… If you’re here, what about Titilia-san?”

“She’s fine. Preparations over there are complete, look.”

At his words, blue beams of light shot up around us. In the center was…

“Flame Containment Field!”

On the roof of the workshop, untouched by the flames, Titilia-san shouted as she struck the roof with her hand. Blue rays of light spread out in a geometric pattern, suppressing and scattering the flames wherever they went.

“Iris-chaaaaaan! I’m holding back the flames with the water veins, but I can’t maintain this for long!”

Titilia-san yelled.

Even though the flames had been weakened, its source was still on a rampage and thus, impossible to approach.

“What’s the plan now?!”

Standing in front of me, Reiji-san asked as he slashed away the feather-shaped flames flying at us like arrows.

“I… want to rescue Kirsche-san.”

I had now gained the ability to discern somebody’s condition just by looking at them.

And now, Kirsche-san’s magic power was being endlessly sucked away by the out-of-control Beast of Spirit Chant.

Her condition was worsening by the minute. It was clear that if this continued, she would soon collapse from running out of magical power.

“Of course you would say that… but how are you going to get close to her?!”

Reiji-san deflected another attack and asked again.

Thanatos’ tremendous flames made approaching impossible. A ranged attack seemed to be the only option…

“…I’ll use a fully-charged Divine Spear to halt Thanatos’ movements. Please guard me while I prepare.”

“Alright, but wouldn’t it be easier to target the caster with a non-lethal attack?”

While it was true… I could only shake my head bitterly.

What I’d learned from observing the Beast directly, was that it isn’t entirely composed of the caster’s magical power.

The Beast was made up of the magical power naturally existing in this world, and I suspected that the caster’s magical power was acting as a framework for constructing the Beast’s physical form, and as a core for collecting magical power from the surroundings.

And between the caster and the Beast, the latter contained greater magical power. By far.

For that reason, it would be much more efficient to incapacitate the caster and prevent them from maintaining the core, but…

“Kirsche-san’s critically low on magic power. Targeting her with my Divine Spear would put her in grave danger.”

It’s a wonder she hadn’t collapsed yet in her state. Logically speaking, it was the only way to keep her safe. And…

“…I think it’s the big sister’s job to save her little sister.”

Right on cue, Nii-sama descended from the sky in front of us, holding another person in his arms… Ouka-san.

Ouka-san’s eyes… were filled with determination as she gazed straight at her stepsister.

“That’s why… I’m going to focus on assisting her. That’s the best way to help both sisters.”

“…Are you sure she can handle that monster?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

Reiji-san looked at me for a moment, then nodded.

“Alright. Do what you need to do. I’ll also… absolutely keep you safe.”

With a gentle ruffle of my hair, Reiji-san whispered. I nodded deeply and began chanting magic…

Ouka

“Wow…”

I looked at the sea of flames spread out below.

The workshop was just barely out of the flames’ reach, there’s simply nowhere to land.

As for the reason why I was looking down from above…

“T-Thank you…”

“Don’t mention it. We should think about our next move.”

“The prince’s face was currently awfully close to mine.

Right now… he was carrying me as we flew through the air.

“Iris… Well, she should be fine if Reiji’s with her. As for your sister…”

Blue lights raced across the ground, and the flames suddenly waned in intensity.

As the flames around Thanatos weakened, I could finally see that girl over there…

“…She’s growing weaker and weaker, isn’t she?”

“I’m seeing symptoms of magic depletion… At this rate, her life could be in danger.”

“I see. Then in that case, I have to stop her, as her sister. I’m grateful for you saving me, but can you put me down?”

When I said that, the prince’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

“…What’s wrong with that?”

“I thought you’d be discouraged again.”

“I still am. I hate myself so much that I want to die.”

If I could, I would want to hit myself a hundred times right now. That’s how much I’m angry at myself.

“But… it’s just like you said. No matter how many times I fail or become discouraged, if it’s something important to me, I should reach out as many times as it takes.”

I honestly still couldn’t tell if she’s that important to me.

That’s because basically nothing had started between us yet.

And yet, if I let things between us end like this… I didn’t know why, but I detested that idea. So…

“For now, let’s focus on saving her, anything else comes later!”

“Haha, good, that’s the spirit!”

The prince heartily laughed and put me down in front of my stepsister.

“Let’s give it our all, then. It seems the other side’s getting ready too!”

On the opposite side of us, across where my stepsister was.

There stood the princess, who seemed to be in a state of extreme concentration, and a red-haired swordsman who wasn’t present yesterday guarding her.

The princess’ iridescent silver hair fluttered in the air, and the magical power started swirling around her was so dense that I could physically feel it. Around her, which glowed faintly like a halo, gigantic spears of light appeared one after another, and I couldn’t help but gasp.

…Wait, I don’t remember Divine Spear being anything like that in the game!

Not only were the spears of light far brighter and larger than what I remembered, their number also went beyond the game’s limit of four.

“DI…… VINE……. SPEEEEEEEEAR!!”

As the princess shouted in her adorable voice, the eight spears of light around her were fired all at one with the force of missiles, sending her little body flying from the recoil. All of them pierced Thanatos without fail, staggering it slightly.

The Beast, which manifested by receiving the magical power of the caster, was weak against attacks that disrupt magical power.

Even though it wasn’t enough to bring it down… it was successful in stopping its movements, if only for a moment.

The barrage of flames ceased… and a critical opening appeared.

“Ouka-san, can I leave it to you to stop her?”

The prince pointed to my sister, still sobbing like a child.

“…I’m going to stop her, of course. I’m her big sister, after all!”

I looked at him straight in the eye and nodded.

“Haha, I like that answer!”

One of the black stars floating around him left its spot and flew toward the giant bird. He then wrapped his sword with lightning, which was already half-melting from the load and likely no longer usable afterward, and threw it.

The prince’s lightning sword pierced the black star that flew in front of Thanatos.

A blinding flash of light erupted the moment the black star disintegrated.

“Allow me to pave the way! You go protect what you want to protect!”

“…Thanks!”

I dashed past the prince straight toward my sister.

However, at this rate, Thanatos would recover faster, and I’d end up in a sea of flames. But still, I charged forward as fast as I could.

“…Kirsche!!”

“…Onee-chan? What are you doing…?!”

Before my eyes, Kirsche responded to my call, moving slowly and raising her dark, cloudy eyes, wet with tears…

“…?!”

Her expression stiffened in shock. In a sudden move, the flames Thanatos was about to unleash on me stopped.

That’s only natural, since right now, I wasn’t holding my beloved spear in my hand, I was completely unarmed. As for that spear…

“Chainbind… Rampage!!”

I had no intention of wielding my spear against my sister. As I passed by the prince, I thrust it onto the ground and let go of it.

A bolt of lightning flashed past me. The prince, who picked the spear I left behind in place of his lost sword, began charging toward Thanatos, wreathed in chains of purple lightning.

The Beast was entangled and immobilized by the chains. Now, there were no obstacles remaining between me and my sister.

The way’s clear. It’s all up to you now.

The prince’s confident smile seemed to convey that thought, and I silently thanked him in my heart.

My sister tried to flee from me, but I reached out to her and grabbed her arm on the spot. And this time, I held onto it tight.

“Ah…”

“…I’m sorry. It’s just like you said, I’ve never properly taken care of you. I’m sorry for being such a terrible big sister.”

Her small body collapsed without much resistance.

I embraced her, not wanting to let her go again.

It was just this simple, really… I truly am an idiot.

The distance that I once assumed as infinite between us… was really just a misunderstanding, and in reality could be made zero had I actually tried. It was so comically simple that I felt like laughing.

“I really should have done this sooner… It’s late, but I’ve finally reached you…”

“Onee-chan…”

“You’re still calling me that…? Thank goodness…”

“Onee-chaaaaaan…!!”

My sister broke into tears, and I gently patted her back to soothe her.

I had finally reached out to her with my hand.

Before I knew it, the manifestation of fury and fire had disappeared…

(Author’s Note)

Afterward…

Titilia: “I had a vague idea that you’re doing to dump me for Iris-chan, but for leaving me alone in a place like this, I’ll definitely complain to Leonhardt-sama later, Reiji-san you dum-dum!!!!!!!!!” (teary-eyed)

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Saul

“Come forth… Star of Eden!!”

From my raised hand, six jet-black spheres appeared in a spiraling formation and swirled around me… the “Star of Eden”.

At the same time, Thanatos sent its flames flying toward me.

“Is that all you’ve got?!”

In conjunction with the movement of my hand, the black spheres drifting around me shifted and rotated in front of me, forming a shield-like barrier.

The flames coming into contact with the barrier were dispersed… no, they were absorbed and vanished into it.

Star of Eden’s true nature… was a gravity field that only affected magical phenomena, such as flames composed of magical energy.

“…Alright, that should do it.”

Relieved that the technique I had newly acquired over the past month had demonstrated its intended effectiveness, I let out a sigh of relief.

This was by no means all-powerful; if subjected to magical energy surpassing its capacity at once, it would saturate and collapse. For instance, Miriam’s “Photon Blaster”, a highly concentrated blast of pure magical energy, would undoubtedly overwhelm and nullify the Star of Eden.

However, I only faced against mere flames at the moment, which my Star of Eden was more than capable of dealing with. Still, the approaching heat was considerable, and a burning sensation was gradually prickling on my skin.

…If this drags on, it might get a little dicey.

As I thought about having Iris treat me up later…

“So much for running your mouth earlier… Get it together, you jerk!”

Accompanied by an angry shout, a glaive… a type of spear with a single-edged blade, thrust before my eyes.

As the spear pierced the ground, it stirred up a fierce whirlwind to protect me, scattering the flames.

This was undoubtedly the skill “Turbulence” of the “Dragoon” class from the Lancer grouping. And that means…

“You saved me, Ouka-san. Thank you.”

“Hmph… You said that, but your face tells me that you’re expecting me all along, and it sickens me.”

An angry-looking Ouka-san walked over and pulled the spear from the ground.

Then, she all but hurled the metallic object she had been carrying under her arm toward me… a round shield.

“It’s made of mithril, so it should be pretty sturdy. Don’t get too cocky, will you? It’s just a dusty old piece from the corner of the workshop.”

“I’ll make good use of it.”

“…Hmph.”

She turned away, not bothering to hide her animosity.

Upon closer inspection, her hands and knees were still trembling slightly. However, her fiercely determined face spoke volumes about her will to fight.

“…Well, that’s a passing mark alright.”

“Huh? What on earth are you on about, jerkface? Once this is over, get ready, because I’m going to give you an earful.”

Although she was scowling at me, and her tone was venomous, the corner of her lips seemed to twitch slightly, almost as if she were smiling.

“I’ll be sure to remember it.”

I replied with a wry smile.

Ouka

Back when it was still a game, even though combat was somewhat realistic and often intense, my body in the real world would never come to harm.

…But this is reality.

Briefly engaging in combat just now had made me keenly aware of that fact. The combat in this world far exceeded all of my expectations.

And I felt fear.

The flames weren’t CG; they’re actual fire. Although I was currently protected by various defensive magic, if I were to take a direct hit by mistake, my skin would surely be scorched, and the pain would be unimaginable.

By wielding a spear at the frontline like this, I finally understood that fear.

One step ahead of me, the prince readied his sword. He, along with his companions, had endured such fear and come this far…

“It’s going to launch fireballs!”

“I know…!”

Unlike the sporadic flames, the ice wall I was hiding behind wouldn’t hold against massive balls of concentrated fire.

I raised my spear to confront the incoming fireball while scattering the evaporating ice shards.

“Blow it away, Vortex Shield…!”

I rotated my spear, enveloped in wind, in my hand and parried a fireball to the right. As the second fireball approached, I forcibly shifted my stance to the left to take it on.

However, that left me vulnerable to a third fireball that’s also quickly closing in my position.

A shiver ran down my spine as it was about to hit…

The next moment, a figure leapt in and swatted the fireball aside, sending it flying toward the direction of the sea.

“T-Thanks…”

“You were a great help yourself.”

With a slight smile, the prince stood before me once again.

My Lancer grouping, despite its aggressive impression, only has middling attack power.

Its essence lies in manipulating wind to bind enemies or deflect attacks, making it more akin to an evasion tank… at least that’s how it was in the game.

In that case, I should have been able to defend myself, but…

My vision blurred.

My breath quickened.

Although I thought I was prepared, the combat where actual lives are at stake was too terrifying, and my body was being worn down by extreme tension.

On the other hand, the prince remained extremely calm as he deflected the relentlessly approaching flames produced by the flapping of Thanatos’ wings, filling our field of vision.

…It’s frustrating, but I have to admit, the prince was much stronger than me. Or rather, he was just more accustomed to actual combat.

“Why are you being so calm about this? Just how many battles have you been through…?!”

Not wanting to lose to him, I did my best to catch up, but he was so far ahead that all I could do was provide backup.

Even though this should have been my responsibility, I had no choice but to leave the frontline to him. I bit my lip in frustration…

“…It’s still scary even now, you know.”

“Huh?”

Despite his calm demeanor, he muttered quietly as he deflected the approaching tsunami of flames with something resembling black spheres. His words made me involuntarily turn to him.

“…When I first cut down a person, my head was filled with anger, so I didn’t think much about it… It was only after some time passed that the memories came back to haunt me.”

“That’s…”

Killed someone.

It’s not something you’d typically experience if you were in peaceful Japan. Although I’d come out here with the will to fight, I only took up the spear to help, and I couldn’t imagine being prepared to kill people.

“After losing to the enemy and suffering severe injuries, sometimes I still feel pain in the places where the injuries once were, even though they’re already completely healed.”

That’s perfectly understandable.

Now matter how miraculous that princess’ healing magic was, it couldn’t heal the wounds in the heart.

“Sometimes, I woke up in the middle of the night out of fear. Thinking that tomorrow, I might really die.”

There was no trembling in his voice. How could he talk about it so calmly?

“Iris too… When Reiji and I were in a coma, occasionally she would wake up in the middle of the night. She said she couldn’t sleep because she had bad dreams when we weren’t able to wake up.”

“I didn’t expect that seemingly airheaded girl to have such a side…”

“Haha… Iris’s actually really timid. So every night, either Reiji or I had to check on her to see if she’s sleeping properly. On the days she wasn’t, the sight of either me or Reiji was enough to calm her down.”

The prince recalled with tears in his eyes.

According to him, on such nights, unable to sleep anymore, they huddled together in the lounge, wrapped in blankets and killed time until morning… The prince nonchalantly talked about it like it’s the most normal thing in the world, despite having to fend off the flames’ onslaught as a tank.

Though, his profile seemed profoundly sad.

As it turns out, they aren’t that much different from me. No matter how brave they seem, in reality, they always have to combat and overcome their fears.

Realizing this makes me feel ashamed of having given up earlier, thinking I couldn’t do anything because I was weak, and they were strong. And now, I understand why he got angry.

But still, there’s something else I want to know…

“If fighting’s so scary… Why do you guys still take up arms?”

“Well, I can’t speak for anyone else, but as long as us three are concerned…”

His expression suddenly tensed.

In his line of sight, the giant bird wreathed in flames, which had stayed by Kirsche until now, took flight into the sky.

“…As long as our little world is concerned, I don’t want to lose anyone no matter what, that’s all. Now, look out!”

Thanatos’ movements changed.

Its beak opened wide, and several magic circles lit up, overlapping before it. In no time, these formed a massive three-dimensional magic circle, and within it, a fearsome power that made my skin crawl began to swell.

In that moment…

“…?! No, I didn’t mean to…!”

The voice of my stepsister, who seemed devoid of any conscious will earlier, shouted from within the storm of flames.

“Kirsche?! Are you back to your senses?!”

“…Onee-chan?! Please, get away from here, I can’t stop it anymore… Emotional Flow is about to activate!”

It was already too late. Although she, the caster, had regained her sanity and was desperately trying to suppress its power, the berserk Beast of Spiritual Chant, now in top form, couldn’t be contained.

“No! All of you, run!”

I hastily shouted to everyone fighting nearby, trying to get them to run.

As someone who’d been playing with my stepsister with the longest time, I understood better than anyone else how grave the situation is.

“Emotional Flow” was the ultimate move of the Beast of Spiritual Chant, with each Beast having a single, unique version.

Thanatos’ version, “Floga”, was an all-annihilating blaze that signifies death and destruction, befitting its name.

But what rendered me speechless wasn’t fear of the flame.

“…Iris, it’s coming! Match me!!”

“I’m on it!”

The prince’s shout was promptly answered by the girl’s delicate voice. The prince and princess signaled loudly to each other.

First, the prince was shielded by an invisible barrier—likely a Priest’s Protection spell—and as they began their synchronized chanting, I was left in stunned silence.

No way… Are they planning to take “Floga” head on?!

“That’s too reckless! Oh, for crying out loud!”

The boy named Shin, the only remotely reasonable member of the player aid organization, who seemed to have cooperated out of necessity, cursed as he cast resistance magic on the prince.

Knowing it’d be futile, I clicked my tongue in frustration.

I grabbed the prince’s collar, trying to pull him back, and our eyes met.

It’ll be alright, just trust me.

I felt the confidence in his gaze, and in the next moment…

From the sky, a blinding heat ray turned the world a searing red.

Even in a world dyed red, I saw the prince’s black spheres and the double-layered magic barrier.

They clashed violently with the heat ray from above. I don’t know how many seconds or minutes passed after that.

“…Hey, is your smug face okay?! Hey!”

I called out frantically to the epicenter of the blast, shrouded in dust and steam.

Anxious about the prince’s safety, I waited for a few more seconds…

“*pants*… I’m alright… mostly.”

Gasping for air, the prince emerged from the dust, discarding the shield that had nearly melted away.

“Thank goodness… But to actually withstand that…”

“It’s nothing… Iris and I had seen worse. With the support magic and barriers from Iris and I, I was almost certain from past experiences that I could withstand it.”

“…Did you actually practice that before?”

“No, but I’d rather do this than letting someone defenseless get hurt. Besides… stay alert.”

The prince, still panting, stood up and refocused his sword towards where Kirsche had been.

“But Thanatos just used its ultimate attack, shouldn’t it be over…?”

“…We’ll see about that soon enough.”

Only half-convinced by the prince’s ambiguous response, I readied my spear and followed his gaze…

“…I’m sorry, I’msorryI’msorryI’msorryI’msorry…”

There sat my stepsister, muttering broken apologies like a broken record, looking completely out of it.

“Um, Kirsche…?”

Thanatos was still present by her side as she kept mumbling deliriously, her eyes vacant. I cautiously called out to her, and her frail shoulders flinched before she looked up.

Her face, raw with emotion, was starkly different from her usual timid demeanor.

Amidst her confusion and fear, I saw a desperate plea for help in her eyes.

Seeing her like that, I felt a prick in my heart… My regret of not being a proper sister to her welled up again, and I couldn’t help but look away.

That was a mistake I’d soon come to regret.

“…………Why?”

“Eh?”

As I struggled to find the right words, her voice, now unexpectedly subdued, reached my ears.

Puzzled, I turned back to Kirsche… and almost let out a pathetic gasp.

Tears streaming down her face, she stared at me with dark, sunken eyes, saturated and heavy with anger and resentment… unmistakably toward me.

“Why, why, why? If I only caused trouble to you, if I was nothing but a bother to you, why didn’t you tell me?”

“What…?”

“…If you find me annoying… if you hate me, just say it to my face! Then I can give up, I don’t have to hold onto false hope anymore!”

“Wait, what are you…?!”

Tears pouring down her face, Kirsche wailed like a child throwing a tantrum.

“I don’t care if you scold me! I don’t care If you hate me… I JUST WANT YOU TO PROPERLY LOOK AT ME…!!”

Thanatos’ flames, now more malevolent than ever before, flared up with renewed vigor.

It was as if… it were the manifestation of my stepsister’s wounds of the heart that had been kept suppressed until now.

Come to think of it, when was the last time I properly looked at her?

…I really couldn’t remember.

Since becoming a family, had I ever paid any genuine attention to her?

In contrast, she had always been trying so hard to help me, despite her shyness, striving to close the distance between us.

“…I’m just the worst, aren’t I?”

The words slipped out of my mouth.

“Ouka-san, I don’t know what happened between you and her, but you did a lot to earn her ire, I presume?”

Stifling a laugh, the prince dryly commented.

I couldn’t retort with anything.

It’s like he said, a lot of this was my fault.

The world was drowned out again in flames…

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

Beast of Spiritual Chant, Thanatos. Embodiment of “Motion” and “Wrath”.

The entity known as Beast of Spiritual Chant was a kind of summonable familiar that was supposedly available to players of the Bard grouping who had unlocked their secondary class.

However… it was deemed almost impossible to deliberately summon it.

In order to summon one, the Bard player needs to have two hidden stats of their “Curses Song” magic, known as “Motion/Stillness” and “Joy/Rage/Sorrow/Pleasure”, exceed certain values.

…The problem is, such a vague explanation was the only thing we know.

In reality, calculating those values was extremely difficult, and concrete conditions for the summoning had never been established.

Reports of its sudden appearance during story events further complicated predictions… Ultimately, it reached a point where the analysis team of strategy sites gave up on narrowing down the conditions, suggesting, “Maybe it’s really reading players’ emotions?”

“Iris, Reiji, what’s happening…?!”

“Finally caught up… What the heck is that, nya?!”

“A Beast of Spiritual Chants?! It’s my first time ever seeing one!”

Nii-sama, who arrived after us, Milly-san, who arrived a bit late, and even Titilia-san, who seemed slightly excited by the rare phenomenon, were all dumbfounded by the situation.

“What should we do, Iris? We don’t have proper equipment right now.”

“That’s true… but we can’t just let this rampage continue…”

Because Thanatos was manifested and maintained through Kirsche-san’s magic, it would go away once her magic power ran out.

However… if we let that happen, how much harm would it cause to Kirsche-san? And after this was over, how much trauma would remain in her heart?

But right now, we were only equipped with minimal self-defense items. I was practically in casual clothes, Reiji-san and Nii-sama had nothing but a borrowed baton and rapier respectively, and wore no armor except for their clothes, which had some fire resistance.

Milly-san still had her staff, but it was out of the question to attack Kirsche-san with her magic, which had too much of a firepower to use in this situation.

Though, if all we had to do is subdue her… we can do it even with our current getup.

“…We can do this. I think I know how to deal with Thanatos, so please trust me! Milly-san, Tia-san, please summon some covers!”

“Roger, nya!”

“Leave it to me!”

Immediately, the two of them started chanting.

Thanatos had extremely high firepower and a wide attack range. However, as a summoned creature, its top priority was to protect and receive orders the caster.

Seeing how it wasn’t moving an inch away from Kirsche-san, it’s apparent that Thanatos wasn’t being controlled by her.

It would have been a formidable ally if it was on our side, but now, we stood no chance against it on an open field like this garden, without any cover.

“Ice Wall, nya!”

“Stone Wall!”

Giant walls of ice and stone conjured by their magic sprang up one after another around us.

Thanatos, seeing their action as a threat, immediately unleashed a violent firestorm in their direction, and we quickly hid behind the conjured walls for cover.

The fire was so powerful that a few of the massive walls crumbled or melted away.

“…Milly-san, please keep the walls up as much as you can! As for Tia-san…”

“I have magic that can weaken the fire attribute on an area… I just need to move around and set up the barriers!”

“Please do! Reiji-san, I’ll leave her protection to you!”

“Sure. Just… don’t do anything reckless, okay?”

“That, I understand. I simply can’t bear to let Kirsche-san hurt other people… especially her friends.”

“I see… Alright, I’ll be off!”

Satisfied with my response, Reiji-san nodded and left to join Titilia-san.

Another figure approached me in his place…

“As their superior, I must take responsibility for the misconduct of my subordinates. They may have fled, but I will assist to the best of my ability.”

“…And who are you?”

Nii-sama, who had been standing nearby, gave the newcomer a skeptical look.

He’s a boy of small stature, wearing a peculiarly designed mask, and sporting the horns characteristic of the demon race on his forehead.

Looking around… just like he said, the various armed people lying unconscious, probably former players… were now nowhere to be seen.

“I go by Shin here. I’m an Archwizard, of the Wizard grouping. While I may not be as strong as your mage friend here, but I’ll do my best.”

With a slightly complicated expression, he glanced briefly at Milly-san, who was concentrating on her incantation behind him.

Considering that they were both of the same race and class grouping, but Milly-san had a unique class while he only had the standard tertiary class, he may be feeling a bit of a complex toward her. Still, his intention of helping is genuine. In that case…

“Your help is appreciated. Can I entrust you with resistance magic? If the intensity of the flames surrounding us increases, a powerful area attack will follow immediately. Please don’t miss any signs.”

“…! Thank you very much!”

Sensing my implicit trust in him, he happily went to fulfill his role.

In this fiery chaos, having another magic user capable of mitigating damage to everyone was greatly appreciated, especially since Milly-san was busy conjuring more walls. It’s like having another lifeline to hang onto.

Then, Nii-sama suddenly began enchanting me with various defensive skills, such as “Invisible Shield”. Just as I was about to ask why…

“Sorry, but I need to stay out of the fight for a bit.”

“In this situation? What are you up to, Nii-sama?”

“Well, isn’t it obvious? I’m a tank, after all, so I’m just doing what a tank does…”

He gestured toward the workshop, which was still untouched by the flames. Leaning against its walls in a sitting position… was Ouka-san.

“…As in, drawing aggro.”

With a sinister-looking smile, his intentions were clear.

Ouka

It happened again.

And I didn’t do anything to stop it.

It was completely identical to the situation on that day, if not worse.

This means I had learned nothing from it. Nothing at all.

I’m such a useless, worthless person, aren’t I?

Whilst sinking into self-loathing… I suddenly felt a warm sensation on my cheek.

As I lifted my head, I saw a prince with handsome face, touching my bruised cheek with his hand enveloped by a faint green light.

“You got hit pretty hard. Did it hurt?”

“Is this… healing magic?”

My cheek, swollen from the punch earlier, began to feel less painful when touched by the light in his hand.

“I picked it up recently. To be honest, it’s just some basic stuff. The effect is nowhere close to hers.”

While saying that, the prince glanced at the girl diligently giving instructions behind him with a gentle gaze.

The princess named Iris… the delicate, petite, fragile-looking, seemingly helpless, and not at all strong-looking girl, fearlessly faced the ferocity before her, darting between the gaps of ice walls, firing spears of light, and boldly giving orders to those around her.

It should have been absurd to see an unprotected girl amidst the flaming battlefield, but she did it so radiantly that I couldn’t find anything wrong with that.

…I wished I could be like that girl and her friends.

Even though they’d been through much tougher times than me, why could they still be so strong? A mix of admiration and jealousy welled up inside me, and tears of self-pity began to trickle down.

“…Why are you still sitting here? Hurry up and stand, we’ve got to stop your sister.”

With a stern tone, the prince abruptly pulled me up.

But, I…

“…I can’t. I didn’t do anything again. I failed to save her again. I’m simply not as strong as you guys!”

“…What?”

“I have no rights to call myself her sister! I’ve always been a-”

Suddenly, he gripped on my neck and lifted my body up, forcing me to stand. And then…

SLAP

A dry sound echoed in my ear.

It was only after the pain and heat on my cheek registered that I realized he had just slapped me in the face.

“We’ve never been strong! None of us have, even Iris…!”

“Eh…?”

What reflected in his eyes… was unmistakably fiery anger.

However, that anger quickly dissipated, replaced by…

“…To hear such nonsense coming from you, I’m disappointed.”

Cold, hard disappointment.

His attitude… made my blood boil with anger.

“Then what do you want me to do?! Time and time again, it was me who put her into danger?! What rights do I have to call myself her sister…?!”

“Even so!”

The prince… the man named Saul put even more strength into his arms, and his handsome visage drew so close to me that I could feel his breath on my face.

His eyes were burning with renewed anger, sending shivers of fear down my spine.

“If she’s important to you, then no matter how many times you fail or how many times you get discouraged, you should still reach out as many times as it takes! Instead of making excuses about how it won’t work out, how about you find something you can do?!”

His stern tone made me forget my anger and choke on my words.

He was, without a doubt, genuinely angry at me.

“…I’ve said my piece, now it’s all up to you.”

With that, he roughly let go of me and turned on his heel.

But as he left, he glanced back at me once more…

“…One last thing I want you to know is, if you give up here, then I truly have nothing left to say.”

He spat out those words, then turned and dashed into the sea of flames before me.

I couldn’t retort. At all.

Even though I wanted to get back at him, every word got stuck at my throat, and I couldn’t say anything.

I knew why.

Because everything he said was right.

Still…

“Am I… just a joke to you…?!”

It wasn’t logical, neither was it reasonable.

I knew my emotions are getting the better of me… but did he really have to slap me in the face and berate me like that?

Anger welled up within me again, late but strong.

Then, what should I do to get back at that guy?

Without a second thought, I rushed into my workshop, into my room in the back, and stood in front of the wall where my spear hung.

“You want me to do something?! Fine, just you wait and see…!”

Driven by anger, I reached out for the spear… before my hand froze as if blocked by an invisible barrier.

It’s your fault.

It’s your fault.

It’syourfaultit’syourfaultit’syourfault…

“SHUT…UP!!”

With all my might, I slammed my forehead against the wall, as if to silence the accusing voices in my mind.

My brain rattled, and a slick liquid trickled down my nose… but still, the voices that had been tormenting me in my mind fell silent.

Resolving myself, I grabbed the spear’s handle, shaking off any hesitation.

Instantly, a wave of intense nausea swept over me, but… the anger that had surged up within me ignited a fire, spreading warmth throughout every corner of my being.

Yeah, you’re completely right. But…!

I took a deep breath.

Then, I poured all my thoughts to it and exhaled in one go.

“WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, YOU JERK?! YOU AREN’T MY FATHER!”

In a fit of rage, I tore my beloved spear from the shelf and rushed out…

Iris

“Sorry for keeping you waiting. I’m rejoining the fight from here on.”

Nii-sama came back with a refreshed expression on his face, as if he had finished what needed to be done.

Taking cover behind an ice wall, I glared at him.

I’d witnessed everything leading up to Ouka-san rushing into her workshop.

“Nii-sama, did you really have to…”

“Hey, as long as it works.”

Said Nii-sama as he strolled up to me.

His gaze soon turned to Thanatos on the opposite side of the wall… along with Kirsche-san next to it.

Likewise, the giant bird’s eyes firmly locked onto Nii-sama, and even now, from beyond the ice wall where I was hiding, the sound of another ice wall being shattered by the raging flames could be heard.

Despite the rampaging flames, there had been no spread of the fire towards the direction of Ouka-san’s workshop. It seemed that even though Kirsche-san wasn’t in control, her subconscious desire to protect Ouka-san hadn’t changed.

Therefore… her anger was focused squarely on Nii-sama, who had raised his hand against Ouka-san.

“I’m shocked. To think that you used Ouka-san to gain Thanatos’ attention…”

“Well, you know, it was actually an afterthought when I gave that person a scolding… It’s beyond my expectations.”

Nii-sama nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.

“…Are you really okay with doing that?”

“What are you talking about…?”

My words slipped out, catching Nii-sama off guard. But I myself didn’t know what I was referring to, so I couldn’t pursue it further.

“Anyway, we still have to deal with the problem at hand. Iris, can you still use Divine Spear?”

“I have a lot of magic power left, but most attacks aimed at Kirsche-san didn’t go through…”

Although I had been finding openings to launch magic strikes, most of them had been intercepted by the flames released by Thanatos, so my attacks had little to no effects.

“Then, Iris, you keep firing Divine Spear while I try to divert Thanatos’ attention. It’s the best way to do it in this situation.”

My Divine Spear was a non-lethal magic attack that doesn’t even inflict injuries on the opponent. It only depletes magic power, so it’s the only way we can incapacitate Kirsche-san and take out Thanatos without causing her any harm.

Even if there’s a risk of overdoing it and depleting her magic power, I have a means to replenish it with Mana Transfer.

In other words, for this battle, I was the only attacker.

The enemy’s attention was fixated on Nii-sama, and it no longer paid any attention to me. It was indeed a good strategy, however…!

“…We’ll definitely talk about what you did later!”

“Yeah, yeah. More importantly, don’t get too caught up in your unfamiliar attacker role and forget about that!”

“I know!”

With that, I moved along the wall, away from Nii-sama who was being targeted, and started chanting Divine Spear.

“…Kirsche-san, I’ll definitely stop you!”

Emerging from the wall, I released the spear of light, piercing through the flames as it soared…

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Ouka

“…Why did it have to turn out like this?”

The worst thing possible had happened.

I had been in high spirits as I pulled an all-nighter to finalize the design blueprint for the magical armor, basking in a sense of accomplishment as I stepped outside to greet the morning sun. Little did I know, the worst was lurking there, ready to ambush me at that moment.

Before me stood several men.

They all had handsome features, but that was to be expected. These individuals were former players—avatars brought to life, so it was only natural that many of them were good-looking.

The weapons hanging from their waists were mostly swords and other bladed weapons. Given that sword builds were the most popular and leveling-friendly, it was reasonable that many of those transported to this world belonged to that category.

However, no matter how many handsome faces surrounded me, my mood was not just bad; it was beyond awful. Because…

“Why the cold shoulder?”

“Aren’t we supposed to help fellow players out in this situation?”

“Just because you earn well doesn’t mean you have to act all high and mighty.”

I desperately held back the cringe as I listened to their angry grumbling.

It was disgusting how they tried to justify their actions while brandishing their weapons and saying threatening remarks. Just their presence alone fueled my frustration to unprecedented levels.

Apparently, there was a group going around forcefully recruiting former players.

That was the story I told Iris and the others just yesterday.

Never did I imagine that the very next day, I would be confronted by that group.

And I never dreamed that they would turn out to be so repulsive, far beyond my expectations.

“I’m terribly sorry, Ouka-san. I’ll try to reason with them, at least…”

A boy among them, supposedly their negotiator, rushed over in a panic.

Unlike the others, he was wearing a strange mask resembling a bird’s skull. Behind that mask, there might be another breathtakingly beautiful boy, but for now, the continuous stream of cold sweat running down his face ruined any charm he might have had.

As much as I pitied this boy, there was no chance that I would change my mind regarding those players.

It seemed that the Princess and her friends, hailing from a remote region, were mostly unaware of where the formers players ended up in this world… Some lived quietly like myself, while others made a name for themselves in mercenary guilds or achieved success in business. With three months having passed, most had accepted this world as their reality and were establishing their own way of life.

On the other hand, there were also people with less-than-stellar character, to which those people in front of me unfortunately belonged.

Nevertheless, since they had levelled enough to reach reincarnation, they must have possessed some level of skill. But…

They were the type to look down on those weaker than themselves.

They lacked the ability to make their own judgments and decisions despite their high self-esteem.

They fantasized about being heroes without possessing the qualities necessary to fulfill that role.

Such individuals insisted on flaunting the power they had stumbled upon by chance, but they had no intention of fulfilling the various responsibilities that came with it, nor did they have the courage to venture into new paths. The lack of determination was evident in their expressions—adorned with a facade of vigor, but lacking any true spirit.

And… banding together like thugs, they went after defenseless people, against whom they could wield their force without resistance, a fact I knew all too well as a former delinquent.

Perhaps having heard about me from somewhere, they had chosen to target me today.

“…Seriously, you guys are persistent. I don’t owe you anything, and I want nothing to do with you.”

I firmly told the boy who tried to persist despite the favors he presented.

It’s not like I’m being unreasonable toward people from the same world as me, in fact, I wouldn’t mind if they requested my service like normal customers. At least, that was what I thought until this morning.

If this boy had been the first to appear, I might have listened to what he had to say.

But now, after being subjected to unbearable selfish demands from those unsavory characters, any inclination to listen had long disappeared.

“Helping fellow players out? Don’t make me laugh. What have you guys done to help others? Or you’re just a bunch of good-for-nothings acting tough?”

“We…”

The boy fell silent. Perhaps he was also aware that his little group was nothing more than thugs, and that’s why he was unable to come up with a response.

Until his intervention, those players’ so-called “negotiations” consisted of demanding me to hand over the products I made to them for the sake of my “protection”. For free.

Given the way they glanced at my chest and waist, it’s clear that they have other ulterior motives as well.

“I-I apologize on their behalf, it was rude of us…”

“No need to apologize, I’m not even angry at you.”

The boy raised his face expectantly at my slightly gentler tone, but unfortunately, I had no obligation to respond to such gestures.

“But I’m going to make it clear here. I have absolutely no intention of abandoning my current life and join up with the lot behind you… I have nothing more to say to you. Take those guys and leave!”

With that, I turned away and headed back to my workshop… at that moment.

“…Don’t fuck with me!”

Finally losing his temper, one of them stepped forward aggressively towards me.

“…What else do I need to say? Get lost.”

“How… How dare you…”

I didn’t even bother hiding the disdain in my eyes anymore.

“Since all of your heads are so far high up your ass, let me point it our for you. You all are just scoundrels… no, scoundrels are way above your league. You’re a bunch of lowlifes doing a scoundrel’s bidding. How about you think about what you’d done instead of harassing everyone you see?”

They came to me proclaiming to be members of a mutual aid organization that seeks to return us players to our old world, but their actions were anything but helpful.

And yet, they were too caught up in their hero fantasy to reflect on their deeds. I have to wonder if that’s the only way for them to cope with the reality of being sent to another world.

I’m not sure whoever’s running this scam organization is up to any good, but I’m not going to count on it.

Regardless, I didn’t want to see them for even a second longer. As I turned to leave once more…

“…The fuck you say about us, you bitch?!”

In the next instant, a strong impact hit my back.

It took a moment for me to realize that I’d been grabbed by the collar and slammed against the wall.

Did I say too much?

I understand my tendency to speak bluntly, but… well, it’s only natural to lose my temper when my life is on the line, isn’t it? However, I don’t think I’m wrong, and I refuse to yield to such people.

“…What now? Are you resorting to violence because someone rejected you? How pathetic.”

“G-Grr…!”

The man raised his arm again.

I anticipated what’s coming next and flinched, but I refused to abandon my pride. I glared at the impending fist.

SMACK

Sparks flew in my mind, and my vision wavered.

After a moment, warmth spread across my cheek, and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. But…

“…Is that all? Your punch is weaker than I thought…!”

After spitting out the blood in my mouth, I glared at the man who, despite throwing the punch, seemed hesitant upon hitting a woman’s face.

However, things had taken a turn for the worse.

The fact that one of their own had crossed the line and resorted to violence had tainted the atmosphere around us. This had undoubtedly removed the psychological restraint of “a man doesn’t hit a woman” from them.

“Stop! We’re not here to fight, we’re here to persuade her, remember?!”

The boy desperately tried to calm the situation.

But there was no way that those stuck-up bunch would stop with just a punch.

I watched the situation with cold eyes and wondered what’s going to happen next.

What came to mind was a certain prince who’s aloof to everyone but his little sister. The time we had agreed to meet today was approaching, so if I could endure a little longer, he would probably come to my aid.

With a sigh, I braced myself for a few more punches.

“…Onee-chan?!”

“Eh…?”

The voice I wasn’t expecting reached my ears, and my entire body froze as if ice water was poured into my veins.

“Onee-chan… what happened to your cheek…?”

“Kirsche…?! Idiot, don’t come here, just run…!”

Internally, I clicked my tongue at the sight of my stepsister’s eyes, which seemed to lose their light as if a switch had been turned off.

Kirsche had gone ahead to Master’s place this morning, saying she had preparations for work. I had thought she’d be spared from this situation this time, and I had let my guard down.

As if this situation couldn’t get any worse…!

“Heh, so this bitch can still make such a face. Guys, capture that girl!”

“Stop it! Don’t lay a hand on her… especially not her!!”

“So? If your sister is so important to you, then you’d better behave-”

“That’s not it! Just let me go already, I can’t afford to deal with you guys right now!”

In a panic, I tried to reach out to my stepsister, but one of the men still had me in his grasp.

At the same time, his friends began to converge on Kirsche, who was frozen in place—completely unaware of the swirling presence around her.

“Something weird is happening! Just stop and pull back, now!”

“Oh, just shut up, will you?! I don’t care if you’re Boss’ favorite or whatever, but you’re fucking useless! We’ll take those sisters with us, even if they want to or not!”

“Listen to me, please! Something is appearing around her!”

The boy, who seemed to be the only one maintaining a clear head, continued to try to restrain his companions, but the men who had become so aggressive by now wouldn’t listen.

“Let go of me already! Dammit, what the hell am I even doing…?!”

I really started to despise myself.

This felt like a replay of that nightmare day.

And it was even worse. The absolute worst. It would become irreversible if it continued like this.

What was different from that day was that Kirsche wasn’t a powerless girl in this world.

Kirsche, who, due to the trauma of that day, was no longer able to control her powers properly.

“No… Get off me already!”

“Hah, as if we’d let you escape…”

“You don’t understand! All of you, get out of here or you’ll die!!”

I struggled to break free from the man restraining me, who still had no idea of how bad this situation is.

It seemed my basic physical strength surpassed his, as his grip loosened slightly. Seizing the opportunity, I ignored the sound of fabric tearing from where he had grabbed me and forcibly shook myself loose, escaping from his restraint.

Sprinting toward my stepsister, I stretched out my hand toward her.

“You…”

Just a bit more… a few more steps…

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO ONEE-CHAN?!!!!!!!”

Once again, my voice fell short as an enraged Kirsche, whose demeanor had changed completely, shouted and glared at the men with dark eyes.

The world was engulfed in red…

Iris

On the second day of our arrival in Ares Isle, a morning filled with cool and refreshing air.

Walking along the bridge leading to the island where Ouka-san’s workshop is, we were once again surrounded by people preparing for the festival.

As planned, Reiji-san and Milly-san would be joining Nii-sama and me today… but I didn’t expect Titilia-san to tag along as well.

Considering Titilia-san came here as Leonhardt-sama’s personal attendant, I thought she must be quite busy.

“It’s fine! Today, Leonhardt-sama told me to accompany Iris-cha… Princess, and stretch my wings while I’m at it!”

Titilia-san cheerfully answered when I asked her about it.

Having shed her maid uniform, Titilia-san had changed into a casual outfit of an off-shoulder summer knit and a miniskirt.

“I see… Then I have to apologize. Today’s destination isn’t exactly a place for leisure…”

“I don’t mind, I’m just happy to go out with Princess today. I do have some interest in seeing a giant’s workshop myself.”

“That’s good to hear, but…”

As I shifted my gaze behind, Milly-san, who was smiling and in high spirits, observed the two of us. She was dressed in a camisole, hot pants, with a summer cardigan draped over, flaunting her style…

“…Hmm? Is there something on my face, nya?”

“N-No…”

To avoid dampening Titilia-san’s mood, I decided not to talk about what might await us ahead.

…If she found out and tried to escape, the burden we hoped to alleviate by having one more person will disappear. It’s not that I have malicious intentions. Absolutely not.

While chatting like this, we headed to Ouka-san’s workshop when suddenly…

A flash illuminated the sky.

Startled, we all turned our gaze in that direction… toward Ouka-san’s workshop, which we were just about to head to. There… a tremendous pillar of fire roared into the sky.

Anxious murmurs spread among the onlookers.

“Reiji-san!”

“Yeah, let’s hurry! Hold on tight!”

Reacting to my call without a moment’s delay, Reiji-san swiftly picked me up. Instantly, the scenery began flowing backward at high speed.

“Your Highness, if you’re in a hurry, please carry me too!”

“Got it, just don’t bite your tongue!”

“Hey, that’s not fair, nya! I’m a rear guard too, nya!”

Reiji-san grabbed me, and Nii-sama picked up Titilia-san, who started chanting magic, and we started running, with Milly-san following a little behind, using her flight magic.

We couldn’t afford to waste time navigating through the crowd.

Running through the bridge made of light Titilia-san created, we headed straight for our destination…where the pillar of fire was still raging.

Thanks to Titilia-san’s magic and Reiji-san’s sprinting speed, we arrived at the source of the flames without much delay, which, as I feared, turned out to be Ouka-san’s workshop we visited yesterday.

“Kirsche-san, Ouka-san! What… in the world…”

My voice faded away in the face of the scene before my eyes.

The sisters were quickly found. Ouka-san was sitting against the wall of her house, staring blankly at somewhere, while a few unknown people lay collapsed a short distance away. And then…

A song reached my ears.

It was a melody that had been stripped of all emotions except pure anger, emanating a beautiful yet instinctively terrifying tune from the depths of the heart.

And at the source of the melody was…

“…Kirsche…san…?!”

She was completely unresponsive to my call.

Gazing into the void with vacant eyes, it was like she’d been turned into a machine whose only purpose was to sing the song of anger.

Protecting her was a giant bird made of fire spreading its wings, exuding its baleful gaze on the surrounding.

This was the true power of the Bard grouping, often concealed away.

Normally, after layering numerous chants and reaching the peak of emotions gathered from the surroundings, the twisted emotions would serve as nourishment for the manifestation of a mighty being known as a Beast of Spiritual Chants.

And now, what appeared before us was the embodiment of “Rage” and “Motion”, the most difficult-to-handle and ferocious entity.

Its name was…

“Beast of Spiritual Chants… Thanatos?!”

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

Within the grand arena, there was a residential area designated for dignitaries.

Reiji-san and I were currently seated in one of the small salons allocated to us, the Nordglacier delegates. Confidential discussions about national secret might take place in one such salon.

“It’s turned into quite a mess, hasn’t it…?”

“Yeah… can’t even enjoy a day of tourism without getting in trouble.”

I shared the tales I’d heard from Master Nephilim, while Reiji-san recounted the earlier events of the day, as we exchanged information.

Though the tales did bring up some interesting points, the incident Reiji-san encountered was simply much more urgent, so naturally, it was the focus of the discussion.

According to Reiji-san’s account, several Great Martial Arts Festival participants from Nordglacier had been attacked, all with unclear motives. Apparently, word had reached His Majesty’s ears due to the severity of the matter.

While all the victims had been tended to by healers at the Church’s infirmary and were out of immediate danger, the lingering effects of the poison used made participating in the tournament hopeless.

I offered to provide treatment, but was politely declined. They were wary that my interference might reflect poorly on the Church.

And so, amidst heightened security compared to the daytime, Reiji-san and I found ourselves lounging in the salon, idle.

“…Nii-sama’s late.”

In order to meet with Kirsche-san, Ouka-san and Master Nephilim tomorrow, Nii-sama had gone to negotiate with His Majesty and Leonhardt-sama, seeking their permission.

An hour had passed since then.

“I guess getting permission won’t be that easy now… Worst case, I’ll go alone…”

“It’s regrettable, given the promise we made… but I suppose there’s no helping it.”

As Reiji-san sighed and reached for the empty cup to refill it with tea… the door clicked open.

“I’m back. Sorry for the wait.”

Entering the room was…

“Nii-sama! Did you get the permission to go out…?”

“It was a struggle, but          I did. However…”

Nii-sama settled at the table, took the cup I offered him, moistened his lips with tea, then opened his mouth with a bitter expression.

“…Long story short, tomorrow will likely be the last day we can go out. By tomorrow evening, His Majesty Alfgard’s consort… the Queen, and their son, the Crown Prince, are scheduled to arrive.”

“After such incidents, they probably don’t want to spread the guards as much as possible… is that it?”

“Yeah. I managed to persuade them with insistence on important matters, but tomorrow, Reiji and… also Miriam, will have to accompany us as guards.”

“W-Well… I suppose there’s no other way around it…”

It was frightening to imagine what might happen when Master Nephilim and Milly-san joined forces, but given the circumstances, it couldn’t be helped.

Considering the risks of going out amidst the ongoing incidents, we needed to act with utmost caution, which I reminded myself of.

At that moment, a discreet knock sounded.

“…Apologies for interrupting your conversation. Is Reiji-sama present here?”

I heard a reserved female voice… if I recalled correctly, she’s one of His Majesty’s attendants.

“That would be me. What’s the matter?”

“One of the guards have something to report, and he requires your presence.”

“The guards…?”

Reiji-san glanced back at us briefly.

It must be a very urgent situation for the guards to be brought in during the private time between me and Nii-sama, two members of the royal family.

However, since Reiji-san was here as our escort, he couldn’t open the door without our permission, nor could we allow the guard in.

So, we exchanged glances with Reiji-san, silently acknowledging the need for him to leave.

“Gotcha, I’ll be out for a bit.”

It was most likely related to the incident Reiji-san encountered, just as we were discussing about it earlier.

With Reiji-san conversing outside, Nii-sama and I strained our ears to listen…

“…What did you say?”

Reiji-san’s shocked voice echoed clearly.

“…Those two we caught earlier… were poisoned to death in their cells…?!”

Seiten

Adjacent to the main island of Ares Isle, on a remote islet with few inhabitants.

In a deserted pathway where the only source of light seemed to be the moonlight streaming from above, a lone man walked.

His name was Seiten.

He had appeared suddenly a couple months ago, and swiftly conquered several regularly held tournaments, emerging as a rising star with high expectations.

He appeared to be just out of his teenage years, yet his battles were filled with such youthful vigor, strength, and purity.

Regardless of his opponents, he faced them head-on and decisively overcame them with a dignified and imposing fighting style, swiftly becoming a hero of the arena.

Moreover, not only was he strong, but he also seemed to possess a sense of showmanship, learned from somewhere… how to entertain the audience, never forgetting to please the spectators.

His flashy and powerful techniques unleashed at crucial moments captivated the spectators, and his fan base grew rapidly.

On the other hand, in situations unrelated to combat, he displayed a youthful innocence befitting his appearance, often seen blushing and scrambling amidst female spectators, which added to his charm.

In any case… in this year’s Great Martial Arts Festival, he was undeniably the top contender for victory in the freshman division, with an outstanding record that made it clear he would win if things proceeded as expected.

…It was evident that he would become an obstacle to their plans. Furthermore, today, due to his involvement, they were forced to dispose of two of their members.

…At this point, calling him an obstacle wasn’t enough. Before he became a nuisance, he had to be eliminated without fail… such was the order that had just been issued from the higher-ups.

They already knew that the blond man was camping in an area outside the city where no one ventured.

Given the substantial amount of prize money he had surely earned, it wasn’t that he lacked funds for accommodation. Rather, it seemed as if he was waiting to be attacked.

As he left the city and the surroundings became devoid of people… ahead of his gaze, the blond man stopped and turned around.

“…Hey, still there? There’s no one else around, so just come at me already.”

Whether he understood the situation or not, he began stretching casually, as if warming up before a match.

“Hmph, noticing our presence yet still casually strolling all the way to this place alone…”

The assassins who had been lurking around revealed themselves.

…Six of them in total.

They were a different operational unit from the lower-ranking operatives captured during the daytime, each of them seasoned fighters capable of overwhelming tournament participants in one-on-one combat.

Certainly, the man facing them was strong. However, they had deployed sufficient forces considering that.

Yet… the man didn’t seem perturbed by their presence. Whether he underestimated their abilities due to inability to gauge his opponent’s strength, or whether his recent undefeated streak had led him to believe he could handle anything… that was their judgment.

“No need for small talk. You guys are clearly here to kill me, so do it quick before I run out of patience.”

“In that case… come, all of you!”

 All six of them readied their weapons.

Upon seeing this, the blond man also took a stance of sorts—just then, a seventh figure emerged from behind him, the dagger in his hand flashing in the darkness of the night—…

The whole ordeal was finished in a matter of seconds.

“…Is that all you’ve got? Pathetic.”

Amidst the chilly night air, a voice tinged with disappointment echoed.

Standing amidst the suffocating scent of blood, the man showed no concern as he stood stoically, drenched in blood himself—blood that was not his own.

Around him laid… seven humanoid shapes.

No… they didn’t even look humanoid anymore.

One lay twisted with limbs bent in unnatural directions, exposing white bones stained crimson throughout his body.

One had chunks of his torsos missing, as if something had exploded, leaving only part of his upper and lower halves behind.

One… seemed to be a mass of flesh with limbs attached, as if they had melded together.

Others had their necks twisted at unnatural angles, or were coughing up large amounts of blood despite no apparent external injuries—all were sprawled in a gruesome state in a sea of blood.

And there they lay, scattered across the barren wilderness like avant-garde sculptures, leaving the earth exposed as if a monster had rampaged through.

Yes… they all used to be assassins from the same organization.

The only one standing, was Seiten, their supposed elimination target.

Actually, there was still another assassin in hiding.

Having witnessed the entire spectacle, he trembled in hiding behind a rock, praying not to be discovered by Seiten in his blood-soaked state.

…In addition to the execution team, there should be an additional operative accompanying them to clean up the mess in case they failed and to conceal the scene in case of any emergency… that’s why the last assassin was here.

But their target, no, that monster.

Despite wreaking havoc, he remained on high alert at all times. There was opening in his stance.

A hero? Ridiculous. That’s nothing more than a superficial facade. No, that man is a beast, or rather, an evil fiend straight from Hell… the assassin thought.

If they couldn’t win, then he must prioritize bringing back information to his comrades. That was the decision—no, it was an excuse he made to himself to get away from this situation, to turn on his heel and—

“…Found… YOU!!”

“…?!”

In that moment of realization, his head was seized from behind, and he was lifted into the air. His futile attempts to escape only kicked at empty space.

“…When did… you… How…?!”

“Oh well, I caught a whiff of quite a bit of blood, you know?”

“Sto…p… plea…se… a…a…ghhhh!”

Amidst intense pain, a sound that should never have reached my brain shattered his skull.

In his increasingly reddened field of vision, his unexpectedly locked eyes with golden eyes gleaming in the darkness.

Those eyes… were filled with madness.

They belonged to an unstoppable “Berserker” that crushes everything standing in his way.

With the assassin’s final thought being the complete failure of his mission… his consciousness faded away.

“…I messed up. I should have extracted information from them.”

I clutched my head in frustration, still caught up in the excitement of what I had done.

Returning to my senses, I realized that the last remaining attacker was no longer in a condition to provide any information.

“Well, so much for the so-called special forces of the west… Turns out, they weren’t all that impressive after all.”

I muttered to himself as I tossed aside the thing I had been holding in my right hand, its contents dripping out and splattering onto the ground.

Considering the palpable killing intents from the attackers, I was somewhat disappointed at how little they put up a fight. As I felt this disappointment, memories of the Sword Saint I encountered during the day resurfaced.

I want to fight him.

While I had acquiesced to the circumstances during the day, the desire still churned within me.

The reason for my fixation on that man was because he was the only player confirmed to possess a unique class similar to my own.

I was intentionally suppressing that for now. This wasn’t a game; if I were to harm the innocent, there would be no going back.

I understood. That’s why, apart from secluded areas like this, my kept his abilities sealed.

But… there were times when I couldn’t help but be tempted by the idea of being released from the shackles of reason, allowing my primal instincts to take over in a fight.

“Then again… that guy isn’t interested in that kind of thing…”

There were countless ways to make that Sword Saint take me seriously. For example, he cherished the girl who always accompanied him dearly. If she were ever in danger…

“Wait, no, no, no!? No, that’s absolutely not happening, right?!”

With a loud cry, I jumped into the dark sea to flee from his thoughts, which were drifting toward an absurd direction.

The warm summer sea, even at night, swiftly washed away the clinging scent of blood.

After diving underwater for a while, swimming wildly to release my impulses… eventually, as exhaustion set in and I let go of the strength in my limbs, I surfaced.

“*pant*… No matter what, if I did that, I’d just be a villain, huh…”

Even though I had become stronger by admiring heroes I saw in anime, straying from that path was out of the question. It would tarnish that admiration.

Moreover… I simply couldn’t do such a thing. I didn’t have a hobby of tormenting the weak, and that was especially true if it was a cute girl. I would hesitate to even leave a scratch on her.

I would hesitate… or so he thought.

“…Damn, guess I must have been really drunk on blood.”

To think that I would consider harming even that girl, who treated me the same as anyone else and whose charm had captivated me, even for a moment… I was truly losing himself in madness.

Muttering in disbelief at his own foolishness, I relaxed his entire body and let myself be carried by the waves. The pleasantly cool water of midsummer seemed to cool down my heated mind.

And above me, a sky filled with stars, a sight I hadn’t seen in my original world, stretched out. Floating in the water like this, I felt like I could quietly contemplate.

What I recalled was the past few months since arriving in this world.

I had conversed with several players in similar situations, and most of them lamented being caught up in such circumstances.

But… I was different. I alone was rejoicing in this situation without any hesitation.

The game called “Worldgate Online” was very realistic in sensation, but pain was much duller compared to reality.

Naturally so, there shouldn’t be a game that causes the same pain as reality. Especially not one where fighting and such were involved.

Therefore, “Worldgate Online” had… no, all Full Dive VR games had measures to mitigate pain. That’s why I had set the pain relief measures to the minimum, but even then, the pain I felt was no more than being lightly tapped, which had always been unsatisfactory.

On the other hand, in this world, being punched hurt, and being cut made blood flow.

In a sudden and jarring encounter with reality that left everyone trembling in fear… I alone had stepped forward joyfully. Was there something wrong with me after all?

Realizing that I was standing in Ares Isle, his hometown and the arena island, I first rushed to the arena. Without showing interest in anything else, I sought his place, the battlefield.

After that, it was just fighting. Fighting, fighting, fighting… before he knew it, I had become quite famous.

And as I settled into his current life and finally began to calm down, a sense of emptiness suddenly came over me.

The people of this world, who had fought and survived in the midst of danger, should have been those who tempered themselves.

On the other hand, I gained strength in a safe sandbox called “Worldgate Online.” And this body was much stronger than my original world’s body.

What’s the difference between that and cheating? Can I be proud of this power?

It was a question that shook the core of my being.

To find my answer… I wanted to fight someone under the same conditions, in the same situation.

Moreover, I wanted to fight someone who had faced this world and made up their mind to become strong.

That way, I felt I could find out if I was truly strong, or if I was actually weak.

That’s why, when he thought about it, the first person who came to mind was that “Sword Saint”.

And when I finally met him again during the day, I was genuinely happy.

I didn’t know what experiences he had been through, but he must have overcome many difficulties and survived to this point. His eyes, unlike those of most players I had met, seemed to be those of someone who had completed their resolve.

However, unlike me, he had probably prepared himself to be hurt and to hurt others, all while firmly disciplining himself. It seemed like he had a clear reason for wielding his power.

And I was certain of it when he looked into the eyes of that delicate girl, who had been known as the “Princess” during the game era, who had joined him later.

I… I envied that.

That’s why I couldn’t help but want to know. How much stronger had he become in this world?

“…If only you could be my opponent, Sword Saint.”

Hoping for an unavoidable event where a fight was inevitable… I closed my eyes and surrendered to the swaying waves, pondering a convenient wish that wouldn’t come true.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Reiji

The first to reincarnate.

WgO’s strongest.

Battle maniac.

There were several words that could be used to describe the guy acting all friendly in front of me… Seiten.

He’s slightly shorter than me.

His face, with sharp thick eyebrows and piercing eyes, though somewhat macho, falls well within the category of handsome. His fearless expression moves with emotions like that of a boy, giving off a charming vibe… usually.

His “distinctive” spiked-back blond hair and attire were said to have been inspired by an anime character who’s an alien named after a vegetable.

As for his personality, if I were to describe it in one word… it would be “power hungry”.

Despite his cheerful and pleasant personality, he enjoys nurturing himself, challenging strong opponents to battle, and finding joy in winning. However, this is within the bounds of fair play; he’s surprisingly rational and doesn’t randomly pick fights.

Moreover, in his case, he doesn’t hesitate to put effort into research, equipment collection, and even ventured into real-life mixed martial arts… he’s a true gaming addict… no, he’s more like someone from a warrior race.

And, he’s also the record holder for the most victories in PvP tournaments in the game, and if you ask who the strongest player in “Worldgate Online” is, his name would be the first to come up. Even I have to admit that.

In any case, it wasn’t difficult to predict that someone with such history would settle on this Isle of Battles.

“I was just wondering when you’d show up, and here you are.”

“I mean, I don’t have trouble finding opponents in this city, so life’s been good here!”

“Having a blast, aren’t you…?!”

Seiten beamed happily.

I guess if anyone who would enjoy the fact that he was sent to another world, it’d be him.

Before I could even express my amazement at how unchanged he is…

“What… are you… idly chit-chatting about… you bastards… guh!?”

“Whoops, forgot about you.”

“You…!”

The black-clad figure restrained by Seiten, with a pained expression and sweating profusely, protested with veins bulging on his forehead.

But leaving him unattended seemed like it could lead to trouble. For now, I tied up the man I knocked out so I could hand him over to the guards later.

“You won’t get away with this…!”

“Wow, coming to kill me and having the guts to complain? Seiten, you deal with him.”

“Sure.”

Seiten wrapped his arms around the man’s neck and snapped, and the man fainted without resistance.

For now, there were no signs of other enemies around, and the earlier commotion had ended.

“…So, what’s the deal with these guys?”

“Do you always punch first and ask questions later like that?”

I dropped my shoulders at Seiten’s belated question.

I was dragging the middle-aged man, the culprit behind the stabbing, back along the path we came from. Seiten followed along, carrying the black-clad man with him. I thought he might know something, but it seems it was no good.

“…So, there was an incident on the street earlier.”

“Hmm, I just happened to pass by… but it seems like it’s about the guy who stabbed one of the participants in the tournament. It’s truly lamentable that they resort to ambushing instead of fighting honorably in the ring.”

“Well, this guy right here is probably the culprit. Let’s just take him and his friend to the guards quickly.”

“I see, no problem at all, I’m happy to help!”

Their actions seemed to have gotten under Seiten’s skin to the point where he suddenly became motivated. With his sudden enthusiasm, we quickly transported the men to the guard station before they could wake up and cause trouble.

And so, handing over the men to the guards, receiving some rewards and a bit of a lecture, by the time we were released, over an hour had passed.

Upon a simple investigation, it seemed that the short knives they had were indeed poisoned, mainly circulating in the Western continent.

…That much was learned by leveraging my position as a member of the Nordglacier royal family’s guard who had come here, and their affiliates.

“…Western continent, huh.”

Using poison to hinder movement and attacking in groups… their tactics seem familiar to the modus operandi of those guys.

“You know something, Sword Saint?”

“Maybe. The dark side of the Western Trade Federation… Cait Sith, was it? I fought them before, and those guys seem similar.”

“Hmm, are they operatives of that organization?”

“I can’t be sure, but they resemble them. But if that’s the case…”

If those guys were involved, I couldn’t just ignore them.

Just recalling the attack in Diamant Valley made my blood boil.

“What’s wrong, Sword Saint? You have quite the intense expression on your face.”

“…Those bastards targeted Iris before.”

“What?!”

Seiten snapped.

Come to think of it, he was a big fan of Iris… I suddenly remembered.

“I think it’s gonna be a bad idea if we leave them alone. Seiten, if you find out anything, could you let me know?”

“Mm… I don’t know why they’re targeting participants, but never hurt to be cautious, I guess.”

“Yeah, please do. You’re an idiot, but I’m counting on you!”

“Calling me ‘idiot’ is uncalled for!”

I laughed at his resounding reply, but then, I brought up something that’d been bothering me.

“By the way… You’re participating in the Great Martial Arts Festival, right?”

It’s not a question, but a confirmation. Considering it’s a tournament held once every four years, it’s hard to imagine him staying silent…

“Of course! Hehe, listen up and be amazed… since I came here, I’ve won several tournaments and secured a seed slot for the freshman division!”

“Heh… That’s amazing, as expected of you.”

Seiten proudly boasted with his hands on his hips. It’s actually quite impressive.

The Great Martial Arts Festival is divided into two categories: freshman for newcomers and expert for seasoned participants.

However, just because it’s called ‘freshman’ division doesn’t mean        it’s a lower grade than the other. It seems to be based on whether or not a participant has placed in past tournaments.

Both are filled with strong contenders, especially the expert division, where the information on participants is almost complete and tactics are based on thorough research.

On the other hand, the freshman division is a mixed bag of talents, with varying levels of data and a large number of strong contenders mixed in, so one can’t afford to be complacent.

In short, despite his prowess, Seiten is participating in the Great Martial Arts Festival for the first time, so he can only participate in the freshman division… However, having a seed slot means he must have achieved remarkable results in other matches.

“What about you, Sword Saint? Are you participating?”

“Sorry, but no. I’m here as a guard for the people I’m staying with at the moment…”

“I see… well, it can’t be helped…”

Seiten looked incredibly disappointed.

But honestly, I wanted to participate and test my own abilities, so it’s kind of a shame.

“Yeah, it can’t be helped this time. Well, do your best in my place, I’ll cheer you on.”

“…Hmm, alright. Watch me put this tournament in the bag!”

Seiten seemed full of confidence, but suddenly, a bad feeling crossed my mind.

The victim of the stabbing was also someone who was supposed to be participating in the freshman division after achieving good results in the public tournaments.

If those Cait Sith guys were targeting promising contestants, wouldn’t Seiten be one of their targets?

“Well, uh… don’t do anything reckless by yourself, okay?”

“Haha, I never expected you to be so worried about me. Should I look out for flying pigs?”

He simply laughed off my words of concern.

His Monk grouping, who uses qigong to strengthen their already large number of moves and exhibit high firepower, is unrivaled in single combat, but due to their low stamina and narrow attack range, it’s a bit difficult for them to fight against groups.

Though, I didn’t know if his “King of Fighters” unique class did anything about that shortcoming.

“Just… be careful of your surroundings. If something happens, call me right away. If you’re injured or poisoned, I’ll ask Iris to treat you.”

“Okay, okay, I get it… It just feels weird when you seriously worry about me like that, you know…”

This time, he seemed to have agreed, albeit reluctantly.

Well, it’s time to go back… I turned on my heels to leave.

“Ah, Reiji-san!”

“You’re up already, Reiji?”

Familiar voices from behind.

Apparently, while Seiten and I were talking, we’d already returned to the main street. Those two, Iris and Saul… were coming my way, probably back to the grand arena where our accommodations were.

“Sorry to worry you. How did it go on your end?”

“We’ve made contact with Master Nephilim. He’s agreed to take care of our equipment.”

“And we heard some interesting information. We’ll share it later.”

“I see… I just discovered something concerning myself.”

“…Not sure if we’re referring to the same thing, but it seems that some former players are up to something suspicious around here.”

“Hmm…?”

As we talked… I suddenly realized that Seiten, who should have been next to me, was oddly quiet.

Looking to the side… the back of his golden spiky head was trying to sneak away.

…What on earth was he up to?

“And you’re…?”

Iris noticed my behavior and caught sight of Seiten, who was trying to sneak away.

At that moment, Seiten’s body twitched, and he hurriedly turned around, assuming a stiff, upright posture.

“H-H-Hello, Princess… Y-Y-You seem to be in a g-good mood today…”

“…Seiten-san! You’ve come here too?!”

Ignoring Seiten’s awkward speech, Iris expressed joy at the well-being of her acquaintance.

…Due to his frequent confrontations with me, he had some interactions with Iris and Saul, whom I almost always accompanied. And Iris was rather fond of Seiten, as long as he wasn’t involved in combat. She seemed genuinely happy to see him again.

However, blushing and turning away from Iris’s innocent smile, Seiten, who had been all smug and confident just moments ago, now looked like a completely innocent young man.

“Are you here for the festival by any chance, Seiten-san?”

“Ah, uh, yes…”

“Then I’ll be cheering for you too! Please do your best!”

Seeing Iris like this, Seiten became flustered and tried to engage in conversation, but… it didn’t go well for him. And whether she noticed his discomfort or not, Iris continued to talk happily to the familiar face she hadn’t seen in a while.

…In the end, he was unable to respond to Iris with anything other than “yes, yes”.

“…Reiji, shouldn’t we help him?”

“Nah, it’s amusing, let’s watch a little longer.”

Responding to Saul’s somewhat exasperated words, I realize I must be wearing a wicked expression myself.

Speaking of Seiten, he had been glancing at me for a while now, as if asking for help.

Well, it’s natural.

Seiten is someone who believes in gender equality to the core, be it in combat or elsewhere. However, due to his strict dedication to self-improvement, both in real life and in gaming, he lacks immunity when it comes to women, especially cute girls.

Particularly when faced with someone like Iris, who’s as far removed from a combatant as you can get, he froze up, unsure of how to act in such situations.

So despite being a big fan of Iris, he completely shut down when actually in front of her in real life… Poor guy.

“…Sword Saint, are you listening?”

“What’s up?”

Meanwhile, Seiten, who had finally escaped, grabbed my arm and spoke to me in a hushed voice.

“What’s… what’s up with that? I can’t win against her. How did she get even lovelier here than in the game…?”

“Ah… she came here and underwent training as a princess, even if it was for a short time.”

“What the heck… I swear I could sense grace and elegance from her every move.”

Seiten nodded with a face filled with resignation and even despair.

Indeed, the current Iris, who had undergone various lessons during her stay at Rolandia Castle, seemed to have refined her demeanor to the point where every gesture appears sophisticated, and a sense of elegance permeates her actions… even when disguised with a hood, it’s impossible to hide.

However, she lacks awareness of her own charm and interacts with others in a carefree manner. The destructive power of that is beyond words.

“Sword Saint… How could you be so calm around her?”

“Heh, well, we’ve been friends for a long time.”

In reality, I often get flustered by her casual gestures, but I don’t show it. I prided myself on having more composure than anyone else in such situations. It’s now my turn to act cool and triumphant in front of Seiten…

“Oh my god Reiji, you’re such an idiot.”

“…Huh?”

For some reason, Saul looked at me with disdain and spat out those words before walking away, leaving me to shake my head in disbelief.

(TL Note)

“Seiten” = “Qitian” in Chinese.

“Qitian” a.k.a “Qitian Daishan” is one of Sun Wukong’s titles.

“Sun Wukong” = “Son Goku” in Japanese.

TLDR: Seiten is a DBZ cosplayer.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

“Then, I’ll have the proposed improvements for the requested sword ready by tomorrow. Feel free to come back if you have time.”

“Thank you very much. We’ll bring Reiji-san with us tomorrow.”

“Oh, that youngster. Looking forward to it.”

With those words, Master Nephilim bid us farewell amicably. Apparently, he enjoyed discussing swords and swordsmanship with fellow swordsmen.

“As for the armor, I’ll start making it after this.”

“I’m sorry… for asking something so troublesome during the festival.”

“It’s fine, this is also for my sake.”

Beside me, Ouka-san was bidding farewell to Nii-sama in the same way.

“More importantly… you two should be a bit more careful in the city, okay?”

In the midst of that, she suddenly turned serious and spoke. Her eyes, now with a serious hue, turned towards me.

“I heard this from someone I met here… but it seems like the group that approaches former players are actively sticking to some famous individuals.”

“Yeah… if they find out you’re here, Princess, you’ll definitely become a target, so be careful.”

“…Yes, I will.”

Adding to what Ouka-san conveyed, Kirsche-san drove the point home.

Smiling wryly at the two of them, I accepted their warning sincerely and left the cave where the workshop was located.

“Things went smoothly, didn’t they?”

“Honestly, I was expecting it to take a few days at least… Since we weren’t planning to stay here long, the sooner it’s done, the better. We have those sisters to thank for mediating.”

“Yes, truly…”

We’ll probably only be in this city for about two weeks at most. I was prepared that we might have to come back later depending on the circumstances, so it was really helpful that the request was accepted on the first day.

It’s a shame Reiji-san couldn’t come along, but it was the right decision to go out to the town… Thinking that, I suddenly remembered.

“…By the way, how’s Reiji-san doing, I wonder?”

“Well, don’t worry about him too much. It’s probably just seasickness, and he already took some medicine. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already out and about by now.”

“I hope so…”

“Either way, we got some valuable information, and it’s a good start. Hopefully, everything will continue smoothly from here.”

“Yes… as long as nothing goes wrong.”

As dusk approached and the hustle and bustle of people increased in the city, I murmured so absentmindedly.

Reiji

“Uegh… I’m still feeling like crap…”

After taking the medicine Aini-san gave me, the nausea had subsided considerably. So, despite still feeling a bit unsteady on my feet, I ventured out into the city…

“Well, I guess meeting up was too much to hope for… But where on earth did those two go?”

Having already made a thorough round of the main island and briefly checked inside shops where they might have stopped, I still couldn’t find them.

I had lightly dismissed the idea of them standing out too much… but it seemed I had underestimated the situation, sighing deeply as I looked out over the bustling crowds and stalls.

…Then, at that moment, an unmistakable sound reached my ears.

“Was that… a scream?”

A faint scream, barely audible from a distance. Soon, the direction it came from grew increasingly noisy.

It seemed like something serious was happening. I hoped those two weren’t involved… Fueled by such worries, I turned back towards the commotion.

Near a tavern just off the central square, where the disturbance seemed to be centered, a crowd had already gathered.

“Hey, what happened?”

I asked some bystanders nearby.

“Someone got stabbed, it seems.”

“This island tends to attract the rougher type for the arena, so stuff like this is pretty common.”

“Still, with all the tight security, you’d think it’d be safe, huh?”

Despite their fearful words, the residents seemed somewhat detached from the situation.

While inwardly cursing the fact that someone had been injured, I pushed through the crowd, curious to see what was happening at the center.

Collapsed on the ground was a young man… probably around my age. Beside him lay a short sword, stained with blood up to its hilt. Given the large red patch around the young man’s waist, it seemed the sword had been plunged there.

Furthermore, the young man’s face was pale, and he seemed to be convulsing, foaming at the mouth.

His condition was clearly serious, and I moved to rush over… but when I finally reached the spot through the throng of people, the guards were already administering first aid to the injured person and giving instructions to transport him to the nearest church.

Since this Ares isle was home to an arena, there were many churches doubling as treatment centers, with healing mages always on standby.

According to what I’d heard beforehand, there were even a few of the Church’s “Saints” dispatched during this time, so if we left it to them, it should be fine.

As I took a breath of relief, at that moment…

“Hey, isn’t that guy a contestant in the tournament?”

“Yeah, I saw him at registration… No, he actually took part in one of the general matches I saw.”

“Right, wasn’t he making a bit of a name for himself lately?”

Voices drifted from the surrounding hubbub.

Though the Great Martial Arts Festival wasn’t taking place at the moment, I had heard that there were other exhibition matches going on, and it seemed the stabbed man was one of the current contenders.

Indeed, the man lying there wasn’t wearing armor, but like me, he wore a gambeson underneath, and he had a sword that seemed well-used. Both his sword and belt pouch looked undisturbed, suggesting it wasn’t a mugging.

A participant in the martial arts tournament would presumably have some confidence in his skills. To stab him from behind without being noticed…?

As I pondered this question, a realization struck me…

It was only by chance that I noticed him.

He stood at the very edge of the circle of onlookers.

There’s nothing wrong with him, he was just a plain and skinny middle-aged man. Judging by his clothes, he looked like an ordinary citizen.

But… in this situation, he suddenly turned away from the gruesome scene and started walking in a direction where no one was around.

“It’s that guy…!”

It was just a gut feeling… but I’m certain that he’s the culprit.

“Excuse me, step aside!”

Pushing through the crowd, I followed after him.

Ahead of my gaze, the man hurriedly turned a corner and disappeared from sight, seemingly fleeing from the city center.

“You won’t escape, asshole…!”

Originally, this was just a matter of an unrelated man being stabbed, and apprehending the culprit wasn’t my job; I should leave it to the guards.

But… from the aura emanating from the fleeing man, there was something deeply unsettling about him.

It felt like I’d encountered him somewhere before. And whatever it was, it didn’t bode well for us.

Driven by that sense, I accelerated.

Then, around a few corners, the other guy picked up his pace. He probably noticed that I was tailing him.

Well, there was no need to sneak around anymore. It was just a matter of speed now. And that was my forte.       

…I won’t let him get away!

With that determination, I fixed my gaze on the man ahead and sprinted forward, kicking off the cobblestones with all my might.

At the moment, Reiji’s mind was completely focused on chasing after someone who seemed to be a bad guy.

Therefore, he didn’t notice that someone else had noticed him, and started following him in return.

After chasing for a while… Eventually, beneath the large bridge leading to another island on the outskirts facing the sea, the fleeing man leaned against the wall, panting heavily.

Was he exhausted from running for so long? …No.

“Hey, you! Sorry, but you need to come with me-”

“…Shaaaaah!”

“Tch… You!”

Feeling a chilling sensation on my neck, I instinctively recoiled.

The man suddenly turned around, the gleaming dagger in his hand barely missing me—no, I dodged it with considerable ease.

Without a moment’s delay, I evaded the dagger thrown at me, aimed at where I had just moved to.

The man, who moments ago seemed exhausted, was sweating profusely… It was indeed an act.

“Tch… I thought you were just a greenhorn, but I hate brats like you who can sniff out trouble…”

“So you’re still insisting you’re not the culprit?”

“You’re already convinced, aren’t you? If there’s no way to talk my way out of this, then so be it… Brat, you’ll disappear here!”

“Hah… if you think you can, then come at me!!”

Since I left my swords with Iris and the others, I drew the metal baton I borrowed for self-defense from my waist.

Unknowingly, the intoxication from seasickness had vanished—no, it had been replaced by another intoxication. An intoxication of tense anticipation, a sense of impending danger, and a premonition of life and death.

That dagger he was holding. My instincts warned me that I can’t afford to be wounded by it.

That single-edged dagger, about the size of two fists, is the same one that was lying next to the injured man just moments ago.

Normally, it’s not a good idea to pull out a weapon that has been stabbed into a wound before hemostasis is complete, as it increases bleeding.

However, if the guards of this city, who are supposed to be accustomed to rough work, deliberately pulled it out from the wound, there must have been a reason why it had to be pulled out at that moment.

Probably… poison.

It’s not something as lethal as to make the seasoned guards panic, but it’s not something trivial enough to be ignored either—it’s likely to be fast-acting.

With such unfavorable conditions—no slight injuries allowed, no equipment, and not in the best physical condition—I still remained composed… I had that much composure.

“I’ve been dealing with people like you for a while now, old man…!”

I glanced at the city I’d just moved in.

“What’s wrong? Suddenly afraid for your life?”

“No? I have no need to hear that from you, asshole…!”

I kicked off the ground and jumped mid-sentence.

At the same time, he also readied his dagger… but his stance is full of openings compared to the people who trained me recently—utterly amateurish.

That’s when I was sure.

“Hah… the arrogance of thinking you can handle everything with your own power alone, you’re truly a greenhorn…!”

The moment the man, who showed a defensive stance, twisted his mouth, a new person appeared from above his head behind him, diving straight into my position.

Completely caught off guard, there’s no longer any time to completely dodge attacks from both directions, and I’m left without any means to resist, only to become prey to the poison… is what he’s thinking, but.

“…As if I hadn’t seen it coming already!”

Ignoring the newcomer behind me, I put all my energy into my legs, stepping forward forcefully enough to crack the pavement, closing in on the man in front of me even more. At the same time…

“…ORAAAA!!”

An eardrum-shattering shout echoed from under the bridge.

The next moment, a shadow suddenly jumped in from even further behind the enemy on my back, and with a flying kick loaded with tremendous force, sent him flying without even giving him time to scream.

Confirming that with a sidelong glance, I swiftly closed in on the other enemy, sweeping his torso with the baton I had in my hand.

“…Gah?! Urk…”

Struck hard in the vulnerable abdomen, the man collapses to the ground, spitting blood.

Almost simultaneously… the sound of the black-clad man who had attacked me from behind being slammed onto the ground and restrained reached my ears.

With no other enemies around, I released the tension and slung the baton over my shoulder.

“Hah, getting complacent just because you had hidden reinforcements, I’ll throw your words right back at you.”

I spat those words at the man lying flat on the ground… but he probably couldn’t hear anymore.

As for the other guy… well, it was about what I expected.

Turning around, the figure clad in black, undoubtedly an assassin-like character, was being subdued on the ground by the person who had leaped in later, with both arms pinned down, groaning in pain.

“Heh… Hahahahaha…! I just jumped in here for a whim, but you would be boned if it weren’t for me, weren’t you?! You owe me one, Sword Saint!”

The person restraining the black-clad figure called out to me with a loud laugh and a triumphant look.

…Man, I really want to punch this guy.

I thought as I looked at his smug face, but I held back. I knew all too well from my gaming days that doing that would only play into his hands.

“Dumbass, I already knew from the beginning that you were going to stick your neck in there, so I owe you nothing.”

Although I realized it only after arriving here, keeping quiet about it was better than being mocked.

“…Of course you would show up in this city, you battle maniac. It’s been a while, King of Fighters.”

“Yeah, good to see you again in one piece, Sword Saint.”

He flashed me an amicable smile as he said that.

He had flashy golden hair standing up in a ridiculous style, and wore leather-padded pants, with only a short jacket on his bare upper body.

His body was not particularly large, but not thin either, and while he looked slim at first glance, he was covered in muscular bulges as if carved from steel.

It’s like… an athlete who has been stripped of all unnecessary fat and optimized for lightweight performance.

Player name “Seiten”.

Fighting using his own body and qi manipulation… this battle maniac was the owner of the Monk grouping’s unique class “King of Fighters”.

A total musclehead, if I may add.

Well, in reality, he’s not dumb per se, but he’s a single-minded idiot who has allocated almost all of his brain capacity to combat.

Despite being that kind of person, for some reason, he saw me as his rival and constantly insisted on engaging in PvP battles, which I found a bit troublesome.

…And somehow, he’s arguably the most famous player in “Worldgate Online” just before we were all sent to this world.

Because he was the very first player… to reach reincarnation and earned his tertiary class, and went on to publicly announce its existence to everyone else.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

“Then, I’ll have the proposed improvements for the requested sword ready by tomorrow. Feel free to come back if you have time.”

“Thank you very much. We’ll bring Reiji-san with us tomorrow.”

“Oh, that youngster. Looking forward to it.”

With those words, Master Nephilim bid us farewell amicably. Apparently, he enjoyed discussing swords and swordsmanship with fellow swordsmen.

“As for the armor, I’ll start making it after this.”

“I’m sorry… for asking something so troublesome during the festival.”

“It’s fine, this is also for my sake.”

Beside me, Ouka-san was bidding farewell to Nii-sama in the same way.

“More importantly… you two should be a bit more careful in the city, okay?”

In the midst of that, she suddenly turned serious and spoke. Her eyes, now with a serious hue, turned towards me.

“I heard this from someone I met here… but it seems like the group that approaches former players are actively sticking to some famous individuals.”

“Yeah… if they find out you’re here, Princess, you’ll definitely become a target, so be careful.”

“…Yes, I will.”

Adding to what Ouka-san conveyed, Kirsche-san drove the point home.

Smiling wryly at the two of them, I accepted their warning sincerely and left the cave where the workshop was located.

“Things went smoothly, didn’t they?”

“Honestly, I was expecting it to take a few days at least… Since we weren’t planning to stay here long, the sooner it’s done, the better. We have those sisters to thank for mediating.”

“Yes, truly…”

We’ll probably only be in this city for about two weeks at most. I was prepared that we might have to come back later depending on the circumstances, so it was really helpful that the request was accepted on the first day.

It’s a shame Reiji-san couldn’t come along, but it was the right decision to go out to the town… Thinking that, I suddenly remembered.

“…By the way, how’s Reiji-san doing, I wonder?”

“Well, don’t worry about him too much. It’s probably just seasickness, and he already took some medicine. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s already out and about by now.”

“I hope so…”

“Either way, we got some valuable information, and it’s a good start. Hopefully, everything will continue smoothly from here.”

“Yes… as long as nothing goes wrong.”

As dusk approached and the hustle and bustle of people increased in the city, I murmured so absentmindedly.

Reiji

“Uegh… I’m still feeling like crap…”

After taking the medicine Aini-san gave me, the nausea had subsided considerably. So, despite still feeling a bit unsteady on my feet, I ventured out into the city…

“Well, I guess meeting up was too much to hope for… But where on earth did those two go?”

Having already made a thorough round of the main island and briefly checked inside shops where they might have stopped, I still couldn’t find them.

I had lightly dismissed the idea of them standing out too much… but it seemed I had underestimated the situation, sighing deeply as I looked out over the bustling crowds and stalls.

…Then, at that moment, an unmistakable sound reached my ears.

“Was that… a scream?”

A faint scream, barely audible from a distance. Soon, the direction it came from grew increasingly noisy.

It seemed like something serious was happening. I hoped those two weren’t involved… Fueled by such worries, I turned back towards the commotion.

Near a tavern just off the central square, where the disturbance seemed to be centered, a crowd had already gathered.

“Hey, what happened?”

I asked some bystanders nearby.

“Someone got stabbed, it seems.”

“This island tends to attract the rougher type for the arena, so stuff like this is pretty common.”

“Still, with all the tight security, you’d think it’d be safe, huh?”

Despite their fearful words, the residents seemed somewhat detached from the situation.

While inwardly cursing the fact that someone had been injured, I pushed through the crowd, curious to see what was happening at the center.

Collapsed on the ground was a young man… probably around my age. Beside him lay a short sword, stained with blood up to its hilt. Given the large red patch around the young man’s waist, it seemed the sword had been plunged there.

Furthermore, the young man’s face was pale, and he seemed to be convulsing, foaming at the mouth.

His condition was clearly serious, and I moved to rush over… but when I finally reached the spot through the throng of people, the guards were already administering first aid to the injured person and giving instructions to transport him to the nearest church.

Since this Ares isle was home to an arena, there were many churches doubling as treatment centers, with healing mages always on standby.

According to what I’d heard beforehand, there were even a few of the Church’s “Saints” dispatched during this time, so if we left it to them, it should be fine.

As I took a breath of relief, at that moment…

“Hey, isn’t that guy a contestant in the tournament?”

“Yeah, I saw him at registration… No, he actually took part in one of the general matches I saw.”

“Right, wasn’t he making a bit of a name for himself lately?”

Voices drifted from the surrounding hubbub.

Though the Great Martial Arts Festival wasn’t taking place at the moment, I had heard that there were other exhibition matches going on, and it seemed the stabbed man was one of the current contenders.

Indeed, the man lying there wasn’t wearing armor, but like me, he wore a gambeson underneath, and he had a sword that seemed well-used. Both his sword and belt pouch looked undisturbed, suggesting it wasn’t a mugging.

A participant in the martial arts tournament would presumably have some confidence in his skills. To stab him from behind without being noticed…?

As I pondered this question, a realization struck me…

It was only by chance that I noticed him.

He stood at the very edge of the circle of onlookers.

There’s nothing wrong with him, he was just a plain and skinny middle-aged man. Judging by his clothes, he looked like an ordinary citizen.

But… in this situation, he suddenly turned away from the gruesome scene and started walking in a direction where no one was around.

“It’s that guy…!”

It was just a gut feeling… but I’m certain that he’s the culprit.

“Excuse me, step aside!”

Pushing through the crowd, I followed after him.

Ahead of my gaze, the man hurriedly turned a corner and disappeared from sight, seemingly fleeing from the city center.

“You won’t escape, asshole…!”

Originally, this was just a matter of an unrelated man being stabbed, and apprehending the culprit wasn’t my job; I should leave it to the guards.

But… from the aura emanating from the fleeing man, there was something deeply unsettling about him.

It felt like I’d encountered him somewhere before. And whatever it was, it didn’t bode well for us.

Driven by that sense, I accelerated.

Then, around a few corners, the other guy picked up his pace. He probably noticed that I was tailing him.

Well, there was no need to sneak around anymore. It was just a matter of speed now. And that was my forte.       

…I won’t let him get away!

With that determination, I fixed my gaze on the man ahead and sprinted forward, kicking off the cobblestones with all my might.

At the moment, Reiji’s mind was completely focused on chasing after someone who seemed to be a bad guy.

Therefore, he didn’t notice that someone else had noticed him, and started following him in return.

After chasing for a while… Eventually, beneath the large bridge leading to another island on the outskirts facing the sea, the fleeing man leaned against the wall, panting heavily.

Was he exhausted from running for so long? …No.

“Hey, you! Sorry, but you need to come with me-”

“…Shaaaaah!”

“Tch… You!”

Feeling a chilling sensation on my neck, I instinctively recoiled.

The man suddenly turned around, the gleaming dagger in his hand barely missing me—no, I dodged it with considerable ease.

Without a moment’s delay, I evaded the dagger thrown at me, aimed at where I had just moved to.

The man, who moments ago seemed exhausted, was sweating profusely… It was indeed an act.

“Tch… I thought you were just a greenhorn, but I hate brats like you who can sniff out trouble…”

“So you’re still insisting you’re not the culprit?”

“You’re already convinced, aren’t you? If there’s no way to talk my way out of this, then so be it… Brat, you’ll disappear here!”

“Hah… if you think you can, then come at me!!”

Since I left my swords with Iris and the others, I drew the metal baton I borrowed for self-defense from my waist.

Unknowingly, the intoxication from seasickness had vanished—no, it had been replaced by another intoxication. An intoxication of tense anticipation, a sense of impending danger, and a premonition of life and death.

That dagger he was holding. My instincts warned me that I can’t afford to be wounded by it.

That single-edged dagger, about the size of two fists, is the same one that was lying next to the injured man just moments ago.

Normally, it’s not a good idea to pull out a weapon that has been stabbed into a wound before hemostasis is complete, as it increases bleeding.

However, if the guards of this city, who are supposed to be accustomed to rough work, deliberately pulled it out from the wound, there must have been a reason why it had to be pulled out at that moment.

Probably… poison.

It’s not something as lethal as to make the seasoned guards panic, but it’s not something trivial enough to be ignored either—it’s likely to be fast-acting.

With such unfavorable conditions—no slight injuries allowed, no equipment, and not in the best physical condition—I still remained composed… I had that much composure.

“I’ve been dealing with people like you for a while now, old man…!”

I glanced at the city I’d just moved in.

“What’s wrong? Suddenly afraid for your life?”

“No? I have no need to hear that from you, asshole…!”

I kicked off the ground and jumped mid-sentence.

At the same time, he also readied his dagger… but his stance is full of openings compared to the people who trained me recently—utterly amateurish.

That’s when I was sure.

“Hah… the arrogance of thinking you can handle everything with your own power alone, you’re truly a greenhorn…!”

The moment the man, who showed a defensive stance, twisted his mouth, a new person appeared from above his head behind him, diving straight into my position.

Completely caught off guard, there’s no longer any time to completely dodge attacks from both directions, and I’m left without any means to resist, only to become prey to the poison… is what he’s thinking, but.

“…As if I hadn’t seen it coming already!”

Ignoring the newcomer behind me, I put all my energy into my legs, stepping forward forcefully enough to crack the pavement, closing in on the man in front of me even more. At the same time…

“…ORAAAA!!”

An eardrum-shattering shout echoed from under the bridge.

The next moment, a shadow suddenly jumped in from even further behind the enemy on my back, and with a flying kick loaded with tremendous force, sent him flying without even giving him time to scream.

Confirming that with a sidelong glance, I swiftly closed in on the other enemy, sweeping his torso with the baton I had in my hand.

“…Gah?! Urk…”

Struck hard in the vulnerable abdomen, the man collapses to the ground, spitting blood.

Almost simultaneously… the sound of the black-clad man who had attacked me from behind being slammed onto the ground and restrained reached my ears.

With no other enemies around, I released the tension and slung the baton over my shoulder.

“Hah, getting complacent just because you had hidden reinforcements, I’ll throw your words right back at you.”

I spat those words at the man lying flat on the ground… but he probably couldn’t hear anymore.

As for the other guy… well, it was about what I expected.

Turning around, the figure clad in black, undoubtedly an assassin-like character, was being subdued on the ground by the person who had leaped in later, with both arms pinned down, groaning in pain.

“Heh… Hahahahaha…! I just jumped in here for a whim, but you would be boned if it weren’t for me, weren’t you?! You owe me one, Sword Saint!”

The person restraining the black-clad figure called out to me with a loud laugh and a triumphant look.

…Man, I really want to punch this guy.

I thought as I looked at his smug face, but I held back. I knew all too well from my gaming days that doing that would only play into his hands.

“Dumbass, I already knew from the beginning that you were going to stick your neck in there, so I owe you nothing.”

Although I realized it only after arriving here, keeping quiet about it was better than being mocked.

“…Of course you would show up in this city, you battle maniac. It’s been a while, King of Fighters.”

“Yeah, good to see you again in one piece, Sword Saint.”

He flashed me an amicable smile as he said that.

He had flashy golden hair standing up in a ridiculous style, and wore leather-padded pants, with only a short jacket on his bare upper body.

His body was not particularly large, but not thin either, and while he looked slim at first glance, he was covered in muscular bulges as if carved from steel.

It’s like… an athlete who has been stripped of all unnecessary fat and optimized for lightweight performance.

Player name “Seiten”.

Fighting using his own body and qi manipulation… this battle maniac was the owner of the Monk grouping’s unique class “King of Fighters”.

A total musclehead, if I may add.

Well, in reality, he’s not dumb per se, but he’s a single-minded idiot who has allocated almost all of his brain capacity to combat.

Despite being that kind of person, for some reason, he saw me as his rival and constantly insisted on engaging in PvP battles, which I found a bit troublesome.

…And somehow, he’s arguably the most famous player in “Worldgate Online” just before we were all sent to this world.

Because he was the very first player… to reach reincarnation and earned his tertiary class, and went on to publicly announce its existence to everyone else.

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

“Mhm, indeed! It would be improper to dress a lovely maiden in a short, indecent maid outfit that reveals ulterior motives. The true purpose of work attire should be faithful to its original intent, modest, and elegant with a long hem…!”

“Um… If it pleases you, then I’m glad!”

“Yes, I’m greatly pleased!”

With a fervor that seemed on the verge of tears of joy, he… Master Nephilim, continued to adjust his position and angles around me, clicking away with the shutter of his magical contraption, a camera he claimed to have crafted himself.

While smiling wryly at him, I brewed tea with the teapot I brought from the kitchen. During various instructions given during my stay at Rolandia Castle, I had been thoroughly trained in the art of tea making, so I had a little confidence in these matters.

It seemed that such gestures were greatly appreciated, as when I served tea to Kirsche-san, who was dressed in a ladylike Lolita costume, there were moments when he took several shots of us together without much change in pose.

Seeing him so delighted, I couldn’t help but recall the movements of the servants working in the castle, and I ended up providing services to enhance the photos.

…This is kind of fun.

Receiving such joy with just my actions made me feel like I had become a model, and it was starting to become a bit addictive.

Thus, we played at having a tea party, I tied Kirsche-san’s hair while she was dressed as a lady, and we mimicked various master-servant roles… eventually, we got a bit carried away, embracing each other for a slightly sensual pose… and the photoshoot came to an end.

After the shoot, Master Nephilim looked up at the sky, covering his large single eye with his hand…

“…Oooooooooooohhhhhhhh…”

…and let out a weird groan. It seems he was overwhelmed with emotion, but now, his request should probably be fulfilled.

“Phew… That was embarrassing…”

“But you seemed to enjoy yourself towards the end, didn’t you?”

“W-Well… maybe… a little…”

Kirsche-san smiled mischievously at me, seemingly quite pleased with herself.

Looking back now, what were we even doing…?!

The mischief we got caught up in during the shoot finally came back to haunt me when things calmed down.

Learning from this bitter lesson, our cooperation with Master Nephilim’s hobbies came to an end… for that day.

Master Nephilim poured tea into a special cup made for him… I could barely hold it with both hands, but when he held it, it looked the size of a cream container for coffee… and the atmosphere turned serious once again as we began discussing matters.

“…You want my permission to make that armor? Very well, go ahead.”

“You would, Master?!”

The first to speak up was Ouka-san.

Her request to make Nii-sama’s armor was easily granted.

 “Yes. Until now, you only had the skills but lacked the drive. I didn’t want to entrust my secrets to someone as frivolous as you…”

With that said, he swirled the contents of the cup before looking straight at Ouka-san… and his stern expression softened slightly.

“It seems like you’ve finally got your head on straight, so I’ll give you a passing grade. I’ll lend you the materials, by all means, give it a try.”

“T-Thank you very much!”

Standing up abruptly, Ouka-san bowed her head.

With one problem resolved smoothly, the atmosphere around us relaxed.

“…There’s something I’ve been wanting to ask for a long time.”

“Hmm?”

Next, it was Nii-sama’s turn to raise his hand.

“I’m aware that what I’m about to say sounds absurd. But… do you undoubtedly remember forging the sword Ars Ray for Reiji?”

“Of course. The design of that sword is my original. No one else could forge it…”

“When did it happen, then?”

“…Huh?”

“We disappeared from this world seven years ago. And from what we’ve heard from others, before that, we had no connection to situations that would require weapons.”

…This was something that had bothered us several times before.

Our entire existence here is questionable. Originally, we shouldn’t even be in this world.

However, to the people of this world, a select few people like myself, Nii-sama and the currently absent Scar-san, were treated as if we’d always been a part of it.

Especially him, Master Nephilim… Although we had some interaction with him as an NPC in the game— as Nii-sama just mentioned, chronologically, we should have no connection with him in this world.

“So… when did we meet, then?”

“Hmm… Have I met you before… That’s… huh?”

Master Nephilim pondered over Nii-sama’s question… then quickly furrowed his brows while numerous question marks appeared over his head.

“Now that you mentioned it… it’s true that we shouldn’t even have met…?”

“…But you seemed to know about us from before.”

“Yes. I have memories of meeting you, being commissioned, and forging the sword. It’s strange, but… indeed, we never actually met. However, it’s a fact that we did meet. What does this mean?”

Even among the people we encountered, there were those who remembered our past. But Master Nephilim’s reaction was the first of its kind.

“…Sorry, I truly have no idea. But, some things start to make sense. Like why I was able to create something that shouldn’t have been possible…”

Saying so, he tapped the hilt of the “Ars Ray”, which was placed on the table, with his fingertip.

“This Ars Ray is powered by a Dragon Core, the highest quality material that can only be extracted from a True Dragon… If you hunt for something like that somewhere, the world would be in an uproar.”

The act of slaying a dragon is all but something out of a fairy tale in this world.

In fact, when Walter-san, the Mercenary King, brought to him a single Dragon Core, it caused quite a stir… Master Nephilim reminisced with a distant gaze.

“And yet, something like this exists right here, forged by my own hands, despite there being no stories of a True Dragon being hunted anywhere… This is purely a speculation on my part, but do you mind hearing me out?”

Everyone nodded at Master Nephilim’s words. Seeing this, he continued to speak.

“This world’s very history must have been rewritten somewhere.”

“No… surely not…”

Nii-sama was in total disbelief.

And I’m sure Ouka-san and Kirsche-san, who were probably wearing bewildered expressions like me, did the same.

“I know this sounds ridiculous to you, but bear with me. Although it seems to have been lost among humans, there’s a story that’s been passed down among long-lived species like us.”

Well, listen to this story as if it were just a story… With this preface, Master Nephilim began to speak.

“Before this world took its current form, it was a much broader world. This world was just one continent among many at the time.”

“A continent…?”

“Yes, and at that time, the country that ruled over the entire continent flourished with advanced magic and the use of a certain metal. It was said that civilization thrived by using it— it was hard yet flexible, capable of various processes, and depending on how it was processed, it could store light or manipulate gravity… There was even a characteristic where it could become a fantastic magical furnace or a magic tank. For us blacksmiths, it was a dream-like metal.”

So spoke Master Nephilim.

Certainly, it’s an unbelievable metal, but hearing this story, I couldn’t help but think…

…It’s quite similar. To a certain metal that exists only in the legends of the world we came from.

“Is it a real thing?”

“It exists. I have a little bit of it in my possession.”

With a proud expression, Master Nephilim puffed out his chest, but soon returned to a serious expression and began speaking again.

“…But that country greedily developed civilization and eventually opened the door to the world’s forbidden truth. It’s a place where the memories of all organisms gather, where the world’s information is recorded, and the fate that leads to the past and future is compiled, leading to omniscience…”

“…The collective unconscious, Akashic Records?”

“It’s known as Akasha among us giants. That civilization finally came into contact with it and became able to control it.”

“Something like that… exists?”

Nii-sama remained skeptical.

If that were possible, one would perhaps gain the ability to distort the world as one pleases. It’s unimaginable how much compensation would be needed to correct that distortion.

But then again…

“The magic we use even now is similar. In terms of rewriting the world and manipulating it to your liking.”

“That’s… one way to put it, yes. But the scale seems completely different…”

Certainly, if we look at things in another way, we were casually doing similar things all the time. If such technology were perfected, perhaps it wouldn’t be impossible.

“You can get anything you want. Death no longer becomes something to fear, and there’s no need to work tirelessly anymore. And so, those who laid hands on omniscience and omnipotence quickly reached their zenith…”

“But, such things, in human hands…”

“Well, of course. Such things are beyond the control of humans, let alone those living in the material world. The civilization that happily touched taboos enjoyed prosperity for a while, then suddenly perished overnight. At the same time, this world was cut off from the original world, and the survivors were left to live burdened with sin… and that’s the end of it.”

…In our world, as seen in stories like the Tower of Babel, it’s not uncommon for highly developed civilizations to suddenly disappear.

However, this… this story, although it has a different perspective from what I know, I’d heard of it before.

“That’s about all I know. We tend to lean toward knowledge in our own areas of interest, and I’m just a simple swordsmith.”

“No, it was a very interesting story. Thank you.”

“Besides… if you ask that old man who seems to have been around since forever, perhaps he’d know more about it.”

I think Blanche-sama said something similar when I consulted her about our future direction…

“Is he the Elder Dragon living in the north…?”

“Oh, yes, that’s the one. Well, if you’re interested, why not pay him a visit?”

Master Nephilim nodded as if he understood my intention.

…Yes, once this Great Martial Arts Festival’s over, our next destination should be the royal capital, and then to the Elder Dragon.

With that in mind, I began to plan our future course in my head.

Fortunately, we were currently traveling with His Majesty and the others. If all goes well, we should be able to hitch a ride back to the royal capital.

As I was making these calculations, Ouka-san spoke up next.

“Hey, Master. That metal used in that civilization, is it the super hard one that looks like copper we saw before?”

“…That’s right. But I won’t let you use that. It’s not something to be used lightly.”

“I know! I was just curious about it, that’s all.”

I also had something I wanted to say in response to those words.

Glancing to my side, I saw that Nii-sama was also furrowing his brows, and Kirsche-san, who seemed unfamiliar with such discussions, wore a puzzled expression.

A continent cut off from the world overnight.

A powerful metal used in the civilization that flourished there.

This bears a striking resemblance to the legend of a certain continent in our world…

Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy

Iris

Leaving Ouka-san and the others in the workshop, Master Nephilim led us to another room for negotiations.

Sitting directly on the floor in a cross-legged position, the Cyclops blacksmith was the first to speak.

“So, the fact that you’ve come all the way to visit an unusual blacksmith like myself must mean you need weapons, right?”

“Yes. We’ve come to have my sword and Iris’ staff forged.”

Nii-sama replied in response to Master Nephilim’s inquiry.

Having lost our weapons except for Reiji-san, who still possessed the “Arventia”, during the battle with Death Serpent, our primary purpose in visiting him this time… was to replace those lost weapons by forging something superior.

Master Nephilim’s expression turned slightly grim when he spoke again.

“I see… If it’s a sword, I can pick a few out for you, but as for the staff… magical devices are outside my expertise, so it might be makeshift.”

“Yes, if you could, please.”

“And don’t say ‘makeshift’ like that. Master Nephilim, your skill in crafting magical devices is splendid. We trust in your abilities, so please.”

As I bowed and spoke, he scratched his cheek in embarrassment, but it seemed he wasn’t entirely displeased.

And what I said wasn’t a lie. Despite not being his specialty, his skills in crafting magical devices were honed for weapon-making.

Regarding magical devices taking the form of weapons, there was no one else comparable. We knew this well, especially considering his creation of the “Ars Rey”, currently in Reiji-san’s possession, albeit sealed.

…Yes, that cursed sword was also one of our main objectives.

“There’s one more thing… no, two.”

Said Nii-sama as he brought out from his bag a pitch-black sword and a white greatsword, both sheathed… Those were the “Ars Ray” and “Arventia” we borrowed from Reiji-san.

“I… recognize this black one. This is one of my creations.”

“Yes… Circumstances have changed, and we no longer possess the same power as when this sword was forged. Therefore, we ask for your pardon in altering your masterpiece. We wish for you to install a limiter to reduce the burden when using it.”

Nii-sama knelt on the ground and bowed his head, and I followed suit.

To ask a master craftsman of the highest order to detune their best work was incredibly disrespectful.

We endured the silence that followed, prepared for the worst, with bated breath, for two, three seconds…

… And then, finally, Master Nephilim’s expression, showing signs of resignation, broke into a wry smile.

“Well… I suppose I may have gone a bit overboard with this series. But… is it really necessary to go through all this trouble to use it?”

While the performance of the “Arventia” with unknown capabilities in its complete state might be excused… as for the “Ars Ray”, a weapon that could even slay dragons, its power is completely overkill for daily use, and the user has to pray a high price to even use it.

And yet…

“Yes… We’re certain that it will be necessary sooner or later.”

In response to Master Nephilim’s skeptical words, I firmly replied.

It was both a premonition and my own conviction.

“I see… It seems that you have your own circumstances. And, what about the white sword here?”

“This one, we simply wish to have it repaired. It was damaged when we obtained it.”

Nii-sama’s gaze shifted toward me as he said that.

With a nod, I withdrew the white sword from its sheath and placed it on the table.

“This… This sword is…?!”

The moment “Arventia” was drawn from its sheath, Master Nephilim lunged towards it, examining its blade with his large single eye.

“…It must be the ‘Save the Queen’ spoken of in legends! If you can draw this sword, Miss Iris, then you’re…!”

I simply nodded in response to his stunned muttering.

It was inappropriate to hide things from him when making a request, so I concentrated on my back, removing the parka I was wearing to reveal the wings.

I had become quite accustomed to it, and at my wish, light emanated from my back, forming wings and illuminating the dim cave interior dazzlingly.

… Lately, I felt like the light from these wings has become slightly whiter.

“Oh… This is, without a doubt, the light of the legendary Lightwing race… To think that I would see this in my lifetime.”

Gazing excitedly at my figure… he soon softened his expression with a hint of pity and spoke.

“I now somewhat understand your situation… but I hope you understand that you can’t hide your true nature forever.”

“…Yes.”

In fact, although no solid evidence has been circulated yet, rumors about the Lightwing race had been gradually becoming more and more common among the rumors in town recently.

Even if a gag order was placed on the soldiers who actually witnessed my true identity, it would be difficult to completely shut out the information. The fact that we’d solved multiple crises still remained, so even if nobody knew what actually went down, speculations of this kind would naturally abound.

“In that case, I’ll keep it a secret. But… be prepared to choose whether to conceal your true nature or follow your beliefs when you get exposed.”

That, I understood perfectly.

The reason we’d been able to keep it hidden so far is due to luck and fortune. But that may not always be the case in the future.

“…There’s still another thing I don’t understand. Why would you go through the trouble of repairing this sword and adding a limiter to Ars Ray for proper use…? Who do you intend to fight against?”

“We…”

…I explained our past battles to him.

The “Wound of the World” that opened.

The monsters behaving completely differently from their natural ecology.

And above all, the incident with Death Serpent.

As I progressed with the story, a serious expression deepened on his face.

“That’s… a lot of hardships you have to overcome. If you need my help, then I’ll gladly lend it to you.”

“…Are you sure?”

“Yes. I sense that this world is about to enter a turbulent period. Even though we craftsmen are a stubborn lot, we aren’t indifferent to the fate of the world. And…”

Pausing his words for a moment, he looked at us with kindness and concern before continuing.

“If a Lightwing person asks for my help in protecting this world, there’s no way I could refuse. I’m willing to offer as much help as I can.”

“S-So, about this matter…”

“Consider it done. I, Nephilim, shall give my all to fulfill your request. There are a few materials lacking, so I’ll need to procure them…”

With a gentle smile that belied his massive physique and stern face, Master Nephilim nodded emphatically. Hearing his response, we, who had come here with a specific purpose, breathed a sigh of relief.

“…And, well, if it’s not too much trouble…”

…Here it comes.

Though I had mentally prepared for it since we arrived, sensing the shift in tone, my shoulders tensed involuntarily.

“I didn’t mean to ask much of you… but would you mind fulfilling a small request of mine…?”

His demeanor as he spoke… was a far cry from the dignity he had displayed before. He looked rather soft and relaxed, almost affectionate.

“*sighs*… That person’s still the same as ever.”

Letting out a deep sigh, the strap of my one-piece dress slipped off, making a dry sound as it hit the floor.

As I stood there in my underwear, the cool air of the cave brushed against my exposed skin, causing me to shiver involuntarily.

I was in the position to ask him a favor, and given that he was very willing to accept our conditions, granting his wish wouldn’t be difficult in comparison. It’s not that I’m reluctant, but…

…We were currently in… an astonishing sight, to say the least—a fancy dress room overflowing with countless garments, especially dresses for young girls and teens. Despite the disbelief, this room is indeed a part of Master Nephilim’s workshop.

When I first accepted his request in the game, it was a shock to see such a hobby from someone with the stern title of “Swordsmith Giant”. Now, whether I should feel relieved that he hasn’t changed, or if I should be disappointed all over again… I’m not entirely sure.

“Um, Princess… Even if it’s summer, it’s quite cool in here. You should change quickly, or you’ll catch a cold, you know?”

“I know, but…”

“It’s alright. He won’t do anything inappropriate.”

Reluctantly, I sat on the provided chair and began putting on the cute, frilled garter belt and stockings that were paired with the dress I chose.

…That Master Nephilim has a strong liking for cute things, or if I may be blunt, he’s a raging lolicon.

However, for him, a cute girl is something to admire from a distance. His “Yes Lolita No Touch” belief is that of a true gentleman.

If what Kirsche-san said was true, it seemed to be the same in this world.

But still, even though I was fine with it during events in the game, now that it’s real life, I can’t help but feel embarrassed.

Yet, regardless of his profession, his passion and dedication to creating a vast array of girl’s clothing, solely out of personal preference, despite its lack of relation to his job, is truly remarkable.

…Milly-san must never come here, at all costs.

With a firm conviction and the certainty that it won’t lead to anything good, I swore it in my heart.

“…Princess, do you happen to know Onee-chan’s master from the Worldgate Online days?”

“Yes, well, he was an important figure in the quest to make the weapon for Reiji-san… I mean, my other companion who’s not here today.”

“Is this Reiji person the other ‘Knight’ protecting the ‘Northern Princess’? I’d heard about him too.”

“…I’d rather you not refer to us with those nicknames again, it’s embarrassing…”

By association with me, Reiji-san was given the nickname “Carnelian Knight”, and that name was a source of embarrassment for both him and me.

Seeing me flustered all over, Kirsche-san happily giggled.

“…Kirsche-san, I didn’t expect you to enjoy this.”

“Is that so? Hmm… maybe.”

She smiled wryly as she put on the frilly petticoat and skirt without much resistance.

…Maybe I should have just looked the other way when she decided to tag along. After all, the request was directed at me alone, so her being here was voluntary.

“If my dreams come true, I might wear clothes like this in the future, so it’s like practice and doesn’t bother me much.”

“…I heard you wanted to become a singer.”

She gives off a calm and reserved impression, so honestly, it’s a surprising dream.

But according to Ouka-san, it seems to be a serious goal rather than just a vague wish.

“Yes… I was sent to a training school, and recently… over the past few months, my singing had improved so much that the trainer was surprised. It was almost coming together, you know?”

Kirsche-san said with a shy smile.

But soon, her expression darkened.

“And then… this happened. Onee-chan seems to always feel guilty about it… but she hasn’t done anything wrong. It’s not her fault that we were sent to this world.”

Ouka-san seemed unable to wield her weapon, perhaps for this very reason.

An awkward silence then filled the room.

But still… I absentmindedly touched my chest and glanced at Kirsche-san, who was changing in front of me.

Why do all the women I meet have such great figures?!

I could barely feel the soft sensation of a modest bulge I can easily cover with one hand.

I stared at a certain part of Kirsche-san’s body, now exposed without reservation—something much more abundant that her petite figure would suggest, beautifully adorned in cute sky-blue underwear, with a surge of negative emotions rising from the depths of my heart.

Lenny-san occasionally checked the sizes and told me that they’re gradually growing… but comparing it to my mother’s figure in my memory, it seems suspicious.

This body was originally an avatar that Ayame created, whose model was based on the most beautiful woman in her memory… that being our mother.

In fact, looking at myself in the mirror, I can see the remnants of my mother’s appearance, and she was a very slender and charming woman, far from looking like the mother of two children.

Considering that this body has inherited those genes, I can’t expect much.

I tried finding hopes in my other mother, whom I’d vaguely seen in my dreams… Nope, there’s no hope there either.

Come to think of it, the books I’d accidentally looked at in the drawer under the bed in Reiji-san’s room… were mostly about “large” women, and my mood sank even lower.

…Is bigger better after all?

“…Um, Princess, why do you get so depressed when looking at me?”

“I-It’s nothing! Please don’t mind it!”

“You shouldn’t stay in your underwear for too long, you know? Please get changed quickly.”

“Yes, you’re right… Ahaha…”

I laughed to hide my true feelings from Kirsche-san, who was looking at me with dread for some reason, and picked up the clothes I’d selected from the costumes lined up in advance.

I was told to pick any costume, so without hesitation I chose the least revealing one possible… an old-fashioned long-skirt maid outfit consisting of a black dress and a clean white apron.

While it’s still embarrassing because it feels like cosplay, at least it’s bearable because of the minimal exposure.

The lined up costumes had literally everything ranging from the tame one like what I’m wearing now, to borderline criminal stuff… I’m going to pretend that the other category didn’t exist.

I’d sooner die than wearing one of those in real life in this body.

By the way, Kirsche-san chose a delicate Lolita fashion adorned with intricate frills, like that of a noble lady.

“Because, you know, even if it’s just roleplaying… isn’t the opportunity to have a real princess take care of me quite precious?”

“…Um, I still identify as a commoner, so it may not be as precious as you think…”

I responded with a wry smile to her cheerful remark.

…At first, I thought she was just a delicate and fragile girl, but she’s actually quite a good-natured person, I couldn’t help but think.