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“Very well, here we go! With my power, I will only be able to do it once, so please watch carefully! In the name of the Goddess of Water, Aquans, I summon you!”
<Evil Points acquired.>
“……Hmm?”
“What is it, Six?”
I tilt my head in response to the sudden announcement, and Alice turns to face me.
“Hmm? Oh, I just acquired some Evil Points out of nowhere. Remember those brats calling me the Fly? I tossed some porn into their houses where their parents could find it. Guess they just got caught.”
“…You did what? Against children…?”
At that moment, I hear the splash of water.
“Did you see? That was the spell used to summon the spirits of water…!”
I turn to the source of the sound and see Tillis standing there in front of a puddle, breathing raggedly but looking quite pleased with herself.
“Sorry, I missed it.”
“I’m afraid I missed it as well. Do you mind doing it again?”
“Oh…”
For some reason, Tillis stands there looking crestfallen.
Gazing down at the city from the balcony, there’s no sign of the enemy. It’s long past the expected arrival time of the Demon Lord’s Army, and it’s closing in on 1500 hours.
“They’re a little late, aren’t they? Maybe they won’t show up today.”
“No, they’re probably just held up by the minefield.”
Oh yeah, I forgot about those.
Still, I’ve got no complaints. Really, the later they are, the better. My promise is to stay here until 2000 hours. Once that time passes, I’ve got no intention of letting anyone complain about my departure.
…The waiting continues, and even the tension among the knights stationed in front of the gates starts to slacken.
Then a vague shadow appears in the distance. The Demon Lord’s Army arrives at last, bloodshot eyes boiling with rage.
“Sir Six! Look! The captain of the sixth company is bravely charging alone into the enemy!”
Neither force is gaining or losing much ground.
The demons push forward, trying to make the most of their numerical advantage. For their part, the outnumbered knights maintain their disciplined ranks, working together to take down demons as they approach one by one.
In spite of all the doom and gloom before the battle, they’re more than holding their own against the larger force.
“Huh. At this rate, we might not even have to run. Uh, just so we’re clear, Tillis, you won’t turn around and execute us as spies if we get through this, right?”
“Whyever would we do such a dishonorable thing? True, we did put you in a single room to save on costs, but we wouldn’t stoop to such depths.”
………
“Wait, you put Alice and me into the same room to save money?!”
“Sir Six, you’ll be departing this castle tomorrow. No need to dwell on the past.”
“‘No need to dwell on the past,’ my ass… You might look like an angel, but you’re a damned cheapskate!”
As Tillis and I argue, Alice looks to the battlefield and coolly makes an observation.
“…The front line’s breaking.”
“Oh! Oh, heaven help us……”
Tillis shoves me aside and leans forward to get a better view of the battle.
The soldiers are fighting with grim determination in their eyes. Tillis stands there offering prayers to the gods in their name. In the middle of all that, Alice and I are bored out of our minds…
“Hey, Alice, how about some tic-tac-toe?”
“And what is that, exactly?”
Alice and I spread out a sheet of paper atop the rug. Tillis glances over at us, biting her lip as if she has something to say.
“I thought you were supposed to know everything. Tic-tac-toe is a game where you take turns filling X’s and O’s into a grid. First one to line up three in a row wins. You up for it? We can bet a gold coin per round.”
“You serious? You think you can beat me with a lowly human brain?” Alice says in a slightly exasperated tone.
“Let’s even up the rules, then. How about you give me an extra move every five turns?”
“Not a chance.”
…Time passes steadily.
“Oh no…! Even the fourth company has broken!”
“There. Looks like I win.”
Alice marks in a large X on the sheet in front of us.
“Hey now, you know that tic-tac-toe is best of nine, right? You’ve only got one win.”
“Cut the crap.”
The battle rages on in spite of the dying light, and fire glow begins dotting the landscape here and there.
Demons have the advantage in night combat. I guess they’re lighting bonfires to minimize the enemy’s advantage?
“Sir Six, I’m afraid it is time to make preparations to leave. The enemy is approaching the main gate.”
Tillis speaks with a solemn look in her eyes. I glance up from the game.
“I guess it’s about time… All right, we’ll get ready.”
“Hey, Six, it’s your turn. I’m playing with this dumb handicap, so the least you can do is hurry the hell up.”
Tillis looks at me, half standing in a crouch, apparently at a loss and holding back tears.
“You really are something… You won’t even turn to watch them fight.”
Her tone is exasperated now. I look up at her and dust off my hands.
“It’s because I believe in them. Snow, Rose, and Grimm. They still haven’t seen any action. And I know those three are strong. After all…”
I grin.
“They’re my subordinates,” I say confidently.
“Hey, Six. You’ve got nowhere else to go. Fork over the gold already.”
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