Chapter 512 — Arc 7, Chapter 110 - “Congratulatory Words”

Digging into the ground hard with their bestial claws, they launched their body forward with such force that they seemed to be pulling the ground out.

Their companions, using their wits and martial prowess, were scrambling to take control of the battlefield. Frederica Baumann raced across the battlefield to help them.

The beautiful, golden-haired leopard sailed through the wind and continued to fulfill her role as messenger, being the second fastest among all those roaming around the battlefield.

Against the overwhelmingly superior quality of the regular Imperial soldiers, the rebels, who were, to put it bluntly, a patchwork of people, were able to bring the situation to a stalemate thanks to the information gathered by Otto Suwen, Abel’s management of that information, and Frederica’s ability to quickly transmit it.

Regardless of whether Frederica was aware of her contribution or not, she was kicking up dirt with important information at this time, and the impact of that information was particularly significant.

It was――,

Frederica: [――A message from the Master and my brother; there are signs of a change within the land.]

Breathing hard, pushing her exhausted beastified body, Frederica, who undid her beastification, hurriedly announced her arrival at the main camp, where she was willing to expose her bare skin.

These were the words of Garfiel, who had survived a fierce fight while traveling across the battlefield, that were communicated to Frederica in a passionate expression, one that was not proud of the outcome of the battle.

Ragged and bloody, Garfiel survived a death struggle that Frederica could not even begin to imagine. Her sisterly feeling of wanting to sing her brother’s praises for his struggle had to be postponed in the face of his desperate plea.

Fortunately, Roswaal, arriving with reinforcements from the Flying Dragon Squadron, was by Garfiel’s side and would be able to assist him appropriately, regardless of Garfiel’s feelings about this being done so by his love rival.

???: [――. That wasn’t very specific. Any more details?]

Frederica: [I do not know, I can only say that it was a gut feeling from my brother’s Divine Protection. It is just…]

???: [Just?]

Frederica: [My brother’s hunches are right whether they are favorable or not.]

Garfiel’s instincts were as good as a wild animal’s; even though he had never been wild, one could call them his wild instincts. Garfiel’s instincts did not work well in everyday life, and he frequently exposed his ugly behavior in front of Ram, but when it came to fighting, his reliability was unparalleled.

That was why Frederica had, without any hesitation, rushed to the main camp.

???: [――――]

Hearing Frederica’s plea, the beautiful Serena Dracroy―― a High Countess of the Empire who had come to their side with her Flying Dragon Squadron as reinforcements, looked thoughtful.

Rumor had it that she was an acquaintance of Roswaal’s that he went to ask for help from. Since she was Roswaal’s acquaintance, she was probably a woman of strong character. However, it was also a common characteristic of Roswaal’s acquaintances that, aside from her personality, there was no doubt that she was excellent in terms of her abilities.

This was evident in the fact that she was currently serving as a substitute for the absent commander-in-chief at the main camp, where the movement of the rebels, now a large army, was being controlled.

???: [Frederica-sama! Here is a cloak for you to wear!]

A red cloak was draped over Frederica’s shoulders from behind as she looked thoughtfully at Serena’s profile. It was a cloak that only Generals of the Vollachian Empire were allowed to wear; but, graciously, the person who did so was not familiar with the meaning of that adornment.

Because of this, Frederica smiled, happy for the gesture of pure goodwill.

Frederica: [Thank you, Schult-sama. I apologize for my unseemly appearance.]

Schult: [No, not at all! Frederica-sama has worked hard and ran around amongst so many people! I think it is very admirable!]

Pulling the cloak tighter around her, Frederica thanked Schult for his hospitality. But, it was Schult who was the one who was bowing before Frederica, his small body filled with charm.

Schult’s feelings of being left behind in the main camp and having to watch the progress of the battle with a sense of dread must have been even more painful than Frederica’s, who was at least able to fulfill the role of a messenger.

Still, it was admirable of him to give Frederica words of appreciation upon her return.

???: [Yeah, Freh is great too. Uu wanted to go fight like crazy with Mii and the others.]

Next to Schult was Utakata, whose black hair was dyed pink at the ends, nodding with her arms crossed.

Flinching at the little girl’s warlike comment while saying, “I- I wonder about that”, Frederica turned her attention back to Serena.

Serena stroked the large white sword scar on the left side of her face,

Serena: [Signs of a change within the land of Vollachia, yes? How foolish it would be to disregard the words of the one whom Roswaal values so highly.]

Frederica: [So…]

Serena: [While maddening, it also fits with what the man who disappeared with the Stargazer said. It was a selfish thing to say, to entrust me with a great task that only I could fulfill. It was as if…]

Frederica: [As if?]

Serena: [It was pride as if he was the Emperor himself. Even though we’re in a position where we’ve come to bring him down.]

Serena, her arms crossed, sighed with a complicated expression that was neither anger nor bemusement.

She spoke of the man in the Oni mask―― Abel. He was originally in charge of the overall command of the rebels, however, he had left the main camp and had entrusted that role to Serena.

In regards to that, Serena had not disclosed any details on what kind of conversation had taken place at that time.

Frederica: [Before he left here, what did Abel-sama say to you, Serena-sama?]

Serena: [――. The conclusion is near. However…]

Serena paused, her almond-shaped eyes now filled with indignation. Her well-shaped chin indicating the battlefield, her eyes glowing with resentment, the Scorching Lady, known for her fiery presence, continued.

Serena: [The resolution will not be decided by either side, the Imperial Capital or the rebels, and it will be inconclusive.]

Frederica: [It will be… inconclusive?]

Serena’s expression suggested that she would not even be able to say it, which perplexed Frederica.

What kind of situation could have been expected when a battle of this magnitude would take place, and the outcome would still be left inconclusive? In the first place, it would be inappropriate to use words that could be taken to mean that all efforts would be in vain when addressing the person whom he had entrusted with the command of the battlefield.

Abel, leaving it unsaid, did not understand the human heart to a fatal degree; that much must be said.

In any case――,

Schult: [Does this mean that the battle has been concluded? If so, does that mean that Priscilla-sama, Al-sama, and Heinkel-sama will return?]

Frederica: [Schult-sama…]

With melancholy in his round eyes, Schult stood up on his tiptoes and looked out over the battlefield.

The boy’s eyes were drawn to a corner of the increasingly harsh battlefield―― the red sky and the white sky, two battlefields that even Frederica was unable to traverse.

The mere approach instilled a feeling of dread in her beastly instincts, a certainty that her body would not be able to withstand.

Frederica: [――――]

For that reason, Frederica did not feel able to readily speak words of comfort.

What was happening under those skies was surely a phenomenon that transcended Frederica’s imagination. She felt ashamed and lowered the corners of her eyes.

Utakata: [Shuu, don’t worry. Puu and Yor are both strong. They’re as strong as Mii and Taa.]

Schult: [Utakata-sama…]

Utakata: [Uu-chan is fine.]

Schult: [Utakata-chan-sama…]

Puffing out her chest, Utakata roughly stroked Schult’s pink curly-haired head with her hand.

It was a childish and baseless assertion, but it resonated with Schult because there was no hesitation. Frederica’s lips parted slightly when Schult nodded his head.

Once again, turning to face Serena,

Frederica: [What are you going to do, Serena-sama? If you choose to not abandon my brother’s intuition, then you need to deal with what Abel-sama said…]

Serena: [I’m in a quandary. Needless to say, there’s no time for hesitation. ――Behold.]

Serena once again cocked her chin, and Frederica responded with a “huh?” and was directed to look toward the battlefield. In her emerald-green eyes, Frederica saw, even from afar, a change in the battlefield―― a rampaging giant castle wall shaped like a human, one of the Nine Divine Generals, turned their back and rushed toward the Imperial Capital.

Frederica: [Is that… headed towards the Crystal Palace?]

Serena: [The more things go on, the more they go as he says, hm? ――Though, I don’t know the truth of your brother’s statement that Vollachia will become the enemy.]

At the reckless action of the Steelman, Moguro Hagane, Serena frowned with a face that seemed to have an idea of what was going on.

And then――,

Serena: [Tell everyone. ――As soon as there is anything abnormal at the Crystal Palace, cease all the fighting. To prepare for things to become inconclusive, where this battle, the blood spilled, and lives lost were all in vain.]

△▼△▼△▼△

――With a shrill sound, the Blue Dragon Sword, an axe, and a barbarian sword struck each other in mid-air, sending off sparks.

All of it was steel that was wielded mercilessly to take the life of their opponent.

I had been becoming numb, but now that it was directed at me once again, the dread of my life being threatened surged within my skin and bones.

I never thought of myself as mentally fragile. Rather, I have always thought that, compared to other children my age, I was blessed with more courage, combined with the experiencing scenes of carnage that I have survived.

However, if one experienced the sizzling pain on their skin from being scorched by a blast, and the breathless feeling as if their lungs had contracted under the pressure, the foundation of that trust in themself would be likely to waver.

The most important reason for that feeling was――,

???: [――!]

Even in the midst of a fierce battle, a contemptuous gaze was directed toward them.

The man’s gaze, as if saying he had not forgotten about her and holding a knife to her, was the biggest factor that increased Petra’s feeling of suffocation.

He was an Imperial Soldier with a bandana wrapped around his head, wielding an axe.

This person, whose name they did not know, was the true identity of their formidable foe that was currently tormenting Petra and her comrades.

As long as one lived, death would always be adjacent.

Regardless of the situation, circumstances could change in the blink of an eye. Petra strongly grit her teeth as the man in front of her seemed to be an example of that absurdity.

Kneeling on the ground, Otto struggled to breathe. Having taken the brunt of the blast from the magic stone used for the emergency evacuation, Otto was heavy with fatigue.

This was why Petra could never afford to be weak on the battlefield, where both the strong and the weak alike were putting their lives on the line.

Medium: [Haaah! Al-chin!]

Al: [Yeah, Lil’ Miss Medium.]

The one with the high-pitched voice, unsuitable for this blood-scented battlefield, and the one with the dispirited voice worked together while exchanging sword blows with the one with the pitch-black murderous intent.

Cooperating with Medium, who used her small body to the fullest, Al fought with the Imperial Soldier. Their combat power was not enough to overwhelm their enemy, and their fierce fight continued.

No offence to Al being who he was, but Petra was disappointed with him as a reinforcement.

Petra: [If only it were someone like Garf-san or Emily…]

Not only were they simply reliable allies, but they would surely have overwhelmed their opponent in terms of ability.

Al’s ability to do so was not very high in Petra’s estimation. Even though he was better than the non-combatants like Petra and Otto, she felt that he was weaker than any of the People of Shudraq.

However, in the sense that his strength was not that outstanding, the same was true of the opposing Imperial Soldier.

Surely that Imperial Soldier was weak compared to Emilia, Garfiel, and the Nine Divine Generals of the Empire. Even still, Petra was terrified of him.

Overwhelming magic would not be needed to shoo away a bug that had perched itself on a flower. It would be able to be brushed off with a finger or even a little water. Such thoughts were apparent in the attitude of this Imperial Soldier.

On this battlefield, Petra and the rest of her group were nothing more than hard-working little bugs――.

???: [――You’re a pain in the ass, man.]

Suddenly, a man’s voice slipped into the cowering Petra’s ears.

For a moment, her shoulders jumped. But, it was not one from Petra’s group who had called out. Rather, it came from the direction where Al was engaged in a sword fight with his opponent.

Al: [Hah! Ngha! Take this!]

The man swung an axe in his hand, aiming it at Al’s thick neck. However, the moment it was struck by his Blue Dragon Sword, him being one-armed, he immediately turned himself around as two, then three heavy attacks landed in quick succession.

Al managed to parry the barrage of blows with some bizarrely risky slights of hand.

Petra was not at all at ease, and she even let out a couple of little screams of “kyah!” and “yikes!” as she watched.

Otto: [I would like to support Al-san somehow, but…]

Otto seemed to have the same anxiety, and there was more impatience than fatigue in his voice.

There was clearly a sense of urgency in Al’s battle, and although he was fortunate to have been able to survive up until now, there had been five times where one wrong step could have resulted in his death.

Whether there would be a sixth time seemed to be a bad bet to Petra.

Soldier: [You’re still a pain in the ass.]

However, it seemed that the opinion of the Imperial Soldier was slightly different from that of Petra and her comrades.

The man, who continued to shrug off the attacks, even though it was by the skin of his teeth, took a large step backward, whereupon he raised his axe-less hand and waved it lightly in the direction of Al and Medium.

Immediately after, a fireball burst to life in the air, and it ran furiously toward them, incinerating the sky.

Al: [Hey hey hey hey!]

Medium: [Ukya―!]

She did not understand why, but the Spirit was being forced to obey in an unjust way.

Al and Medium ran to escape the fireball that was approaching, utterly perplexed. The fireball missed them and spread to the surrounding trees and grass on the ground, which caused the flames to swell.

Otto: [This is bad…hk]

Petra understood what Otto had just muttered.

As she looked, the flames brought by the fireball did not burn Al and the others, but instead burned their surroundings. The flames surrounded Petra and the others who were facing the Imperial Soldier and blocked their escape route.

The blazing flames created a circle and entrapped them.

Even if he had missed, the Imperial Soldier might have just been aiming to block their escape route. But, that situation had Petra and the others grinding their teeth in frustration, and their opponent tilted his head.

Soldier: [I don’t like this.]

“Huh?” Al yelled at that quiet, totally inappropriate remark.

With his Blue Dragon Sword in his hand, he pointed to their blazing surroundings,

Al: [After all this, what are you saying? Cherish what you have, your resources. How hard do you think plants have to work to make oxygen so that humans can take a deep breath and be okay…]

Soldier: [I should have killed you about six times so far, but I haven’t been able to kill you even once. Even when I’ve forced you into places where you shouldn’t be able to dodge. It’s disgusting.]

Al: [I can’t believe that you just said that. Man, today is a real pain.]

Al’s response was met by the man shrugging and growing even more distrustful of him.

Not knowing the limit of Al’s strength, the Imperial Soldier seemed to be quite confused. To be honest, it was very disgusting to agree with that person, but Petra had the same doubts about Al.

Al looked like he was going to die, but he still did not.

He responded to the attacks of the Imperial Soldier, but managed to avoid fatal wounds with his high-risk movements. ――He surely avoided only fatal wounds.

But it was not like he was hiding his ability. This was very irregular.

That was why the Imperial Soldier also could not get a decisive blow to cut his losses.

Soldier: [Even if you put him in the same category as me, I get the feeling you have no training at all and you’re just winging this. In that sense, that guy over there is probably more in my class.]

Otto: […Do you mean me? If so, I would like to raise an objection on my honor.]

Medium: [That’s right! Your evil character is different! You’re more dangerous and sneaky!]

Otto: [Even though you are on my side, you are still backstabbing me.]

Otto, unexpectedly pulled into the discussion, chuckled bitterly.

Otto’s demeanor made Petra a little frustrated, but that quickly faded.

Petra: [――――]

Otto glanced and winked at Petra. She thought about it, sensing something other than bitterness in his expression: something he was planning to do.

Without saying a word, he wanted Petra to try to guess.

Soldier: [This is taking too long.]

Just after Petra had guessed this, the Imperial Soldier, with a cold voice, snapped his fingers.

Right after that, about ten fireballs, each smaller than before, were born all at once. They scattered in all directions at unreadable speed, which ignited not Petra and the others, but the surrounding trees and ground.

He did that to expand the formation of flames that were surrounding them, and the accompanying flames and black smoke――,

Medium: [Hot hot hot hot! It’s burning, it’s burning!]

Al: [Calm down, lil’ missy! Come here before your braids burn!]

Surrounded by flames, a fiery Medium jumped up and down, holding her long braids. She crossed the line of flames, jumped to Al’s side, and looked back at him with tears in her eyes.

Gripping her barbarian sword tightly again, she glared at the person who had done this to her――,

Medium: [Huh!?]

Al: [Is this for real…?]

Medium’s surprise was matched by Al’s exasperation.

The cause of their reaction was the disappearance of the Imperial Soldier who had created this spectacle of flames.

Medium: [――――]

The figure of the Imperial Soldier vanished amidst the flames and black smoke. Did he retreat to hide from the flames, or was he simply waiting for them to slowly burn to death?

Al: [Tsk…]

Medium: [He’s totally gone! We have to get out of here before we burn, too!]

Al’s helmet-covered vision swept around, searching for the figure of the man who had disappeared into the flames. All the while, he held his Blue Dragon Sword against his own neck in a strange stance, his eyes looking for the Imperial Soldier.

Beside him, Medium also looked around a bit, impatient with the enemy she could not find, and pleaded to avoid the growing fire.

To be sure, it was only natural for one to think that the priority here should have been to get away from this dangerous area, and not to lose sight of escaping by obsessing over the man’s whereabouts.

However――,

Petra: [――――]

Otto placed his hand on Petra’s, as he was held up by her, and he put a little more pressure into it, squeezing it. Petra took the tight grip as a silent instruction.

Petra strongly agreed with that caution, indicating that they should not let their guard down.

Then, Petra put her other hand on top of Otto’s hand――,

Otto: [――Thank you, Petra-chan.]

Immediately after uttering these words of gratitude, Otto shifted in place and fell down onto his back. ――A moment later, the axe narrowly missed, cleaving horizontally.

Petra: [――――]

The killing intent of the Imperial Soldier, approaching through the smoke from the spreading flames, struck out.

The man, voided of the certainty of the moment, slightly widened his eyes at that fact. But, as if quickly regaining his composure, the man tried to pull back the axe he had just swung――

Petra: [Jiwald!]

Soldier: [Guh.]

Petra, holding up five fingers, released from all of them a low-power Jiwald that caught the Imperial Soldier in the face radially. One of the five shots seared their opponent’s right eye.

Petra’s attack was aimed to suppress the enemy by using her power as a sacrifice. It successfully achieved its goal, and the man who had his eye burnt cried out in agony and recoiled.

Then, a spinning figure leapt at him from above.

Medium: [Let’s gooo!]

Behind the flames, Al was hunched over, and Medium jumped off his back, using it as a springboard.

Spinning vertically, Medium flashed her tightly gripped barbarian sword with both hands, and it struck the Imperial Soldier, who had lost his posture, mercilessly.

Medium: [Uryaa!]

A hard sound echoed, and a different shade of red mixed together with that of the burning flames.

The sound that echoed was not the sound of a skull splitting under a barbarian sword. Petra looked as she raised her hand. Petra saw that the man had voluntarily met the swinging sword with his forehead.

That hard sound was probably from armor that he had placed under his bandana. That was how he received Medium’s hit. Of course, he was not completely unscathed.

Swinging his axe awkwardly with his shaking free hand on his forehead, down, down, down――,

Soldier: [Sh*t…]

A bandana stained with blood fell from the man’s head. The man’s forehead was cut open, even with the armored bandana, and the bleeding from the split forehead could not seem to be stopped.

The man, bleeding profusely, glared at Otto and Petra.

The look in his eyes seemed to be asking how his surprise attack was detected――,

Otto: [――I will not tell you. I am not your parent, nor brother.]

Even though Otto was lying on the ground, he still spoke up as if he were proud of his victory.

In response, the Imperial Soldier clicked his tongue. He clicked his tongue, wiped the blood from his forehead with his palm, and,

Medium: [Ah! Wait! It would all be so unfair to just run away!]

He did not choose to be reckless and jump on top of him.

With his right eye closed, occluded by heat and blood, the Imperial Soldier disappeared behind the flames. Once again invisible, Petra was on the lookout for another surprise attack.

Al: [He’s not coming back… He doesn’t seem desperate enough to continue to fight at such a disadvantage.]

Petra: [Ummm, I disagree. Wasn’t it like we were the only ones who were desperate?]

Al: [I know how you feel, Lil’ Lady. But it’s the other side that ran away without a last word. We win, we win. ――It’s our wiiiiiiiin!]

Medium: [We wiiin!]

Al and Medium shouted a victory cry as they headed toward the direction where the Imperial Soldier had just disappeared.

Petra’s heart was lightened a little by the two of them. Although, she was not sure if their cheering would actually harass that Imperial Soldier.

In any case――,

Petra: [In the end, how did you know how to read that man’s moves? It was a gamble, wasn’t it?]

Otto: [It was not my doing; it was thanks to you, Petra-chan.]

With the help of Al, who had sheathed the Blue Dragon Sword, Otto was guided by Petra. However, Petra could not take credit for everything.

Otto: [In the first place, I was his target, so I knew that the last move would be aimed at me. It was the sound of footsteps that told me the time and direction of the attack.]

Medium: [Footsteps?]

Petra: [Otto-san’s channel let him hear from the children under the ground… right?]

Otto: [That is the correct answer.]

Petra clasped her hands together in front of her chest as Otto nodded his head.

From the beginning, Otto had used his Divine Protection of the Soul of Language to maintain control of the entire battlefield. This was the reason why he was targeted by the enemy. However, they had no idea how that Imperial Soldier had appeared while avoiding Otto’s Divine Protection, whereby he could grasp the entire situation by hearing the voices of animals and insects.

To perceive such an opponent, the same method as before was not enough.

Petra: [So, that’s why the children under the ground… they were useless as Otto-san said, since they don’t have eyes to see what’s going on outside.]

Otto: [I just wish I had chosen my words a little more carefully! …Anyway, I listened for animals and insects in the ground and determined where he was by the sound of his footsteps. It was a bit hit and miss, but Petra-chan was able to help me pick up the voices with her Yang Magic.]

Petra: [Otto-san, you gave me a signal with an ugly look on your face.]

Otto asked Petra for support with Yang Magic when he gripped her hand tightly.

With her help, Otto used his Divine Protection and guessed his opponent’s position from the sound of his footsteps, avoided the final ambush and, by contrast, inflicted a painful blow on their opponent, forcing him to retreat.

Otto: [――. To tell you the truth, I wanted to make him unable to continue fighting.]

Petra: [I agree. He wasn’t strong, he was just good at killing. More importantly…]

Medium: [Hot, hot, hot! We’ve gotta get out of here fast, or we’re gonna get baked!]

Having a dangerous enemy retreat did not necessarily overcome the situation of the surrounding area that was on fire.

Hearing Medium’s complaint, Al lent his shoulder to Otto and said, “Yeah, you’re right”. Petra, along with Medium, led them along, looking for a spot where the effects of the flames were less severe.

And so, the group attempted to leave before the flames engulfed them――,

Otto: [Let us get out of here as soon as possible. There is now a reason to return to the main camp.]

Al: […The way you just put it, it doesn’t sound like a prelude to the heroic story where you brag about how you survived a dangerous opponent.]

Otto: [Yes, it is bad news. Things are getting very time-sensitive. …Earlier, I was trying to listen for footsteps, and this is just a secondary piece of information that I happened to hear.]

It was an unpleasant preface that was spoken just as one hardship was about to be over.

Chased by the heat of the flames, but still unable to miss his statement, Petra turned to see a grim-faced Otto behind her―― or, rather, he was looking out over the entire battlefield.

Otto: [It seems that the whole battlefield is about to be compromised from a completely different aspect of the Dragon and the burning sky and all of that. In fact, it is right in front of our eyes.]

Coincidentally, at the same time that his brother detected it through the Divine Protection of Earth Spirits, Otto Suwen obtained the same information through the Divine Protection of the Soul of Language; and thus, Otto Suwen spoke.

△▼△▼△▼△

???: [――I have heard that there is a so-called Great Disaster drawing near that will endanger the Vollachian Empire. As I am a General First-Class of the Empire! As I am a General that still survives though living in disgrace! No matter what it takes! I shall not die without being of service to His Excellency the Emperor!]

Being thus informed by the large man that had been chained to a wall underground―― the person that introduced himself as Goz Ralfon, Rem understood that problems other than the rebellion would soon shake the Imperial Capital.

Although Goz had been quite weak after having been given only one meal every two days, he became surprisingly energetic and recovered his vitality after Rem’s stop-gap healing magic.

She thought the majority of that effect was probably largely due to his own conviction.

Goz: [Girl, your treatment has saved my life! Normally, I would have liked to invite you to my home and introduce my savior to my wife and children, but I must now head to His Excellency’s side! I shall repay you for this!!]

Rem: [Ah, umm, yes.]

Goz: [If possible, leave here and join up with the regular army! General First-Class Moguro Hagane or General Second-Class Kafma Irulux shall do you no harm! Avoid the other First-Class Generals! Your words will not get through to them!]

Having been released from his chains, Goz thus declared in an extremely loud voice. He leapt out of the basement at a tremendous speed and, after rebuking the soldiers guarding the mansion, ordered them to accompany him to the Crystal Palace, which was visible from a distance.

In response to that, the opinions of the guards were divided in two.

It seemed that even the mansion’s soldiers were split between those who knew of Goz’s existence and those who did not. Those who were kept in the dark were not amused, while those to whom the information had been disclosed felt the deep trust placed in them by Berstetz.

Therefore――,

Goz: [I see. You lot will stand in my way, then?]

With nothing to wear and his bare upper-body covered with an armor of muscle, Goz fixed his eyes on the guards who had drawn their weapons and were blocking his way.

Goz was unarmed, and the time that he had been confined was not just a day or two. He was far from being in perfect condition. However, the fact that the guards had opposed him was not a matter of whether or not they had a chance of winning.

Goz: [That is good. Just as I am loyal to His Excellency the Emperor, you lot are loyal to the Prime Minister. I shall certainly see that honor through to the very end!!]

The overwhelming aura emanating from him was clear, even as he looked at the soldiers who opposed him.

Goz’s one-sided bare-knuckle fighting style that followed was also like that.

A huge fist was swung, and in a single shot, several guards were blown away.

The slight advantage in numbers did not make a difference. It was an instant of overwhelming suppression.

Rem: [I heard your name from Abel-san as one of the Nine Divine Generals, but…]

Actually, the only ones of the Nine Divine Generals that Rem had seen in person were Arakiya and Madelyn in the Fortress City of Guaral.

Even when compared to both of them, Goz’s presence would not be outdone.

He might have been at a disadvantage at this moment, but only in what could be accounted for in weapons, equipment, and exhaustion.

Goz: [You have fought well! That is why you are Sword Wolves of the Empire!!]

Right in the middle of the battered soldiers, Goz thrust his arms up in the air and passionately uttered his praise.

If she was not mistaken, she had heard that he was the person who had risked his life and became a sacrifice in order to free the real Emperor, Abel. However, he was in such high spirits that it seemed like a lie that he had been exhausted from having been tied up.

It was unclear why he had been tied up in the basement of the mansion in the first place.

Goz: [Once again, Prime Minister Berstetz Fondalfon! I shall not let things go according to your plans! You too, General First-Class Chisha! Uooooooh――!!]

Before they could discuss things in detail, Goz boldly dashed out of the main gate of Berstetz’s mansion with the guards who were on his side.

Overwhelmed by the valor of The Lion Knight, Rem could do nothing but watch his back as he left.

However――,

Rem: [There’s no need for me at that Castle.]

In an unexpected turn of events, the soldiers in the mansion were gone, and Rem was also no longer hindered by her disability.

Rem checked to see if the soldiers who had been struck down by Goz were alive or dead. After giving only minimal treatment to the seriously wounded, she used one of the long swords as a cane as she moved around the mansion, heading to a room that she had entered many times.

And then――,

Rem: [Katya-san, it’s me, it’s Rem. Please come out.]

Katya: […I absolutely do not want to come out. W-what was that loud voice just now?]

Rem: [I know how you feel. But, the person with the loud voice has already left. I think we should talk about what we are going to do from here on out.]

Katya: [What we’re going to do…]

Rem’s voice urged Katya, who did not allow Rem to see her, to make a decision through the door to her room.

At present, Goz’s bravery, for better or worse, had wiped out the mansion’s soldiers, so the urgency to leave the mansion had diminished.

However――,

Rem: [The Great Disaster…]

That was why Goz hastened to meet the Emperor, who was said to be in the Crystal Palace.

To be precise, the main reason Goz went to the Crystal Palace was to confront the imposter who pretended to be the Emperor. Nevertheless, it was true that the purpose was to prevent that mysterious disaster.

In any case, Goz advised against sitting around.

If that was the case――,

Katya: [――T-there’s no reason for me to leave here, after all. I-I’m a hostage.]

Rem: [There are no more guards left to detain us. There’s no longer any reason to continue being held hostage.]

Katya: [B-but still…]

Rem: [――I understand. Please at least open the door. I would like to see that you are safe.]

Rem was at a loss, and yet Katya, who was undaunted by her insistence, finally folded.

After a few moments of silence at Rem’s last request, the wheels of her wheelchair were heard moving, and the door was unlocked. And so, the door to the room was opened.

Rem: [Excuse me. Let’s go.]

Katya: [Huh!? Wai-, you!]

Rem: [I’m sorry. It was a lie that I just wanted to see that you were safe.]

After entering the room, Rem found Katya by the door and quickly walked behind her and pushed her wheelchair out of the room.

A panicked Katya tried to resist, but she was powerless to stop the wheels and was unable to resist Rem’s forceful action, and she was pushed along.

Katya: [Wait! I have someone that I have to wait for here…]

Rem: [I understand that perfectly well. But it’s not safe to wait here. Even if we wait for your fiancé, let’s at least go somewhere safe.]

Katya: [Safe? There’s no safer place in the Imperial Capital than here――]

There is no reason for this, Katya was probably going to say.

But Katya, who was in the middle of speaking, suddenly opened her eyes and turned to look up while she was twisting her head left and right to glare at Rem, who was behind her.

Katya’s reaction caused Rem to look up to see a large shadow above their heads as they walked down the hallway of the mansion.

――A colossal castle wall in the shape of a man straddled the mansion, stepping toward the center of the Imperial Capital.

Rem: [――――]

Rather than Goz’s rampage, it was more shocking to see a giant foot stomping and bounding through the city, passing close at hand, than any of the attacks by the rebels trying to invade the Imperial Capital.

Rem and Katya looked at each other in alarm as the wheels of Katya’s wheelchair lifted off the ground with the sound and impact of the earth shaking.

Katya: [I-it doesn’t seem like this is a safe place, for sure…]

Rem: [Yes. Let’s hurry.]

As expected, the giant step just now was one of the exceptions in this whole fiasco, but it would be foolish for Rem to go out of her way to say that and incur Katya’s displeasure.

Katya, obediently followed by Rem who was pushing her wheelchair, headed for,

Katya: [Your companion is on bed rest, isn’t he? What are you going to do?]

Rem: [He really ought not to be moving around too much. However, I can’t say that…]

Responding to Katya’s words, Rem reached the intended room with her.

Inside this room was Flop O’Connell, who was brought to the mansion with Rem. He had not fully recovered from his serious wounds, and he was still under house arrest.

As per her answer to Katya, he should preferably be left to rest if at all possible, but――,

Rem: [Flop-san, it’s me. May I come in?]

Flop: [Hm, is that Wife-san!? I’ll open the door now.]

Rem knocked on the door and received a quick response, followed immediately by the opening of the door. Rem and Katya’s eyes widened when they saw that Flop, who had apparently been lurking by the door, was tightly holding a small hand mirror.

Rem: [Um, Flop-san, what’s with the mirror?]

Flop: [Well, actually, in case you were wondering, it was meant to be a weapon. You heard some very loud voices earlier, didn’t you? The city is getting noisy, and I thought someone hostile might have come barging in.]

Flop answered as he twirled the hand mirror, reminding Rem and Katya that they were prisoners of war and hostages for the time being, so there were no tools in their rooms that could be used as weapons.

However, a mirror as a countermeasure was not ideal.

Rem: […You mean that you’re able to fight with that mirror?]

Flop: [Unfortunately, this is about all there was in this room. But, I’ve never fought with a mirror before, so maybe I have a dormant talent for it! What do you think, Wife-san?]

Rem: [I guess so. I’d like to stop talking about unnecessary things and do what’s necessary, however.]

Flop responded to Katya’s glare in his usual tone of voice that was reassuring in his own way, but at the same time, she wanted to put this aside for a while, as they were in such a dire situation.

Regardless――,

Rem: [This is Katya-san. I met her at this mansion.]

Flop: [I’m Flop O’Connell. You must be the friend of Wife-san’s that I heard so much about.]

Katya: […I-I don’t remember becoming friends with this girl, but.]

Flop: [If that’s the case, then you should be ready to do so. Making good friends is the key to a better life. Even if it doesn’t, there’s nothing wrong with having a lot of friends.]

Katya: [I’m… probably not as good at that as you are…]

As Rem expected, Flop had a personality that Katya was not very comfortable with. Nevertheless, Flop’s disposition was such that he did not mind if Katya was frank with him, so it would be the best situation if Katya was just bitter about it.

Rem: [Flop-san, the situation in the Imperial Capital right now is…]

Flop: [I know more or less about it. Madelyn-kun came to meet me right before she left for the battle.]

Rem: […Madelyn-san, came to meet you?]

It was an unexpected personal connection; she knew that Madelyn had been visiting Flop, but she had never expected that they would become friends, even going so far as for her to come to greet him before going off to battle.

However, if one of the Nine Divine Generals had spoken to him directly, it was even possible that Flop would know more about the situation going on outside than Rem.

Rem: [Well then, we can talk quickly about it. The guards of the mansion are already gone, so we should be able to stay or escape at our leisure, but… I say we should escape.]

Flop: [I wonder if that has anything to do with the loud noises and the terrible earthquakes that just happened?]

Rem: [Yes. But it’s not just that. Something even worse could happen.]

Katya: [W-worse than that! A-are you kidding me…?]

In response to Rem’s concern for Flop, Katya turned pale and trembled when she heard it.

This was not about scaring Katya into obeying but was rather about a real, though unconfirmed, possibility of danger. On the other hand, it was no more than “something could happen,” so it did not provide any assurance to make a move.

Flop: [Still, I think you should leave here, Wife-san.]

Rem: [――Indeed.]

When asked by Flop, Rem nodded without hesitation.

Despite the fact that they were under house arrest, life in the mansion was not so uncomfortable. Although they were not allowed to leave the premises, they were allowed to go to each other’s rooms, Flop’s wounded body was being taken care of, Rem was able to meet Katya, and there was no reason for any great anger or hatred toward Berstetz, who was supposed to be their enemy.

As for the reason for Berstetz’s rebellion, Rem had a suspicion that it was Abel=Vincent who was at fault all the more.

Nevertheless, leaving such circumstances aside, Rem’s feelings were probably the most decisive reason as to why she wanted to leave the mansion.

Staying in captivity like this would worry a number of people who had been good to Rem.

That was the reason why she needed to get out of such an unjust and dishonest situation as soon as she possibly could.

Flop: [Okay, I got you. I have no objection either. Wife-san and Miss Katya, let’s get going.]

Rem: [Are you sure?]

Flop: [Even if I stay, there’s not much that I can do other than lie in bed. I’m still a peddler, so I have to be somewhat physically active or else I’ll get anxious.]

Flop made a clenched fist as he chuckled, as if to keep Rem from getting upset. Then, he interjected with a “Besides,”

Flop: [Actually, I’ve been entrusted with a message. If I accidentally overslept and missed the opportunity to tell it, I wouldn’t be able to face the world, or my sister for that matter.]

Rem: [A message… who is it from?]

Flop: [The Sword-Wolf of the Empire who has taken on the stigma of a traitor himself, and, in my opinion, has taken a great gamble.]

Flop winked, and Rem looked flustered at his reply.

Apparently, it was not the person that Rem had in mind, but it was nice to know that Flop would be coming along.

Rem: [As you can see, it’ll be no small feat to push Katya-san’s wheelchair while carrying Flop-san on my back, so…]

Katya: [You’re asking me what to do, but you have no intention of letting me do it, do you!]

Rem: [As long as all of you aren’t in danger, I’d be happy to leave you alone…]

As long as it remained unsafe to take them out by force, they were left with no other choice but to do so. As expected, Rem did not intend to save them beyond the extent of her ability, but if she could do so, then she had no choice.

One would do so even if it would manipulate the other person’s feelings. ――Even while knowing that it would not look good from the outside.

Rem: [――――]

For a moment, Rem felt like she was doing the same thing as the hand that had been extended toward her, and her heart fluttered with mixed emotions.

Rem quickly shook off this feeling and nodded to Katya and Flop with a “Well then”,

Rem: [Be careful when we leave the mansion. If we encounter someone, be cautious. We don’t know the people who are coming into the Imperial Capital, either.]

Katya: [Don’t say such scary things. …Aren’t you injured? Can you even go?]

Flop: [Haha, thanks for your concern. Fortunately, Wife-san has been working her healing magic with dedication. The gouged flesh is filling in nicely, and I think my blood is starting to come back. As for my physical condition, I guess I’ll just have to ask you to give me a shout when you’re ready to move.]

Rem: [I will take that into consideration. My legs are not in perfect shape, and Katya-san is in a wheelchair.]

Once again, she realized that each of the three gathered here were physically uncertain. Still, it was crucial for them to join forces, as they could not afford to lose any of them.

And so, with much enthusiasm,

Flop: [By the way, Wife-san, what about all the other people who are being held prisoner besides us?]

Rem: [I forgot about that…]

Flop pointed this out, and Rem put a hand to her forehead.

There was a separate building in the mansion, and in that building were held captives besides Rem and the others―― including several who claimed to be the black-haired Crown Prince, the illegitimate son of the Emperor of Vollachia.

Most of them were apparently used as a cause for rebelling against the Emperor. However, to Berstetz, who had rebelled over the issue of the Emperor’s heir, this was not a problem for someone else. So, they were kept as prisoners of war whenever possible to ascertain whether they were genuine or not.

Rem: [They can’t be said to be either our enemies nor our allies, so I want to ignore them, frankly.]

Currently, setting Katya aside, Rem and Flop’s positions were very complicated and difficult.

Even though she had no strong cause or claim, she had reluctantly joined the rebels led by Abel. However, she had been separated from that group, and she was not acquainted with the group of captive princes.

Rem and her group had no idea if they were good or evil, and their attitude towards them was also unknown.

???: [――――]

That was why her opinion was as she had just stated.

However, leaving them in the locked detached building while Rem’s group left the mansion to escape from the looming, incomprehensible Great Disaster was also distressing for Rem.

Even if it was difficult to save all of them, she wanted to diminish casualties as much as possible.

That was why the guards who were beaten down by Goz were given the minimal amount of treatment.

Katya: […Why don’t we just find the key and hang it where they can retrieve it themselves?]

Rem: [Ah…]

Katya: [I-I don’t know. I don’t know, but if it’s dangerous, I don’t want to get involved. But I can’t help but hesitate. Is that strange!?]

Rem: [No, no, it’s not strange. Right?]

Seeing that Rem was worried, Katya offered a compromise.

Rem only had one of two options in mind: to help, or not to help. She felt saved by Katya’s words.

As she said, it would be fine to locate the key to the detached building and make sure that the captives had only a little trouble obtaining it. That would ensure the captives’ safety along with her own peace of mind.

Flop: [Seems like you’ve got everything covered.]

Flop nodded in satisfaction at the conclusion of Rem’s and Katya’s conversation.

Meanwhile, he had been braiding some of his own long blonde hair, before then gently placing his hand on the door. As he pushed it open,

Flop: [Well, for now, I need to find where the key to the detached building is… Let’s wait a sec.]

Flop, who was about to go through the door, closed it while withdrawing his earlier words. Rem and Katya widened their eyes at his sudden action.

However, Flop put his finger to his lips and said, “Be quiet.” Then, he opened the door slightly to look outside. Standing beside Flop, Rem also looked out.

Rem: [――Ah]

Katya: [H-hey, what is it? I don’t have a good feeling about your reaction at all…!]

When Rem found out why Flop had closed the door, she choked, and Katya’s voice trembled at their reactions.

But she could not immediately find words to relieve Katya’s anxiety.

That was because for both Rem and Flop, it was a scene that was outside the realm of their imaginations.

In the courtyard of Berstetz’s mansion, figures other than the soldiers were standing there.

They were――,

Flop: […Somehow, they look sickly pale, don’t they? I wonder if they aren’t getting enough sleep?]

The appearance of the figures enveloped in a bloodthirsty aura was so strange, to the point that Flop’s joke sounded dry.

Pale complexions with no signs of life and cracks running across their visible skin―― a group of people, bearing features that could be recognized at a glance as bizarre, were occupying the mansion of the Imperial Prime Minister.

△▼△▼△▼△

Flop: […At a glance, they all had the appearance of Imperial Soldiers, didn’t they?]

Shutting the door without a noise, Flop muttered, holding his breath together with Rem and Katya.

In frankness, the scene they had put their eyes on had been so alien that Rem, bereft of the composure to do as much as to pay attention to the details, was unable to affirm Flop’s irresponsible claim.

It was just that――,

Katya: [T-there are creepy people entering the mansion…? Doesn’t that mean someone from the rebel army is trying to kill His Excellency the Emperor?]

Rem: [It seems like they would be impossible to communicate with, and they also gave off a different air. It wasn’t like they were angry or overexcited or anything like that, rather…]

Flop: [It’s like they were a creature that were different from humans, but took a human form. I also got the feeling that it would be difficult to gain an understanding by talking to them. It feels like my wounds are spiking with pain, and that’s a bad omen.]

Whether she wanted to or not, Rem agreed with Flop’s opinion.

As she had not checked what laid outside, Katya had not seen or understood the people the other two were referring to, but she surely would have been shaken had she looked.

Looking at her friend, who she felt had quite a different sense of logic, Rem had a sudden brainwave.

Rem: [Don’t tell me, that’s the Great Disaster…?]

She had only heard of the expression “Great Disaster” from Goz, but she supposed it was something nefarious regardless of its exact nature. Having heard about it being imminent, and having laid eyes on the beings outside, she could not help but believe there was a connection between the two.

Moreover, this was just Rem’s intuition as a practitioner of healing magic, but,

Rem: [It didn’t feel like there was life in them. It was as if…]

Katya: [Y-you’re not going to say they’re dead people, right? Calling them something like Hollows, is ridiculous…] 1

Flop: [Though, it may be still too soon to laugh that off. The ones outside took the appearance of Imperial Soldiers, and come to think of it, their armor, as well as their faces and napes, seemed to be in a somewhat tattered state. Perhaps there’s a chance they are still with the wounds they received in life… What do you think?]

Katya: [What do I think? I have no idea!]

Flop’s expression, true to his nature, caused Katya to lose her head and dart her eyes about in bewilderment.

But the fact that she was rejecting it vehemently served as undeniable proof that she, too, had perceived that something abnormal was happening from Rem and Flop’s behavior.

Even worse than that was――,

???: [――Gyah!]

???: [Guh!]

???: [――Ah.]

Small wails of pain were heard in succession, wails from the guards outside who had been put to sleep―― having been beaten down by Goz, Rem had deferred their treatment for later, yet they now spilled their death cries.

In frankness though, it was not as if she had ascertained it with her own eyes.

Flop: […Seems it’s going to be hard to talk and reach a mutual understanding with them.]

Flop’s words, his cheeks tightening greatly, told of the ultimate fate of the soldiers whose existence could not be disproved.

Those enigmatic forces, their faces pallid, had bestowed the collapsed soldiers with the coup de grace. There had been zero margin for discussion. ――That Rem, and everyone else, would be an exception to this rule, was difficult to envision.

Rem: [I…]

Had she at least put the soldiers in some room, would it have been different?

Had they, who were collapsed and defenseless, been moved to a safe place, their arbitrary demise could have been avoided. That being the case, the onus for their deaths would lie with Rem, who had not done everything possible.

Katya: [――Hk, is this the time to be thinking about that!]

Rem: [K-Katya-san…]

Katya: [If you get depressed now, it won’t just be those three who die. I-I don’t want… anything like that…!]

As Rem cast her face downwards in chagrin, it was seized by both of Katya’s hands, one hand on each cheek, and the former’s head was raised by force. A teary-eyed Katya snapped at Rem as to reproach her, attempting to obliterate Rem’s fainthearted disposition.

Katya’s momentum, and wholly honest words made Rem catch her breath.

Nodding quietly after that,

Rem: [Flop-san, the situation has changed. We have no choice but to go unlock that one separate building.]

Flop: [Uh-huh, indeed, Wife-san. I was thinking the same thing. I don’t know if we’ll be able to get on friendly terms with the Crown Princes who’ve been detained in that building, but there’s always the train of thought that the enemy of my enemy is my friend.]

Rem: [Yes. With a common enemy, there’s the possibility that we can work side-by-side.]

With that declaration, Flop immediately approved the change in course. Seeing the consensus between Rem and Flop, Katya shook her head up and down in agreement, and spoke,

Katya: [If that’s decided, then get on with it, get on with it already! Please do your best at breaking the lock to the detached building already. Y-you can do it, right?]

Rem: […Fortunately, I picked up a sword to substitute for my walking stick, so I can use that.]

The sword would likely break, but in exchange, she would be able to destroy the lock on the door, at least.

No longer would it be possible for them to walk around the mansion searching for the key. It would be too difficult.

Flop: [We need to get there before they turn their attention to the detached building, but the problem is…]

Rem: [Katya-san’s wheelchair…]

All eyes were on the wheelchair.

The wheelchair, which had been a gift from her fiancé, was a very well-made, high-end one, but that notwithstanding, it would not be possible to conceal its sounds, those of the wheels turning, and those of its many parts operating.

It was not ideal for situations in which one had to move without being detected.

Katya: [I… I…]

Faced with the same tough challenge, Katya’s gaze faltered as it flickered to left and right, upwards and down.

However, seeing as she possessed a physical disability, Katya and her wheelchair were inseparable. She herself was aware of this, and after a few moments of anxiety, Katya spoke.

Katya: [Leave me, and go open that building. I-I’ll wait for you alone…]

Rem: [Alone… But, I can’t let you do such a…]

Katya: [I’ll lock myself in my room! They won’t know I’m there if I shut myself in there in silence, right? If those people are undead or anything of the sort, it’s probably safer to stay hidden and not do anything stupid. B-but I’m not telling you two to go and do something dangerous.]

The fact that she was speaking so quickly, and that her voice had gone up in pitch, was no more than evidence that her innermost thoughts were frantic.

But that Katya’s proposal came from her mustering the entirety of what paltry courage she possessed, was something Rem and Flop comprehended to a painful extent.

They understood that her feelings, her faith, ought not to be rejected.

Rem: [Flop-san, stay with Katya-san and…]

Flop: [No, you have to take Miss Katya’s determination in mind, Wife-san. The chances of success are higher if the two of us were to deal with it. Worst-case scenario, one of us could serve as a decoy.]

Rem: [――――]

That truly was the worst-case scenario, but if she were to avert her gaze from that which she wished to not think about, she would have no escape from being overwhelmed by the horrible situation once she actually found herself in it.

Therefore, despite taking into account the possibility that worst-case would overwhelm her, Rem assented with a nod.

Rem: [Without fail, I’ll unlock the detached building and return.]

Katya: [D-do it properly. It’s no good if you don’t come back too. Promise!]

Rem: [――I will.]

Grasping Katya’s hand, Rem exchanged words of firm promise with her.

Bearing Katya’s concern, so clumsy as she was, Rem kept its weight within her heart as to not forget it. And with that, Rem and Flop nodded to each other, and they exited the room.

Flop & Rem: [――――]

While stifling their breaths and concealing their bodies, the two of them made their way out into the corridor, and as they surveyed their surroundings―― in search of those eerie “enemies”, they managed to advance towards the back of the mansion, where the separate building laid.

As they made their way, wafting in the wind was the scent of blood belonging to the soldiers that had been slain. A deed performed by the enemies, numbering over ten, wandering through the mansion without concern of danger.

Flop: […It seems like they’re looking for something.]

Rem: [People who are alive, perhaps?]

Flop: [No, I get a feeling like, taking out the ones on guard duty was something they just did while they were at it. There aren’t enough people for them to comb the mansion that thoroughly, it’s likely they have a much more definite target.]

Keeping their bodies low while en route, Rem and Flop exchanged opinions on the enemies’ behavior.

Hearing Flop’s keen insight brought Rem some vexation, feeling as if she were always off-mark every step of the way.

Flop: [I’m not sure of this idea either, it’s something I just thought of.]

And, to have Flop smooth over things frustrated her.

At the very least, she would contribute to freeing those imprisoned in the separated building, thus making up for it.

Rem: [――That wouldn’t be enough, would it.]

Something that ought be called fortunate, however, was that the sensory functions of the strange-looking “enemies” did not seem to differ much from those of humans, nor had they been boosted with incredible abilities beyond Rem and Flop’s grasp.

Thanks to that, somehow, they had managed to approach the separate unit while avoiding detection. Though, a problem arose then.

Flop: [As expected, they didn’t fail to notice it completely, huh?]

Having witnessed the same sight Flop had, Rem nodded in silence, agreeing with the former’s words.

As they hid behind the building and examined the unit’s surroundings, the problem, three figures belonging to “enemies”, could be seen. As they were searching for something, it would be unnatural for them not to stop by such a conspicuous structure.

The problem was the building’s interior; if the Crown Princes were truly confined within, the “enemies” would massacre the former without a word edgewise the moment they broke through the door.

There was no time to lose. If they did not act this very instant, their lives would be forfeit.

Flop: [Wife-san, I’ll attract their attention. Can you do them in while I keep all three occupied?]

Rem: [――――]

Flop: [I don’t mind if we reverse our roles, Wife-san, but I think it’s more likely that you succeed than me with my lack of nerve. I’d like you to decide now.]

A forceful declaration, but a decision was necessary.

Taking that in, Rem closed her eyes for a second, then quickly opened them.

And then――,

Rem: [Let’s do it. I’ll go around the back. Flop-san, it’ll take only a second.]

Flop: [Yeah, I’ll leave it to you. I don’t want to boast, but serving as a decoy’s one of my strong points.]

Rem nodded to Flop’s answer of reliability, and they then split up.

With the three “enemies” right in front of the building’s entrance, while they planned to breach the large door, Rem and Flop separated in different directions, as if to sandwich their foes.

Rem: [――――]

Squeezing onto it, Rem ascertained the feel of the steel sword she had carried for the purpose of breaking the lock.

Never had she had experience wielding the sword, nor was wounding another her forte. If anything, breaking Subaru’s finger was all Rem’s battle experience amounted to. It was possible to say that it was far from a solid foundation for her self-confidence.

But whether she had confidence in herself or not was irrelevant. She had to do it.

Do-or-die.

Flop: [Heyhey, gentlemen, are you all doing well? I’m a peddler with nothing to sell. At present, I just want to make myself known!]

Abruptly, Flop slipped out from behind the building, and started a conversation with the “enemies”.

Although he had to draw their attention on the spur of the moment, and although there had not been any major preparation done in advance, and speaking of Flop’s demeanor, it was far too assertive as to slip by them.

Enemy: […Who the hell are ya?]

Riveted by Flop’s entrance, the “enemies” turned around, one of them apparently uttering so.

Their voice was cold and devoid of warmth, yet in it dwelled definite intelligence, which had come to Rem as a fairly large surprise, having presumed that communicating with them, let alone negotiating, would be impossible.

However――.

Flop: [Oh my, perhaps you can speak? Assuming you can, then maybe I should change my attitude, don’t you think?]

Enemy: [Ahh, ya’ve got it wrong, then. Everyone in the Empire’s gonna die.]

Flop: [I see. ――Turns out there’s no margin for negotiation after all!]

So did Flop loudly assert, as to veil over the savage reply given by the “enemy”. An unequivocal cue to melt Rem’s heart, in whom hesitation had emerged for a moment, so that she would stir.

Having heard things thus far, Rem did not hesitate in her subsequent action.

Rem: [Ah, AHHHHHH――!]

The moment she resolved herself to make her move and initiate her assault, albeit she knew she ought to be silent, she emitted sound. Were she to forgo raising her own morale in that manner, from within, she would not be able to continue with said subsequent action.

Pulling the sword from its scabbard, she held it aloft, and with might and main, she thrusted it at an “enemy’s” back turned to her. They raised a shriek of “Wha!?”, but twice, thrice she swung the sword in a daze.

Not granting the “enemies” who had turned their attention to Flop a chance to turn around, a chaotic series of strikes rang out ensued. She knew not what would it take to incapacitate her opponents from doing battle, nor how long it would take her, hence she swung the sword with reckless abandon.

She had conscious awareness of the solid sensation of her hand rebounding, though everything besides that was rather blurry.

Nevertheless――,

Flop: [Wife-san! It’s okay now! You’ve done them in already!]

Rem: [Ah…]

Having been called out by an earnest voice, Rem came to her senses and saw Flop’s figure in front of her.

Then looking for the “enemies” that were supposedly between the two of them, Rem came to find them at her feet, defeated―― or rather, she found the pieces of what used to be those “enemies”.

Upon gazing at that, at the completely unexpected way they had been felled, Rem’s eyes widened with a “Huh”.

Flop: [To my eyes, it looked like they were shattered. In fact, looking at the remains like this, it looks like they shattered like pottery or glass.]

Rem: […Do you think they’re… dead?]

Flop: [At the very least, I think it’s doubtful that they were even alive before they were smashed into smithereens like this.]

Crouching down, Flop answered, holding scattered pieces of the “enemies” between his fingers.

Hearing his answer, Rem got quite the unpleasant feeling when she realized that, exactly as if it were an answer she was expecting.

For Rem, taking the life of a living creature was something abhorrent that ought to be avoided as much as possible.

Consequently, she realized that she had held a shameful expectation; she had wished to protect her mind through the doubt of whether the “enemies” she had vanquished were defined as a living being or not.

Flop: [Wife-san, their companions will notice it before long as well. Let’s hurry to the detached building and open it up.]

Flop made the decision to put off Rem’s sentiments for the moment. She did not object to Flop’s course of action as well, believing it to be the correct choice.

At the minimum, she attempted to give legitimacy to her actions; and as she was on the verge of unlocking the separate unit, she noticed something.

Rem: [Huh?]

Beneath her feet, the fragments of the “enemies” she had ground to a fine powder wriggled unnaturally, the wriggling different from how it would occur when caused by the wind or an earthquake.

???: [――We won’t die that easily. ‘Cause we’re dead.]

Rem shuddered, and the moment she experienced a sensation of unease, the voice of an “enemy” slipped into her awareness.

Turning around, Rem and Flop witnessed the supposedly-beaten “enemies” regenerating. The broken pieces of pottery fused together as if time had been reversed; though fissures that appeared as if seams were visible, they had been restored to their original state.

Rem & Flop: [――――]

Petrified by that impossible spectacle, Rem and Flop both froze in place.

Rem promptly decided to do the reverse of what Flop had done back in Guaral, where he had protected her, and put strength into her legs, hoping that she could at least shield Flop.

However, the unrest in her mind caused her knees to stay rigid, and her crippled legs would not let her actualize it.

If anything, it produced a fatal collapse of her posture in front of the “enemies”.

She had to raise it, she had to raise the sword. She had to do it, faster than her opponent, and yet.

She would not make it in time.

Rem: [――Hk.]

There was a flash of a grey light of dull hue with a swish. An “enemy” was about to strike Rem and Flop down, devoid of any mercy, with the sword in his hand―― And it happened at that exact moment.

???: [――El!]

???: [Minya!!]

Two high-pitched voices overlapped, ushering in the extraordinary phenomenon that occurred immediately afterward right in front of Rem’s eyes.

Before her eyes, purple crystals scored a direct hit on the three sword-wielding “enemies” from behind, running through their chests. Furthermore, the astonishment did not end at that.

Enemy: [Gah.]

And then, in the moment immediately subsequent to a howl of pain from one of the pierced “enemies”, they had their entire body morph into the same dark-purple crystal that had penetrated their chest. And once more, they shattered.

If a difference did exist, it was that the “enemies”, now in purple fragments, displayed no signs of reviving.

And the one who had successfully saved Rem and Flop just barely, was――,

???: [――Kept you waiting, Rem! The real star has stepped on the stage!]

Bravely announcing so, a small silhouette jumped off a large horse that had leapt over the outer wall, infiltrating the grounds of the mansion.

And thus, the boy of black hair with nasty-looking eyes, holding up a little girl in a dress in his arms, turned to Rem, closed one eye, and flashed a toothy smile at her.

Rem was left speechless due to his flamboyant appearance and announcement, and finally, she spoke.

Rem: [――Who are you?]

The young boy who had so gallantly made his appearance was someone who, to Rem’s eyes at least, was unknown.

――There was a loud, violent knock on the door, which caused Katya to feel a chill run down her spine.

Katya: [No, no, no, don’t come in, don’t come closer…]

Pushing her wheelchair to the back of her room, she clutched her curly hair and prayed frantically.

She had sent Rem and Flop away and declared that she would wait alone for the time being. Katya was going to stay hidden as long as possible, even breathing as little as she possibly could.

And yet, the “enemy” was aware of her existence, and now she was scared to death.

Katya: [I’m unlucky. I’ve always been so, so, unlucky…]

The fact that the “enemy” had stumbled upon this room was purely the result of random chance in an attempt to find survivors. However, her luck was terrible, seeing as they had found her so easily.

Maybe Rem and Flop would not make it back in time. Such a convenient thing would never happen to her.

Katya: […Brother.]

Obviously, she was unable to see the other party outside the door.

However, according to Rem and Flop, the third party wandering around outside - who were neither Imperial Soldiers nor rebels - had the appearance of the dead.

Speaking of the dead, the first person that came to Katya’s mind was her own big brother, Jamal Aurélie. The unexpected death of the brother whom she had thought unkillable.

Even as a Hollow, she could not help but think that she would like to see him at least one more time.

However, when it came to the inexplicable situation of the dead actually walking around, what came to mind was not an obsession with her brother, but rather self-pity; it was wholly unsightly.

She could not even have such lofty compassion as to pray for Rem and Flop’s safety and hope that they would survive in her stead. All she had was a sense of self-preservation, a sense of self-preservation which she could not help.

I am just an imperfect and helpless person, one who doesn’t deserve to be loved by anyone.

Katya: [I’m kind of like…]

Anticipating, hoping, and wishing to be saved was a mistake in and of itself. By thinking such impudent thoughts, Rem and Flop may end up as collateral damage.

Was this not the result of Katya’s bad luck and ineptitude, which had ended up getting Rem and Flop caught up in this?

Katya’s throat froze as those endlessly desperate thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the creaking door, which finally began to show signs of having been smashed open.

In the face of such a hopeless situation, she cursed her body, seemingly incapable of even screaming satisfactorily.

However――,

Katya: [Huh?]

Just when she thought that the door was about to be breached, it happened.

On the other side of the door, the “enemy” that had been trying to break in ceased moving. ――Or, more precisely, they had been forced to stop their destruction.

The entire body of the “enemy” burst into flames, enveloped in vermillion.

And then――,

???: [That Micro Spirit I scared into doing that was my last one.]

A new voice, one different from that of the burning “enemy”, reached Katya from the other side of the door.

Katya looked up as if she had been startled by the sound of the cursing voice. Katya then turned the wheel of her wheelchair and voluntarily took hold of the door herself.

With a trembling hand, she unlocked the door that she had been so afraid to open, and opened it.

Behind the door stood a man, kicking the burnt and charred corpse of the “enemy”.

???: [Kept you waiting, Katya. ――Let’s get out of here.]

He had lost his familiar bandana, and his normally upswept hair was down. Katya’s eyes widened at the man, his forehead and cheeks covered in dried blood, who was reaching toward her.

Then, as she wheeled toward the man,

Katya: [Late… you are so late, you idiot! I, I would have killed you if I had died!]

And then, she tearfully dove into her fiancé, who had ruthlessly made his appearance.

――At the Crystal Palace of the Imperial Capital, at the star-shaped ramparts, and at the rebel stronghold, various situations were unfolding.

There were some who were aware of the circumstances, and others who knew absolutely nothing at all.

Those people were all jumbled together on a battlefield transformed into a crucible of chaos―― no, the Vollachian Empire was what had been transformed.

Where bloodshed was rife, where the loss of life, akin to leaves falling from a tree, was revered, where taking action for the sake of blossoming ambition was considered the right thing. Its vast lands pulsated, and those engraved into the history of the Empire arose one after the other.

What could it be called, if not a nightmare?

???: [――The Great Disaster.]

Indeed, if not to be designated as a nightmare, then it could only be designated as the Great Disaster.

The Stargazers, who infested the Vollachian Empire, had loudly proclaimed this to be one of the mass-scale disasters that would drive the world to ruination, as declared by the commandment they had been bestowed with.

That in itself was a matter inconsequential to the crux that had brought about the circumstances known as the Great Disaster.

The important thing was that this disaster induced the ruin of the Empire’s soil, and at its terminus, the wish would be fulfilled.

For that purpose, the moves to be made, the measures to be exhausted, absolutely everything would be expended.

Dying and bringing death, killing and being killed, through those means, amassed on the vast lands of Vollachia, were mountains of corpses.

If the entirety of Vollachia’s spilled blood was the foundation of the plan, all that remained was.

???: [All that remains is to carry the plan out to the end. ――Deliberation: Required.]

With that, the bearer of the Great Disaster, the symbol of ruin, congratulated herself very, very quietly.

△▼△▼△▼△

It was the goal of the Stargazers for the "Great Disaster" to arrive, and then to prevent the destruction it brings thereafter.

Therefore, until now, they had not been her enemies.

Therefore, from now on, they would become her enemies.

[However──]

The "Great Disaster" was the same as them, in the regard that it would expend everything it had to try and accomplish its goal.

The "Great Disaster" was the same as them, in the regard that it harbored desires that it would never concede.

Dying and bringing death, killing and being killed, through those means, amassed on the vast lands of Vollachia, were mountains of corpses.

If the entirety of Vollachia’s spilled blood was the foundation of the plan, all that remained was──,

That was the bearer of the "Great Disaster", the symbol of ruin.

Having formerly exerted her power in the Kingdom, bringing forth the end to many lives, she was the final "Witch".

Born as a vessel for the abominable "Greed", she was an incomplete receptacle that had not fully received that soul.

A being who was ostracized and nearly killed, in place of being blessed by nobody, congratulated herself.

[Let us proceed. For the sake of the plan's fulfillment, and to bestow ruin upon the Empire.]

Hoisting a staff with a glowing orb, the "Witch" stepped forth without hesitation── No, followed by those who were resurrected from the vast lands of blood, the Queen of the Dead began her march.

──The Queen of the Dead, the "Great Disaster" known as Sphinx proceeded.

[──Deliberation: Required.]