Chapter 9

FINAL CHAPTER Combatants Will Be Dispatched! 1 The city of Grace spreads out in front of the royal castle. The lord general calls out to the knights assembled in a defensive formation in front of the main gate— “Okay, everyone! I’m sure you’ve all heard the news by now. The Chosen One is missing after his battle with Faustless of the Wind! I know how many of you feel! The disappointment! The despair! But I stand here to remind you, the Chosen One is missing but not lost! So long as this kingdom remains, so long as we stand and protect our homes and families, we will be the light that guides humanity’s final hope, the Chosen One, back to us! Now is the time for us to stand! Show the demons that they have more to fear from humanity than just the Chosen One!” The general’s speech stirs the morale of the defenders, drawing a defiant cheer from the assembled knights and soldiers. Tillis watches over the proceedings from her balcony with a somber expression. “…Sir Six. How should we expect the enemy to proceed…?” Tillis asks. As for me…… “I’m serious! I saw the unicorn use its horn to hike up the girl’s skirt! The knight in charge of caring for them was being harassed! Unicorns are a bunch of good-for-nothings! I bet they’re just pervy old men in costumes!” “All right, all right,” Alice snaps. “I’ll listen to that story later. I’m in the process of writing a letter to explain our situation and hopefully get some support. Stay out of my way.” I’ve been trying to explain the shocking truth I witnessed in the stables. “U-um…Sir Six?” “I bet those cold-blooded Supreme Leaders won’t make any exceptions. C’mon, listen to me. This is a pretty important issue. If there are unicorns here, they’ve clearly got horses, too. So why not just use horses?! There’s actually no need to bother with these pervy unicorns at all!” “Why are you telling me this? I can’t do anything about it. I’ve done a survey of the local fauna, and there’s all sorts of odd creatures that make no evolutionary sense. Then there’s the fact that legendary and mythical creatures actually exist here. We’ll be here a while if we start listing off every little thing that’s wrong with this world. Then there’s the whole issue of all these ridiculous phenomena like magic and curses……” You know, from my point of view, an android like you strikes me as plenty ridiculous, too… “……Am I correct in assuming you have an interest in magic? I can demonstrate some simple magic if you’d like.” “Really? Lemme see!” “Oh? I’d like to see as well.” Feeling excluded from our conversation, Tillis offers to demonstrate her magic. In front of the gate, the kingdom’s knights stand and patiently await the Demon Lord’s Army. 2 “All right, is everyone ready? Time to take over this kingdom once and for all! The Chosen One is gone! There’s no one left to…” As she fires up her band of demons, Heine hesitates mid-sentence. A face appears in her mind, the face of the only man who still poses a threat. The pillar of the Elite Four erases the image from her mind with a quick shake of her head. “There’s no one left to stop us! Let’s raise some hell! Go teach those humans the true meaning of fear!” In response to her cry, the army of demons, now swelling to over twice the numbers of the kingdom’s defenders, stomp their feet in unison, sending tremors through the ground. “Hey, Heine, with this many demons, do you really need my prized golems? The Chosen One’s gone. Hell, I bet you can take care of a puny human kingdom like that on your own……even with your low-powered magic conduit.” The one mocking Heine is the other pillar of the Elite Four leading the army, Gadalkand of the Earth. With the Chosen One gone, the army of demons is driven by the belief that there’s nothing left to fear from the humans. The rank and file are convinced that even in her weakened state, Heine will lead the demonic horde to victory, trampling right over the demoralized army of the kingdom. “Don’t get cocky, Gadalkand. I told you, they’ve still got the bastard who made a fool out of me. Honestly, I’d prefer to fight the Chosen One over him. The Chosen One’s strong, sure, but that bastard’s unpredictable. So there’s no harm in being a little overprepared. He did struggle against a single golem, so the ten we’re taking along should be more than enough to deal with him.” “…Ah, the bastard who destroyed my golem. Heine, leave that one to me. I’ll break him into tiny pieces, just like he did to my golem.” Heine sighs at Gadalkand’s words. To think I have to rely on a hot-blooded moron like him. ……At that moment, disaster strikes. With a thunderous blast, the golem leading the column explodes in a shower of fragments. ““Wha—?!”” Heine and Gadalkand stare, dumbfounded by the sudden event. “Wha…wha…what the hell just happened?! Heine, is it him?! The bastard who killed my golem?! Impossible! We’re still in Demon Army territory!” Gadalkand, ordinarily overflowing with confidence and possessing a stony calm, hurriedly scans his surroundings, a faint panic creeping into his demeanor. Seeing Gadalkand’s panic actually helps Heine regain her composure. “Keep moving! You’ll make yourself a target! Magic powerful enough to blast a golem apart can’t be launched from a distance! Damage and range for spells are inversely related! If you want damage, you lose distance, and if you want distance, you give up damage! You need to be up close to do that much damage! The enemy can’t be far! Find them!” Heine’s calm, rapid directions calm the chaos rippling through the demonic ranks. The demons begin to disperse, spreading out to seek out the enemy, however…… Both Heine and Gadalkand are thrown into confusion as a string of blasts goes off throughout the demon ranks. “Whoa, whoa, the hell is going on here? Since when is it this easy to fling high-grade magic? Our demons are getting blown up left and right! Just how many of them are there?!” “Cerberuses! Bring several of the Cerberuses! Sniff the bastards out!” As Gadalkand shouts in disbelief, Heine issues further orders. “…Lady Heine! We’re sending the Cerberuses out to sweep for the enemy, but shortly after they start sniffing around, they refuse to move!” “Lord Gadalkand! A golem! We’ve lost another golem!” “What the hell?! Dammit! Be on alert, you bastards! Keep your eyes peeled and proceed with caution! The enemy is hitting us from somewhere. Stay alert! Withdraw the golems! They’re nothing but walking targets right now!” As Gadalkand barks out orders, Heine focuses to track the flow of magic, seeking the unseen enemy. ……There’s a strong magic signature nearby. It’s powerful, but there’s something familiar about it…… “……This feeling… It’s my sorcerer stone!” Which must mean he’s here. All the pieces suddenly click into place for Heine. Ignoring the demons, she starts running toward her sorcerer stone. If she can find the stone, she’ll find him as well. “…What the…?” Heine arrives at her destination to find no one; just her sorcerer stone sitting on the ground. She glances around, senses primed to detect anyone who might be lurking nearby, but she finds nothing. Inching closer to the stone, Heine surveys her surroundings once more. Again, she finds no one nearby. “…You’re there, aren’t you, Six? What is the meaning of this?” More explosions ring out along with the screams of demons caught up in them. She can hear those sounds off in the distance, but there are no voices coming from her vicinity. The sorcerer stone sits right in front of her. No matter how hard she tries, Heine can’t feel a human presence nearby. Could this have been placed here by Six as an apology? With the Chosen One gone, does he actually want to defect to the Demon Army? Whatever the truth of the matter, it’ll remain a mystery until she actually meets him. “…Oh…my…my precious sorcerer stone…!” Heine ecstatically reaches out to recover the conduit she had spent many long years pouring magic into…… 3 “Very well, here we go! With my power, I will only be able to do it once, so please watch carefully! In the name of the Goddess of Water, Aquans, I summon you!” <Evil Points acquired.> “……Hmm?” “What is it, Six?” I tilt my head in response to the sudden announcement, and Alice turns to face me. “Hmm? Oh, I just acquired some Evil Points out of nowhere. Remember those brats calling me the Fly? I tossed some porn into their houses where their parents could find it. Guess they just got caught.” “…You did what? Against children…?” At that moment, I hear the splash of water. “Did you see? That was the spell used to summon the spirits of water…!” I turn to the source of the sound and see Tillis standing there in front of a puddle, breathing raggedly but looking quite pleased with herself. “Sorry, I missed it.” “I’m afraid I missed it as well. Do you mind doing it again?” “Oh…” For some reason, Tillis stands there looking crestfallen. Gazing down at the city from the balcony, there’s no sign of the enemy. It’s long past the expected arrival time of the Demon Lord’s Army, and it’s closing in on 1500 hours. “They’re a little late, aren’t they? Maybe they won’t show up today.” “No, they’re probably just held up by the minefield.” Oh yeah, I forgot about those. Still, I’ve got no complaints. Really, the later they are, the better. My promise is to stay here until 2000 hours. Once that time passes, I’ve got no intention of letting anyone complain about my departure. …The waiting continues, and even the tension among the knights stationed in front of the gates starts to slacken. Then a vague shadow appears in the distance. The Demon Lord’s Army arrives at last, bloodshot eyes boiling with rage. “Sir Six! Look! The captain of the sixth company is bravely charging alone into the enemy!” Neither force is gaining or losing much ground. The demons push forward, trying to make the most of their numerical advantage. For their part, the outnumbered knights maintain their disciplined ranks, working together to take down demons as they approach one by one. In spite of all the doom and gloom before the battle, they’re more than holding their own against the larger force. “Huh. At this rate, we might not even have to run. Uh, just so we’re clear, Tillis, you won’t turn around and execute us as spies if we get through this, right?” “Whyever would we do such a dishonorable thing? True, we did put you in a single room to save on costs, but we wouldn’t stoop to such depths.” ……… “Wait, you put Alice and me into the same room to save money?!” “Sir Six, you’ll be departing this castle tomorrow. No need to dwell on the past.” “‘No need to dwell on the past,’ my ass… You might look like an angel, but you’re a damned cheapskate!” As Tillis and I argue, Alice looks to the battlefield and coolly makes an observation. “…The front line’s breaking.” “Oh! Oh, heaven help us……” Tillis shoves me aside and leans forward to get a better view of the battle. The soldiers are fighting with grim determination in their eyes. Tillis stands there offering prayers to the gods in their name. In the middle of all that, Alice and I are bored out of our minds… “Hey, Alice, how about some tic-tac-toe?” “And what is that, exactly?” Alice and I spread out a sheet of paper atop the rug. Tillis glances over at us, biting her lip as if she has something to say. “I thought you were supposed to know everything. Tic-tac-toe is a game where you take turns filling X’s and O’s into a grid. First one to line up three in a row wins. You up for it? We can bet a gold coin per round.” “You serious? You think you can beat me with a lowly human brain?” Alice says in a slightly exasperated tone. “Let’s even up the rules, then. How about you give me an extra move every five turns?” “Not a chance.” …Time passes steadily. “Oh no…! Even the fourth company has broken!” “There. Looks like I win.” Alice marks in a large X on the sheet in front of us. “Hey now, you know that tic-tac-toe is best of nine, right? You’ve only got one win.” “Cut the crap.” The battle rages on in spite of the dying light, and fire glow begins dotting the landscape here and there. Demons have the advantage in night combat. I guess they’re lighting bonfires to minimize the enemy’s advantage? “Sir Six, I’m afraid it is time to make preparations to leave. The enemy is approaching the main gate.” Tillis speaks with a solemn look in her eyes. I glance up from the game. “I guess it’s about time… All right, we’ll get ready.” “Hey, Six, it’s your turn. I’m playing with this dumb handicap, so the least you can do is hurry the hell up.” Tillis looks at me, half standing in a crouch, apparently at a loss and holding back tears. “You really are something… You won’t even turn to watch them fight.” Her tone is exasperated now. I look up at her and dust off my hands. “It’s because I believe in them. Snow, Rose, and Grimm. They still haven’t seen any action. And I know those three are strong. After all…” I grin. “They’re my subordinates,” I say confidently. “Hey, Six. You’ve got nowhere else to go. Fork over the gold already.” 4 “Rose! Grimm! The enemy’s isn’t here yet, but stay alert! We’re counting on you to take out their heavy hitters!” Screams and the sounds of battle ring out from all around us. “I’m ready. Leave them to me!” “I’m sleepy…b-but I must remain vigilant…! Once this is done, I bet Snow will buy me tons of drinks… Stay awake…stay awake… The s-sun’s almost fully down… I just need to keep my eyes open a little longer…” I’m moved by Rose’s confident response, even as Grimm’s muttering gets a little unsettling. I make a note to wine and dine them both once this is over. A soldier arrives at our post where the Royal Guards, under my command, stand as the last line of defense in front of the city’s main gate. “Lady Snow! Where is Lady Snow?” The soldier is pale, raising his voice in near panic before he finally locates me and dashes in my direction. “Lady Snow! Golems! The enemy…they had seven stone golems in reserve! They waited for the fighting to go on long enough for the knight companies to be exhausted… Then they sent in the golems. They’ve forced their way through our lines, and they’re heading straight this way.” Seven golems?! “Grimm! Will your curses work on them?!” I hear the sound of wheels clattering against the cobblestones, and Grimm appears next to me. She gazes intently at the golems steadily making their way toward us. “We’re nearing Lord Zenarith’s time. I might not be able to destroy them, but I can certainly stop them in their tracks! Look at these! I had the city guard confiscate these paired rings from a bunch of couples, using the defense of the city as an excuse!” Normally, Grimm is super-unreliable, but I’m seeing a whole new side of her today. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything about the confiscations. “Good. Everyone, form a defensive wall around Grimm. Those of you with hammers and maces, be ready to clobber the immobilized golems!” Just as I give the order to my subordinates… “Not happening! You guys stay out of this!!” The ground rumbles as the seven stone golems stomp toward the gate. Standing upon a golem’s shoulder is a pillar of the Demon Lord’s Elite Four, Heine of the Flames. “Finally, some familiar faces. But I’m afraid I’ve got no time for you small fries. Bring out Six. I’m here for him.” Heine’s body is covered in wounds, so many that I feel a brief pang of sympathy. The pang is short-lived when I see her expression. There’s no trace of pain there. Just rage. Pure, burning rage. “Six? He’s not here. I, Snow, will be your opponent today. Draw!!” I cry. At my challenge, Heine turns her gaze to me, her eyes flaring with anger. “You?! You’re nothing! You’re not even worth the effort of killing. But that bastard?! There’s no way I can let him live after the humiliation he’s caused me! I’ll kill him if it’s the last thing I do! Using my precious sorcerer stone as bait… I bet he’s sooo proud of himself for that one, huh?” I don’t have a clue what she’s talking about… I guess that idiot found yet another way to incur her wrath. I take a touch of satisfaction in the knowledge. “It doesn’t matter if I’m nothing! I can’t…I won’t let you get to Six. Her Highness has tasked him with something important. Grimm! Do it!” “O Great Lord Zenarith, I beseech thee! Deliver disaster unto this stone doll! May its soles be sewn to the ground!” Grimm unleashes her curse before I finish giving the order. The paired rings in Grimm’s hand are offered to the dark god as a sacrifice and vanish in a flash of light. The golem’s feet freeze in place. Unable to stop its forward momentum, the golem collapses with an earthshaking thud. Seeing their chance, the soldiers armed with blunt weapons close in and clobber the golem, reducing it to rubble. “O Great Lord Zenarith, I beseech thee! Deliver disaster unto this stone—” “You really thought I’d let you do that twice?! I may have lost my primary sorcerer stone, but I’ve got a spare! And it’ll be more than enough to take you out!” Heine’s arm erupts in flame as she flings a fireball toward Grimm, but a small shadow jumps in to protect the archbishop. “O Great Lord Zenarith, I beseech thee! Deliver disaster unto this woman! Forever take away her ability to wield flame magic!” Sheltered from the flames by Rose, Grimm places a large parcel on her lap and points her finger at Heine. The parcel, filled with paired rings, is bathed in light as Zenarith claims them for a sacrifice. Hearing Grimm’s words, Heine’s eyes go wide, throwing her arms up in a reflexive gesture of defense. “…It f-failed…? Holy shit, that scared the hell out of me!” Producing a flame from the tip of her finger, Heine howls in relief. “You! Whores like you who draw the eyes of men just by existing! I hate you most! If I had a little more courage, I’d risk the backlash and curse those udders of yours to fall right off!” “Wh-what the hell are you talking about?! Don’t call me a whore!” Still, the threat of the previous curse appears to have put Heine on her guard as she climbs down from the golem and backs away. Grimm doesn’t suffer anything even if her ability to use flame magic is lost from a curse backlash. With the large number of sacrificial objects on hand, Grimm will probably be able to take away Heine’s flame magic with enough attempts. This realization drains the color from Heine’s face, and she puts another golem between herself and Grimm. “The hell are you doing, Heine? Stop playing around with these maggots! Just kill that woman already!” Gadalkand appears from the flank, forcing his way into the center of the fight. “…Huh? Hey, you… You look a lot like a lady I killed not too long ago… Eh, whatever. You’re dead either way.” He lifts his metal club, stifling a yawn as he prepares to take a swing at Grimm. The sickening crunch and the image of Grimm’s headless body flopping to the ground replay in my mind. “T-take that!” Rose lets out a rather weak battle cry, unleashing a flying kick at Gadalkand’s head. “…Hmm? Did you just do something?” Gadalkand takes the blow without so much as flinching, reaching up and theatrically scratching the spot Rose kicked as if it were a bugbite. Then he pounces at Rose with a speed that ought to be impossible for a creature his size, landing an open-handed blow on Rose’s shoulder. Rose is tossed like a rag doll by the impact, and Gadalkand seems to forget about her, turning his attention to the only thing standing between him and Grimm. Me. “…Move.” A single word. An order. This demon…this pillar of the Demon Lord’s Elite Four. He doesn’t even regard me as the enemy. As I grit my teeth in frustration, I hear a whoosh as a jet of flame cuts through the air, hitting Gadalkand and engulfing him in flames. “Guh! You little brat! I forgot you could do that!! You miserable runt! You know you can’t beat me. Even if you have mixed blood, your demon blood’s gotta be screaming at you to run. It’s not like these vermin are treating you well, are they? You can join us once this is over. Now get out of my way!” Buffeting his wings to blow away the flames lapping at his stony skin, Gadalkand turns to look behind him. Rose stands there with blood trickling from her temple, hands balled into fists while one arm wipes the soot off her chin with a sleeve. “Heh-heh-heh… I know I can’t beat you, and yeah, I have mixed blood…but I’m also a Combat Agent trainee, so I’m afraid I have to keep fighting, even if I’m scared. Also…” I notice a faint tremble in her voice. “Grandpa told me on his deathbed that if I ever made friends, I should stick with them, no matter what…!” With that, Rose assumes a fighting stance against Gadalkand. “Heh! Fine. Then hurry up and die!” He brings down his club toward Rose, shattering the stones below and sending fragments flying in every direction. Instead of giving herself breathing room, Rose dashes toward the large demon, punching at Gadalkand’s gut with all her might. The sound of a hard object being hammered rings through the area, and Gadalkand’s face twists into a grimace. Her flame breath requires her to hold a deep breath for a few seconds, making it impractical for use while dodging hits at close range. Rose dodges Gadalkand’s powerful swings, exploiting each opportunity to land a blow on him in return. The soldiers and knights stare at the battle between superhuman fighters from a distance, unable to provide any meaningful support. The same applies to me. A girl who is younger than me, smaller than me, and suffered much worse treatment than I’ve ever endured. She’s matching Gadalkand, blow for blow, in defense of Grimm. If I joined the fight against Gadalkand, I would only be in her way. With my sword, I wouldn’t be able to so much as scratch him. So what’s left for me to do…? What good is the reputation that comes from being the youngest to achieve knighthood, an elite member of the Royal Guard, and all the other accolades if I still lack strength? The other pillar of the Elite Four, Heine, cautiously avoids getting in Grimm’s line of sight and continues scanning the surroundings as if still expecting to find Six here on the field. The steady stream of arrows fired at her is swallowed by the flames burning around us. “O Great Lord Zenarith, I beseech thee! Deliver disaster unto that woman!” Grimm points her finger at Heine, prompting the demon to hurriedly seek cover behind a golem. “Don’t you point at me, you crazy dark-god cultist! Golem! Shield me!” “D-don’t call Lord Zenarith a dark god! Dammit, I’ll put a curse on you that makes you irresistible to orcs!” …It’s time to make up my mind. Even if I’m consumed by flame, I should be able to get at least one strike in. How ironic that I, the one most concerned with money and glory, would find myself facing the honorable death every knight longs for. The hand gripping my sword hilt trembles, but I convince myself the shaking is from excitement, not fear. At that moment, a voice intrudes into my thoughts. “I’m not entirely sure what it is that you’re planning to do, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Just a warning from the Archbishop of Undeath. Dying is truly awful.” Just as I make my peace with my decision, Grimm pauses in her efforts to deter Heine. She sounds more sober and serious than I’d imagined her capable of being. Rose shouts over her shoulder, still with her back to me as trades blows with Gadalkand. “I can’t hold him forever! Miss Snow, please go to Her Majesty and tell her to evacuate to safety!” At the desperation in her voice, I remember what I should be doing. Knights of the Royal Guard are here to keep the royals away from harm. Going to Princess Tillis and finding a way for her to escape is consistent with our duties. Still, there’s no reason that I should be the one to do it. After all, I’m the one in charge right now. Which means… “We’ll be fine. Off you go to the castle! Even if the princess needs to defect to another country, it’s better that she have more than just the commander go with her. Snow, you need to go and make sure he doesn’t try anything funny with the princess.” Which means these two are telling me to run. How pathetic. How powerless. I, who once joined in with the other soldiers to mock these two as rejects, am now being defended by them. In spite of everything, they’re trying to find a way to let me escape. ……There’s still hope. He’s still here. If anyone can find a way out of this mess, it’s him. But who am I to beg for his help? Me, the very person who drove him out of the ranks. I recall something he said earlier. “I hear the Demon Lord’s Army is invading soon! If you want my ultrapowerful assistance, then apologize for your shitty attitude and beg for it!” If it means I can save these two, I’ll gladly apologize. I’ll happily beg and stroke his insufferable ego. But will he actually help us under these circumstances? As I stand there, trying to sort out my jumble of thoughts and emotions, Rose is knocked back toward me, landing on all fours. Her tail straightens, and she snarls at Gadalkand. Her back, turned to shield me from the enemy, a back belonging to a little girl desperately forcing down her anxiety so that she can keep fighting, is the last straw. I know what I need to do and turn on my heel. “Drown in a sea of hellfire…!” I hear her voice from behind me. “Sleep for all eternity! Crimson Breath!” I start running toward the castle. 5 “N-no, I’m not moving from this spot! If my countrymen die, I’m dying with them!” We’re still in Tillis’s chambers at the top of the castle. “Stop struggling and come on! Look, let me explain why I decided to stay as long as I have! You said you wanted me to tell the other countries that this kingdom was here and to get them to band together to fight the Demon Lord’s Army. Screw that! Do it yourself! Even if the kingdom is destroyed, if a member of the royal family survives, you’ve won! If you need help leaving descendants behind, I can help you out with that once we’re safely out of here!” “Your last point is ridiculous! I’m your employer! I order you to let go of me! S-someone! Someone help!” Tillis yells as I hoist her over my shoulder like a piece of luggage. So far, no one from below is coming up to stop us. Of course, that’s because the castle’s master, the king, asked me to help Tillis escape. Still, this wasn’t how I pictured things going. I didn’t expect them to have so much trouble fighting the demons. I probably tempted fate by going on that little spiel about how they were my subordinates. There’s no way to win here. It’s time to go. “All right, let’s get out of here, Alice!” “Roger that!” “Wait, please! Please set me down, Sir Six! Are you really ready to accept what’s about to happen? Once the castle falls, everyone you know in this kingdom is going to die!” Tillis attempts to convince me, still struggling on my shoulder. “Now, now, there’s a perfect sentiment for times like these. Everything’s fine… They’ll live on…in our hearts.” “Well said, Six, now let’s go! We don’t have much time!” “What is wrong with you twooo?!” I carry the sobbing Tillis in one arm, heading to the hallway to make our escape. But just as we reach the staircase to make our way down… “Combat Agent Six!!” The voice belongs to Snow, dashing up the stairs. Her hair’s a mess, and she’s having trouble keeping her breathing under control. After shouting my name, Snow stands in front of the staircase, trying to catch her breath. “Can you make this quick?” I ask her. “We’re kiiind of in a hurry.” “Snow! Stop this man! Order him to set me down!” Tillis shouts. Snow, her breathing ragged, looks at the floor and says, “S-Six, right now seven golems, Heine of the Flames, and Gadalkand of the Earth are attacking the main gate.” “Yep, already aware of that. Saw the whole thing from the balcony. Now get out of the way, we’re really pressed for time. If we’re going to get out of here, we need to go with everyone else in the city. The sheer number of people raises our chances of escape!” “It’s almost kind of impressive how casually you say that.” In contrast to my building panic, Snow appears to have calmed a bit, continuing in a detached tone. “I can’t do anything about them. Rose and Grimm are buying time, but they probably won’t last much longer.” After hearing that, my legs pretty much turn into cement. “To the enemy, I’m nothing. Less than nothing. They won’t even consider me an enemy.” A slight tremble enters Snow’s voice. “…I’ve been swinging a sword since I was a child. My birth, my upbringing, my sex… I’ve worked hard to forge an identity beyond those labels. I’ve practiced every waking moment of my life so that I could beat anyone who came my way.” I listen to Snow’s remarks without comment. She’s being so sincere that I couldn’t toss out a witty remark if I even had one. “If it’s an apology you want, I’ll apologize a thousand times over. You can do whatever you want to me. So please…” Snow raises her head and looks up at me before bowing deeply. “I beg you! Lend me your strength! I’ll do anything within my power! If it’s money you want, I’ll give you all that I have! You know how greedy I am! I have a lot of it piled up, especially if you add in my sword collection!” “Six, ignore her! It’s time to go. We need to use your remaining points to buy a ton of stun grenades and a motorcycle to escape on. We can’t waste resources helping them!” I’m almost convinced by Snow’s plea when Alice’s words snap me back to reality. “What am I supposed to do with money under these circumstances? And do you really understand what you’re saying when you say you’ll do anything? Leave me alone; I’m just a commoner! You made sure I wound up this way! It took you way too long to come crying to me! Just how stubborn are you?!” “Look at her! Snow’s debased herself for you, and you react this way?! I’ve truly lost any shred of respect I had for you!” Tillis shouts from my shoulder and starts struggling again. I ignore her and step forward, passing Snow as I make my way toward the stairs. Snow grabs my arm. “Not like this… I don’t want us all to go down without a real fight…” The disappointment, the anger—I know how all this feels. I can’t remember the number of times I lost to Heroes and their crazy-strong abilities. I’m not a mutant with awesome special abilities. My cybernetic enhancements are half-assed and outdated. I wanted to scream at her, tell her that she’s not the only one dealing with how unfair the world is. That she needed to accept it. Then I look at her face. In all the time that I’ve known Snow, she’s never, ever shown a shred of weakness to me. Yet now, as she gazes up at me, her eyes are filled with tears. “………Please……Commander.” She calls me “Commander” for the first time.