Book 5: Chapter 15

That was, an endless nothing.

No matter how far one tried to go, there was nothing that would start.

No matter how long one tried to wait, there was nothing to be found but the end.

This was a place that was detached from even the world.

A hollow space that continued a wafting stagnation.

What was suspended in this place called the Dimensional Gap, was a single castle.

There wasn’t even a castle town to extol the glory of that castle.

There was nothing but the castle that continued to float.

In the Throne Room, there was a single young girl and four knights.

The young girl sat on the throne that was a little too big for her.

That was the master of this castle──the young girl who was called Ys in the Human town.

Ys breathed a melancholic sounding sigh while gazing at the richly colored scenery that spread out outside of the windows.

The ones who were in waiting before her were four colored knights.

「So, you were unable to get in contact with them, right?」

「……Yes. I was unable to encounter an individual where it was possible for them to come to a mutual understanding with us.」

「I see, thank you, Shironos. Might it have been the same for everyone else?」

After showing appreciation to the white knight, Ys looked at the other three knights.

Among them, two of them……Olred and Brutus sank into silence, while the remaining one, the black knight, stepped forward. The knight, who was expressionless as if his emotions were taken out from him, silently knelt down before Ys.

「Claude. It looks like you have something to report that is a bit different, doesn’t it?」

「……Yeah. I came into contact with an individual where it was possible to come with a mutual understanding.」

Hearing those words, the other three knights were astir.

After reining them in with her gaze, Ys prompted Claude to continue his story.

「But unfortunately, it would seem that the other party has no intention of forming a united front with us.」

「I see. Well, that is something that I knew from the start.」

Ys leaned her body into the throne together with a sigh.

Looking up at her figure while still kneeling, Claude quietly muttered.

「As I thought, wouldn’t it be best to think that our aim has been figured out by the other party?」

「There is the possibility of that. I did intend on slaughtering them if there was a chance after all.」

The other party that Ys attempted to get in contact with──the Alva.

Within Ys, there was a considerable amount of knowledge regarding the Alva.

They were the ones who were lead by the Demon King of Apprehension, the Alva Queen.

Ys knew that they were currently taking some sort of action in mankind’s territory, but she didn’t have a grasp on what the details or the objective of their actions were.

「However, if that’s the case……We cannot deny that our war potential is insufficient.」

「But, that is also something we knew from the start.」

Ys waved her hand and silenced Brutus and Olred who had started to quarrel.

That’s right, that was something that they knew.

Despite carrying the same title of Demon King, there was a difference akin to heaven and earth between their respective war potential.

The Demon King Vermudol that Ys was going to try and face from now on was the Demon King who governed over the whole Dark Continent. His war potential surely wouldn’t be inferior even when compared to the large number of troops that the Alva Queen employed.

In contrast, the ones that Ys employed were only her four knights.

For this insufficient war potential to make a frontal attack, it also displayed their foolishness.

However, Vermudol needs to be defeated. That alone was certainly something that was within Ys as an irritated emotion.

The Demon King of Chaos Vermudol, regardless of if his intentions were of good or evil, was someone who would guide the world to chaos.

Within the knowledge that Ys was given, that was the case.

And then, Ys held no suspicion towards that. It was because the world was certainly in the middle of chaos right now.

Within the St. Altlis Kingdom, something called the Demi-Human Argument which rejected all races other than Human was gaining prominence. Within this situation where things would lead to war, the Jiol Forest Kingdom formed a treated of friendship with the Zadark Kingdom which was a country of Mazoku.

By doing that, it was clear to see that the anger of the advocates of the Demi-Human Argument within the St. Altlis Kingdom would increase.

『Do ya see that, so the Demi-Humans really did join hands with the Mazoku.』

『That eternal vow of desiring peace of theirs, it was an illusion.』

『They should be shown justice.』

『Create legends once again.』

『Bring out the Hero, once more.』

Claims like that were exchanged between the advocates of the Demi-Human Argument.

If this were to be set free, it would turn into a situation that would shake the entire Shutaia Continent. The world would surely be literally swallowed up by chaos.

Before that happens, Demon King Vermudol needs to be destroyed.

「……What shall we do, Ykslaas-sama.」

Ys──The Demon King of Harmony Ykslaas sank into silence.

Silence ruled over the throne room.

After a while……Ys slowly spun her words.

「Right. There is already no longer a moment to waste.」

「……In that case.」

「Yes, that’s right. We will be the ones to attack them.」

Nodding to Brutus, Ys corrected her posture on her throne.

Their war potential, including Ys herself, was five people.

When compared to the war potential of Vermudol’s which was consolidated into the form of a country of Mazoku, they were way too few.

However, they had no choice but to do it.

「Honestly, our chances of victory are hopeless. Even so, will you follow me?」

Seeing Ys say that while making a wry smile, the four knights stood up together.

Putting in their will of absolute loyalty, they clanged their weapons in unison.

「Our King, our magnificent King.」

As if to crush the lingering memory of the sound that resounded, the Red Knight Olred sung his praise with a gallant voice.

「You are the one who governs over harmony. You are the mother of all justice.」

Next, the Blue Knight sung his praise with a calm voice.

「You are the bearer of harmony. You are the king that bears the wishes for peace.」

And then, the Black Knight Claude sung his praise with a low voice.

「You are the enemy of all evil. You are the protector of the whole world.」

Finally, the White Knight Shironos sung his praise with a refreshing voice.

「O King, our Demon King Ykslaas. You are the one who will bring about harmony to mankind……the Demon King -degozaimasu.」

While listening to that, Ys reaffirmed her own mission.

Risking herself, she needed to bring about harmony.

For that was the mission that was given to Ys.

「……?」

Thinking that far, Ys felt discomfort.

A mission. A mission given to her.

Was that……given to her, by someone?

「Ykslaas-sama?」

Shironos called out to her sounding worried.

Her four knights. The loyal knights that were together with Ys.

However, did they really have faces like these?

「Oi, what’s wrong. Are you feeling sick?」

「……I’m fine.」

After stopping Olred who approached her looking flustered, Ys surveyed the area within the castle.

The castle that continued to exist together with Ys.

However, she felt that something was wrong. But as for what was wrong, she didn’t have the slightest clue as to what it was.

No, there was no way it was wrong. This castle she had grown familiar with, there was no way she could mistake it for anything else.

「Would it not be best to rest for a bit?」

「I am fine. Thank you, Brutus.」

Halting Brutus who looked like he would approach her at any moment if she had not stopped him, Ys sunk herself into the throne that was much too big for her.

And then, standing up as if in a panic, she turned around towards the throne.

The throne that existed only for Ys’s sake.

The throne that was too big for her.

「……Why?」

Even though it should be a throne that was only for her, why was it too big for her.

A clear answer regarding that was not found within her.

Ys turned her gaze to the four knights that were astir.

「……Hey, I will be asking something trivial but……may I?」

Ys then spoke her question to the four knights that made puzzled faces.

「Why, is this throne……so big?」

Hearing those words, the four knights made faces as if they had noticed that for the first time.

「Well now……Now that you mention it. Why is it like that?」

「I don’t know. No, to begin with, who was the one that created this castle?」

Shironos and Claude suddenly muttered that.

「What do you mean who. Isn’t it obvious that the master of this castle, Ykslaas-sama was the one that created it?」

「That’s right. In regards to the throne, I just thought that it was large in order to demonstrate Ykslaas-sama’s greatness but, was I wrong?」

Hearing Olred and Brutus’s words, Shironos and Claude also went “I see” and nodded.

Seeing the state of those four knights, Ys also calmed down a bit.

「……Was that, the case.」

After being told that, she felt that to be the case. She felt that that was correct.

If she remembered correctly……that was how it was.

「That’s, true. Now that you mention it, that was true.」

「Hahaha. What the heck, have you become forgetful?」

「That might also be true. This place is quite desolate after all.」

Ys smiled at Olred who said that, and then had another question well up.

「Hey. Now that I mentioned it, were we the only ones in this place?」

「Who else could there be?」

Having that asked back at her by Olred, Ys sank into silence.

That’s right, the ones here were Ys and her four knights alone.

That is how it was, from the beginning.

「……That’s true. Oh dear, it looks like I really have become forgetful.」

「As I thought, wouldn’t it be for the best to rest a bit?」

In response to the worrying Shironos’s words, Ys nodded looking a bit tired.

「I will do that. You all rest for a bit as well. Afterwards, we will depart.」

「Fufu, I’m looking forward to this.」

Ys also grinned back at Brutus who said that.

「Right. I am looking forward to it as well. To move this dimensional castle……This will be the first time it will happen after all.」

Cheerful voices resounded in the Dimensional Gap.

There was no one other than those five that could hear those voices, and the sound was simply sucked up into the hollow space.