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Chapter 38 – part 9

「Ah…」

Saegusa immediately turned face down, curling up with her hands clasped behind her head.

With a total lack of consideration, the special class students continued to run through the city, trampling Saegusa underfoot.

「Ugh… ah… ah…」

With her organs feeling like they were about to burst, she endured the relentless weight on her abdomen, keeping herself conscious in the midst of pain that might make her faint.

But suddenly, the pain disappeared.

「…?」

Looking, a classmate of hers had assumed a posture where he was covering her like a shield, in effect, he was the one getting stepped on in place of Saegusa.

After a while, just like a herd of bulls, all of the special class students ran away.

After confirming safety, the guy stood up.

And immediately, he gestured for Saegusa to get up too.

「Arthur-kun? Why are you…?」

「Do you need a reason to help a classmate?」

In the same class as Saegusa, the one who often picked on her was Arthur Markham.
A handsome young man with blond hair down to his shoulders, the third son of a poor noble.

And because of the rule of joint responsibility, he had been in trouble with Saegusa several times and had been a victim of her.

「But, Arthur-kun? That time, you… when I spilled your meal… You called me a useless girl. You said if I weren’t a girl, you would punch me. Why…?」

「At that time, I’m pretty sure I said this, right? My old man taught me not to hit girls. Besides, you’re so clumsy even at a time like this… You really can’t be of any use.」

With a smile without remorse, Arthur said so, and Saegusa smiled wryly and bowed her head.

「…Thank you so much. Now, let’s evacuate inside the gate.」

Arthur nodded and tried to help Saegusa up.

「Ouch!」

「What’s wrong?」

「…Looks like I messed up.」

He said, dragging his foot a little.

「My leg…?」

「Yeah, it seems like I got a good one when I got stepped on. It doesn’t feel good at all. It’s either a sprain or maybe even a fracture.」

Arthur checked his surroundings.
There was already no one around, and everyone had taken shelter inside the gate.

In other words, it could also be said that they were too slow to escape.

Looking back, Arthur lightly laughed and raised his silver hair with his right hand as he said,

「We’re facing a horde of ogres here… It’s hopeless.」

As he spoke, the horde of ogres was approaching within 50 meters.

Leading the pack was the Ogre Emperor, and several Ogre Kings were visible.
Among them were countless Ogre Generals and regular ogres, their twisted forms apparent.

As if resigned, Arthur chuckled lightly and, raising his silver hair with his right hand, said:

「It’s over now.」

「Run, Koharu. I’ll… hold them back, even if it’s just for a little while. I’ll buy time with my life on the line. If you mess up like always and get left behind, I’ll really be mad, you know?」

Tearfully and nervously, Saegusa said.

「Why would you go so far for someone like me? Someone so clumsy and a slowpoke like me…? Why…?」

「I’m a noble. Even though I’m a fallen one, a poor noble’s third son who gets whispered about… I’m still a proud noble.」

「…」

「What kind of noble would I be if I couldn’t protect a single woman?」

And breaking his cool facade, Arthur shouted loudly.

「Even though our income is low because we’ve fallen… we’re still… taking taxes from the commoners! So, Koharu! You run!」

Saegusa couldn’t move.

She tried to use her divine power, but immediately her legs stiffened, and she couldn’t control her power properly.

The absolute condition for the unique ability of the Saegusa family is the balance of the mind.

In the case of a magician, there might be such a condition to a greater or lesser extent, but in Saegusa’s case, it’s not her own magical power but the temporary borrowing of divine power that manifests her strength.

For example, when a bank lends money to an entrepreneur, would it execute a loan to a president who looks unsure and is dressed shabbily?

Even in the relatively calm state of the Lost Forest, she couldn’t use her power.

And now, in a situation where the oni who had killed her entire family was approaching, there was no way she could maintain the balance of her mind.

—What should I do, what should I do… I can’t do anything… If I stay like this…

Then, from behind Saegusa, from the direction of the gate, a high-pitched voice echoed.

「Oh… There’s even someone with guts in the low-class?」

Arthur was dumbfounded and raised his voice with an incredulous tone.

「Cordelia… Allston…-sama?」

Following those words, another high-pitched voice was emitted.

「…It’s not just me.」

Somehow, standing beside Cordelia, Saegusa looked and nodded emphatically.

「Lilith…san?」

The two of them walked towards the ogres.
Soon, they passed by Arthur and Saegusa, getting within eyesight of the ogres.

「Our opponents are the Ogre Emperor and his entourage. Do you understand that if each of us deals with them individually, we’ll be defeated?」

「…Most likely, yes.」

Cordelia then extended her right hand to Lilith.
She seemed to be seeking a handshake.

「…」

Lilith smacked away the offered palm.

「Hey, you! Are you seriously going to refuse cooperation at this point?」

「…I have no choice. So, I’ll cooperate.」

「Well, how about a handshake then?」

Lilith remained silent for a moment and then coldly retorted,

「I have no intention of getting acquainted.」

In response to her words, Cordelia raised the corners of her mouth with a mischievous smile.

「Hmph… That’s fine!」

With that, the two of them turned to face the horde of ogres.

Cordelia’s eyes turned crimson.
Simultaneously, a crimson aura surrounded her.

「Alright…」

Cordelia nodded in approval, but at that moment, the color in her eyes faded, and they returned to their original blue.

Cordelia clicked her tongue and Lilith asked, puzzled,

「What’s wrong, Cordelia Allston?」

「I’m in trouble…」

Cordelia furrowed her brow, forming a “へ”shape, and Lilith nodded with an expressionless face.

「I understand, you’ve run out of gas.」

Cordelia sighed as she spoke.

「I might have gone overboard at the northern gate.」

The Berserker mode is a principle that temporarily enhances combat power beyond the limits of the body.
In reality, Cordelia had flown at full throttle at the northern gate, without considering her pacing, even though she might have run out of gas.

In such a state, it was impossible to endure consecutive battles.

「In that case…」

Cordelia glanced at Saegusa.

「Do you still think we still can… with that?」

Saegusa, with a timid expression, looked at Lilith for a moment.
Then Lilith shook her head in displeasure.

「Cordelia Allston?」

「What?」

「Don’t expect anything from that woman.」

「…?」

「Lute said she can do it. But this woman says she can’t. But Lute doesn’t say impossible things. So there’s only one conclusion to be drawn.」

Lilith continued speaking as if spitting out the words.

「…She has no intention. And someone without intention is worse than incompetent. They are lower than trash and… a waste of time to be around.」

「But, you see? In the current situation, where Lute won’t be here unless Koharu goes all out, we won’t be able to defend this place, right?」

「…It’s better to leave trash without motivation alone. Besides… I can handle this on my own.」

Saying that, Lilith walked alone towards the horde of ogres.
Then, Saegusa asked Lilith,

「Why? Even if you go alone, there’s no chance of winning, you know?」

「Lute told me to do it. If that’s the case, this mission… can be accomplished by me doing the best I can within my abilities… So, there’s no reason for me to back down here.」

「Why do you trust Lute-kun that much?」

「Lute is my everything, and I am his everything. That’s my belief.」

With those words alone, Lilith started to advance towards the ogre horde with unwavering steps.

Then Cordelia asked Saegusa a question.