“I will release the magic with the signal.”
“Yes! Yes! Hurry up! Hurry up!”
Pastel fidgeted at the entrance of the arena.
The entrance was barricaded with wind magic, preventing the purple poisonous gas from leaking into the arena.
“You can enter when we replace the magic, Your Excellency.”
“Yes! Yes! I know! Hurry up!”
Pastel stomped her feet.
I need to help Elsia soon!
I’ve spent too much time rescuing Melissa!
While I am very concerned about the possibility of the talkative terrorist Tmaut spreading rumors about me being the mastermind, I was more worried about Elsia’s condition, who was trapped in the encirclement.
The Demon Lord said that intermediate knights are resistant to gas, but that’s a rather simplistic perspective!
Pastel was flitting about in a panic.
‘Instead of doing this, ride the broom. It may be slow since it’s broken, but it won’t make a sound, so the surprise effect will be excellent.’
Oh, right!
She mounted the white broom. It was difficult to fly high due to being damaged after hitting it when it was slow, but low altitude flight was possible.
Broom friend, I’m sorry for hitting you earlier!
But it is true that you are quite slow, right?
What if the flight speed drops like that when you flew with Melissa? It’s a disqualification for a magic broom!
Oh, wait! That’s not it!
Pastel stroked the broom.
Broom friend, let’s forget the past and work hard together!
Fighting fighting!
The professor maintaining the magic looked back.
“I’m replacing the magic!”
“Yes! Hurry! Hurry!”
When the professor sent the signal, the wind barrier vanished. As the gas began to explode out, the waiting wizards deployed a new magical barrier.
“Pastel, launch…!”
Pastel dove into the momentary gap and flew. Her pink hair swayed like a tail.
The purple gas enveloped her vision. If she hadn’t been immune to the gas due to magic stone consumption, she would have collapsed upon entry.
‘That Tmaut, who is an intermediate knight, must be the leader. Identify his location with the sound of gunfire and ambush him. While you may not kill him with a single ambush, you can secure a favorable position.’
Pastel gripped the broom handle tightly.
A battle with an intermediate knight?
Ugh.
That seems a bit much.
The Demon Lord talks casually about battle as a premise, but Pastel’s thoughts were different.
Well, of course…
That’s terrifying.
Yes, yes.
Even the Demon Lord claimed I wasn’t an intermediate knight, so maybe they forgot.
At this level, not only would I be fleeing from battle but I would also be evading the hormonal friend!
What I need at this moment isn’t a foolish battle of brute strength, but the intelligent mind of Pastel.
“As an informed person, I don’t have to engage in battle! I have a plan!”
As she flew quickly, Tmaut’s voice resonated from beyond the gas. He was diligently slandering Pastel.
Recalling the wicked past of the Craft family, he falsely accused the girl, who was just a pink cherry blossom, of being an evil mastermind.
That’s too much…!
Elsia, who was silently listening without making a strong rebuttal, was also too much!
It feels overwhelmingly clear that he intends to listen to the precious story of the victim who was manipulated by the evil mastermind Craft!
However, Pastel was smart enough to set aside any personal feelings to take advantage of this situation.
Because she is smart!
“This is not all. The Craft family maintained a succession tradition that required all siblings to be killed in order to become the clan leader. Research from the Demon Realm indicates that such traditions have a profound impact on personality development, creating dualistic personalities. They must even maintain a false mask even to their kin.”
“The Pastel Love Craft became the clan leader without siblings, right? She didn’t commit any kin murders.”
“Right now, the clan leader was born after killing my mother, so it’s no different!”
Pastel tilted her head. Then she stopped broom flying behind Tmaut and spoke.
“Tmaut.”
There was a noticeable look of surprise.
“Who are you?!”
Tmaut’s action of pointing his gun in this direction was perceived by the sound of his clothes rustling and his footsteps turning.
“How did you sneak up on me without any warning?!”
Uwaah uwah!
Don’t shoot, please!
I’m just riding a broom…!
Pastel hurriedly spoke up.
“Don’t be surprised. It’s me.”
“Craft!”
Wow! He figured out my identity just from my voice!
It’s the fate of a popular person, but it felt somewhat like an obsessive stalker.
Totally scary!
“It’s rather troublesome to say anything against an innocent girl. It’s only right that you exit after completing your role.”
“Hehe!”
Tmaut suddenly laughed.
“I’ve been waiting! I’ve been grinding my teeth, eager to repay that day’s shame!”
Tmaut changed his posture completely as if he were about to fight us. Then he threw his old gun to the ground. The sound of changing to a new gun could be heard.
“Unlike that time, your abilities have already been discerned by my informants! Even if you pretend to be confident, a non-intermediate knight doesn’t frighten me!”
Uwaah!
I haven’t done anything, but all the aggression is focused here!
What did I do wrong…?!
However, despite my trembling body, it was a chance to provoke the opponent, allowing Elsia to find an opportunity to escape the encirclement.
Pastel was relieved that the purple gas fog concealed her foolish appearance.
“Hahaha!”
She did her best to laugh.
“Is that all?”
Tmaut hesitated.
“What?”
“You came brimming with confidence, having prepared new artillery and realized my capabilities, well done.”
She clapped lightly.
Within the gas fog, only the sound of applause echoed.
“But is that really all?”
Tmaut’s voice lowered.
“Why are you so relaxed? How did you know I properly prepared my weapon unlike last time?”
Well, I could decipher that from the recent rustling of clothing when he switched guns.
‘Your hearing has exceeded human levels, making it difficult to determine the changes beyond the gas fog at this distance.’
Ah.
“Tmaut, unleash your imagination.”
I consumed magic stones and escaped humanity.
Wow.
“Is it me again?!”
Tmaut suddenly erupted with anger.
“Is every part of this, from escaping execution from the Knight Corps to this terrorism, and even having this conversation before that Bellamont, all according to your plan?!”
This person has an overactive imagination…
Pastel became flustered.
She looked towards the direction Elsia could be.
Elsia!
Hurry and escape the encirclement!
Why are you just quietly listening?
“Now everything is clear! Before this Bellamont, I am under threat from the eldest son of the Duke’s family, and you are showing off your back to gain the position of sponsor and protector to participate in the heir dispute!”
Pastel’s mouth fell open.
Is that the case?!
“If you stay with me, you can live! If you don’t take my hand, you will pay for going against my mood! You want it to be felt even without verbal threats!”
Pastel was at a loss for words.
If you put it that way, then the fact that I approached you as a friend is misconstrued as sinister intentions!
I only wanted to spar with Elsia because I heard she was an intermediate knight!
Oh?
Pastel halted.
She approached after seeing the battle skills.
And then…
She approached after discerning the qualifications of an heir.
What’s the difference between the two?
Huh.
They aren’t really different.
Moreover!
Even the character count is exactly the same!
Uwaah!
The character count being the same…!
Pastel’s mouth dropped open.
She clutched her pink hair in shock.
Was Pastel actually the bad one?!
Not the kind kind Pastel, but the bad bad Pastel?!
Uwaah!
They’re calling me bad bad Pastel!
Please tell me I’m not, friends!
She looked towards Elsia.
Elsia spoke up.
“I see…”
Don’t agree right away!
Is our friendship only worth that much?
Is it okay to betray our friendship like that?!
Honestly, it’s true that we weren’t that close!
But still, we can’t acknowledge a shift from equal ranking to a superior-inferior relationship!
Imagining it feels a bit appealing, but the kind kind Pastel can’t permit such relations!
Yes, yes!
Tmaut opened his mouth.
“But it’s obvious that Craft, you are not an intermediate knight! No matter how elaborate your schemes are or how relaxed you may seem, you can be crushed by sheer force!”
A subtle sound signaled the gun being aimed.
Wowah!
The sound of the trigger and the explosion of gunpowder.
Gripping the broom, Pastel executed an evasive maneuver.
A tremendous noise rang out.
Although the gunfire was only once, a barrage of bullets dispersed radially, crushing the area.
The barrage, imbued with the caliber of an intermediate knight, explosively pushed away the gas smoke and expanded visibility.
The mercenary leader Tmaut, wearing a gas mask, threw down his already fired gun to the ground. A new gun, loaded and strapped to his back, was visible.
The strongest close-combat fighter with radially firing capabilities.
A shotgun…?
I could immediately understand Tmaut’s confidence.
Wowah!
Don’t use a shotgun in a sword fight…!
I grabbed my broom and tried to flee.
The purple gas fog continued to cover my vision. Just for a moment when visibility was regained, a new shotgun appeared in Tmaut’s hands.
The gas obscured my sight.
An electrifying sensation wrapped around my skin. The adrenaline pushed away any rational thought. One idea surfaced.
This might be worth a shot?
Instincts that swallowed the mind drove the broom to malfunction and went on a rampage. The girl hid her body in the gas fog.
