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「You don’t evade or deflect any attacks as you focus on nothing but delivering your own……that’s how it is, is it not?」
「Fufu…So you’ve understood it. Then, what would you do? Would you run? Of course, you’d hate to have your perfect, beautiful face bashed in, wouldn’t you?」
「As if! I will accompany you, of course, with your own fighting style.」

A battle must be fought by accepting one’s opponent’s greatest strength and winning it. That is the best way to gain experience in a battle and grow. If Tiffany wanted to challange Inglis in a raw fistfight without any defense, then she would accept it. And she would grasp her victory on that condition!

「Then, let us start!」

Just as Inglis was about to lunge at Tiffany again…

「LADY TIFFANNYYY!!!」
「A-, are you hurt?!」
「H-, how heartrending!」

Several Highlanders were flying in the air, riding their Flygears. Hallim was not amongst them, but they were all handsome young men like him, giving Inglis a hint of Tiffany’s taste. Tiffany was only slightly injured, nothing more than a graze really, and yet they made a huge deal out of it.

「Oh dear, boys. I told you to stay put, did I not? Lekrea has already started its ascent to the sky, so we need to keep a close eye on it!!」
「However! We cannot let Lady Tiffany fight a battle all alone!」
「Please let us fight too!」
「This time for sure we will show you that we can take down that silver haired girl!」
「You mustn’t. None of you is a match for her. I’d hate to see you die in vain. After all, I treasure all of you so very much! For now, just be patient and heal me later, okay?」
「Y-, yes! Leave it to me!」
「No, me!」
「Me!」
「Fufu. Don’t make a fuss, keep the order in line, okay? I won’t go anywhere, and once we succeed at bringing Lekrea to the Highland, I will surely award each and every one of you, okay? Once we complete this mission, why don’t we relax and have time for ourselves? For now, just stay there and give me your support. I’m sure your cheers will give me strength!」

Inglis completely felt like she was the villain here, but… she, too, wasn’t alone.

「Glis! You okay?!」

Rafinha’s voice came from over her head. Apparently, she had brought out the Star Princess unit from the Carrier, and she was riding together with Lahti. It was Lahti who held the steer. Leone and Liselotte, who were nowhere in sight, were probably guarding the Flygear Carrier.

「Yeah, Rani. I’m okay.」
「We’re going ahead! Take care of them!」
「Please, Glis!」

After the two told her that, the Star Princess unit soared to the town of Lekrea that was in the sky. Its acceleration was much, much faster than that of an ordinary Flygear thanks to the many modifications that Inglis and Lahti made on it.

「O-, ooh! So fast?!」
「What’s with that Flygear?!」
「Chase after it. It will be a tribute to the top brass! It can support our standing if something out of the line happened.」
「「「Yes ma’am!」」」

The Highlanders nodded to Tiffany’s order and chased after the Star Princess unit.　However, from the speeding Flygear, Rafinha turned around and pulled the string of her signature bow Artifact, the Flowing Radiance.

「I won’t let you!」

A streak of white light was unleashed from the bow, diffused into a rain of fine light streaks that began to circle around the Highlanders.

「Uwoooh?!」
「Kgh! A blind?!」

Then, a voice interrupted from another direction.

「EEEeeeeiiii!!」

It was Leone’s voice. At the same time, the black blade of her Artifact extended from the ground, cleaving the airframe of the Highlanders’ Flygear.

「What?!」
「An ambush?!」

As they weren’t that high in altitude, the Highlanders managed to land safely, but their means of transportation was already destroyed. They wouldn’t be able to catch up to Rafinha and Lahti so easily.

「Ooh! That’s nice.」

Rafinha drew the enemy’s attention to herself and Leone took advantage of it to crush their means of transportation. It was a well thought-out collaboration of the two, as if to take one back at Tiffany who came all the way here to destroy their means of transportation.

Just who came up with the idea? If it was Rafiha, Inglis would be very proud of her. Then again, wouldn’t it be more likely if it was Leone or Liselotte? Since both of them excelled in their classes at the Knight Academy?

「Inglis! We will go ahead too!」
「We leave the rest to you!」

Leone and Liselotte also soared out on a Flygear that their platoon had brought with the Carrier and followed after Rafinha and Lahti. For now, their top priority was to get to the town of Lekrea and rescue Pullum as well as the rest of the survivors.

「Understood!」
「Phew… How very troublesome. I suppose this means we can’t take our time anymore.」

Tiffany sighed.

「Yes, so it appears.」
「Well, I have to make haste, then!」

Saying so, Tiffany came charging at Inglis in a straight line.

「……!」

Inglis braced herself to engage. From the looks of it, the momentum of Tiffany’s charge was sharp and powerful, but not that different from her previous one. Inglis still couldn’t grasp what she meant by making haste, but Tiffany was smiling.

「I see, you are taking me head on! I appreciate it, though I must say, I will be playing foul for a bit!」

Tiffany’s body was enveloped in light. Immediately after that, Inglis’ fist landed on her, but…

BAM!

It was hard! And the power behind Tiffany’s kick was much, much different from before.

「Kgh!」

Inglis was blown away by the impact, but she managed to stop herself.

「That appearance?!」

Once the light subsided, Tiffany’s appearance had changed.