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There are two enemies: the eerie armored knight and the zealot nun.

“I’ll take her on! You two, the children!”
“Are you sure!?”
“If anything, that one is more dangerous!”

The sister shouted her command, and leaving behind a hesitant Langbert, Chytis Khaleed immediately slipped in between us and the Divine Soldier.

The Divine Soldier stood naturally, his sword hanging loosely at his side. He was full of openings, yet he emitted an oppressive pressure even an amateur could feel.

“She is right, this one is no pushover.”
“Obviously way worse than the other one.”

The knights were rendered frozen in his presence. Even Chytis Khaleed, who had been calmly holding his own against the nun, was breaking into a cold sweat.

“…Sufi, Noche.”

I could feel the Divine Soldier’s gaze. Judging from that eerie voice earlier, his target is probably me. Right now, maybe Sufi and the others could still escape.

“No way!”
“Alice, if you’re going to act stupid and tell us to run, I won’t call you a friend anymore nya.”

They cut me off before I could even say it. When I looked to Filia for help, she shook her head, on the verge of tears.

“If anyone’s running, it’s you!”
“Besides, would you run if you were in our shoes, nya?”
“…Depends on the situation.”

If it’s the surest way to win, I’d retreat. But if I were told to abandon my friends just because it’s dangerous, I’d refuse.

Right. That’s obvious.

“…I don’t know if it’ll work, but we’ll use our trump card. Just hold him in place for a moment so he can’t dodge it. As long as you’re alive, even if you’re injured, I’ll heal you. I will.”
“I never planned on dying to begin with, nya.”
“Sufi too! I’m not leaving you behind, Alice!”
“M-me too… I’m your friend…”

All three of them were completely resolved. Even the timid Filia becomes stubborn at times like these.

Thinking back, I don’t really have the right to complain. As long as we choose it, our party shares the same fate.

“You look like a promising party. So you have a trump card?”
“I don’t know if it’ll work, and honestly, I don’t want to use it.”
“Guess it’d be best if we could defeat him normally, then? —’O Rampaging Lightning, bring heavenly judgment upon this fool—‘Thunder Spear.’”

The lightning spear, launched almost like a surprise attack, struck the Divine Soldier’s armor—and shattered uselessly, having no effect at all.

“I thought he would defend or evade it. Didn’t think he wouldn’t react whatsoever.”

The Divine Soldier remained eerily silent. Only his gaze stayed fixed on me, without moving an inch.

Nearby, the Sister continued clashing with the nun while exchanging heated arguments.

“Claim this land for the Light God! Death to the heretics! That is the will of the Light God!”
“Those are convenient additions made later! Do you not even know the origins of your own faith!?”

The Sister fought by swinging her massive shield like a weapon, holding the upper hand even against the nun of the Nameless Order. Still, she didn’t seem to have the spare capacity to help us.

“Judgment upon the pitiful heretics (Beloved Child, come to me).”

The Divine Soldier, who had not moved until now, raised his sword horizontally while muttering those incomprehensible words again.

“Everyone, defend! ‘Parry’!”
“‘Forging.’”

Chytis Khaleed raised the stone floor into a wall. Just before it fully formed, I saw Langbert leapt in and slam his sword against the Divine Soldier’s broadsword mid-swing.

“Guh!?”
“Uwaaa!?”

One swing. Just a single strike. That alone sent everyone present flying. The knights slammed into the walls and crashed into chairs.

“Nuisance.”
“Guh…!”

As I tumbled from the shockwave, Sufi caught me, and I managed to get back on my feet.

Langbert and the knights lie on the floor, groaning. Chytis Khaleed shook his right arm, bent at an unnatural angle. A massive gash runs through the wall, making the destructive force obvious.

“…Alice, you’re asking a bit much, nya.”
“Yeah.”

It’s immediately obvious that the Divine Soldier wasn’t even serious with that swing. He attacked us so grandiosely, and yet not a single one of us died.

There’s no room to hold back.

I pulled out the lantern and the Beam Rifle from my pocket and took aim.

“In the face of hardship (Once more), the Light God spoke (upon this land): trials are what make humans grow (the paradise of the Gods).”

As always, the Divine Soldier muttered incomprehensible words. I noticed his gaze shift toward the lantern.

“O God (Faceless One), grant me trial (I knew You’ve made a move).”
“I don’t know what you’re saying, but I’m not going along with it.”

I lit the lantern floating before me with my mind.

“—!?”
“Eh?”
“Fuhnya!?”

A pale blue flame erupted explosively, and a black mass with substance began to spiral out like a vortex.

Last time I used it, it was as small as a candle flame. Now it gives out a different output. I thought it depended on my mana, but maybe it’s working on a completely different principle?

“An Artifact… is that your trump card?”
“…hmm.”

Chytis Khaleed asked me, but I also didn’t expect it would do this either.

The shadow changed shape, and unknown incantations appeared before me, written in Japanese.

…Am I supposed to chant this?

Doing that feels like forming some kind of contract, so it’s scaring me out, actually.

“In the name of God (I shan’t harm you), I shall wield this sword (stay still).”
“No thanks.”

For the time being, I dispelled the shadow, raised the beam rifle, and pulled the trigger. Single-shot mode.

The Full-Burst mode would be too dangerous in a town.

With a sharp “pshoo,” a bullet of light flew out, piercing the Divine Soldier’s armor and leaving a hole.

It works.

I fired again—twice, three times. Whether he couldn’t dodge it or simply won’t, the result was the same: his body was riddled with holes, and he dropped his sword before collapsing.

“…That was… kind of easy, nya?”
“I doubt it.”
“What tremendous power, but stay sharp.”

I snapped at Noche’s relieved voice. Judging from his behavior, he didn’t intend to harm me, but even so, he should have been able to dodge or defend against my attacks.

Like reversed playback, the Divine Soldier rose again, moving unnaturally. Like a broken puppet.

“The radiance of God (You leave me no choice) will cast evil down (I shall seize you with force).”

The moment I aimed at him again, he slipped out of my line of fire with puppet-like movements. I knew it, once an opponent understands how this weapon works, hitting them again becomes impossible.

Full Burst mode risks collateral damage, and I can’t pull off precise headshots.

Captain did teach me some shooting basics, but it’d be unrealistic to expect me to shoot pinpoint shots. Aim for center mass—that’s what he said. Achieving precision requires absurd practice and talent. I have neither.

“Hiss!”
“Yaa!”
“Don’t try to cut him, just hit him!”

Noche and Sufi rush in and strike the Divine Soldier’s head with their weapons. Even after being hit, he reaches toward them.

“Not happening.”

No matter what, I’ll avert his attention away. I won’t let them get seriously hurt.

I manipulate the mass of shadows to bind both of his arms, then aim the rifle at them. The shadows are weak in strength, yet the Divine Soldier’s head twists toward me with a snap—and his arms stop moving.

…he stopped attacking Sufi and Noche?

“Love your neighbor (You found this weakling), and join hands (precious?).”
“Get away!”
“Hyah!?”

Suppressing a creeping chill, I switched to rapid fire and unleashed a barrage of light bullets.

Sufi and Noche let out a shriek. Sorry, but I’m not letting him take hostages.

Each shot had the same firepower as before. By the time I emptied the magazine, the armor was completely shattered, exposing what’s inside.

The helmet broke too, revealing a young man with thick honey-colored hair and well-defined features. His torso was riddled with charred holes.

By all logic, those should be fatal wounds. And yet, he calmly moved only his eyes to look at me.

I already knew he had no heartbeat or breath—but seeing him still moving with his insides outside made it even more disturbing.

More than that, even though I don’t remember him, I recognize him.

Not him as the person—him as the *monster*.

“I already suspected he’s not a normal human, but never this. Is this some kind of necromancy?”
“A typical heretical notion. He is a templar knight who gained immense power through faith and the blessing of the Light God. Do not compare him to something as vile as necromancy.”
“—What have you… done…!”

The nun spoke proudly. The sister’s voice trembled with rage.

“The proud oath of our forebears—how far will you defile it!?”
“You are the one defiling it! To defy God’s radiance after receiving a sacred shield!”

My head hurts.

As I listened to them from a distance, a scene resurfaced from my memory.

Those things, once human, charging through gunfire. The backs of mercenaries fighting them off.

“……”

The monsters breaking the mercenaries’ necks, then dripping their own blood onto them. The mercenaries standing back up as if nothing happened, then turning on their own allies.

“ALICE!”

Just as I was about to remember what happened that fateful day, Sufi’s voice stopped the headache.

Before I knew it, the Divine Soldier’s hand was right in front of me.