――”Dragon God” Volcanica had met its “death” of the mind after many years of neglect.

　To put it plainly, it had become senile after being left alone for so long.

「But this is just like dealing with an old man! Hey, Volcanica!」

『――Thou, who art come to the tower’s summit. One who steps upon the first layer, almighty petitioner.』

「Gah! Absolutely no good at all!」

　Desperately calling out, Emilia slapped her front feet, but in return came the sensation of hard scales and the even more formidable mental barrier of forgetfulness.

　Unlike Raid, the “Trial” where the dead revive in their former state was indeed a difficult challenge, but now that I think about it, that seemed much cuter.

　The idea that that roughshod Raid could seem cute was almost a joke――.

「While Raid could communicate and tell me what to do…」

　Volcanica was not like that.

　For Emilia, having to overcome the first layer’s “Trial” while the examiner had become senile was the worst possible scenario.

　She had to bring back good news to Subaru and the others as soon as possible.

「Ugh… What should I do? What can I do…? There’s no way I should just take down Volcanica like I did with Raid…」

　Even if that were the case, it would likely be an extraordinary “Trial,” but the differences in the content of the tests between the second and third layers raised a halt to Emilia’s thoughts.

　The test of the third layer, “Taygeta,” required using one’s brain to solve the problems presented.

　Fortunately, thanks to Subaru’s knowledge from beyond the great waterfall, they managed to solve it, but without that, it would have been incredibly difficult.

　And as for the second layer, “Electra,” there was, of course, Raid Astraea as the obstacle.

　Though Emilia had somehow managed to headbutt Raid and win, it could also be said she succeeded due to it being her first challenge.

　In any case, each of the second and third layers was undeniably endured with barely a victory.

　Therefore, to face it normally was already sufficiently challenging――。

「For them not to give me the problem at all…」

『――I am Volcanica. By ancient pact, I shall inquire of the resolve of those who reach the summit.』

「Geez! I get it! I want to hear what comes next!」

　Hoping that if she tried a few times, it might share what came next, Emilia found time to test it precious.

　Suppressing her urge to stomp her feet, Emilia glanced around.

　The “Trial” of the third layer was held in a white room, where a black stone tablet existed—what Subaru and Julius had happily called the monolith.

　Perhaps such a thing was hidden in this first layer too.

　With Volcanica unreliable, it would be best to search for the problem by her own means.

「I have to do everything I can right now…!」

　While constantly keeping an eye on Volcanica’s movements, Emilia dashed into the first layer’s investigation.

　First off, the first layer was at the very top of the Pleiades Watchtower—so high up that it couldn’t be seen from below. The space was surrounded by six pillars, with a gigantic pillar standing in the center—Volcanica crouched as if leaning against this central pillar, and the space felt about a hundred meters in radius.

　While it felt quite spacious compared to the second layer, Volcanica’s gigantic presence distorted the sense of actual size.

「The bottom… Can’t see it, huh?」

　Holding onto one of the surrounding pillars of the first layer, Emilia looked down.

　Within the tower and on the ground, Subaru and Ram were surely fighting bravely, but thick clouds obscured her view, rendering it impossible to confirm what lay beneath.

　Alternatively, if she were to dive into the clouds, it might be possible to reunite with her comrades――。

「But I feel like I’d get scolded for sneaking up from the outside like that… No, more importantly, even if I run as hard as I can, I couldn’t reach the clouds so fast.」

　She didn’t consider herself bad at sports, but Emilia knew well how high up clouds and the sky were.

　As a child, she couldn’t grasp the clouds no matter how far she stretched out her hands, and it was the same when she was older. Perhaps someone like Reinhardt could leap high enough to reach the clouds, but Emilia couldn’t do anything of the sort.

　Thus, it seemed some mysterious force had worked to bring her to the top of the tower.

「Then naturally, the “Trial” must be here!」

　Encouraged by her thoughts, Emilia began inspecting the six pillars, knocking and attempting to climb them. However, no suspicious phenomena or inscriptions appeared anywhere.

　The next possibility to consider――。

「――The big pillar in the middle where Volcanica is leaning.」

　If nothing was found on the surrounding pillars, the most likely candidate was the great central pillar.

　Unlike the other six, this pillar stretched even higher above the first layer—perhaps there was a place above the first layer that could be called the zero layer.

　In that place, there might be a means to change this unchanging location.

　However――。

『――Thou, who art come to the tower’s summit. One who steps upon the first layer, almighty petitioner.』

　To investigate that pillar, Emilia couldn’t avoid the continuously repeating words of Volcanica.

「――――」

　Though she had resolved to challenge the “Trial” of the first layer, confronting Volcanica was another matter entirely.

　Maintaining that tension, Emilia approached the central pillar, heading towards Volcanica.

「Volcanica, what should I do for the “Trial”?」

『――I am Volcanica. By ancient pact, I shall inquire of the resolve of those who reach the summit.』

　Volcanica’s response remained unchanged.

　Instead of disappointment or despair, Emilia felt a sense of relief instead. If Volcanica’s reaction hadn’t changed, it meant it was indifferent to her just as it had been when she touched its forelegs.

　Believing this, Emilia moved around Volcanica to investigate the thick pillar――。

「――Eh?」

　Just as she tried to touch the pillar, Emilia heard the sound of the wind.

　Before she could ascertain what it was, her instincts conjured an ice wall above her. In an instant, a shock struck Emilia through the ice wall, and her slender body was thrown backward drastically.

「Cough!」

　The shock that pierced from her back to her chest caused Emilia to roll violently across the first floor, coughing. Stopping herself by placing her hands on the floor, she somehow managed to regain control of her flinging body.

　Wondering what had just happened, Emilia slowly raised her face and noticed――。

　――The tail of the “Dragon God,” leaning against the pillar, was slowly lowered to the ground.

「…I was slapped by a tail?」

　When voiced, it was indeed a simple strike.

　It was common for dragons to express their emotions using their tails, as often occurred between Subaru and Patrasche. Whenever Subaru played pranks, either Ram or Patrasche would compete to smack him.

　However, the strike from Volcanica’s tail was of an entirely different caliber compared to that playful interaction between one person and one creature.

　Thanks to her quick reflexes, it was merely this degree of pain, but had Emilia’s reaction been delayed, her neck might have been broken, or her head blown off entirely.

　Moreover, for Volcanica, it was nearly the same behavior as swatting away insects in a vague state of awareness.

　It was akin to being toyed with like a small bug beneath the feet of a gigantic creature.

「――――」

　Realizing this fact, cold sweat trickled down Emilia’s neck and spine.

　But at the same time, it also sparked a possibility in her mind.

「After all, there must be something on that pillar.」

『――――』

「You’re here for the “Trial,” after all. Even if you’ve forgotten the “Trial,” your resolve must remain. That’s why you keep repeating the same things.」

　Volcanica appeared as if it had forgotten what it needed to do.

　Even so, the fact that this “Dragon God” remained here was clear evidence of its strong will to uphold the promise made before its consciousness met “death.”

　To test the wisdom, power, and resolve of the “Sage,” “Sword Saint,” and “Dragon God.”

　If that were the case――。

「――A half-hearted resolve won’t suffice. I’ll move with full seriousness!」

　Setting the premise of the opponent’s interference, Emilia declared her intent to take action.

　Instantly, the atmosphere surrounding Emilia screamed, and the world began to slowly freeze. It was as if ice soldiers were born one after another, following Emilia like a queen—this was Emilia’s new possibility, developed from Ice Brand Arts.

　Though she hadn’t been able to test it within the cramped Watchtower, with this vastness and opponent, there would be no need for mercy.

　Since she hadn’t mentioned this to Subaru, they hadn’t been given a name.

　Thus, Emilia would name them herself.

「Ice soldiers, and Ice Brand Arts…!”

　Seven ice warriors were born, each shaped humanoid, brandishing their weapons, courageously joining Emilia into the fray――。

「――Here we go, sleepyhead! If you’re waking up, make sure to get up early!」

　Saying that, Emilia, clad in icy armor, charged towards Volcanica alongside the ice soldiers.

　As she did, Volcanica regarded them with emotionless eyes, opening its mouth.

『――Thou, who art come to the tower’s summit. One who steps upon the first layer, almighty petitioner.』

　Volcanica’s mind remained shrouded beyond comprehension, still unchanged.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　△▼△▼△▼△

　――At the same time, Emilia was not the only one challenging a powerful enemy beyond her abilities.

　Below her, in the second layer “Electra,” the clash of swords was intensifying with equal fervor, albeit remaining one-sided in nature.

「Ora ora ora ora, what’s the matter? I’ve lost a chopstick and am down to one hand! If you can’t reach me like this, then you’re gonna find out this isn’t just a game, you hear me, you hear me, you hear me!」

「Ugh…!」

　A man with wild red hair unleashed a powerful kick while hurling boisterous insults.

　The knight received the kick with the hilt of his knight’s sword, elegantly soaring backward. The impact couldn’t be eliminated, only dispersed. Before that dispersion concluded, another came.

　Time and time again, the cycle repeated on the battlefield of the second layer.

　At this point in the cycle, as the knight was blown back by a sword strike, the swordsman smirked and spat, “Damn it.”

「When a mood shifts, the sword shifts too. I’m expecting that explosive change from you, yeah? But when the heck will you change, huh? Or…」

　Saying that, the red-haired swordsman—Raid twisted his neck as he mocked his opponent.

　With a grandiose posture that seemed to look down upon the other, the unmatched swordsman glared at the knight.

「Are you really gonna go down while minding your manners? Are you satisfied with that?」

「――You sure know how to talk!」

　In response to Raid’s taunts, the knight, who had long been subjected to insults, relaxed his lips.

　The knight stood firm, facing Raid’s sharp gaze while testing the feel of his numbed knight’s sword from the kick.

　The nameless knight had surrendered his anonymity and resolved to oppose fate: Julius Euclius.

「You’ve thrown those words at me many times now. An uninteresting fight, polite swordsmanship, and not enough fun… I too am familiar with those words.」

「Ha! Seems like you’re not alone in that. I bet anyone watching would feel the same. Your sword has nothing but desperation in it.」

「…Desperation, huh?」

　Raid’s careless words weren’t born from lofty ideals.

　He was likely just speaking his mind freely, and though it captured an essence, those blue eyes saw through to everything, even with one eye covered.

　Perhaps he could see through Julius’s thin layer of ideals covering the raw metal beneath.

「――――」

　Casting a glance behind him, Julius saw the figure of a woman watching over the clash between him and Raid.

　The embodiment of the woman Julius now treasured above all, though the essence inside her had become a different person.

　Despite being unavoidable, it was now two months since the events that transpired in the water gate city—it was something how they continued this hollow master-servant relationship.

「Come to think of it, you and I should have talked openly and shared more, shouldn’t we?」

「Julius…?」

「Had we been able to do that, we would have made good friends. After all, we both cherish and admire the same woman.」

　Having voiced his thoughts, Julius once again challenged the “Sword Saint.”

　Raid squared up to meet his advance, holding a short, thin chopstick in his right hand.

　Parrying, thrusting, raising, and slashing in a series of coordinated attacks.

　Blending the sword’s hilt and footwork into a feigned assault, Julius executed his assault, which Raid easily warded off as if it were mere child’s play.

「Here we go again. Do I have to keep repeating that this won’t work?」

「Even if you say it’s boring, this is my sword!」

「Urrgh!」

　Raid roared, drowning out the bored judgment over Julius’s swordsmanship.

　With a posture disrupted by that roar, Raid’s chopstick pierced diagonally into Julius’s exposed body—at that moment, Julius swept his mantle around and swiftly hid behind it.

「Heh.」

　Seeing that movement, Raid smirked and aimed to cleave through Julius along with the mantle.

　However, by the time the chopstick struck with enough force to blow away the mantle, Julius had already darted backward, escaping the range of the deadly chopstick.

「Oh, there it is!」

「Nuh-uh, wrong!」

「Huh?」

　Wearing a white outfit as a distraction, Raid praised the way Julius cast aside normal fighting conventions, yet Julius immediately dismissed that praise and dashed toward the blown-away mantle.

　Then, he picked up the mantle ripped apart by the chopstick and once again wrapped it around himself.

　Fastening the clasp securely, he donned the pristine white uniform and white mantle, embodying knighthood.

　No longer anonymous, but he would remain as a knight.

　Seeing Julius’s attitude reflecting this determination caused Raid to click his tongue in displeasure again.

「You know, when that hot bombshell and the back babe shown up, I was expecting you to change, you hear me? I wanted to see you come fully to win, without worrying about appearances. You really don’t get yourself, do you?」

「――――」

「You act all prim and proper, but that ain’t what you are deep down. Your core is just the same as me—a mere “stick-swinger.” I can’t stand how stuffy you are.」

　Raid pointed his chopstick at Julius, casting a disgruntled expression.

　Hearing Raid’s words, Julius closed his eyes. Then after a brief silence, he muttered only one word: “I see.”

「I think I finally get it.」

「Huh? Get what?」

「Why you’re so persistent with me.」

　Even while irritable, Raid didn’t stop throwing words at Julius.

　The way he spoke was rough, and he probably held no intention of taking it that far, yet it resembled a mentor-like attempt to teach and guide Julius.

　Finally, it clicked why Raid wanted to drag Julius around so persistently.

「――You saw the same thing in me as you did in yourself, huh?」

　The repeated mockery about Julius’s dull fighting style, polite swordsmanship, and lack of enjoyment stemmed from thinking within that core of Julius lay a sleeping lion.

　While Julius himself would think such an evaluation overestimates him—。

「I don’t know the nitty-gritty, blue boy. I’ll just act as I want to. That’s just my intuition telling me you’re better off unfurling yourself.」

「――――」

「So, I’m gonna peel that away from you. You get it, right? As you are, you’re not gonna reach me, nor will you impress the babe behind you.」

　Pointing with his chin toward Echidna, Julius could only smile wryly.

　Indeed, Raid’s gaze was quite sharp; he saw through it all well.

　――Julius Euclius was a man who merely wanted to boast.

「That’s precisely why, I won’t bend who I am.」

「What?」

「Your words are likely correct. I’ve many moments of realization. …In a world where everyone has forgotten me, I spoke not a single word. I am not the legitimate child of the Euclius family.」

　Julius began to speak, hoping both Raid, who frowned, and Echidna, who faced forward, would hear him.

　The history of Julius Euclius that only Natsuki Subaru now remembered.

「My father, who fled from a noble family, was united with a common-born mother, and I was born between them. Therefore, my origins are those of a commoner. After my parents passed away, I was taken in by my uncle, now my father, and until then, I was completely unacquainted with noble upbringing… That’s why, my very existence is something I’ve constructed for myself.」

「A shabby facade, huh?」

「That might be so. My essence is one who wore the commoner’s attire and ran through the fields without knowing any ideals.」

　Unaware of manners, with nowhere to aim for, living each day just to survive.

　The manner of being Julius must have been the future originally promised to his true self.

　However, that future was swept away by a tidal wave, together with both of his real parents.

　Thus――。

「That’s why I pretend to be a knight. I cling to appearances and lock away my true self.」

「You…」

「I, the ignorant and uninformed, nonetheless encountered my ideals.――I longed to be a knight. I admired the gallant and pure image of a knight. That’s why I will continue to uphold that aspiration.」

　With a rustle, Julius adjusted the clasp of his mantle, his yellow gaze gaining vigor.

　The displeased expression of Raid shifted from irritation to confusion. It was as if he was stunned—having had his words denied yet unable to retort.

　The man who embodied the ruthless, overriding attitude was now entranced by Julius’s words.

　Thus, Julius raised his voice high.

「I’m an awkward man. I only take things into consideration from appearances. Believing that if I held a fine sword, donned nice clothes, and could use polite words, I could match the part, I came so far. Therefore, I’ll stick to that stubbornness. I will maintain my appearances!」

　Julius understood there were those who despised vanity.

　Natsuki Subaru certainly came to mind as a prime example of that sort.

　But, Julius thought.

「Straightening my spine, adjusting my attire, adorning myself in the image I wish to be, that is the very mask I have decided to wear forever.」

「――――」

「Some may mock appearances. But I believe that equally so, there are those who find vanity dazzling.――Just as I continue to yearn for the way of the knight.」

　Who had awakened the admiration for knighthood inside him, he couldn’t recollect.

　However, Julius had become a knight.

　The reason Julius was referred to as the “Most Superior” was not only due to his honed sword techniques or refined spirit arts that backed up his prowess.

　It was because of how Julius Euclius’s very existence exemplified the essence of a knight.

　The dazzling sight of him flaunting himself as the “Most Excellent” knight was precisely what people admired the most.

　With such declarations, Julius relaxed his lips and turned toward Echidna.

　Waving his hand slightly toward the figure of his beloved master, he aimed to communicate that there was no need for her to feel guilty about her past.

　There was no need for such guilty feelings about having forgotten him.

「There was no need to fear forgetting, to lament, or to mourn. For in the way of knighthood, which everyone knows and which everyone longs for, my existence lies there.」

　And the same could be said for those “girls” present there with him.

「I’m sorry for all this until now, my buds. I clung to the lost bond and held onto you, bringing you nothing but anxious thoughts. And now, I release you from that yoke!」

　Enticed by Julius’s whispers, radiant colors illuminated the space with a soft glow—those were beautiful spirits declaring six attributes, Julius Euclius’s familiars.

　They had been with Julius Euclius since before he had become a knight, an irreplaceable presence.

　They too had forgotten Julius when his “name” was taken by the power of “Gluttony.”

　Yet the unbreakable contract forged between a spirit and its contractor and the innate power of Julius’s “Inducement’s Blessing” drew them closer, sustaining their presence without parting.

　Even Julius had believed that once the “name” was reclaimed, their bond might be restored, thus did not let go of them.

　How foolish that had been.

　Having changed so much, he didn’t want to alter what remained.

　But――。

「To the previous me, who often spent time together with you, my buds. I indulged in your affection, and with lingering attachments, I had held your kindness close. I could not expect to return to those days without incident.――I renounce this weak, pathetic, and unworthy self of mine.」

　As if in bewilderment, the six familiars fluttered around Julius, swaying.

　Toward them, Julius gently extended his arm, which was outstretched like a perch, as the familiars gradually gathered around it.

　Then, Julius smiled at the faint light resting in his arms.

「I feared change. Yet, some things can’t be gained without the resolve to lose. Perhaps it is the blooming of affection, as my buds unfold their petals. I wish to see with my own eyes what blossoms those buds have born.」

『――――』

　They said nothing in reply.

　Yet, it felt to Julius as though they foreknew what was about to happen.

　Therefore, Julius moved accordingly――。

「My buds! I shall set you free. I’m truly sorry for clinging to the spilled bond for so long.」

　At that moment, with his words, the familiars surrounding Julius’s arm seemed to spring away.

　That felt akin to being forcefully flung apart—a painful sensation akin to a searing lightning bolt as it cut through just the bond shared among Julius and the familiars.

　The established connection and bond, the contracts binding their souls were abruptly severed.

　That was a pain and lament only known to a spirit mage, losing a true connection forged by the soul.

　Julius didn’t know it, but Emilia had once shed tears over the same pain and had been brought to her knees by it.

　He was to experience the parting from his six familiars all at once, inflicting wounds upon his soul.

　A twisted sensation clawed at his chest, and Julius felt the gulf of severance.

　That pain was fundamentally distinct from the time he was forgotten due to “Gluttony.”

　Not only Julius but the familiars must have shared that same pain, regretting it.

　They might have cursed the scars inflicted by forming contracts with humans.

　But――。

「――On top of that, I shall call upon you once more.」

『――――』

「I love you all! If you’ll accept this boastful courtship, let’s once again forge that bond anew.――A new契約between you and me！！」

　Julius shouted, extending his once lower arm toward the heavens.

　In response to that proclamation, the familiars flung away as if propelled, glowing peacefully.

　The hesitation and indecision lasted merely a second.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　△▼△▼△▼△

　A warm light enveloped Julius Euclius’s entire being.

　It gently and softly seeped into the wounds upon his soul marked by the severance of bonds.

　Joy existed. Anger existed. Sadness existed. Affection existed. Hatred existed.

　These myriad emotions filled to the brim between Julius and them, having spanned over ten years.

　Once again, turning what had been made null and weaving a fresh future anew.

　Whether this was correct or not, he didn’t know. Yet he strongly wished it would be right.

　Many times, he might be wrong.

　He might not be able to keep choosing the right path continually and might stumble along the way.

　However, he would shape himself with each error.

　Even if he were to err, he wasn’t alone. He wasn’t solitary.

　As he sought to move forward, there were splendid ideals forged by the predecessors who had gone before him.

　Whenever he felt inclined to stop, he could feel the warmth of the buds that had watched over him with deep affection.

　And, if he looked beside him, there was the figure of his master, who vowed to offer her ideals that had shaped him.

　What could one say he should fear going forward as Julius Euclius?

　「――That’s right. My lovely blooming maidens.」

　In response to that singular voice, six buds—no, the blossoming maidens responded.

　Light was born――。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　△▼△▼△▼△

「From now on, deeply, gently, while hurting each other, I will walk this path.」

　The pain of severing the contracts is soothed by the bonds that will be reformed.

　Wearing a sixfold, even more mystical light, Julius Euclius looked ahead.

　In front of him stood the figure desired by one who would be ground beneath the sword.

　Yet, even so, Julius Euclius’s envy stood not at the peak.

　Thus, he wouldn’t hesitate to cleave through that longing with the light of a rainbow.

「I’ve kept you waiting, “Sword Saint” Raid Astraea.――Nice to meet you.」

　Swinging his knight’s sword, Julius captured his mantle, bowing elegantly.

　Then he raised his face, becoming what he esteemed most in this life, and announced his name.

「――I am the “Most Excellent Knight,” Julius Euclius. I will sever you, the sword of the kingdom.」