Chapter Index

    I’m scared.

    I’m scared, I’m scared, I’m scared!!

    Lulu trembled, clutching her staff, which was as tall as she was. She jumped at every clash of sword and spear, every explosion of bomb and magic.

    Although she was the former head of the Court Magicians, Lulu had almost no memory of ever being on a battlefield. She was granted the title of Grand Mage solely because of her outstanding abilities in magic theory and performance.

    Even after entering the Magic Tower, her main duties were assisting the Tower Master and conducting theoretical research. Even when she actually activated and demonstrated magic, her opponent was a training dummy, so she had virtually no experience in person-to-person combat.

    Therefore, the battlefield, where people were dying before her eyes, was pure terror. Even though she hadn’t been directly on the front lines, the heat and the scent of blood were closing in on Lulu.

    Kwaaaak-

    She sank to the ground, curling into a ball. She hugged her staff so tightly that her small shoulders shook.

    Then, a faint floral scent enveloped Lulu. Her tightly shut eyes slowly opened, and she discovered the staff glowing in her arms.

    Woooong—

    Lulu stared blankly at the light. She felt it. Her light, her salvation, her love. A strong and warm will bloomed and seeped into Lulu.

    She closed her eyes.

    She remembered the hardest time of her life. The day she succumbed to her rage and desires, made the wrong choice, and fell from one abyss into another.

    Pain, listlessness, loneliness, despair, emptiness. All sorts of negativity invaded her body and mind, trapping her in darkness—that day.

    She opened her eyes again. She looked at the battlefield where death reigned. In the distance, beyond her sight, she sensed someone wielding a sword. She knew it with her sixth sense, even though she couldn’t see him.

    Her thoughts changed. This place wasn’t scary at all. If Princess Narita was with her, even if it were hell, Lulu could walk through.

    “Oh, Mother Nature, who gave us warm hearts…”

    She raised her staff. A small amount of mana drained away, tinting it red. With strength and precision, she drew a magic circle.

    One, two, three.

    Countless magic circles began to fill Lulu’s surroundings. They were Lulu’s gestures, Lulu’s footsteps, Lulu’s life.

    “A daughter born from Mother, enjoying that sacred glory, receiving the blessing of the great nature, offering boundless gratitude—”

    Her life, filled only with twists and turns. Like the footprints she had made, the positions of the magic circles were erratic. Some were before Lulu, some on the ground, and some soared high into the sky.

    Haphazard, chaotic, a mess. That was how Lulu herself defined herself. It was so disorganized that those who didn’t understand magic would find it painful to even look at.

    “To those who disrupt the rules of life and death, those who defile the beautiful Mother Nature, before you and your children’s enemy, I earnestly pray to stop them—”

    However, Lulu connected those magic circles. The staff, imbued with the mana of flames, drew a line like a red thread.

    Kung-

    She slammed the staff’s gemstone into the magic circle drawn on the ground. A faint spark flew. Lulu closed her eyes, recalling the moment she wandered in darkness.

    “As you gave strength to us, the weak, courage to us, and warmth to our hearts…”

    A star shone in the pitch-black universe. Feeling the warmth of that light, Lulu smiled naturally.

    Paat-

    Again, she raised her staff powerfully. The magic circles on the ground and in the sky were connected by a streak of pure white light. It was the moment she was saved from the abyss.

    The line connecting countless magic circles. That wavering line was the magic that represented Lulu herself.

    “Oh, bestow upon this place the Eternal Inferno—!!”

    A large amount of mana surged from Lulu, filling the battlefield. Torrents of flame dyed the pure white sky crimson and poured relentlessly toward the enemy troops.

    [Eternal Inferno].

    Petals of red roses danced. Mesmerized by their beauty, the Empire’s soldiers burned and vanished one by one.

    Duk-duk-duk-

    Seeing the enemy troops collapsing like a tidal wave, Lulu trembled. It wasn’t fear. An inexplicable exhilaration overwhelmed her.

    “…Amateur♡”

    No one heard the soft words she uttered. Even if they did, they would have pretended not to.

    . . .

    At the same time.

    Yuri, having finished her mission, entered the inner part of the base. Waiting for her was the new Knight Commander, Aspi Lichtein.

    “You’ve worked hard, Yuri-yang.”

    “Whew… Thanks. I’ll rest a little.”

    “Please do so.”

    Aspi bowed deeply to Yuri, showing her respect. The Crown Princess’s personal maid and the newly appointed commander of the Crown Princess’s direct knights. Normally, the latter position would be higher. That’s how it seemed to others.

    However, Aspi knew. The powerful strength and terrifying will hidden behind that kind smile. Among all the people in the royal family, she believed only Yuri possessed loyalty stronger than her own.

    She couldn’t tell others, but Yuri also took good care of Aspi. Especially during night-time martial arts lessons, she took notes with such fervent attention. Wasn’t she a distant senior as a wife? A figure worthy of respect.

    Fwoosh-fwoosh-

    Feeling her body heating up, Aspi shook her head. She cast off her thoughts and turned her gaze back to the battlefield.

    The Imperial army was like an unending waterfall. Even though she had deployed knights throughout the battlefield sweeping them away, their momentum didn’t decrease.

    ‘It seems there’s some kind of device producing soldiers.’

    Otherwise, she couldn’t understand the Imperial army’s endless momentum. Aspi had checked the intel numerous times, but she had never heard of such a difference in troop numbers.

    Moreover, the Imperial soldiers were a little different from ordinary humans. They seemed to be consumed by madness, their rationality numbed. They had forgotten the fear of death, using their own lives as weapons in their brutal onslaught.

    ‘…Their characteristics are similar to the soldiers I saw back then.’

    Aspi recalled the day Eve declared war. The soldiers who emerged from her shadow were difficult to consider human. They were man-shaped beasts.

    Intense dark magic, eyes without focus, unhesitating movements. They completely matched the Imperial army rushing forward now.

    Aspi drew her sword and stepped forward to the front of the base.

    “Where is Her Highness?”

    “She is currently leading a separate detachment comprised of mercenaries, attacking the flank of the Imperial army. The Imperial army’s direction of advance hasn’t changed yet, so she should meet with the Emperor soon.”

    “Soldiers mustn’t head in that direction. We need to draw sufficient attention.”

    She closed her eyes and expanded her senses. The knights guarding Aspi felt a chill. It felt like a wild beast was staring at them.

    Aspi’s perception swallowed the entire battlefield. Indeed, what she sensed from the Imperial army was not the breathing of humans, but of beasts. A thick dark magic wafted from them as they moved.

    ‘…Indeed, they are there.’

    She sensed intense energy in various places within the army. Aspi instantly knew that they were strong like , similar to Moriarty’s executives, named individuals.

    Duk-

    “…Ugh.”

    Her heart throbbed. It was a kind of trauma. A memory from the past, when she was still inexperienced and suffered defeat at the hands of a Persona. The pain of being mutilated and having her heart torn open.

    Aspi clenched her fist. She took a deep breath and subdued the resurfacing pain. And then she realized. This wasn’t pain—it was excitement.

    The heart beating in Aspi’s chest now was different from the one back then. It was the heart Her Highness had healed with resurrection magic.

    Now that her heart had become Her Highness’s and she’d grown stronger, it was time to test her strength now. Thinking that, the pain gradually turned into pleasure.

    Thud-

    Aspi swallowed a bitter smile.

    “Gather the knights. I will strike at the enemy’s command.”

    “As ordered.”

    Three knights around Aspi instantly disappeared. She took a firm stride and advanced into the battlefield.

    Thud- thud-

    Soon, the scattered knights gathered together, following their Knight Commander.

    Woooong-

    A noise reached Aspi, her senses still not retracted. The sound of propellers tearing through the air. Soon, the Empire’s second airship fleet appeared in the sky above the battlefield.

    “…Annoying flies.”

    Swoosh-

    Aspi immediately drew her sword. She imbued the blade with surging mana and swung. A crescent-shaped sword energy tore through the clouds and cut through the battlefield’s sky.

    The knights stared blankly at that single sword. Soon, crimson flames shone in their eyes.

    WHOOSH—!!

    Countless airships exploded, enveloped in flames and plummeting. The knights quickly leaped into the air, turning the wreckage into dust.

    Thousands of sword strikes shone in the sky, after which a rain of ash fell on the battlefield.

    “Really…scary women, they are.”

    A voice came from somewhere. Aspi frowned, sensing intense dark magic. Amongst the chaotic battlefield, only this area maintained a calm atmosphere.

    Three men and women emerged, all wearing black cloaks pulled up to their heads.

    Aspi held her sword. The returning knights also took battle stances.

    And…she looked up.

    「Explode.」

    Instinctively, she raised her mana to protect her entire body. Her head spun. Aspi barely managed to take one step, maintaining her balance.

    Immediately after that, what entered her vision were the corpses of knights, their heads blown to pieces.

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