That morning, the sky was so clear that looking up at the sun would dazzle your eyes. The wind was calm, making it a perfect day for a journey through the skies.

Although it was still early in the morning, Erica, Yuno, Ventus, Lilium, Vincent, and a small number of selected knights had already completed their preparations for departure.

All that was left was to board the merchant ship.

"Thank you for waiting. Please follow me and board the ship in sequence."

After completing the final checks for departure, the crew of the Santia Merchant Guild’s ship opened the gangway, allowing the knights to board first.

Erica and her party were preparing to bid farewell to the group staying behind in Travis, but there was one notable absence—Rainer.

According to Hugo and Francis, Rainer’s bed had been empty since dawn.

“Rainer isn’t here yet?”

“Yeah… I wonder where he could have gone…”

Colette, wearing a worried expression, seemed more concerned than angry about Rainer’s failure to see them off. She looked as though she wanted to rush out and find him immediately, timing be damned.

Recently, Rainer’s behavior had been far from his usual self, enough to make others uneasy.

“Last night, after dinner, he went out and didn’t come back until late,” Hugo said, crossing his arms and furrowing his brows.

As the eldest of the group, Hugo had been keeping a close eye on things. Naturally, he’d noticed Rainer’s odd behavior. In truth, Rainer was the only one who seemed to think he was acting normally.

“Boarding is complete. Is something wrong?”

Vincent, puzzled as to why Erica and her group hadn’t boarded despite being ready, approached and spoke up.

“It’s not a problem per se, but… Rainer—one of our companions—hasn’t been seen since this morning.”

“Ah, the red-haired one. I spoke with him briefly last night. He seemed troubled about something.”

“You spoke with him? What did he say?”

“It was a personal matter, so it’s hard to explain. He seemed worried about a friendship, so I gave him some advice based on my experiences.”

Vincent’s phrasing was likely his way of respecting Rainer’s privacy. Even so, Erica could guess it was probably related to Harold.

“Did he give you any hint about why he might disappear?”

“Not that I can recall… but it’s possible something I said influenced him.”

Without knowing Rainer’s thoughts, Vincent could only speculate. From what Erica pieced together, Rainer had gone out after dinner, met Vincent, likely talked about Harold, and returned to the inn late at night. Before anyone woke up, he vanished.

What did Rainer hear, and what was he thinking? There wasn’t enough information to determine anything yet.

Could Vincent, part of the Justus faction, have said something to manipulate Rainer?

But if that were true, would there be any reason to use such roundabout methods to sway Rainer alone?

If worst came to worst, Vincent might be an enemy, turning his blade on Erica or Yuno once they boarded the airship. Yet, if that were the case, why would he admit to speaking with Rainer and invite suspicion?

(There’s no point in overthinking this now.)

With limited information, Erica decided not to alter the plan based on speculation. Too many lives and parties were involved in this situation to act recklessly.

“…It’s time to leave.”

“Don’t worry about us. Leave this to us,” Hugo assured.

“Yes. I’m counting on you,” Erica replied, bowing deeply to her companions.

She turned on her heel and started up the gangway.

“Wait—wait a minute!”

A shout stopped Erica in her tracks. Turning back, she saw Rainer sprinting toward them, his red hair shining in the morning sun.

For a moment, she thought he’d come to see them off, but instead, he dashed past Colette and the others, running straight up the gangway.

“R-Rainer? What’s going on?”

Panting heavily, Rainer braced his hands on his knees to catch his breath. After a moment, he straightened up and, with unwavering determination in his eyes, said to Erica:

“I’m coming with you! I’m going to save Harold!”

His declaration caught everyone off guard. Erica had thought he was avoiding Harold, conflicted and unwilling to face him.

“Why this sudden decision?” she asked.

“...I realized I can’t stay like this. I have no idea what Harold is thinking, but—”

“That’s true…” Erica admitted.

Not even she understood Harold’s thoughts. It pained her that, despite her desire to be someone who could support him, she hadn’t been able to reach him.

“But that’s exactly why I have to figure it out. And to do that, I need to talk to him.”

His resolve mirrored Erica’s. Despite the fear of ruining their relationship, she had decided to face Harold directly. It seemed Rainer had reached a similar conclusion after his own struggles.

“That’s why I’m going. I still want to be his rival—and his friend!”

“Rainer…”

His strong declaration reflected his growth. The courage to confront his doubts and move forward was now evident in his posture.

“Sounds good to me. Go for it,” said Leafa with a smile.

“Yeah, that’s more like you, Rainer,” added Hugo.

“While you’re at it, give him a piece of your mind for worrying us!” Francis chimed in.

“G-good luck, Rainer!” Colette cheered.

Encouraged by his friends, Rainer boarded the airship without hesitation. At the top, Vincent stood waiting, observing their departure.

Rainer approached him and bowed deeply. “Thank you so much!”

“I didn’t do much. But I’m glad I could help you clear your doubts, even just a little.”

Their brief exchange hinted at the impact Vincent’s words had on Rainer’s decision.

“I couldn’t have done this on my own,” Rainer said earnestly.

Vincent smiled faintly. “I’ve had similar experiences in my youth.”

“Really?”

“Yes,” Vincent replied, eyes narrowing as he reminisced.

“There was someone I grew up with. A careless, unreliable drunk who everyone criticized. But without Cody, I wouldn’t have become a knight.”

“Cody…” The name struck a chord with Erica.

Cody had been the one to vouch for her during her struggles years ago. He’d supported Harold and opposed the death sentence issued against him, helping overturn it.

“So he was your childhood friend.”

“I see you’ve met him before.”

“Yes. He helped me a lot in the past.”

“Cody’s in Barston now. He’s hard to kill, so I’m sure he’s alive,” Vincent said casually. Yet, beneath his words, Erica sensed a sliver of concern.

“Yes, I’m sure of it,” Erica replied, offering Vincent a comforting smile.

◆

When Harold awoke, the first thing he felt was a deep, all-encompassing fatigue that clung to his body. This was followed by the pain caused by being bound in a kneeling position, his hands shackled with chains.

(This isn’t the first time I’ve been restrained like this…)

He didn’t want to remember it, but the memories were firmly etched in his mind. Compared to the last dungeon he’d been in, this place was brighter and cleaner—a minor improvement, perhaps. Yet, considering the man standing before him, even the most luxurious surroundings couldn’t elevate his mood from rock bottom.

“You’re finally awake, Harold,” came the man’s voice.

“And it seems you’ve developed quite the twisted hobby, Justus,” Harold shot back.

“Sharp as ever, I see. It’s reassuring that your mind is still functioning properly.”

The tone, the subtle movements—everything about him confirmed that this was the Justus Freund Harold knew well.

However, the body he inhabited was that of a girl, a child no older than ten. She was unmistakably Sara.

Harold couldn’t begin to comprehend what was happening. There had been no such depiction in the game. Still, with his knowledge of the original work and the current situation, he could form a rough hypothesis.

(Justus’s plan involves reviving Estel by extracting her astral form from the Star Core and synchronizing it with the vessel of a Star Child.)

Synchronization. That was the key. To extract Estel’s astral body, Justus needed to first synchronize his own astral form with the Star Core.

In essence, it meant transferring one’s consciousness or self-awareness into a vessel other than one’s own body. Describing it plainly, it was an utterly insane act. Even for a genius scientist like Justus, there was no way he’d perform such a delicate procedure without prior testing. A failure would render all his meticulous preparations meaningless.

(Which means he must have tested astral synchronization before…)

Using himself as a subject first. And before that, likely using others.

The result of those experiments, Harold surmised, was Justus inhabiting Sara’s body.

“How does it feel, inhabiting the body of a little girl?” Harold asked, his voice laced with sarcasm.

“It felt strange at first, but I’ve grown accustomed to it.”

(Grown accustomed to it…?)

The phrasing struck Harold. Justus made it sound as though he’d been synchronized with Sara for quite some time. However, Justus had existed in his original body until recently.

The discrepancy gnawed at Harold’s thoughts. He forced his mind, sluggish from exhaustion, to work, piecing together the fragments of information.

Just before Harold lost consciousness, there had been another person Justus was synchronizing with—a man who was no longer here: Cody Rujial.

The idea struck Harold like a thunderbolt. Could it really be possible? And even if it was technologically feasible, who would willingly perform such an act using their own body? The thought filled Harold with dread.

“Dividing… one’s consciousness…?” he muttered.

To Harold, it was an act far removed from sanity. Yet standing before him was a man who had long since discarded such trivialities.

Justus—now in Sara’s form—smiled, the expression disturbingly dark, as though embodying his own madness.

“Correct. A hundred points for you, Harold.”