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The capital of this country, Kyokuto, was built between the flatlands stretching from the sea and the Sacred Mountain rising behind it.
I had heard that water flowing from the Sacred Mountain circulated through the city, and the sea supported trade with foreign countries.
The Sacred Mountain, which could be called the symbol of the people's faith, and the sea, which provided their livelihood.
Protected by both, the heart of this country—the capital, Hanemiya—had prospered.
We had teleported to the ruins of a quiet shrine standing in the forested outskirts of Hanemiya.
The sky we looked up at was dyed completely black.
But when I turned my gaze to the opposite side of Hanemiya, a clear blue sky spread out there.
It was natural to think that this black sky was covering Hanemiya.
Strictly speaking, it was different, but it was similar to how the sky around a volcano becomes covered in ash when it erupts.
As we approached Hanemiya, we increasingly passed people fleeing the capital, trying to get away.
In the midst of that, we found a second monster.
It seemed to be chasing the panicked people.
"I won't let this country be ravaged any further!"
Hart shouted as he slammed a fist wrapped in ki into the monster.
The monster that received the punch was sent flying far back.
As expected, attacks using ki were effective, and the monster couldn't maintain its shape, turning into liquid magical power that spread across the ground.
"…In terms of ecology, it's close to a magic lifeform."
As I murmured while watching that, Shion nodded beside me.
"Yeah. But it doesn't seem to have intelligence like fairies or demons. It feels like a magic lifeform that moves purely on instinct, like a beast."
Magical power is originally nothing more than energy.
However, occasionally, a "spirit" with the bud of self-awareness appears.
That becomes the core, absorbs surrounding magical power, and eventually changes into an existence with intelligence.
What is born that way is a magic lifeform—among them, those friendly to humans are called "fairies," and those hostile are called "demons."
But the monster appearing now was a little different from those.
It was something like an intermediate between a spirit and a magic lifeform—a magic lifeform without intelligence.
"A magic lifeform without intelligence, huh. Let's call it a 'phantom demon' for now."
"…I see."
Shion murmured quietly.
"It has substance, but it feels uncertain. It 'exists,' yet something is missing. Yeah, it feels illusory."
"The fact that it has no intelligence makes it troublesome because you can't reason with it."
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After that, we continued running while defeating the phantom demons we encountered along the way, and we finally reached Hanemiya.
The number of phantom demons inside Hanemiya was more than I had imagined.
People who appeared to be soldiers of the Kyokuto region were fighting desperately in various places, but they seemed to be at a disadvantage.
And just as the girl we had helped first had said, jet-black magical power continued to erupt from the middle of the Sacred Mountain.
The black, murky sky was still expanding its range.
If left alone like this, it would eventually swallow the entire Kyokuto region.
We needed to stop that eruption as soon as possible.
But we couldn't overlook the phantom demons rampaging through the city either.
"We'll split up. One team heads to the Sacred Mountain, and the other team exterminates the phantom demons here."
Shion was the first to move in response to my proposal.
"Understood! I'm good at wide-area combat, so I'll join the extermination team. Telsche, I'll stop the phantom demons' movements, so finish them off!"
"Understood, Lady Shion."
Shion gave instructions to Telsche and activated her magic.
A torrent of cold air enveloped the phantom demons.
The surface of the black monsters instantly froze, and the moment their movements stopped, Telsche's short sword wrapped in ki pierced through the ice.
"We'll do it too, Luna! I'll deliver the finishing blow, so support me!"
"Understood!"
Oliver and Luna also joined the battle line, and with their coordinated teamwork, they defeated the phantom demons one after another.
Having watched that, Hart murmured in a low voice.
"I want to say 'I'm heading to the Sacred Mountain,' but—"
He clenched his fist as he spoke.
"The Sacred Mountain should be fine with Fuuka and Orun there. Katina, Huey, let's hunt down every last phantom demon! Don't let any more casualties happen!"
""Understood!!""
At that moment, Fuuka called out to Hart, who was about to dash off.
"Hart, did you see Nagisa or Master?"
"…No, I didn't see either of them. More than that, after entering Hanemiya, the magical power became even more unstable, and I can't even use Aerial Perspective anymore."
"…I see. Understood. —Hart."
"What?"
"Please take care of the people and the city."
"Yeah. Leave it to me, Princess."
As if that were the signal, Hart also joined the battle line.
"Let's go, Fuuka."
"—Yeah."
Leaving our comrades behind, Fuuka and I dashed toward the Sacred Mountain.
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We continued running at full speed while defeating as many phantom demons as we encountered along the way.
Still, I was once again astonished by Fuuka's high combat ability.
To defeat the phantom demons, attacks using ki were essential.
Because of that, Shion, who was not good at releasing ki outside her body, and Luna, who was still inexperienced in ki manipulation, were supporting Telsche and Oliver.
The farther ki leaves the body, the much more difficult it becomes to control.
Therefore, many users limit themselves to wrapping it around their body surface to protect themselves or flowing it into things they touch.
Fuuka was no exception and was fighting by wrapping ki around her blade—or so it should have been.
Yet she was cutting down phantom demons in the same range as me, one after another.
I can still make sense of it because I can interfere over a wide area with Psychokinesis.
But Fuuka was accomplishing the same thing in close combat, simply by wrapping ki around her blade.
Moreover, her movement pace wasn't slowing down at all.
Even with Future Sight allowing her to move efficiently, being able to continue moving with such speed and precision was only possible because of her own overwhelming physical ability.
The black sky covering Hanemiya and its surroundings apparently didn't reach the Sacred Mountain, because before long the jet-black rain stopped, and a blue sky peeked out above us.
And after running along the stone-paved path leading to the Sacred Mountain—we reached a fork in the road.
To the left, there was a grand gate.
It was the residence of the Shinonome family, Fuuka's family home.
In front of that gate stood a single man.
His black hair, tied at the back of his head, was beginning to show white strands.
The hair swaying in the wind and his calm demeanor that suggested the passage of years made us naturally stop in our tracks.
He was simply standing still, yet he gave off an eerie atmosphere that made you think any careless movement would result in being cut down instantly.
"…Master."
Fuuka murmured quietly.
Her voice was soft, but I felt it tremble slightly.
So he really was Fuuka's sword instructor, Kiryu Tendou.
As if reacting to Fuuka's voice, Kiryu opened his eyes.
Then, when he caught sight of her, he smiled gently.
"It has been a long time, Princess."
He neither hid his hostility nor showed it.
He simply welcomed Fuuka with a polite demeanor.
Fuuka's gaze wavered slightly.
But immediately, a straight, strong light returned to her eyes.
"Yeah. It's been a while. I've come back as promised."
Kiryu smiled.
"It must have been a painful journey, yet you have returned well. Though the times are what they are, I am glad to see how much you have grown."
"…Where is Nagisa? To turn this current situation around, you know that we need that girl's power, right?"
"That's true. With Lady Nagisa's special ability, it would be possible to wipe out the monsters rampaging in Hanemiya right now. However, we cannot allow any harm to come to her. Many things have been taken from us, but the order to protect that person is the only one I must fulfill."
"I was the one who gave that order, right? Then I temporarily revoke it. I am grateful that you have protected Nagisa until now, but right now we need that girl's power. So tell me where she is."
"I am sorry, but I cannot accept that order."
"..."
Fuuka silently pressed him, but even so, Kiryu did not break his gentle expression.
"The conversation is at a deadlock. Fuuka, the top priority is to stop the eruption at the Sacred Mountain. The two of us will somehow deal with this person—"
"—If you wish to climb the Sacred Mountain, there is no need to fight me."
"…What do you mean?"
"It means exactly what I said. Since I am here to protect Lady Nagisa, I will not stop anyone who wishes to climb the Sacred Mountain."
With those words, Kiryu turned his back to us.
He pushed open the gate and slowly entered the grounds of the residence.
"Orun, go ahead and climb the Sacred Mountain."
Fuuka spoke while staring at Kiryu's back.
"He didn't seem to be lying. Nagisa is probably under house arrest inside the residence."
Nagisa Asagiri, who was like a little sister to Fuuka, had the special ability Spirit Manipulation.
Demons such as the Rakshasa Stieg had been able to exist in this world by using human bodies as vessels even when the magical power density was thin.
That was largely due to Spirit Manipulation.
Her special ability could interfere with the bud of self—the core of a magic lifeform.
Hostile use of the ability against demons would probably meet resistance, but against phantom demons that only had instinct, there was a high possibility of neutralizing them without much resistance.
Against phantom demons, Nagisa's existence could become a joker.
"Understood. I'll take care of the Sacred Mountain."
"Yeah. Thank you. —Orun."
Just as I was about to head down the right path of the fork—the stone-paved approach leading to the Tenrei Shrine—Fuuka called out to me.
"What is it?"
"It's my country, yet I'm leaving something so difficult to you. I think I said it before, but I'll say it again."
Fuuka looked straight at me, paused for a breath, and then spoke.
"—I am your sword. Once the matter with the Kyokuto region is safely resolved, I will offer everything I have to Orun. So please lend your strength for this country."
Fuuka bowed deeply.
Seeing her like that, I couldn't help but smile wryly.
"You're thinking too seriously about it. This is a comrade's long-cherished wish. In that case, of course I'll help. I'm not looking for anything in return. Isn't that what comrades are for?"
"…I see."
Fuuka let out a short breath and raised her face.
"Then—take care, Orun."
"Yeah, leave it to me. Don't lose either, Fuuka."
"Of course."
I lightly waved my hand and turned my back.
The path I took was the right side of the fork—the stone-paved approach to the Sacred Mountain leading to the Tenrei Shrine.
The moment I set foot on the Sacred Mountain—the atmosphere around me changed.
It was close to the feeling I had sensed almost every day until a little while ago.
"…Does this mean the entire Sacred Mountain has turned into a labyrinth?"
As if to affirm my solitary murmur, multiple phantom demons welled up from the ground.
The jet-black rain had stopped around the time we reached the fork, but if the evil god's magical power was accumulating in this land, it wasn't strange for phantom demons to appear even without rain.
"Sorry, but I don't have time to spare on you lot. Disappear."
I crushed the phantom demons from above with Psychokinesis.
Since this place had turned into a labyrinth, simply following the stone-paved path or aiming for the summit would likely mean I wouldn't reach the destination.
(I guess they thought something like this could hold me back.)
I immediately recreated Lucre's special ability, Magic Power Tracking.
Labyrinths have a magic stone that serves as the core to construct them.
That labyrinth core spreads magical power throughout the entire labyrinth, maintaining the space and producing magic beasts.
Magic Power Tracking allows me to trace back the flow of magical power supplied by the labyrinth core.
In other words, even in a labyrinth I am entering for the first time, I can determine the shortest route.
Since the Sacred Mountain has turned into a labyrinth, there should be something here that functions the same as a labyrinth core.
Given the situation, it is reasonable to assume that the Tenrei Shrine is located where that thing is.
"The Tenrei Shrine is… this way."
While exterminating the phantom demons that got in my way, I ran toward the Tenrei Shrine.