“Ohh, my precious Lord Julius. I’ve missed you, darling. You’re such a cruel man, taking off without me,” she purrs. She’s dressed in nothing more than black-and-gold armor lingerie and a purple cape.
Beside her, Regulus swings his right arm to loosen the joint. “Hrm. Can my Fanged Wolf King Fists kill Julius?”
So the magic that blasted half the house away was Regulus’s doing. He gave his attack a cool name like Fanged Wolf King Fists, but all he did was apply basic wind magic to enhance the pressure and power of his punch.
I hear a sound behind me and look back just as Saint Aela and Prince Guido are climbing out of the rubble. Their clothes are covered in dust and dirt from the collapsed building, but they’re otherwise unharmed.
It seems Lylish protected the other three with her last ounce of strength. She’s lying unconscious on Saint Aela’s palm. Aela cradles her in both hands.
Lylish…
I won’t let Sereniel and Regulus get away with this! I raise my sharp gaze from the rubble to glare at the Grand Magi and gasp.
It’s only now that I’m looking around that I realize…my beloved Elle Village has been partially destroyed!
Regulus’s single attack wiped out not only the room we were in, but also half the mansion behind it, and shattered every single window of the buildings within a half-mile radius.
But who the hell cares about the buildings?! What matters most is—
“H-How are the villagers?!” I scream. Hot wind roars to life around me. My magic is starting to go out of control in tandem with my emotions.
Stop! I have to suppress my feelings and my magic! But I don’t see anyone around… I can’t stop worrying… I can’t suppress my emotions!
“Calm down, Elle. It’s all right. I entrusted the villagers to Laurent,” Julius soothes.
I jerk my head up and look at him. He slips his fingers into mine and squeezes my hand reassuringly. The burning heat radiating from me shuts off like a valve was turned.
“You left them with Laurent? Meaning they’re safe?”
Julius gives a big nod.
They are?! Now that I’m a little calmer, I don’t see any injured or unconscious villagers strewn about the half-destroyed village. Then that means everyone got away safely?!
“They should be safe for now. We need to focus on what to do about these pests first. And we also need to eliminate the Gaean pretending to be a saint,” Julius whispers next to my ear.
The Gaean pretending to be a saint? That’s Aela, right?
“Wh-Why won’t you listen?! Aela isn’t…” I pause in the middle of defending her, because her group does seem suspicious.
Are they linked to the Demon Lord? The manga never covered that.
But, wait, I haven’t read the last volume… Was a traitor uncovered in the final volume? Or are there people acting out of character just like I am not like manga Elle?
I turn around and take a good look at Aela’s group. Aela is desperately casting recovery spells on Lylish, but they aren’t having any effect. It’s probably too late for her…
Even so, Saint Aela casts spell after spell through her sobs while Prince Guido watches over her, grieved. And then there’s Golem, who’s keeping a careful eye on us and Sereniel. He looks prepared to sacrifice himself to protect the other two should the need arise.
From what I can observe of these three, they are the mirror images of their manga counterparts—there’s nothing suspicious about them. They are strong, kind people who reject evil and believe in justice. I just can’t see them as the bad guys…
“Julius…Aela isn’t evil. If defeating the Demon Lord is your goal, then you will absolutely need her.”
“But…,” he mutters, a pensive look on his face.
I leave him to his thoughts and face Aela. “You three should run away. Staying here will only get you killed!”
“But Lylish is—”
“Lylish won’t be able to rest in peace if you die!” I tell her. Her face crumbles.
“…Aela, we have to go,” Prince Guido says in hushed tones. Aela stands in silence. Strong determination to live on replaces her tears.
That’s the Aela I know. She won’t give up no matter the obstacle that gets in her way. She has the power to stand up after she’s been knocked down and push forward.
“Sorry… And thank you. I’ll return the favor someday,” Prince Guido vows.
I nod without a word. And then I hear the pitter-patter of feet hitting the ground running.
I’m so glad they ran away. Because Saint Aela is an absolute necessity. Saint Aela is the one who will end the Demon Lord’s reign.
“Elle…you are too soft,” Julius sighs in exasperation, although he overlooks their escape. He could stop them if he wanted to.
“I’m not as soft as you might think… Besides, we lack the luxury of dealing with Saint Aela anymore,” I say, returning my gaze to Sereniel.
We’ve got bigger fish to fry. Because whoever is responsible for bringing them doesn’t change the fact that two of the Four Grand Magi are here and waiting for our next move. Trying to take on Saint Aela with them present would put even the strongest Grand Magi at a disadvantage.
Most of all, I can’t forgive them for destroying my precious Elle Village! Everyone should be safe if Julius is right, but the buildings are toppled, and when I take a good look around, ice has spread everywhere. What did they have to gain from freezing over Elle Village?! The monsters!
Er…wait, is my magic responsible for freezing the village? I d-don’t have time to overthink things right now! This is all Sereniel and Regulus’s fault! Yeah! I won’t let them get away with it!
I glare at Sereniel and her coy smile.
“Hm-mm? I was watching to see what you would do, but I didn’t think it’d be that. Are you attached to those Gaeans, Elle? You’re as strange as they come,” Sereniel says with a chuckle.
“Shut up! Zip your trap, you old bat! You show off too much skin for your age! It’s been bothering me since the day we met, so dress more age appropriate, would ya?!” I nag, crossing my arms.
“What?” Sereniel utters, looking like she didn’t understand what I said at first. Red rapidly rushes to her cheeks. “Wh-Wh-Wh-Wha-What did you just call me?! An old bat?! You just crossed the line, Elle!” she screeches like a messenger from hell.
Her polished composure slides off her face as she looks at me, crimson with rage. Her face says it all: “I despise the young.”
Oh my, how scary. Maybe I went a bit too far goading her…
I hide behind Julius to escape from Sereniel’s high-voltage anger.
“Whoa, hold your horses there, Sereniel. Please don’t tear Elle apart in your rage, okay? We have to return with her heart in perfect shape,” says the glasses-wearing weakling hiding in Regulus’s and Sereniel’s shadows, sounding exasperated.
Er, did I just hear him say something super disturbing about my heart? Moreover, who the heck is that? I kinda recognize him from somewhere…but where? Since he’s working with Sereniel and Regulus, is he a new Grand Magi? If he’s my successor, then he might be someone from the Centers for Magic Research. Maybe that’s why I recognize him.
But the majority of people working there throw themselves into whatever research the Demon Lord orders them to do and rarely ever interact with the other researchers.
“I know my orders! I’ll make sure to bring Elle back alive! I don’t want to hear another peep out of you, Clark! You’re such an arrogant prick for a new guy!”
“So you say, but I’m mostly in agreement with what Elle said. You show off too much skin, Sereniel. According to the data I’ve collected, walking around in Gaea in that getup will have you mistaken for a nymphomaniac or a slut.”
“HUH?! Clark, I’d shut that arrogant trap of yours before I sew it shut with magic! Oho, I get it now! You only have the hots for younger women! Every foolish male who doesn’t understand my mature beauty can drop dead!”
“Did you hear a word I said? It’s a matter of integrity, not youth,” Glasses Man stresses.
Sereniel looks like a demon ready to bite his head off.
Scary.
Wait, Sereniel just called Glasses there Clark. I’ve heard that name before. But where? Mm…was it a long time ago…or recently?
I’ve got it…!
That’s right! Clark’s one of those! A character I saw in the manga! Saint Aela’s enemy who shows up in the last half of the series. He’s the new villain who pops up on the Demon Lord’s side after Saint Aela defeats three of the Grand Magi and Julius switches sides, drastically decreasing Analia’s firepower. Mad scientist Clark!