After parting with Ara, Rei sprinted in the direction she had indicated.
Though weight was no issue, the sheer size of the Death Scythe made it a hindrance while running, so he stored it inside the Misty Ring and made a straight dash through the prairie.
He headed toward the area where Ara had seen the tip of the whip-sword. However, in the chaos of battle, he hadn't been able to get precise coordinates. Even Ara, who had only caught a momentary glimpse while fighting off the Beast Soldiers, didn't remember the exact location.
Despite the vague directions, Rei pushed on toward Elena. He came to a sudden halt, however, when a familiar presence entered his field of vision.
The creature noticed him as well. It dove straight toward Rei and flew into his chest.
"Kyu, kyu-kyuu!"
Iero cried out, as if pleading for something.
Unlike with Seto, Rei could not communicate directly with Iero, a being created through Dragon Language Magic.
Still, seeing it call out so desperately made it clear that something dire was happening. Rei spoke to the small dragon.
"Is it Elena?"
"Kyu!"
Iero nodded without hesitation and turned its head toward the direction it had come from.
"I see. She's that way. Lead on."
Rei muttered, withdrawing the Death Scythe from the Misty Ring once more.
A battle was certainly waiting ahead, and he would need his weapon ready, even if it slowed his pace.
(Especially if the opponent is someone with a title, just like Elena.)
He spun the Death Scythe's shaft in his hands and released Iero back into the sky.
"Iero, if you stay too close to me, you might get caught in a sudden skirmish. Guide me from the air."
"Kyu!"
Iero gave a short cry and flapped its small wings, leading the way through the sky.
Rei followed close behind on the ground.
(An alias... a title holder. I don't know the extent of his power, but with Elena and me together, we shouldn't lose.)
He muttered inwardly and kicked off the ground again.
Rei remained unaware that, due to the firestorm and his subsequent rampage through the Bestia Imperial Army's lead unit, he had earned himself the alias 'Crimson'.
"Over there!"
After about five minutes of following Iero, Rei’s hearing picked up the sharp ring of clashing metal. It came from a natural arena—a twenty-meter clearing in the prairie surrounded by trees.
Through the gaps in the foliage, he caught a glimpse of a blade extending like a whip. It was undoubtedly Elena's whip-sword.
Rei slipped through the trees and saw Elena on her warhorse, facing off against a man at a distance.
(So that man is the Flash...)
The two duelists noticed Rei entering the field. Both turned their gazes toward him.
"Rei!?"
"...Yet another unexpected factor."
Both wore expressions of shock. However, Elena’s face lit up with joyful surprise, whereas Theoreme’s expression soured as if he had just chewed on a bitter bug.
Watching their contrasting reactions, Rei brandished his Death Scythe and closed the distance one deliberate step at a time.
"...Did I keep you waiting?"
"Well, in a situation like this, isn't one supposed to say they just arrived?"
The two exchanged words in a light tone after confirming neither was injured.
However, even while talking, Rei did not take his eyes off Theoreme for a single second.
Elena, who had been fighting Theoreme until now, and Rei, who was seeing him for the first time, both shared the same instinct: they had no idea what might happen if they looked away from him.
Nevertheless, Elena understood they now held the upper hand. Channelling magic power into her whip-sword, she addressed Theoreme.
"You were struggling against me alone. You must realize you have no chance of victory now that Rei is here. Why not surrender? If you do, I can guarantee your life."
Theoreme simply shook his head.
"It is true that I likely cannot defeat the two of you. However, you seem to have forgotten that my lieutenant is still leading the Beast Soldiers... Wait."
Theoreme cut himself off and turned his gaze toward Rei.
"Rei, was it? I believe you were accompanied by a Gryphon... Might I ask where it is?"
"From your tone, I think you've already guessed. It's guarding the Supreme Commander."
Elena let out a silent sigh of relief.
In terms of pure numbers, the Beast Soldiers were superior, but if the Gryphon Seto was there to reinforce the camp, there was no need to worry about the Supreme Commander being slain.
In contrast, Theoreme’s brow furrowed slightly. That he showed even that much emotion was proof of the weight of the news.
"...I see. Then your confidence is well-founded. A monster as high-ranking as a Gryphon could certainly hold the line against Siance and the Beast Soldiers. ...In that case, shall we strike a deal?"
"A deal?" Rei asked back.
Theoreme nodded with a thin smile.
"Yes. Continuing to fight you here will only result in pointless casualties for my side. If you weren't here, I wouldn't dream of retreating, but unfortunately, you are. And the Gryphon is here as well. Don't you think it's foolish for us to waste time here exhausting our strength for nothing?"
Theoreme spoke with blunt pragmatism. This surprise attack had utilized the secret weapons of the Bestia Imperial Army and a fortune in Teleportation Stones. To prepare such a force and then suggest a retreat was a bitter pill to swallow. However, to stay and be picked off was worse. Beast Soldiers were expensive to produce; losing them in a futile struggle was a strategic blunder. The decisiveness to choose retreat without hesitation was the hallmark of the General known as the Flash.
Naturally, Rei and Elena had no reason to care about his difficulties.
"Why should we let you walk away? It’s two against one. Killing or capturing you right now wouldn't be that hard."
Rei moved closer to Elena, addressing Theoreme as he walked.
Elena remained silent, seemingly in agreement, her eyes fixed on Theoreme to catch any sudden movement.
Despite being in a desperate position, Theoreme kept his faint smile.
"It's true that I was having a hard time with the Princess General alone. Against both of you, I have no hope of winning. But have you forgotten? I am the commander of the Beast Soldiers. The procedure to transform a human into a Beast Soldier often results in a severe loss of ethics and intellect. To ensure our secrets aren't stolen, we’ve installed certain... measures. Though, admittedly, these were conceived in a hurry after one was captured in the City of Gilm."
'Thanks to you,' his gaze seemed to say.
"...What kind of measures?"
"Who can say? It might be nothing at all, or it might be something fatal. That is for you to decide. However, I suggest you do not regret your choices. It would be quite tragic if Count Alius perished alongside my Beast Soldiers simply because you chose to kill me."
It's a bluff, Rei thought instinctively. But he had no proof—only his intuition. And Seto was with Count Alius. There was also Siminal, who, despite being a noble, was surprisingly easy to deal with.
Without proof that it was a lie, they couldn't risk attacking. Furthermore, Rei and Elena had previously fought a Giant Mantis created by a Bestia Empire Alchemist. They had seen it vanish without a trace upon its death. Having witnessed such alchemy firsthand, they couldn't dismiss Theoreme's threat as mere talk.
"What do you think? I’m betting he’s lying out of desperation, but I can't be sure. If we're wrong..."
Elena frowned at Rei’s words.
Her own instincts told her Theoreme was lying. But like Rei, she couldn't prove it, and she couldn't afford a reckless mistake.
As they hesitated for thirty seconds, the window of opportunity for Theoreme opened wide.
"...Lord Theoreme, are you unharmed?"
A new figure appeared: a mage with the lower body of a spider and a robed upper body. It was Gilgos, a Beast Soldier who held Theoreme's absolute trust.
"Yes, for now. Gilgos, I'm sorry to ask this so soon, but can you handle them? Specifically, the one with the giant scythe."
"Impossible," Gilgos replied instantly.
"Given that immense magic power, if we were to trade spells, I would be overwhelmed in short order."
Despite his words, Gilgos showed no sign of fear.
Usually, those who could sense magic power fell into a state of panic or confusion when they felt Rei's presence. Gilgos's calm was a testament to his unusual nature.
"Now then. Since you haven't attacked us even with Gilgos here, may I assume the deal is struck?"
"...We have no choice. Go."
Rei looked at Elena at her words.
She gave a small, frustrated shake of her head. There was no other way.
"Very well. We shall withdraw. Gilgos, the signal."
"Ha!"
Gilgos pointed his staff at the sky and released a flame spell. It acted as a signal flare; a circle of fire burned fiercely in the air before vanishing. With that, Theoreme turned his horse.
Gilgos followed him, leaving the natural arena.
Before he disappeared, he looked back once, staring at Rei as if memorizing him.
(Most Beast Soldiers look like humans with monster parts added, but that Gilgos guy had his parts clearly divided. He was probably made differently... For the sake of the future, I probably should have killed him here.)
"...What now?"
Rei spoke to Elena as they watched Theoreme disappear.
"I suppose that depends on the command. This doesn't mean the battle is over."
"You mean they won't stop just because they blocked the Bestia Imperial Army's advance?"
"The King's Faction took a heavy blow when the main camp was ambushed. And the Supreme Commander is Count Alius of the King's Faction. On the other hand, the Bestia Imperial Army's lead unit was devastated by your firestorm and our counterattacks."
"So, they want to attack a weakened enemy to save face? They'll use those achievements to cover up the disgrace of being caught off guard?"
"Likely. Regardless, we should head back to Count Alius. Whatever they decide, there’s no point in us standing around here."
She reached down a hand toward Rei from her horse.
Rei stared at her hand blankly for a moment. Noticing the faint flush on Elena’s cheeks, he felt a wave of embarrassment himself as he took her hand and climbed onto the horse behind her.
"Normally, the man and woman's positions are reversed for this kind of thing," Rei muttered.
His voice, intended to hide his bashfulness, faded into the clearing where the fierce battle had taken place.
Fortunately, the only one who heard him was Iero, circling in the sky above.