There was no turning back now.
Lying in wait on the rooftop of a building across from Kojou Akatsuki, she checked her equipment once more. After confirming that "Sekkarou" was functioning properly, Yukina Himeragi took a deep breath, and her thoughts drifted back to yesterday.
"Miss Yukina Himeragi, we understand what you're saying. But have you considered this? We can help you once, maybe twice. However, as long as the source still exists, everything you do will be meaningless. More and more people will keep being sent out, and my partners cannot continue watching me waste the Mitsugoshi Company's funds…"
The jet-black-haired elf standing before her, bathed in the soft glow of dusk, looked at Yukina Himeragi with a gentle smile.
"If you truly want to help your companions, then you must be prepared to face the source directly. Otherwise, we cannot help you."
After saying that, Gamma stood up, walked past Yukina Himeragi, and with a wave of her hand, led the others out of the room.
President Gamma… what did she mean?
At the time, Yukina only half understood her words. Partly because she didn't have the time to think them through, and partly because she had a feeling the answer was something she wouldn't be able to accept.
It wasn't until later, after she went to the Lion King Organization's Itogami Island branch for help and was turned away, after everyone she could think of refused her, after she wandered back home in a daze with her heart full of despair, that she ran into Cid and finally understood.
"And then there's Rose. To keep her future inheritance from being divided, she tried to assassinate her fiancé. When that failed, she killed her own father. In the end, she even killed the King in her own kingdom, becoming a tyrant who stood alone against the world."
Yukina had no interest in power, nor did she possess any. But the story Cid-senpai told her about Rose left a deep impression.
If it's her… then I can do the same.
It was clear to her now. The power of the Fourth Primogenitor within Kojou Akatsuki was the root of everything. That very power had clouded the judgment of the Lion King Organization's higher-ups, twisting the organization that had taught her justice since childhood into something unrecognizable and leading them to make such outrageous decisions.
As long as Kojou Akatsuki lived, even if she managed to convince President Gamma to help pull Sayaka Kirasaka out, the Lion King Organization would only continue sending more Shrine Maids to his side.
She didn't even need to look far. Right now, Sayaka Kirasaka, who had been sent by the Lion King Organization to monitor Kojou Akatsuki, was someone who detested men.
Having grown up together, Yukina understood her personality all too well. If Sayaka Kirasaka were ever violated, she would undoubtedly choose to die together with the perpetrator without hesitation.
And yet, even someone like her had been sent here. That alone proved the Lion King Organization had no regard for their feelings.
If this continued, no one would ever find happiness.
So long as Kojou Akatsuki lived, nothing would change.
Only his death could restore the Lion King Organization to what it once was, the organization that upheld justice. Only his death could free Sayaka Kirasaka.
To save Sayaka Kirasaka, to save the Shrine Maids who would be sent in the future, and to restore the Lion King Organization, she had to kill Kojou Akatsuki.
Even if he had done nothing wrong, even if he was nothing more than an innocent victim caught up in all of this.
She still had to do it.
And once it was over, she would take her own life to atone for killing an innocent man for her own reasons.
Yes… that was the only way.
After all, Kojou Akatsuki carried the legendary, ominous power of the Fourth Primogenitor. And with his current weakness, it was only a matter of time before that power attracted those with ill intent and plunged the world into chaos. Since such a future was already a possibility, as the observer sent by the Lion King Organization, it was her duty to act.
Wasn't that the very reason she had been sent here? To monitor whether the Fourth Primogenitor posed a threat to the world, and to eliminate him the moment that threat became real.
So she wasn't wrong.
She repeated that to herself over and over. Yet the hand gripping Sekkarou continued to tremble uncontrollably.
Because this was the killing of an innocent person.
A truth that completely defied everything Yukina Himeragi had been taught since childhood.
Clenching her fists, she forced down the fear rising in her chest. Her gaze remained fixed on Kojou Akatsuki, lying unconscious on the hospital bed, as she waited in silence.
…
"Ahhh, Xenovia, look, look! My Excalibur is acting weird, it's glowing! What's going on?"
As if she had touched something hot, Irina Shidou hurriedly pulled a glowing white cord from her chest and shook Xenovia in a panic.
"I'm not blind, I can see it. Irina Shidou, stop shaking me. And didn't you notice? My weapon is glowing too."
Irritated, Xenovia pushed her hand away, frowned, and took out a similarly glowing sword from the long cloth case she carried, holding it out in front of them.
The glowing cord twisted and shifted, transforming into a longsword radiating Holy Light.
"This is strange… why is Excalibur reacting like this?"
They placed the two glowing swords side by side, both wearing puzzled expressions.
Excalibur, the legendary holy sword said to have been bestowed upon King Arthur by the Lady of the Lake.
It was said that at its peak, it possessed power comparable to that of a Longinus. Whether that claim was true or not, no one could say, and there was no way to verify it now.
That was because the sword had long since been shattered during the ancient War of Gods and Demons. The seven Excaliburs that exist in the world today were reforged through alchemy by humans who gathered fragments of the original blade.
Four belong to the Church, two were taken by Fallen Angels and Devils, and one remains missing. According to legend, if someone were to gather all seven Excaliburs, they could use a special method to recreate the original Excalibur.
Xenovia and Irina Shidou were the current wielders of the Church's Excaliburs. In theory, aside from their lack of experience compared to previous wielders, they should understand their respective Excaliburs better than anyone. Yet now, even they were completely lost.
Staring at the two glowing Excaliburs, Irina Shidou and Xenovia looked utterly confused. What was happening far exceeded their understanding. In fact, no wielder in history had ever encountered anything like this.
They carefully inspected their weapons from top to bottom, but found nothing unusual. The swords simply continued to emit Holy Light, neither conveying any message nor resonating with each other.
"Um… didn't you say there's a Child of God on this island? Maybe this is some kind of resonance between the Child of God and Excalibur."
A timid voice came from behind them, causing Xenovia and Irina Shidou to stop what they were doing. Their eyes lit up as they glanced at Asia, then at each other, before nodding in agreement.