Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 12 - Chapter 6

Bonds

Saturday, April 24th

Crimson and Green’s cooperation had only been disrupted for half a minute or so now.

Before that, their teamwork had been perfect and they were easily cornering Theia and the others. But in the past half a minute, their coordination had taken a turn for the worse.

“What’s wrong, Green?! Your readings are wrong!”

“I’m sorry, Crimson! It seems that some being of higher existence descended into this world a moment ago, and it threw off all my predictions!”

“Just what world did it come from? Damn it! At a busy time like this, no less... Wait! Could it be that devil Maki contracted?!”

“I think so... but if it’s near Maya-san, things might be a little troublesome...”

Green’s voice was heavy. If the higher being wasn’t summoned by Maki, then chances were high that Maya was in danger.

“Wait, you mean that Yurika might have summoned it?!”

With most of her body now replaced with machines, Maya couldn’t use any high-level summoning magic. That’s why if Maki hadn’t summoned her contracted partner, then it seemed likely Yurika was the one behind such a powerful summoning.

“We can’t rule out that possibility. That’s why we need to hurry and finish up over here!”

“Got it!”

Green and Crimson wanted to wrap things up at Corona House as quickly as possible and move to help Maya or Maki. They were starting to recover their team dynamic, so ending the fight now shouldn’t be that hard.

“After the blonde girl attacks with her energy bullets, she’ll pass over the manhole up ahead.”

“Explosion! Modifier: Time Trigger!”

“Force Field! Modifier: Area Effect!”

Following Green’s predictions, Crimson placed a timed spell while Green activated a defensive spell.

“Blue Knight! Fire the particle cannon at full speed!”

“As you wish, my princess.”

Theia took action just like Green had foreseen. The cannon she summoned from Blue Knight opened fire. But since the magical girls had prepared a defensive barrier before Theia attacked, her shots were all blocked.

“Tch!”

Realizing she’d been outdone, Theia charged forward for her next attack. The second she reached the manhole, however, she was suddenly surrounded by an explosion.

“Your Highness!”

Ruth let out a shrill cry. The explosion was from an offensive spell Crimson had planted to catch Theia unawares.

“I-I’m fine! Don’t worry!”

“Alert Message: Increased load on the distortion field. Any further combat action will be dangerous.”

But fortunately, Theia appeared from the flames unharmed. She then returned to Kiriha and the others. That said, her dress was scorched and dirty from the explosion. Having taken several attacks from the enemy now, Theia’s barrier was reaching its limit.

“Kiriha, our attacks have stopped hitting again!”

While reporting the situation to Kiriha, Theia wiped some of the dirt and soot from her face and dress.

“It’s like they’re reading your movements too, Theia-chan.”

Shizuka clenched her jaw in frustration. She couldn’t even get close to the enemy. Now that the enemy had regained their ability to see into the future, there was nothing she could do.

“Her predictions have stabilized, huh...”

“They seem to have regained the ability after the second space-time quake.”

Kiriha analyzed the situation using the data that Ruth had gathered.

“There was a second space-time quake, their predictions stabilized... so why did...”

Kiriha’s expression didn’t have its usual calmness to it. Instead of looking like the sweet girl who did Koutarou’s laundry, she looked like a fierce commander in battle.

“What do we do, Kiriha? At this rate, we’ll all die!”

Sanae knew how the battle was progressing better than anyone else. She could tell the state of everyone’s strength, energy, and fighting spirit by looking at their auras. And currently, the magical girls had the upper hand by a considerable margin. At this rate, defeat seemed inevitable.

“...We attack.”

“Did you figure something out?!”

“Yeah. I only have a rough idea, but... luck really is on our side.”

Kiriha smiled confidently. Sanae couldn’t understand what Kiriha meant, so she leaned forward and asked for more details.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about! Explain in more detail!”

“I know. For now, just move as I tell you to.”

Kiriha explained her plan to Theia and the others.

“Will something like that work...?”

“Yes. Judging how things have gone so far, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

Shizuka and the others were surprised by Kiriha’s suggestion, but she gave them a confident smile.

The first hint Crimson and Green got that something was wrong was when they started taking minor counterattacks from the girls. Green’s predictions were still accurate and Crimson’s powerful attacks were still driving back their enemies, but they would occasionally get surrounded by the five girls momentarily and take small volleys of attacks.

“Damn, again?!”

Crimson frowned and turned her mantle back over. As she did, she knocked away electricity and fire shot out by the haniwas. She took a little collateral damage in the process, suffering some minor burns and experiencing some numbness in her hands.

“Green! Something’s wrong!”

“I’m sorry! I don’t really— Kyaaaaaaaah!”

“Green?!”

Their second hint was that Green took her first big hit of the fight. It was something she hadn’t seen in her predictions, and since she was only relying on her predictions to guide her in the fight, there was no way she could avoid an attack she hadn’t seen coming.

“I-I’m fine! Somehow!”

“What’s going on?!”

Crimson and Green were falling into a state of chaos. The predictions were mostly still accurate, but they were taking hits here and there. They were mostly small ones, but every now and then it was a serious blow. It was a situation that neither Green nor Crimson had expected.

“It’s like the egg of Columbus...”

Theia compared their situation to something she’d just learned about in school while admiring her own bullseye. Their struggle up until now seemed like just a dream.

“Just what did you do?!”

Distancing herself, Crimson hurled her stupefied question at Theia and the others. Despite Green’s predictions, the enemy was now getting the better of them. She was so perplexed that she was now turning to her enemies for the answer.

“Nothing. If I were to say, it’s simply that we understand the laws of nature in this world better than you.”

Kiriha was the one to answer Crimson, and she carefully observed the two magical girls as she did. Kiriha wasn’t getting overconfident. She knew that even if she revealed the truth, their predictions still wouldn’t help them now.

“That’s not possible! Green’s predictions are perfect!”

“Indeed, they are.”

Kiriha agreed with Crimson. But even with perfect predictions, Kiriha and the others still had a chance to win.

“But even then, there’s a limit. Because of the uncertainty of the world, there’s only so much you can see. And your own actions aren’t taken into consideration, or the predictions would loop forever.”

Because the future was uncertain, a prediction saw several possibilities. Green looked through them for the most likely options, and gave Crimson directions based on that. But Green could only see but so far into the future accurately. And as they attacked, their own actions affected the accuracy of her readings. That meant that staying on the defensive and relying on counterattacks was the most effective way to use her predictions.

“On top of that, there’s a limit to how often spells like that can be used. Moreover, it’s not like she’s conveying everything she sees to you.”

Since magic was how she was seeing into the future, it came with natural limitations. There was also a limit to what she could convey through a mental link. It wasn’t like they had unlimited mana, instantaneous communication, or perfect reaction times.

“You should have finished the fight before we figured all that out.”

Their biggest mistake was giving Kiriha enough time to figure out how their predictions worked. She now understood the true nature of the predictions better than the magical girls did. And using that understanding as her basis, she devised a strategy. That was the reason the invader girls’ attacks had started hitting.

“Impossible! How is that even possible?!”

“In the end, predictions are just information. If the user is blinded by that, they’ll lose even when victory is right in front of them.”

Kiriha’s plan was a very simple one. First, they would use large scale attacks to force the magical girls to keep moving. That would reduce the accuracy of their readings since their own movement would become another variable to consider. From there, the invaders divided into two groups: those who would attack first, and those who would wait for Crimson to attack. That would further reduce the accuracy of readings because it made Crimson’s attacks part of the formula too. Things would only get more complicated and harder to predict.

In other words, because Kiriha understood how the predictions worked, she could essentially manipulate what the magical girls were reading. Their combat strategies were utterly dependent on Green’s predictions, so being able to mess with those put them at a severe disadvantage. That’s why Kiriha said they were blinded by them. If they’d relied on reading the future a little less, they wouldn’t be in this position. It was a crisis that their overconfidence had caused.

“You should have studied up on the world a little more rather than just focusing on magic. This is the limit for sheltered girls.”

“That stings, Kiriha.”

Theia laughed. When she had first come to room 106, she hadn’t known much about the world either. She had broken out of her shell by now, but she was a little embarrassed to see what she’d behaved like once.

“Your Highness, I’ve finished altering the settings.”

“All right! Blue Knight, attack! I will leave everything to you!”

“As you wish, my princess.”

Theia and Ruth were in charge of their ace attack.

“What are you doing?!”

“I couldn’t tell you. Because not even I know.”

“Get away right now, Crimson! I can see hundreds of different attacks and I have no idea which one is coming!”

“What?!”

Following Kiriha’s instructions, Ruth had made changes to the Blue Knight’s settings. Normally Blue Knight’s artificial intelligence chose an appropriate weapon following Theia or Ruth’s instructions. Because of that, it would only make logical attacks according to its priorities, making it relatively easy to predict.

However, Ruth had altered the settings so that the system chose a weapon at random. That meant the chances of any single attack being chosen was equal, and the amount of possible futures equaled the amount of weapons available. Ruth even added space weaponry to the list of available options. And once Theia gave the order to attack at random, not even she knew what would happen. The attack radius, target, and weapon would all be decided arbitrarily by the AI. That chaotic situation rendered Green’s predictions useless.

Simply put, reading the future worked well on a predictable opponent. Especially someone who had a style or a favored method of attacking. But if the attacker essentially rolled a die to attack, the future wouldn’t be determined until it was too late. Now imagine that die having a hundred sides. A prediction of that many possible futures would be worthless.

All Crimson and Green could do now was fall back as quickly as possible. But that was exactly what Kiriha wanted. There was no need for Theia to actually attack. Her goal was simply to create a future that was impossible to predict and make Crimson and Green retreat.

“Sanae-chan Love Love Boost! Gooooo, Shizukaaaaa!”

“Cornering a fortune teller that can see the future with just her mind... Just how does Kiriha-san’s brain work?”

Shizuka chased after Green and Crimson. With her physical abilities enhanced by Sanae, it was easy to catch up to them.

“Mind Bla—”

“You’re too slow!”

Shizuka’s target was the slower runner and fortune teller, Green. As soon as she was in range, Shizuka sent her right fist flying. Green tried to defend herself with a spell, but Shizuka’s fist hit her jaw before she could finish her incantation.

“Guah!”

And while Green was launched into the air by the impact, Shizuka attacked her repeatedly. She unleashed a combination attack of several punches followed by an elbow strike into a roundhouse kick for a seven hit combo. Green was already out cold by the time she hit the ground.

“Green!”

“You’ve finally come!”

Shizuka jumped backwards. Not a moment later, Crimson brought her staff down where she had been standing. The tip of it smashed into the ground and cracked the asphalt.

“Noooooooo! The parking lot!”

Shizuka screamed. The battle between Shizuka and the others against the magical girls was taking place in the parking lot behind Corona House. Of course, since the property was her inheritance from her parents, Shizuka was deeply attached to it. Even seeing the asphalt in the parking lot damaged was painful for her.

“I told you before... if you break something... I’ll make you regret living...”

“You didn’t, you didn’t! You told us, Shizuka!”

“Have you heard of bone breaking torture...? Apparently you start with the hands and feet, and break all the bones from small to large... Heh, heh heh...”

“You better hurry up and run away, red girl! Once she’s like this, you don’t stand a chance!”

“Just the way I like it!”

To Crimson who treasured only strength in combat, going up against a martial arts expert was just what she wanted. She also had to save Green now. Crimson gripped her staff in both hands and charged at Shizuka.

As she ran, her staff started transforming into a halberd. The added blade had no physical form. The staff weighed and handled like it normally did, but now it was even more dangerous. Crimson made use of her exceptional physical strength to spin around like a pinwheel and swing the halberd at Shizuka.

“Take this!”

The halberd tore through the air and headed for Shizuka with terrifying speed.

“Hmph!”

But Shizuka, who had just witnessed her precious parking lot be partially destroyed, moved even faster. She moved so fast that without the help of Green’s predictions, Crimson had no chance of hitting her.

“Haaaaaaaaaaa!”

Shizuka dashed in under the halberd and thrust her hands out forward as she shouted. She poured all of her weight and momentum into the strike and crushed the defensive spell that Crimson was wearing without any trouble.

“It’s not over yet!”

But Crimson wasn’t going to go down just like that. She didn’t hesitate to drop her halberd and pull out a knife from the back of her waistband and used it to attack Shizuka. The knife was much faster than the halberd, and it worked well in close combat. Its silver blade gleamed as Crimson attempted to run Shizuka through with it.

“For you to be able to beat me on your own...”

“Uwah!”

However, Shizuka easily grabbed on to Crimson’s arm and followed through by throwing her. It happened so fast that Crimson didn’t even have time to prepare herself for the landing.

“You should have stuck to being either a pure warrior or a pure magician.”

“Impossible!”

Along with a dull thud, Crimson’s body slammed into ground right next to Green.

“Guah!”

Hitting the asphalt hard, Crimson lost consciousness and lay there motionless. Without the advantages of their future predictions and long range magic attacks, the difference in ability was obvious. The invader girls had claimed victory after putting all their talents together.

“Now then, what should we do with these girls...?”

Despite having beaten them down, Shizuka was still boiling with anger and glared at the two collapsed magical girls.

“I wonder if they can repair the asphalt with magic... If they can’t, I guess they’ll just have to do it by hand...”

Corona House and the property it sat on was all Shizuka had to remember her parents by. And now it was the place where her new family called home. For damaging it, Shizuka wasn’t going to forgive the magical girls after just a quick beat down.

“Quick Cast Mystic Mist!”

The next moment, a dense fog shrouded the two collapsed girls.

“Crimson, keep it together!”

“Huh?! They’re escaping!”

The fog was a magical mist that Green used for distractions. Neither Shizuka nor Sanae could see through it, and Green used the time it bought her to grab Crimson to escape.

“Blue Knight, attack!”

“As you wish, my princess.”

Theia was able to track them using Blue Knight’s heat sensors and radar, but she could only get off sporadic attacks. Lasers and beams were highly ineffective in the mist, and she couldn’t point ballistic weaponry at them at such close range. While she had a chance, Green cast a new spell that completely hid their presence.

“Ahhh, damn it! They got away before they repaired the parking lot!”

“So she was just faking it? Or maybe she woke up just then... It seems we still have much to learn.”

“Let’s throw a net over them the next time they collapse.”

“Hmm, that sounds good... I’m sure there are some aboard Blue Knight.”

“Yes, there’s a net gun for riot suppression. I will prepare it in the future.”

The party was disappointed over letting the magical girls escape, but no one suggested that they should have finished off the unconscious Green. They all felt that neither this place nor any of the people present should have to be sullied with blood.

“Shizuka-chan, leave it to us, ho!”

“That’s right, ho! We’re good at this kind of construction, ho!”

“Really?! That’d be great!”

Eventually the mist cleared up, carried away by the wind. And as expected, nobody was there. The invaders had allowed the magical girls to escape.

“But still... those two withdrew awfully easily...”

Theia continued searching for them via Blue Knight as she tilted her head. Her intuition told her that the magical girls should been able to use the cover of the mist to launch some more attacks.

“That might have been because of their predictions.”

Kiriha answered Theia’s doubts.

“Their predictions?”

“Indeed. The nature of prediction being what it is, it’s more effectively used for macro readings, like for strategy or economy, rather than the micro readings in battle. Strategically speaking, pulling back here might have been the better option.”

“Strategically? That must meant... They might be gathering their forces and going after Yurika or Koutarou?”

“That’s right. We should hurry up and meet up with them too.”

Because the magical girls’ goal was still unclear, it would be difficult to figure out what they were after. But regardless of what their enemy was up to, protecting Koutarou and Yurika was in the invaders’ interest.

“Ruth, Shizuka, could you stay behind? Just in case.”

“Yes, Kiriha-sama.”

“Got it. Be careful, you three.”

“Yeah! We’ll be right back with Koutarou and Yurika!”

“Let’s go, men!”

Thus, Kiriha, Theia, and Sanae left Corona House to go find Koutarou and Yurika.

Obeying Koutarou’s summons, a knight’s sword and a metal rod similar to a flashlight appeared.

“Clan, what’s this?”

“It’s a test for dual wielding! We’ll start out by using Signaltin with a beam sword!”

“I see!”

“Since the beam sword has no physical form, there’s no need to worry about its weight! And since the blade can be turned off and on, there’s no need to worry about the two swords interfering with each other!”

“You really are a genius, Clan!”

There was a big drawback when it came to using a sword without physical form. Despite having the same length as an actual sword, it was too easy to swing around. The user could easily end up hurting themselves.

In fact, accidents like that happened frequently when beam weaponry was first developed. As a result, despite how useful it was, not many people used it. For decades, it was considered a last resort in terms of weapon choice. The technology wasn’t commonly used until years after proper safety devices that could withstand practical use had been developed and people became less afraid of them.

A beam sword’s safety device worked by constantly keeping watch of its blade and turning off if it was about to hit its user. The sword could even be programmed to work the opposite way—only activating when it was cutting down opponents. Once safety devices came standard, beam swords became a lot more user-friendly. There were even people who liked to wield one in each hand. Thanks to the safety device, there was no need for any special training to use them that way either.

As Clan was researching how to practically use two knight’s swords, she came up with the idea of replacing one of the swords with a beam sword. If Koutarou was only wielding one real sword, it should be easier to control with one hand. A beam sword in his other hand would lessen the burden on him.

In order to use a knight’s sword like a beam sword, the sword’s momentum and mass would need to be controlled, and a special hole in space-time would need to be used to control its length. Just using an actual beam sword would be much easier. It would be a good accompaniment to a real sword.

And just as Clan was about to suggest that Koutarou give it a try, she learned that his opponent was Maya. Since a beam sword would be necessary in order to fight her anyway, it seemed like the perfect time.

“The algorithm for dual wielding is still incomplete, so you’re probably going to have some issues here and there! Don’t put too much faith into the beam sword’s automatic control! Try to use the manual control when it’s important!”

“Got it!”

Koutarou grabbed Signaltin’s handle with his right hand and the beam sword’s handle with his left. As he did, he heard the familiar automated voice of the Cradle’s AI.

“Your Excellency, Lord Blue Knight, this ship, the Cradle, will pray for your fortune and glory in place of the nation of Forthorthe.”

“Thanks...”

As Koutarou pulled on Signaltin’s handle, pure white mana began overflowing from the sword. There was a great deal of it, but it seemed to only be a fraction of what it normally was.

There’s less mana than usual... Is this because of the contract with Aika-san? Or did Her Majesty save someone else?

Signaltin’s mana was weakened, but Koutarou didn’t particularly mind it. He took his stance regardless. Except for under special circumstance, Koutarou was planning on using two knight’s swords in the future. Those were the only two weapons he had sworn oaths on. That’s why it didn’t matter if the mana had weakened or not.

There were several mysteries surrounding Signaltin that Koutarou didn’t understand. But because he believed the sword held Alaia’s wishes and feelings, he wasn’t too bothered by the mana weakening a little. He was sure that it must have been needed for something else.

“I’ve seen that before, but the light is stronger than it was back then... I see. So this is the true form?”

“That’s right.”

Even though its mana wasn’t at full power, Signaltin was far more powerful than normal weapons. So from a realistic point of view, there was no need for Koutarou to even use a second sword.

“But I won’t let you get away like you did eleven years ago! I’ll kill you this time for sure!”

Maya glared at Koutarou with a violent expression. She wasn’t going to let Koutarou, who had rejected her and chosen Yurika, walk away alive. She was fiercely jealous and boiling with rage over her wounded pride.

“I’ve never seen you look like this before..."

Koutarou readied the sword in his right hand and adjusted his grip on the beam sword’s handle in his left while looking at Maya’s mechanical body. Parts of it were in motion, adjusting and preparing for the fight. Tiny parts like her exhaust tubes were being carefully rearranged.

Just how much of her is mechanical?

Trying to figure out where he should attack, Koutarou used the spirit sight he had gotten from Sanae to look at Maya. What he saw surprised him.

All Maya had left of her original body appeared to be her head and the center of her torso. He could clearly see spiritual energy travelling between them. What was strange was that the machinery was circulating spiritual energy as well. Seeing that, Koutarou got a bad feeling.

Could this body be...

A small amount of spiritual energy could travel through artificial arms and legs as an extension of a person, but this was far beyond that level. Though the amount didn’t match what was being circulated through her real body, it was flowing just like it would in a real body.

I guess I’ll just have to find out...

Koutarou tightened his grip on his swords. If his hunch was right, Maya should have abnormal powers.

“Then burn the charms of this body into your eyes until you die!”

“That sounds like it’ll take a long time!”

Both parties moved at the same time. Maya fired the gun on her left arm. The bullets rapidly approached the charging Koutarou.

“I’m counting on you, Signaltin!”

Koutarou wished for Signaltin to protect him. The bullets had their momentum slowed by the armor’s barrier before being completely repelled by Signaltin’s defensive spell. Signaltin was in a weakened state, but all it had to do was stop bullets that got past the armor’s barrier. That wasn’t a problem.

“I see you still aren’t going to make this easy for me!”

“That goes both ways!”

Realizing that her gunfire wasn’t effective, Maya changed weapons. The gun deployed on her left arm retracted back into her body and a blade appeared in its place. It now matched the one on her right hand. Maya closed in under the hopes of being able to deal more damage in close quarters combat.

“Tiny Memory Flash! Modifier: Touch Trigger!”

Koutarou watched as an indigo light formed around Maya’s bladed hands, but then he heard a girl call out to him. Her voice hadn’t reached his ears, however. It was magically projected directly into his mind.

“Satomi-kun!”

“Is that you, Aika-san?!”

The voice belonged to Aika Maki. She had formed a mental link between herself and Koutarou beforehand.

“The light on Maya-sama’s hands is a spell that will cause amnesia! If you touch it, you’ll lose several seconds of your memory! It’s the specialty magic Maya-sama and I use!”

“So it was memory loss that made it feel like I jumped forward in time!”

“Be careful! If you take that, you’ll just keep taking attacks!”

“Got it! But listen, Aika-san...”

Koutarou laughed a little as he activated the beam sword.

“You don’t have to worry so much.”

It wasn’t just Maki’s words that reached Koutarou—her feelings did as well. She was profoundly concerned about him and his safety.

“Stupid! You don’t even know how I feel!”

“What are you laughing for?!”

Maki and Maya shouted at Koutarou at the same time. Maya assumed he was laughing at her, which infuriated her even more.

“Well, my little angel is quite angry! It’s just too cute!”

“Meanie! You don’t have to put it like that!”

“Trying to make a fool out of me?! I’ll make you regret that!”

Koutarou’s beam sword and Maya’s left blade collided. Thankfully, since the beam sword didn’t have a physical form, Maya’s memory loss spell didn’t activate. But Maya didn’t stop there this time. Thrusting her right blade forward, she tried to run Koutarou through.

“Take this!”

Maya thrust her right blade right behind Koutarou’s beam sword. This way, Koutarou couldn’t swing his second sword because the beam sword would be in the way. In other words, he was defenseless. Confident of herself, Maya came at him with a devilish grin.

“That’s good! But not enough!”

Yet Koutarou swung his sword down anyway. When he did, the beam sword’s blade disappeared, allowing Signaltin a clear path right for Maya.

“Tch!”

Surprised, Maya forcibly changed the trajectory of her right hand. Their blades collided this time. Signaltin had a physical form, but it also had the ability to dispel magic, so Maya’s spell wasn’t activated this time either.

“So this is what she meant... You’re a lifesaver, Clan.”

“That weapon really is cheating!”

Maya kicked off of Koutarou and tried to distance herself from him. Koutarou followed up by slashing out with his beam sword, but Maya performed a somersault midair to dodge it, tumbling out of his range.

Damn, she has way more speed...

Koutarou looked at Maya as he cursed to himself. Now that she had an artificial body, Maya was even faster than before. Koutarou was using spiritual energy to increase his physical strength and his spirit sight to read her intent to attack, but Maya’s movements were too just fast for him to fully track. He was in a tight spot, but the news only got worse from there.

“Veltlion, I’ve figured out a little about your opponent. Whenever that woman moves, she emits an energy pattern that matches with data I have.”

“...What is it matching?”

“Those robots that Kii always has with her.”

By Kii, Clan of course meant Kiriha. And by robots, she meant her haniwas. In other words...

“You think I’m cheating? That body of yours was made by the underground dwellers, right?”

“That’s my boy for you... To think you even know about them...”

Hearing Koutarou’s words, Maya narrowed her eyes and her fury weakened. Being reminded of how dangerous Koutarou was, she regained her usual cool.

“But now that you know that, you’ll have to die.”

Maya wore a cold-blooded smile. It was beautiful, but sent a chill down Koutarou’s spine.

“Not good... The situation might be more complex than we thought...”

Up until now, Koutarou had only had to deal with specific groups of enemies. But an evil magical girl with access to spiritual energy technology had to mean that Yurika and Kiriha’s enemies were working together. Eventually, it was likely they would attack together. The though of that scared Koutarou more than Maya alone ever could.

With Maya distracted fighting Koutarou, Yurika realized that she might be able to save Kanae, who was still collapsed on the floor. It would take magic to heal her, but Kanae was holding on to Encyclopedia. With its powers, even if Yurika was out of mana, she should still be able to treat Kanae. She might even be able to support Koutarou some.

“Sakuraba-senpai, please wait here.”

“You’re going to help Kanae-san, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’ll go too.”

“If we do too much, Maya will notice us. And I can’t protect you anymore right now, so please stay here.”

“But... No, I understand. Please be careful, Nijino-san.”

Harumi wanted to go with Yurika. She was prepared to die by Yurika’s side. But she didn’t want to hold Yurika back. And Yurika was right; if they did anything too drastic, Maya would catch on. So in the end, Harumi reluctantly listened Yurika.

“I’ll be back.”

“Be careful, Nijino-san.”

“Yes.”

If Nijino-san fails, then it’ll be my turn next... For now, I just have to believe in her.

Harumi said a little prayer as she saw Yurika off. Taking Harumi’s advice to heart, Yurika snuck from cover to cover, carefully moving forward to get to Kanae.

“I’ll stay here...”

Harumi looked back at Koutarou and Maya’s battling it out. At the very least, she could warn Yurika if Maya noticed.

Satomi-kun is strong... It’s like he’s the real Blue Knight...

As Harumi watched the battle, that thought snuck up on her. Harumi had some of Yurika’s memories now, and a portion of those included Koutarou fighting. But something was different. He seemed much stronger now than in those memories. As Harumi was watching him, her eyes were drawn to the blue armor he was wearing and the knight’s sword in his right hand.

Why am I so curious about those? And that crest engraved on his chestplate... it looks like it says “Theiamillis’s Blue Knight.” That’s referring to Satomi-kun’s friend Theiamillis-san, isn’t it...?

Looking at Koutarou wearing that armor and holding that sword, Harumi grew more and more restless. Her feelings for Koutarou overflowed her heart. She knew she shouldn’t just be sitting by and doing nothing. But at the same time, she didn’t know what to do. Confused and unsettled, she intently watched the fight unfold between Koutarou and Maya. She was so focused that it didn’t even dawn on her that the words engraved on Koutarou’s breastplate were in an alien language.

The Blue Knight... Theiamillis’s Blue Knight... Satomi-san... Koutarou-sama... What is this? I feel like I know something... But what exactly...? That sword... Is that Signaltin...?

As Harumi lost herself deeper and deeper in thought, a crest resembling a sword appeared on her forehead. When it began shining, all sorts of strange memories came flooding through Harumi’s mind.

An old temple... A rusted sword... Satomi-kun and me... I revived the sword and gave it to Koutarou-sama... Is this a scene from the play? No, there was nothing like this in the script... Then what is this? Am I dreaming? Is it from one of Nijino-san’s memories? Or is it really mine?

Each strange memory Harumi recalled only served to confuse her more. It all felt like it could be from the play, but something wasn’t quite right. It was all too vivid. Unable to differentiate from the play and reality, Harumi was left at a loss.

That was when it happened.

“Oh crap!”

“You’re mine!”

The beam sword in Koutarou’s left hand didn’t activate properly and left him wide open in front of Maya. Not missing her chance, Maya thrust her blade at him.

“Satomi-kun! Satomi-kuuun!”

Harumi screamed, but that wouldn’t stop Maya. What Harumi needed was real power. A power strong enough to save Koutarou. If not, this would be the end. She would never be able to teach him how to knit a sweater.

But Harumi couldn’t do anything. She was helpless, and all she could do was sit there as Maya’s blade went straight for Koutarou’s heart. Each moment felt like an eternity to her. That was just how painful it was to watch.

“Nooooooooooo! Koutarou-samaaaaa!”

Unable to take it anymore, Harumi let out another scream.

“Harumi.”

Harumi heard a voice in her head, and the world seemed to stop around her. Nobody moved. Not Koutarou, not Maya, nor Yurika or Kanae. Harumi was the only that seemed to be aware of what was going on, but not even she could move.

“Who’s there?! Who are you?!”

Unable to shift her glance, Harumi tried calling out to the owner of the voice. But since she couldn’t move her lips, she simply ended up shouting in her mind.

“I am you... and you are me...”

That was when a lone girl appeared in front of Harumi. She felt like she was looking into a mirror. This girl looked just like her, except for the color of her hair and her outfit. She had long, silver tresses and was wearing a white dress that reminded Harumi of the costume she’d worn for the play.

“Wh-What do you mean?!”

“I’m sorry, but there’s no time to explain...”

The silver-haired Harumi shook her head apologetically.

“Harumi... do you love Koutarou-sama?”

She turned to look at Koutarou, who was still frozen.

“Of course! That’s why I have to hurry and do something! At this rate, Satomi-kun will die!”

Harumi desperately shouted in her head. With time stopped, Maya’s blade was just ominously hanging over Koutarou. His end was nigh.

“I see... So you wish to save him?”

“Yes! Don’t you?! Aren’t we the same?!”

“Yes, I wish to save him too... I love him just as much as you do...”

“Then help me! Two’s better than one! Quickly! Before Satomi-kun dies!”

“Certainly, I have the power to save him. However, I can’t do it myself. All I can do is entrust my powers and memories to someone and have them succeed my duty.”

The silver-haired Harumi looked down with a sad expression. That truth pained her.

“Then I’ll do it! If it will save Satomi-kun, I’ll do it!”

“If you succeed my duty, you will no longer be able to live a normal life. Knowing that, will you still do it?”

The silver-haired Harumi didn’t think anyone would be happy to cast aside their normal life and throw themselves into conflict and turmoil. Someone would have to have a very deep, compelling, emotional reason to do something like that.

“Even if that’s true, I’ll be with Satomi-kun, won’t I?!”

“Yes. Even if you’re separated by endless time and immeasurable distance—”

“Then I don’t care what happens to me! As long as I can walk alongside Satomi-kun!”

Harumi had that emotional reason. She wanted to protect the boy that was so dear to her. She wanted to teach him how to knit a sweater. And she was ready to throw away everything for that.

Harumi... so you too are...

The silver-haired Harumi knew Harumi’s feelings painfully well. She felt like she was looking at her past self, and that was enough for her to make up her mind.

“...I understand. Harumi, I will entrust you with everything.”

The silver-haired Harumi nodded and smiled. She felt like she could safely entrust her power to Harumi. The silver-haired Harumi’s body was suddenly wreathed in a pure white light, and her figure gradually lost its form as she began to assimilate into the light.

“But... please don’t forget. Your life is your own in the end. You mustn’t be influenced by my memories. Just think of my memories... Yes, think of them as a product of getting into your role in the play.”

“Play? Role? Wait, could you be—”

“I am you. I was you before you. And like you, I loved the same person.”

Moments later, the silver-haired Harumi completely disappeared into the bright white light.

“Could you be the Silver—”

The light then channeled into Harumi’s body.

“Goodbye, Harumi... We will probably never meet again. Live your own life... and if possible, stay with him this time... until the end...”

As the light finished pouring into her, Harumi felt a love as deep as her own for Koutarou.

Koutarou and Maya’s battle was growing more intense and fierce by the second. Koutarou made up for the overwhelming difference in speed with skill and experience. Adding in the armor and the power of his weapons, he and Maya were well matched.

“This is bad, Veltlion! I can’t keep up with the errors the algorithm is spitting out anymore! Get some distance and let’s reset it!”

“She’s not the kind of opponent that would give me the time to do that!”

Koutarou shouted at Clan and called out to Maki in his mind.

“Aika-san, how much longer will the spell you cast on me last?!

“It’s just about to run out! Maya-sama should still have plenty of spells left though, so you probably won’t be able to block her attacks!”

“Great. I guess we’ll just have to keep at it then!”

Koutarou muttered to himself in a frustrated tone and swung Signaltin at Maya, but Maya quickly moved out of the sword’s way.

“What’s the matter, boy?! Your movements are getting duller!”

“Not yet!”

The beam sword won’t make it in time! I’ll just have to keep this up!

Beam sword in hand, Koutarou swung his left fist at Maya. It was such an unexpected attack that Maya was caught off guard and couldn’t block it. But she wasn’t about to let herself get punched for nothing. As she was falling backward, she swung her blades down and left large gouges across Koutarou’s armor.

“How are you going to repay me for this, boy? You’ve dented the area around my chest.”

“Alert Message: Damage to the breastplate has exceeded the 78 percent threshold. Subsequent attacks to the plate have a 90 percent chance of mortally wounding the wearer.”

Complaints from both Maya and his armor reached Koutarou’s ears at the same time.

Either Koutarou or Maya could win now if their next attack hit. Maya had used up a considerable amount of her mana, and her defenses had suffered for it. She no longer had any effective means of protecting herself from Signaltin. On the other hand, the defensive spells Maki had cast on Koutarou were spent and his armor was reaching its limits. He wouldn’t be able to take any more of Maya’s spiritual energy infused attacks. With both sides only one hit away from defeat, speed and technique were of utmost importance now.

“What’s the problem? Now you have an excuse to upgrade to bigger breasts.”

“Hmph. I was worried that you wouldn’t be able to go on, being out of breath and all, but if you can talk like that, then it looks like I can have a little more fun on our date.”

Even with both of their defenses lowered, Koutarou was at a disadvantage. Unlike Maya, whose body was almost entirely a machine, Koutarou was flesh and bone beneath his armor. The longer the fight went on, the more exhausted he became. If things went on too long, the fatigue alone would take Koutarou out. And since she knew that, a confident smile remained plastered on Maya’s lips.

Crap... Is finishing things now really my only option?

The system controlling his two swords was flashing warning after warning, and his armor blaring alerts. Moreover, Koutarou’s energy was nearly spent. He wouldn’t be able to go all out for much longer.

But... how do I catch her? I’m this powered up and I still can’t keep up.

With her mechanical body, Maya’s movements surpassed normal human limits. But Koutarou couldn’t move any faster than his body would allow. If he was going to catch her, he was going to have to come up with a good idea. And fast. Maya wasn’t going to give him time to think.

“I could do this all day! Let’s have some more fun, my dear boy!”

“You should go easy on me! I just escaped from a date with your disciple!”

Maya’s blades were wrapped in red light and cut a red trail through the air as she dashed forward with a smile.

“Satomi-kun, she has attack spells cast on both of her blades! Don’t fall for her words! She’s going for the finishing blow!”

“So she’s going for it? In that case...!”

Koutarou heeded Maki’s warning and changed his fighting style. Her knowledge of Maya and magic had already saved Koutarou several times in this fight, and now her advice would give him his last shot of victory.

If she’s going to finish me off, she’ll be going for my damaged chestplate! And as long as I know where she’s going to be attacking...!

“Haaaaaaaa!”

Koutarou swung Signaltin with all his might. The blade whistled through the air straight at Maya.

“Whoops! A little close there!”

Maya lowered her posture a little and dodged the incoming attack. But that was just what Koutarou was hoping for. His goal was to box Maya in and limit her mobility somewhat by swinging Signaltin strategically. If she was aiming for his chest, there weren’t but so many ways she could come at him.

“Now it’s my turn!”

Maya approached just like Koutarou had expected. Koutarou moved his left arm and stuck his beam sword in Maya’s path. Now as long as the blade activated correctly, everything would work out according to plan.

But fortune is not always kind.

With a loud beep, the armor reported an error with the beam sword. Koutarou had overused the malfunctioning system, and now the sword wouldn’t come on at all. The timing couldn’t have been worse.

“Oh crap!”

“You’re mine!”

With the beam sword failing to activate, Koutarou was left completely defenseless as Maya pressed her charge. The blade in her right hand gleamed with an ominous red light. Maya was aiming for Koutarou’s chest where his armor was damaged.

“Bye-bye, boy! I loved you!”

Maya thrust her right hand forward. Koutarou steeled himself. Her blade would pierce his armor, and then his heart. It only seemed inevitable now.

“Noooooooooo! Satomi-kun! Satomi-kuuun!”

Koutarou could hear Maki screaming in his mind as he watched Maya’s bladed hand come for him. A dark joy illuminated the vicious grin on her face.

“Nooooooooooo!”

Koutarou could hear someone else scream, and in that moment, Signaltin suddenly began glowing brightly.

“Kyaaah!”

Maya was sent flying backward like she’d been repelled by the scream and the light of the sword.

“What?!”

However, it had no effect on Koutarou at all. He simply stood there bathed in the warm glow. He noticed that the light had a pulse... one similar to a heartbeat. Koutarou was suddenly reminded of someone.

“This is... Her Majesty’s...? Her Majesty Alaia’s...?”

He felt the same warmth he had in the past when Alaia controlled Signaltin’s mana herself. But that shouldn’t be possible. Alaia was an endless time and an immeasurable distance away. There was no way she could be here, yet her sword was radiating her warmth. It was like the feelings and wishes she’d put into the sword were still alive.

“Your Majesty!”

Guided by the light, Koutarou turned around. He saw a long girl standing across the room with long hair and a sword-shaped crest glowing on her forehead. At first glance, Koutarou thought the girl’s hair was silver.

“Alaia— No! Is that...?!”

But he quickly realized he was mistaken. The girl’s hair was black.

“Sakuraba... senpai?”

Though he was disappointed for a brief moment that it wasn’t Alaia, that feeling was quickly blown away by the surprise.

Why is Sakuraba-senpai controlling Signaltin?! And that crest on her forehead is the same as Her Majesty’s... What is going on?!

While Koutarou was too confused to say anything at all, Harumi managed to say a few words through her tears.

“Thank god... he’s alive... Satomi-kun is alive...”

Harumi was overcome with joy and relief. Koutarou, who was just about to be taken from her, was alive and well. That’s why she couldn’t help crying.

“I’m glad... I’m so glad...”

“Sakuraba-senpai, what is this? How are you controlling Signaltin?!”

“I don’t know... I don’t know what is going on...”

Harumi shook her head at Koutarou’s question. She was confused as well. All she really knew was Koutarou was about to be cut down, and she’d wanted to save him. She’d prayed desperately, and her prayers were answered when a light suddenly started overflowing from her body. It made Koutarou’s sword glow and sent his enemy flying. This all came as a surprise to Harumi, and caught between her confusion and relief, she simply continued to cry.

“But... Satomi-kun... there’s one thing... that I do know...”

Harumi looked at Koutarou with her teary eyes.

“And that is... that from now on, I will protect you.”

But through the tears were a strong resolve and deep love. Driven by those, Harumi continued.

“And I will always be at your side...”

With those words, the crest on Harumi’s forehead started glowing even brighter. And at the same time, Koutarou could feel Signaltin grow powerful again.

What is going on?! This isn’t Her Majesty, but Sakuraba-senpai... It’s like she can control Signaltin as well as Her Majesty... No, even better?!

Signaltin was radiating light brighter than anything Koutarou had ever seen.

“...So win, Satomi-kun! I will protect you! From any enemy and any trial!”

As those words left Harumi’s mouth, all the confusion and hesitation vanished from Koutarou’s mind.

There is no point in asking for who or why! If this rusted piece of scrap iron is still glowing like this, the oath sworn on it and all the feelings poured into it are still alive and well!

“Then I will use my life and everyone’s powers to protect our future, Sakuraba-senpai!”

After being separated by endless time and immeasurable distance, the princess and her knight became an upperclassman and her junior, both connected by a sword and everything it stood for.

Once she regained her balance, Maya faced Koutarou without flinching, despite Signaltin clearly getting stronger.

“No matter how much mana you have, it doesn’t mean a thing if you can’t hit me!”

Maya attacked Koutarou, charging at him with every last ounce of speed she could muster. The mechanisms of her body were screeching and her system was giving her countless warnings, but Maya swung her blades in a wide arc as if to cut through it all.

Signaltin had gotten stronger, certainly, but it had started the battle in a weakened state. Now it was only about on par with what Maki had originally reported to Maya. Moreover, she was convinced Koutarou wouldn’t be able to touch her. Maya had shed the limits of a human body, and she wasn’t afraid of her flesh and blood opponent.

“...You misunderstand.”

“What?!”

Signaltin easily blocked both of Maya’s blades. Of course, Maya was moving far too fast for the sword itself to stop her. Instead, she was warded off with a barrier the sword had put up.

Why?! It’s not that much more powerful than Maki had reported, so why can’t I break through this force field?!

Maya was stunned. The spiritual energy weapons she was using should have been able to break through magical defensives quite effectively. According to Maki’s report on Signaltin’s capabilities, it was no exception. So even if Signaltin had grown a little more powerful, her specialized weapons should still be able to get through its barrier. Yet in spite of that, her blades were no match for it. This was an unthinkable turn of events.

“Yeah, it’s just that kind of sword.”

“I see! That girl is doing something, isn’t she?!”

Maya shifted her glance to Harumi, who was standing behind Koutarou. Harumi had her eyes closed and her hands clasped together as if she were praying. Maya could see a line of mana flowing from Harumi to Signaltin. She’d also received a report on Harumi after Maki’s encounter with Koutarou. That’s how she knew that Harumi could control some unknown form of magic. And it wasn’t hard to imagine she was the one responsible for what had happened.

“...That’s right.”

Realizing that he wouldn’t be able to hide it from Maya, Koutarou confirmed her suspicions.

“This sword was made to be used by two people. But we haven’t unleashed that until now. That’s why you only knew about half of its power. You misunderstood, Maya.”

Koutarou would wield the sword itself while someone else wielded its mana. They could control the magic and release it for attacks or bursts of defensive power. They could change its properties depending on the opponent. They could even use the sword’s surplus mana to cast magic and support the wielder. That way, the sword wielder and mana wielder would work together as one. That was Signaltin’s true form—what Alaia had given to Koutarou to protect him.

“Impossible!”

“Go on, Satomi-kun! Do whatever you want! I’ll keep up with you!”

“So if you think the sword’s power only just got stronger, then—”

Listening to Harumi’s voice being conveyed through the sword, Koutarou casually swung Signaltin at Maya. When he did, the mana being used to protect him changed shape and increased his attack range. It altered itself based on Maya’s movements, making it harder for her to dodge. It had also been given an electric charge so it would cause the most damage possible to her artificial body.

“Kyaaaaah!”

The strike broke through Maya’s defensive magic and shocked her badly. The impact was terrific, throwing her to the ground as she twitched.

“That’s what you get.”

Koutarou stopped his attack there, but Harumi didn’t. She started incanting something in High Ancient Forthorthian.

“Gather, spirits of the wind! Gather as an arm and destroy my enemy! Roar! Air Sledgehammer!”

At Harumi’s command, Signaltin’s surplus mana formed a giant hammer of air that descended on the collapsed Maya.

“H-How is this even possible?! This is completely different from before!”

Maya scrambled to get out of the way in time. She just barely managed to avoid the attack thanks to her superhuman speed. Without it, this would have been the end of the fight.

“I’m sorry, Satomi-kun! I was a little too slow!”

“No, that’s great, Sakuraba-senpai!”

Koutarou smiled and readied his sword. He knew the real reason why Harumi’s attack had missed. Even though Maya’s body was mostly machinery, Harumi was reluctant to attack someone. She hesitated just enough that Maya had time to get away. But that didn’t bother Koutarou. Fighting didn’t suit Harumi, after all. Koutarou felt the same way about her that he did Yurika.

“Leave the attacking to me! You just focus on support, Senpai!”

“Okay, I understand!”

Koutarou charged forward towards Maya. As she got back to her feet, she changed her blade weapons into guns and aimed for Harumi.

“Then I’ll just do this! That girl is your Achilles heel!”

Unlike Harumi, Maya didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger. She fired a spray of bullets at the young girl who was still standing there like she was praying.

“Protection from Soul Energy! Please help too, Encyclopedia!”

Two barriers suddenly appeared between Harumi and the barrage of bullets. Yurika had cast a special ward to protect Harumi from spiritual energy, and used the legendary staff to create another to defend from physical attacks. Between the two barriers, Maya’s bullets were completely blocked.

“Are you okay, Sakuraba-senpai?!”

“Thank you, Nijino-san!”

“Satomi-san, I’ll protect Sakuraba-senpai! Don’t worry!”

Yurika didn’t have enough mana to face Maya herself anymore, but she could still cast defensive and support spells. She’d secured Encyclopedia and Kanae now, so she was planning on using her powers to protect Harumi from here on out.

“Yurika, I’ll leave that to you!”

“Yes!”

Yurika always came through when she was needed most. That’s why Koutarou believed in her.

“Curse you, Yurikaaaaa!”

Not only had Yurika stopped her attack, but it was like Koutarou was trying to throw their relationship in her face. Maya was overwhelmed by intense fury and jealousy. Being treated as inferior to Yurika was unbearably humiliating for her.

“I’ll kill you... All of you! I’ll kill you all!”

Her fury and jealousy boiled over into hatred, and she attacked in a dark rage. She no longer looked anything like the master of manipulation known as Dark Navy.

Maya-sama...

Maki’s feelings as she watched over the battle were quite complex.

I’m sure I was once like that too...

Seeing Maya like this saddened Maki. It also made her reflect on herself and the way she used to be. So Maki gathered those emotions and made a wish with them.

“Satomi-kun, please don’t kill Maya-sama...”

“Don’t worry. I understand. She’s still your master, right?”

Blinded by her rage, Maya was attacking carelessly. She was also all alone. Koutarou, on the other hand, remained calm and was fighting with the help of his friends. The conclusion of this battle had already been decided.

“Thank you, Satomi-kun...”

“Heh, don’t thank me. I’m just a half-assed soldier that can’t kill people on my own.”

In order to strike the decisive blow, Koutarou raised Signaltin above his head. He focused on his left hand and used Kiriha’s gauntlet to create a fireball. He was using Sanae’s spirit sight to read Maya’s movements, and he was being protected by Ruth and Theia’s armor, Clan’s tactical support, and Yurika and Maki’s magic. And even now, Shizuka was protecting his home.

Ten versus one... Sanae said allies of justice have the right to gang up on their foes, but... this might be overdoing it a little...

Koutarou swung down his sword at Maya, aiming for her arm. Signaltin cut straight through Maya’s blade and chopped off her right arm.

“Guah!”

While she was reeling from the attack, Koutarou launched the fireball produced by his left gauntlet. It exploded right in front of Maya and sent her flying.

“Ugh, d-damn it... To think I’d be bested like this by anyone other than Nana!”

After slamming into the ground, Maya used her remaining left arm to try and pick herself up. The plating covering her torso had been destroyed, exposing the machinery behind it. Maya had taken enough damage now that she couldn’t move properly.

“Checkmate,” Koutarou said as he lowered his sword. “Just give up and go home.”

“...Kill me. If you don’t, I’ll just come after your life over and over again.”

Maya’s body was seriously compromised, but the hatred in her eyes was as fiery as ever. She shot a bitter, livid glare at Koutarou like he was a lover that had betrayed her.

“I bet you will...”

Koutarou was aware of the risk, but he couldn’t kill Maya. To make his intentions clear, he returned the sword to its sheath. Maya took it as an insult and only grew more enraged.

“You’ll regret this!”

“Yeah. But I’m full of regrets. That’s the kind of life I’ve lived, so I’m used to it.”

With that, Koutarou smiled wryly and turned towards a nearby concrete pillar.

“And are the two of you hiding over there going to fight me too?”

Koutarou looked like he was talking to the pillar, but two more magical girls stepped out from behind it—Green and Crimson. However, neither of them looked like they were preparing to fight.

“Are you joking? If I was gonna fight a monster like you, I’d have to make proper preparations first.”

“We only came to save Maya-san.”

“I see. Then take her and leave.”

Koutarou couldn’t sense any intent to attack from either their words or from their auras. That’s why he took several steps back let them pass. The two girls ran over to Maya, glaring daggers at Koutarou as they passed by him.

“Are you okay, Maya-san?”

“I’ll lend you my shoulder.”

“...Yes...”

Maya somehow managed to stand up with the help of the two girls. But even then, she was still completely focused on Koutarou rather than her supporting allies who had come to rescue her. She couldn’t understand or admit it, but that was exactly why she’d lost.

“Boy, what is your name?”

“Koutarou.”

“Koutarou... the next time we meet... I’ll kill you for sure with my own two hands...”

“If that’s what you want, then don’t come alone.”

“Hmph.”

Maya turned her face away from Koutarou and left with the support of Green and Crimson. The three of them disappeared into the darkness of the far side of the abandoned building.

“Veltlion, are you okay with just letting her go like that?”

Clan’s communication device displayed her concerned face.

“Clan, is the person you want to make a vassal the kind of guy that would kill someone who’s already helpless?”

“Of course not! I’m just worried for your safety! I was going to suggest capturing her!”

“Just have faith in me. That I’ll win next time too. That’s what I’ve decided to do.”

Koutarou had told Maki they had a bright future ahead of them, and he’d decided to put his faith in his own words.

“Jeez... You don’t understand how women feel at all.”

“I hear that a lot.”

As Koutarou laughed, a space-time hole appeared in front of him.

“Clan?”

“I’m retrieving Signaltin. Theiamillis-san and the others are on their way to you right now.”

“That’s no good.”

Understanding what Clan meant, Koutarou pushed Signaltin into the hole. The hole then closed up and vanished, taking the sword with it.

“Now just do what you have to do before Theiamillis-san arrives.”

“Sorry for always making you help me with this stuff.”

“You could say that again. When exactly did I get assigned this role? Jeez...”

The hologram of Clan puffed out her cheeks in a pout. Seeing that expression, Koutarou chuckled and honestly stated how he felt.

“Well, that would be around the time you became a worthy princess.”

“S-Stupid!”

Clan’s face turned red and she shouted at Koutarou before abruptly cutting the call.

“I made her angry again... Even though I was trying to praise her...”

Koutarou smiled bitterly as he looked at the now blank hologram. And after ending the call on his end too, he decided to heed Clan’s advice and take care of things.

“Now then... where should I start? There’s not much time...”

Before Theia arrived, Koutarou had some explaining to do to the several people looking at him.