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Arifureta After IIThe Huawa Kouki

Grieve and despair, and then unease were filling Arquette territory to the brim

Inside the city that was surrounded by defensive wall, all thearound to evacuate the people as well as preparing the city defense

The chaos was deepening with accelerated speed

But that was only reasonable

After all this was a situation that ithout precedent even through the long history──the arh the front line of the desert area and appeared in penetration into the rear territory, such situation was visiting this place

The trust toward the capital, the safety of the rear territory, and then even in the case that the front line was actually breached, at the very least there would be notification that gave ti those common senses overturned like this was immeasurable

The distorted expression of terror fro about in pandemoniu

And then, the feudal lord mansion was si the situationwas even more terrible

「Shit-, just what the hell this happen-」

「Isn't this soe!」

「How is the state of the defensive readiness progressing!? We won't hold with just the protective wall! Is the reinforcement by the art users not done yet!?」

「Is it possible to retreat!? Even if it's just her et her to escape……」

「Rather than that what is the capital is doing!? Don't they notice that the ene here by walking don't you see！It's too opti that the capital noticed!」

It was a wild uproar The excellent civil officers and vigilance corps ry yell to divert their ative eet flustered!」

An overwhelry yell that excelled theirs resounded

They who returned to their senses while going 'hah' ure of the feudal lord Rothko Although his expression was grinal, the next moment, the door of the temporary countermeasure room was opened with a sound BAM The ones who entered were Koone, Anneal, Kouki, and then several uard squad

「Rothko Koone sent several people frouards, especially Spike and Lilin to help with the defense preparation The reinforce art users, you don'tof the situation?」

「An ar us, that's all」

Rothko nodded

「From the report just now, the total number of ene We are completely surrounded from four directions The method of their appearance is unknown It seeon species, eccentric species Flying species and giant species aren't sighted」

「……Calling it a s> that Rothko reported were <Dark Being> that didn't cross two ht of Arquette's defensive as around ten meter, but it wouldn't be able to prevent the invasion of <Dark Being> that could fly of giant type <Dark Being>

Therefore, they were able to avoid a situation where they would receive swift attack that penetrated to inside, however, the number of the enemy was too absurd to call it a small mercy

Until the end Arquette was a material accumulation area in the rear It more or less had protective wall and so on to be a temporary place for safe escape in the worst case that the capital was fallen

But, in the first place the people of Synvlea wouldn't have a future by the point of time the capital was fallen Therefore, there was no way that the existence of soldier force would exist when there was not even a > Until the end this place only had "vigilance corps" that consisted from the common people

To the end their role was to deal with dispute inside the territory, dealt ild animal, and so on So to speak their role was like police, their number also didn't reach a hundred

Soldiers and art users ere really excellent went to the capital or the surroundingbase that doubled as town, so it could be said to be only natural

In other words, by the point of time they were surrounded by an army, there was no way to save Arquette

Rothko spoke with a pained face

「My deepest apology-, your highness To invite you to this kind of mortal peril-」

「No one is able to predict this kind of situation Rothko Your decision fro until the end is decisive and accurate There is no need for you to feel responsible toward Koone」

「Your highness……」

Perhaps it should be said, as expected fro situation, Koone wasn't shaken The fortitude of this young girl asn't even ten years old yet et a hold of themselves Their expression became resolved one after another

「Koone wish that the people can escape sori her oith her own prediction

In respond to that Rothko's reply was also really concise

「It's too late for that」

Koone quietly nodded saying 「Isn't that right」

「Then, the biggest proble this abnorround vault of Arquette is tough Right now goods are carried out from there in hurry As soon as that's finished, ill evacuate the people inside If we count the defensive wall, perhaps ill be able to hold out for about two days」

「If the capital already know about this situation and they are already ……at the fastest it will be one day If that's not the case and we send out er……it will be about two and a half day It will be just barely」

In any case, they had to send ht be able to ignore the front line and appeared anywhere couldn't be let to stay "unknown" even in the worst case

Evenfor reinforcement, Moana absolutely had to be told about this fact

While Koone and Rothko were discussing and deciding what they had to acco that was raging

If it was hio and slaughter the eneh spirits He wouldn't believe even the sht die, that if it him then it was surely possible without doubt, any other circuhtness" that protected the people Such blind belief

(Aar, I was like that…… This time it will be several hundred, several thousand lives? Even though they too are also just trying to live? That kind of thinking is " human as livestock ……Then, are they evil?)

He didn't understand, the correct choice-

Kouki looked at his own hand His hand was treot a hunch of his own death Because death was terrifying

There was no strong soldier force here As expected, he didn't have any confidence of surviving after taking on alone an ar He didn't have any convenient principle in him He understood that he would die when it was his time to die

At the same time, he recalled the sensation of that ti flesh", the sensation of "cutting down life" A single life, a path of living, that will, he destroyed it with his hand and ended it

How terrifying He got the flashback of those eyes of Ragar that looked empty, yet made hie to vomit

(If there is an ideal method where both sides won't die, where everyone is saved……shit-, this thinking is no good- I'ain! The result of that, I should know it already!)

Before he realized it he gritted his teeth audibly grit

「Kouki-sama, are you okay? Your co him made him came back to his senses and when he turned toward that voice, there was the figure of Anneal looking worriedly at him there When he looked even more carefully, Lilin and others had returned without hi with exhausted expression thatart really hard

It see> finally stopped In the end, the total number swelled up until around ten thousand It was already at the point where it wouldn't be strange if they started advancing anyti with each other about how to er to escape to the capital

Koone was a royalty What's more if Moana who had lost most of her poas excluded, she was the last royalty of Synclea kingdoeneration> was an art that displayed its true ability for the revival post war, she had to survive no matter what

Therefore, Koone had to survive no uard squad──that was the claim of Rothko's side

In contrast Koone was,

「No, Rothko Koone will be nothing h the encircleh with ather attention while hero-sah is thethose words Indeed, Kouki had the strength to breakthrough, and above all else er party, then the group couldn't only use all their strength to breakthrough the encircleth to protect Koone

Koone's suggestion was really rational Except the point where she ht of the preciousness of herself a bit tooof the resolve dwelling at Koone's side face, in that young look

She wanted hirant that wish, that hat Koone was saying

Most likely, the clever Koone understood Seeing the <Dark Being> appearing through the distance of space, the balanced situation between the <Dark Being> and human had crumbled

A pinpoint attack at the rear territory

With this the soldier force of the capital would be th would be divided by doing that, however like that they wouldn't be able to protect what they ought to protect──like that Synclea kingdo at such future

Koone was currently giving up everything as hopeless, including her own life

That hy, Koone didn't say it In this situation, she didn't say to Kouki "fight for the sake of the people"

That hy, Koone instead said this She said to Kouki that she "wanted hi to escape, please at least took her big sisters with hi her own life to make the choice that he couldn't possibly do, Kouki was tre respect, and also hopelessly envious feeling toward her

(Aa, no good It's no good, if this girl doesn't survive It's no good if she die in this kind of place-)

Therefore, he naturally thought like that That hy,

「I can breakthrough the encircle Koone-sa on that statement, Koone coldly rejected it, while the people at the surrounding directed surprised expression at Kouki altogether

「If it's with my maximum firepower, I can cut open a path that break the encircleh the encircleh If I also put up barrier continuously, at the very least I can protect Koone-sa to do battle to breakthrough the encirclement」

「Oo, ooh, is that really true!?」

「He, hero-sahted while Koone looked bewildered at Kouki's assertion

Vigilance corps captain Ivana asked with a slightly hopeful expression

「Excuse me, hero-dono Perhaps, if that power is used toward the arive me To annihilate an aric power is…… The ene the encirclement to let a few people escape is my limit」

「Is, that so……」

Not just Ivana, other people who thought of that "what if" scenario also got dejected and hung down their head However, even that only passed for a moment, they ian to accomplish their role

「Then, Kouki-dono Let's quickly do the escape preparation Your highness Koone, please take care」

「If it's the preparation, it's already finished We will surely report Arquette's crisis to her majesty」

Spike nodded deeply It seemed that he already finished the escape preparation Perhaps he was planning to take away Koone even if he had to ignore Koone's will and brought her to escape even at the cost of his life

「Pl, please wait! There is no way Koone can escape! If a royalty turn their back to the enemy and abandon the people, the "faith" of the whole Synclea will collapse! If that kind of precedence is created even if just one, thethe flow of event where her escape look as though it was a done deal, Koone ju objection with her all

Indeed, the people of Arquette ht despair The royalty abandoned them and escaped by themselves In the current chaotic situation, there was no way they would be able to calmly understand that it was for the sake to call reinforcement, for the sake of the future

And then, if the infor with the fall of Arquette was spreading, then certainly there was a possibility that morale would be affected at the battle ahead from here on

Rothko kneeled down on one knee, and he forhness In this situation, your survival is exactly the hope of us hu the people of Arquette The people of other territory ht also think like that But, I'll dare to say this instead ──That's a trivial hness then you should understand The trend is already tilting It's ihness, has to survive together with her majesty under the new flame of war Who will you protect, and ill you abandon Even if it will be but a scant of number, for the sake of "the battle so that hness must survive!」

「tsu」

Koone's distorted expression told with certainty how she herself understood that

Koone lost all words

But, at that tiilance corpsto advance!」

Right after that, tremendous thunderous sound reverberated It didn't even need any confirmation, it was clear that it was the offensive toward the defensive wall The resounding thunderous sound that continued in succession without pause reverberated fro up the fear of the people whether they wanted it or not

After a brief tirit and lifted her face

「Rothko Koone is escaping However, please choose Rondo and two more people」

「Your majesty, that's……」

「If it's Koone's arous then three et is children, then one or four won't change anything」

When Koone gazed at Spike, Spike thought for a bit before nodding briskly to confireneration, Rothko」

「- Your highness is talking about so difficult ……But, ht away, that's why, your highness please prepare」

「Yes ……Rothko, may the protection of Fortuna-saet, the resolve and courage of all of you Koone won't forget it, no matter what!」

「Haha, is that a farewell between us in this life? Your highness, we aren't going to get done it that easily you know?」

There was no path of survival for Arquette that didn't possess soldier force The fastest reinforce that the reinforce in three days, then the reinforce as there was no miracle

But, Rothko said that sentence His subordinates were also ure, Koone proudly nodded with clenched teeth

Kouki's heart──creaked

Was he going to abandon these people……

Or would he > instead?

Those questions crossed repeatedly inside hi in circle and caain

(Both huhting, is the way of living of this world For someone unrelated like me to interfere, surely that ainst ten thousand ene seriously My oing to be able to meet with everyone like that, I absolutely don't want so like that-)

In this cornered situation, his true feeling without falsehood raged inside his heart

Because he didn't want to kill any side, he wanted to escape without getting involved

He didn't want to die, so he wanted to escape

His fauy" who he was still feeling lost on how he should thought about hi in another world like this and becaains, he absolutely didn't want that, he wanted to run-

「Kouki-dono, Kouki-dono-」

「tsu, eh, ah, Spike-san?」

Kouki went 'hah' at Spike's call and he came back to his senses

When he noticed, he was in front of the barn where all the arous were kept It see Koone and others while getting trapped in his mind and arrived until the barn

「Are you okay, Kouki-dono?」

「Ye, yes, I'?」

Kouki did his best to pretend co dubiously at hi to do that instead and made Spike and others becauess that

After all, right now for the first ti"

The reason why he once reproached "that guy" by thatto do it

──creak, a creaking voice came from inside Kouki

「……I wish to ask Kouki-dono about the detail of the attack of maximum firepower that Kouki-dono mentioned」

「Ah, about that ……If I have to say it, it's a boht line If I seriously attack with full strength, I should be able to create a path that pierce the encircleainst Niebla and Ragar His conviction must be conveyed to others Spike nodded

「However, it need a bit of time to activate it It will be ideal to fire it at the saate can be opened at the sanal」

「Understood I will relay it to the gatekeeper Kouki-dono, ill entrust our fate to you」

「……Yes」

Spike sent a er In preparation of the worst case, Kouki carved the ic circle of on the saddle of all the arous so that 【Divine Severance】 could be activated continuously even if he didn't continue his control, and there he poured ic power and activated it

He poured in treic power so that it could hold until the capital as much as possible Kouki took out three tubes froic power recovery ht to this world

He returned two of the ic circles

And then, all the arous were taken outside the barn at the saot out

Thunderous sounds resounded several ti voices of the fearfulfro The son of the feudal lord──Rondo Also two children he didn't knew A girl and a boy

Rondo listened to Rothko's words With a serious gaze and a face that understood as entrusted to hiritted his teeth and endured his tears frohtly She strongly, strongly eirl also did their fareith their fa their teeth

It could be easily iined that if other people witnessed this, they would co "please save our family too" That hy, this fareas carried out secretly in the cover of the barn The crying voice of the girl echoed awfully inside Kouki's ears