Morning of the second day of the Stardust Festival.

  Alice and Milia were supposed to spend the morning together, but... Milia's figure was nowhere to be seen at the meeting place.

  "She's not here... Huh? Where did Milia go?"

  Alice was tilting her head alone.

  Going back in time a little.

  In the back of a deserted alley, two figures were talking. One was that Masked Woman. The other was a man.

  He had a sturdy build and left his short orange hair unkempt, letting it grow wild. He looked to be in his early thirties. From every single gesture, he gave off a rough, violent impression.

  He was Vester.

  The Masked Woman was in the middle of telling him the details of the incident they planned to cause on the third day of the Stardust Festival.

  "——And that is the plan. Do you understand?"

  "Yeah. In short, I just have to rampage as much as I can at the Coliseum tomorrow, right?"

  The Masked Woman was utterly exasperated. He understood less than ten percent of what she explained carefully to raise his survival rate even a little.

  "Did you listen properly? If you weren't like that..."

  Her words, spat out regretfully, seemed to displease him somehow. He suddenly flew into a rage. His appearance didn't look like a mature adult at all. It was like a thug.

  "What the hell!? You got a problem or somethin'!?"

  "No. I intend to trust your 'ability to act'."

  She gave up trying. If an idiot dies without thinking, he can just die on his own.

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  Vester didn't notice at all that the eyes behind the mask harbored a cold light of scorn.

  "That's right. Leave it to me! I'll take my subordinates and rampage, and report the war results perfectly to Master!"

  "I'm expecting it."

  There was absolutely no expectation in her tone.

  "By the way——it seems there is a rat."

  Saying so, the Masked Woman looked toward the entrance of the alley.

  Then, perhaps resigning himself, an elderly man appeared. He was frightened, but squeezed out his meager courage to burn the two into his eyes.

  "Hey, hey. Sneaking and eavesdropping ain't good, ya know~"

  Vester floated a cruel smile. The man turned his back on the two and started running without looking back.

  "Damn it! Masked Group! No matter what, I must report to the Magic Corps or Sword Corps...!"

  "I won't let you."

  When Vester held his hand over him, a huge explosion suddenly occurred at the man who had just left the alley trying to escape.

  BOOM!

  Its power was tremendous. His body was pitifully blown to pieces. Probably he couldn't even recognize the moment of death. Evidence that he was alive is already nothing but small fragments of flesh and bone, and a large charred mark.

  Complete and blasphemous destruction. Feeling the solid response, Vester smirked.

  "《Corelkiras》. With this thing Master gave me, I'm worth a hundred men."

  Against him floating an expression of pleasure, the Masked Woman was irritated.

  "Idiot. Think about how to kill. If you make such a loud noise, someone will come. We're leaving here quickly."

  "Tch. Yeah, yeah. Even though I was feeling good~"

  The two went further into the back alley and disappeared somewhere.

  At the moment the incident occurred, I happened to be a little away from the place where the explosion happened.

  That was dangerous...

  Because it was strange, I was following them wondering what it was. Although I completely lost sight of them midway. Instead, this...

  I crouch down at the charred mark and offer at least a prayer.

  If I had peeked at that scene. The one who died was——me.

  I feel like my legs are giving way. What kind of terrible face am I making right now?

  In the end, I didn't understand what happened. However, I barely heard the victim shouting, "Masked Group!"

  Masked Group.

  Their purpose is completely unknown. They are creepy guys where many members wear masks, use Lost Magic I've never seen, and conduct destructive activities and ruin raiding.

  They are also the hateful bunch who slaughtered my relative's family.

  Still, that explosion. That magic——.

  No way... It can't be, right.

  I left the place without being able to discard the terrifying premonition.

  After that, I reported this event to the Magic Corps just in case. But since I don't know the details, the investigation seemed likely to be tough. Unfortunately, it seems it will be dismissed as a common incident by the Masked Group.

  Because of this report, I was quite late for the meeting time with Alice. She complained to me, but when I told her this story, she turned around and worried about me earnestly.