Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru! (LN) - Volume 5 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: On the Evening of the New Moon 

As the stars glistened in the heavens above, a faint blue light traced an empty circle in the air. It was like a black lacquer plate was suspended in the sky. 

“On the night of a new moon, never compete against a swordsman.” 

As a magician, Suimei’s father had had his share of run-ins with all manner of sword masters. And on this night, Suimei was reminded of a warning his father had told him to never forget. Swords were excellent reflectors of moonlight. In direct moonlight, it was almost like they were aglow with the killing intent of the wielder. At just the right moment, you could literally see the arc the blade traced in the air as it came in for the finishing blow. Needless to say, it was a different story on the night of the new moon. Neither artificial light nor the light given off by the glow of mana revealed the flicker of a sword quite the same way. And so, without the natural light of the moon, a master swordsman’s blade was practically invisible at night. 

And in a world like this where the nights were especially dark, it was easy enough to predict how any such fight would go down. Hoping that his second encounter with Hatsumi wouldn’t come to that, Suimei looked up at the deep, dark sky with a worried expression. For you see, on this moonless evening, Suimei was planning to sneak into the palace once more. 

Descending from the tall spiked wall, he softly landed in a hedge inside the palace grounds. After looking around, he came to realize the place was actually quite enormous. There was the main building, three separate annexes with gardens, the barracks for the guards, and a chapel separated by some woods. Taking a tour of the entire place very well may be an all-day affair. 

Things would have been a little easier if he’d known where he was going, but his destination was different from his last visit. He also had to worry about whether or not Hatsumi would be alone now. After last time, she would likely be a lot more vigilant. It was easily possible she had an escort with her, but Suimei would just have to find out for himself. 

“Welp, Liliana said she goes out to a watering hole alone at night...” 

If that was true, things shouldn’t be all that difficult. But the grand palace of Miazen was the height of luxury—it had two watering holes. And Suimei would have to investigate both. 

While thinking things over, Suimei hid himself behind a tree. It wasn’t really necessary considering he was already using magicka to disguise his presence, but he could hardly help it. It was human nature to carry oneself according to the mood of the situation. 

There were soldiers posted sporadically around the well where a maid was currently drawing water. It seemed this location was frequented by all sorts of people, so Suimei quickly discounted it. If Hatsumi went out to be alone, it was hard to imagine she’d come to such a popular place to do it. However... 

“A watering hole, huh? Just what is she coming out to a place like this for anyway?” 

The first thing that came to mind was getting a drink, naturally. But surely there would be servants waiting on her every need as long as she was staying in the castle. As Suimei had just seen, drawing water was clearly a maid’s job—not a hero’s. The only other thing he could really think of... 

“Using water for sword training... Maybe?” 

Suimei wasn’t too familiar with the ways of the blade, but he could think of a couple of different ways water might come in handy while practicing. She might even be using it for something like resistance training. That would also explain why she wanted to be alone. It was natural to seek solitude for training. But that left Suimei with another worry. 

“She’ll be armed and ready, so if I’m careless... Even though we’ll finally have a chance to be alone together...” 

Not realizing what he said could easily be interpreted the wrong way, Suimei jumped up onto the closest roof. With the help of his flight magicka, he landed silently and then ran along the rooftop while scanning the ground below. He moved away from the main complex and headed towards the second watering hole near the chapel, which was reserved strictly for the royal family. 

The spring was surrounded by a tall grove of trees, as if to conceal it from the rest of the palace. It was rather solitary and the patrols in this area were scarce, making it the ideal place to come if someone wanted to be alone. All that was left was for Suimei to find Hatsumi. 

“Ah, crap. Looks like they do come out here...” 

Just as he jumped down from the rooftop, Suimei spotted a single female guard headed in the same direction. He hurriedly concealed himself and thought about putting her to sleep, but ultimately decided to save his magicka. Surely one patrolling guard wouldn’t be an issue in such a large area. But speaking of, Suimei couldn’t see anything resembling a spring from where he landed. 

“So... it’s behind the chapel?” 

Suimei muttered to himself as he watched the guard walk off. He then stealthily moved around the building and came upon a stone wall made quite differently from those of the chapel. It seemed to serve as a divider of some sort, but with the side of it wide open, it wasn’t exactly doing a good job of keeping anything out. 

From just on the other side of the wall, Suimei could hear the splashing sound of water—much more of it and much louder than he’d expected. The noises came at irregular intervals, making it clear there was someone there. 

After confirming that nobody else was nearby, Suimei slipped through the gate-like hole in the wall. Just beyond it, there was a large stone well with what looked like a drain in the pavement nearby. There was a bucket suspended from a metal fixture overtop the well, and sitting next to it was... 

“...Huh?” 

“Huh...?” 

Kuchiba Hatsumi, stark naked. 

Other than letting out a boneheaded gasp of surprise, Suimei was completely paralyzed. Bewitched, even. Hatsumi’s rather un-Japanese golden hair, inherited from her grandfather, was slick with water. Her glowing skin was dripping wet too. The lines of her body drew stunning shapes that Suimei couldn’t help but follow with his eyes. Her figure was captivating. Staring at him in return, Hatsumi made an equally dumbfounded exclamation. She sat there frozen, still holding a bucket of water over her shoulder and everything. 

Thinking about it logically, this all made perfect sense. Of course there was a well behind the chapel where people could come to purify their minds and bodies. 

Bathing culture was locked to a single region in this world. Anywhere outside of that, people preferred just using a wet sponge to wash themselves. But for someone who was used to the full bathing experience, that just didn’t feel right. It was perfectly understandable that they’d want to come out to a well to at least rinse off. 

“Um, you know, this is, um...” 

Though completely incoherent, Suimei did his best to come up with an excuse. He wanted to make it clear it hadn’t been his intention to peep on her. Nevertheless, it seemed that was how Hatsumi had taken it. It looked like she was about to scream. 

“You per—” 

“W-Wait a sec!” 

Knowing anyone who heard her would come running, Suimei made a dash for Hatsumi. After warding off the bucket she threw at him, he grappled her. 

“Urgh!” 

“W-Wait! Please quiet down! I’m begging you!” 

Suimei skillfully slipped around behind her and grabbed her. To prevent her from raising her voice, he covered her mouth with his right hand. The suddenness of it all made them lose their balance, and they both fell backward onto their butts. But Suimei wasn’t at all concerned about that. No, with a guard still patrolling the area, his full attention was on trying to keep a panicked woman from screaming bloody murder in the middle of the night. 

As soon as that happened, it would be all over. The first guard would show up, then another and another until the situation devolved into a repeat of last time. It would completely squander his only real chance to talk to Hatsumi, so Suimei wanted to avoid it no matter what. Hatsumi, however, was naturally none too happy about the situation. She was squirming as best she could to try and escape his grasp. Suimei tightened his grip around her with his left arm. He was focusing his magic on trying to form a barrier, so all he had to hold Hatsumi back with was his own strength. 

“Mm! Mmmph!” 

“Like I’ve been saying, just spare me the violence...” 

“Mmm— Hom!” 

“Ow! Shit, just a little more...” 

Suimei did his best to frantically invoke his magicka. He’d been careless—it was what he should have just done in the first place. But there was no point in kicking himself over it now. He had to focus on deploying the Phantom Road immediately. 

Forming the barrier took most of Suimei’s concentration. When it was finally completed, Hatsumi seemed to have calmed down a bit. She’d stopped struggling, at least. And with the barrier now isolating them from the outside world, Suimei let out a sigh of relief as he let go of Hatsumi’s mouth. 

“Sorry ’bout that. I had no...” 

“You had no choice?! Pervert!” 

Suimei was still holding her, but Hatsumi didn’t hesitate to reproach him with the same vigor she’d just used to bite him. 

“S-Say what you will, but I had no idea you were out here like this...” 

“Enough! Now let me go! Just how long are you planning on grabbing my breast, you idiot?!” 

“What—?” 

Hearing those words, Suimei finally realized just what kind of position he was in. He’d been so utterly focused on grabbing her that he failed to notice that his left hand had taken a firm hold of her breast. It took him a few seconds to take stock of the situation. Then a few more to put his thoughts in order. Realizing that he was taking way too long to react, Suimei turned completely red. He quickly let go and jumped back. Now that he thought about it, he thought he’d grabbed something soft when he tightened his grip on her... 

“S-S-S-S-Sorry!” 

“I bet you are, you pervert! First you sneak into my room in the middle of the night, and now you’re sneaking up on me while I’m bathing so you can grope me! If that isn’t the behavior of a total creep, I don’t know what is!” 

“Yikes!” Suimei replied in a hysterical voice. “I-I-I don’t have any argument there...” 

In a most uncharacteristic fashion, he meekly got on his hands and knees to apologize. Hatsumi, meanwhile, was finding it hard to take a stance while keeping herself covered. With just her arms and hands, she was doing her best to make herself decent, though it wasn’t quite working out. She had one arm over her chest, but didn’t seem to notice the two flashes of pink slipping out from under it. Seeing her cheeks bashfully turn bright red as she glared at him, Suimei finally realized what he could do. 

“U-Um, please take these...” 

Suimei humbly went to get her clothes that were hanging nearby and handed them to her. He kept his gaze cast downward to keep himself from inadvertently looking at anything, but just to be on the safe side, he kept his eyes squeezed shut too. Hatsumi took her clothes from him, but remained on guard. 

When he could no longer hear the sound of rustling clothing, Suimei finally lifted his head. At worst, he might be cut down on the spot, but it didn’t seem like she had her sword at hand. Maybe it was actually a good thing he’d stumbled upon her while she was bathing. When he looked up at Hatsumi, she was looking around dubiously. 

“I screamed quite a bit... Is no one coming?” 

“This area has been isolated via magicka now. You can scream all you want, but no one’s going to hear you.” 

“In other words, you think you’ve caught me?” 

Hatsumi gave Suimei a look sharper than any knife. Even her tone was considerably pointed. Suimei raised both his hands in the air as if to plead his innocence. 

“I mean, it’s not like I have any intention of harming you...” 

“I think you’ve already done enough harm already.” 

“I’m sorry. I apologize. Please forgive me. That part wasn’t on purpose.” 

Suimei prostrated himself and apologized in as many ways as he could think of. Seeing him behave so differently than the last time he’d infiltrated the palace, Hatsumi was understandably taken aback and let out a tremendous sigh. 

“...So? Why are you here?” 

“Like I said last time, I came to talk.” 

“About us being childhood friends?” 

“That’s right.” 

Suimei nodded with a solemn expression, but Hatsumi was unfazed. 

“I believe I denied that the last time, didn’t I? How is it that a childhood friend from another world is coming to visit me, hmm?” 

“I was also summoned to this world. There’s no other possibility except for that, right?” 

“What are the odds...? In other words, are you also a hero?” 

“No, I got caught up in Reiji’s... Another friend of mine was summoned, and I got dragged along with him. Did you hear about an accident happening during the summoning ritual in the kingdom of Astel?” 

“Now that you mention it, that does ring a bell...” 

“And that’s why I’m here right now.” 

Suimei sounded like he was rather fed up with being a victim of the whims of fate, but Hatsumi continued to look at him with doubtful eyes. Realizing he still wasn’t getting through to her, he grimaced. 

“Then what do I have to tell you for you to believe me? Your parents’ names? Your specialties? Your hobbies? The things you like...? If none of that works, I can also talk about your deepest, darkest secrets or your embarrassing past.” 

“My what?! How do you even know my deepest, darkest secrets?!” 

“We’ve been hanging out since we were just little brats, after all. We’re cousins who lived next door to each other, you know.” 

“What? Cousins...? Is that true?” 

Suimei nodded back at her apparent surprise over them being family. It seemed that was enough to begin to crumble her otherwise stalwart wall of doubt, though her expression was still slightly uneasy. 

“So you still don’t believe me?” 

“...Do you think I can really just believe anything anyone says?” 

“Well, that’s fair...” 

Hatsumi was a hero with amnesia, which put her in a precarious position. Any number of people could be waiting in the wings to take advantage of her. It was perfectly understandable that she kept her guard up, and that included regarding other people and what they told her with a healthy amount of skepticism. Without knowing who she could or couldn’t trust, she’d had it rough. 

Suimei slumped his shoulders and scratched his head in frustration. If words couldn’t convince her, he had no other way to prove what he was claiming was true. All he could do was pray that her memory returned. While pondering the situation, Suimei folded his arms and let out a groan. Hatsumi stared at him fixedly, and before long, spoke up in a somehow resigned voice. 

“...Got it. I’ll believe you. If you were really planning on taking me down, you wouldn’t go about it in such a roundabout way.” 

“Really?” 

“It doesn’t seem like you mean me any harm, at least. Besides, you know things about me that I haven’t told anyone—and then some. And... one more thing. Could you say my full name?” 

“Kuchiba Hatsumi.” 

“And your name is?” 

“It’s Yakagi Suimei?” 

“Yakagi... Suimei...” 

“What’s up?” 

Suimei looked at Hatsumi with a puzzled expression as she continued to mutter his name like something about it bothered her. 

“...It’s reversed.” 

“Huh?” 

“When you say it, it’s reversed. When the people of this world say my name, they also seem to be saying it in a way that’s easier to pronounce for them. But your name sounds natural to me. Moreover, I can see that what you’re saying actually matches the movement of your mouth. It’s also rather self-evident that we’re the same race. Thinking about it rationally, there’s a lot more working in your favor than against it.” Hatsumi paused there a moment before continuing. “What I was suspicious of last time was that you seemed to know too much... which is why I couldn’t believe it right away. You also caught me off guard sneaking in like that.” 

That was understandable. Who would be readily trusting of a trespasser? However, now that they’d gotten past that, Suimei let out a sigh of relief. Now he could finally talk to her about what he’d wanted to in the first place. But Hatsumi once more turned a stern gaze on him. 

“That being said, it’s not like I plan on letting my guard down around you.” 

“Huh?” 

“That’s right.” 

“Wh-Wha?! Are you saying you believe me?!” 

“That’s right—with reservation. Even if you’re an acquaintance of mine and even if you’re showing me your favor, I still don’t know whether or not you’re trustworthy, you see.” 

Whether they were acquaintances, friends, or cousins, Hatsumi still had no way of knowing if Suimei could really be trusted. It was perfectly reasonable that she’d remain wary. Accordingly, she questioned him in a somewhat aggressive tone. 

“So? Why did you do something reckless like infiltrate the palace? Wasn’t there another way to visit me?” 

“That again, huh? Apparently it’s no simple matter to arrange a meeting with the hero. I couldn’t even do it using the guild master at the Twilight Pavilion as an intermediary.” 

“Is that so?” 

“Yeah. It seems the royal family prohibits it.” 

Watching Suimei roll his eyes and shrug his shoulders, Hatsumi knit her brow as if she still found all this dubious. 

“The king and the others are all good people.” 

“I don’t know anything about that, but...” 

Suimei made a pensive face, hesitant to continue. He was wondering whether or not he should really speak his mind here. In truth, it seemed like the royal family of Miazen was using Hatsumi. He didn’t have any definitive proof of it, but at the very least, they were trying to shield her from something. So Suimei was unsure if he should really say anything about it. 

“It’s not like I don’t have a clue. I also feel like they’re using me somewhat.” 

But it seemed Hatsumi read his mind from the subtleties of his expression. He may have been hesitant to bring it up, but she certainly wasn’t. 

“But it could be said that the hero summoning itself is the most prime example of that. And by that logic, it’s a slippery slope. There’d be no end to it.” 

“That’s true... But, well, that’s why I’m here. That’s why I had to resort to sneaking in.” 

After Suimei plainly stated his reasons, Hatsumi had a follow-up question for him. 

“...Hey, were you worried about me?” 

Suimei looked at her as though the answer were only obvious. 

“Well, yeah. We’re family.” 

“Family...” 

Even if they were related by blood, cousins weren’t always close. But for Suimei who had no immediate family, the cousin he’d grown up with was the next best thing. Whenever he was in Japan, Hatsumi’s parents would always check in on him and fret about whether he was eating properly. Hatsumi would even cook for him sometimes. They were all Suimei really had of a family anymore, and that bond kept him especially close with Hatsumi. He certainly wasn’t about to leave her alone. But he’d thrown the word “family” around so casually that Hatsumi looked a little stunned. She stood there blinking repeatedly. 

“What is it?” Suimei asked. 

“N-Nothing! It’s nothing!” she said, shyly turning away. 

After a few moments, when her embarrassment seemed to subside, she turned back to Suimei and spoke up in a timid voice. 

“You said we’re cousins... but do I have other family?” 

“Yeah. Your father is Instructor Kiyoshiro. Your mother is Yukio-san. And you have a little brother named Haseto. If you suddenly disappeared, I’m sure they’re all worried.” 

“They... They must be, huh?” 

Hearing that she had family waiting for her in another world was, understandably, hard to bear. Without knowing that there was anyone looking for her, she hadn’t had much to worry about in that regard. But now it all hit her at once. Seeing her troubled expression, Suimei held out his hand. 

“Hatsumi, come with me.” 

“With you?” 

“That’s right. I’m currently looking for a way to return to our world. That’s why I came to Miazen in the first place... And if you come with me, you can go home the moment I figure it out. That’s why...” 

That’s why he wanted her to come—that’s what he was trying to say. But Hatsumi didn’t take him up on the offer. As if she was turning her back on his kindness, she awkwardly averted her gaze. 

“But... I have to fight the demons...” 

“There’s no reason why you have to fight them, right? They arbitrarily summoned you against your will and told you to fight. You have no obligation to help them.” 

“...” 

That wasn’t just true for Hatsumi, but for all the heroes summoned to this world. Not one of them actually had any obligation to fight the demons. For Hatsumi—who had amnesia and had already actually fought of the demons once—it was doubly true. She owed these people nothing. Suimei was still worried someone might be trying to brainwash her. But if she was saying this of her own free will, then... 

“Could it be... you feel like you can’t turn your back on the comrades you’ve fought together with until now?” 

“That’s part of it... But this is my fight; I can’t just walk away partway through it.” 

“Your fight? What do you mean?” 

“Like you said, I don’t have any memories—I don’t have any reason to fight. And that’s how it was at first. I kept myself shut away in my room. But when I heard the demons were attacking, after hearing someone begging for their people to be saved, I felt like it was something I had to do.” 

Hatsumi’s articulate answer shut Suimei up rather quickly. It was rather similar to what Reiji had once said to him. 

“And so I took up arms with the people of the Alliance, Selphy, and the others, and we pushed the demons back. Everyone was happy. Not because I fought, but because I saved them and their families. That’s why...” 

That’s why she couldn’t just leave them now. She felt like she’d started this fight, and dropping it as soon as she heard she might be able to return home would be nothing short of selfish. 

And those words came flooding out of Hatsumi’s mouth like this was the first chance she’d gotten to really speak her mind on the matter. But how she felt was understandable. Her conscience was guiding her—or holding her back, as Suimei saw it. In the end, this wasn’t her fight. She’d just been dragged into the people’s cause. And just as Suimei was about to admonish her for that, she suddenly changed the topic. 

“Hey, um... I don’t know when it was, but was there a funeral? You were the chief mourner. I think you lost someone important to you...” 

“A funeral? Three years ago... was my father’s funeral. The chief mourner was supposed to be Instructor Kiyoshiro, but since I was the closest blood relative, I ended up doing it.” 

Suimei was wondering whether she’d remembered something. But Hatsumi let out a despondent sigh, like she’d just heard bad news. 

“I thought so...” 

“But how do you know about that? Don’t you have amnesia?” 

“I had a vision—a flashback. Everything was hazy and it only lasted for a moment, though.” 

As Suimei was pondering how that might have actually happened, she continued explaining. 

“But after the funeral, I saw you. You said that you had to keep going forward. That you had to go save them...” 

“I did?” Suimei reflexively asked. 

Thinking back on it, he didn’t remember saying anything like that. 

“You don’t know...? I see. You probably don’t remember because you were half asleep. It struck me as a little strange too, but at the time, it really felt like you had something you had to do no matter what. That’s why I thought it must have been some sort of dream of yours.” 

Those were busy, dark days for Suimei. After settling all his late father’s worldly business, he had to uphold the last promise he’d made with him—his resolution to continue to walk the path of a magician. It wasn’t all that strange that he’d accidentally let mention of it slip his lips. 

“When Gaius barged into the palace asking for reinforcements, that memory came back to me. That’s why I started fighting. The boy in my memories pressed onward without letting anything hold him back. So I couldn’t just stand by and do nothing... Though I’m a little peeved to find out that boy was you.” 

Hatsumi trailed off a bit and added those last few words under her breath. That part didn’t sit well with Suimei, but that wasn’t why he was rubbing his forehead. He was distraught over his own helplessness. He’d never imagined his own words would be part of the reason she was fighting. It was ironic, really. Because of something he’d said in the past, she wouldn’t listen to him now. Realizing Suimei looked like he was at his wits’ end, Hatsumi spoke up again. 

“It’s not like I’m saying it’s your fault...” 

“I know. Even if you didn’t have amnesia, you might have made the same choice. I won’t say who’s really to blame.” 

But even with that blunt declaration, Suimei was unable to dispel his own guilt. If Hatsumi had come to this world with her memories, it was indeed plenty likely she’d still be fighting the demons. The sword style she practiced was meant for nothing other than fighting evil, after all. Slowly coming to terms with all this, Suimei quietly asked her one more time. 

“So you’re going to stay and fight here?” 

“Yes. I started this, so I’m going to finish it.” 

“I see...” 

Suimei could only barely get out those words. He was nearly choked up with worry. Fighting the demons was no lighthearted undertaking. All manner of hardships would lie ahead of her. And that included her dealings with other people. As long as she held the position of a hero, there would be things happening behind the curtain that she had no control over. On top of that, she still didn’t have her memories back. That would only heap anxiety on top of everything else. However... 

“Got it.” 

Suimei stood up to leave. Just because he was worried didn’t mean he had any right to tell her she was wrong. Even if he broke down and took her by force, he wouldn’t be satisfied. It wasn’t fair to make her abandon her goals just so he could accomplish his own. He knew what it was like to have something you couldn’t give up on. 

“I’d like to go along with you, but I have to find the spell to return us to our world. When I do, I’ll come back.” 

“Okay.” 

“I’ll be staying in town at the Twilight Pavilion’s boarding house for a while. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to come and ask. Though you may be reluctant to meet with me...” 

With those gentle words, Suimei clapped his hands together as though he’d suddenly remembered something. 

“That’s right!” 

“What?” 

“The next time you meet whoever’s in charge around here, deliver a message for me: ‘If you’re planning to continue messing with me despite being the hero’s friend, my priorities will change. Next time, whoever you send at me—be it ten or twenty thousand men—better come prepared to be annihilated.’” 

After Suimei informed her of this in a slightly joking tone, he took his leave. 

It was now the day after Suimei infiltrated the palace for the second time. Kuchiba Hatsumi was seated before the king in a circular gazebo in a corner of the palatial royal garden. At the king’s side was Crown Prince Weitzer, and filling the gazebo were the various cabinet ministers and generals of Miazen. Hatsumi’s other companions, Gaius and Selphy, were also in attendance. 

After judging that the king had finished with his government affairs, Hatsumi had requested an unofficial audience with him. The royal family was very mindful of Hatsumi’s circumstances, and ordinarily put up the front of all business with the hero being official, so it was decided that this meeting in particular would be held outside of the more formal audience chamber. 

Sitting across from Hatsumi at a marble table, the king of Miazen gave her a gentle smile. It was likely his way of telling her she could relax here. The king of Miazen was a mild man, quite unlike his son, Weitzer. He was the very picture of the kind king from any fairytale. He was strict when he needed to be, but always took his people into consideration, and was beloved by all. Once everyone was in place and all the preparations were settled, the king addressed Hatsumi. 

“Now, Hero-dono, what was it that you wished to speak of so earnestly with me?” 

“You see, sire, it concerns the plans we made for how to handle the demons from here, as well as an unrelated report.” 

Without being particularly humble, Hatsumi replied politely and elegantly. The king spoke back to her in a slightly joking manner. 

“Oho, so you discussed that sort of thing already, have you? It is admirable of you to be thinking of the demon subjugation during your time of rest, but I should have liked to join the panel.” 

“My apologies. You are a busy man, Your Majesty, so though it may be presumptuous, we decided to talk amongst ourselves.” 

“I see, I see. My apologies for causing you concern, but you’re as modest as ever, Hero-dono. Without being proud, you’re quite dignified. I am proud of you as the king of the country that has you as its hero.” 

The king laughed with a broad smile. It was the face of a king who loved the people, though Hatsumi had her doubts about whether it was a good or a bad thing to shower praise on people at every opportunity. She took a casual glimpse in Gaius’s direction, and perhaps because he found the king’s overly loose tone to be tedious or perhaps because he didn’t enjoy the flattery, his lips were drawn in a tight frown. The king eventually moved the conversation along, still smiling. 

“Now then, please share with me the contents of your discussion.” 

“From now on, to the best of my ability, I was thinking of taking up the plans originally laid out for the hero. Of course, this will only be after the remaining demons in the northern parts of the Alliance are eradicated. But once that is handled, I was thinking of meeting up with the other heroes.” 

That was what Selphy had once told her the hero was meant to do. That way, when the demon attacks grew fierce, the heroes would be able to band together and act as one where their help was needed most. With the demon invasion currently moving at the slow crawl that it was, most of the other heroes were still travelling around to inspire the citizens and increase morale. That was an important part of a hero’s job too, but Hatsumi was thinking it was about time that they started moving towards the fight. 

“Hmm, yes... You certainly have a point, though I must say I think it’s a little premature to be considering this. I’m sure you’ve heard tales of the other heroes, but I do believe it is vital for you to focus on what’s right in front of you without rushing it.” 

“Thank you for your consideration.” 

Despite the king sounding overly optimistic about the future, Hatsumi respectfully bowed her head. 

“And, goodness me... Frankly speaking, I cannot bring myself to have such a young girl thrust into war. Hero-dono, do you not also wish to live a peaceful life? If you desire it, you could stay here in the palace hereafter and live your life away from battle altogether.” 

“Huh...?” 

Hatsumi’s eyes were darting from place to place in a sort of staggered confusion. The king had just implied it was fine for her to ignore her duties as a hero. Considering he was partially responsible for summoning her to this world, it didn’t seem like anything he should be saying. She thought perhaps he was trying to be considerate of her amnesia. She didn’t think it was anything nefarious. No, the king was always smiling far too gently to have ulterior motives. She didn’t want to be distrusting, but... As Hatsumi was processing her feelings deep within her heart, the king spoke once more. 

“What do you think? You’ve already defeated a demon general. With that alone, I believe you have already accomplished your duty sufficiently. I do not think anyone would frown upon you withdrawing from battle at this time.” 

What he was saying was too good to be true. Hatsumi couldn’t agree. 

“No. Though I sincerely appreciate the thought, I can’t resign myself from this battle.” 

“I see... Then so be it. Though you must know your battles with the demons will increase exponentially from here on out if you take this path. We will offer you all the support we can, but Hero-dono, do be careful.” 

After acknowledging Hatsumi’s plans, the king looked to Weitzer. 

“Weitzer, take care of Hero-dono.” 

“Understood.” 

Weitzer lightly bowed his head. Both of them were being overprotective. Judging that concluded this part of the conversation, however, Hatsumi moved on to the next topic. 

“As I mentioned before, Your Majesty, there is one more matter I’d like to discuss with you.” 

“What is it?” 

“It concerns the case of the intruder who came into my room the other night.” 

The smiling king immediately grimaced when he heard those words. 

“I can do naught but apologize for that, I’m afraid. I’m expecting to hear good news soon, but that nefarious bandit has yet to be caught. The soldiers are actively patrolling and sweeping the city, but I hear neither hide nor hair of him has been found so far. We’ll extend the search to neighboring towns next, so I must ask for your continued patience. We’ll devote everything we can to apprehending the criminal. I assure you that your personal security is of our utmost concern.” 

“No, I didn’t mean that, Your Highness. I’d like you to stop fussing over it.” 

“...What do you mean?” 

“He came to visit me again last night.” 

“What?!” the king gasped, his complexion paling in an instant. 

“Wait, seriously?!” Gaius exclaimed. 

“That man again?! Just where did he...” Weitzer nearly shouted before trailing off. 

Hatsumi’s confession was so startling that Gaius and Weitzer both forgot their place and reacted quite loudly. Though she said nothing, even Selphy looked disturbed. 

“There’s no need to worry, everyone. I’m okay.” 

Though Hatsumi said there was no cause for concern, the king was unable to shake off his agitation. 

“H-Hero-dono... are you truly alright?” 

“Yes. If he came to me with ill intent, Your Majesty, then I wouldn’t be standing before you now.” 

“That is true, but... Just what were the palace guards doing?” 

The king was a bit irked, and was making a deliberately sour expression. This was now the second time the palace had been breached. Any king would be displeased. Seeing the surrounding soldiers trembling, Hatsumi could only feel sorry for them. And then, though belatedly, the king seemed to understand what she was saying. 

“So, Hero-dono, do you mean for me to overlook the intrusion?” 

“Last night he came to visit me, and we talked. In the end, it does truly seem he is one of my acquaintances.” 

“I have also heard that the intruder claimed to be a good friend of yours, but how can that be when you were summoned from a different world?” 

“Apparently he was brought here by the summoning in Astel.” 

“Hmm... It’s possible, certainly, but a rather extraordinary tale indeed. Is there a reason you believe this man?” 

“The movement of his mouth. Even speaking with you as I am now, Your Majesty, I hear the words you use translated into my own language. Thusly, what I hear you say doesn’t match the movement of your lips. But that wasn’t the case with him, which can only mean that we speak the same language.” 

“I see. In other words, that bandit... Forgive me, that man. If he truly speaks a language from your world, that certainly does seem to corroborate his story.” 

“In addition, he could tell me a great many things about myself. It seems that he knows me quite well.” 

“Hmm...” 

The king was known for smiling, no matter the situation. But right now, he was making a face like he’d just swallowed something very bitter. It was most unusual for him, but he wasn’t the only one affected by the situation. Weitzer cut into the conversation with a markedly perturbed attitude. 

“I-Is there no mistaking it?” 

“Beyond a shadow of a doubt. There’s far more reason for me to believe him than not.” 

Hearing Hatsumi say that, Weitzer looked completely dumbfounded. The king, on the other hand, looked deathly serious. 

“Nevertheless, this friend of yours has committed the grave crime of infiltrating the palace. I have no desire to charge a friend of yours with such a crime... but there is nothing that can be done about it.” 

“He claims he had no choice but to do so. He said that there was no way to arrange an official meeting with me. Is that correct?” 

Hatsumi’s tone was surprisingly somewhat reproachful. The king winced to hear it, perhaps because he hadn’t expected her to bring up such a thing. 

“Y-Yes, that was a measure taken for your protection. We believed that unwanted visitors would only be a burden on you without your memories.” 

The king was clearly agitated, and it only sounded to Hatsumi like he was making excuses. Perhaps this had something to do with what Suimei was trying to say the previous night. As Hatsumi contemplated this internally, she continued to push her point. 

“Then might we agree to write off the offense?” 

“I understand why you’re asking, but I have my duties as king to consider... Allowing the palace to be infiltrated does not sit well with me.” 

Hatsumi could tell that the king was reluctant to agree with her. But she couldn’t stand to see Suimei branded a criminal just for risking his life to come see her. As such, she changed her approach and spoke to the king rather bluntly. 

“I understand, Your Majesty. But if that is the case, I have a message for you. Just before he left, he bid me to relay the following words to you: ‘If you’re planning to continue messing with me, whoever you send at me—be it ten or twenty thousand men—better come prepared to be annihilated.’ In this situation where we need to be rallying against the demons, I don’t believe you have the leisure to lose your soldiers over such foolishness.” 

“My...” 

At some point, Hatsumi’s matter-of-fact words had taken on a more threatening tone. The king hesitated to reply. Suimei’s message was quite haughty, but the king knew of the hero’s strength. Even if Suimei didn’t have the hero’s blessing, if he was from Hatsumi’s world, he had to be quite strong. It gave him great pause. Weitzer, however, was incensed. 

“Ten or twenty thousand? What a boastful claim...” 

Though he hadn’t fought him personally, Weitzer had seen Suimei’s power for himself. He knew he was strong, certainly, but not indomitably so. He saw Gaius and Selphy defeated at his hands, but they’d both let their guards down. It wasn’t like they’d put the full extent of their power to use, though the same thing could be said of Suimei, who was just trying to leave peacefully. 

“I don’t think it was all boasting, Weitzer,” clarified Hatsumi. “The palace guards couldn’t even stand against him. Selphy and Gaius, you both recognize him as a formidable foe, no?” 

“You bet he is. Even if I underestimated him, I still got taken out in a single blow,” Gaius said with a bitter snort. 

“He... is indeed formidable. I don’t feel like I could ever win against that young man, no matter how many times we fought against him,” Selphy answered quietly. 

Suimei had dealt quite a blow to both of their self-confidence. It was a unique feeling that only someone who’d actually faced him in combat could understand. And after they weighed in their opinions, Hatsumi turned back to the king, who currently looked rather bewildered. 

“And so, to prevent any unnecessary loss, Your Majesty, I don’t believe there is any other choice. Will you not reconsider?” 

“But you know, Hero-dono...” 

Seeing that the king was still pushing back, Hatsumi grew impatient and took on a frank attitude. 

“Then let’s do this. If you plan on causing him harm, I will take his side.” 

“Wha?!” 

“That man braved great danger just to check on me. It is only proper and just that I do the same to defend him, you see.” 

“V-Very well... I will comply. As you say, Hero-dono, it is only proper...” 

Her intimidating bluff worked perfectly. The king grimaced painfully before continuing. 

“So, did he come to Miazen to meet with you, Hero-dono?” 

“No, he said that he originally came here to look for a means to return to his own world. It’s likely he only realized I was here after arriving in Miazen.” 

“A means to return?” 

“Yes. I don’t know the full details, but he said that if I went with him, we would be able to return the moment he found it. From the way he spoke, I believe he may yet actually find a way.” 

Hatsumi conveyed the impression she got from their conversation the other day. Magic was outside of her area of expertise, so she had no grasp on his abilities. But based on his confidence, she certainly believed it was something he could pull off. Hearing this, the king revealed a far more anxious expression than before and leaned forward to ask his next question. This seemed to be a matter of grave importance not just to him, but to the entire country. 

“Hero-dono, is that really true?! If it is, how did you reply?!” 

Sweat was forming on his brow, and his face only continued to tense as he waited for her reply. Everyone else in the gazebo stood there with bated breath. Gaius, however, eventually lost his patience and came stomping over. 

“Hey, you’re not gonna say you’re going with him, are you?!” 

“No, I’m not. Didn’t I say earlier that I intended to defeat the demons?” 

With those words, the frozen atmosphere in the gazebo thawed out instantly. Everyone was relieved to hear her reply. 

“Do not scare us like that. It is bad for my heart.” 

“Sorry.” 

Taking a look at everyone’s faces, Hatsumi apologized for alarming them. After they all calmed down, however, she got the conversation back on track and made her full intentions clear. 

“But once the demons are vanquished, I’m thinking of returning to my own world.” 

It wasn’t something she’d thought she’d get to do. But if there was a way, it was an opportunity anyone in her shoes would take. Selphy and Gaius both looked deeply unsettled as they stared at Hatsumi. While everyone was at a loss for words, Weitzer spoke up. 

“H-Hero-dono, are you seriously...” 

“Yes. I’m told that I have a family waiting for me—a place where my memories are.” 

“But...” 

“Sorry. I feel badly after you’ve all treated me so well, but I can’t stay like this. I’m sure my family is quite worried...” 

That’s why she needed to go home. Seeing how profoundly this news shook Weitzer, Hatsumi smiled at him within her heart. She then turned to her other companions who had yet to speak. 

“What do you two think?” 

“As far as I’m concerned, if that’s what you want, then...” 

“That’s all up to you. Personally, I’ll be lonely, but what are you gonna do?” 

“Yeah...” 

Selphy was hesitant to say anything, but not Gaius. He gave an honest and sympathetic answer, though he did seem quite a bit more sullen and serious than usual. He wasn’t quite as bad off as Weitzer, who was still standing there with a bitter and flustered look on his face. Hatsumi was a little worried about how pale the king had gotten, but she imagined he felt much the same way. 

Nobody said anything after that. An awkward silence swept over the gazebo that lasted until a soldier suddenly came rushing into the garden. It wasn’t a palace guard, however. Based on his clothing, he looked to be a soldier from Larsheem. The way he tripped over his own legs as he ran across the lawn was borderline slapstick, but it was just a testament to how frantic he was. The palace guards running with him helped him along, and he eventually made it over to the gazebo. He looked exhausted. 

“What is it, man?! What’s wrong?!” 

“Sir!” 

The soldier saluted Gaius with gusto, then threw himself down on his knees. 

“I have a report to make to His Majesty posthaste!” 

“What has you so panicked?” the king asked. “I will caution you that you stand before the hero.” 

“M-My apologies, sire!” 

The soldier apologetically bowed his head. Satisfied, the king returned to the matter at hand. 

“So, what has happened? Seeing the state you are in, I cannot imagine it is anything trivial.” 

Everyone could already tell something serious was afoot. Tension mounted in the air as they waited for the out of breath soldier to answer. 

“The demon invasion has begun anew!” 

And so Hatsumi’s brief respite came to an end. 

Currently, the occupied demon territory was butted right up against Gaius’s homeland, Larsheem. There was originally a band of barren borderland between the two, but the demons had seized most of it when they first advanced on the Alliance. There were a slew of simple fortresses in the area, all leftover from the days of the first demon invasion ages ago. 

Hatsumi and the others had pushed back the demon army enough that those fortresses now served as the front line, and that was exactly where they were headed. It was a four day trip by foot, but Hatsumi and her companions rode out in front of the others with a small group of reinforcements and made it there with astounding speed. 

In the area of the main fortress, soldiers were hurriedly moving supplies into tents. Preparing for a decisive, large-scale battle, men from each of the Alliance nations were all restlessly moving around. Seeing this all from horseback as they approached, Hatsumi and the others stopped and dismounted in front of a particular tent. 

Inside were generals representing each of the Alliance armies, and staff officers who were in the midst of discussing strategy for the upcoming battle. Hatsumi knew them all from their previous battles. They were expecting her as well, so none of them were surprised at the hero’s arrival. 

As a hero, Hatsumi took the seat of honor at the table, with Weitzer next to her. As the one who’d summoned her, Selphy took her place standing behind Hatsumi. After everyone was seated, Weitzer questioned the staff officers of Miazen’s army. 

“What is the current situation?” 

“Currently, Your Highness, the armies of Larsheem and Miazen are forming the linchpin with soldiers deployed on both flanks. We believe the demon army intends to attack head-on, and we have men in position to face them with layered defenses.” 

“What about the fortresses?” 

“The northwest, north-northwest, north, and north-northeast fortresses are under attack. Reinforcements are moving there now and are fighting bravely, but the attack on the north-northeast fortress seems to be particularly severe. The situation is grave.” 

Gaius let out a groan upon hearing the staff officer’s anxious report. 

“I thought we left plenty of forces there...” 

“The number of demons far exceeds the number of deployed soldiers. That’s why we decided to strategically send reinforcements to critical areas. Also...” 

The staff officer went into further detail, but as soon as Hatsumi got her head around what was happening... 

“It’s a poor strategy.” 

“As insightful as ever, Hero-dono,” said Weitzer. “Do you think it’s a diversion or dispersion strategy?” 

Weitzer asked for confirmation on Hatsumi’s assessment. After she nodded back at him with a knowing look, Selphy nodded too. 

“It is likely that Hatsumi’s prediction is correct. While the main demon army is facing down the Alliance forces, several detachments could be employing diversionary tactics. Or perhaps it’s just a trap to draw in men. Maybe even the hero.” 

“That’s why I believe dividing our forces further is a poor strategy.” 

“Indeed. The demon’s tactics are quite transparent.” 

It seemed Hatsumi and Selphy were on the same page. Anybody should be able to see the writing on the wall in this situation. It was only obvious what the demons were up to. The big question now was what their motivations behind such a strategy were. Gaius turned a stern look towards the staff officer. 

“What’s the scale of the demon armies attacking each fortress?” 

“Other than at the north-northeast fortress, the demons outnumber deployed soldiers about two to one. It seems forces are continuously pouring in at the north-northeast fortress, and we estimate our men are outnumbered four to one there.” 

“That’s a lot...” 

With the soldiers so outnumbered, they were practically trapped in the other fortresses and couldn’t put up much of fight. They had the grit to hold out for a while. But the demons had the north-northeast fortress so swamped that it was only a matter of time before it fell. They badly needed reinforcements—and a lot of them. It would take a considerable, concentrated effort to turn things around. 

“So those bastards are really just trying to split us up, huh? It’s simple, but effective. It’s usually their plan to look like they have a plan when they’re really just rampaging and marauding. It’s a front. A deception.” 

“Yes, this may very well be the same thing.” 

Hatsumi acknowledged Gaius’s theory. It was perhaps the only viable conclusion for now. They didn’t have enough information to determine whether or not there was a grander scheme in action. As the conversation continued, the staff officer’s expression turned bitter. 

“The men there are holding out for the time being, but it is a matter of course that the north-northeast fortress will be overrun at this rate.” 

“That’s no good, huh...” mused Gaius. 

“No. Once that fortress falls, the demons will use it as a gateway to flood the area with more forces,” replied the officer. 

A heavy silence hung in the air for a moment. Weitzer then moved the conversation along. 

“So, what will we do about the reinforcements?” 

“Our main plan, Your Highness, is to send more of them from here. And our secondary one... My apologies, but we would like Hero-sama to lead them.” 

The staff officer who proposed the plan was standing at attention. The reason they’d suggested the main plan first was likely as a reserved appeal to the hero. By all means, it was the best hand to play. But a mere staff officers and generals hadn’t the authority to directly order the hero into battle. Sensing what they were asking of her, Hatsumi gave a resolute nod. 

“We can’t afford to stay idle. The number of reinforcements we can send to the other fortresses is limited. So that we’re ready when the main force of the demon army makes a move, we can’t spare too many men.” 

“Then that’s that.” 

“Since our troop is both mobile and quite capable, there’s no other choice than for us to handle this.” 

It seemed each of her companions was in agreement with her. 

“Then that’s enough talk. We’ll move out once preparations are complete, so please take care of the arrangements.” 

Hatsumi modestly bowed her head to the present generals, who all bowed back in a fluster. 

After their strategy meeting, Hatsumi and the others took action quickly. They hadn’t even had the time to recover from their journey, so they left behind the forces they’d brought with them and spearheaded a group of fresh soldiers the generals had in waiting. From there, they headed for the north-northeast fortress in the borderlands. 

They were intentionally heading where the demon attacks were fiercest. In an open and slightly elevated position between the mountains and forests, there stood a tall defensive wall made from roughly-hewn darkwood. Watchtowers were stationed in all four cardinal directions. It was far from top-tier security, but it had so far managed to hold the fortress contained within. 

Unlike the main fortress where Hatsumi and the others had just come from, this one had already been taken once and recaptured. The destruction and subsequent restoration meant the facilities weren’t in the best repair. The sturdy darkwood walls were battle-scarred, and sections were missing here and there. At first glance, the whole thing seemed flimsy. 

But upon arriving, things were much quieter here than anyone had expected. It seemed that the demons’ assault had come to a stop for the moment. They could see the fortress scrambling to recover after a skirmish, but at present, they were not being attacked. Leaving the forces they brought with them to Selphy, Hatsumi went ahead with Gaius and Weitzer into the fortress and ascended the main watchtower. 

The fortress’ commander was surveying the situation from there, and was in the middle of giving out orders to the troops below. Based on the shoulder pads he was wearing, he seemed to be an officer from Larsheem. As Hatsumi and the others approached, he stiffly fell to one knee. After Gaius ordered him to be at ease, he immediately cut to the chase. 

“How’s the situation?” 

“Sir, the battle with the demons has currently fallen into a stalemate. It seems those demons are also at a loss on how to continue and let up on their attack. We’re currently tending to our wounded and repairing the fortress.” 

The commander gave his report in a slightly excited tone. He was probably still filled with adrenaline and exaltation from the previous day’s battle. Seeing him like this, Gaius flashed his characteristic smile. 

“You held out, huh? You did good.” 

“Those words are more than I deserve, General Forvan.” 

The commander lightly bowed his head in a display of gratitude. Hatsumi then asked him for further details. 

“So, are those the demons?” 

The commander gave her an enthusiastic nod, still clearly in an exuberant state. From the top of the watchtower, they could see all the way down to the foot of the hill. That’s where Hatsumi’s attention was. And for one simple reason: that’s where the demon army was. Preparing to lay siege to the fortress again, they were organizing themselves at the bottom of the hill. 

They weren’t carrying out their business in the orderly fashion a human army would be, but they were digging trenches and placing makeshift walls of cut wood. At the very least, it looked like a proper military encampment. Hatsumi couldn’t get an extensive view of the area behind them, but it also looked like they’d laid waste to the outskirts of the region. It was likely a measure to slow any pursuing troops should they have to retreat. 

“It looks like they’re getting into battle formation to show up.” 

“As long as they’re not attacking us, it’s fine. They’ll do that to try and intimidate us. Once in a while, they’ll start howling or lay waste to the land. They’re likely aiming to exhaust us...” 

Before Hatsumi arrived, the fort was in dire straits. A little psychological warfare might have been all it took to finish them off. The soldiers knew they had reinforcements coming, but the time spent waiting chipped away at their morale. The demons took advantage of that, doing what they could to build anxiety and terror in the fort while they waited for the right time to attack. But it was strange... 

What the demons were doing made sense. It was strategically viable. In other words, it was completely uncharacteristic of the savage demons. They would normally lunge in for the kill at the first sign of weakness, so it was extraordinarily unusual for them to bide their time to put pressure on an already sapped opponent. It was possible that they were waiting for reinforcements before attacking, but Hatsumi still thought it was rather odd. Seeing the pensive look on her face, Weitzer called out to her. 

“Hero-dono, is something the matter?” 

“We should rout them, same as usual. But I do have to wonder... Aren’t the actions of these demons strange?” 

“I don’t believe there’s any additional information available than what was just reported to us. There are no other demons in the area.” 

“Then there doesn’t seem to be a problem.” 

Immediately after Hatsumi made up her mind, Selphy’s voice rose up to meet them from the foot of the watchtower. 

“Hatsumi, a message has arrived.” 

“What’s the news?” 

“It seems the demons’ main army is on the move. The Alliance army is currently moving in response.” 

The time had come. A palpable tension mounted in the air with Selphy’s report, and all who heard it were astir. 

“Like we thought, it was a plan to disperse our forces... How insolent,” Weitzer spat bitterly. 

The demons had timed their attack to move on the main army after they’d divided the Alliance forces as best they could. And in the end, the humans had played right into their clutches. It was perfectly clear now that the attacks on the north-northeast fortress were just a diversion. 

“Let’s defeat them quickly and return. Also, Weitzer, when this is over, assign the soldiers we brought along to this fortress.” 

“To compensate for the defenses, right? As you wish.” 

As Weitzer humbly agreed, Gaius looked to Hatsumi for orders. 

“What do we do?” 

“I’m planning to sally out and meet them from here. We’ll quickly charge in and render them helpless, then drive them back. I think that’d be best. What about you two?” 

“I’m also in favor of this,” replied Weitzer. 

“It’s not like there’s any other way to do it, really,” said Gaius. 

That much was true. Hatsumi’s plan was their only real option. They needed to go on the offensive, and they didn’t have time to spare. They couldn’t afford to do something more intricate like lure the enemy somewhere they could ambush them. And there would be too many casualties if they only sent soldiers in for a frontal attack. That’s why it’d be up to Hatsumi and the others. Now that they had their plan, Weitzer turned to the commander. 

“Commander, what is the status of the troops remaining in the fortress?” 

“Many of them are wounded or exhausted. In a defensive battle, we could put three quarters of them into action, but I think only about half are up to a sortie.” 

“Selphy, how about the soldiers we brought with us?” 

“They had sufficient rest interposed during the march, so there should be no problems having them participate.” 

“Then have them prepare for battle at once. We’ll split our forces into three units. The left and right flanks will protect both sides of the main force led by Hero-dono as it cuts into the demon army. After forming up in front of the fortress, we’ll move out immediately!” 

As soon as Weitzer gave instructions, all the soldiers began moving. Not only was he royalty, he was a companion of the hero. If he gave an order, it would be followed to a T. Meanwhile, Hatsumi called out to Gaius. 

“Let’s go right away as well. Are you ready?” 

“Damn right. I’m itching to go.” 

Gaius struck his palm with his fist as he replied. Watching him descend from the watchtower, Hatsumi placed her foot on the railing and kicked off of it as she jumped down. Such a daring, impressive act from the hero would ordinarily make the soldiers boil with excitement, but right now, nobody had the leisure to be watching what she was doing. Cutting through the crowd of soldiers gathering in formation, Hatsumi dashed to the front gate. 

Once preparations for battle were complete, the signal whistle to open the gate resounded through the air. And as the gate opened, Hatsumi turned around to face the troops forming ranks behind her. She could see the faces of soldiers brimming with excitement to follow her—the hero—into battle. She didn’t need to give a single word of inspiration. 

Morale was so high because the soldiers had all heard tale of Hatsumi’s repeated triumphs over the demons. Not a single one of them doubted that victory would be theirs today with Hatsumi on their side. She was their hope, and knowing that made emotion well in Hatsumi’s chest. Choking it back, she passed her gaze over the assembled troops. Weitzer then stepped out in front of them. 

“From here, we will strike at the demons who are besieging this fortress! Even including our reinforcements, those wretched beasts outnumber us! But we have a hero on our side—a hero worth ten thousand men! As long as she is fighting with us, we will never lose! And you are all honored to fight alongside her, the hero recognized by the Goddess Alshuna herself! Everyone, take pride in facing this battle!” 

As Weitzer’s unusually zealous speech came to an end, the soldiers raised a remarkably loud war cry. When their shouts faded, Weitzer and Gaius took their places at Hatsumi’s side. Then, on Weitzer’s command, they and the soldiers all rushed down the hill from the fortress. A safe distance out from the demon encampment, they stopped and took formation. 

“It seems the demons have noticed us and are already on the move,” remarked Hatsumi. 

“With us forming up here on the middle of the hill, it’s easy enough for them to see,” said Weitzer. 

Just as he finished explaining, the commander’s voice rang out from behind. 

“The formation is ready! We can attack at any time!” 

Hatsumi looked at her companions and gave a single nod. When she did, Weitzer yelled out his orders. 

“Mage units, prepare to chant!” 

In battles where devastation was the goal and there wasn’t any more complex strategy at work than that, it was an established tactic to use magic units to strike a preemptive blow. They would fire off a multitude of spells as one, which would be followed by a barrage from the archers and a charge from the cavalry and foot soldiers. 

“After the magic volley ends, we’re charging in! Vanguard, gather your courage!” shouted Gaius to the front line of troops. 

But over him, an ominous wail could be heard coming from the demons’ side. Weitzer didn’t waste any time calling out orders to Selphy. 

“Selphy, after the preemptive strike finishes—” 

“I’ll take the unit around and provide support from the flanks, right? Understood. Mage units, begin your incantations! Use fire and wind magic to deliver the demons a fell blow!” 

After confirming the plan, Selphy gave the word to the unit of mages. The air was quickly filled with the sound of them chanting in unison, and moments later, a volley of fire magic fanned by wind magic flew towards the demons all at once. The first strike crashed into a group of them spreading out at the foot of the hill. A second and third strike quickly followed, and the thunderous rumble of exploding flames echoed far and wide. 

“Wind users, keep the wind’s direction in check! Keep our forces upwind at all times! Don’t be negligent in making adjustments!” 

Selphy continued to issue orders, and the mages continued with a flurry of spells to try and slow the demons’ advance. Seeing the demons directly in front of them march through the flames, the swordsmen then took action. The vanguard prepared to draw their swords, and Weitzer lifted his own towards the sky. Just as the sunlight reflected off the tip of his blade... 

“Alright, all at once—” 

Right when he was about to give the order to charge, a report from the right flank came in in the form of a scream. 

“Your Highness! Demon reinforcements from the right side!” 

“Wha?!” 

“Now?!” 

Weitzer and Hatsumi’s surprised shouts overlapped. Gaius, meanwhile, bellowed at the messenger. 

“There’s a mountain to our right! What’s going on?!” 

“They’re flying demons! They’re coming at us from the skies!” 

“Did they prepare an ambush...?” Gaius mused. 

“The commander said they hadn’t...” Hatsumi replied, still somewhat stunned. 

The commander had indeed said there didn’t appear to be other demons in the area. Just what did this mean? As such thoughts spun in Hatsumi’s head, Weitzer looked at her with a severe expression. 

“There is no point wondering about it now. We’ll simply have to dispatch some men to handle it. Troops, advance immediately and support the vanguard! Mages in front, hurry to the right flank and support the troops there!” 

Just as he hastily gave his orders, another messenger came running over. It wasn’t good news. 

“Reporting, Your Highness! Demons have now appeared on the left side to the north as well! Their numbers far exceeds the demons here!” 

“Wha— How can that be?!” exclaimed Hatsumi. 

“Ridiculous! It’s like they saw right through us...” spat Weitzer. 

“No way! Just when we were about to make a move...” groaned Gaius. 

The timing was too coincidental. The demons had reinforcements show up from both sides just as the humans attacked. It was like they’d been waiting for this. At this rate, the demons might close in and surround them completely. Panicked, Weitzer let out an angry roar. 

“Can’t we fight back?!” 

“Th-There’s too many of them! They had double our numbers to begin with, and now it’s several times that! We won’t stand a chance in a direct clash!” 

There was a forest to the left, so Weitzer couldn’t see the approaching demons from that direction just yet, but the ones coming down from the mountain were now clearly visible. 

“That many? You’re kidding...” 

There were enough of them in the air to black out the mountainside with a dark red wriggling mass of flapping wings. There were far too many. The soldiers currently on the right flank would never be able to defeat them all. And now even more were approaching the left flank... But it was a mystery. The demons hadn’t had time to call for reinforcements. This should have been impossible unless they’d had an ambush lying in wait all this time. But with such a large force at hand, they would’ve had no trouble taking the fortress by brute force. There was no point in setting a trap like this. 

But nevertheless, they’d lured the Alliance army right into their clawed clutches. It had to mean they were expecting reinforcements to come, but not even that made sense. There was no meaning in going to so much trouble just to beat down reinforcements. 

“Tch! The demons had more than just their main army and the detached forces attacking the fortresses?!” Gaius yelled in frustration. 

Hearing those words, something suddenly clicked for Hatsumi. 

“I see, a detached force...” 

Her voice was drowned out by the screaming and all the commotion in their surroundings. She could barely hear Weitzer shouting orders right next to her. 

“All forces, maintain formation! If we break ranks now, the demons will take advantage of it! Hurry!” 

If Weitzer was giving the order to maintain formation, that had to mean they were planning to hold and fight. But even if they held fast and fought defensively, it was obvious what would happen to them against a demon army of this size. They were at a crossroads. Realizing they didn’t stand a chance of winning against the demons like this, Hatsumi yelled out at the top of her lungs. 

“Retreat!” 

“Huh?” 

“Hero-dono?!” 

Bewildered voices rose up all around, particularly from Gaius and Weitzer. Hatsumi turned to the two of them and passed down her command. 

“Everyone retreat! All advancing units, fall back!” 

“But Hero-dono, if we do that, the line of defense will crumble!” 

“That may be so, but there are just too many of them! Even if we fight, we’ll only be annihilated!” 

“B-But if we retreat so readily, then morale will...” 

Certainly, after continuous victories, the morale of the entire Alliance army had swelled. And if forces led directly by the hero now retreated without even putting up a fight, that inflated morale would burst like a balloon. However... 

“I don’t think it’s okay to suffer casualties just to maintain morale.” 

As Hatsumi bluntly spoke her mind, Weitzer gave up on the idea of clinging to the battle. He too knew it was foolish to continue fighting against all odds. 

“...Understood. Then hurry up and form up the rear guard. We shall use the defensive capabilities of the fortress to...” 

“No, have all the soldiers in the fortress withdraw too.” 

“You mean to have them retreat as well?” 

“Then what’re we gonna do about slowing these bastards down?” Gaius asked. 

“Without a rear guard, we cannot even run...” added Weitzer. 

It was just as they said. It was critical to have a caboose unit of troops to slow the enemy down in their pursuit so that all the other troops could flee. But Hatsumi knew that already. 

“Of course we’ll assemble a rear guard. But it will only consist of us and any men that can be spared. Don’t hole up in the fortress as you go; move past it. We’re abandoning it.” 

“Abandoning it, you say?” 

“Is it worth throwing away these men’s lives to protect?” 

Hearing her words, both Weitzer and Gaius fell silent. They knew why Hatsumi was making this choice. It was true that this boundary fortress was an important base for keeping the demon invasion in check, but at this rate, even if they tried to defend it, they would only end up capitulating. That’s why it was vital for them to give it up and retreat while they still could. 

“And if either of you objects to being in the rear guard, I won’t force you to be.” 

Hatsumi presented them the choice about their positions. She had no intention of forcing them to do anything. However, just as she expected, neither one of them declined. Both Weitzer and Gaius, though their faces were covered in sweat, gave reassuring nods and promised to support the soldiers as they retreated. But then another panicked report came in. 

“The right flank! They can’t take it anymore! The left flank is also about to collapse!” 

“That was fast...” 

“We were reeled in. Completely and utterly. We didn’t even have time to draw our swords.” 

Everything had gone exactly according to what the demons had planned. They were at such a disadvantage that there was no way for them to even fight back. They’d be doing well just to successfully retreat. It was about then that Selphy, who was leading the mage units, came running over. 

“Prince Weitzer, what is the situation here?” 

“We just decided our plan.” 

“To hold our ground?” 

“No... We’ll be retreating.” 

Weitzer and Selphy both bit down on their lips bitterly. As their exchange ended, Hatsumi spoke up. 

“Weitzer. Gaius. Selphy.” 

“At your service.” 

“What’s up?” 

“Yes, Hatsumi?” 

“From here, we’ll disperse and fight. After buying the others some time, scatter and flee. Each of you take a unit of the rear guard with you as you go. I’ll move independently on my own.” 

“Independently? You...” 

“Hatsumi! You can’t do that!” 

Weitzer was concerned, but Selphy didn’t hesitate to decry Hatsumi’s decision. To say she was worried would be putting it lightly. But there was a reason Hatsumi had chosen this plan of action. 

“I have the divine protection from the hero summoning ritual. I have more endurance than everyone else. I’ll manage one way or the other.” 

“Even so, for you to be alone—” Gaius began to object. 

“If I imprudently took soldiers along, they would only weigh me down. Don’t you see?” 

“Th-That’s... certainly true...” 

Unlike Gaius, who was at a complete loss for words, Weitzer had no trouble speaking his mind. 

“No, Hero-dono. I will accompany you.” 

“You can’t. If we don’t split up, who will protect the soldiers?” 

“I was ordered by His Majesty the King to aid you. Also, I would like to help—” 

“Weitzer.” 

“Hero-dono...” 

When she called him by his name, he met her gaze. It was clear from the look in his eyes that he had no intention of yielding. Seeing this, Hatsumi played a cowardly hand. 

“I will be fine on my own. So, Weitzer, I need you to join the rear guard and retreat all the way to the main force with a unit under your command. If I say it’s an order from the hero, will you listen?” 

“Hero-dono, that...” 

“Hatsumi...” 

“Hey, that’s...” 

He had no choice but to comply with the hero’s orders. That was why Hatsumi had never spoken like this before. Once she did, neither Weitzer nor any of her other companions had a choice in the matter. 

“Urgh... As you wish...” 

It was a painful situation—both for him and for Hatsumi. After hanging his head for a moment, Weitzer firmly picked himself up and faced the soldiers. 

“From here, our army will retreat! Abandon the fortress! Those who have strength left to fight in the rear guard, stay with me! Everyone else, hurry and retreat all the way to the main force in the wastelands!” 

With that, the commanders of each unit embroiled in a free-for-all fight on the battlefield passed down the order to retreat. It was about then that Hatsumi realized a cold, unpleasant sweat was dripping down the back of her neck. 

After Hatsumi and the others were scattered by the demons’ offensive, Weitzer made it all the way back to the main force. There, without taking a moment to rest, he immediately took command of the battle. 

“Preserve the right flank! Send a messenger to Valvauro’s army and have a portion of the left flank come around to the center! The main force will hold our lines and take the attack, and the right flank push them back!” 

By the time he returned to the main force, the demons were already advancing on the main Alliance forces deployed in the wastelands. It had looked like the four national armies had the demons outnumbered at first, but the demon army was much larger than they had imagined. The front line for the most part had fallen into a stalemate. 

“Ugh... Even after getting back to the main forces, we’re still in a difficult position...” 

After issuing orders from a position where he could see the trend of the battle, Weitzer bitterly grumbled to himself. As he did, a staff officer from the army arrived to give a report. 

“Your Highness! Both armies are evenly matched as things are, but we don’t have enough of an advantage for us to turn things in our favor. I believe we should pull back here and rally.” 

“Don’t be foolish! Are you saying we should fall back behind the main fortress?! If we do that, then Hero-dono will have nowhere to return to! Until she comes back to us, we will hold this position!” 

“B-But Your Highness... Then the army will...” 

Even if they weren’t wiped out, they would suffer considerable casualties. But the staff officer couldn’t bring himself to say that. 

“Losing the hero would also be a major blow to the Alliance army. We would lose the power bestowed to us by the Goddess Alshuna. Understood?” 

The staff officer still couldn’t say anything. On the battlefield, the hero’s power was tremendous. Hatsumi’s skills were admirable on their own, but they were augmented even further by the divine blessing she’d received. In all the battles up until now, she had never once depleted her stamina, willpower, or concentration. She was virtually unstoppable. This was common knowledge among the Alliance army. But weighing her life against the army’s was something the staff officer was incapable of. 

“I understand your dilemma,” said Weitzer to the staff officer. “In any normal battle, that would be the right call. But I cannot even stand for such a thought to be entertained. For the reputation of our army and my own mental health. Historians! Do not record what the staff officer just said!” 

The historians nodded at Weitzer’s command. A fluttering green robe then came into view. 

“Prince Weitzer.” 

“Selphy? What is it?” 

Around the time Weitzer linked up with the main forces, Selphy had also returned. As far as he knew, she was organizing the mage units on the right flank into three regiments and fighting a hard battle. So for her to have left them and come all this way, something must have happened. 

“Just now, Sir Gaius returned from the west along with his unit.” 

“So he’s returned! And? Is Hero-dono with him?” 

“That’s... The survivors of the unit under his command are unaware Hero-dono’s location...” 

“Tch...!” 

He bit down on his lip. The heavens hadn’t answered his prayer. A man’s voice then cut into their conversation from afar. 

“Yo, Weitzer! What the hell is going on?!” 

“Sir Gaius! I told you to withdraw!” 

Rather than falling back, Gaius had pursued Selphy. She readily began yelling at him, but he and Weitzer paid her no mind as they discussed the situation. 

“Well?” 

“It’s not good.” 

“What about pushing back those shithead demons, then?!” 

“We’re taking action.” 

Knowing that the main force was facing a difficult battle and that a mission to rescue Hatsumi was getting more and more unlikely by the minute, Gaius stamped his foot like he was trying to quash his irritation. 

“Even though she insisted on going into a different forest from us...” 

“Don’t say it. If it was an order from the hero, you had to obey. We all did.” 

Gaius slumped his shoulders and sat down on the spot as Weitzer tried to persuade him that the way things had unfolded was inevitable. They all knew that Hatsumi was strong—that she had power even beyond what they’d seen. If she’d told them she would be alright, they had no choice but to believe her. To obey. 

“Sir Gaius, fall back! Even if your wounds are healed, it’s plain to see you’re at your limits! Now quickly, go with the other survivors.” 

“I hear ya, but I can’t do that in this kinda situation. I’ll wait here for Hatsumi’s return.” 

“But...” 

Contrary to Selphy, who was still trying to dissuade Gaius, Weitzer spoke with the authority he’d been vested with. 

“Do as you will. But if you get in the way...” 

“Yeah, you can just leave me the hell behind. Don’t mistake what’s important.” 

They had come to a mutual understanding. Seeing the two of them like that, Selphy calmed down and let out a tired sigh. As she did, an out-of-breath soldier then came running up to them from the rear. 

“Reporting! Just now, guild members from the Twilight Pavilion have arrived to provide assistance!” 

The messenger had come inform them of reinforcements. But what should have been good news failed to brighten the mood. 

“Even so...” muttered Weitzer. 

It wasn’t like a few reinforcements could change the tide of battle now. The guild’s support was welcome, but they didn’t have the numbers to offer enough resistance to challenge an entire army. Especially not one of this size. 

“They’ve brought several high-ranking members, including Camellia Sasanqua, Empress of the Sword Dance. I expect they will be able to preserve the front to a certain extent.” 

“Certainly, if that is the case...” Selphy said with a glimmer of hope in her voice. 

Gaius, however, didn’t share her enthusiasm. 

“But the demons are raring to go. I don’t think things will—” 

But just as he was about to share his doubts, a second messenger came from the front lines. Which could only mean one thing... 

“The demons are overtaking us! They’ll be here soon!” 

“What did you say?!” shouted Weitzer. 

“The hell are you doing?! Fuck!” shouted Gaius. 

The staff officer with them went completely pale. A hole had opened up in the formation on the front line, and the demons immediately began pushing through it, slaughtering as they went. In other words, they were making a beeline for the commander. Weitzer drew his sword and Gaius got to his feet. 

“We’re fighting back! Staff officers, fall back and call for support! Everyone here get into formation immediately! We’ll meet the demons and counterattack!” 

At Weitzer’s command, the soldiers present quickly took their positions. The spearmen advanced to the front and put together a wall of spears, and the swordsmen lined up along both flanks. Behind them all, together with Weitzer, were the mages standing in a row. They were prepared to fire as soon as the order came down. And as Gaius and Selphy prepared for battle too, the demons came into sight. 

“There’s a lot of ’em...” 

There was easily over a hundred demons who’d broken through the front line. They had enormous monsters with them, and were moving as a single group at a rather terrifying speed. 

“We’ll fire spells at them first. After that, I’ll leave the rest to you.” 

Both Weitzer and Gaius nodded, wordlessly agreeing to Selphy’s plan. Every single person present was pale and had broken into a cold sweat. They’d managed to get into formation in time, but with only a handful of mages with them, the best they’d be able to do was take out the front line of monsters. It would be up to the spearmen and swordsmen to buy time until the mages could get off their next round of spells, but they were sorely outnumbered. It was uncertain if they could hold out long enough. 

They all held their breath as they waited for the demons to come into range of the mages’ spells. And soon enough, the mages all began chanting in unison and let their magic fly. Fireballs rushed towards the demons like cannon fire. All the spears and swords the soldiers had at the ready shined brilliantly in the orange light passing overhead. But the demons were undeterred. They simply marched on through the fire. 

No one had expected to stop the demons in their tracks completely, but this wasn’t good. They hadn’t done anything at all to slow down the advancing force. Everyone gulped as they watched in horror. And just about then, a solemn, quiet voice could be heard carried on the wind. 

“Just as the eternal wind conveys, send the shining and swaying flames to His side! Hear my voice! Thou art the Ishim dyed in white! Hear my voice! Thou art the Ishim that shakes off all calamity! And so, I shall sing and recite them once: Eva, Zurdick, Rozeia, Deivikusd...” 

It was a chant for a spell, made clear by a white, revolving magic circle that formed in the air. It seemed to spin the very air around it, and quickly gave birth to a gale. The circle then began glowing brightly. 

“Mow them down! Truth Flare!” 

[White Flame Hyacinth!] 

A white flame coiled around the group of soldiers in a flash, and with a sound like a high-pitched shriek, it swept right into the demons. Then, between the white light and the turbulent wind, there was a tremendous explosion. After a soundless moment, a thunderous roar shook the earth. And as the white light vanished, the demons vanished along with it. Looking at the remnants of the white flame that were still vigorously flickering in front of the spearmen, Weitzer came to his senses and raised a loud cry of surprise. 

“What is this?!” 

“It’s probably magic, but this destructive power is...” 

He couldn’t tell what was going on at all. There was no mage in the Alliance who could use magic which such devastating power. Not even Selphy could tell him what it was. 

“Either way, with that destructive power... Almost all of them were completely blown away,” mumbled Gaius. 

“It’s not just that. The embers are still taking down the remaining demons in the area. There’s no longer any need for us to do anything.” 

“Heh, what a waste of our heroic resolve...” 

“That’s something to be grateful for. But even so, this kind of magic... Just who could...” 

As Weitzer furrowed his brow, the rear line of soldiers parted, and a single woman approached. She had glossy silver hair and wore a robe the same color as the flame that had just incinerated the demons. There was no doubt she was the one who’d cast the spell. It was, of course, none other than Felmenia. 

“It seems we made it in time...” 

“Just now, that was you— Wait, aren’t you that little lady that I met at the restaurant?!” 

Gaius’s eyes shot wide open in surprise when he spotted a familiar figure. Recognizing him too, Felmenia gave a polite greeting. 

“A pleasure, Forvan-dono.” 

“Y-Yeah...” 

“Do you know her? Just who is she?” asked Selphy. 

“I just happened to meet her at a restaurant on my way back last time, but... That really was some amazing magic. A white flame, huh?” 

After seeing Felmenia’s magic and hearing Gaius’s brief story, Selphy looked a little surprised. She seemed to have figured it out. 

“Could you be the mage from Astel they call the White Flame, Felmenia Stingray-dono?” 

“What?! U-Um...” 

Having her identity revealed immediately, Felmenia began to panic. Though in truth, she should have known this would happen when she used her signature white flame. 

“Hey, hey, hey! Wait a minute! This little lady is the White Flame...?” 

“What is a court mage of Astel doing here?” Weitzer asked, seemingly aware of who Felmenia was as well. 

That was when Suimei stepped out from behind her. 

“Well, a lot happened.” 

“You’re—” 

“Yo.” 

Seeing Weitzer completely dumbstruck, Suimei waved lightly. It was a greeting meant for Gaius and the others as well, but seeing Suimei act so casually, Gaius seemed to come to some kind of a realization. 

“Ah, since the little lady’s here, I shoulda known you’d be, too.” 

“Well, yeah. Besides, it’s not just us, you know?” 

As he said this, Suimei looked over to Rumeya, who was smoking her pipe. 

“Hello, Larsheem’s General of the Fist. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” 

“Ugeh?! Sasanqua of the Seven Swords!” 

“Huh? What’s with the “ugeh”? Do you want me to beat you to a pulp again?” 

“Give me a break... I mean, please.” 

Gaius’s usually foolhardy demeanor crumbled before Rumeya. It was quite clear they had a history. Selphy, on the other hand, addressed Rumeya with a curious expression. 

“So you’re the reinforcements from the guild?” 

“Yeah, that’s right. By the way...” 

As Rumeya began looking around, Lefille and Liliana approached the group as well. 

“It looks like you’ve been pushed back quite a bit.” 

“It’s not... a good situation.” 

“The little lady with the sword and the tiny one are here too, huh? Yeah, the number of demons far exceeded what we were expecting.” 

Both Lefille and Liliana were quite experienced in battle and had no trouble reading the situation. Rather than not good, it was just plain bad. They weren’t exactly backed up against a wall, but it was taking everything they had just to hold the front line. Hearing this, Rumeya let out a sigh and frowned. 

“So that’s the kind of mess we’re in... I’ll send the lot from the guild into action then. You don’t mind, right, Prince Weitzer?” 

“No. I thank you for your assistance, Sasanqua-dono.” 

During this exchange, Suimei was looking around dubiously. He suddenly realized that somebody who was supposed to be there... wasn’t. 

“Have you seen Hatsumi, Menia?” 

“Now that you mention it, she doesn’t appear to be here...” 

Felmenia began looking around too, but neither of them saw her anywhere. What Suimei did see, however, were the bitter expressions on the faces of the people from the Alliance. He decided to try asking them. 

“Hey, where’s Hatsumi?” 

“...What will you do with that information?” 

Weitzer returned a question of his own in an irritated tone. Hearing this, Suimei grimaced and shot right back at him. 

“The hell? Got a problem with me asking?” 

Suimei glared at him sharply, but Weitzer only glared back and stayed silent. Seeing this display, the soldiers from Miazen were filled with anger. They couldn’t stay silent seeing some ingrate treat their prince with such disrespect. On their behalf, a staff office came forward and flared up at Suimei. 

“Hey, you bastard! How dare you speak like that to His—” 

“Shut up and mind your own business.” 

There was no time to get into some petty argument, so Suimei wasted no time forcibly shutting the staff officer’s mouth. No longer able to open his mouth by his own will, the staff officer was frozen in surprise for a moment, and then struggled to open his mouth with his hands. 

“Anyone else wanna fucking complain? Step right up.” 

As Suimei scowled at the crowd, the soldiers faltered. Though a little late, Gaius gestured to them and warned them to stay back. In a complete change from the friendly attitude from before, Suimei’s face was twisted with irritation. It was Selphy who finally offered an answer to his question. 

“Hatsumi is not here.” 

“She’s not?” 

“No...” 

Selphy shook her head as she answered quietly. She then told Suimei and the others what had happened at the boundary fortress. 

“...So you guys were ambushed?” 

“And then we were scattered. The rest of us met back up here...” 

“So that’s what happened, huh...?” 

Hearing Weitzer groan as he finished explaining why Hatsumi wasn’t present, Suimei pinched his brow. Things had taken an unexpected turn—possibly the worst imaginable. 

“A rescue... If it was something you could do, you’d already be doing it, right?” 

Without waiting for anyone to reply, Suimei seemed to come to an answer on his own. He stayed silent for a moment, then turned to Selphy with a firm expression. 

“So, which way?” 

“Which... way?” 

“Which way was that fortress?” 

“Why are you asking something like that, you bastard?” Weitzer cut in. 

“I’m gonna save her. Duh. Knowing the general direction will make things easier.” 

Though gripped with surprise, Weitzer flared up. 

“You... If you do that, it will mean plunging into the demon army, you know?!” 

“Yeah, I didn’t need you to tell me that.” 

“What?! Then don’t be foolish! Just what exactly do you intend to accomplish by throwing yourself at the demons?!” 

Certainly, in a normal situation, that might seem rather reckless. Suimei could somewhat understand why Weitzer was so worked up, but he got the feeling there was more to it. 

“Hey, just what’s got you so angry?” 

“I am not particularly angry!” 

“Okay, well then calm down. But either way, I need to go save Hatsumi. If someone doesn’t, it’ll be bad, right? So this isn’t really the time to be arguing about the details.” 

Faced with Suimei’s completely reasonable argument, Weitzer was at a loss for words. And then, as if swallowing down his anger, he cast his eyes down in vexation. Perhaps he understood that he had lost his composure. 

“...Are you saying you can do it?” 

“I have to. That’s my job.” 

Hearing Suimei say this, Selphy spoke up in a fluster. 

“H-However, even if you head towards the fortress, you have no way of knowing if you can catch up to her or which way she went...” 

“I’ll just have to try my best and look for her. No one’s ever gonna find her if no one’s looking, right?” 

“But you know, lad, that the place you’re talking about going is flooded with demons, right?” 

“That’s why you’ll distract them, geezer. If you do, I can get by, no problem.” 

Suimei shook off all of their anxieties like they were nothing. And all three of them sank into silence. 

“Then Suimei-dono, I will go with...” 

Just as Felmenia was about to offer to accompany him, Lefille stopped her. 

“No, Lady Felmenia. We will stay here.” 

“What? Why?!” 

“This is a losing battle. The Alliance soldiers are at a disadvantage against those numbers on an open plain. If we don’t suppress the demons’ advance, we can forget about making a comeback. The soldiers won’t even be able to hold the line. So it’s up to us to attract the demons.” 

Lefille gazed over towards the melee on the battlefield as she explained their goal to Felmenia. Watching her, Rumeya put her hand to her chin as she laughed a little. 

“You sure said it, Lefi. Do you see those numbers?” 

“When those things invaded Noshias, the demons I cut down myself numbered about that many.” 

Lefille fearlessly boasted of her skill. They were reassuring words for anyone going into battle at her side, through Weitzer and the others from the Alliance didn’t pay her much attention. Surely it was bravado. Liliana couldn’t help asking. 

“Lefille, that’s... a lie... right?” 

“Yeah, of course it’s a lie.” 

Though she said that, her tone wasn’t particularly convincing. When Noshias was invaded by demons, Suimei had heard there was a preposterous number of them. If that was true, and taking into account Lefille’s true abilities... 

“Um, Suimei-dono...” 

“Yeah, I don’t think she’s really lying...” 

Felmenia and Suimei whispered to each other. He didn’t think it was necessarily true down to the number, but he was certain that she had slain an unbelievable sum of demons. It was very possible that she could take down the entire army in front of them without breaking a sweat. Hearing Lefille’s boast, however, Rumeya burst into laughter. 

“My, my... You’re in quite a good mood, aren’t you?” 

“I’m just happy I’ll be able to vent my anger after all this time. I haven’t fought any demons since I was in Astel.” 

Lefille’s cold voice was filled with an extraordinary wrath as she spoke. She then turned towards Suimei. 

“So that’s how it is, Suimei-kun.” 

“Thanks, I’ll leave it to you. You too, Menia, Rumeya.” 

“You can count on us.” 

“Yeah, yeah. Get it done lickety-split and save her, you hear?” 

After the two of them replied, Liliana, who had been following along, mumbled apologetically. 

“There’s nothing... that I can do...” 

“You played a huge role this time in your own way. For now, just watch Menia’s magicka and learn as much as you can.” 

Hearing Suimei reassure her, Liliana nodded back. And with that, the conversation swiftly came to an end, though anxiety still lingered in the air. That was natural, however, considering where Suimei was headed. 

“It was the fortress to the northeast of here. But how will you get through the demons?” 

“I don’t have any intention of struggling my way through that mess.” 

As Suimei said that, he nodded in the direction Selphy had pointed. They could faintly see more demons gathering in the distance. They were taking up a formation like they intended to defend. Getting through them would be no mean feat. But Suimei didn’t look worried. 

“Ridiculous. Even if you try and go around them, it is not like you can escape their reach.” 

“Well, that’s obvious just looking at their numbers.” 

Hearing Suimei agree with him, Weitzer’s bewilderment only strengthened. Suimei then stepped forward as Gaius’s voice chased after him, hot on his heels. 

“Hey, are you even listening to us, lad?!” 

“I can hear you loud and clear. So... I need all of you to stand back a bit.” 

“Ah?” 

Gaius too only grew more puzzled at Suimei’s response. Without another word, Suimei continued walking forwards. As if flipping open a coat, he flung his arm out, and his normal green clothing changed to a black suit in an instant. 

On one hand, Weitzer and Gaius watched on in absolute befuddlement, and on the other, Felmenia, Lefille, Liliana, and Rumeya obediently stepped back as they were told. And then... 

“Abreq ad Habra...” 

[Hurl your thunderbolt even unto death...] 

Suimei’s voice quietly resounded in the skies above. And before long, the inhuman shriek of a woman swept across the battlefield. 

“There aren’t any flowers, huh?” 

Focused on the demons flying through the air and running across the ground, Rumeya stabbed her swords into the earth. She only had two hands, but the number of swords exceeded that. She had one for each of her golden tails, seven in total. Like a blooming flower, she stood proud in the middle of her circle of swords. She stretched out her arms lightly to the point where she was just barely touching the swords around her with the tips of her fingers, and stood there quietly as she waited. 

There were no allies anywhere nearby. If they got even a little bit too close to her, they would get caught in her sword techniques. There was a tacit understanding between her and those who accompanied her on the battlefield. Only her enemies would get close to her. And approach they did. Before long, the demons who were gunning for her came flying in like falling meteors. 

“My goodness, even animals have brains. So why is it that these fools who know nothing of elegance rush into their deaths?” 

Lying in wait, Rumeya let out a tedious sigh. The first demon that crossed her fell to the ground in eight pieces. Before anyone knew what was happening, her arms were crossed. It was like the afterimage of her having drawn and slashed with all seven swords. A whole crowd of demons came in next. There were ten, maybe twenty of them. But they too all splattered to the ground around her in a shower of blood and a flash of gold and silver. 

The Bloody Art of the Fallen Flower. Everything around her was cut to pieces in the blink of an eye, and the bloody pattern on the ground around her looked like a camellia blossom. This was how she’d gotten her title. Watching Rumeya practice her art in full bloom, Lefille let out a sigh of admiration. 

“As expected of Rumeya-dono. That was splendid sword handling.” 

“That’s enough flattery. I don’t wanna hear it.” 

“It isn’t just flattery.” 

“What’re you saying? You know I can’t move while I’m doing this. That’s why I lost to a human at the Seven Sword Kings festival.” 

Rumeya spoke humbly of herself, but Lefille shook her head. 

“Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that your sword technique is beautiful.” 

“Well, that’s obvious.” 

Rumeya lived to make the flower of swords bloom on the battlefield. Weitzer, who was also looking over from nearby, spoke up in admiration. 

“As long as you’re here, Sasanqua-dono, it feels like having the strength of a hundred soldiers.” 

“You’re also going to flatter me, prince? Gimme a break.” 

“Hardly. It’s simply fact that you’re the one holding the line right now.” 

Things were still overall at a standstill, but it was Weitzer’s opinion that the fact that the demons were no longer slipping through their ranks was because of Rumeya. Perhaps “wishful thinking” was more accurate. 

“Nah. I’m pretty sure most of ’em were blown away at the start.” 

“Th-That...” 

Weitzer fumbled for words, but Rumeya couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Despite witnessing Suimei’s power, Weitzer couldn’t honestly admit to it. He’d watched as Suimei singlehandedly walked up to the line of demons blocking the path to the northeast, muttered a few words, and unleashed a devastating amount of mana. 

There was a grand ultramarine magic circle and an enormous bust of what looked like a woman. Anyone caught in it could only catch glimpses of it, but a tempest poured lightning down onto the wastelands. That lightning spread out and snatched up everything within its reach. Even the smallest tendril of it manifested power far beyond the understanding of the people of this world. And then, the pale blue light cast by the lightning blasted away everything in its grasp—including the vast majority of the demons on the right flank of their army. A lone figure had then gone running through the path created by the lightning. 

“Thanks to that, I’m able to take it easy here. Same goes for you too, right?” 

“...” 

Rumeya looked back at him, but Weitzer only frowned and averted his gaze. With that, she finally seemed to sense something. 

“Oh dear, is that what it is? I see. In that case, you really can’t honestly assess him... Well, setting that aside, just how long do you plan on sitting there, Larsheem’s General?” 

“I’m exhausted after taking care of the soldiers coming all the way here. I bet you don’t care though. But since you’re all here now, it’ll all work out one way or the other.” 

Gaius threw up both hands as he remained seated. He was being purposefully lazy, but it was something he could only do because he knew the true power of his allies. 

“Anyway, your technique is as terrifying as ever. I don’t know whether it’s ’cause your tails are in the way or what, but I can’t read your movements at all. As one would expect of the esteemed second sword master of the Seven Swords,” said Gaius before turning to Weitzer. “So, what does the esteemed fifth sword master of the Seven Swords think?” 

“Is that sarcasm?” 

“Naaah!” 

Gaius replied frivolously to Weitzer’s glare, who then replied with sarcasm of his own. 

“If you do not even have the energy to stand up, then be silent. I will at least let you be my herald.” 

“My glory days are really over, huh? It’s the end of the road for me if some brat’s telling me that.” 

As the two of them were joking with each other, Rumeya turned to Lefille. 

“It’s your turn next, Lefi. It’s been a while—bewitch me with those skills of yours.” 

“After seeing your techniques just now, my sword will only seem boorish.” 

Despite her humble words, Lefille walked to the front. After Rumeya had mercilessly cut down their vanguard, the next line was faltering and keeping their distance. But even then, it was quite a large group of them. 

“Sasanqua-dono, who is that girl?” Weitzer asked. 

“Hmm? Oh, Lefi? That child is the daughter of a swordsman I admire.” 

She spoke nostalgically, but Weitzer still sounded dubious. 

“I understand that you trust in her skills, but is this really a situation where you should be standing by and watching?” 

“What are you saying, Cloud of Death? The battlefield is the garden where sword masters bloom, no? Do you intend for me to clip that bud before it can— Whoa, goodness me! That child really had a dreadful amount of pent up anger, huh?” 

As Rumeya was talking, an unbelievable bloodlust swept through the atmosphere. 

“This is...” 

It was without a doubt Lefille’s. Weitzer felt a chill run down his spine as he imagined himself being cut to pieces. Behind him, Gaius was muttering in an astonished voice. 

“...It’s like we don’t even have any ground to stand on anymore...” 

Lefille then challenged the demons before her. 

“Hear me, demons! You shall become a mist of blood and vanish before my sword forged by the spirits!” 

She was shouting in a thunderous voice. Her war cry was accompanied by a whirl of red wind, and froze each of the demons in place. Then, in the blink of an eye, she began rendering them to paste with her sword. It could only be described as a massacre. Against opponents that could not run, fight, or even move, it was a completely one-sided display of excessive violence. In mere moments, she had taken out an entire group of demons. 

“Gala Valner.” 

[Mountain Breaker.] 

Her voice was quiet, but the phenomenon that followed it was explosive. Her large sword became cloaked in a red wind, and she swung it with all her might. That red wind then became a shockwave that rushed towards the demons. Naturally, there was nothing they could do to stop it. All they could do was welcome their deaths. As if burned by a scorching heat, their bodies were reduced to mere ash. 

Lefille then charged through the hole she’d opened up in the demons’ formation and devoted all her energy to swinging her sword. Demons flew through the air in all directions. Or, at least, pieces of them. Even a monstrous demon large enough to take up one’s entire field of vision was easy prey for her. After piercing its stomach with a single strike from her sword, she swept to the side. The beast was extravagantly split in two, and crushed the other demons below it as both halves tumbled to the ground. 

They were unable to see Lefille’s expression within that red wind. However, without a doubt, as long as her blue eyes were shining like the afterimage of lightning, her wrath was righteous indignation that the demons would never be able to escape. 

“To think a sword master like that would still be in the north...” 

Other than that, Weitzer was at a loss for words. Felmenia, Suimei, and now this swordswoman... If a general was worth a thousand soldiers, these people were truly the stuff of legends. Their worth on the battlefield was immeasurable. 

“As one would expect of an acquaintance of Camellia Sasanqua, Empress of the Sword Dance... It’s a relief, honestly.” 

“No, it’s dangerous.” 

“What do you mean?” 

Rumeya suddenly made a sour expression as she clenched her jaw. Gaius and Weitzer then turned towards her with puzzled expressions. 

“It may look compelling to you guys, but I can only see a sword of complete desperation in that red wind.” 

Gaius once more looked over at Lefille, but he was unable to see what Rumeya was talking about. 

“I don’t see anything dangerous ’bout it? She’s dodging their attacks and hasn’t been hit, right?” 

“Certainly, that’s true.” 

“So what gives?” 

“This is all oh-so precarious. But you know, after watching her fight like that without any pause at all, I must say she understands the limits of her stamina well. Though she seems to have forgotten the dangers of fighting on thin ice like this. Even if she isn’t just a human, she’s the child of one, after all...” 

Hearing Rumeya’s words, something finally clicked for Gaius. 

“Ah, yeah, I see what you mean.” 

“You understand?” Weitzer asked, puzzled. 

“Were you listening? At a glance, that little lady looks like she’s fighting perfectly safely. It’s true that those demons ain’t shit to her, but it doesn’t change the fact that she’s running wild without any concern for her own wellbeing. Just look at the way she’s fighting without any concern for defense. She can’t even think of it right now she’s so focused. But if she keeps this up, it’ll only get more dangerous. That’s why you’re supposed to keep your head on in a fight. But not this little lady here...” 

“My goodness, to think I didn’t see through this earlier... Is this also because that boy was near Lefi?” Rumeya wasn’t speaking to anyone in particular as she mumbled to herself with an anxious look in her eyes. “I’m going to go support her. The lot from the guild all know a thing or two about tactics, so you can command them as you like, Your Highness.” 

With that, Rumeya ran off towards Lefille. Meanwhile, Felmenia and Liliana were elsewhere on the battlefield dealing with a different group of demons. 

“It is about time we made a big move ourselves. Lily, please take care of the demons who get close.” 

“Understood.” 

With that, Felmenia carefully began to fire off magicka while avoiding the Alliance soldiers who were fighting. Unlike the right flank where Lefille and the others had the demons completely overwhelmed, the left flank was losing ground. The far left side had collapsed altogether. The plan, then, was to pierce through the demons’ flank and take care of the ones who were pinning down the soldiers on the front. 

Naturally, Felmenia was using her signature magic. Just as she burned down the demons before, she wrapped them up in a brilliant flash of white fire. The soldiers were surprised at the powerful support they were receiving from behind. Felmenia glanced over her shoulder at Selphy. 

“It was Fittney-dono, correct?” 

“Y-Yes.” 

After watching the mysterious white flame, Selphy’s eyes were open wide. It was a spell she had never seen before this day. She was still gripped by both surprise and admiration. Felmenia then gave her instructions. 

“When you next use your magic, please add on the words I am about to say to the end of your normal chant. Eva—no—Olgo, Luciula, Ragua, Secunto, Labielalu, Baybaron.” 

“Olgo, Luciula...?” 

Selphy made a puzzled expression like she didn’t really understand. Liliana then questioned Felmenia’s decision. 

“Felmenia, is it okay... to teach her?” 

“There should be no problem. More importantly, it is essential that we defeat the demons before us. As such, it would be regrettable to leave Fittney-dono’s power unused.” 

In the current situation where the demons had the upper hand, even the power of a single mage might make the difference between life and death. And a talented mage was a particularly welcome boon. Selphy raised a timid voice, still completely perplexed. 

“Um, just what are those words...?” 

“They are called savage names. It is a supplementary chant that increases the effects of magic. If you add it on to the end of your regular chant, it will drastically increase the destructive power of that particular spell.” 

“That kind of thing exists?!” 

“Yes. It is just as you saw with my magic just now.” 

Selphy looked between Felmenia’s face and the demons who were still being burned by her white flame. Liliana then lightly tugged on Selphy’s robe. 

“It’s... Olgo, Luciula, Ragua, Secunto, Labielalu, Baybaron. But you can’t... teach these words... to anyone else.” 

The reason they didn’t share the same savage names Suimei and Felmenia used was because they were difficult for the people of this world to pronounce correctly without practicing. But, excited at the prospect of these words increasing the power of her magic, Selphy held her breath. From her tense expression, Felmenia and Liliana could tell that she was still somewhat skeptical, but she began to chant the spell for her snowstorm regardless. 

“Oh Wind. Thou art the evil gale that carries the kiss of the frozen glacier. Blow violently, grow strong, and trap my enemy within your superb cage. No one and nothing escapes your icy prison, a baptism of the snowstorm. Olgo, Luciula, Ragua, Secunto, Labielalu, Baybaron! Ephemeral Razing!” 

After her keyword, her magic activated without a problem. However, due to the unexpected amount of mana and force it unleashed, for a short time, Selphy was unable to control it well and it began to run wild. However, as expected of a titled mage, she quickly regained control of it and focused its destructive power on the demons. The scale of the storm of snow and ice could not even be compared to the version she’d used on Suimei. This was a blizzard of pure death. 

“A-Amazing...” 

It did not reach the destructive power of Felmenia’s magicka, but it was still more potent than any single spell a mage could ordinarily conjure. It was a splendid performance. Continuing to get such powerful support from the rear, the soldiers at front fought bravely and without worry for the flank. Seeing the power of the magic from her own hands, however, Selphy stood there dumbfounded for a short while. Felmenia flashed a bit of a smile. 

“That was amazing, but...” 

“If it were Suimei...” added Liliana. “He could fire off that much... without savage names... and with both eyes closed.” 

Selphy hung her head. 

“As expected, it’s best to leave it to him for now, huh...?” 

The depressed groan she let out sounded like frustration. 

“Are you worried about the hero?” Felmenia asked curiously. 

“Yes. Though it is presumptuous, I think of Hatsumi like a little sister.” 

“Is that so...?” 

Felmenia and Liliana were unaware of it, but just as Selphy said, she and Hatsumi were close. After being summoned to this world, Hatsumi hadn’t known right from left or even the first thing about herself. Selphy was the one who’d taken care of her and helped her acclimate, so she felt a strong bond with Hatsumi. 

“Besides, because of my failure, Hatsumi’s memories...” 

That also weighed heavily on her. Selphy felt that her ineptitude as a summoner was the reason Hatsumi had lost her memories. She felt responsible. Felmenia was able to sympathize there. 

“Fittney-dono, I understand your feelings. When I did the hero summoning ritual in Astel, Suimei-dono and Mizuki-dono... I ended up summoning over people who never should have been involved.” 

“Then... that was the accident that happened during Astel’s summoning?” 

“Yes.” 

Felmenia looked down as she replied, but soon looked back up with a determined gaze. 

“I am sure you are worried about your hero, but you can count on Suimei-dono.” 

“If it’s him... he’ll bring back the hero... very soon.” 

Felmenia and Liliana both reassured Selphy, which helped put her a little at ease. She redirected her feelings into her staff, and began using her magic to support the soldiers again. Seeing her newfound resolution, Felmenia muttered to no one in particular. 

“I must do my best too.” 

“Felmenia?” 

“I am still quite inadequate. If I am to be of use to Suimei-dono, I must be diligent.” 

With that, Felmenia once more began chanting her spells too.