I am pursuing the Masked Woman—no, I am chasing her.

  With [Falspeed], which I have improved over this half-year, I am not inferior at all, even against the acceleration Time-Space Magic she uses. Before long, realizing she was being pursued, she stopped and turned around.

  "You... Kukkukku. You have good courage to come alone. Since you're here, maybe I should finish you off right now."

  Her sneer and demeanor seem like evil itself, but to those who know her, it looks incredibly unnatural—though she probably doesn't realize it herself. Because that is not her true nature.

  Until now, I was half in doubt. However, due to this incident, I have finally become convinced. It was the truth I didn't want to believe, no matter what. I wished it were a lie if possible. Still, if it is a fact, I must confront her.

  Why did you become like this? And if possible, I want you to stop this and atone for your sins. Making up my mind, I confront her.

  "Why don't you stop acting like that already?"

  "Acting? What are you talking about?"

  To her, who feigns ignorance to the end, I strike at the core.

  "Because I know it's you—Karla-senpai."

  The moment I said that name, her body twitched.

  With trembling hands, she shifted the mask to the top of her head. From underneath, the familiar face of Senpai appeared. Sadly, the Masked Woman was indeed Senpai. She asked with an expression of disbelief.

  "Why... Why... How did you know?"

  I reveal the answer as if presenting a deduction.

  "The first sense of incongruity was during the Magic Tournament. Senpai, during the match, at the very end, you used a magic that should never be used."

  Probably feeling danger to her life from the power of our [Delrain], she must have used it unintentionally on the spur of the moment. It was a failure precisely because she is used to using it regularly.

  "Acceleration Time-Space Magic—[Chroluence]. It is one of the Lost Magic used most frequently by the masked group."

  Senpai presses on with a face showing she is not convinced.

  "Kuh. But that shouldn't be publicized anywhere in the world! There is absolutely no way to trace it!"

  "That's right."

  Certainly, this magic is not known to the general public at all. Moreover, its effect is hard to understand just by appearance. Therefore, unless one has seen it clearly once and investigated it thoroughly afterward, the true identity of the magic would remain unknown.

  "But I knew it. Because I saw my relatives being killed by the masked group right in front of my eyes a long time ago."

  "I see... So that was it."

  She trembles her shoulders with regret. It must be considerably frustrating that she was traced from such a trivial scratch. I continue with the answer checking.

  "However, if it were only this, it could have been a coincidence. Although rare, [Chroluence] has been passed down to a very small faction, even outside the masked group."

  When I investigated, I found that it should have been passed down to Senpai's family, too.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  "So, at first, I thought it was just that."

  "Right... That's right. Then why did you know it was me!?"

  Without dealing directly with Senpai, who raised her voice, I decided to proceed further.

  "The next inconsistency might not be directly related to Senpai. It is the murder incident that occurred on the morning of the second day of the Stardust Festival."

  "Wha—!? That too!?"

  Senpai was more surprised than I expected. Perhaps she was at that place.

  "I was watching that scene from a little distance. Lost Magic, Explosion Magic—[Corelkiras] was used. Wasn't it?"

  Senpai fell silent, unable to say anything. However, from the cold sweat pouring down her face, it can be taken as an affirmation.

  "This magic. Because it is inhumane, it was announced behind the scenes of the academic society fifteen years ago, and practical application was proceeding secretly in the military. There was a cover-up operation, so it was a little difficult, but upon investigation, it was immediately clear where it was restored."

  Senpai, still silent, was completely flustered. I thrust the answer at her.

  "Tor Guief Magic Laboratory. Commonly known as Guief Lab. Once I connected this, the suspicion became stronger."

  "Tsu~! That guy Vester! This is why simpletons are..."

  Hearing the attacker's name from Senpai's own mouth, she had essentially confessed.

  "Third. This is circumstantial evidence. Senpai always appeared wherever we went and meddled. Even though you were that close, you were always absent when we fought the masked group."

  "That is..."

  "Is that because Senpai was a human on that side?"

  When I said that much, Senpai dropped her shoulders as if resigned.

  "Why... Even though you knew that much, why didn't you do anything until now?"

  There is only one reason for such a thing! Because I...!

  "Because I didn't want to believe that Senpai was in the masked group."

  "Such a thing..."

  "Senpai's bright smile. Above all, every time I saw you treating us juniors warmly, I thought there was no way."

  "............"

  "I might be naive. Still, I wanted to believe in Senpai!"

  "Tsu..."

  "I hated the idea of directing suspicion toward Senpai by telling everyone!"

  When I declared so with sorrowful feelings, Senpai staggered slightly, distorted her mouth, and opened her eyes wide. Did she feel something? She looked down for a while. Then, she began to laugh loudly as if mad.

  "Ahhahhahahahahahahahaha! Naive! Naive! Too naive!"

  Leaving herself to rage, she rattled on.

  "You, Alice, and Yu—everyone is too naive! You guys don't have the self-awareness that you are defying us, do you!? Right!? Because of that, you are...!"

  What she really wanted to say was conveyed. As expected, there was a side in Senpai where she couldn't become completely heartless.

  Senpai had barely not quit being a decent human yet. Even if the sin is not forgiven, she is still in a position where she can return.

  "Finally, Senpai decided to try and kill us directly. I was certainly surprised for a moment that Senpai's own tent was targeted."

  Only at that time, I really thought she had died, though.

  "If I think carefully, it was a camouflage operation to avoid suspicion toward yourself, wasn't it? Senpai, too, must have vaguely realized, right? That perhaps, by any chance, you might be suspected. That's why you did such a thing, right?"

  "Yeah, that's right! Enough already, right? What do you want to say!?"

  Senpai was completely upset, revealing her true self, as if her calm and composed figure when wearing the mask was a lie. I ask. Before catching her, I wanted to ask no matter what.

  "Why did you stain your hands with such a thing?"

  Senpai answered resolutely with eyes hiding dark determination.

  "I have a purpose. For that, I don't mind any sacrifice."

  Being told so, I had only one idea in mind. Something enough for Senpai to throw away everything and sell her soul to the devil. That is—.

  "Is it about your deceased lover?"

  It seemed to have hit the mark. Senpai disheveled her hair and shouted.

  "So what if it is!"

  "No matter how much you wish, the dead do not return."

  These words seemed to have touched a part of Senpai that shouldn't be touched. Senpai shed large tears that I had never seen before and bared her emotions.

  "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! If I can't meet that person once more, there is no meaning for me to live anymore!"

  At that time, I understood clearly. That Senpai was taken in by Master Megil—no, that man's smooth talk. That she was used skillfully when she was despairing over her boyfriend's death.

  If so, surely neither Senpai's tragic determination nor the numerous evil deeds Senpai has done so far have any meaning. For Senpai's own sake, too, I have to make her stop such things quickly.

  However, sympathy for Senpai led to negligence. When I realized with a start, Senpai, while making her eyes bright red with tears, harbored a cold light deep in her eyes.

  "You knew too much—now, die."

  We finally caught up to the place where Milia was.

  I doubted my eyes at what was there. I didn't want to believe it. I inadvertently looked away. I looked once more. As expected, it was there.

  We were too late. I raised a wail.

  Milia had turned into stone.