"I'm so sorry, Master."
Ixion was on the cruise ship monitoring Rudel as he fought the planes before rescuing Airi.
The reason he was apologizing was...
"But I knew all of this would end like this, with a few exceptions of course."
...Because he knew this would happen from the beginning.
Ixion was calmly observing while the others fought for their lives.
"When I was scouting the palace, I found a mysterious man talking to himself, repeating the same thing. The man had a letter saying the Bismarck daughter and Baron Bradford had to die on a cruise ship."
Ixion kept staring fixedly at Rudel doing aerial maneuvers while being shot at by larger planes.
"Other heirs from families that were a nuisance to the Kingsfort house as well. Plus, contacting the Commonwealth Prime Minister to request his cooperation on two fronts. The only cruise ship not under attack was the one the prince was supposed to be on at the moment."
Ixion turned to watch Airi being pushed toward the bottom of the sky. A drone was nearby, but it did nothing.
"Since the pirate attack, you've been acting strange. I spent every day analyzing your blood, urine, and feces to find the strange anomaly that happened that day."
Ixion notified Rudel about Airi's situation.
"I wanted to use this opportunity to measure your capabilities, to see how you'd get out of a situation where I wasn't available."
Rudel had rescued Airi and was now being chased by planes.
"What really surprised me was the fact they used some technology to disable my camouflage with some equipment."
Now they were hiding in the distance, and Ixion sent a drone to check their status.
"I'm really annoyed that something like that was possible. It's undoubtedly humiliating that the new humanity is on my level."
Rudel shot up into the sky while destroying a plane that tried to attack them head-on.
"For that reason, I'll set aside my experiment to help you."
Ixion had lied from the beginning of the attack. Brynhild was always nearby using optical camouflage. Fortunately for him, whatever caused his camouflage to be affected didn't affect Brynhild, who was at a distance; the effect's range was only ten meters around.
Brynhild came flying directly to save Rudel, eliminating her cloud-form camouflage and crashing into two planes.
Now she was moving into an attack position, her cannons emerging, shattering part of the wood that was her normal-ship facade.
The cannons took aim and then...
"The new humanity will never be a match for me."
...She began to fire relentlessly.
◇
This is getting out of control.
I flew straight after leaving Airi safe to rescue Alisa.
I had no idea which ship she was being held on. Fortunately, some drones approached to deliver new goggles and a shotgun with non-lethal ammunition that would leave permanent marks on the skin.
The goggles had Alisa's location thanks to Ixion's stalker-like surveillance.
Now that my ship arrived, I thought it would be all easy, but no.
"Wahh, don't open my mouth, you bastard!!"
A monster with no body, just a floating toilet-shaped head, was coming to eat me. The drones had submachine guns, so they shot at it several times.
For some reason, the monsters stopped for a few moments when I left Airi on the deck, then they started acting weird. They foamed at the mouth, their eyes bloodshot, and they became so wild they attacked everything they saw.
It wasn't just me or the cruise ship anymore; now even their own allied ships were being attacked relentlessly.
The monsters attacked the ships; their teeth, big or small, chewed through wood and steel, shredding it regardless of their torn jaws.
Some men shot at them from the deck, and like salmon snatched by bears, they were grabbed and devoured mercilessly.
The cruise ship is only being attacked from the lower part or sides since Brynhild is massacring them without giving them the slightest chance to attack anyone.
I don't know what Ixion is waiting for to evacuate everyone.
(Shit, instead of moving forward, I'm going backward...)
The ship where Alisa was held was so close yet so far thanks to these bastards.
(Hold on, Alisa, I'm on my way...)
◇◇◇
Askewell was annoyed and sweating coldly at the same time.
"Hey! Can someone explain what the hell is going on?"
At first, he was annoyed because Rudel had shot down almost all the planes. Then, when he thought they'd finally kill him, a mysterious ship with a dragon on its front appeared.
"Where the hell did that come from?" Askewell shouted before seeing Brynhild extend her cannons and aim at the enemy ships.
"Hah! I don't know what the hell you plan to do trying to shoot from so far away, but it's impossible for you to hit anything from—" Immediately, his sentence was interrupted by the sound of an enemy shot hitting the sail of an allied ship.
He was stunned by the enormous explosion that sounded; clearly, the shot was purposely off-target, but it still left the deck in flames from the explosion.
"What the hell!?" Askewell exclaimed as another distant shot hit the exterior of a ship and destroyed a large part, having missed again.
When she was about to fire again, the monsters went crazy and began attacking their masters.
The men inside tried to understand the situation and communicate with the ships that had the demonic flutes.
"Why are the magical beasts attacking us too?"
"Does the flute's hypnotic effect have a time limit?"
"We've lost communication with almost the entire fleet! We received reports that the flute is working, but there's no effect!"
Askewell watched with fear in his small eyes as the fleet entrusted to him was being torn apart.
At the front was a strange ship firing at the Commonwealth fleet and the magical beasts.
On his side, the allies were fighting for their lives; the magical beasts attacked the ships relentlessly, and the Mobile Knights had to come out to defend them. Even that wasn't enough, as the monsters coordinated attacks like feints and sacrifices. Even the men on deck were caught and devoured without mercy.
"It's over..."
Askewell broke down.
"It doesn't matter if we win or not; the Commonwealth was defeated by some noble brats from that despicable kingdom..."
Askewell, an adult over forty years old, was crying. His mustache was trembling from his owner's fear.
"Even if we return safely... the defeat will be marked on my flesh. The Prime Minister will turn me into a commoner!"
The men inside the only safe place, thanks to the magic shields, felt pity for him. Nothing would happen to them since they're just subordinates, but the person in charge of the mission would receive the worst punishment.
Askewell was sinking into a sea of darkness...
"Hey, Commodore..."
...Until a voice of hope called.
Askewell immediately lifted his gloomy face and searched for the source of that voice.
"Hey, weird mustache guy, you still alive?"
He knew that voice. It was an unpleasant, deep voice, like a heavy metal singer's.
The men alongside the Commodore immediately opened communication with the voice.
Askewell grabbed the communicator and said just one name, the name that could turn the situation around thanks to his power.
"...Ban...dell?"
"The same."
The men beside him made expressions of joy.
Askewell wanted to cry with joy but held back his tears so the other with the mysterious voice wouldn't laugh at him.
"I'm watching the situation from here. Sorry, I slept for a long time. I sent Bacchus and almost all the members to control the situation out there."
Immediately, Askewell looked toward a certain ship and watched as a large number of black Mobile Knights emerged with firearms and swords.
They began massacring the monsters; perhaps the monsters started concentrating on them for being a threat.
The man with the voice spoke again.
"I'll come out too, after taking care of a certain matter. I want you to say the enemy also had flutes to control monsters; it doesn't matter if it's not believable. It's better to say that than to admit a group of shitty brats defeated you. See you later."
The voice cut all communication while Askewell...
"Hahahahaha!"
...Returned to his usual overconfidence.
"Damn it! What was I so scared of? Now that this guy is awake, our absolute victory is guaranteed, hahahaha!"
Who was that Bandell whose awakening made Askewell so happy?
◇◇◇
Alisa had been taken to a room in the lower part of the ship.
The tall, old man made sure to leave her there personally and then tie her up so she couldn't escape. The place stank and was dark.
Sounds of explosions could be heard outside.
Alisa had no idea what was happening outside; she only hoped her friends were okay.
Then, she heard footsteps.
Several people were coming down, judging by the creaking of the floorboards.
The door opened, and after some mysterious figures entered, the light turned on.
Even with the light, the darkness was greater than the glow of the magic bulb.
Four men had come down.
But another sound echoed.
A fifth individual was slowly descending the stairs.
Since the door was open, Alisa could see his feet first.
Then his legs, thighs, hips.
He was clearly a man.
His chest was visible now that he was technically downstairs.
He was very tall, no—"too tall" would be the correct expression.
His clothes were more like a body-hugging suit, with metal plates on almost every part: chest, arms, legs, abdomen. The plates on his arms were so high they looked like pauldrons.
The mysterious man crouched to enter the interior.
He had a strange sword; the hilt was visible over his shoulder.
The man's face was what caught Alisa's attention the most.
He looked young, between thirty and thirty-five.
His hair was black like Rudel's, but the hairstyle was different, short and spiky upward.
His eyes were dark gray, and unlike Rudel, he gave the feeling of being a hunter.
His eyebrows were like what people thought lightning bolts looked like nearing the edge.
But the most striking feature of his face was something anyone who saw him would notice instantly.
And that was...
"Good afternoon, woman of the Altfode aristocracy."
...An acrylic laminate on his cheek that showed the inside of his mouth and facial muscles.
From almost the end of his lip to his sideburn, the left side of his cheek, the flesh and teeth were exposed.
Even if he wasn't smiling. The teeth were visible, and when he moved his mouth, the movement of the muscles moving his jaw was shown.
It was an unreal scene.
Alisa was a little scared seeing something like that.
The man grabbed a chair passed to him by a subordinate and sat down, turning it around and crossing his arms over the top of the chair.
Alisa, trying not to show panic, started speaking to find out his goal.
"What do you want from us? This doesn't look like a random attack."
The mysterious man smiled, making his exposed muscle show that his smile was even more terrifying.
"Of course it's not. It's absurd to think something like that is possible. We received a job from someone in your country."
"My country, you say!" Alisa panicked upon hearing that. Meanwhile, the man just looked at her normally.
"You see, there's nothing strange about that; it's normal for countries or nobles to betray each other. That's how the world works, or if you don't believe me, you should ask your father."
"My father, you say?" Alisa didn't understand why the man mentioned her father.
The man smiled again, even more spookily.
"Does the name Nosferatu ring a bell?" the man asked as if it were the simplest question to answer.
Alisa, however, responded with a sincere "no."
The man stopped smiling upon hearing that. He spoke in a serious tone, without the playfulness from before.
"Twenty-two years ago, a man came to a knight's house. That man ordered the destruction of that house, the execution of all family members, and the confiscation of the house's assets. The head was the last to remain alive to see his house fall."
The man with golden blond hair like the sun and red eyes personally led him to the gallows. The only survivor was the son who was training far away with his personal servant. That boy saw everything and fled the country with his servant."
Alisa's face began to sweat when she heard the man's description.
In Altfode, there was only one family with such traits.
The man continued the story he was telling.
"The boy and the servant had to become mercenaries to live. As time passed, the boy learned to kill without mercy, generating more and more deaths wherever he stepped. The boy, now a man, entered the greatest battlefield ever trodden. A World War."
Alisa began making an expression of horror with every word the man spoke.
"For that man, the battlefield was his mother, death was his lover who always asked for more. No matter what vice or pleasure he felt, tearing the enemy apart became true happiness for that man. Years later, thanks to a hostile country and a traitorous minister, he learned his house had been destroyed by mistake. The man with red eyes had been sent to eliminate a family that opposed his lord, and to avoid dirtying his hands, he used his influence to send someone else in his place."
Alisa was perplexed by what she heard. Meanwhile, the man...
"Well! How about it?"
...Gave a little jump of excitement.
"I'm trying to write a novel and sell it, but I don't know what the general public might like; these idiots are illiterate and can't read, so I wanted to meet with you, someone who can read and does read books!"
Alisa made a strange face that only Rudel would make.
She didn't know what to say.
Then the man stopped acting foolishly and became serious.
"Let's set my personal matters aside. What's certain is that we were hired to kill you; another squad will take care of eliminating the other cruise ship. And you will be cataloged as an unfortunate accident."
Alisa wanted to try to convince the man not to proceed with his plan, but the unthinkable happened.
"Then we'll finish off the monsters outside. For now, let's have some fun."
A subordinate made a surprised expression.
"Huh, Captain, are you serious?"
"Of course! I haven't tried a woman of the highest nobility in a while, don't you think?"
Alisa's face began to panic when she heard that, "try."
The men kept talking while ignoring Alisa.
"Yahoo! Captain, you're the best!"
"I was wondering since it would be a waste to kill her without trying her first."
"She has a beautiful face, a good figure, and above all, unreal huge breasts for just a teenager! It's a body made solely to satisfy men!"
"I'm sure her high-pitched screams will be music to my ears!"
The men conversed while giving Alisa obscene and dangerous looks, but she...
"Don't get carried away, you brute animals!"
...Had an indomitable personality.
"If you dare touch a single hair on my head, my knight will come and tear you all apart!"
The men looked at each other and then, like hyenas, started laughing.
They all laughed while pointing at Alisa.
Only one of them spoke as he approached her in a macabre way.
"Your knight, you say? You really believe in that shit! Knights who rescue bitches in distress like you don't exist! The reality is that no one will come to rescue you; no one knows you're here, and no one knows what grotesque state you'll end up in when we're done with you! Do you understand? Knights on white steeds don't—"
*Boom.* A gunshot sounded.
In that dark room, a light appeared from the left side.
Then another *boom* sounded, illuminating with another light. Then another, another, and more shots that made a circle on the wall.
Seconds later, the wall fell. The back part had steel, so bullets that could pierce it simply were impossible.
That's when the men were even more shocked and stunned, because from below, a hand emerged, grabbing the newly destroyed wall. Then another hand with a shotgun emerged and grabbed another edge. Slowly, someone climbed up.
The men were so shocked they had no time to react; what they were seeing was unbelievable and impossible to process.
A head peered in and then...
"Hello! I'm your friendly neighbor, Baron Bradford!"
...Greeted them with a very bad joke while smiling like a fool.
"Did I hear there are naughty children here?"
The fool's face changed to that of an ogre.
"For that reason, I'll kick all your asses; get your butts ready, damn bitches!"
Alisa saw Rudel making an entrance that only knights in shining armor would use. That's when she...
"Ahh... ahh... Ru... del..."
...Cried with happiness upon seeing her wish come true.
◇
"Who the hell is that son of a bitch, kill him?!"
I had come to save Alisa after using the drones as bait. My goggles located Alisa, and thanks to thermal vision, I discovered there were more people inside with her.
There was no time to go up and enter, so I opted to shoot from outside to get in.
I imagined they might be in shock since there are steel plates on the exterior; the non-lethal ammunition is so strong that shooting nearby can cause critical damage instantly.
I made a circle of holes, and after the circle of wall fell, I made an absurd joke to leave them even more baffled by what happened.
Then I opened my eyes and found Alisa tied up crying, and a bastard yelled at me while drawing his sword from his large back.
I proceeded to leap up and shoot him. The blow was so strong he fell with the first shot. Then I shot two more and flew in to hit one of them with the stock of my shotgun in his face. The last one approached me, and I shot him mercilessly in the stomach. Just in case, I shot them all.
They seemed to be wearing armor, so maybe they're unconscious or perhaps in a coma.
Now for my main business.
I found Alisa tied to a chair; I used strengthening magic to break the ropes on her arms and legs.
Alisa touched her arms to check for injuries, and I spoke to her with my back turned while making sure these idiots didn't get up or that others came from above.
But then something unexpected happened.
"Why did you come?"
I was a little disconnected from reality upon hearing that.
I half-turned to see an Alisa with an annoyed face.
"Why did you come when I never asked you to?"
This girl... is she an idiot?
I stayed silent, looking at her while she kept talking nonsense.
"Originally, I was going to wait for you to maybe contact the kingdom or bring Brynhild."
"But the situation became unexpected, and I ended up going so that His Highness the Prince wouldn't be harmed."
(...)
"So I made the decision to go as a hostage to try to negotiate for everyone's safety... I don't expect you to understand since it's the duty of the high nobility to protect the Royal Family. So I think what you did was unnecessary."
After hearing all the nonsense this girl was saying, I proceeded to punish her.
With both hands, I pinched her cheeks to stretch them, making her look like bread.
Even with my gloves, I can tell her cheeks are soft and fine.
It could be said it's the first time I've really touched her, unlike that time.
"Rudel... my cheeks hurt... stop."
Alisa asked me to stop, but I won't until she acknowledges what I'm about to tell her.
"You... are an idiot, aren't you?"
Alisa had a face of not understanding why I was pinching her and then of surprise at my declaration.
I told her the truth again.
"I'm asking you if you're an idiot? Since I met you, you've always acted very stupidly."
She again made the face of not understanding what I was saying. I released her cheeks to tell her everything I had stored up about her.
"Originally, I didn't care about your situation with that bastard; I never understood why you suffered over scum like him. For your information, I helped you out of pity, and I don't regret it."
She kept listening while our gazes met firmly.
It was the first time I looked into her eyes; they are beautiful and unique. To be honest, I'd sometimes like to have a wife with such an intense gaze.
"I enjoyed being with you two; I was going to let Airi and you enjoy my island until the vacation ended and you returned to normal. I never expected you'd get along so well and that I'd enjoy your company."
Our gazes continued to look at each other firmly.
"Occasionally, I wondered if it was okay for a country noble to hang out with an aristocrat. I hate nobles like you who talk about their families and lineages and other absurd crap."
She began to frown at what I said. I noticed one of these guys moving slowly and hit him with the weapon's stock to knock him out.
"After you and I fought, I'm not lying that I really enjoyed being separated from you."
She averted her gaze from mine and placed one of her arms over her splendidly large breasts to lift them.
"Until yesterday, I hadn't thought about you at all. Even today, it never crossed my mind to go rescue you."
This time, she lowered her head and tightly grabbed the arm crossing her breasts.
"For that reason..."
I told her what I truly felt.
"...I don't deserve your forgiveness or Airi's."
She lifted her head to look at me, and her eyes seemed like they wanted to cry, but now they looked very surprised.
"I was a liar, ungrateful to you, to your father who helped me avoid execution, I spoke ill of you two, I enjoyed your suffering, I didn't care if something happened to you, and I've even seen and enjoyed thinking about your breasts. Especially yours... what the hell did you eat to make them grow that big? Damn it, I'm jealous of that bastard who will get to possess them!"
(Huh? Wait, why are you covering your breasts and looking at me with those disgusted eyes? It was a thought I said... did I open my mouth about that last part...?)
(Dammit!!!!!!!!!!)
What's done is done.
"P-putting aside my internal desires towards you two... ignore that!! ...What I really want to say is."
I was in a panic since she found out I thought about her splendid breasts; I'm sorry, but I'd really like to jump on them.
No. Be serious, me.
"I don't deserve your forgiveness," I said.
"That's true," she responded.
My face had a pained expression at those harsh and honest words.
Then I did what I hadn't done sincerely in a long time.
I knelt as in my knight's oath.
I extended my right hand toward her and...
"I don't deserve your forgiveness or your good intentions. You may not trust me."
I told her what a personal knight should say.
"But I promise that both you and Airi, from the shadows, I will protect you until the end of my days. For that reason, Alicelotte von Bismarck ojou-sama."
I bowed my head with the following words to show that what I was saying was a true oath.
"Would you allow me to be your squire again?"
Unlike the time we met and when I swore my loyalty to the kingdom, this time I do it sincerely to ask her to let me protect her.
I waited for her response. But seconds later, she said something strange.
"Really?"
Why does she say that when I said yes?
"You'll be by my side and protect me?"
When I was about to say yes, she told me to stop and said the following words.
I don't understand why, but as long as she accepts me, it's fine. Here I go.
"I promise to protect you from now on; until my last breath, I will fight for you, my lady."
After finishing that strange phrase, she took my hand like a child.
"So with this, I can confirm everything is okay now, right?"
I stood up, and she held my hand; the only weird thing was that her face was red like a tomato.
"We must get out of here," I told her with a confidence I had never shown before.
"And how will we get out of here?" asked Alisa, confused.
"Did you come in some boat or, huh? Rudel, what are you doing??"
Alisa was confused because, without warning, I put my arms over her shoulders and legs to lift her. She looked like a princess in every sense of the word.
"We'll fly out," I said with confidence while she made a dumbfounded face with an "Ehhh!!" It was a little cute, no, very cute, but Airi's charm is superior to the point of melting my heart.
Alisa watched with panic as we slowly, with panic, approached the door I had opened to enter from outside. She began to kick while screaming at me, "Rudel, we're going to die! Don't do it! Nooo!"
"Hold on tight, princess in distress."
After saying that, I jumped from the place; my boots charged with prana, and I shot straight toward the cruise ship.
Undoubtedly, obstacles arrived a few meters after leaving.
Some planes, two of them, were behind me. They seem to have noticed me since my boots leave a temporary trail of prana. I'm carrying Alisa, so I can't defend myself.
So I said.
"Ixionnnn!"
Brynhild looked small from the distance, but I noticed a message on the goggles. It said to duck, and I did so immediately.
Upon doing so, the two planes behind me were hit by something and exploded.
I have no time to think about others or if they escaped alive.
Things were getting really tense.
The monsters were mostly attacking Brynhild and the cruise ship; some that weren't were still a minority. They attacked nearby ships, and some came to attack me.
The drones accompanying me were replaced by others, and these acted as bodyguards.
Just when I thought I was safe.
"Are you fucking kidding me!?" I exclaimed, very scared, upon seeing a large ship on fire and falling in front of us.
Going back could cost us our lives; going to the sides with gunfire and monsters attacking would be equally dangerous; going forward would be much worse. There's only one option.
"Hold on tight, Alisa!"
I asked her to do so while accelerating, and she clung tightly to my neck.
The ship was now in front of us; it was so long it was impossible to stop.
Then I shouted, "Drones!" and two nearby drones, firing their submachine guns, made a hole in the ship.
I entered, and they did too. The place was in flames, and various things were falling. For a second, I thought I saw people on fire falling and others scared, clinging to pillars.
But as I said, I must have imagined it. The drones went ahead and made a big hole in the area I would reach.
But my speed was so fast they didn't have time to finish. So I gave a great flying kick, and we all went out there.
I half-turned while still flying to see what was happening behind me.
I felt a little sad seeing the scene of ships on fire, hordes of monsters, and then, in front, my ship attacking relentlessly the monsters attacking it and the enemy fleets.
Alisa was trembling; there was still a long way to go to safety. Hold on, Alisa.
♡♡♡
(Why?)
A few minutes ago, I had been rescued by Rudel.
(Why can't I hate you?)
Rudel told me a bunch of horrible things a little while ago, even months ago he hurt me too, but…
(You hurt me, but why did I feel joy when you came to rescue me?)
…I can't hate you despite everything.
You hurt me with your words.
As the daughter of an Archduke, I always received praise; people always told me pleasant things and wanted to be my vassals.
But you… you are a very strange thing.
You are a noble, but you act like a barbarian.
You have no education.
No class.
I don't blame your parents or how you were raised.
But in the time I knew you, every time you spoke with me, it always seemed like you were lying or using double standards in your words.
Still, I had a lot of fun with you and Airi.
I felt really unfortunate the day my ex-fiancé told me horrible things. I knew him since childhood, but I never saw that behavior in him before.
Then my father got me another fiancé. I felt really bad since he was a man I never exchanged words with.
He didn't even try to defend me when I offered myself as a hostage.
But you, on the other hand, despite being just a country noble, have done things that would only be possible in fiction.
You defended me not once, but twice in situations that didn't concern you.
I saw you fight against those superior in status to you.
You faced multiple enemies alone to rescue me when earlier you said you didn't care about my safety.
You are horrible as a noble and as a person.
But, why?
Why in this situation where we're being attacked from different places and can die at any instant, you're not afraid?
You say you're a coward, but you've been fighting for our lives from the beginning.
…Why?
In this situation where you and His Highness could escape somehow, you came to save me.
Why…?
Why in this critical and terrifying situation can't I stop avoiding looking at your face?
There are gunshots and screams around, but my ears only concentrate on your breathing.
Being full of sweat, wounds, and blood that isn't yours. Why can't I stop seeing how gallant you are?
My eyes don't leave you for a second.
(In the depths of my heart, I wish this moment would never end.)
After thinking that, my eyes closed for the first time due to the shame I feel for myself.
Now I understand why.
I remembered some words my personal maid from childhood once told me.
("You have every right to be happy and love whomever you wish. I'm sure somewhere in this world, there is a man destined for you who will love and protect you. Your own knight in shining armor.")
I hugged Rudel tightly after hearing him say something.
(I'm so sorry, Airi; I'm a terrible friend and a horrible woman. Even knowing your feelings in advance, I did something unforgivable…)
Rudel told me to calm down after leaving a hot zone for some reason.
He told me we'd arrive soon.
(Please… don't let it be you, the man I waited so long for, when my friend also feels the same as I do.)
◇
We had finally arrived at the cruise ship.
Everything was a mess.
The students, servants, sailors were tired and wounded.
Someone came running, shouting my name.
"Baron Bradford!"
The curly-haired senpai came running toward me.
Her uniform was stained with dirt and blood that wasn't hers.
Behind her were the cliché ninja and Liam.
I left Alisa for a moment and went to talk with them.
◇◇◇
Alisa had finally arrived safely at the cruise ship, but everything was in chaos.
The deck was covered in blood, slight flames, and monster corpses being cut or pierced.
When she was about to go to Rudel to find out why he was talking with a mysterious woman, someone called her.
"Alisa!"
The voice came running from afar and sounded as if she had run a marathon.
Alisa slowly turned her head toward the voice, and when she finished turning, she saw her.
Airi came running toward her.
She seemed to want to jump and hug her, but being half a meter away, she stopped.
Her happy face faded into one of shame as she looked down and said things that made Alisa feel like vomiting.
"I'm glad you're okay, L-lady Bismarck… I'm sure your fr- friends will be happy to see you safe and sound."
Alisa, from the bottom of her heart, wanted to say something, but a girl of the aristocracy should never say something like what she was thinking to someone of lower rank and, moreover, a commoner.
"Now that you're safe… you'll return"
"Stop!"
Alisa exploded.
Airi, who had her head lowered, lifted it upon hearing Alisa's shout.
Alisa immediately approached Airi, grabbing her shoulders, and from the bottom of her heart, said words that should never have come from an aristocrat, much less from a villainess like the heroine who led to her end.
"I… I'm so sorryyyyy!!"
But that didn't matter to her anymore.
Alisa, like Rudel, broke her inner shell and let out everything her heart felt.
Her rabbit-like eyes moistened, and tears streamed from them like waterfalls.
"It was all my fault! Please stop acting like that in front of me!"
Airi, who was the heroine of this world, also began to cry at the words of her enemy, the villainess.
"I… it was all my fault!"
"It wasn't!!!"
Alisa stopped Airi's self-blame with her own words.
"It wasn't your fault at all; it was me who didn't want to go find you to explain everything that happened that day!"
"Yes… if only I hadn't been a selfish coward thinking about what the surroundings would say about me for defending you, none of this would have happened!!"
Alisa cried like a little girl; her eyes were full of tears, and her mouth made a grimace that had never been there before.
Airi began to cry harder while also shouting what her heart had stored.
"No, Alisa is not to blame for anything. It was me who decided to pay attention to what those horrible girls said about you and Rudel-san! If I had ignored them, none of this would have happened, and the three of us would still be together!!"
Alisa and Airi kept crying while telling each more things impossible to believe in the game's plot. The heroine and the villainess were openly shouting their pain at being separated from each other. At this point, the plot of this game world no longer makes sense.
"I'm so sorry, Airi! I really enjoyed being with you; you were there for me when no one, not even my family, was there to help me. You… you are my best and only true friend in this world! I'm so sorrrryyyyy!!"
"I'm sorry too! All this time I've been so alone and suffering from not being with you or Rudel-san! I don't just see you as my only and best friend; I also consider you my sister in flesh!"
The girls shouted what their hearts felt. Alisa was the first to stop crying.
"I guess… we're both idiots for being dishonest and liars?"
Airi also stopped crying and responded in a comical tone.
"We're both surely huge idiots, hehe. It seems that's why we're made for each other."
"Alisa…"
"…Airi."
Immediately afterward, the girls, who had restored their friendship, gave each other a strong reconciliation hug.
At that moment, a friendship was rebuilt. And now its foundations were stronger, more solid, and lasting. It was a friendship that should never have been born in this world.
Like another individual who shouldn't be here.
◇
I was observing a beautiful and emotional situation.
Airi had arrived, and suddenly Alisa shouted. Both proceeded to shout things at each other that made me cry and wish I had a friend to feel the same.
But what gave me the most happiness and tears was…
"The friendship between two girls is beautiful and pure, but the collision between mountains and hills is equally beautiful."
…Watching as the breasts of both collided, creating pressure on the flesh, seeming to make them grow even larger than they already were.
It was beautiful to see that and also that the girls had reconciled.
"Bradford."
I immediately turned due to the voice calling me; it was Liam's.
"You've rescued Alicelotte and your ship has arrived. What else are we waiting for to get out of here?"
Quickly, I looked at Ixion, who was observing everything from above. He descended after seeing I was looking at him.
"Why haven't you evacuated them yet?" I asked him.
He quickly responded, "Look at the situation out there."
I looked where he pointed, and he was right. The enemy fleet had almost been defeated by the cannons or the monsters. The problem here was a group of Mobile Knights approaching after killing several monsters around.
Ixion spoke after noticing I understood the situation.
"I can't guarantee anyone's safety while being attacked from every side. If there were a minimal amount, I could bring out the lifeboats and get everyone on board."
I responded, "I understand. It seems it's time for that boy to have some action."
"I say the same," said Ixion while giving me a recovery potion and removing my special suit.
I had my pilot clothes underneath ready, so I didn't have to undress in public, thank God.
From one end of Brynhild, two large objects came flying out.
The students and servants must have already known about it.
Many made shouts of joy, and others that victory was already here.
Then, in an exaggerated but not too much way.
My other faithful companion, Battler, had arrived from the sky in a superhero landing pose.
To one side, floating, was the strange X I used as a propulsion system to fly.
Ixion said Battler was for ground combat, but to make it fly required analysis and creation of special equipment.
Finally, it was here.
The X had the backpack where I stored the weapons, while on Battler's back, a strange jet pack was welded, which opened as if foldable.
I hurried to board my companion, but not before giving a reassuring message to everyone.
"You endured well, idiots. Now watch as I kick these guys' asses!"
Upon entering the cabin in its chest. Everything was already on; I placed my hands on the joysticks, and the hatch closed.
Thanks to the drones' cameras still on the deck, I watched as Battler's eyes lit up, ready for action.
I was also recovered and ready to enter the final battle of this strange day.
Immediately, I pressed a button, and Battler flew along with my weapon backpack and a few drones to finish off these idiots.
Nothing can stop me now.
◇◇◇
On one of the ships that hadn't been destroyed yet, a man was slowly waking up.
"Umm, my head…"
He was the only one who had been shot three times and still got up as if nothing.
A man quickly came down the stairs shouting.
"Young Master! Are you safe?"
Immediately upon descending, he carefully helped the man who was getting up, handed him a recovery potion so he could rise.
After drinking it, he asked about the situation outside.
The man who came to see how he was doing was old, burly, and very tall.
"Most of the fleet has fallen, and the rest is under attack by both magical beasts and the mysterious ship that arrived. Since no one responded in here, I came down to see the situation; the men upstairs seem to have been devoured since there was no one."
The man stood up, and his great stature made him almost reach the ceiling.
After turning his neck to remove any discomfort, the man said.
"Bacchus, prepare my Zodd."
"Understood," said the old man.
He kept looking at the chair where Alisa had been.
"What's wrong?" said the tall man.
Instead, the old man responded, "It's just… after several years in exile, we finally had a Bismarck in our hands, and we could have extracted the truth or used her to blackmail the Kingdom of Altfode."
"That wasn't going to happen," he responded without much enthusiasm to the old man.
"She had no idea about my house or what her family did; we only have what that traitor from the kingdom told us. So many years waiting to have someone from that family that destroyed the Nosferatu house without any proof…"
"It doesn't matter; there are more important things to worry about now."
"Young Master Bandell…"
That man, Bandell, was a character from this RPG game.
"Don't make that face, Bacchus; in all these years you've served me, I never showed any weakness. Just watch how I kill that shitty brat!"
His role in the story wasn't as a background character, NPC, or ally.
"You're talking to the one who won the war eight years ago."
His role in the story was to be an enemy, and not just any enemy. One so difficult to sell that he could only be defeated by having a recommended level, several equipped weapons, and using the correct allies, because this man was…
"You think a shitty brat can defeat me, the one who was baptized by his enemies after killing the Sword Emperor as the…"
…The game's final boss.
"Bloody Knight!"
A person who was fulfilling his corresponding role at the wrong time, place, and year.