A small shadow leaped across the rooftops of the Royal Capital.
It was Fia.
She sprinted lightly over the snow-dusted shingles. Even on slopes where an ordinary person would have slipped and plummeted, she ran as effortlessly as if she were on level ground.
A larger shadow followed close behind her, long white hair fluttering in the wind.
It was Orbis.
"…Fia," his low voice called out from behind. "Slow down a little."
Fia didn’t look back. "Master is in danger."
Her response was curt. Orbis narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I am aware," he replied. Then, he added, "But Lord Luka is still alive."
Fia’s feet faltered for a fraction of a second. "…Really?"
"Yes. Lord Luka’s magical power is faint, but I can still sense it," he said gravely. "So, let us proceed with caution. We are also in a position of peril."
Fia fell silent for a moment, then gave a small, resolute nod.
"…Okay."
She set off again, picking up the pace. Her eyes were fixed on the landmark ahead—the Royal Castle. It stood at the heart of the capital, a fortress of white stone walls. Even from this distance, she could feel powerful surges of mana clashing violently within its bounds.
"…There’s so much fighting," Fia whispered.
"Indeed," Orbis answered, looking up at the castle. "It seems the castle was their true objective all along. The enemies who were scattered across the city are converging there now."
Fia’s eyes sharpened. "…Master."
She poured more strength into her legs, accelerating once more.
◇◆◇
The area before the Royal Castle’s outer wall had been transformed into a total war zone.
The air was thick with the roar of explosions, the rhythmic clang of steel on steel, and the desperate cries of men.
"Push them back!"
"Defend the gate!"
The Kingdom’s soldiers were fighting for their lives. Their opponents were the ones Leonis called the Apostles of Ash, and they were numerous. A dark tide of black-robed figures surged toward the main castle gate.
That was when a calm voice cut through the chaos.
"That’s enough."
In the next heartbeat, Leonis’s blade flashed, weaving a path of destruction between the soldiers and the invaders.
With a series of wet thuds, three Apostles were decapitated simultaneously.
Not this again. The gore was so stomach-turning I could hardly stand to look at it. I know I have to get used to this eventually, but god, I really don't want to.
The Kingdom’s soldiers spun around in shock. Standing there were three youths: Leonis, Allen, and myself.
Leonis gave his short sword a sharp flick, spraying the blood from the blade. "Looks like we made it in time."
"Are—are you students from the Academy?" one of the soldiers stammered.
Allen stepped forward, sounding frantic. "We’re reinforcements!"
Leonis didn't wait for a conversation; he was already moving toward the next cluster of enemies. A black-robed man lunged at him, but Leonis closed the distance in a blur. With a single strike, he tore through the man's chest and whirled to catch another Apostle coming from the flank, slitting his throat in one fluid motion.
He looked less like he was fighting and more like he was taking a casual stroll through a graveyard.
Within seconds, every Apostle near the gate had been cut down. The soldiers stood frozen, lost for words.
Leonis turned back to them. "Could you show us inside?" he asked casually. "I need to speak with the King. If you give them my name, they should let us through."
The soldiers exchanged bewildered glances before one of them nodded urgently. "U-Understood!"
The heavy doors of the castle gate groaned open. Beyond them lay the Royal Castle’s courtyard.
Several people were already gathered there. I spotted a silver-haired knight and my brother, Noin, clad in his armor. Seeing him made me think of the rest of my family, and a wave of restless anxiety washed over me.
They’re all okay, right? Orbis and Tarinuka are with them, and for that matter, Yuka is about seven thousand times stronger than I am—not that being stronger than a total weakling like me is saying much.
Standing beside Noin was Arianna, the Second Princess of the Kingdom. Fortunately, my niece Lilia wasn't there, but Arianna herself seemed to be far closer to the front lines than a princess ought to be.
She noticed us and her eyes went wide. "…Luka?"
I couldn't help but wave. "Princess Arianna, are you safe?"
"Y-Yes…!" She answered, though her expression shifted to one of slight exasperation. "I’m glad to see you're unharmed, but…" She stole a glance at Leonis. "You boys were in a rather precarious position, weren't you?"
Pot, meet kettle, I thought, but I kept the remark to myself.
"Luka."
A low voice called my name. My brother Noin walked toward us, his armor speckled with blood. He appeared to be uninjured, though.
"Are you all right?" he asked. His words were brief, as usual.
"Yeah… managed to scrape by," I replied.
Noin gave a small nod of acknowledgement before shifting his gaze to Leonis. "…And your companion is?"
Leonis raised a hand in a light greeting. "My name is Leonis Alseid," he said nonchalantly. "I’m an exchange student from the Holy Theocracy."
Noin’s eyes narrowed. "…Leonis. A Hero Candidate?"
"You're well-informed." Leonis offered a charming smile.
Just then, heavy footsteps echoed from the far end of the courtyard. The soldiers immediately snapped to attention.
A man emerged from the shadows. I didn't recognize him, but he certainly looked like someone important. He wore a heavy, ornate mantle and surveyed us with a piercing gaze.
"…Are you safe?" he asked in a deep voice.
Arianna took a step forward. "Father, these students from the Academy have come as reinforcements."
Father? Oh, so this is the actual King. Thank goodness I didn't say anything stupid; my head would have been on a platter.
The King’s gaze swept over us before settling on Leonis. "Haha. As expected of a Hero."
Leonis chuckled softly. "I appreciate the compliment."
The tension in the air eased slightly, but the King’s expression quickly returned to one of grim sobriety.
"Who is the enemy? Surely you know."
Leonis’s face turned serious. "The Ash Necros."
The moment that name was spoken, Noin’s expression shifted. "…I have heard of them."
Leonis nodded. "Simply put, they are a cult that desires the end of the world."
Arianna furrowed her brow in disbelief. "That can't be…"
"This invasion was a ritual designed to destroy the Kingdom," Leonis said, looking up at the sky. "And a high-level one at that, orchestrated through an Original Tome."
"…Was the ritual not a failure?" the King asked in a low voice.
"Yes, but it isn't over yet," Leonis replied with a nod. "We’ve stopped the plan to incinerate the capital, at least."
He paused, his hand moving to the hilt of the short sword at his waist.
"However, they still have their primary objective and the means to achieve it."
Everyone’s attention was fixed on Leonis. He looked toward the inner reaches of the castle.
"Given the scale of this operation and the fact that they’re using an Original Tome, there is no doubt that an executive is involved. Perhaps even a leader of the Ash Necros themselves."
A fresh wave of tension rippled through the courtyard.
"…Most likely," Leonis concluded, "the mastermind is right here, within the capital."