The Last Person
“……Grutas huh. I thought that you weren’t going to participate this year either since you don’t participate every year. However, what’s with those soldiers behind you? How did they come in?”
The King asks Grutas, who enters the hall, bringing along soldiers without holding back. There are about 100 equipped soldiers behind him. Gayn-san, who accompanies behind the King, finds that suspicious as well and places his hand on the sword on his waist.
However, why did they let them into the Royal Castle? As I’m finding that strange, there’s somebody amongst them who looked familiar. If I’m not wrong, that’s……
“Tigris・Lambert? Why are you with Ojiue¹?”
Alexia raises her voice in surprise beside me. That’s right. Tigris・Lambert. He should be the eldest son of the Duke Lambert House. Why is someone like that with Grutas?
“Kukuku. These soldiers are my loyal servants. And then, my troops of 20 thousand are currently approaching this Royal Capital. To drag you down from the throne!”
The soldiers who accompanied behind Grutas swallow something the moment Grutas shouted that. And then
“GaAAAAA!”
their appearances change. That’s……
“It’s the same appearance as the Gullek we saw at Arcadia”
If I’m not wrong, Demon Pill, was it? As for their looks; their muscles are swelling up, their bodies are turning into gigantic bodies that are slightly more than 2 meters, and their skin is turning purple.
“Hahaha! I killed all the soldiers along the way here; since it’ll be troubling if they make a ruckus. But, here, I shall spare the nobles with just one word of yours, Raymond. As far as it goes, they’re needed to rule this country hereafter after all”
Grutas says and laughs unseemingly. Around are the nobles along with their sons and daughters. It’ll end up being quite tough if they’re taken as hostages.
“……what stupid thing are you saying at a time like this! We’re currently in the middle of a war against the Regalia Empire! And yet what are you trying to do, fighting amongst ourselves within the country!”
“It’s precisely because it’s at a time like this, Raymond. This end of year party; it’s the only day the royal family gathers. And, the strongest in this country, Sylphid, isn’t in the Royal Capital during this period”
That’s right; the Headmaster has currently gone back to the Demihuman Country Forest Falia Kingdom. It seems it’s her father’s death anniversary during this period, so she went back. Grutas was probably aiming for that time.
“And then today, the Regalia Empire’s advance towards the Runwalker March started. It looks like today ended with an exchange of magic attacks, but a full-scale war will probably begin from tomorrow”
Wha! Why does he know about something like that!? Furthermore, it started earlier than predicted. Based on the previous prediction, it should be at the beginning of next year. And yet, it actually started within this year.
“……why do you know about something like that, Grutas?”
“Kukuku! I have talented people amongst my subordinates”
Space Magic’s teleportation huh. But that person sure is someone quite capable. There’s quite a distance between the Runwalker March and the Royal Capital. To be able to actually teleport that distance easily.
“This user of Space Magic, serves as a link with the Regalia Empire. Do you get the meaning of this, I wonder?”
“Grutas, you! Are you colluding with the Regalia Empire?”
“I’m not colluding. It’s a diplomatic exchange for when I become King. I cess the Runwalker March to Regalia Empire, and Regalia Empire matches up the timing of the war with me. On top of that, they also provided me with Demon Swords and the Demon Pills these soldiers took”
The King stands from his seat, astonished by what Grutas said. Does he really think that it’ll end with just that? Regalia Empire’s goal is to unify the continent, right? I can’t possibly imagine them settling with just Runwalker March.
“Grutas, what stupid thing did you do! Did you believe in those words of theirs! There’s no way they will be satisfied with just that, right!”
“When that time comes, we’ll just chase the Regalia Empire away. With my strength”
This confidence of his. Is he still hiding something else?
“The conversation ends here. All that’s left is whether this place remains as it is or sinks in a sea of blood, depending on your response. Now then, what will you do?”
I wonder how will the King answer? ……no, I don’t even have to think about it. I know how much the King cherishes this country. That’s why there’s no way he’ll hand it over to a man like this!
“Grutas, I have no throne to hand over to you, who betrayed the country! Gayn! Arrest the traitor Grutas!”
“Hah!”
The soldiers shout and draw their swords. I guess we’ll get ready as well.
“Is that so. Is that your answer, Raymond! In that case, it can’t be helped. Kill everybody here!”
“GaaAAAAA!”
When Grutas gives out his orders, the soldiers who were on standby until just now who had taken the Demon Pills, roars, and begins their attack on the nearby nobles. However
“Barrier! I won’t let something of this extent through!”
Due to the barrier Caro put up……it’s long, so the demonised soldiers’ attacks were blocked. Alexia and the others also prepare to fight……hey, aah, what a waste. It’s inappropriate to say it at a time like this, but Alexia ended up ripping her dress so that she can move easily.
Aerith is wearing a dress with a slit to begin with, so there isn’t any problem, Ferris is wearing a one-piece style dress, so she doesn’t have to rip it, but all of them remove and throw away their heels, and change into the function-oriented shoes they usually wear.
They’d all been placed inside Alexia and Aerith’s Item Box. And then Priscilla gathers the shoes they removed and threw away. Somehow, she’s like everybody’s Okaa-san.
Helen, Priscilla, and the others take cover behind Caro, who’s putting up the barrier. The King and his company and the other nobles also take cover behind Caro, where it’s safe. If it’s like this, they’ll be safe……
Kui Kui
Nn? I looked down because I felt my right sleeve behind tugged, and Haku was pulling on my sleeve.
“What’s the matter, Haku. You go behind Caro as well”
“……I’ll……fight”
She says and sticks her palms out to me like she’s asking for something. This, she’s telling me to hand her the knives that she was using previously huh. But…….
“I know……what Onii is……thinking. But, I also……want to protect……my family”
I can’t say anything if I’m being looked at with such determined eyes, can I.
“……I got it. But don’t push yourself too hard”
“Nn!”
I take out the dual knives from the Item Ring and hand them to Haku. Haku, while feeling up the knives that she’s holding for the first time in a long, she looks at the demon soldiers. And then
“Nn!”
She enters her own shadow and moves within the shadows. If it’s a one-shot thing then she can use even it without activating Level 9 huh. She carries on to move within the shadows, appear behind one of the demon soldiers
“Shii!”
and slice its neck from behind. However, its muscle swelled up and its neck also became thicker because of the medicine, so it only sliced through halfway. They’ll end up recovering from something of that extent.
As I was about to shout that, perhaps Haku noticed it, she moves from the demon soldier’s shoulder to the demon soldier’s front, and this time, she slices off the demon soldier’s head from the front. The demon soldier’s head separates from its torso and falls forward with a thud. As expected.
“These fellows recover even when we attack them!”
“Don’t receive their attacks! You’ll be sent flying if hits you flat-out!”
During the time that I’m looking at Haku, the soldiers started their battle against the demon soldiers as well. If the soldiers currently here are all we have, then their numbers are only about even with the demon soldiers.
But, I guess they’re the Royal Guards that were trained by Gayn-san. They’re not going up against the demon soldiers face to face, but are taking on demon soldiers two against one, leading them by the nose.
It appears that, like Gullek, the demon soldiers’ physical strength increase, but their reasoning falls extremely much. They’re skilfully making use of that advantage. However, it’ll just gradually go downhill at this rate.
The demon soldiers on the other side recover no matter how many attacks they receive, but it’s the end when our side receives a single strike. It probably drains their stamina to avert the considerably powerful attacks. But well
“I don’t have the obligation to save them like the time with Gullek this time around. I won’t hold back either. Gale Storm Body Endowment, Weapon Endowment”
I take out Rolgar from my Item Box and attack the demon soldiers as well. I jump and avoid the demon soldier’s gigantic arm that it swings over at me, and carry on to thrust Rolgar at its face. As expected, it probably can’t recover if I penetrate its face.
Alexia, Ferris, and Aerith are aiming and attacking the faces as well. Their heads fly off and their faces split vertically, but on the other hand, the sight of the soldiers on this side getting struck and obliterated is quite grotesque, so I can’t be saying something like that either.
I shall pretend that I didn’t see the nobles’ civil officers, their sons, and their daughters leaking themselves. It’s at a level where I would be crying and screaming as well if I wasn’t used to it.
“Tsk! Tigris, kill them!”
“……yes”
Perhaps fed up by the state of such demon soldiers, Grutas orders Tigris who’s beside him. Tigris draws the sword on his waist and readies his shield, abiding by that order. And then he starts running towards the King.
It’d normally be a cause for panic, but Caro is by the King’s side, and she’s also putting up a barrier. She probably won’t let him get through that easily……was what I had thought but
“”The Strongest Sword That Slices Everything Apart””
The moment Trigris mutters something, the sword he’s holding in his hand starts shining in white, and then
“uu!”
Caro’s barrier was sliced through. ……no way. Caro’s barrier that blocked even an Ancient Dragon’s Breath was broken through that easily……eh, this is bad!
I rush towards Tigris right away. I thrust at Tigris, who’s about to swing his sword down at the King. However
“”The Magic Shield That Repels Everything””
when Tigris mutters again, contrary to the sword that’s shining in white, the shield starts shining in black, and he tries to block my thrust. I thrust with the force to penetrate that shield altogether, but
“Kuu!”
my thrust ended up being repelled all too easily. Shit, what’s that, Tigris’ ability? Tigris’ white shining sword slashes at me without me even having the time to think about that.
Caro tries to block with her barrier, and I also try to block with Rolgar, but as though they weren’t there to begin with, it slices the barrier apart, even Rolgar was cut, and I ended up slashed diagonally from my left shoulder.
“Lei!”
Everybody shouts, but it’s not the time for that. It’s quite a deep cut, and I’m bleeding unceasingly. However, Tigris stands before my eyes before I have the time to even use Magic, and send me flying with a kick.
“Gah!”
I, who was sent flying with a kick, burst through the window and fell from the terrace to the garden.
FOOTNOTE
¹: Uncle
