The air grew heavy.
Meanwhile, all the guards remained solemn in the face of Beasley's betrayal—not entirely unexpected.
Alicia inwardly lamented not having acted immediately the moment she received Celestine-sama's message.
Primm clenched her teeth, her eyes filled with rage.
"I knew it! Beasley-sama was one of the bad guys," she shouted. "That man always looked at me and onee-sama with dirty eyes."
"Mph! I'll teach that traitor a lesson myself," Luu Luu suddenly said, resting her axe on her shoulder. She had approached without many noticing; although she was injured, her wounds did not seem serious.
Reik glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Earlier, during the fight, he hadn't had time to observe her closely.
At first glance, she looked like a small girl, almost completely undressed, barely covered by a light green cloak that protected her shoulders and her chest… her small breasts.
Reik brought a hand to his chin, trying to remember.
'Luu Luu… the Knight Princess of the Fifth Fortress,' he murmured in his mind.
However, he was surprised to notice that she was looking at him with a flushed face.
Reik remained silent for a moment, but then remembered that, technically, he had just played out the classic scene of the hero saving the maiden, so it didn't seem that strange to him.
He shook his head, brushing those thoughts away, and spoke again:
"Princess Luu Luu, what are you doing here so far away?" he asked, though in his mind he already knew the answer.
"Mph… I was sent to keep an eye on you and that evil—" She suddenly fell silent, covering her mouth with her hand. Then she continued, awkwardly: "I mean… I came to provide support. Yes, support. You know I'm very strong, so I came to help."
"Yeah, sure," Reik replied as if he believed her.
'As expected… she came to keep an eye on me and Olga. That Celestine isn't sincere. She says she formed an alliance, but she still doesn't trust us… anyway…' he thought.
Then he looked her up and down again.
'But I still don't understand why her, among all the princesses…'
He didn't dwell on it further.
"But how did you get here so quickly?" he asked curiously.
Luu Luu put on a proud expression.
"Celestine-sama used her incredible spell and teleported me near here. I just had to run a bit."
Reik's mouth tightened upon hearing that.
'That explains everything… I've tried to contact Celestine through the chat, but she doesn't respond. She must be completely out of mana… probably unconscious after using so much teleportation and long-distance communication…'
Before he could say anything else, a guard burst in running, pale as ash. She stumbled as she stopped in front of Alicia.
"Alicia-sama!" she exclaimed in a shaken voice. "An army is approaching through the forest! They outnumber us by more than double! There are demons… and magical creatures among their ranks!"
A murmur of fear spread among those present.
Alicia felt her pulse pounding at her temples. Everything was happening too fast; the battlefield was closing in on them.
Then, Reik stepped forward.
"Leave the Kuroinu group to me," he said with absolute calm. "I'll take care of them."
Alicia looked at him, incredulous.
"Are you serious? Do you intend to face an entire army by yourself?"
"Mph! Do you think you can handle it alone?" Luu Luu added. Even though she had seen his strength, she didn't believe he could handle so many enemies.
"There's no doubt," Reik replied without hesitation. "Place me on the front line. They won't advance another step."
Alicia wanted to object, but the words got stuck in her throat.
"You know you're strong… but this is an organized army."
Reik paused.
He remembered the previous battle. He hadn't fought seriously. He had tested his endurance, taken unnecessary hits, played more than fought.
But this time would be different.
'There's no reason to take risks…' he thought.
"Follow me," he said, looking at the three girls. "It's time for a certain someone to enter the scene."
"We don't have time," Alicia insisted, pointing toward the forest. "They're already forming up to attack."
Reik smiled slightly.
"Trust me. When you see her, you'll understand."
Alicia paused.
Then, like a flash, she understood.
She remembered a certain person who should have accompanied Reik… and who had yet to show herself.
'As I thought… it's her,' she reflected.
With a tight heart, she nodded. She hated the idea of relying on her former enemy… but for her people, she had no choice.
"Huh? Who is it?" Luu Luu asked, confused.
Reik looked at her without words. She was incredibly absent-minded.
Without saying anything, he patted her head.
"You'll see."
"Hey, don't touch my head!" she protested, swatting his hand away in annoyance.
Reik and the others began to move toward an area covered in dense shadows, where the wind seemed to swirl in circles.
Alicia, Luu Luu, and Primm followed him, escorted by the guards.
Then it happened.
Several warriors stood on guard and drew their weapons.
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward.
Olga had appeared.
Her gaze was cold, filled with the pride of a queen. At her side, Chloe emerged slowly, her eyes attentively scanning the group.
Primm held her breath.
Alicia gave a slight nod.
'As I thought… it was her.'
"What are you doing here?!" Luu Luu exclaimed, raising her axe ready to attack.
But Reik reacted quickly and gave her a sharp knock on the head.
"Hey! That hurt!" she complained.
"Didn't Celestine tell you she's an ally now?"
"What?" Luu Luu blinked, surprised. Then she calmed down.
"Oh… that's right. I forgot."
"Hehe…" she laughed awkwardly as she stepped back.
Even so, she still cast a wary glance toward the dark elves.