◆ In Front of the Royal Capital of Kashiram ◆
【The Centaurus fired a shotgun spear! Weiss deftly dodged!】
“Whoa! What agility! The thrill of battle is exhilarating! This fight!”
After the spear was launched, a small crater formed as if something had fallen from the heavens to the earth. Taking a hit from such a weapon would surely mean death. However, its trajectory was linear, and the initial launch was slightly delayed, making it relatively easy to evade.
But the problem lies in the fact that this is not the main weapon. The only option available is to dodge the spear, which allows the enemy to predict the next move. This is merely a feint; the rifle attached to the other arm serves the same purpose. With these two mid-range weapons, they aim to restrict the enemy’s movements and seize any openings with their agility. Underestimating a brute force opponent would lead to dire consequences.
“I see, even the strongest unit of Metallica is not to be taken lightly.”
“You have quite the skill yourself! I hope you can put that talent to good use under Lady Genia!”
“Just as you have your Genia, I have my Majesty.”
“Is it out of great gratitude?”
“…So you ask. That means you are indeed like that.”
“Twenty years ago, I threw myself into battle against a tribe I had long opposed in my homeland! It was then that I lost my lower half and found myself teetering between life and death until that person rescued me! Not only did they save my life, but they also restored this body, which I thought would never walk again! This Centaurus is now my very being! I will serve that person for life! No matter what trials I face!”
I don’t respond with a coincidence. It’s true that without my Majesty, I wouldn’t have survived to this day. I am prepared to lay down my life for my Majesty. However, I know my Majesty would not approve of such a sacrifice.
“Is that your fighting spirit? I will accept your challenge.”
“Whoa! Let me see this fighting spirit of yours! If you have such great gratitude towards the King, then you should be able to defeat me! If you fall, it will only mean you were that weak!”
“…That’s not it.”
It is because of my Majesty that I have survived until now. My Majesty has brought me many things. It is only by being recognized by my Majesty that my life holds meaning. I have countless debts of gratitude; that much is certain.
“You call yourself a Centaurus. If you can repay your debt by winning, then do so. You have no choice but to keep winning.”
“Without being told, I will win! Whoa!”
On that day, I lost to the Flash Strike Girl. I was completely defeated by a girl who was barely older than a child. The sensation of something cold creeping into my heart at that moment still lingers. I didn’t want to show my Majesty my pathetic self; I lost my fighting spirit, fearing abandonment and disappointment. While I forced myself to apologize, my mind was on the brink of madness.
――――I thank you for showing me a clash of true fighting spirits after so long.
It was neither flattery nor consolation; it was what my Majesty desired. Fighting spirit must be ignited within and concluded within oneself. I recall being told that once. It’s not just about winning or losing in a momentary battle; do not spare effort for what you desire. Even if you fall, you can rise again. Everything is for yourself. Burn brightly until the end.
It’s not wrong to lose. At the very least, I did not give up until the end of the fight. If there is something to be gained from losing, then there will be a next time. In fact, looking back, I might have become arrogant after gaining strength and achievements under my Majesty. Just realizing that is a harvest in itself; I can now conclude things on my own.
“…Gratitude alone is shallow.”
“Stop with the nonsensical babble! Whoa!”
【The Centaurus unleashed a buster kick! Weiss deftly dodged!】
“Ugh! Why can’t I hit?!”
I evaded the powerful rear kick with a passive backstep. Such fighting spirit! My Majesty would surely say the same. But fighting spirit is not a fleeting thing. What has been built up is the true fighting spirit. Even after losing to the Flash Strike Girl and to Aslat, the leader of the Giant Race, I did not burn out. I analyze myself and seek the next victory.
Yes, to be recognized by my Majesty means to become a fully-fledged individual. It’s not about becoming a puppet of my Majesty and abandoning my own beliefs and will. Since my Majesty taught me how to live, only by becoming independent can I truly repay that debt. Winning in battle leads to the benefit of my benefactor, but that alone is shallow.
【The Centaurus fired a laser rifle! Weiss deftly dodged!】
【The Centaurus unleashed a buster kick! Weiss deftly dodged!】
“Whoa! I don’t understand!”
“To win, there are far too many things I must know. The depths of battle are profound.”
In terms of height during a jump, I won’t lose; just as I thought that, I soared high above. I took the opportunity to get behind him as I reached a position where I could see the entire back of his horse body.
【Weiss’s Flash Strike! Dealt 4823 damage to the Centaurus! HP 1227/6050】
“Ugh!”
The moment the armor on his back shattered, the outcome was already decided. The Zodiac, a terrifying opponent. However, combat reliant on the Powered Suit becomes difficult to maintain once it sustains damage. He likely had absolute confidence in his armor. That’s why the damage itself was unexpected.
“Ugh, no… not yet… if I fall here, what was the point of the life that was saved…”
“Stop. Even with the armor of the Powered Suit, your legs are undoubtedly being robbed by the Flash Strike.”
“Centaurus. How disappointing; I had high hopes for you.”
I realized too late that he had the leisure to assess our situation during the battle with Balbus. That lion’s Powered Suit is superior in combat power to the Centaurus. By the time I recognized that, it was already too late.
【Leo’s Razor Sonic! Dealt 2302 damage to the Centaurus! The Centaurus has fallen! HP 0/6050】
“Ah…”
The horse part of his lower body was completely destroyed, and the remaining upper body flailed in the dirt, scratching at the ground. Even though the vacuum slash unleashed by those claws was damaged, it easily shattered the Centaurus’s armor.
“What are you doing, Leo… I still have… Lady Genia…”
“I’ll tell you. It was Director Genia who incited that ethnic conflict. She manipulated both tribal leaders and seemed quite satisfied with the gratitude she received. In the process, she acquired a useful pawn like you. You’ve worked hard, proud warrior of the Megin tribe, Manze.”
“That’s nonsense, nonsense! Lady Genia, Lady Genia, please answer me! Lady Geniaaa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!”
“That’s enough.”
【King of Kashiram’s Royal Quake! Leo deftly dodged!】
Leo, who leaped to evade the quake that could split the earth, glanced at my Majesty before letting out a muffled laugh from beneath his Powered Suit.
“If the flames have burned out, there’s no way to extinguish them.”
My Majesty speaks little. The shadow cast upon his face accentuated his presence. His voice, filled with anger, turned to face Leo, who continued to trample upon the remnants of the extinguished flames.
Before I knew it, the ten or so other members of the Zodiac had fallen to the ground. Their proud metallic armor was shattered, and their limbs twisted in grotesque directions. I thought I had caught up, that I was standing side by side. Such arrogance was blown away by the fact that my Majesty had been facing off against several members of the Zodiac. Some were likely taken care of by that Nice.
“Balbus.”
“Quite formidable. It seems he is not just a mere scrap.”
“Indeed, that fierce warrior does not yield an inch against you, Balbus. He took down the Centaurus with ease.”
“Even if self-proclaimed, it seems the strongest is not to be taken lightly.”
“May I fight alongside you, my friend?”
As my Majesty spoke those words, he stood beside Balbus. Even with the top two Beastkin by his side, Leo’s presence did not diminish. If we all faced him, it would not only be disadvantageous; victory would be impossible. Yet, despite that, he possesses the strength to make this battle feasible. Considering that, the Powered Suit, developed by the Kingdom of Metallica, is indeed a next-generation weapon.
“As a parting gift, I will offer you this advice so that you do not despair in your final moments. The strongest of the Zodiac is undoubtedly me. This is not arrogance; the sensation you felt on your skin is correct.”
“Then, if I win, the rest will be easy.”
This self-proclaimed strongest has a fighting style similar to that of the Flash Strike Girl, making him an excellent training opponent. Since I approach him with that level of respect, I will refrain from cheap provocations to avoid hurting his pride.
◆ Kingdom of Metallica, Metal Tower, 4th Floor, Space Colony Experimentation Room ◆
[The Seraphim unleashed the Plasma Cannon! Rua took 744 damage! HP 43371/44115]
“Hot!”
《I hit her! I hit her! Is the princess a genius?!》
《As expected of royal blood. I can’t see her face, but her dignified demeanor is palpable.》
《Serves that brat right!》
《She was so full of herself, but how does she feel now?》
They were all celebrating just from landing a single hit. It was as if they were reveling in my misfortune, even though they weren’t the ones fighting. Still, I could barely move. I could manage to shift slightly, but that last attack had nearly struck me directly. This space not only suppressed my speed but also made it hard to breathe, suffocating me. On top of that, my opponent was human. This was far more challenging than when I faced Platiu. I was starting to feel a bit suffocated, and I couldn’t afford to waste time. I just needed to land a hit.
[Rua unleashed the Sonic Ripper!]
“…!”
If I could have screamed, I would have. The moment I swung my sword, my body was propelled away from the Sonic Ripper. Though not as fast, I was thrown backward and kept moving until I crashed into the distant wall. Even after stopping, my body floated aimlessly, drifting without direction. This place was nothing like any environment I knew. Not even the Abyss Cave was like this.
“Ladies and gentlemen, what you just witnessed was the Flash Strike Girl attempting to unleash her signature Sonic Ripper. As you know, this is more of a brute force technique than a skill, but with the power of the Flash Strike Girl, it seems to suffice. In this zero-gravity space, it was obvious that such force would lead to this outcome. While it’s amusing, knowing the education outside of Metallica, one could also see it as pitiful.”
《Look at that face! It’s a ‘why?’ face!》
《Seriously, it’s like a monkey! How poorly educated can she be?!》
《This is getting to a level where it’s just sad.》
Even I felt a pang of regret, nearly brought to tears. Did they really have to say all that? Sure, I might be on the invading side, but it’s ridiculous to laugh at a young child forced to fight in such a manner.
“Though the Sonic Ripper ended up being a dud, I’m sure the intelligent citizens of Metallica can understand the reason.”
Various mocking voices pierced through me. I tried to suppress my trembling heart and somehow began to swim through the drifting space. It felt like a long way to reach the waiting Seraphim. I was getting more and more suffocated, and it had been a while since I had fought so desperately.
Those fools. In a space where I couldn’t breathe and struggled to move, my reliable Sonic Ripper was inexplicably unusable. The enemy was a Machine Maiden, and just like with Platiu, there was a human inside. On top of that, they could move freely. It had been since the Abyss Cave that I found myself in such a tight spot.
――――Maybe I’m starting to enjoy this a little.
In moments like this, my mind clears. To win this fight, what should I do? Even when I was on the brink of death, it was always like this. And in the end, I always—
“Now, everyone, look at that pained expression. It’s a wonder she’s still alive at this point, but soon she should reach her limit. The Neo Demon Lord Army, even the abominations that have slain gods, will meet their end here.”
――――Shut up, I’m the one who will win.
“Behold, this is the power of information. You should understand that even without wielding weapons, training your body, or honing your skills, information is the primary force. If you know everything, you can even surpass the godslayers! In other words, you can defeat even the Divine Beings! Today… Alex will be recognized by the world!”
Choosing Kram, who was clad in a Machine Maiden suit, as my opponent was all part of the plan to kill me. Corin had gathered information and analyzed how to take me down. This situation was the answer. Indeed, being known is terrifying. It means they can predict my actions and seal me off in advance.
But Corin was mistaken about one thing. Despite gathering all that information, she didn’t understand how I had won until now.
[The Seraphim unleashed the Perestro Launcher!]
“Oh, are you using that already?”
The gun that fused with the Seraphim’s hand unleashed an attack that once came from Matere Trading Company’s materials. It was a lethal strike that boasted it could reach the edge of the continent. But it was slow. Why did they choose to fire it at this moment? Because the one inside was a novice at fighting.
[Rua unleashed the Sonic Boost! Rua deftly dodged!]
—One more time, two more times!
[Rua unleashed the Sonic Boost!]
[Rua unleashed the Sonic Boost!]
Even though the Sonic Ripper failed, the momentum from the release remained. If I stayed still, the recoil would push me back into the depths of the space, so I unleashed a series of quick Sonic Boosts to move instead. It was the same technique I used in the battle against Vandalsia. This way, I could move easily.
《W-What’s happening?! It’s all jerky!》
《Her movements are so angular!》
《She’s definitely getting closer to Kram! Kram, fire the Perestro Launcher again!》
That’s why it’s slow. They probably modified it to be smaller for the Seraphim, but it still took a moment to fire. No matter how many times they shot it, it wouldn’t change.
[The Seraphim unleashed the Dual Zamber! Rua deftly dodged!]
From the other arm, a crescent-shaped blade shot out. The ominous blade swung toward me as I closed in, but of course, it didn’t hit. The Sonic Boost allowed me to maneuver in the air, but it lacked agility. However, it was more than enough to evade such clumsy attacks. They were likely keeping up with my speed, but speed alone wouldn’t guarantee a hit. If it were anyone else, they would have been sliced to pieces by that speed.
“Oh my, you’re putting up quite a fight.”
[The Seraphim unleashed the Cosmo Barrage! Rua deftly dodged!]
An attack that created explosions of various sizes around her for protection. As the storm of explosions surrounded her, I had already closed in on the Seraphim. Grabbing the Dragon Wings on her back with one hand, I exerted force to rip them off. Holding her small body in one arm, I gazed at the shining silver helmet.
《Hey, isn’t this bad?》
《She’s going to get hurt! Kram princess—!》
《Run, run away!》
《Corin, what’s going on?! Wasn’t it supposed to be fine?!》
“Hmph, so what? Do you understand what will happen to Kram if I destroy this carelessly?”
As I stared at the helmet, contemplating my next move, someone entered this space. A large Powered Suit, white and fluffy, floated into the area.
――――That build. Could it be Platiu?
As I realized this, the Seraphim I was holding completely froze. As the strange Powered Suit-wearing Platiu approached, I felt Kram’s body temperature radiating from the Seraphim.
“Platiu, it’s impossible for you to do something for someone else. You were abandoned by your parents and only once had expectations placed upon you. You’re just a silent child with no redeeming qualities.”
Corin spat out words meant to inflict pain, but Platiu silently approached me. In that moment, the Seraphim did nothing. Even the strange jeers ceased, leaving just the three of us floating in an oddly quiet space.
“I merely picked you up after you had been abused, and your emotional fluctuations had nearly vanished. Listen, Platiu. I had expectations for you, but it didn’t have to be you. I chose you simply because you had the aptitude.”
She was trying to unsettle Platiu. She was clearly anxious about what Platiu was about to do. Her tone quickened, and even I could sense it. The Seraphim was likely improved beyond Crimson, and thus it shouldn’t have been designed to affect the mind. If that were the case, it would only add to her anxiety.
“If you succeed, you’ll be praised; if you fail, you’ll be punished. In other words, your worth is merely that. Have you forgotten? No one will praise you for doing that. No one expects anything from you, a person utterly alone in the world. So I’m telling you to get away from here! What are you doing?! Seraphim, attack!”
《…Hey, something feels off.》
《Is Corin being too harsh?》
《Is that what she was doing…?》
“Oh no, this is bad…”
Had Corin forgotten that everyone could hear her voice? It was probably the first time I had heard a woman’s voice like that.
“Cut off the oxygen supply to that suit!”
“Huh? But if we do that, Lady Platiu—”
“Are you saying you’d rather let her die?”
“I’ll do it! I’ll do it!”
From the exchange with someone, I quickly understood what was about to happen. I embraced both Platiu and Kram with my arms, trapping Disballade between my legs.
After unleashing the Sonic Boost, Kurinka suddenly leaped in front of me, not transforming into a Dragon, but instead jumping straight at me.
——I, too.
I want to be of help. Somehow, I feel that’s what she’s saying. Soon after, the four of us were intertwined.
◆ Shin Report ◆
Inside the Seraphim, if a novice were to engage in battle, there would be no way to handle it. Moreover, Rua wasn’t just relying on brute strength to push through. The Sonic Boost she displayed back in Bandalcia was meant to be a strategic move. However, it seems she hadn’t considered that even if it ended in failure, she could still maneuver with just her reactions.
The information from Korin is an incredible weapon, but how one thinks about it ultimately depends on the person handling it. This battle… it was a contest.