Kbalt of the Four Heavenly Kings (2)

A deep night, the full moon risen high.

Before I knew it, the hour Remiraen had warned us about was nearly here.

Preparations were more or less finished. Every fighter in the village had been put on standby, and the rest of the residents had taken shelter in their own homes. All that remained was a single job: keep a tight watch, then respond as the situation demanded.

"Clitia, everyone's assembled."

"Good work."

We'd gathered our entire core force and climbed onto the roof of the tallest building in the village. The former Hero's party, myself included. The current Hero's party. Dwain, boss of the Volunteer Brigade. And Lirasia, the ancient vampire who was the reason this fight was happening at all. They were as capable as they were colorful. With a roster like this, I figured we didn't have much to worry about.

"Breni, keep a close watch."

"Got it!"

Breni, who'd drawn lookout duty, planted detection spells all around and shut her eyes. The way she clenched both fists told me just how seriously she was taking this.

"Unni, are you ready?"

"Don't call me Unni when we're in a combat situation."

"Ah—understood."

Selen was taking command as the Hero this time. She was leaning on me the whole way, though, so I was basically filling the same role.

"I'm only helping this once."

"Thank you."

Selen answered with a pretty smile, then went around reminding everyone of their assignments. My advice was mixed in there, sure, but most of the role assignments were ones she'd come up with herself. She really was sharp. She even had the good sense to take other people's suggestions on board when they offered them.

"Hey. Don't even compare them."

She was nothing like that guy — the one who'd once refused to even fight because of a hangover, never mind actually leading anyone. If she could just kick the habit of depending on me... The way she only acted spoiled in front of me was what worried me.

"Former Saintess."

Having spoken with every last person once, Selen came back to me.

"I'll need you to take Remiraen together with Lady Karita. Will that be all right?"

"The two of us will be plenty."

I answered lightly and snuck a glance at Logan.

"Karita, I'm counting on you."

"...Sure."

Logan's current cover story was that he was a spirit who'd joined the Banished Saintess to avenge the fallen former High Guardian. I'd come up with it myself, and it was actually pretty solid. He didn't seem thrilled about it, though.

"If you hate it that much, just go back to your real form."

"And if you're so miserable, try getting your own excommunication lifted."

We'd jabbed each other right in the sore spots. The kind of slip you could only get away with because you were close.

"Should I... change the pairing?"

Selen looked flustered beside us, apparently thinking we didn't get along.

"No. You did great."

"You're the finest there is."

I rushed to praise her before she could start blaming herself again. Logan piled on at the same time, and Selen nodded in relief.

"It's the most important role, so please be careful."

"Just leave it to me."

Somehow, I'd ended up facing Remiraen before the Vampire Lord. He hadn't been labeled a Public Enemy for nothing — he was a genuine rival, and not an easy one. In the worst case, I might even end up on the brink of death.

The moment that thought crossed my mind, something stirred deep in my chest and started climbing.

"Why are you smiling?"

"No reason."

A grin had slipped out without me even noticing. It was practically a reflex at this point.

I can't do this.

I shook my head and pulled myself together. The people of the Volunteer Brigade village were in danger. I needed to take this seriously.

"Anyway, that really is everything. We're ready."

Gear checks done, all that was left was to fight. Selen and I waited beside Breni.

I don't know how long we sat there. The full moon was shining bright and clear, but there was still no sign of Remiraen's legion. Meanwhile, Breni's head was slowly drooping, her focus apparently slipping.

"Wake up."

"I wasn't sleeping!"

Breni shook her head with her eyes still shut. She denied it fiercely, but anyone listening could tell she'd been dozing. She was still at that age where she needed a lot of sleep, so I didn't scold her. I just rested a hand on her head.

"Let's finish the job, then you can sleep as much as you want."

"Okay!"

Breni answered brightly and focused again.

"Huh?"

It wasn't long before her eyes flew wide open.

"What is it?"

"They're coming from every direction. But something's weird."

Breni traced a golden magic circle in her palm. A vast wilderness unfolded in the air before us.

"...What the hell is that."

The sky was packed with Corpse Locusts. A swarm far larger than last time — so thick they blotted out the moonlight.

But the bigger problem was on the ground.

It was me.

Corpses of me, complete with bat wings, were swarming toward us in droves. And they were barely wearing any clothes.

"So those are... a legion of vampire-Clitia corpses, parasitized by Corpse Locusts?"

Nobody answered Breni. We were all too busy staring at the display, speechless.

I'd been sitting there in a daze. Gloria's voice finally snapped me back to my senses.

"Logan, we're heading to the east side of the village."

"Understood."

Logan shifted into a tiger on the spot, and I climbed onto his back.

"Everyone, to your positions."

Logan leapt before anyone could even answer, bounding from rooftop to rooftop. At that speed, we reached the village's eastern entrance in no time.

"What in the world is going on? Why have you been copied into a horde of vampire corpses?"

"I don't know either, so don't ask."

Had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Remiraen teamed up with Liam? If I assumed that, everything more or less clicked into place. Especially the part about turning corpses into copies of me — nobody but Liam could pull that off. Who else would even come up with something that unhinged?

"Just tell me where he is."

I nodded and pointed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Logan in the right direction.

"Doesn't look like anyone's getting a restful night's sleep!"

Logan grumbled as he tore across the ground. As we crossed the plains, I spotted a knight in pitch-black armor nestled among the vampire-Clitia corpses.

"Liam..."

"If that's what makes Liam happy, I'd be willing to support him as a comrade. How about you?"

"You think this is the time for jokes?"

I slid off Logan's back and planted myself in front of Liam.

"Why are you here again? Come to show off your latest insanity?"

"......"

"I'll allow it, okay? If you want to live surrounded by corpses that look like me, go right ahead. Just stop dragging innocent people into it."

No matter what I said, Liam just stood there. The legions in the sky and on the ground stopped with him, as if the will of their commander had been transmitted.

"If you don't leave right now, I'll smash every last one of them."

I pressed harder and started closing in on him.

"Don't go near him."

Logan's way of speaking had changed. His body had ballooned to an enormous size.

"Karita?"

"It's dangerous. That thing's packed with so, so many souls."

Souls. There was one persistent demon that word always brought to mind. I threw him a look, half-hoping I was wrong — and Liam started to cackle.

"......"

Kbalt. Again. I was so sick of this I couldn't even get angry.

"Banished Saintess. There is no vessel more fitting for disposing of you than this one."

Kbalt lifted a greatsword in a single hand as if it weighed nothing and pointed it at me.

A miasma thicker than anything I'd ever seen began seeping from his entire body. It felt like a hand closing around my throat. The presence he radiated was nothing like when he'd possessed my master or Lirasia.

"Be careful. He's really, really strong. Even I can barely handle him."

"...Got it."

Meanwhile, the Corpse Locusts and the zombie vampire-Clitia legion started moving again.

"Karita, take the ground as much as you can. I'll handle the ones in the sky."

I fused Aura into my right hand and compressed my mana as far as it would go. Just how many times would I have to blow my arm off to wipe them all out?

"Don't push yourself too hard."

And then. A heavy presence approached from behind, accompanied by a gentle voice.

"You've got me, remember?"

A silver knight had appeared at some point, stepping past me to stand in front.

"Hey, what about your assignment?"

"There's something more important right now."

The other world's Liam gripped a sword ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of Holy Power. His stance and bearing were infinitely heavy, infinitely solemn.

West side of the Volunteer Brigade village.

The Hero's party was holding a position where an especially large number of corpses had gathered.

"Pyrite."

Selen summoned the Fire Lower Spirit Pyrite and held her longsword out to him. Flames wrapped around the blade.

"I'll leave that to you, then."

"Understood."

Pyrite darted through the air, incinerating Corpse Locusts overhead. Meanwhile, Selen swung her sword without rest.

This isn't going to be easy.

The vampire corpses wearing Clitia's face moved with vicious precision. The wings made them surprisingly fast, too. Not an easy opponent. On top of that, their appearance made it hard to commit to attacking, and she was struggling more than she'd expected.

"Selen, snap out of it!"

Pyrite's bark snapped Selen back to attention, and she steeled herself.

They only look like her. That's all.

Compared to Clitia herself, these rotting faces weren't even that beautiful. They weren't reliable. They didn't give off that warm feeling you got just from standing next to her. Once she thought of it that way, the fact that they were nothing more than hosts for Corpse Locusts finally sank in.

Why had she hesitated like an idiot? A Hero, of all people, getting thrown off by a pretty face. Pathetic.

There was no reason to hesitate now.

Selen channeled Holy Power and mana at the same time. Second-stage Aura in both legs. Over the rest of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her body, she wrapped the holy spell Sacred Armor.

Her body felt far lighter. The vampire-Clitia corpses' attacks no longer felt threatening.

Selen began sweeping through the battlefield with a far steadier heart. As if the sword shared its master's mood, it carved through enemies more smoothly than usual.

It wasn't anything special after all.

She even had enough breathing room now to glance around. Breni was raining down magical fire. Ruel had shifted into their combat form and was throwing punches and kicks with everything they had. Wipilud, for his part, had summoned as many earth spirits as he could and was fighting with sheer numbers. The Volunteer Brigade fighters fighting alongside them were all doing their part.

The battle was going pretty well. If things kept up like this, they might even finish without a single casualty.

"Selen!"

Pyrite's urgent call rang out.

"What is it?"

"Look up!"

She looked up as told — and saw something horrifying.

"Oh my God..."

The sky was filled with countless Kbalts.

Without giving them a moment to process it, Kbalts dove from every direction with lethal grace. Selen hastily drew up every last drop of her Holy Power.

"Everyone, get close to me—"

"You needn't push yourself so hard."

In that instant, a Holy Power that wasn't Selen's spread out and formed a barrier. Brilliant in color, overwhelming in scale. It was on a completely different level from an ordinary believer's holy spell. The incoming Kbalts bounced off, unable to pierce it. They kept trying to break through, but it didn't look easy.

"I'll handle the defense."

The one who'd used the Holy Power walked forward and stood in front of them. It was Marinea — Clitia's younger sister, and secretary to the Tower Master.

"How are you using Holy Power? I couldn't sense any from you at all..."

"Not even a full day, and my cover's already blown."

Marinea pushed back the hood she'd been wearing.

"...What?"

While Selen was still trying to process what she'd just heard, Eluke gazed up at the Kbalts filling the sky with a grave expression.

"Clitia."

"Liam."

They spoke each other's names at the same time.

"I'll go first."

Liam flinched. He had a feeling something serious was coming.

"What is it?"

"There's something important I need to tell you. Only you."

A small whisper. A voice low enough that no one outside would hear.

"The truth is... I've communicated with the Goddess of this world."

"What?"

Liam's voice jumped in shock.

"What did She say to you?"

Eluke hesitated, then her face twisted as she opened her mouth.

"......"

Silence stretched with the passing seconds. The quiet hung for a long time before Liam finally spoke, slowly.

"So you're going to kill the other 'you'?"

"I don't want to either."

She looked calm, but it was obvious she wasn't happy about it. Liam knew that better than anyone, and still he couldn't put a lid on the rage boiling up inside him.

"She said She would tell me when the time comes. And when it does, I will follow the Goddess's word without hesitation."

"Are you out of your mind? You know how she feels about you!"

Eluke didn't make excuses. She simply closed her eyes with a conflicted expression, then opened them again.

"At least tell me why. There's some reason you have no choice, right?"

"If Clitia does not die by my hand, one of two things will inevitably come to pass."

Two slender fingers unfolded.

"......"

The color drained from Liam's face.

"Either way, this world has no hope. A bright future opens only if Clitia dies by my hand."

One death, and everyone else lives happily. It almost sounded reasonable. Liam still couldn't accept it.

Because he was a Hero. Because a Hero must never justify the death of an innocent.

"I hate it more than I can say. But I have no choice."

"Would you still think that if the Goddess hadn't told you to?"

"Even if I were the one who had to die, I would have made the same choice."

"So in the end, you're just moving according to the Sun's will."

They both gave up on the conversation at the same time and stared at each other, cold. It was the first serious disagreement they'd ever had.

"Leave someone like me out of it, and do as you please."

A crack ran through their passionate love.