“Guhhhh! This fire is insane! It’s blazing like crazy! Seven times hotter than normal fire! If I get burned by this, I’ll die in seven times the pain!”

A wall of white flames stood tall before me! Even if I touch it, it doesn’t actually burn, but it gives off heat that’s like some kind of nonsense fire. To be frank, as long as I can endure the heat, there’s no way I can’t break through this feigned intimidation.

So, in order to prevent the crowd from realizing the reality of the situation, I desperately pretended to writhe in agony, as if I had caught fire, while I went around warning everyone about the danger of the flames in the surrounding water channels!

Well, even though the folks around here are a bit off their rockers, it seems like they instinctively recognize that fire is a dangerous thing, so my desperate pantomime might not be entirely useless. But if I don’t do something, the atmosphere will just stagnate!

“Lady Priscilla says to sing and dance to charm everyone, but…”

To be honest, if I start singing with the mindset of ‘I’ll charm them with my voice, Uliiiiii!’ that would be completely twisted, going against the very philosophy of song.

If I sing earnestly and end up touching the hearts of my listeners, that’s just the natural order of things. And if they resonate with that and I happen to get a little tip in return, then we’d be in a warm, happy world together!

But if I start out with the assumption that I should get a tip first, well, then, surely my ulterior motives are going to seep into my song. And I absolutely don’t want a song influenced by ulterior motives.

So this plan has been flawed from the very beginning!

“Thinking back on my short life, I’ve experienced days full of ups and downs. Father, Mother, when I was thrown out at thirteen under the pretense that it was for my own independence, I harbored resentment, but now all I have is gratitude for giving me life. I was a very unfilial daughter, but my gratitude and anger towards you both have never once skipped my daily routine… Gah! Ahhhh! Hot hot hot, it feels like summer!”

While I was busy reminiscing about my gratitude to my parents, I felt a presence approaching from beyond the wall of flames and resumed my fiery dance, wishing these people would start reading the atmosphere!

But soon enough, this gripping performance would be unveiled. Once it was exposed, Lady Priscilla would become a total wild woman, with no chance of holding back her short fuse.

It’s hopeless! We’re done for!

“Oh dear, do you have the luxury to watch? That child you’ve pinned your hopes on has a face full of despair, you know? You can almost feel the sorrow and futility press down on her heart. Don’t you think it’s just heartbreaking?”

“Not in the slightest.”

As I clutched my head and began counting down to the end, in the center of the square surrounded by the raging waterways, the clash and dialogue between Lady Priscilla and the strange being Sirius continued.

Although the dialogue was mostly Sirius’s calm and collected speech, Lady Priscilla would cut him off without so much as listening. On the other hand, while Sirius’s way of speaking might be mild, the way he swung those chains around was far from gentle.

He sliced through the air, cutting the atmosphere, and the trajectory of the whirling iron chains was like a transforming snake! They twisted, bounced, and assaulted Lady Priscilla from all sides!

The sound of the chains stretching and contracting was loud enough to dully ring in my ears, and I couldn’t see any openings, making it seem as if Lady Priscilla had been imprisoned in an iron cage.

The cobblestones where the chain struck exploded into a sorry mess, gouged out and chipped, showcasing its power. If that hit someone, it would be a sight to behold, akin to how a snake’s fangs and tongue could cause unimaginable suffering! For someone like Lady Priscilla, with her white and beautiful skin, it would highlight that cruelty all the more!

And yet, Lady Priscilla—

“Such noisy, vulgar chaos, senseless and reckless! A weapon that has no sense of taste, fraying with every boastful word… it’s impressive how you could concoct such an annoyingly disrespectful welcome. Your irreverence is strangely commendable.”

“Lady Priscilla, you’re amazing!!”

Dodging the wildly flailing chains, Lady Priscilla remained with a bored look while swinging her sunblade to counterattack. It’s impressive how she can deflect from multiple directions without even looking behind her!

Plus, whether it is the special power of the sunblade or something else, it burns white every time the chain makes contact with it. The heat is intense, burning the chains right off, causing them to shorten! If it continues like this, those chains will run out soon enough!

“Hey, hey, hey! Lady Priscilla, just keep going!”

“Look at that, such a candid, unpretending response! It’s rare for someone to bare it all to that extent, while others would only make trivial excuses. Though, I believe there should only be one person like that in this world.”

“Wait! You just complimented me, didn’t you!? It was a compliment, right? That’s what we’re going with? I’m so happy! Yes! I did it! Hooray!”

It’s too late to say I wasn’t complimented now; I’m already ecstatic!

As I cheered, Lady Priscilla also became even more invigorated. She pressed forward and started slicing through more chains. Even the Archbishop of Wrath, Sirius, felt the pressure from her imposing presence, turning into a mere ingredient that was waiting to be cut up! A potato on the chopping block!

“B-but, Lady Priscilla, don’t go overboard! If you do that, we’ll all be chopped too!?”

“Right, that’s true. I got a little too carried away.”

Oh no! If I hadn’t stopped her just now, she would’ve been ready to go all out!

Pushed back, Sirius leaped back, taking advantage of the moment Lady Priscilla paused. But honestly, while Lady Priscilla stands out, what about that guy’s moves? Who knew humans could move like that?

“It’s rare to see someone so stubborn, refusing to open their heart despite all these words. What could be causing you to tightly shut your heart away like that?”

Once they put some distance between themselves, Sirius glanced down at his own arms. The chains had gotten noticeably shorter, but with a light twist of his arms, they made a noise and returned to their full length. It seems he still has plenty wrapped around those appendages, I wonder if they don’t restrict his blood flow.

“Everyone has gaps in their hearts to varying degrees. As long as one is alive, emotion exists, and whatever shade that emotion takes is something everyone shares… even the strong feelings you tightly hold onto can surely be understood if you let them show?”

“—”

“You have feelings of sorrow and emotions that cause confusion. Not showing weakness is one condition for being strong… but that’s a state you can only achieve alone. A person’s abilities have their limits. Only when you connect with others can you truly see new peaks emerge. For that, understanding and empathy are needed.”

While Lady Priscilla fell silent, Sirius continued to address her while swaying his body. His voice penetrated deeply, his demeanor was friendly and kind. His gestures gently melted away her suspicions. His words seemed to draw her in, engulfing her with a slow, sweet poison.

“Would you allow me to help you connect with others? The real you is deeply loving, and you care for the world. You desire to be loved. I can see that. I want others to understand that too, so you won’t have to spend lonely nights all by yourself.”

“You have the gall to spout such nonsense without shame. If there’s not a hint of doubt in your statements, then you truly are the madman.”

“Well, thank you. That would be a name more suited to my husband. Those who fail to understand even the slightest bit of his magnificence can only spew ill-willed nonsense out of jealousy and envy.”

“Our stories have nothing in common. What belongs to me is mine. Your tales of folly are nothing but delusions. You will not even get to skim the surface of my reality.”

Lady Priscilla firmly rebuffs Sirius’s sweet-sounding assertions with her strong sense of self. But Sirius’s self-assuredness doesn’t waver. As if he’d anticipated her retorts, he tilted his head and said,

“To say you won’t even let someone skim the surface indicates quite the obstinacy, indeed. Then how about this? ‘Iris and the Thorned King.’”

“—”

“Or perhaps ‘The Rose Knight of Tireos’? ‘The Guillotine of Magritza’?”

The words Sirius uttered were lost on me. I had no idea what he intended by bringing those up.

However, the effect was immediate.

“—You should die.”

The instant those words were whispered, Lady Priscilla’s figure vanished from my sight.

Just as I realized it, the distance between Lady Priscilla and Sirius was reduced to zero. She swung her sunblade, aiming without mercy for Sirius’s neck. It was as if the world slowed down, and I could even make out the trajectory of her sword.

Simply following that trajectory would mean slicing through Sirius’s fragile neck.

Once that happened, my life, as well as the lives of everyone around me, would be gone too.

Is that why everything appeared so slow? When the danger of death approaches, humans get hyper-focused, making everything around them seem to slow down.

But if that’s the case, what could anyone do in a situation where my own life’s balance swayed toward others?

That radiant red glow from her sunblade pierced through the air—

“—Eh?”

My understanding couldn’t catch up with the scene unfolding before me as an idiotic sound escaped my lips.

I still had my head attached firmly to my small frame. Naturally. I wasn’t beheaded. Neither was Sirius.

Instead, Lady Priscilla’s body, which should have dove into Sirius, was forcefully knocked back.

She was struck head-on by Sirius’s iron chains, landing in an awkward posture as she swayed backward.

“Lady Priscilla!?”

A scream sprang from my lips, utterly convinced she couldn’t have possibly jumped on her own.

If Lady Priscilla fell, we would lose any advantage we had—but I had no time to think about that, pure concern echoed through my shout. However, she turned in mid-air, landed gracefully, and drove the sunblade into the cobblestones to halt her momentum.

“Don’t make a fuss; I haven’t taken a hit.”

She answered me like that, landing with a loud crunch in her high heels. But immediately after, a change happened to her necklace. Embedded in that necklace were three green jewels, and with it came the unexpected shattering of one.

As if the attack Lady Priscilla had just endured had been taken in her stead.

“…The price of my necklace is going to be steep.”

“I see. You’re having something valuable to you shoulder your burdens. That’s an incredibly ‘Prideful’ way of being… No, that can’t be right.”

“Such sordid speculation and deeply ingrained misinterpretation. When you’ve built this much offense, you’ll be damned to die a thousand deaths. Your demise shall be a scorching, endless heat!”

Despite holding onto her calm composure, Lady Priscilla seethed with rage. The light of the sunblade in her grip began to intensify, or perhaps the heat increased? From where I was positioned, she looked like a shimmering mirage in the hot sun.

Seeing that, it seemed impossible to believe Lady Priscilla could lose, but then again, there was that puzzling phenomenon from before.

Sirius, who had provoked Lady Priscilla with incomprehensible words, drawing her out perfectly and obliging her to attack — but that clearly was not the reason she was struck down!

No, while I might be just a layman, I felt like she moved at speeds that were just a fraction away from vanishing. Perhaps Sirius didn’t perceive it that way?

In that case, it seemed something unclear was at play with Lady Priscilla’s movement.

“Quit being so angry. You always seem angry about something, but that’s tiring, isn’t it? It leaves your heart parched, right? ‘Wrath’ is a grave emotion. The human heart is built around emotions… that means your heart should be filled with joy and bliss.”

“H-huh? But the people outside don’t seem very happy at all!”

“Hmm?”

Uh-oh! Did I just say that out loud?

Sirius turned his steely gaze toward me, his bulging eyes piercing through me. Oh man, I just stepped into a trap!

“Indeed, the hearts of the outside crowd are now dominated by anxiety and lamentation. It’s a sad state, but it reflects the consequences of the human heart filled with affection for one another.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“When people come under the influence of my power, they open their hearts and connect with one another. They reveal emotions they’ve bottled up and can’t express in words. People can empathize, sharing their feelings like precious bonds. When one sees sorrow in another, it creates sorrow within their own heart, which in turn generates new sorrow in those who witness it. As that cycle continues, the drops of sorrow coalesce into a pond, grow into a lake, and become a mighty river.”

What a grotesque idea!

In short, when many people gather, their emotions get amplified to the extreme in this man’s presence, isn’t that right? The people in the city, all at once, were getting enraged or breaking down in tears due to this… but it isn’t just about shaking their hearts.

“That doesn’t simply make for understanding one another, does it? That isn’t what empathy means.”

“That’s nonsense! You don’t need to be happy. Quickly reveal your foolishness and die all alone.”

“No way! Let’s not succumb to loneliness and comfort ourselves with our inability to understand one another. If you have no idea what happiness looks like, why not take a look at mine? Or maybe if you get to know the joy of being united with a loved one, you just might grasp the happiness of being a bride!”

“Sadly, I have walked that wedding aisle seven times. Each of those times was far from happiness. Don’t project your trivial standards onto me, or it’ll make me feel sick.”

“Seven times… wow…”

Lady Priscilla brushed aside Sirius’s words, smashing down her sunblade against his head. But Sirius met that strike with a fierce counter of iron chains. An explosion of sparks flew as the severed chains went flying, and the shake of the impact sent the two of them flailing through the square.

The chains had been burned away. The white flames didn’t destroy anything, but rather— the voices of the lamenting people echoed in their silence.

It slowly started to come together within me. It’s possible, isn’t it?

Surely, if my imagination holds true, if everything aligns, there’s no way this can’t happen.

“If I’ve taken this long to reunite with my one true love… then you, having the chance to court seven times yet blowing every single chance,”

“Do not blame your prettiness for my lack of charm. If you ask me, surely a pitiful man bearing your feelings won’t even gaze in your direction—”

“My beloved and I are deeply connected, we care for one another!”

I flinched, jumping with surprise at the vigorous shout that came from my lips.

In the next instant, a fiery snake surged through the square! The moment Lady Priscilla met Sirius’s iron chains with her sword, flames burst forth from them, engulfing her completely with an enormous inferno.

The fiery snake opened its maw and bit into Lady Priscilla from head to toe. She had no way to counter that overwhelming heat, and she was thrown out into the open square of flames. As she almost fell, she instinctively used her sword for support. With her pride intact, even then she could bear the flames, but currently being in the heart of fire would spell trouble for Lady Priscilla.

Yet the sound of her precious necklace shattering echoed once more. At the same time, two of its jewels shattered along with the sound and fell to the ground.

“I and my beloved are deeply bonded! The honest and kind nature of that man is something he can’t just abandon! Too many sex workers have misunderstood that pure sincerity! Ah! Arggh! This is frustrating!”

Once again sacrificing her necklace to survive, Lady Priscilla faced Sirius, and his attitude drastically changed. The monster bared its fangs, unleashing vicious insults. Both of his arms swirled with blazing flames.

“Why must you all so recklessly shake my heart!? Intense emotions shake that heart to its core! ‘Wrath’ indeed! The tremors bring forth the flames, scorching the sinner to ashes! Do you want that? This self-absorbed creature?!”

“What kind of mouth aims to say that…?”

As he scorned her notion of ‘Wrath’ while he himself stoked his own flames, Sirius raised his arms high. Above him, a whirlwind of fire materialized. It started as two snake-like flames, twisting and darting from each arm but coordinated into one large beast.

As his arm swung downward, the massive flame snake charged straight for Lady Priscilla, who stood resolutely ready to receive it instead of dodge.

She thrust her sunblade up from below, striking the disproportionately larger head of the snake with a solid impact. The clash of sword against chain emitted a sound that felt more astronomical than anticipated, diverting the fiery beast’s aim!

However, Lady Priscilla couldn’t bear the violence, and it sent her flying—

With Sirius infuriated, the flame snake started to dart all over the place, instantly shifting the balance of offense and defense. Lady Priscilla was forced to go on the defensive, her figure being chased by the flames and chains.

Why? How come? Of course, it’s crystal clear that Sirius’s strength is terrifying to observe, but given her earlier advantage, it seems unlikely Lady Priscilla has become weaker. That was just the day’s talk about the sunblade’s energy consumption, but has its time come due?

Or could it be, perhaps…

Lady Priscilla isn’t lacking in offense—but rather—

“It’s me!”

With a bold proclamation, I, along with everyone around us, turned into total mayhem.

Was she stalling for time, hoping to avoid that conclusion!? No way, that arrogant, self-centered Lady Priscilla couldn’t possibly think that way!

“Prepare to sing. When the sunblade’s rays grow dim, I shall without fail take that vulgar head! Before that happens, do your part,”

In that moment, something terrifying struck my mind!

Just before this battle truly began, Lady Priscilla said those words to me.

She told me to prepare my song before the limits of her sunblade were reached. When that time arrives, she would show no mercy and strike Sirius down, while ensuring we all would feel the same wrath too!

But that implies she would wait until I could prepare my song.

At the very least, until I could be responsible for what I just expressed.

“Guh! Nnngh! Nnnnnnnnnngh!”

Ugh! Seriously! How annoying this is! If you love someone, just say you love them! That person must definitely have feelings for me. No, I’ve been told she likes me! Ah, this is so frustrating, so scary! But can I help it!?

“Lady Priscilla—!”

Just as I thought this, if she were dreading that pretty little war going on inside her, she’d immediately understand what I thought. I was still pointing to the stone pillar blazing from Sirius’s flames.

Lady Priscilla, who shifted her gaze to the spot I was indicating, watched—

“—Oh?”

With that terrifying face and those monstrous eyes, yet somehow a look of remarkable dependability, she grinned wickedly.

It was so wicked, you couldn’t tell if that was the Archbishop or the monster!

“Don’t take your eyes off me!”

“Your opponent is me! Don’t meddle in my affairs!”

The iron chain came crashing down, and Lady Priscilla leapt backward, parrying it with her sword. Her body accelerated, reaching a speed that didn’t seem possible for a single leap, landing right beside the flaming Control Tower. She gazed up at the burning structure, thrusting her sunblade into the base of the tower.

“This ugly blaze doesn’t come close to true beauty! A genuine beautiful flame shines like this!”

The flames leaping around were obvious to even a layman’s eyes. They weren’t anything like those.

While I don’t know anything about flames, even I could tell that those flames wrapping around the Control Tower were different than before.

The rising and wavering white fire was scalding the water channels just like Sirius’s flames were— But the flames from the sunblade exuded a certain divine holiness, making you hesitate to even reach for them.

Ah! I’ve touched those flames, I certainly did! No way I can deny that!

“The stage is set! Now put on a good show!”

“Right! I got it!”

That flame enveloping the Control Tower was completely smothered by another fire courtesy of Lady Priscilla’s command. I returned her words with bravado, and I ran toward the Control Tower with every ounce of my speed!

Sirius, watching that unfold, was obviously on the verge of exploding, with both hands raised toward us!

“Why must you disturb the flame of love I lit for that man?!”

“Don’t make a statement like you’re some sort of lord from the previous age who doesn’t get it!”

I let my words fly out, whooping with delight!

And right as I was running, I sensed the fiery, burning chains descending toward my back! A blazing wave! A wave of heat!

The moment it struck, my head would surely be blown away before anything ever burns away, but I was charging forward, oblivious to the danger! Because, you see,

“This is my moment! I must pull out all the stops!”

“Shiiiiiiiiit!”

Just as I was running, Lady Priscilla landed right where those chains would fall! Her sunblade grazed the air, slashing the fiery tongues descending upon me!

In the background, the chaos between Lady Priscilla and Sirius ignited, but I finally arrived at my targeted blazing stone tower.

“Haah, haah…!”

That distance didn’t seem far, yet I was panting and feeling heavy! To be completely honest, I just wanted to drink some cold water and flop down on a bed. As a wanderer, it’s shameful, but after living so comfortably, I refuse to lay my body on anything other than a soft bed!

“Ugh, argh… all of this is Kiritaka-san and everyone’s fault!”

They hindered my progresses in this city and treated me with such overwhelming hospitality. The members of ‘White Dragon’s Scales’ and the townspeople have showered me with admiration, and Kiritaka-san, well, even he was so hard at work trying to win me over that it was overwhelming! And that was why! Because of being in a city like this, my legs are now so weak as a traveling minstrel!

So now, maybe it’s time for me to— revive those legs!

“Gggh!”

Deciding firmly, I clenched my jaw, held tightly onto Rurirelle and leaped into the blazing Control Tower! It was SO HOT! SUPER HOT!

“—Ugh, ugghh!”

The shocking heat assaulted me beyond my expectations. Even though the overpowering heat radiated around, my skin, hair, and Rurirelle remained untouched by the flames. I could feel the otherworldly heat yet not burn at all!

When I touched the white flames rising from the waterways, it stung for sure, but it didn’t burn. So, I thought maybe those flames were just some illusion created by Lady Priscilla!

But no, I was completely wrong!

Lady Priscilla’s sunblade had cut through Sirius’s iron chains. Even though both swords were of flames, they didn’t burn the same!

Lady Priscilla’s flames selected what to burn! So she must surely possess the ability to choose not to burn!

“—!”

Therefore! The white flames encircling this tower wouldn’t scorch my body at all!

It’s hot as heck! Torturously hot! I want to roll around in agony right here and now!

But I am not burned! I won’t burn! It’s not to the point of dying!

My eyes might melt, my tongue might wither, my hair might burn, my skin might rot, Rurirelle might ignite, my bones might pop, my flesh might scorch, my consciousness might flare out—all mere illusions!

It’s hot! HOT! HOT! BUT OH SO NOT HOT!

I bound up the Control Tower, first floor, second floor… how many floors is this? Where’s the rooftop?! Where’s the flame coming from?! I look right and left, engulfed in white flames, intensely hot! Why am I going through this scorching trial just to—

“—!!!”

I wanted to scream out all this pain, the urge to bellow until my throat ruptured!

No way! If I shouted out this anguish right now, my throat would be obliterated in an instant. This throat is something I absolutely won’t sacrifice! Fingers too! I want to scratch everywhere and lash out! No can do! If my fingers get hurt, I would be unable to play!

Eyes, skin, hair—they can suffer the consequences, but my throat and fingers must remain unscathed. They are all essential for what’s to come!

I planted my feet on the stairs, kicked open an incredibly thick door, and found myself looking out to the evening sky— the wind blasted against my body as heat surged up from below me, but suddenly, there was no wall, and I staggered up to run to the edge of the cobblestones and take a look down!

The wind howled wildly, and down below, a red figure and a white figure were swinging dangerous-looking things, surrounded by a crowd of people wailing in despair.

I was overheating, feeling like I’d drop dead, yet—

I was still trapped in the heat, with my feet burning, and as the white flames swelled, a surge of despair rose within me that made me want to sob uncontrollably, yet—

“Sniff! Sniff… oh, oh gosh! This is my one and only chance! My great stage is here!”

Even with this agonizing heat, I had accomplished the goal to reach this place so that I could see everyone and ensure my voice reaches them.

Feeling like I was about to die, but before diving into the void of death, I had to do something—

“So, dear audience, listen closely! Those who can hear me from far away, hear this melody! Those who are closer, witness this dance! And for those farther away, I’ll belt out my voice even louder for you to hear! I, Liliana Masquerade, shall sing, play, and dance now! So listen well! — “The Sky Beyond the Dawn!”

Let’s pour out all this intense feeling without holding back!