As we passed through the gate and later arrived near the Tomb of the Lich via mass teleportation, I could see a vast expanse of fog before us.
We refrained from entering hastily and assessed the situation first.
The Quantum Maze was not an invulnerable labyrinth. While the Royal Mage Corps might be able to navigate it, most adventurers would inevitably get lost and have to turn back.
There was no way to know where the Vampire Council and my allies might be.
We waited outside the labyrinth for the mages to finish their analysis without entering it.
Saviolin Turner relayed precautions to Harriet and me.
"Once we enter, I'll have you two move in the center. Do not act without my orders, and avoid direct confrontation with the enemy during combat. There should be someone with enough skill to protect you."
"Yes."
"Yes."
Both Harriet and I nodded tensely. It was only natural for her to be nervous, not knowing what lay within.
I couldn't be sure if Roswin was really inside. I hoped he was, and that we could capture at least one key member of Cantus Magna.
"We'll enter as soon as the labyrinth analysis is complete."
Since we had agreed to work together, Turner seemed to be taking every possible precaution.
So we waited outside for a long time after our arrival while the mages analyzed the labyrinth.
For a while, nothing happened, but it felt like our blood was drying up.
Late at night.
The analysis did not end until the deep white full moon had risen.
Under the moonlight, Harriet and I could only quietly observe the situation.
I wondered if this was how it felt to be restless and not know what to do.
It was only when the moon began to wane that we received a response from the mages.
"Captain! Something's happening!"
One of the mages analyzing the labyrinth shouted towards Turner.
"The fog is lifting!"
"What?"
The labyrinth analysis wasn't complete.
An anomaly had been detected in the area where the labyrinth was.
It was quite literal.
Since we were observing the vast foggy area from one side of the mountain range, we could see the majority of the enormous region.
However, the fog was gradually lifting.
I, for one, knew that the fog itself was functioning as the Quantum Maze.
Yet, the fog was dissipating.
That meant the labyrinth was being deactivated.
But why?
Had someone broken through the labyrinth?
Or had someone completely disabled the Quantum Maze?
Time provided the answer.
"Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrumble!"
"An… Earthquake?"
The ground began to tremble violently.
In an instant, the fog covering the mountain range vanished.
I hugged Harriet, whose face had turned pale.
"Rrrrrrrumble!"
"It's an earthquake! Everyone, protect yourselves! A landslide could occur!"
At Turner's frantic shout, everyone began to take action.
With a resounding crash, the tree fell. The wizards around us unfurled their magic. Wide-eyed, Harriet and I watched as the ground in the center of the labyrinth unnaturally rose.
Bulging.
For a moment, the earth rose like a rubber balloon.
-Boom!
A massive blue flash surged from the depths below, causing the ground to explode.
The magical explosion enveloped the world.
-Crackling!
The powerful barrier cast by the great wizards surrounding Turner and me protected us from the colossal shockwave.
——
The ground sank.
I couldn't find any other way to describe it.
After the explosion, the surrounding terrain had collapsed.
As the nearby land sank, the ground crumbled, leaving the area like a vast antlion pit.
Fortunately, everyone present was a great wizard, capable of protecting not only themselves but also Harriet and me from such an explosion.
The labyrinth disappeared.
And the ground collapsed.
That meant those who had been wandering the labyrinth were either shattered by the explosion or buried under the debris, dead.
How many adventurers were lost in that labyrinth, searching for treasure? Hundreds? Thousands?
There was no way to know.
But without a great wizard to protect them, they were all undoubtedly dead.
As we landed on the fallen ground, we could see the center of the area, now clear of the mist.
Too far away to be visible to Harriet, and only a speck to me.
But one figure, shrouded in a sinister aura.
-Bang! Crash! Boom!
It was clear that it was engaged in some kind of battle.
"Prepare your formations! We're entering the scene!"
Savolin Turner, regaining her composure, shouted.
No matter what was happening, Savolin Turner had to suppress the situation. Harriet squinted, possibly using a telescope spell.
"Ah…"
Harriet's lips trembled as she pointed at the scene.
Unable to believe her eyes, Harriet murmured blankly.
"Dad…?"
"What?"
Harriet grabbed my arm and screamed like a banshee.
"Ah, Dad is there! Dad is there!"
The Grand Duke of Saint Owan?
Why on earth was the Grand Duke here?
Could it be?
A chilling sensation ran through my body. Of course, I wasn't the only one astonished by the revelation.
"What are you talking about? The Grand Duke of Saint Owan is there?"
"Yes! I don't know why, but Dad is there!"
Harriet's lips were blue, and she trembled violently.
——
-Growl
The Archlich, who had obliterated the ground with a massive magical explosion, stood tall, surveying the area.
The original owner of the labyrinth, the Lich, had vanished, unable to withstand the explosion.
The Grand Duke of Saint Owan and the wizards were unharmed.
The Archlich, also known as the leader of Cantus Magna, Lukren, turned his gaze elsewhere before confirming the safety of Antirianus.
'Who on earth is that woman?'
Despite the explosion, she stood there without a single hair out of place, merely observing the situation.
She maintained a neutral expression, simply watching the events unfold.
Who was this being?
Friend or foe?
Unable to determine her nature, Lukren had no choice but to be on his guard against the mysterious woman in their midst.
And under the moonlight, Lukren detected a subtle change in Antirianus's appearance.
Golden eyes with vertical slits.
Sharp fangs protruding between his pale skin and lips.
The message was clear.
"You've become a vampire, Antirianus."
"There are many ways to endure the passage of time. You've become a lich, and I've become a vampire."
Both were beings of legend.
However, the situation was dire.
Lukren looked up at the sky.
The time was night.
Vampires were creatures of the night.
"You didn't choose your timing well, Lukren."
With golden eyes, Antirianus raised both of his hands.
-Whooosh!
The Seven Great Houses of Vampire Lords.
Antirianus, the Lord of Saturday.
The ground surged and engulfed Archlich.
"Now, it's time to uncover the truth of Akasha."
"What…?"
-Boom!
The mound of dirt that swallowed Lukren compressed in an instant, turning into rock, and then crystallizing.
Antirianus smiled as he gazed at Lukren, trapped inside a prison made of crystal.
"Ah."
Luna murmured softly.
"Saturday, huh…"
The Grand Duke heard her low voice, but he couldn't understand what she meant.
"Maybe we came to the wrong place…"
Luna took a step forward.
In the next moment.
The Grand Duke saw the woman vanish suddenly.
She had merely taken a slow step, just as she had before.
But in that instant, the Grand Duke saw the woman appear behind the old priest.
Whether it was magic or physical ability, he couldn't tell. All he knew was that with a single slow step, the woman had closed the distance behind the old priest.
"Who are you, milady?"
Without turning around, the old priest spoke with a faint smile on his lips.
"I have a question."
Luna said calmly.
"Where is the Archdemon?"
Despite the unexpected question, Antirianus wasn't flustered.
"How did you come to learn of such a story?"
"That's not important."
With another step, the woman appeared not behind but in front of the old priest.
Bathed in moonlight, she asked Antirianus,
"Where is the Archdemon?"
To her serene inquiry, Antirianus responded with a smile.
"Heh heh. I'm not sure which one you're referring to…"
A glint appeared in the old vampire's eyes.
"But if you mean it, you'll have to bend a little…"
The old priest reached out to the woman.
"I cannot simply disclose such information to a stranger."
-Swish!
As Antirianus extended his hand, Luna vanished like a mirage and reappeared several steps behind.
“Again, though you may be carefree, I am not in such a state.”
Creaking –
A crack formed in the crystal prison behind Luna.
But that wasn't all.
Luna could see, from afar, the approach of wizards and knights.
"Hmm."
Indeed, there was no time for idle conversation.
Grating –
"Antirianus, your petty tricks have increased."
The Archlich, who had shattered the crystal prison with his power, exhaled a breath filled with hatred.
The battle between The Archlich and the Lord Vampire.
And the Swordmaster and Great Mage Brigade were approaching the scene.
Luna closed her eyes for a moment.
As she took a single step, she disappeared without a trace.
With the seething Archlich in front of him, Antirianus showed not a hypocritical smile as before, but a bizarrely twisted one.
"How strange, Lukren."
Antirianus looked at the elite soldiers of the empire charging towards him.
"Why have you come to such a place alone?"
Pop! –
One by one, new figures appeared beside Antirianus.
Beings clad in robes.
Reinforcements from the Black Order and the Vampire Council had arrived.
"Do you have that much confidence?"
The empire's elite soldiers approached.
It would become a chaotic battle, and someone would surely die.
The goal of the Vampire Council and the Black Order was to subdue Archlich and flee.
And for the elite soldiers of the empire, annihilation was their objective.
The Black Order and the Vampire Council.
Cantus Magna.
And the empire's elite soldiers.
The three-sided battle was about to begin.
At the forefront of the empire, Saviolin Turner arrived at the standoff.
"The situation is quite intriguing."
She stared at the group of robed figures, Archlich, and the Archduke and Mage Brigade behind them.
'The Archduke is irrelevant.'
Although she could not understand why he was there, Turner quickly assessed the situation as she saw the Archduke retreating with his troops.
The superhuman who had surpassed even heroes.
The knight, who rightfully deserved the title of the world's strongest, looked down at Archlich with a lofty stance.
"Well, I suppose we just have to kill all the suspicious ones."
Saviolin Turner pointed her Sword Tempesta at the enemies.
The details of the situation were not important to her.
She had come to destroy the enemies of the empire, and she would simply carry out that mission.
——
The empire's elite soldiers charged into the eye of the storm.
The scale of the battle had grown immensely. A considerable number of robed figures, including Antirianus, had appeared.
It was clear that the Black Order's assassins and the Lord Vampire's kin had joined forces.
The Lords, including Lucinil, must have been involved in that situation as well.
Their target would be Roswin, but the clash with the empire's elite had already begun. The empire wouldn't be able to tell who was the enemy. They hoped as few people as possible would be hurt, but that was impossible.
Someone was going to die.
Harriet and I remained in our places, watching the scene unfold. It wasn't a situation we could intervene in.
In the midst of the battle was Harriet's father, Duke Saint Owan.
Harriet, trembling in a situation she couldn't understand, did something.
Then, from a distance, Duke Saint Owan and his troops began to move towards us, avoiding the fight.
They used short-range spatial teleportation in quick succession.
-Whoosh!
In no time, Duke Saint Owan and his army were close, and he roughly embraced Harriet.
"Father!"
-Crash!
"Daughter, how did you get here…!"
He then looked at me, standing next to Harriet, and widened his eyes in surprise.
"Reinhardt, you too?"
Since Duke Saint Owan might know about my affiliation with Cantus Magna, I had no choice but to be cautious.
-Rumble! Roar!
At the presumed site of the battle where Antirianus was, fierce torrents of magical power boiled, accompanied by lightning and thunderous noise.
With the addition of the troops led by Saviolin Turner, a veritable whirlwind of incredible combat ensued.
"Why is Father here? What are you doing?"
Harriet, still trembling and embracing the Duke, asked.
"I came to deal with dangerous magic that has been discovered. But it seems there are even more dangerous beings than I anticipated."
I couldn't tell if the Duke's words were true. However, it seemed his thoughts had changed upon discovering Harriet here.
"We must leave this place first. Let's talk later."
"Y-yes…"
Seemingly intent on securing Harriet's safety before anything else, the Duke released his embrace and looked around.
"Your Grace, the flow of mana is not normal. A long-range spatial teleportation barrier has been deployed throughout the area."
One of the Duke's subordinates reported.
Originally, they had come to this place to capture Roswin, leading elite forces. Hence, the Royal Mage Corps had analyzed the labyrinth and even set up a spatial teleportation barrier in this vast area.
It wasn't an easy task, but the Royal Mage Corps made the impossible possible.
"Then, let's move using short-range spatial teleportation. Daughter, follow the troops. Since Reinhardt can't use spatial teleportation, I'll escort him personally."
The Duke intended to send Harriet ahead and personally escort me.
"No, we don't know what will happen. Go with Harriet. I'll follow."
Though the Duke seemed intent on protecting me, I was better off alone in the current situation. I might need to make contact with my forces, including Eleris, depending on what transpired next.
If the Empire succeeded in subduing Roswin, I might have to steal him back or something.
"Will you be all right?"
"Yes, please go ahead."
The Duke, concerned for my safety but also wary of problems that might arise from sending Harriet alone, agreed to my suggestion.
"Reinhardt… Be careful…"
"Alright, you go first."
With a nod, the group of wizards, including Harriet and the Archduke, began to move away quickly through short-range teleportation.
I should follow them based on the situation, but I have no intention of doing so just yet.
It seems certain that the one engaged in the battle there is Cantus Magna. At the point when the Archduke left the fight and came this way, I can't help but think that he might not be on the same side as them.
So why was the Archduke with someone like that?
Is the one causing chaos over there really Roswin?
What if the Empire kills him instead of suppressing him?
As I turned to climb to higher ground to observe the battle, I noticed someone standing on a hill with crumbled ground. I had no idea when that person arrived.
"…"
A woman with a cold expression stood, bathed in moonlight, looking down at me.
She stared at me without moving.
To me, this woman did not seem unfamiliar at all.
If Ellen were to grow up…
The woman looked like an adult version of Ellen as if my imagination had become reality.
With a light step, she took one stride and suddenly appeared in front of me as if she had leaped through space.
"!"
A small pendant necklace usually concealed by a lavender case.
She held my necklace in her hand.
As the case shattered into pieces, the red gem inside was revealed.
"The Flame of Tuesday…"
She gazed at me.
She identified the Flame of Tuesday the moment she saw it.
"Where did you get this?"
Her tone was gentle, but there was no warmth in it.
"Wh-who… Who are you?"
She kept her eyes fixed on me and put my necklace down, just staring at me.
"If the answer is difficult, I suppose I should ask another question."
I felt a suffocating pressure, though nothing had happened.
"Where is the Archdemon?"
After finishing her question, she stepped back.
With a crash, a blue magic spear landed where she had been standing.
With a whoosh, someone's figure appeared in front of me.
"Eleris!"
"Step back, Your Highness!"
Had Eleris been watching the fight without intervening?
Observing the situation, Eleris stepped in when it seemed I was in danger.
The woman with black hair looked at Eleris.
"You've arrived. Master of the Flame of Tuesday of the seventh night…"
"…"
"The ancient Archdemon."
At her words, my thoughts seemed to freeze.
"And the boy who possesses the Flame of Tuesday, though he is not a vampire…"
She looked at me.
"The boy protected by the Archdemon…"
I don't understand what this woman is talking about.
However, it seemed as though she had reached a conclusion based on the fact that I possessed the Flame of Tuesday.
"Surely, you must be the last Archdemon."
Eleris and I didn't know who the woman in front of us was, but she had identified us instantly.
"Who are you?"
With an expression full of hostility, Eleris stared at the woman.
He still could not comprehend what she had said to him as she looked at him.
"Luna."
Taking a few steps back, she continued to gaze intently at Eleris.
"The Lord of Sun and Moon, Luna Artorius."
She slowly raised her right arm.
In that moment, something unbelievable happened.
"Although it is against our doctrine to interfere in the affairs of mortals…"
As if the laws of the world had been overturned, the full moon she held up suddenly began to grow in size.
The moon, now ten or perhaps twenty times larger than normal, filled the world with a chilling light.
He could not understand what was happening, not in the slightest.
"I do not wish to lose my child a second time."
She reached out towards the enlarged moon. In her hand, seemingly swallowed by the moonlight, something appeared.
In her grasp was a crescent-shaped weapon, as if the very moonlight had taken form.
What was this ancient archdemon, and what did it mean to be the Lord of Sun and Moon?
He didn't know.
But the outcome was laid before him.
Ellen's mother intended to kill him.