"Where are you hiding…?”

Deep within the false capital.

Linmel advanced cautiously, prepared to destroy anything that stood in her way.

"Miss, the fish today are excellent! The mackerel is absolutely fantastic…”

"Hap!”

-Slash!

That included things shaped like humans. The merchant trying to call customers over was split cleanly in half and collapsed to the ground.

And yet no blood flowed. The severed surface was filled with something like white clouds, and the merchant continued wandering around without even realizing he had been cut apart.

"..."

"Oh my, really? Then let me take a look~”

Watching the other citizens converse normally with the sliced-apart fog, Linmel let out a sigh and rolled her eyes.

'Uuugh, disgusting. This is exactly why I hated dealing with her.’

The Witch of Emptiness was the enemy Linmel despised most.

Purely in terms of lethality, she was less dangerous than an ant. She couldn’t kill a single person.

But in terms of sheer malice, she was more horrific than any other enemy.

There was a reason she had been given the title of witch.

Everyone who encountered the Witch of Emptiness lost memories regardless of whether they were Knights, wizards, or anything else.

At best, they lost small personal memories. At worst, they forgot how to walk.

To Linmel, whose very life was built upon her memories, there could be no more hateful opponent.

"I already didn’t like her before.”

The library.

Arriving before its main entrance, Linmel steadied her breathing and gripped her sword.

No matter how sturdy a wall might be, anything that existed could be cut.

Her blade slowly descended from above all the way down.

"Now—I honestly just wish she’d die.”

-Huuum......

A faint vibration spread across the capital.

And the sword failed to cut through the door.

"?"

More precisely, it stopped midway, embedded between the doors without moving further. There was no possibility she couldn't cut through mere wood. She had struck seriously enough that even a door forged from twice the thickness of steel should have been sliced apart like tofu.

Something beyond the door was gripping her sword.

-Thwack!

The instant Linmel realized that, she thrust the blade forward with all her strength.

"Ah."

That was the wrong move.

As though waiting for exactly that, the door swallowed the sword whole. It looked ready to devour her arm next, forcing her to let go. All she could do was listen to the sound of steel scraping and bending beyond the door.

-Spit

A moment later, the completely mangled sword was spat back out.

Linmel stared at her beloved blade for a moment, then smirked.

"Well, look at that?”

If the damage was only to this extent, she could simply hammer it back into shape and keep using it. She had the strength for that.

But her pride would never allow it. Linmel clenched her fist—and punched the door directly.

-Bang, bang!! BOOOM!!

Wood chips and dust scattered with every blow. If it had been an ordinary door, it would have shattered long ago. Instead, it endured shockingly well. In fact, it almost felt like it was restoring itself.

Of course, Linmel was not mindlessly pounding on it.

'If I keep hitting it until nightfall, the noise will annoy her enough to come out, right?'

It was a strategy of sorts.

Perhaps the idea worked, because after enduring the assault for quite some time, a response finally echoed through the door.

[Stop.]

The voice was extremely cold.

[Leave when I permit it.]

"Don’t want to?”

[I don't wish to kill you. You were a Knight Jern cherished.]

"...Now I want to even less.”

-Crunch!

A far heavier punch slammed into the door.

Blood began dripping from Linmel’s fist as she clenched it tighter and glared at a place beyond the door.

"Open the door. If you don’t, I’ll split this entire capital apart.”

[...]

"You think I can’t?”

[Haah...]

-Click.

The sound of a handle turning echoed through the air.

"You should’ve just done that from the start.”

Grumbling, Linmel pushed the door open.

Inside the library—there was only thick, swirling fog. No bookshelves, no books, no floor. Nothing.

As she walked through the interior, which felt less soft than strangely solid, Linmel was reminded of the insides of those citizens she had seen earlier. Then someone emerged from deeper within, wearing an utterly miserable expression.

Elisia. Unlike Linmel, she had not aged a single day.

"...Why are you still so young?”

"I doubt that’s why you came here.”

Elisia sat somewhere within the mist with an exhausted expression and spoke flatly.

"Did Father send you?”

"No. Well, maybe I vaguely remember hearing something like that.”

Linmel had heard that Aletus had tried absolutely everything possible to bring his daughter back.

She vaguely recalled him asking her personally for help as well, though she couldn’t remember too clearly.

As though she expected that answer, Elisia slowly continued without looking at her.

"I can’t go back. I already gathered all the memories I needed, so I won’t attack people anymore. I’ll just stay here quietly without doing anything, so leave.”

"I don’t even feel sorry for you, so no.”

With a disgusted expression, as though she had just reached into a trash bin, Linmel extended her hand.

"Come out. Jern’s waiting outside.”

"Jern..."

At those words, Elisia glanced behind herself for a moment before giving a bitter smile.

"It seems you’ve been deceived, but Jern is gone.”

"What?"

"It’s something I learned after joining Scarlet Abyss. Jern was officially declared dead.”

Elisia slowly lowered her gaze.

After blinking a few times, Linmel finally reacted like she felt was appropriate.

'Haah, this crazy bitch...'

Was there really any value in bringing someone like this back?

Wouldn’t it be better, for both herself and Jern, to simply deal with her here and claim he had become too dangerous to leave alive?

Linmel seriously considered it. Then she imagined how Jern would react after hearing what happened. Clicking her tongue in resignation, she gave up on the idea.

In the end, she had no choice but to drag this insane woman back somehow.

Because if Jern entered this place himself, it would be dangerous.

"I saw him with my own eyes. If you don’t believe me, come outside and see for yourself.”

"I confirmed it with my own eyes too—or rather, through someone else. Jern was swallowed by the Abyssal Sea. The Abyssal Sea, no one can ever escape from.”

"No, I’m telling you to come see him yourself."

"Heavenly Balance deceived Jern.”

Elisia’s body trembled as she continued speaking with hollow eyes.

"You don’t know what kind of place the Abyssal Sea is. Have you ever even dipped a foot into it?”

"No. But I do know you aren’t listening to a word I’m saying.”

"I have. That’s why I know Jern can’t come back.”

Snapping at Linmel, Elisia curled up and hugged her knees.

Rather than the Witch who had stolen the memories of countless Knights, she simply looked like a child her age.

"Why didn’t he tell me? I could’ve fought in his place. Instead of going into a hell like that, he should’ve used me…”

Again and again, again and again, again and again.

Elisia desperately searched for something that could prove her conclusion wrong.

But nowhere in the world could she find Jern. And if someone who no longer existed in this world had fallen elsewhere…

Then the only place Jern could be was the Abyssal Sea.

It was the moment Elisia lost her reason to fight.

"What are you fighting for?”

"...Me?"

Having stood there with folded arms, silently wondering how far this madness would go, Linmel tilted her head at the sudden question.

"You saw that thing back at the capital in the sky, right? That we can’t defeat Great Void.”

Elisia held a dagger capable of killing Great Void.

But possessing a dagger and plunging it into his heart were completely different things.

If Jern could return because of it, she would gladly risk her life. She would throw herself endlessly against the impossible using a body that could no longer truly die.

But now, she could not find even a single reason to do that anymore.

"Why fight a battle you’re doomed to lose?”

"Because I believe Jern will come back.”

"...I see.”

Hope that could only exist because she didn’t know.

For a brief moment, Elisia found herself envying her.

But Linmel’s answer did not end there.

"And even if he never comes back, I still won’t give up.”

"What...?"

"Even if he ne~ver returns for my entire life, and I never get to see him again before I die, It still doesn’t matter.”

"Wh-why?”

"Because I think Jern would be sad if I spent my time crying pathetically like you.”

The words were sharp, but her tone had softened slightly.

Because even if only a little, Linkel understood why Elisia had fallen into despair.

"Look at yourself. Holed up in this fake capital, stealing people’s memories inside this empty fog while being called a witch. What do you think Jern would say if he saw you like this?”

"...Jern is gone.”

"You can keep believing that if you want, but come outside first. If nothing else, at least step beyond the city walls once. Seriously though, what even is this creepy place?”

Frowning in confusion, Linmel wandered around the fog-filled library.

Now that she thought about it, something felt strange. From the sound of things, Elisia had despaired after believing Jern died and gave up fighting. If that were true, why come all the way to the capital instead of hiding in some cave somewhere?

And why did she steal people’s memories specifically? What was she using them for?

"You said you gave up on everything, so what exactly have you been doing in here?”

"G-get out. Let’s talk outside.”

As Linkel continued exploring the library, Elisia hurriedly tried to stop her, growing visibly anxious suddenly.

Linmel narrowed her eyes.

'She’s definitely hiding something.’

Thinking about it logically, would a Fallen really just stop at merely stealing memories?

She was obviously using them for something. Maybe she had been kidnapping people and draining them to preserve her youth.

Staring into the fog for a moment, Linmel’s eyes suddenly lit up.

"Aha, I knew it.”

Spotting something hidden within the mist, she dashed forward and grabbed a stone.

-Tak

The instant the stone shifted slightly from its original position, the fog vanished in the blink of an eye.

The place they stood in was not some cloud-filled void. It was simply the capital’s library. The stone had merely been releasing fog to disguise the library as some separate space entirely.

As Elisia’s expression gradually stiffened, Linmel’s suspicions became certainty.

"So you were doing something filthy after all. Jern might forgive you anyway—but I won't."

At the very least, it should not remain hidden.

Believing evil deeds deserve consequences, Linmel ignited her aura and sharpened her senses—

Then something emerged from the back of the library.

"Big sis, are you done? That corner's kind of uncomfortable.”

"...?"

"Huh? Who’s this person?”

Linmel’s eyes widened in shock. She had fully prepared herself to destroy whatever grotesque being the witch had created.

But standing there was Jern.

As a child.

"Ah..."

Elisia gently patted the young Jern’s head a few times before shrugging casually as if nothing happened. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"C-Could you go read for a little longer? I still have something to discuss with my friend…”

"Yes, alright."

With his usual indifferent expression, the child Jern disappeared toward the back of the library. A heavy silence settled between the two women.

"What in the world is that?”

"Th-that’s, well, something I made by combining memories. Since I govern Emptiness, if I use materials with the same form within that domain, I can recreate the same thing using other people’s memories…”

As Elisia stammered through her excuse. Linmel coldly interrupted her.

"That’s not what I asked.”

"...I was lonely.”

Elisia lowered her head, cheeks reddening as though embarrassed by her own creation.

"And all the things outside?”

"Prototypes..."

"So basically—you attacked people and extracted their memories just to create a fake Jern who calls you big sis?”

"W-well, originally, I wanted to destroy the Empire. I am a witch.”

"...”

"...I'm different from mortals like you. My world is Emptiness, so I’ve ended up with an almost eternal lifespan. And during all that time, you’re saying I’m not even allowed to do something like this? Isn’t that way too cruel?!”

Watching Elisia suddenly decide to act proud and shameless about it, Linmel fell into thought. It didn’t last long.

Once she reached her conclusion, Linmel slowly clenched her fist.

"Ah, sorry, but yeah. I can’t leave you unchecked.”

Before bringing her back to Jern, It seemed necessary to settle the grievances of all the poor Knights whose memories had been stolen for no reason at all.