Key

The beautiful tune of the piano and violin duet plays throughout my entrance into the hall. At the end of the hall, standing before the officiant, Elisabeth looks back. Her head is covered with a veil, but I can see her beautiful face despite it.

"Are you ready, Haruki?" she asks me when I stand by her side.

"Let's blow the roof off this chapel," I say.

She giggles. "Quite a weird way of describing this joyous occasion, don't you think?"

"I think it's fitting."

"Yes, it is indeed fitting. Let's blow the roof off this place."

I'm sure she understands the meaning behind my words. So, I take it your reply is a sign that you are prepared for anything I throw at you. Is that right, Elisabeth?

The officiant begins, "We are joined here today…" His voice is muffled by my intense focus on Elisabeth. I need to make sure I attack when she is at her most vulnerable. Elisabeth is just smiling with her eyes closed. I can't use that form now because it will only cause suspicion. She opens her eyes and moves her mouth. She's saying something.

"I do," she says.

"And do you, Haruki, take Elisabeth as your lawful wedded wife, to love and to hold, till death do you part?"

How fitting those five words are. 'Till death do you part,' indeed, death shall do us part. That is… your death will be our infinite passing Elisabeth Faith.

"I do."

"Now by the power vested in me. I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

I raise Elisabeth's veil. She closes her eyes, pecks her lips, and leans forward.

Something doesn't feel right.

I pull the officiant's head to obstruct her kiss. The guests become restless in confusion. 'Why would he do this?' is probably what they are thinking right now; however… They can't focus on that now. The officiant's head petrifies sending the crowd into a frenzy.

"My, my." Elisabeth wipes her lips. "How dare you refuse the Saintess' kiss? Haruki, I think you need to be disciplined by your new wife."

I jump back. "If my hunch was correct…"

I look back. The guests are confused. Not only because the officiant turned to stone. And not because Elisabeth and I are fighting. They are confused as to why they are here. "This is your magic, is it not, Elisabeth?"

"Lady Elisabeth… What's going on…?" One of the guests asks her. "Who is that man?"

So, they've completely forgotten about me. Nothing you or I say will mean anything, then. How are you going to play this, Elisabeth?

She smiles sinisterly as she looks in my direction. She stretches her arm out, "This man is a dangerous dragon. My citizens take shelter from this devil, who threatens our town," she commands.

The chapel becomes even more restless as the citizens flee in terror. "So, they believe everything their saviour tells them."

"Of course they do. If it were not for me then this town would have been a corpse wasteland. When the world turned against them, I appeared as their only saving grace. It is only natural that they believe their Oh So Godly Saintess, don't you think?"

"You're the vilest person I ever met. The reason the world turned against them is because you made the world forget they even existed. That is your magic. Magic that allows its user to peer into others' memories as if they're reading a book, Memory Magic."

"Why would my dear husband say such horrible things to me, I wonder?"

"So, I'm right."

"Yes, you're right. As you always are, my dear. But if I may ask, how did you figure it out?"

"I knew what your magic was ever since this morning. But when I heard that you predicted this day three years ago, I was confused. Memory Magic should only allow you to read past memories, yet you can read the future as well."

"You say that with such confidence. What if I predicted the future accidentally?"

"The chances of you predicting the exact future accidentally, when I was in Ragnarök, is zero. But it made no sense. My memories were altered with, so I knew for a fact that your ability was Memory Magic."

"And the conclusion you drew?"

"You can read the future. But the way you do it is incredible."

"And how do I do it?"

"Instead of reading the past, you read the future memories of people or objects. It's the most creative use of magic I've ever seen. But something is bothering me that I can't figure out. Why would you want to eliminate every other race from Leagard when you know they don't compare to any other race? If you want to build an army, you can easily build a powerful army of non-humans with your magic."

"You figured out so much already. I think you can figure this out as well."

She's not making this easy. But she's right. "Humans are weak, that much is true. But they outnumber every non-human race. With their fickle minds, you can create an army of billions. You're striving for quantity over quality."

"Wow, you really figured it all out. I'm quite surprised. Just one question…" Her eyes shoot a glare colder than Elliot's, "Who helped you?"

"Who's to say—"

"Don't lie to me, Haruki. There was a shield protecting a portion of your memories. Knowing your current capabilities, you shouldn't know how to shield your mind from my magic. Yet, there exists a barrier capable of blocking me. Was it that fallen?"

"Fallen? I don't know who you're talking about but yes, I had help. She was a five-year-old—"

Elisabeth's eyes leap past an icy glare into a death stare, with her abundance of mana pressuring me. "That… girl…" she says, outraged. "She always gets in my way. Even now." She looks at me, then bursts into laughter. "You should see your face. Her interference may annoy me, but it only exists as a supportive aid. You cannot defend against me. Not yet, that is."

"Is that so? We'll see how true your—"

Before I could finish my sentence, my mind blacked out.

***************

"Hey, Haruki."

"…"

"Heeeyyyy, Haaarrruuukkkiii!! WAKE UP!!!!"

"Don't shout. I can hear you."

"Are you down in the dumps? Is it cause you got creamed," she snickers.

"Why did I come back here? No, why did you come here, Elisabeth?"

"This will be the last time we meet like this." Her usual cheerful tone is now sombre. "Haruki, I want you to save me."

******************

I slowly open my eyes. Where am I? It's dark.

"Haruki!!! Hey, Haruki, are you awake!?!?"

This voice…

"Niklaus… Ivy and Selina as well…? What happened…?"

"That's what I want to ask you. What happened after we were separated?" asks Niklaus.

I explain everything I experienced and learned in the last few days.

"Memory Magic… So, that's how she defeated me," says Ivy.

"So, she even defeated you. I guess it's impossible for us to defeat her after all," says Selina, defeated.

"No… there is one way…" I say.

"What is it?" asks Ivy.

"Ivy, do you know where we are?" I ask her.

"No, I was unconscious when they brought me here. But Selina might know."

I look at Selina, "So?"

"Somewhat. It was dark, so I don't know the exact location."

"An estimate is all I need."

"I saw a forest," she says.

"A forest?" asks Ivy, surprised.

"Do you know where we are now?" I ask her.

"It's possible that we are in a monastery in the Forest of the Missing Emperor."

"Did you get that… Louisa?"

"Louisa!!" screams Niklaus. "Did you just say Louisa? Hey, Haruki, are you talking to Louisa right now? Hey, answer me!!"

"Niklaus… shut up… for a moment…"

<Yes, I got it.>

"Good… Come quick…"

<You don't sound so good. Are you ok?>

"Better than… when you almost… killed me…"

"Hey, Haruki, let me speak to Louisa!!"

"Sorry… this is a power… I just learnt… with more… practice… I can let you… speak to her… For now… be patient…"

<Was that Niklaus? Hey, Haruki, tell him something for me…>

"I… understand… Niklaus… Louisa said… you will not see her… today… or anytime… soon… So… don't get… your hopes… up…"

"Louisa…"

"So, what is she going to do," asks Ivy. "It's not like Elisabeth will just let her waltz in."

"She sent… one of her spirits… to aide us…"

"Haruki are you ok?" asks Selina. "You're pale. And it looks like you are struggling for breath."

"Right now… I am protecting… a certain someone… from Elisabeth…"

"A certain someone?"

"I don't have time… to explain right now…"

<HARUKI!!! Stop resisting me!!! Let me get a hold of that little brat!!!>

Sorry, but… I won't… allow you… to touch… Elisabeth…

<Don't make me come down to your prison cell, Haruki. I won't show any remorse, even for my husband.>

Scary… however… it's too late…

<Too late? What do you—>

Sorry, darling, I had to cut our connection. The reception here is terrible.

The cell door opens, and a small fairy appears from beyond it.

"Are you… Ice?" I ask the little fairy. It nods its head. "Good… Can you… help us out here…?" The fairy flies to our chains and starts freezing them. Although I can easily break out of regular chains, these chains were made with mithril. A material stronger than diamond. Even with my strength, I can't break free from these chains, especially while I place all my concentration on protecting Elisabeth.

The chains freeze to their core. I rip them off and say, "Let's make… a break for it…"

"What about Elisabeth?" asks Selina.

"Don't worry… someone has her distracted…"

Meanwhile—outside the cathedral

"Where did all these spirits come from? AARRGGHH!!! Haruki!!! You will not escape!!"

"Sorry, but Haruki is busy right now. I can't allow you to come face-to-face with him at this moment."

"You… You are…?"

"Hello, Elisabeth."

"Why are you helping Haruki?"

"Because he interests me."

"Haruki is my prize. I will not allow anyone to touch him. Even if it's you, Hafiz."

"If you keep showing that scary face, no man will want to marry you. That aside, do you really believe you can defeat me, Lil Elisabeth?"

"Your win over me five centuries ago was a fluke. It will not happen again."

*************************

After escaping from the underground prison, we make our way to the upper parts of the monastery.

"Hey, Haruki, where are we going?" asks Niklaus.

"Ivy… you told me… you saw a sealed door… right?"

"Yes, it was in the northern area of the monastery. Judging from our surroundings, I would say we're fairly close to the sealed door."

Before my connection with Elisabeth was cut, she told me something. In the monastery, deep in the forest of the Missing Emperor, there is a sealed door. The seal was placed there by a powerful shaman she once knew. It was to protect Elisabeth from the imposter Elisabeth. I don't know the full story, but apparently, only my magic can lift the seal.

After a few corner turns, we arrive at the sealed door.

"This is a divine seal," says Ivy. "A powerful one at that. It cannot be easily broken."

"Then how do we break it," asks Niklaus.

"We use a key," says Ivy.

I walk forward and place my hand on the seal. I start pouring mana into it and the seal starts to dissipate. Everyone looks at me, surprised.

"What did you do?" asks Ivy.

"I just used the key…" I push the door and it creaks open. As I take a peak into the room, my jaw drops in shock. "What is this…?"