Lately, the number of crows in the royal capital has been increasing.

It was because the sanitation had worsened somewhat over time.

Among the people of the royal capital, more and more had begun to flee the city.

As for me, I had already intended to return to Heaven.

That was why I hadn’t been paying much attention to the kingdom’s sanitation management.

(Even so, would they suddenly gather here like this? Drawn by corpses……? No— that’s not it.)

Crows do not recognize a Sacrament as an “ordinary corpse”.

Besides, when a Sacrament dies, it dissolves.

No corpse remains.

Then———– could it be that the enemy has suffered enough casualties for the crows to swarm?

No, that doesn’t seem to be the case either.

If they were gathering across the entire royal capital, that would make sense.

But here———–

There is no reason for them to gather here.

I turned toward the source of the presence.

Up above.

From the second floor that overlooked the courtyard……

Winged Demi-Humans appeared.

(Harpies?)

They carried box-like objects in pairs.

Every one of them wore an expression of utter resolve, ready to die.

That’s something I could tell.

(That sound…… so it came from those……)

One side of each box was covered by a lattice.

Inside the lattices were several crows.

I prepared to shoot them down.

But once again, Ayaka got in my way.

(You are such an unbearable nuisance……!)

A faint cracking noise, almost like a small explosion, was coming from her.

She was surely doing something reckless———— even more so than before.

Her face did not change, but the sweat pouring down spoke volumes of the strain she was under.

Her breathing was ragged.

She couldn’t seem to summon many floating weapons either.

The silver knight she had conjured during her battle against Wormungandr, she hadn’t recreated it.

(Most probably……)

That must be because maintaining the strength of her silver sword, the one she was clashing against me with, required sacrificing the rest.

She had to preserve just enough strength to fight me evenly.

Meanwhile———– on Seras Ashrain’s side……

At last, the tide was beginning to turn against her.

It went without saying, it was her side that was losing ground.

Just a little longer, and my clone would surpass her.

(And then———)

Looking to the side———- I saw new reinforcements arriving, also wearing first-version Fly King outfits.

Several of them were also carrying boxes.

They placed the boxes on the ground.

(Those are smaller than the ones the Harpies carried……)

The latticed sides opened with a clack.

There, crows were released.

The Harpies above did the same, freeing the crows from their own boxes.

(Crows…… what are they planning? They wouldn’t do this without purpose…… What are they aiming for……!?)

Some of the other Harpies carried cloth sacks.

From within, they scattered something……

From the sky, toward this courtyard……

That’s certainly worrying.

[ ? ]

And then I saw what had been strewn across the ground.

What was that?

Food———– bait?

[……………………]

Crows flooded into the courtyard.

Caw! Caw!

Their cries grated against my ears——— shrill, unpleasant.

……Yet, they didn’t recklessly peck at the food scattered about.

Crows are intelligent creatures.

They must have sensed that this courtyard was a dangerous place.

They were wary of getting caught up in the crossfire.

But they also had no intention of leaving.

Yes———- they watched closely, as if waiting for a dying human to breathe their last.

Like vultures.

Cawing harshly, the crows hopped from railing to railing along the second floor.

From window to window———–

The crows flew about.

(Crows…… familiars……)

That’s right.

That familiar I killed in the castle……

It had taken the form of a crow———–

No. That wasn’t it.

———–The Forbidden Race.

Yes…… the crows……

I remember now.

(Some of them…… yes, a portion of that race…… they can transform into crows……!)

[Kuh……!]

One among those wearing the first-version Fly King outfits is one of the Forbidden Race. 

Now———- a new possibility has been added to the equation.

Not one of these people in the first-version Fly King outfits……

But one of those crows among them.

One of them could be the Forbidden Race.

(But while transformed, they shouldn’t be able to use the Forbidden Curses. And to activate one, they would need an Azure Dragon Stone——— a primordial catalyst……)

A catalyst required for invoking power close to that of the Origin Spellcraft.

Azure Dragon Stone was one such medium.

They likely had a secure supply of those stones.

No doubt the Beauty Emperor had been quietly collecting them for some time.

(……Come to think of it……)

There had been a time when the number of Azure Dragon Stones across the continent suddenly dropped.

I remember that.

When their numbers increase, it’s troublesome.

But when they decrease, it’s no issue.

Still, I had ordered an investigation, to see where they’d gone.

And yet, their trail was never discovered.

———–Well.

I thought it wouldn’t matter, so long as the Forbidden Race were annihilated.

If the root was cut off, that would be the end of it.

(………………….)

Could it be that Mira had already been gathering Azure Dragon Stones even back then?

(If so, though, there was remarkably little record of their trade or exchange……)

And yet, a fair number of stones had been confirmed to exist.

[…………………..]

(……Crows huh.)

Could those birds even grasp an Azure Dragon Stone in their claws?

Could they chant———– speak words while in that form?

No…… they would revert somewhere, release their transformation at an opportune moment———

When my attention was divided.

From one of the second-floor windows, an arrow of condensed mana was fired.

[————Annoying.]

I struck the arrow down and erased it.

Then, I cast a glance toward its origin.

There stood a blue-skinned Centaur, holding a magic bow.

[So you mean to provide cover huh———— how insolent.]

If only my range were greater.

If only my organs weren’t sealed.

I might have extended these arm-blades further……

Increased their number……

Or reshaped my arms into a form capable of long-range attack.

[————–]

(This sound———–)

A third Sound Orb……!?

(Kuh……)

What does it signify?

Is this the signal———– that they’re about to move?

Or is it a meaningless act, meant only to confuse me?

(…………………..)

If I cannot decipher the meaning of the signal……

If only I could understand what it indicates————

Then the sound itself serves only to disorient me.

Therefore———–

The Sound Orbs no longer matter.

Caw! Caw! Cawww!

Gritting my teeth, I could hear the sharp grind echo in my mouth.

How———- utterly noisy.

Those cries……

They sounded like the wails of those black-winged Forbidden Race.

As though the souls of those I had slain clung to these black creatures.

Their wings fluttered with that grating buzz.

Crows……

Just like flies———– Such vile, inferior beings.

A ringing filled my ears……

Noise.

Overwhelming noise.

————-Calm yourself.

Focus your awareness.

————-It’s alright.

These sound around me———-

It felt like it was fading away.

————-The one who will win…… is me.

Those people in the first-version Fly King outfit……

All at once, thrust their arms forward toward me.

……It’s coming.

I can sense it.

The distance———– the range of the Forbidden Curse.

I can see it.

I can feel it.

I can tell everything.

My safe zone……

I trace it in my mind, drawing it out in a long, steady breath.

At this moment———–

I———- let out a deep breath.

Over there.

————-Thud!————-

My arm-blade———- pierced straight through Ayaka’s chest.

[——-gh…… kuh!]

A thin line of red trailed down from the corner of her lips.

Now, across my skin———-

Black cracks——– no, protruding black lines were spreading.

[My hatred for you…… may have been what led me to the “next” stage.]

You were……

Too hateful, too obstructive.

[You did well enough until now……]

How unfortunate.

This is the end———–

[Die, Aya——— [Binding Curse————

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