I Was a Sword When I Reincarnated (LN) - Volume 15 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Intelligence Weapons

The workshop ship we had intended to go to was now emitting a column of fire and black smoke.

『Are Roblen and the others safe?』

（Master, could it be Zelyse's doing?）

『I don't know.』

But the possibility was extremely high.

『For now, let's head to that ship!』

「Nn! Urushi!」

「Woof!」

Fran mounted Urushi, and they headed toward the exploding workshop ship. Since it was a workshop, it likely contained flammable chemicals, and occasional explosions of various sizes occurred. Moreover, it seemed to have a hole in the hull, and it was sinking rapidly. This was a significant disaster.

I didn't think simply dousing it with magic would solve the problem.

『Hey, hey, what about Roblen and...』

「Master! Over there!」

Fran pointed, and we saw Roblen clinging to a plank, floating in the lake.

「Roblen!」

「Ah, Fran-san...」

Using telekinesis, I lifted Roblen onto Urushi's back. He seemed quite exhausted.

「Are you alright?」

「I'm somehow... but the other adventurers who went into the workshop with me...」

「What happened?」

With a pained expression on his face, Fran asked Roblen about the cause of the explosion.

「The alchemist in the workshop suddenly threw something like a bottle. Then, a massive explosion occurred, igniting the chemicals.」

「What about that alchemist?」

「I don't know. I should have been caught in the explosion... but I can't imagine someone like him dying so easily.」

According to Roblen, he was a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes who spoke like a child.

「He's not just an ordinary alchemist. He's a much more terrifying opponent... Just looking at him gave me goosebumps.」

There was no mistake; it was Zelyse. Roblen, with the keen instincts of a veteran adventurer, must have sensed that the opponent was no ordinary person.

『Fran, let's prioritize rescue for now.』

「Nn!」

Urushi and Fran divided their efforts to rescue the people floating in the lake.

「Are you okay?」

「T-Thank you...」

「Woof?」

「Aaaah!」

Among the rescued individuals were not only the adventurers who had entered the ship with Roblen but also ordinary workers who had been on the workshop ship.

The adventurers expressed their gratitude, but those who were not adventurers screamed in fear upon seeing Urushi, thinking they were being attacked by a giant wolf. Well, at first, Urushi had used his mouth to lift them, so that might have contributed to it. He was large, and his face was quite intimidating. It would be challenging to tell ordinary people not to be scared.

『So don't get too down about it, I told Urushi.』

「Arf...」

Later on, adventurers who could walk on water like Roblen also joined the rescue efforts, and a significant number of people were saved. However, not everyone made it out safely, and many bodies had to be recovered.

Fran clenched her fists, trembling with anger.

「...Zelyse...」

『Where the hell did that guy go? I wondered.』

「Grr!」

Both Urushi and I felt the anger.

Zelyse should have the ability to teleport, but if he caused the explosion himself, he wouldn't have gone too far yet. Could Urushi track him using his nose? Or perhaps, with our current abilities, Fran and I might be able to sense his presence with our skills.

『Zelyse is still around here—』

BOOOOOOM!

『W-What's that?』

「There! Another fire!」

We quickly checked the source of the sound and saw another column of fire rising from a different ship.

This time, we could be sure which ship it was since we had just been there.

『The Messer Company's ship...』

Following the workshop ship, the Messer Company's ship was also engulfed in flames and smoke and slowly sinking.

The speed at which the fire spread was unbelievably fast. It seemed they had rigged something on the ship for evidence destruction.

「Let's go!」

『Right!』

We resumed our rescue efforts, but we could only rescue adventurers this time. Many of the Messer Company's personnel had been detained by adventurers and couldn't escape the fire. Even if they managed to jump into the lake, some of them drowned because their limbs were bound. Moreover, the situation was far from over.

BOOM!

Another loud noise resonated. However, this time, it wasn't an explosion. It didn't have the heavy impact that reverberated through the body like before. Rather than an explosion, it sounded like something cracking and breaking apart.

Goooo! Doooom!

Moreover, it kept happening intermittently.

『Fran, above us!』

「Nn!」

We ascended in place and looked in the direction of the noise.

『Oh no...』

「Master, let's go!」

『Yes! Urushi, hurry!』

「Woof!」

It seemed that our sensing skills hadn't gone awry.

『Why are there so many damn Modoki...!』

「Did Zelyse summon them?」

『Don't be foolish! How would he summon Modoki without understanding their ecology?』

Multiple ships from the commercial fleet were being attacked by Modoki. Some ships already had Modoki clinging to them, opening large holes in the hulls.

Many adventurers had been mobilized for entering the Messer Company and workshop ships, thinning the guard around the fleet. Then, a large number of Modoki surged in, overwhelming their defenses.

Was this a coincidence? No, it wasn't. It was speculated that the Modoki were originally targeting the Crimson Elixir. And with the explosions and fires on the workshop and company ships, a massive amount of Crimson Elixir had flowed into the lake.

Moreover, the loud noises and conspicuous columns of flames would likely attract the Modoki.

While it was challenging to determine the exact number of Modoki's presence due to their overwhelming numbers, there should be more than thirty around the fleet. And it seemed that more were gathering.

『Anyway, let's hunt down the Modoki!』

「Nn!」

『Both of you, don't use flashy magic, okay? Approach and eliminate them in close combat to avoid causing damage to the fleet!』

「Just like before. No problem.」

「Woof!」

『Alright, let's go!』

We and Urushi split into two groups and began taking down the nearby Modoki. I briefly considered splitting into three groups. If we fought underwater, the chances of revealing that I was a sword that Fran was using would be low. However, I decided against it.

Zelyse might still be around here. I didn't want to leave Fran alone in such a place.

I didn't think Fran would easily get defeated in her current state. However, Zelyse possessed an eerie unpredictability that couldn't be measured by strength or stats. There was a fear of not knowing what he might do.

「Master?」

『Oops, sorry. I just got curious about Zelyse's presence for a moment. But more importantly, we need to deal with the Modoki first.』

「Nn!」

Despite their numbers, we had no trouble dealing with the Modoki. We couldn't perform flashy attacks, so we needed quantity over quality, but we hardly took any damage. We could ambush the Modoki, which were targeting ships, and we were inherently stronger than them. There was no element of struggling. However, we remained vigilant.

（Master, we're being watched.）

『Yeah. I'm sensing it too. But I don't know where it's coming from—』

（I don't know either.）

Clearly, someone was observing us. It wasn't as if the people from the fleet were looking at the mysterious girl trampling the Modoki with fascination.

This was a much more clingy, eerie gaze. It felt like they were observing an intriguing experiment subject or planning to kidnap a young girl they had their eyes on by the roadside. It exuded intense discomfort and a sinister perversion. I felt like finding their location and knocking them out immediately. Moreover, this person wasn't just watching us; it seemed like they were observing the entire battlefield.

Who could it be? We'd find out if we captured them, but we didn't know their location. They were either at quite a distance or had a high-level stealth ability. However, that was our concern.

（Woof woof!）

Urushi, who had evolved into Ragnarok Wolf, seemed to have captured the source of the gaze with his keen senses. He truly lived up to expectations.

『Urushi, keep tracking their location as it is.』

（Woof!）

First, we had to deal with the Modoki. Other adventurers had also joined the battle, but we still needed more firepower. If we left, the fleet would suffer significant damage.

『Roblen and Sierra seem to be the strongest here.』

Roblen, who had returned to the frontlines, and Sierra, who had appeared out of nowhere. These two were particularly standing out in terms of their achievements.

（Hmm, that sword she's wielding is amazing.）

『Indeed.』

As Fran remarked, Sierra's jet-black sword was more powerful than one could imagine. We couldn't appraise it due to the malevolent aura surrounding it, but there was no doubt that it was a considerably high-tier magic sword. It wasn't just about raw attack power; it clearly boosted Sierra's abilities. Moreover, it had a substantial enhancement rate.

Sierra, who was originally at the D-rank level, moved in a way that was no less impressive than Roblen's.

Gripping the sword cloaked in dark malevolence, she swiftly moved across the water's surface, slashing through the Modoki one after another. Her appearance was far from that of a low-ranking adventurer. She could easily be considered a B-rank adventurer at least.

However, for some reason, I could sense something akin to anxiety from Sierra. It felt different from vigilance against the Modoki or anger. I initially thought it was the determination to face a formidable opponent, but with Sierra's current strength, she could handle a swarm of Modoki without any issues. It seemed strange for her to exude such tension. So, what was she nervous about?

As I continued to observe Sierra while defeating the Modoki, it seemed like she was searching for something. It appeared that, just like us, she was trying to find the source of the gaze that was observing the battlefield.

『Well, we found it first!』

「Woof!」

I boasted, but it was Urushi who had found it. Moreover, I still hadn't discovered the source of the gaze.

『Urushi, please.』

After confirming that there were hardly any Modoki left around the fleet, we immediately took action to ensure our target didn't escape.

『Let's finish them off before the one behind the gaze can flee!』

（Woof!）

The plan itself wasn't difficult. Urushi would use Shadow Shift to ambush our hidden adversary, and we would teleport following Urushi's presence. The problem was if the opponent was too far away for teleportation to reach—

「Ooooonn!」

It seemed there was no problem. Urushi disappeared into the shadows on the spot.

And the next moment, Urushi's presence appeared several dozen meters behind the fleet.

『In fact, it's close!』

「Nn.」

This confirmed that our adversary possessed considerable stealth abilities. Despite being only about 200 meters away, they could evade our detection to such an extent, which was quite impressive.

『Don't let your guard down.』

「Nn!」

I, along with Fran, fully prepared for battle, teleported following Urushi. Of course, we concealed our presence. It made no sense to be discovered right after teleporting; it would defeat the purpose of the ambush.

Below us, Urushi and a man faced each other as we jumped slightly above the water's surface. Around the man, who stood on the water just like Urushi, something resembling black tentacles wriggled. It seemed to be a restraining magic that Urushi had cast. However, it appeared to be blocked by a barrier the man had erected.

『Zelyse!』

The man, who appeared to have a refreshing smile, with his blonde hair and blue eyes, was someone I clearly recognized. He was the infamous pretty-boy, Zelyse. I had a premonition, and it seemed that he was indeed the one behind the gaze.

「Master!」

『I got it!』

Fran immediately readied herself at my words. In response to her statement, I transformed into my sword form. It might have been a feeling I hadn't experienced in a while, communicating with Fran like this.

It was indeed about the sword and its wielder. I was Fran's guardian, but I was also Fran's sword. The battlefield was where we communicated most effectively, and it was only natural. Fran nodded slightly.

「Nn.」

With that alone, I understood what Fran wanted to convey. She was about to unleash Sheathes of Wind, and I quickly activated the most suitable wind-attribute sword. In addition to that, I activated various skills that I desired. Fran seemed satisfied as she squinted her eyes.

『Now, let's go, Fran!』

「Nn!」

While Urushi kept Zelyse occupied, Fran, who had concealed her presence, launched a surprise attack.

「—!」

Fran sprinted wordlessly from the sky towards the lake's surface.

Normally, various signs such as sound, air movements, body temperature, and other indicators would give away one's presence. However, all these signs were perfectly nullified by skills. Even the reflection of oneself in the lake's surface was erased by magic.

When Zelyse finally noticed Fran descending from the sky, the distance between them had closed to just a few meters.

「Uwaaah!」

「Shh!」

Zelyse, showing a foolish expression, had Fran swinging me down at him.

There was no scent of combat skills coming from Zelyse. He might have knowledge, but he was no master. What was abnormal was that Zelyse noticed Fran's ambush even before being attacked. He was definitely not an ordinary opponent. While holding onto that thought, I activated multiple elemental swords.

『Take this!』

My blade passed through Zelyse's body as if there was no resistance, as if it had easily cut through him—not exactly. There was no sensation at all. It was as if I had cut through an illusion, penetrating it completely.

『Huh?』

「Hmm?」

The strike released by Fran had merely passed through Zelyse's body, deeply cleaving the water's surface beneath him for over ten meters. Until just a moment ago, there should have undoubtedly been Zelyse's presence. There was no doubt about it. However, now it was different. His appearance was visible, but there was no presence or magical power felt at all.

We appeared exactly as we did when using Dimension Shift, but there was absolutely no sign of spacetime magic being used. We had no idea what had been done to us. However, neither Fran nor I were particularly surprised by this. We had suspected that this individual might be capable of evading our attacks.

Because of that, without getting shaken, we proceeded to our next actions.

「Haah!」

『Take this!』

Without any pause, Fran unleashed a series of slashes. At the same time, I continued to cast magic. We didn't know the exact nature of Zelyse's transference ability, but if it was similar to Dimension Shift, it shouldn't be able to last for an extended period. Therefore, we decided to keep attacking until his ability wore off.

「Oh my, Fran-san! It's been a while!」

「Too late!」

『You're quite confident, aren't you?』

「Don't make such a scary face~.」

Zelyse showed a non-hostile, carefree smile. This only irritated Fran further, and she increased the speed of her sword strikes. However, Zelyse's transference ability showed no signs of faltering. He continued to grin smugly, seemingly unfazed, standing in place.

『In that case, take this!』

「Ahahaha! Non-incantation spacetime magic, impressive!」

I used Dimension Sword, a form of spacetime magic. It inflicted damage regardless of the opponent's defenses and was effective against abilities like Dimension Shift. However, Zelyse's infuriating grin remained unbroken.

『Tch!』

Dimension Sword was deflected by a semi-transparent barrier! A barrier? It appeared that he had taken thorough precautions. However, taking precautions indicated that attacks using spacetime attributes were effective.

『Urushi!』

「Grrr!」

「Whoa! Even the wolf here!」

Urushi's skill, Dimension Fang, had a spacetime attribute similar to Dimension Sword, but its power was overwhelmingly greater. It was probably equivalent to a high-tier dimension magic skill rather than spacetime magic.

Seeing the approaching fangs, Zelyse quickly created a barrier in front of him. While the barrier wouldn't be able to withstand Urushi's attack for long, it seemed he was trying to buy himself some time.

Zelyse's figure vanished and reappeared a few meters away. What was peculiar was that I couldn't sense any movement of magical power or anything else. I had been spreading my awareness throughout the surroundings to detect the destination of his transference. However, I couldn't capture any of the behavior associated with his transference.

Could it be that the Zelyse in front of us was a mirage after all? No, if it were a mirage, there should still be magical power sensed in the creation of that mirage. However, I couldn't sense anything from this Zelyse at all.

It was as if he were an illusion akin to a mirage created by a natural phenomenon. That was the only explanation that made sense, but...

If that were the case, there should be no way to converse with him. Furthermore, he had blocked my spacetime magic and evaded Urushi's attacks. It seemed that he was somehow making his own physical presence disappear.

『...Fran, unleash spacetime magic with full force. I'm counting on your support.』

「Nn.」

Even with weak spacetime magic, it can be boosted to some extent by pouring an excessive amount of magical power into it.

『Urushi, concentrate on stopping him. As soon as he evades my attack, go after him without delay.』

「Grr!」

Zelyse was fast on his feet, and at this rate, he might escape. If we let him get away, who knew what he might do? We would use up all our magical power if necessary; we had to finish him off right here!

「Fran-san, you've come all the way here... Could it be that you're after me?」

He provocatively opened his mouth with an annoying expression that remained unchanged. As if that would ever happen!

「No, we're not. More importantly, what are you doing here? What's your plan with the Crimson Water Medicine?」

「Huh? Do you want to know?」

「I know that you've become an important underling of the Raydoss Kingdom. What are you scheming in this country?」

「Hehe, if you want to know that badly, I guess I can tell you.」

To Fran's questions, Zelyse easily opened up and started talking about his misdeeds. That's right, he was just that type of person. Well, it made sense, and we gained an understanding of the situation, so it was somewhat appreciated.

「Our goal wasn't the Crimson Water Medicine!」

「Nn?」

It wasn't the Crimson Water Medicine? After hoarding so much of it?

「You look puzzled. Well then, want to know why I was collecting Crimson Water Medicine?」

「Why were you collecting it then?」

「I wasn't collecting it on purpose. I was just tossing the excess into the warehouse.」

It didn't make sense. Weren't you making Crimson Water Medicine because you needed it and storing it in the warehouse?

「What we were after was something that's produced during the production process of Crimson Water Medicine.」

「Something?」

「Waste fluid. Well, to me, that was the main event. To be honest, Crimson Water Medicine is like waste fluid to me.」

Fran's surprised expression seemed to fuel his self-indulgence. He began talking even more openly.

The originally existing tablet-type medicine for endemic diseases in this country used all parts of the Crimson Water Grass. First, the outer skin of the stem had an effect that disrupted spacetime magic, scattering the accumulated spacetime magical power in the body. Then, the inner part of the stem possessed the power to control spacetime magic, curing spacetime magic intoxication.

However, it seemed that Zelyse and the Messer Company had developed a Crimson Water Medicine that only used the part of the stem with the controlling power.

As a result, there was a significant difference between the two. The tablet took longer to take effect. The liquid medicine, on the other hand, seemed to work immediately when ingested. However, the tablet method slowly cured over several hours.

Just hearing that made it seem like the liquid medicine was superior. However, there was a significant reason why this hadn't been developed.

First of all, making the tablet was incredibly easy. While it required skills and alchemy equipment, those could be obtained without much difficulty. Moreover, the tablet was easy to store and carry, affordable, had no side effects, and conferred resistance to endemic diseases. Its quality as a medicine was already quite high. The production method was already widespread, and no one had attempted to develop a liquid medicine.

When the Messer Company started selling it, there were many people who were delighted, but there were also reactions of amazement mixed with exasperation, like, "Did they really do such a pointless experiment?" However, the Messer Company developed it. I had thought that the medicine itself was needed...

I never would have expected that they didn't care about the medicine itself and were after the waste fluid produced during its manufacture. Well, if what Zelyse said was true, then it meant that the Crimson Water Medicine was merely a byproduct.

「What are you going to use something like that for?」

「Actually, I have some business in the center of the lake. But, there are troublesome guardians there, and you can't get close, right?」

Even Zelyse couldn't break through the protection of the Vivian Guardians. But what did he mean by having business in the center of the lake? In other words, was Zelyse's true goal the sealed Great Beast?

「So, I thought, can't I somehow get rid of those guys? I knew they were something like magical creatures created with water and spacetime magic. I thought that if I poured a lot of the extract of the Crimson Water Grass, which disrupts them, into the lake, maybe they'd disappear.」

So, that was the reason he sought the waste fluid!

「Even if they don't disappear, I thought they might weaken a bit... But I never expected them to mutate like that. Moreover, the abnormal Guardians seem to suffer from magical power deficiency and become violent. Ahahaha! Don't you find it interesting?」

「I don't.」

Don't just brush it off with a single word as "interesting" after causing so much trouble for many people! He was saying it seriously, which made it even worse.

「Well, well, there are other interesting things too. The abnormal Guardians seem to start seeking Crimson Water Medicine. I think it's because their instincts are trying to return them to their original state. What do you think?」

I see, so that was apparently the reason for the attacks on ships by the impostors. They were probably trying to use the Crimson Water Medicine's effect of dispersing the chaotic magical power to somehow fix their disrupted magical power. As a result, they were drawn to the Crimson Water Medicine.

「Anyway, you managed to find your way to me quite well. Even though I was trying my best to move without being noticed.」

「It was obvious. I figured it out right away.」

「Huh?」

Fran replied to Zelyse's question with a triumphant look on her face, but it was Karna who had investigated him, after all. And it probably wasn't an easy task.

「That's strange. There were others snooping around, but none of them could find their way to us... Is there a traitor...? Hmm.」

It seemed that Karna's information network was quite impressive. I had thought they were a small company, but were they actually a large corporation that spanned across nations? Well, if they had internal information on Raydoss, then that's probably the case. I didn't know if the entire company was involved in espionage or if they just had secret connections with Raydoss.

「More importantly, what's your real purpose?」

「Well, what could it be?」

「...To resurrect magical beasts and destroy this country.」

「Ahahaha! Wrong answer! Unfortunately, I'm not interested in that! Unless it's something like destroying the world, you know? Destroying this country would only be talked about for a few hundred years on this continent, at best! Ahahahahaha! How trivial!」

Zelyse said that with an angelic, innocent smile, and chuckled.

「The magical beast sealed in this lake isn't ordinary, right? There are various elements mixed in, and it might make for a good sample for the ultimate magical beast I'm trying to create, you know? Could it be that it's because of my insatiable intellectual curiosity?」

After all these plans, is satisfying his curiosity the main purpose? I still can't understand this guy. But I've realized one thing: he can't be left unchecked.

『Fran, are you ready?』

（Yeah.）

『Urushi?』

（Grr!）

Alright, Fran and Urushi seem to be fully prepared. Naturally, my magic and skills are both perfect. I'm going to unleash time-space magic in rapid succession!

『First, I'll create an opening with a preemptive strike. Then, rush in all at once.』

（Got it.）

（Roger!）

With that plan in mind, I was about to cast my magic to give that annoying handsome Faith of Zelyse a one-punch knockout.

However, just before that, I sensed a new presence. It emitted such a strong presence that I couldn't ignore it. It was coming towards us from the commercial fleet at an astonishing speed, and I remembered that presence.

When I turned my gaze in that direction, I saw a chestnut-haired boy racing across the water as if leaping. It was indeed Sierra. I had thought that he had come to assist us, but...

「Zelyseeee!」

「Oh?!」

Sierra's eyes were locked straight onto Zelyse. His expression was filled with a fierce determination, suggesting some kind of deep grudge. Sierra, with his fierce gaze and hostility directed solely at Zelyse, reminded me of Fran when she had attacked Zelos Reed. It seemed that an overwhelming anger and hatred were driving him uncontrollably. Did he not even notice Fran and just glare at Zelyse with eyes that seemed ready to shoot him?

Looking at Sierra coming straight for him, Zelyse grinned broadly.

「Could it be... he's grown quite a bit.」

It seemed that they were indeed acquainted. I wondered what kind of relationship they had.

However, this was a chance. Zelyse's attention was focused on Sierra, who was acting as a decoy.

Even though we were using Sierra as an unauthorized decoy, there wouldn't be many chances to defeat Zelyse.

『Get ready to move when Sierra attacks!』

（Yeah!）

（Roger!）

As always, the attacks we launched as a feint slipped through Zelyse, but this was just a diversion. We were trying to make him think we were wasting our attacks while we hit Zelyse with our full force of time-space magic, distracting him as Sierra focused on him.

『Is everything ready?』

（Yeah.）

Right after that, Sierra leaped into the air all at once. Above his head, a jet-black sword was raised. I didn't know what kind of attack Sierra was planning to launch, but I couldn't sense any time-space attributes in it, so I doubted it would deal damage to Zelyse. However, just keeping Zelyse's attention fixed on Sierra like this was more than enough.

『Let's go!』

Before I could cast Dimension Sword with more than enough magical power, Zelyse said, "Evil Energy Release!"

Sierra uttered sharp words, and from Sierra, or rather from the sword he raised, a vast amount of evil energy overflowed. This evil energy swallowed and engulfed the surrounding space as if painting it over, corroding everything around.

「Eh? Whoa!』

Both Zelyse and I unintentionally let out silly voices simultaneously. The amount of evil energy released from Sierra's sword was immense. I knew that Sierra's sword contained evil energy, but...

It was way more powerful than I had imagined! It was so intense that it was almost as if an extremely powerful evil entity had been sealed in sword form. The evil energy emanating from both the sword and Sierra himself was staggering. I wondered if Sierra was okay; his life seemed to be in danger.

（Master, what's that?）

『I don't know! But whatever it is, don't let your guard down! It's way beyond the scope of ordinary adventurers!』

「Nn.」

『Still, this evil energy...』

I didn't think there was a specific wavelength unique to evil energy, but there was something vaguely familiar about it. This sense of intimidation felt like something I had encountered before.

『Where have I felt this before, Fran? Do you know?』

（Yeah.）

『Huh? You know?』

（It's similar to Zelos Reed's evil energy.）

I see. Now that you mention it, it does resemble it. Perhaps we unconsciously sense similarities between powerful evil energies.

However, the current situation was bad. Evil energy had a way of instilling a strong sense of aversion in us unconditionally.

After being hit by such powerful evil energy in a surprise attack, our mental states couldn't help but be slightly shaken. When the mind wavered, it led to a decrease in the precision of our skills and magic.

『Fran, refocus! Don't waste the magic power you've carefully built up!』

But, this level of shock was quite insignificant. In the next moment, we were about to face an even greater mental shock.

「Distort, reason!」

Sierra leaped toward Zelyse. In response to his cry, the jet-black cursed sword emitted a sinister light. It looked like the kind of light you definitely shouldn't get hit by. I hastily erected a barrier, but...

Splash!

We were sent flying, creating a large splash as we fell into the lake.

『Huh?』

「Huh?」

「Woof?」

Fran and Urushi's mid-air leaps suddenly stopped without any warning. That wasn't all. The magic we had prepared disappeared right before we could cast it. It wasn't that our magic was dispelled by magical means or that our magic was sealed. It was as if the skills themselves were disrupted, causing the spells to fail. Both the enhancement magic we had prepared and the detection skills were completely negated.

There was no doubt that it was because of the black light emitted by Sierra's sword, right? Did it possess the power to nullify all sorts of magic and skills?

I attempted to use telekinesis to lift Fran and the others who had become soaking wet, and it worked perfectly fine. It seemed that the skills we had activated just before or those we had prepared were canceled when we were hit by the light. We had spent so much time preparing those spells! However, it wasn't just us.

「What the heck! Seriously!」

Zelyse has also fallen into the lake. Moreover, her presence is strongly felt. It seems that the mysterious skill she was using has been nullified by Sierra.

A mysterious ability that nullifies skills in the surrounding area with a tremendous malevolence. To be honest, I underestimated it. Sierra seems to possess power beyond our imagination.

「Die, Zelyse!」

「Ugh! That hurts!」

「Dammit!」

Sierra, who was flying through the air, swung her sword at Zelyse, who had been thrown into the lake. The sword unquestionably cut through Zelyse's body, evidenced by the splatter of blood that sprayed dramatically.

Zelyse, who had been cut from her right shoulder to her lungs, was seen vomiting a large amount of blood from her mouth. However, despite complaining about the pain, there was no sign of suffering on her face. But I could tell that Zelyse's vitality was definitely weakening.

Although her wounds had already been healed with a potion, it was clear that Sierra was cornering Zelyse.

Can we consider Sierra an ally now? But considering that Sierra had emitted a murderous intent towards Fran in the past, there was no doubt that Sierra harbored some sort of hostility towards Fran.

Right now, it seems that Sierra is focused on Zelyse...

『Fran, can you move?』

（Nn!）

Skills were already functioning properly, and both Fran and Urushi were leaping into the air.

Meanwhile, the location had shifted from the lake surface to the sky, where Sierra and Zelyse's intense battle had begun.

Sierra's movements were swift, but her swordsmanship skills were only decent. Even though her stats were enhanced by the power of the sword, her skills remained the same.

Sierra's cursed sword clashed violently with the beautiful crystal sword that Zelyse had conjured from somewhere.

「Take this, Zelyse!」

「You're fast! But that won't reach me!」

In contrast, Zelyse's movements were impossible. Suddenly, she demonstrated movements comparable to a master. She undoubtedly possessed the Sword Saint skill, and it seemed to be at a high level. No, maybe it was the effect of a magic stone weapon. She had devised a technique that allowed her to use skills stored in magic stones for a short period of time. That's probably how she obtained the Sword Saint skill.

「Haahhh! Die!」

「Hahaha! That's an impossible request!」

Perhaps provoked by Zelyse's laughter, Sierra's attacks became even fiercer.

Seeing Sierra like that, Zelyse wore a genuinely delighted smile. Normally, it should have looked like a refreshing handsome smile, but it felt ominous. It must be oozing from her inner self.

「Wow! Amazing! That sword is incredible!」

「...」

「Well, it's quite something for a little child like you to grow up like this!」

「Argh! You! There's no way you'd know me in your current state!」

In response to Zelyse's words, Sierra frowned. Are they acquaintances after all? But Sierra was denying it with strange words. What did she mean by "your current state"? Does that mean she has already forgotten?

The relationship between Sierra and Zelyse remains unclear. Could it be something like Zelyse conducting human experiments on Sierra in the past, only to be discarded?

Upon hearing Sierra's words, Zelyse's smile grew wider.

「Heh. I wonder if that's really the case.」

「...Nonsense! Are you trying to confuse us?」

「No, no, I really do know you well, you know? Romeo-kun?」

「...I am Sierra!」

「You're introducing yourself like that now? But I know you both very well. Romeo-kun and Zelos Reed-san?」

「Why would you...?」

What does this mean? Romeo? And Zelos Reed... Does that mean that boy's real name is Romeo and that there's someone named Zelos Reed hidden somewhere?

However, Sierra's attitude seemed to acknowledge that his name was indeed Romeo.

「Have you... been monitoring us? But even so...」

「Well, who knows?」

「...It doesn't matter. Killing you, the mastermind, here will end everything.」

「Do you think you can kill me?」

「I can!」

Sierra hesitated but further intensified his killing intent.

（Master, what should we do?）

『It's about time we join the battle.』

While they are in their own world, we share the same anger towards Zelyse. We can inquire about names and their past later.

『Fran!』

（Yeah!）

Now is the chance since Zelyse isn't using his phasing ability for some reason. He might be wary of being nullified by Sierra again, or maybe it's not something he can use frequently. Either way, he is undoubtedly tangible right now.

「We're going all out, okay?」

『Yeah! Let's finish this here!』

I don't want to involve Sierra if possible. There are things I want to ask, and he's technically an ally for now.

Therefore, I can't use wide-area or large-scale attacks that might affect everyone. Instead, I have only one option, to pour all my available power into a full-power strike.

「Awakening—Brilliant Lightning Rush. Sword God Transformation!」

『Here it comes!』

The Sword God Transformation's unique sensation, covering the blade with destructive magic power, and the peculiar feeling of my thoughts being optimized envelop Fran and me.

「Black Lightning Roll—!」

The optimization brought about by the Sword God Transformation wasn't limited to swordsmanship alone. At that moment, it maximized all the abilities we could muster. Fran's power as a Black Heavenly Tiger, her divine-level swordsmanship, and my collection of skills, all fused together. It resulted in an unstoppable finishing blow, a combination of the Black Lightning's speed, the ultimate slash, and finely honed stealth abilities.

With this attack, I was confident it could hold its own against formidable opponents we had struggled with in the past. It could even take down foes like Rich and Amanda, provided we could activate it. Of course, when facing them, there was a high probability we would be defeated before we could even launch this attack.

In response to Fran's sudden appearance with the Black Lightning Roll, Sierra had no reaction whatsoever. His gaze and consciousness remained entirely focused on Fran, who had materialized right next to him.

In contrast, Zelyse reacted swiftly. While sacrificing his left hand to intercept Sierra's sword, he attempted to defend himself with the crystal sword he had drawn. His reflexes and swordsmanship level were on par with ours, and without that, this move would have been impossible. I thought he possessed a Sword Saint-level skill, but it appeared he was even higher in rank. Moreover, it was undoubtedly true that he had acquired skills similar to Ultra-Reaction through magic stone weaponry. He had used the Extra Skill, the Favor of the Stealing God, on me in the past. Considering that, there was no wonder about the variety of skills he could employ. However, blocking the strike we unleashed was beyond his capabilities.

「Huh?」

Zelyse was surprised by the inexplicable phenomenon unfolding before him, blinking his eyes.

The instant I made contact with Zelyse, the sword he had held in his hand vanished completely.

Immediately afterward, I felt a sensation akin to being filled with magic power.

『Thanks for the meal!』

What Zelyse had been wielding, which appeared to be a crystal, was, in fact, a magic stone-made weapon. When I got closer and realized that, I simply lunged at it.

Zelyse was an expert when it came to magic stones. He possessed a magic stone weapon capable of using magic stone skills for a limited time, and he was knowledgeable about magic stone-made golems, magic stone soldiers, and even experiments involving implanting magic stones into humans. The weapon Zelyse had been using was made of magic stone. It was probably a dangerous magical sword with some special abilities.

But in front of me, it was nothing more than a delicious treat.

「Wait...!」

Seeing the genuine look of surprise on Zelyse's face made me oddly happy!

「Take this!」

「Gyaaaah!」

Immediately afterward, my blade struck Zelyse, who was completely defenseless. I felt the sensation of cutting flesh for sure. There was no doubt that he was tangible. Furthermore, it seemed that the divine attribute attack had an unexpectedly strong effect. While Zelyse showed no change in expression when struck by Sierra, he let out an undignified scream when hit by me.

Perhaps the divine attribute, which was said to have the advantage over all other attributes, had an effect that nullified pain suppression-type skills, among other things.

「Divine power... that's cheating...」

Zelyse, in a crucified posture like a saint, stretched his arms out to his sides. He continued to expel a large amount of blood, falling back into the lake from which he had emerged.

However, I couldn't shake off the sense of unease. During the mid-swing of the Kesa-giri, a finishing blow that Fran had unleashed, I felt an impact as if I had struck something hard. Normally, one might think it caught on a spine or ribcage. However, the attack I had just unleashed was Fran's deadly strike, right? It should have sliced through anything as easily as cutting through soft tofu, even something as tough as metal. So, the fact that there was something within Zelyse with enough strength to register as hard left me perplexed.

I actually had a similar sensation before. During the incident in Kranzel's capital, the feeling of cutting someone who had been impaled by a pseudo-fanatical sword was exactly the same. However, there's no way Zelyse had a pseudo-fanatical sword impaled on him.

「...Is this the end?」

With a splash, Zelyse's body fell into the lake. The blood flowing from his body dyed the lake's surface red. It wasn't just blood that flowed out. It seemed like even his life force within him was melting away, lost to the lake. Light and heat faded from Zelyse's eyes, and his presence rapidly diminished.

「Ah... farewell...」

In his final moment, as his life force was completely extinguished, Zelyse smiled.

Immediately after, his body swelled up from the inside, expanding to several times its original size in an instant.

『Oh no!』

With that momentum, Zelyse's body spewed out a purple mist from within. No, it wasn't from within his body; Zelyse's entire body transformed into mist and scattered.

Bushwaaaaaaaaah!

The danger detection system was blaring loudly, but even without it, it was apparent. That was something you absolutely must not touch.

『We won't get away unscathed!』

「Woof!」

Urushi and I hastily used teleportation to put some distance between us. We were over a hundred meters away, but the danger detection system was still reacting. That couldn't be helped. The waterfowl that had been about halfway between us and where Zelyse fell were visible, struggling and dying.

『For now, I'll suppress it with the wind!』

I used wind magic to surround a wide area and then compressed the wind barrier. It seemed like I had successfully sealed all of the poison mist with wind magic. There was nothing to be done about what had dissolved into the air and water, but since the danger detection was no longer reacting much, it shouldn't be a problem.

Finally, I would absorb everything with my poison absorption skill to end it. Even if it were a skill that transformed the body into poison mist like a vampire, once it was absorbed completely, there would be no chance of revival.

『By the way, is Sierra okay?』

「Over there.」

『Oh, safe and sound.』

Sierra had also put some distance between us at some point. He didn't seem to be affected by the poison. Zelyse's final act had been in vain.

「...Did we win?」

「Woof?」

Fran and Urushi didn't seem entirely convinced. I felt the same way.

『Is this really the end?』

Certainly, it was a perfect strike. It was an attack that could aim for a reversal even against stronger opponents. However, could we really win so easily? Our opponent was Zelyse, after all. He was different from the stronger enemies like the Lich. In a sense, he was an opponent we couldn't afford to underestimate.

Even that attack might have been dodged, somewhere in my heart, I thought.

But we had undoubtedly witnessed it. Zelyse losing his life force, the moment of his death. Zelyse's face, body, limbs crumbling into purple mist. And then, that mist being consumed by me.

Without a doubt, Zelyse had died, and his physical body had vanished.

Fran and Urushi seemed to share the same sentiment of not feeling completely satisfied, as their faces expressed emotions other than pure joy. However, there was no way he could have survived in that situation. Unable to come to terms with it, we had no choice but to acknowledge Zelyse's death. As we stood still in that place, Sierra approached us.

「...Did you take care of Zelyse?」

「Nn.」

「I see... Thank goodness.」

To my surprise, Sierra lowered his head. I hadn't expected him to express his gratitude so openly. I had thought he might say something like, "Don't meddle in my affairs" or "He was my prey." That was probably how much he had wanted to defeat Zelyse.

Sierra returned his black sword, which had been emitting an eerie aura, to its sheath. Fran's gaze was drawn to the sword, even though she wasn't the one who had inquired.

「Hey, is that sword... safe?」

Given the tremendous malevolence it had emitted earlier and its ability to nullify skills, it was natural for Fran to be concerned.

In response to Fran's rather vague question, Sierra nodded.

「No problem. As long as I'm handling it, it won't be harmful.」

「I see.」

「Yeah, that's right.」

Sierra looked surprised by how readily Fran accepted his words. He probably expected more probing questions.

In the case of adventurers, persistently asking about the origin or source of another person's weapon was considered bad manners. However, in this case, it wouldn't have been unreasonable to inquire further about whether Sierra could really control it. Such a powerful sword that emitted a large amount of malevolence could potentially cause significant harm if left unchecked.

However, Fran didn't ask any more questions and seemed satisfied. Sierra appeared to be taken aback by her response. Well, Fran was used to dealing with me and my ridiculously overpowered sword. It had free will, contained a fragment of an evil god, and was filled with various secrets. Compared to that, a little malevolence seemed well within the acceptable range.

With a somewhat disappointed expression, Sierra was questioned by Fran.

「Do you know about Zelyse?」

「Ah, yeah. We have a bit of history...」

It seemed that he wouldn't brush it off with a "it's none of your business."

Sierra had apparently known about Zelyse from before. However, considering that Zelyse had expressed surprise at Sierra knowing about them, it was unlikely that they were direct acquaintances. At the very least, they didn't seem to have a close relationship where they had met multiple times.

Perhaps it was a relationship where they had suffered some form of harm due to Zelyse's machinations.

「I've been searching for him for a while... How did you manage to find him?」

Was Sierra acknowledging us because we had taken care of Zelyse? His previously prickly demeanor had softened, and he began talking about our situation bit by bit. Well, it was a very simple conversation, though.

Sierra had apparently been searching for Zelyse for several years. He had information suggesting Zelyse's involvement in this area, but he couldn't seem to locate him no matter what he did. It wasn't just that he couldn't find Zelyse; he also couldn't gather information about the Messer Trading Company, which had a connection with him, and the Raydoss Kingdom behind it. Nonetheless, Sierra had a strong conviction that Zelyse was in this vicinity, so he had been tirelessly searching for him in this region.

However, when it came to the matter that concerned us the most, he didn't seem inclined to discuss it voluntarily. Fran must have shared the same thought because she once again posed a question to Sierra.

「Why did Zelyse call you 'Romeo'?」

「Ah...」

「Sierra is Romeo? You mean, that Romeo?」

For us, Romeo referred to the young boy who was with Zelos Reed. It was hard to believe that he was the same person standing in front of us. Judging from where Sierra and Romeo had encountered each other, it didn't seem plausible that Romeo had simply grown older.

However, Zelyse had indeed called Sierra "Romeo" and even mentioned the name Zelos Reed.

What could it mean?

「...That is...」

His hesitation to deny it suggested that there might be some connection?

「I am—」

『Fran!』

「Huh?」

Just as Sierra was about to speak, magic power surged underwater. Then, deep below the water's surface, something began moving rapidly.

It was clearly not a living being. It lacked vitality and emitted no distinct presence of a living creature. However, it was undoubtedly enveloped in a considerable amount of powerful magic.

Moreover, the place where this reaction appeared was directly below where Zelyse had sunk. Ignoring it wasn't an option. Sierra—Romeo? Well, for now, let's stick with Sierra. Sierra had also noticed the mysterious moving object. He once again laid his hand on the wicked sword at his waist and followed Fran, who had started running.

The moving object was heading north underwater. It was moving at a speed that even Fran had to exert herself to keep up with. Sierra looked desperate. Compared to Fran, who still had some room to spare, he was already sprinting at full speed. Fran probably had the upper hand in terms of physical abilities and aerial agility. If they increased their speed any further, Sierra might fall behind.

『First, let's figure out its identity. Take me underwater.』

「Nn!」

Thrown by Fran, I rapidly approached the mysterious moving object. We were already at a considerable depth, and the water was murky due to the aftermath of the battle, so I couldn't see all the way to the lake bottom. However, I could definitely sense the presence of something cutting through the water. It was slightly smaller than me and had an elongated shape.

『Hmm?』

I created multiple sources of light with light magic. The light fired ahead illuminated the surroundings, and I successfully captured the figure of the opponent.

『A sword... isn't it?』

It was a single slender sword with a broken blade, which I recognized.

『Isn't that the Pseudo-Fanatic Sword!』

Earlier, when I slashed Zelyse, there was a hard sensation. Could it really have been the Pseudo-Fanatic Sword?

However, if it were the Pseudo-Fanatic Sword, there was a possibility it could move on its own. After all, it was a kind of Pseudo-Intelligence Weapon. But, with the destruction of the Fanatics, its core, I never thought there would be any operational Pseudo-Fanatic Swords left. The Pseudo-Fanatic Swords that appeared in the capital ceased to function once Fanatics was destroyed.

Moreover, it was beyond imagination that it would end up in Zelyse's possession. Or was it really the Pseudo-Fanatic Sword? If we assumed that the damage was caused by my slash, it was strange that its Cannibalism skill hadn't activated. What on earth was happening?

『For now, let's try to immobilize it.』

I attempted to capture the Pseudo-Fanatic Sword, which was still moving like a torpedo, using telekinesis. However, it ended in failure.

『You definitely dodged it, didn't you?』

It clearly evaded my telekinetic grasp.

Subsequently, I made several attempts with telekinesis and minor attack magic, but all of them missed their mark.

Its movements were, how should I put it, very organic. It wasn't preprogrammed mechanical evasion. It was clearly the movement of someone observing our attacks and reacting accordingly.

The possibility that the sword was of the same kind as me—an Intelligence Weapon—had grown significantly.

This is as far as I could appraise. It seems that some effect, like interference with appraisal, is preventing me from seeing everything.

『This is insane!』

While I had a clear advantage in terms of simple performance, how many skills did that thing have? Given its behavior, it probably still possessed a large number of skills. There was no doubt that this sword was something abnormal!

『...』

『Are you going to let it get away?』

The Pseudo-Fanatic Sword increased its speed even further, and it started to rise rapidly.

Perhaps it had chosen to escape through the air, where it could achieve higher speeds, rather than resist the resistance of the water.

On the surface of the water, Fran and Urushi were running at full speed, but Sierra was already left behind.

『Fran! Urushi! Don't let it get away!』

「Nn!」

「Woof!」

Fran and Urushi immediately responded to my command, springing into action. Fran unleashed thunder magic, while Urushi used dark magic in an attempt to shoot it down. Magic attacked the sword from all directions. However, none of the attacks hit. Astonishingly, they passed right through the sword.

『Could it be... the same skill as Zelyse's!』

The Pseudo-Fanatic Sword activated its phasing ability while continuing to flee at high speed. Now, all our attacks were passing right through it due to this mysterious ability, except for spatial magic, which it was avoiding.

The primary feature of this ability was, of course, that attacks couldn't hit it, but there was another troublesome aspect.

It completely nullified any presence, making it impossible to gauge its stamina or endurance on the other side.

Understanding how the magic power diminishes would help us comprehend when this state would end and how much of a burden it is. However, due to the blockage of that information, we couldn't predict how much longer the opponent would be able to maintain their phasing ability.

If it were a divine attribute, we might have been able to penetrate that defense. However, after the Sword God Transformation from earlier, I was in a terrible state. It couldn't be used for a while. So, Urushi attempted to teleport and finish it off in one go—

*Boom!*

「Gyan!」

We were hit by a painful counterattack of flame magic. The moment Urushi tried to bite, flames erupted in its mouth, causing it to hurriedly retreat.

Since there had been no previous attacks, we hadn't expected such a powerful spell. Additionally, because we couldn't sense the flow of magic power, we couldn't predict when the opponent would cast spells.

But the current attack wasn't in vain. At the moment of the attack, I definitely sensed the presence of the sword. It immediately disappeared again, but it seemed that it had to deactivate its phasing state when launching an attack.

「Urushi, are you okay?」

「Woof!」

The fur around its mouth was slightly singed, but it wasn't much of a problem for Urushi. It was akin to a human scalding their mouth with hot soup. It seemed more like Urushi had been surprised and hastily retreated rather than being damaged. Urushi looked somewhat embarrassed, and it was probably because of that.

『However, in that brief moment, I was able to gauge its magic power.』

「What's it like?」

『It has about half its magic power remaining.』

Compared to when it initially started moving at the lake bottom, its magic power had been halved. It seemed that using that phasing ability required a significant cost.

「Let's keep going!」

『Sure!』

「Woof!」

『Urushi, it's okay to be enthusiastic, but don't get carried away and make a mistake.』

「Got it!」

We resumed our attacks, but the same situation continued to unfold. The opponent no longer attacked us and instead, it turned into a simple chase.

（Master, there's something I'd like to try.）

『Oh? What is it?』

It seemed that Fran had come up with an idea. If there was a possibility to break the current stalemate, we should try anything. However, there was something we needed to confirm.

『It's not dangerous, right?』

（...Probably?）

That was crucial. However, Fran was tilting their head, which didn't inspire confidence.

『If you say 'probably,' it makes me anxious! What are you planning?』

（Don't worry. It's definitely not dangerous. Probably.）

『Okay, fine. But if I decide it's too risky, I'll stop you forcibly.』

（That's fine. Besides, if Master is there, you can help me.）

『Ugh...』

If you put it like that, it's hard to object!

『Alright, I understand. But if I feel it's too dangerous, I won't hesitate to intervene.』

（That's okay.）

『Good. Well then, go ahead and give it a try!』

「Nn! Brilliant Lightning Rush!」

Fran once again enveloped themselves in black lightning. However, they didn't immediately launch an attack.

「Urushi.」

「Woof!」

They called Urushi over and jumped onto its back.

「We're going after it.」

「Woof!」

Fran entrusted the pursuit to Urushi and began to close their eyes, entering a state of deep concentration. They molded and heightened their magical power.

「Hmm...」

They were completely immersed in meditation. What would they do if they were attacked in this state? No, this was precisely the time when I needed to step in and respond to Fran's trust.

「As Fran delved deeper into meditation, even the slightest traces of magical power leaking out started converging within. The exterior was as calm as the surface of a still lake, with no apparent disturbances. However, deep within, Fran's gathered power raged.」

Fran's face contorted in agony. It seemed they were struggling significantly just to contain the power they were concentrating.

『...!』

I almost called out, but I stopped myself. Disrupting their focus could endanger Fran as well. Right now, all I could do was trust and watch.

And then, after what felt like an eternity.

「...Nn!」

Fran suddenly widened their eyes and released their power.

「Black Lightning Roll!」

Fran, now transformed into black lightning, vanished from Urushi's back and appeared in an instant beside the pseudo-fanatic sword.

The sword possessed the ability to sense spatial magic, but it couldn't fully react to Black Lightning Roll. After all, it was just high-speed movement. Black Lightning Roll wasn't teleportation, but it was so fast it appeared like teleportation. Therefore, reacting to it required physical perception.

「Haah!」

『This...!』

Fran raised something into the air, and it wasn't me. It was Fran's left hand, which held nothing, but for someone who could sense magical power, it wasn't empty.

High-density magical power was released in a shape resembling a sword, forming in Fran's left hand.

Immediately after, that magical power transformed, bursting into black lightning. In Fran's hand, a sword made of black lightning was created. Holding the sword, Fran shouted.

「Black Lightning Godclaw!」

It was a secret technique exclusive to the evolved race of black cats, the Black Celestial Tigers.

A sword of black lightning cloaked in divine attributes. Even Fran, who had gained control of Black Lightning Roll, hadn't been able to use this technique. It could only be activated in a state of unleashed latent potential. However, it seemed Fran had succeeded in activating it in this dire situation.

「Ah...」

『Huh?』

Just as Fran attempted to swing the sword of black lightning toward the one in front of them, the sword crumpled and disintegrated with a squelching sound. Fortunately, there was minimal collateral damage around us. It seemed like a gentle breeze and a mild electrical current.

「...It failed.」

『I knew it wouldn't go that smoothly!』

「Wait!」

「Woof woof!」

We chased after the pseudo-fanatic sword as it slipped past us, with Fran and Urushi running again.

Fran seemed quite determined, launching area magic and such. It was like a storm churning up the surface of the lake. If there were any boats around, they would have capsized for sure. However, none of the attacks hit.

We had already covered quite a distance. We should be deep into the lake, which was the size of a small country.

Where is the pseudo-fanatic sword heading, I wondered. It was right after I had this question.

『Fran! Stop!』

「!」

Fran immediately responded to my voice and hit the brakes. However, they couldn't come to a complete stop, and Fran's heels scraped the surface of the lake. A fierce spray of water shot up, resembling a fountain.

Despite becoming soaking wet, Fran had managed to stop.

『Fran, if possible, let's move a bit farther away.』

「Nn.」

「Woof!」

『Urushi is back too, I see.』

Both Fran and Urushi must have already noticed. They obediently followed my words, retreating about thirty meters from their previous position.

『This seems to be it.』

Various perception-based skills were indicating not to proceed further. Nothing was visible on the water's surface. However, there were numerous traces of magical beasts beneath the water, or so it seemed.

「Vivian Guardian.」

『No doubt about it.』

Beyond this point, it seemed we'd be attacked by Vivian Guardians if we tried to enter, a guardian's territory. There was no sign of aggressive intent. If we were merely intruding, it would probably be enough to block our path. It seemed we were still at that stage.

「But what about that sword? Why is it unaffected?」

『Hmm... Maybe because it's an inanimate object, or perhaps it's because it doesn't have a presence... Let's test it.』

「Is it safe?」

『Well, if it looks dangerous, I'll run away immediately.』

As we entered the water, we could see the rumored guardians clearly. They were indeed as white as described.

「Be careful.」

「Arf.」

『Sure.』

With Fran and Urushi seeing us off, I slowly proceeded toward the area where I could sense the presence of the Vivian Guardians. Normally, an inanimate object like a sword should be overlooked. However, I knew this plan would likely fail soon.

After all, the gazes of the Vivian Guardians around us were firmly fixed on me.

They had definitely noticed me. Nevertheless, I held onto a glimmer of hope as I ventured into the guardian's territory.

Immediately after, a pure white magical beast resembling a squid blocked my path. And it wasn't just one of them. Five guardians stood before me, using their bodies as a barrier to obstruct my path.

『Hmm, doesn't seem to work even for me.』

First, I tried to block my magical power as much as possible. This should render me as nothing more than a mass of metal, without any magical presence. However, it was still futile. I had taken a significantly longer route, but a Vivian Guardian had still moved to intercept me.

『Their perception ability isn't that high...』

Even after appraisal, their perception skills seemed low. Yet somehow, they were detecting me.

So, I tried this. I activated Dimension Shift and attempted again. Although visible, the inanimate object had no magical presence. I should be in a state similar to the pseudo-fanatic sword while it was using its phase-shifting ability.

『It worked!』

The Vivian Guardian indeed didn't move. It seemed they couldn't react to opponents in a different dimension. If I kept pushing forward like this—

「That's far enough.」

『Huh?』

「You've already come this far.」

『Is that you, Rhyn?』

「Yes.」

Before me suddenly appeared not a Vivian Guardian, but a familiar heterochromatic girl. Though I still couldn't sense her presence, I could see her with my eyes. It was the spirit Rhyn.

「Right now, you must not proceed any further.」

『Do you know the true nature of that sword? And what lies ahead?』

「...If we continue like this, we won't be able to prevent a tragedy. Think of a way to stop Zelyse.」

『A tragedy! Fran mentioned it too. Does that mean there's no way to avoid it?』

In response to my question, Rhyn shook her head with a sad expression.

「One of the tragedies has been avoided. But the presence of new interveners is causing interference.」

『Who's interfering with what? Is it related to Zelyse? I already defeated him!』

Is Zelyse still alive, or is his plot still in motion?

「Yes. Because of them, the future I know is undergoing significant changes. Even if the tragedy starting with you is avoided, Zelyse and the others will ultimately bring about a tragedy.」

『But when you say 'tragedy'... could you give me some specifics?』

「Given how much the course of events has already changed... In this lake, a great magical beast is sealed. You know about it, right? However, due to Zelyse, the seal has been greatly disturbed.」

『I thought so!』

「If the great magical beast is revived, this country won't escape unscathed. Even Fran, who is nearby, will likely lose her life.」

That's the tragedy! However, upon hearing this, a new question arose. If it's already been avoided, what's the connection between me becoming a sword and the seal of the great magical beast?

『Why is my becoming a complete sword related to that? Isn't it unrelated to the magical beast's seal?』

「The connection lies with Romeo. The power of Magnolia that child possesses. With that, no matter what Zelyse tries to do, the revival can be prevented. But that wasn't the case before.」

『Before...?』

The mysterious word "before." I've heard it before as well. However, Rhyn didn't provide any answers.

「As a result of you becoming a complete sword, Fran changes significantly. She becomes self-destructive and more aggressive. The one who should stop her rampage has stopped saying anything.」

Now that it's mentioned, it might be a possible future. It's an undeniable fact that Fran looks up to me. But what if I become an emotionless sword? She might become unruly.

「As a result, Fran will fight Zelos Reed and defeat him. Without mercy, in a fierce battle that involves those around her. Then, Romeo, who lost his only protector, Zelos Reed, in the depths of despair, will go on a rampage, and the seal of the great magical beast will fail.」

It seems Magnolia's power has the ability to absorb malevolence. Using it, she can interfere with the seal of the great magical beast, which is said to have even absorbed fragments of an evil god. If Romeo goes on a rampage, there is a possibility the magical beast will revive. If Sierra has a deep connection with Romeo, it wouldn't be surprising for her to have that information.

If a great magical beast that absorbed fragments of an evil god were to rampage, it would cause significant damage, and Fran would be involved. For both us and the people around us, that would be a tragedy.

「Zelyse is ahead. He has already reached the seal's location by taking advantage of the abnormality among the guardians.」

『So, he's still alive!』

It was Zelyse who had caused the Vivian Guardians to become abnormal by releasing waste, but it seemed he had already achieved his goal. I had thought it was unlikely that Zelyse would die so easily.

『But if that's the case, maybe we should...』

「No, if you can ensure victory, don't stop. But if he feels cornered, that man won't hesitate to revive the magical beast. It seems he has already found a way to do it.」

To defeat Zelyse with certainty? Hearing that, it did seem difficult.

「That man is still playing around. He has no intention of reviving the magical beast yet. There is still time.」

『During that time, should we prepare to defeat him?』

「I'll leave that to you. But we don't want significant harm to come to humans. Please, at least prevent that.」

『I'll do my best for Fran.』

「That's good. Take care of what's important to you.」

With a final smile, Rhyn disappeared as if melting into the water. She really was a spirit.

However, it made me recall something.

「Ah! I missed asking about the meaning of 'before' again!」

If Sierra, who seems deeply involved in this matter, knows its meaning.

After being advised by Rhyn to pause before proceeding further, I returned to Fran.

She had said that he was still playing around, but trusting Zelyse's mood was the least reliable thing in the world. It would be best to quickly seek Sierra's counsel and ask Weena Rhyn for help.

「So, are we heading to Sierra's place?」

『Yes, that seems like a good idea. It's quite clear that Sierra knows something.』

If not for that pseudo-fanatic sword earlier, we could have extracted some information already.

Fran and I searched for Sierra's presence and began to move.

「They're getting closer too.」

『They're approaching us as well.』

Although we had moved quite a distance, we were both making our way toward each other. At this rate, we would soon meet up.

「Urushi, dash!」

「Woof!」

We quickly met up with Sierra. However, she appeared exhausted.

「Pant... um, what about the sword?」

「It got away.」

「I see...」

It seemed challenging for Sierra to continue running on the water like this. Her magical power and stamina seemed to be running low. Nevertheless, because it appeared to be related to Zelyse, she pushed herself to run here.

She didn't seem in immediate danger of drowning, but she definitely needed a break.

We decided to move to a nearby island. It was a rocky outcrop with a diameter of about 10 meters. Upon landing on it, Sierra immediately slumped down in exhaustion. It seemed she had allowed herself to show some vulnerability in front of Fran, weighing her fatigue against her pride.

After waiting for a few minutes until Sierra's breathing had stabilized, Fran spoke up.

「Tell us everything you know.」

「...」

Not knowing where to start with questions, I decided to have her talk about everything. I wanted to know about Sierra's true identity, what information he had about Zelyse, and related matters.

Sierra remained silent for a few seconds before slowly opening her mouth.

「Do you believe it's possible to transcend time?」

「Time?」

「Yes.」

「Hmm?」

Fran pondered for a moment and tilted her head. It seemed she didn't quite understand the meaning of transcending time.

「Imagine that you, as you are now, suddenly travel to the past. In that past, your younger self is living. Do you think something like that could happen?」

「Impossible.」

「Really?」

「Unless there's divine power, it's impossible.」

「That's correct. However, surprisingly, it seems it can be done. After all, there are three experienced individuals.」

I see! So that's what it means!

Fran tilted her head again, but I could understand the situation to some extent from Sierra's words. If we consider that Romeo from the future traveled back to the past, it would also explain why there were two Romeos!

I gave Fran a brief explanation, and it seemed she understood somewhat.

「So, you're the Romeo from across time?」

「Yes, that's right. The young Romeo from now came back eight years ago and grew up to become me.」

It wasn't the grown-up Romeo who transcended time; rather, the young one came here and grew up.

So, this was the meaning of "before." Although I explained it to Fran, it was still hard to believe. I mean, time travel?

「I see.」

「Do you believe me?」

However, Fran seemed to accept it quite readily.

「The eyes match.」

「Eyes?」

Now that she mentioned it, she had said that before. She had noticed that Romeo's gaze and Sierra's eyes were identical.

Sierra himself didn't seem entirely convinced. Well, eyes are a peculiar thing to be compared on. He was stroking his own eye area while muttering. Still, it seemed he had decided to accept it for now.

「Well, if you believe me, that's fine.」

「What happened?」

「... For me, it was eight years ago. For you, it's now... Because the history I know has changed significantly, I don't think the same events will occur again.」

Sierra began to recount what had happened to him, as if slowly recalling his own experiences.

Eight years ago for them. At that time, Romeo and Zelos Reed had also sought refuge in this country. However, the path they took from there had changed significantly compared to the current Romeo and the others. The previous Romeo and company had been captured by Zelyse in this country. I find it hard to believe that someone as strong as Zelos Reed would get caught so easily.

「They took me hostage...」

Because of that, Zelos Reed had become obedient to Zelyse and had become a test subject for various experiments.

「Experiments?」

「I had magic stones and pseudo-fanatic swords implanted into my body, and various drugs were administered. I was just a child and could only watch as the man changed.」

That man, huh? In the previous world, it seems that Romeo and Zelos Reed had a good relationship. Still, being captured and subjected to human experiments... The Romeo and the others who were protected at the academy didn't mention anything like that, did they?

「Is it different from this Romeo and the others?」

「We induced it to happen this way.」

In the previous world, they continued to elude the adventurers of the Belioth Kingdom and Weena Rhyn, only to be eventually captured by Zelyse. However, here in this world, Sierra intentionally leaked information about Romeo and the others to the Adventurer's Guild, leading to their early capture. The report of seeing a suspicious figure was apparently also orchestrated by Sierra.

「I knew that Weena Rhyn wouldn't immediately kill the previous us. So, it was far better than being toyed with by Zelyse.」

「I see.」

Afterward, the previous Romeo and company continued to be manipulated by Zelyse. However, it seems that only Romeo was protected by Weena Rhyn. Zelyse, who was investigating the seal of the great beast, was sensed by Weena Rhyn, and their hideout was raided.

「At that point, I was taught about my own bloodline and the power sleeping within it. I had also unknowingly bound the man.」

However, several days after Romeo was protected by Weena Rhyn, the situation took a sudden turn. Zelyse aimed to resurrect the great beast and appeared at the location of its seal.

Weena Rhyn and Fran, who had been hired by her, moved to stop this.

Fran, who had been targeting Zelos Reed as her enemy, attacked without heeding the warnings when faced with him. The aftermath of their intense battle led to the destruction of the commercial fleet. It aligned with Rhyn's words. There was no one to stop me from becoming a sword, and no one to restrain Fran.

「...」

『Fran?』

Fran lowered her head with a sorrowful expression. Considering that I was on the verge of becoming a sword, it was not just someone else's problem. The current Fran might have gone berserk just like the previous Fran.

However, there was something that bothered me a little at that moment. Fran seemed to have noticed it too.

「Weena Rhyn didn't try to stop me?」

If it was her, she should have been able to forcefully stop Fran. However, Sierra shook his head.

「She prioritized detaining the troublesome man even if it meant abandoning the commercial fleet.」

While Fran was holding back Zelos Reed, Weena Rhyn apparently tried to reseal the awakening great beast. At the cost of Romeo's life.

「With Magnolia's power, you can absorb the power of evil beings. Originally, it would become the power of the user, but Weena Rhyn tried to use it in a special way.」

The power of the Evil God's Holy Sacrament hidden within the Magnolia family's blood. With that power, it absorbs the power of the Evil God's fragments incorporated within the Great Beast and uses the absorbed power to perform a large-scale sealing ritual.

In other words, it weakens the Great Beast while simultaneously using its power to seal the Great Beast itself.

「It's no problem if you're absorbing power equivalent to a goblin. However, that time, the opponent was too powerful. If you keep absorbing power from the Evil God's fragments and then act as a conduit for the sealing ritual, young Romeo wouldn't have been able to endure it.」

However, Weena Rhyn didn't attempt to stop the ritual. She must have been determined to seal the Great Beast at any cost, even if it meant sacrifices. It's hard to imagine such actions from the Weena Rhyn of today, but perhaps she judged that small sacrifices were inevitable for someone in a position of power.

「I can understand it now too. I have no intention to blame her.」

Despite being used as a sacrifice himself, Sierra's voice showed no trace of resentment. It seemed he had accepted that there was no other choice. However, there are those who couldn't accept Romeo's death, like Zelos Reed. He struggled to save Romeo and was slain by Fran when he showed an opening.

「To be honest, I don't remember much of what happened afterward. The moment I tried to save the man, my power went berserk...」

Before he knew it, he had collapsed alone in the middle of the forest. Sierra then drew his sword from his waist.

「There was no one else. Only this sword was lying next to me.」

Fran gazed at Sierra's sword. The sword appraisal didn't work due to the malevolent aura, but he could sense an indescribable awe emanating from it.

「What is that sword?」

「Whether you believe it or not...」

Sierra hesitated to say. Why would someone who claimed to have transcended time hesitate now?

After a few seconds, Sierra stared at the sword in silence, as if having a conversation with it.

Then, as if he had made up his mind, Sierra lifted his head and spoke with a heavy tone.

「This sword... holds Zelos Reed's consciousness and power.」

Zelos Reed's consciousness was within the sword? Does that mean—

「An Intelligence Weapon?」

「That's right.」

「Wow.」

It was an unbelievable story, but Sierra wasn't lying. It was truly an Intelligence Weapon with Zelos Reed's presence. Even now, it wasn't as if they were "having a conversation"; they were actually conversing.

「Aren't you surprised?」

「I am. Woah.」

Fran was surprised, but not to the extent of being astonished. He had always considered the sword a mysterious and peculiar one. To Fran, who was accustomed to Intelligence Weapons with me, it was just a recognition that a strange sword had become even stranger.

「So, Zelos Reed is in there?」

「Do you believe that too?」

From Sierra's perspective, it seemed he couldn't quite comprehend Fran's readiness to believe anything and everything.

A combination of my skill in lying and Fran's keen instincts makes us seem like a strange duo that believes anything. With Sierra seemingly focused elsewhere, Fran voiced his question.

「Can you talk to Zelos Reed? And to me?」

「Ah, no... I can't converse with anyone else. I communicate through a skill called 'Synchronization,' which allows the wearer to communicate with the Intelligence Weapon.」

「I see.」

As Fran muttered that, the jet-black sword held in Sierra's hand suddenly emitted a high-pitched sound. It seemed to demonstrate its ability to possess its own will.

「Uncle Zelos is apologizing.」

「Apologizing?」

「...You probably hate Zelos Reed, don't you? I know that.」

Similar to the Zelos Reed in this world, it seemed that the previous Zelos Reed had also undergone a change of heart. Fran furrowed his brows slightly but didn't become furious anymore. The drastic change in the appearance of the person in front of him made it difficult to grasp the reality. Moreover, Fran, who had already overcome his anger, seemed bewildered by the idea of the previous Zelos Reed apologizing to him.

In response to Sierra's understanding, Sierra deeply bowed his head.

「But can you stop seeking revenge for a bit longer?」

「You're not telling me to stop, are you?」

「I can understand your feelings... but there's something we must do. We must survive until we achieve that.」

「Revenge against Zelyse?」

「That's right. In the previous world, there were various things. For me, the previous you was also an unforgivable opponent.」

This was probably the source of the hostility directed at Fran. Despite the differences between the past and the present, Fran remained Fran. Considering that Zelos Reed had been driven to the brink of death—or rather, turned into a sword for some reason—he might have been killed.

Sierra still harbored resentment toward Fran for that. However, compared to his hatred for Zelyse, it seemed like a smaller issue. He probably understood that Zelos Reed had brought his fate upon himself.

「Zelos Reed ended up in this state because of that guy's human experimentation. And if he hadn't tried to resurrect the Great Beast, we wouldn't have been involved in this mess in the first place.」

As Sierra spoke, a dark flame flickered in his eyes. Those eyes were eerily similar to Fran's when he had attacked Zelos Reed.

These two might be kindred spirits. Despite their young age, they had been dragged into difficult fates, yet they both lived strongly toward their goals. They shared the experience of obtaining an Intelligence Weapon and treating it as their partner.

「Once we settle things with Zelyse, we'll deal with him. So, please overlook it until then. I'm begging you.」

Fran had realized the reason why Sierra had revealed their secret. Rather than arousing suspicion and making an enemy out of Fran, Sierra wanted to be open about their secrets and earn trust.

Fran, who had been silently observing Sierra bowing his head, nodded with a slight tilt of his head.

「...Nn. Understood.」

「Thank you.」

I don't have direct resentment towards Sierra. Moreover, this Zelos Reed is the previous Zelos Reed. The matter has already been settled by the previous Fran. We shouldn't get involved.

「We know Zelos Reed turned into a sword. Why did that happen? Did Zelyse do something?」

「Yeah. We don't know all the details, but using the pseudo-fanatical sword, he said they could seal a human's consciousness into the sword. It seems possible.」

「Can that really be done?」

「It seems it could... after all, there's a successful case here. Using the magic stone embedded in the body and the magic stone incorporated into the pseudo-fanatical sword as mediums. But until just before crossing time, he wasn't a sword.」

「Is that so?」

「I lost control of my power, and I was swallowed by light... When I was sent to this time, for some reason, I had become a sword. And not just any sword, a completely different form from the pseudo-fanatical sword. That's all I know.」

So, did Zelos Reed becoming an Intelligence Weapon happen by chance? If that's the case, would mass production be difficult? The worst-case scenario I had imagined was Intelligence Weapons being mass-produced by Zelyse and falling into the hands of the Raydoss Kingdom. However, it seemed I didn't need to worry about that.

As I breathed a sigh of relief, Fran spoke up again. It seemed Fran also had something on his mind.

「May I ask another question?」

「If I can answer it.」

「Earlier, they mentioned that there were three time-travelers, right? Sierra, Zelos Reed, and who's the third?」

Ah, that's right, that was mentioned too. I was also curious. I could predict the answer in my mind, but my rationality was refusing to voice it. There were more of them? It was nothing short of a nightmare.

However, what came out of Sierra's mouth was the worst possible answer.

「It's Zelyse.」

Just as I suspected! I had a feeling it would be.

「We didn't know until just now, but it was probably the previous Zelyse. Or perhaps, the current Zelyse who obtained information from the previous Zelyse—」

「You're talking about me, aren't you? Hello, Romeo-kun and Fran-san. I was waiting patiently for you to come chasing after me, but since you didn't, I came to you instead.」

A familiar voice interrupted Sierra's words. I turned to the direction of the voice to find Zelyse holding a broken pseudo-fanatical sword. He was wearing that annoying smile as always. It now made sense why Rhyn had mentioned that Zelyse's conspiracy was still ongoing despite defeating him. There were two Zelyses.

「Hello, Zelyse.」

However, upon seeing his appearance, Fran tilted his head in confusion.

「That's him, Zelyse?」

（From every angle, it sure looks like him, doesn't it?）

『...He looks different. Zelyse's younger brother?』

Fran seemed to have felt something odd about the Zelyse in front of him. However, before he could question it, Zelyse continued speaking.

「It seems you're interested in this sword, huh?」

And so, what he held up was unmistakably the pseudo-fanatical sword. The blade was broken halfway.

It was undoubtedly the same pseudo-fanatical sword that had played chase with me.

「What is that sword?」

「This sword is the Intelligence Weapon we created! Let's call it... the Super Ultra Invincible Sword Zelyse—though that's a bit long, so how about just the Magic Sword Zelyse?」

As Zelyse said this, the appearance of the pseudo-fanatical sword changed. Like a candy sculpture, the once solid sword expanded, repaired itself, stretched, and transformed.

A few seconds later, Zelyse was holding a sword that looked nothing like the pseudo-fanatical sword, a vividly colored sword with a fluorescent pink blade, a short sword. No, maybe even shorter than that? But the blade was thick and sturdy, with the base of the blade thicker than the tip. It was what you might call a Main Gosh sword.

Tasteless. That was the word that came to mind. But it exuded an incredible presence. It had not just changed in appearance.

What had changed was not just its appearance; even the information seen in the appraisal had changed.

The part that previously had "none" for a name had become "Magic Sword Zelyse." And the information about skills and such had completely disappeared. Perhaps naming it had been done, and its status as a sword had been elevated. It was a phenomenon similar to what happened when I named Urushi and evolved it.

「An Intelligence Weapon? That sword?」

「That's right! It's a sword with a will, sealed inside by the previous me!」

Could it be that he created an Intelligence Weapon by himself? Originally, he must have conducted various experiments using the previous Zelos Reed as a base... I don't mean to boast, but I'm a legendary being, you know? There were even times when I was considered rarer than a divine sword. And he referred to the previous me?

「I don't understand.」

「Hmm? Want to know?」

「Nn.」

「In that case, I'll tell you!」

Zelyse shouted proudly. In a way, he was quite an easygoing guy.

「I, you see, tried to research whether I could create an Intelligence Weapon. Well, I got interested in chimeras because I couldn't figure out how to seal a soul in a specific vessel.」

I was created by the hands of the gods, so I never really paid much attention to it, but normally, sealing souls, which were under the jurisdiction of the gods, was difficult.

「However, I did collect research materials and continued some simple experiments.」

「I see.」

「And in recent years, I made various new discoveries. Well, the data from the previous Zelos Reed-san that the previous me provided me with.」

Saying that, Zelyse gazed at the jet-black sword wielded by Sierra. The previous me. That means this guy is the current Zelyse.

「Furthermore, this pseudo-fanatical sword. This is truly fascinating. After all, it was behaving like an Intelligence Weapon, even if temporarily!」

The Ashtner Marquisate, armed with Fanatics, had connections with the Raydoss Kingdom behind the scenes. And Zelyse had aligned himself with the Raydoss Kingdom. It seemed that information had flowed through those channels as well.

As the Raydoss Kingdom also appeared to be in a state of conflict between various factions, it was unclear to what extent Zelyse had cooperated with Fanatics' plans. However, there must have been some involvement, enough to obtain research materials on Fanatics and actual pseudo-fanatical swords.

「Based on the data remembered by the previous me and the fact that Zelos Reed-san transformed into an Intelligence Weapon, I've been conducting various research.」

It seemed that spending extended periods with the pseudo-fanatical sword implanted in the body would lead not only the body but also the soul to perceive that state as normal. Perhaps the pseudo-fanatical sword was misunderstood as part of the body. When the body perished in that state, the struggling soul tried to enter the pseudo-fanatical sword.

「Of course, it required various prerequisites like embedding the same type of magic stone in both sides to create a transfer route, but well, I succeeded in becoming an Intelligence Weapon this way. Oh, the previous me is delighted too. After all, there haven't been many humans who have become Intelligence Weapons in history! It was just a matter of transferring the mind to the sword, but I guess it was a gamble that I tried after being killed by you guys. I'm glad it worked out.」

「So, the Zelyse we were fighting earlier was the sword now?」

「Yeah!」

It seemed that the previous Zelyse had willingly chosen to become the sword himself. Using his own body as an experimental tool... he was insane.

However, Fran understood the source of the discomfort he felt toward this Zelyse. The previous Zelyse and the current Zelyse had different ages. Just as there was an eight-year age gap between Romeo and Sierra, there was a similar difference among the Zelyse group. However, in Zelyse's case, being a half-demon likely didn't manifest much in his appearance. Rather, Fran's ability to sense even the slightest abnormality there was remarkable.

（Hmm?）

Fran was repeatedly tilting his head. All this talk about the previous and current Zelyse must have left his head spinning.

『I see, he finally said.』

「Oh? Did you believe me? I was planning to present more evidence and argue various points... Fran-san, aren't you a bit too trusting? You might be easily deceived by bad people if you're like that, you know?」

「Don't say that.」

「Ahahaha! I guess that's true! But look! Isn't it cool?」

Saying this, Zelyse raised the pseudo-fanatical sword—or rather, the Magic Sword Zelyse—over his head. His expression was the same as a child who had obtained a new toy.

「The previous me is saying hello again, by the way.」

「I can't hear him.」

「Oh, right. Sorry, sorry. I forgot you guys can't hear him.」

Hmm, in its inactive state, it's hard to say if the sword truly possesses consciousness. However, judging by its movements underwater and in the air, there's no doubt about it. This thing has really created an Intelligence Weapon. Not exactly the Prince of Vegetables, but it's like a bargain sale for Intelligence Weapons!

And it seemed that my concerns were becoming a reality.

「Can Intelligence Weapons be mass-produced?」

「Well, there's a theory, but it's still a long way off, I guess. There's still an element of relying on chance. Huh? Sorry, sorry. Right, that's true. You guys want to show off too, don't you?」

If you don't know anything, starting a conversation with an unseen opponent is a dangerous move. In the future, I'll have to make Fran more cautious.

「It seems like the previous me got bored, so for now, how about indulging me a little and engaging in some sparring?」

「With what?」

「Ahahaha! Well, with my previous self's test cuts!」

With a hearty laugh, Zelyse assumed a stance, and tremendous magical power surged from the magic sword.

Just from that magical power alone, it was clear he wasn't an opponent to be underestimated. But of course, that wasn't the only thing.

『Fran, the Magic Sword Zelyse should have quite a few skills. If we're not careful, he might even have all the skills that Zelyse had! Be careful!』

「Got it!」

What we had to be careful about most with their power was the rapid succession of magic and skills. It was the foundation of mine and Fran's basic tactics. The fact that both the sword and its wielder could use the same skills meant that the opponent could do the same.

「Ahahaha! Here we go!」

While Fran intercepted his attacks, Zelyse seemed to be having a great time.

「Haha! Nice! You can more than hold your own against that sword!」

Every time I and the Magic Sword Zelyse clashed, the enemy's durability was steadily eroded. However, it continued to recover through self-repair without being destroyed in a single blow, allowing Fran to engage in combat with it in the end. Furthermore, even in that state, magic attacks were still being launched.

「Ugh.」

『I'll defend, Fran, focus on the fight!』

「Got it!」

At first glance, it appeared that there was no indication that the person was casting spells, yet powerful spells suddenly activated. It was as if there was no incantation at all. Due to the concealment skill, it was also difficult to sense the flow of magic. Even if the opponent knew that the sword could cast magic, dodging it was nearly impossible. It was understandable that a first-time opponent couldn't avoid the magic.

Moreover, the timing was troublesome. After casting skills or high-level magic, there was always a moment of stiffness where the body couldn't move properly. However, because Zelyse and the magic sword alternated their attacks, this stiffness was effectively ignored.

What we always did turned out to be quite infuriating when we were on the receiving end.

Immediately after unleashing an obvious big move, he followed up with the exact same big move without any delay. For someone who thought they had a chance and rushed in, it must have been a nightmare.

What was even more troublesome was the use of that transparent skill. Zelyse's presence disappeared, and our attacks passed right through him. However, the way he used it was completely different from earlier. The intervals between turning it on and off were much shorter than before.

Once this mysterious skill was used, it remained active for a while. And during that time, they didn't attack us. Maybe they can't attack while the skill is active.

However, things are different now. They frequently turn it on and off, attacking us relentlessly.

It seems that by using the Magic Sword Zelyse, they can somehow mitigate any side effects of their skills. Or perhaps, one side is responsible for control, while the other is free to act.

「Come on, come on!」

「Tch!」

「Hahaha! You couldn't kill me, huh? Too bad!」

In contrast, we had a deficiency in our offensive, despite Fran and the adult Romeo-Sierra both attacking.

We were simply running out of stamina. I was worn out from the Sword God Transformation, and Fran had consumed a lot of magical power. Against a formidable opponent like Zelyse, it wasn't wise to make reckless moves using up all the remaining strength. In the end, we were forced to fight defensively, monitoring the opponent's movements.

While Zelyse was materialized, that is, while attacking, we were attempting to counter, but they knew that as well. They managed to skillfully avoid the timing, so no matter how many times we tried, it ended in failure.

Sierra didn't seem to be using that mysterious ability that made her skills disappear. Was she being considerate of us?

Fran approached Sierra and whispered to her using wind magic so that Zelyse couldn't hear.

「Hey, Romeo... Sierra? Romeo?」

「Sierra is fine.」

「Sierra, aren't you going to use that power from earlier?」

「I still can't.」

That alone made it clear. It must be an ability that can't be used consecutively. It seemed to have a significant cost or was extremely draining. It was quite a powerful ability. There was no way it could be used one after another easily.

Nevertheless, while continuing to battle Zelyse, I felt a strange discomfort.

Is this really it? Despite calling it test cuts, it didn't seem like Zelyse was seriously attacking. Of course, the attacks were fierce, and we would be in trouble if we let our guard down. However, considering that Zelyse was using the Intelligence Weapon, the Magic Sword Zelyse, was this all it could do?

I couldn't accept that. I thought maybe he was just lightly sparring with us as a test run, but it seemed that wasn't the case. Zelyse, who usually repeated provocative actions and remarks when we met, now seemed to be deliberately provoking Fran and the others.

「Come on, come on! Is this all you've got? You're disappointing!」

「Wouldn't it be better to run away now? I might let you go if you do.」

「Whoa! That last attack was close! Well done! But too bad!」

Their offer to let us escape was a lie. I'm starting to understand. It seems like they're provoking Fran and the others to keep them here. In other words, stalling is their real objective. They don't want us to go any further.

In that case, it might be better to head forward instead of facing Zelyse here. I think everything will be over if we defeat Zelyse, but I'm not sure if we can do it with our current strength.

（So, what should we do?）

『Ideally, Sierra could keep Zelyse occupied.』

In the meantime, we'll go ahead to check things out. After all, something must have happened.

Fran approached Sierra and whispered,

「Can you stop them?」

「What's going on?」

「Zelyse's objective is to stall us. So, I'll go ahead and take a look.」

「I see...」

「How about it?」

「I understand. I'll try something sneaky too.」

Sierra confidently declared. In reality, we still didn't fully understand Sierra's abilities. Since she was so confident, it might be worth leaving it to her.

「Just distract them a little.」

「Got it.」

After a brief discussion, Fran charged towards Zelyse.

By pretending to aim for a counterattack that was easy to anticipate, Fran made it difficult for Zelyse to attack while also focusing their attention on Fran. That's when I unleashed a barrage of Dimension Swords in an Overboost state, pouring an excessive amount of magic into them.

The Dimension Swords in Overboost state had significant power.

They came from all directions towards Zelyse.

The ideal scenario would be for them to disable their transparency and try to block with a barrier or something—

However, Zelyse maintained their transparency and used the Magic Sword Zelyse to deflect the incoming Dimension Swords one by one. Apparently, that sword even had the space-time attribute. But this was within our expectations. We wouldn't underestimate an Intelligence Weapon. The real target was their footing.

「GaLulu!」

「Ku! Can't believe I'm taking damage now?」

Urushi, after his shadow shift, used Dimension Fangs to swallow both of Zelyse's legs. Surprisingly, Urushi timed his attack to strike when he was about to be engulfed in the storm of Dimension Swords. Several Dimension Swords hit Urushi as he emerged from the shadows. But Urushi was prepared for this. Despite suffering deep wounds in several places, he firmly held onto Zelyse with his fangs.

Sierra rushed in next. Her jet-black sword radiated intense malice.

「Ooooooooooooh!」

The mass of malice released from Sierra's hand slithered like a snake and entwined around Zelyse's arm.

「Malevolent Binding Chains!」

I see, they indeed looked like chains made of malice.

With those black chains coiled around them, Zelyse suddenly lost their strength and their posture crumbled.

「Kuh! W-what is this...?」

「These are malevolent chains. How's that? Maintaining your skill must be quite challenging, right?」

It seemed that these chains made of malice had a similar nature to the effect that canceled the surrounding skills used earlier.

「Is this enough?」

「Nn. I leave it to you.」

Seeing Fran, who had inexplicably distanced herself, Zelyse provocatively said,

「Eh? Fran-san? Are you running away? You've become quite spineless since we last met!」

「Hmph.」

「Hey, wait up!」

Seeing Fran sprinting towards the center of the lake, ignoring themself, Zelyse hurriedly tried to chase after her. However, before that could happen, Sierra stood in their way. As long as those malevolent chains were in place, Zelyse wouldn't be able to ignore Sierra.

「Zelyse, your opponent is me.」

「Damn it!」

Fran and Urushi continued running across the lake, with Zelyse's frustrated cries echoing behind them.