Chapter 70: Townsperson A Recaptures the Villainess

“Well, since she’s broken to this extent, there’s nothing that can be done. I suppose I’ll just get on with overwriting her with the Magic Sword’s power.”

As the man muttered a small incantation, a viscous black substance welled out from the Magic Sword Ana was gripping and clung to her.

Then, Ana slowly reached her hand out toward me. And then...

A... lle... n.

It felt as if I could hear her voice.

It wasn’t that she had actually spoken. Her eyes were unfocused, and I didn't think her pupils were actually reflecting anything in the room.

Yet, she had undeniably reached out toward me—someone who should have been invisible thanks to my Stealth Skill. It was as if she knew I was there. As if she were pleading for me to save her.

I’d wanted to find out how to return her to normal, but I couldn't hold back anymore. As if I’d let them do anything else to her!

I fired two shots from Karashi into the Crown Prince and two more into the man who appeared to be his co-conspirator. One shot hit the Crown Prince in the left side of his chest and another in his neck. The other man took one in the flank and one in his left shoulder.

“Gah... hah. Wh-when did you...?”

The man stared at me, likely perceiving that I had appeared out of thin air. Meanwhile, the Crown Prince collapsed into a growing pool of blood without so much as a twitch. He was almost certainly dead on impact.

Crack.

I shot through the man’s right knee.

Crack.

Then I shot his left.

Crack.

Then his right shoulder.

That should have stripped him of any ability to resist. He was bleeding profusely, too; he wouldn't be around much longer.

Having secured the area, I rushed over to Ana and pried the Magic Sword from her hands, desperate to stop the black miasma it was emitting.

“Ana! Pull yourself together! Ana!”

But her eyes only stared into the void. She didn't react to my voice.

“You! What did you do to her?!”

I drew the dagger from my waist and pressed the tip between the man’s eyebrows.

“Hahaha. What’s this? Are you her lover, Allen? I’m afraid you’re too late. There isn’t a shred of will left in that thing.”

“Answer the question!”

“Hmph. I simply broke her spirit so the Magic Sword could control her. It seems she was quite fond of you, but you took far too long to arrive. Well, fine. She’s yours now, fair and square. Though, at this point, she’s only good for breeding. Hahahaha!”

“You bastard!”

Driven by pure rage, I slashed the man across the face with my dagger.

“Guh... ha... ha. It doesn't matter. You won't be getting out of here anyway. Why don't you have a go at her as a souvenir for the afterlife?”

His words snapped me back to reality. It seemed the gunshots had been heard. I could hear the heavy thud of boots coming down the stairs.

“Heh... You killed His Highness. You should be proud. With such a talented member of the Anbu here, how did we... ever...”

The man lost consciousness, likely from the massive blood loss. I shot him through the heart just to be sure.

Then, using Wind Magic, I decapitated both of them and stuffed their heads into my Magic Bag. I had probably killed too many people by now, yet as I did this, my emotions didn't even flicker. It felt no different from dismantling monsters for parts.

I had only one objective now. I had to bring Ana back safely. That was it.

Don’t ever mistake the order of what’s important.

My mother’s words pushed me forward. Using the surrounding stone walls as material, I used Transmutation to fashion a sheath—or perhaps a lead-lined wrapping—to encase the Magic Sword before hanging it from my belt. It was probably dangerous to carry, but this way I wouldn't have to touch it directly. Fortunately, now that the man was dead, the black miasma had vanished. If I left it here in the Empire, someone else might use it to target Ana. I had to be the one to take it.

I moved to scoop Ana up and escape, but the soldiers reached the basement before I could move.

“His Highness! Lord Günther!”

Tsk, fine.

I pulled out Saiga and opened fire. Ignoring the soldier who went down in a single shot, I hoisted Ana onto my back and sprinted.

By the time I reached the top of the stairs, a small army had gathered. I cleared a path by gunning them down or blowing them back with Wind Magic, all while looking for a gap to re-engage Stealth. But there were just too many of them.

If I weren't carrying Ana—if I left her behind—I could have escaped easily. But that would defeat the point of everything. I couldn't imagine a life without her anymore.

Slowly, painfully, I carved a path toward the backyard through sheer brute force. That was when the shouting started outside.

“D-Dragon! It’s a dragon!”

“What? Why is there a dragon in the Imperial Capital?!”

“Dammit! Half of you, go deal with the dragon!”

I see. Melissa and Jerome!

I offered them a silent thanks, swapped Saiga for Karashi, and laid down suppressive fire. An automatic rifle was far better for area denial. With the enemy numbers thinned, I managed to shake off my pursuers, readjusted Ana on my back, and finally activated Stealth.

I reached the backyard where I had buried the Vytol Custom, but they had anticipated my route. A wall of soldiers stood waiting for me. However, since they couldn't see me yet, the advantage was mine.

Using Transmutation, I created a hand-grenade version of the compressed-air bombs I usually dropped from the air and lobbed it into the center of their formation. I crouched, covered my ears with one arm, opened my mouth, and shut my eyes tight. With my free hand, I covered one of Ana's ears and used Transmutation to mold a temporary earthen plug for her other.

The grenade shattered on impact, and the compressed air erupted.

When I looked up, the courtyard was a gruesome scene. The soldiers caught in the blast were in no condition to fight. I finished off the stragglers with Karashi and ran to the spot where the Vytol Custom was hidden.

“Transmutation.”

Instead of digging up the craft immediately, I first raised a three-meter-high earthen wall. This would block their line of sight and protect me during the takeoff, which was when I was most vulnerable. Then I pulled the Vytol Custom from the earth, strapped Ana securely into the seat, and climbed in over her. I slammed the starter for the Wind Magic Engine.

Come on, Allen! Don’t panic! Stay calm!

Vertical takeoffs were nerve-wracking at the best of times. I balanced the output of the engines, gradually increasing the power until the Vytol Custom lifted off the ground with a gentle lurch.

“Where is the intruder?!”

“Captain! There’s a strange wall in the backyard!”

The Vytol Custom cleared the height of the wall in seconds.

“What is that thing?!”

“I don’t care what it is! Shoot it down! Archers, fire!”

I scrambled to engage the propulsion engine. A sharp horizontal G-force yanked us forward as the craft began to pick up speed. But the archers were faster.

“Fall!”

An arrow streaked through the air, aimed straight for me—or rather, aimed for Ana, who was positioned right below me. I twisted my torso, putting myself in the path of the projectile.

“Guh...!”

The arrow buried itself in my left hip. White-hot pain surged through my side.

But I was fine. I was still alive. No matter what happened, I was taking Ana home. I kept the Wind Magic Engine pinned with sheer willpower as the Vytol Custom gained altitude and speed.

The soldiers weren't giving up.

“Don't let them get away! Fire!”

A volley of arrows darkened the sky. This is bad. Just as I braced for the impact that would surely bring us down, a massive black shape blocked the sun. The dragon’s body soaked up every single arrow intended for us.

“Jerome!”

“A-Allen... are you... okay? The... the mate-girl?”

“I got her back.”

“Th-then... do we go? Or... can I destroy... everything?”

“No, Jerome, what about the arrows? Are you hurt?”

“I-I’m fine. My... well, my scales are hard, at least.”

“Alright. Let’s get out of here.”

The Vytol Custom screamed as it gained speed and altitude, quickly leaving the reach of the Imperial Army’s weapons. Once we were safely out of range, I looked back at the Imperial Capital.

Huge fires were raging, mostly concentrated around the palace and what I assumed was the Noble District. Furthermore, the tall, ornate spires that had defined the city's skyline were gone. It looked as if they had been sheared off, leaving the buildings looking like featureless, flat-roofed tofu blocks.

It seemed Jerome and Melissa had been quite thorough in their rampage.

“Where’s Melissa?”

“O-over there.”

Jerome gestured with his massive head. I looked in that direction and saw Melissa flying toward us at incredible speed. She looked unharmed.

“Allen? Thank goodness, you got her back. ...Wait. What’s wrong with your mate? She looks... strange.”

“The truth is...”

I explained the situation to both of them.

“...And I didn't get there in time.”

“U-u-unforgivable. I changed... my mind. I won't just destroy half. I'll destroy... all of it.”

“I agree,” Melissa added, her voice cold.

“I’m sorry, but leave the destruction for later. I need to get Ana to a doctor first. And... when the time comes to settle the score, make sure you call me.”

“...Very well. We understand.”

With Ana finally back in my arms, I set a course straight for Viechen, the capital of the Ramslett Ducal Territory.

Dammit! If only I’d been faster!

Dammit! Dammit!