It was a gorgeous morning, the kind you don't see every day. The birds were chirping like crazy because of how beautiful it was—the perfect morning for a total disaster.
After Alisa spent the whole night crying like a newborn, she was escorted to the academy by some female knights. Airi was waiting by the dorm door, bowing as she heard footsteps. She thought it was Alisa—and it was—but she was being carried by women in full plate armor. One look at that and the color drained from Airi's face.
Once they got inside the room, Alisa spilled everything. Airi lost it, sobbing harder than the time Rudel chewed her out. They spent the entire night crying until they eventually passed out on the floor.
When they woke up, they were somehow in the same bed, tucked under the covers. On a small table by the bedside sat a fresh breakfast—the kind that tastes good even if it's gone cold. A note was pinned to the silver tray: "Whatever happens, do not go outside. A guardian will come to pick you up when it's time to leave." The handwriting was cold and mechanical.
◇◇◇
At the border between the Principality of Kingsfort and the Commonwealth of Talis, a massive fleet of ironclads sat waiting. Something like this should have been impossible in both the game and this world, yet there they were.
On the flagship—the biggest beast of the bunch—the King of the Commonwealth, Rafiel Grima Talis, was resting in his room. Even in a place like this, he preferred the dark. A knock came at the door; it was the Prime Minister.
"Your Majesty, we're about to cross the border from our lands into Duke Kingsfort's territory."
The King's voice sounded drained. "...Fine. Just let me know when we hit the Royal Capital. You're in charge until then."
"Understood."
Once Borzak left, the King clicked on a small lamp, illuminating the only thing he cared about: a family photo. A grown man, his wife, and a little boy. Rafiel stared at the frame and whispered, "I'll avenge you soon."
◇◇◇
Back at the Royal Palace, two men were talking over a magic comms link.
"Everything's going exactly like we practiced."
"Yeah. Don't sweat it."
"How's that other thing coming along?"
The man with the big beard let out a short laugh. "In a few hours. My inauguration as Prime Minister is this morning."
"I see. Congrats."
"Thanks."
The convo seemed to be wrapping up.
"Before you hang up, you should tell the Sanctuary to get moving too."
"The Sanctuary? Why?"
"Isn't it obvious? Having the future Prime Minister back the Sanctuary would be a huge PR move. Everyone will see how 'benevolent' you are since nobody's ever allowed this before."
The bearded man went quiet for a second, thinking. "Good point. I'll tell Dixit to get his fat ass moving. Anyway, catch you later—next time I'll be Prime Minister and you'll be King, Franz."
"Right back, Moldred."
The call cut. A knock came at the door. "Marquis Balzac, it's time!"
The man inside grinned. "I'd like to push the ceremony back a bit. I've got some business to handle first."
With that, the future Prime Minister walked out.
◇
For some reason, there was a massive racket upstairs. I don't know what's going on, but I hear a ton of footsteps—boots, armor, you name it. What the hell is happening?
Yesterday, they told me I was getting executed this morning. I didn't feel scared. I didn't panic. Have I just gone numb? I don't think so. I think it's just... acceptance. Does dying once make death feel like no big deal? I hope not.
What actually freaks me out is that after I heard the news, Ixion vanished. I called for him over and over, but he never answered. I'm scared this kid is actually going to kill everyone and that's what the noise is, but it doesn't seem like it.
An older guy walked in, flanked by a squad of knights. I knew what this meant. They didn't say a word; they seemed to be getting a kick out of my blank expression.
◇
They dragged me out of the cell and through an unfamiliar door in the prison. We walked for minutes. The whole place smelled like damp rot. The stone floors made our footsteps echo. My hands were bound so tight it felt like my bones were going to snap.
I thought maybe this was some kind of jailbreak. Then I saw it: light at the end of the tunnel.
That's when the real fear hit. I remembered the day I died. I was terrified then, just like I am now. My pants are clean this time, at least, but my legs are shaking so hard the guards have to shove me to keep me moving.
I'm scared. Stop. Or else... Ixion will kill you all.
My mouth won't move. The light gets bigger and bigger. Please, stop. Just tell me it's a joke. I'll take it. I'll even laugh with you.
We stepped outside the cave. I almost lost control of my bladder right then and there. A bunch of knights and nobles were sitting around. Off to the side was the gallows—the rope and the steps. They couldn't even give me the guillotine? Are they that sadistic?
The knights shoved me forward. Slowly, against my will, I climbed the steps that were going to end my second life. I'm terrified. I want to cry. I don't want to die again—there's no guarantee there's a third life waiting for me!
I was on the platform. A fat noble saw the look on my face and just laughed. He slowly, sadistically, looped the noose around my neck. The nobles and knights were all laughing.
Stop. Quit it. Ixion will kill you if you don't—
"Master!"
An electronic voice cut through my thoughts just as a laser beam sliced the rope. Then, something small and round slammed into my stomach, knocking me back several yards.
As I hit the ground, the knights and nobles scrambled to their feet. They were about to charge me when—
*BOOM!*
Something slammed into the execution platform. A massive explosion sent debris flying and let out a deafening roar. My ears were ringing. As the ringing faded, a voice came through crystal clear.
"Master!"
It was Ixion.
"We're under attack!"
I looked up, and I saw a nightmare. Bodies—shredded human remains mixed with rubble. What the hell happened? Ixion pointed to the sky. I looked up and all I could say was, "You've gotta be kidding me. Tell me this is a joke."
A massive fleet of ironclads was sailing through the capital's skies. Mobile Knights were dropping from the ships, loaded for bear. There were 60 ships in total. Smaller boats were descending with armed soldiers. To top it off, a dozen four-winged bombers were raining hell down on us.
What the hell was going on? I asked Ixion, shocked it wasn't his doing. "Hey, talk to me! What's happening?!"
"I was getting ready to raid the palace, but before I could make a move, I saw this fleet invade. The defense forces aren't doing a thing. I came to get you out. We need to move, now."
I watched Ixion, my mind racing as bombs and explosions rocked the capital. Running was the smart move. They tried to kill me. They would have if not for this attack.
"...Or," Ixion added, looking me in the eye. "You can fight right here, right now, and show the palace what happens when they stab you in the back."
"Huh?" I asked, confused.
"Knowing you, you'd run. But those two girls? They definitely won't leave. You've only got one real choice. Fight. Fight and wipe out your enemies. It's the only way to tip the scales back in your favor."
A syringe popped out of Ixion's body on a cable. He handed it to me. "What is this?" I asked, nervous.
"It's a drug. It kills your endorphins while jacking up your survival instinct with pure adrenaline."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I was terrified of the answer.
"Really? It means you can do whatever needs to be done and you won't feel a thing. No matter what you do today, you won't feel an ounce of pain or regret."
I stared at the syringe. Normal people don't kill people. Society punishes people like that. I didn't want to kill anyone. I wanted to hold onto the last bit of my old life—my sanity as a normal citizen.
But...
"If you want to keep those two safe, this is the only way."
"No other choice, right?"
◇◇◇
Inside one of the ironclads, soldiers were boarding their Mobile Knights. They were joking around as they grabbed their rifles.
"Is it true that guy's a total wimp who won't kill?"
"That's what I heard. Nobody he fights actually dies. Broken bones, sure, but no body count."
"Nice. Glad a loser like that finally got executed."
The soldiers dropped from the ship, ready to wreck shop. "Nobody's gonna stop the—"
One of them went dead silent as a black figure closed in. A soldier screamed, "It's the Trash Knight!" His buddy replied, "He doesn't kill, remember? We're good."
Society teaches people that hurting others has consequences. That's what separates humans from animals.
"You're right. Let's see who gets to claim his head."
But there's a law much older than that: The strong eat the weak.
Before the man could finish his sentence, his buddy was gone. No—he didn't vanish. Something hit him so hard he went flying back, his armored unit shattered into scrap metal. The man looked ahead, panic surging as he saw the Battler leveling an anti-tank rifle right at his face.
He screamed with everything he had: "YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO KIL—!"
His consciousness flickered out at the same time his Mobile Knight did. Meanwhile, inside the Battler, Rudel was...
"Alright. That's two. How many left? Who knows... doesn't matter. A lot of people are about to die today."
...Totally chill as he headed for the next ship.
◇◇◇
In a room at the Royal Palace, Marquis Balzac was screaming into a comms unit. "Franz, what the hell happened this morning?!"
The man on the other end just let him vent.
"This wasn't the plan! Why the hell did you order an attack on the capital?!"
Finally, the man spoke. "...Hey, Moldred. Tell me something. Are you an idiot? I don't think so—you're smart. But tell me... are you actually stupid?"
The Marquis froze. "What the hell are you talking about?!"
"..."
"...Seriously?"
"Franz, answer me! What is this?!"
The voice on the other end sighed. "Moldred, think about it. Did you really think I'd keep a guy like you around?"
"What? I've backed you this entire time!"
"Yeah, and I appreciate it. This plan wouldn't have worked without you. But let me ask you: Do you think a man who turns on his own allies or the old man from Ritzburg... is someone worth trusting?"
In that moment, it all clicked for the Marquis. "...Franz, you... you're double-crossing me?"
"What?! No! I'm just making sure a snake like you doesn't try to kill me later. How do I know you won't come for my head once I'm King?"
Hearing that half-truth, the Marquis could only do one thing. "Franz! No—Kingsfort, you damn rat!!!"
"...Sorry, but once I'm King and I get what's buried under this palace, I'll make sure you're the last and greatest Prime Minister. I need to raise Klein right so he doesn't turn out like you. Anyway, smell ya later, Moldred."
The call cut. The Marquis crushed the seashell-shaped comms unit in his hand, cursing the man's name. "KINGSFOOOOORT!!!"
Outside, the explosions were getting louder.
◇◇◇
"...Uh, who are you?"
Alisa and Airi had woken up to the sound of explosions. They were panicking. Before they could bolt—without even touching their food—Alisa yanked the door open and found something new.
"Hey there."
It was a sphere, similar to Ixion, but without arms. It was white with stripes on the sides, making it look like a softball. It had a single lime-green eye. The sphere was an AI, and she introduced herself in a friendly, feminine electronic voice.
"Nice to meet you! I'm Bellion, but you can call me Bell. Ixion-senpai sent me to get you."
The girls had no clue what was going on outside, let alone what this ball was, but they didn't care. Alisa grabbed Bell and shook her. "I don't care who you are! Tell me what's happening! Is Rudel okay?!"
"P-p-please, stop shaking me! My circuits are gonna fly out!" Bell squeaked. Once Alisa stopped, the sphere continued. "The Master was rescued a while ago. He's fighting with senpai right now."
The girls were relieved he was alive, but their faces fell when they heard he was fighting. They ran to the window and saw the Battler tearing into a ship, which exploded into flames as it plummeted. They couldn't believe their eyes.
"You two, let's go, fast! A squad of guardian bots is waiting outside."
They didn't even grab their stuff; they just ran. Just as they cleared the building and the sphere confirmed everyone was out, a bomb leveled the girls' dorm.
Alisa screamed. She remembered something. "The dolls!"
The dolls Rudel had given them were still in their rooms. They watched as the building crumbled. The gift from their best friend—the symbol of their mended friendship—was now buried under the rubble.
"The carriage is here, get in!" Bell said urgently.
A carriage driven by robots pulled up. Some were armed; others were holding shields.
"Where are we going, Bell-chan?" Airi asked.
The sphere seemed to blush. "Bell-chan... so that's my nickname? I love it! Since you gave me a cute name, I'll protect you with everything I've got! Get in!"
"To the palace," the sphere said as the door closed. "The Master is heading there once he's done."
◇◇◇
(How did things end up like this?) Rudel thought as he tore through the interior of a ship.
"Kill him!"
"Bullets aren't doing anything!"
"Use magic!"
The enemy soldiers were screaming in terror. Their bullets, cannons, and fire magic hit the Battler, but everything just bounced off.
Inside the ship, the Battler used two armored units as human shields. The soldiers inside were still alive, but Rudel didn't care. Like he was playing a game, he tossed them at high speeds into different sections of the ship, triggering chain explosions.
He pulled two axes off his back.
A scene of pure carnage unfolded. Enemy soldiers charged him. Without even bothering to dodge, the Battler sliced one in half. Red fluid and energy sprayed everywhere. He cut through another like a hot knife through butter.
He buried the right axe in a soldier's chest. With his left hand, he grabbed another soldier, and with his left axe, he split the enemy down the middle, slamming the blade into the floor. He started wrecking them with his bare hands. High-tech weapons were useless against his superior tech.
"Get out of the way!" a soldier yelled, rolling up with a massive mortar supported by two others. They knew they'd take friendly fire, but they had to take the enemy down. A magic circle formed at the barrel's mouth, and with a roar, a magic shell slammed into the Battler, engulfed it in black smoke.
The soldiers started to celebrate. Then—
"A bit early for a victory lap, boys."
Rudel's voice came through the smoke. They watched as a figure stepped out, walking toward them like he was on a Sunday stroll. They scrambled to reload. The Battler closed in slowly. Just as they were about to fire, the Battler shoved its fist right into the barrel.
The soldiers didn't even realize what happened as they pulled the trigger. A massive explosion rocked the room. Again, the Battler walked out without a scratch.
He pulled two small pistols from his back and, like it was a video game, started blasting in every direction. It didn't matter if he was aiming at anyone; the chain reactions did the work. Some tried to run. Rudel tossed his guns and used his hands to make sure they didn't get far. He snapped one enemy in two like a dry cracker. He punched another until the armor looked like a crushed harmonica.
◇◇◇
A nearby allied ship watched their sister ship go up in flames. The captain stared. "What is that?"
His eyes widened as he saw a black object jumping toward them. It looked like a pitch-black ape leaping through the air. The men in the bridge tried to run, but the black object slammed right through the glass. Its red eyes were so intense it looked like a wild animal. It climbed to the top, punched a hole in the ceiling, and dropped in.
Screams and explosions followed.
harmonica
"Ixion, status report."
Rudel was calling Ixion, who was monitoring the city with drones.
"The girls are in a carriage heading for the palace. Enemies have taken about 40% of the capital. Mostly infantry, some armored units."
Rudel grabbed a lifeboat full of people and tossed the whole thing—people and all—to the ground. He was being shot from behind, but he didn't care.
"I suggest sending drones and bots to handle the foot soldiers."
"Do it—"
Rudel's voice cut off with a scream. "Aaaahhhhh!!!"
"Ixion! Hit me with another dose, now!"
Rudel was injecting a special drug to kill stress and panic. The high was wearing off.
"Master, that's four doses. If you keep this up, the crash is going to be brutal."
"I said give me another one!!"
A syringe filled with yellowish-green liquid popped out. Rudel slammed it into his chest. His eyes were bloodshot, but after a second, he relaxed back into his cold persona.
"Thanks. Have the next one ready."
"..."
Ixion just stared at Rudel, then turned back to his monitors to send orders to his subordinates.
◇◇◇
A swarm of spherical drones buzzed over the capital. They had four rotors and a camera in the center. Tucked underneath was a gatling gun turret. They split into squads of five, heading for the hot zones.
One drone spotted a group of Royal Knights fighting for their lives. The knight in the center was taking on three enemies at once. Steel clashed, but the numbers game was losing. A blade caught the knight across the face.
"Gyahh!" The man fell, dropping his sword. The enemy soldiers leveled their guns. It was over... or it would have been, until a robotic voice droned from above.
"Target: eliminate... invader."
The buzz of high-speed gatling guns filled the air. In ten seconds, there was nothing left but a pile of bodies. The wounded knight was the only one left standing. "What was that?"
◇◇◇
"You gotta be kidding me!" an enemy soldier yelled. They were using a house as cover. Inside, a family lay dead on the floor. They were pinned down because a floating object was shredding the house with high-speed rounds. The structure was falling apart. Suddenly, the firing stopped.
"Is it over?" the man whispered. They got ready to move, but then... "Wait, what's this?"
A small grenade bounced into the room. A massive explosion torched the place.
"Fire suppressed. No threat detected. Protect civilians and allied knights."
A group of drones with extinguishers moved in to put out the flames. This was happening all over the city.
◇◇◇
"Wipe them out!"
A group of soldiers behind a barricade in the plaza were firing rifles and tossing fireballs at a strange enemy. "Haha! Take that, Royal trash!"
The man's laughter died along with him—his head was suddenly missing. Powerful shots were coming from inside the flames. The soldier next to the corpse watched as their barricade was vaporized. Dark figures began to float out of the fire. They were black, with red eyes and heavy rifles.
One of them aimed at the soldier, who could only stammer, "This isn't ea—!"
His head hit the pavement before he could finish.
◇◇◇
"My Lady, run!"
In the Roseblaire estate, things were going south. Madarao, a man with slicked-back black hair and a kunai, was trying to take on a Mobile Knight solo. It was brave, but stupid. He couldn't do any real damage. He was just trying to be a decoy so his mistress could escape.
"Are you an idiot? I told you I'm not leaving your side!" Eleonora shouted.
The Mobile Knight closed in. The soldier laughed as he aimed his rifle.
"My Lady, run!"
Eleonora refused to do something as shameful as fleeing. The barrel was pointed right at them when a "rain" started falling.
"Huh?" Eleonora watched as the enemies were turned into swiss cheese by a hail of bullets. She looked up and saw a jet-black Mobile Knight flying off.
"Looks like you finally chose the path of the warrior, Sir Knight," Madarao whispered.
"Seriously, what kind of jerk leaves a lady hanging mid-sentence?" Eleonora scoffed.
◇◇◇
In the academy's infirmary, a student named Fritz woke up. He'd been recovering from an accident. "So much noise..." He stumbled out of bed and made it to the garden.
Suddenly, an object slammed into the ground nearby, the shockwave knocking him down. He saw a wrecked Mobile Knight. Then, a bigger, black one landed. It grabbed a lamppost and pointed it at the pilot.
"Wait!" the pilot screamed, throwing his hands up. "Please, mercy! I've got a wife and kids back home. I surrender! Take me prisoner!"
Fritz watched from his hiding spot. Then, he heard something monstrous.
"If I let you live, everyone will want the same deal. 'No prisoners' is my answer."
"Stop! Please, nooo!"
The Battler crushed the unit and the pilot inside. Then, it took off.
Fritz was shaking. He walked over to the wreckage in his hospital gown and bare feet. The cockpit was filled with blood. A locket floated in the mess, showing a woman and kids.
Fritz gritted his teeth and looked at the sky. "He said he surrendered!" Fritz was a guy who couldn't stand injustice, and he'd just seen a cold-blooded murder.
◇◇◇
The sky was crawling with planes dropping bombs, but the orders had stopped coming. Their ships were falling. A man looked out to see what was happening and froze. A black unit with a rifle was closing in. They tried to dodge, but it didn't matter.
From the highest point in the sky, the Battler leveled its long-range rifle. Two seconds later, a plane exploded. One by one, the planes were picked off like sitting ducks by high-speed rounds that moved like missiles.
The last plane thought it had gotten away. It was an illusion. The Battler tracked it, pulled the trigger, and the sky went silent.
◇◇◇
"Hurry the hell up!"
Askewell was fleeing on the last remaining ship—the smallest one. "That trash was supposed to be dead! Why is he here?! I told the Commodore to attack early so I could get my rank back!"
He was sweating bullets in the bridge. He'd watched the Battler solo the entire fleet. He was terrified. Then a sailor screamed, "V-Viscount Askewell, look!"
The Battler was falling toward them. With a massive crash, it landed right in the center of the deck. Askewell was about to cry when he had an idea.
"Bra—I mean, V-V-Viscount Bradford! Good to see you! Remember me? Aske—the coconut head guy!"
The Battler just stared at him. (I'll use this to beg for asylum!)
"I'm so sorry about what happened. I'm just a lowly vassal, as you can see. I'd be so grateful if you'd let me and my men stay as political prisoners under your care?"
There was an awkward silence. Askewell gave a confident smirk, remembering how Rudel used to talk to him.
"This ship..."
His smirk grew. "...Is it the last one?"
But the smirk turned to pure horror when the electronic voice responded: "That's right. With this, there are no enemies left."
Askewell burst into tears as he and his men scrambled for the lifeboats. Snot and tears were flying as they tried to climb in. The Battler pulled its axes.
"...If you'd said that before all this started, I might have said yes."
Askewell covered his face as the axes swung. The light in his eyes went out forever in a massive explosion. Stepping out of the flames like it was nothing, Rudel set his sights on the palace.