“——Domain Expansion, Matrix Redefinition”

The fixed cliché is a declaration of war against the world, as the “Witch” once said.

Magic is the means of reflecting one’s will onto reality by defying the laws of nature through incantations. It is akin to forcibly rewriting the script and changing the outcome—a highly complex and delicate act of barbarism.

In other words, chanting magical spells is merely a polite way of saying, “I will destroy this world from here on.”

Of course, just like any greeting, it can be ignored or rejected.

If the construction of the spell is weak, or if there’s insufficient mana leading to a failure in activation, or if a tantrum results in an unintended outcome—there are many possibilities.

Beyond that, this metaphor is merely a side note.

What I am attempting to do is not magic.

It is simply that the cliché I speak is a declaration of war against the world, a reflection of its essence.

Therefore, this is—

“——Domain Expansion, Matrix Redefinition”

A death threat from myself wishing to destroy a world I do not want destroyed.

To kill. To break. To tear apart. To trample. To ravage. To profane. To rip. To carve. To incinerate. To crush. To shatter. To melt. To saturate.

Words are irrelevant. They are the same as magic. —What matters is that the essence is the same.

If the final phrase does not change, I will not choose the method.

No matter what, no matter how, by any means necessary—Natsuki Subaru has to be removed.

That final phrase must absolutely not change.

To that end—

“——Domain Expansion, Matrix Redefinition”

Even if it is the distant light of the abyss, I will surely reach it.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　△▼△▼△▼△

——4061.

The person I struggled the most to remove from the board was unexpectedly the farcical attitude of the Baron.

The Baron, with his keen insight and battlefield experience, was entirely unimpressed by emotional manipulation, and his attitude towards anything that did not benefit his own interests was incredibly strict.

Given the circumstances, I had to assume that a lack of merits to offer would make it impossible to secure his agreement. However, being sensitive to profits also meant that he had a keen nose for disadvantages.

So, the best approach was to make him think that not cooperating would lead to his loss. —Once I figured out that direction, untangling the tangled threads became much easier.

Ultimately, I felt a bit guilty about taking advantage of Schult’s situation, but regardless, it was still necessary to borrow someone’s hand to avoid chaos in the Barielle territory.

“Do as you like. She’s not going anywhere now.”

——972.

Next in line was the demon sisters, and the older sister was particularly strong.

Originally, I knew I had to be cautious against them.

Avoiding her abnormally sharp intuition was no easy feat. However, in her case, there was a clear weak point—her younger sister, whom I had managed to reunite only after stealing her “memories” away from her, who showed no noticeable flaws in her own stance.

I wanted to bring my precious younger sister back to the base as soon as possible. —That awareness was always there, so I just had to leverage that.

Though balancing overt and subtle actions proved to be a devilishly difficult task, I continued to struggle towards an unreachable goal.

Moreover, while the younger sister’s vigilance might have been lower compared to her older sibling, her built-up experiences in the Empire on top of her lost “memories” still forged a hidden bond, making her a formidable opponent.

It hurt to exploit the sisterly bond, but that was alright. She’s not going anywhere now.

——633.

The hardest to elicit emotional consent from was the strict internal minister in the background.

Despite his weak appearance, he had a tough character, and mistaking him as someone who would easily fall under pressure would burn you. He was someone who forced a tense feeling akin to fighting an aggravated bull.

His way of breaking me was similar to that of the Baron, yet he was far more human, allowing me to propose practical compromises, leading to a reluctant acceptance.

No weapons, a three-day period, the accompaniment of a trusted military officer—none of these were unexpected constraints, so there was no pain there. It was a lesson learned a hundred times over that asking for more in front of him was dangerous; once a conversation was cut off, the chances of reopening it were nearly non-existent.

His conclusion was the same. —By removing my unstable self, he would call forth responsibility within himself.

Exploiting kindness is painful, but that was fine. She’s not going anywhere now.

——94.

Though the number of attempts was few, eliminating the rare blood from the companions of the sand sea was an absolute requirement.

The refined bearer of rare blood would quickly get an initial position among the companions if left alone. I had no reservations about her personality or abilities, but the blood coursing through her veins was an obstacle to my objective.

However, the fastest and surest way to move her towards a more considerate direction was to exploit her compassion. Knowing she had a high sense of belonging to the group and a marked aversion to disturbing harmony, it wasn’t challenging to guide her along an easier path.

At this point, I could practically grasp the entire human relationship network within my faction, including those I had never met. With her accompanying the group, if I anticipated that an undesirable pair would emerge making a young child anxious, I would actively work towards resolving it.

What mattered was not making the impossible possible. It was about the manifestation of a non-zero possibility.

I had no words of comfort to offer, but that was alright. She’s not going anywhere now.

——5.

I was intimately familiar with how “she” inclined her heart, and honestly, it was easy.

Gentle, merciful, and overflowing with compassion, the easily deceived “her” had no concept of doubting my words, receiving everything sincerely as reality. In general, her tolerance was such that she would never make a mistake—thus, any failure would be my issue, not hers.

There was a talk about the hesitation to deceive “her” and twist her thoughts to my advantage.

If I merely ignored the friction in my heart, it would be easy to fill “her” indigo eyes with woe. After all, she was a person who originally sought to resonate with my wounds. When I conveyed to “her” what the best she could do for “her” would be, it naturally established that mindset.

Thus, even though I faced a self I could no longer save, that was alright. She’s not going anywhere now.

——0.

And so, Natsuki Subaru was the one who had never failed.

I knew everything about Natsuki Subaru, and I had no hesitation whatsoever.

However, I needed to time my actions just right.

After all—

“——Or Shamak”

Conditionally, involving Beatrice in this trump card was the top priority.

“———”

The unfamiliar incantation and the construction of an unseen spell caused Beatrice’s reaction to lag, forming a critical gap in protecting Natsuki Subaru.

Quickly wrapping my arms around him, the movement could be considered the contract spirit’s gemstone—but that was Aldebaran’s true intention.

“Three days. If I give it three days, he’ll be cautious thinking there may be something on the third day.”

——The trump card against the “Witch,” Or Shamak, is a forbidden technique aimed at forcibly sealing the target’s gate and binding their movements.

It is a forbidden art expressly preventing the revealing of one’s existence, with the “Witch” herself avoiding documentation, telling only Aldebaran orally.

A forbidden technique that could potentially kill even the “Witch” herself, and Aldebaran is solely entrusted with it because of the cold confidence that he wouldn’t misuse this forbidden technique for any other purposes.

“As a result, after having a good talk on the first evening, that’s when they become the most relaxed.”

In fact, Aldebaran had never thought of directing this forbidden technique towards the “Witch” or any other “Witch.” —To be accurate, it would be correct to say it could not be directed towards those it should have.

In other words, the forbidden art that was devised and passed down had finally seen the light of day.

“I know, brother… No, Natsuki Subaru. —I will not kill you.”

During the struggle against the “Great Calamity,” it was also employed as a trump card against the “Witch” known as Sphinx; however, that was an issue on Sphinx’s side—in that the lack of the Witch Factor prevented her from showing her true abilities.

Thus, the forbidden art “Or Shamak” was correctly activated for the first time at this moment.

“———”

I picked up the black, glass-like orb that had fallen to the ground.

Inside, without revealing its contents, I sealed Natsuki Subaru and Beatrice together. —As she was the Great Spirit of the shadow attribute, it would be troublesome if she analyzed the forbidden technique.

I needed to enclose her within the spell’s range while taking the gamble of whether she would fall under the forbidden technique’s influence.

However, I won that gamble. Contracting with Natsuki Subaru and sharing the gate with Beatrice made her the target of the technique, sealing her presence within the orb.

Up to this point, constructing the situation had been challenging. But that was all.

She’s not going anywhere now. So—

“I’ll begin, Teacher. —To be myself.”

Right after that determination, Aldebaran declared.

“OOOH!”

With an immense roar, he kicked the floor of the library hard enough to break it, and the golden beast lunged forward at arrow-like speed.

The swung and flexible muscular arm would pulverize Aldebaran in a single strike, aiming to completely incapacitate him in less than a second.

It was likely that even a grazing blow would rob him of his consciousness—a brutal force that could wipe out more than half of his awareness—yet this only applied if the punch was thrown.

“—”

“You bastard!!”

The ferocious beast, Garfiel, who had charged in at extreme speed, gripped Aldebaran’s arm and pinned him to the library floor instead of knocking him back.

Unable to even take a defensive stance, Aldebaran was pinned down, hitting his jaw against the floor and letting out a pained grunt. Ignoring that sound, Garfiel grounded a knee on his back and bared his fangs,

“What did you do to the commander and Beatrice!? Where are those two!? That previous magic—”

“It’s not what you think, Garf-chan.”

“Huh!?”

Responding in a low voice to Garfiel, who was trying to leisurely pursue the situation, Aldebaran felt Garfiel’s throat tense, but such intimidation bore no weight.

In fact, this entire exchange was meaningless.

“You’re not arresting me; you’re aiming to knock me out from the start.”

While dutifully responding to that meaningless exchange, Aldebaran let his tongue slide within his mouth. And, ignoring Garfiel’s confused expression at Aldebaran’s words, he loosened the drug package concealed in his molars and swallowed it.

A tremendous heat boiled Aldebaran’s blood—

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　×　　×　　×

“OOOH!”

With explosive force, he kicked the floor, and the beast charged forward.

Yet that beast aimed not to punch Aldebaran but to grab him and pin him down. —In that instant, he dodged the extending arm and raised his elbow.

“GAH!?”

“With this—”

Just after believing he had drained the opponent’s momentum, a shocking impact struck Aldebaran’s torso.

The striking Garfiel, while entering with his full force, caught Aldebaran with an elbow to the face, sending Aldebaran flying backward and breaking the base of his spine in a single attack.

Becoming unable to act was a serious predicament.

“You bastard…!”

“Next up.”

While toppling the bookcase he was wrapped in, Aldebaran quickly broke open the drug package hidden within the pile of books surrounding him.

The impact coursed through his entire body—

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　×　　×　　×

“OOOH!”

With a war cry, the beast lunged once more, dodging the extending arm and raising his elbow.

Only hitting the opponent’s face should yield the same result as before. Understanding that, Aldebaran recognized he had no means of evading Garfiel’s next kick.

In that case, he only needed to ensure Garfiel could not throw a kick.

“GUH!?”

He met the face of Garfiel’s charging frame with an elbow, covered by rocky protection, slamming his strike down with the ferocity of a crushing weight.

Caught off guard by the counter loaded with his own momentum, Garfiel leaned backward midair, spewing blood from his nose as Aldebaran shot past him.

“With that—”

Garfiel crashed against the floor, getting buried under a mountain of books scattered from colliding with the toppled bookshelf.

Seeing that, Aldebaran tried to leap backward, believing he had successfully avoided the initial hit.

Just then—

“—El Shiha.”

As the short incantation spun forth, Aldebaran’s body grew heavy as he took his next step on the floor—no, it was not just heavy. His entire body became bound by an unnatural weight.

The weight enveloping Aldebaran was an excessive amount of water that should never have existed in the library—

“I know that moisture is a deadly enemy to books, but I’m sorry for this rude act.”

“—!”

“But, fire is out of the question. I want to avoid disturbing the library with winds and dirt. I hope you understand that this was a momentary tough decision. Well, my reasoning for choosing water is as explained—”

A small figure in a black cloak, Ezzo Kadner, slowly approached, flipping his coat.

Rather than being overly cautious, it was more a tactical move of a wizard alert to our actions.

While being viewed with caution is an honor, I couldn’t meet that expectation.

After all, the amount of water covering Aldebaran was just the bare minimum needed to seal his body completely—so tightly fitted that it felt as if he was being forced into a bodysuit made of water, robbed of freedom of movement and breath.

Aldebaran had no means to combat that extraordinary level of magical skill.

But Ezzo maintained a distance from Aldebaran while speaking,

“Lord Al, will I hear a satisfactory explanation from you? That unknown spell earlier? What did you do to Natsuki and Miss Beatrice? They were worried you would go on a rampage and disregard yourself. For those two—”

——106.

Ezzo’s words rang out, clear-cut adult logic.

Despite his child-like appearance, Ezzo Kadner was a remarkably proper and sincere person. He returned sincerity with sincerity and respect with respect, a rooted earnestness within him.

That is why, in confronting Ezzo, sincerity and respect became absolutely essential. —As long as those were upheld, he would inevitably remain passive. That was his tendency to expect too much from others. In that point, Ezzo was fundamentally different from Roswaal, even as a fellow magician.

Roswaal would have quickly burnt Aldebaran’s hands and feet with no regard for the influence on the “Book of the Dead,” suffocating him with wind to rob him of consciousness.

He wouldn’t do that. Therefore—

“—You fool!”

Breaking off his words, Ezzo cried out with a strained expression at the water-wrapped Aldebaran’s face, turning crimson all around.

The proof that Aldebaran’s insides were being burnt and melted burst through his throat, spilling from his mouth.

Ezzo immediately tried to release the magical binding and switched to healing magic, but it was too late.

His brain could only process so fast—

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　×　　×　　×

“—El Shiha.”

“El Dona!”

Compared to the fluid and refined incantation, the latter was rough and utterly lacking in elegance.

However, the clumsy earthy armor summoned in haste quickly covered Aldebaran’s entire body, overpowering the fine binding of water along with absorbing all its moisture.

“What the—!?”

Instantly transforming from dirt armor into mud, Aldebaran resumed his stance right as he was supposed to, stepping onto the ground where he had been impeded, and leaped backward while shattering the armor in place.

Sliding back on the library floor, he quickly secured his vision on the two now directed towards him with distinct hostility, Ezzo and the now-buried Garfiel—

“Do not mess with me!!”

With one arm stretching from the pile of books, Garfiel gunned for Aldebaran, once more advancing towards him.

As he trampled the fallen books scattered across the floor, with his bloodstained mouth wiped with the back of his palm, in just a few seconds the bleeding stopped. Gauging the fundamental difference in their battle prowess meant Aldebaran was outclassed.

Dragging his sturdy physique alongside, Garfiel advanced toward Aldebaran—

“Wait, Garfiel! Approaching recklessly is dangerous!”

“Huh!? Is this the time to be saying that, teacher?! The commander and Beatrice are likely ensnared by some mysterious ball! We have to—”

“That is exactly why! I too do not know that particular spell! More importantly now, he has displayed the perfect ability to evade our meager assailants! It’s abnormal!”

“—!”

“I have shown him none of my hand. Yet, he obstructed my binding water with perfect absorption. It cannot merely be explained as being a combat master. Stay vigilant. The only ones who can restrain him are you and me.”

Disrupting the furious Garfiel, Ezzo steadily shaped his tone accordingly.

It was evident that his words held credibility as Garfiel’s anger and excitement visibly began to calm down.

Above all, the mere fraction of an exchange at Aldebaran affirmed the abnormality of the hidden technique wielded by Aldebaran.

In truth, Ezzo’s words were correct.

No matter how much ingenuity is led into motion, there was no method to enlist Garfiel included amongst the group that had already arrived at the tower in compromise with Emilia’s faction.

However, simultaneously, this also meant that they had successfully bound the opposing combat power to merely the powerful duo of a warrior and a magician.

“Still, that’s not just troublesome but exceptionally counterproductive.”

Cursing in a resentful tone, Aldebaran meticulously studied the two.

Ezzo focused with penetrating eyes on my every move, while Garfiel was regaining his composure at Ezzo’s urging—both forming a dangerously problematic state.

Thus—

“You!?”

“—You foolishness!”

Hearing the astonished voices from both Garfiel and Ezzo, Aldebaran crumbled to his knees. Toppling forward, he collapsed with his body hitting the floor, feeling drained of strength while streams of blood flowed from beneath his helmet’s neck area—

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　×　　×　　×

“Wait, Garfiel! Don’t—!”

Ezzo cried out, attempting to call Garfiel to halt just as Aldebaran seized the nearby bookshelf before violently pulling it down, unleashing a domino effect upon Ezzo beneath the steps.

Ordinarily, since “Taygeta’s” bookshelf was weighed down by the abundance of the “Book of the Dead” inside, it would normally be immovable; however, with a carefully concealed “stone” placed beneath it, the situation changed dramatically.

——397.

From the start, I had planned to turn this place into a battleground filled with obstructions, conveniently preparing setups.

The preparations were already complete. Each opportunity outside of those missed will simply shift to the next.

“Damn it!”

As the bookshelf fell towards him, Ezzo hastily summoned winds to annul the domino effect, attempting to prevent the precious “Book of the Dead” from crashing to the ground.

His consideration for that book was commendable—

“Dona!”

Subsequently, Ezzo reversed bookshelves to surround him from all sides.

With the books cascading down and burying him in an avalanche of literature, Ezzo, forced to make a bitter choice, leapt out of the oncoming storm of pages and debris.

“Teacher!”

As Garfiel had not been stopped by Ezzo, he grew wide-eyed, turning his angry visage back toward Aldebaran.

With his mouth spilling blood, Garfiel released his pent-up rage that now fully bore down on Aldebaran.

The belligerent indignation swirling through Garfiel’s emerald eyes filled Aldebaran with terror. Just who was Garfiel fighting with this expression?

And why did he come to help Petras and Meily alone?

“—Hang in there!”

With the sudden surge of questions swelling in her chest, Petra supported Garfiel’s back.

“—!”

Supported by Petra’s hands, Garfiel tightened with newfound strength coursing through him.

Of course, Petra’s petite arms could scarcely cover for Garfiel’s might. It would have been more effective for him to focus purely on the sunlight magic.

But at that moment, Petra entrusted her every concern and faith to Garfiel’s back.

And Garfiel, it seemed, had responded with all his might.

Gradually, the turbulent rumble of the gushing water consuming the corridor began to soften, eventually evolving into the gentle sound of water droplets cascading down as if in a rainspout after a downpour.

Releasing the strength in his feet, Garfiel cleared the stone slab which had blocked the entrance and exhaled deeply.

Then, turning toward Petra, intending to address her—

“Garfiel! Come! Upward! Not toward ‘Taygeta’!”

Perhaps it was an application of magic; the distance became indiscernibly great as Ezzo’s voice boomed, riling Garfiel into an instantaneous response.

Garfiel, typically sharp-toothed despite some broken ones, battled within himself whether to provide an explanation to Petra’s side, nodding momentarily.

“Meily and—uh… I’ll explain…!”

“—Is it Aldebaran?”

“…That’s right.”

Sparsely uttering who had started the chaos, Garfiel quickened his pace, bursting out ahead into the drenched corridor to rejoin Ezzo.

Seeing him vanish, Petra exhaled shakily, covering her face with her hands.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry…!”

Desperately stringing those words together, Petra fought to shake off what was rising within her chest.

Yet hopelessly, the sense of rising emotion persisted.

“Petra-chan.”

Gently, a hand was placed upon Petra’s head, unconstrained and careless; Meily restrained her.

Then, ruffling her hair, Meily with her clumsy softness would realize later that her comfort was only due to her lack of expertise with people.

While awkwardly trying to console Petra, Meily quietly sighed and murmured,

“It may be my fault… Everyone can’t just be helped by the kindness of the older brothers and sisters, you know.”

“That’s, not really…!”

She wished to insist there was no truth to it, but Petra couldn’t muster the confidence to finish that assertion before the sobs escaped.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　△▼△▼△▼△

When hit by the torrent that filled the corridor, Aldebaran was genuinely seized by a sense of helplessness, unaffected by jabs or bitter remarks.

With such a plethora of rebellious techniques and advantages, those who were still hardened were howling in power.

Their strength was such that they literally elicited unqualified admiration.

“—Ugh!”

Without a refuge, the thrashing waters wouldn’t allow him to brace or grip them, sweeping Aldebaran away, mercilessly consuming his stamina and body warmth.

With every tug of resistance against his submersion, he felt his energy waning more violently. The water streaming in filled every orifice, soaking him completely and rendering him defenseless.

Unlike winds with some direction, water’s current could not be managed with dirt walls or stone.

Thus, all Aldebaran could do was be washed and tumbled by the waters.

Just how much water did he drink? There wasn’t an end point that could lead him back.

Only—

“Ugh… Ahhh…”

Gagging as he expelled the water he’d swallowed, he struggled to fill his lungs.

Nothing could stir his frail body anymore, and bracing with one arm, he just barely lifted himself, pouring out the inundated contents of his body like a water balloon packed too tightly.

Water streamed from his nose, mouth, eyes—he couldn’t fathom the lack of feeling in his lower half, terrified that he might have lost control.

Wrapping up his neatly expelled water, he finally noticed—

“—Now, it seems like you no longer possess the strength to resist, but let me hear your defense.”

Slowly stepping onto the stairs, both the wizard and the warrior looked down upon Aldebaran.

The stairs that Aldebaran had struggled to ascend, battered overall, they came to effortlessly plant their feet upon—a symbol of their full fighting spirits and fortitude, even if tired.

On the other side, Aldebaran was no more than a wet, ragged form.

“Ugh…”

Exhausted, Aldebaran let his supporting arm drop, collapsing onto his back.

The sun had set, and the twilight began to drape over the sky, stars shimmering intermittently as they peered down on him. Those twinkling stars filled him with seething resentment.

He hated the stars.

Mockingly shining down at the ground from above, merely twinkling for their amusement, he absolutely loathed the stars.

“Bring me the commander and Beatrice…!”

Aldebaran, lying on his back, was met with Garfiel’s voice, lacking several teeth.

That proclamation was a testament to the resentment towards how he had been so utterly wrecked, with a spirit that prioritized Natsuki Subaru and Beatrice denying him any unspoken chance but to respect that devotion.

That was Al’s answer, yet Aldebaran held a conflicting opinion.

In fact, the truth hurt. It wasn’t that Aldebaran held any malice for Garfiel.

He disliked no one.

Garfiel, Ezzo, Petra and Meily who were within this tower, even Frum and those whom he was destined to confront in the future—he didn’t dislike anyone.

What he detested was solely himself and Natsuki Subaru.

“Hey, you’re not hearing me!?”

“Calm yourself, Garfiel. Lord Al, silence here can be regarded as provocation, but it is unnecessary. It should be evident by now.”

“———”

“You seem to wield some unknown magic… forbidden techniques of sorts, given you that ability, yet that doesn’t mean you’re invincible. It could be me or someone else entirely; whatever the case, counteractions will commence. No matter how skilled you are, it’s impossible to win every fight.”

Ezzo remained logically sound, even as his words bore credibility to Aldebaran who had been driven this far. Despite the exhaustive situation, Aldebaran had comprehensively mapped the potential counters against his abilities.

At this moment, where he could manage not even the slightest gesture, all excuses were in vain.

Simply—

“——As Ezzo says, you are right. I cannot win every fight.”

From his supine position, Aldebaran affirmed Ezzo’s words.

As a result, Garfiel and Ezzo exchanged differing responses: Garfiel wore a scowl while Ezzo’s caution heightened.

Expressing such a statement was hardly comforting; to be sure, they maintained their wariness.

Yet Aldebaran accepted the anguish born of awareness. She’s not going anywhere now.

—748.

After all that effort, I found myself floating helplessly without anything of worth.

Trying to figure out the specifics of when I was going to be drowned in that gushing torrent became the only means available to glean any knowledge. After being swept away, I had nothing viable to clinch for this inconsequential Aldebaran.

Instead, I kept riding the current incessantly.

And finally, I’d reeled it in.

“I cannot win every fight. —So, to achieve victory, I only need to win this last one.”

“What do you—”

“I wanted to come here. This place is the only condition I could have termed victory.”

Ignoring the puzzled expressions from both Ezzo and Garfiel, Aldebaran pressed on.

There was no luxury to answer. Even now, I was continuing to stitch together the swiftest thoughts without letting consciousness fade.

It wasn’t a matter of pride nor a victory proclamation to provoke anyone.

I wanted them to understand—how much I had gathered my stardust.

“———”

These two, radiating an air of bewilderment, noticed where Aldebaran was directing his raised arm.

As both Ezzo and Garfiel’s throats tightened, they grasped the implication of what lay in Aldebaran’s pointed direction.

Despite a lack of clear understanding of its significance, they recognized the discrepancy.

That was—

“A ‘Book of the Dead,’ was it…?”

“Whose is it!?”

Beneath the waterlogged conditions remained that single book maintaining its structure despite the overwhelming deluge.

As the sodden pages lay open, they awed wide-eyed with disbelief, their voices trembling.

Understanding couldn’t catch up with them baited by the question—even when revealed, its meaning wouldn’t resonate deeply.

However, from the beginning, Aldebaran had sought this book, wishing to utilize it upon reaching the tower.

It was clear that was the only preparation I could have made to eliminate Natsuki Subaru.

The title contained within that “Book of the Dead” bore only one name—

“—It’s my name.”

“———”

As the answer fell out, a momentary emptiness engulfed Ezzo and Garfiel.

It was a clear opening, yet unfortunately, Aldebaran lacked the energy to seize upon the opportunity. That fleeting chance would slip past the grasp of Aldebaran.

Therefore, the one to capitalize on that chance will be— the one inside, “Aldebaran.”

The drenched “Book of the Dead” lay there as Aldebaran faced it, taking in the figure before the two who stood engaged in silence.

Then the being cloaked in azure-white scales, said to be the most resilient of all creatures, unfurled its wings asserting,

“——The stars were unlucky.”

The next instant, the gust of steam from the “Dragon” Volcanica—or rather, of Aldebaran’s breath, was unleashed mercilessly towards the wizard and warrior before him.