CH 400

–I found myself standing alone in the middle of a forest.

“…… Huh? This is …….”

I was supposed to be sleeping with Makina, with Ash as my pillow……. Is this a dream? If so, Sephiro should be nearby ……

“Sephiro! Makina! Answer me if you’re there!”

I shouted loudly, but there was no reply, and the area was surrounded by silence.

It’s a dark forest, an eerie place with no sign of animals or monsters, but as I look around I realize it’s a familiar place.

“This is the forest near the town of Gust, isn’t it? Why am I in this place ……?”

As I tilted my head at the strange situation, I used the levitation to go up the sky. As I looked forward, thinking that I was a little off the beaten path, I saw an unbelievable sight.

“!? The town is on fire!?”

Smoke was rising from everywhere in the town, and red flames were flickering in the air! I rushed to the town and found it to be a literal hell.

“Hahahaha!　Die!”

“Gyaaaaah!?”

“‘Hey, the girl’s over here! Give it up!”

“Oh …… you ……”

Soldiers in unfamiliar armor laid waste to the town, spreading oil and setting fires. People were being cut here and there, and women were being taken somewhere.

“Hyah ……! Die!”

“……!! <Fireball>!”

I unleash my magic on the soldier who was about to attack another townsman. I don’t really understand what’s happening, but I can’t just let it happen! But my magic slipped through the soldier’s body as if nothing had happened.

“What ……!?”

“Oryaaa!”

“Gu-, uhhhhhh ……!?”

I was stunned to see a person bleeding and falling in front of me. The magic …… slipped through ……? I shake my head and slash at him with my sword this time.

“Uooooooooooh!?”

“Heh ……”

“Aga ……!?”

Even though I was right in front of him, the soldier stabbed his sword into the fallen man as if I wasn’t there, killing him. And then I’d fall slipped the soldier, body and all.

“W-What the hell is going on!? Damn ……!”

The word “holographic” comes to my mind as the attack slips through no matter how many times I try. But this is a different world, and the only person who can do this is …… only one. However, it’s been over a decade since he has last shown himself and since I don’t know why he would show such a sight, I’d like to think it’s not Regaaro.

“That’s right! The house!?”

I stood there, unable to overturn the horrible situation, but I quickly remembered my parents’ house and started running.

I’m sure Tigre-sensei, Verna-sensei, Ryuuze, Hauzen-san and the others are there, but this situation is strange no matter what I think. Is it still a dream ……? But how can I wake up ……?　Even though I don’t want to see anything like this ……!

When I entered the main street near the gate, I found many adventurers who had run out of steam and were lying on the ground. Of course, there were also many enemy soldiers lying on the ground, so it was clear that this area, which led to the shopping district, had become a battlefield.

“……!? Ah, ahhhhh …….”

As I was moving my eyes around, I saw a scene that sent chills down my spine. The person sitting on the wall of the building was a face I knew.

“Ryuuze……!”

The person there was Ryuuze covered in blood. The sword in his stomach went through his back, and he died along with Naru, who was probably protecting him. There was a large sword made from a broken tusk of Sarge lying beside him. The blade was battered and split in half, indicating that it had been a fierce battle.

“…… Why ……”

I tried to close his eyes, but they slip and I run again, fighting back the tears that’s about to come out. What’s wrong with Sarge? If it was this bad, he would have grown large and defeated the enemy ……

There are still soldiers slaying people in the town, but there’s nothing I can do about it, so I grit my teeth and fly through the air to see what’s going on.

Most of the shopping district is on fire, and I can hear the fire and screams in the residential areas.

“I’ve arrived ……! What!?”

When I looked at the garden from the sky, I saw Sarge lying there, covered in blood, just like Ryuuze. His neck had been cut off and he had numerous spears, bows, and other weapons lodged in his body. He have auto-protection, and yet he got hit this hard ……!? Who the hell are these people!

As I entered the mansion, fighting back nausea, the smell of blood hit my nose and sent chills down my spine. My brother’s at home, and Nora’s good too, so they’re not going to be beaten easily–

“T-This is ridiculous ……!”

Despite my best wishes, I found Dad and Mom lying on top of each other in the living room …… Of course, there are blood stains on the floor from both of them.

And then there was a voice coming down from upstairs.

“Wa, Let go! Dedite-kun is dying!”

“He’s no good anymore, I cut his arm, so he’s going to bleed to death. Hehe, I’ll take care of you just like I took care of your husband, okay?”

""

“No!”

“No-, Nora ……! <Fireball ……>!”

“Uaaaaaahhhhhh!? Y-You’re still alive–“

“Dedite-kun ……! <Flameblade>!”

“Uooooohhhhhhhhhh ……!? Y-You!”

“Au ……!”

My brother, who lost an eye and an arm while falling down the stairs, shot a fireball into the soldier’s back, causing it to explode, while Nora burned the soldier with her Flameblade, but the soldier fought back and stabbed Nora in the heart with his sword.

“Nora! <Healing>!”

“Uh-uhhhh …… Dedite …… -kun  …….”

“N-No ……!? Brother, Nora! Stay with me!”

I scream, scratching my head, but they don’t hear me, and I grab my hand in the hall, dragging myself along.

“I-I’m sorry ……. I couldn’t protect, you …… Goho  ……”

“N-No …… if I had fought properly …… I didn’t think there were three of them …… Healing can’t cure me now ……”

“If Aina hadn’t been taken hostage, Sarge and dad and the others would have been ……”

“Ugh ……”

“Nora? Nora! Ah, ahhhhhhh, No w–“

Nora died, and my brother followed suit. That’s when I finally lost my temper.

“What the hell is this! What the hell do you want me to do by showing this! Damn it! Damn ittttttt! <Dragonic Blaze>!”

I go outside and fire my Dragonic Blaze at the soldiers who are still killing. The magic comes out, but the buildings and people are unharmed.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn itttttttttt! <Dragonic Blaze> <Dragonic Blaze> !!!!”

I run through the town, shooting randomly. Hauzen-san, Mizuki-san, Urka, Jack …… I see classmates and acquaintances dying all over the place, and I finally feel like I’m going crazy.

And when I arrived at the academy–

“Don’t move, okay? If you move, the cute girl’s head will fall off.”

“Tilia ……!”

“Daddy! Daddy!”

“Let her go! If you want a hostage, I’ll take her place.”

“Stop it. They’re going to kill all the men anyway.”

–Tigre-sensei, Verna-sensei, and the headmaster were standing closest to the gate with a stern look on their faces as they faced the two men. This was also because the man with the bad eyes was holding Tilia-chan and had a sword to her neck.

Then the other man opened his mouth.

“It’s been a long time, Tigre. I didn’t expect to find you living in a place like this after fleeing the battlefield.”

“Hitzrite ……”

“Because you escaped from the battlefield, I became the strongest knight in the Berias Kingdom. I thank you.”

“Heh, I’d even appreciate it if you’d just disappear.”

“It’s not that simple …… If you’re still alive, it’s a different story. Tigre, I’m going to kill you and take the real title as the strongest in the Kingdom of Beliales!”

“Damn you!”

A man named Hitzrite brandished a shortsword in both hands and approached Tigre-sensei. He tries to defend against it, but the man with the bad eyes digs a blade into Tilia-chan’s neck.

“Nooooooooo, it’s hurts!”

“Tilia!? Guoh!?”

“I told you not to move! Hyahahaha! Just a little more and I’m almost near the big blood veins, you know?”

“Damn you ……! <Water Jail>.”

“Headmaster!?”

Tigre-sensei narrowly avoids it, but Tilia-chan’s wound is not light. In an attempt to end the situation, the headmaster instantly takes Tilia-chan’s arms and pulls her down to the ground. At the same moment, Verna-sensei rescues Tilia-chan.

“Give it your all, Ti–“

“Headmaster!?”

“Nn-, I just killed him because he became lighter! Hyaha!”

I didn’t see it ……!? I can’t even see what the guy did after he was pulled by the water jail!　

While the headmaster’s upper body slipped down, he goes around behind Tigre-sensei, who was crossing swords with Hitzrite. 

“This guy ……!”

“This is my prey, don’t mess with it!”

“Kuku …… Then I’ll give you a leg up!”

“Gah ……!?”

The man with the bad eyes smirked and kicked the sword away with his foot, sending it through Tigre-sensei’s back.

“Tsk. ……”

“D-Damn you …… R-Run away, Verna ……! Tell Luitzar and Reflexion about these guys–“

“That’s it! Die, Tigre!”

“Tigre-senseeeeeeeeeeeei!”

The shortsword cleaved and chopped off the head of the tumbling down Tigre-sensei. Tigre-sensei’s head fell off, and Hitzrite grabbed it with a look of boredom on his face. 

“You’ve grown weaker. Is it because you have a wife and child? Well, it worked out well for me.”

“Ahhhhhhh …… <Hydrostream>!!”

“Hyahaha! You should have run!”

“Ugh ……!? T-Tigre …… Tilia ……”

A man who can easily slice through a wide range of hydrostream, and in a split second, close the gap and punch Verna-sensei in the stomach, causing her to faint. He opened his mouth while carrying Tilia-chan on his shoulder.

“Kuku, It seems that this is Luitzar’s princess. Let’s use her as bait to take over there too! If we’re going to attack the Reflexion, the more the merrier, right? Let’s increase the number of knights, hyahaha!”

“We need to let them know as soon as possible that we’ve taken this place down. We’ve got to make sure every inch of this place is clear.”

“All right. I’m going to have some fun.”

“Suit yourself.”

The two men walked away.

I stood there and shouted in front of the headless Tigre-sensei and the headmaster.

“Uwaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!”

If this is a dream, please let me wake up quickly! I don’t want to see this scene anymore! Even in a dream, I can’t allow my brother and the others to die!

What the hell is this …..!!!!

I fell to my knees and cried out. I hit the ground, but it didn’t hurt. Anger and fear shook my body as I wondered where I had wandered off to.

How long was I screaming …… Somewhere, I heard a voice calling me.

“Lars! Oh, I finally found you!”

“Makina ……?”

“Big brother!”

“And Sephiro …… Am I really still inside a dream ……?

My body twitched a little in the hope that I was dreaming.

“It seems so. I thought I was sleeping in Sandiola’s castl ……”

“I don’t think this is a dream about me or big brother …… I don’t want to see this, and I can’t let you see it ……”

“It’s not ……? Then who the hell ……?”

In the meantime, a familiar man appears from behind Makina and the others with a smile on his face and opens his mouth.

“…… It’s me, Lars-kun.”

Retzel approached us, taking off his glasses.

This is what the 400th episode anniversary looks like ……

Thank you for reading!

[Afterword Theater]

“Too much horror ……”

Now, the last scene of the Sandiola Arc begins!