And then, in that moment…

“Huh?”

A sword is placed on my shoulder, and a cold sensation touches my cheek. I raise my head, and there is the angel, facing me with an emotionless, expressionless face.

“Ah, aah…”

The word “death” pops into my head.

Just like the others, will I also have my head cut off?

Immediately, I felt the blood drain from my body.

The angel stares at me and tilts its head to the side.

This gesture again.

Why? Why are you tilting your head? What should I do?

Why does its stare feel like it’s waiting on me?

At that moment, I remembered.

『The Trial of Knowledge—-』

As well as the painted mural in the first room.

I get on one knee and then place my gripped fist to my heart.

And then I close my eyes and face downwards.

Like the mural on the wall, the knight assumes a pose of loyalty to his lord.

The angel and the knight, there lies false loyalty.

Even so, my actions unmistakably demonstrate my loyalty to this angel.

I can hear the sound of my heartbeat; it feels as though something is about to burst out of my mouth any moment.

I have no real evidence, but that huge mural was certainly a pose of loyalty to the angel.

Then, the feeling of the sword that was supposed to be on my shoulder disappeared.

I slowly lifted my head, and as I did, I saw that the angel was walking towards Sato.

In other words, I was saved.

“Sato… that pose… from the mural!”

While gasping for breath, I managed to instruct Sato.

Panicking, Sato understood the meaning of my words and the pose I was making, and he too clasped his hands together and knelt down.

The angel then gave us a satisfied expression.

(Thank goodness… this is the correct answer.)

I felt relieved, but…

(No! I can’t breathe!)

Sato and I are making the same pose of loyalty, but we can’t catch our breath.

The angel was just looking at us with a satisfied expression.

Only time passed, and we began heading towards death.

It must have been a minute or so, my face turned blue, and Sato’s legs were shaking.

(This is it… I have to give it my all and run for it…)

It was the moment I felt that I had finally reached my limit and had no choice but to give it my all.

“!?”

Suddenly, I was pushed aside.

It was Sato.

Sato shoved me to the side and showed me his usual mischievous smile.

And, just like always, told me.

“I will survive! I will survive! I’m different from this trash!!”

That one word must have come straight from Sato’s heart.

I was surprised as I lost my balance, and Sato assumed the same pose again.

The angel’s satisfied expression changed as it looked at me.

It turned into an expression full of anger, as if it was angry.

Sato was trying to lure me in as bait.

The angel began slowly approaching me.

I felt betrayed. I, who tried to help, am going to be killed by Sato.

I can no longer catch my breath, and I can’t escape.

The area behind me is the leg area, I can’t pledge loyalty there even if I can breathe.

Was I wrong?

Was it inappropriate for me to act to help someone?

Does self-sacrifice mean nothing in a battlefield?

Am I going to die here?

“Kai-kun! Jump back!”

That was when it happened.

I threw myself back as far as I could, following that voice.

Right after that, a huge wall of flames appeared between me and the angel.

I saw the exit.

“Kai-kun! Take the long way and come from the opposite side!!”

It was Tanaka-san.

What he released was flame magic.

A huge wall of fire was created to separate the angel and I.

One of the skills of a mage with the ability to convert magic power into magic, specifically, a flame mage.

This scorching wall was probably created by Tanaka-san’s magic power.

The intense wall of flames separated me and the angel, obscuring my view.

The angel, who had lost sight of me, turned its back to me through the wall of flames.

Sato seemed to be trying to escape once the angel had completely targeted me, but it stared at him, causing him to stumble and fall on his butt.

Then, a sword was placed on his shoulder, and he retook his posture of loyalty.

I rolled into the foot area and caught my breath.

I advanced with all my might, heading to the arm area.

Meanwhile, Sato’s shoulder still had a sword placed on it, preventing him from moving.

I finally arrived at the arm area and, with my feet freed, ran straight to the eye area with all my might.

My field of vision disappeared, but since I was just running straight, I headed into the darkness towards the boundary between the eye and torso areas, where Tanaka-san and the others were.

“Huff, huff, thank you, Tanaka-san. I appreciate it.”

“I’m glad, Kai-kun…”

『…Having a hero complex on the battlefield… only something fools do.』

Colonel Alfred and two other military personnel were also there.

Colonel Alfred looked at me with disgust.

It must have been words meant for me, who was about to die trying to help someone, I was only able to understand the nuance.

“…I’m sorry. At least let me burn it into my memory.”

Tanaka-san faced Sato and muttered apologetically.

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault.”

“No, I judged that I had to kill him. You’re more useful to me and necessary for the conquest. Besides, I was a little angry that he pushed you aside when you came to help.”

“No, Tanaka-san, you’re not at fault. I decided to do that myself.”

“I see… but Kai-kun, don’t go anymore. I can’t save you next time.”

Seeming to be about to dash off again, I was firmly grasped by Tanaka-san, showing he had no intention of letting me escape.

So, I closed my eyes and gave up.

I didn’t want to involve Tanaka-san and the others in any more danger.

Tanaka-san and I looked at Sato.

He couldn’t breathe, and if he moved, his neck would be sliced off.

That angel smiled like a devil, with its sword resting on Sato’s shoulder, just staring at him.

Sato was trembling.

He was probably crying, and when I looked at him from the side, he no longer looked strong, instead, just a frail student.

He, who always, while laughing would beat me down, was the strongest existence to me.

But now, was just too…

“H-Hel…Tra…A..ma…chi…”

That wilting voice forced out my name.

My name, which I hadn’t heard from Sato’s mouth in who knows how many years.

I understood that his breathing will no longer continue.

Sato is a bad guy, but I’ve known him since high school.

I’ve always thought that I wanted to punch him, who had given me the nickname “trash” and treated me like a sandbag.

Even then, this ending was…a bit pitiful.

Maybe Sato had finally reached his limit, he quickly stood up and reached his hand out toward us, seeking help.

“H-Help me. Amachi—”

*Zashu*

At that moment, Sato’s head was decapitated, and he died.

—————————————————————————————-

Translator notes:

In previous, chapters I had wrote Kai’s last name as Tenchi, but the correct reading is Amachi so I went and changed it in the previous chapters. Also, 『』 is being used for the dungeon announcements as well as characters speaking in English, specifically the colonel if you didn’t already notice.