Tosho Meikyuu:Volume1
These are the illustrations used in Tosho Meikyuu:
Cover
Page 012-013
Page 033
Page 065
Page 079
Page 109
Page 139
Page 200-201
Page 227
Page 280
Page 312
Page 352
Page 354
Page 355
Page 361
Page 427
Page 428
Page 433
Page 465
Page 484-485
Library Labyrinth[edit]
You're running.
“Haa…! Haaa…!”
You're running away.
You're in the hexagonal reading room, surrounded by bookshelves on three sides. It's a labyrinth of unlimited archives, like a beehive. With much desperation, you continue to run within the depths of the historical library called the ‘Library Labyrinth’.
“Haa, haa…ugh, ha, haa!”
To simply summarize, your life is in danger.
From the darkness of the labyrinth, a stone spear suddenly shoots out, opening a massive vent in the flank.
You can feel the blood oozing out from the wound, soaking her coat and undergarments. The long silver hair was dyed with reddish black spots, and a slight quivering breathing rang at your ear.
“Haa, I have to run away, run away…!!”
Carrying the dying girl on your back, you continue to run aimlessly in the depths of the library labyrinth, dozens of meters beneath the ‘Library Capital Alexandria’. With the lives of the girl and yours at stake, it is literally a game of tag.
“—Ugh, kahh!”
The blood dripping from the tips of the hair cause the soles of your boots to slide. slipped. You exert your right foot to regain footing, and give a blood curdling scream due to the excessive lactic acid formed.
You are at your limits. You are already gasping for breath, your brain completely devoid of oxygen. Your heart is beating to the point of ripping apart. Despite so, you have to run. If you don't, you will be slaughtered.
By the terrifying demon, the murderer of the Library Labyrinth.
“Are…you? Are you, still there…?”
Perhaps realizing that you’re nearing your physical limit, the girl calls you over your shoulder. The voice is scratchy and feeble, and you can certainly hear the terrifying of death.
“L-leave me be. Here. You can just go, alone…ack, ack!!"
The girl says in a timeworn tone, “Let me be killed.” She wants to use her own life as bait and let you escape alone.
…If you abandon her, you may be able to shake off the killer's pursuit.
"Quiet, haa! Don't talk. You'll open, a wound…!"
But your conviction doesn’t allow you to survive at the expense of others. Even if your life ends, you can never let someone else die for the sake of surviving.
Because five years ago, you lost your beloved parents in this Library Labyrinth.
“Enough, just seeing you, just knowing that you remember me, I shall be content. I-if this continues, you too shall will be killed…ack, ack!!”
The girl is gasping for breath while worrying about your safety. For this reason, you can’t abandon the kind-hearted girl.
“Yo-you? I can't see well anymore…”
“Just be quiet and grab onto me! I’ll get you to the ‘Apothecary's Deep Magic Treatment Room! You’ll be saved there!”
You encourage the girl…but in fact, you don’t know the way back to the surface, let alone the ‘Apothecary’. You lost your direction while being pursued by the murderer.
As the name implies, the structure of the Library Labyrinth is intricate, and it’s not easy to escape once you get lost. If you don't find the elevator that leads to the ground…
You two will die.
"Damn…itttttt!"
You even have the urge to put your trust in God. The girl's life is in peril. At this rate, you’ll be witnessing another death.
Someone is hurt and dying, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
You can only watch helplessly watching from the sidelines as they die, their lives wilting to an end.
Just as you saw you father die.
" …,No…!"
Absolutely not, you think.
You don’t want to experience such loss, such helplessness, such despair again.
“I'll never give up…! I won’t let you kill me! I don't want a repeat of what happened five years ago!”
Yes, that's why you're here.
To obtain the power to transcend the past, you decided to study abroad in the ‘Apothecary’, visited the Library City, and ventured into the Library Labyrinth, the archives where all kinds of books are said to lie.
You wish to transcend your abominable memories and become someone who can save others—the ‘Doctor Magna’.
“This time, this time, I'll save you! I swore that!”
Your thoughts are,
“A cold stone bite shall pierce the entrails.”
Unfortunately, ended simply.
“Execute, stone serpent fang.”
A high-pitched chanting echoes, whoosh! And the sound of the wind follows.
From the faint darkness of the Library Labyrinth, a rock spear flies in rapidly,
And strikes you directly in the leg.
“G—gyyaaaaaaaaaa!!!?”
A sharp hexagonal stone pillar pierces the center of your calf.
The granite spear, as thick as your arm, gouges deep into your bones and muscles, destroying your leg.
Your body loses support, and you fall down with the same momentum you are running with. Your vision spins, and the strong centrifugal force separates you from the girl. You try to hug the body that is moving away from you, thud! and your back slams into the floorboard, breaking your ribs. Despite that, you can’t slow down completely, so you crash hard into the bookshelf.
“Gabbu!? Haaaa…!!?”
The pain is so intense that you can't breathe. You see fireworks before your eyes, the taste of blood spreading through your mouth, and an electric current-like pain surges from your torn leg.
“…I can’t, let you, die…!”
You grab tightly onto the talisman before your chest, and hold together the consciousness that’s being ripped by the pain.
You recall the prayer you used to etch in your heart. For the sake of inheriting the will your father placed in this crystal talisman. You must transcend your past and become ‘Doctor Magna’.
“…I want, to become, someone who, can save other humans…!"
You drag your body, creaking with intense pain, towards the collapsed girl…
“Let’s put an end to this ugly escapade, shall me?”
The cold, clear, icy voice sends a chill down your spine.
Cantera lights flicker in the darkness of the Library Labyrinth. The lights glowed suspiciously as they approach, echoing with the sound of footsteps, and eventually the golden figure of a girl…
No, the murderer's figure came into view.
“Good day, vampire assassin.”
She's a beautiful demon.
Her flowing hair swirls with gold, cascading down from the top of her head, scattering light across her chest.
The shimmering eyes are a deep sea color. Her piercing blue gaze at you like sapphire.
The tips of its hair, brushed by white fingers, float softly in the air.
"Looks like I've won the game of tag."
She lands on the ominous goat-like horns and stops quietly.
A pair of huge, horrifying horns resembling a great demon splits the golden torrent.
The pair of horns split from the side of her head, pointing their shiny, sharp tips at you.
She's a beautiful—beautiful murderer.
"Kuu…!"
"Now, the monster that trampled on that person’s tombstone must die."
The murderer raised her right arm with terrifying grace. Between its slender fingers, she grasps the pale, luminous gray spine of the book.
This is the legacy of the gods that lies in the Library Labyrinth, ‘a grimoire’—a magic book that can transform reality into the unrealistic- the Grimoire.
“Rest assured. At the very least, I'll send you to the underworld with a single blow so that you won't suffer.”
The ‘book’ roars. It emits a gray light. The caster absorbs the mana permeating the atmosphere, compresses it, and inserts it into the grimoire.
All to weave a terrible magic that shall slaughter you and the girl.
“—Activate key Jc102k, chant start!”
In response to the chant that resembles singing, bak! the floors of the labyrinth shatter. Countless stone spears appear through the gaps of the cracked floor, writhing like tentacles seeking their prey.
(…I can’t let myself… get killed in a place like this…!)
“O little king, Eight-footed lizard, Lord of the crowned serpent.”
Facing the fear of the looming death, you clutch onto the crystal talisman.
(…I've sworn to overcome this helpless me, to overcome the despair of five years ago. …!)
In the face of a wounded girl, a terrifying murderer, a looming doom and demise—
“—I swore I would become ‘Doctor Magna’!”
You pull out a page from the gap between the sheet metal armor on your right shoulder.
“—Activate key Lg100b, Veins On!!”
The incantation on the page glows a blueish white as it connects to the ‘Magitzkveins’ based on your nervous system.
You clasp the crystal talisman like a prayer, inhale deeply, and scream,
“Pillar of heaven, foundation of the kingdom!
“That the serpents whose name he controls may be,”
The two overlapping chants echo together in the darkness of the labyrinth.
In magical combat, spellspeed is the quickdraw. If you can finish yours before the murderer, you may be able to defeat the enemy’s magic, and protect the injured girl!
(I'll use magic here! I have to save this girl!)
“O Goddess of Storms who guards the Dragon Field!”
“Become my arm and do as I command.”
The rush of mana through your body scatters a faint light in the darkness filling the labyrinth. You sharpen your mind, trying to control the magical power flowing into the Magitzkveins—
“My sacrifice to thee and…argh, ugh!”
You feel a pain in your nerves.
“G-aaaah!?”
The pain that seems to burn your brain from the inside prevents you from chanting further.
The Magitzkveins based on the nervous system is in a mess due to mental misconduct, and overheats due to loss of magic control.
(I lost control of the, Magitzkveins…, damn it, my magic is…!)
You try to fight the pain that's trying to reap your consciousness, and you want to continue chanting.
“Farewell, assassin—Execute, servant of the stone serpent.”
The murderer's magic lunges towards you in the form of a stone spear waterfall..
“No, no—gyyyaaaahhhh!”
You can’t shield the attack for the girl, and end up devoured by the waterfall of stone spears.
Countless stone edges strike, gnawing at you as they pass you by.
The intense pain that pierces your skin, flesh, bones, brain, and soul burns through your consciousness.
“Kaf…ack!”
Lots of blood gushes up from deep within your throat.
Sparks of various colors suddenly scatter before your eyes, and your vision begins to fade rapidly,
This is the end of your existence—your imminent death.
(…If I have, magic (power))
Your consciousness sinks into the darkness, you’re on the verge of death, and all you can think about is such regret.
The ‘Doctor Magna’ will reveal the mysterious power buried in the Library Labyrinth, and sae people. If there is such a power, you might have been able to save them, indeed.
You could have healed her wounds, fought off a terrible demon, and find a way back to the surface, saving yourself along with the girl.
…But that is a mere pointless fantasy.
For you can't use magic.
Your heart was deeply wounded ever since that day five years ago, when your father was slaughtered before you, and you became repulsed to any form of magic.
You lost your magic to save others, along with your dream to become the Doctor Magna.
(…Father. I, can’t become, a mage like you…)
The despair etched within your heart becomes a sigh of despair, dissipating through the Labyrinth before disappearing.
Farewell.
Your life shall end here.
"—You, big fool!"
Your thoughts sink into the abyss of death, and someone’s voice echoed.
"Thus I told you to run! Do you not understand human works, fool!?"
You hear the voice of a girl with an antiquated accent, one that should have been gone forever.
"Reckless as always. Really you have not grown!"
The muscles join together, and so does the bones, and there is the uncomfortable, strange sound of wounds being healed, "Swoosh" and the unpleasant sound of squirting blood awakens your fading consciousness.
"Goodness, you really, really are an utter fool!!"
Your heart that was about to sleep forever suddenly starts to pump out blood.
Appearing in that vision that is quickly regaining life is—
"…Does this not make me like you all the more? You fool!"
It is a beautiful silver color.
Within the darkness of Library Labyrinth, that corpse…no.
That body shows a glow that can seemingly reflect the pitch darkness.
"Hmph, then I shall forgive you for this. It is heartless to reprimand upon a long awaited reunion."
The hair flutters in the silver wind. Her long, silky, lustrous hair spreads and covers her white skin.
Her shining eyes are jewels of blood. The eyes dyed crimson red due to the fresh blood, are as clear as polished rubies.
"After all, it is because of you that I am able to revive♪."
The blood lumps that dyes her silver hair disappears in an instant, and the heart that nearly gets pulled out from the body suddenly vanishes. The originally tattered skin is now glowing coldly white as porcelain.
"…Now, I have to think of how to deal with the shallow minded that tortured my beloved companion."
The glossy, plum-colored lips curls into a smile, and smiling too are her bright red eyes.
The smile is arrogant, irreverent, and filled of confidence.
"Come, little girl. This true ancestor ‘High Daylight Walker’ shall end this in five seconds."
It seems to shine brightly in the darkness.
"Ku…I can't believe I let a vampire suck my blood!"
The murderer immediately opens the Grimoire once she sees the girl’s revival. The sidelong face is no longer as relaxed as before, and is showing clear anxiety and fear..
"S-Skewer her!!"
The deformed stone receives orders from its master and reaches out countless feelers.
A tidal wave of charging horns closes in murderously, trying to destroy the girl’s body.
"Hmph, so young, and your magic is pretty good…"
But the moment the stone spears are about to touch the girl, she waves her slender arm in a fluid motion.
"It still lacks 200 million years of refinement or so."
Snap! An explosive impact echoes, and the torrent of stone splits in half.
The girl waves her hand, shooting down one spear tip after another.
"W-wha…?"
"Fool, do you think a mere half-blood demon can defeat a Daylight Walker that has sucked blood?"
The girl grabs one of the spear tips that spins as it falls, and shatters it like butter.
Gakin! The atmosphere rumbles, and the shattered rocks fall from the palm.
"Hiii…!"
"Give it up. The stone spears that cannot penetrate walls can never destroy this High Daylight Walker."
As the murderer’s face winces with fear, the girl said with a heinous smile.
"Now then, what shall you do, human? No way can you defeat I with such a feeble body."
"Ku…seeking light from the Southern Sky…execute, lamp of glittering stone!"
The murderer chanted briefly, reaches her left arm out. The fingertips exude Mana, and in that instant, a strong flash scatters.
Once the vision blinded by the stinging light is restored—the murderer is nowhere to be seen.
"…Escaped? A virtue it is to decide on an early retreat…fine then. It is hard to pursue so."
The girl sees that the murderer has escaped, and disengages from combat mode. With a little sigh, she turns to you, who have fallen.
Your eyes meet the ruby eyes resembling crimson blood, through the hair strands that flutters due to gravity.
"…Goodness, your reckless is the same as always. What will I do if you die due to ‘Altered Shock’? O fool?"
The girl shows a troubled smile and slowly approaches you. For every step the pale bare feet take, you feel a nauseous, sweet corpse stench intensify.""
"…Fufu. Ehehe♪. Now you have finally returned."
The moment the girl’s fingertips caress your hair, the sweet scent finally reaches its peak—
"…My beloved Sōshi."
Your consciousness ends here.
Your consciousness awakens as though you have risen from the abyss of death.
"—Haa!!! Haaa, haa, haaa!!"
The gentle morning sun pries your eyes open hard. Pichichichi, the throbbing of your heart resonates with the bird chirping afar, seemingly echoing in your brain.
"Haa, haa—haa—…th-this place is…?"
The devastation that was before your eyes till moments ago is gone without a trace.
The darkness of the Labyrinth is switched with an unfamiliar ceiling, and the sweet stench of a corpse becomes a faint dusty one. The intense pain and high heat that once scorched your body melts comfortably in the cooling air.
You remain seated on the bed, and look around the room…there is an inorganic looking study desk, a bookshelf, a closet, and a large luggage that has yet to be sorted through.
"…Is this…the ‘Apothecary’ tower?"
There are pretty runes rooms ornamenting the brick walls, and a cooling air typical of a high altitude place, causing your memories that were blurred by the nightmare to be reawakened.
"…Is this my room?"
It appears this place is a room in the student dormitory of the ‘Apothecary’, an elite academy.
"…Haa—!! What, it was just a dream…!"
The moment you find that it is just a nightmare, your tension relax immediately, and you sink your head into the soft feather pillow.
Normally thinking, you would have died the moment you got impaled by a stone pillar. You have not died, and it means the tragedy from before is just a dream.
"…Uuu, it hurts…I haven’t sort through my luggage, so does that mean that I fell asleep after arrival?"
Perhaps the nightmare obstructed your sleep, for you feel strangely heavy. Your thoughts are erratic, and the memory from yesterday seems to be entrenched in the mist of forgetfulness.
You finally made it to this Library City Alexandria, and perhaps the long journey by ship left you completely lethargic.
"…I’m really back…back to this Capital of the Library Labyrinth, Alexandria."
You look towards the unfamiliar ceiling of the dormitory, muttering so.
You had always been a student of the ‘Apothecary’ until your tenth birthday. With the rare prodigious talent in magic and the guidance of the premier teachers of the world, you were a potential candidate as a Doctor Magna, one with a bright future before you.
Until five years ago, when you saw your father get slaughtered before you, and you lost your memories and magic.
"…!!"
You shake your head, seemingly to shake off the black mist lulling your unconscious.
The trauma of the painful tragedy stings at your psyche like thorns, as fresh flashbacks and blackouts, tormenting your repeatedly. This happens whenever you try to mourn the face of your father, and try to seek your magic along with the truth.
"…Calm down. It’s fine…"
You mutter like a prayer, and reach to fumble for the talisman hanging before your chest. You hold onto the crystal bound to the talisman, and fiddled its side.
At that moment, the faint bluish-purple Mana glows, gathering in the voice, and an image of a person is formed.
It is the illusion of the artificer who sealed the Mana into this talisman—your Father.
The ghost (image) formed by mana no longer speaks again, nor will it smile. The bluish-purple light that gathers is just swaying slightly, staring at you.
"…I’ll get them back. My lost memories, my magic, and the truth five years ago."
You grip onto the crystal that is glowing a deep bluish-purple, and switches off the projection of the talisman.
Now then, time to wake up and prepare for class.
This is the day when you return to the ‘Apothecary’ after hoping for five years. This is the start of your second life to regain your memories and magic.
Having made such resolve in your heart, you sit up from the bed.
"……Funyuu…?"
And so the sleeping girl that is hugging you slowly opens her eyes.
"…Yes?"
"Munyunyu…goodness, who is it? Which fool dares to obstruct this sleep of mine…oh!"
The crimson eyes resembling blood stare at you, and blink repeatedly.
The ruby-like eyes start to sparkle with surprise and joy-
"…O-ohhh…! What, so you have woken!?"
She squealed with the cute voice of a child, showing a completely elated smile.
"Eh…ha, haa!?"
"Ehehe♪ Good morning~ you~♪"
The silver haired girl under the morning sun looks like an angel fresh out of a painting.
The deep red eyes resembling jewels are accompanied by the pink cheeks with a lingering trace of innocence, smiling moist lips, and silver hair strands fluttering with the cool wind—
"Wh…"
'(Who is she!?)
It’s a perfect beauty that you had never met before.
"What, wh-wh-who are you!?"
The reality you can’t comprehend leaves you confused, and you exclaim in shock.
You probably fell asleep on your first day back in the dormitory, only to wake up and encounter an unfamiliar girl on the same bed, which casts aside all your sleepiness.
You are suddenly awakened, and your mind begins to whirl at full speed, trying to grasp the true identity of the girl…
"Ehehe♪ Umu Umu♡"
"Wo-woah woah, woah woah woah!!!"
The gentle body of the girl embraces you, obstructing your thoughts.
(Wh-what’s going on here!? Seriously, what’s this!? There’s something soft touching my shoulder!)
"Mfuu…it is a bliss I have to be able to say ‘good morning’ upon waking up~…"
The girl continues to hug you, grinning happily. The soft flowing silver hair slides on the bed sheet, giving off a nauseating sweet scent.
"! Wa-wait-wait!! What, you, who, what’s going on!?"
"Wah wah! Hey, do not move! You have not recovered from Altered Shock…"
Due to excessive confusion, you try to get up from the bed, but the girl’s slender hands continue to embrace you. You kick aside the blanket, shocked by her warmth, insisting on getting up.
"…Nu?"
The thin blanket used for spring and summer slides off the white shoulders of the girl.
The plain silk blanket seeming caresses the soft skin as it flows down with the sound of clothes being removed.
"Woaah!? Wa-wa-wait a sec!"
With a swoosh, the fabric lands on the floor.
The bluish-white morning sun shines upon the speckles white porcelain-like skin.
The girl is completely naked.
"H-hey!!"
"W-Woaaaahhh!? S-sorry!"
You turn aside, and the girl hugs her body, trying to snatch the blanket. It’s a natural reaction from a maiden of that age, but there is a side effect, for it greatly reduces the fabric covering you.
And so the body covered by the sheets slides aside, revealing what is beneath.
"Huh?"
You never expect yourself too to be completely naked.
"…!?!!"
You are completely confused, to the point where you forget how to make a sound.
You try to exclude yourself from the reality you can’t understand, and try to close your eyes…the image of the twin lumps and certain pink things are imprinted beneath your eyelids, severely distorting your thoughts.
(What is this…what is happening!? I committed a great crime on the first day of staying in school! Oh Father in Heaven, Mother in Japan, my body has been stained in debauchery!)
In fact, your body remains pure, and there is no need to brood over a physical sin.
And more importantly, there is something more pressing to deal with.
"Goodness~ when have you become such a lecher…hey now, you may open your eyes, no?"
"D-Don’t wanna! I don’t want to open my eyes! This is definitely a lie!"
"Fool, you dare disobey this order of mine? Hey, open your eyes now!"
"Uuu…?"
You have a proper look at her.
Her body somehow has a pure white silk fabric that seems to cover her skin, and her body is so slender that it might be damaged if you hug her. The fragile and warm body is seated on your lap.
None of this makes sense.
For the tragedy last night—the death of you and the girl should have been just a nightmare.
"…Ah, w-why…?"
(Why is the girl in that dream now on my bed?)
Your thoughts finally catch up to reality, and realize the weirdness of this situation.
You are a boarding student far from your country, and finally reached the Library City Alexandria. You hardly encounter acquaintances in your dream, let alone a female sleeping on the same bed as you.
In other words, the girl before you should simply be from the nightmare you have just conjured in your memories.
(Th-Then why is the girl in that nightmare in my room now!?)
"Oi! Who are you exactly?"
"? Who…wa-wait now, have I been forgotten?"
"Answer me, who are you!? Why are you on my bed!?"
You ignore the words of the panicking girl, and repeat your question. For this girl can’t possibly exist in reality.
The tragedy you witness last night should be a nightmare through and through.
(Who is she…!? She invaded the ‘Apothecary’ tower? A bandit? A succubus? Or was she part of those who killed Father…!?)
You stare sharply at the girl, purging from your mind her body lines that you can see through the thin silk of her robe, the whiteness of her skin reflecting the morning sun, and the smooth texture of her thighs.
"I-I…? I explained to you about myself last night, no? Wh-why do you look so scary…?"
"Yesterday…I don’t remember meeting you! I ask of you again, who are you!?"
You ignore her pleading question, and repeat yourself for the third time.
"…Have you…"
The girl appears to be greatly hurt, and her lips quiver.
"Have you, forgotten about I?"
"…Eh?"
The seemingly blood-filled red eyes falter due to the heavy sadness.
"Th-this is terrible!"
The next moment, she turns half a round on your lap.
"H-Haguuu?"
"Terrible! Truly terrible! I have to get the ‘book’ out! "
"Eh! H-hey, wait, don’t shake your body there!"
You wish for her to leave your thighs due to various reasons, but for some reason, the girl continues to remain seated on your body.
She transfers some feeble warmth and weight onto you as she fumbles for her feet…
Kyubba! She pulls out a ‘book’.
"A-A grimoire!? Wh-what are you trying to do!?"
"Do not struggle, fool! If you shall not obey, I too have my means!"
The girl snaps her fingers, and your shadow starts to shake.
Shadows resembling black belts rise from the bedsheet, immediately slide onto your skin, and ensnares your shoulder and arms, restraining you.
"What!? Restraining magic? Shadow spells!? L-let go!"
You struggle, trying to break free, but the black restrains just won’t budge. Such strange shadow spells is executed without a chant…truly the magic of this girl is way beyond normal humans.
"Ku…! What is a this magic expert planning to do?"
"Shut up! Now read this! Any further, and you shall forget everything!"
She anxiously says so as she brings a book before you.
The cover of the book, inscribed with ‘The Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’ in gilded letters, looks elegant and with a shadowy deep blue, reminiscent of the evening darkness.
This ‘book’ looks very suspicious, but the girl’s expression is imposing enough for you not to resist. The shadows restraining your upper body won’t allow you to do anything other than to read the ‘book’.
"Ku…"
(…She really has overwhelming magic talent. Even if it’s a trap of a magic criminal, I got no other choice but to obey…!)
You gingerly accept the ‘book’, flip open the pages that are made of parchment, and scan the words with your eyes—
And then you discover that everything that had happened is recorded in that ‘book’.
"W-what…!?"
You are shocked, and the black ink coagulate on the white pages, saying the words ‘you are shocked'. Terrified as you are, you then feel fearful about the book that records that you are terrified.
This ‘book’, the ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’, appears to describe the memories all that you (the reader) have seen, heard, thought and felt
"…Phew. It appears you have finished reading."
"Hold on, w-wait! Who are you anyway!? And what is this ‘book’!?"
Allow me to answer this question.
"!? Th-The ink just…!!"
Have you understood what sort of place the Library Labyrinth is now?
The Library Labyrinth is a labyrinth of ‘books’, an archive of antiquarian books that remains asleep in them, books of all kinds that humans can think of. Of the countless books gathered in those shelves, isn’t it to be expected that there are such ‘books’?
Like say, a grimoire that ‘contains the memories of its user’.
"!? The user’s memories…a grimoire that records memories?"
Please don’t be so surprised. I’m merely a book that record memories and preserve them.
I’m not as high ranked as ‘a book that can turn lead into gold’, and I’m safer than ‘the book of the strongest vampire’, nor am I as malicious as ‘the vampire-hunting demon’ book.
I merely wish to provide a little assistance to your story as a book.
For you wish to find the ‘book to regain your memories’ so that you shall know the truth that happened five years ago.
"—!!"
You have a feeling that your inner thoughts are being viewed by others, and quickly close the ‘book (me)’.
"Ah! This lecture of I is not finished! Do not close the book on your own!"
The girl says in a reproaching tone as she sees that you try to throw me away. However, you’re unable to answer her due to your deeply etched trauma.
(…Calm down…! I should have been prepared for this…!)
So you quietly mutter in your heart.
You know very well the wonders and horrors of the Library Labyrinth.
In the Library Labyrinth, where all kinds of books remain in slumber, there are ‘books that can save people’, and ‘books that can destroy people’. Such incidents are deeply etched in your memories.
Just as five years ago, on October 16th, the night your father was murdered.
"Mmuu, it seems you have lost quite the bit of memory. No other choice now. I shall explain."
Kyupan! With a mysterious sound, the girl frisks out another ‘book’.
She opens a soft cover book with the words ‘Origami Set to become an Origami Master’, and puts her slender fingertips on one of the pages.
Biriri! A sharp sound echoes, and she rips the page out.,
"! Yo-You tore a grimoire? What are you trying to do…!"
"’Knife’."
The girl cuts you off, and gives an order to a torn page.
The next moment, the page before you starts to fold at an alarming rate.
No, it isn’t really appropriate to call it a ‘fold’. No matter how many times the paper gets folded, it’s impossible to start glowing metallic in the process.
"Explanation one. The Library Labyrinth contains all kinds of books."
The moment the girl says so, the thing that is supposed to be a page transforms into a knife.
It does not simply fold into the shape of a knife. There’s no other way to describe it as one, given the sharp glow of the metallic blade.
"T-the ‘book’ page becomes a ’blade’…"
"This ‘Origami Set to become an Origami Master’ book is a ‘book that can transform into daily necessities’. Given human (your) standards, I shall say it is a rank D replica, perhaps?"
The girl continues to explain as she fiddled with the knife with her fingertip. The metal blade reflects light every time it spins, showing you a frosty glint.
"Wh-What are you planning to do with the knife—"
"Explanation two. You have been basked in the blood of a true ancestor (I), and you are now subordinate to a High Daylight Walker."
Shink.
The knife flies straight into your left chest.
"Eh, ah, yee?"
Things develop too fast that your thoughts can’t comprehend.
Your heart that’s stabbed converts your rattled feelings into a direct shout.
"—It hurts!!!!!!?"
Of course it does. It’s normal to feel pain. Your chest is stabbed through by a sharp blade.
But you notice something very abnormal.
As you scream in pain.
"I-it…doesn’t hurt?"
"Fool. Your heart is merely stabbed. Do you still feel pain?"
As the girl says, you don’t feel pain.
Red mist rise from your wounds, instantly regenerating within, and your wound is healed without pain. All that is left is the knife on your chest, and a pricking sensation of a mosquito bit.
"…Why? Why don’t I feel pain even after I got stabbed?"
"Pain is merely an alarm system. For a subordinate of a true ancestor that can revive even when flattened into minced flesh, you have two or three hearts. As described, you do not feel pain or ticklish at all, no?"
"No, it’s still ticklish even though it’s not painful. And humans only have one heart here!...no, wait! What did you just say?"
"A true ancestor. But, the actual term is ‘HDLW (High Daylight Walker). Vampire lords that won’t be extinguished even when faced with direct sunlight. Of them all, the highest ranked of them all is I"
"What…did you say…?"
She calmly ¬states this startling fact, which leaves you speechless. Of all the monsters running rampant in the Library Labyrinth, the vampire should be one of those requiring the most caution.
"A High Daylight Walker shall not be destroyed with merely a stab in the heart. I can be crushed into minced meat from heavy pressure, but I can still regenerate. For I am a nigh(t) high class existence no one shall compare."
"What kind of stupid pun is this!?"
You can’t help but retort, and the knife that’s stabbed into you slips off, giving off a slight ticklish feeling. The blood flowing from your skin continues to simmer.
"Hmm? Fine, so be it. Enough with the funny puns for now. Do you understand the situation now?"
"Ah…eh, situation, as in…"
"Your body was stabbed through completely, on the verge on death. It was not a knife that stabbed you, but stone spears, 39 of them, not 1."
"S-stone spears…w-was the dream yesterday not a dream?"
"It was I, as a High Daylight Walker, who saved you. In other words, you received my blood, and your blood is mixed with a vampire. So are you not a vampire?"
"Does the sun not rise from the east?" the girl said so with such a matter-of-fact tone. The fact hinted by these words is too heavy for you.
"…Oi, then, am I…"
"Umu. You have become a vampire. But, you are just 30% of one, no?"
"Uu, uuu…uwwwaaahhhh!!"
You scream.
"Y-You’re lying! I don’t believe this, this lie! I aim to become a Doctor Vampire…not a half-hearted vampire!!!"
"Half-hearted vampire…halfwalker? Fufu, you do love your cold jokes♪."
"Shut up! My life’s a mess now! I’m now one of the monsters, and my body can’t be exposed under the sun now!!"
"No, you are a High Daylight Walker like I. It is fine to keep walking, though you shall be scorched."
"I don’t mean physically! How am I supposed to write to my mother and little sister back home!? ‘PS: I’m not a human, I’m a vampire’? Seriously? They’ll disown me?"
"Do not panic. That can be discussed later. Explanation three is most important".
"What most important? What’s more important than becoming a monster? How are you going to compensate my body!? My heart!!?"
You point at the knife on your chest, questioning the girl loudly.
Vampires are highly dangerous creatures, and they are correspondingly highly repulsed. As long as you are discovered by those around you to be a vampire, you shall be executed as a best case scenario, and in the worst case, ""a fate crueller than death"".
You have strayed from being human, and can no longer become a normal one. Your life thereafter…or rather, the remaining 70%, shall be of one as a half-dead, half-monster, and half-walker.
Ahh, so pitiful you are. Killed by a monster, revived as a vampire. How many more of such unfortunate, unlucky situations are there?
"It is not the exact number—you have approximately 8 hours or memories left."
"Huh?"
…My apologies, there are.
Truly, there is something more terrifying than losing your humanity.
"Explanation three. Your memory shall continue to wilt. The memory you shall remember is approximately eight hours. Once eight hours elapse, all the prior memories shall be erased."
"M-my memories only last for eight hours?"
How many of such horrifying matters exist in this world exactly?
Your memory shall only last for eight hours.
How is it any different from living a life of eight hours?
"Yo-you’re kidding!! I should have only lost the memories of five years ago!!"
With a shrill scream, you deny those words that are basically a death sentence.
It is true that you, who had witnessed the death of your dearest kin, is emotionally scarred, and you lost your memories prior to five years ago, along with the use of magic.
But on the other hand, to you, the five years are basically three times as packed as other people. You should be able to remember clearer than anyone everything that had transpired since five years ago.
"I still remember my name, my birthplace, and the return why I returned to Alexandria! Everything happened before eight hours ago!!"
"—But you have forgotten this name of I, no?"
"Ha, wha…!?"
Posed with this question, you’re speechless.
For if she’s not a fictional existence, but a vampire out of reality, surely you have met this girl beyond your dreams.
"Have you not forgotten how you encountered I, why I got injured even as an Nosferatu, why I was carried by you, why you were hunted by the demon, how you were on the brink of death?"
Please understand, no? Your murder is not a work of fiction. It is reality.
Unlike an unconnected fantasy, a reality requires a past and a future.
But you have forgotten what happened before and after your death.
Should you not feel fearful about this?
"—For this name of mine is Arteria. Arteria Arteria Al Athanasia Almnasia Ausanasia. The silvery night of the Library Labyrinth. The High Daylight Walker,"
"…!"
It was undoubtedly your first time hearing a vampire’s name.
In other words, you had once forgotten the name of the vampire who called herself Arteria.
And eight hours longer—surely you shall forget her again.
"…You’re joking, right? My memory…only lasts for eight hours?"
"Truthfully. The oblivion spell that binds you shall take away your memory approximately every eight hours. All your memories and personality that existed at that time will be irreversibly lost to this world."
"…My memories, will disappear in eight hours…?"
"In other words, you shall die once every eight hours…the memories when you encountered I last night, when you protected I from being killed by the demon, shall never be regained once again."
"…!"
The empty darkness in those crimson eyes is telling you, "This is an undoubted fact." Once you hear Arteria’s grim, deep voice, you start to understand reality.
"My memory…my life has only eight hours left…"
You are attacked by a swirling daze.
You seek the footsteps of your deceased father, and come to this boarding school to regain the magic you lost, only to encounter such a tragedy on your first day. It is no wonder that you may be driven to death by despair.
"…If you shall continue, you shall die from losing all your memories. This ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’ shall save you from that prison of forgetfulness."
"…’The ‘Last Prayer, of a Thousand and One Pages’…?"
The vampire (Arteria) picks up the ‘book’ (me) that was thrown away, handing it to you.
It is the grimoire you can rely on, given that your memory is cursed.
Thus, I shall write down your current predicament, along with the power of this ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’.
1. Your memories shall be reset once every eight hours.
2. If you remain within the range of the magic power of this ‘book’ (me), dozens of centimeters, all your precious memories shall be recorded in this ‘book’ (me), and all the memories of this ‘book’ shall be instantly duplicated to you.
3. Whatever you can’t remember, prior to eight hours ago, will not be written.
These three clauses are very important, so please do remember.
Also, please remember, or rather, resolve yourself.
4. Unlike my original, I’m merely a replica, and I only have a thousand pages.
If you finish the storage of all thousand pages,
You shall be trapped forever in the prison of oblivion.
This ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’ can be said to be your memory.
Thus, before this ‘book’ (me) is finished, you need to find a way to preserve your memories.
Before you end up forgetting everything.
"…A thousand pages, of memories…!!"
With a quivering voice, you read out all the clauses inscribed in this ‘book’ (me).
You are cursed by a spell to lose your memory every eight hours, and once you are trapped in this cage of oblivion, it is absolutely impossible to escape on your own.
And thus, you shall never become the Doctor Magna, unable to discover the truth of the incident five years ago, and can only be trapped in endless forgetfulness, repeating the hellish death forever.
(If I can’t undo the curse within a thousand pages…!)
Yes, your existence (memory) shall be vanquished.
"…As that ‘book’ (me) says, your memory has only another nine hundred and fifty pages left. It is most likely impossible for you to challenge the Labyrinth alone and find the memory preservation book."
"…!"
"But rest assured. You shall have this High Daylight Walker Arteria with you. With this honor and authority of I, I shall never let my beloved kin be forgotten in the darkness of oblivion."
"…W-what do you mean beloved kin? I don’t intend to be a companion of a vampire!!"
"Then what will you do? It is impossible to find a grimoire that can break the spell without going deep into the Labyrinth. Do you intend to go alone, where magical beasts roam, traps lie in wait, and even magical criminals lie in ambush? You will be slaughtered just as you were last night."
"Th-that’s, but…!"
You can’t help but refute the term beloved kin, but the High Daylight Walker coax you with calm words. You can’t help but think that there is some nefarious ploy within those bloody red eyes.
"To venture deep into the darkness, you are too lacking in refinement whether as a vampire or an explorer. Do not feel bad, for you may rely on this Arteria. Without the power of a true ancestor (I), you will not survive days."
"So I have to obey a vampire…? Did you curse my memory for this purpose!? Did you give me this ‘book’ (me) and an immortal body just for this purpose…!?"
"The one who bound your memory is not I. I would have used a charm eye if I wish for a mere servant. I shared my blood with you because I love you."
"I-I have no reason to talk about love with a vampire!"
"You have none, but I do. I have a reason to save you…but it seems there is no time for long time. It seems a visitor shall be meeting you."
"Visitor? I don’t have an acquaintance who’d meet me so early in the morning…!"
—Knock knock.
Suddenly, the knocking of the door at your wall interrupts you talking.
"—Oiiii, Sōshi Okutsuki!! Oi oi!! Are you awake? You haven’t woken up at the opening ceremony. I’m here to pick you up as your class representative nya!"
"Heh?...ah."
It is then that you notice the looming death threat approach you.
Now then, let us recap the situation.
1. It appears you missed the opening ceremony.
2. You brought a half-naked pretty girl (and a vampire to boot) into the boys dormitory, where females are forbidden.
3. You are completely naked, and you have a sharp knife stabbed into your left chest.
Now here comes the question. What will others think if they see you in such a state?
"…Ah…ahh…ahhh!"
(S-someone will assume this is a knife incident due to a love dispute, and the fact that I became a vampire will be exposed!)
Ding dong! 100% correct.
Hurry and put the High Daylight Walker beneath your bed and wear your clothes soon.
" Sōshi Okutsuki~? Hurry up and wake up nya~! You haven’t applied to leave~, so you should be in the room, right~? I’ll get scolded by the teacher too if you don’t hurry and wake up!"
"So-sorry prez(?), I’m ashamed to say this, but I just woke up! I hope you’ll give me some time to change clothes…eh…ahhhh!?"
…You want to change clothes, but your uniform (originally) is now a piece of reddish black torn fabric that’s dyed in blood.
After all, it got skewered along with your body when you fought the demon.
"S-Sōshi Okutsuki? Why did younya make such a terrifying sound!?"
"I-it’s nothing, somehow, I can’t wear the uniform(rob I’m supposed to wear! Well, this is troublesome, really troublesome!"
It so happened that you hadn’t sorted out your luggage. Aside from the clothes you wore yesterday, the other clothes are all completely packed in the large truck.
(Kuu…is there something I can replace in response?)
"W-wait, don’t get off the bed like that! Use this bedsheet as a bedshirt…"
"Shut up, and stop it with the lame puns! I’m in a grave crisis!"
"Mu, you call I to shut up? For I am providing suggestions to you!?"
"Nyafufu? Sōshi Okutsuki, who are you talking to nya? You need permission from the dorm supervisor if you want visitors to stay in here nya…"
"It’s nothing! I just overslept. Talking to the wall! The wall!"
"Wh-who do you call a wall!? See, there are some lumps at least!"
"Wait, vampire!? Enough with the ridiculous words. I’m telling you to shut up!"
"Mgu mgu…then I shall talk!"
(For some reason)Arteria suddenly got angry and yelled, waving down her left arm. You instinctively duck ago, and the supersonic fingertip let out a supersonic blast that hit you and sent the doorknob flying.
The cheap brass lock shattered with a thud.
"What!? Wh-what are you doing!?"
"Nya-nya nya nya nya!? Are you alright, Okutsuki? I heard something loud. Are you hurt nya!? E-excuse me then!"
"Woah, prez, wait…woaahhh!?"
The class president is very startled to hear this sudden shatter, and call out worriedly from outside. You try to rush over to the door and pin it back, without caring that you may be tripped by the blanket…
Reality is often disappointing.
"Ah, Sōshi Okutsuki! Are you alright…nya?"
The cute cat ears distinct to girls of the cat tribe opened the door and showed herself from behind. She sees you, and her red lips show a friendly smile—
"…Funyyaa!!"
Whoosh! And like a rising flame, her face is immediately flushed red.
Hm, well, the reason is very simple. As aforementioned many times before.
You are completely naked.
"—Funnyyyyyaaaa!!!"
"You—fooooooooolllllllll!!!"
The cat-tribe’s shirek and the vampire’s shout echo in unison, ringing throughout the boys dormitory.
The girl, who has turned bright red up even at the cat ears atop her head, is too shocked to look away as she stands there, staring at your little self with her amethyst purple eyes.
"Ahhhh! Wh-what do I do now…haaaaaaa!!"
You instinctively try to hide your crotch, but you realize that to hide your dignity as a human being, there will be no way to hide the knife. As narrated before, a vampire will be executed.
(Damn it, which one!? Which one am I supposed to hide!?)
You don’t know whether to protect your social dignity or your life…and yet you can’t decide due to the confusion, and can only remain rooted.
Just to mention this beforehand though, you already lost both your dignity and your life.
"Nafu, nyafu, funyanyaa…"
The girl with cat ears who calls herself the class president appears to be greatly confused, her hands covering her mouth as she let out cat-like sounds. It might be more helpful if she covers her eyes instead of her mouth…but it appears she has lost a normal cognitive ability.
"H-ho-how long are you going to stand there!! Ehhh, turn away!!"
Within the highly chaotic room, the first to regain calm is the strongest type, Arteria. The vampire (Arteria) looks away from you and leaps towards the cat girl…
And bites her neck with sharp bloodsucking fangs.
"Gn-gnyaaa! Gyafu, funya—"
The girl gets bitten on the neck, and seemingly jolts as she tries to escape from Arteria’s grasp. Perhaps her arm strength can’t defeat a High Daylight Walker after all, or perhaps there is some supernatural power at work—
"Nya, fuu…"
In a mere few seconds, she falls limp to the floor, unconsciousness.
"Fuchu, hum, chuu…haa."
Arteria consumes lots of the girl’s blood, and then slowly lets go of the body. The saliva that stretches between the slender neck and the lips reflects the morning sun, and silently snaps.
"…W-what…!"
"Nm, this much should be enough!"
"Va-vampire!? Why did you suddenly do that! If you suck that girl’s blood, won’t she become a vampire like me…wait, did you come to the ‘Apothecary’ for this reason?"
"Huh? What nonsense are you saying, would I convert a mere demi-human girl as my subordinate? The only human that received the blood of this High Daylight Walker is you."
"Si-since you only turned my into your underling, why did you suck her blood? "
"Why else? I suck the blood of this girl to understand her real identity."
"I know you sucked her blood! But what has that got to do with knowing the true identity of this girl?"
"…Did you asking that I am a ‘blood sucking monster’?"
"Huh? What misunderstanding? What else does the word ‘vampire’ mean…!?"
"It’s true that I do consume ‘blood’, but what I really absorb is knowledge, you see?"
"Eh?"
A fine finger sways in the air, drawing two words before you.
‘Blood’ and ‘lore’.
‘Bloodline’ and ‘bloodlore’.
They might sound similar, but the terms themselves are completely different.
"High Daylight Walker, king of the undead, the eternal princess, descendant of Kain, the twilight without dawn, Princess of Calamity, the silver Night of the Library Labyrinth—such are the many names I have, but this is the easiest to understand."
Arteria states her other name as she gives a somewhat ominous smile,
"’The thing that devours human knowledge(talent eater)’. This really is an appropriate name."
—The talent eater, ‘ability devourer’.
"De-devour abilities…the ability to suck knowledge…?"
"Truly. For I can devour memories through bloodsucking and strength myself, turning the abilities to mine. For example, by a mere drop of blood, I can amplify the healing ability by billions of times, and regenerate myself instantly."
"Ah! Did you gain my natural healing when you regenerated yesterday?"
"The target of blood sucking is not limited simply to healing. The arm physical strength to fight off the demon was originally taken from you. The ability of the true ancestor (I) allows I to absorb physical strength, intelligence, and even magical power. Thus, I am the High Daylight Walker—the strongest bloodsucker in Labyrinth, the silver night of Library Labyrinth."
"…!"
You have a feeling that there is an evil glint in Arteria’s brilliant eyes, and can’t help but gulp. The girl wearing a pure white robe looks so adorable—but she’s still a monster after all.
"Well, due to various reasons, this ability of I is heavily restricted. I cannot be as reckless as before…but I can know of your past with just a drop of blood…ahm."
Arteria wipes your blood clean from her fingertips.
"So, 'Sōshi Okutsuki'?"
She calls out your name, which you have never told her before.
"…What!"
"I know more than just your name. Your birthday is on October the sixteen, and you turn sixteen this year. You leave your mother and little sister in Japan far away, and decide to come study alone in Alexandria to investing the truth about your father’s death, follow in his footsteps, and become Doctor Magna…it appears you suffered lots over these five years.?"
"Y-You really absorbed my memories…!"
You only divulged your information to the ‘Apothecary’, your boarding location in the Library City Alexandria, but the vampire actually states so nonchalantly. This is the ability of the knowledge sucking monster, the talent eater.
"…Th-then, you know who I am because of my blood that flowed out…"
"I absorbed it. First thing to think of, how did I bring you into this dormitory? How did I know the dormitory room number, and where the boys dormitory of the ‘Apothecary’ is?"
"Th-that’s right…then how much do you know about me?"
"I shall need enough blood to kill you if I wish to absorb the memories deep within you. A few drops will suffice for shallow memories. Given that you lost that much blood, there is nothing I do not know about you."
It is as though she had looked deep into your heart—no, like she is reading a story she has firmly grasped as she looks at you.
"…For I still remember, Sōshi."
The bloody eyes narrow, showing conflicting emotions that are hard to determine.
"…Well then, now you understand the reason why I know you. Now that I absorb this girl’s blood, I have also extracted the bloodlore."
"…Y-You didn’t shoot down the doorknob just for revenge…no, you saved me, but how would I have known how to react if you hadn’t said so beforehand!"
"Well, helping aside, ninety percent or so of the reason is revenge."
"So it’s all malicious!? B-because of you! Someone just saw some troublesome places…wooooaaaaaaahhhhhh!!"
You finally remember the reason why it feels cooling at your lower body (fully naked) and you hurry onto the bed, covering the groin with the blanket.
"Uuuu…I showed something unbelievable to a classmate I met for the first time…!!"
"…Wh-why is it a little expanded…?"
"It’s morning! Don’t force me to say it! And don’t observe me!!"
You continue to cup your head under the blanket and cry, remorseful about your folly. Arteria tries to console you as she says with a somewhat unnatural voice.
"…W-well, do not worry about this. After all, I did absorb the memories...and that is not your first time. It seems this girl has met you before."
"…Eh? She knows…me?"
You sit up on the bed and turn to look at the girl who has collapsed on the floor. As aforementioned, only a mere few knows who you are in the Library City Alexandria.
(…When did we meet? When I reached the port yesterday? Or does she know me from five years ago…?)
You start to observe the girl’s appearance.
The body that’s no taller than 160cm is wearing a dark blue robe of the ‘Apothecary’. The sheet metal armor that covers her left shoulder to the upper arm has an intertwined olive crest embedded on it, so she probably is your classmate.
The problem here is that you don't recognize the cute, self-assertive cat ears on her brown hair at all. Cat folks aren’t uncommon In this Library City Alexandria, but…
"…I can't remember. Though I think she’s a student at the ‘Apothecary’…"
"An advice to you. Judging others by their appearance is not just a vice, but also suicidal. It’s one thing if you are back in an island country in the Far East, but this is the city of the Library Labyrinth."
"…!"
The ‘most powerful vampire (High Daylight Walker)’, who looks appears to be in her mid-teens, shows a sarcastic smile. Her slightly curled lips show her sharp bloodsucking fangs.
"But it is troubling that you have forgotten. It is difficult to transfer the memories absorbed through blood t others…enough with that. I shall narrate, and that book ‘me’ shall record."
Arteria says, and starts to give information about the girl.
"This little girl is called 'Calmia Loadtokson'. She is the class president of your new class, one of two people who greeted you at Alexandria Harbor yesterday."
"So since this Calmia girl who greeted me, does she know about my relationship with Father?"
"No, as far as I can tell, it seems she does not know. If she is related to the feuding enemy, she would have known about the incident five years ago. She probably has nothing to do with your father’s killers."
"…Yeah, it’s not going to be that easy to find any clues about the incident five years ago…"
"But this little girl appears to have abnormal magic resistance. She shall be awake in a few minutes, so you should wear your clothes soon and try to lie your way out of this situation."
"She’ll wake up in a few minutes…eeeeeeeehhhhhh!!? Wait, you mentioned that way too late! I can’t think of any excuse for the time being! And I don’t have any clothes to wear!"
"Fufun? Have you forgotten the function of this ‘book’ (me)?"
Arteria looks bemused as she takes out the ‘Origami Set to Become an Origami Master’, rips off a page and chants, "Apothecary Robe’.
The ‘origami paper’ instantly transforms into a brand new robe.
"…I didn’t have to be seen naked if I had used the ‘Origami paper’ to begin with? "
"You never said you wanted to use it, no?"
"Gr-grrrr…"
You bite on your lip and stare at Arteria with resentment. One word of advice, the sooner you learn how to use this 'book' (Me), the better.
This is the capital of Library Labyrinth, the Library City Alexandria, where all forms of books humanity can imagine remain in slumber.
936 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
◇◇◇936 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
"Nyafufu…well~ that was really embarrassing…"
"No, no, don't worry about it! It's my fault for oversleeping!"
You’re on the aerial corridor leading to the main lecture tower of the ‘Apothecary’, and while trickling cold sweat, you answer the cat girl who’s tickling her cheek in embarrassment—Calmia Loadtokson, the class president.
"I didn’t think I’d get knocked out by a door that’s slammed over. Hanyaa~… "
"Y-you really didn’t have to mind that. I don’t mind either!"
So you say with a wry smile, but deep inside, you feel like you're walking a tightrope over a precipice. If the lie you say gets exposed, it may lead to your expulsion, and also the potential revelation that you’ve been turned into a vampire (a death sentence).
(…Phew, looks like I managed to bluff her…)
You put on the dark blue robe, and put your 'book' (me) beneath your shoulder armor. Calmia woke up from the coma that lasted for at least ten minutes after her memory was sucked out.
You took advantage of the memory gap and lie to her that ‘when you rushed out of the door, the opened door slammed into her, and knocked her out’.
(She came all the way to wake me up. I guess she’s a kind girl…but If the ‘Apothecary’ finds out that I’ve been turned into a vampire, I’ll be executed in a way that I can’t be revived again…)
You gulp your saliva as you imagined yourself being executed.
"Mo-more importantly, Calmia…san? Can you tell me stuff about our class? I don’t know what kind of people are there, so I’m a little nervous."
"Nyamumu, didn't Calmia say that Calmia will do so nya! Munya, now then, I’ll introduce you to the classmates as apology for making you take care of me, Okutsuki!"
Calmia corrects that overly courteous address of yours angrily, and smiles cheerfully as she continues on. Her expressions vary greatly, and she does have the vibe of a fickle cat.
"Okutsuki, the class you’re transferring into, my class, is the ‘Apothecary’ 10th grade. Let’s see, the Japanese system that Okutsuki mentioned yesterday is erm…high school? Am I right?"
"Yes. Given the new school system, I’d probably be a first year in high school. How many are there in the class, more or less?"
"There are 43 of us, including Okutsuki. The pure humans and demi-humans amount to about half each nya~? There are a lot of demi-humans in Alexandria, so you might be confused at first nya."
The triangular ears on her dark brown hair twitch.
They prove that she’s of a different tribe from humans—she’s a ‘demi-human’ whose bloodline is related to the creatures of the Library Labyrinth
"Don’t worry, I’m not someone with such rigid thoughts."
You look into the amethyst purple crystal eyes and answer sincerely.
Some purebloods do discriminate against demi-humans, but you are not one of those racial supremacist.
"Thank goodness nya. People used to get bullied just because they have beast ears or tails…but nya know, I won’t let any bully get away with it!"
There’s definitely a slight different between pure humans and demi-humans, but they both do have human hearts. It’s very important to exhibit the ideals of the ‘Apothecary’ and respect each other's individuality equally.
"Nyafufu, well, the ideal of the ‘Apothecary’ is that ‘even demons or reapers will be accepted as students as long as they have the will to study’ nya."
Calmia stares forward at the aerial corridor and whispers quietly. Her pretty sidelong face seems to show her desire of this ideal.
"…Yes, I think that’s a great ideal too…anyway, just to ask, can this ideal accept ‘vampires who wish to learn’…? "
"Vampires? Of course they’ll be executed nya."
However, every ideal has its limits.
"Eh? B-but you say that it’ll accept demons and reapers…so why not vampires?"
"Of course not nya. Unlike demons and reapers, vampirism corrupts easily. You may end up transformed into a vampire, so how can you study together with one nya?"
"…So a vampire’s ranked lower than a reaper…"
Library City Alexandria is home to a myriad of demi-humans, and although there were conflicts in the past, demi-humans are now considered human, no different than the purebloods.
In order to establish a society where pure humans and demi-humans can live together, there is a need to mark a clear distinction between demi-humans and Labyrinth creatures. Those that do not meet the condition of ‘being human’ will be deemed as monsters and certain to be ostracized.
"Understand human words, feed on things aside from human flesh and blood, and obey the law and the covenant. If these three conditions can’t be followed, you can’t live with others nya.
"…I-I think vampires are dangerous monsters too, but…"
"But those vampires were mostly killed off decades ago in that war against vampires. Even if there are any vampires left, they can be executed or cured nya."
"C-cured!? Erm…just to ask! This got nothing to do with me or a real person at all, it’s just a what-if question—but can vampirism be cured?"
"Nnya! If that person can get a ‘book to cure vampirism’ or be roasted in fire for 39 years and then be blessed for fifty five years while being boiled in sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide for 55 years…"
"…Fi-first one aside, wouldn’t the latter like…kill someone…?"
"Yep. If you don’t pull the person out once the vampirism is lifted, he'll be transformed into melted black charcoal in the sulfuric acid bath nya. Well, either way, the vampire dies nya~!"
"Yyeah, haha! It’s fine that vampires die either way, ahahahaha!!"
Calmia’s cheerful tone sounds strangely cruel and merciless to you. Sweat trickles profusely from your head in tension as you barely eke a smile.
(Now there’s no way I’m letting anyone know that I’ve transformed into a vampire now…! I need to pretend to be an ordinary student as much as possible, and not let anyone have the slightest of suspicion…!)
The fear of dying as black coal terrifies you, and you form a tragic resolve in your heart…
(…What does this useless cat think vampires are. I shall punch her up good.)
"You’ll be executed!?"
You can’t help but shout in respond to the voice that suddenly rings at your ear.
"Hanya!? O-Okutsuki!? What’s wrong nya! Who are you talking too nya…?"
Calmia reacts in shock and looks up at you with a worried face.
"I-it’s nothing. Erm, I thought I heard something!?"
"You hear me? Punch! punch! I shall educate this little girl!""
"Okutsuki…the long journey really wore your out nya. Yes, I understand nya."
"No no that’s not it Calmia! My mind isn’t weird or anything."
The amethyst purple eyes Calmia show gradually becomes one of pity.
Well, it’s no wonder, for you can hear a voice no one else can detect.
(…Oi vampire, don’t suddenly speak into my ear!)
"Is a normal way of talking easier? This arrogant cat girl may hear me"
(I’m telling you to shut up.)
You shout in your mind. No, you do not have the ability of mental telepathy. You can’t see her, but the High Daylight Walker Arteria is by your side.
(Mu, what do you mean by shut up? For I am giving you this opinion of I!)
The silvery white bat peeks its head out from the hood of the robe, gnawing at the hair at the back of your head.
Arteria’s using an ability of a vampire, the ability to ‘transform into a bat’ as she hides in your clothes and moves along with you. She can extract memories from your body warmth and be aware of the surroundings.
And you, as her subordinate, can understand any word from our master in any language (even if it’s supersonic)!
"Okutsuki~…if you’re not feeling well, it’s better to take leave for today nya~"
"N-no, I’m fine! I’m completely fine! Really!"
"What now? Do you intend to show yourself in class? With the power of this High Daylight Walker, it shall be easy to explore the Labyrinth, you know?""
(…I’m not intending to borrow the power of a vampire. And it’s not easy to enter the Labyrinth if I’m not a student of the ‘Apothecary’. I should attend lessons properly so that I get to gain knowledge to explore.)
As aforementioned, your memory can only be maintained at a thousand pages. If you waste your memory, the tragic fate of being imprisoned in oblivion shall await you.
However, if the question is whether your ability allows you to reach the depths of the Labyrinth, the answer is no. It is more prudent to use the classes and facilities of the ‘Apothecary’ to improve your exploration efficiency.
(…I didn't come back to Library City Alexandria to be turned into a vampire and lose my memory. I returned here to find out the truth of what happened five years ago…!)
Through the fabric of your robe, you put your fingertips on your father's talisman and think of the new life that awaits you in the ‘Apothecary’ at the end of this aerial corridor.
And then, in seemingly response to your sentiments, the Mediterranean sea breeze blows aside the stratus cloud covers the corridor before you.
"Ah, lookie look Okutsuki, over there! You can see the main lecture tower nya~!"
"Eh?"
The ‘Apothecary's lecture tower, hidden by the clouds, reveals itself to you.
"…W-woah…!"
The tallest building of the ‘Apothecary’, the Great Alexandria University Apothecary, appears like a great tree stretching to the sky.
The main lecture tower reaches into a sky like a trunk growing into the heavens, and there are countless branches-like corridors stretching from it, the greenery of the small botanical gardens connecting to them, depicting the entire Apothecary like a giant tree.
It is the ‘Tree of Wisdom’ that absorbs the wisdom of the gods lying in slumber within the Library Labyrinth, growing together with humanity.
The Great Apothecary of Alexandria, the explorer guild of the ‘Apothecary’, is the culmination of of humanity's efforts, an artificial great stone tree that provides shelter in times of peril.
(…I've returned. The ‘Apothecary’, the explorer guild Father belonged to…!!)
The lush greenery of the botany remains in the sky. The majestic sight of the Great Apothecary of Alexandria makes you forget about your fear of becoming a vampire or having memory loss.
This ‘Apothecary’ was built by the wishes of those who prayed for human development and future, along with the efforts of countless people. As long as you keep challenging the Library Labyrinth without giving up, you will be able to cure your memory loss, regain your memory and magic, and learn the truth of what happened five years ago.
(… Yes, this is the capital of Library Labyrinth. I can find any grimoire here as long as it’s anything humans dream and work hard for. This is the city of divine relics…!!)
The search guild that populate the Library City Alexandria isn’t just a mutual aid group for Labyrinth explorers, but also serve to collect and share the technology and culture that were left by the gods, to be shared with all of humanity.
The technology unearthed from the Library Labyrinth and circulating through the Tree of Wisdom will eventually be privately appropriated by the guilds under their control, supporting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.
The great artificial made tree stretches to nearly one thousand meters above sea level above the Library Labyrinth.
The ‘Apothecary’ your father dedicated his life to is the symbol of humanity’s development and wisdom.
(…I’ll get them back. I’ll find the ‘book’ from the Library, get back my memory and magic, and become a Doctor Magna like Father…!)
"…Nyafufu, Okutsuki, you look like you want to be Doctor Magna nya! Well, you wouldn’t have transferred into the Doctoral Candidate course if you hadn’t planned on it, nya?)"
Calmia put her hands on her hips and hunches over, exhaling a breath.
"Alright! Now that you’ve bucked up, let’s hurry to the classroom nya!. Let’s go over there before teacher Yuzu gets too impatient with us—ready, run!!!"
"Eh!? Ah wai-wait Calmia! I don’t know where the classroom is though!?"
"Nyahahaha! If you get lost in the outermost area, you'll starve to death!"
"Starve to death!?Wa-Wait, I don't want to die yet!" Calmia laughs like a whimsical cat as she runs off down the aerial corridor. You give chase after her, towards the ‘Apothecary’ that stands before you.
◇◇◇927 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
After reaching the huge brick lecture tower, you turn a few times in the wide corridor and arrive at a narrow corridor lined with countless doors.
Each and every single one of them has a number on it, and they probably represent the class number. Calmia stands before one of them and turns around with a cheerful smile on her face.
"…Nyafufu! We’re here, nya!
"Haa, haa…e-erm, classroom 1032, right?"
""Unya! This is the classroom 1032 where Okutsuki will be studying with us!. Teacher Yuzu is probably explaining what you need to revise, so get the introduction ready, Okutsuki!"
Calmia says with a smile and enters classroom classroom 1032. You’re left alone on the corridor, muttering to yourself while trying to calm the heart down that’s racing as you have just ran..
"Haa, haa, phew—…I’m turned into a vampire, but my heart’s still beating so quickly.”
"…You may have received immortality from I, but you still about seventy percent human…the reason for your racing heart is the mental strain rather than the physical.""'
"Vampire…well, it's been five years since I've been to the ‘Apothecary’. I’m certainly nervous."
You imagine the future that awaits you beyond this door, and your subsiding palpitations starts to hasten again.
As aforementioned, you practically lost the memories you have prior to five years ago. Even if it’s a transfer, you are basically re-enrolled into this school. It is normal to worry that you may not be able to adjust to your new class.
(…But I’m more excited because of it. I’m standing in the ‘Apothecary’, where Father once studied magic…!)
You touch the talisman on your chest and recall your father's face.
"I want to regain my memory and magic, and become someone who can save others."
Joining the ‘Apothecary’ will be the prelude in your life to fulfilling this wish.
"…Nyafufu! I'm back, Teacher Yuzu!"
"Nyafufu! Calmia-chan! Have you found Okutsuki-kun~?"
"I found him! He's waiting outside the door now!"
"…The owner of this voice is your form teacher, ‘Yuzuriha Daphniphyllum Walla."
As you overhear the conversation beyond the door, Arteria whispers to you softly.
(What? This childish voice with a lisp…is the form teacher?)
"Truly. The voice may sound like a little girl’s, but she is definitely one of the Doctor Magnas."
"Ehhhh? Do-Doctor Magna?"
You shout in shock once you hear the rank of the form teacher.
‘Doctor Magna’ is the third rank of the four major guilds in Library City Alexandria, and also the degree and position granted as a title, only to the best explorers in the ‘Apothecary’.
In other words, ‘Teacher Yuzu’ is a superhuman who excels in all aspects of Labyrinth exploration, magical combat, book research, and the training of future generations. She will instantly eradicate you with her impressive magic the moment the fact that you are a vampire is exposed.
"As you can hear from the voice, your form teacher has an appearance and age unfitting for a teacher. But don't act all surprised and go all ‘she’s a little girl!!’, you know? She was the contact person for the ‘Apothecary’ who welcomed you at the port yesterday. If you act suspiciously…"
I may be suspected of being a vampire because I lost my memory, and end up executed…! It’s scary…!!)
"…Now all that’s left is to welcome the transfer student! Okutsuki-kun, please come in!"
As you tremble in fear, a young voice calls out through the door.
(Hii, the teacher’s calling for me…vampire, don’t you talk to me suddenly in the classroom.)
"Mmm, how rude of you! It is rare of I to provide a suggestion. Go ahead with your failure of a self-introduction and embarrass yourself in front of the humans!"
(I-I don't care if I fail. I didn’t return to the ‘Apothecary’ just to enjoy school life. I’m here to regain my memory and magic, and become a Doctor Magna. …!)
You quietly refute the vampire's anxiety-inducing words.
Well, compared to losing your memory in eight hours, the class atmosphere and your relationship with your classmates may indeed be of lesser importance.
"Alright." You mutter to yourself and and open the door to the classroom.
(…This is the lecture room of the best academic institute in the world, the ‘Apothecary’…!)
The classroom you enter is various spacious, and a Japanese terakoya can’t compare..
The classroom is built with runes reinforced building materials, and the seats descend like stairs towards the podium at the back of the room. The blackboards, nearly five meters wide, are connected together with pulleys, designed to be raised and lowered at will.
The long desks, two students for one, are very wide, and allow stacks of textbooks. The entire room is brightly lit by sunlight shining through the light absorbing windows, and the artificial light pouring down from the ‘self-illuminating book’ on the ceiling.
(…No, now’s not the time to be observe. I need to greet everyone properly so that people don't suspect my identity!)
You walk down the stairway between the desks, receiving a mixture of curious and expectant stares. You walk onto the podium and turn to face your classmates.)
"Erm…nice to meet you, I'm Sōshi Okutsuki! I've been away from Library City Alexandria for five years, so I probably have lots of things I’m still not used to. Please take care of me!"
You bow politely and scan the classroom while you greet heartily
—Gashan!! And,
You hear the sound of a chair that was kicked down.
"Eh?"
The eyes there are staring at you turn towards the noise in unison. They are looking towards a girl at the far right corner of the corridor, one who’s frozen in place.
—Now, then, allow me to write down some very important information you need to remember.
After all, the class atmosphere and the classmates’ personalities are important in any situation.
Even though you are not half a vampire, or have a thousand pages worth of memory, these are aspects you can never take lightly under any circumstances.
Why?
Y-you, you…! "
"Wait, you…are you!"
Because amongst your classmates, there may be murderers or vampires.
"You're yesterday's vampire!!!"
"You’re yesterday’s murderer!!!"
The screams of you and the girl echoed throughout the lecture tower of the Apothecary’.
"Wh-why are you here!?"
There was no way you could have mistaken her
She has changed her clothes from black to a dark blue robe, but the lush swirls of blond hair, the ominous horns and the icy glare of the blue eyes definitely belong to the culprit who murdered you.
"T-that’s my line! I definitely killed you thoroughly!"
It appears the murderer has not forgotten the face of this failed prey. She puts her hand into the sheet metal armor covering her right shoulder and howls at you, intending to pull out a grimoire.
"I didn’t think a murderer is a student in the ‘Apothecary’! You disguised yourself to escape the magic criminal inquisitors of the ‘Cathedral’, didn’t you!?"
"I don’t know what you’re talking about. I got no reason to be slandered by a vampire disguised as a transfer student! You filthy bloodsucking demon!"
"Whose fault do you think it is!? You’re no different yourself, you murder! My life’s ruined because of you! make sure your crimes are exposed to the light of day!!"
"You’re never alive to begin with. Don’t speak as though you have a ‘life’! I was just intending to eliminate the vermin that were hurting people and heroes!"
"Er-erm…Okutsuki, Eri? Are you two friends nya…?"
""Huh?""
Calmia timidly tries to stop you two as you two appear to be on the fighting each other. She’s probably trying to fulfil her responsibility as the class president…but she merely stokes the flames.
"Friends? You’re joking, Calmia! He’s a vicious and indiscriminate killer! He should be dragged to the court of justice and given a harsh trial!"
"Calmia-san, please don’t be fooled by her nonsense! She’s a monster beneath that human skin! She’s the embodiment of evil, the vampire who should be purged from this earth immediately!"
Your conversation devolves into unruly insults, and then…
"—Y-you’re violating school rules!
The immature voice of what clearly sounds like a girl interrupts you.
"!!"
"H-how dare you start calling each other a vampire or a murderer. This should not be the attitude a student of the ‘Apothecary’ should have! This Teacher will be angry now!"
Flailing her hands and expressing her anger was a Doctor Magna who appears to be ten years old.
"T-Teacher Yuzu…?"
Your form teacher, Teacher Yuzu, looked like a perfect little girl herself.
Her chestnut hair that almost reaches her waist retains the light sheen characteristic of a young child. If it hasn’t been for what Calmia has briefed you, it’ll be absolutely impossible for you to recognize her as a teacher.
""…Do calm down for now. Even I cannot guarantee protection if you battle here.."
However, the strongest species, Arteria, appears to be able to sense the magic power hidden in her young body.
She is a mage whose ability is such that even the High Daylight Walker will flat out admit that ‘she cannot protect you’. If the fact that you were converted into a vampire is revealed, a subordinate like you will be charred in an instant.
"N-no, this is…"
"B-But Teacher, this guy…!!"
You feel infuriated to see the murderer who brutally killed you…but this is the teaching block of the ‘Apothecary’, the headquarters of the Labyrinth explorers that have overwhelming combat strength. It is not prudent to escalate matters here.
"O-oi, vampire…" "What did Erika do to be insulted as a murderer?" "I don’t think it’s likely, but he probably won’t be a true vampire, right…" "…how suspicious..."
"Mugu…!"
Your classmates, who have been listening to your faceoff, start to chatter about the true identity of this new student. At this rate, your true identity may end up exposed.
(Ku…! If I'm exposed as a vampire, I'll be punished with a fate worse than dying in a sulfuric acid bath! The indiscriminate murderer who killed me is in this ‘Apothecary’…!)
Truth be told, you have no intention to be in the same room as the murderer for even a second…but it appears you have no other means of survival aside from suppressing your feelings.
You bow your head to Teacher Yuzu, wary of the murderer’s grimoire.
"I'm sorry about that, Teacher…I was impulsive."
"A casual apology won’t do. Okutsuki-kun, please apologize to Eri-chan."
The teacher puffs her cheeks, urging you to apologize to the murderer. . You find it ridiculous to be apologizing to the one who killed you. But if people are to discover that you have been turned into a vampire, perhaps you will be executed with no way to revive.
Left with no choice, you turn to the girl called ‘Eri-chan’.
"…Sorry, it’s my fault. Erm… "
"…’Erika K. Austral’…me too, pardon me for my rudeness."
You apologize, and with a disgusted, anguished look on her face as though she has bitten on a bitter bug, the murderer introduces herself as ‘Erika’.
Though you are worried that she might reveal your identity as a vampire right away—
"…"
(…Huh? Sh-She didn’t say anything?)
The murderer Erika merely lowers her head in silence, shooting a hostile glare at you. Truly, it shows that she has intentions to kill you once again, but she does not show signs on acting again.
(Why? She could have killed me right away if she reveals my identity as a vampire…)
"…Is she one of the feuding parties…?"
"Looks like you two have calmed down. Now then, Okutsuki-kun, please take a seat,"
"Eh, ueehhh!?"
Before you can question the murderer’s actions, the teacher urges you to take a seat.
And before you know it, you find yourself in the middle of the classroom, with you classmates staring at you.
"Oh…-I-I’m sorry, Teacher! I’ll get seated right—"
You look around the classroom…the only empty seat available is the one ""next to the murderer"".
"…Erm, Teacher? I think there's only one seat available?"
"Hurry up and sit down. You’re the only new student, Okutsuki-kun."
"But, actually, my religion forbids believers to sit on chairs."
"That's an odd doctrine. Please defy that teaching though."
"And…erm, I can’t think of an excuse not to sit in that chair."
"You can think about it after you sit down."
You try to fool the teacher, but fail.
You lament your cruel fate and stagger across the classroom to sit down next to the murderer.
"…Cherish the last few hours of your life."
(S-someone just proclaimed my murder and remaining lifespan!)
"I’m happy. Now then everyone, please give assist to Okutsuki-kun is in trouble.)
You're in trouble and you want everyone to help you, but all you can hear is a ‘nyafufu~’ from somewhere at the front of the classroom, and no one is offering you a helping hand.
You pretend to fold your arms, posing as though you can immediately pull the ‘book’(me) out of your right shoulder.
"Once class is over, prepare yourself. I’ll definitely send you to the netherworld."
For the left side of your body is basking in sufficient killing intent to pierce through you outright.
(…Vampire, if this fellow next to me does anything strange, please let me know right away.)
"Do be at ease. This is what I shall do""
And so the second day of your memorable boarding school begins in the worst way possible.
◇◇◇915 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
"Ehh, now then, let’s buck up and begin first magic theory class for the semester."
Teacher Yuzu has a lisp, but she begins to speak on with a quiet, stern voice.
Usually, the day a new student transfers in, there is a somewhat light-hearted mood in the air…but to be expected of the ‘Apothecary’, it appears all the students are paying attention.
"This teacher has said before that magic is an art based on extremely strict theories. This teacher wishes for everyone to study hard and become mages that can help people."
(Somehow, I just heard the plan for a perfect crime during magic theory class.)
That will exclude female student planning to kill the person next to her, and the male student who’s on the verge of being killed.
"You have no time to listen foolishly. Be on your guard at all times. Even with everyone looking, there is no telling what this little girl may do."
(…If I start a commotion in the classroom (here), I’ll be killed no matter whether I win or lose…)
As per last night's battle, if the vampire (Arteria) is truly serious, there’s no way she will lose to the murderer (Erika). However, as long as the Doctor Magna remains around, the High Daylight Walker can’t appear openly.
If it comes to a battle, you shall have to fight her alone.
(…And they call the High Daylight Walker a monster, a natural enemy against humanity….I can’t trust her. I can’t ask her for assistance, and I need to think of a way to protect myself from this murderer…)
"Please open your notes. It’s the first day today, so as revision, we shall talk about the use of ‘Magitzkveins’. Please look at page 539 of your textbook…ah, Okutsuki-kun doesn’t seem to have a textbook year. Please share with the student next to you."
(Wait, the one sitting next to me is the murderer who killed me yesterday!
You turned your head fearfully to the left, and see a demonic face resembling a hannya..
"…Can you please note look at me with those filthy eyeballs of yours? Your gaze is impure."
"My eyeballs are washed clean by many tears! All thanks to you!"
It appears she has no intention of sharing her textbook to you. Furthermore, if you spite her carelessly, surely there will be stone spears flying at you.
(No choice but to attend class without my textbook then…eh, uh out. I left my stationery in my room!)
As it has been a hectic morning for you, you accidentally left your writing materials in that large trunk. You should have created it with the ‘Origami paper’ when you used it to create the robe…
(…Vampire, can you get me the ‘Origami set’ now?)
"I do not mind lending to you…but not while the Doctor Magna is watching. If she detects any magic interference within the Shadow Realm, your conversion to a vampire will surely be exposed."
"Ku…"
It appears to be impossible to use the grimoire.
Considering the threat of the murderer, you’d have liked to pay attention to this magic theory class, but there is no other way to obtain writing material aside from using a using a grimoire. …
(…Even if I ask this murderer, she’s not going to lend me a pen …)
"Of course not. Who’d want to lend something to a vampire?"
"I haven't even asked you yet!"
You really wanted to retort, asking who would willingly lend stuff to a murderer, but this will obviously end up in a deadlock.
"…You may try. Say that ‘I shall expose your true self to the ‘Apothecary’ if you do not’."
(Ehh…? She’s definitely reject me, or rather, there should be stone spears flying over…)
A silver bat with its snout peeking out of the robe gives you an earful (via ultrasound).
However, the one sitting next to you is the extremely savage murderer. If you try to threaten her, who knows how cruel the retaliation might be.
"Not exactly. If the guess is correct, this threat may be effective."
(…I don't trust vampire's reasoning at all…but if I want stationery, I’ll have to try, I guess…?)
"If you don’t lend me, I’ll reveal your identity to the ‘Apothecary’."
"Ku…!"
As expected. You did as Arteria said, and threaten the murderer…the murderer shoots you a hostile look, rummages through her pencil case, and pulls out a pencil.
A pencil it may be, but it’s not a new product that has become common among the general public since the discovery of the ‘Hexagonal Pencils made from Wood and Graphite’ that wouldn’t get your hands dirty. It is an old-fashioned ‘lead pen (metal point)’ which the lead is sharpened as a stick.
(What…w-why? She just lent me a pencil that easily …!)
"As expected, it appears this little girl does not wish to cause any trouble in the ‘Apothecary’. If so, does her real identity involve an organization that openly cooperates with the ‘Apothecary’…?"
Artilia's suggestion seems suspicious, but it seems there is a basis. The threatened murderer shows an expression typical of a murderer (a hannya), and she passes you a metal point.
The only people who would use such old pencils, aside from having dirty hands, are those in the ‘Cathedral’ whose brain cells have fossilized. Surely this woman is an old-fashioned person.
"…H-hmph, that’s rather obedient for a murderer. I’m different from you though. I know etiquettes, so I’ll thank..o-oi!?"
Although it is not easy to use, it allows you to take notes. You shall borrow it then…so you think as you reach your hand out, but the metal point passes above your palm.
Poof.
The sharpened tip of the pencil pierces deep into your flank.
"—That tickles!"
The intense itch coming from your flank causes you to scream.
The classroom goes silent, and Teacher Yuzu stares at you with a troubled look.
"…T-That was Okutsuki-kun, right? Y-you just made a strange scream, so…"
"N-no, that’s not it! I just feel very ticklish in on left side!"
"Oh-oh. Teacher thought this was a auditory hallucination Calmia-chan spoke up…no, since it’s a physiological phenomenon, you can’t do anything about it. Please try your best not to be too loud in class."
"…I'm sorry I'll be more careful…!"
The sympathetic looks from your surroundings leave you very unbearable, and you sit back in your seat. There’s still some awkwardness lingering in this interrupted class as it restarts.
"…Look what you've done, murderer. Are you trying to embarrass me and isolate me from the rest of the class…!?"
"Oh my, so a vampire has the intelligence to feel shame too. I assume you’re rather shameless enough to not kill yourself out of shame because of how you are."
"It’s because of you that I can’t kill myself even if I want to!!"
You say as you pull out the pencil that is stuck in your body. The pencil feels inexplicably slippery to the touch, and you realize that the pancreatic juice that is attached to it has dissolved your skin into a paste.
"…So the digestive juices flowing from your ruptured pancreas appears to be to be dissolving your flesh…"
(Guuuu… that's why I feel so itchy …!)
It appears your internal organs are suffering from self-digestion because of the leaking pancreatic fluid. A normal human would have died from the pain of peritonitis, and even Nosferatus would feel ticklish.
"Damn you, you heretical demon, I'll report you to the the magical crime inquisitor of the ‘Cathedral’…it tickles! "
The second metal point pierces you.
It seems the demon of a murderer sure has a hellish good pair of ears.
"…Er-erm, Okutsuki-kun? This teacher doesn’t really want to say it, but if you let out weird noises, ehhh!? O-Okutsuki-kun!? Why are you giving off a weird aura!!?"
"Eh?"
Once you hear the Teacher say so, you look down at your own body, and find that there is red mist rising from all over your dark blue robe.
The blood that boils as your wounds heal leak out from the fabric, and Teacher Yuzu sees it as rising flames instead.
(T-this is bad! If I answer that ‘this is boiling blood’, the fact that I’m a vampire now will be exposed!)
"E-erm! It’s a rush of bioenergy caused by intense emotions! I’ve reflected on my actions for causing trouble for everyone, so I’m focusing hard on class, creating an ‘aura!!"
Needless to say, this is a crazy excuse, However, this is Library City Alexandria.
"T-This teacher is so touched! This teacher has seen a few students giving off aura, but it’s the first time seeing a child with such rich aura…uuu, this Teacher is so relieved that Okutsuki-kun is decent."
It seemed the teacher really thought of you as a pitiful child with a loose screw. ‘We see you differently now!’ the students too look back at you with such an expression.
(Eh, are there people who give off aura in the ‘Apothecary’ …?)
""…I-it certainly is a blessing in disguise. Now even if you bleed again, other people will think, ‘Oh, you are emitting your aura again’,"
(Does that mean people will always think I’m someone who’ll give off an aura?)
"Teacher is touched…! Okay~ Teacher will definitely reward Okutsuki-kun's efforts! So…, by the way, Teacher would like to ask a question! Let's ask Okutsuki-kun to answer the question. Why are 'Magitzkveins' important?"
(Ah, my excuse is a complete failure.)
Your brain cells instantly derive the future of ‘① answering the question wrongly → ② being doubted if you're really paying attention to the lesson → ③ your conversion to a vampire is exposed because of the blood → ④ dying’.
(V-vampire, tell me! Why are Magitzkveins important!?)
"H-How would I know! Is magic not something that can be fired at will with a loud cry?"
(Are you seriously telling me to give an answer only a High Daylight Walker can understand!? I’ll be exposed right away!)
It appears a High Daylight Walker is helpless when it comes to questions pertaining to human common sense. For the strongest vampire who can use magic with feeling along, without chanting, it is impossible to answer the question of magic theory.
"E-erm, Teacher! Please give me time to read my notes!"
You reply, and take out the 'book' (Me) that you have tucked into the binder on your right shoulder.
"Erm, I'm pretty sure I left a note of what I studied beforehand…! "
You flip through my pages, but there is nothing you studied beforehand. You are just stalling for time, and as you try to do so with all you might, you flip to the latest page (this), and simply give up in dismay.
"…You can’t find your notes?"
(Guuu, th-this is bad…! Teacher Yuzu’s face clearly shows that she’s starting to doubt me…!)
…Oh dear, You may actually be killed if I leave you be.
Well, I do not wish for the protagonist of this story to die because of such a foolish reason, and the sticky sweat that has been trickling into my pages has been very uinpleasant…
I shall lend you a little assistance then.
(!? This isn’t ‘my memory’…!)
This "Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages" is your memory itself. You remember, don't you?
(Y-yeah, I remember!)
And you so happen to have a pencil with you. Do wipe off the digestive juices and hold it in your right hand.
Now, please witness my power. First of all, erase the sentence on the left with a clean strike-through line.
You do not have any knowledge relating to magic theory—1ℓ
. >Now, in the next blank space, write the exact opposite.
I have an in-depth knowledge of magical theory... - 149 pgs.
The moment the sharp tip of the pencil writes these words on the completely blank paper.
An inspiration akin to lightning immediately occurs deep inside your mind.
"…Magitzkveins are circuits that further refine the world that’s filled with mana. Normal humans usually have a ‘main vein’. A circuit allows for one kind of magic to be loaded, so operating circuits efficiently is the key to magical combat."
The knowledge that you couldn't recalled until a moment ago.
"…It appears you studied well. Now then, how does magic run through Magitzkveins?
"First, open the grimoire spell page and connect the Magitzkveins to the runes that are recorded there. Next, breathe in, inhale the Mana and let it flow into the circuits while chanting. The chant consists of several key words, or incantations. Once the chant is done, the magic will be loaded into the circuit.
One after another, they become words and overflow like water from a spring.
"Yes, that's correct. Now then, the next question, what comes after the charge?"
"Execute, in other words, the magic is released after the magic is loaded. The execution timing can be set at well, so chanting it before combat reduces the number of openings, or one can empty the circuits to allow for adaptable tactics.
"…Very good~ looks like you have the fundamentals pat. You may sit down."
You answer fluently, and Teacher Yuzu shows a gentle smile. . The rush of information that suddenly sweeps through your brain isn’t a spur-of-the-moment delusion. It’s a precise and detailed knowledge of magical theory.
(…! Wh-what’s going on…? I’m certain my knowledge of magic theory was lost along with my memories five years ago on the night of that tragedy,…!)
"…Do you feel that you haven’t answered enough? This Teacher shall bully you a little more then. Okutsuki-kun, have you heard anything about 'magic that can counteract magic'?"
"Eh, y-yes!?
As you stand there dumbfounded, the teacher poses a new question. Your classmates start to chatter amongst themselves…apparently, the question is clearly of a different difficulty level than the basic question you had just answered.
"As someone aspiring to be a true Doctor, this Teacher wishes for every student to understand. This is a very high level skill, but it's also possible to counter magic itself. If there are ‘books that can cast magic’, it wouldn’t be strange for there to be ‘books that can counteract magic—"
"Antimagic, right?"
"…Right?"
Teacher Yuzu is trying to write on the blackboard, only to turn around in surprise.
"Magic needs Mana, grimoires, Magitzkveins, and chants to be formed. In that case, all you need is a spell that can negate the chant or block the flow of Mana."
"Th-that’s right! …Good, now for a tougher question. A counterspell that can cancel magic will occupy a circuit. So why not use normal magic (sorcery) to counter it?"
"One reason is chanting speed. If the enemy chants a spell faster than you, an ordinary spell puts you in a disadvantage. With counterspells, you can make up for the difference in chant length, execute time, and ability."
"…Using chant speed to make up for the ability difference. That is a reason you say, right? Then is there another reason?"
"The shortness of the ‘Tiltowalt’. After an execution, the Magitzkveins would have a downtime…which would be an opening, but a counterspell will require little chanting, and would allow you to recover from Tiltowalt before the enemy. Even if the magic ability’s not as good, it’s possible to wait for the Tilowait and defeat the enemy."
"…Th-this is the best answer this Teacher has heard until now! It’s amazing!"
After you reply, Teacher Yuzu nods happily and put down her textbook.
"Your answer is just like one prepared by a teacher! Now wonder you’re giving off such a rich aura. It’s almost a model answer. You’re a good boy, Okutsuki-kun!"
"""…!"""
The atmosphere in the classroom silently, but clearly, trends towards a positive direction.
The eyes looking at you start to have a completely different color from before (one that’s directed to the sick). It appears you have won some positive recognition for demonstrating your ability.
"That will be all. Okutsuki-kun, you may sit down this time. This lesson may be a little too easy for you, but you may have some questions or discoveries. Listen carefully!"
"Y-yes."
You have no idea what happened, and answer in a daze before sitting down.
Well, since I have just demonstrated the true function of the 'book' (Me), my shame shall know no bounds if this can’t shock you.
(The…true function of the ‘Last Prayer’…!)
Please remember. I am certain I wrote this down.
As one ‘seeking to regain his memory’, you are the perfect person to be the protagonist of this story (me).
After all, I am the ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’.
The book' (Me) is your memory itself.
If you alter my records.
I can falsify your memory.
(A-a ‘book…that can falsify my memory’!?)
Yes. I can create the scenes necessary to obtain the memories you have written, and write them in your brain cells. Thus, you can acquire any knowledge by consuming the memory remains (pages).
(Gain knowledge through memory falsification…! I may have obtained an amazing grimoire…!)
Yes, you have an amazing grimoire. So please take your sweat stained hands off me as soon as possible. My pages are getting damp.
Now that I have unraveled the mystery, first of all, you need to input the required memory into your brain, no? If you write down the contents of each lesson, you will never have enough memory capacity.
Do you understand? Please trace the letters on the left neatly, won’t you?
‘I have gained all the knowledge of the classes until tenth grade.’ – 77 pages.
Yes, perfect!
In exchange for 77 pages, you instantly gain ten years’ worth of knowledge!
Well, now you don't have to write down every scene in the class. All you have to do is to figure out a way to repel the murderer’s magic and protect yourself.
(…A-a strategy to protect myself from the murderer …!)
''Umu. She may be an indiscriminate murdered, but the witness (you) is still a source of trouble that may cause her to be arrested. There is a high likelihood of her initiating a magic battle against you."
(…It’s true that this murderer is a very dangerous magical criminal. She might attention me like yesterday just to destroy me for knowing her true identity. …!)
"…And I have no reason to believe she will simply ask for blood and blood. Given yesterday’s attack, were you not the target to begin with?"
(Eh? Why do you think she’s targeting me?"
"Consider this. If the murderer simply murders out of pleasure, would there not be more prey in the back alleys of Alexandria, compared to Labyrinth where demonic beasts roam?"
(Well…is it because she didn’t want any acquaintance at the ‘Apothecary’ to see her?)
"She did not have to go to such a deep level if she merely wished to hide or steal or kill. Even if her objective was to explore, that place was excavated a long time ago. Nor ordinary person has a reason to go that level. Unless she has another objective like you, the son of a Doctor Magna.
(…A special objective like mine…?)
Upon hearing the hint in the vampire's implied, your mind conjures the deep darkness of you wanting to return to the Library Labyrinth over the last five years..
You recall the study of the Doctor Magna—a search base built by your Father, the foremost Labyrinth explorer of the ‘Apothecary’.
"Truth be told, your father, the highest-ranking member of the ‘Apothecary’ exploration guild, once built a base for the purpose of exploring the depths of Labyrinth. Perhaps the old you was seeking that place."
(I-I guess so…wait, then, no way…!)
"To those who have nothing to do with you or your father, that place may seem to be nothing more than a hierarchy of mysterious magical doors. But for those who know the tragedy of five years ago, it will be a different matter. For—"
(—Maybe there are clues left in the study where Father was assassinated…!?)
Yes. Perhaps your encounter with the murderer was no coincidence.
She may be related to the truth of five years ago, an assassin sent by your father’s enemy, waiting for Sōshi Okutsuki (you) to visit the place where your late father died.
—To eliminate the witness from five years ago who has returned to Library City Alexandria.
(I-Is this murderer related to Father’s enemies? And the truth five years ago…?)
"Well, it is simply a theory for now. There is no physical evidence, and so we can only guess. If her age is as her appearance, it is unlikely she was the one who killed him personally…but my gut feeling is that it is no coincidence that you meet her once again."
(I-if you say so, then I find it too much of dumb luck to meet the same murderer over two consecutive days…!)
"Honestly, if you ask me, might be someone’s arrangement, planning in the shadows. Now that your murderer appears before you once again…"
At this moment, the vampire paused, and deep, heavy voice, derives the conclusion of his reasoning.
"—I can be highly certain that everything was a plot (scenario) planned by your father’s enemies."
The talent eater's whispers disrupt the classroom atmosphere, as though she is hinting at your future.
Your murderer may be related to the truth of five years ago.
The silver night of the Library Labyrinth, the Labyrinth's most powerful vampire, says so.
(…If that’s the case, fine by me …!)
You instinctively reach for the gold chain of your talisman, and it sways slightly.
Unlike last night, when you were slaughtered, you now have an immortal body, the wisdom of the High Daylight Walker, and a book that can falsify memories. With a strategy that maximizes your power, you can not only defeat the murderer's magic and ensure your own safety…
And you may possibly steal you enemy’s information to seek out the truth five years ago.
(…I don’t have evidence that this murderer is the enemy’s assassin…but even if she doesn’t, since she showed up in that level, it’s likely that she’s related to Father or the me five years ago…! If I can overpower her power and draw her memories from her blood…!)
"Umu. Perhaps you can find her relation with your father, and get closer to the truth…!"
The connection linking the murderer and the enemy is merely a guess till this point, but the ability to draw memories through blood is sufficient to shatter that suspicion in an instant and steal away the truth.
(The immortal body, memory tampering, memory stealing power, and the 'book'…they may not be enough, but I have weapons to fight the killer. If I can come up with a strategy to combine these weapons into tactics…!)
And also, that strategy can be prepared for you using this ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’.
There is a world of difference in fighting ability between you, who lost your magic, and the murderer with the outstanding magic. However, with the power of memory tampering, it is possible to overpower the magic and combat experience.
(…Yes, I have the ‘Last Prayer’ now. The power to ‘rewrite memories’ may be more powerful than any magic…!)
The act of falsifying your memories cause you to feel a little chilling fear.
This act is akin to stabbing a pencil into your brain and manipulating your nerves. Even if you are the one holding the pencil, it does feel physiologically repulsive.
But even so, the act of ‘memory tampering’ has a demonic allure.
If you can write on the page using a pen, you ca erase your abominable past and become your ideal self—truly, it was a power akin to that of a god.
(… If I consume pages, I might be able to plan something to defeat the murderer…in that case, I…)
You re-grip the metal power and write a line on the page of the 'book' (Me).
[I will come up with a plan to defeat the murderer by the end of this class] – 32 pages.
And your brain, inscribed with these memories, begins to sink into a sea of deep thought.
◇◇◇639 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
"…Alright, that’s all for today’s lessons. Any questions? "
Teacher Yuzu puts down the shortened chalk onto the teaching table, and looks back to talk,.
At that moment, you awaken from a deep and speedy torrent of thoughts.
(—Huh!? What did I just do?)
From your subjective memory, it appears an hour’s worth of lessons ended in an instant, and you look up in astonishment.
You falsified your own memory and concentrated your thoughts to the utmost limit of your central nervous system, your brain cells, and thoroughly thought of a strategy to counter the murderer.
(Ti-time just flew…it didn’t remain in my mind, but the tactics are still swirling in my mind…!)
Your memory cortex is unable to keep up, probably because of the excessive release of neurotransmitters, and you are unable to realize all the countless tactics one by one…
It appears there is a profound ocean of knowledge formed in your subconsciousness that creates countermeasures against the murderer.
(This is the power of memory tampering…! I can even defeat the murderer's magic now…!)
"Fufunn? Thanks to the assistance of this High Daylight Walker, this really is a decent tactic, now...?There is a side effect to it though. It appears that you have garnered quite some attention."
"Eh?"
After hearing what Arteria says at your ear, you lift you head up to see your classmates averting their eyes from you unnaturally, trying to put away the notebooks in their hands…it appears they have been looking at you.
(…E-erm, did I do something wrong?)
"On the contrary. The manner in which you unexpectedly answer the teacher’s question, along with your extreme concentration in thinking of how to counter the murderer, seem to have everyone assume you are a capable person."
The extreme state of concentration caused by memory tampering can draw out the limits of human thought process. To the other students, your vigor shows how strong your willpower is. Well, it is good that you are using the lesson time to develop your tactics…
(…Too much attention will only increase the risk of me being exposed as a vampire. I got to be careful …)
"We’re done with today’s lesson then. Make sure you revise everything, okay?"
Teacher Yuzu smiles as she says so, and you can hear a bell chime far outside the window.
The tension in the classroom eases up, and the sound of stationery, along with idle chat, start to fill your surroundings..
"Umu. It appears class is over."
(…The problem now is what do I do next…)
"In any case, you cannot act reckless with all the attention on you. Do step out into the hallway first... "
"H-Hey…!"
Ueeh!?"
Before Arteria can finish, someone taps you on the shoulder.
You turn behind in surprise to see a small boy with a somewhat doggish appearance.
"Eh, ah, erm…?"
Okutsuki…is fine, right? You’re amazing, where did you learn all that knowledge?"
"Eh? Ah, ac-actually, I studied a little while I was away from Library City Alexandria, you know?"
Someone suddenly speaks to you, and you stammer in response. Naturally, this is a lie you come up with in the spur of the moment, but the male student continue to ask questions curiously.
"Heh~ you say you haven’t been here in five years…ah, you probably forgot how the ‘Apothecary’ looks too, right? We’re going to the cafeteria, would you like to join us?"
"Eh…cafeteria? Together?"
Once the dog-like boy glances as a signal, a few boys and girls smile at you. It seems your classmates are interested about the true identity of this mysterious transfer student.
(…I-I’m unfamiliar with how the ‘Apothecary’ is structured. It’s great if some people are inviting me for lunch …)
For you, who have lost your memory, the interior of the ‘Apothecary’ is pretty much a small-scale Labyrinth, so to speak. You would have gladly accepted this invitation if it hasn’t been the murderer…but at this moment, your utmost priority is to eliminate the enemy. You don't have time to enjoy lunch.
(….If I’m going to have to fight the murderer, I have to do it during this lunch break. …!)
"Mm, it is of utmost priority to eliminate the murderer, but you cannot act rashly with so much attention. Perhaps you can accept this dog’s invitation?"
"…Can I?"
"Why not? I’m the one inviting you. I'll tell you about some lowkey cafeteria out there. Shall we go eat thought?"
The canine boy replies briskly, perhaps misunderstanding that your reply to the bat (Arteria) is directed at him.
Sometimes, if you shun others just to hide the fact that you were converted to a vampire, it may have the opposite effect and create suspicion. Now that you have attracted so much attention, you may need to actively behave as a human.
"Say, you’re going, right? I’ll introduce you to the others in class!"
(…No choice. I guess the fight against the murderer will have to wait till after school…)
"Yes, thanks for inviting. Let me put away my notes right away. Please wait a moment, will you?"
"Alright! Those who want to eat with Okutsuki, gather up!"
You decide to accept the male student's invitation. You tuck the ‘Last Prayer’ beneath your shoulder mail. Cautiously ensuring not to exchange looks with the murderer as you stand up.
"Alright, I’m done! Let’s go to the cafeteria together…"
You turn to the male student, and try to give a cheerful smile—
"Too bad."
But someone grabs you by your left shoulder.
"Okutsuki-san has plans for lunch with me."
"It tickllesssss!!"
Crack! Your shoulder blade creaks. You feel very ticklish, and turn behind to see the blond murderer standing there, wearing a smile of absolute zero.
"Mu-Murderer, you…!"
"Say, that was the plan, wasn't it? We were supposed to have a long lunch break alone, just the two of us, right? Don't worry, I know a secret place where we won't be seen."
The murderer says so to you, showing a smile so perfect that it is unnerving. Her expression is akin to an executioner urging the condemned to repent.
"! Did you guys hear that!" "No way…is partner is that steel faced…no, that stone faced girl""
"Then, their argument this morning was…!" "I have a feeling it’s the start of a romcom!"
The class hears the murderer's words, and at this moment, tensions are rising high.
Just by interpreting the words literally, it may sound like a jealous girlfriend who is interrupting because she doesn’t wish for her dear boyfriend to be taken away, In fact—
- Main voice* "You aren’t breaking your promise with me, right?"
- Secondary voice* (I did say that I’ll kill you after class ends. Prepare for a splendid death.)
She’s just declaring a death sentence! Your nearly crushed left shoulder is proof of that!
"Eh…Erika? Do you and Okutsuki have that kind of relationship…?"
"That kind of relationship?…I don't know what you're talking about, but for me, and this man…I guess we have a suck and stab relationship."
"A suck and stab relationship!?"
The classroom commotion grows louder. They have twisted the interpretation of the murderer’s words as ‘a relationship where you suck (lips) and stab (that thing)’. Some of the girls blush as they squeal away.
(…What do I do now!? Do I do as the murderer say and fight her?)
But your brain has switched to battle mode due to the itchiness on your shoulder, along with the threat of death. Naturally, you can't interpret this as anything other than a relationship of sucking (blood) or stabbing (stone spears).
(Since she’s scared of revealing her identity, she probably won’t attack me at a place with many people! It’s safer to accept this boy’s invitation though…!)
"Say, Okutsuki-kun, shall we leave? I know a very nice place (for assassination)."
(…But she may be related to Father’s enemies and that truth five years ago.)
You clench your sweaty palms.
The murderer’s magic is a fearsome threat…but if you can defeat her and absorb her blood, you can use the ability you inherited from the High Daylight Walker to find out about her true identity.
Perhaps you may even find out information about your father’s enemies, and seek out the truth from five years ago.
(…I came back to Library City Alexandria after five years to recover my memory and magic, to get back the ‘truth’, and to became a mage like Father…! I can’t run away from an indiscriminate murderer if I wish to inherit Father’s legacy…!)
"…Yes, I was expecting you to invite me."
Determined to fight, you grab the murderer by the wrist and slowly stand up.
"Let's go. You know of a secret place where nobody can see us, right?"
"Yes, look forward to it. You’ll love that place (the graveyard)."
"I’ll be waiting. Let’s suck and stab (with bloodsucking fangs and stone spears) all we want where nobody else will disturb us."
Once again, cheers erupt in the ‘Apothecary’ classroom.
630 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
◇◇◇630 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
As you may imagine from your classroom number being over a thousand, the lecture tower of the ‘Apothecary’ has countless classes, and therefore, lots and lots of students.
All the students will leave the classroom at the same time, and start to migrate toward the cafeteria. Thus, you can imagine how crowded it is during lunch break.
Tch…we’re late. Who knows how long it’ll take for us to get through the crowd …?
The murderer walking before you mutters in disdain. The spiral staircases connecting to each floor of the lecture tower is filled with a dense crowd of black-haired people (there are people of other hair colors like blond and brown, at least half of them anyway). The mass migration of people is why the ‘Apothecary’ has a lunch break lasting an hour and a half.
(A-As expected from the famous ‘Apothecary’, just the number of students is amazing enough…)
"There may be several hundred people within sight.it will be impossible for this true ancestor to appear and fight."
(No, it’s probably unlikely that we’ll fight here. Since she didn’t expose the vampire (me), this murderer probably wants to interrogate me or torture me into submission.)
During the argument in the classroom, the murderer did not reveal your true identity. In that case, she probably has a reason for keeping you alive. In that case, even if she, who has much better magic than you, probably won’t use magic that would kill the interrogation target (you) instantly.
(…And besides, I have the immortality of the High Daylight Walker and the absolute protection magic in my talisman. I may miss an opportunity to win, but I won’t lose and die…!)
You gently lay your hand on your chest, feeling the talisman crystal.
To protect his beloved son, the Doctor Magna gathered all his skills to create this magical tool.
This one and only relic sealed in this ‘Apothecary’, the absolute protection magic of Okutsuki—the most powerful mage of the ‘Apothecary’.
(…Despite that, this protective charm only works once. Father’s magic is truly a last resort.)
"Umu. Given the risk of your identity as a vampire being exposed, I shall appear to fight if push comes to shove. I swear in the name of High Daylight Walker and I shall not let any harm befall my dearest!"
(…I don't need a vampire’s help. I’m the one fighting.)
In response to the ultrasonically whispered confession of love, you reply with a soft sounding rejection. Even you, who may not be truly familiar with the concept of love, are not so foolish as to trust the love a vampire speaks of.
You and the vampire have a common agreement, that both of you are antagonistic towards the murderer…but this is merely a fragile partnership based on mutual interests. You do not think the love spoken of by the High Daylight Walker is true, and It is also dangerous to rely too heavily on Arteria's fighting skills.
(…I don’t think the High Daylight Walker is likely to save humans for no reason. Vampires are a natural enemy to humanity, and it’s possible she’s trying to use it…I can’t rely on her power.)
A High Daylight Walker is a natural enemy species of mankind, and also the most powerful monster in Library Labyrinth. You do not know how why she granted immortality to a human…but in any case, you cannot expect on her assistance. You should abandon the optimism that the vampire will help you, and fight the murderer seriously.
…Oi, murderer, how much further do you plan to walk?
Can a vampire not be so friendly towards me? My ears will rot.
Hmph, it’s better if its those bullhorns that rot instead of those ears. Maybe you can look more like a human…eek!
You try to gauge the Murderer’s reaction, and the moment you speak to her, your right index finger suddenly disappears. There are many around you, but the savagery of the murderer remains merciless.
"D-Did she just attack you in a public place…?"
(Damnit, I was stupid to expect common sense from a murderer!)
You hide your right hand in your pocket, waiting for the severed fingertip to regenerate. The amount of blood smoke is higher than when you were stabbed in your flank, since part of your flesh is missing.
(…This is bad. Let’s hope nobody around us notice my aura …)
You remain alert to your surroundings so as to avoid being suspected of being vampirized.
…Did you see that? That transfer student’s giving off that red aura again…
I-I see it too! I can’t believe it materializes to something so thick…!
Oh yeah they’re going to do it. He said it comes out when he's emotional.
D-Do it, as in, erm, that thing!?
No doubt about it!
The absolutely wrong conversation can be overheard a few meters away behind you. Your classmates have misunderstood your relationship with the murderer, and are tailing you to peep on your date.
However, you are unable to notice them due to the crowd and your wariness against the murderer.
Now then, get ready to turn left. If you want to run, you can choose the right.
If I turn right here, wouldn’t that mean that I’ll be in the air?
Oh my, don’t you understand that I’m telling you to jump from the stairwell and kill yourself?
I know! I mean I don't want to die!
The main staircase of the 'Apothecary' connects the upper levels of the Labyrinth to the top of the tower, a distance of nearly a kilometer, so a fall into the central stairwell means a certain death.
Well, in your case, you will not die due to the fall, but will be tried in a vampire inquest for not dying, and will be submerged in a sulfuric acid bath and converted into black charcoal.
After walking for nearly 20 minutes in fear of your death, you eventually step out into the outermost shell of the tower. This is the place that protrudes outward from the center of the main lecture tower, similar to a terrace.
(…Somehow we ended up outside the lecture tower…?)
You squint in the fierce sunlight and scan your surroundings. Upon this terrace built from the advanced architectural techniques excavated from the Labyrinth, there are little aquaducts formed by sunbaked bricks.
The aquaducts are decorated with sculptures of angels, and the green roof is made of vines intertwined with the pillars. The young leaves of the planted trees sometimes rustle with the wind, and though they do manufacture the perfect atmosphere for a man and a woman to meet. …
(…It doesn’t feel like anyone else is around. Is she going to turn this place to a battlefield…!?)
As long as the murderer is next door, you shall never ever have a a peaceful lunch break.
(…It’s quite a large space, but there’s hardly any obstructions. It’ll be troublesome if she summons stone shapes or shoot stone spares at me like yesterday …!)
Oh my, is the world of daylight that unusual for a vampire born in the darkness?
The murderer asks as she walks to the center of the terrace and turns her head back. The Mediterranean sea breeze blows upstream the lecture tower from the city below, swaying the murderer's golden hair and causing it to sparkle.
Phew. The fragrane of the sea sure is pleasant, though I imagine vampires prefer the smell of death and darkness.
I-I usually prefer the fragrance of the tide too…though the sunlight does burn my skin a little.
You can feel a tingling warmth on your exposed face and the backs of your hands…fortunately however, there is no sign of turning into ash, as per a typical vampire.
… And? You didn't bring me all the way down here just to fight, right?
You wonder about your enemy's attitude, expecting spears to fly the moment you two are alone. Given her actions till this moment, you have assumed she is a lunatic who delights in murdering…
…I’ll be honest, I want intel. Confess obediently, and I may spare your life, you know?
How surprising, she offers to spare your life in exchange for information!
(That’s a lie!)
"That is a lie, no?"
It is a lie.
The cold murderous intent that glows deep within those blue eyes is telling you 'I'll kill you after squeezing out every last bit of information'.
""…But that means there is more doubt that she is involved with your sworn enemy."
(Yeah. If she’s just an ordinary berserker, she wouldn’t have said to her prey ‘I can spare you’ while alone…!)
Yes. Since the murderer is not attacking you like last night, it shows that she has some information she wants, for some reason.
And the information she wants is not her—but someone controlling her.
…What will you do if I say I don’t want to answer.
You reach for your book binder and flank, getting ready to pull out a pencil and a grimoire.
…Of course, I will pry your mouth with brute force.
The murderer too puts her hand on her left shoulder, getting ready to pull out a grimoire.
Y-You! A Doctor Magna might notice if you battle at such an open place. I cannot appear and help you battle!
(…I don’t need the power of a vampire. If I can’t defeat her, I can’t get information. It’s alright. As long as I have the memory tampering of the “Last Prayer’, I can counter the murderer’s magic! And I’m an immortal now. I definitely won’t die in battle!)
Well, you have a really powerful ally in the ‘book’ (me)
Due to the nature of magic that can only be exercised by chanting spells, you still have time to write memories before you are attacked. With the abilities of memory tampering and immortality, you probably won’t be mortally wounded easily.
(… I need to beat her. I need to protect myself, to test the power of this ‘Last Prayer’, and also , just maybe, to discover the truth five years ago that she might know of!)
Let's go, murderer…!
You pull out your grimoire, resolving yourself as you shout,
-I'll finish you off in five pages!
You give a declaration of war that echoes.
Hmph, you sure can howl for a vampire! I’ll send you to the underworld as you wish!
The murderer too pulls out her grimoire from the shoulder mail, flips a page, and casts a spell.
Activate key Jc102k! O little king, Serpent Lord crowned with an eight-footed gecko!!
"You, this is the chant of the ‘Stone Serpent Fang’. Stop her before she can cast her spell!"
(I don't need a vampire to tell me that! Rewrite…my memory!!)
As you hear the voice that chants, you write the following words in your memory/
"I am an expert at bare-handed combat."— 193pgs.
Execute—Stone Serpent Fang!!!
As soon as your pencil finishes this sentence, the bricks forming the balcony rise up. The magic that is the legacy of God twists reality, transforming the building materials into sharp spears that are fired away.
The moment you looked up from the page, the spearhead tip came at you with a fury—
Dodge!
Zoooooooo!
The robe that has just contained your head until a moment ago is pierced through along with the hood.
Wh-what!?
I dodged it…I can dodge! I dodged the spell that killed my yesterday!
Your body smoothly avoids the torrential downpour of stone spears that are fired at tremendous speed. Having mastered the fundamentals of combat, you can’t possibly fail to see through such attack.
The murderer has invoked a continuous spell that will continue to function until the Magitzkveins are deactivated. The firing rate of three to four shots per second is comparable to a master spearman, but once the murderer has set her sights on you, they can only fly in a straight line over a distance of nearly five meters.
(… That’s right. No matter how many magic spears she has, the one aiming is still human! Now if I can read the murderer’s aim…!)
Such magic is no different from dealing with spearmen!
Hence, by rewriting your memory, you can even evade these magic spears!
My body’s moving on instinct...! This is the ‘gained experience’ through memory tampering!
Ku…you didn’t have such evasive ability during the battle yesterday.!
The murderer probably intends to stop your movement at in a single hit, for she starts to look anxious. The spears are shot out from the raised floor one after another, but you continue to avoid them with all your might.
(The barrage’s not as dense as yesterday! I can still handle this!)
Umu! She is limiting the Mana inserted into her Magitzkveins to capture you alive!
The advantage of a continuous spell like ‘Stone Serpent Fang’ is that it does not have to be chanted again. However, Mana has to be continually inserted into the Magitzkveins for it to remain functional.
And since humans have only one main vein that can be used for chanting magic—this may cause a fatal opening.
"You! She cannot chant any other spells unless she stops firing! Grab a spear to strike back and defeat her!"
(I don't need a vampire to tell me that! You’re saying that I should attack her when her Magitzkveins is occupied, right!?)
It is currently a deadlock, but the murderer has to disarm the magic in the Magitzkveins to cast new spells, and she may expose her during this opening created by the tiltowait and the chanting.
On the other hand, you don’t have the remote, high-powered offensive speels, but you have a tireless, immortal body that allows you to continue evasive maneuvers while taking other actions.
You can’t afford not to take advantage of this tactical advantage resulting from the response difference!
‘While controlling spells, the circuit can’t be used for other purposes’…it’s fine. I haven’t forgotten the basic principles of antimagic combat… You duck through the rain of stone spears, thrusting your pencil beneath the hem of your robe, and pull out your right hand. You then time the trajectory of a flying stone spear and catch it in mid-air.
"Well done! You, throw the spear at her!"
Woooaahhh!
You step on the balcony bricks and swing your right arm in a wide arc to throw this stone spear.
The spear pierces the air and flies at the murderer in a sharp parabola—
I-It’s useless!
—Giiin!! The stone spear is deflected off a transparent wall, deviating from it’s original course.
! A logic wall!?
H-Had she used both the main vein and the sub vein together?
The interference light scattered by the Mana etches complex magic arrays in the void.
The ‘Logic Wall’ is a generic term for an automatically deployed defensive spell, one of the most common means of self-defense in Library City Alexandria.
By equipping a ‘Logic Wall book" in the sub vein and loading it with a chant, one will deploy a defensive spell in response to a crisis.
And as it is a very common spell, the Logic Wall created by a skilled caster is extremely sturday, capable of blocking any physical or magical interference!
Y-You’re great at evading, but it seems you’re lacking in offenses! It’s the right choice to retrieve the grimoire from the Labyrinth yesterday!
!! Did you steal the grimoire I brought from Japan!?
You can’t cast chanting spells without a medium like a ‘book’ unless you’re a vampire lord-level True Ancestor! You can’t penetrate my wall!
Ku…you’re basically a robber and a murderer!
"You! This is no time for talk! Evade!"
The murderer adjusts her aim as she tries to drive you away so that you cannot grab her stone spears. You stomp onto the balcony, keeping your distance as you ponder how to counter the Logic Wall.
(A Logic Wall is an automatic permanent spell that’s deployed automatically! I can’t close the gap towards the murderer)
"Also, you cannot break her defenses with the stone spears that has no piercing ability! Another strategy is required!"
Ku…! It’s true there wasn’t much Mana scattered in the attack just now!
The Mana released from the Magitzkveins emitted an interference light when your attack was parried. The automatically-deployed Logic Wall consumed Mana to change the trajectory of the stone spear.
Considering the intensity of the interference light however, it appeared she used a negligible amount of Man. Given the murderer’s impressive magical ability, she would have recharged that amount in mere seconds. The impact of the stone spear can’t penetrate the Logic Wall.
(Think…! Recall that magic theory that should be ingrained in my memory! Any automatically deployed spell like this logic wall are usually set meters away from the caster to prevent damage from accidental contact! She probably can’t trigger her wall up close either…!)
Yes. And to add on, a logic wall automatically identifies and intercepts high-threat objects approaching the caster to prevent any attack that may approach out of sight. Conversely, it can’t defend against any slow approaching object or object within the wall to begin with.
(…That means that if I can get into close ranged combat against her, I can break through the wall! I can use my close ranged combat skills that I gained from memory tampering and my physical strength as a vampire!!)
You plan to support your evasive moves and approach the enemy through your strong physical abilities.
Under normal circumstances, humans unconsciously limit their muscle output to avoid damaging their bones and tendons. The average untrained person can consciously exert only about 20% of one’s original strength.
There will be irreversible damage caused to the muscle fibers, bones and tendons if one is exerting 100% strength, and that person will immediately lose the ability to fight…but for a Nosferatu (you) that is not a problem.
For even if the tendons snaps as one leaps, or the arm bones shatter as you punch..
The immortality of the strongest species can regenerate the body in an instant.
(I don’t have much memory left, but now’s not the time to hold back! Time to—write my memory!!!)
“I can temporarily forget the limitations of my muscle output.”— 24pgs.
The moment the lead crumbled from the pencil tip, weaving these words—boom!! A sound echoed.
The mighty muscular force completely ruptures your left Achilles tendon, the deltoid, and the anterior cruciate ligament,
And having paid the price, your physical body accelerates to 30 meters per second!
“U, aahhh!!?”
Zoom!! As the wind rips through, you jump 10 meters aside, scraping the sand-brick platform of the balcony with the soles of your shoes to decelerate.
Your body, having forgotten the fear of self-destruction through memory tampering, has broken through the limits of humanity and stepped into the realm of the vampire!
“What!? Do-Does a vampire have a grimoire to buff the body?”
“I jumped…I jumped as if I can use magic even though I can’t!"
You tap your legs against each other, leaping from side to side to test your mobility. Your body has accelerated and decelerated rapidly while destroying and regenerating, completely out of the murderer's aim. The combination of memory tampering and immortality gives you the power to overwhelm your enemies!
“I-Impossible! How do you gain such mobility without chanting any spells!!?”
“Guuhh…my muscles rip apart whenever I jump, and I feel really ticklish inside my legs!!...But I can fight! With this physical ability!”
You read the trajectory and timing of the stone spears, and accurately grab one by its center of gravity. All you have to do is to avoid the flying spears and step into the wall!
“D-Don’t come close!”
(They’re firing with more density…! But if I can approach cautiously and jump…!)
You jump to dodge while getting close, seeking a position right next to the enemy the moment you jump.
(Alright…this can work! I just need to jump high here and break the murderer’s aim!) The moment you feel you can approach her with your next step,
“—Halt, do not advance!”
“!”
The voice from within the robe stops you at the last moment.
“—Veins on, Number Two (Tetralix)!! O primodial spirit that lies within the depths of the earth!!”
“!? Mu-Multichant!?”
The moment you hear the second chant that shakes the atmosphere, you instinctively jump backwards and pull your distance.
(I-Impossible! A human should only be able to load a spell charge at most!)
You shout in your heart as you dodge the hail of stone spears that intensifies.
As per what you learn in magic theory class, a Magitzkveins that has an active spell can’t be reused. This is the physical limitation that can’t be overcome with skill or training.
“A-Absurd…! It is possible to use the main vein and the sub vein together if one has tremendous magic control, but the rule that ‘a Magitzkvein can only cast one spell’ cannot be broken! P-Perhaps, she…!”
A typical human will only have a main vein that’s based on the nervous system. In other words, aside from the sub vein that can be used without chanting, a caster can only chant and use a single spell.
“—No mistake about it, she has ‘dual veins’!!”
In other words, this murderer is not an ordinary spellcaster, and not an ordinary murderer.
She has a second Magitzkvein through certain means…probably a hereditary skill of her tribe, or a unique skill ordinary people know not of, and is an extremely unique magical combatant.
She’s someone who hones her magic for the sake of killing—like say, being the assassin of your Father.
“Hear the earth tremor!”
“Depths of the earth, primordial spirit, earth tremor…! This is the middle-level spell of matter formation, ‘ancient king’s warhammer’! It shall be finished after chanting for twenty seconds or so! Your power shall not withstand it!”
“Damn it!!”
You plan to attack before she finishes her chant, but your instincts as a close-ranged combatant doesn’t permit you to do so. The closer you approach the source of the stone spears, the smaller the intervals that allow you to evade them.
And the hail of stone spears intensify—this is the murderer’s magic at full power.
(Th-The firing speed is getting faster…was she holding back the entire time until now!?)
“…Is she forced to show her full strength…you, change your thought process! She is no longer your opponent from before! She is an ‘enemy’ attempting to kill you!!”
(Ku…I can’t do anything if she finishes her chant! Let’s not attack for now—write!!)
You decide to stop your attack for now, and fortify your defences.
You pull a great distance, pull the pencil out from your robe, and start to write words in the ‘book’ (me).
(…That’s right. Since I can forget the ‘limiters of my muscles’, I should be able to forget my mental trauma! If I regain my magic now, I should be able to activate the Logic Wall in a sub vein!!)
A Logic Wall is the most common form of defensive magic in the Library City. Until five years ago, you were still a promising mage. Naturally, you had a ‘sub vein for barrier use’ implanted within you.
If you can falsify the trauma in your memories and regain your ability to use magic—
(I probably can use a logic wall to block this murderer’s magic!)
“I forgot my traumatic memories and regained the ability to operate magic.—1ℓ . You desperately write this one line in the ‘Last Prayer’ with the fastest speed possible, but at that moment,
You feel a tingle in your nerves.
“…Eh?”
“Y-You?”
...... eh, huh?
A black mist rises from the ‘book’, scorching your thoughts.spread out from the "book" (Me) like a gush, burning and scorching your thoughts.
“G-Gah!”
“H-How strange! Such massive magic…is not something a human can handle!”
The voice of the True Ancestor quickly fades away, and your consciousness is flung towards a certain abyss far away. Your vision that’s swallowed by the darkness shrink quickly, and before you know it your memory instantly harkens back to the Labyrinth five years ago.
The tragic night when your father was killed.
“…Ga, ha.”
The ■■■■ that’s stabbed through the crimson robe as though it was all a joke.
“Fu, ghh…!”
The ■■ and ■■ and ■■ landed upon your tender face.
“S-Stop.”
The ■■ and the ■■ fall devastatingly from your beloved father’s body, letting out a ripping ■■ sound. The ■■ and ■■ were shone upon by the shining lamp, and the ■■ was rolling on the floor. The ■■ and ■■ and the ■■ were like puzzles often played during New Year, and even the ■■ was ■■■■■■■■■■ and ■■■■■■■■■■ vampire ■■■■■■■■■■ absolutely ■■■■■■■■ dead ■■■■■■■■■■ demon ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
“Execute...ancient king’s Warhammer!!”
Your thoughts, almost devoured by the darkness, hear the chilling chant,
A huge rock plate with debris falling from it strikes you hard.
“Ack…!”
Creak creak! Your bones can be heard breaking.
Your head is struck with a deadly acceleration, dragging you back to reality from your trauma-induced flashback.
Your half-awakened thoughts are smashed to smithereens by this rock with overwhelming force.
“Aaaaahhhh!!”
Your bones are hammered like candy hit by a metallic hammer, completely crumbled to dust. The impact has nowhere else to go, and sends you flying to the outer wall of the ‘Apothecary’ along with the ‘book’ (me).
“Guaahh!? Ack, w-what?”
(I’m a vampire…but it hurts! It just hurts all over!)
You feel ‘pain’ after half a day has passed. As a vampire with an overwhelming physical regeneration ability, most external wounds would not hurt or itch at all..
“Y-You!! Hurry and stand, or you shall be tortured and killed!”
(Impossible…I did tamper my memory to falsify the memory of my trauma…!!)
You try your best to sort out the thoughts that were scattered by the impact.
(Did the memory tampering…fail…!?)
Yes. You wrote ‘I forgot my traumatic memories ‘. This sentence alone is unable to overcome the mental trauma that is etched deeply in your mind..
Please recall. This 'book' function is to ‘preserve and falsify memories’.
As you write a memory within me, I shall create the scene necessary to obtain that memory and duplicate it into your brain. Thus, you need to know ‘how to obtain that memory’ in order to allow for memory tampering. ".
(Wh-what in the…!?)
My memory tampering can only offer information without physical changes. For example, in order to grant you the ability to use magic, you have to be granted Magitzkveins, and this involves the ‘reality tampering’ that I can’t possible do.
Thus , this ‘Last Prayer’ is unable to change moments like,
‘Knowing the location of a particular ‘book’ or person’, ‘regaining the ability to use magic’, or ‘increasing muscle mass’.
I am the ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’.
I am your memory itself.
Thus, even if you are to write on my page, ‘I learned the truth of five years ago’ on my pages—
You will never know the truth.
“Gah, ugh……!!”
“…Haa, haaa…you really caused me lots of trouble, vampire.”
Her shoulders huffing, the murderer pants as she curses you.
It appears that due to the multichant of this mid-high matter spell and the highly dense barrage of spears, her Magitzkveins were considerably burdened…
There is no doubt that once the tiltowait ends, she will slaughter you.
"Y-you! Stand up, stand up!”
Arteria's voice echoes in your inebriated brain, but your body, stripped of its skeleton, is unable to stand. Even as a kin of the strongest species, you’re unable to quickly recover from the fractures within half your body.
(Th-This is bad…I’ll really be killed if this keeps up…!!)
You are in no mood to unravel the enemy’s identity, or even to extract information about your foe. You try to crawl with the left half of your body that still had its skeletal frame left—
“You’re not getting away, Teacher's enemy!”
“Gaaaah!”
A stone spear zips through the air and pins your leg onto the balcony.
It’s impossible for you to escape unless you rip the tendons of your left leg apart.
"Th-This fellow knows exactly the weak point of vampires (us) …!”
“You vampires are weak to stakes, no? Once any foreign object penetrates the flesh, the vampire’s immortality is unable to remove them and regenerate.”
The murderer emits an icy, murderous intent as she looms towards you, who have fallen onto the ground. The grimoire in her hand is glowing with magical power, and she’s wielding something resembling an executioner's axe.
“No more futile resistance…I shall first petrify only the head, and then gather any necessary information from the neck down."
“Gu, uuuu…!”
“—I shall destroy you, along with the evil scenario of the ‘author’ (scenario writer).”
In the depths of her icy blue eyes, flames of fury and murderous intent flickers.
“Oh, King of the Evil Eyes who rules the earth!”
Boom! The grimoire howls.
The murderer infuses lots of mana as she begins to chant a spell that was unlike before, neither to smite nor to weaken one’s combat ability.
“Th-this chant is, a middle-high level matter-altering petrification spell, ‘All Petrifying Poison Fang’!?”
It is an execution spell designed to petrify and bury vampires (you) along with their immortality.
“Th-This fellow…is not intending to simply kill you! She plans to eviscerate you along with your immortality!”
A vampire’s immortality can still regenerate from beatings or stabs on the flesh. However, one’s thoughts will cease immediately if the brain is petrified, and you shall be rendered mentally dead immediately.
(I-If my brain is petrified here, my life's definitely end…!!)
“O Serpent Lord crowned with an eight-footed gecko!”
“Y-You! Please, stand and flee!”
(Ggh, damn it! My muscles have no strength because my skeleton has been shattered!)
The chants, echoing with murderous intent, sears at your thoughts intensely with the heat of intense impatience.
(…I can't move! I can’t use magic! I don’t have Magitzkveins, and Father's Talisman will lose its effectiveness immediately! It’s hopeless! I can’t do anything!!)
Your brain, exposed to the fear of death, is unable to come up with a way out.
(Think, think, think! Or else, over here, I'll …!)
“Grant the unforgivable pulse of life…!”
You are doomed. The moment the murderer's magic is complete, your entire body and thoughts will be transformed to stone, and you shall die forever this time.
(… Is this the end? There’s an evil magical criminal, one probably related to the Truth, is before me, but, am I going to die here?)
Only now, after being exposed to the fear of death, do you realize the true nature of the battle.
Since you have something to gain if you win, you have something to lose if you are defeated.
And if you lose your life—you shall never get it back.
“N-no! I can’t die here! I haven't gotten anything back yet!”
“Jaws of great poison!!"
…Hiii!
You instinctively place your trembling left arm onto the talisman.
Not to defeat the murderer, but to pray for your Father to save your spirit that has been completely filled with dread.
(I don't want to die…I can’t die yet…!! Think, think, think!! If I don’t think of anything to break out of this, I’ll…!)
Curse of Endless Slumber!
"…No, I don't want to die! I don't want it to end here!!—Faaatttthhhheeeerrrr!!”
Faced with the ultimate loss, the despair of ‘death’, you beg your Father’s image for salvation—
Execute... All Petrifying Poison Fang!!"""
With a thud.
The black stake, a deadly poison that petrifies all phenomena, pierces Arteria's left chest.
“…Eh?"
The fresh blood gushing from the wound splashed crimson upon her silver hair which fluttered in the wind.
The High Daylight Walker, who had regained her true form, took the petrifying black stake with her own body.
…This time…this time, I shall not squander, again.
The blood tricked down the virulent stake, and petrified right before it touched the balcony’s bricks.
…Vam, pire…?
Why, are you still, bewildered, fool…
The vampire was starting to morph into a statue as she slowly tilts towards you with her hardening muscles..
While this tiltowait occurs, shred your legs…
Blood spitting from the edges of her mouth, the strongest vampire slowly leans forward—
…Leave me, and run!
And so, with a thud, she collapsed upon the crude, burnt sand bricks.
You did not understand.
You had no idea what had just happened.
For there was no reason vampires would risk their lives for humans.
There was no reason why the most powerful species, which could have struck down a swarm of stone spears with a single blow, would lose to a stake of petrification.
Her goodwill towards you was surely nothing more than a monster’s sham to lure its prey.
There is no way that the High Daylight Walker, hailed as the eternal night, can be destroyed within mere seconds of chanting.
She, the talent eater, should never die protecting her kin—
But Arteria's body lets out a shrieking sound as she begins to ossify.
…Wh, y…?
You eke out a question, unable to understand anything.
Grr…silver vampire, why do you interfere to protect your kin?
You had no idea as to why the vampire was hurt when you encountered her the previous night.?
…Umu…my beloved, kin…
You also have no idea as to why the vampire whom you just met professed her love towards you.
—Why do you look like you’re dying, vampire!
And you have no idea as to why the strongest vampire is dying.
"…Hah, haaah …! The Magitzkveins are burnt out…but I managed to strike with the petrifying fangs when it’s hard for her to suck blood…!
!"""
The murderer was panting as her Magitzkveins were burned out by the continuous chants, but she readied her grimoire once again.
Even if you can regenerate yourselves, I can destroy you by petrifying your bodies…! Even though you are an immortal vampire, since you are already so weakened…!
(!? This…High Daylight Walker is already weakened…?)
The Murderer's mumbling triggers an electric shock deep within your mind.
The silver night of Library Labyrinth, the talent eater, Arteria.
Twice she had shown you glimpses of her power, said to be the strongest of her kind.
Once when she regenerated instantly from a fatal wound to her flank.
The other when she repelled the Murderer’s stone spear strike with a single swing of her arm.
Arteria, the undead king, wielder of the power of the High Daylight Walker—
Did so only immediately after she had sucked your blood.
…Vampire, have you…
You see the back of the mightiest Nosferatu rapidly ossify, consumed by the gray-black disease—
Your thoughts lead you to a fatal conclusion.
"Have you lost the power of a True Ancestor?"
The High Daylight Walker Arteria had lost her immortality.
…If so, why, me…?
Your lips, quivering in confusion and shock, seemingly eke out a question.
Arteria creaks her neck as she her neck and slowly looks back at you.
You, fool…how many times, have I mustered, my courage, to confess…
The cheeks, gradually overwhelmed by the gray color of death, show a haughty smile.
The High Daylight Walker slowly looks back at you, her petrified ribs creaking,
I loved you…ever since the moment you saved me.
Because she loved you, she wanted to save you.
…I don't understand, vampire.
You could not understand.
How can you, the High Daylight Walker, protect a human like me…?
Why will a vampire save a human despite losing the power of the strongest species, doomed with death?
You call yourself the strongest species, so why did you get hit by a petrification spell?
You cannot understand as to why she, who only met you for the first time last night and sucked your blood, is so affectionate towards you.
Why do you love me so much when we just met yesterday?
And you cannot comprehend this love that Arteria professes to you.
What you can understand is a single future.
And that is, if this goes on, Arteria will die here.
…I won't let, you die…!
You scrape at the coarse sand bricks with your fingers, clenching your fists.
I don’t understand. But that’s why I can’t let you die here…!
Yes. You may not understand everything, but you cannot simply let this vampire die.
If Arteria dies, you shall never know the reason for this ‘love’ she speaks of, and why a vampire saved a human..
(…Five years ago, October 16, on the night Father was killed, I made up my mind…! I won’t let anyone within my reach die…!)
The deep despair and darkness of sorrow darkness, the memories sealed within the abyss.
You, who were saved by a Doctor Magna, had sworn upon your Father’s death.
You swore to regained your memories and magic that were caged by trauma, and to become someone who can save others (Doctor Magna).
I’ll…!
So you breathe in despite your creaking, shattered ribs.
Your nearly extinguished heart pulsated, and you eked all your strength, yelling,
—I swore to be a mage (Doctor Magna)!
You swear not to let Arteria die.
I won't let, you diiiieeee!!!!
You let out a wailing scream, exerting all your strength into your left leg that is fastened to the floor.
Your Achilles' tendon, stretched to their limits, shred with a snap, and your physical body is released.
!? Y-You’re not getting away!
The Murderer senses your intention to escape, and infuses the grimoire with Mana, creating a hail of stone spears. You instantly pull out the ‘Origami paper set’, rip some pages out, and swing it.
Exterminate, vampire!
I won't let you die…nor anyone!
As soon as you flung out the bundle of ‘Origami papers’, the wreckage of the stone spears distorted greatly. The magic left as God’s legacy warps reality, transforming the rubble of burnt sand into sharp spears that are fired.
Facing the hail of spears that will rip through your body, you take a little breath.
"Transform into ‘clay’, ‘Origami Paper Set’!!"
And so you order to all the folded ‘Origami papers’ at once.
(…Since it is ‘paper before transforming’, and ‘able to become matter instantly when folded’.)
The stack of ‘Origami paper’ received its Master’s command, and begin to fold away—
"I can build a barrier!"
The stack transforms into heaps of sandbags, instantly forming a barrier!
"Wh-what!?"
Heaps of earth rained down, blocking the murderer's magic.
The rapidly intensifying thoughts coagulate the abilities of the ‘Origami paper set’" and the ‘Last Prayer’ to form a defensive tactic.
(‘It’s possible to block any projectile spells like those stone spears as long as there’s enough cover before the caster’. That’s what the magic theory knowledge written in my mind tells me!)
"I want to save…! That’s what I came here for!"
"Ku…you cocky vampire, just let me kill you!!"
The moment the murderer snaps sharply, the stone spears begin to fire at a faster rate than before. They like a torrential downpour, ripping apart the sandbags and destroying the walls.
(…The beginning of the ‘Last Prayer’ states that the vampire revived from the brink of death after sucking my blood. If memory serves me right, I should be able to save her from petrification if she sucks my blood!)
Through a crack in the crumbling barrier, you affirm the vampire's location.
The body of the True Ancestor (Arteria), which had taken on the black stake to protect her kin, is now nearly 90% swallowed by the ashen black.
(…! ‘Less than a minute to complete petrification’! I need to think of a way to get there!)
"Hmph! There’s no point in hiding! Release, Number One (On Australis)! Oh King of the Evil Eye who rules over the earth!"
While you are pondering hard, the murderer finally breaks free of her tiltowait and began chanting again. The cold incantation echoes like waves, awakening the memories written in your brain.
(…“This is the ‘All Petrifying Poison Fang’, and there’s another 20 seconds until the chant is complete. I can’t defend against her direct attack with the ‘Book’ I have!)
"In that case…’Origami paper set’, activate!"
While the murderer is still chanting, you activate a new page.
The Origami paper, ordered to be a ‘long clothesline’, rapidly lengthens in your hands—
"I’ll break through the spears!"
Your physical body leaps out towards the downed vampire like a pole vault!
"O Serpent Lord crowned with an eight-footed gecko…what!?"
You instantly leap ten meters into the air, and catch sight of the astonished murderer and the blackened vampire.
"G-Got to aim again—"
"I won't let you!"
Right before the aim of the stone spears can be recalibrated towards you, you throw two rolled up sheets of ‘Origami paper’ at the murderer.
The pebble-like pages arrives one meter or so above the murderer—
"‘Lamp oil’ and ‘burning coal’!"
Obeying your command, they transform into a rain of burning napalm upon the murderer.
"Wh…yaaaaaaahhhh!!"
"Wooooooh!!!"
You jab at the floor with the tip of the long clothesline and fling your body towards the High Daylight Walker.
Your gravity-accelerated body falls through the torrent of stone spears and slams into the sand-brick balcony.
"Gah! Grr… ugh!!!"
Oof! The impact shakes through you, breaking apart your newly regenerated legs.
Using the speed of your fall, you roll over the rubble and reach the side of the vampire statue.
You exert all your strength into your arms, enduring the creaking pain of your crushed legs.
You are within a meter away from the High Daylight Walker.
Even though your body is heavily damaged, you should be able to crawl towards her!
"…Wait for me, vampire…!"
"Kuuu…! I’m not letting you escape even though my body’s burning!"
The murderer deploys a logic wall from her sub vein as she shrieks through the vortex of flame.
There are still a few seconds until the chant is completed. This will be all the remaining time you and Arteria have left!
"O poisonous jaws, grant this unforgivable pulse of life!"
You claw at the bricks of burnt sand, wading forth in the sea of ashened blood.
(…Vampire. All this time, I thought you’re just a vampire. I thought that you, the strongest species with eternal immortality, saved my life in a whim. …!)
"Curse of Endless Slumber!"
(I don't know why you hid the fact that you lost your immortality as the High Daylight Walker. There might be a chance that you’re just bluffing humans (me) so that you can steal back the power that’s taken from you…!)
Ignoring your peeling fingernails, you eke all the strength out of your body as you keep crawling forward.
(I don't understand what you're thinking at all! I don't even know why you’re saying ‘I love you’ when I only just met your yesterday!! But I…!)
"Execute!"
I don't want you to die. …!"
Finally, you reach the High Daylight Walker.
And with your trembling fingertips, you clutch the talisman crystal...
"All Petrifying Poison Fang!"
"Ar, te, ria!"
You shout the vampire’s name, unleashing your father’s magic.
——Giiiiiiiii!!!! A violent interference sound echoes.
Countless magic arrays, highly dense logic walls reminiscent of mandalas, are deployed instantly…
The Okutsuki-style absolute defences gnaw at the black petrifying stakes.
"Th-This rune array, the highly dense logic walls are teacher’s…"
This is the strongest defensive spell that decomposes hostile substances and magical activity, extinguishing them from this world.
It is the protective shield of great love the Doctor Magna bequeathed to his son.
"…Don't die, Arteria."
Basking in the glittering deep blue-purple residue of the magic, you call out to the High Daylight Walker.
You call out to this foolish, kind vampire who professed her love for a human (you), and even sacrificed her life to save.
"…I don't care if you're a vampire. I don't care if the love you speak of is real or not, or why you even grant immortality to a human (me)."
This is all for the sake of saving her from the cage of pertrification, using everything you have.
"I believe you. So—suck my blood, High Daylight Walker."
You stab your palm with the crystal tip of the talisman.
The dripping blood moistens the lips of the vampire that is being petrified.
"…What, a great fool."
The gray skin cracked.
"For I told you to run away, but you really are one who never listens."
The once stiffened joints creak and squeak.
"Reckless as always, a hopeless fool you are."
The closed eye lids slowly lift.
The crimson eyes, seemingly encasing blood, blink towards you..
"A dim-witted fool you are, no?"
The moment the utterly elated whisper gently softly spread through the air.
"Does this not cause me to fall more and more in love with you? Fool ♡."
—Kasshhhann! A small breaking sound echoes.
The strongest vampire awakens from the stone hearse.
"Ehehe♪ It has been five years since I woke from awakened from death so comfortably.♪"
The flying hair is a silver wind. Her long, silky, glossy hair spreads out, covering her white skin.
Her sparkling eyes are jewels of blood. The eyes dyed in fresh blood red are as clear as polished rouge.
"Certainly certainly, so you do believe in I~♪ Mufufu~, ehehe~certainly, for you have fallen for I too, no♪?"
The blood stains on her silver hair is gone, the black stake that pierced her body vanishes, and the dust-covered skin is now sparkling a cold, porcelain white.
The vampire, risen from the dead, grins to seemingly show her joy.
"For now you and I are in love! Surely I must reciprocate your feelings!"
Her smile is arrogant, undaunted, cocky and joyous.
This High Daylight Walker Arteria shall repay your love with all my might, Sōshi ♡"
She seems to shine brilliantly in the sunlight.
"Now then, time to discipline. It is time to punish those who abused a kin of I."
"Wh…ah, servant, skewer her!!"
"Hmph, useless!"
Having witnessed Arteria's rebirth, the murderer foolishly fires the stone spears. However, the countless volley of spears are instantly disintegrated by the logic wall right in front of Arteria.
"H-How is that!? Has she absorbed the logic wall too!?"
"Do not underestimate this talent eater of I! For I have 39 subveins and a total of 937 logic armor layers! Even if you bring 100 trillion of these stone spears, they are useless without any piercing capabilities!"
"Kuu…i-in that case, I have to use this trump card…!"
Muttering so, the murderer places her hand before her chest. She might be intending to call over Doctor Magna and have the vampire (you lot) executed!
"Mhm…such a conceited fellow. Then witness the true power of the 'Silver Night'!"
As soon as Arteria calls out, a swarm of bats gushes out from her body, transforming into a silver wind. The exponential proliferation of thin wings cast a huge shadow on the balcony.
"!? I-Is this bat swarm actually…!!"
"Umu! Now I have expanded my domain over the entire balcony! Even if there are witnesses, they shall only see a fog magic!"
Arteria, having transformed into a misty domain, answers with tremors in the entire atmosphere.
The silvery-white bats cover the skies, and their wings form a pitch black darkness.
Such is the absolute domain of the High Daylight Walker, the strongest vampire of the Library Labyrinth, and also the reason for Arteria's moniker—the ‘Silver Night’ of the Library Labyrinth.
"Guhh…I-I can’t breathe! Vampire, what did you…?"
The murderer, having been blinded by the dense fog, gasps for breath.
The ‘Silver Night’ is the True Ancestor (Arteria) herself. Those who cannot see in the darkness will lose their sight, and the survivors of the domain will have their knowledge drained. Only those immortal kin who inherit the bloodline of a True Ancestor shall have their abilities enhanced exponentially.
"…You may have noticed that I have lost most of my immortality. It is far from the prime of the ’Silver Night’ (magic)…but it can still heal you!"'
The beautiful dusk whispers into your ear.
The moment the silver-white fog lovingly embarces you, your wounded body is instantly regenerated.
(!? My shredded legs and crushed bones are healed! My body’s gaining strength…!)
The pure white dusk that scatters upon you activates your vampiric immortality, fortifying your body.
—‘Night’ is the domain of vampires.
And the ‘Silver Night’, with its magical power, is the ultimate night (Nox Polaris) ruled by the High Daylight Walker.
(…This is the ‘Silver Night of Library Labyrinth’, a fragment of the strongest species’ power!...I can feel it! I can feel Arteria’s ‘night’ flowing all over my body!!)
The gentle magical power fills your body as it if caressing a lover.
This proves that the love the vampire spoke of is not false.
It is proof of this deep love Arteria professes to you.
(…I can believe it now. This magic of High Daylight Walker…Arteria’s heart!)
"As long as you remain within this ‘Silver Night’, vampires (us) are truly immortal! Her magic is nothing to fear! Now, time to counter!"
"Grr… Veins on, Number Two (Tetralix)!! O primodial spirit that lies within the depths of the earth!!”
Right as the ultrasound strikes the eardrums, the murderer begins her third chant.
You look into the dark night with your vampiric eyes, spot the enemy, and say,
"Arteria, lend me your strength. Give me the strength to protect you from death now that you have lost your immortality."
"…Y-You…!"
As a kin of the True Ancestor Arteria, you want to protect her using the strength she grants you.
"Un…uu!!! This true ancestor Arteria shall repay your trust!"
"Yeah. Let’s defeat this murderer, together"
You decide to trust Arteria and fight.
"You!"
"I got it!!"
As soon as you stomp onto the floor, a blue flash races through the pure white darkness.
At that moment, your vision is accelerated with a buzz, and you immediately close your distance against the enemy.
(!! My body’s mobility really is completely different from before!)
"This ‘night’ is the very Magitzkvein of a High Daylight Walker! Chantless spells are easy peasy!"
As the True Ancestor exclaims so, the flash races through the night once again, forming a blade in your hand.
(…Got it!! I’ll cut through her logic wall!!)
You accelerate through the hail of stone spears, and charge right into the murderer’s range!.
"!? A-A hundred mighty arms—"
Too slow!
The silver-white blade slashes vertically through the automatically deployed logic wall.
Since the logic wall is a form of magic, a tiltowait of the circuit, or the opening after its destruction, is unavoidable.
Seizing this gap, you step through, twirl the blade in your palm—
"Haaaaah!"
And you strike a powerful back slash against the blank of the murderer!
"Argh…!"
Clang! The and the silver steel blade sank into the dark indigo robe.
Now a master of melee combat, you snap the murderer's body by the waist.
"Haah!"
The forcibly swung blade sends the murderer flying hard..
The murderer flies aside, bounces a couple of times off the balcony, and slams into a shattered angel statue.
"Ack, ka, fuuu…!"
The murderous chanting stops, and the gray book spine falls between the murderer's fingers.
In order to use chanting spells, a ‘book’ has to be connected to the Magitzkveins before a chant is muttered. A mage that has lost a grimoire poses no threat..
"H-How can I, be defeated, here… …!"
"…The inheritor of the title of Doctor Magna and a kin of the High Daylight Walker will never lose to a mere murderer."
"Ku, uuu…"
The murderer’s thoughts are suspended due to the pain, but she tries to get up and grab the grimoire…
"It’s our win."
However, she loses to her exhaustion caused by the battle, and collapses with a thud onto the coarse sand brick balcony.
"…Hah! Hah, hah, hah…!"
Finally released from your extreme state of tension, your shoulders heave wildly as you gasp for oxygen.
The disadvantage left you unable to relax, and the struggle left you asphyxiated, but you manage to turn the tables.
You execute the function of the the ‘book' to its limit and break through the the murderer's magic, even saving the petrified Arteria from the brink of death.
"Haa, haaa…! Arteria, are you fine? The petrification!?"
"…Umumu. A little tired, I suppose. I can no longer maintain the 'Silver Light'…!"
"!? Ah, Arteria."'
The moment the voice ring from the depths of the silver-white fog, a gust blows through the ‘night’.
It seems the High Daylight Walker that has been sustaining this domain has stopped providing magical power, for the silvery-white dusk quickly fades away, fizzling and vanishing into the atmosphere.
"The ‘Silver Night’…! A-Arteria!?"
"Fear not. It is just a matter of magic weakening! Do not worry about I."
You call out the vampire's name, and a bat flaps its wings as it appears on this completely cleared battlefield. It appears she’s slightly weakened because you have drained some magical power from her, and thus she is no longer sustain the night.
"Arteria, thank goodness …!"
"You, it is more important to extract the Truth instead of worrying about I!"
The strongest species hides itself beneath the hood of your robe as she urges you on through ultrasound.
Arteria willingly risked petrification to protect your will to ‘regain the truth’.
If you wish to repay that sacrifice of hers, you should not squander the perfect opportunity to take knowledge from the murderer.
"…Got it."
You place the shattered talisman in your robe pocket, and turn towards the murderer.
The murderer has lost her grimoire, her logic wall shattered, and her Magitzkveins are depleted. However, her ultramarine eyes continue to stare at you with hostility.
"…Vam, pire…you…!"
"…Since she was near the study yesterday, it appears she has some relation to your father. Given her intent to murder you, surely there is a higher likelihood of evil intent!"
(Yeah. It’s not weird for her to be at such a low level of the Labyrinth if she’s planning to kill any person visiting the study. She knows about the incident five years ago, so that’s why she’s trying to kill all witnesses (me)…!)
"The ‘enemy’ has waited five years for you, who once fled this Library City Alexandria, even attempting to assassinate you. Surely she is none other than the one who murdered the Doctor Magna! If you suck her knowledge…!"
"Then I can get information about Father's enemies!"
You pin down the murderer, pressing down upon her legs with your knees, basically riding upon her.
The murderer tries to resist, but it's futile!
"…Kill, me. Instead of being humiliated by being a vampire’s captive, I…!"
"Fool me not, murderer. I seek truth, not vengeance!"
You seize her by the collar to prevent her from biting her tongue.
"Ugh…!!!"
"…I’ve been seeking the truth since that day five years ago. I lost my magic and my memory, but I still return to this Library City Alexandria to retrieve the truth!"
You stare sharply into the ultramarine blue eyes of the murderer and question her,
"—Answer me, murderer!! Who killed Father…Kai Okutsuki five years ago!!?"
You yearn for the truth behind your Father’s death, that truth five years ago.
"…Father, you say?"
Her deep blue eyes narrow slightly, seemingly reflecting her inner doubt.
"…Is your Father’s surname Okutsuki? But the vampiric sacrifice…no way, the 'Scenario Writer'?"
The murderer’s eyes remain fixated on you and start to ramble madly as she utter a spiel of unintelligible words…perhaps she knows you are far from knowing the truth, and wishes to befuddle you with falsehoods.
"…You’re still playing dumb…! What a shallow method befitting a criminal!!!"
Your sworn enemy, having lost in magical combat and is pinned by you, still plans to conceal the truth with deception and falsehood. You tug at the collar of the despicable assassin and mutter in a low voice.
"Guh…l-let go of me, vampire! Th-there’s a huge misunderstanding between you and I…!"
"Unforgivable…! If you're going to stop me from finding the truth, then…! "
Manipulating this murderer behind the scenes is the sworn enemy who took everything from you. It’s futile to seek out the truth with words from a criminal who had murdered a person.
Having decided that negotiations and interrogations are meaningless—you bare your vampire teeth and say,
"I’m taking it back from you, murderer…!"
From the High Daylight Walker, you inherit the ability to ‘absorb knowledge’. It’s a power to destroy any pretense, to reclaim the truth.
If the enemy refuses to talk, then draw information from her blood!
"I’m taking all the memories you have five years ago from your blood!"
You savagely tear at the bust of her blouse that is in the way, ready to stab your teeth at her neck.
—Kling. A cold metallic chain lets out a crisp sound..
A crystal talisman, one exactly the same as yours, is dangling before her chest..
"…Huh?"
The protective talisman slides across the murderer's skin, shakes slightly amidst the valley of her ample cleavage, and stops.
The golden Venetian chain, reflecting the glittering sunlight,
The rouleau triangle crystals gives a blue-purple glow, infused with magic.
It is the very same amulet that you Father left you with.
W-Why do you have this talisman…?"
Stupefied, you mutter at this inexplicable turn of events.
For this Crystal Talisman is a magical tool forged by the Doctor Magna, Kai Okutsuki for his beloved son, the only Magitzkvein of absolute defense that exists in this world.
It is the deep bond of love your father had bequeathed you..
Thus, the Doctor Magna, Kai Okutsuki, couldn’t possibly have given this talisman to the murderer.
"Why, do you…only Father is able to create this talisman!"
"! S-Since you know where this talisman comes from, then the logic wall just now…are you really Teacher Okutsuki’s…!"
"!!!? T-Teacher Okutsuki!?"
Once you hear the words eke out from the pink lips, your tug at the robe become more forceful.
This murderer is an enemy of your father, a comrade of the sworn enemy who took everything from you.
But with the talisman before your eyes, when there is no purpose in concealing her identity, there is no reason for her to call Kai Okutsuki as ‘teacher’.!
"A-Aren’t you the ‘Scenario Writer’ assassin who’s impersonating Kai Okutsuki’s son, trying to kill me…"
"Impersonating as Father’s son…y-you got to be kidding, murderer! You’re the one who know of my relationship with Father, and wanted to kill me so that the truth will never be known, right!?"
You scream in burning rage, increasingly livid at the growing frustrated at the mismatched conversation.
‘You’re part of those sworn enemies, and also the assassin who tried to kill you.’
The various circumstantial evidence all point to such a hypothesis…
Yet the lone fact that she calls your father ‘teacher’ is an unexplainable contradiction.
"…Wh-Who are you…!?"
While all doubts are swirling in your thoughts as you try to uncover the murderer's true identity.
"…Okutsuki-san. I’m the disciple of Doctor Magna Kai Okutsuki…your father's disciple."
The voice quivering with despair and capitulation confesses its true identity.
'What about …, a disciple of the Okutsuki precept …Father, you say?'
"…Huh? Kai Okutsuki…Father’s disciple?"
The burning hatred and the tension ease up immediately. It seems there has been a dire misunderstanding has existed between you and the murderer.
"A-Aren’t you one of Father’s sworn enemies who is sent to assassinate me…?"
The murderer you assumed to be a sworn enemy is actually your father’s disciple.
"I-I made such a grave mistake…! I thought the enemy sent a vampire to kill me because I got too close to figuring out the truth to Teacher’s death. I-I-I… "
She, too, has been independently investigating the truth behind the death of Doctor Magna Kai Okutsuki.
In other words, the battle from before has been a meaningless farce.
"—Ehhhhhhh!!???"
"—You’re kiddddiiiiinnnnggg!!?"
Two overlapping screams echo through the outskirts of the ‘Apothecary’.
"So-So is this talisman what Father had given you?"
"Yes, that's correct! ! My savior Teacher Okutsuki gave this to me, and it’s very important…b-but I made such a great mistake against Okutsuki-san."
"Th-That’s too big a mistake! I got killed once!"
"Th-Then, you’re originally human!?"
"The manner you realize it is completely wrong! Didn’t I tell you since the moment we met in the classroom!?"
"T-That’s because!! Back then!! I-I was shocked, and I panicked…!!!"
"You wouldn’t be stabbing others with pencils when panicking!! Return me my pancreas!"
"I was certain that logic wall seemed familiar…I didn’t think you would be Teacher’s son! I-I really don’t know how to make up for this…!!!"
"Apologizing isn’t going to do anything now! Thanks to you, I’m now a half-human, half-vampire hybrid!! And more importantly, you’d be a real murderer if it’s not for Arteria!!"
"I’m sorry. I-I’m sorry…"
"I said apologies aren’t going to cut it! Don’t you remember what you did to me!? You stabbed my pancreas with 39 spears, chopped my fingers, crushed my bones, and almost petrified me!"
You continue to lambast the murderer, venting your agitated emotions.
Since you so happen to be attacked by your father’s disciple, and almost got petrified together with Arteria, you certainly have the right to be raging.
Due to the recoil from breaking free of the fear of death, you intend to continue lambasting the murderer,
"…Uu, uu…!"
A whimper.
A single tear fall from the murderer’s ultramarine eyes.
"…Murderer, you…!"
"…I'm sorry. I was only trying to repay Teacher's kindness…but I actually mistook Teacher's son for an assassin of the Scenario Writer,…! "
"‘Scenario Writer’? Wait, did you kill me because you mistook me for someone else…?"
You hear the quivering whimper, and finally realize the murderer’s reason to fight.
The murderer once said, " I thought the enemy sent a vampire to kill me because I got too close to figuring out the truth to Kai Okutsuki’s death". She ‘misassumed’ you to be the enemy assassin, and tried to defeat you in a magic duel.
…But that doesn't add up.
Given that the murderer has mistaken you for someone else and almost kill you in a magic duel, there has to be someone else who can be mistaken for you.
In other words, aside from you and the murderer, a third party has to exist.
"W-Wait, murderer. Are you saying that you’re attacked by someone other than us…!? "
So you ponder, trying to grasp the meaning of her words—
"Fu…fuunnnnnyyyyaaaa!?"
A really, really familiar cat-like cry interrupt your words..
…Now then, you left the classroom with the murderer, reached a completely unpopular balcony, and after a magic duel, pinned her down and ripped at her chest..
Through the obscene lenses of puberty, your actions can be described as such.
You forgot about a lunch date with your girlfriend, and try to appease this enraged girlfriend through a magic duel, only to be easily defeated.
And once your furious girlfriend pursued you, you summon the one you have an affair with, a silver-haired girl (who is completely naked to boot) and have her take an attack, suffer a grievous wound, and you move her aside..
And then you two were surrounded by a silver fog, you start to counterattack. You violently subdue your girlfriend, strip her, and pull out—
You’re about to put an end to this lovers quarrel through physical words (in another sense).
"Ah…wait, th-this isn’t it! Listen to me, Calmia-sa..."
"Okutsuki, yo-you pervert nyyyaaaa!"
The distinct high-pitched meow of the cat tribe echoes through the outskirts of the ‘Apothecary’.
"O-Oi Prez! Mood’s going well, don’t disturb them…uooooooh!"
"Let go!!! S-Such illicit relationships can’t be ignored here!!"
Calmia, whose ears and tail furs are bristling, hops out from the doorway leading to the lecture tower. Her cheeks are bright red, probably due to the combined effects of her intense anger and shame.
"C-Calmia-san!? And the classmates…d-don’t come here…!"
The murderer screams franctically as she uses her blouse to covers her voluptuous chest that can’t be covered with her hands. To an onlooker, it sounds like the sobbing of a girl who almost got raped…
"U-Uh oh, she saw our faces!" "Damn it, hey Prez, let’s scream!"
"Funyaa! Wait, don’t ride on me~!! You’re heavy~!!"
A male student resembling a dog hops out, restraining Calmia who appears to be trying to stop you.
He smiled very cheerfully and declared with a thumbs up.
"Don’t worry Okutsuki, Erika! We didn't see anything! We certainly won’t be telling anyone!!"
Well I certainly can tell you that he definitely will not abide by this promise.
"Wa-Wait, it’s a misunderstanding! Anyway, how long have you people been watching?"
"Gotta chant some escape spells! We’ll be in a bloodbath if the transfer student catches us!"
"I won't do that!"
"P-Pl-please…please let go of me Okutsuki-san!!"
You shout with tears in your eyes. At the same time, the murderer knees you in the back."
"Ugebu!?"
"Chant complete! Executing, grab Prez! Execute, twin tempest wings!!!"
You make a funny sound, and your classmates disappear like the wind. As to be expected of tenth graders studying in the ‘Apothecary’, they truly mastered the use of escape magic."
"Wa-woah! I-I got to shut them out! Before they can report about the result of this magic duel!"
The rules of the ‘Apothecary’ forbids students from having magic duels against each other. You, with your lumbar vertebrae and sciatic nerve destroyed, roll about on the floor, and next to you, the murderer stands up with a bewildered look..
"V-Vampire!...No-no, Okutsuki-san! We’ll talk about the details later! I’ll stop them and protect your secret!"
The murderer shouts and rushes into the walled area.
The only ones left behind are a paralyzed halfling, a vampire in bat form, and countless stone spears that have pierced the entire wall of the outermost shell.
"…Good grief. It seems they are gone. Well, how long are you intending to crawl. Regrow your hip bones quickly and stand up!"
"Ugh…I got my spine shattered, and my classmates got a huge misunderstanding right after I transferred here!"
You manage to stand up, tormented by a raging itch and embarrassment.
It's hard to believe that just minutes ago, you were having a life-threatening magic duel. Is your life cursed to never be able to be normal?
"Whew, whew…th-that murderer thought I’m ‘one with those enemies’…! So are there other forces aside from murderer and me…? "
"…It is unexpected of that murderer girl to be your father’s disciple…but retreat is of the essence. Remain so here, and you shall be executed."
"Ehh!? E-Executed by the murderer!?"
No, by Doctor Magna's magic.
Do recall. This is the headquarters of the ‘Apothecary’, the third of the four great powers. This is where Labyrinth explorers who boast of their overwhelming magic congregate.
Even though it is in the outermost shell where few people can actually see. Given that witnesses have seen such a grand magic battle, it is expected for a Doctor Magna to be notified.
"Y-yikes! If news of the magic duel gets out there, I’ll get killed by a Doctor Magna!"
You jolt up, terrified by the fear of death, and run away from the devastated balcony as fast as you can.
You must escape back to your dorm room before a Doctor Magna finds and executes you!
356 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
◇◇◇356 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
You are caught.
"…Pardon this teacher for asking, but there are rumors spreading of inappropriate male and female intercourse that have reached this teacher's ears."
The Doctor Magna, reclined deep in her chair in the student guidance office, asks in a very low voice.
It has been no more than eight lines since your escape, and you, running on the corridor, are whisked here, not knowing anything as you answer flusteredly,
"H-Huh…? I thought I was on the corridor just a moment ago…?"
"It is an emergency, so pardon the rudeness, but this Teacher brought you here with spatial transportation magic (teleportation)."
It appears you were transported to this student counseling room through a powerful space manipulation spell.
"Apologies for bothering you right after teleporting, but this Teacher wants to ask about illicit sexual relations between both of you."
"E-Erm…Teacher, may I know who spoke of those ru…?"
"Four or five students said so. Since this Teacher knows of it, rumors probably reached the entire school."
The long lunch break at the ‘Apothecary’ might have backfired against you. It appears the students who had witnessed this magic duel had just played an epic game of telephone.
"The rumors involve…well, both of you are of this age after all. With so many boys and girls together, there’s bound to be some romantic development."
"…We’re doomed. Teacher’s going to lecture us to death…!"
(W-What do you mean ‘lecture us to death’!? What’s going to happen to us!?)
"In any case, there might be, erm, such instances between boys and girls. But the problem is about you two doing so at school! You can only do such things when alone together!"
"We’re no match for such magic. We’ll be caught in an instant. We’re doomed…!"
(It’s really scary! You’ll end up in another space altogether before you know it!)
The murderer is shivering in fear. Perhaps it’s due to her outstanding magic skills that she can imagine the power level difference between her and a Doctor Magna.
"Engaging in sexual relationships to fulfill your desires are a bigger no go! If rumors are true, this Teacher has to punish you severely despite much reluctance. Is there anything you wish to say in defense?"
"…I didn't do anything. I didn't do anything…"
"I-I swear by all the gods of the Heavens and Earth that I didn’t do anything impure either!"
"…Then, Okutsuki-kun, what about the rumors that you were all over Eri-chan and ripping at her chest?"
"It’s a misunderstanding! O-Okutsuki-kun was pulling at my chest because…"
"Because mur…she said her heartbeat suddenly felt irregular, so I was was trying to check it out for her!"
"…Heartbeat? That is troubling then. Then, what about the rumors that you used magic during your lovers’ quarrel?"
"It wasn't a lover's quarrel!"
"Yes! We were really trying to kill…a mock battle!! Yes, that’s definitely it!"
"It’s written in the school rules ‘magic use is forbidden except in moments of emergency’. Using magic for pranks too is forbidden, let alone magic duels. But you…"
Teacher Yuzu's eyes narrow sadly as she continues with a disappointed voice,
"This Teacher never expected that the son and disciple of Teacher Okutsuki would have such a magic duel…"
"…T-Teacher Okutsuki's son…!"
(…I-If Teacher Yuzu says so, then Murderer isn’t Murderer after all. She’s actually Father’s disciple…)
Though still terrified of the Doctor Magna, you glance aside at the Mmurderer's profile.
Even after witnessing your Father’s talisman, you can’t believe it…yet even his colleague, Teacher Yuzuriha Daphniphyllum Walla says so.
This murderer…or rather, Erika, most certainly is a disciple of Kai Okutsuki.
"Erm…T-Teacher! That magic duel was my fault! It’s not Okutsuki-san’s fault. It’s just my misunderstanding…!"
The (ex) Murderer Erika mutters so in your defense.
"But school rules are school rules. If you do something wrong, you have to be punished."
"…I-I'm sorry…"
The ex-Murderer lowers her head apologetically, pinching the edges of her horns as she reeled back.
The sight of her terrified self really makes it difficult to imagine she was that Murderer prior to this…but she does seem apologetic for trying to kill you, stabbing you with a pencil, and trying to petrify you.
(…She’s actually reflecting on her actions…)
As you look at the demure profile of the ex Murderer, you feel a strange emotion welling up in you.
For five years since your Father was killed, you spent your life seeking only the Truth…if she, the self-proclaimed disciple of Kai Okutsuki, is seeking the same Truth as you, she too may have been tormented by the same despair as you.
(…I was killed on the level where Father's study is…if she’s at such a deep level in Labyrinth, was it because she was there to mourn him…?)
As noted prior to this, the level you died at is not a place where a typical explorer will venture too. Nobody else would have encountered you, aside from those with a deep connection to Kai Okutsuki.
You have forgotten about your past, and don’t know as to what happened between you and the Murderer. Given that she calls Kai Okutsuki ‘Teacher’, and has been seeking the Truth behind the assassination, it appears this gratitude runs deep.
The girl whom Doctor Magna recognized as his disciple and gave the same Talisman as the one to his son.
She may have a deep connection to your lost past.
"This Teacher still not ask you any further about the sexual misconduct, but Eri-chan will have to repair the balcony. Okutsuki-kun may not have used magic, but you are not spared from punishment."
"Eh? Ah, y-yes…"
As previously mentioned, your heart is still unable to accept magic. Since you are enrolling in the ‘Apothecary’, your homeroom teacher, Teacher Yuzu, is mostly informed of your plight.
"Erm…let’s see. Okutsuki-kun, you don't have your textbooks yet, do you?"
"Y-Yes…"
"It may be a little harsh, but this upcoming Friday is a holiday, so the Labyrinth exploration day will be a day earlier. Please use tomorrow's exploration time to unearth your textbooks."
"Eh…"
The ‘Apothecary’ operates on a generous scholarship program, and tuition and living expenses are free. (Although to be precise, it is a loan, given that after graduation, you are obligated to pay for the majority of the books you obtain from Labyrinth.)
Naturally, textbooks, supplementary reading materials, and other replicas are too released free of charge. Since you have to prepare them on your own, this probably is a light punishment as a normal student.
"So that means…I can use the ‘Elevator’?"
"Well, not the faculty’s. You can use the others though."
(…I-Is Teacher Yuzu actually…)
"Umu, it may be for your sake. Given that you cannot use magic, excavation and expansion of grimoires are a priority, so the use of the elevator is indispensable."
Of course, you sacrificed some of the remaining 1,000 pages of your precious life to pay attention in class so as to obtain vital knowledge necessary for your search, but the existence of the elevator is a big reason for that.
"Please do your best…or are you worried about entering the Labyrinth?"
"N- no, I understand! I will find all the textbooks I need!"
Realizing the Teacher's kindness, you bow deeply. The excavation of textbooks is just a pretext, and the Teacher is giving you a chance to get a set of grimoire since you are unable to use magic.
"No objections, I suppose? To prevent rumors from spreading further, you are to be confined to you room for the rest of the day."
"I-I understand. I will return to my room and wait."
"Please reflect on your actions so that you will not disrepute your Father."
"…Thank you very much….sorry to trouble you, Teacher Yuzu."
You bow deeply and open the old ebony door.
Leaving the apologetic murderer's profile behind you, you leave the student counseling room.
◇◇◇351 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
"…Phew, managed to make it back safety…"
You heave a sigh of relief as you reach your room in the third tower of the ‘Apothecary’.
You should be unacquainted with physical fatigue now that you have the immortality of the High Daylight Walker…but your body suddenly feels very heavy, probably due to being released from your tense emotions.
"…Haa, feels like a long time ago when I walked out of the room this morning…"
"Mumu~ truly you do not feel so good…given your vampirization, memory block and rematch with the Murderer girl, these 175 pages surely are turbulent."
"This half day is way too action packed…haa, since I’m on curfew, I think I'll take a little break…"
Certainly. While you have lots of things to ponder, the first thing you should do is to be change out of your robe that has been torn to shreds during battle.
You interrupt your tired thoughts, take off the ragged robe, and toss it onto the bed.
"W-wait…puya!"
"Ah!"
"What are you doing, you fool!?"
You have completely forgotten that Arteria is hiding inside the robe.
The silver-white bat slips out of your clothes and gives you a reproachful look.
"S-Sorry Arteria. I had things on my mind! You alright?"
"Grrrnnn…the nose hurts. Now I am reverting to my old form, lay out the clothes! "
"Eh? Clothes…ah!? You stuffed them all in here!"
You found that your removed clothes are a little bloated, and then you realize Arteria’s silk veil is dangling from the hood of your robe. She has prepared a change of clothes to prepare for the transformation of mass when a bat metamorphsizes a human body.
"I-I have no choice, no? Even a True Ancestor cannot transform along with her clothes…"
"Then don’t use my clothes as a storage place! Can’t you just hide yourself in the shadows and change secretly just as when I pull out the ‘book’?"
"Wh-wha!? Do you wish to see me change my clothes?"
"No, I don't! I'm not such a pervert! Hurry up if you want to change!"
"…Hmph, a cliff I am anyway…"
You unfurl the fabric that has a few holes pierced through it, and the bat flies in, giving rise to smoke.
A slight ruffling of clothes can be felt on the skin, and the High Daylight Walker regains her original form.
"Haa…it certainly is tiring to remain diminutive."
Arteria collapses onto the bed behind her and stretches out her arms and legs to enjoy the feel of the mattress.
"Ohhh, a human bed feels decent. Ah paradise paradise, it is~…"
"…You can lie down all you want, but don’t flail around in that outfit."
You avert your eyes from the skin being revealed through the collar gap, and sit down on the chair.
"Phew…"
(…It’s been so troublesome today. Really, it’s so different from the boarding school life I imagined about the ‘Apothecary’.)
Yes, it was. Since the moment you woke up this morning, you found yourself killed by the murderer, saved by the vampire, and having lost your memories, you were completely naked while sleeping on the same bed as a completely naked True Ancestor…
And while you decided this would be your battle against your Father’s enemies, this is your first duel to the death.
"…I was so close to dying, huh."
You mutter to yourself, remembering the fear you felt during the magic duel. In this battle where life and death was on the line, magic could instantly end a person’s life.
(…I swear to become someone who can save others…yet I fought against Father’s ex-disciple…and almost caused Arteria’s death.)
You vowed to yourself on that tragic night five years ago which your Father died..
You swore that you would never again allow anyone within your reach to be harmed.
(…There’s a very high likelihood that the enemy who assassinated Father is a magical criminal. Since I, as a witness, return to Library City Alexandria, it’s very likely that the enemy wants me dead…I’m prepared to engage in magic duels, so I resolved to get stronger so that nobody else can get hurt.)
And yet your body was paralyzed in fear, your mind imprisoned by flashbacks, your resolve easily crushed by a warhammer. You almost let Arteria die, just as the situation with your Father.
(…Arteria risked her life to save me when I was in peril…Arteria knows every well that she lost her power as a True Ancestor, and could have died.)
Lying on her bed with her eyes closed, Arteria look so cold and serene that one might have assume she is dead..
Only the faint vermilion streaks across her cheeks and her slender shoulders that heave with her breathing prove her survival.
Her angelic, innocent profile shows no signs of the regality as implied from the name of the strongest species.
(…Of course…Arteria lost her immortality after all).
You unwittingly clench your fingers on the armrest of your chair.
(…I don't know why Arteria lost pretty much all of her ability as the strongest species…and could only avoid petrification by sucking my blood.)
As per the prologue of this ‘Last Prayer’, given that she has the power to parry aside stone spears with a single strike, it is impossible for Arteria to be stabbed by the petrifying black spears. She should be able to resist the venomous petrification with her immortal body that can regenerate internal organs from fatal wounds immediately.
The assumption being that if the High Daylight Walker still has the powers of her prime.
(…If I had tried to get to know Arteria instead of just determining her as a mere ‘vampire’, would I have known earlier that she had lost her immortality?)
With a creak, the mortises joining the wood of the chair together seemingly chastise you.
(…In that case, it’s my fault. I always assume that vampires are the natural enemies of mankind, that they’re dangerous monsters, that a vampire would have malicious intentions when saving a human, always thinking of fighting the murderer…that’s why I almost let Arteria die.)
You feel a sharp pain from deep within your heart.
If, as you guessed, Arteria is the strongest Nosferatu, and the immortality she gave you is merely out of childishness to relief her boredom, that the love she professes to is merely pity for the weak, you would be thankful to her for saving your life, but you will not be suffocated by guilt.
For the High Daylight Walker Arteria is a monster who endangers the human race.
She probably does not have a ‘heart’ to be considerate to others..
(…But I’m wrong. Arteria’s not immortal, she’s kind, and caring for my sake. She knows she was kind, and she was thinking of me. She knew she might die, … and yet she still took the petrifying stake in her body for me.)
You gaze at the vampire lying there, tormented by regret.
The contours of her shoulders have a tinge of lingering childishness. The faint lines of ribs appear at her delicate chest. Her feeble, slender pelvis and waist appear so thin, it seems they might snap if one is to embrace her firmly.
For you refused to believe in this ‘love’ the vampire spoke of, and never tried to understand the vampire, Arteria took the venomous petrification, and nearly became a cold stalactite..
"…Arteria…why did you…"
Stumbling on your words, you try to inquire the vampire's heart...
"…Hmm? W-what are you looking at? I sense a wanton stare!"
"!!"
Arteria's embarrassed voice interrupts your words.
"I-It is day, and a little nap I took. Have your beastly desires been aroused just being with me?"
"N-no, Arteria, I just wanted …!"
"L-Lie not to I! Those eyes of yours are a little abnormal!"
Arteria's cheeks flush with embarrassment and she hugged the thin blanket.
Feeling a little remorseful, you look at the body that is thoroughly injured because of your own feebleness, yet she has assumed mistakenly that you are looking at her with sexual interest.
"I-I would never think my cute angelic sleeping face would bewitch my own kin!"
"Don't call yourself cute, and that's not what I mean, Arteria! I’m just wondering if your wounds have recovered fully!"
"Wounds!? D-Do you wish to give in to your youthful lust, pushed me down and leave a wound upon me!?"
"Absolutely not!"
"If-if-if you think of such insolence, then I shall suck your blood with the power of True Ancestor to suck out all your blood!
"…You don't have such power right now!"
You push down the True Ancestor (Arteria) who is rampaging in confusion. The body of the 'Silver Night', the strongest vampire in the Labyrinth, is easily pinned onto the bed.
"Punya! Wh-what intentions do you have!? Let—go—of—me!!"
"Shut up and calm down, you stupid vampire!"
"Auu!? Nghh, it hurts, I am angry, I shall suck your blood!"
Arteria, who has been rolled over, lashes loudly at you. You hold her slender arms to the wooden bed frame to stop her rampage.
The High Daylight Walker, mistaking this as an attempt to violate her, verbally threatens you with grandiose, yet makes no attempt to break free.
…For even she knows.
As befitting of her apparent age, the girl resembling ten years old can’t possibly push you aside with your the strength and weight of a fifteen year old.
"…Why didn't you tell me, Arteria?"
"I-I do not know what you are talking about!? Enough, let me go!"
"Why didn't you tell me that you lost your power as the High Daylight Walker?"
"Fu…!!!"
You interrogate with a soft voice, and the strongest vampire of the Labyrinth squeals in fear..
"…Wh-What do you mean? I-I do not know what you're talking about."
"Then why didn’t you push me aside? Since you can cut through a hail of stone spears with your strength and knock away a doorknob with a shockwave, you should be able to easily nudge aside my body, right?"
"…T-That is…"
The crimson eyes, seemingly filled with fresh blood, ooze a tinge of anxiety.
The undead king known as the 'Silver Night' is frightened by the strength of a mere mortal.
"…You've lost your powers as a True Ancestor, and your abilities are just on par with a human of similar appearance, right…!? You didn’t have the means to resist that venomous petrification…!"
"It hurts…!"
Feeling extremely remorseful, you grab the High Daylight Walker by the wrist, and her body tenses immediately. For you, a mere kin who remains far inferior to a True Ancestor, even a stab through the heart may feel only ticklish to you.
"…It hurts when you’re wounded, and you’ll die when you get stabbed…so why did you protect me and took on the petrifying black stake for my sake?"
"…N-Not at all, I-I did not intend to deceive you…"
"Then answer me, Arteria, why didn’t not tell me you had lost your immortality?"
You keept interrogating Arteria as the latter tries to excuse herself like a toddler.
For you are are frustrated. You cannot forgive this.
You can't forgive yourself for doubting the vampire's love, for hurting her, and nearly causing her death through petrification.
(…Arteria risked her life to protect me. She even lied to me to save my life. I can’t continue to let her bluff me out of selfish interests…!)
"…Tell me, Arteria…why is a vampire (you) doing so for a human (me)…!"
"…For you are a fool, no? You are a fool who will fight to save I, and even disregard your own life! So foolish you are that I had no choice but to lie!"
"Say, Arteria, this is a serious question! So you should be serious too..."
—Clink.
The gold chain of the talisman lets slip a little small metallic sound.
"Ah…."
Arteira talks out the crystal talisman from within the robes that you removed.
"…If not, surely you shall sacrifice yourself just as this talisman does.."
The crystal has lost the glow of the Man sealed within it, leaving behind an empty translucence.
"…I am sorry. I know this talisman is left behind by your Father, and means so much to you."
Arteria's fingertips caress the rounded, inverted triangular crystal.
This gesture can activate the added function of the talisman, which is to display a video communication with your Father. Now that the crystal has lost its Mana glow, the crystal shall never be able to display the afterimage again..
For you have depleted your Father’s magic power to save Arteria from the petrifying black stake.
"…A fool you are. If you have known I have lost immortality, surely you will be worried. If you say the truth, surely you will be reckless as a fool again…!"
Arteria murmurs in a muffled voice with her nose buried in the blanket.
The anxious words, unbefitting of the strongest species, cut and torments your heart like a blade.
"…Say, I’m really getting angry, Arteria…you’re savior. You lent me your strength, and that’s how I survived. That’s why I…!"
"—That power!"
"!!"
An anguished shriek interrupts your words.
Arteria closes her eyes with remorse, pinches the blanket firmly, and whispers with a quivering voice.
"…The power that saved you was originally usurped from you. That is why I decided to save you without draining any blood memories…but I am nothing but a vampire (monster) who can only steal powers from others."
"…So you gave up on sucking blood knowledge for my sake…"
From this monologue that resembles a confession, you realize the vampire's mental state.
The talent eater Arteria has known that you always view her as a monster. Through her absorption ability, she knows that you don’t trust the High Daylight Walker.
That is why Arteria has been so determined to prove the genuineness of her love for you.
And exposed herself to the petrifying black stake with her body that has lost immortality, without taking power from others (you).
"…So you think I’ll be angry because I’m forced to use the magical power of the talisman?"
"That is because, because I know. You carry your father's talisman around for it represents the bond of your father's teachings. I know, and yet I…I…!"
"…Listen, Arteria, you're right, I really treasure the talisman. I’m really sad that I can’t see Father's face again. But I…"
"I-I knew it! So you do cherish the talisman more than I! That is why you did not use the magic sealed in the talisman within the prologue of that ‘book’ (Me), no!?"
"I-I just didn’t think about it back then!"
At the prologue of this story, when you were attacked by the murderer, you did not use the talisman’s function.
Without your Magitzkveins, even if you had activated your talisman, the situation might not have differed much…it appears she assume herself to be of a lower class as compared to your Father’s talisman.
She seems to think it was because she was treated lower than the father's talisman:
"…It-It-It is all I fault! I apologize! I apologize to…!"
"Listen, Arteria! I’m not thinking of you as a monster anymore…!"
"I apologize, so! So please do not hate I!"
Seeing the tears in the vampire’s crimson eyes, clinging desperately to you—
"Ah goodness…I get it, calm down already, you stupid vampire!"
You flick at Arteria's forehead with your finger.
"Oww…!? I-It hurts! Why do you do so to this forehead of I!?"
"It’s because you say stupid things! I don't regret saving you at all! It’s my decision, and you’re not responsible for it!"
"Y-You…fmyu?"
You grab the frightened Arteria by the shoulders and declare with a serious look,
"I think you’re more important than Father’s vestige! That’s why I used the magic of this talisman! It’s not your fault, I wanted to do this!"
It is true that your Father’s afterimage, of which there are only two left in the world, is very important. But even if his image disappears from your memories, his teachings will not.
You have decided to abide by Kai Okutsuki’s teachings and repay Arteria's trust with trust.
"Umu…I-I…I…!
"If I have to say this until you understand, I’ll say it! If you still don’t believe, then suck my blood!"
You crudely embrace Arteria and bring your defenseless neck to her mouth.
All so to convey your feelings towards the ‘Talent Eater’ who feeds on the blood and knowledge of others.
"Arteria, I’ve decided to believe in you."
"….Youuuuu…."
The restless, faltering thin arms embraces your back firmly.
"—I too! I too believe in you! I believed in you ever since you saved me! Ugh, ueeeee…!"
"… Don't cry, stupid Arteria. Your snot’s getting all over my shirt"
"Shut up! Si-Since it is from this cute I, even my snot is cute! Now that you can make new ones out of ‘Origami Paper’, this shirt isn’t needed anymore!"
Arteria continues to bury the tip of her nose into your clothes, rubbing her cheeks on the fabric.
…The 'Silver Night' of the Library, the talent eater Arteria. She has always lived in the eternal solitude of immortality, so surely the trust of others is of extremely special value for her.
"Y-You…!"
"…Now do you understand, Arteria? I don’t care about the talisman as long as it’s for your sake. I don't care if I lose the Father's magic if it’s just to repay you for what you’ve done to me. If you’re still worried about the talisman, I'm willing to throw it out the window."
"N-N-No! Perhaps I should throw it out of the window if you are going to throw it away."
"You want it…well, I don’t mind, but there’s no point in you having it, right? "
"There is!"
You glance aside at the lighting window, and Arteria hastily calls you while grabbing the talisman, gently bringing it to her chest to prevent you from snatching it away.
"…This is something I took from you. I cannot return it all, but I still wish for you to receive it.."
Arteria mutters, and gently kisses the crystal.
"…Starting from this moment today, this talisman shall represent the bond of my love."
Click! A shrill sound can be heard, and she imbues into your talisman the Mana that she has stolen from you.
"!…You’re putting mana into this talisman…!"
"Unu…since you say you believe in I, lower your head a little more."
Pinching the ends of the broken gold chain, Arteria gently calls out to you.. She imbues the silver-white mana she has absorbed from you back into your Father’;s talisman.
"This shall be proof. Proof of my love to you, and your trust in I."
"…Arteria…yeah, I understand."
You sense Arteria's intentions, and obey the True Ancestor.
"…I won’t doubt your trust again. Even if my memories are gone, even in the face of trouble, I won’t ever forget what you have done for me."
To repay the deep love of this kind vampire who risked everything her life to save you,
"Arteria, I believe in you."
"…Umu!!!"
Arteria nods, looking completely pleased at your reply.
And then, she ties the crystal talisman that sparkles with silvery white mana firmly upon your neck
"…Mfu, mfufu♪ Now you belong to I~♫ for surely♡"
"…Well, as far as I can remember, there’s two times you saved my life. I’ll make sure to repay the favor."
You gently lay Arteria back onto the bed, and gently caress the talisman on your chest to affirm its touch.
"At first, I was in despair that I became a vampire…but since you’re a True Ancestor, I don't mind being the kin…this time, I’ll be the human saving you."
"Mufu~♪ You really do know how to please others, minor♪ How fortunate you are♫ Surely there is no one who cares for you more than this Arteria♡."
"W-Well I think that’s another matter altogether…but you saved my life. If you’re willing to believe me, I’ll definitely repay your trust."
"Ehehe♪ If you dare to forget I, I shall pull at the gold chain from within your robes and strangle you! Prepare yourself~♪"
"…Yes yes, I’ll treat this as an important memory and have it recorded inside the ‘book’."
"Mfufufufu~♡ Now that it is decided, find the ‘Book to Cure Memory Loss’ so that you shall forever be with I♪ Now you, prepare to sleep for tomorrow’s search!"
"No no no, even though I’m vampirized now, I can’t sleep at this time. It’s still curfew time, so I can’t go out, but I can’t prepare my equipment for tomorrow…wait, A-Arteria? Why are you bringing out a coffin?
Arteria ignores your words and pulls out a coffin from her shadow. The huge box shakes the the dormitory room with a thud, opening its lid along with the impact..
"Hmmm? A coffin is a place to sleep, no? What are you talking about?"
"…Oh yeah, looks like this is how vampires actually sleep…"
Yes. There is a seriously big difference between a human and a vampire when it comes to the definition of ‘sleep’.
In the case of humans, sleep is the act of letting the brain rest and recover from fatigue. In contrast, for vampires, sleep is the act of regaining magical power through the birthplace of one’s soil as a medium.
"Now then, do you now have a coffin too? Lie within it now♪"
"I don’t have a coffin. And don’t a vampire have to sleep on the birthplace soil to regain magical power or something?"
"It is inferior to earth, but any medium related to one’s birthplace shall suffice. For your instance…see, would that trunk not be suitable?"
"My trunk luggage is big and all, but I can’t possibly sleep inside it!…Ah, wait, Arteria, why are you locking my elbows—itchy! Itchy, stop ittt!!"
She probably gained your arm strength through the body heat when she put the talisman onto you. A rash of itchiness explode all over your body, and you are instantly folded up into a pocket size.
Rustle, rustle.
*Some important knowledge for you* A vampire can be packed alive into a trunk.
"Uuu…! Somehow I have to sleep in a trunk! I hate that murderer…!"
You are compacted into a cramped sleep, quietly weeping within this small coffin. Even though you have obtained immortality as the price from the True Ancestor, you are forcibly folded along your joints. Does the goddess of fate have a grudge against you?
(I don’t just need the ‘Book to Cure Memory Loss’, I need the ‘Book to Remove Vampirization’! First thing in the morning tomorrow, I’m going to Father's study!)
You swear, clenching your fists that are (for some reason) tightly stuffed between your ankles and ears.
In order to sleep peacefully on your bed, free of itchy joints, it is imperative that you recover from being a vampire. Your Father, a Doctor Magna, may have a study based deep within the depths of the Library Labyrinth that contains ‘A book that can turn you human again’.
However, you are currently under curfew and unable to use the elevator, so you have to wait till the next day before exploring the Library Labyrinth. Given the risk of the teachers discovering you, you can’t be wandering around in the ‘Apothecary’ just to prepare. The only thing you can prepare for tomorrow is to get some sleep and regain your strength.
(…It's still too early, and I’m not sleepy…but given the remaining memory (pages) left, I can’t fail my exploration tomorrow…I need to get that ‘Book to Cure Memory Loss’ tomorrow and break this curse so that I can repay Arteria’s grace!)
You swear to yourself in your heart, and close your eyes within the trunk.
Tomorrow shall be the Labyrinth exploration day, and surely a busy one. Please rest well to recuperation and retrieve your Father’s collection of books from the dark abyss of the Library Labyrinth.
◇◇◇331 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
◇◇◇331 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
The next day, 6am.
You have packed all the necessary supplies for Labyrinth exploration into your backpack, and have arrived at the door of the old-fashioned mechanical elevator closest to the third tower.
You are headed towards your Father’s study in the Library Labyrinth, intending to seek out the ‘Book to Cure Memory Loss’.
"…Haa, haa, whew~…I finally, made it up to the elevator…"
You lower the haversack that is digging into your shoulders, and let out a huge sigh. This is the first Labyrinth search in your subjective memory, and being seemingly overly cautious, you brought excessive belongings.
"Phew…seems like I brought too much equipment. If I can use the shadow world to store them, I should be able to carry much more."
"Nyamu, mmmm..…"
The silver white bat, illuminated by the light, lets out an impatient graon from within the hood of your robe.
Perhaps it was due to her vampiric nature of preferring the shadows, Arteria appears to be a late riser.
"…Haa, since there’s no shadow storage to use, I should look for a ‘large inventory storage book’ at a grimoire store and buy one…"
Of course. The further you go into the labyrinth, the more difficult it shall be to procure supplies and food, and thus a ‘storage book’ is an imperative equipment for explorers. You could have purchased one in advance if possible, but unfortunately, in the Far East islands, there are few opportunities to buy ‘books’..
"And ever since I stepped into Library City Alexandria, I got killed by the murderer, and turned into a vampire. I didn’t have time to go to a grimoire shop…oh!"
You push aside the safety door of the elevator and toss your belongings into the luggage basket. At the very least, you do not have to endure the itchiness of the shoulder straps that would dig into your flesh until you reached the terminal..
"Phew…it’s the closest to the dormitory, but it sure is an old elevator."
Behind you, you close the bostwick gate that comprises of metallic rods, and scan the interior of the elevator.
A thin layer of dust covers the floor of of this cramped carriage, and footprints are left behind. The The bronze control panel has greenish-blue rust all over the place, indicating the many years this elevator has experienced.
Compared to the large elevator in the main lecture tower, it appears this elevator is hardly used.
(…The floor indicators are gear type instead of lights, and even the emergency brake is to be kicked…since it’s not locked, I guess it should be able to work…)
"…Hmm, I’m still uneasy about this."
With a tinge of apprehension, you check the rusty door lock repeated to see if it is locked, and presse the old-styled▼ down button.
Creak…a squeaky sound is heard, and the elevator begins to descend with a light thud.
The old and slow mechanical elevator passes through a few levels of the lecture tower, and then into a long, long continuous section of darkness.
After a bit of intermittent tremors, the collar of your robe begins to wriggle.
"Nyam nyam…ha-have us reached the bottom of the Labyrinth…?"
"…Good morning Arteria. We just got onto the elevator. You can keep sleeping., you know?"
"Unyu…hmm, I suppose I should awaken…"
The silver white bat rubs rubs the tip of its nose and mutters with ultrasonic waves. The darkness blotting the elevator seems appears to have become the morning sun for the vampire.
"…Nyammmm, when did you put I into the robe? And where is this elevator headed? "
"Ermm, it definitely leads to the Labyrinth. Given this speed though, it doesn’t seem to be a route that can reach the bottom floors of the Labyrinth directly though."
"What now, merely to the shallow layer…uuu, finally rid of sleepiness I am, it is boring to be in the same darkness. How slow this ‘Apothecary’ elevator is."
"Not like we got a choice. The high speed elevator of the lecture tower should be much faster, but it’s hell to carry such a large backpack down that aerial corridor.
"Mmm, You are beginning to explore the Labyrinth, but you do not seem sentimental…"
"…Well yeah, I assumed there would be a emotional homecoming, but I'm not descending down the Labyrinth just to sightsee, you know?"
The still half-awake bat is bored to tears, and nibbles at your neck…as the bat (Arteria) says, the interior of the elevator's vertical shaft is musty and cold, and seems to intensify the gloomy unrest of exploring the Labyrinth rather than stirring your expectations.
You are headed towards the study where the Doctor Magna once used as a base. It is a little safer than the deepest level exacavated thus far, but it is still dangerous level.
(…Still, that study might have some clues related to the truth from five years ago. The collection of ‘books’ Father left behind may have something that can cure memory loss and vampirism. The Labyrinth is a dangerous place, but it is definitely worth the trip…!)
Your fingertips touch the talisman on your chest to rally your heart that’s fading into anxiety.
You have left your faraway hometown and family to return to Library City Alexandria yearning to reclaim the past in the Library Labyrinth, for you seek the truth of that tragic night in this place where your father was murdered.
"…I’ll get them back. My lost memories, my magic, and the truth of five years ago."
If, within the darkest depths of this Library Labyrinth, in the study where Kai Okutsuki was assassinated, there await ‘A book to cure memory loss’, ‘A book to regain the truth’, or ‘A book to become Doctor Magna’.
You must overcome any adversary and retrieve those books.
"Umu, now that is the vigor! As a kind of I, you shall not let this darkness cow you!"
"Yeah. I finally returned to the Library Labyrinth, and I can't die with my memories lost and the truth still unrevealed…and I can’t leave you alone either."
"'Fmyu! …C-Certainly, no? You belong to I, and I shall not let you lose your memories! Now then, you have to prepare for exploration! Even in this very slow elevator, we should be reaching the dark abyss of the Labyrinth…umu?"
Arteria suddenly pauses, and looks down at the elevator floor.
"…I-Is it not getting a little brighter?"
"Eh?"
You look down just as Arteria does, and spot some faint light seeping through the dark depths of the vertical shaft. It is unusual for a descending elevator to have light shining in from below.
"Th-That’s strange, shouldn’t it be connected to the Labyrinth…argh!"
The light shining through the gaps of the carriage cause your vampire skin to feel itchy.
It's sunlight.
"Su-Sunlight!? Shouldn’t we be underground by now!?"
"Y-You! This is weird! Sunlight should not be shining into the pits of the Labyrinth—"
The vampire, panicked by the sudden sunlight, is about to say something to you—
Boom!
Your dimly-lit field of vision suddenly expands, and the sun shining brightly in the sky etches onto your retinas.
"!?Th-This is …!"
You pry open your eye lids that are sealed by the sun glare. The iris contract to reduce the retained light—and your eyes see magnificent islands floating in the air.
"… Th-The 'library'…!!"
You mutter, feeling breathless at the majestic sight spread out before your eyes.
The first thing that amazes you is that there exists a sky underground. The sun shines brilliantly at the ceiling, fading into an endless azure sky.
Against the blue sky backdrop, a beautiful archipelago of pure white clouds stretches far into the distance. The islands are connected by long stone bridges, and further down, one can see the wings of birds and rows of houses.
This is the ‘Floating Peak Library’, one of the many ‘Libraries’ lying in slumber within the abyss of the Library Labyrinth.
This is a relay point of logistics, commerce, and culture between the surface and the Library Labyrinth.
The heart of the ‘Apothecary’ exploration guild, the beautiful floating islands city, continue to extend into the endless skies.
"…I-I thought we would arrive at that dim ‘Reading Room’…"
Most of the Library Labyrinth are hexagonal ‘Reading Rooms’, but there are rare moments where a large book storage called a ‘Library’ would be excavated.
Each ‘library’ has its own unique characteristics, and is known by its nickname, like ‘The Library of the Blade Metal’, ‘The Library of the Black Forest’, and ‘The Library of the Waterfall’. Once the excavation of ‘books’ is settled, these now barren ‘libraries’ become living spaces for people, just like this ‘Floating Peak Library’.
"…I didn't know such a large space exist beneath the 'Apothecary' lecture tower…!"
Beyond the steel shafts that support the elevators, you look up in amazement at the sky where domesticated eagles and dragons ferry their cargo.
Typically speaking, a sky composed primarily of nitrogen and oxygen requires a dense, Rayleigh-scattering atmosphere extending 30 kilometers into the sky.
However, there is no way that a slow, antiquated elevator could descend such a distance in mere minutes. In other words, the physical law of ‘distance’ is invalid within this ‘Library’.
"…The ultrasonic waves (ping) are not reflecting back. It appears this ‘Library’ has a distorted space."'
"Pi-ping? Space is distorted? …?"
"…To put it simply for a fool like you to understand, the Library Labyrinth is a divine realm, and the shallow conventional wisdom of the world has no place here."
"Mgh…an-anyway, it just means this is a large space, right? "
You blurt out your doubts, and get ridiculed by Arteria. Your knowledge of physics is insufficient to describe how blue the sky is, and you look downward.
The floating islands to which the elevator is heading towards has rows of moving stalls with colourful roofs. It is yet to be 7am…no, it is because of this timing that there are students and explorers preparing to head into the deep levels of the Labyrinth.
The Domesticated Labyrinth creatures are ferrying cargo, and hordes of people are passing through the wide streets, reminiscent of blood flowing the massive living organism called the ‘City’.
If the lecture tower on the ground is the brain of the ‘Apothecary’, this is the heart.
The ‘Floating Peak Library’ is the center of economic activities to spread the wisdom of the Library Labyrinth to mankind.
"You! If there are so many bookstores on the island, you may find ‘a book to cure your memory loss’…!"
"Yeah! I was planning to head straight to Father's study, but let's visit at the shops!"
You continued to look down at the ‘Floating Lake Library’ with growing anticipation.
◇◇◇322 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
From time to time, the old-fashioned elevator gets agitated by the winds as it descends. The earth too approaches at the same speed as the clouds distance themselves, and the buzz of the city grows louder.
And as you reach the terminal, creak…the elevator screeches to a halt..
After descending a least a hundred meters in height, you finally step upon the ‘Library’.
"…Finally…I’m finally back! I’m back at this Library Labyrinth!"
You quietly shout as you step upon the cobblestone pavement of the elevator hall at the edge of the island that is floating due to magic.
After five years of wishing, you had finally returned to the Library Labyrinth.
"Oooooooh…!!! Y-You, this appears to be an island selling grimoires!"
Arteria squeals happily as she looks up at the arched roof of the boulevard entrance. A sign supported by baked sand bricks reads, ‘Welcome to Bookstore Island (Melchoir)’.
The islands of various sizes floating in the library—the floating islands are generally divided into sections depending on the goods transacated. It seems this island with many grimoire stores aren’t is called the ‘being bought and sold, and this seems to be an island called ‘Melchoir’ lined with grimoire stores.
(This floating ‘Melchoir’…is as crowded as the Apothecary above ground…!)
"After all, there are many demi-humans in this Library Labyrinth!… Ohhh! Behold, a winged horse (Pegasus) pulling a cart!"'
Hordes of people flock through the boulevard of Melchoir’s many open-aired stalls..
A strong explorer with a great iron sword on his back. A peddler haggles with a shopkeeper to purchase books at a reduced price. Domesticated eight-legged giant spiders trudge along with huge loads of books atop them.
(The Labyrinth has so many…no, it’s because it’s the Labyrinth that there are so many grimoire stores…!)
"Truly a crowd it is…hmu, if the market is this lively, a 'Book to Cure Memory Loss' may be in circulation! You, look around the stores at once!"
(… Oh, let's tour around the boulevard first!)
You follow the crowd and pass through the arched gate decorated with beautiful rocaille patterns.
The avenues of Melchoir, perhaps 10 meters wide, have heaps of colorful covers. These are all grimoires or replicas excavated from the Labyrinth. You walk through the crowd, looking at the exterior of the bookstores one by one.
(…’Books to be used as firewood’, ‘Books to be used as daily commodities’, ‘Books to be eaten’, ‘Books for transport’…sure seems like most of these ‘books’ are for daily living. I guess it’s not easy to find such rare grimoires even in the Library Labyrinth.)
"Umu, it appears all the stalls here sell only replicas. The more expensive grimoires may be stored in the vaults within these shops as a precaution."
Grimoires excavated from the Labyrinth are priced at market rate according to their rarity and function. It is not unusual for a ‘book’ with rarity B and above to be more expensive than gold, silver, and jewelry. It is very dangerous to have such precious books be displayed at the entrances, and thus not unreasonable to not to spot a rare grimoire.
"…Hmmm, I guess there’s no 'Book to Cure Memory Loss' or a 'Replica Book'."
"Umumu…if you wish to buy a rare ‘book’, you will have to visit a really posh bookstore. Do you know of any booksellers somewhere?"
(Eh? I'm sure Father's favorite bookstore is still around somewhere, but…I've practically lost most of my memory from five years ago.)
Your Father was a Labyrinth explorer hailed as Doctor Magna, and had unearthed rare books from the depths of Labyrinth where nobody else could approach. Some of them will surely enter the mainstream market, and given that you are Kai Okutsuki's son, perhaps a bookstore might sell some to you at a discount…
(…But I need to hide my identity, so I can't mention Father's name.)
"Muu…well, few stores are willing to serve rare books to unknown strangers. In any case, trust is everything no matter where you go."
(And it’s not just about being able to buy just because I’ve saved enough money. I do remember the ‘Apothecary’ is managing Father’s inheritance and sending a monthly payout to my bank account…)
"I suppose it is impossible to buy a ‘Replica Book’?"
Yes, certainly. A rare book like ‘A book that creates replicas’ is valued as much as it would to buy a house. Even if you do have sufficient savings, considering the risks of theft and fraud, it is unlikely that a bookstore is willing to deal with customers..
"…No other choice then. Anyway, how about a ‘storage book’ for now’?"
(Yeah. With so much baggage on me, it’s getting too itchy for me..)
You approach the pile of ‘storage books’ and look around.
Based on weight, there are ‘books that can hold up to 5 kg’, ‘books that can hold up to 20 kg’, curled horns resembling a shiny black goat, and ‘books that are waterproof even with liquids’.
"…Hmm?"
You seem to have spotted something weird, and scanned your surroundings..
The shop sells ‘books that can hold up to 5 kg’, ‘books that can hold up to 20 kg’, curled horns resembling a shiny black goat, and ‘books that are waterproof even with liquids’.
"… Hey murderer, what are you doing there?"
"Hya!?"
A squeal can be heard from behind the pile of books, and the horns immediately shrivel back. You stride forth towards where they disappear to, and crudely reach your arm in.
You grasp the lumpy stick-like object and yank it out…
"—Auu!? Wh-What are you doing, Okutsuki-san! It hurts!!!"
And as expected, hiding behind the pile of books is the murderer who killed you.
"Th-The Murderer girl!?"
"It’s you after all…! Oy murderer, what are you doing here!"
"Ple-please-please let go of me! My horn is bending! It hurts~!"
Shaking her head about, she waves off your right hand, only to tumble and sit onto the floor due to excessive force. The horns might be her weakenss, and her ultramarine eyes look up at you with resentment, slowly filled with tears.
"Uuu~, this is cruel, what are you doing, why did you grab my horn!?"
"I’m the one who want to ask what are you doing!? What are you planning, murderer, why are you spying on me!? Anyway, how do you know where I am!"
"Th-That is because, I waited at the elevator closest to your dormitory tower and followed you…"
"Arteria, let's get out of here!!!"
"No, no!! I’m not here to fight anymore!"
You immediately try to flee the moment she confesses to her stalking, and the murderer hastily denies any intention to fight.
Since she has no intention to fight, why would she follow you?
"P-Please listen to me! I was following you because, erm…I-I want to apologize to you!"
"Huh? Apologize?"
"…I was wondering what she would be saying. Apologize? Is she taking us for a fool…!"
Both of you exhale in disgust at the word ‘apologize’, the one word seemingly most unbefitting of the murderer. Did she really look for you to apologize for her sins?
"No! Now you, this is the enemy who attacked this Arteria two nights ago, and almost drove you to the brink of death. Even if she is related to your Father, it does not assure that she is someone you can trust!"
(…Yeah, I feel the same. I don’t know what kind of relationship she had with Father, but even if she’s someone Father approved five years ago, it doesn’t guarantee that she’s still a trustworthy person today!)
You look down at the murderer, ready to pull out the grimoire as you answer,
"Murderer, I don't believe your words. Even if you want to apologize—"
"I'm very sorry!"
The murderer interrupts you and grovels on the pokes his forehead onto the ‘Library’ alley.
"Wha!?"
"I’m very sorry…I-I’m really sorry!!"
"Eh, m-murderer!?"
You can’t hide your bewilderment while the murderer continues her spirited prostration. You had assume this situation will be similar to the moment in the depths of the Labyrinth, when 39 stone spears flew towards you…
"I'm sorry, Okutsuki-san, I'm sorry…!"
"Eh, murderer? You grovelling here will only cause me trouble! You’re making me look like a baddie by grovelling on the floor apologizing in front of a grimoire store, you know!"
"B-But I’m still bothered by this! I owe Teacher Okutsuki a great debt of gratitude for saving my life, but I hurt his son with my magic…!"
"No, such physical scars can be healed, but you’re making me look like someone forcing a girl to kneel and apologize in public! That’ll be a socially unhealable wound now!"
"Woah, that male student’s forcing a girl to kneel for forgiveness…" "…What a scumbag."
"See~ it’s just as I said!!"
"B-but I bought some dubious text from a bookstore yesterday that says this is the most honorable apology style in Japan…!"
"That's a scam, and you believe it even though you find it suspicious!? Ahh enough, come here!!"
"Ehh…wah-kyaa!?"
You walk up to the murderer, grab her by the left arm, force her onto her feet, and drag her into a secluded alleyway. Even though you wish to discern the murderer’s true intentions, you can’t talk calmly with so many icy stares around you.
"Haaa haaa…say murderer, the key thing instead of just imitating how to apologize is to know whether your apology is sincere! If you’re really sorry, show it in you know, murderer, what's more important than getting down on your knees in action rather than style."
"…I-If you want me to show it by action, do you mean by ‘taking off’…"
"That’s not it!? Why are your thoughts so weird? Is it because I dragged you to an alley!? If people on the street misunderstand, my social survival will be at risk!"
Feeling a fear of (social) death, you interrupt the murderer’s words.
You had half-expected this from yesterday’s magic duel…but it seems that once this murderer gets upset, her thought proicess is ridiculously impaired.
"Ah seriously…if you really want to apologize, murderer, explain to me first! You said Father saved you, but how?"
"…Y-Yes…"
And murderer, wondering if she should undo her chest buttons, fiddles with her fingers as she slowly answers your question,
"…Six years ago, I was chased out of the foster home, and was wandering around the Labyrinth, where I was saved by a teacher."
"Huh? Chased out of your foster home…ehh!? You’re an orphan?"
"…Yes. The foster home I speak of is the ‘Cathedral’ (Kathédra) I was born in. As you probably know, the ‘Kathédra’ is thoroughly racist against demi-humans."
"Ka-'Kathédra '…!"
—The ‘Kathédra’ is the biggest of the four major forces fighting for supremacy in this Library City Alexandria.
It is the oldest, strongest, largest, and most corrupt of the Labyrinth Exploration Guilds.
Aside from the rare purebloods, ‘as long as a single demi-human bloodline is involved, no human right shall be granted’ such utterly racism is thoroughly hated by all citizens.
"If you were raised in the ‘Kathédra’, and forced to leave your home six years ago…then were you forced to leave the ‘Kathédra’ because you were discriminated against by your own tribe...?"
"…Yes."
"…!"
You imagine the murderer's past and subconsciously avert your gaze.
Two curly horns protrude from the sides of the golden hair on murderer’s head. This proves the difference in her ancestry from the purebloods, the proof of a ‘discriminated race’, demi-humans.
(…Her own family discriminates against her. She really has such a harsh life …)
"…If Teacher Okutsuki had not taken me in, I would have been eaten by the creatures in the dark depths of the Labyrinth."
"…So Father so happened to bump into you while searching the Labyrinth?"
"Yes. Teacher Okutsuki took pity on me while my own kin abandoned me, taught me magic, and even offered to adopt me…"
"!? Father adopting you…so you could have been my stepsister!?"
"…If that happened, I might not have killed yout due to a misunderstanding…b-but six years ago, Teacher had a very important mission, and so I, ugh, I was sent to the ‘Apothecary’ until the mission was completed…!"
(…Si-Six years ago, that definitely matches the time when Father was busy, but …!)
What an ironic fate. The culprit you killed you was once saved by your Father, and was about to become your stepsister.
If only the Doctor Magna Kai Okutsuki had not been assassinated by someone unknown five years ago.
"—Actually I! I was saved by the Doctor Magna, so I should have inherited Teacher Okutsuki’s legacy to become a candidate doctor to save everyone! Yet I, I, I killed an innocent civilian (you) and turned you into a vampire…!"
"…Father's, legacy …"
Your heart throbs the moment you hear her mention Kai Okutsuki's legacy.
"Since I was saved by the Doctor Magna, I have an obligation to save others like the Doctor Magna." This is exactly the same sense of responsibility you harbored over the past five years.
(…Father's disciple being a murderer, and I couldn’t trust her at all…but now that I hear what she said, I feel there’s some of Father’s teachings within …)
For you, who lost your beloved Father and fell into a delirium, your moral support has always been the teachings of the Doctor Magna. You want to become someone who can live up to your Father’s name, and this will has encouraged you through countless nights of despair.
And just as you cherish your father's teachings—perhaps the Murderer too was trying to repay Kai Okutsuki's teachings in her own way.
(…If what she said is true, she may have lost her family again…her precious support…her pain might be greater than mine.)
Even though you lost your Father, you still had your family for support.
You could endure the despair of Kai Okutsuki’s death and worked hard to pursue the truth for five years, for your Mother and little sisters have been your support, constantly being with you.
But for her—the demi-human girl who was forced to leave the ‘Kathédra’, she always has to endure the deep loneliness and despair alone, often honing her magecraft till this point.
Were it not be, this young her can’t possibly be able to wield such medium and high level magic at will.
"…I have disobeyed Teacher Okutsuki’s teachings…Okutsuki-san. If you won't forgive me, then I-I-I…!"
"…"
You purse your lips and silently look at the weeping murderer.
She was abandoned by her family, lost her resting place, and honed her magecraft in the ‘Apothecary’ that explores the unkwown. For a girl of only 10 years old, this certainly would have been an unspeakable hardship.
(…Maybe this murderer is just like me, always enduring loneliness alone. She’s still searching for the truth, desperately acting tough, while traumatized by the wounds of loss.)
The girl, grabbing her horns to hide them, shrivel back while looking terrified, and does not look like a maniac who enjoys murder.
It is unforgivable of her to almost kill you twice…but if the mistakes are due to her pain of losing your Father, and seeking the truth, you have no further reason to reproach her anymore..
"…Are you really remorseful?"
"It’s not sufficient no matter how remorseful I am…!! I actually used the magic Teacher taught me for fighting you instead of defeating evil…!!"
The murderer's voice trembles with regret as she repents her disobedience to her teacher's teachings.
Her magecraft has far surpasses an ordinary student at the ‘Apothecary’. Such desire to refine this talent is definitely not out of her delight in killing murder or yearning of power..
She admires her great master, Kai Okutsuki, and has the same ideals as you,
The girl who was expelled from the ‘Kathédra’ must have lived the same five years as you did as well as she could.
"…What’s your name again?"
And as the ex-murderer kneels in shame, you suddenly ask for her name.
"So-sob…? M-My name? Didn’t I say, that yesterday… "
"So tell me your name again… I think you don’t enjoy killing. In that case, calling you ‘murderer’ is the complete opposite of Kai Okutsuki's teachings."
"Okutsuki-san…but I-I killed you, no…?"
"Of course, the fact that you almost killed me and Arteria isn’t something that can be forgiven just by saying sorry. Since you’re someone following the Doctor Magna's teachings, you’ll definitely work hard to make amends.
Yes, people sometimes do make unexpected unwanted mistakes. Surely your Father, the Doctor Magna, wouldn’t have condemned those who reflect upon their sins and work hard to make amends.
As the heir to Kai Okutsuki's legacy, you feel you need to accept her apology.
"So swear by your name, that ‘you’ll never make the same mistake again’…and I won’t think of you as a murderer again."
"…Okutsuki, san…!"
The girl who you once deemed as a murderer lifts her gaze at your words, and wipes the tears welling in her eyes, adamantly lifting her head..
"…Erika K-K Austral…I will surely atone for the sin of killing you…!"
She then announces her name with a soft, determined tone.
"Erika, huh?…Yep. I'll call you Erika instead of murderer from now on, and you can stop calling me vampire, too. I’ve never sucked a single drop of blood thus face, and I have a proper name, Sōshi Okutsuki."
"I-I know that. I haven't called you vampire since yesterday!"
You smile, and the (ex-)murderer Erika raises her eyebrows in annoyance.
Now you and Erika have gone from ‘enemies’ wounding each other with magic to ‘comrades’ seeking the same truth. Since this is the case, you should assist her redemption.
"…That’s how it is, Arteria, Seems like she feels bad about this too. Are you willing to forgive her?"
"Eh? O-Okutsuki-san, who are you talking to…?"
"…Mmmm, since this kin of I chooses to forgive, this True Ancestor has no reason to reproach."
You call out, and a silver-white bat crawls out from the robe and snorts. Erika's face pales in horror as she seemingly realizes the true identity of the bat.
"O-Okutsuki-san? I-I-I-Is-Is that silver bat possibly…?"
"Eh? Ah yes, she’s the Silver Night Arteria that you almost petrified yesterday."
"~!!!?"
Once your state Arteria’s true identity, Erika's eyes turns blank, and she lets out an inarticulate cry. Well, it’s no wonder she’s terrified, for she has attacked a High Daylight Walker, hailed to be the strongest being in the Labyrinth, albeit having lost her power..
"Ha! B-But the True Ancestor probably lost most of her power! N-No-Now that I th-thi-think about it-it-it’s useless to kill me!? My blood doesn’t taste good at all!!"
"Arteria isn’t someone who’ll just kill as and when she pleases…how scared are you anyway?"
You look dumbfounded and put Arteria back within the hood. Now then, truce and reconciliation are over, and you shall start seeking the ‘books’ for exploration purposes.
"…That’s how it is, Erika. We need to prepare for exploring. See you at the 'Apothecary'."
"P-Pl-Please wait a minute, Okutsuki-san! I can go explore the Labyrinth with you!"
"What? You want to come along?"
"Yes! I followed you because I want to help you explore! It’s because of my misunderstanding that you have to look for your textbooks, Okutsuki-san, so I have to support you!"
"So because of your misunderstanding…you ambushed me."
Apparently, Erika had woken up early and staked out at the elevator terminal you could have possibly used just to apologize.
It’s rather terrifying that she had identified the nearest elevator to your dormitory…but the fact is that you’re not familiar with the Labyrinth exploration, and if she wants to atone for her sin, it might be a good idea to ask Erika for help.
"I’m grateful for your help…but you have your own exploration to do, right?"
"There’s no problem. Every first exploration day, I’ll visit Teacher Okutsuki's study (Atelier) to mourn…that’s your destination too, right, Okutsuki-san?"
"…Is that so. Okay, you insist, then help me out. I was thinking of buying some ‘storage books’ earlier, but I haven’t decided on one yet."
"Ah, in that case, I'll give you mine! I just sorted out my equipment and I have an extra book left!"
"Eh? Ah, wait, Erika, why are you opening the ‘book’?"
Erika pulls a ‘storage book’ out of her shoulder mail before you can stop her, flips a page open, and presses it onto your backpack. Whoosh! the activated ‘book’ absorbs the heavy luggage into the ‘book’ the size of a notebook.
"Woah!…th-that really is to be expected of a 'storage book'. It really has a great storage capacity…"
"Hm hmmm? It has lots of capacity, but few pages. You can’t go into the lower levels carrying such a large backpack."
"…Th-thanks. It literally is a weight lifted off my shoulders."
Freed from the itch on both shoulders, you stuff the ‘storage book’ into your shoulder mail and try jumping. The of your equipment magically vanishes, and you can move nimbly as usual. Now even if you are attacked by Labyrinth creatures, your escape will not be delayed by overweight luggage.
(… Yeah. I can't use magic, so ‘books’ are necessary. I think there’s still some capacity left inside the ‘storage book’, so maybe I can buy something else.)
"…Mu~, do you wish to tour that shopping street with this little girl?"
(Eh, I don't want to walk the shopping street, just want to do some shopping…Arteria, are you in a bad mood? Did I do something wrong?)
"Not that I am displeased…but do you truly trust this little girl?"
(No, I don't trust her completely, but my exploration skills are reliant on the ‘book’ and equipment, and I just feel I need her help with shopping…)
"Okutsuki-san? Speaking of which, have you prepared food for the exploration? Even as a vampire, you do feel hungry from exercising, right?"
"Eh? Ah, ah yes. Arteria, is there anything you want to eat?"
"Blood!"
"…Yes, I'll give you a little of my blood, but don't go sucking anyone else's, okay?"
"I-I think I know the answer from the conversation just now…if you're looking for a market for fresh food… you might want to try Food Island. ""
On Benedictus of the ‘Floating Peak Library’, the only blood you can purchase are probably blood sausages…but that is fine, and you may try exploring other islands instead.
You exit the main street of Melchoir, and check the map signboard showing a brief overview of ‘Floating Peak Library’, and embark on a long shopping odyssey to from Melchoir to Benedictus.
"…Muu~, it appears this Benedictus before us seems to be a really enjoyable place."
The bat Arteria mutters with bemusement as she spots pedestrians carrying things on the huge stone bridge.
Of the people walking from Benedictus at the far end of the long arch bridge, two out of three are holding wrappers containing some very tasty-looking snack.
"…Drool. Mmmm, it looks good…"
(Seems like there’s a lot of lot of elevators at the floating peak on the other end end of this bridge. I remember Father saying that the more active logistics there are, the more good food there is.)
Beyond the bridge stretching into the sky, a floating island appeared through a gap in the clouds, seemingly sewn into the air by a tower of shining white highheavy duty elevators.
"…Speaking of which, this is really a tremendous piece of architectural engineering…"
"Ah, Okutsuki-san, is this your first time seeing the high-speed elevators? One of those elevators connects to the ‘Apothecary’ lecture tower, you know?"
"Is that so? So is that floating island is the relay point between the ‘Library’ and the surface?
Yes. Benedictus is one of the largest floating peaks of this ‘Library’, and also a crucial facility that links several elevators between the the shallow and lower levels of the Labyrinth. The super high-speed, heavy duty elevators that combines the collective wisdom of the ‘Apothecary’ supports the massive supply chain between the Library City Alexandria and the Library Labyrinth.
'"…An elevator piercing through the sky towards the ground, and elevators that break through the sea of clouds…mmmm, even this High Daylight Walker has to be amazed by this."
(Yeah. After all, the construction of the elevator represents the history of mankind's exploration of the Labyrinth.)
It took six centuries and countless human sacrifices to reach this level. Tens of thoustands were slaughtered by Labyrinth creatures, hundreds of thousands were wounded by ingenious traps, and millions were exhausted by the complicated Labyrinth. Finally, seventy years ago, one end of the Elevator is connected to this land.
The elevators are monuments to human history. A heavy duty, high-speed elevator that can transport vast quantities of goods and personnel without endangering them is the cornerstone of the Labyrinth exploration, and the greatest treasure of all mankind.
(…Okay, time to hurry. This is the supply chain town of the third biggest faction of Library City Alexandria, the ‘Apothecary’, so there’s definitely some good food to eat. Let’s buy some food, I’m sure Arteria will be happy here.)
"Mmm! I-I am not such a child! If I may be delighted from merely food…sniff sniff… the smell of food is becoming richer!"
"Hmm? …Ah, you’re right. There’s some starchy smell around."
You look up at the towering elevator as you walk along, and you’re approaching the end of the a long arch bridge. The silver-white bat sniffs, and your vampirized nostrils too detect the scent of food blending in the air.
You have arrived at the largest floating island in ‘Floating Peak Library’—Benedictus.
"Ooohh~…! Quite lively Melchoir is, but more so on this island!"'
"I see, so this is where the smell is coming from…"
As you cross the bridge with the silver bat, you are greeted by a lively bustle and the smoke of a charcoal fire. Lots of food stalls are clustered near the bridgehead, cooking food over charcoal fires and ‘flame books’.
There is a roasted meat dish with beast meat is wrapped around an iron bar and pried off with a long chopper. There is also large roasted chickens stuffed with herbs and grilled to a crisp, made from farmed cockatrice.
There is shaved ice made made by freezing water with freezing magic, shaving it and sprinkling fruit syruo over it. There is also fukashi (crepes) made by mixing water with flour, baking it thinly on a griddle, and wrapping it over fruit and milk from bovine Labyrinth creatures.
There is sweet zenzai made from slime simmered with azuki beans. There is also grilled seafood grilled with fish sauce coated upon various legged marine mollusks.
The entrance to Benedictus is filled with such various buzz everywhere due to the many stalls, further emphasizing the bustle of the people.
"…This is Benedictus, the food storage of the 'Apothecary'…!"
(There’s food I’ve never seen before no matter where I look…! This whole floating island is a grocery store, how much food is being circulated around here…!)
"Most shops nearby are food stalls, and they aren’t great for preserving unlike the provisions for exploring Labyrinth, but they should tase better."
"U-Umumu …! So many delicious smells everywhere!"
Arteria, peeking out from the robe hood, has her crimson eyes glittering. Even if one is not a vampire very unfamiliar with human civilization, one would have to marvel at this food distribution network.
There are 800,000 Alexandria citizens under the umbrella of the ‘Apothecary’. Without the elevators gathered on this ‘Floating Peak Library’ and the ‘Military Logistics’ (Logistics) related knowledge from the Labyrinth, this sophisticated food distribution network that supports the distribution and processing of such vast amounts of food would be impossible.
"With so many people on the surface, I do wonder as to how they can support such a huge population…I see. So they deliver the grains harvested of the ‘Library’ from here."
"So the secret of Library City Alexandria's prosperity lies within the Library Labyrinth?"
"Yes. It’s said that at least 60% of the ‘Apothecary’s economy is derived from the Library Labyrinth."
Living resources are harvested from the fertile ‘libraries’ scattered throughout the Library Labyrinth, and are distributed to every corner of Library City Alexandria via winged delivery by air and super-heavy duty elevators.
Each food store on this island isn’t simply a grocery store heavily involved with people’s lives, but also serves as both a retailer and wholesaler in general.
"Sure feels like the scale really is too great the more I think about it…hmm, anyway, please give me one crepe."
"Ah, I shall have one too."
"Coming right up!"
"Wha-!? Crepe!?"
Perhaps because you have imagined the lives of millions of people, your brain cells craves for good sugar. The sweet smell of the crepe causes you to brandish copper coin, and the shop attendant instantly wraps a crepe for you.
"Nom…mmmm, so sweet and delicious!"
"Ah! I Have yet to decide from which shop to eat from. How despicable of you to enjoy by yourself! Ah! While I was wondering which store to go to, you are the only one who is cheating! One bite for I too!"
The vampire is jealous that you can to eat the fragrant freshly baked crepes, and sticks her mouth out from within the hood. Given the size of a bat's jaw however, it probably is difficult to chew the large fruit.
"Nom, on nom nom! Ahh! How inconvenient it is to eat! A mere fruit snob dares to defy this High Daylight Walker! You, spread my clothes wide!"
(D-Don’t be so reckless. It’s too dangerous for a vampire to reveal oneself at such a crowded place.)
The bat angrily flails around, and you press her nose tip to appease her.
"Pu-kyu! Nom nom nom nom! I too wish too consume some of this too! Om nom nom!"
(It tickles! Stop baking me. I don’t have a choice here, you’re a vampire!)
There are many domesticated Labyrinth creatures and strange looking demi-humans around, so a silver-haired girl wandering around would not stand out too much…nevertheless, this is the inside of the Labyrinth. There is a likelihood of you bumping into an experienced explorer like a Doctor Magna.
If news of the ‘Library Labyrinth Silver Night’s return is known to the world, the Library City Alexandria will inevitably be in a state of panic. Unfortunate it may be, you can’t let Arteria roam around.
(…Ordinary people aren’t going to believe me even if I say you’re not a bad vampire, and besides, your clothes were damaged from yesterday’s battle…)
"Muu~! Is there a problem with that robe!? With my cuteness, any clothing will feel appropriate to me!"
(No, the problem is that anything looks good on you… …)
The chiffon dress with a large gaping hole is extremely lacking in social defences. The security in the ‘Library’ probably isn’t so bad, but it’s truly dangerous for a girl of her age to be walking around in it.
(…And I feel angry for some reason if others is to see Arteria’s skin… …)
"Mu?...J-Jealous you are?"
(Ugh! Hey, don’t read my mind. I’m not jealous here, you know!?)
You stuff Arteria, who asked happily (for some reason), deep within your uniform (robe). You may not be able to outtalk her if you keep going.
"Pugya! Mumumumu! How despicable you are!...I-I too wish to be like a human girl, ‘walking and eating alongside a lover’."
(No-no no no, I'm not your girlfriend or anything!)
"Wh-what now~!? You belong to I, so you are the mate of I!"
(I don't even remember being your mate!)
You reject her…but you feel unfair that you are the one enjoying the meal while Arteria is concealed within the robe..
It is be a perfectly natural reaction for a vampire who has lived on blood alone in the darkness of the Library Labyrinth to want to ‘try eating something’ once exposed to the rich food culture of humans. As a vampire yourself, you are the only who gets to each crepes with Erika, and it is no wonder Arteria calls foul on you.
(…Well, I want Arteria to enjoy it too, but…)
You turn your face aside due to guilt, and the men and women walking on the streets enter your eyes. This Benedictus, with its many elevators and restaurants, appears to be a place for lovers to relax.
"…Do people enjoy themselves if they’re just with those they like, walking on the streets …?"
"Eh…O-Okutsuki-san?"
You feel an unfamiliar feeling in your chest, and blurt out.
Upon this magnificent floating island, spending time in this vibrant commercial town is definitely a leisurely moment for Arteria. The idea of touring with her through the beautiful streets embraced by the clouds seems somehow appealing.
(…Like them, me, with Arteria…?)
"O-Okutsuki-san? Who are you referring to here …?
"—No no no! I can't let Arteria walk around dressed like that!"
"! Ah…"
You shake your head and forcibly correct your thoughts that are almost led astray by your emotions..
The fundamental problem is that you can't let Arteria walk around in clothes with big holes in them. The cobblestone streets are too corase for a True Ancestor who has lost her immortality to walk barefoot. Even if you are to use ‘Origami paper’ to make clothing, you have no women's fashion sense at all.
"Well, since we don’t have clothes, guess we have no choice! There aren’t any girls' clothes for sale on this island!"
"…Of course, this is a fruit stall you know?"
"Eh, ueehhh!?"
You turn around at this sudden voice, and see an elderly lady boss sigh exasperatedly. You unwittingly end up pondering before this stall, and is mistaken for a shopper.
"You seem frustrated thinking about buying clothes while looking at our merchandise here…are you thinking about this girl next to you?"
"Eh, no, actually …!"
You flinch in shame at the realization that you appear to be someone dangerous muttering to himself, ignoring his companion; the old granny then grabs your right right, and stuffs something onto your palm.
You open your palm…and find a piece of paper that says…’20% off all items!’.
"Eh…is this a discount coupon?"
"Say no more, I know. The frustrations of the young definitely has something to do with love affairs."
"L-Love?"
"N-Not at all! Arteria and I…aren’t like that!"
"Eh? A-Art…"
"…Hm, so it seems you don’t have such a relationship with this missy next to you…so, a boy? Are you intending to crossdressing to attract a man you like?"
"DEFINITELY NOT!"
It seems the granny no longer deems you as a weirdo muttering to himself, but a gay who is frustrated over this forbidden love. It appears the sex culture of the Library City Alexandria is much more liberal than in Japan…"
"Hohoho, just kidding. My daughter married a dressmaker, and they’re having a special sale to celebrate their honeymoon. As it says on the back of the ticket, go to the right, cross the bridge, and you’ll reach it."
(Sale?…U-Uh oh! If Arteria is hear this now!!)
You close your hood quickly, but it is already too late.
"—Why do you hesitate!? You have a discount coupon, so do not neglect the goodwill of this old lady! Thank her properly and head towards that shop!"
(You’re tens of thousands of times older than her…ah sorry, I shouldn’t mention the age! I’ll reflect on this! It’s my fault, don’t damage my hair roots!)
"Om nom nom!...Dare to mention age again, and I shall drain all blood flow from your scalp!"
As you scream apologies in your mind, the raging itch attacking the back of your head disappears.
Now that all of your hair follicles have been held hostage, you are powerless to resist. Besides, Arteria saved your life, and it would be immoral to imprison her within your robe for no reason.
"Haa…no choice now. I’ll gratefully usefor this ticket."
"Mufufu~! You should have said so from the beginning.♪"
"…O-Okutsuki-san? Are you actually going to buy clothes for that strongest species (vampire)?"
"She won’t be happy if I don’t…thank you very much, granny. I'll visit this store again sometime."
"…I can't believe we’re buying clothes for a vampire."
Erika seem to have said something, but you pay no heed. You thank the fruit and vegetable store owner and walk towards to the long sky bridge linking bridges Benedictus and the Sundry Island (Extachius).
◇◇◇293 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
"…Eh, erm…I feel like I don't belong on this island, being a country bumpkin and all…!"
"Fufu, not at all~♪ A city-oriented vampire I am after all. ♫"
After crossing the stone bridge, you arrive at Extachius, which has a cosy, stylish, sophisticated, urban atmosphere in contrast to the bustling, life-like atmosphere of Benedictus.
The red clay-brick streets are swept cleaned, with pruned trees replacing the cluttered street stalls, while the shopping streets are lined with glass bay windows that offer a look of the interior decoration, perhaps mimicking the architectural style found in Labyrinth.
(Uuuu, this atmosphere is too stylish, and I can’t calm down…!)
You are nudged along the bridge by the stream of people as you enter the shopping district…but this is your first experience of the urban atmosphere in your subjective memory, and you can’t help but feel overwhelmed.
"Oooooh! Wow, so many clothes there are! Amazing no! Glass windows! Surely this is a good dressmaker to be able to use such clear glass!"
"…It seems to be a rather posh shop."
"I-I'm starting to worry if I have enough money…"
Lots of potassium carbonate, or plant ash, was required in the production of glass until a new process was unearthed from the Library Labyrinth. People added adding sodium carbonate and limestone harvested from the ‘Chalk Library’ to silica sand, the distribution price dropped dramatically. …
(Still, such large and clear glass for window purposes must be quite expensive…)
"I never thought that what used to be jewelry ages ago is now used as glass. It appears clothing is quite profitableas it is a handicraft with little cost to begin with. "
(I’ll be contributing to this industry at this rate…)
You walk around the shopping district, following the map on the back of the discount coupon.
After a few turns around the orderly planned city streets, you arrive at a rather small but stylish arched fence with beautiful red vine roses decorating it.
(…Arteria, this place looks very extravagant…)
"Not an issue. You have a 20% discount coupon! Hurry in now!"
You pull the door at Arteria’s urging, and the door chame rings..
The store is warmly lit by a luminous grimoire, and colorful garments are hung upon human-shaped mannequins of wood and moving racks of metal rods.
(…That’s quite an amazing number of clothes…so that’s how a clothes store in Library City Alexandria looks like…)
"Welcome~!…Ara? We have some cute customers here!"
A young woman appears from the back of the store and gives you a tender smile. In your memory, you’ve never been to a women's clothing store before in your memory, and your body tensed up with nervousness.
"Eh, er-erm…"
"Ara! Did you receive that discount coupon at the fruit and vegetable store on Benedictus?".
The female shop attendant spots your discount coupon, and her friendly smile deepens. She appears to be around twenty five or so, and surely she’s the daughter of that shop owner.
"Fufu, since mama gave you this discount coupon, I guess you want to give a present to a girl you like? The blonde girl over there?"
"N-No, I…!"
"Wha!? You! Do you like this little girl!?"
"Th-That’s not it! I got asked the same question just now, but that’s not it!"
"Ara, then who are you buying this for? Or is it~ that you’re here to buy clothes for yourself~?"
"I was told the same thing just now, but no!!"
The same joke was made again. There’s no doubt she’s the daughter of that gold granny.
"Ufufu, just joking. You may have heard from mama, but we’re having a sale for our honeymoon. If you like~ I can help you find some clothes that will look good on you, no?"
The shopkeeper shows a happy business smile and opens a ‘book’ she is carrying. Now what function has a grimoire used by a clothing shop have?
"I-I said it’s not for me to wear…"
"Hmm?...And it’s not for the girl next to you? Can you tell this big sister? Who is it~ that stole your heart~?"
"As-As I said, she’s not my girlfriend!...Erm, it got nothing to do with love. I just want to buy clothes for my savior…"
"Hmm. A ‘savior’? She’s definitely a sweet girl saved your life, huh?"
The clerk asks happily, flipping through the 'book' in her hand. Does she like to do customer service, hear love stories, or are these necessary to activate the function of the 'book' she carries?
"…Okutsuki-san, what do you think of her?"
'"Y-You, what do you think? Am-am I kind?"
"Sh-She’s kind, I think…but Arteria is a little different from ordinary people."
"Hmmm, is she a strange girl?"
"…Yes. Sometimes she acts a million times more mature than I am,, yet sometime she suddenly acts like a kid and flirt around…she’s a weird one."
"…Mu, mumu~…!"
"Ara ara, you wish to give clothes to such a strange girl?"
"! B-But! She’s the one who saved me!"
This big sister has a tone of disrespect regarding Arteria, so you immediately refute.
"Arteria risked her life to save mine, so I'm willing to do whatever she wants as long as I can…!"
"…Fufufu, given your reaction, it doesn't sound like she’s just a savior now, does it?"
"! W-Were you just teasing me? "
You realize you've been tricked, and refutes that while blushing. The shopkeeper brushes it off and merely smiles mischievously at you.
"Just joking~! But still, ‘savior’ sure sounds romantic here. She may be a really sweet girl…or maybe she likes you?"
I'm not sure. I'm not sure if I'm a fan of the "wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!
"Fumyumyu!? Wh-Wha!? I, towards you…"
"…Vampire, Okutsuki-san…"
"Ufufu, I'm sorry. But thanks to your chat with this big sister, I’ve found the most suitable clothes for that girl."
"Eh?"
The shopkeeper flips a ‘book’ page, and suddenly walks off.
In this store where countless ready-made clothes are hung, she swims through the hangars and continue forward in a straight line without hesitation…
"—‘A book for finding clothes to suit someone’. Based on this big sister’s ‘catalog dialogue’, this one definitely suits the girl you like."
And so she pulled out a dress from the hundreds of outfits.
"…! Th-This color is…!"
"Deep crimson (Scharlachrot). It is a custom-made fabric dyed using the the blood-colored flowers that bloom in Labyrinth."
The one-piece dress that’s unfurled is the same crimson as Arteria's eyes.
The bloody dye colors the very finest of fibers. The aloof, dignified look of the pitch blackness is reminiscent of the darkness of the Labyrinth. The color, which looks both dynamic yet decadent, bright yet dark, seem to a metaphor for the inner self of the High Daylight Walker’s childish heart and wily wisdom.
"It’s a little expensive, but seeing how cute you are, I’ll give you some footwear and accessories. Oh, and if you don't have enough money on you, you can pay me with a magic cheque."
"E-Erm…."
The fabric and the If the fabric is high quality, the tailoring seems to be high quality as well. The edges of the dress that flutters in the air are decorated with delicate lace made of black embroidery thread. The red resembling the evening moon and the jet black like the evening darkness seem to reflect the immortal king who rules the night, the 'Silver Night' of Library Labyrinth itself.
You are strongly attracted just by the imagination of the vampire (Arteria) wearing it..
"…Y-You? I do not mind if it is not such a posh fashion…?"
Arteria's voice now begins to falter, but it no longer reaches your ears.
Surely this dress will look good on Arteria if she is to wear it.
Such thoughts dominate your brain, and the desire to purchase it drives you like a fever.
"How much is it?"
"Uh, let's see, six drachmas minus 20 percent off…"
I’m buying this.
You frisk out the gold coins from your wallet before the shopkeeper can finish her mental sum.
"Ah, yes, wait a minute, okay? I still need to choose shoes and accessories that go with this dress, okay?"
Perhaps overwhelmed by your vigor, the shopkeeper takes a step back, her cheeks twitching.
But it is a good purchase. Given the quality of the fabric and the tailoring, this definitely is not expensive…
And surely this deep crimson dress would look great on Arteria.
"…Fufu. You have that ‘I can't wait for her to wear this dress’ look written all over your face, huh?"
"Eh? …Ah, n-not at all!?"
"…Okutsuki-san, you…"
The shopkeeper reads your mind, and you blush in embarrassment. You’ve been thinking about Arteria, and your thoughts are written all over your face.
"…’Only humans wear clothes’. Because ‘Labyrinth creatures don't need clothes’."
"Eh?"
You take a small step back as the shopkeeper suddenly recites the poem-like line.
"After all ‘Labyrinth creatures are fine without clothes’. It’s said that ‘humans are weak, so they wear clothes to protect themselves. Giving clothes to a woman is an act of special significance’."
"W-What are you talking about?"
"Giving clothes to the opposite gender basically means ‘you want to protect’…that’s the killer line used when this big sister was proposed to. If you think it’s good, you can use it, you know?"
"So-So professional…!!!"
Your heart gripes in the face of that shopkeeper's kind, gentle smile.
"Giving clothes to a woman means 'I want to protect you."
If this is true, you no longer deem Arteria as the strongest vampire, but as a female.
(…Do I think Arteria is the girl I want to protect?)
"…Fufufu. Life is short, so love on, boy! I've wrapped up the clothes, shoes and accessories."
"! Y-Yes!"
You receive the paper bag brandished towards you, and hand over a few gold coins in exchange.
You carefully hug the bag containing the dress, and the clerk leads you out, the metal chime on the door clanging.
"Thank you for your purchase. Please patronize our store if you have developed a habit of cross-dressing!"
"I-I won’t develop one!"
You leave the clothing store with a slightly delayed retort.
You wander into an empty alleyway, and look around.
This street is completely deserted as it is on the opposite side of the window, and nobody else would pass through. Even if Arteria is to transform and show a puff of smoke, no person will actually appear.
"…Eh, I bought clothes for Arteria…"
"…Yes you did."
"Fu-Fumyu, I-I do not mind wearing that torn dress!?"
Arteria has been prompting you for a while, only to show embarrassment at this moment. Ignoring the bat's dismay, you whiipe the dress out of the paper bag.
"…H-Here, go change no, Arteria, if you want to go out in human form, you need to wear this dress, right?"
"Mu-mu! How insolent of you to want I to change immediately! Fumyumyu…funyu, nibble nibble~!"
"Oy-Oy, don't bite the back of my hair! I say changing clothes but you’ll just transform into human self in smoke! Alright, I'll hold it out for you, hurry up!"
You pinch the edges of the crimson dress and spread it out for the bat to fly into it.
"…I-If you dare say it does not look good, I shall suck all the blood out of you!"
"I won't! Just hurry up, you stupid vampire!"
"U-umyumyu~…!"
The silver-white bat flies towards the dress slowly with some hesitation. hesitantly and unreliably, approaching the dress. It flaps its wings with more strength and and glides directly into the fabric…"
"Raaaaarrrr!"
Bomf! Smoke and sound ring, and the High Daylight Walker assumes her true form.
And as expected—this red dress really suits Arteria.
"…!!"
The girl appearing from within the silver smoke resembles a goddess straight out of a painting.
The white skin reflects a cold light, and the hem of the red dress flutter like flames.
"" ""
The soft leather woven sandals cause her slender legs to look more elegant than before, and the black collar ring given as an additional accessory resembles a fetter meant to bind Nosferatu.
(…So, pretty …)
Arteria looks like—a human girl..
"Wh-what!? Say something, you fool!"
Arteria looks up at you bashfully and mutters with a teeny-weeny voice.
The way she pins down the hem of the skirt, which she’s unfamiliar with, while she fidgets and covers herself cause your heart to race. The slightly vermilion blush on her cheeks stains her corpse-like white skin, causing you to forget that she is a High Daylight Walker, an entity different from human beings.
(…If Arteria were a human being like me …)
Your feverish, unsteady thoughts start to imagine assumptions that are impossible.
(…If she’s not a sworn enemy of humanity, and just an ordinary human being)
You feel a cramping ache deep within your chest, and you instinctively touch the talisman.
The 'Silver Night' of the Library Labyrinth, the talent eater Arteria used to be powerful enough to threaten humanity. With her immortality that’s equivalent to invulnerable and her mage circuits, and the ‘Ultimate Night (Noctis Polaris)’ that can drain blood memories from all the living, she might be the greatest threat to humanity.
But now, Arteria has lost her power as a High Daylight Walker.
(…If Arteria is a dangerous vampire, there’s no way she would have shared her immortality and ‘book’ with a mere mortal, and wouldn’t have risked her life to prevent me from petrification...)
Given common sense, a vampire will only save humans simply to use them as puppets. Many times however did Arteria defy that common sense and saved you.
The reason why a vampire will defy common sense and save a human—
Perhaps this is proof that her ‘love’ is an infatuation.
"…Arteria…"
"W-wh-wha-what?"
Arteria's thin throat lets out a blunt gulp.
"I-If you have something to request…I-I shall listen at least."
The crimson eyes, seemingly filled with blood, blink away with anticipation.
Mesmerized by the twinkle in her eyes, you slowly open your parched mouth, and you’re about to question the heart of that High Daylight Walker—
"Okutsuki-san!"
Erika's soft growl interrupt you.
"Uehh! Ah, eh, Erika…?"
"D-Do not interrupt out of a sudden, little girl! The mood is ripe!"
"…Okutsuki-san, our objective here is to discover the truth from five years ago, and become a Doctor Magna like Teacher…I don't know what you’re intending to say, but you shouldn’t act against the will of Teacher Okutsuki.
"D-Disobeying Father? I-I’m not …!"
You turn away, feeling as if deep ultramarine eyes have read your mind.
With the truth five years ago within the Library Labyrinth, you choose not to seek out supplies for exploration purpose, but Arteria’s dress instead..
It seems Erika notices the reason even your heart has yet to realize.
(…What was I going to ask Arteria just now…? … I'm sure Arteria has nothing to do with the truth I’m looking for…)
"…Mmmmmm! Angry am I! Hmph, truly!"
"Wah!? A-Arteria, why are you angry?"
"Quiet, you simply cause I to anticipate in vain! Finally I dress up for you, yet you surely think this does not look good on me, no?"
"N-Not at all! I was mesmerized actually…!"
"Funyuh? Mesmerized, you say?
"No actually that’s not true either! Erm, ah yes, there’s a rare cloud with a weird shape…"
"Cloud!? Is a mere cloud more important than these clothes of I? You fool, you imbecile! Dunce! Angry am I, hmph, so there!"
"So-sorry Arteria! I’m not mesmerized, but I think you're cute in general! I’m not mesmized at all though!!"
"Hmph!"
"You try to appease the vampire's anger, only to enrage her further for some reason. Arteria, pouting and venting away, storm out of the alley."
"W-wait Arteria, I don’t know, but I’m sorry! It’s my fault!"
You hastily give chase after the crimson dress fluttering in the wind.
"Boink~!!"
And a mysterious shadow charging out from the alleyway blindspot tackles into you.
"Ack!"
"…Goodness, I've finally found you nya, Sōshi Okutsuki!!"
"It tickles!! My nose bone tickles…wa-wait, Calmia!?"
The mysterious assailant stands up, her cat ears perking.
Showing her face from beneath the hood of the ‘Apothecary’ robe is the class rep Calmia-san.
"A-Are you fine?"
"C-Calmia-san, right …?"
"Wh-why is Calmia here…?"
"Whynya? Ask your heart if you don’t know nya!"
You ask, holding your nose, and Calmia’s fur stands like an angry kitthen. Her tail is wagging behind her exercise-friendly hot pants, and needless to say, this gesture of the cat people indicates and they’re in a bad mood."
"You pervert, pervert, big pervert! My eyes are now wide open aftering see that you’re succchhh a person, Okutsuki nya! You womanizing philanderer!"
"P-Pervert!? Wait a minute, I don't know what you're talking about!"
"Don’t play dumb nyaa! I just saw it with my own eyes!’s Eri is a yandere, Okutsuki’s a two-timer, and this silver-haired girl is a pet. "
"Huh? Am I a yandere?"
"Wh-When have I become a pet?"
"Sh-She’s not a pet! How did you come to that conclusion anyway?"
"It's no use fooling around! That's what everyone said yesterday nya!"
"Everyone…wa-wait, are you talking about yesterday's magic duel?
At this moment, you finally realize the cause of Calmia's indignation.
Calmia, who had witnessed the entire magic duel between you and the murderer from the shadows,
"That’s right nya! Admit your guilt nya, enemy to all women!!"
It seems she has mistaken you for a very evil womanizer.
"Wa-wait, it's a misunderstanding, Calmia! That’s just a rumor tacked onto another!"
"Rawr! You’re the worst nya, Okutsuki! You broke your promise with Eri and made her cry, and even tried to comfort her physically, going up and down on her…pervert pervert pervert pervert!!!"
"!? Was-Was I comforted physically here!?"
"I'm the one who needs comforting! There’s a limit to how much one can embellish a rumor here!"
"What are you doing interrupt here, you foolish cat~!"
"You too, don’t be fooled nya! He’s a super duper scoundrel pervert! I bet he's still thinking about violating you now!"
"Funyunyu..."
Calmia cups the vampire’s mouth just as the latter tries to speak up for your sake.
Arteria’s face immediately turns bright red, perhaps because she sensed Calmia's thoughts via body heat, and while in a daze, she exclaims,
"Y-You! Did you buy this dress for I just for such lewd means!?"
"Not at all! What did you absorb here!? Things are getting really complicated here!"
The talent eater who has robbed Calmia's memory is confused by the latter’s lewd delusions and opposes you. The self-proclaimed strongest vampire is somehow completely useless when it comes to erotic love.
"Goodness, he has such a cute girly face, but he’s a complete pervert! He conquered the infamously stone-faced Eri, and now intend for erotic makeout in broad daylight!"
"We aren’t!...No, well, my heart did race because of Arteria earlier…b-but anyway, it’s a misunderstanding! Erika and I don’t have such a rotten relationship!"
"Rawr~! You still argue at this point nya!? You broke your lunch date promise with Eri just to meet this girl privately, and the betrayed Eri wants to murder her boyfriend! This villainous Okutsuki is using this girl as a shield while lusting for Eri’s boy…funya~!!"
"Wh-When did I get lusted by Okutsuki-san!?"
"How did you come up with such a conclusion, you girls are the real perverts here!!"
Did a deathmatch between a vampire and murderer seem like a lover's spat to the youths…?
"Ugh, I can't believe I was ordered by Teacher Yuzu Se to guide that pervert Okutsuki through the Labyrinth…I'm sure I’ll get eaten up immediately nya! Goodbye, my hymen…"
"I'm not a pervert! And I’m not eating you up! And anyway, a girl shouldn’t be mentioning ‘hymen’ here!! Haa, haa…it’s been a complete misunderstanding from the very beginning! We just argued (and tried to kill) because there’s an unfortunate mutual misunderstanding between us, and there’s nothing romantic involved at all…"
"…Really? Are you lying to eat me or something nyaa…?"
"A-Answer already, you!? Do you truly not have any insolent thoughts…?"
"I swear to the heavens and the earth!"
In response to Calmia's words that are tinged with disdain and trepidation, and Arteria's voice that’s tinged with slight anticipation, you declare loudly with a deafening roar.
After a few seconds of hesitation, Calmia gently releases her arms around Arteria.
"Nyamumu…I'll believe you since you say so nya. I have to lead you after all, Okutsuki."
"…Th-Thank goodness you’re willing to trust me. Yes, really…"
"L-Le-let-let go of I, you depraved cat! You, leave her and flee!"
"Not yet! I still have to lead Okutsuki to the Labyrinth!"
"Lead…ah, Teacher Yuzu told you to assist my exploration here? But you have your own exploration progress, right? I really appreciate the guidance, but …"
"Hmph, you aren’t in the clear completely nya! Even as fellow guild members, there’s no way I’m letting you go on a harem ♡ exploration in the Labyrinth with this girl and Eri together."
"N-no, Arteria isn’t a guild friend…"
The delusional Calmia seems to have assumed that you two are ‘guildmates’.
The Apothecary has nearly a thousand affiliated guilds, and from an educational standpoint, membership in off-campus guilds is encouraged. It is part of the social studies program aimed at ensuring students have job security after graduation.
There isn’t too much suspicion when you were out together with an unfamiliar silver-haired girl on campus, and it’s probably due to the fact that Calmia’s overthinking it with romantic delusions.
In that case, if you try to give a poor explanation, there’ll be a question of ‘so who’s this girl nya?’ and the risk of you being busted as a vampire will be increased. You have no choice but to let the misunderstanding continue.
"Alright, it’s exploration day today, so let’s go to the Labyrinth nya~. Even if she’s a guildmate, if Teacher Yuzu is to know about this, you’ll be ripped to pieces nya, Okutsuki."
"Ripped to pieces!?"
Yes. Participation in off-campus guilds is part of the curriculum, and those who only seek to fool around instead of exploring shall be punished (though not as dire as being torn apart). As class president, she can’t leave you be.
"B-But my destination is rather special…"
"Rawr~! If you don't do what I say, I'll tell everyone about your relationship with this silver-haired girl nya!"
"What do you mean tell? You’re just going to make up rumors! That’ll trouble me too!"
You’re threated. If you escape with Arteria, you’ll be fatally murdered in a social sense. However, you can’t let an unrelated outsider near Father's Atelier.
"Come on, get onto the elevator to the lower levels nya~!!"
You’re caught in a dilemma, and Calmia tries to drag you by the arm—
"Too bad...!"
Erika, with a bright red face, grabs your shoulder.
"Wait, E-Erika?"
"O-Okutsuki-san promised to explore the Labyrinth with me! I know you like to take care of others, Calmia-san, but I hope you’ll let us act alone for now!"
Erika butts in between you and Calmia and hugs your left arm.
The gesture resembles that of a lover's, and the feeling of soft flesh on your left elbow cause you, Arteria and Calmia to be knocked into a whirlpool of confusion.
"W-wh-wha-what-what!? "
"Wha-what are you doing to my belonging, you thieving cow!"
"… Sōshi Okutsuki~? Didn’t you say ‘there’s nothing romantic involved at all’ or something like that nya~?"
"That’s true though!? We used to be in a kill-or-be-killed relationship just a little while ago!"
"A-Ara Okutsuki-san, that’s cruel of you! You say ‘nothing romantic involved’, so are you intending to cheat on me and go woo Calmia-san instead?"
"Cheat? In the first place, you and I don't have that kind of relationship …!"
"Mmmm…what is with this lascivious expression? Break up immediately!!"
"Waiit, it tickles! Wait my shoulder is about to dislocate! Arteria, that’s going to dislocate my shoulder!"
"…I see, so you’re lying to me nya, Okutsuki. Alrighnya, have a fun time exploring Labyrinth, you two!!"
Calmia storms away, probably feeling a little miffed.
As soon as her back disappears towards the elevator, the murderer releases your arm.
"…Phew, managed to bluff her…."
"W-Woah, ah, it-it tickles…argh!? "
"Ah, something came off!"
Creak! A shock jolts through your body, and a tremendous itch strikes your right shoulder. The strength holding up half your body suddenly disappears, and as you try to maintain your posture, your shoulder joint is dislocated.
"Kuuugiiii…! I barely managed to pop my shoulder joint in place when I woke up this morning…!"
"Y-You, I am sorry! I never think that you arms are detachable!"
"E-Erm…Okutsuki-san, are you all right, …?"
"I'm not alright, not at all, but more importantly, Erika, why did you do that !? Y-You acting like we’re lovers…!"
You ask while pushing your dislocated shoulder joint into place.
"I-I had to do this to get Calmia-san to give up!...It’s too dangerous for her, an outsider to get near Teacher Okutsuki's Atelier…"
"Dangerous? Look, I don’t want anyone uninvolved to get close to that place…but is the lever where that Atelier is located really that dangerous?"
You search your faded memory and recall your Father’s Atelier. That level is rather deep, and probably more dangerous than the higher levels of the Labyrinth, but you feel that a tenth grader studying at the ‘Apothecary’ should be able to make it through.
"… Father was with me back then, but I visited that place five years ago. Is that level too dangerous even for Calmia, a Doctorate candidate of the ‘Apothecary’?"
"No, the Labyrinth itself is dangerous…but the danger of that level isn’t about the Labyrinth monsters or traps there…the danger that exists there is …"
Erika says, and then pinches the hem of her robe as though she’s frightened by somebody’s shadow. Then, in a low, soft voice, she whispers a warning to you,
"The magical culprit who killed Teacher Okutsuki—the ‘scenario writer’ of this plot.
Within the dark depths of this Library Labyrinth lies the mastermind involved in the events of five years ago.
The existence of the evil ‘scenario writer’.
"T-The ‘scenario writer’…?"
You repeat Erika's hinted words, feeling puzzled.
The ‘scenario writer’—the alias of the evil mastermind who plotted against the Doctor Magna and took everything from you. This term, this scenario writer seems to have written out a protagonist's (you) life.
"…Mastermind, scenario writer?…Surely this name is a little too tacky for a villain aiming to change the fate of the characters (us).
"…It pains me to agree with a vampire, but I feel the same…this was what Teacher Okutsuki called him, and the term he wrote in his will."
"H-Huh!? Father’s will!?"
You, already puzzled by the implication of a scenario writer’s existence, is struck with further confusion.
The Doctor Magna Kai Okutsuki was assassinated before your eyes. In a dastardly plot, he protected his son from the assassin's attack, and died as a result..
There was no way he could have afforded to leave a suicide note on that tragic night.
"F-Father left a will…anyway, how did Father's will come to you?"
"…It was a coincidence. You should know that the Doctor Magna isn’t simply a leading Labyrinth explorer, but also a researcher of the highest order, don’t you, Okutsuki-san?"
You blurt in astonishment, and Erika pulls a book out of her binder.
"Given the nature of such researchers—to avoid research loss, Teacher had lots of important information in various scattered information storage systems."
"!? I-Is that ‘book’ the research journal Father used—"
"A journal (Evernote). It’s a book Teacher used to use to ‘automatically duplicate what he wrote’."
The slender finger pries the page open, and there, in Father's handwriting, contains a journal entry of his explorations.
—Friday, October 13, 10:29 p.m.
■Work contents and progress
・Investigation pertaining to the scenario writer
After continuous investigation into this conspiracy over the past few months, I’ve finally found the crux..
It seems that the scheme hatched by this ‘scenario writer’ is more devious than imagined.
However, for reasons to be explained later, I shall refrain from detailing everything.
■Tomorrow's topic
・Countermeasures against the ‘scenario writer’ offensive
If my investigation results are correct, I shall be facing the ‘scenario writer’ within days.
My current strength is overly insufficient against that magic.
Gathering the ‘books’ as soon as is imperative.
・Preservation of information
Considering the ‘scenario writer's scheming and my own strength, I must say that my chances of winning are very slim.
I will preserve this information in case I am defeated and killed.
"Ar-Are you saying that Father knew of the conspiracy of this enemy—the scenario writer?"
Impossible, you thought.
The Doctor Magna Kai Okutsuki is the biggest force in the Apothecary, the mage hailed touted as the protector of mankind. There can’t be someone on this world who could have been detected by him, yet able to assassinate him.
(B-But the date is three days before Father was assassinated, and the handwriting does look very similar to his handwriting: …!)
"…The ‘Evernote’ is a set of ‘books’ with several volumes. It has the function of sharing the contents of one book with the other books. This 'book' is kept under the tight security inside Teacher Yuzu's research laboratory. The chances of it being edited after Teacher’s death is almost zero."
"You mean the research journal that’s meant to preserve information preservation happened to become a will…!?"
"…Yes. From what I can read from this journal, Teacher Okutsuki’s life was targeted by an enemy called the scenario writer, and probably left some information to counter the scenario writer's conspiracy."
"…!! I see. If this ‘Evernote’ is the real thing, Father must have preserved that information somewhere! In that case, there’s a possibility that the identity of the scenario writer is written in it…!"
Even in the face of death, the Doctor Magna Kai Okutsuki never compromised on his justice until the very end. Even when he died to the scenario writer's conspiracy, he believed a successor would carry on his legacy, and thus left the research results the best he could to solve it..
Such information is preserved somewhere safe and sacred, where even the scenario writer's conspiracy can never reach it.
"…Erika, just to ask, have you shown this to anyone else…"
"Of course you’re the first to see this…just reading a journal page isn’t enough clue to figure out the identity of the scenario writer."
"…I guess so. Father probably didn't think this page alone is enough to counter the scenario writer."
"Yes. If this ‘Evernote’ is real, Teacher must have been left behind crucial information to counter the scenario writer's conspiracy…I continue to investigate till today because I believe that information exists."
"If you are investigating…were you deep inside the Labyrinth two days ago because…?"
"Yes. Once reason was to investigate Teacher Okutsuki's Atelier…and another reason to appear deep in the dark depths of the Labyrinth was—"
"—To bait the scenario writer with your own life?"
The High Daylight Walker, who has been silently listening to the conversation, interrupts Erika's words.
"! High Daylight Walker…!"
"A-Arteria? What do you mean, baiting the scenario writer…?"
"If the content of the ‘Evernote’ is correct, then your Father's murder was a conspiracy. In that case, the information he left behind will be fatal to the scenario writer."
"… Yes. If the scenario writer is as eager to find and destroy the ‘information’ as I am to find it…by extension, the scenario writer will try to eradicate me."
"The scenario writer is trying to kill Erika…!"
It appears that your encounter with Erika near your father's Atelier on the night you were murdered was no simple coincidence.
Assuming that the scenario writer is trying to destroy evidence, the Atelier, fortified with multiple reinforced barriers, is a dangerous place where crucial evidence may be abound. Once Kai Okutsuki's disciple is to approach there, the scenario writer would be forced to eradicate and conceal the truth.
"…I suppose my guess is correct, and I’ve been attacked by people who I believe to be an assassin of the scenario writer three times…one right before I murdered you on the day before yesterday."
"Wh-What?"
"I see. So you attacked us right after you fended off the scenario writer. As we appeared, you mistook us for the enemy and fought us."
"W-Wait a minute! Since Erika got attacked, does that mean that the scenario writer is still observing the level where the Father's Atelier is located?"
"I suppose so. For a person with the ability to kill the Doctor Magna, observing for five years continually is nothing difficult. If a prey is to land within the surveillance net, one might easily be secretly erased."
"E-Erased…!!"
You gasp in horror at the truth implied by Arteria.
The tragedy of five years ago that took away your magic, your memory, and your father.
The conspiracy that the scenario writer casts up may still be ongoing.
"…You. If her words are true, it is dangerous to approach the Atelier. Those who desire to kill Kai Okutsuki's disciples will try to kill Kai Okutsuki's son as well."
"…But on the other hand, there’s a very high probability that the scenario writer's assassin will show up. If we can drain the memories out of that assassin, it’s very likely that we’ll find a clue that will lead us to the truth."
"O-Okutsuki-san!? Are you intending to take on the scenario writer!?"
"Yeah. If the person who attacked you is an assassin of the scenario writer, the biggest target should be this Sōshi Okutsuki, who has inherited the High Daylight Walker’s bloodsucking abilities to steal the enemy's information."
"Th-That’s too dangerous! Even I had difficulty just trying to get away from them!"
"If you find it dangerous, I'll go alone. It’s the Okutsukis’ problem."
"T-This is my problem too! I can’t forget the great debt of gratitude I owe Teacher Okutsuki! I-If you don't let me go with you, I'll burn these ‘books’!"
The murderer pulled out a ‘storage book’ from the gap in the binder, opens a page with a sticky note attached, tears it open, and shakes the torn part shook it with the cut side downwards.
Then, from the tear of the piece of paper, plop! ‘books’ fall out.
Falling onto Erika's palm are two grimoire books that you had seen before.
"Th-Those 'books' I brought from Japan…!"
One is ‘A book that duplicates everything on a page, including the function’—the ‘mirror copywriting paper’.
The other is ‘A book that forces the target to answer if this answer is valid—the ‘Permanent Interrogation book’.
"Th-Those 'books' I brought from Japan…!"
One is ‘A book that duplicates everything on a page, including the function’—the ‘mirror copywriting paper’.
The other is ‘A book that forces the target to answer if this answer is vali (Yes)d—the ‘Permanent (Tautologia) Interrogation book’.
The ‘Mirror copywriting paper’ is a grimoire that can duplicate once a page of another grimoire it comes in contact with, including its magical function. In other words, with that piece of paper, it is possible to chant and execute the copied spell only once.
And the ‘Tautologia Interrogation book’ is a coercive interrogation book that can force any opponent to respond only if the answer to the questions written in it is yes. Not only is it useful for interrogating hostiles, but it can also be used as an antimagic, breaking the spell if the interrogation is performed during the chanting.
"What will you do!? From the prior magic duel, you’re probably specialize in a fighting style focused on grimoires! These rune copies of the ‘Bladeedge Storm Spears’ are something you really want, right!?"
The ‘Bladeedge Storm Spear’ has been your ace spell until you lost your magic five years ago.
It’s a medium-high level wind disarming spell (exalmatio) that releases magical power in a straight line. A divine spear of victory that forcibly disarms and restrains any enemy engulfed by its storm of any armament, barriers, or grimoire.
You used to carry a piece of grimoire with those runes engraved on it as a talisman.
"Grr… it’s true that the grimoire page is very important to me now, but …!"
As Erika pointed out, given that you can’t use magic, the grimoire is extremely important to you in battling. Those two ‘books that are used in combat’, and rare books you brought from Japan, are being held hostage, and you can’t simply refute her..
"…Okutsuki-san. You will take me with you, won't you?"
"That immortality of yours is given by I. In no certain terms do I allow you to say this has nothing to do with I."
The (former) murderer and the (current) vampire speak from the left and right. It is unlikely you have any room to dissuade.
"… Okay, come with me, Arteria, Erika."
"Umu, this High Daylight Walker Arteria shall give you power and wisdom."
"E-Erm, I’ll support you too!"
…Having their teamwork isn’t assuring, but their combat strength is undoubted. You, the half-human half demon, lead the vampire and ex-murderer as you set foot on the elevator leading into the abyss.
◇◇◇261 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
2nd tower, 4th floor of the Library Labyrinth. 14 levels counting from the surface, a vertical displacement of 80 meters. Your group has arrived at the level where the Atelier of Kai Okutsuki, the Doctor Magna, lies.
"…We’re here."
"Yes, Okutsuki-san. Let’s hurry through as quickly as possible without alerting anyone."
Erika whispers as you pass by the guardhouse next to the elevator station.
The elevator is an important exploration base, and thus a target for attacks by Labyrinth creatures (monsters) and hostile guilds. Therefore, the ‘Apothecary’ has organized a specialized squadrons to monitor and guard each level.
(Armed guards with grimoire and long staffs. Security sure is tight here…)
"If the enemies break through here, they can ride the elevator and head directly to the populated area (Library). This is a base where humanity will be endangered if monsters pass through, so heavy security is to be expected. With the power of this True Ancestor (I) now, it will take lots of bloodsucking to break through. Prudent it is to lie low."
"Shh! Since you know, don’t say such scary things!"
As all of you watching the guards out of the corner of your eye, you hastily flee the scene.
You escape the guards’ sight by passing through the elevator hall formed by crumbling a wall (bookshelf)—and you are already inside the Library Labyrinth, where darkness and monsters reign. This is a dark and gloomy cavern of endless reading rooms.
(…This is the second level of Library Labyrinth. The air density clearly feels different from the shallow levels of the ‘Library’…)
"Please be careful. This ‘Reading Room’ lying within the darkness is the real Library Labyrinth."
Erika mutters with a tense look as she pulls out a ‘storage book’ from the blademail on her left shoulder. She tears off a page with a sticky note on it that reads, ‘Carrying Equipment’, turns it upside down and shakes it. Clink! It rolls onto Erika's palm.
"A ‘storage book’…I see, so you tear a page off to retrieve something?"
"Yes. It may be a little too bright to a vampire’s eyes, but we need light to avoid being mistaken for a criminal of some sort. Please endure this."
Erika pulls out a matchstick from her pocket and lights the wick through the windshield of the cantera. The flickering flame of the portable lamp clearly etches the Labyrinth's shelves onto your vampirized retinas.
"Now then, let us go, Okutsuki-san. Please follow me."
"No, I’ll go first. If the scenario writer really has this level under surveillance, the vanguard will be most dangerous. I can’t let you stand here."
"Mu, given yesterday’s battle, your immortality is powerless against poison or instant death traps.I'll go ahead and lead you to Teacher's Atelier."
"Umu. Simply comparing combat strength, she surpasses yours. Gender aside, the one with the obligation to lead the way into the Labyrinth is the one who is familiar with the path."
Yes, certainly. Magic power doesn’t differ in terms of gender, so there is little distinction between male and female Labyrinth seekers. Therefore, when many are moving through the Labyrinth, the order is simply determined by ability.
Usually, the team leader is at the back of the pack, able to access the entire party’s situation, while the vice-leader most adept at magic and seeking enemies is to walk in front. Currently, the most suitable position is for Erika to lead the front, Arteria to cover the back, and you, the weakest, in the middle.
"I'm the tagalong of this group…?"
"In this Library Labyrinth, a difference in experience can mean a whole world of difference between life and death. Looking at the three here, surely you are the weakest."
"…I hate to agree with a vampire, but I’m more familiar with this level. After all, I had a magic duel against the scenario writer's assassin just two days ago.
"… Okay, Erika, please take the lead…."
Even with the immortality granted by the True Ancestor, you can't deal with dangerous traps and criminal ambushes without a logic wall.
Leave this task to Erika and hurry on to your Father's Atelier.
◇◇◇259 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
The exploration party consisting of a murderer, a vampire and a half-human slowly progresses through the depths of the Labyrinth, keeping an eye out for traps and ambushes from Labyrinth creatures and magical criminals.
(…It’s unlike the ‘Library’ here. Everywhere looks almost the same…)
You look around, intimidated by the pitch darkness and the blind spots of the bookshelves. The Library Labyrinth's bookshelves are constantly creating grimoires, so no matter the direction you look at, there will always be similar scenes. Once you lose your sense of direction, it will be almost impossible to escape unscathed.
(We’re just encountering a few simple traps, probably because Erika’s choosing this for us. Feels like there’s a little beast smell coming from deep within the darkness…)
"…It is faint, but I can smell animal blood. Looks like this is a pathway for carnivorous beasts since there are few humans nearby."
"The paths were Labyrinth creatures walk have fewer death traps or predatory 'books', so they’re easier to walk. The creatures’ footprints can also be used as markers, and it’s easier to deal with monsters we can see.."
"… I see. So with some level of combat ability, magical beasts are still a safer option."
Yes, it is. Unlike mechanical traps that attack without any sign or murderous intent, or grimoires that distort reality, Labyrinth creatures (monsters) can be detected from afar, and they are enemies that can be defeated through physical attacks.
With magic on part with your Father’s, it may be safe to establish a base within the depths of the Labyrinth, far from from the criminals that hide in human society.
(… If I remember correctly, Father's Atelier is fortified with multiple barriers. As long as the magic key isn’t undone, that Atelier should remain the same as it was five years ago …!)
You recall the memory of when you were once taken by your Father to the Atelier.
Your Father's Atelier, fortified with multiple barriers, is the place where you lost your beloved kin five years ago, and also the place where you lost your magic, your memories, and your dreams, and where you vowed to get them back.
Perhaps in that Atelier, there is a grimoire to assist your search, a 'book' that can heal your memory loss, and a clue that will reveal the enemy’s identity and lead you to the truth.
"…Erika, how much further to Father's Atelier?"
"We’re almost there. Just a turn around this bookshelf’s trap…see, it’s there."
You follow Erika, and cautious slip by the deftly concealed bookshelf trap…the cantera’s light shines upon a large metal door at the far end of the Reading Room corridor.
Within the deepest depths of the darkness of the Library Labyrinth, at the end of the long, straight Reading Room, is a double door with runes inscribed upon it, standing there as though it had been abandoned by the passage of time.
"…That emblem…"
"Yes, it is the surface of the multiple barriers Teacher Okutsuki left behind, and the Magitzkveins are just the surface."
You follow Erika's lead, and a complex web of Mana trails, runes and Magitzkveins, indecipherable to all but Doctor Magna, emerge in the lamplight.
This is an outpost for the containing strong barriers and countless grimoires, meant for explorating the depths that have yet to be reached. This is the place where you mourned your father five years ago, and where your father may have left you a clue, a connection with the scenario writer.
That door leads to the old Atelier of the Doctor Magna, Kai Okutsuki.
" …We’re here."
Erika stops before the metal gate and doesn’t look back as she mutters quietly.
Empathizing with her sentiments, you answer with a similarly quiet voice,
"It’s been five years since that night…this Atelier has always been waiting for Father’s return."
"…Yes. According to the investigation documents of the ‘Apothecary’, nobody could break through this door. Only the bloodied son was sent back to the surface through teleportation magic, and when the ‘Apothecary’, sensing something was wrong, dispatched a rescue party…Teacher appeared to have died before this door."
"…If that’s the case, Father might have locked the door with his last strength…like maybe, to entrust a certain person with the 'counter against the scenario writer's conspiracy' hidden in this Atelier."
You mutter to yourself and reach for the talisman's gold chain tied around your neck. The crystal rolls upon your palm, and the and the silver-white Mana's radiance intensified.
"Okutsuki-san, is Teacher's talisman… the key to this barrier?"
"The inside and outside of this Atelier is covered with the Doctor Magna's magic magic constructs. Even the door is part of that magic, so it can only activate once it reacts to Father’s unique magic."
You walk up to the closed door, answering Erika, and tap the tip of your talisman onto the runes etched into the iron.
"The Magitzkveins properties differ according to the person, so our magic alone can’t open this magic door. The talisman's crystal though imitates the Magitzkveins on Father's nerves."
"If it mimics Teacher's nerves…then the magical power imbued in the talisman is …."
"Yeah. The Mana that flows through the circuit will be refined in a manner very similar to Father's magic. In other words—"
You gather your concentration upon your fingertips, and activate your Father's talisman.
For five years, the magic mechanism awaited its master’s return, and you imbue life within it again..
"I can let the magic lock mistake for Father’s return and unlock the system."
Vroom.
The runes, sensing Kai Okutsuki's magical power, gives a pale blue-violet glow.
A heavy bass noise instantly echoes, and the earth tremors as if a massive gear machine is running. A thick spiral axle start to sping somewhere, and slowly, the ten centimeters thick steel doors open.
"…It all started five years ago, October 16th, since I left this Library City Alexandria."
The magical mechanism remained froze in time since that tragic night, awaiting the return of its master.
"I’ve always wanted to return to this Atelier."
The door of the Atelier was opened to welcome you.
"… I'm back, Father."
The faint smell of mold and dust agitate your nostrils.
You hold your breath for a tad, enter the room, and light the lamp on the desk. The flame quickly steadies and illuminates the darkened room.
For five years the Atelier lost its master, and was seemingly forgotten as it remained in time. The desk is littered with papers, the bookshelves on the walls are stuffed with book spines, and there is the chair that used to be your assigned seat; everything appears the same as it did on October 16, five years ago.
"…I think I was here before. This Atelier was probably where I was taken into custody…"
Erika follows you into the Atelier and looks around the room as she mutters so. For her, who was once saved by your Father, this appears to be a memorable place.
"…It's as if time has stood still…"
"Yeah…the books on the shelves, the tea leaves in the cupboard, the documents on the desk, they all were the same as that night five years ago.
"…Teacher Okutsuki was in this Atelier five years ago…"
Erika looks up at the spines of the bookshelves and wobbles to her feet.
You grab Erika by the arm, and yank her back.
"Hayaa!? Wh-what are you doing out of a sudden!?"
"I know you’re sad, but pay attention to your feet…the color there is different."
"Eh? …Ah!? "
You and Erika look forward, and there, on the center of the Atelier, is a reddish-black area that varies slightly in color from its surroundings.
The elegant luster of the silk threads has been lost in that area, as though a dried corpse is there.
"…Is this reddish-black stain…?"
"…Yeah… bloodstain."
You let go of Erika's wrist and gently tap at the boundary border between crimson and iron red with your fingertip. After five years of oxidization, the hardened blood crunches and shatters into powder.
"Five years ago, Father was killed here."
"…!"
Your voice sounds low and cold, as though you are crushed by the gravity of despair. Erika is at a loss of words, and can only stare blankly at the stain on the floor.
"…Arteria, there’s something I want to ask of you."
"Fumu…you wish of I to extract out your father's memories from the blood left in this Atelier, no?"
Arteria says as she enters the Atelier, and looks down at the blood stain on the floor.
Your Father’s blood has seeped into the carpet, and the amount is fatal. With the power of the 'Silver Night' of this Library Labyrinth, the talent eater power, it might be possible to suck out Doctor Magna's knowledge.
If the description written in Erika's ‘Evernote’ is true, your Father may have discovered the true identity of the scenario writer. If so, the may be information relating to the scenario writer’s conspiracy preserved in his blood.
With the High Daylight Walker's ability to absorb information, perhaps you may be able to get closer to the truth of five years ago—
"…Mumumu. Apologies, this is impossible."
So you think, but Arteria's response is beyond expectation.
"I-Impossible…so you can’t do this unless it’s fresh blood? "
"Umu, it is absolutely not fresh enough. The memory information deteriorates rapidly the moment this blood leaves the brain. If so, why would a vampire deliberately approach its prey and gnaw at its neck?"
"Ah…I see. That makes sense…"
If sucking blood can net you blood memories, a vampire won’t be using its fangs, but with bow and arrow. After all, one simply has to wait for the wounded prey to escape before licking away the blood that’s left behind.
"That is why vampires must be immortal. If they forsake blood after being slashed by blades or burned by magic, they will starve to death."
"…Say, do vampires starve to death?"
"They will berserk from hunger."
"…B-Being unable to die sure is suffering…"
"This is why absorbing that is impossible. This prime of I aside, the abilities I have now are completely lacking. Even if I do wish to have blood perception through sucking, I do not have anyone to absorb it from."
"Blood perception…say, since I’m your kin, I too have blood perception, right?"
"…You do, but your abilities are not even a millionth of mine."
"I’m not hoping that a kin (I) can drain something even a True Ancestor (you) can’t. I’m just wondering if we suck each other’s blood, can we amplify our knowledge?"
So this is what you’re thinking:
(1) Suck Arteria's knowledge to greatly amplify your blood perception..
(2) Have Arteria suck back to double this blood perception.
(3) Repeat this process again and again to greatly amplify its power, and your blood perception should be strong enough to suck knowledge even from weathered blood—
"That is not possible either."
So you thought, but Arteria's answer remains affirmatively no.
"I-It can’t…I thought it might work in theory."
"The draining efficiency between you and I differ far too greatly. If I have to let you suck thousands of liters of blood for every drop I suck, even I, as a Nosferatu, shall be drained dried."
"…I thought we could just do lots of things by amplify our knowledge together…but yeah, I just became a vampire, and I don’t think my blood perception ability compares to you."
"Perhaps you may if you become a mature vampire, and if I am on the brink of death, no? About 200 million years."
Unfortunately, it seems that unless you are a matured kin of the True Ancestor, two ‘talent eaters’ trying to amplify each other’s power is almost impossible, especially when the True Ancestor has lost her power.
"…But it’s too early to be discouraged. Even if you can’t suck Father's memories, maybe there’s information hidden in this Atelier that Father left behind."
"Ye-yes. The ‘Apothecary's surveillance information shows that there is no sign of this magical door being opened or closed over the last five years. The inside of this Atelier should be almost the same as five years ago."
Erika pulled out her notebook from the binder, probably something she investigated on her own, and shows the contents. It appears there has been constant surveillance around this Atelier by the ‘Apothecary’, determined to protect the reputation of the guild after the assassination of the Doctor Magna.
"…But now the Atelier is safe no longer. Once the scenario writer discovers that the door can be opened through your Father’s talisman, he shall try to kill you. If this level is being watched, the assassin of the scenario writer is highly likely to appear.
"…Agreed. I’ve been attacked many times on this level."
"Umu…or perhaps the scenario writer is trying to force you to open this this Atelier door, little girl. By knowing how to open, the scenario writer may try to distort any evidence relating to the identity."
"I see…even if evidence is left in this Atelier, it can’t be erased if there’s no way to open the magic door. The scenario writer probably attacked Erika to get her to open the door."
"Certainly. An enemy capable of assassinating the Doctor Magna could never let a mere student escape."
"…A-Are you saying that the scenario writer was using me?"
If, as Arteria says, the scenario writer is trying to conceal the incident of five years ago, Erika, as your Father's disciple, should certainly be one of the most important people to be killed.
The fact that the scenario writer let Erika escape without killing her despite the opportunities to do so shows that Erika was allowed to live on purpose.
In that case, there has to be a certain intention to it.
"From this, there may be a way to identify the scenario writer. If not so, the scenario writer has no reason to interfere with you or Sōshi."
"…If all the evidence involving the scenario writer get destroy, it doesn’t matter as to how many people want to investigate the truth. On the other hand, this means that the enemy hasn’t destroyed all the evidence, right?"
"So the evidence relating to the scenario writer might still be in there somewhere…!?"
"Certainly. Now then, let us have a strategy meeting. This level may be monitored by the scenario writer, with the book collection of the Doctor Magna and an inpregnable fortress to block any attack. As long as this place remains secure, we shall be ready and able to repel the scenario writer's assassins."
"Then…I suggest that we search the Atelier. As the vampire says, this Atelier may have information relating to the scenario writer."
"Yeah. Maybe that information might be useful to protect ourselves from this scenario writer."
You scan the Atelier using the lamps’ lights.
Documents are still scattered all over the work desk. Heaps of books are piled up messily. The archive, isolated behind an inner door, would be a good place to preserve information.
"Now then, we’ll have to decide on who’s in charge of where…"
"You, we shall investigate the archives. Without magic, you have no chance of overcoming the scenario writer's conspiracy if you take the challenge head on. Expanding your ‘books’ collection is your top priority."
Yes, certainly. Your decision to visit the Atelier, at least as of yesterday noon, is to retrieve the necessary 'books' from your Father's collection.
For you, who have lost your magic, expanding the collection of ‘books’ is a necessity. Without reinforcing yourself with a force of strong books, there is no way for your to come up with strategies to fend off the scenario writer’s assassins.
"…And, lest you forget, you have only 248 pages left. Once you fall into the cage of oblivion, it will be forever impossible to recover the truth."
"…? You have only 248 pages of memory left…?"
"Ah…yea, I haven’t mentioned this to you, Erika."
Erika, completely unaware of your memory impairment, raises her eyebrows in doubt at Arteria's words.
"…Speaking of which, you haven’t told me as to the reason how you became a vampire. As the son of Teacher Okutsuki, how did you become something like a vampire..."
"What do you mean, something like a vampire. Anyway, it’s your fault that I became a vampire. You attacked me with stone spears, and Arteria had to turn me into a vampire."
"M-My fault!? B-But why are you acting together with the High Daylight Walker…?"
"…Well, I don’t really remember. Seems like I can only maintain eight hours of memory."
"E-Eight hours? Is it really okay that your memory only lasts for eight hours?
"It’s because of this issue that I’ve been using a ‘memory preservation book’…now there are only 247 pages left of that ‘book’. That’s why I thought Father's Atelier might have a book that can cure memory loss."
"…H-How’s that possible…O-Okutsuki-san, you should be looking for a 'book' (Me) right away!"
"Hmph. You do not have to inform him so. Little girl, we shall divide the work. Sōshi and I must find the ‘book’, but considering the battle against the scenario writer, we need information."
"I-I understand! I'll take responsibility for finding the information in this Atelier. Okutsuki-san, please find the ‘memory preservation book’ no matter what!"
"Y-Yes, I get that, so don’t poke at me with your horns, okay?"
Perhaps feeling guilty for your vampirization, Erika urges you to search the archives with a vigorous voice. Intimidated by her vigor (and the tips of her horns), you and Arteria step through the inner door of the Atelier to the inside.
"…Oh…so these archives is a little dusty after all…"
The dense smell of parchment and cupric sulfate (Atrament) arise as the door closes, stinging at your nose.
The gradually oxidized smell of melanterite ink gives off a rustic scent, emphasizing the five years that have passed. Countless bookshelves occupy the entire archive of still darkness, forming a fuzzy image on your vampire-induced retina.
"…Right, let's start exploring. I’ll get a light out from a ‘book’.."
You pull out a ‘storage book’ from your binder, find the page containing your backpack, and tear it.
"!! Wa-wa-wait, you! That ‘storage book’ is …!
"Eh? What wait—puggh!"
At that moment, the backpack flying out from the ‘book’ smashes hard into your face.
"Gyaaaaaaaaaah! My jawbone tickleesss!"
"…I was going to remind you, saying that there can be a lot of momentum created when withdrawing objects from the ‘storage book…"
"Grrrr…Arteria, it's too late…"
Perhaps as the overly massive backpack was stuffed into the ‘storage book’, the backpack falls heavily to the floor at an amazing speed, causing the room to tremble..
Your mandible has been shattered, and red mist emits from your mouth and nostril as you frisk for your cantera and set it alight. The archive that has tumbled over the bookshelves of the Labyrinth and connects to several Reading rooms are approximately thrice your height, creating a maze or sorts.
"…Phew. Thank goodness my jaw is healed…speaking of which, we need to find a ‘memory impairment cure book’ and ‘battle usable books’ amongst all these…?"
"Umu, now that your bones have finally healed, this shall be a different kind of bone breaking task."
Looking up at the shelves stuffed with books, you feel a little dizzy and murmur so.
This is a frontline base built as a base camp to go deeper, but this is the Doctor Magna's library after all. The number of books stored here is no less than several thousand at the very least.
"One, two, three…at least five thousand according to my rough calculation…even if we are to split and search, your memory will most likely deplete if we are to do this by ordinary means. Better to use the ‘books’ we have to draft ‘an We have to create an efficient way of finding books’."
"Then, before we look for the ‘books’, let’s check as to what books there are."
Yes. Without magic, your ability to search and fight depends almost entirely on the ‘books’. Whether it is to search for ‘books’, or to battle the scenario writer's assassin, it is essential to check the cards in your hand.
"Erm, ‘Origami paper" is not suitable for searching, and the 'books' returned by Erika are…"
"The ‘Tautologia Interrogation book’ and the ‘Mirror Copywriting paper’, I suppose?"
"Yes. These are the page and the grimoire that I brought from Japan."
You take out a 'book' and a page from the binder space.
A ‘book that forces others to answer’, the ‘Tautologia Interrogation book’, and,
A ‘book that allows you to duplicate books, the ‘Mirror copywriting paper’.
"Hmmm... … I doubt they can be used for searching, but perhaps they can counter the scenario writer?"
"…Maybe. Too bad, but I think these two are more for combat than exploration."
The ‘Tautologia Interrogation book’ is a book that ‘forces one to answer a question if the answer is yes’, a geass paper. By writing down the question on the page and chanting the Activate key, you can forcibly extract information from any opponent, whoever it is.
"…Until I gained the ability of blood perception, this ‘interrogation book’ has been my trump card against my enemies…"
"At this moment, it is faster to defeat the enemy and extract information. Though now the best way is to interrogate only for the information you need and fleeing to avoid fights."
"This strategy probably won’t work if the enemy is a scenario writer's assassin…"
"Umu…you may continue to interrogate and prevent chanting, but given the number of pages left, it may be difficult to use in battle."
"After all, there are only five pages left…"
‘Books that investigate the mind’, such as the Tautologia Interrogation book, are useful for commercial trading and crime investigations, so even replicas can be extremely pricey. To buy one in Japan, an island nation far away from Alexandria, all the more a considerable amount of coins is required.
The book your family spared no expense is merely a second hand ‘book’ once used by others, and only five pieces of paper are attached to its shabby spine.
"…And the 'copywriting paper' is useless to me now that I've lost my magic."
The ‘Mirror copywriting paper’ is a grimoire that can duplicate a page of another grimoire it comes in contact with only once, including its magical function.
In other words, with this page, you have a one time use to chant and execute the exalmatio ‘Bladeedge Storm Spear’, but…
(…Due to my traumatic memories, I’ve lost my ability to use magic. I can’t use chanting grimoires that requires Magitzkveins…)
"Hm…it appears you have no choice but to use ‘Last Prayer’ to search for the 'books' after all."
"…I guess. I don’t have much memory left, so I’ll just have to write an ability like a ‘grimoire appraising skill’ or sorts to appraise all the books one by one."
"No, I have another idea. Hopefully, this maybe reduce the memory usage to find the required ‘books’."
"Eh, you mean there's a way to do this without using memory tampering?"
"No, memory tampering is still required necessary, but this shall require fewer pages than having a grimoire appraising skill. First, to ascertain, did you enter this archive five years ago?"
"Y-yes, though I pretty much forgot…"
"If you have been in here once, in principle, this can work. Perhaps you can extract the ‘memory of the archives’ that lies dormant in your brain and allow for a more efficient search."
"’A-Archive memory’? Is this some kind of special memory tampering?"
"Umu, allow I show you exactly what I mean."
Arteria nods in response to your question and continues her explanation.
"For example…and you may have experienced so, but have you suddenly received of a memory long past, or suddenly unable to recall a memory you are very familiar with? Have you ever thought deeply about why?"
"Eh?…Hmmm, maybe it’s because my mind is so cluttered that I can’t figure out where the memory is, or something like that?"
"Umu. In fact, the human brain is divided into two parts, ‘the part that searches for memories’ and ‘the part that stores memories’. The former is concentrated in the temporal lobe, while the latter is spread throughout the neocortex."
"U…kuyuu, it feels like we’re talking about some really difficult stuff. Are these some technical knowledge from some obscure ‘neurology book’?"
"No, personal experience."
"Personal experience? Have you ever had a temporal lobe injury?
"Yes. Now back on point, the functions of memory storage and retrieval are separated in the brain. You have the necessary memory to be searched, but are unable to. Just like the books in the stacks."
"So there is…I see, so the books (memory) exist in the archive (brain), but I don’t know where the books are placed…"
You looked at the book spines lined up on the shelves and tried to visualize yourself.
A huge library with a huge number of journals, but without a book catalog to search from, you’re unable to use the massive library. Your brain, having forgotten something, may be of a similar state.
"Whether it is the nervous system or a library, a catalog is necessary to manage a large amount of information. In other words, your Father must have created ‘a book that contains book records’, an ‘index’."
"Ah…I-I see! If Father had prepared a catalog of his library, there is a good chance that I would have known where it was five years ago! If I can extract this from my memory through memory tampering…!"
Yes. By reconstructing the brain's inventory, you should be able to find clues to that archive index.
And such memory tampering hardly consume pages, unlike memory creation. By reconstructing the search function to awaken your memory, you will not require the creation of new scenes to obtain information, given that it merely involves forgetting or recalling information that you already knew of..
If you only wish to ‘remember’ something, the ‘Last Prayer’ can fulfill so with a few lines..
(…This memory tampering is only about 'remembering', so it’s pointless if I don’t know where the index is, or if it doesn’t exist…but if using up a few lines can trigger my forgotten memory, it's well worth a try …!!!)
You pull out the ‘Last Prayer’ (me) and a pencil, open the page, and begin to write.
"I remember where the archive index is, and found useful books by using it. "—15ℓ
As expected, the reconstructed search function correctly recalls your memory of five years ago—
You pull out an ‘index’ from the archives and begin your search for books.
◇◇◇239 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
Eight hours have passed.
And before you know it, you recall that you have been looking for ‘books’.
"Huh!? T-Time just jumped again…!?"
The Memory Tampering must have automatically executed the archive search, resulting in you unwittingly having two ‘books’ in your hands.
First is the ‘Recycled paper for re-creating’, a ‘book’ that allows you to use a used ‘book’ once again.
The other is the ‘Still type, Hyper Express Envelopes, 500 pieces’, capable for sending five hundred envelopes of letters (with stamps).
"…Envelopes?"
You read the explanatory note that you yourself have supposedly written, and tilted your head in bewilderment.
It appears the ‘Recycled Paper for re-creating’—the book that allows you to reuse a book once’, can restore your memory capacity by creating a ‘Last Prayer’ with reduced pages. …
"…But even if these envelopes are stamped, are these express envelopes even usable in battle…?"
"Fumyu…these are the ‘books’ you chose, so surely there is a purpose."
A bored looking Arteria says so as she sits on a heap of books. After eight hours of assisting in the search for ‘books’, it appears even the strongest of the species appears fatigued.
"…W-Well, at least the ‘Recycled Paper for Re-creation’ seems usable…wait, thre are so few pages in this ‘book’! Just three pages left!"
You exclaimed in shock as you opened the unusually lightweight cover. You have assumed that with a ‘book to reuse a book’, you can duplicate a ‘Memory Preservation book’ to increase your memory capacity, but this ‘book merely has ‘three pages’ left.
With so few pages, even if I do duplicate 'Last Prayer' again, I’ll only have a few minutes left…! I thought Father would have a ‘Book to Cure Memory Loss’ or two…"
"Mmmm...If it can be used for other 'books', there probably is an infinite number of ways to do so…but this ‘Recycled Paper’ cannot solve your problem of memory loss."
"…And I'm not even sure what the 'Envelopes' can be used for anyway…"
These are the ‘books’ you found from the massive archive after using memory tampering to find the ‘Index’, so perhaps there is an effective way of using so…but how are you supposed to use the plain, unremarkable ‘Express Envelopes’?
"Hmm, perhaps it will be a useful ‘book’ after all? "
"…I do not think so, but it is worth a try."
While it is also vaguely described as ‘Time still’, as ‘envelopes’, surely this has to be a ‘book’ meant to send parcels to others..
You take out the relatively abundant remains of the ‘Origami paper set’, tear off a page, and slip in into the ‘Express Envelope’. Then, you write down the name of the recipient ‘Arteria’ on the addressee column, before sealing the envelop with wax (for sealing envelopes)—
"…Woah!?"
Poof! Wings grow from the envelope, fluttering on your palm. The ‘Express Envelope’ glides splendidly in the air, soars above Arteria's head, and opens with a pop.
"Fuwah!? S-Something was delivered to I!"
"…I see. So it automatically sends ‘Envelopes’…it’s a little surprising, but how’s this any different from crumpling the ‘Origami Paper’ and throwing it?"
You stare at the fluttering pages and mutter in dismay. This ability to automatically send envelopes is very convenient, but you still don't think it's useful in battle.
"U-Umm…perhaps this can be used if you do not know where the recipient is…"
"…If so, how far can this ‘envelope’ fly? If I write down ‘scenario writer's assassin’ and seal it…"
You take out the second envelope, write ‘scenario writer's assassin’, and seal it with wax. Naturally, or perhaps predictably, no wings appear on the envelope, and remains in your hand.
"… Well, there is no way we can find the scenario writer like this."
"Muu…a little puzzled am I. How did it identify the recipient earlier with just the name ‘Arteria’? What happens if there are many with the same name?"
"I-I don't know…but now that you mention it, it’s strange. Maybe there are others with the same name as you, so how does it identify the recipient?
"Mumumu…perhaps the ‘book’ can read the user’s memories or information? You and I know each other, but neither have met the scenario writer, no?"
"So you mean since ‘Envelope’ can find the recipient from my memory, I can just write ‘Arteria’ and it’ll be delivered? If so, doesn't that mean I can send it even if I short the name to 'silver'?"
You took out the third ‘envelope’, feeling somewhat sceptical, write ‘silver’ on it, and seal it. The ‘Envelope’ then sprouts pure white wings, flies above Arteria's head, and automatically opens.
"Eh, th-this is enough to get it delivered…?"
"…Hmmm, perhaps this is a rather useful 'book' after all. Since it has wings, it can track any enemy that tries to evade, and can be sent from behind cover. Even without knowing the name of the target, it appears it can be sent if the target can be identified through memory.
"…I see. So if we can use the ‘Origami Paper’ to create flames and pair it with a barrier, as long as it’s an enemy I met once, I can attack anywhere no matter where this enemy is…hmmm?"
Muttering this, you suddenly sense an inspiration deep within your mind.
This ‘Still Type Express Envelope’ can seek out the user’s memory to send out letters, even if the impression is hazy. This search function is so powerful, it can sen a letter to the ‘Silver Night’ Arteria Al Athanasia Almnasia Ausanasia of the Library Labyrinth’ even with only a single word.
Unfortunately, even that excellent searching ability is impotent since the ‘scenario writer's assassin’ does not exist in your memory, but…
"…Wait a minute. Hasn’t Erika met the ‘scenario writer's assassin’?"
There should exist the ‘scenario writer’s assassin’ in the memory of Erika in the office next door.
"!! That little girl must have met the scenario writer's assassin personally! Assuming this guess is correction, this ‘book’ locks into its recipient through the user’s memory!"
"Yeah! I can’t send it, but Erika may be able to activate it!"
You run out, shouting and kicking aside the piles of books towards the door. If the ‘Envelop’ can reach the scenario writer's assassin, you should even be able to deduce the location!
Kicking aside the ebony door, you wish to report to Erika of your findings.
"Erika!! Looks like I found something great! Maybe there’s a way to find the scenario writer's assassin..."
"—Execute, servant of the stone serpent."
Erika unleashes her magic, and a waterfall of stone spears strike you.
"Eh…woahh!"
The tentacles of stone entwine around your body, pinning you to the airspace of the Atelier. The door is slammed behind you, separating you from the High Daylight Walker. While you’re still unable to to comprehend what happened, Erika, inclined deep in her chair at her desk, speaks quietly to you.
"…Okutsuki-san, have you found the 'Book to Cure Memory Loss'?"
"Eh, ehh!? More importantly, I want to ask as to why you’re binding me like this…"
"…Given your response, I guess you haven’t found the ‘book’. Great, at least my eight hours of casting a spell to ‘overcome memory block’ isn’t wasted."
"Eh…what, o-overcoming memory block?"
You blurt out in surprise when you hear her suddenly mention there’s a way to clear your memory block.
Erika, who has been looking down at the countless documents on the table, slowly lift her eyes after hearing this, and stares at you adamantly.
"…Okutsuki-san. Are you not lying when you say you seek the truth of five years ago,?"
"E-Erika…?"
Within her ultramarine eyes reminiscent of the deep sea, you notice a rather dignified glint of determination.
It's as if a hidden truth is hidden in the depths of her gaze.
"…No way, Erika. Is there evidence in this Atelier related to the truth of five years ago…?"
You realize. It’s just a fleeting moment of memory, but while you were investigating the archives, Erika spent eight hours searching your Father's office.
Since the ‘Last Prayer’ has no mention of Erika during your search of the archive, it suggests that she has yet to discover anything that she should report to you—
Instead, she knew of a decisive truth, and frantically tried to corroborate it.
"…If yes, tell me now. I’m here to investigate the truth."
You have two hundred and thirty-two pages and eight hours of memory capacity left. Even after finding the ‘Recycled Paper for re-creating’ from the archives, some time was spent for this. To continue your Father's legacy and become someone who can save others, it is absolutely essential that you heal your memory impairment.
"Erika, what exactly is the way to overcome this memory block?"
"…To do so, you need lots of clear, flowing water. According to Teacher Okutsuki’s notes, there seems to be clean, unpolluted water on this level. Please wait for me there with the True Ancestor, Okutsuki-san."
"Eh, wait, why aren’t you going with us? You’re the only one who knows the cure, and we might get attacked by the scenario writers…"
"…Sorry, but I have to prepare. With the True Ancestor around, the scenario writer won’t attack you."
"I won’t get attacked if I’m with Arteria? W-Well, with 'Silver Night', even the scenario writers won't simply attack…"
Erika does not answer you, and compiles all the documents on the table before she slowly gets to her feet. The only parchment page left on the desk appears to be a map to the ‘Library’.
"…That stone magic will be broken after a certain amount of time. Please go ahead and wait for me."
"Understood. I just need to follow the map and go to the ‘Library with water’, right? "
"Yes…I’ll be leaving right away to avoid delaying you."
Erika says so with a quiet tone, and touches the opening mechanism of the Atelier with her finger. The magic mechanism that your Father had constructed is activated, and the massive door is slowly pushed aside.
"…Okutsuki-san, since I was saved by the Doctor Magna, I’ll definitely save you from the fate of oblivion, even that salvation will bring you the cruel truth."
With these words, Erika turns away and steps out into the darkness of the Labyrinth.
She then disappears through the magical door that has begun to close again, her footsteps echoing coldly.
◇◇◇231 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
"…Eh, a turn around this bookshelf, and straight ahead, and we should be reaching the ‘Library’…"
It is dozen or so minutes later. As she has declared, Erika released you from the stone, and you follow the map she left for you through dozens of Reading Rooms, towards the ‘Library’ with flowing water.
"…Muu…you, is that map truly trustworthy?"
"Yep, the handwriting on this map is the same as Father's, so I think it’s trustworthy. I pity you for getting your nose smashed by the archive door because of her magic.
"Mgh…hmph! That little girl and I have been at loggerheads since the beginning! She fired stone spears at me suddenly, and even pressed obscene lump of fleshes against my kin’s arm!"
"Calm down calm down, Arteria…ah, is that light the 'Library'?"
You answer the clearly grumpy Arteria, and a faint light appears in the dim Labyrinth. You approach with hastened steps, and the rectangular white light become increasingly wide—
Before it finally spread wide before your eyes.
"!…So this is a different ‘Library’ from the ‘Floating Peak Library’."
The red of the sunset etches upon your retinas the moment you step into the light. Slowly you open your eye lids, and your vision immediately broadens to depict countless trees and fountains floating upon the madder sky.
"So this too is a sky underground…the Library Labyrinth really is a mysterious place…"
"…Muu, there is a rather rich spring here…"
With the fiery red clouds as backdrop, countless grey disks float in this ‘Library’ sky.
The tops of the disks are decorated with lawns, fountains, and trees, and aerial staircases connected them, forming a maze in mid-air that leads beyond the sky.
"Ah, there’s a name on the entrance stone tablet…so it’s the ‘Sky Garden Library’?"
The ‘Sky Garden Library’ is one of the many different ‘libraries’ existing within the Library Labyrinth.
It is a beautiful maze of hanging gardens filled with trees, flowers, plants and animals unique to this place.
"…Now then, have we arrived at the rendezvous that little girl informed us of?"
"Yeah, the sunset is beautiful, but there doesn’t seem to be anything else to see…"
Both of you arrived obediently, but since the cure information is with Erika, you have you two have nothing to do. You can’t leave too far from the entrance given that you are to meet up with her, so it seems you have no choice but to spend some time here.
"Hmm, from what I've seen, it doesn't look like there are any dangerous plants or animals or anything like that…"
"It is unwise to go too deep inside…speaking of which, breaking memory block? It may be too late to ask now, but is that little girl really trustworthy?"
"Probably. It won’t be strange to find a way to dispel such magic in the Doctor Magna's Atelier, and I don’t think Erika would do anything to disobey Kai Okutsuki's wishes."
Yes, certainly. She may have tried to kill you once, but Erika probably will not tarnish Kai Okutsuki's name on her own volition. She probably will remain your ally as long as she does not defy your Father’s teachings.
"…And you almost got petrified because I didn't believe in you. So now, I rather try and believe rather than think about what I should do when I’m betrayed."
"M-Mugu…"
"Don't worry, I’ll definitely break this oblivions spell. Didn’t I promise you? No matter what difficulties arise, I’ll never forget that you saved me.
"Fumyu…! … H-Hmph, futile it is to fool me! A dolt like you surely says such things out of carelessness!"
"I'm not trying to fool you. I'm just saying whatever I promised."
"U-Ugggghhhh…I-I shall ignore you! Fail to abide, and I shall strangle you to death with your talisman gold chain, so be prepared!"
"Got it. I don’t want to die, so I'll remember it."
You give a little smile with your reply and look back at the sunset over the ‘Sky Garden Library’.
"Say Arteria, since Erika hasn't arrived yet, why don't we take a little walk around the ‘Library’? As long as we don't go too far from the entrance, a little break should be fine."
"…H-Hmph…no choice then. I shall go."
Arteria’s face remains turned away as she pinches the hem of your robe.
"…Ohhh, it's a big fountain!"
"Ohhh…it’s amazing. Is it bigger than the fountain in Alexandria city center?"
You scale the aerial staircase with the True Ancestor in tow and arrive at a disk with a large fountain.
A wall of bookshelves is formed around the perimeter of the circular rock formation, with a cobblestone pavement less than two meters wide and a water fountain about 30 meters in diameter.
"…The water is really clear too…where’s all this water coming from? "
"Hm hmm, humanity’s myopic logic is futile in this Library Labyrinth. It is no wonder that water wells up from nowhere, and no wonder that water flows towards nowhere."
"I don't know why you're so gleeful about this… speaking of which, it's a beautiful place, but not a single person has explored here."
"It seems this 'Library of the Empty Garden' has been explored a long time ago, and probably more dangerous than other 'Libraries'. Do you see the sea of clouds beneath when you climbed up to this disk? "
"Eh? I did, but what's so dangerous about those clouds?"
There’s only an endless sea of white clouds beneath this disk. You, born in the countryside, find this to be an inexplicably beautiful scene…
"…You. If you release a ping down, you will lean this 'Library' is bottomless. If you slip off a disk or a staircase, you will fall forever through the empty sky."
"Eh? I-I’ll keep falling? Forever?"
The view that you have leisurely enjoyed all this while suddenly seems frightening. As a Nosferatu, you will not die, but falling forever is almost no different from as death.
"And the Library, because of its peculiar nature, is often chosen as a battlefield."
"…I-If anyone aside from flying types pushed off the disks will die, it’s true that hardly anyone will want to come…yep, let's stay away from the edge."
You decide to stay as far away from the outer edge of the disk as possible. Removing your boots and socks, you roll up your pants and dip into the fountain. The clear water, only reaching your ankles, feel very refreshing, and it seems to melt away the accumulated fatigue from this Labyrinth search.
"Nnn, it feels so good! Will it be cooler if we go closer to the fountain?"
You murmur as you look at the membrane of flowing water spouting from the disk center. You can play with the water, but don't get me wet, or I'll use memory tampering on you to the point of murdering you socially, you know?
"Oyy~, what about you, Arteria? Aren't you tired of walking around Labyrinth too?"
"Muu…so it appears you are fine. "
You flail your arms, calling out to Arteria, who answers somewhat unhappily.
"Eh, what do you mean, fine?"
"…It is fine for you as half man, half vampire, but a vampire cannot wade through flowing water. This prime of I aside, as of now, I might drown immediately if I descend upon flowing water."
"Ah…I see, vampires really have a lot of troublesome weaknesses, huh?
"Hmph, I am a High Daylight Walker. Even though we do have blood ties and immortality, I still remain a monster far different from you, the kin…go play in the water alone then."
"…Arteria…"
Despite the evening sun shining upon her, the face of High Daylight Walker seems a little forlorn. You cause a ripple, wade through the clear water, and walk over to Arteria.
"…You idiot. You're my True Ancestor, so can’t you just order me to ‘bring you over’? You can’t walk through flowing water, so can’t you just have this kin carry you? "
"You? W-Whoa? H-Hey, what are you doing?"
You put your hands around the waist of her crimson dress and lift the High Daylight Walker up in your arms. You then gently lower her body onto the stepping stones in the fountain.
"Hiii, flowing water!! You, do not ever let go of me here!"
"Ahaha, aren’t you too scared? There’s nothing to be scared about flowing water."
You say so while catching her flailing arms, and she, quivering due to her fear of water, latches her fingertips onto your fingers.
"…See, you're fine, aren't you?"
"F-Funyu…ugh, this is the despicable thing about you! You hold this hand of I without permission, wh-what shall you do if I drown?"
"How are you going to drown on a stepping stone? See, why don't you sit down and put your feet on it?"
"…T-Take the ‘storage book’ out…I do not wish to get this dress wet. Allow I to change."
"Yes, yes, as you wish, True Ancestor."
As Arteria murmur coldly, you smile and place the ‘storage book’ on the limestone stepping stone where she stands.
"…Li-Listen now. Close your eyes while keeping the cache-cœur dress, no? Do not open your eyes until I say it is fine, understood?"
"Yep, the clothes in the hood of my robe, right?"
Saying that, you close your eyes, and the hand holding yours leave you. Bop! You can hear the crimson dress, devoid of its physical support, sucked into the 'book’.
You spread the dress with your free hands, ready for the bat (Arteria) to fly in. Bop! Another sound can be heard, and the feeling of the fabric is removed from your fingertips.
"Hmm, Arteria, are you transformed back?"
You slowly open your eyes—only to see that Arteria is nowhere around.
"…Eh?"
Thud! You heard something slam hard into the fountain beside you.
And the stream beneath your feet turns a bright blood red.
"…A-Arteria? O-Oy, where are you…?"
You look back at the source of the noise, the fountain in the center of the disk, and over there,
"!"
You see that behind the veil of blood, a vampire has both hands pierced by granite spears.
"A-Arteria!"
"Stay away from I!"
"Ugh!?"
You withdraw your outstretched hand from deep within the water, and a stone spear whisks by before your fingertips. The stone pillars rising from the floor intertwined to form a sturdy stone lattice encasing the vampire.
"Arteria! What’s with this cage, Arteria!!"
"Vampire—"
"!? Who is it?"
As soon as you turn around to look at the source of this voice, the flying stone spears pin your legs onto the floor. Enduring the pain arising from your femur, you barely force your both eyes open...
"Unable to cross the flowing water. Thus, the fountain of the ‘Sky Garden Library’ remain the sturdiest prison to cage a vampire.
You spot a golden demon with a grey grimoire in her hand.
"Wha…E-Erika!!? What’s going on here!?"
You howl at Erika as she slowly ascends the stairs.
"You said you’ll continue to carry on Father's legacy…but is this what Kai Okutsuki's disciples do!? Why did you ambush us by surprise?"
"…I have no choice but to do this in order to tell you the truth."
"Truth? I’d like to meet the person who can chat nonchalantly after getting speared in the legs!"
"I wish that you’ll notice why I aimed at your legs. If I really intended to kill you from the start, I would have pierced both hands like that True Ancestor to stop you from pulling out the grimoire."
"You think you can pierce someone's leg if you don't intend to kill them?"
You feel your blood boil with anger. Having cleared the misunderstanding that she’s your Father’s enemy, you assumed that she’s no longer a murderer, and that you’ll be able to build a bond as comrades. …
"…But you betray me. Are we going to be murderer and vampire again…! Enough, Arteria, destroy the base of the fountain! That should eliminate the curtain of water!"
"It's useless. The True Ancestor’s arm strength now is about the same as that of a young girl, same as her appearance. As long as she’s far from the source of blood knowledge, she'll be nothing more than a helpless monster, incapable of using 'Silver Night' or instantaneous chanting."
"What…what did you do to Arteria?"
"…Okutsuki-San, you haven't been told anything, have you?"
"! You're the one who didn't tell me anything. Why are you doing this?"
"—The True Ancestor's memory only lasts three minutes and twenty-six seconds."
"Huh?"
Erika's words seemingly interrupt your interrogation, and you gasp in disbelief.
(…A-Arteria's memory only lasts three minutes and twenty-six seconds?)
"Wh-What are you talking about, you…!"
"The spell of oblivion etched upon the True Ancestor resets her memory every three minutes and twenty-six seconds. That same curse is affecting you become you received a transfusion of immortal blood."
"Reset her memory…"
Your rage towards Erika gradually dissipates into inner turmoil.
The ‘Curse of Oblivion’ robs the victim of its memories. Such is the prison binding your thoughts, one unique only to you, and supposedly unrelated to the High Daylight Walker.
How could Arteria's memory last only three minutes and twenty-six seconds—
You have never heard of this before.
"…T-That’s a lie! There’s no way you could have known such important information when we just met two days ago!"
"…Unfortunately, I’m not lying. If you doubt me, I have proof. I can read it to you if you like."
Completely ignoring your bewilderment, Erika pulls out a stack of papers from the grimoire in her hand. You reach over your right shoulder, thinking it’s an offensive ‘book’.
"May 7, year 643 of the Labyrinth. ‘Strategy draft to defeat the Demon King Arteria’, by Kai Okutsuki."
But the dozens of sheets of paper are nothing more than a report.
"!!?"
"‘Symptoms associated with vampirism: Observations and countermeasures’, written by Kai Okutsuki. ‘Herbal Clinical Trials for Mutation (Altered Shock) Alleviation’, written by Kai Okutsuki. ‘Historical Records of Martyrs seemingly caused by the Demon King Arteria’, written by Kai Okutsuki. ‘Nosferatu Sealing Experiment with Timed Oblivion Spells’, written by Kai Okutsuki. ‘Fourth Simulation of Costs of Battle to Defeat the Vampire’, written by Kai Okutsuki. ‘Second Report of Vampire De-vampirization Experiment’, written by Kai Okutsuki."
"Wh…what!? 'Written by Kai Okutsuki'…!?"
As you ask with a trembling voice, Erika stops flipping the pages and replies in a cold voice.
"All of these documents were found by me in Teacher Okutsuki's Atelier."
It was Kai Okutsuki, Doctor Magna of the ‘Apothecary’, who wrote the documents.
"…That’s, a lie!"
"I'm going to state this very clearly. You aren’t a vampire, and you still have a chance of becoming human again, and you don’t need ‘a book to store your memories’."
No, surely her words must be false. All the facts Erika denied are the most fundamental information given to drive your actions.
If everything was a lie, your 306 pages would all be lies.
"Your reaction just now convinced me…Okutsuki-san. You were fooled by the True Ancestor."
"…I’m not…! I definitely won’t!!"
Instead of replying, Erika closes the grimoire in her hand and puts it back into the crack of the shoulder mail. She probably is trying to state that she has no intention to continue hurting you.
"Okutsuki-san, are you sure you aren’t misunderstanding something?"
Her ultramarine eyes filled with pity, Erika continues. Her voice sounds too gentle for someone who intends to kill you—and you feel that there is a fatal mistake happening soon.
"For example, if a vampire bites you, you become a vampire, and if you become a vampire, you can’t become human again. Or that you’re doomed if you don't find the book to ‘save your memories’."
"!?"
"Did you have such misconceptions?"
"W-What, nonsense…!"
The words Erika say are simply incomprehensible nonsense.
Everything she is saying defies the information you know. It should be Erika who misunderstood, not you…
"—Misled by the dying High Daylight Walker over there."
The only thing that remains decisively correct is that Arteria is the source of the information.
"I'm going to state this very clearly. You aren’t a vampire, and you still have a chance of becoming human again, and you don’t need ‘a book to store your memories’."
"…No, that’s a lie…!"
"Again, I’m not lying. Have you ever read Bram Stoker’s book? It's an old document with some obsolete ideas, but it really is an imperative vampire countermeasures book that’s extremely useful against the ‘Venerable Immortal King (High Daylight Walker)’ over there."
"! Bram Stoker, the excavator of the vampire story that chronicles the exploits of Lord Van Helsing…"
"Yes. There has been an increasing number of low level vampires (Lesser Bloods), and vampires capable of ‘vampirizing any bloodsucking victim’, but they are different in nature from the High Daylight Walker’."
"!? You mean that I can’t be vampirzed even if the High Daylight Walker sucks my blood…!?"
Erika affirms your statement and continues her lecture on the ‘Orthodox Classic Vampire (High Daylight Walker)’.
"Those who have mixed blood with a vampire will mutate into a state known as 'bloodsucker’s sacrifice'. While their skins are scorched by sacramental bred’, they can still function as human lives, and merely be fatigued by exposure to sunlight instead of death. Basically, like Mina Harker in Stoker's story, or you now."
"…So you're saying I'm not a vampire yet, but a 'bloodsucker’s sacrifice'?"
"Yes. The moment a human becomes a vampire is the true moment of anatomical death. Humans are the living, and the vampires are the dead. For a human being (living) to become a vampire (dead), there must be a rite of passage called death."
"…No, that doesn't explain my regenerative powers! I was tortured so badly by you! I can’t be living like this if I’m still human!"
It pains you to say this, but this truly doesn’t make sense. You would be long dead if you’re merely a ‘bloodsucker’s sacrifice’ given that you were ‘tortured to death’.
"That’s why you’re ‘dying’. Not ‘already dead’, but in the progressive verb form—You’re not ‘dead’, but ‘dying’."
"Not a static verb…but a progressive verb…?"
"In other words, your humanity rate is slowly dropping. It dropped to 70% after your battle against me, and the vampire nature fills up 30%. You’re slowing dying (becoming a vampire)."
"Slowly, dying(vampire)…"
Erika’s words seem a little difficult to understand, but this is what she means,
1. You are a human on the verge of dying, slowly dying.
2. The process of death is called a 'bloodsucker's sacrifice'. Once this is over, you are truly dead (a vampire).
"…Typically, vampirification usually progresses when there is blood loss. If you are involved in a fight and injured, the remaining 70% humanity you have may continue to be reduced. This is why I had to restrain you to begin with."
"…Then, what do you mean that ‘I have a chance to become human again’…!"
"Yes, even as a bloodsucker’s sacrifice, you are a living person (human), albeit a bloodsucker's sacrifice. You can revert to being a normal human being again as long as the vampire elements in your blood are removed."
It’s hard to believe at first, but if this is true, that’s fortunate for you. You have assumed that you’re dead, a monster unable to return to the light of day again, but you were still human.
(…Is she saying that… I can still be human again?)
"How about it? Has that True Ancestor that’s dying over there told you anything about this?"
"!! That's …!"
There was a gaze affected by these words—Arteria is biting her lips in silence.
"…Y-You…I-I…!
"…How could she have told you? You’re a loyal slave to the True Ancestor, and emergency food. A True Ancestor would never do such a foolish thing as giving knowledge to livestock."
"…Those words make sense. But I don’t think Arteria’s lying to me. After all, Arteria saved me! Even if what you say is true, the fact remains that Arteria saved me!!"
"Are you going to believe the High Daylight Walker?…I know the Japanese value loyalty as a virtue, but until decades ago, the True Ancestor has been a monster that terrorizing mankind for five centuries."
"No! She, Arteria, she’s my…!"
"I’m not wrong. The 'Silver Night' of Library Labyrinth, the Talent Eater Arteria is—
The demon king who killed over 100,000 people."
"!!?"
The demon. King. Who killed. Over 100,000 people.
For a moment, you can’t comprehend these words.
(Arteria…killed people?)
"You called me a murderer, but the Mad King has killed more.
(The … demon king who has killed over 100,000 people, you say?)
You try very hard to understand what Erika said, so—
"That’s why the four major powers that vying for supremacy in the Library City Alexandria, the ‘Kathédra’, ‘Knights (Order)’, ‘Apothecary’, and ‘Workshop (Atrium)’ banded together under the banner of defeating the Demon Lord—and fought a war against the vampire under Kai Okutsuki's leadership."
"What…!!?"
The name ‘Kai Okutsuki’ declared to you causes your heart to be shaken to the core.
"You’re saying that Father…Kai Okutsuki was trying to defeat the Demon King (Arteria)?"
"It's true. The murders by the 'Silver Night' are so many that they can be found all over the Labyrinth's historical documents. If you count them all, the number of victims could be in the hundreds of thousands."
Erika reads your Father's manuscript and reveals the cruel truth to you.
The 'Silver Night' of the Library Labyrinth, the talent eater Arteria, was once Kai Okutsuki’s enemy.
(…So, I was protecting a magical criminal…Father’s enemy?)
"Teacher was the most instrumental person in leading the ‘Apothecary’, the four major powers against the demon king. If he survived, he probably would be respected by all of Alexandria."
(Am I supposed to be on the side that should destroy Arteria?)
"Now then, do you still believe in the demon king? Do you believe in you Father’s enemy that has deceived you—the vilest in the history of the Labyrinth, the vampire, the talent eater Arteria?"
(Was I…Was I, really deceived by Arteria?)
"…Arteria, is what she said…true…?"
"…I-I…!!!"
"It's useless. More than a decade ago, the monster was sealed in a cage of oblivion in the guilds war against the vampire involving the main forces of ‘Kathédra’, ‘Order’, ‘Apothecary’ and ‘Atrium’. She suffers from the memory binding spell of the most outstanding Doctor Magna of the ‘Apothecary’—Kai Okutsuki."
Yes. If Erika's words are true, Arteria's memory would last only three minutes and 26 seconds.
Even if you asked her the truth, she won’t be able to answer.
"The demon king was supposedly destroyed. The price being thousands of skilled explorers."
"…But she wasn’t destroyed…because a ‘memory preservation book’ exists in the Labyrinth."
"Yes. The demon king who lost all the power she once had and becomes as weak as a girl was killed over and over again by monsters, traps, grimoires, and the prison of oblivion—yet against Teacher's expectations, she obtained the ‘book’."
You never actually witnessed it personally, but the True Ancestor’s (Arteria) hell keeps flashing in your mind. She, reduced to the status of a little girl, she continued to search for the "book", relying on her only remaining immortality.
Killed and forgotten and revived, killed and forgotten and revived—only the revenge against humanity forms the pillar of support for her heart.
"And that 'book' is the key to correcting your third misconception. Okutsuki-san, you’re looking for a ‘memory preservation book’ because your memory will disappear in eight hours, right?"
"…Yeah. My memory only lasts for eight hours and one thousand pages…"
"You definitely need the ‘book’. Regarding the Curse of Oblivion which the vampire infected her kin with, it appears the information to break it is strangely flawed, as though it’s removed later on. But there’s no need for you to search the Labyrinth for the 'book'."
Erika lifts her right arm and points her slender finger towards Arteria.
"Because, you see, the Demon king there has it—
Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth."
— ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’.
It is the origin of this ‘Last Prayer’, the original copy of the ‘memory preservation book’.
The High Daylight Walker, sealed into a cage of oblivion by the magic of Doctor Magna, crawled through the darkness of the Labyrinth, dyed in rage and hatred, and after endless deaths and revivals, she obtained this—a rank A Grimoire.
"The memory of the Demon King disappears every three minutes and 26 seconds. You simply need to remove the original and keep the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ for three minutes and 26 seconds. That can destroy the demon king, and you’ll have the ‘memory preservation book’.
This really is the perfect solution to save both humanity and yourself.
(…Arteria’s memory is cursed. Just as I lose all my memories if I stay away from the ‘book ‘for eight hours…)
Arteria will forget everything if she stays away from the book for three minutes and 26 seconds.
(She’ll forget about the Vampire Tale’, forget about me, and also forget about who she is…)
And she shall be forever imprisoned in the cage of oblivion.
"…The demon king is truly the strongest monster capable of threatening the existence of the human race. She must be killed."
(I may still be human…in that case, the demon king Arteria would be an enemy of mine, a human.)
You can feel an ache in your left chest.
"And… you don't have much memory left, do you? Even if you do spend all your remaining time (pages) searching the Labyrinth, there’s no guarantee that you’ll find the 'book', no?"
Within your heart, which can’t feel pain with a knife stab—
(…Erika's right. I only have 209 pages of memory left.
"Even the Class A grimoire, the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’, can be yours."
For every word Erika says, you can feel a sharp pain, wailing violently.
(…A Class A original should be more than enough to cure my psychological trauma.)
"Now, kill the demon king."
Just when you’re about to make the right decision—
(If I abandon Arteria…all my problems will be solved.)
"The talent eater Arteria, the High Daylight Walker, can only live by stealing."
(Then, it’s fine if I kill Arteria, right?)
Another ache.
You imagine yourself killing Arteria, the sight of forgetting her.
"…I’m sorry, Arteria."
You clench your fists tightly and murmur.
"…!"
Arteria's body jolts when she hears your voice.
The strongest vampire of the Labyrinth gives a resolved smile in her tear-filled crimson eyes and says,
"Th-This is fine…I knew this ending would come anyway."
The smile of deceit seems to be cloaked in penitence, sorrow, regret, and utmost foolhardiness.
"…After all, A vampire am I. A magic criminal who killed hundreds of thousands…no, furthermore, I have deceived you until now…"
Trembling with fear of death, Arteria still tries hard to hide her tears.
"…I am sorry for lying to you."
As you see the crimson eyes close, with tears sliding down her cheeks—
"—Please forgive me for being the worst, for momentarily thinking about killing you just to save myself."
You grip hard at the stone spears stabbed into your thighs with enough strength to shatter them.
"Wha…!?"
"Y-You …?"
(…Now I understand. Why does it hurt so much to think of killing Arteria?)
"My bad, but I can't kill her. I’m not ready for that."
You pull out the hexagonal granite pillar with all your might.
"Ah… what are you doing!? If your femoral arteries bleeds out, that’ll endanger the remaining 70% of your humanity! "
"Yes, you still have a chance to become human! And I have deceived you till now!"
"I don't care. How can I remain silent while my savior (you) remains crucified and my legs still pierced?"
Snap. The spear tip stuck into the fountain base breaks off.
"O-Okutsuki-san, didn’t you hear what I said? The demon king there is Teacher Okutsuki’s enemy! She’s the biggest magical criminal in history who has killed over 100,000 people!"
"Even so, she’s my savior. If Arteria hadn't saved me, I would have become one of those abandoned corpses at the bottom of that dank Labyrinth!"
(I want to protect Arteria, and I don't want to forget Arteria—)
"Arteria reached out to me. Whether it’s in the dormitory, the classroom, the balcony, the Library Labyrinth, she was always by my side! She’s my savior!!"
(—It's definitely because I'm beginning to like Arteria.)
You pull the spear out from your thighs, and the wounds instantly regenerate, with a large amount of blood smoke hissing away.
"…The True Ancestor Arteria may use to be evil. If it weren't for the True Ancestor, maybe nobody would have died in the war against the vampire, and I wouldn’t be killed."
"I-If you know that, then why are you doing this…why are you disobeying Teacher Okutsuki's will?"
"Even then!"
You throw aside the bloodied spear and refute Erika head on.
"Even then, Father won’t kill of an enemy just to solve all problems. The Doctor Magna Kai Okutsuki was a human who believed in and tried to save even his enemies!"
Yes. Your Father never gave up trying to offer salvation and forgiveness to any sinner. People called him ‘Doctor Magna’ not because of his brilliant magic, not because of his profound knowledge, but because he kept trying to show people the right way.
"The ‘definition of gratitude’ Father taught me is definitely not to kill my savior who’s once evil! If Arteria once sinned and has strayed away—I’ll bring her back to daylight, even if it costs me my life!"
"Why don't you understand? You're just being used by the demon king! She's just taking advantage of your naiveté and lack of resolve to use you as a shield!"
"Is this ‘resolve’ you speak of just to lock your savior in a prison of 3 and a half minutes and be free alone? No! I don’t want that! Even if I can forget everything after eight hours, I'm sure I'd kill myself if I can’t endure those eight hours!"
"…Okutsuki-san, you…!"
"Yeah! You're right, I don’t have this ‘resolve’ at all. I don’t have a resolve to kill anyone in my life…but!"
You reach for the shoulder, pull out a 'book' and pencil, and scream.
"—I resolved to never let anyone die!!"
Yes, that's what you swore. On October 16th, five years ago, you made a vow to your powerless self after witnessing your injured Father right beside you.
You swore to yourself that you would become the one who could save others—the Doctor Magna
"Come on, Erika Austral, if you're going to kill her—"
You etch the following oath in your memory.
"I will save Arteria." —1ℓ
"I’ll protect Arteria even if it costs me all my memories!!"
"…I too am resolved to do so. I’m willing to fight to stop you."
Erika shoves the documents into the ‘storage book’, pulls out a grimoire, and readies herself for chanting.
"Surrender, Okutsuki-san! Or I'll stab you through your limbs just to stop you!!"
Vroom! The grimoire roars. Lots of refined Mana glow faintly around the Magitzkveins flowing within her body. The magic’s coming at this rate!
('Book', lend me strength! What memories do I need to write to protect Arteria!?)
Due to the water at your feet, both you and Arteria’s movements will be hindered. Please write an experience in shallow water combat while keeping your distance. Combine that with improved evasive maneuvers, and avoid bleeding!
(Understood! — ‘I am trained to fight in running water’ ─ 80 pgs.)
"I’m not letting Teacher Okutsuki's son…I’m not letting you be handed over to the demon king! I’m taking the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ and save you from the cage of oblivion! Execute, Stone Serpent Fang!"
The moment the lead pencil finishes the sentence, the water around Erika splatter, and countless stone spears are shot out. She, having pretended to have kept her grimoire, has already deftly loaded a continuous spell without you noticing!"
"I don't want to solve things like that! I was saved by Arteria! If she’s guilty, I’ll atone for it with her!"
On the water surface, you dodge the hail of spears gliding through the sky with fluid movements. The memories that flow into your brain have improved your ability to fight in a watery field.
"!…Are you are seriously trying to win against me! The blood loss from your legs earlier should have reduced your humanity by at least ten percent! You’ll trigger Altered Shock and die, you know!?"
"Altered Shock! Arteria, what is Altered Shock!?"
"Eh…ah…stop, stop it, you! If you lose any more blood, your vampirization shall accelerate! This will trigger autoimmune allergies that will kill your spirit (heart)!"
"Ah yeah…when I lost blood just now, you mentioned something about Altered Shock!"
As a bloodsucker's sacrifice, you are essentially a being that continues to die slowly. However, when you bleed heavily due to trauma and various reasons, your missing humanity shall be replaced by vampirism. At this moment, the allergy the body has towards the incoming vampirism is Altered Shock, the onset of which is synonymous with madness and death.
"If you get it, then just give up! On, number two!
"! A Multichant!?"
Erika's chant shakes the atmosphere, alerting you to the second spell.
A vampire's immortality is strong against amputation and bruising, but weak against attacks where foreign object penetrates the body, like stakes. Even a single blow will reduce your mobility and ensure your defeat.
(If I take a fatal blow, I’ll go crazy and die. Even if I avoid the vitals from getting hurt, I’ll lose my edge if I slow down…! I can only dodge with all I can until I get the opportunity to counter!)
Intending to focus on evading, you stuff the ‘book’ into your shoulder mail, and posture yourself.
Then, in an attempt to speed up, you step firmly onto the water bed.
"If you’re going to try and dodge—I’ll stop you!!"
You see the water flow around Erika crack away, creek and it freezes.
"What!?"
You instinctively jump up from the water, and the large water columns rising up immediately freeze in place. The 30-meter displacement area between you and Erika instantly freezes.
"Th-The water, froze!?"
"You dodged!? You’re not getting away though!!"
"Ugh, I’ll dodge!"
The magical theory knowledge written into your memory cause you to evade instinctively. Then, the glacier beneath Erika's feet shoots reaches towards the body of water where you are about to land.
You twist your entire body, letting Nosferatu's physical capabilities take over, and try to kick off the frozen surface. The ice however instantly melts back into water, and with a crack, it tangles around your ankles.
"Freeze!"
"Gahh!! M-My leg!?"
Your right leg is trapped by the refrozen water current, and you crouch down, having lost your balance.
"Got you! You can't escape the vines of icy water binding you now!"
(I-Impossible! There’s no way to freeze or melt such a large amount of water with no chant or ‘book’ or ‘subvein’!!)
"'Damnit, I’ll just smash the ice…I can’t!?"
You try to force your way out, but the glaciers stubbornly bind you. You have lost your blood and humanity, and now that you are inching closer to being a vampire, you should be able to smash through the ice wall easily...
(…No, this isn’t right! My magical theory knowledge written in my memory says this isn’t frozen water, but …!)
"—Petrified water!!?"
"This is the ‘Cursed Blood Ability’ (Badblood)! The ‘demon blood’ that flows through my body can selectively petrify any liquid that contains even a drop of blood!"
"! The A blood petrification using the Badblood!?"
"Seizing the terrain advantage is a fundamental in war tactics! Now, let's go!"
"Ugh, ‘Origami paper’! Become a wall!"
Seeing Erika's grimoire shine, you hastily throw out the ‘Origami paper’. A bag of dirt instantly open itself to form a wall and take the rain of stone spears.
"I already know that defense! O primordial spirit that lies within the depths of the earth!"
(!!! This chant is the ‘Ancient King's Warhammer’! Is she going to crush me against the wall!?)
This is a critical situation. Even though you have the ‘Last Prayer’, there is a several-fold difference in magical combat ability between you, who can’t lose any more blood due to Altered Shock, and Erika, who is at her full strength.
Your opponent has dual veins and is a strong opponent who may have mastered vampire countermeasures from you Father's manuscripts. Furthermore, she knows your strategy from yesterday's battle, and a strategy that relies on surprise no longer works.
In order to protect Arteria, you require a ‘power’ that surpasses Erika's magic.
"Hear the earth tremor!"
(‘Power’, you say!? Where am I supposed to get the power to defeat her magic?)
The only thing you have over Erika is this ‘Last Prayer’ and your love for Arteria. There has only been one memory that brings you ‘power’ to begin with.
"By thinking of Arteria, you can surpass your physical limits and become stronger." — 1ℓ
(Wait, I thought you can’t do that!? You said you can only tamper with my memories, and that those you can’t change has to be changed physically or something!?)
No, only you can.
For you were once saved by the 'Silver Night' of the Library Labyrinth, the talent eater Arteria.
"Strike steel with hammer, shatter rock with gravel…"
Please recall. You are neither human nor vampire, you are a ‘halfpire’.
You possess the immortality and blood perception of a non-human, but also life and blood of a non-vampire. You are a ‘half-vampire, half-human’, neither belonging to the day nor night, just like the twilight.
"Hand of the old blacksmith!"
Your thoughts for Arteria drive your body just beyond its physical limits. It is a slight difference however, unable to overturn the several-fold difference in fighting strength and defeat Erika.
However, your Blood perception can be multiplied—by sucking away your own improvement.
"Execute!"
Now then, Sōshi Okutsuki-san.
Suck your blood.
"Ancient King's Warhammer!!"
(Blood—sucking!!)
The moment Erika completes her chant, the water surface before you explode.
The rocks that arise cause water spouts as they surge forth rapidly, about to annihilate your bones—
Swoosh.
The moment your canine teeth tear through your left arm skin, everything else seem to have stopped still.
(…It, stopped? )
Sounds disappear from the world. Your entire field of vision became dark as night, and the cold sweat running down your back feel like icy grains of lead pressing upon your skin.
(What is, this…? Are these dying lights!? Everything in this world…feels so slow!)
No, you are getting faster.
The Ancient King's Warhammer, a middle-level spell of matter formation, is approaching. Please hit the center of the rock as hard as you can to destroy Erika's magic. Now, hurry!
"…Haaaaah!"
You feel alone, left behind in this decelerating world as you move at your original speed. You swing a powerful fist out, smashing the protruding solid rock pulse like a sugar candy.
"Wha…?"
In this delayed world, Erika slowly makes a startled expression.
(Is this…some near-death experience? Did the bleeding just now cause an Altered Shock!?)
Certainly everything has to be explained correctly, lest this cause some foolish misunderstanding like yours to arise.
As you may have forgotten, you are a kin of the Labyrinth's most powerful vampire, the ‘talent eater’.
You are still 60% human, and are by far the inferior vampire, but you still possess the same nature and ability level as Arteria.
The ability of the target whose blood is sucked—or to be precise, the ability to multiply the difference in power between oneself and the target.
(…Eh?…Do you mean this decelerated world is your—)
It is our ability. The power of the ‘book' (Me)'s power can’t physically tamper, and only improve your physical abilities by a small fraction, a few tens of thousandths…
(… If I can use my blood memories to just improve these abilities slightly …!)
Ultimately, you can amplify your abilities by at least ten times or so. This is called a synergy effect.
"Memory tampering, and self-sucking…so this is the ‘power’ given to me!!"
You exert all your strength, and cracks slowly appear on the frozen water surface.
‘Selective blood petrification’. Those that inherit the bloodline of the stone demon—the ‘Badblood’, are powerful, even natural enemies against a vampire.
But with regards to this cursed bloodline, it applies for you as well. As a half-vampire, half-human, a halfpire, you inherit the blood perception of the talent eater, and have powerful trump cards that even the True Ancestor does not have.
The ability acquisition through memory tampering, and—
The ‘power’ to amplify your abilities exponentially by sucking your own blood.
"Y-You destroyed the Ancient King's Warhammer without a chant…! Okutsuki-San! Have you transformed into a vampire and become capable of using the same chantless magic as the Demon King!?"
"…This isn’t magic. I just believe in Arteria!"
The moment you utter your feelings for Arteria, your thought speed accelerates even faster. The strength of your determination to believe in that vampire transcends your physical limits, granting you ‘power’!
You exert all your strength into your legs and stomp the water bed. Thomp! A violent shock shakes the disk, and you shatter the ice block, running towards Erika.
"Ku! No, stay away…!"
In the center of your decelerating vision, Erika slowly cries out as she imbues Mana into the continuous spell. The grimoire responding to the caster’s will, forming a torrential downpour of stone spears.
(I’ll protect Arteria!!!)
But before you, who have transcended physical limits, the rain of spears is practically still. You snatch one floating stone spear floating.
(It’s hard to evade this barrage…so I’ll just smash through them with this stone spear!)
You raise your right arm and swing it hard at a space next to Erika. The stone spear you release cause a shockwave that blows away the hail of spears, hitting the barrier and shattering it with a single blow.
"!? K-Kyaaa…!?"
(And then…I’ll jump into this open wind tunnel!!!)
Your physical ability has increased more than tenfold, and so you can immediately cover a distance of fewer than 20 meters within a single leap. In an instant, you have closed the gap and land next to Erika, grabbing her arm.
Then, with the gentle strength of pulling a friend by the hand, you pulled her body toward you.
"Stop it already, Erika!"
Sploosh! With a huge splash, Erika's body sinks into the water.
"Pwahh! Ack! Ack!"
Erika, who’s momentarily knocked into the water, coughs out water in confusion. You, certain of your victory, helped her up so she wouldn't drown."
"Cough, haa, haa…O-Okutsuki-san, please come to your senses…!"
"You already know I'm sane. If I am brainwashed by Arteria and need to be stopped even if it kills me, you would be chanting the ‘Petrifying Stone fang’ instead of the Ancient King's Warhammer."
Yes, Erika has been chanting the ‘Ancient King's Warhammer’ that only attacks using the stone disk, instead of the ‘All Petrifying Poison Fang’ which is a trump card against vampires.
Even if your physical abilities are enhanced to their limits, the poisonous black stakes petrify on contact, and are impossible to defend against without the use of your Father's talisman.
"You didn't really give go all out, and that’s why you lost easily…doesn’t that mean that you’re also somewhat hesitant about killing Arteria?"
'T-That's, but…Kya!"
Erika turns her face aside, but you violently pull it back, trying to coax her.
"Then don't kill. If we only try to solve the problem by killing, we become 'evil' no different from the ‘scenario writer’…I’m sure Father definitely doesn’t want that."
"E-Even so, it’s true that Teacher Okutsuki and the demon king were once enemies!"
"I know, but I want to believe in Arteria for saving me."
With that, you let go of Erika, and slowly turn towards the center of the water fountain.
You look at the High Daylight Walker, crucified at the base of the fountain.
"…Arteria."
"!…Y-You! Do not come near…!"
The vampire's voice comes through the shimmering curtain of water, stopping you from approaching. She may be feeling guilty for not telling you about her past.
"Don't be stupid, you're badly injured. You probably can’t even regenerate your body without sucking my blood and absorbing my natural healing powers…don’t worry about the past. Even if what Erika said is true, the demon king (you) who killed a decade ago is different from the True Ancestor (you) who saved me."
"…This natural healing is not the issue. The Curse of Oblivion that personally binds I shall reset ‘this existence called Arteria’ every three minutes and twenty-six seconds. The wounds I have received, the blood I have spilled, and the sins of a demon king (I) unbeknownst to a True Ancestor (I), they will all be forgotten."
The High Daylight Walker, bound by the stone block tentacles, slowly looks up. Through an intermittent veil of crystal clear water, your eyes meet the crimson red eyes.
"…Arteria, you…"
"…I do not wish to know. I fear the past. With the Curse of Oblivion cast upon me by the Doctor Magna as an excuse, I continued to flee from my own sins."
Arteria gently looks back at you, seemingly fending off her fears. The shimmering red eyes have a glint of resolve, ready to seek her past.
"And this is the moment, the one where I shall face my own past. The memories of the demon king (I), which the True Ancestor (I) does not know, are recorded in this ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’."
—Thump, a familiar sound.
The High Daylight Walker Arteria has presented you with ‘her own memories’.
A ‘book’ floats by itself through transcendent magic, rejecting gravity.
The leather cover of the grimoire, dyed an elegant deep purple and ornamented with inlaid jewellery, has its name inscribed with beautiful letters written in pressurized silver foil.
It is the ‘book that solves memory loss’ you seek, and the ‘past of the True Ancestor Arteria’, and may possibly contain ‘the truth of five years ago’.
"So, please, I wish of you to read this 'book'."
The ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ emerges from the shadows of the High Daylight Walker.
"The original ‘Book of Preserved Memories’!"
"…You. Since you are willing to believe I, I too shall believe in you. Even if in this past I do not know of, cursed by the spell of Kai Okutsuki, and that I am an enemy of mankind who must be destroyed."
Floating in mid-air, as if responding to its owner's will, the ‘Vampire Tales’ glides quietly through the void and stops before you.
"I shall believe that you will grant this Arteria a just judgement."
She has granted the memories recorded in that ‘book’ to be read by you, who believe in her.
"…Yeah, I understand."
You mutter quietly, realising Arteria's thoughts.
The High Daylight Walker was once cursed by the Doctor Magna and trapped in a cage of three minutes and twenty-six seconds of oblivion. Half the life of the strongest vampire, who experienced countless memory loss, is recorded in this book.
The ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ is Arteria's very personality.
(…This is the original source of the 'memory preservation book', which contains the entire past of the True Ancestor Arteria's past. If its function is the same as the ‘Last Prayer’…I’ll use the memory tampering of this grimoire to learn of Arteria’s life until this point.)
Yes. If this ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’ is basically Sōshi Okutsuki's very existence—
So the A-rank original, the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’, represents Arteria’s very existence.
The wish for you to read it is out of utmost trust, and you too wish to reply this trust.
"…Arteria. I believe in you."
You take a step into the cold clear water, and walk up to the floating 'book'.
"So tell me."
The grimoire dubbed as the original shows a more intense mana glow in response to your call.
"Tell me of what you’ve forgotten, the High Daylight Walker's past."
And so you gently extend a finger to the 'Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth'.
"I can't permit you to read that ‘book."
Zam.
A bright, burning hot spear cuts in.
"…Eh?"
It is a spear of flame, clothed in an enormous amount of heat.
This mass of raging fire contains tremendous magical power. The flame spear pierces through the petrified water bedrock like a butter, transforming its surroundings into lava as it sinks—before exploding into flames.
"Wha…gaaaahh!"
A moment later, a flash of light bursts into view.
A shockwave sends you flying, and the furious acceleration rattles your semi-circular canals—causing you to crash heavily toward something hard.
"Kyaaaahhh!!"
"Gaahhh!? Ack!?"
Every bone in your body is shattered by this intense shock.
Without realising what has happened, you barely open your eyes that are seared by light and heat.
Your retinas are regenerating due to your immortality, and they spot Erika slammed into a bookshelf by the blast. Her legs, which are instantly burnt red, hint at the massive amount of heat that had momentarily struck your and Erika's bodies and clothes.
"Ugh…! Wh-What is this…magic!!? Arteria!!?"
Realizing that something fatal is imminent, you instinctively think of Arteria. That thought accelerates your thoughts, enhancing your immortality and regenerating your body.
"Arteria, are you okay!!? Arteria!!?"
Arteria!
You look beyond the flame walls burning the Library, looking for the True Ancestor.
As if interrupting your gaze, a red lotus shadow fall danced down.
'!!? An enemy!!?"
"Reloading (recharge), number one (Carolina)."
Boom! A vortex of flames form, protecting the caster from the fall impact by using the pressure of the explosion.
The body covered completely in pitch-black robe resembles the black robe you spotted when you first met Erika. The face is hidden by a large hood however, and the swirl of flames surrounding that body is intensely intimidating—
"Execute, Flaming Lance of Intense Pain."
Such a formidable foe that you instantly understood the difference in strength.
"…M-Multi-loaded (recharger) spells!!?"
The raging fire coalesces and forms the same crimson spear that attacked you earlier.
The assailant who suddenly appeared has distilled the essential chants for spells down to mere three phrases. That tremendous proficiency and magic usage efficiency proves how extraordinary this enemy is.
"W-Who are you…!?"
"'Burn."
The moment a small whisper rattles your eardrums; the black-clothed mage raises the flaming spear. Such mobility of the enemy is too strong for you to perceive at this moment, and clearly, a sub vein is used for body strengthening.
"!! Erika’s in danger!!!'
You kick the bookshelf away and put yourself between the flaming spear and Erika. Though it’s not a direct hit, the tip of the flaming spear scorches your right arm with radiant heat.
"Grr, ah, my arm!!?"
"…Vein on, number two(Polypore), God’s Daughter, Empress, o great goddess with three faces."
(And this one has dual veins too!)
You desperately struggle in the water that’s now heated, but a second chant descends from above me. You no longer understand what is happening. A flaming spear flies in just when you’re about to read the ‘Vampire Tales’, and you’re almost killed by an assailant with overwhelming power.
(What is this amazing magic!?!? Sub veins for body strengthening, dual veins for multicharge magic!? And why is such a mage suddenly attacking us?)
"O-Okutsuki-san…! This mage is the scenario writer’s assassin who attacked me…!"
"Wh-what do you say?"
Erika ekes these words in pain, and your accelerated thoughts realise the truth.
This level is where your father's Atelier sleeps, and has been watched by the scenario writer the entire time. The scenario writer's assassin who attacked Erika must have been aware of your presence, as you were nearby during that attack.
And so the scenario writer seized advantage of the chaos of the battle to…
(Was the plan—to eliminate all those trying to find the truth from five years ago together here!?)
Perhaps to erase both you and Erika's existences from the world.
"!! Erika, get up! If this is the scenario writer's assassin, we’ll have to retreat for now and get ready..."
"Polypore, execute. Wildfire of Ending Winter."
Just as you’re about to pick Erika up, a chant echoes from behind you. You turned to look back, and intense heat and light, reminiscent of the sun, rain upon the right half of your body.
"Hiii…"
You can’t see what that is. A reddish-copper light saturates your vision.
"—Gaaaaah!"
With the intense pressure of the explosion, the half of your body exposed to the light, has been carbonised and shattered.
You slam against the bookshelf again and gasp in shock. But the right half of your right lung has been charred, and your exhaled breath leaks out through the shattered rib cage along with ashes.
"Uu, guh, grr…!'
Luckily, your left eye avoids the light, and it catches sight of the enemy behind the flames burning the Library. With a spear of flame in the right hand, the assailant intends to deal the final blow to you while approaching over the molten bedrock.
(This, is bad …! If it’s a scenario writer's assassin, we’ll definitely be killed!)
You put your hand into the shoulder mail that is yet to be burned, and press the ‘Express Envelopes’ addressed to the ‘scenario writer's assassin’ into the wax seal, which has been melted by the flaming heat.
"D-Don't you come any closer!"
"It's useless!"
No sooner has the ‘flying envelope’ been opened than a flaming spear is swung down, burning the page to a crisp. The ‘Origami paper’ that’s placed inside the envelope flutters down before the assailant.
"O-Origami paper, become a water bag!"
The enormous amount of heat emitted by the flaming spear instantly boils the water in the leather bag.
As third-year students of the ‘Apothecary’ would know, the volume ratio between water at 100 degrees Celsius is more than 1700 times greater than that of water vapour. With nowhere else to go, the water vapour can cause a leather bag to burst immediately.
(—Let’s trigger a steam explosion.)
A fierce blast of air occurs, and that will overload the mage's logic wall!
"Take that!!"
Giiiiiinnn!! The white smoke exploded with interfering noises, and the wind pressure from the blast extinguishes the flames.
The momentarily generated shockwave interferes with the enemy's logic wall, creating a complex magic array.
(Bullseyes!! With such a large shock, the Magitzkveins will have a reverse load …!)
"I told you it’s useless."
"!!?"
But the pressure, weakened by a defensive spell, gently caresses the enemy like a breeze, and merely lifts the black hood.
Amidst the rising white steam, the black hood gently hits the assailant’s shoulder—
"Given that you’re unable to use magic, you’re unable to defeat a mere pawn like this Calmia."
Calmia’s silhouette appears terrifyingly while being illuminated by the flaming spear.
"…Huh?"
"Well, should I say it's nice to meet you, Sōshi Okutsuki.'
Distorting her amethyst purple eyes into a cruel smile, Calmia gives a mocking smile. The voice is clear as a bell, yet there is clear contempt and disgust imbued in it.
She has the exact facial appearance and speaking tone of that friendly Calmia's,
Yet you feel that you’re in the presence of a horrifying monster.
"Ca-Calmia? Why are you, here…!?"
"Calmia'?…kfft, kuhahaha!!! As to be expected of an inferior species, haven't you noticed yet? Don't tell me you still don’t know what’s going on!? Hah, what a masterpiece you are!"
Calmia—or whoever appears to be Calmia, laughs madly and continues to speak. You feel a primordial fear from her voice, and instinctively pin your back against the bookshelf.
"Remember, who was the first person to greet you when you arrived in Library City Alexandria? Who was the first to visit your dorm room? Who stopped you from sucking the blood memories of that demi-human? Who waited for you to descend into the Labyrinth and interrupted your conversation—now who can that be?"
"!!!?"
With a smile so intoxicated in malicious ecstasy, or entranced by evil pleasures, that thing bares a destructive smile, saying,
"Mere son of the Doctor Magna Kai Okutsuki, haven’t you thought of that? If you visit Library City Alexandria, would your Father's enemy try to make contact with you?"
This person declares herself connected to the scenario writer of this story.
"Calmia…Calmia Loadtokson! Are you…!"
"Unfortunately, that's a pseudonym. This body is merely an intelligence terminal we've prepared. Allow me to introduce myself once again, Doctor Magna's orphaned child."
"Alias? An intelligence terminal? What the hell are you talking about?"
"Stop yapping, mongrel. Show more respect when a noble pure blood is talking to an inferior demi-human like you. Show your respect, you half-human, half-demon, inferior to dog shit?"
"Pure blood, …Calmia, aren't you supposed to be a demi-human of the cat tribe!?"
"The body certainly is! But if there are books that can ‘falsify your memories’, it’s not shocking to have books ‘that can falsify other people's memories, no?"
"Falsify…d-did you tamper with Calmia's memories!"
It answers your question with a maniacally malicious smirk.
"Yes, they have been rewritten—by us, the ‘Kathédra’."
The first of the four great powers, Kathédra, has been falsifying Calmia's memories and having her keep tabs on you.
"…Yo-You’re doing such things…!"
"Kukuku, memory tampering is a wonderful power, isn't it? Even less intelligent mongrels can be used as pawns (resource) for our Kathédra, like this individual."
"Why…why is Kathédra after me? What is your purpose?"
"Why? What a foolish question, mongrel. Of course, the role of 'Kathédra' is supposed to be monitoring and correction. "
"Monitoring? Correction? Did you falsify Calmia's memory for that purpose!?"
"What an insolent way to put it. The ways of the wise is to plant spies within the cadres of other organizations, and play the game of secrecy and intrigue with counter-intelligence. Our manner of using brains is different from you inferior species."
The insane eyes continue to speak with a sneering glee.
"It appears that you, lacking in brains, seem to use memory tampering only for 'skill acquisition', which is far from the essence of the power of memory tampering. The concept of memory tampering is the ability to implant false memories in others, fabricate personalities and control behaviour. It's ‘the omnipotence of the scenario writer’, the power to write one’s life."
"…You bastard…! So you’ve been hiding in other people's memories, doing your evil deeds!"
"What’s evil? Demi-humans like you are merely inferior, pets to us purebloods. We merely educated and disciplined through memory tampering."
"Shut up! I’m not listening to I don't want to hear your voice anymore!"
"Good grief, I merely implanted a timed memory that says ‘terminate anyone associated with Kai Okutsuki'. Truly you are the son of Kai Okutsuki, full of a sense of justice no more valuable than the carcass of an amoeba."
"You bastard! Not only are you insulting Calmia's personality, but Father as well!?"
"Now why would I insult him!? From ‘Kathédra’s point of view, this is the greatest compliment to be offered. The Doctor Magna Kai Okutsuki was a pawn that even ‘Kathédra’ couldn't handle."
"Again!!? Father’s not a pawn in Kathédra's plans!"
"No, a pawn he was. Your father was a brilliant mage, very popular, a saintly man with a strong sense of justice that can’t be bribed with money or prestige, no?"
"W-What… are you talking about!?"
"No, well, do you not understand? A righteous man like Kai Okutsuki is nothing but an evil to be eliminated by ‘Kathédra’, do you?"
"!!"
"So we simply have all the unnecessary pieces leave the board (game)."
Pffthahaha, and the vilest laugh is directed at you.
"…Did you kill him? Did the 'Kathédra' murder my Father?"
"Of course not~, the 'Kathédra' only monitors and corrects. It isn’t us who killed your Father."
"!! What are you talking about!?"
"It's true. Kathédra has always been monitoring. Until you left Library City Alexandria five years ago, or Erika Austral after she was kicked out of Kathédra, and even the moment the Doctor Magna Kai Okutsuki died."
"Shut up! I won't be fooled by the ramblings of a racist!"
"Of course not~! You just don't want to know, do you? You aren’t seeking the truth! You came back to Alexandria only to deny the despair of your past! The ‘book’ you're really looking for is merely that book to ‘falsify your memories’!"
The echoing voice gradually increases in insane, ballooning like a curse, and finally becomes an exclamation.
'"—You just want to deny the past! You were wandering in the Library Labyrinth only to deny your past sins! To not remember the truth of five years ago! To conveniently rewrite your own despair, and make yourself feel 'It's not my fault my father died'!"
"!! No! I came back to Library City Alexandria to get the truth!"
"No, you're not! You're just pretending not to know! The intelligent you inherit the blood of the Doctor Magna, so you logically determined the true identity of the scenario writer! You're pretending that you can't solve such a simple elimination question, that you forgot everything! You’re just running from the truth!"
"Wh-What are you saying!? Isn’t it you, ‘Kathédra’, who’s the scenario writer that murdered Father?"
'"Kuhahaha!! Still trying to escape again now, huh!!? Then think about it! Five years ago, your father was hunting the demon king! And now Kai Okutsuki is dead and only the demon king lives! You don't even need to think about what happened to him!"
"…Shut up, you bastard!"
'"Yes, you deny it! You wander the Library Labyrinth only to deny the despair of the past! To keep the cruel truth away and drown in gentle fiction! Your pathetic self deserves the pity and salvation of ‘Kathédra’!"
"No! I, I’m here for the truth of five years ago…!"
"Therefore, I shall tell you! On that day five years ago, on that day in the Atelier, the person who killed your father was—""
—The High Daylight Walker.
With a swoosh, a page flutters down.
The piece of paper (page) appears from the hem of Calmia's black robe, and slides across the ice floor as though it’s been premediated, coming to a still.
The one sentence spelled out on the torn page from the ‘book’—or to be precise, the black ink that covers most of the page, captivates your eyes with some kind of fateful attraction.
You unconsciously scan your eyes over the old parchment—
"This is for you. A condolence gift from ‘Kathédra’."
Between the wildly drawn black lines, you find this sentence.
■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
─"Arteria stabbed through Kai Okutsuki's chest, killing him."
[■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
"…You thought it was a ‘lie’, didn't you? You thought ‘Kathédra’ had fabricated evidence to deceive you. But Sōshi Okutsuki, this page was indeed ripped from the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’."
Shut up, you thought.
"You misunderstand the power of memory tampering. It's not just the power to give you experiences and skills. It is the omnipotence of the ‘scenario writer’, to imprint false memories, distort personality, and even control behaviour and emotions."
The words spoken by 'Kathédra' unnerve you, reverberate in halted thought, with a gunky reverberation.
You didn't know anything, you don’t want to know anything, yet the enemy continues to blabber on.
"And the ability to tamper memories isn’t simply a privilege to you. You and this demi-human aren’t the only ones with tampered memories."
Thus, you shout in your heart "shut up" in your mind. The stinging voice then stops,
"Because all this while, before the war against the vampire, ‘Kathédra’ has been…ugh!?"'
The High Daylight Walker's arm pierces Calmia's body.
──The 'Kathédra' has a secret pact with this demon king Arteria after all.
The small, slender palm that had pierced Calmia's chest slowly reels back.
"Ku, hahaha. Even the life of this individual was remains a mere pawn of the 'Kathédra'…gaahhh!!"
"Thank you for your cooperation. Every drop of your blood shall be food to this demon king and 'Kathédra'."
The mortally wounded Calmia loses all strength supporting her body, and collapses onto the frozen surface.
"…Ar, te, ria?"
"Good grief, how foolish you are. Do you still not understand?"
The High Daylight Walker appears from behind Calmia, licking the blood from her fingertips clean and grabs the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ that floats atop the icy bedrock.
Arteria's slender fingers flicks through the pages of the 'book'…
And then she comes to the decisive page.
"The reason why I have tampered my memory and continued to deceive you... "
In this ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ opened by her, there reads, in unmistakably large letters,
"For it is written here—‘I am the scenario writer who killed Kai Okutsuki’."
It clearly states the truth you have been seeking for five years.
You feel dizzy.
"…Have you been deceiving me?"
"Kukuku, hihi, ahahahaha! Why would I recall at this moment?"
This dizziness causes you to feel as though your entire world has been turned upside down.
"The words you said when you saved me, the magic you infused into this talisman."
"Kuhihihihihihihihihihi how maddening it is! Hihihi was it I who killed!? Of all people, I!!"
Perhaps it would feel much better if everything was a hallucination, if you were delirious from a triggered Altered Shock.
"Are you saying that all the tears and smiles you showed me were…a lie?"
"Kuhi, kuhihi. No other choice now. There is only one ending at this point."
You continue to ask Arteria with a pleading voice.
"…An-Answer me, High Daylight Walker!!"
But the answer is cruel.
"Die, Sōshi Okutsuki. I shall devour your life and have your offering for my dominion."
Something has broken.
"…ah."
Something irreplaceable that existed between you and Arteria.
"Kuu…!"
With a sound, it crumbles.
"Wooaahhhh!"
You bawl loudly and kick the bookshelf. You then pull out ‘Last Prayer’ from your shoulder mail and rush towards Arteria, screaming.
You feel that you have to stop her before your memories with Arteria can be tarnished, before she becomes the enemy of humanity, even if it means sacrificing the rest of your humanity.
"I’ll stop you…I’ll stop you personally before you dirty your own hands."
But when you tried to grab Arteria—
" ■■■—Execute, Xathrid's Shadow Spear."
A trail of black spears immediately appears from this executed spell, a black line of spears and blocks you.
"Grrr, ahhh!"
Shadowy spear resembling thin black bands pierce through your entire body, sewing you in mid-air. The super-dense spell language (Hi-Enchant), impossible even for human beings to perceive, weave shadow spears in an instant.
(I-Instant chanting…Hi-Enchant…!?)
"Kufufu, how foolish you are? How do you intend to stop the most powerful vampire of the Labyrinth, the 'Silver Night' of Library Labyrinth, this demon king Arteria?"
A shadow rises from Arteria's body, pcking up the ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages. Now that this 'book' (Me) has been taken from you, there is no longer any way for you to resist.
"…I believed in you, you know? Your tears, your smile, your words, I believed everything! And yet…you trample on everything, your traitor!"
"Puhahaha! Tears? Smile? These words of I? Have you not noticed yet?"
Arteria's face twists in amusement, screeching in utter joy,
"That ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’ is almost entirely my own creation☆"
Now then, this story shall approach its climax.
"Kuhyahyahya! Now then, even I have forgotten how many pages I have written!"
Have you ever wondered?
Have you ever thought about how the ‘book’ (Me) is merely a novel, a figment of your imagination (fiction), written by someone else?
"There is no way that a demon king will ever cry before her kin! This part shall become a lie (fiction)!"
If you haven't thought about it, won't you think of it now?
"Or perhaps you are reading a 'book' now. The real you may be in bed at ‘Apothecary’, reading a book filled with lies!"
How much of this is real, and how much is fiction?
"Or perhaps you are in Japan, reading the stories your Father brought back with him. What now? Perhaps if you look away from this ‘book, maybe there will be a happy life awaiting you, no?"
A page ago? A hundred lines ago? Or has it all been a lie from the beginning of this story?
"Too bad, Sōshi Okutsuki, but I am the enemy of Kai Okutsuki's avenger who have deceived you for so long…but rest assured. You shall no longer be tormented for eternity."
Arteria gives a maniacal, benevolent smile of extreme tenderness.
"This demon king Arteria, shall burn everything down. ■■■■■──"
The 'Silver Night' of the Library Labyrinth casts a great spell instantly with Hi-Enchant.
And then, within this ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’,
"Farewell, Sō~shi."
She utters her parting words to you.
Mysterious words that the reader (you) definitely can’t recognize continue on over two pages.
After reading the story up to this point, you awoke from this fiction.
"—Haa!! Haah, haa, haaa!!"
The bright morning sun of early summer stimulates your wide-open pupils. The hustle and bustle of the city that saturates the surroundings is mixed with the palpitations of your heart, seemingly echoing in your brain.
"Hah, hah, hah …!"
The devastation that should have been before you just moments ago has vanished without a trace.
The burning rubble has been replaced by a pre-noon terrace café, the smell of flames and blood transformed into the aroma of tea, and the intense pain that had meandered through your body melts away comfortably in the cool breeze.
You lean back in your chair and look around…and see a bustling square with marble sculptures and fountains before you.
"…Alexandria's, central street?"
For a good minute, you look around the street. As it turned out, you’re in a café of in the central street of Library City Alexandria, a park area called ‘Hero’s Square’.
"…Phew!!!! What now? So it’s a story in the ‘book…!? "
The tension eases at once, and you sink your body into the back of the chair.
Through common sense, you’ve determined that a human being hit by the spell of a demon king will die. It appears you aren’t dead yet, so that means the tragedy you have just experienced was a novel.
"…Phew, that was some crazy plot twist. Never thought the High Daylight Walker would be the enemy of the Father that the protagonist has been seeking for five years…"
You toss aside the replica titled ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’— ‘A book that’s written with oneself as the protagonist of a story’, onto the walnut table and sip your tea that’s beginning to cool.
It seems some time has passed since you started reading this novel. Beyond the parasol atop the terrace seats, the crowd passing through the central street has grown more clustered than before.
The morning of the Victory Festival commemorating the Vampire War dazzles brightly in the brilliant sunlight.
"…Hmmm, well I'm eager to continue reading the ‘book’, but I guess it’s about time to meet up."
You finish the remaining tea, stuffs the ‘book’ into your robe pocket, and get up. While you’re curious to see how the novel ends, you can't be reading forever.
"For you are a fifteen-year-old boy attending the ‘Apothecary’, living with the Doctor Magna Kai Okutsuki, who saved humanity at least a decade ago, along you’re your stepsister who was adopted six years ago. "
"And to celebrate humanity’s victory in the Vampire War, you have promised to go shopping with your friends to help with whatever preparations the ‘Apothecary’ require."
"—S-Stepbrother Sōshi!"
"Ah, Erika, over here!"
You turn around upon hearing the voice, and see your ‘stepsister’ sprinting towards you down the main street.
"Huff, huff…go-good morning, stepbrother!"
"Ahaha, good morning Erika. You don’t have to be panic so much. "
Your stepsister (Erika), scampering over like a little animal, exhales in relief as she arrives at your side.
The bangs over her eyelashes leave a childish impression, and her ultramarine eyes looks up at you happily with a cute, sweet smile. These elements are the complete opposite of the Erika in your fantasy novel (fiction) world.
"S-Stepbrother, did Erika make you wait too long?"
"Well, it wasn’t time yet. I was reading the ‘book’ after all."
"…Is-Is it another of those ‘self-insert stories’ again…"
"Are you also … that 'book' (Me) who can enter into the story again?
You reveal the cover of the ‘book’, and Erika timidly pinches your robe. It seems this somewhat brocon stepsister is worried about her stepbrother's (you) infatuation with the 'book' (Me).
"Oh yeah. The new book is called 'If High Daylight Walker is revived in modern times’. Somehow Father was killed by the evil demon king, and I lost my magic and memory."
"Hii…! S-Stepfather is killed…!? Erika hate scary ‘books’! S-Stepbrother, you meanie…!"
"Pfft, you're too easily scared! It's just a story in a fiction."
"…How is Erika…how is that Erika in that ‘book…?"
"After Father was killed, I had to leave Library City Alexandria. Because of that, Erika and I never met, and we became strangers."
"Strang, ers…? N-Noo!"
"Wait, wooahh!? No! Erika!"
The moment you say that you’re both strangers, your little stepsister (Erika) shrieks and leaps into your clutches. Her body, pressing gently upon your chest, is trembling in fear.
"S-Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you that much…"
"Erika doesn’t want to be separated from stepbrother, Erika doesn't want to be alone anymore…! Erika wants to be with stepbrother, even in the 'book'!"
"Erika…I’m sorry, it's fine."
You gently caress the hair strands between the two horns as you calmed your stepsister down.
Erika lost her home six years ago, and was evicted from ‘Kathédra’. If your Father had died five years ago, she probably would have had to overcome the despair of losing her family and her place in the world all by herself. For a sensitive and fragile girl, that truly would be overly cruel, and would have even twisted her personality.
The stepsister (Erika) might have felt so uneasy just from imagining that despair.
"Don't worry…the thing about Father being killed is only fiction."
You pull Erika close and embrace her in a hug. All to protect your precious stepsister from the trauma of her past wounds.
"I will always be with you, Erika. I’ll become Doctor Magna like Father, and I’ll be strong enough to protect you and everyone else…it'll be fine."
"Mugyu…ehehe♪ Stepbrother, you’re so sweet……♪"
Erika smiles happily in your arms. You smile back at her and gently stroke her golden frizzy hair.
"Wapfft!...Fuehehe, wapfft♪, wapff♫ Stepbrother, if you want to care for Erika more, y-you may give Erika a kissy kissy, you know?"
"Woah, hey, don’t flirt around here."
"Muuu, brother and sister can kiss on the cheek…"
Erika giggles happily and tries to brush her lips against your cheek—
"…What are you doing on this crowded street in broad daylight, So-kun, Eriii!?"
"Waarggh?"
The voice of your childhood friend (Calmia) echoing from behind interrupts this sweet atmosphere.
"C-Calmia!?"
"Good morning~ So-kun! …So, what were you were going to do to my little sister…?"
Calmia walks up to you, arms folded, giving you a vicious smile.
Her amethyst purple eyes are reminiscent of the dawn sky. Her dark brown hair is neatly trimmed at her shoulders. The undaunted smile reminiscent of a cat's belongs to your bad friend and Erika's older sister, Calmia.
But the cat ears that so strongly asserted themselves on her head in the fiction novel have vanished, and she is now a pure human, completely uninvolved in the intrigues of ‘Kathédra’.
"No-nope! Erika isn’t trying to run away…well, Stepbrother just read a very scary ‘book’, so Erika wanted to comfort Stepbrother…!"
"Not again! It's obvious that So-kun’s been having lewd thoughts since morning! What are you two planning to do in broad daylight on such this busy central street?"
"N-No no no, I wasn't thinking about that! We were just chatting about the ‘book’!"
"Hmmm? Then what kind of lewd ‘book’ are you reading? Some ‘book’ about making out with this super duper cute Calmia-sama~?"
"S-Sister, that's not a weird dream, that’s a perverted dream!"
Erika’s cheeks are flushed red from shame as she tugs at the hem of Calmia's robe. Although they are half-sisters of the same mother, the personalities of the younger and older sisters are quite contrasting.
"No, it's not such a lewd ‘book’! Well, Calmia does have cat ears and a tail and purrs like the cat tribe and all…"
"Cat ears!? Seriously, are you really fantasizing about me!? Ahh, I’m charging you a fee for using me in your fantasises! I-I did wear cat ears as a disguise before though…ugh, that's so embarrassing!"
While she had planned to tease the relationship between you and Erika, now that topic has been directed at her, Calmia flails her hands while cheeks turned vermillion.
"Ah…speaking of which, it seemed you really wore cat ears before Father conquered ‘Kathédra’."
"…Y-Yeah. That was a tough time. Eri had horns growing from her head, and mother was torn to pieces for adultery, and then even Eri was almost executed…"
Six years ago, Calmia risked her life to save her sister from being executed by ‘Kathédra’. She remained in ‘Kathédra’ thereafter in order to delay the pursuit after her sister, desperately covering the trails. Finally, though, her deception was blown, and she was detained in place of her sister.
"I managed to get Eri out of ‘Kathédra’, but then I got locked up. If Teacher Okutsuki and So-kun hadn't come along, I really don't know where I'd be right now.
"…Sorry, sister. It is Erika’s fault for endangering you…"
"It’s fine it’s fine! Now we’re all in ‘Apothecary’ now, and Teacher has been very kind to us, and…eh, you know, if it hadn't been for that incident, I wouldn't have met So-kun."
Calmia stares at you bashfully with a small blush on her cheeks, her beautiful amethyst purple eyes filled with the color of a secret infatuation.
"…You know, So-kun. I'm still grateful for the help you gave me, you know? If So-kun and Teacher had not been there five years ago, ‘Kathédra’s crimes wouldn’t be exposed, and we sisters could never have lived in peace."
"…Calmia…"
As soon as Calmia blurts out these words, the memories of the last five years come flooding back to your brain.
You remember how while your Father was distracting the main battle mage forces (wizards) of Kathédra, he ordered you to head deep into enemy territory to save Calmia, who was imprisoned in the terrifying prison.
"It is thanks to So-kun that I’m alive today…So So-kun, you don’t have to fight alone like before, okay? I’ll become Doctor Magna so that I can return the favor to you. I won't let you take on this weight alone, So-kun."
Still smiling bashfully, Calmia earnestly swears to you.
Because of her safe rescue, you were able to extract testimonies about the ‘Kathédra’s conspiracy, which ultimately led to your Father’s revelation of ‘Kathédra’s atrocities and subjecting them justice. The survival of Calmia is also proof that the ‘Kathédra’ conspiracy in this world has been prevented from happening.
Unlike the fantasy novel (fiction), Kathédra is no longer the root of all evil and the source of all tragedy.
"…Ah-Ahem! Let's go shopping for the Victory Festival then! Since you’re fantasizing about me, I'll have you carry stuff then, So-kun!"
"No, that wasn’t a fantasy, it’s the story in the ‘book’, you know?"
As you try to clear up the misunderstanding, a bell tolls eight o'clock in the clear sky. At the same time, the fountain sculpture in the ‘Hero's Square’ spurts out fresh water.
"Woah woah, it's already eight o'clock! Ah, lookie look So-kun, that’s Teacher Okutsuki fountain!"
"C-Calmia, don't yell Father's name, it's embarrassing. Come on, let’s go!"
"Ah, S-Stepbrother, Sister, wait!"
You take Calmia's hand and walk around the stone statues glistening with water spurts.
The realistic statues, seemingly the past petrified, are the reason for the square's name.
The long sword in his right hand and the grimoire in his left, the Doctor Magna conquered his enemies with his mighty willpower, and the long-haired vampire, defeated by his wisdom and courage, falls beneath his sword tip.
The marble pedestal supporting the lively statue was inscribed with the inscription.
"The Death of the High Daylight Walker and the Savior Hero."
◇◇◇[edit]
"Alright, we’ve bought some artichoke for apple cider, and rose incense for finger water (fingerbowl). All I need is …."
"…Sister, Stepbrother is…!"
"Fuggiii…! Calmia, the stuff is a little too heavy!"
You protest loudly at your childhood friend, unable to endure the weight that is tearing off your arms.
After nearly three hours of walking around the central street of Alexandria to prepare for the Victory Festival, the items you purchased weighed over 30 kilograms.
This bit of weight would’ve been insignificant if you used a ‘storage book’, but unfortunately, Calmia the class president is very strict about wasteful spending, so the luggage bearer (you) always suffer.
"Ca-Calmia, since I bought this 'book' with my own allowance, I can just use the ‘storage book’, right…"
"No means no! The Victory Festival is for the ‘Apothecary’, and So-kun's 'book' is bought by So-kun, and as class president, I’m putting a line between personal and shared! A-And if we use the ‘storage book’, I can’t make So-kun carry stuff around…"
"No, if I didn’t have to carry, I would have been reading the ‘book’ in my room alone."
That's why no can do!"
"…Mmmm, Stepbrother, we can’t use the 'storage book' after all."
"Why!?"
For some inexplicable reason, both sisters forbid you from using the ‘storage book’.
You let out a small sigh and reluctantly lift the luggage and your head.
Then, among the people passing by on the street, you see a familiar face cross the street.
"? Huh, could it be…?"
"…Hm? Oh, isn't that Okutsuki?"
"Ah, what a coincidence, Okutsuki bro. Little sister Okutsuki and prez are here too."
Noticing your mutterings, your classmate, a dog-like boy, turns around in surprise. A gossipy girl walking with him also smiles at the sight of your stepsister (Erika) and her sister (Calmia).
"Are the three of you together to help out with today's Victory Festival? Or have you finally done it with either of them as stress relief after finishing your exams? "
"Fuehh!? S-So-kun, did you do anything to Eri!?"
"Auu!? S-Sister! Do-Don’t grab me, auuu!!"
"…Don’t start off with dirty jokes right off the bat. I haven’t done it with anyone."
You reply to the two bad friends of ‘Apothecary’ with dumbfounded words.
Unlike the protagonist (you) in the fantasy novel (fiction) world, in real life you have grown up in Library City Alexandria, so your relationship with these old friends have been almost a decade long.
Your relationship is close enough to not have any divide, or rather, too familiar for formalities…still, you can say that you are blessed to have them as friends.
"…Say, Okutsuki, I’m a guy who can keep a secret, you know? So which one, the older or younger sister? "
"I’m never trusting you, idiot. I'm busy preparing for the Victory Festival, you know. And anyway, you're a member of the preparation committee, so how about you help me carry stuff since you’re not busy?"
"Alright, leave it to my well-trained muscles, Okutsuki, heavvyyy!!"
"I got to say this though, I’m using sub veins to strengthen my body."
The boy who received the luggage loses half his balance. While he probably has more strength than you do, this weight is not something that can be moved without magic.
"Hmph, grrr, wooooahhhh! No-Not bad Okutsuki…! You’re using the transport spell inherited from Teacher (old man) to move stuff, enjoying your double date with the sisters…but my muscles aren’t going to lose!"
"Yes, enough competition on such a stupid thing. Share half of this with me."
The girl too activates her sub vein and take the luggage from the boy. After all this talk, it appears both are willing to assist in the preparation for the Victory Festival.
"Bro Okutsuki, we just need to move this stuff to the ballroom in the main lecture tower, right? Ah, if there’s other stuff to buy, we can go along too. We got work as part of the preparation committee anyway."
"Eh? Then why didn't you go with us this morning?"
"Ahh, that’s because a certain prez said, 'I'm going out with So-kun, so we'll go separately."
"Wah-wah-wah-wah! So-So-kun, let's go to the next store now!"
"Hey, Calmia, stop pushing me!"
Calmia pushes you on the back, seemingly interrupting this conversation, prompting you towards the guild area of the ‘Apothecary’.
Around the main lecture tower that oversee the sky in the distance, the residences of the ‘Apothecary’ affiliated guilds and allies are clustered together to form a castle town. At the guild gate, the linkage between the stone fortress and the central city, a banner celebrating the Victory Festival dangles there.
"Ohhh, look there. Looks like they’re taking down the scaffolding. Preparation for the Victory Festival seems to be at the very last phase."
"It happens every year after all. When I see those decorations, I know summer vacation has arrived."
The guild gate exceeding 50 meters in height has scaffolding made from the strong timbers of the Library Labyrinth, and the final adjustments to the Victory Festival gate decorations seem to be underway.
While moving slowly through the guild gate, which is crowded with passers-by and other transport creatures (monsters)—
"…S-S-Stepbrother, over there!"
"Eh?"
"So—Someone, stop my livestock!"
You hear a merchant's call for help, and turn around in unison along with the surrounding onlookers.
Creak creak creak! The sound of splintering wood echoes.
The eight-legged one-eyed elephant (Grīmekhala), trying to shake loose its cargo, slams its huge body against the scaffolding that’s in the midst of being dismantled, and you witness the sight of it being crushed.
(Uh oh…the scaffolding will collapse if this continues!)
Instantly, your exploration experience as a Doctor Magna candidate of the ‘Apothecary’ allows you to recognize the critical situation.
The impact that strikes the base of the wooden scaffold causes a huge ripple that bends the entire scaffold, snapping a narrower strip on the upper level. This is a sign of a massive collapse.
"E-Everyone, let’s help out!"
"Wa-watch out!"
Before you can take action, Erika darts forward and arrives next to a girl at the bottom of the scaffold.
"Errrii!?"
"Erika, Calmia, hold down the Grīmekhala with the others!"
You immediately pull out the Express Envelopes and write ‘Right Gate’ and ‘Left Gate’, tying them onto the rope you created with ‘Origami paper’ and send it to the girl.
The ‘Envelopes’ fly into the sky towards the left and right sub gates, pulling the ropes in the air, and barely holding up the scaffolding that was about to collapse toward the plaza.
"Alright, we stopped it! Erika, grab the kid and get out of there!"
"I-It’s dangerous here. Ho-Hold onto this big sister here!!"
"…Erika, above you!"
Erika tries to help the girl who has fallen due to the weird noise. You see that above them, her up. But just above her, you see a toolbox sliding down from a tilted scaffold, and the scattering heavy tools are about to fall.
"Damn it, gotta get there!"
You quickly pull out the ‘storage book’, open a page, and throw it towards the rain of tools. The falling chunks of iron are sucked into the 'book ‘and disappear without harming Erika.
"Woah! S-Stepbrother. Thank you, very much!!"
"Erika, hurry up and get inside my barrier!"
"Guh…! Okutsuki, sorry, the restraints won't hold anymore!"
You run towards Erika and get her into the range of your logic wall, but your classmate's voice ring behind you. The Grīmekhala, having escaped the binding spell of Calmia and the others, leans its head toward you.
"! Hold on, Erika! And pull out a ‘writing paper’ from my shoulder mail!"
"Y-Yes!"
You imbue magic into the sub vein for body strengthening, carrying your stepsister and the girl.
Then, you put your fingers on the grimoire that Erika has pulled out, and begin chanting the spell.
"—Magitzkveins, on!"
"Okutsuki, it’s headed towards!"
"So-kun!"
"O’ the pillar of the sky, foundation of the country, the goddess of storms who guards the Dragon Field!"
At the same time as your classmate's short cry, the Grīmekhala completely shakes off its restraints and begins to charge forward on its eight legs. You stare intently at the body charging towards you, and imbue Mana into the Magitzkveins.
"The atmospheric gods, hear these summons, bind the blades of the wind with invisible arms."
A moment later, the sharp ivory with overwhelming momentum is about to seize your flesh—
"Now to thee I offer this pious prayer,"
"Stepbrother, now!"
"By the grace of the divine storm!"
With a thud, you stomp onto the ground and leap into the air with three people’s weight upon you.
"Execute!"
You aim at the onrushing, raging beast while in mid-air.
"──Bladedge Storm Spear!!"
You unleash an enormous amount of magical power and shoot through the monster with the storm spear.
Vroom! A tremendous gust of wind blows through the plaza.
The storm's chains, charged with magical power, form a vortex that lifts the giant body, restraining it one meter in the air above ground. Furthermore, the precise use of magic connects the joints together, holding up the scaffolding through wind pressure.
"Alright! Everyone, I’ve caught the monster! If anyone’s hurt, please cast healing spells for them!"
You lower Erika and the girl to the ground, calling out to the surrounding crowd.
The passers-by, who had panicked due to the near-catastrophic collapse, exchange looks, only to realize that not a single person’s injured…before applauding in unison.
"…Eh? Th-That’s weird? Is there anyone who needs healing spells …?"
"Okutsuki, looks like you've done well, huh?"
A male student says as he pats you on the shoulder, and at the same time, cheers ruptures around you.
"We-Well done, young man. As to be expected of an ‘Apothecary’ student!" "Hey, let's go hold up the scaffold!"
"Okutsuki, wait, so he’s the hero’s…!" "The son of the Doctor Magna who destroyed the Demon King! This is big news. I’m going to boast to the whole guild that I was saved by the son of the hero!"
"…Big brother, big sister. Thank you for saving my life!"
The girl who was hugged by Erika says so, and bows her head, before spotting someone in the crowd and scampering away.
"…Phew. Well done, So-kun, Eri!"
"S-Sister! E-Everyone looking here…woahwoahwoah!?"
Erika starts to panic due to the relief and shame she feels, and falls flat on her bottom. Warm giggles can be heard around her, and she lowers her head, with even her ears reddened.
"A-Auu…Stepbrother, hide me, hide me!"
"Woah, don't hide behind my back. See, you did something worthy of praise."
You hold your Stepsister’s hand and pull her up. Brrr… you hear a gust of wind in the distance, bang! followed by the sound of an explosion.
The fireworks launched by the pressure of the wind spell depict various colors in the eyes of the onlookers, signalling the arrival of the Victory festival of the Vampire War.
The cheers filling the surroundings intensify, honouring both your Father and you.
"""Hurray for the ‘Apothecary!"""
The sky above the guild gates is filled with daytime fireworks and cheers from the crowd.
◇◇◇[edit]
Peeewwwww—bang!!
The midnight fireworks announcing the culmination of the Eve blossoms with Mana in the early summer night sky.
"Wew. Looks like the eve of the festival’s going to end well today again."
You look back at the rowdy students filling the ballroom in the main lecture hall across the balcony, and rest your body against the railing behind you.
Thanks to the recent preparations, the eve of the ‘Apothecary’s Victory Festival went well. Having left the center of the ballroom, surrounded by the sound of stringed instruments leaking from the cloister and the scent of apple cider fluttering in the night breeze, you feel that all your hard work has been rewarded.
"…phew, so peaceful."
You reach your hand out to the night sky in the outermost shell, murmuring so as you savor the tranquil joy.
At this moment, surely everyone living under this sky is hearing the same fireworks as you. Like you, they love the same peace in a world where the High Daylight Walker has been destroyed, and the evil deeds of ‘Kathédra’ has been corrected. You feel truly happy, clenching your fist in the void.
"…I don’t know why, but even though the starry sky isn’t any different from usual, it feels a little kinder today."
The moon shines in the night sky, and a ring of small satellites orbit around Earth’s trajectory, looking so dazzling. The sky is seemingly divided into two worlds, between the shore here and the shore beyond.
"I wonder if it is because I read this ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’."
You murmur, and pull out the ‘Last Prayer’ from the inner pocket of your night tailcoat, leaning your elbow on the balcony railing as you quietly open the leather cover.
"…’Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’. ‘A book that’s written with oneself as the protagonist of a story’."
The story depicted on the page is a fiction that can never happen in reality.
The Doctor Magna's death, Erika's despair, Calmia's tampered memory, ‘Kathédra’s plots, your amnesia, and the High Daylight Walker's betrayal, everything’s a lie.
"…This is good, isn’t it? "
You utter quietly, seemingly letting out your resignation slowly.
The old protagonist of ‘Last Prayer’ wished to be someone who could save others. ‘I wish to be become someone who can save others, because this world is filled with tragedies’. Such a notion he has might be stronger than the you in this world.
Just as there is no resolve without hesitation, no salvation without tragedy.
Just as there is no victory without battle, no happiness without pain.
You feel it’s all a noble prayer that can only exist at the end of deep despair.
"Well, it’s all fiction anyway."
And that's why you can quietly treasure this gentle and peaceful Festival night commemorating the victory over the vampire.
"…Yep. It’s almost time for the closing ceremony. Let’s continue the book later when I return to my dorm room—woah!?"
Just as you are about to close ‘Last Prayer’, a strong gust of wind blows through the outermost shell and snatches the leather cover from your hands.
The 'book', seized by the North African night winds, bumps into the roof of the aerial corridor a few meters below, and the pages’ flutter from the book, vanishing into the night.
"Ahhh—… I haven’t read the ending yet…"
You hang your arms outstretched in the air.
The land breezes blowing toward the sea at night will surely carry ‘Last Prayer’ all the way to the Mediterranean Sea, and scatter it between the beautiful waves.
You will never ever be able to read the ending of ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’.
"…Well, that’s fine. The moment this memory tampering happened, the protagonist (I) has been doomed to die."
Your murmur of resignation blends into the night winds, and you looked back at the balcony leading to the ballroom
"…S-Step, brother?"
"Huh, Erika?"
You look towards the voice calling out to you, and find Erika who appears to have slipped out of the ballroom, with only one eye peeking out from behind a pillar in the corridor leading to the ballroom.
"What's wrong? Is the ball tiring you out?"
"Au, au, th-the ball is fun, but, Stepbrother, you weren’t around, so…"
Erika answers, and teeters up towards you, worrying about the high heels she’s still not accustomed to. She pinches the skirt of her blue night dress, and probably has something she’s worried about.
"…S-Stepbrother. E-Erika is, angry, you know?"
"Eh, why? Did I do something to make you angry…ah, looks good on you. The ultramarine dress is pretty like the wavy ocean at night, and well, Calmia curled your hair, didn't she? It’s rare to see you wear a dress with opened cleavage, but it's very classy with the mana sparkle of the talisman."
"Haauuu!? No-No, this isn’t it, this is not the issue!"
You had assumed Erika’s asking about opinion of her clothes, but she’s flushed red and flailing her arms. If it’s not about her ball dress, why’s she angry?
"That’s not it…! S-Stepbrother, you just…left without saying anything."
"Ah… sorry, so you’re looking for me."
"Y-Yes…Stepbrother, you were next to Erika just now, but it feels like you’re looking at somewhere far away…it’s like…it’s like you’re leaving Erika…"
"That’s stupid, why would I leave you? I’m your stepbrother."
"Wapff!?"
You say this and gently place a hand on Erika's head. Your little stepsister, who’s usually easily appeased, isn’t smiling, and remains anxious looking.
"…E-Even though we’re siblings…it’s because we’re siblings…siblings aren’t lovers, so we may not be able to be together forever, so…!"
Erika says in a small, trembling voice, and then tightens her grip on the sleeve of your tailcoat, before asking you with a certain determination in her deep blue eyes,
"…Stepbrother, will you stay with Erika? Can Erika always be with Stepbrother, in a place, closer than family…?"
"…Erika, are you…"
Upon seeing the sincere passion that shines in the ultramarine eyes, you detect the love hidden deep in the heart of your stepsister. You sense that she yearns for a love beyond that of siblings, beyond that of family, an eternity that is only for the two of you.
"…Eri-Erika is in love. Erika loves Stepbrother!"
"Uu…!"
Your heart aches the moment this love is professed to you.
Ever since Erika became your little stepsister six years ago, you always acted as the older brother. You have always acted not as an equal romantic partner, but as her guardian and senior.
Now, however, Erika is asking you to make a choice not as a stepsister, but as a girl. In return for her biggest love, she is asking you to give her your biggest love.
The one biggest love you can offer to a person.
"…E-Erika, I …"
Somewhere deep in your memory, a whirlwind of unspoken emotions well up within you.
You knew that feeling of ‘love’.
The same feeling that Erika has, a heart that favors someone else moreso than herself. Somewhere inside, you know of that passion to devote your life to only one special person.
(…Yes, I know. One time, I was in love …)
Your heart aches.
It’s the pain of an unspoken love. It is the curse of the lost love.
You have certainly loved someone more than yourself.
And you have a feeling that it's probably, surely, likely,
The feeling you should offer to ‘■■■■■’.
The feeling you should offer to ‘Erika’.
(…I see. I must have been attracted to Erika without realizing it)
Yes, this love probably started out as familial affection.
Not having loved anyone especially in particular, you were attracted to your stepsister without realizing so, and you came to cherish Erika because she’s closer to you than anyone else.
(…Is that, so? I don’t really like anyone else, and Erika likes me, so reciprocating Erika's feelings isn’t really betraying anyone, right?)
Somewhere deep in your chest, you feel an ache again.
You feel that some very important precious memories are being eroded by the love that melts your thoughts like syrup, but the warmth of Erika's body as she hugs you makes it all seem unimportant.
"…Step, brother."
"Erika, I…"
"…If you can't answer, you don’t, have to…"
Erika's slightly heated fingers capture your neck. The ultramarine eyes, reminiscent of the deep ocean, close in seemingly prayer.
"…Because Erika, wants to, kiss you."
Erika's faintly throbbing heartbeat echoes inseparably with yours.
And then, your lips close together, perfectly aligned as one.
"Ka, pfft."
Tinkle.
The gold chain of the crystal talisman wraps around your neck.
"Ugh, gahh!"
Suddenly deprived of the freedom to breathe, you instinctively jerked back.
However, the gold chain entwined with Erika's fingertips tightens with an intensity that seems to be imbued with magical power, entangling you like a shackle.
"Gah!? I-I can’t, breathe…!"
"St-Stepbrother!"
The tightened chain sinks into your neck, as though trying to strangle you. You reach for your neck to escape the suffocation, but are unable to tear off your Father's talisman. So you try to remove the hook at back of your neck, which should be right next to the robe's hood.
"…Eh?"
But the tip of your index finger ends up touching the knot in the taut chain.
At that moment, the gold chain, which had been so tightly entangled, fell off your fingertip.
Free from the chokehold, you gaze silently at the crystal talisman shining in your hand.
"…The talisman’s magic power…"
The crystal talisman, which was given by your Father and never left your body, should have been familiar to you.
Yet for some reason, at this particular moment, it shimmers with the brilliance of Mana, as if though to convey something.
"…A silver, glow."
It is small.
It truly is a small, very small flaw in the story.
The crystal talisman, tinged with magic, should have been a sign of parental love from your Father.
"Silvery white, like a vampire."
It was not the deep blue-purple mana of the Doctor Magna's profound knowledge.
It was shining in a pure silvery-white Mana reminiscent of the High Daylight Walker's pure love.
Suddenly.
A clear hot drop of water drips upon the crystal talisman like blood.
"…It’s different. It’s not this kind of world."
You cry.
You’re crying for ‘someone’ who has been taken from your memory, and can never be reclaimed again. You can’t even remember the reason why you’re crying, and you keep doing so.
"This isn’t it. What I’m looking for, what I swore to get back, isn’t this lie (fiction)."
Somewhere in the far reaches of the world, you heard something akin to paper starting to tear.
With the talisman clenched in your grip, a crease runs through your field of vision, bringing the written fantasy (fiction) to a catastrophic end.
"No."
You hold up the starry silver-white Mana against the blackness of the brush (ink) that erodes the world.
"The one I really loved, whom I truly loved, what I decided to believe in..."
You try to call out the scenario writer’s name of this story.
"It's 'REDACTED'."
"I do not wish for you to remember that, Sōshi."
Crack, and there is a sharp sound.
"!!?"
It is the sound of the world dying.
And so the fantasy that unfolds before your eyes is tearing apart like a piece of paper, reduced to mere scraps.
"You shall forget. You shall remain in the embrace of this eternal paradise, unable to reach the truth of five years ago. To forget everything is your true happiness."
Within the tears of the pitch-black page, the end of this fantasy spreads out to engulf the entire world.
The prearranged story (scenario) is torn...
"This world, after all, is nothing more than a collection of words."
The scenario writer's domain (backstage) is thus exposed before the reader's eyes.
That is a world of black and white.
In the extremely white world, reminiscent of the surface of a book, the jet-black ink that reads ‘scenario writer" form a vortex, and hordes of letters flow along, seemingly depicting the silhouette of the High Daylight Walker.
"Welcome to the backstage of this story (scenario) of I."
At the same time as the mocking voice echoes, countless black dots (ink) coalesced, scribbling words onto a white sheet of paper (page).
You intuitively understand.
This is the core where you’re forced to read the lie (fiction). This is the domain (note) of the scenario writer who writes this story.
"Congratulations, reader. You have broken through the fiction and arrived at the truth. How do you feel? How do you feel now that you have shattered this perfect and happy fiction forever with your own hands?"
"…Horrible. You betrayed me, tampered my memory, and made me believe that the false world constructed only with letters was real. You made such a stupid lie—a stupid fiction come true!!"
"Good grief, how ruthless you speak. Did you not feel very happy even in this a stupid fiction? For it was a fiction written by this talented eater, just as you wished."
As the collection of letters laughs mockingly, the word ‘mockery’ spreads across the white void. What you assumed was reality is simply fiction, a mere mass of letters.
"The reader (you) has longed for a past without tragedy, a future where your Father was not killed, a peaceful world without strike. I, who have sucked your blood and memories, understand this better than anyone."
The head of the vampire is covered with an unnerving huge number of ‘smile’ words.
"Hence, the scenario writer (I) wrote. I have falsified your memory, just as the reader (you) once desired."
"—Th-That’s not it!"
Feeling a rage akin to fear, you interrupt the scenario writer.
"You have lost, scenario writer! No matter what fiction you write, I will never forget the demon king! Your plot to tamper my memory and mislead me is now a piece of white paper!"
Considering the demon king's words, this is a world fabricated by the scenario writer's memory tampering, and that the scenario writer has been attacking your mind by writing false memories.
"I won’t forget…! As a son who lost his father to an assassin (you bastard), as a kin saved by True Ancestor (you bastard), as a person betrayed by a vampire (you bastard), I have to stop the demon king (That guy)!"
Yes. It is the last duty of a human person who fell in love with vampire.
If High Daylight Walker is going to fall into evil, you must fight her. To avenge your Father's death, to prevent your benefactor from turning evil, to abandon your love for the vampire—
You must finish the story of the demon king.
"I don't want this fiction! Give me back my memories, scenario writer!!"
But the scenario writer whispers quietly, seemingly lamenting your will.
"Do you not know? Even your love for ■■■■■■■ is a fiction written by a scenario writer?"
" …Ah?"
Such a devastating blow this is, that it can shatter your fighting spirit at once.
"Congratulations on detecting this fantasy, reader (Sōshi). As you pointed out, this world is fiction…but so? Did you think that I wrote a 388-page 'book' simply to deceive you? "
You assume the scenario writer is attacking the reader's (your) mind.
By writing a perfect and happy fiction, the scenario writer is trying to steal your memory.
Therefore, the scenario writer who failed to falsify your memory should have been defeated by the reader.
"The scenario writer (I) is defeated? Is it the scenario writer (I) who is attacking the protagonist (you)? What a pathetically stupid thing to say. What I am attacking, what I am trying to topple, is the fundamental principle of this world."
But what the scenario writer is attacking now isn’t the protagonist's (your) memory.
"The scenario writer’s story may be too difficult for the reader (you) to follow; I suppose? Allow me to explain so. The truth that I am trying to convey to you by writing this fiction is..."
This is not the mind of the protagonist, nor his memories, nor his existence.
"Even the memory of the original world has been tampered with."
This is a novel that attempts to destroy the memories that the reader (you) believes to be real.
"Wh,a…?"
"Have you ever heard of Kurt Gödel's Second Incompleteness Theorem? What about Self-Reference Paradoxes? What about the Infinite Regression of Munchausen's Trilemma? Kuku, surely you do not know."
"D-Don’t try to fool me! How is this tampered with? This world is supposed to be a fiction!"
"Truly. You are right, this world is fiction. I acknowledge that fact…but so? How can you prove that ‘the world you are in is not fiction’?"
"!!?"
The reader (you), questioned by the scenario writer, is unable to answer.
The reader (you) has a memory of starting with this ‘book’, and that memory’s impossible to tamper. In other words, this novel is fiction, and the reality should exist beyond the novel…yet the scenario writer tells you this recognition too is also all a tampered memory.
Now, reader (you), please remember.
When did the reader (you) start reading 'book'? Where did you start reading 'book'?
Who is the reader (you) reading the 'book'? Does the reader's (your) memory remain beyond the 'book' (Me)?
If the memory remains—
—Is it not a memory that has been tampered with by someone else?
"The scenario writer (I) has tampered with your memories. I have rewritten your memories, falsified your love for I, and implanted false memories about the world from which you came. Just as five years ago, you falsified your own memories to conceal the despair of your Father's death."
"Shut up …! I won’t be deceived by such lies; the original world exists! I believe my memories! I have to stop the demon king!"
"Do you trust your memories? Stop ■■■■■■■? If you truly wished to stop the resurrection of ■■■■■■■, why did you not try to recover the truth? You have been in a position to predict the demon king's resurrection since October 16, five years ago."
"What…?"
Cowered by the crimson eyes, you’re rendered speechless, having lost your momentum to refute.
The High Daylight Walker■■■■■■■—the scenario writer has implanted a falsified memory in your mind, asking ‘why have you forgotten about your encounter with ■■■■■■■ five years ago despite it actually happening’.
"You could have prevented it, could you not? If your memories of the original world are true, then you must have met this ■■■■■■■ on the night of the tragedy. If you have wished to stop ■■■■■■■, could you not have left her to die that night when she was attacked by the murderer?"
Yes. If the original world you remember is true, you must have met High Daylight Walker on October 16, five years ago, in the Atelier where father was killed.
You must have known about the existence of High Daylight Walker, five years ago, that she had successfully taken revenge on Kai Okutsuki for cursing her memory, and her intent to revive as the demon king.
"'Hmmm? If you wish to stop ■■■■■■■, you would not have forgotten. For if you have not lost your memory of five years ago, you could have killed the demon king."
(…I killed the demon king…? Right, if I still have my memory of five years ago, I would have known that ■■■■■■■ was Father's enemy the moment we met in the Labyrinth…!)
"If so, you would not have been infected by the curse of oblivion, and you would not have been murdered by the murderer. You could have avenged your Father's death by destroying ■■■■■■■."
The 'Silver Night' of Library Labyrinth, the talent eater ■■■■■, says so with a devastating smile.
"But you could not, for you fear the truth of five years ago. You discard your memories, relying on your trauma and flashbacks."'
"─!!"
You, who have had the dormant wounds gouged out within you, are confronted and silenced with you weakens.
If your memories of the ‘original world’ are true, then you would have had the opportunity to defeat the evil demon king and save the world. You, whose memories were stolen by the trauma, have instead saved your Father's enemy with your own life.
For you have sealed the memory of that tragic night in a cage of oblivion.
"And so what did you say? ‘I want the truth back’? Kuku, so you fear and reject the truth to the point of warping your memory to forget the truth. It is not because of the power of the ‘book’ or the curse that you lost your memory of five years ago, but because of your own weakness. "
"N-Not at all!! I-I-I’ve been seeking the truth! I'm still seeking it! I didn’t lose my memory because I ran away from the truth!"
"No. You have always wanted to ‘falsify your memory’ ever since that tragic night five years ago. You always yearned to escape from the abominable memories, to be free from the despair of the past. What you truly seek for in the Library Labyrinth is really a book that can rewrite your memories."
"…No…! Why would I…!"
"The proof is, when you obtained ‘Last Prayer’, you did not write down that you ‘regained your memory of five years ago’. If you had, you might have been able to stop this demon king, but your weakness, your fear of the truth, kept you distant from the truth."
"…, I, I…!"
(How didn’t I try to obtain a memory of five years ago when I have a book that can falsify memories…!?)
"You verbally state to seek the truth, yet you are unwilling to know it. For you are afraid. If Kai Okutsuki died because of you—it would be as if you had killed with hundreds and thousands of people with your own hands, lives you could have saved had Kai Okutsuki lived."
"S-Stop it! Shut up, I!!"
The demon king sneers viciously and proclaims,
"—Thus, you chose to flee. You have fled from the death of Kai Okutsuki, from the resurrection of the demon king, and from your own sins, into the flashback of darkness. It is you who falsified the truth of five years ago."
"What…aaaaaahhhhhhh…"
The trauma that has tormented you has been a memory tampering that you yourself wished for.
"Do you now understand? The reason why you could not stop ■■■■■■■ is your weakness. You ran away from the truth that you had to face and falsified your memory."
(…I have to stop ■■■■■■■…but are they really my memories? Isn’t it ■■■■■■■ who implanted false memories inside me? No. Is ■■■■■■■ real? Isn't that a character in this novel written up by a scenario writer…?)
"Yes, truly you can no longer trust even your own memory. You have betrayed thy own memory. You are too terrified to think ‘that your mind may be broken if you recall’, and so you distorted you own memory and flee from the truth. This doom is the wages of your wickedness, and you shall be justly judged."
The scenario writer exposes the darkness of your mind and torments you, trying to break even your last remaining beliefs by admonishing you repeatedly. She is seemingly judging the sin of memory tampering by tearing your heart out.
(… Did I commit a sin? Is it a punishable sin to wish to falsify painful memories and rewrite the despair of the past…?)
"Truly. Falsification of memory is a vice. Memory tampering to erase past despair is especially so. Therefore, you shall lose your Father’s teachings, your magic, your dreams, and even your own beliefs, the ‘book’ of the original world (memories) that are worth remembering, and continue to be imprisoned in this fiction till death."
(…Did I run away from the truth? …Didn’t I return to Library City Alexandria after five years to retrieve the truth and become Doctor Magna for that purpose?)
"If you never wanted to become a Doctor Magna, would the words that you always mutter merely be a self-suggestion? After all, if you keep proclaiming that you wish to continue your Father's legacy, you can mitigate the fear of ‘the truth that Kai Okutsuki may have died because of you’. This is nothing but shallow self-delusion."
(…Is my wish ‘to become a person who can save others’ a falsified memory? But I believe in the existence of Sōshi Okutsuki (me)…)
"If you truly believe in yourself, you should have stood your ground. You should have fought. Hopelessness, hurt, and truth are the trials you have to overcome to believe in yourself. Yet you fled. You have encased everything in a cage of oblivion and fled into amnesia."
(…Maybe I escaped. Because if I had remembered my memories from five years ago, I would have been able to stop ■■■■■■■’s resurrection…but I couldn't.)
"Truly. You wished to tamper with it. Ever since that night five years ago, you have always wished to falsify your memories, to keep the cruel truth away, to drown in a gentle fiction. Congratulations Sōshi Okutsuki, this world of nothingness (fiction) is the end of the salvation you wished for."
You remain adrift in a dizziness of surrealism, continuing to be exposed to the denunciations of the scenario writer.
The ‘scenario writer’ knows. She has sucked away your memories, knows where to pierce your heart to make it bleed based on the ‘collection of words’, and where to punch it to break it.
"Now, time to pull back the curtain on the story. If the backstage remains exposed, surely the readers will be bored out of their minds."
"U, ah, …!"
As soon as the word ‘grimoire’ seemingly coalesce in the scenario writer's hand, a "book" (Me) is formed. The virtual persona (character) prepared by ■■■■■■■, the mastermind behind everything in this world, is trying to bury the entirely flawed story by killing the protagonist along with the reader (you).
"This shall be the end of the reader's (your) prayer. This scenario writer has written a perfect and happy fiction simply to fulfill the reader's prayer. If it displeases you so, then the scenario writer (I) will gracefully put down her pen."
The scenario writer whispers a farewell, and the grimoire glows.
"This moment shall be your judgment, Sōshi Okutsuki, the reader and protagonist of scenario writer (I)."
The collection of letters called ‘scenario writer’ emanates an enormous amount of ‘magic power’ and begins its ‘chanting’.
""O’ the pillar of the sky, foundation of the country, the goddess of storms who guards the Dragon Field!"
(…A, chant…! Got to counterattack…!)
You instinctively try to pull out your grimoire, but your fingertips, extended to your right shoulder, misses completely. It is then that you realize your body has become a whirlpool of information formed by the many words ‘you’.
(I don’t have a grimoire!… No, even if there is one, I can’t use magic! Because my magic, along with my memories of five years ago!)
""The atmospheric gods, hear these summons, bind the blades of the wind with invisible arms.""
The scenario writer of this story, the master of a world devoid of trauma, continues to chant cheerfully, as if to mock you for losing your magic due to trauma.
(…I'm definitely going to be killed if this keeps up… but even that death may be a fiction. I have falsified my memory, and there’s nothing else I can believe …)
You can’t act. You can’t solidify your will. Because you have falsified your memory.
You can’t believe the truth. Because you have falsified your memory.
You can’t believe in ideals. Because you have falsified your memory.
You can’t believe in yourself. Because you have falsified your memory.
And if even your feelings for ■■■■■■■ are just a fiction, a mere novel—
Then you can’t believe in any meaning of fighting the scenario writer.
"Let the blades of the wind cut down all who oppose me!"
You can’t believe anything, and the chant finishes.
The scenario writer unleashes a spell onto the reader (you).
"Execute──Reverse Red Blades!"
With a snap.
The ‘extreme pressure difference’ created by the spell cut through your chest.
"Gah…ughh!?"
(My body, is…!)
Your body, struck by the ‘vacuum blade’, bursts open from the inside, spewing out ‘blood’. Your skin is ripped open, your ribs are broken, your exposed lungs are sliced open like ajar doors.
You collapse into a world of pure white.
"Ack…!? Haa…ahem!? Hii, Huu, huuu—!"
"Mu…not a fatal blow. Perhaps I cannot use all my power given that I am an existence constructed from your own memories. Kufufu, boring it is however to let you die immediately. You shall rot and die."
You see your fingertips being eroded by the many words of ‘death’.
You’re rapidly approaching death due to massive blood loss and breathing difficulties.
(Death…? Is the existence of Sōshi Okutsuki, all my feelings…ending?)
Shiiinnn.
The crystal talisman, severed off by the wind, rolls in the white fiction and rings away like a funeral bell.
You are dying.
With nothing to believe in, with nobody to believe in.
You will die, betrayed by memory, deceived by the High Daylight Walker, judged by the scenario writer.
For your own sin of tampering the memory of despair and trying to flee the truth.
(…Is this karma…? Is this my punishment for thinking I could falsify my memory and conveniently rewrite my own memory …?)
You realize your failure and ruin, and recall the past as your consciousness drowns in blood.
(…Maybe I was wrong. Maybe my subconscious desire to rewrite the despair of the past has robbed me of my memories, destroyed my magic, and kept me away from the truth…)
If you hadn’t lost your memory. If you hadn’t fled from the despair of the past and faced the truth, you might have been able to stop ■■■■■■■ from becoming the demon king of darkness.
You might have stopped ■■■■■■■'s dominion—and lived with her.
"■■, hyuuuuh, ■■■…!"
Amidst your mortal pain, you gasp and repent with blood-colored tears.
(…It’s my fault…If I had sought the truth, I could have stopped ■■■■■■■ before she became the demon king, and, before ■■■■■■ sinned.)
It is only now that you realize that you love ■■■■■■■.
Even in this perfect and happy world, Erika, Calmia, friends, Father, magic, dreams, everything was being meaningless without ■■■■■■■.
If a miracle can happen at this moment and bring ■■■■■■■ out of the darkness, you’ll be willing to pay whatever the price.
You wish you can be the one to save ■■■■■■■, even if the cruel truth hurts you.
And yet you’re about to die, unable to even remember ■■■■■■■.
"…■■, hyuu, ■■…ack, hyuu…"
At the end of your story (this world), the memory of the vampire, your last love, flickers like dying lights.
"I, love, you."
The fingertips, extended in trembling despair, gently caress the side of the crystal.
"…■■, ■■■."
‘Timed memory shall begin to thaw.’
Clink.
At the end of this dying thought, at the very back of a brain that’s almost silenced, the sound of gears whisper.
"…Eh?"
Instantly, with a shattering sound, Creak! Mana gushes from the talisman touching the fingertips with a crushing sound. The magic power seemingly explodes to form a silvery-white vortex that coalesces before your eyes.
The trump card in your memory, the crystal talisman with absolute protection.
The magic of the True Ancestor sealed within it seem to explode within the white void and fill the entire space, projecting a vampire onto your nearly sealed vision.
Her hair is a silver wind. Long hair, shiny like silk, spreads to cover the white skin.
Her shining eyes are jewels of blood. The twin eyes, dyed in the red of fresh blood, are as clear as polished rouge.
Fluttering upon the white backstage is the High Daylight Walker...
"…And yet you say you love me once more."
She turns back towards you with the same brilliant smile as the vampire you love so much.
The scenario writer formed of black letters, raising a grimoire with a murderous intent,
And the vampire, standing to protect her kin, appears as the white Mana.
The two ■■■■■■■ figures stand tall, each seemingly asserting on being the real one.
"…■, ■, ■■■■…?"
"I-Impossible. There is no such thing as a ‘timed memory’! For this scenario writer (I) has falsified the True Ancestor's memory! The personality and memory of the High Daylight Walker should have been erased from memory!"
"…W-Why? ■■■■■■■…betrayed me…"
You mutter dumbfoundedly while still prone on the domain let out a mutter of oblivion as you collapsed in a blank domain.
The scenario writer, faced with the vampire, shrieks in shock as though she has discovered a fatal flaw in her own story.
"The story (scenario) of the author (I) should be perfect! This Memory Tampering is the ‘scenario writer's omnipotence’, capable of implanting false memories, distort personalities, and control behavior and emotions! So why is the True Ancestor…?"
"Truly. ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ is a 'book' that falsifies the memories of others and manipulates at will by rewriting what they know. Once captured by its magical power, memories that have been tampered shall be tampered again, and those with falsified personalities shall not resist, making it a grimoire of absolute domination."
The phantom of ■■■■■■■ flickering in the pure white void looks upon you with deep red eyes, and says,
"Therefore, I have engraved in your memory. The memory to destroy the demon king’s story, within the most beloved kin of this True Ancestor (I)."
She had included the foreshadowing of ‘you’ in this story.
"…I-In, my, memory …!"
"Kuu…! High Daylight Walker, did you implant memories of the True Ancestor within Sōshi Okutsuki (protagonist)?"
"Truly. Memory tampering is the ‘omnipotence of scenario writers’, and can even create memories that are destroyed through memory tampering."
"Wh-what…■■■■■■■!!! You have been deceiving me, haven't you!?"
"No. The True Ancestor (I) bound to this timed memory, can never betray you. The one who fooled you is the personality of the demon king fabricated by ‘Kathédra’—the vampire with false memories!"
—Yes, that's right. These two ■■■■■■■ cannot be the same entity.
The demon king is a scenario writer of slaughter who tries to falsify your memories by writing a perfect and happy fiction.
And the True Ancestor is a scenario writer of a love story waiting for her redemption, believing in you even in this imperfect and tragic reality.
‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’ is not a fiction written by one scenario writer—
"…■■■■■■■. Are you, maybe…!"
"You. There are two scenario writers in this story!"
True Ancestor and Demon King, two scenario writers, are competing to write a novel with different endings.
"■■■■■■■ had her memory falsified?"
Clink.
The gold chain that trembles in your clenched fist rings out in affirmation of you.
"So the demon king (you) betrayed me because someone had imprinted a false memory?"
It is a foreshadowing set up in the story.
The vampire who betrayed you has left a talisman of absolute defense to release you from your tampered memories (fiction), causing a definite narrative contradiction.
"So the True Ancestor (you) saved me by inscribing a true memory on me, didn't she?"
What if ■■■■■■■ is a scenario writer?
What if she’s the mastermind behind this story, the one who twisted your life, wrote all the foreshadowing, and conspired to bring the return of the Demon King and his dominion over the world?
Then the crystal talisman, once gifted to you by the Doctor Magna, granted life again by the High Daylight Walker—
"—■■■■■■ believed in me all along, didn't you?"
Can’t possible give a glow of the silver-white Mana.
"…■■■■■■■. You are no demon king of darkness…!"
The dying heart, the story that was almost over, is set in motion by a burning love affair.
The True Ancestor wrote a ‘memory that breaks through the memory tampering’, and the silver-white magic gushing from the crystal talisman shall gradually awaken you from the fiction written by the demon king.
"…■■■■■■ believed in me. Even though I betrayed even my own memory…!"
You are the foreshadowing of this story.
The protagonist whose memory True Ancestor has inscribed into to defy the demon king's plan and rewrite the ending.
"Kuu…so I shall settle through force! O’ the pillar of the sky, foundation of the country!"
"…This time, I believe!"
You place the talisman on your chest and unleash your own Magitzkveins.
"The atmospheric gods, hear these summons, bind the blades of the wind with invisible arms…"
To regain the memories and magic that were once lost, to destroy this perfect and happy fiction, by overcoming your traumatic memories—to go save the True Ancestor.
"Execute──Reverse Red Blades!"
In the face of the oncoming wind blade, you draw all your magical power from the Magitzkveins, seared with the memory of despair, and imbue it into the crystal talisman.
You shout the name of the vampire you believe in.
"──Arteriaaaaaaa!!!"
Giiiiiiiiiinnn!
A high-pitched ‘interference sound’ echoed in the white darkness of the scenario writer's domain (backstage).
A logic wall resembling a mandala expands upon a page, and a one-meter radius space centering from the talisman tears through the fiction like a thin sheet of paper.
"Wha…gyaaaaaahhhh!"
Girigirigiri. The ‘scenario writer’ is torn apart with a cracking sound.
The bundle of words that form the ‘scenario writer’ and the final shackles that bind you shriek as they are sucked into the page crack.
"…Everything’s been tampered with. Both the reader (I) and the scenario writer (Arteria)."
You watch the jet black words fade away with hatred, and the silvery white of Mana, descend upon you lovingly, feeling that you’re beginning to understand everything.
Just as your love for Arteria revives your dying heartbeat.
Just as Arteria’s love for you breathes life into an almost finished story.
You will awaken from the darkness of tampered memories, bathed in the light called Arteria.
"…You may have realized the truth now. Both your memories and I have been tampered with by ‘Kathédra’."
The image of a vampire projected by magic informs you while seemingly swallowed by the collapsing world.
"…The whole story is a conspiracy hatched by a scenario writer. And you are the kin written in by the High Daylight Walker to rebel against this story, and rewrite the ending."
"…Yeah. I understand everything."
Yes, you have understood.
You are a character created by a scenario writer (Arteria), a person whose memories have been falsified by the ‘omnipotence of the scenario writer’, whose personality has been controlled, whose life has been rewritten according to the wishes of the True Ancestor—
And you are the protagonist of this story with the truth implanted in your memories to save the vampire (Arteria).
"… I won't run away anymore. Even if my memory runs out, no matter what trials await me."
In the depths of the fading ‘fiction’, the silver-white Mana is swallowed up by the end.
"Arteria, I will bring back the True Ancestor (you) from the tampered memories."
You mutter, seemingly vowing to the time-limited memory the True Ancestor engraved.
◇◇◇38 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
◇◇◇38 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
You seemingly sober from this deep memory tampering coma, and your consciousness awakens.
"───Haa!! Hah, hah, hah!"
The cantera light penetrates your wide-opened pupils. Crack crack crack…the burning lamp wick quietly blazes, its sound overlapping with the palpitations of your heart, and seem to be echoing in your mind.
The fantasy (fiction) that should have been before your eyes just moments ago has vanished without a trace.
The pure white scenario writer's domain (backstage) is replaced by a dimly lit ceiling, the ‘words’ disappear without a trace, and the magic of the True Ancestor (Arteria) that filled your whole body is instantly robbed away by the frosty air of the cold Labyrinth.
You lie on the table in the Atelier, clutching your Father's talisman.
"…Father's, Atelier…so this means I've come back to reality…!"
You release your tightly clenched palm, and see that the crystal talisman still has Mana encased within, shining clean and silver-white.
(It’s just like the fiction…the engraved memory of the True Ancestor (Arteria) protected me from the memory tampering of the demon king…)
You let the talisman's brilliance shine into your eyes, and are about to sink into deep thoughts…
"! Time for you…to wake up—!"
"—Itttccchhhyyy!?"
A sharp cry echoes while you’re pierced in the left side.
"Itttchhhy!!? It feels so itchy to have my left flank stabbed to my internal organs!"
"…Y-You’re finally back, Okutsuki-san…!"
Leaning on the Atelier chair, Erika says as she pulls out a pencil from your flank. This gesture might cause your digestive juices to ooze out, and the itch that torments you will grow more intense.
(Grrr it’s itchy…but now’s not the time to scratch the itch!)
"E-Erika! Tell me what happened after I lost consciousness…!"
"Yo-You shouldn’t be moving yet! Your body is now on the verge of Altered Shock! I’ll explain the situation to you, so please rest now!"
"Altered Shock…! I see, so the shadow spear that stabbed me caused me to lose blood, and my humanity is…!"
While being pinned back onto Atelier's round table, you recollect your memory.
You must have lost a considerable amount of blood after being pierced by the demon king's shadow spear. Thus far, your body that’s now close to that of the strongest vampire, has regenerated without any wounds…
At the same time, however, this means the humanity that keeps you sane has dropped to the danger zone of inducing Altered Shock.
"…If Altered Shock is trigged here, the three of us would have died. I’m making sure you’re resting until you regain strength as a human again, even if it means you have to be strapped down."
"We would have died…so y-you and Calmia were saved, right…?"
"…Yes. Your talisman was activated the moment the demon king tried to burn down the Library with Hi-Enchant magic. Thanks to the logic wall, we were able to survive…"
"S-Survive…Erika, that’s…!"
Sensing these ominous words, you look down—and find that Erika's legs are stiffened due to the petrified blood. She used her Badblood ability to is used to close the wounds.
"…The pain isn’t as bad as it looks. Seems like the nerves have been completely burned down to the roots. Calmia-san might be in a worse situation compared to me."
You turn to look and where Erika’s looking at…and see a completely bloodied Calmia's body lying on the office desk. She might be in a deep coma, and certainly resembled a corpse.
"…Hypothermia, skin pallor, and abnormal tachycardia, these are all signs of haemorrhagic shock. We need to get her back to the ‘Apothecary’ and get her magical treatment as soon as possible…otherwise her life will be in jeopardy." ""
"…!"
"…And, you’re dying as well. Given your blood loss and humanity level, you probably only have 30% left. My blood managed to keep you alive for now, but a few more millilitres, and Altered shock will be triggered.
"Altered Shock… that’s the mental rejection that occurs with rapid vampirization accompanied, right?"
Yes, the moment Altered Shock occurs, your psyche shall be completely destroyed, and you become a monster.
You managed to see through the demon king’s plot and escape from the fictional world…but the situation remains dire. Even though Arteria's timed memory saved all of you from the verge of death, your injuries still aren’t healed, nor did the demon king revert to becoming a True Ancestor.
It’s only at the very last moment did you crack the deadly scenario to lock you in the fantasy (fictional) world. The story itself continues to develop towards the worst possible end.
"…So everything has gone according to the demon king's plan (Arteria’s scenario), hasn't it?"
Erika mutters with resignation.
"…While you were sleeping, I was going through some of the material Teacher left behind… like, ‘the demon king from obtaining the "memory preservation book", or the time limit to prevent the genocide of mankind’."
"F-Father's posthumous manuscripts…!?"
(…Since I met the True Ancestor five years ago, I had this feeling…Father knew about the ‘Kathédra’ conspiracy (scenario) five years ago, and that's he wrote material at least a decade ago …!)
"…And according to Teacher's analysis, if the demon king is not stopped within eight to twelve hours, humanity will lose the means to fight the demon king, and will perish."
"Humanity will perish…!"
Erika chuckles sadly as she tosses old pages of parchment onto the Atelier floor.
The scattered papers read, ‘If the Demon King isn’t stopped, humanity will perish’.
"…It’s already been seven hours since the demon king flew out of the ‘Library’. If the Labyrinth creatures are vampirized and conscripted by the demon king, humanity has practically no way to resist…"
"…"
"…There is no way to stop this conspiracy (scenario). Nobody can ride the elevator to inform of the demon king's return, and there’s no way we can fight the demon king and stop her. The story is over."
…Yes. The story, Library City Alexandria, the world, everything is coming to an end.
If the demon king launches an invasion, Library City Alexandria will be destroyed in a matter of days, and turned into the capital of Nosferatu. This means that all 200 million citizens of Alexandria will join the immortal demon king's army. The African continent, the keys of the Mediterranean keys (Gibraltar), and the whole world will fall into the hands of the demon king in no time.
For the Doctor Magna who defeated the demon king more than a decade ago, is no longer alive.
The story will end. The world will be destroyed.
Arteria, whose memory has been tampered, will become the destroyer of the world.
If you don't do anything.
"…It’s not over yet."
You muttered quietly, clutching your crystal talisman.
"This story isn't over yet. It hasn't even begun, actually."
You feel strongly for the talent eater who saved you, the vampire you fell in love with.
Arteria has the persona of the demon king imprinted upon her, and is about to become the destroyer of this world.
‘Kathédra’ has falsified her memories and rewritten her personality, and she is about to fall into an evil conspiracy (scenario).
The only human who can prevent this, who can change the ending, is you alone.
"I won’t let ‘Kathédra’ do as they please with Arteria’."
Thus you must rewrite.
With the ending that includes the demon king's resurrection, humanity's destruction, the world's demise,
You are to rewrite ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’ and ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’.
"We’re resisting against the scenario writer of this story."
You can't let this love story end.
"R-Resisting…are you intending to fight that High Daylight Walker!?"
Erika exclaims in disbelief upon hearing your declaration of war. There is no way that two mere students can stop the most powerful vampire that once killed the Doctor Magna Kai Okutsuki.
"A-According to Teacher Okutsuki's data, during the war a decade again, the four great powers sent 30,000 front-line explorers and lost 30% of them! The demon king burned those explorers who’re far more experienced than us to ashes!"
Yes, even with the curse of Kai Okutsuki’s spell binding her, the demon king remains the most powerful vampire of the Library Labyrinth. Even a single division of anti-vampire battalion equipped with specialized equipment might be insufficient against the absolute vampire domain (magic) known as ‘Silver Night’. You, a half-human, half-demon, cannot fight against it.
"The vampire is probably hiding the fact about her own survival so that she can revive as the demon king of darkness, cunningly devising a scenario! There’s nobody in this world who has realized the demon king's existence, or even prepared a countermeasure against her resurrection!"
"No, there is. ‘Kathédra’ has known of the demon king for five years."
"!"
You interrupted Erika and say so softly.
The biggest of the four great competing powers in Library City Alexandria.
The exploration guild ‘Kathédra’ must have known about the existence of the demon king.
"Th-That’s impossible! How could that ‘Kathédra’, so insistent on pureblood supremacy, leave the natural enemy of humanity unchecked despite predicting the revival of the demon king?"
"Yes, if your information is correct, Arteria was once the natural enemy of humanity who had killed over 100,000 people in the past. The demon king should be the greatest threat to ‘Kathédra’, so they can’t not stop the demon king’s revival. Unless there is an absolute guarantee that only ‘Kathédra’ can subdue the demon king."
"Wha…"
Yes. ‘Kathédra’ is the biggest of the four great powers, and the greatest force on humanity’s side. They’re the biggest and the last obstacle for the demon king who’s determined to make a comeback. Kathédra, a gathering of purebloods, will never allow the demon king to resurrect and reappear despite knowing o her existence, even if the world is turned upside down.
Unless ‘Kathédra’ is able to guarantee its own absolute safety, ‘a book to control over the vampire’.
"…’Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’."
"Eh?"
Kai Okutsuki's (Father) curse of oblivion resets the demon king's memory every three minutes and twenty-six seconds. Therefore, by stealing the original copy of the ‘Book to Tamper Memories’, ‘Kathédra’ can control everything about Arteria."
Creak, your fist, clenched in fury, scraped the tabletop.
The curse that your father once risked his life to imprint upon the demon king.
The ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ that your vampire once risked her life to obtain.
Everything has been used as a scenario for ‘Kathédra’ to enslave the True Ancestor Arteria.
"Wa-wait…did ‘Kathédra’ write false memories into the Vampire Tales?"
"…Yeah. The True Ancestor (Arteria) isn’t a scenario writer. If she’s not, then the memory of her killing Father is also falsified fiction…And who else but ‘Kathédra’ can falsify the memory of the Labyrinth's most powerful vampire, the demon king Arteria?"
Yes. ‘Kathédra’ is the scenario writer of this conspiracy.
‘Kathédra’ kept the demon king alive, for she has value as a bio-weapon.
‘Kathédra’ killed your Father, for his existence could hinder their plan to control the demon king.
What is the purpose of the worst enemy of your life, the scenario writer—
"‘Kathédra’ wants to resurrect the Demon King, get her to become the most powerful pawn through memory tampering, and then become the ruler of Library City Alexandria, no, this world!"
It is to imprint a false personality within the High Daylight Walker Arteria and conquer the world.
"…I won't let them…!"
You clutch your talisman to your chest and utter so with blatant fury,
"I won't let them control Arteria as they please…! If ‘Kathédra’ wants to mess with her memories, or twist her personality, and turn her into a demon king, I'll rewrite the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ myself!"
"W-Wait…wait a minute! When you say rewrite the demon king’s memory, are you saying that you’re going to steal the original from the High Daylight Walker herself??"
Upon hearing your words, Erika asks as though you’re crazy.
Even though she was defeated by Kai Okutsuki in the Vampire war more than a decade ago and her memories remain restrained, the 'Silver Night' of Library Labyrinth, the talent eater Arteria remains the strongest vampire with magical combat ability that is equivalent to invincible. You, a mere kin inferior to this True Ancestors by many orders of magnitude, have no chance of winning even if the world is turned upside down.
"That’s impossible! Even if tampered memories, there is no way you can prevent the strongest vampire from seriously trying to destroy the world while having ‘Kathédra’ as her ally!"
"…If we can’t stop her, the world is doomed. It’ll under the control of the demon king and ‘Kathédra’."
"I'm telling you that nobody can stop them! Please look at this! Even Teacher Okutsuki, the greatest Doctor Magna of the ‘Apothecary’, has declared that it is impossible to defeat the demon king alone."
Erika yells in deep despair and she slams a page onto the round table.
It is the posthumous manuscript of the Doctor Magna, an analysis of the demon king Arteria's capabilities.
■Tactical Analysis
In order to defeat the demon king and prevent her invasion of the landscape, it is essential to resolve the five issues listed.
(1) The vampirized immortal army of monsters and humans
Currently, it is known that the demon king can control vampirized enemies and organize an army of immortals to serve as shields.
The Nosferatu in the domain magic ‘Silver Night' will be enhanced, so military combat must be avoided.
(2) Instant Chanting (Instance) through Hi-Enchant
If the demon king regains the ability to use magic through blood absorption, it is likely that she can use Hi-Enchant.
Given the spell speed, it is impossible to nullify her with antimagic. A defensive formation must be set up, and multiple people have to defend with barriers.
(3) Logic armor
The demon king has multiple layers of logic wall armor ranging to about 5 meters around her.
Sniping from long distances will definitely be intercepted, and all attacks except for close ranged spells are ineffectual.
(4) Blood perception and ‘'Silver Night'.
When casting ‘Silver Night’, the demon king can aggravate the Nosferatu in her domain, and steals the memories of the survivors.
Do not challenge her in close combat without a logic wall that resist blood memories from being stolen.
(5) Immortality
The demon king cannot die. There is no way to stop her supremacy except by crushing her spirit.
■Countermeasures
There is nothing written her.
The moment the reader (you) learn of this countermeasure, it is possible to have it seized by the blood perception of the ‘talent eater’.
The countermeasure will be rendered worthless through the demon king's wiles.
In order to stop the demon king
It is necessary to know all countermeasures against the demon king, and yet not to know them.
It is impossible to write the answers leading to the ending.
You must seek out the ‘foreshadowing’ and solve this on your own.
Through the memories once etched in your heart, those that you know and yet not know.
"…Is this the information Father left behind…!?"
"Yes! Now answer me, how are we going to steal the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ from the Talent Eater whose memory has been tampered by Kathédra?"
Erika, not wanting the demon king to kill you, questions you shrilly.
The list of difficult questions before you are a document written by your father and preserved here in the Atelier. Erika must have understood the meaning very well, having most definitely read it over and over again while you were trapped in the fiction.
The High Daylight Walker is the strongest vampire, the apex predator of the Library Labyrinth who continually evolves by taking the blood, memories, and abilities of others—the ‘demon king’.
To battle against the demon king will require scaling a hurdle no ordinary person can overcome.
"…Even so, I have to stop her…!"
"! If you can stop the demon king, then tell us how you, a near corpse (halfpire) who may die with even the smallest bit of blood loss, can get through the Nosferatu army of the demon army unscathed!"
Having read your Father’s posthumous manuscript, Erika knows about the demon king more than you do, and despairs more than you do, confronts the reader (you) in with anguish the impossible (hurdle) that awaits.
(1) The vampirized immortal army of monsters and humans
"…Erika, listen to me."
"Even if the vampire army is somehow not organized due to time constraints or because of ‘Kathédra’ intentions! That still means that the demon king can just chant big spells! She’ll use the Instance through Hi-Enchant that caused the deaths of thousands of men under the Doctor Magna Kai Okutsuki!"
(2) Instant Chanting through Hi-Enchant
"…The crystal talisman she recharged for me can deploy a logic wall that prevents Instant Chanting by the Demon King. Doctor Magna's shield of protection can withstand any spells."
"The High Daylight Walker too has a massive logic wall! One that’s multi-layered and so denser that it’s impossible to penetrate except through Doctor Magna class spells!"
(3) Logic armor
"…I got a powerful barrier penetrating exalmatio, Bladeedge Storm Spear. If I can amplify my magic through memory tampering and self-sucking, I’ll definitely penetrate even the demon king's barriers."
"That's just wishful thinking on your part! Even if you are certain that you can penetrate the logic armor, the blood perception you’ll rely is an imitation far inferior to the demon king’s! Are you thinking of taking on the superhuman physical abilities of that talent eater through bare-handed combat!?"
(4) Blood perception and ‘'Silver Night'.
"Erika, listen! I know how to beat her…"
"—There’s no way to beat the demon king!"
Bam!
A clenched fist punches the table, interrupting your words.
"…!"
"…There’s no way to win…! There is no way for you, a half-human, half-demon (halfpire) who’ll die if you lose blood and disappear if you run out of memories (pages), to beat that High Daylight Walker…! The demon king Arteria is Nosferatu who has transcended death…!"
Erika's ultramarine eyes are filled with tears as she confronts you with the final and greatest impossibility.
(5) Immortality
"…It’s impossible to defeat the demon king…there’s no way, we can win…!"
Erika ekes out every single word in a trembling voice, as if trying to contain a whirlpool of intense emotion.
"Why…why don’t you understand!? If you go fight the demon king without immortality…you’ll die!"
Drip.
A single tear falls from Erika's pale cheek, as she fears your death.
"…Erika…"
You realize Erika's mental predicament as the tear flows from her ultramarine eyes.
In the seven hours you have been trapped in the novel fiction), it is Erika who has put more serious thought about fighting the demon king than anyone else, sought victory more desperately than anyone else, and perhaps despairs more deeply than anyone else that there is no way to stop the demon king now.
"…I don't want you to die…hic, I-I won’t, let you, die for nothing…!"
"Ggh!?"
Erika grabs you by the collar, not bothering to wipe away the overflowing tears.
"L-Let go of me…!"
"If I let you die here…h-how am I going to apologize to Teacher? How can I atone for killing you once…!?"
Erika tugs at the collar of your robe so hard that you, the halfpire, is almost choked to death.
"And yet…why are you going so far, for the demon king…!"
Erika understands.
She understands that you truly love the vampires. She knows that you want to fight the demon king.
That even though you know you will die—
You’ll risk your life for Arteria.
"…Even so, I still have to fight…!"
You answer with a determined voice, clutching the talisman to your chest.
"Because I swore on this talisman. I’ll regain my memory and magic, and become Doctor Magna. And no matter what trials await me, I will believe in Arteria."
"The demon king isn’t the True Ancestor you believe in anymore! She’s the High Daylight Walker, a magical criminal who has killed over 100,000 people, your father's sworn enemy! No matter how hard you try to fight her, there’s no chance you can beat the demon king!"
"I can win."
Erika continues to lament painfully about the doom of humanity, but you answer this so confidently.
That you can beat High Daylight Walker.
"I can win. Even if she’s a magical criminal who has killed over 100,000 people, even if she can withstand Doctor Magna's magic, even if she’s the strongest vampire of the Labyrinth who killed Kai Okutsuki, I can win."
Yes, you can win. You’re the only person in this world who can defeat the High Daylight Walker. No matter how powerful the demon king is, no matter how evil ‘Kathédra’ is, you can win.
Because you are a character created by the True Ancestor.
"Because my memory has been tampered by the True Ancestor."
Because you’re the protagonist of this story that exists only to rescue Arteria from the darkness.
"…Y-Your memory, was, tampered…?"
"Yes, my memory was tampered. I met Arteria five years ago in this Atelier. The True Ancestor falsified my memory long before the ‘Last Prayer’ began."
You pull out ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’ and open it to the first page.
In order to regain a past never recorded in the 'book' (Me), the October 16th of five years ago which you have forgotten, a memory of the vampire whom you supposedly met.
"Memory tampering is an absolute power. It’s the ‘omnipotence of the author’ (scenario writer) that allows the inscription of false memories in others, distort personalities, and even control actions and emotions."
"So if your memory has been falsified by True Ancestor, how can you say that you can win against the demon king? No matter what the True Ancestor has engraved in your memory, that doesn’t guarantee that it will work against the demon king…!"
"No, I guarantee it. The proof is that my memory has been tampered with. My memory has been falsified, my personality has been taken over, and my entire story has been rewritten according to the wishes of the scenario writer…"
You pause here, and while facing the tear-stained azure eyes, you confide your true thoughts to her.
"—And here I am, hoping to save Arteria."
You have had your memories falsified by Arteria, but you still love Arteria.
"!...O-Okutsuki-san, you…!"
"My memories have been falsified. Father's death, the loss of magic, this Library Labyrinth, Library City Alexandria, and even the fact that I am Sōshi Okutsuki (me) may be nothing more than a novel (fiction)."
Yes, everything is merely a collection of brush strokes (ink) written the ‘Last Prayer’, a mere memory.
After you tampered your own memories, and after others have falsified your memories, there is only one thing in this world that you can believe in anymore.
"This is Arteria’s will. The matter of my return to Library City Alexandria, my reunion with Arteria, and that that I am here now, that I intend to fight the demon king."
"Ar-Are you saying that your very existence is a foreshadowing of …?
"I can win. I can defeat the demon king's plan and rescue the True Ancestor (Arteria) from the darkness of memory tampering. Because this ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’ is a love story written by Arteria."
This is the last thing you can believe in, in a world where your memories have been falsified and everything is just fiction.
"I love Arteria because it is her wish that I love her."
It’s really commonplace.
It’s a small, small love.
"I love Arteria, so Arteria definitely hopes that I love her. Unless it’s the wish of the scenario writer (Arteria), it’s impossible for a character (me) to love the scenario writer (her)."
It’s a circular proposition.
You love Arteria because Arteria loves you.
Arteria loves you because you love Arteria.
Like day and night. Like a binary star. Like a seed and a petal.
You and Arteria are proof of each other’s hearts.
"Arteria and I seek each other with equal force. We’re drawn to each other by that same force. We are guided by the same force, and we are surely going to reach the same ending."
You open to page 354 of ‘Last Prayer’ and look at the memories recorded there.
You stare intently at the ‘Mysterious words that the reader (you) definitely can’t recognize continue on over two pages’ line.
"I’ll save Arteria. I’ll tamper with the ending of this story."
You are a character whose memory has been tampered with only to save the True Ancestor from memory tampering.
You are the protagonist established to defeat the plot of ‘Kathédra’ and bring the love story to its conclusion (ending).
That is why, in the domain of the scenario writer (backstage), which the reader (you) was unable to read
"I’m getting Arteria back."
The core of this story is thus written here.
◇◇◇16 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
Psst psst psst.
With the sound of paper being torn apart, you leap across the strange rupture in your memory.
"—Okutsuki-san."
"Huh?...! Erika, what about my memory?"
"I have torn out your memory as per the strategy you had inscribed. Now even the demon king's blood perception cannot take away your strategy."
Erika, who had ripped out the ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’ without your knowledge she knew it, puts the page in an envelope, sealing it tightly as she replies.
The tears have disappeared from her ultramarine eyes, suggesting that some time has passed during this period of memories that have been removed from you.
"…Erika, are the measures to defeat the demon king inscribed in my memories?"
"Yes. And I have replaced the information retrieved from your memory in the form of a timed memory that will be replayed due to certain circumstances during the battle with the demon king."
"… So you mean the memory I’ll need in battle will pop out the moment I need to recall?"
"Yes, it is a strategy to counter the demon king's bloodsucking after all."
It appears that some part of your memory has been sealed away to prevent you from recalling. No matter how powerful the demon king's bloodsucking, and how outstanding her wits are, a strategy that doesn’t exist cannot be robbed or countered.
"…The True Ancestor (Arteria) gave me the ‘memory tampering book’ as a defensive measure against the talent eater. Erika, since you locked my memory, that means the other preparations..."
"They are complete. All I have to do now is to return to you the knowledge that can be allowed to be sucked away."
Erika says, turns away from the desk, and hands over a document to you.
"…'Prediction of the Demon King's Expanding Forces and Actions'. Father’s posthumous draft…!"
"According to the information in this document, the demon king will need a certain number of human undead army (Immortals) to successfully implement a surface invasion. If they can get inside the barriers, the demon king will be able to attack."
"So basically, a wall of Nosferatus is needed as a sacrificial shield for the demon king?"
"Yes. And she’ll have to seek out the troops she needs for the surface invasion in the Labyrinth. Then the demon king's target is obvious. The ‘Floating Peak Library’, one of the most densely populated areas of the Labyrinth."
Erika's fingertips point to a map on the document indicating several levels.
"The ‘Floating Peak Library’ is an aerial ‘library’, and the only way in is by elevator. From this level, you must climb several kilometers up a steel-supported shaft, past the elevator hall guard."
"A shaft of several kilometers…but if there are footholds around, I should be physically able to climb them up, right?"
"You have to. If the demon king reaches the bustle of the Peak and deploys 'Silver Night', it shall be impossible for you to defeat her when she absorbs so much knowledge. Humanity's defeat will be final."
In a low, cold voice, Erika informs you of the defeat conditions in this battle.
The decisive battle against the demon king is also the decisive battle against ‘Kathédra’, and the moment you, the only power in the fight, are defeated, ‘Kathédra’s domination of all humanity will begin.
"…But I have a victory condition."
"Yes. The memory written down is sealed in this envelope."
Erika gently hands you an envelope containing the page she has just torn out from ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’.
The envelope is unmarked, unaddressed, and contains a trump card that will surely rewrite the ending of the story.
"It’s the ‘Bladeedge Storm Spear’. If you can hit the demon king with the disarming spell and snatch the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’, you can save the demon king from the darkness of memory tampering."
Erika says with a serene voice as she takes a step towards you, standing there.
The approaching ultramarine eyes cower with fear of death, but still look straight up into yours.
"…Okutsuki-san…this may be the last chance, so please listen to me."
Realizing that your memory capacity is running out and you are about to die, Erika says,
She wants you to live, to fight, and to die without worry, and so she puts on her best front.
"Even if you die, I won’t forget you. Even if you are defeated by the demon king, the meaning of your life will not disappear. I’ll prove it to you."
Erika says this decisively and holds out her slender left wrist before your eyes. This is for you to absorb the curse in her blood, ‘the ability to petrify one’s blood’ (Badblood).
"So I shall entrust this to you. Please use my cursed blood and blessings for the end of this story."
"…Yeah, I understand."
You lace your fingers prayerfully on her outreached left hand, and bite on it with your vampire teeth.
Pssh, the thin skin is torn open, and blood oozes out of the wounded capillaries, moistening your oral cavity with the smell of iron and a faint sweetness.
You gently slurp up the blood to take away her uneasiness.
"Chuu, ahh…alright, Erika, I’ve borrowed your humanity, your abilities, and your insecurities. On this blood and on Father, I will stop the demon king's story (scenario)."
"… Yes. I believe in you. "
Erika replies with a quiet smile in her ultramarine eyes, and backs away from you as though to sever any reluctance.
Now, you’re ready for battle.
You tuck the envelope you received into your pocket and quietly turn on your heels, looking back through the open door and into the endless maze of endless bookshelves.
"…."
Somewhere in this endless darkness, there is a vampire whose memory has been tampered with.
You are a character whose memory has been implanted with the truth in order to save the vampire.
You are a half-human, half-demon whose memory will run out after your battle against the demon king, causing an Altered Shock that will destroy you, and had survived and will die thanks to the True Ancestor.
And you’re the protagonist of this story, existing only to save Arteria from the darkness.
"…Suu, haa…."
Inhaling the jet-black atmosphere that seems to have been dyed with ink, you let out a long breath.
And so you exhale long and hard all your longing and regrets you have left in this world.
"…Arteria."
You whisper the name of your beloved, and the memories engraved in the ‘Last Prayer’ respond to your feelings for the True Ancestor.
‘By your feelings for Arteria, you shall surpass your physical limits and become stronger’, the tampered memory enhances your immortality and physical capabilities, sharpening your nerves and Magitzkveins, and slowing everything in sight to the limit.
"I exist to save you."
You are now a single hard stroke.
The tip of a pen to rewrite the ending of the story.
The memory of a line that True Ancestor inscribed on her beloved kin to oppose the demon king.
You clutch the talisman at your chest, recall the True Ancestor's love that’s imbued into the crystal, and swear.
"I will become—the mage (Doctor Magna) who can save you."
Now, let's begin the endgame (climax).
◇◇◇009 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
◇◇◇9 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
"…First, let’s activate the ‘Timed Express Envelope’ addressed to Arteria!"
You pin the wax seal on the grimoire and activate its functions. The envelope gains wings and flutters in your hands before flying out of the Atelier.
You pursue the twin wings that lead you to where the ‘demon king Arteria’ is, and stomp off the Atelier floor to leap into the Labyrinth, letting your accelerated thoughts and enhanced physical strength guide you.
At the innermost area of this infinite library Labyrinth, the demon king awaits you.
(The timed memories are coming in…! Now that she has the demon king personality, Arteria probably will be sucking the blood and turning the Labyrinth creatures into an undead army! Let’s enhance my senses to the extreme …!)
"—!!! This foul stench…are they the undead army of the demon king!!?"
Your senses that have lost their humanity and are almost similar to that of the strongest vampire detect the rotting stench in the air. Immediately after, a powerful bear-like arm swings down from behind a bookshelf at the ‘envelope’ flying in front of it.
"Tch!"
You reach out for the ‘envelope’ and dart by the arm that’s trying to rip you along with the ‘envelop’. You continue to glide and decelerate through the Labyrinth floor, sensing the presence of undead rumbling amongst the walls of countless bookshelves that form the Labyrinth, and the darkness surrounding you.
(…So I charged straight into the flank of the undead army? Bears, lions, birds of prey, rats and bats too…!)
Of those your senses alone can detect, there are dozens that fill the shadows of the bookshelves.
The undead army, enslaved to the demon king, seems to narrow its encirclement, only to stop.
(It's coming!!!)
Vroom! the monsters swarm like a muddy stream, and they rush onto you from all sides.
However, even though they are all Nosferatu, the crudely made undead army of the demon king are of a completely different rank as a Nosferatu compared to you, who was bathed in far lethal amounts of True Ancestor blood, and have become a kin of the strongest species.
In your slowly turning vision, you turn towards where the ‘Express Envelope’ has flown, and aims for a bookshelf with what appears to be a bear-like Nosferatu behind it.
And so you swing your fist at the massive body, punching it head on!
"Scram."
—At that moment, the mass of carrion, having taken on the overwhelming force of the blow, distorts like a balloon, boom! and disintegrates into a sleet of blood, flesh, and bone, flying aside with all the surrounding mass.
Bathed in the debris of undead caused by the shockwave, you look at where the ‘envelope’ fly out, and yell with vigor to fight.
"This is…my road!"
Boom!!! the earth rattles, and you charge through the hole in the middle of the undead army that you pierced through.
You bludgeon, crush, and destroy the looming undead (zombie) blocking your approach to the demon king, and you charge into the dark Labyrinth.
(…The immortal army’s presence is increasing. I’m getting close to the demon king…!)
"Don't get…in my way!"
Kicking the floorboards and the demon king's underlings, stomping violently on them, you continue to run through the second and fourth floors of Library Labyrinth, towards the innermost reaches of darkness.
(Right ahead, right ahead, right ahead …!)
In the direction where you’re racing towards, within the jet-black darkness where not even a ray of light exists, you finally catch sight of the ‘Delayed Express Envelope’ that’s fluttering its wings into the void.
(Arteria’s waiting for me there!!!)
The magic wings reach their destination, demon king Arteria, and you plow through countless bookshelves, trampling over the Nosferatu carcasses that were torn to shreds—
"Arteriaaaa!!!"
You leap into the elevator hall.
It’s a deep sea of blood.
The demon king, standing before the elevator with her silver hair dancing in the darkness, looks back at you.
Her eyes, seemingly brimming with blood, spots you through a gap amidst her flowing bangs.
"…Hmm, you?"
"Demon king…!"
"A hindrance you are. My kin, I shall eat."
No longer interested in you at all, the demon king orders her army of Nosferatu filling the elevator hall to kill you.
Facing off against an army of hundreds of thousands of beasts, all of them having lost the privilege to die, you pull out the ‘storage book’ that you had prepared in your blade mail.
—The ‘Delayed Express Envelope’, having just arrived right above the demon king, is about to open and unleash (1), a decisive blow against the undead army.
Inside the envelope is a bundle of nearly 1,000 sheets of ‘Origami paper’.
"’Origami papers’, transform into a water barrel!"
In the center of the elevator hall, each Origami paper fluttering in the air folds into a 50-liter water barrel at your command.
And they transform into a torrential downpour totalling 50000 liters, bursting in the Library Labyrinth.
"Wh-What…!!?"
(The ratio of the ‘Origami paper’ volume pre and post transformation into these water barrels are at about 000,000 times! With so much water expanding at once, that’ll create a shock wave that’ll sweep away the (1) undead army!
Facing the ‘water’ of the looming waterfall, a tremendous poison to a vampire, you plunge your entire body into the ten ’storage books’ that are lined up in the air.
As the True Ancestor (Arteria) once showed, you can be stored in a trunk. Since you can store your backpack, it can also store a trunk (you)!
(Just one moment is fine!! If I can avoid that moment of shock wave, I can fight the demon king mano a mano!)
Within the temporal evacuation space that you formed with a multi-layer ‘storage book’.
Splash!
You hear the ‘water’ torrent caused by the ‘grimoire’, which destroys the Labyrinth.
Bssssstttt! The ten pages of ‘storage book’ that contain you are torn open. You escape from the book’ and land upon the Labyrinth after the shockwave has passed.
The swarm of Immortals that had filled the elevator hall is no longer there was no longer there, and amidst the darkness that has been cleared of enemies through shockwaves and thoroughly swept away, only the demon king with her logical armor stands still.
"…M-Mongrel, you dare do so to these Immortals of I…!"
"I’ve destroyed your immortal army, demon king. Single combat is the only way to end this story."
"…Kukuku, so I see! ‘A vampire cannot cross running water’! It seems you think you can stop this demon king, the scenario writer!"
The demon king's face contorts into an insane smile as the rain pours down on the slowing world.
The vampire, manipulated by false memories written by ‘Kathédra’ and seeking to return as the demon king, now recognizes you as ‘the enemy stopping the scenario of ‘Kathédra’.
This is where the real battle begins—the final battle to rewrite the ending of the story.
"Who would have thought both Doctor Magna and the High Daylight Walker will imprint memories upon Sōshi Okutsuki to stop this dominion of I? But your resistance will end now. You are not a hero after all!"
The demon king gives a sneer the True Ancestor (Arteria) has never shown before, scorning your will to fight.
"You feared your past despair, and changed your memories. A complete coward you are unlike Kai Okutsuki. How can you stop this demon king if you are too weak to overcome even a psychological trauma?"
"…"
"You cannot defeat I. You have lost your magic, your memories, your Father, tampered with everything you can trust, and exhausted the last of your memory. Impossible it is to defeat this demon king Arteria!"
"…Yeah. I'm certainly not hero material like Father."
You reply quietly while the falling raindrops fall upon you.
"I'm weak, fragile, a coward softy who ran away from the truth. I can't be a hero like Father… but still, there's something I can believe in."
"Kufufu, your honesty shows more weakness. What can you believe now, you coward who falsified his own memory? All of your memories may be falsified fiction!"
Kuhahahaha! and the demon king's loud laughter echoes through the darkness of Labyrinth. You look straight into the crimson eyes filled with madness, and declare,
"I believe. No matter what fiction betrays me, I believe in Arteria."
"…kuhihi, hihaha, ahyahyahya!! You say you believe in the True Ancestor! Hee-hee, truly pathetic you are! Are you insane because your memory betrayed you? Ahahahahaha!"
"…"
"Arteria no longer exists! The True Ancestor's memories and personality have been rewritten by the demon king! Rewritten page by page with ink, torn and crumpled, buried in the darkness of the Labyrinth! There is no memory of that false True Ancestor left in this demon king!"
The demon king mocks your True Ancestor, her face contorting in hearty amusement.
"Too bad for you, Sōshi Okutsuki! True Ancestor Arteria was killed by this demon king."
"No."
You refute with determination, still bathed in the pouring rain.
The clear drops, seemingly still but surely falling, reflect the last moments of your relationship with Arteria.
"The True Ancestor (Arteria) isn’t dead. She hasn’t lost to the demon king (you bastard), Arteria is here."
You put your hand on your chest and touch the crystal talisman hanging there with your fingertips.
"More than words, more than memory, this presence remembers."
No matter what tragedy strikes you, no matter what memory betrays you, no matter what fate tears you apart, you have indeed given your word to the magic of the crystal talisman.
"I have sworn to believe in Arteria."
You’ll believe in the vampire who saved you with her own life.
"…So let’s fight, demon king."
The momentary rain stops.
The ‘flowing water’ that prevents the vampire's action vanishes from the void of this battlefield.
You thrust out your right arm and pull up the sleeve of your robe.
"I’m not letting you decide the ending of this story."
You rebuke the demon king, and then rip out a vein in your own right arm. The blood gushing from the wound is instantly frozen by Erika's Badblood, forming a stone sword.
"With everything True Ancestor (Arteria) has given me, I will bury the demon king."
With your regenerated right hand, you hold up the sword and challenge the most powerful demon king.
You have run out of pages. This is the end of ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’. As a grimoire, I cannot record the outcome of the battle.
The only scenario writers who can decide the outcome of the battle are you and the demon king.
Now, discard the ‘book’.
You don't need ‘a book to falsify your memories’.
It is the reader, not the 'book' (Me), who shall write the ending of this love story!
"Let's go, demon king, I'll finish you off in one page."
◇◇◇0 Pages until Memory Loss[edit]
Now, let the final battle begin.
"The one deciding the ending of this story—will be me!"
With a short declaration of war, I discard the ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’.
I don’t need to use memory tampering to escape anyway. I will save Arteria. Even at the cost of my life, I will bring back High Daylight Walker Arteria from the depths of this darkness!
"Kuhihihi! This scenario cannot be stopped now! You cannot change the ending of the slaughter! The world shall fall into the hands of the demon king!"
Arteria spreads her silver-white wings and roars as soon as I take a leaping stance.
This elevator hall is the one we passed through when we arrive to the middle levels from the ‘Floating Peak Library’. At the end of the vertical shaft is one of the most densely populated areas of the ‘Apothecary’, and if the demon king Arteria invades there, all the people there will be turned into vampires…
"…I won’t let you! I won’t let Arteria hurt humans!"
I stomp off the Labyrinth floor, leap, and jumped onto the elevator frame that had been destroyed by the shockwave.
Even though I don’t have the ability to fly, I can catch up to the flying demon king if I have the physical strength and foothold!
"Do you still wish to follow I!? Then you shall die, Sōshi Okutsuki! ■■■■■■■■!!"
I continue to jump up the five-meter diameter vertical shaft to give chase after Arteria, and a shrill echo reverberates.
It’s Instance by Hi-Enchant, the demon king's ability (2).
I’m about 10 meters away from the flying demon king. It’s not a distance that can be covered by the time her chant is complete. Once the spell is executed, I will disappear along with this space and die instantly.
"Execute!"
"Interrogate!"
But I still have the foreshadowing that True Ancestor had left for me.
I stomp up the elevator as hard as I can to confront the spell that’s being completed with overwhelming speed,
"Surpassing the four heavens and five universes— "
"Your memories have been falsified by ‘Kathédra’!"
I’ll activate ‘Tautologia Interrogation book’—to break the chant!
Creeee!! A violent friction can be heard.
The enormous amount of magic power that has been imbued into the demon king's Magitzkveins is jammed, and the incomplete spell begins to lose control—instantly causing the caster’s nervous system to boil!
"Gugiii!? Wh-What!? Did you use ‘Tautologia Interrogation book’ as antimagic!?"
Arteria's face contorts in astonishment. The knowledge I learned from the magic theory lesson really came into play.
Chanting is essential to use magic. Instant chanting is meaningless if the chanting is blocked, and the overload of magic power will become my weapon to destroy the demon king's nervous system!
If I were dealing with a normal human, she probably can use the regeneration ability from blood perception to remove this opening.
"Grr, these wings of I are not obeying…!"!
But with the very close kin (me) of the strongest (Arteria), even a moment stands still like an eternity!
"Too slow!"
I kick off the steel frame of the elevator, gather the momentum of my leap into my right arm, and swing my sword.
The blade that pierces the logic wall is shattered, but it destroys lots of magic arrays!
"Oooohhhh!!"
"Ku-hahh!!!"
Just as the broken blade is about to stab into Arteria, a sharp knifehand strike approaches from the left.
It’s impossible to evade in this narrow vertical shaft, so the only option is to attack!
I swing my right arm out and shatters Arteria's mandible.
At the same time, my neck is also sent flying with a snap.
"Gah!"
"Ka…hah!?"
The immortality of the strongest species instantly regenerates the head.
My attack shatters the demon king's jawbone, so she won't be able to begin chanting until she’s fully regenerated. The problem is that my body has been bounced off the steel frame and thrown into the air in the vertical shaft!
"Kuha…ahahahahaha! So you use the ‘Tautologia Interrogation book’ to obstruct the chanting, and the use the petrified blood to create blood blades! Truly the foreshadowing prepared by the True Ancestor is interesting…but you, these wounds of I will you so, can you withstand the blood loss when your weapon is created?"
"Ugh…it’s not over yet!"
Even though my mobility and thought process have accelerated, the acceleration of gravity won’t change. Unlike the demon king who has wings, the moment I lose footing from the steel frame, I'm going to fall headlong to the elevator hall a few kilometers below.
I have only a few pages of the interrogation book left. Altered Shock is about to happen soon. I must defeat the demon king and take the Vampire Tales before she uses Instance again"
"You can only stop the chants until you run out of pages! How many pages of the ‘Tautologia Interrogation book’ are there left? Now~ I shall speed up the chants!! ■■■!! "
As soon as the demon king begins chanting, my body, which is flying in the air, finally lands on the steel frame of the elevator!
"Question! Do you know the activate key to ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’! "
—If I can exploit the opening during the Tiltowait!
"Execute, heavens of hellfire Rz999f ack!"
The activated ‘Interrogation Book’ stops Arteria's Instance. I charge right into the demon king's chest and use that split-second opening to swing my sword with all my might."
"Haaaaaaaaah!"
Giiinn!! Some interference sounds echo. Dozens of barriers are broken, and they’re less dense than I thought!
"The counter strategy against (3) logic armor…I’m using chant blocking and physical attacks to break through all your barriers!"
"Kuhaha! Come and try! Seven heavens of vermilion, come with flames!"
After a loud laughter of madness, the demon king finally begins chanting with normal magic words. Unlike Instance, this spell will be far weaker, but the time to invoke the ‘Interrogation Book’ would be unrealistically difficult.
There’s only one thing I can do. That’s to interrupt her chant with close combat!
"Proof of destruction and rebirth, the purifying flame shall scorch the heavens!"
"Haaaaah!"
Once again, I leap to close the distance and hack away horizontally. As depicted when I defended against the black stake at the balcony, I know the barrier is quite far from the demon king herself. As long as I can get close to a certain distance, Amy physical strength, close to the strongest species, can cut through the multiple barriers!
"Kuhahaha! I proclaim the ending winter— "
The demon king ignores the logic walls that are being shattered as she continues to chant, and I continue to slash away!"
"Burn…bafu!?"
The tongue that’s about to complete the spell is unable to touch where it’s supposed to be, and only catches air. My attack stabs through the skull, severed the upper jaw, and breaks Arteria's chanting and brain.
"…Kuha! Ahaha, ahahahahahahahahahah!!"
But the strongest vampire isn’t going to die just because she lost her brain. If I can’t stop the demon king before she reaches the Library, this story will have the worst ending possible!
"Kuhihihihi!! Close combat is interesting, but this demon king cannot be destroyed unless you take the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’! See, I can already see the end of the vertical shaft!"
"Kuu…there’s still some distance until the residential area of the ‘Floating Peak’!"
At the place where Arteria’s flying towards—there is a needle hole-like light spot in the darkness above us. This is bad. If the inhabitants of the ‘Floating Peak’ are turned into vampires, I won’t have a chance!"
"Now, Sōshi Okutsuki, can you defeat this scenario before this demon king devour human blood?"
"I don’t have to repeat myself…I’m definitely winning!!"
Arteria and I growl at each other while we clash at the midpoint.
The overwhelming movements shatter a sword and two arms, crumbling them into large meat chunks
"Ahahahaha! What is the matter!? This is not enough to kill the demon king!"
"Haaaaaah!"
Since both of us are Nosferatu, there won’t be any victory due to physical death.
Our powers are sucked, amplified, and accelerated until one of us has our fangs on the other’s neck—
There won’t be an end to this deathmatch.
'Hihahaha! You cannot win! This scenario cannot be stopped!"
"Ku…, I have a sword, so why can't I break through!?"
We continue to reduce each other’s bodies to blood splatters as we tussle away.
In terms of attack quality, mine is better, but we remain at a deadlock due to the pure difference in ability as a vampire.
The demon king can continue to grow infinitely stronger. By absorbing my blood memories—even during this battle!
"Tchh—haaa!"
I smash the barehanded strike that’s attacking me in the air, and attack with the blade that’s been shattered by the recoil.
It’s bad. The gap that should have existed between the demon king and me is being changed by blood absorption…!
(I can't win if this keeps up…in that case!)
With my exposed carpal bone, I stab through Arteria's shoulder to stop the demon king's left arm. I raise my right arm to strike at the now defenceless body…
"That—is a mistake!"
My fist is caught in the demon king's palm, and her body is sent flying up!
"Oh no…"
The demon king's body, which has been flung away while being crushed, instantly regenerates due to her overwhelming immortality. The action and reaction of the blows accelerates her toward the ‘Floating Peak Library’!
"Wa-Wait, I can't let you go over!"
"Kuhahaha! I can feel the morning sun burning my skin! Finally, I shall reach the ‘Library’!"
Kicking off the elevator frame as hard as I can, I still can't keep up with the demon king's flight.
The light shining above grows in the blink of an eye—
And the scenery of the ‘Floating Peak Library’ appear before our eyes.
"—Ahahahaha! How I have waited for this moment, humanity! First I shall suck the blood of all the inhabitants of this ‘Library’ and have them as food for this path to conquer the world!"
"Ugh…it’s not over yet! There is still more than a kilometer to the residential area on the floating island!"
The elevator shafts lead to the bottom of the ‘Floating Peak Library’, an empty space with nothing but steel frames. There is still more than a kilometer to go up to the densely populated area of the Floating Peak…!
"How naïve, Sōshi Okutsuki! Do you think this demon king will let you arrive here!? Once the steel frame is destroyed, you shall never reach the Floating Peak again!"
"!"
The moment that sharp cry strikes my eardrums, boom! and at the same time, a shock rumbles beneath. The demon king's powerful arm has shredded the steel frame of the elevator that I need to scale.
Having lost my foothold, I’m now unsupported, and is tilting in mid-air that has nothing!
"Ahahahahaha! Now, fall and die, Sōshi Okutsuki!"
"Damn it…I can't fall!"
The gravity of the earth is slowing my ascent, so I pull out a ‘storage book’ that’s tucked into my binder…this is fine. The foreshadowing that True Ancestor has prepared for me won’t be defeated just like this!
"I won’t die! I won’t die until I defeat the demon king’s scenario!!"
I rip open the ‘storage book’ with the foreshadowing contained in it.
—Thud, and so my feet land upon an ice floor with wings that appears in the dawning void!
"Wha…!?"
"Did you think the True Ancestor never expected situation like this, demon king!?"
Emerging from a page of the ‘storage book’ is a petrified ice sheet disk made from Erika's Badblood. On the circumference edge of the two-meter-diameter disk, ‘numerous envelopes’ addressed to Sōshi Okutsuki are tied to ropes made of ‘Origami paper’.
The ‘envelopes’ wings are flapping towards me, and aren’t able to reach their destination. Instead, they push back lots of all, flying the weight of the disk along with me!
"Im-Impossible!! Nowhere in my memory have I ever absorbed such a strategy…!"
"W-Wooooooooo!!"
I charge towards Arteria, kicking off the floating ice floor with all my might. The magical ice, frozen solid by the petrified cursed blood, pushes my body forward with a strong acceleration.
"I'm going to cut down all your logic walls!!"
The blood blade takes shape immediately and flashes brilliantly in the faint light of dawn, cleaving the demon king's barrier in two. Just a little more. Just a little more, and I can break through the logic armor protecting the ‘Vampire Tales’!
"Urk, how cunning of you create a battlefield in the void! I shall smash through that ice sheet right now!"
"Too naïve!"
Arteria exclaims in frustration as she tries a strong spinning kick into the icy bedrock. But just as her heel is about to strike the icy bedrock, I partially deactivate the water petrification.
The water, which has returned to its liquid state, easily avoids the kick—and then once it ensnares the demon king's heel, it petrifies again!
"Wh-What!?"
"Got you!"
The demon king, whose left leg is bound, gasps in surprise.
I’m up close where the logic wall is thin. The Instance and normal chanting magic are sealed. There aren’t any humans or monsters in the void of this ‘Floating Peak Library’ for the demon king to suck blood knowledge or convert them into vampires.
Now, if my thoughts and self-absorption can exceed the demon king's physical capabilities—I can win!
"Wooooooooh!"
I form blood blades on both arms and begin hacking at the mandala-like logical armor. While the demon king’s leg is bound, I slash, and slash, and slash at her barriers.
"Reeeeeee!"
"Slice and dice!"
Swinging diagonally in a cross, the blades sacrifice their bodies as they chop off Arteria's.
The demon king can’t counterattack until her body regenerates again!
"With this!"
I threw away the shattered twin blades, lower my core and take a stance. Then, with ‘the ‘and took a stance at the waist. Then, I contract all my muscles through the ‘ultimate art of combat’, clenching my right fist with all my might.
"Take this!"
The fist strikes the demon king's barrier and slams right at the center of the solar plexus.
The full powered blow of the vampirized punch crushes the rib cage of the strongest species, and doesn’t lose its momentum as it tears through the left leg of the demon king, sending her flying high up.
From the right shoulder armor that barely remains intact, I pull out another ‘storage book’ and gnaws at it.
In order to unleash the ice spear, hardened with my blood, that’s hidden within.
"It’s time to end this!"
The ice spears that are shot out from the ‘storage book’ fly like arrows toward the demon king,
Swoosh!
And they peg the High Daylight Walker's body to the bottom of the Floating Peak!
"…Kuha, haa, haa!! … I win, demon king!
I shout into the rising cloud of dust as I wait for my body to regenerate.
The winds blowing through the ‘Floating Peak Library’ blew away the dust that fly with the shattered rack—and there, on the side wall of the floating island, the demon king is nailed like a winged insect by spears of melting ice.
"Ack…! Im-Impossible…this this demon king, has been, so cornered…"
"…Demon king, the ice spears that pierce you shall be depetrified. A vampire that can’t cross flowing water can’t escape the imprisonment of those ice spears!"
With this, I’ve sealed the demon king's actions. The Nosferatu's army, Instance, the logic walls, Blood perception, all the fighting strength of the demon king have been defeated by me.
Confident of victory in this battle, I declare,
"Now then, I’ll be taking the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’."
I put my finger into my robe pocket, and pick out a pure white envelope containing my trump card, a duplicate of ‘Bladeedge Storm Spear’.
If I can strike this exalmatio and strike the demon king directly to retrieve the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’, I can rescue Arteria from her falsified memories.
"I will falsify the demon king's scenario!"
I pull out the envelope, and also the ‘Last Prayer’ that’s torn off my memory!
"—So that is the memory the True Ancestor (Arteria) has engraved upon you, is it not?"
I heard an ultrasonic whisper.
"!"
Right when night is about to dawn, the sunrise that’s about to shine down on the ‘Floating Peak Library’ fades away. It feels as if time’s rewinding, and the darkness that was about to end is now darker.
"You think you have defeated this demon king? Do not get arrogant, half man, half monster."
The inaudible voice rattles the entire atmosphere, and the instinctive fear causes goosebumps all over my body.
"This Arteria Al Athanasia Almnasia Ausanasia is the most powerful vampire in Labyrinth, the one hailed as the High Daylight Walker, the immortal king of talent eaters."
"—My name is Silver Night of Library Labyrinth."
Pew! And so,
As soon as Arteria cries out, a swarm of bats gushes out from her body, transforming into a silver storm. The wing membranes that proliferated exponentially blot out the morning sun, creating night in the ‘Library’…!
"Th-The ‘Silver Night …!"
"Kuhahahahahaha! This demon king's Blood perception deprives all the living of knowledge within the ‘Night’! The moment I arrived at this ‘Library’, my victory was already decided!"
The strongest vampire, transformed into ‘Night’, rocks the entire atmosphere with a maniacal laughter.
The silvery-white bats cover the skies, their wings forming pitch darkness.
This is the absolute domain of the Labyrinth's strongest vampire, the High Daylight Walker.
And also the reason for Arteria’s moniker, the ‘Silver Night of Library Labyrinth’—which covers the ‘Floating Peak Library’!
"Wise it was that I chose to be cautious and falsify my loss. Never would I have thought you would have a memory implanted in your brain that the demon king (I) has no knowledge of, Sōshi Okutsuki!"
"Ack…argh! Y-You fooled…!"
"Truly, I am the 'Silver Night of the Library Labyrinth’. Even at my weakest, when this demon king sucks blood and memories, physical restraints mean nothing!"
(Ugh, I-I can't breathe...!! Is my physical ability being sucked away by the demon king…!?)
I feel suffocated and nauseous, as though I’m being deprived of oxygen, and my body kneels weakly.
Even I, who inherited the immortality of the True Ancestor (Arteria) and have some resistance against the ‘Silver Night'’, is fading in consciousness because my blood memories are being sucked away. If this concentration of ‘Night’ reaches the urban area of the Floating Peak, who knows how many thousands of people will be affected…!
"Demon king…you…!"
"Kufufufu. It does not matter how many trillion humans coexisting with demi-humans shall die! Well now, Sōshi Okutsuki, it is time for the counterattack."
"! You’re getting behind me now—"
The moment the demon , I’m
sense king behind
"—Ack!?"
The immortality of the strongest species causes my consciousness to regenerate, and at that moment, I nearly choked on my blood, vomiting it out.
My ears are ringing so badly, probably because my hearing is wrecked, and I can’t maintain my balance. The strong nausea causes me the urge to cover my mouth, and I see that all of my limbs aside from my right arm have been torn to shreds.
"Gu, ek…!?"
The pain that occurs right after my vision tells me that every part of my body had been fatally damaged.
My heart is flattened, having lost the blood it should be pumping. It seems I can’t breathe properly because my lungs are ruptured by an impact of something hitting me.
With just one blow—I’ve been dealt a mortal blow.
"Kufufufu. I assumed you would be crushed to dust and never to be revived again, how fortunate of you. If it had not been the clock tower of Extachius blocking, you would have vanished far beyond the Library.
The most powerful vampire controlling the 'Silver Night' appears in your hazy silvery white vision.
…It seems that I took the attack of the ‘Silver Night’ (Arteria) head on, and it pierced through the disk from the base of the Floating Peak, hitting the sky, and slamming me into the clock tower of Extachius.
"Gu, uuu…!"
The optic nerve finally connects my left eyeball and the brain, and both eyes gauge the distance to the demon king.
It’s close. There’s no escape. How many more seconds until the skeleton regenerates? Will my memory last until then?
—No, I'm sure it’s not going to last.
"Damn, it…!!!"
I forcefully pull my shredded right arm back and shove my hand into the inner pocket of my robe.
I’m going to grab the final trump card to steal the ‘Vampire Tales’ from the demon king—a ‘mirror copywriting paper’ that has the runes of the disarming spell "Bladeedge Storm Spear" copied on it.
But the piece of paper I’m looking for isn’t there.
"What is this?"
For the letter that sealed my memories—
Is snatched away by the demon king's fingertips.
—I feel a shudder.
The moment my defeat is confirmed, a frozen fear runs through my entire body, like eternal slumber of death.
"Aa…ugh, th-the darkness…!"
I have an impression of this sensation.
It is the prelude to Altered Shock, a symptom of rejection when other people’s memories come in. The edges of my vision distort to black, as if darkness is consuming my spirit, trying to swallow up my soul.
"Hyahahahaha! Now you have been deprived of True Ancestor's memories (pages), and have lost so much blood that you have developed Altered Shock. Your scenario is now over!"
The hearing that no longer regenerates can barely hear the voice that rattles the atmosphere.
My consciousness fades.
My vision is blurred.
The words are incomprehensible.
I feel the nerves in my body rapidly fading away.
"You shall die, and you shall be swallowed by the recollection of memories, with all your memories destroyed until death. The character Sōshi Okutsuki shall be lost to this world forever."
The vast amount of memories pouring into my mind at high speed are pulverizing my personality.
The demon king's voice fades away in the blink of an eye, and my consciousness craters somewhere deep within my brain.
Darkness looms. Death looms. The destruction of the world looms.
"Now, let me tear down your last hope right before your eyes. ♪"
The fingertips of the demon king's hands are placed on my memory.
I can’t lose. I can't run away. I have to fight.
Because five years ago, I should have regained something from beyond the darkness of this flashback.
Beyond this night of deep despair, I should have known something.
"Look now, it shall be torn, torn, you know?"
Because my memory has been tampered with by the True Ancestor (Arteria).
"Kufufufu, tssssstt…tsssstt!"
Because my memory,
"Ahahaha!!! What a pity, Sōshi Okutsuki! This concludes the story of the demon king—"
Contains the truth that will rewrite the ending of this story.
—Psst. A sound of flesh being ripped echoes.
A petrifying black stake is shot out from the ‘storage book’, piercing the demon king's body.
"Huh? Wh-what, happened…ack!?"
"…Too bad, demon king."
Six pieces of paper fall from the demon king's palm as she spits out grey blood.
These include a page of the ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’ that has the following words written ‘the one who touches this paper’/’will mistake it for a ‘mirror copywriting paper’, along with a half page of ‘storage book’ tucked within.
"Because of memory tampering, you thought that's my trump card."
The ‘false memory’ I wrote to myself to fool the demon king is activated.
"Im-Impossible…! I was sure I have sucked away all your strategies…!"
The demon king, assured of her victory, had deactivated her ‘Silver Night’ to tear my page, only for the petrifying poison to consume her as she curses away.
She’s no longer able to change back into ‘Silver Night’ and escape my attack.
"G-Grrr…! But if Altered Shock happens, you will die…!"
"I won’t die!"
An envelope that’s been placed in the ‘storage book’ flies out from the frozen, immobilized demon king, arrives above my head, and opens.
"I told you, I'll bet on everything the True Ancestor (Arteria) gave me to kill the demon king (you)."
The ‘Mirror Copywriting paper’.
The ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’.
These are the memories (pages) that the scenario writer (Arteria) had excluded from the reader's (my) memory—
"The moment Sōshi Okutsuki touches this ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’ he shall remember his original strategy."
"I will risk all of this memory (life) to get Arteria back!"
Fill my memories with everything I have forgotten!
"You shall be revived from the flashback caused by Altered Shock."
Shreeee!! A shrill breaking sound echoes in the back of your brain, and you awaken from your flashback.
(… Yeah, I've been waiting for this description for a long time— ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’!)
You have recovered the memory of the book'(Me), and you have been revived from Altered Shock!
The sentence ‘I will resist Altered Shock’ written in this page protects your mind from the wave of vampirifcation!
"I-Impossible…! Th-This is different from the scenario this demon king has planned …!"
"…Too bad, scenario writer. The strategy the demon king (you) thought you sucked through blood memories and the trump card are all false memories I wrote into ‘Last Prayer’!"
Yes. The reader (you) who has forgotten everything has been waiting for this scenario the entire time, waiting for the moment when the demon king is assured of her victory, the moment the ‘Silver Night’ is removed to tear your memory (page)!
"And now, the ‘mirror copywriting paper’—the talisman that True Ancestor has recharged is within my hand! It’s an exalmatio aimed to defeat the demon king's (you) scenario and steal the ‘Vampire Tales’!"
You stand up, holding the real ‘copy paper’ as you lean against the debris of the clock tower, clutching the true copy. The demon king, consumed by the deadly poison of petrification, can’t escape!
"I-Impossible! There is no way…’Kathédra's plan can fall apart!"
Holding up your body that almost triggered a state of Altered Shock with all you got, you stumble to your feet as you leave the wall of rubble.
All to unleash the ‘Bladeedge Storm Spear’, written on the copy paper, up close.
"Ugh! D-Do not come close! If I can endure until the Altered Shock occurs, ‘Kathédra's victory will be assured! You shall have used up the memory capacity of a thousand pages by now!…W-Wh-Wh-Where is the logic wall…!"
"I’ve shattered the demon king's (your) logic wall. You’ve lost all means to escape. I’m already in range of the spear storm, and the Altered Shock will be delayed by one more page."
You use the ‘recycled paper’ on the ‘Last Prayer’ to regenerate a brand new page. Of the memory that contains only a thousand pages, you have forcibly created the 1,001st page.
"…Now, let's end this, demon king."
This is the very last page of ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’.
The end of your remaining memory capacity.
This is your one and only chance to rewrite the ending of the story!
You brush away the hem of your tattered robe, exposing the skin of your right arm.
You will be able to retrieve the last foreshadowing of Sōshi Okutsuki's existence, the ‘memory that exists but does not exist’, from your own blood.
"…The beginning of this Vampire Tales goes back to that tragic night of October 16th, five years ago, when Father was killed. I had met the High Daylight Walker Arteria that day, in that Atelier."
In this story, there’s another ‘memory once etched in the reader's mind’.
A memory of despair, sealed in a flashback—a memory pertaining to October 16th, five years ago.
"But I had forgotten about Arteria. I thought it’s because I was being a coward, unable to endure despair, and sealed the truth of five years ago in the darkness of flashbacks."
You clutch your crystal talisman, take a small breath, and mutter,
"—But it’s actually the memory tampering done by the True Ancestor (Arteria)to protect the truth from the demon king (you)."
Clink. The golden chain rattles in your hand, seemingly informing you of the truth.
"…Actually, I’ve always been scared of knowing the truth."
The memories you can’t accept and have discarded still circulate in your veins. It contains all the truth you can retrieve, the final memories that can save the True Ancestor from the darkness.
"…Five years ago, Father was killed, and I was the only one left alive, so there’s definitely a significance to that. I always felt that I have to fulfil it, to repay it…that I have to keep suffering."
To face your own weakness, you put into words the despair you have shunned all this while.
"…So I ran away. I clung onto ‘a book to tamper my memories’, trying to forget the pain, trying to rewrite my despair."
You must fight. You must win.
The opponent is your own story; a memory you want to forget.
"But now I can believe."
The magic that True Ancestor has imbued into the talisman shines brightly in response to your thoughts.
"I won't run away anymore."
You hold the talisman in a prayer, and raise your right arm proudly,
"Whether it’s despair, pain, truth, or love…"
You sink your fangs into your own skin, soaking up the blood and memories that that flow out of you.
"These are all given to me by Arteria."
And then I learn the truth of five years ago.
The memories that flow into my mind through the blood I suck pass before my eyes like dying lights.
The blood spilled upon the old me. The organs and digestive matter tumbled out of Father's body.
The lungs were ruptured by the internal pressure. The abdominal cavity and pelvis were illuminated by the fallen cantera.
The head was crushed like a smiling mask. The eyeballs had burst from the eye sockets and rolled on the floor.
The flashback that has tormented me for five years tells me the truth.
"…Listen, Sōshi…I must now seal your memory."
The reason why I lost my memory five years ago.
"To defeat the demon king's 'night', I need at least five years of chanting Mana. Kathédra probably won’t give me that much time…So, Sōshi, you must leave this Library City Alexandria for five years and spend your time in Japan."
The reason why I had to leave Library City Alexandria five years ago.
"The Magitzkveins can’t be used while you’re chanting. So when you start chanting, my spell binding magic will remove your consciousness…I know this will be hard for you, but I hope you understand."
The reason why I lost my magic five years ago.
"…Father must die to protect the foreshadowing…I shall entrust my will to you five years later."
The reason why Father entrusted the future me with those words five years ago.
"…When you open the grimoire, just breathe in, and simply cast the runes. A curse is merely a curse, and a spell magic can only be a spell."
The words the Doctor Magna inscribed in to me at his dying moment,
"…But when you think of a certain someone you care about; magic can surpass magic. Overlapping breaths become a heartbeat, every spell we chain together becomes a pledge, every incantation we recite becomes a prayer, and magic brings miracles."
The way to become a mage (Doctor Magna).
"Activate key Lg100b –chant, reboot."
And after five years, I restart the chant to regain True Ancestor (Arteria).
All to use the despair that has tormented me for the past five years, the spell of five years ago that has been protected by the flashback,
"What… Sōshi Okutsuki! Have you always assumed that you cannot use magic…?"
"Let's go, demon king—I'll finish you off in one page."
Now, at the last moment of this love story, in order to save Arteria from memory tampering.
"Ku…!! Seven heavens of vermilion, come with flames!"
"O’ the pillar of the sky, foundation of the country!"
Two chants echo through the silver-white night.
"Proof of destruction and rebirth, the purifying flame shall scorch the heavens!"
"The goddess of storms who guards the Dragon Field!"
My whole body glows azure. The Magitzkveins that exist alongside my soul are screaming from overload. To break through the demon king's logical armor, I’ll need to imbue an enormous amount of Mana into the Magitzkveins for the past five years, magic power that far exceeds the limits of a human being.
But I can exceed myself. For Arteria’s sake.
"The scorching flames that proclaim the ending winter! Execute—"
"The atmospheric gods, hear these summons!"
"Come, spirit that fills the atmosphere!"
The demon king's chanting is complete. I no longer have a grimoire to jam the spell.
But I can win. For everything the True Ancestor (Arteria) has given me will protect me from the demon king.
(…True Ancestor (Arteria).)
"King of the sky with the purging hellfire!"
(You recharged this talisman again—to block the demon king's spell now, right?)
Just as Arteria has recharged the logic wall of this talisman!
Instantly, my vision fills with white.
My eardrums explode with a blaring sound, and all sound disappears from the world.
I can feel the immense radiant heat seeping through the logic wall, burning my cloak and skin.
"…Bind the, blades…of the wind."
Still, I continue to chant.
Because if I can't stop the demon king, the True Ancestor (Arteria) will be gone.
She’ll forget about me forever revert to being the worst vampire.
"With invisible arms."
As long as I can prevent it from happening, I don't care what I have to lose.
Whether it’s losing my magic, my memory, my dreams, and five years of my life of despair,
Or my ego that’s about to disappear at this very moment, engulfed by Altered Shock,
The hurt, the pain, and the truth that I want to rewrite—all I can surpass for Arteria’s sake.
"Now to thee I offer this pious prayer. By the grace of the divine storm."
Because I have loved Arteria ever since five years ago.
And even now, I still love Arteria.
With our overlapping breaths as one heartbeat, connected spells chained as a pledge, I offer every incantation and prayer to the True Ancestor.
"Execute—"
For five years my magic remained in my Magitzkveins, breathing Mana.
At the end of this thousand and one pages prayer,
Please grant me a miracle.
"—Bladeedge Storm Spear!!!"
I entrust my prayer into the spell and unleash my Magitzkveins.
The vast amount of Mana released surges and burns through my nervous system. My entire body boils from the inside out, and my ruptured spinal cord exude red smoke that propels me forward.
The lightning-red storm swirls around me in a thunderous vortex,
The Mana that I have been building up for five years penetrates Arteria’s barrier.
"Aaaaahhhh!"
The tip of the raging storm spear pierced through the silver-white night,
Bam! And smashes through the demon king's magic.
"Gah…ahhhhhh!!!?"
A scream shakes the darkness.
For the demon king Arteria, this definitely is her final, dying scream.
"The one deciding this ending, is me."
I declare quietly, picking up the ‘Vampire Tales’ that has been ejected by the exalmatio.
"Ku…haha, hahahaha…never would I, have thought this demon king would be destroyed."
Arteria's limbs are twisted by the red storm and pinned in midair.
The vampire's immortality seems to barely keep her alive…but if left unchecked, the demon king will have her memories and regenerative abilities stolen away, and destroyed.
"Guhi, haha, argihihihi. My head, hurts…! I…how…the demon king…will kill…Sōshi, love, ah, ‘Vampire Tales’…hahahahahaha!"
The demon king mutters unintelligible delirium the moment she’s deprived of ‘Vampire Tales’, violated by the Curse of Oblivion, and mixed with the memories of the True Ancestor that flowed from me through Blood perception.
While the True Ancestor and demon king's memories are muddled, and the name of the vampire who’s about to forget everything and die,
"…Arteria."
I call out to her lovingly.
"…I remember. I’ve retrieved the truth from the memories sealed in the flashback. I remember the foreshadowing of this love story that you and I once carved."
Yes, this story is a deftly casted foreshadowing from beginning to end.
"At the prologue of ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’, even though you’re a vampire, you saved me when I was human. You said the reason for that was because you were 'saved'…but I didn’t save you two days ago, but five years ago, right?"
After the end of the Vampire War at least a decade ago, the demon king Arteria was taken into custody by ‘Kathédra’, and spent a long life in captivity. After that, five years ago, she escaped from ‘Kathédra’ prison and fled to Labyrinth.
She was mortally wounded to the point of dying unless she sucked someone's blood.
"…Five years ago, in a corner of the Library Labyrinth, I met a wounded vampire who was hung, burned, battered and completely weary. I shared my blood with the vampire, and saved her from dying."
"…Aha."
"That vampire’s memory was cursed. Once I knew that she could only have three and a half minutes of memories, I took a copy of ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ out of Father's atelier."
"Hiha, hahaha."
"…When Father found out that I had saved the vampire, he tried to kill the demon. I pleaded so hard with him, and he gave me a condition, to put heavy protection upon the 'Vampire Tales'. The planned completion of that condition was to be October 16th, five years ago…my tenth birthday."
"Aha, ahahaha."
"…The ‘Vampire Tale In the Labyrinth’ was supposed to be a birthday present for me and the vampire. The Library Labyrinth's 'Silver Night' was to be born again, and become my friend on that October 16th."
"Ahaha, ahahahaha! "
"—Until Sōshi Okutsuki (me), whose memory was tampered with by ‘Kathédra’, wrote a command in the ‘Vampire Tales’."
In other words, the scenario writer was me.
Sōshi Okutsuki was the cause of the Father's death, Arteria's murderous acts, and this Sōshi Okutsuki loss of magic.
It’s very difficult to take the grimoire from either the True Ancestor or Doctor Magna, and the risk of failure was immeasurable. That’s why ‘Kathédra’ kidnapped me and wrote a deadly trap in my memory.
"I remember, the moment I received ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ from Father, with my own hand, I wrote ‘you will kill Kai Okutsuki’…and then the tragedy happened."
In other words, I was turned into a remote control for a biological weapon called the demon king.
By falsifying my memories and using the activate key to falsify the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’, they could use her, a dangerous vampire, as a bio-weapon without ever coming in contact with her.
This proves that our destiny has been rewritten by scenario writers since five years ago.
"I found the answer."
The truth of five years ago.
"Arteria, you were not the one who killed Father."
It was the demon king who killed Father, and it was 'Kathédra' who manipulated me to do it.
"Ah…ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"
"…So you don’t have to laugh anymore. You don’t have to feign insanity. I know it's a lie."
I hold onto ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’, and with a prayer, I order,
"Activate key Rz999f- [Destroy all tampered memories, ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth]!!"
With a crisp sound, the ‘book’ glows.
Numerous letters ooze from the pages that have opened by themselves, assimilating into the ‘night’, disappearing.
"Hahahahaha…ahaha, haha, ha."
The demon king's loud laughter stops.
Arteria, the strongest vampire, the talent eater,
"…Just, why?"
A tinge of sadness spills from her clear deep red eyes.
"Why…did you not kill me? If you do not…if you do not take away ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’, you will be swallowed by Altered Shock and die of madness!"
That was the torrent of emotions that Arteria had kept hidden for the past five years.
"Why …? Why did you not kill me when I was evil!? Why did you make me remember memories I do not want to remember? If you had killed me as I was, I could have died without sorrow!"
Arteria wailed. She believed herself to be the demon king of darkness, the natural enemy of humanity.
She decided for herself that disappearing from my side would make me happy.
"Five years…! I waited for five years! I was alone in the Labyrinth without you! I always wanted to see you again, spending these five years alone…! And now, we only have three days together!? Enough! What about my feeling!?"
Arteria cried out, bursting out of the tragic love she had been suppressing for five years.
"It is still fine if I had been the one who killed your Father! I would rather be killed if you can continue forth! But you say I am not the enemy!? That I have the right to be with you!?...No, I do not want that! I do not want to die, not without love!"
The vampire should have transcended death,
Yet she screams, fearful of death.
"…That’s what you said five years ago too."
In the dark depths of this Library Labyrinth, I met a demon with amnesia.
Amongst the death traps, the vampire wailed, saying she didn’t want to die, and I swore to her.
"That's why I made a wish, to be the one who could save you."
I would become a mage (Doctor Magna)—someone who could save Arteria.
"…I swore to become Doctor Magna not because Father was killed."
I open the cover of ‘Vampire Tales’ and flip to the very first page."
The sentence written there was my prayer of five years ago.
"I want to be the one who can save Al."— 1001pgs
"I fell in love with you, and that began this story."
Yes. I prayed to ‘be able to save others’, not because Father had been killed.
It was the day I found a wounded vampire in the dark depths of the Library Labyrinth,
The story of Arteria and I began to weave the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’.
"I prayed to the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ for ‘a spell that can save the demon king from the darkness’."
And the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ answered my prayer.
It implanted a trauma within me and sealed the Magitzkveins so that I would never be able to use magic for five years. All to ensure that Sōshi Okutsuki has enough mana to pierce the demon king's logic wall.
I went through trials and tribulations so that I could continue to sharpen my resolve for the next five years. That even if ‘Kathédra’ distorts the scenario, I wouldn’t give up on Arteria.
"And so, after five years, the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ led me to True Ancestor (you)."
—The ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ is a very ordinary story.
A boy loves a girl.
The boy wants to save the girl in trouble.
That’s all ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ is.
"For that wish alone, the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ wrote this character called Sōshi Okutsuki (protagonist)."
To save the vampire I fell in love with from the depths of darkness.
To protect Arteria from ‘Kathédra’, who is after the power of the High Daylight Walker.
To save me from the despair of my Father's death. From the ordeal of my loss of magic.
With Erika as the antagonist. With Calmia as the key to the past.
With the heartbreak of the demon king's betrayal. With the supernatural fictional world.
The ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ led Sōshi Okutsuki (me) to the end of a long, long story.
At this moment, in this place, at the end of this love story—
"Al. I came to save you."
To make my prayer come true.
After five years, the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ finally comes to an end.
The feelings that I couldn’t convey at that time, the love tampered with by ‘Kathédra’.
Can finally be written down in this story.
"I love you, Arteria."
The epilogue of this love story.
"Uu, ah, ah, ah..."
Clear drop spills from her eyes that are seemingly encased in fresh blood.
Arteria knew very well.
At this moment, now that my remaining memory is exhausted, the sequel to this love story will never come.
The Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth will soon come to an end.
"…! Uowaaahhh… waaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!"
The vampire looked up to the heavens and cries out.
Those aren’t tears of self-pity, but tears of sorrow lamenting the end of the Vampire Tales.
"…Arteria. Before I forget everything, there's one thing I need you to tell me."
I know. I'm sure Arteria feels it, too.
In a few moments, Sōshi Okutsuki's memory will disappear in madness, and be destroyed.
"…I love you. I love you more than anyone else in this world."
That’s why I have to ask. I need to ask this truth.
"So, please, Arteria."
I need to seek an answer to this confession of love.
"—Tell me you love me."
"…U, ahh."
Two vampires are trapped in a prison of oblivion, and yet there’s only one 'book' that can undo the curse.
Neither of us will survive unless one is killed.
"Answer me, Arteria, before death do us part."
We have to choose.
Which of us will survive, and which of us will die?
"H-How mean-spirited a fool, you are…!"
Step by step, I approach Arteria who’s sobbing and screaming.
"Ah yes, it is I who is in love with you! Maybe I am a fool at love just because I received some warm goodwill from you, and was lovestruck for five years!"
I step across the wreckage of the clock tower and the sea of blood, all to fulfill the oath I once swore.
"But even so…even so, I was elated! So much that I wanted to take revenge on humanity, that I wandered in the darkness, on the brink of death, yet you said to I— ‘suck my blood’!
For I who had nothing but enemies and loneliness, having experienced friendship and love for the first time…!
I have fallen helplessly in love with you! Is there a wrong with that?"
"Why would that be wrong?"
I gently catch the tears that are about to slide down her cheeks.
I then lift her chin,
"Because I can finally fulfill the vow that I made five years ago."
I take Arteria's lips.
Everything was foreshadowed from five years ago.
The ability to take away others’ abilities, sucking blood knowledge via bodily fluids, the fact that I had retained my humanity, the existence of two talent eaters, the trump card to beat the demon king, everything was foreshadowed in the love story.
I had lost my humanity and had gained True Ancestor-like Blood perception through memory tampering,
Arteria was mortally wounded, and her Blood perception has deteriorated to my level.
Thus, the exchange of bodily fluids through kisses continues to multiply my humanity and Blood perception to the utmost limit—
Life, humanity, and memories are given to Arteria,
While I take away death, vampirism, and oblivion,
By dividing everything into two, I can rescue Arteria from the prison of oblivion.
"…Powah!"
With the first and last kiss, the ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ comes to an end.
I took all the cruelty ‘to save Al’.
The darkness that looms, the memories that flow in, the death caused by rejection,
Are all sucked away by me, and I’ll die.
"…Goodbye, Arteria."
And so,
My story is over.
"Begin thawing of timed memory."
Click.
While on the verge of my dying thought, at the very end of a story that’s about to end, the sound of gears clicks.
"…Pfft. "My story is over!" you say. A fool you are after all... ♪"
"Eh?"
"Mufufu, good morning, you♪ Welcome again to the scenario writer’s domain (backstage) ♫ How does it feel to have deciphered the foreshadowing in the story, derive the truth of five years ago, regain your memory and magic, and to have rescued this Arteria? Is it a pity to simply die here?"
"Wa-wait a minute! Didn't I just die? I sucked away the oblivion curse of the True Ancestor, made you human, and died instead of you, right? How am I still conscious?"
"This is an afterword."
"Afterword?"
"Well, if the protagonist (you) dies, a sequel cannot be written and developed into a series. Besides, it would be boring to end with the death of the main character without clearing the loose end of the foreshadowing at, would it not?"
"Eh…th-the foreshadowing at the end, as in…?
"Yes, you have not solved this. The greatest and final foreshadowing in this story…"
"Who is the true scenario writer who has set up this story? "
"!!!?"
The moment you look up at the echoing voice, the ink-like black spots coalesce and form words in the void.
You understand intuitively. This is the other side of the story, the exterior beyond the fantasy.
This is the domain (notebook) of the scenario writer writing this novel.
"Eh…erm, sorry, what exactly is going on here…?"
…Good grief. Don’t you find this ‘a little too convenient’?
How do you think that you, ‘Kathédra’s remote control of the demon king, managed to escape Library City Alexandria? Do you think the people who killed your father would allow that to happen?
"Th-That’s…erm…"
Ultimately, it is strange that you met the True Ancestor (Arteria) and the Murderer (Erika) on your first day back here in Library City Alexandria, no? The probability of three people meeting by chance in the vast Library Labyrinth is almost zero.
It was only through a series of other coincidences, such as natural luck, that allowed you to save the True Ancestor, you know?
"Ehh…w-wait, were those coincidences set up by the scenario writer!?"
Yes.
The scenario writer took control of the True Ancestor's body, prevented you from being pursued by ‘Kathédra’, and got you out of the country.
The scenario writer sealed your memory and continued to store Mana in your Magitzkveins.
The scenario writer brought you despair and trained your spirit to overcome it.
The scenario writer brought you back to Library City Alexandria after five years.
The scenario writer lured you back to the Library Labyrinth and reunited you with the High Daylight Walker.
The scenario writer led Erika to encounter and kill you.
The scenario writer lured Calmia into action and had the former demon king suck her blood and memories.
The scenario writer had you take a course in magical theory, the scenario writer gave you bare-handed combat skills, the scenario writer allowed you to notice that you can extract blood memories through saliva, the scenario writer used the Badblood, the scenario writer prompted the revival of your magic.
The true scenario writer of this ‘Vampire Tales’ is the one who has orchestrated everything.
‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ is not just a series of coincidences. It is a foreshadowing of the inevitable, of the end and the beginning that the scenario writer has assembled.
The true scenario writer of ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’, the one who orchestrated this entire story, is—
"If a miracle should happen, may I be with Sō~shi forever, and ever."
"It was the Arteria five years ago who wished to live with you."
"…Ar, teria…"
"…You. wished for a miracle at the beginning of this ‘Vampire Tales’."
Arteria smiles wryly and tells you of her secret wish.
"f you and I, separated by fate, should one day cross time and distance and be reunited again in the Library City (Alexandria), and fall in love all over again."
On the first page of ‘Vampire Tales’ is a sentence that accompanies your prayer.
"If you, who have learned of my past, still say you love me."
It is the greatest foreshadowing inlaid in the story.
"Then for the ending of this love story,"
A true prayer sealed in memory tampering.
"May I live with you forever."
The fairy tale of love and miracles—
The first page in the beginning.
"…Sōshi, this High Daylight Walker's beloved kin, with whom I share blood and knowledge with…I love you, I love you more than anyone in this world."
In this story titled ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’, there is the final prayer of a vampire who truly loves a human,
"So please, at this very moment, answer me."
Arteria asks for your reply.
"Even if I lose my memory, will you tell me again that you love me?"
"…Of course, you stupid vampire."
You chuckle dumbfoundedly and look into Arteria's red eyes.
And in response to the High Daylight Walker, you pledge to this ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’.
"I promise you, Arteria, that no matter how many times I lose my memory, I will always love you."
Click.
The gear sound signalling the beginning echoes loudly in the scenario writer's domain (backstage).
"‘Activation key’ is authenticated. I shall begin writing the ‘miracle’"
The miracle that you and Arteria met on October 16th, five years ago,
Shall become the greatest foreshadowing of the love story that leads to the prologue of this ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ (story).
"The blood you granted to Arteria restores her memory and turns her human."
The sudden activation spell shall sudden chant destroys the bitter ending that would have killed the characters,
And overwrites it into a happy ending of deus ex machine.
"You have lost all of your falsified memories and have recovered from Altered Shock."
Thus, ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ leads to a miracle.
To the prologue of a love story that no one has ever imagined.
After reading the story so far, you have woken up from this fiction.
"…Whew, finally done with reading."
Slowly you open your eyes and see the classroom in the late afternoon. The noise of your classmates' ruckus saturating the room quietly returns to your hearing, which was once controlled by the ‘book’.
"…’Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’. A book that alters memories and the world."
The novel (fiction) that should have been before you a moment ago has vanished without a trace.
The scenario writer's domain has been replaced by the ‘Apothecary’ classroom, the ‘words’ have disappeared without a trace, and the excitement of the battle with the demon king has been quietly robbed by the wind blowing in from the window.
With the ‘book’ open, you sit with your elbow on the desk by the classroom window.
"…it's been a week since that incident? …Seriously, I got involved in the ‘Kathédra’ conspiracy and the threat of human extinction, yet I don't remember a thing."
By the time you woke up again from Altered Shock, you had lost all memory of the three days since your arrival in Alexandria.
All the externally written memories, the information in the ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’, had to be removed in order to save you from the Altered Shock.
These included the memories of Erika and your classmates, the memories of Library City Alexandria, and the memories of destroying ‘Kathédra’s conspiracy.
And also your love with Arteria.
"…Arteria."
You whisper the name of your love that has been lost from your memory.
There is no High Daylight Walker in the bustling classroom before Homeroom period. Nor is there a folded dress or a silver-white bat hiding in your robe hood.
As Calmia once said in ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’, vampires will be sentenced to death, so it would have been impossible for you to study with the most powerful bloodsucking species in Library Labyrinth.
If you hadn’t falsified your vampire nature in ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’, which you inherited from Arteria, you, who inherited the power of the strongest species, wouldn’t be able to escape execution either.
"…The thing Arteria gave me is still protecting me."
You touch the talisman on your chest and recall the High Daylight Walker.
The days passed without incident. You forgot about the burning of the ‘Library’, the collapse of the elevator, and the damage to the clock tower,
Even the conspiracy of ‘Kathédra’ and the crisis of the demon king's resurrection had seemingly never happened.
As you look at the little, yet commonplace warm daily life that you and Arteria have retrieved back—
You have a premonition.
"…Ah, Okutsuki-san, you look so happy."
"Hm, do I? You look kind of happy too, Erika."
You look up at the voice calling you, and see deep ultramarine eyes smiling at you. The battle burns she suffered in the 'book' seem to have healed completely by now.
"Fufhm? Well, I heard the reason why HR’s delayed today by Calmia-san."
"Nyafufu~! Everyone, return to your seats! I brought Teacher Yuzu with me!"
"Teacher is brought here! Everyone, please settle down! HR is about to start!"
"…Fufu, speak of the devil."
It's a premonition.
"Teacher will explain later, since there’s lots to prepare. Sorry for being late. This Teacher has been very busy and tired recently…"
"Ah, Teacher Yuzu, I can see the compress on your shoulder here."
"Here? Do-Don't look, Calmia-chan, no looking!
"…T-Teacher Yuzu, it's already past the start of HR."
"Ah, yes! Now then, everyone, let's start HR!
Now that all the pages of ‘Thousand and One Pages’ are used up, there won’t be a premonition of an end.
Instead, you feel that when ‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’ is opened, a miracle will surely be recorded.
It’s surely the beginning of a story.
" Let's start, shall we? A-chan! Please come in!"
"E-Excuse me!"
This voice echoes with a slam from the front door of the classroom.
The girl enters with her long silver-white hair fluttering in the wind, and gingerly ascends the podium.
"…E-Erm, what should I say…ah! Y-You, hurry and help I! I am not very good at this!"
The girl's crimson eyes wander, and once she recognizes you, she pleads you for help.
With a growing sense of foreboding, you answer your former vampire friend with a wry smile.
"Seriously, haven’t you practiced that? First you need to greet and introduce yourself."
"Ah, y-yes, that is correct! Y-Yes!"
The girl shows the brightest smile possible with her red cheeks, and loudly declares her name to her classmate.
"My name is Arteria! Unaccustomed to human habits am I, but please take care of I!"
Now then, let the love story begin.
The hero is a former human turned vampire, and the heroine is a former vampire girl.
The supporting cast includes a half-demon classmate, an easy-going cat-eared committee chairman, and a Doctor who looks ten years old.
The plot is a little clichéd, and the characters are still lacking,
The happiness between a human and a vampire who love each other will continue for a long time to come.
But surely the story will continue to get more interesting.
So let's continue to write this story until the pages run out.
"∞ Pages until Memory Loss."
‘Vampire Tale in the Labyrinth’, woven by you, recorded by I.
Afterword[edit]
Nice to meet you, my name is Sei Toaza.
I am really glad that you have picked up ‘Library Labyrinth’.
■To you who is thinking of reading this ‘Library Labyrinth’.
This ‘Library Labyrinth’ is not a book written to satisfy every reader. There are lots of pages, has lots of difficult gimmicks, and has a second person perspective. I would say this is a ‘book’ that chooses its people.
But if you have ever wanted to ‘go elsewhere’ in your life till this point, this ‘Library Labyrinth’ is the 'book' for you.
The ‘Library Labyrinth’ is a labyrinth of books, an archive where all kinds of books humans can imagine lie in slumber. It is a library of the gods where you can find any story, like the ‘book of the strongest vampire’, ‘a book of a half-blood demon’, or a ‘book of a boy who lost his memory five years ago’.
This ‘Library Labyrinth’ is ‘a certain place elsewhere’ that I wrote to fulfil my desire to "go to a certain place elsewhere’.
I did my best to write it just to entertain you.
I hope this Library Labyrinth’ be your ‘elsewhere’.
■To you who have just finished reading ‘Library Labyrinth’.
First of all, thank you very much for reading this a thousand and one page story.
This work is a medieval magic battle fantasy vampire romantic comedy Labyrinth second person meta novel, the complete distillation of a ‘a certain place’ elements that I wish to present. It will be great if it can slightly satiate your ‘certain place’, even if just a little..
This ‘Library Labyrinth’ is a revised version of the ‘Vampire Tale of the Library Labyrinth’ which was submitted for the 10th MF Bunko J Newcomer Award. I could not compress it to within 300 pages for publication however, and so MF Bunko J made an exception to the standard ‘580 yen + tax’ price when selling this book exceeding 500 pages.
“If there aren’t enough pages, why can’t we just add more?” The editorial department's idea, really was liberating.
Thanks to their support, I was able to write everything I wanted to write (↓).
I want to marry a silver-haired immortal loli hag. I want live in the relic library and read forever.
Mildly put, I love magic duels with lots of chanting and shouting. I want to write a meta-novel in second person.
I wanna lick Arteria’s ribs. I wanna write a story about overcoming and rewriting the despair of the past!
…Ahem, I suppose I have gone overboard, so let us stop now.
The ‘Last Prayer of a Thousand and One Pages’ of this work has ended, but as long as there are pages in the ‘Library Labyrinth’, Arteria and Sōshi's happiness will continue.
I earnestly pray that I may have another chance to tell the never-ending story to you again.
Acknowledgments
To Takeishi-sama, editor-in-charge, thank you for your continued support. Three years after my visit to your editorial office in 2014, ‘Library Labyrinth’ is finally published.
I was able to continue to work on the story despite the long days of revision and agony, because you have been conveying your passion to ‘create a better book’.
If you hadn’t been my editor, and if it hasn’t been MF Bunko as the publisher, ‘Library Labyrinth’ probably wouldn’t exist. I’m truly grateful to you for nurturing an inexperienced author.
I hope to repay this grace from Takeishi-sama and MF Bunko J editorial department by writing a better story. I look forward to your continued support.
To the illustrator, Shirabi-sama. Thank you very much for your exquisite and beautiful illustrations that allow us to imagine the inner world of the characters. The key visual of Arteria standing in Labyrinth with flying pages and the cover of High Daylight Walker weeping at the closed 'book' let me so exhilarated that I could not sleep at all that night.
Expanding the world of the Library Labyrinth with illustrations is a tall order, but you fulfilled that perfectly. Thank you very much.
Now then—
The ‘Library Labyrinth’ is a labyrinth of books, an archive where all kinds of books, as far as humanity can imagine, remain in. Please head forth into the world of ‘books that can rewrite memories’ that rest upon the endless bookshelves.
With the book that contains everything in your hands, go and retrieve your lost memories.
You open the cover of ‘Library Labyrinth’ and begin to read the story written in it.
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