Chapter 81
"I'll release the magic on signal."
"Yes! Yes! Hurry! Hurry!"
Pastel stamped her feet impatiently in front of the arena entrance.
The entrance was blocked like a barrier by wind magic preventing the purple poison gas inside the arena from leaking out.
"You can enter when we replace it with new magic, Your Excellency."
"Yes! Yes! I know! Quickly!"
Pastel stamped her feet stamp stamp stamp.
I need to help Elsior quickly!
I spent too much time rescuing Melissa!
Though she was very concerned about what slander the talkative terrorist Mr. Tmaout might be making with the Pastel villain theory, she was more worried about Elsior's physical condition trapped in the encirclement.
Demon said apprentice knight-class resists gas well, but that's too insensitive a view!
Pastel fretted back and forth.
『Instead of this, ride the broom. Though it's broken and slow, it doesn't make footsteps so the surprise effect will be excellent.』
I see!
She mounted the white broom. Thanks to hitting it earlier for being slow and breaking it, it was ruined so high-altitude flight was difficult, but low-altitude flight was possible.
Broom friend, sorry for hitting you earlier!
But you were quite slow, weren't you?
How could your flight speed drop like that just from riding with Melissa! You fail as a magic broom!
Ah right! This isn't it!
Pastel stroked the broom.
Broom friend, let's forget the past and do our best together!
Aja aja!
The professor maintaining the magic looked back.
"Replacing magic!"
"Yes! Hurry! Hurry!"
When the professor gave the signal, the wind barrier disappeared. As gas tried to explosively erupt, waiting magicians spread a new magic barrier.
"Pastel, launching...!"
Pastel flew diving through that momentary gap. Her pink hair swayed like a tail.
Purple gas covered her view. If she hadn't become immune to gas from nom nomming magic stones, it was enough to collapse immediately upon entering.
『That apprentice knight-class Tmaout must be the leader. Grasp his position from the gunshots heard and ambush him. You won't be able to kill with one ambush, but you can gain an advantageous position.』
Pastel tightly gripped the broom handle.
A life-and-death battle with an apprentice knight-class?
Eeyee.
That seems a bit wrong.
Though demon spoke nonchalantly assuming combat, Pastel's thoughts were different.
Well that's because...
It's scary.
Nod nod.
Demon must have forgotten even though he asserted I'm not apprentice knight-class.
This gap is enough for hormone friend to run away along with combat!
What's needed at times like this isn't crude strength battles but Pastel-like smart intelligence.
"Learned me doesn't need to fight! I have a plan!"
As she flew quickly, Tmaout's voice rang out from beyond the gas. He was earnestly slandering Pastel.
He slandered the girl who was just pink cherry blossoms as a vicious and atrocious villain while recounting the Craft family's wicked past.
Too much...
Elsior who listens silently without much rebuttal is too much too!
I can totally feel the intention to listen to valuable words from a victim manipulated by villain Craft!
But Pastel who was smart enough to utilize this situation could sufficiently put aside her personal feelings.
Because I'm smart!
"That's not all. The Craft family maintained a succession tradition where you could only become family head by killing all siblings. According to research in the demon realm, such traditions have a profound influence on personality development, creating two-faced personalities. Since you have to maintain a false mask even to relatives."
"Didn't Pastel Love Craft become family head right away since she has no siblings? She didn't commit familicide."
"The current family head is no different since she was born killing her own mother!"
Pastel tilted her head. Then she stopped the broom flight behind Tmaout and opened her mouth.
"Mr. Tmaout."
A startled reaction was felt.
"Who's there!"
Tmaout's action of turning his gun muzzle in this direction was grasped from the sound of clothes and footsteps turning.
"How did you get behind without any presence?!"
Uwa uwa!
Don't shoot!
I'm just riding a broom...!
Pastel hurriedly spoke.
"Don't be surprised. It's me."
"Craft!"
Uwat! My identity was immediately discovered just from my voice!
Though it's the fate of a popular person, he seemed like a somewhat obsessive stalker.
Totally scary!
"It's somewhat troublesome to say just anything to an innocent child. It's right for you who finished your role to exit."
"Kuku!"
Tmaout suddenly laughed.
"I've been waiting! I've been grinding my teeth waiting to repay that day's humiliation!"
Tmaout completely changed his posture as if to fight this side. Then he threw his existing gun on the ground. The sound of clothes was heard taking out a new gun.
"Unlike then, your realm has already been grasped by spies! You who aren't even apprentice knight-class aren't scary no matter how much you act composed!"
Uwaak!
Aggro is gathering here even though I didn't do anything!
What did I do wrong to deserve this...?
But separate from her trembling body, it went well since she was trying to provoke the opponent to give Elsior a chance to escape the encirclement.
Pastel was relieved that her foolish appearance couldn't be seen thanks to the purple gas mist.
"Ahaha!"
She made a laughing sound with all her might.
"Is that all?"
Tmaout paused.
"What?"
"You grasped my capabilities and prepared new firearms full of confidence, well done."
She clapped lightly.
Only the applause sound rang out in the gas mist.
"But is that all?"
Tmaout's voice lowered.
"Why are you so composed? How do you know I properly prepared firearms unlike then?"
Well that's because I felt you changing guns just now from the clothes rustling sound.
『That's because your hearing has left humanity too much, it's difficult to know guns were changed beyond the gas mist at this distance.』
Aha.
"Mr. Tmaout, use your imagination."
I nom nommed magic stones and escaped humanity.
Uwang.
"Don't tell me again!"
Tmaout suddenly became enraged.
"Is it all according to your plan that I escaped from the Knight Order's execution, that this terrorism is happening, that I'm having this conversation in front of that Bellamont?!"
This person's imagination is too much...
Pastel was perplexed.
She looked in the direction Elsior should be.
Elsior!
Hurry and escape the encirclement!
Why are you just listening silently?
"Now everything is clear! You're trying to show your back side in front of that Bellamont who's under death threat from the ducal family's eldest son, obtain the position of sponsor and protector, and interfere in the succession struggle!"
Pastel's mouth fell open.
Is that so?!
"You can live if you're with me like this! You'll have to pay the price for going against my mood if you don't join hands with me like this! You're trying to make it felt without saying the threat in words!"
Pastel couldn't close her mouth.
If you say it like that, even approaching to become friends will be misinterpreted as wicked intentions!
I just wanted to duel using friendship as a reason since I heard Elsior was apprentice knight-class!
Oing.
Pastel paused.
I approached after seeing combat skills.
And.
I approached after seeing successor qualifications.
What's the difference between the two?
Huk.
Not particularly different.
Moreover moreover!
Even the number of letters is the same!
Uwaa!
To think even the number of letters is the same...
Pastel's mouth fell open.
She clutched her pink head and was shocked.
Was Pastel actually a bad kid?!
Not good good Pastel but bad bad Pastel?!
Uwaa!
Bad bad Pastel!
Tell me it's not true, friends!
She looked in Elsior's direction.
Elsior made a voice.
"I see..."
Don't affirm it right away!
Was our friendship only worth that much?
Can you betray friendship like that?
Honestly it's true we're not that close!
But but you shouldn't acknowledge the moment friendship changes to a superior-subordinate relationship!
Imagining it feels somewhat appealing, but good good Pastel doesn't tolerate such relationships!
Nod nod!
Tmaout opened his mouth.
"But it's obvious you Craft aren't apprentice knight-class! No matter how meticulous a scheme you weave and act composed, I can just crush it with strength!"
A faint sound of a gun muzzle being aimed was heard.
Uwak!
The trigger's operating sound, the gunpowder's explosion sound.
Pastel gripping the broom made an evasive maneuver.
A roar rang out once.
Though there was only one gunshot, massive bullets spread radially and pulverized the area.
The barrage containing an apprentice knight-class's rank explosively pushed away the gas smoke and expanded visibility.
Mercenary captain Tmaout wearing a gas mask threw the already fired gun on the ground. A new loaded gun could be seen tied to his back.
The strongest close combat fighter capable of radial gunfire.
Shotgun...?
She could immediately understand Mr. Tmaout's confidence.
Uwaak!
Don't use a shotgun in a sword fight...!
She gripped the broom trying to escape.
Purple gas mist covered her view. In the brief moment visibility was secured, a new shotgun was held in Tmaout's hand.
Gas covered her view.
A thrilling sensation wrapped her skin. Adrenaline pushed away her mind. One thought arose.
Seems doable?
Instinct that swallowed consciousness made the broom go out of control and run wild. The girl hid her body in the gas mist.