Heavenly Castle

Chapter 74 – Mea’s arrival

【Mea】

Destroying the window along with a metal railing, we invaded the castle. Amidst the intense noise and tremor, I clung to Taiki-sama’s golem, clenching my teeth, and studied the surroundings.

The flames, wind and ice magic that until now even leaked outside of the castle, disappeared without a trace.

Due to the dust cloud that accompanied break-in, it was hard to see anything.

「Schnee.」

After calling her, I got down from the golem’s shoulder.

Schnee and I stood in the middle of the corridor among the dust and debris. And encircling us were Taiki-sama’s golems.

Then I saw a man in a magician-like attire, who sharply narrowed his eyes when he noticed our presence.

「……No way, did you climb the wall? No, it doesn’t matter. You have only three golems anyway.」

Saying only that, the man pointed his staff at us.

「Soldiers! Raise your shields and stop golem’s advance! In the meantime, we will deploy magic! Don’t get overwhelmed!」

After giving the order he began to chant. With that as a signal, four magicians, who stood near the man, started their incantations as well, and the soldiers that filled the corridor turned to us and raised their shields.

「And our lives are in danger right away.」

Yelling that, Schnee hurriedly hid behind Taiki’s golem.

「We just have to demolish them before we get attacked.」

When I pointed at the magicians with those words, their faces distorted unsightly. Seeing their eyes full of ridicule and their lips twisted in smiles, I frowned and said.

「Charge!」

Immediately after I said this, the golems rushed towards the magicians. Soldiers lined up like a wall are blown away like pebbles on the roadside.

Presented with that absurd sight, the magicians lost their composure and activated their magic.

Enormous flames big enough to swallow a human whole and spears of ice darted towards us similar to released arrows.

But such spells disappeared with one attack from a Taiki-sama’s golem. With one swing of its arm, while running, the flames were scattered and the ice shattered.

「I-Impossible!」

The magicians screamed with their eyes wide open in surprise, but it’s too late. The golems already got so close that magicians had no chance of escape.

A single golem raged like a storm and scattered the magicians in all directions. With a lot of momentum, they smashed against the stone walls and the floor. Although it’s unclear if they died or not, they obviously couldn’t fight anymore.

Seeing that scene the soldiers stiffened with shock and just watched the golems rampage.

「Schnee, run!」

「Eh? Y-Yes! Let’s hurry!」

Shouting, having no intentions of wasting this opportunity, I began to run. Schnee, though a bit confused, also followed after me.

Now, let’s crush the Empire com… No, I mean, let’s rescue the elf.

【Ditzen】

「Now, what will you do? I don’t care either way?」

Looking at us amusedly, the emperor spoke those words.

In front of us stood more than thirty knights and about ten magicians. And there also was Aifa, with a blade pressed against his neck.

Resting on the throne in the farther in the throne room, the emperor looked at us with a smile as we stood without moving.

「Wh-what, will we do…? Or actually, why is stupid Aifa-dono pushed all the way to this place…」

When I uttered that, Yuri laughed with a troubled look.

「Maybe he thought that with a slave seal engraved onto him by the emperor, he will become a hindrance to us?」

「No, I kind of feel like he is being a hindrance right at this very moment…」

When baffled, I muttered that the captured Aifa himself replied instead of Yuri.

「…Don’t worry about me. Please, take Fiatora and run away.」

Being told that by Aifa, Yuri cutely tilted her head.

「It might be a little difficult. We promised to cooperate with Schwartz-sama.」

The emperor howled with laughter hearing Yuri’s reply.

「Cooperate? Fu, haha, AHAHAHHA! You seem to be a remarkable magician, but you are still a little child on the inside! Did you think you wandered into a fairy tale? Did you think you learned all about Schwartz way of kingship from his talk?」

The emperor asked, laughing in contempt. As Schwartz and Fiatora gritted their teeth Yuri blinked in bewilderment.

「Indeed, I thought it was a revolution story akin to those in heroic epics, is it not?」

When Yuri asked so in return the knights and magicians that were guarding the emperor, broke out in laughter unable to bear it.

However, the emperor, on the contrary, assumed a disinterested expression and leaned back in the chair.

「……So you were but a mere idiot. I had my hopes high since Aifa and Schwarz asked for your assistance and even resolved to take the throne from me… How boring.」

The moment the emperor said that and raised his hand, about to give some kind of order to the knights, Yuri took one step forward and raised her voice.

「Now, I wonder about that?」

Hearing that line, that was clearly implying something, the emperor raised an eyebrow and asked.

「What does that mean?」

Yuri donned a soft smile seeing that the emperor showed hints of interest.

「How is it for a person of such stature as Your Majesty is to make a judgment based purely on appearances…」

In response, one of the knights raised his voice before the emperor could reply.

「What are those insolent words…!」

I gulped seeing a knight scream at the top of his lungs while pointing the sword at us.

In the current state, we could lose our lives with one word from the Emperor. And because they knew that, Schwarz and Fiatora stood without moving, holding sword and staff in their hands.

But Yuri just calmly nodded, as if she didn’t see the situation at all.

「Aware of my impoliteness I would like to say. Your Majesty. Most likely, this is the last chance. Would you please hand over the emperor’s throne to Schwartz-sama in a peaceful manner?」

The moment she said that, angry voices erupted from the vassal knights and magicians. Among them were some knights ready to slash at us at any moment and magicians that raised their staffs in preparation.

However, the Emperor, Konigs Blau, looked at us in bewilderment, then switched his glare to Schwarz.

「…In short, you still have troops lurking in the castle? Either way, I think there is no point to them were you to be suppressed right at this spot.」

The Emperor spoke indifferently, then uttered one short order -「Seize them」.

Immediately after that, loud rumbling sound of destruction came from somewhere. Accompanied by the ground shaking impact it stopped the knights in their tracks.

Then, the door to the throne room was destroyed from the outside.

Along with the massive doors and fragments of the walls, soldiers clad in full armor were rolling on the floor of the throne room.

「…! Capture them, quickly!」

The knights rushed abiding orders of the Emperor, who was the first one to regain composure. The magicians that stood at some distance, all commenced their attack in the direction of the entrance.

As expected from the guards of the throne room. They are quick and accurate in their actions.

However, their spells were easily dispersed with a swing of an enormous arm.

A huge familiar silhouette suddenly appeared in the hall.

「We, we are saved……!」

I yelled while desperately dodging blades slashing at me.