Chapter 8. Skirmish at the Muse Trading Company
Subaru and his group rushed aggressively into the three-story stone-built structure. The expressions of caution on the faces of the people inside immediately turned to surprise upon seeing Liliana in the lead.
"I'm counting on you, Liliana."
"Haha! As you wish!"
Liliana flexed her muscles to express her high spirits. However, seeing her in this state made Beatrice feel quite uneasy.
"Subaru, is this really alright, I suppose? Betty is very worried, I suppose."
"I understand how you feel completely. But rather than following proper procedure with an appointment or forcing our way in, I want to bet on the possibility of a relationship between Kiritaka and Liliana."
Subaru spoke in a low voice. Beatrice instantly understood, looking at the watchful mercenaries around them.
"That's how it is! I, Liliana, have returned! Is Mister Kiritaka inside?"
Liliana stopped in front of the counter and inquired.
"Uh, the representative is busy… Miss Liliana, why are you here? This is troubling."
The counter lady spoke timidly, showing obvious worry and distress.
"He is inside! I have something I absolutely must tell Mister Kiritaka! These two are also acquainted with Mister Kiritaka, so I'll take them along as well."
Liliana said, skillfully pulling Subaru towards the stairs. Subaru awkwardly bowed to apologize to the guards glaring at them from both sides.
"Has Dynas confirmed what is happening over there?"
"How is the evacuation progressing?"
"What is the current situation at the city hall?"
The moment they reached the second floor, they could feel the busy atmosphere. A blonde youth was looking at a map on the table while asking the people around him for updates and giving instructions.
"This really is a sight to behold! He's certainly changed after three days!"
Subaru exclaimed reflexively. That's right, the well-dressed youth before them was Kiritaka Muse—the young head of the Muse Trading Company, and an important figure in the city also famous by the nickname "Songstress Fanatic."
"Li-Liliana? What's wrong? Why are you here?"
Kiritaka looked toward the stairs because of Subaru's voice, then noticed Liliana's presence.
"Doesn't that go without saying! Of course, it's because justice must prevail!"
Liliana said, spinning a few times before kneeling on one knee and using both hands to gesture towards Subaru.
"I met this Natsuki Subaru-sama on the way!"
At that moment, Subaru felt everyone look at him.
"You're making me make my entrance like this!?"
Subaru noticed Beatrice beside him sighing, covering her forehead. Honestly, Subaru almost regretted his choice. Most importantly, Subaru understood that the now-capable Kiritaka was already organizing the citizens' evacuation. At this point, he should exit and go to Reinhild's side, but—
"This broad-minded, extraordinary Natsuki-sama and his contracted Great Spirit, Beatrice-sama, are here! Mister Kiritaka, could you please show your manly side here! Specifically, could you please grant me a favor and bear my dream!"
Completely oblivious to what everyone was thinking, Liliana made her blunt request to Kiritaka. Kiritaka frowned, looking at Liliana, who had completely derailed the situation, and the people around her who were overwhelmed by her momentum. Kiritaka pondered for a moment and countered: "Bear your dream?"
"That's right! My dream! It is to set the 'Newest Legend' to music and sing it to the world! Natsuki-sama promised me that if I could get you to use the broadcast for citizen evacuation, he would reveal everything to me, bare his soul, and assist my dream! This situation won't do! Liliana's dream is only halfway there!"
"Eh? Wait, wait, wait!"
The original agreement had been interpreted in a strange, self-serving way in Liliana's mind, making it sound like Subaru had used his glorious past to lure Liliana into helping him. Subaru, realizing this, loudly interrupted her, flustered.
"So, please grant me this! Please turn I, Liliana, into a woman!"
"I'm telling you, your way of speaking!!"
An excited Liliana closed in on Kiritaka. Subaru, realizing that the other party couldn't be reasoned with, was forced to hug her from behind.
—I can't let her lose control here; otherwise, the evacuation efforts that are currently proceeding smoothly will be interrupted.
"Ah, what are you doing! Hey, please let go! Please, help me!"
"Be quiet!"
Subaru made up his mind, forcefully lifted Liliana onto his shoulder, and then apologized awkwardly to the stunned crowd.
"Ah, sorry to interrupt… Anyway, I'll take her out. Please continue your discussion…"
Carrying the struggling Liliana, Subaru prepared to leave, but before that, Kiritaka stood up. With a ghost-like movement, he snatched a magic stone from the table. Then, his eyes widened and glared at Subaru.
—Killer intent.
"…Don't you dare."
"Huh?"
"Don't, you, dare, touch, my, my, my, MY LILIANA—!!"
Kiritaka yelled at the top of his lungs and threw the blue magic stone in his hand at Subaru without hesitation.
!!!
Before the pure energy was released, Subaru threw the struggling Liliana to the side, then picked up Beatrice and rolled in the opposite direction. Immediately after, everything was engulfed in a blue light.
The violent explosion and the power of the magic stone destroyed the stairwell. The shockwave shattered all the glass windows of the Muse Trading Company.
"Get down immediately!!"
Subaru instantly felt that something was wrong, because the sound of breaking glass was continuous, and it was moving towards them from deeper inside.
"—Sorry, okay? Thank you."
A woman's voice suddenly appeared. Following that, golden chains pierced through the stone wall and swept across the entire floor.
Subaru let out a sigh of relief, seeing the completely unharmed Kiritaka. If he had been a second slower in pulling his sleeve, his body would have been cut in two.
The two people who had become hostile for a bizarre reason instantly crossed the line of life and death, and then—
"Ah, ah, ah, that's wonderful! The feeling of caring for each other, helping each other, and trusting each other saved your lives! Unbelievable… Yes, unbelievable! To witness such an unbelievable, beautiful thing. Bravo~!"
A sharp, grating voice came out of the smoke, and then the sound of footsteps crunching glass approached step by step. It was a woman completely wrapped in white bandages.
She had long silver hair, and her blue-purple pupils reflected the appearance of everyone present.
"Who are you?"
"Sorry, thank you. I haven't introduced myself yet. That's so embarrassing."
The woman shyly covered her mouth with her hand. The metal of the chains wrapped around her arms made a clanking sound. She was genuinely ashamed, and this made her seem even more abnormal.
"—I am Sirius Romanée-Conti, in charge of [Wrath]. Let's get along well from now on."
The polite, bowing eccentric declared her identity.
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