"Wha…"

  The king's noble aides who were outside with him were shocked at the sudden situation.

  It wouldn't be strange at all if people who aren't even nobles approach the king with weapons in hands are executed.

  The aides know that these two are Mathias's party members, but even if Mathias is powerful, they're just a party of adventurers at the end of the day.

  The aides were going to send these insolent fellows to prison right away.

  However, the real weirdness happened a moment later.

  Because the king himself called out to those insolent fellows.

  And thus, the aides cannot give the orders to imprison these insolent fellows.

  Since the one who holds the highest authority here is the king.

  "Mathi-kun is fighting a demon outside the barrier. We've come here to get a weapon that will help him win that fight. The outcome of the fight might change if we're even 10 seconds late… So please give us permission to enter the treasury as soon as possible."

  The king was perplexed after he heard her.

  There were cases where weapons inside the treasury got brought out in time of crisis indeed.

  However, such event requires the necessary procedures.

  There's never a precedence where someone goes to the royal palace and directly asks, 『Lend us weapons』.

  When the king was pondering——a huge flame in a scale never seen before appeared to the south of the capital, painting the sky red.

  It was a flame too gigantic even compared to large-scale magic that can be used in this era, and the large-scale flame magic Mathias used.

  After a slight pause, roaring explosion-like sounds could be heard.

  "Very well. Take everything you need."

  The king looked at the sky for an instant and said that.

  "Your majesty, doing that without going through the procedure…"

  "Don't you see this critical situation! A dragon showed up in the sky and then a huge flame unlike anything before flared up! Anyone who fusses over procedures in this situation is unfit to be king!"

  "However——"

  "Just go and open the treasury! I give them permissions to take everything they need! This is an order!"

  "B… By your will!"

  The people around prostrated themselves before the king who put on a stern tone.

  There is no one alive in this royal capital who dares to go against the king when he's made up his mind.

  "Over here to the treasury!"

  The king's authority is immense.

  The guards who were ready to capture Ruli and Alma earlier are guiding them to the treasury now.

  The treasury's door is quickly opened.

  "This is it!"

  There's no way Ruli could overlook a magic sword with mana that obvious.

  The moment she got inside the treasury, she ran to the back and grabbed one sword.

  Then she ran outside with it.

  "Is that all you really need?"

  "Yes!"

  "Thank you very much!"

  Afterward, Ruli and Alma went up the stairs leading above with the sword in hands.

  Now they only need to get close to the barrier's edge at the southern end of the capital and throw the sword at Mathias from inside the barrier.

  With Alma's Wired Homing Enchant, it should reach him just fine even if he's a bit afar.

  However.

  "It came after all."

  "Well, guess it would…"

  Ruli and Alma get on guard even while running toward where Mathias is.

  A demon's mana reaction is stealthily getting close to the two.

  Ruli activates comm magic while confirming the reaction.

  『Let's not fight it head-on here and keep going to Mathi-kun while hindering the demon. Even if we don't fight, it's our victory as long as we deliver the sword.』


  『Gotcha!』


  Alma shot out an arrow at the incoming demon.

  It's an anti-demon mana jamming arrow enchanted with 『Wired Homing Enchant』.

  It's capable of hindering the demon. There's no way she could have missed against an opponent of this level.

  A moment before the arrow hit the demon, it fired a spell.

  "Eat this!"

  The spell the demon used was just an ordinary explosion magic.

  It's easy to evade it——or rather, the explosion was aimed right above the two, so it won't hit them if they just don't move.

  However, the path to the south was blocked by explosions when they attempted to proceed there.

  Ruli and Alma hesitated whether they could break through it with defensive magic for a second, and stopped moving.

  Alma fired another arrow.

  Right before that arrow hit, the demon shot out explosion magic again.

  Its trajectory goes over Ruli and Alma again.

  『This… might be bad.』


  『…It feels like it knows our objective and here just to buy time.』


  The distance to the southern end of the capital is about 500 meters.

  They should be able to find an opening and throw the sword at Mathias if they just get there.

  However, that 500 meter distance is far away.

  Even while getting attacked by jamming magic, the demon continued to fire magic that seemed to obstruct their ways.

  Judging from the fact that it doesn't try to do anything when Ruli and Alma try to go to any other direction, it's clear that the demon's aim is to prevent the two from going south.

  『This is troublesome…』


  This demon is not that strong even among demons, otherwise it couldn't have slipped pass the barrier.

  With Ruli and Alma's current strength, it should be possible for them to beat this demon given enough time.

  However, the problem here is time.

  Even if they won against this demon, it would be meaningless if they couldn't deliver the sword to Mathias and Zaridias's fight in time.

  It's not possible for Mathias to come here and take the sword himself either. Showing your back to your enemy in a high-level battle is simply suicidal.

  In that situation, Ruli suddenly noticed that there are other mana reactions beside them three coming closer.

  …Moreover, it's not just one or two. The number is close to 50.

  『It's like there's people coming here?』


  『They're demon's allies… or not, doesn't seem like it. Rather, some of these mana reactions seem familiar.』


  Ruli and Alma check on the mana reactions while continuing the offense and defense against the demon.

  They're coming here while forming a familiar-looking formation with their mana reactions.

  Or rather.

  『Isn't this the anti-demon formation of the second academy!』


  Students of the Second Academy are taught ways to form an anti-demon formations that's effective in offense and defense against demons.

  The shape of mana reaction they see right now is exactly like that formation.

  Right as Alma shouted that, the anti-demon formation that had come close to the demon shot out a barrage of arrows at it.

  Their faces could be seen now that they're close by——no mistake about it, they're students of the Second Academy.

  "Guh…"

  The demon who failed to evade the barrage of arrows lost its flight control while groaning.

  The arrows unleashed by the Second Academy students were the same type of arrows Ruli and Alma used, the mana jammer arrows.

  Its performance and power is lower than that of Ruli and Alma, but the students have strength in numbers.

  The barrage of arrows systematically shot by them jammed the demon's mana, hindering its movements.

  "…Annoying fly! Disappear you!"

  Even while getting hindered, the demon shot an explosion magic at the students.

  However, the students with bows at the ready aren't moving an inch. Instead, students with Disqualified Crest step forward.

  "Deploy the defensive formation!"

  A man who seemed to be their leader gave an instruction, at the same time, the Disqualified Crest students deployed defensive magic.

  Behind them, the archer students shot out mana jammer arrows.

  "We've heard about the situation! Please leave this place to us!"

  The leader man shouted to Ruli and Alma.

  The two hesitated for an instant——but they immediately turned their back at the demon and ran to the south.

  What they need to do now is to deliver the magic sword to Mathias ASAP.

  The result of Mathias's fight will greatly affects the fate of all residents of the capital——maybe even the entire world population.

  Ruli and Alma hurry through the road to the capital's southern edge while praying for the students' safety.