Chapter 1100: Eiji Standing in the Way
The fairies, who knew no distinction between good and evil, would only chase after trends!
They tirelessly purchased male slaves from human farms, gleefully severed their limbs, and meticulously chopped their flesh into mincemeat. They reveled in the death throes of human slaves, deriving immense pleasure from their agonized cries!
When one died, they simply bought another!
One after another!
Countless humans perished at the hands of these fairies!
All merely to imitate Eiji's past actions, attempting to capture the joy of following trends!
Was this not Eiji's responsibility?
Was it not his fault?
I did not kill the man,
Yet the man died because of me.
Perhaps the main issue did not lie with him—after all, even he had not anticipated the fairies' nature to be so depraved. But without the cause he had sown back then, there would not have been the consequence of thousands of humans being brutally slaughtered by the fairies!
"Fairies do not deserve redemption. I have come to understand Shun's conclusion anew, and I couldn't agree more!"
Eiji laughed with utmost sarcasm.
"Do you still believe I shouldn't have killed those fairies?"
A grave mistake was made because of me.
Then it must be rectified by my own hands!
No one spoke anymore.
Including the most righteous Tristan, everyone found themselves unable to refute Eiji.
They even deeply agreed with Eiji's actions in their hearts.
Though they had long recognized that most fairies were unreliable beings, this was the first time they had witnessed the fathomless depths of the fairies' depravity!
Imitating murder for the sake of trends—this was no longer crossing the line but shattering the moral boundaries of too many people.
"It seems we need to reconsider our deal with Bagest," muttered Little Da Vinci, tugging awkwardly at the long hair framing her forehead.
They had originally secured Bagest's defection by promising to relocate 500 fairies for her.
But if the fairies they were relocating were of this sort—or even if just one such fairy appeared among them—and caused a catastrophe in Pan-Human History, it would be Chaldea's fault!
"Since everything's been laid out, the misunderstanding should be cleared up now. How wonderful!"
Grim, who had been observing from the sidelines, stepped forward and broke the intensely solemn atmosphere with his usual carefree grin.
"The nature of fairies and the issue of relocation can be pondered later. Right now, the key concern is the Queen, isn't it? Since you've been protecting us from the shadows all along, Eiji, that means you ultimately stand with Pan-Human History, right?"
"So wouldn't it be better to strike straight at the heart and deal with the biggest threat first?"
He had a point.
The others were swayed by Grim's words.
The enemy army was rapidly advancing into the city—now was clearly not the time to dwell on these matters. The Queen took precedence.
"In that case, Eiji, you—"
"I refuse."
Eiji unhesitatingly rejected Gudako's invitation.
His response came so swiftly that Gudako was left momentarily stunned.
"W-why?"I've said it before—I stand with Ash.""
Eiji raised his blade.
Amid the rapidly shifting expressions of Tristan and the others, the tip of his sword pointed unwaveringly at the members of Chaldea.
"If you wish to reach the palace, you must first defeat me!"
His sudden declaration left everyone utterly bewildered.
Even the wise Grim found himself unable to fathom his intentions.
"Wasn't that just you deliberately distancing yourself?"
"Is that necessary?"
Eiji raised an eyebrow.
For him, there was truly no need to create distance.
His earlier words weren't spoken in jest either.
Well, perhaps there was a slight amusement in it.
But that declaration contained no trace of a joke.
Thus, after returning from 2400 years ago, Eiji had genuinely decided to stand by Cernunnos's side!
"If you can't even defeat me, then don't throw your lives away before the throne."
Eiji's words carried a deeper meaning.
"Rest assured, I won't use the power of a True Ancestor—I'll only fight you with this physical body. Be warned, I'm coming."
He gave them almost no time to hesitate.
In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished from where he stood.
In that instant, the Chaldea team could only barely shift their mindset, without even managing to assume defensive stances.
"Tristan!"
Grim suddenly shouted a warning.
Tristan instantly tensed up.
But he still failed to track Eiji's movements at all.
Only when Eiji appeared before him, blade already thrusting forward, did Tristan snap back to reality in sheer shock.
By then, it was too late to retreat. Instinct made Tristan raise his harp.
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed.
The blade swept past.
Tristan suddenly felt his hands lighten—the harp had shattered into several pieces!
Before he could grieve the loss, a sharp pain erupted in his chest. Then, he was sent flying backward like a missile, crashing into a nearby civilian wall and stirring up a cloud of dust.
"Attacking without warning, showing no mercy at all!"
Grim muttered under his breath, immediately beginning to prepare a spell.
But after sending Tristan flying, Eiji immediately turned, charging straight toward Grim with clear intent!
"Cover me!"
Grim shouted sharply, swiftly retreating backward.
He knew his limits—in close combat, ten of him might not be a match for Eiji. To win, he had to take a risky approach!
No need for further words. The tacit understanding forged through countless battles prompted Mash to step forward, shield in hand, covering Grim!
Clang—!
Eiji swung his blade, the edge landing squarely on the shield!
In that instant, the force transmitted from the blade through the shield in an almost incredible manner, reaching her arms and making Mash feel a violent tremor!
Seeing the shield nearly torn from her grasp, Mash desperately tightened her grip on the straps, channeling powerful magical energy to form a defense, barely preventing the shield from flying away.
"She actually managed to barely block that strike?"
Eiji inwardly marveled.
The unique mechanics of the Fairy Kingdom had indeed made Mash much stronger.
To withstand a strike aimed at her weakness without falling—that was truly strength on the level of a Fairy Knight!
But it would only take one more blow!
*Swish!Just then, a crisis warning flashed in Eiji's mind.
He decisively abandoned Mash without hesitation.
Immediately after, an incredibly sharp sword light swept past before his eyes, as if the very space had been cleaved in two, revealing two opposing mirror-like surfaces in midair!
Muramasa swiftly swung his blade from the side, severing the space itself. Even Eiji dared not confront that strike head-on, successfully rescuing Mash from her predicament.
Grimm's preparations continued unabated.
Numerous runes traced patterns before him, with crimson flames sporadically bursting forth, radiating scorching heat!
Eiji paid it no mind.
He even abandoned Muramasa, pivoting on his feet to dive once more toward Mash's direction.