Sevens (LN) - Volume 7 - Chapter Ep

Epilogue
──Lionel was wrapped in bandages.

He was riding on a carriage that was pulled by four horses while yelling angrily at his surroundings.

「Don’t let them get away no matter what!」

He used his special rights as a Special Elite Guard that he obtained and gathered the knights that he could mobilize to pursue after Lyle’s group.

The knight who was riding a horse near Lionel talked to him loudly.

「Lionel-dono, we’ll really obtain a reward from Celes-sama personally if we can kill them right!?」

The knights didn’t mobilize because of the order from Lionel, but because they wanted to be rewarded by Celes.

「I’ll give a good report to Celes-sama about the work of you guys later! Just don’t kill the red haired girl no matter what. Bring her in front of me!」

The knight kicked his horse’s stomach and raised his speed. The other knights also raised their speed with impatience to obtain achievements.

The equipment of the knights weren’t full-body armor, but light things that stressed speed.

They wore armor made from leather and armed with swords or spears.

A magic was fired to the sky. It was the squad that had gone ahead sending them notification that they had succeeded in going ahead of Lyle’s group.

「I find you, LYYyyLeeEE!」

Lionel whose face distorted unsightly from hatred and jealousy was yelling Lyle’s name──

.

Damian’s Dump Car was following behind Porter.

「Damian’s vehicle cannot go faster huh.」

I put out my face from the hatch at porter’s ceiling and looked at the surrounding’s situation. Damian’s Porter, Dump Car was unable to produce much speed due to its size.

Eva-san who came out on the roof was looking far away while holding a bow.

「No matter how I see it, there are trained knights heading this way!」

The map forming inside my head was also showing knights approaching from both sides to sandwich us. There was also a group chasing from behind, and also a squad getting ahead of us.

──I could see a different sight from before.

The Fifth’s Art, Map produced a map of the surroundings inside the head. The map that I could clearly see when I closed my eyes became even more extensive and changed into a three-dimensional map after I obtained the Art’s second stage.

The Art’s name was Dimension. It was an Art that could grasp the surrounding terrain with wider range than before and in a three-dimensional shape.

And then I also obtained the second stage of the Sixth’s Art Search which was named Spec.

I could now obtain information on the enemy with even more detail than before.

I was even able to understand what kind of equipment the knights had in general.

「The amount of information increased drastically.」

The amount of information that made the head felt pained was flowing in all at once.

『How’s that Lyle! The Arts of me and the Fifth! You won’t find many Arts that are better than this for the battlefield!』

The Sixth who was gradually getting noisy might have felt his blood boiling. His tension was strangely heightening when a battle was approaching.

This might sound like an excuse but……in the first place I was tired from practicing the new Arts. I didn’t use the Arts while I was on break and that was why my vigilance loosened.

Even if I was on guard, with the speed of Damian’s vehicle we would get caught up sooner or later.

Eva-san asked a question.

「Strange. Aren’t their numbers too few to actually pursue us?」

The Fifth started to think of various things.

『It’s also unnatural that Celes broke her promise and came to crush us. Perhaps the people around Celes got impatient to obtain achievement and moved on their own?』

This number was insufficient if she was thinking to seriously finish us off.

「Now then, what to do.」

We were surrounded.

It seemed the spot with the greatest number of enemy was the force that circled around to block our route.

The Third spoke.

『It’s troublesome being surrounded like this. Yosh! ……Breakthrough from the front.』

The Fourth also agreed.

『Taking Damian’s Dump Car into consideration, taking a detour will be hard.』

It wasn’t maneuverable due to its size.

Besides, it was more brittle than Porter. I heard that it would breakdown if it carelessly advanced outside the highway.

Charging through just like this would be the best choice.

Eva-san looked up to the sky.

「Those guys are sending signals to each other using magic.」

A fireball was fired to the sky where it burst and created smoke. When their preparations finished they sent signals to their other comrades to match the assault’s timing.

I returned for a moment into the vehicle and showed myself at the driver’s seat.

「Clara-san, please charge through them just like this.」

「……You’re saying absurd things like usual.」

The exasperated Clara-san was driving with one arm because she had no prosthetic. Right now Damian was preparing a new prosthetic for her by our request.

There were knights lying in wait with barricades prepared on the path ahead where Porter was advancing through.

There weren’t even ten knights at the hurriedly constructed mud wall created using magic.

The Seventh said,

『──Lyle, have you resolved yourself?』

I tightly grabbed the Jewel while moving to the rear area and said to Novem and the rest.

「My bad but, it will become violent after this. Shannon, you wait here. Monica, you’re staying behind.」

Shannon showed a relieved expression, while Monica’s twintails went up lightly in surprise.

「Wh. Why!?」

「There isn’t anyone who could protect Shannon and Clara-san if everyone leaves.」

Aria-san and Sophia-san were holding their weapons.

「Well, that’s how it is.」

「And how many the enemy are?」

Eight people at the front.

Two knights at each side running in parallel with us.

「If it goes well then we’ll only need to face 12 people to end this. There’re also pursuers from behind but, we might be able to shake them off.」

Novem held up her staff.

「Lyle-sama, here I’ll──」

「I’m looking forward to that but, it’ll be faster to do it with everyone.」

Miranda-san looked at Novem and smiled while,

「Right. We want to breakthrough quickly, so it will be better to face them with everyone. Also Lyle, can I request you one thing.」

「What?」

「Listen to one request of mine if we’re able to breakthrough safely okay? It’s fine, it’s just a really simple request.」

I felt nothing but anxiety about what she would ask from me, but I nodded and went outside from the ceiling’s hatch.

The saber hanging on my waist had average quality because the one with good quality was broken by Celes.

I drew out my saber and looked forward. There the knights standing in our way were withdrawing behind the wall with weapons in hand.

Porter increased its speed and crashed into the wall──breaking through it. When the brakes was pressed, the vehicle’s frame skidded while stopping.

「As expected from our Porter!」

Eva-san yelled while readying her bow.

「The enemies are coming!」

The fired arrow was deflected by the knight’s sword.

The knights were trained well.

The rear hatch opened and Aria-san rushed out from there──

「You’re in the way!」

She beat up two knights with her spear.

Sophia-san hit a knight with the flat part of her battle axe and sent him flying.

「Lyle-dono!」

Sophia-san yelled at me.

A knight slashed at me.

I dodged and kicked him away, then I leaped down from Porter.

The knights surrounded me.

「I’ll receive reward from Celes-sama if I defeat you!」

The knight who came slashing had unshaven face and bloodshot eyes.

His age was around thirty.

Looking at the way he swung his sword, this man must also be a knight who had received really strict training.

What kind of person he was before he got led astray by Celes──there was already no way to know about that.

No, there was no meaning to it.

I mowed in reverse using my saber, swinging it from the right to the left and cut his neck.

Blood spurted out. The knight’s eyes were opened wide.

He was pressing his slashed neck and tried to say something, but the next knights came slashing. They slashed at the same time from two directions.

「How dare you do that to captain!」

「I’ll kill you!」

I kicked one knight away and dodged the spear of the other one while stabbing his chest with my saber. I quickly drew it out, but then a knight who circled behind me tried to stab me with his blade.

The arrow that Eva-san fired pierced that knight’s back. I turned around and stabbed the finishing blow at the same time.

The spurt of blood and the blood sticking on the saber were dripping thickly.

Even though I should have been used to monster’s blood, this blood was strangely sticky. It made me feel bad.

When I looked around, the other knights were all captured by Miranda-san, including those who fainted.

They were bounded with sticky thread. They were struggling but it didn’t look like they would be able to slip out.

Sophia-san was,

「The pursuing knights are coming!」

When the knights who were pursuing us from both sides were approaching, Novem went forward.

She lifted her silver staff,

「──Blow away.」

When she said that, lightning fell just slightly in front of the horses, exploding the ground.

The horses were blown away by the thunderous sound and impact. The knights riding them were also thrown away and rolled on the ground.

Miranda-san checked that the four of them were defeated and couldn’t move, then she immediately restrained them.

I faced the captured knights.

That knight was glaring at me.

「Don’t think that I don’t know! You’re the idiot son of the Walt House who got disinherited! If I can obtain your head, Celes-sama will──」

I grabbed the knight’s head with my left hand.

「……Only answer my question.」

When I ordered so, the knight opened his mouth but no voice came out which shocked him.

The Third’s Art controlled and bewildered his mind.

This Art was Mind’s second stage, Control. Its compelling force was stronger than Mind and could also control the body of other people against the will of the target himself.

It was convenient that it didn’t take time to interfere with the target’s mind like Mind. However, because the target was maintaining their mind, the resistance was strong and the mana consumption was heavy.

……It was a really terrible Art.

「Who is the one giving you guys instructions to chase after us?」

Even though the knight didn’t want to talk, he was surprised that his mouth was moving by itself.

「I, it’s Lionel. The captain of the Special Elite Guards and Celes-sama’s favorite.」

「Lionel does? How did that guy become Celes’s favorite?」

「I, I don’t know. But, that guy called us and said that Celes-sama will personally reward us if we take the heads of you all.」

The Third’s exasperated voice came from the Jewel.

『She is placing him at her side even though he looks similar to Lyle? Even though she hates Lyle as though she is resenting him.』

I asked one question after another.

「Is there any other pursuer other than you guys?」

「No, none. Lionel only gathered the knights who are currently free.」

「Is there even any formal order to take us down given out?」

「There isn’t. It’s unrelated with the palace.」

The knight wasn’t hiding his surprise that he was answering my questions. The feeling of talking even though he didn’t want to talk made him fear me, causing his expression to turn strange.

「……Will there more pursuers after this?」

「I don’t know but, if Lionel takes action then perhaps more pursuers will come.」

The palace and Celes weren’t sending pursuers towards us.

It became really relieving just from understanding this.

When my left hand let go, the knight felt that his mouth finally followed his own will again and became relieved.

I kicked him to make him faint, then I said to everyone.

「Change of plan. We will intercept Lionel here.」

Aria-san gripped her spear tightly.

「Are we going to kill Lionel?」

Her expression was a bit pale because I was soaked in blood.

When I was going to answer her that we would do so if he was getting in our way,

The Seventh spoke out.

『Lyle, wait a second. About Lionel, he might be usable.』

I grasped the Jewel, then the Fourth was the one answering me.

『He is rash and imprudent. An incompetent hard worker is an extremely troubling existence to have as an ally, but if such person is on the enemy side, then we should warmly welcome it. Let’s use him to the utmost.』

The Fifth was also in agreement.

『I don’t know why Celes took a liking to him but, her personality is like that. Perhaps she promoted Lionel without really thinking anything. He might get killed by Celes right away, but leave him alive to make him hold back Bahnseim.』

In that case…….

The Fourth spoke with a voice that he was surely making while laughing maliciously.

『My Art. Use its second stage.』

I wiped my face with the wet towel Novem brought to me and changed the plan.

「……We will wait for Lionel here before moving again after that.」

Sophia-san was surprised.

「Eh? Wh, why is that? If we’re going to escape, then earlier will be──」

I gave instruction with a gesture to Damian who was riding Dump Car to go ahead of us.

This time Porter would be the one running behind Dump Car.

「Lionel and his men absolutely won’t be able to catch up to us.」

The second stage of the Fourth’s Art was Up Down. This Art simply raised our traveling speed while lowering the enemy’s traveling speed.

That was all, but the effect was great.

If I used this Art, then in most cases our traveling speed would become superior.

I got on Porter and confirmed that everyone had got in before waiting for Lionel.

.

──Lyle and his group were before his eyes.

But, Lionel was hurling abuse to his surroundings with an enraged expression.

「Why aren’t we catching up!? These slowpokes!」

The speed of the carriage that Lionel was riding was going down. The same thing also happened to the knights around him.

Even though Lyle and the others were within his sight, he couldn’t get closer at all.

Lyle was on Porter while looking his way. His face was──smiling.

That frustrated Lionel unbearably.

「Run faster!」

He took away the whip from the coachman and hit the horse. Even so their speed didn’t change.

The sun was gradually setting. Then,

「Perhaps it’ll better to withdraw already.」

「Special Elite Guards captain, it’s over.」

「It’s already night. We also have to check the condition of our comrades.」

Such resigned voices were starting to appear. Lionel’s face distorted even further in vexation.

「DAMN IITTTTTTT!!」

Lionel’s yell resounded around in vain──

.

Night.

We who managed to shake off Lionel and his men arrived at a small village.

We borrowed the square and camped there.

I went away from everyone alone and vomited.

I was hiding behind some plants while pressing my chest in pain. The ancestors’ reactions were,

『……You’ll get used to it soon. Though you also can’t get too used to it.』

『My first kill was a bandit. I can’t forget it even now.』

『This is only for now. After this you’ll get used to it even if you don’t want it.』

『Lyle, show a strong appearance to everyone even more than so far.』

『Originally, it would be better to do this with a bandit or the like.』

By that did he mean that it would be better if I the one I killed first was at least a heinous criminal? It hurt, the smell of my stomach juice was painfully stinging the inside of my nose.

A hand was placed on the back of me who was in such a state.

When I turned around in surprise,

「……Miranda-san.」

「As expected you’re in pain. Your complexion was bad after the battle was over, so I thought you will become like this.」

I received a drink and rinsed my mouth. Then Miranda-san talked to me.

「Even though you don’t need to hide like this.」

「……It will make everyone uneasy.」

Miranda-san didn’t deny my words. She changed the topic.

「Lyle, do you remember our talk before the battle?」

「Do you mean about me listening to one request from you?」

「That’s right. That request is──adding 『san』 is forbidden.」

It seemed I couldn’t call her Miranda-san like until now.

「Eh? Why?」

When I asked back without polite language, Miranda-san was utterly exasperated.

「If you only call Novem, Monica, and Shannon without honorific while adding san to everyone else’s names, it will feel discriminatory isn’t it? It’s not just me, call everyone without honorific.」

The Fifth understood.

『……Well, it’s just as she says.』

Miranda-san stared at my eyes.

「We’re putting our lives at risk here. Lyle, believe in us more.」

「……I believe in everyone.」

「I wonder. If possible I want you to go as far as having faith in us though. Well, that depends on Lyle’s feelings though, it won’t be any use even if I’m complaining.」

Miranda-san wiped my mouth with a towel.

When I wanted to refuse from feeling embarrassed,

「It’s alright.」

She said that and wiped my chest that was dirty from my vomit.

「Don’t get embarrassed just from this much.」

「Ri, right.」

「Rely on the people around you more. Lyle, everyone is following you by staking their life. We aren’t playing around.」

「……Yes.」

「That’s right, this isn’t a game,. That’s why, take responsibility properly.」

Miranda-san said that and smiled. Her smile was really pretty──for some reason it felt bewitching.

「Have you calmed down?」

「Yes, I feel alright I think.」

「Then, rest already for today. We will take care of the lookout.」

「But──」

Miranda-san flicked my forehead with her finger.

When I pressed my forehead,

「That’s why, rely on us.」

Mirnada-san said that and returned to where everyone was. Even though her back was feminine, it looked reliable.

.

Porter’s rear space.

Shannon’s sleeper’s breathing──or rather her snore was audible.

I was lying down on the seat with a blanket covering me.

I didn’t sleep and brought up the blue Jewel with my hand to stare at it. I recalled that day.

The day I made the promise with the ancestors.

.

That day, I promised the ancestors.

「A promise?」

『Yes, we can’t cooperate with you if you don’t at least keep this promise.』

The room of the round table.

The Third stood in front of me with a serious expression.

『Survive till the end.』

That was all.

「……Eh?」

The Fifth made a troubled smile at the bewildered me.

『I wonder when you will understand, how difficult it is to even do just that.』

The Third was talking to me unusually seriously.

『We won’t allow  you to die and become a hero. Survive till the end even if you’re cursed as a villain. That’s what you have to promise us.』

In many heroic tales, it wasn’t rare for the hero to die at the end.

Other than that there was also the pattern of them throwing away normal life and retiring to seclusion and the like.

The Seventh was looking at me in worry.

『If it completely starts, then a lot of people will die whether they wish to get involved with it or not. The country will be exhausted, and then other countries or organizations aiming at that chance will appear. Even if Celes is defeated it won’t end there. It will only begin from there.』

The Sixth nodded.

『Someone will have to unite everyone. If there is the real hero, then you will have to help him. It won’t end with just defeating Celes, but only when the recovery after that is finished.』

The Fourth was making a conflicted expression.

『We don’t know just how much time it will take for the recovery. It will depend on Celes but, it might not end even if Lyle takes his whole life doing it.』

I was perplexed that they suddenly talked about the matter of after I won.

The ancestors were seeing through how I was feeling.

『We don’t plan to deny the way of fighting where it’ll be fine as long as you just win. But don’t think that you can just do anything for that.』

The Seventh continued after the Third.

『Lyle, You need to think about after you defeat Celes, how you will act postwar. The wish that you said is something like that.』

The Fourth took off his glasses.

『If you become a hero who died defeating Celes, you might become really popular among the historians and in the tales in the future. But, if you’re walking the path of killing many and defeating Celes, then live to save a lot of life after that.』

The Sixth raised his voice.

『Survive even if you are cursed as a villain! When you die as hero, you will have nothing remaining for you. It will be pointless if you don’t survive!』

The Fifth scratched his hair.

『In other words, live and grasp victory. It’s a victory that is found after defeating Celes. Throw away the thinking that you just need to defeat Celes and that’s it.』

From here on, the continent would be stormy with Celes at the center.

If fellow countries were getting into disputes with each other to obtain hegemony in such a stormy continent, it would become something horrible.

「……That’s a difficult promise. Even though I still don’t even have any prospect of beating Celes.」

The Third laughed.

『Certainly I cannot see any future where you win. But, we can take you until the stage to face her.』

「Stage?」

The Seventh said the answer.

『It’s Bahnseim Kingdom. Ally yourself with the surrounding countries and the nobles within the country. Lead the allied army and crush Bahnseim.』

The Sixth was making a troubled expression.

『The country called Bahnseim has become slightly too big. Taking it on with just one or two countries will take too much time.』

The Third looked at me and put his hand on his chin.

『With that you can finally see the prospect of victory against Bahnseim. What’s left is how to defeat Celes. Let’s think about that from here on, Lyle……a fight isn’t won if you don’t survive it.』

When I nodded, within the blue shining Jewel──in the room of the round table, the Third held out his hand towards me.

.

『──This day. Today. This is the starting point. Lyle’s story will begin from here.』

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The Third said that perhaps this was a bit too dramatic and smiled in embarrassment.

『Surely we’re here not just for teaching you Arts. We were resurrected as memories in order to meet Lyle. I can think like that if it’s now.』

Beginning from here.

Until now I decided my path following what I was told but, from today I would decide the path that I should walk by myself.

From here……my story would begin.

It would finally begin.

The Third’s words felt like they were deeply engraved in my chest.

『Even so, when I noticed you have become really reliable.』

「Eh?」

The face of the Third looking at me was different from before. He was smiling kindly.

『I’m remembering the time when we first met.』

The Fourth hid his mouth with his fist and laughed.

『That pathetic Lyle made such decision. ……Even though it would be fine even if you run away.』

The Fifth was looking at me with a troubled and sad look.

『We didn’t want you to choose a path like the one we walked. You’re really fine with this aren’t you?』

The Fifth said that if it was now I could still go back. I nodded deeply to him.

「I already decided. I’ll……defeat Celes.」

The Sixth was smiling but, he looked sad somewhere inside.

『Nicely said! ……It’s really, nicely said, Lyle.』

The Seventh was pressing his chest with his right hand. He grabbed his clothes. I could peek at the inside of his tormented heart.

『You……resent me who caused you to have to lay your hand on your family. I am the cause of everything! I’m the one responsible to cause you to make this kind of decision.』

I shook my head and said to the Seventh.

「You’re wrong. I’m the one who decided this. Celes and──my parents. It’s me who decided to fight against my family. I don’t resent Seventh.」

The Seventh must be harboring various anguishes.

He was holding back his tears.

In the place of the Seventh who couldn’t talk, the Third opened his mouth.

『Lyle, you’ve become……strong and reliable. You’re, a magnificent man of the Walt House.』

This day, it felt like the ancestors ── and the Jewel recognized me in the true meaning.

.

When I noticed morning had come.

It seemed Shannon had woken up. She wasn’t nearby, instead Eva-san──Eva was looking my way under a blanket.

「Oh, you’re awake?」

「Where is everyone?」

「They’re tidying up. I was keeping watch until just now, so I’m going to rest after this.」

She was holding a paper and pen. She didn’t look like she was resting at all.

「What are you writing?」

「New song or tale. But, I have no theme for it.」

Eva’s shoulders dropped in dejection because she had no material. I suggested a material for her.

「Can I ask you to accept a request for a song?」

「What? New material?」

「Well, something like that. Actually there are people who I want to have a song and tale made for.」

「Who? What kind of people?」

It made me happy that she got interested.

「They’re the ancestors of the Walt House.」

Right after that, Eva frowned and made a displeased face.

「You don’t want to do it?」

「Because, that kind of request usually asks for their own bloodline to be glorified and exaggerated. It usually sounded false, in fact many people are lying about it.」

It seemed to be a request that wasn’t interesting for Eva.

「It’s fine. They weren’t perfect people. There were also a lot of problems with their personalities.」

When I said that, Eva said 「Then I’ll listen to the story」and accepted the request.

The inside of the Jewel was noisy.

『Wait a second, Lyle is trying to turn our lives into song!』

『Lyle, wait. What are you planning to say!?』

『……I’ve got nothing but bad premonitions.』

『No, we should make use of this instead! Lyle, cut the part related to woman in my story you get it? Do that!』

『Lyle, tell Eva what an amazing person your Ojii-chan was! After that, talk honestly about the Sixth.』

Inside the Jewel the Sixth said something like 『You’re always so nagging even now!』 and grappled with the Seventh. It became noisy with a fight starting. They were really annoying.

Eva prepared to take a memo and sat beside me. She peered at my face.

「Now, let me hear it. What kind of ancestors were they?」

「Then, I’ll start from the First I guess. His name was Basil Walt.」

What came to mind was the figure of the First who was always laughing heartily and when he was angry.

「He was the third son of the capital noble Walt House. Even though his house was a noble house but it was at the bottom rung and poor. But, he had someone he loved. To become a man that suited that person he volunteered in a group of pioneers.」

「My, what a splendid person.」

「Even though he never even talked with that person, the First loved her and did his best. And then, the girl also loved the First it seemed.」

Eva stopped her hand that was taking memo.

「Ee~, that’s suspicious. The two of them getting together after that and obtain a happy end is a bit cliché I think.」

It seemed she wanted to say that it was lacking climax.

I laughed a bit and shook my head.

「The First succeeded in opening up a new land and returned to the capital bringing money. On the day of his return, the girl was marrying another person. The First’s first love didn’t bear fruit.」

「……E, err」

「He was really broken up. He was drinking alcohol everyday and rampaged. The people around him were worried for the First who wouldn’t marry and pestered him a lot. It seemed that he found it annoying. That was why, the First lied.」

「Lied?」

「The Walt House has precepts for taking a wife! That’s why, if there isn’t any suitable woman I absolutely won’t marry! He said.」

Eva’s mouth was opening wide.

「Then you know, the funny part is from here. Those precepts are remaining even now and being followed carefully. Even though the precepts for taking a wife in the Walt House were just a lie.」

Seeing me having fun talking, Eva stared at me in wonder.

「What?」

「Lyle, how are you able to talk about it like you have seen it yourself? This kind of story usually will be passed down by word-of-mouth with various embellishments so that this First will become a magnificent character. From the way you talk, how should I say it, that person really feels human.」

……I deliberated whether to gloss over the matter or to speak the truth.

There was also the matter of Celes’s Jewel.

If the truth about the blue Jewel I had came out at this bad timing, the others might be on guard against it. No, they would surely be on guard.

「But, it’s interesting right?」

「You’re right. It’s far better than listening to a talk that boasts just how amazing their ancestor was. Got it. I’ll turn it into song without fail. That’s why, tell me more.」

I continued talking about how the First became a Dragon Slayer and became feared a lot because of it.

Eva was listening to the failure story and various other stories of the First in surprise but also with a smile.

The inside of the Jewel was continuing to be noisy. When I noticed the five were quarreling.

『Don’t make it as my fault!』

『It’s your fault! At that time the Third also did something like that to me!』

『Because of your fault I was! We were like that! I’ll make you pay it back here right now!』

『Uncle! Uncle! Two at once is cowardly──』

『Learn my long standing grudgeeeee!』

……The ancestors who were very different from the stories that were passed down.

I thought it would be interesting to make the life story of such people into song.

Even if someday everyone would vanish from the Jewel, when I hear the song──their tale, would I be able to recall this noisiness?

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To be continued in Sevens 8