Alliance - Part 1.5

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[The skill "Void Magic Lvl. 1" has been acquired]

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An explosion was probably heard throughout the castle.

By this point, the people realised that something terrible was happening.

And then, Minerva suddenly woke up.

...

Suddenly a tremor shook my seat, and I fell to the floor. The impact was what made me wake up with a jolt.

(Beep... beep... beep... beep...)

A low sound is heard in the room. My sleepy brain doesn't instantly recognise it... but if I remember correctly, that sound should only be heard when...

!

Wait a minute!

Even though I was still dazed from the fainting, I get up as fast as I can from the floor, as long as I can see through the window. And it's just the worst scenario that could have happened...

Knights throw corpse after corpse into bonfires. They are all workers in the castle, servants, cooks, gardeners, among others. But that is not all...

What really shook the castle is something that can be seen further off in the distance. A mob... of [Demons], replete with weapons and armour, all of them are there. A part of that whole group is [Sorcerers], and they are the ones throwing magic into the castle.

Is it an invasion?

Why are there [Demons] in our country? Aren't we supposed to be the most powerful nation? Where are our lines of defence left?

And what's more... Why are the knights helping in this?

Something bad happened.

The alarm from before is sounding because... my father's lost his vital signs. It's a simple device I made for him, and it would alert the allied nations of what is currently happening.

I didn't expect to hear this sound... so soon... I only made it two years ago.

I feel stunned.

I actually thought I had lost that... which, no matter what, makes you mourn the death of your parents. My mother is most likely dead too.

I still haven't finished processing all the things that are happening now. It's like all of a sudden, my whole world is falling on top of me.

The wound in my chest... it had already closed. But there was no way for me to celebrate this.

I have to escape from here if I don't want the same thing that happened to all of them to happen to me. The castle will soon collapse if they keep casting spells of such potency against us.

But to escape, I will need to take my best artefacts with me. I don't have too much time to think about it, so I grab a [Magic Bag] and start stuffing as much as I can think of inside.

Everything is useful now. Even simple prototypes.

When I'm done packing, I put the bag in my [Inventory] and I won't need to carry it around anymore. While I'm at it, I take out my sword from my inventory. It's more like a katana with some crazy properties.

I learned from Saeko about a certain anime about a screaming boy with a sword that cuts magic, and I came to the conclusion that that's one of the best weapons that can exist in a fantasy world, and that it would be indispensable for combat.

But I never told anyone about it. That is why there is only one in existence in the whole world. A sword that I forged on my own just so that it could be properly adapted to my combat methodology.

I take the sword out of its sheath a little, to make sure everything is in place. I hang the katana at my waist, and then, I decide to open the door to my laboratory...

-I was waiting for you to come out, Minerva. -. A voice is heard as soon as I step out of the room.

My instincts dictate that I go on the defensive. With one hand on the hilt of my sword.

Looking ahead... I blur my older brother in the hallway. He carried with him the weapon that is his personal hallmark. It is the generational weapon of the [Ifgraine Family] and the symbol of our power.

That spear... the [Spear of Longinus], is the divine weapon that Gulliver Longinus Cross used to slay [The Calamity], the worst monster in human history.

The first [Hero] gave this weapon to the first [Emperor of Ifgraine], and since then it has been linked to our lineage, but it is not as if we are all worthy to carry it.

Impregnated with the blood of [The Calamity], this weapon is adapted to destroy the life of any individual to whom it is thrust. At the same time, it destroys all types of [Immortality] and makes it impossible to heal wounds inflicted by the weapon.

In other words, somehow or other, you are going to die as soon as that thing hurts you. No matter how hard I looked for ways to nullify its effect, I couldn't find anything at all.

-You protected your lab pretty well. I was already running out of options to break through your defense, and I still didn't get a single scratch on the door. I congratulate you. -. My brother, Sieg, he said with a mocking tone.

He is clearly underestimating me, as usual.

I see that his clothes... and spear, are stained with blood.

I don't even need to ask him to know what this is all about. I just want to talk for a little while...

-You're gonna be in trouble with Liv as soon as she shows up. You know that, don't you? Your wife is very dangerous.

He just smiles confidently, sneering:

-Olivia's no one to stop me! Besides, she's in your country right now. How is she going to find out what's going on? There's no way she will.

To which I reply:

-Maybe it's true... but either way, sooner or later she's going to come after you and cut your head off without a thought.

-Tsk... terrible choice of last words, sister. Alright, let's get this over with.

Sieg takes a combat stance. He's willing to settle this by fighting.

There's no point if I decide to fight, he's going to kill me with a single attack. So the best thing I can do now is to escape the scene as fast as I can.

This is going to be the first use of the [Magic Axis of Reverse Conversion], good!

I concentrate on flowing the [Magic Energy] through my body, in order to stimulate all my muscles at the same time so that I can run for the first time with my full power.

Before he started to run, Sieg shouted:

-Die!

In the next instant, I unleashed all the power stored in the instep of my feet, and I shot all at once to my left. I easily avoided the spear attack.

I watch Sieg's reaction out of the corner of my eye. His face is plagued with confusion, and surprise. He must be thinking that this was all a stroke of luck.

When my feet are back on the ground, I start running with everything I've got. It's as if I'm flying right now. My speed is like nothing I've ever imagined.

-Damn... Your luck just ran out!

But no matter how far ahead of me, it didn't take Sieg long to reach my back and launch another attack.

I gritted my teeth, and taking a long jump that destroyed the short distance we had, I half-turned and then, without much thought, activated an [Ice Spell] on the ground, which raised a multitude of spikes that broke Sieg's defense.

-Twice... times...? How is that possible?!

I know, it's highly unlikely that I would have been able to use magic twice in a row.

You must be thinking it's still just luck.

This isn't going to end if I don't do something.

So...

For a moment, it feels like time stands still. In a fraction of a second, so short, so fleeting, so fast, I heard a voice say:

-Thank you for making time, princess. Now don't worry about a thing, I'll take care of this bastard.

A flash of black light passed through the corner of my eye, and in a matter of seconds, it took the shape of a person. A woman actually. Her movements were perfect, and what surprised me the most was how spontaneously, a sword appeared in her right hand, deflecting the [Spear of Longinus] with no problem at all.

I was dumbfounded at this.

That's a speed I had never witnessed before. I couldn't even diffuse its appearance until it stood still.

-Wait, that thing can kill you! -. I react once and for all.

-That's an interesting weapon you have, princess. I'll borrow it for a moment.

That black-bladed sword in the woman's hands changed shape. From one moment to the next, it became the same katana that is now in my hands.

She can recreate weapons, huh?

What beautiful magic.

-Who the hell are you?! -. Sieg shouts, raising his spear again, attacking the dark-haired woman in front of him.

The woman has no trouble deflecting the spear with just the hilt of her katana. Only to then parry it with her right hand.

Sieg tries to struggle, but is unable to get away from the woman. I can see that she is brutally strong.

-I am the left hand of Her Majesty, Elise Redhart II. My name is Enigma, and I have been sent here for your protection, Princess Minerva Valerie Ifgraine. I am a [Living Weapon], so I cordially request that you use me as such. I will listen to your orders to the letter.

Eh?

His words cause a small stir inside me.

-E-Enigma...? I've only heard of you... from the rumours, you're a [Second Generation Vampire]! I'll gain enormous influence if I manage to kill you!

Vampire? Is she one of them?

My mind is almost completely blank from the series of events happening right now. However, Enigma is not aware of that. And he just keeps talking to me.

-Princess. Your parents are dead. They were killed by the plot that your older siblings set up in the shadows. The rulers of Ahrsei and Folkvangr have determined that you are the appropriate one to remotely lead the nation. So...

Interrupting their dialogue he swung his katana deftly, striking the [Spear of Longinus] with the blade. This very spear was pierced just like that, as if a piece of paper had been cut.

That is no longer the katana I made. What she recreated in a single moment is the perfect form of my weapon, taking into account that all the elements for its manufacture are of the purest quality.

She managed without any problem to create a weapon with the power to undo every element imbued with magic. Not even the [Spear of Longinus] or [Excalibur] would be a match for this katana now.

Sieg takes a step back as he sees how his weapon was sliced.

-This is impossible! This is a weapon that defeated Redhart I herself!

-Just because I wasn't strong enough back then... you don't know how badly I wanted revenge for this damn shit, if it wasn't for this stupid weapon, my former [Queen] wouldn't have had to sacrifice herself to sacrifice herself for the sake of you ungrateful bastards.

-What do I care about that shit! I don't need it, only I can take care of you!

I don't know what's going on with Sieg. The one I know would have cowardly backed down in the face of this.

There's something strange about him... but I can't figure out what it is.

Sieg lunges towards Enigma with only his fists, without any weapon on him. And he starts attacking her with punches and kicks. But Enigma barely struggles to dodge him.

-Princess, there is no way to end this without a fight. He is under the influence of a [Deadly Sin] skill. He's not going to stop until he dies. I want you to remember that he is responsible for all the deaths that have happened up to this point and for the invasion of the [Demons].

...?

Skill of the deadly sins?

What on earth are you talking about?

-I'm talking about this bastard following someone else's orders! Surely by [Lust]... that would be a real problem.

Enigma keeps a steady movement, not letting Sieg hit him.

I don't understand... but...

Right now I have to decide on behalf of an entire nation. The death of an individual of royalty, of the same blood as I am...

If Sieg gets another weapon in this state, many terrible things are going to happen.

Right now he is skillfully attacking a [Vampire] with his fists alone. And even though everything is easily diminished, he doesn't stop no matter how difficult the situation is.

He will go on like this for eternity.

...

There is no trace left of the older brother I once knew... I manage to overcome the lump in my throat and just mutter...

-Do it. -. That's all I could say.

Enigma looks at me from the side, and I see that a small smile has been plastered on his face.

-As you command, Princess.

She returns her gaze to the front, avoiding for the last time the fist Sieg was throwing in front of her face.

And finally, she ends his life by thrusting her sword into the prince's throat and slicing his head clean off with a graceful upward motion. All this she did in a second, it didn't even take her effort to kill him.

Enigma's face was full of blood. And the katana was dripping with red liquid on its blade.

-Mm... I am sorry to inform you, but this was not the real body of your brother. He is merely a puppet too alive for his own good... and that [Spear of Longinus] was not the real one either.

-Uh...?

Wait! I thought she killed him!

-Wait! How is that possible! There should be no magic that would make such a thing possible!

-There is. It's called [Dark Magic].

-Ah... Hm?

-It's magic for demons, basically. But even among them, this is a very rare technique since what it does is fracture the soul of the individual it's used on... leading to not even knowing how many fragments of your soul there are.

-I understand... uh, but... Why did you come to protect me? -. I decide to approach her with that question, because I find it very strange that she came all the way here just for me.

-Uhm... -. She starts scratching her cheek, as if she doesn't know how to answer me.

And then, the sound of quiet footsteps comes to both of us.

But right now I don't feel frightened by it.

I look over Enigma's shoulder, and there comes walking a woman with a full head of whitish hair. She is wearing light armour, there is also a certain aura of divinity around her...

But there is also blood staining her face and body. As she drags something across the floor.

I recognise her as Olivia Cross... who is supposed to be my older brother's wife, and for whom they signed the alliance between Ahrsei and Ifgraine.

-She's here because I asked Elise for the favour! She and I are old friends. Hey Enigma, catch.

As she moved forward, Olivia threw what she was dragging towards Enigma. The vampire had no trouble catching it... and when I see what it is, I can't help but get excited.

-A corpse! -. I scream in surprise.

I know, it's nothing to be surprised about right now.

-Oh, Claudia's doll! -. But it's Enigma who impresses me by staying calm in this situation.

Oh, that's right. It's Claudia's fake corpse...

I calm down a bit more now... there are no more enemies present in this place apparently.

I know, these reactions have to be simple... I'm trying too hard to pretend that I really don't give a damn about this. That's the problem with being a royalty, everyone is watching my expressions.

-Relax, Minerva. Enigma already knows you're a reincarnate. -. Olivia says.

Oh...

I see...

I drop to my knees. I just relaxed from knowing about this revelation. I didn't expect her to be aware of it. Well, there's no use pretending anymore.

-Damn it, Sieg and Claudia did all this! This was a plan to kill us all and take the throne, I really know it!

I shout, holding my hands to my head. I hadn't thought it all through with a cool head.

-Calm down, Minerva. Elise asked me to look after you for the benefit of the kingdom, so we'll take you to a place where we know you'll be safe.

Enigma crouches down, placing a hand on my shoulder. Trying to reassure me. But I'm really out of control right now.

-Ahhh, I knew this would happen sooner or later, and of all days it had to be when I did the damn shit to make magic go smoothly!

-Wait a minute, you actually did that? -. Olivia asks.

-What, you're telling me she was facing a copy of the [Spear of Longinus] with that disability? -. Enigma looks back at Olivia, asking her with intrigue.

-Ah, that's right... Minerva has a lot of interesting stuff in the bag over there. It's technology the public has never seen before, worthy artefacts made by someone from another world.

-Huh?! Really?! Show me everything, Minerva! -. The black-haired girl takes my hand after Olivia gives her the green light.

I stop to look at Olivia... she just shrugs, as if telling me I have no choice.

Are these two really the ones who are going to escort me...?

This is going to be a long one...