Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou Zero - Volume 6 - Chapter Pr

Prologue

“Nee-samaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

“Dieneeeeee!”

Meiru and Diene rushed at each other and hugged, tears leaking from both of their eyes, as they stood in one of Lac Elain’s larger holds. Both of them acted like they hadn’t seen each other in decades, even though it had hardly been more than six months.

“Welcome back, O-kun. How’d it go?” Miledi asked, bounding over to Oscar.

“Pretty smoothly. Though it took a lot longer than I’d hoped,” Oscar replied. He had gone to collect the last of the Liberators that were supposed to gather at headquarters—the Melusine pirate crew. Naturally, Meiru had been the one who’d wanted to go, but she’d had other duties to attend to, and Oscar had a separate reason for wanting to go, so he’d been chosen instead.

“What’s with you two? Is it just me...or are you acting really different around each other?” Kyaty asked, entering the submarine after Diene.

“Come on, Kyaty, don’t pry. Besides, it’s obvious what happened even if you don’t ask,” Chris chimed in, walking over to the group all the while. He was grinning, while Kyaty blushed and looked away bashfully.

Finally realizing just how close she was standing to Oscar, Miledi awkwardly cleared her throat and took a step back. Just then, Reinheit and Rasul appeared as well.

“Miledi, can I talk to you for a second?” Reinheit asked hopefully.

“Will you ever learn to take a hint, Hero? My princess clearly wishes to speak with me— Oh, I see her knight has returned.”

Tired of dealing with their constant advances, Miledi pushed Oscar in front of her like a shield. Reinheit glared openly at Oscar, while Rasul gave him an enigmatic smile.

“How many times do I have to warn you?! I won’t let my precious Miledi marry any of you layabouts!”

“Rasul-sama, please reconsider! The Reisen heir is not a suitable bride for someone of your stature!”

Salus, the acting commander of the Liberators, and Lestina, one of Rasul’s most trusted generals, showed up as well, neither of them trying to hide their indignation.

“Wait, what? You’re dating the hero and the Demon Lord too? Miledi, how many people are you cheating on Oscar with?! How did you get so good at seducing people?!” Kyaty asked in awe, taking a few steps back as she did.

“This is all a misunderstanding!” Miledi wailed.

However, Kyaty ran back to her comrades, shooing them away from Miledi and shouting, “Get away before she sinks her claws into you too!”

Ignoring the duo, Chris looked around the inside of the submarine and let out an appreciative sigh before saying, “This is one hell of a crew you put together.”

Every single race was represented. Demon General Elga, Beastman General Sim, and Laus were sharing drinks in one corner, while other tables had people from all walks of life mingling as they ate.

Planning for Operation Revolution Tolls had reached its climax. Everyone who’d be participating, whether they were human, demon, or beastman, had finished assembling at headquarters.

“Yeah, but there’s still some discord between the races,” Oscar replied with a wry smile.

Indeed, people of the same race more often were segregating themselves at their own tables than mingling with others. It was hardly surprising, since they had different ideals and values and cultures, but it still stung a little to see.

“It’s hard enough getting people of the same race to get along. You should be proud of what you’ve accomplished,” Lyutillis said, gracefully walking over to Oscar and Chris. She looked worriedly over at one corner, where the wolfman general Valf was speaking to Shushu, the female half-wolfman member of the former Reisen branch of the Liberators. Apparently, it had been Valf’s squad that had turned Shushu away after she’d escaped from her church captors.

Marshal and a few others were with Shushu, and for once it looked like she was willing to at least talk to Valf. Lyutillis’s words from a few days ago had probably helped soften her attitude. However, a few conversations wouldn’t be enough to overcome decades of resentment.

“The mere fact that all of these people are in the same room without trying to kill each other is a miracle,” Rasul said.

“The Demon Lord is correct. I would have never seen anything like this if I’d remained with the Templar Knights,” Reinheit added, and the two of them smiled at each other.

While it was true that there was still a bit of distance between the members of the different races, there was no hostility present. Everyone was doing their utmost to at least try to understand each other. From that angle, this wasn’t so bad a result. And realizing that, Oscar and the others smiled.

“Now then, since we’ve finally all gathered, could we get a few words from our esteemed leader?” Salus asked, clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention.

They all suddenly turned to stare at Oscar. Miledi was currently being relentlessly teased by the pirates and hounded by Lestina about what her relationship was with Rasul, and it seemed they wanted him to go rescue her. Indeed, even Miledi was looking to Oscar for salvation.

Smiling awkwardly, Oscar walked over to go save her.

A few minutes later, Miledi was standing on a makeshift podium that consisted of a single wooden crate. The earlier clamor had died down, and the ship’s hold was perfectly silent.

The combined number of soldiers that Rasul and Lyutillis had brought with them totaled five thousand. They couldn’t all fit within the hold, but the ones who weren’t present were watching remotely through the Skynets that Oscar had made.

A little overwhelmed by the number of eyes on her, Miledi cleared her throat and took a deep breath.

“Thank you all for gathering here today,” she said, her voice echoing through the room and her sky-blue eyes taking everyone in.

“Before I begin, there’s something I need to ask. Is there anyone here who has objections to the plan?”

She looked over toward members of the demon army, who’d come on board just recently. Rasul looked over them as well, then nodded before turning back to Miledi and giving her a shrug.

“Sal. Have our messages reached the leaders of each country?”

Salus gave her a thumbs-up.

“O-kun, are our artifacts ready?”

Oscar adjusted his glasses and nodded confidently.

Miledi already knew all the preparations had been completed, but she wanted final confirmation to help boost everyone’s morale.

After that, she fell silent for a few seconds to let everyone steel themselves, then said, “Three days from now, we’re going to embark on the battle to secure our future. Our enemy is strong, and they will be prepared for us. As much as I’d like to say that all of us will return here safe and sound, many of us will die.”

Miledi’s voice trembled a bit as she said that. She somehow managed to sound both calm and heated at the same time. She then looked over each and every one of the Liberators gathered, burning their faces into her memory.

“I realize that asking you to die for the cause is dangerously close to the same blind zeal that drives the church. But even so, I must ask that of you,” she continued. Miledi almost seemed to be projecting an invisible force as she talked, and everyone gulped.

“All of us here have to fight. To put an end to Ehit’s twisted games. To make this world a better place!”

Her voice grew stronger as she spoke.

“We aren’t anyone’s pawns! We live and fight for the things we believe in, not for some god’s enjoyment, but for our own sakes!”

Murmurs of assent could be heard from the crowd.

“We have the right to decide what we wish to believe in, who we hold dear, who we hate, and who we fight! We have the right to exercise free will!”

That was something that normally should have been taken for granted, but had been stolen from the people of this world by Ehit.

“We’re all people, with thoughts and desires and dreams of our own! No matter how hard Ehit tries to oppress us, he cannot break our spirits! The will to resist will never die!”

Miledi made a fist and raised it into the air.

“Let’s liberate this world from the curse laid upon it! That way, we can hold our heads high and be proud of who we are!”

She paused for a moment, letting the silence accentuate her next words.

“For a world where people can be free!”

The same wish that a young oracle had once held now echoed through the cheers of thousands upon thousands of people, from all races, classes, and creeds.