“Keh-heh-heh… What a sight!”
Overlooking the dock from atop a high-rise tower, Leonis laughed with glee. His skull mask’s eyes glinted crimson, and his dark mantle flapped in the wind.
Fourteen battleships with the Hyperion as their flagship. A great fleet organized for the Fourth Assault Garden recapture operation. And…
“Hm. So that’s my ship.”
Looking down at the naval port, he saw a large battleship docked in one of the wharfs. It was the Hyperion’s sister ship, Endymion, deployed from the Second Assault Garden to answer the Capital’s call for reinforcements.
Zol Vadis demanded the Hyperion as his price for his assistance, but since it required an Origin Spirit to operate, Alexios suggested he instead accept its sibling vessel, as it would be easier to operate.
Its specs are inferior to the Hyperion, but that’s acceptable.
Leonis always had wanted a cool battleship of his own, so he was giddy enough as it was.
Only a few members of the top brass were aware mankind had struck a deal with the Dark Lord Zol Vadis, or that Leonis would be boarding the Endymion. This was likely a wise decision—if news got out they had bargained with a Dark Lord, it could cause unrest and distrust within the army.
…But that said, I didn’t expect them to charge in with their main stronghold, Leonis thought, his eyes glaring at the horizon.
The Fourth Assault Garden’s changed state was no doubt the handiwork of the Void apostles. But for what purpose…?
Leonis looked up to the tear in the sky above them.
…The Voids can’t freely rip tears into space.
If they could create Void tears whenever and wherever they pleased, they’d have launched a surprise attack from the Void World and defeated mankind a long time ago.
And we know the Voids that appear in this world end up being sent back to the Void World after a certain period of time. To maintain their presence in this world, the Voids have to create Hives and hibernate in crystals. In all likelihood, they can only invade this world when the two worlds’ phases intersect…
And for Void Lords to invade this world, they would likely need bigger Void tears. If Leonis’s hypothesis was correct, the Fourth Assault Garden was a massive bridgehead for the Void apostles to invade this world.
—And using that foothold, they probably plan to have the Undead King destroy the capital.
Leonis then smiled invincibly.
…He sent the Divine Dragon of the Six Heroes here to test our army’s power.
And with him defeated, the Dark Lord himself will lead the army. After all, this was Leonis’s key strategy when engaging enemies in war.
…I can read your tactics like a book. Just you wait, I’ll pry what’s mine back from your bony hands yet.
“My lord…” Shary emerged from the shadow at his feet. “Lord Blackas has a report. He finished setting the Shadow Corridors within the vessel.”
“Mm. Understood.”
“…Hm, are you sure?” Shary asked reservedly.
“About what?”
“The Dark Lords’ Armies are not yet restored. Was revealing yourself to the humans now truly…”
“Oh, you mean that.” Leonis nodded. “So be it. I was thinking the time was right for me to make my public appearance anyway.”
The Undead King likely already sensed Leonis’s presence. So he wouldn’t send any more forces in advance, and would instead move in to invade his kingdom with a large group. And trying to hide his identity while fighting the Undead King would be too difficult, even for him.
What’s more, according to Alexios’s report, it was already becoming near-impossible to hide that some major power was involved in the recent battles.
“We may have been a touch too flashy in my previous battles.”
If it was just Leonis, he’d have been able to somehow hide his existence using barriers. But with so many witnessing Veira rampaging through the skies of the Central Garden and Rivaiz dispatching a Void Lord in the sea with powerful sorcery, things had reached a point where tricks and explanations no longer worked.
And finally, Leonis was able to use his other identity—to show himself to mankind as the Dark Lord of horror and destruction, Zol Vadis—while, on the other hand, living as a ten-year-old boy studying at Excalibur Academy.
By bringing Zol Vadis out to the spotlight, he’d draw everyone’s attention, allowing his other, more mundane identity to move in the shadows.
“So that was why you did it. Truly brilliant, my lord!” Shray said, impressed.
“Keh-heh-heh. My days sneaking and hiding in the shadows are at an end. It’s time mankind saw the true might of the Dark Lord!”
“All hail my lord!” Shary said, scattering some handmade confetti she produced from who-knows-where.
“Now then. It’s time I make my way there.”
Leonis flapped his mantle and changed back into his Academy uniform.
✦ ✦ ✦
—At Excalibur Academy in the Hræsvelgr Dorm.
“Lady Selia, I’m all ready on this side.”
“All right, I’ll be right there.”
The door to Riselia’s room opened, and Regina came in, carrying a knapsack. Riselia was just in the middle of stuffing her own knapsack for expedition missions, too.
“I can’t believe what happened to the Fourth Assault Garden…,” Riselia whispered as she checked on her terminal.
Excalibur Academy’s administrative bureau sent the eighteenth platoon an emergency summons one hour ago. It detailed how the Fourth Assault Garden, which was deployed in the second continent’s waters, sent a distress call before its signal was lost. A dozen or so hours later, it emerged from the reef area, having turned into a massive Void Hive, and began making way toward the capital. In response, the capital’s Senate decided to deploy a fleet at the first defensive line to destroy the Hive. Excalibur Academy decided to urge all its platoons to volunteer for the mission.
The mission their platoon was given was to help clean up Void presence within the Fourth Assault Garden, as well as search and rescue any survivors. Sakuya and Leonis were already contacted and were to link up with them in the military dock when they boarded the fleet.
“This happened right after Miss Finé was kidnapped. This can’t be a coincidence.”
“Yes…” Riselia nodded.
Count Deinfraude abducted Miss Finé for some horrible plan…
It seemed quite self-evident that the Phillets had a hand in this situation.
“There’s no mistaking it. Miss Finé is in the Fourth Assault Garden.” Riselia got up with her knapsack in hand. “Let’s go, Regina!”
“Yes, Lady Selia!”
“…Mama.”
But then, they heard a voice from behind them.
“Where are you going?”
They turned around, finding Schwertleite sitting in the corner of the room, her head cocked curiously.
“We need to go out for a bit. Watch the fort while we’re gone, OK?”
“Unacceptable order.” Schwertleite shook her head.
“Huh?”
“Defending the master is the directive given to me by master.”
“What directive…?” Riselia asked, confused.
“Why don’t we bring her along, Lady Selia? This girl is pretty useful, after all,” Regina whispered.
“Well, yes, but…” Riselia brought a hand to her jaw.
This inexplicable Magia Doll was, indeed, quite versatile and useful, and was a major help when they had raided the Phillet facility… But when it came to bringing her along for an official mission, Riselia had no idea how to explain her presence.
She could insist she was an anti-Void weapon, but she had never reported Schwertleite to the bureau, and bringing along an unregistered Magia Doll could bring upon unwelcome questioning.
“Listen, Leite, I have to keep you a secret.”
“—That is not an issue. I am capable of operating in stealth mode.”
“Huh?”
Schwertleite’s horns flickered and began outputting mana particles. Schwertleite’s contours then warped and distorted, and she became invisible.
“You can do that?!”
“All I did was use mana conversion to restructure the optical information around me,” she said, her head alone appearing in thin air.
“We should be fine with this,” Regina said, patting away at Schwertleite’s invisible body.
“I-I guess? All right; you can come along.”