No one's POV

A short while before Sora and Noint's battle began, Aishia, Yue, Shea, Kaori, Celia and Liliana snuck into the palace. Liliana was leading them to where Kouki and the others were.

Aishia and the others' primary goal in the capital was to find the labyrinth hidden within the Divine Mountain and clear it, so normally they would never have bothered helping Liliana meet up with Kouki and assist in solving the kingdom's problems. In order to ensure Aiko's safety, though, they needed to make certain Kouki and the others weren't brainwashed. After all, they were the ones who'd be looking after her once Sora got her out. Furthermore, the Divine Mountain was the Holy Church's base of operations. It was where their main temple was located. In order to infiltrate it unnoticed, Sora would need to get Aiko alone. While they could take on the Holy Church, Sora and his comrades didn't want to start an open war with them just yet.

As there was nothing else for them to do in the capital, Kaori and the others decided to join Liliana as she snuck into the palace. Hajime and Tio had remained outside. They were waiting on standby, in case anything happened. Hajime had thought it best that at least two person stay somewhere they could have a full grasp of the situation.

The secret passage that Liliana led the girls through brought them out in an unused guest room. As the last person in line stepped out of the passage, an antique wooden drawer slid over the passage's entrance, hiding it from view.

Liliana: At this hour, everyone should be asleep.

Celia: We should start by going to Shizuku's room.

Celia and Liliana whispered quietly to the girls behind them. Their decision spoke volumes about who they trusted the most out of the students. It wasn't Kouki, who was ostensibly everyone's hero and leader.

The girls nodded, and they filed out of the room. Shea, who had the best hearing of the group, took the lead this time. Shizuku and the other students' sleeping quarters were in another wing of the palace, so they had to jog through a number of hallways to get there.

When they were almost there, there was a massive boom that shook the entire castle. A second later, the sound of shattering glass rang out through the capital. All of the windows in the hallway the girls were standing in blew out, littering the ground with glittering shards.

Shea: What's going on?!

Celia: Don't tell me!

Shea crouched down and nursed her bunny ears. They'd been perked up, listening for even the slightest of sounds, so the deafening boom had hurt pretty bad. Behind her, Celia and Liliana paled and dashed over to a shattered window. Aishia, Yue and Kaori followed behind them.

Liliana: Impossible... The Great barrier has been... destroyed?

She brought a hand to her mouth and gasped. The night sky was speckled with a million dots of light. However, most of those weren't stars, but the remnants of the now-destroyed barrier that covered the capital. There was a brilliant flash of light, and another thunderous roar. A second barrier flared into existence and bore the brunt of the blow. Still, cracks spread across its surface.

Celia: E-Even the second layer can't... How did our defenses grow so weak!? At this rate...

The great barrier that protected the capital was actually three separate layers of defenses. Those barriers were created by an artifact held by the palace. Magicians worked day and night to pour mana into it, ensuring that it never waned. For centuries, it had stood firm, protecting the capital from invasion. Never before had it been breached. It was one of the main reasons humans had been able to fight evenly against demons.

And yet it had been destroyed in an instant. Not only that, the second layer was nearly gone too. Each successive layer was smaller, but also more powerful. Despite that, it looked like the second layer would be destroyed in a few more seconds. The palace burst into an uproar. Hallway lamps were lit and people ran to and fro.

Celia: Did someone betray us? But if that was the case, they'd only bring a small force... Isn't that an entire army at our doorstep? What is going on?

While Liliana was muttering to herself, Tio contacted the others.

Tio: Can you hear us?

Aishia, Yue, Shea, and Kaori's telepathy stones began to glow. Tio's voice rang out through them. It seemed she'd already grasped the situation outside.

Kaori: Yeah. Thanks, Tio.

Tio(telepathy): Understood. A massive army of monsters has appeared one kilometer south of the capital. The white dragon we fought at the Grand Gruen Volcano is there too. It was that dragon's breath that demolished the barrier. However, I do not see the demon who controlled it anywhere.

Hajime(telepathy): Lucius is there too. From the looks of it, he's heading towards the colosseum of the Kingdom.

Aishia: Lucius you say?

Hajime(telepathy): Yeah. I'll be going to Sora then. I'm sure he's got some unfinished business with Lucius. I'll bring sensei.

Liliana: So we're really under attack? How did a monster army get here without anyone noticing? What were the scouts at the Reisen Gorge doing!?

Liliana screamed hysterically. Aishia and the others could more or less guess how they'd made it past unnoticed. That demon, Freid Bagwa, had cleared the Grand Gruen Volcano and therefore could use spatial magic.

Opening a portal large enough to transport an entire army was difficult, but not outside the realm of possibility. At their level of skill, Aishia and Yue could even do it.

Only teleportation would have allowed an army of this size to escape the notice of not just the scouts posted at the Reisen Gorge, but the villages and forts along the way to the capital. It was the only method that made sense.

Seeing as Freid wasn't riding his white dragon, Yue guessed he must have exhausted himself opening the gate and was currently resting. A second later, there was another sound of shattering glass. The second layer had been pierced. Liliana urged Yue and the others to keep going. They needed to meet up with Shizuku as soon as possible. However, Yue shook her head.

Yue: We'll part ways here. You go on ahead.

Liliana: B-But why?

We need to meet up with the others and set up a final line of defense as soon as possible! Yue glared out of the window and spoke clearly.

Yue: That demon hurt Big Brother. I'm going to make him regret being born.

She still held a grudge about that surprise attack. The others took an involuntary step back. Yue rarely displayed her emotions, but right now her voice was burning with rage.

Shea: Y-You're really mad, aren't you Yue...?

Aishia: Aren't you, Shea? Or did you already forget what he did?

Shea: Of course not. I'll pummel him even if he cries and begs for mercy!

Shea's expression grew serious, and the warmth went out of her voice. When it came down to it, she was just as pissed. It was rare to see Shea, who was always so cheerful, say something so violent. She, too, held quite the grudge.

Aishia: Which is why, Kaori, Lily, we'll be going to teach that oversized lizard and its master a lesson. Your coming with me, Celia.

Celia: Eh?! Me too!

Aishia: Yes. Even if you're not suited for combat, your magic skills is as good as Yue's. You'll be helpful.

Celia: A-Alright.

Still Celia couldn't shake her fear. But Aishia's next words destroyed her fear in an instant.

Aishia: Or do you want to keep relying on Sora?

Celia: N-No! Of course not! It's my turn to save him this time. Well, I can't do much compared to you, but... Terra Carcerem.

Celia suddenly crouched down and placed both her hands against the ground, chanting a spell. A magic circle immediately appeared on the surface, and the magic activated with practically no delay at all.

A short distance away from them, the ground rose in four directions and completely enclosed some revenants running about in a prison made of earth. Like its name implied, Terra Carcerem was magic that created a prison of earth and enclosed the target within.

Yue: Wh... She cover Heiligh in an instant. Not even I could do that.

Seeing that made Yue's eyes widen in astonishment. The ability to activate magic with practically no delay was already worth a reaction of surprise, but to be able to enclose a target moving at high speed from a long distance with such ease could almost be considered godly. Yue was indeed jealous.

Aishia: As expected of Sora's professor. And the best mage in this generation.

Celia: Um. Thank you! So yes I can fight too!

Aishia: Then wear this.

Aishia hand Celia a ring.

Celia: A ring?

Aishia: It's a magic artifact Sora created. It will boost your magic essence. And give you new ability as well. You should understand how it works the moment you wear it.

Celia: O-Okay.

Celia immediately wear the ring on her middle finger and her aura started rising. Celia's eyes widened in surprise. She felt like her magic essence has increased. And she's just learned the skill Aerodynamic, Far Sight, and Riftwalk. Aishia immediately carry Celia bridal style.

Celia: Kyaah!

Aishia: We'll take out his army while we're at it.

Before Kaori or Liliana could say anything, Aishia, Shea and Yue leaped out of the window with Celia in Aishia's arm. Poor Freid's fate was sealed. There was no way he would be able to hold his own against Aishia, Shea and Yue in an even fight. While the divine spirit, the overpowered bunny and her broken vampire companion spelled doom for their enemies, they inadvertently also served as the capital's saviors.

At the very least, they would buy time for the humans to regroup, which was why Liliana hadn't tried harder to get them to stay. A chill breeze wafted through the shattered window, carrying with it the panicked screams of an entire city.

Liliana and Kaori stood there for a few seconds. After a while, they exchanged glances and resumed jogging toward Shizuku's room.

Liliana: They really love Yatagami and Nagumo, don't they?

Kaori: Yep. When they get like that... Well, they're terrifying. I wouldn't want to be their enemy.

Liliana: Kaori... do your best to not die. I'm rooting for you.

Kaori: I will. Thanks, Lily...

Though they were ostensibly helping the humans in this fight, Liliana was sure neither Aishia, nor Shea nor Yue actually cared about what happened to the capital. Their sole reason for fighting was Sora and Hajime. Inwardly, Liliana despaired a little.

Liliana: Even though I'm the princess... everyone's just forgetting about me...

Kaori(mind): Would Lily cry if I told her I kind of wanted to go with them too?

Kaori thought absently to herself as she ran.

(Timeskip)

The capital was in chaos. People all over the city had come out into the streets to watch the barriers keeping them safe shatter one after another. The city guard was frantically running around, trying to get people back into their homes.

Some people had already packed their belongings and were trying to flee the city. Yet others had fled to the palace and were banging on its gates, begging to be let in.

Barely a few minutes had passed so people were still getting up, but there was no doubt that soon there would be riots in the streets. The palace didn't have the manpower to quell them right now, either.

Especially since the uproar in the palace was even bigger than the one in the streets. That was only natural, though. The kingdom's top brass had awoken to find out that the demons already had a dagger pressed to the city's throat.

They did their best to organize a counterattack, but, they didn't make it in time.

The final barrier shattered, and the demon army, bolstered with a horde of monsters made from ancient magic, swarmed toward the capital. The only protection the city had left were its stone walls. They were sturdily built, but everyone knew they wouldn't last a second against an army that had taken out their barriers.

A wave of demons cast their strongest spells at the city walls. Gouts of fire, bolts of lightning, pillars of ice, and clods of earth all slammed into the ramparts. A massive monster the size of a cyclops smashed its mace into what remained.

At another section of the wall, a massive boar over five meters long rammed into it over and over. Each impact shook the entire length of the wall. Up above, a flock of Ash Dragons and black, eagle-like creatures soared over the wall and began attacking the capital proper.

The soldiers on the wall tried to stem the tide of flying monsters, but there just weren't enough of them. Moreover, they'd been taken entirely by surprise. It was like trying to stop a tornado with a fan. Tio stood atop a tall clock tower that was in the center of the city and surveyed the battle. A few seconds later, Aishia, Celia, Shea and Yue alighted next to her.

Yue: Tio, have you found that scumbag?

Shea: Where is that annoying, no good bastard?

Tio: You two... I understand how you feel, but Princess Liliana seemed quite happy when you offered to go with her... Are you sure you should have abandoned her so casually like that?

Yue: Who cares about that.

Shea: There's no time to waste now.

Yue and Shea didn't feel the tiniest bit of remorse.

Celia: Uh... Sora, what have you been teaching them?

Aishia(mind): I suspect this is Sora's influence.

When it came to people they didn't care about, the two of them could be quite blunt. Yue and Shea started scanning the army of monsters, looking for Freid Bagwa. Just then, they received a telepathic transmission from Sora and Hajime.

Hajime: Hey, Tio! Get over here!

Tio: Whoa!? Master? What's wrong?

Tio was surprised by the urgency in Hajime's voice.

Hajime: I've got a really dangerous enemy to deal with here. With Sora wanting to settle the score with Lucius, I need you to take Sensei for me. I can't fight at full strength while protecting her.

Tio: Understood! I will head over immediately!

If Hajime was up against someone that required him to go all out, Tio knew there was no time to waste. She instantly transformed into her dragon form and shot up toward the Divine Mountain.

Celia: A-A dragonman?!

Aishia: Sora...

Yue: Hajime, Big Brother, be careful.

Shea: Sora, Hajime, don't you worry! Aishia, Yue and I will take care of that stupid demon for you!

Sora: O-Okay? Weren't you four with the princess— Holy shit! Crap, I can't really talk right now! I don't know what you girls are up to, but don't die, alright? Celia, please stay safe.

Celia: R-Right!

Sora was curious as to what Aishia, Shea and Yue were planning, but he was a bit preoccupied at the moment. He cut the transmission and focused on his own fight. Aishia, Yue and Shea hesitated. If Sora and Hajime were having a hard time fighting, then maybe the optimal choice was to run to his aid instead of staying down in the city. Even if he wasn't fighting at full strength because he had to protect Aiko, few enemies could match him.

Celia: Aishia, what do you want to do?

Aishia: Sora'll be fine. He has Hajime and Tio with him. Let's get that demon. If we don't kill him, he might destroy some of the other labyrinths' magic circles.

Indeed, that was the other reason Aishia had decided to prioritize killing Freid. She wanted revenge of course, but she also knew she couldn't let any other user of ancient magic run free.

It was possible that he already knew the location of the labyrinth inside the Divine Mountain. In which case, if he cleared it first it was possible he'd destroy the magic circle afterward like he did in Gruen.

From what they'd learned in the other labyrinths, Aishia knew that, given time, each labyrinth would restore itself to its former state. Even the monsters in it would automatically return. However, there was no telling how long that might take.

That was why she didn't want to give Freid a chance to destroy the Divine Mountain's magic circle. And the best way to make sure he couldn't do anything would be to kill him.

Though her main driving force was still revenge. Keeping the labyrinth safe was maybe 10% of the reason she was here. Four of the black eagles spotted Aishia, Celia, Yue and Shea, and swooped over to them. They were around three to four meters long, and made for quite a fearsome sight.

Shea pulled out Drucken from her Treasure Trove and calmly fired an explosive slug at one of them. Yue snapped her fingers, and a barrage of wind blades rained down on the other. Aishia create a light orb and blasted one down. Celia chant a fire blast and knock the last one.

The four eagles were turned into mincemeat. One had its head blown off from the bullet's explosion, while the other was chopped to pieces. Their broken corpses fell to the roofs of the houses below.

Chances were the people living in them were awake now, if they hadn't been already. The other flying monsters took notice of the pair and began circling them. A good third of them had demon riders on them.

They kept their distance, wary of the power that had brought four eagles low in the span of a few seconds. However, when they realized they were facing a little girl and a rabbitman, they scoffed. Throwing caution to the wind, they began chanting spells.

Naturally, they didn't think Aishia or Yue or Shea could fly. Regardless of what tricks they had up their sleeve, the demons doubted the 4 girls would be able to withstand a concerted barrage from above.

In all honesty, Yue and Shea had no interest in defending the capital. Their only target was Freid Bagwa. However, that didn't mean they would ignore enemies that attacked them. Just in case, Shea tried to negotiate.

Shea: We're not your enemy~ We only fought back because those things attacked us first~

Of course, the demons simply thought they were being made fun of, so that didn't stop their chanting. Thinking these 4 girls weren't even worth their time, a number of the demons flew off to look for other prey. A second later, they heard a loud roar and a series of screams.

Demon: Wh-What is that!?

The demons turned around to see a dragon made of lightning devouring their comrades and their mounts one by one. They could hardly believe their eyes.

Demon: H-Help—

One of the demons managed to escape the slaughter and flew for dear life toward his comrades, but before he could reach them, something blew him to pieces.

Shea's explosive slug had made mincemeat out of him. The demons who'd gone on ahead gazed on in horror as chunks of demon and Ash Dragon flesh rained down on them.

The demons stiffened and quickly prepared to guard against the next attack. They cast their gaze about, looking for the two girls who'd obliterated their comrades.

They were so terrified that they forgot to even blink the sweat out of their eyes. Still, they spotted Aishia, Celia, Yue and Shea relatively quickly. However, the 4 girls weren't chasing after the demons. In fact, Yue and Shea were completely ignoring them. Like before, they scanned the horizon, looking for something. Their demeanor made it clear to the demons that they weren't even worth these girls' time.

Their nervousness turned into anger. These girls had slaughtered the demons' friends, and they'd done so with the same casual indifference that one would swat an insect. They had walked all over the demons' pride. Blood boiling, they charged at the 4 girls.

Demon 1: You fucking biiiiiitch!

Demon 2: Uwoooooooooh!

Demon 3: Dieeeeeeeee!

Celia: Aishia, they're coming!

Despite their rage, they maintained formation. It showed just how well- trained these demons were. They simultaneously unleashed magical attacks from all four directions. Demons were far more skilled at magic than humans were. Normally, a barrage like that would be a death sentence for anyone. However, Aishia just sighed. Then, she waved her finger like a conductor's baton.

Aishia: Save your strength, Celia. Your time will come. And you demons should be able to tell the difference in our skill.

Celia: Wha?! You don't even chant!!

Aishia's thunder dragon coiled about her, protecting the 4 of them from the demons' magic. It then opened its maw wide, and the demons nearby practically flung themselves into it. At least, that was how it looked. The demons on the other side tried to cast a barrage of piercing spells, but before they could a section of the dragon opened up and Shea shot out of it, charging straight at them.

Demon: Tch! Flame Bullet!

One of the demons cut his chanting short and instantly cast a beginner-level spell to try and hold Shea back. Countless tiny balls of flame hurtled toward the bunny girl. Shea fired Drucken and used its knockback to adjust her trajectory, easily avoiding the barrage of fire. She then swung Drucken in a wide arc, aiming for three demons who were in the middle of chanting.

Shea: Take thiiiiiiiiiiiis!

Shea freely manipulated the hammer's weight, making it weigh over four tons at the moment of impact. Thanks to her improved body strengthening abilities, she could still swing it easily despite the weight.

The demons never stood a chance. They were ground to a pulp, and the spines of the monsters they were riding on shattered. Monster and rider alike barely had time to scream before they died.

Shea then lowered her and Drucken's combined weight to under five kilograms and used the recoil from its shotgun blast to shoot up into the air. At the same time, she switched Drucken into barrage mode and fired an explosive slug at the remaining demon who'd shot the fireballs at her.

Shea: Get blown to the other side of next week!

The force of the bullet sent the poor demon blasting off to the moon. Shea poured mana into her Aerodynamic enchanted boots and created a light blue mana platform for her to stand on. She tapped Drucken against her shoulder and surveyed her surroundings. This cute bunny girl had quickly become the demons' worst nightmare. A short way away, Yue faced the final remaining demon. He charged in a glorious but futile suicide attack.

Demons: You damn braaaaaaaaat! This is for my friends!

Even if it meant his death, he wanted to get at least one hit on this girl.

Yue stared coldly at him.

Yue: You're three hundred years too young to call me a brat.

The demon had aimed for the moment Yue's dragon had devoured another one of his comrades. He was confident it wouldn't be able to turn in time. He sneered, certain he'd be able to stab her in time. When he was mere meters away, however, a blade of wind chopped his head off, and he plummeted to the ground. Lamenting the waste of time, Yue returned to searching for Freid. Aishia, Celia, Shea alighted next to her, Drucken still resting on Shea's shoulder.

Shea: They totally thought we were fighting for the kingdom, didn't they?

Yue: Yeah. Well, whatever. If that's what they want to think, then just let them.

Celia: Um. You two really don't care about them, do you?

Yue and Shea: No.

Celia: You say it so casually.

Despite their best efforts, they were unable to locate Freid Bagwa among the horde. Aishia began to worry that he'd located the entrance of the labyrinth and teleported there already, but just then—

Celia: Ah!? Aishia!

Aishia: Mmm...

The moment Celia called out, Aishia grabbed Celia and leaped off the clock tower. A second later, an egg-shaped portal opened up, unleashing a barrage of aurora-colored light. The light enveloped the clock tower, obliterating it. And it didn't stop there, either. Eventually, it swallowed up all of the houses and buildings in its path.

???: As I suspected, you do have some form of clairvoyance. How troublesome...

They turned around to see the foe they'd been searching for, Freid Bagwa. He was riding his white dragon. He looked rather irritated that the two of them had managed to dodge his surprise attack so easily. As Freid fully emerged from the portal, a hundred Ash Dragons and their demonic riders surrounded Aishia, Celia, Yue and Shea.

There was a thunderous crash, and part of the city's outer wall crumbled away. Demons and monsters swarmed into the city. A number of squads broke away and started running toward Freid. It looked like Freid wanted to make sure he finished the girls off for good.

Fried: I have no idea how you survived that situation... Those men's terrifying attachment to survival is fare too dangerous. They're dangerous. In order to defeat him though, I shall have to make sure his comrades, you girls, die first.

Aishia, Yue and Shea grinned fearlessly at him. While Celia continue to stay strong despite being scared. They spoke the same words that Sora had said a few seconds ago, eight thousand meters above them.

Yue: I'd like to see you try.

Shea: Just try and kill us!

Aishia: If you can that is.

Celia: We'll be the one to defeat you!

The army of monsters and demons all attacked at once. Flaming javelins hot enough to scorch the very air, jets of water powerful enough to cut through steel, blades of wind sharper than swords, blocks of ice larger than boulders, dark gray spheres filled to the brim with petrification magic, and bolts of crackling thunder all hurtled toward the four girls.

Fried: I will.

Finally, a massive aurora trailed behind all the other spells. There were forty demons, and more than a hundred monsters. Their attacks flew in from every conceivable direction. The spells melded together into a storm of deadly magic. Still, neither Aishia nor Celia nor Shea nor Yue seemed the least bit worried. In fact, they didn't even try to dodge. Most of the demons assumed they'd just given up. Freid, however, had an ominous premonition. He hurriedly pulled his dragon up and away.

Aishia: Cosmic Rift!

Aishia cast her spell. Two shimmering portals appeared in front of the aurora. Freid narrowed his eyebrows. Since the two portals were right next to each other, even if the light went into one, it'd just come out of the other and hit the girls anyway.

Freid's mistake had been assuming that Aishia had summoned only a single pair of portals. This was because summoning a single pair at once was the most he could do.

Because Freid was distracted by the two portals in front of the girls, he noticed only too late that there was yet another portal behind him.

Fried: Blast— Everyone, run!

Aishia, Celia, Yue and Shea disappeared inside the first gate, while the second swallowed up the aurora and spat it out behind the demons. Freid shouted out a warning, but there was no time for them to escape. Freid was able to fly out of the way in time, but most of his army was decimated by the deadly aurora.

Fried: How dare you make me kill my men. I underestimated you... I should have predicted that you would be able to open multiple gates at once.

Through his anger, Freid felt a burgeoning seed of fear. Yue was capable of far more impressive feats of magic than he was, even with the same spells. He was curious as to how Yue was capable of casting spells without any incantations or magic circles, but his priority was to find out where his opponents had disappeared to.

Reiss: Freid. Over there.

Reiss pointed at the outer wall. Aishia, Celia, Yue and Shea were standing atop it. They hadn't wanted to fight in the city because there was a possibility innocent citizens would get caught up in the battle. Furthermore, they knew he wouldn't call off the entire invasion to chase them down. This was a challenge. If he wanted them, he'd have to fight them without his whole army.

On the other hand, if he left them alone he'd be leaving his rear vulnerable to attack. Freid knew he couldn't just ignore them. He homed in on them with his Farsight and saw Aishia hold out her hands and curl her fingers back, as if to say "bring it on."

The demons were livid. Not only were they being belittled by a bunny girl and a girl shorter than a kid, it was clear they were confident the demons wouldn't even pose a threat to them. Though they were few in number, demons were confident that they were the strongest creatures in the land. They took pride in that, and seeing that pride trampled over enraged them.

Demon: You little bitch!

Demon: You're just a filthy little beast! Don't get so full of yourself!

The demons spat out curses and charged. Still, they didn't rush forward blindly. They were wary of Aishia's powerful magic, and sent the monsters first as shields. Many of the monsters and demons on the ground fired off attacks at Aishia as well.

Aishia: Celia, protect yourself and us with the magic that makes an essence barrier. We're going to reduce their numbers.

Aishia ordered Celia behind her.

Celia: Got it. Magicae Murum, Hollow Ground!

Celia replied promptly. A magic circle appeared around Celia's hand, forming a transparent barrier of magic essence. The barrier of essence formed a dome that stretched from the front of Celia all the way around to Aishia, Yue, and Shea.

Demon: Wh...

The demons was shocked into widening their eyes. The Magicae Murum Celia had just used was that spectacular.

Shea: Impressive Celia!

Yue: Yeah. Your magic capacity is off the chart. If you keep training, you could be even better than I am.

Reiss(mind): She covered an area of 360 degrees around her in an instant?! And that earth prison earlier... Just how skilled at controlling essence is this person?! Who is she?

Magicae Murum happened to be a magic where the caster's essence amount greatly affected the size of the barrier formed. If one was skilled at controlling their essence, they could change the shape of the barrier freely to a certain degree, but forming a dome shape was particularly difficult. On top of that, it was also a feat to maintain the barrier formed, not to mention the fact that the larger the area of the barrier, the more essence was consumed in maintaining its strength.

Reiss: Fried. I'll take care of that Spirit Girl and white hair woman. You take care of the rest.

Fried: Listen up, all of you! I will kill the blond-haired caster! Black Eagle squadron, take out the rabbit man! Split them up, don't let them collaborate!

Demons: Yes sir!

Freid determined that it would be easier to take them on if he separated the two of them. Aishia, Celia, Shea tried to rush back to Yue, but Reiss shot straight at Aishia and Celia.

Aishia tried to swat him out of the way, but a number of other demons attempted the same thing, making it difficult. And so, she instead used Schneewalzer recoil to leap out of the way and swung her spear in a wide arc, blowing them all away. Even while holding Celia.

Another wave of monsters shot at her, and this time Aishia knew they wouldn't have time to dodge, or counter, so she held Celia and took a defensive stance.

Reiss: You'll be facing me.

Aishia: Yue! Shea! We'll split up here!

Celia: Stay alive you two!

Aishia opened another portal and leap through with Celia on her arms. Before they went through, Yue and Shea gave a thumbs up signaling that they believed in them. The moment Aishia and Celia were in a secluded area, they confronted Reiss.

Aishia: What do you want?

Aishia stared at Reiss as she asked him directly.

Reiss: Do you think I'd answer that? That's what I'd like to say, but my purpose isn't to confront you here—I'm not that rash. I had business with a particular someone. Unfortunately, my timing wasn't the best... You see, I'm not interested in this invasion at all.

Reiss shrugged as though to change the topic.

Aishia: Business? Who are you after?

Aishia asked in her flat tone, but her gaze was slightly sharper than normal.

Reiss: I'm afraid I can't tell you that much.

Aishia: If it's Celia you're after...

Aishia pull Celia closer as though to protect her from Reiss. He had already made his hostility clear during his invasion at Ur and during the Grand Gruen Volcano, if he was after Celia, then there was even less of a reason for her to show him any mercy.

Reiss: Just to be clear, the reason why I confronted your contract holder on Gruen was merely because of Fried. Well, our plans were foiled and you still survive, but... As long as you don't get in my way, I won't have reason to harm you either.

Reiss raised both his hands to show he had no hostile intentions.

Celia: Why are you after Sora?

Celia asked with bated breath.

Reiss: I'm afraid I can't answer that either.

Celia: Is there a spy amongst the Hero party? Is that why you're here?

Reiss: Who knows?

Reiss evaded Celia's probing questions with vague answers.

Celia: You said you were outwitted before.

Celia picked up a part of Reiss's earlier statement to probe him further.

Reiss: Let's leave the unnecessary chatter at that. This situation is extremely unexpected for me, I didn't think you guys would show up here, so I'd like to leave as soon as possible.

Reiss ended the conversation there and made to leave.

Aishia: Your words cannot be trusted. Therefore, I'm not letting you get away.

Aishia stated quietly.

Reiss: Oh? You wish to fight me? It would be one thing if you let me retreat quietly, but if you're going to fight, then I will resist. I doubt even you would be able to suppress me easily. Much less while protecting Celia Claire as you fight.

Reiss looked at Celia.

Celia: I-I can fight a little myself. Did you think we would let you walk away peacefully after you snuck all the way into our innermost kingdom? Even if I set aside the matter of Sora, you're still related to my Kingdom's enemy.

Despite the nervous look on her face, Celia refuted him without cowardice.

Aishia: We're not letting you get away.

Aishia said, raising her right hand up at the ceiling. She had already prepared her magic essence for combat, but she instantly increased that essence further. Then, without any visually obvious phenomenon occurring, a screeching ultrasonic sound rang through the air.

Celia: A powerful resonance between ode and mana...?

While Celia couldn't use spirit arts as a sorcerer who handled magic, she had trained for a long time. Thanks to artifact Sora gave her, she was able to see the light of ode and detect mana. Thus, she understood precisely what Aishia had tried to do. That is, she had forced a powerful resonance between the ode and mana across the entirety of Heiligh, creating a signal that could only be noticed by those who could sense it.

Reiss: I see, so you're going with that... I shall take my leave now, then.

With an annoyed sigh, Reiss took a great leap and flew into the air with spirit arts. At the same time, Aishia picked Celia up in a bridal carry.

Aishia: We're going to chase that man. Hold on tight to me.

Celia: Right!

Aishia accelerated chasing after Reiss.

Aishia: I'll attack him from the sides, so use your magic to stop him from moving upwards. You don't need to hold back. You can use intermediate attack magic spells.

Celia: A-All right. I'll give it a go.

Celia gulped and nodded at Aishia's orders.

Aishia: Here we go, then.

Aishia created countless balls of light at her side, each roughly one meter in diameter. The next moment, they all fired outwards and curved in Reiss's direction.

Reiss: As expected of a humanoid spirit. What wonderful control.

Reiss glanced back and evaded the light spheres that curved irregularly.

Celia: I'm not as good as you, but I'll go all-out on magic essence! Quintet Magician Magicae Displodo!

She wasn't about to be a burden. Celia focused all of her mental energy on reciting her spell. Seven magic circles appeared around her; she took a mere three seconds to take aim and fired at just a hair's breadth above Reiss's head.

Reiss(mind): Whoa! Seven intermediate attack spells at once, you say? Her spell deployment is also quick. I didn't think I was underestimating her, but I see why she's called the genius sorcerer now. It would be one matter if I was facing her alone, but having a sorcerer of this level as a support is quite troublesome indeed...

Reiss avoided Celia's light missiles by slightly lowering his altitude, when the next barrage came at him without delay. There were as many bullets as there were spell circles, and as soon as he dodged one, the next would come flying. On top of that, it wasn't only Celia's attacks coming at him. When he tried to raise his altitude, Celia's magic would snipe at him, and Aishia's spirit arts freely changed direction to fly at him from the sides.

Reiss(mind): I've been completely blocked from above and to the sides. I can't accelerate like I want like this. We've already left the skies of Heigligh, so perhaps it would be better for me to just hide myself in the forest.

Thinking that, Reiss lowered his gaze to the forest.

Reiss: Guh...

Aishia accelerated upwards once again, flying after Reiss with Celia on her arm.

Reiss(mind): It doesn't look like she'll be giving up. Honestly, what an unlucky day.

Reiss had a rare look of pain on his face. Several minutes later, in the skies above the east Heiligh outskirts...

Reiss(mind): Good grief. After all I did to emphasize how capturing Celia Claire would be the best possible move for him. Do you detest my interference that much, Lucius?

Reiss sighed, wondering when the last time he felt so panicked was. When he looked over his shoulder, he could see Aishia and Celia hot on his tail. Reiss also accelerated, but the distance between them was slowly growing shorter.

Reiss(mind): She's definitely getting closer. We'll soon be out of the forest and out in the open wasteland with nowhere to hide. It'll only be a matter of time before she catches up... I guess I have no other choice.

Fleeing would be a challenge at this rate. With that thought, Reiss resolved himself. The moment he flew out of the forest, he descended rapidly. He landed first on the level wasteland and waited for Aishia to come down as well.

Aishia: Had enough of running?

Aishia asked after descending several meters away with Celia on her arms.

Reiss: Yes. I could see you would catch up soon at the rate we were going.

Celia: Indeed.

Celia replied shortly. They quietly assumed a battle-ready stance.

Reiss: If I promise never to sneak into Heiligh ever again, would you let me go?

Reiss suddenly pleaded for his life.

Aishia: No.

Reiss: Then how about a little chat? I'm quite interested in you.

Aishia: I'm not interested in you.

Aishia replied flatly.

Reiss: Hmm. Spirits develop a stronger sense of self with the passing of time and increase in rank, becoming more similar in appearance and personality to humans, but your sense of self is awfully faint. You've reached the realms of a humanoid spirit, yet you're more like a newborn one. Do you even know who you are?

Reiss stared at Aishia as though to ascertain her identity.

Aishia: You don't seem like a human either... There's something eerie about your aura. It's inhuman. Similar to a spirit, but more repulsive than a monster.

Celia: So are you saying this person is a demon too?

Aishia: No. something even more repulsive.

Reiss: Oh? Have you developed a little interest in me, then?

Aishia:...

A slight discomfort appeared in Aishia's expression for the first time. Reiss didn't let that slip past him and grinned arrogantly.

Reiss: Hahaha, so you can express emotions after all.

Aishia: I'd rather remain the way I am than express emotions like yours.

Reiss: So you can make self-assertions too. By the way, it seems you have rather sharp senses, but I'm not a spirit.

Reiss boasted with an empty smile. There was no telling how much of his words were true or not. It was a cunning tone.

Aishia: We have no intention of chatting with you any further.

Aishia stated flatly, her magic essence swelling.

Reiss: What if the reason why I bought all this time was because my true aim was to grab Celia Claire?

Celia: So your goal was me after all?!

Aishia: That's why I'm here.

Aishia activated her spirit arts in a show of her confidence. Red meteor of magic essence appeared around her, locking their aim onto Reiss.

Reiss: How awfully calm of you. Well, that wasn't my true aim anyway— really. That's why I'd like you to let me go... Whoa!

Celia: Get over yourself. Sextus Magi: Ictus Lancea!

Celia seemed to get an idea from watching Aishia's flame orb and used her magic to create thirty-six spears of ice at once. She saw how piercing once wasn't enough to kill and prepared multiple to make up for it.

The role of a sorcerer during group battles was to focus their firepower on the approaching enemies and reduce their numbers. Celia was trying to fulfill that role, but casting thirty-six spells simultaneously was a challenge even for a royal sorcerer. Although it was basic magic, the fact Celia had accomplished such a feat in the midst of battle left the monsters shocked.

Ignoring their reaction, Celia continuously fired ice spears from the magic circle above her head. She stopped the revenants from approaching through the gap between the walls one after another.

Celia(mind): Calm down and observe carefully... A sorcerer on the back line needs to have a broad view of the enemy's movements and the ability to make preemptive moves. I'll leave that man to Aishia.

Celia took a deep breath and focused on staying calm. Of course, she was nervous about fighting for real—in fact, she was terrified. Celia fired the ice projectiles with a stern expression, fed up with Reiss's babbling. Contrary to his joking attitude, Reiss didn't let down his guard at all, reacting at an incredible speed to leap to the side and avoid the attack.

However, Aishia had already fired other bullets with trajectories she could freely control, making them aim for Reiss from every angle.

Reiss: Goodness.

Reiss immediately sighed heavily and released an enormous amount of darkness from his entire body. The darkness completely swallowed Celia and Aishia's bullets and promptly contracted in size.

Aishia(mind): It doesn't look like Spatial Magic. Nor Yue's Spatial Severance.

Aishia watched on with an extremely wary look. She was concerned about the darkness that had swelled up—it wouldn't be wise to approach carelessly, she realized.

Reiss: To think I'd have to reveal my abilities for the mere purpose of fleeing...

Reiss said with a sigh. Then, the shadow at his feet expanded rapidly, staining the surrounding ground pitch black. The next moment, minotaurs with massive stone greatswords and several creatures resembling Winged Lizards—a flying subspecies of dragon—appeared. They were all jet black in color.

Celia: Monsters?!

Aishia:...

Minotaurs were naturally categorized as monsters, but Aishia sensed a monster-like aura from the winged creatures as well.

Reiss: I do not wish to be killed, so I'll be resisting you with everything I have. Well, I'll do what I can in this situation. It's a good chance for me to play with my collection as well.

At the same time Reiss finished speaking his words, the minotaurs and winged creatures moved to surround Aishia.

Minotaur: MROOOR!

One minotaur took a giant leap, directly attacking Aishia. It moved above her head instantly, carrying the momentum of its fall behind the swing of its stone greatsword. A thundering impact echoed. The surrounding ground cracked, and the minotaur was certain it had made contact. However, the stone greatsword hadn't crushed Aishia's body.

Minotaur: Grah?!

In an unexpected turn of events, an invisible wall surrounding Aishia had blocked the minotaur's greatsword. The minotaur reacted in surprise and placed more weight and strength into pressing the sword forward, but the arm holding the sword merely trembled without moving an inch.

Celia: I'll cover you!

Aishia: Thank you, Celia. Move.

Aishia muttered, placing her hand against the minotaur. Aishia shot a powerful shock wave from the palm of her hand, blowing away the giant body of the minotaur. It flew through the air and crashed to the ground, skidding a dozen or so meters from where it landed.

Minotaur: Gah... ah...

The minotaur had no strength left to stand and turned to ash on the ground, leaving behind a magic gem.

Reiss: Even an enhanced minotaur can't lift a finger against you, I see. How about an attack from the skies, then?

Reiss said, and the winged creatures in the air opened their mouths. They spewed flaming hot breaths towards Celia and Aishia. The breath had enough heat to burn a human into ash, but Aishia easily evaded the fiery downpour with light footwork. While Celia held her hand out.

Celia: Winged Lizards shouldn't be able to breathe fire...!

Celia cast her barrier. With the new artifact Sora gave her, her strength could already on par with Yue's. Once Aishia evaded all the breaths and came to a stop, she looked up at the winged creatures and compared them to the knowledge in her head.

Reiss: Then perhaps they aren't Winged Lizards.

Reiss said cheerfully, having overheard her voice. Aishia frowned faintly and tried to close in on him, but the other minotaurs stood in her way and rushed at her, attacking in surging waves. However, Aishia remained calm. She purposefully leaped towards one of the minotaurs rushing at her and touched its face with her spear as she passed, instantly turning its head into a block of ice. The giant minotaur crashed to the ground immediately afterwards.

Aishia: What are you doing?

A murky black essence had been flowing out from Reiss's body for a while now. Aishia realized Reiss was accumulating that strange magic essence and tried to close in to stop him, but—

Reiss: I just want to drive you two away and flee from this place safely.

As though to back up Reiss's words, another breath came raining down from overhead.

Celia: Then I'll just reduce their numbers. Rio Edram.

Celia summoned countless wave of water around herself, then turned them into giant tsunami and shot down the winged creatures. The majority of the wave made direct contact.

Monsters: Guugh?!

The winged creatures directly hit by the waves were heavily shaken off balance, but caught themselves without falling out of the sky. It seemed like they hadn't been damaged by anything other than the impact.

Aishia(mind): The skin of dragons and their subspecies can repel ode. Do the ones in the sky also have that characteristic?

In that case, she could either approach to physically attack them, or use her spirit arts to create a physical phenomenon. With that calm analysis, Aishia flew up and closed in on the winged creatures in the sky. However—

Aishia: I won't let you!

The minotaurs in the area raised their greatswords to attack Aishia as though they were reacting to Reiss's orders.

Aishia: Doesn't matter.

Aishia poured more magic essence into the remaining light bullets, transforming them from ten-centimeter-wide bullets to two- meter-wide ones. She then rapidly launched them at the minotaurs approaching from every direction.

Monster: Gwuh...

Unable to evade the shots and lacking magic-resistant skin, the minotaurs received direct damage from the bullets. Their huge bodies weighed in the tonnes, yet they were sent flying easily—some were even hit fatally and died on the spot, disintegrating into magic gems.

Reiss: As expected of a humanoid spirit—what tremendous strength. And with the help of Celia's magic, you guys make a good combination.

Reiss watched Celia and Aishia fight and sighed, half in awe and half in exasperation.

Aishia: There are fewer monsters now.

Aishia said, creating several spears of fire two meters in length to snipe down the winged creatures in the sky. The number of monsters had been reduced to half of what Reiss originally summoned.

Reiss: Then let me summon them again.

Reiss showed no sign of unease as he enlarged his shadow to call for reinforcements once more.

Monsters: Krrt, krrt...

Skeleton warriors newly appeared from the shadow, making a rattling noise resembling chatter. There were easily over a hundred of them. Like the minotaurs and winged creatures, they were black and looked as sinister as demons. They each had a jet-black sword and shield in hand, emitting an eerie aura.

Aishia: Are you manipulating space with that ability of yours? But that's clearly not spatial magic.

Aishia asked dubiously. The phenomenon occurring was extremely similar to space sorcery, but she couldn't feel any ode or mana surges that normally accompanied space sorcery.

Reiss: Who knows?

Aishia: The monsters you summon are all strange.

Aishia glanced at the skeleton army Reiss had summoned. Their auras were like monsters, but like the winged creatures, they didn't exist within Aishia's knowledge.

Reiss: Well, I still won't be able to defeat you like this.

Reiss said in a defeated tone.

Aishia: Then stop resisting and give up.

Aishia made a light sweeping motion with her arm and created a fierce gale. The wind strike created by magic essence slashed at the skeletons, mowing many of them down. However, Reiss evaded the strike by gently floating into the air.

Reiss: I was aiming for both of you to run out of magic essence without your contract holder around, but it seems you two are still full of energy.

Scattered around him were the skeletal remains of the warriors Aishia had defeated.

Aishia: Our magic won't run out this easily. The number of your friends has dwindled away again.

Aishia said plainly. The minotaurs and winged creatures tried to attack her even as she was speaking, but Aishia activated her spirit arts to accurately fend them off, not even allowing them to approach.

Reiss: Indeed, you've reduced them by quite the number. It seems like aiming for your essence to run dry wasn't the best plan. Which means I'll have to face you directly from here on...

Reiss muttered with a sigh, raising his right hand into the air. The skeletons scattered around him turned into a murky black mist, gathering around his body. The mist soon changed shape and enlarged itself. However, Aishia wasn't about to watch that happen quietly. She used spirit arts to finish off the remaining monsters that attacked her and launched several light spheres at the black mist. The light spheres all made contact with the mist, but—

Celia: He's absorbing the spell...?!

The spell had no impact. Celia could imagine what was happening. Since magic projectiles wouldn't work, Aishia tried ice spears—but they were also sucked into the mist without any resistance. During that time, all the monsters attacking her were eliminated, leaving only the black mist that Reiss was within. After some time, a humanoid skeleton appeared from within the mist. It had a similar form to the skeleton warriors Reiss had created earlier.

However, its size and sinister aura couldn't be compared to the earlier skeletons. Its body was bigger than the minotaur, and it was equipped with a giant one-handed sword, a sturdy shield, and armor. It even had wings, implying it could fly through the air. It was truly like a demon or fallen angel had descended.

Aishia: This is his true form?

Aishia tilted her head curiously. But just as she did, the enormous skeleton knight closed in on her at a speed surpassing the minotaurs, easily swinging the several-meter-long sword. However, Aishia activated her invisible wall and directly caught the attack. At the same time, she fired a shock wave as a counterattack.

A thundering boom echoed. However, the giant skeleton knight was only knocked back slightly, without being sent flying. It had blocked the shock wave with the shield in its hand.

Aishia: He's much sturdier than the others.

In that case, she just needed more firepower. Having determined that in an instant, Aishia fired successful powerful shock waves to execute her plan. The impact created was visually similar to a sonic boom, the energy gathered together on the skeleton knight releasing at once.

Celia: So what's the plan, Aishia?

Celia asked hopefully. She seemed to find Aishia's unshakable personality very reliable in a situation such as this, as she had the mindset to let out a small giggle.

Aishia: Do you have an attack spell that would be effective against him, Celia? If you have a powerful spell up your sleeve, I'd like you to drive it into him and weaken him...

There was one spell that came to Celia's mind.

Celia: I do. It's stronger than the cannon fire magic I cast earlier, and it's the strongest spell in my arsenal. But I only have enough essence to cast it once. Whether I can hit him when he moves around like that is...

She wasn't confident.

Aishia: You only need to hit him once. As long as we can make sure that one spell hits, it won't be a problem.

Celia: R-Right. But how can we make sure...?

The opponent they were up against was no pushover, but Celia nodded first and waited for the rest of Aishia's idea.

Aishia: If it's just for a brief moment, then I have a means of moving fast enough to match his speed. I'll first aim an attack directly at his front, reducing his speed. That should make it easier to hit him with magic. If you use that chance to hit him, you can buy me some time.

Celia: I understand...

Aishia: I'm counting on you to activate your techniques at the right time.

Celia: Roger that!

They had no intention of losing. They wouldn't have come up to the sky in the first place if they had. Celia nodded firmly at Aishia's instructions.

Celia: I'm going to prepare the spell. Wait one moment.

First, Celia began her preparations to cast the spell for the plan. The Claire family had a secret attack spell that was passed down through the generations. This secret spell was the magic Celia was about to use. In terms of modern magic, the spell would be categorized in the highest grade. It was a super spell that could only be cast by those of Claire blood with exceptional magical talent.

Celia: Aperio: Caelestis Magicus.

Celia murmured, creating a magic circle that wrapped around her.

Celia: Verifico: Celia Claire.

The magic circle wrapping around her glowed brighter.

Celia: Salvatio Initium.

The magic circle condensed around her right arm.

Celia: Impetus...

She then cast an extra spell to provide the necessary magic essence for activation. In response, all the magic essence within her began to gather in her right arm. Magic essence was normally unable to be seen by anyone who couldn't cast spirit arts, but the essence had condensed so much, destructive energy was visibly flowing from her arm before being activated. Aishia's eyes widened at the sight of Celia's right arm.

Aishia: That looks like quite the tremendous spell you're preparing. Even greater than Yue's in fact.

Celia nodded with a strained expression.

Celia: I believe I'll be able to meet your expectations—as long as it hits, that is.

Aishia: Your amazing, Celia.

Celia: It's taking all I have to control the essence. Every other task is entrusted to the spell formula...

All Celia was doing right now was controlling the magic essence. The majority of the other tasks required to activate the magic were left to the spell formula so that all her processing ability could focus on essence control. A spirit arts user would have had to perform all those tasks by themselves, so entrusting such things to the spell formula was something that could only be done with magic. Thus, after a few long seconds...

Celia: Mora... I'm done preparing. All that's left is to chant the spell and the magic will activate. Whenever you're ready, Aishia.

Celia said, having finally completed her preparation to activate the magic.

Aishia: Thank you. Seeing your spell has helped me refocus my mind. Now, here I go!

Aishia said with a light leap. A strong wind blew softly at her back—and the next moment, Aishia was accelerating through the sky, leaving Celia behind her.

Celia: So fast!

Celia was shocked.

Aishia(mind): My acceleration isn't as skillful as Sora's, but this should do. All I can do is charge forward in a straight line!

Aishia's technique was still rough compared to Sora's, but she was still able to imitate him. Perhaps it was because she had fallen in love at first sight with the technique after Sora used it multiple times, and had continuously imagined herself using it ever since. Or perhaps it was the result of all her loyalty towards Sora.

Aishia: Rhongomyniad!

Aishia was already within a dozen meters of the Skeleton Rex, sending a piercing attack of light diagonally upwards to the right. Her might was far beyond what she had demonstrated to Celia. This was her newly technique Rhongomyniad. A combination spear attacked that is covered by her beloved Draconic Thunder's lightning. Gravity Magic to intensify the attack. And Spatial Magic to increased its speed.

Monster Rex: AAAAARH!

The huge frame of the Skeleton Rex that was protected by his shield decelerated dramatically. It still wasn't enough to damage him.

Aishia: Your finish!

At that moment, Aishia turned her spear and stepped even closer to the undead knight. She charged into her decelerated opponent and aimed another attack at the shield, this time making direct contact with the surface. The Skeleton Rex decelerated further.

Aishia: Now, Celia!

Aishia yelled at Celia behind her. Celia flew forwards, approaching the Skeleton Rex, with her newly skill Aerodynamic. As it passed by, Celia swung her right arm with the magic circle around it like a sword.

Celia: Durandal!!

This was the secret spell of the Count Claire family. The condensed magic essence was released as pure destructive energy, attempting to mow down the enemy before them.

Skeleton Rex: RAAAAAH!

The Skeleton Rex must have sensed the threat of Celia's magic, as he desperately tried to brace his shield for the attack.

Celia: TAKE THAT!

Celia roared.

Skeleton Rex: WRAAAAAAAAH!

The shield that hadn't even chipped until now shattered into pieces. In fact, half of the body that had been holding the shield was gone, armor and all. The highest grade of attack magic normally focused on expanding the area of its attack range as much as possible, but Celia's Durandal magic focused on condensing the power into as small of a range as possible. As a result, the iron wall of the Skeleton Rex, which had withstood numerous attacks from Aishia was blown away.

Aishia: Amazing! That's incredible, Celia!

Celia: Th-That's all...I've got...

Not even the Skeleton Rex could survive that. Both his body and the sword in his hand disintegrated into the air. Celia weakly collapsed felling towards the ground, but Aishia caught her.

Aishia: As expected of Sora's teacher. Splendid work, Celia.

Celia: Th-Thank you.

Aishia: Now let's head back to the others.

Celia: B-But did we defeat him?

Aishia: His presence is gone. There's no mana stone either.

He surely had to be defeated. But for some reason, something didn't feel right—it was almost like it had been too easy. Why was that? Unsure of the reason, Aishia looked around at her surroundings for a while. But the eerie aura was completely gone.

Aishia(mind): I couldn't find out who Reiss really was in the end...

If he was going to die this easily, she should have questioned him a bit more, Aishia thought.

There was nothing to be gained today. That's why she felt like her efforts were in vain.

Reiss: Do you even know who you are?

Aishia suddenly recalled Reiss's words.

Aishia: I don't know who I really am.

Aishia muttered with a slightly saddened expression. Why? For some reason, recalling her conversation with Reiss made her heart stir restlessly.

Aishia: Time to return to Yue and the others.

She wanted to see them immediately. And Sora too... With a final glance around the area, Aishia teleported back to Yue and the others using spatial magic. However, far in the skies above...

Reiss(mind): I went as far as using the Hero Killer Draugul, yet they still managed to defeat it. An unsatisfactory result indeed...

Reiss watched on as Aishia teleported back to Heiligh.

Reiss(mind): Celia Claire... I knew she wasn't an average sorcerer, but to think she could use celestial magic... So the descendants of the divine sorcerers created by the Seven Wise Gods became the Claire family. But, I thought the Wise Gods are all but extinct, since the Dragon King and the Liberators dealt with them. She must have inherited a large amount of that talent. Considering her youthful appearance, it might be a case of atavism.

Reiss was especially focused on Celia.

Reiss(mind): In her present state, she's unable to cast the magic without the incantation, and she didn't have the strength to manage Draugul on her own. But there's no telling how much she'll grow from here... She must be removed with highest priority after the Black Knight and his companion.

The large number of revenants he sent had been subjugated, the mercenaries had the tables turned on them, and the secret Hero Killer had been defeated.

Reiss(mind): I am unable to summon Draugul successively at present. I have no cards left up my sleeve either.

In a rare show of frustration, Reiss resigned himself to giving up.

Reiss(mind): That aside, the descendant of a divine sorcerer, a super human strength rabbit-man, the last descendants of the vampire race, a survival of the dragonman race, and the Synergist Irregular. Leading them all is the Black Knight, who's probably the Dragon King's reincarnation, and his powerful humanoid spirit. In terms of combat power, he's definitely the strongest and the most dangerous threat.

Now that he had failed to secure a hostage against the Black Knight and reduce the fighting strength at his side, Reiss was unsure how to proceed.

Reis(mind): It won't be enough to just have the Hero Killer and Evil Black Wyvern as my primary forces when I execute the plan. For the time being, I need secure new forces. All that's left is...

If his opponent's forces were greater than he had expected, he had no choice but to replenish his own. Doing so was no easy task, but Reiss had no choice but to work out a solution. It's time for me to retreat as well. He then flew away from Heiligh.

(Timeskip)

Aishia and Celia teleported back to Yue and Shea and saw that their fight had ended as well.

Celia: Whoa, what happened here?

Aishia: Did you cause an earthquake or something?

Aishia and Celia bounded up to Yue.

Yue: He got away...

Aishia and Celia could guess more or less what had happened from those few words. His resilience surprised her. Shea smiled bitterly and comforted Yue. The 4 of them exchanged information and replenished their mana. While they were describing their respective fights, they saw two flash of rainbow-colored light above the palace, followed by blue and red streak.

They watched as pillars of light descended to the ground, shattering the city's walls and vaporizing tens of thousands of monsters in an instant. Silence followed. The 4 of them looked at each other and said their word in unison.

Yue: Big Brother and Hajime.

Shea: Sora and Hajime.

Aishia: Sora and Hajime.

Celia: Sora and Hajime.

No one else could have caused that. The 4 girls were one in mind.

Aishia: Let's go to the palace for now.

Celia: Yeah...

Aishia, Celia, Yue and Shea looked down one last time at the wasteland that had once been the outskirts of the capital. With weary smiles, the four of them flew off toward the palace.