The lightning snakes that used to roam the area have dwindled in number.
　Now it smells of charred flesh, the remains of soldiers who were struck by lightning.


　It's a horrible sight. In normal times, it would be a horrible sight to turn away from.
　But there's no room for that now. The predicament is still here, and if we relax even a little, it will be the end.


　The battle just before ...... had reduced the number of enemies. No, it would be more appropriate in this case to say that I was only able to reduce the number of enemies by that much.
　I used a net of three spells to defeat ten of them. And that was with the help of Ceylan.
　Still ten. Only ten. A mage of Noah's or Kazui's caliber would have already been able to get through this, but it's just not worth it.


　I'm worried about us, but I'm also worried about the condition of the surviving guards. If we don't take care of him soon, his life will be in danger.
　Even in such a state, his determination to crawl to Ceylan's side was admirable.
　Ceylan called out to the assembled guards behind him.


(......You stay put.)

(...... No, we too will shield your highness.)

(...... That's a last resort. Do as you're told.


　The orders Ceylan gave were for the protection of the Kingsguard.
　As in the case of the first arrow shot at him, Ceylan has a tendency to put others first. It is natural for a king to put himself first, and in the current war, Seiran has been acting in accordance with this rule. But he was only doing so because he had to, and in reality, he might not be doing so at all.
　Otherwise, he would have been willing to use Konoe as a shield here, and in this situation. In this situation, forcing Konoe to launch a suicide attack could be one of the ways.
　To not do so would be to value the lives of others.


　Hearing Ceylan's order, the conscious guards are moaning in frustration.
　What must be going through their minds?
　But there are still ten enemy soldiers in front of them. The one-sidedness of the situation had taken them by surprise, but Dusseyr's exhortation had revived their fighting spirit. Now, everyone's eyes were reflecting a glint of murderous intent.


　Suddenly, the enemy soldiers showed signs of movement.
　Apparently, they won't give us any more time to think.
　Without a signal, Imperial soldiers were approaching from three sides.
　Four on the right, five on the left. And in front is the commander, Dusseyr. As he's a famous soldier, we can't be too careful.


(......) We'll hold the front. Your Highness, may I ask you to take care of the others?

(......Can you do that?)

(...... can you do it?) (...... can you do it?)


　I'm not sure how difficult it will be for me, but if I can get Saylan and Dusseyr to go toe to toe, then I have a way to go. You'll be able to get a lot more out of the game if you're able to get the best out of the players.
　If I had had the luxury of casting a longer spell, I would have been able to do so, but I had no choice.
　As he stepped forward, Ceylan gave him a quiet squeeze.


　--Extra magic, white smoke, Dusseyr doesn't like it, keep your distance, black debris.


　The whispered words were short, disconnected instructions.
　I read the meaning of the fragmented words, vaguely, and still stepped forward.
　I'm not going to give anything away. I stepped on the spot to set the pace-- Kanre.
　I jumped into a kick at Dussaea, who was charging at me with a sword.
　Charge versus charge. How fast will their relative speeds be?


　But that high-speed kick was stopped by Dusseyr's small hand.


"Kid ......, you're coming!

Of course you are!　I can't let you have your way with me!


　He shouted back with all his might and landed on the ground.
　Then he quickly glanced around. All the other enemy soldiers are heading towards Ceylan.
　Do you think that Dusseyr alone is enough for us? Or do you want to put all your energy into Ceylan in the first place? I don't know the substance of his decision, but immediately afterwards, Dusseyr unleashed a slash with his long sword.
　The slash, sharper than the previous soldier's, came at him from above and below.
　He sidestepped it and avoided it. Because the target is small and close to the ground, it seems to be difficult to hit.
　Since we are unarmed, we have no choice but to dodge. We have no visible means of attack, but we have managed to stop him from reaching Ceylan.


　I guess it's because, as this man shouted earlier, Ceylan is not the only target anymore.
　I don't know what made me the target, but I'm grateful for that now.
　He was attacked by multiple slashes that came out like a volley.
　In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.


"Gghh... ......


　On my arms. On my legs, on my face. It's still only a scratch, but it could be fatal if it's repeated.
　In between the slashes, he saw an opportunity and tried to step into the pocket.
　When you take a step forward, Dussaea immediately retreats to meet it, and this time, he comes out with a horizontal slash to drive you away - which you manage to avoid by getting down on the ground.
　You can use the power of your arms to bounce back to your previous position. His arms scream in protest at the rough usage, but he ignores it for now. With a hint of anxiety that he might soon go on strike against overwork, he once again makes a move to enter Dussaea's bosom.




　Dusseyr backed away as if he didn't want to.


I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.


　It's a good idea to take a look at the actual information on the web to get a better idea of what you're looking for. Is it because we are actively trying to get into his pocket? Your intuition is probably correct. As long as we can get into his pocket, he will have another way out.


"Crap, it's been a while. ......


　What I hear is the frustration of not being able to catch it. Apparently, the impatience is causing bad spirits to build up. Then this is an opportunity to take advantage of it.
　If you take it easy and try to avoid it, Dusseyr's bad vibes will increase even more.
　When the time was right, he synchronized his breathing and deliberately showed a large gap.


This is the end!


　Dusseya took advantage of the situation and slashed at him, only to realize on the way. I'm not going to let you get away with it. He probably didn't think that such a child would be able to move with falsehoods.
　This is a poor move that if used against Crabbe, he would be seen through in an instant and defeated.
　But now that he was in a bad mood, he decided to take a chance, and his little gambit paid off.
　Not to let the fruits of his actions go to waste, he stepped into Dusseyr's bosom this time.
　With no weapon and little magic power, there was no time for chanting, but he still had his magic power left.
　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do it, but I'm going to have to.


　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.


What the hell are you doing?

"Take that!


　As soon as he says it...



　--Zudon.


　As soon as he said it, a blast of magic exploded in Duchessia's chest. I'm not sure if you've seen this before, but I'm sure you've seen it before.


"Agh!

Aah!


　A pain like an electric shock pierced through my arm, and my fist was tinged with heat and intense numbness.
　This is one of the most powerful attacks in the category of shooting out kneaded magic from the fist.
　However, it has the disadvantage that the fist is glued together, so the recoil comes directly back to you.
　The force of the rebound on his fist was obvious, but even if he was prepared for it, it would hurt. It doesn't seem to be broken, but I don't think I'll be able to move it anytime soon.
　Dusseya's internal organs must have been injured by this, because he bled slightly from the edge of his mouth.


　Immediately after, there was a flash of light behind her, and white smoke billowed around her.


(My magic, white smoke)


　Immediately after, Dusseya jumped back to escape the white smoke.


Dusseya doesn't like it. Keep your distance.


　Meanwhile, we retreat back to Ceylan in a cloud of white smoke.


Kuro debris!


　Shortly after, he fully understood Ceylan's orders and acted on them.



"- Constantly spitting out demons. A pattern that pierces. A black blink of an eye. After a shower, all that remains is a red sea. To turn is the law of heaven, to run is also the law of heaven. The lingering heat has not cooled. I still don't know the star I'm aiming for. The race, the race, the race, the race, the race, the race. The race, the race, the custom, the race.


Arks, still!　Fire at will!
　The customary customary customary customary customary customary customary customary customary customary customary customary customary customary custom


　--[Spinning Barrel


　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.
　Insert your left arm into the magic circle and take a kneeling position.
　When you hold your left hand and left arm as a barrel, the magic circle you inserted your arm into shrinks to the appropriate size and begins to rotate in opposite directions.


　...... Imperial soldiers who had never seen this magic before would have thought this movement and magic strange.
　Normally, flames would fly or wind would roar as soon as you chanted. This spell, which was different from those spells, would surely catch them off guard.
　Since he didn't know what kind of magic would be flying at him, he tried to find out until the last minute, and his movements became slightly hesitant - but Dusseyr seemed to have good intuition.


But Dussaea seemed to have good intuition.　Let's go! Let's go!


　Dussaea screamed, slightly faster than the volley.
　He immediately moves his arms horizontally to prevent any escape, but the remaining enemies are no different. He dodges the projectiles and flicks them away with his sword.
　The fact that he can do that even after being hit by the previous blow suggests that this Dusseyr commander is a very strong soldier.
　If he could generate the velocity of a bullet, such a thing would be impossible, but this magic is visible, unlike the [Kuro Bullet]. It would not be impossible for the people of this world, with their unbelievable physical abilities, to cut them down like this. It's an unbelievable world.


　The Imperial soldiers who could not dodge were crushed by the black debris. The splattering of flesh and the drifting of spattered blood in a cloud of gore were like a hellish scene.
　His left arm turns red with heat, and he begins to scream in pain.
　I can't go any further.
　I don't want to stop yet, but I have to.


(Stick to ......)


　The fear of burning my arm becomes a hesitation, stifling my will to fire. Following your will, the magic circle slows down and eventually stops. With a reverberation and a smell like gunpowder, it stopped spitting out debris.


　The magic circle is still attached to his left arm. The spell is still in effect, but Dusseyr Lubanka is still alive.
　He's the only one of the three Imperial Guard left.
　We couldn't kill them all.


You still have this kind of magic: ......

Ugh. ......

But from the looks of it, this is the end of the line.


　It will still take some time for the arm to dissipate its heat.
　Of course, the enemy will not overlook this. Dusseyr is coming at you with a sword.


　--He will cut you down if you continue.
　The heat in my arms is affecting me, and I can't move my body properly.
　Even if you crawl on the ground, you'll be caught up soon enough.
　As the imperial soldiers closed in with Dusseyr, I suddenly saw a shadow out of the corner of my eye.
　But the owner of the shadow was none other than Ceylan.


I won't let you!


　Ceylan's sharp sword strike repels Dusseyr's sword strike.
　You can't let that happen." Dusseya was forced to retreat due to the unexpected impact.


"What, you'll defend yourself?

"Of course!　The Arx is my vassal!

"But it is foolish for a general to protect his own subjects. That's unworthy of a king. Our goal is your head.

I know!　But ......!


　Ceylan stood in front of Dusseyr, still.
　Even though their primary target was Ceylan himself, he took a stand to protect him. It was an unreasonable action. Why he would go to such lengths is inexplicable, but Ceylan begins to take a stand against Dusseyr and the Imperial Guard, this time using himself as a shield.


　The rugged and systematic swordsmanship of the Imperial Guard was dispelled by the ancient and elegant sword dance.
　A total of three slashes threaten Ceylan repeatedly, but he handles them with ease.
　Once, Ceylan dispatches an Imperial soldier who is slashing at him with his sword. This is the same sword strike that blew away the Imperial Guard earlier. The imperial soldier is flung away, but Dusseyr steps into the gap and swings his long sword at Ceylan.


"Tsk!


　Ceylan lays down his sword to catch it, but is unable to block it back. This man must have that much strength, or he would be brought into a bad fistfight with Tsubagatsu.


"Enough of this!　Why can't you see that it's pointless to resist!

"Ugh, .......

Since the Empire has its sights set on you, the Kingdom will be placed in an even more difficult position in your generation!　The people will also suffer because of your resistance like this!

".........!

The kingdom will eventually be overwhelmed by the empire and destroyed!　The kingdom will be overwhelmed and destroyed by the empire!

".......

What?

I said, shut up!


　I said shut up! At the same time, Ceylan's sword pushed Dusseyr's sword back upwards from below.


"What the hell ......?

I can't lose!　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.


　It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your time with us.


If the kingdom falls, you and your empire will overrun the people of the kingdom!　And you will take everything!　That's all you can do to a country you've made your vassal, a country whose wealth can only come from exploitation!　You know that very well!

You know that very well!

That's why I have to protect it!　That's why I must protect the smiles of the people, and the peace that guarantees it! That's why I have to return home alive.　This is why I must return home alive to follow in my father's footsteps and build a strong kingdom!


　...... can be heard. I'm not sure what to do.
　That's why those words may have settled my own stomach.
　You have to protect Siran. I know I have to protect him here.
　So, this cry from the depths that Ceylan had uttered was surely worth fulfilling, even if he had to push aside his own wishes just now.


　There is something that ...... itself must do. There is a small goal of looking back at those parents. It's not a positive thing, but it's still a definite driving force that has driven me up until now.


　When I feel like I'm failing, it's my competitive spirit that keeps me going.

　It was the anger that made me rise up again when I was tired and weary.


　But how could such a wish take precedence over that cry?
　Ceylan said he wanted to keep people smiling. He said he would not let them cry.
　In the face of such a heartfelt cry to protect someone, doesn't one's own wish fade into obscurity?
　No, that's the way it should be.
　Because such a desire should be respected by everyone.




　...... still has some magic left in it. All that remains is the will. Only a will as strong as steel, willing to sacrifice its left arm, to such pain.


"Your Highness!　Give me your hand!

Arks!

Get behind me!　Quickly!


　Trusting Ceylan's reaction time, he readied his left arm and fired before he could jump back.


...Icky!


　The sound of debris being shot out and the roar of gunfire.
　There are four soldiers left, including Dusseyr. I'm not going to stop until I've killed them all this time. Even if it costs me my arm, I must defeat them all.


　To make sure that wish is kept here.


　My left arm is getting hotter and redder. Because of the forced use of magic, even white smoke began to rise, and the sensation of being scorched by fire gradually eroded my arm.


Aah!　Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

"Arx, Arx!　Take it easy!　Stop!　You'll break your arm!　Arx!


　I can hear Ceylan's voice telling me to stop, but I can't stop. You can't stop here.


　...... Soon, the screams of the soldiers can be heard intermittently. You can't tell if you've killed one, two, or all of them, because they're scattered in a cloud of dust.
　As your concentration hits bottom, the [Spinning Barrel] stops firing.
　You'll be able to find a lot more information on the web. I'm not sure what to do.
　Even so, he was not unharmed. His body was gouged in many places from failing to avoid the bullets. But what kind of conviction is behind this figure that still holds the long sword and does not let up his hostility?
　I'm sure Seyran was looking for the same answer.


"...... Dusseyr Lubanka. I want to ask you a question. Why do you fight so hard?　The empire is the enemy that destroyed your homeland, isn't it?　What is the reason why you would go to such lengths to offer victory to the Emperor?


　Dusseyr smiled scornfully at the question, as if he had just heard a stupid question.


Why?　That's a strange question.

"What?

"The soldiers of the empire fight as the emperor wishes. Or else...


　--Or else that twisted little man will destroy us all.


　Dusseyr's words seemed to have more creepiness than weight.
　I wonder what kind of gaze Seiran is giving to the man who said those words from behind his masks. He just kept silent and looked at him.


...... Our clan resisted the invasion of the Empire for a long time, but in the end we were swallowed by its fury. In time, we clans became its sentinels. We had to be. In the empire, you must continue to take credit for your clan's success or you will never survive.


　Dusseyr said, glaring at Ceylan with a stern expression.


"Okay. Listen to me, Seyran Crosselord. There are plenty of people like me in the Empire. As long as the Kingdom of Rynor stands in the way of the Empire's supremacy, people like me will one day ...... bury the Kingdom and you.

"......


　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one. He took a step back.
　I'm not sure if it's the weight of so many lives on my clan's shoulders.
　But he couldn't let himself be silenced by such unreasonable talk.


It's a nuisance.

You're still at .......

I will. Because you're still here.

Arx, .......


　It's still hard, but I take a deep breath and I say.


"You can go after His Highness all you want. But there are a lot of people in the kingdom who want to protect him to the death, just like the Kingsguard here and me. Will you bury him someday?　Go ahead and bury him if you can. I'll take down all of them like you from now on.


　With that, he raised his right hand to the sky.
　And then.


"Your jet-black wings shine in the night. Your secret is black iron and your enemy is black iron. Its wings flap soundlessly, scattering iron sand as it soars into the sky. I'm tired of rape leaves. No more cherry blossoms. Give me metal. Give me iron. You are a metal-eating butterfly.




　......【Kuro Bullet】can't be supported by the left hand . You can't use your left hand to support it. I'm not sure what to do. If you want to make sure Dusseyr is defeated...


I'm not sure what to do.


　That's right, just like when I had the water energized earlier.
　You just have to set things up for someone who can surely defeat it.


"That's all the magic I have!　Take it away!


　--Magnetic Force.


Take it away!


　This is the first time I've ever seen such a thing. It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your vacation. Dussaea can't resist and lets go.
　On the other hand, Ceylan's sword was also within the influence of the magnetic force. Ceylan's weapon leaves his hand.
　Both Dusseyr and Seylan lost their weapons, but Seylan said...


"Arx. Well done.


　Such were the words of praise.
　Dusseya, on the other hand, let out a scream of bitterness that seemed to come from the depths of the earth.


"You little bastard!

''Sturdy knight, Dusseyr. It seems that Arx was one step ahead of you.

You have a weapon now, .......


　But Ceylan laughed it off, and said it proudly.


I am Ceylan Crosselord. I'm not sure if you're a fan of this, but I'm sure you'll like it.

What?


　I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not, but I'm sure you've heard of it. It's a good idea to keep your eyes and ears open.


"You idiot,......, you've come so far, so far,.......


　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're going to do, and how you're going to do it.


"Well done, Your Highness. ......

"...... Mm.


　Now there was no one left to threaten them.
　It's over. We've repelled the attack.
　That's when it hit me.


"I see. So you're the mage who broke the [Wall Alter]?


　That's what I heard from deep in the forest.