When I saw it, I thought the earth was closing in on me. The power of the cyclops swarm was extraordinary.

That was like a natural disaster: ......!

　One of the knights muttered to himself.
　Earthquake. Lightning. A tsunami.
　There are beings over which man cannot control.
　It's no wonder when you look at that Titan army.

Lady Kaiser!　As expected, it's reckless to take them on with just two people! "Well..." one of the knights in my life advised me.
"Well... I'll go as far as I can.
Kaiser. Come on.

　Regina walked ahead of us and I followed her.
　At our backs the adventurers laughed at us.

"They're fools. We'll die in the dog.
'You'll soon find that you've been overconfident in your abilities.

　Oh, no. If it reaches Regina's ears, we're gonna have another fight on our hands, aren't we?　I looked at her fearfully, and I was surprised.
　Regina's mouth was hanging open. She looked amused.

"Kaiser. It's been a long time since I fought with you. It's exciting.

　Oh, that's right--.
　She can no longer hear the outside world in her mind.
　All Regina can see now is the battle at hand. All she can think about is standing with me against the cyclops horde.
　We'll be on the front lines, on the open plain with a clear view. We will take no tricks.

I've long suspected you are a little too reckless.
　And I'm giving Regina a hard time.
"Doesn't it occur to you what would happen if you lost?
"I ask you the other way around, can you imagine us losing?
...... No. I can't imagine.
Hmm. Yeah.

　We smiled thinly at each other.
　Neither of us moved at the same time.
　Cyclops and his friends found us as big as grains of rice to them.
　And then we were already moving into the crowd.
　Before they could get ready for battle, one of them fell with a blood spatter and screamed his last breath. The giant body is on its back as it leaps to its feet.
　The tip of a sword that runs through the air vividly catches the one eye that is their weak point.

''Goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

　It holds its eyes and cuts down a screaming Cyclops!
　Another one swings a huge club at me.
　I dodge to the side... The ground collides with my club, causing the earth to shake.

Regina!
I know!

　While I'm holding its attention, Regina swings her greatsword and sends wind bullets flying.
　It catches one of the cyclops' eyes and leaves a gap in his vision. Taking advantage of the opportunity, he leaps up the huge body and strikes through the head.
　It didn't waste a single step.
　Right where I wanted her to be, Regina is there. I know exactly what's going on in her head.
　It's like the 18-year blank never happened.
　When I came to, a horde of cyclopses surrounded me. It was as intimidating as if we were surrounded by a huge wall.
　We were backed against each other in the center of the circle.

"This isn't good. We're surrounded," I said.

　We're in a tight spot. We make one wrong move and we're deadly. And yet, there was no sense of danger in my chest.
　I don't feel like we're going to lose. We'll be okay...no matter what comes at us.
　There was only that sense of omnipotence and an overflowing sense of joy.

　Oh, right. I remember now.
　I felt it every day when I was an adventurer, but I haven't felt it in a long time. The elation of being in the middle of a fight to the death.
　The rush of blood.
　I guess it was the same for them, too.

"That's about right for us.



　There was a hint of joy in his voice as he muttered that.

'Regina. Don't screw it up.
Who are you talking to?

　Even with her back turned, I could see what Regina's expression was like . A warrior's smile as she stands before her prey.
　It was the same as when she was once called the demon princess.

☆　

They're all... They're monsters. ......!

　Witnessing the battle, one of the B-ranked adventurers muttered to himself.
　A monster .
　As he muttered that, his awe-inspiring gaze was not on the cyclops swarm--it was on both Kaisel and Regina.

　Two. Yes, there were only two of them.
　Their massive bodies are like grains of rice to the cyclops. Nevertheless, they were completely overwhelmed.

I'm totally pushing the cyclops crowd. ......!
'Not to mention Lord Kaisel, that female adventurer is following his every move!　I honestly don't know what's going on: ......!

　The knights, too, have a look of horror on their faces.
　And--.
　The same gaze is shared by the adventurers and knights, who have seen the strength of Kaiser more closely than anyone else.

　...... Is that your father?　Really?

　Kaiser is a kind and reliable father to Elsa. But what she sees is a far cry from that.
　A wild, fierce beast wielding its fangs.
　He looks just like Regina - or even more battle-crazed.

　...... awesome . Too awesome ......!

　Elsa thought she too had pursued the path of the sword and become strong in her own way.
　She was even the youngest S-ranked adventurer in history. She could become a Knight Commander. Many in King's Landing claimed that she was the strongest.
　But the man I see fighting before me, Kaiser, is a different story.
　Not a match for her.
　I'm horrified.
　The difference in their power was obvious.

　And most of all, there was one thing that confused Elsa.
　Seeing Kaiser fighting alongside Regina seemed to amuse her. It was as if the joy of battle was pouring out of his body.

　--I don't think I've ever seen you do that when you're fighting with me.

　Someone I can trust with my back.
　Someone I can count on to have each other's back.
　Regina is that to Kaiser, and Elsa isn't. It was as if she was being confronted with that reality.

　In the end, there was no last act for the Knights and adventurers.
　In the middle of the plain, the two bloodied men stood side by side with the wreckage of the defeated cyclops around Kaisel and Regina.
　The two men smiling at each other looked very bright to Elsa.