Mu Ou couldn't remember how he got back to the village.

Return to the lake where the keel rests, cross the past, and rush into the opposite exit to continue running. I stepped on the slippery rocks and slid down my feet many times, but it still took me only a fraction of the time to run through the cave, and when I finally ran into the white light, the afternoon sun was still in time.

But the panic in their hearts didn't go away so easily. The thought that maybe the purple window would open behind me and the strange white face would appear right now, I couldn't rest in peace.

In the woods where the birds sang peacefully, and among the transparent streams where small fish swam around, the three of them ran desperately and wordlessly. After climbing over the hills of the northern mountains and passing by the Twin Lakes, we finally arrived at the North Dew Bridge.

After walking for a while, I returned to the old tree where we met in the morning, and I was relieved to be indescribable. The three of them glanced at each other and finally smiled. Although it is clearly reckless.

"Oh, Murong Xue, this."

Yun Xu said as he handed out a heavy rattan basket. It was filled with summer ice, the fruit of today's adventure, but Mouu found himself having forgotten about it entirely. In order to hide his shyness, he pretended to be calm and said.

"It's better to put it in the basement as soon as you get home. In this way, I don't know if I will be able to hold on until tomorrow."

「………… Well, got it."

Murong Xue nodded obediently unusually, but the basket, looking at the faces of the two boys at once, finally showed the usual clear smile.

"You look forward to tomorrow's meal. To commend you for working so hard, I'm going to show my hand."

It's your mother who shows her hand, of course Mu Ou and Yun Xu won't say it. They looked at each other and nodded vigorously.

「…… Hey, what was that?"

The two patted Murong Xue's shoulder, who looked suspicious, from both sides, and said in unison-

"Nothing! Hurry up and go to the village!"

Walking back to the village square in the real sunset, Mu Ou said goodbye to Yunxu, who lived in the church, and Murong Xue, who had returned to the village chief's house. When I returned to the village chief's house to the west, it was a few seconds before the bell struck six o'clock.

During the dinner that was about to be held, Mouou did not speak. He believed that his older siblings, even his father and grandfather, had never had such an adventure as he had today, but for some reason he didn't want to show off at all.

I couldn't say anything about seeing the Demon Realm, the terrible battle between the Enforcers and the Dark One, and the strange face that appeared at the end, and I was afraid to see how my father and grandfather would react when they said it.

That night, Mu'ou, who had gone to bed early, wanted to forget the last thing he had seen on his adventure. If it weren't for that, the awe and longing that had been held so far for the Forgotten Immortal Gate and the enforcers might have turned into something else.

The sun sets, rises again – and then the unchanged routine.

Usually I feel a little depressed when I go to work the morning after my day off, but today, Mu Ou somehow feels calm. Enough adventures are enough, let's get down to the logging for now. With this in mind, he walked step by step towards the south of the village, meeting the clouds at the junction of the wheat field and the forest.

Mu Ou found that his partner who had been with him all year round also had a little bit of peace of mind on his face. And the other party seemed to see the same thing on his face. The two looked at each other and smiled shyly together.

After walking along the path into the forest for a while, taking out the dragon axe from the hut on the side of the road, and then walking for a few more minutes, he reached the root of the fairy tree. The axe marks carved into the huge trunk made him feel that this would never change from now on, but today it is even a blessing.

"Okay. Today too, those who have scored a few beautiful shots are invited to eat."

"Seems like it's been you lately, right? clouds."

Saying that, half of the ritual's mouth was already in the fight, and Muou set up his axe. The first blow made the most beautiful sound. He thought, it must feel good today.

In the morning, for two days, he had been striking a blow to the trunk of the giant tree with a high probability that he did not usually have. The reason for this is that if you don't concentrate on swinging an axe, you will wake up to what you saw yesterday in your mind – this cannot be denied.

When the two of them had done nine of the fifty axe swings in a row, Mouou's stomach growled.

Wiping his sweat and looking up, he saw that the sun was about to rise in the middle of the sky. Normally, if you wave another group, it will be time for Murong Xue to bring the rice. And today you can still have pies that you can eat slowly and milk that is cold and cold. Just imagining it, my stomach is too hungry to stand it.

"Oops......

If you just think about lunch, it will feel messy. Mu Ou wiped his sweaty hands from his pants and carefully grasped the axe.

Suddenly, the sun was covered in sand.

Showers, what a hassle, Mouo thought, looking up.

Looking at the blue sky through the branches and leaves of Kigascida, which spread out in all directions, I saw a black shadow crossing at high speed at a fairly low point. My heart lifted all at once.

"Enforcer"

Mu Ou couldn't help but shout.

"Hey...... Yunxu, it was just now!!"

"Ahhh......hh Yesterday's Enforcer!!"

The partner's voice was also frozen in deep fear.

When the two of them stood and looked up, they disappeared in the direction of Xianshu Village.

Why the hell in such a place?

In the complete silence of the timid silence of both the bird and the summer worm, Mucho thought back and forth.

The enforcer is the guardian of the order that punishes the Forgotten Immortal Gate. Now that the human realm is divided and ruled by the four empires, there is no organized rebel group for a long time, and the enemy of the enforcers should only be the Demon Domain. As a result, the Enforcers often battlefield outside of the Terminator Mountains. Mouou had heard of it, and he saw it with his own eyes yesterday.

Yes, it was the first time I had seen a law enforcer. There had never been a law enforcer in the village in his lifetime. However, ask what today -

"Isn't it...... Could it be that you want to ...... Murong Xue?"

The cloud next to him muttered.

At the same time as he heard this, the strange sound that he had heard at that time woke up vividly in Muou's ears. On the other side of the purple window, the strange-looking person said it, the mystery of the technique. He felt as if he had been poured a basin of cold water on his head, and his back was cold.

"Liar, aren't you...... How is that possible, then...... Such a small thing......

Mu Ou asked rhetorically as if he was seeking consent, and looked at Yunxu's face. But the partner stared in the direction of the enforcer's flight away with a serious expression that he didn't usually have. After a short while, Yun Xu looked straight into Mu Ou's eyes and said briefly.

"Let's go!"

Somehow, he took the axe from Mouou's hand, turned around and ran straight back to the village.

"Hey...... Hey!"

Something terrible is going to happen. Feeling this omen deeply, Mu Ou kicked the ground and desperately followed behind the clouds.

On the well-known forest path, I ran as hard as I could, avoiding tree roots and caves, and ran to the street that ran through the wheat fields. Looking in the direction of the village, there were no law enforcers in the clear sky. Kirito slowed down a little and shouted to the farmer looking at the sky among the green ears of wheat:

"Uncle! Where have the enforcers gone?!"

The farmer looked at Mu'ou and them several times, as if awakened from a daydream, before answering:

"Ah...... Ahhhh......h Looks like it fell into the village......

"Thanks!!"

While thanking them, the two of them ran at full speed again.

Villagers were gathered in groups all over the streets and farmlands, standing stiff. I'm afraid that even among the old people, who have not seen it with their own eyes, the law enforcers are looking in the direction of the village with expressions that they don't know what to do. Only Mouu and Yunxu ran desperately between them.

Passing through the south gate of the village, running through a short shopping street, and crossing a small stone bridge, the two finally saw it. They held their breath and stopped in unison.

Dressed in a silver-white robe, there is a circle logo on the cuffs, and a red word is faintly printed on it, and he carries an ancient sword that seems to be very vicissitudes of life behind his back, and the lines on it give people the feeling of trembling at a glance, plus his sharp eyes dare not let people look at him again, and he looks at the crowd without emotion.

There was a small commotion among the villagers. When I looked up, a tall man walked from the east entrance of the square.

"Ah...... It's my father."

Murong Xue whispered. Indeed, this man is the current village chief of Xianshu Village, Murong Yun. His muscular body was dressed in leather clothes, and his black hair and beard around his mouth were meticulously trimmed. The steel-like gaze of the gods is very commensurate with the famous man who has gathered the respect of the people of the whole village in just four years after inheriting the position of village head.

Murong Yun walked up to the enforcer alone and without fear, and saluted with his hands in front of his body in accordance with the practice of the Forgetting Immortal Sect. Then raise your head and call your name in a clear voice.

"I'm Murong Yun, the head of Xianshu Village."

The enforcer, who was a head taller than the village chief, nodded slowly, his sword made a soft sound, and then spoke for the first time:

"I'm Xin Xie Xi, the enforcer of the Forgotten Immortal Gate."

His timbre was so strange that it was almost unbelievable that it came from the throat of a living person. The steely tail sound spread through all corners of the square, silencing all the villagers present. Even Mouou, who was a full twenty meters away from him, felt as if the law enforcer's voice was not through his ears, but into his forehead, and his expression was distorted. Even the village took half a step back as if oppressed by his momentum.

However, the village chief still showed amazing courage, stood up straight, and spoke in a dignified manner again.

"It is a great honor to have Your Excellency, the enforcer of the Forgotten Immortal Gate, who rules the human realm, visit our small border village. We would like to prepare a welcome banquet for you. Coarse tea and light rice are not respectful."

"I am on duty, and I will forgive you for your orders."

Sinchesi said in a rumbling voice, a cold look shot out of his face—and then he said something like that.

"Because of his crime of violating the taboo, Murong Yunnu and Murong Xue were bound and taken away, and they were executed after interrogation."

Murong Xue, who was standing next to her, trembled slightly. But Mu Ou, and Yun Xu too, let alone make a sound, can't even move a finger. Cynshesi's words rang back and forth in his head.

The village chief's burly figure also trembled violently. The side of the face, visible only a little from Mou'or's position, was briefly but completely distorted.

After a long silence, Murong Yun let out a voice that had lost his tone.

「…… Lord Enforcer, what crime has my daughter committed?"

"The first item of the first chapter of the taboo book, the first item of the first chapter, invades the demon realm."

At this moment, the villagers, who had been listening to the conversation between the two with their breath, suddenly made a loud commotion. The children's eyes widened, and the adults began to chatter.

At this time, Mu Ou and Yun Xu finally moved instinctively. They inserted themselves in front of Murong Xue, shoulder to shoulder, not letting the villagers see the girl behind them. But otherwise, you can't move. If you suddenly move around now, you will definitely attract the attention of the adults in front of you.

The sound of what to do, what to do, what to do, kept repeating in his head. The fear that it would be too late if he didn't act right away rose in his mind, but he didn't know what to do.

In front of him, who stood and stared blankly, the village chief Murong Yun hung his head deeply and did not move for the time being.

It doesn't matter, that guy will definitely do something, Mouu thought. He didn't say anything to the village chief, but he believed that the village chief was the most respectable person in the village.

But—

「…… So, I'm going to call my daughter right now and ask her what is going on."

The village chief raised his face, but said something like this.

No, you can't bring Murong Xue to the knight, just as Mu Ou was thinking like this, the flying sword of the enforcer made a sound, and he raised his right hand. I saw that the finger was pointing in my own direction. Mouou's heart contracted.

"There's no need for that. Murong Xue was there. I command you and you ......."

Moving his finger, he pointed to the two men in front of the human wall in turn.

"Bring that girl here."

Before Mou'ou's eyes, the crowd suddenly parted. There were only two left, him and Yunxu, between the enforcer and Murong Xue.

On the vacant road, two villagers who knew each other approached each other. Their skin had lost its bloody color, and their sight was strangely empty.

Without saying anything, the men pushed away Yun Xu and Mu Ou, who were in front of Murong Xue, and held Murong Xue's arms from both sides.

"Ah......h

Murong Xue made a small sound, but immediately mustered up the courage to bite her lip. The rosy color on her usual face had faded, but she still smiled slightly, and she looked at Mu Ou and them as if it was okay, and nodded.

"Murong Xue......

Yun Xu whispered, and at that moment, Murong Xue's arms were pulled hard, and the basket in his right hand fell to the ground. The lid opened, and some of the contents rolled to the ground.

Before she had time to pick up the basket, Murong Xue was carried by the two villagers and brought to the law enforcers.

Mouou stared at the falling basket.

The pie and fruit are carefully wrapped in a white cloth with fine ice buried in between. Some of them rolled out and reflected the sunlight with a sparkling glow. As he watched with bated breath, the ice on the scorching earth quickly melted, staining the land wet black.

Next to him, Yun Xu took a sharp breath.

He raised his head abruptly and chased after Murong Xue who was dragged away. Mu Ou also gritted his teeth, spurring his immobile legs to follow.

The two men placed Murong Xue next to the village chief, took a few steps back, and then fell to his knees. I bowed my head deeply with my hands together, showing deference to the enforcers.

Murong Xue, who had been liberated, looked at her father with a pale face. Murong Yun glanced down at his daughter with a sad expression, but immediately turned his face away and lowered his head.

The enforcer nodded slightly, and took the strange prop out of his sleeve. A golden chain with white streaks.

The enforcer handed the prop to Murong Yun with a loud bang.

"Order the village chief. Bound sinners."

「…………」

When the village chief stared blankly at the restraint in his hand, Yunxu and Mu Ou finally came to the enforcer. The enforcer slowly turned his head and looked directly at the two of them.

Mouu was stabbed by the pressure of the sight radiating from his face. He reflexively lowered his head and brought his face slightly closer to Murong Xue, who was standing on the left, wanting to say something, but his throat felt like it was burned, and he couldn't say anything.

Yun Xu also lowered his head, panting rapidly, but suddenly raised his head like a spring, trembling and shouting in a clear voice.

"Enforcer!!"

Taking another deep breath, he continued:

「…… Murong Xue didn't enter the Demon Domain, she just touched the ground with one hand slightly! That's all!"

The law enforcer's answer was succinct.

"Isn't that enough?"

Take it away, he waved to the two men on standby with this meaning. The villagers who stood up grabbed Yunxu and Mu Ou by the collars and dragged them backwards without saying a word. Yun Xu continued to shout while resisting.

"That...... Well, we are also guilty of the same sin! We're in the same place too! If you want to take it away, take us with us!!"

However, the enforcers never looked at the two again.

Right...... If Murong Xue violates the taboo, we should also accept the same punishment. Mouou thought the same. Think so from the bottom of your heart.

But why can't it be sounded. He wanted to scream like Kirito, but as if he had forgotten how to move his mouth, he could only exhale a trembling breath.

Murong Xue looked back at them, smiling and nodding lightly as if to say it didn't matter.

Her tiny body was chained ominously from behind her back by her expressionless father. I saw that three leather belts had just come out of the chains, tightly trapping her shoulders, abdomen, and waist. Murong Xue's expression distorted slightly. Finally, locking it with a click, Murong Yun staggered back a few steps and lowered his head. The Enforcer approached Alice and grabbed the tip of the chain hanging from her back.

Mu Ou and Yun Xu were dragged back to the middle of the square, where they were pressed to their knees.

Yun Xu pretended to be shaky, put his mouth close to Mu Ou's ear, and whispered quickly:

"Mul...... Listen, I'll attack the enforcers with an axe. You will definitely get a few seconds, you take this opportunity to take Murong Xue to escape. Rushing into the wheat fields and escaping along the wheat fields into the forests to the south will not be so easy to spot."

Mu Ou looked at the logging axe that was still in Kirito's hand, and finally squeezed out a sound.

「…… Cloud...... Cloud ...... But ......"

Yesterday, you also saw the Enforcer's terrifying sword skills and immortal fire. If you do that, you'll be killed instantly...... Like the Dark One.

As if reading Mu Ou's silent thoughts, Yun Xu continued:

"It's fine. The law enforcer did not execute Murong Xue on the spot. Probably, you can't kill people without interrogating or whatever. I'll find a way to escape. And ......"

In front of the cloud's burning gaze, the enforcer confirmed that the chains were tightened. When he tugged the belt, Murong Xue showed a painful expression.

「…… And, it's okay if you fail. If you take us and Murong Xue away, there will definitely be a chance to escape. But if Murong Xue is taken away alone now, there will be no hope."

"That...... Yes......"

That's true.

But - this is not a plan, but a rebellion, right? Written in the first chapter of the Book of Taboos, one section two, one of the greatest sins.

"Mul...... What are you waiting for! What is a taboo?! Is it more important than Murong Xue's life?!"

The clouds whispered but the voice was urgent, striking his ears.

Right. Exactly.

Mouu shouted to himself in his heart.

- The three of us were born in the same year, and we made an appointment to die in the same year. Vows to help each other often, each living for the other two.

Well, there is nothing to hesitate about. Forget Xianmen or Murong Xue, which one is more important? The answer has long been decided. It should have been determined a long time ago. That's- that's ——。

"Mul...... What's the matter, Muou!!"

The clouds made a sound like a mournful roar.

Murong Xue stared at this. With a worried expression, she kept shaking her head.

"That's ...... That...... Yes......"

A hoarse voice in his throat that doesn't look like himself.

However, it is impossible to go on. I can't even form what I want to say next in my brain. A sharp throbbing pain was felt deep in the brain. Strange pains that kept repeating interfered with thinking. Knock, knock. The blood-like red color spread in the field of vision, covering the heavens and the earth. Even the feeling of hands and feet is gone.

At this time, the village chief noticed the mutation of Mu Ou and them, waved his hand slowly, and said to the men standing behind the two of them:

"Take those two children out of the square."

Immediately, the two were grabbed by the collar and dragged up.

"Damn...... Let me go!! - Village Chief!! Uncle Murong!! Is that okay?! Can you watch Murong Xue being taken away?!"

Yun Xu struggled like crazy, shook off the man's hand, and set up the axe to rush out.

However, he could not move forward even a single step. Before he runs out, something amazing happens.

The law enforcer who was checking the Murong Snow Belt from a distance, the moment he glanced at Yun Xu, the axe he held tightly with both hands made a sharp metallic sound and flew high. The enforcer did not touch the sword on his back, nor did he move a finger. However, it was as if it had become a real blade in itself# and struck Yunxu's axe and sent it all the way to the other side of the square.

Affected by the aftermath of the incredible impact, Yun Xu himself fell on his back. Immediately, several more men rushed over and held him down.

The right side of his face was pressed against the stone slab, his expression distorted, and Yun Xu was still shouting desperately.

"Mull!! Please!! Go!!"

"Ah...... Woo ah......"

Mouou's whole body trembled.

Go. Just go. Snatch Murong Xue back from the law enforcers and flee to the forest to the south.

A faint voice shouted in a corner of the heart. But then another sharp pinprick pain hit the brain, driving all thoughts away. A beating red light burst out, and another voice rattled like a broken bell.

Forget the immortal gate is absolute. Taboo is absolute. Resistance is not allowed. No one is allowed to resist.

"Mullo, at least get these people out of the way!! So I can ......!!"

The enforcers had long since ignored the commotion in the square, and hung the metal ring at the end of the chain in their hands. The flying sword slowly flew out and jumped on the flying sword with ease.

"Mu Ou ————!!"

Yun Xu screamed like he vomited blood.

Murong Xue, who was tied to the flying sword, looked straight at Mu Ou. Smiled. Her azure eyes said goodbye.

But Mouau didn't move. There was no sound either.

It was as if his feet were deeply rooted in the ground, and he didn't move.