All That Strife (1)
With the entire excavation team's gazes bearing down like a silent pressure, Dorothy blurted out the truth.
"Yeah, that's how it is."
When reminiscing about school over drinks, Dorothy always mentioned Iruki.
No one criticized her since they knew how she felt, but business and personal matters had to be kept separate.
"I know we have no choice but to accept it."
Canis said.
"But if this was messed up because of someone's personal feelings, then at least Iruki deserves an apology."
Sabina twisted her lips.
"Do we have to be so persistent? Let's just smooth things over. No need to make a fuss."
"I joined this team for the ruins, not for the money. This doesn't count as compensation."
Values differ for each person, so Sabina couldn't talk her out of it.
"Canis, let's just step back," Arian said. "We went to the same school after all. Iruki will have a lot to think about."
Canis felt more surprised than hurt.
"Why the sudden change? Putting emotions aside, it's still the right order of work."
Arian looked at Dorothy. "You know, right? What happened to Iruki?"
All eyes turned to Dorothy; her lower lip stuck out a little.
"They say Iruki… might die." Closer frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"I don't know the details either. But if his brain keeps getting overloaded like this, he could end up brain-dead…" Canis said.
"Overdrive, huh."
They all remembered the blue electricity that had flashed in Iruki's eyes back in Mage Academy.
Arian sighed. "Iruki is unique even among servants. I always thought he couldn't hold out long. If that's true, he shouldn't be on the battlefield anymore. He needs rest."
Closer snorted. "Does he seem like the type? Besides, he's the overall commander leading the crusade. Overload's inevitable."
Sabina forced a bitter smile. "Still, you're something else. Even knowing that, you want to keep seeing him?"
Dorothy bowed her head. "This isn't something a team leader should say, but—can we help Iruki? Please, I'm asking."
"Canis."
When Arian turned back, Canis wore his displeasure plainly.
"...What an idiot. Who expects someone to fight for humanity even if it destroys his brain?"
"Fine."
Canis raised both hands in surrender. "Let's do whatever he asks. We just leave afterward, right?"
A voice came from outside the temporary building.
"No. It'd be a problem if you left." When Iruki opened the door and came in, everyone looked surprised.
"Iruki…"
Accepting their pitying looks in silence, Iruki let out a short laugh. "I knew you'd look at me like that."
They were already treating him like a corpse.
"Don't look at me like that. My brain's still intact. I'm not dying for fun."
Canis snapped, "Who's paying attention to that? But what do you mean it'd be a problem if we left?"
"Literally what I said. You'll stay here and help me with something."
He revealed why he'd broken secrecy.
"This is a bit much."
"Sorry for messing with your plans." Canis, about to stand, froze.
"Honestly, fighting demons is already overwhelming. I desperately need people to help. There's no better team than my classmates. If it's you lot, I think I can trust you."
If they could take even part of his burden, Iruki's brain would be much more at ease.
"Tch, say that from the start."
Canis sat back down with a sulky face, and Arian gave a crooked smile.
Sabina asked, "All right, we'll do our best now that it's like this. What exactly are we mining?"
"It's the radioactive material used in elemental bombs. A partner company will arrive. You'll be in charge of the operation. If you hit the target amount, I'll allow protection of the dwarven ruins."
Canis joined the conversation. "How urgent is this?"
"Nade's already designing the production line through his company. We'll get cooperation from Ainka Alchemy."
"Ainka— Richard's father?" Richard of the Golden Coin Circle was an alchemist who graduated the same year as Shirone.
"No. Richard's the owner now. His father, Mr. Marto, oversees the superhuman project in Valkyrie Weapons Development."
"This is almost like a class reunion."
It meant Iruki had been backed into a corner that far.
"I'll be returning to the crusade. I'll throw everything into stopping the legions of Hell. I don't have bandwidth for anything else. I'll leave this place to you."
Dorothy asked, "How will we report progress?"
"Nade will come down once the production line stabilizes. Discuss the details with him." Sabina propped her chin on both hands. "You're all working so hard."
Their effort would be a life-extending medicine for Iruki.
Closer shouted, "All right, let's do it! Let's turn the mountains inside out!"
The old competitive sparks from their school days flared in each of their hearts.
Havitz's army was cutting vertically across the Ferris Kingdom, the central region of the Middle Continent.
"Go! Time is power!"
Before assembling demons scattered across the world, Balkan planned to push forward as far as possible.
While the crusade's soldiers were being trampled by demons, the one who stood out most was Havitz.
"Huff! Huff!"
Mounted on his horse, he had ten thousand troops before his eyes.
But no one knew Havitz was approaching.
Not even the guards moved until he reached their commander.
"Hear the proud army of the Valkyries!"
As the commander shouted, Havitz's sword cut his throat.
"We… ugh. We…"
Why couldn't they speak?
The guards turned back in bewilderment, then shouted in shock. "Commander!"
The throat had already been severed and rolled on the ground, yet the commander's face seemed unaware even of that.
"Ad-advance…"
His breath stopped.
"What happened? Who the hell—"
A red light blossomed like a flame into the guards' view as they lifted their heads.
When the light cleared, the figure atop the horse was revealed: Havitz.
"It's the Emperor! Kill him!"
The sight of the figure that made them forget even their commander's death sent all the guards rushing forward.
At the same time, a red haze rose from Havitz's body and the incarnation of Satan manifested.
Incarnation? Vanishing—an event that doesn't exist.
"What the—"
The knights, losing sight of Havitz, halted and looked around; in an instant seven heads were severed.
"Uh? Uh—?"
The horrifying thing was that the dead didn't even recognize what had happened to them.
"What is this! What on earth is this!"
"To-Tomi…"
One man called out; his comrade spoke with a terrified face. "Y-your face…"
"Huh?"
From the crown to the left cheekbone, as if sliced by Havitz's blade, the face had fallen away.
"What did I—?"
Even though half his vision should've been gone, he didn't realize it, which was terrifying beyond belief.
"You— you're de—"
Before the sentence finished, the guard whose face had fallen off rolled his eyes and died.
"U-ugh… uaaahhhh!"
A guard driven mad by shock and fear screamed, but he didn't realize it.
His lower body had already been severed.
From afar, hearing the commotion of the crusade's army, Balkan smiled at the corner of his mouth. "Havitz has awakened."
It wasn't transparency, nor was it an illusion.
The event itself does not exist.
Because he moved outside the Law, those inside the Law couldn't even perceive him.
Even if you broke someone's finger, they wouldn't notice anything strange about it.
"That is Satan."
A crystal of chaos.
Havitz surged through the crusade's armies as if he were worlds apart from Hell's legions.
"It's connected."
A link.
The truth he discovered while gulping a woman's breast milk was a key fragment of this world's core secret.
"If you set your mind to it, you can connect to anything."
"Aaah! It's Hell! This is Hell!"
Havitz leapt down from his horse and began wildly hacking at the soldiers.
"You! Your h-head…!"
He hacked off soldier after soldier's head until he grew tired, then suddenly dropped to his knees and closed his eyes.
"I'm sleepy."
Infinitely free.
When he woke, he raised his eyelids and slowly stood; all the soldiers turned to look.
"There!"
Havitz, having penetrated their perception, paid no mind even when a phalanx of spears charged at him.
"If it's connected, then even death is…"
With a thud, a spear drove through Havitz and lodged out of his back.
"Death is merely a form of life."
A soldier shouted with unbelieving eyes. "I got him! I—I killed him!"
From the rear, Hell's great army surged in. "Kraaaah! Slaughter the humans!" In an instant the crusade's forces were swept away, and Balkan found Havitz collapsed on the ground.
He bled with a spear still protruding.
"Getaro!"
Officially the army doctor, Getaro hurriedly turned to Balkan. "Why! Why! What's going on—?"
He, too, was stunned by the sight of Havitz.
"Havitz! Damn it! Where's Siok?"
"He's already here. I sent him." Despite the heavy bleeding, there was no fear on Havitz's face.
"This is tricky. Natasha, pull that spear out."
Natasha stepped forward. "Huh? It pierced him?"
She said it casually, grasped the spear, and pulled. Sparks flew from Havitz's eyes.
"All right. First, let's do emergency treatment." As Getaro dug tools from his bag, Havitz spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Hey, doctor."
"Hmm?"
"Is there any way to save me?" Getaro slowly turned his pupils, swallowed, and looked at Havitz.
He was hopeful.
Havitz's eyes shone bright. I am Yein. This has to be funny.
Getaro rummaged through his bag, cleared his throat, and said, "Okay, so the way to do emergency treatment is—"
Suddenly a madness flickered in Getaro's eyes. He plunged the scalpel he held into Havitz's abdomen again and again.
"How would I even know that—!" As the blade sank with sickening sounds, Havitz grimaced in pain and then burst out laughing.
"Puhehehe! Puhehehehe!"
"Uaaah! Uaaahhh!"
Balkan grabbed Getaro and threw him backward; the man had been play-acting his insanity.
"You madman! What are you doing!"
Blood gushed and pulsed from the rent in Havitz's abdomen.
"Havitz! Snap out of it!"
Balkan bared his teeth and glared at Getaro, having confirmed Havitz had lost consciousness.
"You—"
"Ah, no, Havitz likes it." Balkan sighed.
"Pull back for now. Treating Havitz comes first."
Since Havitz's awakening, even Balkan could not guess the basis for his judgments.
"Tch, we're stuck here." For the first time, the march of Hell's army stopped.