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Arc 5 – Chapter 53, "A City of Strife"

Subaru: "—Check if his heart is still beating!"

Intuition was the instinct that had aroused Subaru's awareness.

He wasn't absolutely convinced, nor did he have a basis for thinking so. All he could think was that that thought was not without meaning.

The Sin Archbishops, the names of the stars, the Kararagi which bore influences from his original world, and those other than Subaru who found themselves summoned here.

The world still bore the marks of their claws. If the Witch Cult were also engraved with this etching, then the names of the stars Subaru had thought of didn't necessarily have only a passing relationship with them.

If Regulus Corneas's power could not be treated as straightforward [Invincibility], then, he'd need to think outside the box; and thus an idea emerged in his heart.

Hoping that there would be no connection, Subaru had already said a sort of prayer asking thus.

And, in the next moment.

Subaru: "——"

A noxious sense of oppression came, casting an illusion that had Subaru feeling as if the sun had been blotted out.

The air hung thick with pollution. He'd be hard pressed to find words with which to express this discomfort, this disgust.

The disgust of the peeling of a scab, the discomfort of a stench exhaled to the face, the aversion of a sticky tongue over bare skin.

The origin of this turbid air, was the evil which had turned his head to look back.

The instant that he met its gaze, Subaru's body began to tremble involuntarily.

Expressionless and empty, those eyes, like a curse, plunged deep into his soul. As if pierced by a rusted needle, even his lungs and heart were frozen by terror.

However, even as Subaru found himself immobile, overcome by such feelings—

Reinhardt: "Don't look anywhere unnecessary. Your opponent should be me!"

Turning to regard this Subaru, meant turning his back to the Sword Saint.

Raising his hands high, Reinhardt had clasped in his hands what could only be described as broken signposts and scrap metal. Such materials which were only ever destined to be waste, but in Reinhardt's hands, they were no inferior to a treasured blade.

A long blade slanted through the air struck the back of Regulus's suit.

The bursting shockwave expanded in midair, leaving a sorrowful wail from the assailed atmosphere in its wake, raising vortexes in the large canals where thin sheets of ice floated.

This was the aftermath of that sword's strike. Had the force of evil been shattered to pieces, it would have come as no surprise.

However, before he could take a single step.

Regulus: "Don't get me wrong, Sword Saint. I've been entertaining you because my heart is obliging and considerate. But even my gracious self has limits."

Reinhardt: "——"

Lightly, Regulus patted the place where he'd been struck by the sword, and tilted his head.

Reinhardt, alerted by this motion, tossed aside the scraps in his hands and made to leap backward at a wide angle— just as he prepared to jump, his feet froze in place.

Reinhardt's superhuman intuition.

It informed him of dire, imminent threats to his self, and preemptively detecting incoming attacks. His keen instincts told him that he could not dodge to the rear. He immediately straightened and began to search for alternative routes.

Regulus: "The air there, has already been touched by me."

Due to the sharpening of his senses locking him into place, at that moment, Reinhardt had been left unprepared.

His opponent had him trapped in an invisible yet present envelope. Reinhardt's judgment told him to slip by the force of evil's side, but, in order to do so, he'd be forced to make a defensive strike.

Reinhardt: "Haa!"

The blow that he dealt had enough force to shear through stone.

The hilt of the Dragon Sword pierced into Regulus's chest, but the force of evil grasped it easily.

Regulus: "Futile effort, thanks for your trouble. Just pray that you won't be hurt too badly."

Reinhardt: "Just as Subaru said, your heart doesn't seem to be beating."

Regulus: "——!"

Regulus's relaxed smile hardened, as he glanced down at his chest.

The hilt that was buried in it, and the Reinhardt who was straining his sharp senses; he wouldn't have missed any movement of life, no matter how subtle.

Having taken that blow, Regulus leapt high in the air, agitated.

Directly, as if reproducing the scene from earlier.

Reinhardt blocked the kick with the sheath of the Dragon Sword, his body was sent flying from the impact. However, what unfolded next was different.

Subaru: "Reinhardt!"

As declared, the air behind Reinhardt had filled with countless traps of breath set by Regulus.

Shot into them in his unguarded state, the results weren't difficult to imagine.

His white clothes stained with blood, Reinhardt's entire body was torn. He leapt up, but how much that could mitigate his wounds was uncertain. Buried in rubble again, Reinhardt amplified the collapse of the city, making it impossible to estimate his condition.

But what could be determined for certain was Reinhardt's answer.

Subaru: "Not bad, Reinhardt…!"

Emilia: "Subaru!"

Subaru: "It's okay. Reinhardt, he should be fine! So worry about him later!"

Emilia: "I understand! I, what do you need me to do?"

He'd thought that Emilia would be concerned foremost with Reinhardt's safety, and was taken aback by her response. The Emilia looking at Subaru was attentive, and fully understood where she needed to stand on this battlefield.

There was both a strong reliance on Reinhardt and perhaps a trust in Subaru.

Emilia: "Reinhardt too, he went through all that hassle because he trusted you. What should I have realized about Regulus? Tell me."

Heavy trust. Heavy expectations. The reality of that belief was too heavy, enough to stir up his fighting spirit.

He'd certainly need to give Reinhardt proper gratitude as well. Later, he'd definitely go and help retrieve his remains.

Regulus: "The two of you, always rambling on, but acting in simplicity in your desperation, wouldn't that be easier? Your despicable and evil behavior has angered me, so it follows that you should be punished, doesn't it? Yes? Isn't this right? Impoliteness, infidelity, no matter which, are rebellious acts worthy of ten thousand executions."

Having kicked Reinhardt away, Regulus sneered at the inconvenience.

Across the canal, a spirit of evil began to swell forth, and, in truth, Subaru almost couldn't bear to bring himself to face it.

However, running away right now would be meaningless.

Natsuki Subaru would be unable to repay Emilia and Reinhardt van Astrea.

Subaru: "A pure heroine, yet unseen of this century, suspecting her of infidelity makes you the slut, idiot."

Regulus: "Ah?"

Subaru: "Isn't it uncouth to list all the reasons we should be afraid here? Try in the slightest to redirect that empty mind of yours."

Hearing the sudden strength of his speech, Regulus widened his eyes.

Subaru knocked his own head, as if boasting.

Subaru: "Just how much of a lovely, smooth life you've had until now, I don't know, nor do I want to know… but have you noticed yet? The you of right now, is in checkmate."

Regulus: "Checked? You're so vague that I can't even laugh. What are you trying to say. No, you're incapable of explaining yourself in comprehensible language, is also a possibility. Well, there's no need to force yourself to say irrelevant things, isn't that right?"

Subaru: "Eh, don't say that, after all you have the right to listen, your favorite right."

Regulus: "My right…?"

Regulus frowned, and Subaru, with a light, ridiculing smile, continued "Yes, after all—"

Subaru: "Losing without even knowing how your regret came about, would certainly leave you with regrets."

Regulus: "—Enough of you! Just disappear!"

This movement shrinking in on himself becoming a fuse, Regulus leapt from the edge of the canal. Lacking sufficient jumping power, his body plunged into the water; however, his movements were unaffected by the flood, and he found himself with no water resistance.

Before him, Subaru confirmed patted Emilia's shoulders.

Subaru: "Emilia, right now!"

Emilia: "Ul Huma!"

Receiving Subaru's instruction, Emilia gathered magic to release the icicles.

So enormous that they needed to be gazed up at to seen fully, the spears of ice were aimed directly at Regulus, formed an overhanging railing of ice to surround him as he surfaced.

Regulus: "I'd actually thought you'd try something, but no matter what you do, it's futile, looks like no matter how many times you're taught, you'll never learn! What, are you planning to stick with your mistakes? Without even that degree of wisdom, repeating the same thing over and over. Do you always treat others with such futility while despising them? Don't get carried away, how incomplete!"

Regulus bared his teeth, cut down the railing of the ice, smashed it, and, with overwhelming force, shattered it. The barrier collapsed with ease, and despite her best efforts, Emilia's magic couldn't sustain the cage of ice.

But it was enough. This was fine.

Emilia: "I can't, I couldn't even buy time properly."

Subaru: "That's not right, Emilia-tan."

Seeing the ineffectiveness of her power, Emilia wore a gloomy face, but Subaru shook his head.

A look from a different angle. This had been enough to accomplish Subaru's purpose.

Subaru: "That man's character is insidious. He can't help but crush what he despises. Even if it's unnecessary to destroy whatever obstacle he's facing, he can't feel that he's won without shattering it completely."

Singing ballads to fulfillment, spouting his self-satisfying rhetoric, was Regulus.

The pitiable nature of his heart, the scarcity of his tolerance, and the volume of his vanity were plain to see.

Subaru: "In the first place, there was no need for him to break through the obstacle. But he took that superfluous action. Even a second, even a millisecond, is the result."

Emilia: "With that one second, can you defeat Regulus?"

Subaru: "As long as I accumulate them, I'll definitely show him the victory. I'll pare that monster's skin from his body."

For this, Reinhardt had laid the foundation.

Testing Regulus's heartbeat, conveying that it had no movement to Subaru.

There was no heat, no heartbeat, no breath, and no outside influence from his surroundings.

Although this is undoubtedly an [Invincibility], its essence was not undefeatable.

Subaru: "Emilia, over here!"

Subaru took Emilia's wrist and crossed the dented alleyways with her. Emilia kept pace with Subaru, as she turned back to attack Regulus with an icicle.

Regulus, seeing the two flee, pursed with rage brewing in his chest.

Regulus: "Even after all that boasting, why the hell are you running? Calling someone stupid, proclaiming that you'll kill them, just how much do you plan on making fun of me? Who the hell do you think you are? You coward!"

Since his physical abilities were no superior, the speed pursuing Regulus was little different from the speed of the escapees. Rather, it could be said that he was slower than Subaru.

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However, since he was blessed with his unrelenting composition, the ceaselessly pursuing evil would eventually catch up.

Emilia: "Subaru! Where are you running to?"

Subaru: "Our destination is the church! Our target is, Regulus's wives! In between…"

Hearing Emilia's inquiry, he replied back.

Suddenly, halfway through his words, he noticed from behind—

Regulus: "—Stop paying attention to extraneous things, you!"

Subaru: "Uwaaaaa!?"

The distance that had existed until now vanished without a trace, turning his head, Regulus had already appeared in front of him.

Forcing an approach to only one step away, Regulus waved his hand toward them, and Subaru barely jerked his head out of the way. He felt that his opponent was already on his heels, so he swept up Emilia and approached a nearby wall, stepping on and along it in one motion.

Emilia: "Wawawa, Subaru's amazing."

Subaru: "Emilia-tan, hold tight to me!"

Emilia, stunned by Subaru's acrobatics, hugged his neck and wrapped her feet around his waist. Soft and fragrant, she filled Subaru with a fresh wave of energy. Kicking hard on the edge of the wall, he flew across it.

The results of his practice in parkour were revealed. Just gaining distance like this—

Regulus: "I've said already, that your commoners' efforts are futile."

Saying so, Regulus touched the lower part of the wall Subaru was climbing with his palm.

There was the sound of rock grinding, and the stone wall collapsed as if it were tofu. The wall lost its support and fell. Needless to say, the same happened to those climbing on the wall.

Subaru: "Uwah!"

In the process of falling, he yanked out his whip and flicked it without any real direction. The front end hooked onto something, and Subaru forcefully pulled his body upward.

With a swing of his foot, he gave a hard kick the moment he touched the wall. Combined with the force of the reaction, the centrifugal force generated by the whip allows his body to be thrown further and further, achieving an amazing climb with Emilia still on his back.

At a closer glance, the two of them had arrived at a warehouse that had already lost almost half of its volume.

Subaru crashed onto the balcony that protruded from the eaves and looked at his palm.

Subaru: "Wow, I didn't expect to achieve a brute force escape…!"

Emilia: "Subaru! In short, we just have to get to the church! The direction is!?"

No longer gazing at his palm split open with faint pain, he followed Emilia's voice to see the surroundings. Fortunately, the height of the balcony, in addition to Regulus's, allowed everything to be easily seen.

Far, far in the distance, he could see the church that collapsed from Reinhardt's first attack. Somehow, at some point, it had grown quite distant.

Subaru: "No! We fled in the opposite direction! What now!?"

Emilia: "Is that it, there?"

Subaru: "It's right there, what's that matter…"

Emilia: "Let's travel like this!"

Emilia, upon hearing Subaru's response, clapped, and a bridge formed on the balcony.

The mysterious blue-and-white bridge began from the balcony and connected through the alleys of the church, imitating a large road in midair.

Subaru: "What!?"

Scattering every which way were brilliant shards of ice, as Subaru slid forward on an ice structure created by Emilia.

Using the slope of the bridge as a launchpad, using the principles of a ski jump, it leapt over the alley, and flew over Regulus toward the church.

Subaru: "Emilia-tan, you became so witty!"

Emilia: "Maybe Subaru led me astray."

Subaru: "That statement shouldn't be used in response to praise!"

Although he had a means of long-range attack, Regulus could only touch what was in reach of his arms' length.

They kept well away from his figure, delirious with rage. Staring at the approaching church, Subaru's eyes narrowed.

Emilia: "What should we do, when we meet the women in the church?"

Subaru: "I don't know if they've been threatened, or if they really do admire him…"

At Emilia's question, Subaru lowered his chin into his palm, interrupting himself.

What emerged in his mind were the women, shocked by the Regulus's actions in the church. The fear he'd seen then, if only it were genuine, thus he prayed.

But, if it really had been an act—

Subaru: "Forget the mind, it may be that even their hearts were stolen away. —Heart in the literal sense, that is."

Greeting his face were burst of wind blowing on the head, and the height of the ice structure began to fall, as it approached the church.

Behind, was Regulus giving chase. Reinhardt's life hung in uncertainty. The chances of victory were slim, but the dilemma still steadily approached—

Was everyone else doing fine?

Clearly, he had no room to even ponder such questions, but couldn't help but think of them.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※

To take over the charge of the Control Tower from [Gluttony], this was the battle between Julius, Ricardo, and Alphard.

Julius: "—El Clausel"

With the power of the six-coloured quasi spirits, a rainbow coloured radiance emanated from the tip of the knight sword.

What rolled out was a preemptive strike aiming straight for its opponent's death.

[Clausel] was a magical technique of the same type as [Clarista] which had managed to damage even Petelgeuse's body, however, unlike [Clarista] which had the destructive bright light stick to the sword itself, [Clausel] was a long-range attack.

The impression of the Sin Archbishops was still strong in Julius' mind thanks to Petelgeuse.

The feeling which Julius got while fighting the madman, the Sin Archbishop of [Sloth], a huge sinner and someone who had given great suffering to the world for a long time, was completely different from the current situation— that is, the fight with the current enemy is completely different.

Julius Juukulius, who had gotten the title of [Greatest Knight], often misunderstands people due to their behaviour, but he believes in this so-called theory that all human nature is ultimately good.

He believes that all human action is up to interpretation, but there are some things which humanity must think about, like the influence of one party's actions over the others.

Then, for Julius, the Sin Archbishop named Petelgeuse Romanee Conti and his self-conscious dolls, the Witch Cultists, were all too overwhelming.

Someone who can't understand that, who disregards hard work and efforts of others will inevitably become an enemy for him.

For Julius, the worst done by the Witch Cult to him was to harm his [knightliness].

No hidden tricks, no trump cards saved for the last.

From the very beginning, Julius did not hesitate to cut down those devils.

An extraordinary technique that simultaneously handled all six colours of magic with the help of six quasi-spirits.

Not even the slightest of mismatch of magical power was allowed. This was established only after the bonding of the quasi-spirits, thanks to the efforts and talent of the genius spirit user named Julius.

This was not the exact same thing as what Roswaal L. Mathers could do, who sat at the pinnacle of magic. This had been created by Julius and was unique to Julius.

At the first look, the magic doesn't feel too scary, and the opponent gets scattered away without ?an opportunity to rethink subsequently.

Julius had one belief in his chest— that he must prioritize blowing away the enemy rather than investigating the incompatibility between them.

The extremely bright destructive light shatters the stone pavement and preys upon both the arms of a small shadow.

Long dark brown hair, dirty rags, dulled shining daggers, get swallowed up by the shine of the rainbow light—

Roy: "This is surely something nii-sama didn't expect, he has a weakness of turning away your eyes from what he doesn't want to see, doesn't he?"

Ricardo: "—What!?"

As he collapsed onto the ground, Alphard's muttering voice could be heard. The blasphemer, with his long tongue hanging outside, kicked the ground with a posture low enough that it could almost be said that he was lying on the ground.

The speed of the bright light will never be late enough to not reach its opponent. In order to avoid this approaching arrow, you would need a physical ability comparable to that of Reinhardt or—.

Roy: "We admired you, nii-sama. Nii-sama, who hates to show his hard work to others, would use such devilish skills in desperation, how would we not know that ~tsu."

Julius: "What are you saying!"

Roy: "Thinking we wouldn't know, Julius nii-sama is truly innocent. But, we love that part of you ~tsu! Gyahahahaha ~tsu!"

Alphard jumps around the ground and avoids the magic, with a movement that suggested that he already knew that trump card would be used. Ricardo subsequently runs to strike Alphard, who had escaped the magic, but that pursuit too was a move which he had anticipated.

Ricardo plunges into him in front of the river, as daggers collide and sparks scatter. Ricardo was overwhelmingly superior in strength. Alphard countered the strength difference with unimaginably skilled sword handling. The cobblestone breaks and rains beside the blasphemer.

At the same time, Ricardo cried out as Alphard slashed into his shaggy torso.

Roy: "Lo~ok, a stub of dog meat ~tsu! Hard and luscious meat, should be made sticky and soft to make it easier to eat to make it easier to bite to make it easier to digest to make it easier to shit out to make it easier to decompose to make it easier to fertilize vegetables and after it makes all that so easy the meat should be eaten to start the cycle cycle cycle cycle of the food chain ~tsu! A~h, how wonderful ~tsu!!"

Ricardo: "Ngh, gh, ghk!?"

The speed of Alphard, who had given that quick speech and has daggers attached on both of his arms, was not something extraordinary. His growth period had not ended yet, and his body has still not toughened, however, his physical ability had contradicted those looks till now, as he rips into Ricardo's body, who was all defensive.

Julius: "Ricardo!!"

Fur like wires and thick muscles. Ricardo's body, which was like an armour itself compared to the normal human body, had suffered no wound by any technique till now with the exception of Alphard's attack.

With eyes wide open, Julius was stunned by looking at Ricardo's bleeding wound.

Alphard attacks with high speed moves, each move targeting and aiming precisely at the joints and thin parts of the fur. Regardless of the qualities of Ricardo's body, if you get attacked at the key areas, you will get hurt, you will shed blood, and you will lose your life.

Julius: "—hk."

At the moment Julius saw the bombardment of blows, Julius summoned the quasi-spirit once again. The slashes of wind mixed with the flames of a fire, the sword commanded the quasi-spirits of two colours– Ia of [Fire] and Aro of [Wind]. From the side, a slash with a reddish flame heads towards Alphard.

Roy: "Yes, we knew that pattern already too ~tsu!"

Julius: "Wha!?"

Roy: "That surprise is completely honest ~tsu! Our stomach will not have any difficulty either ~tsu!"

However, Alphard was ridiculously unaffected by it, with one arm precisely attacking and with eyes at the back, to see whether what he thought would happen, as he kicked into his empty torso.

His heel penetrates into the abdominal muscles, as if he broke into Julius, who was working extremely hard in this situation, just like the person he is. At the front, just when Ricardo started his counterattack, his toe launched itself right into his lower jaw.

Roy: "How nice how nice, this has become fun ~tsu! That nii-sama is! That Ricardo-san is! They both are fighting this great battle and we are their opponent! Even though us, with our weak bodies, absolutely can't do it, can't reach it, can't see it, can't understand it, should have already had given up in this position ~tsu! A~h! To make it so fun, ho~w unfair unfair unfair ~tsu!"

Julius and Ricardo fell to their knees at the same time. Alphard, who stops their pursuit, repeatedly somersaults on the stone pavement, as if to keep the two under pressure.

They must take his incredible skill and childlike brutality under consideration.

Ricardo: "This is, much more than what I heard. Even so, the hell is that guy, pisses me off. The way he walks, the way he talks, everything 'bout him's jus' so creepy!"

Ricardo, who barely ever gets hurt and barely had any older scratches, said that with a foggy voice while licking the wounds on his arms. Julius rises, taking heavy breaths, and also agreed with Ricardo's anger.

Julius: "It's the same as City Hall… no, just his behaviour is still equally incomprehensible. It may be an attempt to mock us, but it's counterproductive and nothing else."

Roy: "Even if you say that, it's always the human nii-sama hiding his feelings of worry from the non-human Ricardo-san, no? We said that we~ already know about that ~tsu!"

Julius: "You bastard…"

Clasping his hands, Alphard laughs uncontrollably, and Julius sends the quasi-spirit of [Water], Kua, under Ricardo to heal his wounds as he stepped ahead.

Ricardo: "Ah! Hey, Julius! Don't go out there!"

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Julius: "You just quietly stay here, till your wounds heal enough that the bleeding stops!"

Pointing his knight sword forward, Julius dashes towards Alphard. However, the movement now was clearly not the same as the one before.

In the sharp steps and slashes, Alphard, who received the first attack, felt his eyebrow get slightly slashed.

Roy: "This is…"

Julius: "The power of the quasi-spirit of [Yang], In, and at the same time,"

Roy: "Oh?"

Alphard's question overlapped with the responding voice.

Julius' long legs jump up and kick down Alphard's head, pushing down the blasphemer's cheeks into defeat. This time, his defence wouldn't make it in time. His hanging arms lag behind, and rolling his eyes, Alphard turns and desperately attempts to dodge.

Roy: "Uwa kyya! The one right now, was?"

Julius: "My quasi-spirit of [Yang]. The one with my sword is the quasi-spirit of [Yin] It is a mutual partnership that improves physical ability. This, was a first timer for you, isn't it?"

Roy: "… Oh, hehe, as you'd expe~ct! Julius-sama is wonderful! Still loaded with charm that neither we nor us knew about, isn't it ~tsu!"

Julius: "–!?"

With his cheeks dyed red, Alphard looks at Julius with flushed eyes.

At the moment Julius frowned at that warm gaze, Alphard removed and threw away the dagger attached to his arm. A shrill sound echoed as it pounded on the cobblestone.

Immediately afterwards, his heel breaks the cobblestone.

Roy: "As it seems like you cannot surprise us with swords, this time we intend to see it by using fists ~tsu."

Julius: "Gh– ~hk!"

Alphard closed the distance in the blink of an eye, as he launched the bottom of his palm while twisting his waist. Julius countered it with his empty left hand, but the shock penetrated right through his arm into his chest.

Unimaginably, the forceful lurch from the ground and the twisting of the waist had increased the destructive force of his palm strike, and Julius, with no time lag, was sent flying.

If Subaru would have had witnessed this sight, he would have had thought of a car accident.

Roy: "Our fists that have taken down more than eight hundred people.... we suppose they shook up nii-sama down to his bones' medullas?, no?"

This was also an equally violent sight, like a car unable to stop runs over and sends the defenceless human beings flying.

Julius could not afford to respond to Alphard's crazed smile.

His chest bones, his internal organs all got crushed, blood floods onto his clothes and his tall body gets blown away. Ricardo, who was being treated, quickly responds to the situation.

Ricardo: "Julius, watch out!!"

Ricardo hugs and defends Julius, who was unexpectedly going to crash into the wall straight from his head. Even the enormous dog got swallowed into the impact and got knocked into the building, crushing the stones.

Ricardo, who had rushed to help Julius, shakes his head as a plume of dirt rose. The blood in his head concentrates in one side, and he spat out the blood in his throat to prevent choking.

Ricardo: "Spirits! Don't know if ya can hear me, but yer master's in trouble! Get to work! Think 'bout me later!"

Whether it was thanks to Ricardo's call or not, the blue light pours its power into Julius' dying body. When he was at least made safe from dying, Ricardo jumped out in frustration into the brisk situation after a good amount of break he had taken from the fight.

Roy: "Welcome back! Would you like to have a meal? Would you like to have a treat? Or perhaps, di-n-n-er?"

Ricardo: "Get yer tongue back inside your damn mouth, damn brat… I'll teach you what happens when ya make fun of adults jus' like the brats at our place."

Roy: "Ohwellohwell, let's not take it any further. We don't want a dog as a meal anyway. If you don't want to play with swords or fists… are you fine with this?"

Alphard, with a smile, spreads his hands, and Ricardo immediately increased his alertness. Ricardo chews his teeth fiercely, and was unable to take off his eyes from that.

—In the waterway behind Alphard, a stream of water rises with a whirlpool which looked like the neck of a water dragon to Ricardo.

Ricardo: "Sword skill, martial arts, and this time, magic. Jus' what the hell are ya?"

Roy: "We are anonymous non-practicing magicians, who couldn't even be looked at with pride by our family. Something like that ~tsu!"

Immediately after Alphard rolled his tongue outside, the head of the water stream heads towards Ricardo.

Although that's just water, it's momentum and mass was enough to crush a living being's body. On top of that, there was Julius behind him, so he couldn't choose to avoid it either.

Ricardo: "Ya've done it now. Hah, hah— haa!!"

Opening his large mouth and his body clamped onto the ground, Ricardo released a roar wave.

Out of the three deputy commanders of the [Iron Fang], two of them had already shown their ability to cooperate their attack of this roar wave. However, originally, Mimi had developed this technique by imitating Ricardo, and Ricardo argues that it is originally his.

However, compared to Mimi who reduces the burden by dispersing it, roar wave used by a single person is a huge burden to the body.

The destructive roar bursts out of Ricardo's throat as he felt muddy water fall on his body which was clinging onto the ground.

Roy: "Wow, amazing ~tsu."

Unable to hear the voice of admiration, Ricardo's roar wave crashes into the stream of muddy water.

The wave collides right from the front, and splashes the water away, and the water with a mass of several tons scatters and evaporates into mist. After a few seconds, the destroyed muddy stream hits the plaza like rain, flooding the stone pavement, and sends the leaning Ricardo crashing down.

Ricardo: "That, sure was somethin' … even the edge of my mouth, got a bit cut, huh."

The residual damage itself left Ricardo blank for a long time, which further burdened him after the roar wave. Breathing on his shoulder, Ricardo, however, still managed to get up because of his feelings.

Alphard was completely unaffected, without showing any signs of exhaustion, he was just dancing there.

Roy: "Amazingamazing ~tsu! It's been a while since we have seen someone endure that. So long that there is not a trace of it in either ours or our memory. How nice, quite nice, pretty nice, maybe it is nice, isn't it nice, possibly it is nice, perhaps it is nice, probably it is nice, because it is probably nice ~tsu!"

???: "Your repetitive speech ends here."

Roy: "Welp, it's nii-sama's grand return. Scarily, cutely, enviably."

In front of Alphard, who shook his head, Julius was standing next to Ricardo.

His face was pale, and his knight uniform was dyed in blood. His breath was even faintly stuttering, and it was completely impossible to say that he was in his top shape. Although that cannot be said,

Julius: "Thanks for the help, Ricardo."

Ricardo: "I sure did help ya. I'll have ya report my efforts properly to miss so that I get that temporary bonus."

Julius: "About that, I assure you that you can feel absolutely unworried about that from my side."

Grabbing his knight sword, Julius tapped on Ricardo's shoulder and subsequently glanced at Alphard. Sensing that gaze, the blasphemer smiled, with dyed cheeks, and twisted his lips irritatingly.

His facial expressions, actions, even his way of fighting, were all packed with a sense of creepiness and spook.

Or perhaps, that itself was related to his Authority of [Gluttony].

Julius: "With such prowess in using swords, martial arts, and even magic, why did you align with evil. That power could have had been put to use for something else, something better."

Roy: "Somewhere else huh. Giving some examples, what would nii-sama consider in that?"

Nii-sama, even his way of addressing was unsettling.

Every time Alphard's tongue touches it, every time he says that with a flamboyant tone and stuck-up attitude, that word loses its value for Julius.

—Even though he has no family members that call him that.

Julius: "For example, a knight. For example, a mercenary. For example, a hero. Unkempt power easily falls into the hands of evil, and strength turns into forceful violence. That's why…"

Roy: "We thought you'd say so ~tsu! We thought you'd say that, anii-sama! We thought that the nii-sama we know, that the nii-sama we trust, would say that. We thought so ~tsu!"

Abruptly putting a halt onto the conversation, Alphard jumps and approaches Julius.

He holds his knight sword vertically and slashes down that kick. As if he had plates of iron attached onto his heels, the slash fails to do any damage.

Alphard sharply turns and continues his barrage of kicks from a low angle, as he swings and dances on the spot, as he further pushes Julius to make him crash into the scaffold.

At his intense and strong moves, even Ricardo loses the track of his timing and becomes unable to interrupt.

Roy: "Do you remember, when we were kids! When we had gotten sick and broken down, we had asked nii-sama whether we could bring an Appa from the tree in the garden ~tsu!"

Julius: "Saying things on your own accord...! Why would I remember. Stop enforcing your own arbitrary delusions onto others!"

Roy: "Us and nii-sama were still small, and nii-sama first said that it was impossible, told us to give up ~tsu! Do you remember? Don't you remember? But we, just because nii-sama had tried to stop us, ended up wanting that appa even more ~tsu! When we had done what nii-sama said was impossible, we thought that we did an amazing job! Our confidence increased! We really thought tha~t!"

Julius: "What are you, what are you saying!? I am unaware of any such thing… unaware!"

Julius accepts his kicks, his heel, his round kick, his straight kick, his high-jump kick, his somersault, his back-spin kick with his knight sword.

His arms were numb, his internal organs were scarred with pain, and he could feel the taste of blood in his mouth. No, it was different from the taste of pure blood, as this was his blood mixed with vomit. He bit his lips. He, just now, for some reason.

He could not help but listen carefully to Alphard's delusion.

Roy: "Because of what happened afterwards, we are ~tsu! We are ~tsu! Nii-sama is ~tsu!"

Julius: "—hk!"

Roy: "We always, always thought about it ~tsu! We always, always felt it ~tsu! That it was different! That it was just some luggage ~tsu! How that used to be! How's that now! What a nice feeling! So it was such a feeling! A~h, this feels so nice! We finally get it!"

Julius: "I know absolutely nothing, nothing about you!"

Julius got pushed into becoming more and more violent.

Holding back his knight sword with immense strength, he tries to attack whenever he found a gap in Alphard's position. Striking down, piercing into, kicking in, pounding, entangling, dodging.

A slash dyed with anger and hostility cuts through the air, and Alphard's hair, which were too late to avoid it, get slashed off and fall to the ground. Even still, it was not just the slash which should be payed attention to.

Julius: "Ia! Kua! Aro! Ik! Nes! In!"

With the names of the quasi-spirits called out, they started spinning like a magical cast, and they were the spirits contracted with the Spirit Knight.

With their names called out, the six colours of the quasi-spirits increase in radiance, turning the mere affirmation of their existence into a powerful force and pouring it all onto the opponent of their knight.

—The six coloured lights surround Alphard from all six directions, blocking any path to escape.

Julius: "With this, it ends—!"

Julius had firm belief in his victory as Alphard could no longer escape.

The power pushes straight through the middle of Alphard's chest,

Roy: "Palm of the Fist King."

The dark palm in front of his chest collides with the knight sword in between and crushes it into pieces.

Debris scatters, and the deadly stab loses its effectiveness.

However, there was still the magic that was left—,

Roy: "Magic."

An unexpected and confusing magical power swells up behind Alphard and slashes down all six of the approaching magic.

The magic of one colour clashes with the magic of that same colour, and all magic gets cancelled out.

Finally, the eyes of Julius, who had supposedly sealed this attack's victory, open.

Roy: "Snake of the Twin Swords."

Alphard's toes toss up a dagger which he was supposed to have had thrown away.

It got pushed into this place by Julius' attack. Receiving the spinning blades with both of his hands, Alphard's body rotates.

A storm of slashes blew up, and Julius used just his broken knight sword.

"——"

Roy: "Nii-sama threw that appa out. That's why we hate nii-sama."

An arm sharply cut from the elbow swings into the air and fell onto the cobblestone, making a sound.