TREMORS RIPPLED THROUGH the cruise liner's deck, and Livia latched on to the
handrails to steady herself. As quickly as she could, she rushed over to an
injured crew member and summoned her healing magic.
"Are you all right?!"
"Y-yeah, I will be." He forced a weak smile at her. A monster had chomped
down on his arm moments ago. Fortunately, one of the male students had
thrust his spear into the beast and killed it.
"Leave the small ones to me!" the student bellowed as he brandished his
spear. "Protect the girls with everything you've got!"
Some of the girls chanted spells, maintaining the shield around their vessel.
Others used offensive magic to counterattack.
"Get away, you stupid beasts!" one of them shouted.
"Eat this!" Deirdre whipped her hand through the air, sending wind blades
slicing straight through one of the monsters. It dissolved in a puff of smoke.
The deck was a battlefield.
Armors flew above them, defeating monsters too large for the people on deck
to contend with. Chris proved to be exceptional at repelling the enemy, a
reminder to the rest of them that regardless of his loss to Leon, his strength was
otherwise unparalleled.
Livia finished healing the crew member and looked for the next injured
person. But before she could find anyone, the principality's fleet shifted, lining
up around the academy ship.
"Hey, they're aiming their cannons right at us!"
"They've got us surrounded!"
"Are they planning to blast through their monsters and annihilate us?!"
Livia's breath grew raspy and uneven. She clenched a fist over her chest, and
the white marble dangling from the charm on her wrist began to glow.
"No. I can't let this happen. Noooo!" Livia hunched forward, letting out a
sharp cry as the cannons fired. While everyone else turned their eyes away,
light poured out of Livia, gentle rays bathing everything around her.
Students and crew alike gasped in surprise. Then voices broke out around her.
"Wh-what's—"
"Hey! The monsters were blown away!"
"No way! That deflected the cannon fire, too!"
Livia took a deep breath and lifted her hands. Her eyes opened wide.
Numerous magic circles floated around her. The white marble on her wrist
emitted a radiant light, enveloping the entire cruise liner even as the enemy
fired round after round. The circles glowed faintly and shot beams that pierced
the closest monsters.
The crew members stared at Livia.
"You sure are something else," one of them said.
Livia glanced back at them and smiled before turning her attention forward—
toward Leon. "This is what I can do for now! Please, go forward, Leon! I'll
protect the rest!"
Her shield glowed brightly, fending off the monsters and the principality's
warships alike. Any creatures that dared to approach were skewered on beams
of light.
The students watched in awe, occasionally glancing back at Livia.
"That scholarship student did all this?"
"You've gotta be kidding."
"But now we actually stand a chance. The rest is up to Bartfort."
Livia watched Leon as she continued to withstand the oncoming attacks. She
gritted her teeth as she pushed herself well beyond her limits.
"Just a little bit more," she whispered. "Please. Keep this up a little longer."
***
Black smoke filled the air around the ship, but Luxion's voice filtered through.
"I must say I'm surprised," he said.
"Yeah, me too."
The wind dispersed most of the smoke, and when I looked back, I sagged in
relief to find the cruise liner intact. An enormous sphere of faint light now
encompassed the vessel and seemed to be protecting it. I could make out an
enormous magic circle glowing on the deck.
I recognized this as one of Miss Olivia's abilities as the Saint. Her sheer power
blew my mind; not only had she protected the ship from enemy fire, she'd
blown back the monsters as well.
"She doesn't even have the key items she needs, and yet she's still capable of
this…"
"A result of her diligent studying," Luxion remarked. "She works exceptionally
hard at the academy. An opportunity she owes to her meeting with you. Thanks
to your protection, she has been able to devote an enormous portion of her
time to studying."
"Well, if she got something out of it, that's what matters."
"Master, this is our chance. Forget what's behind us and charge forward."
"You're right. She bought us some time. Let's make sure it doesn't go to
waste." I reloaded my weapon, leaned forward, and gunned Schwert's engine.
"Here we go!"
"We'll take the shortest route to our destination. Master, please do be sure
you don't fall off."
Our airbike sped through the air, weaving past monsters as we dove toward
our target. That enormous whale loomed right in front of us, and when its jaws
opened wide, I faced a whole host of eyes inside its mouth. They all stared right
at me.
"Well, that's creepy as hell!"
"How dreadful." Even Luxion was disgusted. "Nonetheless, we're going in."
Beams of light shot out from those eyes and streaked through the sky straight
for me.
We dodged them all and sped right into the creature's mouth.
***
The guards had crammed Angie into the same room as Hertrude, so Angie
took the opportunity to give the princess a piece of her mind.
"This ship of yours is nightmare," she snipped. "It looks disgusting, too."
Hertrude's jaw dropped. "Wh-what did you say?! It's adorable!"
"What part of this is adorable?! Are you blind?"
Angie would have never thought to make an enormous monster into an
airship. Maybe it was ingenious in a way, but the creature certainly was not
adorable.
Gelatt turned to them, grinning at a report he'd just received. "Seems our
adorable ship ate the boy leading the charge."
Angie swallowed her sudden terror and glared at him.
He smirked, amused. "What a fool. That's what he gets for charging in all by
himself. Fear not, we'll engrave his name in our country's history. He'll be the
half-wit who died most pointlessly. How could a boy that age be a knight?! The
kingdom must be sorely wanting for worthwhile prospects if someone like him
received the title. Fanoss is far superior!"
Angie's heart squeezed painfully. "Leon," she mumbled, dropping her gaze.
Suddenly, the floor beneath her began to creak and tremble, then burst open.
Leon shot up from below, riding his airbike.
He had plunged right through the creature to break into the building above it.
"You're alive!" Angie gasped.
"Duck!" Leon lifted his shotgun. The blasts he fired whizzed through the air
where Angie's head had been moments before, slamming into the knights
standing behind her. Thanks to their magical defenses, none were critically
injured, but the attack paralyzed them for the time being.
Leon hopped off his bike and whipped the butt of his shotgun across Gelatt's
chin before pointing the barrel at Hertrude. "You're coming with us. It's your
turn to play hostage."
Hertrude stared back at him. "It seems I underestimated you, Sir Knight."
A maid standing behind the princess raised a weapon, and Leon pulled his
trigger again. The blast sent her reeling through the air.
He's using nonlethal rubber bullets? Angie realized.
Leon was the picture of composure. "Don't bother trying to buy time. Bring
your Magic Flute and come with me. We don't have a moment to lose. If you try
to resist…"
It struck Angie as odd that Leon had prior knowledge of the flute, but
Hertrude promptly tossed it to him.
However, Luxion interjected, pausing in the midst of singeing off Gelatt's
mustache with his lasers. "Master, that is a fake. They hid the real one
underneath the desk."
Then he returned to his work on the earl's nonconsensual hair removal
treatment.
Leon's helmet still obscured his face, but Angie could practically see him
grinning through it. "Too bad for you, Your Highness."
Hertrude scowled, but Angie hurried over to the desk and retrieved the real
Magic Flute, which she passed over to Leon.
After that, Hertrude put up little resistance, to Leon's evident surprise. He
tied her hands and plunked her down on his bike. By the time Angie hopped on
behind them, the warship was beginning to list to one side.
"Leon, don't tell me…"
"Yep, I had to kill the monster this thing was riding on. It's disappearing. The
ship will fall, but I'm sure it'll be fine. They probably have emergency brakes or
something. Either way, it's time for us to move." He revved the airbike's engine
and tore through the wall right in front of them.
Once outside, he turned his gun on Hertrude and bellowed. "Attention, idiots!
I've got the princess!"
The principality's Armors froze in midair.
"H-how underhanded! You call yourself a knight?!" one of them shouted at
him.
"Moron!" Leon barked. "Look in a mirror and ask yourself who lost his liege!
Now put down your weapons!"
Angie smiled against the fabric of Leon's vest as she clung to him from behind.
The knight who'd come to her rescue was neither dignified nor graceful—he
contradicted every tale she'd ever heard.
Yet she couldn't have been happier.
"You really are so…" She hesitated. "Thank you, Leon."
***
"Dammit! They have us surrounded."
I waited until Princess Hertrude and Angie dismounted from Schwert onto the
deck of the cruise liner, then used the brief opportunity to check how many
shells I had left. Only a few. A quick glance revealed the monsters hovering
around us, unmoving. However, Fanoss's warships still encircled our ship. They
weren't just at our front, back and sides—they had positioned themselves
above and below us, too.
Chris landed his Armor on the deck. The hatch popped open, and he peeked
his head out. "Bartfort, what are we going to do now?!"
I hadn't thought this far. No, more like I'd figured we'd be able to return to
the kingdom by this point, but our opponent showed no intention of letting us
do that, even with our hostage.
Exhaustion lined everyone's faces. They were running on fumes. They'd done
well to fend off the enemy until now, but Fanoss still had energy to spare. By
thus far using monsters to fight, they had reserved most of their own military
might.
"Negotiations would be the easiest route," I said, glancing at my pocket watch
before turning my attention to Miss Olivia.
She'd collapsed onto the deck, completely drained. She bore no signs of
injuries, but she'd pushed her body to its limits. It would be difficult for her to
move for a while.
Chris's Armor was in shambles as well, his sword cracked in two. Had he really
fought in that condition? What kind of monster was he? Maybe I hadn't given
him enough credit.
"Okay, now what?" I mumbled.
I didn't have to wonder long; a voice blared over a megaphone from a nearby
warship.
"The princess sacrificed herself for our country! Ships, commence fire on the
enemy!" It was Gelatt.
Chris's expression soured. "She's still alive. Are they planning to let her die?!"
"You know nothing of my people." Princess Hertrude smiled faintly. "This
won't be enough to stop Fanoss. They have replacements for me. I was only
entrusted with the vanguard."
"The vanguard?" I didn't believe my ears. "Are you saying you're not the final
boss?"
Sensing we had let our guard down for a moment, the princess took the
opportunity to mumble an incantation. I turned the barrel of my gun on her,
but she only laughed. Her spell had already been cast—and in an instant, the
monsters were on the move again.
"What did you do?!" I tightened my grip on my gun.
"You lack determination," she said. "You should have shot me. I just released
my control over the monsters. Now they'll turn their aggression on the person
who controlled them—they will besiege this ship."
It didn't take long to see she'd spoken truth; the monsters lunged toward us,
as if lured by something unseen. Fanoss's warships also closed in.
Angie fisted her hands in the collar of the princess's dress. "Why would you go
to such desperate lengths?!"
"I told you already. I will see the downfall of your kingdom."
My hopes had fixed on Miss Olivia, but she was no longer in any state to use
her magic to protect the ship. And I couldn't make her push herself any further
than she already had.
Straddling the bike, I turned to Luxion. "We need to buy some more time.
Help me out!"
"Certainly. I will be by your side until the end."
As my bike hovered through the air, I turned my shotgun on the gathered
monsters and pulled the trigger. Our combined magical blast turned them all
into wisps of smoke, but any sense of victory was short-lived as new beasts
appeared to replace them.
Well, this freaking sucks!
***
When Leon shot off, Angie stretched a hand out after him, loath to watch him
go.
Chris retrieved a new weapon to replace his broken one and lifted off, felling
several enemies as he went.
"I…I also want to…" Angie's voice trailed off.
The red marble dangling from the charm on her wrist began to glow faintly.
Soon, she was surrounded in flames. They roared around her before converging
into six lances.
Angie recognized the spell immediately. "Fire Lance? But how…"
She was shocked; never before had she been able to call on such powerful
magic. Grateful for this miracle, she turned her new weapons at the enemies
crowding around Leon. "Pierce my—no, Leon's enemies!"
The flames skewered the monsters before her, swallowing them up in a giant
explosion.
But enemy Armors launched from the Fanoss airships and came charging
toward the cruise liner.
Angie's heart raced. Struggling to conjure the lances once more, she spotted
Livia collapsed on the deck nearby. A monster reared its head right above Livia,
its jaw cracked open, ready to swallow her up.
In a panic, Angie released her magic. A fiery ball flew from her hands and
slammed into the beast, burning it to a crisp.
Angie raced over and lifted Livia into her arms. "What are you doing? Hurry
and get up!"
Livia's breathing was unsteady, and her feet quaked beneath her.
"Don't tell me you used all your mana…?" Angie gasped.
Livia's face was drained of all color, and she could barely walk. She would
recover if given the time, but until then, it was dangerous to leave her so
vulnerable out here.
Angie wrapped her arms around Livia, trying to support her as they made
their way toward the relative safety away from the deck.
"I was never of any use," mumbled Livia, tears of frustration streaming down
her cheeks. "I always dragged you and Leon down. I hated myself for that, so I…
for once I tried my best to help. I want to do more for you both, but my body
won't work the way I want it to."
"Foolish girl!" Angie smiled. "You've done more than enough already. Helping
you is never trouble. Because you're…you're one of my most precious friends."
She forced herself to blurt out these words, unconscionably embarrassed.
Livia's eyes widened, her face a mess of tears and snot. "Angie…"
But the warships of Fanoss continued to close in on the ship, depriving them
of their moment.
Angie furrowed her brow. "Do they plan to ram us?"
Sure enough, a principality ship slammed into the side of the cruise liner, and
tremors rocked the deck beneath their feet. Angie and Livia lost their balance,
just in time to see a monster come racing toward them, its mouth gaping wide.
Angie shoved Livia out of the way and threw her right hand up. The creature
disappeared in a flicker of flames and ash.
Then the deck began to tilt, and Angie's feet slipped out from under her.
"Angie!" Livia called after her.
Angie managed to latch on to the handrails on the side of the ship. The cruise
liner flew at such a high altitude Angie couldn't see the ocean below. If she fell
here, no one would be able to save her. To make matters worse, monsters
gathered below, ready to swallow her before she even hit the water.
The other students saw Angie's peril, but everyone had their hands full
defending themselves. As if to add insult to injury, the rail Angie grasped
creaked. Slowly, it peeled away from the body of the ship.
Angie gasped. "Oh, I wish I'd told them how I felt sooner…"
Images swam through her mind, of her family, Livia, and even Julius. The last
one she saw was Leon, that taunting grin on his face. She found herself smiling.
"You had better make up with Livia, you idiot."
Just as Angie's hand lost its strength, Livia lunged over the side, a look of pure
determination on her face.
"Stay away!" Angie snapped, her throat raw.
"No!" Livia reached past the broken railing, grabbing for Angie. She was
clearly pushing herself despite her mana exhaustion, huffing and puffing as she
grabbed Angie's arm.
Angie summoned her last iota of strength and, with Livia's help, clawed back
over the edge and onto the deck. Once safely on the floorboards, she rounded
on her friend. "You complete idiot! You could have fallen with me!"
"I had to do it! I had to!" Livia lifted her chin, tears streaking her cheeks. "You
said I'm your friend!"
"You fool," Angie said again, flushing as she turned away. "That's no reason to
—"
"I-I don't care if I'm a fool. If it means I can be your friend, then—"
But another violent quake ran through the cruise liner, and this time, Livia
went tumbling over the edge. Angie scrabbled after her, thrusting out a hand,
but she couldn't reach Livia in time.
"Aah!" A sob caught in Angie's throat. For a brief moment, she saw Livia smile
before she lost sight of her plummeting toward the ocean, the wind whipping
past her.
Just then, a gray airbike raced forward, plunging straight after Livia.
"Leon!" Angie gasped.
***
I lifted my shotgun, aiming it at the monsters racing to feast on Miss Olivia as
she fell.
The moment she saw me, she clasped her hands in front of her chest as if
praying and closed her eyes. Her expression was serene—as if, much to my
chagrin, she trusted I would save her.
I'm gonna look like a real goddamn jerk if I fail her now.
I pulled the trigger and dispensed with the monsters surrounding her, then
tucked my gun away and relinquished my grip on the handlebars.
"I'm leaving it to you," I told Luxion.
"I will match Schwert's speed to hers," he promised. "Please be cautious
when you take hold of her."
Of course!
I held out my arms to catch Miss Olivia—she fell into my grasp, and I clutched
her to me, princess-style.
"There will be splashdown," Luxion warned. "Prepare for impact."
"You really keep me on my toes!" I said through gritted teeth as I tightened
my hold around Miss Olivia.
I braced myself as the bottom of the airbike smacked against the ocean's
surface. For a few seconds, we raced across the water, white mist spraying as
we went. Slowly, the bike began to gain altitude again. All the while, Miss Olivia
clung to me, sobbing.
I gently patted the back of her head as I held her, attempting to console her.
"You're safe now. Don't worry, I'll take you back up to the ship, Miss Olivia."
"Livia!" she demanded. There was more determination in her voice than I'd
ever heard before. Wait—was she mad?
"Uh, look…"
"Livia! Why won't you call me Livia? Do you hate me now? Why… Don't call
me Miss Olivia anymore, please!"
Luxion kept silent. Granted, he was busy guiding the bike through the air so
we could return to the ship, but he could have thrown me some kind of bone
here. I was no good at situations like this.
"Look, Mi—Li—you, you can't…be with me," I said. "You need to be with a
guy more suited for you."
"What are you saying? Why are you even mentioning other men?!"
"Because!" I swallowed hard, a lump sticking in the back of my throat. "There
are way better guys out there. Good-looking ones, rich ones—all kinds, you
know? They would be such a better match for you than me."
"I don't care about any of that!" Livia clenched her tiny hands into fists. Why
didn't she get it? She looked so defiant and sounded so stubborn.
You're supposed to be with one of the love interests. They're all worthless
pieces of crap, sure, but if they make you happy, that's all I care about.
Regardless of how much I badmouth them, they're all way better than me.
"Look—Prince Julius, for one!"
"No way! He abandoned Angie!"
I hesitated. "Well, fine then! How about Jilk?!"
"He's a wicked schemer!"
"Then Brad!"
"A narcissist!"
"Greg!"
"A meathead!"
"Chris!"
"A show-off!"
Huh, you sure have them pegged. This is actually amusing.
"I don't want anyone else," Livia protested. "I…I want to be with you, Leon! I
want to have fun with you and Angie, like we used to!"
But…being with me wouldn't do her any good. "Y-you can't be with me!
What's even good about me?!"
"I want to be with you," she insisted. "You're kind and strong… Wait, no,
that's not quite right. It doesn't matter, I love you! That's what's important
here! I love you, Leon!"
My gaze fell. No one had ever declared their affection for me so openly. Well,
besides my mom, but she didn't count. I'd certainly never thought I would ever
hear such a confession in this world.
Luxion piped up, "Master, we've arrived at the cruise liner."
I reached for my shotgun and loaded some more shells. I kept my voice quiet
so Miss Olivia—Livia—wouldn't notice my embarrassment. "Climb back behind
me and hang on tight, L-Livia…"
"Okay!"
When I'd used her nickname before, it had been a casual thing, as friends. I
hadn't thought anything of it, and yet now, I was keenly aware of how intimate
it sounded.
Livia grinned as she sat close behind me and wrapped her arms around my
waist.
Oh crap, this is usually where a girl presses her chest against the guy's back
and there's all that sexual tension!
There was just one problem…
My vest is so thick I can't feel a thing!
Luxion apparently guessed what I was thinking. "That pilot suit was custommade,"
he dutifully informed me.
"Thanks for the backtalk, as always!" I growled. I held my gun level, blasting
away the monsters in front of us.
The cruise liner listed to the side after one of the Fanoss vessels had rammed
it. Right now, though, the swarm of monsters also made it hard for the
principality ships to move.
Once my shotgun was out of bullets, I landed Schwert on the deck, skidding
across the floorboards before screeching to a stop. I whipped my head around,
taking in our surroundings.
"You did a splendid job, Schwert," Luxion praised the bike like a proud parent.
"I'll be sure to give you proper maintenance later."
I left my gun behind and helped Livia dismount.
Angie raced over toward us, flinging herself at Livia. The two wrapped
themselves around one another in a tight embrace. "You idiot! You absolute
fool! You had me so worried!"
"Angie, I'm sorry!"
They both bawled as they clung to each other.
Okay, who was the idiot who thought female friendship was fleeting? This is a
beautiful sight right here.
The battlefield was in complete chaos. Thanks to the warship that had
rammed into us, the other principality ships couldn't fire on us again, but at this
rate, our liner would sink. The silver lining: no one from our side had died yet.
But it was only a matter of time.
"Luxion, what's our ETA?"
"As planned. Incoming now."
I pulled out my pocket watch and checked the time again. Right on schedule.
The Partner appeared on the horizon.
The girls, still hugging, followed my gaze and noticed my airship.
"No way. You called it?" Angie's jaw dropped. "But how did you reach it from
this distance?"
I grinned. "I had it on standby not far from here. I'm a bit paranoid, you see.
Luxion—"
"Already in progress," he interrupted.
Come on, at least let me say my line.
With the Partner's appearance, the enemy's formation began to crumble.
***
Gelatt had evacuated from the main vessel to take refuge in one of the
principality's other warships. On the bridge, he shouted orders. "What are you
doing? Hurry up and sink them!"
The other soldiers refused to obey. "Our own people would be in the
crossfire. Besides, the princess is still alive aboard their ship."
Gelatt lifted a hand to his mustache, but his fingers grazed bare skin. He
clenched his fist. He'd loved that mustache. He'd taken great care to trim it
every single day, and now it was gone.
That rotten knight had taken it from him—that bastard! Gelatt's heart
thirsted for revenge. He would have no peace until he'd killed the miserable
boy.
"Why did you have that ship ram them in the first place?" Gelatt demanded.
The soldiers refused to meet his gaze.
These buffoons did it on purpose because they want to save the princess! They
sabotaged our ability to freely fire on them. And they know we have
replacements!
Enraged, Gelatt kicked a nearby piece of equipment. It hurt more than he
expected, and he was left hopping around until the pain eased.
"Urgh," he hissed. "This is all that brat's fault. How I loathe that mustache
thief!"
"A…a new ship has appeared!" a crew member suddenly cried. "It looks to be
approximately seven hundred meters!"
Gelatt scrambled to the window. "Ridiculous! Reinforcements couldn't
possibly have made it here this quickly." He snatched binoculars from nearby
personnel. In the distance, a single vessel headed straight toward them.
The soldiers were puzzled.
"What an odd shape. Are those mobile cannons? But only two of them?"
Typical airships were lined with cannons on their sides, and a ship equipped
with more cannons had a natural advantage over its enemies. This enemy
aircraft was simply unnatural.
Gelatt stroked his naked upper lip. "Sink it. A crude vessel like that is only an
eyesore. All we have to do is take out its Suspension Stone, and it won't trouble
us."
Suspension Stones had allowed for considerable development in airship
technology. Simply put, they kept vessels airborne. Gelatt's plan, in that regard,
was flawless.
"Hurry up and surround it!"
No sooner had Gelatt given the order than the enemy ship opened fire. The
Fanoss warship trembled from the attack. One of its primary engines had taken
a hit, and it could no longer move.
"Wh-what in the world is going on?!"
"We took enemy fire!"
"Enemy fire?" Gelatt dropped his jaw. "How could their cannons reach us
from that distance?! Augh!"
Another tremor surged through the ship. The enemy was rendering Fanoss's
warships immobile, one after the other.
Gelatt caught a brief glimpse of something launching from the enemy's vessel,
heading toward the listing cruise liner. "Wh-what was that?"
A piece of the ceiling broke loose and smacked Gelatt over the head. Blood
poured down his face as he stood there, dumbfounded at this turn of events.
***
A large box landed on the deck of the cruise liner. The moment the other
students saw it, their eyes lit up with hope.
Chris wore a taut frown, but even his expression softened with relief. His
Armor was practically falling apart. Upon dismounting, he called over to me.
"Bartfort, you going out there?"
I balanced Luxion in one hand and glanced back at him. "Who do you think
you're talking to? Also, cheers—victory is mine."
This battle was as good as won.
"Master," Luxion cut in, "enemy Armors headed this way. Requesting
permission to release the drones."
I nodded, and instantly, multiple battle drones launched from the Partner.
Legless robots, they each carried different weapons in their hands.
The box on deck unfolded to reveal my beloved dark-gray suit: Arroganz. I
opened the hatch on the chest and slipped inside.
Angie and Livia held onto Princess Hertrude as they watched me.
The princess narrowed her eyes at my Armor. "Don't tell me that's a Lost
Item?"
Settling into Arroganz's pilot's seat, I replied, "You know your stuff."
"Now I remember. We received word of a knight who gained infamy for his
exploits as an adventurer. You must be him, then."
Luxion grumbled, something along the lines of, "Being constantly referred to
as a mere 'Lost Item' is deeply displeasing."
I ignored him and closed the hatch. The screen in front of me lit up, and I took
in all the monsters and enemy knights surrounding us. I grinned as I powered up
Arroganz.
"You guys had your fun, pounding on us while we were defenseless. Now it's
my turn to return the favor!"
"Master, you can hardly call us defenseless when you and the others fought
back."
"Look, it's the sentiment that counts. We're going to let them know they
messed with the wrong guys. By the time I'm finished with those idiots, they'll
be terrified of me!"
The container on Arroganz's back opened, releasing a number of drones with
machine guns. They dispatched the monsters around us in droves.
I turned to Angie. "Evacuate the deck."
She nodded. "Got it. We'll leave the rest to you."
"Leon, you have to come back to us!" Livia called.
Chris stood beside me, back in his Armor. "Let me help you out," he said. His
suit was a wreck, but he still planned to fight?
"Have it your way." I shrugged. "Just don't hold me back."
He chuckled, unaffected. "I'll be careful not to!"
Okay, hold on a sec, it feels awkward if you acknowledge our power
difference. I was kinda expecting you to say something like, "I don't want to
hear that from the likes of you!"
"Luxion, I want the large rifle and sword."
"Opening container one."
I took the gun in my right hand and the blade in my left. Arroganz drifted up
from the deck, and Chris followed right behind me.
The monsters charged the moment they saw us.
"Resistance is futile," said Luxion.
Arroganz's drones took up formation around us and pelted the encroaching
beasts with their machine guns. The monsters disappeared in puffs of smoke.
"Now I look silly for fighting them with a sword," Chris commented.
You sure do. When are you and your bros going to figure out how foolish you
are?
The drones Luxion had launched earlier from the Partner engaged enemy
units everywhere they could, protecting the cruise liner. An enemy Armor
approached us, and I turned my rifle on them to blast the head off their suit.
"Okay, time to go destroy the principality's fighting spirit."
"You really do perfectly fit the villain role, Master."
The grin on my face stretched from ear to ear as I gripped the controls.
***
Gelatt stared at the battle from the bridge. "What kind of monster is that?"
The enemy defeated more and more of the principality's warships and
Armors. That gray suit and its thick plates of armored protection differed so
greatly from mainstream models.
One of the soldiers standing nearby said, "Earl, I think we should sound the
retreat."
Gelatt imbued his fist with magic before he slammed it into the man's face.
The soldier went reeling.
"Retreat?!" Gelatt scowled. "Don't be absurd. If we slunk back with our tails
between our legs because some students beat us, we'd be laughingstocks! Is
that what you want?!"
The man scrambled to his feet, scrubbing away the blood gushing from his
lips. "B-but we've already taken heavy damage—"
"Go back after losing the princess, the Magic Flute, and this battle? We don't
have the luxury of a retreat!" Gelatt's future would be over if he returned in
disgrace. His countrymen would hold him responsible for all of this. No, he had
to do whatever it took to sink their enemies.
He chewed his fingernails, eyes bloodshot as he racked his brain. "Who knew
the kingdom had a new model like that…?" he mumbled. "I have to at least get
rid of that thing."
A number of knights suddenly entered the bridge, equipped in black, custommade
military uniforms.
Gelatt spotted them and jerked his head up. He grinned at the lead knight.
"That's right. We have you—the most powerful hero of the principality."
The knight regarded Gelatt with contempt. A balding man with a giant scar on
his forehead, his body was brawny and thick with muscle. Unlike the other
knights, he wore a full suit of armor rather than a military or knight's uniform. It
made him stand out, but the truth was the man famously considered anywhere
he went a potential battlefield. None of the others regarded his apparel as
anything out of the ordinary.
"Odd to hear that coming from the man who told us not to deploy," the
knight grumbled. "I heard they took the princess. We'll deal with you later. For
now, we're going out there."
Hope lit up the eyes of the soldiers present. Although the enemy had laid
waste to them thus far, these knights could turn the tide.
Gelatt nodded. "Yes, I have no qualms with that, Viscount Vandel Him
Zenden. I leave this to you and your men."
The knights promptly left the bridge.
Gelatt snickered. "This solves everything."
"B-but, my lord," said the soldier Gelatt had punched, "the principality
ordered us not to let them onto the battlefield—"
"Zenden made the decision, not me." Gelatt snorted. "Besides, we'd be fools
not to play our strongest card. Surely the Black Knight can defeat that beast. He
is the strongest knight in the principality, after all."
And said knight was about to launch right at Leon.