Chapter 16: Volume 2 - CH 4

When I woke up, I found myself inside the Nucleus Domain. For a second, I thought I was dreaming. However, that wasn’t the case. While I was sleeping, that damned perverted maid actually had the nerve to teleport my sleeping body here. How unfair can you get!

—Alas, as I was grumbling to myself, that wench put the military uniform on me, and had me stand at the battlefield. That is why, give me the right to at least complain once.

“—Can I not even mentally prepare myself!?”

The location of this battle was the old battlefield at the Metrio River inside the Nucleus Domain. This time, I wasn’t fighting at the usual grass plains against the chimpanzees, but rather at the ruins of an ancient country’s capital. This center of the town looked more like destroyed debris than anything, as the old classic castle stood tall. Our 7th Corps was currently lined up to the South of this castle, the ruins of an old fountain plaza.

Naturally, there was no need for you to tell me that I had no motivation to fight whatsoever. Today’s event was the ridiculous Seven Crimson Deva War, an irregular entertainment (my ass). I don’t even know what will happen. Worse even, the opposing Frete Masquarelle is brimming with desire to kill me, so as soon as that gong resounds, she’ll most likely leap at me.

I can already see the future of myself dying. Even more clearly than back at the Seven Crimson Deva meeting. Oh right, I almost forgot to mention it. When we entered this old battlefield, we were asked to put on a metal wristband, which registers whenever you kill someone, or get killed, through magic. In all honesty, it just feels like I’m a criminal with handcuffs on me.

“Vill, can I go home?”

“If you were to go home, that would be taken as an abandonment of your duties as a Crimson Deva, and you will explode.”

“………” I wanted to scream, honestly.

However, I had my subordinates around me, so holding back was a must. That being said, I can’t just accept this situation. If I had known this would happen, I should have escaped last night. Not like I have any place to run off to though!

“Haaaaaa…” A long sigh escaped my lips.

The one who caught on to my sigh was Chaostell.

“Your Excellency, you seem to be in distress. Did something happen by any chance?”

“N-Nothing. Everything’s okay. I was just bored, since nobody here can hope to compete with me!”

“That’s your Excellency I know! However, I have to agree. Even the considered ‘strongest’ of the Seven Crimson Devas, Petrose Calamalia, is absent.”

“Really? That Petrowhatever person didn’t participate in the meeting either, right?”

“Indeed.” Vill responded. “She has been ordered to deal with the terrorist, by the Empress herself. She most likely has no time to participate in this Seven Crimson Deva War.”

“Hm…Well, not like she could hope to win against me even if she participated.”

“Ohhhh…!” A happy smile flashed up on Chaostell’s face.

Even my other subordinates were giving comments such as ‘Wow’ or ‘Amazing!’. I felt like sighing yet again, when I realized. Shouldn’t there be more subordinates of mine around? The rules said that I can bring a squad of 100 with me, but I can barely count 30. And, they’re all riddled with wounds.

“Hey, Vill. What happened with our guys? Did they oversleep?”

“They did not, actually.” Vill spoke with a deadpan expression. “According to the rules of this War, only 100 subordinates are allowed to participate. Hence, we had to hold a selection. For this, I had gathered everyone from the 7th Corps, and told them the following—’Her Excellency Gandezblood is aiming to only select the strongest 100 out of you. Everyone who is strong, please name yourself’.”

“I don’t remember saying that, but that does make sense. The strong should be chosen…So then, what happened?”

“Everyone stepped forth.”

“W-Well, that’s about what I expected.”

“And then, they started killing each other.”

“Why!?”

“They planned to show their strength by defeating others. And then, out of the 500 people, roughly 470 had died.”

“Are you kidding me!?”

“The ones here are the surviving 30. However, a great number of them are wounded.”

“How stupid can you be!?”

How can you kill your own allies before getting to the main event!? Also, there’s seriously only 30 people here!? The enemy has a solid 100! There couldn’t be a worse disadvantage!

“Do not worry, Komari-sama. The ones standing here with you have survived a trip to hell and back. They are the strongest we have to offer.”

“This ain’t the problem here!”

How could this happen…I glanced over at my subordinates. There were those holding their wounds as they cowered on the ground. They seemed like they were about to die. Go take a rest, will you. This isn’t some black company. As for the upper brass of the 7th Corps…Chaostell, Belius, and Melaconcy…Alright, they seem to be fine…Oh? I don’t see Johan around. I guess he died as well.

“This is bad, this is really bad…Things are just getting worse…”

Suddenly, it happened. From the summit of the old castle, the bell started to ring. Since it only happened once, the War would begin in roughly five minutes. In other words, I had barely five more minutes to live.

“Your Excellency, let us confirm the rules again.”

I looked up at the sky in despair, when Chaostell spoke up with the face of a convicted pedophile.

“As you surely are aware of, the War this time consists of stealing the ‘Crimson Orb’ from each other. Mindless slaughter will not win you the game. We need to land a coordinated attack on the old castle.”

“The old castle…you mean that over there, right?”

“Indeed. According to the details we have received, this ‘Crimson Orb’ is a red orb with the size of a soccer ball, and you should be able to figure it out by looking at it.”

“Oh~”

“The other corps are most likely aiming for the same. With simple calculations, the number of enemies should be around 500. We have to defeat all of them.”

With these numbers we’re having? Are you stupid?

“Wait a second…Sakuna and I are working together. Maybe Heldeus even, if things work out. You know about that, right?”

“My deepest apologies, I had forgotten. Her Excellency has shown grace towards her junior, I see! How kind of you! That being said, this Seven Crimson Deva War is a survival. We most likely will have to battle Sakuna Memoire as well.”

“Ugh…I-I know that.”

“I say that we prioritize holding onto the ‘Crimson Orb’, rather than killing. Your Excellency, are we proceeding with the same plan as always?”

“Right. Same as always.” Not like I know what that means.

“Understood!” Chaostell turned towards my subordinates. “Everyone! Her Excellency Gandezblood will be giving us a few final words before the battle! Listen carefully!”

In response, my subordinates all stared at me. Basically, they’re waiting for the usual words I would give them before a battle—I was thinking that, and stood up from my chair.

“Please wait a moment, Komari-sama.” The perverted maid spoke up behind my back. “You have an incoming transmission from Frete Masquarelle. Please respond to that first.” Vill said, and handed me a magica crystal.

I was confused for a second, but gave up on thinking and put in my own magical power (I might not have much, but that is something even I can do), when a high voice responded.

“My, Terakomari Gandezblood-san! How are you feeling?”

Ah, not good. It’s on speaker mode, so everybody around me can hear it as well. I don’t know how to fix that. Vill, help me!

“I praise you for not running away! However, today marks the end of your history of lies! Terakomari Gandezblood, you will go down in the records of this world as its greatest imposter!”

Shing! I heard a metallic sound. My subordinates had readied their weapons. They were all glaring at the magic crystal.

“Oh my? Oh my oh my? Why are you not responding, I wonder? Have you gotten scared now? Are you quivering so much that you cannot even respond? Ahahaha! If you were to bow down to me and swear eternal allegiance, I might be willing to hold back a bit, you know!?”

Boom! Something exploded. A subordinate of mine had destroyed the fountain with their bare hands. His face was beet red from rage.

“You can’t do that? Well, that makes sense! You are weak after all, but your pride is unnecessarily high! Then, come at me! Push around your subordinates, nothing good will happen! I will slaughter them all! Ahahaha! Ahahahahahaha!”

Click. I couldn’t listen to that high-pitch laugh any longer, and cut the call. Terrified, I looked at my subordinates. Oddly enough, they were acting rather peaceful, almost as if this was the calm before the storm. There, the bell rang again, signalizing the beginning of the War. Following that, fireworks soared through the sky, as I could hear screams from everywhere. They must belong to the other corps.

“…Your Excellency, your order to depart?” Chaostell’s eyes were blood-shot.

And he wasn’t the only one. Just when I thought to myself ‘Oh, this is bad’, I only had the option to nod along after all.

“Yeah, do your best.”

Only a fragment of a second passed, as the place turned wild.

“““““Kill Frete Masquarelleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!”””””

You could call them an angry mob. They completely ignored the old battlefield, and instead ran towards the opposite direction—namely the location where Frete’s 3rd Corps was located. No doubting it, they had completely forgotten about the goal of securing the Crimson Orb. I was left behind in this fountain plaza, and sat down on my chair.

“Can I get a different corps? One that maybe listens to me…?”

*

“She dared to hang up on me, that brat!” Frete Masquarelle was filled with rage, as she smashed the transmission magic crystal on the ground.

The old castle was in the middle between this place, and the location of the Komari Squad. It was a shame that Frete had lost the lottery, since she had wanted to end up right next to Terakomari Gandezblood’s army, but she instead decided to keep her as a final taste before her flawless victory. That is why Frete at least wanted to greet her enemy before the battle, but this is what happened.

Not to mention that she had been hung up on. Frete could not stand such insolence. At the same time as she was boiling, the beginning of the Seven Crimson Deva War was signalized, followed by a grandiose firework.

“Frete-sama, what should we do.” A vampire standing next to Frete spoke up.

He was a tall man, constantly worried about the smallest things. He was the vice captain of the 3rd Corps, and Frete’s right-hand, Bashlar.

“I’ve decided! We go for that small wench right away—or so I would like to say, but we have to stay calm and go along with our plan. We’ll conquer this old castle!” Frete pointed at the castle ahead of them.

The Seven Crimson Deva War is a slaughter between Crimson Devas. However, that would be boring, and not a piece of art, at least according to Frete’s thoughts. Not relying on raw strength, instead fighting with knowledge and wits…that was what would make you a worthy Crimson Deva. That is why Frete decided on these rules, and introduced a point system.

“Understood.” Bashlar said, nodding. “…What should we do about Terakomeri Gandezblood?”

“If I had to guess, she probably is not too fixated with the Crimson Orb. She is only securing her safety.”

“In other words, she will not take a single step from her own army.”

“The chance of that is fairly high, indeed. At the same time, it is hard to assume she will even send them out. If her formation breaks, the danger of being killed is much higher after all.”

“But, if she doesn’t get enough points, she will be dismissed from her position as a Crimson Deva…”

“Correct. She is at a dead end. For her own safety, she cannot move her army. At the same time, she can’t win if her army does not act. And, if she doesn’t win, she is forced to quit as a Crimson Deva. On top of that, this entire War is shown to everyone. If she does not fight on her own, everyone will be disillusioned about her. Really, what a wonderful plan this is.”

“I see. As for our corps…”

“First is to conquer the old castle. Then, retrieve the Crimson Orb. Once that is done, I, Frete Masquarelle, will have Terakomari Gandezblood beg for her life. To end it all, I will kill her in front of everyone…Perfect, don’t you think?”

“It indeed is flawless. I expected just as much from Frete-sama.”

Frete felt supported by Bashlar’s praise. Since her vice captain showed no objections, Frete planned to move her army, and stood up—when.

“Masquarelle-sama! Important news!”

A scout ran towards Frete with a pale expression. The members of the 3rd Corps all glanced at him in confusion.

“What happened? Did Gandezblood-san die before the battle?”

“No, the thing is…the 7th Corps only consists of roughly 30 men…”

“Huh?”

“I don’t quite understand it, but these 30 men are running towards here! They won’t even bother with the old castle! I assume they are aiming for Masquarelle-sama directly!”

“…What?”

*

I could hear distant explosive sounds. The other Corps must be fighting by now, or it’s just my own Corps causing a ruckus again. Either way, it’s all over. I have no way to fight back.

“It’s over…Everything is over…”

“It will be fine. Me and Bucephalus will protect you, Komari-sama.” Vill stood next to the snow-white mizuchi.

He’s Bucephalus, my beloved hose—or dragon, I guess. Normally, you wouldn’t take them to the battlefield, but this being a special battle, they are allowed to participate. I’m more than happy to have one more ally.

I gently rubbed the chin of Bucephalus, who let out a pleasant neigh. Ahh, I’m getting healed just by being with him. I’d love to hop on his back and just ride home.

“Bucephalus, if you dare to let Komari-sama die, I will use you as an ingredient for tonight’s stew.”

“Can you not!?”

What kind of decision-making is that. Do you not have a human heart!?

“I was joking. Either way, you will not die, Komari-sama.” Vill said, and took out a paper from her chest pocket.

Just when I wondered what she was going to show me, it turned out to be a map. If I had to guess, it probably showed the local area here.

“In order for you to survive, we need to get together with the 6th Corps.”

“R-Right! Let’s hurry and meet Sakuna!”

“That will prove difficult. The 6th Corps and 7th Corps are quite a distance apart from each other. In order for us to arrive there, we need to break through the Delpune Army, who is located in the town area next to this.”

“Then we should go meet Heldeus…”

“Ah, please wait a moment.” Vill stopped her movement, putting one hand on her right ear, and faced me. “Captain Melaconcy has found out that the Heldeus Army ran into the Odilon Army on their way to the old castle. If we go there, you will get wrapped up, and most likely die.”

“Then what else should we do?”

“The best we can do is try and group up with the 6th Corps. Thankfully, the winning condition for this Seven Crimson Deva War is not to kill the other commanders, but rather to gain control of the Crimson Orb. Hence, if we anticipate that the Delpune Army will make its way to the old castle, and pass them later, then…”

There, Vill stopped herself mid-sentence, and looked up. Right when I wanted to ask what had happened, she kicked off the ground, jumping on top of an old dome, and glared into the distance, using binoculars.

“Vill, what’s wrong!?”

“…This is bad.”

“What is bad?”

“The Delpune Army is on their way here.”

“Huuuuuuh!?”

Why!? Shouldn’t she be aiming for the Crimson Orb rather than me!?

“I figure they are raring to kill you, Komari-sama. I can sense their thirst for revenge through their mask.”

“Thirst for revenge? I don’t get it.”

“Do you not remember? Because of you, Delpune-dono has been killed before the meeting.”

“Why?”

Ain’t these false charges? I didn’t do anything wrong, did I? Vill was the mastermind.

“Anyway, we have to move ourselves.” Vill jumped down again.

Can you pull down your skirt? I don’t need to see what’s beneath there…

“Let us hurry, Komari-sama. If we stay here for too long, you will die.”

“Where are we heading then!? There’s no place to run away! Let’s explain this to that Delpune! Maybe they’ll understand that I wasn’t the one who killed them!”

“This isn’t the place to hope for such naive feelings. You should be aware of that yourself, Komari-sama.” Vill said, and jumped up on Bucephalus.

With her left hand, she took the reins, and offered me her right one, saying ‘Hop on, Komari-sama’. Nothing will happen if I continue to complain. Seeing no other option, I took Vill’s hand, and joined her on Bucephalus. Vill sat in the front, me in the back.

“Komari-sama, hug me please.”

“……”

“Excuse me, I meant to say cling to me.”

“……”

“You will die if you fall off.”

I feel some ulterior motives there. Just when I thought so, I heard raging voices behind me.

“There she is! It’s Terakomari Gandezblood!”

“Die!”

“How dare you kill Delpune-dono!”

“You are an embarrassment as a Crimson Deva!”

“I cannot let you live!”

“Fall down to hell!”

Flame magic was thrown at me, burning down nearby trees. The second I saw that, I realized that I had no choice. I clung to Vill, wrapping my hands around her stomach. For some reason, her body twitched.

“K-Komari-sama…you cannot…touch me there…”

“So annoying! Just get us out of here, perverted maid!”

Bucephalus accelerated, and I became like the wind.

*

—I have to win at all costs.

Sakuna Memoire’s determination was stronger than never. However, this was not towards the idea of earning glory and fame for herself. Rather, she had determination to fight against Odilon Metal’s threat.

“Sakuna-sama! The Heaven Corps and Metal Corps have restarted their battle at the West gate. The Masquarelle Corps and Gandezblood Corps have started fighting at the Northern gate!”

“Terakomari-san did…?”

“No! Commander Gandezblood seems to have been intercepted by the Delpune Corps at the south-east end! Only her 30 subordinates are currently fighting Masquarelle-sama’s!”

Sakuna let out a sigh of admiration. Letting your subordinates fight a different corps while you have a certain target—Sakuna wouldn’t have been able to come up with that. Terakomari Gandezblood really is a skilled Crimson Deva.

But now, Sakuna was at a loss. As of right now, only her 6th Corps was still left out. She wanted to help Komari in some way, because they had formed an alliance. However, Inverted Moon would not allow such. On top of that, she was worried that she might just drag Komari down. Lost, she decided to contact a certain man. The magical crystal responded immediately.

“I’m sorry. What should I do?” Sakuna asked with a quivering voice.

“So annoying!”

Sakuna’s body froze up. A voice as fierce as a storm came back from the crystal.

“I don’t have time for that! Think about it yourself! Ugh, that man is so impudent! Hey, what are you doing! Don’t die there! Get up, bastard! Get up and take that man’s head!”

He sounded busy, so Sakuna cut the call. Her subordinates listened to Sakuna, and showed doubtful expressions.

“Um…who were you talking with? Heldeus Heaven? Or Odilon Metal? Weren’t we supposed to have an alliance with Terakomari Gandezblood?”

“…Correct. But, that doesn’t matter right now.”

Sakuna’s right eye turned crimson red. Immediately after, the expressions on her subordinates’ faces disappeared. Any tone in their voices vanished, as they just gave a faint ‘Excuse me’, apologizing.

From an outsider’s perspective, it must have been an odd sight. In reality, the people watching this War through the giant screen started whispering to themselves. However, Sakuna wasn’t bothered by this. All that filled her head was the desire to save her family.

—No, there was something else.

At the same time, Sakuna wanted to be of help for Komari.

“The one aiming for Terakomari-san…”

It was Delpune. However, Komari herself should be able to handle them, so Sakuna had to worry about anybody who could bother the battle. In other words—her target was Frete Masquarelle. She was unsure if killing her was possible, but she had to. Sakuna took a deep breath, and then gave an order to her reckless soldiers.

“Our target is Frete Masquarelle. Capture, and deliver her to me.”

*

“—Our target is Frete Masquarelle. Capture, and deliver her to me.”

These words resounded inside the Mulnight Imperial Palace, specifically the Empress’ room. A crystal ball laid on top of the table in the center of the room. Shown on there with farsight magic was the current situation at the Nucleus Domain. The Empress of the Mulnight Empire, Karen Elvesias, grinned to herself, as she ate some madeleines.

“I figured. Seems like we had a treacherous friend in our army. Did you see that, Alman? Sakuna Memoire undoubtedly used Nucleus Liberation there.”

“I can tell! Let us capture her right away!” Alman Gandezblood quickly responded to the Empress’ words.

He was forced to watch this distant Seven Crimson Deva War together with the Empress, otherwise she might have participated.

“Heh.” The Empress led out a snort, and looked at Alman. “What would happen then? We’re in the middle of the Seven Crimson Deva War right now.”

“Then stop this war. At this rate, Sakuna Memoire has all the freedom she wants, and she might try something dangerous. I can’t allow such danger to befall Komari.”

“Not yet, not yet. We have to observe this a bit longer. If we step in there, we won’t be able to grab the tail of the lizard.”

“…? Your majesty, what are you talking about?”

“I’m saying that Sakuna Memoire is currently getting controlled by someone.”

What was she talking about? Alman’s head started to hurt because of the stress. Thinking about it, he had been busy to death these past few days. Right after he had been killed by this terrorist, he was tasked to search for them, when suddenly his beloved daughter Komari was insulted greatly by a fellow Crimson Deva, and now even this Seven Crimson Deva War began.

Her daughter’s safety and the terrorist, these two things led Alman to spend several sleepless nights. However, the identity of the terrorist luckily had just been confirmed.

“This Nucleus Liberation clearly is a psychological control type. She has brainwashed the 6th Corps. I can’t think of anybody else who could do such a thing. The one who has gone around killing government officials and removed their memories has to have been Sakuna Memoire!”

“Indeed.”

Alman was baffled to hear such a short response.

“Then, why are you not acting, your Majesty!?”

“Because this isn’t the time yet. Also, I don’t have any right to appear on this stage. We have Komari at the scene.”

“…Do you plan on letting Komari handle everything?”

“I’m not letting her do anything. I just moved fate into her favor.”

That damned old lady is acting like she’s kind and considerate—Alman thought to himself, barely holding back those words. If he started a fight now, he’d be the one losing by a mile.

“…Why did you make Sakuna Memoire a Crimson Deva to begin with? I looked into her records, and I hardly believe she has shown achievements befitting her of such a position. She just happened to kill her predecessor.”

“I have six reasons.”

“Why do you have so many.”

“The first reason is because another overthrow finally happened after such a long time. The second is because Heldeus recommended her. The third reason is because she’s cute. The fourth reason—is because she became Komari’s friend.”

“Huh?”

“Both their hobbies and personalities lineup by quite a bit. Left in such an environment, they were bound to become friends. Although I have to say, Sakuna’s respect for Komari made them turn more into a Senior-Junior relationship, rather than friends.”

“T-That’s…”

“That girl needs friends around her own age.When it comes to Vill, they are more like master and servant, so Sakuna was the perfect person.”

Alman had no words. When it comes to Komari’s happiness, he always was on the losing end. But, just this once, he had to argue.

“How outrageous to make a terrorist Komari’s friend.”

“It’s exactly because she’s a terrorist. The fifth reason I made Sakuna a Crimson Deva is because she’s a member of Inverted Moon. And finally, the 6th reason is simply because she can use Nucleus Liberation.”

“Huuuh!?” Alman doubted his ears, but the Empress continued.

“I secretly looked into her. She has been a member of this terrorist organization, and possesses her own Nucleus Liberation. The 6th Corps turned into a bunch of devoted followers—That kind of story has been making rounds outside the imperial court, you know? As you expected, the one going around killing government officials was Sakuna. She’s been looking into something, apparently.”

“If you knew, then why…!”

“If I make that girl my ally, I can gather information concerning Inverted Moon. Don’t you think this is a chance like none before?”

“I don’t think we will be able to persuade a member of Inverted moon.”

“No, Sakuna is not a member of that terrorist organization out of her own free will. There’s a definite chance.”

“But, I still don’t see the reason to make her a Crimson Deva…”

“I told you it was for Komari’s sake. You really are not listening to me.” The Empress crossed her arms, and looked up at the ceiling. “Basically, I just have to remove an obstacle in order for Sakuna to become our ally. There is no way an introverted girl such as her would kill out of her own free will. I said it before, but she is controlled by someone, and I need to find out who that is.”

“I cannot follow. Where is this ‘mastermind’ supposed to be?”

“Most likely on that battlefield.”

“So then…you won’t do anything until that person shows itself?”

“Indeed…Who do you think is the most suspicious?”

“Probably Heldeus Heaven? He is the manager of the orphanage Sakuna Memoire came from, and he was the one who recommended her as a Crimson Deva.”

“That makes sense…Oh!” The Empress’ eyes started sparkling, as she pushed her face closer to the crystal ball. “Look, Alman! Komari is getting attacked by Delpune!”

“What did you say!?” Alman glared at the crystal ball.

Villhaze was riding the mizuchi with Komari at her back, trying to get away from Delpune’s army. Alman was about to lose consciousness from the shock. The Empress however watched this in joy, grinning to herself.

*

Every single member of the Delpune Army wore an ominous mask. They couldn’t look any more suspicious. And now, every single one of them was chasing after me. The arrows of fire burned holes into my clothes, stabbing into the ground. The best I could do was cling to Vill.

“Vill…I can’t anymore…I don’t want to die…”

“I won’t let you die. That being said, breaking through such an army will prove impossible. We should probably run to the opposite direction, and get wrapped up in the battle of the Heldeus and Odilon Army. And then, we’ll head over to the Frete Army, group up with the rest of the 7th Corps and Memoire-dono.” Vill said, suddenly pulling on the reins, changing direction.

Right after, the place where Bucephalus just stood at exploded because of strong flame magic. This is the worst, I can’t take this anymore.

“Please, let me go home. Let’s get the Crimson Orb, and destroy it. Then the winning condition will vanish.”

“Perhaps. However, we need to defeat the other commanders in order to achieve this.”

“Then, let’s run away! Outside this battlefield!”

“Would you like to explode?”

“I don’t wannaaaaa!!” I screamed.

This situation was the worst.

“Don’t wannaaaa! I don’t wanna do this work anymore! Why do I have to go through this!? How unfair! Let me retire from work! Let’s retire together, Vill!”

“That does sound like a wonderful idea…Komari-sama, stay calm…wah, where are you touching me!”

“I can’t stay calm in a situation like this!”

That’s when it happened. I could feel a gigantic magic reaction at my back. When I turned around, I saw a single vampire dashing after me. Seeing the foreign mask, and the military uniform, the ‘Full Moon’s Crest’, I knew that it had to be Crimson Deva Delpune. Don’t you think it’s a bit unfair they can keep up with Bucephalus running at full speed?

“S-Something’s coming, Vill!”

“I am well aware. However, we cannot accelerate any further.”

In front of my eyes, I could see the town area. According to the map, it wasn’t just any town. Rather, just as the name ‘Labyrinth City’ suggested, it was riddled with all sorts of special traits. Basically, the city had been built in a way to strengthen defense against sudden intruders. This meant that we could not keep up this current speed.

“Let us get off for now. We will hide inside the labyrinth.”

“As if we could—”

“Like hell I would let you escape.”

I heard a voice at my back. Since it sounded like a high-pitched girly voice, I was flustered for a second, but I didn’t even have time to process anything. A large quantity of magical power started to build up, as a giant wall appeared in front of Bucepahlus. It must have been construction magic <Mad Wall>.

Having lost his way forward, Bucephalus came to a quick halt. This happened at a speed I was worried to fall off head-first, and crush against the wall, but I somewhat managed to hold onto Vill to save myself. Following that, we both gently descended down to the earth, and I looked at the wall ahead. We were locked in.

“This is bad.”

I could see a pearl of sweat on Vill’s white neck. It’s rare for her to show and express panic like this. In other words, things were mighty dangerous right now. I looked over at Delpune, who slowly closed in on us, together with the Delpune Army of around 100 men. I could feel that Delpune was staring at me (although I couldn’t say for sure because of the mask).

“—Gandezblood. Were you the one who killed me?”

It totally was a female voice. But, I didn’t have time to be surprised.

“I-It wasn’t me! The hone who killed you was—” I hesitated for a second. “You weren’t killed! You probably died of food poisoning! You must have eaten some potatoes together with their buds!”

“I didn’t.”

“Stop lying!”

“You stop lying first.”

“I’m not lying!” I totally was.

“I can smell the scent of lies from you. And, it’s not just once or twice. It feels like your entire life is a lie. I can tell why Frete would be out for your blood, your life so far is riddled with lies. Wherever I look, it’s lies. Lies. Lies lies lies lies lies.”

Wasn’t she supposed to be the quiet type? Why is she talking this much now? I was a bit confused at this, when the masked girl took out a knife, and pointed it at me. I totally figured she’d be sending some dark beam at me like Frete did, but to my surprise, she stabbed it into her left arm.

“Now, let us start this battle of life and death.”

Can we not?

“Extraordinary-tier blood curdle magic <Ultimate Bloody Hell1>.”

A fountain of blood came gushing out of her arm, spraying high into the sky. A wavy river of blood hovered above her. I could smell the thick stench of blood all around me, making me feel like puking. Seriously, what is wrong with all the people who can drink this.

“Komari-sama, we have to run away.”

“Eh, wha—”

Vill grabbed my arm, and started running. Right after, the stream of blood above Delpune fired off something. It stabbed into the wall at my back—A knife consisting of coagulated blood

I was at a loss for words. If I get stabbed by this once, I’m dead. However, Delpune wasn’t quite done yet. I managed to avoid that one by luck, but she sent a rain of knives at me now.

“They’re coming!”

“I can see that myself! What should we do about thi—Gyaaaah!”

Vill pulled me along, as the knives of blood stabbed into the place I just stood at, dematerialized to liquid blood, and returned to the stream above Delpune’s head. What wonderful economic thinking.

“Ouch!”

I felt a sharp pain run down my right arm. A knife had scraped my skin as I dodged it. A red liquid ran down, as my eyes grew watery.

“It hurts, Vill…!”

“That damned perverted mask…! How dare she ruin Komari-sama’s beautiful skin…!” Vill kept running, as she threw knives behind her.

However, knives of blood intercepted this, as they dropped to the ground. In return, a storm of knives came flying at us, from all directions. There was no more place to run.

“Get down, Komari-sama!” Vill stepped in front of me, reading her knives.

Hey, stop! You can’t die just yet!—Before I could even open my mouth, the storm of knives flew towards Vill. She used her two knives to block off the ones flung at her. However, the amount was too great for her to handle, as they stung into her maid uniform, scraping the skin below there. Right when I wanted to let out a scream, a knife stabbed right into her flank.

Vill’s expression distorted in pain, as she had to crouch down on the ground. Blood…so much blood from her stomach…What should I do…because of me, Vill is…!

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“…Komari-sama, please run away.”

“I can’t leave you here! It’s fine, I can lend you my shoulder—”

“No need to worry. I won’t kill her. Just restrain her.” Delpune slowly walked towards us.

I could hear the sound of the blood streaming above her. It sounded like it was raging.

“I despise you.” The masked girl stepped in front of Vill and me. “However, it’s Frete’s duty to kill you. The humiliation she went through is much bigger than my hate for you.”

“Then…” I grit my teeth, and glared at the masked girl. “Then, my anger is a hundred times bigger! How dare you hurt Vill like this! Also, you don’t have any right to talk, you coward! Stop fighting from a distance!”

“Komari-sama, I understand your anger, but provoking her any further than this will be dangerous…” Vill said, out of breath.

I can agree with her there, but that doesn’t soothe my anger in the slightest. Not like provoking her any more would change anything. I can’t be saved anyway. Then, I might as well resist until the bitter end.

With these feelings, I glared at Delpune, who let out a tired sigh.

“Provocation won’t work against me. However, being called a coward was outside my expectations. It makes me explode in rage. That is why I will hurt you to a level where you barely stay alive, you damned small fry.”

I feel like the provocation worked just fine!

“Komari-sama, hurry and run…!” Vill said with a pale face.

However, I didn’t run. Delpune gathered the flow of blood at a single point. The ground around me sounded like it was screaming. It looked like it was enough to suck up everything in existence, a hellish pool of blood. Finally, Delpune moved but a single finger.

“Die.”

Then, the star of blood—A soul of blood in the shape of a gigantic star in the vast universe—came soaring down. Huh, I guess I really will die here. Right when I had given up, I felt a presence approaching us from behind. Vill looked like she mustered up the rest of her life force, and screamed.

“Bucephalus!”

“Eh? —Guhe!” I made a noise like a frog grabbed by its neck.

My body was floating through the air because of Vill. When I even realized what just went down, I found myself sitting on Bucephalus, who started running with everything his legs had to offer.

“Feeling the danger of their master to come back…What an excellent Crimson Dragon.” Vill said, sitting in front of me.

“W-We’re saved…!” I let out a deep sigh.

Is there even any other Rider Beast like this around there? To convey my thanks, I gently rubbed Bucephalus behind, who apparently took joy in this, and accelerated. Wait a second, you’re getting too fast here…!

“L-Look ahead! There’s a wall!”

“Hold on tight, Komari-sama!”

“—I won’t let you escape, Gandezblood!”

The giant star of blood was approaching us. Ahead was the wall, and behind us was Delpune. I thought everything was over, when Bucephalus jumped into the air, making me feel like I was floating. I desperately clung to Vill, trying my best not to fall off. I-Is he planning to jump over the wall!?—I thought, when Bucephalus’ face rammed right into the wall.

Even his overwhelming speed was not enough to make it above the wall. Because of the impact, I thought my guts would come up out of my mouth. But then, the impossible happened. Bucephalus’ body broke through the wall of earth, and ran through it, leaving me baffled. His body gently landed on the ground, and his tail started wagging as of to ridicule Delpune, as he picked up speed again.

After us, the star of blood crashed into the stone wall, breaking it down entirely with a loud rumble, to which the debris soared down on the ground. The members of the Delpune Army got caught up in that, and I feel like a good number of them died in the process.

“…A-Are you okay, Bucephalus?”

“He should be fine. The scales of a Crimson Dragon can defend against an iron sword—Kyau!?” Vill let out an oddly cute voice, but I had no time to tease her, because Bucephalus once again leaped up, on top of a house’s chimney, soaring from rooftop to rooftop.

Like this, we headed over to the old castle. Now we wouldn’t have to worry about the path being packed.

“Y-You’re amazing, Bucephalus…!”

“Indeed! I might not turn you into stew after all!”

“I told you to not say that in front of him!”

Right as I screamed, a blood-red cutlery flew past my face, silencing me. Of course, it was the perverted mask. She ran along the rooftops just like Bucephalus, chasing after us. I grew pale, and screamed.

“She’s not human!”

“That is why we have to seek assistance from someone who is not human either. Can you see it, Komari-sama?”

We made it through the town area. What opened up after this was a large area—it was probably another town area, but after the war, it turned into a large grassy plain. Past this grassy plain was the Western gate of the old castle. I could see that a battle had opened up in front of this gate, between two corps.

“It’s Heldeus Heaven and Odilon Metal. Let us break between them, directly entering the castle.”

“How is that supposed to work!? My head will fly off as we go past the—Bleh!”

Bucephalus jumped off the roof, and landed on the ground. I bit my tongue as a result.

“Oufff! It hurffs!”

“I will console you later, so please put up with it for now! Bucephalus, we’re on the last stretch!”

Bucephalus neighed loudly, and accelerated. I heard Delpune curse me with ‘Wait’, ‘Die’, or ‘Lying bastard’, as she chased us. The knives of blood almost gave me a new haircut as they blew past me. I can’t anymore. Can we just go home?

“Ohhh!! If it isn’t Gandezblood-dono!” Heldeus spotted me.

He turned a soldier’s face into tomato juice with his bare hand, as he looked at me with a smile. The other members of his army all caused a ruckus at my appearance. That makes sense after all, since I brought more enemies with me!

“Gandezblood, you say!? You bastards, capture her at once!” Odilon Metal screamed as he turned the face of a soldier into squashed tomatoes.

“Kill her!”

“Give the Metal Army 50 points!”

“A blessing for this victory!”

The members of the 5th Corps glared at me with bood-shot eyes, running towards me.

“We’re done for, Vill…Let’s just surrender…”

“You can’t give up, Komari-sama! Leave it to me!” Vill took out an orb from her chest.

It was a small, violet-colored orb. She tightly grabbed hold of this, and threw it towards the vampires of the Metal Corps. Following that, this orb exploded, spreading what looked like exceptionally poisonous smoke. My view grew violet, not

“A smoke orb!”

“So underhanded!”

“You will pay for—Blergh!”

Someone threw up. Another person coughed. Crowds of people collapsed on the ground. I immediately realized that this must have been Vill’s poison magic.

“W-What are you doing! We’re going to die as well!”

“It’s poison that only works against men.”

“That sounds way too convenient!”

Apparently, it doesn’t work against Rider Beasts either, seeing that Bucephalus did not slow down in the slightest, dashing on ahead. I feel like I heard crushing sounds below his feet, but I chose to ignore that.

Finally, the West gate of the old castle came in sight. Apparently, we made it past the enemy army—Relieved, I looked around. The smoke had already cleared up. At least 50 people had collapsed on the ground, dead. Both the members of the Odilon Army and the ones wearing religious clothes, belonging to the Heldeus Army were coughing up blood. Isn’t this going too far!?

“You’re even killing our allies!”

“It cannot be helped.We have to hurry and find the Crimson Orb so that we can destroy it. Then the Seven Crimson Deva War should come to an end…!”

“Even if you say that, won’t—”

“Wait right there, Gandezblood!”

“I definitely will not forgive you!”

“I’ll kill you! Get back here!”

“God, please give Gandezblood a heavenly punishment!”

I heard various angry roars cursing me. They most likely belonged to the survivors. I guess that the Heldeus Army now turned into my enemy as well (although I don’t know how Heldeus himself feels about it). On top of that, the lump of blood controlled by the perverted mask was closing in on me. Why are things not getting better after everything I went through!?

“Komari-sama! We cannot use the Rider Beast any further. We have to run!”

“Eh? Wha—”

Vill suddenly carried me like a princess, jumping off Bucephalus. Right after, the magic of the enemy troops created an explosion at the entrance of the old castle. However, Vill wasn’t bothered too much, and just ran through the explosive smoke, sneaking inside the castle.

There, I realized. Vill’s breathing was getting out of control. Her expression was distorted in pain. That makes sense of course, since she was stabbed by Delpune.

“Vill! You need to rest, I can go ahead by myself!”

“No, I have the duty to stay with you until the very end, Komari-sama.”

I could hear the vampires approaching us, as Vill started running up the stairs, still carrying me. The blood from her wound continued dropping to the ground.

“Eat this! Extraordinary-tier blood curdle magic <Infinite Drooling Blood>!”

The blood gushing out of Delpune’s arm turned into a wip, attacking us. Vill tried to evade this attack, but barely did not make it in time, as her right leg got caught, leading her to fall down on the stairs. Fallen out of her hands, I quickly got up, and rushed towards her.

A blood-red wip had locked down her right ankle, biting into the flesh.

“Kill her!”

“Don’t let this chance escape!”

I heard the enemy soldiers’ voices. I picked up a nearby stone and tried to break part the whip Delpune is using. But, nothing changed.

“Shit, what should I do about this…”

“It’s fine, we still have a chance. You have to escape, Komari-sama.”

“Moron! I won’t let you sacrifice yourself! You’re coming with me!”

“I will not let you.”

I felt a strong killing intent. I turned around, when a large sword of blood came soaring down towards me, fast as an arrow. Of course, with my lack of athletic abilities, I had no chance at avoiding this. Ah, I’m dead (For the second time)—

“High-tier magic jewel <Supernova Explosion>.”

Vill took out a radiating jewel, and threw it at the sword, which caused a gigantic explosion. As a result, Delpune’s magic had been erased, and the clodded blood turned into liquid shape.

“I-Imposs—”

Having lost its shape, the blood splattered everywhere. Since I was on the ground, I had no option of evading it. I could only look up at the sky, as the blood drenched my entire body. And then, the world turned crimson.

* (A bit in the past)

Around the same time, Frete Masquarelle was under the attack of the 7th Corps, as raging anger filled her entire body, turning into a driving force as she swung her sword. The 7th Corps couldn’t be bothered with retrieving the Crimson Orb, merely trying its hardest to kill Frete. Not to mention that this squad was merely composed of 30 men. She couldn’t take this seriously, which is why she relaxed. However, this turned into a fatal mistake—

“Ahh, damn it…! How vexing!”

They were tenacious. Way too tenacious for Frete’s taste. Frete’s attack directly hit one of the ruffians of the 7th Corps—Chaostell Cont, directly cutting off an arm. However, he didn’t even blink. He fixed his posture, and used spatial magic.

“<Teleportation>.”

“!?”

Frete felt killing intent behind her back. She relied on her senses, and swung behind her. However, her attack was met with empty air, which led Frete to lose her balance, as another wave of killing intent—

“Ugh!”

A fist as heavy as iron slammed into Frete’s abdomen, as a wave of dull pain assaulted her. She managed to protect herself with magic last second, but if that had been a direct hit, she might have been killed. She quickly took some distance, and glared at the man looking like a withered tree.

“What shrewd magic you are using. It seems like you know how to properly use it.”

“Indeed, indeed. I will use magic the most befitting of myself—Spatial magic. And, in order to get my revenge, I practiced it even further. I will not lose again—So, how about you use some magic of your own? This grotesque dark magic of yours.”

He must be planning to provoke Frete, so she carefully observed her surroundings. The others from the 7th Corps were busy fighting, coming back to life like zombies after they had been killed. Apparently, everyone else from the 3rd Corps had their hands full, unable to support Frete.

“It cannot be helped. I didn’t plan on using this against a small fry such as yours, but this isn’t the time to be holding back.”

“That is wise, indeed. It appears as if our allies just arrived.”

“What…?”

Frete was taken by surprise, when she felt several types of distinct magical power approaching. Frete jumped backwards. Right away, a great amount of blinking arrows came soaring down. It was intermediate-tier magic <Light Arrow>.

“Reinforcements? Impossible—” Frete used her sword to block off the rain of arrows.

However, her subordinates around were not as lucky, as they had their hearts pierced, and collapsed to the ground. Finally, the magic stopped, and Frete glared over at the source of the magic. On a small hill a bit further away, she spotted an army of vampires. Standing in front of them was a single girl holding a gigantic ward—Sakuna Memoire.

“—I-I’m sorry! But, this is the Seven Crimson Deva War, so…I have to attack…that’s why, one more time!”

The members of the 6th Corps started chanting, to which Frete clicked her tongue in annoyance. There was no rule against two Crimson Devas working together. However, it was something Frete had miscalculated. Terakomari Gandezblood and Sakuna Memoire, to think the weaklings would work together like this.

“Fu…Fufufu…Very well. I will send your entire army into darkness.”

“Likewise. Why don’t I repay the debt for the other day?” Chaostell Cont showed a mischievous smile.

Frete readied her sword. She decided to aim for the enemy’s heart, gathering darkness on the tip of her sword, when—

““—!?””

A cold atmosphere attacked Frete’s body. It wasn’t only her. Chaostell, and everyone around them, including the berserkers of the 7th Corps, stopped fighting.

“What…was that…?”

Frete felt an immeasurable magical power. A torrent of despair able to grasp the heart of everyone in the area. Frete realized that her entire body was quivering, and looked over at the source of this magical power—the old castle.

“Her Excellency…Her Excellency, she finally became serious…!” Chaostell screamed in ecstasy.

Following that, the others of the 7th Corps chimed in. Frete only knew one person that was known as ‘Her Excellency’. But, that should be impossible.

*

Delpune was at a loss for words. She understood that the maid stood at death’s door, and threw that magic jewel. This magic jewel was quite the rare item, as it could easily erase Delpune’s magic. What however was incomprehensible to her was Terakomari Gandezblood. She had been showered by the blood, and the irregularity began. With a void expression, she stood up, glaring at Delpune with crimson-red eyes.

“You…what did you do.” Delpune’s voice shook.

The amount of magical power was entirely different from before. Delpune understood right away—that the person in front of her was ‘the powerful’, and that she had no chance to win against her.

Terakomari looked down at the maid at her feet. She must be out of strength, since Delpune had hit a vital spot.

“Were you the one who did this?” The voice held no emotion.

The vampires that had leaped at the girl all passed away. Because of this oppressing magical power, Delpune could not move.

“Did you…do this?” Another deep voice came out from ‘that thing’.

Delpune realized too late that this question was directed at her. ‘This’ must be referring to the maid’s wounds. Deplune hesitated for a second, and gave a response.

“Yeah…what about it?”

“I see.” Terakomari held the maid’s body.

Then, her feet were lifted into the air. She was using flight-type magic with no incitation whatsoever. The vampires around watched the blood-drenched girl in fear. And then, she held up her right hand.

A magic circle appeared. However, it wasn’t just any average magic circle. The quality and amount of magical power is not something that should be possible to exist in this world. The air around Delpune vibrated, as the walls and floor started to crack. There were even vampires unable to bear this atmosphere, and collapsed. It wasn’t your average high-tier magic, or even extraordinary-tear magic. It had to be star2-tier magic, the highest type of secret technique lost from the ancient times.

“Wai—” Delpune tried to stop her, but she was too late.

The magical power exploded. A deep red flash was fired from the magical circle, burning down everything in its surroundings.

*

“—Hahahaha! Did you see that! That was star2-tier magic ‘The dawn burning down hell’! To think I would be able to see this with my own eyes!” The Empress clapped her hands as she laughed.

However, Alman Gandezblood was panicking. His daughter yet again was forced to use her Nucleus Liberation.

“Have a look at this. The crystal broke. She used magic strong enough to destroy my farsight magic from such a distance. That old castle must be overflowing with magical power right now!”

“What are you going to do about this!? At this rate, Komari will…”

Alman panicked, but the Empress said ‘No need to worry’ with full confidence.

“She won’t start another mindless and indiscriminate slaughter. She is no longer a shut-in.”

“She already started slaughtering though.”

“Only those who deserve it. From how I see it, the Komari during her Nucleus Liberation moves half-according to the normal Komari. She is angry at Delpune, who hurt Vill. That is why she killed her. That’s all there is to it.”

“I still feel like there’s too many victims in there.”

“I guess that Delpune received a deep wound from this. I should probably talk with her about this later.”

“…What will Komari do after this?”

The Empress showed a technical smile.

“Who knows? She already fulfilled her goal of killing Delpune, so I have no clue myself. Why don’t we head over there to watch it live?”

“I wouldn’t be suffering this much if I could do that.”

“ You probably would either way. Hey! Someone, bring me a new crystal ball!”

In response to the nonchalant attitude of the Empress, Alman could only pray for his daughter’s safety.

*

It looked like the end of the world had arrived. The earthquake hitting the old castle shook the ground ready for it to almost burst open. Everything was wrapped up in crimson-red light, and the best you could do was wait for the catastrophe to arrive at your own two feet. The heavens were split, the ground shook, and the screams made your eardrums burst.

Following that, silence returned. Frete Masquarelle opened her eyes wide. The old castle turned into a mountain of debris. The outer walls had disappeared entirely, and the inside was visible even from this far away. Even the town area and the grassy plains around turned into flat land. Frete felt a shiver, wondering who could have used such magic.

“F-Frete-sama!” Bashlar screamed, terrified.

Apparently he made it through that attack. However, this relief only lasted for a second, as all the color drained from her face when she heard the news.

“As I have confirmed, the Delpune Army, the Heaven Army, and the Metal Army have all been decimated! As for the Memoire Army…Please take a look at this.”

Bashlar pointed at a mountain of corpses. They must have gotten wrapped up in the explosion, and killed in the process. Though, Sakuna Memoire herself was nowhere to be found. However, more importantly—

“What about Gandezblood-san…What happened with her!?”

“According to our scout, the one who caused this explosion had been Terakomari Gandezblood. Her current location is unknown.”

What? That didn’t make sense. Hence, Frete had to ask the person the most knowledgeable close to her.

“Chaostell Cont! What is this about!?”

However, the man built like a withered tree gave no response. He was crushed by rubble flying at him. What a useless fellow.

“Frete-sama, what should we do about this?”

“Ugh…”

This wasn’t the time to worry about the Seven Crimson Deva War anymore. What is there even to do—

“…That’s…”

There, Frete spotted it. Standing in the middle of the old castle was none other than Terakomari Gandezblood. Before Frete even realized it, she started running, her teeth gritting.

That explosion just now could never have been from the girl herself. She must have used some trickery as always. It could have been a normal explosion without any magical power involved. To confirm this, Frete had to quickly go meet the girl.

*

Sakuna Memoire was still alive. When that crimson flash swallowed everything whole, the vice captain of her 6th Corps used himself as a shield to protect her. Sakuna was lucky to fall between a wall, only giving her a few grazes, but everyone from the 6th Corps including the vice captain had been rendered killed or turned ashes. How ironic, really.

The members of the 6th Corps had always been rebelling against Sakuna. Who could blame them, after she became a Crimson Deva because of luck and connections. Worried that she might be overthrown as a result, Sakuna had to use this final escape. She killed everyone from the 6th Corps, and altered their memories. She turned their rebellious attitude into deep faith. This was the result. They protected Sakuna, and died in the process.

“…But, they had to have been happy, at least.”

Sakuna had to tell herself that, or she would break down from the guilt. Your true desire is to protect Sakuna—that is the setting she implemented into them. That’s why, there’s no need for her to feel guilty. More importantly, she was worried about Terakomari Gandezblood. That flash of light just now must have been her doing. Honestly speaking, this was outside of her expectations. There’s no way she could kill a monster like that.

“……”

No, there is. She still had the secret medicine from Odilon. If she were to drink this, she could obtain strength to even defeat the gods. However, as a result, she might lose her own life. With quivering fingers, Sakuna took out that vial, looking at the poison inside of it. Drink it, or not. Right as she was wondering, she saw Frete Masquarelle running at high speed. She must have been heading over to the old castle.

“I have to stop her…Terakomari-san is in danger.”

—She is in danger? What am I thinking?

Sakuna realized what nonsense she was thinking, and shook her head. How ridiculous. She should just have Frete and Terakomari battle things out, and finish off the weakened survivor.

Yet, she continued to think things through like this. She failed to understand her own feelings. Sakuna excelled at understanding the feelings of others because of her ability, but not with her own. Should she go save Terakomari, or kill her? Finding the answer was impossible. However, Sakuna had to head over to the old castle either way. Right as she was thinking that, the transmission crystal lit up.

“…Yes, Sakuna here.”

“Perfect timing. Go ahead and kill Terakomari Gandezblood.”

Sakuna swallowed her breath. It was just as she anticipated.

“I don’t care how flashy you do it. Luckily, the farsight magic has been obstructed. Because of that explosion, the entire old castle is overflowing with magical power. Show her how dangerous Inverted Moon can be! If you succeed, I will let your family live.”

With that, the conversation was cut. Sakuna grit her teeth.

—In the end, she was nothing but a tool for Sakuna Memoire.

*

When I came to my senses, I stood in the middle of debris and rubble.

“…Huh?”

I have a hole in my memories. What was I doing until now? I was forced to participate in this Seven Crimson Deva War, suddenly attacked by Delpune, ran away together with Vill, and then…No, I can’t remember.

I looked down at my body. It felt like I just took a blood shower, my entire body was red…No, it’s actual blood. Why did this happen? Did I get killed? No, I don’t feel any pain anywhere…There, I spotted maid clothes in the corner of my view. A girl was sleeping on top of the rubble, pulling me back to reality immediately.

“Vill!”

I ran towards the girl—Villhaze. That’s right, I remember. She sacrificed herself to protect me. If my memories are correct, her stomach was stabbed by Delpune’s knife of blood. I quickly confirmed her status. Her wound was fairly deep, but the blood had stopped—She’s breathing, albeit barely. She should make it.

Out of relief, a sigh escaped my lips. Even if she’d revive through the magic nucleus, I don’t want someone precious to me to die, because that would make me sad. I took out a <Teleportation> magic jewel out of my pocket. I’ve held on to it in case things get really bad, but I couldn’t use it for myself. I used magical power to fill the jewel, and Vill’s body disappeared.

I sent her to the Imperial Capital’s hospital. It should be more safe than on a battlefield like this. However, thinking this far, I found doubts with my own situation. This is a battlefield, right? I observed my surroundings.

To my surprise, nothing was there. I could see the distant battlefield, but around 100 meters around me, there was merely plain land.

“What is this…a dream?”

There, I heard the ominous sound of breaking glass. I must have stepped on some broken glass. In a panic, I pulled away from there. At my feet, I had deep-red glass fragments, and half of a crimson ball or globe. It probably got split in two during that attack before.

…Hm? Wait a second, is this possibly…

“The Crimson…Orb?”

Right when I arrived at that conclusion, it happened. I heard footsteps behind me. It felt like someone grabbed hold of my heart. If I were to encounter an enemy now, I’m done for. Please, let it be an ally… I prayed to the gods I didn’t believe in.

“Gandezblood-san, good day to you.”

A woman glared at me. This is the worst, it’s over. I’m dead. The self-proclaimed heroic Crimson Deva ‘Black Flash’ Frete Masquarelle flashed a smile.

“What wonderful destruction this is. What have you done? This wasn’t magic, was it? Some sort of explosive? What unbefitting strategies of a Crimson Deva.”

What is she even on about?

“…Frete? What happened with the others? Are you alone?”

“Alone…? Indeed, I am alone. Every single one has been killed by you after all…Even Heaven-sama, Metal-sama, Memoire-san…and Delpune!”

“T-That makes no sense! I have no idea what you’re talking about!”

“That is because you are playing dumb, is it not!? I won’t tell you to only use magic, but there has to be a limit! Because of you, this Seven Crimson Deva War—”

There, Frete looked down at her feet, spotting the broken fragments of the Crimson Orb. Right after that, her own face turned beet red.

“Is that…the Crimson Orb!? Did you destroy it!? Is that your idea of bringing an end to the Seven Crimson Deva War!?”

“Well, I thought it’d be fine if it got destroyed, but it wasn’t me, okay!?”

“Fooling around again!” She gathered magical power, gathering a dark light.

A black mist started to build around Frete. Even I could tell she was brimming with rage.

“Why do you keep fooling around! I prepared this stage of the Seven Crimson Deva War…and you ruined it because of such a selfish reason as to save yourself! Do you have no conscience of being one of the strongest seven this Empire has to offer!?”

“Again, you’re wrong! When I came to my senses, this is what happened!”

“Futile excuses!”

Boom! The atmosphere started shaking. It was like a black hole, swallowing everything whole. The small grains of sand and rubble were sucked towards Frete. I tried my best to find solid ground, but I couldn’t. I was slowly sucked into the darkness.

“You are the cancer of this Empire. I cannot let you do as you please any longer. That is why I will take care of you here. I will give you a wonderful end with my dark magic, worthy of a swindler such as yours.”

“Why! I didn’t do anything!”

“Then, try to resist, will you? Extraordinary-tier dark magic <Darkness Arma—”

“…!” I closed my eyes, and holed up like a turtle.

All my hope was destroyed. My only fate now is to die. Everything was over, leaving me no time to even think of another poem. I grit my teeth, as my body shook like after my muscle training the other day. What a short life it was…

“…?”

I had given up on everything, and yet Frete’s magic never came to attack me. Was she just pranking me? No way, right…? I looked up to confirm what was going on. Then, I doubted my eyes, because the scenery in front of me was too surreal.

A fist had grown from Frete’s stomach. From there gushed out a river of blood, dropping onto the debris at her feet. The dark magic had disappeared fully as well. Frete looked down at her stomach, unable to comprehend what had just occurred—and met eyes with that blood-drenched arm growing from it.

“W-What…is this…?”

Right after, the arm was drawn back with a disgusting sound. Or rather, it was pulled out. All strength left Frete’s body, as she fell to the ground like a puppet having lost its strings. But, she was still breathing. She mustered up the bit of strength she had, and looked at the face of the killer—only to be crushed by a gigantic rock.

“Guh!”

Beginner-tier rock magic <Falling Rock>. I heard the sound of bones being crushed. Frete tried battling against the rock for a moment, but eventually stopped moving.

“………Wha…”

Met with this unbelievable development, I couldn’t even say a word. That heroic Crimson Deva had been killed with such simplicity. Not to mention in the most gruesome method. Yet, that wasn’t even the biggest revelation. Standing above Frete’s corpse was an individual I knew all too well. White hair, white skin, and beautiful facial features…she looked like something out of a dream.

“Terakomari-san! You’re still alive…”

It was Sakuna Memoire. Her right arm was drenched in Frete’s blood, and yet she showed me an innocent smile which did not match up with this situation at all, as she came running towards me. Through this, I realized. Her right eye was crimson-red, like it was filled with blood. It reminded me of Vill during her Nucleus Liberation.

“I’m so glad…I finally got to meet you.”

She truly looked ‘glad’ from the bottom of her heart. Yet, I felt scared for some reason, and took half a step backwards.

“Y-Yeah, I’m glad to see you’re safe. More importantly though…Sakuna, um, were you always this strong?”

The girl glanced down at her blood-riddled arm.

“I’m not strong at all. Frete-san just let down her guard. That is why I could defeat her.”

“But…weren’t you a sorcerer? Killing someone with your bare hands like this…”

“Everybody could do this. We’re vampires after all.”

“I-Is that so.”

“Yes. With this, almost everyone from the Seven Crimson Deva War has died.”

She gave off an odd atmosphere. Her tone gave me chills.

“Do you remember?” She muttered, with her back to me. “Do you remember what I asked you that night we watched the stars together?”

“Yeah…Something about a terrorist and hostages…”

“Correct. Back then, you said that you would defeat the terrorist, did you not? I thought you were amazing. And, seeing the situation here at this castle, I feel so even stronger now. I realized you weren’t just saying this for your own good or pride, but rather that you truly felt that way.”

“Sorry, Sakuna, I can’t really follow you…”

“However, I cannot become someone like you. I cannot fight Inverted Moon with my own strength. No matter how hard I work, how much blood I cough up, face the organization, they are going to kill the people important to me. Even if I beg them, there is nothing I can do. Because I am weak. Because I don’t have any courage. Because I don’t want to be killed. That is why I only have one choice to take…” Sakuna kept talking on and on, as if she held back all this time.

I was overwhelmed by the air she gave off. And not just the air around her, from her own body emitted a large amount of magical power. I was unable to comprehend what was going on.

“Hey, Sakuna…”

“That’s right, there is only one path for me. In the past, and in the future—I have to work as Inverted Moon’s pawn, be pushed around, and hope that they leave me alive.”

“Sakuna! What’s wrong!?”

“Terakomari-san, I’m sorry. I was the terrorist all along.” She turned around.

A breeze passing us by shook her white hair. Her red eye had vanished, leaving behind the usual blue color.

“Sakuna…are you crying…? Are you hurt anywhere…?”

“I am just fine.” Sakuna smiled, as she shed tears.

“…You really are kind, Terakomari-san. You are worried about me even in such a situation…Did you not hear me? I am a terrorist belonging to Inverted Moon.”

“Enough with the jokes! If you want to go home, then let’s do that! I wanna go home myself!”

“Even if I wanted to, I can’t. I want you to understand the circumstances. Because I don’t want us to kill each other without knowing anything.”

The girl slowly lifted her blood right arm, and put her white, slender index finger on my forehead.

“Spirit magic<Mind Refrain>.”

There, my consciousness was cut.

1 Originally <Ultimate Mountains of Corpses and Streaming Blood>

2 Originally written as ‘Glitter/Sparkling-tier’

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