Episode 154: Sergeant Balgu

　In the heart of the royal capital—the noble district. A group of about ten soldiers advanced down its streets.

　Each of them was clad in the armor of the Kirchhen Kingdom’s army. But in truth, they weren’t soldiers of the Kirchhen Kingdom.

“Somehow, we’ve made it this far without any issues…”

　The one who muttered that was the man with the unkempt beard leading the way. His name was Balgu. He was a man who served as the squad leader in the Serodonia army, holding the rank of Sergeant.

　They had been held as prisoners along with Ricardo and the others. Then, upon being turned into vampires, they escaped. Up to that point, they had been acting together with Ricardo. However, these ten had obtained Ricardo’s permission to operate separately.

“Even so… you really came up with quite the reckless plan, didn’t you, Sergeant Balgu?”

　One of the squad soldiers whispered.

“Stealing Kirchhen soldiers’ gear and heading straight for the royal palace in the heart of enemy territory…”

“Kirchhen’s in total chaos right now. No one’s gonna pay us any mind.”

　That’s right. Balgu and his men’s destination was—the royal palace.

(If this can help Count Kreving in even the slightest way…)

　In his mind, Balgu pictured that silver-haired young man—Siegfried.

　He felt a definite sense of gratitude toward him.

　That was because it was Siegfried who had given them soldiers the chance to judge their former superior—a incompetent and cunning man named Pebrio—with their own hands.

　At that time, he had said this to Siegfried.

　—“If possible, I’d have liked to serve under a commander like you—Lord Siegfried.”

　Or something like that.

(Of course, I don’t think I can take King Luverios’s head or anything like that. It probably won’t go that smoothly. But… if I can cause a ruckus around the palace, I can draw the enemy’s attention. That should be of some use.)

　That said, he wasn’t sure how much such an action would actually help Siegfried.

　Or perhaps, Siegfried had already factored in the existence of soldiers like him in his calculations.

(But anyway… either way, I just have to do what I can.)

　With those thoughts in his heart, they quietly advanced over the cobblestones of the noble district.

　Thanks to avoiding combat up until now, the backlash from becoming vampires—the burden on their souls—hadn’t surfaced yet.

　And then, it was when they had finally closed in right up to the palace.

　Suddenly, a group of soldiers appeared from around the corner. Numbering about a hundred.

　They were probably the security forces around the palace.

　Balgu and his men, careful not to show any agitation, maintained a composed demeanor—. And, intentionally giving off the vibe of being in a hurry on a mission, they tried to slip past them.

　However, the man who seemed to be the captain of the security forces noticed and called them out.

“Hey, you lot… what unit are you with?”

“…Our unit?”

“Who else would I be talking to?”

“Yeah, fair enough. We’re—”

　Paying close attention not to let his Serodonia accent slip, Balgu responded. And he observed the opponent’s expression.

　He was a middle-aged soldier with an intelligent, calm gaze.

(…This is bad. Half-baked excuses won’t work on this guy.)

　The moment he judged that, Balgu moved instantly.

　Without hesitation, he closed in on the Kirchhen soldier and slammed his fist into his face.

“Gah…!”

　That fist, imbued with a vampire’s monstrous strength, knocked the opponent out in a single blow.

“You bastard!”

“They’re enemies!”

　The surrounding soldiers drew their swords one after another, plunging into a chaotic battle.

“Hey, listen up! Use your fists instead of swords! Get in close and fight! In this situation, that’s the best way!”

　Balgu shouted, and his subordinates responded.

　They dove into the midst of the enemies, pounding in their fists.

“Kuh… what the hell are these guys?!”

　The Kirchhen soldiers couldn’t hide their confusion.

　Forced into close-quarters combat, they were completely robbed of the space to swing their swords. Plus, if they carelessly unleashed slashes, there was the risk of hitting their allies.

　On the other hand, Balgu and his men’s fists boasted overwhelming destructive power, enough to take down enemies in one hit even through their helmets.

　The Kirchhen soldiers should have had an overwhelming advantage in numbers, but Balgu and his men had completely seized the initiative.

“This is bad if it keeps up! Call for reinforcements! Reinforc—”

　The moment he started to shout—.

　The sun was already sinking, and the sky was being enveloped in deep shadows.

　In that darkness—suddenly, several crimson flames floated in the sky.

　Those fragments, like pieces of the sun—rained down.

“Gyaaaaah!”

　Screams echoed out.

　The masses of flame pouring down from above burned the bodies of Kirchhen soldiers and Serodonia soldiers alike without distinction, scorching the cobblestones.

“W-what…!?”

　Balgu avoided a direct hit with his exceptional reflexes, but his thoughts couldn’t keep up with the abnormality of the situation.

“Hey, you okay…!? Everyone, are you alive!?”

　He raised his voice toward his comrades.

　As vampires, these Serodonia soldiers wouldn’t die instantly even from a direct hit by the flames. But that crimson inferno mercilessly continued to burn their undead bodies.

“L-Lord Ignas… why…?”

　One of the Kirchhen soldiers, his lower body burned, reached out toward the sky as if seeking help.

　Seeing that, Balgu held his breath and looked up.

　And—there he was.

　A man floating in the sky, his robe fluttering, dyed amber in response to his own magical color.

　His cold gaze through his glasses held an arrogance that looked down on everything in the world.

　—The chief magician, Grand Caster, Ignas.

“Why?”

　At the soldier’s question, Ignas tilted his head slightly.

“…What do you mean by that?”

“W-why… are you attacking us along with them…?”

　“Ah… everyone was dressed the same, so I couldn’t tell you apart. Well, it’s not like it matters if you all die here anyway. After all, you lot—don’t have the sparkle of talent.”

　Magic gathered in Ignas’s palm. He was probably about to unleash a follow-up spell.

“Tch…!”

　Balgu quickly drew his sword and hurled it toward Ignas in the sky.

　But—it was blocked by an automatically deployed magical barrier and easily deflected.

“Rain down, flaming stars Nora di Faradie—‘Meteor Blaze’.”

　The chant. And then, the activation of the spell. A massive mass of flame, far surpassing the previous one, manifested in the sky—and came crashing down with a roar.

“Damn…!”

　Balgu grabbed the arms of his nearby subordinates and desperately tried to escape the spot.

　But… he wouldn’t make it in time.

　The scorching death approached them—and further, the Kirchhen soldiers as well, equally.

　It was at that moment.

　Tearing through the pitch-black darkness, a massive crimson slash came flying.

　It severed the mass of flame, and moreover, devoured the contained magic entirely, erasing it without a trace.

　What had happened—no one could understand.

　Except for one person, Ignas.

“Heh…”

　He pushed up his glasses and flashed a cruel smile.

“To erase my Meteor Blaze with a single strike—that’s truly impressive. As expected, you… have the sparkle of talent.”

　As if responding to that voice—the sound of footsteps, clack, clack, steadily approached over the cobblestones.

“And what about you? Ignas-Zeo Grave.”

　The silver-haired youth, wearing a cool smile, quietly fixed his gaze on Ignas in the sky.

“Can you shine before me?—As the villain.”