With his fellow knights cornered at the edge of the Arena, the junior knight Kevin struggled to maintain distance from the Undead Slime, but he was growing increasingly anxious as he couldn’t think of a next move.
Among the junior knights gathered for the Spectator Subjugation, many were new recruits. Unaccustomed to the battlefield and still bearing traces of youth, they were frightened, with some even paralyzed by fear. Faced with an unexpected enemy, Kevin found himself doing little more than protecting and guiding them rather than providing any real support.
—Damn it, what should I do? I really want to go look for Elliott…
The loss of the Holy Sword right before his eyes had drained the morale of nearly all the junior knights present. Kevin was no exception. Yet, somewhere deep inside, he felt a sense of acceptance. Now, he thought, he had sensed this coming.
At the same time, he was irritated with himself for thinking such things. In this desperate situation, he found it ugly that he felt a sense of relief, and he was disappointed in himself for being unable to do anything despite considering Elliott a friend.
As he ground his teeth and scanned the surroundings, he noticed a group appearing from the south. Straining his eyes, he recognized familiar faces, their shields stained black, and he felt a momentary relief as the tension in his shoulders eased. Then, seeing the swords in their hands, he felt a surge of hope that warmed his chest more than it surprised him.
“L-Lord Lionel…!”
“There are knights from Beresford too…”
“Hey, aren’t their swords glowing…?”
The new recruits raised their voices, filled with newfound hope. Although Lionel and his Black Knights had turned toward the audience seating across from them, the knights from Beresford were approaching from this direction.
—If we leave it to them, the new recruits will be alright…
Making that judgment, Kevin took a step forward.
“I’m sorry, but you all need to follow their instructions. I’m going to assist the senior knights.”
“Assist? Kevin, they’re already…”
“I’m just going ahead to assess the situation. I won’t do anything reckless.”
As a junior knight, there was little he could do against the Iron Eater. Yet, he desperately wanted to confirm something.
—Elliott, you can’t die here.
Resolute, he checked for a safe path to advance.
Even as he carefully avoided the Undead Slime, the tentacles that occasionally shot out from the walls and floor meant that his armor was slowly being corroded and torn apart. Fortunately, the slime lacked lethal capabilities and wouldn’t take his life, but it was clear that getting caught in that viscous substance would render him immobile.
As he struggled to make progress, his expression twisted as he glanced at the sword still sheathed at his side. It was infuriating to think of it being devoured by the Iron Eater, which was why he hadn’t drawn it yet.
Kevin’s sword was a cheap, common blade, the kind easily found in any shop. As a commoner, he could only afford a modest weapon, but he had intended to take good care of it. He couldn’t waste money if he wanted to be with Chelsea, which was why he treated it with such care.
Ahead, he spotted Lloyd against the wall. Half of him was ensnared by the slime, but nearby, he could see a figure that resembled Elliott.
“Lloyd…! Elliott…!”
Kevin rushed over instinctively, but the waves of the Undead Slime blocked his approach. As he floundered, the slime surged up, splitting into multiple tendrils that lunged at him.
“Damn it, what is this…?”
In a moment of panic, he drew his sword, regretting it slightly. But, driven by instinct, he slashed at the tentacles, and his eyes widened in surprise. His sword was faintly glowing.
“…Huh, why…?”
Lloyd, noticing him, looked equally astonished. Seeing that Kevin’s sword hadn’t been consumed by the Iron Eater, he stopped thinking and began to slash at the Undead Slime with reckless abandon. He didn’t feel like he was defeating it, but the slime retreated from the places he struck, as if trying to escape.
—Thinking can wait; right now, I need to get to Elliott…!
He slashed his way through the waves of slime toward where Elliott and Lloyd were, pulling Elliott free alongside Lloyd. As he sheathed his sword, Chelsea’s face suddenly flashed in his mind.
“…Elliott has already been engulfed by the wave. I pulled him up, but he’s been unconscious for a while now.”
Lloyd gasped for breath, his expression grim. Kevin grabbed Elliott by the collar and slapped his cheek with all his might.
“Elliott, hey! Wake up! Are you really going to let yourself be consumed here and become an Undead at Agreas’s mercy!?”
Kevin had heard Agreas’s words too. But he couldn’t believe that a world convenient to his ideals would come to pass. Looking at the hellish scene unfolding in the Arena, he found no reason to trust anything Agreas said.
“Besides, if you die here, it’ll only leave a scar on Miss Flora’s heart…!”
The Flora he knew would never rejoice in the death of someone, even if that person had wronged her terribly. Rather, she would mourn. He couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her with such a wound as a final memory.
Elliott’s shoulder twitched, and shallow breaths began to return. He opened his eyes slightly, though his brow was furrowed in pain.
“…K-Kevin? I… I let go of the sword she gave me without even realizing it…”
His words, spoken in a daze, were laced with regret. But Kevin shook Elliott’s body once more.
“If you’re going to repent, then live! Or do you want to become an Undead monster and regret it for all eternity!? Live, face what you’ve done with your own flesh and blood!”
Kevin was furious. Elliott seemed to be wallowing in the tragedy of losing the Holy Sword. It felt as if the once-glorious knight was now escaping into his misfortune.
Perhaps it wasn’t his place to interfere. Yet, Kevin was convinced that Elliott still hadn’t fully grasped everything—that he didn’t understand the pain his actions had caused her.
As Kevin thought about this, he also became aware of his own arrogance in stepping in like this, and he grimaced.
—Even if it means falling deeper into despair, I want you to live.
It was a selfish wish. It might not even be something as noble as friendship. But he desperately wanted to find a way to save Elliott from this situation, scanning the area for a solution.
The Undead Slime was slowly closing in again, crawling along the ground. Then, a strange sound echoed, like wheels clattering over rough terrain.
The Undead Slime before him suddenly surged up, forming a large mound. Beyond it, he saw something resembling a bizarre covered carriage being pulled by human hands, out of place in this setting. The roof of the cargo area had an inexplicable skylight, and a shadowy figure peeked out from it.
“…Flora…?”
Elliott murmured softly.