Side Story - Side Princess Iv, Part Four
──What began from there was a battle without hope.
The soldiers present here are the ones who protect the king, and they are all strong warriors in the army. They had great strength as they faced the monsters summoned by magic circles.
However, the monsters kept pouring out from the magic circles endlessly. The soldiers' strength was not unlimited. As the never-ending battle continued, more and more of them started getting wounded.
The one controlling the magic circles was a demon. If we could defeat them, the summoning of monsters would stop. However, the demon's power far exceeded our expectations.
Despite their seemingly gentle appearance, the demon had a body much larger than the soldiers, and they didn't step back even when faced with the soldiers, instead, they could easily knock them away with just one hand.
It's not just about brute strength. Whenever I see an opportunity, I unleash my magic to provide support, but the magic barrier that the demon instantly deploy easily blocks it.
The demon never initiate the fight themselves. They calmly defeat only those who come towards them, leaving the rest of the battle to the monsters they summon.
If the demons wanted to, they could kill every single person here without hesitation. Yet, they still haven't killed anyone, including the soldiers who approached them.
Everyone understood their true intentions.
They plan to slowly strangle us with fear, tormenting and killing us as if choking us with cotton.
They intend to show this to all the humans living in the royal capital.
Of course, many people tried to escape from this place. The nobles, who had no means to fight, rushed towards the doors of the hall all at once.
But the door didn't open.
"It's useless to try and escape. The doors and windows in this place are protected by a barrier."
Despite the demon's words, the nobles desperately tried to open the door, clinging to hope.
On the other hand, I was trembling with fear.
That demon was maintaining summoning magic circles to prevent my magic, yet at the same time, constructing a barrier to prevent our escape from this throne room. In the meantime, the demon had enough power to deal with the approaching soldiers without killing them. They possessed the abilities of a 1st-ranked warrior and magician.
"Hmm, it would be nice to slowly inflict despair over time, but it seems a bit lacking in excitement."
The demon muttered, and their gaze pierced through me from a distance. Until then, the demon had never strayed far from the magic circles. Slowly, they began to walk towards me.
"──No, don't let them go to the king and Aina-sama!!"
One of the soldiers shouted, and the nearby soldiers rushed towards the demon all at once. But the demon casually swung the sword they had somehow acquired and blew away all the approaching soldiers.
Amidst the echoing sounds of battle in the throne room, only the footsteps of the demon felt strangely audible. I desperately cast magic repeatedly in an attempt to stop the demon's advance, but all of them were easily blocked. It was quite disheartening to have my skills that were praised as being on par with the court magician's and yet seem so unreliable.
The soldiers tried their best to stop the demon, but the monster would just be summoned again as soon as it was defeated. Moreover, there were many important figures of the country present in this place. If they were to die, it would lead to a significant decline in the nation's power. We couldn't afford to neglect their protection.
As I continued to face the demon, the distance between us gradually narrowed.
"Well, there's no other choice."
My father muttered those words and drew his sword from its sheath to protect himself.
"What are you planning to do?!"
"Since it has come to this, there's no time to hesitate. I will hold them off. Meanwhile, you must find a way to escape, no matter what."
"But──"
"Even if it means I perish here, the bloodline of the king shall not be extinguished. Entrusting the future to a capable young person wouldn't be a bad idea."
Saying that, my father signaled to the two soldiers who stood nearby, guarding us. They looked surprised at first, but understanding the determination of their rightful leader, their expressions turned resolute.
"Alright, let's go!"
The two soldiers dashed straight towards the demons. Following closely behind them was the king, wielding his sword.
"So, the king himself is going to face us. What an honor."
The demon effortlessly deflected the attacking soldiers and faced the king's sword with his own.
"Hmm, quite a formidable sword pressure for your age. Heavier than anyone who has faced me in this place,"
"Even as the ruler of a kingdom, do not underestimate me, demon!"
My father, trying to push back the demon with increasing determination, had once been renowned as a knight before becoming king. His back figure truly embodied the essence of a king.
However──
"It wouldn't be bad to kill the king here, but that would be a bit boring."
The demon said, while still catching my father's sword, and through his shoulder, caught sight of me.
A shiver ran down my spine.
In that moment, I experienced, for the first time in my life, the unadulterated feeling of 'intent to kill.'
Even though it wasn't directed at him, my father, clearly sensing 'that intent to kill,' widened his eyes.
"You?! "
"How about I kill that daughter in front of the king?"
The demon muttered and forcefully threw my father aside. The force was tremendous, and my father's body cut across the throne room in a straight line, crashing into the wall.
"Ugh!"
"Father!?"
I couldn't help but scream.
Luckily, or perhaps because the demon held back, my father, who had fallen from the wall to the ground, was still alive, even though he was coughing up blood.
Unfortunately, there was no time to take comfort in that fact.
When I suddenly realized it, the demon was facing me, with his palm outstretched.
"Ugh── Aaaaaah!"
I quickly deployed a magic barrier. However, the wind blade released from the demon's hand easily shattered it and cut through me. Not only that, but my body was blown away just like my father's moments ago.
──When I woke up, I found myself lying on the floor.
It seemed like I had lost consciousness for a moment.
As I tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot through my whole body. When I managed to look at myself, I saw that my beautiful clothes were torn everywhere, and my skin was covered in cuts, with blood flowing out.
"Ah..."
As I struggled to sit up, the demon had somehow come right up to me.
"It's against my will to harm such a beautiful woman like you. But for the sake of the Demon King, I will take your life."
The demon raised the sword.
That sword meant 'death' for me. If it came down, it would easily cut me in half.
As the fear of death seeped into my heart, I instinctively reached my aching arm to my chest. It seemed that the part that was torn by the magic earlier was also torn. Fortunately, the chain of the pendant I received from that person was safe.
The memories of that person and our time together linger in my mind.
It was only two brief encounters, mere moments in my life.
However, I now realize that those two meetings were the most precious moments of my life.
Even though it may be too late now.
Still, I couldn't help but wish.
If a third miracle were to occur,
if I could meet that person again,
Then──
BOOM!
Just as the demon was about to swing their sword, the throne room shook.
"What's happening?"
The demon asked, raising their sword and voicing their confusion.
BOOOOM!!
Once again, the hall trembled, and strangely, everyone froze in response to the tremor. Monsters, soldiers, and even the high-ranking officials, all stood still.
BOOOOOOM!!!
(Oh, really...)
I had a feeling.
No evidence, proof, or guarantee.
Yet, I was certain.
Truly, what a reckless person, I thought.
BOOOOOOM!!!!
With the fourth tremor, a hole appeared in the ceiling of the throne room.
"What?!?!"
The demon let out a shocked cry as they used magic to blow away the falling ceiling debris.
In the midst of it all, someone jumped down from the hole in the ceiling.
It was a young man, carrying a spear painted in glossy black with a touch of red, diving straight towards the demon.
The demon quickly jumped away from the spot, but the tip of the spear hit the floor a moment too late. The impact alone created such a powerful vibration that it shook the entire hall.
"Argh, you──"
The demon's face twisted as they tried to speak, but they never got the chance to finish their sentence.
The young man appeared from the ceiling and let go of the spear that was thrust into the floor. With a swift motion, he unleashed a powerful punch towards the demon. In a desperate attempt, the demon tried to block the incoming punch with its own hand.
But the demon's defense was futile. The punch went right through their guard, striking their face with tremendous force. The impact sent the demon flying backward, crashing to the ground.
The shocking events unfolded one after another, leaving everyone stunned and speechless.
The ceiling of the grand castle, known for its sturdiness, had been destroyed. From the gaping hole that remained, someone wielding a spear emerged. With sheer strength, the young man effortlessly pushed back the unstoppable demon that no one else could halt.
Without even sparing a glance at the demon tumbling on the ground, "he" withdrew the spear and turned his attention towards me.
At this point, it didn't matter who this person was anymore.
The undeniable proof of his identity hung from his neck—a 'ring.'
"Young lady, please tell me your name."
"He" said to me.
It was supposed to be an unspoken agreement between us.
Because we understood that we lived in different worlds, we didn't reveal our names. We thought it was the final line.
"Well, it was rude to ask someone's name without telling my name first. My name is 'Yukina.' Other than being from the same hometown as 'Brave', I'm just an ordinary villager, a humble mercenary."
I couldn't stop the tears overflowing from my eyes. I experienced for the first time that even when people are happy, they can still shed tears.
I couldn't stop this feeling anymore.
"I want you to tell me again. What is the young lady's name?"
Maybe he already knows my name. Yet, he still wanted me to tell it from my own mouth. To confirm the feelings in my heart.
"...My name is Aina."
"Oh, that's a nice name, Aina."
He── Yukina-san said with a smile. In this desperate situation, his smile was like the sun, shining brightly despite everything.
"I've made up my mind, Aina."
Yukina-san said, turning around.
The demon with a swollen, angry face stood up. Despite their furious expression, Yukina-san bravely raised his spear.
"I'm going to get Aina, no matter what. That's right! It doesn't matter if the person I love is a royal, or if monsters or demons come after me. I don't care!"
He fiercely shouted at everything around him.
"If I have to, I'll take on anything that comes my way! Anyone who has a problem with that, bring it on!"
I remembered that powerful and majestic declaration.
──I am convinced that Yukina-sama will become something great someday.
I couldn't immediately recall whose words they were, but I saw it in the back before me.
It was the figure of Yukina, a great hero (eiyuu).
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)