Monster no Goshujin-sama - Volume 4 - Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Worst-Case Scenario

A group of over twenty knights appeared from where Lily defeated the tetrasickle. They approached with a speed one wouldn’t expect from fully armored men and came to a stop a short distance away from us. I didn’t even have time to hide Ayame or Asarina.

The corridor was lined wall-to-wall with large shields held at the ready and naked steel pointed my way. They wore the armor of the Alliance Knights that Shiran was affiliated with. As to be expected of the elites selected to face monsters day after day in the Woodlands, their movements showed no openings to slip through.

“...What do we do, Master?” Lily whispered as she brought her face close to mine.

“Let’s just wait and see for now,” I replied quietly.

At the same time, I hugged Ayame close to me to soothe her as her fur stood on end and ordered Asarina to stand down through our mental path as she snarled at the knights. Even though they were pointing their blades at us, this wasn’t the time to immediately return their hostility in kind. Any attempts at conversation would deteriorate immediately if I did. Though, I wasn’t sure whether they would let me say anything to begin with.

“What is the meaning of this, sir?! Explain at once! Why do you have monsters by your side?!” one of the knights yelled, his blood running hot.

Even the other knights were seething and looked ready to charge me at any moment. If I hadn’t been recognized as one of their saviors, this would’ve turned into a battle already. This reaction was pretty much a matter of course. These people had been fighting monsters for their entire lives.

“It can’t be... Is a savior responsible for this attack...?!”

I had already considered this outcome, and indeed I was now suspected of being the ringleader behind the fortress attack. Things had yet to deteriorate to the worst possible case, considering they were only accusing me, but it was only a matter of time at this rate. I had to do something before things got worse.

“Answer me! Depending on your reply, even if you are a savior...!”

“Let me just tell you now. I’ve got nothing to do with this attack. I couldn’t do such a thing even if I wanted to.”

“Do you intend to feign ignorance?! The monsters by your side are indisputable evidence! The saviors of the exploration team said so as well! That this was possibly the work of man! To think it was in fact true!”

I tried not to stimulate them too much, but they rebuked my explanation with a hysterical clamor. It even felt like I had made things worse. Seeing how they weren’t likely to listen to anything I had to say, I narrowed my eyes. This was rapidly becoming the worst-case scenario.

This is pretty much going exactly as expected, though... I wasn’t too perturbed by this result. I resolved myself for this very situation the moment I revealed my power. The animosity they bore me, the malice they thrust before me, and the revulsion they poured over me were all bearable so long as I readied myself. There was also one more thing I had considered: how tremendously difficult it would be to prove my innocence here.

No matter what I said, it was questionable whether they would listen to me. People with blood rushing to their heads from fear and anger were liable to promptly deny any explanation I could give them. My earlier attempt was in fact useless. Actually, it had the opposite effect. Just trying to convince them was no longer enough.

Their suspicions weren’t based on any real evidence in the first place. What I needed right now was trust cultivated over a long period of time. I couldn’t do anything about that, though, having just arrived at the fortress. If not for the ongoing attack, perhaps I could have convinced them this was a misunderstanding. I didn’t have the time to take things so leisurely, however.

I couldn’t talk my way out of this. Be that as it may, I refused to be attacked or restrained, and fighting people who were pointing their swords at me over a misunderstanding was meaningless. It would be a complete joke if we exhausted each other and were wiped out altogether by the invading monsters.

My only choice was to run away. I could shake off the knights before me, cut through the monster-filled fortress, and escape into the Woodlands. If I could get that far, I could rendezvous with Rose and Gerbera. This seemed doable if Lily and I were on our own. The odds weren’t great, though...

Even setting aside my own well-being, I had a parasite creeper growing out of my left hand and I held a blowfox tight in my arms. Without context, it was natural to assume I was colluding with monsters. In short, our entire group looked suspicious. I had to at least dispel the misunderstanding in regards to Mikihiko and Kei.

Fortunately, judging by what they said, these knights had recently spoken with the exploration team. If I could somehow get them to accept Mikihiko and Kei, I could at least secure their safety. That was pretty much my plan. I wasn’t able to actually put it in action, though.

“Quit spouting such irresponsible bullshit!” Before I could do anything, an angry roar resounded through the corridor. “Attack the fortress?! Like hell we’d do that kinda crap!”

Mikihiko scowled and stomped forward.

“M-Mikihiko...?”

I could see agitation spread among the knights. Mikihiko, who was head over heels for the commander of the Alliance Knights, definitely had plenty of opportunities to socialize with her subordinates. Many of the knights here were familiar with his disposition. Faced with his ire as he denied their accusations head-on, the tips of the knights’ blades began to waver.

“B-But, even if that is the case for you, sir, that man is—”

“Takahiro is the same, goddammit! He’d never do that!”

“Th-That’s right.” Even Kei, who was still gripping the hem of my clothing, cut into the conversation between her elders. “Takahiro isn’t that sort of person.”

“Kei...”

She trembled in fear from the imposing atmosphere, yet there was a fire in her eyes. I was protecting her just moments ago, but now she was the one protecting me. I was bewildered by the change in flow here and lost my timing to say anything. My glasses-wearing classmate and the young girl still in her tender years were glaring down a sturdy-looking wall of knights.

The stalemate was then broken by a woman’s voice coming from the other side of the knights’ formation.

“That voice... Is that you, Mikihiko?”

“I-It’s dangerous, Commander!”

“I don’t mind. Make way.”

The knights parted, and a tall armored woman stepped forth. She had short silver hair and a tense muscularity somewhat atypical for a woman. I had met her once before. She was the woman who served as the commander of the Third Company.

“C-Commander! You’re okay!” Mikihiko yelled in joy, unable to hide his happiness with his straightforward expression of affection.

“I see you’re safe as well, Mikihiko,” she replied with a shrug.

She was a woman of few words, but I felt like there was a hint of relief in her voice. That only lasted for a moment, however. She shifted her gaze toward me with sharp eyes like an eagle.

“And you’re...Majima Takahiro, was it?”

She probed me with her eyes. She was clearly suspicious of me. However, unlike the other knights, she maintained enough composure to calmly have a conversation. She began addressing me with a careful tone.

“That’s quite the peculiar appearance. It seems you’ve been hiding things.”

“...I’ll apologize for that, but I didn’t have much choice.”

“I’m sure you didn’t. A blessing to manipulate monsters is quite the strange one. It would clearly become problematic if displayed out in the open, and it has in fact become so.”

“I’m glad you understand my predicament, but could I correct you regarding one thing here? I’m not manipulating these girls. My power doesn’t work like that.”

“That’s why you claim you’re not the one behind the monsters attacking the fortress?”

She narrowed her eyes, measuring my character. The conversation didn’t seem to be going my way. It was clear as day that my words weren’t resonating with her.

Seeing us stare each other down, Mikihiko opened his mouth in a fluster.

“Please believe me, Commander! Takahiro saved us!”

That was when her eyes first wavered with hesitation. Mikihiko had apparently earned her trust already. His plea for my innocence had enough strength to cause her to falter, but it still wasn’t enough. Even if those words shook her, they still couldn’t convince her knights.

This really is hopeless... I wasn’t mistaken in my assessment of the situation. At the current rate, Lily and I would have no choice but to run. What stopped us from doing so immediately, however, were the footsteps accompanied by clattering armor coming from behind us. I clicked my tongue and turned to face them.

I truly screwed up. We should’ve run away earlier. Now that we were blocked from both front and rear, escaping would no longer be a simple matter. It was the same as when we were sandwiched by monsters. We had to resort to at least one battle.

I wanted to avoid fighting humans as much as possible, though... I turned around, filled with such regrets, and a small sigh slipped from my lips.

“Aah...”

Several Alliance Knights were running our way. Among them was one wearing a white helmet.

“...Shiran?” Kei muttered.

The knight removed her white helmet, revealing an elf with her long hair tied up in a ponytail. Even from afar, I could see her beautiful face and identify her as Shiran.

“What is the meaning of this?!”

Shiran, her white armor stained in what I assumed was the blood of monsters, placed her helmet under her arm and briskly walked our way. She looked at the fallen knight who had been killed by the firefang and frowned sadly, but she didn’t stop her stride.

“...?”

Shiran apparently didn’t see Kei clinging to me, or my current appearance, because of the shadows. As she got within a few meters, her blue eyes captured the situation. A look of bewilderment spread across her pretty features.

“Takahiro...?”

Her trembling lips called my name. Her eyes wandered to Asarina, coming out of my left hand, and Ayame, held tight in my arms. Turmoil was plainly written across her face.

This is far worse of a reunion than I could ever think of... Before I knew it, I grit my teeth hard. Her expression conveyed surprise and bewilderment. Next would come animosity and the tip of her drawn blade. That was my prediction. She wasn’t a stranger to me. We had a sense of affinity and I held her in good favor. Even though I had resolved myself, thinking of her coming to hate me hurt my heart. It was inevitable at this point, however.

I was a master to monsters. I told Lily the previous evening that I had no intention of throwing that aspect of myself away. I wasn’t lying. As such, this was a result of my decision. All I could do was raise my eyes, even as I wanted to avert them, clench my teeth, and see it through to the end. That was all there was to it.

Shiran removed her eyes from Ayame and Asarina and checked on Kei’s condition for a few seconds. Then, she finally looked at me. It was the time for judgment. I hardened my resolve and met her eyes.

She wore a straightforward expression. Seeing a man accompanied by monsters before her, her transparent blue eyes...harbored no suspicion or hostility whatsoever.

“...Shiran?” I unintentionally muttered.

A change in the situation then occurred right before me. I didn’t know what she saw when she looked at Kei clinging to me, but all signs of turmoil vanished from Shiran’s face. Her hesitant steps became firm. The knights who were accompanying her had come to a stop, yet Shiran came closer all on her own. She didn’t draw her blade. She didn’t ready her shield. She simply stood by my side as if it were completely natural. She then looked determinedly at her commander.

“And why exactly are you pointing your blade at Takahiro, Commander?”

“...How abrupt of you,” the commander replied with the slightest gulp, then she grimaced. “Can’t you tell by looking? He has monsters under his command.”

“And what of it? You don’t possibly mean to say that he schemed this attack, do you?”

Shocked, I looked at Shiran’s beautiful profile. She was clearly intending to cover for me.

“From what I can see, Takahiro was engaged in combat with the monsters here,” Shiran said, pointing with her eyes at the dead firefang in the corridor and my blood-stained sword. “If he was leading the attack on the fortress, there is no way he would have gotten stuck having to fight one.”

“That...certainly may be the case, but...” The commander frowned as she pondered over this, but she immediately shook her head. “That argument is a little weak. His unique power is far too suspicious considering the abnormal situation we’re in. Even if he’s a savior, I cannot possibly overlook such—”

“It doesn’t matter whether or not he’s a savior.”

“...What?”

The commander’s eyes shot wide open. Shiran’s words were filled with such conviction that her reaction was understandable.

“Takahiro protected Kei. To that end, he exposed the power he had been hiding from all others, despite knowing this would happen. The nobility of his deed does not contain a single hint of evil.” She stared at the commander with a powerful gaze. “Majima Takahiro is a man worthy of respect.”

“Shiran...”

It was the same thing she conveyed to me when we parted ways right before this entire incident. Even after she learned my true identity, she repeated the same words. She glanced to the side as I was rendered speechless from shock, her mouth curving into a small smile. It was such a charming expression I felt utterly drawn into it.

“...I never thought you would say such a thing,” the commander said, unable to hide that she was just as shocked as I was, if not more. “It doesn’t matter whether or not he’s a savior, you say?”

“Yes,” Shiran answered without hesitation. She was brimming with determination to clear my name. “Making an enemy out of Takahiro is out of the question. We should be joining our strength to his so that we can break through this difficult situation. To that end...” And right then, for some reason, Shiran stopped speaking. Her well-shaped brows knit together in confusion. “...Commander? Is something the matter?”

Her quizzical gaze was fixed on her commander, whose shoulders were trembling little by little.

“No, it’s nothing. I see. I get it... Heh. Heheh.” She was stifling a chuckle, but that didn’t last long. She couldn’t hold it in anymore. The commander burst into laughter. “I see! Is that so? It doesn’t matter whether or not he’s a savior? You? Of all people? Now this is amazing!”

She sounded utterly cheerful.

“C-Commander...?”

Shiran was bewildered and shot me a sidelong glance. I felt bad I couldn’t respond to her plea for help, but I also had no idea why the commander suddenly started laughing. However, I could tangibly feel her laughter forcing back the unpleasant atmosphere that had been engulfing us.

“Hahahahah! You’re right, Shiran; it’s just as you say,” the commander continued through her laughter. “The act of sacrificing oneself to save the weak is far and away from evil. It’s difficult to imagine anyone would rid themselves of a safe position in the middle of their own schemes. It’s truly as you say. There is no reason to suspect him. Moreover, with both you and Mikihiko snapping like this... It seems I’ve been mistaken.” She eventually drew back her laughter and then swung her arm through the air. “Sheathe your swords! This man is not our enemy!”

A dignified voice struck my eardrum. At her command, the knights put away their swords with synchronized movements. They didn’t hesitate for a moment. Not a single one even grumbled in discontent. Her leadership was impressive.

“Please forgive our discourtesy for casting suspicions upon a savior such as yourself and turning our blades on you,” the commander said, facing me sincerely. “And if possible, just as Lieutenant Shiran suggested, would you accompany us? We are planning to borrow the powers of the men of the exploration team to begin our counteroffensive. If possible, it would be reassuring to have you fight by our side.”

I stood there watching things unfold in blank amazement, reflexively exchanging looks with Lily. I was under the impression we would have to run away and possibly come to deadly blows. I never once thought they would request our cooperation.

This was a happy miscalculation, of course. Or perhaps it was more appropriate to say this was the precious fruits of Shiran and Mikihiko’s labor. It would’ve been difficult for us to escape the fortress on our own. I needed help to survive. I had no reason to turn down the commander’s offer.

I nodded to Lily then agreed with the commander’s proposal. Mikihiko and Kei cheered, while Shiran let out a sigh of relief. And just like that, with Mikihiko, Kei, and Shiran’s efforts, we barely managed to avoid having to meaninglessly kill each other.

◆ ◆ ◆

After joining up with the Alliance Knights, we started heading toward the deepest section of the fortress. Our group moved at a jog. Lily, the commander, Kei, and Mikihiko were near me. The other knights accompanying us were a little further away, securing our surroundings.

I had gotten a simple summary of the current situation while we ran. First, the students other than us were all close to the center of the fortress at the time of the attack and were safe. They were lucky...or rather, Mikihiko and I were unlucky for being at the edge of the fortress. In any case, this was something to be happy about.

The commander’s company of knights was apparently focused on defending the inner section of the fortress where the students were. However, the situation turned disadvantageous in the blink of an eye, so she reluctantly had Shiran lead a separate force to begin fighting the monsters who breached their way inside. The two monsters we encountered had been ones that managed to slip through their net.

Some time after Shiran’s group set forth, the two guys from the exploration team proposed a counteroffensive strategy. They wanted to head out and fight the monsters. But with such a large army facing them, the worst could happen, even to cheaters. A decision was made to assemble all forces, so the commander went to get Shiran. On the way, they ended up bumping into us immediately after we defeated the monsters Shiran’s group missed.

Having largely grasped the situation, I asked about the all-important counteroffensive plan. The exploration team’s strategy involved around three hundred elites from the army and knights putting up resistance throughout the fortress. The idea was to start by securing the inner ramparts that had been attacked by flying monsters. Next, the exploration team would use their greatest magics from atop the secured wall to strike down the majority of the monsters. Finally, all that would be left was to mop up the remaining monsters who breached the interior of the fortress. It was rather simple.

The plan largely relied on the brute force of the exploration team, but if done well, it would wipe out the majority of the monsters perched on the outer walls. The cleanup operation also tasked the exploration team members to take the front while having the soldiers and knights support them so that they wouldn’t be crushed by the sheer mass of monsters surrounding them. As an ally of the Alliance Knights, I would be lending them a hand with this job.

“...”

“Is something the matter?” the commander asked after finishing her explanation. “You’re making quite the curious expression.”

“Well...I never thought I’d be able to work with the people of this world after revealing my ability.”

“I’m afraid to say that it must be nothing more than a temporary collaboration,” the commander said, shaking her head. “Just as I said before, I would like you to keep your ability hidden as much as possible. We cannot afford to invite unnecessary chaos.”

“I know.”

The Third Company of the Alliance Knights followed the will of their commander without question. However, the Imperial Army and Imperial Knights were a different matter. She had warned me how we wouldn’t know what would happen if they saw my power. From their perspective, it would be like the living god they revered actually being the devil. Unveiling such a thing with poor timing could cause the entire war front to collapse.

Because of this, I had Ayame and Asarina hide themselves once more. This did, of course, cause my combat potential to plummet, so my assistance in defending the fortress was only to the extent of what I was capable of myself. Depending on how things turned out though, I couldn’t remain that way either...

It was honestly a bit of a pain, but nothing could be done about it. Even though the suspicions against me had been cleared, it didn’t change the fact that I was capable of taming monsters. I was still an alien element to this world. I had to remain fully aware of this.

The knights accompanying us no longer directed their hostility toward me, but they still maintained a sense of wariness. I was somewhat annoyed by their awkward glances. Having said that, even if I had opinions regarding their behavior, just being able to fight side by side toward a common goal was far better than what I’d assumed would happen. All of this came from the command given to them by a single woman.

“Commander, do you really intend to fight by my side?”

“Do you doubt me?”

“...Honestly, a little.”

“Haha. How cautious of you. Still, that’s a good thing. Protecting what’s important to you requires caution and boldness in equal measure,” she said with a delighted laugh.

Her attitude toward me was favorable. Unlike the other knights, I couldn’t sense any reservations. It was quite mysterious.

“Why do you trust me?” I asked, to which she raised an eyebrow.

“There is nothing I need suspect you of. I believe I stated as much earlier.”

“You did, thanks to Mikihiko and Shiran persuading you for my sake. I’m truly grateful regarding that... But that was only a reason to no longer suspect me of being your enemy, right?”

Not being an enemy wasn’t the same as being an ally. As someone accompanied by monsters, I was a detested being in this world. Fighting alongside each other required dealing with that psychological revulsion first.

“Ooh. I see. That’s where your misgivings lie,” the commander replied with a nod, apparently understanding why I had my doubts. “It’s a simple matter. You saved someone I put my trust in.”

“...I don’t recall doing so.”

Seeing my bewilderment, the commander giggled cheerfully. “I suppose not. I’m not sure the person in question is aware of it, either.”

She shot a glance backward as she spoke. Her eyes pointed at the unit who were watching for attacks from the rear, where Shiran was.

“Shiran...?” I asked.

“Yes. She is a girl of pure disposition. I knew both her father and brother, so I was acquainted with her from a very young age. She possessed ideals higher than any other. As such, she applied herself fully to her studies. She endured any and all hardships. She grew up into a splendid knight with devotion in her heart. I have entrusted my back to her in battle, and she’s saved me many times over now. In the process, I grew to trust her and bestowed her with the duty of being my lieutenant.”

There was a warmth to her words. The sentiments between these two were surely more than a superior and her subordinate. I had experienced for myself just how important the bonds built within the harsh Woodlands were.

“...However, she suffered precisely because she’s a splendid knight. Knocked down by realities she could do nothing about, yet still unable to give up, she eventually grew impatient, verging on insanity, waiting for the advent of a savior. There was nothing I could do to help.”

Hearing the commander speak as if she was repenting her sins, I recalled the sight of Shiran grieving over her own helplessness.

“It’s not enough. No matter how much I train this body, comrades I am unable to protect keep dying one after the other.”

This woman had likely been watching over Shiran all this time. She thought of her as a precious comrade in arms, so seeing Shiran suffer must have been painful for her.

“Faith in the esteemed saviors one day bringing us salvation lies in all our hearts, supporting us to live day in, day out. We are here today because of the exploits achieved by the saviors of the past. Because of that, we are always conscious of them, we show them respect, and we give grace to those who have brought salvation to our present and future. It’s natural it became that way.”

“...Give grace?”

Their sense of values was so grounded in religious belief that I had problems understanding some of it as a modern Japanese citizen. In short, I suppose she was saying something like, “Let’s thank those who have risked their lives for us in the past.” That much I could understand.

“The saviors support our daily lives. Thus, I cannot deny that my own heart also wished for salvation. However, one cannot allow such hopes to go too far. Faith, taken to an extreme, clouds one’s vision. We cannot allow our delusions to conceal what we see right before our eyes.”

I could feel a certain sense of conviction as I watched the commander speak.

“By only looking at something that possesses neither shadow nor shape, one can no longer see what is truly there. Doing so is an extremely dangerous act that leaves one liable to commit grave errors. So, Takahiro...” The commander called my name in a clear tone. “You have my gratitude. By making Shiran say, ‘It doesn’t matter whether or not he’s a savior,’ you have definitely saved her from such danger,” she said with a smile.

I see. So this is the woman Mikihiko fell for, huh?

“What’cha think, Takahiro?” Mikihiko proudly asked after noticing my sidelong glance.

I could understand why he wanted to boast. Unfortunately, she wasn’t anything close to being his lover at this point.

“...It’ll probably be a thorny path, but hang in there.”

“Pity right off the bat?!”

As we talked of such things, we arrived at the rendezvous point for the counteroffensive operation. That was where a problem arose. The exploration team members weren’t there.

◆ ◆ ◆

“The operation has already begun?!”

The commander’s incredulous shout resounded through the hall. There were only a few soldiers left behind in the spacious room which served as the rendezvous point. The old man left in charge here turned pale before her menacing attitude.

“Y-Yes, ma’am. It was General Greene’s order.”

“He started the operation without waiting for us? Is he impetuously trying to claim the glory for himself? That damn philistine. Does he truly understand the situation...?”

There was apparently some kind of slip-up. The commander groaned as one of the knights came up to her.

“Commander. Now that I think of it, lately, the general has been...”

“...Oh, right. That’s true. He’s also been driven into quite the corner, hasn’t he? But it doesn’t change how irritating this is.”

“What shall we do?”

“We can only give chase. I don’t know if we’ll make it in time for the operation, but we cannot afford to lose the saviors if worse comes to worst. The strongest troops in the fortress must gather together.”

I watched her speak with her subordinate from a short distance away, when Shiran, who had been protecting the rear all this time, came running over.

“Takahiro, looks like there’s trouble.”

“Looks like it... General Greene is the man who greeted us when we arrived at the fortress, right?”

“Yes, he’s the leader of the Imperial Army units stationed at this fortress.”

“What did the commander mean by him being driven into a corner?”

“The fortress’s defense falls under the jurisdiction of the army.”

I paused for a moment and then asked, “Isn’t it a bit cruel to push responsibility for the fortress’s collapse on his shoulders given the situation?”

Considering the number of monsters involved, it didn’t really matter who was in charge. Nobody could’ve done anything to evade such a crisis. Although, taking responsibility was one of the jobs of those in charge, in a sense.

“It’s certainly as you say... But even considering that, it’s true there was ineptitude in the defensive response.”

“...You mean the incident with the drawbridge?”

“Yes.”

The twenty-some Alliance Knights who were about to sally into the Woodlands had sacrificed their lives to buy a few seconds, in which time the drawbridge should’ve been raised fully. But it had come to a stop halfway. If not for that, the soldiers on the walls could’ve bought more time for the rest of the fortress to take defensive formations. The army, who were in charge of the fortress’s defense, could easily be held accountable for this.

Shiran had quite the bitter expression. “In truth, he has been under a lot of pressure from the Imperial Knights.”

“...Is this really the time for infighting?”

“Your assessment is correct. I’m ashamed I cannot deny it.”

“It’s nothing you need to apologize for, Shiran. If that’s the case, then...what? He’s trying to grab any achievement he can to restore his honor and left the Alliance Knights out on purpose to hog the glory?”

“Not only that, he has brought more soldiers with him than the plan asked for. He is definitely panicking. He did have his responsibility over this questioned right in front of the saviors, after all.”

“So even if he survives this, he’s done for.”

The Alliance Knights were supposed to be the elites among the elites when it came to suppressing monsters in the Woodlands. Because of this, the Imperial Knights, who had the same duty, would push a lot of work onto them, so their political position wasn’t all that strong. Conversely, this also meant they had much more combat experience. Carrying out a plan by leaving this force out entirely showed a clear lack of judgment. Or perhaps he had a reason to think he could definitely win?

His oh-so-great saviors, I guess...?

“According to the plan, the exploration team’s Watanabe Yoshiki will use grade 5 magic to annihilate the monsters, right?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I recalled the schoolboy with a small build who was armed with a staff. Watanabe was apparently a warrior whose cheat leaned hard toward the use of magic, even among all the warriors who possessed tremendous physical abilities and magic. Naturally, even for a cheater, using the largest scale magic he could muster required a fair amount of concentration and time. It was the job of the soldiers and knights supporting him to buy said time. In other words, they decided the forces they had managed to scrape together would be able to do so, even without the Alliance Knights.

“...Wait, hang on. Then what about the other students? There’s no way they left them behind in a thinly defended location, right?”

“Nope, that was out of the question, it seems,” Mikihiko answered, returning with the commander.

“It turns out the two men from the exploration team brought the saviors along,” the commander added.

“...Meaning they were taken to a battlefield?”

“Yes. It was apparently Juumonji’s idea. There were many who didn’t like the idea of being separated from the exploration team to begin with, so even without this decision, most would have tagged along anyway.”

“It’s surprising how well they’ve been trained like good little idiots, huh?” Mikihiko added with his usual bitterness as he shrugged. “Well, thinking the safest place is right next to the exploration team isn’t wrong, I guess.”

“Takahiro, we’re going to set forth and chase after our allied forces. Will you come with us?”

“Understood. In that case, we should hurry.” I nodded and began running with the knights, but just then, Lily grabbed my wrist and stopped me. “...Lily?”

“Wait,” she said as I turned around. Her expression was stern, and she was gripping her black spear in her hand. “It took me a while to find the right one... Hup!”

Lily hefted up her spear, and before anyone could stop her, she threw her weapon.

“Huh?!”

The spear flew through the air with a terrifying force that contradicted her slender figure, piercing through the cranium of one of the soldiers in the hall. His head burst like a tomato, and the impact blew his body back, leaving him crumpled on the ground with his limbs splayed out.

For a single instant, the entire room was left dumbfounded.

“You cur!”

A series of angry howls and unsheathing swords resounded in the air as a whirlpool of hostility engulfed the hall. And then...

“Stand down!”

The commander’s reprimand drowned out all other sound, dampening the knights’ rampant hostility in an instant.

“C-Commander...?”

The knights looked to their commander in bewilderment. She stared fixedly at the fallen soldier with a grimace.

“Thanks for stopping them,” Lily said with a shrug. “I could have said something first, but I thought there’d be casualties if it went on a rampage from being exposed.”

The knights followed their commander’s gaze and began raising their voices in shock one after the other. The soldier Lily killed had changed into a monster that resembled a solidified shadow of a human with no legs.

◆ ◆ ◆

I had never encountered this type of monster for myself, but I’d learned during Kei’s lectures that this was a monster from the Fringes called a doppelganger. Anyone who’s played an RPG could probably guess, but this monster possessed the ability to copy the appearance of its enemies. This meant that anyone who fell prey to a doppelganger died by the hand of something that looked just like them.

In a sense, it was similar to Lily’s mimicry, but there were many differences. First, it didn’t need to predate its target. Second, the copy was perfect in appearances only; it didn’t copy any abilities. Above all else, it didn’t have a will like Lily did, so it couldn’t mix in among humans. It was of course impossible for one to sneak into a fortress. Until now, that is...

“I didn’t notice at all...” Shiran groaned despondently.

“The sprite doesn’t detect anything unless it’s hostile, right? There’s no helping that,” I said to comfort her. “In any case, this explains the incident at the drawbridge.”

“...Right after the gate was breached, the monsters trampled their way straight to the soldiers who were manning the drawbridge. Even if a monster was hiding among the soldiers and got in the way of raising the drawbridge, nobody who saw it could have survived. They really got us.”

Now that we knew doppelgangers were mixed in among the soldiers, the possibility that the same thing had happened at all key points in the fortress’s defenses was fairly high. Not only that, they could also be among the soldiers taking part in the all-or-nothing counteroffensive centered on the exploration team. The situation had gotten quite serious.

After confirming with Lily that there were no more doppelgangers among the Alliance Knights and soldiers left behind, we immediately began moving. Fortunately, the exploration team had already cleared the monsters on the way, so our relocation was going smoothly. We had to reach the site of the counteroffensive as fast as we could. If we didn’t, the plan which carried the entire fate of the fortress could hit a major setback.

“What’s wrong, Master?” Lily asked, running by my side. She was looking at me with an anxious expression. “You’re making a weird face.”

“It’s nothing. I just don’t like it.”

“Don’t like what?” Lily asked, cocking her head and blinking curiously.

“We’re on the back foot right now. The incident with the doppelganger is one thing, but the entire situation feels like we’re always playing catchup. It’d be better to assume that, at the very least, everything up until now is going exactly how our ‘enemy’ wanted it to go.”

“That makes sense.”

“Under that assumption... Doesn’t it feel like the timing is a little too good for this kind of crisis to happen right after we arrived at the fortress?”

“Wait a minute, Takahiro,” Shiran cut in upon hearing us. “Do you mean to say the saviors’ visit was the trigger for this attack?”

“I’m just saying it’s possible.”

In short, it was the same as when Kei disappeared. It was the very first time it had happened, and it occurred when we students arrived at the fortress. Here we had an attack by a large army of monsters, also an unprecedented event. It wasn’t all that strange to suspect a relationship between our arrival and the attack.

“So long as there are doppelgangers infiltrating the fortress, the possibility this is merely monsters running wild is pretty much nil. There’s a mastermind behind the attack, an ‘enemy.’ If everything is going exactly as they planned, the current flow of events could be pretty bad.”

“Meaning?”

“If they’re taking such actions because of our arrival at the fortress, then they obviously know the exploration team is here too.”

“You can’t mean...! They already expect us to rely on the power of the saviors?!” Shiran went wide-eyed upon realizing what I was getting at.

“There’s no way they wouldn’t anticipate the strongest fighting force in the fortress to participate in this battle.”

“...In other words, the situation has gotten rather dire.”

“Yeah. It’s a good plan to use the exploration team as a pivot to launch a counteroffensive—under normal circumstances, at least. But if the enemy knows of the presence of the exploration team, its effectiveness becomes somewhat suspect. They will absolutely have a countermeasure ready if they started all this knowing the guys from the exploration team were here.”

“It can’t be...”

“I might just be overthinking things.”

I added that because of how much of a shock this seemed to be for Shiran. In truth, a large portion of what I was saying was nothing more than supposition. Everything was based on the assumption that this all happened because of the students’ arrival at the fortress. I still had doubts as to how they could possibly deal with the exploration team too. At any rate, they were cheaters who possessed tremendous powers in this world.

I had a habit of theorizing the worst-case scenario because of my experiences up until now, so this could be nothing more than needless anxiety. Still, I believed it was best to be ready for the worst. “Being cautious is a good thing,” so the commander had told me. I was in full agreement.

I got my thoughts running as I dashed up the staircase to the top of the inner ramparts alongside the knights. If it was me, how would I deal with cheaters? Judging from what I could see from the monsters’ behavior, the perpetrator behind this incident presumably possessed an ability similar to mine. As such, there wasn’t a more suitable person out there to think the way they did.

And after thinking, and thinking, and thinking...the conclusion I came to was: it was impossible.

This was something I had already thought of regarding my own ability. Using monsters as one’s strength was far too weak a power compared to regular cheaters in every way, shape, and form. If there was only one cheater, slamming tens to hundreds of monsters against them with complete disregard for any losses was theoretically possible. However, these saviors of the world had many allies in Fort Tilia. Defeating them under such circumstances couldn’t be done unless they could create a situation where the saviors couldn’t use their cheats...

“...”

No, hang on? Isn’t there just one way...? One way of possibly killing them? My idea sent a chill running down my spine. It was impossible. It couldn’t happen. Even in the worst-case scenario, it was far too horrible. If I was right, the counteroffensive operation was guaranteed to fail. Taking countermeasures against the cheaters would be completely unnecessary to begin with, after all.

“We’re almost there!” someone yelled.

I suddenly raised my head and saw the entrance to the inner wall’s ramparts at the top of the staircase.

“Lily, get ready.”

“...Right.”

Her voice was stiff, perhaps having sensed my tension. We stood side by side with the knights and went through the doorway. We put ourselves on guard, but there were no monsters.

“...!”

I gulped. A tingling sensation ran down my skin as if my muscles cramped. A tremendous amount of mana was converging above the ramparts. Anyone capable of sensing mana could tell just how abnormal a power was being wielded here. The sheer scale of it would cause anyone to pale.

After coming up onto the ramparts, we began running toward the terrifying concentration of mana. It was clear the leading actors of this stage were present. The preemptive cleanup had apparently been finished already. We couldn’t see any monsters. Instead, we spotted a crowd of soldiers and knights. A familiar old man noticed the group of Alliance Knights and turned our way. It was General Greene, the one given charge of this fortress. The students were next to him.

“Oh! Majima! Mizushima!”

The upperclassman who seemed like a class peacemaker, Miyoshi Taichi, noticed us and ran our way with a relieved smile. The three other students who were a part of his clique followed after him.

“Looks like you’re okay. Thank goodness. I couldn’t spot you anywhere, so I was worried.”

“Miyoshi, how’s the... Where’s the exploration team?!”

“Huh? O-Oh. They’re right over there.”

Miyoshi Taichi pointed toward the two boys in confusion. I shifted my focus over to them as an enormous green glyph covered the sky above us. Opposite a large line of soldiers, I could see a schoolboy with a small build standing on the edge of the ramparts. The glyph was expanding from the staff he held above his head.

“Okay! I’m ready!”

It was the exploration team’s Watanabe Yoshiki. Standing next to him was his fellow member, Juumonji Tatsuya, who had a broadsword in one hand and a red glyph ready in the other.

“Let’s do this!”

The green glyph radiated a dazzling light. The soldiers and knights were keeping a watch on their surroundings while the exploration team constructed their magic, but now all eyes were nailed to the spectacle playing out before them. That only stood to reason. They were likely thinking how they were all standing in a scene straight out of the legends of saviors.

Even I thought it was striking, so it was sure to leave a larger impression on the locals. According to what I heard from Kei, the people of this world were limited to what we called grade 3 magic, meaning grade 5 magic was a leap beyond unattainable to them.

This boy held such a miracle in his hands. If he were so inclined, he could reduce this entire fortress to rubble. Actually, even though I knew he was wielding it against the monsters, the omen of destruction was so massive it made me worry whether the fortress would suffer major damage.

“Know of the pain of those you’ve killed!” Watanabe declared triumphantly as he swung down his brilliant staff.

It was like the hammer of god. The ultimate strike that required time for one called a savior to prepare.

The atmosphere trembled.

This was grade 5 wind magic. Anything and everything would be blown away in an absolutely violent gale.

But...right before that could happen, something flew high into the sky.

It was like a ball, thrown playfully by a child, slowly arching through the air.

It was none other than Watanabe’s head.

“Huh?”

He undoubtedly had no idea what had happened at all. A dumbfounded expression remained plastered on his face. It was far too sudden and unexpected, to a cruel degree. Anybody could tell what happened at a glance, yet everybody’s thoughts froze over completely. It was something that should never have been allowed to occur.

Aah... This really is the worst... Juumonji, having just decapitated Watanabe, turned the glyph he was supposed to fire at the monsters toward the group of humans instead. There was no longer time to run away.

“Take cover!”

Could anybody even react to my screaming? Juumonji activated his grade 4 fire magic. The crimson glyph scattered a countless number of fireballs into the air. It looked just like that time I was attacked by a pack of over thirty blowfoxes, but in terms of pure firepower, this far surpassed that.

One of the fireballs flew toward a group of students. I could see the bullied kid, Kudou Riku, standing there in a daze, watching the incoming blaze. “The strong do whatever they want.” That was what he had once said. Even he couldn’t have imagined that his end would come so miserably.

Fireballs poured down on the soldiers and knights who had gathered to protect the exploration team. There was no discrimination. There was nowhere to run. Over a hundred fireballs exploded, turning the inner ramparts of Fort Tilia into a scorching hell.