Jinseigyakuten Uwakisare Enzai wo Kiserareta Orega Gakuenichi no Bisyoujo ni Natsukareru [LN] Bahasa Indonesia

 

Chapter Four: The Captive Princess and the White Hero

A field of colorful flowers stretched out in every direction.

Sunlight scattered soft rays, and a gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of the blossoms.

A girl with white hair sat in the center of the flower field, doing nothing in particular. She swayed her tail in time with the nodding flowers, sitting as still as if she were one of them.

“I see… This is a truly convincing princess-like quality!”

A young girl, about six or seven years old with pink hair, approached.

She looked the girl over with interest, then happily sat down beside her.

A flash of fangs, crimson eyes. Just like the white-haired girl—a Rare Species.

The white-haired girl had been living a life of wandering from place to place with the few surviving members of her clan and their meager belongings. Her homeland was gone, staying in one place was risky, and more importantly, she hadn’t found a suitable place to settle.

Many Rare Species lived similar lives, and in the process, it was common to travel with other races for a time to exchange information. This pink-haired girl was one such person, from a community of Vampires she had met along the way.

“How wonderful. I admire you, being a princess!”

“It’s just a title. My homeland was burned to the ground. And most of my clan is dead… I don’t think there’s anything princess-like about me.”

“But a princess is a princess, right?”

“That title is just empty when I’m the only one to claim it.”

The Spirit Collapse Disaster had occurred thirteen years before the girl was born.

In the thirty years since, the Rare Species had been trampled by the Four Great Races, who had gained momentum. Her homeland was burned in the process, and by the time she was old enough to understand, her parents were gone. Only a few faint memories remained… she couldn’t even remember their faces clearly anymore.

Since then, she had been raised by her mother’s former attendant, wandering the continent. Her memories of her homeland were hazy, and she could count the number of her own kind on one hand.

“I see, I see. They do say a ruler needs their people. Well then, for now, how about me! I, in all my cuteness, will be your right-hand woman! ♡”

The Vampire girl said with a beaming smile.

“You’re a Vampire, right?”

“Yes!”

“It’s strange for you to call me a princess.”

“Is it? We’re both Rare Species, aren’t we?”

“Rare Species… isn’t a race name.”

“Oh, come on, don’t sweat the small stuff. There are so few of us, it’s easier to just think of everyone as one big family.”

As she spoke, the Vampire girl plucked a flower from the ground. She carefully selected more, skillfully weaving and tying them together to make something.

“Everyone… one big family.”

The white-haired girl murmured, staring blankly at the Vampire girl’s hands.

“I heard the Rare Species lost to the Four Great Races because we have no numbers, right? Then we just need to increase them! Don’t you think if we gathered all the survivors, we’d have a decent number?”

The Vampire girl held up her finished creation with a happy expression.

It was a crown made of colorful flowers.

“Then you won’t be lonely anymore, will you?”

“Did I look lonely?”

“Yes. Very.”

The Vampire girl smiled brightly.

She knelt down and placed the flower crown on the white-haired girl’s head.

“I think you’re suited for it, you know? Being a princess.”

Being called royalty had only felt empty. Without a people or a land, just being called by a title felt like mockery, like irony, and she had never really liked it.

But the way this girl said “princess” made it sound like something sparkling, something incredibly valuable. For a brief moment, she felt a sense of pride in the blood that flowed through her veins. For the first time, she was happy to be called a princess.

“You’re right. If, as you say, I were surrounded by many people, and they wished for it—then I could surely become a princess.”

A gentle breeze. She looked out over the swaying flowers and gazed up at the sky.

The girl smiled, stroking the flower crown, holding a fragile bud of a dream in her heart—.

◇

Plip. Plop.

The unpleasant sound of dripping water nearby woke her.

She had been having a nostalgic dream.

A dream of when she first met Lilitia.

A dream of the moment her own dream was born.

“—Ngh, ugh…”

The air was damp, the ground hard.

As she tried to sit up, the clatter of metal rang out. Her hands wouldn’t move freely, and confusion set in. A pressure on her wrists. She was shackled behind her back. When she looked up, rusted iron bars met her gaze.

Beyond them stood two magic knights.

One was the girl who had captured Maihime and brought her to this cell, the kingdom’s strongest—Lulun Linknova. Lulun was on the verge of tears, her body curled into a ball.

“—And how did you not notice?! I told you about the Human who can transfer mana, did I not? You saw him restore her mana right in front of you, did you not?!”

“H-Hieeen… I’m so sorry…”

The one scolding Lulun was an Elf woman in the same uniform. She had bouncy twin tails and sharp, narrow eyes.

Maihime recognized her. The captain of the kingdom’s special magic unit—Haran Stollen. Lulun was also a member of Nine Number, which meant Haran was her superior officer.

“Um, you see, thanks to Laevateinn, I don’t really run out of mana myself… so I didn’t really notice… uuh.”

Lulun poked her index fingers together, averting her gaze from Haran.

“Besides! The mission I was given was to secure Maihime Hiiragi! And I did that properly!”

“Well, that is true… It is, but still!”

Haran groaned as if to say she was at her wit’s end. Lulun wasn’t technically at fault, but her expression screamed, Why must you be so inflexible?

“You half-destroyed the detention center and then froze it solid, did you not?”

“…Hic!”

Lulun flinched, curling up even smaller. She looked like a little animal.

“Why don’t you give her a break? Bringing back the Hiiragi princess is a pretty big deal, right? I mean, we’re the ones who got totally played.”

Just then, a single girl emerged, illuminated by the dim glow of a magestone lamp.

Cat ears and a long, slender tail. Cream-colored hair and listless eyes. It was the girl she and Higure had fought the other day—another member of Nine Number, Luilui Iren.

“Waaah—Luilui-san, I’m sorry for being a useless meathead who can only fight!”

Luilui patted Lulun’s head, cooing, “There, there.” Lulun didn’t resist, hugging Luilui and rubbing her cheek against her affectionately.

Luilui playfully stretched Lulun’s cheek for a moment before turning her gaze to Maihime. She waved a hand casually, as if greeting an old friend.

“Heya. Princess.”

“Oh, so you are awake.”

Following Luilui’s gaze, Haran also turned her attention to Maihime in the cell.

“Heehee, what a shame for you. You seemed to be championing the revival of the Rare Species, but it was all just a pipe dream in the end.”

Haran looked down at Maihime, who was unable to move and sitting on the floor, and chuckled.

As if savoring her superiority, she glanced in sequence at the poorly drained, unsanitary floor, the filthy kimono, and the shackles that bound Maihime’s arms.

“A foolish princess who obsessed over a few children and made a fatal misjudgment. Tell me, do you perhaps believe that all lives are equal?”

Haran looked down at Maihime, propping a foot on the iron bars tauntingly.

But Maihime was unfazed, looking up at Haran with fire in her eyes.

“I do.”

“If so, you are gravely mistaken. In reality, there is no replacement for you, the last royal of the Lunarls. But a child or two? They are quite replaceable, are they not? A noble and a commoner. Whether considering the taxes they pay to the state or their bloodline, their value is hardly equal. Even a child understands which is more beneficial to the world.”

“Yes. Perhaps that is so.”

As Maihime lowered her eyes, Haran’s lips curled into a triumphant smirk.

“It cannot be helped that you all think that way.”

But Maihime’s words did not end there.

“However, I am a princess. Therefore, I must continue to declare that all are equal. I believe it. I have chosen that way of being. That is the world I desire.”

“Ahahaha! You are hilarious. Your country has fallen, and there are hardly any Lunarls left. And yet you call yourself a princess? It is utterly comical.”

“For real. The emperor’s new clothes, much? You should probably face reality.”

Haran roared with laughter. Luilui followed with a small chuckle.

“No matter how lofty your pronouncements, the result is all that matters! Look at this state you are in! You are a prisoner, and the Rare Species are only dwindling in number. In contrast, the Four Great Races continue to develop smoothly, and peace is maintained!”

The threat of the Rare Species was now less than that of magical beasts. They were looked down upon, seen as having no power to threaten the current regime dominated by the Four Great Races. And in truth, the Rare Species, who had always wielded their power as individuals, lacked unity and were simply being hunted by the systematically organized Four Great Races.

The Four Great Races, who joined hands, branding the Rare Species as their enemy.

The Four Great Races, who enslaved the Rare Species and lived in prosperity.

What, then, was peace?

“In that peace, why is there no place for us?”

“What is this tumor that disrupts the world saying? The Rare Species are an unforgivable evil. That is why the divine punishment known as the Spirit Collapse Disaster was brought down upon you.”

Haran scoffed, as if Maihime were speaking nonsense.

“Only the strong, those with the power to make them reality, can speak of ideals. What you have is called nonsense.”

Her bloodline’s teleportation magic. Her conduct as a royal. She was proud of the hard work she had put in to polish them.

She had worked with Lilitia and other comrades, reaching out to the scattered Rare Species, struggling to gather strength. Above all, as everyone’s hope, she had never shown a pessimistic side.

She had resolved to remain unshakable no matter what… and as a result, she had become unable to form proper expressions, but that was far better than letting fear and anxiety spread to others.

Still, as Haran said, Maihime was weak.

In truth, she held little influence even among the Rare Species.

She didn’t boast overwhelming combat power like Lulun, nor did she have much charisma.

She had been ridiculed as a little girl with lofty ideals more times than she could count.

Even so, that was not enough to make her give in to despair.

If she could no longer even cry out her ideals, she would truly become just a little girl.

“I do not care if I am called a fool for my nonsense. As long as there is someone who calls me a princess, I will continue to be one.”

Her limbs bound, thrown into a cell, her very being exposed and denied. And yet, no shadow fell upon Maihime’s eyes, and her words were without hesitation. She showed no doubt.

She sat up straight, piercing Haran with a sharp gaze.

“…You irritating magical beast-spawn.”

Haran raised her right hand and unleashed a wind spell.

There was no way for the bound Maihime to dodge it. It was a direct hit.

“Aguuh—!”

Maihime’s small body was sent flying, slamming into the cell wall. She collapsed limply to the floor. Her kimono was mercilessly shredded, and her finely featured face was slammed into the filthy mud.

Maihime grimaced at the throbbing pain in her abdomen and forced herself to sit up.

“You can act tough for now. As a great sinner who raised the flag of rebellion against the Four Great Races, we shall make a public spectacle of you by burning you at the stake. I look forward to seeing you cry and beg for forgiveness.”

“I… will do no such thing.”

“My, my, your voice is trembling.”

“…!”

It was only when it was pointed out that she noticed.

She truly hadn’t been aware.

Her resolve as a princess was no lie, and she had no intention of being pessimistic. Or perhaps, that’s what she had been telling herself. A slight crack. She felt her heart waver.

Once doubt took root, various emotions she had refused to face began to leak out.

Her own incompetence, anxiety about the future, and—fear.

Maihime instinctively looked down to hide her face.

But that small act of resistance only served to embolden Haran. She let out a laugh, as if she found it utterly delightful that Maihime had finally shown a weakness.

“Heeheehee, on the day of your execution, people from all over the capital will gather to watch you die. There, you will realize—just how many people wish for your death.”

Haran laughed boisterously, looking pleased, and turned her back.

Luilui and Lulun also followed Haran, leaving behind pitying glances.

“Heehee, if only you weren’t in the position of royalty, you wouldn’t have had to suffer like this.”

The sound of rusted metal creaked as the door closed.

Simultaneously, the magestone lamps flickered out.

Plip. Plop.

Only the sound of water was clear. A heaviness like the bottom of the sea. It felt as if the heat had been suddenly stolen from the surroundings. Leaning against the wall, Maihime’s body trembled.

“I’m… fine…”

Maihime hadn’t let herself be captured by Lulun out of self-sacrifice. She trusted her comrades. She even had a chance of winning. Lilitia was a powerful Vampire, and Misty’s resourcefulness and information were useful. And there was Higure’s mana transfer.

If Higure was the real deal—he shouldn’t just be a Human with a lot of mana.

He would surely come to save her.

“…I am a princess, after all.”

Strong, showing no weakness, not averting her eyes from her ideals, everyone’s hope.

And yet, the darkness pursued Maihime.

Eroded by silence, her heart sank in the stench.

Before she knew it, large teardrops were spilling from her eyes.

Here, where no one was watching, no one expected Maihime to be a princess.

Here, where there was no one to stop them, her tears seemed to have no choice but to overflow.

“…Someone, help me.”

Maihime’s single, anguished plea vanished, unheard by anyone.

◇

A gloomy, overcast sky, as if paved with lead.

It looked like it could rain at any moment. A few drops would scatter down as if remembering, only to stop before you knew it. This unstable weather had continued for the past two days.

The capital was in an uproar. Men and women of all ages bustled along the main street.

As if in place of the indecisive rain clouds, flyers were being scattered. Higure, his hood pulled low, reluctantly picked up a flyer that had fallen at his feet. He couldn’t read the letters of this world. But even without reading, he knew what it said.

If he just listened—everyone was talking about it.

“It’s finally tomorrow, huh? They say the Lunarl princess is gonna be executed!”

“Haha! Once that’s done, we’ll be truly safe. Not that they were much of a threat to begin with, but it’s better if she’s dead. I’ll go get a look at this so-called princess’s face at the end.”

“I wonder if even a Rare Species princess lived better than us. When you think about it, it’s pissing me off.”

Three days had passed since Maihime was captured by Lulun.

The children had been safely sent to the new safe house by Maihime’s teleportation magic, and Higure, Lilitia, and Misty had also returned safely. Maihime’s request to “leave everyone else alone” had been granted.

“Otouto-kun, should we head back soon? Are you okay? Not tired?”

Higure and Misty had been out in the capital gathering information.

However, all they had learned was that Maihime would be publicly executed in the central plaza tomorrow, and that Lulun would be there as security. Perhaps due to the recent attack, Maihime’s confinement was being handled with extreme caution, and even with Misty’s resources, they couldn’t pinpoint her location.

“Hey, Mist… Onee-chan. Why are Rare Species hated so much just for existing?”

Seeing Misty pout, Higure quickly corrected himself.

In this world, Rare Species were oppressed as a matter of course. That fact hadn’t really sunk in for Higure.

He didn’t think Maihime and the others were beings to be feared, nor did he think they were wicked people. If anything, he thought of them as a bunch of noisy idiots.

“Right now, the mainstream religion is the Four Holy Church. To put it very simply, it’s like, there are four angels in this world, and they’re always watching over us. Not everyone in this country is a devout follower, but the teachings have probably taken root.”

He remembered Lilitia saying something similar. The abandoned church that had been their previous base had fallen into disuse due to the rise of this Four Holy Church.

“They say the reason Rare Species have so much mana is because their roots are in dragons and magical beasts, and they are evil beings who bring disaster to the world. The Spirit Collapse Disaster is proof of that, a divine punishment from the angels! Or so they say. Of course, there’s no truth to that. Before the Spirit Collapse Disaster, there was a balance between the races.”

Now that she mentioned it, he could see hints of that in Lilitia and the others’ words.

False accusations. Fabrications.

As if their chance to take over the world had come, they incited the populace, invaded, plundered, trampled, and expanded their territory. To justify their acts of aggression, they even created idols as a form of insurance.

This was, after all, the will of the angels, not an invasion born of their own ugly desires.

People accept the scenario that is most convenient for them as the truth. He understood that well.

“That’s so stupid. Seriously, is that the only reason?”

“Hmm, the Rare Species are a nuisance, they don’t like them, they’re jealous. I guess those feelings just exploded with the Spirit Collapse Disaster as a trigger.”

“But before the Spirit Collapse Disaster, the balance between the races was maintained, right?”

The Rare Species were powerful as individuals, but their numbers were small.

In contrast, the Four Great Races had small mana pools individually, but large populations.

That’s what he had been told.

“As nations, the balance was there, yes. But when you compare individual strength, the Four Great Races were still inferior… so I guess there was a lot of pent-up frustration.”

Why were the Rare Species oppressed?

After coming to this world and hearing Misty’s explanation, he had a vague understanding.

But.

“Sorry. To be honest, it doesn’t really click with me.”

“I know, right! Otouto-kun, you just got to this world, and you were even brought here against your will… You’re doing great, Otouto-kun! You’re trying so hard! You really are!”

As she said this, Misty started ruffling Higure’s hair.

The flow of the conversation was clearly off. He wished Misty would stop trying to coddle him at every opportunity. He was confident he would turn into a useless human in no time.

“There, there, there.”

“Gah! How long are you gonna keep that up?!”

He forcefully pushed her hand away, and Misty looked at him with a lingering expression.

“Hey, Otouto-kun. If anything’s bothering you, you can always tell your Onee-chan, okay?”

“I’m fine! Besides, the one we should be worried about right now is Lilitia.”

Since Maihime had been taken, Lilitia had become completely withdrawn.

She barely ate and had shut herself in her room. She would reply if spoken to, but her voice lacked energy, and she seemed to be somewhere else entirely.

When she finally did come out, she just wandered around like a puppet. It was as if the boisterous, lewd Vampire he knew was a lie.

Higure stood in front of the door and knocked.

“Hey! You must be getting hungry by now! I’ll make you my special otherworld meal!”

“…Please leave me alone for a while.”

“Your ‘while’ is getting pretty long, isn’t it?!”

She had been like this for three days now.

At first, he thought she would snap out of it after a little while, but it seemed to be a deeper issue. She must know that Maihime was being executed tomorrow, but had Lilitia really given up?

Higure stood frozen in front of the door.

Misty placed a hand on his shoulder and slowly shook her head.

Misty cooked for everyone, and they ate with the children. The atmosphere was heavy, and conversation didn’t flow. After the meal, Higure and Misty stayed behind to clean up.

“Lili-chan and Hime-chan have known each other since they were little… so maybe she has a lot on her mind. It seems they’ve been working hard since they were small to gather the Rare Species and build up their strength… Maybe this incident was the last straw.”

Misty said as she washed the dishes.

“Are you okay, Otouto-kun?”

“Nah, compared to Lilitia and Maihime, I’m totally fine…”

Higure had lived a comfortable life until now. A peaceful family, not particularly rich or poor. An uneventful school life. Compared to this world, it was a world that was too peaceful.

Honestly, the conflict between the Rare Species and the Four Great Races didn’t really resonate with him, and he didn’t think he could fully understand the suffering of Lilitia, Maihime, and Misty.

“There’s no need to compare. When things are tough, it’s okay to just say they’re tough.”

“Well, if you put it that way…”

It went without saying.

“This is crazy hard! My world was super peaceful! We didn’t have swords or magic, slavery was unthinkable, and I never had to worry about food… and then suddenly I’m in this world, and it’s too harsh! The gap is insane! War, destruction, execution, the words are too violent!”

He hadn’t said it because the mood wasn’t right, and maybe he’d be called a whiner, but it was tough. No matter how much he tried to act strong, a gap this big was bound to affect him.

He really wanted to eat sushi, or potato chips.

To be honest, there were times he felt like crying. Just living was too hard.

“Otouto-kun…!”

Hearing that, Misty’s eyes welled up with tears.

She spread her arms wide to hug Higure—.

“But!”

However, Higure forcefully stopped her.

“When I came to this world, I decided to live positively. Misty, you said there’s no need to compare, but I can’t help it. I think Lilitia, Maihime, Misty, and the kids are all going through something incredibly tough.”

This was a chance for Higure.

A final chance to break away from the person he used to be, a nobody.

“I really can’t do anything… but if I just get depressed along with everyone else, it won’t help, right?! After all, in my mind, I’m the hero who came from another world to save the Rare Species!”

Even if he was just a normal guy with a bit more mana, that was the mindset he had been trying to maintain. In his own mind, that was his role.

After he finished speaking, Misty ended up hugging him tightly anyway.

“Aaaah! You’re so amazing, Otouto-kun! You’re really, really amazing! Your Onee-chan will praise you lots and lots! There, there, there! You’re truly a Otouto-kun to be proud of!”

She held him in a firm grip, ruffling his hair and rubbing her cheek against his.

“Hey, stop it, gueh… you’re too strong…”

Higure tried to resist, but he had half given up.

The girls in this world were, on the whole, too strong. Or maybe he was just too weak.

“Alright! With that spirit, let’s go fire up Lili-chan!”

“Will my words even do anything? I’m pretty much an outsider…”

“It’s because they’re your words, Otouto-kun!”

“Because they’re my words…?”

“Yep! Do your best, Hero-kun!”

Pushed on by Misty, he headed for Lilitia’s room.

Being called a hero by a third party was more embarrassing than he had expected.

“Hey, Lilitia. Can I come in?”

“…Please leave me alone for a while.”

He stood in front of the door and knocked.

After a few seconds, the reply was no different from a few hours ago.

That’s when he had a thought. Maybe he had been mistaken.

“I see… I get it. The meaning of ‘a while’ is different in my world and this world.”

Higure took as much distance from the door as he could and lowered his stance.

“Sorry about this, Lilitia.”

He kicked off the ground with force, leaning his body.

“In my world, ‘a while’ passed a long time agooooo—!”

—CRASH.

A full-force dropkick.

He shattered the wooden door and forced his way into the room.

“…Huh? What?”

Higure stood up, rubbing his lower back and muttering, “Ouch.”

Lilitia, who had been sitting on the bed with her knees hugged to her chest, stared with wide eyes. She slowly stood up, her hands trembling in disbelief.

“The door… Are you insane? This is a rental!”

“What, if you have the energy to worry about that, you seem fine!”

Lilitia looked away awkwardly.

“Did you come here to blame me…?”

“Huh? Why would you think that?”

Lilitia didn’t answer his question.

Her hair was a mess, as if blown by a gust of wind, and her eyes were red and swollen. Her crimson eyes, which had been like jewels, seemed to have lost their luster.

“I talked big, but I couldn’t do anything. I was no match for Lulun Linknova, and the one we were supposed to protect, Maihime-chan, ended up protecting us and getting taken away…”

After saying that much, Lilitia looked down again.

The noise from the plaza outside flowed in as meaningless sound.

And then, after a while, she began to speak, her words stumbling.

“When I was little, I often remember a picture book my mom used to read to me. It was a story about a hero of white light—the world was ruled by darkness, and they hadn’t seen the sun for decades. People were attacked by demons that became active in the dark, and they fought back with weapons… but they were gradually cornered. That’s when a warrior clad in white light appeared, tearing through the darkness that covered the sky. The warrior protected the village and defeated the demons. And then, he gave the villagers the white light—the power to fight back against the demons.”

Lilitia’s eyes softened with nostalgia as she continued her story.

“The warrior of white light traveled from village to village to protect everyone. He stood on the front lines himself and fought the demons, and he also shared his power with the people. In the end, he lost all his power and collapsed… I loved that kind and strong hero of white light.”

It was just an ordinary picture book. A common story.

But that story, that white hero, must have captured the young Lilitia’s heart and never let go.

“When things get tough, I think about it… I wonder if someone, like the hero in the picture book, will come to save me. But every time, I rethink it. It’s not someone else, I have to be the one to do it.”

Lilitia’s tone gradually grew stronger.

She spoke with a harsh expression, as if she couldn’t bear the shame.

“But in the end, I wasn’t good enough…”

And then, as if to perfectly describe the current Lilitia, a powerless word escaped her lips.

He had thought Lilitia was a cheerful, positive, rather foolish, and thick-skinned lewd Vampire. But maybe she was more insecure and delicate than he had thought.

“You must hate me, Higure-san.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m the one who dragged you into this world against your will! Just by looking at you, I can tell your original world was more peaceful than this one. You must have had a family, friends, a life over there, and I destroyed it!”

She closed in on Higure, shouting.

Higure was surprised, because he hadn’t thought Lilitia was worried about that.

When they first met, when he was taken to the base under the abandoned church, she hadn’t seemed to care about his circumstances at all. Looking back, maybe there were some signs she was concerned, but the impression of her being selfish was still strong. And yet, strangely, he didn’t feel any dislike for her.

So, Higure’s answer was.

“Is that all?”

“That all? You’re strange—!”

Lilitia grabbed him by the chest.

With the same momentum, she pushed him against the wall.

“I summoned you to use you! I didn’t care what happened to your life, as long as it served my purpose!”

“My life wasn’t that great to begin with.”

“I summoned you as a mere weapon!”

“And I’m what you got… I feel kinda bad about that.”

“I even used seduction to get your attention…”

“I was actually kinda scared by how high your affection level was from the start… I’m glad I know the reason now.”

“You could have been killed by Lulun Linknova, you know?”

“I’m alive right now, aren’t I?”

Besides, if it had really come to that, he felt that Lilitia, Maihime, and Misty would have done everything in their power to save him. For someone who was summoned just to be used, they were quite diligent. For someone dealing with a weapon, they were far too kind.

Lilitia’s hands, gripping Higure, were trembling slightly.

Her rose-pink hair hid her expression.

“Strange… that’s so strange…”

Even if he couldn’t see it, he knew what kind of face she was making.

Higure placed his own hands over Lilitia’s trembling ones. Lilitia let go without resisting, her arms falling limply to her sides.

“I was happy when you guys told me I was special.”

He took Lilitia’s hand and moved to the bed.

Higure sat down and patted the space next to him, inviting her to sit.

Lilitia sat down next to Higure, looking bewildered. She looked down. He caught a glimpse of tears welling in her eyes, and he quietly looked forward.

“Just like you said, Lilitia, my world was peaceful. People didn’t die in conflicts, and at least the country I lived in hadn’t been at war for nearly eighty years. I never had to worry about food, and I’d never even been punched until I came to this world.”

“…Sounds like a nice country.”

“It was peaceful. But, and you might think I’m joking, Lilitia, but more than that, it was boring.”

Wake up, go to school, come home, sleep. Repeat.

There were no dramatic events to change his life, and Higure wasn’t equipped with any special settings.

An ordinary last name. Parents who were ordinary office workers. Academics and sports were both average.

No special luck, no fateful encounters, and no dramatic misfortunes.

“I thought my life was a boring, worthless one. A mediocre, uninteresting life. I thought, ‘How unlucky am I!’ If I ever went to another world. If I were ever reborn, I’d be positive no matter what, work hard, get strong, be popular with cute girls, and be totally overpowered! That’s all I ever fantasized about.”

Reality was far too boring.

He didn’t have the guts to stray from the so-called correct path, nor was he diligent enough to put in the proper effort, so he spent his days in a half-assed way.

Fantasies were just fantasies, and from his own perspective and others’, he thought he was living a life that was neither good nor bad.

While secretly harboring the most common wish of all—to be special.

“While I was having those fantasies… I actually knew the truth. The worthless one was me.”

He had the environment to work hard.

Look at this world.

Think back on your own world.

If he had wanted to change his life, he could have done anything.

His status was guaranteed, he didn’t have to worry about his next meal, he had a home, his life was practically never in danger, with a smartphone he could access any knowledge he wanted, he could connect to anywhere, and he had time, didn’t he?

—But he hadn’t done a single thing.

“So, I thought coming to this world was my last chance. A dramatic trigger like coming to another world, I’d probably never get another one. If I missed this, I’d be my lazy self for the rest of my life.”

Just waiting around, chances don’t come your way.

But, by some stroke of luck, one had come to Higure.

He couldn’t let this chance, this transfer to another world, go to waste.

“I always wanted to be special. You guys told me I was special. Even if I really didn’t have any power, I was happy, and I want to do what I can for you.”

“…Do you not regret coming to this world?”

“If anything, I’m grateful.”

If Lilitia hadn’t summoned him, Higure would have been a worthless person who just complained about his half-assed life.

“When everyone’s down, there’s no point in me getting down too, right? Besides, I think it’s lazy to do nothing just because you don’t have power.”

That would make him no different from who he was in his original world.

No matter what harsh circumstances awaited him, he couldn’t make excuses.

“I decided when I came to this world—when things get tough, be positive.”

“…Ah, you said that at the beginning.”

Lilitia finally looked up at Higure. She must be remembering when they first met. Her eyes widened, and she clenched her fists.

“Seventeen years of my lazy life have proven that moping around doesn’t solve anything. Besides, if you have a positive mindset, the results will follow, right?”

“What if they don’t…?”

“Eh…?”

Seeing Lilitia’s anxious face, he was at a loss for words.

He hadn’t expected that comeback.

A new discovery. Apparently, Higure was weak at improvising.

“Um… get Lilitia to help me, maybe?”

And at the words that came out of his mouth on the spur of the moment, Lilitia looked down again.

Did I say the wrong thing when things were going so well?!

He thought so, but apparently not.

The proof was that Lilitia’s shoulders were shaking slightly.

When Lilitia looked up, she was laughing through her tears.

“P-fufu, ahahaha—! What’s that? What if that doesn’t work either?”

“Then I’ll get Misty to help too!”

Lilitia laughed, testing him with her question, and Higure, encouraged by her smile, answered.

“Fufu, you’re a strange one, Higure-san.”

“Yeah. I’d rather be called that than be told I’m normal.”

Hearing that, Lilitia wiped her tears, as if thinking it was foolish to have been moping all by herself. She sat up on the bed and turned to Higure.

“And you’re a bit of a contrarian, Higure-san. You usually seem so unconfident, but when we’re down, you get all fired up.”

“It’s not that I’m unconfident… it’s just that I can’t change everything at once, and my pessimistic nature is so ingrained that I can’t help it most of the time…”

He didn’t want people to think he was trying hard, but he was. Of course, it would be great if he could be positive all the time, but he wasn’t used to being expected to, and in reality, he didn’t have a shred of confidence, so it couldn’t be helped.

Seeing Higure muttering to himself, Lilitia suddenly smiled.

Then, as if to fire herself up, she slapped both her cheeks hard.

“Thank you. I’m awake now. Moping around isn’t like me, is it?”

“Yeah. It’s not.”

“I’ll do my best as my usual lewd Onee-chan!”

“O-Oh…?”

Lilitia said it with such a serious face that he was almost swept along, but he came to his senses and tilted his head. He looked at her face again, and she still had a good, determined look on her face.

“I’ve never really gotten a ‘Onee-chan’ vibe from you… aren’t you just lewd?”

“I’ll do my best as a lewd Onee-chan!”

“O-Oh… that’s the spirit.”

There was no point in raining on Lilitia’s parade now that she was feeling positive again.

There were things he wanted to say, but Higure reluctantly swallowed them.

Now they could have a strategy meeting to rescue Maihime with Lilitia on board.

Thinking that, he stood up and turned back to Lilitia—only to find her sprawled on the bed, her top open. Skin as white as snow. Rose-pink hair spread out sensually, as if to melt it. Crimson eyes that swayed with a sorrowful look. And above all, his gaze was drawn to her widely opened chest.

“Higure-san…”

Lilitia’s soft-looking lips moved, calling his name.

“Um… Lilitia? What are you doing?”

He suppressed his pounding heart and said as calmly as he could.

“Eh? This is the part where we have sex, right?”

“Huh?”

“Kya, I’ve been pushed down ♡.”

However, that heat quickly subsided.

He could no longer feel a single shred of the pink atmosphere that had enveloped Lilitia.

“Haa… you’re really something else.”

He sighed heavily at the sight of Lilitia spreading her arms and puckering her lips for a kiss.

“But you were the one who invited me to bed, Higure-san!”

“That’s not what I meant! There was just nowhere else to sit!”

“Eeeeh! Isn’t it cruel to get me all worked up and then say that?!”

“The mood wasn’t like that at all a second ago! Besides, you were just coming on to me to keep me here, right?! You don’t have to do that anymore!”

“Too bad! That was part of it, but I wouldn’t use seduction on someone I didn’t feel anything for!”

Lilitia shot up and stuck her tongue out.

“I thought you were cute from the moment we met.”

“Huh?”

“Love at first sight, I guess?”

She said, putting a hand to her cheek and letting out a squeal of “Kya.” She covered her face with both hands, occasionally peeking at Higure to gauge his reaction.

When he heard she had been using seduction to keep him there, he was actually relieved. To be honest, he had suspected some kind of honey trap, and he was relieved to know the reason.

However, it seemed there were feelings other than calculation involved… which led to the conclusion that Lilitia was, in fact, a lewd Vampire. That was probably it.

“…Alright, let’s go to the strategy meeting for now.”

Higure grabbed Lilitia by the scruff of her neck and dragged her away.

“Wait, huh?! Higure-san?! Ignoring me isn’t nice! But, I’m sorry. With Maihime-chan captured, it’s not right for me to be so carried away! I probably should have considered the timing.”

He dragged her towards the door, but she didn’t seem to mind, continuing to chat with a smile. She was a tough one. You could also say she never learned.

“Let’s do something naughty after this battle is over, okay? ♡”

Lilitia made a circle with her right hand and moved it up and down vigorously.

She was a beautiful girl whose looks could steal your breath away, but why was she so disappointing?

“…Haa.”

Higure let out a heavy sigh.

He let go of Lilitia and smacked her hard on the head.

“Oww—!”

When they left the room, Misty was leaning against the wall.

Seeing the exasperated Higure and Lilitia, who was clutching her head and whimpering, she smiled.

“Yep! That’s my Otouto-kun.”

Misty came over to Higure and ruffled his hair.

“Misty-chan… I’m sorry for everything.”

“No, no, I’m glad you’re feeling better, Lili-chan! But I wish you’d rely on me more too.”

Misty patted Lilitia’s head just as she had done to Higure.

Lilitia let her, squirming as if it tickled.

“I’m Otouto-kun’s Onee-chan, but I’m also everyone’s Onee-chan, you know!”

“I don’t think that’s right…”

“Yep! Leave it to your Onee-chan!”

“You don’t really listen to people either, do you, Misty-chan?!”

They moved to the living room and gathered around the table.

Misty brewed some tea with a calming effect. As they savored the unfamiliar, elegant taste, the discussion began.

“So, is there a way to save Maihime-chan? That Lulun Linknova will be on guard, right?”

Maihime’s public execution was tomorrow.

In the central plaza, just a few minutes’ walk from here, Maihime would be burned at the stake.

As Lilitia said, the kingdom’s strongest sword, the Dragon-Slaying Princess—Lulun Linknova—would be there as security. Even with Maihime, they were no match for Lulun. The despair they felt when they faced her was still deeply etched in their minds.

The kingdom was likely anticipating a rescue attempt for Maihime.

That’s why they had stationed Lulun there and made that information public.

“But Maihime didn’t just get caught. At the very least, she hadn’t given up on being saved.”

However, Higure wasn’t without a plan either.

One of the reasons for his confidence lay in his final exchange with Maihime.

The soft touch of Maihime’s lips, the flow of heat. Along with that, an unknown something had sprouted within Higure. And the single phrase Maihime had whispered in his ear.

“Maihime said it—I can use magic.”

◇

The day of the execution.

Belia Kingdom. Royal Capital Liliarre.

The sky was still overcast, with leaden clouds stretching beyond the mountain range.

The central plaza was overflowing with people. People from all over the city, and perhaps even from outside, had gathered. Humans, Elves, Beast-people, Dwarves, old and young, men and women. The purpose of the gathered crowd was all the same—to catch a glimpse of the last royal of the Lunarls, Maihime Hiiragi.

In the crowded central plaza, only the center was empty. The Royal Knights formed a circle, solidifying their defense, and in the center was Maihime, crucified.

Firewood and flammable materials were piled under the cross, and right next to it stood Lulun, holding the Dragon-Slaying Sword Laevateinn.

Maihime’s wrists were bound with magic tools, and her body was tightly secured with rough ropes.

Maihime’s expression didn’t change at all; she stared straight ahead. She didn’t utter a word, nor did her face twist in despair; she maintained a resolute attitude.

If you listened closely, you could hear voices mocking Maihime.

“Look at her, crucified and not even changing her expression. Man, that’s creepy. Maybe it’s not so wrong to say she has the blood of a magical beast.”

“Rumor has it she was planning to take down the Belia Kingdom.”

“As if. How many years has it been since the Rare Species had any power? We have the Dragon-Slaying Princess on our side.”

“Yeah. At least one source of anxiety will be gone. It’s a good thing she’s dying.”

Amidst all this, Higure, wearing a deep hood, weaved through the crowd.

Rare Species have the blood of magical beasts?

The Spirit Collapse Disaster was a divine punishment from the angels, and Rare Species deserve to die?

Ridiculous. Ah, so ridiculous it was laughable.

Scary? The one who was most scared had to be Maihime, who was being singled out and forced to fight in such a small body.

“Think up a hilarious princess joke and wait for me, Maihime.”

He made his way to the front of the crowd, right in front of the crucified Maihime.

A rope was stretched around the area where Maihime was crucified, and the Royal Knights stood with their backs to her, on guard.

If he were to jump into this space without a plan, he would be immediately surrounded by the Royal Knights. Even if he managed to defeat the knights, Lulun was standing just a few meters away from Maihime.

But Higure had a secret plan.

Higure turned around and looked at the tourist monument built to commemorate Lulun’s subjugation of the Ice Dragon—the Dragon Tower. More precisely, at his comrade waiting at the top.

And, as a signal, he made a heart shape with his fingers.

The place was already crowded with people. He had suggested a more obvious gesture, but she had insisted—There’s no way I’d mistake my Otouto-kun’s figure!

Misty, perched on the top of the Dragon Tower, saw the signal from Higure and her lips curled into a soft smile. Her beloved Otouto-kun’s discreet signal made her brain feel like it was melting.

But hugging Higure, patting his head, and spoiling him rotten would have to wait until after they had safely rescued Maihime.

First, she had to show him how reliable his Onee-chan could be.

“Okay, okay! Leave it to your Onee-chan! ♡”

Misty took a pose as if drawing a bow with both hands and activated her magic.

Mana swirled from her body, and her light green hair whipped up.

The mana converged into a spiral, forming a giant arrow that roared. A mass of wind so sharp that if you got too close, your skin would be torn to shreds.

Misty controlled it perfectly.

With the motion of shooting an arrow, it was launched.

“【Spiraling Gale Lance】—!”

The most powerful wind-attribute advanced magic in Misty’s arsenal.

The giant arrow tore through the sky with a roar.

It shot over the head of the crucified Maihime, and beyond—it exploded against the royal castle.

“Fufu. For my Otouto-kun, I’ll even take down the royal castle!”

The spire of the royal castle was pierced, and with a resounding crash, it collapsed.

The collapsing spire of the royal castle.

A roar echoed, followed by a moment of silence.

Then, as if a dam had broken, screams erupted.

Perhaps exacerbated by the stress of the crowd, the cries of terror quickly spread through the people in the plaza. The Royal Knights called for calm, but the chaos among the populace only grew.

Some screamed in fear.

Some blamed the Royal Knights.

Some scrambled to escape first.

Amidst all this, Higure jumped over the rope and ran towards Maihime.

Even in the midst of chaos, suddenly jumping into the space would draw attention. Even if the populace missed it, the Royal Knights, and especially Lulun, were a different story.

Good, good, it’s going well.

However, no one pointed out Higure as he ran towards the crucified Maihime. Neither the gathered people, nor the Royal Knights, nor Lulun saw him. They didn’t even perceive him.

Everyone’s attention was focused on the destroyed spire, their gazes fixed upwards.

He didn’t get caught by Lulun’s mana detection, which was on high alert for an attack.

“Yo, Princess. I’m here to save you.”

And so, Higure reached Maihime without any trouble.

◇

—Time rewinds to the strategy meeting last night.

“First and foremost, we can’t fight Lulun.”

Higure said with a solemn expression, his hands clasped in front of his mouth.

Everyone here had been no match for Lulun. And that was a Lulun who was holding back, who hadn’t even drawn Laevateinn. The memory of her freezing the entire area, including Lilitia’s super-class magic 【Inferno】, was still fresh.

“Mist… Onee-chan. What state will Maihime be in during the public execution?”

“Yes! I’m Onee-chan!”

Misty, called upon by Higure, raised her hand energetically.

“I think she’ll be crucified and burned at the stake. Her hands will be sealed with a mana-blocker, and she won’t be able to move properly.”

“A mana-blocker…”

“It’s a magic tool that stops the flow of mana. Basically, magic is cast by circulating mana throughout the body and releasing it from the palms. So, if you stop the mana at the wrists, you can’t use magic.”

Lilitia put her wrists together, mimicking being handcuffed.

“Is there some kind of tool to remove that magic tool?”

“I thought you might say that, so I prepared one. Ta-da!”

Misty, as if she had been waiting for this, pulled a magic tool from her cleavage. Where she had the space for it, he didn’t know, but a weapon that looked like a dagger with a blunted blade was pulled from between her bouncing mounds.

“Behold the competent Onee-chan! This is the magic tool that removes mana-blockers, The All-Breaker Boy!”

“Um… All-Breaker Boy?”

“The full official name is You Can’t Stop My Magic Anymore The All-Breaker Boy!”

“Did you make that magic tool, Misty?”

“Nope. Basically, all the magic tools in my shop are made by a Dwarf friend of mine! She has a cute naming sense, right?”

The sense of this world was difficult. Higure couldn’t comprehend it.

He looked at Lilitia, but she was shaking her head.

Apparently, only Misty and her Dwarf friend were the special ones.

“Mana-blockers are made of a special ore that blocks mana. It’s super hard, but it’s weak to sudden temperature changes… With You Can’t Stop My Magic Anymore The All-Breaker Boy, which emits heat and cold air alternately from its tip, you can break it!”

Misty handed him the All-Breaker Boy with a “Here!”

Contrary to its name, it was a terrifying weapon. Although the blade was rounded, it would probably be quite effective if used on a person.

“Otouto-kun, take this too!” Misty said, handing him a small sack.

“This is a super-strong sleeping powder that’s been passed down in my family! It’ll put any magical beast to sleep in an instant! Use it if you’re in danger!”

It was questionable whether it would work on Lulun, but for Higure, who had no means of attack, it was a welcome item.

“Wait a minute! The plan is to avoid fighting Lulun, right? Lulun won’t let you just remove the mana-blocker!”

Lilitia made a valid point.

But that was also within his calculations. Higure opened his mouth smugly.

“That’s where my magic comes in!”

“Your magic is mana transfer, right, Higure-san?”

“Nope, I’ve manifested another magic.”

The trigger was the incident at the detention center when they confronted Lulun.

At first, it was a small seed.

A feeling that he could do it. A feeling that he could use it. A feeling that this was magic. With mana transfer, he wasn’t very conscious of using magic. So, for Higure, this was a new sensation.

The feeling of an unknown reality sprouting within him.

“Even Onee-chan was surprised when I first saw it!”

And it was thanks to Misty’s help over the past three days that he was able to make that seed sprout and establish it as magic.

“Here I go—【Hidden】.”

As Higure chanted, a magic circle unfolded—and the magic activated.

Higure’s figure blurred as if blending into the air, becoming faint.

By the time she realized it, his figure and presence were imperceptible, and Lilitia was looking around in confusion.

“He disappeared…? No, that’s not all, I can’t detect his mana either.”

This was the magic Higure had acquired to rescue Maihime.

A magic of invisibility that escaped both sight and mana detection—【Hidden】.

“With this, we can save Maihime, right?”

Higure, having dispelled the magic, appeared behind Lilitia.

Lilitia, sitting in a wooden chair, stared with wide eyes.

“Amazing… I couldn’t detect you at all!”

“There should be a lot of people on the day, so with this, you should be able to get close to Hime-chan!”

In this silence, and even when she was aware of Higure, this was the result. On the day of the execution, with the crowd, noise, and breathing making it difficult to sense presences, 【Hidden】 would surely work.

“Still, it’s lucky that just the right magic manifested.”

“That’s my Otouto-kun! It’s because you’re a good boy!”

Was this what they called protagonist plot armor?

A corner of Higure’s mouth turned up in elation.

“A coincidence… no, Maihime-chan must have known about your other power, Higure-san.”

Lilitia, her eyes downcast as if in sorrow, muttered.

“Another power? What do you mean by that…?”

“No, sorry. I said something unnecessary. Please don’t mind me.”

“Now I’m really curious! That’s way too cryptic!”

“I was just saying that 【Hidden】 is a super lewd magic! I want to learn it too!”

“You’re the one person who should never learn that magic!”

He had never once thought about using 【Hidden】 to barge into the bath, or to peek at someone changing. Such an idea had never even crossed his mind. Not at all.

Honestly, this lewd Vampire with a brain full of pink was a real handful.

He felt like he had been deceived somehow, but she wouldn’t do anything to put him at a disadvantage in this situation. As Lilitia said, he would just ignore it for now.

“So, what are our roles? We’ll do anything! …other than fighting Lulun-san.”

“Alright, Misty, you’ll be the diversion to draw attention away from Maihime—”

Higure had to remove Maihime’s mana-blocker with the All-Breaker Boy. Even with 【Hidden】 and a large crowd, he would be anxious if all eyes were on him.

It would be helpful to direct people’s gazes, and ideally, to have the populace in a state of chaos.

“And Lilitia, you’ll be my support. Insurance in case the plan fails. Specifically—”

◇

—Time returns to the day of Maihime’s execution.

“Yo, Princess. I’m here to save you.”

The crowd’s attention was focused on the spire of the royal castle, destroyed by Misty.

Many had already fled, and about a third of the people who had gathered in the plaza were gone. Still, the reason it felt just as crowded was likely due to the roars and screams of those bewildered by the chaos.

He couldn’t help but think it was a bit overkill for a diversion, but thanks to that, Higure had easily reached Maihime. In response to the destruction of the spire, Lulun was on high alert, but she didn’t seem to have noticed Higure.

“…?!”

Maihime seemed to have noticed Higure’s presence, and her eyes blinked rapidly.

Understanding his intent, she didn’t make a sound. However, she sent him a strong gaze, as if trying to convey something. She looked anxious, as if she were worried about him. She probably wanted to tell him to run.

But he couldn’t accept that suggestion.

He had fired up Lilitia, borrowed Misty’s power, endured the pain and fear, and come this far.

To Maihime, Higure’s resolve might seem trivial, but for Higure, it was a turning point that would change his life.

If he could save Maihime here, Higure could affirm himself, just a little.

Relax! My 【Hidden】 is perfect. It can even deceive mana detection.

He moved behind the crucified Maihime. He took out the All-Breaker Boy from his pocket and struck the mana-blocker.

Misty had replenished his mana. The All-Breaker Boy activated without a problem. However, the mana-blocker was harder than he had expected. He was having trouble destroying it.

All the while, Maihime looked at him with a panicked expression.

I’ll save you now, Maihime!

It was a simple plan, but this was the way to save Maihime without confronting Lulun.

Once the mana-blocker was removed, escape would be easy. Using Maihime’s teleportation magic, which moved between points, even Lulun wouldn’t be able to follow.

Alright, just a little more and it’ll break!

He thought, and then.

“Higure-kun, run—!”

Maihime’s shriek echoed.

Simultaneously, a heavy impact hit his abdomen.

“Gah—?!”

Higure was sent flying without understanding what had happened, bouncing off the ground like a rubber ball. He came to a stop right around the rope that had been set up to separate the gallery.

His whole body throbbed with pain. His abdomen, in particular, felt like it was being torn apart.

The cold touch of the stone pavement.

He couldn’t breathe properly and coughed.

“Gah, cough. W-Why…?”

He clutched his throbbing abdomen and looked up.

There stood Lulun, holding Laevateinn, looking like a guardian deity. She stood in a position as if to protect Maihime, her entire focus on Higure.

“M-My body… has Balafrylis’s blood mixed in… so my sense of smell is good.”

Lulun said, rubbing her nose.

He was invisible, his mana was undetectable, but she had known by his scent.

He had been careless. Why hadn’t he thought of that possibility?

“S-Sorry… your scent was unique, so I remembered it.”

Lulun’s “ehehe” laugh made her look like a demon to Higure.

The impact of Lulun’s kick had dispelled 【Hidden】.

A few people in the chaos must have seen Higure get kicked by Lulun. A different kind of commotion spread, centered on the fallen Higure.

“What? A Rare Species’s ally?!”

“But we have Lady Lulun! As long as Lady Lulun is here, we’re safe!”

“Were they the ones who did the royal castle? Kill them already!”

The harsh gazes of the people pierced Higure.

Malice. Disgust. The feeling of being the sole target of hostility.

He froze, instinctively pulling his hood down further.

“…”

Lulun took aim at Higure and held out her palm.

“I won’t kill you… b-but, you might wish you were dead… uuh.”

And then, a pale blue magic circle unfolded, and the magic activated.

A spear of ice that could shatter bone and tear flesh shot up from the ground.

It let out a high-pitched ringing sound as it came straight for Higure.

“Kuh—?!”

He instinctively covered his face with both arms.

And the moment Lulun’s ice attack reached Higure—another impact ran through his body. But this time, though violent, it was a gentle one, filled with concern.

“My job is to cover for you when you screw up, Higure-san!”

Rose-pink hair fluttered at the edge of his vision.

A sweet scent that tickled his nostrils, and a soft touch.

“Lilitia…!”

Higure was being carried in Lilitia’s arms as she ran through the gaps in the crowd.

He remembered the strategy meeting.

‘And Lilitia, you’ll be my support. Insurance in case the plan fails. Specifically—please save me somehow!’

And she had jumped out as promised.

“Waaah, we ended up having to fight Lulun-san after all! All because of your sloppy plan, Higure-san!”

“What was I supposed to do?! We didn’t have any other decent ideas!”

It had taken longer than expected to break the mana-blocker.

When he had tested it on the mana-blocker Misty had obtained, he had been able to destroy it in an instant, but maybe this one had some kind of powerful coating. In this regard, he had to admit he was unprepared.

“But in this crowd, even Lulun can’t just recklessly use magic.”

Lilitia, carrying Higure, pulled her hood down deep and fled into the crowd. Some people around them noticed and shouted, but their voices were drowned out by the unending clamor.

Lulun probably knew where they were, but from the looks of it, she wasn’t the type who could skillfully control her power. A super-high-power magic probably wouldn’t come flying at them out of the blue.

Ideally, they could just grab Maihime in the confusion.

“No, we might not be able to be so optimistic.”

Just then.

A low rumble shook the earth.

Lulun had activated her magic.

The ground of ice, with the crucified Maihime on it, rose up. The inner section, marked off by the rope, rose with only Lulun and Maihime on it. A sturdy tower of ice was formed.

“E-Everyone… please calm down!”

Lulun shouted from the top of the ice tower, which was a head taller than the surrounding buildings.

At Lulun’s extraordinary magic, the people stopped moving and looked up at the ice tower.

The chaos was broken by a single, overwhelming magic.

“Please follow the instructions of the Royal Knights and evacuate! I will take responsibility for killing the Rare Species!”

The strongest sword of the Belia Kingdom—the Dragon-Slaying Princess, Lulun Linknova.

Her words carried a different weight. A different sense of security.

The overwhelming magic that backed them up captivated the eyes of the people.

Her reassuring words brought a sense of calm and normal vitality back to the faces of the crowd.

“Stay calm and don’t panic!” “Please follow our lead!”

Following Lulun’s command, the Royal Knights began to guide the people.

The crowd followed the Royal Knights, fleeing the plaza one after another. The once chaotic mob formed lines, shouting words of encouragement to Lulun and curses at Higure and his group as they ran.

“We’re counting on you! Dragon-Slaying Princess! Kill those damn Rare Species!” “Make them suffer as much as possible!” “Get ’em! Strongest sword of the kingdom!” “Exterminate those magical beast-hybrids already!”

And before he knew it, only Higure and Lilitia were left in the plaza.

The Royal Knights had solidified their defense, blocking the four roads leading to the central plaza.

“This is… seriously bad news.”

There was no escape for them.

Their only hope was Maihime’s magic, but getting past Lulun and reaching Maihime, crucified at the top of the ice tower, was a monumental task. It was, without a doubt, a hopeless situation.

“Even with Maihime Hiiragi and the Elf, I was more than a match for them, you know? Just surrender quietly. A single Vampire can’t do anything… uuh.”

“If I was gonna give up that easily, I wouldn’t have come in the first place! 【Explosion Vortex】—!”

A crimson magic circle blazed to life, and a red even more brilliant than the circle itself erupted.

An advanced magic, said to be attainable by only the top one percent of mages.

On top of that, Lilitia, being a Vampire, wielded immense magical power.

A swirling vortex of flame surged forward, threatening to engulf the entire ice tower—.

“Your lukewarm flames won’t work.”

All of it was frozen with a single swing of Lulun’s arm.

The flames solidified beautifully, like a well-made sculpture, never reaching Lulun.

“…”

“Wasn’t the last time enough…? I’ll teach you again.”

The moment he thought she had kicked off the ice tower and was falling—Lulun was right in front of Lilitia.

“The difference in our class, that is.”

Lulun’s slender arm swung, landing a clean hit on Lilitia. Lilitia rolled across the stone pavement, and Lulun relentlessly followed up.

Lilitia’s flames danced, Lulun’s ice shattered, and they repeatedly switched positions, exchanging magic at close range and engaging in a bare-knuckle brawl.

With the captured Maihime before her, Lilitia’s concentration was razor-sharp. Her movements were so crisp even Higure could tell, and the timing of her magic was exquisite.

“Lilitia—!”

But that was all.

Faced with the overwhelming power of Lulun, it was a change that amounted to nothing.

“Uguuh—?!”

Finally, Lulun’s fist exploded against Lilitia.

Lilitia rolled across the stone pavement once more.

Lulun slowly approached, brushing the soot from her armor.

“Aren’t you going to use your exclusive Vampire magic? With the precision you can fire off general-purpose magic, you should be able to use it, right?”

“It’s too good a spell to waste on you.”

Lilitia forced her trembling body to stand.

She wiped the blood from her mouth and glared at Lulun head-on.

“Haran-san also said that only the strong, those with the power to make them reality, can speak of ideals. You’re weak, aren’t you…? Did you perhaps get the wrong idea? That if you just tried hard enough, you could somehow manage?”

A chill emanated from Lulun’s feet.

Her crystal eyes glinted ominously.

“If I freeze every single Vampire other than you, will you realize your mistake? I can do it, you know.”

Lulun slowly raised her arm, and a magic circle unfolded.

Lilitia also gathered her mana to meet the attack—.

“I won’t let you—! Ah.”

But just as the magic circle deployed, a pathetic poof sound escaped. The flames scattered ungracefully, and Lilitia’s gaze dropped.

“Out of mana. Rare Species shouldn’t get carried away.”

Lilitia’s magic—fizzled.

And Lulun’s magic—was effective.

A wave of ice, sprouting blades of ice as it twisted like a spiral staircase, closed in on Lilitia.

With her magic fizzled, Lilitia’s body seemed as heavy as lead. She closed her eyes, bracing for impact—and in that instant, her body was unnaturally thrown sideways.

“—Huh?”

At least, that’s how it must have looked to Lulun.

“Bwah—! That was close!”

Higure, who had been invisible thanks to 【Hidden】, had grabbed Lilitia and thrown himself to the ground. Lulun’s attack grazed his back. His clothes were slightly torn, but he was uninjured.

Higure took a deep breath, trying to calm his pounding heart.

“Higure-san…?!”

After a few deep breaths, he gritted his teeth and stood up.

Higure, having dispelled his magic, gently patted Lilitia’s shoulder as if to answer her.

“Only the strong can talk about ideals?! Shut the hell up with your bullshit, you idiooooot!”

And he pointed a finger at Lulun and shouted.

Lulun, bewildered by Higure’s words, stared blankly.

But Higure didn’t stop.

“It’s because you have ideals that you can be strong! Who gives a damn about Rare Species or whatever! I’m gonna live a fun and interesting life in this harsh otherworld!”

He had made up his mind when he came to this world to start a new life, to live with his head held high. No matter how disadvantageous the situation, turning back was not an option.

Sasaki Higure would have given up long ago.

But Sasaki Higure would never break.

“Higure-san…!”

“But we can’t win as we are, so let’s retreat for now!”

Higure picked up Lilitia again and recast 【Hidden】.

“Higure-san?!”

This time, he included Lilitia in the spell.

Higure and Lilitia’s figures blended into the air, disappearing from Lulun’s perception.

“I won’t let you escape!”

Lulun had a sense of smell derived from the Ice Dragon Balafrylis.

To choose escape with a magic that had already been broken once was foolish.

Or so she thought.

“…I can’t smell them.”

Puzzled, she looked around and saw a fallen Royal Knight. One of the knights who had been blocking the road to the west was stripped of his armor and sleeping soundly. Fortunately, he seemed to have no external injuries, but his sleep was deep, and he showed no signs of waking.

“So that’s…!”

She remembered that Higure, who had dispelled his magic for a moment, had been wearing a Royal Knight’s armor.

He must have disguised his scent by wearing the armor. His scent was unique, so she had been completely fooled.

Then, she tried to follow the Vampire’s scent… but they had gotten quite a distance away in that instant. Even with Balafrylis’s blood mixed in, Lulun was still a Human. She didn’t have a sense of smell strong enough to track them over long distances.

“B-But… if you run away, you can’t save Maihime Hiiragi… uuh.”

Lulun gave up on searching for them and returned to the top of the ice tower.

She confirmed that Maihime was still crucified and took up a position to defend her to the death.

“Maybe I should just kill her now… Rare Species are better off dead. But Haran-san might get mad. Maybe just an arm would be okay!”

Lulun stroked Maihime’s cheek.

She shouted in a deliberately loud voice, but there was no response.

The area was silent, and there was no sign of Higure and the others.

“If you want to kill me, then do as you please.”

Instead, Maihime answered.

“Lili! Higure-kun! Don’t come! Just run!”

“Um, you’re not allowed to talk on your own.”

Lulun slapped Maihime hard across the cheek.

“Ugh… No, Higure-kun! Lili! If you get captured too, there’s no point in me being here!”

But Maihime, undeterred, shouted even louder.

◇

“Pant, pant… That sleeping powder Misty gave us really saved our asses.”

Higure, breathing heavily, began to take off the Royal Knight’s armor.

The sleeping powder passed down in Misty’s family, said to work on any magical beast.

He had used it to put one of the Royal Knights to sleep and steal his armor. Since Lulun hadn’t been able to follow, it must have disguised his scent properly.

“Higure-san. Maihime-chan is saying that, but what should we do?”

A residential area a short distance from the central plaza.

Higure and Lilitia sat in an alley, panting.

“She’s surprisingly stubborn, isn’t she? Even though she’s really hoping we’ll save her. Even though she believes in us.”

“I agree.”

Though they had retreated once, a powerful flame still burned in both their eyes.

Without needing to confirm, their wills were aligned.

But the situation was not good.

Time was not on their side. If they missed today’s chance, saving Maihime would become impossible.

“But what should we do?”

Lulun’s true power was still unknown.

She wasn’t an opponent they could beat in a straight fight.

“…It’s impossible unless a miracle happens.”

“We have a miracle otherworlder, don’t we? Sasaki Higure!”

“…!”

“See? Doesn’t it feel like something could happen?! After all, I’m a hero from another world!”

At Higure’s cheerful words, Lilitia’s head shot up.

“Do you have a plan?!”

“No plan!”

Higure declared with confidence.

Lilitia grabbed his cheeks without a moment’s hesitation.

She was smiling, but her eyes weren’t.

“I got my hopes up for nothing!”

“I-hait… wai, lishen to me!”

He pleaded desperately, his cheeks still being squeezed. Lilitia enjoyed squishing his cheeks for a while before letting go. For some reason, she looked satisfied.

“Whoa, hold on… you’re too quick to jump to conclusions. It’s not like I have nothing. But it’s not a plan… it’s pretty much a gamble.”

There was no basis for success, and even if it did succeed, there was no guarantee it would work on Lulun.

But it was worth a shot.

Especially if they were hoping for a miracle—it was as romantic as it gets.

“Eh, you really have something…?”

Lilitia looked at Higure with eyes full of hope again. No, not just hope. He could feel her anxiety too. But they were the strong eyes of someone who was trying to look forward and fight against adversity. So, Higure thought it would probably be okay.

“Do you trust me?”

Lilitia’s eyes widened.

And then, as if reminiscing, she smiled faintly.

He knew what she was remembering. Because he was thinking the same thing.

“It’s the opposite of that time, isn’t it?”

The first time he met Lilitia.

The moment he stepped out of his house—he was in another world.

An unfamiliar landscape. A royal castle in the distance. A Vampire girl with rose-pink hair.

He was attacked by a magical beast, saw magic for the first time, and fought Haran from the kingdom’s special magic unit. In the midst of the dizzying developments, Lilitia had asked, “Do you trust me?” and coaxed him into a kiss.

After that, she showed him around the capital, and he met Maihime and the Rare Species children. He learned about their situation, joined the Adventurer’s Guild, fought another mage from the kingdom’s special magic unit, the children were kidnapped, he faced Lulun, and he got a Onee-chan ?.

It felt like a long time had passed since he came to this world, but it had only been about a week.

It was the most eventful week of Higure’s seventeen years.

Yes. Higure’s otherworld life had only just begun.

“You can call me Lili. That’s what all my close friends call me.”

Higure and Lilitia.

They looked at each other, as if they were the only two people in the world.

“Yeah. Thanks, Lili.”

Higure placed his hands on both of Lilitia’s shoulders, facing her directly.

Lilitia must have known what he was going to do just from that.

She slowly closed her eyes, as if entrusting everything to him.

Long eyelashes. Fine, white skin. Soft-looking lips.

Higure slowly closed the distance between them, and from his side.

He gently kissed her.

Lilitia’s soft tongue traced his lips, as if searching. It crept inside. It sucked at his lips as if to part them, so Higure, not to be outdone, met her tongue with his, and they sought each other out.

“Nn… ah, hau…”

They changed angles, kissing over and over.

Lilitia’s tongue entered his mouth, exploring.

Her tongue moved languidly, their saliva mixing.

A trail of fluid, he couldn’t tell if it was hers or his, ran down his chin.

They devoured each other so intensely they didn’t even care.

As if to fill each other, and also to press against each other, they mixed.

“Ngu… ah, slurp, slurp. Hah, nn…”

Below their devouring lips, they held each other’s hands tightly. They squeezed and released in time with the movement of their lips, their fingertips tracing each other as if searching for the perfect form, and finally, their fingers intertwined and they held on tight.

“Ah, amazing… Higure-fan, this, it’s so hot… nn…”

He felt a heat like never before.

Lilitia flowed into him. He could feel himself filling Lilitia. Their heat mixed, so sweet and pleasant it felt as if a new life were being kneaded into existence.

“Ahn… feels so good… jupu, nn…”

It wasn’t just heat; Lilitia’s feelings flowed into him too.

Things like anxiety. And the hope that painted over it, the trust in him. The strong wish to save Maihime, the white hero who was her emotional support, her family, and the feeling of melting pleasure.

And they were kneaded together inside Higure, coursing through his body.

The boundary between Higure and Lilitia blurred, they melted together, and for that one moment, they were ruled by a sense of omnipotence, as if they had shared every single sensation.

And then, he was assaulted by a sensation of his thoughts flashing white, and the seemingly infinite time came to an end.

“Phew… hah, hah, fuffehheh, that felt so good…”

Lilitia, having pulled her lips away, had a dazed expression on her face.

The string of saliva visible from her slightly open mouth was sensual. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her body was limp. She leaned her weight against his chest, as if collapsing.

“But, Higure-san, you were too rough.”

Higure gently accepted her.

His body was slightly sweaty, and his breathing was ragged. It was as if he had just run a full sprint. And no wonder. Lilitia had entrusted him with her strong feelings as heat, even more than the mana he had given her.

Higure combed through Lilitia’s rose-pink hair, as if to soothe her.

He switched his mindset, exhaling slowly as if to let his resolve sink in.

The person he had once admired.

The captured Maihime.

Misty, who placed her trust in him.

To repay Lilitia, who had believed in him and entrusted her feelings to him.

And above all, to live a fun and interesting life in this harsh otherworld. What he needed for that was—.

“Found you.”

A cold voice cut through his leisurely thoughts.

He felt a chill that made him freeze and turned around.

There stood Lulun, her blue topaz hair swaying, concentrating mana in her palm. A magic circle unfolded. The cold air was woven together, forming a spear of ice. It was launched towards Higure—and was erased with a single swing of Higure’s arm.

More precisely, by the white light that was released in time with the swing of his arm.

“Wha, eh… uuh?”

A look of strong bewilderment appeared on Lulun’s face.

It was a light that seemed to scrape away space itself. Like an eraser, it erased everything drawn in that space. The ice spear Lulun had launched, and the wall the white light had touched, had a hole in it, as if it had never existed in the first place.

“What is that? I don’t know… uuh, I haven’t heard anything about that!”

Lulun hurriedly formed additional ice spears, convinced that the last one was a fluke, and launched them at Higure. The ice spears, fired at close range, surged towards Higure—but he didn’t move an inch.

“Sorry. I probably can’t hold back yet.”

He pulled Lilitia close, as if to protect her, and swung his arm again.

“—Eh? Ah, heh?”

The white light that overflowed with the swing licked at the ice spears, melting them. With the same momentum, a house next to Lulun was touched by the white light and vanished without a sound.

“To live a fun life, you need the power to resist the unreasonable, right?”

Higure stood up, stared straight at Lulun, and exhaled slowly.

—Unique magic ignores the process, leaving only the certainty of its acquisition. As if wings had been there since birth. As if it were impossible for a fish to forget how to swim.

Now, he understood what Maihime had been saying.

With 【Hidden】, he had been half-convinced. But after deepening his understanding of his own power, it finally felt like an extension of his own limbs. What he could do, and what he couldn’t.

He had won the gamble.

The unique magic that had sprouted in Higure would work on the kingdom’s strongest.

“Right? Lulun.”

◇

Lulun, sent flying from the cloud of dust, rolled across the stone pavement of the central plaza. She skillfully broke her fall, skidding to a stop. She immediately generated a chunk of ice and launched it towards the dust cloud.

The barrage of ice chunks pierced the dust cloud—and there was no one there.

“—! The invisibility magic…!”

By the time she realized it, it was too late.

Higure was already closing in on her side.

“Too slow—【Ein】.”

Higure’s newly manifested unique magic—【Ein】—activated.

In time with the swing of his arm, a white light engulfed Lulun.

Lulun instinctively guarded with a chunk of ice, but that too was easily stripped away. The white light tore off her gauntlet, and a burn-like wound appeared on her slender arm.

“—Uuh?!”

Even after that, Lulun used her ice magic for both offense and defense, but all of it was stripped away by Higure’s 【Ein】. Lulun’s attacks couldn’t reach Higure, and Lulun was at her limit just defending against his attacks. Thinking that a mid-range battle was disadvantageous, Lulun tried to close the distance, but she was having a hard time with 【Ein】, which annihilated everything in an instant.

“…Amazing, he’s on par with that Lulun-san?”

Lilitia, watching the exchange between Higure and Lulun, couldn’t help but let out a voice.

A dazzling white light so bright it would burn your retinas if you looked at it directly.

An absolute light that melted and annihilated anything it touched, as if it had never existed in the first place.

His figure, fighting while clad in white light, was truly—a white hero.

“Not just that, Higure-san is pushing her back…!”

The figure of the hero she had once seen in a picture book overlapped with the figure of Higure before her.

A strong and kind white hero who shared his power with everyone and always fought on the front lines.

When things were tough, when her heart was weak, when she was at her wit’s end, she always thought about it. A hero would appear, save her, and it would be a happy ending. Such a convenient, irresponsible dream. Every time, she had to force herself not to complain.

But today, just for today, could she rely on him?

“Higure-san is… my hero.”

Lilitia, watching Higure fight clad in white light, covered her mouth and shed a single tear.

It was no coincidence that Higure had manifested this unique magic.

—A kiss that bestows unending mana and turns wishes into power.

This was the phrase written in the forbidden book that summoned Higure—the Unresting Box Elysion.

The most notable ability of the Unresting Box Elysion, known to all, was—limitless mana.

But there was another ability, whispered about as if it were a rumor. The reason it hadn’t spread as much as the limitless mana was probably because it was too absurd.

“Heeding the wishes of the people and creating new magic. Maihime-chan knew, didn’t she?”

Higure’s power was not limited to just transferring limitless mana.

The manifestation of new unique magic was the true value of his power.

There were conditions for the manifestation of unique magic.

This time, she had finally understood those conditions.

Higure must have known too. That’s why he had asked for a kiss from Lilitia in this situation.

“A kiss with someone you’ve formed a bond with. Because I truly trusted and had faith in Higure-san… he took my wish and manifested a new magic.”

Lilitia’s wish to defeat Lulun and her admiration for the white hero.

And the magic that manifested was an absolute white light that annihilated all.

The manifestation of 【Hidden】 must have been triggered by a kiss with Maihime as well.

“She wanted us to escape safely. And more than anything, she wanted us to come save her. That’s why the invisibility magic manifested. Right? Maihime-chan!”

Higure’s advantage remained unchanged.

Higure relentlessly showered Lulun, who was focused on defense and evasion, with 【Ein】.

Over and over, and over, and over, the white light flashed, but Higure’s momentum didn’t stop.

“Th-This is strange! Why?! How can you keep using such a ridiculous magic without running out of mana?!”

Lulun, having lost her patience, jumped back, retreating a great distance.

Her breathing was ragged, and blood was seeping from various parts of her body.

“You wanna know?”

At Higure’s question, Lulun swallowed. She held her breath as if to listen.

Seeing that, Higure replied with a quiet, yet undeniably powerful voice.

“It’s the difference in our class.”

A moment of silence.

And then, Lulun’s body began to tremble. She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists.

“—! You weak little Human! I’ll destroy you!”

She shouted.

It was the first time he had heard Lulun’s roar. A chill emanated from her entire body, and the light vanished from her eyes. The corners of her mouth were turned up in an unnatural smile.

Lulun, who possessed such strength, yet couldn’t shake off her timid impression. She always swung her sword apologetically, defeating her enemies as if it were an afterthought. There was no passion to be felt.

But now, the emotion of anger had completely painted over Lulun.

“Did you get the wrong idea that you’ve gotten stronger with just that? I haven’t even gotten serious yet!”

Lulun placed her hand on the hilt of Laevateinn, which was hanging at her waist.

She lowered her stance, and with a scream-like ringing in her ears, she began to reveal its blade.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

The earth trembled, the air froze, and he shivered.

The Dragon-Slaying Sword Laevateinn. The legendary sword made from the materials of the Ice Dragon Balafrylis was drawn and settled into Lulun’s small hand.

“Lady Lulun! You mustn’t draw Laevateinn here!” “You’ll be scolded by Lady Haran! Lady Lulun!” “Please sheathe your sword!”

Seeing the enraged Lulun, the magic knights hurriedly shouted.

But Lulun paid no heed to their words and readied Laevateinn.

A chill emanated from the blade, and it felt as if the temperature in the area had dropped at once.

His breath was white, and he had goosebumps on his arms.

The sweat on his body chilled, and he could hear a crackling sound as if his clothes were freezing.

Combined with the cloudy sky, it was as if he had been teleported to a snowy mountain.

But the scenery before his eyes hadn’t changed at all.

The girl in front of him had simply drawn her sword, that was all.

“Kuh…! Retreat! Retreat before we get caught up in it!”

Realizing their voices wouldn’t reach Lulun, the magic knights abandoned their posts at each passage and fled for their lives. They turned their backs and ran at full speed, putting distance between themselves and Lulun.

Watching the running magic knights out of the corner of his eye, Higure was frozen in place.

His body trembled with cold and fear. He gritted his teeth and raised his arm, but he couldn’t fire 【Ein】. He couldn’t see any way to win.

Lulun held her sword in a low stance.

“Higure-san! Run!”

At the same time, Lilitia’s shriek echoed.

“This is the end!”

As Lulun swung her sword up, an iceberg so large it could be mistaken for a mountain rose up. A mountain of ice grew from the ground. A beautiful chunk of ice, clear and unblemished. It easily swallowed Higure and shot up to the same height as the ice tower.

◇

“Higure-kun! Wake up! Higure-kun!”

He had blacked out for a moment.

Maihime’s voice pulled him back.

“Mai, hime…”

Before him was the crucified Maihime.

Higure’s body from the chest down was engulfed in ice, and the iceberg had risen to the same height as the top of the ice tower. His body trembled with cold. Blood was seeping from his lower body, which was buried in the ice, but fortunately or unfortunately, there was no pain. He was frozen, and he had no sensation.

He had learned a new unique magic and had fought on par with, or even better than, that Lulun all by himself. It was different from before, when he had no chance of winning. The hypothesis that a kiss could manifest a unique magic had been proven, and he could consider the magic he had gotten to be a good one.

Maihime was within arm’s reach.

All he had to do now was stop Lulun’s movements, even for a moment—.

“Thank you… it’s enough.”

Maihime’s weak voice cut into Higure’s rapidly spinning thoughts.

“H-Huh? What are you saying, after coming this far?”

“There’s no way we can beat Lulun with Laevateinn drawn. Take Lili and run. You can escape now, right, Higure-kun?”

Maihime said in a gentle voice, as if explaining to a small child.

But her body was trembling slightly. There were also tear tracks on her cheeks.

“I’m fine. I’m a princess, after all.”

It was obvious to anyone. There was no way she was fine.

She was so weak she had to tell herself, I’m a princess, just to keep going.

Of course. Maihime was a girl the same age as Higure.

“You’re amazing, Maihime.”

“…Eh?”

“You had to be strong in this harsh world.”

She was burdened with the heavy responsibility of being a princess, yet she never showed a pessimistic side and was the first to jump into danger. She inspired her comrades with her actions, and he was sure that even her jokes were her way of trying to lighten the mood.

Higure exhaled slowly and thought.

What could he do?

What should he do—ah, that was already decided.

“Higure-kun, behind you!”

A shadow fell over Higure, and Maihime’s head shot up.

“—!”

It’s tough. It’s really tough.

But you decided, didn’t you—.

“When things get tough, be positive.”

He would absolutely not show his anxiety.

So that Maihime could entrust things to him with peace of mind.

So that she could place her hopes in him.

No matter how weak he was, he should at least be able to try to be strong.

“Leave it to me, Maihime.”

Higure spoke in a strong voice, trying his best to sound calm.

He activated 【Ein】 to destroy the ice that was restraining him and escaped.

He erased the ice spear that Lulun, who had been closing in from behind, had launched with a flash of white light.

The aftershock of that shaved away the iceberg, unintentionally creating a sumo-ring-like field. The ground was about four stories high. A fall from here would not be without consequences. This place, a head taller than the surrounding buildings, had no obstacles and no escape.

“Three puddings.”

He held up three fingers towards Maihime behind him.

“…Heh?”

“I promised to buy them for you, right?”

He held up both hands, showing all ten fingers.

“But you did a great job, Maihime, so I’ll buy you ten.”

Higure faced Lulun, who was holding Laevateinn.

He had no sensation in his lower body, and it felt like he could collapse at any moment if he let his guard down. Ice was stuck to various parts of his body, and his joints felt strange, as if they had rusted.

But Higure stood with a resolute attitude, trying not to let it show.

“You’re a Human, right? Why are you siding with the Rare Species?”

“Huh? I don’t know. Don’t push your stupid values on me.”

“Don’t you know what the Rare Species are? There are stories that their roots are the same as magical beasts. They’re the enemies of humanity, right? That’s why a divine punishment like the Spirit Collapse Disaster came down, and yet they still try to get in our way. Don’t you think that’s unforgivable? That princess over there is especially disrupting the peace.”

Lulun spoke dispassionately, as if stating a fact. She probably genuinely couldn’t understand why Higure would risk his life to protect the Rare Species.

“I told you I don’t know!”

But he couldn’t sympathize with her argument at all.

Lulun’s words only served to make his anger boil.

“I’m from another world! I don’t give a damn about the history of this world! Even if Maihime’s ancestors were villains who almost destroyed the world, I’ll still save her!”

Maihime, who looked satisfied after telling a lame joke. She was expressionless, but her tail was more eloquent, and it was surprisingly easy to tell what she was thinking. She had her strange points, but she was more considerate of her comrades than anyone, and she had a strong will.

That was the her he had seen.

How could anyone declare that she deserved to die?

“Why? That’s absolutely unforgivable! The Rare Species were rejected by the world! They’re a race that should be culled!”

“Shut the hell uuuuuup!”

He shouted, as if to drown out Lulun’s claims.

Higure ran straight for Lulun.

“You don’t need anyone’s permission to live!”

“S-Stop!”

Lulun swung Laevateinn in a horizontal arc.

An ice attack was launched in a semicircle, tracing its path. A dense mana that seemed to freeze everything it touched. As the ice attack, which let out a piercing ringing sound, closed in—Higure slammed a flash of white light into it.

“And if you still deny Maihime and the others, then I’ll affirm them with words even stronger than yours!”

The white light swallowed the ice attack, and the exploding mana froze the entire area. The shockwave shattered glass, and everything from the stone pavement to the houses was frozen solid. It was as if an ice age had descended only on the center of the capital.

White breath escaped his mouth, and his lower body ached as if it were cracking.

But Higure ran without looking back.

“—?! Why are you closing the distance?”

Higure had no knowledge of hand-to-hand combat, and the white light was a magic that was most effective at mid-range.

In contrast, Lulun was carrying Laevateinn and was skilled in close-quarters combat.

She probably thought there was no advantage for Higure in closing the distance.

Lulun, her face twisted in confusion, took a few steps back, as if overwhelmed.

“…Ah.”

And she lost her footing.

This was the top of an iceberg. The ground was about four stories high.

She tried to brace herself, putting strength into her other leg, but she slipped on the ice. Her body was thrown into the air, but Higure grabbed her arm.

“I won’t let you escape.”

A fall from this height probably wouldn’t even scratch Lulun.

There was no sign of her running out of mana, and her attack power had increased since she drew Laevateinn. Even if he used 【Ein】, she would just deal with it skillfully with her ice magic, and he didn’t think this was all the power hidden in Laevateinn.

So, he had to put Lulun in a state where he could definitely finish her.

Higure pulled Lulun up with all his might.

And kissed her.

“…Nn?!”

Lulun’s eyes went wide with shock, and she froze.

She couldn’t comprehend it. She couldn’t understand the situation. That was the look on her face.

Higure, as if to say this was his chance, roughly pressed his lips against hers. It wasn’t a gentle, sweet kiss like the ones he had shared with Lilitia and Maihime.

With their kisses, he had come to be able to feel the sensation of pouring his own mana into them. A rough control over the amount of mana he transferred. A way to do it without putting a burden on them. And conversely, a rough technique of just pushing his mana into them without holding back.

“U-gh… upu…”

Higure poured all of his mana into Lulun.

It wasn’t something as gentle as a transfer. He let go of all restraints and poured as much of his mana as he could into her. He didn’t need Lulun’s mana. He just unilaterally forced his own into her.

And finally, Lulun pushed him away, and their lips parted.

“Aguu…”

And.

She collapsed to the ground and vomited.

“Oeeeeeh—uuh…”

She clutched her forehead in pain, and she was so dizzy she couldn’t even stand properly. She glared at Higure with hatred, her legs tangled, and she fell to the ground again.

“Mana hyperphagia. It’s tough when too much mana enters your body at once, right?”

Higure, wiping his lips, said as he looked down at the quadrupedal Lulun.

The knowledge he had gotten from Lilitia had come in handy in an unexpected way.

It seemed that even the invincible Lulun was not immune to internal abnormalities.

Lulun tried to activate her magic, gathering her mana, but she couldn’t seem to activate it properly, and only a clumsy scattering of cold air appeared. She panted, pounding the ice floor and retching.

“Th-This is… the Unresting Box Elysion…?”

Lulun, looking up, muttered as if in a daze.

Her breath was visibly white. The leaden clouds cleared, and warm sunlight shone down.

“It’s over, Lulun—【Ein】.”

Higure activated his magic, and a white light engulfed Lulun.

◇

“I’m here to save you, Princess.”

It was fortunate that Lulun had formed the iceberg. He jumped from the iceberg to the top of the ice tower and rushed to Maihime’s side. He used the All-Breaker Boy to remove the mana-blocker. He tore the rough ropes in the same way and freed Maihime.

Maihime rubbed her bound wrists and looked at Higure with teary eyes.

“You’re trembling, Higure-kun.”

“…It was cold.”

Maihime, as if sensing Higure’s bravado, smiled gently.

Then, she looked at his wounds and her eyes fell with a pained expression.

“I’m sorry. This is all my fault… it must have hurt, right?”

The ice was beginning to melt, and sensation was returning to his legs. The pain that had been masked by adrenaline was gradually starting to surface, and his legs throbbed as if the bones were cracked.

“This is nothing. You had it worse, Maihime. You were all alone and scared. It hurt, and you were scared, right?”

“I-I wasn’t… I’m a princess…”

A resolute, expressionless face, as if it were ingrained in her.

Even in this situation, Maihime tried to be a strong princess.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could have said I’d stand by you and fight with you then. But I didn’t have the courage.”

When Maihime had rushed off to save the children alone.

Higure might have pushed the role of princess onto her.

“That’s not… I was able to do my best thanks to you, Higure-kun…”

“So, for now, it’s okay to just be a normal girl, isn’t it? There’s no one else around.”

“…………!”

“You were cool. Because you didn’t break, I was able to do my best too. Thanks.”

He placed a hand on Maihime’s head and gently stroked it.

Freed from her anxiety and fear, the thread of tension in Maihime snapped. As if Higure’s words were the last straw, tears began to overflow like a broken dam.

“Uuu… ah, aaaaah—!”

She hugged his chest, her expression crumbling.

She cast aside all shame and pride and cried.

“I was scared… I was so scared…!”

Maihime, sobbing like a normal girl.

No, not like. She was a normal girl.

A normal girl who had to play the part of a strong princess.

She must have been disciplining herself and trying her best all this time.

She must have been anxious being captured all alone.

So, Higure strongly wished that she could at least relax in front of him.

If he could become special to this girl—a hero—there would be nothing that would make him happier.

And so, Higure lent her his chest until she calmed down, and he continued to stroke her head.

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