The World of Otome Games is Tough For Mobs - Volume 13 - Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

The Truth About the Former Emperor

THE WHOLE FORTRESS trembled and shook around Finn as he finally reached the command room. He was shocked at the destruction he found inside, including a jagged hole in the ceiling.

All the soldiers were on the floor, unconscious. Among them, a sobbing Moritz clung to his cane.

“Your Imperial Majesty?” Finn inched toward him.

Moritz lifted his head, wiping away tears. “Finn? You’re still alive? This is all my fault. I fell prey to Arcadia’s deception and killed my own father. All this is because of me.” The color had completely drained from his face, and the way he spoke made it sound like he was about to take his own life.

Finn was angry about the part Moritz had played in assassinating Carl, but he reined in his emotions and gazed down at the cane in the emperor’s hands. “That’s the old man’s, right?” He was sure he’d seen Carl use it all the time.

Moritz held it out to him. “I don’t need this anymore. You were my father’s favorite. You should have it.”

Finn gently took it in his hand, recalling how often Carl had used it. “What’s this?” he wondered aloud, twisting a gem atop the cane. The decoration glowed, producing a hologram of Carl.

“Father?!” Moritz cried.

Finn shook his head. “This is a recorded image. He can’t actually talk to you.”

Moritz hung his head.

“I assume Moritz is seeing this, or maybe someone else. Perhaps even that brat Finn, eh?” said the hologram. “I have no way of knowing who’ll see this, but I decided to record my dying moments.” He’d apparently done this after sustaining his fatal wound.

Finn was a little exasperated that Carl had implemented a function to record messages like this in his cane, but all the same, he watched the hologram with fond nostalgia.

“A Demonic Creature incited my fool of a son, Moritz, to assassinate me. He’s an incurable moron who was too reckless to hear me out.”

Moritz kept his eyes focused on the floor. He couldn’t dispute what his father said about him, disparaging as it was.

“I’d hoped for a peaceful conclusion to the war that took place eons ago between old and new humanity.”

At that, Moritz finally lifted his head and met Finn’s gaze. “Did you know about this?” he asked.

“No,” said Finn. “This is the first I’ve heard of it. I didn’t even learn about the whole war of survival until after he was dead.”

The hologram continued. “There are a vast number of Lost Items in Vordenoit. While scouring our records of those, I discovered that the ancients’ war still hadn’t ended. I knew that we, the descendants of new humanity, would eventually meet old humanity’s descendants in battle.”

Carl had apparently realized that before everyone else thanks to the relatively large number of Lost Items within Vordenoit’s borders. From the way he spoke, it seemed the problem had weighed heavily on his mind.

“I considered overwhelming the opposition with sheer military might, but that was far too merciless for my liking. I struggled over the issue. I thought, if I only I could place my trust in someone in Holfort Kingdom, the two of us could join hands to resolve the matter.”

Moritz shook his head in disbelief. “I never realized he’d thought this much about it.”

Finn felt likewise. Carl had always seemed shallow to him, preoccupied with fawning over Mia. He’d never known so much else was going on in his head.

“Then,” Carl went on, “someone I could trust did appear, so I decided to opt for a peaceful resolution instead of a violent one.”

Moritz sniffled, fresh tears streaming down his face. “If only I hadn’t let Arcadia talk me into this…”

“Unfortunately, my idiot son got in my way, so I have no way of knowing whether our nations will manage to come together or not. I can only hope he and the others involved chose the route of peace. Either way, if my fool son still lives, please make sure to deliver a message to him.”

Moritz raised his head.

Carl smiled. “I haven’t told you that I have an illegitimate child, an adorable daughter named Miliaris—or Mia, as I call her. I want you to make sure she can live in peace without getting dragged into the imperial family’s bloody power struggles. Oh, and if that brat Finn is still alive, tell him I’ll curse him from beyond the grave if he makes her cry.”

It was so like him to ramble about Mia at the end.

As Moritz grimaced, Finn shook his head. “So much for all the sentimentality.”

“Finally, a message for my idiot son: I forgive you.”

“What?” Moritz blurted out. His eyes, wide with surprise, met the hologram’s.

“It pains me to think of the difficult choice you’ll have to face, but you can’t escape the responsibility that falls on you. You have to shoulder it, Moritz, as well as whatever consequences come with it. Having said that, as your father, I’m willing to forgive and forget the hand you had in my death.”

A wail escaped Moritz, the tears falling fast.

“I’ll assume Miliaris is watching this recording as well,” Carl went on. “My adorable daughter, I love you dearly. If you wish to know just how much you mean to me, then allow me to explain…”

The hologram was beginning to fade at the edges, just as Carl’s consciousness must’ve faded as his life neared its end. Creating this recording had probably taken everything he had left in him.

As Carl’s image dissipated, he added, “Brat—no, I should at least call you by your name. Finn, you’d better make Mia happy.”

The hologram cut out after that, leaving Finn crying. His hands formed tight fists at his sides. “I planned on doing that anyway,” he grumbled back at the empty air.

Moritz slowly lifted himself to his feet. “Finn, there’s still something I need to do. You should carry out your duty as well.”

“Your Imperial Majesty?”

“You need to hurry to wherever Mia is. She was convinced you’d died, and she let Arcadia consume her.”

“She what?!”

***

As the battle with Mia continued, I racked my brain desperately for some way to save her. Someone incorporated into a Demonic Suit that had lost its core could no longer regain their humanity, but it stood to reason that they could do so if the suit core was still intact.

“It has to be possible,” I muttered.

I wasn’t experiencing pain at all just then. My internal organs had screamed in agony moments before, but I ceased to feel any of it as soon as that third strength-enhancer shot took effect. The drug really was ridiculously powerful, letting me fight again even though I was on the brink of death.

“I’ll never forgive you for what you’ve done,” Mia hissed at me, her words dripping with venom. “Never!”

I laughed at her. “Ha! Don’t worry, I didn’t plan to seek your forgiveness to begin with. Don’t you understand that this whole war’s already over? All that’s left is to rip that stupid core out of you and destroy it. Then I’ll have no regrets!”

“You were supposed to be Sir Knight’s friend!”

“He came at me trying to kill me too, you know! Anyway, it’s done, so stop dragging this out,” I said. “Back off. If you don’t, Finn will have died for nothing. He put himself on the line to make sure you could go on living. You’re throwing his sacrifice away!” I was deliberately antagonizing her.

“How could I possibly stay quiet on the sidelines after watching you kill the man I love?! You didn’t have to do it!”

Each of her words was like a knife to the heart. I didn’t want to kill him either, you know! Life would’ve been so much easier if I could tell her that, but I couldn’t. “People in power have duties they have to carry out. There was no reason to let the empire’s hero live. I know he felt the same way,” I said.

“You heartless man!”

Finn would’ve kept fighting for Mia even after Arcadia sank. I’d have done the same in his shoes. How else could we face our fallen comrades? Inability to achieve victory was no excuse to give up the fight. I was bound by invisible ties: my reputation, people’s expectations, and more. Although I was just an ordinary man, this world was so far gone that someone as normal as me had no choice but to take up the fight.

“You don’t belong out here on the field! Quit resisting and give me that stupid core!” I shouted at Mia.

“Why would I ever listen to you?!”

As long as Arcadia’s core was alive, I couldn’t die in peace. The war was already over. As far as I was concerned, this was just a bonus stage.

I forced my limbs to move, drawing up the longsword in Arroganz’s hands and swinging it down at Mia. She deflected the blow and leaped backward.

“Master, I located the core,” Luxion said. “You will need to pinpoint it precisely. If you can, you should be able to separate it from her.”

“You think we can save Mia?”

“That is a possibility. However, if your aim is even slightly off, you will hit one of her vital organs instead.”

What a pain that Arcadia had positioned himself in such a spot. Although, on second thought, he might’ve done so to protect her. Still, it made removing Arcadia without killing Mia a tall order. Our target was just too small for an Armor.

“Arroganz can’t do it.”

Mia’s body was so small that Brave’s longsword would kill her instantly if it pierced her. None of the other weapons Arroganz could use would work any better.

My hands hovered over the controls, then gripped them harder. I accelerated toward Mia. She threw both arms forward, palms out. A crackling ball of red-black energy formed, fragmenting and multiplying after she unleashed it. I plunged toward her, avoiding as many of the attacks as I could, but their sheer volume made it impossible to evade them all. Several pierced straight through Arroganz’s plating. I raised Brave’s longsword, using its flat as a shield.

Arroganz was reaching its limit. Fire sprayed from its back, and electricity crackled along the overloaded machinery in the cockpit. I tossed the longsword to one side and seized Mia with both hands.

Luxion’s voice rang out. “Purging the hatch!”

The hatch immediately in front of me was blown away. Outside air rushed into the cockpit. Released from my seat, I lurched forward, grabbing the rifle I’d set beside me. 

By the time I’d ducked outside, Mia had already freed herself somewhat, having sliced straight through the fingers of Arroganz’s left hand. She tossed them back at me. Then her eyes fell on me, shock registering on her face. Freezing for a split second, she furrowed her brow. The venomous hatred on her adorable face faltered and gave way to fear, if only for a moment. Mia gnashed her teeth, looking for all the world like a feral animal.

I couldn’t blame her. Not after the heartache I’d caused her.

“Coming out in person won’t do you any good!” she said. Her right hand shot forward, mana coalescing in her palm.

Luxion darted in front of me and deployed a shield. Fire swallowed my vision, black flames engulfing the barrier.

“Master,” Luxion called back at me, “I can’t keep this up! We have only fifty seconds until I run out of energy to shield you!”

“That’s plenty of time.” I raised the rifle. Through the scope, I could identify exactly where my target was, thanks to Luxion. He could see past the black flames and locate her—and Arcadia. My finger pulled on the trigger. 

The bullet pierced the shield, blasting right through the wall of black fire and leaving a gaping hole in its wake. When it slammed against Mia, it hurled its target backward, ripping the black armor from her body. The silver coating on her skin began to crack, peel, and crumble away.

“Nice rifle, huh? It’s a rare, specially made one Luxion altered himself,” I said.

Once the flames faded, I extended the rifle’s bayonet and approached Mia. She was sprawled on her back. A black mass on the ground beside her pulled itself toward me.

“How dare you do this to the princess,” hissed Arcadia. “I’ll at least drag you down with me if it’s the last thing I do!”

Luxion hovered above my right shoulder, wobbling. “My remote unit’s battery is nearing its limit. I expended all my energy on that shield, Master. Please dispose of this refuse quickly.”

“You got it.” I lifted the rifle and squeezed the trigger without any hesitation.

“Gyaaah!” Arcadia squealed when the bullet pierced him. Black liquid gushed from his open wound as he writhed. His reaction was as good an indication as any that my weapon was effective against him. I added a couple more holes, but the darn thing wouldn’t kick the bucket like he was supposed to.

“He’s a tough one,” I mumbled, pausing to change the magazine.

The creature’s enormous eye turned toward me, bloodshot and filled with the bitterest hatred I’d ever seen. “You!” he shrieked. “I’ll at least take you!” Sharp spikes formed on the surface of his body before he jumped toward me.

Crap, I thought.

Luxion swung in front of me, trying to protect me. The spikes were cone-shaped, sixty centimeters long, but he successfully deflected most of them. “I won’t let you kill my master!” He defended me desperately, even as the spikes left numerous marks across his body.

Arcadia grinned devilishly. “Too bad, you lump of scrap metal. Look behind you.”

Luxion swiveled to face me. His gaze dropped to the right side of my chest, where one of the sharp, black cones protruded. It had punctured so deeply that it cut the strap to my backpack, which fell to the ground. My fingers couldn’t get a grip on my rifle, which slid from my hand. Strangely, the injury didn’t hurt at all. Yet my body still registered the blow, even if my nerves didn’t; blood rose up my throat and gushed from my mouth.

“Master?” Luxion looked like he was trembling, but it was more likely my vision swimming. I’d run my body ragged and drained all my strength.

“Now I shall destroy everything!” Arcadia declared gleefully. “At the bare minimum, I will wipe your country off the map! No one’s left to stop me!”

The fortress below him and Mia rumbled, summoning the last of its power to unleash its main cannon once more. A red-black energy ball forming at the tip of the fortress’s cannon absorbed the demonic essence pouring from Arcadia’s core. If no one stopped it, the cannon would fire in moments.

“Don’t kid yourself!” I managed to shout, reaching for the dagger at my waist. My hand trembled violently.

Arcadia roared with laughter. “What are you planning to do with that?” He probably thought it was an exercise in futility.

“Something, obviously, or I wouldn’t have pulled it out.” I took aim and thumbed the button on it, causing the blade to shoot out and bury itself in Arcadia’s eye. The magic imbued within it triggered an explosion within Arcadia’s body. “Guess you could call it a utility knife. Or dagger. It’s a special magical item. Pretty effective, huh?” Blood poured past my lips as I spoke. Not that my words mattered; Arcadia was past listening to me.

“Gyaaaaaaaah!” he screamed.

More black liquid issued from his eye, and a burned smell filled the air. But it was too late. His orders had already reached the fortress, which continued powering up for its final attack.

I sank to my knees.

“Gah ha ha ha!” Arcadia cackled through his bleeding. “You couldn’t finish me off completely!”

“D-dammit…” Of course I’d fail right at the end.

***

Back on the Licorne, Livia and Angie had collapsed to the floor, all their energy spent. Livia had drawn on the full extent of her powers, bringing the Licorne itself to its very limits. Its bridge controls had overloaded and were discharging electricity.

“Hurry, everyone! Throw yourselves on the Sacred Tree!” Cleare ordered. “There’s an escape hatch built beneath it!” That was why they’d purposely transplanted the sapling to that spot—so they could eject the Sacred Tree if the need arose.

Noelle lifted Livia onto her back, Yumeria and Carla teamed up to carry Angie, and Kyle busied himself readying the apparatus that would eject them from the ship. Marie was the only one not proactively doing something. She stood unmoving, staring out the window in a daze. That was how she saw the red-black energy ball forming and knew Arcadia was powering up his main cannon to fire it again. The Licorne had managed to pick up the full conversation between Leon, Luxion, Mia, and Arcadia, so they knew exactly where this was headed.

“Rie, hurry and get your butt over here!” Noelle hollered coarsely, cheeks streaked with tears. She was shaken because Leon had collapsed, heavily injured, on Arcadia’s deck. Still, she tried her best to keep it together.

Marie smiled back at Noelle—a woman she considered a friend. She slowly strode toward the Sacred Tree. Kyle and Carla stretched their hands out to welcome her.

“Hurry, Mistress!” said Kyle.

“Yes,” Carla chimed in. “We need to get out of here, Lady Marie!” 

Both were on the verge of tears themselves. 

Marie dropped her staff to grab their extended hands. She squeezed them tight. “Thank you both for everything. Words can’t express how grateful I am that you followed and believed in someone like me! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I only had as much fun as I did because you two were part of my life.”

Kyle and Carla were too taken aback to respond. Marie released their hands, and a thick barrier as transparent as glass sprang up between her and them, separating the Sacred Tree and everyone near it from the rest of the ship. The two collected themselves quickly and started banging the glass with their fists. Their lips moved, but Marie couldn’t hear anything they said, since the barrier was completely soundproof.

Marie’s gaze darted to Cleare. She was linking herself to the Licorne’s communication system, so hers was the only voice audible to Marie. 

“Are you sure about this?” Cleare asked.

Marie knelt and picked her staff up again. Leaning it on her shoulder, she stood tall and grinned. “It’s the least I can do now, at the end, to clean up my brother’s mess. It’ll make for good blackmail material next time I see him, so hurry up and get out of here. Rescue him.”

“You really are the best sister a brother could ask for,” Cleare replied, understanding exactly what Marie intended to do. “Vent the pod.” Together with the Sacred Tree, she and the others began to sink downward.

Noelle gaped at Marie in shock. Yumeria sobbed. Kyle and Carla were both wailing, screaming something at her. 

Marie smiled at them and waved. Once they were gone, and she was left all alone, she muttered, “Stupid brother. You really screwed this up.”

When she turned back toward Arcadia, its main cannon looked ready to fire at any moment. 

“Licorne, you’re going to help me in this fight,” said Marie.

“Switching master to Marie,” a robotic voice answered. “Awaiting orders.” 

Marie grasped her staff in both hands and slammed its butt hard against the floor. Her body began emanating faint light that ruffled her hair. The brighter she shone, the more mana filled the air around her. The radiance of her holy magic was no less magnificent than Livia’s.

“We’re going to block the enemy’s attack. Move in front of the fortress!”

“As you command,” the Licorne answered. The vessel shuddered and shook as it took position.

Marie’s hands clenched the staff. “Please,” she whispered to it, “give me your strength. Let me protect everyone.”

The staff, necklace, and bracelet emitted light in response to her plea. Three enormous magic circles formed in the air around the Licorne, creating a three-layer barrier to withstand the cannon. 

Marie had hardly finished preparing these defenses when Arcadia unleashed a blast aimed for Holfort Kingdom’s main landmass, which lay just behind her.

Red-black light wrapped around Marie, blotting out her vision. The first barrier shattered all too easily. The Licorne shook violently, its metal plating screaming and creaking on all sides. Marie’s hands clutched desperately at her staff as she braced herself, feet spread wide so she wouldn’t be knocked to the ground.

“Don’t…underestimate meeee!”

As Marie poured energy into the magic circles, they shone brightly, but the cannon’s powerful blast burst through the second shield as well.

Marie’s thoughts turned to the events that led her to this point. I really am hopeless, aren’t I? By reincarnating here, she’d gotten a second chance at life. She’d fallen back into her old ways, though—always leaning on Leon for support, always causing him trouble.

Yet despite her bad habit of letting him coddle her, he’d consistently protected her. He’d sure pissed her off countless times, but looking back now, she was proud to be his sister. Marie loved him dearly, although she was too embarrassed to ever say as much to his face.

A crack formed in the final shield. All the strain on the Licorne caused fires to erupt throughout the ship. The control panel burst, and smoke filled the air around her.

Marie ignored the destruction. Tears streaked her cheeks, but she kept her eyes focused straight ahead. “Since I ruined your life last time, it’s my turn to protect you. You’ll have to live a full enough life for the both of us, Big Bro.”

Something inside her clicked. So that’s it. I must’ve gotten this second chance at life so I could have an opportunity to save him. She’d given Leon so much grief during her first life, and quite a bit in her second too, if she was honest with herself. It was gratifying to think she could be useful to him here, at the end—that she’d carried out her duty.

Satisfied, she smiled. “Okay, you big worrywart,” she said, as if speaking to Leon directly. “Time for you to finally enjoy your life.”

The third shield at last gave in. Light surrounded the Licorne, and Marie’s consciousness began to fade. She accepted that this would be the end, that the remaining power of Arcadia’s attack would evaporate her and the Licorne. But as she was thrown through the air, she saw two women resembling Livia and Angie wrap her in an embrace as if trying to protect her. The Licorne, however, was swallowed by the blast—exploding and crumbling to dust.

***

The Licorne had managed to block Arcadia’s final attack, though the process destroyed it.

“Angelica, Livia, Noelle, Yumeria, Kyle, Carla, and Cleare all escaped safely,” Luxion reported. “I cannot confirm Marie’s safety.”

That dummy. What was she doing? If you go and die on me, there’s no point to any of this. Our parents will be furious with me when I cross over.

“Th-that idiot,” I choked out. “If only she didn’t…push herself…so much.”

My eyes moved to Arcadia. He said nothing at first, just floating there in the air. It took him a moment to digest the reality of the situation. At that point, he turned on us. 

“Just how long will you and your lot keep getting in my way?! Filthy descendants, crawling up through the cracks and acting as if this world is yours! This planet belongs to new humanity!”

He could scream whatever he liked. I no longer had the energy to feel pissed off at his words. I couldn’t even have stood up if I wanted to.

“Master, everything is ready,” said Luxion.

“Heh heh. I knew I could count on you until the very end.” My voice was so hoarse that the words barely came out properly. Thank goodness Luxion still had one last ace up his sleeve.

“I’ll carve you two to pieces!” Arcadia howled as spikes formed on his skin once again. “Wh-what?!”

I was equally shocked, my mouth agape. “Arroganz…?”

Arroganz had tackled Arcadia, arms wrapping tight around the Demonic Core as it dragged him away from me. Arroganz’s thrusters spit out so much fire that the flames burned through its plating, but the Armor kept Arcadia squeezed to its chest.

“L-Let go of me, you piece of scrap!” Arcadia wriggled desperately, releasing his spikes. They plunged through Arroganz’s plating, embedding themselves deep inside it and shredding its exterior.

Arroganz’s head turned toward us, and its eyes gleamed. I knew Luxion wouldn’t command it to do that; he was all about efficiency. The only explanation was that Arroganz did so by itself. Luxion had implemented primitive AI into the Armor, and it was conveying its farewell in a final show of dedication.

“Thank you for everything, Arroganz,” I said.

“I am grateful to you for all you have done, Arroganz,” Luxion added reverently. Yet, knowing he couldn’t waste the opportunity, he quickly added, “Firing my main cannon now.”

Having undergone emergency repairs after it sank beneath the waves, Luxion’s main body finally reemerged. A blue-white beam of light sprang forth, piercing Arcadia and extending like a pillar toward the sky above. The blast also caught Arroganz, since the Armor was holding Arcadia in place.

I stretched a hand toward Arroganz. It held my gaze until its form crumbled wholly into dust and disappeared on the wind. Thank you for sticking with me through all those battles, I thought. You were as much my partner as Luxion.

“You bastaaaaard!” Arcadia howled in his last moments, before his core disappeared completely. 

His fortress began to sink, parts crumbling away.