The group resumed eating their snacks, chatting cheerfully all the while. But soon enough, the sound of running footsteps from outside gradually drowned out their chatter. Someone was clearly panicking. Naturally, everyone inside the room had an inkling of what was going on.
“I would’ve liked to snack a little more,” Reiji grumbled.
“Battle won’t wait,” Elliot said. “Christa, hold out a bit longer.”
“Y-Yesh! Understood!” the priestess responded in a fluster, surprised at being suddenly addressed when her cheeks were stuffed with cake.
Meanwhile, the others were filled with anger.
“Demons really... can’t be forgiven,” Liliana muttered. “We can’t even... sue them for it.”
“To think I won’t have the time to slowly savor the cake the White Flame bought for me...” Titania said.
And just as expected, the door opened shortly after.
“I bring news!” the newcomer announced.
“The demons have moved, yes?” Titania guessed.
“Huh? Yes! Exactly! What’s more, they’re inside the capital...”
“Inside?! We defeated all of them earlier!” Graziella shouted.
Everyone turned to Suimei for confirmation.
“That was definitely all of them,” he said. “I searched every nook and cranny after that. None were left.”
“Meaning more infiltrated afterward,” Lefille concluded.
“Yes,” the castle official responded in agreement. “In all likelihood, they infiltrated in a small group of select elite members. The one who called herself a demon general at the onset of the battle is among them!”
“What?” Titania muttered.
“Seriously? The supreme commander herself has taken the field?” Suimei said incredulously. “Are they messing with us?”
“What about the demon army?” Lefille asked.
“They’ve shown no signs of movement,” the castle official answered.
“I see. Then we must keep them in mind too.”
But that still meant the large demon army had yet to advance on the capital. This kind of infiltration strategy usually involved an all-out assault, so what were they thinking?
“His Majesty is already headed for the operation room,” the castle official said.
Titania shook her head. “No, we’ll head out immediately. The demons inside the capital need to be dealt with as soon as possible. How is the battle going?”
“Fighting has broken out in four locations,” he answered. “The central street, the northern gate, and the northeast and western outskirts. The northeast houses the armory, and the west is near the food stores...”
“The food stores will need immediate help,” Titania commented. “So? Where is the demon general?”
“She is on the central street and hasn’t moved at all.”
“Hmm, so she’s waiting,” Elliot said. “For me and Reiji, that is.”
The heroes were the demons’ sworn enemies. It only made sense for the demon general to await their arrival. If she’d come herself, it meant she intended to settle things one way or another.
Reiji, who’d kept quiet this entire time, suddenly spoke up.
“I want you to leave that demon general to me.”
“Do you have a grudge or something?” Elliot asked.
“Not really. I was the first to cross blades with her. I was just thinking I should be the one to do it.”
“Hmm... Well, not that I mind.”
“Okay, guess I’ll tag along for that too,” Suimei said, but Reiji shook his head.
“No. Suimei, you take care of the other spots.”
“Oh come on. She’s a pretty powerful enemy, yeah? Won’t it be better to have me around?”
“I’ll be fine. I can fight a lot better than before. This time, I’ll defeat her.”
“But still...”
“I’ve gotten stronger too,” Reiji insisted.
“So you say, but will you really be okay?” Suimei said. “You’re pretty exhausted from today’s fighting, yeah?”
“I’ve rested and recovered a fair bit. I’m in perfect condition.”
Reiji obstinately refused to budge on this matter. He spoke with confidence, his complexion hearty and body practically overflowing with power.
“Suimei, how ’bout leaving it to Shana-san?”
“Hatsumi?”
“I understand wanting to be independent,” she said. “It sucks to rely on someone else for everything, right?”
In the end, everyone had their pride, and it could be detrimental to fight while expecting someone else to come to the rescue.
“Got it,” Suimei conceded with a sigh. “I’ll take care of the other spots. Oh yeah. Mary! Wake up! It’s time for work!”
Using communication magicka, he urged Hydemary to put an end to her nap. After that, everyone split into groups and left the castle.
I have to be the one to settle things with the demon general.
Heading toward the central street, Reiji was spurred on by his sense of responsibility. He’d encountered Moolah twice now. The first time, she’d trifled with him before leaving. The second time, she hadn’t even fought him before turning her back. He never thought he’d suffer such a disgrace not just once but two times.
She didn’t even consider Reiji worthy of attention, seeing him as nothing more than a pebble on the roadside. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be out there waiting for the “heroes” to show up. She could simply launch an all-out offensive whenever she wanted. The fact that she didn’t see her enemies as a real threat meant that she didn’t see Reiji for who he was, but simply as a hero.
He’d gotten stronger. Over the battles he’d experienced to date, he was supposed to have obtained more power. And yet, still, he wasn’t even worth noticing? He wasn’t considered a threat? And it wasn’t just Moolah either. The others were worried about him too.
But the same doesn’t go for him.
Everyone relies on him.
Why can’t others look at me like they do at him?
I’ve been trying hard too. I’ve been fighting. So why won’t they believe in me?
“...sama.”
Why?
“Reiji-sama!”
“Huh? Ah... Tia, did something happen?” Reiji responded somewhat belatedly to Titania’s call.
“No, nothing has happened yet,” she said, turning an anxious look his way. “Is something the matter? I called your name several times, but you didn’t answer.”
Reiji shook his head lightly. “It’s nothing. Just thinking.”
He’d been more absorbed in himself than he’d thought. This was happening a lot more lately, more than ever before. Was the Sacrament’s influence simply that strong?
“If you pay too much heed to it, it’ll corrupt you.”
He suddenly recalled what Suimei had told him in the bath. Was he corrupted already? No, that couldn’t be. Reiji was Reiji. He was maintaining his sense of self just fine. If not, he wouldn’t even be thinking such things. He wouldn’t be able to reflect on his behavior at all.
Reiji continued to convince himself with such thoughts as he and the others hurried toward the demon general. After passing through the second walls of the city and proceeding down the central street, they immediately found a group of demons.
The demons were set up in the middle of the road and weren’t making the slightest move. It was as if this spot in the middle of their enemy’s capital were their own stronghold. Reiji had the soldiers who’d been staring them down fall back, then weaponized the Ishar Cluster.
“Moolah!” he yelled. “You’re there, aren’t you?! Come out!”
However, his call received no answer. Was she refusing to show herself to the end? Reiji launched a crystal attack on the demons while preoccupied by his thoughts.
“She’s not here...?”
The barrage of crystals didn’t unveil the demon general. According to the reports, she’d been standing here waiting for someone. And yet, she wasn’t here. What was going on?
“Again, I’m being...”
She was ignoring him. Reiji clenched his sword in anger, the hilt creaking under his grip. And just as he considered turning his wrath upon the other demons, the ground trembled. As if summoned by this, Reiji sensed a nauseating presence charging in behind him.
While Reiji’s group was headed to the central street, Hatsumi and Hydemary quickly made their way to the north gate; Elliot, Christa, and Liliana rushed toward the armory to the northeast; and upon leaving the castle, Suimei hurried over to the storehouse to the west with Felmenia and Lefille.
Suimei’s group was currently moving along the rooftops under the cover of night. He and Felmenia were using magicka to fly, while Lefille used the Red Gale to make great leaps and bounds. This was Suimei’s first evening flight in a long time. He searched the area, and that was when he noticed the presence of the Evil God’s power on the move.