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The second wave of bird-type magic stone beasts surrounded the city of Arlman, gradually closing in. To oppose it, the Charalian forces, led by the Holy Knight Order, divided into four directions in an attempt to repel the oncoming Magic Stone Beasts.
Knights who had taken up positions on the defensive walls launched volleys of long-ranged attacks, but that was not enough to keep the enemies at bay as battles began to break out across the entire area of Arlman.
Raphael, who was in charge of the eastern front, rallied those around him with his voice while he himself was engaging a magic stone beast.
「The injured must evacuate to the underground tunnels! It is safe underground! Those who are safe, go and help the injured to evacuate!」
It was hard to imagine that the flying birds would be able to invade the underground tunnels.
Down in the narrow underground tunnels, they couldn’t fly freely, literally taking the wings off the bird. In fact, it would be much more convenient if they tried to enter the underground tunnels, as some of the Knights were stationed there too.
Raphael was glad they had those tunnels. If the wounded were to be left alone without a place to evacuate, the casualties would be high as the next wave of magic stone beasts would surely be their end.
Rather, that would’ve been the norm in any other situation. It was thanks to the underground tunnels that the survival rate of his allies could be increased. There was no way Raphael wouldn’t make use of them.
「Don’t be separated too far apart! Don’t stand out! Compensate for each other’s blind spots, keep the damage at a minimum! We still have a long way ahead!」
The front lines were evenly matched. The enemy numbers were still high, but so far, they had been able to hold out with minimal casualties.
If we can maintain this situation…
Just when he was thinking as such, Raphael saw a figure leap over him. They jumped far over the front line and into the midst of the enemy.
「—! You’re too far ahead! It’s dangerous, get back!」
Despite Raphael’s effort to stop them, their figure was quickly swallowed by enemies and disappeared from sight. But…
A blue-white pillar of light rose up, and the magic stone beasts vanished into it. The figure floating within the light was… Black Mask of the Ironblood Chain Brigade.
「……!」
「Forgive me for intruding. I figured that we must help on the front as well!」
As he spoke, more and more Magic Stone Beasts closed in, targeting him, and then… Their bodies were scattered by a series of sharp, strong blows.
It was a series of thrusts like a barrage of bullets from the tip of a golden spear. The one behind it was Cystia, who lined up behind Black Mask and looked at Raphael.
「This is what you wanted! I don’t take any more orders from you!」
In other words, Black Mask and Cystia were on their way to treat the humanoid Magic Stone Beasts that were frozen outside the city.
「P-, please do… take caution!」
He had no reason to stop them, nor did he have a right to. Besides, those two would be fine.
「None of your business. Go worry about your own safety!」
「Enough, Cystia. Let’s go, our comrades are waiting!」
「Yes sir! Pardon our intrusion!」
Cystia bowed deeply, and together they disappeared into a group of enemies.
「How is the situation elsewhere……?!」
Raphael soared up and looked at the battle situation on the other fronts. The western front led by Eris and the northern front led by Ripple were both in a similar situation to his.
The battlefront was tight, and the enemies were being kept at bay.
As for the southern front where his vice commander and Miliera’s team were… they were the one who was driving away the enemies the most. In fact, rather than keeping them at bay, they were the first to start pushing back.
「Amazing…! Thank you so much, Senior Miliera!」
They had asked Miliera and her students to give support in the south. Raphael felt bad that they had to send students of the Knight Academy into this battle, but…
The difference must have been largely due to the help of Silva and the other students of the academy. If it was Miliera alone, then the southern front would have been in a similarly tight spot as the other three fronts.
What good students they were… Not to mention, there were also Rafinha and Inglis, as well as Leone and the rest of their group who were not here.
Not that Raphael was rushing to his death, but he was seeing the generation that would bear the future after him. It made him feel reassured.
If so, then I, too shall devote myself to the cause! Thinking so, Raphael was ready to charge forward, when he heard the confused voices of his Knights from behind him.
「Uoh…?! O-, oy, you! It’s dangerous there!」
「Y-, you’re an academy student?! Either way, it’s dangerous to go too far ahead! Get back here!」
The one who was being called out, was the small-statured, always sleepy little girl, Yua.
Yua came running down the road, breaking through the battlefront, with the impression of doing a morning jog. Contrary to the lightness of her movements, however, the speed at which she ran was astonishingly fast.
She kicked the wall and jumped up onto the roof of a tall building nearby. Her movements were so sharp most Knights lost sight of her.
「Huh?! Sh-, she’s gone?!」
「Up…! So high—!」
As the surrounding Knights were startled and worried, Yua turned to them.
「Hello… I’m here for support.」
Saying so, she holds up her index finger and thumb, forming the shape of a finger gun.
「Bang…」
VWOOOM!!
A ray of light shot out from her fingertip and pierced through the nearest Magic Stone Beast. The shot Magic Stone Beast crashed to the ground and disappeared.
The surrounding Magic Stone Beasts started to swarm her.
「Bang bang bang bang…」
To cope with their sheer number, Yua formed another finger gun and fired a series of rays from both hands. One after another, Magic Stone Beasts crashed to the ground.
「Ooohh…!」
「Th-, that student is something else!」
The Knights were awed at her sight.
「Who is she?! She’s Runeless?! She’s just like Glis!」
The Knights didn’t have the luxury of being that concerned, but… Raphael noticed that there was no Rune engraved on the back of Yua’s hands.
That inexplicable, impossible, and unfathomable strength that defied Raphael’s common sense… In that sense, this student seemed to be very similar to Inglis.
In addition to the Special Grade Rune bearer Silva, there was also such a prominent student that Miliera brought, it was no wonder that the southern front was visibly gaining the tide.
「Toh!」
As the number of enemies around her dwindled, Yua leaped onto the rooftop of a building at the back where the enemies were even more densely packed.
With the barrage of rays of light from the fingertips of her hands, she pried open the place…
However, the number of enemies was too much. One of them managed to dodge her attack and charged, successfully ramming Yua with its body.
「Ooh?」
Yua’s small, light body flew easily, bouncing off the roof and falling.
「Watch out!」
Raphael turned around and caught Yua before she hit the ground.
「Are you all right?! Umm…」
「It’s Yua… sir. Umm…」
「Ah, Miss Yua. I appreciate your support, but it’s dangerous to go too far all alone. Why don’t you work together with us?」
Being told off by Raphael, Yua’s face stiffened a bit, albeit expressionless that she was.
「Eek…! Sorry, my apologies, please forgive me!」
「?! N-, no, I’m not that angry! S-, sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you…」
「—? Not, scary?」
「I didn’t mean to scare you…」
「But, you’re her big bro, so you must be much scarier when angry!」
「Her? You mean Rani?」
Upon Raphael’s question, Yua stiffly bobbed her head up and down.
「Hahaha… well, sorry about that. Although, I don’t really see her angry often…」
「…Not angry? Won’t get angry?」
「Yeah, it’s okay. Before that, however, I’d rather you didn’t charge in alone. Why don’t we work together?」
「Sure thing… Hottie God.」
Yua’s languid eyes seemed to sparkle, a little.
「Y-, you mean me…?!」
Yua nodded again. Well, she was free to call him whatever she wanted, but… Raphael sure was confused by her.
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