“I wonder if that’s something she inherited from her father?”
Seeing Reina fly off before he could even give the order, Lord looked at Zeke with a dry laugh. He was reminded of Zeke’s figure when they fought together in the EU War.
“I-I’m terribly ashamed. I’ll call her back immediately!”
“Ah, it’s fine. She probably wants to test out her new unit, and I did tell her she could move freely. However…”
(Jillian was defeated? What on earth is going on? Is the enemy pilot a Holy Knight-class? But my sister is alone right now…)
“Zeke, come here.”
“Huh?… Yes!”
Lord, sitting on a throne-like chair in the command room, called Zeke closer.
“I want you to do this in secret from the others. Find my sister, protect her, and then contact only me and wait at that mountain.”
“Huh?… Understood.”
And so, Zeke also took off in his KOG. He accepted Lord’s request to rescue Ymir, who was incapacitated and wandering the Slums.
…
The princess escaped from her KOG, running away with her back turned. Reina stepped in between her and Kenyya, preventing him from chasing Ymir.
“I know you can hear me. Who are you? You don’t seem like just a resistance fighter.”
Reina contacted him via open comms.
(Why is Reina on the battlefield… no. She’s an Asgard Army soldier, so her being here isn’t strange at all.)
“No reply, huh…”
(Should I reveal my identity? No, not yet. I can’t abandon my position as an Asgard Army soldier yet.)
“Fine. If you don’t want to talk, that’s your choice. Then…”
Reina charged at Kenyya, her sword at the ready.
“I’ll force you to reveal your true form!”
Her sword came down with clear hostility and killing intent.
(She’s fast! Even faster than in the Simulator. Silver and cherry blossom-colored, this beautiful unit… it’s Reina’s custom unit! Aphrodite!)
In the world of KOG, there are units called custom units that Ace-class pilots can use. He thought they didn’t exist yet in this era, but with the appearance of Takemikazuchi and other new KOGs, Kenyya revised his understanding. They were more expensive than regular units and had vastly superior performance.
Reina’s unit, Aphrodite, was a very well-balanced type. In contrast to Kenyya’s close-combat specialization, it had high standards in both offense and defense. In the Master tier, it was supposed to be the most frequently used unit.
In the Simulator, with the same unit and specs, Kenyya wouldn’t fall behind Reina. But she had been rapidly improving her skills recently, and now she had a cutting-edge custom unit.
She was not an opponent he could easily handle without taking her seriously.
“Tch!”
Kenyya recoiled, blocking her sword. Sweat beaded on his forehead, and he felt a sense of urgency that he would be defeated if this continued. Her killing intent was that serious.
(So this is you on the battlefield…)
However.
(I can’t defeat Reina… otherwise, there’s no point in me fighting.)
“Stop dodging and fight me!”
Kenyya continued to parry and evade, constantly on the defensive. But that wouldn’t last forever. She was that strong, and in Kenyya’s estimation, she had already surpassed the level of a Holy Knight and was definitely stronger than Jillian.
(Alright, Reina. Sorry if I hurt you.)
Immediately after, Kenyya reversed his stance.
“!?”
Kenyya counterattacked. A serious blow, a true all-out attack that he had never shown Reina even in the Simulator.
His aim was to neutralize her, but she wasn’t an opponent he could afford to try and not injure.
It was his full power because he trusted Reina. Like a training match between masters with real swords, a blow that could kill if you didn’t trust your opponent’s strength.
Even if he were to die, he would never want to kill Reina. But he believed that Reina could surely take it.
That’s why he would neutralize her with all his might.
Kenyya launched a fierce assault, damaging Reina’s unit. He targeted the limbs of Reina’s unit with a storm of continuous attacks, combining gunfire and sword strikes.
“Ugh!”
(He’s strong! It seems like he was holding back until now… It’s frustrating, but this opponent is… stronger than me!)
Reina took some distance. Inside the cockpit, she was panting and sweating. Just a short exchange had drained her mental and physical strength, and she was breathing heavily.
The pressure of risking her life had taken more out of her than she had imagined.
“Haa, haa, this barrage… it’s just like Kenyya-kun…”
At that moment, Reina received a communication.
“Reina-kun, can you hear me?”
“Lord-sama? Yes, I can hear you.”
It was Asgard’s Lord who contacted her. He had arrived at the battlefield with a giant tank that also served as a command room.
“Withdraw immediately. You can’t win. That’s the opponent who defeated Holy Knight Captain Jillian. Focus on escaping and come back here.”
“…Understood.”
From Reina’s struggling comms, Lord instantly understood that her opponent was the one who had defeated Jillian. But he also understood that she couldn’t easily escape, and that he couldn’t win either.
That’s why he told her to escape.
But if she carelessly showed her back, she would be pierced in an instant.
(Even escaping from this enemy… is difficult for me.)
Reina slowly took a step back. But the KOG in front of her didn’t move. She thought it was a trap, but an opponent who was clearly superior to her didn’t need to resort to such tricks.
(Why…)
She took another step back, and then another, eventually flying away, but the KOG didn’t move at all. It just stared straight at her.
“I don’t understand. But… I was saved, wasn’t I? If I had kept fighting, I would have surely died.”
Reina returned to the giant vehicle-like military base where Lord was waiting. The moment she got out of the cockpit and stood on the ground, her knees buckled and she fell to the ground.
“I-I’m so exhausted…”
The fatigue of a girl who had prepared for death was beyond imagination. She rested for a while and replenished her energy before returning to the command room. Her knees were still wobbly, but she had recovered somewhat.
“Where is Lord-sama?”
Reina asked a nearby soldier as she entered the command room.
“He said he was stepping out for a bit and told us to keep an eye on things.”
“I see… Where did he go?”
After waiting for a while, Lord and Zeke entered the command room.
“You’re back, welcome back, Reina-kun. I’m glad you’re safe.”
“Yes, thank you for the withdrawal order. Is Ymir-sama safe?”
“…No, about my sister. She was shot by the resistance and died.”
“!?… I see, I’m very sorry.”
(I should have escorted her and delivered her safely. No, against that opponent, I wouldn’t have been able to…)
“No, it’s not your fault. You fought well. The opponent was the one who defeated Jillian. Right, Zeke?”
“Y-Yes! Welcome back, Reina.”
Zeke had also returned to the command room and was surprised when Lord suddenly called his name. For some reason, he seemed different than usual, but Reina didn’t pay much attention, thinking that her father was just nervous after being on the battlefield for the first time in a while.
(He’s a terrifying person, to think… he would do something like that.)
◇ A little while ago
“Lord-sama, I have secured Ymir-sama. She is resting in a nearby mountain for now. She seems very fatigued.”
“Haa, haa, kill that guy quickly, Zeke. Bring that insolent one before me! I’ll make him suffer more than death. I’ll tear off his limbs, blind him, and keep him as a pet for the rest of his life so he can’t commit suicide!”
Zeke made Ymir sit down, exhausted, and waited there. He knew about Jillian as a fellow Holy Knight Captain. She was a recently selected young talent, but still, she was a Holy Knight Captain, and she wouldn’t be defeated easily.
But what was the result?
A KOG cut down in one stroke. As if by an overwhelmingly strong opponent.
(Have the Holy Knight Captains’ levels dropped? Jillian is certainly in the upper ranks of the Holy Knights, but… maybe it’s because there haven’t been any battles that have been difficult recently.)
Knights grow in war. They grow by winning battles where they risk their lives. Zeke knew this all too well, but recently there had been few battles worth mentioning.
As Zeke was pondering, a KOG descended from the sky. It was a Royal Family Custom Aircraft, decorated like Ymir’s KOG.
“Lord-sama.”
The KOG knelt, and the pilot got out.
“Lord! You came!”
Ymir looked up happily at the seemingly gentle blond boy.
“Zeke, has anyone seen us?”
“No, Ymir-sama’s personal guard is all engaged in combat with the resistance, so it’s just me.”
“I see, that’s good.”
A gunfight was unfolding below. Ymir’s personal guard was all engaged in combat with Isshin’s resistance and couldn’t leave.
“What’s good? Lord. Tell me so I can understand.”
“No, there’s no need. For someone who’s about to die.”
“Huh?”
Bang.
A gunshot rang out, the dry sound echoing through the mountains, drowned out by the sounds of the battle below.
Ymir’s chest was pierced by a gun that Lord had pulled from his chest.
“Why… Lo…”
“Goodbye, sister. I’ve always”
Ymir fell lifelessly to the ground, her blood splattering.
“Despised you from the bottom of my heart.”