208: Olynn’s Resolve and Faith in His Friends

"You’ve got to be kidding me..."

I watched, my brain struggling to process the scene. It looked like he’d stripped the Magic Formula down to its bare, broken essentials. By cutting out every unnecessary step, he was completing a Tame with nothing more than a single touch.

It wasn't just magic; it was a forced command that bordered on total brainwashing.

This was insane. This kind of magic hadn't existed in the Original Story.

Despite the sheer power he was wielding, Olynn looked heartbroken as he stroked the Bear’s head. He was probably agonizing over what he was about to put the creature through. Even so, his eyes remained steady. He had made his choice.

"I’m sorry," he whispered. "But I need you to lend me your strength."

"Gauuu."

"...Weiss-kun, I’ll handle the decoy part somehow. I’m leaving—the rest to you."

A second later, Olynn vanished into the treeline. Flashes of Light rhythmically pulsed through the forest before fading into the shadows.

Hah. What a guy.

He was born with too much kindness for his own good. It was all because of that Noblesse Oblige mentality he’d forced himself to adopt. I knew he was probably suffering right now, but he also understood the stakes. He knew how important it was to have a dialogue with the Four Dragons, and he knew he had to get stronger if we were ever going to stand a chance against the Demon Race.

I found myself letting out a small laugh, despite the dire situation.

I was laughing at myself for getting cold feet earlier. What a pathetic display. Making the impossible possible is the bread and butter of being a Noblesse. It didn’t matter if the opponent was powerful, or the literal Strongest, or if victory seemed like a total pipe dream—that was just the baseline reality of this world. That was the one constant in this game.

"Debi, let’s go."

"—Debibi!"

Debi manifested from the Darkness. It had been a long time since I’d really gone all out.

I’m going to give it everything I’ve got, even if it kills me.

"I’m going to have to make you die over and over again. Brace yourself."

"Debi!"

"...Thanks."

Besides, if I stopped to think about it for even a second, the answer was obvious. Those guys—Lilith and the rest—they were right there with me.

There’s no way in hell I’m giving up now.

To the north of Weiss’s position, deep within the mist of the waterfall, Tura and Lilith stared up at the Sky Dragon.

"It’s tracked us, yet it hasn't attacked," Tura noted.

"It seems that way," Lilith replied. "It’s keeping its distance, though it’s closer than Carta-san was."

Biado spoke up, his voice barely a whisper. "...Are you actually going to fight it? If we climb down the cliff up ahead, we might be able to slip away unnoticed."

Lilith turned to him with a gentle smile. "Yes. Of course, you should keep your distance, Biado-sama. But I am going to fight. I know Weiss-sama won’t retreat; he never goes back on a decision once it’s made. I’m sure he’s already coordinated with Olynn-san and is preparing to make a move."

Tura allowed a faint smile to touch her lips, but she quickly composed herself, her expression sharpening.

"You’re right. We should prepare our own strategy and get into position so we can react to the situation. Lilith-san, I’ll fight by your side."

"Understood. But 'Tura-san' and 'Lilith' is fine, you know. No need for formalities."

The two women nodded, scanning the terrain for a tactical advantage.

Biado watched them in shock. These two were younger than him—women, no less—and yet they didn't show a hint of fear. He’d known Tura back when she was just a student, but she was different now. She had the eyes of a veteran warrior.

If they were staying, he couldn’t very well run away.

"...I have a little confidence in my swordplay," Biado said, his voice dropping the formal posturing. "Forgive me, I was being a coward. I’ll fight too."

Tura and Lilith nodded with smiles. Biado noticed his own change in speech and tried to correct himself, but Lilith stopped him.

"That way of speaking is perfectly fine. now then, let's try to figure out what Weiss-sama and Olynn-san are planning."