Chapter 7 - Those Who Seeks Help

Synergist, Asher Guren

Lily was the first to notice it.

"Hm? Daddy… there's something on the ground?"

It was my supposed turn to take on the pilot seat, and it has only been an hour and a half, the cockpit of the jet was all glass aside from the floor to provide visibility of the surroundings.

Lily was sitting on the floor of the cockpit while looking down the ground as we crossed the Yale Desert.

Normally, it would be a perilous journey for a Siren like Lily to cross this desert, but thanks to the Quinjet's air conditioning system. She couldn't even feel the heat.

I spotted a caravan on the direction Lily was pointing.

"What is it?" Tetsu walked over and looked

"Looks like they're fighting bandits. There's… forty of them, it looks like. They're all dressed in rags. Hmm, only have about fifteen guards... I can't believe they're holding their own with only that many people."

"Yeah. That barrier's pretty good."

We analyzed the battle as if we had nothing to do with it, just flew by the air circling them.

"Should we help them?" Tetsu asked

"I don't know…" I glanced at Lily who had pleading eyes.

"Daddy… save them"

"Ngh!"

Just what the hell happened to me? I can't refuse the child's plea!

I sighed helplessly "Tetsu, can you handle the wheel for now"

"Sure"

I stood up and let Tetsu sat on the pilot seat. I knelt down on Lily

"You be a good girl, okay, I'll be back in a sec. Tetsu, open the ramp"

"Aesthetics again?"

"Hell yeah"

As soon as the ramp opened, the scorching desert heat blasted inside the jet. I donned my hoodie and jumped out of the flying jet straight into the caravan.

On my way down, Icarus slowed my descent as soon as I landed on the desert sand, activating my dual sabers, I rushed forward and massacre each of the bandits one by one, not even leaving one person to be questioned.

They shot first, they won't have a problem being attacked.

"Wh-what the hell was that!?" the bandit leader yelled "Attack that bastard!"

Magic bullets rained on my direction, as if I was a Jedi, each and every one of the magic bullets were cut in half by my lightsabers.

"This is the power of the force! Give it up!!"

Another rush, in just a matter of seconds. All forty bandits executed -correction, massacred by me.

The guards stared at me in wonder, as I turned off the lightsabers putting them back to their holsters.

"Achoo!"

The sandy wind blew through and some even got into my nose, inevitably, I sneezed, that's sneeze seemed to have broken the tension between me and the caravan people.

"Guren-kun!" before I could even react, the girl threw herself into my arms.

What the hell is going on?!

I got a better look on the black-haired girl, she had a relieved expression, her face was even a mess.

"Nishimiya?"

"Guren-kun! I finally found you!"

What was she doing here in the desert, shouldn't she be in the Castle to prepare for the war?

"Kaede…?"

Another girl approached, I clearly remember her, how couldn't I, just months ago, I broke into her room and used her window as an escape hatch.

The Rocheforte Kingdoms First Princess, Aria B. Rocheforte. The princess breathed a sigh of relief and pushed back her hood to reveal dazzling blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. She looked at me and Nishimiya.

Wait! That's not the issue here! I need to get out of here! I can't have them following me around!

"Guren-kun… I…"

"I'm sorry, miss." I peeled off her arms from chest, and awkwardly said "you must be mistaken, my name is-"

"Hey, Ash, are you finished already?"

"Tch!"

Before I could even complete my ignorance, Tetsu just came out of the jet and call me by my name. I quickly rushed over him, strangle his neck and turned back to the others

"You Idiot!! Why'd you call me by name!?"

"Eh? What's wrong with that?!"

"Nishimiya and the Princess was in the caravan! What the fuck are we supposed to do now!? They might have heard you!"

"Um… Guren-kun"

AH!!! Too late!!!

We awkwardly looked back to the two, they had a surprised look on their face the moment they saw Tetsu

"Akagi-kun, you're alive!"

"Y-Yeah…!"

Covers blown!! Mission Failed! We won't get them next time boys!

The Princess walked over us and said. "Akagi-san, and you must be Guren-san, correct? It's regrettable to see you casted out of the castle that day, but I'm glad you two have found each other. It hurts to see how sad Kaede looked when she thought you were dead"

"A-Aria! Did you really have to bring that up!?"

I looked over at Tetsu, he's also stupefied on what's going on, these two girls are in the desert on some caravan, the world is on the brink of war, and these two went on a journey somewhere.

Well, whatever, not our problem.

I tapped Tetsu's back and we started walking towards the jet.

"Where'd you park it?"

"Uh…somewhere in the west, it's nearby"

"Right"

"H-Hey! Where are you two going?!" the Princess and Nishimiya ran and blocked our path.

"Huh? Well, we saved the people, did our job"

Tetsu nodded "now, it's time to go"

"You're just gonna leave like that!?" the Princess yelled

"Well, duh? What's hanging in the desert gonna do, except give us heatstroke?"

My retort shocked the princess, Nishimiya was looking at me like she swallowed a rock, well, I did change that's no surprise, but she doesn't need to be that surprised.

"It's been some time, hasn't it…? You seem to be in good health"

We looked back and saw a man, he was short and stout. I remember this guy.

"You're that guy from before…"

This guy was that merchant bastard that tried to recruit me for my crafting skills, of course, I refused because I was already on the Sage Merchant Company

"Oh, I'm glad to be remembered by someone from the Sage Company"

"What do you want then?"

"Well, I just want to thank you for saving us from certain death, also about that offer from before…:"

"Denied"

"Ah! How about raising it to three folds?!"

"No, I'm not switching companies, nor am I going to accept the offer, that's final"

"Ah… I see, well, a good merchant knows when to give up"

He dropped his shoulders but still maintained the smile. Turns out, the convoy was on its way to Arisen, which was where a demand for in-land resources was needed.

We were on our way there too, but that was only a detour to the base, anyway, the merchant asked us, if we'd be willing to escort them to Arisen. Much as I'd like too, we're travelling in a jet.

I was about to say that, but… the princess interrupted me.

"My apologies, good merchant, but I would like to hire their services myself. I understand I'm being presumptuous, especially as you were so kind as to let me join your convoy, but..."

"Oh, do you no longer need to go to Arisen?"

"Yes, this is far enough. Of course, I will still pay you the full fee."

"I see... I'm happy to know I was of assistance. You don't have to worry about paying me."

"Huh? But I can't just not pay you..." the princess seemed at a loss. The caravan had provided her with food and lodging, and she couldn't imagine not repaying them for their hospitality.

However, the Merchant simply smiled at her.

"I doubt I'll ever say those words again... Let me give you one piece of advice before you go. Normally, you pay up-front when asking to join a caravan. If someone doesn't ask to see your money right away, then they're either up to no good, or they have their own reasons for not wanting to take your money. Fortunately for you two, this time it was the latter."

"Wait, does that mean..."

"I have no idea why someone of your standing needs to sneak out of the capital, but I have no doubt it is a matter of utmost importance. If I didn't assist you in your time of need, then I could hardly call myself a proud citizen of Rocheforte. I may be a merchant, but I'm a patriot too."

"In that case, I owe you my gratitude. It was only thanks to you that I was able to leave the capital."

"I see. I'm sorry to change the topic so suddenly, but do you know what it is that merchants want most, but find hardest to obtain?"

"Huh? No, I don't."

"It's trust."

"Trust?"

"Yes, trust. Without it, we would be unable to conduct any business. At the root of every merchant's profits lies a relationship built on trust. Furthermore, even if a merchant finds themselves bereft of money, as long as they have the trust of others they won't be ruined. After our little trip, would you not say the Moss Trading Company is worthy of your trust? If you do, then I've already made a far greater profit than any amount of money you could provide me."

"Your company is one I would trust with my life. I swear that I, Aria B. Rocheforte, will never forget the kindness you have shown me. I thank you from the bottom of my heart."

"You are far too kind."

The merchant and the rest of the company bowed deeply to the princess.

After all that, the merchant left Nishimiya and the Princess in my care, what the hell!!

Regardless of that, Tetsu and I chugged our way into the jet without looking back. The two girls followed us without a word.

"Where's Lily?"

"She's in the jet, I told her to wait for us there"

The camouflaged disabled and we got up the ramp, Lily was quietly sitting on the left wing.

Nishimiya and the princess were wordless on what's happening, the princess was shocked at the sight of the jet but did not say a word, nor did they step inside the jet.

I sighed, "What are you two doing? You're gonna let the hot air inside, or do you plan on walking all the way to Arisen?"

The two noticed it and went inside the jet. They sat on the right wing of the jet, Tetsu piloted the jet to Arisen, I was sitting on the ground, with Lily sitting on my hip silently staring at the two new girls.

"So… why'd you guys snuck out of a perfectly safe castle?"

The tension on the princess's face did not sit well with me, I feel like I'd get dragged into something annoying once more.

"Rika-san… has been kidnapped" okay, now this was far worse than anything I could imagine, even Tetsu unintentionally swerved the jet in shock.

She explained her story to us.

Princess Aria B. Rocheforte

For a while, Aria had been worried about how strained the atmosphere in the palace was. Her father, the king, had been spending more and more time with the pope, and had grown far more religious. He'd oftentimes praise Ouranos during meals or conversations, and his piety influenced the ministers and nobles to become more religious as well.

Aria had kept trying to tell herself that it was just a side-effect of all the time he was spending with the Holy Church officials. Humans needed to be united in this time of crisis, or the demons would overrun them, she thought. However, things steadily got worse. Many of the soldiers started looking listless, as if someone had sucked out their souls. Whenever she asked any of the knights how they were doing, they'd always reply that they were fine, but to her they all looked seriously ill.

She'd then tried to consult Noel, the knight she trusted most in the palace, but he had seemingly vanished. He still showed up to Hayato and the others' training from time to time, but whenever she managed to catch a glimpse of him there, he'd vanish before she could talk to him. In the end, she never got a chance to see him.

It was then that Rika had returned to the capital. She'd given the king a report on what had transpired at Mizushima.

Aria had been in the audience chamber at the time and had heard the whole story. At that point, an emergency vote had been held.

That was when they'd decided to declare Asher a heretic. They ignored Rika's protests, the fact that he'd saved both an entire city, and declared him an enemy of mankind.

Aria had naturally found the vote absurd, and had said as much to her father. However, the king seemed convinced that Asher was an enemy of Ouranos. His hate was so vehement that Aria feared he was possessed. As a matter of fact, he had claimed Aria herself was lacking in faith when she even mentioned the possibility that Asher was innocent. As the meeting progressed, he began to look at his own daughter as if she were the enemy.

Terrified, Aria had pretended to agree with her father and fled his chambers. She'd run to Rika, hoping to share her worries with the teacher.

Rika had told her she planned on telling her students what Asher had told her about the gods and the true goal of his journey during dinner. She'd expressed her hopes that Aria would join them.

So that evening, Aria had headed for the dining hall where the students took their meals. On the way there, she'd heard Rika arguing with someone. She'd peeked out from the edge of the hallway to see what was going on, and watched as a blue-haired nun incapacitated Rika and took her away.

Aria had been terrified of that nun, and hidden herself in a nearby guest room. Once inside, she'd entered a secret passage that only royalty knew about.

The nun had come looking for her, but had been unable to find her. Fortunately for Aria, the passage had been an artifact that hid the presence of whoever was in it. Aria knew she had to tell someone. The nun was clearly behind the strange atmosphere she'd been feeling in the castle. Or if not behind it, working for whoever was.

However, she knew if Rika had been taken that the students would likely be under surveillance. And Captain Noel was still nowhere to be found.

After a lot of worrying, Aria had decided to turn to the one friend she knew who was out of the palace.

Kaede. Plus, she knew that Kaede was friends with Asher. They were the only people she could rely on. She snuck out using the secret passage out of the castle and tried to find someone willing to take her to Arisen.

She'd picked Arisen, because there'd been rumors of Asher roaming around the city. On top of that, they were far enough from the capital that they were likely still unaffected by the darkness that hung over it. And more than anything, she guessed that there was a good chance that She'd run into Kaede there.

Synergist, Asher Guren

"After that, I joined Moss's caravan and traveled with him out of the capital. I didn't think he'd recognize me straight away, or that we'd be attacked by bandits, or that the people I'd set out to meet would be the ones to save me, though. A few weeks ago, I would have said that this was all because Ouranos was watching over me. But now... I'm... afraid of the Holy Church. I don't know what's happening anymore. I have no idea who that blue-haired nun is... or what's wrong with my father..." Aria hugged her knees and trembled in fear. Right now, she looked less like the wise and confident princess she was reputed to be and more like an ordinary, frightened girl. I can't blame her tough. Everyone she knew and loved had either gone insane or was missing.

Nishimiya hugged Aria tight. That was all she could do right now to ease her friend's worries.

"Did you say blue hair?"

"Yes… that nun had a blue hair"

I clenched my fist and made a furious look. "That thing's no nun, it's an Angel!"

"What…?"

"She's back, huh… Well, this means that we'll have to go to war again"

"Yeah, I'm going to kill her this time!"

Most circumstances, I would've washed my hands on this and let it slide, but an Angel's involved. I can't have it running around anymore for Cecilia's sake.

Ouranos likely didn't want his pawns, Atsushi and the others, to stop following his script. So, he made the angel move in.

"Listen, you two" I turned to Nishimiya and Aria "Where we are going next, no one must know about it, okay?"

The had confused looks but nodded. I cradled Lily and sat her on the seat on the left wing, punching in the belt seat.

"Um… Guren-san, where would we be going?"

"Our HQ, we'll save Ri-chan"

Aria looked at me, relief was flooding on her face. She was probably been expecting me to refuse. But I'm not letting this one slide, it might be the only chance we could get to exterminate that angel.

"Put on your seatbelts!" I ordered them.

As I walked towards my seat "Tetsu, put some Gs on!"

"Got it!"

"UWAH!!! After I sit!!!"

With the sudden acceleration, I was thrown back to the closed ramp.

Rocheforte Kingdom, Capital

A lone figure stood near the outskirts of the royal palace. They were in an empty, quiet clearing. It was a solemn place, the silence punctured only by the night breeze. Crisp moonlight illuminated the area.

Truthfully, the figure was standing in a graveyard. However, as it was near the palace, it was no mere graveyard for the masses. There was a single stone monument carved directly out of the mountainside. A towering edifice that immortalized the sacrifices of the brave souls who'd given their lives for this kingdom. All those who died in battle for the kingdom had their names engraved there.

The man standing in front of the grave was Rocheforte's knight captain, Noel Barrens. Though his expression was neutral, there was a deep sadness in his eyes.

This late at night, the only people wandering the palace grounds were the soldiers on patrol, but none of them passed through this graveyard.

That, of course, made this quiet graveyard the perfect meeting place for clandestine activities.

"Captain." The whisper was so quiet it was nearly snatched away by the wind. Noel turned around and saw the man he was waiting for. The newcomer walked up without making a sound. His name was Joseph Randall. He was the vice-commander of the knights, and Noel's right-hand man.

"Were you followed?"

"No, I didn't meet a soul on the way here. Still, it would be unwise to linger too long."

"We certainly wouldn't want people starting rumors that the two most important knights in the kingdom are plotting something, especially considering the current state of the court. The ministers all suspect even their own shadows."

Noel smiled bitterly, which Joseph reciprocated.

"How are the soldiers?" Noel asked, his expression serious once more. Joseph's expression didn't inspire confidence. In fact, he was pale.

"Including the captains, over sixty percent of the soldiers are showing signs of 'Hollowness.'" The Hollowness Joseph referred to was a strange phenomenon that had appeared over the past few days. It had spread quickly through the ranks of common foot soldiers and knights. Put simply, the Hollowness was some strange affliction that made them lethargic.

They still continued doing their jobs, and responded to direct questions. However, they were clearly more listless than usual, and none of those affected by it smiled. They became social recluses, leaving their room only to work.

The epidemic had spread fast, and now it was affecting even nobles and commanders.

Naturally, Noel had launched an investigation as to the cause of the matter. He was worried about his men, and feared that this was worse than simple lethargy.

"Already? I should be thankful only 10 percent of my knights are affected. That, and none of my captains seem ill yet." 

"But Captain. I'm not quite sure how to put this... but should we really assume this is an enemy attack? Could it not simply be that the men are burnt out?" Joseph's tone was hesitant.

"We've lost many of our best knights, and the demons have overturned the numbers advantage we had over them. Do you really think this is a coincidence? I understand how you feel, Joseph, but blind optimism will get you killed."

"My apologies." Joseph was by no means being optimistic. It was his job as Noel's confidante to offer alternate viewpoints and contradict any potential flaws in his boss' reasoning. And so, Joseph cleared his throat and continued.

"How are things on your end, Captain? Has the king been affected as well?"

"His Highness is still safe for now. He shows no symptoms of Hollowness. If anything, he seems livelier than ever. He swears by Ouranos that he won't let the demons' atrocities continue. However,"

"What is it?" Joseph wasn't used to seeing his boss hesitate.

Noel tried to search for the right words. In the end, he wasn't able to find them and he shook his head.

"It's nothing." He could hardly tell his vice-captain that the king was too religious. It would be blasphemy, both to Joseph and to his own faith.

"The prime minister seems unaffected as well. However, some of the influential nobles haven't been so lucky." Joseph staggered as Noel rattled off a list of people who'd become Hollow. The nobles who were integral to the government's continued operation were fortunately still safe, but many other highly powerful people had been laid low.

"I've given His Highness a full report, and he's guarded by a contingent of knights 24/7. I don't trust the templar knights or the royal guard. My men have orders to come see me the moment they sense anything even slightly out of the ordinary."

"What does His Highness have to say about the Hollowness?" Noel had informed King Adamos there was a possibility that this was a mental attack orchestrated by some unknown enemy.

Even if it was just apathy, the numbers spoke for themselves. Noel was certain this required a swift response. However, the king had not met his expectations.

"The fact that the two of us are meeting in secret here's answer enough, isn't it?"

"He rejected your request to start an investigation, didn't he?"

The king had indeed ordered Noel to stop worrying about foolish things like apathetic soldiers and to start building up the country's army.

Though he was forbidden from conducting an investigation, Noel couldn't let it go. His instincts were telling him that this Hollowness was dangerous. That was why he was operating in secret with his vice-captain.

"The devils have grown more powerful than ever. His Highness has more important concerns than unmotivated soldiers and some vague hints that it might be an epidemic."

"Still, the king heeds your words, Captain. Normally he'd never dismiss your concerns out of hand..."

Noel cut Joseph off with a look. Though King Adamos may have been acting strange recently, Noel didn't want to hear any insults against the king. He was, at heart, a loyal man.

"That's why we need to gather proof. Joseph, talk to all of the dark magic experts you know. Figure out what this Hollowness really is, and devise countermeasures. Also, try and convince the guards to open up the royal vault. Surely, we have an artifact in there that can deal with mental attacks like this. At the very least, get a catalog of items from the vault manager."

"Yes, sir. What about Hayato-kun and his friends?"

"Let me worry about them. They're in a delicate state right now. I didn't want to burden them with more worries than I had to, but... I suppose I have no choice but to tell them now. I'm really not cut out to be a teacher." Noel sighed, and Joseph smiled at him.

"I'm sure those kids understand how hard you're trying."

"Who cares if they understand me. The problem is that I don't understand them. It's honestly my biggest worry still. Fighting's so much easier than this."

"Still, I think it would ease some of their worries if you talked to them."

Prospective knights applied knowing what they were getting into, so Noel's way of cheering up his men usually consisted of training them until they collapsed and then sharing a few drinks. It usually worked. However, he knew that wouldn't be a good idea for Hayato and the others. They were students who'd been dragged against their will into his world's war, and they were only fighting to go back home.

He had no idea how to help those kids come to terms with the fact that they'd have to kill. Joseph snickered. Noel was acting just like a father who didn't know how to teach his kids.

The two of them talked for a bit longer about the less pressing matters. Once they gave each other their respective reports, they melted away into the darkness.

Noel snuck back to his room while keeping an eye out for patrols. As he was the knight commander, no one would challenge him even if they did spot him, but he didn't want anyone wondering what it was he'd been doing out this late at night.

I can't believe I'm acting like an intruder in the palace I'm supposed to protect. Noel smiled to himself. A second later though, his heart leaped into his throat as someone called out to him.

"Captain Noel—" He looked around, but saw no one. Despite the fact that he'd been on high alert, someone had managed to sneak up on him. In fact, they'd gotten so close that they were able to tap his shoulder. In other words, they could have killed him had they so chosen to.

"Zaaah!" His overblown reaction was a symptom of how nervous he was. The moment he felt a hand on his shoulder, he pulled out his sword. It drew a silver arc through the air as he turned it on his assailant.

"Hiii!?" His sword met only empty air, though. Whoever had snuck up on him had good enough reflexes to dodge out of the way in time.

Or well, at least trip over himself. He looked down to find his attacker in tears.

"K-Kyousuke!?" The boy Noel had mistaken for his attacker was indeed Kyousuke Endou, the scout of the hero party. He was nodding, terrified.

"C-Captain. D-Did I do something to make you mad?" Realizing his mistake, Noel hurriedly sheathed his sword and helped Kyousuke up.

Everyone knew how difficult it was to notice Kyousuke. Even when his friends were talking with him, they'd sometimes forget he was there. Back in Japan, automatic doors often wouldn't even open for him. Furthermore, he was almost always forgotten during role call in class. He was a natural master of stealth.

Noel understood now why he hadn't sensed anyone.

"N-No, sorry. I was just surprised to find someone behind me and kind of..."

"You sound like Golgo, Captain."

You "kind of" almost chopped my head off! Noel cleared his throat and changed the subject.

"Anyway, what are you doing out so late, Kyousuke?"

"After practice today, I fell asleep in my room. We went pretty hard, and I was exhausted. But it was still pretty early, and..."

Noel looked pityingly down at his pupil. He could tell where this was going.

"And no one thought to wake me up for dinner or anything, so I slept until now."

"I-I see."

"When I finally woke up, I hurried over to the dining hall, but everyone had already finished eating. They'd noticed there was an extra meal laid out, but they thought the chefs had made more by mistake and ate it. No one even realized I didn't come to dinner."

"I-I see."

"Well, I guess it was partly my fault for not arriving on time. I felt guilty about asking the servants to make food just for me and I figured skipping just one meal wouldn't be a big deal. But then I got so hungry I couldn't sleep... which is why I figured I'd go to the kitchens to see if they had anything. I found some vegetable scraps leftover and ate those, but..."

"But?"

"Whatever they were, they didn't sit well with my stomach... I spent two hours fighting in the bathroom. You really don't want to go in there right now."

"What a night..."

"Anyway, once I finished, I realized there was another problem."

"Your story's not over yet!? And what on earth is in that bathroom!?"

"It's not what's in there, but what isn't. There wasn't any toilet paper."

"....."

Kyousuke didn't explain how he eventually did manage to find some toilet paper, but considering how far from the kitchens he was now, Noel guessed he must have spent a long time searching for it.

"Kyousuke... go rest."

"Will do. Good night, Captain."

He'd been forgotten, had his dinner eaten by someone else, gotten sick off the leftovers he'd found, and then spent the night wandering the halls looking for toilet paper only to nearly be killed by his teacher. Noel felt for the poor boy.

As he watched Kyousuke totter off to his room, Noel gave him a crisp salute.

Noel made it the rest of the way back to his room without incident. He heaved a heavy sigh and put his sword up on the stand on the wall. After disarming, he flopped himself onto his sofa and massaged his temples.

Once he'd rested for a while, he started planning.

"Magic that only affects troops' morale... It would make sense that devils are behind it, but I can't believe they've infiltrated the capital already. And if they have, why not try something bolder than just hitting our morale? And why only target our rank and file soldiers? If they can cast spells undetected into the palace, why not come for me? Killing me would remove a powerful enemy and lower their morale anyway. So why? What on earth is going on?" Noel spoke his thoughts aloud. He was still extremely worried about this unknown threat that had wormed its way into the palace. He wasn't exactly at his limits, but the constant planning and worrying had been taking its toll. Doubly so since his fellow palace officials didn't seem to share his concerns.

Worse, the problems kept on piling up. He could feel his impatience permeating every inch of his thoughts, like an ink stain spreading through paper.

Just then, he heard a knock on the door.

Noel warily grabbed his sword off the wall and asked who was at the door.

"Who is it?"

"Umm, it's me, Captain Noel. Daichi."

"Hayama? What are you doing up at this hour?"

"Well... there's something I really need your advice on."

Wondering what could have made the boy sound so desperate, Noel slowly opened the door. Hayama stood in the hallway, his head bowed low.

"You said you needed my advice but... why this late at night?"

"I'm sorry. I know I'm being a bother... but I don't want any of my classmates to overhear this."

"I see... Well, it's no trouble for me. Come in." Noel thought he had a good idea of what Hayama needed advice on, and invited the boy into his room.

Hayama's standing among his classmates was tenuous. It was his own carelessness that had nearly gotten Tetsurou killed. He'd apologized profusely for the incident, and the other students had all agreed not to bring it up again too, so no one blamed him for anything. Still, that was only on the surface. Most generally kept their distance from him.

Especially now that they'd all learned Tetsurou was alive.

Noel was a little worried about his relationship with the others too, so he was actually glad Hayama had come to him for advice. At least, that was what Noel assumed Hayama had come for.

Hayama kept his head bowed low, so Noel couldn't make out his expression. However, Noel didn't like what he saw. Hayama seemed on the verge of doing something drastic.

Noel ushered the boy over to his sofa. He waited patiently, but Hayama didn't say anything. The boy simply sat there, wringing his hands and tapping his foot.

"Hayama, I think I know what it is you wanted to talk about. You don't have to sugarcoat anything. Give it to me straight. Tell me what's troubling you and we can come up with a solution together." Noel's reassuring words did nothing to ease Hayama's apparent nerves. He still kept his head bowed, unwilling to meet Noel's eyes.

This must have been eating away at him more than I thought. Noel tried to reassure him again. However, before he could get more than a few words out, he heard another knock at his door. I sure am getting a lot of visitors today. He called out to ask who it was.

Surprisingly, it was Joseph's voice that answered him. It appeared he had an emergency report to make.

His timing couldn't have been any worse. Hayama was still in Noel's room, and it was entirely possible what Joseph had to report was something Noel didn't want the students to hear.

Hayama noticed Noel's hesitation.

"It's fine, Captain Noel. I'll just wait in the hallway until you're done."

"If you're sure... Sorry, Hayama."

"It's fine," Hayama replied curtly, and stood up.

Noel walked to the door and turned the knob. The door opened with a soft click. Standing in the hallway was Joseph, but he'd gone Hollow.

Noel felt goosebumps run down his back. His instincts screamed at him to run.

"Ah!?" he gasped, and leaped backward. A second later, a knight's sword whistled through the air where he'd been standing.

"Joseph, what's gotten into you!?" Noel yelled out to his vice-captain. The only response he got was a diagonal slash aimed at him. Noel rolled out of the way, pulled his sword free, and blocked Joseph's follow-up attack. The two swords met with a resounding clang.

"Shit, so it was a form of brainwashing after all!?" Up close, Noel could tell Joseph's eyes were blank. It was one of the symptoms of Hollowness. However, the other Hollow soldiers hadn't ever tried to attack him, which meant that Joseph was following someone's orders, and that all other Hollow soldiers could be made to do the same.

Noel shivered. I knew it wasn't something as innocent as apathy! In order to cure Joseph of his brainwashing, Noel first needed to immobilize him. He yelled loudly and shoved Joseph's sword back.

"This might hurt a little, old friend!" Noel rushed at Joseph. Joseph was off-balance after having his sword repelled, and Noel hoped he could pin his vice-captain in place with a tackle.

However, Joseph didn't move according to the plan. Since he'd been attacking Noel thus far, Noel had assumed he was the target. However, Joseph now ignored Noel and turned his gaze to Hayama, who was staring at the two of them, dumbfounded.

Joseph's sudden change of target made Noel hesitate for a second. He turned to see Hayama take a few steps back and trip over himself. Noel couldn't believe it.

Hayama was one of the front-liners of the hero party. Moreover, he had an extremely powerful job. He shouldn't have lost his courage when faced with a single measly knight. No, wait, maybe this was what he wanted to talk to me about! Noel clicked his tongue and changed directions.

His legs screamed in pain as he pivoted without losing momentum. The sudden change in direction required him to step with so much force that his floorboards snapped, but he managed to get himself in between Joseph and Hayama.

"Ngh... Such power." Their swords met in a flash of sparks. Because of his sudden shift in direction, Noel's stance was in tatters. Still, even after taking that into account, Joseph's blows were more powerful than they had any right to be. Noel's arms went numb as they absorbed the impact of the blow.

Joseph was definitely a master of the sword. However, his style favored speed over strength. Technique and agility were his weapons, not raw power. Yet somehow, the blows he was raining down were a match for Noel's.

Plus, Noel couldn't dodge, since he was covering for Hayama. He couldn't push Joseph back either, since his stance was all wrong. His full strength was utterly out of reach. I've got no other choice. I'll have to use magic.

"Sorry about this, vice-captain!" There was a risk of him severely injuring his right-hand man, but he put his faith in Joseph's resilience. Noel held out his free hand and prepared to fire a blast of wind at point-blank range.

"Heed my call, O wind— Blitz—!?" However, he never got a chance to finish his spell. He stopped chanting midway... when a sword stabbed into his side.

"Hayama?"

"Tch... I can't believe you managed to dodge that."

Noel turned around; his disbelief evident. However, just as he'd thought, the person who'd thrust the sword into his side was none other than Hayama. Moreover, his eyes weren't blank. They were bloodshot.

"Daichi, you..." Noel didn't know all the details, but he was certain that Hayama had something to do with the Hollowness that had been spreading through his men's ranks. If Noel hadn't dodged to the side at the last minute, Hayama's sword would have pierced his heart. He had his uncanny instincts to thank for his survival. Hayama had aimed for the kill.

He ignored Noel's question, yanked his sword out, and once again tried to drive it into Noel's heart.

"Blitz Hammer!" The mana from Noel's unfinished spell was still primed, so he called out the trigger that would cast it. He aimed not at Hayama, but at the floor below him. A compressed ball of wind slammed into the floorboards with tremendous force. Fragments of wood struck all three of them. The following gust of wind blew all three of them away in different directions.

Noel rolled across the floor, a trail of blood leaking out behind him. The pain was so intense that he should have fainted, but Noel stood up as if his wound didn't even hurt, then charged at Hayama.

Joseph was just a knight, but Hayama was a front-liner who'd delved deeper into the Scarlet Labyrinth than Noel ever had. He was definitely the more dangerous foe.

Unfortunately for Noel, even more enemies joined the fray. A horde of Hollow soldiers poured into his room.

"Tch... Looks like they planned this well." Noel swept aside three soldiers' blades with one stroke of his sword. He then stepped to the side, avoiding Joseph's overhand slice. Hayama then rushed forward and launched a furious assault, which Noel parried with the flat of his blade.

Following up on that attack, Noel blew away the soldiers that had circled to his rear with another blast of wind. He'd shortened the spell's incantation so much that all he had to say was the spell's name. Taking advantage of the opening caused by the spell, Joseph swung his sword down on Noel's rear, but Noel kicked a chair into him, tripping him.

Irritated, Hayama tried to chant a spell, but that distracted his attention for a moment.

Noel had been waiting for this moment. His blade danced through the air, circling around Hayama's short sword. He slapped the weapon out of Hayama's hand and rushed forward.

"Haaah!"

"Ah!?"

Noel ducked under Joseph's and tackled Hayama.

His shoulder connected squarely with Hayama's stomach, and the air was driven out of Hayama's lungs as he slammed into the sofa and tumbled over it.

Two of the soldiers tried to pincer Noel, but he rolled underneath them and blocked Joseph's next attack with his sword. The blow sent him flying backward, but he used the distance he gained to straighten his stance.

"Scatter— Wind Wall!" With the precious seconds he'd gained, he summoned a barrier of wind to protect him.

Joseph, who'd been in the middle of launching another attack, was knocked off-balance.

Noel then blocked one of the soldier's swings and threw an uppercut at another. Though the soldiers' blows were powerful, their movements were clumsy. He knew he could handle them. Noel's uppercut connected squarely with a soldier's jaw and knocked him clean off his feet.

The captain then swept his leg out, tripping Joseph. And while the soldier was still stumbling, Noel slammed the flat of his sword into the man's head. There was a sickening crunch, and the soldier fell to the ground.

"Come on, Joseph, I know you can do better than that." Normally, Joseph fought with a lot more finesse, but right now he was letting his weapon swing him around. Noel parried another one of his blows and threw the man over his shoulder.

Joseph gasped as the air was forced out of his lungs.

"You stay quiet for a bit." Noel slammed his fist into Joseph's stomach. The man spasmed, then went limp. Noel spared him one last glance before standing up and punching behind him.

The last remaining soldier was blown away.

"Goddammit. I even brought the vice-captain over to deal with you. How's someone from this world so strong? Are you some kinda monster?" Hayama coughed and stumbled to his feet. Noel looked sadly over at his former pupil.

"You overestimate me. I just have a lot more experience fighting people. I am still the kingdom's greatest knight, you know? You may have me beat when it comes to fighting monsters, but I've had years of experience fighting people." So please, just surrender. Sadly, his unspoken plea didn't reach Hayama. The young boy tore at his hair and glanced at the unconscious soldiers.

"What, you think you've already won?" Hayama sounded completely insane. Noel gasped as he saw the look in the boy's eyes. He knew that look. It was the broken look of a man who'd fallen too far to have any hope of salvation.

"Hayama, what did—" Noel broke off when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't believe it.

They were standing back up. Both the soldiers, and Joseph. It was as if they didn't feel any pain. They simply got back up with the same blank expression as before.

"Give it up. Hehehe... Those guys won't stop even if you kill them!"

"What? What have you done to—" Before Noel could finish his question, two more knights walked into the room? There was at least half a dozen more standing outside it, all of them Hollow.

Whatever brainwashing magic had been used on them; it was extremely high-level. Even if their movements were a little sluggish, the soldiers never tired and their attacks were abnormally powerful.

Suddenly, it hit him.

Despite how loud their fight had been, no one had come to see what was going on. Noel finally realized how dire his situation was. He'd completely fallen into his enemy's trap. There was likely some barrier around his room that kept the sound and vibrations from escaping. Chances were no one even knew he was under attack.

They completely got me. This is what I get for putting too much faith in the castle's defenses. He hadn't expected his enemies to be capable of setting up such an elaborate trap in the heart of the capital. For the past few hundred years, humans and demons had been relatively equal in strength, which was why the castle's multilayered defenses had never once been breached.

That left only one possibility. Noel looked over at Hayama. Considering the boy's skills, Noel knew he couldn't have been working alone. He was almost certain Hayama had an accomplice. Said accomplice was probably the real brains behind this operation.

In that case, this is no time to be thinking of making a valiant last stand. I need to escape alive and inform someone of this betrayal. Unfortunately, the doorway was filled with knights. He slowly backed up. Joseph and the others surrounded him. "Just give up and die already, Captain Noel!" Hayama's mouth twisted into a sneer.

"I refuse. As shameful as it is, I'm afraid I'll be escaping with my life."

"Wha? You little—"

Noel turned on his heel and dashed for the window. He slammed through it, the glass shattering with ease. For a moment, he hung suspended in the air. Noel's room was on the fourth floor. A fall from that height would leave him crippled at the very least.

"Wind Wall!" However, he slowed his descent with magic and landed softly on the ground below.

He knew Hayama and the others would soon chase after him, so he hadn't truly escaped yet. Not by a long shot.

However, he'd at least bought as much time as it would take someone to chant a high-level spell. Specifically, a very powerful fire spell. 

With it, he'd be able to buy himself enough time to find someone who wasn't brainwashed and tell them everything he knew. I can do this!

"O crimson—" He stopped chanting almost as soon as he started. Or rather, something stopped him. He wasn't sure what. Hayama and the others still hadn't made it down yet, and there was no one else in the palace courtyard.

There was no magic stopping him from continuing, and no one had fired an attack at him.

"..." However, his instincts screamed at him to be silent. He knew not to make a sound or move a muscle.

It felt as if his heart was caught in a vice. Cold sweat dripped from his chin. He stood stock still, wishing his breathing and heartbeat weren't so loud.

It was exactly like when an animal sensed a predator nearby. Noel knew his only hope for survival was to hope whatever this thing was passed him by.

"First, I had to step in to take care of the king, now the knight commander. I must say, your performance is quite disappointing. I suppose this is as much as I can expect from a human. Very well, it seems I must lend you a hand..." The voice was so melodious that it sent chills down Noel's spine. It was also utterly devoid of emotion.

Only after hearing that voice did Noel move. He slowly looked up, his head moving like a badly oiled machine.

Floating in the air, silhouetted by the moon, stood a girl. A pair of wings sprouted from her back. She created a glowing silver sphere in front of her. It looked so fantastical that for a moment, Noel couldn't believe what he was seeing was real.

However, there was no time to be impressed. His body, his mind, his very soul despaired.

There was an overwhelming difference in strength between him and this creature.

The sphere's silver light intensified. It looked like a miniature version of the moon. A very beautiful miniature version of the moon. The power stored in that light was anything but beautiful, though. It was cold and merciless.

Noel knew full well what was about to happen to him. He also knew that there was no escape.

"Ouranos..." Noel, the strongest knight in the kingdom, prayed to the god he'd believed in since childhood. However—

"Correct. This is what your lord desires." Ouranos didn't stop the girl from bringing the silver sphere down on him. It was no larger than the type of balls children played games with, but its light eradicated all life.

The silver light of death filled Noel's vision.

This is what Ouranos wanted? He wanted me to die!? Noel thought back to what had happened to his subordinates. He was sure even worse things awaited them.

So, in the final moment of his death, Noel's thoughts turned not to Ouranos, but to... Please take care of the rest for me... Well, even if I don't ask, I know you'll do it anyway. She's your enemy, after all, so— Beat the shit out of her for me. The kingdom's strongest knight put his faith not in god, but in the Legacy that is travelling the world.

Soldiers with Hollow eyes silently repaired the window and floorboards of Noel's room. Another figure looked down at the letters still on his desk.

"Oh my, I guess I should have expected as much from the captain. He didn't miss a thing. That was close."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Hayama walked up to the figure, not even attempting to hide his displeasure.

"It's nothing. At any rate, how does your stomach feel? From the looks of it, he hit you pretty hard," the figure said with a sneer.

Hayama grimaced and spat his words back at them.

"This is nothing."

The figure's sneer grew. Hayama turned to watch a soldier fit a new window frame in and something occurred to him.

"What about her?"

"She already left. She said our performance was disappointing."

"I see. Well, I expected her to intervene. I've gotta say, it really feels like we're blessed by god. Fufu, never expected her to be such a cruel bitch, though." Hayama shuddered as he thought back to the girl who had killed Noel. Originally, the plan was supposed to have taken much longer. But thanks to her help, all of the obstacles standing in their way had been removed.

Hayama still didn't know why she'd chosen to cooperate with them. She claimed her god had told her to, but he had no way of knowing whether that was really the truth or not.

He didn't even know what she really was, just that she was far stronger than him.

Hayama shook his head, shaking off the fear that started creeping up on him. He decided to change the subject.

"Well, all of the biggest problems have been solved now. At this point, we'll be fine as long as Murasame doesn't catch on."

"Indeed. Thanks to our little accomplice, both the king and the prime minister are effectively our puppets. Plus, the Holy Church was never our enemy to begin with. With the captain gone, there's no one left who can stop me."

A hint of madness tinged the figure's voice. Even Hayama, who'd already killed someone, took an involuntary step back.

"Things are going to progress very fast indeed now. The ball's rolling, and it's only going to speed up from here. There's no stopping now, not until we achieve the future I wish for."

The figure grinned, and their pupils shrunk to tiny dots.

Maniacal laughter filled the late Captain Noel's room.