Chapter 4: The Bloodstained Dawn

21

As news spread of Cobalt’s capture and reclamation of Ronadyphe Prison, commoners began to swarm the grounds. The Amrita they were promised should the cause prevail was far too sweet a nectar to resist. When dangled before their eyes, they were compelled to follow.

Furthermore, Nagi and Tess had returned with a gaggle of new Crestfolk recruits. In a matter of days, Cobalt evolved from a figure of folklore and rumor to the singular focus of the country’s zeitgeist; the rhetoric of their righteous cause unearthed the public’s buried grievances. The people of Cobalt, starting with Crow and Senak, were spreading the following news far and wide.

“Kyou is the False Sovereign. Our True Sovereign was meant to be in his place.”

The Sovereign was the object of the nobles’, commoners’, and even the Crestfolk’s respect and adoration. The hatred the oppressed felt was directed toward the nobles, whose predations on them were obvious; they hadn’t directed any of it at the Sovereign. The suggestion that their faith was misplaced brought about a violent rage among the people.

“Save the True Sovereign. Defeat the False Sovereign Kyou.”

Those voices spread from the outer regions of Agartha, gradually encroaching on the center. It was only a matter of time before they reached the capital.

And finally, on this day, the True Sovereign appeared at Ronadyphe Prison.

“We have been awaiting your arrival, Lady Saya.”

The moment Nagi and Saya were shown to Crow’s personal room—what used to be the warden’s room—Crow and Senak reverently fell to one knee, and the others followed suit in a fluster. The two of them were bewildered. Nagi understood showing respect for Saya, a noble, but this was going too far.

“It’s been a long time. Um, what’s going on here?” Saya asked.

“Please forgive the discourtesy we showed you previously. We didn’t know you were the True Sovereign at the time.”

“We are deeply sorry.”

Hearing this from Crow was one thing, but even Senak was submitting to Saya to an eerie degree. She felt chills from what Crow just said.

“I’m... the Sovereign? Isn’t that Kyou?”

Crow shook his head. “That was all a deception. You are the True Sovereign, Lady Saya. It cannot be anyone but you.”

“Explain things properly,” Nagi cut in. “Saya’s troubled by this.”

“Nagi!” Senak yelled in anger. “Call her Lady Saya! You have to show her the proper courtesy!”

“No way. I want Nagi to refer to me as he always has,” Saya said immediately.

Crow sighed. “Well, let’s leave that for later. This all came about from Dr. Dimitri’s testimony. Professor, if you will.”

“Hmph, fine. First things first. Amrita is made through the synthesis of Sovereign’s Blood and commoner’s blood. In short, it uses a component within Sovereign’s Blood to—”

“Professor, we don’t need the full details right now. Please keep it brief.”

“Research depends on a foundation of fine and disparate details, though... Fine, then. Second, Kyou, who has been set up as the Sovereign, has not left the capital for at least the last few decades. It’s rare for him to even leave the royal palace.”

This pained Saya’s heart. It was just as she surmised. Kyou was a captive, much like Saya always had been.

“Now then, here’s the important part. Third, regardless of this farce, Sovereign’s Blood is delivered to the palace from outside the capital. I stole from these shipments, so there’s no mistaking it. The blood was, of course, very real. My successful synthesis of Amrita proves this. So, what do you think this means, boy?”

Dimitri pointed at Nagi. He wasn’t expecting this; his answer was hesitant.

“Uhhh... The Sovereign never leaves the royal palace, so the collection of Sovereign’s Blood should take place within its walls. And yet, Sovereign’s Blood is delivered from the outside, so the real Sovereign isn’t in the capital?”

“Exactly.”

“And you’re saying that’s me?” Saya asked.

“Nagi, do you remember how when you first met Lady Saya, you thought she was a commoner? Why was that?” Crow asked.

“Huh? That’s because...”

“Nobody who entered the Garden seeing a girl wearing such fine clothing would think she’s a commoner. Nagi, didn’t you see it for yourself? Try to recall why you thought she was definitely a commoner.”

“It was...”

He had definitely witnessed it happening: the pitiful sight of Saya’s arms bristling with tubing.

“Nobles do not partake in blood offering. That’s why you thought Lady Saya was a commoner. However, there is one other person aside from commoners who does partake in blood offerings.”

“The Sovereign,” Saya muttered.

To her, the yearly blood offerings were a matter of course. Now they were saying it was proof she wasn’t a noble. Saya couldn’t believe it. She was the Sovereign, and Kyou was a fake? Setting aside Nagi and Saya’s confusion, a messenger rushed in to see Crow.

“Lord Granapalt has arrived!” he declared.

“Lernaean?” Saya said with a stiff voice.

Crow nodded as if he was expecting this. “Please let him through.”

Shortly after, Lernaean entered, changing the atmosphere completely. All eyes were glued to his uncannily attractive figure. Once more, Nagi was made to realize how he was paralyzed in fear before this man.

“First, Lady Saya, I must apologize for exposing you to danger. I only learned of Kyou’s handmaiden being a part of the faction scheming your demise after you had left. I took chase in a hurry and was nearly too late to do anything,” Lernaean said, lowering himself to a knee. “I met Jubilia on the way and heard of the circumstances. I have taken custody of her. How shall we deal with her? It was her duty to guard you; now that she has exposed you to danger, she herself believes a decapitation is in order.”

“What are you even saying?” Saya asked, looking down at him incredulously.

Nagi only now noticed that Jubilia’s odd behavior when they parted was because she was already prepared to face her death.

“That’s what it means to expose the Sovereign to danger,” Lernaean answered.

“Absolutely not. Jubilia is my friend. I won’t allow her to be killed.”

“Such personal interest is not permitted of the Sovereign.”

“I’m no Sovereign!” Saya yelled, baring her teeth.

“No, with Dr. Dimitri’s testimony, I did some investigating of my own. It took me some time to get definitive proof, but the Sovereign’s Blood certainly flows through your veins. You have been the True Sovereign who has ruled over Agartha for the past few centuries. You are the one who grants all your subjects life. Jubilia was incapable of fulfilling her duty as your guard.”

“Nagi, what do I do? My friend is going to die because of me...”

Saya looked to Nagi for help. He thought it over for a moment, but before he could get things in order, Lernaean cut in.

“She is my subordinate. I do, of course, mourn her loss. If she did, in fact, manage to fulfill her duty as a guard, then I would show no hesitation in sparing her. However, she denies doing so herself.”

Seeing Lernaean’s gaze directed toward him, Nagi figured out his intentions. “In that case, Jubilia properly fulfilled her duty. I can vouch for her. Saya would’ve died if Jubilia didn’t risk her life to protect her.”

“Hmm, I see. Lady Saya, is that true?”

“It is! Jubilia saved me! If not for her, I’d be dead.”

“Very well; we cannot simply dismiss the charges entirely, but we’ll punish her with penitence. That is only after things have calmed down, however. This is a state of emergency. We need every skilled hand we can get.” Lernaean’s manner as he revoked Jubilia’s death sentence was ever so casual. “Nagi, you barely pass, I suppose. Whatever. You should learn to show a force of personality a little better. If you are to protect Lady Saya, you will require such strength.”

Nagi was apparently being tested. He wanted to snap back at him, but that was inappropriate, given the current situation, so Nagi summoned up his courage to respond dryly.

“I’ll work on it.”

“Your attitude is a little troubling. You have become the centerpiece of this revolution, after all.”

“What revolution?”

“You don’t know? The one to dethrone the False Sovereign Kyou, return Lady Saya to her rightful place, and liberate the oppressed commoners of the land. This is what you and the rest of Cobalt have spilled so much blood for, is it not?”

“Don’t forget the Crestfolk,” Saya added.

“Of course. I see, so you support the Crestfolk. I’m sure you intend to abolish their sterilization the moment you seize power. The one who spearheaded this policy was Gratos, the man manipulating the False Sovereign. He must be eliminated immediately.”

“Wait a moment. I thought Gratos was your ally?” Saya asked.

“What are you saying? He is the true enemy.”

“Then why did he help us?”

“Gratos is in a position where it would be troublesome for you to die, Lady Saya. You are required for the supply of Sovereign’s Blood to continue flowing. That’s exactly why he cooperated. The world is not so simple. Friends and foes change depending on the circumstances.”

“I don’t get it. Someone I thought was an ally is an enemy, and someone who saved me is to be executed...”

“That’s what it means to be Sovereign. That’s how heavy the duty of protecting the world is. Please be at ease. I am your ally.”

“Don’t lie to me. What if I said I would cast everything aside and run away with Nagi?”

“I would kill that boy for deceiving you and teach you the responsibility of a ruler.”

“So, that makes you my enemy. I at least know that much.”

“That is precisely what it means to protect yourself. So long as you rule these lands, you cannot live as a normal person.”

“You said there was a world without Sovereigns before.”

“I believe I also said it was nothing but a fairy tale. Let’s focus on the battle at hand. Unless you would prefer to return to the Forbidden Garden?”

Saya replied with a strong gaze instead of words. As she did, she suddenly entwined her fingers with Nagi’s. He strengthened his grip in return.

“I believe you understand now. Gratos was the one to lock you in there. If you wish to escape such a fate, your only choice is to defeat him. I’ve come here to do just that: to form an alliance between Cobalt and the Sovereignty Faction.”

“So, the time has finally come,” Crow said passionately. “After Lady Saya was taken from us, I realized we were receiving a noble’s clandestine support from the start. I was surprised to hear from you again, but just as you said back then, it’s impossible to overthrow the government in any other way.”

“Even with Halahala, I believe it would be impossible for you to defeat the knights protecting the capital. Similarly, the Sovereignty Faction is outnumbered by the Traditionalists. But if we join forces, we can rival them. What’s more, we have Lady Saya.”

“The rumors of the False Sovereign have begun to win the bulk of the public to our cause. It raises our morale while lowering theirs. Everything is in place. Now is the time to make a stand.”

Crow and Lernaean had already assembled a script to play out, but there was someone who opposed it.

“What the hell, man. We’re borrowin’ a noble’s strength to defeat the nobles? That’s fucked up,” Keele said as he wandered in suddenly. He didn’t show a single hint of courtesy to Lernaean or Saya.

“Keele, our objective isn’t to defeat the nobles, it’s to liberate the commoners from the tyrannical rule of nobles. We should be borrowing strength from the civilized nobles here.”

“You’re just gonna get used and thrown away after they’re done with you.”

“That won’t happen,” Lernaean said with a deep and somehow overwhelmingly persuasive voice. Perhaps this quality of his was what put him above all others. Nagi found it terrifying.

“I don’t like it.”

“It’s not a matter of you liking it. You lack a strategic mindset,” Lernaean told him.

“I know. Go take your strategy and sow your stupid seeds with Crow. I just want to butcher me some fucking vampires. So long as you keep pointin’ me at fights that get my blood boiling, I guess I’ll stick around a while.”

Crow made a bitter expression. Ignoring him, Keele suddenly realized something.

“Hang on. If we join forces with these guys, it means I can’t fight against that woman?”

“Of course not. She will be our ally. You can’t possibly lay a hand on her.”

“On the eve of our victory, I do not mind if you have a bout with her,” Lernaean added, but Keele didn’t look pleased at all.

“I want a serious fight to the death, dammit... Whatever. First, we’ve got to throw down with a whole pile of knights, yeah?”

“Of course.”

“Then I’ll make do with that for now. Get my battlefield set up already. Where do I go?”

“Keele, I seriously can’t believe you...” Crow muttered in exasperation.

“Allow me to explain,” Lernaean said in Crow’s stead. “In addition to the knights who serve directly under the False Sovereign Kyou in his royal guard, there are Gratos’ Hidden Blades, and the Order of Obsidian Blood led by Duke Togart. The Obsidian Blood manages public order in central Agartha, within the first ring road. They lack the royal guard’s individual fighting strength, but they make up for it in numbers. They are the strongest armed force in Agartha. On the other hand, our forces consist of the Order of Sapphire Blood. You may think of them as my troops. Their individual skill is no different from the Obsidian Blood, but unfortunately, we only have half their numbers. In other words, if we were to clash right now, I would be decisively beaten. Do you understand the situation so far?”

Everyone nodded. It felt like the reverberations of Lernaean’s voice had drawn the reaction out of a quiet and compliant layer of their minds, beneath conscious thought. Nagi barely managed a nod himself. The only ones who didn’t were Keele, who was perhaps not even listening, and Saya, who stared at Lernaean expressionlessly.

“So, there is a need for Cobalt to make up for the difference in strength. To that end, we’ll use the same strategy you used to capture this prison.”

“A diversion, you mean?”

“Indeed. I would like you to foment a general uprising. Widespread chaos will stall the knights from coordinating their forces. We begin with the town of Brandall, far from the capital. The Order of Emerald Blood will have to be dispatched there. While they are caught up away from the capital, we then cause an even bigger uprising in the town of Kelst—as a vital economic center of the southern region, the Emerald Blood would ordinarily be stationed there; the Obsidian Blood will have to be dispatched from the capital along the highway. Then the Sapphire Blood will swoop in on the royal guard, who are left defending the capital alone.”

“No can do. We do it like that, and you lot get all the good parts. Send me to the capital too,” Keele said.

“That was my intention. I know there are elites among Cobalt capable of fighting on the level of knights. I would like them to take part in the assault on the capital. What do you think, Lady Saya?”

“Why are you asking me?”

“Because this is your army. Isn’t that right, Crow?”

“Exactly. Nobles and commoners are fighting side by side. You are the only one who can carry our banner, Lady Saya.”

“I don’t understand this stuff...”

“Still, there is nobody but you.”

There was a hint of criticism in Crow’s voice. Saya strengthened her grip on Nagi’s hand, clinging to him for help. He squeezed back. No matter what happened, he would protect her. He believed his feelings would get through to her.

Saya nodded. “Fine. That’s the best way, right? Then let’s go with it.”

“Thank you very much.”

Lernaean and Crow bowed to her reverently. With that, the meeting was over. Before Nagi and Saya could leave, Lernaean called out to them.

“Nagi, could I have a little of your time? I would like to speak with you. Alone.”

Nagi and Saya exchanged curious looks.

Ronadyphe Prison was rife with places to have a secret conversation. That was the kind of building it was to begin with. Lernaean brought Nagi to a gloomy room with an unpleasant stench to it.

“This room was apparently used for torture. It seems all such tools have already been removed. A pity,” Lernaean said, his voice reverberating through the room. “I’m sure many who opposed the Sovereign screamed their last here.”

“Quit putting on airs. What do you want?”

“There’s no need to be so wary of me. It would be simple for me to kill you, but I can’t possibly afford to. There’s something I must explain to you.”

Lernaean gazed into Nagi’s eyes. That was all it took for his presence to overwhelm him, but Nagi defied the pressure and glared back at him.

“Then stop threatening me like that.”

“Quite impressive, for a commoner. Well, it’d be troublesome if you weren’t. You are the last piece required for this revolution, after all.”

“You said the same thing earlier. What do you mean? What piece?”

“I’ve been slowly preparing for this battle far before your grandparents were even born. Little by little, I’ve been gathering everything I need. Like Halahala. Like Cobalt. The greatest of all these was making the True Sovereign my ally.”

“And that’s Saya?”

“Of course. But Lady Saya isn’t complete. She possesses the Sovereign’s Blood, but she isn’t the Sovereign in a true sense.” Lernaean walked in a slow circuit of the room as he addressed Nagi. “Lady Saya does not possess the royal caliber. This is likely because she has been locked inside the Garden since her infancy. A blood caliber is proof of adulthood. To acquire one, one must have a mature mind. With the resolve to fight the world in hand, one’s blood becomes a weapon. That is the true nature of a blood caliber. There was no need for such a thing growing up within that bird cage. Until you showed up, that is.”

“What are you getting at?”

“You can’t tell? By wishing to walk beside you, whose time is finite in this world, she now desires to become an adult. She recognizes the world as a battlefield and has made the resolve to walk through it. That’s what grants her the royal caliber. She is awakening as the True Sovereign.”

“The royal caliber... you mean that red butterfly?”

“I’ve never seen it myself, unfortunately. All I heard was Jubilia’s report. Lady Saya wielded the royal caliber once before that too, didn’t she? Back at the Forbidden Garden.”

Nagi thought back to that time. What had happened was in fact similar to Ivara’s defeat.

“How do you know that?”

“I came to the conclusion after investigating the guard’s corpse. The direct cause of death was the wound you inflicted on him, but the corpse had aged visibly. Ivara’s corpse was the same. I could only believe it to be a result of Lady Saya’s power. But it seems her awakening is still at an incomplete stage. And what’s needed to complete it...”

Lernaean took a step closer. Nagi unconsciously grit his teeth at the pressure.

“Is your very existence. That’s why you’re the last piece to this revolution.” Lernaean’s lips curved into an elegant, yet ferocious smile. “Just as I said before, the difference in strength between us and the knights of the royal guard is vast. At this rate, there’s less than a one in ten chance that the revolution succeeds. You will die. She will be captured. If you do not wish for that to happen, she must become the True Sovereign. When she awakens, the revolution will be complete.”

“I don’t even know what to do.”

“Neither do I. Give it some thought. What happened when she used the royal caliber?”

Nagi thought it over, but his memories of those times were chaotic. Both were crises where he had been placed in desperate situations.

“At the very least, one of the conditions is for Lady Saya to be with you. She showed no sign of being able to use the royal caliber while she was in the palace; it’s your job to find out what is needed.”

“I’ve got no clue, though...”

“If you can’t find it, all that awaits us is ruin.”

“Why be so rash? I don’t get it. You’re a noble, aren’t you? You can live as long as you want.”

Nagi could glimpse a bottomless expression within Lernaean’s eyes.

“Being granted a long life without purpose only brings suffering. Only when one acquires hope does their life become their own. The hope once granted to us by the Intelligence was foolishly cast away. So long as we do not take it back, we will never live true lives. This is a rash decision, but all of our fates lie within your hands.”

Nagi remained stock still, unable to say a thing, as Lernaean slapped his shoulder.

“I expect much of you, Nagi. If this were a fairy tale, a kiss would do the trick.”

“Huh?”

“A joke.”

Sarcasm would be one thing, but Nagi never expected this man to tell a joke. Setting the surprised boy aside, Lernaean left the room.

22

Day after day, peasant revolts rocked Agartha. Over half of them were unrelated to Cobalt. The rumors of the False Sovereign ignited centuries worth of resentment and spread like wildfire.

All of Cobalt’s expectations were exceeded. Agarthan society began to crumble. Villages in every region were filled with shouts of, “Throw down the False Sovereign who torments us commoners! Save the True Sovereign!”

Among the commoners, everything they suffered, from Amrita being withheld from them, to the political games of the nobility, to even their daily unease, all became Kyou’s fault for occupying the throne. They also began to believe the story that the True Sovereign who shared their suffering would solve all of their problems.

The Crestfolk believed a story of their own. To them, the True Sovereign was one of their own, a fact kept secret by the chiefs of the hidden villages through oral tradition. Somehow this had leaked to the public; now it was common knowledge.

All of their hatred and resentment lit a powder keg beneath the entirety of Agartha. An armed revolt broke out in the town of Brandall; this one was, in fact, spearheaded by Cobalt. At first, the nobles of the royal palace sneered at the news. Nobles couldn’t be hurt, so there was no problem, even if there were only a few knights stationed there. Their tone changed when word came that noble corpses stood on display in Brandall’s town square, split apart at the neck and waist, the open wounds showing no signs of ever regenerating.

The people of the royal palace were in dismay. Cobalt’s propaganda about the power of Halahala proved wholly accurate. Even the ones who had brushed off the capitulation of Ronadyphe Prison as some sort of mistake finally came around. In their impatience, the Order of Emerald Blood struck out to suppress the armed revolt.

That was only the beginning, however. A few days later, news came to the capital that an even larger revolt surfaced in the town of Kelst. The lord’s entire family had been paraded around town and killed. Not only that, the family’s women had been thoroughly used for entertainment before being murdered in ghastly ways. Their exposed corpses were apparently a dreadful sight.

The palace was steeped in fear. It was like they could all imagine it happening to themselves. The nobles only just began to realize the scale of the grudge commoners bore against them over the centuries.

Anger superseded fear, in time. Congress unanimously agreed to dispatch the strongest force available to them, Duke Togart’s Order of Obsidian Blood. Dealing with the aftermath of Ronadyphe’s fall was put on hold as a result of criticisms and inquest into why it wasn’t recovered already. The decision to dispatch the knights, however, was largely made in a fit of furious panic. The nobles of the capital were dominated by their emotions, failing to realize they were playing into the rebellion’s hands.

Two days after the Order of Obsidian Blood departed, Lernaean Edel Trouta lo Granapalt’s Order of Sapphire Blood, which was supposed to be safeguarding the north, suddenly appeared in the capital.

With the help of internal colluders, the knights easily made it all the way to the royal palace. They demanded the False Sovereign Kyou and Chairman Gratos surrender themselves, as well as the abdication of the throne to the True Sovereign, the Silver Princess Saya. The nobles immediately understood the riots’ true architect.

Lernaean was the adopted son of the militant Granapalt family. He had proved to be a child prodigy and inherited the house. He was young among the members of Congress, but that was only in relative terms in a group filled with ancient nobles. It had been over two centuries since he joined Congress.

During that time, he had gradually expanded his influence and showed ambition in creating the Sovereignty Faction. Rumors had flown about him ever since he succeeded the Granapalt house.

Nobles didn’t die from old age. There were cases where a major accident would kill them before their regeneration could make a difference, but fundamentally, nobody died unless they were killed by a blood caliber. It was said that the previous Lord Granapalt died in a cogwagon accident. No noble actually believed this.

Granapalt raised the standard of revolt with the True Sovereign, the Silver Princess, in tow. In response, Congress naturally refused his demands and dispatched the royal guards to protect the capital.

The front gates of the royal palace, untouched by battle for centuries, was now the stage atop which two knightly orders stared each other down. There were more than nobles on the battlefield, as well.

“It will take another day for an urgent message from the capital to reach Kelst. After that, it will take another two days for the Obsidian Blood to make it back here. Thus, we have three days.”

Lernaean directed the crowd of soldiers at the front gate. It was an allied force of nobles, commoners, and Crestfolk.

“Our objectives are as follows: defeat the royal guards within three days, and capture Chairman Gratos and the False Sovereign. The palace’s defenses are sturdy, and the royal guard are strong. But justice lies with us. The True Sovereign Saya is with us.”

Saya was in the middle of the battlefield, surrounded by knights. The significance of this was tremendous. The entire coalition force’s morale surged to an unnatural height.

“Therefore, we will be victorious. Without a doubt.”

The front gate was engulfed by a roar of acknowledgment, and the trigger on the battle was pulled.

Neither Saya nor Nagi had received any training as soldiers. Nagi had grown as a warrior at a tremendous speed thanks to the Crestfolk and Cobalt, as well as from his repeated skirmishes, but fighting in an army was an entirely different beast.

It wasn’t possible to judge what was going on over the vast battlefield. The only thing they could feel was the scent of blood on the wind mixed with the pressure from the raging shouts as something enormous pushed forward.

The only thing the two of them could do was wait. Saya had to be on the battlefield to maintain morale. She was being protected in the back, of course, far from the front line.

From this position, the only thing she could clearly make out was the palace walls. Saya’s little brother was within them. And here she stood, fighting against him.

“How is it going?” Saya asked Nagi, who was standing next to her.

“I have no clue.”

“Something feels wrong in the air.”

“Yeah. Both sides are freely using blood calibers. It’s probably because of that.”

Nagi could feel a repulsive prickling on his skin. He already knew this was instinctive fear toward blood calibers. He could feel it far more strongly from the enemy forces.

“This might be bad. It looks like their side is stronger. Plus, they’ve got the walls to protect them.”

“But we have the greater numbers, don’t we?”

“Technically. There’s a lot of commoners from the capital among our ranks, but the only ones with Halahala are Cobalt. No matter how many extra commoners we have, they can’t hurt anyone.”

“So, there’s no point?”

“Not necessarily. Even a commoner might be able to knock a knight off balance. Using that chance, a blood caliber or Halahala-coated weapon can defeat them. That’s Crow’s plan, anyway.”

“Is it going well?”

“More or less. But dozens on our side die for every noble we defeat. We won’t be able to push through at this rate. Winning within three days seems pretty reckless.” Nagi then recalled Lernaean’s words. “Saya, I guess you still don’t know how to use it?”

She had already told him that she couldn’t use the royal caliber. And just as expected, her answer remained unchanged.

“It kind of feels like I do, but don’t. Sorry.”

Saya looked sad. He hadn’t mentioned to her yet that Lernaean believed they would lose without the royal caliber. Nevertheless, Saya surmised that great hopes rode on her using it. Did such a large responsibility really need to be placed on this girl’s shoulders? It seemed far too heavy, even if she truly was the Sovereign.

Nagi still couldn’t believe it. In his heart, he still saw Saya as the girl he had met in the Garden. He still found it hard to understand that she was a noble. There was no way he could be convinced that she could influence the outcome of this battle.

What was going on here to begin with? Nagi only wished for Saya to be free. Before he knew it, this wish led to the tremendous destruction and violence before his eyes. He couldn’t have possibly imagined this outcome.

“Will it really end with this?” Nagi muttered.

“I hope it does,” Saya answered immediately. She was thinking of the same things he was.

“What do you want to do when it does?”

“I don’t know. I understand a little more now, but I’m still ignorant about this world.”

“Same here. I’m well aware of how ignorant I am now. But isn’t that the same for everyone? Our lives are far too short. We die without really getting to know anything. Oh, maybe nobles are different, though.”

“I don’t think so. Nobles are the same. No matter how long they live, they only know about themselves... No, perhaps most people don’t even know that much.”

“Still, given a little more time, I want to learn more. Even if it’s limited, I should be able to live a little longer. Blood offerings are going away, after all.”

“Crow says everyone will be able to get Amrita.”

“Something is fishy about that. Creating Amrita requires commoner blood. It’s impossible to divide Amrita among everyone.”

Nagi had felt uneasy about the way Crow and Senak widely announced news of Amrita’s distribution. He’d dwelt on the matter for some time, and he couldn’t avoid the conclusion that there was a giant gulf between the synthesis method Dimitri spoke of and the future Crow preached to the commoners.

“Crow is only saying those things to get more allies,” Nagi said. “To win this battle.”

A mob surrounded the palace. This scenery was impossible to consider only a short while ago.

“So, what happens after it’s over? What happens when everyone finds out they won’t get Amrita?”

“I think it’d be best if we just stopped making it. In that case, there would be no more nobles and commoners, right?”

“I see. You’re right.”

A society where everyone simply had the lifespan granted to them at birth. Even as she nodded, Saya didn’t seem to realize there would be a single exception: the Sovereign. Nagi shut that thought away inside his heart.

“I guess I’d like to go around and see many places,” Saya suddenly blurted.

“After the fight is over?”

“Yes. I still don’t know much about the capital, and there are many other towns, right? Have you been to them before?”

“Just a few. I walked all over the place after we got separated.”

“What kind of places?”

“Hmm, I was kind of desperate, so I didn’t really stop to take a look around.”

“Want to go look at them together?”

Saya peered into Nagi’s eyes. They were now face to face, staring at each other. Nagi felt like he was being sucked into her clear, red eyes. Her white cheeks were flushed.

“I want to travel with you,” Saya added in a trembling voice.

Her eyes then suddenly shot open. It was like she just heard something he couldn’t.

“Huh? Just now...”

“What’s wrong?” Nagi asked.

“Oh, it’s gone. I lost it.”

“Lost what?”

“Just now, I felt like I could get it. How to use that power, I mean. But it’s no good. It slipped away.”

Why now? Lernaean had told Nagi he had to find out.

“Sorry.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Saya.”

Nagi thought it over. The situation was completely different from the last two occasions. There had been a direct threat to their lives in both cases. Nagi thought that was the key, but perhaps he was mistaken.

Looking over the confrontation of two knightly orders at the gates, Jubilia once more felt pure awe toward Lernaean’s bottomless depths. Normally, he would be a man of status, far beyond a lower-ranked noble like her, but he recognized Jubilia’s devotion to her betterment and took her in directly under his command. Such treatment was unprecedented in noble society, where a family’s status meant everything. Jubilia swore her allegiance to him ever since.

Thinking back on it now, he was in need of loyal subordinates for this exact rebellion. The Order of Sapphire Blood was filled with such figures. When Jubilia failed to rescue Saya and was defeated by a commoner, it wouldn’t have been strange for her to be executed. And yet, Lernaean hadn’t abandoned her. On the contrary, he had assigned her the important role of being Saya’s personal guard. Jubilia’s loyalty to him became even more unwavering.

She still didn’t have a full grasp of the man, however. He had spent time beyond reckoning assembling the stage and the players for the scene playing out before her: the first war since Agartha’s creation. Jubilia and all of Lernaean’s primary subordinates knew he was aiming for this. Actually seeing the tragic reality was something else entirely.

Their belief in the Sovereign’s eternal reign and century-spanning legacy was being shaken at its foundation. Everything up until this point was largely going according to Lernaean’s plans. With the royal guard left to defend the capital alone, everything hinged now on the Sapphire Blood and the peasant irregulars’ ability to cooperate and overwhelm the royal guard.

Excluding the members of Cobalt, the commoners weren’t armed with any useful weapons. They didn’t even have proper training. They were only here in numbers. No matter how skilled an individual knight was, taking on hundreds of opponents at once was bound to leave an opening. That was when the Sapphire Blood and Halahala-armed soldiers of Cobalt would strike. That was the basic plan. The commoners were essentially sacrificial pawns.

It was obvious for a noble like Lernaean to care little about that, but were the commoners of Cobalt really fine with it? Jubilia had her doubts, but things made sense when she had heard that Crow was actually a former scholar. Scholars were commoners who were granted Amrita. Their mindsets were similar to nobles.

In the end, this was a fight between nobles. That was how Jubilia interpreted it. The commoners and Crestfolk were only being used. They each had something to gain upon victory, so that was enough of a reason for them to participate.

The plan was working, but even so, the high-ranking nobles of the royal guard were far too powerful. She felt this before when she squared off against Gozo and Ivara. Their talent with blood calibers was on an entirely different level. The Sapphire Blood couldn’t afford to use Excitation Overdrive like she did back then. Consuming Amrita for battle couldn’t be done at an army’s scale.

Even as the strongest combatant in the Sapphire Blood, by her own evaluation Jubilia was still, at most, just above the average royal guard. The knights of the Sapphire Blood could only fight on equal footing against a royal guard in groups of two or three, at the cost of a few commoners.

Would they truly make it in time like this? They had given themselves three days. If the Obsidian Blood were to return, the rebel army would be suppressed without much of a fight. Nevertheless, the man standing before her was the very picture of composure. Lernaean’s attitude didn’t change even when the worst possible news was delivered to him.

“The Obsidian Blood has shown up on the main road!”

This had all the knights united in panic.

“Impossible! It hasn’t even been a day!”

“Were our plans discovered? Perhaps there was a traitor,” Lernaean said, acting as if it had nothing to do with him, then gave out his orders in a well-projected voice. “Retreat from the gate and reform our ranks. We’ll be caught in a pincer attack at this rate.”

“Yes, sir!”

The knights left in a fluster. That was when Jubilia realized something terrible.

“If they’re coming from the main road, the message won’t make it to the rear in time!”

“I know.”

“Lady Saya is there!”

“I know that as well. Calm down.”

“I shall go rescue her.”

“I heard you weren’t in peak condition.”

“You need not worry about the side effects of Excitation Overdrive. I can still fight.”

The burden on her body was a lot more serious than she had imagined. Even though the side-effects had abated somewhat with the passage of time, just activating her blood caliber was agonizing. She needed at least another month to fully recover, but Jubilia believed she could simply push through the pain. She was getting ready to dash off when Lernaean called out to her in a cold voice.

“That’s unnecessary.”

“Why?”

“Even in this situation, there is still a prospect for victory. I’m simply waiting for it. There’s no need for a rescue.”

Lernaean implicitly admitted that he was purposefully exposing Saya to danger. He was likely hoping to trigger the royal caliber to activate. And as she came to this understanding, words spilled from Jubilia’s lips, spurred entirely by emotion.

“Then I shall return this sword to you.”

A knight’s true weapon was their blood caliber; the sword a knight carried at their waist held purely ceremonial meaning. It was a symbol of their loyalty. To surrender it was to tender one’s resignation.

“The Obsidian Blood will not lay a finger on Lady Saya. You may even aggravate the situation. Do you still wish to do this?”

“I have a grasp on what you’re planning, Lord Lernaean. I can understand, but I simply cannot shut my eyes to the danger this poses to Lady Saya.”

What in Agartha am I doing? she thought to herself. Her admiration and awe toward Lernaean remained unchanged. They actually felt greater than before. And yet, Jubilia chose to throw that all away.

“So she truly does possess the qualities of a ruler,” Lernaean muttered.

Jubilia didn’t agree. Her actions weren’t out of loyalty to the Sovereign. It was actually the opposite. It was precisely because she had spent time with her that Jubilia knew how far away that girl was from being a ruler. She was just an innocent and powerless girl. The only things she possessed were her desire for freedom and her longing to be with the boy named Nagi. A girl like that wasn’t meant to be used as a tool for battle. And above all else, that girl had called Jubilia her friend.

“Take your sword, you’ll need it. Devote it to whoever you wish.”

“Yes, sir.” Jubilia’s short acknowledgment carried a flood of emotion.

“Just pass that boy a message for me.”

She didn’t really know what kind of coded message this was, but she promised to convey it nonetheless.

“I thank you for your service until now.”

After bowing deeply for his gratitude, Jubilia ran off.

Just as Jubilia predicted, the rear line of the Sapphire Blood was in a disastrous state upon being beset by the Obsidian Blood. Not only were they attacked where they were least expecting it, the onslaught was fierce. The forces of the Sapphire Blood were being scattered and routed.

Jubilia managed to find Saya and Nagi in the chaos of the battlefield. Nagi had his Halahala-coated knife held out, facing off against several knights, protecting Saya to his rear. He was out of arrows and had cast aside his bow. The enemy knights were in the process of surrounding him.

“Excitation: Blood Blade!”

Jubilia cut her way into the middle of the knights with her blood caliber in hand. They were incapable of dealing with her ambush. Three of them fell in a single breath, opening the path as Jubilia ran up to Saya.

“Lady Saya, are you hurt?!”

“Jubilia! Did you come on your own?”

“I quit my job,” Jubilia proclaimed, though Saya didn’t really understand. “I can explain later. Nagi, I have a message from Lord Lernaean.”

The situation hadn’t actually improved with Jubilia’s arrival. They were still surrounded, and escape was impossible. The knights were still keeping their distance, wary of Jubilia, but an attack was sure to come.

“It’s not actually a joke,” Jubilia said, relaying Lernaean’s words verbatim. “I don’t know what he meant, though.”

“What’s not a joke?” Nagi was perplexed at first, but came to a sudden realization. He looked like he was at his wits’ end. “You’re kidding me. They said blood calibers were proof of adulthood, but will that really work?”

“What’s the matter?”

“Jubilia, lend me your ear for a sec.”

Nagi beckoned her over. She complied, somewhat suspicious of his actions. They were in the middle of a battle, so this was pretty outlandish, but Nagi was desperate. Jubilia kept an eye on the enemy and brought her ear closer to Nagi’s mouth. His whispered question was so unexpected that it seemed completely out of place in the current situation, but Jubilia immediately figured out the meaning behind it.

“It’s possible... I think,” she said with a nod.

“Seriously?”

“What are you two whispering about?”

“S-Saya, it’s nothing,” Nagi stuttered.

Jubilia was once more shocked by Lernaean. She never considered he would think of such a thing. It was true she could actually be a hindrance here. Well, she did just give him a push, so there was some worth in her arrival.

“Be quick about it if you don’t want to die. These bastards likely won’t lay their hands on Lady Saya, but neither of us will be shown any mercy. If that really is true, it’s the one and only way of saving everyone.”

“There’s a way?” Saya asked.

“That depends on you, Lady Saya. I’ll keep the enemy at bay for as long as I can. You lot help as well.”

Jubilia was no longer a knight. The others had no reason to obey her, but they did so anyways. Now protected by the Sapphire Blood, Saya and Nagi were left alone.

“Saya, uhhh...”

Jubilia fretted as she listened to Nagi’s voice. She lightly parried the blow coming at her from the front and cut down the enemy knight. The cleanliness of her strike surprised even herself, despite the fact that she was far more interested in the conversation behind her than the fight in front of her.

“There’s something I want to tell you.”

“Mm.”

Jubilia suppressed her urge to yell at him to just do it and redirected her anger toward the enemy. The knight faced her unreasonable outburst of anger and was cut down in a single slash.

After getting cornered, Jubilia had come to Saya’s rescue. That was fine and all, but her behavior was strange. Actually, it was Nagi who was being strange. When he heard Lernaean’s message, his behavior had clearly changed.

The two of them whispered to each other, and Jubilia said it was the one and only way to save everyone. If there was a way, then it had to be done quickly. And yet, Jubilia and the other knights left Nagi and Saya behind on their own.

Nagi averted his eyes while fumbling over his word. “Uhhh... There’s something I want to tell you.”

“Mm.”

I wonder what it is? What does he need to tell me at a time like this? I would suppose it must have something to do with saving everyone. Saya figured that much out herself, but she didn’t know what this method was. She wanted to be told quickly, but Nagi was being strangely inarticulate.

“Uhh, how do I even put this?”

“Nagi, are you okay?”

“I’m okay...” Nagi held his head and took a deep breath. “I’m okay.”

He looked right into Saya’s eyes. His green pupils made Saya’s heart leap. It had been quite a while since he looked at her like this. This is the person who saved me from that prison.

Nagi grabbed Saya’s shoulders with a strong grip. The stiff feeling of his hands hurt a little, but she felt the heat from them far more than anything else. Saya was shaken. What exactly was Nagi trying to tell her? She was scared, but she wanted to know. His eyes were filled with determination, and then, he slowly opened his mouth.

“Saya, I love you. I want to be with you. I want to live with you forever.”

Before Saya could even unravel the meaning of his words, Nagi awkwardly embraced her. Her mind couldn’t keep up. She could only feel the heat from his bony, rugged body.

Nagi continued with awkward movements as he pressed his lips against hers. Saya was shocked. She only realized Nagi was kissing her a moment later. In that instant, a torrent of emotions swirled in her heart. She could tell; this was love.

“I love you too, Nagi.”

She wanted to be with Nagi. She wanted to go everywhere with him. But here, there were those trying to obstruct her desires. And with those overflowing emotions dominating her heart—she knew what to do.

Heat gathered on the back of her hand. It took on the shape of a crest. Scaled wings sprouted from her back. The vibrant butterfly wings that shouldn’t have been a part of her body felt as natural to her as if they were there since birth. This was Saya’s blood caliber.

She mastered its use in an instant. Saya could see a bird’s eye view of the entire battlefield. She knew everything that was going on from the interior of the palace all the way to her current position. She could sense the blood flowing within every knight. She could sense her own power flowing within them.

She had to stop them. She couldn’t be with Nagi otherwise. The wings on her back were larger than her body. Countless little butterflies fluttered out like scales, covering the entire battlefield in the blink of an eye.

The butterflies danced about and came down upon the knights who were trying to capture her, stopping the power which flowed in their blood.

More. More. I need to stop everyone who’s getting in our way. I can do it.

Saya’s consciousness burned away in a white haze, overcome with a sense of exaltation and omnipotence.