"I'm bored..."

Dressed in a thin negligee, a girl rolled back and forth across the bed.

"I was all fired up thinking we'd head straight to the imperial capital, but instead I've been stuck waiting an entire week in a guest room on this Sacred Vessel of Canaan Pilgrimage... There's just no excitement..."

The one who muttered this with a sigh was a girl with striking, shimmering silver hair.

Emerald green eyes deeper than the sea, and delicate, almost fairy-tale features. Her slender figure wrapped in traveling clothes was nothing short of adorable.

Kyelse — the Dragon Princess who stood at the apex of all dragonkind.

Yet right now, all that majesty had gone out the window. She lay sprawled on the bed, staring persistently in his direction.

"Ren."

"What?"

"I'd like you to show me a hidden talent or something. At this rate, I'm going to die of boredom."

"I told you, I'm hopeless at stuff like that. I even flunked art and music."

Ren shrugged at Kyelse and shook his head.

Ren E. Maxwell.

Light brown hair in a careless cut, reddish-brown eyes. He had a reasonably well-put-together face, but his expression still carried a youthful, unassuming quality.

"Also, just so you know, this past week has been a perfectly valid recovery period. The doctor told me to rest my body too."

"Mm, fair enough."

"But I'm kind of surprised. You asked me before if I could sing, remember? I had no idea dragons were into singing."

"Don't underestimate us. Any self-respecting adult dragon appreciates a good song."

Kyelse sat cross-legged on the bed.

As she pushed herself upright, her thin negligee rode up. Her slender waist and navel peeked out from the gap in the fabric—

"Ren, what's wrong?"

"N-no, it's nothing...!"

He hurriedly averted his eyes from the puzzled Kyelse.

It was just her negligee riding up around her stomach, showing a bit of skin. Not so revealing that he needed to cover his eyes, but not something he could stare at either — and definitely too awkward to point out. A perfectly awkward middle ground.

"Anyway, what's dragon singing like?"

"Hmm. When we sing, every beast in the area flees in a panic. Among our kin, it's mainly used to stake out territory."

"That's just an intimidation roar!?"

"It is not. It is a truly beautiful song!"

Kyelse puffed out her chest proudly.

"My singing is famous even in the Valley of the Dragon. Calra herself praised me, saying, 'Lady Kyelse, your singing is the finest vocal power among all our kin.'"

"Vocal power?"

"Yes, vocal power. The raw power of one's voice. With my singing, I could reduce this entire building to sand and dust in under five seconds."

"That's destructive power! Not vocal power!"

"...Is it not?"

Kyelse blinked repeatedly, looking genuinely puzzled.

"Then I'll prove it with a song—"

"Don't sing! Don't you dare sing in here!?"

He clamped his hands over Kyelse's mouth as fast as he could.

"...Hmph. Human sensibilities are difficult."

"Dragon sensibilities are the ones I can't figure out."

He let go of Kyelse, who was staring up at him with that puzzled look, and let out a heavy sigh.

"That's not true at all. Angel songs are practically the same as human songs. Some human compositions have even spread throughout Heaven — the angels are quite fond of them."

"Same for demons. I hum a tune when I'm in a good mood too."

The two girls sitting behind Ren answered.

Archangel Fear and former Demon King Elise.

Like Kyelse, they were the Three Princesses who had quelled the End War alongside Brave Hero Eleline three hundred years ago.

They were celebrated as legends even in the human world. But legends aside, the three of them were currently lounging on the bed, apparently in the middle of a card game.

Apparently — because Ren hadn't looked back at them once.

"Elise, that's Doubt."

"Huh? How do you always catch me? Fear, are you cheating?"

"It's your expression. You look the happiest when you're playing a fake card."

"...Ah. Yeah, I guess that'd give it away."

Fear's mature tone and Elise's sigh.

"Well, that's one round done. Since this is a good stopping point, would you like to join us, Ren?"

"Yeah! Come play with us, Ren."

"Nah, I'll pass..."

"Oh, don't be like that. We've been traveling nonstop since we left Holy Fiora Journey Academy, and this is supposed to be our break. Building camaraderie is important too, you know."

Someone rose and stood behind him.

Before he knew it, that someone had wrapped their arms around him from behind.

A sweet fragrance drifted over him.

And above all, the two soft, overwhelmingly substantial masses pressing against his back—

"Come on, Ren? Let's play."

"I-I told you! I'll think about it once you get changed, Fear!"

He shot up from his chair and backed away from the clinging Fear.

When he turned around, he saw her — lovely, with her gentle smile and pale golden hair — and he did his best to look away without staring directly.

"That outfit..."

"It's perfectly normal clothing."

The Archangel stood there in a negligee with a plunging neckline.

The blush-pink cleavage peeking from her collar, the line tracing from her slender shoulders and neck down to her collarbone. Combined with that suggestive smile, she looked less like an angel and more like some bewitching enchantress.

"It's already noon — aren't you going to change?"

"I'm relaxing. We were graciously provided this lovely guest room by the Sacred Vessel of Canaan Pilgrimage, so naturally I want to be comfortable. Besides, Elise is still in yesterday's clothes too."

"Yeah, but Elise is—"

"I'm not walking around in something that indecent like a certain archangel."

The one who answered was a young girl with dark skin and a cheerful smile.

Former Demon King Elise shuffled her hand of cards with practiced ease. She had once been the ruler of the Underworld, but right now she was bundled head to toe in a puppy costume.

"Dignity is important, you know. If the current Demon King or the Five Great Disasters saw you, they'd be heartbroken."

"I'll be fine. Everyone in the Underworld knows I love dogs."

Elise crossed her arms in her puppy costume.

For the record, as far as Ren knew, Elise had been wearing that costume for two straight days. She'd apparently found it at a clothing shop here in the Holy Land Canaan and impulse-bought it on the spot.

"What do you think, Ren? Am I cute?"

"Yeah. That's about the twentieth time I've answered that, though. But I didn't know you liked dogs."

"Higher-ranking demons often keep magical beasts as familiars," Kyelse said, still rolling around on the bed.

"For instance, every one of the Five Great Disasters has their own familiar. Since her subordinates all have familiars, it wouldn't be strange for Elise, as their former Demon King, to have kept magical beasts as well."

"...Don't tell me your familiar looks like the dog on that costume?"

"Ooh, sharp, Ren. That's exactly right!"

Elise bounced up from the bed, beaming.

"Man, that takes me back. I wonder how he's doing. I haven't been to the Underworld in a while."

"Is it a species I'd recognize?"

"A Cerberus — a three-headed hellhound."

"That's a legendary-class magical beast!?"

It was one of the most famous magical beasts in the entire vast Underworld.

Said to be both the guardian of hell's gates and the watchdog of the Demon King's castle, the number of parties who had actually laid eyes on one throughout history could be counted on one hand. And yet its fame remained overwhelming — because a Cerberus was just that catastrophically dangerous.

According to one account, even higher-ranking demons avoided trespassing into a Cerberus's territory.

"Wait, you're serious... right? The actual Cerberus?"

"Yep. That one was a real pain to catch. I forced a familiar contract on him, but the second I let my guard down he'd bare his fangs and come at me. No matter how much love I gave him, he'd never become a tame little pet. That's what makes him cute, though."

Elise paced around the guest room in her costume.

Then she wandered over to the window, peered down at the scene outside, and beckoned him over.

"Hey hey, Ren, come look at this. It's lively out there."

"Oh, I was wondering about that too. It's sounded like a lot of fun since this morning."

Ren stood beside Elise and looked down at the scene below.

Canaan was world-renowned as a holy land of spirit faith, but until just yesterday, the place had gone dead quiet, with barely a soul in sight.

Today, however, the main street had been overflowing with people since morning. Lines for food stalls and restaurants stretched all the way into the back alleys.

"What's going on?"

"The prayer period ended."

A bell chimed, clear and bright.

After a beat of silence, the door swung open.

"It's a tradition in spirit faith — a period where you refrain from work and going out, and devote yourself to prayer. During that time, you're supposed to keep meals and conversation to a minimum too, so naturally the streets were quiet."

Standing beyond the doorway was a girl dressed in golden ritual vestments.

She was seventeen — the same age as Ren.

Her features were lovely, but her deep green eyes held a clear, noble dignity, and her lapis lazuli hair gleamed under the light filtering through the stained glass.

"A prayer period. So that's why we hadn't seen you, Elies."

"I'm sorry for leaving you on your own. But here in the holy land, it's a very important occasion. Even followers who normally can't make it to worship come to pray during that time... So forgive me."

She gave an apologetic, bashful smile.

— Holy Maiden Elies.

She was the girl revered as the holy maiden of spirit faith in the Holy Land Canaan. It came down to one thing: she'd been born with the power of spirit summoning — ancient summoning arts, one of the lost arts known as ANCIENTS.

"So, are you ready to head out?"

"Huh?"

"Looking after our guests is part of my duty too. To me, you're all lifesavers. It wouldn't be right to just leave the welcoming to my subordinates, would it?"

Elies winked playfully.

"You're going to show us around the holy land?"

"That's right. For Lady Elies herself to personally guide visitors through the holy land is unprecedented... Mind your manners." A large, shaven-headed man standing behind the holy maiden interjected quickly.

The martial artist Thyrus. Within the Sacred Vessel of Canaan Pilgrimage — an organization composed entirely of the highest-ranking female casters — he had been handpicked as an executive for his exceptional martial prowess.

"That said, this is a fine time to tour the holy land. The prayer period just ended and the whole place is buzzing with energy. The food stalls and weapon workshops should nearly all be open. Even just walking around as sightseeing would be plenty educational."

"Thanks. Alright then, Kyelse, Fear, Elise, let's head—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

Ren turned to look at the three behind him and sighed.

"...Before we go, could you all do something about how you're dressed?"

Kyelse, whose negligee had ridden up completely from all her restless rolling on the bed.

Elise, in her puppy costume.

And Fear — at this point it was impossible to tell whether what she wore qualified as a negligee or underwear.

"See, Fear? This is what happens because you lounge around in that slovenly getup."

"My negligee happens to be a perfectly respectable luxury item, I'll have you know. If anything, it's Elise's outfit that's childish and making us all look undignified."

"Oh, give me a break... You two just don't appreciate how adorable this costume is. And Kyelse, your stomach and belly button have been showing this whole time, you know?"

The dragon, the archangel, and the former Demon King pointed fingers at each other.

No, it's all three of you.

Ren swallowed those words, turned back to Elies, and faced her squarely.

"Hey, Ren. Those three really are the legendary princesses, right?"

"...I'd like to know that myself."

He answered the half-stunned Elies, then pointed past the doorway.

"Looks like this'll take a while. I'll just head out on my own."

The Holy Land Canaan.

Known as a major hub of spirit faith, the city flourished along the southern coast of the Arcana Continent.

The Arcana Continent — commonly called "the Continent of Scorching Sand."

A full forty percent of its landmass was covered by reddish desert. Winds heated by the sun-baked sands blew inland, and Canaan too was wrapped in sweltering heat year-round.

Under sunlight so sharp it stung the skin—

"It really is hot out here. Elies, aren't you roasting in that getup?"

"I am."

Elies, walking beside Ren, nodded without a moment's hesitation.

Gone was the golden vestment she wore as holy maiden. In its place was a plain ochre robe, its hood pulled up to conceal the upper half of her face.

It probably blocked direct sunlight, but the inside of that robe had to be unbearably humid.

"This is one of the rare bits of private time I get. I'd rather not cause a scene by getting recognized."

"So it's your incognito outfit."

"That's right. But with crowds like these, I doubt anyone's paying attention to us. Space out and you'll get swept away by the flow of people."

The alleyways were packed with foot traffic.

Lining both sides of the street were stalls set up by vendors who had finished the prayer period, crammed in side by side. Among the customers milling about were families, tourists, and heavily equipped groups that looked like parties.

"Ah... Ren, wait."

"What?"

"Quick shopping trip. I found something good."

She slipped through the crowd and jogged toward one of the stalls. Before Ren knew it, she was already heading back with two paper cups in hand.

"You haven't tried this juice yet, right?"

"...Probably not. What is this, some kind of red juice?"

He peered into the paper cup she'd handed him. A translucent red liquid. He could tell it was some kind of fruit juice, but he'd never seen a red one before.

"Try it."

"Then don't mind if I— ...SOUR!?"

The instant he took a sip, a wave of acidity so intense it made him choke ripped a yelp out of him.

Was this some kind of poison? If anyone other than Elies had given it to him, he would have spit it straight out.

"Elies, is this thing spoiled?"

"It's red lemon juice, from the northern desert. This is actually the sweet variety. It helps with heatstroke and fatigue. Apparently it used to be used as smelling salts."

"Smelling salts? I mean, sure, something this sour would wake anyone up whether they wanted it to or not..."

Elies sipped her red lemon juice without batting an eye. As a local, she was probably used to the taste — but for Ren, trying it for the first time, the sourness was way too intense.

...Kyelse and Elise would probably love this stuff.

...They did say they loved strong flavors in general.

According to Kyelse and Elise, between regular curry and deadly-poison curry, the deadly-poison version was tastier because it had more kick.

In other words, this juice was intense enough that even those two would approve.

"You don't have to force yourself to finish it, you know?"

"N-no... since I'm here, I should experience it... cough! Th-that's rough."

"Oh wow, impressive. You finished a whole cup of red lemon juice on your first try? Premier started crying after just the first sip."

"I can see why..."

The girl's voice was bright with amusement, a guileless smile peeking out from beneath her hood.

"What should we get next? Since we're here, it should be something you can only find in Canaan. It's so hot in this region that food spoils quickly, so they've been famous for dried fruit since ancient times — it's delicious, keeps forever, and makes a great souvenir. Oh, and we need to pick a good shop too..."

"...You're certainly having fun."

"I am. I mean, it's been about a year since I've been able to just walk around outside freely."

"A year!?"

"Every other time, I have a whole entourage. Walking a set route at a set time, entering set shops to buy things. And I can't even buy anything unless Nebirim approves it. Like a little kid, right?"

The girl let out a rueful laugh as she walked.

Nebirim was the highest-ranking female healer. The primary star of the party "Sacred Vessel of Canaan Pilgrimage" — its top-ranking officer. And at the same time, Elies's closest attendant.

Such was the life of a holy maiden.

The fate of an Ancienter born in the land of spirit faith.

It said as much about how important a figure Elies was to the Holy Land as it did about the weight she personally carried. Those few words said it all.

"But that's exactly why I appreciate freedom when I get it. So I'm doubly grateful that you came, Ren. I got to meet someone else who can hear the spirits, and I got an excuse to go outside as your guide. Something like this almost never happens."

"...I see."

Serving as guide.

Just as exploring the Holy Land genuinely interested him, her saying she was having fun was surely how she truly felt, straight from the heart.

"Being a holy maiden sounds really tough, though."

"I'm used to it. And like I said before, until I could actually summon spirits, nobody believed me when I said I could hear their voices. Compared to being treated like a weirdo as a kid, having everyone call me 'Lady Holy Maiden' is an improvement, right?"

"W-well, that's true..."

"Oh, and while we're at it, let me show you the oldest chapel too. It's like the birthplace — the very origin — of spirit faith."

"Something like that exists?"

"It does. It's worth knowing about. It looks like a run-down old building, but it's also one of my favorite places."

Elies set off with a skip in her step, like a child about to reveal a cherished secret spot.

"It's a bit of a walk, so we'll take a shortcut."

With that, she ducked into a shaded back alley.

They slipped between buildings as the clamor behind them faded, passing beneath rows of structures with domed roofs. Ren followed after Elies, looking up at the scenery as they went.

Toward the outskirts of the city.

They passed the Canaan Grand Cathedral at the Holy Land's center and kept going, moving in the opposite direction of the crowds.

"It's gotten awfully quiet."

"The commercial district is behind us. All that's left out here are derelict chapels that fell out of use. They're preserved as cultural heritage, but even devout followers of spirit faith rarely visit. I only come here for an official pilgrimage once a year."

From the back alley to the main road.

The streets that had been overflowing with foot traffic were now wrapped in a stillness like standing water. Not mere quiet, either — it was a solemn, tense silence.

"Here we are."

Elies looked up at an ancient temple standing quietly at the end of the road.

A chapel built from quarried stone. More than half of its brick wall had crumbled away, and weeds grew thick across the grounds.

"Halt! This is a restricted—"

"It's me."

Before the armored guard could finish, Elies pulled back her hood.

Her face, revealed.

"L-Lady Elies!?"

"I'm here to inspect the aging facilities as part of my rounds. May I pass?"

"Y-yes! My apologies!"

The guard scrambled back from the half-collapsed gate.

Paying him no further mind, the girl walked on into the grounds as if nothing had happened.

Toward the entrance of the stone chapel. A faint scent of dust and mildew hung in the air. The corridor Ren stepped into was cool and slightly damp.

"...It's brighter than I expected."

"That's sunlight coming through the big hole in the ceiling. Apparently there were stained glass windows here decades ago, but they've all shattered. Nothing left but open gaps. At least the ventilation's good now."

Elies kept walking with her hood down.

The chapel.

The windows that had once been adorned with vivid stained glass were now nothing but empty voids. The pews, the chairs, the altar — everything that must have once stood here had weathered away with the passage of time.

A chapel stripped of everything.

All except for one thing.

Against the far wall, a human-sized stone statue stood cloaked in dust.

A statue of a girl with wings.

In her raised right hand, she clutched something that resembled a fruit.

"The Spirit Princess. That's what they called the spirit enshrined here. She looks like a girl with wings growing from her back, so she resembles an angel from Heaven, doesn't she? To distinguish her from actual angels, some scholars call this one the 'True Angel.'"

Elies gazed up at the statue as well.

"The princess who commands all spirits. By extension, some scholars have gone so far as to call her the embodiment of the world's equilibrium itself."

"There's really some kind of lord over all the spirits...?"

Spirits remained beings shrouded in mystery.

What was known was that the entities called spirits were beings of pure spiritual energy.

Even higher beings — angels, demons, and dragons — were bound by the yoke of physical bodies. If their bodies perished, they perished with them. Spirits alone were the exception.

The sole beings in this world freed from the yoke of flesh — entities of pure spiritual energy.

Why they could sustain their existence, how they were born, how they faded — no one knew.

...A lord over all those spirits.

...I'm no expert on spirit faith, but I'd never even heard of that.

"This girl?"

"She's a being recorded in the oldest scripture of spirit faith. See the small inscription at the statue's feet? That's 'her' name."

"This? But it's worn away..."

The name carved into the inscription. Even squinting, Ren couldn't make it out — someone had gouged the lettering away with what looked like the tip of a blade.

"It's a name you already know, Ren."

"Me?"

"These days, when people think of spirit faith, the Holy Land Canaan comes to mind. But long ago, there were spirit faith chapels all over the world. Traces of their teachings still remain in cities everywhere. So it should be a name you've heard before. In fact, the very academy you attended—"

Just as Elies was about to say more, a sudden gust of wind swept through the chapel.

"Sylph!?"

A spirit distinguished by its green-tinted wings.

Nearly transparent as if merged with the air itself, its form visible only as a hazy shimmer even when you strained your eyes — a tiny figure. It had manifested above Elies's head without warning.

"I said this was one of my favorite places, remember? But it's not me who's fond of it — the spirits are the ones drawn here. Maybe the atmosphere reminds them of home."

"This place..."

Almost the instant Ren looked up, a faintly glowing red light drifted into view at the edge of his vision.

"Salamander? And Gnome, too?"

"I came!"

Bouncing happily, the little figure in a brown hood — Gnome — clung to his ankle. It looked like a kitten nuzzling up to him, but this was a bona fide spirit.

And one more.

Perched on Ren's shoulder and nuzzling against his cheek was a winged fire lizard radiating scorching heat.

"You guys like this place too?"

"Like it here!"

"...Like it."

The two spirits nodded in unison.

Though nestled close to Ren, what Salamander and Gnome were gazing at was the statue of the girl standing before him.

In other words, they had manifested because they felt drawn to this statue?

"Hey, Elies — do you think this statue is really what the legend says it is?"

"The Spirit Princess hasn't been confirmed to exist."

The girl shook her head, cradling Sylph in her palm.

"If something like a Spirit Princess existed, you and I would have heard her voice by now, wouldn't we? But I've never once heard anything like that. The prevailing theory is that some ancient Ancienter from the past was deified and became an object of worship."

"Ah, that makes sense..."

Like the Brave Hero Eleline in the modern era.

At party academies like Holy Fiora Journey Academy, there were always statues and portraits of him without fail.

"Do you think they'll make a statue of you someday, Elies? As the holy maiden?"

"I'd like them to do it before I'm an old lady. ...But jokes aside, the serious answer is that it depends on how things go the day after tomorrow."

The holy maiden who had been admiring Sylph suddenly turned serious.

The day after tomorrow—

Ren already knew what those words meant.

"The expedition to the Hegemon City, right?"

"That's right. We depart at dawn the day after tomorrow, as planned. Headed for the eastern coast of the Olvia Continent — The Hegemon City Elmekia. How's your shoulder?"

"That's my line. You're the one who was in real danger..."

One week ago.

When Ren had first met Elies here in the Holy Land Canaan.

Shortly after their encounter, the one who attacked the Grand Cathedral was the Demon General of Wave — Mia.

They had barely managed to fend off the assault by the legendary demon known as one of the Five Great Disasters. But for Ren and Elies, the true threat came afterward.

"Turning back toward the sunlit altar. Beyond it—"

"Something stood there, blazing with light — a towering 'something' in the shape of a human."

It was a monster wielding a cross-shaped spear of light.

For the first time, he had felt a chill of pure wrongness.

And Ren had understood. This monster was fundamentally alien. Something incompatible with every living being in the world — human, angel, demon, and dragon alike.

...Elies took that monster's light to shield me.

...If it weren't for Fear-senpai's healing, who knows what would have happened.

The same went for Ren's right shoulder.

The pain had subsided, but where the spear of light had pierced him, a scar still remained. That was exactly why he had spent the past week resting in the Main Spirit Palace's guest room, taking no chances.

"I was worried since I hadn't seen you in a while."

"Like I said, it was the prayer period. Nebirim cleared me physically. And I have your Archangel companion to thank for that too."

Elies placed a hand over her chest and let out a small breath.

"But most of all, it's thanks to you, Ren. This is late, but... thank you for saving me. I wanted to say it to just you, not in front of a crowd, so I held off until after the prayer period."

"Huh? But that's—"

"Don't you dare say 'I should be the one thanking you.' Don't even."

She'd read him like a book. That much was clear from the way she stared at him head-on, unblinking.

"Yes, I shielded you first. I know that. But when you're exploring uncharted territory, saving each other is just part of the deal. I've been through it countless times adventuring across the world with my subordinates from the Sacred Vessel of Canaan Pilgrimage. You're still new to traveling, Ren. It's just a small gap in experience. I had that tiny head start, so my body moved a split second before yours."

"...I-I guess so."

"That's right. But taking down that light monster — that's not something you can write off as 'anyone in a party could do it.' So it wasn't thanks to anyone else. I'm alive because of you, Ren. ...When I woke up after treatment, I was scared. I was fine, but what about the boy who'd been with me? Was he safe? What if he had injuries too severe to even treat?"

"......"

"That's how unnerving that monster was. Defeating it is something you should be proud of — something worthy of praise. There are things we still need to investigate, so I can't celebrate without reservations yet, but if things were different, the whole Holy Land should be throwing a feast in your—"

She rattled all of that off in one breath. Then, as if suddenly catching herself, Elies clapped a hand over her mouth.

"A-anyway! I lost track of what I was trying to say halfway through, but I want you to let me say thank you this once."

"...Okay. Then I'll take those feelings to heart."

"Please do. Ugh, I'm not used to saying stuff like this and it made me all nervous..."

Her voice shrank to a shy murmur. Ren smiled to himself.

Thank you.

That was the second time he had heard those words — the first being when he'd saved that girl at a house in Flame Cliff City Jio.

Words that had never once been spoken to him during his time at Holy Fiora Journey Academy. They made him happy, and still a little embarrassed.

"But we can't let our guard down until we figure out what that monster really was, right?"

"Of course not. As the holy maiden of spirit faith, I have to determine what's threatening the spirits."

Ren had seen it too — how Gnome had cowered in terror when that light monster appeared.

So why had the spirits been frightened?

Finding the answer to that was why Elies was headed for the Hegemon City.

"Spirits all over the world showed the same fear three hundred years ago — during the End War. And now, in the present day, the timing of the spirits growing frightened lined up almost exactly with the rumors about your party, 'Knight of Reincarnation,' spreading. So at first I suspected you were the cause... but I was wrong. Salamander and Gnome had taken a liking to you, and they were the ones cowering before that light monster."

"And after it vanished, there was a piece of black crystal left behind — the kind that's only found near the Hegemon City."

"Yes. That's our most valuable lead right now."

Elies reached into the inner pocket of her robe.

What she pulled out was a shard of black crystal that Ren had seen once before.

Black crystal was the material used in the black armor that served as the symbol of the world's largest party — the Royal Seventy-Two-Tier Special Task Knight Order, Elmekia Dusk.

And there was one more significant clue—

"If you wish to know the source of the spirits' fear, then follow."

"You will understand in time. When you carry the Goddess's Seal and challenge The Hegemon City Elmekia."

Heretic Knight Casadine.

In Heaven, he had led the Elmekia Dusk unit that attacked them to steal the Goddess's Seal. That man's words, too, had pointed to the Hegemon City being connected to the spirits' terror.

...He was obviously baiting us on purpose.

...Using information about the spirits' fear as bait to lure us to the Hegemon City.

Their goal was the Dragon Seal and the Goddess's Seal.

Two of the three keys needed to unseal the "Apocalypse Island" — believed to be the resting place of the Encore. Ren held the Goddess's Seal from the Goddess Resflaze, and Kyelse held the Dragon Seal from the Dragon Emperor Calra. For Elmekia Dusk, it would be the perfect chance to seize both seals at once.

"Thinking about something?"

"...No, I'm fine. Just organizing my thoughts."

He gave a small shake of his head to Elies, who was watching him.

The true nature of the light monster was something both he and she needed to uncover.

But the "Knight of Reincarnation" had something else they needed to confirm on top of that.

"So the admonitions of the Epitaph of the Three Sages were not mere idle ramblings after all."

"Away from the earth, the Gnome cannot exert its full power, can it?"

Why had Heretic Knight Casadine — a man they had never met before — known about Gnome's existence?

And then there was the anti-angel armor and anti-demon armor that Elmekia Dusk was reportedly developing. Even for the world's greatest military city, their progress on O-PARTS was far too advanced.

...Fear-senpai was worried about the same thing.

...And who are the "Three Sages" from that epitaph?

Elmekia Dusk, and the city that harbored them — The Hegemon City Elmekia — something unknown and dangerous lurked there. He couldn't shake the feeling.

"We set sail the day after tomorrow. Then it's two days to the Olvia Continent where the Hegemon City is... right?"

"That's right. The attack by that light monster came out of nowhere, so it's taking time to prepare a ship for the continental crossing. Get yourself mentally ready while we wait."

"Mentally ready, huh..."

At the words Elies murmured almost in passing, what flashed through Ren's mind was the scene from that day.

Elies, coughing blood, collapsing.

The light monster looming before him.

A memory he couldn't forget — didn't want to forget. He had never regretted his own weakness more than in that moment. A pang of remorse that wouldn't fade no matter how many times he relived it in his dreams.

"...My body's healed up, so I've got to do what I can."

"Hm?"

"Nothing, just talking to myself."

He said it as much to himself as anyone, then turned his back on the weathered statue of the girl.

The Main Spirit Palace.

An annex of the Canaan Grand Cathedral at the heart of the Holy Land, and the known headquarters of the party "Sacred Vessel of Canaan Pilgrimage." From the outdoor training grounds on its premises, a plume of strange purple smoke billowed skyward—

"Okay, here comes another one!"

The one who declared it with gusto was Elise.

At the same moment, a dark spell circle materialized on the ground.

The sky over Canaan was swallowed by thick storm clouds in an instant, the moisture in the air condensing and crystallizing before plummeting earthward.

Black Ice Spears.

Massive icicles shaped into tridents bored into the training ground floor.

They punched through layer after layer of defensive wards laid into the floor like tissue paper, gouging deep into the hard stone pavement. Spears of pure destruction.

But the Demon King's sorcery didn't end there.

A surge of freezing air erupted from the ground.

From the cracks the ice spears had punched into the stone, their residual cold blasted outward as dense fog.

"Oh, I forgot to mention — just dodging the spears isn't enough. Even if you avoid the ones from above, freezing fog rushes up from below. One breath of that fog and your lungs freeze first, then the rest of you. So, what'll you do, Ren?"

"...That's way too dangerous to just 'forget to mention.'"

He shot back at Elise, whose eyes were sparkling with pure delight, then kicked off from the ground.

At the same instant—

Dozens of black ice spears changed trajectory midair, every single one homing in on him.

"Oh, and I also forgot — those spears have heat tracking. They lock on to your body temperature."

"There's a limit to how much you can forget to tell someone!"

Ice spears that dove from the sky like they had a mind of their own.

"Haah!"

With a piercing battle cry, Ren swung his sword upward and cleaved through a black ice spear.

The blade blazed with searing crimson heat.

The Spirit Sword of Flame.

Salamander, perched on Ren's shoulder, had kindled the fire.

The crimson spirit sword met the black ice spear. The instant their tips collided, the ice spear burst into purple smoke — the residue of spent sorcery — and evaporated.

"Well, well."

"Hmm."

Fear and Kyelse, watching from a distance, widened their eyes ever so slightly.

Before their watching gaze—

"Faster, faster!"

It was Gnome who shouted.

Still clinging to Ren's ankle, the spirit pointed at a spot within the cloud of subzero fog—

"There, that way!"

Following the spirit's guidance, Ren threw himself into the freezing fog.

Threading the needle with pinpoint precision, he twisted his body through a gap in the swirling sorcerous mist no wider than a few dozen centimeters, sprinting through with the spirit's push at his back.

"He didn't hesitate to break through that sliver of a gap in the ice fog."

The one whose voice rang with delight was the Archangel Fear.

In the direction of her gaze stood Elise, beckoning him forward.

"All right, Ren. Give me everything you've got."

No holding back — training was meaningless otherwise. His opponent was the former Demon King who had once ruled the Underworld. To earn her acknowledgment, he had to go all out.

With that single resolve, Ren swung his blade.

The scorching edge closed in on Elise's face—

"Boop."

She caught it bare-handed, like snatching a blade from the air.

"...Huh?"

"Ren? Your sword lost a little steam just now. You hesitated, didn't you? I told you to come at me like you're trying to cut me in half."

Elise sighed, still holding his sword.

She might look about ten years old, but the force transmitted through the blade was like a giant's.

"Well, I figured as mu—"

Before he could finish, Elise suddenly let out a shriek and leaped into the air.

"...HOT HOT HOT HOT HOTTTTT!?"

Her palms had swollen bright red.

Probably because she'd grabbed the spirit sword — wreathed in Salamander's flames — with her bare hands without thinking.

"E-Elise!?"

"...Ow, that was hot. My palms are peeling."

Elise blew on her hands with little puffs of breath.

Leaving the childlike former Demon King to her predicament, Kyelse and Fear rose from their bench in unison.

"I see. So that's the true potential of the spirits' power."

"To cleave through Elise's ice spear in a single stroke — the spirit sword's power is more than sufficient. And that footwork just now was splendid as well."

Kyelse nodded, arms crossed.

Beside her, Fear wore an equally satisfied smile.

"Very good, Ren. Your growth is plain to see. Having the spirits as mentors surely helps, but it's also clear that your daily training has taken root. Though I suspect my excellent teaching had something to do with it. They do say that when the instructor is gifted, the student learns faster."

"Hold on, Fear. I take issue with that."

Arms still crossed, Kyelse jabbed Fear's side with her elbow.

"I was the one who taught Ren swordplay. My instruction is the foundation of his growth."

"Oh? But Kyelse, his technique just now was a product of my guidance."

The golden-haired Archangel fired back with a provocative smile.

"Oh?"

"Heh..."

"And honestly, the caliber of opponents he's faced has a lot to do with it too."

The one who cut in, leaving the two to their sparking rivalry, was Elise.

She pressed her burned palm against an ice spear to cool it, but the eyes she turned up at Ren brimmed with curiosity.

"He's getting better at reacting calmly to unfamiliar magic on the fly. I bet the firsthand experience of tanking high-tier spells from the Demon General of Blaze and the Dragon Emperor Calra is paying off."

"...I mean, 'firsthand experience' is one way to put it. More like I got burned within an inch of my life."

Ren shrugged at the beaming Elise.

"That matters too. But when I watched you fight, your movements were even sharper than this. You know, at the cathedral."

"Oh. That."

He found himself nodding. She meant the battle at the Canaan cathedral against the light monster — when all four primordial spirits, including the two Elies had summoned, were guiding him.

Elise's Demon King clairvoyance.

Even from far away, she alone had been watching.

"That was because I had Undine and Sylph lending me their strength too..."

"And those two?"

"See for yourself."

He gestured behind them to where Elies sat on a bench. Flanking her on either side, Undine and Sylph rested contentedly, watching Ren and the others.

"Is the training over? Is it safe to come closer?"

Elies approached, picking her way across the ice-covered training ground.

"I'm speechless. This training ground had four layers of anti-sorcery barriers set up for Aria training. They're all destroyed. So this is a Demon King's power."

"Nah, that was totally basic stuff. If I used real Demon King-grade sorcery, the whole Holy Land would've been blown away, not just the training ground."

"...Good to know."

The holy maiden answered with a wry smile.

"That aside — Ren, about the spirits."

"Yeah, that's the thing. When you collapsed, Elies, Undine and Sylph came running to me."

"You should be able to sense it — the presence of light. Dodge as it reflects on the surface of your heart."

"Don't resist the wind. Rather than cutting through it, find the point where you become one with it."

Undine's Water Mirror.

Sylph's wind trail.

Without those two, he had no idea what might have happened.

"...And I already figured this, but that was a one-time thing, right?"

"Yes."

"Elies, let's play. Play?"

The two spirits refused to leave the holy maiden's side.

In other words, their cooperation last time had been because Elies was in danger — not because they wanted to help Ren. That was all there was to it.

"We have Elies."

"Sylph is Elies's friend."

Undine and Sylph wouldn't leave Elies's side.

Unless he built the same level of trust with them that she had, they would never mentor him the way they had that day.

"Hey, Ren, stop nodding to yourself over there. We can't hear the spirits, remember? Explain so we can understand."

Elise tugged at his sleeve.

"Basically, both Undine and Sylph are Elies's friends. So they probably don't have any reason to lend me their power unless I become their friend too."

"Hm? Then just become their friend."

"I wish it were that simple."

He found himself looking up at the sky, almost without thinking.

The storm clouds from Elise's sorcery had cleared, and the sky was filled with nothing but dazzling sunlight.

...Friends, huh.

...How many did I even have at Holy Fiora Journey Academy?

He tried to remember, and came up empty.

He couldn't think of a single student who came to mind when he thought of the word "friend."

"What's wrong?"

"Sorry, Elise. I don't think I can just go up to the spirits and say 'let's be friends' that easily."

He scratched the back of his head and offered a rueful smile.

"Really? I'd think you'd be the most natural fit for getting close to spirits."

"I can't say it lightly. Think about it — if I walked up to Undine and Sylph right now and said 'be my friend,' what would that look like?"

Asking to be friends. Even if he did it right here and now, it would be driven by his selfish desire for their power.

"I just... want friendship to be something more natural than that."

Humans and spirits alike.

Befriending spirits because he coveted their power — he couldn't do that.

"So I figure I'll just have to wait. Until they open up to me on their own."

"What a roundabout way of doing things. ...Though I suppose that's very you."

Kyelse let out an exasperated sigh, arms still crossed.

"For the time being, that means we're relying on your two spirits."

"Pretty much."

He was about to nod when a pleasant breeze drifted through his bangs without warning.

"Sylph?"

"...If Elies 'asks' us, I might teach you again."

The little winged figure turned away, just slightly bashful.

"I am grateful that you helped Elies."

"Sylph remembers Ren now."

The translucent girl — Undine — smiled gently. Sylph, too, soared happily into the sky. Watching them go—

"What is it, Ren?"

"...Nothing. It's fine."

He turned back to Kyelse, who was peering up at him, and quietly clenched his fist.

"More importantly, let's keep going, Elise. There's only so much we can do before we leave the day after tomorrow, and I can't waste time."

"Mm, right. We're finally heading out to this Hegemon City place!"

Kyelse clapped her hands together as if just remembering.

"I've been waiting for this."

"Huh? You're weirdly fired up, Kyelse."

"Nothing but misery lately. Any kind of action is welcome at this point."

Kyelse gave an unusually emphatic nod.

"Ever since we left the Valley of the Dragon... I endured that agonizing boat ride to get to Heaven, nearly died of seasickness, then waited around with Elise while you and Fear went up there. And then we've been cooped up in a 'guest room' for an entire week. If that's not pent-up frustration, I don't know what is!"

"Well, you've got a point..."

"Forget the day after tomorrow — I'd leave right now if I could. Now where is this Hegemon City!?"

"That's wonderful to hear."

The Archangel, who had been quietly watching, let a mischievous smile show.

"I was sure you'd be too scared and refuse, Kyelse."

"Me? Ha, don't be absurd. There is nothing in this world that would make me— "

"We have to take a ship to get there."

At those words from Fear, Kyelse's face — brimming with confidence — froze solid.

"...What did you just say?"

"The Hegemon City is on the Olvia Continent. It's a different continent from Arcana, so we'll be boarding a sailing ship provided by the Sacred Vessel of Canaan Pilgrimage."

"......"

The color drained from Kyelse's face at an alarming rate. Her eyes went wide, and her lips — rosy just moments ago — began to tremble with fear.

"And it's quite the distance, so it won't be just a few hours like the trip to Heaven. This time, we'll be at sea for days and... oh? Kyelse, are you listening?"

No response.

Elise poked the frozen dragon girl's cheek, then slowly shook her head.

"Oops. Kyelse fainted with her eyes open."

"What? Whoa, she really did!?"

The dragon girl stood completely rigid, her face locked in an expression of pure terror. Like a frog caught in a snake's stare.

"But this is a good opportunity. Elise, help me. Before Kyelse wakes up, let's restrain her with my binding spell and your sealing barrier. Otherwise she'll throw a tantrum on departure day and refuse to board."

From seemingly nowhere, Fear produced a glowing golden rope and began tying up Kyelse.

"Elise, you handle the handcuffs on that side."

"On it. If we don't tie her down good, she might thrash around and destroy the ship."

"Actually, she'd reduce the Holy Land to ashes before the ship."

"Fair point."

The Archangel and former Demon King bound Kyelse's wrists and ankles, exchanging alarming remarks all the while.

Watching the scene play out—

"...Well, I guess these carefree moments are only going to last so long. Probably."

Ren looked up at the vast sky above.