Akabane family.

This mansion, which is home to all the clansmen of the Akabane clan, used to be brightly lit at night.

"Night is the time for mercenary activities."

With this in mind, even at night, the Akabane family can see people moving around.

Sometimes it's a collective gathering to rehearse the puppet.

Sometimes it's working on magic with your knees crossed.

Sometimes they are doing their own things in the room.

Sometimes they drink and chat, and talk about the world.

This is the situation of the Akabane family in the past, and if you look down from above, you will definitely be able to see a vibrant family base, not at all like a mercenary family licking blood on the tip of a knife.

Today, however, the mansion has completely changed its appearance.

I can't see people.

Invisible objects.

No puppets in sight.

There is no life in sight.

All that came into view was a raging fire.

Yes.

The entire Akabane family's mansion was on fire.

Under the extreme speed of the demon's flight, it didn't even take a day, and Luo Zhen, who successfully rushed back to the Akabane family at night, saw such a scene.

“————”

Looking at the dazzling fiery red, Luo Zhen's whole person fell into a trance.

Faintly, Luo Zhen seemed to see the scene when he was in Chaldea fifteen years ago.

At that time, under Leif's conspiracy, the control room was also in a sea of fire, and everything that came into view was as blazing as it was.

And for Luo Zhen, Matthew, who was almost the same as the most important person, was in that sea of fire, crushed under the rubble by the clods of concrete.

Could it be that after fifteen years, I will face the same disaster again?

"Damn...!"

Luo Zhen didn't even think about it, he jumped directly from the back of the eagle and jumped down from the sky.

"Buzz!"

The telekinesis transformed by magic power suddenly acted on Luo Zhen's body.

After five years of training, Luo Zhen's "Mind Movement" has long been pure enough to wrap itself and fly with his thoughts.

Luo Zhen wantonly squandered his magic power, controlled his body with mental power, and fell in front of the gate of the Akabane family.

"Fire Rat Summoning!"

The crimson fire rat was summoned by Luo Zhen, bathed in flames, and jumped on Luo Zhen's shoulder.

Then, Luo Zhen rushed into the Akabane family, which burned into a sea of fire.

As soon as the flames that could even incinerate the human body touched Luo Zhen, the flash of the fire rat fur on his shoulders could only bring a warm feeling.

With the protection of the fire rat, it is impossible for the flames to cause harm to Luo Zhen.

Luo Zhen rushed into the fire so unscrupulously and entered the Akabane family.

…………

In the end, Luo Zhen ushered in the exact same scene as he saw in the control room in Chaldea at the beginning.

That is———— "purgatory".

"Bang..."

With a dull thud, the burnt charcoal wood fell from the ceiling and tumbled to the ground.

Luo Zhen stood in front of the gate of the Akabane family and saw everything clearly.

There were burning corpses in the fire.

There was blood on the ground that hadn't dried yet.

The remains of the dolls were scattered all over the ground.

There are many large holes in the wall, telling Luo Zhen that extremely tragic and fierce battles have been recorded here.

In the face of all this, Luo Zhen couldn't take a step anymore.

No way.

"You're too late, Narujin."

The familiar and unfamiliar voice came into Luo Zhen's ears, making Luo Zhen slowly raise his head and look ahead.

I saw that a handsome man in a kimono was slowly walking out from the depths of the sea of fire in front of him.

Familiar looks.

Familiar eyes.

Familiar temperament.

Familiar figure.

"Brother Tian..."

It's Akabane Tenjo.

However, this character that Luo Zhen felt extremely familiar with had unfamiliar feelings on his familiar face and familiar eyes.

That kind of feeling is called coldness.

That kind of emotion is called sharpness.

What made Luo Zhen feel even more unfamiliar was the thing behind Akabane Tianquan.

It was six girls dressed in ceremonial dresses, who were not touched by the flames, and their faces were all covered with veils with Chinese characters written on them, and their faces could not be seen clearly, giving people a mysterious and dangerous feeling.

The six girls followed behind Akabane Tianquan and walked out of the sea of fire together.

And in the hands of Akabane Tianquan, there is still a half-dead teenager.

"Lei Zhen!"

Amazingly, it is Akabane Raizhen.

"Hmm..."

At this time, Akabane Lei Zhen felt as if he had been severely injured, not only was his body covered in scorched black marks, but he was also scarred and half dead, and he could only let out a groan of pain.

For this important younger brother who has been taking care of him in the past, Akabane Tianquan not only carried him like garbage, but also said so.

"I didn't kill him, he hasn't killed him yet."

Akabane Tianquan confided indifferent words and threw Akabane Raijin out directly.

"Bang!"

Red Feather Lei Zhen suddenly fell heavily in front of Luo Zhen.

"Poof!"

A mouthful of blood spurted out of Akabane Raizen's mouth.

“……！”

Luo Zhen clenched his fists and did not rush forward.

“…… It's a shame that you can bear it. Akabane Tianquan was surprised, and as if he felt that this was the case, he said: "Although you have been very smart since you were a child, I thought that in the face of all this, even if you are smart, it is inevitable that you will be impulsive." ”

Indeed, Luo Zhen now has an urge to deny everything in front of him.

But...

"No matter how impulsive I am, what should happen will still happen, and nothing can be changed, so why should I be impulsive?"

Luo Zhen whispered such words as if he had killed all his feelings.

If he could, of course Luo Zhen wanted to stop everything in front of him.

But since the incident has happened, Luo Zhen can only bear it and save up his feelings and impulses.

In this way, they can be turned into power when it is time to vent.

This is Luo Zhen's approach, the more he faces a crisis, the more he can show his quality and ability.

"It's you."

That's all Akabane Tenquan responded to.

The "tendo" and "prodigy" of the Akabane family stared at each other in this sea of fire, one eye full of indifference, the other full of passion.

Then, the short Q&A began.

"Where's my father?"

"The corpse should be in the fire over there, with everyone in the clan."

“…… Did you do it? ”

"Yes."

“…… Why? ”

"You won't understand."

“…… Is it? ”

"Because you're only interested in your own practice, your horizons are too low to see things that are too high."

The two asked and answered very simply, one killed their feelings, and the other froze all their feelings.

And then...

"Where's Nadeshiko?"

Luo Zhen asked the last question.

In exchange for this answer.

"Dead."

Akabane Tianquan made a faint declaration.

"I've dismantled her and used her as a material to make six dolls here."

The six girls who followed Akabane Tianquan were all automaton dolls.

Moreover, it is an automatic doll made by Akabane Tenquan himself.

With the body of his own sister.

“…… I see. ”

Luo Zhen lowered his head.

On its body, a huge amount of magic power surged out.

"Wow!"

The huge eagle swooped down from the sky and poked out its sharp claws towards Akabane Tenquan's head.