The Executioner and Her Way of Life, Vol. 5: The Promised Land

“Common courtesy…” Naturally, the Master was unmoved by Akari’s protests, only repeating the phrase in a mocking tone. “Don’t go spouting off about manners, kid. An Otherworlder like you wouldn’t know the first thing about what’s common here.”

“Well,
I
don’t want to hear about manners from a kidnapper, so there.”

Master Flare did not seem bothered by Akari’s anger. “I don’t see why I should have to be considerate of someone I kidnapped. More importantly, you tried to use a conjuring just now, didn’t you?”

“So what if I did?”

Akari quickly covered her finger.

A few days ago, Akari was captured by Master Flare and brought here to the holy land. The memory of trying to use a conjuring only to have her index finger broken by the woman in front of her was still fresh in her mind.

That painful experience was somewhat traumatic for her. No matter how many times she had turned back time, Akari was still just a girl from Japan who was far from immune to agony or fear. She never felt anything when Menou killed her, so she hadn’t had many chances to get accustomed to the sensation.

“Wait, were you spying on me? Yikes, creepy. So that’s where Momo gets it from.”

“Don’t blame me—Momo’s bad habits are all her own. In fact, if anyone’s the root of her behavior, it’s Menou. For a useless apprentice, she does have a remarkable knack for charming other people. Personally, I don’t get it.”

Evidently, even Master Flare was offended by baseless slander, judging by the scowl on her face. Maybe she carried some bad memories of trying to keep Momo under control.

“At any rate, you can’t use conjurings here, so don’t waste your energy trying. The holy land is made up of conjured barriers. Normal conjurings are one thing, but Pure Concept ones are severely reduced. This cathedral’s especially good at keeping everything inside it shut away, too. That window there might look like glass, but it’s actually part of the barrier. You can see through to the outside, but no one outside can view you.”

“Wait, really? Hang on, Pure Concept conjurings are weakened…?”

“Damn right. Especially Concepts of Original Sin and Primary Colors. Any monsters or conjured soldiers that depend on conjurings to keep them alive can’t enter the holy land. They’d die as soon as they did.”

“I dunno about monsters and conjured soldiers and all that, but…aren’t Pure Concepts super-strong conjurings? I remember Menou telling me it’s impossible to seal them.”

“She’s never been in the cathedral, so she doesn’t know about this, simple as that. Besides, think about it. This isn’t the first time your conjurings haven’t worked properly, is it?”

“Um…”

Searching her memories, Akari did find a few hints.

Pure Concepts were powerful conjurings. They possessed greater potency than any other conjuring, but there had been a few times when Akari’s didn’t function correctly.

Namely, during the battle in the old capital Garm and the fight against Pandæmonium—any time her strength was set against another Pure Concept.

“You mean when Pure Concepts clash, right? But that’s not like this at all.”

Hearing this, Master Flare threw back her head and laughed.

“Yep, you got it. This time’s no different.”

She confirmed and denied Akari’s statement at the same time.

Unable to understand her meaning, Akari blurted out something in anger. “If you can nullify Pure Concepts, I wouldn’t be able to revive myself, would I? That doesn’t make any sense. Why not kill me right now, without using that stupid Sword of Salt?”

“The power is limited, not completely unusable. That automatic
Regression
would likely still trigger. Although it may not be as effective as usual. Care to test it?”

Master Flare drew her dagger. Looking at the blade, Akari drew back and covered herself defensively.

Apparently, the threatening gesture had been a joke, for the Master stowed the dagger as quickly as she had drawn it.

“Honestly, I think it would even be better for you if you perished here and now…but I’m under no obligation to do anything for your sake. The whole point is to have you turn into a Human Error and run wild.”

“…But why would you want that?”

If the Pure Concept of an Otherworlder like Akari went berserk, it could easily cause destruction on a continental scale. Pandæmonium, who they’d encountered in the southern port town, was proof enough of that.

So why would they choose such a risky method? Akari didn’t understand. “And why do you have memories of other time loops anyway?” she pressed.

Master Flare didn’t answer. Instead, she threw out an unrelated question. “Akari Tokitou. Do you want to go back to your own world?”

“Back to Japan? No, not really.”

“Why not?”

“Because Menou wouldn’t be there, of course.”

Confused by the sudden line of questioning, Akari nevertheless answered honestly.

She may have come from Japan, but she had no desire to go back at this point. After all, Akari had used her Pure Concept conjurings too much and had lost most of her memories of Japan. Her attachment to her homeland was all but gone.

All that drove Akari now was her recollection of the journey with Menou she’d repeated since they first met.

On top of that, Akari had recently learned of the sacrifices needed to send her back to Japan. The ritual demanded countless lives, enough Guiding Force to exhaust a civilization, and the creation of a conjuring circle that would carve out a portion of the continent. A large-scale world conjuring. That was the nature of the ceremony to send someone back to the other world.

Akari had no desire to produce so much destruction that it would essentially ruin the world. Besides, Menou was here, not in Japan. There would be no point in such a tremendous cost.

“Then what would you do if you were unintentionally separated from an irreplaceable friend, kept apart in different worlds?”

“From Menou, you mean?”

“…It could be anyone. I’m just asking what you would do if you were just living your life when suddenly you got torn apart from your friend.”

“Hmm…”

Akari folded her arms again as she considered the inquiry.

If she was separated from Menou for no good reason…

“I guess…I’d search for a way for us to be in the same world.”

…she would probably risk her life to find a way to be reunited. It wasn’t a question of whether that method existed or not. The possibility that it didn’t wasn’t nearly a good enough reason to give up on trying to see Menou.

On hearing Akari’s answer, Master Flare’s lips curled in genuine displeasure.

“…You people are so damn persistent.”

“What are you talking about…?”

“Just a bit of insurance. You wouldn’t understand right now, even if I told you. And should you figure it out later… Well, it’ll be no skin off my back. That’s the kind of thing I’m talking about.”

“I don’t get it.”

“That’s because you’re an idiot. You never consider the why or attempt to change your way of thinking. That’s how you end up repeating the same things over and over.”

Flare wasn’t Akari’s parent or teacher. Her prickly words only came off as an unwelcome lecture.

Why should Akari have to suffer this chiding from the very person who’d kidnapped her? The girl puffed up her cheeks and looked away.

Her averted gaze landed on a balcony, and her expression softened.

A setting sun. A room where she was being held captive. A hopeless situation, even if the conditions weren’t bad.

By pure chance, it happened to bear some resemblance to the predicament Akari had found herself in when she had first been summoned.

“You think she’s coming for you?”

The sharp-eyed Master Flare had evidently picked up on the Otherworlder’s change in expression. She didn’t specify a name, but it was obvious who she meant.

It was a jab aimed straight at Akari’s weak point, and she hesitated to respond.

“I… Well…” Unable to answer, she trailed off into silence.

What did Akari want Menou to do? What did she want her own fate to be? Akari had lost all sense of direction.

If Menou came, she would inevitably have to fight Master Flare.

And what would follow?

Akari knew the answer all too well. How many times had she seen Menou perish before her eyes? Menou couldn’t defeat her Master. It was a truth Akari had witnessed countless times, an ending she couldn’t avert.

Then should she give up on this loop and use
Regression
now that Menou was going to oppose Master Flare?

It was certainly an option, but a part of her hesitated.

Akari had already expended most of her memories of Japan. The fearsomely powerful World Regression that turned back time to the moment she was summoned consumed a great deal of her recollections in exchange. If she turned back time again, she would lose memories from after she came to this world—experiences with Menou.

Akari was very much opposed to that.

And there was something else, too.

“You spoke to Menou before we came here, didn’t you?” said Master Flare.

Akari’s shoulders trembled.

At the end of their conversation, Menou had promised to retrieve Akari. She was going to come to kill Akari. When Akari had seen the look in Menou’s eyes, she understood there was no stopping her.

That gaze, gentle and calm yet full of unshakable determination. Beautiful enough to make one fall in love, yet fragile enough to shatter at the slightest touch.

Right before Master Flare took Akari away, Menou had said to her,
“Be a good girl and wait for me this time, understood?”

And Akari had replied,
“I’ll be waiting for you, Menou.”

Her reply should have been
Don’t come for me
. If she truly wanted Menou to live, Akari should have allowed Flare to slay her. Once Akari perished, there would be no reason for Menou to get herself killed.

Akari dying to Master Flare was the way to save Menou. Then why had she wished for Menou to chase after her?

Master Flare hadn’t been present for that conversation, yet she must have deduced it to some extent, for she went on. “Lucky you, getting your precious friend to recognize what you’ve been doing. Must feel good for someone to finally acknowledge what you’ve struggled with alone all this time, hmm? Someone recognizing all that time you’ve repeated must have been far better than suffering in solitude.”

She put a hand on Akari’s shoulder in a seemingly kind gesture.

Goose bumps formed on Akari’s skin. Master Flare had done nothing, yet this was far more terrifying than being menaced with a blade.

The red-haired woman was right.

Akari had truly been happy when Menou finally saw what the girl from Japan was doing after so many loops.

“I don’t really care if you want to turn back time again. Although I imagine that’ll erase the one version of your friend who actually gets you.”

If she used
Regression
now, Akari would never be able to meet this Menou, the one who truly understood her, again.

“It’s a miracle that you even got her to comprehend this one time,” remarked Master Flare. She was digging at a fear Akari hadn’t even been aware of. The woman’s lilting words flowed in through Akari’s ears and tangled around her brain.

“Are you really going to erase the Menou who recognized your efforts?”

Akari’s eyes widened.

It finally made sense.

This woman had only allowed her time to say good-bye to Menou so that she could use it against Akari now.

“…You devil.”

“Ha!” Master Flare threw back her head and laughed. The darkness visible within that wide-open mouth was as the bottomless pit of hell.

“Me, a devil? Don’t be absurd. Every time you repeat this sequence of events, you put Menou to death yourself. You let her die to me, or Orwell, or something else, consuming a little more of the world every time. Your selfish ways have twisted not only Menou’s fate but the fates of everyone who lives on this continent.”

Master Flare released Akari’s shoulder. A faint warmth remained for a long time, not unlike a burn. It slowly spread through the young woman like blood seeping into a cloth.

“You’re something else, Akari Tokitou. The lives you’ve thrown off course far outnumber the people I’ve killed. As a villain, I’ve got nothing but respect for you.”

With that, Master Flare walked out of the room, leaving Akari dumbfounded.

Having leveraged her insurance against Akari, Master Flare walked through the hall of the cathedral.

“After all that, I doubt she’ll use World Regression at the last minute.”

Akari’s Pure Concept posed a problem for Master Flare, too. Naturally, the girl’s ability to turn back time and revive rendered any physical attempts at killing her useless, but her
Time
conjurings could also affect space, with potentially disastrous results. Akari would continue to wield that power to restart everything until she finally became a Human Error.

Since physical restraints were meaningless on Akari, the best way to hold her was by using an emotional trump card like Menou.

“This is why kids with nothing but a special ability are so easy to handle.”

It was clear who Akari cared about most, thus manipulating her was simple.

The size of Akari’s attachment wasn’t just due to an excess of love. All the effort, time, and pain she’d built up for Menou’s sake… Tangible or not, the more she invested in this cause, the stronger her sentiments became. At this point, she would stick with it no matter what, even if it grew big enough to crush her.

In order to weigh Akari down and stop her from making progress, the best thing to do was keep her torn between saving Menou and being killed by her, never allowing the girl to choose both.

“Sure would be easier for her if she just broke loose.”

But they’d prepared these choices for Akari to prevent her from doing just that.

Flare descended the stairs, her shoes
clack
ing. One’s footsteps tended to echo in this quiet building.

There were very few people inside the cathedral of the holy land, a structure which could be dubbed the center of religion on the continent. Since it was formed from conjurings, there was no need for physical maintenance or repair. Only the most tight-lipped priestesses and those directly connected to the Elders were permitted inside, considering the many secrets the place housed.

The cathedral’s perpetually barren state was reminiscent of a ruin. Although it was beautiful, without the slightest trace of decay, the artificial edifice lacked human warmth, giving a cold impression.

It was impossible to tell from the outside what anyone was doing within. Those forbidden from entering via the barrier perpetuated all manner of rumors about it.

Some believed the cathedral had a ceremonial hall for maintaining the holy land.

Others claimed you could meet the Lord described in scripture in a deep section of the building.

More asserted that the powerful decision-making body known as the Elders gathered in the cathedral.

These were all likely founded on made-up stories, yet they sometimes struck surprisingly close to the truth.

Was this proof that not everyone could be trusted to keep a secret, or that even far-fetched conspiracy theories hit the mark once in a while?

Regardless, only a select few were privy to the whole story.

If a normal person glimpsed the interior of the cathedral, they’d undoubtedly be astonished.

Coming down the stairs, Flare left the north tower where Akari was being held and entered the nave, the main hallway that ran through the heart of the structure.

A high ceiling and a long, straight hall. Despite being shaped like a place of worship, what was contained within was decidedly different.

The interior was a train station.

The pure-white platform, the kind you might see in any little town, occupied the entire span from the south transept to the north one. The windows of the steeple at the intersection bathed the seemingly impossible terminal in light.

From where Master Flare was standing, she couldn’t see the area beyond the transept intersection, where the chapel and pulpit ought to be. She knew something even more absurd than this ridiculous train station lay there, but she had no intention of investigating.

Master Flare stepped onto the train station within the cathedral. The priestess in the station building at the center of the platform noticed her and gave a little nod.

Made of white brick, the platform was about ten meters wide and a hundred meters long. There were wooden benches at regular intervals and even a two-story station hotel in the middle. The presence of a yellow line before the edge of the platform was so utterly ordinary that it drove home the surreality of the structure’s presence within the cathedral.

There were no trains in sight at the unusual, single-line, one-way station. The railway inside the cathedral didn’t connect to the outside. Instead, the exit of the transept seemed to vanish into a glowing disc-shaped door of golden Guiding Light.

This was one of the three hidden features of the cathedral that had existed since the time of the ancient civilization—the Dragon Gate.

An ancient relic, it possessed the ability to convert anything that passed through the glowing gold door into a being of Guiding Force, send them along the channels of power, then reconstruct them in physical form at a chosen destination. To put it simply, it was a hidden feature of the cathedral that could
Teleport
people and things to any destination connected to the earthen vein.

Master Flare knocked lightly on the station building window. A timid-looking priestess in glasses poked her head out.

“Hooseyard. I’m leaving the cathedral for now. Give me a path to my monastery, would you?”

“Y-yes, ma’am. Just a moment, please.”

The girl looked not much older than twenty, yet she was the sole person in charge of travel into and out of the cathedral.

The grand building had no physical door. Instead, this young woman worked in the station building under the approval of the archbishop, controlling the Dragon Gate to transport people in and out. Without her, entering and exiting the cathedral was virtually impossible.

Flare sat down on a bench as she watched Hooseyard establish the conjuring to prepare an entrance to the Dragon Gate. Someone was approaching from the inner sanctum, the opposite end from the nave that Master Flare had entered from.

She raised an eyebrow at the appearance of one of the few people permitted within the cathedral. The woman was hunched and wrinkled with age, her hair turned so white that it was impossible to guess its original color. By all appearances, she was a powerless crone, yet the rage burning in her eyes betrayed no weakness. As soon as she arrived in her resplendent archbishop robes, Hooseyard straightened up with a squeak.

Archbishop Elcami. Unlike most of the Elders, the Magician held a very prominent position in the Faust.

She played her role as protector of the cathedral well.

“Stand.”

The very first word out of her mouth was an order.

Seemingly unbothered, Master Flare rose to her feet.

Society was divided into three castes, but the Elders were a special group outside of all that. It was no exaggeration to say that those people who could not be put into any category were known as the Elders.

Their true nature lay not in differences of strength but of essence. Because of the unique characteristics they all shared, they couldn’t stand forefront on the stage. Some were secluded, others operated in secret, and a few wandered as vagrants.

Elcami was unique, as she held the position of archbishop of the Faust.

There were precious few Elders capable of operating in the public eye. Her position, age, and power were all higher than the others. She had every right to give orders, and Master Flare had no particular reason to waste time defying her.

“I received a report from my subordinate. The assistant priestess known as Momo has requested lodging in a nearby monastery.”

“Oh-ho.”

Flare felt nothing upon learning of Momo’s returning. If anything, she was more impressed that an archbishop like Elcami would have any awareness of such a low-ranking member of the Faust.

“What of it?”

“She has a traveling companion, but it isn’t the priestess called Menou… It’s Ashuna Grisarika.”

“I see.”

Since priestesses could send messages through their scriptures, sharing information was fundamental to them. There were fewer overall members of the Faust than the other castes, but they made up for it in many other ways to establish their superiority.

This seemed appropriate timing for Momo to come to the holy land. If she was accompanied by Ashuna Grisarika, Menou must have chosen to travel alone. Flare had a good guess of what her former pupils were plotting.

Undoubtedly, Momo thought only of helping Menou.

It wasn’t Momo who concerned Elcami, however.

“Flare. Tell me what you’re thinking. There must be some reason the youngest princess of Grisarika has arrived at a time like this.”

Her caution wasn’t exactly unfounded. Flare understood why Elcami was asking about Ashuna instead of Momo.

Grisarika Kingdom, the major kingdom farthest from the holy land, was difficult to control for numerous reasons, both geographical and historical. In particular, the Elder in Grisarika Kingdom, Guardian, had an acutely repulsive quality about her.

The Elders were all deviants in one way or another, but Guardian of Grisarika was indispensable in keeping the erosion of the eastern Wild Frontier in check. This simple fact complicated the power structure among the other Elders.

However, Master Flare had no interest in the disputes between Elders.

“She probably timed it to meet the runaway princess. The Guardian of Grisarika has a certain attachment to the Princess Knight.”

“Is that really all?”

“Grisarika isn’t going to act. Not yet, at the very least.”

Flare’s answer didn’t erase the suspicion from Elcami’s voice. The Elder had to be very anxious about this. As Elcami rose further to the top, she grew less capable of trust. Since becoming an Elder, she was constantly haunted by worries that her subordinates might know her true identity. The old woman was ever on the alert, fearful one of the other Elders might stab her in the back.

“Is it possible that your successor, Flarette, has disguised herself as Ashuna Grisarika? As I recall, you were the one to alert me that this Menou girl might attempt to take back Akari Tokitou. Of all the repeated loops of World Regression, she betrayed the Faust no small number of times, correct?”

“I would certainly hope my apprentice wouldn’t be stupid enough to waltz right up to the holy land looking like that.”

Master Flare’s voice was devoid of interest as she made a statement that happened to be dead wrong.

“Well, pinch her face or something to be absolutely sure. That’ll prove whether it’s Guiding Camouflage. I’m almost positive it’s the real Ashuna Grisarika, though.”

Elcami was an exceptional conjurer, but she understood her skill as a strategist was lacking. It was why she peppered Flare with inquiries.

“…The return of the Lord is at stake here. I want to do our absolute best to remove any uncertainties. That means the Grisarika problem as well as any other rabble.”

“That’s…fair enough.”

The return of the Lord. It was the cause of the complications around dealing with the Pure Concept of
Time
. Were it not for the connection to the Lord, Master Flare would have killed Akari Tokitou and Menou that very first time.

“Coincidentally, I’m rather invested in the success of this so-called return of the Lord, myself.”

“This is a once-in-a-millennium chance to change the entire continent. Minor interferences cannot be permitted.”

“Miraculously enough, I feel the same way.”

How long had it been since Archbishop Elcami and Master Flare agreed on anything? This could very well be the first time such a thing had occurred. Elcami didn’t look too pleased about it, however.

“If you were going to infiltrate this place, how would you do it?” she asked.

“You mean how would I neutralize the barrier around the cathedral, get inside, and somehow secure Akari Tokitou from the north tower and escape alive?”

“Exactly.”

“Impossible. I wouldn’t attempt that alone.”

The archbishop’s eyebrow twitched.

“…So you’re capable of admitting something is impossible, hmm? Even knowing the layout of the cathedral and the workings of the entrance?”

“Knowing how it works is why I’m so confident it’s impossible.” Flare rapped lightly on a nearby wall. “Besides, the holy land technically isn’t a town. It’s a gigantic conjured barrier. And getting into the cathedral itself is especially difficult.”

Flare nodded toward the timid priestess holed up in the station building. There was no physical door into the cathedral. The only way to get in or out, even from a short distance, was by using the Dragon Gate. There were a few places where one could peer through the windows from the outside, but the panes were barriers—impossible to open or shut. It truly was impregnable to all.

“Why make the attempt when entry is genuinely impossible?” Flare remarked.

“I thought it was your creed that there are always any number of methods? Would you not at least try to get someone to collude with you?”

“If I needed a coconspirator to get into this place, let’s see…” Master Flare met Elcami’s gaze as she pondered. “I suppose if I could ensnare someone with your level of power, then a break-in might finally be worth considering.”

Perhaps taking it as an accusation, Elcami glared at Master Flare, the wrinkles around her eyes deepening.

Coercing an archbishop like Elcami to your side was a highly unrealistic scheme. Aiding an intruder offered nothing to one of her position.

“Is there nothing else? I certainly hope you’re not trying to protect your successor.”

“Me, help her?” Flare’s eyes widened in mock amazement. “That hadn’t even occurred to me. I guess you really do need to be open-minded to become the archbishop, eh? I’m envious that you can conceive such ideas. Is having a wild imagination the secret to a long life?”

“Enough!” The archbishop’s sharp rebuke made the air crackle with her rage. “Don’t get smart with me, child. There are plenty of replacements for someone like you! By my reckoning, you’re still not proficient enough with conjurings to be permitted into the cathedral, yet you weaseled your way in here with your impudent ways…!”

“I’m fully aware of my standing, don’t worry.”

“Then act accordingly!”

Master Flare wasn’t a special conjurer. She was far from the status of an Elder. If she fought the old woman before her head-on, she would surely lose in no time.

“Need I remind you the Akari Tokitou situation is your responsibility? Do not fail me. I must focus on protecting this place of worship.”

Ending the conversation there, the archbishop walked away.

She hadn’t changed one bit. Why couldn’t she ever relax in the slightest when she was undoubtedly one of the strongest conjurers on the continent? Flare watched the old woman walk away radiating anger and distrust.

“…I guess she’s stressed from negotiating with the ‘Lord’ and the Elders.”

Although Elcami was an Elder herself, she still maintained some degree of common sense, which definitely made things challenging for her.

Hmm.
Master Flare went over their conversation in her mind.

Infiltrating the cathedral. That would certainly be impossible for Master Flare. For better or worse, the Elders were far too aware of her existence. She couldn’t possibly make a move when they were all so leery of her, especially Elcami.

But if Menou were to try…

Since she had yet to build up enough accomplishments to earn wariness from the Elders…

“Eh, she could probably do it.”

Every individual’s position was unique. There were some things that might be impossible for Master Flare but not for Flarette.

But she had no intention of reporting that fact or doing anything about it.

Flare wouldn’t stop someone from committing a taboo. Prevention was not her duty.

She only needed to eliminate anyone who became taboo.

It was adhering to that rule that had made Flare into a legend.

If Menou betrayed the Faust and infiltrated the cathedral, Flare would cut her down. In the unlikely event that she didn’t come, Menou’s life would continue.

There was no need to think any more deeply about it than that.

Perhaps noticing the conversation had ended, Hooseyard peered out from the station building.

“Um, the exit is ready, if you wouldn’t mind proceeding through.”

“Great, thanks.”

Confident in the inevitable way of things, Master Flare kept moving forward.

High-class and haughty, born as a princess but raised as a strong-minded knight, Ashuna was quite unaccustomed to having her cheeks pulled.

The perpetrator was the adorably petite Momo, who had to reach up to grab the unusually tall Ashuna’s face. For some reason, when they sought lodging in the monastery, Momo was instructed to “pull on the cheek of your traveling companion.” Naturally, she put on a show of reluctance before gleefully acquiescing, wearing the biggest smile she had in days.

“Theeere, how’s thaaat?”

She was clearly pleased. In that moment, nothing seemed more entertaining to her than pinching Ashuna’s smooth cheeks and stretching them out.

Meanwhile, Ashuna seemed less than satisfied with the situation. Evidently, even someone as magnanimous as her was bothered by having her face pinched for no readily apparent reason. She crossed her arms and scowled with a certain threatening air.

“A-all right, thank you. Follow me…”

The director of the monastery looked terribly uncomfortable as she communicated with someone via scripture conjuring. She led the two arrivals inside, indigo robes swaying, and she appeared quite conscious of Ashuna’s silent show of irritation.

There was a dining hall, a shower room, and a private room for them on the second floor.

Following the tour of the available facilities, Momo glanced down at herself.

After the game of chase with Ashuna, her white priestess robes had been muddied almost beyond recognition. On top of that, her body was still shivering from the rain.

“I’d like to wash my clothes once I’ve had a shower. Could I trouble you for soap and a bucket of water?”