“Forse and Lilmid… that’s them,” I grunted at Ashe’s words.
Memories of our last battle flooded my mind. A difficult fight.
“The three Elysion Octa have broken through the defense lines of the Second, Fifth, and Sixth Squads, who served as the vanguard, and are heading straight for the Royal Capital. The next anticipated engagement point is in front of the northern wall of the Royal Capital. The Third Squad, along with the Fourth and Seventh Squads, will be building the final defense line—that’s all.”
“Abel…”
Claire looked at me with a worried expression. She must know about my previous battle with Forse and Lilmid. She understands they are on a different level from our previous opponents.
“It’s alright, Claire,” I nodded firmly. “I’m not the same as I was before.”
In our previous encounter, they had tried to burn down the Royal Capital without hesitation. They intended to incinerate people and the city as if they were trash, proclaiming it as divine punishment. This time, I have to stop them. There was no room for discussion; it was a fight to the death. To stop them, I have to kill them.
“…That’s right, I have to kill them.”
“Abel…?”
“N-no, it’s nothing.”
I shook my head at Claire, who was looking at me with concern. My stiff expression might have been obvious. Claire continued to gaze at me with worry.
“We’ll handle them. In cooperation with the Fourth and Seventh Squads, remember,” Ashe said. I listened to her words, surprised. I had assumed I would be the one to face them.
“Abel, you and Dita will handle the aerial combat.”
“But—”
“The opponents are all formidable. It’s standard procedure to strike at the weaker points first,” Ashe explained. “Once you’ve dealt with Dibahha, return to us immediately. We—probably won’t last long. Your power will be absolutely necessary.”
“…Understood.”
Though I had some concerns, I decided to follow Ashe’s plan. “First, I’ll take care of this Dibahha. Ashe, please don’t overexert yourselves either.”
“Honestly. It’s ten years too early for a subordinate to worry about their captain,” Ashe winked playfully. “Besides, you saw it in our last battle, didn’t you? How you defeated the Empire’s mages without relying on anyone.”
Yes, their coordination that day was superb. Everyone had definitely grown stronger. “We trust your power. So—trust us too. As comrades.”
“…Understood.”
I looked at Ashe and then at everyone else, nodding. We would protect the Royal Capital from them with all our strength—
I went out to the courtyard for my departure.
“Haaah.”
I took a deep breath. My resolve wasn’t completely firm yet, but for now, I needed to focus on the battle. My opponents, Forse and Lilmid, weren’t the kind of people I could defeat with a distracted mind. And likely, the other Elysion Octa as well—
“Today, it’s a combo with Dita. I need to coordinate well…” I muttered to myself as I walked.
Speaking of which, I couldn’t find Dita anywhere. Where could she have gone? After searching for a while, I found her by a dragon at the edge of the courtyard. Furthermore, there was another figure beside Dita. That black robe—was that Court Magician Dorothea?
“The fine adjustments at the research institute are complete. How are you feeling?”
“…No problems. My wavelength was a bit unstable recently, but it’s fixed.”
“Then, there shouldn’t be any issues with the plan from here on out—”
They were discussing something I didn’t understand. Suddenly, Dorothea turned towards me.
“…!”
A strange intensity flickered across her elegant beauty.
“Oh my, Prince Abel. Good day.”
Then, she reverted to her usual refined, beautiful self. Was that expression a trick of the light?
“Are you departing soon?”
“Yes, I’m off. Dita, please count on me today.”
“…With Abel.”
Dita looked at me.
“Hm? Ah, this time it’s a combo with Dita.”
“…From now on, together…?”
“Eh?”
“……(Shakes head vigorously).”
Dita shook her head sadly, a look of distress on her face. What on earth was wrong?
“…I have to take care of Vijalv. Abel, you go on ahead,” Dita said.
“Then, I’ll see you later.”
Though her behavior was peculiar, I left the courtyard.
In front of the castle gate, the Fourth and Seventh Squads had gathered, in addition to the Third Squad.
“Did you hear? The Second, Fifth, and Sixth Squads were all defeated in no time…”
“It must be those Elysion Octa. They must be incredibly strong…”
“Can we win…?”
Their conversation was also filled with a sense of unease. The shock of Aisha’s defense line being so easily breached seemed to have spread to all the squads. I looked at the two squads again.
The Fourth Squad was a decidedly masculine team. All members were men, and they had a sporty, spirited demeanor. The trio I had fought alongside before were part of this squad.
On the other hand, the Seventh Squad was a glamorous team composed entirely of women. Their captain, Beatrice, was a beautiful witch of indeterminate age, and she had tried to seduce me multiple times since we met. In fact, I once succumbed to her advances and spent a mesmerizing night with her— but that’s beside the point.
It was a spectacular sight to see this many people gathered together.
“Yo, looking forward to working with you again, Hero.”
“…You guys too.”
The gruff trio from the Fourth Squad greeted me with a grin.
“…Uh, what was your name again?”
“WE ARE THE WHITE COMET! GET IT RIGHT ALREADY!”
The three of them barked at me when I inadvertently mumbled.
“Names don’t matter for men, do they?”
A voice from the side carried an alluring scent that sent a shiver down my spine. A beautiful female knight of unknown age leaned against me from behind.
“Speaking of which, I heard you’re being assigned a companion, aren’t you? Instead of recruiting from the common folk, I can be your partner anytime,” Captain Beatrice of the Seventh Squad whispered in my ear with a sigh.
“A companion!?”
“A harem!?”
“Is it a harem!?”
The White Comet Squadron erupted.
“Damn it, why just him…”
“We’ve achieved considerable battle achievements too…”
“Happy people die, happy people die…”
I flinched at the intense resentment flying from the three of them. Despite the joking banter, the palpable tension was undeniable. After all, the Empire this time was attempting a frontal assault without any tricks. They were pushing their strongest forces, the Elysion Octa, to the fore, intending to crush everything with brute force—the Empire’s most favored tactic, which had led to the destruction of the Gimul Empire and the occupation of Rungaria.
In response, Aisha had kept the First Squad near the Royal Castle just in case of a diversion, but all other squads were deployed in a full-scale battle formation. However, the Second, Fifth, and Sixth Squads had already fallen, and we were now the final defense line for the Royal Capital. If we couldn’t stop them here, they would invade the Royal Capital and kill many people, just as they had intended to do when we met before. I had to stop them.
Just as I renewed my resolve,
“…Sorry to keep you waiting.”
A colossal dragon landed nearby. It was Dita, riding Vijalv.
Alright, we’re all set— Just as I thought that,
*Crack!*
A sound like something shattering made me look up. The sky was a cloudless blue. A brilliant spark streaked across the mid-air. What was that?
“…They’re here.”
Dita informed me, my curiosity piqued. I could see a small black dot floating in the spot where the spark had appeared. It rapidly grew larger, taking on a human form. An enemy approaching with ultra-high-speed Flight Magic—
“…Vijalv, take off.”
Dita mounted her dragon and flew into the sky. I also ascended using a high-speed flight spell—Wind King’s Maneuver.
“Well, well, accompanying each other. To the Anti-Mage Unit.”
The enemy mage, flying from ahead, stopped before us. Their strangely polite demeanor was laced with obvious mockery towards us. They wore the familiar black robes of the Empire’s mages. However, this one wore a white mask that covered their entire face. Red patterns adorned the areas around their eyes and mouth—a mask reminiscent of a Kabuki actor.
“I am Dibahha, one of the Elysion Octa, the ‘Void Master.’ Pleased to make your acquaintance.”
Dibahha, who had announced their ostentatious title, bowed with a hand placed on their chest.
“…Ashe.”
“Yes, the plan has changed.”
Ashe, looking up from below, nodded. “Forse and Lilmid are not here yet. Under these circumstances, it’s better to finish them off with a simultaneous attack. That way, only two enemies will remain, and we can fight on even more favorable terms—”
The original plan was formulated under the assumption that Forse, Lilmid, and Dibahha would attack simultaneously. However, Dibahha had come alone and ahead of them.
“You all look surprised. Forse and Lilmid will follow. However—a mere bunch of Aisha’s mages is more than enough for me alone. I don’t think they’ll be needed,” Dibahha said.
“You’re enough on your own? I can’t let that stand.”
“That’s overconfidence, not confidence.”
Two men glared at the masked mage floating in the mid-air. They were the captain and vice-captain of the Fourth Squad. Both were middle-aged knights, and in their hands were slender staffs. Booster Rods made by Veronica— or rather, a mass-produced version. I had heard that the experimental prototypes were used by the Third Squad, and they had begun mass production based on that data. Apparently, they didn’t have enough for everyone yet, and only those of captain and vice-captain rank possessed them.
“Magic Power Full Boost!”
The two shouted simultaneously. From the tips of their staffs, wings of pale pink light spread out. A visible, brilliant aura radiated from their entire bodies. As expected of captain and vice-captain class individuals. They seemed to possess formidable magic power, comparable to Ashe and Veronica.
“Assault Bolt!”
“Roar Bullet!”
A luminous projectile imbued with lightning and a torrent of energy shaped like a beast were unleashed from the tips of their respective staffs.
“I see, you also have magic power amplification technology. While not as refined as ours, it’s a considerable weapon.”
Dibahha’s laughter could be heard from beneath the mask. “Negashift.”
With the chanted spell, the captain and vice-captain’s attack spells vanished without a trace.
“What!?”
The two cried out in astonishment.
“Well then, allow me to return the favor.”
As Dibahha casually waved their hand, dazzling light erupted from behind the captains.
“This is—”
A luminous projectile imbued with lightning and a torrent of beast-shaped energy. It was their earlier attack spells! The attacks they had unleashed were now raining down on them.
“Not on my watch! Disuloon— Limit Break!”
Claire immediately charged forward and slashed through the magic bullets.
“Hmph…”
The shockwave from the impact surged into the air, causing Dibahha’s stance to waver slightly.
“Wyvern Spear!”
Seizing the opportunity, I unleashed fire magic. The flame, shaped like a dragon, writhed as it headed towards Dibahha—
