The sinking royal ship — the Weiss.
Having escaped from it, Olivia and the others were aboard a small airship.
The Masked Knight climbed down from the Armor and checked on Olivia and the others.
"You seem to be fine."
Ange supported Olivia.
Meanwhile, Marie was being supported by Kyle and Carla, who had brought the airship.
Ange looked at the Masked Knight.
"Thank you for the rescue. I'm grateful."
"...That's not necessary. More importantly, combat has resumed. With new monsters appearing and our means of defeating them gone, we're at a disadvantage."
The Partner had been defeated once, but was subsequently sunk. Ange looked saddened at the loss of the airship she held memories of, but shook her head and put on a serious expression.
The new mega-class was attacking friend and foe alike, triggering a three-way battle. Both sides were clearly in chaos.
Jilk, aboard his Armor, was shooting down approaching monsters with his rifle.
"This is getting dangerous. We should retreat."
It was Greg who objected.
"Where the hell are we supposed to retreat to?! Are we just going to sit here and watch that thing reach the royal capital?!"
"Then can we win?! The Partner and the Weiss have both been sunk — we have no way of winning!"
The Masked Knight watched the Arroganz and the Black Knight fighting fiercely, clenching his fists.
"...Bartfort's hands are tied too. If only there was something we could do."
Olivia and Ange looked exhausted.
Asking the two of them to do what they had done before would be impossible.
Near them, a white sphere floated as if watching over them.
As the dark atmosphere deepened, Marie raised her head.
"Wait. There is… a way to win. There is one."
The Masked Knight pressed closer to Marie.
"Is that true, Marie! — No, Lady Marie."
"Y-Yes. There's the Demon Flute, isn't there? If we have someone play it again and then get rid of that big one, it should work. But…"
The owner's whereabouts were unknown.
And whether the owner would play the flute again was uncertain.
"I see. We'd need to persuade them."
That would be difficult.
While everyone was thinking this, Olivia stood up.
"…Let's go. We have to end this fight."
"Olivia, rest. You can barely stand."
Even after Ange said this, Olivia shook her head.
"I want to stop this. Besides, I feel like only we can do it."
The surroundings were in chaos, and Leon couldn't pull away from the battle either. Communication conditions had worsened again.
"Only we can do it, huh?"
The Masked Knight gave a small nod and spoke to Kyle, who was operating the airship.
"Take us to the Demon Flute's owner!"
Kyle, however, wore a very unhappy expression. He didn't like being ordered around by the Masked Knight.
"Why are you giving me orders? Besides, I don't even know where the owner is."
"No, we do know."
All eyes turned to the white sphere.
"I've already pinpointed the location. Leave the navigation to me."
Olivia looked up at the sky.
"Are, please. Guide us."
"Oh? That's what you're calling me? How delightful — I feel a sense of closeness. Well then, please continue ahead as you are."
As Kyle operated the airship,
"Charging through a battlefield? I'd need hazard pay for this."
Even as he grumbled, Kyle carried on with his work.
The Masked Knight struck a pose.
"Let's go! We'll end this battle!"
Chris seemed displeased with the Masked Knight's bravado.
"This guy's getting awfully chummy."
As the airship advanced following Claire's directions, robots gathered around them one after another.
"W-What?!"
The Masked Knight panicked and took a defensive stance, but Claire assured him it was fine.
"It's an escort. It seems that stubborn man made it in time."
"Made it in time?"
A pillar of light descended from above, piercing through the mega-class and reducing it to black smoke. While the black smoke billowed, the airship pressed toward the Duchy's flagship.
"That light just now?"
"…Magic."
That thing was magic!? The Masked Knight was astonished, though whether it was true remained uncertain.
"We're approaching."
The Masked Knight could see nothing through the black smoke blanketing the battlefield.
"Visibility's terrible. I can't see a thing."
"Please slow down."
Kyle减速ed as instructed, and through the black smoke, an airship came into view.
Brad was in a panic.
"Hey, we're going to crash!"
Claire was laughing cheerfully.
"It's fine. Maintain this speed and keep going."
On the deck, they could see Hiltrude sitting on the ground.
Surrounding her were monsters — guarding her.
The Masked Knight climbed aboard the Armor.
"Allow me to clear the way."
Ange, who was supporting Olivia, looked at the Masked Knight and smiled faintly.
"You look ridiculous in that mask, but you're reliable."
"…Please call me the Masked Knight."
Now aboard the Armor, the Masked Knight addressed everyone.
"Follow me!"
However, Jilk was displeased.
"Don't order us around!"
They defeated the monsters surrounding Hiltrude, and the five of them helped Olivia, Ange, and Marie down to the deck.
◇
Guarded by the five of them and the robots, Olivia and the others descended to the deck and stood before Hiltrude.
Hiltrude sat on the ground, clutching the Demon Flute.
With her head bowed, she showed no sign of resistance even though Olivia and the others had arrived.
"Hiltrude, I have a request. Please stop fighting."
Seeing Hiltrude's lack of response, Ange grew irritated.
"Is it your wish to rampage until the very end? The battle is already decided. Surrender."
Marie gripped the Saint's staff, scanning the surroundings.
The battle was still raging, and she looked as if she was worried about stray attacks.
Quietly, with dark circles under her eyes, Hiltrude raised her head. As Marie gasped in surprise, Olivia made a sincere plea.
"Let's end this. A fight like this — it's wrong."
Those words came from the bottom of her heart.
Ange supplemented Olivia's statement.
"The Duchy's forces are nearly destroyed. Pull back now. That would be for the best on both sides. That flute can stop that creature, can't it?"
Hiltrude let out a cold laugh, then gripped the Demon Flute and began laughing loudly.
"You're right. That's the correct judgment. Even the Guardian Deity of the Land can't defeat you. It would be wise to give up — but I absolutely refuse!"
Hiltrude stood up and spread her arms wide.
"If you want to kill me, go ahead! Even if you kill me, the Guardian Deity won't stop. No matter how many times you defeat it, it resurrects. What will you do then?"
Having given up on everything, Hiltrude was met with Olivia's words of persuasion.
"The people of the Duchy are being attacked too. If this continues —"
"And what about it?"
"What?"
"I can only laugh. One of our retainers said it in his final moment — that they were using us. I don't trust anyone anymore. Everyone… would be better off gone!"
Olivia stepped closer to Hiltrude.
"That's not true! There are certainly people who care about you, Hiltrude!"
"There were, you know! Vandel would have died if things continued like this. And Lauda — my only sister — is dead."
When Olivia recoiled in shock, Hiltrude was smiling.
"The price of summoning the Guardian Deity with this Demon Flute is the user's life. Even though it failed, when the Guardian Deity vanished, my sister died too. It's as if you all played us for fools."
Frustration, resentment, and hatred — all stripped away. Hiltrude drew a shuddering breath.
"You're truly cruel. Manipulating even our hearts like that — you're the lowest."
When Olivia looked down, Ange stepped in.
"Spout nonsense all you want. But are you really going to gloss over what you did?"
Marie spoke up timidly.
"If you play the Demon Flute now, I don't think your life will be taken… I think."
Hiltrude glared at Marie.
"You know that well, don't you. If you stop halfway, you won't die. I'll never be able to use the Demon Flute again, and the Guardian Deity will try to kill me. But you know what? I'm not afraid of dying anymore. I want nothing more than to destroy this hopeless world. — I just want to avenge my sister!"
Olivia strongly opposed Hiltrude's stance.
"Even so… this is wrong. What good does revenge do? Your sister wouldn't be happy!"
Their opinions at an impasse, it was Marie who flew into a rage.
"Shut up, you delusional flower-brained idiot!"
Both Olivia and Ange were stunned, and even Hiltrude looked at Marie in surprise.
Staff in hand, left hand on her hip, Marie —
"What do you mean it's wrong?! Even if it's wrong to you, it's right from her perspective! Revenge is wrong? Who cares! And did Lauda ever tell you to stop seeking revenge? Don't you dare put words in her mouth! The nerve of you!"
When Olivia tried to retort —
"But if this goes on, no one will be happy —"
"You want her to be miserable without even getting revenge?! You say revenge is wrong so she should just stop? Then what about her feelings?! You stand there preaching, but would you stay quiet if someone killed a person important to you?! It's wrong, so you wouldn't seek revenge, right?!"
"That — that's —"
As Olivia was backed into a corner, Ange defended her.
"Whose side are you on?! I don't care about Hiltrude's revenge or whatever. Right now, stopping that creature is the priority!"
"Oh, shut it! A world that falls apart over something like this should just go ahead and collapse!"
No one could say anything in response to Marie's words.
Marie wasn't done.
◇
Marie was irritated.
Revenge is wrong… Easy to say for someone who hasn't had an important person killed.
(That's right. I always hated this flower-brained girl. Spouting nothing but pretty words — "War is wrong!" "Revenge is wrong!" Are you out of your mind?!)
"I know it's wrong. But she acted because she couldn't be stopped."
Even Marie didn't fully understand why she was defending Hiltrude.
She just couldn't stand watching Hiltrude, who was told over and over that she was wrong.
It was Ange who confronted Marie.
"The battle is already decided. Look."
Ange surveyed the surroundings. The Duchy's forces were raising white flags.
Having been attacked by both the mega-class monster and the Kingdom's army, they'd already been reduced to fewer than twenty ships.
"There's no point in fighting anymore. If we pull back here, there's still room for negotiation. What's the use of continuing to fight pointlessly?"
Marie had no comeback.
"You intend to keep fighting a meaningless war of attrition?"
Even if the Duchy turned things around from here, they'd lost too many forces for it to matter.
Eventually, they'd just be invaded and defeated by a different country.
What Ange said was correct.
"The Founars Duchy traces its roots back to the royal family. If they withdraw now, negotiation is still possible."
Hiltrude looked down and smiled.
"Sure. What awaits the Duchy is a future like slavery, though."
The harsh reality awaiting a defeated nation.
But from the Kingdom's perspective, it was a legitimate right.
Olivia addressed Hiltrude.
"The soldiers have families waiting for them. Please don't let them die for nothing."
Marie understood the logic.
Olivia and the others were right. But then… what would happen to Hiltrude?
Before Marie could say anything, Hiltrude moved her lips.
"…I never thought I'd be shielded by such a pathetic Saint. I'm an even bigger fool than you. No — I can't even be a princess anymore."
She blew into the Demon Flute.
The melody was somehow gentle.
"Are you sure about that?"
At Marie's words, Hiltrude pulled away from the flute and smiled.
"No, I'm not. But watching the Saint helped me calm down. That's right. I knew it all along. That doing this was pointless… But I couldn't stop myself. I… How did we ever end up like this?"
Hiltrude broke down crying and collapsed. Marie went to her side.
Before they knew it, the fighting around them had stopped.
The five Armors surrounded Marie and the others protectively, and the area had grown remarkably quiet.
When Hiltrude said,
"I surrender."
Claire issued a warning.
"Fast-approaching signature detected."
As the five surrounding Armors took defensive positions, a black机体 slammed violently onto the deck. It was battered and torn, and despite being an Armor, it seemed to be bleeding.
—It was the Black Knight.
"Stay away from the Princess. You Kingdom scum."
Eyes appeared all over its armor, watching Marie and the others.
"This thing is disgusting."
Hiltrude looked at the Black Knight in that state and began to cry.
"Vandel, enough. Let it end. You fought so hard for someone like me. Thank you."
Finally, the fighting would end.
At least, that was what they thought. But the Black Knight refused to accept it.
"…Princess, were you deceived?"
"Vandel?"
"Rest assured. I'll scatter the Kingdom's army in no time."
The Black Knight rose, spewing blood-like liquid from all over its body.
"No — it's over, Vandel!"
"It can't be over!"
The Masked Knight slashed at the Black Knight, only to be deflected by its greatsword. The others attacked as well, but they were no match.
"That's right. It can't be over. Not yet — not until I'm finished. My family's revenge isn't over. I'll make the Kingdom's people feel the same pain — I won't be done until I've avenged my wife and daughter!"
The Black Knight drew closer to Marie and the others.
And the revived mega-class monster was heading straight for them.
For an instant, Marie thought, "Ah, this is it."
Olivia stepped in front of the Black Knight, spreading her arms wide.
"Black Knight, please stop this!"
Marie reached out.
"I-Idiot! What are you doing at a time like this?!"
The Black Knight froze, then raised its greatsword.
"You're that girl from before. Then I must kill you here — I can't let you live."
Marie gripped her staff and deployed a magic shield with the power of the Saint.
The Black Knight easily swatted the shield aside with its left hand.
"Don't think you can stop me with this!"
"Vandel, stop!"
Hiltrude screamed, but the Black Knight brought its greatsword down toward Olivia.
"Olivia!"
Ange leaped forward to shield her.
Marie closed her eyes.
And what she heard was —
"—I'll kill you, you senile old bastard."
◇
"Get in my way, will you?"
Duchy Armors had swarmed me to protect the Black Knight. I took them all down and scanned the surroundings — the Black Knight was nowhere to be seen.
I chased after the fleeing Black Knight and finally tracked him down on the deck of a Duchy airship.
For some reason, Olivia and the others were aboard, and they were about to be killed.
Rage surged through me in an instant.
"What do you think you're doing — I'll kill you, you senile old bastard!"
I rammed Arroganz into them and blew them off the deck. The Black Knight was screaming — whether from reaching his limit or something else.
"This won't end! It can't end! I'll slaughter every last one of those Kingdom scum!"
Hearing that voice, Luxion tilted his single eye sideways.
"He's no longer capable of sound judgment. He's been taken over by that thing."
That right arm, then.
The Black Knight readied its greatsword.
"Master, we need to finish this. The mega-class is closing in."
I raised my greatsword and accelerated.
"Time to go to sleep, old man!"
I matched the Black Knight's movements as I charged, with Luxion providing support. I'd clashed with him repeatedly, making corrections each time.
The charm around my neck seemed to glow faintly.
"You basta—rd!"
We swung our greatswords past each other, and the Black Knight's blade sank deep into Arroganz's shoulder.
My blade, meanwhile, cut into the Black Knight's torso.
"Luxion!"
"Right away. — Impact!"
The greatsword's blade glowed red, unleashing purple lightning as the Black Knight was sent flying.
Like a water balloon bursting, black liquid sprayed everywhere as the old man fell from the airship's deck.
Arroganz's left hand clenched around the right arm it had recovered — that arm from before. Eyes appeared on the back of the hand, darting around frantically as if terrified of Arroganz.
"Master, I'm ready whenever you are."
I tossed it up, and light rained down from the sky, annihilating it.
"Feel better?"
"Yes. Now it's just him."
Before us stood a moving mountain.
The mega-class monster.
"…Let's make this spectacular."
"That would be fitting."
I stowed the greatsword and spread Arroganz's arms wide.
◇
Hiltrude clung to Vandel as he crashed onto the deck.
"Vandel!"
Vandel opened his eyes, but when he touched his stomach, his hand came away wet with blood.
His right arm was gone.
"…Ah, I lost."
Looking at the crying Hiltrude, Vandel smiled.
(That kid… he's gotten stronger.)
"Princess, I'm sorry."
"Don't leave me!"
"…It seems this is as far as I go."
Looking up at the sky, he saw Arroganz with both arms spread wide. Multiple magic circles materialized, overlapping as something was being prepared.
Even Vandel, who didn't specialize in magic, could tell this was something tremendous.
The magic circles overlapped beautifully.
Arroganz was preparing to unleash magic at the Guardian Deity of the Land — compressing colossal energy into a projectile of light. Electricity crackled across Arroganz's frame, and flames shot from its joints as it strained.
And then — the projectile was fired, striking the Guardian Deity and detonating. Amid the explosion, the smoke, and the shaking airship, Vandel knew it was all over.
The detonating Arroganz plunged into the lake below.
From the airship, Olivia and the others headed toward Arroganz.
However, Marie stayed by the two of them, watching over Hiltrude. Seeing this, Vandel felt a small measure of relief.
(She's worried about the Princess? If there are still people like that… then perhaps things will be okay after all.)
Vandel coughed up blood, smiled, and closed his eyes.
◇
Over the lake.
Inside Arroganz, with its flotation rings deployed.
Luxion floated nearby as I gazed up at the sky from the cockpit.
"Hey, was I right about this?"
If I'd used Luxion's main body from the start, no one would have died. There were reasons I didn't do that. But I was the one who chose this way of fighting.
"Had you deployed my main body, what awaited you would have been a life without a moment's peace. Besides, fighting from beneath the earth would be far too dangerous for the current Kingdom. You couldn't ignore it either. Not the best outcome — but perhaps the better one?"
Airships and Armor wreckage floated on the lake's surface.
Looking at it all, I couldn't help thinking.
Could I have done better?
"In the end, I couldn't make full use of you."
"I agree. But you can start learning now, can't you?"
"A lot of people died. A lot of people were killed."
"People have been fighting throughout all of history, so rest easy. You're barely a drop in the bucket, Master."
"That's not the slightest bit comforting."
"I'm not very good at consolation."
"…I guess I'm headed to hell."
"If hell exists, I suppose so. Shall I accompany you?"
"You'd probably go pick a fight with King Yama. I'd rather not — my sins are heavy enough as it is."
"The one who's always picking fights with everyone around him is you, Master."
Talking nonsense helped take my mind off things.
"…It is a fact that your actions saved many lives, Master. The Kingdom, the Duchy — both are exhausted, and continuing the war is no longer feasible. In the end, I think you managed well. You also managed to render both the Partner and Arroganz unusable. There's a possibility that the peace you wanted will actually come."
If this were a proper story's protagonist, he'd surely save everyone and get a happy ending.
If such a protagonist existed, I'd flatter him with everything I had if he'd just help me.
…But I couldn't do it.
"I think I could have done better. What did I do wrong?"
"Whether you were there or not, the war would have happened. You're overthinking this."
I suppose this was his way of encouraging me.
It was infuriating, but a damn sight better than being a hollow shell.
"Sorry about the Partner and the Weiss. I sank them."
"…I'll recover the Partner and repair it. As for the Weiss, I've determined that its psychic-attack capability is dangerous. It appears someone retrofitted some kind of device onto the ship afterward. The vessel itself doesn't possess that function."
"Ending a war with 'love' is terrifying. Having your will to fight — your fighting spirit — stripped away is just too scary."
"Perhaps it's best to keep it sunken. Otherwise, Olivia's and Angelica's lives would be in danger. — Now I understand why the Kingdom kept it hidden as a trump card."
I couldn't let that thing be used again.
To render it unusable, burying the owner would be the quickest approach.
Making them think it could never be exploited again — that was the key.
"I never want that thing used again. What kind of love is that? It's a psychic attack."
"A wise decision. However — didn't love end the fight?"
"That thing? Even I was completely creeped out by it."
"Weren't you moved to help because you loved those two? And your desire to protect your family and the various people you know — that's love too. That's precisely why the Kingdom was able to fight."
"Isn't it wonderful? And by extension, starting a war is also love, then?"
"There are various reasons, but if you can exploit it, it's quite effective. When rallying the populace, saying you're fighting to protect your family and loved ones boosts morale considerably."
"Makes me sick."
"Humans fight for love. They risk their lives for others. It's a remarkable thing."
As I indulged in his sarcasm, a small airship descended near Arroganz. It touched down on the water, sending waves rippling outward.
On board were Olivia and Ange.
They were both crying.
"Huh? Did they think I was dead?"
"Why don't you stop joking and go outside to put their minds at ease? If you don't get your act together, I'm going to lose my patience too."
Get my act together? I couldn't be with someone I couldn't marry — someone I couldn't take responsibility for.
Because I was an honest man.
"I've done enough for a lifetime. Let me live the rest of it in peace."
"Even if a peaceful future exists, I don't think those two are going to let you escape."
"…Do you think I'm worthy of them? There are better men out there."
"That's for the two of them and for you to decide. Don't worry — I'll handle the financial side of things."
"Tears of joy, honestly."
The hatch of Arroganz opened. The moment I stepped outside, Olivia and Ange leaped from the airship and threw their arms around me.
"Leon!"
"You idiot!"
As they clung to me, I wrapped my arms around their backs.
"…I'm home."
Olivia had tears streaming down her face, pressing her forehead against my chest.
"Leon, don't make us worry like that."
"Huh? You were worried about me?"
Ange pinched my arm, but my pilot suit cushioned the blow.
"Stop joking. And why did you run off at that time?"
"That time?"
"Underground… when Olivia and I realized we loved each other."
Seeing Ange look so embarrassed made me want to tease her for some reason.
"Well, I figured I'd be intruding."
"Who said you were intruding?! …Don't ever make us worry again."
My father's airship landed nearby.
It looked like he'd come to pick us up.
…What remained was the cleanup.
◇
Returning to the royal palace, things were decided in a flurry.
As for the Duchy, a peace treaty was hastily concluded.
The Kingdom was being attacked on multiple fronts and couldn't afford to spare attention for the Duchy. Even if they wanted to press the attack, they lacked the resources.
However, the Duchy as a nation ceased to exist.
As the House of Founars, it was absorbed under the Kingdom's umbrella.
Simultaneously, it was forced to sign a humiliating treaty.
Reparations, yes, but its military capabilities were also dictated by the Kingdom, with penalties for violations.
Kingdom observers would be dispatched as well.
If the Kingdom demanded it, the Duchy would be obligated to provide military forces — with no right of refusal. The treatment was considerably worse than that of other lords.
A future of being neither killed nor left alive — squeezed dry for centuries.
It wasn't something I could involve myself with, and at the time —
"Lord Leon, I hear you were truly magnificent!"
"An absolute hero!"
"Please tell us all about your exploits, Lord Leon!"
— I was surrounded by women at the palace.
"Ha ha ha! You should have seen me in action! I was tearing those Duchy bastards apart — ripping them to shreds!"
Incidentally, these weren't students from the academy.
They were my underclassmen from before enrollment.
Noble young ladies who didn't bring servants — pure girls who hadn't yet been tainted by the world, or rather, by the academy's female students. Well, pure enough? They were daughters of nobles, so there could be plenty beneath the surface, but they were better than the academy girls.
And honestly? Being fawned over is the best!
With various excuses, I'd been cooped up inside the palace, but every day cute girls came to visit.
I had a feeling something was going on behind the scenes, but I was tired of worrying about everything.
I was going to live for the moment.
"When we enroll next year, you'll be our senior, Lord Leon!"
"It's like a dream that we'll be at the academy together!"
"I'd love to attend one of your tea parties, Lord Leon!"
Facing these lovely underclassmen, I held my chest.
These were maidens untainted by the world — unlike the academy girls. Was my life finally about to begin? Was it starting?!
Was I free from that otome game's curse at last?!
"I'm looking forward to enrolling with all of you too."
The girls blushed.
Even a guy like me could be popular if he became a hero.
I couldn't stop smiling.
I'd been reincarnated in another world and thought it was a world of female dominance and male subservience — but now, a normal harem story awaited me.
What a feeling!
As I was enjoying myself, Mylene appeared.
"Viscount Bartfort, might I have a moment?"
"…Lady Mylene."
Her serious expression carried a hint of sorrow.
Stop. Don't look at me with that face.
When the girls read the air and left the room, I started making excuses like a man caught cheating.
"Lady Mylene, th-this — there are various circumstances—"
"I know."
"Huh?"
She seemed to understand something. Had she grasped how I was buoying myself up with the girls' attention? What a broad-minded woman.
"You're just trying to distract yourself, aren't you? You've been through something terrible. I heard all about it — they said you fought like a lion… That's precisely why it's so hard on you, isn't it?"
…I thought she was reading things wrong, but perhaps she saw more clearly than I gave her credit for.
I stopped making excuses and shrugged.
"You're not wrong. But I was genuinely happy to be fawned over. I never experienced anything like that at the academy."
"You're such a boy."
Mylene smiled and sat across from me.
"Do you remember? When I said I would tell you everything?"
"That was before the battle. Is now the time?"
She nodded, straightened her posture, and looked me straight in the eye.
"Can you accept everything, Viscount Bartfort? The truth is… cruel."
She had mentioned something about the cause of how the Kingdom ended up like this.
Was there really a reason behind the otome game's setting?
I straightened up as well.
"I'm not the innocent young man I once was. I'm prepared."
I would come to regret those words.
"Then let me tell you — incorporating the outcome of this latest incident."