“Maid, what’s the situation? What happened to the others?”
“That’s where my request will come.”
“Request?”
“Yes, it is also fortunate that Ichirou is also here. Now I can utilize your power.”
As I was pondering as to what plight we may about to tackle, Susanoo and Priscilla engage in a conversation about the splitting of tasks.
Priscilla faces me and speaks.
“Ichirou Nagasaki, I already noticed the changes that happened to you. It’s good that you are a lot more capable than ever so I shall ask this of you.”
“Please, tell me.”
“The Dragon Capital Mujinn is in mayhem and our group the heroes got separated from each other.”
“Separated?!”
“Yes. Rose as a fairy kin who specializes in healing, evacuated with the help of Mito who is a dragonkin. Together, they helped civilians to evacuate in a town called Aldeva, a bit far from here. They are treating the wounded but Mito cannot return anymore as the attacks of the Devils get fiercer.”
“Rose and Mito, huh… Still sticking with each other…”
“In tow, Dreg and Ruri also assisted carrying the wounded. It seems they are extremely occupied in treating people at Aldeva town. So overall, four of the heroes are safe.”
“I’m actually glad to hear some of us are safe.”
“The thing is, Ichirou, as I told you earlier. Four of the heroes are only safe. The remainings are us here, the ones left behind in this gigantic fortress.”
“Do you know anything about the other heroes?”
Priscilla sighs on my inquisition. We have been repeating the heroes over and over that Diyu seems like she wants to ask me something but can’t do so as our conversation mustn’t be interrupted.
“All I know is that after I evacuated the civilians to underground, I got attacked again after my fight with a Sin. It was a weird devil with strong magical power. Lily, who was our overseer let me escape to assure the safety of the civilians. She is currently fighting five of those. They are the hall on the second floor of this fortress. You will see a grand stair as you get out of the dinner hall.”
“Lily did?! Those are Archdevils! Devils who gained Arcana Magic.”
“Tsk. I thought so. “
“Then…!”
“As the situations stand now, Baccara, Kouta, and Shun are together. The twins, Shouta and Shouko are missing too and the elven children that I brought over here, they seem to be missing now too.”
“Eh…?! I heard something about twin elves earlier, what was that?”
“It’s the twin children of the Elven Queen apparently. This piece of trash had me take care of them.”
“Wait…I think I get it now… But…there’s someone you didn’t mention…”
“Ohh… that’s…Miss Mana…”
“What’s wrong?”
“I believe she is fine on her own. I just need to find her later or things will get crazier… if her stress reaches its limit.”
“I-If you say so…”
“So now, Ichirou, this is what I want you to do. I want you to assist Lily on defeating the devils. If she is gravely injured, I want you to bring her here. I cannot let Susanoo go with you anymore as I need to him to go to Aldeva town to use a call crystal to connect a portal.”
True.
If that thing that Susanoo used earlier is to connect places, then evacuating the remaining people is easier. Susanoo, who has the power to distort spaces and can travel by those, should be able to get to Aldeva town in no time.
Susanoo called out to me as I was trying to contemplate if there are still any questions I needed to ask.
“Ichirou…”
“What is it…?”
“It seems our little adventure ends here.”
“…”
“It seems…we shall part ways here. I can feel it in my very core that…things will get complicated.”
“I see. It’s rare for you to talk like that.”
“It was fun while it lasted. You should go now. As Cattleya is now, I cannot let her go anywhere. I wanted to help…but as the situation calls… the innocent lives are my priority right now.”
“You are talking like we wouldn’t see each other anymore. It kind of give me chills that it came out from your lazy mouth.”
“Also…Ichirou…Asagao’s scent…”
“?!”
“She is here. She is definitely is. My guess would be…in a high place…now…in the highest ground here…”
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
“I will trust you on that. So that’s it… After I assist Lily, I should go to Asagao…?”
“Yes. In my behalf.”
“I don’t think she really liked you that much.”
“It’s fine. Go now…Artificial Hero.”
“So long, Good Samaritan Reaper.”
As we ended the conversation, I headed to the left side of the corridor and Susanoo and the other’s headed to the right side where the evacuees are.
I start jogging towards the end of the hallway.
As I opened the door, I saw bodies of dragonkin soldiers lying on the ground, all beaten and bloody. The fight still goes on outside of this hall as I hear screaming. It seems these soldiers guarded this door with their life.
There are rubbles everywhere. Since devils disappear without a trace, it is obvious that I wouldn’t be able to see their remains but from the wound and injuries, these dead soldiers have, it’s obvious that it was done by something brutal.
I start running towards outside the dinner hall. As I got out, I saw the grand hall on the first floor is in mess. Unlike the Astlan Kingdom Castle, this fortress is built like an old architectural civilization dashed with modern things. Pillars are standing everywhere.
It likes an old Romanian Empire tampered with post-modern architecture.
As I saw the grand stairs, I jump towards the top immediately and rushes to a big door in front of it. As I open it, a hall larger than the first-floor hall is in my view.
And…
“Haa… haa… Damn…if only there are only three of them… I could have handled them myself.”
“Lily!”
I saw the figure of a woman with shattered armor showing her bare skin. Splinters of stones are sticking out from her limbs and her body is just being supported by her rapier alone.
I immediately dash beside her.
Devils…no Archdevils… each one is holding a weapon.
Now that I look closely…since I didn’t have any chance to look at them during the battle earlier, they almost have an appearance of man…humanoid… but their eyes are pitch black and their skin is entirely black too. They don’t appear brutish like a normal devil but they radiate magic power befitting of an Arcana magician.
Lily fell on her knees but I catch her in my arm.
“Lily…are you okay?!”
“Oh…If isn’t Ichirou? You look well. Everyone really though you died back then. It kind of surprises me that you came back at the best moment…”
“Lily…this…how can you stay calm with all these wounds?”
“I am a warrior. Wounds are my friends. Well, now that you are here, maybe you can assist me in defeating these devils here…? They are a bit stronger than I thought.”
“…No… just rest in my arms now.”
“What are you…?”
I conjure Mountain Cleaver because of anger at my hand and swing it sideways like sweeping horizontally towards the Archdevils. Since everything happened quickly, the Archdevils weren’t able to react and they died in an instant. The walls that met with Mountain Cleaver also crumble and the ceiling gave in. I just threw my fist to the rubbles coming from above to clear them up.
“Oh? Amazing. You’re now stronger than before. It seems you’ve did something really hard to acquire that strength.”
“Yes…Lily…I want to tell you something…”
As my business with the foes is done, I carried Lily in my arms and speak out my mind to her.
“Remember that day we left the Astlan Kingdom Capital?”
“Yes…you confessed your love to me…”
“Lily…I…”
“…”
“The thing about confessing my love to you…the thing about me saying that I like you… those are…--!”
“Eh?!”
I heard someone else’s voice…
It’s a familiar voice… it’s the voice of the girl…I love…
Diyu… is standing at the door…
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“Diyu…this is…!”
“Ahahaha…I followed you since…I was really… worried and there are tons… of thing I wanted to ask..but….ahahaha… eh…? It seems something got in my eyes… Ahaha…funny…I know I would be useless here. I see that you are really eager to rescue your beloved… Ahaha….”
“Wait Diyu! This is a misunderstanding…!”
“You love her…I know… I mean… Sorry!!”
“Wait!!”
Diyu…while crying…run off!
DAMN! DAMN IT ALL!
“Ichirou.”
“Ah...I… I…”
“I was going to tell you to follow her but since the situation call, there are more pressing matters to attend to.”
“Eh..?!”
“I will make it clear to you now, Ichirou. I don’t feel a single speck of that romantic feeling towards you. My loyalty is for the king I serve, next to that is the woman I vowed my life to, Violetta. Also, I only expressed my romantic feeling to none other than Edelweiss.”
“Then…!”
“I swing the other way. Sorry for lying to you.”
“…”
“But that woman clearly loves you. What the hell did you even do to make a big misunderstand like that?”
“This…”
“She won’t misunderstand if she already knows how you feel for her. Or else, you became a wimp and wasn’t able to decide fast. If that is the case, then what did you get strong for if you are still an indecisive brat on the inside?”
“Yes…that is the case…”
“Well, not matter. What should we do now? I am unable to fight and it seems you are plenty enough to take care of the rest.”
“Priscilla told me to fetch you and bring you with the other evacuees.”
“I see. Let’s go then.”
“But…”
“As I told you, I cannot let you choose your romantic feeling over what we need to prioritize.”
“Guh…”
I gently run out of the hallway and goes down the grand stairs. I need to be really careful as I am carrying someone injured. Not to mention, debris kept falling from the ceiling. As I reach the dinner hall, I came back again to the hallway where we appeared and headed to the other door.
I hope Diyu also goes this way…
As I open the door, a staircase that leads further below was in sight. I climb down the staircase and eventually reach another door made of steel.
I open the door and saw another hallway.
I run through the hallway again and meet another staircase going up.
After that, I arrive at an empty room.
I waited in that room with Lily and then suddenly, the walls moves in a puzzling way.
There appeared Priscilla.
“Good job Ichirou. Let me take care of Lily.”
“Yes…”
“What’s wrong? Susanoo? He already left. He left the girl with horns behind.”
“About the other girl…Diyu…is she there?!”
“…I’m sorry…she followed you… and never came here…”
“Damn…damn me and my stupidity…”
Stupid!
I am so stupid! I should have told her… that… my feelings towards her...are also the same…
Where did she run off to?!
I turn my back to Priscilla who started carrying Lily back to the hidden room when suddenly, she calls out to me.
“Ichirou… I don’t know what happened between the two of you. You may prioritize finding her. If you do, please do not miss the chance to search for the elven twins, Casablanca and Hibiscus.”
“…”
“Or you could do what Susanoo told you… Go to where Asagao… It would be better if you could do all…”
“I shall go now…”
I dash out.
………
What should I do…
I want to find Diyu now!
I want to clear up that misunderstanding!
But I cannot ignore Susanoo’s request. Asagao… is an important friend to me too…
But Diyu is…
I know Diyu can defend herself… in this mayhem…I know she can handle herself…
But Asagao is just a child…
I should weigh in who is to prioritize more to search…
………
Diyu…I’m sorry… but I am putting my trust on you since you are strong on your own.
I dash out of the fortress and leaps towards the buildings. Smokes are rising out from the burning buildings and the sky is dyed in black. The spectacle in front of me is a sea of fire covering the whole city… It’s like hell…
Devils and Dragon Kin soldier are fighting left and right.
Dead bodies everywhere that it’s sickening…
How in the world did this happen in the first place?!
I bit my lip as I force my decision to myself to leave Diyu alone in midst of this mayhem. Blood starts to flow from my lip and my eyes started to become moist as I swallow a bitter pill.
I began searching the tallest place in the vicinity and I immediately found it.
A tall, huge tower like a skyscraper…
I began jumping into its wall so I can arrive there faster.
I jump and jump and jump and I leap high as I reach the top…
What I saw is Asagao…!
There is also an unfamiliar man with black hair holding a crystal deep blue sword in his hand.
As I saw the man in that very second, a chill runs through my spine and all of the hair in my body stands up as I felt how strong, twisted and dangerous that man is. This is no longer on the level of how I felt against Kran!
This man is obviously a walking danger! Even Susanoo can’t compete against this guy. That’s what my instinct shouted.
My decision to find Asagao first was correct!
The man was about to grab Asagao…!
“I won’t let you!!!”