Chapter 18
Joanie tensed her body and asked, “Why is the Imperial Army here?”
“An obvious question,” a knight stepped forward, pushing aside a man with a crooked smile.
-“There is no place beyond the reach of the great Arka Empire’s black sun. Not even the infamous Mad Continent.”
His armor looked distinctly different from the other knights, and his intimidating tone indirectly revealed his rank. The fact that he stepped out alone among so many knights only proved he was extraordinary.
The commander of the knights narrowed his eyes slightly. “I heard there was a criminal here; who are you?”
“…Criminal?”
“We are defenders of the criminal. Also, we are blind fools who know nothing of the Empire’s glory.”
-“Oh? Is that so?”
Upon hearing the man’s words, the commander shrugged in an exaggerated manner.
-“That’s quite unfortunate. However, the Empire is generous. If you repent and reflect on your mistakes now, we can overlook minor faults. I wouldn’t want to slay a comrade I fought alongside.”
“…What do you mean by that? I have never sided with the Empire.”
“I think he’s referring to the time when we fought Grasis. The mercenaries from Liberi hired by the Empire also participated in that war.”
“Aha….”
Joanie and Pine whispered to each other. Even while talking, they subtly looked around, clearly showing signs of being pressured by the knights’ imposing presence.
The number of players was much greater, but it didn’t mean that everyone gathered here was on Joanie’s side. Even if they accepted Yuki’s proposal to be appointed as the representative of the outlaws and successfully reached an agreement, it wouldn’t mean they would turn into allies. Furthermore, even if they were on the same side, opposing the Empire was a different story altogether.
In fact, quite a few people were stealthily withdrawing from the battlefield upon seeing the knights.
-“What should we do?”
-“Is that even a question?”
Yuki grinned. “Of course, we should fight.”
“…Yuki, weren’t you an outlaw?”
“What’s the big deal when something more interesting comes up than a position I was forced into? I’m curious about how strong these knights are.”
“You crazy girl!”
Pine hurriedly stopped Yuki, who seemed ready to charge at any moment with her sword drawn. “If you do that, we’ll all die!”
“Why don’t you try to experience the thrill of struggle this time?”
“No way, you lunatic!”
No matter how you looked at it, she clearly had been born in the wrong era. Or perhaps, in the wrong world altogether.
As Pine attempted to reason with Yuki, he thought about that.
“Logically thinking, it would be wise to retreat….”
“Eh, retreat?”
“….”
They were no match for the knights. While the knights were elite warriors with specialized training, they were just a ragtag bunch without even a proper commander.
He had no idea how powerful the knights were, but it was hard to believe that the Arka Empire’s knights would be weak.
Joanie bit her lip. It was great to tread paths others hadn’t dared to walk, but was it really necessary to do so while clashing with many players and opposing the Empire?
Memories from the past few days flashed through her mind. The days she spent struggling to climb mountains, bringing food to Kana after he saved her life.
It was she who had said thank you and promised to repay him, but now that she saw him not responding at all, it felt a bit irritating.
How moved she was when Kana taught her how to wield a sword and shared his name with her.
Joanie realized something.
“I will fight.”
She tried to tame the fox, but in reality, the fox was not Kana, but herself.
Some might ask if that’s all it takes to form a bond, but for her, it was not “just” anything.
She had wished for such a connection ever since she lay in the hospital a long time ago.
And there was another reason as well.
“It’s because of me that this happened. So, it’s only right that I take responsibility. That’s what it means to be an adult.”
“Oh, that’s cool.”
“Joanie….”
Pine looked at Joanie with a complex expression.
“I won’t force you to fight along, Pine. I’ve already received enough help from you.”
“I’m more than willing to fight alongside you.”
“Thank you, Yuki.”
It was a bit strange, but there was no more reliable ally than Yuki, who had the highest level among players and extensive combat experience.
“Ugh, seriously….”
Pine scratched his head in irritation.
“Fine, I’ll fight too.”
“Are you sure it’s okay? You could end up at odds with the Empire.”
“It’s better to be at odds with the Empire than with the viewers. Since it’s come to this, I might as well make a video out of it and rake in some views.”
The profession of a streamer is one that thrives on public sentiment.
While it’s not acceptable to be swayed blindly by the viewers, one cannot completely ignore public sentiment; that’s the nature of the job.
Even now, as he showed a passive attitude, the chat was flooded with “chicken” and “scram.”
With the word “chicken” appearing alongside it.
Naturally, Pine reacted with frustration.
Even though he looked fairly handsome, he was definitely XY in chromosomes, and the word “chicken” was a magical term that could never be tolerated once born male.
“Who’s scared? The only thing that scares me in my life is a chicken sandwich!”
“Ugh… so lame…”
“Shut up!”
“It seems you have no intention of reflecting on your actions.”
The captain, watching the banter among the three streamers, spoke up.
He didn’t show any particular sign of anger, despite hearing words that openly defied him.
It was as if he thought their conspiracies would be utterly useless.
-“Those foolish beings who cannot witness the glory of the Black Sun are always like that. Even when given the opportunity to realize their mistakes, they kick it away themselves.”
“Whatever the glory of the Black Sun might be, I don’t think I’ve done anything wrong.”
-“Not knowing the glory of the Black Sun itself is wrong.”
Such arrogant words.
But at the same time, they showcased the power of the Lo Arka Empire.
There was no place in the Ardina Continent that could escape the Empire’s grasp.
-“And to advocate for a sinner means you are on the same side as that sinner. As a knight who must uphold justice, I cannot just stand by.”
“Keep saying sinner, sinner—who’s the sinner?”
-“Are you pretending not to know?”
The captain frowned.
-“The last sword of Grasis, the Red Reaper. A monster that has massacred countless citizens of the Empire.”
“…You’re talking about Kana?”
-“Ah, yes, that was the name.”
He thought that Kana would be an extraordinary figure capable of slaughtering players, but for the Empire, her name seemed to carry even greater weight than Joanie had anticipated.
-“The old folks trembled just mentioning that name. They said, ‘If you call her name, the Reaper will come.’”
With a heavy thud, he took a step forward.
A thick cloud of dust rose, and a weighty impact hit the air strongly.
-“Nevertheless, that’s merely a hollow reputation gained during war. Alone, she can do nothing; isn’t it rather foolish to cower in fear?”
The captain stretched out his arm.
A black cloak billowed violently, fluttering in the wind, following the silver armor.
-“Today, we hunt the monster. We will sever its neck and show it to everyone. The monster you feared is nothing but this. We will cleanse the rotting knights and take their place. For a better Empire! For the glory of the Black Sun!”
— “For the glory of the Black Sun!”
Boom!
A resounding echo followed the commander’s speech.
Nearly a hundred knights struck their swords down with unerring precision.
Even Yuki, who had been brimming with confidence, took a step back, eyeing them warily.
-“I’ll give you one last chance. If you step aside now, we’ll pretend this never happened.”
Clang!
“Is that so?”
Instead of answering, she drew her sword, bow, and staff.
Those who would flee had already run away; the remaining ones were ablaze with fighting spirit.
Compared to before, their numbers were distinctly fewer.
On the other hand, some of the outlaws had subtly slipped behind the knights, preparing to fight alongside them.
It seemed they hoped for a few crumbs if they helped, or maybe they had no reason to pull back anyway.
-“The Apostles don’t die, right? Then engrave this clearly into your souls.”
Swish.
— “For the greatness of the Empire!”
The knights all drew their swords simultaneously.
It was a tense situation.
Contrary to the relaxed expressions of the knights, the supporter of Kana’s face were hardened, frozen in fear.
No one seemed willing to move, tense and watching the knights’ actions closely.
But not everyone felt the same way.
“Hah… I can’t stand it…!”
“Hey, you crazy girl!”
Yuki, twisting her body as if she were desperate to relieve herself, was the first to charge forward with her oversized sword in hand.
With her rush as a signal, the knights began to form ranks and charge as well.
“Joanie! Get back!”
“Yes, I will!”
Knowing Joanie’s lackluster combat skills, Pine hurriedly pushed her back.
Everyone here had gathered to help Joanie.
Even if she could resurrect at a revival point, they believed her death would break their morale.
“I’ll confess to her once this war is over.”
“Don’t set up flags, focus!”
As the players wrapped mana around their weapons, the knights responded by enveloping their swords and shields in mana as well.
Unlike the unstable, erratic mana of the players, the knights’ mana remained stable and unwavering.
Even if their levels were the same, their fighting power was not.
It was a thought that came to mind at that moment.
“Uagh!”
A brave knight who charged in was met with a red line across his body.
He was thrown back against his shield and failed to recover, leaving this world.
“Hah!”
Boom!
A heavy sound echoed as the sword cleaved through the air, sending one knight flying far away.
Could he block with his sword?
For a moment, the knight pondered but chose to deflect the strike with the shield in his other hand.
“Gah…!”
A groan escaped the knight’s lips as he felt the weight pressing down on his arm.
The woman before him was unlike the others…!
With a single confrontation, the knight felt it and gritted his teeth.
“Ah… this sensation of blood rushing… it feels so good…!”
Yuki, with her lips curled into a smirk, struck the ground again.
She twisted her waist with all her might, turning her body as she swung her great sword.
The combination of body enhancement through mana and centrifugal force produced an astonishing speed.
The knight couldn’t parry the sword again.
Whenever the knight took a step back, Yuki took a step forward; when he retreated again, she advanced once more.
The captain clicked his tongue at the knight’s pitiful display, being overwhelmed by something so weak as a mere apostle.
-“Tch. At this rate, I’ll have to make him run a hundred laps around the training ground.”
The captain raised his sword high.
Chills ran down Yuki’s spine.
It felt as if ice was being poured over her; she forced herself to withdraw her great sword and leaped backward.
Swish!
“…!”
A sword beam flew through the spot she had just occupied.
— “Ugh, aaaaah!”
— “What’s that! What’s flying at us!”
— “It’s a sword beam! Dodge!”
Everything in a straight line with Yuki was sliced apart.
People screamed while clutching their arms.
Some couldn’t even scream and turned into light halos.
Others stood frozen in shock at the sight of their vanished companions.
In the instant chaos, Joanie’s eyes trembled.
“Stronger….”
The backlash from her unexpected movement arrived late.
Ignoring the screams coming from her aching waist, Yuki took a deep breath.
“This might be a bit difficult.”
She thought she had grown stronger from the relentless fighting, but instinctively, she sensed that she couldn’t match the captain.
If the boss was bound by the system’s restrictions, she might have been able to defeat him, but this was war, not a raid or boss battle.
The weak would not survive.
Even after unleashing a sword beam that could split the earth, the captain showed no signs of fatigue as he raised his sword once more.
With a low hum, mana gradually gathered.
Once that mana fully coalesced, another strike like the previous one would come.
Yuki widened her eyes, focusing all her concentration on the captain.
But the captain’s gaze wasn’t fixed on her.
“Dodge!”
The endpoint of his gaze was Joanie.
Hearing Yuki’s urgent shout, Joanie turned her head, but the captain’s arm was already swinging downward toward the ground.
Swoosh!
“…!”
A massive sword beam sliced through the air.
Joanie’s wide eyes captured the image of the sword beam racing toward her.
‘There’s no way to dodge this—’
As death approached, Joanie felt time elongate.
She clearly saw the sword beam heading for her body.
Yet, the elongated time was also shared by Joanie.
Her eyes closed, sensing her impending doom.
And thus, one second, two seconds, three seconds….
“…?”
After waiting for a few seconds with her eyes tightly shut, there was no pain.
“Did I die without even feeling pain…?”
It would be better that way.
“What if I open my eyes and suddenly…?”
Joanie trembled, forcing herself to open her eyes slightly.
The first thing that caught her eye was pink.
Soft pink hair, like cherry blossoms, swayed gently, and a sweet fragrance lightly enveloped Joanie.
Next, she noticed a small figure, seemingly two heads shorter than Joanie, wrapped in a shabby black cape.
A girl stood confidently in front of her, holding a sword that looked like it could break at any moment.
Though it was a figure Joanie had longed to see yet had never encountered before, she instinctively knew the identity of the girl.
“Kana…!”
—
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