As I sat in my room, checking my weapons, I listened to Clairvoyant's musings.

'Did I make a mistake?'

Not exactly. Our initial hypothesis was that the souls of the incarnated people awakened the old humans' genes. But now we're thinking that our genes may have triggered some prehuman memories.

　I let out a sigh at Claire's mannerisms as I set the shotgun down on the table.

'It's not clear,'

'If we had more data, it would be clearer. But the Master wouldn't allow it, would he?

　I'm against human experimentation.

　These guys could do anything to the newcomers if they wanted to bring back the old humans.

　That's exactly what they would have done in a very reckless way to bring back the old humans.

'Then how about Finn?　He was born in the Empire. Besides, the Emperor is like the master of newcomers, right?

　The royal family seems to have inherited a strong bloodline of newcomers.

　Perhaps they have inherited the knowledge of the newcomers and other things.

　He picked up his rifle and held it in front of the mirror.

　The bullets were laid out on the table.

'I don't know, because Brave didn't let me check them. That guy was on the lookout for us.'

You guys are pretty clunky, aren't you?

'Oh, dear. Master didn't let me check.

　I never thought that they would start making a big deal about old humans and new humans now.

''I never thought that the newcomers would have adopted the genes of the old humans in the first place. No, I think it's just the opposite. The Old Man adopted the new man's genes. Maybe they chose to do it because they wanted to survive in a harsh environment.

It doesn't really matter now, does it?

'Yeah?　Maybe they were setting up the old humans to come back when the environment became more suitable for the old human side.''

How is that possible?

"What?　But if it's magic, maybe there's a way. We don't have enough information on everything.''

　I put down my rifle and check my knife and blade.

　As I'm checking the weapons, Clairvoyant continues to explain Erica.

''Erica, you're in a medical capsule. We're going to put her to sleep until everything is over.''

It's better.

"And I've talked to Marie and Lelia. "Remake" is the only word that Master knows, right?

　Hearing those words, I tuck my sword-like sword into its scabbard.

''It's been remade?''

It's a complete version of the three games in the series. It was sold on home consoles and handheld consoles. But what Erika-chan was playing is--

You mean unmarked?

　Now I know why Erica didn't tell me.

　She must have thought everything would be fine as long as she wasn't there.

'Neither of us knew about the magic element. I mean, neither of us had played the one that was remade in the first place. They were saying that maybe there were some additional elements to it.''

　I put down my weapon and laughed.

'You laugh. So we were all wrong about that.

What are you going to do, Master?

I'm going to retrieve the item. I want to increase my odds of winning as much as possible now. What about Luxion?

Isn't there an option to run away and not fight the Empire?

It's not. This is a race for survival.

　When I say this, Clairvoyant asks me curiously, "Aren't you usually the one who says you don't have a fight you can't win?

Normally, I would say, "I'm not going to fight a battle I can't win,"

'I'll try to win the battles I can't win, but I'll try to win them.' --Claire, give me an honest win rate.

　Clairé replies falsely.

'Twelve percent. The only condition for victory is the destruction of Arcadia, and that's all you'll have to do if you bring it into a face-off.'

Why don't you guys join us?

''Still, it's not even close to reaching thirty percent. Retrieving one or two lost items now won't help you.''

　But we still have to do what we can do now.

　We wanted to increase our chances of winning by one percent.

Because if we didn't do anything, that's all we'd have to do.

Master, are you sure you want to fight alone?

　I look down at Claire's question.

'-- How do you explain it to everyone?　Whoever said it was a competition for survival - old humans, new humans - whoever said it was a competition for survival?　I wouldn't believe it if I were you.

　It's a naive idea that if I explain it to them, they'll understand.

　Even if I tell them I'm a reincarnation, they're going to force me into the hospital in my current situation.

You're so stubborn, aren't you, Master?

'Because I don't expect humans to do that. No matter how much I explain the truth to them, they won't believe it. They'll just scream that I'm up to something.

　There is no such thing as a story that comes together as easily as a story.

　People will always keep making important choices wrong.

　Serge and Lelia - and the Holy Kingdom when the Holy Kingdom did a lot of things wrong.

　I don't say it, but everyone has their own interests at heart.

　--I'm one of them.

"I'm more comfortable being alone. I'm going to die alone.

'A lot of people are in trouble if the master loses?

"You'll take care of what happens after you lose. -- you'll protect us all, won't you?

'If that's the order, I'll do it with everything I've got.

You'll be safe.

　Worse, I can disappear with all the weapons.

　The foreignness of this world is gone, and what's left is that fluffy, damsel-in-distress friendly world.

　The old humans, the newcomers, and so on - I alone can take care of all the troublesome and dark settings.

　--It's not that simple.

◇

　At that time.

　Luxion had called Angel and Livia - and Noel.

　Angel, astonished by Luxion's story, was sitting in a chair and drooping in a paragraph.

It's a race to survive.

　Livia supports Angel.

'Well, um, um--'

　On behalf of the troubled Libya, Noel roughly summarized Luxion's explanation.

''In other words, it's either the kingdom or the empire that survives, right?　--and what about the people of the Republic?

　Luxion corrects Noel's sketchy explanation.

'The people of the Republic lived near the Holy Tree. Their blood must have been strong on the old human side. Or, the Holy Tree must have tampered with them in that way.''

　Noel looks at the back of his right hand.

　There was a maiden's crest on it.

'How scary it is that she's been toying with you before you know it.

'The problem is the Empire. They're close to the newcomer side. We've revived the fortress that creates the magic element. It's more convenient for them to continue to increase the concentration in the air.''

　Angel is holding his face with his right hand.

'So if that happens, we'll suffer.

''--Yes. Creare says that the magic element in the atmosphere may have been purified in some way, and when it drops to a certain level, it may have been set up so that the blood of the old mankind becomes thicker. In fact, the results of the investigation have come out that way.''

　The materials provided showed an increase in the number of children suffering in recent times.

　Since Arcadia has been up and running, the numbers have been increasing.

'The Empire won't work, will it?　If we wait, the kingdom and other old human sides will be weakened. It's best to do nothing and just watch.

'You can't do that. 'The kingdom has a master. I am the last remaining weapon in perfect condition on the old humans' side. They are most vigilant about the kingdom.

　Livia folded her hands in front of her chest.

　She just looked at Luxion with some suspicion in her eyes.

'What are you going to do about it, Luxion?　What do you want to do with Mr. Leon?

　He pointed the red lens down slightly.

　It looked as if he was depressed.

'I don't want the Master to fight me. I'm an immigrant ship, so I can get out of this planet - Earth - with the Master and the people around him on board.''

　Noel is surprised to hear that.

'Fleeing from the stars?　It's getting to be a great story. I mean, how did the old humans who could do that lose to the newer humans?

It's a long story, but we were unable to make a decision for each other. We were consumed by each other, and we were devastating this planet.

　Noel shook his head.

'You're an idiot!'

　But the story was not funny to Angier.

''It could be enough for us. In the first place, there are few people who believe in such a story. --the kingdom cannot be held together.

　That meant that they were unable to fight against the Empire.

　The exhausted kingdom did not have the capacity to fight against the Empire, a great power.

''In the last three years alone, the Principality War and the last coup d'état. The Principality Wars and the last coup d'état alone have consumed a great deal of our war potential. The lords will turn on the Empire if they are not good at it.

　No one will trust me when I tell them it's a race for survival.

　They'll just be wary that Rion is up to something.

I need to talk to Leon.

　Luxion shakes one eye as Angel stands up and says so.

'Why?'

The master's current position is in the dungeon.

"Then we'll be there in a minute...

"...a dungeon located a long way from King's Landing.

What did you say?

　In this time of emergency, the kingdom would be in trouble if Rion were to vacate the royal capital.

''What are you thinking. There's no way the duke can move so easily. Besides, he hasn't consulted us about anything - wait?　Hey, no way, Leon!

　Angel grabbed Luxion with both hands and questioned him.

''Yes, sir. The Master intends to fight alone.''

Doesn't he trust us?

　When Angel says it sadly, Luxion follows up.

　He speaks for Rion's feelings.

'We protect you because you are important.'

That means I don't trust you.

　Libya called out to a discouraged Angier.

'There must be something. There must be something that will help you, Mr. Leon.

　Noel scratches his hair.

''Seiki is still a young tree, and it's unlikely he'll be much of a force to be reckoned with.

　Luxion made a proposal to the three of them.

''I have a request. Could you leave some of your master's blood behind?''

◇

　There is a forest that Marie challenged before the opening ceremony.

　It was Marie who stepped into it, making her second attempt.

　She arranged her own airship and finally retrieved the items with Kyle and Kara.

''Mi, I found it,''

　Marie collapsed to her knees in front of the secret potion she had found in the mud.

　Kyle sat down too, and Kara collapsed.

'It really happened, didn't it?'

I can't walk anymore.

　Marie stands up and holds a secret potion in her hand, as if it were in a glass liquor bottle.

'This will help my brother.

　What you've got is an item that dramatically improves your stats.

　If used in the combat part, it would improve the character's abilities.

　With this, Marie thought, it would surely be useful to Leon.

　She hugged the secret medicine.

''I'll bring it back with me in a minute.

　But Kyle and Kara stop me.

'We can't. Let's get some rest!

'Yes, that's right, Miss Marie. It's nighttime, and it's not safe to move about like this.

　When they stopped her, Marie looked out of the cave.

　The entrance was quite dark.

(If I drop the secret potion, I won't be able to deliver it to my brother.)

　Embracing the secret potion, Marie sat there and waited for the night to dawn.

◇

"Will you spare some of your master's blood?

　The three of them froze at Luxion's suggestion.

　Not out of embarrassment, but because they understand what it means.

　Noel's cheeks tug at his cheeks.

'You're kidding. Don't say that at a time like this. 'That's it!'

"--yes. The master is literally risking his life.

　Livia's legs were shaking.

'Wait. It's not like that - Rion-san always complains and solves everything for me.

'I can't win. I've told you that. I even suggested running away. He wouldn't do that either. --We got lucky and we fought back. And I don't think it's possible to completely sink the enemy's fortifications.

　Angel was staring straight at Luxion.

'Is it useless for us to lend a hand?'

'Pulling up the Weiss and servicing it is useless. I don't think it will work on Arcadia.

Wouldn't it do a bit of good to keep the others quiet?

''Since it didn't work on the Black Knight, it's no longer possible.

Can't the Imperial Guard be stopped?

"...there's no reason to increase your odds.

But still. It goes up a little, doesn't it?

A few percent.

　Angier smiled.

'If it goes up that much, it's worth it.

Are you sure?

'I'm sorry, but I'm not going to become a widow out of the blue. Besides - I'm not going to approve of it unless I hear it from the man himself: 'You're going to have my baby'.

　Livia looks at Angel.

'Angel.'

　Seeing the worried look on Livia's face, Angier immediately thinks of a way to increase the odds in his head a little.

''I know. If this happens, I'll take it as high as one percent. The kingdom has been saved by Rion a lot. Then you won't be punished for saving Leon this time.

　Noel put his hands on his hips and smiled.

'You say. Then I'll call Lelia, too. It's a chance to repay the favor I've saved up, you know.

　Livia closes her eyes.

　And when she opened them - she looked at Luxion.

　There was no fear there.

'Mr. Luc, I'm ready too. I will ride the Weiss.

　Luxion, but the electronic voice seemed somewhat sad.

''--Yes, I see.''