"Commander Franz, we've received a message from the Imperial Capital! It appears that after we departed, there was an attack—"
"……Hmph. So it was as expected…… But there are no oversights. The Starlight Church has deployed capable Hunters, starting with Ark Rodan."
Franz answered with a bitter expression in response to his subordinate's report.
Preparations to receive the Spiritfolk sorcerer were progressing smoothly. Knight orders had been stationed in the towns along the route to the Great Forest where the Spiritfolk resided, and they had also sought the cooperation of Sage Crasta, a professor at the Zebludia Magic Academy who was well-versed in Spiritfolk ecology.
The defense of the city was left to the Hunters. While there were some who expressed reluctance about relying on Hunter assistance, this was the result of a calm judgment. If it meant stopping the prophecy, they would exhaust every means at their disposal.
Star's Holy Thunder had already entered the forest. What Franz could do now was to bring the sorcerer back as quickly as possible and have her purify Marin's Lamentation.
No matter how powerful an organization was, the members of the "Nine-Tailed Shadow Fox" were ultimately human. Breaking through the combination of Silver Star Ten Thousand Thunders and the immovable stalwart in a short time was impossible. There were also many other powerful individuals.
A brilliant read, learning from the experience of when the airship was shot down and factoring in that absurd man's way of thinking.
Franz nodded in satisfaction at his own sharp insight, but the subordinate who had come to report wore a bewildered expression as he spoke.
"N-no…… That is…… The Imperial Capital has suffered enormous damage—Thousand Transformations is flying around the skies screaming Commander Franz's name while being chased by a curse."
"………Huh?"
§ § § Bad, bad, bad.
His heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might rupture. If he could see himself in a mirror right now, Tinno's face was undoubtedly as pale as it could possibly be.
He was desperately riding Karu through the skies above the Imperial Capital. A Spiritfolk under a curse was pursuing them from behind with an avalanche-like momentum. The relentless sounds of destruction turned into vibrations that shook his brain.
The capital must have suffered considerable damage by now. But if he was caught before that—there was no doubt. He would be killed. And if Mastaa fell, there would be no one left to protect the Imperial Capital.
Even Karu, who had shown speed like a gale, was completely spent. The Clan House was within sight, but whether they could make it that far— Without even turning around, he could tell the distance was closing. Moments ago they had been faster, but the opponent's stamina was bottomless.
His throat was parched dry. The Thousand Trials after such a long break were, as always, anything but something you'd call trials—they were utterly unmanageable.
He muttered words of weakness to Mastaa, who was riding along casually.
"M-M-Mastaa…… they're going to catch us……"
"Ghh…… Fine, I didn't want to use this, but—Dog Chain! Finger Shot!"
As if laughing at Tinno's cowardice, Mastaa began taunting the Spiritfolk.
That's…… that's not it, Mastaa! I just wanted some encouragement!
The Spiritfolk swatted away the magic bullets and chain with nothing more than forward momentum, then let out a roar. The miasma cloaking its body grew even denser.
"Ni—N—Gen—Ngh!!"
With a sharp crack, Tinno clearly heard the sound of the world shattering. Building after building crumbled as they flew past. He had never known that a curse with this kind of physical impact existed.
If he stopped moving now, Tinno's body would freeze solid and never move again. He was even starting to feel that kind of delusion.
It was his mission. What was driving Tinno now was nothing more than a sense of duty.
Mastaa was being attacked because Tinno had given him the ring. No matter what, he had to get Mastaa to the Clan House lounge and open Mimikun's lock.
He had always trained to be able to perform the unlocking calmly under any circumstances, but honestly, he had no confidence at all that he could open Mimikun's lock instantly in his current condition.
Mimikun's lock mechanism wasn't all that complex, but considering the speed difference with the curse, there would be almost no time available. At minimum, maybe the span of a single breath—at most, perhaps ten-odd seconds.
Honestly, Mastaa was overestimating Tinno by far. But he couldn't say he couldn't do it. Tinno had already told Mastaa once that he could open it!
He focused his consciousness. He banished the pursuing Spiritfolk from his mind, stopped his body from trembling, and steadied his breathing.
Under normal circumstances, unlocking was simple. It would definitely, absolutely work— The place of final battle. The Clan House came into view. It felt like an eternity since Hugh had brought the box and collapsed. Where on earth had he obtained something like that?
Leap into the lounge, jump off the carpet, open the lock. Leap into the lounge, jump off the carpet, open the lock.
He muttered the steps to himself in a stutter. He could do it. He could do it, surely. Believe in success, Tinno Shade! Show Mastaa the results of every trial and all the growth you've achieved!
He could see the shattered lounge window. Thanks to Karu's efforts, they had made it here without being caught by the cursed Spiritfolk.
Now was the moment for a breakthrough— And just as he steeled himself and fixed his gaze forward, his posture suddenly collapsed. Speed hemorrhaged away in an instant.
"Karu!?"
"!?"
He was out of mana. By the time he realized it, it was already too late. Karu, who had helped them with incredible vitality, was now nothing more than a regular carpet, and their bodies were suddenly dragged down by gravity.
The lounge was far above. There was still a little thrust remaining, but the height was nowhere near enough.
He'd failed. He should have abandoned Karu and transferred over when they got close. Tinno had been so focused on the lock mechanism that he'd made a completely careless mistake.
His body falling. Mastaa's wide eyes. The Spiritfolk closing in from behind.
He was about to scream when—from directly below, something hard pierced into Tinno's body.
A cough, and a breath escaped. A heavy impact that reverberated all the way to his bones. It was something he had been intimately familiar with for a long time.
Almost reflexively, he gripped Mastaa's hand tightly. Tinno's body was launched upward by the impact from below. At the edge of his vision, pink-blond hair swept past.
"……Hey, you damn—hurry up and go already! You're too slow!"
Thank you, Big Sister!
He didn't feel any pain. He focused his consciousness. He took the impact, slid into the lounge.
Bouncing off the floor, Mastaa tumbled near Mimikun with a strained, ferocious grin and said: "It's 'Zero.'"
There was no time to consider what those words meant. The cursed Spiritfolk who had charged in from behind descended into the lounge.
Tinno desperately rushed toward Mimikun, which had been left in the center of the lounge.
Open the lock. Open the lock. Open the lock. Nothing else—matters.
Darkness crept across the Spiritfolk's feet. The floor, the walls, the ceiling. The darkness was closing in.
No good—there was no time to open it. That premonition flashed through his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to give up without trying.
And then Tinno touched the treasure chest, and for what must have been the nth time, his eyes went wide in surprise.
"The lock…… is open!"
The lock mechanism was lying on the floor. He opened Mimikun's lid. Inside was filled with darkness, as if it led to the abyss.
It's Big Sister! Big Sister had sensed the situation in advance and opened it for him!
The lock-picking had been Big Sister's role. Then Tinno's role was— That was when Tinno finally realized the tremendous thing he'd forgotten entirely.
………………Is there a way to get this cursed Spiritfolk into Mimikun?
"End—of—the—line—human! You are the most loathsome opponent I have ever encountered!"
The curse was calm. It wouldn't carelessly step inside Mimikun. He could lift the treasure chest and charge at it, but Tinno wasn't so naive as to think that would actually trap the opponent inside.
He looked toward Mastaa. Mastaa was blinking, as if waiting for something.
To remain composed even in such dire straits—as expected of a god. If possible, he wished Mastaa would grant him his divine blessing.
The Spiritfolk, wearing a demonic expression, advanced with slow steps. Suddenly, from behind the Spiritfolk, Marin's Lamentation and the Black Knight emerged and stood in its path.
Marin's Lamentation wasn't really lamenting—it looked like it was about to cry.
The Black Knight's face was hidden by its helmet, so his expression was invisible, but it was probably something similar. The two curses were quite powerful by human standards, but they were clearly several tiers below the monster standing before them.
Seeing Marin's Lamentation raise its black staff and the Black Knight ready its demon sword, the Spiritfolk furrowed its brow.
That was all the Spiritfolk did.
There was no warning. Marin's Lamentation and the Black Knight were mowed down and swallowed by black tendrils launched from behind.
The speed was terrifying. Tinno, a Thief, couldn't even blink. The two curses facing it had probably not even understood what had happened to them.
The single strongest remaining curse looked at Mastaa.
"How…… pathetic…… Did you sympathize with weakness…… Were you bound by it—is this your final gambit, Klye Andrich?"
The Spiritfolk spoke quietly, its cheeks twitching.
Mastaa had once said that "Spiritfolk are beautiful, so when they get angry it's terrifying—everyone except Klyuss," and indeed, this face was so beautiful it seemed otherworldly, and yet horrifying.
"Whoa…… That's awful…… How could you do that to a comrade—"
Even Mastaa was caught off guard by this, or perhaps overwhelmed by its oppressive presence—he covered his mouth and retreated.
And then—he tripped over Mimikun, whose lid was still open, and was sucked in headfirst.
"…………"
The Spiritfolk wore a frozen expression and fell silent. Its eyes met Tinno's, and Tinno involuntarily shook his head back and forth.
Oh, I understand, Mastaa! My role was—to pull Mastaa back out! I'll pull you out as many times as needed, as long as I don't get killed!!
The Spiritfolk's slender shoulders trembled, and its form flickered violently. And then— "Ki—Killos…… Don't you dare—make a fool of meeeeeeeeeeeeee!!"
"!?"
—A roar.
The impact, as if his insides were being turned inside out, shattered his knees.
The Spiritfolk's form crumbled into a grotesque mass and became a thick, black liquid.
Before Tinno, who couldn't even scream, the liquid surged toward Mimikun's entrance with the force of a torrent.
Caught off guard by the chain of unexpected events, his judgment was too slow. No—even if his judgment had been in time, he no longer had the strength to resist.
The Spiritfolk hadn't been targeting Tinno, but the black liquid included Tinno, who was near Mimikun, within its effective range.
The torrent-like force swept his body along. He struggled, trying to move his frozen body, but it was no use. His body was sucked into Mimikun along with the curse.
Tinno gathered his last strength and screamed: "Big Sisteerrrrrrr, I'm so sorryyyyyyyyy!!"