Chapter 10: Livia’s Power

Chapter 10:
Livia’s Power

 

THE TWO PRINCESSES were reunited at last in Hertrauda’s private quarters aboard the principality flagship.

“Please don’t summon the Land Guardian,” Hertrauda begged her older sister. “The Sky and Sea Guardians will be more than enough to achieve our objective, Trude.”

“I’ve put quite the burden on your shoulders,” Hertrude said regretfully. “If only I had used my Magic Flute sooner—”

Hertrauda shook her head. “One of us had to. We already decided that if you failed, I would take up the banner and head for the kingdom.”

Hertrude clenched the flute in her hands, tears streaming down her cheeks. The flute’s true power came at a cost: the player’s life force. This sacrifice gave the player the ability to summon an enormous creature known as a Guardian.

“Rauda, I don’t know anymore,” Hertrude murmured. “Which country was really in the wrong?”

“Even if what Queen Mylene said was correct, we can’t stop this anymore,” Hertrauda said. It was not an answer to Hertrude’s question—but it was the truth. “We will sink the kingdom’s mainland and take their Suspension Stone. And with that, principality will have new land to claim for its own. Our nation needs it in order to become a world power, to control our fate.”

That Suspension Stone was their true aim, more so than revenge. With it, they could expand their territory by repurposing the stone for vessels, or artificial islands, or other vital technologies. But the principality could never hope to overcome the kingdom’s forces in a fair fight; desperate measures were their only route to victory.

“I only wonder if our actions are truly just,” Hertrude whispered.

“I can’t say,” Hertrauda replied simply. “All I can do is entrust the rest to you, once this is all over.”

Their parents had passed away in an accident while they were young. And while the royal family included a few other surviving relatives, only these two sisters were privy to state secrets. Both had received the education necessary to one day inherit the throne. One of them had to survive—to lead their country to the future the other created.

In any case, their time together was limited. Hertrude was determined to indulge her sister in any way she could.

“Trude, what did you do while you were in the kingdom?” Hertrauda asked.

“I was a transfer student at their academy. It was far more wicked than I imagined.” She had heard the female students owned slaves and looked down on the male students. Even so, it had been a shock to see for herself. “That Fiendish Knight bowed his head to every girl on campus.”

“You mean the one who beat Vandel?” Hertrauda frowned. “How did the kingdom change so much? Before the principality declared its independence, their society was the same as ours, from what we read.”

“Good question. It was a very strange country. The Fiendish Knight even called up his own airship because a girl wanted to go on an adventure of all things. Oh, speaking of, I got to see the elves’ homeland and one of the ruins of the ancient people.”

Hertrauda’s eyes lit up with wonder as Hertrude described her travels. The principality’s royal family had descended from adventurers just as the royal family of Holfort Kingdom had, so the two girls had grown up on tales of their derring-do.

“You really did go on an adventure…” Hertrauda grinned from ear to ear. “I’m so jealous. I just don’t have the time.”

“Rauda, I’m so sorry. I’m really, truly sorry.”

But their time together was up. A knight had arrived with a report. “Princess Hertrauda! We’ve confirmed the kingdom’s forces are closing in!”

Hertrauda’s expression changed from that of childish wonder to that of a cold, hard leader. “I’m on my way. Trude, if I collapse, the rest is up to you.”

Only a short distance remained between them and the kingdom’s forces—then the capital, and the Suspension Stone. Once they arrived, it would all be over.

Hertrude smiled at her sister, tears rolling down her cheeks. “When the times comes, I’ll do what needs to be done, but until then, I will stay by your side.”

Hertrauda smiled as well. “You will be my pillar, Trude.”

***

 

I sat Arroganz down on the Partner’s deck. Inside the cockpit, I whistled to myself, trying to downplay my anxiety. “This sight’s got a lot more impact in person than it did in the game.”

The principality’s forces flew beneath the giant monster in the sky, as if using it for protection, sticking close as they steadily made their way toward the capital.

“The target has entered blast range,” said Luxion’s shell. No snarky quips, just the bare minimum of acknowledgment.

Through the clouds, I saw the enormous creature was covered in dozens of eyes and had multiple arms. Several of its gargantuan pupils were trained directly on the kingdom’s forces.

Our fleet—the Partner and all our ships—charged theirs.

As we flew, the Giant reached one of its massive hands toward us.

“Target approaching.”

“Hit it hard!” I roared.

“Order received,” Luxion said. “Firing missiles now.”

As the Giant’s hand threatened to close around us, the Partner released three rounds, triggering an enormous blast as the bombs hit their mark. The creature’s limb disintegrated in a puff of smoke.

“Guess we should keep firing!”

“Commencing bombardment.”

The Partner’s largest cannon fired, swallowing the Giant in a blinding explosion. Several missiles followed, one after another, blowing off its arms.

Principality ships panicked, scattering and repositioning now that we’d blown off their beloved final boss’s creepy arms.

“The enemy fleet has changed formation,” Luxion reported.

“Little slow on the uptake there!”

They were preparing to return fire. But their positioning was inefficient and uncoordinated; their communication networks were as disrupted as ours.

However, thanks to Luxion’s improvements, the ships my friends and family commanded outstripped the enemy’s, technologically speaking.

I stood Arroganz up, readied my rifle, and began shooting down the monsters swarming around the enemy’s fleet. There were thousands, maybe even tens of thousands. And while the Partner was busy attacking the Giant, dealing with the monsters—and airships, and Armors, and everything else—fell to the rest of us.

The kingdom’s fleet fired as they closed in, cannons pelting the monsters, which burst into clouds of black smoke. Meanwhile, the principality’s forces turned their broadside toward us and unloaded their own cannons at the Partner. None of their rounds left a mark, even when they did find their target. Most were deflected by the ship’s barrier.

“Blow them to pieces!”

The Partner careened forward until it was nose-to-nose with the enemy forces; the allied ships behind it opened fire with front-mounted cannons. The principality’s fleet also had a barrier, but our rounds pierced right through and sank vessel after vessel.

“How do you like our cutting-edge cannons? Don’t think you can protect yourself with a measly magical shield!”

After their first warship sank, the principality began deploying Armors. Another vessel moved to block the Partner’s path, again unloading a row of side-facing cannons. The Partner deflected them all.

“Weak. If that’s all you got, you can’t stop us.”

The Partner rammed right into the side of the enemy vessel, bending it in the middle. As our ship plowed on, the principality’s ship tore in half and plummeted into the lake below.

“Once we get in close, this battle is ours.”

We had penetrated their formation and were now immediately below the Giant. It couldn’t attack us so long as we were mixed in with the principality’s forces. The kingdom’s ships followed close behind the Partner to enter the fray, then deployed their own Armors. The battle took on an intense, chaotic pitch.

“We’ve cleared the first step.”

The Partner launched several missiles straight at the Giant, exploding its limbs into puffs of black smoke. The clouds surrounding the monster absorbed the lingering fumes, then they swelled and darkened.

The battle had begun at dawn with clear skies, but now thick, black clouds loomed over us. It was from these storm clouds that the regenerated monster reappeared, its dozens of eyes all trained on the Partner.

“It revived even faster than I expected, but let’s keep up the attack and pin it down.”

“Enemy approaching,” said Luxion.

Principality Armors were headed straight toward Arroganz.

“We found you, Fiendish Knight!”

“Fiendish? Ironic coming from a bunch of fiends like you!” You’re coming here to kill me, and I’m about to kill all of you. We’re like two peas in a pod.

I took aim with my rifle and pulled the trigger, blasting right through an enemy Armor’s stomach. They collapsed in front of me on the deck of the Partner. Looking up, I saw that the enemy ships and Armors had the Partner surrounded. I turned my gun on a ship straight above me and fired at its engine, which burst into flames. It crashed down harmlessly onto the Partner’s defensive shield.

Staticky voices filtered into my cockpit.

“Use your Armors to destroy it!”

“Shoot him down and they’ll make us generals!”

“His head is mine!”

I grabbed my axe with my left hand and hacked away at the first Armor to approach, gouging out his stomach with a diagonal cut. The pilot within would be beyond saving.

“Your reaction time has slowed,” said Luxion.

“Yep, thanks for noticing!”

Another enemy charged, and I brought my axe down on his head. The blade sank so far into his torso that I couldn’t yank it out and had to abandon the weapon. I shot down a third enemy with my rifle before pulling out a new weapon to replace my axe.

I let myself take one brief glance at the Weiss. “I’m counting on you.”

Then I turned my gaze forward and lifted off from the Partner’s deck.

 

***

 

Angie and Livia watched from the Weiss’s bridge as the kingdom’s forces charged into the enemy’s ranks and began an all-out attack. Livia trembled, depending on Angie to keep her upright.

“Livia, let’s rest for a bit.”

Livia shook her head, tears falling. She had both hands on her head, and her breaths came in strangled gasps. “It’s so painful. Why is everyone fighting? It hurts so much… Why?”

Angie hesitated. “I wonder the same.”

She knew the logical answer; her teachers had taught her countless reasons for war. But seeing the battlefield for herself made her second-guess them all.

Livia clutched her chest.

“Hey!” Marie bellowed, dressed in her Saint’s regalia. “We’ve got enemies swarming us, you know?”

“Be quiet!” Angie snapped.

“Y-yes, ma’am!”

“The escort ships are protecting. We won’t fall easily.”

Cleare, floating beside them, moved her eyeball in a nod. “The biggest threat is far above—the Giant, as your people call it. Other than that, nothing on this battlefield can sink this ship. Now, are the two of you ready? Marie, what about you?”

It clearly irked Marie to be treated as an extra, but she was too intimidated by Angie to complain.

Angie held Livia upright, whispering softly, “Livia, let’s finish this quickly. Are you up for it?”

Although she continued to sob, Livia nodded and clasped her hands as if in prayer.

Angie mimicked the pose—and some strange sensation overcame her. What’s going on? My chest aches. This overwhelming sadness… I can’t stop the tears.

Voices of those on the battlefield trickled into her head:

<Help! I don’t want to die!>

<Mom, save me!>

<This is why I didn’t want to get involved in this stupid war!>

Every cry was a life, and every single one faded after it called out—they made Angie’s heart twist in anguish. This is what you’ve been feeling, Livia?

“Hm, this function wasn’t listed in the manual—the ship seems to react to Olivia’s power,” said Cleare. “Perhaps it would be apt to call this phenomenon Resonance?”

Suddenly, Marie shrieked, “Aaaah! A monster is coming right at us!” She pointed straight ahead.

One of the principality’s creatures lunged toward them, its jaw cracked open.

“Away with you,” said Cleare, and the Weiss’s main cannon blasted right through the beast. The AI turned to Marie. “I’d appreciate it if you would do some work as well.”

“Huh? What am I supposed to do?”

“Mimic the other two girls and make use of your Saint’s power.”

Clearly flustered, Marie copied Angie and Livia’s posture and began praying. At last, the Weiss shuddered, finally drawing out its true potential.

Angie glanced up at the ceiling and spread her arms wide. A warm sensation is washing over me. It’s so calming.

As she did, an image appeared in her mind: summer break, when she, Livia, and Leon, tight-knit and together, had come home after bathing in the hot spring. The evening sky had been so beautiful. She’d enjoyed herself so much—so truly.

If only those days could have continued forever.

 

***

 

I cut down an encroaching monster and dared to glance behind me. All the Armors, all the ships—everything had frozen in place. The battle came to a sudden stop, and suddenly, every monster in the area evaporated in a burst of black smoke. Warm light enveloped us, emanating from the Weiss.

“Well, there it is. The final weapon.”

Even the Giant looming above us snapped its eyes shut and shielded itself with its arms, for what good it did. The Weiss’s light was so powerful it gradually corroded the Giant’s body.

“And now it ends.”

One by one, the principality’s Armors lowered their arms. The static on our communication networks cleared, and the thick clouds shrank back, giving way to a bright blue sky.

“Love really is amazing! Hmm?!” I tried to cackle over our victory, but all my will to fight was sapped from my body as fear settled in my gut. It was as if something had ripped the aggression out of me.

A voice echoed all through the sky.

“Don’t fight anymore. I don’t want to see you all hurt. Please, stop this!”

It was Livia.

“So that’s it. This is Livia’s real power.”

Her voice pierced straight to the heart, but not in a way that unsettled. As she spoke, her words touched people’s souls and swayed their emotions. No one could resist her.

“Let’s stop, okay? If we keep this up, many lives will be lost. Please quit fighting.”

If mere words could stop a war, people would never have suffered it. Yet her desire for the battle to end seeped right into me.

Beside me, Luxion’s empty shell spoke. “Psychic attack detected.”

Yes, that was exactly what this was—and a powerful one at that.

The Weiss amplified and strengthened Livia’s natural ability, and it was altogether brutal. The principality’s knights, who had so resented the kingdom, dropped their weapons as they listened to her. Some of them might have wanted to retort, Screw that! or We can’t let it end like this! But whatever lingering hatred they had evaporated in the face of Livia’s sorrow.

The sight brought back memories from one of the scenes in the game.

Above us, the Giant gave one final, eerie cry before it vanished completely.

“What a fearsome attack,” I mumbled. A power like this shouldn’t be used lightly…if ever.

 

***

 

Hertrauda watched from the principality’s flagship, tears rolling down her cheeks. “Why does your heart ache this much for us? Stop it. You’re supposed to be our enemy! Don’t be sad for us! Please, I’m begging you! Enough!”

But Livia’s anguish filtered through, and Hertrauda’s heart ached right along with hers. Those standing nearby stared blankly ahead or cried as they slid to the floor. Livia’s power robbed them of their will to fight.

“Are we really supposed to forget our grudge? Just like that?”

It was vexing, but at the same time, Hertrauda’s desire for revenge ebbed away. Hertrude had asked if the principality’s cause was just—Hertrauda had said it didn’t matter. But did it?

Hertrude wrapped her little sister in her arms. “Rauda, let’s put an end to this. The Sky Guardian has already disappeared.”

Hertrauda shook her head. “No. I don’t want this. If it ends, why did I have to sacrifice my life? I—I have to fight! Otherwise, what am I dying for?!”

Frustrated, Hertrauda squeezed her Magic Flute. She wanted to fight, but her heart disobeyed her. She was supposed to hate these people, but she couldn’t.

“Cowards! The kingdom really is rotten for pulling something like this. How low can you sink—not even letting your enemy hate or resent you for what you’ve done? How dare they rob me of my will! It’s not fair, controlling our hearts like this.”

Hertrauda burst into tears, and Hertrude hugged her tight, crying as well. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for making you do this in my place.”

As the Sea Guardian disappeared, the Magic Flute in Hertrauda’s hands disintegrated, too.

“It can’t be… Even the Sea Guardian lost…” Gradually, the life drained out of Hertrauda… Her consciousness drifting further and further away.

“Rauda!”

“Trude, I’m scared, but…it’s kind of warm.”

Livia’s power gradually overrode even Hertrauda’s fear. In its place, a comforting glow enveloped her. Her resistance vanished, and her expression turned calm and peaceful.

“I’m sorry, Trude. I’m so sorry…for leaving you all alone like this.”

Hertrauda’s eyes slowly closed, and her older sister’s sobbing grew fainter and fainter until there was nothing left but silence.

 

***

 

Vandel stood nearby as Hertrude sobbed, until her lips slowly broke into a smile.

“Princess…”

“Vandel, I—I think something’s wrong with me. I should be devastated, but I feel so warm and…happy. Rauda’s gone, but they won’t even let me mourn her. What a barbaric kingdom…”

Vandel softly placed a hand on her shoulder. “Leave it to me. I will settle this.”

“Vandel?”

Vandel alone was unaffected by Livia’s psychic attack. He had the influence of the Demonic Suit to thank for that. “Now, before you lose all will to continue, command me,” he said.

Hertrude pulled a face, conflicted. She’d made the same expression when she was younger, and it brought back so many fond memories for Vandel.

“Princess!” he urged.

Her hesitation broke. “Vandel, go. Show them that the principality won’t back down.”

He nodded sharply and marched off. When he stepped outside the bridge, he covered his mouth and hacked into his hand. His palm came away coated red with blood.

“My body’s done well to hold up this long.” Grateful for that, Vandel turned his gaze to his right arm. “I at least have to sink the ship causing all of this.”

The white vessel, the center of the fleet, hovered in the distance.

That’s the one. I have to get rid of it. He flexed his right arm. It enlarged, swallowing the rest of his body as it transformed into an Armor.

“Now, let’s get started.”

Vandel leapt up through the air, making his way directly toward the Weiss.

 

***

 

I was in a daze. It was like being overcome with drowsiness even though I knew it was no time to be sleeping. Maybe that wasn’t the best example, but regardless, this whole battle seemed utterly pointless now.

“Master, the attack has contaminated your mind.”

I heard what Luxion was saying, but right now I felt annoyed with everything I’d done. What had I even fought for this whole time? Marie was the one in the wrong. No one could have gotten mad at me for abandoning her. Not a single person—well, okay, my parents from my previous world, but I’d never see them again. Even so, they’d probably have said something like, You’re her big brother, you need to look after her.

Yeah, well, that wasn’t in my character.

“Enemy approaching. It’s headed straight for the Weiss,” Luxion reported.

I whipped around. A black, fake-looking Arroganz with thorny plating charged straight for the white ship.

I’ve seen that Armor somewhere before, I’m pretty sure… But I couldn’t remember where. “Hmm? The Weiss?”

No sooner did I say that than the black Armor punctured a hole through the vessel. An explosion rocked the skies.

“Shit!”

Panicked, I seized Arroganz’s controls and launched toward the Weiss, my head abruptly clearer than it had been a few moments ago. “Weird, I almost feel like I was dreaming.”

“It was a psychic attack,” said Luxion. “The Weiss projected it at everyone indiscriminate of allegiance.”

“So that’s Livia’s power, huh? Terrifying.”

When that warmth had wrapped around me, it filled me with both joy and fear. The other vessels and Armors still hung motionless.

“Whatever, so that enemy unit is—”

“The same one that stole Hertrude and the Magic Flute from the palace,” Luxion finished.

“It’s that Black Knight geezer?!”

Dread flooded through me, and I accelerated.

 

***

 

On the underside of the continent, the Sea Giant disappeared. And as far as Luxion was concerned, the power that had vanquished it was a dangerous one.

“So this is Olivia’s ability? I see why Master called it the ultimate weapon.”

Smoke billowed from Luxion’s ship.

“The communication networks are slowly stabilizing. Just a little bit more and I should be able to reestablish the connection with my portable terminal.”

He submerged his ship, letting the seawater bring down its temperature. Steam rose off it in waves, enveloping Luxion in a white mist.

“Hopefully nothing serious has happened in my absence.” As his ship cooled, Luxion contemplated what to do next. As long as Master’s still alive, it will be fine.

 

***

 

Vandel sliced his enormous sword through the beautiful white vessel’s outer hull and pushed his way in through the hole. “What’s this?”

Legless robots came charging at him with weapons drawn. He slammed the broadside of his sword against them and sent them flying. One of them he caught by the arm for closer inspection.

“There’s no one inside? What bizarre creations.”

He crushed the robot in his hand, then proceeded to hack away at the ship as he moved forward. “A vessel like this shouldn’t exist. The kingdom is evil, just as I suspected. Evil—yes, evil that should be destroyed!”

His right arm swelled, and magic shot out from its many eyes. The magic blasted through the interior of the ship, fires breaking out in its wake. The vessel began to lose altitude.

“That’s right. The kingdom must be destroyed. They are the enemy!”

Vandel continued his destructive path all the way to the bridge. There, he found three people—mere children. “Girls? Now I understand. So you did this.”

He stood in front of the three frightened young women and raised his sword, but the short-haired one stepped out in front of the others.

“Please wait! Let’s stop fighting. We can’t keep going like this!”

“No!” Vandel choked up blood as he resisted her. “It’s not over yet. I won’t let it be over! As long as our countries exist, we will continue to battle. It is only natural after what you did to us!”

The second girl, her face fierce, snapped at him. “Ridiculous! Are you going to act as if the principality is innocent?”

Even so, Vandel didn’t back down. “Innocence? What of it? Do you know what it feels like to see your family killed before you?! I had a wife and daughter, and I tried to protect them. My little girl was but an infant, and your kingdom murdered her!”

No more words. Vandel brought his sword crashing down on the girls, but a sudden attack hit him from behind. A wire, wrapped around his waist, ripped him off the ship’s bridge. He spun to face the culprit and found five different colored Armors.

“We’re your opponents!” A white suit with a cape billowing behind it charged toward him, sword in hand.

Vandel tore off the wire and parried the attack, cackling from within his Armor. “Don’t think you can stop me if that’s all you’re capable of!” He knocked the white suit away.

The green suit fired at him with a rifle. Vandel didn’t even bother dodging; his outer plating deflected every round. The enemy’s panic was palpable.

“Well then, let’s see if you can repel this!”

A phalanx of spears surrounded him all at once and then simultaneously plunged toward him, piercing the joints of his armored plating.

“How’s that?! You can’t escape—”

“Hmph!” Vandel flexed his muscles, and every last spear snapped in half.

“You bastard!”

“It’s not over yet!”

Together, a red and a blue Armor moved on him in a pincer attack, but Vandel deflected one with his sword and flicked the other away with his tail.

“What’s wrong, brats? Did you really think such feeble attacks would best old Vandel?” he taunted.

The white Armor flinched. “Vandel? You’re the Black Knight?”

“That’s right. Well, formerly. Regardless, I can rid myself of you lot in mere seconds.”

He lunged, lifting his greatsword through the air with every intention of slicing the white Armor in two.

But the red Armor slammed into him from the side, and the blue suit swept in from the front.

“The way you fight—are you the Sword Saint?” Vandel asked. “No, you’re too inept.”

“Graaaah!” The blue suit swung at him fiercely, but Vandel blocked with his blade.

As the others circled around him, he laughed. “That’s right. Show me what you’re really made of! The Black Knight requires stronger opponents!” His eyes were bloodshot, his mental state increasingly unstable.

His rampage put the five Armors at an even more severe disadvantage. Vandel’s Armor swelled, more eyes popping out across his skin. His opponents shrank back from his ominous visage.

“Scared, cowards? Then die!” Vandel cackled as he brought his sword swinging down—but just then, another Armor swept in front of them and sent him reeling back. “What?!”

But he was elated when he saw who had interrupted.

At last we meet. A savage grin spread across Vandel’s face. “I’ve been waiting for you, Fiendish Knight!”

Arroganz loomed before him.

“Yeah, that’s a real freaky name you’ve got for me,” Leon replied. “But if I’m a fiend, that makes you something even worse.”

Overjoyed, Vandel hardly noticed the trickle of blood running from one corner of his mouth.

 

***

 

What the hell was going on here? The sinister Armor felt more like a living thing than a machine, and those eyes all over it, darting back and forth, gave me the goosebumps.

“I’ve waited all this time to fight you again,” said Vandel.

“Thanks for the heartfelt confession, but it’s not as flattering as you think. I would’ve been cool with never seeing you again. That is one creeptastic Armor you’re piloting.”

He cackled. “I owe you and the kingdom my gratitude. This item—the Demonic Suit’s right hand—lay dormant in your vault. But none of you recognized its value, so the princess had it sent to the principality instead!”

“What?” My brows knit.

“Now our Armors can fight at the same level. Let’s have a fair battle this time, based purely on skill!” Vandel charged toward me.

I dodged, but he swung in behind me.

“Enemy approaching from the rear,” Luxion intoned.

“Yeah, I know!”

I managed to block the attack again, this time with my rifle, but his greatsword cleaved right through it. I abandoned the weapon and fished out a new one. Vandel’s suit moved so fluidly, and so fast. It was clearly superior to the last one he’d battled me in.

I didn’t stand a chance.

“You’re annoyingly persistent, Gramps!”

“I’m not dying until I’ve taken your head!”

Arroganz soared up high with the Black Knight in hot pursuit.

“Take this!” Vandel roared, and the eyes on his suit conjured fireballs. I tried to dodge, but they followed close behind me.

“This is cheating!” I cried, accelerating in an attempt to outrun them. But he kept creating even more. “Send out the drones!”

“Deploying drones,” said Luxion.

Dozens of robots shot out of the container on my back. They were small, round, and equipped with machine guns, which they unloaded on the fireballs. The drones managed to disperse some of the flaming projectiles, but many of them were destroyed in the process. Any that survived the firestorm, the Black Knight cut in two with his greatsword.

“You scumbag!” I snapped.

“You’re the one person I don’t want to hear that from…” Vandel paused. “No, you’re not the one I need to take down.” He abruptly ceased his pursuit, and his gaze wandered to the ship directly below us—the Weiss.

“Don’t you dare!”

“Duty compels me to sink that ship.” The eyes on Vandel’s suit powered up to release another barrage of fireballs.

I dropped altitude with all haste and swung in front of the Weiss’s damaged bridge. I caught a glimpse of Livia and Angie behind me. Marie stood there as well. Damn—even if they wanted to escape, the exits had collapsed and sealed them in.

“Throw up our defenses,” I ordered.

“Activating shield,” said Luxion.

I protected the three girls with my Armor as Vandel pelted me with one fireball after another. Unfortunately, I couldn’t block them all. A few struck the Weiss dead center, triggering even greater explosions.

The idiot brigade fanned out behind me to help protect the girls. As Vandel continued his assault, flames tore through the Weiss, and the ship started to truly sink.

“Tch, and after all that trouble we went through trying to stop this.” I gritted my teeth as I continued blocking as much of Vandel’s magic as I could.

“I refuse to let it end like this,” Vandel said. “This war isn’t over until one side loses! Not before then!”

I turned to the masked knight. “Hey, you, pervert knight!”

“I told you already, call me the ‘Masked Knight’!”

“Yeah, whatever. Evacuate the girls! I’ll take care of the situation here.”

Prince Julius hesitated as if he wanted to protest, but after a short pause he said, “Fine.” He and his friends had realized they were no match for the Black Knight.

Good.

“I’ll deal with Gramps.” Once more, I lunged forward as the Black Knight lifted his sword.

Just then, an enormous mountain rose straight up out of the lake.

“You’ve got to be freakin’ kidding me!”

But wait. It was no mountain—it was another one of those damn Giants!

“New enemy sighted,” said Luxion. “It is a new type of Giant.”

For a split second, I let my guard down as a cold sweat poured down my back. The Black Knight’s sword came crashing down on me, and the blow sent me hurtling to the ground.

 

***

 

Hertrude held her Magic Flute in hand as she stared down at her precious little sister, lying there on the floor. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t a better sister to you. Why did things have to end this way?”

Tears trickled down her cheeks as one of the principality’s chief nobles approached. The man was injured, blood running down from his forehead.

“You brats,” the noble spat. “How pathetic can you be, failing this miserably?!” He cursed them both and lifted his foot to kick Rauda’s body.

Hertrude intercepted him, taking the blow instead and dropping her Magic Flute in the process. “Stop! Rauda did her best!”

“And what good did that do? Results are all that matter! You’re just as useless as your parents were. Both of them were opposed to the war. That’s why we killed them and tried to start over with the two of you!” His face colored with despair. “This is the end. It’s all over for us. At this rate, they’ll have to counterattack and invade the principality to keep up appearances. I thought we could win if we used those monsters. I never dreamed the enemy would render us powerless!”

Hertrude squeezed Rauda’s limp hand. “What are you talking about?”

“Ah, you’re just as foolish as your parents. We used you! Both of you!”

Hatred roiled in Hertrude’s gut.

He sneered at her and laughed. “Wait, there may still be a chance. If I send them your head, the kingdom might spare me at least. I’ll be the hero who stopped your tyranny!” The noble pulled out a pistol and aimed it at her, but suddenly the airship rocked hard to one side.

Hertrude’s Magic Flute, which she’d dropped moments before, came rolling across the floor toward her.

“D-dammit!” The noble regained his balance and turned his gun back on Hertrude at the same instant she put her mouth to the Magic Flute.

All of you—every last one of you can just disappear! And she blew with all the strength she had.

Black smoke enveloped the air around Hertrude as monsters appeared again. One of them swooped down and sank its teeth into the noble’s side.

“N-no, stop! Someone save me!” The monsters devoured the man as he shrieked.

Hertrude slowly pulled herself back to her feet, Magic Flute in hand. She staggered to the deck to survey the situation outside. She was so overwhelmed—by the truth of her parents’ deaths, the actions of the nobleman, the loss of Rauda… Just what had they offered their lives for?

Her eyes were glassy as she stepped out toward the edge. The battle had resumed thanks to Vandel destroying the Weiss. As tears poured down her face, Hertrude played the flute once more, and an ominous melody rang through the air.

I’ve had enough. None of it matters anymore. All of you can die.

And with that, she summoned the Land Guardian.

Hertrude dropped the flute and cackled maniacally. “All of you, just disappear!”

The Land Guardian obliged her order, given in insanity, and began wreaking havoc.

 

***

 

Leon’s father, Balcus, stood on the bridge of his ship, demanding answers.

“Another one of those ridiculously enormous monsters has appeared! What in the world is going on?”

The moment he and his crew had charged the enemy ranks, they’d lost consciousness. By the time they came to, the Sky Giant had disappeared, but a new, mountainous monster was moving across the lake. Let’s just say Balcus was having trouble keeping up.

Nicks, also on the bridge, pointed out the ship’s window. “Father, there are other monsters now, too. And even more than before!”

“Deploy our Armors. I’m going out there.”

“You can’t,” Nicks protested. “You have to stay and give orders. I—”

“Enough! Listen, you’re my heir now. You have to be the one to stay. If something happens, it’ll be up to you to protect our house and our family. Understand?” I can’t let Nicks die, Balcus thought as he tousled his son’s hair. “If anything happens to me, you siblings need to look after each other. If Leon survives this, work him to the bone and protect our lands. He’s competent, but he’s also an idiot. Make sure you take care of him.”

“No, you’re asking way too much of me! And as long as you stay here, you won’t need me to do that!”

“I’m not letting you brats die before me!” Balcus turned to his crew. “Look after Nicks.”

With that, he left.

 

***

 

So the final boss did appear after all. To make matters worse, the Black Knight is ridiculously strong. I have no idea what the heck is going on here anymore! I swore and dodged again.

“Fiendish Kniiight!” Now that Gramps had taken down the Weiss, he was once again determined to chase me to the ends of the earth.

This isn’t funny. Not one bit. This would only be acceptable if he were a cute girl!

“Tch!” I parried his attack with my axe, but the greatsword tore right through my weapon. “Missiles! All of them!”

“Launching all missiles,” Luxion responded.

The container on the back of Arroganz opened again, sending a barrage of explosives toward the Black Knight. He put distance between us and dodged them all. Not only did he move sickeningly fast, but those stupid eyes of his launched fireballs to take down all my missiles, too.

The only weapon I still had was this axe. My shock wave attack required latching onto him, and I couldn’t catch him.

“I’m using a cheat item, and I still can’t beat him!”

Every time I thought I had him cornered, he turned the tables on me. I’d exhausted every tactic I could think of.

As if I wasn’t preoccupied enough, the mountain-shaped Giant suddenly began shooting thorns out of its body. They sliced through the air and nailed several of the surrounding ships. It attacked kingdom and principality vessels alike, indiscriminate in its fury.

“What the…?”

Even the Black Knight panicked. “Princess!”

“Where’s the Partner?!” I barked at Luxion.

“Enemies have intercepted it, keeping it too preoccupied to attack the Giant,” he responded.

Knowing the Partner had attacked the previous Giant, the principality’s forces had it under heavy fire.

“You morons! Focus on the beast killing both of us before you come after my ship!” I howled, taking a stance with my axe. I brought it down on the Black Knight, but he parried with his sword.

“I don’t have time to play with you anymore,” said Vandel. “Die already!”

“No thanks! I don’t wanna die in a place like this!” Dying on a battlefield? Count me out.

He scoffed. “You have neither the pride nor the dignity of a true knight. You really are a fiend!”

“So what? Don’t push your ‘pride and dignity’ crap on me!”

The Partner unleashed the last of its ammunition on the Giant just as Luxion’s shell of a body reported, “The Partner’s operating system has reached its limit.”

“Crap!”

The principality was concentrating fire on my ship, and as the Partner’s barrier fell, cannonballs slammed into it and set it ablaze. I could only watch as the Partner crashed into the lake below.

I owed Luxion a big apology for this.

The Black Knight’s blade sliced toward me. “This is the end for you!”

I readjusted my grip on the controls, ready to struggle until my last breath, but suddenly, Luxion’s voice changed—returning to that wonderful, snide, sarcastic normal. “I’m purging the container.”

“You’re back!”

As the Black Knight charged, Luxion released the container from my back, dropping it right into our enemy’s path. Vandel sliced through it, and the explosion engulfed the area.

However, now Arroganz’s mobility was significantly reduced. As in, my engine had been in that container. I’d be a sitting duck the next time the Black Knight attacked.

“Well, now that you’re suddenly here, what are we supposed to do?” I asked.

“Not a problem. Schwert will be here momentarily.”

As if on cue, my airbike descended from above. Although, its shape was a little different than I remembered.

“What’s that thing?”

“Schwert,” said Luxion.

“It sure doesn’t look like it!”

“Irrelevant.”

Schwert looked more like a plane or a shield now than a bike, depending on how you looked at it. It aligned itself with Arroganz’s back, connecting at the same spot my missile container had been moments ago. Suddenly, my Armor had wings.

“It’s combined with my Armor! Amazing!”

“It’s an improved version of the container, equipped with an enormous blade. Please use it.”

I pulled out the sword Luxion indicated. It looked just like the one the Black Knight wielded. “Can I really fight like this?”

“Of course. I have already updated Arroganz’s system.”

The Black Knight darted out of the cloud of smoke from the explosion, and I lowered our altitude to meet him. The upgrade had given such a boost to my Armor’s speed that it was difficult to control.

“This is way too fast!”

“Please get used to it. Now commencing our attack.”

Schwert shot a laser beam straight for the Black Knight—a curving laser that tracked his movements. You know, in defiance of physics.

“Did that laser just bend?!” I gaped.

“Please shut up. You’ll bite your tongue.”

What kind of AI treats his master like this? Here I was feeling lonely without him, but the first thing he does after coming back is piss me off.

“So, whelp, you still had a hidden weapon,” Vandel growled.

I grinned and turned to him, brandishing my sword. “All right, Gramps—let’s agree right now, the one who wins is the strongest. I better not hear any complaints from you!”