✦ ✦ ✦
Cries of admiration surged forth from all directions. Her back to the voices, she started walking. There was guilt—but there was embarrassment too.
Ever since I went to stop Mimori Touka and Kirihara Takuto from fighting… Thinking about the path I’ve taken to get back on my feet. I don’t deserve their praise.
But…
Just then, Ayaka stopped thinking.
Her eyes saw something that she was looking for as she raced across the battlefield atop her mount.
“Found you.”
The eucharists were closely packed together in a certain area of the horde, forming a circle of protection.
There’s likely a human giving orders to these monsters at the center of that knot.
From the center of the horde, she heard a flustered voice.
“A-Ayaka Sogou has come after all! Gah! Come now, eucharists! Protect me! Buy us more time! Retreat!”
Ayaka easily swept the eucharists away and found the group of humans inside, riding on the backs of centaur eucharists and wearing noble-looking armor.
They’re the ones controlling these creatures—nobles of Alion who sided with the Goddess.
Picking up speed with her mount, Ayaka closed in. A female noble appeared to be the highest in station, but she fell into complete panic the moment she turned and saw Ayaka.
“Gyaaah! She’s here! The mooonster—! G-guh?!”
Ayaka paid her no heed, knocking the woman on the head with a blunted flying weapon before doing the same to all the other knights that were guarding her. She killed the centaur eucharists for good measure.
I think the humans are all unconscious, knocked from their…horses. I suppose if the Goddess Vicius is in Eno, then she can’t give precise orders to eucharists here in the field. Perhaps that’s why she sent these nobles to serve as their commanders. Neutralizing them will disrupt the enemy ranks and weaken them, but they are protected by a thick wall of eucharists… Taking them out is my job.
Ayaka lifted the unconscious female commander and had her silver knights load up the woman’s guards. She went back to her allies for a moment.
“We may be able to get some intel from them. Please take care of them for me,” she said, leaving them with a group of allied soldiers before returning to the front lines. She rode with her silver knights at her back, weapons floating by her side as she sped across the battlefield.
Humans are more difficult than monsters.
Another giant eucharist came into view.
How did the Goddess even make that giant set of full-plate armor that it’s wearing? That is preventing our archers and magical attack units from doing any real damage to it.
The giant monster was throwing iron balls down on their army, scattering the projectiles that were about the size of soccer balls. Ayaka transformed her floating weapons into a shield and did her best to protect her allies from the attack. As she deployed the shield, she transformed the weapon in her hands into a morning star, then urged her silver steed on faster. She swung the spiked iron ball at the end of the chain.
Whoosh… Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
The force of her swing grew stronger as stronger as she approached the fully armored giant. It began to throw a torrential rain of iron balls upon her. She knocked all of them aside with her floating weapons.
“…!”
The fully armored giant almost looked surprised.
Whumph!
The sound of the morning star slicing through the air grew louder, as it swelled in size and the chain grew long enough to combat the giant fully armored eucharist. With a great clang of metal on metal, Ayaka burst the giant eucharist open, armor and all. Wings sprouted from the creature’s eyes, and a white rain began to fall. Ayaka passed underneath the monster, racing for the human commander and riding down a fearsome mid-sized eucharist in the process. Her silver knights moved in to support her allies.
I have to protect them. Take down the enemies that might threaten them. That is what I’m here to do.
The voices of appreciation from behind her grew stronger still.
“We can’t let her take all the glory! Follow the hero Ayakaaa!”
“Graaah!”
My power can be of use to others. I can save them. I can inspire them… Just like I am now.
Back when I first came to this world, summoned as one of its heroes, it made me think about what a hero really was. I just didn’t like something about the way it sounded. It had a ring to it, like we were being forced to be heroic. A magic word to seal off our escape. That’s how I used to feel…but not anymore.
“You have the courage to blame yourself. I believe that is precisely what it takes to be a hero.” That’s what Cattlea said to me.
No… I don’t think that’s me. But just for now, I want to be the hero that everyone wants me to be. I want this, right now. At least until this battle is over.