by Takehaya
Alunaya moved in front of Koutarou. After roaring loudly, he bared his fangs to intimidate Koutarou. And with a dragon in his way now, he was no longer able to head to the girls’ rescue.
“Damn!”
“Hahaha! Blue Knight, even if you’re invincible, those girls are normal humans! Can they last long enough for you to make it to them? Wahahahahah!”
Maxfern laughed at Koutarou. With Signaltin, Koutarou was strong. He might even be able to beat a giant dragon. But even if he could, it would take time. And Maxfern was planning on using that time to kill the girls.
“You’re too naive, Maxfern.”
But Koutarou was still smiling. Despite Maxfern laughing at him, he showed no sign of anxiety.
“What?!”
“Sorry, but things won’t go as you planned.”
Koutarou knew the girls wouldn’t go down without a fight.
As the swarm of demons attacked, the girls followed Flair’s lead and calmly entered formation. Clan and Flair took to the front. Skilled in fighting, they would act as a wall the other girls could stand behind. Clan was using her rifle like always, but Flair was wielding something different.
“You understand how to use those swords, right?”
“I’m fine! The balance is slightly different, but they’re not much different from the thin blade I usually use!”
Flair was holding two swords made out of light. Shining blades reminiscent of neon tubes extended from the metal handles. They were the latest model of beam saber that created a scorching hot blade by containing heavy metal particles within an electromagnetic field. The beam simply imitated the shape of the sword. Flair had gotten them from Clan, and held one in each hand. She used them skillfully to fend off the oncoming demons.
“Something like this?”
Flair blocked one demon’s attack with one sword and attacked a different one with the other. The high temperature of the beams easily cut through the demons and scorched their bodies. Her swift, sharp skills with a blade made it look like a tiny, glowing tornado was cutting down the demons.
“Yes, that’s perfect! Keep doing exactly that!”
Clan was shooting at the demons that Flair couldn’t reach with her sword, giving her some more freedom in combat. And if Flair was about to get attacked, Clan would move in to cover her. Her barrier was easily strong enough to protect the both of them from the demon’s claws.
While they maintained the front line, Lidith the alchemist and Caris the magician were positioned behind them.
“Caris, it’s time for the next attack!”
“All right, I’m ready!”
Lidith and Caris were working together on ranged attacks. Their jobs were to wipe out was many demons as possible and destroy the steel giants.
Lidith used the strategical computer and observation device she had borrowed from Clan to selectively target the demons. Since Caris and Lidith’s minds had been linked through Caris’s magic, she could see exactly what Lidith was targeting. Going off of that, Caris repeatedly sniped enemies she had no actual visual on. And with Lidith prioritizing targets that were entering Caris’s range, they were shot down before they could even get to the girls.
It was a strategy only made possible thanks to Lidith. Normally there wouldn’t be anyone capable of using the strategical computer in this age, but she’d picked up on how to operate it while working as Clan’s assistant. Thanks to that, they were able to pull off a combination attack using science and magic.
“Caris, the giant!”
“I know! I’m currently planting it! All right, detonate it!”
“Detonating!”
One of the steel giants collapsed with the low, booming sound of an explosion. The giant itself didn’t appear to be particularly wounded, however. The damage was limited to a small dent and scorch marks on its chest, which certainly wasn’t enough to take down a steel giant. That too was a combo attack from Lidith and Caris.
After their first fight with a steel giant, Clan had prepared a certain type of explosive in case they had to fight one again. It was a unique bomb that was applied directly to the target before use and didn’t cause that big of a blast. Its explosive power was mostly channeled into a shockwave aimed to destroy the target or something inside of it. And once she understood how the golems were made, Clan decided on this kind of bomb to specifically target the crystals powering them. Though the giant’s armor was made from thick steel, their core was just a crystal. Destroying that was easy with the concussive force of such a bomb.
Caris would use her magic to attach the explosive to a giant from a distance, and Lidith then gave the computer the order to detonate it. The mighty giants were powerless to stop them. It was a simple but brilliant idea. Even though their first battle with one had given them a hard time, they were now turning the steel giants into useless lumps of metal left and right.
Behind Caris and Lidith were Alaia and Fauna the priestess. Fauna was in charge of using spiritual energy to heal any injuries and increase everyone’s physical strength. With her support, the four up front could fight without reservation. Alaia was in command of their squad, but she was also using what magic she could to help out.
“I think I’m gradually starting to get the hang of it, Fauna.”
“You’re doing great. That’s very impressive for someone using magic for the first time, Alaia-sama!”
Alaia didn’t have any real training in magic, but she was currently receiving mana from Signaltin via the crest on her forehead. She could then control it using the ancient ritual language she’d learned in her seminary studies. As a beginner, she couldn’t help with attacking, but she could strengthen and defend, and she used her newfound power to support everyone.
All the way in the rear were Charl and Mary the maid.
“Please sit still, Princess Charl.”
“I know, I know.”
The young Charl didn’t have much of a job. If anything, it was to stay put. If she wandered around, she would risk getting in the way of the others and worrying them. Being wise for her age, however, Charl understood that she should stay back and keep low.
“Um, Your Highness... I feel like I’m not being of much use.”
“Don’t worry, Mary. I’m really the one in the way.”
Mary’s role was to guard Charl. Though she had learned martial arts for self defense, she wasn’t skilled enough to take part in actual combat. That’s why she’d been put in the back to guard Charl. But it wasn’t busy work. Charl’s safety had an impact on everyone’s morale, so the very job Mary was complaining about was in fact the most important of all.
Just as Koutarou had expected, the eight girls weren’t going down without a fight. In fact, they had taken up a counteroffensive and were steadily reducing the enemy’s numbers. They had gotten weapons and equipment from Clan, and they were firmly holding their ground.
“Grevanas, just what is going on?! It’s just a few girls!”
“But Maxfern-sama, their weapons are―”
“Shut up! I don’t want to hear any excuses!”
Maxfern was irritated by the current situation. Nothing was going how he wanted. He’d gotten his hands on the sword only to lose it. He tried to kill his enemies, but not one of them was dead. His plan had been proceeding smoothly up until reaching Sariachal Castle, but it now seemed like his luck had run out the moment he set foot on the castle grounds. It was a nightmarish reversal for Maxfern.
“It looks like your plan is falling apart, Maxfern. I guess you’re just a third-rate villain.”
Koutarou readied his sword and kept Alunaya in check while provoking Maxfern. His aim was to get Maxfern to focus on him to reduce the pressure on everyone else. In reality, Koutarou was most terrified of Alunaya turning his flaming breath on the girls.
“Shut up! I’ll still at least kill you! Do it, Grevanas! Kill the Blue Knight!”
Koutarou’s plan worked. Maxfern was coming after him. He might not even have needed to taunt
him in the first place. Maxfern absolutely hated Koutarou for being able to use the sword that he couldn’t.
“As you wish.”
Grevanas ordered his subordinates to send a portion of their ranks attacking the girls to go after Koutarou instead. Grevanas himself let go of his staff to personally take over control of Alunaya to help crush Koutarou.
“Well, so far so good, but now I have to do something or else I’m going to eat it big time... I should change the battlefield.”
Realizing that he was now at a disadvantage, Koutarou dodged Alunaya’s flaming breath attack and then activated his boosters to soar up into the sky. He thought it was a better bet than staying on the ground with a mass of magicians and demons targeting him.
“ROAAAAAAAR!”
Alunaya chased after him with a loud roar. Flapping his wings, Alunaya’s giant body rocketed through the air. His large, magically enhanced wings gave him an immense amount of lift and power, letting him fly like a bird despite his size.
Ten or so demons followed after Alunaya. Grevanas was controlling Alunaya, while his subordinates controlled the demons. In other words, the court magicians were using their full force to crush Koutarou. Koutarou had wanted them to come solely after him, but it put him in a tight situation. This was easily the greatest danger he’d been in yet.
“If I’m forced onto the defensive, I’ll end up losing! So instead...!”
His armor’s barrier still hadn’t recovered from the blow from Signaltin, meaning taking repeated attacks in his current state would spell disaster. So Koutarou quickly made up his mind and dove forward with Signaltin at the ready. His target was Alunaya. He had to beat down the dragon and secure an escape path.
“Everyone! Please lend me your power!”
Those words unwittingly slipped from Koutarou’s mouth. All of his power was borrowed. It was a fact he’d grieved in the past, but now he was grateful. He’d realized that obsessing over your own power was what made men like Maxfern.
To Koutarou, it didn’t matter if he didn’t have any power of his own. He could always work with someone to achieve his goals, and he realized that working together was really what gave him the most power of all. He’d only gotten this far because of the allies and friends who supported him.
“I would prefer it if you came to me first.”
“Princess Alaia?!”
Alaia’s voice reached Koutarou just as things were about to get heated. But it hadn’t reached his ears. Rather, it was projected directly into his mind through the glow of Signaltin.
Koutarou instinctively looked down to the garden, and there he saw Alaia looking up at him with her hands in front of her chest. At the start of the fight, it would have been incredibly dangerous to stand defenselessly like that. But now that the number of enemies had been reduced, the chances of her being attacked had dropped.
“Koutarou-sama, I will fight by your side.”
“What do you―”
Before Koutarou could question Alaia further, a demon appeared in front of him. Koutarou abandoned his conversation and made a wide swing with Signaltin. As he did, a powerful glow poured forth from the blade. It was almost as if it had sensed Koutarou’s intention to attack. The demon was cut in half by the light of the sword before the blade even reached it. Signaltin passed through the demon with no resistance at all. It was like he was cutting through an illusion. The dust that scattered on the wind once the demon was consumed by the light, however, was proof that it had indeed been real.
“Koutarou-sama, fight any way you want. I’ll handle the timing from here.”
“I see, so that’s what you meant! I’m counting on you, Your Highness!”
“Yes!”
It turned out that the sword hadn’t sensed Koutarou’s will to attack; it was Alaia. Using the crest on her forehead, she controlled Signaltin’s output from a distance. Normally, Signaltin emitted a constant flow of mana. But by controlling Signaltin, Alaia could choose to release the energy only during the moment of attack. And by regulating when Signaltin used its mana, she could reserve it for short, powerful bursts rather. It wasn’t so much of a power-up as it was an efficient use of resources.
“Here I go, Your Highness!”
“I’ll protect your back! Please just focus on what’s in front of you, Koutarou-sama!”
“Understood!”
Koutarou charged at another demon. Alaia used her powers to help accelerate him, so he closed in on the demon in the blink of an eye. To the demon, it must have looked like Koutarou teleported. Even if it wanted to dodge, there was no time. Signaltin shone brightly once more and the demon was cleaved in two before it could even move.
“Tchk, tchk, tchk!”
“Wrrraaak!”
Two demons came at Koutarou at once. One had an insect’s head and the other had a goose’s head. They were both aiming for Koutarou’s back with their sharp claws, planning on tearing him apart.
However, before their claws ever got close to Koutarou, they were hit by a small shockwave. It didn’t have the power to harm them, but it was enough to affect their wings and stop them from moving momentarily. But a moment was all it took.
Signaltin cut both demons in half without so much as a sound. Their bodies decomposed into mana and then to dust. It was a splendid combination attack by Koutarou and Alaia.
“We can do this! With this, we can do it!”
Thanks to Alaia’s precise control of its energy, Signaltin was a completely different beast now. Its offensive power had risen dramatically, and the leftover mana was used for defense and other support. With Alaia’s help, Koutarou was overpowering the demons with no trouble. In a matter of seconds, he’d decimated the ten or so demons that came after him. Only a few remained.
“ROAAAAAAAR!”
With the majority of demons gone, Alunaya charged at Koutarou. As he did, the remaining demons retreated. Maxfern had determined that the demons didn’t stand a chance against Koutarou now.
“Time for the main show.”
Koutarou knew things were about to get serious, so he did too. He now took Signaltin in both hands and brandished it boldly.
“Koutarou-sama, I’ll keep watch of your surroundings. You deal with Alunaya.”
“Please do, Your Highness.”
While Koutarou was fighting with Alunaya, there was a chance that the demons might launch a surprise attack. With Alaia watching his back, however, Koutarou could focus on Alunaya.
“We’re almost there! Do your best, Koutarou-sama!”
“As you wish, my princess!”
As he shouted, Koutarou readied his sword and flew forward at full speed. Koutarou could see Alunaya’s intent to attack with his spirit sight, and right now the area of the attack was increasing. It would either be a tail swipe or a burst of his flame breath. Koutarou would be a sitting duck where he was, so he continued forward towards Alunaya to try and make it harder to use such a massive attack.
Alunaya swung his giant tail around in a wide arc. It was like a massive whip cutting through the air.
“I can’t take that!”
Koutarou dove into evasive maneuvers to dodge the tail. Without his barrier, a single hit from something like that would be fatal. And without Caris’s illusions as diversions, he had to prioritize safety over all else.
“Please leave it to me.”
Alaia increased Koutarou’s speed to make up for the lost ground while dodging, and Koutarou charged forward again at top speed.
“Goooooooo!”
Alunaya had a powerful barrier protecting him. While Signaltin had the ability to dispel magic, it was uncertain if it would be enough to break through it. The only way to find out was to try.
“ROAAAAAAAR!”
Alunaya let out a pained wail. Signaltin had pierced his barrier like it was nothing and sheared off a few scales.
“It worked! But it was too shallow!”
Since Alunaya wasn’t a creature summoned through magic, his body wasn’
t composed of mana like the demons’ were. A single blow wouldn’t reduce him to ashes. In fact, all a single blow had done to Alunaya was take off some scales.
“So I can hurt it if I want, but the sword won’t do that much damage, huh?”
Koutarou dodged Alunaya’s claw swipes while racking his brain. Alunaya was over twenty meters long. The sword simply wasn’t big enough to do but so much damage to such a massive beast. The armor’s built-in weapons wouldn’t fare much better. It was like challenging a tank with a rifle.
“Do I have to rely on this just like last time?”
Koutarou was referring to Kiriha’s gauntlet. With Signaltin’s ability to break through the barrier, the gauntlet should prove more effective this time around. And by combining that with the armor’s weapons, he might be able to do a little more damage.
“If only he had a weak point...”
“A weak point? Oh, that’s right.”
Alaia inadvertently reminded Koutarou of the crystal on the back of Alunaya’s neck. During their last fight, he’d been able to make Alunaya retreat after attacking that.
“There is something like that. A magical crystal embedded in the back of Alunaya’s neck.”
“I see... Then that would be the perfect target for this sword. By dispelling the crystal’s mana, we might be able to turn the tables of this battle.”
“I’ll give it a shot!”
Koutarou readied Signaltin and activated his boosters once more. His propellant was quickly running out, so just like his last fight with Alunaya, it would be best to settle this as quickly as possible.
Koutarou tried to use his mobility to his advantage and get behind Alunaya, but it wasn’t that easy. Unlike the last fight, he was the only one in the air with Alunaya now. Alunaya could keep his eyes on Koutarou, and he wasn’t about to just let him circle around behind him. And without support from Caris, Koutarou was just wasting time trying.
“What should I... I don’t have the time to wait for Clan...”
Clan and the others were currently dealing with the rest of the demons on the ground. Although there were significantly fewer now, they still had to protect Alaia so she could support Koutarou. It looked like they had their hands full with that, and Koutarou didn’t have the time to wait for them to finish up.