“F*ck.”
The fatal cause for that was none other than the invisible barrier that covered the sky that prevented all teleportation. He glared at it despite knowing the futility of doing so.
It was because of that barrier that his options were limited. Even grasping the bases and factories of the soldiers was being obstructed to some extent, such that even if he were to fully grasp all the locations, it might all end in naught anyway because he might miss and fail to destroy everything.
Given such circumstances, one might be inclined to remove the barrier, but what he told the count was by no means a lie. Even he would take time to properly dismantle that needlessly convoluted barrier, and destroying it required a specific weapon or procedure that would render teleportation useless for awhile.
“…I should have at least borrowed a knife.”
As he muttered that to himself, he tore the head of a chimera that charged at him, then threw it at a group of automata and sent them flying as though they were bowling pins.
His
“I’m just so useless.”
He mocked himself as he swung the golem around like a metal ball, sending flying the soldiers nearby to collide precisely into the other leftover soldiers, then the fragments that scattered as a result of that obstructed the path of the other soldiers, and then as though it had been waiting for that, a lightning bolt descended and destroyed them all.
He could do all these things that required great strength, precise calculations, and delicate control so effortlessly time and time again, yet he found it embarrassing that despite being able to such things for the past two years, it was all he could do.
Why couldn’t he use his power better?
Why couldn’t he move more skillfully?
Despite his frustrations, he continued to destroy the enemies that obstructed his path.
It was not actually possible to go to the count’s mansion first and deal with the enemies there.
Soldiers of this caliber were being produce en masse, there was a barrier that even he found complicated, and above all, there was that feeling that the girls were in danger.
With all of that, there could only be one culprit.
It was precisely because he knew who it was that he knew that the problem there couldn’t be resolved immediately.
Of course, he could defeat him, but the problem was the time it took.
If he were to ignore these soldiers and go straight for the count’s mansion, these soldiers would either end up being used against them there or scattered to distract them.
In the first scenario, he would have his hands full covering for the girls, so that alchemist would probably be able to get away, and finding him was a very troublesome matter, and as for the second scenario, nothing could be worse.
This area was used by the royal family for their vacation, so there weren’t many civilian residences here for security reasons, but it was also because of that that there were always people here for maintenance and security’s sake. There were also roads meant to allow a quick return to the capital in times of emergency. If the alchemical soldiers that never ran out of stamina went through the shortest route, they could reach the capital in a day. Of course, it was highly probable that such forces would reach other villages and towns as well, and the consequences of such a thing would be nothing short of tragic.
An army that could fill the heavens and the earth, moreover, one that could appear anywhere.
If he didn’t eliminate them now while he was the target, and the enemy managed to get away from him, the casualties afterwards would be nothing short of staggering.
Hence, this wasn’t merely a decision between his close companions and the guests, this was a matter that would decide the fate of all of the lives in the area, as well as the entire Earthgant Kingdom.
In other words, there was no helping it.
But of course, nothing could be more ironic than for him to choose to abandon those dear to him and believe it to be the right path.
He has thought it through many times since the battle began, and every single time, he would arrive to the same conclusion.
Already, his face was void of all expressions, a sign that his anger was at its tipping point.
But of course, there was no one here who knew that, and even if there were, they would simply avert their eyes, not wanting to have anything to do with this dangerous god.
──How could I execute such a cruel plan?
It was curious if that was meant to be resignation or grief.
It was a common story, one that has happened many times already.
Though he possessed power that surpassed the domain of humans, he has not grown arrogant, and in fact, he wasn’t actually the slightest bit confident.
He tended to think of himself as useless and incompetent.
After all, even with such great powers, he couldn’t protect anyone.
He did not even wish for something so foolish as to save everyone.
If possible, he just wanted the people he knew to be able to spend their days happily.
But of course, he knew that the world was not such a gentle thing.
There were 3,000 years worth of history in his head that he understood as though they were his own experience, and he also possessed the power to destroy the irrational, yet it was precisely because of that that he came to have such a wish.
But even then, there was no granting it. Perhaps in part, but it remained to be seen whether that was salvation or consolation.
Regardless, he continued to fight because he was the only one who could, and leaving these things alone would only result in greater mental damage.
He possessed a robust mentality that did not break even if dented.
But…
“Nu?”
There was an even bigger reason within him.
“W-What is it!?”
It was so obvious that for a moment it didn’t surface, and for a moment, he was taken aback.
Within the battlefield dominated by lightnings, fires, and blizzards, he skillfully distinguished that peculiar roaring sound, then as he shattered the head of an automata, he turned to the direction of the count’s mansion, and…
────Beheld a beautiful shooting star.
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