Published at 17th of August 2019 7:50 am

Volume 10, Chapter 5: The Heart's Balance

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Part 1

Very soon, Koutarou's mother would die. Having realized that, he was frozen in place.

What should I do!?

During these three days, Koutarou had been secretly thinking about whether he should save his mother or not. If he saved his mother, he and Clan wouldn't be able to return to their own world. In that case, Koutarou would have brought it upon himself, but the same couldn't be said for Clan. Had this been Forthorthe, she wouldn't have minded since Clan was royalty, and she had the duty of protecting the lives of her citizens. However, Clan had nothing to do with the people on Earth. There was nothing logical about involving her. On top of that, Koutarou had made a promise with the invading girls, and he had sworn to himself. That said, he had a hard time just letting his own mother die.

Without being able to make a decision, that time slowly approached. But there was no time to hesitate. In less than an hour, Koutarou's mother would die, the time to make up his mind was now.

“I-I―”

But despite knowing that, Koutarou couldn't move.

In order for him to obtain a place of his own to return to, he would have to steal away Clan's. In other words, Koutarou saving his mother's life meant that he would steal Clan's life, for the sake of his own. Could something like that really be forgiven?

And what about the promise he had made ten years into the future? That's why he had so desperately struggled to return home.

That said, could he just abandon the people that he knew would die? Could letting someone he knew would die just pass away be forgiven? Especially so when it was his own mother.

The weights of conscience balancing inside Koutarou's heart perfectly cancelled each other out. They were both things that he didn't want to lose. And because of that he couldn't move.

“Let's hurry up and save her! Onii-chan!”

However, Kii began shaking up that balance.

Kii had just lost her mother, so she knew how Koutarou would feel if he didn't save her. And since she didn't want that to happen, she desperately appealed to him.

“It's your mom! You can't just let her be!!”

“But, if I do that, something dangerous will happen to me and my friend! There will be people I can never meet again!”

“But you still need to go!! If you don't, that friend will be hurt! They will think that they killed Onii-chan's mom!!”

If Koutarou didn't save his mother, Clan would probably feel sorry. She would feel like he couldn't save his mother because she was with him. That truth would surely bind Clan, and the same would hold true for the invaders. Could that really be the best choice?

Kii didn't know who Koutarou's friend was, but if he didn't save his mother, she knew how that friend would feel. Because that's how she would feel.

“Let's save your mom and apologize to your friend! After that you can just protect your friend so that nothing dangerous happens to them! That's for the best!”

“Kii-chan...”

Koutarou's heart was at a standstill. That was when Kii repeatedly hurled her own heart at him. And for each time she knocked up against him, her emotions were carved into Koutarou's heart. That gentle, warm emotion tipped the balance in his heart.

“I got it. Thank you, Kii-chan.”

Koutarou made up his mind.

There was no choice that wouldn't end with regret. In that case, Koutarou should carry the responsibility of that regret. Listening to Kii's desperate appeals, he finally made his resolution.

“Let's go save mom. I'll apologize to my friends later.”

While speaking to Kii, Koutarou thought of his friends that weren't with him.

Sorry, everyone... It doesn't look like I can fulfill our promise...

Koutarou had promised the invaders that they would make the play a success. He had also made an oath to himself that he would resolve the problems they carried. But now that he had decided to save his mother, he was about to all but lose the chance to do that, and that made him feel guilty.

I am very sorry, your highness... I even turned your offer down...

The same could be said regarding Alaia. When she had wished for Koutarou to remain in Forthorthe, he had rejected her, saying he had a promise and an oath to fulfill. But he was now about to turn his back on those. And that could be called a betrayal towards Alaia.

And Clan, I'm sorry for getting you involved in this. I'll protect you... so please forgive me...

In the past they had been enemies, but now they were friends. To Koutarou, Clan was as precious to him as the invading girls. She would probably be unhappy because of Koutarou. That's why he had to protect her from now on. That became his new oath.

Aware of all these circumstances, Koutarou decided to go save his mother. He believed this was the correct decision. However, he didn't have the conviction to call it such. The circumstances were different from when the village's water source had been poisoned. This time, history would almost certainly change.

However–

Even then, Koutarou couldn't close his eyes on the life that was to end in front of him. He couldn't let it go, knowing what would happen. That was neither justice nor knightly. It was Koutarou's weakness.

“That's right! That's the way, Onii-chan!”

Kii showed a gentle smile. She was happy to be of Koutarou's help. She was happy that she had been able to repay the favor, even if it was just a little.

“You don't have to do everything yourself! You can make mistakes! Because you're not Kabutonga, Onii-chan!”

Kii knew that Koutarou was just a very normal teenager. That he wasn't a superhero that could resolve everything. It was because Kii was here and that she had forgiven his weakness that Koutarou could move. Regardless of what happened now, the end would be far better than if he had just stood still. Koutarou had surely been saved by the young girl named Kii.

And that showed that the young but gentle girl had become a special person to Koutarou, just like the invaders and Clan.

Part 2

Koutarou clearly remembered the site of his mother's accident. He himself was there at the time, and after the accident he and his father had passed through several times. As such, Koutarou approached the site using the quickest route possible.

“I am sorry, Bertorion. I used Forthorthe's calendar, so it didn't properly translate to this world's calendar. I should have made the proper calculations and let you know.”

“So that's why...”

On their way to the site of the accident, Koutarou had used his bracelet to get in touch with Clan. According to Clan's calculation, the accident was supposed to take place a month later, so he wanted to know why it differed.

Clan had used the clock on board the Cradle and Forthorthe's calendar for her calculation. Though they were based off of the vibration frequency of gravitons, they originally used Forthorthe's revolution and rotation as its standard to measure time.

Forthorthe had roughly the same size and mass as Earth, and it was about as far away from it's star as Earth was from the sun. Because of that, their cycles revolution and rotation were practically the same. However, their cycles weren't exactly the same, and that created a slight margin for error.

That margin for error didn't affect minor calculations, but in major ones such as the passing of 2,000 years, it created a gap of about 40 days. In other words, this wasn't Clan's calculation miss, but because a different calendar had been used.

“I understand. Clan, I'm going to save my mom.”

“Do as you please.”

“I'm sorry for getting you involved in this. I'll properly take responsibility for it later.”

“I can't say I feel bad hearing that from a legendary knight.”

“Thank you, Clan.”

“Make sure you don't screw up. Fufufufu.”

In the end, Clan didn't so much as criticize Koutarou as she smiled. She had suspected that this might happen from the start and that this would be for the best. It was the reaction that Kii had imagined she would have.

I'm really sorry... thank you, Clan...

Koutarou thanked Clan and ended the communication. Waiting for Koutarou to finish speaking, Kii called out to him.

“O-Onii-chan, don't worry about me, g-go on ahead!”

Right now, Koutarou was matching Kii's speed as he ran. Believing it would be bad if Koutarou didn't make it in time because of that, she wanted him to go ahead of her.

“No, it's fine.”

However, Koutarou shook his head and spoke to Kii in a calm fashion.

“We'll have enough time if we keep going at this pace. It's not that far from here.”

“R-Really? Then that's fine.”

Relieved, Kii's expression eased up a little. Koutarou could easily run at their current speed, but the same wasn't true for Kii. Her breathing was so rough it was hard for her when she tried to smile.

“We could even stop for a moment on our way there.”

“Aha, I-I'll do my best so we won't have to do that, Onii-chan!”

Kii was exhausted after having spent the entire day playing. However, when she learned that Koutarou's mother was in danger, she did her best to be of help. Understanding that, Koutarou was grateful. Right now, people's emotions were more important than results to Koutarou.

“Kii-chan, we're turning on that corner.”

“Okay!”

Koutarou ran a little faster and guided Kii. They were going to leave the main street and enter an alley. That way would be faster to the site of the accident, and it would be easier to run with less people around. Since it was 6PM on a weekday, there were a lot of people on their way home filling up the main street.

“Once we get through here, we'll be right next to it!”

“Just a little more!”

Entering the alley, Koutarou slowed down to match Kii's pace again. They would be running in a straight line for a while, so there was no need to guide her. He lined up next to her and they ran through the dimly lit alley.

“...Hm?”

After Koutarou and Kii had run half of the straight route, several men and women appeared in front of them. They were headed the opposite way of Koutarou and Kii and the distance between the two groups shortened.

What's with these people...?

Normally, one would suspect they were passers-by using the alley. But their clothes, genders and ages were all over the place, and they had no common feature. But Koutarou could sense something abnormal about their presence. The intuition he had nurtured on the battlefield was warning him. Following his intuition, he noticed several strange things about the group.

Their expressions were feeble and pale. Their walking was awkward, as if they were puppets with their strings cut. Filled with doubt, Koutarou used the ability to see spiritual energy that he had gotten from Sanae and looked at them. He saw that the flow of their auras were oddly distorted. The aura from the neck and up wasn't properly cooperating with the aura of the rest of the body.

“Kii-chan, stop!”

Koutarou slowed down as he said that while grabbing Kii's arm to stop her. And after stopping himself, he glared at the people in front of him.

Could it be that these people are...

Koutarou unknowingly grasped hard with his right hand. He had seen auras distorted like this before: his friend, the fire dragon emperor, Alunaya had been in a similar state when it was being controlled by the evil magicians. At the time, he didn't know how dragons’ auras looked like, so he didn't pay much attention to it. Thinking back to it now, Alunaya's aura had been distorted like this.

Since this was modern Japan, it was hard to believe that they were under the influence of magic. However, they might be under the influence of drugs, machines, hypnosis or something like that. And even if that wasn't the case, they weren't normal, so it was best to keep his guard up. With that in his mind, Koutarou stopped moving.

“Onii-chan?”

Koutarou was supposed to be in a hurry, but suddenly he had stopped and was showing a scary face. Kii still didn't understand what was going on, but seeing his appearance, she got anxious and squeezed Koutarou's hand.

“Those people... are probably enemies.”

“Enemies!? They're bad people!? Why!?”

“I don't know, but they aren't normal.”

“They're not normal?”

Kii took another look at the people in front of her after Koutarou pointed that out. When she did, she understood what he was saying. Even to her, their expressions and movements were strange.

“You're right. They seem, strange...”

“What are those people trying to do...”

Koutarou mumbled as he glared at the group. That was when the group spread out to block off the path in front of him. At the same time, he sensed the will to attack from them.

Are they trying to kill us...? Why?

Koutarou had no reason to be attacked in this age. Since he was travelling through time, he had nothing to do with the people of this age. Because of that, the possibilities were quite limited.

Are they just targeting us at random? Or...

Koutarou looked at Kii. There was a chance that she was being targeting for some reason. He had only heard that she had run away from home, but if she had run away from a rich family, it was possible that they could be after her life or to kidnap her.

“We can't go on ahead. Let's go back a little and take another road.”

Protecting Kii from behind, Koutarou tried to distance them from the strange group. Knowing that it might be dangerous, there was no way to try to push through them. It was even more dangerous with a child with him.

“Onii-chan! There are people behind us too!”

“What!?”

Before they knew it, a large number of people had appeared behind Koutarou and Kii. Like the people that had appeared in front of them, their ages and genders were all over the place as well. And as expected, they had the same strange atmosphere around them.

This alley was a straight line, and with both exits blocked, Koutarou and Kii couldn't get away.

Regardless of what's going on, this situation is a pain... What do I do?

Their escape had been cut off, and he still didn't know what the group was after, but he could sense their killing intent. It was hard to imagine that nothing would happen now. But there were too many to forcibly push through. It was possible if he had his sword and armor, but he had neither on him right now. On top of that, Kii was with him. It would be hard to protect her and escape while unarmed.

I guess I have to ask Clan for help...

Clan often used her bracelet to summon weapons. So it was possible that he might be able to have a weapon sent to him the same way. It would be best if he could have Signaltin sent to him, but he didn't know if it was possible.

I should have made preparations for situations like this...

Koutarou didn't believe that anyone would attack him in this age, and he would stand out far too much if he was running around wearing his weapon and armor, not to mention that it would introduce a different kind of danger. Comparing the risk of wearing his weapon and armor to the risk of coming across an enemy, the best bet would be not wearing his weapon and armor, but in the end, the enemy had appeared.

There was no use crying over spilled milk.

If the two could safely get out of this situation, Koutarou would ask Clan to make it possible to summon Signaltin using the bracelet.

“But for now.”

Koutarou touched the gem on the bracelet. That gem was a switch that could be configured to activate one of many functions, and in this case it opened a communications channel with Clan. One could call it speed dialing.

“Oh my, I can't have you call for help.”

However, Koutarou was unable to call Clan for help. That was because a woman had appeared from the darkness and attacked Koutarou with a large weapon. Koutarou was distracted by the groups in front of him and behind him while trying to get in touch with Clan. Because of that, it was perfect surprise attack.

“Uwah!?”

All that Koutarou could do was use his bracelet to deflect the large weapon, a scythe like the one the reaper is often shown using. He had been able to block the attack in the nick of time, but the bracelet was shattered.

“Oh... to think you could block that attack. Very impressive.”

The woman was wearing an indigo colored outfit with a darker indigo colored mantle on top. Koutarou hadn't noticed her presence partly because of this outfit. With this outfit, she could blend in with the darkness.

Because the hood of the mantle covered about half of her face and the fact that her large scythe was emitting a red glow, she looked like the reaper to Koutarou.

“As if, you were targeting this bracelet to begin with.”

Koutarou had been able to block the attack, but he was secretly panicking. It had only been because the woman was after the bracelet from the start that he had been able to block the attack. But if she had been after Koutarou's life instead, or after Kii's life, would he have been able to block it? Koutarou began doubting himself.

This is bad... she's calm...

What made Koutarou even more flustered was that the woman kept her calm. Her top priority was to keep Koutarou from calling for reinforcements. To her, their lives came second or lower.

To kill Koutarou, she would only have needed to step in a little further. However, since she wasn't sure of his capabilities she targeted his bracelet first. It would be problematic if he had been able to call for reinforcements if she had failed to kill him. After destroying his bracelet, killing him would be easy.

It was thanks to his experience with battles in Forthorthe that he could understand her plans. That's why Koutarou was panicking. The most dangerous thing on the battlefield wasn't a strong enemy, but a calm one.

“Aren't you a scary child, boy... To understand that at your age, I'm really glad I waited for you to separate from your friend.”

“Damnit!”

If she was just a strong enemy, she would surely use brute force when Koutarou and Clan were together. But that wasn't what she had done. Instead, she calmly waited for her chance. And that's why Koutarou was now in this predicament. Simple fighting power could easily be overcome by waiting for an opening.

“That's why I have something I would like to ask.”

The woman lowered her scythe and the tip of it hit the ground.

When it did, the people in front of and behind Koutarou and Kii stopped moving. They kept their distance and surrounded Koutarou and Kii.

...Is she these people's leader...?

Based off of the reaction the strange group showed, Koutarou felt like they were her followers. He couldn't imagine what kind of relationship they had, but if they were cooperating it was a problematic situation for him.

“Could you just hand that girl over?”

The mysterious woman stood in the center of a circle her strange group formed and pointed at Kii with her empty left hand.

“Kii-chan?”

Koutarou carefully watched his surroundings as he answered. He couldn't let his guard down for a moment.

“Yes, that's right. I want that girl.”

The shape of her mouth that was peeking out from under the hood changed to a smile. However, there was no friendliness in her smile. If anything, it was freezing cold.

“It's not like I live to fight. If possible, I don't want to fight with you, boy. Neither do you, right?”

They were gentle words on the surface, but it was obviously a threat. It was an old trick, to threaten your target after showing off your ability. It put pressure on the opponent, saying they would be killed if they didn't obey.

“Onii-chan.”

Kii grabbed onto Koutarou's sleeve. That action alone was enough to make Koutarou understand her feelings. She was afraid of the woman, and she didn't want to part with him. Koutarou touched Kii's hand and glared at the woman.

“What are you planning on doing with her? It doesn't look like you're here to take her back home.”

If she was just going to take back Kii home, there wouldn't have been a reason to attack Koutarou. The previous strike was enough to cut off his arm if it wasn't for the bracelet. She was quite clearly hostile.

“I believe it would be easier for you to hand her over before you hear that reason.”

“So you really are planning on killing her.”

Koutarou read her intentions based on the woman's behavior and words.

“Oh, I never mentioned such a thing?”

“What an obvious lie...”

“I just want to finish my job with ease. There's no ulterior motive.”

Seeing Koutarou's reaction, the mysterious woman smiled again. That smile was enough to convince Koutarou.

Her aim was Kii's life. It didn't look like she was planning on killing her here, but that was her ultimate goal.

Having realized that, Koutarou clearly refused.

“I won't let you have her. She's my precious friend!”

“Onii-chan!!”

Kii's expression brightened. She knew that their current situation was bad, but she was happy that Koutarou hadn't abandoned her. She was also happy that he had called her his friend.

“My, you're so suspecting. I never mentioned anything about killing her.”

The mysterious woman, still smiling, raised and held her scythe with both hands. She had expected this response based on how Koutarou had been reacting up until now. She wasn't as much of a pacifist as she made herself out to be, she was planning on fighting from the start. The words she had spoken had only been to measure Koutarou's ability.

We're outnumbered and unarmed. And my opponent is a mystery...

Koutarou took a stance and clicked his tongue in his mind. She had called Koutarou scary before, but he was the one scared. He himself was well aware that he had almost no chance of winning.

“Onii-chan...”

“It's okay. Just stay back a little.”

“O-Okay...”

But regardless of his chances, Koutarou had no choice but to fight. Behind him was a powerless Kii. He was the only one who could protect her, and since he knew that, he never had the option of abandoning her.

And like that, in order to not betray something within himself, Koutarou stepped up to fight a battle he knew he had almost no chance of winning.

Part 3

The mysterious woman made the first move. Since Koutarou had to protect Kii, he couldn't make any bold advances. Which naturally meant that she got to go on the offensive.

“If you've got something hidden up your sleeves, you should use it right away!! Do you think you have a chance to win when you're unarmed and going up against someone with a weapon!?”

“Show me an idiot that would fight and plan to lose!!”

“I don't hate people like you!!”

The mysterious woman's indigo mantle fluttered as she swung her large scythe at Koutarou. The wind pressure from her motion shook the hood of her mantle and revealed her face. She was about 20 years old, and Koutarou had not met her before.

“She's fast!? And that scythe isn't normal!!”

The mysterious woman moved fast. Despite using such a large scythe, it didn't look like the momentum of the scythe was affecting her. She swung her scythe and spun around like a spinning top. If anything, it looked like she was stabilized by spinning the scythe. Koutarou couldn't believe that that was possible with a top heavy scythe like that. This kind of movement would only be possible if she was swinging around a stick or cane. It was as if the blade itself didn't exist.

“That's because this blade doesn't have a physical form!”

“So that's why!!”

Koutarou twisted his body and the large scythe grazed him and tore up his clothes. He shivered when he saw that far too smooth cut. Despite her saying that the blade didn't have a physical form, the scythe was sharper than the real deal.

This scythe has been made by creating a blade-shaped barrier on the cane!! I can't be fooled by its classic shape!! This is on the same level as Theia or Clan.

The physical part of the scythe is the handle, which was originally a cane. And through some means, energy had been focused at the top of it and created a scythe's blade. As a result, it handled like a cane, but it had the power and range of a scythe, creating an absurd weapon.

Koutarou believed it was a product of technology, but it wasn't. The blade had been created by the woman's magic. Her name was Maya, a magician by the codename Dark Navy.

“Oh... it seems like you're a special boy.”

Maya stopped her attack and distanced herself. She then praised Koutarou.

This boy isn't just an ordinary child. It seems he's seen weapons made from energy before...

Maya had mentioned how the scythe worked to learn more about Koutarou. Against someone who had no knowledge of magic, the person wouldn't be able to understand even if they were told how it worked, or they would think they were being made fun of. Despite that, Koutarou instantly understood what it meant. That meant that Koutarou knew of magic, or something similar to it. Maya suspected that there wasn't much of a chance of Koutarou himself being a magician. If that had been the case, he should have used magic by now.

And I'm using strengthening magic to improve my physique and he's still keeping up...

Maya praised Koutarou because he was able to fight her while unarmed. When she had started her attack, she had cast a spell on herself to improve her power. Strengthening her muscles, increasing the speed of her reflexes and enhancing the activity in her brain. Because of that, she was fast. Since she was moving almost as fast as the human mind could handle, a normal person shouldn't be able to keep up with her. Despite that, Koutarou was somehow barely doing just that, and without a weapon.

Is he a natural Manafist? Or perhaps he's a Psionic Soldier? It's not just his physical prowess either, he seems to be quite experienced... I can't let me guard down just because he's unarmed. Who knows what tricks he might be hiding...

Though extremely rare, there are cases of natural magicians that could instinctively use magic without any training. But because this kind of magician doesn't have the awareness that they're magicians, they tend to focus their magic power on moving their body or maintaining their health. As a result, they end up as a kind of superhuman. The same thing could happen with ESP and spiritual energy. Maya suspected that Koutarou might be one of those.

And looking at how Koutarou moved his body, she noticed that he had an abundance of actual combat experience. The way he moved his legs and body were flawless. Those kind of movements could only be gained through repeated combat.

Koutarou was slower than Maya and he was unarmed, but he was more skilled than Maya. Because of that, he was able to fight against Maya, and this was the reason why she praised him as being special.

“I'm not very special myself. I've just been part of a few wars.”

“All truly strong people call themselves weak. And those who call themselves strong end up dying... It looks like I can't take it easy this time around.”

Maya smiled again and readied her scythe. Though her lips had formed a smile, the eyes peeking out from under hood did not.

“...An enemy on the same level as Theia, and I'm unarmed... Seriously, I'm not like landlord-san...”

Koutarou took a stance as well and grieved at his current predicament. However, he still hadn't given up.

“Onii-chan, don't get hurt.”

“I don't know if I can avoid it. But I'll give it a try.”

Kii was behind him. Regardless of his situation, he couldn't afford to lose. He just couldn't abandon her.

Victory goes to those who make the first move!!

Koutarou didn't want to go too far ahead and leave Kii, but he couldn't hold back against this opponent. She had a longer reach and more power. If he just sat there waiting, he wouldn't be able to get in range. Because of that, he had to charge in himself.

“You can do it, Onii-chan!!”

Receiving Kii's cheers, Koutarou dashed forward. As he did, he unleashed the spiritual energy that Sanae had planted in him to its very limit. That instantly increased his speed.

I'm counting on you, Sanae! Last just a little longer!

In reality, Koutarou's spiritual energy had been growing weaker and weaker. He wasn't capable of using it to begin with and he was only able to do so after Sanae had created routes in his body. However, since this practically meant that his original routes had been forcibly overwritten, his ability gradually weakened as time passed. When he had been with Sanae, she would regularly rewrite them, but quite some time had passed now. Because of that, he was at less than half of what he had been at the start. That was one of the reasons why Koutarou was slower than Maya. But right now, this was all he had. All he could do was pray that it lasted long enough for this battle to end.

“Good call, boy! You might even be able to beat me!”

“I'll wipe that smug off your face soon enough!!”

The scythe that Maya swung down grazed Koutarou's hair. While a portion of his bangs were floating in the air, Koutarou poured all of his force into his fist and thrust it towards Maya.

“Our weakness is that we're weak in close combat, but―”

However, Maya showed no signs of trying to dodge it. Koutarou's fist was travelling towards Maya's defenseless stomach.

What? No, keep going!!

Koutarou had noticed Maya's strange behavior, but he ignored it and continued thrusting his fist towards her. Hesitating in the fight would spell his doom.

“Through thorough preparation one can make up for that weakness.”

However, Koutarou's fist never reached Maya.

“Kuh, you've put up a barrier here too!?”

“Precisely!!”

Just before his fist was about to crash into Maya, it stopped like it had collided with a wall. Her defensive magic had stopped his attack. All of a sudden, a translucent yellow light had appeared and shielded Maya.

“Which means I can focus on just attacking!!”

Maya never had any intention to defend herself so she had already readied her next attack. Since she had such a large weapon, there were large openings. But relying on defensive magic, she could ignore those openings and focus on the offense. Surprisingly, if one could use powerful defensive spells, a large weapon could become a powerful tool for a magician.

“How about this!?”

The large scythe approached Koutarou. And on its way, it began emitting an indigo colored light.

I can't allow that to hit me!!

Koutarou instinctively sensed the danger and tried to distance himself by kicking off of Maya's handle. But that was when something strange happened.

“Kuh, you've put up a barrier here too!?... Huh!?”

After kicking the handle, Koutarou stopped moving and he repeated what he had said a few seconds ago. He was puzzled, the last thing he remembered was that he had just thrown his fist at Maya, but his body had just kicked off her scythe.

“Impossible, what just happened!?”

Maya didn't miss the opening Koutarou gave her and she removed her left hand from the scythe and pointed it towards Koutarou. And she spoke a bundle of words, as if she was reading a beautiful verse.

“Thunderbolt – Modifier – Short Range – And – Area Effect!”

A white flash. A powerful electric shock was released from Maya's hand. In contrast to her beautiful words, the effect they had brought were the opposite of beauty. The electric shock spread from her hand and assaulted Koutarou.

“Oh crap!?”

Koutarou noticed his own error and hurriedly moved to dodge. However, since Maya had set the effective area to be large, he couldn't completely avoid it.

When bathed by a powerful electric shock, people don't convulse like many people believe. They just receive a powerful impact and their entire body cramps up instantly. At the same time, they go numb and lose control of their body. And that's exactly what happened to Koutarou.

“Onii-chan!?”

“You really are special. You almost completely dodged it.”

Maya's favorite combination was challenging someone in close combat while covering her weapon with a spell that caused very short memory loss, and while her opponent temporarily stopped, she unleashed a wide area attack. No one apart from other magicians had dodged this attack up until now. Of course Koutarou hadn't dodged it either, but he had avoided the majority of the electricity. That was more than enough to surprise Maya.

“D-Damnit...”

Koutarou tried to get back up, but the damage he had taken was too heavy and he couldn't freely move his body.

Please move, body! I can't fall here!

Even then he didn't give up. Koutarou mustered all of his strength and forcibly moved his body. By doing that, his body somehow responded, and using his limbs as support, he forced himself to stand up. His movements were slow and awkward, like a zombie from a horror movie.

“Onii-chan!! A-Are you okay!?”

“...Yeah. Somehow.”

With a blue face he smiled at Kii. Of course, he wasn't in a state he could call okay. Right now, all he could do was stand up.

In the past, Yurika's defensive spell had been in effect. Back then, he probably wouldn't have taken this much damage from such an attack. But as time passed that spell had lost most of its effect. A long time had passed during while Koutarou and Clan were in Forthorthe. The powers he had gotten from the invading girls were reaching their limit.

“I won't lose, ever!!”

However, all Koutarou had lost was his power. Everything else he had gotten from the girls were still inside of him. And that let him stand up. If he didn't, he couldn't protect Kii. And he wouldn't be able to fulfill the promise and his oath.

“I must say I am surprised. To think you could stand in that state... wouldn't it be easier if you just stayed down?”

“Have you ever seen someone not struggle when they're drowning because it's easier that way?”

Koutarou formed a fist and glared at Maya. At the same time, he examined how Maya fought in his mind.

Even though I got up, I don't know what she did a moment ago. It felt like time flew out the window, it'll be problematic if that happens again...

In reality, he had lost a portion of his memory, but to Koutarou it felt as if time had stood still and his body had changed location. The problem was if he could deal with it if it happened again. Then there was the problem with the barrier protecting her. There was no end to his problems.

“...That's true.”

Maya calmly ignored his glare and readied her scythe. And she imagined what was going through Koutarou's head as he wasn't coming at her right away.

Even if he notices the gap in his memory, he won't believe that I erased it. But he'll suspect it was something I did... Which means the places he'll aim for will be limited...

While Maya focused on her own thoughts for a moment Koutarou began his move.

Making use of all the power he had left he was going to finish the fight now. His opponent used strange powers and a weapon, meaning that the longer the fight dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would become.

I won't miss this chance! This is that boy's scariest side!

Maya also began moving. She swung her scythe down towards Koutarou. The blade emitted an indigo colored light. Memory loss magic had been enchanted into the scythe this time as well.

“Uooooooooooooooooo!!”

“And his aim is...!”

The two clashed. Koutarou sent a kick towards Maya's lower body.

The barrier protecting Maya automatically activated upon being attacked. However, in order to get a good balance when running, she couldn't completely cover her legs. A slight gap was left in order for the barrier to not touch the ground. That was the point Koutarou aimed for.

“I thought so!!”

However, a different barrier blocked his attack. Having predicted that Koutarou would attack her feet, Maya had created another barrier inside that directly protected her feet.

“It's not over yet!!”

However, Koutarou didn't stop there. His real aim was Maya's face that had lowered in response to his attack. More precisely, it was the chin sticking out from under her mantle's hood.

“I see, you're attacking between the force field’s cool down time―”

Koutarou's fist grazed Maya's chin. Just from that grazing hit, her vision had been greatly distorted.

“It was too shallow!!”

Koutarou realized that his attack had failed and attempted to distance himself from Maya by moving to her side. Maya aimed for his back as he moved, but the shock from having her chin struck still hadn't settled and she ended up cutting the air.

“I thought so, she's not good at using multiple layers of defenses at the same time.”

When Koutarou turned back to Maya, she was grinning.

“Oh how scary. Just who are you?”

While stroking her chin, she showed a confident smile, but on the inside she was horribly surprised.

He took the fact that I use force fields for my defense into his calculations and forced me to create an additional force field by aiming for my feet. And waiting for the timing for it to disappear, he launched his real attack. During that time, since I'm using my magic power on my scythe's blade and two force fields, it creates a few seconds where I'm defenseless. He's strong...

Since Koutarou was used to using his armor's maneuver boosters, he was well versed in how barriers functioned. He couldn't draw more power than what the capacitor allowed for, and there was a slight time gap between when a barrier vanished and when it could be recreated. He didn't know if Maya's barriers had the same characteristics, but he suspected the chances were high that sustaining two barriers and a blade at the same time would be hard.

“But knowing that that's what you're going to do, I have ways to counter it.”

Maya cancelled the barrier protecting her, while her stance changed to a more defensive posture. She was going to use the scythe to defend herself as well. Since the blade didn't have a physical form, its defensive capabilities weren't those of a scythe, but of a cane. She had also enchanted the scythe with memory loss magic, so the moment Koutarou touched it, it would activate. Her strain was reduced, but her defense was improved and she was still as dangerous as before.

“That would be true if my next move was the same.”

Koutarou showed a confident smile as well.

Not good...

However, that smile was just a bluff. If Maya was going to defend using with her scythe as well, it would be hard for him to get through both that and any occasional barriers.

“I don't think there's anything else you can do though.”

“Then just bring it. You'll find out soon enough.”

While speaking, Koutarou desperately racked his brain. He had to break free from this situation and protect Kii.

“Then I'll take you up on your offer!”

However, before Koutarou could come up with his next plan, Maya began her attack. Koutarou was forced to stop thinking and moved to intercept her.

“Come on, what's wrong!? Don't you have an ace up your sleeve!?”

“Damnit!!”

Maya threw attack after attack at Koutarou and all he could do was avoid them.

Unlike before, Maya's attacks had smaller motions. All she had to do to begin with was touch Koutarou with the scythe enchanted with memory loss magic. She could make bigger attacks after that. And with her smaller motions, her attack speed increased and forced Koutarou onto the defensive. For the same reason, his windows for counter attacks shrank. The attacks he had thrown out in the gaps of her attacks were blocked through the scythe and barrier, and were ineffective.

“Onii-chan, you can do it!!”

Unable to silently watch, Kii cheered for Koutarou. Despite not having any experience fighting, she could tell that Koutarou was being cornered.

“Quit moving around!!”

However, even though she had him cornered, Maya was always one step short of finishing him off. That was thanks to the power to use spiritual energy that he still had within him. Koutarou predicted her attacks and dodged them at the last second. Eventually, Maya grew irritated and changed her tactics.

“Then how about this!! Flash!!”

“Oh crap!?”

All of a sudden a white flash appeared. It was far brighter than the electric shock from a moment ago. Koutarou temporarily lost his vision from that overly bright light.

“And!”

Maya spun around and struck him with the handle of her scythe.

Koutarou had no way to avoid it.

“Damnit!!... W-What, my eyes!?”

He was once again deprived of several seconds of his memory and that included the memory of losing his sight, leaving him at a complete standstill. In that time, Maya swung her scythe in a large motion. She no longer needed to worry about her form. With this attack that she put her entire weight into, she would finish Koutarou off.

“Onii-chan, look out!!”

“I see, this is that thing!!”

Kii screamed out a warning to the confused Koutarou. Thanks to that, he realized that he had taken one of Maya's attacks.

“You're too late!!”

Maya's attack was just about to hit. There was no longer any time to dodge it.

I'll get cut up! I won't make it!

Koutarou braced himself for getting cut. However, he wasn't planning on going down just like that.

“Now it's over!! Boy!!”

“No, not yet!!”

His ability to see spiritual energy let him see the scythe's trajectory. Koutarou crossed his arms and forcibly threw them at the scythe.

Thanks to his arms colliding with the handle, the scythe stopped after cutting into his shoulder. He had managed to avoid a fatal blow, but he had suffered heavy damage and large amounts of blood poured out from the wound on his shoulder.

“Onii-chan!?”

“Boy... you can't even properly see. Though you're an enemy, that's very impressive.”

Maya had planned to cut Koutarou in half in a single blow. However, Koutarou had still survived. Though he had taken a major blow, he was still alive and Maya couldn't help but praise him.

“I already told you!! That you'll find out soon enough!!”

Koutarou didn't stop. He endured the pain and forcibly grabbed onto Maya.

“I see, boy, so this is what you were planning!!”

Though her defenses might be tough, that wasn't the case when she made large attacks. He'd let her attack then close in. And even if he couldn't see, if he could grab a hold of her that wouldn't matter. This was his ace up his sleeve. It was an extremely dangerous bet where he put his own life on the line. But he had won that bet.

“I let my guard down!! He's used to fighting!!”

And while Koutarou was holding Maya down, he shouted out loud.

“Kii-chan, now's your chance to run away!!”

“But, I can't leave you behind Onii-chan!!”

“Just go!! They're after you!!”

Koutarou was regaining his vision. However, considering Maya's strength, the people around them and the damage he had taken, this was Kii's only chance to escape. Kii would have to break through the people around them by herself, but she could only do this now while Maya was pinned down.

“Onii-chan!! I'll go call for help right away!!”

Kii had objected at first, but she soon decided to listen to Koutarou. Maya was too strong, so Kii couldn't save Koutarou herself. She had to get through the people surrounding them and call for help. That was the best a six-year-old girl could do.

There... I might be able to get through that gap...!

Without letting her guard down, Kii found a slight gap between the buildings. It was so small that she would barely be able to get through with her small body. Kii ran towards it without hesitation.

“I won't let you!! You guys, don't let her get away!!”

Despite being held down by Koutarou, Maya wasn't going to let Kii get away. Since she couldn't move, she ordered the people around them to capture her. Obeying her orders, they chased after Kii.

“Kyaaaaaa!! Noooo, let go!!”

Kii screamed.

Sadly, Kii was captured by the people being manipulated by Maya. Since they were outnumbered, it was hard for her to escape.

“Kii-chan!?”

Koutarou couldn't tell what had happened to Kii since he was in the middle of a struggle. But he understood that she was in danger from her scream.

“Hey now, I'm your opponent!”

In the moment that Koutarou focused on Kii, Maya punched Koutarou's shoulder.

“Guaaaaaaaaaa!!”

Koutarou was struck with a numbing acute pain. Since the punch had been thrown in the way to forcibly open his wound, the pain felt like a blisteringly hot metal rod was pushed up against him. And with this blow, his bleeding got even worse, dying his clothes red with his blood.

“You did well, boy, really! But!”

Maya kept her fist pressed against Koutarou's wound and focused on it. She was going to shoot magic directly into him. It was hard to use magic when in close combat. She couldn't even get a proper grip on her cane. However, Koutarou showed an opening after her blow, so with Maya's high skills, she should be able to cast simple spells. And even a simple spell could be fatal when injected directly into him through the wound on his shoulder.

“Guaaaaaaa!!”

While focusing on her spell, Maya continued to attack Koutarou's wound. He was about to pass out from the acute pain and hemorrhaging. Normally he would have resisted, but right now he wasn't able to.

“Onii-chan, Onii-chan!! Let go of Onii-chan!!”

That was when Kii's voice jumped into his mind as he was fading away.

Kii-chan is... crying again...

Kii was screaming, and it wasn't because she had been captured. She was screaming for Koutarou's sake as he was being attacked.

I have to do something... something... so she can live happily... she's already cried more than enough...

An image of Kii crying appeared in Koutarou's mind. He wanted her smile to return, but he didn't know how. He couldn't move his body and the enemy's attack was around the corner.

What... What can I do to keep her from crying...? Just what...

At this moment, all that Koutarou could think of was about doing something. However, with him being unable to do anything, Maya began her incantation.

“Quick And Still Cast – Tiny Explosion!!”

Maya had cast a basic explosive spell that could be cast even in a grappling match that omitted the need for motions. As her incantation finished, her fist began glowing red. If she slammed that fist into Koutarou again, the spell would activate.

“It's over, boy!!”

Maya was convinced of her victory, and swung her fist dyed red by blood and magic at Koutarou again. It was obvious that at this rate the spell would cause an explosion from the inside of his shoulder that would blow his arm away.

“Stoooooop!!”

Kii screamed, but that wouldn't stop Maya. Her fist headed straight for Koutarou.

“It will be okay...”

However, just before the fist was about to rob Koutarou of his life, it happened.

A white light appeared around his shoulder. The light enveloped his shoulder and at the same time created a round shield protecting it from Maya's fist. It was because of that shield that Maya's attack had been unable to reach Koutarou.

“Impossible!? He cast a force field in this state without any signs!? He even erased my magic!?”

Aghast, Maya quickly distanced herself from Koutarou.

The range might be limited, but he just cast a force field without any motion or incantation, and it even has properties of anti-magical shield!! And what is with this pure white magic power!? I've never heard of this kind of magic power!!

Maya couldn't understand what had just happened in front of her very eyes. It was something that surpassed a magician's common sense. It was a powerful attack that shouldn't have been able to be blocked.

But what perplexed her the most was the color of the magic power around Koutarou. Normally, magic power was separated into the seven colors of the rainbow. Summoning was blue, defense was yellow and so on. However, a white color surrounded Koutarou. A magic power that shouldn't exist was protecting him.

That's not possible... The wound on his shoulder is closing... A single type of magic is protecting, degenerating and healing at the same time... Just who is this boy?

Maya distanced herself from Koutarou because she feared the unknown magic power that he was controlling. Her intuition as a warrior told her that he was currently very dangerous.

“Just what is...”

However, Koutarou was just as surprised. All of a sudden a white light had appeared, blocked Maya's attack and was now healing the wound on his shoulder. It was only natural for him to be astonished.

Ah...

However, Koutarou had a memory of this light, no, this white magical power. It was the same magical power as Signaltin emitted.

“I see, her majesty saved me...”

Koutarou could feel Alaia's presence from the magical power. It was the same as when he used Signaltin. Even with Signaltin far away from Koutarou's hands, Alaia's oath continued to protect him.

“You guys, stop that boy!”

Maya was quick to give up. By the time Koutarou began emitting an unknown power, she gave up on the battle and decided to prioritize her original goal.

“You're coming with me.”

“Noo, Onii-chan!!”

Maya sent the people she was controlling after Koutarou while she was going to restrain Kii and make a run for it.

If I'm going to fight against that boy, I'd prefer it if that was my only goal. If I were to use a proverb, it would be 'if I were to chase after two hares, I would fail to catch either'!

Maya had assumed that her battle with Koutarou would end quickly. However, that hadn't been the case. At this rate, if she continued fighting against Koutarou who had an unknown power, she might be unable to use Kii as a sacrifice. She calmly decided to take Kii with her first.

“Wait!! Leave her behind!!”

“Fufu, let us meet again if fate allows it, boy!”

“Onii-chan!!”

Kii struggled as best as she could to get away, but she lost consciousness after Maya cast a spell. Maya then left the area while carrying Kii. Koutarou wanted to chase after her right away, but he couldn't break through the group blocking his path. On top of that, the wound on his shoulder still hadn't healed, nor had he fully recovered from the other damage he had taken during the battle. Then there was the problem that he couldn't hurt the group.

“Kuh, I don't have time for this!”

Koutarou swung his fist and began injuring the people in his way. However, their numbers just weren't reducing. Since Signaltin's power was being directed at keeping him conscious and healing his wounds, he couldn't attack the way he wanted. Of course, since he was receiving power remotely, at the very best some power was discharged as he punched. Because of that, Koutarou couldn't move even after he had completely lost sight of Maya.

“Dammit, at this rate she's going to kill Kii!”

Koutarou started panicking as he realized that Maya and Kii were gone. The longer the time passed, the lower the chances of him finding Kii would become. And his frustration towards the group in front of him, whose numbers just weren't decreasing, grew rapidly.

“Kanae-san, the bow.”

“Okay! I'm counting on you, Nana-chan!”

“Sonic Web – Modifier – Non Lethal – Charge Weapon – Effective Area Large!”

That was when a single arrow was fired into the group of people in Koutarou's way. That arrow had just flown past them, but the people in the line of fire were sent flying. As a result, a path opened up for Koutarou.

“What just happened!?”

Since the people he had been fighting fainted Koutarou looked around him. That was when he spotted two people about ten meters behind.

One of them was a woman in her late twenties wearing a suit and holding a bow. The other was a girl wearing a pink mantle. Koutarou hadn't seen the woman with the bow before, and he couldn't recognize the girl because the mantle’s hood covered her face. They were a strange duo that he had no recollection of meeting before.

Did they... help me?

He wasn't sure, but that was all he could think of considering the situation. To confirm his suspicions, he called out to them.

“Who are you!?”

“There's no time to talk! You have to hurry after that vixen!”

As the woman with the bow said that, she readied for another shot. And her next shot cleared the crowd in front of Koutarou again.

“But...”

Koutarou couldn't make up his mind right away. They were a mysterious duo that had just shown up all of a sudden, and while Koutarou was hesitating, the girl in the pink mantle spoke.

“Listen!! That woman in the indigo mantle and us are enemies!! We want to chase after her!! But we can't leave this place like it is!!”

“That voice is...”

Koutarou had heard this voice before.

Is that... the girl from that time?

The voice of the girl wearing the pink mantle sounded very similar to that of the girl that had appeared in the mountain forest when Koutarou was alleviating Kii's nightmare.

“If you chase after her we can focus on this place!! We're better at dealing with this kind of thing than you!!”

“Okay, leave it to me!!”

Koutarou shouted that back to the girls and rushed through the path created by the arrow.

There's no time to hesitate! I just have to believe in that girl!

At this rate, Kii would die sooner or later. In order to avoid that, he had no choice but to believe in the duo. And if that girl in the pink mantle was the girl that had appeared that night, he should be able to believe in her. Because there should be powerful and gentle eyes beneath that mantle's hood.

“Raaaaaaaaaaa.”

The people being controlled let out cries as they tried to stop Koutarou who was trying to break away. However, another arrow came flying through and sent the people who were about to jump onto him flying.

“Thank you!!”

As a result, only two managed to reach him. And if it was just two, he could evade them with swift moves. Before long, Koutarou broke free from the group surrounding him and vanished as he chased after Maya.

“Nana-chan, was that guy that necromancer?”

While drawing the bow, the woman in the suit called out to the girl in the mantle. The arrow had been enchanted with the girl in mantle's powers. Once fired, the arrow unleashed its power and numbed the people approaching them and forced them to a stop.

“Yes. I am certain that he can pull it off.”

The girl in the pink mantle pulled out a cane. With its many decorations, it was hard to imagine that it was used for walking. It was a tool that enhanced her powers, the partner she had always fought alongside with.

“He had such earnest eyes, after all.”

“But that doesn't change the fact that it's dangerous. We have to release these people and chase after him!”

The girl in the mantle held her cane above her head. As she did, her hood shifted and revealed her face. Just like Koutarou had suspected, it was the girl he had met that night.

In the current situation, she believed their best chance was to let Koutarou go on ahead. Considering her goal, she wanted to chase after Maya right away, however Koutarou was struggling against the crowd of enemies, and she couldn't leave people being controlled on their own. Because of that, she sent Koutarou on ahead while they would release the people being controlled before chasing after him. This was a plan that put a great deal of faith in Koutarou's abilities, but she was confident in her intuition. Though she looked young, she was a warrior that had survived many battles.

“Kanae-san. I'll leave it to you for a while!”

“Okay, I'll buy you some time!”

Her name was Nana, however those who knew her called her Rainbow Nana with respect.

Nana was a magician of Rainbow Heart, the regular army of the magical kingdom of Folsaria. At a young age of ten years old, she was a prodigy that held the highest rank of arc wizard, earning her the title of Rainbow. And at the same time, she was the strongest magical girl in Rainbow Heart who stood at the frontlines and battled Folsaria's enemy, Darkness Rainbow.

Part 4

Thanks to the help of the mysterious duo, Koutarou had been able to escape the alley and was now chasing down Maya by following her aura. However, the trace was hard to distinguish and she would pass by populated streets from time to time, blending her aura in with the people who were on their way home, which meant that it took time for him to pick up her track. And the longer time passed, the weaker the remains of her aura grew.

“If only Sanae was with me at a time like this...”

Sanae would probably have been able to easily follow after Maya. This was Koutarou's limit as his powers grew weaker. But this was his only choice. He continued chasing after Maya's trace as he started panicking.

About 15 minutes had past after leaving the mysterious duo behind, Maya's aura passed by another populated street.

“This is bad...”

At this point, the traces of Maya's aura were barely visible. Because of that, on a populated street such as this, other people's auras covered Maya's aura and hid it. Koutarou was at a loss as he had finally lost sight of Maya.

Where did she go...? Should I just check every nearby alley one at a time...?

Because it was a major street, there were many connecting roads. Checking each and every single one of them as the only trace of Maya slowly faded was the only way. It was a difficult and time-consuming undertaking.

“Dammit.”

Hesitating will just take more time, reducing the chances of him being able to find Kii. With no time left, Koutarou swiftly made up his mind and took action.

“I finally found you, Bertorion.”

And just as Koutarou had left the populated street to check one of the roads, he heard a familiar voice from above.

“Clan!?”

“W-Wait, what's with that wound on your shoulder!! Are you okay!? Did you properly treat it!?”

Koutarou looked up and saw a mass of metal about a meter above him. It was Clan's unmanned observation device that had seen much use. The observation descended to the same level as Koutarou's head and began spinning around him. Clan was examining Koutarou's body to confirm that he was alright.

“Good timing, Clan!!”

Koutarou smiled and grabbed the observation device with both of his hands and began shaking it up and down.

“Eeeeh!? W-What!?”

As he did, Clan's expression, displayed by a hologram, turned into one of confusion.

“Clan, do you know where Kii is right now!?”

“Kii was that child, wasn't she? Oh yeah, you're not together.”

The observation device rotated its cameras looking for Kii. Koutarou then shook it once more.

“I'm in a hurry!! Do you know where she is or not!?”

Clan was surprised by Koutarou's attitude, but she nodded.

“I-I know. When I gave you your bracelet, I also gave that girl a transmitter to―”

“Well done!! I love you, Claaan!!”

Hearing Clan's answer, Koutarou showed a radiant smile. And he began shaking the observation device even more than before. Since he had just lost sight of Maya, Koutarou was incredibly happy.

“Eeeeeeeeeh!? Y-You love me!? B-But, even if you say that all of a sudden, I-I'm not prepared...!!”

Clan was so shaken by what Koutarou had said that her face turned red.

“Quit your yapping!! Clan!! Where is Kii!? Where is she right now!?”

And after obtaining a clue towards Maya and Kii's whereabouts, Koutarou started up his pursuit again.

Part 5

The transmitter Clan had placed on Kii was still present. Either Maya hadn't noticed it or she couldn't tell what it was because it was from Forthorthe.

Clan used her observation device to follow the transmitters response and guided Koutarou. As he ran after the observation device, he explained what had happened to Clan.

“...And then those two let me go on ahead, and that's why I'm chasing after Kii.”

“Since she's being targeted, it must mean that she's not just some runaway child.”

“Yeah. Looks like it. Her father might be the president of a company or something.”

Maya was quite clearly after Kii. If she was just after a child, she wouldn't go through the trouble of targeting Kii who was with Koutarou. It would be easier targeting a child that was on its own. Maya must have a reason to target Kii specifically.

“I'm also not so sure about that mysterious duo.”

“They're probably not bad people.”

“You believe in people too easily.”

“Really? Well, it's not like I fully trust them like I do with you, but I don't think there's any need to worry. That's just how I feel.”

There wasn't much of a reason for Koutarou to trust in the duo. All he had to go after was what they had said, and the earnest eyes of the girl in the mantle. Neither of them were certain signs.

But Koutarou didn't really doubt them. They had let him get away, and if they were after his life they would have taken it in that alley. It would have been easy had they shot him in the back. They also attacked with care to not kill the people being controlled. Those were all circumstantial evidence, but he had no reason to doubt it.

“...F-Fully trust...?”

“What's with that weird face?”

“Ahem, i-it's nothing!”

Clan blushed as her face turned red. And when Koutarou questioned her, she coughed and looked away.

This is strange... Why I am getting so happy...

When she had first met Koutarou, she had despised him and only seen him as an enemy. Hearing that he now trusted her, she was puzzled by the emotions she was feeling.

“By the way, Clan, why were you around here? I couldn't contact you.”

“W-Well, you see.”

Clan stopped what she was saying to take a deep breath. She still hadn't fully recovered from her restless state.

“I received a warning that the bracelet had broken and Signaltin began shining, so I understood that something was up.”

“So that's why you came looking. Thanks, you're a big help.”

“T-There's no need for thanks. We're in the same boat after all.”

“That's true.”

Being thanked by Koutarou caused Clan's heart to start racing again.

Trust, huh... but if I were to do something against Theiamillis-san, Bertorion would most likely be fuming...

She didn't want to betray Koutarou as a feeling deep inside Clan's heart that wanted him to respect her as a princess began budding. That was a large change for the girl who spent all of her time inside a laboratory and didn't speak with others often.

If she were to listen to that desire, she should fight against Theia, fair and square. Assassinating her was out of the question. More than that, she began believing that dealing with something through fighting wasn't something a respectable princess did.

This was the complete opposite of the policy she had gone by before she came to Earth. And that led her to realize something.

“But with this, I can understand why I lost when I fought against you.”

In the past, when Clan had lost to Koutarou, it had been because she wasn't a splendid princess that her citizens could brag about. She had finally been able to reach that conclusion after all that had happened.

“What do you mean?”

“It's Signaltin. Even though we'll be frozen for ten years, that sword will still be in this city. That sword has always been protecting you, that's why I lost.”

In the world of magic, there were spells that could manipulate time. That meant that magical power wasn't restricted by time, and could move around freely.

Signaltin had been on Earth for over ten years. The physical Signaltin might have been frozen on time onboard the Cradle, but its magical power wasn't restrained the same way and if needed it would leave the ship to protect Koutarou, and those he wanted to protect. That was the true identity of the mysterious power that Koutarou had sometimes used.

However, even then it wasn't capable of rewriting the basic laws of physics, as the energy form could only manifest in a nearby time and distance. That was why its magical power couldn't reach Koutarou 2,000 years back in ancient Forthorthe. In order for him to use its power, the seal had to be broken first.

“I see... so back when Sanae was captured...”

“I am not aware of that event, but that was most likely why. Signaltin, no, Alaia-san's will protected you all.”

The sword that had been imbued by Alaia's oath, the oath of the most respected princess in all of Forthorthe's history, had sided not with Clan, but with Koutarou. In other words, it proved that Clan wasn't worthy of being royalty.

Will Signaltin protect me in the future, I wonder... I am more worried about that than becoming empress...

Most likely from having realized that fact, Clan was no longer as obsessed with becoming empress as she was in the past. Even if she were to become empress, if Signaltin rejected her, it would practically be for nothing.

What was most important was whether Signaltin considered her worthy of protecting or not. Was she a worthy royalty to Alaia's will? Was she worthy of obtaining Koutarou's loyalty?

And from the moment when Clan had clearly realized that, Theia became her most powerful rival.

“That's right, about Signaltin, could you send it to me? Just like the way you always summon weapons, you know.”

Warping in weaponry was a convenient technology. If Koutarou could use holes in space-time to freely retrieve Signaltin, he would have an easier time in future fights.

“It's not possible right away. It will take time to register it.”

However, Clan shook her head.

Forthorthe's technology seemed all powerful, but there were limits. In order to use the space-time holes the necessary preparations had to be made. Since objects could be recreated in case of a failure, they didn't take as long as living creatures, but precise measurements and various parameters had to be calculated. It would be impossible to finish preparations right away.

“I see... Clan, if Signaltin is going to take some time, could you send me a different weapon?”

If Signaltin wasn't possible, he at least wanted a weapon that Clan had made. Koutarou trusted Clan's weapons as much as he trusted Signaltin.

“Time? That's right, Bertorion, the time!”

However, Clan responded in an unexpected manner. Her expression grew stiff and she leaned forward. Because of that Clan's hologram being emitted from the observation device looked like she was about to kiss Koutarou.

“What is it Clan?”

“I don't want to hear that!! Isn't it around now that your mother is killed in an accident!?”

“Right, I forgot about that!!”

Because of Maya's ambush, Koutarou had temporarily forgotten about it, but the time before his mother was about to die in accident was rapidly closing in.

“What time is it right now!?”

“On this planet, the time is 6:50PM.”

“So I'll just barely make it from here...”

Koutarou was about ten minutes away from the site of the accident. The accident happened just after 7PM. So in order for Koutarou to save his mother, he would have to head there right now.

“However... I can't just leave Kii-chan be...”

Koutarou stopped and began grinding his teeth. Should he go chase after Kii, or save his mother? Koutarou was once again forced to make a decision. If he chased after Kii, his mother would die. On the other hand, if he chose to save his mother, Kii would die.

“Clan, do you have a map of this area?”

“I'm sorry, I do not. If I had known this would have happened, I would have made more thorough preparations...”

Clan looked down with an apologetic expression. Because her calculations had been imperfect, she felt responsibility for the situation that had occurred.

“No, it couldn't be helped.”

Koutarou didn't blame Clan, but he ground his teeth even harder as he started panicking.

He had wondered if he could send Clan's observation device to save his mother. However, since Clan wasn't familiar with this city, it would be hard for her to reach the site without a map. He also didn't have the time to give her detailed directions. It was also too late for Clan to observe the region and create a map.

Maya's sudden ambush had created a complicated situation, and Koutarou found himself unable to decide if he should save his mother or if he should save Kii.

“What will you do, Bertorion!?”

“I-I...”

If he ran to save his mother, the round trip would take 20 minutes. And it was likely that Kii would lose her life in that time. On the other hand, if he saved Kii, he wouldn't have the time to save his mother.

What should I do!? I don't know what to do!!

Kii or his mother, Koutarou was forced to choose one of their lives.

Koutarou was not a god.

There was no method of saving both.

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