[User] The royal army had military dormitories in each district of the capital, and the building Wilhelm was assigned to was one for the upper staff. This was the highest treatment for a foot soldier who had not attained the rank of knight, and he appreciated life in a private room that minimized his chances of running into other people. So much so, in fact, that he was apt to get angry at uninvited visitors.

[Assistant] "You were up bright and early this morning."

[User] "Why the hell are you here?"

[Assistant] "When I showed him who I was, the barracks captain let me in here. Even though I told him I could wait downstairs.”

[User] "You’re overstepping." He thought back to the pathetic face of the barracks captain he’d passed in the hallway and clicked his tongue, although the captain was long gone.

[Assistant] Carol had been waiting in Wilhelm’s room. She was in normal women’s clothes rather than her knight’s armor, and it made her a bit less intimidating. It reminded Wilhelm that she was, after all, a woman. Not that he was stupid enough to say that out loud—it would only earn him a tongue-lashing and make this encounter longer than it needed to be. "You know, I’ve known you for three years, and this might be the first time I’ve gotten to sit and have a quiet chat with you."

[User] "There’s not going to be anything quiet about it. Get out of here."

[Assistant] "You haven’t changed. Or…maybe you changed a little and then went back to how you were. You have that look in your eyes that reminds me of a stray dog—or a mad one."

[User] "Did you come here just to pick a fight? I’m impressed you’d go to all the trouble on your day off. Fine, I’ll oblige you." Their respective warrior spirits clashed briefly before Carol frowned and sighed.

[Assistant] "I didn’t expect you to be happy to see me. Once I’m done here, I’ll leave immediately."

[User] "Oh, so you were looking for something else besides trouble?"

[Assistant] "This is about Grimm, of course. What else do you and I have in common?"

[User] Wilhelm made a disgusted grimace at the mention of Grimm’s name. Ever since his injuries, he had been shut up in a medical center. Wilhelm, naturally, had not gone to visit him once. After all, why would he? A visit would serve no purpose, and anyway, the relationship between them wasn’t like that. But to find Carol going out of her way to come to his room like this—

[Assistant] "I came to tell you that Grimm wants to see you."

[User] It was exactly what he’d expected her to say. It wasn’t lost on Wilhelm that Grimm and Carol shared the bond of a man and woman. Well, they could care about each other if they wanted. But they shouldn’t push it on him. "All right, you’ve delivered your message. Congratulations. But I don’t have any intention of listening to you."


[User] “Going to see him would be a waste of effort.”

[Assistant] “Why, you—”

[User] “But I’m impressed you were able to bring me a message from someone who can’t talk. I didn’t know he was literate enough to write down—”

[Assistant] “Don’t get too pleased with yourself, Wilhelm Trias.” Wilhelm narrowed his eyes as Carol's intensity rose again as though to resume their contest earlier. Carol’s empty hand was clenched in a fist.

[User] “Grimm may forgive all the humiliating things you say about him, but I will not stand here and allow you to demean him.”

[Assistant] “You’re talking about the sort of thing friends do. Don’t try to force it on me.” The two of them stood exchanging dangerous stares. Carol looked away first. Wilhelm scoffed. She shook her head slowly and headed for the door, but then she said,

[User] “I brought you his message, even if it’s hopeless. Just once, try doing something decent by a friendship forged in battle.”

[Assistant] “Since when are he and I friends?”

[User] “Grimm sees you as his brother in arms. I thought maybe I could, too.” Carol left the room, leaving an intimidated-looking Wilhelm behind her. He heard the door close, then he threw himself down on his bed in frustration. He exhausted his swordsman’s spirit glaring at the ceiling. After that, only emptiness was left in his heart.


[Assistant] The place was filled with the stench of rot and blood. Valga frowned at the stomach-turning odor as he entered the little building. But though his old face might have been frowning, he would not turn away from any of this. All the tragedies he witnessed were the result of his own decision. It would be unthinkable not to look.

[User] “…Sphinx. How’s your progress?” He didn’t even greet the small, hunched figure before flinging out his question. The robed girl stood up when he spoke, wiped her face with the blood-stained fabric, and turned around.

[Assistant] “It will require ongoing observation. One thing I have concluded, though, is that it doesn’t smell nice. It may indeed be too much for me, as the incomplete creation of my mother, to reconstruct a spell missing its most crucial element.”

[User] “Awful lot of whining for a so-called witch… I’m sorry. I’m just angry.” He let out a long sigh and looked past the girl, Sphinx. Standing behind her was a snake-man covered in green scales—what was once Libre Fermi.

[Assistant] “So there’s nothing left of you. It’s a real pity, Libre.” Once the strongest warrior among the demi-humans, the light of life was gone from Libre’s eyes. Yet he still stood and fought at the behest of the witch—the result of a spell that could cause the dead to move. But he was an undead warrior now, capable of following only simple commands. He could no longer fulfill Libre’s role.

[User] “So many of our fellows have surfaced after our victory at Aihiya. And the blow we dealt to the humans was severe.


[User] "To think, this may be our greatest opportunity since this war began, and—!”

[Assistant] “Isn’t it enough that you’re here? Or couldn’t this undead warrior act the part you have in mind?”

[User] “…No. It’s not enough. I don’t have the facility to stand at the head of our allies. And no empty corpse is going to be able to muster the charisma of Libre’s leadership!” He glares at the undead Libre, then puts his thick palms to his face. The strategy at Aihiya Swamp had gone exactly according to plan, a major blow against the royal army. This should have been an opportunity to decimate a broken enemy, but Libre’s death in battle was completely outside Valga’s calculations. As much as he hated to admit it, Valga knew that Libre’s influence on the Demi-human Alliance was even greater than his own. Sphinx had at least succeeded in collecting the body and reanimating it as an undead warrior, but no spell, no matter how unholy, would truly bring Libre back.

[Assistant] “Though the flesh is revived, the soul does not reside within it. Reconstructing the Sacrament of the Immortal King is difficult indeed.”

[User] “How to continue the civil war without Libre…? We don’t have many options left.”

[Assistant] “But we have some…?” She narrowed her eyes.

[User] He gave a deep nod, having considered the possibility that he or Libre might not survive this war. He had hoped Libre might outlast him, but it had been the serpent who went first—such was their fate. Now I can do what I could never have done with Libre here.

[Assistant] “He hated the thought of the world gone to hell. He would have stopped me, possibly by force, from sending this world somewhere even lower.”

[User] “And what is it that you wish from me in this hell?”

[Assistant] “I will open the gates of the netherworld and comfort the souls of our departed comrades with the humans’ screams and death rattles. And you yourself will lead the way. All the kingdom’s warriors shall be burned to ash in the flames of my wrath!” The anger blazed within him; it never faded and never would. Every provocation would feed it until it razed everything to the ground. The flames would never be quenched. This, if nothing else, Valga knew to be true.

[User] “Libre is gone and I remain. Consider it testament to my undying rage.” He began a terrifying set of calculations of what would become the fuel for the flames. It was the beginning of the most crucial battle in the whole of the Demi-human War.

[Assistant] “…This requires observation.” And it was the beginning of the end that would settle the doom of many, including the witch Sphinx.


[User] “Wha?! Y-you’re the Sword Devil…!” He threw himself at one group trying to cause trouble on the capital’s high outer walls around the city.

[Assistant] “Ruuuahhhh!”


[User] Wilhelm had been assigned to a unit of military police.

[Assistant] Wilhelm readied his sword to grant the man a mercifully quick death.

[User] "T-to think our fight would end like this… Cur—curse you, you animal…!" The man held the fatal wound on his torn belly, spitting blood and contempt.

[Assistant] "Quit your yammering, you idiot." He muttered. "If you’re so afraid to die, learn to use a sword.”

[User] “...You think so…? Then take your…famous sword… Soon tongues of flame will lick the whole nation… Even the capital will not escape destruc—”

[Assistant] Wilhelm struck off the demi-human’s head before he was finished speaking.

[User] Wilhelm had sent the body tumbling over the wall with a kick and then finished off the group by the time the other guardsmen arrived.

[Assistant] “A-are you the notorious Sword Devil, Wilhelm…?” The man’s voice cracked as he said the nickname.

[User] The name of the Sword Devil, as well as Wilhelm’s, were now inextricably associated with blood and death.


[Assistant] “I’m Theresia. All right? Call me Theresia. And you are…?” She gestured him over.

[User] He’d stayed silent.

[Assistant] “You are…?”

[User] “Oh, come on! I’m sure you understand. I’m asking you to tell me your name, obviously!” She puffed out her cheeks and stamped the ground.

[Assistant] “I’m not hey you or girl. Call me by my name.”

[User] Wilhelm replied that he didn’t know what her name was.

[Assistant] “Theresia…” She coughed, then quietly said.

[User] Wilhelm thought it was a fitting name.

[Assistant] “Hey! Why aren’t you saying anything? Are you even listening to me?”

[User] “…Yeah. That’s a pretty nice name, I guess.”

[Assistant] "Oh, uh… Y-you think so? Well, I do appreciate your saying so…”

[User] “I mean, I’ve been calling you ‘Flower Girl’ all this time.”

[Assistant] “Whaaaat?”


[User] Theresia’s expression changed completely, her cheeks red at going from happiness to anger so quickly.

[Assistant] Wilhelm dodged all her attempts to step on his foot.

[User] “Ahh! You are the worst! Anyway, aren’t you about ready to answer me?”

[User] “Why are you acting like you don’t know what I want?! I’m asking you to tell me your name!” She stamped the ground again.

[Assistant] Wilhelm wondered what the problem was—and then questioned himself for wondering. All he had to do was tell her his name. It was only polite, and Wilhelm had no reason not to. Not even if it would provoke her terror and disgust. “It’s Wilhelm Trias.” If Theresia knew that the royal army called him “the Sword Devil” and what they said about him… The girl who loved flowers would revile him. The thought brought a strange ache to his chest.

[User] “Wilhelm. Yes. Wilhelm, Wilhelm, Wilhelm.”

[Assistant] “…Stop saying that.”

[User] “Huh. That’s a pretty nice name, I guess.” Her eyes glittered mischievously. Perhaps she thought she was paying him back for earlier. “It sounds very like you, Wilhelm.”

[Assistant] Wilhelm was silent at this; he was feeling too many things at once to know how to respond.

[User] “Still, it’s a little strange.”

[Assistant] “Yeah?”

[User] “I mean, it’s been three months since we met each other…but we’re just now getting introduced.” Theresia stuck out her tongue and smiled shyly. At the sight, Wilhelm felt the confusion of emotions in his chest evaporate. His body felt strangely light.

[Assistant] “Why should we have known each other’s names? We didn’t have any interest in each other. We both just happened to show up here at the same time to do what we wanted to do.”

[User] “Really? I had a little interest in you. And it’s not like I don’t know anything about you, Wilhelm. You hate flowers, don’t you?”

[Assistant] “…Yeah, that’s right. And, Theresia, you love them.”

[User] “Yes! See? We do know something about each other. We wanted to know.” She puffed out her chest triumphantly, and Wilhelm found the corners of his mouth turning up slightly of their own accord. It was rare for him: a smile that was neither ironic nor grim. “By the way, Wilhelm. Do you like flowers?” The question came at him unexpectedly, while he was trying hard to stiffen his cheeks to hide the involuntary smile. It was the same question as always—and yet, it meant something a little different today.

[Assistant] “No, I hate them.” Even so, Wilhelm’s answer didn’t change. There was nothing to be gained by looking at plants. Certainly not the things that mattered to Wilhelm.

[User] “Oh? If that’s the case—” Normally it stopped with the question and the answer. But today it didn’t. Holding the hem of her skirt, Theresia turned away from him, so Wilhelm couldn’t see her expression. “—Why do you wield your sword?”

[Assistant] “—” She had never asked this question before. In the three months they had known each other, there had always been flowers and a sword.


[User] "...Because this is all I have."

[Assistant] Theresia was silent, saying nothing in response to Wilhelm’s answer.


[User] Grimm, his eyes wide, scrawled the words on a piece of paper as he sat up in bed, and showed the paper to Wilhelm. "I never thought you would actually come."

[Assistant] "Just on a whim. I was on my way to do something else." He answered tersely, standing beside Grimm’s sickbed with his arms crossed.

[User] Please don’t talk about Carol that way.

[Assistant] "...This writing is a pain. Can’t you do anything about it?"

[User] Grimm gave a pathetic smile and pointed to his throat. I was at least lucky to escape with my life.

[Assistant] "...Given that we were fighting Libre, you probably were." Where’s Carol?

[User] "What, you think we’re friendly enough to show up here together? Don’t make me laugh."


[User] Just the thought of bringing Carol along, someone whose company he didn’t enjoy in the least, was enough to make him choke. Encountering her was something he dearly wanted to avoid. "I’m not visiting again. You make sure she knows I was here, okay?”

[Assistant] "I’ve got it. I’ll tell her."

[User] That helped him relax a little, at least. Now maybe he wouldn’t have to worry about Carol coming around to harangue him. If she had left him alone, he never would have bothered coming to see Grimm. How’s the captain doing?

[Assistant] “It’s like he’s possessed by the ghost of Pivot. I don’t like it. ‘Do this. Kill the demi-humans.’ That’s all you ever hear from him these days. Supposedly things have quieted down recently, but he’s only gotten louder.” Apparently Bordeaux had come to visit once as well but had quickly left again on business. The royal army was in total chaos, and the commanders had a lot on their plates. Bordeaux was no exception.

[User] “—” Suddenly, Grimm stopped writing and gazed into the distance. Wilhelm recognized the expression. It was the way Grimm had looked at the royal army’s cemetery, when they had said their last farewells to their fallen comrades. Wilhelm knew that he was lost in his memories of all those in Zergev Squadron who had died at Aihiya. Wilhelm, arms still crossed, walked over to the window and thought back to the swamp himself. He had ruminated on that battle many, many times—always so that he wouldn’t forget his rage at the unresolved conflict with Libre or at Sphinx, who had stolen that chance from him. This time, though, was different. This time, Wilhelm thought back to a different moment in the battle… “…Why did they protect me?” He remembered Pivot, who had given his life taking a blow meant for Wilhelm. He remembered all the others, who had stood against Libre at Pivot’s dying command and been cut down themselves. Grimm, too. He was among those who had faced Libre in Wilhelm’s place, and for his trouble he had received a wound he would bear forever and lost his voice. He didn’t understand why. None of them had had a hope of winning. If the effect of the magic circle had continued, Wilhelm probably also would have met his doom there. What meaning could there have been in their actions? “You, all of you, challenged a foe you could never beat. Pivot died, all of you died, and I—” If it hadn’t been for Sphinx’s intervention, Wilhelm would have died, too. And if he had, all of Zergev Squadron’s sacrifices would have been for nothing. And then—


[Assistant] There was a quiet noise from behind him. “—”

[User] “Are you…laughing?” As Wilhelm looked down at him, Grimm was reacting in an unusual way. His shoulders shook, his breath scratched from his throat, and he made a sound like he was coughing. It almost looked like laughter. This totally unexpected answer left Wilhelm at a loss.


[User] Grimm took up his writing utensils. I’m sorry for laughing. I never thought you’d respond that way.

[Assistant] “That’s my line. I never took you for the type to find matters of life and death funny.”

[User] Me neither. I didn’t think Pivot’s death or the deaths of our comrades meant anything to you. And to think you’re even upset that no one is blaming you… “—? !” Wilhelm reached the end of what Grimm had written, and the unbelievable sentence immediately made him angry.

[Assistant] But Grimm shook his head. Nobody blames you, Wilhelm. My wounds and Pivot’s death are not your fault. I’m sure the captain doesn’t hold you responsible for Pivot, either. It was the truth. Each time they saw each other, Wilhelm could tell how different Bordeaux was. Yet he never spoke ill of Wilhelm nor blamed him for Pivot’s death. Nor did Grimm consider Wilhelm to be the reason he’d lost his voice. Knowing as much should have been a relief to him. Should have been. Wilhelm. You’re the sword of our Zergev Squadron. If you aren’t defeated, we won’t be, either. Everyone believed that, and that’s why they put their lives on the line.

[User] “You’re making things up. My sword is mine, and I am my own.”

[Assistant] That’s true. I guess that’s enough. Your intense way of living is yours alone. Well, it was—but it isn’t anymore.

[User] “I don’t know what you mean.”

[Assistant] Your way of living is an ideal. Describing it in words makes it sound cheap and thin, but only those who have really dedicated themselves can live like you. The rest of us couldn’t do it. Wilhelm couldn’t quite grasp Grimm’s emotion as he poured the letters onto the page. Wilhelm had always hated when people said they couldn’t do something. Above all, he hated the look in a person’s eye when they said it. He despised the look of people who thought they were making a smart choice as they gave up and made excuses. But nothing in Grimm’s expression as he looked at Wilhelm was anything like that. He was saying he couldn’t. He was making excuses. His face was that of a man who had given up. Yet his eyes were neither resigned nor regretful. Wilhelm found Grimm’s gaze very unsettling. Wilhelm, I’ve always admired your strength. When we saw Tholter as an undead warrior at Castour Field, I could tell how different you and I were, and I thought you were amazing. So did everyone in the squadron. It’s hard to see from a distance what makes you special. But up close, you can tell.

[User] “…Don’t go giving me a weird reputation.”

[Assistant] Sorry. But you tend to do whatever you want to, you know. Maybe us independent types just tend to run into each other. I have high hopes for how far you can go. How far could he go? He could swing his sword, become a sword—and where would he end up?


[User] Grimm spoke all this without a word, then bowed his head toward Wilhelm with a smile. It was unmistakably a smile of brotherhood.

[Assistant] Wilhelm could hardly bear it.


[User] "Do you like flowers?"

[Assistant] "No, I hate them."

[User] "Why do you wield your sword?"

[Assistant] "Because this is all I have."


[User] "Wilhelm…you’re staring at me. Is something wrong?"

[Assistant] "No…nothing."

[User] "Oh? You shouldn’t look too intently at a woman’s face, then. It’s rude."

[Assistant] "What? Don’t you think you have a face worth looking at?"

[User] "Wha? Wh-what does that mean…?"

[User] "Why do you act like you don’t know what I mean? !" she said. "Don’t you know how to have a conversation?"


[Assistant] "It’s as if your sword is crying."

[User] "—!" He had been swinging his blade out of sheer habit when Theresia said this. Instantly, Wilhelm felt a storm of emotion; he whirled on Theresia and glared at her.

[Assistant] "...Wh-what’s wrong?" she asked.

[User] "You—! What do you know about my sword…? !" His unfocused pain had found an outlet. Wilhelm regretted the words, but they couldn’t be taken back.

[Assistant] Theresia frowned and said, "Wilhelm…you’re right. I’m not qualified to talk about swords."


[User] “But I can see by looking at you that using your blade right now is hurting you.”

[Assistant] “Don’t act like you understand. Nothing’s hurting me. I—”

[User] “If it’s that painful, why don’t you stop?”

[Assistant] “Stop…?” He frowned; he had never so much as thought the word.

[User] Right, Theresia nodded. “If you really hate it, there’s no point in going on. It might seem irresponsible, but why keep going if you have to destroy your own heart to do it? Or…” She paused and looked at Wilhelm, who stood bolt upright. “…Does it mean something else you, to pour yourself into your sword like that?”

[Assistant] Something beyond the sword itself, she meant. She asked as though it were the same question she always asked, but it wasn’t.

[User] “Even I don’t know the answer to that,” he said.

[Assistant] “In that case—”

[User] “But putting it down would be unforgivable.”

[Assistant] This time it was Theresia’s turn to fall silent. He couldn’t be allowed to put down his sword. What he wanted didn’t figure into it. “Unforgivable? So…you mean to go on using your sword forever, no matter how much it hurts you? No matter how painful it is?”

[User] “That’s right. I don’t have to know why I’m doing it. I just have to.” Wilhelm had no way of finding any other answer than that, anything other than the sword. He grabbed hold of the hilt of his weapon as if clinging to a lifeline.

[Assistant] Theresia exhaled when she saw it. “I see. So there was a meaning. To keeping you alive.”

[User] “A meaning to keeping me alive…?” He was stunned by the words. They almost suggested that she knew about Pivot and all the people of Zergev Squadron, and how he had been saved from death. But he didn’t see it in her eyes.

[Assistant] Two clear blue irises looked at him. “Yes,” she said. “As much pain as it causes you, you can’t let your sword go. I…” Theresia looked down, her expression sad.

[User] Wilhelm noticed the change but was unable to give an immediate response. Her words were still ringing in his ears.

[Assistant] “I hope you find it,” she said. “Your reason.”

[User] “My…reason…?” He wondered if perhaps those words might, in truth, be the key to resolving the problem in his heart. Then again, he could have told her it wasn’t so easy and not to say such stupid things. But Wilhelm didn’t do either of these. “Yeah,” he answered. “If I even have one.” He nodded at Theresia. It was the meaning of letting him live, the reason Pivot and the others gave themselves up, the answer to Grimm’s envy. Or perhaps the thing that would turn Wilhelm into steel once and for all.

[Assistant] “Don’t worry,” Theresia said. “I’m sure you’ll find it.


[User] "You of all people can do it.” She had no basis for saying so, but she smiled gently.

[Assistant] And Wilhelm, for some reason, found himself unable to argue. The chance to find his answer was coming, as if Theresia’s words had summoned it. It would be a great battle that Wilhelm Trias, the Sword Devil, could not avoid. A critical moment in the Demi-human War, a bloodbath at Lugunica Castle, would soon arrive.


[User] "That’s the general gist of what I’m hearing, anyway, but I haven’t gotten any details." Bordeaux said quietly. "If they had put us out there somewhere, we might at least have been able to help prevent some casualties."

[Assistant] Zergev Squadron, fully armored, was gathered at a guard station. The members present were the newcomers, the ones who had helped fill out the squadron after its old cohort had been so cruelly reduced. With the reorganization ongoing, official reassignment papers hadn’t yet been issued, but everyone he had spoken to ahead of time had come.

[User] "Grimm!" Bordeaux said. "You might’ve lost your voice, but I hope you can still fight like you used to! This is your chance to show us what you’ve got."

[Assistant] Grimm could say nothing to this attempt to inspire morale, but he pounded his shield in response.

[User] Bordeaux nodded at the display of spirit, then gazed out of the guard station. "I expect we’ll be dispatched to the nearest battlefield soon. Frankly, I’d like to rush out there right now, but it’s worth remembering that the bigger they get, the slower they are."

[Assistant] As Bordeaux counseled patience, Wilhelm was silently readying himself for battle. He would meet the oncoming fight with the overwhelming spirit of the Sword Devil. On the field, in the midst of a life-and-death struggle—he could forget the confusion he felt about fields of flowers. Where the sparks of life flew in sprays of blood, his spirit could give itself wholly to the sword, and he didn’t need to feel lost…

[User] "An armed uprising, though." Bordeaux said dispassionately, still looking out the window. "That’s a bold move. Valga Cromwell came up with it, I’m sure, but I have to admire how he was able to get all the demi-humans in on it."

[Assistant] He ran a hand through his short hair and frowned grimly.

[User] "But unfortunately for him, the capital was too vigilant for his plan to work here. The rest of the country may be burning, but he missed the most important part. I guess that’s all you can expect from a bunch of stupid savages."

[Assistant] His words reflected more than a little of his personal animus, but Wilhelm largely agreed with him. Rebellions had occurred all over the nation, but the capital alone was untouched.


[User] Wilhelm had spent several years in the capital now, even if he hadn’t especially wanted to. He didn’t want to see the city turned into a battlefield, nor did he desire all the casualties that would result. Including Theresia and her field of flowers…

[Assistant] "Wait." This felt wrong to Wilhelm. And not in the depths of his heart as Theresia had revealed to him. Something was off. And one word Bordeaux had used brought it together.

[User] "Burning…?" Wilhelm had heard something very similar recently. He wracked his memory, trying to recall when it had been—then bolted immediately to his feet.

[Assistant] Soon tongues of flame will lick the whole nation… Even the capital will not escape destruction. The words belonged to one of the demi-human vandals he had apprehended. Of course, they could be dismissed as bravado—but it had also described Valga Cromwell’s plan. The capital was a volatile place. Wilhelm knew that from his time with the local constabulary. Would Valga ignore his potential allies here and leave the capital out of his plans? It’s not possible. He wouldn’t forget this city. Which had to mean the uprisings were—

[User] "Bordeaux! All these uprisings are just a diversion! The real target is the capital—the royal castle!" After Wilhelm’s intuition led him to the answer, he ran up to Bordeaux, his voice ragged.

[Assistant] A dark look came across his commander’s craggy face. It angered him, but he was sure. He knew the enemy would seek the royal forces’ most vital point.

[User] "Think back to Castour and Aihiya! The battles where the royal forces suffered their worst losses! Both times, we went for the obvious bait and fell right into Valga Cromwell’s traps!"

[Assistant] "And that makes you think these uprisings are a decoy, while the real aim is the heart of the kingdom?"

[User] "Yes! You know this, Bordeaux! We dispatch soldiers from the capital to put down the rebellions, then they concentrate their forces on the undefended capital. They’ll conquer the kingdom!" Depending on how things went, the choice the squadron made now could determine the future of the Dragonfriend Kingdom of Lugunica. They had no sure proof, but Wilhelm trusted his instincts. If he hadn’t trusted those same instincts on the battlefield, he would never have survived to see this day.

[Assistant] "Hmm." Bordeaux crossed his arms and assumed a look of deep contemplation. Wilhelm could only grind his teeth. The same thing had happened before. At the Battle of Castour Field, when they had encountered the first magic circles and had been trying to decide what to do with them, Wilhelm had urged the captain then to push forward. He had said it was the only way to survive. But his opinion had been overruled, and he and Grimm had ended up the last living members of their unit. The same thing was happening again now.


[User] Someone patted the increasingly agitated Wilhelm on the shoulder. He turned around to see Grimm nodding at him and raising his hand to Bordeaux.

[Assistant] The commander noticed the gesture. He stared at Wilhelm and Grimm. Then he gave a deep nod, and a wide grin, the first they’d seen in a long time, came over his face. "Well, how about that? Leaving Zergev Squadron to stew in the capital might turn out to be headquarters’ smartest move! Now things are getting interesting!" Bordeaux slammed the butt of his halberd against the floor. The metallic noise rang throughout the guard station, and all the members of Zergev Squadron responded with one voice.

[User] "Yeeeaaahhhh!" In an instant, everyone was eager for battle, the room shaking with their cry.

[Assistant] Bordeaux, resting his halberd on his shoulder, grinned at the swordsman. "What’s wrong, Captain Killer? You don’t look yourself."

[User] "We’ve got no proof. You’re going to trust me?"

[Assistant] "The final decision is mine, and I’m not going to let anyone stop me. Plus…my instincts agree with yours. Let’s shred this demi-human plan—call it a parting gift to Pivot and the others!" Bordeaux gave Wilhelm a shove in the chest; Wilhelm stumbled backward until Grimm caught him.

[User] The silent shield bearer smiled at him in a way that seemed to ask, How about that?

[Assistant] Wilhelm waved him away. "All right, here we go! Zergev Squadron is the sword of the kingdom! That makes it our duty to bring justice to any barbarians who would go against the flag of our nation! Anyone disagree? Anyone object?"

[User] "No! No one! How could we?"

[Assistant] Bordeaux gave a shout, raising his battle-ax, and the soldiers shouted back. Their leader listened to them with satisfaction, then turned to Wilhelm again. "Wilhelm! Wilhelm Trias, the Sword Devil! The enemy is after—?"

[User] "What else?" Wilhelm answered. "The castle—the royal castle of Lugunica!"

[Assistant] Bordeaux pointed his ax at the distant castle. Then he sucked in a breath and howled like an animal. "The enemy is closing in on the castle! Zergev Squadron, move out!"


[User] "What? What’s this?! Is this how defenders of the realm comport themselves? !" a knight shouted at the trembling men. The cruel-looking knight stared down the onrushing squadron, then gave a disdainful click of his tongue. "Well, if it isn’t that idiotic stray… Halt where you are, Bordeaux Zergev!"

[Assistant] "Is that Lord Lyp Bariel?" Bordeaux called back, gaping at the man who stood in the midst of the defending soldiers. It was the viscount, the same knight they had encountered at Aihiya Swamp. Zergev Squadron came to a standstill.

[User] Lyp moved to stand in front of Bordeaux.


[User] “Don’t you know we’re at war, Bordeaux? What do you think you’re doing?! The kingdom is in crisis, and you’re playing pranks? This is practically rebellion!”

[Assistant] “I apologize for startling you all. But we aren’t here on a friendly visit. Time is of the essence—the fate of the kingdom hangs in the balance!”

[User] “Oh, it does, does it?” Lyp frowned at Bordeaux’s declaration.


[Assistant] Lyp looks at Wilhelm. "You again, Sword Devil."

[User] “Call me what you like. I have no time to argue with you. The enemy is targeting this castle.”

[Assistant] “You mean to say the armed uprisings are a diversion? Do you have any proof?”

[User] Wilhelm shakes his head.

[Assistant] “So on the basis of an educated guess, you descend upon the castle like an avalanche?”

[User] “I request you withdraw, Zergev Squadron. At present, the defense of this castle is my responsibility.”

[Assistant] “Valga, Libre, and Sphinx,”

[User] "You mean to take them all on yourself? You must be pretty confident.”

[Assistant] “Again? How many times must I tell you not to talk back to your superiors!” With a sharp tsk, Lyp lashed out at Wilhelm with his metal gauntlet.


[User] Wilhelm simply turned his head and avoided the blow easily.

[Assistant] “Who gave you permission to dodge me—?”

[User] “At Aihiya, you were my commanding officer, but not now. You have no reason to strike me and no reason to stop us. If you get in our way, we’ll just push past you.” Wilhelm rattled the hilt of his sword pointedly. The other castle guards cowered at his spirit, which hit them almost like a physical force.

[Assistant] Even Lyp looked somewhat cowed for once. The situation seemed set to explode at any moment.

[User] “Weeell, then,” a new voice said. “How about an order from me? I rank higher than any of you. I officially command Zergev Squadron to join in the castle’s defense.” The woman’s voice came from the direction of the castle. The collective gaze turned to see two figures approaching—Roswaal, dressed in her military outfit, and her attendant Carol.

[Assistant] “Roswaal J. Mathers…!” Lyp gasped.

[User] “So we have the war’s anti-magic specialist—that’s me—and a self-indulgent gate guard—that’s you. Shaaall we compare our positions to see which of us ranks higher in your precious chain of command?”

[Assistant] Lyp ground his teeth angrily, but Roswaal only shrugged.

[User] As much as he hated it, Lyp could only shut his mouth. "Ohhh, don’t be like that. All isn’t lost.


[User] "Being here today may yet give you your chance to bring honor and glory to your name. Consider all the possibilities.” Her words weren’t much consolation, but they effectively took Lyp out of the equation. Then Roswaal spotted Wilhelm. She brushed her hair back behind her shoulders, smiling sweetly. “I kneeew you’d be here. It was the right choice to focus on all of you—well, on you specifically—at Castour.”

[Assistant] “I still don’t understand a word you’re saying."

[User] "But we can come into the castle, right?”

[Assistant] “You could at leeeast learn how to talk to a woman. Of course you can come in.”

[User] Wilhelm told her, as bluntly as always, that he had no interest in lengthy talk. Then he turned to Bordeaux.

[Assistant] The man known as the Mad Dog nodded gravely. “Aaall right, then! Zergev Squadron will now enter the castle! Make sure we reinforce all the crucial points in the building! We’ll split into ten groups, just as we planned.” He pounded the ground with the butt of his battle-ax, and Zergev Squadron separated into ten groups. They would shortly assume their assigned roles and set themselves to the complete defense of the castle.

[User] "Lord Lyp, you stay here. Zergev Squadron will patrol the inside. Make sure you don’t let any demi-humans inside the gate.”

[Assistant] “—! I know my business! We wouldn’t let a fly in here. Now get lost, you pack of mongrels!” The viscount was not a very gracious loser. Nonetheless, Wilhelm and the others trooped into the castle.

[User] Roswaal came trotting behind them with obvious interest. “The unit’s split into groups. Can I assuuume you will act on your own regardless?”

[Assistant] “You’ve got Grimm to keep an eye on you. You’d only be trouble, anyway.” He spared a backward glance. It was an act of kindness on his part toward the wordless Grimm, who walked alongside Carol. Apparently, they were capable of having a conversation when only one of them could actually talk. Wilhelm scoffed a little at that. As the members of Zergev Squadron walked through the castle, they found hallways silent and rooms abandoned.

[User] “Looks like you’re short on soldiers.” This was the first time he had been in the royal castle of Lugunica since he had been invited to the meeting at general headquarters. That day, the castle had been stuffed with more people than it needed, but now it was practically empty.

[Assistant] “After the losses at Aihiya, the command staff has been dispatched to battle lines all over the country. And His Majesty personally ordered that troops be sent where the impact of the rebellions is greatest.”

[User] “But that’s—”

[Assistant] “A royal command is nooot something you can ignore. Not eeeven if it plays into the enemy’s hands.” Lugunica’s royal family were a sympathetic lot, but they were figureheads unsuited to national government. So much was widely rumored—and it seemed there was some basis for it.


[User] “So there’s no one protecting the castle?”

[Assistant] “A minimal contingent of the royal guard and defense units like Lord Lyp’s. That’s about it, I suppose. I admire His Majesty’s refuuusal to prioritize his own safety, but it’s just a sliiight problem when he occupies the most crucial building in the nation. Perhaps it’s time to start praying to the Dragon for the kingdom’s peace.”

[User] “I might admire your patriotism if you didn’t end by saying we need to beg for help. But—wait.” Wilhelm's intuition was nagging at him again. If the demi-humans were after the castle, then their ultimate goal would be the heart of the kingdom—the king himself. And after causing the uprisings, they had a sure way of capturing their target. There was one place the king of the Dragonfriend Kingdom of Lugunica was certain to go when his country was in dire straits. It was almost as if Valga Cromwell was inviting him there.

[Assistant] Bordeaux was heading upstairs. “Wilhelm! I’m going to go protect His Majesty! The throne room—”

[User] Wilhelm cut him off with his own view of things. “Bordeaux! I’m going to the chapel! Objections? !”

[Assistant] Bordeaux looked startled at the way everything about Wilhelm suggested that he was going to follow his own instincts, but then he grinned. “None at all! Whatever happens, just don’t forget what Zergev Squadron stands for!”

[User] “You know I never gave a damn about that.”

[Assistant] “Then we should ask Grimm. Grimm! Don’t let Wilhelm out of your sight!”

[User] The vigorous pounding of a shield came in answer.

[Assistant] Wilhelm frowned.

[User] Bordeaux hefted his battle-ax, wished them luck, and rushed off.

[Assistant] “What are you going to do?” Wilhelm asked Roswaal, who apparently intended to follow him down to the castle’s basement chapel. “Why are you with us, anyway?”

[User] Roswaal winked. “I have my own objective. Wheeether it will show up here is a biiig gamble, but I think I’ll trust the judgment of the man I’m head over heels for.”

[Assistant] Grimm and Carol exchanged astonished looks at Roswaal’s teasing words.

[User] But Wilhelm, the man in question, only gave a thoroughly exasperated cluck and shifted away from Roswaal. “Don’t come whining to me if you get killed,” he said. “I’m not nice enough to be looking behind me while I’m trying to fight.”

[Assistant] “…I think you’ve changed, though. You wouldn’t have said that befooore.”

[User] “Me? Changed? Even if I have—” Even if he had, it was only to advance along the path to becoming an unfeeling sword. It was, he believed, the answer he had found in his blade. Wilhelm gritted his teeth and forced away the image of Theresia that floated through his mind. If she hadn’t kept asking him, he would have stopped believing it long ago. He dashed forward, as if to escape the fact.


[User] "I’ll never be able to thank Wilhelm enough." He muttered.

[Assistant] He was frightened, yes, but the fear was familiar.

[User] He had been around weapons since he had been a boy and had used his natural physique and intellect to pursue the path of a knight.

[Assistant] Bordeaux could remember many times he had been at a loss as to how to handle the impertinent and rebellious boy. But Bordeaux had saved Wilhelm, which was enough to justify all the work.

[User] And here, now, Wilhelm’s presence did indeed make the difference between life and death for Bordeaux.


[Assistant] A twin blade came at the hulking man, dyeing the audience chamber’s red carpet even darker with blood as it did.

[User] "No Sphinx, eh? But at least I can get revenge for Pivot. You dirty little reptile!" Bordeaux inflamed his own lust for battle by taunting his enemy.

[Assistant] "I’m not about to be intimidated by an enemy who’s on the back foot. Have at, Libre Fermi!" He spun his battle-ax above his head and howled like an animal, stomping across the carpet. His huge body sprang forward, and the snake-man met him with the twin blade. Sparks flew, and the room filled with the ringing of steel on steel. The battle between the Viper and the Mad Dog had begun.


[User] In front of the huge door of the chapel lay the headless bodies of several royal guards. They were the few that remained to provide security for the castle. They had fought valiantly but futilely, as evidenced by the weapons that lay scattered around and the array of sword marks. Usually, Wilhelm felt he had no sympathy to spare for the dead—that was, the weak. But this time, he found a strange emotion welling up within him. Perhaps it was because he knew what these corpses had been fighting for. Wilhelm cut the emotion off, and with his beloved sword in hand, opened the massive door. It moved slowly with a great creak, and a fresh breeze blew from the chapel into the hallway. Magical, bluish-white lights illuminated the chapel in the basement of the castle, a place of grandeur and solemnity. On either side of the entrance ran rows of benches, and the crest of the Holy Dragon, the crest of the nation, was carved in the far wall. And at the altar, where prayers were offered to that carving, stood two figures. The figures, one huge and one a small girl, spoke in hoarse voices.

[Assistant] "In this chapel, the people of the kingdom pray to the Dragon."

[User] "Empires worship power, and holy kingdoms worship the spirits. I don’t know about the western city states, but I suppose they must have someone who offers up prayers."

[Assistant] "So then, what do you all pray for?"

[User] "What do demi-humans pray for, and to whom?"

[Assistant] "Hmm. If I were to pray, I suppose it would be to the souls of my comrades and ancestors. I, at least, have no other reason to pray." Then the two figures turned around.

[User] "Valga Cromwell."

[Assistant] The man nodded, wrapped himself entirely in a white sheet, as though he was trying to hide his identity at this late stage. "Indeed I am. And you must be the Sword Devil. Yes, I see… The hostility in your face radiates an exceptional spirit. Even I am not immune to it, and battle is my everything. No wonder you were able to kill Libre."

[User] "What are you talking about?"

[Assistant] The witch, who had twisted the facts in her report, ignored the Sword Devil’s gaze. "If you are here…it must mean the king isn’t coming." Her voice was emotionless.

[User] Roswaal, her hands encased in metal gloves, responded. "I didn’t have any special reason to tag along. I just haaated the thought of giving you what you wanted."


[User] "I reject everything about you, and I will eventually stamp out your life under my heel.” She gave a wave of her wrist and assumed a fighting stance with more flourish than was strictly necessary.

[Assistant] Carol drew her sword.

[User] Grimm readied his shield.

[Assistant] “Brave people, all of you. For the four of you to try to stand against us…”

[User] “No, that would be the two of you, coming into the heart of the castle. Too bad for you, one of your friends has loose lips and gave away the surprise. We’re putting an end to this, here and now.”

[Assistant] “…I thought I had taken the utmost care in whom I told about my plans, but I see someone found himself talkative at the prospect of death. Never mind. I will not bear a grudge against a fellow demi-human. We’ve made it this far. Our plan is going well enough.”

[User] “True, to the extent that you were able to sneak into the castle. What were those stupid guards doing?”

[Assistant] “We took a hidden pathway through the sewers. No one knows of it now—you humans don’t live long enough to remember.” Valga stamped his heel against the ground, opening a hidden tunnel. Perhaps he was so frank about it because Wilhelm had explained how he knew Valga’s plan. Someone gave an involuntary click of the tongue. “Back before the covenant with the Dragon, demi-humans were among those who helped construct this castle. Trying to speculate about the relations between humans and demi-humans in those days is a fool’s errand, but it is rather ironic. It was those times that allowed this moment of reprisal.”

[User] “Nice talk, but bad troop choices. The way I hear it, you’re only good in a battle of wits, not a contest of arms. Apparently, your witch there is the only one with real fighting power.”

[Assistant] “…Yes. As I am now, I suppose that is true.” Valga’s voice grew quiet.

[User] Wilhelm raised an eyebrow at this portentous whisper.

[Assistant] The demi-human gave a rumbling laugh. “If all had gone as I wished, the king would be here now. In order to reach him, I would have had no choice but to defeat the royal guard. Do you think I came unprepared for that task?”

[User] “You never do anything the simple way.”

[Assistant] “You are an emotionless man, aren’t you?” Valga said curtly. Then he turned to his companion. “Sphinx, the spell.”

[User] Sphinx looked up at the huge man beside her and cocked her head. “Are you sure? Once I begin, it will be difficult to stop. Impossible, in fact.”

[Assistant] “I don’t care. I knew all along that if I wanted to properly avenge my comrades, I wouldn’t return alive!” With a bellow, Valga tore away the sheet that was covering him. Hidden underneath was an old man with a bald head and a face like a demon. But his armor-like muscles, a unique trait of the giants, showed no age.


[User] “A magic circle on a living body? !” Carol exclaimed. “What kind of spell is this? !”

[Assistant] “I told you,” Valga said gravely. “You humans pray to your dragon. I will pray to my ancestors and my fellow demi-humans.” The spell began to take effect on his aged flesh, and as the glow intensified, Valga pulled something out of a pouch—a small box.

[User] “O bones of my forefathers, testament to the days when the giants were truly feared…!”

[Assistant] “The Sacrament of the Immortal King cannot construct an undead warrior from a pile of bones,” Sphinx said. “But with a living descendent who shares the same blood and a tremendous amount of mana, things are different.”

[User] “You think you’re going to bring back the old giants using the body of Valga Cromwell? !” Wilhelm said.

[Assistant] “The pride and the anger of the demi-humans you shall see with your eyes, feel with your flesh, and carve into your souls, damnable humans!” Valga shouted, and then he shoved the bones into his own chest. Immediately, Sphinx’s ritual, amplified by the magic circle drawn on his body, did its awful work.

[User] “Hrrraahh— Ahhhh— Ahhhhhhhh!” Valga’s howling voice got louder and louder, and the body it came from grew larger and larger. His lungs expanded as his body swelled to twice its original size, then twice again. Seconds later, the light of the spell faded.

[Assistant] “Is—is this what the giants used to be? You’re nothing but a monster…!” Carol's trembling voice filled the chapel as she stared up at the looming form. Her words carried no small amount of terror.


[User] Valga’s head now reached the ceiling; he was easily more than thirty feet tall. He had grown so much, in fact, that he had to kneel to fit in the chapel. Suddenly, the huge form stretched out its arm. The movement was nonchalant, yet it occurred with a violent quickness.

[Assistant] “Look out!” Wilhelm shouted, dodging to one side of the incoming fist.

[User] Trying his best to judge where to hold his shield, Grimm took an impact like that of a rampaging animal. Instantaneously, he and Carol were both launched backward out the door and into the hallway.

[Assistant] “Oh no—!”

[User] “That idiot threw himself backward to blunt the impact! But never mind that—here comes Valga!” Wilhelm called to the worried Roswaal. He refocused with his blade in hand and stared at Valga, whose battle aura had grown with him, and at Sphinx, who was floating in the air.

[Assistant] The witch paid his glare no mind, looking up at the ceiling the giant had shattered. “Valga, perhaps I could leave this to you? I believe the next step will require going elsewhere.”

[User] “Do what you want.


[User] "As for me, I’ll take revenge for Libre.”

[Assistant] “So be it, then. Valga, I require your good fortune in battle.”

[User] “Right. I appreciate your help. Although I’m not sure about all the details.”

[Assistant] Sphinx, given leave, cocked her head at Valga’s parting words. But then the witch floated up through the destroyed ceiling without saying anything further.

[User] “Sphinx…!” Roswaal shouted angrily.

[Assistant] Wilhelm gestured to the hallway with his sword. “You follow the witch. Bring those kids catnapping in the corridor.”

[User] Roswaal’s eyes widened with a glance at Valga’s hulking form. “You mean to take Valga on alone? Like that? I don’t think thaaat’s possible, do you?”

[Assistant] “We can’t let the witch get away. And you’re not going to fight Valga with your fists or a shield. Carol specializes in deflecting things with her blade, and that won’t help, either. You have to get in there and cut him down. He’s mine.” Wilhelm, his sword now pointed once more at the giant, exuded an immense battle aura.

[User] “You really are something. If we both make it back safely, I might practically kiss you.”

[Assistant] “Forget the creepy chatter and just go.”

[User] “So cold, though. Perhaps your heart belongs to someone else?” Roswaal said, ignoring the circumstances long enough to tease Wilhelm.

[Assistant] He only snorted. He certainly wasn’t going to tell her that, just for an instant, the image of a red-haired girl had flashed through his mind. “Best of luck.”

[User] “Yeah. You be sure to kill her.”

[Assistant] With these deadly words, the two vowed to fight, and then Roswaal retreated quickly from the chapel. Wilhelm assumed she had grabbed their two companions from the hallway and gone upstairs to battle Sphinx. Whether or not the three of them could best the witch depended on them. Wilhelm didn’t realize that this was, in its own way, a kind of trust. “I don’t have time to be worrying about anyone else, anyway.” Wilhelm muttered, sinking into a fighting stance.

[User] “Don’t overestimate yourself, boy. Do you think one as lowly as yourself can really stop me from getting what I want?” He made a sweep with one gigantic arm.

[Assistant] The Sword Devil dodged it, trusting in his own skills. The corners of his mouth turned up. “If you’re strong enough, you’ll get by me. If you’re weak, I’ll crush you. That’s all there is to it. The strength of your ideals has nothing to do with it.” He stepped in and brought the ax down with all his might. One end of the twin blade caught the blow and then cracked under a force that it couldn’t withstand. The ax bit into the serpent’s body, sending scales and blood flying.

[User] Libre reeled backward. “Grraaahhhhhh! !” Though the wounded creature made not a sound, Bordeaux flew at him with a cry. He swung the heavy battle-ax like an extension of his arms, cutting with the blade and following up with the hilt.


[User] The undead warrior that had once been Libre resisted these attacks with all the skill that was still left in him. He dodged, defending with the twin blade. Bordeaux was thrown off balance, and a strike found him. It grazed his shoulder and abdomen, but Bordeaux held his ground despite the flow of blood. This was without a doubt the strongest opponent he had ever faced. It was hard to believe that this was how he fought, even with his lessened capabilities as an undead warrior. The thought of what Libre must have been while alive made Bordeaux shudder—whether from fear or a lust for battle, he didn’t know.

[Assistant] "My blood! My blood boils, Libre Fermi!” Despite being drenched in blood, Bordeaux continued to shout; he looked into Libre’s lightless eyes.

[User] The serpent showed no reaction to the yell and only twirled the twin blade in his hand to continue the battle. It was a deadly dance as Libre Fermi’s twin blade began a ballet that was sure to kill.

[Assistant] "Hrrgh— Yaaaaaahhhh!” Bordeaux’s heart quailed at the storm of blows. But as he was driven back, he could feel the trembling from below through the soles of his boots. They were the shocks of a tremendous battle, and imagining the deeds of his comrades inspired him. Pivot’s last words were not to neglect what was below me. What would Pivot say if he saw Bordeaux taking heart from his friends fighting literally under his feet? Of course.

[User] "You’d just laugh and tell me that wasn’t what you meant, wouldn’t you, Pivot!” Bordeaux howled. His emotions stirred by the incoming dance of death, he hefted his ax and charged in. He didn’t have Wilhelm’s technique or Grimm’s ability to block a blow, nor was he as nimble as Carol or as thoughtful as Roswaal. Instead, Bordeaux Zergev gambled everything on what he did have, the body and abilities he’d been given.

[Assistant] "Rrraaahhhhhhh! !” The twin blade assaulted him like a tempest, scoring his body; everywhere he felt burning pain and flowing blood. Still, he raised his ax and brought it down squarely on the snake-man with shattering force. The strike slammed home. And finally…


[User] "Laslow, fall back!" Wilhelm ordered the soldier, catching the battle-ax with his sword.

[Assistant] Wilhelm forced the enemy back.

[User] "Give me your hand. Get to the rear as quick as you can, idiot."

[Assistant] "I-I’m sorry, Vice Captain!" The hulking soldier stuttered out an apology.

[User] "If you have time to apologize, use it to train better. Then we won’t have to leave a hole in our front line."

[Assistant] Wilhelm deposited Laslow safely in the rear, the Sword Devil went back to the battle with all speed.

[User] "Don’t act like a bunch of green rookies, Zergev Squadron! Look them in the eye and fight!" Wilhelm cutting a swath through the enemy forces.

[Assistant] "I can’t believe the change in that man… It makes me a little ill."

[User] "Ah, don’t be so hard on him, Miss Carol. It just goes to show that even Wilhelm has a good side. But I’ve seen him grow up, and I have to admit, it does feel a bit strange!" Bordeaux laughed heartily.

[Assistant] "I’ve known him since before he changed, too. I’m not trying to be cold." Carol fending off an encroaching enemy soldier with her sword.


[User] "I just wonder what he’s planning, acting like that…and when he’ll show his true colors.” Carol had a look of disgust in her eyes.

[Assistant] Grimm pounded his shield as if to speak. His usually friendly face was full of reproach as he shook his head at Carol.

[User] “I’m sorry, Grimm. But I just can’t get used to it…”

[Assistant] “There’s lots of opinions about the new Wilhelm in the squadron. But at the end of the day, everyone pretty much agrees with me and Grimm. It’s a real sudden change…but not a bad one.”

[User] “…I do know that.”

[Assistant] “Heck, they say ‘fire and a hammer are all it takes to temper steel.’ He can be prickly, but I guess he can also change pretty quick when he has a reason. It’d be interesting if that reason were a woman…”

[User] “Erk…”

[Assistant] “What’s wrong? You know something I don’t?” Bordeaux gave her an intrigued look.

[User] Carol shook her head vigorously, a troubled expression coming over her neat features. “I don’t know any— This puts me in a difficult position vis-à-vis my assigned duties. Please understand.”

[Assistant] “What you mean is you do know something about it. But I get it. I won’t press you.”

[User] “I’d appreciate that. Even so, I just can’t get used to it…” Carol watched as Wilhelm continued to protect his allies and cut down the enemy. In the midst of violent sword battles, he would help his squad mates and deliver words of advice. It was a profound transformation. If it had caused him to lose his focus and had negatively impacted his abilities in battle, that would have made it a problem, but Wilhelm’s prowess had not faded in the least—if anything, he might have been even more capable than before.

[Assistant] “I know, Grimm, I know! We’ll keep pushing the enemy back.”

[User] Let’s not let Wilhelm show us up, Grimm had said. The two of them advanced to the front line.

[Assistant] Bordeaux watched them go, resting his ax across both shoulders. “Speaking of changes, I don’t think you’re the same person you were when you first met Grimm, Miss Carol. But I guess maybe you don’t realize it. Ahh, damn it, you’re all so young!” Bordeaux laughed wildly and looked to the side, hoping for someone to agree with him. But it was just force of habit; the man he half expected to see standing just a step behind him wasn’t there. Bordeaux touched the wounds on his face and cracked his neck. Then he bellowed.

[User] “Hey, save some for me! We’ll destroy all these barbarians!” After the fight at the castle, Bordeaux Zergev had continued to improve his technique with his ax. Now, he showed the fruits of all that practice, wading into the fight even though he was himself a commander. It was a battle that encapsulated both what had changed about Zergev Squadron and what hadn’t.


[User] Zergev Squadron returned to the capital after two weeks. Wilhelm woke early and left the barracks, walking through the crisp, cool air with his sword. When the town guard saw him, they straightened up and saluted him. Wilhelm waved a hand casually and headed for the castle town. Soon he would be at the plaza in the poor district.

[Assistant] "Oh, Wilhelm. You made it today." Theresia turned around when she noticed Wilhelm. The wind picked up her long red hair, and she smiled at him.

[User] Wilhelm raised an eyebrow.

[Assistant] "I know that look. ‘What’s this girl up to?’ you’re wondering."

[User] "Well, thank you for putting my feelings into words. What are you up to, ‘this girl’?"

[Assistant] "I’d say that’s just the question. What am I up to?" Theresia said innocently. Then suddenly, she raised one bare foot. The hem of her dress shifted with the motion, revealing a pale thigh.

[User] Wilhelm quickly averted his eyes.

[Assistant] "What’s this? Is that too stimulating for a purehearted young man?"

[User] "Stop playing tomboy, dummy. I told you before, this place isn’t safe. If you leave yourself vulnerable, you’ll pay for it eventually."

[Assistant] "Oh, I’m not worried about that. After all, I have a big, bad swordsman with me, don’t I?" She said with a wink.

[User] Wilhelm ran a hand nervously through his chestnut hair as he approached her. "Okay, out with it. What is it you’re doing? Rediscovering your inner child and playing barefoot in the dirt?"

[Assistant] "H-how rude! I can rediscover my inner child if I want. And anyway, I’m not playing in the dirt! You’re completely wrong! Blind! Insensitive!"

[User] "Gosh, why’d you have to lay it on so thick?"

[Assistant] He genuinely believed he would never get tired of her laughter and shouting, her smiles and her frowns.

[User] "The correct answer is…I’m planting seeds for some new flowers!"

[Assistant] "New seeds?" While he’d stood transfixed by her profile, Theresia had grown impatient and had blurted out the answer herself.


[User] Theresia pointed at the field and said, “Yes, that’s right. The seasons will change soon, so the flowers have to change, too, don’t they? I’m sorry to see my flowers wither, but I can raise new ones for the new season.”

[Assistant] “Raise them? I’ve never even seen you water this thing.”

[User] “I-it’s true I mostly let them take care of themselves, but I’m the one who gave them that first push! And I plan to take good care of them this time. So maybe you could be so kind as to not sneer?”

[Assistant] Theresia always had to give back double what she got when she felt she’d been wronged. At the end of this tirade, however, Theresia gazed at the field and added, “Besides. If there aren’t any flowers here, I won’t have an excuse to come anymore.”

[User] Wilhelm caught his breath.

[Assistant] Wilhelm was coming to practice his sword work. But their facade had already all but broken down. They more or less neglected their alleged objectives—Theresia mostly, and Wilhelm entirely.

[User] Wilhelm turned away, unable to bear her gaze any longer. “You know…there’s something I’d like to report to you, too.”

[Assistant] “Report?” Theresia looked at him quizzically.

[User] “Yeah,” he said. “They recognized my deeds in combat. There was talk of some award or something, and…I’m a knight now.”

[Assistant] At her reaction, Wilhelm made a fist, careful to keep it where Theresia would not see it.

[User] In the past, Wilhelm might have turned down this award, but now he accepted gratefully. He took pride in this proof that his achievements had been recognized.

[Assistant] “Oh? Congratulations. I guess this brings you one step closer to your dream.”

[User] “My dream?” The thought had been so secret that Theresia’s remark took him by surprise.

[Assistant] She put her hand to her mouth as if Wilhelm’s wide-eyed look amused her. “You use your sword to protect people, don’t you?


[User] "And a knight is someone who protects people." She looked quite certain about this, and her lips turned up, for some reason, with what he thought was pride.

[Assistant] Finally, it made sense to him. He etched her smile into his memory so that she would always be among those things he was fighting to protect.


[User] After visiting Theresia, the sun now high in the sky, Wilhelm headed for the merchants’ quarter.

[Assistant] “The usual." He said to the girl at the door, then went to a corner seat far in the back.

[User] The person he’d come to meet was already sitting there, just pouring himself a drink. "Drinking at this hour? Pretty ballsy, even for a day off.” Wilhelm took the seat across from the man.

[Assistant] Grimm laughed voicelessly and began pouring a drink for the newcomer.

[User] He shook his head, and the serving girl brought him water. The man across from Wilhelm raised his glass insistently. Frowning, Wilhelm indulged with a clink of their glasses.

[Assistant] Grimm pushed a paper at him with those words written on it. I never thought the day would come when you and I would sit down and drink together.

[User] He tapped the paper with one finger. “Me neither. But I’m not drinking. Who would want to drink that swill, anyway?”

[Assistant] Grimm offered this brief sentence and a smile. It’s nice to know that some things about you haven’t changed.

[User] Wilhelm felt a twinge of guilt, realizing he’d done it again. He was so quick to spiteful speech and aggressive actions.

[Assistant] At length, he fell quiet, watching Grimm silently pour himself another drink. Wilhelm let himself be taken in by Grimm’s gentleness. He realized, now, how he had been the beneficiary of so many kindnesses.

[User] Unconsciously, Wilhelm touched the sword at his hip, drawing comfort from the familiar feeling.

[Assistant] Suddenly, Grimm set the bottle of alcohol on the table, and with his free hand he pointed at Wilhelm’s chest.

[User] “—? Oh, the crest. I guess it’s because I’m a knight now.” Wilhelm was looking at the dragon emblem on Wilhelm’s left breast. It was a proof of status he had been granted upon promotion to knighthood; the crest bore upon it a Dragon Jewel.


[User] “I guess it’s pretty unusual for someone to rise from commoner to knight, but…well, when they found out about my background, it didn’t take long for that talk to stop.”

[Assistant] “It turns out not much changes when you become a knight. What about you? If you and Carol get together, you’ll be part of a famous house. That’s a quicker route to the top, if you ask me.” Tired of being interrogated, Wilhelm asked a pointed question of his own.

[User] Grimm turned so red that he didn’t need to say anything to communicate his embarrassment. He put his glass to his lips as if to indicate that he would offer no comment.

[Assistant] Have you told your family about becoming a knight?

[User] “Contacted my family? No, not a word. Frankly, I don’t even know how I’d face them. But it’s also… Showing up the minute I get a promotion wouldn’t look good. I want to at least wait until the civil war is mopped up.”

[Assistant] You mean like maybe once you’re ready to bring home a girl to marry?

[User] “Hrrrft!” Wilhelm spat out his water at the words in front of him, glancing at Grimm.

[Assistant] Grimm was trying to suppress a smile, having gotten Wilhelm back for earlier.

[User] “…Can’t you find anything more productive to gab about?”

[Assistant] You probably know this better than anyone, but we were all surprised. Who managed to do this to you?

[User] “Don’t be dumb.


[User] "I’ve had enough of this stupid—”

[Assistant] "It would be really sweet if you became a knight for her sake… It’s not Lady Mathers, is it?"

[User] "Like hell! I wouldn’t have anything to do with that woman if Pristela sank into the sea!"

[Assistant] "You don’t have to get so upset."

[User] Grimm was grinning, but Wilhelm had real goose bumps. He wished Grimm would quit joking around. "Anyway, we haven’t even seen her on the battlefield lately. We only run into her every once in a while.”

[Assistant] "I think that “every once in a while” is because she wants to see your face. It’s cute."

[User] "Carol stays with Lady Mathers, so we haven’t seen too much of her on the battlefield, either. I’m glad about that. I know she’s stronger than me, but I don’t want her out there too much with the battles the way they are these days."

[Assistant] "True enough.” He couldn’t stand it anymore and gave a great stretch of his back. "I guess without a strategist to check them, there’s no one to hold them back. I think taking death before surrender is stupid, but it’s led to plenty of casualties."

[User] "They have no way to retreat, no matter how terrible the battle is."

[Assistant] “Maybe he knew that his death would fan the flames of demi-human anger and turn this into a war of mutual destruction."

[User] "Even so, the demi-humans are at a disadvantage. They don’t have the numbers. Valga must have known that." Grimm seemed to feel it didn’t make sense, but Wilhelm thought he understood.

[Assistant] Valga Cromwell wanted to put an end to the world. "The world was full of outrages and unjustified killing, and Valga wanted to do such damage to it that it turned on its head."

[User] "The flames of the demi-humans’ anger aren’t going out. I wonder if there’s a way to end this fighting."


[User] "I told him I would keep killing until there were no more enemies to kill. But…I’m not sure that’s realistic anymore. If there’s any chance, I think it has to be something more positive.” Positive?

[Assistant] “Something that will douse the flames of hatred and take away the fuel.” He felt like he was grasping at straws. If there had ever been such a possibility, the Demi-human War had changed things dramatically. What they truly needed was strength to match the rage. Something even more imposing than Valga’s ideals and the demi-humans’ hatred. “If we had someone or something like that…I wonder what it would even be called.”

[User] "—" Wilhelm’s whisper caused Grimm to fall into what appeared to be a thoughtful silence. Then he seemed to think of something and wrote slowly on his paper. A hero. He had written only those two words.

[Assistant] Wilhelm nodded. A hero, he thought. Yes, a hero. Someone who was not just a hero in name only but a real one, like in the stories. Someone with more power than Wilhelm, the Sword Devil, or the renowned battlefield outfit Zergev Squadron, or the peerless royal guard. Someone like the Sword Saint, who had once dispelled the terror that lay over the world… If there was to be an end to this fighting, it lay in such impossible hopes.


[User] "Myyy goodness. You’re back sooo late.” When Wilhelm returned to his room, he found a woman lounging elegantly on his bed—Roswaal.

[Assistant] "—" Without a word, he stared at her.

[User] Her eyes were free of malice as she smiled at him; she seemed to be enjoying herself. “You’ve been out on the training grounds, sweating up a storm, and now you want to turn all that heat on a member of the opposite sex… Is that how you’re feeling?”

[Assistant] “I’m feeling awfully tired of seeing you just waltz into my room. What the hell is the barracks captain doing? Doesn’t he realize he’s supposed to keep suspicious people out of here?”

[User] “He used to let me in because he was afraid of me. But now he does it as a favor to an old friend…or sooomething like that?”

[Assistant] “You need to mind your own business.” He recalled the salute the pudgy barracks captain had offered him as he entered the building. Wilhelm had dramatically improved his relationships with not just Zergev Squadron but also the other soldiers. Still, this was not going to help things any. If the captain let every visitor, well-wisher, and alleged buddy into his room, he might never get another chance to relax.

[User] “So?”

[Assistant] “To what do I owe the displeasure?”

[User] “Suuurely you know there’s only one reason a woman abandons her shame at night to sneak into the room of the man she desires. A primal, instinctive—now, now, don’t get so angry.” Wilhelm’s glare had begun turning aggressive, and Roswaal immediately abandoned any flirtatiousness. She let out an annoyed breath, observing Wilhelm with her asymmetrically colored eyes.


[User] "I could haaardly make my affection more obvious, and yet you have all the reaction of a steel wall. I’m going to lose my confidence in myself as a woman at this rate."

[Assistant] “I’m happy to respond earnestly to people who have sincere affection for me. But if they don’t, then I don’t waste my time with them.”

[User] “Hmm.” Roswaal closed one eye and lapsed into thought.

[Assistant] Wilhelm ignored her and grabbed something to wipe himself down with. After he had parted ways with Grimm, Wilhelm had headed to the training grounds and was indeed very sweaty. He did at least possess enough discretion, though, not to start changing clothes in front of a woman.

[User] “Then let’s talk in a spirit of sincere affection. Not as a man and woman, unfortunately, but as friends,” Roswaal said.

[Assistant] The tone of her voice had suddenly changed, and Wilhelm looked at her. Roswaal was still sitting just as she had been before, but her behavior was completely different. It was a side of her he had seen only rarely, on the battlefield, when she had been displaying her full desire to catch Sphinx. In other words, Roswaal was now well and truly serious.

[User] “With the help of you and your friends, I was able to achieve my objective. Consider this my heartfelt expression of gratitude for your help.”

[Assistant] “…Go on.”

[User] “The civil war is threatening to find its way into the territory of the House of Trias. Your family.”

[Assistant] “Wha…? !” Wilhelm’s eyes went wide at this unexpected news.

[User] Roswaal folded her long legs and nodded gravely. "Yes. I have some acquaintances around there. I’m sure this isn’t easy for you to hear. I came here to tell you myself, fearing it might otherwise be too laaate.”

[Assistant] “Why would you…? For that matter, why would they…?”

[User] “Of course, there’s nothing in the Trias lands worth attacking. The local lord and the royal army will both find it a bolt from the blue. Buuut the demi-humans aren’t so logical these days. You understand?”

[Assistant] The demi-humans who burned with the remnants of Valga’s hatred had nothing more to stop them, nor even anything to make them distinguish one target from another. Their actions might lead nowhere, yet the flames of this civil war could not be doused.

[User] “Then again, I suppose it could be revenge against you for killing their leaders, my dear Wilhelm Trias.”

[Assistant] “—” When one wounds another, it creates a reason for revenge. The beginning of this civil war, as well as its continuance, hinged on such reasons. And Wilhelm was in no position to condemn these actions.

[User] “I think your best hope is to talk to your superiors. I believe our friend Bordeaux would not do wrooong by you. Although it might take some time.” Then Roswaal stood up from the bed as if to signal that their conversation was over. She walked right past Wilhelm, who stood ramrod straight, and headed for the door.


[User] “…Just what do you want here? What do you think you’re going to get?” Wilhelm demanded before she could leave.

[Assistant] “I don’t have any dark designs. It’s unusual for me to feel such affection for someone. If I can help the few people I care about to be happy, so much the better. I promise my motives are nothing more sinister than that.” Roswaal stopped. She didn’t turn around as she spoke, and he couldn’t see her face.

[User] Wilhelm swallowed heavily at the weight of her words.

[Assistant] “What you do is your choice. Make sure you won’t regret it.” She shrugged and turned her head so she could see him out of the corner of her eye. She was smiling.

[User] Roswaal J. Mathers left the room.

[Assistant] Wilhelm stared after her. After a moment’s silence, he came back to himself. He rushed to grab the overshirt he had just stripped off and nearly flew out of the room to go see Bordeaux. When he got out into the hallway, Roswaal was already gone.


[User] “First, let me confirm the situation. It’ll depend what’s going on, but I’ll err on the side of deploying the squadron. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Wilhelm.”

[Assistant] When Wilhelm had told Bordeaux about the impending threat to the Trias lands, Bordeaux had nodded with unaccustomed seriousness and given this reply. He had then set off for headquarters. Wilhelm watched him go. Reporting the problem was all he could do right now. He ground his teeth at his own helplessness, but he had enough self-control now to bear it. He had the emblem of knighthood on his chest; it was a sign of his awareness that he would no longer be permitted to act as rashly as he had before.

[User] “Let me repeat that. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Knights are almost never stripped of their rank once promoted, but people know who you are now. You aren’t just a nameless swordsman who can go anywhere he wants.”

[Assistant] Twilight was deepening as the curtain of night draped over the capital. As he walked along the main street, he replayed Bordeaux’s words again and again in his mind. He couldn’t just wait quietly in his quarters. He had altogether too much time on his hands, and his feet seemed to drag him slowly but surely toward the plaza in the poor district. It was hours since he had seen Theresia, exchanged their usual words, and then parted ways. He had never before gone to that place twice in one day.

[User] “Wilhelm?” So he was surprised to find the red-haired girl standing in the darkened square. Unlike the main street, this plaza opened onto the back alleys, and as such there were no artificial lights. It was a cloudy night, and he could barely see his hand in front of his face. Theresia couldn’t possibly see her flowers in the darkness, yet she was waiting alone in that square.


[User] Theresia looked at Wilhelm and blinked her blue eyes. “What’s wrong…? You’re making such a scary face.”

[Assistant] “What’s a girl doing out here at this time of night anyway?”

[User] “Why, this almost sounds like… Ah!” Theresia clapped her hands as if she had figured something out. “Hmm…I’d sort of like to ask you the same question, but maybe it wouldn’t be very polite. You don’t look like you’re much for jokes.”

[Assistant] Wilhelm didn’t reply, but something felt off to him about the way Theresia was talking, almost as though she was playing a part. As he thought about why this should be, he hit upon a possible reason—and what she was probably thinking. This was almost the same conversation they’d had the first time they’d met.

[User] Truth be told, Wilhelm didn’t feel he had the time at this moment to indulge Theresia’s little games, but she eyed him so innocently while awaiting his response that he couldn’t help but play along. He easily put on the grimace of annoyance that he had worn at their first meeting. Then he said, “There’s a lot of dangerous people around here. It’s not somewhere a woman should be walking alone.”

[Assistant] “Goodness, are you worried about me?”

[User] “I might be one of those dangerous people.”

[Assistant] “You’re not. I know that uniform—you’re one of the castle’s knights, aren’t you? You wouldn’t do anything wrong.” This last line took a turn as Theresia pointed to the emblem on his chest and smiled.

[User] Wilhelm smiled grimly at the words, then stepped up next to her.

[Assistant] “You’ve been here all day?”

[User] “…Yes. I guess I did hang around for a while.” She stuck out her tongue as if to suggest this was something unusual, but Wilhelm suspected it probably wasn’t. Wilhelm had never tried to check on what Theresia did after they parted ways, but now he was sure she always sat here until it got dark. “I’m not trying to be cute when I say that this really isn’t somewhere a woman should be walking around on her own at this time of night.”

[Assistant] “Thank you for worrying about me. But I really think it’s a little late for that. And anyway, I won’t be walking around alone, so it’s fine. Someone is coming to get me.”

[User] “…I wasn’t worrying about that.” It was just his imagination that he was relieved to hear it. And anyway, having another woman around wouldn’t make things any safer.

[Assistant] “It’s okay. She’s a very strong swordswoman. Much stronger than me.”

[User] “Stronger than you? I think that would describe most swordspeople.” This girl didn’t know the first thing about the fighting arts. She didn’t make much of a comparison for anything.


[User] If this person had been acting as her bodyguard that entire time, maybe she had proven herself. If Theresia had a bodyguard, did that mean she actually had a certain status in the world?

[Assistant] “So you don’t go home. Is it because you don’t want to be at your house?”

[User] “Y-you certainly don’t pull your punches, do you, Wilhelm?”

[Assistant] “It’s a bad habit. My work has taught me never to hold back. So what’s your answer?”

[User] “…You could say yes, but…you could also say no. I’m sorry, I know that’s complicated.” Theresia’s eyes seemed to gaze into the distance as she apologized.

[Assistant] The feelings swirling in her eyes, how fragile she looked—Wilhelm cursed himself for his insensitivity. No young woman would spend the night wandering aimlessly around town instead of at home without a reason.

[User] “What about you, Wilhelm?” Theresia was sitting on the step by the flower bed, hugging her knees and looking up at him.

[Assistant] “Can I…ask about your home…? Your family?”

[User] “My…family…”

[Assistant] “Right. I mean…I know maybe it’s none of my business…” She smiled shyly.

[User] Normally, he might have been able to shoot something back at her. But at this moment, being asked about his family brought Wilhelm up short. After all, at that very moment his home, the House of Trias, might be in danger.

[Assistant] “…Did I say something wrong?” Theresia’s expression clouded at his silence.

[User] He cursed himself again for being immature. To tell Theresia about what was going on would only place an unnecessary burden on her. So why couldn’t he summon up his usual indifferent look? He looked painfully at the ground.

[Assistant] Then Theresia stood in front of him and reached out her hands to Wilhelm. “Stiffen that upper lip! Are you a man or aren’t you?”

[User] “—? !” She gave him a hearty smack on both cheeks.

[Assistant] Completely surprised, Wilhelm looked at her with wide eyes.

[User] Theresia put her hands on her hips and puffed out her chest. “Whatever your relationship is to your family, it’s obviously complicated, but it’s not like you to let that make you all weepy. Do what you always do—you know, act haughty for no reason. You should swing your sword like a child, full of unfounded confidence. That’s much better.”

[Assistant] “—” Her criticism was brutal. It stunned Wilhelm to realize that was how she thought of him.

[User] Perhaps his silence made Theresia realize how sharp her words had been, for she quickly said, “Wait, that’s not— Hrm.”

[Assistant] Wilhelm’s shoulders relaxed at this change in her. He exhaled, then smiled at her. Not one of his grimaces, but a smile from the heart.

[User] “You really are a strange girl, aren’t you?”

[Assistant] “H-huh? What makes you say that? I know I’m not quite normal, but I thought I said something pretty on the nose there.” She sounded annoyed.

[User] “Don’t praise yourself. But…you’re not wrong.” He exhaled deeply again.


[User] “Swinging my sword like a child, huh…?” A sigh of expelling all his emotions.

[Assistant] Smiling. "Let me walk you to the entrance of the poor district. Wait for your friend where there’s some light.”

[User] “…Aren’t you afraid she might miss me if I’m not in our usual spot?”

[Assistant] “Are you saying I should leave you here in the dark? Don’t make me.”

[User] “That’s true enough. I guess we don’t have a choice, then. I’ll let you help a young woman to her feet.” Sounding confident as she held out her hand.

[Assistant] Wilhelm took it and helped her up, and somehow the two of them never quite let go of each other’s hands as they walked toward the entrance to the slum.


[User] “I’ll wait here,” she said. “I think she’ll be able to find me.” Stopping on a side street near the main road.

[Assistant] “So now it’s a girl by herself in a dark alleyway? You know, come to think of it, they do call prostitutes ‘flower girls’ around here…”

[User] “Nobody’s going to mistake me for one of those… Wait a second, surely that’s not why you started calling me that?”

[Assistant] “No. It was because your head was full of flowers.”

[User] “Well, that’s not very nice, either!” She turned red and batted him on the shoulder.

[Assistant] Wilhelm let go of her hand and took a step away from her. Touching the emblem on his chest, he said good night. "Be careful on these dark roads, Flower Girl.”

[User] “Be careful not to shirk your duty too much, good-for-nothing soldier.”


[Assistant] “Bye, Theresia.” These seemingly cruel words quickly gave way to smiles.

[User] “See you next time, Wilhelm.”

[Assistant] Wilhelm turned away from her and headed for the main road, feeling her eyes on his back.


[Assistant] "That giant, raging idiot!" Bordeaux was shouting his lungs out in Wilhelm’s personal quarters. He vented his frustration on a desk, which broke in half, and a variety of awards lay scattered around the room. This was not exactly behavior becoming of a commanding officer, yet it was not enough to placate Bordeaux’s anger.

[User] Beside the enraged officer, Grimm silently set a hand on the devastated desk. From inside what was left of it, he picked up an emblem—the dragon crest of a knight. The disk also contained a note, on which was written just one word. Sorry. It was simple, unadorned—very much the sort of thing the rather boorish Sword Devil would come up with. Wilhelm Trias had removed the badge of his station and left the capital with only his sword in hand. It may not have seemed very cultivated. But as the Sword Devil, it was his answer.


[Assistant] It had been no small choice for Wilhelm to abandon the sign of his knighthood. The emblem was the proof of acknowledgment by something as big and important as the kingdom itself. Once, he had been considered no more than a delinquent child, but the badge showed that he had been right all along. From the day he had knocked on the door of the royal army until this moment, he had been focused single-mindedly on the sword. All that time, he had believed it was all he needed, yet he had been given so many things. There had been enemies. Allies. Rivals, comrades, superiors. Those against whom he swore revenge. And…

[User] "Theresia…" He whispered the name of the girl whom he now knew he cared deeply about. He put a hand on his sword as if to be sure it was still there. To abandon his emblem was to leave behind everything he had gained in the capital. It wasn’t that he believed they were without value. Rather, precisely because he knew they were valuable, he couldn’t act freely if he continued carrying them. He had let go of them because they were priceless. He did look back on them wistfully. He did feel guilt, regret, and anger. His emotions were like a muddy swamp. He had never managed a completely simple way of living. The days when he had merely wanted to be a sword felt as if they had never existed. And yet, neither did he hold that time against himself now.

[Assistant] He knew that even if he managed to deal with everything that was going on, he wouldn’t simply be able to go back to the way things had been. His days had merely been so calm and complacent as to allow him to entertain such fantasies recently.


[User] Like the one in which he extinguished the flames of war that raged around his homeland, was forgiven for throwing aside the honor of a knight, and then took Theresia’s hand and brought her home to meet the Trias family. Just a fantasy. Such thoughts had closed his eyes to reality, but the conflagration he found on returning home opened them with brutal force.

[Assistant] "Hrrraaahhhhh! !" So the Sword Devil took his beloved sword in hand and, arriving at a home he found utterly changed, began his one-man war.

[User] "What do you know about my feelings, Brother? !"


[User] "Ruuahhhhh!" His sword became like a whirlwind, and a mist of demi-human blood stained the Trias lands even redder.

[Assistant] The demi-humans had successfully overpowered one meek human tribe, but now the Sword Devil slammed into their flank. The heads that looked up in surprise he sent flying; where hands and feet sought to oppose him he cut them off; cries of mockery and hatred could not be raised when he had pierced their throats. He was covered in the blood of his enemies, his voice raw from shouting. He flashed his sword what seemed like a million times, and then a million more.

[User] "It’s the Sword Devil! The Sword Devil, the killer of Valga and Libre!" As they realized who the rampaging human was, his foes began to press in upon him.

[Assistant] They filled his vision to the right and left, breaking upon him like a wave along with their hatred. Still, he flew straight at them. It was only at the start of the battle that things went well for him. The demi-humans had been caught off guard by the Sword Devil’s appearance, but as they realized that Wilhelm was their only opponent, they began to let their numbers do the work. It was many against one, and he was soon wounded. He might take ten lives with ten strokes of his sword, but the enemy would come back with a hundred blows from a hundred lives at once. It was naturally overwhelming, and Wilhelm, alone and without support, was pressed harder and harder.


[User] He was surrounded by enemies. Right and left, behind and before, and all of them were focused only on killing him. He had no hulking ally to help him break through their ranks, no silent shield bearer to guard his back—no friends at all to form a battle line with him. He was alone. He knew there had been a time when he had believed he could get by this way. But even then, he hadn’t really been by himself. He could see that now, when it was too late.

[Assistant] “Grrahh!” He took a wound to his back. He spun around and pierced his ambusher through the heart. As he did, more attackers closed in. He tried to jump out of reach, but his feet got tangled. He blocked from an unnatural position, feeling the impact in every bone in his body. He gritted his teeth; with a succession of silver flashes, the group of demi-humans went flying. But his inelegant advance stopped there. The blood spatters covering him were not only from his opponents. The bleeding from his own wounds was too much. He fell to his knees, then collapsed where he was.

[User] “H— Hhh— Hhhhhh!” His breath was harsh and his fighting spirit was relentless, but his limbs no longer responded to his commands to do combat. There, among the piles of dead enemies, Wilhelm’s beloved sword slipped from his hand.


[User] To let go of one’s weapon while still on the battlefield was a pitiful thing. For the Sword Devil to drop his sword meant he was no longer even a demon, but just a man—no, something less than that. A shell. Perhaps it was only fitting that a man should meet his end as an empty husk, having forgotten even the first wish that led to his being called Sword Devil and simply run ahead. In the end, why had he taken up the sword? What had he been able to leave to the world? Nothing. Only a body, hollow and empty, a bit of airy nothing. Could it really have been nothing…? Wilhelm lingered between life and death.

[Assistant] “You were a fearsome opponent, Sword Devil." He said, looming over Wilhelm. "But your life ends here!” He raised his sword high, preparing to strike off Wilhelm’s head.

[User] “—” Countless shadows flitted through his mind—all the people he had encountered in his life. He saw his parents, his brothers, the people of the Trias lands, the other members of the royal army, Grimm, Bordeaux, Roswaal, Carol—and finally, Theresia, smiling, the field of flowers at her back. Her face, her voice as she said “See you next time” were seared into his memory—into his very soul. She had brought light into days when he had thought there was nothing, and in his mind’s eye, her light mingled with the gleaming of the sword from his youth. He had believed he wanted to be a sword, but the many encounters he’d had and the interlocking bonds he shared with people were like heat and pressure to form him into a person. He reminisced with fondness on both the days when he was steel and those when he was human. He still had so many memories of them. "I don’t want…to die…”

[Assistant] He had taken so many lives, affected such nonchalance at the thought of death, yet when the end finally confronted him, his heart quaked with fear. He began to see the joy of being alive, his heart breaking with the terror that that joy was about to be stolen from him. “—” Surely that one desperate whisper would not be enough to buy clemency from the demi-human after he had killed so many of his companions.


[User] The ruthless blade fell, speeding the Sword Devil toward the end of his life… The stroke of the sword at that moment had a beauty that could last into eternity.

[Assistant] The head of the giant demi-human about to end Wilhelm’s life went flying into the air. The weapon that struck him was so sharp that the demi-human himself didn’t realize what had happened. When his head landed on the ground, it showed no recognition of his own death.


[User] Wilhelm was agog at what was going on above him.

[Assistant] There was the rushing breath of a passing blade, a storm of silver streaks, and one demi-human after another was struck down. The shock of this fresh attack spread through the Demi-human Alliance.

[User] This "someone" all but literally danced among the demi-humans, dispensing blow after blow and amassing piles of corpses.

[Assistant] "Red…hair…"

[User] Each time he saw this god of death land a strike, each time this person entered his vision, he felt a fresh tumult in his heart.

[Assistant] “…Wilhelm! You great, dunderheaded idiot! We found you!”

[User] He heard the bellowing voice at the same moment he felt someone violently grab him by the shoulders. Before his astonished eyes appeared Bordeaux and Grimm, and he could see the whole of Zergev Squadron with them, covered with gruesome spatters of blood.

[Assistant] “So even you can find yourself at death’s door, eh? That’s good medicine! You stupid, stupid, stupid idiot!”

[User] Wilhelm couldn’t speak as Bordeaux berated him; even Grimm’s mouth opened as if he wanted to say something. Instead, Bordeaux made sure he had a good grip on the battered young man, then ordered the rest of the squadron to secure a way for them to retreat.

[Assistant] “S-stop," Wilhelm grunted. "Now’s…not the time! I can’t—! I can’t rest now—!”

[User] He shoved away the hand that held him and tried to drag himself toward the sword fighting ahead of him. But just before he reached it, he halted, grinding his teeth in frustration.

[Assistant] Wilhelm had lived his life with the sword, given much to it, and he could tell.

[User] Even if I work the rest of my life, I’ll never reach that place. Only the one who deserves it can make it.


[User] "Yaaaahh!" This time, when Grimm lifted Wilhelm up, he didn’t resist.

[Assistant] He no longer had the strength. His endurance was at an end, and he felt he might faint away at any moment. And yet as long as he could, as long as he was allowed, as long as his heart could endure, he wanted to see this dance of the sword.

[User] "Lady…!" Now he found Carol was there, too, watching the god of death at work. She had a hand to her chest, almost as if she were anxious for that reaper, despite this display of unmatchable strength.

[Assistant] He stared stupidly. What was Carol seeing? How could she possibly watch this and look…worried? Does she not understand how profound her skill with a blade is? Is she not enough of a swordswoman to know? The technique he was seeing was so elevated that every swipe of steel made him despair for his own status as a swordsman. "That… That god of death…"

[User] "God of death? Don’t be silly. That’s the kingdom’s ace in the hole—the true sword of the kingdom who puts us to shame. The Sword Saint."

[Assistant] The battlefield seemed far away now. His consciousness flickered. He caught just those two words as it faded away. Sword Saint. The name given to living legends, carved into the history of the Kingdom of Lugunica.

[User] But how could it be that she was the one to bear it…? "—" He had no way of asking her now. He couldn’t even call out to her.


[User] Carol Remendes had first met Theresia when she was fourteen. The House of Remendes had served the Astrea family, the house of the Sword Saints, for generations. Carol, too, had learned the blade for as long as she could remember, honing her abilities and being trained in her family’s duties. When the Sword Saint Freibel van Astrea passed on the blessing of the Sword Saint to the next generation, and a new Sword Saint was born, the responsibility of attending her fell to Carol. Carol could still remember her first day of duty—she had been so nervous she thought she might faint clean away. It was only natural. Many of the great swordspeople of the Remendes family were present at that moment. Carol was, of course, quite a competent sword fighter compared to other members of her own generation, but if pure strength was the only condition for being an attendant of the Sword Saint, well, there were many other qualified candidates. And yet it was Carol, young and immature, who had been chosen. She was confused.

[Assistant] "Are you the one who will be with me from today onward?"

[User] "Y-yes, ma’am! I’m Carol Remendes, of House of Remendes! I’m inexperienced as a swordswoman, but for you, Lady Theresia Astrea, I will spare no—"

[Assistant] "You don’t have to be quite so nervous. Can I call you Carol?" Theresia smiled.

[User] Carol was somewhat calmed by this behavior, but she was also suspicious. It was hard for her to believe that this child was the Sword Saint, the one who had received the blessing spoken of in legend. This girl is a sword fighter vastly more accomplished even than me? Carol had spent no small amount of time diligently devoted to the art of the sword, and she had a certain conceit about her own abilities. It was unsurprising that such extensive training might cause her to doubt the true abilities of the “Sword Saint.” In truth, neither the way Theresia carried herself nor the way she acted gave the slightest hint that she knew anything of the sword, nor of the martial arts at all. It was not easy to simply accept the claim that she was the one who had inherited the most powerful of martial blessings.

[Assistant] "Lady Theresia, if it’s all right with you, perhaps I could beg a lesson in swordsmanship from you?" It was a very provocative way of speaking, but that, Carol reflected, was how she had been back then. She had believed then she was hiding her doubts, but she was sure now that Theresia had seen through her.

[User] The Sword Saint had put a finger to her lips, feigning thought, and looked back at Carol. "I’m sorry."


[User] "It’s not, so I’m afraid I can’t entertain you with a lesson.” Bluntly, she had refused Carol’s request.

[Assistant] "I’m going to find out if Lady Theresia really is qualified to be the Sword Saint." Looking back on it now, she could only marvel at how foolish she had been.


[User] Carol! Carol! Are you all right? You… You aren’t hurt, are you? !" Carol lay spread-eagle on the carpet, listening to Theresia’s frantic voice.

[Assistant] L-Lady…T-Theresia…?"

[User] "Y-you’re all right?! You’re not hurt? Th-thank goodness…" Theresia was looking down at the stunned Carol, all but choking. Her anxiousness had gone beyond words; she covered her face, and tears began to run from her eyes.

[Assistant] "I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Carol…!"


[User] Carol shivered, understanding the meaning behind the tears Theresia had shed. “—” She stood, speechless to realize how foolish and hasty she had been, and then she was flooded with regret. Her feet were so heavy with self-recrimination that she could hardly return to Theresia’s room. She was sure she would be released from duty. “I apologize for what happened. I’ll understand if you can’t forgive me, but I’m truly sorry.”

[Assistant] Theresia lowered her head the moment she saw Carol. Trembling, she could hardly bring herself to look at her attendant.

[User] Touched by the gentleness of Theresia’s heart, Carol was wracked with shame. And it began to change her. “Lady Theresia, your bath is ready. Will you allow me to accompany you?”

[Assistant] “Carol…you seem so kind suddenly.”

[User] “No, milady. Not nearly so kind as you.” After that, Carol came to sincerely respect Theresia as her master. Carol Remendes changed. Once she knew the details of Theresia’s situation, Carol became her confidante.