There's no point in thinking any further. As long as the fragments of the memories that were kept on the top floor of the cathedral are retrieved and put back into the soul of Alice, the memory of Alice, the current Integrator Alice, will be erased. Then, the real Alice, whom Yogio cherishes more than anyone, returns.

hugged her tightly when she woke up, and this time I really had to say it to her. I'll protect you...... Forever guarding you, that's the kind of saying. Tomorrow, maybe tonight, that moment will come. So now, it's time to put aside all distractions and move forward.

The bell rang from somewhere in the cathedral, announcing seven o'clock in the evening, and Eugeo reached the end of the stairs. The number that is counted silently every time you climb a floor is exactly ten. In other words, it's the 90th floor. His feet are finally about to step into the center of the Congregational Church.

In the vast hall, there are no steps to be seen. Only the north side wall has a large door. I'm afraid that on the opposite side, there is no doubt that it occupies a huge space on the ground like the 50th and 80th floors. Moreover, the enemy who is more powerful than those two layers must be waiting there.

- Can you win? Am I alone?

Standing at one end of the hall, Eugeo asked himself. Fanatheo, who is better than forcing Yi Yan to half life and half death, and Alice, who is completely invincible to the two together, how can they deal with the battle.

However, in retrospect, the battles so far have been fought by Yi Yan alone, fending off the enemy's attacks. Yugeo just hides behind his partner's back, unleashing total domination. Although Yi Yan said that this was a natural tactic considering the nature of the skills of the two, but now that he was in his absence, Yugeo could only fight from the beginning to the end alone.

Gently stroke the Green Rose Sword on your left waist, confirming the feel of the hilt and gauntlet. Total Domination can only be used once, and if you use it recklessly, the Ice Vine will not be able to catch the enemy. From the very beginning, you must rely on pure sword skills to press the enemy and force him to show his flaws.

“…… I'm going to get on it. ”

Whispering softly to Aijian, Yugeo raised his right hand and pushed the white door open. Bright white light and thick white smoke followed, as well as a succession of bass.

- Divine Attack!?

Reflecting on his reflection, Eugeo hurriedly dodged and noticed that the white mist was not smoke but water vapor. Even if you touch it, it will only wet your palms and sleeves, and there is no pain. Through the churning heat, check the situation inside.

As expected, there is a huge space that takes up an entire floor of the cathedral. The ceiling with countless lights is also quite high, and I think it has a name similar to "The Great Corridor of Spiritual Light" and "Garden on the Clouds", but now is not the time to learn about it. The area was obscured by water vapor and it was impossible to see, but there seemed to be no sign of anyone inside.

Yogeo took a few steps down the hall, trying to figure out where the water vapor was coming from. Then, by his ears rather than his eyes, he noticed the sound of rustling water. The roar came from an unknown distance, apparently the sound of a large amount of water falling suddenly onto the surface.

At this time, cold air flows in through the open door, dispersing the surrounding water vapor. A marble passage five meters wide stretches from where Eugeo stood, to the depths of the hall. The left and right sides of the passage descended in a stepped pattern, filled with transparent water — no, hot water. The depth is estimated to be more than one meter, and it is hard to imagine how much hot water would be needed to fill the entire hall.

“…… What is this room ......?" Eugeo couldn't help but hissed at this unexpected scene. The temperature is too high for fish and other things, and the humidity of an ornamental garden is unpleasant. It would be more comfortable to simply take off your clothes and jump into the hot water.

"Ah...... Isn't it ......?" whispered again, crouching down on one side of the passage and dipping his right hand into the hot water. Neither too hot nor too cold, if Yi Yan was here, he would definitely say "It's really just the right amount of hot water".

In other words, this is a huge bathhouse.

".........," Yugeo, who was already dumbfounded, just knelt down and exhaled a long breath.

I lived in my hometown until two years ago, when the bathtub was just a slightly larger basin, and when Eugeo finally went in, there was often only half of the hot water left. Therefore, when I saw the large communal bath in the college dormitory for the first time, I was terrified of how such a large amount of hot water could boil.

However, it is not at all a grade compared to this bath. It's more than enough to let all the practitioners of the Sword Cultivation Academy bathe together. No, it's impossible for male and female students to go into the bathhouse together.

After sighing again, Yugeo resisted the thought of washing his hands and face with hot water and stood up. Follow the marble passage to the upper floor, which should be deep in the hall. In any case, it will not attack in the baths—

Because he was so convinced, it was too late for him to notice. The passage is in the hall, and no, a circle is bent in the middle of the large communal bath. As he got closer, Giugeo finally noticed the presence of a person on the opposite side of the water vapor that was dense on the right side of the water in front of him.

“——！？” Reflexively flew away, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. Although it is blocked by water vapor and cannot be seen clearly, it can also be known that it is quite strong. The hair is very short and cannot be female. The hot water reached his shoulders, and his hands and feet were spread widely.

It seems that it is more like a simple bath than an ambush, but even then you can't be careless. There's nothing wrong with the fact that the other side is the only enemy in the water, so why not just launch a preemptive attack while it's still in the water......

Eugeo was about to quietly pull the sword out of its sheath when it was then.

"I'm sorry, can you wait a little longer. It's not long since I came back from Yangdu, and I've been sitting on the flying dragon so much that my whole body is stiff. ”

There was a low, dull, but loud voice. The words were rude than anyone he had met in the cathedral, leaving Yugeo speechless. Compared with knights, the simplicity is more reminiscent of the farmers in their hometown. Before Yugeo could decide what to do, there was a thud of water, and the vapor that covered the huge bath spread to the left and right.

The owner of the voice stood up as the droplets of water fell like a waterfall. With his back to Eugeo, he put his hands on his waist and shook his head, letting out a non-nervous moan. Despite his flawed appearance, Yugeo was still holding his sword.

What a majestic body. Despite being submerged below the knee, the man was clearly close to two feet tall. The short iron-gray hair, which is slightly bluish, makes the surprisingly thick neck more visible. In addition, the shoulders that are attached down are unusually wide, too. With a thick upper arm, you can wield any sword freely.

The most eye-catching thing is the back that is covered by several undulating muscles. Gerugrosso Barruto, who was on the Acolyte of the Academy, was also proud of his well-trained body, but the man in the bath was more than stronger than that man. Obviously he doesn't look so young, but his waistline is not sagging.

Drawn from his gaze by the way he could describe him as an ancient god of war, Yugeo didn't immediately notice the old wounds that roamed the man's body. Looking at it again, it seemed to be all arrow wounds and knife wounds. If he is seriously injured, he will not be scarred if he uses the high-level divine technique to heal it as soon as possible, so does it mean that he has been fighting for a long time on a battlefield where it is difficult to even heal.

I'm afraid that the man in the bath is the person who is called the chief knight. In other words, he is the strongest of all the Knights of Integration. The biggest obstacle that stands in the way of Eugeo, who aims for the top floor of the cathedral—

Now, then, it's time to cut down and knock down the man before he has any weapons or armor. If it were Yi Yan, he would definitely do it. Despite what he thought in his head, Yugeo still didn't make any moves.

He had no way of telling if the man's back was full of flaws, or if he was fully prepared. On the contrary, it can be seen that this is to lure him into attacking. Without paying any attention to the hesitant Eugeo, the man relaxed his body and began to walk north in the water. Slightly ahead, there is a cage that appears to contain clothing.

The man strode up the stepped arched edge, pulled his shirt out of the cage and put it on with his feet outstretched. Then, the thin garment is unfolded and put on. It looked like a garment made in the Eastern Empire, and the man turned his face to Yugeo as he rolled up the wide straps according to the cloth clothes he had just made.

"Oh, I've been waiting for a long time." It is very contrasted with the dull and deep voice.,Resolute appearance.。

Although the sharp wrinkles carved into the corners of his mouth suggest that the man is past his age as an integrated knight, there is not the slightest slack in the high bridge of his nose and sharpened cheeks. However, what impresses people the most is the gaze cast from under the resolute eyebrows.

There was no murderous aura in the freshwater-colored pupils, but a strong pressure could still be felt from a distance of more than fifteen me. What is included in the sight is probably the sheer interest in the opponent with whom it will be encountered, as well as the pleasure of the battle itself. In other words, this man and Yi Yan have similarities in some places.

The man, who had finally tied the strap on the front of his body, stretched out his right hand towards the stripper. Then, a long sword floated gently from the bottom of the cage and was received into the strong hand. The man put it on his shoulder and began to clatter barefoot on the marble.

Pausing only eight mels away from Ugeo and stroking his short stubble jaw, the man said, "Alright. Can I tell me one thing before I get into it? ”

“…… What is it? ”

"What, that's it...... Vice-Knight...... Fanateau, is she dead? "When you hear this cold tone that seems to be asking about the dinner menu, it's your subordinate, Yugeo wants to retort. But immediately, I noticed what the man's expression revealed in his wandering gaze, which was not a clever disguise. Obviously worried in my heart, but I seem to hate being seen through. This, again, reminded Ugeo of his partner who was not here.

“…… Alive. Now, he is being treated...... It should be. Hearing Yugeo's answer, the man let out a heal breath and nodded, "Is that so?" Then I'll leave you alive. ”

"What......" was once again speechless. None of them can be regarded as a bluff as strong conceit. Believing that this determination of his own can become a huge weapon in itself, Yi Yan has also said so, but even he has never shown such calmness in front of a strong enemy. The strong man in front of him, the root of his rock-solid conceit, is probably something that neither Yi Yan nor Yugeo possessed—the last battle to win in countless fierce battles that would result in total body injuries.

However, for Yugeo, even if he is nowhere near as many times as he is, he has already repelled the integration knights like men several times on the way to this point. Retreating before the sword was exchanged, he was so sorry for the knights he had defeated, Grugloso who had sharpened Eugeo, the instructors of the academy, and, of course, the dark-haired partner.

Cheering up all his fighting spirits, Yugeo glared at the man from the front. In order not to tremble in his voice, he pressed into his abdomen and said, "It's unpleasant. ”

"Ho-ho?" Putting his right hand in the arms of the Toyo-style clothes, the man made a sound that seemed to be funny.

"What is it, boy?"

"Your subordinates must be more than just Miss Fanatio. Mr. Elderliye and the ...... of the Quadruple Sword Also, doesn't it matter to you how Alice lives or dies? ”

"Ah...... That's what I said. The man tilted his face and rubbed the side of his head with the hilt of the long sword he held in his left hand.

"What the hell ....... Elderier is a disciple of Alice the Girl, and Dakira, Jace, Hobren, and Giraud of the Four-Spinning Sword are disciples of Fanatheo. Then, Fanatheo is my disciple. I don't like to fight with a thousand hatreds, but at the very least, if my disciple is killed, I have to take revenge, that's it. He smiled lightly, and then added as if remembering something.

“…… Well, Miss Alice might think I'm a master or something...... To be honest, if you want to fight, I really don't know which side is stronger now. Six years before the little girl became a cadet knight, it was okay to say, "Ah. ”

"Six years ago...... Apprentice Knight ......? Forgetting to contradict the man for a moment, Yugeo just muttered.

If I had to say six years ago, it would have been two years after she was taken away from Loulid. The serial numbers of the sacred words included in the names of the integrated knights have been consulted from Yi Yan when ascending the stairs, Alice is thirty, Eldelier is thirty-one, and Disorrubat appears to be seven. Judging from the newness of the serial number, it shouldn't be so long ago to think that Alice became a knight-

“…… Alice, though, is Thirty...... Thirty integration knights, right? Hearing Yugeo's question, the man tilted his head slightly, and then shouted "ahhhh

"In principle, you won't be given a serial number during the apprenticeship. The little girl became Thirty last year, when she was officially appointed as a knight. Although she was fully qualified to become a knight six years ago in terms of strength alone, she was too young to say anything......"

"But...... Fijer and Lynelle, who are apprentices, also have serial numbers. As soon as he heard those two names, the man bent his mouth like a worm.

“…… The process of those two cubs becoming knights is quite complicated. They were given serial numbers in the apprenticeship as a special case. - You, have you fought with those two people? To be alive despite this is a surprise in a different sense than the victory over Fanatheo. ”

"Even though I was paralyzed by Rubelil's poisonous steel, I almost lost my head." As he answered, Eugeo was still thinking.

The man knows Alice from the time of the apprentice knight. So, Alice's memory was sealed by "The Secret Art of Synthesis" earlier than six years ago...... That is, when I was thirteen years old, is this like this? Since then, Alice has believed that she has been summoned from the Celestial Realm in order to become the Knight of Integration, and has been living in the cathedral......

Looking at the silent Eugeo, the strong man shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I don't want to lose to you, and I don't think that a little girl who is as strong as me will be cut down by you. I heard the patriarch say that the soul is faint, you seem to have a partner. That guy isn't here, probably, somewhere to fight the little girl. ”

“…… That's probably what it is. Nodding as if he had caught a fish, Yugeo gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. The man's words did cut his hostility, but now was not the time to relax. After injecting strength into his eyes, he threw a provocative line.

"By the way, if I cut you down, no one will jump out to take revenge."

"Haha, rest assured. I don't have a master. After a slight smile, the man slowly pulled out the long sword that he had taken from his shoulder with his right hand. The scabbard that remained in the left hand was casually inserted into the wide strap.

The thick, slightly blackened blade had been carefully polished, but the countless old scars that had been left on the entire surface still shone in the light shining from the ceiling. The gauntlets and hilt are made of the same material as the blade, but unlike the artifacts carried by the Knights of the Integrations who have fought so far, they do not have any ornate decorations.

That said, it is not a weapon to be taken lightly, and it is clear even from a distance. It is estimated that it has absorbed an extremely large amount of blood over the years, and the dark gray blade is wrapped with some kind of demonic aura.