Having defeated all the enemies that had been lying in wait, the back of Arroganz looked ominous to Julius.
"Leon, what on earth did you do?"
Seeing Arroganz move in a way clearly different from before, he had a bad feeling.
Arroganz turned around.
"—Nothing. More importantly, I'm a little tired. If anything comes up, I'm counting on you."
Arroganz, which had been showing unbelievable movements just moments ago, now looked like it could barely move.
It wasn't Arroganz, but rather its pilot Leon, who was thoroughly exhausted.
Greg called out to Julius.
"That guy Leon, didn't he use something? I heard he used some suspicious drug back in the Republic too."
"A drug!?"
Julius knew about those kinds of drugs—drugs that enhance the body or magic power.
But they always came with drawbacks.
The greater the effect and the faster it took hold, the heavier the burden on the user.
Julius's machine grabbed Arroganz's shoulder.
"Leon, don't push yourself too hard!"
But Leon ignored the warning.
"We don't have time. Let's hurry ahead. Finn is still out there."
Julius wiped his sweat.
"Finn? Is he that strong?"
He had heard about him, but didn't think he was someone Leon would fear.
Leon let out a pained voice.
"—I'm the one who'll take him down."
Julius wanted to tell him to stop being unreasonable, but with Leon this determined, he couldn't stop him.
"You two were close, after all. I thought you'd choose not to fight."
"It's impossible. Neither of us—can back down."
"I see."
Lending Arroganz his shoulder, Julius pressed forward.
Greg, leading the way, asked Luxion.
"Hey, is the destination still further ahead?"
Since infiltrating Arcadia's interior, they had been delayed navigating the maze.
It was taking longer than expected.
"It's just ahead. The reactor's reading is getting closer."
The concentration of magic particles was gradually increasing.
The meters indicated as much, and it seemed they would finally accomplish their objective.
"If we just destroy the reactor, this ridiculously huge fortress will go down too?"
"That is correct, without doubt."
Greg let out a spirited voice.
"What? It's pretty easy then. What were our ancestors even doing, unable to beat a fortress like this?"
It was Luxion who answered that question.
"If Arcadia were in perfect condition, we would already have been wiped out. It wouldn't even have been a contest."
Julius was surprised.
"That much? Even you couldn't win?"
Hearing that even Luxion, built from the pinnacle of Old Humanity's technology, couldn't win, Julius widened his eyes.
"Yes. Thanks to Old Humanity's soldiers, who pushed Arcadia this far, we are able to fight."
Greg spoke in an awkward voice.
"Then, we'll finish it off, and put our ancestors' regrets to—"
Mid-sentence, he noticed enemies approaching from behind.
Julius let go of Arroganz and raised his shield to cover them.
"Tch! They caught up!?"
What approached from behind were enemy armors.
Among them, the figures of magic armors could be confirmed.
Leon let out a pained voice.
"Is Finn there!?"
"He is not. It appears these are magic armors different from Brave."
Finn didn't seem to be among them, but it was still troublesome.
Greg worried about Jilk and the others.
"Hey, could it be that Jilk and the others—"
"No, they're safe. They're still holding off the enemy. The enemies before us seem to have returned to the fortress interior through a different route."
Julius looked at the enemies before him.
While blocking enemy gunfire with his shield, he counted their numbers.
(Four of those armors called magic armors. The rest are the empire's standard armors.)
Glancing at Arroganz, he saw Leon's movements were sluggish.
"Luxion, can Leon fight?"
"—We are currently administering a neutralizing agent. He will recover soon, but in his current state, I don't think he can withstand combat."
"But he will recover soon, right?"
"—Yes."
After his exchange with Luxion, Julius steeled his resolve and took a deep breath.
"Then send Leon ahead. The enemies are gathering. It's better if someone stays behind here."
He drew his sword and began attacking with the weapons mounted on his backpack.
Leon was surprised.
"You—"
"Go on ahead. I'll buy you time."
"There's no way you can handle this many alone—"
It was Greg who cut in on their conversation.
"Then I'll stay too! If you're worried about Julius alone, then with me staying too, it's reassuring, right?"
Leon started to say something, but Julius pushed Arroganz.
"Go! —You don't have time, do you?"
Arroganz turned its back and headed forward.
Seeing Arroganz move ahead, one of the magic armors tried to charge through to stop it.
Julius blocked it with his shield.
"Sorry, but this is a roadblock!"
Julius's white armor emitted a pale blue light from its backpack.
Luxion had reproduced the armor's function that had been destroyed during the duel.
When he thrust his sword into the magic armor, the enemy was wrapped in blue flames and burned.
He was shot at from behind, but he blocked it with his shield while counter-attacking with the cannon on his back.
When another magic armor leaped out, this time Greg pierced the enemy with his spear and took it down.
"Julius! If you push too hard, you'll run out of breath later!"
"Mind your own business. Look, the next one's coming!"
The two began fighting to block enemy reinforcements for Leon's sake.
◇
Arcadia's command room.
Finn, who had delivered Mia there, was about to head out into battle again.
"Partner, Arroganz is approaching the reactor. Our allies have been routed or held back, and can't stop them."
When Brave conveyed the current situation, Finn clenched his fist.
"I see."
Mia clung to Finn.
"Mia?"
Mia was trembling.
"Sir Knight, please. Please—come back. Don't leave me alone!"
Finn gently embraced the crying Mia.
"It's all right. I'll definitely come back."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really. So please wait here."
Brave also reassured Mia.
"This is the safest place. If Mia stays here, partner can fight without worry."
Mia looked at Brave.
"Boo-kun, you come back properly too."
"Leave it to me! Or rather, can't you do something about calling me Boo-kun? Partner calls me Kuro-suke, and nobody calls me Brave properly!"
Finn laughed.
"It suits you, Kuro-suke."
Mia also smiled.
"I think Boo-kun is cute."
"I really don't get your sense of taste."
Perhaps reassured by the usual exchange, Mia stepped away from Finn.
Then she made a gesture of prayer.
"Sir Knight, please come back safely."
Finn answered with a smile.
"—Yeah."
◇
There was movement outside of Arcadia as well.
"Serge, fall back!"
Ignoring Eric's orders from the airship was Serge, piloting a battered armor.
Even now, he was taking down attacking monsters and imperial armors.
"I have to fight."
It was as if he was fighting to atone for his sins.
At the same time, he understood that if he fell back now, the Republic's army would collapse too.
"I was entrusted with this—my old man entrusted me—"
Serge fought valiantly, but his armor reached its limit first.
The joints screamed and disintegrated mid-air.
The engine on his back also burst into flames.
(Ah, so I end here too. Finally—)
Just as he thought he would be freed, an allied machine approached Serge's craft.
It was an armor of House Fanoss.
"The Republic guys—why are they just watching and not helping?"
"Hey, you all right!?"
It wasn't his Republic allies but House Fanoss that came to help him.
That spoke to Serge's current standing.
◇
House Fanoss's airship.
On the bridge, Hertrude was looking at the Republic armor that the ducal house's knights had recovered.
"Leaving an ace who was fighting so hard unattended—I wonder what happened?"
The captain nearby made a proposal to Hertrude.
"Lady Hertrude, our allies are at their limit. The Kingdom's army has come forward as well. There's no problem with falling back now."
The Kingdom's army had also reorganized and joined in, making things easier than at the start.
But it wasn't a situation where they could let their guard down.
"No. I won't allow us to retreat from this battle."
"But!"
"Besides, even if we run—"
Even if they ran, what awaited them was death as a species.
Before she could finish that sentence, Arcadia's appearance changed.
The eye-like markings on its outer wall began to glow, and it was about to fire its main cannon.
"Enemy attack incoming!"
Just as Hertrude steeled herself, thinking this was the end, something white shot past beside the airship.
"That's—!"
Its form was the distinctive single-horned airship.
Licorne.
Spaceships followed on either side.
Shield-specialized spaceships became allied shields against Arcadia's main cannon.
When they couldn't fully block it midway and were destroyed, this time Licorne came forward and deployed a magical barrier like a curtain to protect their allies.
It completely blocked the enemy's main cannon.
Hertrude shrugged her shoulders, looking at Licorne.
"So they prepared a trump card to replace the royal ship?"
Still, having Arcadia's main cannon blocked was a huge help for now.
"I expect everyone to fight valiantly. Make the name of Fanoss known here!"
For House Fanoss, there were many reasons they had to give their all here.
Their position in the new Kingdom would be decided.
Considering that, Hertrude couldn't easily make the decision to retreat.
And personally as well.
(I need to repay my debt to the Saint too.)
Hertrude wanted to repay her debt to Marie.
◇
"Kyaaa! My Licorne!"
Licorne had somehow blocked the single blast from the main cannon, but it wasn't unscathed.
The inside of the ship shook violently, and various parts were under strain.
Just because it simply draws energy from the Sacred Tree's sapling doesn't mean there's no problem at all.
Gripping her staff with both hands while standing, Marie was breathing heavily.
The role of deploying the shield fell to Marie, the Saint.
And by approaching Arcadia, the burden on the shield had grown even greater.
Carla was worried about Marie.
"Lady Marie, if you're tired, you should rest."
Still, Marie forced a smile.
The forced smile couldn't be called cute by any stretch.
"I-I'm fine. Don't worry."
Kyle brought water and a towel.
"Master, if you push yourself too hard, you'll collapse."
"This much—is fine."
Gripping her staff, she was barely managing to stand.
As she drank water, she heard the voices of Leon's friends fighting around her.
"Don't let the enemies get close to Licorne!"
"Don't try to aim! Just shoot forward and you'll hit them whether you want to or not!"
"Aaaaah! I knew I shouldn't have tried to look cool and joined the battle!"
Voices mixed with screams could be heard.
The airships and armors Leon's friends used were built by Luxion, so their performance was high.
And they had been using them for several years, so their skill level was higher than others.
Marie wiped her sweat.
(Bro's friends are working hard too.)
They were valuable allies Leon had secured at the academy.
However, there were still many enemies.
Even with their efforts, the disparity in forces couldn't easily be overturned.
Cleare's blue eye flashed.
"Tch! There are some slipping through."
Monsters that slipped past their allies, judging Licorne dangerous, swarmed toward it.
Their allies moved forward to act as Licorne's shield, but the monsters ignored the allied airships and pressed on.
A monster over twenty meters long approached the window outside.
Angie shouted at Cleare.
"Interception!?"
"Sorry. Because of the damage just now, it's impossible. It'll take thirty seconds to restore. Ah, but you see—"
Just when it seemed interception wouldn't make it in time.
Marie widened her eyes.
"—Eh?"
Two white machines—machines similar to Julius's—came forward in front of Licorne.
They cut through the large monster with their swords.
The monster was cut down and dissipated into black smoke.
And the two armors turned around.
"You seem to be in trouble, ladies."
When their images were projected on the monitor inside the ship, they were wearing similar masks.
Angie became expressionless.
"What are you doing?"
The masked men each struck similar poses.
"I am a nameless knight. Since that's troublesome, just call me the Masked Knight."
"For now, I'll call myself the Masked Knight."
Both of them started saying things just like Julius.
The strength drained from Marie's body, and she collapsed to her knees.
(These guys really are father and son!)
Sensing a useless aura from the two of them, Marie came to know the terror of what's called bloodline.
The Masked Knights faced each other and began trading insults.
"Who are you, you bastard! I am the Masked Knight!"
"Who are you to talk! You're copying my look that I stayed up all night thinking up!"
"Wearing such a tasteless mask!"
"You said it! You insulted the mask that even Erle said was cool! Stand there! I'll cut you down!"
The two began to quarrel.
The Masked Knights were—Roland and Jake.
Livia, with a tired face, spoke coldly to the two.
"If you're going to get in the way, please go home."
"Y-young lady, that's cold."
"If I went home now, I'd be a laughingstock. Well, fine. I'll fight alongside this guy for now. Don't drag me down, fake Masked Knight."
"I am the real one! I am the original! And by your voice, you're a brat? I'd like to see your parent's face."
"You yourself can't be much of an adult either."
Cleare muttered quietly.
"Actually, before we set out, the two of them came to consult with me separately. They said they wanted to join in, so I lent them the spare armors Luxion had prepared. Still, parent and child wearing the same outfit is fascinating."
Marie looked at the two fighting outside the window.
"Family is scary."
Since Julius also wore the same outfit, the thought that he was on the same level as these two made Marie sad.