Volume 5 - CH 3

The situation that had maintained a delicate balance and was on the verge of erupting had already become a thing of the past. It transformed into a battlefield where lives were taken, killings occurred, and prisoners fought in the exercise field of the detention facility on Prison Island.

“Go forth, faithful servants of Rowein, pure and mighty divine soldiers! In the name of God, deliver divine punishment to the foolish men who have been deceived and fallen into corruption!”

“OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH!!!”

“…There’s no other choice now. I have various thoughts, but at the very least, we will take down Serisha and Adelle with our own hands!! Everyone, follow me!”

“Understood!”

“Roger!”

“Yes, sir!”

“Got it!”

With the command of Archbishop Levelk, the knights of the Church Knight Order, armed and with heightened spirits, charged forward. Serisha glared at them with eyes burning with anger.

Yes, they were the detestable enemies who insulted and hated Kazuya, whom she admired as a god.

“Kill them.”

At the same time as Serisha’s small words filled with murderous intent, the security guards and prison wardens began their synchronized shooting.

“Fire, fire, fire!! Keep shooting!”

“They won’t die so easily!! Kill them thoroughly!”

Amidst the warning shouts from the security guards who had experienced the horror of the enemy in the initial battle, the prison wardens continued to pull the triggers of their Heckler & Koch G36KA2 rifles, an improved version of the G36 adopted by the German Federal Armed Forces and others.

“Don’t worry about the bullets!! Keep up the barrage!! Take down as many as possible!”

To maintain the dense barrage, the soldiers used the translucent-style 30-round magazines of the G36KA2, which allowed them to easily see the remaining ammunition. Once they exhausted the magazines, they reloaded with new ones attached to the sides of the empty magazines and continued firing, dispersing 5.56x45mm NATO rounds.

They were soldiers who consumed ammunition like water, utilizing what is commonly known as the “jungle style.” But there was someone who unleashed an even greater number of bullets—artillery shells.

Several of them were installed on the rooftop of the detention facility, originally low-altitude anti-aircraft towed guns for eliminating aerial threats, but they could also be used for ground attacks. They lowered the elevation angle to its limit and participated in the battle.

The name of that artillery gun was ZU-23-2. Developed by the Soviet Union after World War II, it has been used by various countries around the world. Terrorists who spread across the world also actively employ it by towing it with light vehicles or mounting it on the bed, using it as a technical—a versatile weapon.

From the ZU-23-2, firing at a rate of 400 rounds per minute, 23x152mm shells—BZT armor-piercing incendiary tracer rounds and OFZ incendiary high-explosive tracer rounds—were being rapidly discharged.

Each time, the deafening sound of gunfire and the dazzling muzzle flash violently shook their eardrums, as they relentlessly kept firing at the enemies.

“I guess… it’s no use, after all.”

Serisha narrowed her eyes and muttered softly as she looked at the intense gunfire taking place ahead.

“Well, it seems we have no choice but to handle it ourselves.”

“Then I’ll take care of the Seven Saintesses. Adele, I’ll leave the support and dealing with the Knight Order to everyone else.”

“…It’s 7 against 1, you know? Are you sure you’ll be okay on your own, Serisha?”

“Yes, I may struggle a bit, but there’s no problem. Yes, that’s right. Do you think I would lose to those who mocked Kazuya-sama!? Besides, for some reason, I feel like I can overwhelm them now.”

“I-I see… That’s reassuring. But please be careful. I’ll try to finish off the Knight Order as quickly as possible and come to support you, Serisha.”

“Hehe, I’m counting on you, Adele.”

Adelle felt slightly intimidated by Serisha’s black smile and the burning fighting spirit in her eyes.

Ignoring their conversation, Carl Gustav (recoilless rifle) 84mm multipurpose shells and AG36 grenade launchers’ 40x46mm grenades were explosively launched, filling the area with explosions and gusts of wind.

After that, the symphony of gunfire that had lasted for about 2-3 minutes suddenly ceased.

“S-So, how was it?”

“We showered them with that much firepower… they should at least…”

The soldiers, still holding their weapons, nervously waited with tense expressions for the dust clouds to settle.

“I’ll make the first move.”

“Understood.”

However, Serisha and Adelle, who were well aware of their former colleagues’ abilities and had experienced fighting alongside them, were already preparing for their next actions even before the dust cleared.

“…Monsters, aren’t they?”

“They managed to withstand that barrage!?”

“The Guardian Buckler is a holy relic that blocks any attack. This level of attack won’t work.”

Ahead of the astonished prison guards’ gaze, as the dust settled, the figure that appeared was Xenovia, ranked fourth in the hierarchy, who had deployed a barrier from her holy relic, the Guardian Buckler, protecting her comrades from the barrage.

“I’ll defend against attacks from above. Everyone, continue the assault!”

“Alright, don’t waste Xenovia’s dedication! Everyone, charge in!”

“O-ooohhh!!”

The Knights, who had been pinned down by a hail of bullets, were urged forward by Xenovia’s words.

And at that moment, as Alexia, wielding the sacred sword Buster Blade, led the group, and the knights and seven holy maidens charged forward to exploit the “mysteriously inactive” enemies’ vulnerability, a voice sent shivers down Alexia’s spine. It was Ceresia, who had silently approached and swung her sacred tool, the Whipper Wand, striking Alexia.

“What?! C-Ceresia!?”

What is this power of Ceresia’s? Alexia, instinctively using her Buster Blade to defend against the attack, was most surprised by the fact that Ceresia, a rear-guard type, had engaged her, a vanguard type, in close combat. She also felt a temporary numbness in her arm from the powerful strike.

“What?! Sei!!”

“Take this!”

To assist Alexia, Zola launched a penetrating strike with her Penetrate Spear, and Jill followed up with her Meteor Bow. However, Ceresia easily evaded both attacks, fluttering away like a butterfly, and retreated to the rear.

“Tch, the surprise attack failed… well, whatever. Now, you wretched scum who dared to insult Kazuya-sama. Allow me to show you a fraction of the power he bestowed upon me. The terrifying power of combining magic with incorporated science!”

“…First, let’s start with pawns to stall them.”

After the surprise attack failed and Ceresia evaded the counterattack and retreated, she declared this and muttered an incantation while slamming her Whipper Wand into the ground, unfolding a magic circle.

“Mause, Kill, Dells! Now, respond to my call and reveal yourselves! You, the foot soldiers who hunger for blood and flesh!”

Summoning “them” on a scale of hundreds, Ceresia had a creepy smile on her face.

“Kill every last one of them!—”

An order filled with even more sinister killing intent than the start of the war was issued, but the target of that order was not the guards.

The order was given to the summoned creatures—goblins summoned by Ceresia.

But not just ordinary goblins. These were goblins equipped with drum magazines and wielding MPS AA-12, capable of firing with one hand and enabling full-auto shotgun shooting.

“Gyiii!!”

The goblins, armed with modern weapons and forming an unbreakable formation, let out a piercing roar as they pulled the trigger of the AA-12, a shotgun capable of low recoil even with one hand, which spewed a relentless and dense barrage of bullets that could be called a bullet “curtain.”

“Giggy, Giggyy!!”

And after emptying their magazines, the goblins discarded the AA-12s and launched an attack on the enemies, driven by their instinct to fight.

“Tch, thank you, Xenovia. Stay back, as monsters are coming.”

“I understand… I’ll do that… Kahh!!”

Just before the goblins launched their attack, Xenovia, who had stepped forward again to protect her comrades, fulfilling the role of a shield, was suddenly struck by blood and collapsed to the ground, coughing up blood.

“Xenovia!?”

Alexia, hurriedly lifting up the fallen Xenovia, swallowed her breath as she saw the holes pierced through Xenovia’s full plate armor, the flowing red blood, and the holy tool Guardian Buckler, riddled with holes and rolling on the ground.

“Ah, I forgot to mention earlier, but among the bullets used in the previous attack, there were a few specially made

When Alexia blocked Celicia’s strike, she somehow sensed the hidden power within Celicia. Alexia was determined to launch a simultaneous attack, but against her intentions, Tilda and Kisel rushed in without following orders.

As Tilda and Kisel approached, disregarding Alexia’s attempts to stop them, Celicia was still immersed in a sea of thoughts.

Although there was already an organization (the Nagato sect) in place to counteract them, they were struggling because they lacked powerful forces. So, timing-wise, it might have been just right.

Besides, even though they were scum, we must give them a chance to be saved at least once, or rather, we must let them receive Kazuya-sama’s salvation.

For those pitiful ones who didn’t know the true god and had no choice but to believe in counterfeit gods… well.

Well, they do have decent appearances, so let’s present them to Kazuya-sama and let him “enjoy” them… They should have some utility, at least as much as a toilet.

“Thinking while facing the enemy!!”

“Don’t let your guard down, Celiciaaa!!”

“…Huh!?”

Celicia, who had been entertaining quite despicable thoughts, noticed the presence of the two who had approached her. By the time she snapped out of it, it was already too late.

Kisel, who had jumped high in the air and entered an attacking motion, swung his fist with six gauntlets materialized through Octo Knuckle Guard, infused with magical power. The gauntlets, capable of floating in the air and moving freely according to Kisel’s will, landed first, blocking Celicia’s escape route and creating a fierce dust cloud that obscured her vision.

While the gloves that had already penetrated the ground and Kisel, who had lost sight of the target, were caught up in the billowing dust, Celicia managed to narrowly avoid the attack by jumping back.

“What!?”

“Tch! I missed!!”

Kisel’s attack caused the ground of the open field, which had exposed soil, to collapse and create a crater.

I need to regain my posture!

Taking advantage of the thick dust cloud created by the gloves and the missed punches of Kisel, Celicia, with a small distortion in her mouth, readjusted her posture and took refuge in the dust.

With that, Celicia, who had set up a certain mechanism and successfully concealed herself within the dust, fell into the trap set by Tilda and Kisel.

“It’s disappointing, but this is the end.”

Even though she was vigilantly watching all directions while hiding in the dust cloud, Celicia turned her eyes wide when she heard a voice from behind. What she saw when she turned around was two daggers poised to cut her throat.

Moreover, the figure of Tilda, ranked 5th in the hierarchy, who had donned the Invisible Coat, which could make her transparent like an optical camouflage and undetectable by any sense.

“S-So…!”

Celicia revealed her surprise and tried to escape, but it was already too late.

“Goodbye.”

Due to the effect of the Invisible Coat, Tilda, who had turned invisible, gripped the two shining daggers in her hand and tried to thrust them into Celicia’s throat at the same time— or so it seemed.

“What!?”

The daggers passed through the target’s neck without cutting it, causing only a momentary distortion in Celicia’s figure.

“Tch!!”

Startled by the unexpected turn of events, Tilda quickly regained her composure and swung the daggers again, attempting to slash Celicia’s throat.

However, just like before, her attack had no effect, and all she could do was

“…My my, you seem energetic despite having your limbs crushed. Well, that’s fine. I’ll answer your question.”

Despite suffering severe injuries with complex fractures in both her hands and legs, Sericia smiled wryly as she responded to Tilda’s questioning in a confident tone.

“The figure you were attacking earlier was a projection of myself created by a 3D projector that displayed holographic images. In other words, it was a fake. Look closely, and you’ll see a small box beneath the fake.”

“A… fake? That’s absurd! Although it didn’t have substance, I definitely sensed your presence there.”

“Yes, that’s true. Because I was behind the projected fake. Like this…”

Sericia took out her cloak and covered her head, causing her figure to disappear.

“Wha… impossible… absurd…”

Just like Tilda’s possession of the sacred artifact, the Invisible Coat.

“You have the expected expression on your face, don’t you?”

Observing Tilda’s wide-eyed stare and trembling body, Sericia chuckled softly and continued her explanation.

“This is called the ‘Quantum Stealth Optical Camouflage,’ one of the items Kazuya-sama gave me. By the way… hey, Tilda. How do you feel now? How does it feel to be defeated by the transparency that was once your exclusive patent? How does it feel to be defeated by me, who was granted power beyond the sacred artifacts given by your believed god? Hey, hey, hey, hey!!”

“Sh… shut up!!”

Sericia removed the cloak of the Quantum Stealth Optical Camouflage and taunted the defeated Tilda with pleasure, while Tilda glared at her with hatred in her eyes.

“Well, scary. …By the way, let me give you another piece of information. I’ll tell you the exact reason why I accurately shattered your transparent limbs.”

To crush Tilda’s confidence, pride, and faith, Sericia went for the finishing blow.

“The reason is this: AN/PSQ-20. This is originally a night vision device, but it has a convenient feature called a thermal imager. It can detect the heat emitted from objects. Thanks to this feature, I knew exactly where you were and what you were planning. Oh, and your beloved god-given Invisible Coat is detectable by thermal imaging, but this Quantum Stealth Optical Camouflage given to me by Kazuya-sama is not. In other words, what I mean to say is… your believed god is inferior to Kazuya-sama after all.”

“What!? No, that’s… no, it can’t be!!… Lowen-sama is the greatest in this world… others… impossible…”

Tilda, confused by the fact that the sacred tools given by the god she was taught to believe in were inferior to the enemy’s tools, fell into disarray.

“Zerbe, Now, Cremi, Fag, Sera… let’s continue in your dreams.”

“Ugh… aah… aah… aaahhh… no… the Lohen Faith… believe… the savior… the Seven Holy Maidens…”

And taking advantage of that confusion, Sericia cast a spell on Tilda, putting her to sleep and launching a relentless mental attack in her dreams, gradually destroying Tilda’s faith.

Although only 10 seconds had passed in reality, Tilda, who had been enduring continuous mental attacks in her dream for an eternity, eventually had her faith completely shattered.

“Such a fragile faith you had. It crumbled so easily with just a little poke… Well, I wouldn’t want you to become completely useless by breaking your spirit too much. Please stay quiet in here for a while.”

Having had her most significant pillar, her faith, denied and destroyed

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It became lengthy, so I divided it. Therefore, the full-fledged Cecilia Musou will start next time…

Below is a rough bonus.

(What I recently dreamed of)

The season was approaching for farewells and new journeys.

In a room of a certain high school building, female students were engaged in lively conversations.

“Ah, it’s already graduation… Somehow, these three years went by so fast.”

“Yeah, that’s true.”

“Hey, speaking of which, Kazuya-sensei is popular with the students, right?”

“Yeah, very much.”

“So, has he ever been confessed to by a student before?”

“Well… I wonder. Why not ask him directly?”

“Yeah, let’s do that. So, Kazuya-sensei, how about pretending you didn’t hear and answering that?”

Gulp

The male teacher, dressed in a suit, reacted with surprise to the girls’ question.

“W-What are you talking about?”

“The fact that you’re visibly flustered says it all.”

“Yeah. So, Kazuya-sensei!! What’s your answer?”

Realizing that the gazes of all the students in the class were focused on him, Kazuya sighed and scratched his head before speaking.

“I appreciate your feelings, but I can’t give you an answer to that. However, if your feelings don’t change even after you become an adult, then… I said that.”

“Boooooring!!!”

“What are you expecting from us!! The conversation is over!! Let’s hurry up and move to the gymnasium!!”

“Yes, sir!”

In order to divert the students’ embarrassment, Kazuya hurried them to the gymnasium, finally catching his breath there.

Shiver

“Who is it… Ah, it’s Iris and Karen.”

As Kazuya turned around sharply, he was met with an inexplicable and clingy gaze from the two female students who had been very close to him for some time.

“…At most, look forward to what happens next.”

“We waited for three years… And now another two…”

The two muttered quietly and passed by Kazuya, heading towards the gymnasium.

What on earth is going on?

As Kazuya left the classroom, he twisted his head, observing the different attitudes of the two girls.

So, this is how it is…

Under the piercing gazes of teachers, students, and parents, Kazuya found himself in a predicament.

“Kazuya, I love you. Please go out with me.”

“Kazuya-sensei, I love you so much. Please be with me!”

Right after the graduation ceremony ended, Karen and Iris caught Kazuya and confessed their love to him.

Just when Kazuya was wondering how to handle the situation…

A gust of wind blew.

And the wall of onlookers surrounding Kazuya and the others broke apart.

…Oh, by the way, you’re already an adult.

As the wall of onlookers was torn apart, a person appeared, and Kazuya’s cheek twitched.

“Kazuya-sensei, no, my lord. I have come to pick you up as promised.”

It was Kazuya’s former student, Kazama Chitose, who had become even more beautiful than when they parted.

…To think I would have such dreams. The author must be in the terminal phase already (laughs).