Rupert is strong.
At this level, you might even call his strength phenomenal. I’d expect no less from a commander in the Elite Guard.
“Uhahaha–! What’s wrong! So the Mad Dog’s all bark and no bite!?”
“Don’t fuck with me — !”
But there’s always someone better. And here’s the proof.
At a glance, the two of them seemed equally matched, but little by little, the battle was swinging in Maddox’s favor. Even now, they appeared to be standing on equal footing. But between the two of them, Rupert’s injuries were growing in number. And Maddox was unscathed.
Sword hit sword.
Both of them unleashed their finishers. For the battle to end with a performance of this caliber, it was a clear demonstration of both combatants’ absurd ability. No half-assed joker would’ve been able to last more than a few seconds. From the beginning, this was a serious match.
And yet Rupert didn’t stop. He didn’t let his deteriorating condition get in his way.
He was a tricky guy, so his style had an emphasis on mobility. And that was slowly being whittled away. It wasn’t hard to imagine that before long, the balance between them would collapse catastrophically.
But I couldn’t give him any assistance.
At her level of strength, Palmira would be cut in two the moment she stepped in.
And Leopard, who’d been trying to wrench open the closed door for some time now, was growing desperate. Looks like he planned to let Leon get away, even if it was by himself.
It wasn’t much of a surprise; they’d been lured here to begin with. The lock was stubborn, and the door, sturdy.
“Irene! Can’t you open this thing with magic!?”
If Rupert lost, then no doubt Maddox would live up to his title and slaughter us all.
Fighting him was out of the question. We’d have to escape somehow. Get as far away from this place as our legs could take us.
“Don’t think that magic can solve everything!”
I knew that I was asking for something unreasonable.
My face ghastly pale, I pounded on the door in desperation.
It was futile. To put it bluntly, it was close to madness.
But Irene was right all the same.
I could see death coming ever closer. How could I possibly stay calm in this situation?
Although his brow was slightly furrowed, I couldn’t detect any fear in him. Is he that confident of Rupert’s victory? Or —
Leon’s a classic target. He’s probably destined to die by another’s hand someday.
That’s the one damn thing I won’t stand for.
But right now, that gamble was all I had.
–
–
The fight before me escalated in intensity.
‘Mad Dog’, Maddox called him, but that’s exactly what he was.
“UGGAAAAAaah!”
Rupert, his body already covered with wounds, dashed forward with superhuman agility. Sending debris flying, he seemed to teleport behind Maddox, swinging his swords.
But those swords were stopped dead by Maddox’s blade. Then, sword flashing, Maddox retaliated with a slash. Though Rupert was able to avoid the worst of it, he might have underestimated Maddox’s reach, because he came away with more scrapes.
“GAAaAaaAAH!”
Once out of range, ‘Gahaa,’ Rupert took a deep breath through his mouth. Cuts criss-crossed his body from head to toe, the clothing on his torso already in tatters. He was almost half-naked.
It was a miracle that they hadn’t snapped by now.
“What’s wrong, Mad Dog! Entertain me some more!”
roared Maddox in response.
Both of them were absolute monsters.
In one corner, a fanged beast advancing on instinct, its reason blown away by a berserker rage. In the other, a barbaric brute delighting in his mad destruction.
Seeking to measure their strength, inherently driven to crush their opponents, striking with the greatest destructive forces they possessed — in that, they were pure.
Despite the savagery, I couldn’t tear my eyes away. I even found a brutal beauty in it, the clash of powers leaving me speechless.
“Gah, haah…haah…haah–”
The battle was nearing its end, too.
Seeing that, Maddox grinned ferociously and raised his sword again in his two-handed grip.
The next exchange would be the last.
A calm so ominous even a layman, no matter how untrained their eye, could instinctively sense it.
Unconsciously, I swallowed hard. The gulping sound lingered in my ears, terribly loud.
“AaaAAAa…RUAAAaaaaAAAAHH!”
That voice was no longer human.
Roaring, with a single step, Rupert vanished from where he stood. That was all my eyes could follow.
The only evidence was the rolling cloud of dust he left behind.
In the next moment, a crack! sounded out from Maddox’s chest, and I found the missing Rupert there.
It was Rupert’s sword that had broken. And Maddox’s blade that did the breaking. Then Maddox’s foot smashed into Rupert’s gut, doubling him over at the point of impact. The giant’s face twisted with an animal ecstasy.
That was all I was able to catch.
“GUuAahh…”
His eyes wide open, Rupert vomited blood. I thought I heard something cracking.
Then the impact of the strike blew Rupert away like a twig, his body crashing into the wooden boxes stacked further in.
Rupert — lost.
Though I half-expected it, the despair punched me in the gut.
“Rupert!!!”
Palmira screamed.
On the other hand, that uncharacteristic scream jolted my mind out of its paralyzed shock.
As I planned in my head, I took several steps forward, and holding out the invocation stone gripped in my hand, I shouted,
“ジ!”
The invocation stone sitting on my outstretched palm began to glow red hot.
But at that moment, with a small shattering sound, the stone vanished.
“Wh…!”
With the disappearance of my trump card, my mind couldn’t process what had just happened.
But a moment later, I understood. Just as it seemed to disappear from my hand, the sword-wielding figure of Maddox appeared.
“…A magus, is it. But at this distance, I don’t think you’ll be able to get the incantation off in time.”
Maddox’s emotionless voice echoed in my ears.
This can’t, this can’t…!
In despair, my legs quaked and my knees gave way. Again, my teeth chattered with fear.
Though unintentional, I felt something warm wetting my inner thigh. Yet I couldn’t even summon the scorn for my pathetic state. Again, my mind froze in terror.
“Chris!”
As I was about to collapse then and there, Leon supported me from behind.
My eyes wouldn’t leave Maddox, like they were stuck to him. Forcing myself to tear my gaze away, I turned my head back to see Leon in my blurry vision.
His gaze was directed at me, and me alone.
Even though he was stiff, his eyes looked worried.
Ahh, why? Why is that?
…the one who’s in danger here is you, you know…
“Ugh–…hgh–…”
My voice wouldn’t come out from my throat. Instead, tears welled up in my eyes and spilled over uncontrollably.
“…So…what are your intentions?”
In my vision, pathetically distorted by tears, Leon glared at Maddox without wavering.
…’What are your intentions’ indeed. I mulled the question over in my muddled mind. Maddox. And Leon.
“Well, Rupert was just a bonus. You’re the star of this show. I even summoned a dragon to set the stage for you. So just curse your bad luck and give up.”
His words brought me back to my senses. So Leon was his target after all.
“Who… are you working for?”
Leon matched him, smile for smile.
“I’m not in the habit of doing favors for the dead. I got no reason to tell you.”
I could save him. Even now, I could support him.
“…I see. But myself aside, you can’t afford to strike down these people.”
Is he — going to kill Leon?
Is he going to kill Aira? Palmira?
I won’t let him.
I clenched my teeth.
I have to protect them. Leon, everyone, I have to protect them.
“ジ!”
I shouted, shaking off my tears and fixing my glare on Maddox.
And I put Maddox dead center.
“What!?”
For only a moment, Maddox faltered. He wasn’t expecting this, I bet. For me, that one moment was enough. I didn’t need the symbols.
I focused my will on the image. Destroy. Target: straight ahead. The man in front of me –– pulverize him.
The circle stopped —
“AAAAHH–!”
A light flashed across my eyes, along with a strangled cry.
At the same time, something was released from my body. Within the space of a moment, Maddox, his arms up to protect himself, leapt back.
How pointless. Crush him.
“GAAH–!”
Struck by a wave of my unseen power, Maddox’s large frame went flying backward.
Crush him — !
Then, he crashed his way through the wall and vanished on the other side.
“Haa–…ha…”
I glared even more savagely at the place where he disappeared. I suspected that he’d be getting up again.
The circle of light melted away, and my knees gave out again.
“Chris!?”
Like before, Leon was supporting me.
But I also couldn’t imagine Maddox dying from that at all.
But the power was gone. There was something missing. Little by little, darkness ate away at my vision.
Not yet. I can’t yet.
“Chris! Are you alright!? Chris!”
My eyes could no longer see. All I could hear was Leon’s voice, calling my name over and over again.
Rather than worry about me, you have to — do something about that guy — .
Ahhh, but —
It’s warm.
I felt this same warmth not long ago, I think.
When was that? Before I could remember, my mind shut down.