Fran and Urus.h.i.+ start to run once again, chasing after the Pseudo Fanatic Sword that slipped past us.

Fran also seemed to be quite eager and fired off some ranged magic at it. The surface of the lake was swirling like a storm due to our attack. And if there were any s.h.i.+ps around, they would have capsized.

We had already traveled a great distance. We must have gone very deep into the middle of the lake, which was about the size of a small country.

I wondered where in the world the Pseudo Fanatic Sword was going.

But it was just after I wondered about it.

Fran! Stop!

!!

Fran reacted immediately to my voice and tried to perform a sudden stop. But she couldnt just stop instantly, and her heels skidded on the surface of the lake.

The water splashed violently like a fountain.

And despite getting herself drenched, Fran managed to come to a stop.

Fran, lets get some more distance for now

Nn

Woof!

Urus.h.i.+, welcome back

Both Fran and Urus.h.i.+ must have already noticed. They followed my words and moved back about 30 meters from the spot.

So this is the place, huh?

My various detection skills are telling me not to go any further. I couldnt see anything on the surface of the water. However, there were signs of what seemed like countless magic beasts in the water.

The Vivian Guardians

Yeah, no doubt

This must be the Guardians domain, where the Vivian Guardians would attack if anyone tried to enter.

I didnt sense any hostility. As I recalled, they would only block our way if we had accidentally entered the area. I guess we were still at that stage.

But what about that sword? Moreover, will it be fine to pa.s.s through this area?

Hmmm Maybe its because that sword is an inorganic thing, or maybe it was because that sword doesnt have a presence Ill give it a try

You sure?

Well, Ill run right away if it getting dangerous

Nn. Be careful

Woof

Ou!

I moved slowly toward the area where I could sense the presence of the Vivian Guardian, with Fran and Urus.h.i.+ looking over me.

In normal circ.u.mstances, I was sure theyd let a single inorganic sword pa.s.s

However, I soon realized that this attempt would fail.

After all, I could tell that the gazes of the surrounding Vivian Guardians were focused solely on me.

They must have noticed me.

Nevertheless, I broke into the Guardians territory with a ray of hope.

Immediately after, a pure white magic beast with a form similar to a squid stood in front of me. Not just one, but five of these guardians used their bodies as walls to block my way.

Hmm, so they wont let me pa.s.s, huh?

I tried to block out as much magic as possible for now. It now seemed like I was nothing but a lump of metal, with almost no magic power.

But that didnt work. I took a detour, but the Vivian Guardian still came in front of me.

Their detection ability shouldnt have been that good, though

Then how about this.

I activated my dimension s.h.i.+ft and tried again. Although I was visible, I was just an inorganic thing and had no signs of life. Right now, I should be in a state similar to that Pseudo Fanatic Sword when it uses its permeability ability.

Go!

As Id thought, the Vivian Guardians did not move at all, it seemed that they couldnt react to an opponent in another s.p.a.ce.

If I kept going forward like this.

Stop right there

Eh?

Youve gone quite far, havent you?

Rhyn?

Yeah

It wasnt a Vivian Guardian who suddenly appeared in front of me. It was the familiar, odd-eyed girl.

As usual, I couldnt feel her presence, but I could see her figure.

You shouldnt go any further than this yet

You know what that sword is, dont you? And whats up ahead?

You have to stop Zelyse. At this rate, we wont be able to stop the tragedy

Tragedy!? H-hey, did you mean the tragedy that you told us before?

Rhyn shook her head with a sad expression to my question.

One of the tragedies has been avoided. But a new meddler is standing in your way

And this meddler, was Zelyse?

Yes. Because of him, the future I knew is beginning to change drastically. You may have avoided the tragedy that stemmed from you, but Zelyse will eventually cause a tragedy to happen

When you say tragedy Can you tell me the specifics!

If the path has changed this much, I guess it cant be helped Theres a great magic beast sealed in this lake. You know that, right? But because of Zelyse, the seal of that beast is very shaky right now

I knew it!

If the great magic beast is resurrected, this country wont be able to do anything for itself. Even Fran, who is nearby, will lose her life

So that was the tragedy!? But after hearing it, a new question came to my mind.

Why would my complete adaptation to my sword body lead to a tragedy? Is there any connection between me and the great magic beasts seal?

Its related, Romio, that child has the power of the Magnolia. With him, no matter what Zelyse does, the resurrection can be stopped. But that didnt happen before

Before?

She had said it a few times already but Rhyn didnt answer that.

With you becoming a sword, Fran is going to change a lot. She will become desperate and more aggressive. You, who should have been the one to stop her outbursts, had stopped saying anything

That seemed to be a possible future. It was an undeniable fact that Fran adored me. What would happen if I became an emotionless sword? That would be terrible.

As a result, Fran will fight and defeat Zelos Reed. They end up in a fierce battle that engulfs everyone around them. Romio, who lost his only protector, Zelos Reed, went out of control in his disappointment, and the seal on the great magic beast failed

I see. If that had happened, the great magic beast would be resurrected and Fran would be affected.

So, it was a tragedy for us and those around us.

Zelyse is up ahead. He has already reached the seal by taking advantage of the guardians anomalies

It was Zelyse who had caused the Vivian Guardians to go berserk by pouring a lot of waste liquid from the Scarlet Waterweed potion into the lake, but it seemed that he had already achieved his goal.

If thats the case, shouldnt we

No, dont. I wont stop you if you can definitely win against him. But when that guy is cornered, that guy wont hesitate to resurrect the great magic beast. And it seems, he already figured out how to do that

It was indeed difficult to win against him for sure.

That man is still playing around now. Hes not even going to resurrect the great magic beast yet. Theres still time

In the meantime, you want us to get ready to take him down?

Ill leave that to you. But we dont want any serious harm to come to any humans. We just want to prevent that from happening somehow

Ill do my best for Frans sake

Thats fine. You should cherish those you care about

Rhyn smiled at the end and disappeared as if dissolving into the water. She was a spirit after all.

Aah! I forgot to ask what she meant by before again!

Did Sierra, who seemed to be deeply involved in this matter, know what that meant?