The man vanished, reappearing directly in front of my eyes. His white coat billowed, still fluttering from his rapid movements. At the same time, his hand reached, aiming to grab my neck. A sudden attack.

I was caught off guard.

But my body wasn't.

Instincts that I picked up from fighting Ghyslaine took over, catapulting me away from the man with a gust of wind while forming stacks of magic barriers to stop his attack.

The sound of shattering glass.

The man paused, tilting his head in thought. "Those reactions... And chantless magic? No, instantaneous magic circles..." He lowered his hand and stared at me. "As I thought, you truly did inherit a lot from Laplace. However-"

"RUDY!"

Master Roxy's scream cut through the air. The moment it did, blinding light surrounded the man. Her entire <Magic Arrays> sent and primed to fire a magical bombardment.

At the same time, she shot herself forward, catapulting towards me with a gust of wind.

"Wait!" I glanced towards her and shouted, "Master, no!"

The man's eyes flicked towards me for a moment, frowning. "Master? Hm." After that he looked towards the magic circles and said, "For Roxy Migurdia to reach this level... Interesting. So if-"

An eruption of mana and an explosion of force and sound. I reflexively covered my eyes. And when I did, I felt someone grab me, pulling me back.

"Stupid! Are you stupid? You must be stupid! What did I tell you about being stupid?!"

Master Roxy's panicked voice.

I opened my eyes and saw her standing in front of me, staff pointed at the man.

The magical bombardment was still continuing. Ambient mana was sucked in through the magic circles and converted into a barrage of spells.

But-

"Impressive. Layering magic circles to amplify basic spells to higher ranks of power while creating synergy in each attack due to the arrangment... And then to use ambient mana as a power source instead of your own mana... How efficient."

Master Roxy's eyes widened and she started to shake. "I-Impossible."

A gust of wind from behind. Sylphy. She quickly moved to my side and held out my sword. "Rudy! Here!"

Master Roxy noticed and she snapped. "What are you doing!? Run!"

"No!" Sylphy turned to face the man and said, "I won't leave without Rudy! And... And I'll fight too! If Miss Roxy is going to fight, I will too!"

"Are you stupid!? You're the one who can run away the fastest! Take Rudy and go back to-"

"<Disturb Magic>."

A pulse. Distorted ripples spreading through the air, like jagged blades. Everywhere they touched, mana ripped apart.

Including Master Roxy's <Magic Arrays>.

"Kuh!" She winced, stepping back and clutching her head. "H-How...?"

I quickly took my sword from Sylphy and drew it. "This is stupid. This was extremely stupid. Should've just kept my damned mouth shut... Gah."

I should have realized it. I was already thinking that guy was like a secret end game boss. Just like in the old JRPGs, those people tended to show up in the first arc and become unbeatable boss fights just to show the player that life was cruel and that the hero couldn't always win.

And also that sometimes the best choice was to not fight.

If this was a game, it would be the point where I turned off the console and reloaded my last save.

Except this was reality, so I couldn't do that. Instead... I had to figure out a way of this impossible fight. Not a way to win... Just a way out. I had to end this encounter before it became a power struggle that we would lose.

But how?

The man swung his arm out, sending the shards of Roxy's magic circles flying and causing his white cloak to flutter. His pristine white cloak.

Master Roxy started trembling again. But she grit her teeth and stomped on the ground, holding out her staff. "Who are you? Why are you here?!"

"Roxy Migurdia."

Master Roxy tensed.

The man looked at her and glanced over to Sylphy. "Sylphiette Dragonroad."

Sylphy trembled. But after glancing at me, she took a deep breath and glared at the man.

The man noticed and looked at me. "And then the unknown variable who knows of Hitogami and inherited Laplace's powers while remaining human. The son of Paul Greyrat that should not exist..."

...Yeah. This guy definitely knew stuff. And it seemed like he had calmed down a bit.

We survived the first phase somehow- No. He wasn't going seriously in the first place. That was the only reason why we weren't blown away.

But that was enough. As long as we could end this without him going all out, that was a win.

The man stared at me and then said, "My name is Orsted. You. Tell me your name."

Master Roxy glared at me. "Rudy. No."

Sylphy shook her head as well, but kept her eyes on the man- No, on Orsted. "Don't tell him, Rudy! That man... That man is bad! He's definitely a bad guy!"

I frowned.

It was an odd reaction.

I could understand them being cautious. I could also understand them being intimidated.

But the desperation in Master Roxy's gaze didn't match up. And Sylphy's words were too forceful. As if she was completely certain Orsted was a villain.

I mean, I didn't blame her considering his actions up until now and his appearance.

...But at the same time, she should be able to sense it.

Orsted wasn't emitting any killing intent or hostility. He was prepared for combat, yes. But he wasn't intending to fight.

Instead...

Wait.

Out of character actions. Influencing thoughts to align towards a certain conclusion...

Being W?

I looked over Master Roxy and Sylphy.

I didn't see any of Being W's mana. But at the same time, that guy had proven himself to be slippery.

It was possible. My 'eyes' weren't omniscient. I could see mana, but it was possible that I couldn't see *all* mana.

No, it had to be the case.

There was something here that was affecting Master Roxy and Sylphy that I couldn't see.

Something that was making them paranoid and terrified of Orsted.

I stared at Orsted and then said, "If I tell you, will you kill me?"

Orsted was quiet and then said, "That will depend. Will you swear allegiance to me?"

"Rudy." Master Roxy looked at me and said, "Don't be stupid. You're smart! Think this through!"

Sylphy nodded as well and said, "Don't trust him, Rudy!"

Like Master Roxy asked, I thought it through.

Orsted was a force of nature. We couldn't beat him. Even Dad... Yeah. Even Dad couldn't beat him.

If we provoked the guy, we would die. He didn't seem like a bad person, so he probably wouldn't go after my family.

But there was a chance he might in order to tie up loose ends.

Run?

Even if that guy was the strongest, he seemed to have a plan in mind. And if we ran away while throwing enough spanners in the works, it might be enough to deter him from pursuing us.

...But it could also tick him off enough to strike back when we least expected it.

Buy time and have Master Roxy and Sylphy evacuate the others?

That would be ideal. Except Master Roxy and Sylphy absolutely wouldn't accept it. Not to mention that Mom and Mama Lily would definitely run out to try and stop Orsted too in order to protect me.

That was no good.

Fight?

Impossible.

That guy stood through Master Roxy's barrage like it was nothing and then broke apart her <Magic Arrays> with ease. Not only that, but he had that weird <Disturb Magic> spell that shredded mana.

Master Roxy couldn't face him. It was the absolute worst matchup possible.

Sylphy... potentially could. Rather than casting spells, she was actually just directing elements.

But considering how that guy weathered all of Master Roxy's spells, most that were enhanced ten times over...

No. That was a dead end.

As for me...

...If I was at top form, I might be able to stall. No, I was sure I could stall.

In a clash of mana, I was confident I could match him, or at least only lose out a bit. If he tried that <Disturb Magic> on me, it would just be an opening for me to exploit.

But.

...If that guy could stand through Master Roxy's barrage, I wasn't sure if I had anything to take him out.

Well. There was 'that.' But the guy was fast. That casual attack from him was on the level of Ghyslaine. If he got serious... which he would if he detected the attack I had in mind, I would be dead before it finished.

It was possible, but I needed time and preparation. Both things I didn't have.

But even then... That was probably a bad move.

If I thought about the circumstances, it was too weird.

I was out for a week, but my body was perfectly fine. Meaning that something was keeping me unconscious the entire time.

It was plausible that I was just recovering from the aftereffects of my fight, but even then, a week seemed too long.

At the same time, I had been blinded for a day. Unable to see the world around me... which included any potential traps laid down by Being W... Or Hitogami. Whatever that guy's name was.

And then this guy showed up out of the blue. Orsted. A man wreathed with Being W's mana and who instinctively attacked after hearing Being W's real name. Or what was probably his real name.

...Which was a whole can of worms in itself considering that it was Japanese when this entire world had a language similar to English. And especially considering that Hitogami meant 'human god'...

But anyway, this entire chain of events reeked of a setup.

Just like when the knights invaded after Mom gave birth to Norn and was vulnerable.

Everything pointed to trying to fight this guy or antagonize him. And I was being pressured to go against him.

It made sense. Objectively, a powerful person like this showing up out of the blue and attacking for no reason was dangerous. Trying to talk and get along with him was suicidal.

Not only that, but he was suspicious. The way he talked like he knew things and expected things to unfold a certain way... The way he called Sylphy by a last name I never heard. And him making all those references to Laplace by saying I was similar... He knew too much.

So a powerful person who knew too much and seemed to have a secret agenda showing up at a time when I was still recovering and when Dad wasn't around to help protect my family.

Not only that, but a person that only I could match. And even then, it was only a faint hope of matching. One that would rely on me straining myself again and relying on that relationship between emotional tension and mana in order to bridge the gap.

I looked at Orsted and said, "My name is Rudeus Greyrat. But I'm sorry." I raised my sword at him and said, "I won't swear allegiance."

"Rudeus Greyrat." Orsted nodded. "I will remember that name. But to not swear allegiance to me... Very well." He stared into my eyes and said, "I hope that we can be allies in another life."

With that short statement, he vanished.

But I expected that.

*tick*

Magic wasn't enough. I learned that already. Trying to cast spells against an opponent like this was suicide.

But I also wasn't skilled enough to fight him off with my sword. To begin with, I could barely match Dad, and Orsted was leagues above him.

*tick*

Even so, I had to fight.

Orsted was uncompromising. He was used to having things go his way- No. He was a person who forced things to go his way because the entire world was against him.

If I wanted to live, I needed to convince him. That I had value in staying alive. That I wasn't going to be an enemy. So to do that...

*tick*

I couldn't fight like Dad. For some reason, I couldn't flood my body with mana like him to reinforce it. Every time I tried, it slipped out like water running through cloth.

But that didn't mean I had no way of fighting back.

The techniques, the principles, the theory...

Dad's sword movements, the rhythm of combat, the reach...

And now Orsted's own movements and attacks.

Right. If magic wasn't enough, then sword fighting. And if my body wasn't sufficient to use my sword yet...

Then I just had to let the sword fight in the place of my body.

*tick*

A crimson blur slashed to intercept the white blur in front of me.

"Hm?"

Orsted suddenly shot back, his golden eyes narrowed in caution. "That sword...?"

A faint hum. A crimson blade, vibrating in the air in front of me and phasing in and out like a mirage.

"I knew it." I glared at Orsted and said, "Being W *did* send you."

A bluff.

That was the only way out of this.

Orsted hated Hitogami. Enough to where he attacked me the moment I said that name.

Orsted blinked and tilted his head.

"Argh..." Master Roxy groaned and then raised her staff again. "This is stupid. I'm stupid. I should have taught you better so you wouldn't be this stupid."

Sylphy held up her hands, causing all the snow in the area to swirl around her, creating a blizzard. As she did, she looked at Master Roxy and said, "Stop calling Rudy stupid and focus on protecting him, Miss Roxy!"

Master Roxy glared at me and said, "I expect a full explanation on who this 'Being W' is after we're done here, Rudy."

"Absolutely."

Master Roxy swept her left arm through the air and then frowned. "The array is broken... Should be fine, but it'll take a while to regenerate." She shifted her gaze to Orsted before looking at me and saying, "I hate to say this, but I have to leave this to you, Rudy. Your master isn't capable of beating him." She laughed and said, "I told you that you should have picked a better one."

"That's fine." I kept a steady gaze on Orsted and said, "This is just a bad match up for you. Master uses mana directly instead of channeling elements and can't fight in close range. For now... leave it to me."

Sylphy stepped moved to my right side and said, "You mean leave it to us. I won't let you fight alone, Rudy." She looked at Orsted and said, "I don't know who this Being W person is... but if that guy's your enemy, then he's mine too!"

"...Don't follow me. Stay back and support from a distance. Understood? He's too fast for you."

Sylphy frowned, but then she nodded. "Fine. But if you get hurt-"

"Then I'm relying on you to buy me time to heal. Can I trust you on that?"

Sylphy's eyes widened. But then she let out a bright smile and nodded. "Leave it to me, Rudy!"

Master Roxy spoke up and said, "I'll cast barriers on you. But... be careful."

"I will."

It was a heroic and determined play.

...Well, Sylphy and Roxy were being serious about it, but I kept my words carefully tailored to lead the conversation.

And it seemed like it was throwing Orsted off.

His serious face vanished, confusion taking its place. "To face me directly just from his words... Did the curse lift? No, rather than lift-"

I held out my left hand, pointing it at Orsted. With that motion, my sword flew out in front of me, tilted to the side as if an invisible warrior held it at the ready, point aimed at Orsted's head.

"Orsted, or whoever you are!" I narrowed my eyes and said, "If you think that I'm going to join forces with a person who was sent by Being W... Or Hitogami, or whatever his name is, you've got another thing coming! I'm not going to team up with someone on the same side as a guy who tried to break up my family and kill my baby sisters!"

Orsted blinked. And then he placed his left hand over his face and laughed. A giant, sincere, full-body laugh that had him shaking in place. "I see... I see! Laplace... So this is why you attempted it. Even crippled with madness from your broken soul, you prayed for a miracle in the end..."

Er.

Wait. This wasn't how the script was supposed to go.

Orsted slowly lowered his hand and grinned. On his face, it looked sinister. But I could tell. It was an expression of relief. No, of anticipation.

"Very well." Orsted took a step back and held out his left hand. "Come! If you deem me an enemy, defeat me! If you cannot do even that, you cannot hope to reach Hitogami- No, the Being W who you despise." His golden eyes glimmered and he said, "Rudeus Greyrat... Show me your might! Give me a reason to fight at your side!"

@#$@! I played myself!

"Rudy!" Sylphy looked at me and nodded. "I believe in you!"

"Don't get in over your head, Rudy." Master Roxy's calm voice, carrying an undercurrent of worry.

Crap.

Crap, crap, crap.

Well.

...Guess we're doing this now.

I took a deep breath and then narrowed my eyes. At the same time, I remembered it.

The notes I took while fighting Dad. The hypotheses that I wanted to test but didn't get a chance to yet.

"...No time like the present."

Magic barriers sprang to life around me. Master Roxy, buffing me with her mana.

At the same time, a torrent of snow shot towards Orsted, directed by Sylphy.

But Orsted's gaze didn't waver. Even as the snow surged towards him, he stared at me. Waiting for my move.

Seeing that, I kicked forward, running towards Orsted.

...This was a bad idea. This was a super bad idea. This was a supremely bad idea.

But at the same time...

"...Dammit. Definitely inherited some of Dad's bad traits."

...I couldn't help but wonder how I matched up.

-LIV-

In the outskirts of the Citadel of Roa, the snow-covered grasslands leading to Buina village.

There, a strange sight unfolded.

From a distance, it seemed like random bursts of snow were erupting. As if a magical bombardment fell upon the land, leaving craters every few paces.

But in truth, the source of it was a man. One who Rudy would know very well.

"Dammit! Should have known some bullshit like this would happen. Fuck."

Paul cursed and quickly unsheathed his blade before sheathing it again. When he did, he blurred, suddenly appearing a few paces in front of where he had just been. A series of sword dashes, conserving- No, increasing momentum with every pounce.

As Paul advanced, he mulled over what he learned.

Rudy being knocked unconscious for a week and waking up blind.

A mysterious man who had Laws terrified enough to drive his horse to death and reach the Citadel of Roa in time to warn Paul.

But more than that...

A vaguely familiar magician with silver hair who requested a meeting with Paul and used a magic item to show what was going on back at home.

Paul thought it would be peaceful... Well, relatively peaceful. He knew that everyone would be pissed at him... and *was* pissed at him from how Laws punched him in the face after the guy finished his warning.

But anyway, he thought it would be fine.

It wasn't.

A man who weathered Roxy's magical barrage. One who emitted a terrifying presence even through the magical item. And one whose name Paul knew very well from his youth spent idolizing the Seven World Powers.

"Orsted, the Dragon God. I don't know why you're in Buina village or why you're fighting Rudy, but..." Paul narrowed his eyes and said, "...You won't hurt my family."

A firm declaration and resolve. With that, Paul forced himself to move faster.

Every minute- No. Every second counted.

So just a little bit faster. Just a little bit more refined...

"Hold on, Rudy. Dad's coming."

-LIV-

"...Are you fine with this, Master?" A beautiful elf woman with curled blonde hair looked into the distance, staring at Paul dashing across the plains. She averted her gaze and then looked to the man standing beside her. "Do you not want to speak with him a while longer?"

The man, stared at Paul's vanishing back. His emerald eyes flickered for a moment and nostalgia crossed his face. But then that emotion vanished and he shook his head, causing his silver hair to shift. "It's fine. However..." He looked towards the Boreas Manor in the center of the Citadel of Roa where a certain half-elf man was waiting. "Do you not want to speak with your child, Elinalise? "

"...It's Rostelina, Master."

"Ah. So it is."

A slightly awkward silence passed between the two.

After a while, Rostelina sighed and said, "You've changed, Master."

"Well. I'm not entirely the same person I was back then. I guess you could say I'm not even half the man that you remember."

"That isn't funny, Master."

"I'm aware. But it's important to have levity in situations like these." He turned around and rested his left hand on the hilt of the crimson sword sheathed at his left side. "Now come. There are some rats we need to clean out while your old friend and my younger brother have their first meeting."

Rostelina furrowed her brow.

Her Master noticed and raised an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

"No. Just... I have a feeling that we're going to have a complicated family web in the future to untangle."

"...Try not to think about it too much. Things get messy when you involve time travel, different temporal dimensions, resurrection, and reincarnation."

"Hah. Even now Master says complicated stuff that I can't understand..."

"Really? It seems like the adjustments might have damaged your brain. I could have sworn my dear Rostelina was more intelligent than this."

"And whose fault is that, huh?!"

"Heh." The man shook his head and started walking into the Citadel of Roa. "You were the one who said you would bear it."

"And Laplace-sama said that you would watch over me! It's your fault for leaving me alone in that dark place for so long."

The man... Technique God Laplace laughed and said, "I suppose that is my fault. But what did you expect? No story is as miserable as those of the Dragon World's."

Rostelina moved to her Master's right side before saying, "And the Human World is filled with heroic tales, so Master has no excuse!"

"Heh."

"Heehee."

Laplace ruffled Rostelina's hair and said, "Well then. Enough playing around. Let's get ready." He turned his gaze to look at the sky, particularly at a tiny crimson orb being dragged over the city by a white mist. "It seems like Hitogami is becoming impatient."

Rostelina let out a happy sigh. But then she turned serious. "My body is yours, Master."

"...Please stop."

Rostelina put on an innocent smile and said, "What are you talking about, Master?"

"...Well. I suppose if I didn't have enough reasons to kill Hitogami before, this would definitely be one of them. To think that my cute and innocent Rostelina would turn into someone like this..."

"I'm still plenty cute!"

"So you admit you aren't innocent?"

"Even if I were, Master is an infamous Demon God now, so I would be wicked either way, wouldn't I?"

"...Let's just get going." Laplace sighed and muttered, "Damned Being W. Just you wait until we hit the point where I can properly smack you in the face again..."