When Ataraxia entered battle situation with Vatlantis army, Amaterasu was at Vatlantis Empire theater. They were waiting for their turn at the waiting room of their exclusive floor, but they weren’t called no matter how long they waited.

“Just what in the world is going on?”

Himekawa who sat on the sofa was supporting her head with her hands on her cheeks. The curtain rising time was approaching, so she was already wearing her stage costume.

Sylvia put on her stage costume’s skirt and pulled up the waist fastener.

“I guess desu. It’s also strange that there is no contact at all desu.”

Normally Marisu and the staffs frequently came, being too helpful in this and that. But, just for today there was no one who showed their face. Himekawa stood up and took out a water bottle from the refrigerator.

“The performance today is cancelled isn’t it?”

Yuris.h.i.+a who was in her underwear murmured whi;e looking outside the window.

“Eh! What do you mean?”

Himekawa was shocked and rushed toward Yuris.h.i.+a with a bottle in one hand.

“Just look at that.”

The window was created from transparent material without any joint at its surface from the window until the floor. Due to the faint magic power flowing in the material, the transparency of the window for the people looking from outside could be changed. Right now it was set so no one could see from outside, so even with Amaterasu standing beside the window, they wouldn’t be noticed by the fans below.

Himekawa and Sylvia also stood near the window and looked outside. There, they could see a great number of fans bursting out from the entrance. Furthermore they were striving to be ahead of each other as if escaping from something.

“Certainly the situation is strange isn’t it?”

“Ah! Something s.h.i.+ned in the sky just now desu!”

When Yuris.h.i.+a focused her eyes, there were several lights blinking at further ahead of the third castle wall.

“This is……I wonder if there is even war starting right now.”

Sylvia was looking up with anxious face.

“But, which country is the opponent desu? Is it Izgard desu?”

“That’s half correct.”

The door of the waiting room opened and Marisu entered inside.

“Marisu! Where were you until……no, rather than that what is happening?”

Yuris.h.i.+a’s question was answered by Marisu dispa.s.sionately without her expression changing.

“Izgard and Lemuria’s allied force pa.s.sed through the Entrance and invaded this Zeltis you see.”

“What did you say!?”

Himekawa’s look changed from idol to a soldier all of a sudden.

“We cannot be like this! We too need to be there.”

“That’s right desu! At this rate, Zeltis will become a battlefield desu!”

“……I guess. Marisu, we too will go there.”

However Marisu answered coldly.

“My, that is no good you know.”

From behind Marisu, unfamiliar silhouettes entered the waiting room without any reserve. With sharp looks, four knights in red and white uniform lined up in front of the three of them.

“Imperial guard!?”

Himekawa’s expression stiffened in surprise.

The imperial guards were holding gunswords. It was a rifle type with length around 1.5 meter with behind its stock becoming sword, it was a weapon unique for the imperial guard. The gun muzzles of those gunswords were aimed at Amaterasu. However Yuris.h.i.+a didn’t lose her nerve and walked toward the imperial guards with a smile.

“I wonder what business the imperial guard have here? Aiming such thing at national idols like us――”

An imperial guard pushed her gun muzzle at Yuris.h.i.+a’s chest, as if to stop her.

“――, you are serious?”

Cold sweat oozed out at Yuris.h.i.+a’s forehead.

“Marisu-san!”

Marisu only brushed off her hair as if to ignore Himekawa’s sorrowful yell.

“Please be obedient. I don’t want to hurt all of you.”

After gritting her teeth vexedly, Yuris.h.i.+a spoke as if to spit out.

“……I misjudged you. After all you are nothing but our observer from the beginning aren’t you? Then, we will escape even if it’s with brute force.”

Marisu’s shoulders dropped and she sighed.

“Haa……even though I thought that Yuris.h.i.+a-chan is a little wiser than that, this is unfortunate.”

The gunsword pressed at Yuris.h.i.+a’s chest fell on the floor with a clatter.

“Eh?”

Yuris.h.i.+a was taken aback of what happened in front of her eyes.

Marisu’s right leg that extended straight sunk into the neck of the imperial guard.

“That’s whyyy……I told you to wait a little until the hindrances are getting taken care of.”

“――Wha,”

The imperial guard members at the side aimed her gunsword in panic at Marisu.

However Marisu’s sword hand chopped at her throat before that.

“Ga……-!”

Anguished voice leaked out and the imperial guard collapsed with the white of her eyes exposed.

However as expected from the imperial guard which was an elite group. The remaining two imperial guard members recovered their calm and pincer attacked Marisu from back and front.

In order to avoid hitting friendly fire, the changed their hold with the gun at the opposite direction and slashed at Marisu with sword. Marisu splendidly evaded the simultaneous attack from back and front. It was like she also had eye in the back of her head.

The imperial guard at the front slashed diagonally from above, the attack that would bisect the body into two was swung at Marisu.

In the eye of the imperial guard member, it was like the figure of Marisu disappeared in an instant. Marisu spread her legs and her posture lowered as if she was crawling on the floor.

“Kuh!”

The imperial guard member at the back swung down her sword without a moment’s delay. However Marisu’s super low kick that slid on the floor scooped out her feet below.

“Ah!”

The imperial guard behind completely had her balance broken and collapsed on the floor. However during that time, the imperial guard member at the front aimed the gun muzzle at Marisu.

“――!!”

She would be shot.

Just when Marisu resolved herself for that, the imperial guard at the front slumped down on her knees.

In the eyes of the surprised Marisu, there was the figure of Yuris.h.i.+a standing behind the imperial guard member reflected.

“The finis.h.i.+ng is too soft there♪”

The remaining imperial guard member leaped far behind from the unexpected combat skill of Marisu.

“This traitor……”

Light of magic power traveled the body of the imperial guard member.

Marisu and Yuris.h.i.+a’s complexion changed.

‘――Magic armor!?’

As expected if they let her equip magic armor, they would be helpless.

The imperial guard member opened her mouth to yell the Core’s name.

“Gi――”

A water bottle stabbed into that mouth.

“!? ……!!”

Himekawa that was near the window threw the bottle in her hand with a splendid throwing form.

The imperial guard member spit out the bottle in panic.

“Gehoh! Gahah!”

She was glaring at Himekawa while choking, burning up with rage.

Snapped into action, Yuris.h.i.+a and Marisu rushed to the imperial guard member. Leaping over the two, Sylvia’s body danced in the air.

“HAAAA!”

Sylvia’s small body rotated in the air. The fierce centrifugal force turned the small leg into a brutal weapon. The kick that possessed destructive force several times Sylvia’s body weight struck the chin of the imperial guard member.

“Gah……!?”

Her consciousness was reaped with the attack, the imperial guard member crumbled down and collapsed.

Sylvia who landed beautifully sighed in relieve and pressed on her chest to calm her violent heartbeat.

“As expected of Amaterasu isn’t it! Everyone, nice support there-!”

Yuris.h.i.+a was irritated at Marisu who was making a peace sign with a smile.

“Nice support there-……that’s not it! You, just what do you want to do?”

Himekawa questioned Marisu with a dubious face.

“Rather Marisu-san, just who are you?”

That question was most right.

Previously when Himekawa and others tried to escape, Marisu couldn’t oppose the three. In the end at that time, they gave up running away due to Marisu’s persuasion, but Marisu’s strength was weak and it was absurd for her to be skilled in hand to hand. However looking at her skill just now, they had the feeling that previously she might just hiding her true strength. Marisu puffed her chest and answered the doubting gazes of the three.

“I am the producer of the three of you of Amaterasu.”

“But, that is not a skill of just a mere producer isn’t it?”

Marisu smiled thinly at Yuris.h.i.+a who was sternly pursuing the question.

“No. I’m just a mere producer. Before I was in the subjugation army though.”

The subjugation army was different with the imperial guard that was mainly composed by n.o.bles, it was a troop that was composed from the common people and the people of the countries absorbed by Vatlantis.

“I lost a lot of friends there……wait, this is not the time for something like my life story! Now, we have to hurry! Follow me!”

She threw the stage costume at Yuris.h.i.+a who was only in her underwear and Marisu then rushed out to the corridor.

“Wai……Marisu? You……”

“Don’t grumble about trivial things! Run, run!”

They didn’t understand what was going on at all. However drawn in by the momentum of Marisu, Yuris.h.i.+a rushed out to the corridor. She was holding her stage costume chasing Marisu’s behind. And then after her, Himekawa and Sylvia ran after her.

“E, err, Marisu-san. What are Sylvia and the others going to do desu?”

Marisu answered the question thrown at her back without stopping her legs.

“This war is meaningless. By the time Genesis collapsed, this war won’t accomplish anything.”

While getting down the small stair, Himekawa spoke as if to appeal.

“We understand that. But, to stop the fighting, we have to come out and fight in the battlefield too.”

“What stupid thing are you saying! The three of you have even more powerful weapon right!”

“……Eh?”

When they came out from the cramped and small path, their sight suddenly opened.

A large stage. A lot of lights. Gigantic speaker. Inside the s.p.a.cious auditorium were fully packed with seats.

“This place is……a stage?”

Marisu turned to look at the Amaterasu and spread both her hands widely.

“There is only one thing to do for the three of you! It’s to entertain the audiences in the stage!”

However there was no one in the audience seats. The whole theater was deserted.

“Audiences you say……wasn’t everyone went home just now?”

Marisu glared at the three with a bold smile.

“The audience is the all the citizens of Zeltis! Also all the idiots that right now are killing each other outside!”

The three Amaterasu stared at Marisu’s face for a while from too much shock.

“Are you listening? Right now, the citizens of Zeltis are falling into panic. The horde of people that are taken by terror doesn’t understand what they are doing. Also the fighters that have their blood rus.h.i.+ng to their head are also the same. Due to the terror of the battle, they are fighting without thinking of anything, they don’t even understand why they are fighting. Make that kind of bunch to recover back their calmness, with the song of all of you!”

Marisu clicked her fingers and the lighting of the stage lit up all at once.

In front of the three, the stage illuminated by dazzling light was s.h.i.+ning glitteringly. It was a large scale stage that was designed as a beautiful castle. It had steps where the highest step had the height around a three floor building.

The three were looking up at this stage with deep emotion. This was the battlefield the three of them and Marisu were fighting at these few months combining their strength. There was the fact that this was for the people of the enemy country, but they scattered dream and delight until now. That was for the sake of escaping from the prison, it was also even for the sake of obtaining freedom and influence in this country. It was also for the sake of their self-interest that their might be a chance to escape or leaked out information when they would be going to earth for propaganda.

Even though what they were doing should be only for that.

Now when they thought that death and danger were approaching the people of this Zeltis, their hearts hurt.

Even if they didn’t say it out loud, the three of them felt the same pain in their hearts.

“……But, can we, Sylvia and the other do it desu?

Marisu smiled amusedly at Sylvia who was looking up at her anxiously.

“Who can do this other than the three of you? The three of you, are the superstars produced by this me!”

Yuris.h.i.+a showed a provocative smile.

“Isn’t that interesting. Whether it will be our entertainment that win, or the magic weapons and bullets that win. Let’s have a match.”

Himekawa also nodded.

“That’s so. What we can do right now……the thing that only we can do. Let’s do that. With all our might!”

“Sylvia is……”

At that time, the figure of Ragrus who she was reunited with at the hospital was resurrected in Sylvia’s mind. Because she beat her in Tokyo, Ragrus lost her previous life and memory.

Her brilliant smile, her laugh because she loved Sylvia’s song and dance floated in Sylvia’s eyes. Sylvia clenched her fist.

“Sylvia will also do her best desu! We will absolutely protect desu!”

“OK! Then, hurry and prepare! It looks like your comrades are also waiting already!”

“Comrades? Don’t tell me……”

Yuris.h.i.+a frowned and a loud voice came from the stage.

“Slow! What are you guys doing!”

Masters were looking down at them from the highest steps of the stage. At the center was Scarlet with her arms crossed and her chest puffed out proudly.

“Our side has already getting ready since a while ago! Amaterasu will be the second, this Masters is the first to arrive here!”

Scarlet faced Yuris.h.i.+a and pointed her finger with a snap.

The three Amaterasu looked at each other and unintentionally snorted.

“Wai……just what is funny here! Oy-, don’t laugh!”

Himekawa answered while wiping the tear that oozed out from laughing too much.

“My apologize. Exactly as Scarlet-san said, this time Masters is the first.”

“Yes desu!”

“I guess. In a certain meaning the carefreeness of all of you is the strongest.”

Scarlet made a complicated face and turned back at her Masters comrade.

“Hey, what do you thing that means?”

“That’s praising us right?”

“Is that so? It also feels sarcastic somewhere……”

While Masters was having their team meeting, Marisu was talking with the staffs.

The demo for the sound check began to flow from the speaker. When they looked carefully, there were the staffs for lighting and sound effect even though they were few. Most likely they were people with the same feeling like Marisu.

“Is the broadcast preparation ok?”

Marisu was confirming with the staffs using a loud voice.

“We can go anytime!”

“Then, you girls go with the same set list like the previous joint live!”

“Roger! Leave it to us!”

Masters were waving their hands from above the stage’s step.

“We also have no problem here.”

Marisu came in front of Yuris.h.i.+a who was wearing her stage costume and answered full of confidence.

“Then, how about I release the nuisance collar before we start?”

Saying that, Marisu extended her hand to Yuris.h.i.+a’s neck.

“……huh?”

Marisu whispered something from inside her mouth and the collar fixed on Yuris.h.i.+a’s neck for the sake of suppressing magic power raised a dry sound and split.

“……”

Yuris.h.i.+a’s mind went blank while staring at the collar that fell on the floor.

The collar that she couldn’t break no matter what she did until now, it also couldn’t get taken off. Now it was disconnected really easily. Yuris.h.i.+a’s body was trembling all over.

“Ma……Marisu, you……”

Himekawa and Sylvia who had their collars disconnected similarly were also standing still in astonishment. Their opened mouths couldn’t close.

“Thi……this is, taken off desu!?”

“How…..af, after all, Marisu-san shouldn’t be able to take it……”

Marisu scratched her face while sticking out her tongues.

“Sorry. That’s, a lie.”

“ “ “EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!?” “ “

The three screamed in unison.

“G.o.d d.a.m.n! YOUUUUU, YOU CAN’T JUST SAY SORRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!”

“WE WERE TRICKEDDDDDDDDDDDDD!”

“SYLVIA CANNOT BELIEVE YOU ANYMORE DESUUUUUUUU-!”

Like a scolded child, Marisu looked away and pouted her mouth.

“Be―cause, if I didn’t do that, all of you will do reckless thing and will get captured or killed. It can’t be helped right?”

“……I cannot accept that-!”

Marisu tried to change the topic by clapping her hand and pulled the attention of the staff.

“Now! Don’t be sulky, we are starting! Let’s surprise the idiots doing war out there! Starting on air-!!”

The medium size s.h.i.+p of five hundred meter cla.s.s accompanying Ataraxia was raising black smoke.

“Aruz! Evacuate all the crews!”

Explosion occurred on Aruz at the same time with Reiri’s yell. Several rings of light piled up and spread, the s.h.i.+p’s fragments that turned into light together with the smoke of the explosion scattered in the sky. It was just like a large fireworks blooming in the sky. However, the people seeing it couldn’t be charmed or happy about it.

A new floating window started up in front of Reiri.

{This is Aruz’s captain. All crews had escaped!}

A tawny haired female wearing magic armor was displaying a frustrated expression. Behind her there was the explosion from the distancing Aruz reflected.

“Good work. Move as the defense of Ataraxia after this.”

{Roger!}

At that time the Ataraxia greatly shook.

“What happened!?”

Kei immediately typed the situation on her keyboard.

{The s.h.i.+eld at the right side is at its limit. It will be the end if it gets. .h.i.t ten more times.}

“Turn Ataraxia’s direction for 180 degree! The cannon crews, don’t take any rest there!”

Cold sweat trickled down Reiri’s cheek.

‘――We are outnumbered even more than before. The Vatlantis take pride in their overwhelming resources. If it’s purely a difference of combat strength, perhaps we are just a ten to Vatlantis’s hundred.’

Even so it saved them that Aine’s Code Breaker had gotten rid of the majority of the enemy’s capital s.h.i.+p. Without that, this wouldn’t be even a fight.

“Still, it doesn’t change how difficult this is huh……”

Perhaps the enemy had gotten used to the situation too, in addition of the wavelike attacks of the magic weapons, the bombardment from the fleet was also attacking them in the interval. It was to the degree that the enemy wouldn’t balk at shooting down their own magic weapon with their bombardment.

“So the Vatlantis army is also desperate……”

Reiri slid her hand on the console and opened a new communication line.

“Gertrude, how is the situation over there?”

{There is nothing I can do here!}

Gertrude was flying around all over Ataraxia. She didn’t even have any leeway to direct here gaze at Reiri that was projected in the floating window. She was desperately shooting down magic weapon even while replying.

“Anyway the enemy’s number is too many! Magic weapon or anything is fine, please can you send me a little help here!”

{Right now the crews of Aruz will come to guard Ataraxia. Do your best a little bit more.}

“Roger!”

Gertrude reloaded the cartridge of her pistol and readied it once more.

“A little bit more……is it?”

And then she aimed at the magic weapon trying to board the deck of Ataraxia and pulled her trigger.

“Has boss Kizuna, reached the castle already right now……”

At that time, Kizuna was running at the underground path that was like a labyrinth.

It was an underground path that was dug through rock. The wall was bare rock surface, but the floor was formed from stone blocks. There was no lighting, but the moss growing on the wall gave out faint luminescence and illuminated the path.

“Aine, is this path not mistaken?”

“Yes.”

Aine was moving forward full of confidence, but Kizuna didn’t understand where was she running toward and how. Kizuna was anxious if they were really heading to the castle.

“You can see it you know? This is the correct path.”

“Eh?”

Aine slowed her running pace and faced Kizuna.

“The chant I recited when we entered the entrance of the secret path. At the same time when that door opened, it also became a sorcery that shows the path. The guidance toward the destination is constantly displayed in my eyes.”

“I see……so that’s how it is.”

Kizuna raised his running pace in relieve.

“However, it’s irritating that the path is this small with a lot of corners, we cannot fly using our thruster like this. Even though we are in a battle against time here.”

Kizuna abruptly thought about Ataraxia that was deploying in the fleet battle and Gravel and Aldea that was remaining behind to hold back the enemy.

‘――Stay safe you all……we are going to stop the battle soon!’

Aldea evaded the flying arrow of light just before it could hit her. However the pa.s.sing arrow drew a large arc and changed direction to attack at Aldea.

“Your arrow is troublesome!”

The imperial guard Tigris squad captain, Mercuria readied her bow and fired arrows one after another.

“Fufufu. In front of this [Arc Drive], you won’t be able to even enter the range for your spear.”

The arrows with automatic homing ability were coming at Aldea in succession.

“Really……surely the owner of this arrow has an underhanded personality.”

“I don’t want to be told anything about personality by you! Aldea!”

New arrow was fired from Arc Drive.

The arrow that flew straight suddenly burst open in the air.

“!?”

The arrow that split into several dozen arrows surrounded Aldea and attacked.

Mercuria grinned widely.

‘――No matter how solid your s.h.i.+elds are, there is no way to defend against this number!’

Six s.h.i.+elds were floating at Aldea’s surrounding. One of it was transformed into the shape of spear and settled inside Aldea’s hand. Without a moment’s delay Aldea swung that spear.

“Wha-!?”

That moment, the s.p.a.ce in front of Aldea distorted. The arrows aiming at Aldea were pulled by an unseen power and distanced away from her.

“Ku……so that’s the s.p.a.ce bending ability of Zeel.”

“Haa!”

Aldea swung her spear once more and this time she shrunk the distance until Mercuria in one go.

‘――Wha-!?’

Aldea appeared before her eyes instantly. The spear that shrunk the s.p.a.ce attacked Mercuria this time.

“Ugh!”

The swung spear was barely blocked by the blade of the bow.

She wasted no time to rotate the bow and slashed at Aldea. The bow that was made from blade that looked like katana tore Aldea’s arm and scattered blood.

However at the same time the tip of the spear touched Mercuria’s thigh. With the effect of bending s.p.a.ce, the leg felt like it was pulled and her body was blown away. The blood spurted out from the cut apart thigh dyed Aldea’s body red.

“You-!”

Controlling her blown away body with her thruster, Mercuria braced herself in the air.

Aldea puffed up her chest elatedly while chuckling ‘fufu’ delightedly.

“This dress is turning lovely from my blood and your blood spurt isn’t it……fufufu.”

Mercuria’s face grimaced from those words.

“Aldea……as always, you still act like a berserker. If only you are a proper human being, you could even become a platoon captain.”

Aldea scoffed toward Mercuria who looked really disappointed.

“I have no interest in such thing. I just want to live as I please. I wonder if you can stop pus.h.i.+ng your small sense of values on me.”

Mercuria’s lips slightly slackened.

“Certainly……fufu. I too understand well that feeling. But……”

Mercuria pinched the bowstring and slowly pulled her arm. The arrow that appeared was different from everything until now in appearance. It was far larger and longer. Just like a cavalry’s spear.

Aldea too harbored vigilance towards that abnormal arrow.

‘――That is? It’s certain that’s not a mere arrow. What kind of ability it has?’

Mercuria’s huge arrow was fired. Rather than calling it an arrow, it was more like a large caliber particle cannon.

“You are too free, Aldea.”

‘――This is!?’

Violent light flew heading towards Aldea.

“Labyrinth Cube!”

Six pieces of s.h.i.+elds changed shape into a cube in a flash and floated in front of Aldea. The arrow Mercuria fired was sucked into that cube.

Labyrinth Cube was a cube made from the s.h.i.+elds that distorted s.p.a.ce. It distorted all the s.p.a.ce of the surfaces and created a s.p.a.ce isolated from the outside world. Due to that, the inside of Labyrinth Cube became an absolute s.p.a.ce of Aldea’s will. The thing sucked inside could be freely locked or carved apart.

However the arrow fired by Arc Drive rampaged with fierce destructive power inside Labyrinth Cube. The Labyrinth Cube fiercely vibrated and the s.h.i.+elds raised anguished creaking.

“Kuh, this is……I’m, at my limit already!”

Unable to bear it, Aldea opened an exit of the Labyrinth Cube. Intense light traveled to all directions.

The flickering light was gradually vanis.h.i.+ng and all the energy of the Arc Drive’s arrow locked inside Labyrinth Cube was all spitted out.

“For such an arrow with this kind of destructive power to exist, it’s shock――”

Aldea lost her words looking at Mercuria who was nocking the same arrow.

“My bad, I can prepare this arrow as many as I want. Besides just by changing the arrow, Arc Drive will transform into weapons that possesses various abilities. I wonder how far you can withstand it?”

Aldea sweated with cold sweat while smiling boldly.

“As I thought it looks like defending is pointless. Then, I too will attack.”

Disa.s.sembling Labyrinth Cube, this time Aldea transformed all her s.h.i.+elds into spears. Six spears were floating around Aldea.

“Here I go, Tigris captain!”

“I’ll finish you, berserker!”

The second huge spear of light pierced the sky.

That light was reflected on the eyes of Gravel that was crossing sword with Hyakurath.

Pus.h.i.+ng back at each other, they took distance for the moment.

“That light……”

“That’s Mercuria’s Arc Drive you know?”

“I see, so that’s Mercuria of Arc Drive. I have heard rumors about her.”

Hyakurath smiled proudly.

“Mercuria is strong. While Aldea still hasn’t been killed yet, you too surrender yourself.”

“So she will kill Aldea for me……that might be refres.h.i.+ng in its own way.”

Hyakurath’s voice trembled with a startled face.

“Yo-, you, she is your comrade even temporarily! What kind of thing you are――”

Gravel smiled wryly and lowered the tip of her gunsword.

“But, I know about you. The captain of Leon squad that is lauded as holy sword Hyakurath-dono. It is in this kind of situation, but it is an unexpected delight to be able to cross swords like this.”

“How calm, you tanned beast.”

Even as she pretended to be calm, Hyakurath couldn’t restrain her disarrayed heart.

Gravel was a veteran hero of the frontier. Even when she was lowered as the general of Vatlantis, her sixth subjugation army boasted to be undefeated.

Hyakurath’s throat gulped.

She shouldn’t be losing in strength. She was thinking so but……however, why could her heart not calm down like this?

Hyakurath bit her lower lip.

Honestly speaking, the opponent was scary. Tears were welling up in her eyes.

Hyakurath put strength in the sword she was gripping. She readied the wide bladed sword with magic letters carved on it, her most reliable weapon. And then she persuaded herself inside her heart the same like usual.

‘――Do your best Hyakurath!’

“Here I go tanned beast! Disappear as the dew of my sword [Gloria]!”

Hyakurath faced Gravel and raised Gloria overhead.

“I’ll block it.”

The revolver of Gravel’s gunsword rotated and a bullet was loaded.

“HAAAA!”

A spirited slash from far distance, Hyakurath’s Gloria was swung. Thereupon belt of light was fired from the sword like a particle cannon.

Gravel pulled the trigger of her gunsword. From the gun nuzzle, a large caliber particle cannon was shot. The two lights clashed fiercely in the air. Together with a dazzling explosion of light, particles of light scattered like fireworks. With that as a smoke screen, Hyakurath flew forward in one go.

“DEYAAAA!”

She cut apart the smoke by swinging down Gloria. When it was blocked by the gunsword’s side, sparks scattered intensely. It was a sharp attack. Something shuddering ran inside Gravel’s chest.

Without any time to rest, Hyakurath wielded her sword with a quick rotation. Appropriate for an imperial guard that originated from n.o.bles, it was a sword technique that was elegantly beautiful like a dance.

Gravel gritted her teeth.

‘――But it’s not just beautiful. This strength is the real thing.’

Gravel rotated her revolver and loaded a new bullet.

“Reaver!”

Sword of light extended from the gunsword.

“!?”

Hyakurath evaded the sword of a light in a hairbreadth. The tips of her hair were cut from being late in escaping, golden hair danced in the air.

“……tsuu!”

Hyakurath received a shock that her sword didn’t reach the enemy. Gravel opened the distance using the opening where her movement dulled a little.

“So I cannot win without going all out.”

Gravel stored her gunsword on her back and extended one of her hands. A magic circle opened at her fingertips, a hilt of sword appeared from inside it. She casually grasped that hilt and pulled out a new weapon from inside the magic circle. It was a weapon with six gun barrels lining up as a circle and a cross sword at the center, the [Sword Gatling]. It was the Corruption Armament of Gravel’s magic armor Zoros.

It was a powerful weapon, but for Gravel this was a bet. Sword Gatling was a weapon that was harder to wield than gunsword. If she was approached near, it would be hard to defend Hyakurath’s sword attacks.

‘――Victory or defeat.’

Both of them took their stance, at that time――,

{Emergency transmission!}

The communication windows of both Gravel and Hyakurath opened.

Having the wind taken out of their sails, the two of them embarra.s.sedly replied to the windows.

“This is Gravel. What’s wrong?”

The operator girl of Ataraxia rattled on in panic.

{The fleet of Ataraxia and Izgard is seriously damaged! A third of the fleet has sunk! Half of our magic weapons are shot down! Ataraxia’s s.h.i.+eld is also lost! Requesting reinforcement urgently!}

“Kuh……”

Gravel’s teeth gritted audibly.

“Gravel!”

Aldea came at that timing.

“Aldea…..you really got done in huh.”

Aldea answered happily with a smile splattered in blood.

“Hehehe, isn’t it fine? Half of this is the opponent’s blood.”

Her face and also her clothes were sticky wet with blood. She said that half was the opponent’s blood, but looking at the gashes at her arms and legs, it could be perceived that she had received quiet a damage.

“Rather than that, Ataraxia is in a tight spot. We have to reinforce them.”

Mercuria also arrived at Hyakurath’s position.

“You, you okay!? Those are really terrible injuries you know?”

Mercuria was also bearing wounds about the same as Aldea. Her face warped in vexation and she talked as if spitting out.

“That’s unnecessary concern. Just this much is nothing.”

“Wha, what’s with you! ……Wait, this is not the time for that. Gravel, emergency communication also came at your place right? Your flags.h.i.+p will soon fall.”

“Is that so? The report I got is that we still have some room to breath though?”

Hyakurath breathed out deeply.

“Surrender here Gravel.”

“……It’s unfortunate, but right now I’m not the commander. I’m just a mere magic knight.”

“I see……then, is it fine for you to not rescue the fleet? We too have to chase after Ainess-sama, so it will help us if you step aside.”

“……ku”

Even as she dressed a calm face, the inside of Gravel’s chest was whirling with impatience.

Ataraxia would fall while they were taking on Hyakurath and Mercuria here. But, if they went to help Ataraxia, a hindrance would enter Aine’s mission to persuade Grace.

Even during this time, the figure of the allied battles.h.i.+ps were vanis.h.i.+ng from the data that conveyed to her the battle situation.

‘――s.h.i.+t-! Is this as far as we go!?’

{Okaay★ Everyone―! Are you energetic―!?}

In front of Gravel’s face, a window with Yuris.h.i.+a’s close up suddenly appeared.

“Yu……Yuris.h.i.+a!?”

It was not just Gravel that was shocked. When she lifted her face, not to mention Aldea, the same windows were also displayed in front of Hyakurath and Mercuria.

Yuris.h.i.+a was wearing a showy and sparkling stage costume. And then when the camera pulled back, Himekawa and Sylvia’s figures entered the screen.

{This is Amaterasu desu!}

{Andd~}

The three presented one of their hands to the side as if to give introduction.

{Masters de―su!}

This time Scarlet at the center, Henrietta, Clementine, Sharon, and Leila of Masters entered the stage side by side. Naturally, they were wearing gorgeous and lovely stage costumes.

“Wha, what’s this……this kind of carefreeness, in a time of crisis like this……”

Hyakurath whispered with a face that was more dumbfounded than amazed.

When Gravel took a peek at Ataraxia’s communication window, she understood that the same image was sent to Ataraxia’s bridge. People looking up at the screen in befuddlement and people moving about in confusion searching for the origin of the transmission were mixed.

Reiri whispered with a complicated face while rubbing her lips.

“Just what in the world……this broadcast is?”

Kei was collecting data while typing her keyboard.

{This is not a two way communication. Most likely this is directed to all communication terminals in this whole battlefield area, this is being transmitted all over.}

“What did you say……?”

Just like Kei’s information, this broadcast was transmitted towards the whole battlefield area, it was also further sent to the communication terminals all over the city of Zeltis. Regardless whether it was public or personal, the transmission forcefully entered all information interface and opened windows.

This was something using the emergency broadcast line that Vatlantis’s publicity department managed. In other words this was an abuse of authority by Marisu.

The allied forces of Izgard and Ataraxia, Vatlantis army, the city of Zeltis, all the screens everywhere were projecting Amaterasu and Masters’s figures.

Inside that screen, Yuris.h.i.+a showed a mischievous smile.

{Everyone― actually is thinking inside their heart right? I don’t want to kill others, just why do we have to do something like this―, something like that.}

Himekawa clapped her hands and threw a straight forward earnest gaze.

{This kind of battle is meaningless. Everyone should actually understand that too. Rather than quarreling like this, let’s think of combining our strength to get through the danger threatening this world. Even the people of Izgard and Lemuria should be troubled if this world breaks down. Isn’t it because of that reason, that they are acting reckless and came here to Zeltis?}

Sylvia clenched both her hands and appealed with a desperate face.

{First let’s hear what they have to say desu. With that, if everyone of Izgard and Lemuria is planning to invade Zeltis, only then we can start fighting from there desu.}

Clementine scratched her head while facing above.

{Even if we said that, those guys whose blood has rushed to their heads might not listen to this though―}

Sharon softly spread the fringe of her skirt and twirled.

{It’s better to try doing it like usual……wearing your favorite clothes. Pa.s.sing time together with the people close to you……talking, what is it that I want to do, what is the best thing to do……think.}

Different from usual, Leila was talking with a serious tone.

{That’s right. Everyone wants their important people to go back home safely. Even the people in the battlefield want to return home safely. Isn’t that something obvious? Because, life is something money cannot buy.}

Henrietta came forward while fixing the position of her gla.s.ses.

{Anyways, don’t get fl.u.s.tered or get excited into panic! Not just soldiers but all of you citizens too, calm down before taking action. Don’t do any unbecoming riots even mistakenly! Let’s welcome the guest with a dignified att.i.tude.}

Scarlet whose face was looking down looked up, she raised one of her hands and pointed to the sky.

{Because, all of you are the proud people of Vatlantis right? And then, above all……}

She vigorously brought down her arm and pointed towards the screen.

{Because all of you are the fans of these us!}

Fireworks went up behind Amaterasu and Masters. The fireworks created from sorcery s.h.i.+ned in seven colors, turned into fragments and rained down on the stage. And then the lighting illuminated the stage and made the figures of the idols stood out.

The voice of the eight girls of Amaterasu and Master united, and when the intro singing voice started flowing, music began to play in unison. The moment the melody started, the eight made a big jump.

As if to express joy and happiness from their whole body.

Light of magic power was rus.h.i.+ng everywhere inside the empty Vatlantis Empire theater. Beads of light that were sparkling from reflection were raining down. The performance of light began to enliven up the stage. And then singing voices that charmed the people of Vatlantis Empire reverberated throughout the whole Zeltis and battlefield area.

The feet of the people that tried to escape Zeltis and rushed for the castle wall stopped.

“This song is Amaterasu and Masters? They are doing live in this kind of time?”

“This is a good song……I fell in love hearing it.”

“Didn’t you hear? Right now they are doing a live in the empire theater.”

“Eh!? Wasn’t it cancelled?”

“There is no way they are doing it in this kind of emergency right?”

The citizens in possession of personal receiver showed the screen of the live show to the nearby person.

“No, this is undoubtedly a live broadcast. But Amaterasu is doing a live right now you know? Isn’t it fine even if we don’t get this panicked to escape?”

“Certainly……if the situation is really that bad, Amaterasu won’t do a live or anything……”

The city was gradually recovering its calm. Charmed by the song and dance, everyone was fixed on the screen. The children looked at the image and danced by mimicking it. Smile returned to the faces of the people seeing that. And then the adults too waved their hands in unison with the tune and jumped.

Among the crowd, a lone girl was slipping through.

“Wait, where are you going!?”

When a worried person called out to her, the girl’s step stopped. It was a pet.i.te girl with bigly rolled twintail as her characteristic. On her young looking cute face, a smile of expectation was floating.

“To the theater of course! There is no way I can overlook something like a reserved stage of Amaterasu!”

After yelling that, she turned on her heel and ran in the direction opposite of the flow of the people.

Former imperial guard. The girl Ragrus who lost her memory at the occasion when she fought Sylvia at the Tokyo recapture operation, was running with a face that was hopelessly joyful.

Looking at that smile, the Amaterasu and Masters’s fans that were in that place made faces of realization.

“I see……if we go there now, we can watch this stage isn’t it?”

“s.h.i.+tt, I was chased out because they said the performance was cancelled but……they are actually doing it!”

Spurred by those words, the fans that similarly got out of the venue due to receiving notification that the performance was cancelled went after the girl. The audience that had gone home for once were returning to the empire theater one after another. Even people without tickets were thinking that they might be able to just enter if it was now and they were rapidly gathering. The hearts of the people of Zeltis was already not directed to the battlefield.

The imperial capital Zeltis had been completely controlled by Amaterasu and Masters right now.

Even the first subjugation army taking position at the front line of Vatlantis’s side was faced with a choice exactly right now.

{This is imperial guard. First subjugation army, why are you stopping the bombardment? Depending on the situation you will be court martialed!}

The captain of the first subjugation army was listening to that communication in discouragement.

“Captain, what should we do?”

Even when she was pressed like that by the vice captain, the captain was only playing with her long hair without answering. She was sitting deeply into the flags.h.i.+p captain’s seat and only kept staring at the stage of Amaterasu and Masters streaming in the window before her eyes. That song and dance were healing her heart that was tired with the battle.

“It’s not even a choice. But……”

“But?”

The vice captain urged on in irritation to the silent captain.

“Honestly, my will to fight is completely gone already. Well, I wonder if that’s the answer.”

The vice captain looked at her right and sent instruction to the fleet.

“First subjugation army, inform the whole fleet. Absolutely don’t lay a hand to the Lemuria-Izgard army! However don’t let your guard down! Make it so we can restart the battle anytime!”

Similar exchanges were happening here and there among the subjugation army’s fleets. And then the bombardment from Vatlantis was stopping in succession.

Hyakurath was staring at that situation with a feeling that was unable to understand.

“Just what in the world, they are……doing there.”

Gravel stared at the screen that conveyed to her the battle situation and narrowed her eyes.

“I guess that’s their own answer.”

“That’s……”

This battle was according to the command of her majesty the emperor. This battle should be for the sake of defeating the enemy that was coming to invade this Zeltis……and then how, it turned out like this? Why, the subjugation army didn’t listen to the order?

‘――I don’t understand.’

Tears gathered in Hyakurath’s eyes and her shoulders trembled.

“Hyakurath. Can’t you understand too? We are not coming here in order to rule over Vatlantis.”

Filling the fingers gripping Gloria with strength, Hyakurath replied with a trembling voice.

“No matter what the people of the empire are feeling about it……we the imperial guard will move in accordance to the heart of her majesty the emperor! Now that Ainess-sama is going mad, without any order from Grace-sama, we the imperial guard cannot sheath back our sword!”

Hyakurath opened her communication window.

“Informing the whole imperial guard. The subjugation army is useless. Defeat the Lemuria-Izgard army with the hands of the imperial guard! All s.h.i.+ps forward. Annihilate the enemy fleet!”

Following the command, the battles.h.i.+ps of the imperial guard standing by in the sky of Zeltis started to move. They were driving away the fleet of the subjugation army lining up at the front line and advanced towards Ataraxia.

“The imperial guard members are to equip their magic armors and launch. Leopard squad, Volk squad, sink down the enemy flags.h.i.+p. Leon squad, Tigris squad, return to the imperial castle and protect Grace-sama!”

“Hyakurath!”

Gravel yelled, but it didn’t reach Hyakurath.

“The values of the imperial guard and I won’t be shaken by something like this.”

Gravel faced the communication window to Ataraxia and yelled.

“Reiri, be careful! Imperial guards are heading to you!”

At Ataraxia too, they had detected the sign of the s.h.i.+ps approaching them. The movement was obviously faster than all the battles.h.i.+ps until now. Moreover they were also taking lead.

Reiri clicked her tongue while looking at the enemy’s movement.

“They are different from all the enemies until now……so the imperial guard came out.”

Their number was few. At best around twenty battles.h.i.+ps and two hundred magic weapons. But, they were remarkably formidable compared to the subjugation army that was their opponent until now.

Fast magic weapons came into contact with them in the blink of an eye. Ataraxia shook greatly as if to thrust away Reiri that was going to give out order.

“How is it!?”

Reiri’s question wasn’t answered by Kei or the operator, but by Gertrude that was on the deck.

{The battles.h.i.+ps are bombarding us! Their aim is accurate, the power also has wide difference!}

It was surely unbearable for Gertrude that was on the deck. Although there was s.h.i.+eld, the explosion impacted right nearby. The sound and impact of that were tremendous.

Gertrude that was looking far away was showing a cramped smile.

{Uwa―, of all things, the enemy is also coming out with magic armors see……}

The imperial guard members could turn the autopilot of the battles.h.i.+ps they led or move it remotely. Exactly as Hyakurath commanded, the imperial guards were putting their magic armor and aimed at Ataraxia.

{If they reach here……it will be, really the end for us…..}

{The s.h.i.+eld is at the limit. At most, two, or three more shots.}

Right after that was said, shockwave a.s.saulted them in succession. An operator raised her voice with face that was going to cry.

“The front s.h.i.+eld is broken!”

Even before she was finished talking, large shaking that was incomparable with anything until now attacked Ataraxia. The hull was tilting and even Reiri needed to cling on her chair.

“So…….even the singing voice of Amaterasu doesn’t reach those guys.”

{Reiri. There is a force that is approaching in high speed.}

Reiri smiled in resolve at Kei’s report.

“What are you saying this late? That must be the imperial guard of Vatlantis right?”

{Wrong.}

“……What?”

At that time, a magic armor was rus.h.i.+ng towards the bridge of Ataraxia.

It was a magic armor that vaguely resembled Neros heading towards the bridge with sword in one hand. It was planning to directly board the bridge and attack the crew.

That magic knight readied her sword and grinned broadly.

“Prepare yourself. Lemuria’s――”

That body was blown away.

No, a gigantic claw seized her and the magic armor broke apart instantly.

“Wha……”

Reiri was unable to understand what happened.

Golden armor was flowing outside the window. No matter how long the thing kept flowing through, so it could be imagined that the object was terrifyingly huge.

Before long that object displayed its figure in front of Ataraxia. A long neck more than a hundred meters long that was largely lifted up. Four wings glowing gold. Giant tail that was longer for twice than the neck.

The trump card of Baldein, the [Golden Dragon].

“Thi……this is……”

Reiri was staring at that figure in astonishment.

The Golden Dragon was heading to the battles.h.i.+ps of the imperial guard and opened its mouth. Its wings s.h.i.+ned and golden light was gathering in the dragon’s torso. And then, together with a fierce radiance, vast amount of particles surged out from the mouth. It was a gigantic particle cannon. Just when they thought that the light exploded, the battles.h.i.+ps of the imperial guard were pierced.

Gravel who saw that development narrowed her eyes.

“……So they came. The dragon force of Baldein.”

When Gravel looked up at the sky, magic weapons in the shape of dragons were flying as a flock. Hyakurath bit her lips in frustration.

“A reinforcement of this level is nothing. Here I go, tanned beast!”

Hyakurath readied her sword. Behind her, Mercuria nocked an arrow. And then the two’s combination attack was going to attack Gravel. At that time――,

Scorching flame came down from the sky.

“Wha-!?”

The crimson flame that possessed tremendous pressure hit Hyakurath and Mercuria directly.

“KYAAAAAAAAA!”

Although they immediately put up their s.h.i.+elds, the violent impact blown them away. They somehow braced themselves and looked up.

“This is……”

Gravel also looked up to the sky.

A shadow with three necks was swooping down. The body that was near a hundred meters long in total was completed with crystal wings that s.h.i.+ned red. It was a category-Ultra magic weapon, Tri-Head.

“Hohohohohoho, I have been waiting for this time! Aah, how refres.h.i.+ng! What a refres.h.i.+ng feeling this is! The humiliation of before, I will return it in full to the Vatlantis army here!”

“This is the commander Ruleo-dono. You are really in a good mood.”

The female riding at the back of the Tri-Head entangled her finger in her soft wavy light blue hair.

A few months ago, there was an expedition in Vatlantis towards Baltein as Aine’s first campaign. At that time Ruleo met the Vatlantis army as the commander. However, at that time in front of the ability of Zeros and Koros she was defeated without being able to do anything.

“Hohoho, I can return my resentment to Vatlantis like this. Of course it really clears my mood like this!”

Ruleo lifted her arm and dragon type magic weapons like Dragre and so on were swooping down from the sky one after another.

For the imperial guard members, that scene must be like a display of devils coming down on them.

“Ruleo-dono. I understand your resentment but don’t kill them.”

“My, how rude. I’ve said already to go easy on the enemy so at least they can properly have emergency landing.”

And then she showed a mean smile.

“You……”

Hyakurath and Mercuria looked up at Ruleo with hateful eyes.

“You will have to live your whole life from now on, holding importantly the memory of your defeat against this me♪”

Gravel shook her head in amazement.

However, with this they could fight the imperial guard on equal standings. But, it was not their objective to annihilate the imperial guard. Rather than that, they had to deal with the Genesis even for a second faster.

Gravel stared at the Genesis that was towering far away beyond the castle wall and the imperial castle standing at its base.

‘――We are counting on you two. Kizuna, Ainess-dono.’