Chapter 16 (2/2)

The young girl who rejected the world didn’t so much as realize that there was a hand on her shoulder

「Liz!」

Hiro yelled out and shook her shoulders

「…」

Seeing Liz’s face as she finally lifted it, Hiro gasped from an intense shock

Having lost their brilliance, her eyes were sile point, and her eyelids were pitifully swollen red

(Ahh… Who’s the guy who hurt you like this?)

Hiro gently wrapped his arms around her head as he pulled her in

She looked so haggard, he couldn’t think of anything to say to her

「Liz… I’m sorry」

Even Hiro wasn’t sure if he was apologizing for not knohat to say, or for notit in time

The criers twitched

She grasped Hiro’s arms and pull her face away from his chest

「… Hiro?」

「Yeah It ht make you mad, but… I came back」

Hiro aardly nodded his head

Liz’s hands touch his cheeks

Despite being huive him a chill

「Why did you come?」

「Because I figured out what I can do」

Hiro gently grasped the hands on his cheeks to warm them

The light returns to her eyes Perhaps she realized he wasn’t an illusion

But she made a sad expression and lowered her eyes

「Dios died…」

「… Yeah」

「He was ht of him as my real brother」

「Yeah」

「And yet… I wasn’t able to save him」

「…」

「He told me… to fulfill my dream」

As her voice shook, her eyes moistened with tears

「I… ugh, ahh—」

She buried her face into Hiro’s chest and began to sob

Hiro wrapped his arms around her back and held her

Even if she is a wielder of a spirit sword, she is still a girl who had only just turned 15

A person whom she adored as family had died before her eyes

She was likely feeling like her heart had been torn apart

(Ahh… that’s right This girl is just like you)

The color of her hair and her facial features aren’t alike, but her disposition is exactly the same

You assue, with much expected of you And because of your situation, you were unable to do anything

You were only able to watch silently as your country slowly fell to ruin

(Is that why you summoned me back here?)

Was it to save the Sixth Imperial Princess who is just like you?

As he caressed Liz’s head, Hiro realized why he had come to this world

It’s possible that he was mistaken, but Hiro was fine with that reason

Tris and the heavy infantrymen looked on, heartbroken, as the Sixth Imperial Princess quietly sobbed atop the rock

Tears were flowing down froritting their teeth

Tris did not shed a single tear

A single stream of blood flowed down froe

Dios von Michael He was a young man who should have turned 28 this year

He was originally aheavily wounded Tris then treated and took charge of him

He trained every single day, amassed many accomplishments on the battlefield, and beca his abilities recognized Tris was as happy for him as if these had all been his own achievements

If Liz were his daughter, Dios was his son

Tris cut loose his memories of the past and forcefully pounded his chest

The loud noise froround and shouted

「Your highness, Celia Estreya Elizabeth von Grantz!」

Everyone turned their eyes to the loud, ringing voice

「We do not have time to be sad I doubt Dios would wish for that either! The sun will soon set Let us think of a plan to break through the enemy!」

The one who responded to those words was Hiro

「I have an idea for that」

「What?」

「The eneh thees I doubt Liz would be fine with innocent citizens getting hurt」

「H-Hiro?」

Liz muttered with confusion in her voice

It’s understandable that she was confused, because to her, he is just a nor boy

Hiro smiled wryly at her and continued to speak

「In which case, it doesn’t have to be a complete annihilation, but we must decrease their numbers as 」

「We only have 20 ainst 2,000 opponents? Are you telling us each to kill 100 enemies?」

「I’ that You’re all exhausted」

As his s boy lent a hand to Liz and came down from the rock

「It’s a plan so simple even a child could think of it」

The man as once feared as 「Mars」 was about to resurrect