Arifureta Shokugyou de Sekai Saikyou (WN)

Chapter 335: Arifureta After III Brutal Hero Shia Arc Now, I Become The Wind! Desuu!

Around the time when the sun would soon reach the zenith.

A cute humming was resounding in a corner of the courtyard in the palace of Balted Kingdom.

「Funfunfu~n? Fufu~n? You are really late Hajime-sa~n? Come quickly Yue-sa~n? The bunny of~, Nagumo Family is riight heere you know~?」

Correction. An original song that surpassed a humming was resounding. From Shia.

Her rabbit ears were twitching *piko piko*, and her rabbit tail was shaking *shake shake* while she was singing. Several maids including Dahlia were watching such Shia smilingly.

If Shia was singing while admiring the flowers that were blooming profusely in the courtyard, surely they would watch enraptured at a beautiful girl frolicking with flowers.

Though unfortunately, what Shia was admiring right now was a lump of metal.

「Pain, pain, fly away~, my soul friend Schutaif-ta~n?」

Shia’s soul buddy――magically powered two-wheeled Schutaif.

It was her beloved vehicle that was sent flying from a lightning spear of several hundred million volts. It was damaged here and there, but when Shia diligently checked it like this in the courtyard, it seemed that it didn’t have any fatal damage. It was a small mercy that the weapons loaded in it didn’t explode. Right now she was washing it with appreciation of its service to her.

Now then, Shia who literally made his majesty Arogan who suddenly appeared at the breakfast went splat, why was she working hard to give maintenance to Schutaif as though nothing had happened……

The truth was that his majesty the demon king Arogan was apparently a kind of clone. A spirit art or something that Louis was also able to perform after a fashion.

It was a body made from spirit elements, so naturally it could also fly. It could also perform pseudo teleportation by means of binding and reconstructing spirit elements. Because one could travel far faster with it rather than traveling in the flesh, it was often used as messenger or the like.

It was a convenient spirit art, but in the end it was something like an illusion that only created an outer appearance using spirit elements. Originally it didn’t have a material body, to say nothing of performing magic with it.

But, in regard to that, it was just as expected from the demon king. In a feat of skill the clone was given a substantial body and the caster could even use spirit magic remotely to a certain degree. Thus resulting in a creation of a clone that was completely the same as the real thing.

Although, even for someone at the level of the demon king, “Shia-style straightforward right straight” seemed to be beyond his imagination.

Not only in the senses of the fist’s power and speed, but also in the sense of experiencing getting punched in the face by a girl of that age.

Seeing his majesty Arogan who was smashed apart and reduced into sparkling particles, his majesty Eric and Greg made twitching faces, while Louise smiled widely, Phil went pale, and Dahlia showed a face that was even more sparkling than the particles.

Within the atmosphere of heavy silence, they broke up for the time being to take care of various businesses including confirming the true intention of his majesty Arogan who suddenly visited. Shia didn’t really have anything she particularly needed to do, so that was why she was servicing Schutaif appreciatively like this. She was passionately wiping the frame with a sponge that came with it.

(Come to think of it, I missed my chance to mention about Hajime-san……)

Shia suddenly remembered and her hand stopped in thought.

The arrival of her popular period that visited her suddenly. She felt an emotion that was akin to bewilderment. After all, until Shia encountered Hajime she was living under the concealment of her family. Before she met Hajime, she had never interacted with opposite sex other than her relatives.

And then, since her existence was discovered in Fea Belgen, she was swimming desperately in a sea of malice and hostility. Even after meeting with Hajime, even though there were people who desired Shia as slave, there wasn’t anyone who came into contact with her with pure affection.

Of course, it was also caused by Shia blatantly directing her immense affection toward Hajime alone, so no one tried to lay their hand on her but……

Anyway, she had almost zero experience of being popular. Since coming to earth, sometimes there would be passerby attracted by Shia’s appearance and made a pass on her (a part of the classmates called them the hero passerby), so it wasn’t like her experience with this was non existence.

But, most of the time beautiful women and girls like Yue and others would be nearby, naturally those people’s eyes would be turned toward them too, so her awareness that “I am popular” was thin.

Furthermore, even those occurrences lately never happened. Hajime created the artifact of the recognition obstruction, and even before that Hajime’s existence was well-known. Men who tried to make a pass at Shia wasn’t a hero passerby anymore, they were already nothing more than an applicant for a novel way of suicide.

(Nufufu~, that Hajime-san, even though he is endeavoring to be peaceful, when it come to us he will immediately enter demon king mode)

Shia sang in a good mood while polishing Schutaif diligently.

(He should come to pick me up tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow at the latest, it will be fine if I introduce him then~)

While she was thinking lightly like that, the shining slime Udar who was on Shia’s head like usual called out to her.

『……It’s really something.』

「Eh? What is?」

Shia tilted her head. Udar jiggled *poyoyon* and leaped on top of Schutaif while continuing his word.

『After receiving my lightning, how did it come out of it with only a part of its armor blown away? What is it made of?』

「Rather, I was the one who was shocked that its armor was blown away even if only a part of it though.」

『That war hammer too. In the end I couldn’t destroy it and could only make you let go of it. I know nothing that boasted toughness to such degree even among divine spirit arms.』

「Divine spirit arms? What is that?」

According to Udar, tool that was using spirit element was called as spirit instrument. And even among them, tools that are forged personally by divine spirit was apparently called as divine spirit arms. It seemed to possess powerful strength that are on a different level from divine spirit arms.

Actually, the great sword that his majesty Eric possessed, that too was a divine spirit arms that were handed down from generation to generation in the kingdom. Its name was “Tarnada”, and it was able to manipulate wind.

「Hee……it’s like what we called artifact in our place. But, if it’s something that Udar-san’s people created, aren’t you going to take it back now that they are opposing your side?」

『It won’t be able to do anything to us anyway when it’s used in the capacity that humans can handle.』

It wouldn’t amount much to anything if not by abnormal being like Shia or exceptional existence like his majesty Arogan. By the way, according to Udar, Louis also possessed strength that was close to his majesty Arogan. When he wielded his full strength and worked together with his majesty Eric when he was using a divine spirit arms, the two of them might possibly display strength that was equal or surpassing his majesty Arogan.

「But, a divine spirit was repelled when attacking the demon kingdom wasn’t it?」

『It wasn’t me. It was Oros.』

「Oros-san? Is it a different divine spirit?」

『Correct. He is the divine spirit of earth. I met him before coming here. Oros told me that apparently the spirit element weapon of that country is even more of a threat than the demon king.』

There Udar was emitting a dark atmosphere that could be guessed even with his light sphere form.

『I was told, that the earth was screaming.』

「The earth, was screaming?」

『What that country created thoroughly sucked up the spirit element of the earth. Not only that, it seemed that even the spirits of earth were sucked in to bring further destruction.』

It was as though the earth was screaming at that time. That was why Oros pulled back.

Certainly, Oros who received terrific destruction was injured in his soul, but it wasn’t to the degree that he had to retreat. However, he was unable to continue listening to the screams of the earth even more than that.

『Objectively speaking, it might be a bad move on Oros’s part to retreat like that.』

If he kept attacking, the demon kingdom might fell. In the end, he was only postponing the problem. The earth might be screaming again in the future.

Oros understood that and yet didn’t attack till the end was because of his terror. It wasn’t a terror for his own destruction, it was a terror toward the scream of the children, the spirits. As a divine spirit, as the executor of divine punishment, it could be said as an unbecoming failure.

However,

『I cannot bring myself to criticize Oros. I too understand his feeling painfully well.』

「Is that so……」

Shia wondered what she should say. Shia gently moved the depressed Udar from above Schutaif to her palm. She was unable to find any words and only patted him in consolation.

Shia thought.

In earth, a world where information was overflowing, she saw and heard many things. The problem of this world was similar to earth’s problem.

Population explosion, drying up resource, pollution of land and air…… The difference was in the divine spirit. A world where the scream of the natural world could be heard and a world where it couldn’t be heard, which one was more fortunate she wondered.

Shia didn’t know. She didn’t understand, but when she looked at the dejected Udar, she was unable to consider it as other people’s problem.

It was then, she suddenly could see flickering light at the corner of her vision. ‘Oh?’, when she tilted her rabbit ears while turning her gaze there, she could see a light sphere that was really similar with Udar was converging around Vire Drucken that she put near a flower bed nearby.

『It’s my children. They are spirits of lightning. It’s unusual for them to come out in front of people. Is it because I’m here?』

「Now that you mention it, recently the spirits-san too won’t come near human settlement isn’t it?」

Were they relieved because the embodiment of lightning cloud was nearby? However, in spite of that they weren’t gathering toward Udar, rather it looked like they came out because of great curiosity toward Vire Drucken. A part of them also came toward Schutaif.

「Are they curious toward the artifacts?」

『Hmm. No, that’s not it. Shia. These war hammer and two-wheeled vehicle, do they have the function to stockpile lightning?』

「He? Lightning? ……Aa! They have!」

Shia took Vire Drucken into her hand and poured magic power to activate one of its gimmicks. Right after that, Vire Drucken sparked *bachi bachi bachi*.

The lightning spirits went 「Waa~~~h」 and crowded toward it in delight.

「It has electricity storage installed. It’s a function to electrify the opponent when locking weapon with them, but it’s faster to send the opponent flying so I’ve never used it you see~. And so, I completely forgot about it~, ahaha.」

『Ri, right. I see.』

Udar couldn’t really laugh as someone who had been sent flying before. While Udar was somewhat creeped out, Shia also made her own body to spark bluish white.

「Like this I can also wrap myself with electricity after a fashion as a part of body manipulation, but in the end it’s only to the degree of static electricity that is only useful for playing a prank.」

She would use it to shock Yue’s butt when Yue transformed into lifeless Yue and wouldn’t move away from in front of her vacuum cleaner. Yue would raise a cute scream 「Hyaa!?」 and moved away squirmingly while holding her butt. It was a cute sight and actually it became Shia’s favorite scene recently.

At the beginning she learned it in order to wake up Hajime at the morning when he just wouldn’t wake up, but it didn’t work on Hajime who possessed “Lightning Clad”. Rather, she was the one who got electrified and dragged into the bed instead. Honestly it was faster to use “Shia-style Good Morning (Physical)”.

Dahlia and others who saw from afar how Shia was enveloped in bluish white spark went 「My!」 and they pressed their hand on their mouth. The lightning spirits also similarly went 「My!」 and converged toward her. They twirled around Shia as though they were dancing.

『……It looks like they like you. Shia, the spirits are in high spirit, saying that it’s comfortable beside you.』

「Is that so? Wait, wawah, please don’t play with my rabbit ears! Hyah!? Inside the clothes is not allowed~! Ah, please don’t pull my haiiir!」

The spirits were making ruckus looking like they were having a lot of fun.

Udar’s atmosphere became really gentle seeing that scene of the spirits being playful with fondness toward Shia. His depressed mood just now cleared away as though it had never happened. Such scene between human and spirit was nostalgic, and then this scene was how the world should be originally. He himself also seemed happy.

Above all else, the emotion he directed toward Shia was really warm. No, rather it had reached a passionate degree.

『However, Shia. As the personification of lightning cloud, I cannot just ignore how you mentioned that the power of lightning isn’t really useful.』

「Even if Udar-san say that, you understand right, after experiencing my battle style? By the time an opponent enter the state of weapon locking with super heavy weapon like my war hammer, it’s the same like entering a disadvantaged situation. They can only get blown away.」

『In other words, in an instant of contact――if you can inflict electric attack to the opponent through a blow in that moment it will be effective enough right? Or perhaps, it will be fine if you fire lightning attack like me.』

「That’s, well, that might be so.」

『Right. Then let’s try it.』

Udar hopped *poyon* and moved onto Vire Drucken. And then he called out 『Children, lend me your strength』 to gather the spirits on him. They became together and vanished into Vire Drucken.

「Eh? Wait a second Udar-san? What are you doing?」

『Mumu? What is this? I don’t understand. However, well, what complicated and precise making. As expected the child of another world cannot be underestimated…… Hmm, is it like this?』

Somehow Shia got a bad premonition. She swung around Vire Drucken like a small lucky mallet while saying 「Udar-saa~n, don’t enter inside as you please~」.

Because, thinking really carefully this was extremely bad. Udar and also the spirits were all personification of lightning. And then Vire Drucken was a weapon loaded with ammunition……

『Observe carefully! This divine spirit of lightning cloud, Udar will grant new power to Shia Haur――』

Electricity ran fiercely. Vire Drucken emitted spark and flash. It was like the hammer that was possessed by a god in a certain Avenge○ group.

Then, explosion. Along with an explosive sound.

Shia screamed 「Hyawaa~」 while tumbling. Udar and the spirits who were sent flying rotated high in the air. Dahlia and others who were watching from afar were also screaming 「Kyaa~」 while rolling on the ground.

*Boom* Vire Drucken fell on the ground and caused a tremor. Black smoke rose up from any holes on the war hammer. The outer shell wasn’t harmed, which was as expected from Hajime quality. It appeared that Hajime had properly put countermeasure so that the war hammer itself wouldn’t become unusable even after the unlikely chance of explosion occurring inside.

Although, there was no doubt that the whole ammo loaded inside were annihilated now. Its function as war hammer wasn’t affected, but it might be dangerous to use its shooting function without having Hajime checking it first.

Udar slime fell with a plop on the ground. Shia wiped away the soot while sending him a reproachful glare.

「After a close observation, my partner is reduced into a terrible state though?」

『Incomprehensible.』

For Udar who didn’t know about ammo, it seemed he didn’t understand why the explosion occurred.

Shia thrust her finger on Udar slime and spoke while grinding on him.

「Could it be, that? You are thinking about the future ahead and tried to destroy my weapon while you can right now?」

『It’s a misunderstanding. I did it thinking of Shia’s sake. I thought that a weapon of this level will be able to endure divine spirit armsification.』

「But it exploded.」

『Right, it exploded. Even before that, my power couldn’t be accumulated well. So a material from another world will have different property huh…… I think it will go well if there is spirit stone with high purity included into it though……』

「Well, I will believe that you did that with good intention in mind. Thank you very much, Udar-san. But, it’s forbidden to experiment on my partner further than this.」

She had no intention to entrust her partner to anyone other than Hajime. Udar hung down his head hearing Shia asserted clearly that it was forbidden to enter Vire Drucken. He was like……someone who failed in increasing the positivity level.

There, a commotion and loud footsteps could be heard.

「Shia! Are you safe!? What happened!?」

His majesty Eric and the royal guards including Greg came running. It seemed they rushed here after hearing the explosion.

Seeing Shia crouching down while poking at Udar slime, they thought that perhaps she was crouching because she was injured and approached her in hurry.

Looking at his majesty Eric who was reaching out with both hands, perhaps he was going to hold her up with both hands.

Of course, Shia swiftly dodged by rotating her body. His majesty Eric went 「Ah」 and his balance crumbled. And then, like that he dived on the dejected Udar.

An awkward atmosphere hung in the air.

「Are you safe, Shia-sama?」

「Ah, yes. ……Sorry for causing commotion.」

The royal guard captain Greg ran near in worry of Shia’s condition as though nothing had happened. Shia replied with a wry smile.

During that time, his majesty Eric stood up while shaking from either anger or shame.

「……My apologies, Udar-sama. For pressing down on you.」

『……It’s fine, I forgive you.』

Somehow, their heart as man seemed connected with each other. The hardness of the guard of the woman they liked created a friendship that surpassed the barrier of man and god……perhaps.

His majesty Eric stood up as though nothing had happened. He coughed once and opened his mouth while looking at Shia.

「Don’t make me worry so much. If something happen to you, I……」

「Er~r」

The passion burning in his eyes was amazing. Just what in the world she did to make him harbored such emotion toward her. Shia completely didn’t understand. It felt like a feverish feeling that was unlike all of those hero passerby who were only attracted to her appearance would be transmitted through the air.

Like this, it might not be good for her to just nonchalantly dodge him while waiting for Hajime’s arrival before saying ‘I’m already married desu~’. Thinking that, Shia tried to open her mouth once more.

However, it was as though some kind of curse was hanging over them. Another hindrance entered. Furthermore it was a really emergency news.

「Your majesty-. A news came from the demon kingdom――what are you doing, your majesty?」

Louis arrived riding on something like a flow of light. Perhaps it was a travel method using spirit art. When he was going to report something, he witnessed his majesty Eric reaching out toward Shia along with a passionate gaze. His glasses glinted while he asked with a smiling face that looked empty.

「I, I’m going to check for injury――」

「You can’t do that you know? Or rather please don’t touch me.」

Thorn of words that didn’t contain even a shred of deredere came back to him. His majesty Eric’s heart was stabbed. There was no sweetness at all in it so it only felt painful.

While that happened, Shia also casually took distance from him. It also plainly dealt damage on him. The physical distance represented the distance of their heart.

「More importantly Louis. You have something to report right? I’ll hear it.」

「Oops, that’s right. Your majesty, the true reason of his majesty the demon king Arogan’s visit has come into light. His subordinate received communication from his country and came to convey it to us.」

「So a spy infiltrated us, well, let’s put that aside for now. And?」

「Yes. His majesty the demon king’s objective is――reinforcement request.」

His majesty Eric’s eyes opened wide.

Louis reported the detail while the air of the place became tense all at once. According to the report, the divine spirit of the earth Oros resumed the divine punishment to the demon kingdom. Furthermore, this time he even led a large force of celestial race with him.

The force had already reached a distance of half a day away from the demon kingdom’s capital.

「So that’s the reason of Arogan-dono’s irrational visit. He didn’t show even the slightest unrest but……was he actually agitated inside?」

His majesty Eric nodded in understanding. Shia also nodded deeply.

「I see. So he approached me also because he wanted to win over the hero with certainty.」

「No, that’s the nature of that person. If he see a beauty, he cannot help himself from seducing them. What’s more, he was really interested in you Shia.」

「I cannot comprehend it.」

Even if she was told that she caught the eyes of that man who was like the personification of narcissism, furthermore combined with how his majesty Eric and others called him as “demon king”, it only made her felt really weary.

In addition, she made a pass on woman when coming to ask for reinforcement, and in the end got blown away which delayed the reinforcement request itself. It couldn’t even be called a joke. For a guy like that to introduce himself as “demon king”, even as a joke it felt like it would make Shia’s discomfort index to burst through the max value.

Shia shook her head to drive away the unpleasant feeling and talked to Udar to change the topic.

「The report said that the distance is half a day away but, is Oros-san’s traveling speed really not that fast?」

『That’s not the case. He has an appearance of the land taking human form. Most of the time he is as big as ten children of man, but he can change his size at will. If he turn bigger, his traveling speed will also grow faster in proportion.』

Apparently Oros’s appearance was like a giant golem. Normally he was as tall as ten humans, so he must be around twenty meter or less. If he enlarged himself, his travel speed would change with the enlargement of his step’s width.

However, in that case the reason why it would take half a day for him was unclear. Udar sensed that doubt and answered with a groan.

『It must be the expression of his resolve. That this time, he absolutely won’t pull back no matter what. At the same time, he is compelling the people of that country to resolve themselves.』

Oros’s slow approach was the same like a convict’s walk climbing the stair toward the gallows for the execution. Each of his step was the stair that the demon kingdom climbed to their doom.

『What will you do? O child of man. O king of this country.』

Udar’s solemn voice resounded. His voice was filled with dignity that was unthinkable coming from his slime shape until now. That was unmistakably the questioning of god. Even without eyes, Udar’s gaze was obviously being directed to his majesty Eric.

His majesty Eric clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. He showed an expression of enduring a great pain. It was obvious that a deep conflict was tormenting him.

If thinking normally, in a sense the best way was to abandon the demon kingdom that still hadn’t abandoned their ambition even at this point and in the future. If they were ended by divine punishment, one concern toward the future of cooperation with spirits would disappear with certainty.

It was the rational thinking. It was the best thinking as a king of a country. Because making a choice of which to sacrifice and which to let live was a duty that was imposed to king.

However, but……

「Someone who will abandon his fellow kind, who is also a partner who though imperfect, had made a promise to help each other. Will someone like that be able to live together with the spirits-san in the future ahead?」

His majesty Eric, no, everyone there became taken aback. Their gaze moved toward the voice. It was Shia who casually said that while checking Vire Drucken’s state.

「Shia……but……」

「Ahaha, please don’t mind it too much. I am not the king, so I cannot think like a king. Just now in the end is only my own thinking.」

Shia herself was smiling wryly, saying that her thinking was too optimistic and idealistic.

‘Aa, but……’, his majesty Eric thought.

「Doing everything you can, for the future you wished for, is it……」

His heart suddenly turned light. Once more the words, attitude, and way of life of the girl before him were clearing away the weight of his heart.

His majesty Eric looked at Louis and other with a troubled expression. Interestingly, everyone also made the same face. His majesty Eric felt like he was going to burst laughing. He somehow endured it while staring at Shia, then he turned his face toward Udar once more.

「Udar-sama. We will go to reinforce them. We will fight Oros-sama until our words reach him.」

『I see.』

「Surely you have seen through it. Of the ulterior motive of Arogan-dono and the people who admire the demon kingdom. As expected, we who will try to save them are really a sinful race.」

『I cannot deny those words.』

「Yes. However, even so, I want to show our sincerity with this reinforcement.」

『Sincerity? By trying to defeating a divine spirit?』

「No. We swear that we will never abandon anything anymore, not a single thing. This is our sincerity in protecting that oath.」

『……』

Rational judgment, pursuit of the benefit for one’s own country or possibly the benefit of the race called mankind, necessity, calculation, greed fulfillment.

Such things were enough already. In exchange of their development until now through those means, they ended up making light of many important things. And then, as the result, they were heading to destruction.

Then, let’s take back the sense of values that was obvious as a human, as a country. Let’s just protect them simply because they had promised. Let’s save them because their conscience was screaming to save them. Let’s carry up the morals that were only natural for human to possess. Let’s run forward for the sake of idealistic decision rather than realistic decision.

They were going to be destroyed anyway. Then, let’s return to the starting point. Let’s return to be the “human” that the mother the star tree and the divine spirits surely loved at the beginning.

『……I see.』

Udar’s reply was only that. But, surely the gentle atmosphere they vaguely felt from him wasn’t just their imagination.

His majesty Eric digested the fact that no rebuking words came from Udar, then he turned his gaze toward Shia.

「……Shia. It will be too late if we don’t sally immediately. Your family won’t make it in time.」

「I guess.」

Originally, it would take a whole three days to rush from Balted Kingdom to Rated Kingdom even when forcing a horse that was strengthened with spirit arts to run until they die. However, when the salvation plan was decided in the meeting of leaders of the three countries, they were given a flying dragon from Tinted Beast Kingdom. If it only carried the elites, they would be able to arrive in just a day.

And then, if it was Rated Demon Kingdom, they would be able to hold out for a day although they would be greatly damaged.

「……I will keep the promise. I won’t force you to do anything until your family come.」

「Is that so.」

Hearing his majesty Eric’s words, Shia turned a smile where it might be the first time she directed such expression toward him. Seeing that smile, his majesty Eric unconsciously hid his mouth with his hand while looking aside. It seemed that the stimulation was too powerful.

However, there was Louis’s wide grin ahead of his averted gaze, so he hurriedly returned his gaze. It seemed that the stimulation was powerful.

「But, I wish that you immediately come to help us if you succeed in persuading your family. We swear we will hold out until then. That’s why, that’s why Shia. Can we hold out hope? That you will come to save us?」

His gaze was hot. Like a man who before heading to the battlefield was making a promise with his lover to reunite once more. Louis and others also stepped forward and left similar words. As though they were trying to carve their existence to Shia even for just a bit more. Udar too also bounced *poyoyon*.

Shia smiled wryly and shook her head. His majesty Eric and others distorted their expression in pain.

「There won’t be any meaning to a promise if there is no opposite side to keep it.」

「……What?」

Shia swung Vire Drucken. Putting aside its shooting mode, it had no shortcoming as a war hammer. Next, Shia straddled Schutaif and poured magic power into it. Instantly, *KIIIIIII* Schutaif started with such starting up sound. There was no problem with its running function.

「Now then, my Schutaif-tan, compared to a flying lizard-san, which one is faster I wonder?」

Shia said such thing with a chuckle ‘nihi’. His majesty Eric couldn’t hold himself back anymore,

「Shia!」

He was overcame with emotion and stepped forward to hug her. And then, 「Oops」 with such light voice Shia kicked him flying and he vanished behind a flower bed.

Shia might have gotten used to it because she then addressed Louis as though nothing had happened.

「I’ll tow a carriage behind, so can I ask you to make the preparation? I will be going really fast, so please prepare something sturdy.」

「As you wish, Shia-sama.」

Louis also bowed his head respectfully as though nothing had happened. As though it was Shia who was the one worthy for him to offer his everything to serve her.

Like that, Louis immediately turned around to prepare for the expedition while giving instruction to his subordinates. Then he looked back after a few steps and,

「Shia-sama. Something has been on my mind since the first time we met.」

「Yes, what is it?」

He said along with a pure smile that contained no hidden meaning that the females of the kingdom were greatly in love with.

「You are really a softhearted person.」

「……」

Shia’s rabbit ears went limp. Her troubled expression might be because of her self-awareness that even while she wished to make a clear distinction like Hajime and Yue, in the end she couldn’t really do that.

In the past, Shia’s mother told Shia that she wished to become a hero even though she was rabbitman. She didn’t want to become a forest rabbit that could only run and hide, but a hero that could protect anyone.

The woman possessed a heart that was stronger than anyone, but the cruel fate gave her the weakest body of the weakest race……the wish and disposition of such woman had been inherited by her daughter with certainty. Furthermore it was to an extraordinary degree.

Perhaps, it was exactly because of that she was chosen.

To be the savior of the screaming world.

To be the bravehero that could protect everyone.

.

.

Thirty minutes later.

Shia and everyone else became people of the sky.

At the lead was Schutaif. The sky road from the barrier created by the other world’s bike realized the world’s first midair wheeled travel through the large carriage it was towing behind.

「Shi, Shiaa! I, is this really all right!? Or rather, isn’t it fine to slow down a bit more!?」

「It’s fine! There is nothing better then going fast yeah! Desuu!!」

Shia was really in a good mood that it felt like a cry of ‘hyahhaa’ could be heard.

Toward such Shia, his majesty Eric who took out his face from the carriage’s window and called out to her was turning pale because his breathing was obstructed by the wind pressure. No, he was simply turning pale from the terror of running midair in a speed that was nearly 200 km/hour. (124.27 mph)

Inside the carriage that was connected to Schutaif, there were Louis and others the childhood friends group. Other than them there were also people selected from the best members the knight order and the palace spirit artist division had, five people each from those two groups were inside the carriage too. But everyone was sticking close to the wall. They didn’t move at the slightest while their expression was stiff.

They would die if they moved……their expression seemed to think that.

Shia’s rabbit ears flapped wildly from the wind pressure. She was driving wildly while sometimes she would make eccentric poses that looked strange but curiously left impression in the heart. There was nothing more that could enter her rabbit ears when she was in that state.

His majesty Eric pulled back his face inside the carriage with an expression that had given up on various things. He was also praising himself who tried to ride together with Shia on Schutaif at the beginning but ceased from doing that because he got a vague bad premonition.

But, right after that, Shia’s voice resounded from outside.

「Mumu-! No one will be able to stop the current me yeaah! Desuu!」

His majesty Eric and everyone made a face that said 「Hm?」 and looked at each other. The next moment, consecutive explosive *boom!* sound resounded. The carriage was shaking from the shockwave, which caused the knights to also shake in their boots.

「Shi, Shia!? What happened!?」

「The celestial people-san got in the way, so I threw explosive slug bullets at them!」

「Ce, celestial people you say!? Kuh, our reinforcement was predicted――」

His majesty Eric gritted his teeth while sending signal to Louis with hand gesture to intercept, but the next moment another *boom!* explosively resounded.

「Shiaaa-!! Are you alright!?」

「I’m fine desuu! There is no problem! Fu-ha-hah! Try to stop me if you caa~~n desuu!!」

*Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom?*

In between of the consecutive explosive sounds, they could vaguely hear scream like 「Gyaaaah」 or 「Hii~」 or 「Godd*mn iitt」.

In addition, there was a voice saying 「Now, I become the wind!」 in a good mood, at the same time the carriage accelerated even faster. The G-force pressed on everyone and they turned pale while clinging desperately on the wall.

「Your majesty-. I propose to attach handrail in the carriage’s seat or wall!!」

「Accepted!! Do it right away if we go back safely!」

「By your wiiiiilll」

*Rattle rattle-, creak creak-, mekyo!* Ominous sounds were resounding from the carriage and everyone became tearful while the proposal that Dahlia desperately yelled was adopted instantly. The brawny knights gave a thumb up at Dahlia tearfully.

After that, the carriage curved with terrific centrifugal force, rolled over upside down, and so on. His majesty Eric and others who had their fill of a fun time like jet coaster became even paler than a drunkard this time.

After a while 「I took care of them~」 a carefree voice could be heard. In that moment everyone thrust both their hands to the sky and cheered loudly.

‘We are saved! Saveeed! We surviveeed! Let’s go home quickly!’ Their atmosphere was like that.

But the way, Shia defeated the attacking celestial people not with shooting. There was no change in Vire Drucken that it would be dangerous to use its shooting mode without maintenance first.

And so, 「Rather, it’s troublesome to reload before shooting, it’s faster to just throw it!」 under such thinking, she threw the explosive slug bullets to defeat the enemy. The bullet speed wasn’t really different from when it was fired normally.

The multiple battles that she went through since coming to this world was rapidly transforming Shia into monster. But, luckily or unluckily Shia herself wasn’t really conscious of that.

Louis who checked the situation outside the window fixed the position of his glasses while opening his mouth.

「Your majesty. It’s the Enaton Hill. We have already traveled through two thirds of the distance.」

「……Amazing.」

The distance that would take a day even when using a flying dragon. This was going to be finished in just around three hours.

The yell 「Fuhah, fuhahahahah. The sky of other world feels super gooooooooodddd-desuu!!」 of Shia whose tension was climbing in proportion with the speed pierced everyone’s ear.

It was a bit scary, but she sounded like she was greatly delighted so his majesty Eric’s lips naturally slackened.

Louis who saw that narrowed his gaze.

「Your majesty, what is your intention with Shia-sama?」

His majesty Eric was taken aback by the sudden question and his eyes opened wide. He wondered what was Louis thinking at this kind of time, but Louis’s eyes were unexpectedly serious so his majesty Eric mended his expression.

「What do you mean with that question?」

「You understand right?」

It was about his feeling toward Shia. Even though not even a day had passed since they met, his heart was turned toward her as though a spirit art of charm was put on him.

「Shia-sama will return back to her original world when her family arrive to pick her up.」

「……So what?」

「I’m saying that your majesty ought to draw a line properly.」

His majesty Eric’s mouth frowned. He understood but didn’t want to recognize it. Such feeling could be clearly seen from him.

「……What about you yourself, Louis. You are the oldest one among us childhood friends, but until now I’ve never heard any serious romantic talk about you. You made a face like you aren’t interested to woman, but you are sending really passionate gaze toward Shia.」

It was a meager counterattack from his majesty Eric toward Louis. He pointed that out with a sulking tone toward Louis who was his best friend and someone who was like a big brother to him.

Before anyone knew it, everyone’s gaze inside the carriage was gathered toward the two. However, even within that atmosphere Louis didn’t turn timid and replied with a wide smile.

「If this heated feeling is called love then, yes, certainly I’m harboring love toward Shia-sama.」

「Nuguh. Tha, that’s really straight.」

「Yes, if I face your majesty straightforwardly, then your majesty will also face me back straightforwardly just like usual right?」

「Muu……」

While thinking that ‘I really cannot go against this guy’, his majesty Eric raised both his hands in surrender pose and replied back.

「Let’s see…… It’s the first time I feel like this. I don’t want Shia to go home. I want her to be together with me in this world.」

「Yes, I also think the same. And then, surely it’s not only me and your majesty who think so.」

Louis said that and smiled. His gaze moved toward Greg and Phil too.

「After all, she is a girl who charm even a divine spirit like Udar-sama.」

「For certain.」

Phil spoke while shrugging, while Greg affirmed with a small smile.

Gentle smiles between fellow people who understood each other spread inside the carriage.

「Now then, from the perspective of the country it will be a matter for great congratulation if Shia-sama is wedded with your majesty, but personally it’s hard to accept for me.」

「Yo, you really said it straight huh, Louis.」

Louis continued while pushing up his glasses.

「Although, it’s a fact that her heart belong to her family, it won’t be a trivial matter to change her mind. It’s my thinking that here we should band together and cooperate to convince her family.」

「That’s logical. In any case, we have to make them think that it’s fine for Shia to remain here.」

「At this point, I believe that she has no bad impressions of us seeing how she is helping us so much like this, but I don’t think that it’s so far to the degree that she is holding affection for us.」

「The prospect is grim.」

The four male’s heated discussion continued. While that was happening, only Dahlia alone was strangely dripping cold sweat.

(……If they are thinking that Shia-sama is charming, why aren’t they considering the possibility that she might have someone already in her original world?)

She recalled Shia’s figure when she was singing at the palace’s courtyard.

(“Hajime-san”……it will be great if it’s just my imagination but, somehow Shia-sama’s atmosphere felt different only when she was speaking that person’s name……)

Dahlia-san’s female instinct was sharp and clear.

The words “grim prospect” that Greg spoke. In reality it might not be just a mere “grim prospect”.

Dahlia averted her gaze from the four men who was passionately discussing of how to make their advance toward Shia, looking like 「If that is the case then, I cannot watch this anymore!」.

For Dahlia herself, it would feel terribly lonely to part from Shia. She wanted to become even closer with her. That was why, if it was a discussion in order so Shia wouldn’t sever her connection with this world, she would happily participate but……

(Shia-sama! If you can please play the requiem for them as soon as possible!)

Dahlia prayed to the Shia in her heart for the slightest mercy.

And then, whether that prayer actually reached or not, actually since some time ago Shia had stopped yelling completely. From that fact, and from the fact that Shia’s rabbit ears were rabbit ears of hell, it could be easily guessed.

They didn’t know. Outside the carriage, the person they were discussing was writhing and couldn’t endure being there saying 「Stop it~, don’t have a love talk in a range where the person you are talking about can listen~!」.

Like that, just as Dahlia wished, Shia resolved herself that she had to perform the requiem over them as soon as possible, but right after that,

「Oo!? Eric-sa~n-, Louis-sa~n-, something huge is coming here!」

「! What, what’s going on!」

「Huge thing you say……」

Everyone heard Shia’s yell and leaned out from the window simultaneously to look outside. The sight that flew into their eyes made them gazed in wonderment.

「Wh, why are you here!?」

His majesty Eric questioned while addressing the existence lying in wait for them by floating in the air ahead with a loud voice.

「Tinted Beast Kingdom’s, beast king――Gruelle Dullac Tinted-dono!」

A red dragon was hovering as though to block their way. He was his majesty the king of beast kingdom who had completely transformed into a beast using a spirit art.

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