Kuro no Maou

The yang disappears into the ridges of the very steep Galahad Mountains, with night books falling around.

There is nothing that would otherwise pass through such a dark night lane, but now there were three shadows in this street that walked solemnly, illuminated by bonfired light.

To Chrono, who moves his legs even as he leans down, the two Lily and Fiona following behind can't find the words to call.

The three of them consumed the last potion to recover strength to the point where they could walk before immediately starting to move.

The destination is where the adventurers would have been attacked by the Eleventh Apostle.

If you believe the words of Mass, there must always be traces of battle in the streets.

Since the carriage line carrying the adventurers drove away with the Chronos, time hasn't gone by half a day, and we can expect the raid point to be not so far away.

And Chrono couldn't help but check that.

(My legs, heavy...)

Chrono nowadays, he stops thinking.

What happened to the adventurers, what happened to the refugees, what happens next - all stop thinking and just focus on getting your feet going.

Still blurry in the depths of my chest, but surely the worst feeling/prediction swirls, causing my heart to get upset.

Therefore, Chrono cannot do anything until he has ascertained the truth with his own eyes.

How much time I would have kept walking that way, perhaps not so much, but on what seemed like an infinite journey for Chrono, finally the end, the answer, I could see.

"... Huh!?

Illuminated by the glowing Lily's light sphere instead of a light fire, the only eyes on Chrono's other right showed a square rolling far away.

For Chrono, who works like a nocturnal monster at night with enhanced modification, there can be no mistake in seeing it.

The moment he recognized that square something, Chrono ran out.

"Ah, Chrono!

"Mr. Chrono -"

I can't hear you two voices or anything, I can't help but be sure of that, even if the worst end was waiting for me.

"Oh, oh..."

It was an indisputable wreckage of the carriage.

A rough wooden carriage, not even painted, that we built to escape.

It was in Chrono's eyes that the back half, the first half, was devastated, as if it had even been hit by a giant iron sphere.

"This, this..."

At the end of the gaze, the wreckage of the carriage, which is similarly rolled over and seen after destruction everywhere, continues dotted.

And from the other side of the dark road that I still can't see, the smell of dark blood that I've been so used to sniffing in the last few days.

What came to mind behind Chrono's brain was not the face of the reliable adventurers, the face of the hate crusaders, or the face of the joking apostles.

It was the sight of the burning village of Iles, just that clearly floated in my head.

It was all too late for anyone to help, that hell.

Now there are no burning houses in this place, no friends crucified.

But this was the same view of despair as the doomed village of Iles.

"This... not really..."

It was Chrono, who kept walking nice, but finally ran out of energy and bowed to the spot.

In front of us, traces of overly intense battles are spreading, such as on decomposition and craters large and small, and on the knocked down trees.

I can't see what kind of spectacular death battle has been waged on this occasion right now, but the only thing I know is,

"Guys... they're dead..."

Only the fact that the adventurers lost miserably.

Some familiar tragic corpse scattered there.

At the center of the international crater, a giant fang sword is stuck on the chest and sewn to the ground.

"Tooth Sword/Bad Eclipse," standing upright through his heart, had his right arm cut off his elbow still gripping the pattern vigorously.

The black worn out rolling to be punched aside on the side of the road would not have known it was a mozzle without a short wand (wand) imitating a wax beside it.

Whether you stubbornly took a blow, or crushed by something huge, or crushed to pieces without leaving a single piece of bone behind from your toe to the ceiling of your head, the skeleton is not even shadowed and it is impossible to identify yourself.

The three corpses that are falling to lead to the overthrown large tree must be the three sisters of The Three Hounds Princess.

In the distance, the three seem to hold hands amicably side by side, but in fact, they are just arrow-piercing each other's palms and forcing their hands to overlap.

They have their heads cut clean off from their necks and don't know who they are because they all dress the same gear with the same outfit.

I wasn't very comfortable looking for a raw neck that might be rolling somewhere.

"What the... are you kidding me, what the... why are you doing this to me?"

The more I look around, the more dead bodies, carcasses, bodies in my eyes, all of this is bloody, not as one thing, such as the Five Satisfied, I can't help but feel the malice of the killer, just overkill (overkill) things.

But even such a fragmented and guzzling corpse almost discerns who it is from its physical characteristics, clothing, equipment, etc., it follows.

It was less than a month ago, but it couldn't be different if it turned out to be a different kind of comrades who had slept together and fought shoulder to shoulder.

That's why, furthermore, I understand, believe, and irresistibly accept their deaths.

It's a lie, impossible, incredible, no denial makes sense.

Here Chrono found out the truth, that the Eleventh Apostolic Mass had truly annihilated the 'Demons through this path’.

"You've been fighting for such a cot!!

Tears streaming out with screams spread through my cheeks and into the ground like rain.

"Damn! Goddamn it! I'll..."

Krono squatting to reject the reality that spreads around him,

"- Again, no one could protect you..."

All I could do was shed a tear of regret.

But even if I say I regret it, I don't get an answer as to what I should have done.

Myself and my companions have challenged the whole body with spirits against the invasion of the Crusades, the defense battle of the village of Alsace, the ambush of the experimental forces, the apostolic assault and all matters.

But it ended up all in vain, wasted effort, wasted battle, and wasted death.

What was wrong, what was wrong, where could I have done without such a tragic end?

There's no answer, there's no way out.

Even if you get that answer, it's still just regret and it's not going to overshadow the reality there right now.

But one flash ran in Chrono's head falling into such a grand tour of thought.

That gave me a simple and unambiguous answer to the answer I shouldn't answer.

"... because I was weak."

The answer to that is' power '.

What if I have the power to defeat tens of millions of crusaders?

What if I have enough power to kill the Apostle?

"If I were stronger, if I had the strength, no one would die, wouldn't I?"

The moment I came to that answer, Chrono was annoyed by real regret.

perceived as a sin that can never be redeemed, to oneself that has led to irrevocable events.

No matter how leapfrogging a theory that was, I just thought that was true for Chrono.

"Well, is everyone dead because of me?"

Things that occupy the heart of Chrono, it's

"Ha ha... right, right, it's all my fault, it was my fault -"

It was undisputed 'despair'.

"Chrono!

That's when the light plugged into Chrono.

A seven-colored phosphorescent light appeared in his right eye, while a soft, warm, little thing jumped into Chrono's body.

"Chrono isn't bad! Chrono did his best! Great work! I tried harder than anyone!

"... Lily"

Lily's young figure was there, clinging to Chrono's chest and tears at the edge of her circular emerald green eyes, screaming desperately for words of affirmation.

"Chrono, about Lily properly, protected me!

Lily, you're alive, because Chrono protected you, you're alive!

So Chrono can't be bad!

Awkward dialogue, but that young cry did plug a glimmer of light into Chrono's desperate mind.

"Lily...... thanks"

The light is not a miracle that overshadows this tragic reality.

Krono was so much so that he might have waved the blade of "Curse" "Crack", the only remaining weapon, at himself.

But Lily's words had the power to just let Chrono take the critical step of being drunk in despair.

Just a little bit, calm returns.

"I'm fine, I'm fine... please don't cry"

"Yeah, yeah! Lily, I'm not crying!

Krono hugged Lily tightly with her successful arms as she lost her robe and nodded her face on her chest, which was a piece of her shirt.

The small warmth I feel in my chest gives Chrono calm and the strength to stand up again.

"… let's find the survivors"

With Lily in her chest, Chrono stood up.

Sorrow, pain, regret, penance, all set in motion to put it behind us and do what we have to do now.

"Hey! Anyone alive!

Shout out loud towards the dark night that spreads around you.

Anyone, anyone, if there's anyone alive, we have to save them.

Without even having to think about it, what we have to do now on this occasion is search for and rescue of the survivors.

"Whoa! Whoa! Who! Give me a reply!!

It's no use, you can't just have the apostle safe against you - such an idea forces you into the corner of your head.

Emotions that fall into a negative spiral even if they can stand up in this way start to spin backwards, but not if they're stopping, not if they're frustrated, not if they're desperate, Chrono desperately excites himself and raises his voice.

"Oooh!!

Chrono walks out looking for a survivor, still holding Lily, who says she's not crying.

"Light (Torch)"

At that time, the perimeter of Chrono will be brighter in Russia.

Seeing it, I saw a bright, burning ball of fire over dozens of meters slowly falling.

As if it were a flare shell, a wide range is illuminated by a fireball in the air.

"I thought it would be easier to find it brighter"

Fiona's hand, which appeared like a shadow from behind, holds Ains Bloom, her favorite longscepter (staff).

"Thanks for your help."

Seeing Chrono with a slight grin, Fiona stroked her chest down ho while not changing her expression.

Fiona, a zero friend, wouldn't have known what a good time to speak up at a time like this.

In the meantime, he seems relieved that he was finally able to say the word because he threw the deal round Lily and the good thing Chrono restored the energy to move.

"By the way, isn't that the right kind of magic to look for people?

Fiona was going to have a grin on her mouth unexpectedly, but suddenly she regains her poker face to Chrono's words and answers questions.

"If it's killer or magic, it can be read within a certain range."

"No, I can do that, too, or if you're dying seriously, you won't be able to show that easily."

Even Chrono's gaze, which seemed a little dazed, felt somewhere comfortable with Fiona.

After all, I realized once again that I was pretty upset before Chrono, who seemed so unstable that the more I touched him, the more it was going to break.

"Unfortunately, I have not mastered magic like exploring (searching for) faint magic or signs"

"Right, so what about the magic of louder voices?

"You haven't mastered that either."

"I have no choice, I just have to look in the tunnel or I'd appreciate it enough if you could just brighten this up"

Thanks to this, a more peripheral tragedy is being revealed, but Chrono was trying to be as unconscious as possible.

"Hey! Somebody - reply me if you're alive -!

That was when I made a call that I didn't know how many times it would be.

Katan...

Sure, I heard a noise.

"Somebody, are you there!?

Now the sound of clarity and clatter sounded more like answering the voice of Chrono.

That can be heard from the carriage carriage pulling back upside down.

The front part is crushed with its own weight and the box shape is completely crushed, but apparently there was someone in a slight gap between the body of the vehicle and the ground, desperately trying to get out of there.

Chrono, who identifies the source, unloads Lily to throw out, while running toward the crushed carriage.

"Hey! Is that it!?

Screaming, he lifts his hand to the abyss of the body of the vehicle.

Chrono, who boasts more arm power than man by means of retrofitting enhancements, did not have to use supportive magic or reinforced martial arts to lightly tilt the wooden carriage, but quickly enough to tilt it with one side.

"I'm fine!?

I thought I'd have Fiona pull someone inside, but before I made that call, the person underneath the carriage crawled out on her own.

"... brother, right?

What came out of it was Simon, the sniper alchemist.

My favorite sniper rifle, Yatta Glass, is not on hand, but instead has a dull shade of red stone.

"Simon!? I'm glad you're okay."

From what I've seen, although Simon's outfit is terribly dirty, he can see that he's not fatally injured just because of abrasions and body marks on his hands and feet.

There seemed to be nothing else in his life, and Chrono was relieved.

"... good, no"

Into the ground, the look on Simon's face, lying down, was not well seen from Chrono with a gray forehead.

But the voice is definitely trembling.

"Not good at all... Guys, we're all dead, he killed us"

"Simon...... now, you better not think about it"

The moment he lowered his hips and let go of the words, Simon looked up.

Simon's pretty emerald eyes, just like Lily's, had big tears.

"Mr. Suse died protecting me!

I can't! I can't believe he didn't think about me all the time. "

Chrono understood the identity of the red stone that Simon seemed to hold dear, as if it were a real ruby.

Sole is the nucleus (core) of the slime.

It's the source of her life, Suse, who was a Rank 4 bandit and had put together as Simon's observer (Spotter).

"Me, I couldn't do anything... I was scared, I was scared of him... I got him protected, it's just... cum, uuuuuuuu!

As he cut the weir, Simon leaked a whimper and cried.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't protect you"

Chrono embraced Simon's luxurious body, which sobbed.

Earlier, as Lily did to herself.

"Damn, uhh... why am I... alive..."

"Don't say any more! I'm so glad you're alive, I'm glad you're alive!

"So..."

"Fine, now I'm just glad you survived, and I'm glad you're safe, Simon"

Then, ahead, Simon just kept crying to keep his mouth shut while he was held in Chrono's chest.

Even Chrono himself, who inspires Simon, still hasn't organized his mind, embracing his little body, is spreading jitters and negative emotions in his heart again.

"- Chrono."

At that time, Lily's sharp calling interrupted Chrono's swirling thoughts and pulled consciousness back to reality at once.

"What's up, Lily?

Lily's figure remains a young child, but Chrono perceived that his consciousness was changing to that of an adult, with only one word calling his own name.

I do not ask the question of why I have regained consciousness.

I don't even have to think about it, because even after using the magic of the Red Crystal Ball (Queen Beryl) above the burdensome limits on my body, I had to regain consciousness.

"Look at me."

The Galahad Mountains are pointing their gaze far beyond what can ever be seen in childhood.

When I let Simon go, I lined up next to Lily and turned my gaze in the same direction.

"That's..."

There, a row of lights dotted together.

It was nothing more than burning a pine light and ‘someone' proceeded in a line down the street at night.

"- No way, Crusader Pursuit!?

"But then you're not supposed to come from behind?

Lily's point was the best.

Chrono also immediately understands that it is unlikely that the Crusaders will come from the direction of the Galahad Mountains.

"So it's a line of refugees? No, that means you're coming the other way."

"Um, Mr. Lily..."

If you noticed, Simon, with his crying eyes, was coming to the next door.

"What?"

After Lily's sharp gaze, Simon gave her a glimpse for a moment, but returned the words immediately.

"Why don't you use the magic of the light that looks far away"

"Well, we'll have to see who I am."

After a word of chanting, a clear light sphere (lens) was formed at Lily's disposal, which she used one day during a scout interception in the village of Iles.

Chrono and Simon peek into the lens at the same time and observe the impending population beyond the night lane.

"Well, I can't see..."

Even in the telescopic state, it was still only at night, and Simon's eyes could only see the thin darkness and the glow of the pine lights that the group was flying.

But in the right eye of Chrono at night, it was clearly visible.

- I don't think I'm a crusader or a villager.

What Chrono saw on the other side of the lens was a knight in armor across the horse.

It's different from the white one and the characteristic crusader gear, and it also seems like a completely different army.

But I can't see the shadow of a giant that surpasses the beast man or the one peculiar to the golem, so I can't completely throw out the possibility of a crusader that is at least all human in size and still made up only of humans.

"Brother, can't you see the crest of the flag you're flying?

"Flag? Mmm... oh, there is, I can see it"

"Tell me what pattern you're wearing!

With his eyes gazed, Chrono observes closely the two flags flying by the knight.

First, I was relieved that neither of them was painted a cross.

And the next thing I noticed was that each of the two flags had a different crest on them.

"One with a crown and sword crossed, the other with a shield and a spear.

You know what, Simon?

"Yeah, definitely, it's the Spartan army"

I recall sending an ambassador to Sparda for help at the same time as I accidentally leaked my exclamation breath.

Did you rush me in this situation mean you sent troops to help me?

"No, wait, are you sure Sparda's gonna help us?

It's a dialogue that I don't think is Teng himself who said he wanted to escape to Sparta, but with a heavily armed army in front of him, I'd say the concern is the best.

Above all, Sparda was not a friendly country for Daedalus, but a relationship close to the enemy country, and he went there ready to evacuate the refugees in the first place, he couldn't have worried about the army before.

"It's okay, I think that unit makes sense, ah, brother, just in case, but isn't a knight at the head of the unit heavier than the rest?

"Mmm...... oh sure, only one is totally heavy knight gear"

Even though I use Lily's lens, I don't know much about the details to the extent that I can see its silhouette, but I could still see the difference with the other knights.

The leading knight is probably the captain.

It is equipped with a spear axe (Halvard) and a large shield (Tower Shield) like a heavy knight trademark.

Naturally, the heavy knights themselves with them also boast a corresponding size, as much as the knights who follow them to the left and right, and look bigger for one head.

Other knights equipped assault spears (charge lance) with characteristic shapes different from infantry spears, with short patterns and long body parts, with shields that were larger but not as obtuse as large shields (tower shields), and the armor also appeared to be lighter than the captain's.

Chrono told Simon what he had been watching.

"Yeah, that troop is definitely Spartan 2nd Team Tempest, it's okay, they're gonna help us."

Ask Simon with a reassuring face somewhere, naturally.

"Are you familiar with the Spartan army?

Simon then looked a little hesitant, but honestly told the story as it was.

"Yeah, the captain of the Heavy Knight who leads Tempest is my sister."

My brother-in-law, but I would add, Chrono couldn't get his mouth blocked open to surprise.

"Uh, not the wax I was hiding, there are a lot of circumstances, I'm not a sparda soldier myself - and horns on the raven, because I'm fine!

There's a lot to worry about, but for now, by ‘picking’ up ’from Sparda,

"Well, can we help..."

Chrono realizes that this long battle has come to a complete end.

The battle of Alsace, which ended with the overwhelming defeat of only four survivors, which no one could protect, is hereby closed.