LNCrawler

Chapter 4 Demon King Vs Divas

Battle Divas The Incorruptible Battle Blossom Princess — LNCrawler · All chapters

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“Enemy sighted! Ready the firecrackers! Fire!”
Althos’ siege began the next morning. Jamka intercepted the initial assault at a once-prosperous farmland that had been reduced to rubble.
“Use your shields to stop the cavalry! Use the firecrackers as a substitute smokescreen! Ruu, report on the Empire’s movement!”
Jamka hurriedly gave the army commands from their headquarters. Unfortunately, the three thousand troops under his command weren’t nearly enough to use any sort of grand military strategy. His formations were inevitably lacking, and their defenses nearly toppled at various points.
“No movement yet, Sir. Or rather, it’s as if they’re not even here.”
Said the vice president of the intelligence agency, Ruu, in a monotone voice. With Brusch on her way to escort Al, Ruu was now acting as Jamka’s aide.
“Oh my, what could this mean?”
Cecilia murmured from next to Jamka.
“The Empire should join the assault if this is an all-out attack, right? Anyway, I guess I can’t go wild just yet.”
And next to Cecilia, Sharon was eating sweets from atop her horse, not a care in the world. She probably believed that she didn’t have anything to do until Kanon’s arrival, so she was lazing around like a cat on a Sunday afternoon.
“Focus on the defenses! Ruu, keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious activity!”
Choosing to ignore the lazy Diva, Jamka bowed to Cecilia before giving his orders to the battlefield.
“Why hasn’t their defense line been destroyed!? You call yourself the strongest army in all the lands!? Pathetic! Bring it down!”
Kanon shouted furiously as his armor clanked on top of his horse.
“With all due respect, the enemy seems to have a rather capable tactician themselves. Not to speak of our ally’s utter lack of assistance... If only we had Toshisaka, he’d pierce through the enemy lines-- Oops, my apologies. ‘Twas but a slip of the tongue.”
Feeling Kanon’s sharp gaze piercing through him, Kanemitsu promptly fell quiet.
“Damn it! How dare that scoundrel desert us right before this battle...?”
 
Kanon whipped his head toward face the battlefield and cursed the situation in a tiny whisper.
Toshisaka’s departure was a sudden blow for him. Immediately after their meeting with Feena, Toshisaka expressed his doubts about the Empire for the millionth time and advised sending a messenger to Althos. But, of course, Kanon’s stance was the same as before.
“I’ve made a decision. If you don’t like it, get out of here!”
Normally, that would’ve put an end to their disagreement. Normally. Things took a turn for the worse.
“Understood. I will step down as a warrior of Eshantel.”
“Huh!? What did you say!?”
Long ago, Kanon’s father had seen the potential in the little Toshisaka, and as such, he was made Kanon’s personal guard. They became close friends; Toshisaka begrudgingly helped Kanon elevate his pranks to the next level. Of course, that in turn meant they both were scolded together. Once they grew up and Kanon became the head of the warriors, Toshisaka was immediately promoted to second-in-command. Not only that, but he was the sole warrior who knew Kanon’s secret, which was kept tightly among the royalty. And then his friend, his brother left him, just like that.
 
“This is all the Demon King’s doing!”
Kanon said to himself, on the verge of exploding. But as if something was amplifying his emotions, the air around him changed.
“I-Inquisitor...”
Feeling that sudden change, Kanemitsu turned toward Kanon with an expression of deep sorrow. But Kanon completely ignored him. Instead, he looked up, as if something was flickering just above him.
“I’ve got it! If I take Demon King Alnoa’s head and present it to Toshisaka, he might realize his wrongdoings and beg for forgiveness! Then me, being the graceful lord that I am, will, of course, pardon his foolishness!”
Fully set on carrying out his genius plan, Kanon kicked his horse.
“Where are you heading, Inquisitor?”
“Don’t worry! I’ll be back soon with the Demon King’s head!”
Kanon said as if he were off to take his afternoon stroll.
“That’s the entire point of our operation!”
Kanemitsu shouted while frantically trying to catch up to him.
“Just watch, Toshisaka. I’ll be back before you know it.”
His eyes ominously lit up under his helmet, and his mouth curled into a foreboding smile.
“Open the dam! Let the water thwart the cavalry!”
Following Jamka’s order, they opened the dam. Water rushed through the entire battlefield in mere moments. That was the reason he’d chosen their current location as the battlefield.
Althos’ waterway spanned the entire field. Furthermore, the soil was cultivated specifically to hold high quantities of water. As such, when the water was released, the soil transformed into a clay-like substance. In mere moments, the already exhausted horses came to a halt as their hooves sank deep into the sticky mud. Just as Jamka had predicted, Eshantel’s cavalry was considerably weakened by their move.
“Haah... Geez, where are you at a time like this, Al!?”
As the attack died down, Jamka finally found a small window to let off some steam. A few hours had passed since the start of the battle. They had hardened their defenses, but the sounds of the battle still raged on. Eshantel’s reckless attack continued as the clanking of heavy armor and clashing of swords reverberated through the field. Luckily, casualties were still zero, but Althos’ infirmary was filling up at an alarming rate.
“Oh my, I’m certain he’ll be back soon.”
Cecilia said ever so calmly, despite the beads of sweat rolling down her forehead as she desperately tried to treat the countless injured soldiers.
“If we continue to fall at this pace, our formation will be--”
A messenger rushed up to them.
“Reporting in! We spot a horseman blasting through the battlefield! We believe it is the Inquisitor!”
“All right, I guess it’s my time to shine!”
She crushed her empty bag of cookies and crudely wiped her mouth as she smiled dauntlessly.
She was ready to fight.
“Oh my, Sharon. I hope you remember your promise to Lesfina.”
Cecilia felt like it would’ve been better to pull Sharon back to reality before she got too invested in decimating her opponent.
“Of course I do! All I have to do is beat him to a pulp and have him apologize!”
Sharon answered, brimming with confidence. She wasn’t wrong, but...
“Anyway, just make sure to jump in there, do what you have to do, and come back, got it?”
Just like a certain young Inquisitor, Sharon, as carefree as ever, rode her horse into the fray.
“Oh my, stay safe!”
Cecilia said, smiling at the fiery Diva’s back.
“Did we... make it?”
Al tried to regain his composure from atop his neighing horse. After meeting up with Brusch and hearing about what was happening, Al left the surviving Eshantel citizens in her care. He, along with Feena, hopped on a horse and rushed back to Althos. When he arrived, he saw that the fight had already started, but it was far from over. Thanks to Jamka’s strategy, the battlefield had transformed into a muddy swamp. Eshantel’s cavalry were visibly disheartened. Most of them were, at least.
“Al, look!”
Al followed Feena’s finger, pointing at two figures engaged in battle.
“Now I feel like we were late.”
Off to the side of the main battlefield, the two figures clashed, creating a storm of dust and pebbles and transforming the landscape that had been unchanged for centuries.
“Hahaha! You again!? Be warned, I’m going all-out this time!”
“That’s what I wanted to hear! See if you can match me!”
They were as lighthearted as a girl making her rounds at a farmers’ market despite kicking up the ground to make one crater after another.
“Hahaha! This is what a real fight looks like!”
Kanon shouted excitedly.
“Of course! You’re fighting me, after all!”
Sharon raised her sword again as she said that. Seeing two Horsemen of the Apocalypse go at it, Al worriedly tapped his temple.
“Haaaaaaaah... I was gonna turn this place into a farm next moooonth!”
The battlefield had been reduced to a marsh, and the land next to it had more holes in it than Swiss cheese.
Just how much time and manpower will we have to dedicate to restore this disaster area!?
Tapping wasn’t enough anymore; he buried his face into his hands.
“All right! For now, let’s focus on stopping this madness! We can worry about the repairs later!”
He tried to escape his nightmare, or perhaps steeled himself to face it. Either way, in order to reach Sharon, they first had to cross Althos’ headquarters.
“Keep it up, Al! This is the last spurt!”
But Feena stole his opportunity to give a motivational speech.
“Hey! Don’t steal my thunder!”
Al shouted, without realizing he had a slight smirk on his face.
“Sorry for asking this after all you’ve been through today, but please help me for a little bit longer.”
With a gentle tap on the neck, his horse set off again. Then, he shouted toward the soldiers desperately trying to defend against what seemed like an incoming threat.
“It’s me, Alnoa! We don’t have time to talk; let me through!”
They quickly passed between the panicking soldiers.
“Hey, Al! At least say hello if you’re back! I have a lot to tell you!
Jamka shouted.
“Sorry, Jamka, we don’t have time right now. We’ll talk later!”
But he was completely disregarded. They flew through the headquarters like an arrow, and rushed directly at the feuding Divas.
“I won’t let you pass!”
One of Eshantel’s horsemen was charging toward Al and Feena with his katana drawn. Al couldn’t see the attacker’s face behind their helmet, but he recalled that the voice belonged to Kanemitsu.
“Sorry, but we’re in a hurry! We will get through!”
Al took his scythe from his back, ready for a fight.
“You will try!”
Kanemitsu charged in head first, let go of the bridle, and attacked with both hands gripping the katana.
“Rahhhh!”
“Arghhh!”
A moment after the two horses passed each other...
“Begone!”
crrrrk!
Kanemitsu froze after he was hit by Feena’s spell.
“I mean, thanks, but... I wanted to show off...”
Al sulked as he passed the warrior who was quite literally frozen in place.
“We don’t have time. Hurry!”
Feena exclaimed.
“Sorry! I promise we’ll melt you later!”
Al apologized as he rode off into the distance.
“Incredible...”
Al babbled as he watched the battle between the two Divas.
“Haaaaaa!”
Sharon swung her sword sideways from behind the curtain of dust.
“Arghhhh!”
Kanon fended off her attack with an overhead swing. If Sharon was a raging tornado, then Kanon was a fearless lightning strike blasting through it. Basically, they both amounted to a disaster for normal people.
“Now, how do we stop this...?”
As Al dismounted, he lamented over their last clash.
“Huh? Feena!?”
Meanwhile, Feena was already off her horse and on her way to the center of the commotion.
“Kanon! I’m here! Listen to me!”
She shouted, but her voice couldn’t conquer the wild clashing of swords.
“Ugh... Listen to me!”
They were too caught up in the fight to hear her, so she looked up at the sky and started murmuring something.
“Feena you can’t! Stoppp!”
She disregarded Al’s pleas and continued the chant.
“Crap! Come on!”
He tried to rush in and cover her mouth, but…
“Meteor Fall!”
He was too late. Al looked at the bright flash lighting up the sky, despair spreading over his face.
The flash expanded, and a moment later, a meteor the size of a small house appeared out of nowhere, along with an ominous rumbling sound.
“This might be a bit too much...”
“‘MIGHT’!? What, you want to blow up the whole country now!?”
Feena calmly turned to face the fuming Al.
“Don’t worry, they see it coming.”
“So what!? That won’t make it disappear!”
He looked at the warring Divas.
“What now!? We were getting warmed up!”
At last, Sharon looked up at the falling mountain. There was a cheeky glint in her eyes...
“Hah! Get this pebble out of here!”
You’ve gotta be kidding me...
Sharon angled her body, positioning herself in the direction of the meteor.
“I want to get back to our brawl, so do you mind if I help?”
Kanon joined her as well. He sheathed his sword and got ready to strike.
“Hmph. Do whatever you want.”
She said apathetically, but her eyes were twinkling with excitement. After a quick nod, they focused on the meteor above them. A moment later...
“Haaaaaa!”
Sharon split the meteor right down the middle with a single horizontal strike.
“Arghhhhh!”
Kanon struck down on the split meteor with a lightning-fast slash. The meteor was reduced to mere pebbles, which rained down on the dry ground as the sun once again shined down on them in all its glory.
“Not bad at all!”
“You’re pretty good yourself!”
Looking at the result of their effortless victory, they both let out a small chuckle. They had been at each other’s throats just moments before, but they were acting like old friends.
“Hmph! Teaming up is cheating! But that’s okay, I’ll just make a bigger one!”
“Do not! All we wanted was to make them stop this madness, not to introduce a third opponent!”
Sharon finally seemed to become aware of Al’s presence.
“Oh, Al, you’re back? Sorry, I didn’t realize. You should try speaking up next time or something.”
And she immediately broke his heart.
“Feena! Sorry I couldn’t keep our promise...”
“It’s okay. I made it in time.”
“Ah, and the peon! Did you get a haircut?”
“A haircut!? It’s my mustache that’s missing!”
Are you saying I’d have been fine even without that stupid mustache!? Plus, what’s with this calm reunion? Shouldn’t we be fighting!?
“Pffft... Peon... That’s rich. Can I call you that too?”
I’ll have to have a serious talk with her once this whole thing’s over.
While staring at Sharon, Kanon’s eyes popped wide open.
“Oh, Sharon, you know Alfonz?”
Al was still confused as to why those two were acting like old acquaintances, but unraveling that mystery would have to wait. Kanon’s question was really bad news, as Sharon had no idea about their plans.
“Hm? Who’s Alfonz? He’s--”
“L-Lady Sharon, what a coincidence! I have humbly come to--”
“What with that humble nonsense!? You’re Althos’ king, so talk like it! Y’know, like a king!”
Their cover went up in crimson flames.
“He’s Althos’... king?”
“Duh! He’s Alnoa, the king of Althos! What, you didn’t know?”
Sharon was laughing heartily despite Kanon’s foreboding words and Al’s colorless face.
Yeah, we’re definitely having a talk.
Even before Al could direct his scornful gaze at Sharon...
“King of Althos... Demon King... Prepare to die!”
Kanon’s bloodlust spread throughout the field.
“I can feel it, Al. He’s under a spell.”
“Rahhhhh!”
Completely ignoring Feena, Kanon charged at Al.
“So fast!”
He was sent flying without any time to draw his scythe.
“Ah! Al!”
Al only realized what had transpired a moment later. The blade had hit him from the side with so much force that his clothes were in tatters.
“I’m fine! Divas can’t-- Ah!”
A small dagger fell from his tattered clothes.
“Is that...”
Kanon recognized the dagger the instant he saw it.
“This is Toshisaka’s... Did you... Did you kill him!? Did you kill Toshisaka!?”
“No! With his last ounce of strength, he gave it to me and asked me to return it to you!”
“Don’t lie to me, you heartless Demon King bastard!”
The hatred seeping through every pore in his body was practically visible. Despite being completely unaware of the circumstances, Sharon reflexively jumped in front of Al.
“What are you thinking!? You may be strong, but I’m much stronger! You want to fight me alongside Feena, who’s also a Diva and, umm... Al, who I guess is useful every once in a blue moon!?”
I swear, she’s not gonna hear the end of this!
Al vowed to set things straight with her once they’d finished their mission. That being said, she wasn’t wrong. The three of them should have been able to triumph effortlessly. At least on paper. But Kanon’s bloodlust hadn’t waned one bit. On the contrary, it had gotten even thicker.
And then...
“I’m sorry, Toshisaka... I-I’ll... I’ll slaughter every single citizen of Althos to avenge you!”
Kanon was holding a dark-green crystal.
“Wait, is that...?”
It looked like the crystal that had turned Jamka into an abomination.
“I promise! I will slaughter everyone!”
“Kanon, stop!”
Not even Feena’s voice could pierce Kanon’s rage.
“O almighty Valkyrie dormant within me! Accept this humble body as a sacrifice and smite thy enemy, the heinous Demon King!”
Kanon slammed the crystal against the breastplate of his armor. But the crystal didn’t shatter. Instead, it passed through his armor without any resistance...
“Grrrgh! Gwaaaaaah!”
As Kanon kneeled down, the crystal was absorbed into his body. Feena leered at the pain-ridden Kanon with hints of water flickering in the corner of her eyes, while Sharon went on the defensive.
“Ahhh... Gahhh... Fwaahhh!”
Then, he stood up as if nothing had happened. He hadn’t transformed like Jamka, but his arms were dangling at his sides. His lifeless eyes twinkled from deep within his helmet, and a strange magical energy covered his body.
“Kanon... What have you done...?”
Kanon’s hand ever so slightly flinched at the blue-haired girl approaching him in a daze.
“Eh!?”
In a blink of an eye, Kanon stood before Feena, ready to strike her down. She had no time to react as he swung his katana at a blinding speed.
clang!
He connected with a peerless swing that would cut anyone cleanly in half.
“Sharon... Why...?”
The one who suffered that devastating blow was Sharon, who’d jumped in front of the blade in the last moment.
“Tch... Have you not yet realized-- Aghhh!”
Sharon fell to one knee, her face distorted in pain. There was a cut running straight from her hip all the way up her back, with fresh blood spilling out of it.
“Hey, Sharon!”
“Run! I can’t hold him back like this!”
She pushed Feena toward Al, keeping up her facade of strength even though she was badly injured. Their situation was certainly dire. Al hugged Feena as he took his scythe off his back.
“Sharon, let’s fall back! Reinforcements should be-- Ah!”
He felt something. The girl in his arms was looking at him with eyes full of determination.
“Anhh... Al, I-- Ahhh... I want to help... Hahhh... Sharon and... Anhhhh! And Kanon...”
Signaled by Feena’s cheeks rapidly turning scarlet, Heavenly Surge had activated. Looking into her brave eyes, Al made his decision.
“Got it. I want to help them too, so I’ll be borrowing your strength!”
Al hugged her tiny body as gently as he could while still being firm.
“Sorry for doing this in the middle of a dead farmland with soldiers fighting as a backdrop.”
It seemed as though Al had really taken it to heart.
“I told you, I’m ready for you at anytime, anywhere.”
But Feena just hugged him tightly. She gently put her hand on Al’s and slowly led him down her back, before moving his hand under her skirt.
“Huh? Feena, what the--!?”
What she did wasn’t on the long list of things Al had been prepared for. He was perplexed--no, straight up unsettled by Feena’s sudden actions.
“I offer you everything I have.”
She let Al experience firsthand the secrets her panties had kept hidden for so long.
“Why...?”
“Because... my breasts wouldn’t fit in your hands.”
Al was speechless,
but...
“Al...”
The flustered girl looked up at Al and closed her eyes.
“Ahhh! All right, whatever!”
“Anhh♥”
Al directed all his magical energy into his hands as he groped Feena’s soft, plump bottom.
“Feena...”
Feena’s soft, rosy lips met his.
“Hahhh! You’re... grabbing my... I’m getting stronger!? Ah... Ahhhhh!!!”
Just like what happened with Sharon, Feena’s voice reverberated in his mind as he felt mana escaping his body.
“Ah! Ahhh! I’m gonna bweak! Al, it’s too much! I’m gonna bweaaaak!”
Feena shouted, though whether it was due to either the pleasure or the overflowing magical energy was unknown.
Then, Al...
“Wow... This much more intense than last time. Is this really-- Ah... Rahhhhh!”
Their bodies were enveloped in pleasure and mana.
bang!
Al’s scythe began to glow and his body was overflowing with mana.
“Mistilteinn...”
As if Mistilteinn understood his feelings, the scythe’s blade happily shook in response to Al’s whisper.
“Al...”
He looked in front on him.
“This is Caduceus.”
She proudly presented her wand. Her simple relic with a blue orb at the tip had transformed into a beautiful, elaborate wand. Its tip branched out into a crescent moon-shaped crystal pulsating with an icy blue light.
“Demon King... found...! DEMON KIIIIIING!”
But they didn’t have time to admire its beauty.
“Feena, take Sharon to Cecilia! I’ll deal with Kanon!”
“What!? Just run--”
Al raised his hand to interrupt Sharon.
“Al?”
Feena was perplexed by his actions as well. Even though they’d performed Heavenly Surge, their opponent was still Kanon, the only person in the world whose strength matched that of a Diva. And to make matters worse, his incredible strength had been further amplified by that mysterious crystal. His attacks were not only lightning fast, they were also powerful beyond belief.
“Just do as I say! Get Sharon out of here!”
Al thrust his scythe toward Feena as he gave his order.
clanggg!
A katana struck Al’s scythe.
“RAHHHHH! DIEEE!”
Behind it was Kanon, screaming like a frenzied beast.
“Did he just... attack me?”
“No, he’s completely lost i--”
Just as Al began his explanation, Kanon flinched before unleashing a flurry of attacks.
“S-So fast...”
Al somehow managed to fend them off, though.
“Tch. Feena, fall back!”
Sharon muttered, seemingly worried.
“But...”
“Can you seriously have a life-or-death battle with Kanon?”
“Uhhh...”
She couldn’t give an answer.
“Thought so. We can’t keep holding him back like this! We have to go back to Cecilia, get healed, and rush back to help!”
Sharon made up her mind and began to flee the scene.
“Al...”
Even in the midst of fending off Kanon’s relentless attacks, Al was able to calm Feena’s heart.
“Don’t worry. I swear I’ll save him.”
He said with a confident smile.
“Okay. I’ll leave it to you.”
Feena bowed, entrusting her mission to Al.
“Tch! Don’t you dare lose, Al!”
Bitter about how feeble she was, Sharon shouted at Al before escaping to the headquarters.
Feena followed after her, offering her shoulder to the limping girl.
“Huh? Now you want to come along?”
Sharon asked teasingly, surprised by Feena’s sudden change of heart.
“Thank you, Sharon.”
Feena said in the tiniest of whispers.
“What are you thanking me for!? I couldn’t do a thing after Kanon attacked me...”
Sharon confessed resentfully.
“But you kept our promise and came to help, so... Thank you.”
“Wh-What’s with you? Geez...”
Sharon clumsily averted her gaze.
“You feel different, like something’s changed about you. You’ve become much more talkative, too... Ah! Did you do something with Al on your trip!?”
She stared at Feena with her eyes wide open.
“Ah, wait, no... I’m not trying to pry or anything...”
Embarrassed by her own thoughts, she stumbled over her words.
“Why? What do you think happened during our trip?”
Feena asked with a tiny smile.
“Anyway, we have to get back and have Cecilia help us.”
“Hey, answer my question!”
“We’ll do that later! Hurry!”
Their quarrel continued until they reached the headquarters.
“Sorry about that. So, you ready?”
After confirming that the girls were at a safe distance, Al parried one last attack before jumping backward.
“GRRRRR! DIE, DEMON KING!”
He could feel Kanon’s mad stare piercing his skull. Al was shaking, but curiously--even for him--not because of fear. He was ecstatic about the impending fight.
Is this because of Heavenly Surge, or could it be...
He shook his head as if trying to get rid of his thoughts.
“I have to focus on saving Kanon.”
Al said with a wry smile. He had a plan in mind, but it was so reckless that Feena would never in a million years approve it.
“There’s only one way to do this!”
Al adjusted his grip on Mistilteinn...
“Here we go, Kanon!”
And charged toward his enemy.
“Aaaarghh!”
As if answering a challenge, Kanon also charged in, destroying the ground beneath his feet.
clang!
Sparks flew through the air, and not just because of the tension between them. But behind the sparks, Kanon had disappeared.
“There!”
Another shower of sparks danced between them. Finally able to perceive Kanon’s attacks,
Al clashed with him a couple more times. He’d mastered his defense, but...
“I can’t win by parrying!”
Al steeled his heart and got ready to attack.
shnk!
“Gahhhh!”
Kanon’s sword peeked out behind Al, at his side. He should’ve been done for, but this was part of his plan. He braced himself for the impact, and...
“Caught you!”
Al lifted his scythe.
“Hahhh!”
Kanon reflexively jumped back, avoiding the fatal strike by a hair’s breadth.
“How can you move so freely in that armor!?”
Still on edge, Al quickly tapped his side and blew out all the pent-up air in his lungs.
This is...
Al stole a glance at Mistilteinn. Because of Heavenly Surge, mana was quite literally seeping from Al’s pores. He’d have gone berserk if he weren’t consciously working to contain it. With such strength coursing through his veins, his previous attack would’ve assured his victory if he’d had a better grip on his weapon.
I have to say, my second time with Heavenly Surge is much different...
Kanon’s strikes were painful as hell, but they weren’t fatal. Though that didn’t shield him from all the damage.
“I guess this’ll be a battle of endurance, huh?”
Al’s scythe roared as it swung toward Kanon.
“What is... this...?”
After Cecilia was more or less done, Feena and Sharon regrouped with Al. Both armies were extremely exhausted, but the battle was still raging on. However, the moment they got Kanon back, the battle would be over.
“Al... What the hell are you doing?”
Sharon murmured when she saw the brutal scene in front of her.
“Ah, Sharon! Don’t worry, I’ll get him soon!”
Al was drenched in sweat. There wasn’t a single scratch on his body, but the sheer amount of sweat his body had produced was certainly not natural.
“Are you--”
“GRAHHHH!”
Completely overshadowing Sharon’s voice, Kanon struck down once again.
“Gahh!”
It was a clean hit on Al’s defenseless shoulder.
“Aaaaaah!”
Then, in the blink of an eye, Al raised his scythe and slashed at Kanon. By the time his scythe had completed its arc, Kanon was nowhere near it.
“Are you... trading blows?”
“Cut the crap! You’ll collapse--”
“Don’t worry! Heavenly Surge keeps me fueled, and about once every five swings I can land a hit!”
“But your stamina...”
Feena instantly spotted Al’s single weakness.
“Al, I’m going in!”
Sharon unsheathed her sword, ready to charge.
“No! I’ll be the one to save Kanon! It might be silly, it might be selfish, but Toshisaka trusted ME with saving his friend, and I’ll be damned if I don’t carry out his last wish!”
Al no longer cared if he was seen as a selfish brat. All he wanted was to fulfill his promise, and because of that...
“Then... I’ll be watching you.”
A stern yet graceful voice fell over the battlefield. Al glanced over to see Feena staring at him, grasping the sides of her dress.
“I’ll be watching, so go save Kanon!”
Feena bit her lip in both frustration and anticipation.
“All right, all right. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ll stay back and watch. You’d better finish this quickly, got it!?”
Sharon said as she sheathed her weapon.
“Thanks. I’ll finish this with the next blow!”
Even though he didn’t seem to have suffered any injuries, his body was reaching its limit. Despite that, he once again fixed his grip, and...
“Come, Kanon! Come at me with all you’ve got!”
Al got ready to attack.
“It’s time to finish this once and for all! O Scythe of the Demon King, lend me your strength!”
“RAHHHH! DIE, DEMON KING!”
They both charged at the same time.
“Urrraaaaaah!”
Kanon deflected Al’s strike with his blade. He’d managed to knock off Kanon’s helmet, but it left him completely defenseless in the middle of his jump. He tried to readjust his grip as quickly as he could, but Kanon was quicker.
“I won’t lose here!”
Al gave up on defense and thrust his right arm forward. In order to deflect Kanon’s strike, he aimed a spell at his armor.
“Come forth, Demon Flames!”
He had hoped that the spell would bounce off Kanon’s armor and alter his strike’s trajectory, but his plan failed
because...
fwoosh! crackkk!
Instead of being repelled, the spell instantly destroyed his armor.
“AAAAH... AAAAAH! MY ARMOR!”
Kanon said, unable to move due to the shock. Al finally had the perfect opportunity to put an end to the mayhem, but he was frozen in place as well. Al had never seen Kanon without armor before. He had an awfully slender waist for a man; not to mention his curved bottom and beautiful, spotless skin. His chest had two bumps that looked less like pecs and more like small fruits.
“Wait... You’re not a man, you’re a Di--”
“URAHHHHHH!”
Unfortunately, Al didn’t have the time to confirm his suspicions. Armored or not, Kanon continued charging furiously. While Al was standing dumbfounded, Kanon launched her attack.
He knew he couldn’t dodge in time, so he prepared himself to take the attack aimed right at his head. A moment later...
“Inquisitor Kanon!”
There was a faint, yet somehow clearly audible voice.
“RAHHH!”
Kanon froze when he heard it.
“Toshi...saka?”
She said, her lips shaking.
“Uraaaaaaah!”
The next moment, Al’s scythe mercilessly struck the defenseless girl.
shatter!
Al scythe sank into her chest and destroyed the ominous crystal nested deep within her.
“Aaaah... Toshi...saka...”
She collapsed with a tiny whisper. It was over. Looking at the motionless girl, Al was overrun by exhaustion and dropped to his knees.
“Are those voices?”
The answer entered his field of vision.
“Inquisitor! We’re fine!”
“It was the Empire! They attacked us with some strange creatures; Althos has nothing to do with it!”
“This war is meaningless! Drop your weapons!”
Eshantel’s citizens flooded the battlefield, shouting at their troops.
“It’s the... citizens?”
It didn’t sit right with Al. He could’ve sworn it had been Toshisaka...
“Well, whatever. That doesn’t really matter.”
But he was too tired to worry about it.
thud
“Wh-What’s this...”
Unable to hold himself up any longer, Al fell to the ground. All of his stamina was gone, to the point where he couldn’t move so much as a finger.
“Are you okay!?”
“Is this Heavenly Surge...?”
Al gave up on fighting the exhaustion and just blankly stared at the open skies above him.
“The same happened with us, but... Feena, how are you still okay?”
“Maybe the spell is still active and Al simply ran out of strength...”
Al couldn’t even open his mouth to voice his opinion.
“Anyway, we have to take him to Miss Cecilia!”
“Yeah. With Kanon defeated, the war is--”
Just as they went to help Al up...
“Aaaaah!”
A roar swept through the battlefield.
“The Empire! The Empire’s coming!”
A tense shout confirmed the situation.
“Why now...?”
“Th-They were probably waiting until... both armies were exhausted...”
Al still couldn’t move,  but he somehow managed to force that sentence out.
“Sharon, I know you’re tired, but... please take Kanon to Jamka and... tell him to retreat while covering Eshantel’s troops.”
Al was giving his all to overcome his exhaustion.
“Why do you say that!? You’re in much worse shape than me, so why are you still trying to save us!?”
Kanon seemed to have woken up, and she didn’t like what she’d heard. Since Al was unable to move, he shouted toward the sky.
“Shut up! It’s just how I do things! Sharon, Feena, seeing as thick skulls are apparently common in Eshantel, you are authorized to use any and all methods you deem necessary to make them retreat!”
They both looked at Al, and...
“I sort of understand what you’re saying, but... No.”
“I agree. I--no, we are Divas!”
“Huh? What the hell are you--”
As they looked at Al with their heads tilted...
“We won’t be running away from some Imperial dogs.”
“We’ll make them run from us!”
They looked at each other and laughed.
“Finally, something we can agree on!”
“Don’t worry... It won’t happen again.”
“So, we’ll take our leave and wreak some havoc! Oh, and I’ll be sure to pop into the tent to inform Cecilia!”
“You two wait here, understood?”
“Hey now...”
With his last ounce of strength, Al lifted his head to watch the two girls leave.
“Wahahaha! All troops, advance! Slaughter everyone in sight!”
The Empire’s commander, Bouda, was ecstatic, as the time he’d been waiting for had finally arrived.
Their plan, once Althos and Eshantel had expended their resources, was to march in with their crushing forty-five hundred soldiers. It was a simple plan that anyone could execute. And even Inquisitor Kanon, Eshantel’s ace in the hole, was unconscious. Bouda had assumed that the Divas were extremely fatigued after their battle with Kanon, so he ordered the attack without checking the battlefield.
“I get to slaughter the remnants of Eshantel, occupy Althos, and capture multiple Divas! This is my ticket to becoming a lieutenant!”
He was assigned this task from the get-go, but he had been doubtful about its success.
“Mwahaha! The gods have truly blessed us!”
Bouda happily rode his horse through mud and dirt while following his troops, an action unbefitting of a commanding officer. Unfortunately for him, those happy dreams were rather short-lived.
“Huh? What’s that?”
Two people stood before the entire Imperial army.
“Messengers sent to deliver their surrender? Hah, who cares? Trample them!”
Upon receiving Bouda’s ignorant order, his troops rushed toward the supposed messengers. He looked around to admire the bloodshed and scattered remains of the fools who dared to stand before the mighty Empire...
“Haaaaaa!”
A violent yet dignified scream cut through the battlefield.
wham!
The ground beneath them shook, causing Bouda to reflexively close his eyes.
“Wh-What the hell!?”
He opened his eyes to a violent scene. His troops were getting cut down by a red-haired girl, expertly juggling a longsword...
“Flame Beast! Thunder Beast! Water Beast! And lastly, Ice Beast! Destroy them!”
Elemental beasts rampaged through his troops, setting some on fire and freezing others. Behind them, a blue-haired girl unleashed one spell after another with a seemingly endless supply of mana. His troops, along with his dreams of promotion, were being annihilated by those two.
“Hey, Feena! Leave some for me, too!”
Sharon said, cutting down one enemy after another.
“But it’s my time to shine!”
Feena was simply having her own share of fun.
“Hey now!”
They began to quarrel, pulling the unlucky Imperial soldiers in with them.
“Who the hell are those two?”
Bouda whispered. Little did he know that he’d just witnessed the beginning of the end.
“Why are you helping me--us?”
A few minutes after the two Divas left, Kanon finally managed to get up from the ground. She walked up to the motionless Al and sat next to him.
“Hey, I hope you’re planning to drop the whole ‘punching and headbutting’ thing for today!”
Al said jokingly.
“Hahaha, don’t worry. I accept my defeat... But now, I’d be happy to hear an answer.”
She replied with a smile. Seeing her pure, adorable smile for the first time, Al’s heart skipped a beat.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not doing this for you! I, umm... My dream is to create a country where everyone can smile!”
In that brief moment of bliss, Al shared his dream.
“Hmm... Your dream, huh...?”
Kanon gazed at him in wonder. Seeing her without armor confirmed that she was without a doubt a Diva. Her pure beauty rivaled that of the others; she had smooth, spotless skin,
purple eyes that were honest and calming and beautiful, silky, long light-purple hair that she’d somehow kept tucked away in her helmet.
“Hmm, interesting... Do you think something like that is even possible?”
She asked while tilting her head. It was an honest question from someone who had lost their entire country, but for Al, it was as if she were denying his very being.
“Who cares if it’s possible or not!? I’ll make it possible, and I’ll mow down anyone who dares to oppose me, even you!”
Al exclaimed while still completely paralyzed. It was too late when he realized his grave mistake.
Kanon was visibly shaken by his wild declaration.
“Eep! He not only defeated me in a fair duel, but his sheer willpower is...! Nhhh!”
Huh? Did she just “Nhhh”?
It was a whisper, quiet as an evening breeze, but Al heard it loud and clear. Not only that, but he was subjected to what felt like a lascivious leer as Kanon’s breasts shook, asserting their dominance before his eyes. Unable to move, Al was in quite the pinch.
“What’s the problem, Kanon!? Are you okay?”
Al was concerned because of her sudden change of demeanor.
“I myself have a dream. A wish, if you will.”
Even her manner of speech had changed considerably.
“Which would be...?”
Kanon continued talking without paying much heed to Al. Strangely, her cheeks were getting flushed, which set off warning signals all through his mind. Rightly so, as...
smoosh.
Without any means of escape, Al had no choice but to endure Kanon’s chest pressing against his own as she leaned on him.
“H-Hey, what are you doing!?”
It seemed like Kanon’s personality had done a complete one-eighty, as she was looking at him with steamy eyes.
“I’ve made my choice. I’m going to marry you!”
Where did this come from!? What lead to this decision!?
66bd033e-b979-4429-9d8a-879f509774c0.jpg
These questions ran through Al’s mind until he felt Kanon’s warm breath on his cheek. Despite how reckless their fight had been, Kanon’s scent was as pleasant as a field of flowers after the rain. She was an enticing Diva, no question about it.
“I pretended to be a man because my father didn’t want me to marry anyone. Out of love for my dear, all-powerful father, I decided I’d marry the first person who could best me in a duel...”
His current, rather dangerous predicament reminded him of the incident with a certain succubus. Kanon was mounted on top of him, staring into his eyes with an inescapable gaze as her breasts gently massaged his chest every time she moved.
“And you have bested me.”
Her gaze became even more unbearable.
“B-But I just got lucky. Besides, I have the Demon King’s power and all...!”
Al tried desperately to reroute the discussion.
“Please, you don’t need to be so humble! Imagine a child born from the love between a Diva and the Demon King! Don’t you think they’d be unbeatable!?”
“No I do not! Don’t just deny everything the Valkyrie blessed our world with!”
“Ah! But you’ll have to take my name before we start rebuilding Eshantel!”
“Hey, haven’t you gotten a bit too needy since we found out you’re a girl? I’d like to ask you to listen to me once in a while, but you’re a Diva, so I don’t see that happening...”
He had wanted to resolve this calmly, but that hadn’t exactly worked out.
“Ahhh... I can’t... Those bold words, those fiery eyes...”
She wrapped her arms around herself and began writhing on top of Al, leaving him very confused.
“Squee! Wonderful! How manly! Now I know why Toshisaka entrusted you with that mission!”
As she ran her fingers along Toshisaka’s memento, she dropped her gaze to Al’s lower half.
“Oh? What’s this~?”
She noticed a bulge in Al’s pants. Al’s entire life flashed before his eyes as he cursed the only part of his body that wasn’t paralyzed.
“Th-This is a completely normal biological reaction!”
As he was trying to explain himself, a strong stimulus ran through his entire body. As it happened, what Kanon was stroking wasn’t Toshisaka’s memento but the other dagger Al had on his person.
“Ahahaha... Men are fascinating... Or maybe you’re the fascinating one.”
Al’s mind was sent into orbit as Kanon, the very person he’d assumed for so long to be a man, sensually traced the bulge in his pants with a cheeky, teasing, yet charming smile.
“Y’know, I never thought I’d get a man so excited...”
She said with a smile that could captivate any man and conquer any king.
“Now then, no more beating around the bush. Let’s exchange vows!”
“I’d much rather keep beating around the bush!”
She leaned even closer, still stroking Al’s ever-growing bulge.
“Aaaaaaaaah!”
They heard a shout from nearby.
“Tch, we were just getting to the fun part!”
Al knew as soon as he looked over that the shout had come from an Imperial soldier looking to capture the injured King and the Diva. Strangely, he felt the need to thank his unusual savior.
“Kanon, run! I’ll be fine.”
He at least wanted to make sure that Kanon was safe, but she showed no sign of leaving.
Instead...
“Hahaha! I suppose I’ll protect you, but first...”
She suddenly kissed him.
Again!?
As their desires to protect each other intertwined, Heavenly Surge activated once more. This time, however, Al’s mana entered Kanon’s body through an... undisclosed location.
“Ehh? Ahhh, nhhh... I-I’m so hot! Is this what a woman’s pleasure feels like!?”
They were swimming in mana and pleasure.
boom!
Al’s scythe lit up and his body was completely overtaken by mana.
“We meet again, Mistilteinn.”
Al stood up and greeted his trusty scythe.
“Al, look, look! My katana!”
He looked at the source of the overly excited voice.
“Welcome... Byakuya.”
The sword, twice as long as before, was black as night; only its blade twinkled white as the purest silver. Seeing her reformed relic, she quietly murmured.
“Ahaha, what a wonderful wedding gift!”
The girl happily swung the sword, longer than she was tall.
“Hey now, we never agreed to get married, did we?”
“Wait here, dear. Let me take out the trash before our ceremony!”
“Listen to me fo-- Oh, whatever, just try not to kill them!”
Kanon raised her hand to signal she’d heard him loud and clear as she blasted off toward the Imperial soldiers.
“Wh-What should I do?”
The victor had already been decided. Althos and Eshantel should’ve been wiped from the face of the continent. What had gone wrong? According to the reports, two Divas, alongside none other than Eshantel’s own Diva, wreaked havoc over the Empire’s forces and were on their way to his very position.
What do I do now? Should I retreat and try to regroup? Do we push further in, relying on our numbers?
But right behind the crumbling novice commander...
“Oh my, are they already fighting?”
“Wh-Who’s the--”
Bouda was completely speechless. Behind him was a blonde, blue-eyed goddess wearing white ceremonial robes.
“Wh-Who... are you...?”
The smiling goddess wouldn’t so much answer the completely dumbstruck commander. She ominously looked him in the eyes, and...
“Oh my, now it’s your turn. Strip.”
“U-Understood!”
Charmed by the goddess’ beauty, Bouda took off his equipment one piece after the other.
Then...
“Aaaaaaah! Wh-What are yo-- Aaaaaaaah!”
Just like that, the second Imperial commander fell victim to Cecilia of Althos.
“I see... So Toshisaka is...”
After the battle was over, Al shared Toshisaka’s last moments with Kanon, who was paralyzed due to the aftereffects of Heavenly Surge. After a tiny nap to fight off her complete exhaustion, Kanon was back to her usual self. Al had finally regained his ability to move. Besides a bit of numbness here and there and a throbbing headache, he was back to normal. He was alone with Kanon, Sharon, and Feena. Jamka and Brusch were dealing with the post-battle operations, and Cecilia was treating the injured soldiers at the infirmary, which was marked by the enemy commander hanging from a stick in his underwear.
She’s taken up a strange hobby, stripping enemy commanders down to their underwear.
Disregarding that thought, Al turned toward Kanon.
“If... If I could’ve stopped him, then maybe...”
“It’s not your fault. It’s all on me for being played by the Empire like a damn fiddle.”
She said it with bright--or rather, a refreshing smile, as if she’d set her mind on something.
“And you brought Toshisaka’s dagger to me to honor his last wish.”
Al, unable to bear her pure smile, averted his gaze and answered with a tiny nod. Kanon ran her fingers across the memento from Toshisaka.
“I appreciate what you did from the bottom of my heart, but I have one last favor to ask.”
She looked straight into Al’s eyes.
“Everything that happened between our countries is my responsibility. I personally gave out every order, so I would like you to pardon my troops. Of course, I’m willing to make reparations for the damages, even if it means... giving you my very self!”
thwack
Al flicked Kanon’s forehead.
“Ehh!? What? Why did you hit me? Is fighting all you men can do?”
“Take it as you wish!”
An unusually blunt response from Al.
“Is he mad?”
“No, he’s furious!”
Al heard Feena and Sharon’s small exchange and turned toward them.
“You bet I am! Toshisaka gave his life to protect her, and now she’s throwing herself away!”
Al aired his emotions, unfiltered.
“Then what should I do!? What’s the point of my existence without my country, without Toshisaka!? Tell me!”
Kanon looked at Al with tears streaming down her cheeks seemingly endlessly.
But Al answered with a gentle smile.
“You can always rebuild your country. You still have all your troops, all the people you saved, and all your friends willing to lend a hand, don’t you?”
“My people... My friends...”
Kanon wiped her face and gave Feena a meek look, to which she nodded softly.
“Plus, we have a bunch of vacant houses and enough produce for everyone. If you don’t have anywhere to go, feel free to stay with us until you recover.”
He offered, regardless of the inevitable hour-long speech he’d get from Jamka.
“That means... this... This isn’t the end of me, of Eshantel...”
“Of course not. You can stay here, gather your people, recover, and go back whenever you want.”
Feena slowly walked up and hugged the weeping girl.
“Th-Thank you... and sorry, Feena... I caused so much trouble...”
Kanon returned the hug. Knowing that Kanon was a girl meant he had no reason to be jealous... Probably.
“This is great and all, but I’m starving here!”
Despite her complaints, Sharon was smiling.
“Have you calmed down?”
Minutes, or maybe hours later, Kanon had stopped weeping in Feena’s arms.
“Yes. Sorry, FeenaAAAAA!?”
Kanon’s meek expression was suddenly overtaken by terror as she looked up at Feena.
“Good. Then let’s hear your excuses.”
Her gentle face was long gone, replaced with a cold, dark stare reminiscent of the darkest of winter nights as she groped Kanon’s chest.
“Huh? Feena! Let it up a-- Ouch! That hurts!”
Kanon struggled, but Feena’s hold was unshakable.
“You told me you’re a man. Was that a lie?”
“No! I did it for my fathe-- Ouch! Listen to-- Owowowowow! I didn’t want to lieEEEEEEE!”
After torturing her for a bit, Feena finally let go of Kanon’s breasts.
Hmph! You liar! Traitor!”
“Huh!? You just called me a friend!”
“I never said that. If you’re staying in this country, either cut off those melons or stay out of my sight!”
The contradiction in her words was clear as day, but no one dared to speak out against them.
I see! She wore that armor to hide her breasts!
Al was visibly satisfied with his discovery, but Feena, who just happened to look back at him at the wrong time, was less so. She ran off, sulking.
“Feena, wait! Look, we can finally live together! Let’s have a chat!”
With her grace on the battlefield having seemingly vanished into thin air, Kanon ran after Feena, desperately trying to get her attention.
“I want to be with Al... and no one else.”
Her tiny whisper as she glanced back at Al was carried away by the wind.
“Hehehe. How wonderful, Demon King...”
Deep below the castle, in the darkest recess where only royalty can tread, stood a maid. She ever so slowly traced the indent in the giant door with her finger. In that indent laid a colossal scythe.
“They have released the second scythe... Hehehe, soon, My Lord. Very soon indeed...”
Her sadistic, bewitching smile shimmered through the darkness before she disappeared.