Norla was being suppressed by Ruslan.
"That guy... was actually that strong?!"
Fujimaru Ritsuka stared at the massive sword wreathed in flames, his breathing growing heavy.
Based on his previous assessment of Ruslan, the man was terrifying in both speed and strength, but that sword...
And earlier, hadn't he used some kind of ability very similar to Miss Lawrence's?
"You've heard the name Ruslan before, haven't you?"
Since Napoleon had promised Norla, he had no intention of interfering, but his expression was anxious as well.
"...I have."
Fujimaru Ritsuka nodded.
At first, it had been during the Ocean Singularity.
Lawrence had encountered Oceannus in those chaotic waters and held a secret conversation with him. Ritsuka did not know what they had discussed in detail, but he had indeed heard the name Ruslan.
Later, in the North American Singularity, he learned the truth about the annos from Xiang An and Lawrence, and learned that such a strange group had existed in this world.
In short, based on the information Fujimaru Ritsuka had learned—
Ruslan was a very abnormal figure.
During the lives of every anno, there had been a Ruslan at their side. His true name might have varied slightly, but he had certainly existed.
There was one for every single one of them, and they had all been quite close to the annos.
Anno's butler, Lawrence's servant, Sakumura's doctor, Oceannus's companion, Norla's hope, Xiang An's uncle, Annanu and Enkidu's subordinate—things like that.
They were close, but if one had to say whether they were important or not, aside from Oceannus's case, they did not seem particularly important.
Unimportant, yet extremely close people. As if he had deliberately been observing something.
Those were Lawrence's exact words.
It was not only the annos. Others who had spent time with Ruslan remembered him