The woman shouts.

'Interrupt me again!'

　The shock wave crumbled the floor beneath the feet of the female general's troops, who flung their ice spears off with a barrier in an abominable manner. At the same time, knowing the unreasonable position she was in, she paid off her sword with a sideways swipe.

　It's not easy for the admiral's troops to deal with a simultaneous frontal and foot attack.
　I was able to kick the crumbling floor and dodge my sword.

　Of course, I don't believe that an attack like Ardis's and Tekko's will work against the landlord's army.
　But the aim is not to inflict wounds, but to break the woman's stance.

''There!''

　With Sark's spirited voice, crushes of light rained down like meteors on the female general's army as they struck down from diagonally above Ardis' head.
　I'm not going to get caught up in it, and countless light bullets attacked the woman as she quickly retreated and filled her field of vision.

　However, even the coordination by the three of them is not enough to inflict injuries on the female general's army.

''That's annoying!

　The annoying voice of the female general's army echoed, and a thick barrier stood in the way of the light bullets.

''You can't even get through this?

　Sark clicks his tongue when he sees the light bullets being blocked.

'You really are an eyesore twin. I don't want to see that face again. Just go away!

We're kindred spirits. We feel the same way.

Great!　Then I'm going to make it so you won't have to hang out with anyone else forever!

　The twins are quick to retort to the words of the Queen's army.

'You go away!'

　A blow filled with all the magic in the world was delivered from Aldis' hand.

''The magic of miscellaneous soldiers!''

　Insignificantly, the female general's army swept them away with one hand.

　The twins' magic and Ardis' sword constantly attacked the landlord's army, but the difference in power was obvious.
　Every sword shot is blocked by barriers and silver spheres, and every magic shot is drowned out by even more powerful magic.
　You can find a lot of people who have been in the same boat as you.

　But that doesn't mean they can't stop attacking.
　They have finally reached the point where their swords can reach.

　Even on the battlefield, they were originally surrounded by many guards, making them difficult to deal with.
　I'm not sure if they will ever show an opening in their defense, even if it's a trap.

　That's why I'm going to kill it here and now.
　Aldis and his friends came here with the same unyielding determination.

　Sharp slashes and mighty sorcery smashed into each other without a trace of restraint.
　Deep within the citadel, the battle waged by the four humans has gone on and on without end at any time.

　It was only a small coincidence that brought about a change in the battle.
　A few thousandth of a second. A moment so small that it would be hesitant to call it a moment.

　The gap in the barrier, slightly shifted by Ardis's attack, is infiltrated by Erion's magic, and Sark's magic breaks through the wound.
　The unintentionally realized, idealistic coordination broke down the stronghold of the female general's army.

　The woman's face, which had been smiling with a spare smile, strengthened.
　A trickle of blood ran down her cheek.

''Nah, na......''

　Wiping it off with her fingertips, the female commander-in-chief's voice quivered as she checked the red color that flowed from her own body.

'............ spider,'

　A faint voice spills out of his depressed mouth.

'How dare you: ......'

　Slowly, the female general's army looked up and erased its previous mocking smile and shot the twins with a gaze filled with rage.

''How dare you hurt my face!　Not once, but twice!　I won't allow it!　I won't allow it!　I won't allow it!　If you kneel down and beg for forgiveness, I will never forgive you!　Die here!　Die rotting in a state of disarray, regretting that you have become my enemy!

　The enraged female general's army unleashes its enormous magical power as a force of destruction.
　The air in the room became thin and the body was drawn in for a moment, and the shock that was unleashed around the proprietor's army was directed at Ardis and the three others.

　The shock wave released by the woman struck faster than Ardis, who sensed the danger and jumped back.
　The incomparable pressure tries to crush Ardis's body.

''Kuh!''

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make your life easier and more enjoyable.
　You will be blown out of consciousness for a moment and your vision goes completely dark.

''Ugh. ......''

　I lifted my eyelids, twisting my face in pain that covered my entire body, and saw Erion in front of me.

'Good. 'You noticed, Aldis?'

Erion ...... and I'm .......

I passed out. Only briefly.

　Aldis was ashamed of his own carelessness when he learned that he had apparently been exposed to defenselessness in the middle of a fight for quite a while, if not a moment.

'Where's Sark?'

I'm holding her down.

　As his hearing began to function normally, he finally began to understand his surroundings.

　Because of Ardis and Erion's desertion from the front, Sark alone was confronting the landlord's army.
　It's a good thing that you're not the only one who can get away with it.

''I'm sorry. I didn't mean to slow you down. ......

No, I'm the one who's slowing him down.

　Aldis gasps as he follows Erion's gaze.

'You, your feet are ......'

　Erion's right leg had been completely shredded from the knee down, revealing the bone.

'Apparently I wasn't lucky. I was blown off in the wrong place.'

"f*ck!

Aldis alone is now our last hope. Please be still and let me make a special effort to help you.

But without Sark...

Sark won't last long. That's why it's now or never.

...... All right. Just do it quickly. Even if I have to stab you in the back, ......, just don't let that woman get away with ......!

............

　Erion nodded silently and silently worked on his magic to construct a jutsu.
　Ardis guessed that it was probably a temporary improvement in physical ability or a jutsu that bestows a powerful barrier on others.

　Leave the details to me.
　It's because Aldis trusts Erion to the extent that he doesn't feel uneasy about presenting himself unprotected, even if it's an obscure jutsu.

　The magic power draws a large circle around Ardis.
　Small patterns were created toward the inside and outside as if seeping out from that line.
　The patterns begin to shine under the magical power of Erion.
　When Ardis thought that this is a very large scale art, without warning, Erion opened his mouth.

'Ardis, me and Sark have always regretted this.

All of a sudden?

　The words were cut off abruptly in the middle of the fight, and Aldis raised an eyebrow and asked back.

''For letting Lou go alone at that time: ......

　The name Erion had uttered brought back bitterness in Aldis with a taste of regret.

' ...... It's not your fault. It was his own choice.

'Still, though. We should have held Lou back, even by force. At least one of us should have gone with him. It was completely our fault.

　Aldis, sensing something unusual in Erion's somber face as he spoke, tried to deflect the conversation.

'Is the jutsu working yet?　Even Sark won't last forever on his own.

Don't worry, I'm building the art in tandem with the story. But please don't try to distract me from the story.

'This isn't something to talk about in this situation, is it?

'Yes, that's right. Yes, you're right. It's not something to talk about in the middle of a battle, but it's something we need to talk about right now. But it's something I need to talk about right now.

　Erion, as he said, was conversing, but on the other hand, he was developing his jutsu in parallel with it.

'We must make amends to Ardis. I was hoping that someday, surely, but it looks like the time has finally come.''

What are you talking about, Erion?

　Unlike Sark, who has an uninhibited personality, Erion is a person who has a good sense of time and place, even if he is a twin.
　No matter how much time you have during the construction of the jutsu, it is strange to bring up a completely unrelated topic in this desperate situation that could be called desperate.
　Normally Erion would never do such a thing.

　It's not like Ardis to feel uncomfortable with Erion's unusual appearance.

''What are you sneaking around with all these mortals together!

　The female general's army notices that Erion is using his jutsu and turns the brunt of it on Aldis and the others.

'Don't make me do it!'

Get out of my way!

　Sark stands in front of Erion and Ardis and deploys a barrier to block the waves of incoming explosive flames.

　The explosive flames unleashed by the female general's army in an attempt to blow it all away enveloped Ardis and the three of them.
　Although Sark's barriers barely held it back, it was obvious that they were being slowly pushed down.

'Hurry up, Erion!　I can't last much longer!

　Aldis exclaims when he sees Sark's back as he shouts.

'Sark ......!'

　This is because his flanks were reddened to the point of being recognizable at a glance, and his silhouette was clearly distorted and curved.
　Perhaps, like Ardis, it had gotten gouged out when it was slammed into the wall by the shockwave.

'As you can see, both Sark and I are in the same boat. You'll never be able to escape, let alone win.

　Understanding what Aldis's gaze had captured, Erion confronted the merciless reality.

'If that's the case--'

We've been experimenting a lot, but we haven't quite worked out all the details yet. I'm going to designate a place where there is no danger, but I'd like to apologize in advance because I'm afraid I might be sent to a strange place.

　Erion interrupted Aldis's words, who was trying to eat down, and proceeded to speak one-sidedly.

'Wait Erion!　What are you going to do?!

　As he tried to lean forward, Aldis was puzzled to discover the existence of a magical force that was restraining him.
　She didn't need to ask who it was from, but she didn't need to ask that.

''What do you mean, Erion!

　Confused, Aldis shouted incomprehensibly, "Aldis!

'Aldis. We didn't win today.

It's not a given that we're going to lose yet!

No, we lost. We underestimated that woman. Even though we never meant to, we were still underestimating her somewhere. So for today, we lose.

"Erion, what are you doing at ......

'But Aldis. We can't allow ourselves to reason that our defeat will result in a victory for that woman, can we?　How can the deaths of our people who were scattered to get here be in vain?　It's very uncomfortable to impose such a role on you, but it looks like it's time for me and Sark to get off the stage, and if none of us are coming here after all this time, then Grace and the others have already .......

　With a quiet and calm expression on his face, Erion delivers the words while looking straight into Aldis' dark eyes.

'But Aldis, I still have you. As long as any one of us is still alive, we're not losing. If your presence will lead to our victory, then I have my work cut out for me now.

'Wait a minute!　Erion, you're not--!

　Ardis is made to understand that the rise in magic power has reached its peak and the activation of the jutsu is near.
　The circle of magic power drawn around it begins to dully glow, and magic power flows toward the center.
　The flow gathers towards Aldis's body.

''Erion!　Sark!

　Sark glanced at him in response to Aldis's voice.

'Don't you die, Aldis!

　In the midst of a blurring world, the words, wild as a shout, reached Aldis's ears, and Erion's words twinkled at the end with a soft smile right beside him.

'So Aldis. Ours too: ----.

　The sound fades.

　Erion's face distorts.

　No, it's the space that is distorted.

　The battle between the female general's army and Sark, which is unfolding behind Erion, also swirls away in the silence.
　Just before the darkness closes in on his vision, the sight of Sark's back and Erion's smile being swallowed up by the explosive flames burns into Ardis' eyes.