There is a tower in the castle.
　I descend the stairs to the basement of the tower quietly, illuminated by the light of the Hitogata.

　When I let the shikigami go, I was worried that there wasn't even a guard on duty, but that's okay. It must be a good thing.

　Eventually, I found the dungeon at the bottom of the stairs.
　It's quite spacious. I guess the location of the dungeon is such that it's not a prison for ordinary prisoners.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most of it.

"Amu.

　Amu, dressed in a uniform with a blanket on, looked up.

''Eh...?　Se, Seika?
Are you okay?　I'm here to help.

　With a smile, I lightly touch the bars.
　The metal, embrittled by Gallia's mercury (corrosive sublimate), crumbles away with that alone.

　Amu rolls his eyes and says.

''Why...?　Why are you here...
I told you, I'm here to help. Come on, let's get out of here.

　I laughed lightly and said this, but Amu still looked puzzled.

Oh, how did you get in here?
Well, you didn't have to force it. I'm very strong. You know that, right?
What?　What the hell are you thinking?　What do you think that's going to do to me?
....
You can't run away!　And besides, this could get you and your family in trouble, too!　Or worse, they could take away your territory...
Amu this is your life at stake.
'Shit I know that!　Oh, I'll be fine!

　Amu said.
　I knew right away that it was the best I could do to make it sound as false as possible.

　With a faintly trembling voice, Amu continued as if to say to himself, ''I didn't do anything!

'I didn't do anything!　I don't know anything about demons and I'm sure they'll understand!　We should be out of here soon!
....
So you go ahead and run!　I don't know what he did, but it's only night, and I'm sure there's no telling who did it. So it's now.
....
Stay at school. I'll be back as soon as I can. A nobleman doesn't have time to worry about a commoner all the time.

　I look at Amu's forced smile and close my eyes slightly.
　Then he says quietly, "It won't be like that, Amu.

"It won't come to that, Amu," he says quietly.
What...?
You're a brave man.
Yu..... a brave man?
Yes.

　I continue.

I continue, "A fairy tale hero. "A human hero who is reincarnated with the Demon King once every few hundred years - you're the hero this time, Amu.
No, it's not...
I'm not just a commoner. You have a reason to be killed. Those with power are feared, marginalized and excluded by those who are not. That's true in all times and in all worlds.
....
Let's get out of here, Amu. If we stay here, they'll conspire to kill us.

　I hold out my hand with a smile to Amu, who is speechless with his eyes wide open.

"Come on, let's get going. Before dawn...

　Then I turned the invisible Hitogata toward the darkness at the end of the passage.
　I pointed the invisible Hitogata toward the darkness spreading beyond the passage.

The Phases of Fire and Earth, the Art of Demon Fire.

　A burning blue fireball of phosphorus flew, illuminating the dark underground.
　It reached nowhere and was intercepted in the air by wind magic.

　The shattered core of phosphorus burns small here and there in the passage.
　I'm not going to be able to get a good idea of what to do with it.

Hello, brother!

　Glai, with a grim expression on his face and his staff sword at the ready, does not respond.
　I couldn't help but chuckle and say, "We've seen each other a long time ago, haven't we?

It's been a long time since we've seen each other. It's a good thing, I didn't want to see you here, but.... But I guess it can't be helped. Let's have a duel, shall we?　As I recall, you still haven't fulfilled your promise.

　Glei didn't answer my question, but said in a tense voice.
　He just said in a tense voice, "Seika, what are you doing?

"Seika, what the hell are you...
That won't be necessary.

　A voice rang out from the darkness at the end of the corridor.
　I muttered quietly as I looked at the figure that slowly emerged.

"Fiona,

　I give a sarcastic smile to the holy princess as she steps in front of Glei.

I have to admit," he says, "that a place like this has a very strange character. But you show up at the best of times................................ You've seen it, haven't you?　Right now, this moment.

　I wipe out my smile and lower my voice as I continue.

What brings you here, Fiona? Are you going to explain this to me? Or do you want me to have all these idiots standing by to deal with you?

　Before long----there were several signs around this building.
　They weren't just guards.
　Probably all of them were users that could rival Galeos and the earlier demon party.

　These guys must be the Holy Knights.
　I see why they have gathered such a swashbuckling bunch of people.
　But ... although it doesn't make any sense in this place.

No.

　Fiona said in a matter-of-fact tone.
　There was no euphoria in the air now.
　She just continued in a serious tone of voice.

'Neither of those things. Neither is it necessary in this place right now. The holy knights are just letting them watch you from the outside to keep you out of their way. I think I understand the recklessness of letting them take you on, Lady Seika.
Hmm.........future vision is a useful power.

　I let out a breath and ask, "So, what are you doing here?

"So, what's the point of coming here?
'But first, I'd like to answer your question.
....
'I'm sure you have many questions. I'm sure you have a lot of questions, and I'll try to be sincere enough to explain. That will make it easier for you to accept the proposal I'm about to make.
A proposal, eh? That's one way to put it... but that's okay.

　I say the most important question of all.

"Why is Amu trying to get killed?
....
"The Empire must have an enemy. A clear enemy, the demon race. You are too cowardly and even if you have the interests of your faction at heart, you are too unreasonable to kill a brave man and throw away your dominance as a nation. Were you guys that stupid?
'It's not ... no, it's not.

　Fiona stutters slightly, then begins to speak.

'Once, this empire was ... a much smaller country than it is now. It had a small population, limited farmland, and no gentry. It didn't have a national army, and the lords of each region had to conscript their territorial populations to finance their war effort, so of course it was poorly equipped and couldn't take satisfactory tactics.
....
'How dependable the brave man who appeared in such a situation must have been. His power was a matchless warrior, or perhaps even more so. With his holy sword in hand, he and his trusty companions invaded the land of the terrible demon race and defeated the demon king. He was a symbol of hope, worthy of being spoken of in the legends....
....
But it's different now. Did you know, Lady Seika? The Empire can now mobilize hundreds of thousands of soldiers at once. And not just conscripted peasants, but well-trained regular soldiers. Along with high quality equipment and advanced siege weapons. And that........is the same for the demon race side.
....
''Do you understand, Seika-sama? Both the brave men and the Demon King are already obsolete. Even if one of them is equal to thousands of soldiers, they are a mere margin of error in the grand scheme of things. It's not enough to influence the course of the war. A brave man, who is only a single horseman after all, can't even occupy the city. All the wise ones are aware of this fact.
...so what does it matter?

　I say, "Why kill a man just because he's not fit to fight?

"There's no reason to kill someone just because they can't be used to fight. "If they can't be used, they should just be thrown out.
'The brave ... are a spark of war just by existing.

　Fiona continues.

''Think about it. Now that there are no demon kings on the demon side, there are only heroes on the human side. A hero whose strength is spoken of in legends.''
....
'Who's to say the humans won't use this opportunity to attack us?　What if people are too stupid to understand that they have no use for the war effort?　Or what if they are carried as the flag-bearer of the anti-magic tribe, knowing that they won't be a force to be reckoned with?　Once the edge of war is opened, it is inevitable that it will become a great war. If that's the case, it's not surprising that there are leaders of the demon tribe who would at least take the initiative....... The brave ones could be the spark that starts the war.
....
No one wants war anymore. The times are different from the days when we were fighting over land and safety. The demon race is so different in culture from us that we can't even annex them as a genus. Even if they win, they have little advantage. And the demon race probably doesn't want a war either. That's why they send assassins to avenge the brave men. They don't want to take advantage of the conflict, they want to extinguish the sparks. The spark of war.
....
'The best relationship between us and the demon tribe would be to the extent that we exchange resources and artifacts through merchants, through informal trade and so on. In other words, now. No one wants a war. It's not good for anyone to make waves.

　I opened my mouth to say something, and then closed it.
　Fiona, who was watching the scene, continued.

I'm sure that Amu-san will never be as strong as the brave man he once was.
Why?
It's because of you, Master Seika.

　Fiona continues quietly.

The strength of a brave man is that which is gained by overcoming difficulties. The strength of a brave man is gained by fighting a powerful enemy over and over again while on the verge of losing one's own life or something important, and then finally obtains it. Would you allow such a situation to happen to you, Amu-san?　Strong enough to attack the imperial city....and you, gentleman.

　I was silent, but Fiona continued to say to me, "I don't know why you're so obsessed with a brave man.

I don't know why you're obsessed with a brave man. The future vision can't know the heart of a person's heart that they keep inside and never show. But if the reason for that is strength, I can say that it will not be what Seika-sama thinks it is.
...so what's the point?

　I ask back.

"Because he's not going to be strong enough to do what I want him to do am I supposed to just let him die?　Is that what you want me to say, to sit back and watch you die for peace?
No, sir, that's not true. Nor do I wish for that to happen.

　Fiona denies it in a clear tone of voice.

''What I have just said is just one aspect of things. Rather, the extremists who think that brave people should be excluded are only a small part of the population. Those who find the brave men useful, those who point out the possibility of the demon race gaining momentum, those who are concerned about the existence of the demon king... Even among the influential people, there are many who are against it. This barbarism is almost the outburst of Marquis Greville alone, and it is by no means the consensus of the Empire. Those from the school faction are moving in the direction of protecting Amu-san, and so am I.
....
Master Seika. I have only one request.

　Then Fiona tells her.

'Please retreat for now.'
....
I won't let anyone or anything happen to you, Amu-san. I will return to the school with all of my strength, and I will return safely to the school. I will make sure that no harm will come to our relatives and relatives. Nor will you be held responsible for tonight's crime. If you withdraw now, you will be able to return to your normal school life. The empire................... So.........
Ha, ha, ha.

　I say with a dry laugh.

I finally understand. You wanted to see Amu... or rather, Amu and I... to make that request at this time.
Yes, that's right. I wanted you to know who I am. I wanted to form a friendship, even if it was only for a short time.
Ha ha.....
Do you remember, Master Seika? You made a promise to me in warfare. You promised me that the loser would listen to one thing the winner said. Now I hope you will fulfill that.
....
You'll just have to trust me.
....
If you trust me, then I will fulfill my promise to you.
Hmm.....
CeCe. CeCe.

　Then Amu grabs my sleeve from the side.

"Um, Fiona and your brother are...
"Amu.

　I tell the girl shortly.

"You need to be quiet for a minute.
.........

　I look away from Amu, who is silent, and say to Fiona, "You're making a lot of wishful thinking for a playful promise, Fiona.

"You're making a lot of excessive wishes for a playful promise, Fiona,
It's...
You also said that you could refuse to deal with matters that are impossible.

　"What the hell are you expecting me to believe?" I tell them.

"What the hell do you expect me to believe about you?

　Fiona's lips were tied in a knot and she shushed him with a look of pain.
　The air in the place becomes tense at the decisive breakdown.
　Glai, who has re-holstered his staff sword, opens his mouth as if he can no longer bear it.

''Seika, you........''
No I understand. Very well then.

　Fiona raised her voice to interrupt it.

'Go ahead, take Miss Amu with you.
Well you're very resourceful.
"There is a carriage in the square outside the main gate. These horses can run at night, so we can leave at once. You won't be able to return to the academy, but have you decided where you want to run to?
....
If you don't know where to go, you should head to Lacana Free City, a city of adventurers developed by dungeons. It's an adventurer's city that has been developed by dungeons. The sheikh there is a collaborator of mine, and we have already discussed it. I'm going to hide Seika-sama from the world, but I can't hide the fact that Amu-san is gone, so I'm sure he'll be able to accommodate us if we are pursued.
You're so ready for me to say no, as if you expected me to say no. And then?　Where are the traps?
'I think I understand enough to know that such a thing makes no sense to you. If there is, then you can be dropped in Rakana or the Imperial City as you wish.
....

　Fiona giggles and walks off.
　She walked past me and stood in front of the stairs, then turned around and said, "Come on in here.

Come on, this way," she said. I will lead you to the carriage. If you still don't trust me, you can come with me to Lacana, if you'd like.
Fiona, we don't need to go to sleep.

　Suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard a low voice that seemed to echo from the depths of the earth.
　The owner of the voice was nowhere to be seen. It wasn't any of the signs I had sensed.

"I am a hostage," he said. That is my promise to you...
Shut up.

　Before I could cast a curse, Fiona's voice was cut off by a single word.
　The sound of her voice is so sharp that I can't help but stop myself from hearing it for the first time.

You are not allowed to interrupt me now. You will not interrupt me now. Even if it's you, don't think of yourself as a partner for Seika-sama.

　There was a slight echo of impatience in Fiona's words.
　When I confirmed that the mysterious voice was silent, Fiona made a smile and turned to me.

''I beg your pardon. It's also my holy knight. It's just a little bit of a worry, so don't worry about it. I'm sure you'll be able to tell that to your friends later. Now, let's go.

　I watched Fiona climb the stairs with her back to me for a moment - and then I took Amu's hand.

Let's go.

　I pulled my hand away and the girl followed quietly, her face downcast.

　I stepped onto the stairs leading up.


****


　When I got out of the tower, the castle was quiet as if my rampage had never happened.
　I'm sure Fiona had already taken care of the area.

　The square was located just past the crumbling main gate.

''........Really, you had a carriage ready to go.

　I saw a lone carriage tied to a tree in a corner of the square, and I muttered to myself, half in disgust.
　Then I suddenly realized something, and my face involuntarily crumpled up.

Of course. Horses and carriages are both fine things. I don't want Seika-sama to be offended.''

　Fiona says in a good mood.

'I've loaded up some food and roadside silver as well. It should be enough to last until Lacana. Amu-san's sword is also in place.''
Yeah, well...
So, what should we do?　Would you like me to accompany you?

　There's a short pause, then I lower my eyes and answer, "No.

"No, no, no.
It would be easier for me to make a move in the future if I could stay behind. It did sound fun to go to Lacana with the two of you, though.

　Fiona continues with a smile.

'Come on, get in. You can leave through the south gate now. The sooner you leave, the better. It's not a good idea to stay in the Imperial City forever.''
...Amu, here.
Uh, yeah... uh, Fiona.

　Amu, who was about to get into the carriage, suddenly stopped in front of Fiona.

'Yes?'
Well thank you for this. You're a lifesaver.

　Then she held out the blanket in her hand.
　He noticed my gaze and began to explain in small chunks, "A little while after I was thrown into that prison, Fiona and your brother came to me.

"A little while after they put me in that cell, Fiona and your brother came to me. They gave us food and blankets and kept telling us that we were going to get out of there.
Eh....
It's probably a good one, though, isn't it?　It was warm.

　Fiona took the blanket and --- with a small smile --- draped it over Amu's shoulder.

'Take it with you. It's still cold at night, you'll need it on the road.
Are you sure?　Thank you........
''Mm-hmm........take care of yourself. I'll make sure to tell Yifa-san and Mabel-san that I went to Lacana. Let's talk together again sometime.
'Yeah but he doesn't have to be with me.
G'rai is really bad, isn't she? I was surprised too. As soon as he saw Amu in his uniform, he dressed the horse and the horse child too and he doesn't understand how to treat women. That one needs some education.
I can't believe you slapped me like that. I won't be allowed to see you until you stop being so rude to me.
"Uh-huh.

　Amu gets into the carriage and gives a small wave to Fiona.

'Bye, Fiona. Thank you so much.
Goodbye, Mr. Amu.

　Then Fiona turns to me.

"So long, Lady Seika.
"...Fiona.

　I let out a breath and called her name.
　Fiona nodded her head in confusion.

'Yes?'
I'm sorry I couldn't keep that promise, even though it was a joke.

　Fiona is silent for a moment, then smiles and replies.

''No, don't worry about it. Seika-sama was right. It wasn't something you would have demanded in a playful wager, was it?
But a promise is still a promise. It must be my fault that I couldn't keep it. So please let me at least do this.
"...?　What are you....

　I walked past a pouting Fiona and looked forward to the Imperial City.

　It was a little over an hour ago that we landed here. It would be enough to go back eight blocks.

　A small mantra was chanted----space was distorted and countless human gadgets were spat out of phase into the night sky.
　As they flew through the air, they were arranged regularly around the Imperial City.
　Eventually, each one was connected by lines of spell power, completing a three-dimensional magic circle.

'Lo_913म् अपाकरोति पदार्थ समुद्दिशति इष्टका अष्टम पूर्वम्----'

　Form a sign with both hands and chant the mantra.

'----वर्ग ह्रीः समय सम्प्रति----'

　He has only used it countless times----an extravagant technique that is comparable to the curse of reincarnation.

'----लक्ष्य साधनवस्तु पशु आत्मन्----'

　And then ------ changes began to occur.

　The debris of the ramparts that had been scattered around the city walls faded and their contours blurred.
　It wasn't just one thing. All the debris that existed here and there, and the dust that had fallen on it, began to shimmer and disappear like the moon reflected in the water.

　Instead, the castle gates that should have collapsed, and the wall towers that had been missing, begin to regain their appearance.
　From the vague shadows that would have disappeared if I rubbed my eyes, they gradually took on color and were restored to their pre-destruction form.

　The changes did not stop there.

　The walls of the castle that had melted.
　The trees in the garden that had been torn apart.
　And the soldiers who had lost their lives.

　By an irrational curse, they are being returned to their previous form every second.
　And then.....

...this is the way it should be...

　I lowered my hands from their markers.

　The imperial castle had already returned to its original form when I visited.
　There are no more traces of the destruction that took place there.

　I turned to Fiona and said, "In a nutshell, it's all back to normal now.

I'm sure everything is back to normal now. But I can't guarantee the souls of the soldiers. They'll probably be fine but if any of them are empty, then make it easy on them.

　Fiona was stunned, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing in front of her.
　But then she suddenly looked horrified and said to me, "You have done a terrible thing!

"You have done a terrible thing!
Yeah.
''I was just about to settle this matter with the body of a powerful demon tribe's attack!　All that destruction, all those soldiers' lives, everything is back to normal... how do you expect me to explain this stuff!
Well, it was just a trick, or something.
'Is there such an illusion!　You wanted to harass me, didn't you?
No, no, no, I was just trying to be nice.
'Then why do you do it on your own without explanation?　All you had to do was say a word!
Uh.....
Shit!　That's what you are...

　So Fiona stopped talking.
　And looking at me, who is staring at her fearfully, with a sigh, she smiles, as if she can't help it.

But ... it's so like you.
....
'It's a lot of work but we'll figure it out. I've promised you, you know.

　Fiona turns on her heel.
　Then she turned around with only her head to tell her.

'Goodbye, Lady Seika. I'm sure the time will come for us to meet again.


****


　After watching Fiona return to the castle, I untied the horse from the tree and climbed into the carriage's chariot.

　Take the reins.

　It's a bright night. The horse is calm. He'll have no problem getting off the road.
　It's just...

"Seika.

　From behind me, I hear Amu's voice.

"...Hmm?
I'm not quite sure I understand the situation, honestly.
....
What's up with you, brave?
....
It doesn't make any sense to me that you were talking to Fiona.
....
What?　Was I going to die?　And can't you be strong enough to be brave?　And they're going to expel you from school?　I don't know why I'm doing this anymore.
....
I'm not as smart as you and Yifa. I hope you'll explain it to me.
Yeah.
''Okay then. Let's get away from the Imperial City now. Fiona said it's best not to stay here too long.
Hey, Amu can I ask you one question?
What?
How does a carriage work...?
".........what?

　There was the sound of Amu leaning back.

'What?　You don't know how to move it?
You don't know that.　I wasn't that good at it.
So, why did you sit on the platform?
"Amu was on board, so...
'What...?　Wait, wait, wait, I'm getting a headache.

　Amu says, confused.

'What were you going to do in the first place then?　Why didn't you tell Fiona that you wanted her as well?
I don't know what to say to that guy.

　It's too shameful that a person who has done all this and is going to leave it to you to clean up afterwards can't even figure out how to move the carriage after receiving it.

It's too pathetic to think that they don't know how to move it after having been given a carriage to clean up.　Fiona would have gotten it ready for me sooner!　Huh........men are really stupid.
I don't have any words for you.
I mean, you're a man, aren't you?
I don't think that's too much to ask.
I kind of forgot that you're human and that you're a human being so get out of my way.

　Amu says as he looks up to the gyoja-dai.

'You, can you move the carriage?'
I've only done it once. But it's better than you. Come on.

　I'll take over as I'm told,
　Amu grabbed the reins and said with a wry smile.

'I can't imagine what's ahead of me,'
I'm kind of sorry.
'But I'm having a little fun. Lacana is something I've always wanted to go to...............................keep in touch, Ceika.

　Amu lightly struck the reins of the carriage.

　The carriage began to drive silently towards the gates of the Imperial City.