Was this the plan we agreed on? While Hinata and I were locked in single combat, had I really ordered them to hold the paladins back this desperately? I felt a prick of doubt. This wasn't what I'd pictured.
Shion gave a sudden signal. Diablo, who had been hovering above, flashed an evil grin and nodded.
"Kufufufufu. Leave it to me. But Shion — you take all the responsibility, right?" he called, and then streaked off with ridiculous glee.
Wait — wasn't he supposed to just observe from the air? Instead he dove toward a small squad of paladins who were clearly trying to set up a barrier.
Souei's shadows streamed updates into the thought link; the battle map in my head pulsed with new data. That constant feed let me see everything, but it didn't mean it was time for Diablo to sprint into the fray. I was about to call him back when Shion jerked her chin toward Gobta and Gabil.
(Erm… this feels different from what we discussed at the meeting…) one thought pinged from Gobta.
(Yeah! Why are we the ones getting stuck with these strong targets?) Gabil's thought followed.
Right — it was odd. I'd felt the same unease. Still, Shion's next mental push had the blunt force of a command.
(Are you idiots? Do what I say now or be my culinary experiment. Your choice.)
No one was actually convinced by threats of bad cooking, but Gobta and Gabil scrambled anyway.
(Understood! I don't want to be your taste tester!)(Let's move, Gabil‑san — I'm not waiting for you!) their frantic thoughts announced as they bolted.
They weren't wrong to feel suspicious. The sequence of events made it look like they were to blame for some sudden decision, and somehow they'd been pushed forward. Souei's five subordinates and Hakurou followed them at a run, joining the scramble.
The small paladin squad they targeted numbered eight. So eight of ours were headed to take them down. But when had Shion set this up? It wasn't in the strategy briefing, and I hadn't ordered it.
Then Souei's calm, efficient thought came through the link: (Shion, I've reached my position. I'll handle one team.)
Diablo's voice cut across the noise as he dove in. "Heh — don't blink, or you'll miss the fireworks," he shouted, then slashed into the paladin line with playful cruelty.
Gobta and Gabil crashed after him with chaotic ferocity, a blur of goblins and blades. Hakurou moved like a blade given life—precise, cold. The small team of paladins was taken by surprise and plunged into confusion.
I didn't like the improvisation, but the moment unfolded cleanly. Each of them filled a role without hesitation: Souei's shadows boxed movement, Hakurou struck key limbs to disable, Diablo sowed panic, Gobta and Gabil overwhelmed with fierce, noisy aggression.
The small paladin squad fell apart under the onslaught. We sealed their movements, and the battlefield kept turning in our favor—messy, unplanned, but effective. Still, I kept one eye on the map and one on Hinata. Improvisation was useful… up to the moment it wasn't.
"Ahh, is that so…" I murmured under my breath. So even Souei had been dragged into this madness. Well, Souka and the others had returned, and the moment they sprinted off to join Gabil's squad, I had guessed it. Three directions, three teams. Yet the enemy still had two squads left. One of them would obviously charge toward Shion—her excitement was written plain on her face.
But what about the last team?
(O Master… I will go forth. Your permission, please!)
"Ranga… you're awake?"
(Yessir! My body feels light. I would like to take some exercise after awakening…)
I froze for a heartbeat. My danger sense hummed—not for myself, but for those standing against him.
"…Don't go overboard. Don't kill anyone," I said aloud, my tone firm but low.
(Leave it to me!)
Ranga's thought reverberated through the link before he howled—a deep, rolling sound that made the air vibrate—and dashed off like a living storm. I could only hope for the paladins' safety. Secretly, I almost found myself cheering for the enemy.
Shion's lips curled with satisfaction as she watched the chaos unfold. She flicked the tip of her tongue across her lips—a sharp, wet glimmer that betrayed her bloodlust—then turned to me.
"Well then, Atem-sama. I'll be back shortly!"
She gave a curt nod, coiling strength into her legs, then launched herself into the air like a bolt.
"Yeah… do your best…" I muttered, before catching myself. Wait—what for?
It felt as if I was being driven mad. Our original plan had been twisted into something else entirely before I even realized. The goal was supposed to be clear: bring Hinata and me into an isolated duel, free from outside interference. That much had succeeded. But we had never planned for it to happen like this.
I forced myself to shift perspective. This had to have been the plan from the start. Yes. I decided to treat it that way. And when I did, I found my emotions hardening into steel. The situation was ideal. No distractions. No excuses.
I lifted my gaze. Hinata stood opposite me, her blade steady, her eyes locked on mine. She looked as though she wanted to say something, her expression briefly sheepish. Then, suddenly, she laughed—short, sharp, but free.
"I see. That's right," she said, her voice cutting across the battlefield. "In the end… I've been reading too much into whether things are right or wrong. Let us settle this in the most definitive way passed down since ancient times."
She raised her sword, light flashing on its edge.
"Will you accept a one-on-one duel, Atem of Eterna? No tricks. No hidden moves. You have surpassed all my plans and precautions. Cheap tricks are useless against you. This is the first time I've felt so powerless, it's almost hilarious. Under the current circumstances, it's already our loss."
Her voice grew steadier, colder.
"It's probably meaningless for you to fight me here. But if you want me to recognize your ideals—defeat me. If you win, I will listen to what you have to say. And not just you—I will believe that there are those among the monsters of Eterna with whom we can have mutual understanding."
She shifted her stance, her sword low but coiled like a predator.
"Of course, if you refuse, I will simply fight to the end and die."
I exhaled once, steady and slow, then raised my own weapon, the aura of my power coiling like a living serpent around me.
"Very well, Hinata," I said, my voice like rolling thunder. "I accept."
The world narrowed to just the two of us.