Chapter 11:
A Real Narcissist
AFTER LEAVING CHRIS BEHIND, the rest of us continued forward, finding our way to the hallway that ran along the fortress’s inside wall. It felt like a convoluted detour.
Anxious, I finally asked Luxion, “Are you sure this is the right way?”
“Yes, though I admit that the interior design of this fortress is difficult to comprehend. It lacks simplicity and elegance.”
I couldn’t tell whether his judgment was genuine or borne of his hatred for new humanity. Either way, Arcadia’s confusingly complex interior was quite literally a labyrinth.
“Think it’s a countermeasure against intruders?”
“That is a possibility,” said Luxion. “But if they were resorting to such tactics, they could at least have focused on incorporating a more convenient design.” Not content to let that be the end of it, he continued, “It’s too inefficient. They obviously aren’t using all the space of the—Master!”
I leaped back instantly at his warning. A hole exploded through the wall where I’d stood, the result of an outside attack. Whoever had created it was obviously aiming for me. If Luxion hadn’t warned me, I would’ve been caught in the blast.
Imperial Armors flooded into the hall. They weren’t as powerful as Demonic Knights, but they had numbers on their side.
“There you are, intruders!”
“Hold up just a sec! Isn’t this your fortress? And you’re poking holes in it? Are you out of your mind?” I said mockingly.
“We can repair the wall as needed after we kill all of you!” one retorted.
Demonic Knights filed through the hole to join their comrades. They started to lunge toward me, but a red Armor blocked their path.
“You’d better not forget about us!” Greg shouted, thrusting his lance and impaling a foe right through the cockpit with pinpoint precision. It probably helped that Greg’s Armor had enhanced capabilities. Still, that kind of accuracy wouldn’t have been possible without a certain amount of weapon skill and piloting technique.
Sadly, even after we finished off the initial onslaught, it was far from the end.
Julius peered out the hole, observing the battlefield outside. “This spells trouble. A number of enemies are gathering to come in after us.”
Battleships had returned to the fortress out of concern over the sudden crisis, and a swath of monsters and enemy Armors were joining them.
“There are a lot of them out there,” continued Julius. “We can beat them, of course, but the process…”
Will take ages.
“Facing so many enemies would require substantial time and effort,” Luxion agreed.
It was tempting to ignore them and keep charging blindly ahead, but they’d just catch us from behind. And now that some had spotted us through the hole, they were on the move.
Brad shouldered past us and burst through the hole. The lances on his back reached wide, almost like wings. He’d thrust both arms out like a celebrity taking the stage to meet fans. “That means it’s my moment of glory,” he said. “My Armor is best suited to taking on multiple opponents, so the rest of you can continue ahead knowing I have your backs covered.”
Those lances were weapons he could control remotely, and since he had so many of them, they were perfect for engaging multiple opponents at once. Even knowing that, though, it was too dangerous to leave him here alone.
“Numbskull! You don’t seriously think we can ditch you here? Of all of us, you’re…” The weakest. I swallowed the words before they made it out of my mouth.
“I’m the weakest, right?” Brad finished for me. There was no anger or annoyance in his voice; he was easygoing about it. “I know that better than anyone, but I can help by staying here and buying you more time.”
“You’re really pulling the same idiotic move as Chris?”
“It pains me to look like I’m copying him,” Brad admitted, “but it wouldn’t be wise for us to waste more time here than needed. That’s why I’m going to stay. You have to make sure our mission succeeds, Leon. No matter what.”
First Chris, now Brad. Why’re these dummies so self-sacrificing? As much as I resented it, I was also grateful.
“I wish you guys could be half this badass all the time,” I grumbled at him. “Just make sure you don’t die out there.”
“Pfft,” Brad scoffed. “We were born badass. And you should at least encourage me to catch up later, even if you don’t think I can.”
Before we could entirely leave Brad behind, Luxion said, “I will have some drones stay to assist you. Use them as you like, Brad.”
Brad hesitated, shocked but also pleased. “I never expected you to show me any concern…but thank you.”
The drones in question followed him out of the fortress, positioning themselves around him to serve as support. While the rest of us started to pull ahead, Jilk stood frozen in his green Armor.
Julius paused, glancing back at him. “Jilk?”
“Leon. Your Highness. If we left Brad here by himself, I think we’d all be too worried, so I’m going to stay too.” Since they’d shared the same nursemaid, Jilk was almost permanently attached to Julius’s side. From a young age, he’d been raised to keep Julius safe. Despite that, he was volunteering to leave the prince and stay behind.
“If you think that’s what you need to do, you should do it,” Julius said. “Help Brad as much as you can.”
“I will,” Jilk promised. “We need to keep the enemy from spilling in through this hole.”
The rifle he carried was perfect for sniping imperial forces from a distance. He knelt at the hole, peering through his weapon’s scope. When his finger found the trigger, enemies outside began dropping like flies.
Over his shoulder, Jilk said, “Sorry to ask this, but please look after His Highness.”
“You’re seriously sticking me with that duty?” I teased back.
He chuckled. “Yes, I am.”
“Why are you guys treating me like a child?” Julius grumbled at the two of us. “Leon, let’s get moving. There’s no time to waste.”
“You guys’d better not die on me!” Greg hollered back at them.
They both laughed.
“Same to you,” said Brad.
“Be careful on the path ahead,” Jilk added.