"It's been a while, Sara." (Eugene)
".........Yes, it has, Eugene." (Sara)
Sara's expression was complicated.
It was as if she were suppressing sadness, anger, and some other emotion.
She was no longer wearing her old school uniform, but instead the same white light armor as the other Holy Knights.
However, the light armor was inscribed with intricate defensive magic formulas, showing her high status in the Holy Union.
(The Sword Holy Maiden…huh.) (Eugene)
That seemed to be her current title.
"Eugene, draw your weapon." (Sara)
Brushing aside the hands of the Holy Knights trying to stop her, Sara drew her Holy Sword from its sheath.
"Sara… I…" (Eugene)
I didn't come here to fight.
That said, I just injured the arm of President Robert, a Holy Knight Captain.
I returned my White Sword to its sheath to show I had no intention of fighting.
Seeing that, Sara furrowed her brows.
"So, you think… I'm not even worth drawing your weapon for?" (Sara)
"No, that's not it. I just don't want to fight you, Sara." (Eugene)
"Then try blocking this." (Sara)
——Holy Sword Secret Art: [Seven Star Saber].
Sara raised her Holy Sword, and the blade began to shine, producing seven swords of light.
(Seriously?) (Eugene)
It was a sword technique she used only when going all out.
Her trump card, which had once taken down a dragon single-handedly at the Zenith Tower.
"Go!!" (Sara)
The seven swords of light traced complex trajectories as they hurtled toward me at high speed at Sara's shout…
"Kh...huh?" (Eugene)
I was ready to activate my barrier magic at any moment if I couldn't dodge.
*Fwooon…*
The swords of light approached me with a rather underwhelming sound.
An all-range attack with seven swords of light was supposed to be quite a threat.
(Slow…) (Eugene)
This was about half the speed of Sara's magic sword techniques as I knew them.
I easily kept dodging without trouble.
"Dammit! He's dodging that?!"
"What kind of guy is this?!"
"To avoid the Holy Maiden's attack from all directions?!"
"So this is the strength of the swordsman who defeated the Demon Lord!!"
The frustrated voices of the younger Holy Knights reached my ears.
(No, any A Rank explorer who's cleared past Floor 100 of the Zenith Tower could dodge this…) (Eugene)
Claude or President Robert could probably handle it easily.
When I glanced at Sara and President Robert…
"Kh! You've improved, Eugene!" (Sara)
Sara delivered the line in a monotone.
"Captain! Healing spell complete!"
"Yeah, thank you. I'm fine now." (Robert)
President Robert had a cleric heal his injured arm.
It seemed his injury was gone.
If President Robert joined the fight, that'd be bad, but he didn't seem inclined to approach.
"You all, stay back. Don't get into the range of Sara-dono's swords of light." (Robert)
He was just giving orders to his subordinates.
"…"
President Robert glanced at me and our eyes met. He looked like he had something to say…
At least, there wasn't going to be a rematch right now.
I kept dodging Sara's slow magic attacks for a while, when…
"Eugy-kun!!"
"Eugene-sama!!"
Familiar voices reached my ears.
I didn't even need to look to know it was Sumire and Miguel. Claude was with them too.
They probably came after seeing the commotion. So they really were in the Holy Capital.
"Stop it, Sara-chan!! You two shouldn't be fighting!!" (Sumire)
"Holy Maiden! I thought you were Eugene-sama's lover!" (Miguel)
Sumire and Miguel's worried voices rang out.
"......?"
Only Claude, however, watched me dodging the swords of light with a puzzled look.
——-As if to say, "What the hell are these two doing?"
At least now I reunited with my companions.
Still, the Holy Knights around us continued glaring at me with hostility.
They didn't step in themselves since Sara was "attacking" me.
(I see… So that's the plan.) (Eugene)
It hit me only now.
If I kept fighting the Holy Knights, I'd probably have had no choice but to flee.
But by "fighting" the Holy Maiden Sara, the other Holy Knights couldn't interfere, letting me stay here.
In other words, she was buying time.
And, most likely…
"Everyone, sheath your swords. Holy Maiden Sara, you too."
A dignified voice rang out.
Shining golden hair, a white priest's robe.
The large staff in her hand radiated holy light.
"Orianne-sama, understood." (Sara)
Sara replied.
The seven swords of light she conjured crumbled away like sand and vanished.
She returned her Holy Sword to its sheath.
The surrounding Holy Knights reluctantly followed suit.
Satisfied, the Destiny Oracle smiled.
She smiled at me the same as when we met before…though there was a hint of sadness to it.
"You seem well, Eugene Santafield-san." (Orianne)
"It's been a while, Destiny Oracle-sama. I apologize for the sudden intrusion." (Eugene)
First, I apologized for illegally entering the Holy Capital.
"Indeed, I would have preferred a more peaceful arrival. Since the Archangel Laila had informed me of your coming, if you told the gate guards, the message would have reached me." (Orianne)
"…I see." (Eugene)
I didn't know my mother arranged even that.
"That said, with the usual procedures, you'd have waited over ten days. And as the son of the former Emperor's Imperial Sword, your arrival would have caused a stir anyway. This method seems to have been the fastest…" (Orianne)
She let out a small sigh. Her eyes shone faintly gold.
Perhaps she saw something through her Destiny Magic.
At that moment…
"Destiny Oracle!! With all due respect! The Dragon Knight and Summoner from the Blue Waters Federation here seem to have aided the Imperial swordsman's illegal entry! Surely this is a clear breach of alliance!"
One of the young Holy Knights shouted loudly.
"Claude-dono! Miguel-dono! Do you have anything to say in your defense?!"
"That is…"
Claude and Miguel were being pressed hard.
I raised my voice to object.
"Wait. I traveled with Claude and the others only as far as Crescent Lake. From there, I acted alone. Claude didn't know I was going to enter the Holy Capital. This was all my doing." (Eugene)
"Hah! Lies won't help you! We Holy Knights can use Truth Sight magic. You claim to have come from Crescent Lake alone? Are you saying you climbed Holy Mother Peak from the ground?! That's impossib— Wait, it's true?!"
He must have confirmed it with Truth Sight.
The knight who spoke looked visibly shaken.
"Eugene, what are you doing…?" (Sara)
Sara gave me an exasperated look.
"I couldn't help it. I was in a hurry to see you." (Eugene)
"Idiot." (Sara)
Sara's expression softened into the same exasperation she used to show in the past.
The surrounding Holy Knights, however, were clearly taken aback.
Seeing that, Orianne-sama spoke loudly.
"I trust, from the words of Laila-sama, that Eugene-kun is not an enemy of the Holy Union. Now then, why don't you tell us the reason you've come here with such determination?" (Orianne)
No one objected this time to the Destiny Oracle's smiling words.