The Mad Emperor hesitated.

But only for a few moments.

He activated the ability of Exbringer and dashed forward.

As he passed by Asagi, he gave her a brief glance.

But———-

[Chester! I’m leaving those two to you!]

He gave the order and immediately turned to face forward.

The Mad Emperor unleashed over a dozen wing-like blades of light.

He then charged at Vysis himself.

Vysis’ brows furrowed.

[……I see. This is too weak. Indeed, this power that could drag even a Deity down…… aside from the Forbidden Race’s Forbidden Curses and Touka Mimori’s status Abnormal State Skills…… this is, to me, Vysis——— a threat.]

Vysis transformed her arms and launched a counterattack.

The Mad Emperor severed Vysis’s approaching blades.

The formation of floating light blades from Exbringer passed through Vysis.

The Goddess’s body was slashed open, and white blood splattered.

Vysis clicked her tongue.

[To think I couldn’t even fully dodge an attack of this level, and that my skin would be torn so easily…… ——–gh.]

It seemed Vysis had intentionally taken the hit from the floating light blades.

She was likely focusing her strength on blocking the Mad Emperor’s Sacred Sword itself, which could be fatal.

Clashing blades rang out.

Asagi, now close to my side, sighed lightly and looked toward the two who were fighting.

[Um…… A- Asagi-san……]

[Ahh…… now that I think about it, I should have known.]

Asagi didn’t respond to my voice directly, but instead said:

[If Hijirin’s intel was right, Vysis’s blood should be red.]

[Eh?]

[I should’ve realized it. Can’t believe I missed that———- I was way too careless. Sounds like an excuse but…… I was so excited to fight Mimori Touka, I let my guard down.]

Asagi let out a small sigh.

[Not cutting off my arms, and even letting me touch her under the guise of testing me———– thinking about it now, that was way too careless of her. But if that white-blooded Vysis is a clone———– a spare, then her lack of caution makes sense too. In a game where dying just means you drop an item and respawn versus a permadeath game, your sense of danger is totally different. Hmmm…… but if she’s a fake, then it gets tricky whether my Unique Skill would actually go through her <Dispel Bubble>. Maybe her clone has the same enchantments, I should’ve asked earlier……]

I don’t really get the game analogy.

But…… in other words, that Vysis is a fake?

Still…… there was something bothering me more than that.

[……Um…… Asagi-san———-]

[If it weren’t for you———-]

Asagi suddenly paused, then pressed her fingertip under her nose.

[……Ahh, I see…… When the Mad Emperor said I wouldn’t betray him…… was that because he had predicted all this? Well…… now that I think about it, there were some hints…… But to even factor in subconscious desires like that———— seriously, you’re amazing, Mimori Touka. D*mmit…… I really did want to fight Vysis and her pawns…… haahh…… ———So, what about you? You were about to say something, weren’t you?]

[Um…… this was your plan all along, right?]

Asagi shrugged, dodging the question.

[I’ll leave that up to your imagination~~]

……She had said it earlier.

“If the paralytic hasn’t taken full effect yet.”

Meaning…… she really did slip us that drug.

Maybe she was planning to trick Vysis and then give us the antidote afterward.

No.

That doesn’t feel right.

This “betrayal to Vysis” feels like something that happened unexpectedly, by accident.

I couldn’t shake that feeling.

But…… I couldn’t ask any more.

I couldn’t press her.

……Also……

(Asagi-san said “This is all my fault”…… what did she mean by that———-)

“Oh”, Asagi raised an eyebrow.

[You did it, Zine-chin.]

The Mad Emperor’s slash tore diagonally through the false Vysis’s body.

From there, the false Vysis’s defense collapsed all at once.

Under the Mad Emperor’s relentless attacks———— false Vysis’s regeneration couldn’t keep up.

[Fu…… fufufu…… you damn brats…… too bad for you…… huh?]

Even weakened, she let out a laugh filled with loathing.

Eventually, false Vysis could no longer regenerate and melted away.

The Mad Emperor stared at the remains of the disintegrated false Vysis’s corpse.

[If only that had been the real one.]

He turned toward Asagi.

[Asagi, the antidote——– is it really———]

[———So that’s how it is.]

Asagi’s eyes were fixed on one point in the room.

[Ah.]

I noticed it too.

At the room’s entrance.

Holding a chunk of rubble———- no, iron?

Gripping it tightly.

Wormungandr.

His distinct appearance made it obvious at a glance.

That’s what the false Vysis mentioned earlier.

That he was approaching.

But———– I hadn’t sensed it at all.

Maybe that’s just because of my strength, that’s why I couldn’t do so.

Still, the other three didn’t seem to notice until they saw him either.

The Mad Emperor moved into a stance.

Maybe thinking to shield Asagi and me———- Chester moved to act.

But———

Too fast.

He’s way too fast.

Nothing could keep up with that————–

———- FWOOSH! ———-

A throw.

Wormungandr hurled the thing he was holding.

Released from the hand of the white Divine Servant———-

Like scattershot———–

A spray of pebbles, like bullets in both form and speed.

They swooped down on those in the room.

(Ah———)

I felt it.

I was going to die.

The presence of death.

I hadn’t realized it could be so clear.

That you could just know…… so early on————

——— Thump ———-

At that moment.

Something shoved me.

[……Huh?]

In my field of vision……

I saw Asagi, who had just pushed me out of the way.

Her eyes were wide open.

Just like how she was earlier———-

Like she was surprised by her own actions.

[Eh———– ……Asagi-sa———]

———  Poof ——— 

A strange sound.

A strange sound rang to my ears.

The sound of…… something being pierced?

Being——– pierced through……

That realization came a moment later.

My heart jumped.

It felt like————

Like one of those sudden, shocking scenes you see in movies.

[Asagi…… san?]

The debris that passed through Asagi’s body———-

It embedded itself in the wall behind us.

(……Just now…… she protected me……?)

Chester——— had been blown back.

But it looked like his armor had taken the brunt of it, so he’d avoided a fatal hit.

As for the Mad Emperor———

[……Ngh, grh……]

From the right knee down, his leg was gone.

The impact must have hit just the wrong spot.

Or maybe——— in the first place……

It just aimed to incapacitate the one with the strongest combat ability among us.

Even so———

Even like that, the Mad Emperor still took a stance to fight.

He manifested the floating light blades with his Sacred Sword.

With a face full of fighting spirit———–

[Chester…… Grab Asagi and run! Kobato, help him……!]

——— Crack ———-

[Guh…… gh!?]

Wormungandr stomped down on the Mad Emperor’s arm.

Perhaps——— crushing the wrist holding the sword.

But just before that, the Emperor had already launched the floating blades.

Wormungandr didn’t dodge.

He took the hit head-on.

However, he inflicted not a single scratch.

Chester paled and screamed.

[Your Majesty!!!]

[……Fool! Leave me and go! You swore your life to me, did you not!? This is an imperial command, Chester!!]

[———Ugh, kh……]

He clenched his teeth, his face twisted in pain———-

Then Chester rushed over to Asagi.

The same goes for me.

Desperately reaching for Asagi too.

(I have to take Asagi-san out of here.)

……She’s alive, right?

You’re alive——— right, Asagi-san?

I’ve learned a Healing Skill.

It’s low-level, but I can use it now.

I can’t do much———– just ease the pain or stop bleeding a little, but still……

[Ugh……]

In just an instant……

Wormungandr was already standing in front of us, blocking our path.

The Mad Emperor’s Sacred Sword had been kicked far away.

And he himself———— could no longer move. Couldn’t attack.

Chester was punched and sent flying.

He crashed into the wall and collapsed forward.

Then, his arms dropping to the ground, he coughed up blood.

[Ghaak……]

By the time I realized it, Chester had already been sent flying.

I hadn’t even seen the moment he was hit.

[——–Ah.]

My legs gave out beneath me.

I couldn’t run.

This is…… a Divine Servant……

Even someone like me can tell.

This Divine Servant……

———won’t let us do anything.

And then——— he’ll kill us.

Without fail.

I———-

I held Asagi, shielding her with my body.

It was almost instinct.

Even though I knew I couldn’t protect her.

I still thought——— I have to do this.

(I———-)

[Asagi-san.]

Asagi seemed unconscious.

But———- her heart was still beating.

She’s alive.

[I don’t know why you looked at me like that, blaming me…… but still, I———]

I called out to her softly, with the gentlest voice I could manage.

[I was happy you came back to us as an ally…… Thank you……]

Still holding Asagi in my arms.

I looked up at Wormungandr with clear, unwavering eyes.

I’d thought for sure I’d be trembling in a situation like this.

But strangely, I wasn’t.

For some reason, I wasn’t even afraid.

In fact…… I even felt like this might not be such a bad way to go.

[……And, I’m sorry. For being such a burden. For being such a slow, clumsy pigeon…… Because of that, you had to protect me…… I’m really, truly sorry……………………………… It won’t make up for anything but……]

I———-

[I’ll stay with you, Asagi-san, until the very end.]

I held her hand.

I’m right here.

So at least———–

At the very end, we’ll be together.

[……………….Tch.]

Wormungandr clicked his tongue, looking down at me.

[Even if they’re among those raiding this place, do I really gotta kill ones like this……? Geez, it’s not even funny anymore……]

But then, he readied himself.

[Can’t go against the Vysis Factor…… So I’ll at least make it quick, so you won’t feel a thing———–]

Swoop————

At that moment, something like a spider’s thread———

It crawled down, clinging to the wall.

No…… it was thicker than a thread.

More like———- a rope.

It appeared just behind Wormungandr.

Yeah———- it reminded me of something.

Like those tightropes acrobats walk on at circuses, way up high.

Except this one, it was stretching at a slightly lower angle.

A semi-transparent rope extending downward on a diagonal.

This room had a high ceiling.

There was a passageway up above, past a flight of stairs.

And from that passage———– Three people burst out.

As if being pulled by that rope stuck to the wall.

Or maybe———–

The rope was pulling them from the other side of the passage———–

[———-Huh?]

Seemingly sensing something off behind him, Wormungandr reacted.

(Ah———-)

My face scrunched up——–

It twisted with emotion.

Mimori-kun.

[Binding Curse————-

Clinging to the Fly King were Seras Ashlain and Munin, holding on to him tightly.

Dragged along by the sideways momentum, all three of them leapt through the air.

Wormungandr’s reaction——— was fast.

Before I could even register it, he had already spun around.

By the time I realized it, he was in the air, already poised to strike.

[———- < Dark > ———-]

Seras Ashrain, now clad in her Origin Regalia, swung her blade of light.

With a thunderous crash, she heavily batted away Wormungandr’s attack———-

———-Unleash……!]

The three of them slammed into the wall.

Wormungandr landed some distance away, then charged straight toward them.

It was as if he was the very embodiment of “overwhelming murderous intent”.

Absorbing the approaching chains into his body as he moved———–

Just like a Demon God, the white Divine Servant came crashing down upon them.

□

Eliminating wasted movements……

Wormungandr no longer spoke.

The white Fallen God———–

——–had focused everything on removing the obstacles, shifting entirely into extermination mode.

As if some sort of switch was flipped inside him.

[ < Para——– lyze > !]

———–Crickle——— Crackle————

A second later.

Red blood burst forth, scattering everywhere.

But———– Wormungandr didn’t stop.

[Seras!]

The King called out the name of his knight.

That voice———-

It carried all the trust he had in her.

And the knight——— answered his call.

[Yes!]

The white one roared.

The last Divine Servant———- and a fully manifested Origin Regalia.

The strongest warrior and the strongest knight launched their attacks at one another.

Within the spray of blood, the white Divine Servant’s massive arm swung down like a demolition hammer.

The shining sword of the princess knight rose to intercept it———–

Carving into the air, tearing its way through.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep