Chapter 21 - For the sake of my friends

Moments before Razel and Lambert fought, this was happening aboard the ships.

"Quick, we have to get out of here!"

"The ships aren't that fast, besides, that thing is heading straight for the capital!"

"What!?"

"Watch!"

The sailors in charge of the ships watched as Xerxes advanced at a slow pace, but with long strides straight towards the capital.

"At the rate he's going, he'll be there in about two hours!"

"We must stop him!"

"B- But there are only civilians here, and we don't have many weapons."

"That doesn't matter!"

A ship's captain relayed a message to all ships.

"To all ships and their crews! We're in a dangerous situation!"

"We cannot allow that monster to advance to the capital that seems to be its target!"

"As citizens of the empire, we must fight bravely for our country! Whether we are knights or not!"

All the noble crewmen were upset to hear that they were required to fight.

"Don't joke with me!"

"Who in their right mind who isn't a knight would?"

"Let's go home right now, let the sword saints take care of it!"

Footsteps echoed over the comm.

Everyone listened as the captain stood with his mouth open and made an almost humming sound.

Seemingly someone grabbed the microphone, a beautiful woman's voice was now speaking to them.

"Hello everyone, I am the daughter of Duchess Rosenberg. Elize von Rosenberg."

Everyone was astonished to hear that unexpected name.

Many came to see the ruin of the daughter of a ducal household.

"There is much to say, but I will say only three things."

"The first: the sword saints will not save us. I watched as my own eyes as they were defeated."

"Second: communications to notify the capital do not reach. The magic element in this area is very high, so we can't warn them to get ready."

"And lastly..."

Elize took a moment before saying astonishing words.

"What the hell is wrong with you bunch of morons!? Are the important nobles of the empire cowards!? For the first time in your pathetic lives, do something for others!"

Different voices joined in to criticize her.

"How dare that brat treat us like that!"

"I'll file a complaint with the palace."

"Your representatives lost before, so there's no need for this sore loser to speak."

No one but the captain and Lily, who were standing next to her, could see a wicked smile on Elize's beautiful face.

"Oh, I forgot. I know the faces and the houses that everyone belongs to, so when we get there. The palace will know those who objected to fight here. I'm sure His Highness the Emperor will be pleased to know that he has faithful chickens hiding under his nose. After all, I am still part of the seven dukes, so you must believe the one with the highest position."

Immediately, everyone shouted in elation.

"L- Let's go fight for the capital!"

"I don't want to fight, but I'm afraid of the emperor!"

"My household is small, we will certainly be destroyed if I flee!"

All the nobles who wanted to flee, stayed to fight.

Since they could all use magic power, many prepared themselves in boats with rifles and staffs.

From their ship, Elize and Lily watched as everyone headed off to attack the large creature that came out of the ground.

The wind was so strong, they could barely hear each other's voices.

Both of their hair was swaying wildly.

"Lily-san."

Elize was calling out to Lily, she turned to look at her.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to ask you to get on a boat and escape."

"Huh?" Lily said.

"Why?"

Elize turned to look at her, tears streaming down from her eyes.

"Isn't it obvious? We're all going to die."

Lily's face showed dread at those words.

"B- But didn't you say we were going to fight?"

"Sure. But just look at the size of that thing."

Elize was pointing at Xerxes, his body was so big, that the ships getting into position to attack him made them look like ants next to him.

Just to advance three meters, almost ten minutes passed.

Elize's hands and legs were shaking.

She quickly hugged Lily.

"Thank you!" Elize shouted to Lily.

"I obviously said that because, I wanted to at least guarantee that in my last moments, my household would be recognized as an example of nobility!"

"Long time ago... I'm scared!"

"That thing is too huge! I saw how two sword saints were easily defeated by that thing!"

"Long ago, when my dad wasn't a scumbag who abandoned us, I heard stories of a legendary adventurer. The only one to be listed as S. Rank was given it, because there was no one stronger than him. He was so strong, he turned down titles and prestige just for what he loved."

"It's obvious it's a story to give us aspirations!"

"Just look at the size of that thing! It'll kill us all! It's already done it to Razel!"

Lily shivered. Both of them watched Razel being swallowed up by the earth and there was no response from him.

The prince was taken to safety on another ship, but there was no search for Razel.

Deep down, she believed he was still alive.

More than once he had shown her how strong he was.

That's why she didn't believe he was truly dead.

Elize stepped back, her tears still coming.

"You were the only person in the whole world, not counting Razel and Prince Cidfert to help me."

"I... it's selfish of me to say so. But I, I consider you my first and only friend."

Tears streamed down her cheeks at being overheard called friend.

"For that reason, I don't want anything to happen to you. Lily-san, thank you for everything you've done for me. I really, really appreciate it."

Elize pulled a locket out of her pocket and handed it to Lily.

"Give my mother this. Tell her that her little girl, to the end, will be honoring her household. I am sure, that one day Rosenberg Household will one day be rebuilt again."

At that moment, Elize threw Lily into a room.

Lily fell to the floor.

Since she was wearing a mini skirt, her white panties were exposed for a few moments.

Then, Elize used magic to lock the door.

"Elize-san, open the door! Elize-san!"

Lily knocked desperately.

A cascade of tears streamed down her white skin to fall on the floor.

Elize on the other side.

"Go straight ahead, at the end of the road there will be a coughing mariner. He'll take you straight home, I already paid him in advance."

He was heading to the center of the ship to prepare to fight.

The ships were ready to begin the attack at any moment.

Elize, looked up at the sky and murmured a name to put her heart at ease.

"Razel... I will soon join you."

◇◇◇

The attack began.

"Fireball!"

"Wind guillotine!"

"Stone missile!"

"Energy beam!"

Different magical attacks were being launched against Xerxes.

At a slow pace, but in a very confident manner. He was advancing straight towards the capital.

Their attacks were useless.

Great clouds of smoke emanated from the shell of that great creature.

But they were only from the effects of the magical blows.

There was not a single scratch, only stains from the attacks.

To top it off, the ships were under attack.

Their enemies were nothing more and nothing less....

"Watch out for the wyverns!"

Low-level monsters of the game. Wyvern of the feathered kind.

They were green and their wings cut like steel.

Their eyes were four, giving them a perfect view of their entire surroundings.

"Rozaaa!" they shouted a strange sound that left people almost motionless.

Some were fighting Xerxes, others were fighting wyverns.

It was a non-stop battle.

The wyvern were Xerxes' subordinates, they brought him food and that was why he didn't move.

But he called them as he was very annoyed.

On the ship that gave the order to fight, there was Elize fighting one.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

She was using a short spear to cut her enemy.

But the wyvern was not weak.

It used its beak and wings to repel the spear.

Others were like Elize.

Her hands moved to pierce the creature's chest.

"Rozaa!"

It screamed in pain, Elize was sweating. Blood was falling from her forehead.

She was attacked by the feathers that cut her.

When the monster fell.

Purple colored blood gushed out.

She sat for a moment and breathed as much as she could.

(How many minutes had it been?) She wondered.

(Lily-san should be far away by now.)

Elize could hear screaming.

"Noo, leave me please!"

A nobleman who was in a corner struggling was grabbed by three, no, now four wyverns.

They grabbed his limbs from each side.

And as if it was a game, they pulled each one with great force.

"Gyyyyyyyyyyyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Shouted the nobleman as his limbs were torn off and in the end, falling to the deck and looking like a sack of potatoes.

The wyverns came down to eat him now that he was immobile.

He was still screaming in pain as his stomach was ripped open and his intestines devoured.

Elize wanted to vomit at the sight.

Instead, she pointed her hand at them and recited a spell.

"... Large caliber fireball!"

A large fireball shot out from a magic circle.

The wyverns belatedly noticed, were burned alive and then turned to ash.

Elize's head was spinning.

She was dizzy from blood loss.

She used the spear to stand up, but she was wobbling badly.

In the distance, she watched as Xerxes mouth opened after almost a half-turn.

A magic circle formed in his mouth.

It was green in color with a pentagram on it.

Then, another attack from the game was released.

Armageddon Roar.

A shockwave was released from that magic circle. Almost a dozen ships that were in its attack range were instantly destroyed.

People flew out as the ships were crushed and then exploded.

The people who flew out were also crushed by the pressure.

So large amounts of red stains were left on the ground as they fell.

It looked like a grotesque rain of blood.

Elize burst out laughing.

"... So you had an ace up your sleeve all this time, did you? You never used it since we looked like a pest to you, but you just used it to prove that you can make mincemeat out of us whenever you want."

She could watch as in the distance, a part of the capital was visible.

They wouldn't make it.

Xerxes is such a powerful opponent, the only way to defeat him in the game was with paid equipment.

Elize's spear fell.

Almost everyone near her was devoured.

Corpses of people and blood showered the deck.

A group of six wyverns were approaching.

Their gaze looked to the sky, but nothing was reflected in their eyes.

The wyverns descended.

One of them chewed her hair, knocked her to the ground so they could devour her.

The wyverns were hungry, despite having blood and intestines hanging from their golden beaks.

One tugged weakly at her hand.

Elize... she had lost the will to live.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Until...

"Don't come any closer to her!"

A scream came from somewhere nearby.

A wyvern noticed something approaching.

But it was too late, its throat was pierced.

The others took flight to get out of there.

Then Elize's hand was taken.

In her lifeless eyes, Lily was reflected.

Before she could utter a word.

Slap.

A hard slap came to her cheek.

Then another, and another, and another, and another, and another much harder.

Elize reacted and stopped his hand as he touched one of her red cheeks.

"What's wrong with you!!! And more importantly, what are you doing here!!!"

Lily looked at her with tears. She pulled the locket Elize gave her out of her pocket and then smashed it against her large chest.

Because of how big they were. The locket sank into the center like jelly. Then it was pushed by that fleshy mass against the outside and finally fall on the ground.

"You hand it over!"

"Huh?"

Lily shouted.

"If you want to hand it over to your mother, hand it over yourself!"

"You big stupid girl!"

Elize was hugged.

"Why must it be you who suffers!!! Why!!!"

She didn't understand what he meant.

"Always trying to bring out your pride as a noble, trying not to show fear, and more, telling me you would sacrifice yourself!"

"Are you stupid by any chance!!!? Tell me, are you!!!?"

Elize couldn't take it anymore and shouted as well.

"Of course not!"

They both started crying like little girls.

In fact, if anyone saw them, it would look like indeed two little girls were crying while hugging each other.

"I only want the best for my household, I don't care about anything else! I've gone through so much pain like my mother, I want us to be happy! But as long as we are tied to the palace and have that debt, we will never be free! Even if I have children, my children would suffer in the future! What's wrong with wanting to spare them that future by ending my suffering too!"

"That's why you're so stupid!"

Lily hugged Elize so tightly. That it made both of their chests squash together.

The pressure of being squashed made them look like a pair of soft fleshy buns.

"Your life is yours alone, it's important that you live more than anything else! If your household does so much to you, then just run away from it! I'm not nobility, but if I must live like this, it's better to be a commoner!"

For the first time in her life, Elize, heard words that did not tell her to move on or anything that would motivate her to stay bound to that house.

She only heard. "Be free and live your life."

The villainess face began to distort from tears and snot.

"... Even if that's the case. What good will it do me if Razel is no longer here."

Hearing her name that boy. Lily gave up her secret once and for all.

Staring her straight in the eyes. She mentioned the words Elize didn't know.

"I... am Razel-kun's girlfriend."

Elize stopped crying upon hearing something unthinkable.

"We've been kissing and holding hands a few times. We haven't done anything else besides that yet. I consider that it would be a bit hasty considering we've only been dating for days."

"But what I mean is not that. But this..."

Lily took a breath, and then with a smile told him.

"Elize-san, let's both be your wives. You as the legal wife and me as your concubine. Since, you love him too, don't you?"

Elize was shyly shaking her head.

Lily was smiling widely.

Her red cheeks showed how pleased she was.

"I knew you were attracted to him too. That's why, I felt a little jealous of you."

"Huh?"

"Well. A boy, who is your childhood friend came to your rescue. That's very romantic. I think it's the most wonderful thing that someone who cares a lot about you could do."

Elize burst out laughing too.

"Actually, I was imagining that you two had something on your hands. I didn't imagine it was that, but being honest. It makes me happy that if he has a mistress, that it's you."

"Oh, that's right. Before all this started, he told me that he wanted me and that he wanted to have my title and that he would take care of the debts on my house."

"Really!"

"Yes. It made me very happy. For that, don't worry. You being his other woman, it makes me very happy. I, I think he is alive somewhere. If he didn't die in his previous battles. Much less by this gigantic thing."

They both laughed so innocently.

No one would imagine, that the protagonist and the villainess would become friends.

And even more so, that the villainess who became jealous upon hearing the protagonist's proposition on being the wives of the same man. She has accepted such a proposal now.

Undoubtedly, the situation of the game and the present time, were no longer in the same original line.

The influence of a third party has altered everything.

But even declaring their unimaginable love and friendship, did not erase the situation they were in.

"Rozaaaa!"

"Huh?"

Lily was grabbed by the waist up to her breasts by the tail of an annoyed wyvern.

The wyvern was backing away with Lily leaving her hand outstretched in Elize's direction.

She watched as her new friend and concubine was taken from her side.

As she watched her being separated, Elize cried out.

"Liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiilyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!"

Her scream was so loud, she ran straight for the wyvern.

She was already out of the boat, Elize, put all her strength into her legs from the railing gave an Olympic leap.

It seemed like it was impossible to reach her, but Elize stretched as far as she could and fell onto Lily's legs.

"Elize!"

Elize dangled from Lily's white legs.

She was slipping little by little. Her impending death lay beneath her feet.

"Elize!"

But es didn't care.

"Now we'll be friends and wives to the same man! In other words, family!"

Slave down her legs to reach the feathered tail.

"That's why... call me Eli! Did you hear that, Lily-chan?"

Both of their faces could now be seen.

Lily shed tears.

"Yes. Eli-chan."

Their foreheads touched to show their trust in each other.

Elize- Eli, she was using all her strength to get Lily out of that trap.

But Lily wanted to ask him the most important thing of all.

Before doing so, the wyvern's tail was split, and after letting out a great cry of pain.

Lily was released and they both fell down.

"Exactly what were you planning to do after freeing me!"

Lily asked almost in tears as she watched the forest get closer and closer.

Eli was gripping Lily very tightly, so tightly, that their breasts were pressed together so tightly and their legs were intertwined to not let go.

Their faces were so close, that with an inch more, they could both kiss.

"Don't stop holding me!"

Eli activated a magic spell he learned.

"Flight magic!"

Humans could not fly, only levitate.

The method of it was a spell that used a lot of mana.

It brought wind magic and gravity magic together by creating one.

It is imperfect, but safe, for a limited time.

Almost reaching the ground, Eli and Lily were flying almost close to the tips of the trees.

Lily was frightened, but Eli reassured her by saying.

"When we get home, I want you to live with us! No waiting for the wedding!"

"Really?"

"Yes! I want us to be closer since soon, we'll be sharing the same bed!"

Eli flashed a sweet smile while Lily a kind one.

Their happiness ended right there. They were headed a group of wyvern straight for them.

Their end was certain.

The wyverns blocked the light.

No one could save them.

(I will not allow it!)

Like a wild and unexpected bolt of light, their lifeline arrived.

It was...

(Don't you dare touch the master's womeeeeeeeeeeeeeeens!)

Schwarz.

He flew at high speed straight for them.

In a graceful and protective manner, he rescued both of them without them knowing what happened.

Schwarz was unconscious, but after a while he regained his senses.

He watched his master struggling against someone, he was going to go to help him.

But he heard the scream of two girls. He saw them together with him several times, so, in his head, he imagined that they were both his wives.

He decided to leave his master to save his girls.

That, was the confidence he had in his master. He knew he could win without any problems.

That's why he headed straight to rescue them.

(Come and get me, you damn feathered rats!)

(Heaven is for Pegasus, not rats!)

(AaaaAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!)

Once again, the image of a winged steed manifested itself.

Its gallops in the sky made it look very intimidating.

Its hooves pounded the bodies and heads of the wyverns.

Kick here. Bite there.

Schwarz would not allow his master's women to be harmed.

(Oooooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!)

(Come and get me!)

The wyvern's fight against Schwarz was so intense, the girls had no idea what was really going on.

They watched a mechanical Pegasus fighting the wyverns and beating them.

They didn't know what to do.

But, before they knew it. The Pegasus won and brought them safely to the deck.

Then it went off to continue fighting them.

The girls were confused, but, if they had seen the same thing as the wyverns.

They would have been amazed to see the gallant figure of a black Pegasus fighting to the end against a horde of monsters all by himself.

◇◇◇

On the other hand.

"Wh- What the hell!"

Razel shouted because he watched Schwarz fight the wyverns.

He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Why is it moving by itself, what the hell is going on!"

His mind was confused.

"Razel!"

A voice came from the side, as he observed who it was.

He visualized Cid coming in Bellange's Pegasus.

He grabbed him before escaping, not giving him time in getting to the ships like the others.

Cid was very frightened to see Xerxes.

Once he descended, he observed Lambert wounded.

"Hey... Razel... don't tell me you?"

"No~!"

"This guy fainted."

"We were both hit by the big land wave and ended up like this."

Razel didn't want them to think he was strong. It would be very troublesome for someone to believe that he was stronger than the people who are listed as candidates to be the next sword saint.

Razel's eyes looked like those of a cat making excuses.

Cid, in the end desisted.

"Hey, where were you?" Asked Cid.

"I was about to head for a ship when I noticed the sword saints were defeated. I went to pick them up and drop them off in a safe place before anything happened to them."

"I understand..."

Both of their eyes were riveted on Xerxes who was far away but his large body was still visible.

"He's heading for the capital. When he is very close, they will become aware of his presence. That is bad as many lives will be lost until they prepare."

Razel grabbed Cid's shoulder and smiled at him in a frightening way.

"What's wrong?" Cid said in fright.

"Isn't it obvious? We'll both defeat him."

"...!"

"You... have you lost your mind?! Haven't you seen the size of him?! We won't hurt him at all!"

"Sure. But if you know where to attack it and with what, you can."

"You..."

"Cid, you and I have good chemistry."

"Huh?"

Cid instantly recoiled. Razel reassured him.

"Don't think anything weird idiot. I'm talking about us having good chemistry in our magical attributes."

Razel was the lightning and Cid was the water.

When he remembered that...

"No way!"

"That's right."

Razel stretched his body.

"Let's fry that bastard's brains. The two of us, together, we'll defeat that huge mass of whatever his shell is made of."

They both looked in Xerxes direction.

The final battle to prevent chaos in the capital, began with the countdown.