Translator: KJ

The sky was faint with clusters of stars at dawn.

I looked at Cliff before me.

"......."

"......."

A man ten years older than me knelt without a word and stayed like that for a long, long while.

Honestly, it was awkward and uncomfortable. I half wondered whether the matter even warranted this. Or had my threshold for someone grabbing me by the collar grown too high?

"I'm sorry."

At cliff's heavy first words.

I set down my pen.

"I was a fool."

I gazed quietly down at him for a moment, then let out a small dry laugh. Misreading my meaning, perhaps, Cliff bowed his head even deeper.

"I'm not asking for forgiveness. I only-"

"It's all right."

I rose from my seat and stepped over to him. I lifted his sturdy shoulders upright. Looking him straight in his unsteady eyes, I asked.

"......So, what kind of responsibility will you take?"

Cliff nodded gravely, as if he had already braced himself for everything.

"Dismissal, whatever you want, I'll take it. If you want my life, take i⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠t."

"......."

Quite ferocious. Bringing up his own life over a mere collar-grab. Definitely the act of a hothead.

Then again, this kind of extreme temperament was something I rather liked.

"No."

Cliff possessed exceptional martial prowess. Sure, plenty of knights had th⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠at, but in terms of pure destructive power, he was the kind of man who'd be counted among the very few even on a battlefield.

"That isn't the kind of responsibility I want from you."

I shook my head firmly.

"Sir Cliff. Sentinel is, in the end, Sentinel."

Cliff's face suddenly went blank.

"And so we, and I, will protect you."

He didn't seem to understand my words. He couldn't seem to grasp my intent to pull him up.

"So you, too, must become shameless."

That was the "responsibility" I wanted from my fellow knights.

To stop at nothing.

From here on, we stand above the Empire's law books. To the common folk, we become idols of awe; to those who call themselves powerful, we become objects of dread.

"As a knight, believe in your own authority. When an Imperial knight is carrying out a great undertaking, what does the sacrifice of a few civilians even matter?"

In the war soon to come, we would have to cut down hundreds of thousands, no, millions of lives. For one single purpose: victory, the survival of humanity.

Guilt was worth less then dog feed.

"......Above all."

I walked past him, on ahead.

"It wasn't your fault, Sir Cliff. Follow me."

My own external office, where the eyes and ears of the Imperial Palace did not reach.

I led him there.

.......

The next day.

The Sentinel knights gathered at the external office. Deputy Commander Chiron, Senior Knight Jerome, Tiana, and the man at the center of it all, Cliff. Every one of their gazes settled on the wide table.

"......You brought all of this?"

A dry laugh tugged at the corner of Tiana's mouth.

"Nearly all of it."

An immense quantity of mechanical parts retrieved from the scene was laid out in order. The wreckage of the Mana Condenser said to have been shattered by Cliff's strike in the 14th District.

Pitch-black scorched outer plating, Mana Conduits melted beyond recognition, splintered shards of Mana Stone.

Even down to a single tiny screw, warped and melted by the flames, "nearly everything" from the site had been sorted and catalogued.

The result of Yukia and the staff officers staying up all night laying it out.

"The most important piece is this."

From the heart of that graveyard of countless fragments, I picked up a hunk of metal that had retained a relatively intact form.

"A Detonator."

I held it up for everyone to see and pronounced it cl⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠early.

"A Remote Detonator that receives an outside signal to induce an artificial explosion."

In the silence that had settled over the office, I swept my eyes across the faces of the assembled knights, one by one.

Cliff, calmly composed. Jerome and Tiana, looking as if they'd expected this. Chiron, wearing a cold, snake-like smile.

"In other words."

I set the detonator down on the table with a sharp tap.

"Someone laid a trap in the 14th District, lured Sir Cliff there, and tried to pin the blame for the explosion on him."

"And the informant who passed the intel to Sir Cliff?"

Tiana asked. I answered briefly.

"Found dead last night."

They had moved quickly themselves.

I had hunches more than enough to spare about whose handiwork it was, but without evidence, no one co⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠uld be held to account.

"The ones behind it, who dared to plot against an Imperial knight."

But it was only a matter of time. Cutting off the tail doesn't hide the body.

Those who had dared to play with Sentinel like a pawn on a board would pay a price to match.

"We will hunt them down and grind them to dust, without fail."

That much power, I now had.

* * *

Kentz Bertem's reputation went into a nosedive.

With the publicly disclosed 「Anton Zefren's Closed Hearing Transcript」, Sentinel obtained grounds to reject him, and in coordination with the Magic Tower, launched a full reinvestigation of the Cliff incident.

The factions that had backed Kentz fell into a panic. They scrambled to cut their losses.

"Sir. A reply has come from Minister Eintz."

A spring day unusually warm even for the season, in the front yard of my mansion. Schatz approached respectfully and delivered the report.

To Interior Minister Eintz Greifenberg, who had aided Sentinel during this past hearing, I had gifted a top-grade Mana Stone sculpture carved by a master craftsman.

"He was extremely pleased with the Lilac Vita reservation and the gift."

Eintz wasn't exactly a clean-handed man. And his price tag was steep, too. The kind of fellow who wouldn't even glance at trinkets and only swallowed the big bites.

But there weren't many incorruptible men in the Empire's upper echelons, and that environment, if anything, worked in my favor.

Because no one on this continent could slip a man as much money as I could.

"That's a relief."

I smiled faintly and turned my eyes ahead again.

Lined up in the yard were the Yaken.

“Then. Seven of you, is it?”

"Yes."

This time it was Yukia who nodded. They all wore tense expressions, but the total numbered a full seven.

"Woof!"

Leo suddenly barked.

"Right. Counting you, eight."

In any case, an extremely precious resource. Like Yukia, they could smell the Ezenheim.

For all the wandering and searching for Yaken so far, only this many had been gathered.

“Good to meet you all.”

Should I give them a group name?

The Wolflings...... too soft and cute.

“You will work for the Empire from now on, so protect your own honor. The authority and treatment of every Yaken on this continent depends on you.”

On second thought, operating without a name was probably better. They were a force that must never, under any circumstances, be exposed to the outside.

"Yukia. I'll leave the training to you. From now on, you're their captain."

"......."

Yukia nodded.

She was trying hard to keep her face blank, but the slight upward tug at the corners of her mouth gave away how pleased she was.

"All of you, start with stamina training. Run."

──Yes, sir!

These Yaken had to be able to move fast. They could never tire. Each one was more precious than a fortune in gold, so they had to develop enough martial skill to look after themselves.

I watched them for a while, then picked up some documents.

[ Death Row Convict List ]

Fraudsters, murderers, embezzlers, thought criminals, predatory loan sharks, and terrorists, all either executed or scheduled for execution. The records of the countless criminals brought before the Knight's Court.

I picked up a fountain pen.

Among the death row convicts, any "Subspecies" with unclear identity or even the slightest suspicious circumstance, I marked, without exception, as "Ezenheim".

Step by step, but surely, I was manipulating the continent's statistics.

Scratch, scratch.

While scrawling signatures across the paperwork, the nib of my pen suddenly stopped.

I propped my chin on my hand and sank into thought for a moment.

"......Step by step."

Ezenheim.

Why hadn't they waited, step by step?

The discrimination and contempt against Ezenheim that had piled up over centuries of continental history was, in truth, in no small part something they had brought upon themselves.

Even at the cost of being hated, they had wormed into the weak links of human society, fixated on the "capital" that would inflate their kind's power, and stoked revolutions and civil wars.

Then why hadn't they donned the mask of the kindly neighbor? Why hadn't they blended into human society, smiled gently, and waited?

Human greed would eventually sicken itself, so quietly biding their time until the Empire collapsed on its own would have been far......

"......The reason they didn't."

Wasn't it that they "couldn't"?

These days, I couldn't shake a hypothesis flickering in the back of my mind.

Just as I was moving so breathlessly, hounded by the ticking clock of annihilation,

perhaps for the Ezenheim, too, there existed some "time limit" that we knew nothing about.

Beep beep beep─!

The Knight Terminal rang sharply.

[An incident believed to be the work of the Cross Killer has occurred in the underground chapel of the 18th District. Numerous traces of Mana Residue at the scene. Requesting analysis and support regarding active residue analysis. ]

Cross Killer.

The serial murders that had vanished for a while had suddenly resumed.

* * *

In this world, there is a kind of person who cannot be persuaded.

Those who can never become my allies.

Not solely because of Ezenheim, or of racial extermination, but humans whose convictions and the trajectory of the lives they had walked simply did not align with the Empire.

Enemies who would draw an eternal parallel line to my cause.

"The evidence is faint this time as well."

I had arrived at the crime scene. The victim's chest had been opened in the shape of a cross, and the detective sighed heavily.

"And it's also unclear why these murders, which had quieted down, suddenly resumed......."

From here on it would probably get serious, but in truth, I already knew who the killer was. To be precise, I knew the "crew" she belonged to.

They were part of the Revolutionary forces.

A band of Irregulars who called themselves「Outcast」.

"The victims have no commonalities between them, so it's a totally indiscriminate killing-"

"No. There is a commonality."

The Cross Killer's victims were all researchers from a secret laboratory called "T24".

On the surface a normal corporation, behind the scenes a den that carried out human experimentation.

The Cross Killer was a former experimental subject who had escaped from that place. Her name was "Elze".

“Is that true?! Then-”

"This is a Level 2 classified matter."

"......Ah, yes. Understood."

The detective asked nothing further. Watching my mood, he stole a glance at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Then...... shall we withdraw?"

T24 was backed by Mason Industry, a giant corporation in the Empire's west. Effectively a subsidiary.

That's right. Mason Industry.

The bastards who killed Schatz's father and tried to put her on the gallows, too.

Soon enough, the band called「Outcast」and the corporation called Mason Industry would collide.

"Do that."

"Ah, really? May I report it to the precinct that way? Th-That is, in your name, Sir Maximilian!"

"Yes."

"Thank you, thank you, sir!"

How did I know all of this in such detail?

「Outcast」, before my Regression, was a handful of mutants who had stabbed at the heart of the Empire. Legends who had blossomed talents from the lowest depths and overturned the heavens. Their biography had been adapted into a comic and sold as a bestseller across the continent, and that was why.

I myself, in my fugitive days, had been a fervent fan of that comic.......

"It can't be helped."

Now, I had to nip them in the bud.

Before they grew any further, before they became the Empire's most dangerous enemy.

I had to gladly slice through their throats myself.

Because of the villain called Maximilian, the comic book of the future would never be made.

.......

Power in the Empire had several strata. Aristocracy, corporations, the imperial family, knights. Tangled and interwoven, they each formed frictions in their respective relationships.

The head of Mason Industry, a first-rate Imperial corporation, prided himself on standing very high among them, and everyone in the Empire thought so too.

"......In that case."

A businessman who never let his face be seen, wrapped in a veil beyond the curtain. A magnate who had reigned for decades over the Empire's western pinnacle.

Mason Hector quietly opened his mouth.

"Have you caught the tail?"

The serial killings of researchers. The successive terrorist incidents at laboratories and factories established inside and outside the Empire. Plagued by such sabotage, Mason Industry had closely surveilled the last victim's movements in advance and at last discovered a "trace".

"Yes. It was A-19."

The secretary handed him the document. Hector’s two eyes, dark as shadows, scanned it.

"The experimental subject...... so they were alive after all."

The photograph in the document showed the back of a young woman slipping out of a rain-soaked back alley. Though her face was hidden, her distinct Mana Wavelength and movements matched perfectly with those of the "experimental subject".

"She doesn't appear to be alone, however. There are signs of group activity, and it seems she has already built up a measure of reputation as a mercenary in the Underground City."

"Hmm."

A satisfied murmur slipped from Hector.

"The experimental subjects are showing their utility belatedly."

"Yes. Indeed."

Experimental subjects raised on Hector's own funds as nourishment, in T24, an institution Mason Industry had founded with the imperial family's backing.

Now that they had come back and were seeking out their old home, this was a most fortunate thing.

"Mobilize 'Falkenrath' and recover them. They were our property to begin with."

"......It shall be done."

Hector smiled.

At last, he had a gift to present to the Empire's emperor.

.......

Thump— Thump— Thump-thump—

Some hideout in the Underground City. In that place where club-style beat music throbbed, five men and women dreaming of revolution had gathered.

Thump— Thump— Thu⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠mp-thump—

"Elze" stood before a cracked full-length mirror, idly recalling the face of the researcher whose breath she had snuffed out with her own hand only moments ago.

People usually say the world is full of varied types, but right before death, they're rather formulaic. Ones who laughed, ones who cried, ones at peace, ones who froze up. That was about it.

"What a shitty feeling......."

This one had been the laughing kind.

A perverted bastard who enjoyed both sadism and masochism. It felt as though even death had been a gift to him, which irritated her for no reason.

"Elze. What're you doing?"

Just then, "Meden", leader of 「Outcast」, walked over and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Thinking."

They were all survivors of T24's human experimentation.

Orphans with no parents, or orphans whose parents had sold them off. At T24, they'd had Mana Engines forcibly implanted, been injected with Mana Fluid made from beast blood mixed with Mana Stone, and had Mana Circuits made from special materials inserted throughout their spines and muscles.

"Tell me what you're thinking about, come on~"

Countless experimental subjects had died from the side effects, but these few had survived and escaped that hellish place.

"......Maximilian's taken on our case, you know."

Elze swept back her hair, picturing the Empire's great figure.

She hadn't even properly seen his face yet, but the notoriety reaching her ears was no joke for a knight. The son of Sebestian, the Empire's First Sword.

'True, we who had overcome human experimentation had obtained bodies above the ordinary and an alien sort of mana, but could that really compare to a knight raised by natural means?'

Meden gave a small laugh.

"So?"

Elze furrowed her brow slightly.

"......Aren't you scared?"

“Is there a reason to be scared? We can just kill him.”

Meden stroked Elze's shoulder.

"I keep telling you. We can win."

At some point, yearning and rage had settled into his eyes.

"Maximilian or whoever, we'll bring down not just those Imperial dogs but this whole goddamn country with our own hands."

Raised in the dregs the Empire had thrown away, in the Empire's diseases and filth, they had become traitors who hated the Empire more than anyone else.

"So anyway."

Meden held out his hand to Elze.

"For now, let's just dance."

“...Honestly.”

Elze stared at him as if dumbfounded, then took his hand.

Thump- Thump- Thump— Thump-thump-thump─

In that place where the club beat surged and pulsed, the two of them danced together.

~~~

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