No one's POV
Noint flapped her silver wings. It was not to gain altitude, but to shoot a torrent of magically-enhanced feathers at her enemy. They cut through the air as they sped toward Sora, who was floating eight thousand meters up in the air.
He created multiple light orbs and fired. Sora's bullet powered through Noint's feathers, shredding them. He had angled his single shot to cut through a swathe of the angel's projectiles. Then, he stepped into the hole he'd created, letting the rest of Noint's wall of feathers pass him by. In order to truly avoid your opponent's attacks, you needed the courage to step forward.
Aiko: Hyaaah!
A cute voice interrupted Sora and Noint's deathmatch. It seemed starkly out of place on this battlefield, where two powerful enemies were putting their lives on the line. The one who'd screamed so unceremoniously was, of course, Aiko. For the first time in her life, she was experiencing a mid-air dogfight. Though Noint fired feathers at the same rate Sora spat out light orbs bullets, he continued dodging each deluge by a hair's breadth.
Sora: Sensei! Stop screaming! You'll just bite your tongue!
Aiko: I can't just stop screaming on— Ah!? I-I bit my tongue...
Aiko ignored Sora's warning and instantly found herself regretting it. Tears sprang to her eyes, and not just because she'd bitten her tongue. Sora knew Aiko, who wasn't particularly strong physically, wouldn't be able to handle movements that were too sudden, which was why he'd continued using Riftwalk and tried to dodge with as little movement as possible. Unfortunately, even that required moving faster than a rollercoaster, and Aiko was already dizzy.
That being said, there weren't any alternatives. He could hardly just dump her somewhere. He couldn't ignore Noint's attacks for even a second, and even if he could have she'd have just targeted Aiko if he left her. As inconvenient as it was, fighting while holding Aiko was the only way to keep her safe.
Fortunately, he wouldn't have to keep this up for too much longer. A trustworthy ally was on her way. Sora shot down another wave of feathers with Kanshou, then turned to Aiko. She was clinging to him for dear life, and had her eyes shut tight.
Sora: Sensei, just hang on for a little longer. My comrades is coming here. She'll take you down to safety.
Aiko: O-Okay! B-But what about you, Yatagami!?
Sora: I still need to kill this emotionless puppet!
Aiko: Aww, I'm sorry I'm just a burden...
It frustrated Aiko that she was just dragging her student down. Sora didn't have time to reply. Instead, he hugged Aiko tight and did a backflip in mid-air. He watched as a blast of silver light passed just over him. It was the same mysterious skill that had disintegrated the tower Aiko had been confined to.
Aiko did her best not to scream as she was swung about wildly. As she was pressed up against Sora's chest, she noticed just how steady his heartbeat was. The fact that he was calm even in this situation helped ease her worries a little too.
Aiko(mind): This isn't the time to be thinking about that!
Aiko mentally berated herself and clung tighter to Sora.
Sora: Don't worry about it. I expected to run into trouble when I came here.
Aiko: Y-You didn't... have to go so far for me...
Of course, Sora had known he would need to fight the Holy Church eventually if he wanted to obtain all of the ancient magic, so it wasn't entirely for Aiko's sake. However, it seemed Aiko had misunderstood Sora's intentions. It probably didn't help that Sora was practically hugging her as he fought.
Sora(mind): I'm probably gonna have to resolve this misunderstanding soon.
Noint: It seems you still have the energy to chat, Irregular.
Sora: Whoa!?
Sora was startled to hear Noint's mechanical voice right next to him. He instantly lifted his left arm and fired another light orb blast. Using the recoil, he gained himself some distance as well. Noint raised one of her swords to block while she swept the other in a wide arc.
Her glimmering silver swords were two meters long and thirty centimeters wide. Not only did they look intimidating, they had a very sinister ability as well. Anything wrapped in Noint's mana was granted the effects of her special magic, Disintegrate. A single touch by them would inflict a fatal wound. However, Sora couldn't move too fast or he'd injure Aiko, so he was forced to use Murasame to redirect the blade while he fell backward.
Noint's sword passed inches above Sora's face, cutting off the tips of his bangs. The only reason Murasame wasn't disintegrated was because Sora had hardened the azantium coating with Steel Skin. Even that wasn't enough to let his weapons stay in contact with Noint's swords for more than a few seconds, though.
Noint let the force of her slash swing her around, her glimmering silver hair fanning out around her like a halo. As she completed her turn, she swung down with her second sword, the one she had used to block earlier. The speed of her second swing was so fast that Aiko couldn't even follow it with her eyes. She just saw a silver flash.
Sora dodged to the side, using the recoil from Murasame's shockwave. Once he was clear, he took aim with his light orb and fired three times. Three streaks of blue light headed straight for her. One went for her head, another her heart, and the last her stomach. However, Noint's reaction time was inhuman. The moment Sora fired, she held her sword up vertically, blocking all three bullets.
Sora: ?!
Suddenly, Sora saw Hajime's Cross Bits for a follow- up attack. They fired powerful explosive slugs that created huge red shockwaves on detonation. Noint dissipated the shockwaves with a beat of her wings, but that gave Sora more time to flee. And landed next to Hajime
Aiko: Awawawawa. I can't even tell what's...
Sora: Sensei, could you stop making those cute noises in the middle of a duel? It's kinda killing the mood.
Aiko: C-Cute!? Yatagami, that's not something you can say to your teach —
It was more serious than Sora made it seem. Aiko's oddly cute screams were sapping his concentration. In a fight between two people of their caliber, even a millisecond's distraction could get you killed. Noint had been right when she'd said Sora wasn't taking this seriously. Of course, Sora wasn't at all flustered by having a cute woman such as Aiko hanging around his neck, but the noises were still distracting.
Hajime: Seems like your doing just fine?
Aiko: N-Nagumo?!
Noint: The other irregular.
Sora: What are you doing here?
Hajime: It's Lucius.
Sora:...
Hajime: He's heading towards our classmate. I figure you'd want to settle the scores with him, so let me handle whoever she is.
Noint: My name is Noint. As God's Apostle, I will remove the unneeded pieces from his game board.
Hajime: Ah, more of this God's bullshit.
Noint: You both are indeed strong. Even with that extra weight you are carrying. But neither of you are fit to be our Lord's pawn.
Hajime: Oh that's good to hear. Neither of us would want to serve a pouting shut in brat who wants attention. That's the best praise you could give us.
Noint: If you're trying to anger me, it is useless. I have no emotions.
Hajime: Huh? What are you talking about? I'm just being honest.
Noint:......
Noint silently spread her wings and crossed her swords in front of her.
Sora(mind): Does she really not have any emotions? Looks like she's trying to shake off her anger and prove it's not bothering her.
Sora quickly discarded the thought. There was no point in worrying about it. After all, either him or Hajime'd be killing her either way. Regardless of what she was thinking, regardless of what she felt, she would die by their hands.
Noint flapped her wings again and unleashed another barrage of feathers. This time though, they weren't aimed at Sora nor Hajime. Instead, they gathered in front of Noint and arrayed themselves into an odd formation. As they overlapped over one another, Hajime realized she was making a magic circle out of the feathers. Noint glared coldly at Hajime through the shining silver magic circle. Once it was complete, she cast her spell.
Noint: Hellfire Tsunami.
Noint summoned a burning tsunami that scorched the very atmosphere.
Sora(mind): So she can use elemental magic too.
She simply hadn't cast her elemental spells before because she'd believed her feathers would be enough. In other words, she hadn't been fighting seriously either. Crimson hellfire bore down on them, and all Aiko could see was red. The tsunami was large enough to blot out the horizon. Aiko looked up at Sora, expecting him to have a solution. Sweat rolled down his cheek as he desperately looked around the tsunami, searching for the spell's core. So long as he could find it and shoot it, the flames would disperse.
Of course, that required an ungodly amount of precision, but Hajime was more than up to the task. He had trained his sharpshooting skills extensively. However, Noint's spell was on a far larger scale than anything Hajime had faced before. Anyone on the Divine Mountain would have thought noon had come, since that was how bright and all-encompassing the flames were. It was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Time ran out before Hajime could find it. The massive tsunami swallowed Sora, Hajime and Aiko up. Anyone watching would have been convinced they had died. The tsunami that spanned a couple hundred meters should have left not even their ashes behind, but Noint continued staring at the center of the tsunami.
Noint: So you can withstand even this...
As she muttered that, the spell ended and the flames dispersed. At the center of the spell stood Sora, Hajime and Aiko, surrounded by four of his Cross Bits. They were all unharmed. The Cross Bits formed a pyramid around Hajime, their ends connected to each other by wires. Screens of crimson light filled the space between the wires.
Hajime: This is still a prototype, so I was a little worried... Thank god it worked.
Sora: Looks like the Creation Magic and Spatial Magic worked as intended.
Aiko: Y-You...
Sora and Hajime sighed in relief. This was the latest of Hajime's weapon enhancements. He had used creation magic to enchant wires with spatial magic, then equipped his Cross Bits with said wires. He'd also covered the surface of his Cross Bits with spatial magic-enchanted ore. Unlike physical shields, barriers made by partitioning space were theoretically unbreakable.
However, these were still in the experimental phase. Until now, Hajime hadn't tested them against a proper attack, so he'd had no idea how much they would be able to take. Aiko looked blankly from the barrier that had saved her life to Noint. The apostle was already preparing her next attack. This time she sent a few feathers at Hajime while she crafted over a hundred magic circles at once aiming at Sora.
She was determined to bury them in an avalanche of magic. Hajime guessed that his new barriers might be able to take it, but staying on the defensive would put them at a disadvantage. Especially because Hajime wasn't certain if they could survive Noint's disintegrating light, should she choose to fire it.
Furthermore, his barrier's greatest strength was also its biggest weakness. Since it partitioned space, Hajime couldn't attack through it. And so, Hajime dismissed his barrier and prepared to flee. He needed to keep his distance and continue dodging until Tio arrived.
Just as he was about to leap back, he heard singing rise up from the Divine Mountain. Hajime avoided Noint's barrage of feathers and looked down. Ishtar was standing on the mountain, surrounded by an army of bishops and templar knights. The bishops were holding hands in a big circle and singing prayers.
Seeing the hundred-odd bishops chanting solemnly like that, Hajime was reminded of the time he'd heard a choir singing hymns back on earth.
Sora(mind): But what on earth is the point of all that singing?
Sora: Ah!? What the?
Hajime: My body's—
Aiko: Yatagami, Nagumo!? Ah, wh-what is this...
Sora, Hajime and Aiko felt something strange happen to their bodies. Their strength left them, and their mana began to disperse. It was as if their energy was being drained away. Moreover, motes of light started sticking to them, making it hard to move.
Sora: Ngh, this must be some kind of debuff magic. So this is the strength of the Holy Church's best. Looks like they've got their defensive countermeasures all set up.
Hajime: This is their headquarters after all. They're prepared for enemy attacks.
When Ishtar had realized one of God's Apostle's was fighting, he'd gathered all of his followers. In order to support Noint's battle, Ishtar had made them all sing the Hymn of Ruin. The Hymn of Ruin was a powerful spell that dulled a target's movements and sapped their strength. Unlike most spells which required a magic circle, this could only be activated by multiple bishops singing in tandem. It was the Holy Church's trump card.
Noint: It must be Ishtar. He is a good pawn, who understands his role well.
Sora: Hey, you sure you should be wasting your time with us?
Noint: What do you mean?
There's no way someone from the Holy Church doesn't know about the invasion happening in the capital. Until now they'd been fighting nonstop, so Hajime hadn't had a chance to talk. But since there was finally a pause in the hostilities, he figured he should ask.
Sora: I'm talking about what's happening below. If things keep going like this, the kingdom's gonna fall. And once that happens, you know the Divine Mountain's going to be next. Shouldn't you be stopping the demons taking over your city instead of fighting up here?
Sora had thought it a perfectly logical question, but Noint looked at him as if he'd said something ridiculous.
Noint: If that is the outcome, then that is the conclusion of this era.
Hajime: The conclusion, huh? Seems like to Ehit, humans are mere pawns to kill time. I guess he just happened to side with the humans this time around, right? At this rate, the god worshipped by the Demons will also be Ehit, or someone under his control.
Noint: So what if that is true?
Sora: I was just wondering whether or not the Liberators had been telling the truth. If you ask me, you're both shady as hell.
Noint's eyebrows twitched. It seemed being called shady didn't sit well with her. Still, despite her obvious displeasure, Sora simply grinned at her and continued.
Sora: Hey, if you really think we're a nuisance, just send us back to our own world. If the kingdom falls, the rest of the heroes will just have proven they weren't very useful pawns, so you may as well send them back too.
Noint: Denied, Irregular.
Hajime: Can we ask why?
Noint: Because my Lord wishes it. My Lord wishes for your deaths. You both overcame every obstacle, gained massive strength and powerful allies. Then, you both will die, partway towards your goal. This is the type of death that my Lord wishes for you both. Therefore, please perish after suffering and lamenting. Drowning in despair and regret, as much as possible. That is the best entertainment that you both can offer to my Lord. The hero and his friends, on the other hand... appear to be up to something my master finds interesting, so he is content to leave them alone. As long as they continue entertaining him, he shall not remove them from the game board.
Sora and Hajime had expected that answer, so they weren't terribly surprised. Sora shrugged his shoulders and thought back to what Miledi Reisen had said.
Sora(mind): You're right, the gods really are conniving little bastards.
There was one thing that Noint said that stuck out in Hajime's mind, though.
Hajime: You said the others are up to something?
Noint: As you both are about to die, there is no need for you to know.
As Noint raised her swords above her, a thunderous roar split the air.
Tio: Graaaaaaaaah!
A second later, a beam of black light closed in on Noint. It was Tio's dragon breath, the all-encompassing black light which could burn through anything. Noint had no time to dodge. And so, she cut short her attack and wrapped her wings around herself.
As Tio's breath hit Noint's wings, it began to disintegrate. Despite that, it still continued pushing her back. Black and silver mana warred against each other as Tio's breath pushed Noint all the way back into the cathedral tower. The force of the impact shattered the rest of the tower. Chunks of broken masonry fell to the ground.
Ishtar's bishops and templar knights cried out in despair. Seeing their beloved apostle get sent flying must have shaken their confidence. Hajime instantly pulled Orkan out of his Treasure Trove and mercilessly fired all twelve rockets at Ishtar and his men. This time they screamed for a different reason. Finally, Hajime heard the voice of someone he was actually eager to see.
Tio: Master! My King! Are you two alright?!
They didn't let his guard down, but Sora and Hajime smiled in relief. At long last, Tio had arrived.
Sora: Thanks, Tio. You saved our hide back there.
Hajime: Things got pretty dicey at the end.
Tio smiled briefly, but then her expression grew grim again. If Hajime was hard-pressed, then this was an enemy that required her full attention. She flew up to where he was standing and stared at the tower along with Sora and Hajime.
Tio: It is heartening to know I made it on time. As a reward, may I ask for a thorough spanking?
Hajime: If you can get Sensei to safety, I'll think about it.
Tio: Truly!? I will hold you to that, Master! Come, Sensei-dono. Climb onto my back.
Sora(mind): Even now she puts her desires first, huh?
Hajime(mind): Well, I guess Yue, Shea, and Kaori are like that too.
Sora sighed and put Aiko onto Tio's back. Aiko was pretty sure she heard some rather immoral things during that conversation, but she obediently let Sora deposit her on Tio's back. She didn't want to be a burden any longer.
Aiko: Umm, Tio? I'm in your hands.
Tio: Indeed. Fear not. You are someone important to My King . I shall not let any harm come to you.
Naturally, Tio meant that she was a teacher Sora respected a great deal, but Aiko misinterpreted those words, thinking Sora had a romantic interest in her. Aiko looked worriedly over at Sora. At this point anyone could tell those weren't the eyes of a teacher worried about her student, but the eyes of a girl worried about the boy she loved. Just then, the collapsed tower burst apart. Noint emerged from the rubble, completely unharmed. She flapped her silver wings, soaring once more into the sky. It appeared even Tio's breath was incapable of piercing Noint's defenses.
Hajime: Go, Tio.
Tio: As you wish. But allow me to assist you once I've delivered Sensei-dono to safety. Even if I can't hurt her, I can definitely do something about those meddlesome priests.
Tio had already guessed that it was they who had weakened Sora and Hajime. She glared angrily at the surviving clergy while Hajime stared down Noint. The murderous glint in his eyes was back. Tio wanted to make sure he could focus on his fight without interruption. Hajime grinned and nodded to Tio, glad to have such a reliable comrade. This time, he took the fight to Noint.
Aiko: Be careful, Yatagami! I don't want you to get hurt anymore!
Tio: Hm? Ah, I see now. How fascinating...
As Tio and Aiko flew off and away, Sora looked over at Hajime.
Sora: Think you can handle her alone?
Hajime: Yeah. Heading for the kingdom?
Sora: Yeah. If what you say is true about Lucius heading for our dear Classmate. Then I'll make sure to ruin every plan he has.
Hajime: Hmph! Then go.
Sora: Thanks. I owe you.
As Sora began to fly off towards the kingdom, Noint recovered and flew up and out of the smoke and faced off with Hajime.
Hajime: Alright, God's Puppet. It's just you and me now.
(Timeskip)
Let us go back to a few hours ago. Right around when Kaori and Liliana had snuck into the palace.
Shizuku: Huh!? What's going on!?
Shizuku jolted awake as she heard the sound of shattering glass. She threw off her sheets, grabbed her katana, and jumped to her feet. Her instantaneous reaction made it clear that she was always on guard, even when she slept.
Shizuku:.....
Shizuku tensed up and held her breath, ready for an attack. Only after she had ascertained there was no one else in her room did she allow herself to relax. She had been even more vigilant than usual these past few days. People had started vanishing mysteriously from the palace.
The disappearances had begun a few weeks after they'd been saved from death in the Great Orcus Labyrinth and Kaori had gone off with Sora and Hajime. Shizuku had been worried about them since day one. She couldn't tell what exactly was wrong, but her sixth sense had told her that something wasn't right. At first, she had just chalked it up to stress. Her best friend wasn't by her side anymore, the demons were far stronger than they had expected, and everyone was struggling with the problem of whether or not they could really kill. It was possible she was just on edge.
But eventually she realized her senses weren't deceiving her. Something was definitely wrong. It wasn't until today until she had proof though. Three days ago, Aiko had returned and told Shizuku that she'd had something important to tell everyone that night. Right after that, she had disappeared. Dinner came and went, and she was nowhere to be found.
Furthermore, Celia and Liliana vanished that same day. The palace guards and servants were panicking. Three people Shizuku knew well had vanished without a trace. Yuka and the rest of Ai-chan's guard squad started searching frantically for them. Kouki and the others helped out, of course.
It was then that Ishtar had shown up and told them that Aiko had gone up to the Divine Mountain to make their argument against Sora and Hajime being declared a heretic.
Naturally, Shizuku and the others had demanded Ishtar let them join her, but he'd refused. The lift heading to the main cathedral at the top of the mountain wasn't working, and there was no other way to the temple.
They took their complaints to King Eilheid, but he simply told them that Aiko would return in three days and that they should just wait. Reluctantly, the students backed down.
Shizuku's worries continued to grow. She still had no proof that anything was happening, but she was certain something bad was. Worse, Captain Meld had vanished too, so she couldn't ask him for advice either.
Shizuku(mind): Three days. If we just sit tight for three days...
Three days had passed, and the morning of the invasion dawned. Neither Aiko nor Celia nor Liliana returned. Ishtar and the other priests had vanished as well. Not only that, the guards they'd assigned Aiko, David and his squad, had disappeared too. The lift to the main cathedral still wasn't working.
Both the king and the prime minister refused to meet with the students. In another day, it would be four days since Celia, Aiko and Liliana disappeared. However, it seemed only Yuka and Shizuku were worried about that. Though Kouki did think it was odd Aiko hadn't returned, he couldn't fathom that something dangerous might be going on within the palace itself. He thought the discussion about Sora and Hajime's heresy was just dragging on.
Shizuku could tell Kouki's conflicted feelings regarding Sora were clouding his judgment. Moreover, his mind was too preoccupied with thoughts of Kaori, and whether or not he could really kill, to think about much else.
Since most of the other students still looked up to him, the fact that he wasn't worried about Aiko was enough to reassure them that they didn't need to be either. If he said she was okay, she was okay.
So Shizuku had decided to consult Yuka and her friends. They were the only other students who shared her sense of unease. They decided that if Aiko didn't return by tonight, they'd scale the mountain, lift or no lift.
After finishing her preparations for tomorrow's climb, Shizuku had climbed into bed fully alert. Aiko hadn't returned, and she was growing suspicious of everyone in the castle. Which brings us back to the present.
Shizuku silently put on her equipment and slipped out of her room. She silently cursed as her door made a slight squeaking noise when she pushed it open. Looking down the hallway, Shizuku noticed that Yuka, Taeko, and Nana were standing outside their rooms as well. They were standing stock still, timidly examining their surroundings.
Nana: Hey! Shizuku-chi!
Nana spotted Shizuku and called out to her without thinking. Shizuku instantly put one hand on her sword. Yuka and Taeko bopped Nana on the head, furiously whispering.
Yuka: Idiot, what if that was an intruder!?
Taeko: Don't be so careless, idiot!
Nana apologized tearfully, while Shizuku waved her hand to let them know the coast was clear. Yuka and the others stepped into the hallway while Shizuku jogged over to Kouki's room and knocked. The door swung open immediately. Kouki was standing there, fully dressed. Behind him, Ryutarou was in the process of getting up. It seemed the sound had woken them as well. Shizuku sighed, and looked at Kouki with a pained expression.
Kouki: Shizuku?
Shizuku: Kouki, can't you be at least a little more careful? Would it be too much trouble for you to at least ask who's there? What if it was a suspicious person?
Kouki: But we're in the palace. Why would there be enemies here?
Kouki tilted his head in confusion. Though he'd heard the noise earlier as well, he still seemed to believe the palace was completely safe. Judging from his bleary eyes, he wasn't fully awake yet either.
Rutaro: Well something's not right, so stay on your guard.
Ryutarou called out from behind Kouki.
Kouki: Alright, alright. But I think you're just overthinking things, Shizuku.
Neither of them made any move to get ready.
Kouki: Anyway, Shizuku. What was that noise just now? It sounded like something shattering...
Shizuku: I'm not sure. I'll go wake the others up and see if anyone knows anything. I have a bad feeling about this...
Shizuku turned back to Yuka. Yuka nodded and she and her friends split up to wake the others. Unsurprisingly, those who were constantly fighting on the front lines were already up and ready. Jugo Nakayama, Kentarou Nomura, Kousuke Endou, Ayako Tsuji, Mao Yoshino, Daisuke Hiyama, Reichi Kondou, Shinji Nakano, and Yoshiki Saitou answered Shizuku's summons immediately.
The rest of Aiko's bodyguard squad was out before Shizuku even got to their rooms. Sadly, the rest of the students weren't so prepared. Those who hadn't fought in months were extremely slow to respond, and some were still asleep. Shizuku had to beat a few of them awake. Others, she had to coax out of their rooms because they'd heard the noise and were too scared to come out.
Kouki: I'm sorry for waking you up up in the middle of the night, guys. But most of us heard that noise, right? It's probably safe inside the palace, but I think we should still go see what's happening. It might be dangerous, so let's go together.
Kouki's words breathed life into the students, and those who were still half-asleep finally woke up. They all nodded nervously, wondering what could possibly have happened while they were sleeping. Just then, footsteps approached the group from the end of the hallway. The students all turned around and saw Nia, Shizuku's personal maid, running toward them. The one who'd reprimanded the other students earlier for relying too much on Shizuku.
Shizuku: Nia!
Nai: Shizuku-sama...
Shizuku: Nia?
Nia's tone was forlorn. It was surprising to see her so openly depressed. Nia was from a family of knights, and she was normally much more calm and composed, like Shizuku. Shizuku opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but before she could say anything, the words spilled from Nia's mouth.
Nia: The barrier's first layer has been destroyed.
Shizuku: Wh-What!?
The reason for her unusual solemnity quickly became clear.
Nia: The demons have launched an assault. They have an army outside the gates, and they've already broken the first barrier.
Shizuku: How did they...
Nia's report was so shocking that even Shizuku couldn't remain calm. The other students broke out into an uproar. All of them had believed the demons would never make it as far as the capital. It lay on the northern tip of the continent. Everyone had assumed the demons would need to conquer all of the other human cities and forts before they could assault the capital.
And even if they did reach the capital, the students had believed the barrier would hold. After all, it hadn't been breached in centuries. Their shocked reaction was only natural.
Kouki: Nia. There's a total of three barriers protecting the capital, right?
Kouki asked with a grim expression. There were a total of three barriers, with each successive one being smaller and sturdier than the last.
Nia: That is correct, Kouki-sama. The demons destroyed the outermost layer with a single attack. It's only a matter of time before they break through the rest...
Kouki nodded and considered his options. After a few moments of deliberation, he decided to strike.
Kouki: We'll go out and try to buy some time. In the meantime, evacuate all the residents. If we can just hold out long enough for the soldiers and knights to get into formation...
Only a few students looked like they agreed with Kouki's proposal; just the other frontliners and Aiko's guards. The others looked away, ashamed. They had long since lost the will to fight. Their spirits had been crushed that day in the Great Orcus Labyrinth.
Even if it was just a defensive battle to buy time, they didn't have the confidence to face an entire army. Kouki realized he couldn't force them and closed his eyes in resignation. We'll just have to do what we can with the few people we have. Before he could say as much though, Eri interjected.
Eri: Wait, Kouki. Rather than rushing out without preparation, I think we should find Meld and his knights first.
Kouki: Eri... But...
Eri turned from Kouki to Nia.
Eri: Nia. You said they had an army, but... do you know their exact numbers?
Nia: I'm not sure, but it looked to be around one hundred thousand strong.
Everyone gulped. This was no small raid. This was a full-scale invasion.
Eri: Kouki. There's no way we can take an army that large on our own. We need to get more people first. We're the strongest resource the humans have, we can't just waste ourselves recklessly. Which is why I'm thinking it would be smarter to find Meld first.
Though she spoke softly, her words were resolute. She was still a member of the hero party, after all. Moreover, her suggestion was logical.
Suzu: Yeah, I agree with Eririn. That's the smart thing to do. I knew those glasses weren't just for show!
Eri: G-Glasses don't automatically make people smart, Suzu.
Shizuku: Fufu. I agree with Eri as well. It seems she was the only one thinking rationally among us. What do you say, Kouki?
Kouki hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he gave in. Like the rest of the party, he trusted Eri's rational judgment.
Kouki: You're right. It's especially in times like these that we need to stay calm. Let's link up with Meld-san and his knights first.
Nagayama, Hiyama, and Yuka all agreed with that assessment as well. And thus, the search for Captain Meld began. First, they headed for the staging area where they figured the knights would be. In their haste, no one noticed that one among their party was grinning evilly.
(Timeskip)
There were plenty of soldiers and knights gathered at the training grounds when Kouki and the others arrived. It had been designated as the staging area during emergencies, so that wasn't surprising. Jose Rancaid, the vice-captain of Heiligh's knights, was explaining the situation to everyone. Most of the soldiers were pale-faced; hearing that the barrier had been broken must have shaken them.
Kouki despaired when he saw how low morale seemed to be among the soldiers. Jose spotted him as he walked into the courtyard, and interrupted his explanation to address him.
Jose: I'm glad you're here. Have you heard what happened?
Kouki: Yeah, Nia told us. Umm, where's Meld?
Kouki looked around the courtyard, trying to spot Meld in the press of bodies.
Jose: The Captain's busy right now. More importantly, come, join me. You're our leader, so you should be standing in the center...
Jose ushered Kouki and the other students to the center of the courtyard. The students who no longer fought seemed reluctant to join, as they weren't doing anything to help the cause. However, they were unable to resist the tide of soldiers silently pushing them onward, and were jostled along with Kouki.
Shizuku didn't like how silent and emotionless the soldiers and knights looked. Something was off about them. In fact, something was off about this whole situation. The feeling of unease Shizuku had felt since waking up grew stronger. She gripped the hilt of her katana.
Yuka: Hey, Shizuku. Is it just me or...
Shizuku: It's not just you. Don't let your guard down. Something strange is happening here.
Yuka did her best to stamp down on the mounting feeling of dread. Though Shizuku didn't want to go any deeper into the crowd, she couldn't do anything but get pushed along. Fighting against the crowd was inadvisable.
Shizuku(mind): Something's not right.
The other members of the frontline parties felt it too. No one said it aloud, but they all felt it. Finally, Kouki and the others were shoved into the center of the courtyard. Jose continued his speech. Shizuku grew more worried by the second.
Jose: Comrades, the situation is dire. However, there is no need to fear. There is no one who can match us. There is no one who can defeat us. Death will take none of you today. For we have the hero on our side. Remember men, today is the day we've trained our lives for. Draw your swords, comrades!
As one, the soldiers and knights unsheathed their weapons. In the midst of it all, someone stammered out.
Endou: Wha, whoa.
Shizuku and the others turned to the noise. Kousuke had been casually muscled out of his spot next to Jugo.
Jugo: U-Umm...
Another confused voice. This time, it was Yuka who was separated from the group. They weren't the only two, either. Before long many other students, mostly those who fought at the front lines or were part of Aiko's guard, had been split up. Each of them was surrounded by a platoon of soldiers and knights. Goosebumps rose on Shizuku's arms. Her instincts screamed at her to get out of here.
Shizuku: Everyone, run—
Jose: Behold, this marks the beginning of a new age!
Before Shizuku could finish her warning, Jose pulled something out of his pocket and raised it high above his head. At his words, the soldiers all turned as one to him. Confused, the students followed suit. A second later there was a bright flash. Whatever Jose had been holding emitted a burst of light as bright as one of Hajime's flash grenades. Kouki and the others screamed as the light pierced their eyes. They quickly turned away, but they were already blinded. A second later, there were a number of meaty thuds.
Ayako: Agh!?
Mao: Gah!
Kentarou: Gwaaah!?
They were immediately followed by a series of screams. Not screams of surprise, like the screams the students had given when the light hit them, but screams of pain. After that, there were a few loud thumps as people fell to the ground. Amidst the chaos, Shizuku drew her weapon and readied herself.
She just barely managed to block the sword thrust that came for her. Like the others, she'd been blinded by the light. But thanks to her years of training, months of experience, and excellent senses, she was able to fight back even while unable to see. Finally her sight began to return, and Shizuku examined her surroundings. What greeted her was a nightmare. Her classmates had all been stabbed in the back by soldiers, and were lying on the ground.
Shizuku: Wha...
She'd been prepared for something terrible to happen, but this was beyond her expectations.
Shizuku(mind): What on earth is happening? Why are they doing this?
Shizuku's voice caught in her throat. The wails of her classmates pierced her ears. The scene in front of her was so shocking that Shizuku's brain shut down.
Shizuku(mind): Don't tell me they're all dead!?
However, though Kouki, Ryutarou, Suzu, and Yuka were all lying in pools of their own blood, they were still breathing. Knowing that her friends still lived brought some small measure of comfort to Shizuku. However, all of the frontliners aside from her were too gravely injured to even move. Cold sweat poured down her back.
Kousuke was the most badly injured out of all of them. Swords were sticking out of not just his back, but his limbs too. He was twitching weakly on the ground, clearly in pain. Worse, the rest of Shizuku's classmates had been cuffed with mana- sealing shackles. No one would be able to heal them.
Shizuku(mind): What do I do? What do I do?
Shizuku desperately cast her gaze about, looking for a solution. It was then that she noticed something strange.
???: Oh my, I guess I should have expected you to come out of that unscathed, Shizuku.
Shizuku: Huh? What? Wh-Why? What are you—
There was a single one of Shizuku's classmates who wasn't on the ground in a puddle of their own blood or pinned down by a cluster of soldiers. And right now, they sounded nothing like their normal self. Shizuku trailed off, stunned. She'd opened her mouth more out of reflex than anything. A second later, one of the knights charged at her from behind.
Shizuku: Ngh!?
Despite her shock, Shizuku still managed to dodge out of the way. The one who'd betrayed them looked down at her, exasperated.
???: I can't believe you dodged that too... Of course you'd be the one to make things difficult."
Shizuku: Seriously, what are you—
Shizuku was cut off by a storm of steel. All of the soldiers around her attacked at once. Their movements seemed unusually sharp. It was almost as if they'd been powered up. Shizuku still managed to dodge their attacks somehow. While she was weaving between swords, she heard someone call out to her, and turned around.
Nia: Shizuku, help me!
Shizuku: Nia!
Nia was lying on the ground, a knight straddling her. She was seconds away from being pierced through by his sword. Shizuku dashed to Nia, ducking through the horde of soldiers using a combination of No Tempo and Supersonic Step. She bashed the knight away with her sheath, sending him flying.
Shizuku: Nia, you alright?
Nia: Shizuku-sama...
Shizuku helped Nia to her feet while warily observing the nearby troops. Nia hugged Shizuku from behind, seemingly terrified. Then a second later, she drove a dagger into Shizuku's back.
Shizuku: N-Nia? Wh-Why?
Nia:.....
Shizuku's mouth twisted into a pained grimace as she looked down at her friend. Nia's eyes were devoid of their usual warmth. She looked expressionlessly up at Shizuku, as if she were an unthinking doll. It was then that Shizuku finally realized.
Nia hadn't been acting oddly because the capital's barrier had been destroyed. Her subdued demeanor and empty eyes were exactly like the knights and soldiers surrounding them. In other words, she was under the influence of whatever it was that had made them all go crazy.
Unfortunately, Shizuku had come to this realization too late. Nia pinned Shizuku to the ground, twisted her arms behind her back, and shackled her with the same magic-sealing cuffs the soldiers had put on the other students.
???: Ahahahaha. I guess even you couldn't predict she'd stab you, huh? Yeah, see, that's why I waited until the last minute to put her under my control.
The burning sensation in Shizuku's back contrasted starkly with the cold ground at her cheek. She realized now that the soldiers acting strange hadn't been the work of demons, but this student. The truth stung. Shizuku couldn't accept it. No, she didn't want to accept it. That she'd been betrayed by someone she trusted. They'd gone through so many crises together. It was inconceivable that she would betray them, but Shizuku couldn't deny what her eyes showed her.
Shizuku: What is the meaning of this... Eri!?
Eri, the quiet, thoughtful, kindhearted girl who always put others first, who had fought together with Shizuku for the past few months was in fact— a traitor.