Yater's Misperception

Mika went through one of the many holes in the fortress' walls, which were caused by the previous battles.

He lifted his head up and saw Yater sitting on the roof with his legs kicking the air like a child. He was smiling and humming without a care for his surroundings.

Then, Yater jumped down and approached Mika.

"Wow, what a scary expression~" he remarked sarcastically seeing how Mika was glaring at him.

With his hands behind his back, he casually walked around Mika.

"Hey, can you tell me how you managed to free that brat from my grasp?"

Yater referred to Gerard, who was held as a hostage by Yater's darkness which had the shape of a big tentacle.

"..."

"Hm? No answer? Then-"

At that moment, Mika drew Excalibur and slashed Yater horizontally across his chest.

Blood spurted out.

His eyes widened and his smile faded.

Knowing that the cut was too shallow, Mika changed his posture and attempted to pierce him.

However, Yater evaded it just in time by leaping far away.

"Tch...!"

Yater clenched his wounded chest tightly as he fought against the tremendous pain.

If it was a cut from a normal sword, then it would not be a big deal, but as it was Excalibur, that struck him, it felt like acid melting the corresponding spot away.

"So this is where Excalibur was..." he grumbled.

Mika charged at him again and swung his sword precisely.

And yet Yater dodged again.

"!"

Crouching down from another horizontal slash, he swept Mika's legs away with a kick.

In response, Mika, who was about to fall on his back, pushed himself away from the ground with his left hand and landed on his two feet again.

"Now everything makes sense... You used that to help your friend, right?"

His gaze was stern and threatening. There was no trace of a smile or a carefree expression anymore.

"..."

Mika did not answer.

It was not because he was nervous. It was because he did not want to waste more time.

Freeing Gerard with Excalibur cost him 10 seconds of Excalibur's usage time. 

"Whatever, it doesn't matter now. I just used him as a tool to wring out the answer from you, but all that was now in vain with you revealing yourself voluntarily."

He lowered his body a little, flexed his calves and thighs and then, like an arrow, he launched himself at Mika.

When he was about to hit him with the fist, Mika tried blocking him with Excalibur's fuller, but Yater's physical strength was too overwhelming, which led to Mika getting sent flying.

But before he crashed against something, Yater caught up instantly and threw him to the ground with his small hand around his neck.

With his other hand, he made sure that Mika could not use his right arm, which held Excalibur.

"But there's still something that bothers me... How did you get into the human realm? And are there others from your kind here?" Yater asked in a stern tone.

"Hng..."

The grip around Mika's neck tightened with every second.

"What are you talking about..." Mika said with a strained voice.

"Don't play dumb with me. I'm asking how an angel got into this realm."

Yater was annoyed.

"Argh...!"

Therefore, he also got impatient.

"?"

His gaze shifted slightly towards Excalibur, which was shining brightly before it dispersed into fine particles.

Then, Mika stretched his free arm to the sky.

Same-looking particles gathered there.

"!"

Listening to his instincts, Yater quickly moved away.

And shortly after that, in Mika's hand appeared a spear, which could have pierced Yater.

"Angel...? Why should I know something about that...?" Mika replied while clearing his throat.

He was getting up and used the spear to support his body balance.

Meanwhile, Yater was dumbfounded by the spear. His eyes were glued on it and his mouth did not close.

"He even has the Holy Spear...?"

Yater shook his head before he turned serious again.

"Are you still trying to joke around? Do you want to tell me that you're not an angel? Then, what else could you be? A human? Don't make me laugh!" he said menacingly with his chin lifted up a bit.

"Only an angel can wield Excalibur and the Holy spear!"

Mika skillfully swung the spear above his head and took up his stance.

"Sorry, to disappoint you but I'm a human through and through."

"..."

Yater put his finger on his chin.

"Is he just stubborn or is he oblivious to his origin...?" he muttered pensively.

"Enlarge!" Mika shouted as he thrust the spear.

On his command, the spear, which was still in his hand, increased its length at a speed too fast for the eye to recognize.

"!"

Again, out of instinct, Yater evaded the attack and rolled to the side.

"Shrink."

The spear returned to its original length.

"I was sure that he's an angel, after all, I sensed it in him, when we shook his hands while I impersonated that Ray Taker..."

Mika was about to prepare for another attack.

"Well, I guess I have to beat the truth out of him..." Yater mumbled sadistically as his wide grin returned.

While Mika was rushing towards him, darkness started to take over Yater's body.

"Due to Excalibur's specs, both Barnt's and Martha's abilities would be useless against him. So maybe I should go with that person..."

Only two minutes were left before Mika ran out of time.

In the meantime, in the northwest, another battle broke out.

"M-Ms. Relaren... W-what is the meaning of this...?!"

"Please, get out of my way! I don't want to hurt you!"

Wendy, who turned into a victim of Martha's ability, which was copied by Yater, finally met with the reinforcements.

Unlike her balanced unit with high-ranking combatants, the reinforcement seemed rather weak in comparison.

At first glance, only about twenty C-rank and roughly five B-rank soldiers were riding horses. They rode alongside an exquisite-looking carriage.

The carriage was colored in pure white and embellished with gold.

One could not look inside as red curtains blocked the view. It also seemed more spacious than the carriages Wendy's unit rode.

"Please- No, I command you to halt!" Wendy begged desperately while spreading her arms.

Due to her being their superior, the soldiers naturally obeyed her and stopped.

"Is... Is she not coming out?" she asked nervously when she threw a glance at the carriage.

"She is actually still sleeping..." one of the soldiers replied sheepishly.

"I see..."

She seemed dejected.

"Then, as long as she stays in there, none of you shall move!" Wendy declared frustrated.

Of course, chatter broke out amongst the confused people.

"I'm sorry... It's because of my own incompetence that led to this situation..."

"Ms. Relaren, what-"

A soldier wanted to comfort her, but at the same time, a loud bang was heard.

Everyone flinched and looked in the direction the sound was coming from.

Their gazes were focused on the carriage.

A door from a side fell to the ground and only a stretched out leg was visible from the front and behind.

Those, who were right beside that door, automatically hid behind their horses and cowered in fear.

"Are there yet?"

The annoyed and threatening voice belonged to a woman.

And as she stepped outside the clacking of her heels was perceived by the people present.

On the brink of a second, the soldiers got on one knee including Wendy. Their heads were cast to the ground.

While walking up to Wendy, she passed by the kneeling soldiers without giving them any heed.

"Everyone, raise your heads already." she ordered.

When they lifted their face, they were met with the appearance of a woman nearing her thirties. She wore black and tight leather pants and an equally skin-tight sleeveless bodysuit in the same color emphasizing her trained and also voluptuous body.

On top of that, she wore a fluffy and to-the-ground-reaching snow-white robe with sleeves. Its ends were colored in purple and its size was so big that it could even fit another person in there.

Furthermore, on her head was a golden and spiky crown, whose size was on the smaller side of things considering her social standing.

However, the woman's most distinctive features were her long slightly wavy and silky purple hair, the sharp and clear yellow eyes and the small mole under her lips.

This person was none other than...

"Yes, your Highness!"

She was Rostanta's current queen.

Olivia Rostanta.

"Hm? Wendy? What are you doing here?"

"Your Highness, I'm here to report that..."

"I see." Olivia replied showing little to no interest.

She crouched down a little to get on the same level as Wendy.

"Y-your Highness...?"

Wendy got a little flustered when Olivia put her fingers gently on her cheeks.

"Don't worry. Leave everything to me now."

Olivia had a warm smile on her face.

"From what I understand, you're ordered by that ability to stall us, right?"

"Y-yes."

"I suppose that the ability will be negated when either the caster or the target loses its conscious."

Her smile turned vile and her eyes were filled with belligerence.

"Y-your Highness... Y-you're hurting me..." Wendy said nervously as

Olivia began to apply more force to her fingers.

"Leave it to me, Wendy. Just leave it to me..."