Astrea Siege Battle (Part 1)
Even though he had long accepted that this was reality and not a game, Subaru was still incredibly shocked when the news of a magical beast rampage in the northwest reached the mansion on the sixth morning.
—The final battle had begun!
Natsuki Subaru immediately understood what the rampage in the demonic beast forest meant.
The fact that the final battle had begun a day and a half earlier than expected filled him with overwhelming panic.
He felt like he hadn't done anything yet.
Roswaal's displayed intellect and resolve, as well as the weight of the contract Subaru carried, made him terribly anxious.
He feared defeat.
He feared hell would appear before his eyes once more.
But more than anything, he feared losing the peaceful everyday life he had come to cherish.
"Subaru! Are you okay?"
Reinhild's voice reached Subaru's ears.
"Ah~ ah!"
Coming back to his senses, Subaru quickly waved his hands to indicate he was fine.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Go evacuate with the others."
Subaru pointed at himself with a dazed expression.
"Evacuate? Me?"
—Should I really be evacuating? When this war started because of me?
I should do something. I must do something.
These thoughts flooded Subaru's mind instantly.
"A king has the talents of a king. A chef has the talents of a chef. Wasn't that what you said yesterday, Subaru?"
"Yeah."
Subaru responded instinctively.
"Then there's no doubt that your talent is intelligence analysis.
The information you provided has already saved many lives.
You've done your part excellently, so please evacuate with the others."
Intelligence, huh?
Subaru recalled how he had indeed provided a lot of intel as a victim of the Witch Cult.
Capella's abilities.
That Capella was the head of the assassination guild.
That the Witch Cult had turned the fallen Eight-Armed War God into a corpse soldier.
Capella's repulsive personality.
That Ram had mentioned the possibility of Capella and Roswaal working together.
And, most crucially, that the Witch Cult could sever the use of Communication Mirrors.
—But was that information really enough?
"Subaru, the information you gave is more than enough."
The girl seemed to see right through his heart as she assured him.
"Or do you think you have the talent to fight?"
Subaru went silent.
He had enough self-awareness to know—what happened in the royal capital made it clear that he couldn't even win against thugs with weapons.
In this war, every single person involved was a real soldier.
Even the lowest-ranking soldiers were stronger than him and could easily kill him.
For the first time, Subaru felt a deep yearning for strength.
"I'm a Sword Saint, a knight. I have the talent to fight. Subaru, will you leave the fighting to me?"
"I understand. But, Reinhild… after this battle, can I ask you to personally train me?"
"Yes, leave it to me."
The girl smiled and walked off toward the war council room.
The massive Astrea mansion was left with only Reinhild.
The cold southern wind tormented her.
She thought several times about whether to first deal with the Beast of the End, but recalling Subaru's description of Capella, and out of trust in the boy's prophet-like predictions over the past few days, Reinhild suppressed her anxious heart and continued to hide her presence, waiting.
Lust Sin Archbishop Capella.
The madman Roswaal.
The misled Beast of the End, Puck.
The battle-crazed Cecilus.
Based on the intel they had gathered, these four were likely threats only she could handle.
However, the demon maid had declared with unwavering eyes: "It's a servant's duty to guide their master back to the right path."
And Winston, with burning eyes, had said: "Dying in battle with my life on the line is an honor for a warrior."
Both held extremely strong beliefs, and both had the strength to make Reinhild draw the Dragon Sword.
So Reinhild entrusted Roswaal and Cecilus to them.
.
.
.
"…You're the Sin Archbishop of Lust, aren't you?"
Reinhild looked at the 'Winston' before her and asked.
If not for the Divine Protection alerting her to the enemy's malice—no, even with that, if she hadn't had Subaru's intel, she might have genuinely believed Winston had betrayed them.
The disguise was too perfect.
"Yes, it's me~ I was planning to be gentle, but why did you have to expose me?"
'Winston' turned into a writhing mass of flesh, and then into a blonde-haired girl.
As the Divine Protections of Decreased Presence and Appearance Alteration were deactivated, Reinhild's figure and presence finally emerged fully in the mansion.
She sharply sensed the increase in the opponent's killing intent.
"Reinhild. So it's you! Then who's fighting Cecilus? I see. I was tricked, huh?! You're so damn despicable! Why can you change your appearance?! That power belongs to me! The power to be loved by all—how can you possess it?!"
A sword strike shattered Capella's body.
This wasn't because Reinhild couldn't stand her chatter.
She simply wanted to finish things quickly so she could assist the others.
However, Capella didn't see it that way.
She turned into countless rats and fled while screeching profanities.
Reinhild picked up an iron sword and leaped into the air.
Mana from the atmosphere surged into the blade, which was nearly a famed sword.
In the sky, it was as if a miniature sun had appeared.
"What a joke! Are you planning to destroy the honor the royal family granted your ancestors?! You hypocrite! Are you trying to take down the mansion and everyone evacuating inside with me?!"
Perhaps sensing death, countless black bugs, rats, and birds began cursing.
"All the evacuees are gone.
As for honor—The honor of the Sword Saint family is not in blood, nor in state-bestowed buildings.
It lies in our unyielding duty as the King's Sword.
To let a Sin Archbishop escape just to protect a building would be the real disgrace."
Understanding the Sword Saint's resolve, countless creatures collided.
Then, a giant black dragon appeared in the courtyard, roaring toward the sky.
The dragon's fiery breath collided with the falling "sun" in the sky.
The Sin Archbishop's counterattack was too weak.
The sword strike cut through the flames, shattered the dragon, and left behind a crater dozens of meters wide and over a hundred meters deep.
"She's not dead?"
Sensing hostile feedback from his Divine Protection, Reinhild showed a flicker of surprise.
She quickly descended to the bottom of the crater and swung her sword again—then she saw a girl.
The girl complained.
The girl cried.
The girl burned with jealousy.
Then the girl, filled with overwhelming hatred, launched her final attack.
And the Sin Archbishop of Lust was slain.
Reinhild hesitated slightly but buried the girl, then left the crater and hurried south.