Naoki would become a comrade to everyone present.
Upon Aesc's words, the three there—Totorot, Hector, and Wryneck—showed different reactions.
"Hmmph! Got it. Then let's get along better, Natsukawa!" Totorot laughed. "Well, to me, you falling from the sky looks super suspicious, but if Aesc trusts you, I'll trust you halfway."
"…"
The black-armored knight Hector showed no reaction. His heavy armor hid his expression. But from his neutral stance—neither opposing nor accepting—he seemed to be observing.
As for Wryneck…
"I disagree!"
Stepping two or three paces forward toward Aesc and Naoki, Wryneck glared at Naoki. "Accepting someone with unclear origins like this, Aesc! This is your first meeting with him! You're giving him your trust right away? Haven't you suffered enough from betrayal until now!?"
"Think carefully about how many times you've been betrayed, Aesc!"
Betrayal.
This was what Aesc experienced most.
Since starting her pilgrimage and acting to save Britain, she had been betrayed repeatedly. Though she saved the fairies from century-long and millennium-long calamities time and again, they never thanked her—instead, they betrayed her trust over and over.
In such circumstances, it would be natural for her to trust no one. On the contrary, her current willingness to trust others was unusual.
"I know you're worried about me, Wryneck." Aesc said with a smile. "But I can assure you—he is someone who absolutely won't betray me."
"!"
Absolutely.
Aesc's words were firm. She truly regarded Naoki as the most trustworthy person.
"Hey."
Wryneck bumped his forehead against Naoki's. "What did you do to her, you bastard? There's no way she'd trust someone she just met this much. What did you do to her?"
"I didn't do anything." Naoki stepped back twice, away from Wryneck. "As you said, this is my first meeting with everyone here. Though it sounds like bragging, I can generally be classified as a Good Person. I won't hurt someone I just met without reason."
"Aesc hopes I'll be her helper. I agreed. That's all we talked about in the tent. Nothing else."
Helper? This scrawny guy in front of him?
Wryneck clenched his fists. "Aesc doesn't need a weakling like you by her side. Know your place and leave. Don't make me kick you out."
(Kicking… just kicking. Considering the Fang Clan's nature, this is already very polite.)
On the British mainland, fairies were divided into six clans.
Wind, Wing, Earth, Mirror, King, Fang.
Wryneck was from the Fang Clan—the strongest race in Britain. He was also the Fang Clan Chief. It wasn't wrong to call him the strongest in all Britain—though he lost to Aesc after meeting her, he only dropped from first to second at most. Since Aesc occasionally slept deeply, he was effectively still first.
Thus, he had the qualifications to call anyone weak. His own power was enough to back that confidence.
Naoki was a fairy, a planetary terminal—similar to a child of Earth.
Wryneck was an A-Rei, a later-born special individual very close to the six primordial fairies, considered the planet's own waste-heat organ.
In a sense, the two could be said to share a fraternal, blood-related bond.
"Fight Wryneck, Naoki." Aesc suddenly said. "At first, Wryneck and I didn't get along either, but after fighting, we became friends."
"Friends… Don't say whatever you want, Aesc! I'm not your friend!" Wryneck snapped irritably. "I just barely accept you because you've saved Britain so many times! Don't act all familiar with me!"
"Is that so? I thought we were friends…"
Aesc showed a slightly lost expression, and seeing it, Wryneck grew even more irritated.
Watching the two, Naoki couldn't help feeling helpless.
(Haaah, one's a tsundere, the other doesn't understand human hearts…)
"So, Aesc, you mean if I fight Wryneck, we'll acknowledge each other and become comrades fighting side by side, right?"
"Exactly."
Aesc's answer made Totorot and Hector nearby sigh. Both had followed Aesc for over a thousand years, so they weren't too surprised by her actions.
No—it should be said that acting like this was Aesc's style.
"I don't mind."
Naoki walked to the nearby meadow and stretched his arms and legs. "If this can close the distance between us, I'm happy to do it. Though it's not my style, there's a good saying: Men's problems can be solved with fists."
"I quite like that line."
Wryneck stood opposite Naoki, baring his claws.
"But unfortunately, I don't have fists. If we fight, prepare to be beaten half to death, weakling."
"Say that after you can actually hit me—By the way, as a spoiler for a future comrade, let me use this from the start."
Golden light gathered in Naoki's hand. The shining Holy Sword appeared before the four.
This was the Star's Holy Sword that didn't exist in this world.
Wryneck frowned. "A really flashy weapon. The humans in Londinium would love to see it, but in front of me—"
Wryneck's figure vanished from Naoki's sight in an instant.
(Insanely fast—worthy of the Fang Clan. But to me, still too slow.)
Almost simultaneously with Wryneck's movement, Naoki had already swung the Holy Sword.
*SWOOSH!*
The exploding golden crescent landed right in front of Wryneck's reappearing face! The unexpected attack left Wryneck no time to dodge—especially since it was launched from zero distance!
*BANG!*
Wryneck was sent flying by that single golden crescent! The entire wide forest area in front of Naoki was also flattened by the strike!
Naoki lowered the Holy Sword. "That's why I said—say those words after you can actually hit me."