――She was a girl of ‘Crimson’, vivid and like the scorching flames, rich with the scent of blood.

At the top floor of City Hall, the space had suddenly transformed into a battlefield where the ravaged scene was dominated by a violent beauty wielding a brilliantly shining Red Sword.

With dazzling orange hair, a luxurious dress the color of blood, and a figure brimming with feminine charm, she stood with her sword ready, leaving a strong impression on anyone who beheld her from behind.

“――――”

Staring at her back in speechless awe, Subaru’s thoughts were thrown into turmoil with his arms outstretched.

For just that moment, he forgot the pain throughout his body and the suffocating sensation, as the question ‘why’ bounced around his empty mind.

Why was she here?

Why did she save Subaru?

Why could she face Arakia with such calmness?

Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why—the questions never seemed to end.

With this unending curiosity consuming him, Subaru lost track of time. Then, as if mocking his stillness, the ‘Crimson’ woman snorted, saying,

“What a daft face you have. Are you dazzled by my nobility?”

“――Ugh, do you have eyes at the back of your head or something?”

“Fool. Do you think I’d see such deformities? A fool’s face can be recognized even by breath alone.”

Without turning around, the woman answered so boldly—Priscilla Barielle.

Stunned by her unbelievable response, Subaru couldn’t even muster words to deny the absurdity of being recognized by breath alone.

He could only stare, dumbfounded, as the situation slowly shifted.

“Now then”

Taking a short breath, Priscilla brandished her Red Sword and surveyed the area.

The City Hall, once lively, was now in shambles due to a sudden intruder. Among the injured ‘People of Shudrak’ and the unconscious Zikuru, only Subaru, Rem standing behind him, and Abel on the balcony remained able to move.

And the one responsible for this was――,

“――Arakia”

“――――”

Priscilla narrowed her crimson eyes and quietly locked gazes with her opponent.

The one who maintained silence under that gaze was the brown-skinned, silver-haired half-beast—Arakia, the Empire’s number one general, known as ‘Two’.

Recognized as the second strongest in the Volakia Empire, she had shown the prowess befitting her title. With her uncovered red right eye, she faced Priscilla’s determined glare head-on—no, it was different.

“Your Highness…”

Previously aloof, maintaining her firm world, Arakia’s perspective shattered the moment she met Priscilla’s gaze.

Instead, what arose was intense anxiety mixed with an equally large joy.

“Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness…!”

Shattering the dangerous atmosphere, Arakia repeatedly voiced her acknowledgment, reminiscent of a lost child reuniting with their parent, or a younger sibling yearning to bridge the bond with an older sibling—a display of the weak desperately clinging to the strong.

――The relationship between Priscilla and Arakia was one unknown to others.

Subaru still couldn’t grasp why Priscilla was even here. He could only intuit that an extraordinary past existed between the two.

It was clear that the prior connection had dulled Arakia’s fighting spirit, the most dangerous presence in the room.

“――Ugh!”

Lowering the thin branch she held, Arakia stepped forward, overcome with emotion. Perhaps she intended to leap into Priscilla’s embrace.

Desiring to hug her and follow the passion erupting within her.

But――,

“Your Highness—”

“Silence!”

That was not to be allowed.

The short, sharp command cut through like a flash accompanying a sweeping strike.

Arakia, who had taken a step forward, found a red brilliance slashing just inches from her toes, as crimson flames ignited to hinder her progress further.

“――――”

It was merely a bonfire-sized flame, enough to singe her shins.

Given her long legs, she could easily jump over it, and yet Arakia stood as if an insurmountable wall had formed.

Initially shocked by this unexpected action, Priscilla coldly continued.

“Arakia, why did you attempt to approach me just now?”

“Eh…?”

“Could it be that you thought I was excited to reunite and would embrace you in my arms? If so, I can only be utterly astounded by your naïveté.”

The disdain laced within Priscilla’s words was evident. It was suffused with genuine disbelief, completely severing any approach toward Arakia.

Arakia understood the gulf between them. Staggering in shock, her eyes flickered as she struggled to formulate the optimal response to Priscilla’s remarks.

But――,

“P-Pri-ska-sama…”

“Priska is dead. —It has been long, yet you have changed not a whit, have you?”

“――Ugh!”

“How uninteresting. Even this long-absent land has withered so much that I feel no sentiment.”

Priscilla’s heartfelt disillusionment shone through unabashedly.

To grasp Priscilla’s sentiment required a level of understanding and stability far beyond merely hearing her words; yet, it was clear that her heartless remarks inflicted deep wounds on Arakia, drawing blood.

A grievous wound inflicted from being disregarded by someone cherished, a bond once shared.

Shocked to hear herself labeled “uninteresting,” Arakia’s eyes blazed with intense emotion, lingering upon her injury as she clung to her hurt.

Anger didn’t drive her, but rather determination and resolve began to kindle within.

“…No matter what you think of me, it’s fine. It’s painful, but I’ve made my decision.”

“――So you say. What have you decided? You think you can pique my interest? Speak it plainly.”

Responding to Arakia’s calm appeal, Priscilla provocatively tossed out her words, prompting Arakia to raise her head and shout, “I will!”

Squatting slightly, Arakia proclaimed,

“I will reclaim the Empire! I’ll retrieve your Highness’s place! For that—”

Her impassioned declaration was not directed at Priscilla, but rather at Abel watching from the balcony, as she turned her gaze away from Priscilla.

“Liar, you bastard—!!”

With eyes ablaze with fury, Arakia rocketed into the air. Ignoring the fiery barrier between her and Priscilla, she took aim at Abel on the balcony.

Her jump was extraordinarily powerful. Yet, being ranked second in the Empire, one might not find this surprising.

The only issue was that Priscilla was the sole individual with the ability to halt her violent undertaking.

“This is bad, Abel…! Priscilla!”

“Do not disturb me. How presumptuous you are, fool. Who do you think you are, addressing me so casually?”

“This isn’t the time to—”

“I said, do not disturb me.”

Priscilla paid no heed to Subaru’s pleas while lowering her sword. After issuing that threat, Subaru’s breath caught in his throat as he watched Arakia leap like an arrow, closing in on Abel.

“――――”

Gripping the half-destroyed railing of the balcony, Abel, blood trickling down his forehead, showed no signs of flinching at Priscilla’s sudden invasion. He remained upright, steadfast, with his powerful black eyes steadily fixed upon Arakia.

It was well known that he lacked the strength to face one of the Empire’s mightiest alone.

Yet why did he not succumb to despair?

Not knowing—subsequently—

“Abel—!”

Realizing the futility of his efforts, Subaru made to rush to Abel, but his legs buckled on the first step. Stumbling, he could only reach out helplessly as Arakia barreled toward Abel—

――In an instant, a series of occurrences unfolded that were beyond Subaru’s comprehension.

“――――”

Still focused on the approaching Arakia, Abel planted his feet firmly on the balcony floor. Immediately afterward, fissures spread across the crumbling balcony, and the ground gave way violently.

Naturally, Abel would fall helplessly as well— or so everyone assumed, but that was not the case.

Instead of plummeting down, Abel’s body was suspended mid-air. His outstretched right hand clutched a curtain that had been drawn up from the upper floor.

Using a hidden lifeline under his hand, Abel collapsed the floor beneath him willingly.

It might’ve been a strategy intended to drop any ordinary soldiers down below.

However, the opponent was one of the ‘Nine Divine Generals’, particularly a ‘Two’.

“What’s the game, huh…!”

With the lifeline in hand, Abel swung like a pendulum as Arakia bared her fangs at him.

Though he had lost his footing during the leap, thanks to his superhuman physical capabilities combined with exceptional powers, Arakia’s speed was unparalleled.

As her legs shimmered like a mirage, her lower body morphed into flames, allowing her to control her movements in mid-air like a powered mech.

The flames that scorched Mizelda, the fierce tornado that scattered the lowly soldiers, the candy-like support for collapsing pillars, the great wind that disarmed Rem, and ultimately, even a part of her body transformed into flames.

The mysteries of Arakia’s powers were a threat with no visible end.

“Die, your Excellency—!”

With her ability to maintain her stance wavering, Arakia charged toward Abel, the unknown power behind her branch ready to strike.

Whether it pierced, unleashed magic, or produced some different abnormal effect remained vague. —Vague, but Abel would surely be pulverized.

That realization alone tightened Subaru’s pupils with anxiety and tension.

However――,

“Yo, brother! Until I heard your voice, I didn’t even realize we were brothers!”

In an instant, a shadow surged between the frenzied Arakia and the suspended Abel.

The figure darted past the beam of the fallen pillars where Rem had knocked one down, launching a blow from the side toward the readied branch. The thick, broad strike of the blue dragon knife managed to halt Arakia’s attack, but she swiftly countered, causing her to soar through the air.

The attacker, having evaded the surprise blow, landed and exclaimed, “Daaaah!”

“Shit, my arm hurts! Don’t just effortlessly brush off my full-power attack; it’s humiliating, you know?”

As he stepped back, shaking off his arm, a series of events concluded with grumbling. The person responsible for this was someone utterly outside Subaru’s expectations.

A man clad in a jet-black full helm, dressed like a brigand from the neck down, his appearance was oddball. The figure resembled that of a bandit, the distinctive left arm was missing from the shoulder and replaced with a strong right arm wielding the blue dragon knife.

Subaru recognized him. He was someone expected to be around, assuming Priscilla was present.

It was――,

“――Al?”

“Hey there, brother! I didn’t think I’d run into you after crossing the border. Normally, I’d love to exchange thoughts on your outfit and our strange bond, but…”

Tilting his head, Al spoke in an oddly carefree voice, addressing Subaru while keeping a wary eye on the airborne Arakia.

Was it more surprising that Al managed to block the attack despite a single instance, or should one feel astonished by the durability of the branch that withstood the blue dragon knife head-on?

“Feel free to be surprised. I didn’t get it right the first time.”

“Get out of the way! I can’t let your Excellency die!”

“I’m intentionally getting in your way, you know. If I let it go, my head will be off my shoulders. But…”

With Arakia roaring with fury, Al unabashedly stared her down.

Though Arakia’s outfit was excessively revealing, there was no lewdness in Al’s expression—only a somewhat nostalgic contemplation.

In fact, as Al let out a sigh of admiration, he remarked,

“You’ve grown up well. I imagined you’d become beautiful.”

“…Who are you?”

“With that tone, it’s truly hurtful. We’ve put our lives in one another’s hands, haven’t we?!”

At Al’s familiar calling, Arakia frowned, questioning.

As Al kicked away fragments from the ground to maintain distance, he glanced over at Priscilla and called out to her, “Al!”

“You understand my wishes in bringing you, not Schult. Now do your job.”

“Of course, I am, you know! Do I look like I’m having a fun time with a cutie? If I let my guard down, I’d be done for in ten seconds flat!”

“In terms of appearance, there’s hardly a difference from now, is there?”

“Surely, it’d be better than being blasted to smithereens! Uwah!?”

After hearing her thoughtless encouragement, Al’s concentration faltered, pushing him to the brink of mortality under Arakia’s ensuing blow.

In the air, Arakia commanded the skies with more grace than a bird, launching successive assaults with branches which Al desperately attempted to deflect one, two times.

“Get lost…!”

“Saying that to a young woman seriously pains an old man’s heart.”

With Abel hanging above and Al persistently shielding him, Arakia glared down at both of them, her body thrumming with combat energy. Yet, the reason she didn’t unleash the fearsome area-wide attacks she had earlier was——,

“Priscilla…”

Calling upon her, Arakia found Priscilla cold and dismissive, totally devoid of anything else.

However, for Arakia, it was a different story. This coldness deterred the reckless flames she might have otherwise unleashed.

Hence, Priscilla was the one capable of turning the tide in this situation.

“――――”

“Do not gaze at me with those pleading eyes, fool. I might compliment your contrived beauty, but to think that it could move me is an affront.”

“Ugh…!”

As Subaru turned, kneeling, Priscilla displayed her haughty demeanor clearly above him.

The one who finally made a move wasn’t Subaru, however, but Rem, who had previously been sheltered by his presence. With determined lips, she precariously positioned herself in front of Priscilla.

Then——,

“Please, lend me your strength.”

“――Hmph, a commendable request. Compared to the fool, at least you show some manners.”

“…Then—”

“Do not rush. Observe closely. Conditions are already set for the situation to evolve.”

Though Rem’s appeal and the potential to incur Priscilla’s wrath caused Subaru to freeze up, Priscilla directed her chin toward the battlefield.

At her prompt, Rem gasped and looked to the side, followed by Subaru glancing in the same direction.

The precarious situation on the balcony could soon see Abel and Al slaughtered by Arakia within the next few seconds if left unchecked. As it stood, that situation was still ongoing.

“Ha! Oh! Uba! Oa!”

Arakia soared through the air with ignited legs, continuously repeating her hit-and-run assaults, which Al somehow defended clumsily yet effectively.

But miracles couldn’t last forever. The accumulated impact weighed heavily on Al’s body, and once his response visibly lagged, a powerful attack landed.

At that very moment, he lost his footing, completely exposed to the next assault—until it finally happened.

“――!?”

Just as Arakia intended to kick off, her body swayed unnaturally, disrupting her control.

The assault’s origins were unmistakable to anyone who witnessed it, as reflected in her surprised eyes and stifled grunt.

“――――”

What caused the transformation within Arakia shocked everyone.

Among those surprised, two others remained unfazed: Priscilla, composed and observant, and the mastermind who had been caught up in the fray——,

“——Scheme it!!”

The order accompanying a scent of char and dust was bellowed by the suspended Abel. Still hanging from the curtain, he raised his voice amidst the chaos unfolding above.

As if convinced this moment would arrive.

“I’ll detail it later, alright!!”

Responding to Abel’s strong tone, Al sprang into action.

With an awkward leap, twisting his body, he aimed the blue dragon knife in an arc that flew directly into Arakia, who had lost her footing.

However, there was restraint in hitting her with the blade; the wrist rotated, directing the blunt edge toward Arakia.

“Fool!”

Spotting the mercy behind his attack, Priscilla scoffed lightly.

Moreover, with the profound schemes she possessed, her perception of the situation was remarkably sharp.

“Get back…!”

The moment of collision, a dull thud erupted, making Subaru instinctively look away.

Al’s thoroughly powerful strike struck true against Arakia, chanting her obstruction with her left arm head-on. Its elbow buckled backward, bone protruding from her brown skin, blood splattering.

A ghastly scene unfolded; yet, it was not a fatal blow.

Behind the obsidian helm, Al grunted lowly, his cheeks tightening in shock.

Moments after, Arakia’s slender legs slammed into the side of Al’s neck, a tremendous blow forced his entire body to hit the ground.

Executing a stunning reversal, the impact sent him sailing through to crash outside the cratered balcony.

“Do, aaaaah—!?”

Al’s clumsy scream echoed as his figure vanished from sight.

With this, the barrier separating Abel and Arakia had finally dissolved.

Returning her previously ignited legs back to normalcy, Arakia planted her feet on the ground, now freely preparing to snuff out Abel’s life.

――Then, a fierce black shadow lunged at Arakia from behind.

“Ooh, oooooooh—!!”

Shattering debris, the vigorous figure hurled itself at Arakia alongside a mighty roar. Clasping a large knife in reverse grip, it launched a savage attack.

For a moment, the onlooker began to grasp the identity of the intruder due to its ferocity.

A tall, well-built form singed black from wounds, with red-dyed black hair and white patterns depicting the ‘People of Shudrak’ painted on its skin——Subaru shouted in realization.

“Mizelda-san!!”

“Ahhh!!”

Mizelda, hearing her name, didn’t reply but continued to unleash a roaring battle cry.

A casualty from the initial attack launched by Arakia, her scorched body still bore wounds, yet she pressed on like she was burning her very life away.

Each unforgiving slash she aimed at Arakia targeted her vulnerabilities.

Unlike Al, mercy or kindness were entirely absent in her final stand. Watching her fight in desperation, Subaru finally realized that she was indeed the target Abel commanded, “Set it up against.”

Foreseeing Arakia’s instability, Abel had encouraged the beleaguered Mizelda to fight fiercely.

In that sudden, seemingly irredeemable situation, how many cerebral resources had warped in Abel’s mind, Subaru couldn’t possibly fathom.

However, even with all this, they still lacked just one critical step.

“――――”

Despite Mizelda’s fervor, Arakia’s responsiveness eclipsed that of any master.

She deflected Mizelda’s desperate attacks with attitudinal finesse, her face an expression of annoyance. Each swing of her branch repulsed Mizelda’s knife, disarming her entirely in seconds.

At this point, discussions about the strength of that branch became inconsequential.

The sweeping force from the branches snatched away Mizelda’s weapon, in a fleeting moment, causing its tip to plunge into her body.

The sturdy iron muscles of Mizelda’s abdomen emitted a sickening sound as the branch pierced without resistance.

It ransacked within her, violently trashing vital organs, pushing the resilient Amazonian body toward death——,

“Now that I’ve finally…”

“――Where do you think you’re looking?”

The instant Arakia let down her guard, believing she had dispatched the obstruction.

Blood oozed at the corner of Mizelda’s lips as her eyes gleamed with defiance. Brushing her white teeth with bloodstain, she gripped Arakia’s right arm wielding the branch firmly.

Gripping tightly, she immobilized it completely.

“――――”

That moment of suspension was perhaps the final opportunity.

But no ally in Subaru’s group could seize that precious moment constructed by Abel’s sagacity and Mizelda’s devotion.

The ‘People of Shudrak,’ focused on their leader’s struggle, couldn’t recover from the previous tempest, their own consciousness barely hanging on, just like Subaru.

Rem, who had crumbled the pillar, couldn’t reach that moment due to her lingering leg instability.

Everyone remained separate without coordinating, allowing a once-in-a-lifetime chance to pass.

Yet――,

“――Be proud, daughter of the demon. Your pleas have summoned my blade.”

Only allies stood out of reach; the third party regarded things differently.

“――――”

Priscilla, overseeing the battlefield, closed the distance in one stride, targeting Arakia’s defenseless back.

For an instant, Arakia sensed a presence closing in behind and moved to intercept. She intended to throw Mizelda’s long body at her backside.

But that did not come to pass. —Realizing who the presence belonged to, she became unable.

“Your Highness—”

As someone who had never managed to sever her obsession with Priscilla, Arakia found the flash of the crimson blade strike true.

Blood gushed forth as Arakia’s body wavered violently.

“I told you, Arakia. —Be prepared by the next time we meet.”

The past promise between them remained impenetrable for any outsider.

Yet it was evident that the vow mirrored the ruthlessness of Priscilla’s upcoming assault, and that Arakia’s unyielding attachment had finally led to this.

“――――”

As she took the hit from the Red Sword across her back, Arakia crumpled to the floor.

Mizelda, who was still gripping her arm, shifted under the impact. The two of them collapsed like ragged dolls, limbs extended recklessly.

“――――”

Caught in a flurry of calamities, a state resonating in disturbance of air through blades and flames, the sudden stillness enveloped them, embroiling Subaru in a sense of time’s halting passage.

A single breath, or a single step, seemingly risked shattering everything and scattering the dreamlike moments into separate fragments.

“――Mizelda-san!”

Shattering the silent time, a tense voice erupted from Rem.

Crawling unsteadily across the floor, she swiftly made for Mizelda, who lay tangled with Arakia.

Fully scorched, battered by fierce winds, and pierced through her abdomen, Mizelda was in dire straits.

Rem kneeled beside her, gasping, pressing her hands on Mizelda’s body, attempting to use faint healing magic to bind her.

“Stop dawdling! Lend me a hand.”

“――Ah!”

Rem’s actions drew Subaru’s captivation, breaking him from his stupor as Abel’s voice reached his ears.

Still unable to rise from hanging, Abel remained suspended. Shaking his head, Subaru rushed over, gazing into the cavernous space that was once a balcony.

Abel, hanging with the curtain wrapped around his right arm, looked up with keen eyes.

“Looks like you survived. You really have good fortune.”

“…Seems you still got that sharp tongue.”

Grimacing at Abel’s persistent chatter, Subaru grasped the curtain and yanked to pull him back.

Admittedly, Subaru was battered, just like Abel, but readiness and resoluteness mattered.

“It’s not just Mizelda…”

Many others had also fallen victim to Arakia’s tyranny.

Making good use of the scarce healers necessitated improvised first aid without relying on magic. There was no room for relinquishing consciousness.

To collapse here would mean allowing losses.

That could not be permitted.

Therefore――,

“Hurry the hell up and climb back up…!”

Gritting his teeth, he tugged on the curtain, reaching Abel’s hand. As their grips met, he pulled the taller man up as best he could.

As Subaru stumbled backward, Abel, who returned from the brink of suspension, huffed slightly.

“You’ve done well. I commend you.”

“Shut it…”

Dismissing his insincere praise, Subaru allowed a quiet click of his tongue.

Just as he stood, preparing to rescue other injured persons——,

“――Do not move volitionally, fool. Who do you think governs this place?”

“――――”

With Subaru on his rear and Abel kneeling, silence enveloped them.

The one looming over them was Priscilla, eyes fierce under her lush beauty, emphasizing her curvy arms with a crossed pose.

While not strangers, neither were they on amicable terms.

Not merely due to conflicting factions in the Royal Selection, but it was fundamentally rooted in her nature.

With an air of arrogance toward all, never yielding, Priscilla could be an invaluable ally in resolving shared problems, yet otherwise she served as an unpredictable volatile threat.

During the battle at Watergate City Pristella, she had been a reliable comrade; however, the question now was whether that remained true here.

Could she really be considered a friend, despite having aided in repelling Arakia?

Either way――,

“Though it vexes me, you are indeed the ruler of this situation, Priska Benedict.”

It was Abel who spoke instead of Subaru, rendered immobile and speechless.

Kneeling, he recalled another name for Priscilla, but it was a name he too had heard Arakia say before her fall.

At this name, Priscilla let out a small snort, replying,

“Regrettably, Priska Benedict lost the battle and died a pitiful death. What rights do those beneath the grave have to speak so boldly?”

“…I see. Then, who are you and what do you go by?”

“――Priscilla Barielle. That is my name. Be sure to remember it, Vincent Abelkus.”

Receiving his query with bold assurance, the glare exchanged between Priscilla and Abel simmered with a pressure akin to flame or thunder. Subaru found himself overwhelmed, barely managing to avert his gaze from the intensity.

Priscilla knew Abel’s name, and Abel referred to her by another name.

Sensing something unusual in their relationship, Subaru inhaled quietly.

And in the midst of such a deadly air——,

“Hey! Would someone please come help me already? I’m pretty much at my limit now!”

The only sounding break came from Al, who had been knocked off the balcony, ensnared in an external crystal lamp, helplessly calling for aid.