Save 22 - Redemption: Part Two

"I'm so sorry, Master."

Ixion was on the cruiser monitoring Rudel as he fought the planes before rescuing Airi.

The reason he was apologizing was....

"But I knew it would all end like this, with a few exceptions of course."

...Why he knew this was going to happen from the beginning.

Ixion was quietly watching as the others fight for their lives.

"When I was touring the palace, I found a mysterious guy who talked just repeating the same thing. The guy had a letter that said the Bismarcks' daughter and Baron Bradford had to die on a cruise."

Ixion kept staring at Rudel doing pirouettes while being shot at by bigger planes.

"Other heirs of families that were annoying to House Kingsfort as well. In addition to contacting the prime minister of the commonwealth to request his cooperation on two fronts. The only cruiser that wasn't under attack was the one the prince was supposed to be on right now."

Ixion turned to watch Airi being pushed toward the bottom of the sky. A drone was nearby, but it did nothing.

"Ever since the pirate attack you got strange, I spent every day analyzing your blood, urine and feces to find the strange anomaly that happened that day."

Ixion notified Rudel about Airi's situation.

"I wanted to use this opportunity to gauge her capabilities to see how she would come out of a situation where I was unavailable."

Rudel had rescued Airi and now they were being chased by aircraft.

"What really surprised me was the fact that they used some technology to disable my camouflage with some equipment."

They were now hiding in the far reaches and Ixion sent a drone to check their status.

"I'm really upset that something like that was possible. It's certainly humiliating that the new humanity is on my level."

Rudel shot off into the sky as he destroyed a plane that tried to attack them head on.

"For that reason I will set aside my experiment to help you."

Ixion had lied from the beginning of the attack. Brunhilde was always nearby using optical camouflage, fortunately for him, whatever caused his camouflage to be affected did not affect Brunhilde who was far away, the range of the effect was only ten meters around.

Brunhilde came flying directly to save Rudel by eliminating his camouflage in the form of clouds impacting two planes.

She was now moving into an attack position, her cannons were coming out shattering some of the wood that was her normal ship's facade.

The cannons were moving into position to attack and then....

"The new humanity will never be a match for me."

...He began firing relentlessly.

◇

This is getting out of control.

I flew straight after leaving Airi safely to rescue Alisa.

I had no idea which ship it was where she was being held hostage. Fortunately, drones flew over to deliver me new goggles and a shotgun with non-lethal ammunition, but they did say permanent marks on the skin.

The goggles had Alisa's location thanks to the Ixion stalker.

Now that my ship arrived I thought it would be all simple, but nope.

"Wahh don't open my mouth you bastard!!!"

A monster with no body but a floating head in the shape of a toilet was coming to eat me. The drones had submachine guns so they shot at them several times.

For some reason the monsters stopped for a few moments when I left Airi on the deck, then they started to get weird. They were foaming at the mouth and their eyes were bloodshot, they also became very wild to the point of attacking anything they saw.

It was no longer just me or the cruiser, now their own allied ships were being attacked relentlessly.

The monsters were attacking the ships. Their teeth, big or small, bit into the wood and steel, tearing it apart regardless of their torn jaws.

Some men shot at them from the deck and they, like salmon for bears, were seized and devoured without mercy.

The cruiser is only being attacked from the bottom or sides as Brunhilde is slaughtering them without giving them the slightest chance to attack anyone.

I don't know what Ixion is waiting for to evacuate them all?

(Shit, instead of moving forward I'm moving backwards...).

The ship Alisa was on was as close as it was far away thanks to these bastards.

(Hang in there Alisa, I'm on my way...)

◇◇◇

Askewell was annoyed and at the same time breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Hey, somebody explain to me what the fuck is going on?"

At first he was annoyed since Rudel had shot down almost all the planes. Then, just when he thought he would finally be killed a mysterious ship with a dragon on its forehead appeared.

"Where the hell did that come from?" -Askewell shouted before seeing Brunhilde take out her cannons and aim at the enemy ships.

"Hah! I don't know what the hell you're planning trying to shoot from so far away, but it's impossible for you to hit anything from-?" -Immediately his sentence was interrupted by the sound of enemy gunfire at the sail of an allied ship.

This one was stunned at the huge explosion that sounded, clearly the shot was missed on purpose, but it still left the deck in flames from the explosion.

"What the hell!" -Askewell exclaimed as another shot in the distance hit the outside of a ship and this one shattered a large portion having missed again.

When was he going to fire again. The monsters went berserk and began to attack their masters.

The men inside were trying to understand the situation and communicate with the ships that possessed the demonic flutes.

"Why are the magical beasts attacking us too?"

"Does the hypnotic effect of the flute have a time limit?"

"We lost communication with almost the entire fleet, we're getting reports that the flute is working, but there's no effect!"

Askewell watched with fear in his small eyes as the fleet he was tasked with was being torn apart.

In front was a strange ship firing at the commonwealth fleet and the magical beasts.

On the side of it were the allies fighting for their lives. The magical beasts were attacking the ships without restraint and the mobile knights had to go out to defend them, even so, it was insufficient as the monsters were making coordinated attacks like feints and sacrifices. Even the men on deck were being hit and devoured mercilessly.

"It's over..."

Askewell snapped.

"No matter if we won or not, the commonwealth was defeated by some snotty nobles from the despicable kingdom..."

Askewell for an adult over forty was crying. His mustache was trembling thanks to his owner's fear.

"Even if we return safely... defeat will be branded on my flesh! The prime minister will turn me into a commoner!"

The men inside the only safe place thanks to the magic shields pitied him. Nothing will happen to them since they are only subordinates, the person in charge of the mission will be given the worst punishment.

Askewell was plunged into a sea of darkness....

"Hey, commodore..."

...Until a voice of hope called out.

Askewell immediately lifted his bad face and searched for the sound of that voice.

"Hey, weird mustache, are you still alive?"

He knew that voice. It was an unpleasant gravelly voice like that of a heavy music singer.

The men next to the commodore immediately opened communication with the voice.

Askewell grabbed the communicator and said only one name, that name that could turn the situation around because of its power.

"...Ban... del?"

"The same."

The men beside him made an expression of joy.

Askewell wanted to cry with joy, but he held back his tears so that the other side of the mysterious voice wouldn't laugh at him.

"I'm watching the situation from here. Sorry, I overslept for a long time. I sent Bacchus and almost all the members to monitor the situation out there."

Immediately, Askewell looked in the direction of a certain ship and watched as a large number of black mobile knights came out with guns and swords.

They began to slaughter the monsters, the monsters began to focus on them for being a threat perhaps.

The man with the voice spoke again.

"I'm going to leave as well after taking care of a certain matter. I want you to say that the enemy also had flutes to control monsters, no matter if it looks believable, it's better to say that than a bunch of shitty brats defeated you. See you later."

The voice cut off all communication as Askewell....

"Hahahahaha!"

...He was back to his usual overconfident self.

"Damn it, what was it that scared me so much, now that this guy woke up, our absolute victory is guaranteed, hahahahaha!"

Who was this Bandell guy that made Askewell so happy about his awakening?

◇◇◇

Alisa had been taken to a room in the lower part of the ship.

The tall old man made sure to leave her there personally and then tie her up so she wouldn't escape. The place stank and was dark.

A sound of explosions could be heard outside.

Alisa had no idea what was going on outside, she just hoped her friends were okay.

Then a sound of footsteps she heard.

Several people were coming down from what sounded like the creaking of boards.

The door opened, and after some mysterious figures entered the light came on.

Even with light the darkness was more than higher than the glow of the magic spotlight.

Four men had descended.

But one more sound rang out.

A fifth individual was slowly descending the staircase.

Since the door was open, Alisa could see his feet first.

Then his legs, thighs, hips.

It was clearly a man.

The chest was visible being technically already downstairs.

He was too tall, no. Too tall would be the correct expression.

His clothes were more like a suit attached to his body, he had metal plates almost everywhere, chest, arms, legs, abdomen. The plates on his arms were so high they looked like shoulder pads.

The mysterious man crouched down to go inside.

He was holding a strange sword that you could see the handle from his shoulder.

The man's face was what caught Alisa's attention the most.

He looked young, somewhere between thirty and thirty-five.

His hair was black like Rudel's, but the hairstyle was different in that it was short and jagged upwards.

His eyes were dark gray and unlike Rudel, this one gave the impression of being a hunter.

His eyebrows were similar to what people thought were the shape of lightning bolts approaching the edge.

But the most striking feature of his face was something that anyone who saw him would have noticed instantly.

And that was.

"Good afternoon, woman of the Altfode aristocracy."

An acrylic laminate on her cheek which showed the inside of her mouth and facial muscles.

From almost the end of her lip to her sideburn, the left side of her cheek, flesh and teeth were exposed.

Even if he wasn't smiling. The teeth were visible and moving the mouth showed the movement of the muscles moving the jaw.

It was an unreal scene.

Alisa was a little scared to see something like that.

The man grabbed a chair passed to him by a subordinate and sat down by turning it around putting his arms crossed on top of the chair.

Alisa trying to keep her panic in, started talking to find out his objective.

"What do they want from us? This doesn't look like just a random attack."

The mystery man smiled making his exposed muscle show that his smile was even more terrifying.

"Of course it isn't. It's absurd to think something like that is possible. We received a job from someone from your country."

"My country you say!" -Alisa panicked at hearing that. Instead, the man just looked at her normally.

"You see, it's nothing unusual that, it's normal for countries or nobles to betray each other. That's how the world works, or if you don't believe me you should ask your father."

"My father, you say?" -Alisa didn't understand why that man mentioned her father.

The man smiled even creepier again.

"Does the name Nosferatu ring a bell?"-the man asked as if it was the simplest question to answer.

Alisa instead answered with a sincere "no".

The man stopped smiling upon hearing that. He spoke in a serious tone without grace unlike before.

"Twenty-two years ago a man came to a gentleman's house. That man ordered to destroy that house, execute all the family members and confiscate the assets of that house. The chief was the last one left alive to see his house fall."

"The man with blond hair as golden as the sun and red eyes personally took him to the gallows. The only survivor was the son who was training far away with his personal servant. That child saw everything and fled together with his servant from the country."

Alisa's face began to sweat when she heard the man's description.

In Altfode there was only one family with such a trait.

The man continued the story he was telling.

"The boy and the servant had to become mercenaries for a living. As time passed, the boy learned to kill mercilessly, more and more death he generated wherever he stepped. The boy, now a man, entered the greatest battlefield ever trod. A World War."

Alisa was beginning to make a horrified expression every time the man spoke.

"For that man, the battlefield was his mother, death was his mistress who always asked for more. No matter what vice or pleasure he felt, tearing apart the enemy became true happiness for that man. Years later, thanks to a hostile country and a treacherous minister. He learned that his house had been destroyed by mistake. The red-eyed man had been sent to liquidate a family that opposed his lord and in order not to get his hands dirty he used his influence to send another nobleman in his place."

Alisa was perplexed by what she heard. Meanwhile the man...

"Well! How are you?"

...He gave a slight jump of exaltation.

"I'm trying to create a novel and sell it, but I don't know what the general public might like, these idiots are illiterate and can't read, that's why I wanted to meet with you, someone who does know how to write and read books!"

Alisa made a strange face that only Rudel would make.

She didn't know what to say.

Then the man stopped acting silly and became serious.

"Let's leave my personal matters aside. What is certain is that they didn't pay to kill you, another squad will take out the other cruiser. And you guys will be listed as an unfortunate accident."

Alisa wanted to try to convince the man not to go through with his plan, but the unthinkable happened.

"Then we'll finish with the monsters outside. For now let's have some fun."

A subordinate made a surprised expression.

"Hey, captain, are you serious?"

"Sure! It's been a while since I've tasted a woman of the highest nobility don't you think?

Alisa's face started to panic when she heard that, "try".

The men kept talking while ignoring Alisa.

"Yoo-hoo, Captain you're the best!"

"I was wondering since it would be a waste to kill her without tasting her first."

"She has a beautiful face, a nice figure and most of all unreal huge tits for just a teenager! It's a body made only to satisfy men!"

"I'm sure her high screams will be music my ears!"

The men conversed as they gave Alisa an obscene and dangerous look, but she....

"Don't get carried away you brute animals!"

...She had an indomitable personality.

"Where you dare touch a single hair on my head, my knight will come and tear you all apart!"

The men looked at each other and then like hyenas burst into laughter.

They all laughed as they pointed at Alisa.

Only one of them spoke as he ghoulishly approached her.

"Knight you say? You really believe in that shit! There's no such thing as knights who rescue bitches in distress like you! The reality is that no one will come to rescue you, no one knows you're here and no one knows what grotesque appearance you'll end up with when we're done with you! Do you understand? Knights on white steeds don't-"

Boom. A shot rang out.

In that dark room a light appeared from the left side.

Then another boom sounded, illuminating with another light. Then another, another and another and more shots that made a circle on the wall.

Within seconds the wall fell down, the back of the wall had steel in it so that shots piercing it were simply impossible.

It was there that the men were even more shocked and stunned as from below came a hand grabbing at the newly destroyed wall, then another hand with a shotgun came out and grabbed another end slowly someone was climbing up.

The men were so shocked they had no time to react, what they saw was impossible to believe and process.

A head was poking out and then....

"Hello! I'm your friendly neighbor, Baron Bradford!"

...He would greet them with a very bad joke while grinning like a fool.

"Did I hear there are bad kids here?"

The fool's face changed to one of an ogre.

"For that reason I'll kick all your asses, get your asses ready you fucking bitches!"

Alisa saw Rudel making an entrance that only knights in shining armor would use. It was there that she...

"Ahh...ahh.... Ru... del..."

...She cried out in happiness as her wish had come true.

◇

"Who is that son of a bitch, kill him!"

I had come to save Alisa after using the drones as bait. My glasses located Alisa and thanks to thermal vision I discovered that there were more people inside with her.

There was no time to go up and get inside, so I opted to shoot from the outside to get inside.

I figured maybe they would be in shock since there are steel plates on the outside, the non-lethal ammunition is so strong that firing close can do critical damage instantly.

I made a circle of holes and after the wall circle fell I made an absurd joke to leave them more weirded out by what happened.

I then opened my eyes to find Alisa tied up crying and a bastard yelling at me as he pulled his sword out of his big back.

I proceeded to get up on impulse and shoot him. The blow was so hard that he fell at the first shot. I then shot two more and flew straight in to hit one of them with the handle of my shotgun in his face, the last one came up to me and I shot him mercilessly in the stomach. Just in case I shot them all.

They seemed to be wearing armor so maybe they are unconscious or maybe in a coma.

Now for my main business.

I found Alisa tied to a chair, I used strengthening magic to break the ropes on her arms and legs.

Alisa touched her arms to check for injuries and I talked to her back while keeping watch that these idiots didn't get up or come from above.

But then something unexpected happened.

"Why did you come?"

I was a little disconnected from reality when I heard that.

I turned around to see an Alisa with an annoyed look on her face.

"Why did you come, when did I ask you to come?"

This girl... Is she an idiot?

I stood silently watching her as she continued to talk idiocy.

"I was originally going to wait for you to maybe contact the kingdom or bring Brunhilde."

"But the situation became unexpected and I ended up going so that way his Highness the prince, nothing would happen to him."

(...)

"That's why I made the decision to go as a hostage to try to dialogue for everyone's safety... I don't expect you to understand since it is the duty of the high nobility to protect the Royal Family. So I think you did it was too much-."

After listening to all the idiocies this girl was saying I proceeded to punish her.

With my two hands I pinched her cheeks to stretch her looking like a loaf of bread.

Even with my gloves I can tell that they are soft and fine her cheeks.

You can tell it's the first time I really touch her and not like that time.

"Rudel... my cheeks hurt... stop."

Alisa was asking me to stop, but I won't until she acknowledges what I will tell her.

"You... you're an idiot aren't you?"

Alisa had a look on her face of not understanding why I was pinching her and then of surprise at my statement.

I went back to speaking her truths.

"I'm asking you if you're an idiot? Ever since I met you you've always acted like such an idiot."

She again made the face of not understanding what I was saying, I left her cheeks to tell her everything I had about her stored up.

"Originally I didn't care about your situation with that bastard, I never understood why you suffered for a scum like him. Just so you know, I helped you out of pity and I don't regret it."

She stood listening as our gazes locked.

It was the first time I looked into her eyes, they are beautiful and unique. If I'm honest, I wish I had a wife with a gaze that intense at times.

"I enjoyed being with you two, I was going to let you and Airi enjoy my island until the vacation is over and you get back to normal. I never expected you two to get along so well and besides me enjoying your company."

Our gazes kept staring at each other.

"Every now and then I wondered if it was okay for a country nobleman to get together with an aristocrat. I hate nobles like you who talk about their families and lineages and other absurd shit."

She started to frown at what I said. I noticed how one of these guys slowly moved and I hit him with the handle of my weapon to knock him unconscious.

"After fighting you and me, I'm not lying to you I really enjoy being separated from you guys."

She took her gaze from my sight and placed one of her arms over her splendidly huge breasts to lift them up.

"Until yesterday I hadn't thought about you at all. Even today it never crossed my mind to come to your rescue."

She this time ducked her head and tightly grasped his arm that crossed her breasts.

"For that reason..."

I told her how I really felt.

"...I don't deserve your forgiveness or Airi's."

She raised her head to look at me and her eyes looked like they wanted to cry, but now they looked very surprised.

"I was a liar, ungrateful to you, to your father who helped me avoid my execution, I spoke ill of you two, I enjoyed you suffering, I didn't care if anything happened to you, and I have even seen and enjoyed thinking about your breasts. Especially yours... What the hell did you eat to make them grow that big? Damn, I'm jealous of that bastard who will be able to possess them!"

(Huh? Wait, why are you covering your breasts and looking at me with those disgusted eyes? It's a thought what I said.... Did I open my mouth on that last one...?)

(Damn it!!!!)

What's done is done.

"P-putting aside my inner desires towards the two of you...? Ignore that!!! ...What I really want to say is..."

I was panicking since she found out I was thinking about her splendid breasts, I'm sorry, but I'd really like to jump on them.

No. Be serious me.

"I don't deserve your forgiveness." -I said.

"That's true" -She answered me.

My face had a pitiful expression at those harsh and honest words.

Then I did what I never did from my heart long ago.

I knelt down as in my knight's oath.

I stretched out my right hand to her and....

"I do not deserve your forgiveness or your good intentions. You may not trust me."

I told her what a personal gentleman should say.

"But I promise you that both you and Airi, from the shadows I will protect you until the end of my days. For that reason, Alicelotte von Bismarck ojou-sama."

I ducked my head with the following words to show that what I was saying was a true oath.

"Would you allow me to be your squire again?"

Unlike the time when we first met and when I swore my loyalty to the kingdom, this time I'm really doing it to ask her to let me protect her.

I stood there waiting for her answer. But seconds later she said something strange.

"Really?"

Why does she say that if I told her yes?

"Will you stand by me and protect me?"

When I was about to say yes she replied to stop me and said the following words.

I don't understand why, but as long as she accepts me that's fine, here I go.

"I promise to protect you from here on out, until my last breath I will fight for you my lady."

After she finished saying that strange sentence, she took my hand as if I were a child.

"So with this I can confirm that everything is okay now right?"

I stood up and she was taking a my hand, the only weird thing was that her face was red as a tomato.

"We should get out of here." -I was telling her with a confidence I never showed before.

"So, how do we get out of here?" -Asked Alisa confused.

"Did you come on some boat or, huh, Rudel what are you doing?"

Alisa was confused as without warning I put my arms on her shoulder and legs to lift her up. She looked like a princess in every word.

"We'll fly away." -I said confidently as she made a silly face with an "ehhhh!!!" It was kind of cute, no, she was very cute, but Airi's charm is superior to the point of melting my heart.

Alisa watched in panic as we slowly approached the door I opened as we entered from outside. She started kicking as she screamed at me "Rudel, we're going to die! Don't do it! Noooo!"

"Hold on tight, princess in distress."

After saying that I jumped off the spot, my boots charged with prana and I shot straight for the cruiser.

Sure enough the obstacles came within a few meters of leaving.

Some planes, two of them were behind me. They seem to have noticed me as my boots leave a temporary trail of prana. I am carrying Alisa so I can't defend myself.

Then I said.

"Ixionnnn!"

Brunhilde from a distance looked small, but I noticed a message on the glasses. It said to duck and I did so immediately.

As I did, the two planes behind me were hit by something and exploded.

I don't have time to think about others or if they escaped with their lives.

Things were getting pretty tense.

The monsters were mostly attacking Brunhilde and the cruiser, ones that were not a minority. They were attacking nearby ships and some were coming to attack me.

The drones that were accompanying me were replaced by others and these were acting as bodyguards.

Just when I thought I was safe.

"Are you fucking with me!" -I exclaimed very scared as I saw how a large ship was on fire and falling in front of us.

Backing down could cost us our lives, going to the sides having gunfire and monsters attacking would equally be dangerous, going to the front would be much worse. There is only one option.

"Hold on tight, Alisa!"

I asked her as I sped up and she tightly clung to my neck.

The ship was already in front of us, it was so long that it was impossible to slow down.

Then I shouted "drones!" and two drones nearby firing their machine guns to blow a hole in the ship.

I went in and so did they. The place was on fire and various things were falling. For a second I thought I saw people on fire falling and other scared people clinging to pillars.

But as I said, I must have imagined it. The drones went ahead and made a big hole in the area where I would arrive.

But my speed was so fast that I didn't give them time to finish. So I gave it a big flying kick and we all went out there.

I turned around still flying to see what was going on behind me.

I felt a little sad to see the scene of burning ships, hordes of monsters and then in the front my ship endlessly attacking the monsters attacking it and the enemy fleets.

Alisa was trembling, still a long way to go to reach safety. Hang in there Alisa.

❤❤❤

(Why?)

A few minutes ago she had been rescued by Rudel.

(Why can't I hate you?)

Rudel said a lot of horrible things to me recently, even months ago he hurt me too, but....

(You hurt me, but why did I feel joy when you came to rescue me?)

...I can't hate you in spite of everything.

You hurt me with your words.

As the daughter of a duke I always receive praise, people always said nice things to me and in wanting to be my vassals.

But you... you are a very strange thing.

You are a nobleman, but you behave like a barbarian.

You have no education.

No class.

I don't blame your parents or how you were raised.

But in the time I knew you, whenever you talked to me, you always seemed to lie or use double standards in your words.

Still, I had a lot of fun with you and Airi.

I felt really unfortunate the day my ex-fiancé said horrible things to me. I knew him since I was a child, but that behavior I never saw from him before.

Then my father got me another fiancé. I felt really bad since he was a man I never spent words with.

He didn't even try to defend me when I offered myself as a hostage.

But you on the other hand, despite being just a country nobleman, have done things that would only be possible in fiction.

You defended me, not once but twice in situations that were none of your business.

I saw you fight against those who are superior in status to you.

You stood against multiple enemies only to rescue me when you said before that you did not care about my safety.

You are horrible as a noble and as a person.

But why?

Why in this situation where we are attacked from different places and we can die at any moment, aren't you afraid?

You say you are a coward, but you are fighting for our lives from the beginning.

Why?

In this situation where you and His Highness could somehow escape, you came to save me.

Why...?

Why in this critical and terrifying situation can't I stop myself from seeing your face?

There are gunshots and screams in the surroundings, but my ears only focus on your breathing.

Being full of sweat, wounds and blood that is not yours. Why can't I stop seeing how gallant you are?

My eyes don't leave you for a second.

(Deep in my heart I wish this moment would never end).

After thinking that, my eyes for the first time closed due to the shame of myself I feel.

I now understand why.

I remembered some words my childhood personal maid once said to me.

("You have every right to be happy and love whomever you wish. I am sure that, somewhere in this world, there is a man destined for you who will love and protect you. Your very own knight in shining armor.")

I hugged Rudel tightly after hearing him say something.

(I'm so sorry Airi, I'm a lousy friend and a terrible woman. Even knowing your feelings beforehand I did something unforgivable...)

Rudel told me to calm down after leaving a hot area for some reason.

He was telling me that we would be there soon.

(Please... don't be you the man i wait so long when my friend also feels the same as I do.

◇◇◇

We had finally arrived at the cruise ship.

Everything was in a mess.

Students, servants, sailors were tired and injured.

Someone was coming up shouting my name.

"Baron Bradford!"

The senpai with the curlers came running toward me.

Her uniform was stained with dirt and blood that was not hers.

Behind her were the cliché ninja and Liam.

I left Alisa for a moment and headed over to talk to them.

◇◇◇

Alisa had finally arrived safely at the cruiser, but everything was in chaos.

The deck was full of blood, light flames and corpses of monsters being cut or pierced.

When she was about to go to Rudel to find out why he was talking to a mysterious woman someone called out to her.

"Alisa!"

The voice came running from far away as if she had run a marathon.

Alisa slowly turned her head towards the voice and when she finished turning her head she saw it.

Airi was running towards her.

She seemed to want to jump up and hug her, but when she was half a meter away she stopped.

Her happy face faded to one of embarrassment as she looked down and said things that made Alisa feel like throwing up.

"I'm glad you are well L-lady Bismarck...I'm sure your entou-friends will be happy to see you safe and sound."

Alisa from the bottom of her heart wanted to say something, but a girl of the aristocracy should never say something like what she thought to someone of lower rank and a commoner to boot.

"Now that you are safe you will return-"

"Stop!"

Alisa exploded.

Airi who had her head bent down lifted it up when she heard Alisa's shout.

Alisa immediately reached out to Airi grabbing her shoulders and from the bottom of her heart said words that should never have come from an aristocrat let alone a villain to the heroine who brought her to her end.

"I... I'm soooooo sorry!!!"

But that didn't matter to her anymore.

Alisa just like Rudel cracked her inner shell and let out everything her heart felt.

Her rabbit eyes became moist and tears streamed from them like waterfalls.

"It was all my fault! Stop acting like that in front of me please!"

Airi who was the heroine of this world, also began to cry at the words of her enemy, the villainess.

"I... it was all my fault!"

"It wasn't!!!"

Alisa stopped Airi's guilt by her own words.

"You're not to blame for anything, it was me who didn't want to go looking for you to explain everything that happened that day!!!"

"Yes... if only I hadn't been a selfish coward who thought about what the surroundings would say about me for defending you, none of this would have happened!!!"

Alisa was crying like a little girl, her eyes were full of tears and her mouth was making a grimace that had never been there before.

Airi began to cry harder as she also cried out what her heart was holding in.

"No, Alisa you' re not to be blamed for anything! I was the one who decided to pay attention to what those horrible girls said about you and Rudel-san! If I had ignored them, none of this would have happened and we'd still be together the three of us!!!"

Alisa and Airi were still crying as more impossible-to-believe things were said to each other in the plot of the game. The heroine and villain were openly screaming their pain of being separated from each other. At this point, the plot of this game world no longer made sense.

"I'm so sorry Airi! I really enjoyed being with you, you were there for me when no one, not even my family was there to help me! You... you are my best and only true friend in this world! I'm soooo sorry!!!"

"I'm sorry too! All this time I was so lonely and suffering for not being with you and Rudel-san! I not only see you too as my only and best friend, I also consider you my flesh and blood sister!"

The girls shouted to each other what their hearts felt. Alisa was the first to stop her crying.

"I guess...we're both idiots for being dishonest and liars?"

Airi also stopped her crying and would reply in a comical tone.

"We're both huge idiots for sure, hehe. Seems like that's why we're made for each other."

"Alisa..."

"...Airi."

Immediately afterwards the girls who had restored their friendship gave each other a tight hug of reconciliation.

In that moment, a friendship was rebuilt. And now its foundations were stronger, solid and lasting. It was a friendship that should never have been born into this world.

How another individual who should not have been here.

◇

I was watching a beautiful and emotional situation.

Airi had arrived and suddenly Alisa screamed. They both proceeded to yell things at each other that made me cry and wish I had a friend to feel the same way.

But the thing that gave me the most happiness and tears was....

"Friendship between two girls is beautiful and pure, but equally beautiful is the collision between some mountains and some hills."

...Watching how the breasts of both of them collided making a pressure on the flesh seeming to make them grow bigger than they already were.

It was beautiful to see that and also that the girls had made up.

"Bradford."

I turned immediately because of the voice calling me, it was Liam's.

"You already rescued Alicelotte and your ship has arrived, what else do we have to wait for to get out of here?"

I quickly looked at Ixion who was observing everything from the heights. He descended after seeing that I was watching him.

"Why haven't you evacuated them yet?" -I asked him.

He quickly replied "look at the situation out there."

I looked at where he pointed and he was right. The enemy fleet had already been almost defeated by cannons or monsters. The problem here was a group of mobile knights who were approaching after killing several monsters around.

Ixion spoke after noticing that he understood the situation.

"I can't guarantee anyone's safety being under attack from each end. If there were a minimal amount then I could get the lifeboats out and get everyone up."

I replied "I understand. Looks like it's time for that boy to get some action."

"Same here." -said Ixion as he handed me a recovery potion and took off my special suit.

I had my pilot clothes underneath ready so I didn't have to strip in public thank goodness.

From one end of Brunhilde two large objects flew out.

The students and servants must have known about it by now.

Many made shouts of joy and others that victory was already here.

Then in an exaggerated way, but not that much.

My other faithful companion, Battler had arrived from the sky in the form of a superhero drop.

Floating off to the side was the strange X that he used as a propellant to fly.

Ixion said Battler was ground combat, but to make it fly required analysis and creation of special equipment.

Finally it was here.

The X had the backpack where he kept the weapons while on Battler's back was welded a strange jet pack which opened as if they were foldable.

I hurried to get on my companion but not before giving a reassuring message to everyone.

"You held up well you idiots, now watch me kick these guys' asses!"

As I climbed into the cockpit on his chest. Everything was already on, I placed my hands on the joysticks and the hatch closed.

Thanks to the drone cameras still on the deck, I watched as Battler's eyes lit up ready for action.

I too was recovered and ready to enter the final battle of this strange day.

I immediately pressed a button and Battler flew up along with my weapons pack and a few drones to take out these idiots.

There is nothing that can stop me now.

◇◇◇

On one of the ships that had not yet been destroyed was a man slowly waking up.

"Umm, my head..."

He was the only one who had been shot three times and still got up as if nothing had happened.

A man quickly came down the stairs shouting.

"Young master, are you safe?"

Immediately upon descending he gently grabbed the man who was getting up, handed him a recovery potion to get him up.

After drinking it, he asked the situation out there.

The man who came to check on him was old, stocky and very tall.

"Most of the fleets have fallen and the rest are under attack from both magical beasts and the mysterious ship that arrived. As no one was responding in here, I went down to check on the situation, the men upstairs seem to have been devoured as no one was there."

The man stood up and his large stature had him reaching almost to the ceiling.

After turning his neck to remove any discomfort the man said.

"Bacchus, prepare my Zodd."

"Understood." -Said the old man.

He stared at the chair where Alisa was sitting.

"What is it?" -Said the tall man.

Instead, the old man replied "It's just... that after several years in exile we finally had a Bismarck on our hands and we would have gotten the truth out of him or used it to extort money from the Altfode Kingdom."

"That wasn't going to happen." -He replied half-heartedly to the tall man.

"She had no idea about my house or what her family did, we only have what that traitor to the kingdom told us. So many years waiting to have someone from that family that destroyed without any proof the Nosferatu house..."

"Never mind, there are more important things to worry about now."

"Young master Bandel..."

That man, Bandell, was a character from this RPG game.

"Don't make that face Bacchus, in all these years you've served me I never showed you any weakness, just watch me kill that snotty little shit!"

His role in the story was neither as a background character, nor NPC, nor ally.

"You're talking to the one who won the war eight years ago."

His role in the story was to be an enemy, and not just any enemy. A very hard sell that could only be defeated by having a recommended level, several weapons equipped and using the right allies as this man was....

"You think a shitty brat will be able to defeat me, the one who was baptized by his enemies after killing the sword emperor as the..."

...The final boss of the game.

"Bloody Knight!"

A person who was doing his corresponding role at the wrong time, place and year.