87 Chapter 87: Escape

Inside Cross Castle, Lilith was making her way up by sprinting through several flights of stairs.

Following Tomoyuki-kun's instructions, I've evaded the Iron Knights…then enter the cave where the Demonic Shadow Dragon lurks.

Lilith was replaying my request through her head as she leaped up the stairs. Reaching the top, she headed straight for a window when the stairs ended.

Let my doppelganger fight against Aoyama-kun.

Climbing out of the window, she used her superhuman reflexes to begin scaling the wall, running along the surface and defying gravity.

Everything happened according to his predictions…

She deftly climbed the steep wall without breaking her step, bounding skyward with her Servant-like capabilities. As expected of someone modeled after the Lancer-class Servant.

Using Absolute Appraisal, he was able to confirm everyone's location…and was able to devise such a complex strategy…

She frowned as she sailed upward.

But even if he has gotten that newly reforged sword, he may not be able to win against Iron Knights.

Clenching her fists tightly around her blood-red spears, Lilith's hands trembled ever so slightly.

We had a common enemy. Why do we need to fight?

Blinking in surprise, she glanced upward and noticed that the sky had changed.

It suddenly got dark. This is caused by someone's ability.

Reaching the top of the Cross Castle, she flipped herself upward and landed gracefully on the edge of the rooftop.

"Finally here."

I don't even know what is Tomoyuki-kun's situation right now. I'll join up with you shortly!

Well, my situation was pretty good, if I might say so myself.

"I admit…you are very strong. But so what?"

Takeda Tetsuo smirked as he stared at me from his seated position, his skeletal wings unfolded from his armored back.

I stood in front of him, surrounded by my Blood Ghouls.

Shaking my head, I silently walked past him. There was no point talking any longer, not to someone who had lost to me.

"Even if you destroy the intercontinental ballistic missile launcher…"

Ignoring him, I continued walking in the direction of the intercontinental ballistic missile launcher. Takeda made no move to stop me.

"…Nagano-san and I'll just rebuild it again."

I stopped in front of the intercontinental ballistic missile launcher and looked up at it, studying it at close range. Then I reached out with a hand to touch it.

"In addition, I put a barrier on it, so you won't be able to destroy it that easily."

Takeda smirked, still turning his back on me. The guy wasn't taking me seriously at all.

Takeda's eyes widened.

Turning around, he stared at me in utter shock as I summoned a gigantic missile and slotted it into the launcher.

"Hellstrike missile. You probably heard of it, right?"

I smiled. A bead of perspiration dripped down Takeda's face as he glared at me in disbelief, unable to digest what I was doing.

"It's not as powerful as the Deathstrike missile – I mean, it's only Strength 8 AP -2, and lacks the ability to deal mortal wounds, but it's more than enough to break this cage of yours."

I tapped a button and the intercontinental ballistic missile launcher rocked. The Hellstrike missile spiraled out of the barrel and detonated against the gigantic skeletal cage that had sprouted all over the castle, smashing a huge hole at the point of impact.

"Thanks for letting me use your intercontinental ballistic missile launcher," I told a stunned Takeda, savoring his expression.

"You…!"

"It would be difficult for me to destroy your skeletal cage otherwise. I'm planning on getting out of here before your ability recharges. That's my victory condition, after all."

Another bead of perspiration slid down Takeda's face, and he shook his head as he realized that he was defeated.

"You really are quite the amazing person, Tanaka-kun."

"Nah, I'm perfectly normal. I just happen to have plot armor, and I'm ripping off an intelligent character from a Chinese manhua titled The Silver Gravekeeper. That's why I'm the Golden Gravekeeper. Get it?"

"…"

Takeda just stared at me, his brow twitching in exasperation. Never mind. Seemed like he had never read Yin Zhi Shoumuren or The Silver Gravekeeper.

Finally climbed up.

Lilith had chosen that time to land elegantly on the edge. She glanced at me and I waved her over from my position at the intercontinental ballistic missile launcher.

"You're finally here, Lilith-san!"

"Oh…Tomoyuki-kun." She glanced around and saw the unconscious bodies of the Eight Guardians, as well as the stationary figure of Takeda Tetsuo.

His fight with the Iron Knights is over…

"Did you really defeat the Eight Guardians…eight of Evelyn's Chosen all by yourself?"

Shaking her head, Lilith couldn't help but be impressed.

Tanaka Tomoyuki…you really are a special individual. And he's doing all of this…for revenge? Revenge against Kobayashi Kenji, the current Emperor of Humanity?

"Tomoyuki-kun…"

"Get on. We're getting out of here."

I summoned a zombie dragon. With my current remaining amount of mana, there was no way I could summon the undead Ancient Dragon, so I settled for a normal zombie dragon. The black corpse spread its wings as it sprawled on the ground. I climbed onto its back, and then extended a hand to Lilith to help her board it.

"See you, Takeda-kun. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again soon enough."

With that cryptic sentence, I mentally commanded my zombie dragon to take off. The dragon flew through the gaping hole that my Hellstrike missile made in the skeletal cage and soared into the heavens beyond.

"Next stop, Haemorage. We're going home."

Leaning back against one of the bony spines of the zombie dragon, I closed my eyes for a brief moment.

"Right…by the way, Lilith-san…do you know the way?"

Lilith couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Yeah. I'll guide you. Leave it to me."

"Thanks for the hard work. You've really helped me out a lot."

Lilith reached out and patted my head, in an almost big sisterly fashion.

"You're the one who did most of the hard work. Go get some rest now."

"I can't. I need to guide my zombie dragon."

"…that's true."

With that, we disappeared into the night sky.

Back in the rooftop of Cross Castle, Takeda watched as we vanished into the horizon, and then shook his head.

Standing up, he studied the intercontinental ballistic missile launcher.

"…even if Tanaka-kun didn't destroy it, this thing's useless if he refuses to summon a nuke. And Nagano-san is still unable to build a nuclear device…she doesn't have the knowledge to put together one. Not yet, anyway…"

He glanced up toward the heavens.

"But the way Tanaka-kun was fighting so desperately…even to the extent where he would resist all nine of us…are the residents of Havia City really worth protecting that much?"

Meanwhile, six of the Eight Guardians had recovered their consciousness and were sitting up glumly as they faced each other.

Yonebashi Kyoko, Hoshizaki Kozue, Domon Daisuke, Nagano Nanaka, Shidou Makoto and Sanada Hiroyuki sat in a square that was missing one side, their heads lowered as they contemplated the aftermath.

"Everyone's still alive," Yonebashi remarked cheerfully. Beside her, Hoshizaki clutched her hands tightly.

"Yes, we lost."

Sanada's voice was cold and filled with disappointment. Next to him, Makoto was slumped down, glaring bitterly at his lap as he struggled to come to terms with the defeat.

Domon didn't look surprised at all, while Nagano calmly sipped a cup of simmering hot tea. She then looked up with a bright smile.

"Guess we were underestimating Tanaka-kun too much."

Domon leaned back and glanced at the ceiling, a smile creeping into his expression.

"Or perhaps he is much stronger than we can imagine…this is Tanaka-kun we're talking about, after all. I always thought he was an amazing guy."

Makoto rolled his eyes. "Because he helped you out against Kobayashi in the past and took the fall for you?"

"Admittedly, someone with the guts to stand up to Kobayashi has to be amazing…in a way," Sanada pointed out.

"Maybe Tanaka-kun can really do it and protect Restia," Hoshizaki spoke up, squeezing her hands tightly.

"Even so…until I can understand what he is…I can't trust him," Makoto replied.

"That's true," Yonebashi admitted. "Didn't Kobayashi murder Tanaka-kun by throwing him off the summoning spell? How did he survive that? And Tanaka-kun himself said he only arrived in Restia six months after we did. What's up with that? Is this the Tanaka-kun we know? Furthermore, what's with those crazy special abilities?"

"It's almost like…he's not human," Sanada muttered thoughtfully.

"Apparently, when Aoyama-kun's curse struck him, it identified him as an undead…a vampire. Did he get revived as an undead or something?"

"Who knows?"

"But his personality is still the same." Domon frowned as he considered. Yonebashi chuckled and shook her head.

"Especially those stupid puns of his."

"Just what on earth is he?" Makoto murmured. "Is he human or not? Is he the same Tanaka from our world?"

"I have a feeling that he's still the same Tanaka-kun from our world. But even so, he has undergone quite a few changes. There is still something different about him." Hoshizaki leaned back. "But how did he survive?"

"Looks like he's a complete mystery." Nagano smiled.

"Even Sakaguchi and Asakura weren't able to find any other information on him when they investigated the mercenary's guild," Makoto pointed out. "How did he survive? And how did he get transformed into an undead?"

"No one knows for sure…but there is one thing for certain…"

Domon grinned.

"Tanaka-kun is still Tanaka-kun. I think we can believe in him."

"…perhaps so."

Takeda approached them.

"Leader…"

Everyone stood up to greet him. At the back, Gendou Issei stirred back to consciousness, holding his head as he rose shakily to his feet.

"Gah…"

"Are you all right, Gendou-kun?" Sanada asked.

"…yeah." Gendou blinked. "It's over? Tanaka-kun has escaped?"

"That's right."

"Where do you think he's headed?" Yonebashi asked as she glanced into the distance. "Where else does he have to go?"

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"The Demonic Alliance," Nagano replied. "He was working for them before we met up."

"The Demonic Alliance, huh…" Yonebashi shook her head. "But seven of the strongest demonic domains refuse to be part of the alliance, and Kobayashi-kun is bringing the full might of the human kingdoms to invade Morten. Is it really wise of Tanaka-kun to throw his lot in with them? He might get annihilated along with them."

"I don't think so."

Hoshizaki reached out for a can of drink, flipped the tab open, and then gulped down a slosh of soda.

"I would actually be more worried about Kobayashi-kun and his group if I were them. Weren't we all just defeated by Tanaka-kun?"

"As shameful as it is to admit, you're right."

Gendou grimaced as his shoulders slumped down.

"It was our total defeat."

"Even so, Tanaka-kun can't defeat Kobayashi by himself."

Takeda stood over his eight guardians.

"He'll need our help eventually."

"So…what do you plan to do, leader?" Nagano asked cheerfully. Takeda responded with a smile of his own.

"Since Tanaka-kun has won this round, we'll give him the benefit of the doubt…and go along with what he wants for now."