Act 20 - The Lover's Crusade

Seirei Gensouki 20 - Kanojo no seisen (精霊幻想記20.彼女の聖戦)

## Synopsis:

* Japanese
* English

獣は憤怒に突き動かされ、聖戦の刻は来たれり。聖女エリカとの死闘を満身創痍で征し、リーゼロッテらを連れてガルアーク王国で待つ大切な人たちのもとへと帰還したリオ。

破壊の化身である大地の獣の存在や屋敷の襲撃事件など危機感の募る状況が続く中、リオはフランソワ国王から直々に勇者である沙月の能力調査と戦闘指南を任されることに！

一方、水面下で侵攻を企てる聖女が次の標的に選んだのは……

*「これは、私の聖戦よ！　私を止める権利は、貴方にはない！」*

怒り、悲しみ、絶望の果てで――《聖女編》最高潮！

After overcoming his mortal battle with the saint Erika and suffering serious wounds, Rio returns to his loved ones waiting for him at Galarc’s castle bringing with him Liselotte’s group .

While the crises like the earth beast that incarnates destruction, the attack to the mansion and more following one another, Rio is entrusted by king François with Satsuki’s combat training and the investigation of her abilities!

On the other side, the chosen as the next target of the saint who plans a rebellion under the surface is…

*This is my crusade! You have no right to stop me!*

Beyond the wrath, the sadness and the despair-----《The saint’s arc》 the climax!
## Content

### Prologue: Wish

I hated this world, I hated it to the point of puking, that’s why I began a crusade, I will rebel against this world where the stupid humans prevail, the crusade will begin soon, so I thought about taking a look back. What happened when I got lost in this world? What was wrong? Who was wrong? Am I the wrong one? Am I crazy? To make sure of it all…

Erika, a university teacher from Tokyo, got lost in another world with her fiançe, a talented man that managed to become an associated professor on his early thirties, one day. She was attracted to his kindness, honesty and stubbornness, she loved him from the bottom of her heart. The two were in their lab one day when they suddenly appeared next to a waterfall on a mountain in the middle of nowhere. At first, they believed that they were somewhere in Japan, however, it was in fact a parallel world, which they realized a few hours after climbing down the mountain.

There was a village that didn’t seem to be from their civilization, the resident's shabby clothes startled them, however avoiding talking to them was impossible, they were the first humans they found after the teleportation even if it is obvious that they were not Japanese. Erika's fiançe thought they looked similar to Europeans, so he tried talking in Russian, German, English, etc.… but both parties didn’t understand each other. Meanwhile, in Erika’s head everyone sounded as if they were talking in Japanese. The villager was getting angry at Erika's fiançe for saying strange things, but when Erika talked in Japanese the villager understood her. Later, Erika and her fiançe borrowed a vacant house and slept like a log due to the exhaustion of climbing down the mountain.

Erika had a dream that night, she was told by someone that she was a hero, Erika was skeptical, but when she woke up, she had the power that the voice told her she processed. Erika could take out a strange mace and do with the soil as she pleased. Erika informed her fiancee about the dream and her powers. She was absolutely scared of him getting angry at her and leaving her because he might not be able to return to the earth as she dragged him with her, however, her fiance told her smiling, that thank goodness that he was with her. Really thank goodness that she didn’t get lost in this world alone. Erika was saved by those words. Unfortunately, she couldn't save him.

Erika wanted to go back if there was a way, but she didn’t know where there could be a hint. In the end it was decided that both she and her fiance would stay at the village until they got used to living in the parallel world. Both thought it would be for the best.

Time went by quickly after that. There was a lot to do, the villagers were more behind the times than they thought, so both tried to make life better in the village with their Otherworld knowledge. Erika discovered that very few people in this world could use magic, so she kept her true powers a secret, sneakily using them to enrich the fields while her fiançe learned the local language little by little. It was inconvenient compared to Japan, but life was getting easier. Her fiançe once told her that maybe they could live better in the capitol, she agreed with him, but Erika was too embarrassed to tell him that for her to live with him was more important than the location. Erika was happy.

After more time went by Erika learned that her mace could heal people too. When her fiançe was wounded while working in the fields, Erika wondered if she could heal him putting her magic essence into the mace, then the light coming from it began to heal his wound. Erika explained to the rest of the villagers that she healed her fiançe and began to help the rest of the wounded too. She somehow became the village’s doctor, meanwhile her fiançe dedicated himself to do better farming tools, fertilizers, a watermill, water canals… at some point every time something went wrong the villagers consulted it with both Erika and her fiançe. She was even asked to help with childbirth despite explaining that she had no experience with that. Erika was more able of little more than insisting to the midwives to wash and clean themselves prior to the birth, but the midwives weren’t convinced about the importance of it. When Erika saw the suffering mother, she decided to reveal the power she had been hiding and healed her, disguising her mace as just an enchanted tool. The parents said they would be indebted to Erika for the rest of their life. Erika, however, was troubled with their feelings, but happy holding the newborn, she thought she wanted to have a child too soon.

When Erika and her fiançe finally got used to the life in the other world they decided to investigate the mountain where they first appeared in search of clues for going back to Japan. Erika and her fiançe weren’t that unhappy about the life in the village, but their wish of going back was stronger. They also didn’t get married yet either because they decided that if they both got married before returning, they would stay forever in this world. However, there were two problems; they didn’t remember the exact location where they first appeared and were unsure of who of the two to explore, her fiançe was unsure of letting Erika go anywhere where wild beasts roam, but Erika insisted on going alone because she had her Hero powers and would be fine. Her fiançe was reluctant and troubled but the hero Erika was certainly far stronger than him. Erika also said she would focus on running away if a beast appeared and after a lot of insistence, she persuaded her fiançe. Erika left in the morning and arrived in the fall at noon, she searched the zone, she even dug with her power here and there, but found nothing. Erika went back to the village while thinking she wouldn’t give up after just looking up the place only once. After a week of finding nothing, Erika and her fiançe began to consider leaving the village and search for literature related to heroes elsewhere.

A certain day after that the villager's came to them asking what they could do for paying their taxes because they didn’t have the money for it. If they paid with their harvest the villagers would starve and if they didn’t pay, the kingdom will punish them. The villagers told the two too, that they might have to sell someone as a slave. Erika’s fiançe was against the idea, so he proposed to sell in the city some of the items that he and Erika had on them when they arrived in the village in the city for getting money. Erika thought they could certainly get some money for their Earth clothes and accessories and that she didn't have a chance of using them in that world anyway. A group of people from the village accompanied both Erika and her fiançe to the city as escorts, the father of the newborn child that Erika helped seemed to be from the kingdom’s capital and was their guide. There they sold some of their clothes very expensively thanks to their superior quality. The merchant related to their village guide couldn’t pay all the money at once, so the father of the baby stayed back for receiving the remainder later while the rest went back to the village the next morning with just half of the negotiated price.

A week later, Erika went to the mountain alone again, but not for investigating, she needed time to think. Her fiançe proposed marriage to her, Erika thought about how they postponed their marriage while they both were looking for a way back to earth. Because due to the lack of contraceptives a child would be born sooner or later, they wouldn't be able of moving elsewhere while the child is still small. So, to say the proposed equals to give up on going back to their original world. Erika thinks about her bad habit of not being able of addressing issues at the moment and needing time to think despite knowing what she wants from the beginning. Once Erika makes up her mind to say “yes” she strengthens her resolve and hurries back to the village.

When Erika arrives at the village, she sees her fiançe’s decapitated corpse being pelted with stones and insults by the villagers, he was supposed to be close with at the village square, however the villagers were accusing him of being suspicious from the beginning, and of stealing from a noble. Erika couldn’t understand what they were saying, Erika keeps looking dumbfounded at that spectacle when her gaze matches the man’s whose baby, she helped give birth to. He said next to his relative, that the merchant of the capital found Erika too, to a well-dressed man surrounded by armed knights. The man ordered the knights to bring Erika to him, Erika ignores the knights and takes out her mace while getting near her fiançe’s corpse wordlessly. Erika gets out of the way of the knights trying to stop her. Erika puts her fiançe’s head back to its place and tries to heal him desperately while asking him in tears to not die. A knight hits Erika in the head from behind with his mace and blows her away, the knights then gang up on her, stabbing her with their swords until Erika loses consciousness.

Erika saw another dream, it seems she had awakened, she was now more powerful and learned the method of using that new power. However, she didn't want power, something like power wasn’t what she wanted. Erika woke up somewhere pitch black. Erika felt her body pressed tightly by something, she then realized that she was buried next to her fiançe on the village outskirts. Erika unburied her fiançe and tries to heal him again desperately, although she can’t do it. Erika then decides to go visit the house of the baby’s parents that should know the reason for why this happened and whose home was near to where she was. Erika uses the darkness of night for getting close to the house unnoticed and then spies on the family. She listens to the parents talking while the baby slept in a cradle. The father spoke to the mother that thanks to this achievement he will have his own shop, that from now on he will give her and the baby a better life, the mother appeared happy at those words.

When Erika realized that she was already moving and opened their door. The mother trembled seeing the bloodied Erika, the father asked Erika why she was alive equally terrified. Erika informed them to give it back, the father didn’t understand Erika’s meaning, however, Erika told him that he said that he would remember his debt for the rest of his life, to pay that debt now, to give her fiançe back, to bring him back to life. The mother stepped back, frightened. The father asks Erika to not to come closer, the baby woke up and cried due to the screams. Erika says that it is a cute child while picking up the baby, the father asked her what she is doing and if she is going to do something to the baby, however Erika responded to the father asking as if wanting to call her lowlife. Erika says that she’s soothing a crying baby and asks the father why he thought she would do something like that? The father couldn't answer. Erika asked why again, the father tells Erika that she’s strange, that she’s obviously someone dangerous, Erika asks if they can’t let her hold the baby because she’s dangerous, she says she will drop the baby then. Erika holds the baby by the neck and threatens to undo her grip, the parents then tell her to stop, the baby stops crying due to the panic, Erika tells the two to speak, about why her fiançe had to die, about what her fiançe and she did to them to begin with.

The father says he knows nothing, Erika tells him that it was he who brought those people from the capital and called it an achievement before. The father says that it wasn’t his fault, that the clothes sold for more than they originally thought, that the buyer was the well dressed man and his daughter. Then they inquired who made the clothes, when they asked the merchant and the father, they explained about the things that Erika and her fiançe had in their possession. It seems Erika’s mace especially picked up the noble man’s interest. The father said that the next morning the noble visited him and his relative stating that thanks to them he might be able to recover a friend’s stolen items and told both that he would reward them if they cooperated. Erika says that he just got greedy and threw a false accusation on both her and her fiançe. The father denies it, Erika asks what is different, the father says he was threatened, that the noble said he would kill him if he doesn’t cooperate, that the rest of the villagers were on it too, that they were told they would be exempted of taxes for some time if they cooperated. Erika says that all of the villagers sold them out then.

The father denies it again, he states that they tried to persuade her fiançe, that he wouldn't have been killed if he had only given up everything obediently but that he disobeyed the noble. Erika asks why her fiançe didn’t obey, the father says that it was because of a ring, that he said to the noble that just that ring her fiance couldn't give it to him. Erika realizes that it must have been an engagement ring they once talked about, that her fiançe must have bought it without telling it to her. Erika cries while laughing when she realizes that her fiançe died protecting the ring, Erika thought she couldn’t stay sane if she didn’t laugh, in the middle of it, she began to wonder if she needed to stay sane, the parents look at Erika like at something sinister, the baby cries again, Erika thinks it is bad for the ears, the father tells Erika to give back the baby because they already said everything. Erika asks him if he means that he wants his child back when he killed her fiançe and stole from them the chance of having their own? The father says it wasn’t him, that it was the noble and the knights who killed him, that she fiançe wouldn’t have been killed if he had just obeyed. Erika says that what he thinks is truth, it doesn’t matter, that he ran his mouth to a noble and brought the noble to them, then she fiançe died as a result, the father can’t deny it, then he tries to excuse himself into being unable of disobeying a noble and says that they could be thieves like the noble said.

Erika says that he believed in a noble that he knew nothing about instead of Erika and her fiance that lived with him for months and that saved his wife and baby and to who he told would remember his debt for life. Erika says that the truth for her is that from the beginning her fiançe and her had nothing, the land where they decided to remain in, the place they made for themselves in the village, the trust of the villagers for whose sake they were willing to let go of their fortune, that it was all a lie, that they all betrayed them, that they killed her fiance. The more emotional that Erika gets the stronger the baby cries, the mother begins to beg to Erika to give her back her child, the father jumps angrily at Erika, Erika takes out her mace and hits him away making him crash in some furniture. Erika looks at the man still conscious because she held back while thinking that just him, she can’t forgive at all, that it won’t be enough to just kill him. Erika informs the father on the floor that he called her strange and that he made her that way, that she will never forgive them. Erika puts the baby again in the cradle and raises her mace, the mother pushes Erika’s arm away when she swings it down, Erika rises her mace again with both parents clinging to her arm this time and begging her to stop. Erika swung her mace down again, Erika laughs like someone broken, Erika thinks then she wasn’t a human anymore at heart while remembering the father that she killed the last while cursing him.

After that Erika killed everyone in the village and took back her engagement ring, she took her fiançe’s body and buried it next to the waterfall thinking it might be the closest place to Earth, then she attempted suicide to follow after him. Erika thinks she would have been saved if she had been able of dying back then, stabbing the heart, slitting her throat, cutting her veins, jumping from somewhere high, being burnt, she couldn’t die, no matter the wound, it healed, even though her fiance died she has to keep living, she wants to die, she wants to follow him, it is crazy, everything is, and she really hates it, this world. How can she die and follow after him?

Erika traveled and looked at the world, everywhere it was the same, the same terribly ugly humans, they look harmless at first sight, but you don’t know what they are thinking about, selfish people that tried to impose their convenience on the rest. If anyone is inconvenient for them, they gladly would do something bad to them, sometimes they do so in packs, even though the people became a dangerous beast when they make packs, they thought they aren’t wrong, of course they think the ones in the wrong are the others. Why do people sometimes believe in someone else so easily despite that? Why do people think it is obvious to believe in themselves? Even though they don’t know what the others really think despite what they say and do? No, they believe what they want to and look away from what is inconvenient for them, they betray, get angry and resent forever. Are people stupid creatures? Smart? Ugly? Beautiful? Just God knows, if it exists, the answer to that. But isn’t she God’s representative as a hero? Isn’t her mission to answer that that only God knows? Surely God entrusted her with Pandora’s box. Is she unable to die because she didn’t fulfill that duty? Then it won’t do if she doesn’t open the box and engraves it on everyone, that people are the stupidest of creatures, this is revenge, a crusade, she’s sure that if she begins this holy war, even if she knows she can’t be saved beyond that she won’t stop, because what she wants is despair, she wants to die.

### **Chapter 1: After returning to the kingdom, before returning to the kingdom.**

When Rio’s group arrives at the castle, they are immediately guided to the dining room of Rio’s mansion where François is waiting for them. François congratulates Rio for bringing Liselotte back, François tells him that he thought Rio could do it and that he did something great. Rio thanks him for his words, François says to Liselotte that it is good that she’s back and that he’s happy about her safety. Liselotte apologizes for the troubles she caused to everyone and the kingdom. François tells her to not be like that, that they can just treat it as having to deal with a disaster, that the saint’s existence is like an evil being’s, he also tells her that he had called her parents, as well as Christina and Flora, to Rio’s mansion so that she can show them she is doing well. Liselotte thanks François for his consideration. François says the real business begins now, he asks Rio if he heard already about what happened glancing at Gouki and Kayoko, Rio says he hasn't, that he thought it would be better to talk somewhere with everyone present.

François says he will be brief then, he informs Rio that the castle was attacked in his absence. Rio and Liselotte get wide eyed, François tells them to be at ease, that the scale of the attack was big but the damage insignificant thanks to the ones at his mansion, that he came here for thanking them for that. While François hesitates about how to tell Rio that the attackers are connected to him, Rio says that he understands. A female knight interrupts the discussion and says that Christina, Flora and Liselotte’s parents have arrived. Christina and Flora greet everyone briefly and then let Cedric and Juliane talk. Cedric tries to greet François first as the etiquette demands, but François tells him to forget about it and to go and see Liselotte, both Cedric and Julianne make a reverence, run towards Liselotte and hug her strongly. Liselotte receives them moved and teary eyed; everyone looks at them silently. After staying for a while like that both Cedric and Julianne lower their heads deeply at Rio and thank him for rescuing Liselotte, Rio shakes his head and tells them to not mind it because he just did what he wanted to do, Julianne lets out a voice of admiration while looking at Liselotte that got red faced despite her pretension of being calm. Cedric thanks Rio again, he smiles softly and holds Rio’s hand firmly. Rio says looking at François that he doesn’t want to interrupt the joyous mood but that he has things he needs to discuss, François agrees, he says he wants to tell him more about the attack too, he asks Rio if it is fine to listen to his part first, then the information exchange begins.

Two days ago, at the Saint Erika’s Democratic Republic, in the rock house, Rio wakes up wondering where he is. Rio’s mind is cloudy and he can’t remember what happened, Liselotte calls out to Rio for making sure he woke up. Rio looks around the room searching for the source of the familiar voice, he sees Liselotte sat on a seat near his bed and calls out to her dubiously when their gazes meet each other. Liselotte asks if Rio is fine or if there is any pain while preparing to use healing magic. Rio says he is mostly fine while rising his upper body and checking his condition with sluggish movements. Liselotte says thanks goodness' and lets herself fall on the chair with relief while holding Rio’s right hand strongly in hers. Rio is surprised but stays still and gulps when he sees Liselotte crying. Rio apologizes and says that it seems he made her worried, Liselotte says she’s the one who has to apologize for the troubles she caused him and looks down sadly again. Rio puts his left hand on Liselotte’s and says he isn’t troubled; Liselotte looks surprisingly at Rio.

Rio says he is there on his own will, Rio says that it is pathetic to have her taking care of him after coming in so boldly but that he doesn’t think she caused him any trouble. Liselotte says he isn’t pathetic, Rio says its fine then, that it is also really good that she is fine, that she doesn’t need to make that pained face because it is just good things for both. LIselotte stays silent and unmoving while she and Rio hold hands, both continue to look at each other like that for a while until Liselotte realizes the situation, they’re in, when she realizes she has been doing something as bold as holding the hands of a man while looking him in the eyes from closely she gets embarrassed and flustered. Liselotte lets go of Rio’s hands, she separates herself from him and apologizes lowering her head, Rio apologizes too, Liselotte tells him to not to apologize because she held his hand first. Rio thanks Liselotte, Liselotte asks him why, Rio says that for taking care of him while he was unconscious because she must have stayed by his side all the time. Liselotte says she took turns with Aria and Aishia, that she just sat next to him, so he just needs to thank the other two. Rio says he understands, but that even like that he’s happy of having her taking care of him and thanks her again. Liselotte says she was the happy one when Rio came to help her, Liselotte’s embarrassment gets strong again and she begins to look down red faced once more.

Rio gets shy too and decides to change the topic, Rio asks Liselotte where Aishia and Aria are while smiling wryly. Aishia says she’s right there while she enters the room through the door. Rio suspects she must have been listening from the corridor but decides not to ask, Rio says good morning to Aishia, she says the same to him and makes a small smile. Rio thanks her, he says he was saved because she picked him up after the fight, Rio asks Aishia for how long he lost consciousness. Aishia tells him than more than a whole day, Rio is surprised, Aishia says Liselotte stayed by his side without sleeping all that time. Rio is surprised and tells Liselotte to please sleep properly when he realizes her lie. Liselotte says that much is fine a little sulkily, Rio says that the insomnia is poisonous for the body, that he is happy she worried about him but to please take care of herself too. Aria enters the room bringing a tray and a jar of water in each hand and tells Rio to not be too hard on Liselotte because she didn’t know what to do if he hadn’t woken up because of her.

Liselotte complains to Aria and glares at her when she says too much. Rio says to Aria that if she would rest immediately after this he won’t complain anymore, Aria tells Rio she intended to take her to a bedroom even by force if she had continued like that, but that fortunately he woke up before that. Aria pours water for Rio in a cup and tells him to drink, Rio thanks her and drinks, Aria says she’s the thankful one, that it was thanks to him that she managed to rescue her master. Aria puts down the tray on a side table and kneels before Rio, Rio tells her to stop in a hurry because he already explained that he just did what he wanted, Aria says that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have to be thankful, Liselotte too thanks Rio again and lowers his head at him. Rio gives up on it and says your welcome' to the two, after staying like that for some seconds Aria says to Rio that by his will, she will put her master to sleep. Liselotte says sulkingly with her cheeks inflated and with her brow twitching that she isn’t a child that needs to be put to sleep. Rio says to Aria that he will leave it in her hands, Aria says that after that she will bring him a meal, Rio thanks Aria and tells Liselotte to rest carefully for the day because they will go back to Galarc’s capital the next day. Aria and Liselotte leave the room.

Rio asks Aishia where she set the house, Aishia says in a forest a few kilometers away from where he fought the saint. Rio asks if anything changed while he was asleep, Aishia says that nothing had changed. Rio asks about the spirit arts user that interfered when she was rescuing Liselotte, he asks if it is fine to assume they aren’t being tracked, Aishia says that probably, she wonders if the saint herself was who interfered. Rio says that maybe because he thinks the power of the divine weapons resembles the spirit arts but there is something that bothers him, he asks Aishia if the person who attacked her manipulated light balls, Aishia confirms it, Rio thinks about that. Rio finds it strange; he thinks every hero should just be able to use one attribute with the exception of the body strengthening. Satsuki the wind; Hiroaki the water; Rui the thunder; Takahisa the fire; Renji the ice and the saint the earth. Rio thinks the light bullets are something outside the six main attributes, that if the saint can manipulate them, she can use more than her own attribute. Rio wonders if the saint wasn’t the one who attacked Aishia or if she mastered the spirit arts aside from the power of her divine weapon.

Rio thinks the heroes have a good aptitude for the spirit arts from the very beginning, probably an effect of their weapons, that it was the same for Satsuki who became able of seeing the magic power the moment she was summoned. Rio thinks about Satsuki being taught just the minimum because he couldn’t use the spirit arts in front of Charlotte and her guards but that if she does it seriously Satsuki should be able to learn them quickly. Rio thinks maybe the divine weapons allow the heroes to use more than one attribute, that Satsuki told too that she doesn’t understand her divine weapon completely. Rio thinks he won’t get an answer to this even if he thinks more about it and decides to put it aside for the time being.

Rio tells to Aishia that they can’t discard the possibility of a third person different from the saint being the one who attacked Aishia yet, so they must stay vigilant, Aishia agrees, and Rio thanks her. Rio tells her that they need to watch out for that beast too, that it seems natural to think the saint was the one controlling it but he can’t confirm it, Aishia says she felt a presence similar to a spirit’s from the beast, Rio asks her if the beast was a spirit, he thought of the possibility but he can’t be sure of it because a spirit with that much power should be a humanoid one, but the beast wasn’t humanoid. Aishia says she isn’t sure because its presence was incredibly muddy, Rio doesn’t understand what she means, Aishia says that every kind of living being has a different kind of presence and that between all of them the easiest to feel are the spirit's and the monster's, Rio asks if between the two the sign of a spirit was the closer one, Aishia confirms it but says that it was muddy. Rio again doesn’t understand her meaning and makes a troubled face, Aishia says that the monsters’ presences also feel muddy, so the beast may be close to a monster too in that sense but that it resembles a spirit more, Rio asks if she feels anything else intriguing from the beast’s presence.

Aishia says that it was angry, Rio is convinced, he also thinks the beast’s eyes were full of hatred, Aishia says that it was incredibly angry, that it was pitch black, Rio asks if pitch black means that it was angry enough for losing its reason, Aishia says that probably, that it had lost its reason, Rio wonders what the target of the beast’s wrath was and if it was, he himself. Aishia says the beast’s wrath wasn’t pointed at Rio or anyone in particular, Rio asks what it is then, Aishia says it didn’t knew with who it was angry at, that it was like it had its eyes bandaged and didn’t know who to aim its wrath to but despite that it still couldn’t stop its wrath, that it felt like that, Rio asks if she said pitch black because of that too, Aishia nods, Rio says he understands but that it felt really strange to fight against the beast, that despite how it looked just like it was rampaging it felt more like fighting against a sly beast who chosen its prey, Rio thinks it is suspicious how the beast attacked its allies at the end despite standing protectively between Rio and the city before Erika’s arrival, Rio wonders if the beast is able of acting with intelligence or of coming back to its senses if its master orders it to but can’t be sure about it, Rio thinks if the beast is something close to a spirit then its contractor shouldn’t have that kind of absolute control about it, that the relationship between contractors is equal and the spirits always keep their own free wills, Aishia says she doesn’t know about that, Rio says that of course.

Rio sighs tiredly, Rio asks Aishia if there is a way for that beast to be dead if it is a spirit, Aishia says that it depends on what kind of attack Rio used, that if he didn’t damage its spiritual body it will heal any wound over and over, but that if it uses so much magic power that it can’t keep its spiritual form anymore it can be annihilated, Rio confirms with Aishia if the spirits can take damage to their spirit bodies if they are hit by a spirit art powerful enough like he was taught at the spirit folk’s village, Aishia says they can but that it is difficult to do mortal damage and that against a powerful spirit is impossible, Rio asks Aishia if she can feel the beast’s presence now, Aishia says she doesn’t, that it disappeared completely a little before she arrived at his location, Rio says he can’t believe he killed it completely, that even if the contractor dies the spirit won’t, he wonders if the beast is waiting anywhere while gathering the magic power needed for materializing again because none but Erika seems able of providing enough magic power for it, Rio thinks if the one who attacked Aishia wasn’t the saint that person who might be able of materializing the beast but that it is hard to imagine anyone has that much power, that it is impossible for a human, that it must be impossible even for Ouphia who has a great quantity of magic power, Rio thinks regardless of who manipulates the beast it still must be anywhere in its spirit form and certainly could materialize and attack again.

Rio doesn’t want to imagine it, he isn’t confident on winning a rematch, he isn’t confident on being able of protecting the people around him that he wants to protect either and makes a tense face, Aishia holds Rio’s hand, squeezes it and tells him to look together for a way of winning the next time the beast appears, that the next time they will be able of fighting together, Rio’s expression softens a little, he squeezes Aishia’s hand back, he thanks her and says that precisely because of that it won’t do if they don’t research that monster properly, Aishia says that maybe Dryas and the people from the village know something, Rio says they have to ask Sara, Orphia and Alma when they go back, Rio thinks it is highly likely for the divine weapons to be somehow related to that beast, that it looks like he will need Satsuki’s cooperation and maybe François’ permission too, Rio thinks he needs to go back asap to the Galarc Kingdom and to inform about the future rematch with beast and giving back the kidnapped Liselotte.

Aishia says that now that Rio woke up she will go to see how things are in the city, Rio says that he had thought about going himself, Aishia says Rio is a convalescent and that his face might be recognized because he stood out a lot, that it is fine if she goes to take a look in her spirit form, Rio says there might be a fight with the spirit arts user that attacked her, Aishia says that is another reason for her to go alone, Rio asks if he can let it to her, Aishia tells Rio to let it to her, Rio tells Aishia to take a good look at how the people there are reacting to the saint’s death, that he wants to inform François about that, Aishia nods, Rio says that if she can look into anyone who looks like they can use spirit arts he wants her to do it but that she doesn’t need to force herself because of that, Aishia says she understands, Rio says she doesn’t need to force herself, that if it looks like some trouble will start, run away immediately, Aishia nods but Rio keeps looking at her worriedly thinking it might be better if he goes himself, Aishia tells Rio he worries too much, Rio tries to deny it but he can’t, Aishia tells him to believe in her a little, Rio says smiling wryly that he believes in her, Aishia says she will be fine, she softens her expression and hugs Rio, Rio is surprised but for some reason his heart gets calmed by it, he relaxes his body and accepts Aishia’s embrace while hugging her back, both stay like that in their own world for a while, at the same time outside the door Aria stands awkwardly without knowing if she must enter with the prepared meal or not.

### Interlude: Pandora's box

The morning after Rio stabbed Erika’s heart, the republic’s parliament, Erika has just announced that they will invade the Galarc Kingdom. The legislators are praising Erika’s name in a loud voice celebrating the decision, they were happy because they were angry, angry at Liselotte who is a witch that just deceives the commoners pretending to be nice, angry at Rio, who was probably a minion of the Galarc Kingdom, that attacked them and took Liselotte away. It won’t do if they don’t retaliate, so they are glad that there will be a war, they will have their retaliation, against the Galarc Kingdom that attacked their republic, against the evil that must be eradicated, no one doubted about them being in the right, they screamed to not forgive the witch Liselotte, that they have to show their anger to the cowardly kingdom, punishment for the kingdom that abuses the weak ones, that God will take revenge on them, that Erika will punish them. Erika silences everyone, everyone gets silent, Erika says that from now on they are at war with the Galarc Kingdom, she asks the legislators for their opinions and suggestions, Andrey calls out to Erika, Erika tells him to speak, Andrey says that they should announce this decision to the country for rising morale and because everyone is angry about what happened and anxious about what will happen from now on.

The legislators think it is a good idea, agreeing voices appear one after the other, Erika agrees, she says the people need to know the decision they made but that the problem is the witch Liselotte who escaped from them. Andrey frowns hearing that name as he was the one in charge of watching her, Erika repeats her story of Rio about to die against the beast cowardly taking Natalia’s group that came to her rescue as hostages and using them for creating a chance of escaping using an attack that involved them all. That Rio must think he killed her, but that if he heals his wounds, he may come to discover what happened after the battle. Andrey asks if that means that Rio can find out about their plan of invasion and stealing the initiative from them if that happens, Erika confirms it, Andrey asks if it is better for them to be careful about what they say about the war, Erika says it is, that they might have noticed already but that Rio's skill for reaching Liselotte unnoticed was impressive, that they need to make a gag order, and to just talk at agreed times and places using a code when talking about the war for preventing leaks, Andrey says he understands, Erika proposes Pandora’s box as the plan’s name.

Andrey and the legislators are confused at the unknown name, Erika says she took the name from a legend she knows, Andrey and the rest like the name, Erika says that it is a box that contains salvation inside it that God entrusted to a woman called Pandora. Andrey asks if that doesn’t resemble Erika herself, Erika asks if he thinks like that, Andrey says that both the saint and hero her is God’s representative, that Pandora can just be her. Erika smiles at Andrey’s words and says that now they need to go to look for the box’s key. Andrey asks to where, Erika says that of course to the Galarc Kingdom, that they will decide on candidates for the battlefield, everyone is surprised at Erika already having a plan for invading despite being a just moments since the war was approved because everyone else present didn’t have a plan of invading from the beginning after all, Erika says she already gathered the necessary information when she visited the Galarc Kingdom.

Andrey praises Erika for it, Erika says that it is game against time now after all and that she will present everyone with the box’s key, Andrey asks Erika if she plans to go alone? Erika says that there are several small nations between them and the Galarc Kingdom, that if they lead an army, they would have to conquer those kingdoms on their way too, so instead she will ride a griffon bringing just a few elites with her and illustrate how she accomplishes it with just that. Andrey says he understands, Erika says she will depart today towards the Galarc Kingdom, Andrey and the legislators are surprised, Erika says that she already told them that it is race against time. Erika says everyone to not let their guard down just because they took countermeasures against information leaks, that once Rio discovers that she is alive the other’s side wariness will rise. Andrey says he understands, he asks Erika if they must hide that she’s alive because they already announced in the capital that she won yesterday’s battle, Erika says that it isn’t wrong to talk about the victory, but that they mustn’t talk about her condition or location in case there are spies in their capital. Andrey says he understands why she wants to leave today; Erika asks everyone to leave the Pandora’s plan to her entirely and to let her depart in secret so that no spies catch onto anything, no one objects, Erika tells everyone that the results of her infiltration should be known within a month and to please to be expectant about it.

### Chapter 2: Amakawa-senpai

In the evening, an hour after Rio’s awakening, Aishia is looking around the Republic’s capital to know how the people are reacting to Erika’s death. Aishia explores the streets in her spirit form, she listens to the people talking in taverns after working. They talk about the battle between Rio and the beast, but no one talks about Erika’s death, some are angry at Rio’s group, but they aren’t sad, they talk as if Erika had been the winner. Aishia wonders if Erika’s death is being suppressed or if she’s alive, she thinks she needs to go look for Erika to confirm the truth. Aishia decides to peep on the people at the top of the republic. Aishia goes to the prime minister’s office, she looks down from the sky at a mansion watched by more than thirty soldiers. Aishia enters wondering if the man who attacked her will be there too. She doesn’t find Erika. Aishia wonders if looking for someone talking about Erika’s death is possible. Aishia decides to peep on the people in the mansion for a little longer. After some minutes, Aishia finds a cook sitting alone in the backyard taking a break and decides to interrogate him.

Aishia hypnotizes the man, the cook asks Aishia what she wants. Aishia asks the cook if Erika is alive, the cook criticizes her for not saying saint-sama. Aishia repeats her question. The cook says that of course Erika is alive. Aishia asks if Erika didn’t lose the battle yesterday, the cook says that there is no way it can be like that, that Erika was the victor. Aishia asks the cook if he saw Erika coming back alive, the cook says he didn’t, that Erika was busy taking care of the post-processing of yesterday’s battle, so she didn’t come back to the mansion. Aishia asks if Erika will return today, the cook says she won’t, that she was very busy and departed elsewhere in the morning. Aishia asks to where, the cook says that someone like him won’t know that. Aishia asks who knows then, the cook says that Andrey may know. Aishia realizes the cook means the man that was with Liselotte yesterday. Aishia asks where Andrey is, the cook says that at parliament but that it is almost time for dinner that he may be back already. Aishia asks if Andrey is coming to the mansion where they are, the cook says that Andrey lives at that mansion too. Aishia doubts between going to the parliament or waiting for Andrey. While Aishia ponders such, someone calls out to Mark (Cook's name), Aishia asks the cook if he’s Mark, he confirms it. Aishia makes Mark answer in a loud voice without moving from where he is. Aishia hides behind Mark while a middle-aged man comes and tells Mark that Andrey is back and asked for his dinner. Aishia forces Mark to ask the man if he can tell Andrey to come to the backyard because he needs to ask him something with just the two of them. The man says he understands and leaves. Then Aishia puts Mark to sleep.

Aishia puts Mark’s sleeping body next to a wall and waits for Andrey while hidden. When Andrey arrives Aishia hypnotizes him making Andrey think she’s the one who called for him and asks him if Erika is alive. Andrey asks why the sudden question. Aishia says she wants to know if Erika is really alive. Andrey asks why, Aishia says that because there isn’t anyone who observed her coming back alive. Andrey says that it isn’t like that that he saw her. Aishia asks what Erika is doing now and where. Andrey says he doesn’t know that either. Aishia asks why. Andrey says that because Erika left without telling him where she would go to. Aishia asks why he wasn’t told. Andrey says that it is a state secret and even if he had known he couldn’t tell her. Aishia asks Andrey if he’s just hiding Erika’s death because after it is known the country will collapse. Andrey says that it isn’t like that that it is normal to be anxious when Erika can’t be seen but to believe in him, that she’s on a really important mission. Aishia thinks Andrey isn’t lying but can’t be sure after seeing Rio verifying Erika’s death so clearly.

Aishia enters her spirit form when she feels that the middle-aged man from before is coming back. Andrey’s hypnosis gets undone. Andrey looks around confused and finds the sleeping Mark. The middle-aged man asks Andrey what happened. Andrey tilts his head curiously not understanding the question. The man asks Andrey if he was talking with a girl. Andrey says it shouldn’t be like that. The man says he heard his voice and a girl’s and asks why Mark is sleeping leaning on the wall. Andrey says he doesn’t know that either and asks the man why he came. The man can’t answer because he seemed to be trying to peep. Andrey tells him to wake up Mark. the man tries to wake Mark up while Andrey wonders if this was the work of a spy and deciding to be more alert.

Aishia leaves the capital and goes to the place where Rio fought the beast. She makes the mana and odo in the air to resonate strongly expecting to attract the man that attacked her for getting answers from him. Aishia wonders if she must wait for an hour or more for him to come. Aishia remembers about the battle, she remembers the beast’s attack coming towards them. Aishia wonders if it was just her imagination when she felt for an instant that the beast seemed to point a lot of negative emotions towards her. Aishia wonders if she was acquainted with that monster if her feeling was right. Aishia feels she forgot anything important. She is positive about her existence for Rio’s sake but still feels she is forgetting something important. She worries about it being the harbinger of something bad.

The next morning, Liselotte is looking dumbfoundedly at Rio and Aishia having a light sparring disarmed for checking Rio’s condition. Liselotte thinks they are incredible at the same time she is relieved because Rio must be really cured if he can move like that. Aishia asks Rio how. Rio with just that understands she means his condition and says they should be able to depart today. Aishia says that it is fine then. Rio says that it is thanks to her and thanks her. Aishia nods to Rio. Aishia’s lips get a little loose and smile thinly. Liselotte thinks Aishia has a really pretty face. After the spar is over, Liselotte tries to go out of the house and call out to the two but she can’t when she sees the two entering their own world.

Liselotte wonders about what kind of relationship they have when she sees how little the distance, they keep from the other is. She already received an explanation that Aishia is Rio’s contracted spirit. Liselotte wonders if they aren’t in love because by the other girls’ talks Rio isn’t dating anyone. Liselotte thinks about the big quantity of pretty girls around Rio and about Latifa telling her that they agreed not to make a move on him. Liselotte thinks that Aishia gives a special feeling, that Aishia is the only girl that Rio seems to let her get close to him as someone from the opposite sex, that even if he lets Latifa come as close too it is as siblings. Liselotte wonders about what makes Aishia special. She thinks it can’t be explained by a strong bond of trust because the rest of the girls have that too. She wonders what Aishia has that the rest don't. She wonders if they love each other but they don’t realize it.

Liselotte wonders if Rio is reluctant to make a harem because there is that love, that if it is like that the chances of him being tied to just one person are high. Liselotte thinks if what makes the relationship with Aishia has something to do with romantic feelings, they might start a relationship in the future. Liselotte wonders if Rio likes Aishia. When she imagines that she gets upset for some reason. Aria asks her from behind if she won’t go outside. Liselotte screams cutely and tells Aria to not talk to her so suddenly. Aria says she’s sorry about that, that because her gaze seemed to be getting some thorns in it, she thought about pushing her back. Liselotte says she wasn’t envious or anything. Aria asks her if Rio and Aishia are there, Liselotte confirms it. Aria asks Liselotte if she wanted to talk to them and got cold feet because of something. Liselotte tells Aria not to read her lord’s heart. Aria says it is a basic skill for a maid. Liselotte thinks it would be fine for her to just use that skill while working but doesn’t complain out loud because it is hard to say that as she isn’t at work right now. Aria tells Liselotte that Rio is someone who attracts people towards him, and he won’t get attached just looking from the side. Liselotte asks why it became a talk about her being conscious of Rio. Aria says that because she is conscious of him no matter how you look at it. Aria asks taken aback if she didn’t realize it yet. Liselotte says looking away from Aria and rising her voice that it isn’t like that that she isn’t like a princess from a story that falls after being saved from a pinch.

Aria thinks Liselotte has loved Rio for a long time already. She wonders if she really isn’t aware of it or she is aware but refuses to admit it, that no matter what, it is a serious illness, that her lord has too many things on her mind. Aria looks at Liselotte with exasperation. Aria begins to wonder if this is Liselotte’s first love because until now, she lived just for her work. Aria smiles thinking about that and that from now on she will have several things to do. Liselotte asks what that is look for while pouting. Aria says that it is nothing and that she wants to say one thing. Liselotte asks what it is. Aria says that she’s sure that no one more handsome than Rio will appear in the future so to make sure Liselotte doesn’t regret it later. After saying that, Aria opens the front door. Liselotte tells her again not to say things that make her more conscious of it. Liselotte asks herself in her mind what is she thinking about, that like that it really looks like she’s conscious of Rio. Liselotte shakes her head from side to side as if denying it. Aria sights exasperatedly looking at Liselotte thinking again her illness is serious.

Rio asks the two what are they talking about. Liselotte says good morning to Rio stuttering a little and trying to act cool despite her red cheeks. Aria says that it was nothing, to relax because she will prepare breakfast now. After a small reverence, Aria tries to go back to the kitchen, but Rio stops her. He says he wants to be in charge of making breakfast as his apology for making them worry about him and as his thanks. Liselotte tells Rio to let her do it then because it is her who needs to show thanks. Rio says he just wants to do some simple Japanese food. Aria says that her lord was unsure about how to thank Rio and Aishia so to let her do it because she should be familiar with Japanese food too. Aria tells Liselotte in her head to use that chance and to capture Rio’s stomach. Rio suggests they do it together because he has a lot of different ingredients and the two can make what they like. Aria says that that would be wonderful. Liselotte complains to Aria embarrassingly. Rio says they get along well with a wry smile. Then Liselotte accepts Rio’s idea.

Liselotte looks surprisingly at the inside of Rio’s pantry next to the kitchen, says that he really has a lot of things. Rio says he thinks he has everything necessary for making Japanese food there and tells her to ask him if she wants anything she can’t see. Liselotte talks excitedly and with surprise at the things she hadn't seen in a long time. She says she wants to eat them. Rio tells Liselotte to make the ideal Japanese breakfast with the items she chooses. Liselotte loses control before the things she longs for and talks more excitedly than usual with Rio about what ingredients to use. After deciding about the menu, they go back to the kitchen. Liselotte asks Rio who cooks at his mansion. Rio tells her that Miharu and Ouphia use to take the lead while the rest cooperate. Rio asks Liselotte if she used to make her meals too. Liselotte says she usually lets her chief do it, but she does so when making new recipes for her restaurants or when trying to recreate some Japanese dish, that it is faster when she makes a demonstration. Rio says she must be very good at cooking. Liselotte thanks Rio and explains that in her previous life she used to work at her family’s restaurant. Rio says that Haruto’s experiences certainly helped him too. Liselotte asks Rio if he could cook in his previous life too. Rio says he had lived alone since he entered high school until his death and that he worked part-time at a restaurant too, so he learned a lot of things. Liselotte calls Rio Amakawa-senpai but hurriedly shuts up when she realizes it.

Rio looks at her with surprise. Liselotte says with flushed cheeks that maybe she already explained it, but that she used to know Haruto in her previous life, and back then Rikka called him that way. Liselotte apologizes embarrassingly for surprising Rio. Rio asks if it was like that, he tilts his head to the side curiously. He thinks for Haruto, Rikka was just a JK he saw riding the same bus and wonders if it was different for Rikka? Liselotte guesses what Rio thinks, she explains that she didn’t have a chance for telling him, but that she knew of him when Haruto was a high schooler. Rio asks Liselotte if Rikka met the high schooler Haruto somewhere. Liselotte says she did but, normally, he doesn’t remember, that Haruto helped Rikka by chance when she visited his high school’s cultural festival but. Rio asks but what. Liselotte says that Rikka knew about Haruto because of another reason too, that a cousin of hers went to the same high school. Rio makes a face of finally getting it. Liselotte says that her cousin was called Fujiwara Mafuyu and asks Rio if he remembers about her. Rio says he does. Liselotte is relieved and happy when Rio remembers. Rio says he remembers he used to see her lot alongside a girl called Chizuru, Liselotte is happy when Rio also remembers about Chi-san.

Rio laughs funnily when he discovers their unexpected common acquaintances and at that way of calling someone. Rio remembers about the two girls who used to hang out together. Mafuyu usually being reserved while Chizuru usually invited Haruto after classes to go to places and the impression they let in Haruto. Liselotte says she used to call her cousin Fuu-chan, that she always spent a lot of time with the two back then. Rio asks if she came to the school festival because of that. Liselotte thanks Rio for his help at that time. Rio says it was nothing, but Liselotte says he was cool, Rio thanks her shyly. Liselotte says nostalgically that Mafuyu would be surprised if she knew she was reborn and is now cooking with the person who used to be that Amakawa-senpai.

Rio says that maybe. Liselotte says that also but stops midway. Rio asks also what. Liselotte remembers about all of the times that Chizuru told to her that Mafuyu liked Haruto, and that because of that Rikka used to know about Haruto, because she used to support her, but the young man her cousin from her previous life liked was reborn and is now in front of her. Liselotte says it is nothing and that they got a little sentimental somehow after her hesitation, she didn't tell that last bit to Rio. Maybe she didn’t want to tell him even if she didn’t understand the reason. Rio agrees while tilting his head curiously and letting it go. Liselotte calls Rio Amakawa-senpai again. Rio says he gets somehow embarrassed if he’s called senpai. Liselotte asks him if she can call him like that anytime when she wants to do it. Rio agrees. He’s happy because he feels his bonds with someone increased, that it isn’t his imagination, that there is his coward side afraid of being hated by the other person, but that when he wants to be liked by someone, he will gather his valor and shorten the distance himself, then the bonds between people accumulate like this. Liselotte laughs softly realizing their bond got deeper and Rio does the same. Rio then tells Liselotte to keep working because their hands stopped. Liselotte agrees, meanwhile Aria and Aishia look at the two in the kitchen silently from the living room. Aria looks away from the two and thanks Aishia again. Aishia nods while smiling softly looking at Rio and Liselotte. Aria loses her words because of Aishia’s beauty for an instant before beginning to think about her lord’s hardships if she has this strong love rival, about how she needs to become honest about it before that, about the rest of the girls waiting at the Galarc Kingdom, Celia among them. Aria doubts about supporting her friend or her lord before setting on her lord that is in front of her right now for the time being.

### Chapter 3: Report

A day later, in the dining room of Rio’s mansion, Liselotte explains what happened before being rescued by Rio. After that Rio explains his battle against the beast and Erika and the result of Aishia’s investigations in the city afterward. François says that as expected it was the right thing to send Rio to the republic. Rio apologizes for coming back with problems unsolved. François asks if he means Erika’s unconfirmed status and the beast. Rio confirms it. François tells Rio to be proud then, that his mission was to rescue Liselotte and retaliating against the republic for making a fool of them and he fulfilled it splendidly, that it is normal to be counterattacked in the process so that doesn’t make a difference. Rio thanks François for his words. François says that if Erika is really alive, it will be a headache and that the mentioned earth’s beast sounds like a terrible monster too. Rio says that if that monster attacks, the capital would be destroyed, that as long as Erika’s death can’t be confirmed they need to be wary of an invasion. François asks if that doesn’t change with him facing the beast again. Rio says that he isn’t confident in winning a rematch by himself and that even if he can win, protecting the city or the people from the damage is impossible for him.

François says he can’t be an optimist if Rio says that much and asks him if he thinks Erika is alive. Rio says he thinks there isn’t a way for her to be alive but that he can’t deny it with absolute certainty. François asks if he didn’t pierce Erika’s heart and checked if her pulse stopped. Rio confirms it. François says that then is reasonable to think that Erika’s death is just being hidden. Rio agrees. François asks Rio if he knows of a way for someone not to die after having their heart stabbed and stopped. Rio denies it. François expected such but agrees on verifying with certainty Erika’s death being better for their peace of mind. François asks if it is hard to confirm or if he didn’t find a corpse. Rio suggests going investigate alone. François denies it, he tells Rio that he has just come back, to take a rest and recover from his wounds. Some of the girls' nod at François’ words and others say well said to him. Rio tries to insist but does it weakly feeling the girls’ stares. François says that he can just send spies to the republic if he wants to investigate more and tells Rio to rest again. Rio agrees.

François says that instead, he would like Rio to stay in the capital and take care of its defense, that as he told before there was some trouble the other day and wants to strengthen the castle’s defenses. Rio asks when the attack occurred. François says that three days ago. Rio asks who attacked them. François tells him that the remnants of the heavenly lions. Rio hardens his expression when hearing that name. He tries to take the blame, but François stops him, he says that it is positive that they wanted prisoners but that it can’t be said that their only goal was to retaliate against Rio, that this has the Proxima Empire’s smell on it. Rio tries to confirm if the mansion was attacked too. François confirms it and says that they made several comments about retaliating against him. Rio says that as expected it was an attack against him and his face darkens. François says that even if was an attack against him, this is a royal castle, and the duty of protecting it falls on the king, that even if Rio has a connection with them it becomes a national problem the moment, they attacked the castle. François says that important people like a hero and three princesses were gathered at the mansion back then and asks Rio if it wouldn’t be strange if they didn’t want hostages aside from their revenge on Rio.

Christina agrees, she says that Flora and she were already targeted once by the Proxima empire, that it wouldn’t be strange to think the empire connected to the Arbor faction was aiming at them. Flora agrees, she says maybe the mansion was attacked because she and Christina were there. Satsuki says she certainly could be a target too. Charlotte says that it is a fact that the mercenaries aimed at Rio’s mansion where important figures had gathered, but that with several candidates for the reason for the attack they can’t just pick one and denounce someone, that instead, the ones to blame are the attackers, so Rio’s apologies are unneeded. François adds that fortunately the damage was lessened thanks to the girls’ and Gouki’s group’s hard work and tells Rio to thank them. Rio thanks everyone lowering his head deeply.

Rio asks for the whereabouts of the missing people like Latifa, Alma, and the rest of the people from Yagumo aside from Gouki and Kayoko. Sara explains to Rio that Alma was wounded. Rio’s expression intensifies, Orphia tells Rio that he can’t apologize to Alma either, that it isn’t Rio’s fault, that Alma is already cured and is just resting in her room while Latifa watches over her. Rio says he will thank Latifa and Alma too then. Sara murmurs that it isn’t something to be thankful for, that they just did the obvious among themselves. Orphia asks Sara giggling if she said something. Sara says it was nothing and Celia and Miharu laugh at the two. Gouki tells Rio that Komomo’s group are on stand-by in the outskirts and to be relieved because they are safe. Rio says to Gouki he understands why he and Kayoko are there, he says thank goodness they came and thanks them. Gouki says that he came to the castle in a way unexpected for Rio but that the most important is that he was of help. Kayoko agrees. François and Charlotte look curiously at Rio’s interaction with the two.

Satsuki says that it was incredible how they begin to defeat the mercenaries easily the moment they appeared. François says to Rio that monsters attacked too and that the two were key in their subjugation. Rio asks about the monsters. François explains about the black spheres letting loose packs of revertants. François says he doesn’t want to believe it but that it seems that the Proxima empire and the mercenaries seem to have a way of controlling monsters. Rio agrees. François explains about Dragul. Aishia asks about it. François asks what she knows, Aishia says to everyone that that monster could be Reiss. Rio makes an understanding face remembering Aishia’s story. François asks if that Reiss is the diplomat from the Proxima Empire and asks if he visited Beltrum as an ambassador. Rio isn’t sure where to begin because he would have to explain that Aishia is a spirit first. Celia asks everyone if they remember that she reported having seen Reiss when Christina and Flora were kidnapped. Christina and François nod. Celia explains to them that at that time Aishia was escorting her secretly during Rio’s absence. Rio gulps when he hears Celia’s words. Celia explains to Rio that it is already known that Aishia is a spirit.

Orphia explains that Hel, Ifrit, and Aerial participated in the last battle, so they know about Aishia too. Rio says he understands, now he understands why they knew when he was back in the capital and waited for him at the castle gates. François says it is like that and laughs a little at the surprised Rio. Rio apologizes for hiding things. François tells him not to mind it, that there was literature about the spirits remaining but not encounters, that it is natural to hide unusual things for avoiding troublesome questionings of greedy people. Rio agrees with a worried face. François tells him that even if a lot of people saw them very few discovered they were spirits and to be at ease about that, Rio thanks his consideration, François tells Rio not to mind it, that there isn’t a way he can bring more troubles to his doorstep. François also comments about how Aishia certainly resembles a human but that if someone pays attention, she seems like something different from one, François asks what it means that maybe Reiss was Dragul.

Rio explains about the fight between Reiss and Aishia, about him turning into Dragul and his ability to summon monsters, François asks if Reis’ real identity is a monster, then. Rio says he might not be a monster because he didn’t leave a magic stone when defeated, but that if he can summon monsters, he might be a higher existence than them. François wonders if monsters that resemble humans can exist since there are spirits that resemble them too. François thinks something like manipulating monsters is a heresy and a taboo by the six wise Gods’ teachings, but that the scriptures also talk about something like a demon king in the God-Demon war. Aishia says that thinking back on it maybe Reiss didn’t leave behind a magic stone because he wasn’t defeated, Rio asks Gouki if the monster he fought left behind a magic stone. Gouki says he didn’t observe anything like one, he asks the rest if they did. Kayoko, Celia, Sara, and Orphia say they didn’t either. Rio asks Celia if she fought too. Celia confirms it proudly. Rio asks why when Dragul was pretty strong. Celia says she can fight too even if she needs someone to protect her while she casts magic. Rio says he knows Celia is a skillful mage but. Gouki explains about Celia’s magic destroying Dragul’s shield and part of his body. Sara says she can’t use a technique as strong. Orphia says it was splendid.

Celia becomes shy after the praise and tells Rio to continue explaining about Reiss. Rio talks about the spirits’ ability for feeling presence. François asks what he means. Rio says that it is something different from feeling magic power, that it is like they feel the existence of souls, that the souls of humans, spirits, and monsters give a different feeling each, but that Reiss from time to time feels like any of the three things. Aishia says that at the moment of their battle he felt just like a monster. Rio explains that they wondered if Reiss died when Aishia defeated the bone knight. Aishia says that if it appeared again after disappearing without letting behind a magic stone they have to think about its survival too. François says that it is one surprise after another if she can defeat that bone knight alone. François asks Aishia how strong Dragul appears to be in her eyes. Aishia says that Dragul was resilient, but that if something can be done about that it isn’t hard to defeat. François asks Aishia how strong is Dragul compared to the people in Rio’s mansion, Aishia says that despite its toughness Dragul doesn’t win in general strength against them, that they won’t win unless they can break its defense but that they won’t lose easily either despite that.

François asks if they can defeat it if several skillful warriors stop it while someone else prepares a large magic attack. Aishia says that it is better to face it with a lot of people if possible but that if Dragul runs around rampaging because the attacks don’t work on it they won’t be able to stall it, and that it is complicated to hit it from a distance too. François says that it seems complicated but that he’s thinking about training a unit for fighting giant monsters and thanks Aishia for her valuable opinion. Aishia nods. François asks how hard it would be for Rio if she can defeat it alone. Aishia looks silently at Rio wondering if she can answer. Rio nods. Aishia says Rio can defeat Dragul without trouble too even if there were several presents. François laughs when he realizes anew, he has no idea where Rio’s limits are. François asks Aishia who would win between the earth’s beast and Dragul. Aishia says the beast, that Dragul at maximum can earn at most some time against the beast.

François asks Aishia if the beast could be a spirit controlled by Erika. Aishia confirms it. François explains that he heard from Sara’s group that the power of the divine weapons resembles the spirit arts. Rio agrees. François asks then if Satsuki can call forth a similar creature. Rio says he thought the same. Satsuki denies knowing how to do that when everyone looks at her. François asks Christina if Hiroaki can do it. Christina says she never heard about it. François asks Rio if it is possible for the beast to be a spirit that Erika contracted with aside from the power of her weapon. Rio says it is suspicious if the beast is a spirit or not but that it is possible. François asks what he means by suspicious. Rio explains that the beast’s presence resembled a spirit’s but that such a powerful spirit should be a humanoid one. Rio asks Sara and Orphia for confirmation. Sara says that it should be like that and that at a good chance she and Orphia will go to ask someone who knows more about spirits than them. François says he will leave that in their hands then. Rio asks François if in the old literature about the heroes there isn’t anything about the earth’s beast or something similar. François denies it, he says he looked into them after Satsuki was summoned but that he will do it again. Christina says she will make someone investigate Redania's archives too. François says he wants time for putting his mind in order, that if they continue it will be hard to keep listening.

Satsuki says that it is something unrelated but that it might be a good idea to ask with the king present. François asks what it is. Satsuki says she wants to ask Rio for a favor. Rio asks what it is. Satsuki says that if her weapon’s powers resemble the spirit arts, she wants to be taught the real way of using them. Rio asks if it is because she wants to be stronger. Satsuki says she wants to be stronger. Rio asks if it is fine to ask for her reason. Satsuki says that it was frustrating, that when the mansion was attacked even though the rest were fighting, she looked on from a safe place, that even if she joined in the middle she could just look on when Dragul appeared, so she wants to be stronger and being able of fighting with everyone when the time comes. François asks Rio if Satsuki can learn to use her weapon’s power better if she receives his instruction in spirit arts. Rio says she can, that she already showed results from listening to simple feedback, that he thinks it is very possible she can progress a lot by learning to use spirit arts seriously. François says that it is like that he wants to ask Rio to take care of Satsuki’s training.

Rio says that after fighting against the beast he wanted to ask for Satsuki’s help for investigating the divine weapons so if they are fine with him he will do it. François says that it is decided then, that he doesn’t mind if they train in the mansion’s backyard, but that if they need a wider place, he won’t oppose them leaving the castle. Rio asks if it is fine to leave the castle. François says that he didn’t forbid Satsuki to leave from the beginning, that he said he would oppose it at an inconvenient time, but that if there’s a good reason and an acceptable risk he won’t do so. Satsuki says that it is the truth but. François says that he wants to trust in Satsuki, that he wants to be informed of her outings’ schedule but that he won’t oppose it if Rio accompanies her, that if it is fine if they arrange the details with Charlotte too. Charlotte accepts happily thinking she might get a chance of going outside too. François says that this time they will end the talks here, that the Cretia family must want to talk about a lot of things too. He asks Rio and Charlotte if they can prepare a room for them. Charlotte offers the Cretia family, Christina, and Flora a drawing room and asks Rio if he is fine with it. Rio gives his consent. François says he will leave then. He tells Charlotte to come to her office later. Charlotte says she understands. François asks Rio if he can escort him on his way there. Rio accepts a little surprised at the sudden request.

When François is leaving the mansion, he takes a little distance from the rest of his escorts with just Rio. He tells him he wants to consult about one more thing with him. Rio asks what it is. François asks Rio if he can keep this talk a secret from Satsuki because he doesn’t want to make her anxious while they don’t know things with certainty. Rio accepts. François says that if Erika is alive, he began to wonder if the heroes can't die, at least not from having their hearts pierced. Rio asks why he thinks that. François says that because he remembered that in the literature about the heroes, he looked up it said something about them having a strong and immortal body. Rio asks if he means that the heroes are ageless or if he means that they can’t die. François says it is unknown who wrote their archives or if they can be trusted, but that when he listened to his story, he remembered that. Rio asks François if he thinks Erika is alive because of that. François says he isn’t sure, that he can’t fathom that anyone can still live with their heart pierced and that if the heroes are really immortal the heroes from the God-Demon war era should be alive now too. Rio asks if he doesn’t know what happened with the heroes from the past after the war. François says that there were legends about the heroes founding countries but nothing about them after the war.

Rio wonders if that means that they returned to their world after the war. Rio thinks it is strange not to know what happened to the central figures of the war. He asks if he can take a look at those archives. François agrees and Rio thanks him. François says that it is fine that it is related to why he asked Rio to come with him. Rio asks what he means. François explains that there are too many legends about the heroes’ powers, but that a lot are too abstract and impossible to judge as truth or lies, the heroes’ immortality is the same, that he doesn’t want to even joke about it but that there isn’t the way he will pierce Satsuki’s heart for finding out. Rio agrees, François says that if it is Rio he can pull out the power sleeping inside Satsuki, that if she really can summon a beast like that and has an immortal body, he thinks it will be a weight too heavy for her, that those are the kind of things that break someone’s heart. François says that Satsuki is smart, honest, and charismatic but that she is just a normal girl too, that he thinks like that at least. François asks about Rio’s opinion. Rio agrees with him. François says that then he wants to ask for favor between men, he asks Rio to support Satsuki so she doesn’t get consumed by her power. Rio says that he wonders if he will be able of doing it. François says that Rio himself is someone too powerful for just one individual, but he isn’t consumed by his power, so he wants to let it on his hands, that he doesn’t have to give an immediate answer. Rio accepts. François says he lets it on his hands.

When Rio and François arrive at the castle, he asks Rio to keep him company a little longer. The two enter François’ office and he tells Rio to take a sit. François stays silent for a moment as if thinking about something until Charlotte knocks on the door and enters his office. François says she came quickly when he sees her arriving just a minute after them. Charlotte says that it is because it seemed that they would have an interesting talk and that Celia seemed able of hosting Christina and Flora perfectly. François tells Charlotte to take a sit. Charlotte happily sits next to Rio with her body stuck to his. Rio is troubled when she is so bold in front of her father and tries to take distance, but Charlotte just gets close again giggling while François looks strangely at the two.

François tells Rio that he was taught briefly about the spirit arts by Sara’s group and that he also found a lot of documents about past users of similar techniques. Rio gets serious again and confirms that they were lost long ago and that he almost didn’t find any other users than himself during his trips through the Strahl region. François asks if "almost" means he found any. Rio says that just Reiss. François says he understands that he also understands why spirit arts were forgotten due to the faith in the Gods, the difficulty of learning them, and the magic’s easiness of use for the military. Rio agrees. François says that those outside the region kept using the spirit arts even today and that he is one of them. Rio confirms it. François says that the country from the Yagumo region that once contacted them seemed to not know about the wise Gods and the existence of magic but seemed to know about the spirit arts and that there were documented cases of other races like the beastmen, elves, and dwarves being good at the spirit arts too.

Rio is finally getting where François wants to get at and why he asked Charlotte to come. François tells Rio that all of this made him think Sara and Gouki’s group could be from outside the Strahl region. Charlotte also looks curiously at Rio’s profile waiting for his answer. François says that it is fine not to answer if he can’t. Rio says that as he guessed everyone is from outside the Strahl region. François asks if he can explain his relationship with them then. Rio says he has some complicated circumstances so if they can’t promise to stay silent, he can’t talk. François asks if it is fine for Charlotte to listen. Rio says he intended to tell this to the two and later to Satsuki too. François says he understands and warns Charlotte to keep the secret too. Charlotte says that of course happily. Rio explains to the two his royal origin. François is surprised, he says he thought Rio would be a noble but not of royalty. François sighs deeply for calming himself. Rio says that Gouki brought more people with him and asks if he can bring them to his mansion too. François says that the mansion belongs to Rio that it is fine for him to bring in whoever he wants. Rio thanks him and makes a reverence.

François asks Rio why he does not make the people living with him his retainers, that they seem to wish for that. Rio is reluctant. François says he understands he isn’t into it, but that he has to reward them for killing Dragul and that if they are his retainers, it would be easier in several ways for him, that he can set it with some decoration to an exemplar retainer, that if they are going to live at the castle, they need a clear position and to consult it with them later. Rio says he understands. François says he wants to ask one more thing to Rio and asks Charlotte to leave first. After her leave, François asks Rio if he has any plans of marrying Satsuki, Charlotte, or both. Rio tells François to stop the joke. François tells Rio to keep it in a corner of his mind for now, while Rio doesn’t know what to say François tells him that it is fine for him to go back already and that he leaves Satsuki’s training on his hands.

Rio leaves and sees Charlotte waiting for him. Charlotte says he was done quickly. Rio says it was a short talk. Charlotte asks what it was about. Rio tells her she should confirm that with François later. Charlotte pesters Rio for answers sticking her body to his when duke Gregory calls out to the two with a fake cough. Charlotte tells Clement that her father is at his office and asks if he can’t enter for some reason. Clement says he has to talk with Rio too. Rio asks curiously what it is not understanding the reason for Clement’s obvious hostility. Charlotte asks Clement if he can be brief because Rio is tired from his long travel. Clement asks Rio what he was doing at such an important time when the heavenly lions attacked the castle. Rio doesn’t answer. Charlotte calls out to Clement looking at him coldly. She tells him that he already heard from his father that he ordered Rio to rescue Liselotte, that if it is him, he should already know about Liselotte’s return. Clement is upset when he confirms that it was Rio’s doing, thinks he might have been rewarded again. Charlotte doesn’t say anything else to Clement. She knocks on François’ door tells him that Clement is there and makes him enter.

### Chapter 4: The special training begins and investigation

The next morning, at an empty prairie next to Galarc’s capital, Satsuki looks at the sky while stretching saying that the world’s air is delicious, Rio smiles wryly next to her while preparing for beginning the training, Satsuki asks Charlotte that stands with her escorts next to the carriage that brought them there if she needed to come too, Charlotte says that because it is the first time she needs to tell her father what they were doing, Satsuki says that even if she says that she must have another reason, Charlotte says that it is lonely to be the only one who stays back at the castle looking at the rest of the girls, Gouki and Kayoko who tagged along because they can’t train their spirit arts freely there, Rio makes some earth walls for protecting Charlotte’s group from the wind and tells them to look from there, a little away from the wall Alma makes an stable for the horses, Charlotte says the spirit arts are incredible, Rio takes out some chairs, tables and drinks from the time-space cache and gives them to Charlotte’s group, Satsuki says that he really can take out whatever, Rio says smiling wryly that he can just take out the things put inside beforehand, Charlotte also comments surprisedly on the awesomeness of the time-space cache, Rio says he doesn’t have anything more surprising than the time-space cache that he mainly stores ingredients and furniture, Satsuki says it can’t be like that, Rio says he will teach them about the rest of magic tools when the time comes and to begin the training already, Gouki says he and Ouphia will go to pick up the rest of his group for helping Rio to change the topic, Rio nods to the two, Ouphia calls for Aerial, she and Gouki ride it and leave.

The rest of the girls, except Aishia and Alma who stay behind for observing the powers of Satsuki’s weapon and Kayoko who volunteered for watching over Rio and Satsuki, decide to begin their training a little away from Charlotte’s group, Rio and Satsuki, Charlotte asks Kayoko if she can train her escorts in the meanwhile too, Kayoko asks if she will be fine without escorts, Charlotte says that there isn’t anyone around and that Aishia and Alma are there too, that she will be fine, Kayoko says she understands and asks Louise’s group if they’re fine with it, Louise’s group accepts and Kayoko decides to train them.

Rio and Satsuki take distance from Charlotte’s group, Rio asks Satsuki if there is anything that she wants to learn how to do with the wind, Satsuki says she wants to learn how to fly with shiny eyes, Rio smiles wryly at her immediate answer, Satsuki says that it is a dream to fly in the sky but gets embarrassed at her childish answer afterwards, Rio says that then their target for the day will be to make her able to fly slowly, Satsuki asks if it is something that can be learnt in a day, Rio says that it is a pretty complicated technique, but that if her weapon has the effect he thinks it has it might be possible, Satsuki says she is more motivated now, Rio says that before that they will have an spar, Satsuki says they always do that, he tells Satsuki to attack him without holding back this time, Satsuki asks if he means that he wants her to fight manipulating the wind too and not just the body strengthening, Rio confirms it, he says they can fight as they please where they are now, Rio tells Satsuki to use everything her weapon can do, makes sure there isn’t anybody behind him and tells Satsuki to come with everything at him.

Satsuki smiles thinking it will be interesting to fight without limits unlike what she did until now, Rio says he is ready whenever, Satsuki says she won’t say something like ready go, Rio says it is fine, Satsuki makes a stance with her weapon and runs towards Rio using the wind for accelerating herself, Rio thinks she seems to have learnt the basics of that technique while getting out of Satsuki’s way with time to spare, Satsuki’s excessive momentum takes her past Rio’s former position, Satsuki’s changes direction forcefully putting strength on her legs and approaches Rio again, Satsuki prepares her spear again but Rio doesn’t make a stance with his sword, the swings of Satsuki’s spear don’t come close to the Rio that dodges them easily, Satsuki says that its lie, she asks why she can’t hit him, Rio says that today he will dodge all of the attacks that he doesn’t need to take unlike how he usually does, Satsuki thinks that provocation must mean that he wants her to use more the power of her weapon, Satsuki is frustrated when she realizes how much Rio must have been holding back on their daily spars, she thinks that with the power of her weapon she should be able of putting in a good hit, or rather she wants to do it.

Satsuki gathers magic power in the spear’s tip and shoots a gust of wind at Rio, instead of getting blown away Rio surfs the wind easily like a wave and lands smoothly a little farther away from Satsuki, Satsuki looks at Rio dumbfoundedly making “hah?”, Satsuki says she isn’t done yet and shoots more gusts of wind at Rio, Rio says that her attacks are monotonous, Rio again isn’t blown away, he stands normally in front of some of Satsuki’s attacks or surfs over others, Satsuki asks if he’s hitting the wind she created, Rio says he just manipulates it for making it flow past him, that against a wind spirit arts user just shooting gusts of wind won’t become an attack, Satsuki says that the wind spirit arts users are absurd, Rio says he will give her some hints them, that he will show her a way of attacking a wind spirit arts user with wind and tells Satsuki to get ready for his attack, Satsuki says she understands.

Rio creates a whirlwind around him and lets it catch a lot of dust for blinding Satsuki and shoots it at her, Satsuki moves aside greatly trying to dodge it, Rio tells her he’s right there from behind her, Satsuki looks back in hurry for finding Rio standing there gathering wind on his sword, Rio tells Satsuki she’s completely open from behind, Satsuki admits with frustration that her way of fighting is too simple, Rio says she just lacks experience, that with experience she can deal with something like that easily, Rio tells her to get ready because he will attack her in the same way again, Satsuki says this time she will handle it perfectly, Rio gets away from Satsuki and shoots another whirlwind of dust at her, Satsuki hurriedly focuses on her back, when she looks back Rio goes around her blind spot until her front and tells to her that she was to conscious of her back this time, Satsuki moans with frustration, Rio explains to Satsuki that this kind of psychological war is important too in a fight against people, that if she can catch her opponent by surprise even against a fellow wind user a gust can be effective, that even if she is inferior in skill if she can win the psychological war she can make a comeback, Satsuki says she understood that it is stupid to just fight honestly from the front comparing strengths and techniques, Rio tells her that she already does usually things like trying to read an opponent’s actions during a match and to think it just got more complicated because the lack of rules increases the opponent’s options, Satsuki says she understands, Rio also tells her that he felt she held back because she is kind, Satsuki denies it embarrassed.

Rio says that today’s goal isn’t the combat training so he will not explain more than that, Rio tells Satsuki to show him everything that her weapon can do, Satsuki obeys and tells Rio to restart their match, Rio warns Satsuki that this time he will also attack her sometimes and tells her to be ready for that while taking distance from her again, Satsuki shoots at Rio several gust of wind mixed with dust like the ones he used before, Rio moves aside but Satsuki continues shooting gust of wind until he can’t see a thing, Rio wonders if Satsuki is trying to hide herself, Rio listens to the sound of the ground breaking and wonders if Satsuki is planning to attack him somehow, Rio thinks she must be planning something from behind the dust but decides to let her try her plan, Rio makes a small hole in the cloud of dust for looking at Satsuki, Rio sees a storm shooting rocks at him, Rio dodges the stones easily but Satsuki isn’t there anymore, now more stones come flying from another direction, Rio continues to dodge easily the stones coming at him from several directions until just one place stays covered in dust, Rio wonders if Satsuki is there, the wind throwing the stones at Rio clears the remains of the dust but Satsuki isn’t there, Rio understands Satsuki’s plan now, Rio takes a step back and Satsuki’s spear passes him by from above.

While her stance is broken Satsuki screams not yet, the moment she touches the ground she uses the wind for accelerating herself and using that momentum for swinging her spear at Rio, Rio dodges stepping back and takes flight, Satsuki manipulates the wind for following after him, when the two are twenty meters high Satsuki wraps her spear in wind and swings it at Rio, Rio dodges to the side while thinking she finally seems totally focused on fighting, Satsuki doesn’t fall to the ground, she continues attacking Rio while raising the level of her body strengthening by the moment and getting faster and faster, Rio thinks it is as he guessed, Rio thinks that it was the same that when he fought with Hiroaki, the more the heroes focus on the fight the more power they take out from their weapons unconsciously, Rio thinks the same way a living creature learns naturally how to breathe or walk the heroes understand by instinct the way of using their weapons, that no matter how you look at it they are stronger when fighting relying on their instincts than by thinking about things, Rio thinks the problem is if they can keep that state if they lose focus, that it won’t do if she can’t use her powers at will.

Rio thinks now that he managed to bring out Satsuki’s power she will test her a little, for the first time in their fight Rio takes a stance with his sword, Rio makes a descending swing he thinks Satsuki can prevent, Satsuki stops Rio’s sword with her spear’s handle, with his sword still locked with Satsuki’s spear Rio makes their bodies turn so Rio’s back points at the ground and Satsuki’s at the sky then Rio sends Satsuki higher in the sky with a gust of wind, Satsuki screams in horror while she ascends, Rio creates wind balls and begins to shoot them at Satsuki, she hurriedly blows away the attack with a gust a wind and makes a relieved face, then she realizes she is in the sky and panics wondering how to land, Rio wonders if Satsuki forgot that she had been flying with her own power until now and thinks it is a mess, Rio decides to observe Satsuki a little more, Satsuki begins to fall and asks Rio for help, Rio sheaths his sword and catches Satsuki, Satsuki open her eyes slowly and with fear for seeing Rio’s smile, Rio tells her she worked hard, Satsuki gets red faced and thanks him, Rio tells Satsuki he will go back to the ground and talk there.

Satsuki says that it is frustrating, that she didn’t hit him even once, Rio says that it has some holes but that it was a good tactic, he asks Satsuki if she didn’t realize she was attacking him while flying in the middle of the fight, Satsuki says she didn’t because she was like inside a dream at the time, Rio says their challenge for the future will be that she manages to use her powers consciously, Satsuki says that flying by herself is way more scarier that being carried, that she was surprised, Rio says that overcoming that fear is the most challenging part of learning to fly because the techniques get affected by the user’s emotions, Satsuki says that the fear to fall at the end was so big that her mind went blank, Rio says that that is normal, that it is necessary to know the emotion called fear, that as long as her control of it is immature flying or defending herself is impossible, Satsuki says she understands, Rio says that now they know she has the basic for flying so to do their best until she masters it, Satsuki says she wants to learn how to use another skill, Rio asks what it is, Satsuki asks Rio if there aren’t times when he moves just like he teleported, Rio uses his wind acceleration technique and asks Satsuki if she meant that, Satsuki confirms it and asks Rio how he does it, Rio tells her that she was already using the wind for accelerating her body in their previous fight, Satsuki says that that was her imitation of it, that she wondered if she can go as fast as him.

Rio says that if she can do that the basic work is already done because it is a skill with a lot in common with the spirit arts for flying but that it is more complicated are dangerous than them, that it needs of another ability unrelated to the spirit arts for being mastered, Satsuki asks what is that ability, Rio asks her if he already explained about the preliminary moves during a battle, Satsuki says he did, that it is the talk about what kind of attack the opponent will do seeing what kind of stance they do, Rio asks her if she won’t think she’s going to be punched if someone points a fist at her, Satsuki confirms it and asks if that is a preliminary move too, Rio says it is, that when people is going to anything like kicking, making a stance with a weapon or running the people uses to do unconsciously a lot of preliminary movements that can be observed, Rio says he thinks his acceleration technique looks like an instant movement because it eliminates that preliminary movements, that the opponent feels something is missing, Satsuki says she might understand the logic, that he runs without taking a pose for running and at an absurd speed, Rio says that more than running he flies, that it is especially effective against an opponent in front of him but that looking from a side it might be easy to realize he’s just running without moving, Rio repeats his technique moving from side to side this time instead of back and forth, Satsuki says he’s too fast for following him with the sight and asks at how many kilometers per hour he moves at.

Rio says that it depends on the distance to his opponents, so he can’t give an exact answer but that even at his maximum he doesn’t reach the speed of sound, Satsuki says that as expected not even Rio can do that, Rio says he exceeded it once, but that when he does a sonic boom occurs and that it puts a heavy load in the body, that even if the spirit arts can mitigate it there is a limit, so he tries to stay at subsonic speeds and when travelling normally he uses to go at one hundred kilometers per hour, satsuki says that of course that it looks like he teleports if can go faster than the sound if he wants to, Rio says that it is precisely because of that that his technique is dangerous, that if the control isn’t perfect there is the risk of crashing at that speed against the opponent or obstacles, that sudden turns at that speed are impossible so there is the risk of self-destroying if used at a bad timing, Satsuki asks Rio if he doesn’t have to think about the attack he will do after his move too, Rio says the ideal is for the attack to occur the moment the movement ends, Satsuki asks if that didn’t stop to be a human technique, Rio tells Satsuki that it is a very complicated technique so they will begin first with the easier normal flight, Satsuki asks Rio if his technique has a name, Rio says it hasn’t, Satsuki suggest names like instant movement, instant acceleration and ground shrink, Satsuki asks if she can call the technique ground shrink, Rio lets her do so and asks her why is she so particular about the name, Satsuki says that a technique without a name despite being so incredible is pitiful, Rio says he’s honored if she says that, Rio tells Satsuki to go back with everyone for putting in common what they think about their weapon now.

Rio and Satsuki sit with Aishia, Charlotte and Alma, Rio asks Satsuki to let Aishia take a look at her spear for seeing if something like the earth’s beast is sleeping inside, Satsuki gives her spear to Aishia and tells her to proceed, Aishia tells that she can’t feel the sign of a spirit in the spear when it is materialized but that there is something connecting the spear and Satsuki, Alma asks Aishia if that connection resembles the one between spirit and contractor, Aishia says that something close to that, Rio asks Alma if it is possible for a spirit to inhabit a weapon, Alma says that there are spirits that choose a vessel instead of a contractor, but that they choose natural things that existed for long in lands rich in magic power, that she didn’t hear anything about spirits residing in weapons but that a spirit’s vessel maybe can be replaced by a spirit stone, and tells them to check if Satsuki’s spear has something similar to one, Charlotte asks them if a spirit couldn’t have inhabited the holy stones that called forth the heroes, Alma says that it is possible but asks if the holy stone didn’t disappear when Satsuki was summoned, Charlotte says her father wonders if the holy stone transformed in the divine weapon after that, Rio asks Alma if the holy stone can turn into the divine weapon in case it is a spirit stone with a spirit inside, Alma says that by what she knows such a technique doesn’t exist, but that the way the weapon materializes certainly resembles the way a spirit does.

Rio says he thought the same too, that then the holy stones might be not something where a spirit inhabits then, but something like a spirit that right now took the form of a weapon, Alma says that would make it a spirit with two forms, beast and weapon, three if they include the holy stone form, Rio asks if a spirit with multiple forms doesn’t exist, Alma says that not for what she knows, Aishia says that be it one or the other she can't feel any sign of it from the currently materialized weapon, Alma wonders if it is possible that the beast wasn’t inside Erika’s weapon, Aishia says she will try to investigate the weapon’s inside following the thing connecting to it Satsuki, the rest of the girls, Kayoko and Louise’s group come back from their training and ask Aishia if she will research the divine weapon, Aishia tells everyone to stay away from her because it might be dangerous, Rio stands between Aishia and the rest and tells them to stay behind him, Satsuki gets scared of something like the beast maybe being inside her weapon, Rio tells her he doesn’t think something will occur for just investigating, that it is just in case.

Aishia closes her eyes trying to send her mind inside Satsuki’s spear, she can’t see anything, she just sees an empty white space covered in a really dense mist that doesn't let her see anything around herself, Aishia realizes there’s a wall beyond the mist, she wonders if there’s anything there and tries to take a look inside, there’s something black beyond the wall that passes it and tries to swallow Aishia, Aishia leaves the inside of the spear in a hurry while that darkness tries to tell her something, Aishia looks at the spear in her hands with a dumbfounded face, wondering if there is something that it won’t do if doesn’t know it, wondering if she isn’t forgetting something, she doesn’t understand why but she feels like obsessed with it, Rio runs towards Aishia realizing her strange condition first, he asks her if she is fine, Aishia says she is fine turning towards Rio but she is deathly pale and unstable, Miharu hurries worriedly towards her and supports her from the side, Rio asks Aishia if she saw something, Aishia says she didn’t, that it was completely white and pitch black but, looking at Rio’s and Miharu’s faces Aishia feels that there’s something it won’t do if she doesn’t tell them but the words don’t come out, she can just look at them with impatience, when Rio sees Aishia like that he decides to stop the investigation of the spear for the day.

### Chapter 5: A new duel

The next morning, at the gate of Rio’s mansion, when everyone is leaving for the prairie again for continuing Satsuki’s training the duke Gregory surrounded by ten to twenty nobles of his faction stops the group asking screaming if Rio is there, with the exception of Rio, Satsuki and Charlotte everyone make a face of “who is that?”, Charlotte stands between Clement and their group before Rio can tell anything, she asks Clement without hiding her annoyance what it is, that there isn’t a way he doesn’t know her father forbid to come to Rio’s mansion without an appointment, Clement says that it is precisely because of that that he waited outside, Charlotte thinks it means that he must have been waiting for them there because there isn’t a way her relatives would leak their schedule, that he must have asked anyone when they left the previous day for estimating their timing, Charlotte thinks it is a bother but wonders if it isn’t a good chance and thinks happily about a plan.

Charlotte says that he’s too rude, trying to push so many people at Rio aside of not making an appointment, Clement says he’s really sorry but that thinking about the heroes and the kingdom there are things he can’t be convinced about, Clement asks the nobles with him if they don’t think the same, they agree with him, François arrives asking what is that scandal about, Charlotte realizes that Clement smiles while making a reverence to François, guessing he must think all the actors for his plan finally gathered, François repeats his question while thinking the same to Charlotte, Clement says that he wants to make an appeal to François for the kingdom’s and the hero’s sake and that it involves Rio and the duke Cretia, François asks what it is, Clement asks François if it is the truth that Rio is training Satsuki, François admits it and asks what of it, Clement says that there a lot of unconvinced people about Rio’s adequateness for the roll, Rio’s expression continues unchanged and uncaring about the comments but the people around him make annoyed faces, François asks Clement why he thinks Rio is unable of doing it when he should have seen his skill at the evening party too, Clement says he won’t say that Rio has no skill but asks if Rio isn’t too young for leading someone, even younger than Satsuki, François admits it, he asks Rio if he was sixteen because he forgot about it while laughing, Rio makes a troubled face at that reaction.

Clement says that it isn’t a laughing matter, that if they think about the kingdom they must assign a fitting person for the roll of guiding the hero not something like that, François asks something like what, Clement says that frankly speaking someone as suspicious as Rio, Satsuki glares and frowns at Clement, Clement says that Rio is a person of unknown origin to begin with not matter how much he achieved, Satsuki says Clement that for her the suspicious one is him, Clement is surprised and gets flustered after taking the hit, he tells Satsuki that that is rude, that he’s a duke not matter how much she’s a hero, Satsuki asks if he isn’t being rude to Rio he himself already, even though it is bad manners to suddenly ambush someone with so many people, Clement excuses themselves on being simply concerned, that he understands that he raised achievements so he was given a mansion in the castle as a special case but that they are being to lenient with him, bringing an unknown armed group to the castle allowing him to take the hero out of the castle without a proper escort, François tells Clement that it was thanks to the people with Rio that they could repel the previous attack, Clement asks if the attackers’ target wasn’t Rio to begin with, that they were obviously aiming at his mansion, François says that is unconfirmed and tells Clement to not to change the topic.

Clement says that it is related to that, that he can’t agree with letting the hero’s guidance to someone they know so few about, he asks if it is really necessary to leave the castle for the training, that he can’t agree at all with them doing things in secret, and asks what will they do if something happens to Satsuki, François says that for summarizing he says he can’t trust on Rio, Clement says he won’t go as far as saying he doesn’t trust on someone who raised so many achievements, but that a convincing guide for Satsuki must be chosen from among a lot of candidates so everyone can be satisfied with the chosen one, that so the hero doesn’t receive any bad influence they need to guide her correctly, Satsuki asks for permission to speak, François asks what it is, Satsuki asks why are they trying to choose without her consent who will be her mentor when she is fine with Rio, Clement says that it because he thinks about her wellbeing, that there are rumors about her choosing Rio as her instructor because she is attracted to him and asks her if she is fine with it, Charlotte looks coldly at Clement remembering it is just his faction where those rumors are talked about, Satsuki in the other side is ready for hitting Clement, Rio grabs her shoulder and tells her to calm down, he whispers to Satsuki that they are trying rob her of her calm judgement making her to get emotional and she somehow calms down.

Clement says disgustedly that he wants to hear Rio’s opinion too, Rio says he’s opposed to make decisions that go against Satsuki’s will and to his wording, Satsuki smiles happily because Rio doesn’t forget she is a human being and not just a hero, but Clement who just sees Satsuki as an important resource that must let herself be managed wisely precise because she is a hero looks down on Rio, for using Satsuki as a shield, he thinks he can’t consider a trash without initiative like him a noble and a man, Clement says that Rio can only say that because he has no responsibilities, that his attitude is that of commoner not the one of a noble and is corrupting the hero, Satsuki tells Rio she’s sorry and that she will apologize to him first, Rio asks what it is, Satsuki says she is just about to drag him into something, Rio says he is fine with it, Satsuki thanks him and says that then she will do it to her heart content.

Satsuki tells Clement that if he will say that much she will create a chance for making a fair decision while smiling sure of her invincibility, Clement asks Satsuki smiling happily in what way they will make the decision, Satsuki asks if it isn’t fine to make Rio to have a duel with the candidate for mentoring her that he prepared if he is unsatisfied with his skill, that there isn’t way that he wants to push anyone weaker than Rio as her mentor, Clement says that of course but that he would like to prepare people skillful in every field for that, Satsuki says that Rio just comments her about the way of using her powers and martial arts, that she doesn’t need more instruction than that and tells Clement to focus in experts in combat, Clement says he is fine with that, Satsuki says that if he loses he will apologize to Rio and never again run his mouth about her actions, Clement is reluctant but François tells him that Satsuki is already playing along with what he wants and that to accept that much is obvious, François that guessed that thinks would end like that covers for Satsuki that way thinking about how Clement got too rash about showing his existence and mistook his opponent.

Clement agrees reluctantly and Satsuki says that it is decided then, she asks François if he has any problem with it, François says he has no objection if Satsuki is fine with that, Satsuki asks if she can let the arrangement of the rules and referees to him, François says that of course and asks when will be the duel held, Rio says he is fine whatever day, today included, Clement asks for three days for gathering his candidates, François says that then the duel will be held in three days after the second bell of the afternoon and asks for objections, Satsuki tells to Clement smiling and laughing darkly to go and try to beat Rio if he thinks he can, Latifa and Celia comment from the side on how angry Satsuki seems to be while the rest of the girls nod at them, François tells everyone to go their ways and to meet three days later, Clement group’s leaves and Charlotte follows François to her office while the rest of Rio’s group went back to his mansion.

After several tens of minutes Charlotte comes back to the mansion with Liselotte, Satsuki greets the two while everyone else is almost done with the preparations for having lunch, Charlotte and Liselotte comment on how different from usual feels to eat with so many people at the table, on how is boring is to eat alone at the castle and on the food being more healthy at Rio’s house, Satsuki says she understands, that she was specially troubled when already from breakfast time she was served that greasy food, that she told a lot of times that she wanted to eat alone because of that, Charlotte says that at that time Satsuki’s heart was closed to everyone, Satsuki agrees and apologizes for saddening the mood, Charlotte says that talking about apologies they have to do it too, she says she is really sorry for what happened before and apologizes to Rio and Satsuki, Liselotte does the same, Satsuki says they don’t have to and asks Liselotte why the her who wasn’t there is apologizing too, Charlotte and Liselotte explain everyone about the factions inside the Galarc Kingdom, about Clement getting impatient because of Liselotte’s and Rio’s successes enlarging the influence of the duke Cretia while he couldn’t do anything notable, so he is trying to pull their legs now.

Liselotte apologizes saying that Clement won momentum because of her kidnapping, Satsuki tells Liselotte that it isn’t her bad, Rio agrees, he says that the heavenly lions attacking his mansion gave way more momentum to Clement, Satsuki says that to begin with she doesn’t like that aptitude of rising pulling the leg of others, that he talked about hers and the kingdom’s sakes but that he just wanted things to be convenient for him, Charlotte says that it is exactly like that, that it was precisely because of that that they tried to deal with Clement behind the scenes before this reached their ears, but that they weren’t able of stopping him this time, Charlotte says that at least until the after the match they have to stay neutral but that her father gave his permission for Rio to beat Clement without holding back, Charlotte tells Rio to show Clement that he can’t underestimate him, Satsuki also tells Rio to beat him to his heart content, Rio says he will do his best smiling wryly.

Three days later, at the center of castle’s training ground, Rio stands alone while Clement stands in front of him with the two candidates to Satsuki’s mentors he prepared, François tells to Rio that Clement suggested something, Rio asks what it is, to divide the subjects Satsuki is instructed about in spearmanship, martial arts and the use of a magic weapon, and to have a match for each, Rio says he doesn’t mind, François he thinks it is disadvantageous for Rio if Clement prepares two candidates when he is alone, that he doesn’t care if he wants to prepare a substitute or fighting at another occasion if he is unsatisfied, Rio says that it is a headache but that for the sake of securing the time for training Satsuki he wants to be done with the matter today, that he doesn’t care about fighting one against three either, François laughs happily but the man with a spear in front of Rio is annoyed, François says that they will fight first with spears, then barehanded and lastly with swords.

The man with the spear thanks François for setting that order because he wanted to be the first one himself too, François explains to Rio that the man with the spear is William Robes, sub captain of the kingdom’s first knight order who uses a magic spear, William thanks François for the introduction and says that he wanted to have a match with the young black knight so he volunteered for this, he says Rio he will be in his care an offers a handshake, Rio introduces himself, greets William like he did and shakes his hand, Rio is surprised at William’s good personality because he expected Clement to bring a likeminded fellow, Rio thinks William might have got dragged into this because his family is in Clement’s faction or something, Rio asks William if it is fine for him to think he is the candidate for teaching spearcraft and the way of using a magic weapon, William confirms it, Rio asks William if he wants to fight first with a magic weapons or with spears, William says he wants to fight with magic weapons first, Clement tells William to not change the order on his own, Rio asks what it is, William says he can’t call a win against an opponent tired from several battles a victory, Rio says he understands, he thinks it was because of that he made an annoyed face when he accepted the three to one handicap.

Clement tells William to win without fault, William says that of course, François tells William and Rio that the use of their weapons’ abilities is allowed but to not cause deep wounds, to decide the victory and defeat with just minor things, both agree, François, Clement and his other candidate leave the battleground and go to the audience seats where a big quantity of people gathered, the referee tells William and Rio to take distance and prepare their stances, after William prepares his spear and Rio his sword the referee begins the match, William gets close to Rio and stabs at him, Rio hits aside the spear’s tip and tries to approach William, William steps back, William continues to step back trying to keep Rio away with counters so he can’t enter the sword’s reach, Rio thinks William is pretty strong, that in a match with just body strengthening Sara and the others might lose.

In the audience seats Gouki says that if he can keep Rio away like that William must be quite the spearman even if the spears have advantage against swords, that he wants to try fighting him too, Charlotte says surprisedly that she thought Rio could win in an instant without letting the opponent to react at his attack, Gouki explains to her that spear makes closing the distance from the front difficult and that the spear’s ability is still unknown too, so Rio is verifying his opponent’s skill without hurrying the match but.. Rio finally hits William with his sword unbalancing the match more, Gouki tells Charlotte that as she sees Rio is above in technique and his opponent is already out of options, William stabs the spear in the ground and ice spears appear from the ground attacking Rio, Rio dodges jumping back, William says Rio is stronger than what the rumors say, that it is splendid, Rio says it is an honor, William says he doubted about using the spear’s ability because it was highly lethal but that it seems it was rude to hold back against him, Rio denies it , William says he won’t hold back from now on, Rio says he won’t either.

Rio and William make a stance with their weapons ten meters away from the other, after a moment both kick the ground, Rio envelopes himself in a whirlwind creating dust around him for hiding himself, Satsuki screams surprisedly realizing Rio’s plan, William shoots a lot of small arrowheads at the cloud of dust, after hitting nothing William stabs the ground, creating ice spears behind him, Satsuki thinks is incredible that William can deal at first sight with the trick that got her, after Rio stops before the spears William shoots arrowheads at him again, Rio uses a slower than usual version of his acceleration technique, like ten to twenty times slower in Satsuki’s opinion that allows her to have a good look at how he moves entrusting his body to the wind but without moving a muscle himself, for going around the arrowheads and entering William’s bosom, Gouki looks with shiny eyes at Rio’s acceleration technique saying it is really splendid, William gives up looking aside at the Rio who is putting the tip of his sword in his throat.

The audience applauds Rio while Clement’s faction stays silent, Clement walks towards William who just came back from the battleground while cursing at him, William says that the anecdotes about Rio are the truth, that he guarantees his skill and that it is sure to let Satsuki’s guidance in his hands even without the remaining matches, Clement curses at him again with a red face, William says he doesn’t know what Clement thinks about Rio but that he thinks Rio is more worthy of trust than the sinister man with him, Clement tells the other man, named Gilbert, that it is his turn that William won’t be of use anymore, Gilbert says that even if he says that his specialty is fighting with a knife type magic sword and that the plan is already ruined but that he will do his best, after shrugging his shoulders Gilbert walks towards Rio while Clement curses William on his mind for ruining his plan of making Rio to have the fight with magic weapons after tiring him in the match with spears and bare handed, Clement wonders if it will be fine if he loses remembering about all of the money he needed for hiring Gilbert, meanwhile at the other side of the audience seats Celia asks if Gilbert is a knight from a kingdom anywhere when she can’t recognize the uniform he wears, Charlotte says he must be a hired soldier at Clement’s service but that she never saw him or heard about any skillful warrior working for his house.

Gilbert introduces himself to Rio with a fake smile and a reverence, Rio introduces himself with a similar reverence while wondering if Gilbert isn’t a noble when he doesn’t use a family name, Gilbert tells Rio that he isn’t a noble as he must have guessed, that he is someone hired by Clement and that this time he wanted to take a look at the hero too, Rio asks if it is like that, Gilbert says that despite his appearance he is a devout believer that he will do it gladly if he can be the hero’s mentor, Rio says he understands, Gilbert says that he wondered what kind of person a hero would be but that surprisingly she just looks like a normal young girl, Gilbert asks Rio if his way of saying it is rude, Rio says Satsuki is a human being the same as them, Rio tilts his head curiously not knowing why Gilbert is disappointed at his answer, the referee tells the two to prepare for the match, the referee asks Rio if he has any problem with the consecutive matches, Rio says he is fine, the referee says he will begin the bare handed match, the referee reminds the two that weapons and magic are forbidden now, both say they understand, the referee tells the two to take their distance and they stand letting a space of five meters between them and after some seconds the match begins.

Both Rio and Gilbert close the distance slowly while keeping their stances, the audience looks attentively at Rio and Gilbert who just move several steps back and forth while their hands move at an incredible speed parrying the other’s blows while trying to connect their own, Rio manages to get a hit on first but Gilbert defends himself crossing his arms in front of his chest and jumping back, Gilbert says that Rio’s skill doesn’t match his age, Rio tells Gilbert he is pretty strong too while getting wary of him after feeling something strange during their exchange, Gouki frowns because he felt something strange too, he asks Kayoko if she does too, Kayoko says that Gilbert has the smell of blood in him, that she doesn’t think he makes any decent jobs, Gouki agrees, he says there shouldn't be a need to worry if it is Rio but the two keep looking attentively at the match.

Gilbert says that he wants to be over already but that he will do this for some more time, both Gilbert and Rio begin an exchange similar to the previous one, Rio analyzes Gilbert’s martial arts, he thinks they seem to be assassination techniques with the premise of using some weapon like a knife, he wonders if Gilbert’s techniques are any kingdom’s martial arts, Rio looks at Gilberts movements and finds more and more movements that seems to be carnages and feints for creating openings for stabbing with a knife or hitting some vital, Rio wonders again if they are assassination techniques and if Gilbert is an active assassin, Rio wonders if Clement is planning on making Satsuki to learn assassination techniques if Gilbert becomes her mentor or if he just chose Gilbert for the match, but that no matter which of the two he is out of control.

Gilbert takes distance from Rio and apologizes for the bad habits of his hands, Gilbert makes a disquieting smile and Rio asks what are his intentions, Gilbert says that now that Rio discovered what he is he has no winning chance, that he doesn’t want to show more of his techniques either but that he has to keep his end with his employer, he tells Rio that it would help him if he can defeat him as painlessly as he can to, because he doesn’t like the pain, Rio says he has no intention of hitting an unmotivated opponent, he tells Gilbert to please give up if he doesn’t want to fight anymore, Gilbert says that then he will continue, he throws a straight punch at Rio’s chest, Rio catches the fist and throws Gilbert to the ground and pins him down, Gilbert tells Rio that he’s kind when he doesn’t put much strength in the throw, he tells Rio he hopes the Gods have him on their thoughts while lying on the ground and the referee declares Rio’s victory.

After that Rio had one more match with just spears against William and won it too, after the matches François congratulates Rio for his victory, Rio thanks him, François asks Clement if it wasn’t proved that no one but Rio can be Satsuki’s mentor, Clement has no more option that agreeing realizing that if he protests he will just embarrass himself further, after François proclaims that Rio will be completely in charge of Satsuki’s instruction a knight enters the battleground in a hurry calling for François, François says that he is making an announcement, the knight says it is an emergency, François tells him to speak, the knight says that a report about the capital of the Gregory dukedom being captured and his son being taken hostage has just arrived, then the echo of Clement’s voice making “haaaaaah?” resounded through the battlegrounds.

### Chapter 6: A quiet invasion

The noon of the day the matches were held, north of the Galarc Kingdom, an inn room in Greille, capital of the Gregory dukedom, Erika has just gathered the squad she leads, she asks them smiling what they think about the city after watching it for yesterday and today, they don’t know what to answer to her, Erika says that from now on she will capture the city and make it their base for invading the Galarc Kingdom and they will help her, so she doesn’t want them to do it because she did so, but because they thought about it and wanted to do it too, that’s why she wants to know what they felt yesterday while walking through the city, one says that it is big, that their capital can’t compare to it and the royal capital must be even bigger, another asks if they can really capture the city with just themselves, a woman next to them nods to their words, but the remaining six don’t agree, one asks what are they so scared about when they have Erika and the beast, another one says that a city like this is nothing if the divine beast rampages, Erika tells them that it is wrong to misunderstand, that even if they are invading the kingdom their enemies are just the nobles, not the sinless people living in the land, that if she calls the beast inside the city there would be a lot of innocent victims but that she can’t make the people living in the city the victims.

A man asks Erika if they will capture the city without the beast, Erika confirms it, another one asks how they will do it with just their group of ten people. another one says that if Erika is there they don’t have to fear something like the strong warriors at the nobles’ side, another says that even without the beast the conquer will be easy, another one says that they are just ten, that if Erika has to fight while avoiding to create victims she might be unable of giving her all and that if someone as strong as the man who attacked their city comes out… the optimists get silent remembering about Rio, Erika agrees with that, she says she has no intention of losing but that if someone as strong appears it will be pretty troublesome, but that this isn’t a big scale war where the whole forces of both sides crash from the front, that now that they sneaked in enemy territory the first round is just a local battle, that they have a lot of ways of doing it.

The nine make “ooh” at Erika’s words, one asks what will they do, Erika says they will get more allies first, one asks if they will ask for reinforcements from the republic, Erika denies it, she asks her companions if there aren’t a lot of allies in the city, one asks if there is another squad in the city aside of theirs, Erika denies it, she says she means the people living in the city, the nine make a face of not having thought about that, Erika says that as she told before their enemies are just the nobles, that they don’t need to make an enemy of the sinless people living in the city, that they are victims of the nobles too, Erika says that they should take their hands while making her saintly smile, everyone agrees with Erika, none doubts that the people in the city will believe in Erika’s teachings because they did already, Erika says that she had reasons for choosing the city they are in.

Erika says that thanks to being close to the frontier the city is easy to defend, that thanks to being ruled by one of the biggest nobles in the kingdom it has a lot of people in it, so to say a lot of new potential allies, that if they do it well it isn’t a dream to get a base and a lot of new companions, Erika says that the few nobles living once in the republic couldn’t endure either the power of the people’s numbers, she asks them if they don’t think they can resist the powerful armies and assassins sent by the Galarc Kingdom if everyone in the city is their ally, everyone agrees with Erika again, Erika says that then they will save the comrades suffering under the nobility living in the city, that first they will make them their allies.

Erika’s group leaves the inn, they go to a square in the city’s main street, Erika’s companions get intimidated in front of the quantity of people, Erika tells them to not to be scared, Erika calls out to everyone in the square with a loud voice, when everyone looks at her Erika begins her speech, she asks the people if they don’t think it is strange how the nobles just think about looking down on them as dirty commoners as obvious when they do nothing despite all of the taxes they pay to them, the people looks at Erika with suspicion but she continues, Erika says that they the commoners are forced to survive somehow in their small house when he nobles live in luxury thanks to their taxes, the people continue to look suspiciously at Erika and she keeps ignoring it, Erika says that they are obligated to obey the nobles not matter what unreasonable order they give for catching the eyes of the scary nobles, that everyone has to live under that law, Erika asks everyone what is the difference between them and the nobles when all of them are equally human, an old man calls out to Erika and she asks him what it is, the old man says he understands her feelings but that she should stop already or the soldiers will come, Erika tells him he is kind and smiles gently at him.

Two soldiers arrive asking what is happening, the people gets scared and disperse like little spiders, Erika sees a little girl that hurt her knee when she fell to the ground, she approaches her, takes out her mace and heals her, the people makes “ooh” looking at Erika, when she is done Erika tells the kid to go, the kid thanks her and runs away, a soldier asks Erika what is her mace, another soldier asks Erika if she is a noble, no normal person has something like that mace after all, Erika denies it, the soldier asks if she is a high ranking adventurer then, Erika denies it too, she says she is just a commoner like everyone else there, the soldiers exchange looks, a soldiers asks Erika from where she took out her mace and why she has something like that, that he never saw a magic tool with healing magic on it, Erika says the mace is her property and asks what of it, the soldier asks Erika where she got it, Erika asks why he wants to know that.

A soldier says that the mace looks valuable, that there isn’t a way a simple commoner can have something like that, Erika asks the soldiers if they think it doesn’t belong to her, a soldier confirms it, Erika says it belongs to her, the soldiers tells her to try to prove it, Erika asks how, the soldier says that he is telling her to try precisely because he doesn’t know why, Erika asks if how she can make it appear and disappear counts as a proof of ownership, the soldier says it is useless, that they need a magistrate for making the decision, Erika asks what decision, a soldier says that someone aside from her maybe could make the weapon do the same, Erika asks the soldiers if they want to try then and offers the mace to a soldier, the soldier takes it and asks how he does it, Erika says she can do it with just thinking about it, appear and disappear, the soldier asks what, the soldiers get red faced while thinking strongly about making it disappear, he complaints to Erika when he can’t do it, Erika says that it is because he isn’t the owner, the soldier is annoyed and says that as expected a magistrate has to decide about the mace and that they will take care of it until then, the other soldier tells Erika to come too, Erika refuses.

The people looks at the Erika who refuses just like at something mysterious while the soldiers are surprised, Erika says she will take back her mace too and makes it disappear, the soldiers tells her to give it back, Erika says that it is something strange to give back to someone one’s belongings, the soldier says she can’t prove if it is her property or not, Erika asks the people around her who they think is right between her and the soldiers, she asks if it isn’t unfair how they try to steal from a commoner their valuables for giving them to their lords and gain their favor, the soldiers says that no one said anything like that, Erika tells to the soldier that that must be the truth for him if he says that, the soldier curses at her and tells her to give back the mace already, Erika refuses, she asks if there is any evidence of her being the one who made the mace disappear, the soldier says that she herself said it before, that just she herself the owner can make it disappear and appear, Erika asks if he admits that she is the mace’s owners then, the soldiers says he just misspoke, Erika asks the soldier if he thinks she made the mace disappear, that if he does to prove that the non-owner her can make it disappear, the people laugh at the soldiers, the soldiers get embarrassed and one them says he will arrest Erika for obstruction to the justice, but when they try to capture her Erika fights them while smiling.

Erika laughs while standing in the center of the square, more of fifty defeated soldiers lie at her feet already while more reinforcements continue to come, the people look from the distance at the Erika that defeats more and more soldiers while laughing, the soldiers curse at her and ask if the reinforcements didn’t arrive yet, Erika looks at the scared soldiers surrounded her thinking there mustn’t be someone as strong Rio in the city, a group of thirty mounted knights arrives, Erika thinks they seem a little stronger than the rest of the soldiers, the people tell worriedly to Erika that the ones coming are the governor and his direct subordinates, the little girl from before asks Erika if she will be fine, all of the soldiers dismount while only a man doesn’t, Maxim Gregory, Clement’s second son and the governor asks Erika if she is the one causing this scandal, Erika says that the ones who caused the scandal were his soldiers and that they must be anywhere in the square, Maxim asks Erika how she dares, Maxim orders his soldiers to strengthen themselves with magic and to capture Erika half death if necessary.

Three soldiers surround Erika, she defeats them with a swing of her mace, Maxim orders the remaining twenty seven to charge at her together, before they can do it Erika enters their ranks and begins to defeat them, Erika’s companions and the onlookers make “oooh” while seeing how Erika defeats the soldiers, Maxim orders on and on the soldiers to defeat her in a fluster, the people cheer after Erika defeats the last soldier while thinking they managed to see for real the protagonist of some story that came and defeated some bad noble, Maxim tries to run away in the horse but Erika makes an earth wall in his way, the horse throws Maxim down with the scare, Maxim screams in horror while Erika gets close to him, Erika tells him to not be scared, that she wants to check something with him and if he is honest she won’t put her hands on him, Maxim says he understands, Erika asks Maxim if he is the city’s governor, he confirms it, Erika asks if he is the one in charge of ruling the city in charge of the absent lord, Maxim says he is the second son and is ruling on his father’s stead right now, Erika says that there is something she wants him to do quickly then, Maxim asks what it is, Erika says that by her name as the saint Erika she's makes a proclamation, that the city from now on belongs to the Saint Erika’s Democratic Republic, that that is her war declaration to the Galarc Kingdom and wants him to inform the king of that, a little later Rio won the three matches.

### Chapter 7: Everyone's expectations

Galarc’s royal castle, the throne room, Clement is screaming at everything to not mess with him, François tells him to calm down while sighing sit on the throne, Clement asks how is he supposed to calm down when his territory was stolen because of those fellows while glaring at Rio and Liselotte who sit next to Satsuki behind François, François asks why is their fault, Clement asks if it wasn’t Liselotte who caused the trouble with Erika and Rio who made it worse after going to the republic, that he made a half-baked job and his territory was stolen because of it, François says that it was the Saint the one who wanted to be in conflict with them from the beginning, that whichever important person from any city would have done and it just happened that Amande was the target, Clement asks what about Rio then, Clement tells François that he told him that Rio probably killed the saint, Clement asks what about that, Clement asks if Erika isn’t alive, François says he also told him that it was impossible to confirm her corpse.

Clement says that even like that it is obvious that he would anger the saint further if he rescues Liselotte and the problem would become worse later, that precisely because of that he needed to end the job properly, that he did a really half-baked job, François says he looks like he wants to blame Rio and Liselotte no matter what, François asks why it was the territory of the him unrelated with Erika attacked then, François says that if it is as he says Erika should have attacked Amande or Rio’s mansion, François says that if someone can be blamed of anything for being attacked by the saint his territory has to be blamed too, Clement says that that is a sophistry, François tells Clement that Rio pierced Erika’s heart and made sure it stopped, he asks Clement if he still thinks he did a half-baked job, Clement asks if Rio really pierced her heart, he says that Rio might be lying, François says that Rio isn’t the type to tell those lies.

When Clement can’t answer anymore François says that this meeting is for making a decision about the stolen Greille, that the kingdom can’t let be something like the Republic stealing their territory be, so in the first place he will organize an exploration squad for taking a look at the city’s state and to try to subjugate Erika if her presence is confirmed, Clement asks François what kind of tardy thing he is talking about, Clement says that they need to send the Kingdom’s army in magic ships to recapture the city not explorers, François tells Clement to not underestimate Erika, that by Rio’s story her power is enormous, that if she is really alive deploying a great army will play against them, Clement asks François if he means the earth’s beast, Clement says he is suspicious of that monster actually existing or not, that a story from a fellow like Rio is suspicious, François says he understands he hates Rio and that it is impatient, but that this matter is a national problem not just of his territory’s, that as a king he can’t make decisions based in personal emotions, Clement says he doesn’t hate Rio or something, that he won’t object if François says that much but that he wants to ask for two things.

François tells Clement to tell his demands, Clement says that people familiar with the city are necessary so he wants his subordinates to be included in the reconnaissance squad, François says that is a valid one but that the people recommended by him will be included too, Clement glares at Rio wondering if he will be included, Clement says that his second demand is for the army to be deployed the moment Erika’s subjugation is confirmed, François agrees he says he will deploy one thousand soldiers, Clement almost asks if just one thousand but manages to hold back the just, François says he doesn’t think Erika brought that many people with her, that it is enough for conquering the city and that if he sends more soldiers it will also take longer to prepare the sortie, but that with those numbers they can leave tomorrow, Clement decided to let it at that because it would be inconvenient for him if it takes longer to resolve the problem too.

At the same time in Greille, after taking Maxim hostage it was easy to stop the soldiers’ resistance and take control of the city, but some rebelled afterwards without caring about the hostages’ lives lead by Maxim’s little brother, duke Gregory’s third son, at the governor’s fortress-like mansion, Erika is talking with Maxim at his office, she tells him he isn’t popular with his brother, Maxim looks with mixed emotions at his little brother lying on the ground gagged, tied and with his magic power sealed, guessing he must have thought he could become the governor if he recovered the city, Maxim says he would have tried to recover the city if he has been in his place too, that it is the right thing as a noble, Erika agrees but says that it is a bother so she wants Maxim to exile all of the residents of the noble district, Maxim says there isn’t a way he can do that, he asks Erika how many people she thinks there are there, Erika asks how many, Maxim says that more than one thousand, Erika says she understands and asks if they wouldn’t have to leave if he ordered them so, she asks Maxim if he is as unpopular with his retainers as with his brother, Erika tells Maxim again to give the order of leaving, Maxim says he can’t and asks if it wouldn’t be that what would make him unpopular.

Erika says she doesn’t understand, she asks Maxim if he wouldn’t have accepted without doubting it if she have ordered to kick out more than one thousand poor commoners, Maxim doesn’t deny it, Erika says that it is strange that he can kick out the poor ones but not his noble retainers, Maxim says that it isn’t something strange, that they are duke Gregory’s helpers, that if he expulses them they will lost their face, Erika asks why he cares so much about them when he doesn’t mind about the commoners, she asks if the people in the noble district aren’t the same thing, Maxim asks if they are the same thing, he says the dirty commoners can’t be compared to the retainers working for his house, Erika says he is wrong about that, Maxim asks what, Erika says that now this is her country, not the duke Gregory’s or anybody’s territory, that she doesn’t need anyone with a special position but that if they throw away their positions as retainers it would be different, Maxim says his father won’t accept that neither the kingdom will stay silent, Erika says that then she will ask his little brother instead of him, Erika asks Maxim if his little brother wouldn’t become the governor if she kills him, she says that thanks goodness she didn’t kill him on the spot.

Erika stands and removes the gag of Maxim’s little brother, he screams at Erika he will do it, he asks her to let him do it, that he will show her how he convinces the retainers, Maxim curses at him and calls him idiot, he asks him if he doesn’t have a minimum of pride even if his life is at risk, he tells him he isn’t a member of the Gregory house or a noble anymore, his little brother tells Maxim to not mess with him, that just because he was a year younger. he the third son. was forced to live under him the second son, that their father also treated him as something inferior too, that he would have had that pride too if had been the second son, while Maxim is surprised at his words Erika pretends to sympathize with his situation and soothes him with sweet words, the third son gets cajoled by her and decides to cooperate with Erika, after that the two kick out together the residents of the noble district.

The next day at noon, one thousand soldiers await orders at a lake five kilometers away from Greille, Rio talks with François inside a tent while Aishia, Miharu, Celia, Satsuki, Latifa, Sara, Ouphia, Gouki, Kayoko, Charlotte, Cedric, Liselotte and Aria look at them. François asks Rio if he is fine with being part of the reconnaissance, Rio says it was he himself who asked to be part of the subjugation, that if Erika is really alive it would be because he failed to end her as Clement said, François tells Rio he’s wrong, that to begin with an honorary knight like him has no obligations with the kingdom, but despite that he continued to lend them his strength, so he wants to make sure again, he asks Rio again if he is really fine with this, Rio asks fine with what, François tells Rio he trusts in his skill, that he is happy about him volunteering because he thought how reassuring it would be if he could borrow his power, but that this is a problem that the kingdom has to resolve, that even if subjugation has a nice ring to it, it is a dirty job, that it is completely different from rescuing Liselotte, that this isn’t a matter the him in a position with no responsibility with the kingdom has to carry, that it isn’t problem he should have to face.

Rio says he made his decision knowing that, that if Erika is really alive, if he wants things to end for good he can just kill her, that she isn’t an existence that can be left alone, Rio wonders about what the girls think of the usually moderate him saying this kind of violent things, but feels he will regret it for life if he tries to hide from them he is the kind of human that will kill anyone if he deems it as necessary or that is just about to join a plan for killing someone, Rio says that maybe he is poking his nose in the kingdom’s problems but that it is his problem too, that he doesn’t want to lose his loved ones around him neither he can let their protection to others, so he will do the dirty job if needed too, François says he understands, François says that if it is like that he wants to thank him for lending his power, François says that it isn’t an order as a king but a request, that he will ask him now, if he can cooperate in Erika’s subjugation, François asks Rio if he can let it to him, Rio promises to do his best.

François thanks Rio and tells him that Clement’s men will be in the mission too but that they shouldn’t be nice with him, he tells Rio he doesn’t mind if he moves alone if they are a bother, Rio says he plans on making the spiritualized Aishia to look for Erika, Rio says he intends to obey orders unless an emergency occurs, that he doesn’t know what will happen if Erika is alive but that in that case he will take François’ word for it, François says he will be Rio’s ally if Clement complaints after the operation and tells him to do as he pleases, Rio acknowledges it and asks François and Charlotte if is really fine for them to come to the battlefield, Rio says he can’t say this place is completely safe if the beast rampages, François says that they are trying to subjugate a hero, that that fact can decide the kingdom’s future after this, François asks who is going to see the end of this if the king doesn’t, François also asks if Rio himself can say that when he brought his own companions, Rio says with a troubled face that he already warned everyone about the danger, Satsuki says everyone is there because they think there is anything they can do, so they made they resolve and came, Satsuki says that if François can come because he is the king then she can because she is the kingdom’s hero, Rio tells François he decided to let the girls in charge of protecting François and the main quarters after a lot of discussions, François says that that is reassuring because almost all of the combatants will leave the camp during the operation.

A knight approaches the tent and calls out to François, François asks what it is, the knight says Clement arrived and wants to discuss the operation’s details, François tells everyone except Rio to leave the tent, Clement criticizes Rio in murmurs for bringing women with him to the battlefield, François asks Clement if the men with him are the ones he will dispatch for the reconnaissance, Clement says they are his best men and introduces his four men who include the Gilbert that fought against Rio too, after that Clement says that the consulate seems to be the attackers’ base, that the nobles expulsed from the city also said that Erika was locked there with his son, so they should send the squad to kill her there, François tells Clement to not to be impatient, that even if they proceed with the subjugation they need to gather information first, that because of that they will send in the reconnaissance squad.

Clement says they have enough information, Clement says his retainers turned into refugees confirmed to have seen a woman that fits Erika’s description staying in the consulate, Clement asks what more information they need, François says that even if Erika stays at the consulate is to be expected that their surroundings will be protected, that they don’t know either how many more enemy soldiers there are in the city either and there is the beast too, that they need to make an inspection for being safe, Clement thinks in his head what is he talking about any earth’s beast, that they tell that it is as big as mountain but that there isn’t any sign of it in his territory and wonders from where she will call that monster from, Clement asks if they can’t take hostages for luring Erika out, Clement asks if Erika isn’t a woman who cares about the commoners, that it might be a surprisingly good idea, Rio doesn’t know if Clement is serious but frowns, he thinks he won’t participate in something like that, François says that if they take people hostages for recovering the city it won’t be known anymore who has the just cause, Clement criticizes him in his mind for saying naive things, he asks in his head if subjugating Erika isn’t the priority.

Clement asks with sarcasm what is a good strategy then, he say he wants to asks for François’ opinion, François says he wants to divide the reconnaissance of the city in two, to let Rio in charge of scouting the noble district that must be the more vigilante from the sky and to make his men to scout the residential areas because they are familiar with them, Clement agrees reluctantly while thinking François is making that division so Rio is the one who subjugates Erika, Clement thinks he needs to do something, that if the achievement of subjugating Erika becomes Rio’s too he won’t be able of rising his face to him anymore for his lifetime, Clement thinks it is his territory, that he won’t allow Rio to be the one who resolves things, after the discussion Clement says he will take his leave and make his men to do their preparations, François now alone with Rio says he thinks Rio already understands it, but that he doesn’t mind if he beats Erika by himself without contacting Clement if he sees her, that he will testify he gave him that order, at the same time Clement gathers his subordinates and says he has something to talk about.

### Chapter 8: Assassination

More or less an hour after the strategy meeting, Rio and Clement’s hires enter the city disguised as travellers, Rio tells the other four they entered surprisingly easily, a man tells to Rio that the gatekeepers weren’t using the uniforms of the Gregory house, that there isn’t any doubt the city is occupied but that they are being too careless, another one says the guys at the gate looked completely like rookies, that that also tells them about the level of the occupants, Rio thinks the city doesn’t look like an invaded one while seeing the people who do life as usual in the streets, that despite being city stolen from an enemy it makes him think they don’t intend to defend it, Rio feels the city is too defenseless even if Erika is manipulating the beast, that it feels like they are being invited inside, Rio points at a fortress in the center of the city and asks if it is the consulate, after one of Clement’s hires confirms it Rio sends Aishia to scout the place in her spirit form, two of Clement’s hires say among them that the operation seems to be easier to realize than expected, Gilbert murmurs for himself that the city feels creepy, Rio asks him what it is, Gilbert says he feels like he is being told to sneak as much as he wants to, Rio asks him if he feels like he is being trapped, Gilbert agrees but says that he can’t go back either now, that he has to do the job, Rio agrees, one of Clement’s hires says that they will separate now, he tells Rio to meet them in the square ahead of them after the second bell of the afternoon sounds and that he leaves the scouting of the noble district to him while they look into the market and other places, Rio nods, looks for an empty alleyway and takes flight, when Rio can’t be seen anymore the other four begin to look into the market.

Rio looks at the noble district from the sky, Rio looks at it with suspicion, he thinks it looks empty because its residents were kicked out but feels it is strange that there isn’t any guard, Rio thinks it really looks like they are being invited to sneak in, he even wonders if Erika left the city already, Rio thinks it is too strange that there isn’t any safety personal even if Erika left already, he asks Aishia if she already arrived at the consulate, Aishia says she did, Rio tells her he can’t see anybody in the noble district and asks how it is in the consulate, Aishia says she didn’t check all of the rooms yet but that it is almost empty too, Rio asks if almost means that she found some people, Aishia says that there is a room with two guards outside that has a family of five hostage looking people inside, but that she didn’t find Erika yet, Rio thinks if there are hostages then the chances of Erika still being in the city are high, Rio tells Aishia that the hostage might be Clement’s son, that if the consulate is that unguarded he will go in too and will arrive soon, Aishia nods, she tells Rio to wait in the roof while she checks the remaining rooms, Rio says he understands.

Rio lands in the roof and waits for a minute until Aishia materializes next to him, Rio asks Aishia if Erika was at the consulate, Aishia says she just saw the hostages and the guards from before, Rio says he understands and after thinking for a minute decides to interrogate the guard using hypnosis, Aishia says she will do it in her spirit form then, Rio thanks her, enters the mansion and is guided by Aishia until the guards’ location, Rio looks from a corner at the guards who sit relaxedly with a door behind them, Aishia materializes behind them and hypnotizes them, Aishia tells Rio the two should think he is comrade that came back from outside, Rio says he understands and approaches them, Rio tells the guards he wants to ask them something, they ask what it is, Rio asks them where Erika is, one of the guards says she went to the city, Rio asks to which part, another says that the residential areas, Rio asks when will she come back, a guard says that Erika said she would be back in the evening, Rio says he understands, Rio ask the guards who are the hostages, the guard says that the city’s former governor and his family, Rio thinks as expected, Rio wonders if he must help them now then, after thinking about the pros and cons he asks the guards what did Erika told them about how to treat the hostages, a guard says that Erika told them that the Galarc Kingdom might send an army and that they might be useful then, Rio decides to postpone the rescue because it looks like they won’t be in immediate danger, Rio tells the guards he also wants to ask about the people that came with them and continues the interrogation.

Ten minutes before, in the residential district, Erika took her remaining seven companions with her and walks through the streets using the power of her mace for healing the wounds and pains of the people she meets in the way, she has just healed a man’s broken leg and he tests with surprise at the lack of pain how his leg moves now, the man celebrates when it doesn’t hurt, his wife celebrates with him, the two thank Erika together then the man asks Erika for the bill, Erika says it will be free this time as she already said but that the next time she might ask for a small cooper, the man says she really saved him, that being healed normally takes gold coins and they didn’t knew what to do, Erika says that she met a lot of people tight in money since the morning so she is thinking about paying them some subside, the man asks if she will give something to the people, Erika says she will give them some money or any object with some worth, the man asks why, Erika tells them that it is present from the her that has just got the city for the people and to think about it as them getting back some of their taxes, the couple asks if it is really fine, Erika says it is, that she will talk about the details at another date and that she needs to treat the next person and ask them to please go back for the day, the couple thanks Erika and leaves, after Erika asks the next person to come in a man calls out to her hurriedly and tells her that there are nobles in the square and that they are asking for her, Erika whispers for herself smilingly that they came at last, Erika tells the man she will go and asks him to guide her, her subordinates and a lot of the city’s residents follow after Erika while Gilbert looks at her from a roof wondering if that is really her, Gilbert thinks the duke’s luck was good when he sees that Erika wasn’t at the consulate like they thought she would, Gilbert mixes in with the people and follows Erika too.

A square a few minutes walking away from Erika’s location, the people look from the distance at the three of Clement’s hires keeping a mother and her daughter hostage while glaring at Erika, Erika screams that they are doing something terrible, one of the three asks Erika if she is the saint, Erika admits it and tells the three to release the mother and daughter, one of the three tells the people around them that Erika isn’t a saint but a witch but no one believes him, it is obvious for everyone who is the villain looking at the hostages, the man ignores them thinking they can shut them up as much as they want after Erika is death, the man tells the people that the kingdom won’t stay silent if it is territory is stolen, that there is army for subjugating that witch outside the city, that the army will come to capture the city with their report, that the duke Gregory is angry, that he laments that they the damn commoners aren’t taking back the stolen city from the saint for his sake, that depending on what they do they won’t be forgiven either, the people gets scared, the man says their kind lord will give them a chance, he tells the people to kill Erika if they don’t want to be considered rebels and they will be forgiven, the people look fixedly at Erika while her subordinates surround her protectively, Erika asks if she is a witch to no one in particular, one of Clement’s hires says she is and tells the people to quickly kill her.

The people look silently at Erika without moving, Gilbert looking at Erika from inside the mob thinks this a bothersome farce, he looks at Erika’s back waiting for the best moment for the assassination, Gilbert thinks even if they want to break Erika’s relationship with the people he can’t see the meaning of bringing out their ugliness, Gilbert wants the people to show their real face quickly so he can be done with everything, Erika tells the people that they don’t need to dirt their hands, Erika asks Clement’s hires if they will release the hostages and to not let the army kill the people if she dies, one them confirms it, and tells Erika to try and suicide if she really thinks about the people, they smile mockingly while thinking she won’t do it but Erika agrees, she takes out her mace and stabs her own heart with its sharp end, everyone is so surprised that they forget what to do while Erika kneels while looking at the sky with a smile, Erika’s subordinates scream in grief, they ask if someone can use healing magic and for help for Erika, Gilbert laughs saying it is very wonderful, he thinks it is beautiful, he asks how can there be a death moment so beautiful when people are supposed to show their most ugly side when just about to be killed unfairly, he thinks Erika wasn’t a witch but a real saint.

Gilbert thanks the Gods in his heart for allowing him to witness this, he thinks he was wrong, that he thought humans were ugly creatures and because of that he became an assassin, but people is beautiful, Erika taught him that, he asks the Gods who is a saint if Erika isn’t one, Clement’s hires let go of the hostages and go to check Erika’s death, the three look at Erika kneeling and praying completely creeped out, Gilbert decapitates the three, when the cut heads look at him from the ground as if asking why Gilberts tells them screaming for everyone in the square that it was because she was a saint who showed him the beauty of people sacrificing her life for saving strangers, Erika’s subordinates agree with his words while clinging to her in tears, Gilbert asks for forgiveness after confessing that he too was supposed to kill Erika, he says that he realized his wrongness when he saw her death and asks for forgiveness again.

One of Erika’s subordinates tells Gilbert he isn’t the wrong one, that the really ugly ones are the nobles who killed Erika using the people she wanted to protect, he asks the people if he is mistaken, the man asks the people if they will forgive them, he asks the people for how longer they will let them to push them down with their power, the man says he won’t allow it, after someone murmurs the words grief battle, more and more people around agrees until they decide to fight the army outside the city, when the mob is the most heated Erika stops them, Erika’s mace disappears and her wound closes, then everyone makes “oooh” looking at her, Erika says she will fight, she says that this is a crusade, that it won’t do if she doesn’t protect everyone as a hero and as a saint, Erika takes out her mace again, she says she will fight in their instead, that her power is for the sake of that and tells the earth’s beast to come forth, the beast appears next to the city and makes its roars resound through the dukedom.

### Chapter 9: Holy war

The moment the beast appears next to the city, William realizes instantly it is the monster he was warned about and gives the army he leads the order of retiring as François told him beforehand, but the horses and griffins panic feeling the beast’s presence and don’t obey the orders.

The people in the city look in fear at the beast standing next to the city with its back turned at them, Erika’s subordinates do their best for calming them down, Erika also tells the people the beast obeys her orders, that as a proof of that it doesn’t move waiting for her order, that from now on she will order the beast to protect everyone from Galarc’s army, Erika asks the people if they can forgive it, she asks if they can forgive the nobles that without listening to them label them as rebels, raises their taxes and cuts them out in moments of danger, Erika says she won’t forgive them, she says that the nobles who make the people to be existences inferior to themselves are an evil that can’t be allowed in the world, that those fellows should disappear from the world, she asks again to the people if they can forgive them, everyone says they can’t.

Erika tells the people they mustn’t fight with hate because that makes them evil, that it won’t do if they attack others with anger, Erika says that in the world the right to judge the evil is a special mission that just God can do, but they aren’t Gods, that’s why it won’t do if they don’t stay as virtuous existences, Erika sings for everyone “vengeance is mine, I will repay” she tells everyone that their anger is hers. that the hero her as God’s representative will pass judgement in their instead, the people cheers and clamors, they scream Erika’s name, they scream that they aren’t scared of something like a duke or the royal army, that they will follow Erika and the beast, they tell themselves to stand if they want to fight, that Erika will take them to victory, they don’t realize that by just an instant Erika looked at them with cold eyes, Erika orders the beast to move but then Rio appears above the beast and shoots at it an enormous slash of light that swallows its head completely, making the beast fall to ground, Erika says that as expected he is alive too and looks at him with a smile.

After Rio was finally done with the interrogation and was about to leave the consulate he and Aishia heard the beast’s roar, Rio says that it is horrible while thinking there is just one thing that roars like that, Aishia says she will go see how things are and spiritualizes, Rio opens a window and takes flight too, Rio says as expected when he sees the beast standing outside the city looking at the troops lead by William trying to get away, Rio tells to Aishia that it seems that it didn’t become the worst situation yet and that they must hurry, Rio begins to approach the beast, Aishia agrees a little belatedly seemingly worried about something, Aishia asks herself if she is forgetting something, everytime she looks at the beast the feeling of being just about to remember gets stronger, Rio calls out to Aishia when he feels the strangeness in her, Aishia asks what it is, Rio looks at Erika giving her speech from the sky, he and Aishia wonder if Erika is waiting until her speech ends for ordering the beast to move, they see Clement’s hires dead in the ground except Gilbert, Aishia wonders if they did anything to Erika. Rio says that probably, and that because of that the people are so angry, Rio tells Aishia to go tell everyone in the main quarters to run away without caring about them while he launches a preemptive strike on the beast, Aishia says she understands.

Rio gathers his magic power and unsheathes his sword, he doubts for an instant between attacking Erika or the beast but decides on the beast because it will cause more damage if it moves, Aishia prepares for materializing and flying as fast possible towards the others the moment Rio attacks, the moment Erika gives the order Rio attacks, after he blows away the beast’s head with a slash of light, he does the same with the snake heads in the beast’s tails and continues to shoot giant spheres of light at the beast’s body, the beast jumps up trying to hit Rio with its body, Rio avoids it with his wind acceleration technique, when the beast passes him by, Rio sees how its wounds are regenerating, Rio wonders if it was playing dead at their previous fight, while he wonders about what level of attack he will need for killing the beast Aishia materializes a little away from the city and flyes towards the main quarters, the beast looks at Aishia full of hostility and makes the heads on its tails to aim at her, Rio hurriedly hits beast’s belly with a slash wind stopping its attacks, Rio tells the beast he is its opponent, the beast roars while glaring at Rio.

Aishia arrives at the lake, Aishia finds everyone looking fixedly with tense expressions at the beast and descends near them, Miharu calls out to her worriedly when she sees her, François asks her if that monster is the earth’s beast and asks who is fighting it, Aishia confirms it and says Rio is stopping it right now, Aishia tells François the main army is coming back and to run away in the magic ships the moment they arrive, François says he understands, before Aishia can continue Clement approaches them in a fluster asking if that monster is the beast and if Rio is fighting it, François says that Aishia already said that, Clement says that that monster shouldn’t have existed, François says that it seems like he really didn’t believe in its existence but that he doesn’t have the time for dealing with him now and tell him to wait, Aishia says she will go fight the beast too and tells everyone to runaway without caring about them, François nods and apologizes, Clement tells Aishia to wait, he asks her what happened with Erika’s subjugation and asks if Rio failed to do it, Aishia says that the beast appeared while Rio and her were exploring the consulate and that she saw his three hires dead in the city’s square, that they must have done something, François curses at Clement and asks him what he ordered to his hires, Clement says he knows nothing, he says it is Aishia’s fabrication, and ask why she sneaked into the consulate or participated in the scouting, François tells Clement he is sick of him already and that he will take it as a rebellion against him if he keeps being a bother, François tells Clement to make his preparations for retiring because it is an emergency, Clement obeys and leaves with a pale face.

Aishia says she will go then, that Erika is alive too and it won’t do if she isn’t defeated, Gouki stops Aishia and she asks him what it is, Gouki says he and Kayoko will take care of Erika’s subjugation and tells Aishia to just focus in defeating beast with Rio, Aishia says she understands, she tells Gouki that Erika was in the city’s square but that she might have come out too, Gouki says he understands and Aishia takes flight, after her leave Gouki tells Kayoko that they are leaving too, Kayoko agrees, Ouphia offers to carry them in Aerial until there, Gouki thanks her and tells her and Kayoko to go to anywhere open when Aria stops them, Aria says that the two don’t know Erika’s face and asks them to let her tag along, Aria tells Liselotte that she has a debt with Rio and Erika and asks for permission to pay it back, Liselotte gives her permission and tells Aria to come back after going, she also tells Gouki and Kayoko that she is the strongest among her subordinates, that she won’t be a hindrance and asks them if they are fine with her, Gouki says that then he will bring her thankfully, Sara says that they will take care of defending the main quarters in their absence, that it won’t do if they prevent the beast’s attacks if any comes flying at them, Alma says that Hell and Ifrit might need to come out too, Miharu offers her magic power for the spirits’ use in case they need it.

Rio flies close to the beast’s body so it can’t point its breath attacks from its head or tales at him, the beast tries to hit him away like a fly, everytime Rio finds and opening he shoots a slash of light or wind at the beast, Rio thinks about the beast regenation speed, Rio thinks he doesn’t understand how effective his attacks are on the beast, he wonders if the regenation doesn’t have a limit and what level of attack can be fatal one, Rio thinks he doesn’t know at all if he will defeat the beast eventually if he continues like until now, Rio thinks he at least is earning time but, the beast stops its attacks on Rio, Rio wonders what it is thinking about while getting a bad feeling, the beast keeps receiving Rio’s attacks but stands firmly against them, it almost looks they don’t affect it, the beast receives one of the attacks with the base of its tales separating them from its body, the cut tails begin to fly in the direction of Galarc’s army and main quarters, Rio tries to pursue them but the moment he turns back the beast shoots at him its breath from its main mouth.

From the square where Erika stands it looked like the beast’s breath has swallowed Rio, the people cheers, the fear to Rio disappeared, they think the beast is invincible, Erika asks the people if they saw how Rio’s attacks didn’t work on the beast but the beast’s worked on him, she tells them that Rio was the enemy’s stronger warrior and now is the moment to go, Erika begins to walk towards the city’s gates and the people follows her cheering and clamoring about the beast’s invincibility.

Rio dodges the breath attack somehow with his acceleration technique, he tries to pursue the tails again but the beast keeps shooting breath attacks at Rio not letting him go, Rio thinks Aishia should be able of protecting the main quarters even if he doesn’t go but that there might be victims in the royal army, suddenly a lot of rays of light come flying from the lake’s direction stopping the snake heads, the beast tries to shoot at Aishia this time but Rio stops it cutting its throat, Aishia finally manages to damage the snakeheads until they have to disappear, Aishia apologizes with Rio for being late, Rio says she came at a nice timing and thanks her, the beast opens its mouth while gathering magic power for its next attack but Rio and Aishia silence it with two giant fireballs to the mouth, Aishia tells Rio that Gouki’s group told them to focus on the beast while they take care of Erika, Rio looks reluctant for an instant but decides to let it be and says that then, Aishia agrees, she says that they will defeat that together, while Rio and Aishia talk the beast continues to regenerate its body completely, tales included, the two begin to bombard the beast’s body with giant balls light, now that they are together attacking all of the key points at the same time stopped being difficult, Rio says he will take care of the beast’s upper body while Aishia is in charge of the lower body and the tails, Rio tells Aishia the beast’s regeneration might have a limit and to keep attacking the beast from close by like now, Aishia agrees, the beast tries to counterattack somehow with its tails and breath, but Rio’s and Aishia’s combination overwhelms it and can’t fight back at all.

At the same time, Gouki, Kayoko, Aria and Ouphia look at the fight from Aerial’s back, Gouki says that the two fighting together is certainly impressive, Gouki realizes a group of people is leaving the city and tells the others about it, Aria tells him that the one walking at the front of the group is Erika, Gouki says that that is perfect for them and easy to understand while smiling, Kayoko tells Gouki to go then, Gouki nods and the two jump from Aerial’s back and descend using the scaffolds they make in the air, Aria says the two are impressive when she sees them not fearing at all the fall of more than three hundred meters, Ouphia tells Aria she will lower the height for her while smiling wryly.

Gouki and Kayoko land in front of Erika and tell her to stop, Erika looks curiously at the couple of japanese looking people and asks them who they are, Gouki says he is fine with being whoever, that he will just tell that he came to cut down the one controlling that monster in his lord’s place and unsheathes his katana, Kayoko tells Erika she won’t advance a step further and prepares her kodachi too, Erika says that it is interesting, that they really look like a samurai and a kunoichi, when he sees Erika Gouki says he understands and that her eyes are empty, Kayoko says they are the eyes of a crazy woman, Aria finally lands too and calls out to Erika, Erika says she came too, Aria says she heard she lived even with her heart pierced, so she came to take away the root of life from her for good today, when Aria unsheathes her sword Erika asks her if she can while preparing her mace, Kayoko says that unfortunately they don’t plan on fighting one on one, Erika asks them if fighting three on one isn’t coward, Gouki asks what it is so surprising, he tells they are on a battlefield and the enemy leader who attacked without a war declaration is in front of his eyes, Kayoko says Erika has plenty of companions behind her too, Ouphia tells the three from the sky to fight at ease because she won’t let the people interfere with them and shoots light arrows at the mob’s way for keeping it away.

Gouki wonders if the people are a militia but discards the idea seeing them unarmed, Gouki says he doesn’t think Erika is so far from reason and asks her what is she planning bringing unarmed civilians outside, Erika says she has no memory of bringing them, that they came on their own, Aria says that it is the result of her incitement, Erika denies it, she says her words don’t reach them, that if they have they wouldn’t have followed her, Gouki asks her what is she saying, Erika says she is saying that people are stupid and evil existences, that even if they die they surely won’t understand it, Gouki says it is fine anyway, that he understood everything will be fine if they defeat her, that if her and the beast are defeated the mob will lose its spirit, Kayoko agrees, when Gouki is just about to step forth for fighting Erika a throwing knife comes flying his way and has to stop for parrying it, Gilbert leaves the mob running and stands next to Erika, Erika asks him who he is, Gilbert introduces himself, Erika says she remembers now, that he is the one who became a retainer, Gilbert asks Erika to let him protect her, Gouki asks if Gilbert wasn’t one of the ones who sneaked in the city with Rio, Kayoko says he must have changed sides, Erika says she is thankful and asks Gilbert to help her, she tells Gilbert to take care of one of the three, Kayoko says she will be Gilbert’s opponent and tells Gouki and Aria to fight Erika, Erika says that now they are two to three, Aria says that there isn’t any change to her fate of dying there, Erika asks if they can kill her, she says she is really expecting it and tells everyone to begin.

Erika hits the ground with her mace and earth spears attack Gouki, Kayoko and Aria from the ground, the three dodge jumping back then Kayoko and Aria runs towards Gilbert and Erika from the sides of the earth spears, Gilbert wonders if the two are magic sword users seeing their running speeds, Kayoko asks him if he will be her opponent, Gilbert throws a knife at Kayoko and runs towards her holding another knife in his left hand, Kayoko hits the knife away with her kodachi in her left hand and continues towards Gilbert without stopping, after the knife and kodachi in their hands clash Gilbert praises Kayoko, he smiles and throws another knife at Kayoko’s throat from below, Kayoko hits it way with her kodachi, Gilbert says he is surprised, that the majority of the people who face him for the first time die with that, Kayoko says she understood he specialized in aiming at the gap in the people’s consciousness by his match with Rio and his assassin’s manual bad habits too, Gilbert says that Kayoko doesn’t look like a comrade so she must have experience protecting important people, Kayoko says he is quite the blabbering assassin, Gilbert says that it is because he stopped being an assassin, Kayoko says it looks like he didn’t fix his manual bad habits yet while hitting away another throwing knife, Gilbert says that it can’t be helped, that it looks like getting close and killing her seems to be the most likely way of ending it, Gilbert takes out another knife and runs towards Kayoko, while running he glances at Erika and Aria and stops in his feet, he calls out to Erika worriedly after seeing something shocking.

Aria has just dodged the earth spears and is running towards Erika, Aria exchanges attacks with Erika, as usual she is far above in technique but Erika fighting while planning to counterattack after catching her sword’s blade with her body is troublesome, Erika tries to provoke Aria, she tells Aria she is quite wary of her despite being strong herself, Aria says that not dying from having her heart pierced is a reason for being wary but… Aria tells Erika she doesn’t understand the logic behind it but that she is too confident in her toughness, that she is too defenseless, Aria approaches Erika from the front, Erika prepares her mace while thinking it is mysterious that Aria suddenly comes from the front despite fearing a counter but suddenly her field of vision gets inverted, at some point Gouki appeared next to Erika with his katana swung, Gouki says that it is as the young one said, that she was really a rookie full of openings and that the aftertaste is bad, Gouki shakes away the blood from his katana while Erika’s head rolls on the ground, Aria pierces Erika’s heart reminding her that it was two to one, Gilbert wants to run to Erika’s side but Kayoko gets in his way, he tells her to move aside in a fluster, but Erika tells her that it is fine after her cut head went back to its place at any moment while Aria is till piercing her heart.

Aria takes distance from Erika in a hurry, Gouki says that it is really mysterious, he looks seriously at Erika wondering if she is a human, Aria asks if she won’t die even with this, Erika asks them if it isn’t mysterious, that she tried to do this too, that even if she gets away from her cut head, her body or head will disappear and stick back to the other, that at the beginning she lost consciousness after dying but that now that went away too, Aria asks her if she is really human, Erika says she wonders about that too, Gilbert on the other side rejoices, he says he discovered anew again that she is God’s representative, Erika says she is, that because of that she can’t die until she fulfills her mission of delivering the answer that just God knows, Aria and Gouki make frustrated voices when they realize Erika’s inhumanness, Erika calls the two stupid humans and asks them again if they will kill her, she asks them if they can but they can’t answer, Erika tells the two to please kill her if they can do it, Erika rises the magic power coming out of her body, Gouki is surprised and overwhelmed by it but he can’t pull back for Rio’s sake, neither he has any intention of losing, then the fight continues.

Kayoko and Gilbert continue their fight too, Gilbert laughs euphorically while being thankful of discovering Erika’s existence, Kayoko swings her two kodachis thinking it is disgusting, Gilbert in the other side has his long knife in his left hand and a small throwing knife in his right hand, while they exchange attacks like that Gilbert throws the throwing knife at Kayoko, Kayoko hits away the knife again, Gilbert tries to hit Kayoko’s body with the knife in his left hand while she does that but Kayoko stops the attack with the kodachi in her right hand, Gilbert steps back pretending to be full of openings now that he lost one knife, Kayoko pursues Gilbert for launching her follow up attack, Gilbert swings his knife at her, Kayoko stops it with a swing of the kodachi in her right hand and tries to stab Gilbert’s throat with the kodachi in her left hand, Gilbert brings forward his right shoulder and dodges twisting his body, Kayoko brings back her left hand and stops the attack of the invisible magic knife in Gilbert’s right hand with her kodachi, Gilbert is surprised, Kayoko tells him he has really bad manual habits, Gilbert asks her if she can see the knife, Kayoko denies it, she says the invisible weapon was unexpected but that if the premise is that something will come from his right hand there are ways of dealing with it, that she already said she knows how to deal with an assassin’s bad manual habits, Gilbert says she is really taught, that it is the first time anyone stops his magic knife when seeing it for the first time and aside from that counter attacks, after he says that Kayoko takes out her kodachi piercing Gilbert’s heart from his chest, when Gilbert falls to the ground Kayoko says that it will finally become silent while glancing at Gouki and Aria.

Erika runs towards Gilbert ignoring Gouki and Aria and thanks him for his loyalty, Gilbert thanks her for her words, Erika tells him to please sleep peacefully for now, Erika stabs her mace in the ground and manipulates the soil for burying the now dead Gilbert, Kayoko pierces her heart from behind with a blade of water extending from her kodachi and asks Erika if she isn’t underestimating her too much not matter how much she won’t die from having her heart pierced, Erika says it is sad that she won’t acknowledge something like a burial, Kayoko says she heard she involved her comrades in the beast’s attack, but now that woman is burying a comrade in the middle of a fight and wondered what was going on inside her head, Erika says she just thought about giving him her pity because he took seriously her words despite their short acquaintance but, Erika makes earth spears grow from under Gouki, Kayoko and Aria, the three dodge them, Erika says there won’t be pity for them, Gouki says he doesn’t feel well having to fight an opponent that doesn’t die when cut, Kayoko says they can just kill her, on and on if she revives, Aria says that fortunately Erika is a rookie about fighting, that they will have plenty of chances, Erika tells the three to come at her after preparing her mace.

Gouki manipulates the wind for accelerating himself, approaches Erika and cuts her in two horizontally, Erika lets out an impressed voice while her two half's try to stick back together, Kayoko blows away the lower half with a knee strike before that, Aria approaches Erika and shoots the magic canon spell at her upper half from point blank range, Aria frowns when Erika takes the magic attack as if it is nothing, a perfectly fine Erika asks the three if they mood got better from where her lower half was rolling in the ground, Gouki pierces her heart again while Kayoko pierces her head and throat, Erika says it is the first time she dies so many times so quickly, she swings her mace at Gouki and Kayoko who dodge it jumping back, after Erika ends her swing Aria cuts the arm holding the mace and after that Erika’s body, Erika rises her mace while saying with frustration that it would be fine if they learn already that no one can stop her then…

In the middle of receiving Rio’s and Aishia’s concentrated fire the beast gathers magic power in its mouths and aims at the place where Erika stands, both Rio and Aishia realize its intentions, Rio bombards its main mouth and Aishia the snake heads on its tails making all of the mouths explode with the magic power they gathered inside them, Rio and Aishia wait and see for what the beast will do next, the blown away heads regenerate like the two expected but the beast is strangely quiet, until now its eyes were full of madness and hatred and the beast seemed just about to go out of control but now it looks like it recovered its reasoning, Rio asks what is happening to the beast he wonders if the beast finally got enough of rampaging but thinks there isn’t a way it is like that, Aishia asks Rio what to do, the two decide to observe the beast for a little more because it didn’t seem to be preparing any other attack, the beast stands quietly without doing nothing while looking at Erika, then the beast looks at Aishia and lastly at the lake, it continued to look between the three directions as if comparing them, then the beast disappeared in the same way a spirit takes its spirit form.

A little before the beast’s disappearance, Gouki laughs when he realizes that Rio saved them, Erika curses wishing she had managed to kill Rio the previous time and sighs annoyedly, Gouki asks Kayoko if she realized Erika is reviving faster than before now, Kayoko confirms it, she says that Erika’s speed has been growing too and that if it grows more than that it will be troublesome, Aria says that at this rate their magic power won’t be enough either, Gouki frowns while wondering about what they will do, Erika says that she is still full of power and that even without the beast… the beast disappears, Erika looks at it surprisedly and asking why it did, then the Erika that has been taking attacks completely unfaced until now begins to scream in pain while holding her head.

### Chapter 10: Fight for someone

While Erika is screaming in pain while holding her head earth spears begin to grow from the ground around her as if protecting her, Ouphia hurriedly picks up Gouki, Kayoko and Aria before the earth spears fill a radius of one hundred meters around Erika, Rio asks if everyone is fine after him and Aishia arrive flying, Gouki tells him they are fine, Rio asks what happened while looking at the suffering Erika, Gouki tells Rio that Erika suddenly became like that despite staying unfazed not matter how many times they killed her, Erika’s pained screams stopped, she looks up while still holding her head, the earth spears growing around her separate from the ground and fly towards the sky, the majority them seemingly aiming at Aishia, Rio tells everyone to run away, Ouphia rises Aerial’s flying height, Aishia separates from the group trying to lure the attack towards her, Rio calls out to her worriedly while swinging his sword on and on destroying as many earth spears as he can, he tells Ouphia that Aishia and him will fight and to go back to the main quarters, she obeys and makes Aerial fly away.

Erika looks emotionless for a while at the sky where the earth spears fly, then two laughing voices begin to come out from her at the same time, one of them Erika’s usual laugh but the other a masculine and unknown one, while still destroying earth spears Rio looks worriedly at the ground, Aishia creates hundreds of light bullets and shoots them at Erika, Erika erases them with a swing of her hand, Rio loses his words, Erika begins to fly towards Aishia at a speed and with a level of body strengthening incomparable to anything she did before closing the distance with her in an instant, Rio gets in her way and tries to cut her with his sword, the masculine voice coming from Erika tells Rio he is in the way while stopping the sword with a fist, Rio thinks it is impossible when the fist isn’t cut, Rio continues to swing his sword at Erika in the air and she continues to stop the sword with her arms, the masculine self-calls Rio king of dragons (ryuu no ou/竜の王), and asks him why is he interfering, Rio asks him what is he saying, the masculine voice says that that woman betrayed them, Rio asks him what is he saying again, the masculine self says it won’t do if that woman isn’t killed, Rio says he won’t allow it, the masculine self asks why again while sending Rio flying back with a stronger blow, Rio manipulates the wind for stopping next to Aishia.

Aishia begins to hold her head in her hands with a pained face now, Rio calls out to her worriedly, Erika does the same, the masculine self-curses, it says that he can’t use his original power due to being pushed inside a vessel and that due to being manipulated, his memories are incomplete, Rio uses the opening for shooting a slash of wind at Erika, Erika gathers a lot of magic power in her right arm and stops Rio’s attack, the masculine self refers to Rio again as the king of dragons, he asks him if he lost more power than him for some reason, he asks Rio if he is living inside a vessel because of those fellows too, Rio says again he has no idea of what he is talking about, the masculine self asks Rio if he lost more memories than him too, then it says that Rio’s power is inside that woman, that her soul is… the masculine self asks what is happening, Aishia makes a face more pained than before while saying “I am… I am…”, the masculine self says that there are two of that woman’s soul, the masculine self says he wonders if Aishia is just a carcass because her soul’s and those fellows’ signs coming from the other direction is stronger while looking at the lake, the masculine self asks Rio if he betrayed them too, still addressing him as the king of dragons and glaring at him with suspicion, Rio screams at him that he doesn’t understand anything, he asks him what is he talking about, who is he and what happened to Erika.

Erika’s usual voice comes out from her mouth now, she tells the masculine self to stop and asks him who he is, Erika says that she is a saint, the saint Erika, the masculine self says he is, Erika screams that this the battle she began and tells the masculine self to not to interfere, the masculine self-calls Erika an idiot that doesn’t even know that she is his vessel and tells her that this isn’t her fight, Erika denies it, she tells the masculine self that this is her crusade and he has no right to stop her, Erika says that that is unrelated that she is, she is, the masculine self tells her she isn’t God’s representative or something, that in the world there isn’t something like a God, that God left the world and that the ones who couldn’t handle that fact where those stupid demigods, Erika says that that is true, that there isn’t something like a God in the world, that precisely because of that she decided to become God, and as God pass down celestial punishment, the masculine self tells Erika she is a falsification of something inferior to God, no, the puppet of that falsification, the masculine self-curses because the time he can stay as himself is short, he tells Erika he has no time to lose with her, he also curses at Rio for interfering, that if it is like that, the masculine voice makes Erika fly towards the lake, Rio pursues him in a hurry but stops when he sees Aishia still suffering, Aishia apologizes and tells Rio to go ahead, Rio says he understands and follows after Erika.

At the lake, some minutes after the beast’s disappearance, François looks in Greille’s direction from the a magic ship’s deck when William arrives and tells him that the troops’ boarding will be complete soon, François says he understands, François looks at the distance wondering if the beast’s disappearance means the battle is over and who won, Miharu points at Aerial that is coming back with Gouki’s group, François wonders if all of them being fine means that they won but he can’t see Rio and Aishia so he wants to ask Gouki’s group if something happened, then a person overtook Aerial, everyone is surprised when seeing her, the masculine self-calls Miharu the traitor’s half and tells her he doesn’t know why she and the king of dragons put their souls in human vessels but that now it looks like it will be easy to kill her, Erika points her hand at Miharu and shoots at her a ball of light, when the the ball is just about to swallow her along Celia and Latifa that are next to her Rio appears and hits it away.

The masculine self asks Rio again why he interfered calling him the king of dragons again, Rio asks the masculine self why is he trying to kill her while standing between Erika and the girls, the masculine self says that in the time for explaining that he will stop being himself again because of the restrictions that the woman there put on them, that the only saving grace is that there aren’t demons nearby, Rio asks the masculine self what is he saying about restrictions and demons, the masculine self says he has no time for that anyway and that it is that damn woman’s fault, Erika tries to shoot another ray of light at Miharu, Rio hits Erika with his sword covered in wind for pushing her away from the ship, the attack doesn’t damage Erika but pushes her back, Rio tells everyone to run away while he stops her, the masculine self asks Rio if he thinks he will allow her to escape.

While stopping Rio’s blows with her arms as before Erika tries to go around Rio for shooting a ray of light at Miharu but he keeps getting in the way, the masculine self says that just the speed is quite the thing, Erika swings her arm horizontally and breaks Rio’s sword, Rio discards it in a hurry and uses his hands for attacking Erika, the masculine self says that it is saddening, Rio is somehow keeping Erika in place but it is obvious he is being overwhelmed, the masculine self-calls Rio again king of dragons and tells him he really got weaker, Rio’s attacks didn’t affect Erika, Rio catches Erika’s arm and throws her to the ground, he stomps on her stomach with both feet while using the wind for accelerating himself, Erika throws a ball of light at Rio from point blank, Rio defends in hurry making a barrier and crossing his arms in front of him, Rio is blown away and Erika follows up with more balls of lights like the previous one, small but really powerful, Rio is blown away further in the middle of a explosion, the girls scream at the sight.

Erika looks at Gouki, Kayoko and Aria swinging their weapons at her, Erika stops the attacks with her arms and blows the three away, Ouphia shoots light arrows at Erika, the arrows hit her but rebound off her body, Sara and Alma tried to lock Erika between a wall of ice and one of earth, the two can’t believe when their spirit arts refuse to activate, the masculine self-calls Sara and Alma children of the races with their blessing and asks the two if they think they can stop him, the earth’s great high spirit with that child’s play, everyone is speechless the masculine self doesn’t say more, more attacks fly at Erika but she doesn’t pay them attention and points her hand at the magic ship with Miharu again, Miharu leaves the ship and gets away from it, Satsuki goes after her in a hurry while Erika still aims at Miharu, Miharu says it will be bad if she doesn’t leave the ship because she is Erika’s target and tells Satsuki to not come, Satsuki catches up to Miharu and stands between her and Erika making a stance with her spear, Erika shoots a ray of light at the two, Aishia gets in the attack’s way while deploying a barrier, after preventing the attack Aishia holds her head painfully again, Miharu calls out to her worriedly but Aishia tells her to get away or that man will kill her, the earth’s great spirit says that it is perfect and tells the two to die together, Aishia makes another barrier but it begins to crack under the attack, Miharu clings to Aishia’s back and pours her magic power inside her for helping her, then Aishia opened her eyes widely as if realizing something, for just a moment Aishia makes a dumbfounded face, Satsuki tries to help too overlapping a wind barrier with Aishia’s.

Aishia tells Miharu that that man resents herself and that he resents her(Miharu) too, Miharu asks Aishia what she means, Rio stands next to Aishia and combines his own barrier with hers too, while Erika’s attack keeps pushing back the barrier made by the three, Liselotte and Charlotte shoot fireballs at Erika alongside the rest of the army’s magicians, the flames envelope Erika for an instant but quickly disappear, Erika says they are bothersome and begins to walk forward while still releasing the ray of light, Rio endures desperately, Aishia’s chest feels like breaking when she sees him like that, the earth’s great spirit tells Rio to give up, he tells him that that is the limit of a human vessel, that his vessel was a human too but that when she became a hero, her body stopped being one of a human, that their vessels are in different levels, while Satsuki makes a confused face wondering if she stopped being a human too, Latifa carries Celia until Erika’s back and Celia shoots Duraldal at her, Erika’s upper body disappears and her attack stops too.

Erika regenerates, the earth’s great spirit asks Celia if she learned to use the transcendentals’ magic with a human body from that woman, Celia looks dumbfoundedly while saying it is a lie, Erika swings her hand at Celia and Latifa with an upset face, Rio gets in her way and takes the blow, Latifa calls out to Rio worriedly when she listens to the noise coming from his right arm and side that guarded against the attack, Rio tells her he is fine and to run away with everyone and tackles Erika pushing her a little back, the earth’s great spirit says it is troublesome, but then he says he understands now, that this was what was called the humans’ strength, covering for each other making groups, the earth’s great spirit says that he managed to come out but that he run out of time, he tells everyone to show him how they defend from this if they can, then Erika disappears from their sight, Satsuki asks in murmurs if she went away, Rio looks wordlessly at a tsunami of magic power rising from the other side of the prairie, thinking that isn’t a quantity of magic power any lifeform in the world can handle at once, even if it is inside the body every lifeform has limit to how much they can use at a time, but the quantity of magic power in front of him is obviously too far above that limit, Rio tells everyone to not just stand there and to get away in the magic ship, Rio doesn’t know what kind of attack will come but he doesn’t think everyone will manage to escape, even if he can carry then he will need to choose who and Rio loses his words.

Aishia calls out to Rio and apologizes, Rio asks her what is she saying, Aishia says she remembered, not everything, but she remembered why she lost her memories and what her role is, Rio asks her what is she saying, he thinks today is full of things he can’t understand, Aishia says she is a shell, a temporal container for keeping the power in, that her sense of self existed just for the sake of one day explaining to him about his power and giving it back, Rio asks Aishia again what is she saying, Aishia says that thanks to him being there she stopped being a shell, that he gave her a name, an important and full of warm like the spring name, Rio asks himself if Aishia’s words doesn’t sound like a farewell, Aishia says she was incredibly happy at that time and thanks Rio while touching his cheek with her hand, Aishia says that this power actually has to be given back to him but that she can’t do it, Rio asks why, Aishia says that because Rio already has everyone else with him, Aishia looks around and sees everyone looking fixedly and worriedly at her, Aishia says that the always lonely Rio and Haruto finally managed to do it, an important bond with everyone, that she can’t take that away, Aishia looks back at everyone, then she looks with the determination at the tsunami of magic power, Aishia says that it is fine if she is the only one forgotten by everyone so... Rio thinks he doesn’t understand what Aishia is saying, he doesn’t want to understand it, Aishia says it is a final farewell, that she will defeat Erika, no, that she will defeat that man, Aishia looks at Rio one last time, tells him “Bye, Bye”, she laughs kindly, not her usual almost unemotional smile, a smile full of emotions, like the one a young girl would do, she laughed cutely and left from in front of Rio.

### Epilogue: Transcendental

Rio says that it can’t be, he ignores the pain on his right side and follows after Aishia, he screams Aishia’s name desperately, he has a bad feeling, that if he lets Aishia go, it would be absolutely bad, he pursues her having that feeling, Rio uses the wind for accelerating as much as he can, he asks Aishia screaming if she didn’t say that they would be always together, Rio asks himself in his mind what does she mean that because everyone is there, Rio screams that everyone includes Aishia too and that because of that it is wrong if she goes, alone, Rio screams Aishia’s name reaching forward with his hands but grabbing nothing.

Erika is beyond Aishia’s sight, she prepares for releasing the power inside her while thinking she doesn’t want Rio to be alone again, so she will be his replacement, for protecting Rio’s and Haruto’s important bonds, the earth’s great spirit calls Aishia a disgusting carcass and asks her why is she trying to use the king of dragon’s power, he asks her if she deceived him and stole it like she did with them, Erika’s magic power rises even more with the spirit’s anger, Aishia releases the power inside too but realizes midway that it is being attracted and absorbed by its original owner, Aishia looks back and tells Rio to not to come trying desperately to stop the power’s return to Rio, when the earth’s great spirit sees the flow of power between Rio and Aishia he thinks he realized something, he asks Rio if it is like that, he screams angrily that he betrayed them too, the anger makes the earth’s great spirit lose his last thread of reason and creates an earth tsunami that made it look like the earth and heaven changed places.

Galarc’s army looks at that from the lake, its appearance resembled the beast’s, but it wasn’t something like the beast, the beast looks small next to that, there there was a giant creature, the symbol of a natural disaster, causing earthquakes, roaring full of anger, looking at the sky with eyes devoid of reason, then the earth turned on itself, volcanoes erupted, a giant earth tsunami advances towards the lake, everyone is terrified, François wonders if that is a hero’s power while remembering about the legends of the heroes, he thinks the legends weren’t exaggerations, they were underestimations, there wasn’t anything about a monstrous technique like that in them, he asks himself what a hero is, but stops caring because he will die anyway, Celia screams at him that not yet, Latifa agrees, Sara says that those two didn’t give up yet, Ouphia says that there isn’t a way they can’t give up either, Alma tells everyone to make a barrier together, Miharu tells them to use all of her magic power if necessary, Satsuki tells everyone to put themselves at just one place, Liselotte asks them to let her help with anything too, François looks wordlessly at their struggle thinking about why it will be useless, Charlotte tells to François they can just entrust their fates to Rio and Aishia now, and that if it is useless then to die gracefully at that time, François then orders all of his soldiers capable of deploying barriers to prepare for making one.

Aishia asks Rio why he came, Rio says that he doesn’t want to lose his important people, none of them, neither Aishia, that he wants to be with everyone, Aishia tells him he won’t be able of being with everyone anymore, that he will lose everyone important to him, that she made herself a replacement because it would fine if just her is gone, Aishia makes a really sad and impatient face, she realized the container her can’t use the power anymore, Rio says that he was always scared, that losing his important people was scary, that he is still scared now, that because of that he always tried to take distance from them but that she taught him that it would be fine even if he didn’t do that, that she saved him from the loneliness, Rio catches Aishia’s shoulders with his hands and tells her that that’s why it is absolutely impossible for him to let her alone, that he absolute can’t let her go alone knowing she will disappear, Aishia cries and Rio cleans her tears with his fingers, Rio tells her that it is fine, that he doesn’t understand what she means when she says that he won’t be able of being with everyone, but that it is fine, that that is his decision, Rio smiles kindly at Aishia, Rio tells her that from now on no matter what happens he won’t regret anything, Rio looks away from Aishia and puts himself between the earth tsunami and the lake, the earth tsunami is just some seconds away of swallowing them.

Rio releases his power, he doesn’t understand yet what is that power, but mysteriously he understands the way of using it, it feels mysteriously comfortable in his hands, Rio makes the power materialize as a sword, he somehow understands that for the current him swinging it that way will be the easiest way of using it, Aishia stands next to Rio and tells him that that power actually can’t be handled with a human body, that if he uses it forcefully his body won’t endure it, but that's why she is there for the sake of that, Aishia touches Rio’s hand holding the sword gently, she spiritualizes and enters Rio’s body, immediately after that Rio opens his eyes widely, power is overflowing from his body, he realizes his body is transforming, he is sublimating into something beyond a human for the power to be easier to use, Aishia tells him from within that it is already fine, to use the power now, Rio swings his sword horizontally, a blinding light appears and everyone at the lake looks wordlessly at the light swallowing the earth tsunami for it to disappear without a trace when the light is gone.

Immediately after the tsunami’s disappearance, Erika was standing were the giant creature used to be, she is a kilometer away from the place where Rio was located but he quickly shortened the distance with her and pierced her heart, Erika smiles softly, Rio apologizes, he says he had no other option but doing this, Erika tells him that he is kind, that something like apologies are unnecessary, that she will die even if he doesn’t do anything, that she used more power than what she could handle and she will pay the price for it, Erika tells that thanks to Rio she can die and that she is happy, incredibly happy, that she always wanted to die and thanks Rio for killing her, Rio loses his words, Erika says that because people are very ugly and stupid creatures she doesn’t regret anything she did, that even now she thinks it would be fine if those stupid fellows die, but that among them there are kind ones too, kind to the point of being stupid, that he surely is one of them, that she has a request for the kind him but that he doesn’t need to listen to it, Rio asks what it is, Erika explains to Rio where she buried her fiançe and asks him to bury her there too, Rio says he understands and that he will try to look for the place, Erika asks Rio to apologize to Liselotte in her place too, Rio agrees, Erika thanks him again, says goodbye and calls Rio a true hero, she tells him to be careful of the other heroes too, then Erika finally dies.

There used to be fourteen transcendental pillars in the world, and the one and only real God that there used to be in the world made some absolute rules, rules that not even those fourteen transcendentals can escape from, now one thousand years later one of those rules got activated.

At the lake’s shore, the girls, Galarc’s army, everyone stands dumbfoundedly, no one understands what is happening, a natural disaster was coming at them and suddenly disappeared, it is obvious for them to not understand anything but then someone asks the people around them who was the person fighting there with a very confused face.

## Next's volume preview.

Regardless of what happens from now on I won’t regret.

Seirei Gensouki 21- The Dragon’s Familiar, scheduled for 2022.

## Gallery

Vol 20 coverVol 20 clean coverV20 melonbooks tapestryV20 melonbooks SS bookcoverLiselotte and Rio cookingRio protecting the girls from ErikaBye bye Haruto.Rio soothing Liselotte.Why don't you go out? kyaaaaHump, I can fight too.wait wait wait wait, i'm using skirt!!Fine, I will do it.You said it would be two versus one.Why are you interfering? King of dragons.Remembering.Rio releasing his true power.Thanks, mister real hero.