Our group consisted of just three saints and fourteen knights, including my brothers, facing off against about thirty fenrirs. Since fenrirs were powerful monsters, it normally took about a dozen knights to deal with just one. In most cases, our force would be severely lacking, but my knights were strong. Not to mention that we had Sirius and Commander Wezen on our side.
✦ ✦ ✦
Things are probably going to be okay. At least, that’s what I thought as I cast my strengthening magic, which sparked an excited uproar from the knights.
“Whoa! The princess’s magic is as on point as usual! I feel so much stronger now!”
“It’s almost terrifying when you think about it. It’s hard to believe we’ve become this strong.”
“Come on, men. We’ve got no excuses if we lose now!”
My knights scoffed in disbelief as they beelined straight for the fenrirs. While it’s true that I enhanced the strength they already had, their enemies were still stronger. Even though they must’ve been scared, the knights rushed forward like it was nothing. This had to be what true strength looked like.
“Knights are so cool!” I murmured to myself in awe, “If I could be reborn, I’d want to be a knight!”
Since I didn’t really have to play an active role at the moment, I scanned the battlefield to see what was going on.
The first thing that caught my eye was Sirius and Commander Wezen. Even though I hadn’t used any strengthening magic on them, they were cutting through the fenrirs like it was nothing. It was clear they were much stronger than my knights, even after I’d enhanced their abilities. I couldn’t help but wonder how that was possible.
My knights were fighting the fenrir that was closest to me. Scheat, Fackt, and Miaplacidus were facing it head-on while Canopus and Mirach surrounded me protectively. I felt a little bad for those two since they had to watch out for me instead of jumping in on the action themselves.
Glancing over at my brothers, I saw them fighting fiercely against the fenrirs, their faces full of determination. I watched nervously, wondering if they were okay, but the knights from the First Knight Brigade were giving them excellent support. And even when they couldn’t fully cover them, Sirius was always nearby and ready to step in.
Seeing that, I started to get the feeling that maybe Sirius and Commander Wezen were there to make sure my brothers were properly engaging in battle. If that was the case, I could make sure they put on a good show by casting a little more magic on them.
“Invigorate! Attack x1.5; Speed x1.5!”
I cast a strengthening spell that was slightly stronger than the last one on my brothers. I was slightly worried their bodies might not be able to handle it, but as expected of proper knights, they seemed to be adjusting without any trouble. This made me feel relieved—maybe a little too relieved.
Thinking that things were pretty much under control and that I could take a breather, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye: A fenrir was lunging straight at me.
“Ahh!” I yelped.
Due to how quickly the situation had escalated, I didn’t have a chance to move out of the way. Canopus stepped in front of me, shielding me from the attack. Mirach rushed over soon after, and the two of them faced off against the beast. But just then, another fenrir came charging in from the opposite direction.
“Eeeek!” I cried out, curling into a ball as I squeezed my eyes shut.
It’s okay, I told myself, I’m a saint. All I have to do is cast healing magic as soon as it bites me. It’s just going to hurt a little—okay, maybe a lot.
I braced myself for the moment when I’d be bitten, but the pain never came. Instead, I heard the sound of fabric tearing. Realizing this couldn’t be good, I opened my eyes and saw Sirius standing in front of me—and a fenrir ripping into his uniform.
“Nooo!” I gasped.
When I’d last seen Sirius, he’d been a considerable distance away. He must’ve sensed I was in danger and come running. It looked like he had cut it pretty close, as the fenrir’s claws had torn through his clothes.
As I watched his shirt tear apart and pieces of fabric flutter into the air, I felt a scream welling up in my throat. But just then, a flash of light erupted along with a sharp crack, and the fenrir was sent flying backward.
“Huh?” I blinked, totally confused. What just happened? But then I remembered—Sirius! He was the most important thing right now. I grabbed at what was left of his knight uniform and shouted out his name.
I wondered if his chest had been slashed because he protected me. Fenrirs had sharp claws, so if they hit you in just the right spot, the wounds could be fatal. All the blood drained from my face as I realized this. I was just about to cast healing magic on him when, out of nowhere, another fenrir came charging straight at me.
Sirius parried its fangs with his sword and said to me in a calm voice, “I’m all right, Serafina. The moment its claws struck, some kind of protective magic activated and shielded me! My clothes may have been torn, but I’m physically fine.”
“What?!”
Was that really possible? I was surprised, as I’d never heard of this phenomenon before, but that might explain the flash of light and the cracking sound I’d witnessed earlier. Sirius’s movements were fluid, and the skin that peeked out from his torn clothes didn’t appear to be harmed in the slightest.
Well, I guess there are kinds of magic out there that I don’t know about, I thought to myself, impressed.
Just then, Mirach and Canopus made it back to me.
“Vice-Commander Sirius, we’re so sorry!!” Mirach cried.
“We swear not to let the fenrir get close to Princess Serafina again!!” Canopus added.
Both of their faces were full of remorse. They seemed to be in great distress that I’d been put in danger, even though it was completely out of their control. Sirius picked up on their regret and quickly responded to lighten the mood.
“I leave her in your hands!”
“Yes, sir!” both of my knights chorused.
After quickly disposing the fenrir in front of him by slicing straight through it, Sirius hurried off, leaving me in my knights’ care. I hoped they understood that it was his way of showing he trusted them.
Sirius is just amazing, I thought to myself, overwhelmed with awe. I was sure he wanted to personally remain by my side, but he was able to suppress those feelings and entrust the knights with keeping me safe.
“He’s such a great leader,” I murmured, my respect for him growing even more. As I scanned the battlefield, I wondered if there was anything else I could do to help him out.