Red blood flowed down the black armor, fluttering like a cloak.

At the same time, as though proving his own words were no lie whatsoever, the Karma Throne of War crushed his left hand with a crunching sound, and Alon felt pressure bearing down on him.

‘Can I win?’

Pressure intense enough to make his limbs go numb.

The enemy before him was crushing him down through sheer existence alone, to the point his heart pounded wildly and cold sweat ran down his back.

Alon let out a shallow breath.

‘......I don’t know.’

No, in truth, he did know.

The conclusion had already been reached in his heart.

Unfortunately, however, Alon could not choose that conclusion.

With a faint frown, he began thinking.

‘So I can’t expect support.’

He glanced to one side.

On the surface, it looked like nothing more than collapsed ruins.

But Alon could perceive that a massive “wall” had been created with himself and the Karma Throne of War at the center.

‘......The scale is the entire academy student district.’

An enormous size.

For an instant, Alon considered somehow rejoining the others outside, but soon shook his head.

Because he realized the “wall” dividing this entire space could not be broken through destruction.

‘The structure of the wall is strange. Rather than severing the outside world, it’s the type that distorts it. Creating an exit through magic would be nearly impossible.’

Thinking that far, Alon looked ahead.

In the end, since he could not expect outside help, he would have to accomplish this alone.

The information Alon knew about him numbered only a few things.

First, that he was “Karma,” the next stage after Divine blood.

Second, that he was the “Karma Throne of War.”

And third—

that part of the abilities he used were “rules.”

‘......At the very least, if I can figure out his ability somehow—’

Alon continued thinking as he looked at the Karma Throne of War.

If he could identify the ability of the Karma Throne of War, who was still staring at him with crimson eyes glowing brightly, then perhaps he could somehow seize even the slightest advantage in battle.

As far as Alon knew, the abilities possessed by Divine blood—

No, by “Karma” itself from the beginning—

were alien.

No, beyond alien, they were irrational and abnormal.

However, precisely because of that, Alon knew they carried “penalties.”

And just as he was about to start devising a way to figure out the ability somehow—

[From this moment onward, I shall proclaim the laws.]

The Karma Throne, still scattering red blood, suddenly began speaking in a solemn voice.

[First, ambushes are forbidden.]

Like reciting a sacred prayer—

[Second, fleeing is forbidden.]

—extremely courteous and noble.

[Third.]

[Unless one side surrenders, the war shall not end.]

He recited the laws.

[Those who violate them shall be expelled from the rule by great judgment and condemned to eternal death.]

And then—

[Lastly, do you have any questions?]

At the Karma Throne of War’s words, spoken like a proclamation, Alon stared blankly at him.

‘He told me the laws?’

Just as Alon had expected, the Karma Throne of War’s ability was related to rules.

Yet despite discovering that, Alon’s eyes filled with confusion.

Because the Karma Throne of War had openly explained the rules to him.

“......Why tell me the laws?”

Alon could understand the Karma Throne of War’s nature without much difficulty.

He worshiped war, and because of that, he appeared to despise cowardly acts.

Even so, telling the rules to an enemy he had to fight carried far too much risk.

The rules he possessed might not seem extraordinary, but depending on how they were used, they could absolutely be exploited the same way the Apostle had used them.

At that point, there were only two possibilities Alon could infer.

One was that Alon looked weak enough that even knowing the rules would not let him win.

The other was that the Karma Throne had not explained all the rules, and had hidden traps between them.

......Though if he intended to do something like that from the beginning, he probably would not have torn off his own arm either—

While Alon tried to grasp the situation somehow, the Karma Throne of War emitted vivid crimson light from his eyes.

[Because my ability must be used solely to wage sacred war.]

“That’s your reason?”

[What other reason would be necessary?]

At the Karma Throne of War’s words, Alon fell silent.

Not because he felt pressure from him.

Not because he felt his horrifying presence.

The reason he fell silent—

“Ha......”

—was because within that questioning voice was sincerity so vivid it was unmistakable.

A sincerity bordering on madness.

And the moment Alon recognized that—

[Forget the complicated things.]

The Karma Throne of War—

[Forget why you are here, why you fight, what you must protect, your political reasons, or grand thoughts about saving the world. No—rather, you do not even need to abandon them.]

—for the first time, wearing a savage smile—

[I will make you abandon them.]

—appeared before Alon.

Crack—!

Piercing through his heart.

[Star Eater.]

“!”

Alon’s eyes widened.

####

“Ka, agh—?”

Seeing his pierced heart, the very first thought to cross Alon’s mind was that.

When?

At what moment had this happened?

“Cough—!”

Along with the cough forced out of him, crimson blood burst forth.

As though proving this situation was not a dream, it streamed down endlessly, making the reality all the more vivid.

And the Karma Throne of War, smiling as though delighted—

Shhaaaak—!

—ripped out the hand buried in Alon’s heart and flung him far away.

Thud—! Craaack—!

Without any magical protection whatsoever, Alon rolled across the ground, his body instantly breaking apart.

His heart pierced through, Alon did not even have the leisure to care about the condition of his body as he raised his trembling hands to touch near his heart, but—

unfortunately, that became impossible because the Karma Throne of War rapidly approached and kicked him in the stomach.

Kuwaaaang—!

Like a bomb exploding, Alon was instantly launched away, crashing through the ruined academy wall.

“A-Alon!!!!!”

Hidden together with Blackie and gasping for breath under the pressure radiating from the Karma Throne of War, Penia widened her eyes and screamed.

Then she fell into despair.

Because she had seen it too.

The hole pierced through Alon’s heart.

And him being kicked by the Karma Throne before he could even use magic, embedded into the ruins.

And because she knew that Alon’s body, without using any magic, was no different from that of an ordinary human, just as she was about to turn that despair into rage and look toward the Karma Throne—

“Cough—!”

A familiar coughing sound came from the direction of the ruins.

At that, Penia turned her gaze again.

“A-Alon!!!”

And soon she saw him.

Alon, walking out with a strained expression, the hole that had pierced straight through the center of his heart already healed before she knew it.

“H-How?”

Penia felt relief.

But naturally, the next thought that came was, How?

Because the attack Alon had suffered was absolutely not something he should have survived.

However, unlike Penia’s confusion, Alon himself, coughing as he stepped out, had reached a realization.

No, more precisely, he had reached a realization about the rules.

‘Unless one side surrenders, the war shall not end.’

When Alon had first heard one of the rules proclaimed by the Karma Throne of War, he had felt a small sense of doubt.

Because while there were many ways to end a war, the rule he established had specifically been “unless one side surrenders.”

And only now could Alon finally understand this rule.

‘The rule isn’t vague.’

Alon looked at his own body.

The horrific pain beyond words still remained, but his body was regenerating at an incredible speed, as though it had transcended humanity.

As though it had never suffered any attack from the beginning.

‘In other words, if you do not surrender, you do not die.’

After confirming that his body had already been completely restored, Alon looked downward.

There, the one-armed dragon whose wounds had apparently healed and who no longer bled was gazing up at him in delight, filled with exhilaration.

“......Ha.”

Without realizing it, Alon let out a hollow laugh.

The Karma Throne of War had clearly said he knew.

That because Alon had interfered with the ritual, he had descended into this world in a weakened state.

Yet there was no anger whatsoever in the eyes looking at Alon.

What existed there instead was madness.

Seeing those mad eyes that seemed to simply enjoy this situation itself, Alon judged easily enough.

‘This won’t be easy.’

In the end, this battle was one where victory would only come when someone surrendered.

And the thing on the other side was a lunatic starving for battle.

Even so, Alon still had a chance of winning.

And if there was a chance—

“Hoo—”

—he had always won.

“Reverse Heavens.”

He murmured quietly.

......And stars once again began filling the dark sky.

####

The Karma Throne of War had three Divine blood who followed him.

Unlike the other Divine blood, they had been deeply moved by his ideology and followed only him.

And unlike the others, they had waited until now solely to descend together with him.

Among them, the Divine blood most deeply devoted to the Karma Throne of War’s ideology—

the Divine blood subordinate to him who could even use his abilities, Bloodletting Bird—

was feeling joy at the slaughter that would soon begin.

War was always accompanied by slaughter.

And within his ability, slaughter could be enjoyed endlessly.

Thus, descending to the surface filled with excitement, Bloodletting Bird wore a thick smile as though overwhelmed with delight while looking at the countless humans gathered in the shopping district.

......Until she met her.

Click.

The girl’s murmur could be heard.

Just a small murmur carrying no particular emotion.

However—

Burst—!

At that simple murmur, Bloodletting Bird’s body instantly began exploding apart.

Click.

Bloodletting Bird’s body twisted grotesquely.

Click.

Bloodletting Bird’s body compressed.

Click.

Together with the word repeated firmly over and over, Bloodletting Bird met death.

Again.

And again.

Continuously.

Dying.

As though unable to escape predetermined causality.

So plain.

So calm.

Bloodletting Bird wanted to shout something while looking at her.

At first, it was mockery.

She wanted to mock her, saying that no matter how many times she killed her, she would not die.

Then it became rage.

Rage wanting to scream that she would tear apart the insolent bitch and butcher everything she held dear.

Then came compromise.

Then—

Then—

Then—

......

..

.

Then—

[Ah— Aaaah— Aaaaaah—]

—it became fear.

Because she had realized it.

Who the girl before her was.

What the girl before her was.

What the girl before her—

■■■■—

And then.

The white-haired, red-eyed girl—

“Shh.”

Placed a finger softly to her lips.

“......Please die quietly, all right?”

And merely moved her finger slightly from left to right.

“—because I came all the way here for your ability.”