The Great Spirit of Water's eyes glowed strangely, stepping forward smoothly with its massive body.

Yet, the distance between it and me did not close.

The barrier took effect, as if an invisible repulsive force pushed the great spirit further away each time it advanced.

No matter how many times it tried to step forward, the same result occurred.

The Great Spirit of Water opened its mouth.

　

"Ah, I see. This is a barrier. Quite mysterious indeed. I never thought something could prevent me from acting as I wished. ...But I’ve heard, haven’t I? It has a time limit, doesn’t it? Heh, heh... From that person’s perspective, it won’t last long. But I can wait forever. Not just until the moon changes, but even through the passing of years, or the full rotation of the zodiac. To me, your existence is no more than a fleeting moment."

His expression remained unchanged, yet there was undoubtedly joy in his clear, pure voice, like clear water.

The Great Spirit, as its name suggests, is something akin to a spirit.

Just as air has no age, so too does water have no age.

It simply exists—old age, death, even life itself, are ambiguous phenomena.

It possesses something resembling personality, and it cooperates with humans, sharing its power with them.

"H…Hikaru… What’s going on here…? Why is the Great Spirit-sama…?"

"What can I say? That Ferdinand brought you here, didn’t he? To feed me."

"Why would you do something like that…?"

"I told you. Second-wave transmigrants aren’t necessarily allies. That’s why me and Jeanne avoided the Second Wave."

But now, it’s clear that that Ferdinand is definitely an enemy.

The story about Nanami transferring over here yesterday must be a lie, just like Jeanne said, meant to shake me up.

"So you both knew this would happen?"

"Well, I suppose we considered the possibility, but I never thought it'd actually come to this."

Still, it's an absolutely decisive move if their goal was to kill me.

The Great Spirit is an entity on par with a god.

When I first arrived, I witnessed the power of the Dark Great Spirit, and the Water Great Spirit must be equally formidable.

I can't even imagine standing a chance against them.

It's impossible to defeat them through strength alone.

As for Refleia, she's a figure of worship in her own right—fighting her would be unthinkable.

Moreover, even if I managed to do it somehow, I'm already known to the priests as someone who is "beloved." Even though I planned to leave the town anyway, I can no longer stay here. I might even be branded a fugitive.

— No, even that's only talk if I survive this place.

The priests are trying to drag the Great Spirit back with chains, having entered the waiting area.

A priest dressed in lavish robes—probably the High Priest or Chief Priest—is desperately trying to persuade the Great Spirit.

The Great Spirit itself, however, pays no attention and stands quietly in place.

"…Refrea. Is it really a problem if the Great Spirit leaves the temple? Like the labyrinth disappearing and all?"

"Well... if the other three are still alive, things shouldn't suddenly change right away. I've heard that it was common in the past for the Great Spirit to move around within its domain."

"So this town won't be fixed immediately... But still..."

Even if nothing happens right away, the fact that the Great Spirit has left the temple grounds is more than enough to qualify as an extreme abnormality.

And this was caused by the existence of a single 'Beloved One.' Ferdinand brought him here, but no one will consider that fact.

There's even a chance the entire town could turn against us.

This town exists because of the Great Spirit and the labyrinth.

No one would want to risk the town's collapse just for my sake.

'If you die, everything will be settled.'

That’s a very likely outcome....No, it could even be said that the situation had already reached that point.

Unless I come up with some effective idea.

There's some leeway in the points, but as the Great Spirit herself said, if we're caught waiting, we'll be worn down.

Yet the circumstances didn't grant me time to think.

Ferdinand, who had been standing beside me, approached with a dismissive glance toward those priests.

"Just like you deserve, Hikaru Cross."

He spoke with an unmistakable, maliciously satisfied grin, as if spitting the words out.

His clear, disdainful eyes plainly declared that he had brought the Great Spirit here solely to kill me.

　

"You... why...?"

"Hmm? Why did you do this...? Or is it surprising that I can see inside the barrier? Transmigrants can see through the barrier... that's just how it works. Well, it's not surprising you wouldn't know, you being the first wave."

I didn't know.

So that means even an enemy can't hide their form within the barrier.

...No, this guy must have a high-end peripheral map. He probably knew my position all along.

"The water spirit is said to be waiting for you to emerge, but the viewers on Earth are also eager. Take a look—see how many are watching."

I looked, as instructed.

"J-just... 1.1 billion..."

The number of viewers had surpassed 1 billion—last time was during the battle against the Demon King.

As I spoke, the viewer count kept rising rapidly.

"That's the number of people who wish for your death, Hikaru Cross. Now then, step out from there. You understand, don't you? Checkmate."

"You know, you've been acting like you can just stay silent and be safe..."

　

Refrea, her expression grim, raised her sword.

"Oh, don't move. Did you really think I'd show up without any preparations?"

With that, Ferdinand subtly patted the inside of his pocket.

"There are countless ways to communicate. If I send the signal, the Phantom will move immediately. That's the plan."

For instance, if he brought something like a walkie-talkie from Earth, communication would be simple.

Or perhaps such magical devices exist—after all, this world has tools capable of healing physical wounds.

But... move? ...What do you mean by that?

"…What do you mean?"

"Kill your friend, the cat-human... was it Grapeflew or something like that? Kill him."

"——What?!"

Kill Grapeflew...?

What is this guy talking about...?

"If you don't like it, just come out of that barrier already. I'm itching to see you die. I actually wanted to kill you inside the labyrinth, but my plans got ruined. I'll crush the stone you turn into, and you can bet that'll feel pretty good. Ha! Hahaha! Hahahaha!!"

The figure looked completely unhinged.

This guy must have prepared for this moment all along.

When he found out we were leaving town, he used Nanami's fake information to stall us—everything was just to kill me.

There was no point in talking anymore.

Still, he just wanted to know the reason.

"……Did I do something to you? I mean, we only just met in the labyrinth not long ago."

"Are you an idiot? The first-wave transmigrants are being watched by the entire world. Everything about you—your profile, your entire background—is already posted online over there. Even that you're the grandson of a Japanese mafia boss, and that you have two half-sisters who aren't even fully related to you."

His heart thudded.

That his grandfather was a yakuza had never been something he'd told anyone, not even friends—partly because he'd been disowned, but also because neither of his parents were the type to go around boasting about it. His sisters were probably the same.

So, the people who knew should have been truly few.

(……Then again, if a relative spilled the beans, it'd spread instantly anyway.)

Even during the first wave, personal information of the transferred individuals was being paid out from information media.

My own details weren't an exception, were they?

Besides, I was chosen as a transferee without any prior information whatsoever.

I was also suspected of murdering Nanami.

It's certain that my privacy was completely exposed, as if human rights didn't exist at all.

Even someone from abroad, like me—a transferee from Belgium—knew about me.

That fact made me feel an indescribable unease.

"Well, of course my background was thoroughly exposed too. But honestly, it doesn't matter. Once I arrived here, none of it matters anymore."

"You're not answering anything. There's some connection between you knowing about me and you trying to kill me, isn't there?"

"No, not really. I just told you because I thought you'd object."

He let out a cold, cruel smile, chuckling softly.

Yet his eyes alone shone with an unnervingly clear brilliance.

"Now then, about why I want to kill you. It might come as a shock to you—"

Ferdinand spread his arms wide, like a child revealing a treasured secret,

"It's because your sister, Serica Cross, asked me to!"

He said it.

At first, I couldn't grasp what he meant.

"Huh...? Serica...? You... know my sister...?"

"Yeah, well. She opened up to me about how miserable she felt inside—everything went to hell because of her brother. She hates him. She even begged me to kill him for her... And it was actually Serika's idea to destroy the Great Spirit, you know? Haha! I'm really hated now, aren't I? Hey!"

"T-That can't be right... She... She helped me during the ratings race, didn't she?"

"Wasn't that just so we could bring Nanami Souma back to life? There was no other way, so we did it. Didn't you say that yourself?"

"...You're lying."

"You think I'm lying? ...Well, honestly, it doesn't matter to me whether you believe me or not. After all, you're going to be killed by the Great Spirit anyway."

Saying that, Ferdinand laughed joyfully.

Actually... this guy doesn't know me at all. I can't fathom why this stranger, a random transfer victim, would actively want to kill me.

What's true, and what's a lie?

I was stunned, my mind too overwhelmed to think clearly.

Suddenly hearing my family's name, I couldn't suppress the unease in my chest.

"You're telling me you're killing me because Serika asked you to...? What's in it for you...?"

Maybe he's been promised money or something.

Serika earned more than a typical middle schooler should, so it's possible.

For instance, if he gets paid after completing the assassination, with the money going to his family... that kind of promise could make killing me worthwhile.

But Ferdinand's reply was utterly unexpected.

"What kind of benefit could there possibly be for a man fulfilling the wish of someone he loves?"

"Wha...? Huh...? A-i...?"

"What's with that face? You really aren't siblings at all, are you?"

"Love... what kind of relationship is that...? He's still in middle school, you know...?"

"Age means nothing before love."

You're kidding, right...? You mean we're... lovers...?

I barely even knew the range of Serika's friends. She's so mature—could something like this actually happen...?

My sister's boyfriend...?

I don't understand, but now that things have come to this, would he really go to the trouble of lying?

To me, the one deemed 'loved,' this situation feels like checkmate.

　

"But Serika wouldn't ask for something like that..."

"What the hell do you know about Serika Croce, huh? What do you even know about her, Hikaru Croce?!"

...I flinched.

That was exactly something I'd felt countless times before.

— You wouldn't understand, big brother.

How much alienation must I have felt hearing those innocent words from my younger sister?

I'd tried my best, as the older brother of these prodigy sisters.

I knew my parents had already shifted their focus to extracting money from Serika and Karen, so I'd planned to shield the two of them and take responsibility myself.

Maybe that's why I was resented.

In the end, I probably just looked like the one who'd escaped from that house alone.

Maybe so.

Maybe not.

...I just don't know.