(Yuno’s POV)

“They keep springing up one after the other…”

The words of the big man stopped, his gaze turning toward’s Harold, or more precisely- his uniform.

The Crimson military uniform he was wearing clearly belonged to the Sarian Imperial Army.

“Are you a Sarian soldier? Why stop me?”

“Ha~ If you really think that I’m your ally in this kind of situation where I’m obviously against you. Your brain must really be tiny in comparison to your gargantuan figure.”

Harold’s pre-emptive attack, “foul-mouth” was released. At any rate, it was the same as usual, but it was only at times like these that it was actually reliable.

The nose of the man he just laughed at flared.

So as to not miss that opening he gave, Harold pushed him back from their conspicuous position and threw out an intense kick against the upper-half of his armour.

Although it didn’t look like he did much damage, the man who didn’t expect such a kick retreated backwards while staggering.

“…did they die?”

He asked me without turning his eyes away from his opponent. He probably saw their bodies on the ground as he ran here.

“I don’t know if they’re dead or alive, but they’re seriously injured.”

This was a dangerous place to stop and think, surrounded by enemies on every side, it doesn’t look like we have a good chance of surviving here.

Despite that, his response was insensitive no matter how you looked at it.

“Is that so?”

Three words, that was it.

But there was a silent yet definite undertone mixed in there.

He threw some recovery items towards me, this was the medicine we prepared for healing wounds and recovering magic power.

“Do you know healing magic? Heal as many people as you can, even if you have to use it all, and that guy over there isn’t really dead, just give him a good slap.”

“…you really are something, aren’t you~?”

I took in Harold’s figure while responding with an unusually light tone, surprising even myself.

There were lacerations in some places, while some parts of the already deep red military uniform had been darkened and discoloured, blurred from his blood.

They weren’t light injuries, and yet, he still didn’t intend to use the recovery items for himself.

Silently moving behind the scenes, only expressing his true feelings in funny ways like this.

“I told you b.a.s.t.a.r.ds that you weren’t allowed to die without my permission, and I don’t remember giving you permission.”

Now that was a strict boss. There was probably no personnel in the world that would be able to satisfy him. Severely strict to all others, he was definitely the incarnation of a Spartan.

…and yet despite the situation we were in, I could feel a bitter smile growing on my face.

“Wake those guys up from their pitiful state already, or I’ll crush them while they’re on the ground.”

“Sure, right away… is what I’d like to say, but it’s kinda hard for me to withdraw right now, you know?”

Although the number of soldiers led by the general is light, they still have at least thirty people. It wouldn’t be realistic to break through such an encas.e.m.e.nt with numerous injured people in tow.

My conclusion can’t be considered a mistake.

However, that would only be the case if the exceptional existence known as Harold wasn’t here.

“I never expected a b.a.s.t.a.r.d like you to do anything about them in the first place, I’ll wipe out these annoying soldiers myself.”

Harold just said something reckless.

He just announced that he’d take on over thirty enemies by himself. Not just me, but everyone here doubted their ears.

“As if you could do that, brat! Just try if you can!”

Harold’s exhilarating remark could’ve only been seen as big words. Although he had hidden his face with a mask, it was easy to tell that Harold was only a boy from his voice and physique.

A grown man cannot possibly lose to a single child.

It was a legitimate allegation, a natural a.s.sumption, and a well-backed confidence.

But at the same time, it was a lethal arrogance.

“Oh, I planned to do so.”

From my point of view, it was as if Harold had just disappeared, but immediately afterward a dull, metallic sound rang throughout the forest.

Harold’s figure was still missing, but the ring of metal and the sounds of screams continued to echo out from different directions.

He had grown a lot faster within the past few months.

The trees had grown thick so visibility was bad, but even if that was taken into account, my eyes couldn’t keep up with him at all.

The soldiers who had surrounded me moments ago were now lying on the ground.

While amazed at the marvel happening before me, I quickly snapped back into reality.

Harold is using himself to open up a way and buy time, so I have to fulfill the role he gave me while I can.

There were some who were cut with swords, shedding blood, and those who were burned by flames, skin scorched black. I turned my head away from their unsightly figures.

While I still couldn’t use my healing magic, I quickly started helping out two others by giving them first aid and making them drink the ether.

The battle which should’ve begun with an overwhelming advantage had begun to tilt in the other direction, making the frustrated general shout out,

“He’s tough for a brat, so what?! Hurry up and get him already!”

“He’s too fast! We can’t keep up with hi-!”

The soldier was blown away while in the middle of saying something. The armour at his side was smashed to pieces, and he himself had fainted while convulsing.

It seems that even a sword can destroy armor if tempered well. The damage dealt to the insides of their bodies should be considerably high even though they weren’t cut.

One enemy soldier had cut down ten men in an instant. The situation that should’ve been hopeless was taken care of in less than a minute.

An enemy hero who bathed in darkness. Their enemy was the reaper or devil himself.

With the war situation changing at an unbelievable pace, the enemy general moved as his paralysis wore off.

“Then I’ll burn him to ash! <>”

There was a flurry of raging flames, and engulfed in those flames was Harold and a man who should’ve been his ally.

From somewhere I thought I heard someone say “Eh?”

I wasn’t certain if he actually did that. The enemy soldier might’ve said something, but it was all overshadowed by the whirl of flames. Perhaps he wasn’t even alive anymore.

The general had attacked Harold while harming his companions.

“…b.a.s.t.a.r.d, what did you just do?”

Harold, who had avoided the Flame Burst surprise attack, asked the general as he landed a ways away.

When I heard his voice, I felt as if my spine had been turned into ice.

Far from pa.s.sionate, it was low, heavy voice that was unbearably calm. To me, it sounded like the calm before the storm.

“He was an incompetent piece of trash who couldn’t even catch you, is there any problem with killing those who can’t even serve as decoys?”

“No, it’s reasonable, delivering judgment to the incompetent is totally fine, because there’s nothing more troubling than having to watch over garbage.”

Harold praised the man’s inhumane actions. He unexpectedly agreed with the enemy general.

However, contrary to his words, Harold’s eyes looked down on his much larger opponent.

“I’m not going to denounce it, what you said is the truth, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d. I despise my own inferiority.”

Harold, who was willing to risk his life to help a dying comrade.

And the general, who killed an ally to get to his enemy.

As the person standing above, the difference was clear.

Harold, who looks at himself so disdainfully, must be disgusted with anywhere he looks, his patience exceeding its limits.

“It seems like you really want to die! Fine then! Imperial Army Major General, ‘The Magician’ swear on his name ‘Ritzert’, to cut you down!”

“Hah, you don’t look like a magician with that figure of yours. Is that muscle you have there just for decoration? That’s what those big swords you’re carrying around are for, right? Well, it doesn’t look like you’re capable of using your head in battle much anyway.”

At such a man – Ritzert’s fury was like a gust of wind., yet Harold still said such sharp things, albeit briefly. The tension in the air seemed to stretch, and after a brief moment of silence, the wind ruptured as their battle began.

Ritzert was admired as a Major General. Adept with magic, there’s no doubt that he earned the t.i.tle with his skill.

Could Harold really win against such an opponent? Such anxieties grew in my chest.

If I had known about the outcome of this battle, I would’ve stopped Harold by force.

But there was no way for me to have known that.

I could only sit there and watch, as the cruel fate Harold had chained himself to began to unfold.