At the End of the Tyrant's Road, I Think of You: Kaiser Insight's Conviction - The Tyrant's True Face

The air was heavy. It was hard to breathe, as if the space had been packed with damp cotton. This was not the real world. This was the Somnia Layer—another reality born from the deepest recesses of the human heart. The Sixth Layer: the Ruined City of Crepuscule. Shattered buildings floated upside-down in the sky, and a violet haze rose slowly from the ground. The cobblestones underfoot were crumbling to pieces, and from somewhere came a low, guttural moan. It was as if the city itself were alive. How far did it stretch? The ruins extended endlessly in every direction, enough to make one's sense of reality begin to warp. Twelve shadows moved soundlessly through the wreckage. The guild "Kaiser Insight." Among the explorers based in Minase City, they were the elite, said to be the strongest of all. One man stood at their head. The hem of his black longcoat fluttering, the man came to a halt. His black hair, tied back behind him, swayed faintly in the windless space. An old scar ran from his left temple down to his cheek. His obsidian eyes, holding a deep darkness, stared intently into the gloom ahead. The master of Kaiser Insight, Shinobu. Twenty-two years old. His lean, taut physique was proof of the countless battles he had survived. The lining of his coat was deep crimson, the mark of his guild. At his collar, a cracked indigo pendant caught the light with a faint glimmer. "Take your positions." His voice rang out, short and cold. "Kaori, scout ahead." Understood. The woman waiting just behind him gave a small nod. Kaori. The vice-master of Kaiser Insight. Her silver hair, long enough to reach her waist, was tied up high in a ponytail, and she gazed at Shinobu with deep violet eyes. Twenty years old. Those eyes were always calm, never betraying emotion. But when she looked at Shinobu, just for a moment, something flickered within them. As his right hand, she had supported him all this time. She was the only person who knew everything—what he thought, and what he fought for. Kaori raised her left hand. Pale particles of light began to dance around her. Her scouting skill, "Echo of Soul"—the ability to sense psyches within the Somnia Layer. "...It's coming." Kaori's voice dropped slightly. "Numbers... uncountable. It's a single, massive collective consciousness. The Phantom Legion." At those words, tension rippled through the members. The Phantom Legion—an SS-rank danger, known as the master of the Sixth Layer. A mass of countless wraiths that devoured human memories and gnawed away at the mind. It was said that most who fought it never returned to reality. Shinobu's expression did not change. "Formation Delta. Soma and Reiji on the vanguard. Kaori, rear support. I'll command from the center." He issued his orders flatly, coldly. There was no hesitation in his voice, no doubt. Soon, the darkness ahead began to writhe. From the ground, from the walls, from the air itself—countless translucent arms stretched forth. The arms of old men, the arms of children, the arms of men, the arms of women. They intertwined, melted together, and grew larger and larger. In less than thirty seconds, a colossal humanoid figure stood before them. It was as tall as a five-story building. Its body was composed of innumerable wraiths, and across its surface, faces in torment, faces weeping, faces screaming, surfaced and vanished. Where its head should have been, three red lights were arranged in a triangle, staring down at them, unblinking. The Phantom Legion. The battle began. Soma and Reiji, the vanguard, leaped forward simultaneously. Soma brandished a greatsword, Reiji twin blades, as they sliced through the wraiths' arms. In the rear, Kaori loosed arrows of light, and the other members launched their own skill attacks. Shinobu did not move. He stood in the center, arms folded, surveying the entire battlefield. "Soma, to the right. Reiji, fall back and shift to support. Kaori, whittle down the enemy on the left flank." His voice cut clearly through the din of battle. His commands were precise, as if he could see everything. Simply by moving according to Shinobu's voice, the members could fulfill their roles to the utmost. This was his tactical genius. But. It was just as the fighting intensified. "—Agh!" Soma's scream echoed through the ruins. A tentacle of the Phantom Legion—a black arm formed from a mass of gathered wraiths—had coiled around Soma's right arm. "Guh, aaaaaaaagh!!" Soma's shriek rang out. From the tentacle, a black haze poured into Soma's body. Memory Drain—the Phantom Legion's most terrifying attack, which directly corroded the mind. The color drained from Soma's face with terrifying speed. "Master! Soma's—!" Reiji shouted. "Request immediate rescue! At this rate, he'll be Lost!" Lost. When the damage sustained in the Somnia Layer was too great, the victim fell into a coma in the real world. Unable to return. For an explorer of this world, it was the most dreadful fate imaginable. The other members stopped in their tracks. Everyone was waiting for Shinobu's order. Shinobu glanced at Soma for just a moment. Then, he declared coldly. "...An opportunity." Reiji's eyes widened. "Wha... what are you..." "The Guardian's attention is on Soma. We break through the gate now." Shinobu's voice carried not a shred of emotion. "All units, full assault. Target is the gate. Soma... will last another three minutes." The moment they heard that. A chill ran through every member present. Was he abandoning Soma? —No, that wasn't it. He was using Soma as bait. But no one could open their mouth. If they defied him here, the operation would fail. Not only would they be unable to save Soma, but total annihilation was a real possibility. And besides... none of them had the courage to disobey Shinobu's orders, which they had followed this far. Kaori bit her lip. But she said nothing. She raised her right hand. "Volley fire, prepare." Kaori's voice trembled slightly. Still, she carried out the command. That was her duty as vice-master. "...Fire!" Arrows of light, magic shells, skills—all of it rained down upon the Phantom Legion in a single salvo. In that brief opening, as the Guardian loosened its attack on Soma, the full assault slammed home. The wraiths let out shrieks. The giant shadow began to dissolve. Thirty seconds later. The Phantom Legion had vanished without a trace. Beyond it, there was the gate. A great door where starlight swirled. Its depths were enveloped in a blinding light, revealing nothing. The entrance to the Stella Core. The path to the deepest level, where Twinkle Wish lay sleeping. "Operation successful." Shinobu spoke curtly. "Recover Soma. Quickly." Kaori rushed over immediately and checked Soma's condition. "...He's barely holding on. He's unconscious, but emergency transfer is possible." "Send him." Kaori nodded and operated Soma's link band. Soma's body was enveloped in white light and vanished. An emergency transfer back to the real world. A heavy silence was all that remained. No one showed the joy of victory. Some stared at the ground with bitter expressions. Reiji murmured quietly. "...Master... do you think of us as nothing more than pawns?" Shinobu did not answer. Without looking back, he turned his back to the gate and began to walk. "We're returning to Hellshaft. Everyone, follow." The back of the black coat disappeared into the haze. Kaori stared intently at that retreating figure. She alone knew. She knew that the order he had just given was Shinobu's own way of doing what was best. If they had all gone to save Soma then, there was no telling how many would have died under the Guardian's attack. To save Soma, that had been the only way. —But explaining that was not the way of the man called Shinobu. He always played the villain. Even if no one understood him, he prioritized the mission. Kaori let out a small sigh, then called out to the members. "...Let's go." That night. The real world, Minase City. Kaori walked the corridor of the Minase General Medical Center. The Dream Care Unit, a specialized ward for Lost patients from the Somnia Layer. A quiet place, where only white walls and the electronic beeping of machines echoed. She stopped in front of a certain hospital room. The door was slightly ajar. A faint voice came from inside. Kaori held her breath. She peered through the gap in the door. Inside the room, Shinobu sat beside a bed. On the bed, a girl lay sleeping. Yume. Shinobu's one and only little sister. She had been Lost in a Somnia Layer connection accident two years ago, and had been kept alive by machines ever since. Her complexion was pale, so fragile she seemed as if she might disappear at any moment. Shinobu held Yume's hand in both of his. "...It's almost time, Yume." That voice was utterly different from the cold one he had used just before. It was hoarse, small, a voice that sounded like weeping. "...I will definitely wake you up." Kaori looked at Shinobu's face. In that instant, her chest tightened painfully. His eyes. Those black eyes, cold as ice, were now wavering with nothing but sorrow. Like a child who had lost a place to cry. The mask of the tyrant had completely fallen away. The person there was not the strongest guild master. He was just a brother who loved his little sister. Kaori quietly left the spot. Tears spilled over. She swore in her heart that she would never tell anyone this secret. The weakness Shinobu had shown. The loneliness he carried on his shoulders. And then, she thought once more. —For this person, I would do anything. The next day, in the real world. The seventh floor of Forte Tower, Kaiser Insight's base. Shinobu was at his desk. A knock sounded, and Kaori entered. Her silver hair was beautiful, translucent in the morning light. "Master. Urgent information has come in." "Report." Shinobu answered curtly, without looking up. "Another guild is becoming increasingly active in the Ruined City of Crepuscule. Their objective... is most likely the route to the Stella Core that we opened." "The guild's name." Kaori paused for just a moment. "...Radiant Garden. Their master is—Ruka." When he heard that name. Shinobu's hand stopped, just for an instant. Ruka. The man who had once been his closest, irreplaceable friend. They had explored together, laughed together, shared their dreams. But three years ago, when Shinobu founded Kaiser Insight, the two had parted ways. Because Ruka could not accept Shinobu's methods. "...I see." Shinobu immediately resumed working. His expression had already returned to its usual coldness. "If they get in the way, we eliminate them. That's all." Kaori opened her mouth slightly, as if she wanted to say something. But she stopped. She knew. She knew that, in Shinobu's heart, the memory of his former friend had flickered for a moment. And she also knew that it had been immediately painted over with ruthless resolve. He was that kind of man. Even if it meant hurting someone, he had no choice but to press on. For the sake of his little sister. Outside the window, the city of Minase was bathed in morning light. People walked through their daily lives, and the roadside trees swayed in the wind. Behind this peaceful scenery, the fuse of a new battle was about to be lit.

日本語

What is Novelia? →

Episode 1

Name: At the End of the Tyrant's Road, I Think of You: Kaiser Insight's Conviction
Author: Novelia

What is Novelia?

Novelia is an AI-powered platform to read original light novels and fan fiction, create your own in just a few taps, and chat with the characters. New, illustrated episodes arrive daily — free to start.

Learn more about Novelia →New sign-ups get 5,000pt