The Talisman That Can Break All Spells

But his heart was fragile. The one who had defeated him stood right before him!

That was her—Sieg!

The Talisman of Breaking All Laws

As Sieg's sword pushed back, Amakusa seemed unable to hold on any longer.

Amakusa, who should have been able to defeat Sieg without question, was now unable to move his sword even an inch.

"How could this be..."

Amakusa Shirou did not understand why he could no longer exert any strength. Victory was clearly within reach, so why could he not bring his sword down?

"Because you're afraid. You're afraid that I'll defeat your convictions, that all your power will vanish like bubbles and your wish will disappear into smoke. You're afraid that what you have always believed in will turn out to be wrong in the end, that all your efforts were nothing but empty words. You're afraid that, instead of the ideal world you claimed to desire, you'll receive a future you cannot predict. A future like that—you've realized you might not understand it, that it might stray completely from your expectations..."

"No. You inferior homunculus—shut up!"

In Sieg's eyes, Amakusa Shirou was now full of openings.

They were not openings caused by a weak sword, insufficiently refined swordsmanship, or a lack of strength. They were openings in a heart on the verge of collapse.

Pressing the advantage!

"So what if that future strays from my imagination? The Third Magic is unquestionably humanity's future. Even if what I'm doing may have diverged somewhat from my original intentions... no, I merely hope for humanity to move toward a better future." At last, Amakusa Shirou's sword regained its strength, pressing fiercely against Sieg's blade.

Sieg nearly forgot to breathe.

All she knew was that he was clearly about to lose, yet he stubbornly refused to admit