Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru! (LN) - Volume 3 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Entering the City, and the Girl 

Ten days had passed since the fight with Demon General Rajas. Suimei and Lefille had crossed the national border and reached the outskirts of the capital city of the Nelferian Empire, Filas Philia. 

While walking along the stone-paved highway, Suimei shifted his attention to their destination. They would be arriving shortly. When he lifted his gaze, an enormous castle gate with ornate details adorning it—one so grand that the ones in Astel hardly compared—caught his eye. It towered over its surroundings as if trying to pierce the heavens. 

The castle gate was far taller than the ones in Metel and Kurant City. If the capital’s outer walls were comparably sturdier too, the architecture here alone gave a glimpse into the Nelferian Empire’s national power. The city was approximately twice the size of the Kingdom of Astel’s Metel, and there were even cheap inns and marketplaces flooding outside the city walls. 

As Sun Tzu would put it, this was a land of crossroads. As expected of a country that bordered three other countries, Nelferia was an important intersection and saw a great deal of traffic. As such, the highways that extended out to the east, west, and south were all well maintained. In no small part thanks to that, the circulation of goods in the area was bustling, which in turn contributed to the country being far more prosperous than other nations. 

Originally, Suimei had planned on staying in Kurant City for a time, but plans had changed and he’d left promptly for Nelferia. The reason was none other than the girl walking beside him—Lefille Grakis. 

They had gotten into a fight with Rajas, who brought along a great number of troops to advance on Astelian territory with some sort of ulterior motive. But after defeating him, because she had overused the power of the spirits, Lefille’s body had suddenly shrunk and she now looked like an elementary school girl. 

Thanks to that, Lefille had completely lost her power to fight and was unable to carry her weapon of choice: a blade that measured about 180 centimeters. It went without saying, then, that she could no longer undertake her journey all the way to the Nelferian Empire on her own. So Suimei abandoned Kurant City in favor of accompanying Lefille across the border. 

There was that, but there was also the matter of Lefille’s curse. Just on the way here, it had manifested several times. Each time it did, Suimei would apply suppression magicka to abate its effects, but no matter what he did, he was unable to completely clear away that immoral parasite within her. 

“...” 

Thinking about it, his stomach turned and his cheeks burned. He hadn’t done anything wrong, but it didn’t stop him from feeling like it. 

If anybody had seen them, even though Suimei was only applying magicka, he surely would have been branded a pedophile. It wasn’t like that—not only was he just trying to help her, Lefille was actually older than him—but that wouldn’t stop anyone from thinking the worst. But even then... 

I can’t just leave her alone... 

Suimei didn’t even consider that an option. There was no way he would allow her to travel on her own in this compromised state. And if left untreated, her curse would only consume her more. Based on what Lefille said, he was the only one who had the power to suppress it. Even after she returned to her proper form, he felt like he ought to stay with her until he was able to dispel the curse or find a way to negate it. 

The demon or whatever that cast this curse... In the end, I guess we’ll just have to beat the crap outta them, huh? 

While staring at Lefille, that thought gradually took shape in Suimei’s mind. The female demon Lefille had encountered with Rajas, if he remembered right, she said was a lilin. In Suimei’s world, lilins were a type of demon classified as a succubus. In folklore, they were described as evil spirits who had intercourse with men while they were asleep and stole their energy until they were completely dried up. The embodiment of human lust, they gained substance, power, and physical forms. In this world, however, it seemed they were strictly a subset of demons. 

In order to break a curse, something normally had to be done about the intermediary tied to the victim used to cast it. But considering the lilin was probably carrying it and kept it close at hand, Suimei concluded it would likely be easier and more effective to go after the lilin herself. It would be tragic, for example, if they went to the trouble of destroying the intermediary only for her to turn around and make another one. Better to cut off the head than the tail, so to speak. 

And so that was the plan for now. Even if he had to postpone going back to his own world, Suimei wanted to help Lefille put an end to this. 

“What’s wrong, Suimei-kun?” 

“Hmm? It’s nothing...” 

“Heehee, could it be that you’re charmed by my new look?” 

With a surplus of composure in her expression as she spoke, Lefille spun around on the spot as if to show herself off. The ornaments arranged on her well-made children’s clothing fluttered lightly, and he could see a satisfied look on her face. The ever-ladylike Lefille was being unusually mischievous. That is to say, in other words... 

“One way or another, you seem quite pleased. With the clothes, I mean.” 

“No, that’s not... Yeah.” 

As Suimei retorted with a broad grin, Lefille turned bright red and hung her head. She felt like a child who’d been called out for pretending to be mature, but it was something of the opposite. As an adult delighted to wear children’s clothing, she was unable to conceal her embarrassment. She was dressed not in her knight’s outfit—which was far too large for her as she was—but in something new they’d purchased in Kurant City. 

She’d hoped to find something that was just as easy to move in for the rest of her journey to Nelferia, but the shop assistant at the clothier wouldn’t yield. As a result, Lefille was now dressed in an adorable outfit with extra girlish touches. She’d stubbornly pleaded, saying things like “Don’t treat me like a child!” and “I’m a grown woman!” or even “Something this cute... I-It isn’t my style.” But in the end, without any good reason to refuse the shop assistant’s suggestions, Lefille ended up caving and buying what she was wearing now. 

Shifting her gaze around aimlessly, Lefille asked Suimei for his opinion. 

“...Are they nice?” 

“Yeah, even the shopkeep said so, but they really are cute.” 

“C-Cute? Hearing that doesn’t really make me happy...” 

Though she was pouting, Lefille’s steps became awfully light. She was secretly happy over being told she was cute. It was much the same way guys felt about being called cool by members of the opposite sex. All pretense aside, anyone would be happy about a compliment like that. Seeing Lefille like this warmed Suimei’s heart, though he had mixed feelings about the whole situation. 

When I talk to her normally, she’s the same Lefille as ever. 

Suimei corrected the position of the massive sword he was carrying on his back, and watched Lefille as she practically skipped along while humming. Ever since she’d shrunk, he felt like she’d become more emotionally expressive. It wasn’t like she was particularly lacking in expressiveness before, but reflecting on their interactions, she was almost always calm, composed, and mature. It made her childish behavior now seem all the more pronounced. Perhaps being in such a childish form was having an effect on her personality, but he might never know for sure. 

Regardless of the cause, however, she did truly appear to be a young girl. She was only acting the way she looked, at worst. It made Suimei worry she was trying too hard, but it was of little consequence. As Suimei was pondering such things, Lefille suddenly stopped moving, made a severe expression unfitting of her young face, and looked over at him. 

“That reminds me, Suimei-kun. About why my body ended up shrinking in the first place...” 

“Oh yeah, I completely forgot. I did say I’d explain, didn’t I?” 

“I’ve been so preoccupied that I forgot about it myself, honestly.” 

Hearing her speak and seeing her look so serious, Suimei was reminded of the actual problem at hand. Because things had been quite hectic up until reaching the city, he’d largely put the matter out of his head. 

But Lefille wanted to know why she’d gotten smaller. He’d had a hypothesis the day it happened on the mountain, and she wanted him to indulge her in more detail now. Suimei wrinkled his brow and stroked his chin before endeavoring with his explanation. 

“Now then, where should I start? Let’s see... In the world I’m from, there’s this idea that everything we humans see is essentially just a pseudo-projection of reality. The objects we behold are representations of forms, their true essences. This notion is called the theory of forms.” 

“The theory of forms?” 

“That’s right.” 

“Er, so everything I see is...” 

Suimei nodded, and Lefille began musing over his explanation in her head. In a world that had little such philosophy, it seemed to be a very difficult idea for her to process. He tried to think of a way to simplify it. 

“Well, for example, the me that you see right now is being visually projected into your brain via your eyes. Much the same way, your other sensory organs are perceiving information on me, an object.” 

“Then if you’re an object, you’re a manifestation of an essence—a form? In other words, that essence isn’t necessarily what I’m seeing... Is that what you mean?” 

“Roughly, yeah.” 

“But by that logic, if people are just representations of some greater ideal, wouldn’t we all look the same?” 

“Since no one is perfect—since no object perfectly embodies its form—we each look a little different. We’re imperfect in our own ways, inherently giving us individual characteristics that, when perceived, make us distinguishable. That’s why you and I don’t look the same, and it’s why none of these trees, stones, or buildings are exactly the same either.” 

“I suppose I can understand how this applies to naturally born creatures. All living beings have a soul, after all. But how can it be true for manmade things? Do people not create things in the likeness of their own ideas and forms?” 

“Yes and no. When people create things, they’re creating objects, not forms. You might think, ‘Yeah, hey, I’m gonna do something like this,’ but what you’re doing is giving an object individual characteristics like I was talking about before. Humans may conceptualize forms, sure, but once you bring that form into being, it’s not the form itself, but a representation of it.” 

“So when we give substance to things, we’re just making a manifestation of these forms?” 

“That’s right.” 

Suimei answered Lefille with a nod. It seemed that she was managing to digest some of what he was talking about, but then her face turned grim and she questioned him more. 

“But Suimei-kun, if our existences are truly explained by this theory, then is not everything we do in vain? It would mean that individuals are arbitrarily perceived just by their characteristics as if drawn on paper!” 

Her comparison to being drawn on paper was quite apt. It encapsulated the whole idea, astonishingly so. It was a very natural conclusion to come to after being exposed to the theory for the first time. 

“Yep. Everything about the world we live in—including us who inhabit it—is essentially that kind of flimsy existence. Your vision, hearing, taste, smell, touch... All those really convey to you is a kind of deception.” 

“Deception...” 

She didn’t seem convinced. How could she be? How could everything around her, including herself, not be what she thought it was? The puzzled look on her face said she was at a loss for words. But that was only natural, considering she’d basically been told she was living a lie. 

“Well, just think of it as an allegory. There’s no need to think too deeply about it.” 

“Don’t say something so stupid, Suimei-kun. That theory is meant to unravel my sense of reality, isn’t it? I can’t just write that off as an allegory.” 

“Well, yeah, but ultimately it’s just one concept from natural philosophy, so I don’t think you should get too hung up on it...” 

“Be that as it may, let’s just say that I understand the gist of it. What does this theory have to do with why I shrank?” 

When Lefille asked that, Suimei closed his eyes for a moment before speaking again. 

“If you get that much, the rest should be simple. Let’s keep going with the idea that the world as we know it is basically a drawing of reality. Normal humans have a body and a soul, right? Our representations in that drawing, you could say, depend on those. Either one of those components being compromised is fatal—it erases us from the picture. But you have something special. You have a third component because you have the power of the spirits. That contributes to how you’re drawn in the pictures, but even without it, you’d still have a body and a soul. Losing it isn’t going to kill you, see? But that doesn’t mean depleting it doesn’t have an effect. With that aspect of yourself missing, the way you’re drawn in the picture changes, essentially.” 

“So nothing about me has changed but the way I’m represented... That’s what happened? Because I depleted the power of the spirits, there’s nothing wrong with my body or soul, just my image... which has changed to reflect the part of myself I’m missing?” 

“I think that’s the short of it.” 

Currently, without her spirit power, Lefille was essentially an incomplete version of herself. She less accurately represented herself than usual, and that had to manifest in some way. Nothing was wrong with her body, however, so it wasn’t like an injury or change in her complexion would better reflect her condition. No, instead she was unwillingly perceived as a small girl. That was a much more cogent representation of what she was like without her spirit power. 

Being told all this, Lefille folded her arms while letting out a groan. 

“To think you even have the knowledge to be able to clarify this... The world you come from is quite an outrageous place, isn’t it? Well, it was pretty outrageous to hear that you were summoned from another world in the first place.” 

“Yeah, bummer of the year for me, personally.” 

Suimei spoke with a disheartened expression, and Lefille flashed a bitter smile at his strange fate. 

“To have that much power and not be the hero who saves the world is... truly something.” 

“I don’t think I’m that big of a deal.” 

“Even after what you did?” 

“All I did was beat the crap outta a bunch of small fries. That’s really not something for a magician to brag about, I’m telling ya.” 

“There are also mages in this world who subscribe to that sort of sentiment, but fundamentally, I think your ideals are set too high.” 

“My ideals, huh? Well, you may just have a point there...” 

Suimei recalled the man who embodied those ideals in his mind. Certainly, because he took after that man—his father—it very well may be true that his desires and standards were above the norm. That was just how much he strove to be like him. And perhaps having guessed what was on his mind, Lefille tried to get him to talk about it some. 

“If you don’t mind me asking, would your father have been able to do the same thing?” 

“Yeah, and then some.” 

“Including Rajas?” 

Suimei thought over that question carefully. If it had been his father, just how would it have gone? Of course, that wasn’t a question of whether or not he would win. Suimei was treating his father’s victory as a foregone conclusion. Rajas was sturdy and robust, but even in a head-on confrontation, Suimei’s father likely wouldn’t have even raised an eyebrow. 

“He would’ve beat that guy in an instant with a single fist, no joke.” 

“A... A single fist?!” 

“Yeah.” 

Lefille was staggered, but Suimei nodded to affirm what he’d said. 

Though he was a magician, his father was largely wheelchair-bound after a battle when he was younger. His legs were lame, but it wasn’t like his muscles had atrophied. And though he certainly didn’t have a physique that competed with Rajas’s, by mixing together the fighting techniques he’d fostered since days past with magicka as a martial art, as long as it wasn’t greatly troubling to do so, he had the temperament to charge straight into things. 

Indeed, when it came to combat, he boasted of dreadful skill. The magicka that he fired, even from his wheelchair, was endless. And though it was only for a few seconds, he would stand up from his wheelchair in a grand display, close in on his opponent like he was slipping through a gap in their consciousness, and using just the combat technique called the Trembling Flash of Lightning, he would thrust out a righteous fist to pierce through the dead center of his opponent, ashes to ashes. And then after using it, without fail, he would gaze at his fist and say, “Heh, I see my fist still hasn’t withered away.” 

“Yeah, if it were him, he could pull something like that off. Putting it frankly, his strength was ludicrous.” 

Suimei was sure of it. If it were his father, he would intuit what was effective against demons in an instant. Using modern magicka theory, he would have been able to figure it out on the spot. Suimei, on the other hand, not only had taken time to figure it out, the whole process had reduced him to a collapsed heap of exhaustion. That wasn’t a statement of Suimei’s weakness, however; it was a testament to his father’s strength. He was that strong even with the lameness of his legs, so his unimpaired strength was difficult to even fathom. 

“He could defeat a demon general that easily...?” 

“He really just might have, yeah. Seriously, how did he get that freaking strong? Well, it’s not like I can ask him now...” 

No, it was no longer possible for Suimei to ask how his father had come to be that way. His father had died that day right in front of him. In the middle of walking down his own path in life, he’d passed the torch on to Suimei that day. 

“How do I put it? I feel like there’s a preposterous gap between our worlds.” 

“Yeah, well... For starters, the progress of civilization here and there is completely different. When technology advances, so does humanity, you see? We get stronger. Not like you need to get any stronger, Lefille.” 

“Is that sarcasm?” 

“We are talking about the little lady who overpowered Rajas with a single sword strike. If you’re not strong already, then what are you? You’ve got a power that’s like the natural enemy of magicians. Seriously...” 

That exasperation truly came from the depths of his heart, his honest thoughts. Even in his world, Lefille’s telesma was exceptional. After pausing for a moment on that thought, Suimei stared up at the blue sky as if he intended to pierce through it with his gaze. 

“One day, I want to be a magician on his level...” 

While watching the large flow of people coming and going as they continued down the road towards the imperial capital of Filas Philia, Suimei and Lefille eventually arrived at the city gates. They stood in line for entry inspection in order to officially enter the city. Annoyed by the midday sun beating down on them, Suimei squinted as he looked around at the city gates and walls. In the middle of that, he casually threw a question to Lefille. 

“This is a little late, but just what kind of place is this Nelferian Empire?” 

Lefille frowned like she was at a loss for words for a moment before replying to his beyond eleventh-hour inquiry. 

“A little late, indeed. We’ve been in the imperial territory for a while now, you know? Don’t you already know what it’s like?” 

“To me, everywhere feels the same. If I had to say what was different from Astel, then it would just be that there’s more people and more stuff.” 

Admitting that, Suimei shrugged his shoulders. Everything in this world felt old and Western to him. As someone from modern Japan, it all felt equally foreign. Lefille may have been able to grasp various differences from the cheap inns and villages along the way, but from Suimei’s point of view, everything in this world was so different to him that he was clueless in that regard. Even looking around, all he could really tell was that people were dressed a little differently. 

“Didn’t you investigate it in Astel’s library?” 

“All I have is book knowledge, so I’d like to hear your impressions.” 

“My impressions of the Empire, huh?” 

Lefille pondered Suimei’s request. He wanted the frank opinion of someone from this world. Such firsthand information would likely be the best basis for making any decisions. After a few pensive moments, perhaps having arrived at an answer that she was satisfied with, Lefille nodded. 

“Let’s see... If I were to describe the Nelferian Empire in a single phrase, it’s a country with strong national power. Yeah.” 

Suimei disappointedly slumped his shoulders and smiled wryly at such an obvious statement. 

“Y-Yeah, that was about what I gathered from my research...” 

“I bet. Nelferia’s affluence is famous. Their military isn’t lacking, either.” 

“However, it doesn’t really feel all that much like an empire though. What’s up with that?” 

Suimei brought up the question that had really been on his mind. He understood the word “empire” to describe a nation that ruled over many races and countries with its might and clout. Successful empires were usually in the habit of expanding, so he would have expected Nelferia to be constantly putting pressure on neighboring nations, but unexpectedly, it appeared to be in a friendly alliance with them. 

Perhaps it was still appropriate to call the nation an empire since it ruled over many different races and peoples, but something still didn’t feel right. And in addition to that, to Suimei, just like the majority of the Japanese people, the word “empire” brought to mind the established imperialism of present day and historical Japan, but... 

“That can’t be helped. It’s true that originally it was a powerful country that annexed land from many of its neighbors, but after a war a hundred years ago, the Empire lost a lot of its power and settled into the state it’s in now.” 

“Settled in, huh? So even though it was an ambitious nation, they haven’t changed in a hundred years?” 

“More or less. Nelferia was part of the alliance even back then, but after the war, the other nations built up their militaries to rival Nelferia’s.” 

“So even though they’ve recovered their national power, you’re saying it would be difficult for them to pull anything like that again.” 

“Mhm. And the biggest reason for that is likely largely because of the hero summoning ritual.” 

Hearing that unexpected phrase come out of Lefille’s mouth, Suimei donned a somewhat befuddled expression. 

“The hero summoning? What does the hero have to do with a war between fellow human nations?” 

“One was summoned during the war back then. A hero, that is.” 

“Oh...?” 

Hearing Lefille’s explanation, Suimei’s befuddlement only increased. If he remembered correctly, the summoning of heroes was said to be something that was only performed when the world was in danger. It was a ritual only performed with the consent of a conference of the highest agency held between the heads of states, the Mage’s Guild, and the Church of Salvation. So why was a hero summoned over a fairly ordinary war? While Suimei was making an odd face with his head cocked to the side, Lefille answered his largely unasked question. 

“It’s something that is widely passed down as legend. At the time, the sovereign of the country that stood where the self-governed state of the Saadias Alliance currently does suddenly declared a dictatorship, waged war on the neighboring countries, and began the full-scale slaughter of citizens.” 

“Yeah, okay, wholesale slaughter is pretty extreme... Why did he do such a thing?” 

“Who knows? Those details were never passed down, so as far as I’m aware, it was just because he was excessively indiscriminate, cruel, brutal, and above all else, strong. And at the rate of his tyranny, people thought it wouldn’t be long before the whole world fell at his hands. A localized crisis became a worldwide one quickly.” 

“Ah...” 

Lefille’s explanation reminded him of something. A memory in the corner of his mind crawled to the surface. He recalled something both the Prime Minister Gless and Dorothea, the clerk at the Twilight Pavilion, had mentioned. Approximately a hundred years ago, there was a tyrant who tried to make the world his own. At that time, three heroes were summoned who went on to write the epic tale of smashing his ambition to pieces. However... 

“So heroes were summoned to put a stop to the war... Ah!” 

“Sounds like you figured it out. That demonstrated that the hero summoning could be carried out to oppose aggressive nations. So if the Nelferian Empire were to ever turn on its neighbors in such a fashion, and if the other countries came into agreement...” 

“Then heroes might be summoned to stop them.” 

“That’s right. It’s said that the Nelferian Emperor at the time witnessed the power of the hero with his own eyes and instead of awe, he trembled in fear. After that, he was quoted as saying, ‘We must not conduct ourselves in a way to draw the ire of a hero.’” 

“Yeah, I can see that.” 

If it was that serious, Suimei was pretty convinced. To make such a powerful emperor who had the rest of the world by the throat back down over just displaying their power, the summoned hero really had to be something. 

“So thanks to things like that, the hero summoning ritual or whatever is just that feared and revered, huh?” 

“That’s right. Heroes are powerful forces that can defeat Demon Lords, demons, and powerful evil beasts. It is said that a single hero rivals the armed forces of a single nation. So there’s no way that threat wouldn’t be a powerful deterrent, right?” 

“I bet.” 

“Because of that, even though there are skirmishes between nations, there have been no large-scale wars on an international level for quite a long time.” 

“It’s that big of a deal, huh?” 

“Well, if there’s been anything of note, it would be the clash between Astel and Shaddock two years ago. That one ended in Astel’s victory due to the great efforts of Her Royal Highness Titania from the Kingdom of Astel. 

Suimei’s eyes shot wide open when he heard that bolt out of the blue. 

“Tia’s?” 

“Tia...? Ah, you mean the princess? Yeah, I heard that she was quite active at the time.” 

“Hmm, so the princess was...” 

Suimei stood there, completely dumbfounded and mumbling to himself. This was unexpected. Astel’s princess, Titania, was lively, but prim. She was practically attached to Reiji at the hip, and he couldn’t even imagine her marching out onto a battlefield to take a leading role. He was under the impression her magical abilities were lacking compared to Felmenia’s, but was she really hiding some sort of fearsome strength? 

He couldn’t know for sure. Even if she’d played an active role, there were lots of ways to do that. Strategy, for example. However... 

Was it because she’d fought before that nobody objected to her going on the subjugation? 

Suimei thought back to what happened at the castle. When Reiji and the others were being sent off, the king and the first prince along with a long line of people from the castle showed their gratitude and were reluctant to see the princess go, but not once did Suimei remember anyone trying to keep her from leaving. There had to be a reason for that, and perhaps, just perhaps, it was because they trusted in her capabilities. 

“Next in line!” 

While Suimei was turning all this over in his head, a voice called out to him and Lefille from the checkpoint. It seemed their turn had finally come. They put their conversation on hold for the time being and approached. 

There were several members of the Nelferian military police standing within the snug room, urging on the people who’d been in line ahead of them through the doors into the city proper. A young man who appeared to be a civil officer in charge of documentation and tax collection called out to Suimei and Lefille as they entered. 

“You two are looking to enter, correct?” 

“Yes.” 

“That’s right.” 

Hearing their answers, the young man presented them with some documentation. It looked to be a registry form. When Suimei left Metel and when he entered Kurant City, he’d had to fill out the same kind of form, so he knew what to do with it. 

“Then please record your name here. Also, if you have something to signify your status, please cite it... Actually, excuse me, as for writing...” 

As Suimei quickly walked up to the counter to write and Lefille tottered over, the young man started to backpedal on his request. 

“Yes, I can write.” 

“Not a problem here.” 

“My apologies. Then please fill out the form. After that, you’ll just pay the following entry tax and charges for passage, then you’ll be all set.” 

Pleased with being treated quite courteously by the civil officer, Suimei began filling out the entry form. The civil officer then turned a carefree smile towards Lefille. Perhaps because he liked children or perhaps just because he was kind, as Suimei started to think he was being too polite, the civil officer stooped down a little. 

“So would you mind filling out this form too, little lady?” 

His request was courteous, but Lefille looked unhappy. Suimei thought he saw her shoulders twitch, and she made a stern expression. 

“Sir, I am not a ‘little lady.’ Would you please correct yourself?” 

“Ahahaha, I guess you’re right. Sorry, princess.” 

“What’s with that way of talking?! Are you brushing my request off as a child’s nonsense?!” 

In response to the way the young clerk was dealing with her, Lefille began to yell furiously. It was much like what had happened when they went shopping for clothes in Kurant City. Whenever someone treated her like a child, she would overreact in this theatrical fashion. It seemed she just couldn’t let it go without making a fuss about it. 

“S-Suimei-kun! Suimei-kun you say something too!” 

“What, me?!” 

“That’s right!” 

Now that she’d turned to him for help, what was he supposed to do? Surely she wasn’t expecting him to say, “Actually this child shrank after getting into a fight with demons.” That would only invite laughter. As Suimei contemplated exactly what he should do, the clerk turned a bright smile his way. 

“Ahahaha, your companion is quite full of energy, isn’t she? Must be difficult.” 

“Ah, no, well... Yeah, hahaha.” 

In the end, that was all Suimei could do. He was just trying to go with the flow, but Lefille grabbed him and shook him by the hips since she couldn’t reach his shoulders. 

“Suimei-kun! Why are you just laughing this off?!” 

“No... You see...” 

He wanted to tell her that there wasn’t much else he could do. As Lefille clung to Suimei in desperation, the clerk smiled again and nodded. 

“Children around this age are always trying to act older, aren’t they? I also have a sister who’s a fair bit younger than me, so I understand.” 

It seemed he had experience with young children. But looking around the room, Suimei could see the military police were also smiling at Lefille’s antics. The ordinarily tense checkpoint was filled with an unusually pleasant atmosphere. 

“Ugh... Fine. Let’s just fill it out quickly and get out of here.” 

Lefille finally gave up and returned to her usual self. But... 

“Hnnngh, hnnnnngh...” 

“What’s wrong?” 

For some reason, with one hand on the writing counter and the other reaching out for the form, Lefille was letting out a groan like she was stretching with all her might. Even though Suimei asked her what was going on, she was too focused on her endeavor to answer. With an agonized voice, she called out her unnamed opponent. 

“Gah, of all the things... to lose to this kind of...!” 

“Huh...?” 

“Not yet! I won’t give up yet! Even I have my pride! I won’t throw it away!” 

Saying such exaggerated things as a way to try and cheer herself on, the tiny Lefille tried to persevere. And though she exerted herself for a while, having perhaps sensed that the struggle was useless, she plopped down on the floor like a child and muttered in despair. 

“I... I can’t reach the paper...” 

Lefille’s tearful voice as she admitted defeat was adorable in its own way. She was tall enough to reach the counter, but because she didn’t have enough clearance, she couldn’t get to the form. Was that really what she’d been fighting so hard for? 

The young clerk then walked over to her and presented her with a chair. 

“Here you go, little lady. Feel free to use this chair as a stand.” 

“I’m... I’m...!” 

Even though the clerk was only being kind, Lefille was about to blow her lid again. 

“I’m...” 

However, looking at both the table and the chair, Lefille gradually lost steam and sank further into depression. And eventually, unable to say anything more, she simply hung her head dejectedly, got up on the chair, and began filling out the form. 

Even with her ponytail swishing behind her, it was easy to see she was in low spirits. The short of it was that she didn’t want to admit that she had gotten smaller, and having to accept help like this felt like defeat. Suimei pattered her shoulder to comfort her, and he heard her muttering to herself over the scratch of the quill pen across the paper. 

“How pathetic...” 

Before long, just about the time they were finishing up filling out their forms, Suimei noticed a girl appear from another door that led to the city. Suimei glanced over, finding it strange that someone would enter the room without being called in by the clerk. The members of the military police, however, all turned towards the girl and immediately saluted her. 

“Second Lieutenant Zandyke!” 

The girl the clerk addressed as a second lieutenant appeared to be in her early teens. She had reddish-violet twintails, a somewhat unhealthy-looking complexion, and an eyepatch covering her right eye. Based on the look in her other eye, Suimei couldn’t tell whether she was tired or not, but she gave off an awfully strange impression. She was wearing clothes that gave a somewhat gothic Lolita feel with a military-style coat overtop, all complete with long gloves. Since her outfit looked like something from his own world, Suimei’s eyebrow slightly shot up. 

It was quite the eccentric getup. Suimei had sometimes seen people in his world dressed like this, but it had been quite a while since he’d actually seen someone in something so in-your-face. It wasn’t like it didn’t suit her, however. Rather, it stood out precisely because it did suit her. And Lefille seemed to share Suimei’s opinion in that regard... 

“H-How... cute...” 

Or not? Apparently she had complex feelings about excessively frilly clothing now. But while Suimei and Lefille were each having their own reactions to her, the girl who appeared to be a soldier walked up to the young clerk and spoke in a tone that was so cold that it was hard to even call businesslike. 

“I came to retrieve... the registry from the other day.” 

“Yes, ma’am!” 

The young clerk straightened up with a snap as he stood to attention and saluted like he had a pole rammed up his spine. He then quickly pulled a leather-bound book from a cabinet and handed it over. Receiving it, the girl quickly scanned over it, gave a nod, and then slammed the book shut. 

The Empire apparently handled its military differently than other countries. Someone at the level of a company officer seemed to be treated like she was of fairly high social standing. She had an oddly modern aura, but setting that aside, based on her looks, she was about twelve or thirteen, maybe slightly older. Being in the military at that age was incredibly unusual. It would make her a child soldier. 

It seemed she noticed that Suimei was staring at her, and she turned a sleepy yet reproachful eye on him. 

“Never seen... a soldier before?” 

“No, that’s not exactly it...” 

While Suimei was about to apologize, Lefille said exactly what he was thinking in his stead. 

“It’s just that we thought you were awfully young to be one.” 

It seemed something in the way she worded it touched a nerve, and the girl looked over to Lefille with a sullen expression. 

“I don’t want to hear that... from a child smaller than me.” 

“What?! I’m not a small child!” 

Suimei let out a grand sigh. Of course it came back to this. Lefille was right back at it with the slightest provocation. As Suimei was contemplating how he could get Lefille to stop overreacting, the two girls were already squaring up. 

“Would you like... to have a match?” 

“Yeah, I’ll take you on.” 

Seemingly intent on starting some kind of bout, the two girls stepped towards each other. Surely they didn’t intend to start a fight right here and now... 

“Hey, wait a sec, Lefille.” 

“Don’t try and stop me, Suimei-kun. I can’t back down from this battle.” 

“Can’t back down? But it’s not... Huh?” 

Lefille didn’t listen to Suimei. While keeping the other restrained with their gaze, the two girls began circling around each other. They moved slowly, but had their eyes fiercely locked so neither would miss a thing. Eventually, perhaps having found a good opportunity, Lefille jumped forward and sprang into action. The girl across from her also stepped forth as if to match her. And just as Suimei thought they were going to collide, they came to a sudden stop right in front of each other. 

“...Hmph.” 

“Tch...” 

They were staring each other down, standing so close together that their noses were practically touching. And then, without warning, they once more leaped back and took their distance. They appeared to be back to square one now, but this time they were eyeing each other from the side. 

Just what the hell are they doing? 

That was all Suimei could frankly wonder as he looked at the two of them dubiously. Lefille and the girl, as if competing in some form, stood pin straight as they looked down their noses at each other. This was a confrontation, surely, but nothing like a fistfight. It almost looked as though they were deciding superiority based on height. Suimei cocked his head to the side along with the other men in the room who were trying to figure out the same thing. The two girls went face to face once more, lined up side by side, and then folded their arms under their chests. They were performing the same senseless gestures over and over again. 

Before long, having finally arrived at the answer, Suimei let out an exasperated sigh. 

Oh, they’re competing by comparing their breasts... 

That was likely the short of it. Both of them looking like they were at the age where their assets had only just started to develop, neither one had anything going for them in that regard, but it was the only explanation that seemed to make any meaning out of their actions. Suimei couldn’t help thinking it was a strange thing to compete over, though. 

What made them decide to back off? Advance? Any of it? That was all completely incomprehensible to him. Did they think that the spirit and vigor they put into this would count as a plus in their favor when it came to size? As Suimei casually watched their little match, it seemed that the current Lefille was a little smaller compared to the girl. 

The girl seemed to reach that conclusion too, and with a smile that was smug and self-satisfied rather than triumphant, she declared her victory. 

“How’s that...? I am more... ladylike... than you.” 

“Grr, to lose in size to a little girl...” 

Lefille frustratedly conceded that much, but the girl continued to beat a dead horse. 

“No. With this, you have no right... to call me a little girl. You can address me... as your older sister.” 

“N-Never! If I were just in my original form, then...!” 

Lefille was screaming that she hadn’t yet lost, and it was quite unsportsmanlike of her. In her normal form, she had a chest ample enough that anyone would take notice of it, but bringing that up now was pointless. Hearing her choice of words, however, the girl raised an eyebrow. 

“...Original form? Ah.” 

She didn’t have to puzzle over it long before arriving at an answer. 

“You.” 

“Wh-What? 

“You should get your head... out of your dreams. It’s often said that children your age... can’t differentiate reality from imagination, but if you insist... on living in some fantasy, you’ll end up... regretting it one day, you know?” 

“Bwuh?!” 

Did she mean to say Lefille had chuunibyou? Certainly if someone didn’t know any better, hearing Lefille talk so brazenly about her “original form” might lead them to that conclusion. But this girl’s words stabbed at Lefille like a knife. She staggered as she turned away and stumbled over towards a bench in the room on unsteady legs. 

“Lefille?” 

“Suimei-kun... Could you just give me a minute?” 

“Yeah, I get it.” 

“Don’t try and comfort me. It only makes me feel more pathetic.” 

Suimei’s smile stiffened up. Meanwhile, Lefille plopped down on the bench, grasped her knees, and buried her face in her lap without moving. A profound darkness, far darker than the aura wielded by the demons, surrounded her. It had been nothing but one insult after another today. 

The other girl then took a few steps towards Suimei. 

“You do not appear... to be one of this nation’s people. Where... did you come from, foreigner?” 

“Uh, I’m from the East. And that girl, Lefille, is the daughter of an acquaintance of mine.” 

“The East, you say...? You don’t mean Astel... but further east than that, right?” 

“Well, yeah.” 

She was speaking to and looking at him as if cross-examining him. She seemed to be mentally going through all the various peoples in and around Astel to try and determine where he’d come from, but she had a strange reaction to Suimei’s answer. 

“As... expected.” 

She muttered to herself with her eye closed, then opened it and turned a gaze as sharp as a falcon’s on Suimei. 

“Hey now...” 

“S-Second Lieutenant!” 

Suimei let out a low, reproachful voice right back at her, and the young clerk in the room sounded quite alarmed. When Suimei declared that he came from a country outside of Nelferia’s alliance, the young soldier apparently came to the conclusion he might be a spy. And when he started to feel hostility and mana coming from her, his sense of danger only multiplied. 

“What did you... come here for?” 

“I don’t see any reason I should have to answer that.” 

When Suimei replied curtly, the girl unleashed even more of her mana. If she were confronting any normal human, it wouldn’t have been unusual if they’d fainted in her presence now. 

“S-Second Lieutenant! P-Please calm—Eek!” 

“...You’re in the way.” 

With that, the girl scowled at the clerk and turned her mana on him. Feeling the pressure, he instinctively backed up and bumped into a desk. They were supposed to be on the same side, so just why was this girl throwing around her hostility so indiscriminately? Even the members of the military police present had stiffened up and made no move to oppose her. The crestfallen Lefille lifted her head when she picked up on the tense atmosphere and came running over. 

“What’s going on all of a sudden?” 

“This has nothing... to do with children. Just go back over there... and be quiet.” 

“You want me to just sit by and watch while you throw around that kind of dangerous aura?” 

“That’s right. This is... what needs to be done... with the one liable to bring harm to the Em—” 

“What are you talking about?” 

Lefille coldly cut her off, throwing a sharp gaze and sharp words at her. No one would have known she was sulking from her previous defeat just moments ago. 

“Who gets that hostile with someone who’s just following the rules and legally trying to enter the country? To treat people like this without just cause... Is the imperial army here really that uncouth?” 

“What... did you just say?” 

“What happened to the army that was extolled for its strictness of integrity above all other nations? And what about the main principles of the imperial doctrine, article twelve, clause three? Could you say that your actions right now are properly upholding that doctrine?” 

In response to Lefille’s statement, the girl’s expression became extremely bitter. What Lefille had just referenced seemed to be a regulation of the imperial army. Called out on that front, the girl directed a stare at Lefille that was as sharp as any rapier, and then decided to back down in honor of said regulation. 

“Very well. I... will relent.” 

Pausing for a moment there, she once more turned towards Suimei, and threw him a frosty look too. 

“However, this is the Empire. Do make sure... you don’t try anything funny.” 

And in response to her frigid tone, Suimei replied in a slightly joking manner. 

“And what if I say I will?” 

“I’d kill you.” 

She spoke with no hesitation at all, and her voice was icy cold. Those must have been words she was quite familiar with. Though it may have just been an attempt to provoke him, Suimei wondered if she’d really go that far over him merely saying something. If this were Japan, this girl would be just about the age she was entering middle school. To hear such a young girl say something so threatening, Suimei was left with incredibly mixed feelings. 

Naturally, he understood that part of that was because of his mindset as a modern man. He had certain expectations for children, especially coming from a largely peaceful country. But when civilizations differed, so did their ethics and morals. It wasn’t that unrealistic that the age of enlistment was much lower in a medieval world like this. It just made the difference between this society and the one he knew all the more striking. But for Suimei to show pity for a child soldier here was in a sense, culturally insensitive, if not just plain rude and condescending. Of course, it wasn’t like he approved of the child soldiers, either. He was conflicted. For a moment, he nearly replied to her with pity in his eyes, but he promptly stopped himself and kept up with the joking tone. 

“Oooh, what a scary little girl.” 

“Little girl? It was one thing... coming from that child, but from an adult like you who should have more discretion... It’s slander. I’ll take you... to the imperial military court.” 

In response to Suimei’s mocking behavior, the girl made a sullen face and thrust an emphatic finger out at him. Her antsy, frustrated demeanor was unexpectedly charming in its own way. Meanwhile, Lefille was still scowling and muttering. 

“You’re still on about that...?” 

“Now now...” 

Sensing that the immediate danger had passed, the young clerk timidly tried to butt in to mediate. The girl, however, seemed to understand that Suimei was joking, and she turned to him without any of the intimidating fierceness from before. 

“I’m leaving.” 

With that, she took the registry she’d been handed and went back through the door into the city. 

“Phew... This is kind of a bad omen before we’ve even entered the city, huh?” 

With the tension cleared from the air, Suimei let out a sigh of relief. The young clerk followed up with an even bigger one. 

“Please do refrain from making such provocative remarks. That girl is Second Lieutenant Zandyke, after all.” 

“Ah, yeah, sorry about that.” 

As Suimei awkwardly scratched the back of his head, Lefille spoke up. It seemed she’d recalled something. 

“I see. I thought I recognized that last name, but was that Liliana Zandyke?” 

“You know her?” 

“Her father is one of the Seven Swords, Rogue Zandyke. Even in the Empire, she’s a distinguished mage. Despite being so young, I’ve heard that she’s remarkably talented and has even been made one of the Imperial Elite Twelve.” 

“Hmm... If Mizuki heard that, she’d be ecstatic.” 

The Seven Swords, the Imperial Elite Twelve... That was the kind of juicy fantasy material that Mizuki lived for, and it was enough to tell Suimei that this girl was actually quite a bigshot. Even on Earth, there were similar titles given to distinguished magicians and swordsmen. It likely worked the same way here as well. 

After Lefille speculated on the girl’s identity, the clerk nodded to confirm what she’d said. 

“Yes, that’s right. That’s why I believe you should avoid acting in such a way where she might have her eye on you.” 

“I’ll be careful.” 

Suimei accepted the friendly warning, and conversation came to an end. The clerk then urged Suimei and Lefille over to a bench. 

“Now then, I need to go finalize these papers, so please just wait here a moment.” 

While Suimei was scrutinizing the vestiges of the girl’s mana, Lefille sat down on the bench and dangled her feet around as if to distract herself from the tedium. The military police then called in the next people to enter: a small group of what looked like travelers. While they were filling out their forms, they struck up a conversation with the young clerk. 

“Hey, did you hear? They’re saying a hero was summoned in Astel.” 

“Yes, if I am not mistaken, he’s called Reiji-sama. Lots of people are talking about him.” 

Hearing the familiar name of his good friend, Suimei’s ears twitched. Lefille, who knew of Suimei’s circumstances, turned and whispered to him. 

“Suimei-kun, that’s...” 

“Yeah, they’re probably talking about my friend.” 

It hadn’t even been all that long since they’d departed on their journey, yet travelers had already heard the news. He must have done something to earn a reputation for himself. While Suimei secretly praised him for accomplishing that, the two traveling men continued their conversation with the clerk. 

“He was acknowledged by the most prominent members of each attribute in the Mage’s Guild and given the title Attribute Master.” 

“Oh yeah, for how he could manipulate magic of all attributes, right? Man, the Attribute Master...” 

“It is a splendid title, isn’t it? Attribute Master. I am but a civil officer, but I look up to him.” 

Hearing those two words repeated three times, Suimei was starting to lose control on the floodgates of his laughter. 

“Tch... Pfft... Seriously, knock it off...” 

“...?” 

Watching Suimei try to choke back laughter, Lefille stared at him blankly. Neither one of them was prepared for the surprising declaration the travelers made next. 

“I hear that he recently led a force from Astel against an invading army of demons attacking Kurant City and exterminated them all.” 

“Not only that, I hear he even defeated a demon general too. If I remember right, it was the one called Rajas, I think?” 

Lefille was the first to react, and Suimei quickly followed suit with a puzzled expression. 

“Wha?!” 

“Hey now... What’s going on here?” 

The young clerk, however, sounded completely impressed. 

“It truly is amazing. It hasn’t even been that long since he was summoned, and he’s already got such achievements to his name...” 

Suimei and Lefille were impressed too, to be fair, but it was for a very different reason. They exchanged knowing looks with each other. It seemed that, completely unbeknownst to them, the story had taken a strange turn somewhere. 

His horse raced across the ground muddied by the recent rain. Before the kicked-up mud could fall back to the earth, he’d spurred his horse on faster and was long gone from the spot. The minute amount of water splashing into the air sparkled like faint gray crystals thanks to the still gloomy skies. 

It was a few days before Suimei and Lefille arrived in the imperial capital of Filas Philia. 

After hearing of Suimei’s crisis from Gregory, Reiji took off on horseback and was soon joined by Mizuki and Titania, who chased after him. The three of them crossed the border between Nelferia and Astel, coming upon the woodlands that spread out to the east of Kurant City. 

Splitting off from the highway, they were just about to arrive at the tree line of the vast woodlands using paths that could hardly be called roads. All they could see before them was green as far as the eye could see. Riding next to Reiji, Titania gripped her reins tightly and called out to him. 

“What luck we had, finding some horses along the way... If not for that, we may never have caught up with you, Reiji-sama.” 

What she was talking about with a relieved expression was her good fortune in managing to join back up with Reiji. Finding out about his good friend Yakagi Suimei’s crisis, even knowing he was being foolish, Reiji had dashed off on his own. Titania and the others followed after him, and on the path back to Astel, they’d luckily managed to find and borrow some horses. With those, they were able to catch up to Reiji while he was letting his horse rest partway to his destination. Reiji, however, seemed to feel differently about it and spoke to her apologetically. 

“Yeah... But isn’t this wrong, Tia? You ended up getting dragged into this because of my selfishness...” 

“It is hardly a matter of right and wrong in such a fashion. You needed to go, and that was all the reason needed to come. It is my duty to accompany you.” 

“Sorry, this time, it’s...” 

Yes, this time, he was the one at fault. Both for the demons advancing into Astel, and for running off on his own. To say that he was the cause of it all wouldn’t be wrong. And now that the girls had come along, he knew that he was responsible for them too. He felt guilty. However, as if she wasn’t worried at all about his internal remorse, Titania shook her head with a smile. 

“No, this situation is hardly your fault, Reiji-sama. The ones to throw Suimei into a trap were the nobles from my country. And we were the ones who summoned you and your companions to this world in the first place, which was really how this all got started. As a royal of Astel, it is my duty to assist you, the hero. You needn’t feel responsibility for that.” 

“Yeah, thanks...” 

“Do not trouble yourself over it. Rather than me...” 

Titania glanced over her shoulder as she sat up in her saddle. There was no need to ask who her anxious look was directed at. Riding behind them was the other girl who’d been wrapped up in this because Reiji decided to act on his own. 

“Mizuki...” 

Still unable to ride a horse on her own, Mizuki was sharing a horse with Luka and holding on to her as they rode along together. She was not yet used to the terror of battle and was still somewhat shaken from their last encounter, but nevertheless, she was headed off to a place where a large demon army was gathered. She swallowed her fears to follow Reiji. He was honestly happy she was so brave and supportive, but Titania voiced his concerns for him. 

“Mizuki, there is no need to force yourself. If you think that you cannot fight, do back off without fail. Understood?” 

“But...” 

Mizuki was hesitant to accept such a suggestion. Suimei was her friend too. Knowing he was in danger and having come this far, could she really back off now without doing anything? Her conscience ate away at her. And as she was seized by embattled emotions, Reiji gave his own opinion on the matter. 

“Mizuki, it’s okay not to force yourself. If something happened not just to Suimei, but you too, I...” 

He wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. That’s why he wanted her to step back without any hesitation. 

“Reiji-kun...” 

“That’s why, if things get unreasonable, we’ll have you retreat with Luka somewhere safe, alright?” 

“...Alright. But Reiji-kun, don’t do anything too reckless yourself, okay? I mean it.” 

“Yeah, I promise.” 

With a somewhat sorrowful expression, Reiji lied to reassure her for the time being. That’s right, his words were nothing but a farce. It was obvious. He could make the promise, say the words with his lips, but nowhere in his heart did he have any intention to keep it. 

After waiting for Reiji and Mizuki’s exchange to end, Titania called out to him. 

“Reiji-sama, what are you thinking of doing from here?” 

“Well, first I was thinking we should get closer to where we think the demons are. We may not have the time to do any real scouting, but we don’t yet know where Suimei and the others are. Once we can confirm the size of the demon forces, I think it’ll be good to find a place to hide.” 

Their number one priority was saving Suimei. There was no need to go out of their way to pick a fight with the demons. Taking a tactical approach would help make sure that they found what they needed to after getting a firm grasp of the situation. There was no denying that the odds of finding the trade corps intact and Suimei with them were depressingly low, but even then... 

“Oho, are you not going to break directly through the demon front?” 

“No way! Even I know that would be unreasonable.” 

“Good, it seems you have not forgotten to remain calm. It appears my concern was unnecessary.” 

“Was that a test? How shrewd of you, Tia... Well, how about it?” 

“Let me see... I think it is sound to make a call after fully assessing the situation.” 

Satisfied with Titania’s support, Reiji decided to ask her what she would have done had he answered the opposite way. 

“Hey, Tia... If I said I wanted to cut through, what would you do?” 

“I would accompany you.” 

“That’s...” 

“I do believe I mentioned this before we departed on our journey, Reiji-sama, but accompanying you is my duty. Even if you rush into battle to perish, I shall follow.” 

Just what was it that she was looking at as she stared into the horizon? What was it that she could see? It looked as through she was staring right into the difficult times to come. She appeared somewhat aloof, but solemnly resolute. Seeing her like that, Reiji was at a loss for words. It was true that her voice was both reassuring and direct. That was a manifestation of a little thing she had called determination. As expected, Titania wasn’t just some young girl following along because she’d been told to. She’d decided that it was something she must do herself. She’d taken her fate into her own hands, and that was why she was now by his side. 

“Is something the matter?” 

“No, I was just thinking that you’re amazing, Tia. I’m not even in your league.” 

She didn’t seem to fully grasp the significance of those words that seemingly came out of nowhere, and sat there on her horse with her head tilted to the side. As the princess of a nation, Titania had a much stronger will than someone like Reiji. Before her determination, Reiji’s resolve was nothing more than bravado. Seeing her in such a royal light, Reiji felt completely inferior to her. 

But as things were, he had no time to dwell on it. Dismissing all such thoughts, Reiji pushed the conversation onward. 

“Tia, based on that plan, which way should we go from here?” 

“First we should proceed to the north. The woods that spread out to the east of Kurant City are sparser to the northeast rather than the southeast. The elevation is better there as well, so it would be the most suitable choice for surveying the situation.” 

“Got it. Let’s go.” 

Urging their horses northward, Reiji and the others proceeded down a path that reached the mountains and was surrounded by groves of trees. Looking up, the sky was filling with ominous clouds. It was almost as if the weather was reflecting the anxiety and unrest Reiji and his companions felt as they approached the destination. Despite being in the middle of a verdant forest, all around them only seemed to be filled with shadows and gray gloom. 

While they were cautiously advancing on horseback in complete contrast to their hurried pace up until now, they noticed a presence up ahead and sped up once more. They quickly came across a few members of a detachment who appeared to be wearing the uniforms of Astelian soldiers. A man who appeared to be the unit commander then fired off a stern order to Reiji and his party. 

“Stop right there!” 

In order to avoid a collision, Reiji and the others pulled back on their reins and stopped before this man. The neighing of the horses echoed through the wooded area. And following that, seeing that Reiji and the others had come to a stop, the man shouted at them with the same stern expression as before. 

“Who the hell are you bastards?! Answer me!” 

“We’re...” 

Reiji meekly began to answer, but the eldest knight of their group, Gregory, stepped forward, and rebuked the soldier who stood in their way. 

“You insolent bastard! Just who is it that you think you’re obstructing?! Behold Her Highness Titania and the summoned hero Reiji-sama! Stand down at once!” 

“Wha?!” 

Under the pressure of Gregory’s thunderous shouting and his severe glare, the soldiers all raised surprised voices, recoiled back, and immediately humbled themselves. There was a great number of eyes timidly looking at Reiji’s group now. There was a stir of whispering, and eventually, something seemed to click. When they finally reconciled what Gregory had said with what they were seeing right in front of them, the soldiers fell to their knees all at once and, to compensate for the discourtesy they’d shown previously, treated Titania and Reiji with the utmost respect. 

“M-My deepest apologies! I beg of you to forgive my impoliteness.” 

“So granted. From the looks of it, you appear to be in the middle of a patrol. Are you the stationed troops from Kurant City?” 

“Yes, Your Highness. We are part of His Grace Duke Hadorious’s army.” 

The soldier replied respectfully to Titania, but his words sparked a strange tension between Reiji and the others. Titania, well accustomed to maintaining appearances, didn’t let it show. 

“Duke Hadorious himself is present here, is he not?” 

“He is encamped just up ahead, Your Highness.” 

“Guide us to him.” 

“Yes, Your Highness!” 

The surrounding soldiers, all still sweating bullets, turned around and advanced down the path to escort them. The sound of rustling leaves being trampled underfoot by the soldiers’ boots filled the air. Titania willingly followed after them, but just as Reiji was about to follow as well, Luka’s horse suddenly came up to him. Mizuki, who was sitting on the horse behind Luka, leaned in towards Reiji and spoke to him in a hushed whisper. 

“Reiji-kun, Duke Hadorious is that...” 

“Yeah, the noble who set Suimei up. I didn’t think he would be here.” 

“A-And we’re going to see him?” 

“Looks like it...” 

An adversary lay ahead of them. Seeing Reiji’s eyes narrow as he glanced down the path, Mizuki’s body stiffened up. They were about to go see the man who’d set up their friend. It might just be too much for the anxious Mizuki to handle. Or so Reiji thought. But though she looked concerned, she spoke with great composure. 

“Reiji-kun, you can’t act rashly. Even if Tia is with us, we don’t know what’ll happen if you lay your hands on a noble.” 

“Ah... Yeah, I got it. Thanks for worrying about me, Mizuki.” 

Mizuki was mostly worried about Reiji losing himself to anger and rushing in. But he wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t. It would have been one thing if he were on his own, but if he snapped now, there was a high chance Gregory would be implicated for sharing confidential information. So long as he had the other people with him to think about, Reiji would keep his cool. 

Before long, a clearing opened up among the bundled evergreen trees. It was filled with a large gathering of knights, soldiers, and mages. Though the uneven ground had been muddied by the recent rain, the organized files of troops appeared to be having no trouble with the terrain whatsoever. They walked with firm, resolute footsteps and gave off an aura of true grit. Just how much did they train? 

Right in the center of the outstandingly austere atmosphere appeared to be the person who’d brought this group together—a large man in the prime of his life wearing jet black armor. 

He appeared to be about forty years old, right around Gregory’s age or perhaps a bit younger. He donned a well-groomed beard and a large scar running down his left cheek from his brow. He was close to two meters tall, and he appeared to be a muscular man. In spite of his relaxed posture, he radiated a strong aura of authority that made those around him stiffen up. 

All in all, he immediately gave the impression he was the man in charge. That much seemed to go without saying. Perhaps to report their arrival, the soldiers who’d escorted Reiji and the others went ahead of them into the camp. And then, after exchanging two or three words with that man who appeared to be the leader, he gestured to the soldiers and knights around him as if to tell them to make way. Mere moments later, the masses parted and made a clear path. 

The man then drew closer to Reiji’s group. He approached Titania without any hesitation at all, and with his commanding aura still in full force, took a knee and demonstrated the etiquette of a retainer. When Titania eventually welcomed him to be at ease, the man—Duke Hadorious—stood up. 

“Your Highness, it has been a while since we last spoke. Was it the evening party several months ago when we last had the pleasure of meeting?” 

“It hasn’t been long enough, Duke Hadorious. I see you’re the same browbeater you’ve always been.” 

“Oh, you flatter me, Your Highness. To a princess like you, something like this is but a light breeze, is it not? Though it may be presumptions of me to say so, I, Lucas de Hadorious, thought perhaps I might be able to offer you some refuge from the dreary weather with a welcome greeting.” 

“Just what is welcome about this? Your unwanted concern and consideration are quite the opposite.” 

All present were rendered speechless at the exchange between Hadorious and Titania. It was amusing to a degree, but also intimidating. Titania made it quite clear she wasn’t pleased to be in this situation or his presence. She poured palpable scorn down on him from high atop her horse. 

And between the two of them, a completely different kind of tension filled the air than before. However, Hadorious didn’t seem the slightest bit affected by her words. He didn’t even try to laugh it off as a joke. He simply replied in a disingenuously obsequious tone. 

“I see Your Highness is as thorny as ever. Now, let’s see... The boy there with you is the summoned hero Reiji Shana-dono, correct?” 

“Yes.” 

After affirming Reiji’s identity, Hadorious turned his prideful yet intimidating gaze on him. Titania had called him a browbeater, and perhaps this was just the kind of behavior she was talking about. Pondering that, Reiji stared right back at Hadorious as if to say he wouldn’t back down. 

This man is... 

This was indeed the man who’d set up Suimei and the trade corps. This cruel man who made no attempt to hide his conceit in his words, dress, or demeanor. Reiji was burning with anger in his presence, but for now, he had to fight it back and maintain his composure. 

After a pause, Hadorious closed his eyes and addressed Reiji. 

“My apologies for the late introduction, Hero-dono. I am the one entrusted with the western territory by His Majesty the King. My name is Lucas de Hadorious. Upon hearing of the advance of demons across our borders, I led my troops here. From here, we plan to exterminate the demons and were just about to take action.” 

Hadorious haughtily introduced himself and explained his goals, but he didn’t stop there. 

“Now, Your Highness Titania, Hero-dono, what brings you here?” 

In response, Reiji answered with a line he’d prepared beforehand. 

“Due to the increase in activity of the demons’ movements in Astel, we rushed over from the Nelferian Empire and have just arrived.” 

“Truly? Then I must apologize for troubling you.” 

“No, this is also my duty as a hero.” 

Reiji concluded their exchange in a very businesslike manner, and Titania immediately began to question Hadorious. 

“Duke Hadorious, are the demons beyond here?” 

“Judging from the information we have, we do believe they are.” 

“Then the discussion you were having just now... was about the means of attack?” 

“Yes, Your Highness. Once our scouts return, we were thinking of taking action right away.” 

If they’d already sent out scouts, that meant Reiji and the others arrived just as they were about to make their move. Judging from the scale of the deployed army, they appeared to be staging their attack from here. Something struck Reiji as strange about all this, and he cut in on the conversation. 

“You mean attacking the demons? Aren’t your numbers a bit insufficient for that?” 

Based on the number of people in the clearing, it certainly didn’t look like there were enough of them. At a glance, there were one to two hundred people at best. Since the army they would be going after was over a thousand strong, it just didn’t add up. 

“Make no mistake. This is not my entire force, Hero-dono. So that we can launch our attack from several directions at once, there are soldiers deployed to the north and south as well. And even in this area, we have many soldiers concealing themselves. Do be at ease.” 

“Is that so? Pardon my concern then.” 

“In truth, I would prefer a unified charge with the soldiers from Metel, but due to the preparations involved and the bad weather, Kurant City and Metel are more or less divided. A joint operation is out of the question, thus we have settled on the current tactic. I would implore you to take into consideration we’re working with what we have.” 

Hearing Hadorious’s plan, Reiji decided to make their intentions clear too. 

“When the scouts return, I think we’ll also make our move as well.” 

“My, what vigorous enthusiasm you have. If I might be so bold as to suggest it, however, why not spare your energy and let us handle things here, Hero-dono?” 

Hadorious presented his offer with a veneer of courtesy, but that couldn’t disguise the sneer underneath it. Reiji could distinctly see the corners of Hadorious’s mouth subtly slanted upwards. 

“I cannot. But you may stand back and let us handle this if you wish. I am a hero. I will do what I must to the best of my ability.” 

“Hmph, so be it. Though I do not have the slightest idea as to what your goal here is, Hero-dono, if you say that you will advance towards the demon army, then I will gladly accompany you.” 

Letting his steadfast expression crumble at last, Hadorious flashed a fearless smile. Reiji was infuriated. This man knew good and well why he’d come. 

Reiji was spurred by the urge to turn around and look at Gregory, but managed to suppress it and continued to stare down Hadorious. Hadorious then excused himself and went back to the center of the soldiers after imploring Reiji and the others to wait for the scouts’ return. Was that it? Was he just going to leave it at that? Considering he was in the presence of the princess and the hero, his behavior was rather rude. Titania, however, seemed unfazed by this. She simply narrowed her eyes as she watched him walk away. 

“He’s the same as ever.” 

“It’s rare for you to talk like that, Tia. You don’t like him, do you?” 

“It’s just as you saw. I have a favorable impression of him in that he does not resort to flattery, but that intimidating, condescending air of his stirs my defiant heart.” 

She gave her evaluation in a low voice, and Reiji picked up on something as she spoke. Something unexpected. 

“...Do you hate to lose, Tia?” 

“What?! No, well, um... More importantly, after meeting Duke Hadorious, what do you think of him, Reiji-sama?” 

“Well, it was unexpected. That he’s that kind of man, I mean.” 

Reiji gave his honest impression of Lucas de Hadorious. Because he’d used such underhanded means to entrap Suimei, Reiji had been expecting something a little different. The stereotypical image of some gremlin-like noble came to mind. It turned out his imagination was way off, but in a way, this was much worse. 

“You mean that you thought he would be some pathetic scumbag, but in reality, he was a much nastier man than that?” 

“It’s not that extreme, but... You really hate that jerk, don’t you, Tia?” 

“Don’t you as well, Reiji-sama? This marks the first occasion I’ve ever heard you refer to anyone as ‘that jerk.’” 

“Huh...” 

Having it pointed out to him, Reiji realized she was right. He’s said it completely without thinking. He’d meant to be careful in his choice of words, but he couldn’t hide his disgust in the end. 

After their exchange, Mizuki called out to Titania with a somewhat antsy expression on her face. 

“I-Is that man also fighting? Isn’t he a noble?” 

“Duke Hadorious hails from a long line of distinguished warriors even in Astel. He also possesses tremendous skill in military arts.” 

That was as much as Reiji had expected. The intimidating air he gave off was beyond the norm, he was unafraid to take the front line, and his well developed body indicated the serious training he put into it. He came across as a military man through and through. Mizuki, however, had a somewhat strange reaction to learning this. 

“Wh-What about that huge scar on his face?!” 

“That? I’ve heard the scar on his face is something he received in a battle quite a long time ago. I have never seen him fight myself, but I have heard his true strength is quite considerable.” 

While speaking, Titania skillfully led her horse in a small half-circle, turning to face everyone in the group. She then addressed them all in a low tone, wary of other ears in the area. 

“I believe that you know this after what you’ve seen, but Duke Hadorious is a man you cannot let your guard down around. Reiji-sama, Mizuki, make absolutely certain that you do not do so around him. Luka and Roffrey, I entrust you two to support Reiji-sama and Mizuki.” 

In response to Titania’s orders, the two knights immediately saluted. 

“And Gregory, you will accompany me as you are.” 

“But Your Highness...” 

“There is no need to worry. No matter what measures Duke Hadorious has taken against you, I am here. Be at ease.” 

“Your Highness... I am in your debt.” 

As Titania reassured Gregory, he humbly lowered his head. Standing behind him, Roffrey seemed overcome with emotion and was moved to tears for some reason. Luka beheld the princess with a reverent gaze. 

“Tia seems pretty cool today, doesn’t she?” 

“Yeah.” 

“But you can’t fall in love with her, okay?” 

“Wh-What?” 

Reiji was taken aback by what Mizuki said, but she huffed and turned away. Luka looked just as confused as Reiji did when Mizuki ran over and hid behind her. 

It was just about then a man who appeared to be a soldier came dashing towards the camp from the thick of the forest with several others in tow. It was likely the group of scouts who’d gone to survey the situation. Watching them beeline for Hadorious without stopping until they reached him, Reiji and the others also made their way towards the center of the camp. As they arrived, Hadorious was inquiring what the kneeling scout had to report. 

“What is the state of the demons?” 

“Y-Your Grace! I come to report that the demon army...” 

With sweat still trickling down his face, the soldier took a gasp of air to catch his breath. In the dramatic pause just before he revealed the news, everyone present except for Hadorious gulped. Just how many of them were deployed? What kind of demons were there? Everyone’s imagination ran wild with speculation about what his next words would be. But what he said next floored them all. 

“W-Was completely annihilated...” 

There was a moment of incredulous silence. 

“Annihilated, you said?!” 

“Ridiculous. The reports said that there should have been more than a thousand of them. And you’re telling me they were all annihilated before even colliding with the army?” 

Following Reiji’s yell, Hadorious’s astonished voice rang out too. Reiji couldn’t help glancing over. As expected, Hadorious looked shocked. This report had thrown even him for a loop. The camp around them broke out into a mix of bewilderment and doubt. And there, Titania spoke up. 

“Are you certain?” 

“What? I...” 

It seemed the scout had only just noticed her presence. After a short moment of confusion, urged on by Hadorious, he replied in a panicked voice. 

“Y-Yes, there’s no mistaking it. In the plains beyond here, there was nothing but the corpses of demons and monsters.” 

“My god...” 

With that, a heavy silence fell over the camp. This wasn’t bad news, but with the situation what it was, doubt took precedence over any other thoughts. Everyone was confounded at what was appropriate to say at a time like this. After a few moments passed, it seemed that Hadorious had thought of something and he turned to face Titania. 

“Your Highness, could it be...” 

“...No, we came here from the Nelferian Empire. It’s in the opposite direction of where the demons are located, and even if that were the case, just what reason would we have to put on such a petty drama here?” 

“It was a foolish question...” 

Hadorious dismissed his own ill-considered inquiry. He must have thought that perhaps Reiji and the others had been the ones to annihilate the demons. As a denizen of this world, even Hadorious believed in the hero and his abilities. Hearing of such grand news, it wasn’t all that unreasonable to assume the hero was behind it. Reiji, however, was clueless. And while Hadorious was in the middle of contemplating something, Titania pressed for action. 

“Duke Hadorious, for the time being, shall we head over there?” 

“Indeed, Your Highness. Let us go.” 

Before reaching their destination, even Reiji had a feeling that there was something preposterous waiting ahead of them. A choking stench that smelled like a mix of iron and rot assaulted his nose, and an indescribable thickness to the air. Both sensations combined gave Reiji goosebumps. 

He couldn’t tell if the others felt the same thing, or if they just weren’t letting it show. Other than the soldiers who were caught in an unsettled vortex, everybody appeared to be composed. Hadorious was firm as ever, and only Titania’s eyes had a slight light of insecurity to them. 

Reiji casually lowered his gaze from atop his horse. The water that had collected on the ground from the earlier rainfall, perhaps because of the fading light, would sometimes appear to be red to him. He rubbed his eyes. 

And before long, they emerged from the tree line. 

“This is...” 

Hadorious’s gasp hung in the air. As Reiji and the others arrived at the site where the scouts reported the demons were, what came into view was a scene that truly made them doubt their eyes. 

“What... is this...?” 

What Reiji saw from atop his horse was beyond description. Unable to articulate what he was seeing or feeling, he could only gasp in horror. The scouts had led them towards the foot of the mountain, and they’d come to a relatively level, wide open plain with a clear view. And what they saw there was massive fissures in the ground, earth that had become molten from high temperatures and chilled back into solidified lumps, icebergs that seemed to pierce the skies, some kind of unknown, pitch black swamps, and a countless number of demon and monster corpses. 

Now then, exactly what had happened in this place? A bright light shone down from between the gray clouds, illuminating the bizarre scene. No one present had ever witnessed anything like it before. Even with his modern knowledge, Reiji couldn’t think of a single natural disaster that would leave this kind of destruction in its wake. 

Surely the only word appropriate for this devastation was catastrophe. Listening carefully, Reiji felt like he could hear the lingering screams of the demons. That was just how ghastly this scenery was. Even though the demons were his enemies, he almost felt sorry for them upon seeing what they had suffered through. 

This was perhaps the very image of hell. No, it was safe to say a form of hell had happened here. 

Guided by the scouts and soldiers and following behind Hadorious, Reiji asked a question to nobody in particular while riding atop his horse. 

“This... is a path, isn’t it?” 

A clearing extended in front of them in a perfectly straight line. Lacking any traces of blood, meat, and the other destruction present in the field, it was visually distinct. It was as if something had cut through this all, determined to press forward without a hint of hesitation. Whatever it was had moved straight ahead towards the forest at the foot of the mountains while paving its way with the corpses of the demons who attacked it from the sides. Taking this all in, Mizuki, who was following behind Reiji, began muttering. 

“Traces of magic...” 

“Mizuki?” 

“Yeah, there’s no mistaking it. This is all the aftermath of magic.” 

Mizuki stated her assessment definitively, not holding back in the slightest because she was convinced of it. Trembling, she turned and pointed towards the unnatural ice formations and fires in the surrounding area. They were the result of magic. After hearing her conclusion, Titania raised a voice of admiration. 

“Mizuki, I am surprised you could tell...” 

“Yeah, there’s only a tiny hint of the remnants of mana, and the ice lumps and fires over there probably still have traces of their spells on them.” 

“...You’re right.” 

Straining his eyes and sharpening his senses, Reiji could also comprehend that there was something left of the magic that had been used. Even though he couldn’t tell before, once it was pointed out to him that there was magic involved, he could suddenly identify it clearly as if a fog in his mind had instantly cleared away. 

However, for the embers, ice, and other various creations to still contain details of their respective spells was quite a big deal. The magical foundation of a spell only took an instant to defeat a demon. So for it to linger in such detail even now... 

“Mizuki, isn’t this...?” 

“Yeah. The spell that was used is super high-level. I can’t tell what it is at all... It might just be something different from the magic we use.” 

“That’s possible, but to use high-level spells this many times is...” 

This was beyond unusual. Could it have been a large army that destroyed the demons? Reiji dismissed the idea as soon as it came to mind. If two large armies had clashed, the scenery would be markedly different. There would have to be signs of the other army, including corpses. But there wasn’t a single hint to suggest anything like that. The field they could see stretched all the way to the horizon, and it was uniformly covered with the corpses of demons. Even if a large army had been gathered, it wasn’t even realistically possible for them to have so many high-level mages. Adding the sight of it all up, all Reiji could think was that something—something overwhelming—had passed through here. 

The horses, sensitive to the nervousness of humans and the subtleties of the atmosphere around them, were neighing incessantly. While gently soothing the horses who were on edge as they proceeded, Titania was the next one that could be heard gasping. 

“This is...?!” 

She was aghast. Hadorious finished the thought for her. 

“Even a behemoth...?” 

Hearing the two of them, Reiji and the others looked over. What they were met with was the corpse of an enormous monster. 

“I-It’s huge...” 

Mizuki’s voice was trembling in shock. The overall length of the beast was probably over two hundred meters. It called to mind the image of a beached cruiser laying across the hill as if stranded. It had a black, thick hide, bulky wrinkled skin, profound limbs that did not seem to balance out the size of its body, and massive horns. 

Its gargantuan and cloudy scarlet eyes were wide open, giving off an eerie feeling. Rather than fear for the monster’s original power, everyone feared what had been able to leave it in such a condition. Even a creature of this prowess had been but cut down, as Mizuki said, by some form of magic. It lay sprawled out at an awkward angle. It appeared half of the beast was buried underground, but in reality, half of its body was just completely missing. 

“Th-That is a special class two monster. To think even something like this was defeated...” 

Forgetting to even explain the seriousness of such a classification, Titania gave voice to her awe. Otherwise, she stood frozen in place. Understanding just what this monster was, her shock was on another level. But everyone was shaken. Even the other soldiers, Gregory, and Hadorious all wore serious expressions. 

And as everyone was seized with it all, a soldier who had gone ahead to check things out returned with heavy steps. But his gait was not a sign of fatigue. No, the appalling environs just weighed on him that much. 

“I... I have a report... As expected, it seems the demons have been completely annihilated. The total count of them was likely...” 

All present held their breath waiting for the next words to come from the kneeling soldier’s mouth. But he wasn’t intentionally making them wait. He himself looked too taken aback to account for the number. Hadorious, maintaining his stiff expression, urged the soldier on. 

“Just how many were there?” 

“Y-Your Grace! It is estimated that they surpassed ten thousand in count, we believe...” 

In that instant, all present felt their hearts stop. Ten thousand? That colossal number made them doubt their ears. Silence fell over the field. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard. And then, as people gradually regained their senses, Hadorious spoke up once more, his voice dyed in fright. 

“Ten thousand, you say? The destruction here is vast, but I do not believe the number of corpses present supports your claim.” 

“With all due respect, Your Grace, the estimate was calculated from the tracks left by the demons and monsters while they were moving, and the scope of the offensive. We do believe it to be accurate.” 

Hearing the scout’s words, Hadorious once more spoke with a grim expression. 

“To think that it wasn’t just a thousand...” 

His voice was filled with so much emotion that he was at a loss as to what to feel. His mind was likely running wild with what would have happened if he’d fought against such forces. No matter how he’d prepared, those numbers were out of the bounds of his imagination. But nevertheless, he seemed to collect himself as Titania turned to him. 

“To think that we mistook the scale of the demons. I shudder at the thought of what would have happened if they’d attacked Metel or Kurant City, but...” 

“Just who accomplished this and when, you mean? Do you have any clues, Duke Hadorious?” 

“As for who, I do not have any idea whatsoever. But seven days ago, there was some most tempestuous lighting in the area. It was likely the day that the demons were annihilated.” 

“A day of lightning...” 

“The bishop of the Church of Salvation said that it was because we touched on the anger of the Goddess, but...” 

Hadorious sounded as if he thought the whole thing was a tall tale, but these people seemed to regard lightning as the embodiment of heavenly wrath much the same way the people of Earth did. 

But was it really the Goddess Alshuna who’d defeated the demons? No, such a divine intervention was out of the question. If such a thing were possible, this world wouldn’t need a hero in the first place. 

And so the mystery only deepened. They had a rough idea of when it happened, but in the end, they still didn’t have any idea what had really gone down. Gripped by that tense, oppressive unknown, Mizuki voiced her worry to Reiji. 

“Suimei-kun, was he alright during this?” 

“I wonder about that...” 

As Mizuki cast her eyes down in anxiety, Reiji’s heart went out to her. He was feeling it too. Just where was Suimei now? It would have been nice if the demons were defeated before Suimei had encountered them, but... 

“It’s demons! There are survivors!” 

Hearing that voice coming from behind them, everyone turned around. One of the soldiers that had been investigating the surrounding area announced the presence of demons with practically a scream. Were they mixed in with the corpses? Or did they come flying in from nearby? A number of demons who appeared to be the remnants of the demon forces sprang to the air with violent vigor and were headed towards them. The first one to raise their voice in response was Hadorious. 

“They’re coming this way! Everyone take up combat positions!” 

As he drew his sword from horseback, he commanded the soldiers in the area without hesitation. Hearing his voice, they took action immediately. The soldiers with spears took the front line. Mages fell into line behind them and immediately began casting spells. And following up on all that that, Reiji immediately turned to Luka. 

“Luka-san, take care of Mizuki!” 

“As you wish.” 

“R-Reiji-kun!” 

“I’m also going to assist them. Mizuki, wait here with Luka. Tia!” 

“Yes, Reiji-sama!” 

“Stick behind me and prepare your magic! We’re going around with the horses and hitting their flank!” 

Yelling out in haste, Reiji drew his sword. He was looking at the demons and the formation of soldiers preparing to meet them. Deciding a flank attack would be best, Reiji spurred his horse forward. Titania, Gregory, and Roffrey followed after him. And while that was going on, the other soldiers sprang into action at Hadorious’s command. 

With a shorter path, the soldiers reached the demons first. The ones wielding spears leaped at the demons and kept them in check, and the mages slung spells where the openings appeared. It was a perfectly-regulated tactic carried out in textbook fashion. The skills of each individual soldier were also quite high, and their teamwork was splendid. At this rate, they would completely suppress the demons without any casualties. 

No... 

Or so it appeared, but the demons were desperate. Their main force had already been annihilated, and they fought with the desperation of dead men. It was something seen on the battlefield from time to time. Even though their fates were ultimately sealed, they were making a last stand to try and exact as much damage as possible. A form of revenge. An act of defiance. They had no place to return to, no place to go but death, but they did not fear it. It emboldened them. Soldiers who had that sort of determination were strong, and difficult to deal with. 

Dead men had no regards for their lives and were a dangerous force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. They fought recklessly without regard for their own safety, and it gave them just enough of an edge to break through the soldiers’ formation. Wanting to take as many humans as they could with them to the afterlife, the demons were rampaging violently. It was turning into an utter melee, which put the soldiers at a disadvantage. 

“Fall back!” 

Seeing that, Hadorious spurred on his large black horse and rushed in. While commanding the soldiers, he bisected the demon in front of him with a single swing. However, a number of other demons slipped by him. They were headed right for Luka and Mizuki. 

“Crap!” 

They had slipped by on the opposite side of the field from Reiji, and by the time he noticed that, it was already too late. The demons flew at an incredible speed, and the distance between them and Mizuki was shrinking rapidly. There were three of them, too. Even if Mizuki fought, she and Luka would still be outnumbered. And if Luka tried to defend Mizuki on her own, it would be even worse. 

“Gregory!” 

The moment Titania reflexively yelled out, with or without even having heard her, Gregory’s horse turned around. However... 

“Tch! Mizuki-dono, please grab hold of me tightly.” 

“Oh, uh, yeah!” 

Maneuvering her horse, Luka tried to escape the descending demons. Unfortunately, however, the horse’s feet were being slowed in the mud, hampering its ability to evade. The disadvantage was only slight, but even that could be the difference between life and death now. 

“Shit! Stain Scarlet!” 

While cursing, Reiji let loose some of his fire magic. Titania followed up with a spell of her own, but neither would make it in time. The berserking demons moved at superhuman speeds. 

This is bad! At this rate... 

The demons closed in on Mizuki and Luka. Mizuki fired off her own magic in defense, but the demons continued charging even when scorched with flame. Reiji was much too far away to be able to help and he knew it. A bad premonition crawled down his back in the form of a chill. 

And just when he was about to prepare himself for the worst, several white lines in the corner of his eye formed a vortex in and soared through the sky, tearing it apart. It was pure white fire. And it engulfed the demons closing in on Mizuki and Luka in the blink of an eye. In a flash, the white flames scattered into the sky, and just like that, the demons were burned to ashes. 

“...Huh?” 

“Impossible! This magic is...!” 

Reiji and Titania’s voices rang out in surprise and realization. And as they grasped what exactly that white fire was and what it signified, they could hear the sound of hooves trampling across the ground from some distance behind them. Someone was approaching on horseback at an unreal speed. It seemed they’d even cast magic on their horse. They were closing in with the speed of a meteor. And when the person in question came into view, Titania shouted out with joy. 

“White Flame-dono!” 

Yes, rushing towards them on horseback was the young court mage in a pure white robe who had summoned Reiji and the others to this world, Felmenia Stingray. Reiji then turned towards her and called out as well. 

“Sensei?! Why are you here?!” 

“Hero-dono! Save the talk for later! The remaining demons come first!” 

“R-Right!” 

Felmenia brought him to his senses, and Reiji immediately turned his horse around and cut through to the remaining demons. Hadorious also cut down another one from horseback, then began to shout to his men once more. 

“Mages, prepare to fire magic once more!” 

His heroic command resounded over the field. Under his orders, the soldiers were able to rally and corner the demons. And with the magic that the mages had prepared, the demons were annihilated. Because multiple magics had all gone off at once, dust, dirt, smoke, and steam were all kicked up into the air, obscuring everyone’s vision. But even so, it was clear there were no longer any remaining demons in the vicinity. Even with compromised visibility, the demons’ presence had been completely eliminated. And so Felmenia dismounted from her horse, and drew closer while leading it along. 

“Your Highness, as well as Reiji-dono and Mizuki-dono... It is good to see you all again.” 

Titania gave a satisfied nod, and Reiji and Mizuki returned Felmenia’s greeting. 

“It’s good to see you again, Sensei.” 

“Felmenia-san, thank you so very much. You saved me.” 

“I’m grateful I just happened to be passing by.” 

Saying that, Felmenia gently caressed Mizuki’s hand. Mizuki gave her a bright, endearing, and grateful smile. Felmenia then turned towards Hadorious, and after exchanging a few scarce words with him as well, she bowed her head. They seemed to be acquainted. Though she displayed neither affection nor the disgust that Titania had shown, she finished her greetings with him in a businesslike manner. She then turned to Titania again, who offered her gratitude. 

“White Flame-dono, I thank you greatly for your assistance. But whatever are you doing here?” 

“That’s right. If I am not mistaken, were you not relieved of your post as a court mage by His Majesty?” 

When Hadorious added himself into the conversation, Felmenia pointed a meek expression back to him. 

“Your Grace, currently in lieu of my duties as a court mage, I am performing a special duty at His Majesty’s behest.” 

“A royal command, is it...?” 

Reiji was surprised to hear she was no longer serving as a court mage. But if King Almadious had given her an order, then... 

“Could it be you came to help us?” 

“What? Oh, no, I’m afraid that’s not the case...” 

“Then what is it?” 

“Um, that is to say... there are certain unavoidable circumstances, so...” 

“White Flame-dono, what is the matter? 

Titania urged her on, but Felmenia was hesitating to speak like it was difficult to do so. She was inexplicably on edge. Reiji couldn’t tell what was wrong with her. Was her royal command something that was hard to speak of in front of the princess? Well, if the order had come from the king himself, then that was completely possible. 

And while they were in the midst of trying to get to the bottom of Felmenia’s appearance, a single soldier came running over while panting. 

“R-Reporting!” 

Were there still demons in the area? That didn’t seem likely. A soldier who arrived to deliver a report had come from the forest they’d all just emerged from. There were no demons that way. And so, Hadorious questioned the soldier. 

“What is it?” 

“F-From the Empire! Her Imperial Highness Third Princess Graziella Filas Rieseld is leading a single company and broke through the border!” 

It was a notice of an emergency. Despite gasping for air, the soldier managed to deliver his report. In response, Titania’s expression suddenly changed to one of utter shock. 

“Wha?! Her Imperial Highness Graziella?!” 

“Yes, Your Highness! Her Imperial Highness ignored the stationed troops who tried to stop her and forcefully broke through Astel’s border. She has already passed Kurant City, and is headed this way at a terrifying pace!” 

“No way... Why?” 

“...I do believe that much is self-evident, Twilight-dono.” 

At that point in the conversation, an unfamiliar voice cut in. Titania turned around in surprise. Just beyond the dust and smoke that had finally started to clear, a woman appeared. 

“Reiji-kun! Another unknown person popped up! What do we do?!” 

“Yeah, I don’t know that this is something we can do anything about...” 

The two of them were likely powerless in this situation. Mizuki was clearly alarmed, and Reiji tried to calm her down. 

Before their eyes was a woman straddled atop a horse. She spoke with a voice that implied it was meaningless to challenge her. The clearing smoke revealed she was wearing a luxurious military uniform and a coat draped over her shoulders. With wavy, long, blonde hair and a fearless smile on her face, she naturally looked like she was born to reign over others. She simply gave off that kind of commanding air. This woman, along with her comrades or subordinates, were all dressed in similar uniforms. However, what was concerning was... 

“They’re riding horses, but nobody noticed them coming...?” 

Just like Reiji’s group, this woman and her comrades were riding horses. There was no denying that, but not one person had heard the sound of approaching hooves. With so many of them and at this distance, it should have been obvious. Yet no one had heard a thing. That should have been absolutely impossible. And perhaps because she heard Reiji mutter such doubts to himself, Felmenia provided him with the answer. 

“Reiji-dono, this woman is the Nelferian Empire’s third imperial princess, Her Highness Graziella Filas Rieseld. Her Highness is also known as the Geo Malifex, the strongest mage who uses the earth attribute, throughout the Empire. Something like disguising the sound of horses running is likely but a trifle to her.” 

“But why do that?” 

“That much, I do not know. Based on the situation, it does not appear that their purpose is to harm us, but...” 

Both Reiji and Felmenia knitted their brows over Graziella’s arrival. As they watched, Titania drew nearer to Graziella with a still stern expression on her face. 

“It has been a long time, Your Imperial Highness.” 

“A long time indeed, Your Royal Highness. It’s good that you appear to be in good health.” 

Even while both girls sounded angry, Titania stayed polite. And in contrast, Graziella maintained her commanding attitude. Somewhat incited by that, Titania grew a bit critical. 

“You said your reason for being here was self-evident, Your Highness, but don’t you have something to say for yourself?” 

“Oh? Something to say? I don’t have the slightest clue. Is there something I should?” 

“Tch... Even if we are allied nations, to cross the national border without any notice, much less with armed forces, is quite an offense, is it not? Do you have some sort of explanation for your aberrant behavior?” 

Graziella met Titania’s stern gaze with laughter. 

“Certainly it would ordinarily warrant an apology, but do you have any room to talk?” 

“...What do you mean?” 

“I do not believe the matter is so complicated that you cannot understand without me saying it.” 

The gazes of the imperial and royal princesses clashed. After a few tense moments, Graziella scoffed at her. 

“A large army of demons appeared within your territory, you know? And considering your obligation to worry about the damage that could be done to adjacent territories, to not even offer a single word of warning to us, your neighbors... And you call yourself an allied country?” 

“That’s... The advance of the demons was too fast. We simply hadn’t been able to communicate the information yet.” 

“Is that so? Your preparations against the demons seem to be quite in order. And you and Astel’s hero are supposed to be in our country, are you not? Yet you’re spouting excuses about not being able to inform us. My, the Kingdom of Astel’s dear princess dons quite the mask, I see.” 

“Urgh...” 

Titania grimaced as if she found all this mortifying. As if seeing that improved her mood, Graziella laughed scornfully in delight. 

“And that’s all not to mention that you were in our country on your way to defeating the Demon Lord. You should’ve had no way to hear news of home, so I wonder...” 

“You’ll ask us to stay quiet on this matter. However, Your Highness, there is no justifiable reason for you to enter our country without notice like this.” 

“We came running over to provide reinforcements upon hearing of the crisis in an allied nation. Under such circumstances, is that not a justifiable reason? I won’t let you say this kind of thing is unheard of.” 

Graziella spoke in an even more oppressive way than before. She flatly claimed that they had approached unnoticed to provide reinforcements in the battle against the demons. Judging from the situation, that was likely the case. But Titania was still unhappy. With a bitter look on her face, she glared at Graziella. 

“We will be formally protesting this matter at a later date.” 

“Do as you like. However, as long as this matter involves the invasion of demons, I do believe the Saadias Alliance and the Holy State would all be in our side.” 

Graziella made that bold declaration as if the matter hardly concerned her. She brazenly ignored Titania’s threat altogether. Graziella then turned towards Reiji. Her oppressive gaze, which felt like it pierced right through him, inspected him from head to toe. 

“Are you the summoned hero of Astel?” 

“Yes.” 

“My, how unsociable.” 

“That’s just my nature.” 

Saying that, Reiji lightly bowed his head. This was an opponent he couldn’t give any opportunity. He felt that intuitively, and so he kept things curt. Graziella laughed dryly like it wasn’t all that amusing, and then peered at Reiji. 

“You have quite the pretty face, I see.” 

“What of it?” 

“Nothing. It’s just that I don’t see even a single scar. I was merely thinking that perhaps you had nothing to do with violence back in your own world, you see. For a man who was summoned as a hero, that’s something of a disappointment.” 

Despite just meeting him for the first time, that was what she had to say. Was she just that bold? She was vicious, near villainous. Titania upbraided her for it. 

“Your Imperial Highness, is that not going too far when speaking to the hero who will save the world?” 

“Hmph. All I did was speak my mind. Besides, I do not believe this disastrous scene was authored solely by your hands.” 

Putting all else aside, Graziella glared at Titania and asked about the real matter at hand. 

“So, there were demons, right? What happened here?” 

“Indeed. Just what happened here, I wonder? I also do not know.” 

“Hmm?” 

In response to Titania’s blunt answer, Graziella furrowed her brow. Even they didn’t know. Trying to explain the unknown was pointless, and with Titania’s personal feelings thrown in the mix, she didn’t want to tell her anything anyway. As expected, she hated to lose. 

And while that was going on, Reiji got curious and took a peek at Hadorious. Just why was he staying quiet after it had gone this far? Judging from his character and position, he would try to get in a word or two with Graziella. Yet he hadn’t offered a peep of protest. He’d been far too quiet ever since Graziella showed up. 

Did Reiji have the wrong idea about him after all? No, no matter how he looked at it, something felt weird. As Reiji was stewing on that skepticism, an irregularity suddenly swooped down on the group. Noticing a wave of power, everyone present began looking around. That surging wave was a mass of aggressive mana. Felmenia was the first to look up over the horizon. 

“That is...” 

It seemed she’d determined its origin before anyone else. Her long silver hair fluttered in the breeze as she glared at what was flying in at an outrageous speed. Next to her, Hadorious finally spoke up. 

“So there were still some remnants. However...” 

“It’s stronger than the demons from before.” 

The one who followed up after him was Reiji. Sensing the danger of the current situation, he put himself on guard. The mana being let off by the incoming demon was serious. It couldn’t even be compared to the demons he’d fought before. And this powerful demon was headed straight for them. Just like the others before it, the moment it found humans, it went after them like they were a discovery that needed to be exterminated. 

Everyone saw it now. Felt it. There was no need for anyone to announce its presence. Before long, it dropped to the earth like a bolt of lightning, and a loud boom erupted in front of Reiji and the others. A cloud of brown dust scattered in all directions. It rolled over the area like a fog, obscuring everyone’s vision again. The wave of mana that washed over them was like a driving rain. 

And before long, what came into view through the dust was an enormous demon that surpassed two meters in height. It had a big frame, rust-colored skin, and thick limbs. It was a devilish creature whose very design seemed to suggest that power was everything. 

“You damn humans... You already gathered your forces?” 

“I-It’s huge...” 

As that enormous frame glared over the group, someone muttered and gulped, remarking about the demon’s size. Another trembling voice then spoke up. 

“Reiji-sama, be careful!” 

“Yeah, I know, Tia.” 

With Titania imploring him to keep vigilant, Reiji squinted as he observed the demon closely. While it was flying in, he’d sensed extraordinary power, but seeing it up close, the demon’s entire body was battered. He was wounded all over, and his injuries seemed to be leaking a faint, black, smoke-like aura. There was little energy in the demon’s movements. It was plain to see that it was completely exhausted. 

To put it in words, it was a mere shell of itself. It was like it had just finished a fierce battle. No, there was no mistaking that’s what had happened. This demon likely had fought in the battle that had taken place in this field. That’s why it was weakened. However, even so, the amount of mana and the fighting spirit it still let out were enough to make it a sufficiently formidable opponent for Reiji and the others as they were now. The first one to address the enormous demon was Hadorious. 

“Bastard, you’re no mere normal demon, are you?” 

“That’s right... I am Rajas, one of the demon generals of the demon army...” 

Hearing Rajas identify himself, Titania and Graziella both voiced their surprise in their own way. 

“A demon general, you say...?!” 

“I see. So you’re not just all size, it seems.” 

As the soldiers began to stir and whisper, Hadorious once more addressed the demon while vigilantly keeping an eye on him. 

“It seems that you have been done in quite considerably. What did you bastards fight here?” 

“Shut up. That has nothing to do with you...” 

Rajas cut down Hadorious’s question as if it was simply annoying. In addition to the pain and anguish in his voice, there was a distinguishable tone of indignation. But even as he spoke, Rajas prepared himself for battle. He seemed intent on attacking. Everyone present steeled themselves as well, having already drawn their weapons. Reiji, however, took a somewhat different approach. Face to face with a demon general for the first time, there was something he wanted to know. 

“I have something I want to ask.” 

“And what’s that, puny human?” 

“Why do all of you attack humans?” 

Yes, he wanted to know the reason demons attacked humans. He wanted to know why. Rajas’s face twisted with a puzzled expression, and then he spat his answer. 

“Hmph. Isn’t that obvious? The order that you bastards create is an eyesore. That’s why we’ll kill you humans and hunt you down to the last.” 

“Order? Saying such a thing is an eyesore... You can’t just accept that we live differently?” 

“No. You damn humans endlessly crop up and spread out like maggots. And when you all act together to do something, there’s nothing more irritating than that to us. That’s why you must be exterminated.” 

“But aren’t humans and demons both living beings all the same? What meaning is there in killing each other for such a reason?” 

“Meaning?” 

“That’s right.” 

What he was really getting at was the right and wrong of the conflict. Reiji had no intention of just glossing over that. The idea that conflict was avoidable as long as two people could talk to and understand each other was a fool’s dream. Reiji had seen that fail time and time again in his own world. 

But as long as there wasn’t a reason that two people were doomed to fight no matter what, he believed that peace was the better way. He didn’t expect enemies to hold hands, but as long as they could mutually coexist without bothering each other, that would be good enough. 

Reiji could hear Titania fretting and an exasperated sigh from Graziella, who was likely looking down on him. But no matter what they thought, he wanted his answer. Rajas then turned a suspicious gaze on him. 

“Could it be... you’re the damn hero?” 

“And what if I am?” 

“Heh... Heh heh, I see... I thought that might be the case when you started spouting such pretentious and naive crap, but how convenient. With this, I can accomplish my original goal.” 

Despite being unable to hide his exhausted state, Rajas stoutheartedly declared his intent to make a move. And seeing Rajas like that, perhaps in ridicule, Graziella let out an astonished laugh. 

“What’s that, demon? What about those injuries of yours, hmm?” 

“Like I care. In any case, there’s no way I can shamelessly return like this. To wipe away the disgrace of my failure, Hero, I’ll be taking your damn head! I won’t lose to a mere human ever again!” 

After unleashing an angry roar, Rajas once more began building up his fighting spirit and mana. Reiji turned his sword on him. Hadorious did the same, and the soldiers took up battle formations. Mizuki stepped to the back, and Titania began readying her magic from the rear line. Perhaps intending on working with her, Felmenia took her place next to Titania. 

Meanwhile, seemingly intent on just observing, Graziella simply sat atop her horse with folded arms. She wasn’t moving a muscle, much less preparing for a fight. Perhaps because she was accustomed to the sight of battle, her arrogant atmosphere did not crumble in the slightest. 

“Hey, answer my—” 

“I’m done with you and your damn questions, Hero!” 

Rajas began to move. His towering frame closed in on Reiji with nimble movements. He was moving at such a dreadful speed that the wind howled around him. 

“Hup!” 

Matching up his speed, Reiji leaped into the air. With strength unimaginable in his world, he rose up above Rajas, and then swung his sword as he came down. 

“HAAAAA!” 

With a battle cry, he brought his blade down on Rajas’s fist. Enduring the tingling shock that passed into his hand through the sword, Reiji poured all his strength into his grip. To think that a single fist was enough to rival a blow from both arms of a hero powered with the divine protection of the hero summoning... If this was the demon in his exhausted state, then just how powerful was he when he was in perfect shape? 

While Reiji was still hanging in the air, Rajas used his other hand to swing at him from the side. Judging that he’d take the hit in his current position, Reiji relented on the strength he was pouring into the sword and lowered his body to the ground as he landed. Changing the trajectory of his hearty slap, however, Rajas brought his hand downward towards Reiji’s head. 

Reiji didn’t see it coming. There was no time. That he noticed it at all was entirely due to the intuition born of his unnaturally sharpened senses. Reiji went face down low to the ground, grabbed the earth with one hand, and, leaving it to the strength in his arm, forcefully chucked his body to the side. The hand that impacted the ground sent mud flying into the air as he moved. So that it wouldn’t get into his eyes, Reiji covered his face using the flat of his blade. Recovered and back on his feet mere moments later, Reiji stepped forward to strike with his sword. When he did, Rajas vigorously drove his foot into the earth. 

“Uwah!” 

The powerful shock wave shook the earth. Because it happened just as Reiji stepped forward to attack, his balance was compromised. And then an enormous ramming attack that could be mistaken for heavy machinery came rushing at him. 

Reiji judged that he wouldn’t be able to evade in time. So instead of pointlessly trying to dodge, he held out his sword like a shield and braced all the muscles in his body, resigning himself to the collision. Sent flying by the impact, he had a vision of his entire body breaking to pieces as he landed. When he did hit the ground, he was assaulted by a numbing pain that ran screaming throughout his body. If not for the divine protection of the hero summoning, he easily would’ve been reduced to a pulp. 

Rajas had taken Reiji out so quickly that there wasn’t even an opening for anyone else to offer support. And eventually, when his senses and the regular passage of time returned to him, Reiji could hear Mizuki screaming. 

“R-Reiji-kun!” 

“...I’m alright, Mizuki. Don’t worry...” 

An odd numbness was still lurking all over his body, but he endured it and stood up. When he did, Rajas yelled out angrily. 

“Is this the power of a hero?! Are you saying that this is what threatens the ambitions of us demons?! Even for all your silly human delusions, there’s a limit to impertinence! How dare you think you could defeat us with this level of strength?!” 

His shouting voice was colored with frustration and disappointment. What spurned him to say those things? It was like he was comparing Reiji to someone else. As Rajas moved to attack Reiji once more, Hadorious stood in his way. 

“Get out of my way!” 

Rajas let out a tremendously loud shout that threatened to deafen all who heard it, yet Hadorious remained silent as he confronted him. And while evading the fist that came down like a cannonball, Hadorious trifled with Rajas. The way he was conducting himself was forceful and clever, to the point that any observer would question his age. And when he found an opening, Hadorious drove his sword unerringly into the large wound on Rajas’s chest. 

“G-Guh!” 

“Hmph...” 

Having his wound so gouged, Rajas grimaced slightly. Seeing him do so, however, Hadorious didn’t seem all that amused. Scoffing at him like it was boring, Hadorious only looked down on him with a dismissive glance that suggested it was useless to challenge him. To be able to cut into such a robust demon like that, he must have been considerably strong. 

“Tch! A mere human—” 

Rajas flung his arm grandly to the side as if swatting away a fly. However, Hadorious lithely leaped back and safely evaded the blow while distancing himself from Rajas. 

“Move.” 

A stern voice called out to Hadorious. Surprisingly, the one to make a move as he backed off was Graziella. Had she just remained quiet until now so she could wait for a good opportunity? While dashing across the earth, she wove together a magic spell. 

“Oh Earth! Thou art the crystallization of my tyranny! Take hold of unyielding power and smash my foes to pieces! Become a monument that shall extol glorious death! Crystal Raid!” 

Firing both her chant and keyword at Rajas, Graziella bashed the earth at her feet. In an instant, the ground around her was smashed to pieces as if a localized earthquake had occurred, and a countless number of rocks protruded upwards. It was as if quartz or gypsum shot out of the ground, and immediately following Rajas’s grand swing at Hadorious, all of the giant, elongated rocks rushed at the demon. 

It was magic that sharpened the peaks of the rocks into points, accelerated them like cannonballs, and granted them hardiness and heft. And just as the stones were about to slam into Rajas, the split second before they could, a black aura coiled around Rajas’s body as if adhering to it. 

The demon general was buried under the multitude of rock pillars. But it only lasted a few moments. He punched and tore through them, shattering them all. Rajas remained as he was, apparently not any worse for wear. 

“My, for it to be ineffective.” 

Was that black aura that he draped around himself Rajas’s defensive technique? After the aura was dispersed, there were no signs of any new wounds on his massive frame. The spell Graziella had cast was above the intermediate level, so for such powerful magic to have no effect whatsoever demonstrated the abnormality of his resilience. Graziella was surprised, but she didn’t show the tiniest amount of panic. And just then... 

“OOOOOOOOH!” 

Rajas let out a war cry. It was like he was trying to forcefully pull power from the depths of his body, a roar which seemed to chip away at his own life. And before long, a black energy began swelling in Rajas’s right hand. It exploded as it swallowed everything in the area. A shock wave of black energy was closing in like the surging sea. 

Crap...! 

Eyeing the distance between himself and Rajas, Reiji was left with a bitter taste in his mouth. The ten meters between them was far too close. He’d be seriously wounded or worse at this range, but Reiji’s body was still numb. He couldn’t move. His defensive magic wouldn’t make it in time either. 

A sensation like the cold chill of going pale mixed with the burning heat of impatience assaulted his numb arm. Just as he clenched his jaw and prepared to take the hit with no defenses up whatsoever, Reiji’s body was swept away by something. 

“Reiji-sama! Thank goodness!” 

“What? Tia...?” 

The voice that called out to him was coming from incredibly nearby. He then realized that in the blink of an eye, the scenery around him had changed. The voice was Titania’s, and she appeared to be holding on to him. 

Reiji organized his thoughts based on the information he had. While he was immobile, did she sweep him away out of the attack’s range? Looking once more, he tried to gauge the distance between himself and Rajas. Did she use magic? They’d escaped by a hair’s breadth. 

“Fuck... For my full power to only do this much, just what the hell was that lightning...?” 

Rajas was gasping for breath. Seemingly unable to stop the wheezing in his lungs, the voice coming out of him was somewhat hoarse. He used it to curse something, but it was unclear what. Rather than bitter, it sounded like he was annoyed, and rather than yield to the pain in his body, his anger took precedence. 

Next, Reiji could sense mana in the surroundings swelling up. Following that, the presence of magic expanded, and the mages in the area all fired at once. Rajas was immediately engulfed by spells of various magics. He was hit with flames, lightning, and other attributes that would not negate each other when used together. And because so many powerful mages fired at once, their total destructive power surpassed that of Graziella’s magic. 

However, even so, Rajas was still going strong. The spells hardly fazed him. Seeing this unfold before her very eyes, Titania raised a frightened voice. 

“What a tenacious demon...” 

Just how strong was his body? After all this, the only one who’d been able to deal him any damage was Hadorious. Yet even now, Rajas was groaning in pain. He’d likely been fighting with a fatal wound from the outset. Reiji could only see him as getting closer and closer to death. 

“Do not falter! Continue firing magic!” 

The soldiers all rallied at Hadorious’s command. 

“Everyone...” 

While Reiji and the others were fighting with Rajas, the only one left to grit her teeth on the sidelines was Mizuki. 

Before a demon that was so powerful it shattered the earth, Reiji, Titania, the noble who ensnared Suimei, and even the imperial princess who suddenly appeared were all fighting. Mizuki was the only one who’d retreated to be protected by a knight. All she could do was watch as the battle unfolded. That was the reality of the situation. While clinging to the knight’s back, she could only huddle up in fear. And to her, that was more bitter than anything else. 

Even though her friend was risking his life, she was frozen in place. That tortured her heart. Back when she was in danger, both Reiji and Suimei came to save her. Though it was something that had happened in their own world, it only added to her pangs of conscience and weighed on her heart more. 

And despite that, I’m not doing anything... 

When she heard Suimei was in danger, she couldn’t move and only trembled. And now that Reiji and the others were engaged in a difficult battle, she simply clung to Luka’s back. She was just waiting for it to be over. 

Would she be like this forever? Even though she wanted to be helpful to her friend, to the person who was important to her, would she forever be helpless? Forever need to be protected? Right now, even though that boy was pushed into a hard fight with that large demon right in front of her, was she really going to continue to sit there and do nothing? Such thoughts within her only grew more and more turbulent. 

No... I can’t... I can’t be like that... 

It would be denying her own words and abandoning her responsibility. Moreover, it meant she’d be willingly giving up her place next to Reiji. 

The girl who’d followed along with them, Astel’s Princess Titania, firmly stood on the battlefield. Not just for herself, but also for Mizuki and countless people whose faces she didn’t even know. And even though she was fighting for all of them... 

Is there something...? Something that I can do...? 

That’s why she had to do something. She knew she had to. If she continued to do nothing as she was, she would indeed stay this way forever. She would just be helpless. Someone that no one needed. The rights and wrongs of her saying she wanted to be of use didn’t matter. She just tried to think about what she could do with her own strength. 

So... what was it that she could do? It had to be magic. The only thing that she’d learned ever since coming to this world was magic. It was the only thing she had to put to use on the battlefield. But knowing magic alone wouldn’t do it. She needed something that surpassed Graziella’s magic. Something more powerful. Otherwise she wouldn’t be able to defeat that enormous demon. 

The magic that I can use is... 

“Oh icy hell that brings demise to all fire’s breath...” 

“Ah...” 

It suddenly dawned on her. A clear image and words. A voice she’d never heard before rang in her head, and transformed her intuition into conviction. This magic could defeat him. She wondered why it had happened now, but deep down, she also knew why. Previously, Titania and Felmenia had said that sometimes magic would come into someone’s head out of nowhere. When Reiji first used magic, he’d said something similar happened. Then this was likely what they were talking about. 

That meant there was no reason that she shouldn’t be able to put it to use. All that was left was summoning the courage to actually do it. And before she knew it, she’d leaped off Luka’s horse. 

“M-Mizuki-dono?! Y-You can’t!” 

“Mizuki?!” 

Reiji and Luka realized that she was walking into danger and called out to try and stop her. But even then, there was no way that she would. For her own sake, for the sake of being beside him, and for the sake of her other friend, she walked forward. Right in the middle of the battlefield. She looked at Rajas’s back. Since he was facing off against the soldiers, he hadn’t noticed her. At this rate, she could get him completely defenseless... 

“What is this...? You damned little girl.” 

“U-Uh, ah...” 

Before she could fire, Rajas turned around. When he fixed his gaze on her, some cold sensation froze her body. She was no longer able to move even a single finger. Was everyone on the battlefield dealing with this? Just how did they fight against it? How could they muster any resistance to this that wasn’t utterly in vain? 

“What are you doing?! Mizuki, fall back!” 

“Hmph, so a mere stupid little girl nonchalantly dares to present herself to me, huh?” 

Titania and Rajas’s voices scattered within her head and ran rampant. She couldn’t even tell what they’d said. All she could focus on was Rajas’s enormous arm. Just by being lightly touched with that, her body would likely be smashed to pieces. The thought of being hit with that battering ram of an arm and what it would do to her filled her entire brain to capacity. She couldn’t move. 

It was no good after all. With all she’d felt, she couldn’t muster up the courage now when it mattered most. 

“A hindrance.” 

What came down on her were cold words with no consideration. Unpleasant words. The same cruel arrogance someone would treat a pest with. 

“Stay... back...” 

All she could barely get out was a tiny squeak. He couldn’t hear it, and even if he had, he wouldn’t have listened. At this rate— 

“G-GUAAAAAAAAAAAH!” 

While Mizuki was trembling before his oppressive aura, Rajas took a single step forward and suddenly began screaming in pain. His anguished cry seemed like it could pierce the heavens. He writhed, grabbing at his chest... Or was it more than that? It was as if something was rampaging within his body. And eventually, from the open portions of Rajas’s wound, blue lightning sprouted out, undulating like snakes. 

“Urgh, ah—GAAAH! Do you still... still intend on tormenting me, you bastard?!” 

Were the curses he spat out directed at the lightning, or towards something else entirely? Who or what he was screaming at was uncertain, but even as he unleashed his rage, the pale lightning continued eating away at the inside of Rajas’s body like a hungry snake. The crackling of lightning filled the air. The sharp sound like that of sparks shooting out of an exposed electrical line squirming around assaulted her ears. And mixed within that, there was the faint sound of some inhuman and shrill voice. Rajas was unable to do anything. 

The one to make a move next was Reiji. 

He couldn’t let this chance slip away. Before Rajas was able to move again, he had to defeat him. His body seemed to be in working order again. Slipping out of Titania’s arms, he closed in on Rajas in an instant. Before Mizuki knew it, Reiji’s body was wreathed in fire, which meant he had put to use his body reinforcement magic. Rajas swung out his arm to defend himself, but seized by the lightning, it was slow. The blade of Reiji’s orichalcum sword came sailing towards him in a downward slash with a good tailwind. It easily repelled Rajas’s massive arm. 

“HAAAAAAAAAAAH!” 

Reiji’s battle cry shook the air. He drove his orichalcum blade into Rajas’s chest. 

“Guh... Ah... Ridiculous... From this, this kind of...” 

He was astonished like he couldn’t believe something as insignificant as Reiji’s attack was the finishing blow. It was like a small needle that he’d paid no attention to had pierced his heart. Reiji, meanwhile, was silent. Without letting up on the blade, he only pushed on it harder. And little by little, the point sunk farther into Rajas’s body. And eventually, perhaps repelled by the lightning, Reiji let go of his sword and stepped back. 

“Gu-uuuuah... If only... if only that man didn’t exist, I wouldn’t have fallen to the damned likes of you.” 

“Who? The one who created this disastrous scene?” 

“That’s right! Using some strange magic, he annihilated my army all on his own. A man dressed in black... If not... If not for that fucker, I would never... to the likes of you!” 

With the last of his strength, Rajas ranted and raved. Because of Reiji’s sword and the lightning, instead of running wild, he seemed intent on just leaving behind curses. Somewhat unexpectedly, Felmenia then approached the demon. 

“What is it... a woman?” 

In response to the beautiful mage that approached him at such a leisurely pace that she looked out of place, Rajas spat out a puzzled question while wheezing. 

“Demon, there is one thing that I would like to hear from a bastard like you.” 

“To hear... from me?” 

“About the person you spoke of just now, the man in black clothes...” 

“What...?” 

Rajas made a dubious expression as cold sweat poured down his face. And after closing her eyes for a short moment as if she was pondering in hesitation, Felmenia asked her question. 

“Demon, this man dressed in black... Did he perhaps call himself a magician?” 

“Woman, do you know that fucker?! YOU BASTAAAAAAAAAAARD!” 

The way Rajas lost his composure upon hearing her question was clearly abnormal. It was like the roar of the beast holding deep resentment for an abominable adversary. 

And before long, finding it difficult to even curse out anymore, his shouting came to a stop. Felmenia’s amber eyes seemed to be reflecting some kind of admiration, and she muttered to herself in a somewhat convinced manner. 

“I see, so it was him after all.” 

“Answer me, woman... Just what... What is...” 

“He called himself a magician, did he not? In that case, there is nothing more for me to tell you.” 

“I-If only that man didn’t exist... I... I would never lose... to such small fries...” 

That much was true. The demon known as Rajas was that much of a formidable enemy. He far surpassed their powers. If not for the exhaustion from a precious battle and for the pale lightning that was eating away at him like worms, they likely wouldn’t have attained victory. Before Rajas’s towering body and his violent strength, they may just have suffered a crushing defeat. 

And before long, as if the pale lightning was overflowing from within his body, Rajas began to shine brightly with a pale blue light. He screamed out somebody’s name, but the words were swallowed up by the terrifying splashes of electricity. He fell over. His body had reached its limit and could no longer withstand that powerful energy. With a loud sound like a clap of thunder, his body disappeared. 

And as if announcing the end of the battle, the clang of Reiji’s orichalcum sword—now scorched by lightning—rang out. 

“Mizuki!” 

After Rajas was burned to nothing by the lightning and vanished, Titania screamed out Mizuki’s name as she ran over to her. Still completely dumbfounded, Mizuki feebly sank to the ground and didn’t move. She didn’t move at all. That was how affected she’d been by the poison that was Rajas’s fearsome presence in battle. The trembling of her hands that were loosely hanging at her sides demonstrated that the remains of the fear still shook her heart. Reiji also drew closer to her, and asked her about her sudden and baffling behavior. 

“Mizuki! Why did you do something so reckless...?” 

“Sorry... I was always just watching. It was only me... That’s why I wanted to do something no matter what, so...” 

Mizuki lifted her pale face and looked at Reiji as she spoke of the reason why she had been so foolhardy. Then looking down at her trembling hands, it was like she was reminded of it all over again. To meet her gaze, Titania knelt down in front of her. 

“Even so, if anything had gone wrong, you would have been killed by that demon called Rajas.” 

“A spell popped up in my head... So I thought maybe I could do something about that big demon. That’s why...” 

That’s why she’d done what she had. And Mizuki apologized for it again to both of them. In response, Reiji once more let out words of relief as he held her tightly. 

“It’s great that you’re alright...” 

“Yeah...” 

Eventually, Hadorious finished recomposing the ranks of his troops and sent out patrols into the surroundings. Back at the scene of the battle, Titania called out to Felmenia. 

“White Flame-dono, there is something that I would like to ask you. Would that be alright?” 

Hearing Titania’s polite request, Felmenia nodded. Everyone present could guess what it was about, and waited with bated breath to hear Titania’s question. 

“White Flame-dono, about what you had asked Rajas earlier... Are you acquainted with the person who created this situation and wounded that demon?” 

Felmenia quietly acknowledged her suspicions, and admitted what everyone present had suspected. 

“And so, about this man... What kind of man is he? What is his name?” 

Graziella suddenly stepped forward and questioned her next. Was she interested? No, there was no way she wasn’t. She had impatiently cut into their conversation in her bullish manner, but the sullen look on Felmenia’s face said she would never tell. 

“My apologies, but I cannot answer that question.” 

“...What did you say?” 

“This is highly classified information of our country. I cannot provide the answer to Your Imperial Highness of another nation.” 

“That demon who called himself Rajas said this man you’re acquainted with annihilated an army of this scale, you know? Even an idiot would know that this is a serious matter. And are you saying you would refuse to answer even then, you twit?” 

Even when Felmenia said she couldn’t answer, Graziella didn’t back off. She was even firing off her irritation from deep within her belly in the form of mana and hostility to try and pressure her. A tense, unreasonable atmosphere swept over the area. It felt like it would swallow anyone who lost their focus for a mere second. Graziella was demanding an explanation without a hint of leniency or modesty. Yet even so, Felmenia remained obstinate. 

“Yes, Your Highness. No matter how serious a matter it is, highly classified information is highly classified information. Even if you are of an allied nation, and regardless of mutually sharing all information regarding the demons, I do not possess the authority to speak of this matter.” 

Her face was so strained that Graziella’s brow spasmed. It seemed like a fight might break out at any moment, but after clicking her tongue in annoyance, she managed to calm herself down. Felmenia went as far to say that it was a highly confidential matter to her country. Her inquiring further was likely not something Titania and Hadorious would allow as authorities of their nation. If she were to start a fight just because Felmenia wouldn’t fold, that in and of itself would be a serious matter. 

Once Graziella seemed to relent, Titania asked a question of her own. 

“Regarding that matter, does that also include me?” 

“With all due respect.” 

Felmenia respectfully bowed her head. Following all this, Hadorious stepped forward. 

“Lady Stingray, if you cannot even answer to Her Highness Titania, then does that mean this concerns your royal command from His Majesty the King?” 

“Regarding that matter, it is not something that I am able to provide an answer for.” 

“I see...” 

The fact that she didn’t deny it was like implicitly acknowledging it. However, just what did it mean that she knew who this strange, powerful man was? Reiji knit his brow dubiously. There wasn’t supposed to be anybody that strong in the Kingdom of Astel, or so he thought. It may be that he just didn’t know about them. But if even Titania and Hadorious didn’t know, something felt off. As Reiji turned this all over in his head, Hadorious seemed to do the same thing. Eventually, however, he made an unexpected suggestion. 

“Then, about the matter of this demon and its army... There would be no problem in saying that Hero-dono subdued them all, correct?” 

“Wha—?!” 

Naturally, the first one to react was the hero himself, Reiji. As if he found Reiji’s shock to be somewhat mysterious, however, Hadorious questioned him in return. 

“What are you acting so surprised for?” 

“I-Isn’t that obvious? I didn’t do it.” 

“Certainly, but if we make this out to be the hero’s victory, you do know what benefits it will reap for us, don’t you?” 

“That’s...” 

At that point, Reiji hesitated to object. Graziella was the one that raised an objection now. 

“Duke, do you believe that I would allow such a thing? We were also here and fought with the demons too, you know.” 

Graziella knew the truth, and she wasn’t about to let Reiji take this achievement solely for himself. But as if he’d had an answer prepared in advance, Hadorious courteously spoke to her without hesitation. 

“Your Imperial Highness Graziella, if you are to let this matter slide, I shall promise that we will not lodge a protest concerning Your Highness’s invasion.” 

“My invasion, you say?” 

“Indeed. Your Highness brought an army across the border without permission, after all.” 

“You bastard...” 

“For Your Highness, it would be problematic to have bad rumors spread right now. I do believe this is a good deal. All you have to do is pretend that you saw nothing here today.” 

“...Do as you like...” 

In response to Hadorious’s superficially polite offer, Graziella turned around in ill humor. It seemed that Titania also had thoughts about this matter of achievements, and was pointing a surprised and suspicious gaze at Hadorious. However, as if to suggest that it wasn’t something that concerned him, Hadorious began giving out instructions to his subordinates.