﻿\setgamedatatitle("Shuka\nConquest of the Fourth City, Heiphon")

\text
The one lounging arrogantly on the throne is not Magahime,
but Tsushin.
\endtext

\text
Just because she has claimed the throne doesn't mean she's
particularly pleased.
\endtext

\text
After all, it's only natural for what should have been hers
to return to her hands―there's no need to celebrate.
\endtext

\text
The one who once sat here, Magahime, is now right in front
of her.
\endtext

\text
The hateful glare Magahime shoots her way only makes Tsushin
savor her sense of superiority.
\endtext

\text("Wenjin")
...Tsushin-sama, everything is ready.
\endtext

\text("Tsushin")
...Very well.
\endtext

\text
Wenjin bows respectfully. But without even glancing at him,
Tsushin looks down at the magic circle drawn on the floor.
\endtext

\text
At its center, Magahime lies bound hand and foot, unable to
move.
\endtext

\text("Spy")
Tsushin-sama... We've received word that Heifon has fallen
into the Demon Lord's hands.

\endtext

\text("Tsushin")
I see.
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
...You're awfully calm for someone who's losing.
\endtext

\text("Tsushin")
Panicking won't change anything.

\endtext

\text("Tsushin")
All that's left is to lure the Demon Lord's army here.

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
...You're the one who's going to lose, anyway.
\endtext

\text("Tsushin")
That's exactly why I want you to lend me a hand.

\endtext

\text
Magahime squirms under Tsushin's gaze, which lingers over
her body as if licking every inch.
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
What are you... What are you planning to make me do!?

\endtext

\text("Wenjin")
Heh... I must say, seeing you frightened like this,
Magahime-sama, is quite a sight.
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
...
\endtext

\text("Tsushin")
The kings of Shuka have always inherited the power of the
dragon... the guardian deity of this land.

\endtext

\text("Tsushin")
With that power, you will destroy the Demon Lord. Not
me―you, with your own hands.
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Hmph... Like I'd ever help you!

\endtext

\text("Tsushin")
The magic circle at your feet is meant to draw out that
dragon's power.
\endtext

\text("Tsushin")
All that's left is to seal your heart.

\endtext

\text
The spy takes a step forward.
\endtext

\text
She could see the corners of his mouth curl upward.

\endtext

\text
It was a smile completely different in nature from those of
Tsushin or Wenjin.
\endtext

\text
She had no idea what he was thinking. He wasn't even looking
at Magahime in the first place.
\endtext

\text
Who―or what―was this spy grinning at with such twisted
malice?
\endtext

\text("Spy")
Rest assured. As long as you defeat the Demon Lord, I'll
release your heart.

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Stay away! If you come any closer, all of you...

\endtext

\text
―I'll burn you all to ashes.
\endtext

\text
Just before she could say it, the magic circle began to
glow.
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Ah...!?
\endtext

\text
Her heart creaked, squeezed tight.
\endtext

\text
With every beat of her heart, pain shot through her nerves,
all the way to the tips.
\endtext

\text
Magahime groaned in agony from the torment.
\endtext

\text("Tsushin")
The immense dragon's magic is about to go berserk... You
probably can't even stand, can you?

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Agh... ugh...!
\endtext

\text("Spy")
Well then, farewell for now, Magahime-sama. ...I'm looking
forward to it.
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
No... Don't touch... me...
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Ah... aaah...
\endtext

\text
Her mind was going completely blank.
\endtext

\text
Her memories, her consciousness―everything was swallowed up
by light and vanished.
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Caym...
\endtext

\text("？？？")
............
\endtext

\text("？？？")
...Entrust everything to me. For the sake of purifying the
world.
\endtext

\text
It was a voice she'd never heard before. Yet it brought such
peace, it made her forget all her fears and anxieties.

\endtext

\text
And so, Magahime's consciousness was enveloped in light.

\endtext

\text
As if being gently guided by that peace.
\endtext

\text
―It happened right after Heiphon fell.
\endtext

\text
The first to notice the anomaly were Tiela and El.

\endtext

\text("El")
Huh...?
\endtext

\text("Tiela")
This is...
\endtext

\text
The hands that had been tending to the wounded stopped
moving.
\endtext

\text
Both El and Tiela looked in exactly the same direction,
frozen in place.
\endtext

\text("Spacchio")
Oh, what's wrong, you two?
\endtext

\text("Tiela")
The spirits... they've disappeared from Shuka... I could
feel them just a moment ago... and also...

\endtext

\text("El")
Caym-sama, there's something strange coming from Shinrenga.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
What?
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Strange... Is it the presence you mentioned before,
Tiela-san?
\endtext

\text("Tiela")
Yes... I think that's probably it.
\endtext

\text
And then, everyone present noticed it too.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
What... is this?
\endtext

\text
The air pulsed.
\endtext

\text
More precisely, the tremor of magic mixed into the air was
so strong it made even the air itself shudder, tingling
everyone's skin.
\endtext

\text("Noro")
The air... it's shaking...
\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
It's not the air... It's the magic that's pulsing. This
is...

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
It's not just throbbing...? The magic in Shuka is gathering
in Shinrenga...

\endtext

\text("Spacchio")
Hey, hey, is this what I think it is? Did they just activate
some secret weapon to take us out or something?

\endtext

\text("Agri")
Hey, cut it out. That's not even funny.

\endtext

\text
Everyone in the Demon Lord's army there was staring intently
toward Shinrenga.
\endtext

\text
With all the magic in Shuka gathering at Shinrenga... at the
royal palace, it was only natural.
\endtext

\text
And the more magic gathered at Shinrenga, the stronger and
more intense the presence became.
\endtext

\text
In other words, it wasn't just gathering there.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
It's not just gathering. It's being sucked up... that's what
it looks like.
\endtext

\text
Caym's expression grew even more grim.
\endtext

\text
Where was all that gathered magic going? There was only one
person in Shuka who could possibly contain it.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
Risbell, if this keeps up, Shinrenga will...
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
...Huh?
\endtext

\text("Caym")
Nee-san...!?
\endtext

\text
Caym rushed to Beatrice faster than anyone else.

\endtext

\text
The image of Magahime that had been in his mind was
instantly blown away.
\endtext

\text
This was no time to be thinking about that.
\endtext

\text
Beatrice suddenly collapsed right there.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Tiela-san!
\endtext

\text("Tiela")
Y-Yes!
\endtext

\text
Risbell hurried over to Beatrice with Tiela in tow.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
Risbell, how's Nee-san...!?
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Caym-sama, please calm down. I'm examining her right now...

\endtext

\text("Tiela")
Thank goodness... She's okay. She's still alive.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
R-Really...? But still...
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
The cause is unknown, but she's just lost consciousness.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
I see... Seriously, don't scare me like that... I thought my
heart was going to stop...
\endtext

\text
Risbell softened her expression to reassure Caym, and Caym
let out a big sigh of relief.

\endtext

\text
As long as her life wasn't in danger, it would be alright.
\endtext

\text
But there was a bigger problem at hand.
\endtext

\text("Agri")
But why did she collapse? She was fighting with us just a
moment ago.
\endtext

\text("Spacchio")
Yeah, she didn't look sick or anything.

\endtext

\text
There had been no warning signs. At least to anyone
watching, Beatrice had seemed perfectly fine.

\endtext

\text
She didn't look like she was about to collapse, or that
anything was wrong with her.

\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
...Then, there can only be one cause.
\endtext

\text("El")
Could it be because all the magic power is gathering in
Shinrenga...?
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
...There's no doubt something affected her. What shall we
do, Caym-sama?

\endtext

\text
Should they storm Shinrenga as is and cut off the cause as
soon as possible?
\endtext

\text
Or should they return to the labyrinth once to regroup―?

\endtext

\text("Caym")
We're going back to the labyrinth.
\endtext

\text
Without hesitation, Caym chose Beatrice and decided to
retreat.
\endtext

\text
....................
\endtext

\text
............
\endtext

\text
......
\endtext

\text
――Sensation returns to my body.
\endtext

\text
From my fingertips, little by little, magic power spreads
throughout my body.
\endtext

\text
It's like soaking in a hot bath, warmth spreading from deep
inside me.
\endtext

\text
The blood returns to my body. And with that, my
consciousness naturally becomes clearer.
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Nn... Huh...?
\endtext

\text
When my vision cleared as I regained consciousness, I
realized I wasn't in the city of Shuka.
\endtext

\text
It was the bedroom Risbell had prepared for me.

\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Faaah... ahh. When did I get back...?

\endtext

\text
We conquered Heiphon, and after that, I barely remember
anything.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
Just a moment ago.
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Ah, good morning.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
...This is not the time for casual greetings.

\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Oh my... are you going to attack me while I'm sleeping? Ris,
when did you become such a naughty girl...?

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
N-no, that's not it! You suddenly collapsed, Beatrice-san...
and then...

\endtext

\text("Caym")
You were worried, so you finished your work early and came
here, right?
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Ugh...
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Collapsed...? ...Ah, now that you mention it, I did
collapse. Yeah, that was rough.

\endtext

\text
Beatrice spoke as if nothing had happened, but her
expression looked troubled.
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Sorry for making you worry.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
Don't worry about it. How are you feeling?
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
I think I'm okay... but I can't get close to Shuka.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
What do you mean?
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
You know, I died once and then got incarnated, right?

\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Because of that, it seems like if I'm in a place with very
little magic power, I can't move.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Then, the Shinrenga operation...
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Unfortunately, I'll stay here and hold down the fort. I'd
just be useless if I went.

\endtext

\text
Beatrice gave a wry smile, but she herself was clearly
surprised by this unexpected turn.
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
(Well, I mean... it was a cheat move to begin with. Can't be
helped, I guess.)
\endtext

\text("Caym")
............
\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
I'll wait here, okay? Don't worry about me―go take down
Shuka and Magahime-chan. Got it?

\endtext

\text("Caym")
I'm not worried. Since you said so, behave yourself. Let's
go, Risbell.

\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
Yeah, yeah. Take care of Caym for me, Ris.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
...Leave it to me.
\endtext

\text
Caym turned on his heel and left Beatrice's room.

\endtext

\text
As long as she's safe, there's no need to worry. But now
there's more to do.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
(Tsushin... don't think you'll get away with this so
easily.)
\endtext