"Is this guy really trying to die!?"

Liam, who was fighting him, avoided Jude's blow and destroyed his left arm.

Jude's armed unit was shattered and had no weapons.

Therefore, the only attack Jude could make was to land melee blows.

Liam was struggling to avoid killing Jude and was trying to stop him.

"I'm having a hard time restraining myself with you. Your name is Jude, isn't it, you'll really die if you fight like that!"

He called Jude out of consideration and make him understand what he was doing.

"... So what about it?"

"What?"

"I'm almost dead. There's nothing left for me, I have nothing left!"

When Jude attacked again, Liam caught him and threw him to Schwartz's deck.

Then he opened the cockpit and saw Jude.

His eyes were bloodshot.

When he saw Jude before, he looked like a nobleman, but now he looked quite rough.

A figure with a sharp look in his eyes and wrinkled cheeks.

From the way he looked thinner than before, he seemed to have had it pretty rough.

When Jude came out of the booth, he grabbed his sword as it was. He seemed to want to face his opponent with his sword even though Liam was in his armed unit.

"Y-You!"

"... I don't have anything. My family wanted me to die, I don't know where I belong!"

Liam could easily surmise Jude's current position.

His family wanted him dead.

Such was Jude's pity.

Liam opened his hatch and climbed out, picking up his sword in the same manner.

"If you don't want to live with that shame, I'll end it here."

He didn't attack him because he didn't like him.

Liam sympathized with Jude and thought it would be good to end it here.

Seeing Liam come out of the booth, Jude seemed a little happy to see him.

Because Liam's eyes told him he was going to kill him.

"Thank you, Prince of the Kingdom. You gave me a place to die. And I thank you for giving meaning to my death."

He couldn't take his own life, but he wasn't given a place to die either.

It seems that even a fight like this would have made sense to Jude, who was waiting to be eliminated by his family.

"I'll finish this."

As they both held their swords, Lucy stepped out on the bridge.

She came out panting and then walking over to stop the fight between Liam and Jude.

"... Lucy, don't come!"

Lucy walked over to them as Liam told her to get back inside the ship.

When Jude looked at Lucy, he got a complex look on his face.

Quickly he returned his gaze from Liam and went straight to talk to Lucy.

"... Lucy!  I... I liked you. It's a fact that I was in love with you."

"Jude, stop this. You don't have to go that far. I don't want Sara to be sacrificed. I don't want her to die! The same goes for you. You don't need to die!"

"I'm almost dead! Staying alive is in vain."

Jude's eyes filled with tears, then he lowered the tip of his sword and turned away.

"A noble who loses the blessing of the Sacred Tree is frowned upon by those around him. I have no reason to live. Sooner or later, I will be assassinated and die. In that case... I want to die fighting here."

"If you're going to die eventually, make your death a little more meaningful."

That was Jude's wish.

Liam didn't let go of his sword stance, but made time to let the two of them talk.

Lucy kept trying to convince Jude.

"Just get out of the house! You can live without your blessing. You don't have to be Jude of the six great nobles. You can just live as Jude!"

Jude laughed as he cried.

"... You're wrong. You're wrong!"

"Jude?"

"I said I loved you, but I didn't know anything about you, I didn't want to know! All I did was tie you down, make you suffer and hurt you. I don't deserve to live like this."

The reason Jude wanted to die was because he had hurt Lucy.

"I was able to put distance between us and for the first time I was able to look at myself objectively."

Jude threw down his sword and placed his hands in front of Liam.

"Your Highness Liam, I honestly don't have the strength left to fight. It's a selfish wish, but I'd like it to end with a single attack."

Liam regained control of his sword and put his strength into it.

"Okay. Do you have any last words?"

Jude smiled. Somehow, he looked better.

"Lucy... I'm sorry. I'm also sorry for the trouble I've caused you, Your Highness. I want to apologize to the Count as well. Tell him I'm sorry."

"I will tell him."

As Liam was about to deliver the blow, Erselica's fist slammed into the side of Jude's face with her arms outstretched.

"Are you fucking kidding me, you fucking braaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!?"

"Buhoh! Gohoh!"

Seeing Jude roll across the deck, Liam stopped and lowered his sword.

"Erselica? E-Ehmm, you don't think this is the scene where I'm going to grant Jude his wish, do you?"

Liam was puzzled by Erselica's intrusion.

And Lucy was also concerned.

"Erselica? E-Ehmm, Jude flew away."

You would think that little Erselica's fists would not be strong, but Liam knew the strength of her fist blows better than anyone.

Erselica's fists are very strong.

It was no joke, her strength could send men twice her size flying with a single fist.

Erselica approached Jude with her fist and grabbed his hair with her left hand, lifting him up.

That way she slapped him with her right hand. She continued to slap him twice in a row.

"S-Sorry, forgive me..."

Both cheeks were badly swollen as Jude continued to be slapped.

Erselica regulated her erratic breathing before pulling Jude's face closer to hers.

"Why do you want to die? Why isn't life worth living? You just got your heart broken and you think you're going to become a tragic heroine? How disgusting."

"Ihf youh sayh dat toh meh." (If you say that to me)

To Jude, who couldn't speak properly, Erselica glared at him and silenced him.

There was a lot of power in Erselica now.

"That's why they reject you. When you get your heart broken, you move on. Are you going to die for persisting in that? Are you kidding me, huh? Ahh!?"

"Hii!"

As she pressed the frightened Jude and rolled him to the ground, Erselica dropped her threatening tone and began to admonish him.

"There are people who want to live, but have no choice but to die. I won't let you actually die for just that."

"B-But..."

"'But' nothing! Okay? We were born into this world and we have to keep on living until we die. You're young, you still have a lot ahead of you, and you're going to die because you got your heart broken once? Don't be naive! You think it's cool to die gracefully? You're an idiot."

Erselica had a serious look in her eyes, though it was ridiculous.

Liam found Erselica's words strangely convincing.

(Why is Erselica trying to convince this guy?)

There shouldn't be any connection between Jude and Erselica.

But maybe it was because Erselica couldn't stand to see Jude's desperation.

"What's really cool is surviving to the end. The coolest person is the one who fights as hard as they can, and still survives. Now you're just a spoiled brat who says he's going to die because he got his heart broken. That's not cool at all. No wonder Lucy hates you."

Jude looked down.

"What do you know me? Do you have any idea how I felt when I lost everything as a nobleman and was willing to die?"

"I don't! You have the gall to ask someone else to feel the same way about you when you didn't know how Lucy felt. If you're a man, you should come up from the bottom. You say you've lost the blessing of the Sacred Tree, but we can live without it from the beginning. I don't even have the status of a noble. All I have are debts."

Erselica forced Jude to his feet and lightly punched him in the stomach with her fist.

"It's naive for a person to die just like that. A person at the bottom of the pyramid can't even choose how to live their own life. You have time on your hands and you can start over. "

"I-It's okay..."

Erselica hugged Jude, who was already crying.

Liam, who had been listening to the story, thought it would be difficult.

However, seeing as Erselica had convinced Jude to join her, it wasn't unreasonable.

He quickly jumped into his armed unit and alerted his surroundings.

(Aster's fleet doesn't attack Schwartz. Are they afraid of Bradford? No, maybe it's because Bradford has the Guardian's emblem?)

Schwartz, flying the flag of the sky pirates, was in no position to be shot down.

The fleets were fighting each other leaving Schwartz alone.

(Now it only remains to hope that Bradford will bring Sara back as planned.)

The havoc in the aircraft caused by the boys helped me a lot.

I was running here and there dodging soldiers and bullets.

In the middle of a firefight, I met a certain guy. He was the captain who greeted me when I first arrived in this country.

It seems he has been removed from his post and is now only a lieutenant. I put my rifle in his mouth and ordered him to tell me where Sara was.

As he convulsed he answered me.

I thanked him and he passed out.

I ran again until at last, turning a corner which led to the door that led outside, I found Sara.

"Sara!"

She was with Romeo, they both turned around.

"Rudel, why aren't you in your outfit?"

She was talking about my suit for the sacrifice. I must try to stop her from desisting.

I couldn't take a step further as Romeo stepped in the way.

"You're not going through. This is a big deal for Aster's future. My future too."

Pointing his spear at me, I didn't understand what he was talking about.

But this was bad. Sara was in danger as she walked to the door.

I clicked my tongue and marched against Romeo.

"I said no trespassing!"

He lunged at me, but his attack was very slow plus he lacked strength. I was able to not only repel his attack, I also knocked the spear away from him and gave him a light punch in the stomach.

Romeo was not a fighter, so he fell to his knees very easily.

I went for Sara, but he held on to my leg.

"I won't... let you go..."

This boy was very foolish. I don't understand why he wants to let his sister die.

"I'm sorry," I said to him.

"...?"

With my free leg I hit him hard in the face repeatedly until he let go of me.

In the end, Romeo ended up with a broken nose and was knocked unconscious.

I ran to Sara.

"Don't go Sara! Hold on!"

She stopped. We were only five meters from the shore.

I held out my hand to her.

"Come. Let's go home together."

She turned to look at me, her gaze for some reason was dull and didn't match her smile.

"Rudel, it's finally time for us to be together."

She stepped closer. I thought this meant she listened to me.

But she didn't.

"We're going to die together."

She used her strength and pulled me to the shore.

I used strengthening magic, but even with that it was impossible for her to stop me.

Sara's strength was above that of a normal person.

I was trying to convince her to stop this.

"Sara, stop! There's something wrong with you, that's not who you are!"

"You're wrong Rudel. There is nothing wrong with me. My wish came true, that's why I must do this."

"Your wish?"

I asked her as I tried to stop her with all my might.

"That's right. You see, the day you saved Lucy, that day I became very sad and jealous."

"I thought. 'It would be nice if I had been the one he had rescued,' you know?"

"That's why, when I got home that day at night... I saw him."

"I saw Rudel waiting for me."

"Huh?"

Sara was confusing me. What do you mean, you saw me?

Or do you mean the Rudel who was born here?

That's impossible, he's dead.

"I thought it was a dream, but he touched my cheek and said things only he knew." Then I knew, Rudel's soul came here to ask to meet.

"Huh?"

My confusion already reached absurd levels.

"He told me that both you and I should be together, and if he wanted the three of us to be happy, we should do this. He handed me this rose you see around my neck."

Sara emphasized the black rose on her neck. Which for some reason is identical to the one it bloomed that day.

Is this a strange sign?

We were getting closer and closer to shore. I couldn't shake off her strength.

Then... I decided to get cruel.

"Sara..."

"Yes? It's almost over, just a little more and we─"

"I refuse."

"..."

Sara paused.

"I don't want to die, you're not going to die either. I'm sorry, but if that's what that Rudel wishes, then we'd better break off our engagement."

I didn't want to say this, but it's the only way to stop her.

She seemed to succeed. I kept hurting her to discourage her from jumping.

"Even if it's true what he says. I'm not going to die, I have my girlfriends that I love very much, you are one of them. But if you wish to do this, then you will no longer be one."

"Choose this instant. Jump alone, or come home with me."

If Sara really wanted to be with me, she had to come back. Then this suicide madness would stop.

She ducked her head and stopped. I approached to help her walk to the entrance.

But using a little force she pushed me away.

As she lifted her face, her dull expression disappeared, now her gaze was full of disappointment and suspicion.

"... You lied to me?"

"What did you say?"

"Tell me, did you lie to me? You said you loved me and you say you want to break up with me."

"... You are a liar. Just like Rudel, you're a liar."

"You told me you loved me and now you take it back!"

"All men are the same! They seek to fill you with happiness and when you want to share it with them they take it back! I hate being lied to! I hate them all of yooooooooooooooou!"

When Sara screamed, her dress was ripped to shreds by rose stem-like tentacles.

Her whole body was being wrapped, but in an erotic way.

Only the essential parts were well covered and the others were not.

Her legs and hands were enclosed in a bundle. A crown of thorns with the rose on top of it.

Sara made a terrifying face as the tentacles writhed.

"Hahahahahaha, you liar, you're a liar Rudel!"

"If you want to leave me again, I won't let you!"

"I'd rather kill you right here myself and prevent anyone else from having you!"

"You're mine forever!"

To make matters worse. The branches above us began to move.

They looked like tentacles, tentacles again, but these were from the branches of the sacred tree.

A bizarre scenario.

The branches opened eyes which saw me. Their brown color began to blacken and monsters similar to giant centipedes, flying insects and a strange lotus flower shaped tumor grew in the middle.

This didn't make sense anymore, something weird was going on here.

The tentacles were getting closer.

Sara was looking at me with a murderous look.

"Rudel... we'll be together very soon!"

◇◇◇

Before all this began, Baltort was heading for the hangar.

There stood his armored unit, a suit of armor created exclusively for the leading knight of Rosenberg Household.

It was called Balfrost, it was a beautiful bone white and gold edged armored unit with wings on its back.

The units next to him appreciate antique diver suits while those of the pirates were similar in a dark red color.

Baltort went up and commanded his squadron.

"To all units! Protect the airship where lady Sara is!"

"Wipe out those despicable pirates!"

Baltort stepped out of the hangar, the beautiful sky filled with gunfire from rifle bullets, magic bullets, cannonballs and war screams.

The pirates were closing in, Baltort pulled out a huge sword and began slashing at his enemies.

The pirates struck from a distance, taking a space to escape or flee in case of a critical hit.

Despite slashing the pirates' armor, they were not destroyed.

Ixion used damaged armor and modified it to be resistant.

Baltort beat the pirates, some even shot at him, but he would not yield.

"In the name of Rosenberg Household, I will not lose to you vile pirates!"

"That was a good statement."

Jerico was coming flying after crushing an armed unit of Lunor Household.

The sounds of cannons echoed around the place, one even grazed Baltort's shoulder.

"You guys over there, get out. This guy's mine."

Jerico approached Baltort. Who thrust his sword in his direction.

"Vile pirates like you dare to get in the way of this sacred act."

Jerico laughed as he displayed his halberds.

"Dodododo! Sacred act you say?"

"According to what I heard, you guys are agreeing to sacrifice a woman. And seeing the emblem on your armor, it is of the house you serve."

"Aren't you ashamed to betray your lady?"

Baltort remembered Sara as a little girl.

She was very small and smiled a lot. He loved her as if she were his own daughter.

He bit his tongue and said.

"This is the will of the pleasing tree. If it wishes her dead. Then so be it."

Jerico spat at him.

"What an idiot. And so you say that we pirates are scum?"

"Never mind. I'll finish you in the name of Tyrant Jerico!"

"Tyrant, pulverize him!"

"Try if you can!"

Baltort also shouted as Jerico.

They both approached and clashed their weapons.

Baltort's greatsword was putting out sparks trying to get Jerico's halberds destroyed.

They gave each other space as they saw that neither would yield.

There was an exchange of blows, Jerico attacked from the left while Baltort used his great sword from the right.

Using his weapon from his right hand he covered himself, while the left buried itself in the shoulder of the winged armor.

Baltort flashed a confident smile.

"That's what I wanted you to do!"

From the wings on Baltort's back came a blue light which was magic power gathered.

Balfrost pushed Jerico harder and harder.

Slowly his weapon gave way, he had no choice but to sacrifice it so that his arm would not be broken.

Jerico stepped backwards.

"It's gaining more strength than expected, don't think I'll give up over something like that!"

Baltort was replying to him in good humor.

"This fight would be boring if it were like that!"

The fight resumed.

Baltort was punching with intensity. Jerico was dodging them.

Waving his hand forward a bullet made of rock was fired towards Jerico.

Using his halberd he deflected it, but it was a trap.

"Energy beam!"

A beam of light was sent to Jerico's shoulder, grazing his skin and avoiding due to the pain being able to move him.

Baltort didn't miss the opportunity and went straight for him.

Jerico used his hand to cover himself, but the strength of Baltort's sword was greater than his.

Little by little Jerico succumbed to the strength of the leading knight.

Baltort rejoiced before Jerico.

"A dirty, wretched pirate like you can never defeat me! I am the strongest knight in Rosenberg Household!"

Baltort charged Jerico, striking at his armor without cutting him. He enjoyed this, making this suffer.

That was the Baltort of the game.

"My life as a knight was perfect! But when that idiot came to the castle, everything fell apart!"

"The servants spoke to us knights as if we were equals! The clerks called us by our names instead of addressing us as the knights we are!"

"Those commoners think we're equals! I, who was born into the main branch of the Exner family despite having a mother from the Herring family! I managed to make a name for myself!"

"But... thanks to that clown, Randolf-sama brought! My perfect life has fallen apart!"

Baltort no longer spoke like a knight of Rosenberg Household, he spoke what his heart held as he bludgeoned Jerico.

"Back then I was glad when that idiot died! I actually thanked the sacred tree as I was able to get rid of him by pretending to be busy! I never expected it to work, but the sacred tree blessed me."

"Again you are doing it by getting rid of that guardian impostor and the lady who is his accomplice! It pains me to say it, but her death will be a pillar for Aster's future."

Jerico clicked his tongue.

(What this guy says sounds like the most normal thing in the world to me. But for some reason, ever since that blonde talked to me... I feel something weird inside me.)

Airi's smiling face appeared in his head, that made his heart pound.

"Who cares, I promised I'd kick their asses and that's what I'll do!"

"You'll never beat me, you dirty pirate!"

Both Baltort and Jerico clashed with all their might. The slightest mistake would result in the defeat of one of the two.

"Gyahahahaha, I found you bitches!"

Suddenly, everyone heard a strange voice coming from far away.

The two fighting warriors paused for a moment to see whose nasty laugh it was.

They watched in the distance as Derrick in his black armored unit accompanied by other sinister armor like theirs approached.

"What the hell is that!"

Jerico exclaimed in astonishment, losing all his strength.

Baltort could finish him off, but informed the allies to switch targets.

"Ignore the pirates! Unknown enemy approaching!"

Soldiers on ships and knights in armor directed their attacks at Derrick's group.

A wave of bullets and magical attacks were directed at them hitting them.

But that didn't stop them.

"Gyahahahaha, this is the best! Despite being hit I don't feel a thing! I'm the strongest in the woooooooooooooooooooooooooorld!"

Derrick ripped off his left arm, it began to retouch itself and became a sinister sword.

Again the arm grew back in a terrifying way as it was impossible that event.

"You fools! Kill them all, don't leave any alive, start with Aster's soldiers!"

The armed units followed Derrick's voice as absolute.

They drew rifles, spears and swords to begin the attack.

The attacks were so strong that the shields could not stop them. Airships were burned and then exploded.

While armor was being ripped in half with ease.

Derrick approached Baltort and Jerico as he was very excited.

"Shit, I can't stop, I want to satiate these urges similar to when I'm with a woman!"

"I'll use you guys to receive my power!"

Derrick raised his sword and brought it down to strike Baltort, Jerico stood in his way, he used his defense to the max, but it didn't work.

Tyrant's armored unit was falling as it began to smoke.

Jerico had a thought before he crashed.

(I would have liked to see that smile one last time.)

Referring to Airi he closed his eyes and a loud sound was heard.

While Baltort watched as his enemy was knocked down with a single blow.

He said to Derrick, but he didn't know it was him.

"I don't know who you are, but you won't stand a chance against me. die you scum!"

Magical power was imbued in the sword, Baltort used his best attack.

"Cut Off!"

With no success whatsoever. His sword remained embedded in the armor's shoulder.

Derrick was thoughtful before saying.

"That shit is the best you can do? Pff, you pathetic bitch."

He raised his sword, Baltort felt this couldn't happen.

"I am the strongest knight of Rosenberg Household. I can't lose to scum like this."

Randolf remembered when he first came to Randolf's office.

He was still young, still a boy who wished to make a name for himself among all the knights.

Randolf told him he was inexperienced still, but he wanted the two of them to grow together as he would be his right hand man from now on.

Baltort understood that his hostile behavior to those below him was because he did not consider them worthy to be in the house.

Before Derrick's sword came down at full speed, Baltort thought with a regretful expression.

(Randolf-sama, I'm sor─)

"Gyahaha, die bitch!"

In one move the sword came down at high speed, splitting the armor in two, that being the end of Baltort, the right hand of the final boss.

Derrick laughed as his vassals destroyed his country's armor and airships.

"The time has come for the great Derrick to take it upon himself to rule this filthy country and the world for that matter! Gyahahahaha!"

"Sara, stop it!"

I called out to Sara as she was strange.

The situation left me so confused that I just wanted to sleep and erase all this craziness.

To make things even worse, a voice sounded from far away.

"Gyahahahaha, there you are!"

Looking in the direction where the voice came from, I noticed a strange black armored unit similar to Battler approaching rapidly, but it had bat wings, a reptilian tail and eyes on its body.

"What the hell is that thing!"

"Tch. It just came to annoy me."

For some reason I heard Sara saying a strange thing.

I cared more about the mysterious armor that was heading straight for us.

It descended to the deck and I could see it up close.

Its appearance was horrifying, scary, at the same time... I felt like I had already been through this.

I remembered!

It's the same as that time... the time I fought Diabolos!

Why was something similar here?

The voice of the guy inside became familiar.

"Gyahaha, we're back again motherfucker. This time the One Eye won't save you!"

I already remembered.

"Derrick!?"

"That's right, it's me. The great Derrick! Remember that well! ... Though it doesn't matter since you'll die here."

"After I kill you, I'll go after your women. I'll rape them in front of your corpse and every time they beg me to stop I won't stop, gyahahahaha."

This guy you are still a miserable scumbag.

I was in a bind.

"Don't get in the way of the ritual."

Sara spoke to him, for some reason her voice was distorted.

Derrick was acting weird too.

"I-I'm sorry."

"I don't care what you do, just don't interrupt me and protect me."

"Very well."

With those strange words, Sara's lifeless eyes watched me and after circling around, a tentacle from the tree descended and she was pulled up to the top.

Sara stood on top of the lotus flower.

The situation would leave me with more questions than answers, but there was no time to ask them.

Derrick tapped his shoulder with his sword.

"Don't look elsewhere. The only place you should look is your grave."

I didn't know where to run, he was blocking the entrance to the inside and raised his sword to bring it down with full force.

But an armed unit saved me.

I was about to thank Ixion, but a voice stopped me.

"Heroes always arrive when all is lost."

"Zack?"

"That's right."

Zack was up in armor that looked like Battler of a different color and a bit thin.

He used a three-pronged spear to parry the sword.

"Stay out of my way!"

Derrick shouted after backing up and preparing to attack.

He was so angry that he pointed his hand at us. His fingers on his sides were raised while his middle fingers and thumb were closed.

"The great Derrick will not be defeated again! Die!"

From the space between his fingers a black mass began to form, it grew about the size of an eye and after a few seconds a black laser beam was fired straight at a ship.

It hit the top, it began to generate flames.

"Uwaah, we're going down!"

"Everyone to the boats!"

I heard over a loudspeaker the voices of Randy and Linus screaming in panic, I couldn't help but chuckle a little.

But that's not the point.

"Bastards, come help me!"

Derrick called out to someone.

I could see more imposters just like Battler approaching.

There were about two dozen of them, Derrick laughed.

"Gyahahahaha! I'll kill all of you, no one will get out alive from the wrath of the great Derrick!"

This was bad.

"Really, why is it that whenever you get involved, the worst case scenario happens Master?"

I heard a voice coming from the sky an armored unit was approaching and Battler descended to block their attack with a scythe.

The armored unit couldn't against Battler, so Ixion split him in half.

For a moment I thought about if someone was inside, but I ignored it.

If there's someone inside I'll ignore it, that includes Derrick.

I... I'm going to kill Derrick here and now. He's too dangerous now to try to save him like Jude.

Besides, what he said about doing horrible things to my girlfriends left me with a deep hatred for him.

I swear you won't be breathing any more soon.

"Ixion!"

"Get in."

The cockpit opened and I jumped inside.

After getting into position, I said to Zack.

"Let's finish them off!"

"Hehehe, this is exciting."

It was my first time fighting alongside someone, it made me feel a little anxious, but it didn't matter.

Ixion said to me.

"Master, Warren and Clovis were on that ship, but they escaped earlier.I'm ordering the allies right now to stop attacking Aster's fleet to retreat."

"No! Sara must be rescued, so tell them to finish off the monsters on top!"

"Something happened to Sara?"

"I don't know what's wrong with her, but she's acting weird, we have to rescue her."

"Why do you always have to do with problems involving women?"

"Don't say it like I'm responsible for it!"

"Here they come!"

Zack shouted alerting me.

Five armors were approaching from above, another five were coming from the front and the remaining ones stayed with Derrick.

I told Ixion to fire missiles at those above.

The missiles were fired and the enemy armor scanned.

Six enemy defeated, we are doing well.

I marched forward next to Zack, I was going to tell him to split us up to attack separately and then regroup.

"Eat this, Triple Drill!"

Zack used the same move Tom used on me during our fight, only he renamed it.

But this attack was very predictable, Zack attacked at the top ends as if it was the cardinal points, he even attacked a fourth time to complete it.

"Tch, he dodged my attack!"

No, your attack was so predictable that it just moved.

I used my scythe to cut one down, but his companions used their swords to block the attacks.

"Zack, watch out!"

I said to Zack noticing that Derrick was attacking him from behind, but he ignored me and kept attacking head on.

I ran to him and pulled her to my side. Derrick hit me, no damage with the exception of a scratch on my chest.

I told him to fly and only then did he listen to me.

"Get your rifle out and fire from─!"

"Come on!"

"..!"

Zack ignored me and from the sky was pirouetting achieving to make a suicide attack.

"Take that! Sky Piercing Drill!"

Zack was spinning as if it was a drill, that move was insane as he would get dizzy.

Of course, he missed and ended up crashing into the deck.

Derrick grabbed him and started punching him after leaving his sword stuck in the deck.

"Gyahahahaha, what's wrong with this jerk? He can't fly or fight, he's a perfect target to kill."

Derrick was beating the crap out of Zack.

I clicked my tongue and decided to use a trap attack.

I launched a flare which lit up the sky, blinding Derrick and the others for a brief moment.

I reached over and pulled Zack out of it. I then raised my right hand and an opening opened from my palm.

I used the enhanced attack I used to defeat several enemies last year.

"Gamma Ray!"

A light shot out, taking out a majority of enemies leaving a large portion of the deck melted, the others managed to escape, Derrick among them.

There were only five left not counting him.

I'll finish this with a surprise attack.

"Good, there are only a few left! We can take them!"

He was saying that despite the fact that he didn't defeat even one and I had to save him.

Derrick's henchmen were closing in.

I prepared to fight, but there was something strange.

He wasn't moving, his left hand made the same sign as earlier....

No shit!

"Come on!"

Zack went flying in the direction of the enemies.

This idiot is going to get himself killed.

The enemies were approaching and before I could do anything they surrounded us to prevent us from running away.

Using my scythe as a distraction I managed to grab Zack by the shoulders and send him high using force.

The enemy units grabbed me and Derrick rejoiced as a black blob of energy materialized in his hand.

"Gyahaha, dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

After saying those words, the only option left for me to avoid dying was to get rid of the backpack.

Ixion told me to do so.

I pressed the button and as I fell I could see Derrick's henchmen being eliminated by their boss.

Less than thirty seconds had passed as I was falling, I noticed in the distance an object approaching and got into position to receive it.

I flew straight at Derrick.

"Now it's just you and me!"

He said as he prepared to attack me

"Don't forget about me!"

Zack said coming from above.

Derrick swung his sword to strike Zack as if using a mace.

I kicked his arm and his sword went flying.

A tentacle came out of its body and wing grabbed.

Zack next to me stood after descending he said to me.

"Now there is only one left, we can take him."

Zack wasn't a bad guy. But, I could tell he was a lot more stupid and confident than when I fought Liam.

If Liam was here now, that kid would be dead.

So, I decided to take him out of the fight.

"Zack, sorry."

"For?"

He saw me approaching to punch him.

I did, but he was still conscious.

"What do you think you're doing, aren't we allies?!"

"That's why I said sorry. You're in the way, stay asleep for a while."

I gave him a series of punches until I saw his armor start to bruise.

"Wait! This isn't─"

I interlaced my fingers and used a lot of power as I brought my fists down together on his head.

The head was caved in, meaning Zack was hit and knocked unconscious.

Ixion took it upon himself to modulate the blow so that Zack was not hurt any more than necessary.

Sorry, but you're a nuisance. We'll both be killed because of you.

Derrick was paralyzed, it must have been a surprise.

I lunged towards him and ripped open the armor's chest with all my strength to pull him out.

But what I saw... horrified me.

Derrick's euphoric face was sticking out amidst an ocean of a gelatinous black liquid.

I reached in, but little hands with eyes pulled my arm out.

I could hear Derrick rejoice before he was sunk by that black ocean.

"I am the strongest."

"The great Derrick won't lose to anyone."

"Long live the great Derrick of the Herring Household."

That was the last I heard from Derrick before the booth regenerated and more eyes popped out.

I didn't want to do this, but I did.

I spoke to him.

"Who are you?"

Using Derrick's distorted voice... the armor said.

"I am what you fear most. The darkness itself."

◇◇◇

"Hey! What's that? What the hell is going on here!"

Erselica and the others were shocked by what they saw.

Derrick appeared and began attacking them.

Aster's fleet retreated while Ixion's allies fought the insects.

Sara for some reason was taken by the sacred tree and wrapped in a cocoon.

When Alisa saw the appearance of this magical armed unit, it seemed to remind her of the Bloody Knight.

"Why did that appear here? What the heck is going on?

Airi was also worried about Rudel, who was fighting against a sinister armor─ an evil armor."

"Will Rudel-san be alright?"

"We have defeated the Bloody Knight, but we don't know the capabilities of this enemy."

"No way!"

In the sky fighting in their armor were the four members of Erselica's reverse harem.

Liam was waiting on the bridge, wary of Jude, whom he brought with him, at least for a moment.

Erselica asked Jude what was going on.

"Do you have stuff like that in the Sacred Tree?"

"N-No, I've never heard of that."

Jude's tone toward Erselica was quite impressive.

"First of all, I've never heard of such a thing. Not once in the history of Aster has there ever been a flower at the top of the Sacred Tree."

"Why would they want to sacrifice someone for something like that?"

"It was the decision of the heads of the six families. I think they were terrified that they would keep losing to Count Bradford, and then give up on the Sacred Tree."

Liam had a subtle expression on his face.

"Is it because of Bradford's presence?"

"No, sooner or later they would have offered it as a sacrifice. For Aster, the Sacred Tree is an absolute existence. And besides, if they hear voices from the Sacred Tree, some of them will believe it."

Erselica raised her head.

(If Sara dies, Randolf will be the last boss! I don't want that! We've come this far and everything we did is meaningless. Not that... Lucy?)

Lucy, hugging the jar containing the little sapling, looked out.

The emblem on the back of Lucy's right hand glowed faintly.

Liam looked at the battle and was angry at his inability to be able to do anything.

"I wish I could help, but wouldn't we be a hindrance if we went in there?"

The armed unit of Liam and the others was a degraded copy of Battler.

They couldn't beat the opponent Battler was fighting.

Erselica asked Liam for help.

"Liam, don't talk like that, help me! Even Battler can't beat him, can he? Look, everyone has better maneuvering skills than Rudel, right? There's all sorts of things they can do to cover the aircraft's performance with their arms."

As Erselica asked her to help Liam, Alisa corrected her mistake.

"You're wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Rudel is strong. The reason they're fighting now is because he wants to save Sara. If only they could handle that, then Rudel too..."

Lucy opened her mouth when she heard Alisa's story.

"Let me do it."

When Erselica turned to look at Lucy, the little sapling also glowed faintly.

"Huh? Lucy, what are you─?"

"The only way to get Sara out of this is to convince her to get out of there. But as it is, you can't talk to her. But I...if I got close enough, my voice could reach her."

"C-Can you do that!?"

"I-I think so..."

Airi didn't give permission to Lucy's unsure words.

"No. I can't let you do anything rash."

However, it was Jude who came to the rescue.

"No, it's possible. I've heard that the priestess can speak to an emblem bearer with her mind. I read in the documents that they can connect through the Sacred Tree. If they can touch each other directly, it should be possible to at least have a conversation."

Erselica was quick to stop him.

This was because Lucy was the priestess of the little sapling, not the Sacred Tree.

"Wait, the little sapling and the Sacred Tree are two different things! I don't want Lucy to be reckless."

"It is as you say Jude, but how do you know?"

"In the book left by the first generation they explain some things that only the next head should know. To accomplish that you need a great deal of magical power."

"So you know about Nonna?"

"Who is she?"

(Don't you know about the name of the first priestess?)

The names of some relatives or heads and even of the original priestess were lost due to historical flaws, her descendants were to continue her story even if they did not know who she was.

"In that case leave it to me."

Then, Airi's hair floated like a fluffy tide.

Lines of white light rose on her body, creating a pattern. Her blonde hair was turning white.

Alisa gave Airi a strange look.

"Gyaaaa! It's gloooowing!"

Erselica yelled, and Alisa spoke up in annoyance.

"Shut up. Airi, can you do it?"

"Not yet, I have to gather more power."

"I'm going to help. Lucy, let me come with you."

"All right. You must do as I indicate."

(That thing from the spirit world is inside the sacred tree. To access it we need a great deal of magical power to make a connection).

(According to the book, Nonna managed to do it for the first time thanks to the maiden in white.)

Lucy accepted, Alisa took her hand. Then to Airi.

"You're going to make your voice heard, aren't you? You'll have to convince her, won't you? Then Airi and I will help you."

Lucy grabbed the hand Airi offered her.

Airi placed the Sacred Tree sapling in the center of where they stood.

The glow of the little sapling intensified as the three held hands and formed a circle.

The power of sentiment was flowing.

"This is the first time I've done this. It will only be for a short time. If you're going to try to convince her, you'd better hurry."

"I-I understand."

As Lucy closed her eyes, there was a change in the scene outside.

The magical armed unit manifested the Rosenberg Household emblem on its back, it was the same size as the guardian's emblem, but this was an emblem of a great noble.

Erselica saw the three of them enveloped in a pale light and could not understand what was happening.

(No way. Don't tell me this flower head is using her own holy powers? She doesn't have the items or anything! How the hell did she do that?!?)

Erselica, surprised by Airi's rapid growth, looked out.

(It only remains that she can convince her.)