Arc 7, Chapter 104 "Apex Chaos (Part 1)"
--Abel's black eyes narrow behind his devil mask at the sound of the "Great Calamity".
Ubilk, the person who said this, had a smile on his face and did not reveal the depths of his heart.
He is a meek and friendly man who treats everyone without distinction. His attitude and way of being have not changed since he first appeared before Abel.
When he appeared in the audience chamber without any discovery or presence of collaborators, and nothing.
Ubilk, who called himself a "Stargazer" and who predicted the events that would befall the Vollachia Empire, never wavered in his feelings, no matter what events he foresaw.
It's like as though--,
"--So, even facing me here is something you saw through long ago?"
"Oh, no, no. That's a bit of a stretch. Bokah, I'm not that big of a deal."
"If all you have to say is nonsense, I'm willing to cut out your tongue."
"Oh, no, I'm soooo scared. My stomach is still in knots."
Shrugging his thin shoulders, Ubilk faintly shovelled the fragments. Abel sniffed at this attitude, and Serena, who was standing next to him, said, "I don't get it."
She raises her hands, comparing Ubilk's profile with Abel's,
"I've seen this face before. That must be one of the "stargazers" ......Jesters who frequent the Crystal Palace and are kept close by His Excellency the Emperor. Are you acquainted with him?"
"It's a terrible thing to do, though."
"Hmmm. ......I didn't want to stir things up until it was over, but should I ask you a question? Who the hell are you hiding behind that demon mask?"
With a rational light in her slitted eyes, Serena wonders about Abel's true identity.
She must have had some serious doubts about this. In this great civil war that has shaken the empire, he has managed to get himself into the position of commander of the rebel forces - a position that is probably a good match for Ubilk in the sense that they cannot guess what is in hiis mind, including the fact that he keeps his true face hidden.
But--,
"Answering that question is not a priority right now."
"There is also the option of unmasking by force. I know how to do it myself."
"Don't do it. This is my advice."
"Hoh, you're advising me."
Abel's words narrowed Serena's eyes belligerently.
Serena Dracroy, who has arbitrarily earned the name of "Scorching Lord" with her caustic attitude - she is here because she has burned away all the scorn and taunts that have been hurled at her so far.
Abel's answer had more than enough heat to conflict with her beliefs.
"Wait, wait, waaaait! Let's calm down! How can you create such a tense atmosphere just by showing your face like this?"
"If you just sit back and watch, you may be the one to make this battle worthwhile."
"Bokah, I don't want that to happen. It would be terrible to see one or both of you fall down here, and it was me who started it all."
"--I don't get it."
The two of them are getting testy, and Ubilk's voice is relatively impatient as he reaches out to both of them. Ubilk's reaction brought Serena back to the same question again.
She closes one eye as she plays with the sword at her waist.
"With the reverence of His Excellency Emperor Vincent Vollachia, your task is to attack me and this man who is commanding the rebels. If left unchecked, this man would be dead. Wouldn't that be welcome for you?"
"Don't kill me on your own. You can die."
"I'm sorry, but I'm talking to this 'stargazer' right now. Don't break my story."
"----"
When Serena wanted to proceed with the conversation on her own initiative, Abel stopped interrupting for the moment. When Serena looked at Ubilk again, he looked at her with a puzzled look on his face and said,
"It was an interesting and quaint scene to watch from the sidelines, even if it was necessary. And don't make me look so scared. Bokah, you're unarmed."
"Unarmed is no reason to let your guard down. Give me a reason to remove my hand from the hilt of my sword as soon as possible. You know that I do not hesitate to cut down an unarmed opponent."
"--You can't cut me."
The tone of his voice gradually became harsher and harsher, and at the end, his words became argumentative. Ubilk, who had been looking weak until just before, denied it with only one word.
The moment he says it, the color drains from Ubilk's expression.
The emotion, which was at least willing to be shown, if not the entirety of that emotion, had fallen away, and there remained only a blank, empty, colorless face.
"----"
A declaration that could be seen as a provocation, to which Serena was not outraged and did not even draw her sword.
More than anger, what occupied her heart was probably a sense of eeriness and a touch of anxiety about the existence of Ubilk, or rather, about the creature called a "Stargazer".
It is as if you are confronting the person in front of you, but you are not confronting him or her.
"......You should probably just kill me here, right?"
"Oh, how awful. Bokah, I am greatly hurt. What do you think?"
"I often thought the same thing as Serena Dracroy. But still this man has survived to this day. That's a fact."
To remain the same for everyone means that you never know whose scales you will fall back on.
Ubilk, who is not known for his resourcefulness, has been the target of many adversaries in this Vollachia empire, provoking the wrath of numerous humans, sometimes at the point of a blade.
Despite this, Ubilk has survived to this day--,
"The stars have a plan for you. Oh, Ubilk...... it's too early to die yet."
Serena clasped her hands in front of her chest and her cheeks hardened at the light-hearted way Ubilk said it.
Whether that is true or not is not up for debate. The fact is that Ubilk appeared here - or rather, from the time he first appeared at the Crystal Palace in the first place.
Ubilk does not die.
He is a star that he speaks of - as if to say that his life is under the protection and guarantee of the "spectator" who taunts this world all around him.
"----"
In the heart of this thought, Abel exhaled as he felt the insistence of the heat he had pushed down.
Abel's personal feelings toward Ubilk and the other "stargazers" are trivial. What is important is that Ubilk thus appeared before Abel's eyes.
This clown, who involves "stars" in every situation, appeared in front of Abel - and he was the first one to do so--,
"I guess it's more appropriate to say that you got off the stage once, but do you plan to go back up again?"
Ubilk's gaze turns to Abel, ignoring Serena.
Serena frowned at her shapely brow, not understanding the meaning of the word. But he is not going to answer that to her in a solicitous manner.
Above all, the question is really annoying to Abel.
"I'll tell you what."
"Yes?"
"I've never once stepped off the stage, as you call it."
Folding his arms, he corrects Ubilk's mistaken idea of the proposal in the first place.
Chased from his throne and driven far to the east, Abel has been in a difficult situation many times. However, his will to fight has never been broken.
Nor have he ever forgotten the role he was to play, nor have he ever thought of giving it up.
"You don't understand, 'Stargazer', do you? You have never been on stage."
"--. Is this a painful story for your ears?"
"You don't even know that."
Ubilk tried to talk to Abel with words and facial expressions that seemed to indicate that he was in agreement with Abel. However, Ubilk's words, which were devoid of any emotion, did not convey the true meaning of Abel's words.
And Abel has already given up on the idea that that is Ubilk's limit.
Therefore--,
"The time is near. It is for this reason that you have come."
"......Yes, but you knew I was coming, didn't you?"
"Nonsense. I'm not like you. I can guess a second ahead, but I can't be sure. --Maybe delusional is a better word."
"----"
Ubilk's expression changes slightly at Abel's comment.
The slight quiver of his eyebrows was derived from a negative emotion that he rarely shows. Anger or discomfort, either way, it must have been an unusual reaction.
Unfortunately, there was no such thing as a cheap tipple in Abel's mind.
"What do you say, in the meantime, I must have His Excellency's side of the story. Shall I send him the head I just chopped off?"
"It would not give the Emperor an itch. It may give him the discomfort of wishing he had ordered it himself, but that's all. But more than that."
"More than that?"
The dialogue between Abel and Ubilk, while not detailed, is tilted by Serena, who senses that it is heading toward a conclusion.
Abel paused a beat as she swept her wavy brown hair over her shoulders.
Then he tells them.
"I entrust you with a great task. --You will play a great role on this battlefield, a role that no one else can play."
△▼△▼△▼△
Kicking the falling white snow, shadows run across the battlefield.
The thin icy ground is slippery here and there, the temperature is approaching extreme cold, and it seems to cut through the skin, and the enemy is a strong foe whose instincts cower just by looking down at you.
"Ahahahaha! That's why I called myself Cecilus Segmunt and not you! You are more welcome to call me loudly, so that I can echo it on the battlefield......"
"Yes, that's it!"
The smile becomes hazy, leaving an afterimage, and the next moment the back side of the Zori pierces the side of the "cloud dragon".
With a rupturing sound, the head was popped with a flourish, and the huge body of Mezoreia in the air shook greatly. Emilia was surprised to see that it was a boy much shorter than herself who did it.
"She's amazing......"
Not only did he stop the dragon's breath that was about to sweep away the battlefield just before it happened, but he also proudly announced his name and began to fight the dragon without backing down a step.
Emilia was transfixed by the blue-haired infant, who introduced himself as Cecilus.
That's exactly what she saw in the boy's magnificent words.
"----"
In Emilia's field of vision, Cecilus's body moves in and out as if in a dream or a vision. Cecilus repeatedly moves in and out of Emilia's field of vision from one end to the other, up and down, at great speed.
It was so fast that Emilia could not follow it with her eyes and her eyeballs were going round and round.
And it's the same for Mezoreia, who is clinging to Cecilus.
"--tsk! You! The dragon! The Enemy of the dragon!"
Wings flap in the air, the claws of the "Cloud Dragon" are flapped in the air, and the tail is swung around very seldom.
It is directed at Cecilus, who is jumping around energetically on the ice wall that Emilia built - a foothold that she built to keep Mezoreia out of the battlefield.
However, all of the dragon's attacks hit only where the cecilus has long since passed by, and they do not even graze the real thing, which is the most important thing.
On the contrary, Cecilus jumped on his wall-slapping tail and ran straight up to Mezoreia's back in one fluid motion.
"Teiteiteiteitei!"
He dropped Mezoreia to the ground with a kick so fast it was like he had several more legs.
"Oh, I dropped them......!"
Flapping its wings violently, the Mezoreia flips over in mid-air and falls to the ground.
There was a tremendous roar and a tremendous ground shaking, the snow-covered ground was peeled off and scattered, and Emilia, bathed in the cold wind, was almost overcome by the sight.
Just admit that this is a ridiculously lucky and not-to-be-missed situation.
"Keep it up, and take down Mezoreia......"
"Oops, you can't do that. I'll wait for you."
"Huh?"
Although she thought it was a bit unfair, Emilia kneaded mana around her and tried to drop a large block of ice on top of the fallen Mezoreia.
But as she tries to do so, Cecilus slips in front of Emilia's eyes, and she stops moving, startled by the action of Cecilus, who sticks his finger right in front of her nose.
Emilia's eyes flashed, and Cecilus poked his finger on the bridge of her nose.
"Can I ask you something? You were in danger, and I saved you just in time. And now the one-on-one battle with the dragon has begun...... You know what you have to do here, don't you? Yes, you should believe in my victory and pray for me! That's what a princess is supposed to do."
"Uh...... but I'm not a princess, okay? Not that I have anything to do with the king."
"The word 'princess' is a figure of speech. Or more precisely, the flower of the story, who falls madly in love with me, the hero who rescued her. It's a role that fits you beautifully, don't you think?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I've already decided who I'm going to like."
"Oh, really? Then I have no choice. Please continue."
Despite the extremely fast speech, Emilia did not miss anything that she should not have heard. Cecilus immediately understood and backed off.
Emilia, without hesitation, held out her hand to Mezoreia once again and pulled it back.
"Ayy!"
And then, a huge block of ice fell straight down from the sky, aiming at Mezoreia, who fell to the ground.
It pierced Mezoreia, who was lying on its back on the earth, into its banked belly, and a roar rang out. Hearing the dragon's low grunting, Emilia readied the next one, "One more time," but,
"I'm sorry."
Immediately after, Emilia's legs were mowed as she braced herself, and her body, which screamed "ah", was softly lifted up, and she took off with such force that it was as if she was pulled from the spot.
In the next instant, a strong wind whipped up where Emilia and Cecilus were, and the impact of the dragon's ground-borne impact gouged out the entire earth and the point in its entirety.
If she had been one step slower to get out of there, she would have died.
"When you're playing against dragons, it's not a simple task, and you have to show your stuff every second. It's perfect for me because I've been frustrated recently by all the opponents I've had to play against."
"Oh, thank you for helping me."
"No, no, not at all! If you are a beautiful woman who already has someone in mind, then you just need to change the way you attract them. Please invite her to the wedding!"
Cecilus, who picked her up and saved her in the nick of time, breaks into such a smile to thank Emilia.
Technically, she's not a person he has feelings for, but someone he might have feelings for, but we don't have time to go into detail about that right now. What's important is--,
"Use it, Cecilus!"
"Use what? I don't know what I'd use if you say that...... Oh!"
When Emilia was lowered to the ground and put her hands on the ground, Cecilus, who was about to twist his neck, saw his eyes light up. In his vision, growing up from the ground are various weapons: ice swords, spears, and axes.
Ice Brand Arts, which creates weapons out of ice, deploys a standing line of weapons to the front of Cecilus, all the way to Mezoreia.
"How spectacular this is! I like it, it's cool! To tell you the truth, I only want to hold in my hands a suitably excellent great sword or magical sword of some kind......"
"Then, no?"
"I'm not talking to anyone, it was my rule, so let's secretly change it! It's more flashy to swing a weapon against a dragon in this situation!"
As she said this, Cecilus stretched his small body arms out as far as he could and pulled out two ice swords on either side of him. As soon as he did so, Emilia realized her mistake and let out an "ah".
The ice sword was made by Emilia. So Emilia does not feel cold, but it might be too cold for Cecilus who does not.
"Come to think of it, Priscilla never said she was cold either......"
"Don't worry. I can compensate for that inconvenience with the way I do things, so I'm fine and so are the other people in the group! Well, I'm a bit out of shape when I get caught up in the bosses' stuff, so I'm just dealing with the bare minimum, which makes me extra special!"
"Speshal......
Emilia ruminates as the unfamiliar words are spoken one after the other.
This feeling, unnatural as if she were talking to Subaru - and when she thought that far, Emilia realized, "Maybe."
"Hey, Cecilus! Didn't Subaru teach you that word?"
"Mr. Subaru? No, I'm sorry, it's not. It was my boss who taught me this kind of language, but his name was not Mr. Subaru."
"Oh, then...... I guess I was wrong."
Emilia was disheartened by Cecilus' answer because of her forwardness. But Emilia was not to be discouraged, and quickly slapped herself on the cheek to get herself back on track.
Then she picked up the ice spear herself, just as Cecilus did.
"Let's change our minds and...... together, let's fight Mezoreia!"
"I really like your change of heart. Come to think of it, I haven't even heard your name yet."
"Me? I'm Emilia......no, I'm Emily! Emily!"
"That makes sense! But I think it's best if I don't talk nonsense here, so I'll do that, Emily. May I ask you for one thing?"
"A favor? For me?"
"Yes. --While I'm dealing with that dragon, can I ask you to move that thing out of the way?"
Cecilus asked Emilia, with whom he had exchanged names, for a favor in a hushed voice. Having said this, he pointed to the ground a short distance away from Mezoreia that had fallen to the ground.
Emilia rolls her eyes, let out an "Oh" when she sees what Cecilus points to, the ground covered in white snow.
And then--,
"Then do me a favor, Emily. I'll go do my job...... and do it in a way that only a flamboyant actor of this world can!"
After saying this, Cecilus kicked the ground without waiting for Emilia's reply.
Snow splatters and Cecilus's body, gripping two ice swords, runs straight for the dragon. The scales of Mezoreia immediately sensed the danger of the small threat of its plunging body.
A shuddering rage rises, and Mezoreia claws at the ice block that is about to crush its torso. A moment later, the huge ice block, which was like a small mountain, could not withstand a single second, and its entire surface cracked with tremendous force and was shattered at once.
Once the weight of the ice block was gone, Mezoreia immediately turned herself around and got down on the ground, ready to unleash an attack on the diving Cecilus--,
"Eiyah!!"
A spear thrown by Emilia, swinging, strikes Mezoreia in the nose.
The sharp ice spear did not bury a shard of its tip in Mezoreia's scales, but with a fair amount of impact, it bounced off the dragon's head and delayed its attack on Cecilus.
There, Cecilus jumped in at a speed almost as fast as a throwing spear.
"Don't blink or you'll miss it... a twist of praise, anything goes!"
With light-hearted words, Cecilus's ice twin swords gushed out as white light.
With a light sound, the scales are punched out and bounced to the right and left while "cloud dragon" is blinded by its sword dance, robbed of its freedom, and deprived of the opportunity to counterattack.
Although still small, Cecilus's skills are extraordinary.
Both in the way she uses her body and the way she handles her weapons, Emilia has reached a level that he thought was a bit of a stretch for her, but it is incomparable. Maybe she is as crazy as Reid who they came across at the Pleiades Watchtower and has the potential to become stronger.
"But don't be mean like Reid."
Aside from his sword skills, Reid was very mean, so she hopes his personality doesn't turn out that way.
With this wish in mind, Emilia rushed to a point a short distance away from the battle, with Cecilus at her side, who was attracting Mezoreia.
The request that Cecilus made to Emilia earlier, it is coming closer and closer.
Emilia rushed to the destination, and there she was--,
"--Madelyn! This is no time to sleep! Wake up and convince Mezoreia!"
Emilia was holding up Madelyn Eschart's body, which was buried in the snow and not moving a muscle, and calling out to her desperately.
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--Abel's black eyes narrow behind his devil mask at the sound of the "Great Calamity".
Ubilk, the person who said this, had a smile on his face and did not reveal the depths of his heart.
He is a meek and friendly man who treats everyone without distinction. His attitude and way of being have not changed since he first appeared before Abel.
When he appeared in the audience chamber without any discovery or presence of collaborators, and nothing.
Ubilk, who called himself a "Stargazer" and who predicted the events that would befall the Vollachia Empire, never wavered in his feelings, no matter what events he foresaw.
It's like as though--,
"--So, even facing me here is something you saw through long ago?"
"Oh, no, no. That's a bit of a stretch. Bokah, I'm not that big of a deal."
"If all you have to say is nonsense, I'm willing to cut out your tongue."
"Oh, no, I'm soooo scared. My stomach is still in knots."
Shrugging his thin shoulders, Ubilk faintly shovelled the fragments. Abel sniffed at this attitude, and Serena, who was standing next to him, said, "I don't get it."
She raises her hands, comparing Ubilk's profile with Abel's,
"I've seen this face before. That must be one of the "stargazers" ......Jesters who frequent the Crystal Palace and are kept close by His Excellency the Emperor. Are you acquainted with him?"
"It's a terrible thing to do, though."
"Hmmm. ......I didn't want to stir things up until it was over, but should I ask you a question? Who the hell are you hiding behind that demon mask?"
With a rational light in her slitted eyes, Serena wonders about Abel's true identity.
She must have had some serious doubts about this. In this great civil war that has shaken the empire, he has managed to get himself into the position of commander of the rebel forces - a position that is probably a good match for Ubilk in the sense that they cannot guess what is in hiis mind, including the fact that he keeps his true face hidden.
But--,
"Answering that question is not a priority right now."
"There is also the option of unmasking by force. I know how to do it myself."
"Don't do it. This is my advice."
"Hoh, you're advising me."
Abel's words narrowed Serena's eyes belligerently.
Serena Dracroy, who has arbitrarily earned the name of "Scorching Lord" with her caustic attitude - she is here because she has burned away all the scorn and taunts that have been hurled at her so far.
Abel's answer had more than enough heat to conflict with her beliefs.
"Wait, wait, waaaait! Let's calm down! How can you create such a tense atmosphere just by showing your face like this?"
"If you just sit back and watch, you may be the one to make this battle worthwhile."
"Bokah, I don't want that to happen. It would be terrible to see one or both of you fall down here, and it was me who started it all."
"--I don't get it."
The two of them are getting testy, and Ubilk's voice is relatively impatient as he reaches out to both of them. Ubilk's reaction brought Serena back to the same question again.
She closes one eye as she plays with the sword at her waist.
"With the reverence of His Excellency Emperor Vincent Vollachia, your task is to attack me and this man who is commanding the rebels. If left unchecked, this man would be dead. Wouldn't that be welcome for you?"
"Don't kill me on your own. You can die."
"I'm sorry, but I'm talking to this 'stargazer' right now. Don't break my story."
"----"
When Serena wanted to proceed with the conversation on her own initiative, Abel stopped interrupting for the moment. When Serena looked at Ubilk again, he looked at her with a puzzled look on his face and said,
"It was an interesting and quaint scene to watch from the sidelines, even if it was necessary. And don't make me look so scared. Bokah, you're unarmed."
"Unarmed is no reason to let your guard down. Give me a reason to remove my hand from the hilt of my sword as soon as possible. You know that I do not hesitate to cut down an unarmed opponent."
"--You can't cut me."
The tone of his voice gradually became harsher and harsher, and at the end, his words became argumentative. Ubilk, who had been looking weak until just before, denied it with only one word.
The moment he says it, the color drains from Ubilk's expression.
The emotion, which was at least willing to be shown, if not the entirety of that emotion, had fallen away, and there remained only a blank, empty, colorless face.
"----"
A declaration that could be seen as a provocation, to which Serena was not outraged and did not even draw her sword.
More than anger, what occupied her heart was probably a sense of eeriness and a touch of anxiety about the existence of Ubilk, or rather, about the creature called a "Stargazer".
It is as if you are confronting the person in front of you, but you are not confronting him or her.
"......You should probably just kill me here, right?"
"Oh, how awful. Bokah, I am greatly hurt. What do you think?"
"I often thought the same thing as Serena Dracroy. But still this man has survived to this day. That's a fact."
To remain the same for everyone means that you never know whose scales you will fall back on.
Ubilk, who is not known for his resourcefulness, has been the target of many adversaries in this Vollachia empire, provoking the wrath of numerous humans, sometimes at the point of a blade.
Despite this, Ubilk has survived to this day--,
"The stars have a plan for you. Oh, Ubilk...... it's too early to die yet."
Serena clasped her hands in front of her chest and her cheeks hardened at the light-hearted way Ubilk said it.
Whether that is true or not is not up for debate. The fact is that Ubilk appeared here - or rather, from the time he first appeared at the Crystal Palace in the first place.
Ubilk does not die.
He is a star that he speaks of - as if to say that his life is under the protection and guarantee of the "spectator" who taunts this world all around him.
"----"
In the heart of this thought, Abel exhaled as he felt the insistence of the heat he had pushed down.
Abel's personal feelings toward Ubilk and the other "stargazers" are trivial. What is important is that Ubilk thus appeared before Abel's eyes.
This clown, who involves "stars" in every situation, appeared in front of Abel - and he was the first one to do so--,
"I guess it's more appropriate to say that you got off the stage once, but do you plan to go back up again?"
Ubilk's gaze turns to Abel, ignoring Serena.
Serena frowned at her shapely brow, not understanding the meaning of the word. But he is not going to answer that to her in a solicitous manner.
Above all, the question is really annoying to Abel.
"I'll tell you what."
"Yes?"
"I've never once stepped off the stage, as you call it."
Folding his arms, he corrects Ubilk's mistaken idea of the proposal in the first place.
Chased from his throne and driven far to the east, Abel has been in a difficult situation many times. However, his will to fight has never been broken.
Nor have he ever forgotten the role he was to play, nor have he ever thought of giving it up.
"You don't understand, 'Stargazer', do you? You have never been on stage."
"--. Is this a painful story for your ears?"
"You don't even know that."
Ubilk tried to talk to Abel with words and facial expressions that seemed to indicate that he was in agreement with Abel. However, Ubilk's words, which were devoid of any emotion, did not convey the true meaning of Abel's words.
And Abel has already given up on the idea that that is Ubilk's limit.
Therefore--,
"The time is near. It is for this reason that you have come."
"......Yes, but you knew I was coming, didn't you?"
"Nonsense. I'm not like you. I can guess a second ahead, but I can't be sure. --Maybe delusional is a better word."
"----"
Ubilk's expression changes slightly at Abel's comment.
The slight quiver of his eyebrows was derived from a negative emotion that he rarely shows. Anger or discomfort, either way, it must have been an unusual reaction.
Unfortunately, there was no such thing as a cheap tipple in Abel's mind.
"What do you say, in the meantime, I must have His Excellency's side of the story. Shall I send him the head I just chopped off?"
"It would not give the Emperor an itch. It may give him the discomfort of wishing he had ordered it himself, but that's all. But more than that."
"More than that?"
The dialogue between Abel and Ubilk, while not detailed, is tilted by Serena, who senses that it is heading toward a conclusion.
Abel paused a beat as she swept her wavy brown hair over her shoulders.
Then he tells them.
"I entrust you with a great task. --You will play a great role on this battlefield, a role that no one else can play."
△▼△▼△▼△
Kicking the falling white snow, shadows run across the battlefield.
The thin icy ground is slippery here and there, the temperature is approaching extreme cold, and it seems to cut through the skin, and the enemy is a strong foe whose instincts cower just by looking down at you.
You, you, you--"Ahahahaha! That's why I called myself Cecilus Segmunt and not you! You are more welcome to call me loudly, so that I can echo it on the battlefield......"
Cecilus Segmunt--!!"Yes, that's it!"
The smile becomes hazy, leaving an afterimage, and the next moment the back side of the Zori pierces the side of the "cloud dragon".
With a rupturing sound, the head was popped with a flourish, and the huge body of Mezoreia in the air shook greatly. Emilia was surprised to see that it was a boy much shorter than herself who did it.
"She's amazing......"
Not only did he stop the dragon's breath that was about to sweep away the battlefield just before it happened, but he also proudly announced his name and began to fight the dragon without backing down a step.
Emilia was transfixed by the blue-haired infant, who introduced himself as Cecilus.
That's exactly what she saw in the boy's magnificent words.
"----"
In Emilia's field of vision, Cecilus's body moves in and out as if in a dream or a vision. Cecilus repeatedly moves in and out of Emilia's field of vision from one end to the other, up and down, at great speed.
It was so fast that Emilia could not follow it with her eyes and her eyeballs were going round and round.
And it's the same for Mezoreia, who is clinging to Cecilus.
"--tsk! You! The dragon! The Enemy of the dragon!"
Wings flap in the air, the claws of the "Cloud Dragon" are flapped in the air, and the tail is swung around very seldom.
It is directed at Cecilus, who is jumping around energetically on the ice wall that Emilia built - a foothold that she built to keep Mezoreia out of the battlefield.
However, all of the dragon's attacks hit only where the cecilus has long since passed by, and they do not even graze the real thing, which is the most important thing.
On the contrary, Cecilus jumped on his wall-slapping tail and ran straight up to Mezoreia's back in one fluid motion.
"Teiteiteiteitei!"
He dropped Mezoreia to the ground with a kick so fast it was like he had several more legs.
"Oh, I dropped them......!"
Flapping its wings violently, the Mezoreia flips over in mid-air and falls to the ground.
There was a tremendous roar and a tremendous ground shaking, the snow-covered ground was peeled off and scattered, and Emilia, bathed in the cold wind, was almost overcome by the sight.
Just admit that this is a ridiculously lucky and not-to-be-missed situation.
"Keep it up, and take down Mezoreia......"
"Oops, you can't do that. I'll wait for you."
"Huh?"
Although she thought it was a bit unfair, Emilia kneaded mana around her and tried to drop a large block of ice on top of the fallen Mezoreia.
But as she tries to do so, Cecilus slips in front of Emilia's eyes, and she stops moving, startled by the action of Cecilus, who sticks his finger right in front of her nose.
Emilia's eyes flashed, and Cecilus poked his finger on the bridge of her nose.
"Can I ask you something? You were in danger, and I saved you just in time. And now the one-on-one battle with the dragon has begun...... You know what you have to do here, don't you? Yes, you should believe in my victory and pray for me! That's what a princess is supposed to do."
"Uh...... but I'm not a princess, okay? Not that I have anything to do with the king."
"The word 'princess' is a figure of speech. Or more precisely, the flower of the story, who falls madly in love with me, the hero who rescued her. It's a role that fits you beautifully, don't you think?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I've already decided who I'm going to like."
"Oh, really? Then I have no choice. Please continue."
Despite the extremely fast speech, Emilia did not miss anything that she should not have heard. Cecilus immediately understood and backed off.
Emilia, without hesitation, held out her hand to Mezoreia once again and pulled it back.
"Ayy!"
And then, a huge block of ice fell straight down from the sky, aiming at Mezoreia, who fell to the ground.
It pierced Mezoreia, who was lying on its back on the earth, into its banked belly, and a roar rang out. Hearing the dragon's low grunting, Emilia readied the next one, "One more time," but,
"I'm sorry."
Immediately after, Emilia's legs were mowed as she braced herself, and her body, which screamed "ah", was softly lifted up, and she took off with such force that it was as if she was pulled from the spot.
In the next instant, a strong wind whipped up where Emilia and Cecilus were, and the impact of the dragon's ground-borne impact gouged out the entire earth and the point in its entirety.
If she had been one step slower to get out of there, she would have died.
"When you're playing against dragons, it's not a simple task, and you have to show your stuff every second. It's perfect for me because I've been frustrated recently by all the opponents I've had to play against."
"Oh, thank you for helping me."
"No, no, not at all! If you are a beautiful woman who already has someone in mind, then you just need to change the way you attract them. Please invite her to the wedding!"
Cecilus, who picked her up and saved her in the nick of time, breaks into such a smile to thank Emilia.
Technically, she's not a person he has feelings for, but someone he might have feelings for, but we don't have time to go into detail about that right now. What's important is--,
"Use it, Cecilus!"
"Use what? I don't know what I'd use if you say that...... Oh!"
When Emilia was lowered to the ground and put her hands on the ground, Cecilus, who was about to twist his neck, saw his eyes light up. In his vision, growing up from the ground are various weapons: ice swords, spears, and axes.
Ice Brand Arts, which creates weapons out of ice, deploys a standing line of weapons to the front of Cecilus, all the way to Mezoreia.
"How spectacular this is! I like it, it's cool! To tell you the truth, I only want to hold in my hands a suitably excellent great sword or magical sword of some kind......"
"Then, no?"
"I'm not talking to anyone, it was my rule, so let's secretly change it! It's more flashy to swing a weapon against a dragon in this situation!"
As she said this, Cecilus stretched his small body arms out as far as he could and pulled out two ice swords on either side of him. As soon as he did so, Emilia realized her mistake and let out an "ah".
The ice sword was made by Emilia. So Emilia does not feel cold, but it might be too cold for Cecilus who does not.
"Come to think of it, Priscilla never said she was cold either......"
"Don't worry. I can compensate for that inconvenience with the way I do things, so I'm fine and so are the other people in the group! Well, I'm a bit out of shape when I get caught up in the bosses' stuff, so I'm just dealing with the bare minimum, which makes me extra special!"
"Speshal......
Emilia ruminates as the unfamiliar words are spoken one after the other.
This feeling, unnatural as if she were talking to Subaru - and when she thought that far, Emilia realized, "Maybe."
"Hey, Cecilus! Didn't Subaru teach you that word?"
"Mr. Subaru? No, I'm sorry, it's not. It was my boss who taught me this kind of language, but his name was not Mr. Subaru."
"Oh, then...... I guess I was wrong."
Emilia was disheartened by Cecilus' answer because of her forwardness. But Emilia was not to be discouraged, and quickly slapped herself on the cheek to get herself back on track.
Then she picked up the ice spear herself, just as Cecilus did.
"Let's change our minds and...... together, let's fight Mezoreia!"
"I really like your change of heart. Come to think of it, I haven't even heard your name yet."
"Me? I'm Emilia......no, I'm Emily! Emily!"
"That makes sense! But I think it's best if I don't talk nonsense here, so I'll do that, Emily. May I ask you for one thing?"
"A favor? For me?"
"Yes. --While I'm dealing with that dragon, can I ask you to move that thing out of the way?"
Cecilus asked Emilia, with whom he had exchanged names, for a favor in a hushed voice. Having said this, he pointed to the ground a short distance away from Mezoreia that had fallen to the ground.
Emilia rolls her eyes, let out an "Oh" when she sees what Cecilus points to, the ground covered in white snow.
And then--,
"Then do me a favor, Emily. I'll go do my job...... and do it in a way that only a flamboyant actor of this world can!"
After saying this, Cecilus kicked the ground without waiting for Emilia's reply.
Snow splatters and Cecilus's body, gripping two ice swords, runs straight for the dragon. The scales of Mezoreia immediately sensed the danger of the small threat of its plunging body.
Get out of my siiight--!A shuddering rage rises, and Mezoreia claws at the ice block that is about to crush its torso. A moment later, the huge ice block, which was like a small mountain, could not withstand a single second, and its entire surface cracked with tremendous force and was shattered at once.
Once the weight of the ice block was gone, Mezoreia immediately turned herself around and got down on the ground, ready to unleash an attack on the diving Cecilus--,
"Eiyah!!"
A spear thrown by Emilia, swinging, strikes Mezoreia in the nose.
The sharp ice spear did not bury a shard of its tip in Mezoreia's scales, but with a fair amount of impact, it bounced off the dragon's head and delayed its attack on Cecilus.
There, Cecilus jumped in at a speed almost as fast as a throwing spear.
"Don't blink or you'll miss it... a twist of praise, anything goes!"
With light-hearted words, Cecilus's ice twin swords gushed out as white light.
With a light sound, the scales are punched out and bounced to the right and left while "cloud dragon" is blinded by its sword dance, robbed of its freedom, and deprived of the opportunity to counterattack.
Although still small, Cecilus's skills are extraordinary.
Both in the way she uses her body and the way she handles her weapons, Emilia has reached a level that he thought was a bit of a stretch for her, but it is incomparable. Maybe she is as crazy as Reid who they came across at the Pleiades Watchtower and has the potential to become stronger.
"But don't be mean like Reid."
Aside from his sword skills, Reid was very mean, so she hopes his personality doesn't turn out that way.
With this wish in mind, Emilia rushed to a point a short distance away from the battle, with Cecilus at her side, who was attracting Mezoreia.
The request that Cecilus made to Emilia earlier, it is coming closer and closer.
Emilia rushed to the destination, and there she was--,
"--Madelyn! This is no time to sleep! Wake up and convince Mezoreia!"
Emilia was holding up Madelyn Eschart's body, which was buried in the snow and not moving a muscle, and calling out to her desperately.
Thanks for the chapter