Chapter 13: An Angel’s Pride

Upon hearing the sound of rushing wings and the released arrow, Alice braced herself for the impact.

But despite her preparedness, her strength left her and she collapsed.

But, instead of falling to the ground, someone was suddenly holding her up.

――There was a lovely scent.

A clear and fresh scent, like a flower blooming proudly in the frigid cold of a tall mountain.

There was also a pleasant sensation of something lightly brushing her cheek.

Like the highest quality feathers――

◆◆◆

“What the hell. ――Even though I exist as the epitome of beauty and dignity, it’s still pretty difficult to save cretins from their certain death.”

◆◆◆

A high-pitched voice.

A voice that belonged to――

“――Premiere-san?” (Alice)

“Yep, it’s me. The high class angel of absolute beauty. ――Oh, I’m not the angel here to guide you to heaven you know. I’m an angel from the Heaven race, see? Fufu….!” (Premiere)

“…..That is true. There is no way a messenger from heaven would be so arrogant.” (Alice)

“Fufufu…! If you’re still talking like that then that means you’re safe.” (Premiere)

Premiere continued in a voice that shook slightly,

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to let you die. You’re a cretin that I’m proud of, my cretin #1, you know? No matter what you’re supposed to work hard on my behalf, you know? That’s it! You can just exist for my sake!”

――Right now, what sort of face is she making?

Alice thought as she was supported by the angel she couldn’t see.

She suddenly felt deep regret for her hasty actions that led to the loss of her vision.

Also, Alice noticed that the arm that was supporting her was shaking slightly.

She was held close within Premiere’s arms, so Alice reached her arm out to touch Premiere’s back.

She felt――

A warm, smeared something.

――Impossible.

“Premiere-san?”
“Wha~at?”

“――Please move away from there.”

“Why? ――Fufu, a mere cretin giving me orders? That’s no good, I won’t listen to you! I’m the one who gets to give orders!! Not the one who follows them!! Those who give orders must be the embodiment of nobility, and must be responsible for those they order you know? Not only that, a good woman must occasionally stand her ground. That’s right, this is one of those times――Fufufu…!”

Alice drew up her strength and when she tried to shake off Premiere’s support――

“Fufu….!”

Premiere started.

As if she bore the impact of something.

Once again Alice reached for her back――

She could feel the three arrows which were buried there.

“….tch!” (Alice)

――No.

Thinking this, Alice gathered her strength once again and tried to break free from Premiere.

But――

“Oho? Even though you’re being embraced by this gorgeous, high class woman, you’re trying to escape? Ahaha, Alice, you’re awfully willful aren’t you?!”

After saying Alice’s name――she put even more strength in her arms than before, and held Alice close.

――Ah….

She noticed.

She’s definitely more willful than me, she won’t let go.

Because of her pride.

Premiere completely believes in her ridiculous creed, that cretins must be protected, and she is the only person she can trust to protect them.

This angel is a stubborn, and willful――

――idiot.

Premiere’s back. From the crevice between her wings blood continued to flow freely.

――There was another.

Most likely Shayna had let loose another arrow which had found its way into Premiere’s back.

――Why?

――Why did she protect me?

In an indirect way, I am one of your greatest foes.

“You’re making a weird face, you know? ――I get it. Listen up! I’ll teach you something good. It’s true, I won’t forgive the trash who try to kill my cretins before killing me. I’ve decided that I will track down all the bastards who dared to kill my cretins and kill them myself. That’s why, the ones who dared to lay a hand on my cretins, this Pure race trash, I’ll kill them when I find them.”

She continued,

“That said, at the end of the day, I’m not going to refuse someone because they are from Atem, or because they are one of the Pure race, I’m not like Atem and their exclusion of the Other races. I don’t believe in their blind devotion. I don’t have those sort of beliefs like the Atem Kingdom, I do what I….want to do. That’s why――!”

She jolted as another arrow hit her,

“I will protect the cretins that I have chosen. I don’t hate you for being from the Pure race, or for being a member of the Atem royal family, and I don’t like you for being half-Other race. At this point, that stuff doesn’t matter. ――Alice, I’ll protect you because you’re my cretin.”

Another arrow struck,

“The ones who killed my previous cretins are my enemies. Not you. Isn’t that fine? That cretin #50――Sare-something said it was fine, that we just needed to protect you. He didn’t say we had to be the same…..race…..In other words, that….is….that――”

The words jumbled and failed her, but she conveyed most of it.

Despite it’s abrupt end, for some reason Alice accepted her explanation.

Premiere is haughty, arrogant, and conceited. But because she is honest with herself and never lies, her self-esteem never wavers.

This is what Alice realized from living with her this past month.

Alice also immediately realized when the strength left Premiere’s arms――and she cried out,

――Someone!

“――Ah! Please help!”

◆◆◆

――Why am I standing in a daze, just watching? (Sare)

――Why art I standing hither? Simply gazing in befuddlement? (Touka)

――What am I waiting here for? (Gillius)

◆◆◆

――What are we confused about?

◆◆◆

As one, the group ran towards Premiere and Alice.

Sare considered Premiere’s words, which he had also heard.

She had talked about their official stance, which the group had not yet completely embraced.

If everyone were to honestly consider any other stance from each individual point of view, there would likely be no way they could achieve perfect solidarity as a group.

Because they were all so different, their ideals, pride, and way of thinking were also different.

――That’s why I said it would be fine if we just protect her.

They wouldn’t have to worry about their differences.

Just protect her, because she needs us to protect her.

Even if they were all very different, in the end, protecting a girl who needs protecting is an ideal that they could all understand and support.

He had proposed and encouraged such an idea because it was so simple to understand.

――Yet, even though I was the one who spoke those words, I easily forgot them.

That angel, who is all smiles in a suspicious way, understood those words more than anyone else.

She didn’t lose her way.

――I respect that. Honestly.

Since the noble queen has gotten injured protecting her cretin, they would have to confront the ones who had hurt her.

And since that queen had also saved the cretin who had offered herself to her enemies, they needed to be sure they got the chance to convey their respect.

Goodness! She would probably kill herself trying to create a country where no one was allowed to die.

In that case, we need to――

“――Hurry!! Protect them!!” (Sare)

They rushed forward, and clashed against that superior army, the [Second King’s Blade].

Alice’s cry for help would become the signal that started a war.

◆◆◆

“Continue firing Shayna. The enemies are Other races. We live and die for the principles of the kingdom. By the order of our king――――we must subjugate the Other races!” (Ekkehardt)

“I get it already. Even though your brain is all muscle could you refrain from ordering me around?” (Shayna)

“As long as you understand. I’ll head out as well.” (Ekkehardt)

Ekkehardt drew and held his large sword horizontally before him before rushing forwards, a line of soldiers following closely, as if he was pulling them along.

――But I’m faster.

Although the other races seem to have abandoned their uncertainty, the me who draws his sword without hesitation will strike first. This is what he truly believed.

Even so, the opponents are other races.

There were even winged races, and those whose race allowed them to move faster than others.

“But――there’s no way we’ll lose! We are the King’s Blade!!” (Ekkehardt)

Ekkehardt’s shout echoed like a warcry to the two hundred soldiers following him, and they roared as they charged.

Ekkehardt cut off the uncertainty he felt at aiming for the life of a former member of the royal family.

And if she was not afraid of the approach of the other races, then he had no reason to hesitate.1

◆◆◆

Opposite them, from within the rushing group, Sare considered whether or not they’d be able to make it to Alice and Premiere’s side in time.

Gillius stretched out his large, intimidating wings and took flight. Touka, without decreasing her speed, unsheathed a long, slender sword sheathed at her back and turned her body, which was slower but possessed even more physical strength than that of the Majin, towards her enemies.

Their charge was terrible, like a sudden squall. They put so much strength into each step that their shoes were buried in the earth. With terrific fervor they closed in on their opponents.

――Please let us make it in time….!

They had to arrive at Alice and Premiere’s side before Ekkehardt, rushing with his large sword, got there. Sare was confident that he would arrive first.

He raised his head and observed the terrible scenery as it sped by.

――As I thought, it’s impossible to focus my eyes on anything while moving this quickly.

Sare had considered using the eye of destruction, but the situation wouldn’t allow for it.

But if their foes reached the girls before he did, Sare would have to act.

That’s why, he had to get there first.

Since he was worried about Ekkehardt’s approach, Sare observed the man’s actions.

From within the chaos of the two forces rushing each other Sare saw him: Ekkehardt had shifted his large sword to one hand and pulled something out from a pocket around his chest. He then pulled his arm back in order to throw it.

Due to the constant movement around him, Sare was unable to observe what the object was.

No matter how quickly I get there, if that object is thrown it could arrive even sooner. I could use the eye of destruction, but it’s risky without knowing the whole situation.

Therefore,

“Dammit!”

While embracing his thoughts of protecting Alice, Sare threw himself between Ekkehardt and Premiere’s back.

Ekkehardt threw the object just as Sare arrived, and it pierced his right shoulder.

Since it sunk into his flesh, it was likely a bladed weapon of some sort.

But Sare had no time to actually observe what it was.

Ekkehardt had already reached Sare and stood before him,

“You, you’re in the way. ――Can’t be helped, I guess I’ll start with you.”

It had taken Sare every bit of concentration to get there in time to protect Alice and Premiere, he hadn’t had the chance to think ahead.

There wasn’t even any time to properly guard against Ekkehardt’s arrival――

The blade of the large sword swung down mercilessly at Sare’s unguarded neck.

1. This particular sentence is odd, and I took some liberties. I might be wrong.