When fighting with such an opponent, there is no room for a moment's carelessness. Originally, Yugeo didn't think that just freezing the enemy and himself would end the battle. What really looks at is at the back - compulsively, dragged into the mutual reduction of the Mandate of Heaven. Tightening his grip on the hilt of the Sword of Love, which was still in a state of memory liberation, under the ice, Yugeo focused his consciousness.

If the memories that Yugeo saw were true, then the Sword of the Green Rose had a slightly different origin from Yi Yan's Black Sword and the Knight's Long Time Piercing Sword and Fanatio's Sky Piercing Sword. That is, there are two beings that are the origin of the sword. Permanent ice cubes, and a round of roses frozen in them.

The power of ice cubes is to freeze everything. And the power of the rose is to bloom life.

"Bloom—Green Rose!!" In response to Yugeo's scream, countless "flower buds" were born on the surface of the ice. They each swirl and bloom, blooming into a razor-thin yet clear blue flower.

A round of roses continued to bloom with the sound of bells, and then countless roses—hundreds of roses bloomed one after another. It's incredibly beautiful, yet brutally astonishing. If anything, it is because of this huge number of roses that they bloom so proudly by absorbing the destiny of Eugeo and Belkuli.

The strength of the limbs was drained, and the vision became gray. Now not to mention the cold, even the hardness of the ice that comes into contact with the skin can no longer be felt.

It is estimated that even that Belkuli has now been deprived of the strength that can shatter the ice prison without leaving any residue, and he has seen his red-hot skin turn pale and lose his blood. The calmness that had been with it from the beginning of this battle had also disappeared from the resolute countenance.

"Boy...... You guy, from the very beginning, you have seen the same fate...... Is that what it's all about? ”

"Please...... Don't, it's a misunderstanding. Desperately lifting his heavier eyelids, Yugeo squeezed out a hoarse voice, "I may be able to outshine yours, the only thing...... That's ...... Destiny, the total amount. Lady Fanateau, who was wounded almost identically to my companion, also collapsed at the same time...... This means that even the immortal integration knight has the same amount of destiny as ours...... That's what it should be, right......? ”

Even when he moved his mouth, there were flickering particles of light from the Ice Brier, which had bloomed several times. Not long ago, I couldn't hear the sound of hot water falling, which is a testament to the fact that even the spit has been frozen.

Before they knew it, Bel Cooley and Eugeo were covered in a thick layer of ice except for the center of their faces. If you open the window of Stysia, you should be able to confirm that the Mandate of Heaven is decreasing at a terrible rate. Resisting the heightened drowsiness, Yugeo struggled to continue.

“…… Judging from the appearance, you should have become an integration knight after the age of forty...... Of course, the maximum value of the Mandate of Heaven has also been reduced. Relatively speaking, my Mandate is now close to its maximum ...... Even if I get stabbed, the total amount is still higher than mine. That's what I'm betting on. ”

Before Eugeo's words could end, Belkuli's eyes snapped open. The whole face twisted violently, and the icicles under the forehead and the bridge of the nose shattered at the same time.

"You guy...... Just now, what was said. Even though it was extremely difficult to even maintain his consciousness, a strong light appeared in the knight's eyes.

"Become an integrated knight...... How do you say that......? Isn't this simply like knowing our past lives? Yugeo blinked again, racking all the strength he had left, and replied, "I am...... There is no way to forgive, you for this. ”

The strong emotions that surged from the bottom of his abdomen made him forget the prostration of his whole body in an instant.

"I forgot who I was...... I don't even know the true face of the Congregational Church I serve...... Pretend to be the only one who is righteous and the guardian of the law. …… You are not at all a knight of a god summoned from the heavenly realm by the High Priest. You were born to your mother, and you were given the name Belkuli, a human like me! ”

It was the moment when such a cry was made—

Yugeo finally remembered who the hero in front of him was.

Because he was so surprised, he couldn't help but take a short breath. Bel Cooley...... It is the name of a character who appeared in a legend that I heard from my grandfather when I was a child. Three hundred years ago, he opened up the village of Lulid and became a famous swordsman of the first chief of the guard. Explore the caves of the mountains on the border and intend to take the sword beside the sleeping white dragon...... That is, the hero who stole from the Sword of the Green Rose, which Yugeo's right hand was holding now.

Could it be the grandson of the same name as Belkuli, after thinking about it for a moment, he immediately denied it. The integrated knight who has been frozen by the natural reduction of the Mandate of Heaven will not age. In other words, this is who I am. I used to love it when I was a child...... However, the protagonist of the fairy tale "Belkuli and the White Dragon of the North", who has not been remembered since the summer when Alice was taken away, is now in front of Eugeo's eyes. He lost the memories of Loulid's time and became a Knight of Integration.

Finally recovering from the massive impact of the moment, Eugeo said intermittently, "...... Bel Coolley. You...... You should have an impression of my sword. ”

The Sword of the Green Rose, which has still unleashed all its power, continues to emit an exceptionally clear cold light at a depth of about ten cen from the surface of the ice.

The Knight Chief, who is also the hero of a fairy tale from three hundred years ago, sets his sights under the ice. The strong jaw stiffened, squeezing the hoarse voice out between the clenched teeth. Belkuli's words, however, are contrary to Eugeo's imagination.

“…… Truly...... Where ...... - is it that...... At that time...... "Slowly lifting the eyelids that had been closed, the chief knight said, "—when I killed the guardian dragon in the north, there was a sword ...... similar to this in the nest."

was invaded by another shock, and even the cold air that froze his whole body blurted out in an instant, "Kill...... ...... actually said? ”

In my mind's eye, the image of eight years ago when I explored the northern caverns with Alice was gradually revived. Stacked in the vast space in the center of the cavern, countless huge bones. On it, carved with sharp scars. It is not the teeth or claws of a beast, but the sword of a man.

"Those, dragon bones...... That's what you do......? You...... Put the dragon that appears in their own story...... Killed...... Obviously freezing through, but he didn't suppress the emotion that surged up his hot chest, Yugeo shook his head suddenly. Tears slowly oozed from his eyes.

"Really, forgot...... All ...... Belkuli, you are the hero of the village I was born into called Loulid, known to everyone, young and old. Trek from the central capital to the north, and carved out a village in the barren land, is our ancestor. The High Priest forcibly took you away, sealed the memories and transformed them into the original Integrating Knights. Not only you, but also Miss Fanateau, Mr. Elderlier, and even Alice...... Everyone is like that. Everyone was just like us before they were forced to become Integration Knights...... It's human......"

"Will the memory ...... Give, seal, ......" Belkuli's eyes, which had not wavered in the battle so far, spread out as if he wanted to look into the distance. From the corners of his mouth, which had lost his strength, a faint voice that was difficult to hear.

“………… Your words cannot be taken for granted...... But...... I myself say this about the knights of the gods who have been summoned from the heavenly realm...... I felt ...... a long time ago Unbelievable, unbelievable......"

Before he knew it, the strength of Belkuli's body had been completely drained. The resolute countenance was once again covered in a thick layer of frost. The tears that flowed down Yugeo's cheeks also condensed in an instant, swallowed up by the ice film that enveloped his face.

I heard countless times when I was a child, the fairy tale of Bel Cooley and the White Dragon. The fact that the hero, who is the hero, actually kills the dragon who is the protagonist of the other side, gives Yugeo an unspeakable sense of loss and powerlessness.

The power of the High Priest Administrator is far greater than you think. No matter how great a swordsman is, he can easily control it and turn it into his own faithful knight. Perhaps, this is not just two sword cultivators who will be able to shake its existence. Whether it is the High Priest...... Or the Congregational Church.

In the corner of his mind, Yugeo realized that there was not much left of his destiny that had been absorbed by countless Ice Roses. I guess the same is true for Bel Coolley. In the half-closed blue-gray pupils of the frost and snow, the light had almost disappeared.

- All together, are they all gone?

As soon as I thought of this, the thought that I couldn't fall here ignited a small spark in the depths of my chest. However, he couldn't even move a finger. Beneath the ice, the right hand holding the Sword of the Green Rose is slowly losing its strength......

That's when it was.

"Hehe, this is the best view, the best view." As if a fork was scratching an iron dish, the cacophony echoed through the large communal bath. Eugeo rolled his blurred eyes and saw a shadow with a strange shape, staggering along the passageway.

It looks like a human, but it's too round. On the swollen carcass, there are short limbs that are as short as if they were joking. The neck is completely absent, and an equally round head rests directly on the shoulder. It's like a snowman that kids make in winter.

However, the clothes he wore were so bright that his eyes hurt. Dressed in a lustrous garment of bright red on the right and dark blue on the left, he barely buttoned his bulging belly. The pants are also of different colors from side to side, even the boots.

There was not a single hair on his round head, and a hat with golden horns on top of his slippery head. Although it bears a resemblance to Cardinal's hat in the Great Library, it has a wicked taste. Even if you count that, the height is only slightly taller than a Mel.

During the summer solstice festival, clowns dressed like ball-stepping clowns in the troupe of entertainers performing various acrobatic performances in the squares of Santoria's 6th district. However, it is clear from the face of the short man that he is not the kind of heart-warming existence at all.

No matter what, it is impossible to estimate his age. The skin was strangely white, the nose was round, the cheeks were saggy, and the lips were too red to crack to the left and right. The eyes are slender half-moon shaped, as if smiling and drawing an upward arc, and the eyes peeking through the gap are unusually cold.

The clown, dressed in red and blue, jumped along the marble passage and plunged into the frozen bath. The two boots on the left and right with sharp toes clattered the two rounds of Ice Brier.

"Heh, heh! Heh, heh, heh! "What's funny, the short round man clapped his hands a little and let out a rolling laugh, kicking the roses around him one after another into small pieces of glass. Just like that, with a clattering noise, he walked towards Eugeo and Belkuli, who were trapped in the ice.

After pausing a few miles away, and finally kicking another rose to pieces, the dwarf finally turned his face to the Eugeo and them. The red lips cracked widely, and an unpleasant voice rang out again, "Oh ho...... No, no, Your Highness the Knight. I'm so exhausted. That is a clear rebellion against our High Priest. If she wakes up, she'll be angry, right? ”

Then, Belkuli's lips, who looked like he had long since lost consciousness, trembled and let out a low, hoarse voice, "Elder ...... Chuderkin ....... Philistines like you...... Don't talk about the battle of the swordsman......"

"Heh, hehe——!" The clown dwarf, who heard Belkuli's words, jumped two or three times while clapping his hands violently.

"Swordsman's! Fight! It's funny, oh oh oh oh! "The filthy rebel should be put aside for your innocent gentleness and thoughtfulness, as I said!" Your Royal Highness the Knight, you don't have the "Li" that wears a sword when you use it, do you? Obviously, as long as you have that heart, you can kill the hairy boy there without saying a word! This can be said to be a rebellion against the High Priest!! ”

"Don't be verbose...... I've ...... I did my best...... Besides, you bastard is, calculating me...... This kid...... Not a Dark Territory assassin at all...... He's so much better than an ugly lump of flesh like you......"

"It's annoying, it's human! Watch me uproot your head——!! Suddenly his eyes were round, and the dwarf jumped up like a ball, and stomped on Belkuli's head with his short feet. It shook from side to side on the knight's head, and continued to call in a sharp voice.

"After all, it's you garbage knights who can't even do garbage tasks well to make this kind of trouble. was beaten like this by two little ghosts, and people's bellies were about to burst with laughter. There was no second time, and when the knights woke up, they would take the knights one by one...... At least you and the Vice-Knight Captain have decided to deal with it again! ”

"What...... What the hell are you, ...... Talking about, what......"

"Ah, that's enough, long-winded, long-winded. You just go to sleep. The dwarf stepped on Belkuli's head and held out the little finger of his right hand in a pretentious gesture. Licking his lips with his bright red tongue, he began to chant the technique with a piercing scream.

“System Ca——ll! Deep Free——ze! Integrator Unit， ID: Zero Zero On——e!”

"Gollum......," Belkuli moaned under his breath. Immediately afterward, its body—hair, skin, and even its clothing—began to dye a dull gray. Rather than being frozen, it looks more like a statue that has been turned into stone.

After his eyes lost their sparkle completely, and even the frozen body turned a muddy color everywhere, the dwarf, the clown known as the elder Chuderkin, finally jumped briskly from the head of the chief knight, Belkuli.

"Heh, heh, he...... Actually, I don't need an old man like you anymore, Number One. Anyway, I found a chess piece that seems to work...... Right? The clown, muttering, with his small pinhole-like pupils, was staring at Eugeo with a terrifying gaze. A feeling of fear that was colder than the ice around it crept up on my back.

But that's when the limits of the Eugeo arrived. He stared desperately at the red and blue boots that approached as he stepped on the Ice Brier, but the scene was immediately darkened.

- Yi Yan.

———— Alice......

Yugeo's consciousness was interrupted at the moment when he called the names of the two in the depths of his chest.

…………

Suddenly, attacked by a violent trembling, Lin Yiyan opened his eyes in surprise. I'm just going to lean against the wall with my eyes closed, and I don't know when I'm going to fall asleep. I felt a sense of anxiety in my mind as if I was going to say the forgotten contents of the nightmare from which I woke up anyway.

Lifting the upper body and looking around to confirm the situation, nothing seems to have changed. Lin Yiyan was probably on the terrace on the west wall of the 88th floor of the Central Cathedral. The sun had long sunset below the horizon, and its head was covered with ink. But no matter how Lin Yiyan turned his head to inspect, he only saw a few stars in the gap between the clouds that were broken by darkness, and the moon he was looking forward to did not appear. Earlier in the evening, I heard the clock ringing at 8 p.m. in the distance, and it would be some time before the Moon Goddess began to delegate her limited resources.

Alice, the integration knight who was in a state of signing a truce with Lin Yiyan, I don't know if she used distance to express her suspicion of Lin Yiyan, and moved to the right to enter the newly appeared gargoyle...... No, it was Minion's reaction range where he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes. Although Lin Yiyan wanted to turn this waiting time into convincing her and seizing the opportunity to avoid the upcoming battle, the knight had no intention of responding to the small talk. If Yugeo were on this occasion, stabbing him with Cardinal's short sword would have solved the problem.

What's going on with that Eugeo now?