Rokka no Yuusha - Volume 3 - Chapter Ep

Epilogue 
An Alliance Formed 

Night fell, and the group returned to the Cut-Finger Forest from the hot, sulfuric area. If they lingered, Tgurneu’s fiends might come to attack them next. In a corner of the woods, they sat together, keeping as quiet as possible. 
After Adlet’s trio had finished fighting Goldof, they’d headed over to meet up with the other Braves. They told Nashetania and Goldof they’d put the fight on hold for the time being so they could learn the truth about what was going on. Chamo didn’t seem pleased, but since she had no choice, she did as Adlet said. 
When Dozzu discovered they’d stopped fighting, it had returned from where it had fled to come meet up with them. 
Chamo removed the blade gem from her slave-fiend’s stomach and then meticulously inspected the rest of her pets. Dozzu, meanwhile, spat up the parasite in its mouth that had been feeding information to Tgurneu and immolated the Saint-sealing fiend on Nashetania’s back. 
In the faint glow of light gems, Adlet’s party faced Dozzu. A short distance away from where the Braves huddled together sat Goldof, holding Nashetania firmly against his chest. Dozzu situated itself right next to the group of six, telling them the truth behind their fight. It explained the contract between Cargikk, Tgurneu, and Dozzu, about how Cargikk’s fiends had chased Dozzu and Nashetania, how the pair had chosen capture by Tgurneu over the alternative, and how they’d had Goldof save Nashetania. Dozzu did most of the talking. Nashetania’s throat was destroyed, so she couldn’t speak, and all Goldof’s nerve had been consumed protecting her. 
“I swear that all I’ve said has been completely true. Please, I do hope you will trust that,” said Dozzu, tying up the long story. 
The six looked at each other, silent. They had no guarantee that everything Dozzu said was genuine—but still, it didn’t seem to be lying. 
Adlet was shocked. Now he knew just how far from the truth he’d been, and the degree to which he had been manipulated. The hieroform he’d been chasing had just been a tool for Goldof to speak with Nashetania. The traces of the hieroform that he had mistaken for a clue had been from their communications. Tgurneu had tricked him and won. 
“So in other words, it was mew guys, the Dozzu camp, who won this one?” said Hans, ignoring Adlet as he reflected upon this humiliation. 
“Exactly. We achieved our goal, which was the survival of both myself and Nashetania. That was all,” Dozzu replied, quite composed. 
“So you used Tgurneu in order to escape from Cargikk,” Fremy reflected, “and to escape Tgurneu, you used Goldof. Quite a pair you are.” 
“I will take that as a compliment. Thank you.” Not even Fremy’s sarcasm bothered Dozzu. 
“Hey, so now that we’re done talking, Chamo can kill it, right? Chamo just can’t hold back anymore.” 
“…Miss Chamo.” Dozzu lowered itself and pressed its face to the ground. “You have my deepest and most sincere apologies for everything that has happened. I realize that this is not a transgression that can be forgiven, but I beg of you, please, have mercy.” 
“…Um…are you apologizing?” Taken aback, the girl tilted her head in bafflement. 
“Chamo, our original purpose was never to cause you harm. It was something we were forced to do to survive,” said Dozzu, and behind the fiend, Nashetania bowed her head as well. 
“Well, Chamo doesn’t know what to do with an apology,” she mused, scratching her head. 
“We should kill them, no? They’re our enemies,” said Mora. 
Dozzu lifted its head. Seeing that, Fremy took aim at the fiend. Goldof, still holding Nashetania, put his hand on his spear and rose slightly. Hans lifted his blades to dissuade Goldof. 
“Wait, please. It’s true, we are your enemies. But it’s not our intention to fight right now,” said Dozzu. 
Adlet gestured for his allies to sit. He’d expected as much. If Dozzu had wanted a fight, it wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble to tell them the truth. 
“Please, Dozzu, could you explain what you mean?” said Rolonia. Adlet wondered why she was being so polite to a fiend. 
“If we killed three of the Six Braves,” Dozzu explained, “Tgurneu and Cargikk would surrender to us. That was ultimately the only reason we arranged that battle in the Phantasmal Barrier. Killing the Braves in and of itself is not our goal.” 
“…So?” 
“With our current forces, we can’t kill three of you. Perhaps it could be done if we sacrificed ourselves, but that wouldn’t help us realize our ambition.” Dozzu surveyed the entire group and said, “We would like to defeat Tgurneu and Cargikk. They are the greatest obstacles to the fulfillment of our objective. We would like to join forces with you in the name of that goal.” 
Face stiff, Mora objected. “That’s far too great a demand. Your actions nearly brought about Chamo’s death.” 
“And we do apologize most sincerely for that. However, that was not our original purpose,” Dozzu countered. “We wanted to meet with you earlier to make this proposal, but we were unable to do so. By the time we arrived at the Bud of Eternity, you had already left. We immediately set off after you, but you were running hither and yon in the Cut-Finger Forest trying to avoid Tgurneu, and it was impossible to pin down your location.” 
“So if we’d stayed a little longer at the Bud of Eternity…” Adlet trailed off. 
“That’s right, Adlet. In that case, this battle never would have happened at all, since we would have had no reason to deceive you or fight with you.” 
This was an absurd tale indeed. That meant this whole day of fighting had been completely unnecessary. 
“Please, I beg that you agree to this alliance. I believe this proposal will be of benefit to both parties,” Dozzu said, and it bowed its head one more time. 
All eyes gathered on Adlet—the final judgment was his responsibility. 
Chamo, beside him, offered her opinion. “Chamo is way not convinced about this. Adlet, can you just tell us to kill ’em?” 
“But, Addy,” said Rolonia from his other side, “we’d have more allies. That’s a good thing.” 
Adlet sat sandwiched between Chamo and Rolonia and their conflicting opinions. 
“But would they truly be our allies, Rolonia?” said Mora. 
Dozzu spoke. “I won’t pretend that this is a noble act. Let me be frank: We’re your enemies. We would be cooperating solely to defeat Tgurneu and Cargikk. After their fall, I’m sure we will end up fighting one another.” 

“S-so then…” 
“Nevertheless, I would still hope you accept this offer of alliance,” said Dozzu. 
Adlet asked, “What’s in it for us?” 
“I am a considerable asset in combat, and Nashetania as well, once she’s recovered. We can also offer your group much information about the Howling Vilelands, fiends, and the Evil God.” 
“Would that information be useful?” asked Adlet. 
“I believe so. You haven’t even managed to find a way to cross Cargikk’s Canyon, and beyond the ravine, many more obstacles await you. Without our cooperation, you’ll never arrive at the Weeping Hearth,” said Dozzu. 
Adlet couldn’t counter any of that. It could’ve been all true. 
“And we have still more intelligence to offer. While we don’t know the identity of the seventh among you, we have a clue—information I can say with certainty will lead you to discover their identity. We can also tell you about the origin of the fake crest.” 
Adlet fell silent. Like him, the others all had their eyes on Dozzu. This wasn’t even something that needed consideration—he wanted that knowledge so badly he could taste it. Adlet scanned his allies’ faces. Judging from their expressions, none of them opposed this alliance. Even Chamo and the deeply doubtful Fremy didn’t seem to object. 
“Goldof,” said Adlet. 
Still holding Nashetania, Goldof shifted his eyes to Adlet. 
Adlet had come to realize that the knight was probably a real Brave. Would it even be possible for him to work for Tgurneu without Nashetania and Dozzu noticing at all? The very idea that a master and retainer with such a strong connection could each be communicating with different enemies was just so improbable. And in the end, Goldof had saved Chamo and thwarted Tgurneu’s scheme. Goldof opposed Tgurneu and therefore couldn’t be the seventh. 
“…What is it…Adlet?” asked Goldof. 
“Are you in favor of this alliance?” 
After a silence, Goldof spoke. “I want to protect Her Highness. If it will help me accomplish that…I’m in favor.” 
When Adlet heard that, he thought, He’s already left our side. “Goldof, after we’ve killed Tgurneu and Cargikk, will you fight with us?” 
“…I will…protect Her Highness. That’s the most important thing. The Braves’ victory…is second most.” Goldof didn’t explicitly say he would fight them, but he had essentially declared that he would be apart from the Braves of the Six Flowers. Something that should not be, something that they all had thought impossible, had just happened. 
One of the Braves had betrayed them. 
There were eight humans here. Nashetania sided with Dozzu, and the seventh worked for Tgurneu. Now Goldof had joined Dozzu’s side, too. It was enough to make Adlet dizzy. Three of the eight humans here were enemies. How should they fight in a situation like this? 
“So, Adlet. Will it be possible for you to accept this alliance?” Dozzu pressed him. 
Adlet wanted to do everything he could to avoid fighting Tgurneu and Cargikk. Their goal was, ultimately, the overthrow of the Evil God. But he wanted the information that Dozzu had, by all possible means. He concluded that they would join forces for now, and then eventually cut them loose. In proposing this, Dozzu had most likely anticipated Adlet’s choice. 
“I’d like to accept, but first I want to ask something,” said Adlet. 
“Then I’ll answer. Go ahead,” Dozzu replied. 
“You said before that you want to create a world where humans and fiends can live together. How do you plan to accomplish that?” 
“I simply cannot answer that question. If I do, then our victory will slide even further from our grasp.” 
“Your ambition just sounds like a crazy delusion to me. I don’t want to join forces with lunatics. Just tell me part of it, whatever you can.” 
Dozzu glanced at Nashetania, and she gave a tiny nod. “Understood. If we’re going to cooperate, then it can’t be helped.” Adlet’s whole group gave Dozzu their full attention. Goldof, too, leaned forward to listen. 
“Our goal is to replace the Evil God.” 
“What?” Adlet didn’t understand what Dozzu was saying. The Evil God was the Evil God. You couldn’t just replace it like a king or a temple elder. 
“We will destroy the current Evil God…that ugly, mad monster, and birth a new deity. It will have a righteous heart, love fiends, love humanity, and love peace. There wouldn’t be any point in replacing the Evil God otherwise. Under the rule of a new god, all fiends will be reborn, transformed from creatures that loathe humans into creatures that can live together with them.” 
“No way,” breathed Adlet. “That’s just…unbelievable, though…” 
Dozzu ignored him and continued. “And then, with our new god, we will storm the human realms, destroy the rotten kings, the nobles that drown themselves in decadence, and unify the world. That is our ultimate goal. And that’s all we can tell you at present.” 
It was all so extravagant, Adlet’s brain just couldn’t parse it. 
“What do you know, Dozzu? Answer me—what on earth is the Evil God?” Fremy pressed, her tone agitated. 
Dozzu’s expression was still calm as it looked at the group and said, “The Evil God, the fiends, the Saint of the Single Flower, the Crest of the Six Flowers, the conflict between Tgurneu, Cargikk, and me, and the two fake crests might all seem like independent elements, but in truth, it’s all one single complex matter.” 
The group said nothing. They just waited for Dozzu to continue. 
“I’ll start from the beginning. Three hundred years ago, I encountered a Saint. Together we took on the mysteries of the world. Her name was Hayuha Pressio, Saint of Time.” 
All the Braves’ eyes widened. Everyone who lived on the continent knew that name. Hayuha, the Saint of Time, had defeated the Evil God three hundred years ago. She had been one of the Braves of the Six Flowers. 
“The first fake crest, the one that Nashetania has now, originally belonged to her, and she gave it to me three hundred years ago.”