Eliza, can you build a wall around it with magic?

　Then Masamune overhears.

''I can get a water-attribute barrier out, but...''
That's enough. When I give the signal, I'll kill the guys upstairs, then you can deploy it around the perimeter.
No more stalling. You're going to die. I'm not a prince and I'm under no obligation to save you.

　That's when Alford unleashed his killing spree.

'Now!'

　Masamune's voice echoed on the grand staircase.
　At that moment, Masamune's figure disappeared and Eliza turned to the surroundings.

''《Water Flow Barrier (Ur-Wall)!

　A huge water barrier was formed.
　The three of them, including Zeke and Alford, were protected by the water barrier, and neither the gathered guards nor the archers at the top of the stairs were able to touch them.

　On the other hand, Masamune, who had activated the 《God Speed》, had left the scene just before Eliza deployed the barrier and was running up the stairs at once.
　When he reached the top, there were nine archers in front of him who hadn't even noticed Masamune's presence.
　Masamune readied his broadsword and instantly beheaded them from right to left.
　Unaware of the fact that the severed heads had left his torso, he lightly hovered in the air, "Huh? And the voice.
　When they fell to the ground, they were already dead.

　An announcement was playing relentlessly in Masamune's head.
　The announcer read out the names of the dead one by one, but Masamune didn't know them.

　After a U-turn, Masamune immediately ran down the stairs and held out his hands to a group of guards from two directions on the left and right that swarmed outside the water barrier.

''--Goddess Blood Tears, Diez Bradley!

　A huge red-black magic circle appeared at the feet of the guards who froze in two places and caught all the guards under the stairs.
　A translucent wall was built to match the edge of the magic circle, resembling a red-black beaker.

'What is this! --Magura!

　Trapped in the beaker, the guards each try to escape by striking it with their swords and releasing magic.
　But the magic disappeared the moment it touched the wall, and the blade did not penetrate at all.
　From the cracks that began to appear in two places in the sky above, eight large, bizarrely white fingers appeared as if they were splitting the space.

　It was a goddess.

　The two goddesses peeked out from the cracks they had pried open, and their eyes were already oozing with blood tears.
　Then they looked down at the guards directly below them who were being held captive by the beaker.

　The initial reaction was a single drop of blood tears.
　The goddess shed a small amount of tears, and as she did so, the precipitation gradually increased.
　A large amount of blood tears poured down into the beaker.

''Oh, that was........''

　Eliza was speechless as the goddess cried out in the sky above her.
　Alford screamed as he began to hear screams from behind the water barrier, "What's going on! I'm upset.

'....Nito?

　Zeke noticed Masamune manipulating magic from the grand staircase.

''Guaaaaaah!　No!
'Master Alford!
'I don't want to die ... ahhhhh!

　The goddess's tears easily melted and penetrated the armor each of them wore, melting the flesh of the guards.
　The relentless rain of blood crushed the bodies of the guards like ground meat, and gradually the original form was gone.
　By the time the tears filled the beaker, it was no longer a person, but just a mass floating in the red liquid.

　There were more than twice as many guards as archers.
　In the face of those scenes, Masamune was fed up with the repeated announcements.

　Finally, he could see the two goddesses walking back into the crack.
　As soon as the fissure closed completely, the magic circles on either side were released and the beaker disappeared.
　The blood and tears that had been filling the room flooded out all at once, spreading sloppy blood and pieces of flesh all around them.
　Just then, Eliza noticed the anomaly outside and lifted the water barrier.
　Masamune could be seen on the upstairs side.

'Let's go into the castle.

　By the time Masamune told them this, the three of them had witnessed the devastation around them.

''What is this........''

　A great deal of blood flowed down the stairs, not only on the plane, but also down the stairs like a red carpet being laid.
　Alford gasped and Eliza was speechless.
　But Zeke was the only one who was a little different.

''Is this........abyssal magic?''

　Zeke touched the blood at his feet with his index finger and muttered quietly as he checked the scent of something.

'Abyssal magic?'

　But Masamune has no idea what he's talking about, and there's only a questioning look on his face.

'No, let's talk about that another time,' said Zeke, standing up.

　But Alford and Eliza were still in no small amount of abandonment.

'Nito, kill everyone you come in contact with,' Zeke enthuses as he walks up the stairs.
'That's the plan,'

　Staring at Zeke's back, Masamune grinned.

*

Aries, have you found them yet?

　Johannes sits deeply on his throne.
　In the hall, those involved in the summoning of the heroes, including Aries, had gathered.
　Some of the teachers at the school.

''I'm sorry,''
Good. I hear they are cunning. They'll never leave a trace. That's inevitable.
Yes, but I have no idea where the information leaked from, and I have no idea where it came from.
'I was prepared for a day like this to come. I had always known that a day like this would come. Even with the intrusion of a secret agent, there is nothing we can do about it now, as long as the threat of the dragon's heart does not go away. Not until the threat of the dragon's heart has passed.

　Then the door to the hall opened, revealing a hurried messenger.

''I'm reporting to you!''

　Denrei fell to his knees and bowed before the throne.

''We have received word that we have identified what we believe to be the dragon's heart in front of the main gate!
You're here.
Have you identified these men?
'Yes, of course. 'This way,' says the messenger, taking out a sheet of paper.
'Read it out,' says Aries, irritation showing on his face.
'Ha!　Two of them are male and one is female. The remaining one has a hood covering his face and is unrecognizable.
'Read out your identity without any preamble. We are in an urgent need.
I'm sorry, sir. The woman, based on her features, is definitely Eliza the Wet Haired.
'Is it Eliza Crossford?!'
Aries twisted her expression in confusion.
''I see, the survivor of that Crossford family is the heart of the dragon.......hurry up and read out the next one.
But the other one is called Sieg the Dragonslayer.
Is that so..... So the "dragon" represents the person. It's good. I was able to uncover the heart of the dragon to this extent, which until now we didn't even have a clue about its reality.

　With a sharp look in his eyes, Aries demanded that Denrei read out the rest of the story.
　The flustered Denrei turned his eyes again, crumpling the paper.

''Hi, I'm very sorry to say this, but...''
'That is not for you to decide. You just have to read it out loud.
Then I am happy to report that One of them has been identified as Mr. Alford.
The moment the messenger mentioned the name, Johannes stood up from his throne.
'Nonsense!'
But the guards tell me that the guards are certain it's Mr. Alford.

　Aries bit her lip and wrinkled her brow.

'I see, you're alive...'
As I mentioned earlier, one of them has a special hood that hides his face and makes it impossible to identify him. However, according to the guards, they were known as "Nito."
Nito?　Father, do you know that name?
"Perhaps you are from some fancy land across the sea, but I do not know.
Okay well, so what's the situation?
Bernardo and Mike returned fire at Fountain Square, but both have already been killed in action. Afterwards, we mobilized a strike force to stop them on the Grand Staircase.
Don't tell me you've gone into the castle?
I'm sorry, my lord!　It is marked as such!

　Aries's expression becomes tense.

''No way, those two powerhouses were defeated!

　One person in the hall spoke up.
　A mouthful of upsetting voices began to be heard, "It's impossible" and "That's ridiculous".

　Bernardo Osman and Mike Orphen were under Aries' direct command.
　After graduating from the academy at the top of their class, they joined the King's Sword Knights and were later selected by Aries himself as knights directly under Aries.
　The two threw themselves into the earlier battle against the Demon King's army and returned to safety.
　Their accomplishments were highly praised and people called them the "Two Strongest in Greberg".

''Don't wince!''

　The hall is quieted by Aries' angry voice.

''........Fine, I understand. Then call all the knights and all the mages. We will meet you with the full force of this country. Then call the Royal Sword Knight. I'll have them meet you at the door.
Ha!

　The messenger rushed out of the hall.

''Lady Aries,''

　Then one of the teachers stepped forward.
　Aries looked down at the man, who dropped to one knee and hung his head.

'You Philip Butler!　I vow to strike down the dragon's heart with my life!
'Dr. Butler you can't do it. You are not a match for a single person.
I can't face my students like this.

　Philip Butler is the man who is in charge of the homeroom of the summoned heroes.

After graduating from the school, I gave up being a knight and became a teacher. It's a very good idea to have a good time with them. At one point, I thought about leaving the path of sword and sorcery. That's when Aries-sama suggested I become a brave person to teach.
"You couldn't use high-level magic, but you were very good at basic magic. But you were very skilled in the basic arts, so I thought you would be suitable for them.
'Yes, sir. As you asked me to, I have trained my students to this day. But...

　Butler stood up.

'I think, yes, it may be time for me to fulfill my mission as a mage.
'You smell of water, Butler,' said a large man with a beard.
'Dr. Grogg,' said Butler, not believing his eyes.
'Please, Master Aries, let me go with you.

　The man said in a brazen voice as he got down on one knee.

I'm not going to let you...
I can't let one of my juniors go.
But...

　Aries didn't allow them to finish, but they bowed their heads and left the hall as it was.
　As the door closed, Butler stared at Aries' face through the gap.
　But Aries was oblivious to its meaning or even to its gaze.

　A group of knights and mages appeared by mistake.
　As soon as they entered, they aligned themselves and got down on one knee on the spot.

''Well gathered!　King's Sword Knight, you are to stand guard outside the door and prevent the invasion of the hall!　The rest of you will stay here to protect the king!　Mages to the rear guard!　The rest of you go to the vanguard!

　They were all prepared for Aries' words.