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“Hmm. Somehow or other, I can finally move my body a little.”
“Gnnngh… My fingertips are still trembling, though…”
“It cannot be helped. You are an old man, Nosori. You must not overexert yourself.”
“Then why, despite those kind-sounding words, are your eyes practically laughing, hm?!”
“Professors, you are recovering way too fast… I still can’t move…”
“Hmm. Considering you were nearly made into a vampire’s meal, you certainly haven’t lost your lack of tension.”
“You certainly don’t look like someone who was just in mortal danger.”
“Well, that’s just the way our assistant is. Nothing we can do about it.”
“Hmm. Nothing we can do.”
“Nothing we can do, indeed.”
“W-Why do I feel like you professors are being really rude to me…?!”
“Anyway, putting that pointless discussion aside…”
“You’re calling it pointless?!”
“If things continue like this, we’re in a bit of trouble.”
“That is true. They said the Knights’ batteries had been depleted by more than half during the first attack. And now there are no healers left either. Seiwashi, can’t you do something about it?”
“Hmm. Those batteries require their proper adapters. Trying to charge them directly would be terribly inefficient and would take so long that it wouldn’t even be useful as an emergency measure.”
“What an inconvenient piece of equipment.”
“I can use a little healing magic myself, but… I’m not a priest, so I’m nowhere near capable of fully restoring someone. More importantly… I don’t have any mana right now.”
“Hmm. You are truly useless at the moment.”
“UWAAAAAH!!”

Several people were poking their heads out of a hastily constructed trench and making quite a commotion. They were the three professors—Seiwashi Melchior, Morris Balthasar, and Nosori Kasbar, along with Seiwashi’s assistant, Joseline Josran.

“Professors! Please get back inside the trench immediately! It’s dangerous here!!”

A knight noticed the four of them emerging from the trench and came rushing over to them.

“Oh? You were… team three, weren’t you? Or perhaps the leader of team four?”

Morris tapped his forehead with a finger as he searched his memories for the knight’s name.

“Norman Lance! I’m the leader of team four! Norman of the Spear Guard Unit!”
“Oh! Yes, yes! The fellow who guards with a spear!”
“Professors! More importantly, please evacuate immediately! The enemy has already gotten in here too! Damn it! Take this!!”

As soon as he announced his name, Norman Lance turned his back to the three professors. Lowering his stance, he activated Boost Up and swung the halberd he had readied in his hands. A Cadmus Knight charging straight toward Norman was struck with a dull metallic clang and sent flying, shield and all.

Norman immediately activated the magic embedded in his boots through the Magic Ignition device.

“Air Ride.”

A layer of compressed wind formed between the soles of his boots and the ground, allowing him to glide across the surface.

Norman closed the distance to the Cadmus Knight he had sent flying in an instant. Riding the momentum of Air Ride, he drove his halberd deep into the creature’s chest. Then, without releasing it, he incinerated the Cadmus Knight with blue flames erupting from the tip of the halberd. A rejected cartridge shot out from Norman’s shoulder, spinning through the air while trailing white smoke.

After confirming that the Cadmus Knight was being destroyed, Norman relaxed his shoulders. Using his upright halberd for support, he stood there breathing heavily.

(All that exhaustion just to take down one of them…? This is bad. These things are definitely in a completely different league. They’re incomparable to the undead we’ve fought until now. One-on-one, I’m hopelessly outmatched! At this rate, how am I supposed to protect the professors…?)

Norman pushed up his glasses, which had slipped slightly down his nose, and steadied his breathing as the harshness of their situation truly sank in.

“What is it? What is it? You look awfully exhausted.”
“It can’t be helped. Our opponent is stronger than him. The poor spear boy is already at his limit.”
“I-If that’s what you think, then please return to the trench as quickly as possible. If several of them come at once… I won’t be able to…”

Norman readjusted his grip on the halberd, cautiously scanning the surrounding area for signs of danger as he urged the three professors to evacuate.

The place they were standing in was part of the defensive position constructed by the logistics unit.

Yet even the fortress-like defenses had suffered enormous damage from the vampires’ earlier attack. Almost all of the tents that had stood inside had burned down, leaving behind little more than their charred remains.

At the center of the defensive position, they had dug out the ground where the tents had once stood and surrounded the excavation with walls, creating a trench as a means of protection against magical attacks. The wounded were being sheltered there, and treatment was also being administered inside. The three professors were supposed to have been evacuated there as well. But Norman, who had been assigned to guard them, noticed that the professors had somehow wandered outside and hurried over to them.

The Knight-Commander and the others were fighting on the front lines, but the enemy had already infiltrated the defensive position. What would happen if they allowed any more enemies to enter…? Norman narrowed his eyes behind his glasses and glared ahead, tightening his grip on the halberd.

“Hmm. It seems we won’t be able to simply ignore that problem.”

Seiwashi muttered those words as she narrowed her eyes. At that moment, Norman felt the hairs all over his body stand on end at the sudden presence that had appeared.

“Oh my? So you were hiding here as well?”

A woman wearing a black nightdress approached them. She placed the index finger of her right hand against her lips and spoke cheerfully while swaying her hips in a coquettish manner. The moment Norman identified the woman, Electra, he coated the halberd in his hands with a blue radiance and charged straight at her. Combining Boost Up and Air Ride, Norman’s assault sent him gliding across the ground toward his target. In the shortest possible distance, he drove the tip of his spear straight toward Electra.

But at the very instant he thought his spear had pierced her, Electra’s body blurred and vanished from the spot. Norman immediately spun around, digging his feet into the ground to brake. He lowered his stance and came to a stop, searching the surrounding area for her presence.

“My… You look absolutely delicious as well…”

A whisper seemingly carrying a sweet fragrance clung to Norman’s ears from directly behind him. Norman hurriedly leapt backward, sliding his body between Electra and the professors so that he could serve as a shield for them.

“Ufufu… How gallant. I like that about you, too.”

Electra let out a chilly laugh as she raised her right hand in front of her. She slowly turned her palm upward, lifting it until it reached the level of her face. Her right hand was then engulfed in flames. With a flick of her hand, Electra sent the flames lashing outward like a whip.

The fiery whip struck Norman in the side, biting into him with enough force to seem almost physical before sweeping his entire body away. Norman was sent flying and engulfed in flames. Crying out in agony, he rolled across the ground and came to rest at the professors’ feet.

White smoke rose from Norman’s armor as he lay there, groaning painfully.

“It’s been quite some time since I’ve had the pleasure of an elven gentleman. May I enjoy myself with this little boy first? As for this young lady, I’m sure our master will enjoy her, so I shall receive her with the utmost care. As for you grandpas… I’m afraid this is where we must part ways. Unfortunately, you don’t seem to suit our particular tastes. Hohoho…”

Electra narrowed her eyes and slowly let her gaze crawl over Norman, Seiwashi, and Joseline in turn before glancing at Morris and Nosori. She covered her mouth with one hand and gave a quiet, mocking laugh.

“Nosori, what a shame. It seems you’ve been rejected.”
“Morris, do you realize that includes you as well?”
“I know that! Still, good for you, Seiwashi. You’ve received quite the passionate love call! Being a handsome man has its advantages, doesn’t it?!”
“Hmm. That is an exceedingly troublesome invitation. I’ve made a habit of refusing such self-centered advances for many years now!”
“Ha! A handsome man really does talk differently!”

With great difficulty, Norman moved his still-functioning hand toward the activation switch of the medical kit attached to his waist. A sound like high-pressure air being released rang out as healing magic activated. The cartridge, which had been filled with mana, was completely drained. The empty cartridge was ejected from the device, and Norman finally managed to lift himself upright.

(Damn it! Just one hit, and it consumed an entire cartridge to heal me?! The difference between us is far too great!)

After standing, Norman breathed heavily, readjusted his grip on the halberd, and pointed its tip toward Electra. Electra looked at him with an amused smile, seemingly impressed by his determination.

“S-Sir K-Knight… you’re protecting me…?!”

Joseline had positioned herself directly between Electra and the professors. With her hands clasped tightly together behind Norman, she shouted with overwhelming emotion.

“Huh? Ah… Of course. It’s my duty to protect all of you.”

Norman was momentarily bewildered by the sudden voice behind him, but he answered as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

“D-Did you hear that, professors?! I knew it! Someone is always watching! I am… a maiden protected by a knight!!!”

“There are so many things wrong with that statement!”
“I don’t even know where to begin correcting her anymore.”
“Hmm. Seeing my disciple descend into this state is causing me no small amount of emotional pain.”
“Say whatever you want! I’m one of the winners now!! One of the winners!!!”