"You're late to recognize it."
"......."
Enrite staggered back, unable to accept the reality.
There was no way Exceed Rain could have a consciousness.
It was just a Magic Sword that had corrupted countless lives, consumed by deep darkness.
"No... No. You can't be Exceed Rain."
"But I am."
"Then why did you cause so many deaths?"
"...I couldn't do anything."
"Don't lie! Acting ignorant won't absolve you of your sins!"
"Why are you only saying what you want? I told you, I couldn't do anything."
"You might have fooled Zion Laird, but you won't fool me! I'll destroy you right here!"
Enrite summoned El Tesoykve and pointed its blade at Exceed Rain.
But Exceed Rain, with an indifferent gaze, didn't move.
"Are you going to cut me down?"
"It's my duty."
"We're both primordial Magic Swords."
"...You should never have existed. Do you know how many died because of you?"
"Do you know how many you've saved?"
"What?"
"Don't ask me something you don't know yourself. I was trapped inside, unable to move freely like you. Why are you blaming me?"
Exceed Rain calmly responded, emitting a violet aura.
Enrite infused El Tesoykve with a sharp, silver energy.
Zion, who had been watching, finally spoke.
"Cardinal Serenine, please put away your sword."
"Why did you bring Exceed Rain? Now that it’s human, it will kill more people."
"Would you look again? You might feel something different."
Enrite followed Zion's suggestion and examined Exceed Rain's aura once more.
He sensed the deep, familiar darkness that had long opposed him.
But there was a subtle difference.
'It's not evil.'
Despite discovering this, he struggled to accept it.
Unlike before, the darkness lacked malice and desire.
It seemed as if the impurities had been removed, leaving only pure darkness.
"It's not an enemy. If it were, I would have noticed first."
Zion gently grasped Enrite's wrist, gradually applying pressure.
Reluctantly, Enrite lowered El Tesoykve.
"Cardinal Serenine, didn't you change after becoming human? Think of it similarly."
Even Zion didn't fully trust Exceed Rain.
Despite the similarities with Enrite, it was still Exceed Rain.
He decided to trust Exceed Rain's words based on his own senses.
"I don't want to hear that name anymore. Exceed Rain is the Magic Sword’s name, not mine."
"You can decide your name."
"Let’s see… I think Lesia would be good."
"…Lesia Serenine?"
"Why my family name?" Enrite asked, startled.
Lesia smirked, speaking in Enrite's voice.
"I'm your older sister, so I should use the same family name, right?"
"Who are you calling sister? Do you want to die?"
"……."
Zion glanced nervously at Enrite.
Enrite had never threatened to kill anyone before.
This showed just how much Enrite resented Exceed Rain and rejected the idea of being siblings.
"Kill me if you can. I won't die easily."
"Exceed Rain…"
Enrite tightened his grip on El Tesoykve, pouring out his magic power.
Lesia wiped the smile from her face, showing a stoic expression.
"I'll take responsibility for Exceed... I mean, Lesia. Can't you trust me?"
"Trusting you won't change the outcome."
"Think you can beat me?"
"I'll kill you right here."
The two began to advance, preparing their magic.
Zion stepped between them, raising his sword.
"Cardinal Serenine. I know I shouldn't interfere, but I must."
"Are you defending Exceed Rain?"
"Giving a chance isn't wrong."
Zion was confident in Exceed Rain's transformation after wielding it for so long.
Lesia Serenine had shed the malevolent aura and sought to live as a newly born human.
"Lesia, every Magic Sword user will recognize you. Cardinal Serenine and I know you well. We can't ignore your past."
Enrite and Lesia had opposing positions and goals.
If they didn't settle it now, conflict would continue.
"How can I prove myself?"
"Show you're truly human."
"Prove my worth?"
"Yes. Show you're Lesia Serenine, not Exceed Rain."
This method wasn't foolproof.
Lesia could hide her true nature temporarily.
But it allowed for close observation, making deception harder.
"That's difficult."
"It is. You just became human. Normally, you'd go through a growth process. You're still like a child."
"Uh… I don't understand."
Lesia smiled innocently, deep in thought.
Enrite saw this and felt an instinctive reaction.
'Is that… human?'
He immediately dismissed the thought, his gaze sharpening.
The opponent was the dark Magic Sword, Exceed Rain.
Even if it became human, its essence wouldn't change.
Whether speaking truth or lies, it must be eradicated.
'Older sister…'
Enrite repeated the word with discomfort.
They were primordial Magic Swords born together, technically siblings.
But now, discussing seniority seemed meaningless, and there was no sense of siblinghood.
It was just a being with an opposing essence.
'By that logic, I should be the older sister.'
When light shines, darkness recedes, brightening the world.
Life needs light to be born and thrive according to natural laws.
Though darkness is also necessary, light's value is inherently higher.
'I've been human longer.'
Enrite had existed as El Tesoykve's consciousness for a long time, recently becoming fully human.
This gave him greater strength and a true sense of ownership over El Tesoykve.
Considering all aspects, he saw himself as superior.
'Lesia imitated my appearance, so naturally…'
He questioned why he was thinking this way.
Perhaps he was entangled in trivial thoughts, clinging to meaningless details.
'Being called an older sister holds no benefit.'
But he felt a lingering attachment.
He had never been called or called anyone sister.
Only titles like White Apostle and Cardinal of the Kinesien Sacred Sect followed him.
'…Is this also a human emotion?'
It was a petty, meaningless thought.
It didn't matter who was older, and he didn't want to accept Lesia as a sibling.
Yet he was tangled in his own thoughts, fixated on the title.
'Maybe I should follow Zion Laird's advice.'
Enrite hesitated, then dismissed El Tesoykve’s form.
He didn’t believe Lesia’s words entirely.
He was merely reflecting on humanity from the perspective of a former Magic Sword.
"I'll watch you once. If you flee or act suspiciously, I'll kill you."
"I told you, I won’t die easily."
"If I kill you, I'll start by cutting off your mouth."
"You might die instead."
"Try it. If you can."
Enrite answered firmly, letting his magic subside.
Lesia observed him with a subtle gaze.
'He really hates me.'
Lesia had no intention of fighting Enrite.
Enrite was the primordial Magic Sword, a sibling born together.
Even if they fought, she wouldn’t aim to hurt him.
'…I wish that human could connect me with my sibling.'
Lesia recalled when El Tesoykve and Exceed Rain were wielded by the same human.
But it was always suppressed, never fully realized.
'Now, I need to cooperate.'
Lesia withdrew her magic, showing a sorrowful expression.
She needed to prove her worth, as Zion suggested.
Exceed Rain had caused many accidents and misfortunes.
Though it was separated from her will, she couldn’t deny responsibility.
'When will my sibling understand me…'
Near Arleard Fortress, Lychness Knights' camp.
Despite setting up the camp, it was mostly silent.
Oz was always cautious, and the knights conversed secretly outside.
Inside the camp, silence had become routine, and even Zion couldn't break it.
"Sister."
"......."
"I know you're angry, but you need to talk."
"......."
"This won’t change anything. You know that, right?"
"......."
After declaring she would leave the knights, Hanette turned away completely.
She talked with the Sylase knights and the Sentinels, but she wouldn't speak to Zion.
Zion was taken aback but kept trying, understanding her feelings.
"You said you'd leave the knights. So, your family's knights would leave too?"
"......."
"That means only I and my knights will remain. I'll be fighting alone."
"......."
"Fighting alone is more dangerous. Do you still want to leave?"
"......."
"Sister. Do I need to be at death's door for you to see me?"