The Simple Job of Only Perishing to the Hero

Beyond the stairway behind the throne, was the Prayer Room.

Celis, who arrived at the center of it, went down onto both knees, and struck the Altluwand several times on the ground.

Going *katsun, katsun*.

Charged with magical power, the Altluwand transmit the magical power to the floor every time Celis struck the ground, and it thinly spread.

Before long, after confirming that magical power had been transmitted to the entire floor and started faintly shining, Celis stood up, extended the hand that held the Altluwand out as much as she could, and spun.

As if matching with that movement, the tip of the Altluwand drew a line of light, and at the same time that Celis made a full turn, it turned into a circle of light and appeared in mid-air.

「In this land, I build an altar.」

Responding to those words, the circle of light was absorbed into the floor, increasing its radiance……then split into several lights and vanished somewhere.

They went along the Febris Castle, flowed through the ground, and spread out throughout Elarc.

──Before long, the lights accomplished their objective.

By some chance, those with wings might have noticed if they were looking down at Elarc.

The fact that the lights that sprung forth in various places of Elarc at the same time had drawn a 「certain shape」.

A single large circle that spread out as if trying to enclose Elarc.

What was drawn within that were several mysterious patterns.

That’s right……It was a gigantic magic formation that covered the entirety of Elarc.

The magic formation that was generated with Febris Castle at its center extended its lights from the ground……and before long, it drew a form that was the same as itself in the sky.

From the sky, it probably looked like the entirety of Elarc was snugly contained within a column of light.

That could also be said to be a correct interpretation.

It was because this column of light was also a barrier that was meant to not let its 「target」 that was within its range escape.

The drawn magic formation was still nothing more than preparations before the magic that was about to start up from now on.

In the center of this magic formation──in the Prayer Room that was on the highest floor of Febris Castle, Celis entered the final stage of the chant.

The Altluwand that was held in her hands received her magical power and brightly shone, and Celis spun her chant.

「Here, I offer my prayer. Reminiscing on the time of origin, the time of disturbance is yearned. Even the days that were dreamed of are in the far distance, and ideals are melted away. Even so, I request. What is here is the extremity of hope, the seed that was desired, birthed, and then fallen. It is for that reason that I believe the time it will bud shall come once again.」

Its contents seemed to be some sort of prayer.

They sounded like someone’s words, or rather, seemed like a prophecy.

However, it was unmistakably a chant.

Through Celis’ chant, the surrounding magical power gathered and converged on the Altluwand……and then magnified.

「……Requesting for that time, I shall leave its origin here. Building a radiant temple, I shall reenact the distant promise.」

The magical power that congregated with Celis and the Altluwand at its center started to swirl, and various places in the Prayer Room started to spark.

The flashes would be stronger the closer they were to Celis, the magnified magical power rushed about the inside of her body, and ran wild as if to break out from even inside of Celis herself.

That’s right, this was unmistakably Large Magic.

Even among them, it was something complex yet powerful, gathered a colossal amount of magical power that other large magic spells couldn’t compare against, and seemed to have the Sacred Treasure Altluwand which amplified that as a prerequisite.

The name of that magic that was undoubtedly beyond mankind’s capacity was Ratil Rail (aurora massacre formation). 

It was an attack magic with extreme range that enveloped the entirety of the royal capital Elarc and its surroundings.

However, the true value of Ratil Rail isn’t its range.

Ratil Rail would first deploy a barrier on the circumference of the magic formation.

This possessed properties that resembled Magic Guard, but it wasn’t something meant to protect from magic attacks from the outside.

First, it was to protect anything outside of its range from the effects of Ratil Rail.

And then second, it would stir up the magical power within its range in order to obstruct the use of magic that have conditions of using minute calculations and large amounts of magical power like Airspace Transfer. 

Right now, naturally, there were also a large number of innocent citizens included within the range of the deployed magic formation.

In order to not drag people like that into the magic, there was a certain function that was incorporated in Ratil Rail.

It was something that should be called 「judgement of ill will」 or something, and was a technique that the Sage Teria had developed when she was at a loss with the brainwashing that had been done by Demon King Shuklous.

The ones who would be judged with that judgement would be 「those who harbor malice towards Elarc, or the Canal Kingdom」.

This was something created with the idea that among the techniques and magic that the Mazoku could use, there were some that exert influence over emotions. 

However, since emotion manipulation was a technique that interfered with territory that was closely related to the soul, there was hardly any progress in understanding it.

Including those few techniques into its judgement, Ratil Rail, which decided its attack targets and executed upon that, was unmistakably magic of the highest level. But with the effect of judging only those that harbored malice towards Elarc and the Canal Kingdom, it was terribly limited in when it could be used.

To begin with, Ratil Rail was a prototype that the person who was the founder of the Canal Kingdom had left behind, and something that Teria then improved.

The prototype magic and this magic that Teria had completed were both things that were lost due to the late king’s derangement, and what Celis was chanting now was something that been taught once again through Reina.

Incidentally, this magic wouldn’t recognize Vermudol and the other members of the Zadark Kingdom as 「enemies」.

It was because they, who had formed a friendship with Celis and Elarc did not have malice existing within them.

Due to that being the case, Celis resolved herself to invoke this magic.

In order to protect the innocent citizens of Elarc.

In order to definitely defeat Mazenda who was without a doubt here.

And then, for one more reason.

「I offer, a distant prayer. Therefore, those who do not desire it should leave. If this place is to be a temple of light, the figures of you all who go against it will only melt away. With there, not being a single exception.」

The rampaging magical power increased its radiance.

Together with the dazzling light that the Altluwand was emitting, an intense high-pitched sound was played.

「……Activate, Ratil Rail!」

Going through the ceiling of the Prayer Room, a gigantic light was fired towards the sky.

It vanished as if being sucked in when it reached the magic formation in the sky……and before long, from the magic formation in the sky that started to emit an intense brilliance, a pillar of light large enough to blanket the ground came down.

Everyone saw when that pillar of light came pouring down.

The Elarc Defense Knights who were fighting to protect the town of Elarc saw salvation in that light that poured down from the sky and shed tears.

The knights that fought to attack the town of Elarc sensed despair, shouted, and readied their shields.

The citizens, who hid themselves in their houses and continued to wait until everything was over while trembling, saw hope in that light and offered their prayers.

A black clothed man who fought against an intelligence unit of some country on top of the roofs──a Canal Kingdom intelligence operative who was on Narika’s side, opened his eyes wide. It was because he saw the end in that light.

The man of the Zadark Kingdom intelligence unit that fought against the black clothed man narrowed his eyes. He knew that the light wouldn’t exert any particular effect on him, but he didn’t like it since it felt like he was being tested somehow.

The Narika Army knights that invaded as far as the vicinity of Febris Castle were extinguished as if being melted away, and Serge, who had been expressing a smile full of confidence up until now, shouted in an unsightly manner.

「Ugh, gaah……aaah!? Impossible, impossible agiaah, it hurts, it hurtsss!? No way, this is……I’m the strongest, you know!? Why, is such a……Ahh, O God! O Raidolg! Why is light burning me! Me, who would eventually become Narika-sama’s prince consort! Ah, aagiAAAA!?」

Narika looked down at that Serge, who shouted while having what looked like black particles or smoke blown away from his body, while feeling pity for him.

「I see, so you really did quit being Human as well. Hey Mazenda, was that your doing?」

Narika turned to look over at Mazenda, who had deployed a Magic Guard Light with all of her strength.

「……I shall leave it to your imagination.」

「I see, so that wasn’t it. Is there something other than you……no, something 『above』 you. Honestly, this country’s future is dark.」

Narika showed no signs of worrying about the downpouring light, but that was only natural.

To begin with, Narika had no malice towards the Canal Kingdom nor Elarc.

Her true nature was tyrannical, and she had a personality that carried the danger of rebellion due to constantly plotting to overthrow the government as a politician, but among the three princesses, she was the one who possessed the best political sense and political intellect.

Narika, who felt a sensation as if her head had been strangely refreshed within that light, demonstrated that quick wit for the first time in a long while.

It seemed like an effect of the light that poured down from the heavens, or maybe it was because she felt her defeat had been completely determined.

Narika had no means to know which one it was.

「Going by that Airspace Transfer Magic, you must be a Mazoku. In that case, it would be normal to think that you are a subordinate of the Zadark Kingdom but……there’s a feeling of incongruity in that idea. How should I put it, yes……Although I cannot put it into words very well, I am positive that you are moving with different motives from the new Demon King.」

Within this shining space, there was no one listening to Narika and Mazenda’s conversation.

Those who prayed, those who shouted, those who vanished……Within that chaotic bunch, it seemed like only the area around those two was engulfed in silence.

「By some chance, yes, let’s see……could there be another Demon King, like the Demon King and Great Demon King of the past……No, it’s strange even like that. If the Demon king that created the Zadark Kingdom in the Dark Continent is the Great Demon King, then it would be natural to think that the other Demon King is his subordinate. But, this is clearly going against the Great Demon King’s will……」

「……」

Mazenda neither confirmed nor denied Narika’s words.

But, Narika felt that she had arrived at the answer.

And since that was the case──

「……I see, so that’s how it is. In other words……」

「Yes, in other words……it means that you will die.」

The red-eyed Serge’s sword pierced through Narika’s chest from behind her.

At the same time as that, Serge’s figure lost out to the light and dissolved……and even his sword was extinguished in a similar manner.

Narika slumped down, but even so, she courageously looked up at Mazenda.

「……Kafuh……I see, so I’ve also served my purpose……No, could it be because, your plans caved in and I’ve lost my utility value?」

「Yes, unfortunately. With things like this, I have no other choice but to make you go missing. There will be fewer hands I can play but……well, it will be several times better than leaving behind a corpse.」

「……What are you, saying……」

While looking down at Narika, who thrust her golden staff into the ground to try and stand up, Mazenda expressed a dark smile.

「It is about, who was the one who prepared that golden staff……But although I say that, I suppose you won’t be able to understand.」

「……!」

Suddenly feeling a sense of discomfort in the golden staff that she held up until this moment just now, Narika threw the staff away.

However, it was not thrown very far away from the strength that had already started to weaken, but the golden staff still tumbled to the ground together with a metallic clank.

Even after the golden staff came to a complete stop, something that looked like black smoke was faintly leaking out.

「Kufufu……It is useless to resist. Yes, it is quite useless to resist.」

「……Mazenda. What can you do with a body that can only hide behind a barrier like that……」

「Yes, that is true. I am unable to do an Airspace Transfer within this annoying light, and having said that, it would also be difficult to run and escape. Indeed, for me, I would be unable to endure if I were to expose myself under this light……Well now, how troubling.」

Mazenda said that, then deepened her twisted smile.

「Kufufu, goodbye, Narika-sama. You were quite the troublesome puppet!」

No one else, noticed.

Since, within this vivid brilliance, everyone was frantic about what was happening to their own selves.

No one else, noticed.

Mazenda’s, loud laughter.

「And then, farewell to my current life! Ahh, ahh. What an annoying funeral light!」

How the aurora converged immediately after that as if sniping Mazenda. Nothing, noticed it.

WIthin this vivid brilliance……not a single person.

That’s right, there was no way anyone would notice.

It truly was, a selective funeral light.

The light that engulfed Elarc, it erased those that housed Alva in their bodies, or those that harbored malice towards Elarc, without mercy.