79 The beginning of the storm (1/2)

Sisyphe

Hey, Novice!　What the hell are you doing?　Don't be rash!

I shout, but he doesn't answer.

Normally he'd at least say, ”Don't worry about it, Sisyphe.

Gaaaaaaaahhhh ！！！！

Novis screams heroically and takes on Lesser Damon.

The way he swings his sword is absurd.

Perhaps he is completely out of control and has become a mad warrior.

It seems that my voice can't be heard anymore. If he fights like that, his body will break down.

''d*mn!　The human touch!

Lesser Damon wields the big machete and prevents Novis from attacking.

I have only seen Novis once in the past, when he became a mad warrior.

Novis, who became a mad warrior, attacked us when the demons were annihilated.

That time we managed to escape, and we survived because Novis was strong enough to fall. Honestly, it's a memory I don't like to remember much.

Novice's power as a madman was tremendous. However, Lesser Damon surpassed it.

A tremendous offensive and defensive battle is taking place in front of me.

Lesser Damon is being held back by Novice's powerful attacks.

However, Novis, who has become a mad warrior, does not defend himself. He only works to kill his opponent. In this way, even if he kills his opponent, he will also die.

In the teachings of Lord Tolls, the god of war, it is an honor to die in battle.

So many of his warriors would die quickly.

But I don't want that.

I don't want anyone close to me to die.

Father, who was killed by a demon and never came home.

If I could have fought for him, if I had been there for him, he might not have died.

Of course it's not possible. I'm not a force to be reckoned with. I'm not cut out to be a warrior. This is what my sister Kayna has been telling me.

But I can't help but think about it.

Why couldn't I save my father? Why wasn't he by his father's side?

I loved my mom and dad. They were the perfect couple for me.

But it was ruined by his death.

My father died and my mother got married again.

I know that's not an option. Without his income, she had to rely on someone else.

My father-in-law is a good man. He is kind to me. And he even tried to find a man for me to marry.

I should be grateful to him. But I am afraid to get married to him because I have seen how easily the marriage breaks up.

I was frustrated that I couldn't get married and save my father, so I asked my sister Kayna to make me a freedom fighter.

It would be good if I could save someone else by fighting. So I take up my sword and hold up my shield.

Then I received Lady Raina's blessing and I became a warrior. I'm sure my wishes must have reached Lady Raina.

She wants me to use this power to protect the people.

”Lady Raina, goddess of wisdom and victory!　Protect Novice!

I cast a spell.

A glowing magical shield appears around Novice. The magical shield prevents Lesser Damon's attack.

The attack is blocked and Lesser Damon looks frustrated.

Lesser Damon is a demon race, even if it's a lowly one. If I was alone, I wouldn't be able to win.

Novis will attack and I will defend. With this coordination, we have managed to fight against Lesser Damon.

But it's starting to get tight. I can feel the magic inside me breaking off.

The attack of Novice, who is fighting in front of me, seems to be getting weaker and weaker.

Novis also seems to be nearing its limit.

Everyone fighting behind us is also unlikely to be able to rescue us since there are so many ratmen.

''Guaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Novis's scream.

Lesser Damon's attack smashed through the magical shield I had made and blew Novis away.

It hit the sword Novis was holding, so it didn't take a direct hit.

However, it must have still been quite an impact. Novis is blown to the side and becomes motionless against the wall.

''Novis!''

I run over to Novice. He seems to be alive, but he's not moving.

'Hmph!　You're making it hard for me!

Lesser Damon swears.

When I look, my friends are retreating as well.

It looks like they've defeated a lot of Ratmen, but there are too many of them.

They couldn't kill them all and everyone looks tired.

The Ratman is not chasing us. It seems that he's going to take us alive as planned.

'I don't care what happens to my life!　I'm sure these girls can help!

Master Decius shouts to Lesser Damon.

'Of course I intend to, coloured man. These women are top balls, you know. I will turn them over to my own people. I will turn them over to my own people and I will be honored to face them.

Then Lesser Damon laughs.

'I'm sorry, but I won't let you do that!

Suddenly, a voice comes from behind Lesser Damon. From the sound of the voice, it's probably a woman.

'Who are you?!'

Lesser Damon turns around.

Then a glowing white butterfly flies in and flies around Lady Decius.

'Hey, what's this butterfly?!

Then, one woman appears behind Lesser Damon, running down the side wall.

'Shenna!

Shenna!

Master Decius and Ainoe shouted when they saw the woman who appeared.

'We're here to help you, brother!

Shenna the dancer

Shenna!

Shenna!

My brother and sister Ainoe call my name.

I managed to get there in time.

The butterflies led me on, but there were so many Ratmen that I couldn't get ahead of them, and I was late.

I got there a little while ago, when the battle was raging.

I wanted to run to them immediately, but the battle was so intense that I couldn't get out, and I was looking for an opportunity.

Then he came out in a hurry when he saw that the warrior with the great sword had been blown away by the Lesser Damon.

'Shenna, how did you get here?　I thought you were in the clutches of the Moonlight Goddess?

My brother asks curiously.

'We'll talk later, brother. Now is not the time to talk about it.'

Then I look at Lesser Damon and sister Ainoe.

'I didn't think you were alive, Shenna. ”I didn't know you were alive, Shenna,” he said.

Sister Ainoe gives a sarcastic laugh.

'Sorry. 'I'm alive.'

I laugh back again.

'But what makes you think your arrival is enough to provide reinforcements? I'll kill you right here and now.

Sister Ainoe wields her obi sword. The sword barrel is long and resilient and slashes the sky.

''Oh, is it right to say that?　What makes you think I'm still alive?

When I say that, I pull out the sword I borrowed from the Dark Knight.

When I pull it out, black flames erupt from the blade.

''That black flame is ！！！！.''

Lesser Damon shouts at the black flames.

'That's what I'm talking about. Zeal, I think it is. He is furious with you,” he said. I am his messenger, the one who is entrusted with this sword. If you're going to walk away, I can intercede for you if you want to?

I'm a blatant liar.

I borrowed a sword. I'm not an errand boy or anything.

But my words came as a shock, and Lesser Damon starts to panic.

'Oh, he's mad at you ----!　Ae the flower of the troupe!　Dancing in a saloon in a shithole!　I don't like it and I don't want someone touching me!　I'd even sell my soul to the devil to get out of that kind of life!

Sis: ”Sis: ......

”Senator's daughter!　The sister of the knight of the law!　What does a young lady of such privileged birth have to do with a theater company?　Why are you trying to take my position!

Sister Ainoe spoke up quickly.

Perhaps she had been storing it in her mind for a long time.

''It's good to be your brother!　You don't know anything about hard work or anything else, and you're lecturing me!　You and your siblings are an eyesore!

Saying that, Ainoe sister points her obi sword at him.

It's not hard to understand how Ainoe's sister feels. I'm a dancer too. I know what life is like for dancers.

But there was one word that I couldn't leave out.

I'm getting angry inside me.

You don't know anything about hardship?

How can you say that when you don't know anything about us?

We were born to a mother who is a follower of Lord Ishtia, the goddess of beauty and love, and a father who is a priest of Lord Odis, the god of law.

According to the doctrine of Lord Ishtia, we could not marry. Born of a mother who had no citizenship, we were forced to be born as bastards with no citizenship.

Under the laws of the Republic of Ariadia, a child who was not born from a formal marriage, even if he or she was related by blood, would not be recognized as a male child.

That's why I've never lived like a young lady. It is the same with your brother.

I lived in the poor outer city with my mother and brother.

I don't think that life was rich by any means.

Then one day, my father decided to adopt my brother. Dad, who didn't have an heir, wanted his brother to be his successor.

But it was a difficult thing to do.

According to the laws of the Republic of Ariadia, in order to adopt a child, you need the permission of the Temple of Feria, which is dedicated to the Goddess of Marriage.

This is apparently to prevent the sale of citizenship under the guise of adoption, but I don't know the details.

And the Temple of Feria did not want to allow my brother's adoption.

They didn't like the fact that the priest of Odis, the god of law, had a child out of marriage.

Also, Dad's relatives and the people around him, including the priests of Lord Odis, did not approve of my brother's being a bastard.

But he made an effort to be recognized by those people.

I remember how he made an effort.

He studied every day, learned the etiquette and manners, and tried his best to make people around him think well of him.

But the people around me were still cold.

But the angels were watching him. One day, my brother received the blessing of Archangel Sursha-sama.

The people around him had no choice but to recognize him after receiving Archangel Sursha's blessing, and he officially became my father's child.

I look at sister Ainoe.

It's good to see me. But don't tell me that your brother doesn't know what he's going through.

In the past, I have seen plays starring Ainoe in which she was the main character.

She was so beautiful and dazzling, and I wished I could be like her.

And then I joined the same theater company. And I practiced the play desperately.

I wanted to be as good as her sister Ainoe, so I worked hard to be as good as her. That's why Ainoe's sister's words made me sad, and that's why I'm angry.

Does she think she's the only one struggling?

Sis, I don't know what you've been through. I don't know what you've gone through, but don't tell me that my brother and I don't know what you've been through. But don't tell me that my brother and I don't know what you've been through. Let's end it right here.

I hold up my sword.

'Good nerve, Sienna!　I'm going to pay you back!

The sister also holds her obi sword.

''Hey, hey!　Ainoe!

'Master Zeal!　Please, let me do it!

Lesser Damon stops her, but sister Ainoe doesn't seem to be interested in stopping her.

'Shenna: ......'

My brother calls my name with concern.

'It's okay brother. Watch over there.

We face off.

Lesser Damon is lolling behind sister Ainoe.

'Dance, wind, dance!

Ainoe sister, who must have received power from Lesser Damon, casts a spell. And the obi sword moves strangely in time with Ainoe sister's movements.

It's as if the sword is dancing.

Then I'll dance too.

Black flames erupt from the sword entrusted to me by the Dark Knight according to my will.

If the other side is a dance of wind, this is a dance of fire.

The wind-cloaked obi sword is coming towards me.

I rotate my body to face sister Ainoe.

And then we cross.

''I knew we couldn't win. ......

Ainoe's sister muttered softly. Ainoe sister's sword-body-less obi sword in her hand.

The power of the sword sliced through the obi sword with the power of the sword.

And Ainoe sister who was struck by the hilt of the sword falls down. At that moment, I felt tears spill from Ainoe sister's eyes.

I'm sorry, but this is also a game.

Considering the strength of my backers, there was no doubt in my mind that I had won overwhelmingly.

I don't consider that to be cowardly. It's one of my talents to have a backer.

Ainoe's sister must have known that. Still, she must have had to compete.

I look down at the poor woman who fell.