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The Holy Knight Order, led by Raphael, hurriedly set out and set a course for the eastern border at full speed. It didn’t take long until their target was discernible. The sky was blackened by a huge shadow cast by a cloud of flying bird-type magic stone beasts.

「That’s really a lot!」
「Yeah……! It’s no joke!」

Prisma was becoming more and more active. Its awakening was imminent, they had to be wary of it. Praying that Inglis would arrive at the frontline by the time of its awakening, they had to do something about that giant swarm.

Eris and Ripple were of the same mind.

「Hey, Raphael! Do you have a plan how to attack it?」
「There’s too many of them for us to break through! Even if we go around and stop them from the front, we can’t balk, not with that number!」
「We’ll have to minimize our casualties as possible!!」
「Minimize……!?」
「If only we could!」
「Lady Eris, Lady Ripple, and I, the three of us will charge in! The rest will secure a retreat path and finish off the scattered enemies from the distance!」
「……EEeeeeeh～!? Just the three of us?」
「This isn’t like you!」
「You’re right, but… All in all, this is best we can do to curb our losses!」

Raphael didn’t like to fight a battle where he had to carry the victory on his own personal strength and standing out. He didn’t want his peers to be too dependent on him.

After all, he was in the position where he had to literally put his life on the line if in a fight against Prisma. If he were to leave this world, he didn’t want the Knights he’d fought with to be unable to exert all of their potentials because they had become too dependent.

Therefore, he always made sure to improve the skills of the other Knights so that they could stand on their own feet upon his passing. And it was doubly so since Leon, the one person who shared the same position, left the Holy Knight Order. Raphael could no longer think that the Order still had Leon to fall to after he died.

However, while indeed he found it a pity, Raphael didn’t resent his former colleague for it. He, too, could understand Leon’s preposition. Besides, the incident that prompted Leon to leave the Holy Knight Order took place in Ymir, Raphael’s hometown. In a manner of speaking, Leon had saved his family from taking a huge downfall.

He had complicated feelings about it, but under the current circumstances, this strategy was the most appropriate.

「You heard me! The three of us will charge in, the rest of you attack the scattered enemies from a distance! You take command!」
「Understood, Sir Raphael! All personnel, assume volley! Don’t isolate yourselves, keep a distance, and make sure to cover each other! Maintain formation and follow Sir Raphael’s signal!」
「「「Sir yes sir!」」」

Under Raphael’s direction, the vice commander took over command and began to set up the formation.

「Let’s go, Lady Eris, Lady Ripple!!」

Raphael jumped from the flygear his vice commander was steering to the flygear Eris and Ripple were on.

「Yes! Understood!」

Raphael took Eris’ position, while Eris hopped to the bow, drawing her twin swords and ready to attack.

「Alright! Let’s go full speed! Don’t fall back, okay!」

Ripple put strength on the hand that gripped the control stick.

「Yes! I will be fine even if you shake me off!」
「Fufu. Of course you will, Raphel. Let’s go!」

Ripple pedaled to the metal, and the three began their assault. The flygear they were on was built for high speed and equipped with an enhanced thrust. In no time at all, they broke out of the ranks of the troop and were in close proximity to the cloud of magic stone beasts.

By then, Raphael already drew his personal long sword Artifact. Its translucent blade, like a red jewel, glowed faintly, and the hilt had the design of a dragon, a legendary creature.

Raphael didn’t really prefer this design, but it was already like this when it was entrusted to him. The name of his artifact was Dragon Fang, and as its name suggested, it was an artifact made from the fangs of a mighty dragon.

Apparently, while the existence of dragons was something of a legend to those on Midland, they were a reality to those on the Highland. It was classified as a High-Grade Artifact, but it was rumored to be the strongest artifact barring the weaponized Hyrule Menaces, setting it apart from other High-Grade Artifacts.

Raphael was also advised by Special Envoy Theodore to refrain from using the Dragon Fang too often because its extreme power placed a huge burden on the body of its wielders.

And, as far as his experience with it told him, that was indubitably true. When this particular artifact was first bestowed to the Holy Knight Order, Leon and Raphael discussed who would be using it, but Leon ended up refusing it because it would tire him too much.

Ever since then, Raphael had been using this artifact.

「HYAAaAaaaahh…………!!」

Raphael raised the blade of the Dragon Fang level to his eyes, touched it, and focused his attention on it. He could feel the pulsating power flowing from the blade. As this artifact was originally the fang of a dragon, he wondered if the soul or power of said dragon lingered in it.

In fact, Raphael felt some kind of will from the Dragon Fang. At first, he would be left exhausted from a slight use of the artifact, but as he used it more and more, the burden gradually became lighter and lighter.

It wasn’t as simple as growing familiar with the blade, but rather the will of the sword had come to recognize Raphael and lend him its strength, that was what it felt. And with it, Raphael himself seemed to be getting used to the sword and moving closer to its existence.

The existence of the owner of this fang, the mighty dragon. Where would this journey of power lead him…

「We’re on them! CHAARGEEEE!!」

Ripple took one hand off the control stick and prepared to fire. What emerged from the muzzle of her gun was not the usual light bullet, but a black, distorted, whirlpool-like glow.

「First!」

Ripple shot her black swirling bullet, and her aim landed at the magic stone beast in front of her at high speed. When it did, the black vortex invaded the entire body of said magic stone beast.

VWHOOOMM—

As the vortex expanded further, the magic stone beasts in its vicinity were pulled in. Ripple’s black bullet had the effect of creating such a powerful point of gravitational pull.

The affected magic stone beasts were unable to resist it, concentrated in one place like one huge ball of meat and gem accordingly.

「Now, Eris!!」
「Yeah! Slice and dice!!」

Standing at the bow of the ship, Eris’ twin swords flashed with blinding speed. Her slashes flew out in all directions, leaping through space and striking the mass of magic stone beasts Ripple had provided.

Her blades, humming with their tremendous sharpness, sliced the dense sphere of magic stone beasts to shreds, just as Eris had declared she would. In a matter of seconds, the ball was reduced to a number of diced pieces.