96

Arc 7, Chapter 96 - "Painting with Deep Love"

――One of the Nine Divine Generals, the Steelman, Moguro Hagane.

That fact that they were not truly a Steelfolk was known to only a select few even within the Vollachian Empire.

Originally, the bodies of the Steelfolk were composed of inorganic substances like minerals and metals, and they were born as beings in the space between people and objects. It was conceivable that the Weaponkin, whose bodies possessed one part made out of metal, were a race that branched out from the Steelfolk, and there were many parts of their abnormal ecology that were obscure.

Although they were not as rare as the dragonkin, the Steelfolk were distinguished from human tribes not only in appearance, but also in mentality, so in the sense that they were more difficult to communicate with, they overwhelmed the dragonkin.

Existences more difficult to make contact with than spirits, which could be conversed with if one had certain training, those were the Steelfolk.

Henceforth, climbing to the top of the Empire at the seat of a General First-Class, and also being said to be easier to contact than the other problem-riddled Divine Generals, Moguro was recognized as a heretic from within the Steelfolk.

However, that was not the case in reality, and Moguro took advantage of their own outward appearance, as well as the special trait of lacking involvement with others from the Steelfolk tribe, and was an existence who merely self-proclaimed themself as the Steelman.

So then, regarding the true identity of Moguro Hagane, Abel considered this as an absolute truth.

――It was certain that within this decisive battle to capture the Imperial Capital, Moguro would be the greatest obstacle.

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???: [――――]

Launched up by an impact that seized his whole body, he met eyes with an excessively mighty being.

Immediately after, he received another blow; he could not avoid the future of his life being scattered, and he was convinced that he had finally reached the final destination of his fate.

――That was what should have happened.

???: [Cough――Hk.]

His lungs, deflated to the utmost limits, expanded, and that pain reawakened Heinkel's consciousness.

His interrupted consciousness returned, and the first thing he felt was the firm and large sensation of his back being supported―― it was the ground. Launched up to the sky, his body which should have been flying through the sky was on top of the ground.

Recognizing that fact, bewilderment occupied the insides of his head. For what reason? How? What had happened?

Only, at the same time as his brain had comprehended that he was still alive――,

Heinkel: [My sword is…]

In the empty hand of his body, besieged with pain, there was no feeling of a sword's hilt. Even when his other hand immediately reached out to his waist, there was no weight in the scabbard that hung there.

Turning his head, within his vision that was being vigorously shaken along with his brain by the loud ringing in his ears, in a place some ways away from him, Heinkel saw his sword thrust into the earth at a slant, and leaked out a breath.

That it had vanished, or it had been lost, he felt his entire body bouncing around as if his heart had become those unthinkable feelings of unease――,

Heinkel: [――Fuck.]

Since he had gone through all those things, he began to hate himself for worrying over losing the sword.

The fluctuation of his heart in that moment seemed like a representation of his half-assed self.

Heinkel: [Just what…]

As the causes for him to hate himself increased, Heinkel broke away from his loathsome sentimentality.

He was not dead. He still lived. However, that in itself was a strange thing.

At that moment, Heinkel had met eyes with an existence which introduced itself as a Divine General, and a definite intent to kill had been directed towards him. ――It had clearly declared that it would kill him.

In truth, having been launched up to the sky, then from there, being scattered by another attack with nothing he could do, Heinkel's life should have been lost.

For what reason had that not come to fruition? Seeking that answer, he looked around――,

Heinkel: [――Ah?]

Unconsciously, an astonished voice slipped out.

However, that was a matter of course. What Heinkel saw was absurd enough to warrant that. It was far, far too detached from reality.

――The world itself was divided in two from where Heinkel was, and separate hells were unfolding.

On the right sky, the massive clouds formed from the bright red flames engulfed the scorching world.

On the left sky, the majestic figure of a colossal scale, clad in clouds of pure white, spread its wings as it lorded over the frozen lands.

Heinkel: [A burning sky, and a white Dragon…]

Gazing at the sight which should not have been there, Heinkel muttered in blank amazement.

It was possible that he had been mistaken when he felt he had not died. This sight made it seem like Heinkel was already dead, and that was why he was seeing this kind of world.

Heinkel: [――Hk.]

At the world which went beyond what he could take in, thoughts of wishing to escape reality threw him into disorder.

That which had done so to Heinkel, causing his whole body to straighten up after lying down on the ground, was the black shadow which suddenly came over him.

No way, he did not want to think that there was a second Dragon passing right above him, but――,

Heinkel: [Woaaaaaah――!]

Looking up to the sky, Heinkel's throat screamed as he saw the origin of the shadow.

Passing over him with a tremendous force, flying through the sky as it spun, was an enormous boulder that could be mistaken for a house――Even then, it was not just one or two.

One after another, the throwing stones of an abnormal scale passed over his head, clad in an extremely strong wind, they flew from above Heinkel's head towards where his feet were pointed.

And then, at the end of where they were headed――,

Heinkel: [――――]

The impact of the crash quaked the world, and it shook Heinkel's buttocks, giving him the impression that the ground was coughing violently.

As those were continuously fired out, reverberating upon their crash, Heinkel got up from that place in a panic.

The one who was continuously being targeted by those boulders, suffering direct hits one after the other, was the figure who was also on an abnormal scale――standing up, it was the rampart itself.

Heinkel: […Moguro Hagane]

That was one of the nine most feared people within this Empire, and from what he could see, Heinkel felt that with his whole body and soul.

What he saw just before his consciousness was blown away, he thought that it might have been an optical illusion, or a hallucination he saw when paralyzed by fear, but it had been neither.

――With a large body that probably exceeded tens of meters, quite literally as the third bastion that Heinkel and the others originally were supposed to capture, Moguro blocked their way.

Literally, yes, quite literally.

Perhaps this very situation was an existence in this world most suitable for the word "literally".

In that place, the rampart had gotten up on its knees and taken the shape of a golem, and using the pavements from the upheaved farmland as its own arms and torso, it carried out an unbelievable defensive measure.

Swarming at the feet of that massive body were the stone golems, which Heinkel had cut down when he had gotten desperate, and the giant fist struck downwards from above their heads was just like a town crashing down.

Heinkel: [――――]

Aiming for that massive body, were the large boulders which had been fired countless times just a bit before.

Those were from both the stone pits along the way to the site of the decisive battle, the Imperial Capital, as well as the rocks prepared from the crumbled cliffs of the steep mountains to be used in the siege.

So then, continuing to throw those towards the large Moguro, were those who were awaiting an opportunity to attack from back at the stronghold――,

Heinkel: [――The subordinates of Yorna Mishigure.]

To be precise, they were the citizens of the Demon City of Chaosflame who Yorna directed.

Races with horns and lizardmen, beastmen and those from the Multi-Leg Tribe, they were a mixed force without a sense of unity, and there was only one thing in common which tied them together into an assembled formation.

――Each one of them housed a red flame in one of their eyes, and housed within was their high morale, that could be said to be what they had in common.

This was also quite literally, a group whose fighting spirit burned within their eyes, and several of them were able to lift up the unbelievably big boulders, and were able to throw them across an outrageous distance.

However, even if one said that Moguro suffered a direct hit from those large boulders, Heinkel's judgement was somewhat doubtful.

Of course, through the direct hits of those large boulders, Moguro's construction of the rampart and farmland crumbled, and was broken. However, in order to repair those broken parts, Moguro made the boulders crashing against him into the next materials which formed its massive body, and was certainly offsetting the attacks.

Even when looking from afar, the meaninglessness of those attacks was deeply communicated.

Even so, the reason why they still did not cease to throw them was plain and simple. ――While their attacks were keeping Moguro's large body at bay, the other rebels were fiercely attacking.

Heinkel: […Foolish.]

Heinkel had also heard it. That this third bastion had the weakest defense compared to the other bastions.

However, that would have been before Moguro had erected like that, and began to use its entire massive body to block their way. Despite that, the strategy had not been updated, and the rebels who had chosen to withdraw from the other battlefields were converging, and even now they continued to swell up their military strength here.

In the midst of that, the People of Shudraq, who Heinkel had fought alongside with, were also present.

Heinkel: [Foolish.]

Heinkel's deep feelings had leaked out with a sound more clear than before.

Foolish. It could not be called anything but foolish. What else was there to say? Looking right or looking left, looking up or looking down, looking forward or looking back, there was nothing to see but hell.

Just what else could Heinkel have possibly said?

Heinkel: [You-you're all out of your fucking minds… You guys! Everyone! What the hell is wrong with all of you!!]

Before he realized it, Heinkel had jumped towards his sword, thrust into the ground, in order to cling on to it.

Putting his weight onto the hilt of the sword thrust into the ground, he grit his teeth as he exhorted his trembling knees. What was wrong with everybody? He was unable to understand their mentality.

Like he thought, he could not do it. He could not do it, he could not do it, he could not do it, there was nothing he could do.

Heinkel: [What the hell, is wrong with all of you…]

While powerlessly leaning against his sword, Heinkel's throat feebly trembled.

In the surroundings of Heinkel, who had limply lowered his head, the world was shaken by the flames, by the Dragon, and by the huge army. Was it really such a sin for him to not fight against all that?

In that case――,

Heinkel: [I…]

It was directly after Heinkel had let that leak out.

The sound of nimble hooves resounded, and the chestnut-colored Galewind Horse passed by Heinkel's side as it stomped on the ground. As his red-hair swayed in the wind produced by that Galewind Horse, Heinkel looked up.

And then――,

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Heinkel: [――――]

For but a moment, Heinkel exchanged gazes with the man with a spherical hairstyle, who sat atop the Galewind Horse.

It was Zikr Osman. Working as the right-hand man of Abel, giving orders to the rebels from the stronghold, while he was also a General of the Vollachian Empire, he was a part of the rebellion against the country.

He himself had declared that his fighting skill with his sword was poor, and from Heinkel's point of view, his individual war potential was really difficult to count, but he had overtaken Heinkel.

――The moment Zikr passed him, he left a scornful gaze upon Heinkel, who had bent his knees here.

Heinkel: [I really…]

Going past Heinkel, who had bent his knees, the Galewind Horse ran towards the battlefield.

As if to follow the majestic figure of Zikr, the rebels who had gathered from various warfronts headed forwards. Towards Moguro Hagane's rampart, they charged forth.

As he watched them, Heinkel still continued to lean on his sword, unable to move.

And as he was unable to move――,

Heinkel: […It's just like I thought, I really can't do it, Louanna.]

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When he overtook the red-haired swordsman, who bent his knee on the battlefield and hung his head as if his fighting spirit was disheartened, what flashed through the mind of Zikr Osman was sympathy for following the natural course of life.

The brave woman of crimson who introduced herself as Priscilla Barielle had boldly taken part in this rebellion. The swordsman, participating in the war as her follower, was probably not even a person of the Vollachian Empire.

It was far too cruel to impose the Empire's way of being that the people of the Empire must be strong on a guy like him.

Zikr: [I can hardly say that I myself follow that way of being.]

Sword in hand, Zikr self-deprecated as he shook atop the back of his beloved horse, Leidy.

He was currently feigning bravery like this, but it had been largely due to the power that the previous generations of House Osman had accumulated that Zikr had taken up the seat of General.

If Zikr was not part of a lineage of military men, and he had to work his way from the ranks of private like the other soldiers, then he, without any skill in the sword, would probably not have been able to find any success in life.

It was not that he lamented that. Of course, Zikr was a man of the Empire.

Due to that, he swung his sword on the front lines, and the first time he swung it, his heart yearned for him to exist in a way reminiscent of the Nine Divine Generals, who would be able to alter the war situation.

However, to make sure that nobody would be able to take up Zikr's position, Zikr was once again unable to feign reality by turning that yearning into his personal matter.

Therefore――,

Zikr: [――I am a Second Class-General of the Empire, the Coward, Zikr Osman!!]

Raising his voice to a loud volume, his beloved horse galloped across the battlefield where a tremendous change had been accomplished.

In most cases, Leidy was used to light sprints for the purposes of both strolls and military campaigns, however, this time she could guess what Zikr was feeling, so she displayed the best sprint of her life.

At seeing his beloved horse put on a brave sprint, completely irrelevant from her fear and anxiety, Zikr could only fall in love again.

Leidy's excessively beautiful sprint ignored Zikr's unaccustomed war speech, and sparked a flame in the hearts of many rebels as she continued to dash.

Zikr: [Glow People on the right wing! Weaponkin on the left wing! Everyone, move in accordance with the orders! Everyone else, follow me! We shall defeat the Steelman, Moguro Hagane!]

Everyone: [YEAHHHHHHH――!!]

Hearing Zikr's orders, the assembled military strength roared as they charged towards Moguro. The boulders which flew overhead were thrown by the volunteer soldiers who Yorna loved dearly, as a means of providing cover.

If those drew Moguro's attention, and a disturbance was yielded in the command of the stone golems, and above all else, if the charge of Zikr and the others reached its feet, their aim would be successfully accomplished.

???: [Fire――!!]

A valiant shout could be heard in the distance, and the fired arrows rained down on the stone golems blocking the way, sewing them to the ground.

Commencing from far away, having opened up a distance on Zikr's orders, was the overwhelming display of offensive ability by means of the People of Shudraq's archery, and the archery of the rebels skilled in the bow.

He accepted the cover from the beautiful and high spirited women, and pushed forward. Including the battle formation that those women had reasonably lowered, it seemed too good to be true, so Zikr clenched his molars.

Zikr: [No, if anything is too good to be true, it would be that blessing.]

Gripping his sword tight, looking towards its drawn blade, Zikr slightly loosened the corners of his lips.

Right before he departed for battle, the one to bestow Zikr with a blessing as he visited the camp enclosure, was the sweet girl whose eyes somewhat inspired a sense of reverence――Just as if it was a gaze that had lived an amount of time unimaginable to Zikr, it graciously met his entreaty.

It was not that the Coward had been blown away.

Only, thinking about the duty he must accomplish himself, Zikr wished for a blessing. Even if there was only a slight chance, he had wanted to rely on his superstitions.

???: [General Second-Class Zikr! Please fall back! We can handle things here!!]

Zikr: [Do not speak nonsense! There is no path of retreat! Nor is there room to fall back! I shall also move forward!!]

???: [――Hk.]

Straddling his Galewind Horse, he shook his head at the appeal of the soldier riding next to him; Zikr would not abandon his duty.

For a moment, the subordinate attempted to say something, but he did not get in the way of Zikr's determination any further. Grateful for that consideration, he tightly, tightly gripped the reins.

???: [Hah! To think that General Second-Class Zikr Osman, the Womanizer, would proceed to the front lines!]

Then, opposite of the subordinate riding next to him, a figure sprinting at the same speed as a Galewind Horse caught up to them. Looking at him, he was wearing an eyepatch, a soldier wielding twin swords――Jamal Aurélie.

He became a prisoner of war during the fall of the Fortress City, and after that, since he displayed strong loyalty towards His Excellency the Emperor Vincent Vollachia, he was taken under the command of Zikr as a swordsman.

Zikr: [Private First-Class Jamal, how is their response?]

Jamal: [The fucking best! Whether I look left or right or directly in front, there's a fuck ton of enemies! I'm having an absolute blast!]

Zikr: [Ahh, it is indeed quite magnificent. It is the honor of an Imperial soldier. From here, I intend on removing General First-Class Moguro from the seat of Eighth, so will you follow me!?]

Jamal: [Only if you order me! If you want, I can head over there and open up the path!]

An uncouth yet charming smile emerged on his face, and Jamal accelerated after saying that. He easily overtook Leidy's speed, and charged right into the group of stone golems directly in front of them.

While chasing after his back, on the other side of Zikr thinking his bravery was reliable, he felt guilty for taking him along. ――However, he immediately discarded that hesitation.

He would fulfill what he needed to do in the place that he needed to do it.

That had been requested of him, so it was none other than Zikr himself who desired to meet those requests.

What remained was――,

Zikr: [――Your Excellency, you are free to do as you wish.]

Indeed, it had been practically at the same time as when Zikr offered up a prayer.

――The Crystal Palace of the Imperial Capital Lupugana, the Magic Crystals upon its summit began to glow.

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――In this decisive battle for the Imperial Capital, there were several people painting over the picture Abel had painted.

One of them was the existence of Priscilla, who joined the battle of the first bastion which Yorna Mishigure faced.

One of them was Otto, who through use of his Divine Protection, demonstrated his ability to gather information on the details of the war situation.

One of them was Garfiel, who instead of being in a deadlock with Kafma Irulux, was able to crush him.

One of them was Emilia, who angered Madelyn Eschart more than had been assumed, and caused her to invoke the Cloud Dragon.

And yet, even if that added some change in the coloration of the picture Abel had painted, they were not incidents that greatly changed its final form.

If one of the five bastions on the points of the star-shaped ramparts that defended the Imperial Capital were to be broken through, then there were means to seize victory even if the other bastions were locked in stalemate.

For those who painted over the picture, the main reason why it could not be swayed, no matter what they did, was Moguro Hagane――No, it was the Meteor which governed the Crystal Palace, the heart of the Vollachian Empire.

The Crystal Palace which boasted beauty of preeminent status within the world, the magic crystals that formed the crystal portion of the palace were especially pure even among magic stones, and it made the palace itself into a weapon to attack outside enemies.

The mana stored within the palace could be passed through the magic crystals located everywhere in the building to amplify it, and then be released through the Magic Crystal Cannon installed on the highest layer of the Crystal Palace.

That power was able to bring about enough destruction to wipe out the entirety of a large city, and in the past, when it had been used hundreds of years prior――Legends say that its target had been a Great Disaster.

Henceforth, the Magic Crystal Cannon of the Crystal Palace remained only a thing of legends, but since the existence of the real thing had been known, it had been serviced to be made possible to use, so the threat was restored.

As irony would have it, that Magic Crystal Cannon had become a fang pointed towards Abel himself, but as long as it was present, there was a high probability that the war situation of the decisive battle of the Imperial Capital could be easily overturned.

Therefore, no matter what, there was a need for this Magic Crystal Cannon to be fired.

That too, was not a decisive blow in order to change the war situation, but part of the damages taken into his consideration.

For that purpose――,

Abel: [――Will you desert and run away, Zikr Osman?]

That was what Abel had asked Zikr, who mounted his Galewind Horse, and headed towards the battlefield of the third bastion.

Zikr had a choice. Managing the rebels who had chosen to move away from the battles of the other bastions, and converge on the third bastion, raising their morale, facing the massive body of Moguro, who blocked the way, he had the choice to desert that warfront.

However, Abel had a hunch that he would likely not choose that.

Was it because of Zikr's prudence as the Coward, who feared even the slightest possibility that his goal would not be fulfilled, or was it perhaps because he was one of the brave and righteous members of the Imperial Army?

Whichever it was, Abel, who was not Zikr, could not surmise.

However, whatever the reason for his determination may be, Abel would not discourage it.

The life or death of Zikr was a position which held no final impact on the picture that Abel had painted.

Speaking on the grand-scale of things, ultimately, within his picture, even the life or death of Abel himself――.

???: [――Reporting from the lookout! The Magic Crystal Cannon of the Crystal Palace is beginning to operate!]

Abel: [――――]

???: [Its target, the third bastion!!]

The resoundement of the bellowing voice throughout the stronghold was proof of Abel's aim being fulfilled.

The Magic Crystal Cannon was fired upon it. Upon the third bastion――that is to say, mowing down the battlefield of Moguro, who had turned into the rampart itself, it would likely wipe out the rebels in one fell swoop.

Even if that happened, as long as Moguro's true body of the Crystal Palace was going strong, then neither would the Steelman, Moguro Hagane, be defeated, nor would the third bastion be overcome.

However, the Imperial Capital would forfeit the firepower of the Magic Crystal Cannon, which had the ability to overturn any war situation.

Everything was for that purpose, after all, it had been painted on that illustration.

Therefore――,

???: [――There is something unusual in the line of fire of the Magic Crystal Cannon!!]

Abel: […What?]

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――Upon the moment his plan had succeeded, that report was an incident completely outside Abel's hypothesis.

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――In this decisive battle for the Imperial Capital, there were several people painting over the picture Abel had painted.

One of them was the existence of Priscilla, who joined the battle of the first bastion which Yorna Mishigure faced.

One of them was Otto, who through use of his Divine Protection, demonstrated his ability to gather information on the details of the war situation.

One of them was Garfiel, who instead of being in a deadlock with Kafma Irulux, was able to crush him.

One of them was Emilia, who angered Madelyn Eschart more than had been assumed, and caused her to invoke the Cloud Dragon.

And then――,

???: [――Impossible.]

In the distance, beyond the hulking, writhing city walls of Moguro Hagane, lay the Crystal Palace, the very heart of the beloved Imperial Capital and the symbol of the Vollachian Empire's authority.

At the top of that beautiful palace, only a few people even knew of that weapon, and in fact, even the General did not know of the existence of the Magic Crystal Cannon until he had heard about it from Abel.

Zikr Osman risked his life to make them misfire that single, precious shot of this decisive weapon that, if fired, would cleave the horizon and completely disrupt the tide of battle.

Riding his beloved horse across the front lines, he appealed loudly that they had the chance to win the battle, and while rallying up the rebels, he appealed for their support in order to get the Magic Crystal Cannon to focus on them.

All this in order to mislead them into believing that this was the best opportunity to make a decisive change in the battle.

Hence, the moment the pinnacle of the Crystal Palace glowed, Zikr was convinced that he had accomplished the task.

His mind was filled with images of his mother, of his elder sisters, and of his younger sisters, those women so crucial to the formation of his own self, and he even smiled at how much like him that was.

A prayer far too beautiful to let die in one's embrace, a demise that was supposed to come peacefully, but was replaced with astonishment before the wide-eyed Zikr.

Because of――,

Zikr: [――Miss Beatrice?]

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Beatrice: [Figured this is what it would be, in fact.]

Beatrice muttered to herself while in free fall, her dress and long curly hair fluttering in the air.

When confronted by Zikr, who had come to Beatrice and the others' camp tent to ask for her blessing as a warrior, Beatrice had a gut feeling that he intended to die.

Four hundred years ago, in that time of constant warfare, there were many with the same look in their eyes.

Back then, Beatrice was not able to reach out to them. Some did not want to be reached out to, and some did not know how to reach out.

Perhaps even if Beatrice were to repeat that time again, it would be hard to imagine that she could have approached it better.

Surely she would experience the same helplessness again, watching them go to their deaths.

But that is――,

Beatrice: [――No reason to do the same here today, I suppose.]

???: [Aa, u!]

With their characteristic pattern, Beatrice's eyes faced forward, and there was a little girl holding Beatrice's thin shoulders from behind as if she were holding her tightly.

Beatrice did not forgive the little girl with golden hair and blue eyes.

It was true that her actions, unknown to her, had made many people miserable.

But still, for this one moment, she thought.

For this one moment, she believed in some other feeling other than the "na?veté" of Natsuki Subaru.

Beatrice: [――――]

Beatrice and the little girl――Louis were high up in the sky, even higher than the city walls.

After a series of short range "teleports", as if with no other means, Louis brought Beatrice to this place as if to prove her worthiness.

Just now, Louis demonstrated her worth.

In which case, Beatrice was next to respond to those deeds.

Beatrice: [Betty can just see everyone's angry faces, in fact.]

Angry, or perhaps concerned, but in the end, still angry.

Beatrice's lips suddenly relaxed as the loving faces of her companions came to her.

But, there was no choice not to do it. Because Beatrice was――,

Beatrice: [Betty is Subaru's partner, I suppose.]

At the moment she muttered those words, the entirety of the beautiful Palace, visible from a distance, glowed with a dazzling light so bright that it was able to transform the shape of the world, aiming at the rebels who were pushing forward on the ground in a straight line.

Zikr and his men, who were leading the charge, would be engulfed by the shot that would be far too destructive for them. Interrupting the line of fire with Louis, Beatrice clasped her hands together in front of her chest.

And then――,

Beatrice: [――Al Shamak.]

――Then, the hole into another world that swallowed even the light that would change the world, opened then closed.

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How many were there that could have properly grasped the events of that instant?

In truth, if things had come to pass as Abel had painted them, the damage would have been enormous, even if it had been within the range of what had been expected, the impact it would have provoked on those fighting at the other bastions would be immeasurable.

However, the Magic Crystal Cannon did not deliver the damage it was intended to unleash, and Zikr Osman, having been ready to sacrifice himself, continued on with that same vigor and began to fight the horde of stone golems.

The descent of the Cloud Dragon Mezoreia and Emilia's battle with Madelyn who had brought it along continued, and the aged skill of The Vicious Old Man Olbart was cornering Garfiel.

Yorna, The Flamboyant, and Priscilla, a mother and daughter, were forced into a fierce battle by The Spirit Eater Arakiya, who had decided to shake off everything to achieve her own ends. Otto and Petra, who had planned to establish control of the battlefield and, in fact, accomplished it partly, confronted the malice along with Medium.

There was no significant impact on the state of those battles.

Merely, the possibility that the state of those battles would substantially lean unfavorably was now lost.

In exchange for this tremendous achievement――,

Louis: [Ua! Ahu! Auu!]

The presence of the little girl in Louis's arms faded as she fluttered through the air in a tight embrace.

It was, quite literally, the sight of the little girl's figure gradually fading away. As if to deny it, Louis embraced the girl, Beatrice, but it served no purpose.

As if scattering into the air, Beatrice's body was about to turn into light.

Louis: [Aa! Aa, AaAa!]

Screaming, Louis tried hard to deny the situation before her eyes.

But no amount of lamenting and screaming could stop the crumbling of Beatrice's existence.

In order to save the lives of many, she blew into the beyond the light of destruction that was released.

As compensation for that overwhelming power, Beatrice's existence had become disperse. Even if one reached out their fingers to the light waning from as if it were being peeled off, those fingers would not be blocked, instead passing through.

Louis: [Aa…!!]

With tears welling up in her ragged, wide blue eyes, Louis screamed.

Screaming, screaming, even though screaming did not help, she screamed desperately .

There was nothing else she could do, and she could not find anything more she could do, so she screamed.

And so she frantically screamed and ranted and raved――.

Louis: [――a?]

With a plop, her large tears scattered freely into the air, and then Louis turned her face away from her face, and out into the distance.

Embracing Beatrice in her arms, she looked not at the little girl about to disappear, not at the sky that had turned white, not at the sky that had turned red, not at the ground where many people were shouting in anger, but at this moment, forgetting everything that formed the battlefield, she looked out into the distance.

And then, she leaped toward that distance.

Louis: [U――]

Midair, the distance that she could leap at a time was about ten meters; using it over and over again in a sequence placed a strain on her organs, like they were being squeezed, but she did not care.

Taking on all of the burdens that would be placed on Beatrice, Louis leaped.

She leaped, leaped, leaped, leaped, leaped, leaped, leaped, and then finally――,

Louis: [――――]

Upon reaching the ground, Louis fell forward as if crouching. Ignoring the general lethargy of her body, Louis held up the incredibly light little girl in her arms in front of her.

Beatrice, whose very presence was becoming thinner and thinner, was put in front of her.

And then――,

Louis: [Uau…]

???: [――I know. The two of you, you're both being too reckless.]

Then, suddenly, there was a sigh that sounded like a bitter laugh, and the little girl was snatched away from her outstretched arms. ――No, she was not taken from her. She was gently held up.

Then, Beatrice's body was embraced in front of the kneeling Louis's eyes.

It was there, in the arms of the black-haired boy who was there, that he gently, cherishingly, tightly held her.

Receiving this embrace, visibly so full of love, the girl who had accomplished a great task, her eyelids framed by long eyelashes trembled, and her eyes slowly opened.

Then her eyes, with their distinctive pattern, flickered――,

Beatrice: [――You left me so worried, in fact.]

???: [Yeah, I love you too.]

To that whispered deep affection, he responded with proud deep love, and the hands that should have been joined became joined.

The boy laughed in front of Louis, who was watching it from the front row and letting out a small exhale.

He laughed and said,

???: [Well, shall we begin? ――Bring it on, oh inevitable fate.]