1291: King of Red Knights

「To me! Warmount Chariot!」

A flash of red light rose from beneath the royal castle in response to Kareid’s shout, dispelling the sinister black pillar, if only for an instant.

This wasn’t from the Evil God Fragments, but something more majestic. It was a light that enraptured the hearts of our allies.

Then, we saw a shadow fly out from the ground. The sheer speed prevented us from discerning its identity. All I can say is that it was red.

「That’s Chariot?」

「Correct. Chariot is the Warmount born from the blade.」

「Whoa! It looks so cool and strong!」

「Indeed.」

「Nn. There’s no way we can lose to the fragments now.」

「…Right!」

We finally caught a glance of the crimson, humanoid mech when it paused in the sky.

Boasting a burning red color without a single blemish, its entire body gleamed in the morning sun.

Compared to the sturdy-looking machines we’ve seen earlier, Chariot appeared to be more on the slender side. The rounded curves conveyed a sort of feminine grace, though this was quickly dispelled by the sharp blades incorporated into its shoulders, heels, and fingers.

The two wings extending horizontally from the back only added to the coolness factor.

Despite its slender appearance, there was no hint of frailty. Everything about it exuded power, from its golden eyes surveying the land to its crimson coloring. A mech with two eyes instead of one really gives it more of a protagonist feeling in my mind.

From an otaku perspective, I would describe it as Gerb*ra-Tetra with Str*ke Rouge’s backpack and details from Gothicm*de.

Fran, Urushi, and I were left speechless by its imposing presence. Not out of fear, but adoration of Chariot’s divine aura.

Having such a powerful ally can be so reassuring.

「Now then, may we both fight to the best of our abilities.」

「Nn.」

A ray of light shot out from Chariot’s chest, enveloping Kareid’s body and causing him to float. It seemed to be some kind of tractor beam.

Chariot’s chest armor, which protruded forward like the bow of a ship, split open as Kareid flew inside. However, there was a very evident change the second he disappeared from view.

The divine aura surrounding the machine burned red with renewed vigor. It had clearly been enhanced somehow.

Perhaps Chariot can only reach maximum power with its pilot on board. We heard a booming voice from within.

「The time has come! A fragment of the Evil God has broken free from its seal! Red Knights, I would ask all of you to fight alongside me! Handle the minions as I challenge the main body!」

Chariot shifted from motionless to max speed in an instant, darting toward the capital. Despite its tremendous speed, it made almost zero sound, which was terrifying in its own right. This was no mere flight.

「「「YEAAAAAH!!!」」」

It was impossible to not feel exhilarated at this sight. All the Red Knights raised their hands and cheered, deploying with that same momentum.

「Time to go! We must ease the burden on His Majesty even if only a little!」

「「「Roger!」」」

Leading them were Sibylla, Madred, and Roza. They planned to scatter around the outskirts of the capital in order to slay as many fiends as possible.

As for those of us from Kranzel, we were to hunt down the giant fiends within the capital. Considering the possible issues with coordination, splitting up is more efficient.

「We’re heading out too.」

「Of course. I can’t leave everything to a child just because he has a divine sword.」

「Indeed.」

「Fuhahaha! This deserted city is a fitting spot for our decisive battle!」

Amanda, Forrund, and Jean seemed raring to go.

「As a divine sword wielder, I must fulfill my mission. I will target the fragment directly.」

「I’ve got your back.」

「Uncle and I will do our best too.」

Maleficent and Persona seemed somewhat solemn. Persona had finally been freed from her curse, but they found themselves up against the Evil God right afterwards. There was really no time to celebrate.

However, the combined powers of Chariot and Hell might really lead us to victory. That was the source of our confidence.

Sierra and the sword at his waist seemed quite determined too. Rather, they seemed to be brimming with hope. Considering how he almost lost sight of his future earlier, helping to save the world from the Evil God Fragment might be a good way to get him back up on his feet.

「Woof woof!」

「――!」

Urushi and Marle began circling us, apparently reminding us to not forget about them. Fran patted Urushi’s head while infusing Marle with mana.

「While our time is limited, we will follow our liege until the end.」

「Yep, what he said!」

Even Yuvel and Oldona had out of place smiles. Fran led the group by jumping off the roof of the outpost.

Apparently, there was originally a barrier defending the perimeter of the capital city, but it was already long gone. The flow of evil energy from within couldn’t be contained by any normal barrier.

We hopped between rooftops, navigating through the deserted city covered in a thin haze of evil energy.

Sierra and Fran were unaffected thanks to Zelos Reed and my ability to absorb evil energy. However, the same could not be said for the others.

No matter how resilient they might be, there’s no telling what might happen after continuous exposure to such dense evil. It would be disastrous if anyone gets dominated by the fragments.

That’s where I came in. All of our companions knew of my existence, so I could talk to them directly.

『Amanda. How are you feeling?』

「I don’t feel any evil energy at all. Impressive.」

『Good to hear.』

I had been absorbing the evil energy from everyone the entire time. Anyone else attempting such a feat would contract Evil Intoxication and collapse, but it’s practically food to me.

『Alright, we head for the closest giant fiend!』

「Nn!」

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