Black Records/5

English= The War Comes to an End

Year 952

Prince Dreichels' opponents were the armies of the fourth prince Orhtros and his Vermillion Knight, sixth prince Lucius and his Palatinate Knight, and the combined forces of the remaining princes, Gunnar and Albert, who had a legion of magical golems under their control. Yet it was he, the illegitimate son of a commoner and late-comer to the war, who emerged triumphant.

His victory did not come without losses, however. During his return to Erebonia, Roland fell in battle. Not long after that, however, he met a woman who would change his destiny forever.

That woman was none other than the daughter of Count Sandlot, who hailed from the lakeside town of Legram. Her charismatic personality and peerless skills with the lance earned her the leadership of a band of knights known as the Eisenritter and moniker 'Lance Maiden.' Her name was Lianne Sandlot.

Prince Dreichels and Lianne Sandlot may have come from wildly different backgrounds, but their concern for the innocent victims of the war united them in purpose to bring an end to the bloodshed, and it was those shared feelings that made them join forces.

The two of them, along with the warriors of Nord, the Eisenritter, and all of the other peoples of the nation whose hearts they moved, liberated one town after another, and were eventually successful in persuading even prince Lucius, owner of the Palatinate Knight, to fight for their cause.

At the same time, however, the False Emperor schemed to elevate the cursed Vermillion Knight to even greater power...to godhood.

And thus the Vermillion Apocalypse was created.

The demonic god emerged in Heimdallr alongside a monstrous castle and vanquished the approaching armies of Albert and Gunnar in a single battle. Their end was anything but conventional, however. They were simply erased from existence.

Even the Palatinate Knight could not contend with such a foe and felled. And as it decimated all who challenged the False Emperor, countless crimson spirit veins spread out from the castle, stealing the very life from the capital's citizens, as well as those in the surrounding area.

Defeat seemed all but inevitable for Prince Dreichels, the Lance Maiden, and their followers, but they refused to give up.

Following the guidance of a kindly witch, they were led to a new Great Knight which slumbered on the outskirts of Heimdallr.

After overcoming a trial, they were able to claim the Ashen Knight and its power. With it in hand, along with their many supporters and the army of Prince Lucius, they marched on the capital for the final time, eventually making their way to the castle at its center.

Three days later, on the 4th of July, year 952, the castle vanished from existence and the city was liberated
 * -|Japanese= 獅子戦役・終結

七耀歴952年

七耀歴952年・7月――5年に渡って続いた内乱『獅子戦役』は終結した. “緋色”と”紫紺”という≪巨いなる騎士≫を手に入れた第四皇子・オルトロス陣営と、第六皇子・ルキウス陣営. 彼らに対抗すべく、”魔導”の力で動くゴーレムまで手に入れた第五皇子グンナルと第二皇子アルベルトの陣営―― しかし争いを制したのは、内乱の中盤で立ち上がった庶出の第三皇子・ドライケルス陣営だった.

ノルドの地で挙兵したドライケルス皇子は、内戦の最中、腹心の部下であるロランを亡くし、その直後――とある人物と運命の邂逅を果たす. 湖畔の街レグラムで立ち上がったサンドロット伯爵家の娘. 神がかった槍技と、圧倒的カリスマをもって一騎当千の勇士たちが集う≪鉄騎隊≫を率いていた戦乙女. ≪槍の聖女≫――リアンヌ・サンドロットその人である.

放浪の皇子と救国の聖女―― 生まれも違えば背景も違う二人に共通していたのは戦火に苦しむ民への思いやりと、争いそのものを終わらせようという強い意志だった. そして、その想いこそが二人を戦場で引き合わせ、互いに手を取り合わせたのである. ≪鉄騎隊≫とノルドの騎士団、そして彼らに共鳴した心ある人々の助けを借りて、皇子と聖女は各地を解放し――

遂には≪紫紺の騎士≫を擁する末弟・ルキウス皇子の心すら動かし、内戦終結に向けて大きな一歩を踏み出した.

――しかし時を同じくして≪偽帝≫オルトロスが、呪われし緋色の騎士――≪千の武器を持つ魔人≫をいかなる術をもってか”神”の域まで昇華させてしまう. ≪緋（あか）き終焉の魔王≫―― 巨大な魔城と共にヘイムダルに出現した≪魔神≫は、帝都に迫りつつあったグンナル・アルベルト連合軍をただ一度の戦いによって壊滅――いや”消滅”させてしまう.

そして魔神は紫紺の騎士をも打ち砕き――魔城を中心に放射状に伸びていった無数の紅き霊脈は帝都やその周辺の人々の精気を奪っていった. 絶体絶命の窮地に陥るドライケルス皇子と槍の聖女. ――それでも彼らは諦めなかった. 彼らに協力していた”善き魔女”の導きに従い、帝都近郊の地で新たな”巨いなる騎士”と邂逅―― 試練の末に≪灰色の騎士≫の力を手に入れたのである.

そして、鉄騎隊とノルドの騎士団、各地の協力者やルキウス陣営が力を合わせて帝都への血路を切り拓き―― 皇子と聖女は≪灰色の騎士≫を駆って紅蓮の魔城へと挑む. ――魔城が消滅し、帝都が解放されたのはその三日後. 七耀歴952年、7月4日のことだった.