Fremd Torturchen - Volume 6 - Chapter 10

10

Ragnarok

The enemies from the fifth wave were just as repulsive as their predecessors. However, they weren’t any worse than the fourth wave had been. And what’s more, the Mad King and his bride performed a high-speed patrol of all the various fronts. As a result, they were able to clean up the fifth wave as fast as humanly possible.

Immediately thereafter, massive teleportation circles with shared coordinates were carved in the human lands, beastfolk lands, and demi-human lands simultaneously. While the current treaty had maintained a tenuous peace among their peoples, the deep-seated grudges they held against one another made it hard to believe such a thing could ever happen.

Furthermore, every troop advancing on the World’s End had volunteered to go. After all, the battle they were embarking on was truly unprecedented.

The troops hadn’t been able to get hard information from the Saint on how the old world had ended. For the people living in the current one, they were treading into completely unknown territory. And being able to keep one’s sanity when faced with the prospect of the world dying was no mean feat.

Forcibly enlisting people who didn’t want to go would only result in chaos, and possibly even friendly fire.

“That’s right—from here on out, we don’t need losers in our ranks. Remember, the moment you all took up your swords, you became victors.”

As the dignified voice filled the air, the ground split loudly. A blade had been plunged deep into the ice. Valisisa had driven her sword into the land made of snow and water, wind and mana.

Then she proudly placed her palms atop its hilt. An army of beastfolk thousands strong stood before her. Among them were some civilians who’d joined as militia. Anyone who wasn’t experienced in combat was likely going to their death. However, the first imperial princess had still loudly hailed them as victors.

“What have we lived for?! What did you take up your swords for?! To take back the day! To end death’s black sway!”

As she stood majestically atop the silver ground, Valisisa shouted out words of encouragement to her army.

The mana-dense ice they were lined up on was dimly glowing, making it look almost blue. Snowflakes so large that they could make out each individual shape were piled up like handicrafts. However, several of them were stained bloodred and twisted into grotesque displays. Body parts of the three races—toes, ears, eyes—were intermingled with them without any rhyme or reason. And the sky overhead was burning black. It wasn’t because underlings were swarming up there. It was due to the innumerable black feathers suspended in the empty space.

The wind that had once been so frighteningly clear and pure was now contaminated with the stink of rust. No traces remained of that beautiful, empty place where the solitude of everything having ended and the faint hope that something new would begin had commingled.

Kaito was once more cruelly reminded: Nothing in this world stayed the same forever. The once-peaceful land was gone, and there was no guarantee it would ever return. Yet as she stood atop it, the first imperial princess of the beastfolk boasted a will to fight that was untarnished.

Valisisa gripped the handle of her sword so hard that it creaked.

Her red fur rustling like a billowing flame, she continued her address.

“We are the proud sons and daughters of the Three Kings of the Forest, and for us, retreat is not an option! We will advance, and we will kill! With those deaths, we protect our people, we protect our country, and we protect our world! We will never surrender, so victory already lies in our grasp! Kill, kill, kill and die in victory’s embrace! Before us, God and Diablo are mere trifles!”

Surprisingly, her voice was burning with gleeful bloodlust. Kaito’s eyes went wide. Even when faced with the despair that accompanied the end of days, her fury was as vibrant as ever. She was like a living flame.

Valisisa wrenched her sword free from the frozen earth, then made her loud, operatic proclamation.

“The world lies in the palms of our hands!”

“““In the palms of our hands!”””

The crowd’s roar rose up to meet her. The beastfolk’s armor, which was made primarily from the leather of their comrades, rattled as they yelled.

At the moment, none of them were wearing obstructive winter gear. Kaito was using his magic to protect everyone present. Vyade, as well as the first imperial prince and a number of other imperial-family members Kaito wasn’t familiar with, were standing behind Valisisa. Vyade’s dress was composed of a number of layers of thin fabric, giving her a graceful, ladylike appearance.

As he gazed at their backs, Kaito let out a murmur.

“Man, I don’t really know how to put it, but as an imperial princess, Valisisa is like a sword designed for emergencies…or, like, a gnashing fang or something. She calls me the Mad King, but I feel like she’s a perfect match for that title.”

“Indeed. It seems you’ve already noticed, Sir Kaito, but…the eyes that chose my sister weren’t clouded in the slightest. Our opinions may often differ, but she, too, has the capacity to be an excellent dynast.”

Vyade gently provided her assent. As the Wise Wolf of unclear age, the woman who received more support from the people than any other, and the veritable symbol of peace, the second imperial princess gave her firm judgment.

“My sister is precisely what the world needs in troubled times.”

When he heard her, Kaito nodded. Thanks to Valisisa’s speech, the beastfolk were in high spirits. Given the current situation, preserving the willpower of people with so little magical aptitude was a near-Herculean task.

The humans have La Christoph and Izabella Vicker…but the problem’s the demi-humans.

Kaito was well aware of that. At the moment, the three races were deployed in a fan formation around the God and Diablo pillars.

The humans, with their mages, paladins, knights, and saints, were to the west, and the demi-humans were to the east. However, the plan was to directly send the cannon teams in right before they made contact with the enemy, so the demi-humans’ main forces were going to join up with them later.

In truth, they had no proof that the demi-humans would actually show up. All they could do was trust in them.

No matter how things shake up, this is where it all ends.

This was where everyone’s fate would be decided.

Kaito purposefully took in a lungful of the frigid air. At this point, he couldn’t even feel pain from cold temperatures anymore. After letting out a white cloud of breath, he raised a hand.

“All right, I’m heading out.”

“Do be careful. And may the protection of the Three Kings of the Forest be upon you.”

Vyade gave him a gentle bow. The first imperial prince and the rest of the imperial family followed her lead.

Finally, Kaito looked out over the riled-up soldiers. When he did, he noticed a certain wolf-headed fellow among them. That unmistakable coppery fur belonged to Lute, the captain of the first squad of Vyade’s private army.

He seemed to have noticed Kaito, too. Familiarity spread across Lute’s face, and he almost opened his mouth. A moment later, though, he quickly corrected his expression. Somewhat guiltily, he went back to talking to his subordinates.

Perhaps it was his way of marking boundaries, or perhaps it had been born out of fear toward Kaito’s transformation. It was impossible to know which. But ever since Kaito had become the Mad King, Lute hadn’t started a conversation with him once.

In fact, ever since Kaito had made his proclamation back at the World Tree, they hadn’t talked privately to each other a single time.

Kinda sad, but it is what it is.

Kaito nodded. However, after a few seconds of silence, he changed his mind and called out:

“Take care, Lute! And try not to get hurt, or you’ll make your wife sad!”

Lute whirled around as though he’d been struck. Clearly panicking, he opened his mouth. But Kaito didn’t wait for his answer. He hadn’t been looking to coerce a reply out of him. He’d merely said what he’d wanted to say.

Then he dropped the glass orb filled with his blood onto the ground. He gave Lute a big wave.

“Later!”

“S-Sir Kaito!”

What’s the matter?

Lute readied his legs, as though preparing to dash over to Kaito. However, he clenched his fists tight and, in the end, stood still. Soon, his unmoving form was blotted out by a wall of azure flower petals.

And then Kaito saw nothing.

The shock sent him to his death for a moment, but Kaito quickly recovered.

He’d arrived at a different part of the World’s End. There was not even a single member of the three races’ armies in this desolate, silver knoll. The only ones waiting for him were a man dressed in a black, aristocratic coat; a massive, supreme hound; and a lovely maid. It was his self-proclaimed father-in-law, the demon he was contracted to, and his bride.

Vlad let out an exaggerated voice, a perfect smile spread across his face.

“Well now, are you fully prepared to bid them farewell, my dear successor? Have you no more regrets? Nothing you’ve left undone?”

“Nope. I’m good.”

Kaito nodded dispassionately. Vlad gave a grandiose wave with his white, gloved hand. It looked like he hadn’t gotten over his elation at having obtained a body, as every gesture he was making was exceedingly theatrical. He gestured at their surroundings as he spoke:

“What? There’s no need to be so tense. The strong have every right to bear property. Why, all you need do is wish for it, and this very world would be yours. None who stand upon it are your equal, after all. It then follows that what’s about to begin is a battle for hegemony among Diablo, God, and yourself. Why pay the ants any heed?”

“Don’t spout bullshit, Vlad. The soldiers are important.”

“Hmm. You have a point. I’d expect nothing less from you, my lord. Pawns are, in fact, vital. And infantry, in particular, is good to have in numbers. But the path they open belongs to you and you alone. As do the choices. It’s a privilege to be allowed to watch from the box seats.”

Vlad gave him a courteous bow. Kaito didn’t reply. Instead, he walked silently to the edge of the silver knoll. The rusty wind tousled his faded-brown hair. Suddenly, his field of vision expanded.

An azure rose and a crimson rose. The two vibrant flowers were in full bloom, stretching up toward the heavens.

Underneath the black, feather-filled sky, the two pillars were haughtily towering upward.

“Elisabeth…”

Faced with that otherworldly scene, Kaito let out a faint murmur. Supported by the human sacrifices at their cores, these two pillars, which shouldn’t have been able to exist, continued to manifest. The armies of the three races were waiting a short distance away. Like lurking predators, they were waiting for their signal, just out of reach of the briars that were winding around the pillars.

Kaito closed his eyes. He counted the seconds. The moment the imaginary clock hands overlapped, he opened his eyes again.

The beastfolk, demi-human, and human dispatchers acted just as they’d been instructed.

The bugles of war sounded out loudly, almost as if to suggest it was the true signal for the end of days to begin. The noises overlapped, and the sullied ground started shaking. Kaito muttered to himself, as though to drive the point home.

“We gotta bring this story to an end.”

Thus, the flare of rebellion went up against the higher entities.

So that the people of this world could struggle valiantly and die believing in the future.

Over at the human army, the first thing the saints did was assume a strange formation.

Hand in hand, they formed a circle with La Christoph at its center. They looked like a group of infants playing a game. As proof that it was nothing so idyllic, many of the linked arms had undergone some manner of horrible transfiguration. A hand covered in scales was joined with one that had flowers blooming from the joints in its fingers. However, there was one girl with her legs bound in irons whose arms were resting idly by her sides. A female saint reproachfully grabbed her right hand.

The girl curled her lips into a pout. She turned to the man on her left.

“Hey, hey, hey, hey?”

“WHAT IS it?”

The man turned to look at her. The bottom half of his body was transparent, and numerous fish were swimming around inside. His smooth belly was like a big, round fish tank. Everything from his chest up, on the other hand, was emaciated and marked by deep wrinkles.

The girl whispered to the bizarre-looking saint, as though they were exchanging idle gossip.

“I—I, you see. I, believe, in God. Believed, in God. Believed, really, reeeeally hard. But ever, since, my legs, were blessed with, these holy wounds, my memories, have, been really, spotty, you see?”

“WHAT IS it?”

“If God said, it should be destroyed, then…shouldn’t, the world, be destroyed?”

A purehearted question left the girl’s lips. The face of her neighbor on the right stiffened. The man nodded in appreciation. Then softly but resolutely, his wrinkled face turned from side to side.

“NO, THAT’S, WRONG.”

“What’s, wrong, about it?”

“EVEN GOD, makes MISTAKES, I should THINK.”

The girl stared at him in puzzlement. The male saint’s lips twitched. After suffering a great deal of pain, he managed to form what could almost be described as a smile. He awkwardly went on.

“Calling EVERYTHING, God’s FAULT, and PURPOSELY committing WRONG ACTS, is not, FAITH.”

“…It’s not, faith?”

“NO—you see, prayer is supposed to be a one-way street.”

A silver fish splashed within his transparent abdomen. As it did, all the wrinkles faded from his face, revealing the visage of a beautiful boy. He looked to be around the same age as the girl. There was no hesitation in his eyes as he spoke.

“‘The land, the power, and the glory are eternally Yours.’ We prayed for that to be the case. But using the fact that everything belongs to God as a pretext for wanting to destroy the world out of wickedness, or for greedily wanting to witness a miracle, are equally unforgivable. ‘Pray that God shall be your salvation.’ Believing that God shall be our salvation, no matter what may happen, is a form of faith as well.”

“I, don’t. I, don’t. I don’t, understand very well.”

“Once, I prayed. I prayed so fervently that my knees left impressions in the stone floor. For a hundred days, a thousand days, I prayed for salvation.”

A few words had suddenly escaped the boy’s mouth. Due to the burden that came with bearing a direct link to God, the vast majority of saints had lost their memories. However, it seemed he still remembered. Upon hearing that unusual statement, the girl’s eyes went wide. She asked him a question.

“Did you, find, salvation?”

“No, I didn’t. The illness in my almshouse killed everyone. But after I moved past the rage and despair, I found that prayer had saved my heart. It was then that I wished to devote the short life I’d been given to saving others. And this holy transformation is the result of that. The stronger the wish, the stronger the link. Even though you don’t have your memories, I’m sure all of you were the same.”

“Were, we? Were, we, really? Could, it have, been?”

“I don’t believe either the Grave Keeper or La Christoph were mistaken. As the sheep, it’s our job to choose how we believe in God. We’re weak. We can’t live without projecting our hopes and wishes onto God. That is why, after we offer up prayer for prayer’s sake alone, we must believe from the bottom of our hearts that His true form is beautiful.”

This time, the fish that splashed up was gold. The boy instantly began aging. His face wrinkled up once more. He slowly raised a hand, the veins on it so thick that they looked almost like welts.

“That is, why, he, and I, are here.”

“…Yeah. I guess, you’re right. We’re all, here, together.”

The man and the girl gazed directly at La Christoph. Even though the end was upon them, he had patiently waited for the girl to make her decision. Eventually, she reached out her arm, grabbed the man’s hand, and squeezed it tight.

Thus, the ring was complete.

The next moment, even though nobody had touched them, all the saints’ shackles came free. They crashed to the ground, crushing snowflakes as they landed. With no signal, the saints began a chorus. Its solemn, mysterious tone caused the very air to ripple.

“Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, AAAAAAaaaaaaAaAaAaAAAAAA!”

A school of fish. Rainbow light. Drops of blood.

In concert with the voices, they all spread out at once.

They made for the center, where La Christoph stood.

He solemnly spread out his arms, parting his long, black hair. Glittering lights began violently coalescing within his exposed rib cage. The fanciful animals and fluids the other saints had emitted were being sucked inside.

From the very start, he’d had a flock of white skylarks kept within his ribs.

Now those small birds were voraciously consuming everything else that came in.

The skylarks in La Christoph’s ribs melted together, then expanded. It was as though a new organ had sprung forth from within him, then became engorged and started encroaching on the rest of his body. Great pain seemed to accompany the transformation, as his body violently convulsed.

La Christoph spat up an unseemly mass of blood and saliva. Even so, he managed to wring his voice out.

“We…gather…and…wait.”

As he spoke, his rib cage opened up. It was like a rusty gate being cast open. Eventually, his bones had completely blossomed. A pair of white wings shot out. It was a massive bird, larger than even the ones La Mules had once summoned. It split the air with a cry so high-pitched that human ears failed to register it.

La Christoph, the Modest Birdkeeper, spoke with unnatural fluidity.

“We lay unto you our humble complaint, O Lord!”

“Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, AAAAAAaaaaaaAaAaAaAAAAAA!”

The bird flapped its wings. Then it flew so fast that human eyes couldn’t possibly make it out. The only things visible were the white feathers falling like snow in its wake. It barreled into the underlings that were stationed as the Diablo pillar’s permanent guard. In an instant, the fly-shaped creatures were evaporated. This intense opening salvo instantly drew the enemy’s attention.

Taking full advantage of the opening, the beastfolk launched their attack as well.

“Ready—fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire!”

Arrows rained down on the flies from their flank. Normally, physical attacks should have had little effect, even if they came from consecrated weapons. And all the more so, given how close they were to the Diablo pillar. Yet each of the underlings the arrows struck twitched and toppled to the ground. As she watched their deaths through her telescope, Valisisa let out a hearty laugh.

“Heh, just like we thought. The effects of that flesh-searing poison are indiscriminate.”

The beastfolk were using poison arrows. And the poison had come from none other than the underlings themselves. The healers had taken the recovered corpses, analyzed them, and reproduced the venom. Furthermore, Kaito had flooded all the poison with mana, doubling its potency.

In order to prevent friendly fire, they could only use it at the very start of the battle. But as an opening move, the blow it dealt was more than telling.

Countless underlings had been felled, and the wall surrounding the pillar collapsed.

Three waves of soldiers began making their advance. Vlad murmured, as though he were a spectator at a sporting event.

“Both sides have started by advancing their pawns, it would seem.”

“Yup. So far, everything’s going according to plan. No problems yet.”

Kaito nodded. Beside him, two bat-like wings were beating against the air. The Kaiser was a beast who could change his size at will, so Kaito was sitting atop his gigantic demon alongside Hina and Vlad.

At the moment, the supreme hound’s physique surpassed even that of a dragon. Below them, the underlings’ dwindling ranks were being divided into three groups. Kaito and his team were able to slip through the opening and rush toward the Diablo pillar unnoticed. As they did, though, the atmosphere began changing. A cloying, roselike aroma filled the air.

A wicked smile spread across Vlad’s face. As she held down her hair, Hina widened her eyes.

“Oh-ho-ho, here it is.”

“Master Kaito…”

“Yeah, I know. This is where the real fight starts.”

The Diablo pillar was getting ready for the sixth wave, so it was currently dormant. Even in the depths of slumber, though, it was still a destructive force meant to annihilate the world. It shuddered, as though it were alive. The roses decorating its mysterious surface all reverted to buds, like they were men’s eyes or women’s lips closing. However, they soon reopened, and when they did, something had been born amid their dozens of petals.

Massive figures dripping with mucus descended from within the meaty petals.

It was like some sort of horrific childbirth. They cascaded through the air, and when they landed, everything shook. The icy ground split open. Several soldiers screamed as they toppled into the abyss.

Vlad stroked his chin, then let out an amused chuckle.

“Heh, I suppose that would make these knights or rooks, then.”

The things shook their bodies to clear themselves of the mucus. The sticky membrane covering them came off, too. Upon being freed, they rose to their feet. When Kaito saw their colossal, black figures, he was reminded of some words he’d once heard.

He recalled the fragmentary memories the Saint had seen during her visions of the end-time.

“Azure blades cleaving through the earth. Black titans.”

The black titans were composed of intertwined briars. Thousands of bones were packed inside each of their bodies, reinforcing their contours from within. In their hands were huge, azure axes, designed to decapitate, with sizes befitting the titans’ forms.

It was like an encore of the old world’s death being played before their eyes.

Yet in a way, the black titans resembled the Torture Princess’s Boondock Saints and Wicker Man, too.

Each time the Diablo pillar created an unusual underling, it probably based it off memories from the person who was serving as its sacrifice. However, these things it had made looked even more executioner-esque. And because the axes had round, spade-like blades, the titans gave off the impression of a gravedigger as well.

That analogy is probably accurate in more ways than one.

After all, the black titans had appeared to bury the old world.

They calmly strode forth, giving all the living cause to mourn.

The simple truth of the matter was that size alone was sufficient to be threatening.

The larger someone was, the more destructive their attacks would be. Conversely, any damage they sustained likely wouldn’t be fatal. If enough ants gathered together, they could take down an elephant. But if the elephants’ ranks swelled as well, it was a different story altogether.

Sooner or later, the armies would be wiped out. And to make matters worse, the titans didn’t have any obvious weaknesses.

Ironically, the one trait the three races could capitalize on was how big of a target the titans were.

In other words, any attack they launched was highly likely to hit.

“Ah, aah, ah, AH, ahh, AAAAAAaaaaaaAaAaAaAAAAAA!”

The saints shot off yet another bombardment. White birds pierced through the abdomens of three of the titans.

Each of them toppled over, scattering bones and flame as far as the eye could see. The vines making up their bodies came undone, and several uninjured titans were caught up in them. One even got completely entangled and toppled over headfirst.

“Attack! And if it starts moving, withdraw!”

Avoiding the fissures in the ground as they ran, the beastfolk swarmed the downed titan. Matters regarding vegetation just so happened to be their specialty.

In the blink of an eye, the beastfolk had severed the vines that made up its limbs. Bones tumbled out and scattered around. After they’d surgically dealt with the vines, the beastfolk all fled. The titan writhed. However, its limbs sat motionless.

Eventually, the fallen titan was crushed underfoot by its comrades.

The beastfolk’s attack pattern seemed almost comedic. However, Vlad muttered in admiration.

“Hmm… La Christoph, was it? It would appear the saint’s shots were aimed with precisely that chain reaction in mind. The fact that he’s playing the role of a cannon all on his own is astounding enough, but to think he’s able to maintain his sanity, too… If only he weren’t a saint… What a tragic waste of that man’s talents.”

“Hold up. You aren’t planning anything sketchy like trying to recruit him, are you?”

“Ha-ha! Worry not, my dear successor! As my king and my son, you are my one and only! My heart merely throbs when I see a talented individual, that’s all.”

“Dunno how happy I am about that, either… They’re putting up a better fight than I expected, but…things are starting to get ugly.”

There were two reasons why La Christoph had taken up the role of a cannon.

Attacking the Diablo pillar was like sieging a castle. They’d realized heavy artillery would more effective than small arms, and a sledgehammer would be better yet. That was the first reason. The other was how poor the saints’ endurance was. They weren’t accustomed to battle. They would recover with rest, but they simply couldn’t just fire repeatedly. In other words, by serving as the main cannon, La Christoph could not only amplify their power, but he could also help alleviate their burden. But even so, the saints were starting to convulse.

In middle of their group, La Christoph’s robes were stained red. Fresh blood was trickling down his jaw. But the fatigue the saints in the circle were suffering was far more severe.

They only have a few more shots in them, huh?

And to make matters worse, the horror of the situation was eroding the soldiers’ mental states. Pools of blood dotted the ground, some of them so large that they were like veritable swamps. The viscous, red liquid resembled overripe berry jam. These pools had once been members of the three races; they were the remains from where they’d been crushed by the massive feet and axes.

If you looked closer, you could make out flattened bones and armor sitting in them.

They were too misshapen to even be called “corpses.”

Now then, what to do.

Kaito pondered the issue. If he joined the fray, then things would undoubtedly take a turn for the better. However, he was also the sole person who had the power to topple the Diablo pillar. He couldn’t let it notice him until he was right up next to it. After all, it was impossible to know how intelligently it would react.

There was a chance that it would put its preparations for the sixth wave on hold and intercept the armies’ attack by deploying any finished underlings it had. If that happened, the three races would be annihilated, and Kaito’s ability to arrive at the pillar in time would be jeopardized.

Consequently, he continued facing forward and asked a question.

“Can you handle it, Hina?”

“Of course. As your heart desires.”

She didn’t want to separate from him. However, she left that part unsaid.

The hem of Kaito’s black long coat waved about as he turned around. Behind him, his bride was standing with her halberd at the ready. Parting here would mean she wouldn’t be able to participate in his plans for when he reached the pillar.

Yet even so, she offered no objections. She just smiled the same way as always.

And that precisely was why Kaito was able to fully entrust her with his brief order.

“Then I leave it to you, my love.”

“And I serve with great pleasure.”

With that, Hina turned on her heel and unhesitatingly leaped off the black dog’s back. The air resistance caused her frilly skirt to billow up. The ribbon on her back fluttered as she descended straight down.

Hell lay beneath her.

The saints’ bombardment was falling behind schedule. However, the titans’ ranks were only swelling. By now, there was enough blood to fill a lake.

“Don’t stop moving! Spread out and—”

At that moment, Valisisa noticed the falling object. She frantically grabbed her telescope. She quickly realized it was one of the Mad King’s allies, but she let out a dissatisfied murmur all the same.

“A…maid?”

And so the maid landed on the battlefield.

The soldiers around her stared, their mouths agape. Hina paid them no heed. She took off at a run, her explosive burst of speed propelling her toward a titan. It raised its foot, then brought it down hard. The moment before its sole made impact, Hina leaped. In doing so, she was able to avoid the effects of the ground-shaking tremor.

Then she brought her halberd down on the titan’s foot.

“HRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

With an earsplitting battle cry, she buried her blade in its body, slicing through bundles of vines. The shock wave rippled through the titan and caused bones to fly out its backside. Unable to withstand the weight of its body, its severed foot started snapping and tearing.

Then the titan toppled over, taking the one on its right down with it. A thunderous echo filled the air. Then the battlefield grew silent.

As countless gazes landed on her, Hina wrenched out her halberd and murmured:

“Send as many as you please. Here, I shall display my devotion. Here, I shall display my love. Here, I shall vent my rage.”

A loud cry of joy rose up.

The tide of battle shifted once more.

As the black titans walked, two maidens wove between their earthshaking feet at top speed.

One was swinging her ax about wildly and using its recoil to fling herself through the air, and the other was whittling away at the ice while skating atop it with her insectile, sicklelike legs. Their appearances differed greatly, but both their legs were mechanical in nature.

One was a maid. The other was a paladin with over half her body mechanized.

Hina and Izabella’s movements surpassed anything a human could muster.

“I’m grateful you came! On my own, I had my hands completely full just guarding the saints and guiding the soldiers to cover. They’re large, sluggish… Jeanne might refer to them as big ol’ good-for-nothings, perhaps.”

“I concur! When it comes to mobility, we’re second to none! All we need to do is chip away at them without slowing down!”

As they ran, the two of them plunged their blades into the titans’ legs, then continued dashing past them. Their weapons moved in tandem, slicing through the vines. The blows they dealt weren’t fatal, but they were able to avoid pursuing any one target too hard.

The two of them took an intentionally intricate path and circled their way between a number of their foes. Eventually, the vines reached their limit, and they loudly snapped. Thanks to Hina and Izabella’s valiant efforts, the titans’ advance slowed to a crawl.

Their bodies may have been suited for crushing soldiers flat, but making tight turns wasn’t exactly in their wheelhouse.

The soldiers began their advance between the titans’ crippled legs, rushing past them as though the limbs were large trees in a vast forest.

“Make haste! Don’t look up at them and don’t hesitate!”

“Go! The titans are all gathered together! Let’s leave them in our dust!”

At the moment, the bulk of the soldiers were riding astride the beasts their mages had summoned, without regard for what race their seatmates were.

While Hina and Izabella had been fighting, the soldiers had been gathering up the titans’ mana-rich bones, which the beastfolk then used to craft into magic tools. Meanwhile, the mages from the Capital had been investigating what summoned beasts could still act at the World’s End. Thanks to their combined efforts, they’d been able to draw up summoning circles and call the beasts forth en masse. One of the elderly merchants gave a boisterous laugh.

“Ha-ha-ha! I love it! It’s not every day that such vast riches pile themselves up on your doorstep for free!”

The creatures, which looked like crosses between lizards and horses, gripped the ice tightly with their claws as they galloped atop it.

Eventually, they managed to leave the titans behind entirely.

They’d gotten close to the Diablo pillar. The monstrosity that had loomed over them from afar was nearly at hand.

Unnoticed, Kaito’s team had quietly drawn near it as well. Perhaps sensing the titans were at a disadvantage, the Diablo pillar had stopped birthing new ones. Everything looked to be going well. However, Vlad suddenly crossed his arms.

He spoke matter-of-factly as he reported on the situation.

“Hmm, it seems our smooth ride is nearing its end.”

“Yeah. The enemy has a plan.”

And just as they’d said, the Diablo pillar began undergoing another transformation.

The rose petals closed tight, then spun as their buds reopened. Something came pouring out, along with a shower of nectar. It called to mind an image of mantises hatching. One after another, they plopped down onto the frozen earth.

After falling vertically, the “women” stood on their own two legs. The space in front of the pillar was packed to the brim with their pale, naked bodies.

The “women” were like a human wall. Vlad let out a small laugh.

“I see, I see. The bishops, then.”

“…Elisabeth? No, no, that’s not right.”

“So quick to retract your words, my dear successor. I think the resemblance is rather notable, myself. Although, I’ll admit it’s a bit mixed.”

The things’ appearances looked a bit like Elisabeth. They were extraordinarily beautiful. However, their skeletal structures differed from hers. Overall, they were thinner than Elisabeth, and they looked to have an unstable, ephemeral quality to them. Kaito’s conclusion, although he knew it would have incited Elisabeth’s wrath, was that the Saint’s form had been mixed in as well.

More than anything, though, there was just something different about them, something that made it impossible to think of them as human.

Something about them was overwhelmingly different. Their very existences seemed off.

Their bodies were completely devoid of pigmentation. They looked like snow sculptures, or perhaps carved ice or glass. Their bodies were impossibly smooth and white. Their faces weren’t covered in skin, but they didn’t look like they were covered in raw flesh, either. Given the current situation, though, the strangest thing about them was the fact that they seemed to lack any body parts specialized for combat.

Suddenly, Kaito was struck by an ominous premonition. An image shot through his brain like a bolt of lightning.

Back when we were fighting the three fused demons at the Capital— What happened then?

Thanks to La Mules’s bombardment, the mass of flesh had incurred severe damages. Its wounds had frothed like they were boiling, and body parts had smoothly protruded out from them. After they’d healed, a man’s flaccid face had appeared in the muscle tissue.

He’d opened his thick lips, then emitted a gray roar.

As a result, the Church’s strongest fixed battery, La Mules, had killed herself.

Due to the demon’s mental attack.

“Hina!”

“Everyone, please, you mustn’t look them in the eyes!”

Hina’s response to his warning from on high was immediate. She shouted. But she was too late.

All at once, the “women” had opened their eyes.

Their eyes, like black pearls, swept over the soldiers. The darkness that had been hidden behind their ivory eyelids took on an unnatural light. Even though he wasn’t looking at them directly, Kaito could tell. Reflected in them were two things: a turbulent rainbow, like a piece of the universe had been carved away, and a multitude of unborn possibilities.

They blinked, and the darkness returned. All at once, the army froze.

A great silence swept over the area.

It was a stillness that was incompatible with a battlefield.

The silence was broken in the worst way imaginable.

A strange laughter had broken out from here and there.

“““Hee-hee. Hee-hee-hee. Hee-hee-hee-hee. Heh-heh. Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh.”””

The saints were laughing like children. The man with the fish in his belly, in particular, seemed pleased. He had immediately moved to cover the girl, and she was wriggling about in his arms. She shouted with her eyes shut tight.

“What, what, what is it? Hey, what happened, hey?”

That’s bad.

Kaito gulped. The vast majority of the saints held severe trauma deep in their hearts.

If nothing else, their deep connections with God had shattered their minds. Even though some of them had managed to maintain their sanity, who knew what would happen if their memories from before they’d reached that state were returned to them?

Kaito was reminded of La Mules’s death.

In an act of pure innocence, she’d bitten off her own tongue.

After the saints, the soldiers began moving as well. Over the past few days, the constant battles had stretched their nerves to the breaking point. Many of the militia, in particular, had lost not just their families, but all their relatives as well.

They took their swords in hand and turned them on themselves.

Tears flooded from their wide-open eyes.

“…!”

Kaito couldn’t think of any way to stop them. He raised his hand, planning on at least giving them a sudden shock.

The moment he did, though, a terrible roar shook the air.

“Wha—?”

Naturally, Kaito’s eyes went wide. Cannonball after cannonball after cannonball had crashed into the women.

At first, they didn’t seem to have caused any change. Gradually, though, cracks began splintering across the women’s bodies. Before long, they shattered. Eyeballs, which were perhaps their true forms, spilled out, screamed, and vanished.

Immediately thereafter, the cannons turned on the summoned beasts the soldiers were mounted on. The creatures let out pitiful screams, and the vast majority of their riders were sent flying. Before the soldiers could stab themselves, they lost their grips on their swords.

Confused shouts rose up in succession. Thanks to the noise and the impact, the soldiers had regained their senses.

“Wh-what is it? What’s going on?”

“What just happened? H-hey, you, what’s wrong? Put that down!”

The few soldiers who were still deranged were stopped by their comrades. As for the saints, they’d been snatched up in a large net and were currently struggling in confusion. Kaito breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The cannon fire continued incessantly.

The relentless, merciless bombardment served to illustrate the stubbornness, or to an extent, the ill nature of the ones unleashing it.

“Ready, aim, fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire!”

Thoom, thoom-thoom, thoom, kaboom!

The successive impacts shattered the backup “women” as they came in. The repair and transport teams brought new cannonballs with them. As always, the manner in which they were sustaining their continuous fire hardly seemed possible.

It was an impressive technique, one that took full advantage of the armies’ ability to mass-produce gunpowder and metal.

After soothing her steed, Valisisa confirmed the newcomers’ identities and let out an astonished shout.

“Ha, I never thought you’d actually come, Aguina Elephabred!”

“Just Aguina is fine. And what, may I ask, are you talking about? I was told this would be our daybreak. Surely, you heard the same. It isn’t as though we merely realized the pureblood sectors would be overrun at this rate or anything.”

Aguina turned up the corners of his mouth as he adjusted his glasses. Valisisa replied with a scornful laugh.

The bombardment went on, its raucous noise rocking the ground. Fragments and eyes from the “women” went flying. Izabella turned toward the titans approaching them from behind and dashed off to stop them in their tracks once more. At long last, the Diablo pillar finally lifted up its vines. Then it brought them crashing down on the beastfolk cannons like massive, thorny whips.

“Don’t look down on us lower beiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiings!”

A group of paladins rushed forward, holding their consecrated shields overhead. With them, they caught the blow from the vines.

The force of the impact drove their feet deep into the ice. As they endured the pressure, Hina swung her halberd.

With it, she cleaved through a multitude of vines. The Diablo pillar’s attention was completely focused on its chaotic battle against the soldiers.

“Well, if we want to press on, I daresay now’s the time to do it.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Let’s go.”

Kaito and his group made their way toward the Diablo pillar without stopping. The aroma grew even stronger. An azure rose in full bloom grazed his arms. Soon, they’d be able to see the human sacrifice at the pillar’s core. Just a little longer until they reached their destination.

Then the Kaiser, who’d been silent up until this moment, raised his voice.

“Hey, boy.”

“Oh man, you startled me… What’s up all of a sudden?”

“Would you mind if I did some killing?”

“Huh?”

Kaito let out a trite interjection.

He couldn’t understand what it was he’d just been asked.

“What do you—?!”

Suddenly, Kaito’s vision inverted. Confused as he was, though, he managed to piece together what had happened.

He’d been shaken off the black dog’s back. Far above his head, he could make out the hound’s figure and the hellfire burning in his eyes. Panicking, he tried to cast a spell of flotation.

That moment, he was rocked by a sharp impact. It was a different sort of pain than the kind that constantly assailed his body. More delicate.

“…Huh?”

The supreme hound had sunk its fangs into his chest.

The Kaiser bit down hard.

“I see, I see. Before you reach the queen, it seems you’ll need to go through the king.”

Vlad murmured to himself as he floated alone in the air. It was unclear what he was thinking; he’d only curled his lips into a disagreeable smile.

Blood surged. Organs tumbled out. The Kaiser snorted.

And with that, Kaito’s contractual partner ripped the bottom half of his body clean off.