Chapter 1239: Conquered Without Even Knowing Their Appearance?
"Hey, isn't that Sayaka?"
Seeing the ponytailed girl arrive, Eiji stopped in his tracks and waved cheerfully at her.
Hagure Yuri and Hikawa Shio, who had hurriedly risen from the muddy ground, both froze in surprise.
They exchanged a glance.
"Are they acquaintances?"
Where did Kousaka Sayaka meet such an incredible person?
Seeing that Eiji showed no intention of continuing the fight, Sayaka finally managed to relax slightly.
Though both Hagure Yuri and Hikawa Shio were outstanding students of Koujin Shrine and considered quite strong in ordinary people's eyes, they were still too inexperienced compared to Eiji. This was someone who could shatter the Western Church's top-tier magical armor reinforcement suit with a single punch, and who fought without fear - even daring to confront the Fourth True Ancestor.
If she had been a moment slower, Hagure Yuri and Hikawa Shio might have been beaten into concussions!
"Really, what exactly are you here for?"
Sayaka lowered her guard with a headache.
Looking at the chaotic surroundings - particularly the tanks and soldiers fallen in the battle, and Eiji wandering around as if nothing had happened - made her head throb.
"Didn't I tell you? I wanted to see you!"
Eiji said with complete seriousness.
"You said you were on a mission, so I came to where you're working to see you! Don't you think I'm such a warm guy?"
Warm!
That was certainly very warm!
Anyone standing in the middle of flames like him would be a warm guy!
"Shio, that guy's confessing to Sayaka?"
"Sayaka has androphobia, so it's basically impossible."
The two girls behind them whispered to each other.
"H-h-h-he came for me?! W-well, there's no helping it! Really! Hmm, no helping it!"
Sayaka couldn't hide the joy on her face, speaking cheerfully.
"Sayaka's fallen!"
Hagure Yuri exclaimed excitedly.
"What do you mean 'no helping it'?!"
Hikawa Shio roared angrily.
No matter what, that guy had forcibly broken into the Self-Defense Forces' camp, destroyed so many tanks and bombers, and who knew how many people had lost their lives!
Was this something that could be resolved with just "no helping it"?
"R-right, the casualties are so heavy..."
Sayaka suddenly came back to her senses, patted her head, and her expression turned grim.
"Sayaka."
At that moment, Yukina Himeragi came to her side and pointed at the sky not far away.
Her expression was somewhat complicated.
Simultaneously.
"And who's to blame for causing such heavy casualties?"
In the sky, Kojou Akatsuki, encased in a gem-like shield, slowly descended.
He glared hatefully at Sayaka and Yukina.
"If you hadn't taken Aglora away, why would we have needed to come here? Why would Aki have needed to fight the Self-Defense Forces?"
The anger over Aglora being taken surpassed their slight schoolmate relationship, making Kojou resent Sayaka intensely.
Most of the time, Kojou Akatsuki was quite gentle.
But there was one exception - when someone harmed those closest to him, like Nagisa Akatsuki, or like Aglora.
The moment either of these two suffered even the slightest injury, he would lose all rationality in an instant.
"This is the rage of a lolicon!"
Eiji muttered under his breath.
With his abilities, he could have easily slipped past these Self-Defense Forces undetected with Kojou Akatsuki and entered the Sacred Binding Lake territory.
But he didn't. Instead, he actively charged into the Self-Defense Forces' formation.
There was no particular reason.
It was purely because seeing those uniformed men who had hunted him back then triggered his PTSD, making him feel the need to tear something apart to vent.
"Kojou Akatsuki...!"
Sayaka choked on her words.
Yukina Himegami fell silent as well.
Yori Hanamiya and Shio Fikawa exchanged glances and sighed helplessly.
From the perspective of who was at fault first, it was indeed their Lion King Organization that was in the wrong.
"Where is Aglora!"
Kojou Akatsuki stepped forward, demanding an answer from Sayaka with great intensity.
"Well..."
Sayaka's expression turned troubled.
Although they were indeed at fault initially, for the sake of the Holy Annihilation legacy and to repel the Chaos Realm's submarine aircraft carrier fleet in the Pacific theater, no matter how you looked at it, Aglora was indispensable!
Just then, a faint blue spiritual thread drifted over from the horizon.
Under everyone's gaze, the tip of the spiritual thread connected to Sayaka.
Sayaka was momentarily stunned, then visibly relaxed with relief.
"By Lady Kuraki Shizuna's orders, I will take you to see Aglora."
The other Self-Defense Force squads that had rushed to the scene dispersed.
Led by Sayaka and the three other girls, the group made their way through the dense, layered forest toward the small hill beside the Sacred Binding Lake.
"Is that the person who called Sayaka earlier?"
As the girls walked ahead, Yukina took the opportunity to whisper to Sayaka.
"Yes, that's right."
Realizing she couldn't hide it any longer, Sayaka reluctantly nodded.
"Is he Sayaka's boyfriend?"
Yori popped her head out from behind, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"N-No, of course not!"
Sayaka's face flushed bright red, and she reflexively denied it loudly.
"Really? But he came all the way here for you, Sayaka!"
Yori was clearly disappointed but still unwilling to let it go.
"Don't take that guy's words seriously!"
Sayaka waved her hands repeatedly, evading the question with a flustered expression.
"Regardless of his identity, his strength is truly extraordinary!"
In contrast, Shio remained calm, though her eyes held a trace of frustration.
"Who is he? Why is he so strong?"
He moved effortlessly through the Self-Defense Forces' artillery fire, tossing her and Yori aside with mere gestures.
"Actually, I don't really know either..."
Sayaka scratched her cheek, lost in thought.
Her knowledge of Eiji was limited to his guardian relationship with the Witch of the Void, his exceptional martial arts skills, his troublesome personality, and his questionable sanity. Beyond that, she knew nothing.
Though she knew he had some connection to the Lion King Organization, she had found no relevant information, only that he was involved in the Adydrad Abbey burning incident five years ago.
As for what Kojou Shinano called "Narcissus," it was the first time she had heard of it.
"Why is he covering his face?"
Yori quietly pointed at Eiji, who was walking behind them.
From his figure alone, he's quite pleasing to the eye—so why does he have to cover his face?
Could it be that he's actually very ugly and feels insecure about it?
"I don't know either..."
As she spoke, Sayaka's tone suddenly dropped.
Oh right, come to think of it, I've never even seen his real face?
"You got conquered without even knowing what he looks like?"
Shio Fikawa couldn't help raising her voice, staring at Sayaka in disbelief.
Yunna Minami was also stunned.
"Who—who got conquered! Don't you dare slander me, Shio Fikawa!"
Sayaka immediately flew into a shame-induced rage, retorting loudly with the clear implication she might draw Aikaryuu at any moment.
"Sayaka..."
Yukina Himeragi looked at Sayaka with a complicated expression.
"No, Yukina! I really haven't been con—conquered! I'm completely devoted to you, you have to believe me!"