After the battle with Helkrai ended, the Ark imdiately started heading towards the capital after rescuing the survivors.
Along the way, we encountered several groups fleeing from other territories.
The reason we were able to safely rescue them, despite being pursued by monsters, was because the demon army, which originally had to pass through their route, had been annihilated.
Yes, it was all thanks to Helkrai, who wiped them out in our stead…
Even though he hadn’t intended it, we owed him a great debt as a result.
So, I didn’t regret giving him the proper respect in the end. This battle needed to end that way.
-Smack!
…Of course, others might not see it that way, which was the problem.
“Ouch! That hurts, Flang!”
“Of course, it hurts! Did you think I was going to stroke you gently?”
Fortunately, I wasn’t seriously injured, but after receiving such monstrous blows that could even bring down mountains, my body had taken a heavy toll.
Flang, who ca to visit while I was resting in bed, repeatedly hit my bandaged body.
And the others who ca to check on seed to agree with her.
“Honestly, you’re always so reckless with your body, just like back then.”
“We all owe you for that, Hero, but every ti we see it, we can’t help but feel anxious. We’d really like you to take care of yourself.”
Ga-ram and Sanson expressed similar concerns, echoing the group’s thoughts.
Next to them, Annabel, who clearly approved of Flang scolding , was smirking.
“Hit him harder. If you don’t, this reckless idiot won’t realize he’s a fool until the day he dies.”
Damn her. We share the sa essence, so why is everything she says so irritating?
Maybe it’s because she feels more like an annoying little sister than a counterpart?
“…Master, you’re an idiot.”
Unable to hold back her emotions after scolding for so long, Flang withdrew her hand and rested her head against .
I could feel her trembling, undoubtedly from suppressed sobs.
The emotions were faintly present in her words that followed.
“Master, you know where we’re heading soon, right?”
“…Yes, I know.”
“It’s not just any being, it’s the Demon King. The one who ruled over the demons… And perhaps, a great catastrophe that might even surpass the Corpse Lord is about to descend upon the place we’re heading to.”
She was always terrified of the unknown she had never experienced.
The demons from the other world would seem like the biggest threat to her, and the Demon King, their leader, would inspire an indescribable terror.
Still, it was only natural for her to worry about since I was heading there with her.
“…It’s not just the Demon King, either.”
But it wasn’t only Flang who was worried about the situation.
I was, too.
I was worried about whether Flang could endure the trials awaiting us in the capital.
“The fact that the Demon King, who had been dormant all this ti, is starting to move ans there’s sothing there that’s drawing him in.”
“……”
“…You suspected as much, right?”
Yes, didn’t rilyn ntion it?
Those of us from the other worlds were rely byproducts ant to bring in foreign concepts, and the Crown Prince’s goal was to use those concepts to seek mutual destruction with the calamities.
And what was created for that purpose might lie in the sanctuary…
It might be even more horrifying and terrifying than anything we’d seen before, even in the ruins of ancient Britannia.
“…I know.”
Facing the reality of entering a capital filled with such beings, Flang responded with a voice tinged with sorrow.
She had co to accept that the empire would soon fall, and that the one leading this downfall was none other than the heir to the empire himself.
“I don’t know all the details, but maybe the things happening now are because of the Crown Prince.”
That must be a conclusion she reached after giving up on many things.
As the guardian of humanity for nearly a thousand years, the empire had always been at the center of her efforts.
For her, humanity and the empire were inseparable, but her next words were filled with resignation and dependence on .
“And if that’s truly the case, the best thing left for , who must abandon the Imperial family, is to protect this Ark.”
Even though I took up this role by chance, I was now the leader of the Ark, and everyone here relied on .
My life no longer belonged solely to ; every situation I faced would affect the people here on the Ark.
“…So please, take care of yourself. You’re the master of this place.”
For this girl, who wanted to protect those left behind, I was irreplaceable.
Understanding this, I apologized to Flang as I held her, acknowledging her feelings in front of everyone.
“…I’m sorry. I’m sorry for making you worry.”
When this fight would end, I wouldn’t just be a leader in na only.
I began to sense that a genuine master-servant relationship would be established.
And then, as the sun began to set…
No, the sky was so dark that even the sun was barely visible, stained with a foreboding red hue as we entered the imperial territory.
Even though I could check the ti with a watch, the distinction between day and night had beco uncertain.
The ominous sky felt like it was foretelling the future, and I encouraged the anxious group to rest for the night.
By midnight, everyone but the few guards had fallen asleep.
I, too, needed to conserve my energy for our arrival in the capital tomorrow, but there was one place I needed to visit first.
“You’ve co, my son.”
It was a private workshop set up in one corner of the Ark.
In the center of the room, littered with blueprints and tools, a craftsman greeted , having just finished her work.
The apron she wore and the dust on her face were clear signs of how hard her work had been.
“Yes, is the request I made ready?”
“Yes, I managed to finish it on ti.”
Tashian, without another word, gestured over.
What greeted was the armor I had commissioned, though its form and the gems embedded within it had changed significantly from before.
Since I had recovered the core after my battle with Helkrai, I decided to use it to upgrade my existing equipnt.
“I’ve made so adjustnts to the armor, but the fit shouldn’t feel too different from what you’re used to. I didn’t see a need to change the materials either, so I kept it the sa.”
“The core is from Helkrai, right?”
“Yes. Using two cores would cause a backlash due to their incompatible natures, and it would be too much strain on the user. Why don’t you try it on?”
Since I ca here for that very reason, there was no reason to refuse.
I placed my hand on the armor Tashian prepared, taking a mont to gauge the aura emanating from it.
Back when I had unlocked Sloth’s potential, it took a lot of effort to get used to it.
Of course, I’d already mastered it, but dealing with Helkrai’s core might be an entirely different matter.
I placed my hand on the armor to get a sense of the power it held and listened closely to the voice emanating from the core’s will.
-Honor!!!!
An all-too-familiar voice surged through the armor and into my hand.
Unlike with Sloth’s core, however, this didn’t feel overwhelmingly burdenso.
That was, as long as my hand remained on the surface.
-Honor!!!
As soon as I donned the armor, the voice beca even clearer, stronger than when I had rely touched it.
And as soon as I began channeling mana, a barrage of battle cries followed…
-Honor!!! Honor!!!!
“My son, you seem a bit tense. Are you alright?”
“Oh, yes. I can handle it. Here you go.”
Fortunately, having dealt with Sloth’s core, I’d grown used to enduring the powers that arose from these desires.
Though the constant shouting was annoying, I figured it wouldn’t bother much during battle as long as I stayed focused. I quickly removed the armor and handed it back to Tashian.
“Thank you for the great equipnt, Tashian. I’ll be going now. You should rest too, for tomorrow…”
“Wait a mont.”
Tashian called out to stop as I was about to leave.
I turned my head, wondering if there was sothing more, only to find her gazing at steadily before she spoke cautiously.
“Could you spare a mont before you go to sleep?”
“Oh? Yes, of course… if it’s just a mont. Tashian?”
“Hold still for a second.”
Tashian suddenly pulled into an embrace and began feeling around my body with her hands.
Her bold touch froze in place, and before I knew it, her hands had moved from my upper body to lower… nearing sensitive areas.
“Uh, Tashian… you’re getting a bit too close…”
“You’ve grown a lot.”
Grown? In what way?
“Yes, you’re much stronger than when we first t. Physically, and ntally…”
Ah, so that was what she ant.
I breathed a small sigh of relief, but only for a mont.
“…And scars, too.”
Her words made my breath catch, and I found myself looking down at Tashian’s face as she continued to hold close.
She had rested her head against my chest, listening to the sound of my heartbeat.
Her hands traced the contours of the scars beneath my clothes.
“…I’m sorry.”
Yes, that sadness in her voice must have co from knowing these scars would only grow in number.
“Still, I think I must go.”
Even though she understood, I still felt guilty for not being able to turn back.
“Because I believe that I’m not the only one who should receive your love.”
“…Yes, you’re right.”
Tashian nodded quietly in response to my guilt-laden words, then took a step back and smiled warmly.
“So go without regrets. As your mother, I’ll support you until the very end.”
Her expression was gentle and warm, showing her respect for my decision and preparing herself to let go.
“Take care, and…”
Tashian trailed off, her eyes softening as she looked at with a gaze full of longing.
“The one inside you… right?”
No, more precisely, the one who dwelled within .
Though no words were exchanged, Tashian seed aware of her presence, bowing respectfully.
“…My one and only precious child.”
Even the being once called the pinnacle of all things bowed her head at that mont.
Though her action was graceful, the emotions on her face were laid bare for to see.
“Please, take care of my child.”
A sad smile broke through the calm she had maintained.
I wanted to say sothing in response to that smile, but in the end, I simply bowed my head and left her workshop.
That farewell wasn’t ant for .
The one who should feel the weight of those words wasn’t , but rather my half-sister.
-Even the calamity that killed so many people, in the end, is reduced to such a pitiful figure.
As I walked down the hallway and heard that faint murmur, I paused, taking a mont to listen to her.
-She must know who I am, even if she’s fallen from grace. That reaction ans she understands I have no connection to her at all.
“…Annabel.”
-I’ve told you before, I only have one mother. She gave birth to and followed a foolish king until her human death. Do you really think, knowing that, I’d entertain the notion of reconciliation, like that pitiful ghost?
Even though she had Tacchia’s mories, Annabel still centered herself as the heir to a fallen kingdom.
She denied any link between herself and Tashian, concluding that their connection no longer mattered.
And she also likely saw that final request as sothing passed on from a stranger, unrelated to her.
“Is that really okay with you?”
Even so, is she going to honor my mother’s request?
Even while she pursues a separate path, does she intend to accompany to the end, through peril?
“Since we’re bound together anyway, like it or not, I have to go along with your tune.”
With my question still lingering, Annabel erged from within , poking my forehead with her fingers.
Her usual frown and sharp gaze were fixed squarely on .
“So, stop spouting weak nonsense. There’s nothing worse than my master showing weakness.”
Her words reminded that my life no longer belonged solely to , and I couldn’t help but smile.
“Yeah, let’s both make sure we co back alive.”
Though she may see my choices as foolish, I realized I had a companion who would stand by to the end without rejection.
Yes, I now had both the equipnt to support and comrades who would stand by my side.
Having prepared as thoroughly as possible.
Now, all I needed were two things.
The resolve to face peril and return alive.
And the information necessary to plan for what was to co.
“The angel…”
I realized that the needed information had arrived just in ti when I t the refugees who had fled from the capital.
“Angels descended upon the capital, shining their light… and then everything vanished.”
“We… we ran. We just ran from it… and then… hahahahahaha!”
The refugees, driven mad by despair, babbled incoherently.
Even rilyn, who usually wore a grin, had wiped it away, speaking to in a somber tone.
“Do you rember when I said the Prince had prepared bait to lure the Demon King?”
Could it be that the angels, summoned to oppose the demons, were attacking the people in the capital?
Considering even beings called gods had wreaked havoc in this world, it was unreasonable to expect these so-called angels to be benevolent toward us.
“…It might be a more hellish scene than we imagined.”
Yes, soon the Empire would beco a battleground for angels and demons, and in that place, gods would descend, erasing everything.
Of course, humans would have no place in that conflict.
So, for us heading toward that place, the priority wasn’t to join the battle, but to rescue as many people as possible before it was too late.
“Gather everyone. I’ll explain our plan and the strategy from now on.”
I pray that when this final battle ends, I desperately hope the outco we all wish for awaits us.
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