Reina’s armor, the silver Valkyrie, shattered under the dragonoid’s piercing strike. The creature’s hand, like a blade, drove into her, but Reina managed to grasp it despite the searing pain.

 

Reina: “Guuuuu!!”

 

Pain coursed through her entire body, threatening to reach her very life. Dropping her sword from her right hand, she grabbed the arm with both hands, stopping it momentarily and retreating.

The dragonoid, smeared with Reina’s blood, seemed to smile. It flicked off the red from its hand as one would a sword, casting fresh blood into the air.

Reina activated her skill of true awakening once more, donning her armor anew. As long as she had magic, she could invoke the armor again and again.

But with the appearance of this enemy, the battle lines had collapsed.

 

Clearer: “Uwaaahhhh!!!”

Clearer: “Why can’t my legs move? My legs won’t move!!”

Clearer: “Please stop!!!”

 

The clearers, who had been barely enduring on a thin thread, now suffered a significant debuff to their physical abilities due to fear. The support from Yumiichi, who had been taking down the smaller dragons one after another, was gone. Reina, who had been defeating the larger dragons, was now on the brink of defeat against this humanoid foe.

 

The barely held battlefront collapsed, and dragons began to land one after another on the coastline.

 

Tendou: “Raaahhh!! Haja Issen!!”

 

Tendou alone continued to fight, but he was reaching his limit. Surrounded by multiple dragons, his solitary resistance could not match Reina’s.

 

Reina: “Aaaahh!!”

 

Reina grasped her sword once again to strike. If she could defeat this enemy, they could still turn the tide. But she was easily knocked back and fell to the ground, creating a crater-like indentation in the earth as if struck by a meteor.

The dragonoid followed Reina, who had fallen with meteoric speed.

 

Tendou: “Reina!!”

 

Tendou ran to intervene, but even Reina, in her true awakening, had been easily bested by this foe. Tendou, unable to even cross swords, was swiftly defeated.

Tendou was sent flying, blood spurting from his mouth.

Just moments ago, there had been hope, but now, all hope seemed to have vanished from this battle. As his consciousness began to fade, Tendou made a rapid decision.

 

Tendou: “Retreat!! Everyone run awayyyy!!!”

 

With a bitter expression and bleeding profusely, Tendou bellowed out the command.

 

It was the last resort among the choices available. Those who were caught in the retreat would die. There was nowhere left to flee to in this country, and the only hope for survival was to await aid from other nations.

 

Yet, it was the only choice they had.

 

Even so, they had no other choice.

 

Dragonoid: “I won’t let you escape…”

 

The dragonoid stood in the way of the fleeing clearers. Behind them was a vast army of dragons, and ahead stood the dragonoid, blocking their path, instilling in them the certainty of death should they approach.

 

Total annihilation was now certain.

The future flashed through Tendou’s mind: all of them dying here and Japan being destroyed by dragons.

 

Reina: “Haahhhh!!!”

 

A silver maiden took flight once more to confront the humanoid figure. Reina swung her sword, trying to find a way to survive.

 

Reina: “I’ll stop it!! I will stop it!!”

 

It was Reina. Despite bleeding from her abdomen and clenching her teeth as if biting back the pain, she stood to face the enemy again. A concussion from the previous blow distorted her vision.

 

Yet, the dragonoid caught her full-force sword strike with one hand effortlessly.

 

The impact of her true awakening’s power shook the air, but her attack did not reach.

 

Tendou: “Retreat!! Everyone find a way to escape!!”

 

Tendou shouted, taking Reina’s resolve into account and making an immediate decision. Yet, despite his command, he did not flee himself.

 

Tendou: “Tch. Not my style, but…”

 

Tendou decided to act as the rearguard. With Reina entrusting the dragonoid to him, he resolved to at least hold back the hundred-odd dragons to give others a chance to escape.

In essence, he had decided to die here.

With a sigh, he reached for the cigarette in his pocket. Taking one last drag, he stood before the dragons.

 

Tendou: “Damn it…”

 

…

 

TV Announcer: “What in the world is that thing…”

 

The announcers broadcast the sight of Japan’s strongest, Reina Ginno, struggling against a single magical beast. A transcendent Awakened, known to have surpassed all limits, was now in a difficult fight with just one creature – a scenario previously unimaginable.

Arnold Alteus, the tyrant of the United States; Wei Wang, the great hero of China; and one each from Russia, the EU, and India. There were five transcendent beings in the world, and Reina was the sixth, making her name known worldwide as Japan’s maiden.

Reina Ginno, the Valkyrie.

Humanity’s strongest force was being suppressed, even pushed back, by just one magical beast. To the untrained eye, the battle was too fast to follow, yet it was clear she was being overwhelmingly defeated.

On the other side of the television, the citizens watching the battle began to realize. They were going to lose this battle. Panic spread swiftly as people began to think of abandoning the country and fleeing.

 

…

 

Clearer: “Uwaaaahhh!!!”

 

A clearer attempted to flee. The dragonoid raised its fist to strike down the fleeing figure. A silver shield intervened, but the impact was too great, and the shield bearer was sent flying.

Reina, covered in blood, was still standing.

 

Reina: “I must protect…”

 

Reina got up time and again.

 

Repeatedly struck down and beaten, her body was battered, drenched in blood, and vomiting blood.

Yet she stood because she had resolved to do so.

 

Reina: “I will protect! I will protect everyone!”

 

The dragonoid seemed to sigh as it looked at Reina.

 

Then, in the next moment, the dragon was shrouded in an oppressive black magic, as if to erode the very air around it. It was as if it had been holding back until now, its destructive magic now shattering Reina’s resolve to stand against it.

There seemed to be no chance of victory. Everyone else could no longer fight. They could no longer even hold their swords. It seemed impossible for anyone to defeat such a monstrous creature.

 

Reina: “Aaaaah!!”

 

Yet Reina alone continued to cry out. With a will of steel, she faced the dragon, her silver sword swinging. But her arm was caught. The dragonoid then spoke.

 

Dragonoid: “You are not a knight… just a pretender…”

 

Immediately after, Reina was pierced by a hand imbued with black magic power, and her silver armor shattered. Kicked aside, she tumbled, vomiting blood as she crashed into a wall and slumped down, her consciousness fading, the light in her eyes dimming.

 

Clearer: “Help! Someone help!!”

Clearer: “No, nooo!!”

Clearer: “Damn it! Damn it all!!”

 

Blurry-eyed, Reina saw other clearers being killed one by one. The dragonoid seemed to be enjoying the direction it gave to its dragon comrades, reveling in the slaughter, killing people as if they were mere insects.

 

Reina: “Stop it…”

 

Reina tried to stand, to stop it, but her body refused her will. She tried to grasp her sword and invoke her true awakening skill, but the armor would not form and crumbled away.

 

Reina: “Stop it… please… no more…”

 

Everyone was dying. Despite her resolution to protect them, one by one, they were dying.

 

Reina: “…stop it… please, don’t kill… no more killing… uh…”

 

Reina cried. Lives were lost before her, and she could do nothing. She had decided to protect them, she was determined, but without the power, she failed to protect.

From afar, even Tendou, whom she revered like a brother, was being cornered.

 

Everyone was dying.

 

Because of her weakness, they were all dying.

 

Reina: “Uh… hic… uh… waaaah… ahhhh…”

 

Life after life was extinguished. It was hell, an abyss of darkness. Reina could only cry, just cry.

 

Reina: “I’m sorry… I couldn’t protect anyone! Mom, Dad, I’m sorry. Big brother, I’m sorry. I couldn’t protect anyone!”

 

Tears were about to spill from Reina’s eyes. She had resolved to protect, but she had failed, and tears were about to fall. She looked down, gazing at the shadow at her feet.

 

Reina: “I’m sorry… Kai…”

 

It was then.

 

Crack!!!

 

A peal of thunder echoed across the battlefield, and the air burst with furious heat as if enraged, accompanied by a deafening explosion of thunder. The sound made the announcers, the citizens, the clearers, and even the dragons pause their battle and look in its direction.

 

Reina: “Eh?”

 

Surprised by the sound, Reina looked up. The tears that were about to fall were gently wiped away by a hand. She raised her face to see the person standing in her shadow.

 

Kai: “You protected them. Everyone who is alive now has been protected by Reina.”

 

It was Kai. He had teleported to Reina’s shadow using lightning, tenderly wiping away her tears.

 

Reina: “…Kai?”

 

Kai stroked the crying Reina’s head.

 

Kai: “I’m sorry, Reina. I’m really sorry for being late.”

 

Then he turned his back to Reina. Surveying the battlefield with a gaze that seethed with anger, Kai clenched his fist.

 

Kai: “It really pisses me off. I’m always, always too late, and I hate it. Even though I became strong to make her smile…I hate that I made you cry again!!!… So…”

 

His eyes shining golden, the finest knight set off. The kindest, most excellent knight carrying every light, stood on the battlefield. He had elevated all his powers to a new level, armed himself with the greatest swordsmanship, and enveloped himself in armor-like white magic power.

 

Kai: “So, this is where we start. From here on, I’ll save everyone! I won’t let her cry again! Not a single person will die!!”

 

White armor and lightning enveloped Kai’s form. And then, the true power he had acquired was unleashed. All his skills were elevated, exhibiting their true might.

 

And the white lightning that raced across the battlefield, inverted the darkened chessboard.

 

Kai: “True Lightning”

 

In an instant, everything had been turned around.