The brave Epona overwhelms the orcs.
　With a wave of her arm, minced meat was produced, and the occasional projectile of fire penetrated from the front to the back of the orcs, flying out of sight.

It wasn't a fight, it was only a one-sided slaughter.
　Orcs have no emotion of fear, and therefore continue to challenge such an overwhelming creature.
　Noish, standing next to him, squeezes out his voice as he trembles.

''Haha, what the hell, that was too different from us. We should have done this from the beginning. Epona is enough. There's no reason for us to be here.

I've seen Neusch fight me in mock battles many times, but this is the first time I've seen Epona seriously flailing around like this, and I'm upset by the substandard nature of it.

'I suppose. If we hadn't divided up the roles like this and let Epona rush in on her own, we could have eradicated it long ago.''
I think you know what you're talking about. So why are you doing this?

Noish's words are interrupted.
　This was because the orc's head flew through the air with the force of a bullet.
　Magic power had been pouring into Touahade's eyes since a while ago. That's why he was able to react just in time.

I struck the side of the flying orc's head with the handle of my knife to shift its trajectory, and then I dug deeper and deeper into the wall behind me.
　I flushed this kind of thing out because my arm would die if I took it properly.
　If you take a direct hit, even if you have magic power, you won't be safe.
　It's just a stray bullet, a serious Epona would be like this if she just swung her arm around.

''This is the answer. I'm much more afraid of getting involved in Epona's fight than I am of the orcs. So I didn't want to create a situation where Epona would get serious. Noish, don't let up from here on out.
You want to run as fast as you can, don't you?
'The hard part is that this situation doesn't change the fact that I'm still running away from the enemy. If I was allowed to run away, I would have done it long ago, too.

I look behind me, where Dia, out of magic power, and Tart, out of mental power, are slowly dropping back.
　We have to defend this place to the death until the girls reach the safe zone at least.
　No matter how much Epona is, we can't judge that many orcs at the same time. We're going to run out of ammunition.

Here they come quickly.
　Two or so of them are coming through Epona's flank.
　Those two are the ones that Neusch and I eyeballed when we tried to take them down.

'You f*cking pig!　Don't think you can run away from me!

The magic power increases in Epona's right hand, and without chanting, she releases her magic at the orc, without chanting.
　The reason I bother using magic that requires chanting is because colorless magic has little to no offensive power.

If just hitting a lump of magic power is enough to become a useful offensive tool, no one would use magic that requires chanting.
　Nevertheless, Epona's blow was enhanced by the enormous amount of magic power and the multiple S-ranked skills unique to brave people, and it had become a desperate power of killing.

It leaps with all its might.
　That mass of magical power is a direct course to the orcs. The problem is that the Tart and Dia are beyond that.
　That thing will penetrate the orcs and hit the two behind them, and it's impossible for them to duck or receive it with the current girls.
　.........Do you want to give it your all?　I make full use of 【Super Recovery】 and have a magic power release amount nearly ten times that of an ordinary person. However, I hide it and keep it to the level of magic power that is considered within common sense.
　If you give it your full strength, you can prevent it from happening unharmed.

I decide to be prepared.
　By passing magic power through it, I strengthen the inner layer made of the demon's coat. Originally, the owner of this skin had such a property, and even now that it has become an armor, it hasn't changed.

Not only is it even harder, it has a dual structure, divided into two layers, one that hardens and the other that absorbs the impact. If you pour enough magic power into it, it will be the best protection.
　This is also a tag that you want to hide, but it's better than exposing the extraordinary height of your magic power.

I take the mass of magic power that smashed through the orcs on my back.
　The bone in my shoulder is shattered. I stepped on it with all my strength, but I was blown away.
　........I was able to receive it well. If I can stop the brave man's blow and get away with this much, it's a good thing. If it's 【Super Recovery】, I can recover in a few minutes.

Just don't collide with the tarts at this rate.
　I shoot a mass of magic power towards the ground.
　Even if it doesn't become as powerful as Epona's special attack, the recoil can at least change the direction. It's off course for a direct hit on the two of them.
　This momentum, even if I'm passive, I'll have to be prepared for a bone or two, but I don't mind that much.

''Master Lug!''

Yet, the tart jumps out and catches me as I change course to avoid colliding with it.
　I'm in tatters, and I'm in a state where I haven't strengthened my physical abilities with magic.
　I roll a few meters, engulfing the tart.
　Finally, it stops, but the tart that caught me is unconscious. I think he cut his mouth, and blood was spilling out of the corner of his mouth.

"Tart!

Why did you cover for me?
　You knew this would happen if you took me at such a momentum with my body unstrengthened, didn't you?

........No, I know.
　Tart was reckless because he wanted to protect me.
　He's just that kind of boy.
　I look forward.

My eyes meet with Epona's, and she looks at me with a scared look on her face.
　This isn't the same person who was just a little too drunk to fight.

I visibly started to move less and less.
　My movements begin to wander.

Still, there's no problem. After all, not even the orc's full-length blow can hurt Epona.
　A thin voice speaks to me in a shrill voice.

'I, I, I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to.

I know that.
　I can't forgive myself for that.
　I knew that this would happen if Epona went all out, so I was planning a plan.
　Not only that, she was conceited that she could do well with the tag of abnormal magic, and she failed and made Tart pay for it.
　I could have imagined that Tart would take it to protect me.
　It was my fault.

'I'll take care of the guy who got passed out. Just look ahead and fight!

I squeeze the words out of him.
　I don't care, it was an accident, it wasn't Epona's fault.
　The logic may be one thing, but the feelings are another. Because if I say those things now, I'm sure it would be a lie.

◇

Then, in about fifteen minutes, the orcs were wiped out and returned to the school.

Epona had been moving poorly since Tart fell, but she was still overwhelmingly strong.
　The number of shots leaked increased, but thanks to the instructors who had been behind them all along, they were finally able to manage it thanks to the fact that they were finally coming forward.

.........What I'm worried about is that after Epona wielded her full strength, the orc reinforcements stopped at a pivot.
　That much, they kept springing up from somewhere.
　It's a foul smell.
　From the situation, I'm wondering if this isn't reconnaissance?
　It's all about knowing Epona's full strength and weaknesses.

If you've discarded that many orcs as a stone for that, how much strength do you have in your real life?
　As far as the Orcs' route of travel is concerned, it seems that they intended to damage the economy and distribution by dropping this state-owned commercial city, but if that's even a decoy, what's the real aim?

I shake my head.
　Now is not the time to think about that, let's focus on treating the tart.

'Lug, the tart looks fine.
You'll be fine. Bruises, fractures, abrasions, I can fix them all.

On the way back, they use a larger carriage than they went.

It had a bunk, and that's where I was treating the tarts.
　There was also a military doctor, but I'm better at it than him, so this is how I dealt with it. No one interfered with the fact that Touahade is a renowned medical doctor, so no one interfered.

I've finished the treatment and now I'm using my magic to strengthen my self-healing power.

Good. I was really surprised. The tart stopped moving.
Me too. I'm glad you're okay.

I pat the tart's head.
　As he does so, the curtain separating the seat from the bunk is opened.

'Um, well, I, uh, came to apologize.'

Epona looks down, as if afraid to make eye contact.

''Well it was such an intense fight. There's no point in dragging them into it.''

I was able to get my mind off of it.
　I could have said it naturally, like I didn't care.

"But, you see, I've done something wrong to the tart.
If you apologize, the tart will forgive you.
Yeah, I hope so. You know, I'm sorry I hurt you, Roug, too. Me, again, this. Every time I go into a battle, every time I go into a fight, I turn bright red and freak out, and the next thing I know, I'm hurting everyone, so I-

Epona's fists were shaking.

'I wanted to change. I wanted to change. I wanted to be strong enough to be able to see even when I was red, and so I did the rogue's mock fight, and I got so hot that I was red hot, and I didn't hurt anyone, so I got a little bit of confidence, and I thought I was going to be okay today, but I wasn't.

........Is that what you meant by wanting to be strong in a mock battle? He didn't want to beat the enemy, he wanted strength to be able to control himself.

'And I was just wondering, for a moment, if roogues would stop me, that's what I was thinking. Ha-ha, so selfish. And I'm sorry again. I don't think I can be a hero.

With that, he returns to his original place.
　Dia chuckles.

'You're not a bad boy. Besides, you're a great admirer of Lug.
Yeah.

...if I can stop it.
　That's overbought.

And I finally saw Epona's weaknesses.
　She cares about getting other people involved, but she is terribly inexperienced in controlling her power.
　That's a completely different point from Setanta, who was suspected of being a brave man. Setanta didn't think about any damage to the people around her if it was to make her feel good about the fight, but she was so concerned that she was slow to move.

If they were going to kill Epona, they could attack her in a situation where her friends were around and the odds would jump.
　The problem is that those friends are us.

'Dear, do you think I should apologize to Epona?　I didn't use harsh words, but I let my frustration at not being able to protect the tart show in my attitude. When the tart went down, I glared at him with a terrible look on my face.
'I'm sure the rogue who likes me would apologize.
Well, I'll go apologize when they get settled.

Epona thought she would be fine with me, but I couldn't stop her and instead I took my hatred and frustration out on her.
　It would have hurt her deeply. If I was bad, I might have been afraid to go into battle.

Either way, it would be a pity.
　The goddess said that the brave man would have to be killed in the future, but there was a chance that he wouldn't have to.
　Until then, since we've decided to be friends, we'll follow through.

'Also, I owe Tart an apology. The truth is, I could have helped you better.

I hate my immaturity.

'If you feel that way, why don't you give her a kiss? You'll be in a good mood in one shot.
Yeah, I'll do that.
'Oh, that was supposed to be a joke, but your reaction!　You didn't hesitate at all!　Could it be that you and Tart have already kissed each other!
I don't think so.

Come to think of it, the kisses we were doing to share our magic power were a secret.

'It's not fair, kiss me too. Roug, it's the first time you've done that.

So, Dia probed me for a lot of things until I left, and by the time I returned to the school, Tart woke up, and when I apologized, he apologized with all his might from Tart on the contrary. I told him I would make amends, but he wouldn't accept it. So I decide to sneak in a surprise.
　And tomorrow, I'll immediately meet Epona and apologize.
　The sooner I do this kind of thing, the better.