Kapitel 34: Save 21 - Redemption: Part One
In the wide blue sky was a combat air unit.
In this world something like airplanes was unthinkable because the development of the game considered them absurd. So the very idea of believing that something like a flying object other than a ship was out of the question.
Unfortunately, they were wrong.
The men called thaumaturgists, what in Rudel's previous life would have been considered scientists. They found some ancient documents of an ancient civilization.
Anything mysterious left behind by an ancient mankind was labeled as a Lost Item.
Because of the difference in similar technology, they chose to retrofit them with what they had. Therefore, these were airplanes that used magic power to fly and shoot.
A man was yawning due to the boredom he felt. He was one of the members of the strongest and most dangerous mercenary group in the world, the Black Ouroboros.
"Wahh~ how sleepy I am... those damn Talis said they would use these strange flying things to get research results. But we haven't done anything but fly around this place."
"The first squadron's turn will soon come as every fifteen minutes we change groups."
"Lowe, don't talk shit again while I'm in command. The captain will cut my scrotum off if he sees anyone slacking off like your little- hey motherfucker, what did I tell you about showing laziness on the mission!!!"
The squad was ten men per plane. Each squadron was organized into five groups. They were a total of fifty members of an elite commando that even the Altfode Kingdom itself is afraid of them.
They were trained soldiers who fought in World War II and won thanks to their captain and their own power.
They were one hundred and eight members capable of defeating a country on their own, but they were still human, so they went into hiding thanks to the help of a traitor in a country called Talis Commonwealth.
"Hahaha again Sergeant Gardos is yelling at Lowe for incompetent."
"Well, it's not like I don't get it. I was hoping to get some action, you know?"
"What are you talking about, we've already had action practicing with these things in the small towns, or do you want to kill more poor peasants?"
"Idiot, that's not it, I'm talking about fornicating you know! I haven't had action in a long time!!!"
"What are you talking about Alcatraz, if when we were in Talis you were going to the brothels to get a lot of action with the whores there?"
"Imbecile I'm not talking about that guy! I mean it's been a long time since we tried noble girls! Do you know how many months I haven't ripped a bitch looking down on you from above? I heard that in this country noble bitches keep their hymens intact for the husband!!! A virgin is something that even on the black market you can't get!!!"
"You really are a greedy guy you know? Learn from me, I prefer to rape the young daughters of peasants while their fathers watch the sweet face of their hi-"
Suddenly, the usual, normal chatter between these "men" stopped.
"What's the matter?" -said his companion through an intercom that was on all the planes in order to communicate thanks to the magical element known as aether.
"No... you see, I think I thought I saw something flying?"
The man looked out of the dome of his plane to the right side.
"Suman, are you maybe hallucinating already? The lack of air at altitude makes your tiny brain imagine things you know."
"No, I- there it is again!!! Seriously!!!! Just now I just saw something flying... it was... it was something very big for a bird and, it wasn't a magical beast since they are attacking down there."
"Maybe it was some floating islet? It's normal to find their fragments floating around since they are very unstable."
"Y-you must be right, my head must be playing a joke on me."
An object flew quickly past near Suman's plane.
"Alc!!! I'm serious, I swear!!! Just now something just flew by me."
*sigh*
"I told you it must have been some islet-"
Before Alcatraz could finish his conversation the back of Suman's plane exploded.
"Aaaahhhh, heeeeeeeeelp!!!!" -shouted Suman as he plummeted into the sea generating smoke from the tail of his plane.
"Sumaaaaaaaaan!!!!" -shouted Alcatraz as he saw his partner mysteriously fall.
Alcatraz thought -(any engine malfunction? No! If it had been then the plasma tree in the front would have burst into flames and not the rear! Which was what-) before his thoughts were interrupted by his own screams.
"Wahh!!! damn iiiiiiit!!!"
Was what Sergeant Gardos heard before turning his head and finding two of his subordinates fall into the sea crashing.
"What the hell was that all about!!! Did anyone see anything?"
The men immediately replied over the communicator "I didn't notice something like that as I never saw it!". As the sergeant was about to ask his partner next to him.
"Lowe!!!?"
He couldn't find it. He looked from left to right to make sure he was seeing wrong when a subordinate called out to him.....
"Sergeant, Lowe was shot down!!!"
...What were they under attack.
"I beg your pardon?" -the sergeant exclaimed in confusion.
"We're at an impossible height for any sniper or ship to reach!!!!! It's unimaginable that something like this could-"
Before he finished speaking another subordinate fell.
Within seconds another one fell again.
"What the hell is going on, who's attacking us?!? Hey, can you see something-?"
When he turned to look at the others. They were gone. He turned his head to look at the bottom and there were exactly nine planes crashed into the sea.
"This is a fucking joke isn't it? Something like a sniper or a ship that can get to these heights is im-"
Gardos suddenly stopped talking. For, in front of him, in that slowly crossing cloud, a silhouette could be seen that only in dreams could exist.
"Don't fuck with me... something like this... you... who the hell are you!!!"
As the silhouette became more visible, a human being was reflected in it. After the cloud disappeared. The mysterious person flying moved his lips as if he had heard what Gardos said and Gardos replied....
"I am your worst nightmare."
Before he raised his shotgun and blew the wings off the plane making it fall as he heard a scream of agony.
◇
He had just kicked the ass of ten out of fifty dangerous guys.
If I could rate the level of danger it would definitely be a ten out of a hundred.
It looks minuscule, but considering that soon more of these guys will be coming to want to fill my ass with lead and then fight a fleet the level will go up to maybe over a hundred and reach a thousand or more.
I'm about to pee my pants just imagining all the shit that's going to happen to me soon.
Take a deep breath.
Exhale.
Why should I risk my fragile, second chance at life?
For a girl?
One who isn't even my fiancée not to give it a second thought.
She was once called my friend.
Now she's not, but I can't let anything happen to her.
For, if they touch her, even a single one of her golden hairs.
Her bastard father would hang me with his hands.
"Wow, the next squad is coming. Does that mean the bastards somehow managed to communicate when they fell?"
*sigh*
"I guess after a busy, tiresome day like this, I deserve to get a nice break with my favorite voluptuous girlie magazine."
That's where I, Rudel van Bradford, got into a fight where no one was calling me just to rescue a former friend.
"All right you wretches!!!! Come on everybody line up, why I'm going to put a big lead bullet in the ass of your airplanes!!!"
I launched myself flying towards the group of planes coming straight at me.
◇◇◇
On the commonwealth flagship was Askewell having a cup of coffee.
He was very relaxed. So much so that he almost fell out of his chair while wearing an idiot's grin.
"Today is a good day for me, therefore, also for our glorious motherland."
The crew was looking at him with a look of disgust that no subordinate should ever make in his life.
Askewell was still putting on airs and graces.
"I was the one who got the call from that guy from the kingdom. I was the one who petitioned His Majesty and the prime minister for permission to bring in those barbarians and the experimental technology of our thaumaturges. No doubt I will be promoted to a margrave or marquis. Or, who knows? Maybe I'll become the next Minister of State, fuefuefue."
Askewell was laughing out loud with his strange laugh when suddenly his peace was interrupted by a transmission.
"Hey, what's up?"
There was static, the underlings in charge of the transmission equipment were trying to fix the signal when a scream rang out.
"Mayday!!! Mayday!!!! Someone on the flagship, whoever it is...answer me you fucking idiots!!!"
The tone of the voice who was calling for help was very rude. Askewell rose angrily from his chair as someone mysterious interrupted his tranquility.
He went straight to grab the communicator to lecture the one who had disturbed his well-deserved rest.
As he grabbed the communicator he shouted at the other end - "What's the matter you fool-?", he was interrupted by an altered voice.
"Hey, you weird mustache bastard! You said there were only noble students on that ship!"
Askewell quizzical and annoyed by that disrespect replied "Clearly so why?" and the answer he got was something never unexpected.
"Then what the hell is it that you are not defeating!" -shouted the mysterious voice as sounds of gunfire could be heard in the distance along with cons voices heard from their allies.
"Damn it, they shot down Krhistoph!!!"
"Michael, tell those bastards we need help! The second squadron and the fifth squadron have already been defeated and we're running out of ammo!"
"Heinze, noooooo!!!!"
Both Askewell and the subordinates were speechless after hearing that. Just as Askewell was about to say something, a subordinate informs him.
"C-c-commodore look up!!!"
Askewell heeded his subordinate and looked up at the sky, then....
"Th-that's it!!!"
...His eyes couldn't believe what was happening.
A plane was plummeting from the sky with its tail in flame and smoke as it spun.
It crashed into the sea.
Askewell made an idiotic face with a booger hanging from his nose.
"What the heck is going on up there?!"
An intense and fierce battle raged in the skies and no one could figure out who their enemy was.
◇
Really... I'm about to shit my pants.
"¡¡¡¡Die you fucking son of a biiiiiiiiiiiitch!!!!"
Since these bastards I'm a persistent stalker.
"How the hell can he dodge our bullets!"
"I just hit him and the bastard didn't fall!"
I was in the worst place unimaginable.
For many it may be a dream, for me it is not.
To better understand how I feel, it's like being in a virtual reality game.
Everything looks so real. It is.
It is so, so real, that I only have one life.
If I were hit by even one of those bullets, at the speed and power they are going, they would kill me for sure.
Thanks to Ixion who developed this small force field similar to Brunhilde.
The bullets hit me, not once, not just once. Hundreds and every moment I am hit by them.
Through the force field I can see the intensity and power of a hail of bullets.
The force field is invisible, but it works because it collects aether from the air.
According to Ixion he says this is artificial magic.
Since in this world only the four types of magic seem to exist, so something like this is a unique rarity.
But that doesn't matter to me, what matters to me is....
"Take this you fucking flying bastard!!!"
...That I can withstand all those impacts.
A guy was coming straight at me while firing seemingly endless bullets.
I don't understand how they work, but there's a large amount of it shooting out of a pair of nozzles located at the lower ends of the plane. They even have magic circles in the shape of bullets to make it even more fanciful and absurd.
The bullets hit the shield hard, bouncing off it as if it were made of rubber.
Please resist until the end.
Closer and closer he came as he screamed like a madman shooting at me.
"I got you motherfucker!!!"
The bastard was right behind me and just when he thought he was going to cut me down with the plane's propellers... I disappeared.
"Did I kill him?"
The guy was crowing victory.
"Yes!!! I killed him!!! I'm the best!!!"
His victorious shout gave me a little pity since he was alive.
"You killed him?"
Another voice could be heard. It must be a companion.
"Damn you, Ladair, you killed him!!!! I'm sure tonight the captain will reward you with picking the best bitches in this-"
Suddenly he was silent, why did he do it?
"..."
His silence disturbs me a bit...no shit!!!!!
"Ladairrrrrrrr!!!"
Oh shit.
"The son of a bitch is still alive!!!"
I was found out.
"He's in the back of your winged boat!!!"
(Winged boat?? Are you serious? They couldn't think of a more modest name like-)
"Excuse me?"
The guy made a left turn and his bastard companion stared at me, I could see him too since I was hugging the underside of the plane.
It gave me a look since he was in a lower position and so he must have noticed me.
I was exactly the same as the squashed bugs on the windshields.
"Askin, hit it with your wing so it falls off!"
I heard that.
I can hear everything they say thanks to the fact that these eye shields not only keep the wind from entering my vision nor the airspeed.
They can also track communications and allow me to hear what they are saying.
No doubt it is terrifying as well as wonderful.
"Dieeeeeeee!!!" -shouted the weirdly named guy as he aimed his wing to hit me and fly off.
Even if I hadn't heard him the result would have come out the same.
Since me, I'm a cheater.
The instant he got close I let go and turned the jet boots back on.
The guy missed the shot and walked away to avoid a collision.
Sorry, but I like to see and hear evil people suffering in agony and helplessness at not being able to kill me.
"I'm going to kill that guy now if-"
Before giving him a chance to turn around I shot him from behind.
Not just him, but all of these guys.
The front seems to use a plasma tree as an engine, if I destroy it they will probably die on the spot.
I don't want to kill anyone, but I don't want to die either.
So I'll do to them what I did to the pirates.....
"Maelllllll, nooooooooo!!!"
...Beat them and leave them half dead. They will be able to live, but with shame and disability.
"And that makes thirty."
I've already got thirty guys down. I'm twenty short.
All but the first squad was attacking me.
I've already defeated two through four.
I'm tired.
I want a break, but they won't give it to me.
"Fucking flying rat!!!"
When I turned around the guy who saw me was screaming as he chased me.
As I was about to turn around to attack him the demos squad members were coming at me in a pack.
I kept a shotgun on my back. I had about eight of them, but they were damaged in the battle as I reloaded them thanks to the drones that were coming fast. Or, they would break, making me change weapons.
They were already close. So I decided to swoop down so they wouldn't hit me.
Just like the birds I extended my arms and as if I were a bird, I flew towards the bottom to make a curve and suffer again.
I repeated that maneuver every time I seemed to be cornered.
I am very fast planes, but thanks to the high density of the clouds they can't see where they are going.
Which is a golden opportunity for me. Let's go back to return the fight.
◇◇◇
"Impossible!!!"
Askewell watched the scene and couldn't believe his eyes.
"This must be just a mistake of my eyes!!!"
Both he and the subordinates who were in the cockpit did not believe their eyes either.
"What I see is nothing but a mirage!!!"
But that was reality and not a mirage.
What Askewell and the others on the flagship saw was....
"There is no way that the technology of an ancient civilization is losing to a measly human being!!!"
...Rudel shooting down planes.
One after another they watched as planes dropped like electrocuted flies smoking.
"It is impossible for the marvelous, well-armed air combat unit representing the war power of an ancient civilization...!"
Askewell had a look of panic in his crocodile eyes.
"This one losing to a flesh-and-blood human being!"
Another plane had gone down. It belonged to a guy named Askin who shouted just now.
"And worse... they're screwing with me that the guy responsible is just a simple teenager and a poor country baron!"
The subordinates had gathered information from the attacker, according to the mercenaries who were not yet down.
"I'm not going to believe that absurd nonsense!"
Then one of the subordinates who accompanied Askewell to the cruiser reported that the description matched the boy he had ordered to hit until recently.
"This is a mistake a fallacy, a... a... a... absolute craaaaaaaaap!"
Then another subordinate said that description also squared with a rumor about a country baron who had spent the last two months hunting pirates.
Suddenly, Askewell shook his head in denial and repeated at the top of his lungs.
"This is a joke, my imagination is playing a joke on me...after everything I said to the King and..."
He swallowed a large amount of saliva that could be heard clearly.
"The Prime Minister said he would personally come to make sure the job of assassinating that Lady Alicelotte has been accomplished..."
Sweat was beginning to break out on his face making his coconut hairstyle turn into an old and finished broom. Even his brush mustache seemed to shrink in fear.
"My head or worse...my title will be revoked or demoted because of that insect!!!"
"Quick!!!! Somebody go wake that bastard Bandell up this instant!!!"
"Only that wretched bastard can save us!!!!! And more to the point, save my precious mustache!!!!!"
To the subordinates, Askewell had lost his mind.
◇
There's no end to this.
The fuckers are more aggressive than before.
Instead of wanting to shoot me they seem more like they want to crash and kill me in their crazy suicidal attempt.
"Dieeeeee!!!"
"Eat thiiiis!!!"
I was dodging their attacks barely.
One after another they would launch, not even letting me breathe.
The first squad had arrived and they were shooting at me from the heights. Not with the normal machine guns, but with light machine guns that came embedded in those planes that were bigger than the ones I was fighting.
In each machine gun were two guys shooting at me from a much higher altitude. I was barely dodging the bullets.
This is getting more dangerous.
Ixion said Brunhilde would be here in an hour, but I feel like more time has passed and nothing.
A normal plane was coming from above towards me.
The guy was shouting.
"For the fallen I will kill youuuuuuuuuu!!!"
(These guys are persistent.)
I flew off into a cloud to hide.
The new one was filled with bullets and if it wasn't for the shield I would have died.
I inadvertently almost crashed into a plane. Technically I did, but thanks to the suit and that I used reinforcement magic the hit wasn't that bad.
The guy had a scarier and uglier face than mine.
But I think I beat him right now as I'm making a weird face while my face is stuck to the dome of the plane.
I wave goodbye to him with my hand before turning and flying off into another cloud.
"You will not escape!!!" -he said as he chased after me behind the wretch.
The other planes seem to be lost as they don't know where I am, just as well.
The guy was still shooting towards the cloud when... wham!
I made that sound as I jumped him out of a nearby cloud to shoot him.
"I've got you right in my sights, now..."
I was about to pull the trigger when I got an unexpected message from Ixion.
"Master, it's an emergency!!! Irisdina has fallen off the ship!!!"
"... Huh?"
◇◇◇
This happened long before Ixion's news.
Airi was watching from a far distance as Rudel yelled at the students and other members of the cruiser.
He finally said something that upset them so much that they had to go back inside to get weapons to fight.
She didn't go inside since she wasn't a fighter.
She just stood there watching Rudel and a small group talk before she saw Rudel running into a large hole at the end of the ship.
She screamed as she watched him dive into the void. Seconds later she saw him fly off into a large crowd of flying magical beasts approaching.
"I-incredible..." -was what Airi said as she watched Rudel fight arduously against a countless amount of monsters.
She lowered her head due to a strange feeling.
"I knew it... a commoner doesn't deserve to be next to someone who reached out her hand and then stabbed him."
A tear trickled down her cheek.
"I'm sure everything will be better for him from here on out. I have to worry about my life too."
With those harsh words to herself, Airi was accepting that her bond with Rudel was over forever.
When she looked up to accept her fate of living away from her first friend, she saw him descending to reload ammunition as more monsters approached.
The students, servants and sailors were also ready to fight so the battle began after Rudel left.
Airi was not a fighter, she had a much more important role in the game.
And that was...
"Everyone is going to fight to survive, I must do something too so I'm not the only one to do nothing!!!"
...Being support.
Airi was helping some of the guys by passing them ammo since she didn't know how to use guns.
She was tired.
It had been several minutes or maybe an hour since the battle started.
Her hair was upset, sweat was showing on her forehead and her breathing was heavy.
Everyone was fighting for their lives.
"Gyahh!!!" -shouted a sailor as a magical beast with the jaw of a crocodile and the body of a duck had bitten him on the leg.
He managed to eliminate the creature, but quite a lot of blood was coming out. It was so much that it could fill a medium-sized bucket.
Airi saw that, he was not the only one who was injured, there were many other injured students, servants and sailors, but this was the first one who was seriously injured.
A girl used an elixir to heal him, but the result was null.
The blood kept coming out, another tried to heal him with water magic and it didn't work either.
The sailor was fainting, no one could save him until....
"Leave it to me!!!"
...Airi decided to act.
She was afraid of being insulted again for being a commoner who possessed magical power.
The pain of those voices that spoke ill of her were still in her head.
She hoped she would never use it again until someone came along who spoke wonderful words to her that made her see what she called a curse was actually a blessing.
Only now that person was no longer there to support her.
That person was Liam according to the game, only someone else snatched that development by altering it.
The only difference from the game to reality was that....
"This is going to be weird and fast, please hang in there!"
...She was doing this of her own free will and not what the plot indicated.
The event of revealing her powers was one far away, but right now she was using them to heal a random man.
A warm white light emanated from her hands to her leg.
Seconds later the man not only recovered from pain, he also recovered from fatigue and accumulated physical damage.
"Huh, I'm healed! Is it a miracle?"
Deep down Airi felt a little scared even thinking that they would yell horrible things at him.
But that didn't happen. The man thanked her and the girls stared at him wanting to ask what that was.
Immediately Airi...
"Okay. Next!"
...She ran straight out to the battlefield to heal the other wounded scattered all over the deck.
One after another, despite there being danger at every corner, she ran to heal all the wounded.
A shrew-like monster with insect wings came close to her face and scratched her very deep.
"Kyah!!!"
From her smooth, white skin there was now a large cut where a lot of blood came out, but she....
"A little physical pain is nothing compared to what I go through in my childhood!"
...She hit the monster with her bare hands and ran to the next injured person while healing her own cheek.
"Rudel-san is fighting hard to survive up there!!!"
Airi jumped to the side hitting her back hard on the way because a large-jawed monster was about to devour her.
*gasp, gasp*
"He'll rescue Alisa and we'll all go home!"
Slowly Airi was getting to her feet as she used her own magic on herself.
"Even if I'll never be by his side again, I'll still pray for him to have a happy life."
With her legs still wobbly she stood up.
"Since that's what friends do-"
But that was the last thing she said before watching the same monster approach her as it disappeared into ashes from a shotgun blast.
Airi was pushed very hard into a crevice, at a high altitude she was falling towards her imminent death.
❤❤❤
(Huh? Why am I watching the sky recede?)
For some reason I was watching the sky with my arms and legs stretched out like a toy.
(What happened?)
I was asking myself that question while my memories were still confused.
I turned my eyes to both sides to understand what was going on.
(I see.)
I was falling. A strange magical beast hit me and I fell off the side.
What an idiot I am.
I was really happy to be useful to someone for the first time.
The length of the ship is twenty stories.
I was on the fourth floor.
Every second the speed of falling and the mass of my body increased making me go faster.
That was what I understand thanks to the books.
I am going to die.
I smiled as my eyes filled with tears. I'm at the height of the seventh floor, no, now it's the eighth.
The sky was getting further and further away from my hands.
I have maybe a minute or two to live before my body is crushed by the force of speed against the surface of the sea.
What should I have as my last thoughts?
There are many things I would have liked to do, people to meet, sweets to taste.
True enough.
I had bought homemade sweets from the island.
I never got to taste them, what bad luck.
I really am a horrible woman who deserves this.
I've made it to the twelfth floor.
I don't have much time left.
Should I say my life was good or unlucky?
I honestly don't know what to say about that.
My childhood was horrible. I want to forget it forever.
For that reason I was happy to go to the academy in the capital.
Everything is so new and mysterious.
But what really touched me the most and then hurt the most.
It was parting from my first friends.
Maybe this is my punishment?
After all, I lied to them more than once.
I never told them at the beginning that I had magic power, sorry.
Sometimes I didn't like that Alisa wanted to go to places where I didn't feel comfortable.
If I had told her... things would never have turned out like this?
I'm so sorry, Alisa. Deep down I envied you a little... no, a lot actually.
I'm a commoner, my destiny is to be on a farm farming until the day I die.
You, on the other hand, are a fabulous, glamorous girl, born into the second best cradle in the country after the royal family.
Which commoner girl wouldn't envy that?
You have a slender body, a beautiful face, your manners make me feel very ashamed of myself.
Did I ask myself more than once if someone like me deserved to be by your side?
I'm sorry for being a lousy friend. I really valued our friendship.
But because I was so stupid I yelled at you and now I'm getting my punishment for it.
And worse, I hurt the first person who reached out to me.
I had already reached the seventeenth floor.
I'm going to die very soon.
Without a doubt the best thing before Alisa was meeting Rudel-san.
At first I was a little scared since he was a man and a nobleman.
Once or once in the beginning when he invited me to his meetings I thought he would ask me to undress.
Rudel-san's face was when I met her, very scary.
It looked like she was an animal watching me.
But as time went by I realized that it was just my own nonsense.
He is the most gentle and friendly person I could have ever met.
There wasn't a single time when he didn't speak to me gently or give me help.
Sometimes I felt bad about that and more so when he told me that if I needed money, to bake him some simple cookies worth no more than three or five silver coins and sell them to him for ten gold coins.
I am very sorry Rudel-san.
He had finally passed the top floor and saw the lower part of the cruise ship.
I am really sorry, Rudel-san.
I lied to you several times and put you in a terrible situation just to save my skin.
Is this my punishment for wishing I had friends?
That those friends were people of a higher status than me?
Commoners and nobles can't be friends?
And even more painful... a woman can't want to spend time with a man who is only her friend?
Is it really so horrible that I wanted to spend time with a man who is not my boyfriend?
It doesn't matter anymore.
I can smell the salt of the sea.
It's only five meters until my body shatters.
I really wanted to be with them.
Four meters.
I wanted to experience more joyful things, to eat tasty snacks.
Three meters.
To laugh, cry, fight over silly things and finally be able to tell them that I enjoyed our friendship. But that doesn't matter anymore since I'll die right now.
Two meters.
I'm so sorry Alisa, I hope you and Rudel-san can get back together after I'm gone.
It was only centimeters to touch the surface.
And most of all to you, Rudel-san, be happy.
It is wished to you by a horrible woman who lied to you in not knowing your name just to find an excuse to relate to you.
It is now where my life ends ....
...Or, so I thought as suddenly I could feel something grab me firmly.
When I opened my eyes I saw a figure that I couldn't believe was here.
"Rudel-san!?"
◇
Really what the fuck am I doing?
I just rescued Irisdina who had apparently fallen off the cruiser.
"You idiot what the hell were you doing to end up like that!!!?"
I was yelling at her since when Ixion notified me I was fighting these bastards. I had to throw my shotguns to gain more speed and throw all the grenades in my pocket to create smokescreens so they would think I was going the other way.
I couldn't catch it because it was falling faster than I was flying, so I opted to catch it when I was almost at the bottom because I was diving in that direction.
I was finally able to do so because my own falling speed helped me.
The way I grabbed her was just to extend both my arms so that she would fall into my hands and use reinforcement magic to withstand the impact.
My right hand was grabbing her big soft ass while my other hand was touching her big breast, but the bra prevented me from being able to feel the sensation of the flesh, the gloves I was wearing didn't help either so maybe I should imagine the sensation of the softness.
So that she wouldn't feel uncomfortable, after flying to a higher altitude I settled my hands on her leg touching her knee and my other hand gripped her shoulder tightly so she wouldn't fall.
I was going to swear at her more for this idiotic act.
But I stopped myself as I could see and feel her trembling, even clinging with both hands to my neck.
Considering she fell from very high and almost died.
I shouldn't open my mouth right now, I'm annoyed with her, but it would be heavy of me to do so... besides, it feels good to have a pretty girl so close and be able to smell... her sweat?
Sorry, I don't have that kind of fetish, but... even her sweat smells good so there's nothing wrong with me enjoying breathing it.
I was just about to take her to the deck so she's no longer in danger when....
"Here it is!!! I found it, Digurv!!!"
...They found me those bastards.
"Well done, Greyroad!!! You and Fraudrin go around the sides and I'll attack him from behind!"
I listened to what they were saying and this...is...fucking bad!!!!!
I firmly grabbed Irisdina. As I climbed towards the sky to do a pirouette.
The bastard behind me was doing it too.
Apparently this one is a stalker as he doesn't want to leave me alone.
I got way up high and when it looked like I was going to hide in a cloud the bastard was behind me shooting. The force shield was doing its job very well. Before I entered the cloud I made a U-turn to make the bastard go all the way to the bottom.
He was coming down at high speed as two other planes were coming towards me.
I tried to dodge him by doing impossible pirouettes while making sure to keep Irisdina from being damaged or falling.
I was making circles like a spiral while avoiding the bullets hitting us.
I'll have to get farther away from this place to lose them.
"Ixion, Brunhilde isn't here yet!!!?"
I shouted asking Ixion to check if my lifesaver had arrived yet....
"It's coming soon. Just hang on a few more minutes."
...But it looks like I still have to survive as long as I can.
◇◇◇
Rudel hadn't noticed that since a while ago the force shield had been destroyed by an overload.
Rudel and Airi were vulnerable to gunfire.
But just after losing one of them in the sky, Airi's brooch began to glow little by little, it was a small light, but its intensity was growing little by little.
Then, when a plane pointed at Rudel's back, a magic circle was formed. No, it was just a crest in the shape of a shield that covered the entire back from the feet to the head.
In the center was a heart with four wings at the top and bottom ends, from the top of the heart was drawn a crown with a strange cross on it.
The bullets fell directly into the circle. Then they did not bounce as with the shield, they were disintegrated the moment they touched the shield.
The man was constantly wasting ammunition, but the bullets were disintegrated effortlessly. For that reason Rudel did nothing but move in zigzag thinking that the enemy's ammunition was running out.
What Rudel did not know was that Airi's power, the power of the light of the Saint was awakening little by little.
In the game this happened only in the end when Liam accepted Airi as his wife, the happiness made a great amount of magic power that formed shields.
At this moment something that was not supposed to happen yet, was happening without the person who was responsible for it being present. Without a doubt, Rudel is altering the plot by sticking his hand in.
◇
The thing is very bad.
From three planes it became ten.
I was speeding away from the site and the buggers were right behind me.
Fortunately I found some floating islets.
According to Ixion, he says this is the result of poor aether distribution on the islands.
I flew straight towards them so I could avoid being shot at while hiding until they were gone.
After entering the place, it was very scary.
Large, medium and small fragments of one or several islands were floating around letting me see the rock or dirt scattered around the area.
The bastards couldn't get in as their planes would be destroyed so I hid behind the medium sized island fragment that was among the large floating rocks.
As I expected, they were regrouping and some were leaving while others were figuring out what to do.
They hovered around the place that was longer than a cultivation sector.
After watching them momentarily leave, I decided to take a break.
I am tired.
With one eye I watched Irisdina trembling still clinging to my neck.
Instead of reprimanding her I think this is the time when one should say something nice to reassure the panicking person.
"Umm... it's all over now, for now, you can feel safe now Irisdina."
"...ri."
I heard a faint voice coming from her.
"What are you saying Irisdina, that I can't hear you?"
"...iri..."
"Huh? Irisdina speak louder I can't hear you."
It was there that something happened that I never expected to witness.
"It's Airi!!!"
"Huh?"
"Call me Airi!!!"
"Why don't you want to call me that!!!?"
"Do you hate me so much that you don't even want to pronounce the name that you said was a beautiful flower?
(Huh, when did I say that? No, I did say that, but it was a thought, not talk.)
Irisdina raised her face to look at me, she was angry, but the way she was angry was kind of cute... damn! Don't puff out your cheeks and look at me like an angry puppy.
I tried to calm her down since I didn't want to have this argument.
"Listen, this is not the right time for this."
"Then when is a good time!!!?"
Did this girl just yell at me?
What's worse, she has a steady gaze that makes me want to avert my gaze from her.
Her beautiful blue eyes were staring right at me. I must try to take the reins of this argument and end it.
"W-when we get back we better talk?"
"I don't want to!!!"
This girl's voice was so loud and firm that it made me shudder with panic a little. who is this girl?
"At this very moment I want you to tell me the exact reason why you hate me so much!!!"
"I... I don't hate you."
"Liar!!!"
"Hiii~!!!"
This girl really who is she? She never showed this kind of aggressive and haughty behavior ever.
I must calm her down to prevent her from yelling at me anymore.
"Listen, I was just upset, it's not that I hate you."
-That's a lie, of course I hate you.
(Noo! Stupid brain stop putting words in my head that I don't mean!!!).
"If you don't hate me, then why do you despise me!!!"
My head was starting to hurt again as Ai-Irisdina yelled at me.
It hurts, it hurts so much. Please stop both of you.
-You hurt me so much and that's why I loathe you.
"Please, Rudel-san tell me why you didn't want to talk to me anymore!"
Stop it.
"I know it was you who punished those girls and servants who bullied me. I even somehow also know that it was you who fixed up my room and even left an envelope of money that said it was apologies from those people."
-Lies, you're just looking like a parasite to come back to me.
Both of you, that's enough.
"I know I hurt you, I'm so sorry, I want to make amends for what I did, but that's why we need to talk and you're not doing your part in it!"
-There's nothing to talk about. You're just a vile villainess who manipulated me.
My head hurts so much, I feel like it will burst at any moment.
In the midst of my pain I noticed that Irisdina started to cry and closed her eyes while bending her head.
Don't.
"Yes... if you really want to leave things like this forever..."
Don't say it.
"Then I'll respect your opinion and never speak again-"
"YOU'RE WRONG!!!"
Irisdina raised her head in fright, her tears flowing out like waterfalls.
What am I saying?
"YOU HAVE NOTHING TO APOLOGIZE FOR!!!!"
My mouth moves on its own, the words coming out of it never crossed my mind.
"YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT EVERYTHING!!!!"
Whoever speaks this pain will be my....
"I NEVER WANTED TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND YOUR MOTIVES MUCH LESS AN EXPLANATION!!!!"
I see, I'm really the only one to blame for denying you too.
My head hurt so much more for every honest word that came out of my mouth.
If I'm going to die in pain, let it be by being honest.
"I KNEW EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED WAS CHEATING BY THAT BITCH ONE!!! I KNEW IT AND YET I TOLD YOU HORRIBLE THINGS, I IGNORED YOUR EXISTENCE BECAUSE OF MY OWN FOOLISHNESS!!!"
The pain in my head increases so much that I can feel my vision blurring.
"YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!!!!"
It's true.
"THE ONLY ONE TO BLAME HERE IS ME!!!!"
That's right, Ixion notified me after I got to the academy what happened that one of his spy drones picked up what happened. I told him to remove them, but fortunately in this case they did the trick.
"BOTH YOU AND ALISA ALSO GOT INTO A FIGHT BECAUSE OF ME!!!"
Alisa was upset at me for being a jerk to my friend, I had that coming, but I said hurtful things to her..... Did I do it because somewhere in me I really didn't like being with an aristocrat?
My vision was blurring more and more and then....
"IF ONLY I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN!!! ...been..."
...I could feel a warm wet feeling sliding down my cheeks.
"If I really would have wanted to be alone. I would never have hurt my precious friends...."
Why did it take me so long to realize that? I really am an asshole.
"I really valued our friendship more than anything!"
My heart was the one causing me these headaches.
"The days we spent together were the best, I had never been so happy in my whole life, until I ruined it!"
In my past life I could never feel someone's affection and kindness.
"I was really happy to have met them!!!"
The day I died I thought I would cease to exist.
There would be no one to mourn my death or remember me.
"But my foolishness and denial made you cry! Alisa also cried because of me and I caused her that pain despite being her knight!"
Therefore, when I was reincarnated in this world I was happy that my wish for a second chance was opened. I was really happy and would accept my fate whatever it was.
Unfortunately, I stopped thinking like that as time went by.
My new family was very cruel and merciless to me. I was sent to fix things and do errands that were impossible for a child. Plus reprimands for mistakes I didn't know were serious.
Such were my days until the best day of my life happened.
The birth of Pola, my sweet baby sister.
A few days after she was born, I was taking care of her since it was my turn. My parents and siblings were out. Leaving a child and baby alone is a very irresponsible and idiotic thing to do.
I was scared that something would happen to her and she wouldn't move, but what did happen made my life happy from then on.
She for a baby with no hair and no teeth grabbed my hand and gave me a smile with her mouth full of drool.
It was the first time someone smiled at me, I was happy. As time went by she grew up and I spent my days with her, I was even her first word.
The verbal and physical abuse from my family at that time was nothing more than a mosquito bite compared to spending time with my sweet little sister.
When I arrived at the academy something similar happened.
Students and teachers were hostile to me. Before I met Irisdina I had no one but Ixion on my side.
Until that splendid day happened.
The day I met my instructor.
I thought etiquette was a waste of time.
Everything around me was as I had no interest in it until my instructor caught my eye that day.
I felt annoyed at first, but as the minutes passed as he spoke to me with respect and kindness I could feel a sense of importance from him.
At the end of that class, he extended his hand to me to continue advising me not only in etiquette, but also in things of life or nobility.
I felt really happy to have even two people who really cared about me. Even though I was behaving like a jerk, they advised me to apologize to my friends since I should be the one who suffered the most for them.
I am sorry, for not realizing it sooner and thank you for reaching out to me when my days were black. Without your kindness I might have taken another path.
Now that I finally understand what I really feel, I must apologize and end the hurt I caused them forever. I will make them friends again and separate myself from them so as not to make them cry again.
With tears still in my eyes I looked at Irisdina to tell her that now everything will be all right for them.
"I'm sorry, Irisdina, but everything will be okay now."
I started to talk to her, she seemed to have a smile on her face, but it was slowly being taken off by my conversation.
◇◇◇
An Ixion drone had flown towards Rudel's direction where he was hiding, making sure he was still alive.
When it arrived, it found him crying in front of Airi. Then something strange happened.
A strange purple thing seemed to be appearing and disappearing momentarily while Rudel seemed to be crying and suffering at the same time.
Then, for a split second the ring Rudel had obtained yesterday glowed faintly, and this caused the strange creature to scream and jump backwards turning to ash within seconds of leaving Rudel.
The spy drone stared at Rudel and with a thermal viewer could tell how his hormone levels were returning to normal.
At that moment, no one knew that Rudel escaped a terrible and tragic fate.
◇
"I don't want to!"
"Why?"
I told Irisdina what I thought of our relationship and how it would be better for everyone if I was no longer a part of it, but now for some reason she is upset.
"Why are you refusing if it's best for everyone?"
"I want to get the three of us back together, but if it's just Alisa and me it doesn't make sense!
Why can't this girl understand that things would be better for everyone if I'm not a part of it?
"Understand, it's better for you girls if I'm not back!"
"I don't want tooooo!!!!
"You said we were like an inseparable triangle! Why are you trying to deny that reality now?
Guhh... this girl can say some very honest and destructive things.
"You two can be happy without me, I don't see the need to get back together with me, I'm a bad third for you!"
"I don't want that!!!!"
I'm really getting annoyed at his foolishness..... was that how unbearable I was?
"Why are you so adamant about not wanting me to leave!!!?"
That's when she didn't know what to say and was trying to open her mouth to stammer.
"See, there is no reason to stand next to you!"
"That's not true! I, I..."
"Why so hell-bent on wanting me to be with you?"
That's when I never expected that bullet to come.
"It's because I'm obviously in love with you, you idiot!"
"Any girl would enjoy being together with the person she loves!!!"
There was an awkward silence, Irisdina didn't realize what she said, her cheeks were red with embarrassment and surprise at what she had said, meanwhile I was internally....
(Ehhhhhhhh!!!)
...Trying to figure out what the fuck just happened.
(L-L-L-L-L-Liking!!!!)
(Me... she likes me?!!!!!)
(It must be an absolute horrible lie!!!!!)
(E-E-Easy me... she's just saying that to get me to hang out with them again. Yeah, that must be it!!! She can't possibly like a guy with a scary face like that!!!).
I proceeded to disprove her.
"It's impossible for a girl to like someone with a scary face like mine!"
Immediately after hearing me say that, her shocked face turned into the angry one and destroyed me in just a second.
"That's not true! I consider you someone very attractive! Any girl would fall in love with you if she really knew you, like me!"
(Ehhhhhhhh!!!)
(You're seriousooooo!)
(Don't play with my heart and even more so with a virgin's!)
"What's so good about me! I'm just a simple country baron!" -I asked her in a tone that I don't know if it was panic or intrigue.
Irisdina in all her fullness answered.
"You're kind, caring, you always care about those you care about, you jump into danger if someone needs it and your eyes are as lovely as a cat's!"
(What was that last one supposed to be! A bizarre compliment?)
"You're wrong!" -I shouted back. "I'm nothing of the sort!" -I was going to tell my true feelings to this girl who thinks I'm a great person.
"I am someone selfish, I love money, I despise nobility, I don't care about others, and...!"
I told her what I never thought of saying as long as I lived. With this, she will definitely hate me. Goodbye, Irisdina.
"Both on you and Alisa I've enjoyed watching her breasts every time they got careless!!!"
"I already knew all that! Do you think that affects any of the other good points you have?"
"..."
"Eeeeeeeeeehhhhh, you knew iiiiiiiit!"
(Irisdina knew all that and still liked being with me? No, no, more importantly, did she both Alisa know that I was looking at her breasts!!!? I'm going to die of embarrassment!!! Please, Ixion kill me!!!)
My head started spinning thanks to her knowing a truth that would take her to my grave. She continued to speak.
"You're a man, so it's normal to be interested in women, in my village something similar happened so I just ignored their looks. Every now and then I would notice how your eyes would wander to my breasts while we were eating or studying."
(Eeehhhhhh!!! Did you know about it for a long timeooo?!?)
"Alisa also informed me the same thing, only she was surprised at how brazen you were! But I told her to leave you alone until you realize how obvious you were."
(Please, stop it! No more or you'll make me kill myself out of shame!)
I feel my strength fading, his honesty and purity in the face of my repulsive self was slowly destroying me.
If what he says is true, then why someone like me?
So I opted by comparing myself to men who are better than me and I know.
"I'm sure despite saying that there are a lot of men better than me like.... Frey for example! He's someone smart!"
"He's a narcissist who only looks in the mirror! Besides, he's an unscrupulous gigolo, once he even tried to pick me up and then went for another girl after a few seconds!"
Huh? She's right about everything, well... let's go with the unmentionable one.
"I'm not handsome like that bastard Klein! I have a scary face! What kind of girl would like to wake up and see me in the morning?"
"He's trash on the outside and black on the inside!!! He hurt my friend and is a horrible person without humanity!!!! You are better than him in every known sense and way, and yes I enjoyed seeing you in the mornings as you smiled at me when you saw me!"
Sorry, I don't know why I named him. Now let's go for the one I already know more about.
"I'm not strong and reliable like Chlust!"
"He's a muscle brain! He reeks of sweat and is clearly someone looking for attention!"
She got it right again...ok, it was the others. But this is one she won't be able to say anything bad about.
"I don't have a promising future like Liam!"
"He's the worst of them all! I hate him deeply since he talked bad about Alisa even though he doesn't know her! I would never dare to hang out with someone that ignorant! He once greeted me and I ignored him since Alisa said the prince despised her! I hate idiotic and manipulative people like him!"
"Why are you making excuses!!!?"
(You're talking bad about the prince you know!!!!! But you're right. no! How much do you hate the prince to tell him all that? If you told me that I'd certainly bury myself to a well to die).
"Rudel-san, please be honest with me and tell me why you want to stay away from us!!!"
"I..."
Before I could say something I don't know what the answer would be, my salvation came. No, more like trouble came back.
"Kill the son of a biiiiiitch!!!"
The guys from before entered the islet space, how was that possible?
I took a look around and couldn't believe it.
Most of the islets were gone. Only the one behind me and a few of the surrounding ones remained.
Looks like the bastards did something to move them and now they found the opportunity to kill me.
The sounds of the machine guns were so loud that they slowly shattered the big stone behind me.
Irisdina screamed.
"Kyahhh!!!"
"Hold on tight to me!"
I immediately told her that and put my legs in front position while leaning my back against the giant floating rock.
I grabbed Irisdina very tightly and used strengthening magic.
"Wooooooooooooooohhhh!!!"
The boots generating prana propulsion started to generate more energy gradually looking like the bottom of a missile.
Thanks to these goggles that also allow me to control the propulsion state through my emotions. I shot out pressing the big rock on my back.
It hurts a lot to press my back against a big hard mass. But this is nothing compared to the pain I put these girls through.
Then I heard an explosion.
"Digurv!!!"
I watched as half of a plane fell, seeming to have crashed into the rock that was going up like a rocket.
I couldn't see if it was the top or bottom that was on fire, but that doesn't matter now.
After climbing to a high altitude. I turned around and used the rock as a springboard to get to the cruiser faster as it dropped downward, it seems the islets must be at a certain altitude.
I could see it getting bigger and bigger.
I'll get Irisdina to safety and then.
"You dirty bastard, you'll pay for taking down Digurv and Fraudrin!!!"
"Greyroad, you've got him in your sights, killoooo!"
When I turned around I watched as the rock had hit a plane and they were both floating in the sea. Two planes were also coming after me.
Bullets were flying. One of them hit directly into my glasses.
"Shit, the shield doesn't work anymore! Ixion-"
"You don't need to yell."
Almost immediately as I spoke my rescuer spoke up.
"You arrived just in time our trump card."
"Where is it?"-I asked him.
"On your right just now."
Hearing that I looked in the direction where he said and noticed something that wasn't there before. A large amount of clouds coming straight this way.
In just a few seconds those clouds dissipated and the first thing I saw was the head of a dragon roaring.
The dragon flew so fast that it impacted with the two airplanes destroying them. I want to believe that they are okay even if it is a lie please, but this is no time to worry about others.
After that, Brunhilde quickly moved behind me to protect me as I climbed up on deck to leave Irisdina safely.
Immediately after touching the wooden surface, my ship moved to the side of the cruiser to be its defender. The sound of the cannons shattering the hidden wooden parts came to light, even from the dragon's mouth came a small cannon.
(I see, no choice but this right, Ixion?)
Suddenly it was my sleeve grabbed.
I turned and looked at Irisdina with wet eyes.
She opened her mouth to ask me something.
"Rudel-san, please save Alisa. She sure is scared."
It was something I was equally going to fulfill.
I smiled at her saying "don't worry, I was going to do it just now."
She gave me a warm smile. That smile for a second made me want to hug her and never let go, why did I imagine that?
I turned to get ready and flew off as I heard Brunhilde's cannon fire.
I stopped only to say something that annoyed me.
"Make sure you don't fall again, otherwise... I'll have to go save you while rescuing Alisa. Did you hear right, a... Airi?"
I didn't turn around as my cheeks were red with embarrassment. But I didn't need to as I imagined what was going on behind.
She was quiet for a moment, but just like the first time I met her, she must be with her hands behind her back making a smile while shyly playing with one of her feet.
"Yes. ♡"
"Take care of yourself, Rudel-san."
"I'm leaving."
After hearing her sweet voice I quickly ran to the edge of the cruiser to fly straight out to rescue Alisa.
Why is my mouth trying to make a weird grimace of joy?
◇◇◇
-On that day, a friendship was rebuilt.
AUTORENGEDANKEN 
Siegburn
Siegburn An unexpected turn of events! *laugh*
Airi not only confessed her feelings, she also got Rudel for the first time in his life to open his heart and spit out all the pain he's been holding in.
Without a doubt, the Saint's powers are an unimaginable force.
Now it's time to recover Alisa to return home all together, hurry Rudel and rescue the princess in danger!
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein