That was eight years ago, when I first met Mursht.
　I was wandering the streets. I often wandered the streets aimlessly, thinking even as a child that I needed to gain power to protect my brother. The other princes didn't have me in their sights. This frustrated me, and I thought I was in a position to use them.
　But even that idea didn't work. Even the guards that followed me were under the control of other princes. I thought this was nothing more than a child's little rebellion and made a fool of myself inwardly. He was the one who gave me a turning point in my life.
　A fight was breaking out nearby, and the nearby people called out to my armored guards for help. I thought that I could take advantage of the commotion and escape from the eyes of these guards. It wasn't like I could do anything about it, but I guess they were looking for a change.
　I convinced the guards that as a princess, I should be actively involved in solving the city's problems, and headed there.

"--

　A lot of dead bodies lying around. A boy standing in the middle of them. The sight took my breath away.
　Beside the dead, there were blades lying around that seemed to have been used to cut the boy, all of them bent crookedly.
　The boy had received countless wounds all over his body, each one shallow, but he had lost enough blood to take his life.
　Nevertheless, the boy continued to stare at the dead cat forlornly, not caring about himself.
　According to what I heard from witnesses, the slain were adventurers hired by a merchant who had found a stray cat scavenging through the garbage on his way back from a night of revelry at a tavern and was going to dispose of it.
　They threatened the boy with their knives to stop him, but to no avail, and finally slashed at him.
　But even that had no effect, and the adventurers, consumed by the momentum of the alcohol and the boy's strangeness, began to attack him.
　The boy didn't fight back at all, but when a knife thrown by one of the adventurers stabbed the cat, the boy started to fight back against the adventurers.
　The adventurers, upset because their friends were hurt, tried to kill the boy, but their weapons were not enough to kill him.
　The boy's eyes remained beautiful while he killed people without hesitation. I took a liking to him and took him back to the castle to heal him.

"I saved your life. So you owe it to me to use your life for me. But your heart is your own. Don't be stained by me, keep your color.

　He said these words, wanting Murshto, but wanting him to be just the way he was.
　Murshto agreed with those words in two words. Not because it made sense, but simply because he liked the shape of my heart.
　I wanted Mursht because he and I were so much alike. I was selfish enough to be willing to pay anything, including my own life, for what I thought was precious.
　But surely I could not be as innocent as Mursht. Mursht approves of me, but I am not as strong-minded as he is.

"...... Can you still stand?

　Ilias-Ratzel, the knight who defeated even the demon king Rahite. She is kneeling on the ground in front of Murscht.
　I'm sure she's far more skilled with a sword than I am, but to Murscht, the difference is irrelevant.
　Murshto is able to maintain her unchanging strength no matter how many wounds she receives. Against him, the more he is wounded, the more his strength is lost.
　If this is his final battle, Mursht will never fall until that time. His strength of will is so great that he can be sure of it.

"Of course it's ......!

　Iliad stands up with his sword as a staff, showing a spirit of fortitude that is unbeatable even by Mursht. However, he has not been able to reflect the strength of his spirit in his body.
　He can parry Murscht's attacks and hit him with his own sword, but the blade never penetrates Murscht's flesh. And the shock of not being able to take it completely is slowly pushing her body to the limit.
　She can no longer break through this situation on her own. And yet, the angel only watches the battle with concern. It's obviously not a fight I can get into, but I thought he'd do something.

It's ironic. I was willing to be killed by that knight right there and then, but now the tables have turned.
"...... is the margin of victory, is it?
Yes, it is. It doesn't matter to me whether they win or lose, but it does make me feel better to see my followers winning.

　I don't mean to put a damper on the relationship between you and Murscht. But this man has made me feel uncomfortable in some way about my brother. In retaliation, I'd like to at least say something sarcastic now.

"Master Hillmera, you can't beat him in a war of words.
"I know. I know. That's why you want to sarcasm and get away with it.
"Win-win ....... It's about time.
"......?

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but it's a good idea.

Hilmera, do you know why I'm here?
Why? To stop me?
Do you think it makes sense for me to be here?

　The fact that you are here now means nothing to me. My purpose is to help make your brother king. Whether it's here or some time in the future, as long as it ends with my death, I will win. That will never change.

"No. If you don't even try to convince me or Mursht to stop, you're just wasting your time standing here until your life is taken.
The reason I'm here is to fulfill the victory condition. When two sides fight, there is only one winner. You have a fundamental misunderstanding of what victory means to me.


"......? That's why I'm here.
"Hilmera, not letting you win is why I'm here.

　The wooden sword at the angel's waist wriggled slightly. The tool of demonic possession that Mursht had mentioned earlier. I've been told that it's capable of taking care of the messenger, but it shouldn't have the power to overturn this situation. If he had, he wouldn't have watched Ilias get injured so badly.
　A shadow formed from the wooden sword and drifted near the angel. The angel reached into the shadow, pulled out something and flung it at me.

What the heck ...... are you doing ......?

　If it had been an unknown object, my thoughts would have never stopped. But I instantly understood what it was.
　Something I know. Something I've prepared. And it shouldn't be here.
　A small cloth bag that I usually used as a glove compartment. There it was, lying in front of me.

It looks familiar, doesn't it? The undead you unleashed on the castle, the things that keep them away. It's the scent bag you kept in your side tower, where you kept Washekht.
It's not possible, it's not possible.

　No way, no way, no way! There's no way I could have predicted that the messenger would do such a foolish thing. How could I have imagined that he would be so stupid as to not understand the significance of bringing this here?

I'm sure he thought that I and my friends would notice the lack of undead in the side towers and find out about this scent bag, right? They could use it to get Washekht to safety.

　That's right. A messenger who is close to your brother will surely locate him and rescue him. He'll notice the scent bag and get him out more safely.

"If you know that...?

　After saying that much, my thoughts realized one thing. I realize it, but my brain won't accept it. But the angel's eyes are telling me that it is the right thing to do.

I don't think you're evil. I understand and empathize with you. But I've decided to crush that ambition. That's why I made the choice to take away your victory. If Washekht dies, you can't be the winner no matter what.
"Lies. ...... Lies. Lies! You can't do that to the angel! Don't antagonize me. You can't be so cruel.
You can't be that cruel without antagonizing me." "Antagonism is something that doesn't hide its intent to harm. Yeah, I'm not being hostile. It's just malice I'm directing at you.

　The angel smiles tiredly. When I saw that smile, a thick feeling went through my body and I started to feel nauseous.
　This man, this man, just because he doesn't want me to win, he has put your brother in a dangerous position. And then he smiled at me.
　I'm not sure if it's the same as Chisanthe's or Yumieth's, but it's even more outrageous considering it's just to harass me. ......

As long as the scent bag is removed, the undead out there won't attack Washekht any time soon. That's why I had to be here. I needed to buy you some time so that you wouldn't find out what was going on outside.
What?

　This is no time to be here. We have to save your brother now. It's not like he's dead yet.

Miss Hillemera! She's bluffing! Don't let your mind wander!
What?

　Murscht's loud voice made my body cower. In the past eight years, he had never called me this loud before. But it gave me time to think.

"Hatta ...... re .......
"Yes. Yes, the scent bag is real, but it's his ploy to make it look like Master Washekht is dead. He can't harm Master Washekht.

　Yes, that's it. Even if he had bad intentions towards me, it doesn't mean he can harm you. A man who is enraged by the death of an enemy spies who has only known him for a few days cannot possibly abandon his brother who has been more friendly to him.
　And yet, his heart was still in turmoil. I can't give up the possibility that maybe, just maybe...

But the fact that it's here means that ......
"If we're going to let the undead attack Master Washekht, there's no reason to let the wolfe ranger. I'm sure Mikus and Ecdysium have already secured Washekto and are evacuating.
"It is true that I, Ilias, Wulfe, and Mikus came to Serende Castle. But Murscht, you defeated Wolfe, didn't you?
"......, yes. But I haven't seen Mikus. She's the only one who can save Master Washekht from the undead.
"Mixu's been there for a while now.

　He pointed towards the door, and the air around it shook. The one who appeared was Mixu-Thayes, who had been hiding behind a spell of invisibility.
　I can't even think about why he was hiding. What I do know is that the chains that bind him to me prevent him from escaping, and that he is left completely alone among the undead that are gathering to attack him.

"Big brother!

　My body bursts into action and I run. I'm the only one who can save him now. If you don't hurry, you'll lose him!


　As I was running in a straight line to the door, the man stood in front of me as if to block me. He didn't even hold the wooden sword at his waist, just held his hands out in front of him.

"Do you think you can pass?
What? You're in my way!

　Build and release your magic. I've been taught by Lahite, along with necromancy, to create crystals and pierce them with attack magic. I'm not sure if this is a good idea, but it's a good idea.

I'm not sure what to do.

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　I didn't think that my magic would work on a strong body that was able to repel even the sword of the Iliad, which was so strong. No, but why are you interrupting me?

I'm the one who's going to destroy him. I'm the one who's going to break him. Now, don't stop at this place, Master Hilmera. I won't stand in your way.

　Murshto laughed softly and pulled out the crystal that was stuck in his chest. The blood had already stopped, and there stood my knight, unshaken and unchanged.
　I start running again, heading for the door. This time, the man did not step forward, and Mikus-Thayes, who was near the door, did not interfere.

　◇.

　Master Hilmera left the room without looking back. I was prepared for the possibility that Mix might interfere, but my fears were unfounded.

How dare you treat a girl in love so badly?
"It won't be this bad. Hilmera would regret it even more later.

　There's a creak in the shape of his heart. It tells me that he has done something to make Master Hilmera feel guilty.
　I'm sorry for your loss too, though I'm not entirely sure what it is. But there's nothing more I can do for her.
　Victory conditions: ....... I also had my own victory condition of killing Harkdock and Wolfe, but then I kept losing. Well, it's all good if you win at the end, right?

"I'll just go ahead and incite Master Hillmera, then. When I was protecting you, she attacked me on purpose.
Yeah.

　I'm sure he was just trying to protect Ilias, but this is really terrible. What's more, it's against Ilias.
　Now Ilias and Mix are truly relieved. Ilias's heart had been seriously shaken when Lord Hilmera had constructed the spell. He would not have been so shaken if he had received the instructions with the assumption that I would intervene.
　Ilias's wounds were so deep that by all accounts he was unable to move satisfactorily. And yet he was deliberately attacked by Master Hilmera. He ordered Mixu not to move.

"If I hadn't come to your aid, ...... would be a fool's errand. Yes, I would have protected you. You understood me, you know. I wonder if the Iliad has always seen such recklessness up close. Isn't it hard?
"...... Well, yes. I've resigned myself to the fact that I'll never get used to it.

　I can't help but sigh at his thoughtfulness. You can't foresee something like this completely. I suppose this is one of the precautionary measures I've taken, assuming that I'm stronger than the Iliad, that I'll overpower her, that I'll hunt her down until she can't move.
　I assumed that I could see the shape of people's hearts, and that I would use those fluctuations to make all kinds of decisions, and I even took advantage of Ilias's emotional fluctuations.

I don't know how many other strategies they have in mind. ......
I don't know how many other plans you have, ." "There are very few plans left after all this time. Fewer than you think.

　Oh, he wasn't just hunting down Lord Hilmera, he was going all out against me too. That makes me very happy. It makes my mouth water to know that he cares about me so much.

I see. ....... So, let's continue the fight.

　I turned to Ilias and held up my sword. She had held out for a long time, but she was nearing her limit. She must finish it quickly and meet her end with him. She strengthened her magic and stepped in at once...

Ah!

　I've fallen down. I can't move my legs as well as I'd like, so I must have stepped in a strange way. Well, both of my legs are already broken, so it can't be helped. It's funny, though, because I was able to force myself to move my legs a while ago.

That's your weakness. Mursht.
"...... weakness?
Your superhuman body, your ability to see the shape of people's minds, they seem to be separate, but they actually come from a single talent. Your talent as a bastard is to maintain a form of magical power. You're not impervious to any attack. You just maintain your form no matter what the attack. Your ability to recognize your own form and not lose sight of it gave you the ability to read the form of ...... magic in your opponent's mind.

　That's right. I've never lost sight of my form. As long as I have been me, this body has never lost its function and has always worked the way I wanted it to.


　Even if the body itself is damaged by the reaction, it is enough to heal it later. But it's not working right now. Because of--

"...... has lost its mind.
It must have taken a great deal of mental strength and will to maintain your own form. You had an unshakable resolve to a single goal, and your will was strong and unbreakable. So you blurred your purpose. You used me as bait to protect you from destroying me.

　Maybe that's why Hilmera's poor attack magic was enough to pierce my chest. I must have lost sight of myself for a moment then. I had decided to destroy him.
　And because of that, my body, which I had tricked into moving, realized its limits. It was as if I'd woken up from a dream.

"Haha, great. You're able to exploit a flaw that I didn't even know I had. ......
"Mursht, you're already .......
Yeah, you're right. I'm not going to make it. I'm already being killed by Wolfe. Well, technically, it's both Harkdock and Wolfe.

　Come to think of it, the bone that was crushed by Harkdock's blow may have been a wedge in his heart. It's also possible that Wolfe was just stronger, but it would feel better to pretend that it took two of them to kill him.

"...... Isn't it enough to take care of him in his final days?
"Not enough. I fought and died for you, Hilmera. If I'm going to die, I want to get what I want in the end. That's why I'm going to destroy you.

　I focused my mind again and formed my own body with magic. He treated his flesh-eaten legs as if they were moving, and made them stand up in an impossible manner.
　It was only for a moment that my will wavered, and it will never waver again. I regrip my sword and look at Ilias with my back to him.
　She's already breathing, ready to meet me. She's supposed to be a normal human being, but it's really amazing that she can move so battered.
　How fortunate I am to have someone who can keep fighting for my will to this extent.
　With a single breath, I stepped forward and delivered a thrust to Ilias. It's the same as it ever was, and there's nothing she can do to prevent it. ......

"Mursht. Your intentions are painfully clear to me. It reminded me that my resolve to protect him is stronger and purer than my own.

　Ilias met my thrust head on. In the next movement, her sword leapt up and swung down into the vacant torso.

"I'll concede defeat in strength of will. But I'm going to let my will be done here!

　It's funny, no matter how strong your heart is, it's not a blow that can be prevented. ...... Oh, right. I've already got the better of the two.