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"'Amaryllis One and Two have landed!'"
"'Move them to the hangar immediately for resupply and maintenance.'"
"'Gerbera is landing next.'"

In the mobile knight hangar of the Argos, the mass-produced Avid models, Amaryllis and Gerbera, had landed.

The maintenance crew watching the scene were captivated by the four Avid-type units lined up.

They were the famous machines that had supported the Banfield family—and Liam's rise.

Unlike the standard Avid, the white-armored Amaryllis One and Two were the personal machines of Rinho and Fuuka.

The Gerbera was a crimson machine, piloted by Ellen.

As the cockpit of the Gerbera, now secured in the hangar, opened, a woman in a pilot suit with the same crimson as her machine's main color descended.

Ellen Sera Tyler.

The knight, who had been granted the Knight Number Three by Liam, was also an admiral commanding an entire fleet.

Only Liam, the head of the Banfield family, could summon such a person as Ellen to be a pilot.

Ellen hadn't been told the reason for her summons and was questioning this order.

"To call me in as a pilot in this situation... what could Master be thinking?"

She could understand if it were just Rinho and Fuuka, but she couldn't see why he would summon her as well, when she was leading a fleet.

Ellen's fleet, now without its admiral, would apparently fall under Tia's command—but she felt some resistance to entrusting the fleet she had trained so hard to someone else.

As she was feeling dissatisfied, a communication from Liam came through on her terminal.

"'Looks like you've arrived.'"

"Master?! What is this about—"

"'I'll explain in my quarters. Bring Rinho and Fuuka and come to my room.'"

After saying only that, the communication cut off, and Ellen let out a small sigh.

"He could have just told me."

Muttering a complaint tinged with a slight hint of indulgence, Ellen searched for Rinho and Fuuka with her eyes.

She found the two of them talking about something.

"Just make up your mind already!"

"B-but... my senior disciple is mad at me."

Rinho seemed irritated with the sulking Fuuka.

In the zero-gravity hangar, Ellen kicked off a nearby piece of equipment and headed toward the two.

"What are you two doing?"

When she asked, Rinho shrugged.

"This guy is still hung up about being scolded by our senior disciple before the war. To be moping over something like this, he's so timid."

When Ellen looked at Fuuka, he answered dejectedly.

"He got mad at me, saying, 'A swordsman of the One-Flash School acting like an assassin?' Our senior disciple is definitely still angry with me, right? Plus, I broke that big mobile knight... I'm going to get yelled at again."

Having also destroyed a mass-produced Griffin, he was apparently reluctant to face Liam.

Ellen was exasperated by the surprisingly delicate Fuuka.

"Master will be angrier if you dawdle here. Let's get to his room, quickly."

Ellen grabbed Fuuka's arm and forcibly dragged him toward Liam's quarters.

◇

Back in my quarters aboard the Argos, I was preparing for sortie when Ellen and the others arrived.

"Master, what's the meaning of summoning us?"

Seeing the three of them—Ellen, Rinho, and Fuuka—unable to grasp the situation, I felt a slight sense of disappointment.

It was because they couldn't sense the evil presence emanating from the enemy fleet.

"I'm aware that I'm inferior to our Master, but are you all inferior even to me?"

When I sighed, Ellen looked perplexed.

Fuuka wouldn't meet my eyes. Did he mess something up?

However, one of them—only Rinho—was glaring at me.

"It's true I can't beat you yet, senior disciple, but isn't it harsh to say we're inferior?"

As Rinho gave off a dangerous aura, Ellen, standing beside her, shot her a cold glare.

"—Don't direct your killing intent at Master. I'll kill you."

Being told "I'll kill you" by Ellen, Rinho just snorted.

"If you think you can, then try it. Shall I show you right here and now which of us is superior?"

Seeing Rinho's provocative smile, Ellen released her killing intent with a blank expression, and that's when I stepped in.

"Both of you, stop."

When I gave them a light glare, both Ellen and Rinho distanced themselves from me.

The two of them, having leaped back to the wall, were breaking out in a cold sweat.

Seeing them like this made me anxious, but I can't keep coddling them forever.

I have to make the three of them aware of their responsibilities as swordsmen of the One-Flash School, or I won't be able to face our Master.

"There is an enemy of the One-Flash School in the enemy fleet."

When I stated the reason for summoning them so bluntly, the three of them twitched in reaction.

An enemy of the One-Flash School—that means an inhuman being that brings harm to people.

The One-Flash School has been passed down to this day to slay the monsters who possess power beyond that of humans.

It is the duty of us, the swordsmen of the One-Flash School, to sever evil.

I may usually aim to be an evil lord, but when it comes to the One-Flash School, I've decided to face it with sincerity.

A large part of it is to repay my debt to Master, but besides that—I cannot forgive monsters running rampant in places I don't know about.

I will absolutely not tolerate any existence that brings harm to me.

"Originally, I planned to handle this alone, but you are all swordsmen of the One-Flash School as well. I'm having you accompany me this time."

The One-Flash School is a sword style for slaying monsters, but unfortunately, the three of them, besides Master and myself, are lacking in skill.

Ellen and Rinho nodded with tense expressions.

"I will be honored to witness your battle, Master."

"It's been a while since we've hunted monsters. —This is exciting."

Though she says she's excited, Rinho seems to be feeling fear.

When it comes to fighting monsters that have surpassed humanity, it's only natural to be afraid.

However—

"Fuuka, were you listening to me?"

"Huh?! Y-yeah, I was listening, but..."

—Fuuka gave the impression of being completely out of it.

Compared to Ellen and Rinho, how unreliable he was.

"Fuuka, if you don't want to, you don't have to come. As you are now, you're not fit to be a swordsman of the One-Flash School."

When I told him he lacked spirit, Fuuka frantically clung to me.

"I-I'll do it! I'll do it too! S-so, don't leave me behind!"

Fuuka's unusually weak demeanor made me feel uneasy.

In a battle against monsters, it goes without saying that I won't have any leeway either.

If things go wrong, Fuuka could lose his life—but perhaps that, too, is the fate of a One-Flash School swordsman.

"Do as you please. But as you are now, you will die."

Holding my favorite sword in my left hand, I left the room with the three of them in tow.

In the hallway, Eulisia and the others were waiting.

The captains of the Argos were also waiting. Did they come to see us off?

"Thank you for seeing us off. After we sortie, follow Tia's orders and—"

Before I could tell them to run away quickly, Eulisia spoke up.

"You intend to charge the enemy fleet, don't you?"

"That is our destiny."

It is the destiny of a One-Flash School swordsman to fight monsters.

We cannot run from it.

"In that case, the Argos will escort you, Lord Liam."

"Huh?"

As I was looking skeptical, the captain stepped forward and spoke.

"It would be impossible for other vessels, but with the Argos's performance, we can deliver you and your men to the enemy fleet, Lord Liam."

"Do you understand what you're saying? The enemy we're fighting is in the center of their fleet. If we board, the Argos will be isolated and without support."

When I said that even the Argos could be sunk, Eulisia looked at me with exasperation.

"I'm saying I'll stick with you to the end. I refuse to just send off four Avids."

"—Why would you go that far?"

When I gave Eulisia a suspicious look, she made a face as if she was offended.

"I'm a candidate for your concubine, you know!? If I ran away here, that would be the real problem!!"

"I won't make it a problem, so just run."

"Even if it's fine with you, it's not fine with me!"

"You bastard! How dare you call me 'you' like that! If it were anyone else, I'd have cut off their head on the spot!"

As I was arguing loudly with Eulisia, the captains spoke to me.

"Lord Liam, we will all accompany you."

To the saluting captain, I scratched my head and reluctantly replied.

"Every last one of you... —Let anyone who wants to get off, get off first."

"Sir!"

Charging into the center of the enemy formation... these guys are insane.

I could only be amazed.

"Honestly, what are they thinking?"

As I started walking, Ellen and the others followed.

And Ellen was chuckling.

"As always, you are well-loved, Master."

"I'm not looking for devotion, though."

A person's own life is the most important thing to them.

I don't believe in things like risking one's life.

But it seems Ellen sees it differently.

"I believe you are worth that much, Master. I, too—"

"Stop. I don't trust people who are all talk."

"—My apologies."

I cut Ellen off before she could say anything because I didn't want to hear those words.

"In the first place, there's no need for you to risk your life for me. After all, I'm stronger than you."

"—You're right, Master."

Ellen seemed to accept it, but her expression looked a little sad.

◇

Inside the cockpit of the Avid standing on the deck of the Argos.

I had changed into my pilot suit and was sitting in the seat, listening to the comms like a radio.

"'Our fleet will accompany you as well! We are the fleet tasked with escorting the flagship!'"
"'What can one ship do alone! At the very least, escort ships should accompany you!'"

In response to the words of the admirals commanding the hundreds of ships in my fleet, the captain of the Argos was shouting back.

"'We've determined that your vessels won't be able to withstand it. This is Lord Liam's order. Obey it without question!'"

In response, the other military personnel were protesting.

"'Then you should assign a super-dreadnought as an escort!'"

"'Those have the duty of commanding thousands of ships! Give it up already!'"

Listening to the voices of the soldiers demanding to participate, I grumbled.

"Every last one of them is so hot-blooded. Normally, you'd think yourself lucky and fall back in a situation like this."

What are they thinking, volunteering to charge into the enemy's ranks?

I couldn't understand it at all.

Could it be? Are they so overworked that they think it'd be easier to just die?

—Did I overwork them? If so, it might be better to let the soldiers rest for a while.

Once this battle is over, I'll give the elite fleet a vacation.

A junior colleague from my past life who worked at a black company once said something like this.

That there was a time he was so tired his ability to think declined, and he thought it would be easier to just die.

—That would be a problem for me.

As I was lost in thought, I heard the voices of some noisy people.

"'You bastards, are you insane, letting Lord Liam charge in!? I'll slaughter you!!'"

Hearing Marie's voice, her speech pattern a mess from her panic, I couldn't help but sigh.

Next, I heard Tia's voice.

"'Stop him! Stop Lord Liam right now!'"

Seeing a close-up of Tia's face, her eyes bloodshot and clearly not in a normal state, even the captain was flinching.

"'N-no, but, this is an order—'"

"'Stopping him is your job! Aaaaaaaah!! Lord Liiiaaam!!'"

Hearing Tia's scream, I gave an order to the captain.

"That's enough, isn't it? It's about time we sortied."

"'Sir! Argos, maximum output!'"

As the Argos's engines powered up, the Avid detected a slight vibration.

As its speed increased, it headed toward the enemy fleet before it—though they were still too far to be seen with the naked eye.

Placing my hands on the control stick, I addressed the crew of the Argos.

"Charge."