“I won’t let you pass!”
One of Eshantel’s horsemen was charging toward Al and Feena with his katana drawn. Al couldn’t see the attacker’s face behind their helmet, but he recalled that the voice belonged to Kanemitsu.
“Sorry, but we’re in a hurry! We will get through!”
Al took his scythe from his back, ready for a fight.
“You will try!”
Kanemitsu charged in head first, let go of the bridle, and attacked with both hands gripping the katana.
“Rahhhh!”
“Arghhh!”
A moment after the two horses passed each other...
“Begone!”
Crrrrk!
Kanemitsu froze after he was hit by Feena’s spell.
“I mean, thanks, but... I wanted to show off...” Al sulked as he passed the warrior who was quite literally frozen in place.
“We don’t have time. Hurry!” Feena exclaimed.
“Sorry! I promise we’ll melt you later!” Al apologized as he rode off into the distance.
“Incredible...” Al babbled as he watched the battle between the two Divas.
“Haaaaaa!”
Sharon swung her sword sideways from behind the curtain of dust.
“Arghhhh!”
Kanon fended off her attack with an overhead swing. If Sharon was a raging tornado, then Kanon was a lightning strike fearlessly blasting through it. Basically, they both amounted to a disaster for normal people.
As Al dismounted, he lamented over their last clash. “Now, how do we stop this...? Huh? Feena?!”
Meanwhile, Feena was already off her horse and on her way to the center of the commotion.
“Kanon! I’m here! Listen to me!” she shouted, but her voice couldn’t conquer the wild clashing of swords.
“Ugh... Listen to me!”
They were too caught up in the fight to hear her, so she looked up at the sky and started murmuring something.
“Feena, you can’t! Stoppp!”
She disregarded Al’s pleas and continued the chant.
“Crap! Come on!”
He tried to rush in and cover her mouth, but...
“Meteor Fall!”
He was too late. Al looked at the bright flash lighting up the sky, despair spreading over his face.
The flash expanded, and a moment later, a meteor the size of a small house appeared out of nowhere, along with an ominous rumbling sound.
“This might be a bit too much...”
“‘MIGHT’?! What, you want to blow up the whole country now?!”
Feena calmly turned to face the fuming Al.
“Don’t worry, they see it coming.”
“So what?! That won’t make it disappear!”
He looked at the warring Divas.
“What now?! We were getting warmed up!”
At last, Sharon looked up at the falling mountain. There was a cheeky glint in her eyes...
“Hah! Get this pebble out of here!”
You’ve gotta be kidding me...
Sharon angled her body, positioning herself in the direction of the meteor.
“I want to get back to our brawl, so do you mind if I help?”
Kanon joined her as well. He sheathed his sword and got ready to strike.
“Hmph. Do whatever you want.” she said apathetically, but her eyes were twinkling with excitement.
After a quick nod, they focused on the meteor above them. A moment later...
“Haaaaaa!”
Sharon split the meteor right down the middle with a single horizontal strike.
“Arghhhhh!”
Kanon struck down on the split meteor with a lightning-fast slash. The meteor was reduced to mere pebbles, which rained down on the dry ground as the sun once again shone down upon them in all its glory.
“Not bad at all!”
“You’re pretty good yourself!”
Looking at the result of their effortless victory, they both shared a small chuckle. They had been at each other’s throats just moments before, but they were acting like old friends.
“Hmph! Teaming up is cheating! But that’s okay, I’ll just make a bigger one!”
“Do not! All we wanted was to make them stop this madness, not to introduce a third opponent!”
Sharon finally seemed to become aware of Al’s presence...
“Oh, Al, you’re back? Sorry, I didn’t realize. You should try speaking up next time or something.”
And she immediately broke his heart.
“Feena! Sorry I couldn’t keep our promise...”
“It’s okay. I made it in time.”
“Ah, and the peon! Did you get a haircut?”
“A haircut?! It’s my mustache that’s missing!”
Are you saying I’d have been fine even without that stupid mustache?! Plus, what’s with this calm reunion? Shouldn’t we be fighting?!
“Pffft... ‘Peon...’ That’s rich. Can I call you that too?”
I’ll have to have a serious talk with her once this whole thing’s over.
While staring at Sharon, Kanon’s eyes popped wide open.
“Oh, Sharon, you know Alfonz?”
Al was still confused as to why those two were acting like old acquaintances, but unraveling that mystery would have to wait. Kanon’s question was really bad news, as Sharon had no idea about their plans.
“Hm? Who’s Alfonz? He’s—”
“L-Lady Sharon, what a coincidence! I have humbly come to—”
“What’s with that humble nonsense?! You’re Althos’s king, so talk like it! Y’know, like a king!”
Their cover went up in crimson flames.
“He’s Althos’s... king?”
“Duh! He’s Alnoa, the king of Althos! What, you didn’t know?”
Sharon was laughing heartily despite Kanon’s foreboding words and Al’s colorless face.
Yeah, we’re definitely having a talk.
Even before Al could direct his scornful gaze at Sharon...
“King of Althos... Demon King... Prepare to die!”
Kanon’s bloodlust spread throughout the field.
“I can feel it, Al. He’s under a spell.”
Completely ignoring Feena, Kanon charged at Al. “Rahhhhh!”
“So fast!”
He was sent flying without any time to draw his scythe.
“Ah! Al!”
Al only realized what had transpired a moment later. The blade had hit him from the side with so much force that his clothes were in tatters.
“I’m fine! Divas can’t— Ah!”
A small dagger fell from his tattered clothes.
“Is that...”
Kanon recognized the dagger the instant he saw it.
“This is Toshisaka’s... Did you... Did you kill him?! Did you kill Toshisaka?!”
“No! With his last ounce of strength, he gave it to me and asked me to return it to you!”
“Don’t lie to me, you heartless Demon King bastard!”
The hatred seeping through every pore in his body was practically visible. Despite being completely unaware of the circumstances, Sharon reflexively jumped in front of Al.
“What are you thinking?! You may be strong, but I’m much stronger! You want to fight me alongside Feena, who’s also a Diva and, umm... Al, who I guess is useful every once in a blue moon?!”
I swear, I’m not gonna let her hear the end of this!
Al vowed to set things straight with her once they’d finished their mission. That being said, she wasn’t wrong. The three of them should have been able to triumph effortlessly... at least on paper, however Kanon’s bloodlust hadn’t waned one bit; on the contrary, it had gotten even thicker.
And then...
“I’m sorry, Toshisaka... I-I’ll... I’ll slaughter every single citizen of Althos to avenge you!”
Kanon was holding a dark-green crystal.
“Wait, is that...?”
It looked like the crystal that had turned Jamka into an abomination.
“I promise! I will slaughter everyone!”
“Kanon, stop!”
Not even Feena’s voice could pierce Kanon’s rage.
“O almighty Valkyrie dormant within me! Accept this humble body as a sacrifice and smite thy enemy, the heinous Demon King!”
Kanon slammed the crystal against the breastplate of his armor. But the crystal didn’t shatter. Instead, it passed through his armor without any resistance...
“Grrrgh! Gwaaaaaah!”
As Kanon kneeled down, the crystal was absorbed into his body. Feena leered at the pain-ridden Kanon with hints of tears flickering in the corner of her eyes, while Sharon went on the defensive.
“Ahhh... Gahhh... Fwaahhh!”
Then, he stood up as if nothing had happened. He hadn’t transformed like Jamka, but his arms were dangling at his sides. His lifeless eyes twinkled from deep within his helmet, and a strange magical energy covered his body.
“Kanon... What have you done...?”
Kanon’s hand ever so slightly flinched at the blue-haired girl approaching him in a daze.
“Eh?!”
In a blink of an eye, Kanon stood before Feena, ready to strike her down. She had no time to react as he swung his katana with blinding speed.
Clang!
He connected with a peerless swing that would cut anyone cleanly in half.
“Sharon... Why...?”
The one who suffered that devastating blow was Sharon, who’d jumped in front of the blade at the last moment.
“Tch... Have you not yet realized— Aghhh!”
Sharon fell to one knee, her face distorted in pain. There was a cut running straight from her hip all the way up her back, with fresh blood spilling out of it.
“Hey, Sharon!”
“Run! I can’t hold him back like this!”
She pushed Feena toward Al, keeping up her facade of strength even though she was badly injured. Their situation was certainly dire. Al hugged Feena as he took his scythe off his back.
“Sharon, let’s fall back! Reinforcements should be— Ah!”
He felt something. The girl in his arms was looking at him with eyes full of determination.
“Anhh... Al, I— Ahhh... I want to help... Hahhh... Sharon and... Anhhhh! And Kanon...”
Confirmed by Feena’s cheeks rapidly turning scarlet, it seemed Heavenly Surge had activated. Looking into her brave eyes, Al made his decision.
“Got it. I want to help them too, so I’ll be borrowing your strength!”
Al hugged her tiny body as gently as he could while still being firm.
“Sorry for doing this in the middle of a dead farmland with soldiers fighting as a backdrop.”
It seemed as though Al had really taken it to heart.
“I told you, I’m ready for you anytime, anywhere.”