Alliance, and...
"Q-quick, we have to catch that irregular who crashed the scenario...!"
"D-Demon King's subordinate...! Where did you go? Show yourself right now!"
"...Khek."
Hearing the princess and saintess's voices echoing from afar, I tightened my embrace around Kania—only to suddenly vomit blood from my mouth.
"...O-over there!"
Kania flinched with a startled expression, and I pulled her even closer while activating my Information Search skill.
'Lifeforce transfer should be enough at this point.'
Seeing 'critical condition' in her special notes change to 'frail,' I reached for the sword at my side—but...
"D-die..."
"...Ugh!"
At that exact moment, Isolet twisted the blade buried in my back, forcing me to scream and flail helplessly.
'At this rate... I'm gonna die...'
The caffeine drink and Blessing of the Stars were synergizing to keep my lifeforce overflowing for now, but I couldn't stay fine forever with a sword lodged in my back. I had to escape before the synergy wore off.
With that thought, I painfully turned my head and locked eyes with Isolet's unfocused gaze, activating Information Search again.
'So it fades gradually over time, not instantly.'
Fitting for a power from the Demon King, who favored Yukarius. The 'Slave Seal' ability granted to him—a top-tier mental manipulation expert—could unconditionally dominate anyone with lower mental strength, regardless of their power. Of course, with Yukarius dead after receiving it from the Demon King, she couldn't use it anymore, but it was no real loss for her.
"...Urk!!"
".............."
As those thoughts crossed my mind, Isolet twisted the blade again. I spat out another mouthful of blood, then grabbed the sword hilt with my trembling hand.
"...Kuh."
But for some reason, I couldn't grip it properly. Probably because I'd transferred too much lifeforce to Kania at once, straining my body.
Just as my vision began to blur while clutching her...
"...I-I'll help you."
Kania grasped my hand on the hilt and slowly drew my beloved sword from its sheath.
"...Hah!"
".....!"
With all her might, she swung at Isolet, who swiftly yanked the blade from my back and retreated, dodging the attack.
"...Cough!"
Blood soaked my clothes and robe as the sword left my back, pooling on the floor.
"A-are you oka..."
"...Give me the sword."
Hearing me, Kania carefully handed it over—then froze.
"...What's wrong?"
".............."
Silent and stone-faced to my question, she finally passed the sword and asked,
"...Who are you?"
"Me? I'm the h..."
I started to say 'hero,' but switched mid-sentence to rule out any risks.
"...a concerned citizen."
With that, I gritted my teeth, stood, and pointed my sword at Isolet, who stared blankly at us.
'Just a few more minutes...'
I resolved to hold her off until she snapped out of it, then flee the auction house. Gripping the hilt tighter—
"Hah!"
Clang!!
Our swords clashed.
"...You're wide open."
"...Kuh."
After a brief struggle, pain shot through my back, sapping my strength. Isolet seized the opening and thrust forward.
I twisted away barely in time, losing balance. As she gathered energy on her blade, I paused to think.
'Normally, I'd subdue her easily.'
In our last training, I'd used a deceptive black magic badge tuned to react to divine power to hide my true strength. Normally, an injured Isolet was no match—even briefly unleashing the 'Hero's Strength' would do it.
But now, even maxing Blessing of the Stars with the doping drink's support, recovery was slow from the strain—not to mention the grievous back wound. Going like this was dangerous. Time for an all-or-nothing strike...
Shaaaak!!
Suddenly, dark energy enveloped Isolet as I steadied my sword.
"...Hup!!"
She unleashed sword aura, repelling it temporarily. It circled her, waiting—followed by a groan nearby.
"...Ugh."
Seeing Kania, who had extended her hand to control the darkness, stagger, I shouted urgently,
"Don't use magic! I'll handle this!"
".........."
"...Hah, what a pain."
But she'd overexerted and collapsed unconscious again.
Relieved after Information Search confirmed mere fainting, not mana overload—
'Good, now I can go all out.'
Shoooo...
The dark energy around Isolet vanished as I glanced at fainted Kania. She wildly swung her sword everywhere before fixating on me and advancing.
"...Shouldn't you be snapping out of it by now? Big sis?"
"Grrrr..."
I infused Star Mana to whisper just to her ears, but no dice.
Realizing it was time to end this, I gripped the hilt hard and kept transmitting,
"Remember the first day we trained swordsmanship?"
"You da...re..."
"What you told me when I was sulking after you easily beat me."
"....?"
Isolet tilted her head blankly, sword aura maxed. I softly echoed her advice, etched in my memory.
"...A sword isn't for cutting people down. It's for protection."
The words barely left my lips before we charged simultaneously.
Kraaaang...!
One strike. In that instant, the legendary clash between the previous hero and the first Sword Saint briefly revived.
Less radiant than blazing sun, shorter than gentle moonlight, yet more beautiful and sparkling than any light—Star Mana traced arcs, colliding and merging with the sword aura of the Bywalk family. The lineage that held the swordsmanship title longest, claiming the Demon King's left eye a millennium ago in the final battle. Light flooded the area.
"..........."
"..........."
As the glow faded, we stood back-to-back in silence.
Thud.
The quiet broke as Isolet quietly collapsed.
Turning, I murmured at her unconscious form,
"...Honestly, I thought you were mocking me back then. Now I get it."
My beloved sword, still gripped tight, faced its reverse edge upward—like her, who always ended fights that way to spare me injury.
"...Alright, knocking them out works in any situation."
Confirming her Mind Control fully gone via Information Search, I smiled and turned.
"...You."
".....!"
Kania stood before me, glaring.
"...Who are you?"
"............."
Hesitating, I gathered strength in my legs—
"...Ah, over there."
"......?"
Pointing behind her, the moment she turned, I bolted for the exit.
"...W-wait!"
She chased, but her exhaustion slowed her.
"...What the hell was that?"
"That black magic, right?"
"...No way. Even in the back alleys, who'd openly use wide-range black magic like that?"
'Good, plenty of people.'
Bursting out, I spotted the murmuring crowd around the auction house and dove in.
"Yeah, probably some cursed auction item went haywire. You idiots, I always knew something like this would... Gah! What the—!?"
"...Excuse me."
"You punk! You crash into someone and think a sorry fixes it!?"
Blending into the crowd successfully, I tried hiding—but a burly man I'd bumped grabbed my collar, yelling.
"...I'm in a hurry."
"A-ah, yes sir."
I half-drew my sword from my robes. He backed off, bowing hastily.
Free, I slipped away from Kania's gaze in the shadows, heading for the back alley exit, thinking,
'No one should suspect me.'
Voice modulated by Star Mana, body concealed by mask and black robe. Exposing my sword was risky, but it was one of the few weapons that could withstand Star Mana—without it, I'd be dead. No choice.
Besides, I'd never shown that sword to the main heroines, so they couldn't link it to me. Still, time for a weapon change.
Emerging into the market via a gap, I waited for the system to announce main quest clear.
But it didn't come. Tilting my head, I smacked my forehead.
"...Right, the real main quest hasn't even started yet."
Why the hell did our ancestor make such a crazy game?
.
.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, as Frey trudged through the market clutching his aching back with a hollow expression—
"............."
Kania stared silently where he'd vanished, then whirled at footsteps behind her.
"...So it was you after all."
"...Y-you!?"
Princess Clana Solar Sunrise and Saintess Perloché Astellade stared at Kania, reacting similarly yet differently.
"...Your presence here means you're a regressor too."
"N-no way... Miss Kania, did you regress too!?"
Meeting their gazes calmly, Kania replied curtly,
"...Yes."
Clana's eyes sharpened.
"One question: Are you Frey's enemy? Or ally?"
"Enemy."
"Straight answer. I like it."
Kania, slightly tense, frowned at the princess's easy trust.
"...No suspicions?"
Clana smirked confidently.
"I've suffered enough to spot lies a mile away."
".....Ah."
Perloché, blankly watching, blurted urgently,
"S-so, Your Highness and Miss Kania really regressed like me!?"
"...Seems so."
"W-wait... Then Frey too...!?"
Clana shook her head as Perloché's eyes widened.
"No. I've watched him for days—no signs. Just the academy trash he always was."
"...Correct. No changes from before."
Kania agreed, and Perloché sighed in relief.
"Phew... Good... If that evil one returned too... it'd be a nightmare..."
"...This isn't the time."
"...Huh?"
Clana cut in seriously.
"...Our regressions are creating variables."
Pointing at the beheaded, demonically twisted Yukarius,
"...Originally, the 'Domination Stone' sold cheap and got stolen by the Demon King's forces right before the buyer claimed it. You know that, right?"
"Y-yes...?"
"But this demon and a mystery man started bidding. It sold for over 50,000 gold."
"Th-then... no way...?"
"Yes. Something interfered."
Perloché paled. Clana crossed her arms.
"...We need to investigate why this demon came—and who that irregular was. Would've been nice to catch and interrogate him."
"...W-wasn't that swordsman a Demon King's minion too?"
"...Why?"
Perloché sweated profusely.
"W-well... Only the Demon King knows about the Domination Stone... So probably on her side?"
"...Then he wouldn't have opposed the demon."
"...Ah."
Clana eyed Perloché pitifully, then turned to Kania.
"Anyway, did you catch this demon? Or did the Bywalk heiress over there?"
"............."
Kania's silence made Clana tilt her head, then crouch by Yukarius, inspecting the clean cut.
"Not your handiwork—the slice is too neat. Embarrassed you couldn't handle one demon?"
"............"
"Impressive as always, Miss Isolet. I'll make sure she becomes the next Sword Saint."
Concluding alone, Clana stood, gesturing outside.
"Anyway, fate brought us together. Care for a meal? There's a restaurant nearby from my tough days."
".......?"
"Y-yes!?"
They tilted their heads. Clana smiled coldly.
"...Shall we discuss in depth how to crush Frey?"
"...Ah! Yes!"
Perloché beamed. Clana eyed Kania.
"...You too."
"...Pardon?"
"You hate him too, right? And I don't discriminate against black mages if they're capable."
"........."
"...We'll tone down our powers, so no worries."
Kania nodded—then stared at Isolet.
"...Her breathing's steady. She'll wake fine. Don't fret—follow us."
"...Yes."
Satisfied, Clana led the sparkling-eyed Perloché out.
"...By the way, what happened to the Empire after I died?"
"...It fell."
"Th-the people!?"
"...We're alive now. Same for them. We'll prevent that future."
"...Yes."
Kania watched the two, once awkward but now like sisters, murmuring inwardly,
'Her build and strength—no way it was the family head...'
'But that sword... identical to the one he used the day I was hired, chasing off the thugs tormenting me and my sister in the street...'
At the entrance, receiving a perception-block spell from Clana, Kania thought,
'...Does the Starlight family have a bastard child? Worth digging into.'
Heading out with reasonable suspicion, she hurried after the princess and saintess weaving through the crowd—but...
".......!"
Spotting a familiar object on the ground in the gap they'd made, she froze.
"...That?"
The all-too-familiar star-shaped brooch glimmered in the sunlight.