Save 102 ─ Determination

"Damn!"

"Why is this happening?"

A few minutes after the fight on the dock began.

Aster's army was losing.

Most armored units were destroyed by Chlust and Warren.

The airships were concentrated fighting Aurora while the soldiers on the ground were trying to overrun the embassy.

They were poorly organized, Frey divided the groups into different sectors to resist.

The airships that were with Aurora were few, they served only as shields, two of them were destroyed.

The Kingdom had won this victory.

A captain of one ship called for reinforcements.

"We need help! We can't defeat the remnants of the Kingdom by ourselves."

"We are sorry. But we are focused on another situation. If you want you can run away, anyway, we've got our hands full."

The captain got angry.

"It was supposed to be our moment of victory!"

"Like I said, we're busy─"

Suddenly the communication was cut off.

"Captain beware!"

The captain looked up to see a cannonball approaching him.

◇◇◇

"Shit..."

Jude and the girls were locked in the room.

The containment of Aster's soldiers failed.

A large number entered, resulting in loss of field.

As they retreated, Jude was wounded in the arm by a bullet.

Allen was in charge of using his rifle as he was unable to raise his hand.

They were running out of ammunition.

Alisa along with Sara were getting a little closer to the door to cast ice and fire magic spells.

The soldiers had magic bullets so their spells were countered.

Erselica shouted as she heard the gunfire and explosions from the place.

"Uwaah! I don't want to die!"

Alisa was getting annoyed that they could only retreat. Even the robots were busy.

She said something she didn't want to talk about.

"I hate to say this, but we have to run away from here. Everyone, get your stuff and ammo and head out the back window straight to the warehouse, we'll hide in another embassy until the meantime."

"Understood."

They all said. Alisa turned to tell Liam to come down with her and not leave her side.

If anything happened to the crown prince, she wouldn't know how to look the king and queen or his family in the face.

"Your Highness, I want─"

Her mouth stopped when she saw that, at the back, where Liam should be, there was no one.

Even the window next to him was almost closed.

She walked over and saw a rope made out of the blinds.

Her face turned red and she screamed from the bottom of her heart.

"That damn stupid crown princeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

◇◇◇

After Liam escaped before it all started.

He walked over to Rhino Magnus and turned it on.

He used it a few times in the past while exploring the dungeon with the others.

As he turned it on, the attack began.

He waited for this to happen so he could escape.

As the bullets and explosions began, Liam sped up and exited the port.

No one noticed him... except for Bell who let him go.

For this she thought.

"If there is no crown prince. Master can take the throne and the queen without a problem. We all win."

◇◇◇

Liam was driving through the streets of Aster.

People who at this hour should be riding the streetcar or on the streets to shop. They weren't.

Because of what happened yesterday no one was out until the great nobles declared there was no danger.

For that reason, Liam could drive without a problem.

After several minutes of driving around he arrived at a place, Rudel's house.

The mansion seemed closer to him, but he wanted to check that place first.

He opened the door and called out to Bram and Ada in case they were inside.

"Do you hear me!"

"Hey!"

No one answered.

He was disappointed.

He didn't know the streets so going around with no knowledge of the place would be worse for him.

(Right now a war against Bradford is going to break out.)

(The last thing I need is for him and the others to worry that I've been kidnapped or died.)

Liam punched himself in the face and opened the door to the house.

"I'll go look for them in town. I'm sure I'll be able to find them. When I set my mind to something I accomplish it!"

After taking a step out of the house... the vehicle exploded.

The shockwave from the explosion knocked Liam to the ground.

"Puah!"

He spat out spit after giving himself a loud thump.

Lifting his head, he couldn't believe what he saw.

The vehicle owned by Rudel exploded into pieces.

Voices came from behind the vehicle.

"You idiot, I told you to wait."

"I'm sorry, I was just so excited."

A group of republic soldiers were with Romeo.

He saw Liam and said.

"That guy? Hey, you said you saw Bradford."

"Huh? He's not."

"You're such an idiot! Where the hell do you think he has black hair?"

"... His hair isn't black?"

Romeo's mouth dropped open at the sight of him entrusting the supervision to a colorblind man.

"That's my fault. Shit. Whatever."

He looked at Liam and said.

"I'm sorry. But we came to take hostages. One group went to your mansion and I we came to this place."

"After you went in we planted bombs and waited for them to come out to detonate them."

"I'm telling you so you don't ask why we do this."

"... I wasn't going to ask."

"You're sweating. So you were going to say it."

"I wasn't."

"... It is."

"I'm telling you it's not."

"Stop it!"

Romeo snapped angrily at how irritable Liam is.

"Never mind. Go get him, if I'm not mistaken he's the crown prince. Your country will be in a cold sweat when they find out."

The republic soldiers were closing in on Liam with their machine guns.

Liam stood up, dusted off his clothes and grabbed the katana that hung from his waist just now.

"I have a question."

"Say it."

"Are you Sara's younger brother?"

Romeo bristled at the sound of his sister's name.

"That's right."

"I see."

Liam moved into an attack stance after unsheathing his sword.

"Your sister is sad. Bradford has already declared her as his woman."

"For that simple reason, I will not kill you as I should. But the others are exceptions to that."

"Prepare yourselves because I will show no mercy."

The soldiers like Romeo laughed at Liam.

"Are you serious?"

"Hey, there's twenty of us without counting me. These guys are armed with toys that shoot flies that would destroy your head in seconds."

"You think you can beat them?"

"Sure I can."

Liam flashed a confident smile on his calm face.

Romeo bristled at the sight of it.

"Why do you say that?"

Liam put a foot forward.

"I fought the strongest man in the world twice already. Both times I lost them, therefore. Losing to some weaklings against you would make me look bad against the opponent I want to defeat one day."

"Here I come!"

With those words, Liam marched head-on against the soldiers.

◇◇◇

During the game, there were moments where Liam's thoughts manifested.

These thoughts were from when he was a child.

There he was in the ministers' hall, listening to everyone.

People would come up to greet him. They would all say the same phrases.

"The crown prince looks as good as ever."

"When he grows up I am sure he will be a magnificent king."

"I look forward to working under you."

The adults said the same thing over and over again.

Liam thought he would make a good king just by hearing those words.

For that reason, he let himself be manipulated by his false friend, Klein, who only manipulated him to get his friendship and immunity in the palace.

If anyone tried to contradict Liam, he would get angry.

When he was eight years old, he said to a maid.

"The soup is awful. I don't like it."

The maid was startled as at those words anyone would think it was a dismissal.

Little Liam understood that his words carried weight.

That's why he kept things to himself that he never said.

All that was the setup of the game.

When the academy came.

Liam expected to strive to achieve what was required to be a king.

But those illusions were shattered by him, Rudel.

After the duel. It became clear that the crown prince, the future king of the Kingdom of Altfode.

Was a big idiot.

He was such an idiot. That, if he was allowed to come to the throne, the country would go to ruin.

Liam heard comments from the same ministers after he was disinherited.

"I can't believe it. That boy was removed from his title."

"I wasted so much time currying favor with a fool like him. I feel like a fool."

"If only we had a second prince. This problem wouldn't be chaos for us."

"I suggest we make him king anyway, then take care of vital tasks and have him as an ornament."

Every word of the ministers showed that he was always a mockery to them.

Even his own mother was angry with him. She even said to him.

"It is my fault. I must have spoiled you too much, if I had been stricter... no, that would be worse."

Liam had no real allies. Until she showed up.

Erselica.

To him, she was a goddess who came when he needed her most.

Just being with her, Liam's heart was filled with happiness.

That happiness had to be filled originally by Airi, but Erselica stole that spot.

She even had the nerve to romance other young men from important families.

Liam didn't mind that, he loved her and that was enough.

But there was a problem for him.

Rudel...

He was a mutation in her life.

He always did things that the code of knights, nobles or people would not do.

But... in spite of that. Rudel was the most honest existence Liam knew.

He was the first to tell him that his ways were wrong.

He was the first to tell him that Klein was a traitor and manipulating him.

He was the first to tell him that he was a coward for using his status as a prince among other situations.

After the war, he understood that Rudel has an even heavier burden than he does.

Unlike Liam, Rudel was not born to have a position or title like the one he got.

He was just a peasant while he, was the crown prince who was deposed twice and is still not accepted as such.

The ministers abandoned him.

Nobody trusts him.

But when he talks to Rudel, he understands what real honesty is.

Even while they were fishing he told him.

"Hey, if you get in trouble like Derrick again. Just leave it to me, it would be too much trouble if you get into another problem and I have to fix it."

Despite sounding like an order from an adult to a child. Rudel was angry at what Derrick did to him.

From that moment on, Liam understood that the people in front of him are those he can trust.

He left the embassy to look for Kingdom citizens and secure them. Among them his brother and Allen's sister.

Liam seeing the position he was in.

Understanding that he could only be saved by Rudel, he thought.

(Bradford is not the only one who can fight!)

(I don't want to be a bother to anyone again!)

(I'll show him and everyone else that they can trust me!)

With those words, Liam demonstrated his powers of being the protagonist.

◇◇◇

Liam's purple eyes shone with a radiant intensity.

These eyes had a name in the game.

Mystic eyes.

They increased his stats by 200%.

Their origin was unknown, but they treated it as the protagonist's cheat ability.

Liam wielded the katana and his magic power flowed into the katana.

A soldier pulled out a knife, being about to bury it in Liam's stomach.

He kicked him hard and with a single slash cut from chin to forehead with the tip of the katana.

In one move he died.

For Liam, killing was not uncommon.

He was taught as a prince that he was not to spare the lives of criminals.

He understood that this was not so true.

Watching Jude, he understood that sometimes criminals deserve a chance.

But these men were different.

They only want to hurt others.

Whereas Romeo is the brother of Sara, Rudel's woman.

For Liam, he was the only one he had to restrain himself with, the others were unnecessary.

After cutting down the soldier he went after another, seeing how his partner was killed.

He pointed his gun at Liam.

He pulled the trigger and bullets flew like flies towards him.

But through the mystical eyes he possessed, Liam could see the bullets approaching as if in slow motion.

All the bullets he dodged in impossible movements while others he mowed down.

After pulling the trigger, the soldier was terrified to see a human being do that.

He screamed as he pointed his gun at Liam again.

But it was too late, with a single movement he made a deep cut in the man's throat.

Then he approached another man and pierced his belly.

The soldiers could not believe how fast he was doing that.

A man came up behind him and quickly Liam turned around to kick him.

He picked up his sword and cut the man in two.

Quickly the other men turned their guns on him.

Liam dodged the bullets like a fly.

All the enemies he mercilessly annihilated.

One of them tried to flee, but Liam took the knife from one of them and threw it at the fleeing one.

With that last corpse, only Romeo was left.

◇◇◇

Romeo was shocked by what he saw.

One man alone killed so many people all by himself. Trained soldiers they were.

He started to panic, but he knew it was too late to turn back.

"Don't think that because you killed them, I'll be the same!"

"I don't think so. Because I do not wish to kill you I told you."

Hearing that he was the only one who wouldn't kill made him angrier.

To Romeo, Liam was belittling him.

"Guh. You and everyone else are the same!"

"You look down on me and make fun of me, I hate being treated like a fool by everyone around me!"

Liam was even more shocked than Romeo.

That was─

(Unbelievable.)

(This boy and I are more alike than we appear to be.)

(The serendipity of us running into each other is unbelievable.)

Despite that.

"But, even so. It doesn't mean I won't stop you."

"It would make things easier for me if you decide to give yourself up without a fight."

"... Are you serious?"

"I'm always serious."

"..."

"..."

"How dare you mock me like that!"

"I am Romeo! The heir to the Rosenberg Household!"

"Treating me like that I consider it an insult to my person and I won't let it go!"

Liam reacted to what Romeo said.

(This guy... he might have a problem with his head or his eardrum.)

(If so. That thing about me putting him down is wrong.)

(I never did. What Bradford told me implies that he didn't either.)

(I see. It's just like when I thought everything around me was as I thought it was.)

Liam's determination grew.

"I'm going to talk some sense into you. By the method I know best."

"Force."

Romeo exploded in anger.

"Don't mock me!"

Romeo recalled everything he experienced before he regained his memories.

He listened to adults, his relatives speaking ill of him.

That made him angry.

That's why he couldn't trust them.

In his previous life he understood that if he wanted to be someone in the future he had to work hard.

But he died without finishing school so it was impossible.

When he reincarnated he thought it would be different, only what awaited him was not as he thought.

Thinking Rudel and his family were plotting. Romeo was angry.

He didn't want anyone to make fun of him or use him.

He manifested many magic circles in the air and sky.

Giant ice floes shot out of them and headed towards Liam.

He tried to defend himself using his katana.

He cut several pieces, but they were too hard and the katana broke in two.

Liam couldn't do anything else except run in circles.

Romeo was following him, talking trash about Liam.

"That's all you can do?"

"It really is pathetic to see how this is all you can do."

"Where's the courage you got out of murdering those men?"

"Just like Bradford, all you can do is run away!"

"It's pathetic your situation."

Liam fell due to one of the soldiers he killed being in his way.

After falling, a blast of ice floes was sent at him, but the direction of trajectory was straight for Rudel's house.

Romeo did it on purpose.

Liam watched as giant ice floes were embedded throughout the house. The home where Rudel once lived no longer existed.

At all costs, the citizens of Aster are trying to drive him out.

Liam got angry and yelled at him.

"Is it necessary to do all this?"

"I understand how you feel."

"The frustration."

"The helplessness."

"The hatred of the belittling looks they see you in."

"I understand all that better than anyone."

"So, the best thing I can recommend is to just forget about it. And focus on bettering yourself."

"That way, if someone talks bad about you again."

"You can just forget about it. That's the best thing you can do."

"Shut up!"

Romeo manifested his emblem of great noble.

"So what if someone speaks ill of me!"

"What I hate about those people is the fact of their false smiles!"

"I hate them too, but for how false they are!"

"We're not the same!"

Romeo's heart was filled with hatred for so many malicious people's looks.

"I... I better than anyone else know my feelings. Don't you dare say you understand me."

"My sister... my own family... they are my enemies. I know! I heard them!"

"Since childhood they've always looked down on me! What's wrong with teaching them their own lesson back?"

"My mother is locked in her room and she will not come out of there as I will judge her. Even the woman who gave birth to me saw me as a failure."

"You are all my enemies! How fucking dare, you say you understand me?"

"I understand."

Liam closed his eyes and emanated a big sigh.

"You're a bigger airhead than I was. That's why I'll take you down on the next move."

"Excuse me?"

Romeo couldn't believe what Liam was telling him.

He got into position, clenched his right fist... and ran off at high speed.

"Don't think it's a big deal!"

Romeo manifested longer, smaller ice floes.

"You think you're better than me just because you're a prince?"

The number was reaching two zeros.

"You'll look down on me like the others too?"

He pointed at Liam and the iceberg were sent out like a machine gun.

"They're all my enemies! I don't have a single ally! For that reason, if I don't finish them off first, they'll finish me off first!"

Liam was running through that icy blast, getting hit by some icebergs.

His right fist would not open despite the blows.

Every time he got close he was hit.

Romeo laughed at his condition, but soon began to panic when he saw that Liam wasn't budging.

"H-How is that possible..."

There was Liam only a hundred paces away from him.

"You're a human being like I. How is it that you can withstand so much damage?"

He was now fifty paces away. Liam's body was full of wounds.

"No... stay away..."

Romeo was backing away as he saw the bloodied Liam getting closer and closer to him.

"Get away from me! Get away I said!"

Romeo manifested this time a huge ice iceberg over Liam's head.

"Dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

The iceberg came down and was coming towards him.

Liam saw it. He froze, but said to Romeo.

"I remember your words like it was yesterday."

"You're a naive fool, wake the hell up."

"Those words apply to you now."

Liam smiled and jumped on the iceberg, he climbed it and when he reached the top he used it as a propellant to get to Romeo.

As his fist got closer, he said the last words to him.

"Grit your teeth real hard, because I'm going to throw them all at you!"

Romeo froze as he saw the fist approaching.

He was unable to do anything more than watch as that big hand came closer to his face.

Next act. Romeo was hit with enough force that it made his handsome face, show a horrified expression.

"Uwoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooh!"

He used all his strength in his fist. Without using magic power, Liam, slowly made Romeo's feet lift off the ground.

When his feet touched the ground, Romeo's feet lifted.

Liam had punched him so hard that it sent him flying.

That fist was the first time he, Romeo, had ever been hit.

That was how Liam defeated Romeo.

◇◇◇

After defeating him. Liam tied his feet and hands and carried him on his back to the embassy to face Sara.

He walked along the road that led to Erselica's mansion.

There he noticed two people he knew.

"Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey, are you guys all right?"

Bram and Ada were surprised to see Liam, who was covered in blood.

They immediately stood up to treat him, but Bram was hurt.

Liam told him to take it easy.

He set Romeo down on the lawn as he watched the mansion where he lived with everyone for the year go up in flames.

"I see. They really don't want us here."

Liam commented as Ada gave him first aid. Bram hit the floor after hearing what happened.

"Rudel. why do they always get you these annoying problems?"

Liam told him.

"This isn't your brother's fault. It's Zack's fault, the great nobles and the military."

"They caused this. Your brother was just defending himself."

"Still... this problem will only bring severe trouble to the kingdom even if it's not his fault."

"We'll sort it out later. Thinking about this situation while we're fighting doesn't do any good."

Liam lifted Romeo up and pointed to the dock.

"We have to go back there. Everyone's waiting for us."

Bram and Ada nodded.

◇◇◇

When they reached the dock they were surprised.

The situation was already over.

The invading fleet was destroyed.

There were many soldiers, sailors and knights all tied together.

One person came running towards Liam, it was Erselica.

Liam was happy to see her, if he wanted to he threw Romeo to the ground and stretched out his arms.

"Erselica. I'm happy to see─"

"Where the hell did you get off to you big asshole!"

Erselica came flying over with a kick to his belly.

Liam made a pained expression as her tiny little fists lashed out at him.

"You had us worried!"

"Alicelotte was really mad at you that she even preached at me for letting you go!"

"It wasn't my fault! Why should I pay for the broken dishes you do, you stupid crown princeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

Alisa and the others were approaching. Sara screamed at the sight of Romeo.

The others were glad to see Bram and Ada safe.

Even an unexpected event happened.

"Oneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-chan!"

Allen jumped on Ada, burying his crying face on his sister's breasts.

Ada hugged him and soothed him.

"There, there. I'm okay."

Allen kept hugging her.

Alisa smiled to see how everyone was okay.

Bell walked over to tell them.

"I took the prisoner situation to the knights, I told them not to kill them."

"Good. Now what?"

"We'll go to the Master. We'll approach using stealth mode, but we won't join the battle."

"Also, Ixion informed me that Master already rescued Airi-chan, but she's alone heading this way. We should go to her aid."

"Understood. Everyone, get ready as we will be going up to Aurora."

"It's only a matter of time before Rudel finishes this."

With the sun's rays illuminating the morning. The start of the war between Rudel and Aster began.

◇◇◇

Climbing the stairs to Zero's main body was Zack changed into his uniform.

Behind him were robots heading elsewhere. They were several airships that Zero had repaired.

Zero informed Zack of what happened after they left the temple of the sacred tree.

"What did you say?"

"Yes. I'm afraid the death of the great nobles, Randy and Linus was confirmed."

"... This is bad. With the exception of Randy who did not inspire confidence in me, Linus-san was a great person. Without a doubt this loss is great."

"It is. But there's no more time. I detected Battler heading for the position where our allies are."

Zack reached the hangar and there was Grappler.

The hatch opened and an electronic rope was thrown down.

Zack was being hoisted up to the cockpit.

As he entered he said after a big sigh as he watched the cockpit close.

"This is the end Rudel. Today you will die and your age of tyranny will be over."

"I agree."

Zero muttered.

"Indeed, today will be the day where you will join me or be destroyed as your Master."

The moment of truth finally arrived.

The duel rematch between Rudel and Zack, will decide the fate of this country.