Chapter 52

I apologize for the delay in posting.

Chapter 3 begins.

The war between humans and the Allied Forces suddenly intensified.

The situation where the Allied Forces attacked and the human army defended collapsed in an instant, and as if they had been storing up their strength all along, the humans launched a full-scale invasion of the Demon Continent.

As a result, the warp device, the <Gate>, was set up to send troops, and the Demon Army quickly found itself on the defensive.

With the Beastmen unable to participate, the function of the Allied Forces was almost at a standstill, and the demons were gradually being pushed back to their capital, Evilbarrow.

The lack of fighting power—there was no force capable of countering the black-robed group led by the former hero Toshima—was the reason.

However, at this moment, a force capable of countering the human forces was arriving on the Demon Continent.

Arize Ifriel was wandering the battlefield with a group of magic soldiers.

She mercilessly slaughtered any demons she found, staining her body with their blood.

However, she was now surrounded by demon soldiers and was about to meet her end.

"Alright! I got it!"

As the soldiers rushed at her, one of them, having dodged her rapier, slashed her arm from the elbow.

Losing an arm, a person loses their balance.

It was better than losing the shoulder, but Arize's body still wobbled.

"Go! Attack now!"

"This is the end for the traitor demons! Die!"

The soldiers, with fierce expressions, charged at Arize.

There were dozens of demons on the battlefield who were considered traitors.

They had been abandoned early on, and now only Arize Ifriel remained.

But she was the last, and she was too strong.

She had been the disciple of Setsu, albeit for a short time—

"K, Karakuri is heading that way!"

The moment the soldiers' swords were about to strike Arize, they were swept away by a thick arm.

A wounded magic soldier stood in front of her, protecting her.

"R... Ramel"

"Hey! What are the guys holding down the Karakuri doing!"

"No good! They're all dead! They're coming!"

The unit that had been holding down the surrounding magic soldiers to take down Arize had been annihilated.

From there, a torrent of nearly fifty mechanical soldiers poured in.

Due to the overwhelming power that even three soldiers couldn't handle, the situation quickly reversed.

"Ramel"

"G... Grr..."

The magic soldier called Ramel by Arize lifted the injured girl and fled to the back, blending in with the other magic soldiers.

The demon soldiers who tried to pursue were flung into the air by the arms of the front-line magic soldiers.

"Damn! With this number..."

The soldiers, who had not only failed to defeat the traitors but were now in immediate danger, showed signs of despair.

There were fifty demon soldiers on the field, and nearly fifty magic soldiers.

Since one magic soldier had the power of three, this was essentially a difference of fifty to one hundred and fifty.

In this situation, it meant certain defeat.

"At least... I'll take you down with me..."

But the demon soldiers switched gears.

Their will, dedicated to the Demon King, was not weak.

The soldiers, with burning fighting spirit, raised their swords and charged at the magic soldiers.

A gust of wind, moving at a speed that could not be seen by the eye, swept through the soldiers.

"――――――<Freeze>"

The demon soldiers were incredulous.

The magic soldiers, who had been such a threat, were now completely still.

No... they couldn't move.

Their bodies were encased in ice, and even the powerful arms that had swept away many soldiers were now frozen in place.

The demon soldiers, who had been prepared to die, dropped their swords in shock at the sight before them.

"...Being frozen in ice is a bit unsettling. Grain, I'll leave the rest to you."

The woman standing between the soldiers and the frozen magic soldiers called out to the blonde man behind her.

"Elka is quite demanding..."

<Flying Sword>――――――

The blonde man, in a stance of iaido, released the technique <Flying Sword>.

The seemingly light slash instantly bisected and shattered the nearly fifty ice statues.

"Both of you destroy things too quickly. We could only secure one."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Tia."

"I want to capture a few for research later, so please help."

"Y... You are..."

The man and woman who had instantly killed the magic soldiers.

And the girl sitting on the shoulder of the magic soldier, who had been bound with magical chains.

The soldiers recognized them.

"――――――The personal guard of Hero Setsu, Elka Verso, Grain Almony, Tia Amure, we have come to assist the Demon King Desastor."

The blue-haired woman, Elka, smiled encouragingly at the soldiers.

"Jiro! What happened!"

"Move! I'll heal him!"

"Zekita...!"

The body of Jiro, covered in burns, was brought into the fortress where the heroes were resting.

Koushin and Mutsuki rushed over, but a girl skilled in healing magic knelt in front of him, pushing them back.

"O holy light, heal the defiling impurity! <Advanced Healing>!"

Warm light overflowed from the hands of the girl called Zekita, enveloping Jiro's body.

Jiro, who had been unable to speak, finally began to make a faint sound thanks to the <Advanced Healing>.

"U... Ah..."

"Are you okay, Jiro!? Zekita!"

"I know!"

Another <Advanced Healing>.

By repeatedly casting <Heal> several times, Jiro's burns disappeared, and he regained consciousness.

"Ugh... Where am I...?"

"This is the fortress! Jiro!"

"Fortress...?"

"What happened... Jiro?"

Jiro sat up and looked around, confirming his situation.

As his semi-awake consciousness gradually recovered, he remembered what had happened.

No—what he had remembered.

"I... I followed Yu... because the enemy demon was with him... I tried to help—"

"Yu...? What happened to Yu?"

"S, That's right... Yu... Yu! Yu betrayed us!"

Jiro's voice echoed through the fortress.

His agitated state, different from his usual self, confused those around him.

"What are you saying, Jiro... Is your consciousness still not clear?"

"I was burned by him! Yu went off with the demon!"

"You need to calm down—"

Koushin couldn't help but grab Jiro by the collar.

He pulled at the charred and tattered clothes, glaring into Jiro's eyes.

He hesitated, unable to speak.

"He betrayed us! Us!"

Jiro's eyes were not lying.

There was no sign of him being controlled, and although he was agitated, he was not insane.

Koushin, who didn't know this, somehow felt that Jiro looked like someone who had been betrayed by someone he trusted.

His silence caused the classmates present to murmur.

Yu, a girl who talked to everyone in the class, with a bright smile and a gentle personality, was popular. It was hard to believe that she would betray them.

However... they couldn't see any sign of Jiro lying either.

"Is it really... Yu betrayed us?"

"Yeah! That's why I was attacked!"

"Was there a possibility that the demon nearby was controlling her?"

"That's... I, I don't know."

Koushin questioned Jiro, trying to calm him down.

He himself was starting to feel uneasy and doubtful, but it was all uncertain.

If Yu had been controlled or threatened—

"Let's go and check. We'll find Yu and talk to her. Depending on the situation, we might have to defeat and lecture her... but if she's being controlled—We'll definitely save her."

Mutsuki stood up, taking her weapon, following Koushin, who had risen and taken his sword.

Inspired by them, the classmates also stood up one after another.

Everyone wanted Yu to come back.

"Which way did Yu go?"

"...I'll go too. I can guide you, and I want to confirm it myself."

"...Alright. But you just recovered, so don't overdo it."

Jiro, who was a bit unsteady, stood up and put on a new raincoat for the battlefield.

"From the direction they went, we can probably catch up faster by cutting through the battlefield."

"Then I'll clear the path with the holy sword. Everyone, stay together and break through!"

They ran out of the fortress, with Koushin and Jiro leading the way.

Ignoring the warnings of the soldiers guarding the fortress, they disappeared towards the battlefield.

Unaware that the worst future lay ahead—