Diablo crossed the Cloth Gate. Fighting had already broken out where he emerged. There was rain pelting down, making the ground quite slippery. But then again, everyone present was a high enough level to not be hindered by it.
A large number of small, Human-sized, Magimatic Sol-like units were lined up there. The former corps commander Aira told them these things were called Magi Guards.
“Aaaah, aaah, aaaaaah!” Alan howled as he swung his sword about.
The Magi Guards were by no means weak opponents, but despite this, he swept through them like they were made of twigs, each swing decreasing the number of surrounding Magi Guards. Even in the poor visibility of the heavy rain, he didn’t need to wipe his eyes. It definitely looked like he was swinging randomly, but each blow hit its mark.
He was, without a doubt, a high-level warrior. He wasn’t all talk; he certainly had the strength to match his boasts.
The Elf warrior clad in black, Thanatos, swung his black longsword as if refusing to lose to his comrade. He seemed to be having a bit of a harder time, though.
“Haaa! Demon Buster Breaker! Sacred Drag Slave! Aaaaaaah!”
The Demon magi gunner girl standing behind them raised her voice.
“Stop shouting your stupidly long attack names! Just cut them down! They’re mooks, dammit!”
“Silence! Women have no say in matters of manliness!”
“Mocking women again, are you?! I’m telling Lady Noah!”
“Ngh?! Daisy!”
Right, her name was Daisy. Diablo hadn’t memorized their names yet.
Thanatos thrust his black sword toward Daisy...and stabbed a Magi Guard that had snuck up behind her. After letting out an adorable yelp, she awkwardly spoke, “...Th-Thanks.”
“Tch... I cannot believe myself,” Thanatos clicked his tongue bitterly. “I defeated it before I could declare my attack’s name.”
“If you can do it once, do it all the time!” Daisy exclaimed.
“I shan’t do it again, not unless I must protect my comrades.”
Thanatos then turned around sharply and charged at another enemy, shouting out yet another flamboyant attack name.
“Geez,” Daisy pouted and aimed her gun at another Magi Guard.
Watching them bicker, Diablo felt an odd, burning sensation smolder in his stomach.
“...Kuh.”
—Look at them, flirting in the middle of an important battle.
Diablo hated nothing more than having to talk to other people, especially young women. This wasn’t really the reason he felt this way... Honestly, it was definitely not the reason, but...seeing couples flirt on the battlefield filled him with the urge to murder.
But this wasn’t jealousy! For sure! Honest!
—Bringing romance into battle is just unforgivable! The battlefield is a sacred place! For sure!
Probably...
“Tch. We need to defeat the Emperor, but...will I need to defeat those normies first?” Diablo muttered to himself.
“What in the world are you talking about?” Noah asked, cutting into his dark monologue.
She was listening to him, apparently.
“Hmph. It looks like you can manage just fine without me,” Diablo said.
“I honestly hope that’s the case,” Noah said with a frown.
“Magi Guards are just lookouts,” Aira said, shaking her head as she stood beside Noah. “It’d be for the best if we could infiltrate the castle before the main force shows up, but— Ah!”
Suddenly, Aira gasped. Sensing an approaching enemy, Diablo glared in that direction. A golden Magimatic Sol approached them... 《Goldinus of the Gold》.
As an eerie cackling rang out from within the massive Magimatic Sol, it approached them as if gliding over the ground. Diablo thrust out his staff to intercept the enemy who ground to a halt in front of him. Its metallic legs dug into the castle’s outer walls with a cacophonous metallic screeching. A voice issued from what looked like a megaphone on its headpiece.
“I didn’t think you’d really come! Trying to charge into the Magimatic Castle Viovix... How foolish can you be?!”
“That voice... It really is you, Alicia,” Diablo said.
The Magimatic Sol seemed to stir at the sound of his words.
“You are...”
After a long moment of hesitation, Goldinus of the Gold’s hatch opened with a creaking sound. Inside it was Alicia, enveloped in what looked like tentacles, her body clad in a rubbery suit. She leaned her torso outward.
“...You really did come here, Lord Diablo,” she said.
“Hmph... It seems you haven’t forgotten who I am,” Diablo replied.
“Of course I haven’t. I have sworn my life to serve you, after all.”
Diablo was honestly relieved. If Alicia would have attacked in a mad, bloodthirsty rage, Diablo wasn’t sure what he’d do. Assuming she’d turned on them, defeating her without mercy would have been the correct thing to do. But she’d helped him and his friends more than once, and he did feel pressed to save her if she was dominated by enslavement magic or something of the sort.
When Shera was brainwashed by her brother Keera, Diablo saved her. And while she did do so out of self-interest at the time, Alicia did help him do it.
“Please pass right through, Lord Diablo,” Alicia said, beaming at him.
“Mm?” Diablo’s brows furrowed suspiciously.
“As an extra, I shall also let Lady Klem pass too,” Alicia added.
“An extra! How nice!” Klem raised her hands in a cheer.
It wasn’t an extra like when someone gave her an extra candy, though, so her joy was misdirected. Edelgard’s expression was anxious.
“...Meaning you won’t let the rest of us pass, right?” Noah said with a smirk.
✦ ✦ ✦
