"A giant of light--so the G.o.d has manifested itself!"

When I turned toward the captain, I saw a yellow giant near the place where apostles and demon lords were fighting.

"Liedill, evade it!"

At the vice captain's shout, I leap forward without checking the surrounding and wrap myself in the mantle created from the rat demon lord's pelt.

"GUWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

I could hear the scream of a colleague behind me.

The city in front of me is bathed in yellow light, turning into white salt.

"T-the Magic Eater Birds!"

I heard Dazlim the tigerkin knight screaming.

The flying [Magic Eater Birds] are falling apart while leaving trails of white salt.

"Divine punishment of the G.o.ds huh...."

"That kind of cursed G.o.d, just call it evil G.o.d."

I've never been able to get along with vice-captain who always b.u.t.ted head with me at every occasion, but I agree with him this time.

Crisis Perception that didn't act until a while ago is ringing an alarming warning.

"--What's that s.h.i.+ning thing?"

From between the light peeking through the clouds, countless s.h.i.+ning objects showed themselves up.

Although the outlines are vague, they look like cubes.

"Familiars of the evil G.o.d are they!"

They must have appeared to help the evil G.o.d.

"They're comin' here too!"

"It appears they've deemed us as G.o.d's enemies--All members of 『Temple Knights』, let's show them evil G.o.d our real strength."

"""OU!"""

Responding to the captain's order, everyone goes to challenge the cubes.

"Magic swords ain't working on them eh?"

"My great holy sword Monofos.h.i.+ Zao ain't doing good either."

Just as my friends have said, my cherished sword feels like it's cutting water.

These cubes seem to be a kind of apostle too.

"All members, I allow the use of the white sword for fighting apostles!"

The white swords coated in dragon fang powder is restricted in their use.

The captain was preserving it until the fight against evil G.o.d, but he probably judged that it would have no point if we died fighting the cubes before that.

"It's working! It's working!"

"Of course! They're the secret plan of His Majesty the Emperor and Tactician-dono."

As long as we have the weapons, defeating the cubes that are only fast but bad at cooperating is easy.

We defeated the cubes one after another.

Our only concern is the remaining coating of the white swords--.

◇

"Liedill! Come!"

Lion knight Gizlem called me.

"Sir Gizlem?"

"The captain has ordered for some Temple Knights to gather."

"But we can't leave this place...."

"Shut it! This is an order! Leave those cubes to Vice Captain Gwalba."

Lion knight Gizlem caught my arm and dragged me to the gathering place.

--The Imperial Palace?

I was taken to the palace in the center of the whitened imperial capital.

There are 13 Temple Knights including me in front of the palace gate.

"Captain! At this situation--."

Just when the bespectacled rat knight Mobitt was going to flare up at the captain, right at that time.

"--Wha."

A huge purple beast broke through the palace and showed itself up. It looks like a grotesque-looking wild weasel beast.

The beast turned its eyes at us.

--Scary.

A terror enough to make me want to run away from this place immediately grasps my heart.

"D-demon lord...."

When I muttered that, the other knights besides the captain drew their swords.

A lot of the swords have already lost their white l.u.s.ter.

"Restrain yourselves! You are before His Majesty's presence!"

I can't digest the captain's words.

"--Do you not understand?"

"Tactician--dono?"

A reincarnated person who looked similar to Tactician-dono showed himself up from the palace.

That smooth bald Tactician-dono shouldn't be able to grow such long purple hair.

"That is His Majesty. He has casted away his weaselkin body in order to challenge the G.o.d."

There are certainly light of wisdom in its grotesque eyes.

"Hear me! You have the tenacity not to lose yourself in battles."

Urged by Tactician-dono, the captain straightened his posture and shouted out.

"Therefore, we grant you these."

There are several twisted dark purple horns that give off dull light on a floating plate beside the captain.

"T-this is?"

"Entrusted by His Majesty, the ancient artifacts--Twisted Demon Horns."

I can feel terrible miasma and curse from the Twisted Demon Horn.

"If you use the Twisted Demon Horn, you can fight against the G.o.d and obtain a power that exceeds even a hero."

Hearing that, my colleagues show a daring smile and gather in front of the twisted horns.

"However!"

The captain continued his words as if stopping my colleagues whose hands were reaching toward the Twisted Demonic Horns.

"However, it requires a great compensation."

The captain looks up at His Majesty who has turned into a beast.

『n.o.ble knights who seek freedom.』

A voice tingled with mysterious reverberations are echoing in front of the palace. 

『For the freedom of people.』

It's unmistakably the voice of our respected Majesty.

『To liberate mankind from its rulers.』

His words are filled with determination and sorrow.

『I expect you to abandon everything as a man.』

After saying that, His Majesty turns toward the yellow giant.

"We will not force you."

The captain said that and took a nearby twisted horn without hesitation.

Seeing that, my friends also scrambled for one.

The last remaining Twisted Demonic Horn.

Pressured by everyone's stare, I took the last one.

After ascertaining that, the captain pushes the Twisted Demonic Horn onto his forehead.

"For our desire for freedom!"

After shouting that, the captain's white fur undulate, changing into a grotesque with bubbling sounds.

Even after seeing such a terrifying transformation, my friends only drew their breath and pushed the Twisted Demonic Horn onto their foreheads.

"""For our desire for freedom!""""

My friends are turning into grotesques.

They lost their figures as people, losing even their sense, my friends roared like a beast.

Crunching and clanking sounds that are unthinkable coming from people reach my ears.

Repulsed by the excessive dread, it seemed I had dropped the Twisted Demonic Horn.

I reach my hand at the horn in a hurry.

However, a hand covered in white fur appearing from behind me picked up the Twisted Demonic Horn.

"Vice Captain!"

The owner of the white hand was the vice captain Gwalba.

"This is mine. It's too early for you--"

Gwalba's mouth forms a crescent shape and then he shouts, "For our desire for freedom!" out loud.

I had a feeling that Gwalba who had changed into a grotesque muttered faintly, "--You just stay there."

"Go! Greater demons! Army of liberty who serve under Demon G.o.d!"

Tactician shouted at my friends who had changed into grotesques.

"Now is the time to break the chains and shackles called blessing of the foolish G.o.ds!"

The laughing Tactician looked like a devil who entices people into depravity.

◇

『My good luck to them!』

With His Majesty's blessing, light purple light rain down on my grotesque friends who have gathered around His Majesty.

His Majesty turns his face at me.

『Liedill, my knight. Make sure to watch the last battle of our empire until the end, and bequeath it to the future generations.』

"--Your Majesty?"

His Majesty's line of sight moves to the Tactician.

『Tactician. My grat.i.tude for all your work so far. Return to your master.』

His Majesty and Tactician are staring at each other.

--Your master?

His Majesty's words are as if--.

"Is that so, then I will hand over the last firework (romance) to her."

After showing a priest staff with red protuberance to His Majesty, Tactician presented it to me.

The thing I spontaneously received should be the magic device for [Self-Destruct] that His Majesty spoke of before.

I reflexively accepted it but as I have to protect His Majesty's life, there is no way I activate this self-destruct device.

"Farewell, Tarou. Building the empire with you was truly fun. I will await for good news in a faraway land."

Tactician who had said his farewell was turning vague like a haze and then he disappeared like he was dissolved in the air.

Being at a loss, I can only look at the self-destruct magic device in my hand.

『March on, my loyal knights! We will kill Zaikuon!』

His Majesty led my grotesque friends toward the battlefield.

I watch over their fight from the white imperial palace that has no one remaining.

The beautiful imperial capital gets destroyed by the storm raged from the battles, disappearing into white sandstorm.

The empire with all its dream, hope and glory disappeared like a short-lived dream.

Even after turning into grotesque beasts, even after devoting their loyalty to His Majesty my friends are disappearing into white mist every time they touch the yellow giant.

Alone, by myself again.

"Aah, please don't leave me...."

There is no way anyone hears that mutter, the yellow giant is walking step by step toward the palace.

It's as if there's something that the yellow giant seeks in this palace--.

※Next, "15-37. Divine Punishment (6), Hero VS" is scheduled for 12/25.