Published at 18th of January 2020 10:51 pm

Volume 5, Chapter 3: The Demon Lords of Calamity Start to Move

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

That day in Kreuz, the Dancing Ocelot welcomed a single customer. She was a young woman with a slender physique, garbed in travel clothes. From her neck, an amulet with a winged-horse design dangled down her chest; it was the same as the design on the flag hanging outside of the Ocelot.

The woman was Sylvia, who was now officially a priestess of Akhdar.

It wasn't just the owner, Kenneth, who greeted Sylvia. The group of

regulars had also gathered, starting with Sylvester.

"I think there's no mistaking that Latina's disappearance has something to do with her old home." With an intelligent light in her blue eyes and not faltering at all at the sight of the rough-looking men in front of her, Sylvia spoke her thoughts. "I checked with Rudy, and he said that was almost certainly the case. Right before she disappeared, Latina made contact with one of those devil travelers. And it seemed like she was acquainted with him."

"If I recall correctly, Latina came from Vassilios."

"Just to be safe, we should also look into devil settlements in other regions, too. After all, the little lady didn't know much about devils in general, much less her old home."

Kenneth spread out a map. With that before them, they started exchanging information.

The most famous place where the devils dwelled was the nation ruled over by the First Demon Lord, Vassilios. The nomadic people led by the Sixth Demon Lord and the settlement of the Third Demon Lord, who coexisted with the merfolk, were known to be especially large. Smaller settlements were also dotted throughout the world, including some that were adjacent to Laband.

"There's something else that's worrying me. That'll require waiting on a reply about something I requested of Rudy, though... so I'd like a little more time to look into it."

Hearing that, Kenneth gave a nod, seeming like he remembered something. "Now that I think of it, I heard a rumor that worried me... I'll gather some information myself."

To an Akhdar priestess like Sylvia, the current lack of information gave her an objective to strive for. For a disciple of Akhdar, something proving difficult wasn't a reason to give up. Rather, that just made it all the more worth pursuing.

By comparing their information, they could find a hint that could prove essential to finding the missing Latina. Each time somebody made a comment, they wrote down a note in small letters on the spread-out map. After everyone's comments were laid out, Kenneth brought his right hand to his brow as if to massage out the wrinkles forming there and said, "I don't know where Dale is right now, but I'm sure he's causing some sort of incident." He said that because on the day that Dale left, there was that much of a dangerous air about him.

There were all sorts of things he wanted to ask Dale, but ever since he went flying out of the Ocelot, Dale hadn't sent them so much as a single letter. And even with the sort of customers they had at the Ocelot, it was near impossible to get in contact with someone without knowing their location.

"You can use my connections, too. When there are places that are hard to visit alone, Little Miss Sylvia, I can talk some adventurers into acting as your guards." Sylvester said that because he had an idea of some assets outside of his personal fortune that could be put to use.

Dale and the couple running the Ocelot weren't the only ones who had watched over Latina as she'd grown up. Including Sylvester, a number of people who could be called celebrities even here in Kreuz had done so. In this prominent town of the nation of Laband, there were many folks who could be classified as wealthy. Even collecting what would just come to a minor amount for any individual in that group would result in quite a sum. And even if it wasn't in the form of a monetary donation, there were many adventurers who would be willing to take on a request ignoring the profit in it for them, if it was for Latina's sake.

Her natural virtue led to her even being called the "Platinum Fairy Princess" and had earned her a place close to the hearts of many of Kreuz's adventurers. She was truly loved by a great many people.

"At any rate, I'll have to go check out Vassilios directly," Sylvia said, before heading out on her journey from Kreuz.

She started taking action, doing what she was able to.

After that, Sylvia periodically sent information back to the Ocelot. Day by day, more dangerous elements started to get mixed in alongside the other information that gathered in the Ocelot as a base of operations for adventurers.

The Demon Lords of Calamity had become active in various places throughout the world. Up until now, they had followed their own principles to carry out acts heinous enough for them to be called disasters for the world. But those acts were carried out over such a long period that these "natural disasters" were forgotten from time to time in the midst of everyday life.

However, they had suddenly all started acting at once.

Sealing away the Eighth Demon Lord had unleashed the Demon Lords of Calamity. The Eighth Demon Lord was an absolute restraint on them created by the gods of the seven colors. And yet, they had eliminated her by their own power.

Even the gods lacked the power to remonstrate them. That fact caused them to feel more almighty than they had since they became demon lords. The Demon Lords of Calamity now felt free to wield their power as they wished. They were grasped by a feeling of affirmation, that they were able to do whatever they pleased.

And as a result, as if playing with toys, these demon lords who found pleasure in destruction had assaulted the world.

The Second Demon Lord, also known as the demon lord of slaughter, had sunk a town into an ocean of blood in a single night. That repulsive demon lord who found joy in granting death unto others and the utmost bliss in murder, had reaped countless lives with her own two hands.

In their assault, the forces led by the Seventh Demon Lord trampled down a great many people, crushing them completely. For this demon lord who sought war, a reason to cause one wasn't necessary. He didn't care about the results, either. His own army invading a nation and changing its borders was a trivial thing to the demon lord.

Even a large country like Laband faced disaster at the hands of the Demon Lords of Calamity: the Fourth Demon Lord corroded part of their territory.

One day, with no prior notice, the Fourth Demon Lord came to a corner of Laband and started spreading magical element so thick her retainers' powers didn't even compare. Fitting of that demon lord's other name, that sickness brought death equally to all living things, be they man or beast.

Normally, this menace would reach all the way to the center of the nation. Magical elements could not be seen, making for a truly abominable calamity that could spread in the blink of an eye. That the damage was confined to a single area spoke to the nobility and excellence of the one ruling that land.

That land was the territory of the grand noble family of Laband, the house of Eldstedt. The eldest son of the prime minister, the duke, continued to give orders for the sake of his territory and the nation until the very end, even while being afflicted by magical elements himself. Because he was no ordinary man, he managed to contain the threat of the Fourth Demon Lord, even if it was just temporary.

But even though Laband was a large nation, if they fell prey to further such attacks, they'd suffer a blow so great it would endanger their continued existence. Those circumstances were nothing special, though, for a demon lord capable of destroying a country.

It was necessary to eliminate the Fourth Demon Lord immediately. With their dignity on the line, the nation of Laband formed a subjugation force to repel this calamity.

This demon lord had appeared before them like despair incarnate. That menace threw the hearts of the people into chaos and robbed the soldiers who served the nation of their fighting spirit.

It was for that reason that they sought a champion. A hero clad in platinum armor that brilliantly reflected the rays of the sun, accompanied by a mythical beast similarly equipped. He truly was like a hero out of an epic.

The sight of him brought the people both joy and relief. There didn't need to be a reason for it. They pinned their prayers that the demon lord would surely be defeated solely on the existence of a champion.

They didn't consider what those wishes meant for the person in question, nor did they consider what the young man they praised as their champion was thinking.

Amidst the cheers of the people, the hero waved a hand in response and looked back for a moment at the flag fluttering behind him.

The second largest town in Laband, Kreuz. The talks of forming a volunteer army there with adventurers at its core originated from his employer, the duke. To outsiders, this group looked like nothing but a volunteer force, but for those who saw the crest they flew and knew its meaning, their objective was clear.

The design was of a fairy with thin wings, long platinum hair flowing behind her. There was no mistaking whose profile was drawn there.

Dale had wanted the symbol on his flag to be one that held meaning to him. He had no interest in the wishes of the countless people who didn't even know his face. But for him to stay himself, it was essential to have those with the same desire flying the same symbol.

Amongst the throngs cheering out in the capital, there were hardly any who knew the source of that crest. Therefore, the people knew neither the reason it was flown nor the wish cast upon this emblem created by a single female tailor living in Kreuz, and they came to know it as "the crest of the hero."

The Platinum Hero and his small band formed of high-ranking priests capable of resisting magical element malfunctions were sent off by cheers full of both envy and hope. Afterwards, the rumor quietly spread that the crest flown by the hero displayed the countenance of his lover.

As the state of the world worsened, it was necessary to slow down the steadily darkening public opinion. The story of a hero fighting for the sake of his lover, like something out of a fairy tale, made for a perfectly suitable subject of discussion. And so, those in power intentionally leaked this moving tale, with the truth of the matter included.

Before anyone knew it, that had become the latest epic in the country of

Laband, known by all as "the Tale of the Hero and the Fairy Princess."

†

The Eldstedt household's land was farther south than the capital. Seeking speed, the forces employed flying dragons for their approach, but that was only up until just before the Eldstedt border.

The magical element of the Fourth Demon Lord had an effect even on magical beasts, and the flying dragons were an important asset for the country, which they couldn't afford to lose. They were forced to march with minimal rest to cover the remaining distance, but they were an elite force, so their pace didn't slow.

At the same time, there was no guarantee that mythical beasts wouldn't be afflicted by the magical elements. And so, Hagel ended up waiting alongside the flying dragons for the unit's return.

Dale, who served as the cornerstone and symbol of the unit, sat in the center of the campsite, staring at the bonfire. As he was now, he'd be able to head all the way to the Fourth Demon Lord without any rest, but that wasn't the case for the rest of his unit. And he was still hiding the fact that he was a demon now, so he was feigning the need to take a break.

The flickering red light of the bonfire reflected on the platinum armor he wore. Rather than his usual black magical-beast coat, he wore this shining armor because he knew he needed to more suitably dress for the role of the "hero" that the people sought. With that said, though, he had no intention from the start of wearing armor that was for nothing but show. It was a splendid piece of armor created using the techniques of his home village, so he trusted it to protect him. The platinum color wasn't chosen merely for appearances, and he sensed it was a message from his home village. Due to his shining armor, he'd gained the nickname of "the Platinum Hero," and because he was indeed a hero fighting for the sake of that "platinum," he didn't try to deny it.

A single man sat down across from him.

"How was it?"

"It was an ordinary animal, sure enough," Dale replied coolly to the brief question.

"It's a serious issue, not being able to send scouts out ahead."

"Thanks to our prior knowledge, we knew that the Fourth Demon Lord has been acting independently, without bringing retainers along. We're lucky

While responding, Dale looked at the black-haired swordsman and guessed at the reason, based on slight hints and sounds. "...All of that information came from your elder brother, didn't it?"

"As a noble protecting his nation, my brother carried out his duty."

As the swordsman looked down with his ice-blue eyes, Dale could hardly grasp any information from the swordsman's expression amidst the darkness lit only by the light of the bonfire. It was difficult to sense just how much emotion was behind that response of his.

"You don't have any divine protection, so why are you accompanying us?" "Because of my brother's passing, there's now a possibility of me becoming the successor. After all, I don't have any backing from my mother. So I need to rack up clear achievements," the swordsman, Gregor, responded coolly, showing almost no emotion as he talked.

"You say that, but if the magical element gets you, that'll all go up in smoke."

"I was granted this Niili charm. If the magical element overwhelms its protection and affects me, then that'll simply be my fate."

Looking at the charm dangling from Gregor's neck, Dale chuckled. "Rose, is it? She may be a priestess, but she's still only human. It's only natural that she'd put her all into making an amulet for someone important to her moreso than for a stranger."

"Sounds like those words come from personal experience." "Well, yeah."

Looking at him as he idly chattered away, Dale seemed perfectly relaxed at a glance. Gregor figured the priests accompanying them surely thought that to be the case. But as his friend and someone who'd known him for a long time and better than most, Gregor was uneasy about Dale's current state. He was cracking jokes and smiling, but even so, Dale wasn't letting his guard down for even an instant. That was the dangerous side of him, the way he'd once been, which had faded away since he met Latina.

Sure enough... she's become incredibly important to him.

Dale didn't talk about any of the details. However, Gregor had heard that Latina had gone missing. His father, Duke Eldstedt, had apparently gotten hold of further information, but it would seem that he couldn't share it with

Gregor yet. With just the information he'd been given, Gregor had calmly made a decision.

Due to the Fourth Demon Lord's actions, the eldest son and his family had lost their lives, throwing the Eldstedt household into the utmost chaos. But as officials leading the country, those of the ducal family knew that now was not the time to grieve his death. The damage to their territory was severe, and at this rate the very nation itself was endangered. As they had different mothers, Gregor had been estranged from his older brother, but it wasn't as if he didn't lament his death. However, for now, he needed to carry out his role as a member of the ducal household.

When the eldest son's child was born, Gregor's second elder brother had married into the family of a count from the outskirts of Laband. That count on the frontier held a pivotal role in terms of national defense and was charged with protecting the border. As the state of the world was currently so chaotic because of the demon lords' movements, it didn't make sense to call that second son back. Now that a demon lord had chipped away at Laband's strength as a nation, the tension between it and the countries it shared a border with was incredibly high. The demon lords weren't the only ones they needed to be prepared to fight. And so, the second son needed to support the frontier count.

Gregor understood that what was being expected of him was for him to conduct himself as a hero, standing beside his friend who was being treated as one. Eliminating a demon lord was the minimal requirement.

On top of that, the gazes of his father and the others who ruled were fixed beyond that. They wanted an easily accepted champion who served as a symbol with the support of the people, for that time when they made it through this chaos and the flames of reconstruction were stoked.

Honestly, Gregor didn't feel that he was naturally suited to such a role. But then, he thought of his friend. Compared to Dale, who had to act the part of the hero, his own role was nothing at all.

A hero, huh...? I get the feeling that he's pretty far removed from being especially heroic or noble right now...

There was a dangerous mood in Dale's gloomy eyes.

He seems like himself from the old days... or so I thought, but that's not quite right, either, Gregor thought, correcting himself.

As he was now, there was almost a madness about him, deeper than it had been before. Before, Dale had suffered because of the gap between his actions and what was in his heart, but now it felt like he'd have no problem trading away his very soul if it would accomplish his goal.

In all likelihood, it was all for her sake. It was also likely for her sake that he didn't let go of his own heart and had remained himself.

Just where is she...?

The instant Gregor sighed, his eye caught the charm hanging from his neck.

He softly, gently touched it, as to Gregor, it was almost like the charm itself was "her." Rose was a high-ranking Niili priestess, but she hadn't accompanied their unit on this campaign. In exchange, she had created this charm herself and given it to him so it could protect Gregor in her stead.

Not being a priest himself, Gregor had only heard this secondhand, but apparently when creating a charm of Quirmizi, the god of the earth and harvest, plants that were thought to be the fruits of the earth were used. Similarly, when it came to the god who governed life and death, Niili, blood, which was thought of as a fraction of one's life, was used as an intermediary. Furthermore, Rose also used a lock of her hair that had become her symbol, with its clearly displayed mana trait. She had literally sent a part of herself with him and had entrusted it with her prayers.

As long as he had this charm from Rose, Gregor felt no fear, even of the Fourth Demon Lord herself. And in order to protect her, he had no intention of taking even a single step back.

Please, if at all possible, let her return soon, Gregor prayed, wanting his good friend's beloved to make it safely back to him.

He didn't know what he'd do if he ever lost Rose. It would be easy to let himself go mad, but he knew that Rose would never forgive him for that. And so he'd have to remain himself and keep on grieving.

Gregor could understand a bit of the madness driving Dale, which was precisely why he was concerned about his friend.

Not a single star could be seen in the heavily clouded night sky. Looking at his friend just sitting there listening to the crackling of the fire, Gregor thought it was as if that sky above was a mirror reflecting what was in his heart, and he let out another sigh.

The Eldstedt manor was located in the most prosperous town in their territory, and the Fourth Demon Lord was currently in a forest outside of that town. Gregor rarely let his emotions show on his face, but as they walked through the completely altered scenery of the town, the grief in his expression was clear.

"Gregor?"

"It's nothing. The ruins written of in my brother's report are this way.

Let's go."

It wasn't possible to send a scouting party ahead into this high concentration of magical element. The ones who marched forward now were only Dale, Gregor, and soldier priests who were especially skilled magic users and had a high level of divine protection. The other reason Gregor had accompanied them despite the danger was because there were no scouts, and he was the only one familiar enough with the lay of the land to show them the way.

"Are there traps or anything in the ruins?"

"Those won't be an issue. When I spent time here as a child, I went there to explore plenty of times. I'm aware of them all."

As Gregor walked ahead, leading the party, neither Dale nor anyone else was able to see his expression. He recalled the person who had walked this path beside him when he was younger was his older brother, causing the still-raw pain of losing someone close to him to ache in his heart.

The forest was unnaturally silent. They soon realized the reason behind that.

"Illness, is it...?"

There were rotting animal corpses scattered about. It had become a forest devoid of life, which was the reason for the silence. It gave a strange impression, the way that the corpses were collapsed on the ground without even bugs infesting them. It was a phenomenon that only occurred because the demon lord's magical element was just too strong.

It was incredibly lethal, but was just too powerful, so its infective

capability was limited. Because Gregor's brother had realized that so quickly, he managed to seal it away, even if only temporarily.

One of the warrior priests accompanying them lifted their staff. In response, another priest that had his staff lifted until now lowered his. Ever since entering the territory, they'd been continuously casting defensive magic in turns. After all, the power of a demon lord was just too strong for them to rely on their divine protection alone.

Compared to the crumbling entrance, the interior of the ruins wasn't overly disturbed. Based on the grey stone-crafted architecture, it seemed to be some form of ancient palace. From the way the statue of some ancient king was missing a large chunk of its head, it was easy to envision what had happened here in the past. Gregor walked on without hesitation. He readily turned a corner, headed down a staircase, and pointed out a trap with the light of his magical device.

"Up ahead is what seems to have once been a hidden passage. There are still traps left to ward off intruders."

"I see."

"...The demon lord wouldn't fall to such things, right?"

"Even if she triggered them, they wouldn't be able to cause a fatal wound.

It'd be a different story if a hero was involved, though," Dale responded to Gregor's sudden question.

The humid air in the dark corridor was fetid, making it unpleasant to even breathe. The wall lit up by the magical device was plain, but it looked somehow gloomy. But perhaps that feeling was only natural, considering what lay ahead.

Gregor swung open the hidden door at the end of the corridor, causing their field of vision to suddenly grow bright. Even amidst the darkness Dale had sensed the steady slope, so he knew that this corridor would lead outside.

"...Is the path not connected from the outside?"

"My brother destroyed that first. It wouldn't be impossible to take that route if you were determined to do so, but considering the magical element, we couldn't."

The scenery of the forest, with gentle sunlight filtering through the trees, also had a strange, warped feel to it, making it almost look like the underworld.

In the middle of the forest was a black-haired woman. Well, one would almost want to add a "what was most likely" to that previous statement, as the figure, clad in clothes so filthy that it was impossible to distinguish their original color, lacked any of the usual curves typical of a woman, instead looking like some sort of apparition that was little but skin and bones. There was no luster to her long black hair, and there were no hints that she maintained it at all, rather just letting it grow freely. Her loose and disheveled hair made it hard to see her face and only added to her overall messy appearance, which elicited disgust. However, her crimson pupils, devoid of emotion, could be seen gazing at those who had intruded into her territory.

The woman was clearly malformed.

Demon lords were born from the devils, so they in turn had the outer appearance of that race. That preconception only made her distorted appearance stand out all the more. The woman only had a single horn.

However, her other one hadn't been broken, like a criminal's. On one side she had brilliant, twisted white horn, but on the other was something like a small black lump.

"A birth defect..."

Dale and the others were humans, so they didn't view horns as sacred, the way devils did, but even so they still found the woman's appearance an ill omen. That wasn't due to her physical appearance, though. Rather, her facial expression and general aura stood out more, prominently displaying her twisted, spiritless, horrible nature.

"So you've come to mock me," the woman said. Her voice had an unpleasant ring to it, making all who heard it feel on edge.

Before the woman took a full step in their direction, Dale shouted out in warning, "She's a demon lord!"

Those brief words were enough.

Gregor, who had been in the lead, unsheathed his scarlet long-sword and closed the gap between him and the Fourth Demon Lord. Dale followed after while drawing his blade.

"I don't want to die."

Faced with mana so great it felt like it had mass, Gregor stopped in his tracks. The chant of the priests made it in time, and a barrier made of light spread out before them. Immediately afterwards, the Fourth Demon Lord with her disheveled black hair unleashed her own mana, a plague that ate away at all living things. The wind made up of magical elements blew up against the barrier.

The Fourth Demon Lord gave a satisfied laugh. Anything that lived could do nothing to resist her power. She was like illness incarnate. There was no way that mere humans could do anything against her.

There was no way that they'd be able to make it out of this unharmed if they left the barrier. After giving a sidelong glance at Gregor, who was at a loss as to how to proceed, Dale took a step forward. His left hand ached. He felt a faint heat rising up in it.

"Don't come any closer."

The demon lord swung her hand, as if striking him. With her overwhelming, absolute power to direct her own mana, she pointed it at the man arrogant enough to approach her.

Or at least, that's how it was supposed to go. "Why?"

She couldn't understand what was happening. Completely dumbfounded, the Fourth Demon Lord looked down at her own hands.

"Why, why, why?"

Like a broken toy, the demon lord just kept repeating that question. She swung her hand downwards over and over. She simply couldn't comprehend what was occurring.

Ever since she'd become the Fourth Demon Lord, she'd used her power completely naturally, but now it was no longer working as she knew it to. Her mana was being obstructed by something, and she couldn't wield it as she pleased.

As this was her first time facing her antithesis as a demon lord, a hero, she was unaware of their abilities. Up until now, she had taken down countless people with no trouble at all, so she hadn't even considered needing some kind of means of dealing with someone when her power was resisted.

The Fourth Demon Lord only had any interest in herself. There wasn't anything she desired, and she didn't need anyone else. She had only created retainers on a whim, because they were people like she herself once was: those afflicted with deadly disease, cast into the depths of despair. That was how she had been before becoming the Fourth Demon Lord. Her longing for life had drawn her to become deadly illness itself. By becoming what had once caused her such despair, the Fourth Demon Lord had been born.

While fearing deadly illness more than anyone else, she had no problem spreading it. It was because she was so twisted that she had been able to become a demon lord.

The Fourth Demon Lord had no interest in anything but herself and didn't try to understand those around her, so even the subject of "heroes" fell outside of her interests.

Heroes overturned the fate granted to demon lords by the gods, the fate to become and remain demon lords. But that hardly mattered. There was still nothing a mere human could do to her, when she was an incarnation of illness itself.

She had grown flustered when the woman calling herself the Fifth Demon Lord informed them of an Eighth Demon Lord that would destroy them, but they'd managed to readily deal with her. There was no need to fear anything.

And yet, somehow she was being driven into a corner, and she absolutely couldn't understand why.

The demon lord readied her magic, which she hadn't used in quite some time, and unleashed it upon the man before her.

Dale casually swept aside the ball of flame coming towards him. His sword was a normal one rather than a magical device, but it still wasn't hard to divert magic that had been launched so blindly.

The flames hit the barrier behind him and burst apart. The demon lord then finished a second chant. Without growing flustered in the least, Dale once more dealt with the magic cast at him.

Looking at Dale, Gregor sensed that the Fourth Demon Lord's mana was having no effect on him, and he took a step forward to cover his friend's movements.

"I don't want to die, I don't..."

In an instant, Gregor closed the gap between himself and the Fourth Demon Lord, who was pathetically wailing about her desire to live. With the swipe of a single blade, the Fourth Demon Lord collapsed, eyes staring off into space.

After confirming the demon lord's death, the force cast Fire magic upon the corpse. They had no interest in taking her head. In all likelihood, even as a corpse the body of this demon lord of disease would be enough to bring about a calamity. They needed to burn her until nothing but ashes remained.

While looking up at the rising smoke, Gregor muttered with a sigh, seeming bewildered, "...That went quicker than I expected."

"Is that so?" Dale responded from Gregor's side. He looked at his own left hand. The sensation of warmth about it hadn't yet abated. He couldn't see his bare skin under his glove, but he figured that his "name" may be showing right now.

Gregor had been able to strike down the Fourth Demon Lord because he was within the range of effect of Dale's ability as a hero. Dale had the ability to fight on his own, but there were heroes in history who hadn't been able to do so. And so, such heroes had fought the demon lords by letting their allies skilled in combat take the lead.

As such, that wasn't what Gregor had been questioning.

"It seemed like the power of the magical element suddenly weakened...

Was that thanks to your power, too?" "...That's right. It was 'my power.'"

The flames died down, leaving behind what looked like charcoal in the shape of a person. It wouldn't be easy to clear away the magical element that had infected the land, but with this, there wouldn't be any further risk of an outbreak.

"...The ability to eat away at a demon lord's power, huh...?" "Did you say something?"

"...No, it's nothing," Dale replied bluntly, looking away from his left hand.

In all likelihood, that wasn't just his power as a hero. As the only retainer of the Eighth Demon Lord, perhaps he was granted a power similar to hers: the ability to eat away at the power a demon lord used to remain as one, to exist.

If it would help him get her back, then he'd use any and every power at his disposal.

Clenching his left hand tightly, Dale headed towards the ruins once again, not turning to look back.

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