Imperial Standard Time, 19:00.
After a simple dinner, the eighteenth platoon’s members gathered at a tactical meeting room.
“—I will now relay each platoon’s role in this mission.”
The eighteenth platoon’s instructor, Diglassê Alto, spoke up. Gathered in the room were the eleventh, eighteenth, and twenty-second platoon members. Riselia and the others all looked up at the instructor tensely.
“At present, the Fourth Assault Garden has lost all its city functions. This makes the primary objectives of this mission—namely, the rescue of civilians evacuated into shelters and seizing control of the city’s mana furnace—exceedingly difficult.”
The screen set on the wall displayed a map of the Fourth Assault Garden.
“As such, our first objective is to retake the control towers located in the Central Garden and restore the city’s functions.”
Six control towers were highlighted on the map. The three platoons under Diglassê were tasked with taking over three of them. Taking control of them would restore part of the city’s functions, opening the bulkheads in the underground tunnels connecting each area of the city. This would make evacuating the citizens go more smoothly.
“—However, bringing technical officers to the frontlines would be difficult, so instead each platoon will be given an Artificial Elemental with an emergency recovery program and a manual on how to use it. If you follow the manual, you’ll be able to restore the city functions to a minimal level.”
Diglassê gave each platoon captain a case with an information terminal inside it.
“After completing your initial objective, you’re to report in and then link up with Princess Chatres Ray O’ltriese’s unit and help them seize control of the mana furnace. But if you discover any survivors, you’re to help them and hand them over to the rescue team.”
Regina’s eyes widened a bit upon hearing Chatres’s name. The Third Princess, renowned for having the strongest Holy Sword in existence, would be fighting directly on the frontlines.
Diglassê swung her teacher’s pointer, and the image on the screen changed again. This time it displayed a large mass of crystals located under high-rise buildings. Seeing this made Riselia and the other members of the platoon tense up.
“As you can see, there are Void Hives set up all over the city. They will very likely hatch when we land. It’s also highly likely there are Hives set around and in the control towers that are your first objectives. If a Void that’s S-rank or above emerges, or you deem the situation too difficult to handle on a platoon level, ask surrounding units for help.
“—That concludes the briefing. May your Holy Swords light your way.”
✦ ✦ ✦
“—Erm, Miss Selia?”
On their way back to their cabin from the tactical headquarters, as they passed by an outdoors passage that offered a view of the raging sea, Leonis stopped Riselia.
“Yes, Leo?” She turned to look at him, holding down her argent hair as the sea breeze swept through it.
“I need to talk to you about something.” Leonis looked around to check no one was around and spoke with a hushed voice. “I won’t be participating in the Fourth Assault Garden recapture operation. I’ll be leaving this ship.”
“Huh…?” Riselia exclaimed in surprise.
Leonis grabbed the railing and looked out far into sea.
“There’s a powerful presence behind this situation. One mankind can’t hope to match.”
“You mean what Miss Finé said…?”
“…Yes. It was Deinfraude Phillet who abducted Miss Elfiné, but the ones who backed and empowered him were the rulers of the Voids.”
—Nefakess and the other Void Lords calling themselves apostles. As well as the Undead King Nefakess resurrected.
“I’m going to draw them out into the open and crush them.”
“Leo…” Riselia looked straight at Leonis, her breath held.
“So I may be occupied with that for a while.”
“…Am I a burden to you, Leo? Am I dragging you down?”
“Not at all.” Leonis shook his head. “I’m counting on you to save Miss Elfiné. I feel that, the way you are now, I can leave that important task in your hands. Besides, I’m only good at dealing death on my enemies, so if anyone’s the right person to save Miss Elfiné, it’d be you. That’s why she addressed that message to you.”
He turned to face Riselia.
“—That’s why I’m leaving this in your hands. You have to be the one to save her.”
Riselia’s eyes widened slightly with surprise.
“…Right. I understand. I’ll handle this.” She tapped her fist against her chest, smiling. “You be careful, too, Leo.”
“I will, I’ll be done before you—Whoa!”
Riselia suddenly pulled Leonis to a hug.
“M-Miss Selia…?”
“I know you’re really strong, Leo. But you need to understand… I’m worried about you.”
“I know…”
Staying atop the swaying ship, Leonis left his body in her arms for a few moments. When Riselia finally let go of him, she patted him gently on the head.
“When you come back, tell me more about yourself,” she said.
“…I will.” Leonis nodded.
…The time may be right for that, too, he thought to himself.
He saw Riselia off as she returned to her cabin and then turned to face the deck. Far in the distance, through the dark of night, he could see the large contours of the Endymion riding the waves.
“—Shary.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Shary appeared from his shadow, kneeling.
“Look after Riselia for me.”
“—As you wish, my lord.”
Leonis sank into the shadows cast by the ship’s lamp. At the same time, Shary’s form contorted, and she took on Leonis’s appearance.
✦ ✦ ✦
Leonis appeared in the Endymion’s bridge and settled into the commander’s seat.
“Lord Magnus,” Blackas greeted him, seated on the operator’s seat.
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting, Blackas. So what’s your impression of my ship?”
“It’s a splendid vessel worthy of being called yours, Lord Magnus.”
“Fully agreed. Shary doesn’t seem to understand its charm, but your tastes seem to match mine.” Leonis settled into his chair and crossed his arms, satisfied. “I do think its decorations are plain, however. Maybe we should put a carved skull on the bow?”
“No, that would be—”
“Why a skull? It’s so lame. Put on a dragon’s carving instead.”
“…What?”
Leonis turned around, finding that Veira and Rivaiz had just walked into the bridge.
“Hmm. This ship isn’t too bad, but it’s no match for my Leviathan,” Rivaiz mused.
“Don’t compare it to the largest, strongest sea creature…,” Leonis whispered bitterly.
“So. Will the Undead King actually show up?” Veira asked.
“Yes. Absolutely,” Leonis answered with an indomitable smile. “Now that we’ve been pushed back so much, this is our chance to charge in and crush them.”
“I’ll make them pay in blood for trying to take advantage of me. Dragons always repay their debts.” Embers rose from Veira’s crimson hair.
The apostles had once tried to transform her into a Void Lord, and she still held that grudge.
“If they keep targeting Dark Lords like us, our only option is to crush them. I don’t know where Azra-Ael went, but we’ll attend to him later,” Rivaiz the Lord of the Seas said arrogantly.
They were going to war with the Undead King, but never before have the forces siding with Leonis been this mighty.
“Why didn’t you invite the Lord of Beasts to come along? I’m sure a combat fanatic like him wouldn’t think twice about joining us.”
“Long ago, he was cursed by the Sea God. He can’t stand the ocean because of it.”
“Yes, I do remember saving him when he was drowning in the sea once…”
“Oh, so that’s what you meant by him owing you a debt. Interesting.”
Veira smiled viciously. In truth, back during Leonis’s hero days, he had a curse placed on him by the Sea God, too, that prevented him from swimming. But he knew better than to speak of it while Veira was in earshot.
Honestly, though, the Lord of Beasts being cursed helps me in this situation.
With the giant Void crack still lingering above the Seventh Assault Garden and the capital, there was no guarantee another Stampede wouldn’t break out, and it wasn’t out of the question that the Undead King might send two armies concurrently. And while he left the Three Champions of Rognas and the Septentrion maids behind to defend Excalibur Academy and the orphanage, he wasn’t confident everywhere else was as well-defended.
…But with the Lord of Beasts staying behind, we’ll be able to defend against any large-scale attacks.
Leonis then chuckled to himself. “The Dark Lords gathering to fight together like this feels like a recreation of the Dark Lord War.”
“But this time, we’re not fighting the Six Heroes, but the Undead King.”
Leonis used a Mystic Eye of Far Sight to peer into the distance—the Void City, the Fourth Assault Garden, was fast approaching.