Neville von Lagnarich.

Unlike Emperor Lutan, he had always been known as a man of virtue, a kindly prince.

Yet now, to find him here—in a place that should have no connection to him—Tia felt as though she had been struck in the back of the head. She froze where she stood.

“Was it too sudden?”

Neville spoke lightly, exhaling a quiet breath.

“My apologies. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“What is going on here?” Tia forced her voice steady, glaring at him, “Are you the one behind this?”

“Which part do you mean?” Neville glanced around the chamber, “Do you mean this place itself? His Majesty’s passing? Or perhaps…”

“All of it. You’re admitting it’s all you.”

Tia could hardly keep up.

“Were you even involved in putting Clay on the scaffold?”

It was the one question she had to ask. That execution had been the spark that threw the continent into ruin.

“…Was I involved?” Neville tilted his head, “Not exactly. From the beginning, Sir Clay was destined to stand upon that scaffold. There was nothing I needed to arrange.”

“Lies and sophistry.”

Tia’s teeth clenched.

“You call it destiny just to excuse yourself?”

“No. I mean it literally.”

Neville sighed.

“From the day Clay became a Hero, His Majesty had already prepared everything. I simply let it unfold.”

“Then did you kill Lutan?”

“I did not. He died fulfilling his duty.”

His duty.

A sham battle. Pretending to hold back the tide of demons in a pit—proclaiming it was his sacred role.

“And whether false or not, His Majesty did what was necessary to preserve peace. To rally men, he had to wear the mantle of sacred duty.”

“…Absurd.” Tia felt her very sanity fray, “Why make Clay a Hero? Why drive him to death? You—who claimed to admire him.”

“I do admire him.” Neville’s voice dropped low, “Truly, I do. Even now, I believe he is great.”

“Then why set this trap?”

“Because Clay must exist as a Hero.”

“A Hero…?”

Tia’s breath trembled. Neville smiled faintly.

“He was born to that role. No one else could fulfill it. He smashed everything that defied Elhaen—because that was his sacred mission.”

“And when he fulfilled that mission, why the scaffold?”

“I told you. It was fate. That too was his mission.” Neville’s smile faded, “But the story was ruined. Clay’s perfect saga was torn apart. The fairy tale I wanted was shredded.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“Would you like to hear the whole truth here and now? Forgive me, but there isn’t time.”

He began walking.

“I’ve brought Clay this far. Now I must do what is necessary.”

“What are you planning?”

“What else?” Neville tilted his head, “I will make him a Hero again.”

“!”

“Clay is perfection as a Hero.”

There was an unyielding light in Neville’s eyes. Tia’s skin prickled with dread.

To make Clay a Hero again—she couldn’t even fathom what that meant. But she knew she couldn’t let him leave. If Neville had orchestrated all this, he was the greatest danger to Clay.

I have to kill him here.

Tia raised Excalbren. Neville’s glance flicked toward her.

“That sword. A stolen holy blade. Forgive me, but I won’t die to such a corrupted weapon.”

BOOOM!

An explosion rocked the chamber. Neville didn’t so much as flinch, as if he himself had caused it.

“My apologies, but this greeting will have to end here. Before you die, do set Excalbren down gently. I’ll be needing it later. Farewell.”

“Neville! Stop!”

She lunged after him—

CRASH!

A monstrous figure slammed into the ground, blocking her path.

“!”

A giant demon, its eyes gouged out, horns twisted, wings torn. Its arms ended in stalactite-like claws, its whole frame towering nearly ten meters.

Thoom.

It lumbered forward, and Tia’s gaze darted to the collapsing wall behind it.

‘That explosion… the prison doors?’

The cages that had held the demons. She had thought them all long dead.

But this one had not died.

ROOAAAR!

Broken though its body was, the demon lived.

‘It wasn’t dead—just sleeping…’

The monster’s colossal foot swung toward her.

BOOOOM!

Her blade met it. Excalbren’s holy light surged, lifting the giant’s leg upward. It staggered back, off-balance.

Tia leapt high, driving her blade down into its chest.

THUUD!

The demon toppled, the shockwave rattling the cavern. Dust billowed, but Tia pressed forward without pause.

Hummm.

Excalbren sang with power. She climbed onto the fallen demon and hacked mercilessly.

Again and again, her blade tore it apart, Excalbren’s holy might ripping the massive body like paper. She did not stop until the monster fell silent, shredded beyond recognition.

“Neville.”

But by then, he was gone.

Her eyes scoured the cavern—nothing. Not even a trace.

Tia’s fist tightened.

You admire the Hero, do you?

And so you would drag Clay back into that role?

She could not understand him. He had condemned Clay to the scaffold, and now claimed to want him as Hero once more.

When Clay died, all he was given was a small grave. Even that had been too much for some—yet she had marked it as her final homage.

‘What are you trying to undo?’

Even if Clay became Hero again, nothing would change. His role was finished. He was already suffering under the weight of his past. To bind him again with that burden…

It would be the same yoke that had killed him.

“Neville.”

Her eyes burned with fury as she glared into the darkness where he had gone.

“Clay is not your Hero.”

Neville’s vision of the Hero.

Whatever it truly meant, Tia knew one thing—she could not allow Clay to be thrust back into that torment.

“I won’t let it happen again.”

Her grip tightened on Excalbren as she stepped forward.

♧

“Looks like something big has happened.”

Krata’s capital.

Atop a spire near the imperial palace, a woman in a wide-brimmed hat sat perched.

“I thought it was all under control…”

Yuru, the Grand Mage, tilted her head as she watched the Demon King’s army pouring into the palace—then spilling back out again.

“Hm~. And there’s the magic circle, too.”

Even outside, the lines of a vast circle glowed faintly. Not yet complete, but already oppressive in its aura.

“If my brother sees me here, he won’t be pleased.”

Yuru pressed a finger to her lips, her expression playful, yet troubled.

“Ah, what to do~. I can’t just leave him in danger, though.”

“Are you really worried, or only pretending to be?”

A dry voice cut in. Yuru turned her head.

A crow perched nearby—Omni, the All-Present God.

“If you’re going in, then hurry. And while you’re at it, give me my halo back.”

“Oh, this?”

Yuru jabbed a finger into the air. A round halo dangled from it, as if hooked.

“Sorry, but I rather like it.”

She flicked it above her head. Omni launched himself, beak snapping for it—

Zzzt!

A crackling ward of lightning struck him, sending the crow screeching and tumbling across the rooftop.

“Why bring pain upon yourself? If you’re truly a god of omnipresence, then act like one—just watch.”

“Ghhk…”

Omni shuddered, feathers ruffled, glaring at her.

“You’ve bound my power, crippled it. What are you trying to do?”

“You know exactly.” Yuru smiled, “I only want to stay at my brother’s side. Your power is convenient, that’s all. Combined with mine, it amplifies beautifully.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

Omni scowled.

“Hero’s sister or not, walking into that place is suicide.”

“Why?”

“Are you really asking me? You, the Master of the Blue Tower?”

The circle that had manifested—it was a device to awaken another of the ancient gods.

“Crea will rise. There’s no one else buried there. When he does, the Demon King’s army will be caught in the release and shattered.”

“And if Crea rises, what—just another one like you?”

“Don’t mock the gods.”

Omni’s caw was sharp, furious.

“Crea is the strongest of us. True, without worship his strength is limited. But unlike Athanasia, his very existence distorts the world. With sacrifices, he will be unstoppable.”

“So someone’s offered up the citizens of Krata?”

“Yes.”

Omni’s tone was bitter.

“They won’t release him fully. They plan to draw on his power by force. A single wish, perhaps—”

“And one wish would be all.”

Yuru cut him off, certain.

“How do you know?”

“Because it’s aimed at my brother. Whatever they wish, it’s to strike at him. And something that big can’t be done with a small desire.”

She rose smoothly to her feet.

“It’s about time. If I move at the perfect moment, he won’t forget me.”

Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she glanced at the crow.

“Watch closely, All-Present God. See what unfolds here.”

Whrrr.

The halo spun once—and Yuru vanished.

Omni sat there, stunned, muttering darkly.

“This is tangled beyond hope…”

Caw.

Perched high like any other crow, he stared down at the chaos below.

(End of Chapter)