Avangarde Royal Capital
“Lua-chan feels so warm…”
“Kurinka feels so soft…”
I wrapped my arms around Kurinka, holding her close, and she clung to me just as tightly. It was as if a bright light enveloped us, rendering everything around us completely white and invisible. The boisterous voice of Vattel, which had been so loud just moments ago, had vanished entirely. In fact, it felt like it had completely disappeared.
All I could hear was Kurinka’s gentle breathing, making it seem as if we were the only two beings in the world. My heart raced, and a sensation of melting warmth spread throughout my body. It was an indescribable feeling, akin to excitement, surging from deep within me. If this continued, I felt like I might lose myself.
“Ku-Kurinka!”
“Lua-chan!”
“Oh my? Looks like you’re having fun!”
Just when I thought we were alone, something intruded into our world. But it was just Elmera, who had returned to tease us. Not only that, but the scenery of the town was back, filled with soldiers bustling about. Ai’s face was flushed, and Mai trembled in shock as if she had seen something unbelievable. Greyman was recoiling as if he had seen something filthy.
“Y-You guys! I thought it was just a rumor, but is that really the kind of relationship you have?!”
Greyman shouted, his voice cracking as he took a step back. I felt a sense of relief that things had returned to normal.
“I-I can’t believe it… I thought you two were close, but…”
“I knew you had that kind of preference, but seeing it for myself is something else entirely…”
“I see, no wonder no man would dare approach you.”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind it.”
“Eh?”
They were saying whatever they wanted. And now, realizing the situation, Kurinka hurriedly pulled away, looking a bit lonely. She clutched the hem of her robe tightly, her face flushed as she looked down.
“I-I defeated Vattel this time!”
“Well done! With that, the Comet Wolf Brigade is finished! Everyone, applause!”
Eeks tried to rally the mood. At first, I wasn’t keen on joining in, but gradually, people began to clap, and soon a resounding applause filled the air. However, as I watched Tiferia clapping with a smile, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being mocked. I wanted to believe it wasn’t true.
“The notorious band of thieves that has been rampaging across the world has ended rather anticlimactically, hasn’t it?”
“Oh, it’s too early to relax.”
“What? Don’t rain on my parade when I’m trying to savor the moment. You’re not saying Vattel is still alive, are you?”
“In a way, he is.”
Tiferia made her usual gesture of resting her chin on her hand. It looked like she was deep in thought, but I knew she wasn’t. With a theatrical flair, she paused for effect.
“Right now, it doesn’t mean that all their forces have attacked the royal capital. It’s not normal for such a large organization to just disappear without a trace.”
“The leader brought them here, right? Logically, that should be all of them.”
“The lowest of the low might not have participated in the fighting and could still be causing chaos somewhere else. Technically, they are still part of the organization, but they are left unchecked and running wild. Do you really think such a massive organization is tightly controlled from top to bottom?”
“Well, that’s certainly a point…”
“And you know, there might still be people drawn to Vattel somewhere in the world. As long as they exist, it wouldn’t be surprising if a second or third Comet Wolf Brigade were to rise. ‘The leader has fallen! Then I shall carry on that will!’ Something like that. Hehe.”
She laughed mischievously, but it wasn’t funny. So, nothing was truly over yet. Vattel was the type of opponent who didn’t belong in the Abyss Cave, and he had a troublesome strength that went beyond mere power. If Tiferia was right, and there were others like him, more people would suffer.
“Looking at the chaos that leader spread, it’s clear this country has its share of corruption. Many members of the Comet Wolf Brigade have suffered under these powers, which is why they followed Vattel. So, the important thing is to clean it up. Hey, Eeks, do you understand?”
“I-I get it! I get it! Enough of this talk! We don’t have time to waste! The Phantom crew is still out there!”
“Oh, they’ve run away. Hehe.”
Tiferia leaned in to peek at Eeks, who had turned away. She was truly mischievous. If there were indeed corrupt people as Tiferia said, I couldn’t forgive them. The Comet Wolf Brigade was terrible enough, but seeing people like Gametz from Queemil, who extorted money from the weak, made me want to punch them just for watching.
“Then it’s decided! I will take action to correct that!”
“Can I help too?”
“I’d love for you to assist, Lua, but I fear you might just punch them out of existence, so I’ll pass. Yes, I’ll pass.”
“Tiferia, that was really harsh, wasn’t it?”
“Oh! I made you mad! I’m sorry! Here, let me pinch your cheeks.”
“Ow!”
“It’s really okay. After all, Lua, you must be tired from all of this, right?”
I didn’t understand why she was pinching my cheeks, and the idea of punching them out was harsh. More importantly, what did she mean by that? With a knowing smile, Tiferia turned to give instructions to the remaining soldiers. I thought she was just teasing me, but something felt off. Now that I thought about it, I had been sleeping deeply more often lately. During the battles in the Abyss Cave, I hardly ever slept soundly, and yet I was fine. It might be a different kind of fatigue, one that wasn’t just from fighting. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.
“This country might be on the verge of a revolution, you know. This nation… sigh.”
With all the talk of becoming a republic and the chaos that had struck, part of the cause lay within this country itself. I couldn’t tell what was right or wrong anymore. Watching the Comet Wolf Brigade, it became clear that many people were truly unhappy.
What would happen to me if Kurinka were to disappear? It was frustrating, but Vattel was right; I didn’t want to think about it. That family that was killed today had surely lived happily until yesterday. Suddenly, everything was taken from them, and I wondered how that child would survive from now on.
“Ku-Kurinka…!”
“W-What?! What’s wrong?”
“Nothing at all!”
In front of everyone, I clung to Kurinka again. Anxiety washed over me, and I couldn’t bear it without doing so. Thinking about what might happen in the future made me feel helpless. I had learned that lesson deeply from this incident.
“I will absolutely protect Kurinka… without fail.”
“…Shall we fight together? Just like today. We’re not so separate that we can’t protect each other. I said I’d try not to be protected, but fighting together is definitely stronger. So, okay?”
“Yeah…”
“Ahh! How steamy! Yes, yes, this is love!”
Elmera chimed in, teasing us, but we had once again convinced ourselves that we were the only ones here. The people around us were already moving under Tiferia’s orders, and it was a relief that they hadn’t seen us.
“Anyway, this isn’t the time for this. Lua-chan, where’s Lord Hast?”
“Oh! I forgot…”
She crossed her arms, tapping her index finger as if to emphasize her point. I didn’t even know where Lord Hast had gone, and just because we came to this country didn’t mean we would meet him. But if Truppo and the others had come here, then they surely hadn’t returned to the Wizard Kingdom.
“Hey! Lua-neechan! How could you leave us behind like that?!”
“Oh, Rash…”
I heard Rash’s voice, and then Truppo appeared too. The two of them were being carried by Randa. I understood they couldn’t keep up on their own, but this felt a bit rough. And behind them, Eikichi was running at an incredible speed. His muscles had developed so much that it was hard to imagine him from the time we were in Azuma’s mountain village. What could have happened to change him so drastically?
“Here you go, such a troublesome bunch…”
“Thank you, Randa-neechan!”
“Huh? Oh, sure.”
It was rare to see the rough-and-tumble Randa looking flustered. She was turning her face away from Rash’s innocent smile.
“Hey! Kid! Don’t you dare flirt with my wife! If you want to do that, you better defeat me first!”
“Stop it, or I’ll smack you.”
“Yikes!”
“By the way, why did you two come here?”
I averted my gaze from the transformed Eikichi and turned to the two of them. Poor Rash looked frightened of the muscle-bound Eikichi.
“First, about Lord Hast, right? Right?”
“Elmera, these two came to see Lord Hast. And his disciple.”
“Oh, then we wait.”
“Y-Yeah! Truppo-neechan! About that thing!”
The moment Truppo nodded, an explosion erupted far to the north of Central Avenue. The shockwave was powerful enough to reach us, drawing everyone’s attention toward the source.
“W-What?! The Comet Wolf Brigade is still around!”
“It might be a Phantom, Lua-chan!”
As various theories circulated, the answer arrived almost immediately. Within seconds, something shot straight toward us from the explosion’s epicenter. It had bat-like wings sprouting from its back and a left arm marked with red lines on black muscle. At first glance, it seemed like a monster, but aside from the wings and muscle, it was unmistakably human.
“Still not enough adjustments, huh?”
A man stood atop a building’s roof, inspecting his monstrous arm. It was someone I—no, we both knew well.
“Hey, you guys. Long time no see. Looks like you’re still playing the invincible girl, which really pisses me off. Do me a favor and just die, okay?”
“…Formas?”
He had changed drastically, but it was definitely Formas. His once neatly groomed hair was now a tangled mess, and he wore tattered pants and a jacket. Most striking were his eyes—those swirling yellow orbs looked downright monstrous.
“No way! You were supposed to be captured by the cavalry of the Nation of Kashiram…”
“Looks like that annoying Roel is still alive and well. Riding on the coattails of the invincible girl, huh? You should die too, you know?”
“Ugh, you’re still as awful as ever! I hate you! Take that!”
“Lua-chan really has enemies from all sides, huh? It’s better to just kill off those kinds of people.”
I didn’t have time to listen to Elmera’s backhanded advice. What caught my attention was that sword. The deformed blade with red lines was held in his human arm. I could sense that Disballade was once again radiating a murderous intent.
“I was thinking of settling this right now since you’re so annoying, but it seems I still need more adjustments. Just dealing with those pathetic fools drained 4% of my power.”
“That sword…”
“This? This is it. With this, you and I are on the same field. The Demon Sword Doomnate… You no longer have any advantage over me.”
The Demon Sword Doomnate—what Formas called the weapon was nothing short of ominous. It resembled a monster more than a sword. It wouldn’t be surprising if it acted on its own and attacked; it exuded a ferocity that was palpable.
“I’ll make you regret ever crossing into my life, which I control completely. I’ll give you the utmost humiliation and disgrace. You and that pathetic little Roel over there. Farewell!”
With a spread of his wings, he leaped into the air, disappearing into the sky in an instant. It was so sudden that neither Kurinka nor I could react. Elmera seemed to be enjoying herself, which only added to my frustration.
I had to put aside thoughts of Formas for now. How had he escaped from the prison of the Nation of Kashiram? What about that sword? What was up with his body? I didn’t understand anything, but it was clear he harbored a grudge against us. He mentioned adjustments, which meant he intended to grow stronger and seek revenge.
“Formas…”
“I’m sorry, Lua-chan… It’s because I once formed a party with him that this happened…”
“It’s not your fault, Kurinka!”
“Elmera, can you please just be quiet for a moment?”
What was the point of using my voice to say what I was supposed to say? No, more importantly, there was that explosion. I was also concerned about what Formas had said, and there was a possibility that someone had been killed by him.
“Ugh, this is just getting more complicated.”
“…Tiferia, be honest. If you fought that guy now, do you think you could win?”
“I could win, of course! Wait, are you talking about Eeks…?”
“Just be honest.”
“About 90%.”
What do you mean, 90%? Those who thought that were being naive. Ai and the others probably thought the same. But Tiferia answered seriously, without any hint of jest. Ninety percent meant she was almost certain to win. Conversely, it also meant there was still a slight chance of losing.
“Ugh, I can’t believe it. Stronger foes keep showing up… I just want things to be a little easier, sigh…”
If he got even stronger than he was now, I would have to tighten my resolve. That sword was too unpredictable. If it possessed power equal to or greater than Disballade…
“…Anyway, let’s head to where the explosion occurred. Tiferia, sorry for interrupting your work. Please continue guiding the soldiers.”
“That’s already been taken care of.”
“Oh, really?”
For now, I had to find a way to deal with this situation. So much was happening that my mind felt jumbled. And I felt incredibly tired. It wasn’t the fatigue from battle; it was a different kind of exhaustion.
“Lua-chan, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
Even Kurinka seemed worried about my fatigue. I just wanted to rest as soon as possible. I forced my weary body to move and began to walk.
◆ Shin Report ◆
Is it over?
Is the treasure hunt finally finished?
Then let’s begin the true summary!
Yes, it’s a complete success!
With someone like Lua, those humans should have been taken care of in no time!
What’s going on?
How long is this taking?
Is this situation really worth this much time?
It seems the recent assault girls are getting too cocky.
No, they’re slacking off.
Tired? What are you talking about now?
Let’s see your face.
You really do look tired.
This seems more like a physical exhaustion than anything else.
I see, so killing the assault girls doesn’t require weapons, huh?
Alright, alright, I’ll take care of you this time.
Tonight, I’ll sing you a lullaby until you fall asleep.
It’s something only the Demon Lord can hear, but this is a special occasion.
Hehe, Shin has really softened up, hasn’t he?