The longer she stalls us, the better things are for her… Or maybe there’s something specifically about the capital that makes it an advantageous place for a siege.
I turned to Lis’s familiar.
“You’ve really helped us, Lis. If possible I’d like you to check on a few more things, but…are you feeling all right?”
The crow nodded. Switching between familiars too often wasn’t recommended—Erika had mentioned that attuning your consciousness to a new creature, then tearing it away, could be an exhausting process.
I can’t push Lis too hard and have her collapse on me—and on a personal level, I don’t want to tire her out. I know I might be a little soft on Lis and Nyaki, but I just don’t want them to exert themselves too hard. They’re like me, after all—Mimori Toukas who have the chance to grow up right, without needing to lie to themselves every day about who they really are. I’ve got to protect them. I really do. It’s like an instinct on my part.
“I’m grateful we’ve got a Lord of the Flies Brigade veteran helping us out, but you make sure to rest when you need to, okay? Got that, Lis?”
It might have just been my imagination—but for a moment, I thought I saw the crow smile. The bird indicated yes with its wing.
“All right, then.”
So far so good…
“Lokiella.”
“Yes?”
“You know more about this divine stuff than any of us. Vicius is choosing to stay in the capital… Could you try and think why? I’ve got my own suspicions, but I want a second opinion to shore them up.”
“Okay.”
“As for us…” I turned to Seras and the Wildly Beautiful Emperor. “Let’s mop up this eucharist army.”
Vicius is trying to buy time. I can’t be certain, but that’s where the evidence points. We need to press on as fast as we can.
I looked out over the battlefield. The giant eucharist was drawing closer.
It’s still far from our position, but it’ll crash into our front lines soon enough. We should always try and expect the unexpected…but I shouldn’t overthink things so much that I can’t act. All I can do is prepare for various scenarios and adapt on the fly to what happens out there.
“Get a message to Sogou Ayaka,” I said to one of Cattlea’s Holy Knights.
I spoke briefly with the Wildly Beautiful Emperor and sent out a few additional orders. I also got extra information from Lis.
“I’ll switch out with Sogou at some point. We’re making our move.”
Sogou Ayaka
SOGOU AYAKA adjusted her hair band—a replacement for her old circlet, now broken. A message from Mimori Touka had just arrived via a young girl named Nyaki, who rode with Nyantan. Ayaka’s orders were to ride out. She picked up her spear. The sky was clear and blue above her.
“Sogou-san,” said Suou Kayako.
“I’m leaving, Suou-san.”
“Ah…”
“Look after everyone for me.”
Suou Kayako, Murota Erii, and Nihei Yukitaka were all still on standby with the groups of heroes that they led. Sogou Ayaka would be riding out alone. She expected that Touka foresaw the issue with sending them all to the front lines together—that fighting while worrying for the safety of her classmates would dull Ayaka’s abilities in combat.
“…Leave it to me, Sogou-san.”
“Suou-san, once again…”
“Yes?”
“Thank you so much for joining my group. You’ve been so much help… Thank you.”
“You’ve helped me too,” replied Kayako, folding her arms over her chest. She paused for moment, like she was gathering strength to say her next few words. “I…I joined because it was you, Sogou-san.”
It was a strange way of putting it, but Ayaka understood what Kayako was trying to say.
Suou Kayako… She truly cares for me.
Kayako sighed, trying to calm her emotions. “This is all I can do right now.”
Ayaka smiled, laughing a little.
“It’s okay. You guys are the only reason I’m as strong as I am.”
I’ve caused so many problems for everyone…but I’m still their class representative. I’m not shameless enough to say that out loud, though.
“Suou-san.” Ayaka thrust her fist out toward Suou. “Let’s go home—back to the world where we belong.”
Kayako blushed a little, then put her own hand forward to bump fists with Ayaka. The corners of her mouth softened into a rare smile.
“I thought it was only boys that did fist bumps.”
“R-really?”
“No… It suits you.”
“Eh?”
“You’re wonderful, Sogou-san—much more than any boy I know.”
Ayaka rode her mount toward the northern flank. She eventually came upon the Queen of Neah, Cattlea—who was in command there.
“Cattlea-san.”
“You’ve come then, Ayaka Sogou,” Cattlea said, turning her eyes back to the front lines some distance away, where the giant eucharist was approaching. “To be frank with you, I do not know if our army here on the northern flank can face down that giant. Even if we could defeat it, we would wear ourselves down in the process, and we might lose our strength to combat the remaining eucharists horde on the field. It would be very helpful if you could take care of that monster for us.”
“Leave it to me. If possible, I would like you to capt—to take care of the Alionese nobles who are giving these eucharists their orders,” replied Ayaka.
She had almost said “capture,” but she corrected herself, recalling Touka’s orders.
“Whether they are killed or not is up to you.”
Capturing them alive could allow us to interrogate them for information…but if killing them would greatly weaken this eucharist army, then that is what we should do. Weakening the eucharists will limit the casualties we suffer and prevent the deaths of our allies. She has entrusted me with the scales of life.