Helios Orb Chronicle – Chapter 611

Side: Muse

“It seems like that’s all of them on that side.”

“It appears so. Though, this is likely the Kirin Army’s full strength.”

“That’s likely. But if we give them time, the other three armies will also gather. To whittle down their forces, we should make the first move.”

“I agree with Lord Harut. Lord Rex, please make your decision.”

We, observing from above the Kirin Army, the elite of Abaricia, as they deployed their troops and prepared for interception, realized that the unit that appeared was all they had. It was fewer than expected, but as they are known as elites, they would undoubtedly be formidable foes. If we delayed in repelling them, as Grand Dragoner’s Master Lord Harut said, the Four Spirit Armies guarding the other three directions would also converge. I believe we can repel them with our full strength, but it will be difficult to do so without taking any damage. Therefore, we have only one course of action.

“Yes, that’s the plan. Announcement! We will now engage the Abarisian Army below! This battle is to defeat the Divine Emperor who, for his own selfish desires, has repeatedly invaded the Philia Continent and has ultimately become a Demon King leading the world to ruin with the Helios Orb! The demon army below is similarly becoming a threat to the Helios Orb. We cannot allow such beings to do as they please with the world we inhabit any longer! Charge, Ritters! We are here with the righteous cause of saving the Helios Orb!”

Rex rallied them, and the Ritters responded to his call. It didn’t matter that the enemy were demons; everyone’s morale was high. However, the unit composition would remain unchanged in case a Chimera appeared. Although Mako’s presence kept things calm, we never knew when it might flare up again.

“Hmph! Let’s go, Ritters! Follow my wings!”

Rex, spreading his pure white wings and cloaking them in light, leaped from the Wing of Order, and the Ritters followed suit. Rex is currently at level 94, the highest for an Ancient Class. However, Rex is not of the Winged Tribe; he is Human. He doesn’t possess wings himself. He sometimes uses the Supplication Magic called Wing Ring, but that is a magic that merely makes wings appear by releasing magic power, and it bears no resemblance to the beautiful wings on Rex’s back.

So why are there wings on Rex’s back? They are the Unique Magic, Magius Booster, which we, along with Rex, painstakingly developed. We were able to get a glimpse of what wings were like thanks to the Supplication Magic Wing Ring, and based on that, we experimented and iterated. Wing Burst, a Unique Magic used by Yamato and his companions, involves creating magical wings with magic power and enhancing them to improve all abilities. Recently, they’ve also been layering it with another Unique Magic called Feather Ring, which imbues them with elemental properties. However, layering two magics makes them difficult to control, and they haven’t been able to layer more than two elements with Feather Ring. Consequently, the magic power efficiency isn’t great either. While it can be used even by Ancient Classes, it’s difficult for prolonged battles, let alone multiple consecutive fights, though it’s fine for short durations. That’s why we developed Magius Booster. Developing this magic was more difficult than creating any other Unique Magic… But the results were worth the effort, so I feel rewarded.

Magius Booster, like other magics, creates wings from magic power. However, it simultaneously deploys light-element magic at that point. The reason is that light-element magic has good compatibility with other elemental magics and is not difficult to layer. The fact that Dragonians with light-element characteristics possess dual attributes was also a significant hint. Thanks to this, Magius Booster can be used with commonly used elemental magics, and can even be layered further depending on the situation. The magic power consumption has also been reduced, but it’s only slightly less than layering Wing Burst and Feather Ring. It becomes about the same when layering elemental magics, so we need to be careful about that.

Although, even with Magius Booster, I, Marie, and Saya haven’t fully mastered it yet; only Rex can use it stably. However, Rex rarely has the opportunity to be on the front lines, and that shouldn’t change even with this campaign, so there was a high probability that Magius Booster, which we worked so hard to learn, would go unused. That’s why, although I usually find political discussions bothersome, I’m thankful for them this time. I’ve used it a few times in hunts, but this battle is the first Presentation of Magius Booster. Although we haven’t mastered it yet, as long as we don’t layer elemental magics, there’s no problem. So, Marie, Saya, and I, though incomplete, also donned Magius Booster and followed Rex.

Side: Rex

Donning the Unique Magic Magius Booster, completed for this very day, I rallied the Ritters and then leaped from the Wing of Order. This magic can be considered an attribute-infusing enhancement magic, completed through a different approach than Wing Burst and Feather Ring, which Yamato and his companions use, inspired by the former.

“You’ve arrived! You foolish invaders who struck our holy capital!”

A man, likely the commander of the Kirin Army, hurled insults our way. I can’t deny the truth of it, but they were the ones who attacked first. However, regardless of how it began, it no longer matters. The Kirin Army before us has all been transformed into demons. Halting in mid-air, I signaled the Ritters to stand by and then spoke to the commander.

“There is nothing to discuss with evil beings who invite the destruction of the Helios Orb! While our primary objective in coming here is to take the Divine Emperor’s head, the destruction of you demons is also included in our objective!”

“How audacious! His Majesty the Divine Emperor is the savior who will save this world! To prove it, he bestowed great power upon us and even created obedient demon beasts! His actions are truly divine, and it is no exaggeration to say so!”

It seems the commander is infatuated with the Divine Emperor, but what he says is far from the truth. During the Battle of Linea, I had a brief direct conversation with the Divine Emperor. What I felt then was that he was far from a savior, quite the opposite, in fact. The rumors heard by the Gradia Continent investigation team spoke of the Divine Emperor’s dictatorship, his indifference to politics, and his cruelty in executing anyone who displeased him. Arrogant, cruel, selfish dictator – that is our consensus. Due to his high combat power, he is worse than the Emperor of Solemne or the Imperial King of Retisencia. For such a fool to be called a savior is, to us, a laughable notion.

“Hmph, claiming divinity is indeed quite boastful. The results of the recent Battle of Linea and the invasion of the Philia Continent were a literal annihilation. And the Divine Emperor, the only one spared, merely fled back in utter defeat, didn’t he? Someone like that being a god is not even a comedy, but a mere joke! Or perhaps he is beloved by the god of laughter?”

I couldn’t help but scoff, but I do have pent-up feelings towards Abaricia, and it is a pre-battle verbal sparring, so I suppose this much is acceptable.

“Y-You! Your utterly disrespectful words towards His Great Divine Emperor! I will absolutely not forgive you!”

“You won’t forgive me? For what? I merely stated facts. Ah, yes, after he fled back, not only did public order deteriorate, but there were also those who plotted rebellion. Just when I thought it was finally suppressed, we come under attack. It must have been quite difficult, but if that’s the case, then the Divine Emperor truly is beloved by the god of laughter!”

The commander, trembling with anger at my provocation. As I mentioned earlier, while I may have injected a little personal opinion, I have only spoken the truth. The expression “god of laughter” is something I think I came up with quite well.

“You! Stop speaking! And descend! I shall personally vanquish you!”

He’s quite bold in saying “vanquish.” Well, from his perspective, we are indeed invaders, so his phrasing could be considered correct. Although I find his reasoning questionable, given they attacked first, it’s fine for now.

“Oh? You intend to duel me, one-on-one? A mere demon? If you wish for self-destruction, I believe there are other methods.”

“I told you to stop speaking! What follows is not a duel but an execution! Though, if you don’t wish to die, you don’t have to descend from the sky!”

Is that supposed to be a provocation? Aerial combat using the recently promulgated Flying and Scaffolding has already become a common combat technique on the Philia Continent. While it’s difficult to use continuously without evolving to High Class, even Normal Class users can employ it for short periods. I’m sure it’s even incorporated into the curriculum at academies. Because of this, the concept of air superiority, where the one who controls the sky wins the battle, has been newly born. Therefore, it is an essential skill for those who make their living through combat on the Philia Continent. The commander’s words are nothing but gibberish to us, but it’s not pleasant to have such techniques insulted.

“It may be a difference in values, but it’s unpleasant nonetheless. Very well, I shall descend.”

Well, I don’t really have any other choice. Naturally, I don’t think for a moment that the commander would simply agree to a duel. Since he’s already uttered the word “execution,” there’s no need to expect anything else. Indeed, as if to affirm my thoughts, not only the commander but also about ten soldiers surrounded me as I descended to the ground.

“Wasn’t this supposed to be a duel?”

“As I said, it’s an execution. Besides, you’re not worth my personal attention. Your subordinates are in the sky, so don’t expect help. In other words, the moment you took my bait and descended, your death was sealed!”

The commanders, grinning gleefully. I’ve experienced this situation a few times now, but it always feels hollow.

“Is that so? Well, I did anticipate this outcome, as I couldn’t gauge your strength beforehand. Now that my part is over, I even feel a sense of emptiness.”

“You anticipated it? As a commander, that’s natural. But the fact that you’ve fallen into this situation is proof of your incompetence as a commander! And it’s only natural to feel empty when your life is about to end here!”

Our conversation isn’t quite aligning, but that doesn’t matter anymore. I slowly raised my magic power and began to coat Magius Booster with lightning-element magic.

“Let’s go! Strike down the evil fiends who plot to harm His Majesty the Divine Emperor, and hold their heads aloft as a warning!”

At the commander’s order, the soldiers surrounding me attacked in unison. As expected of the elite Kirin Army, they are all High Demons. However, they are no match for me at this moment. I fully unleashed Magius Booster, and with Prominence Sword, a new sword forged from Hihishirokane, I coated it with fire and lightning element magic, forming a blade of light and shadow, and swept it horizontally. The several-meter-long, fire-and-lightning-infused luminous blade sliced through the soldiers rushing at me in one fell swoop.

“…Huh?”

“I always feel this emptiness at this moment. Why did I descend here? Why didn’t the Ritters move? Did you not consider these reasons even for a moment?”

It’s precisely because they didn’t consider them that they are in this situation, but it truly is a hollow moment. While feeling that emptiness, I swung Blading again and severed the commander’s head. Simultaneously, I issued an order to the Ritters waiting in the sky to advance.

“To the Ritters and Hunters! Defeat the weak army before you and offer victory to His Majesty aboard! In this battle that will determine the future of the Helios Orb, defeat is not an option for us! All personnel, act with resolve!”

Under my command, the Ritters and Hunters, with a war cry, began their descent en masse. With the commander’s head already taken, there’s nothing more for me to do here. Frankly, I wanted to fight, but it can’t be helped. Watching the Ritters begin their battle after descending to the ground, I, conversely, used Scaffolding and remained in the sky.