An icy breath descended from the sky, shattering the ground below.
It was the natural phenomenon known as a downburst.
This atmospheric disaster, a powerful downdraft capable of leveling everything within a radius of several kilometers, trampled over the earth.
The resulting landscape was wretched.
The earth at the epicenter was hollowed out, and trees lay leveled as if a rampaging god had personally crushed the world underfoot. Members of the Imperial Army who should have been stationed there were now scattered across the terrain. Parts of their bodies were frozen solid, and some had even lost limbs or their heads.
"Thinking that a human caused this makes me shudder... though, I suppose I’m the one who did it," Lest muttered.
Despite the nausea rising in his throat, he refused to avert his gaze. It was only right. He had done this; he had killed these soldiers himself, and he would accept the consequences of his actions without looking away.
"……"
He activated [Presence Search] to scan the area. There were almost no signs of life—meaning a few still remained.
"Don't move. In your state, I’m faster."
Lest manifested a light-absorbing Dark Star and took a ready stance. A section of the pulverized earth heaved upward, and the woman buried beneath it forced herself up.
"……Cough."
Her red robe was torn to shreds. The Inverted Pentagram that had once been emblazoned on her back was ripped by the wind and caked in soil, no longer retaining its original shape. She was the Mage of the Inverted Pentagram—the assassin sent by Takfir Kahen.
"You're still alive... Did you use water to protect yourself?"
"……"
The Red-robed Figure did not answer. She turned a hollow gaze toward him, glaring with deep resentment. She was already half-dead—no, more like eighty percent dead. Her body was a mass of bleeding wounds, and she was frozen and visibly fading. It was a sight where being alive was a greater misfortune than death.
Lest kept his Dark Star focused on her, ready to fire [Amaterasu] the instant she attempted a countermove.
If she moves even a single drop of water, I’ll blow her head off. She can diffuse light with water, but I’m far faster.
"……Don't glare at me like that. I don't see why you should hold a grudge against me."
"Yes, you're right…… I don't particularly hold a grudge," she replied, surprisingly.
"I lost. It is an utter defeat……"
"You're quite quick to give up. Or are you waiting for a chance to turn the tables?"
"Hardly…… In the end, I am merely one who was rejected. I won't go seeking salvation now."
The woman moved her right hand. Lest nearly fired his magic, but she made no move to attack or defend. Instead, she pulled a small cross from her breast.
"……I wasn't allowed into Heaven. I fell into this world instead—a Purgatory where people do nothing but fight. I thought I had followed the teachings…… but it was all over long ago."
"You are……"
"Please, say nothing. I have no intention of answering the questions of the enemy who killed my comrades……"
She broke into a wet cough and spat up blood.
"……Ah, I hate this…… Why was I sent to a world like this…… I, to the god of this world……"
"Hey……"
"Ro…… mas……"
"……"
The Red-robed Figure stopped moving. The life sign Lest had been tracking through [Presence Search] vanished. She was dead—or so it seemed.
"You are soft, our Lord."
"!"
A voice came from an unexpected direction. Simultaneously, a blade whistled through the air and pierced the woman's head.
"She might have been hiding her life force with magic. To be safe, it is best to deliver a finishing blow to the point of excess."
"A Sky-Demon……"
A figure dressed in black appeared out of thin air. Even with his [Presence Search] active, Lest hadn't been able to sense them. The Sky-Demon crouched beside the woman, grabbed the knife stuck in her skull, and twisted it, gouging her brain. They were ensuring that she could not be revived by any means.
"I’m sorry. I forgot you were here……" Lest apologized.
In the heat of a life-or-death battle, he hadn't had the luxury of worrying about his allies' positions. He had used wide-area magic that could have easily caught the Sky-Demon in the crossfire.
"Think nothing of it. We exist solely to die for our Lord," the Sky-Demon replied bluntly.
There wasn't a hint of hesitation in their voice; they spoke from a place of absolute conviction.
"More importantly…… well done. Thanks to you, we have successfully struck down the Imperial Army Advance Force."
The Sky-Demon surveyed the devastation.
"After being crushed like this, the enemy likely won't send in a Second Wave. This served as an effective warning."
"……Yeah. I suppose it worked out."
Since it wasn't a result he had specifically aimed for, Lest didn't feel entitled to the praise. He narrowed his eyes sorrowfully at the corpse of the woman whose head had been mutilated.
She was Japanese... just like me.
A fellow countryman. From their brief exchange, he hadn't gotten the impression that she was an evil person. There was no doubt she was an enemy, and he didn't believe he was wrong to have defeated her. Yet, a sticky, unpleasant feeling clung to his heart and refused to fade.
"Is something the matter?"
"……No, it’s nothing."
Lest shook his head. He would never know what the Red-robed Figure had been thinking when she aided the Empire.
However, he felt he finally understood something. There was no simple good or evil in war. She had her own justice, and the Empire likely had theirs when they started this conflict.
"Even so, I can't hold back……"
Lest had his own things to protect. No matter what his opponents were carrying on their shoulders, he would face them without hesitation.
Even if they are from my home... even if they are Japanese!
"……"
With his resolve hardened, Lest left the scene behind.