2nd Rank Has Returned - Chapter 302



302 – What I sincerely wish-5

The Demon King was suddenly summoned to the center of the continent.

When Leonardo, Ariasviel, and Reinhard disappeared, a black spire rose in their place at the same time.

As if it had to be there.

As in 300 years, the Demon King Castle already existed in that place.

[…It’s the same as before. sh*t…]

Heading towards the Demon King’s Castle, the wise man cursed in a low voice.

Obviously, I tried to force myself to not be in this situation, even though I was on the brink of stone, but I ended up allowing this situation to happen.

{Sage, like when you suddenly disappeared?}

Saint Angela, who had been silently holding the wise man’s decision until now, appeared behind him. The wise man scratched his messy head as if he was troubled by her warning words.

[…Do I really need to notice you like that?]

{It’s not a compliment, it’s a compliment.}

From Noble mtl dot com

Angela smiled her benevolent smile, revealing her saintly patience.

{At least you are notifying and sacrificing now. It’s a good development.}

I’ve made that expression only once before. Saint Angela remembered that face once in the past.

{I don’t think I can let you go unless I do something like this.}

[You…]

Everyone felt solemn for a moment at the saint’s words. Angela already had a history where she had to send a wise man away without a proper greeting.

Behind her dim eyes were the joys and sorrows of a saint who had to wait until her death due to old age.

[If I don’t send it anyway, I’m already dead?]

{Do we really have to stop in this situation?!}

Angela ended up hitting the wise man on the back as usual. It was an insensitive remark, but she knew Angela already knew.

Even the wise man is worried and afraid of this situation.

{…Are you sure it’s okay?}

[It’s a situation where you have no choice but to do it, whether it’s okay or not. I have to accept it.]

Angela smiled at the wise man’s words. She didn’t smile like she just did because she was angry.

If you force yourself to smile now, nothing but tears will come out.

{…Let’s go. To help the warrior.}

[Yes. Thanks.]

The warrior’s companions had to do their jobs.

***

After the appearance of the Demon King, tens of thousands of demonic beasts attempted to break through beyond the walls of the empire.

Fortunately, thanks to the many talented people present, we were not defeated in the siege, but it was only a matter of time.

The demonic beasts multiplied by the hour, exceeding the number they could kill, and the castle wall was in such tatters that even if it was repaired with magic, holes were visible.

“…So many demonic beasts… Disappeared all at once…”

Eileen said she was astonished and in disbelief several times when she saw beyond the barrier.

The demonic beasts that did not disappear even when lightning rained down with unique magic or a typhoon swept away were completely gone.

As if it had evaporated all at once.

“Yes…! “I don’t believe it either, but…”

With her lips quivering, Ameri recalled the scene at that time.

The demonic beasts were multiplying endlessly like bacteria, and in just a few hours, we were in a desperate situation where we would have to break through the walls and face the massacre directly from within.

The situation ended in an unimaginably ideal way.

“…It’s proof that Leo still maintains his sanity.”

Aria Spiel was sure of that as she held her holy sword.

If it were any other time, I would only have guessed and couldn’t say for sure, but I can say for sure now.

“Leo hasn’t lost yet. “This sword proves it.”

The proof was that the Demon King no longer invaded the Holy Sword.

Obviously, if both Leo’s body and mind had been taken away, it would have been impossible to even hold and swing this holy sword.

“…But of course it would be impossible to hold out for long.”

It was natural, but even Leo couldn’t withstand the Demon King’s mental attacks continuously.

The common sense of all the people in the imperial palace was changed remotely, and even Ain himself had to be unconscious and have his body taken away just by being possessed.

Even what just happened could be called a miracle.

[You must not enter through magic. Leo’s ability alone will easily distort my teleportation coordinates.]

There has already been a history of being fooled by the Demon King even when it comes to teleportation into the Demon King’s Castle.

“…Physically breaking holes is our specialty.”

Ariasviel looked up at the Demon King Castle while holding the holy sword.

Even though it was midday, the sky was cloudy as if it was going to rain, and even though there was not a single cloud, the Demon Castle was rejecting light itself.

[The important thing is not to defeat the Demon King, but to reconnect me with Leo.]

Even if we cut down the Demon King now, we cannot save Leo. Rather, in the situation where he was now fused as a vessel, it was unclear whether he could be defeated with the hero’s holy sword.

[You can use Leo’s sword to stab him.]

A black stone longsword held in Aria’s hand.

The Philosopher’s Stone was able to escape from Leo’s heart because of the power of this object.

“…Leo…”

The power that Leo left for Aria until the end was present in that long sword.

Was it just a long sword?

The sword sheath worn at the waist,

Your skills as a warrior have been trained now,

Even being with my family.

What a man named Leo did was so dedicated that it would be rude to summarize it.

“…I have to save you no matter what happens.”

Other people felt the same way.

Soldiers who jumped into the front lines to protect their families, and heroes who jumped into battle to overthrow the devil.

The passion to save Leonardo was boiling over.

“…Don’t be harsh, little brother.”

Rios Reinhardt asked her sister in a more serious and heavy voice than at other times.

In his desire to save her no matter what, Rios was afraid that Aria might make an extreme choice.

It was the same for other families.

“No matter what happens, I have to see them get married and flirt.”

“……”

It seems a little strange to openly show such a promise in such an important matter.

Aria, who benefited from his determination, Ameri, who was betrothed to him, and even Gladio, Rios’ father, looked away in embarrassment.

“…It might not be wrong.”

People’s eyes were all focused on the agreement of an old man. Even Rios, who spoke, watched his grandfather Marken Reinhardt in silence, as if slightly surprised.

“Among the troops here now, there is no one who wishes you misfortune. “It’s not as bad as Rios, but we all feel the same way.”

Even in the high castle, the number of soldiers and barracks was spread out so widely that it exceeded the line of sight.

From Reinhardt to the Imperial Knights,

From wizards of the Magic Tower to prestigious wizards who are not affiliated.

Even the priests and paladins in the temple.

Marken had never seen so many and diverse armies in his life.

“Leo and you, so many people are supporting you that it would be difficult if you didn’t become happy.”

The army let out a loud roar every time they made eye contact with the warrior Ariaspil.

A decisive battle where a hero fights against the devil.

What they wanted was not just prolongation or survival, but complete victory.

“…I really…Can’t afford to lose.”

Aria had a gold engraving on the back of his right hand, which held his holy sword. The precepts of Black Arya, which have the same form as Leo but have different content written on them.

[Insert the Holy Sword into the Holy Sword’s mortuary as promised on the day you turn 20.]

It was a threatening message, but the meaning of the words was that she should save Leo without dying until she turns 20, which is the next day.

I can’t guarantee what happened after rescuing him, but at least another Aria helped save Leo.

“…Sorry for the late reconnaissance.”

A small wyvern landed on the castle wall, creating wind with its wings. From the point of view of human language, it was obvious who that wyvern was.

“Ain…”

To make up for her unintentional mistake, Ain immediately after the sage’s possession was lifted, she continued to transform into a small wyvern and patrol.

“Currently, there are no traces of demonic beasts or monsters ambushed outside. But inside the Demon King’s Castle…”

The moment Ain remembered the Demon King’s Castle again, he couldn’t open his mouth.

I knew that this behavior was not rational or reasonable, but it was not easy for Ain to control it.

The girl’s emotions were already so human that they could not be said to belong to a familiar.

“…It seems like there are so many magical beasts lurking inside that we can’t guess. “It was difficult to find out exactly.”

No matter how good the creature’s eyesight was, looking inside was meaningless. The party members who had already toured the inside of the Demon King’s Castle could understand what that meant.

The Demon King’s Castle was so distorted and distorted that it had to be expressed as having no connection whatsoever between the outside and the inside.

“…I’m sorry. “Sage.”

[That’s enough. Since there is no problem with your reconnaissance itself, it has clearly been proven that Leo is withstanding the Demon King.]

It was quite blunt, but this was the wise man’s own consolation. Although she was a familiar of her own making, she was now the daughter of Leo and Aria.

The wise man was not an evil person who would desecrate life to the extent that such a girl considered herself a potential threat and chose to commit suicide.

I hoped that he would at least be convinced of his right to be recognized as ‘Ein Reinhardt.’

“…No. “I apologize for the continued violence against the wise man.”

But Ain’s apple had a completely different direction.

It was a sad old man whom we would never see again, and at the same time, it was the last tribute to his creator.

“I guess this is part of my apology to Saint Angela.”

Although the two did not say anything separately, Ain apologized like that.

“I was truly sorry.”

Perhaps he was the first to notice because he was an Ain who became a human even though he was not born as a human.

The time left for the wise man and the saint to be here is not long.

[…I did a lot of things that would get me beaten anyway. Don’t apologize for nothing. Because your father has developed that habit once and is not able to change it well.]

{Sage, I don’t think it’s good to encourage you like that. And I also wanted to receive an apology.}

[What kind of saint is that narrow-minded…!]

Even in what could have been the last situation, the wise man and the saint continued to bicker as they had until now.

To the point where they burst into laughter as they tried to maintain a solemn atmosphere even for a moment.

Is it rather because of that?

I felt the pressure and tension I felt during the final battle in the Demon King Castle today was relieved.

“…Now it’s time.”

There was no longer any anxiety on Ariasviel’s face. He received so many things from people that he no longer felt anxious.

Aria said she would win as a warrior, and as Leo’s number one, she could not lose.

Just as Leo had the same feelings and was holding on to the Demon King without losing, she also had to live up to that determination as her companion.

Ariaspil heard from the emperor that all preparations were complete,

“Let’s go to win properly.”

That day, we marched towards the Demon King, determined to achieve a complete victory.

Towards the Demon Castle that is imprisoning Leo.

For love and peace.