4-04: Absolute Superiority (3/3)

4-04: Absolute Superiority (3/3)

Guooo! Ah, haa, haa haa, its no good, it wont break! Princess, this armor is strange!

Before understanding what had transpired, Kite desperately tried to break free of his restraints, but even with his exceptional strength and the training he received from Shinichi, he still couldnt do anything.

Ah, gah You! Why do you know that code!? Thats something only direct members of the royal family should know!

Thats true, but that doesnt mean theres no way to learn it, the alchemist said.

No way, Lilisha cried, while Kite just appeared puzzled.

Fu fu, hero, you dont seem to know anything, so allow me to inform you. Armor and magic made in Earthgant starting from a certain grade have a magic code reserved just for the royal lineage. When these codes are used, the self-destruction, suppression, and even restraint of their bearers is possible.

Then does that mean? But why would a function like that even exist?

What do you mean why? Its only normal for rulers to anticipate the possibility of their own technology being used against them, so the royal family cleverly embedded these enchantments while providing seemingly reasonable excuses to the education and legal systems.

Unfortunately, the alchemist was telling the truth.

Thats why Lilisha couldnt help but voice out her frustrations.

Ah, what a blunder! I cant believe that the best equipment would actually be used against us like this!

The princess could only lay on her back, unable to move, with a face full of regret. What made her even more regretful was that she chose these weapons and armor all on her own. They had prepared the highest-grade equipment in the maids storage space, no doubt acquired through barely legal means, to maintain her image as a spoiled princess and as a precautionary measure, but not once did she think that they would be the very reason for her own downfall.

As of this moment, the very spells meant to assist and bolster your strength are now working against you to restrain you. Naturally, a spell similar to that of the Collar of Mana Sealing has also been invoked, so you can forget about using your mana.

I know! You could have neutralized us from the start with just a few words! How nice of you to humor us for this long!

It was curious if it was because of her own worthlessness or because they had been underestimated even more than shed thought that she was so pissed, but regardless, the princess sarcastically and angrily said that.

He he, you were waiting for something while thinking of a way to break out of your predicament. I was planning to accompany you until I figured out what it was you were waiting for, but this old mans instincts tell me its too dangerous.

How fortunate for you then! As expected of the elderly, perhaps I should show you my respects?

I dont mind. Even if its perfunctory, Ill happily accept it After all

The alchemist paused, then with a wicked smile said.

I played along with your plan to buy time for this long, so that makes me a fairly accommodating old man, doesnt it?

Gah!?!?

Princess!?

Lilisha neither had the time to comprehend what had transpire nor could she spare the effort to understand who called out to her, for the floor on which she lay suddenly exploded, throwing her straight up into ceiling before falling and rolling on the now cracked floor just as gravity dictated.

Frau and Alisa, who were closest her, were also caught in the blast and found themselves meeting a similar fate.

Agu, ah, u! The code

The princess could tell that shed lost consciousness for a moment.

Her armor, which had been turned into restraints, now possessed little in the way of defense and was more like a scrap of cloth, while her own barrier had also been weakened by the restraint function and failed to protect her.

As a result of all that, the magic formula she had been working on dispersed.

There was no future here but the princess being skewered.

But

Gu!

Ahh!

Two more cries of anguish resounded, and the princess was immediately roused from her focus.

The princess should be able to understand exactly what that meant, but as though unwilling to believe it, she slowly raised her head.

Frau? Alisa?

These two women were both people she had known since her childhood, and now something foreign could be seen sticking out of their beautiful figures and limbs.

A-Ahh

A part of her wanted to deny it and flee from reality, but another part of her screamed before it could.

P-Princess Please, run

Everyone Please Time

Neither of them could say what they wanted to say before collapsing.

Lilisha let out an incomprehensible scream, but she couldnt even run to them.

Arrows now covered these two who covered for her, but fortunately, nothing fatal had been hit.

They ought to be treated immediately, but no one even cast a simple spell to stop their bleeding.

They were still breathing, still conscious, but there was no solution.

The other maids could only trace their fingers on the floor, unable to even get up, while Stella could only fall to her knees when she tried to run.

It was a situation not all that different to just half a month ago, but the difference with that time made it clear now how the boy back then truly had no intention of killing them.

The way the alchemist didnt hold back at all made it clear to them how fast death was approaching them, but

I-Impossible Why can you move that much!?

For some reason, it was the alchemist who was most disturbed.

Impossible! Impossible! Even if youre conscious, the most you should be able to do is crawl! Theres no way you could have moved that much! Theres no way my code isnt working right!

He knew something was off from the start and was confused, but he still managed to keep them from moving, so he stopped worrying about it.

But just now, even if it was only for a moment, they still managed to move quickly and explosively. It would have been one thing if they could still move a little before, but they couldnt move at all until just a moment ago.

How were they able to do that?

He couldnt figure it out, and because he was someone who held complete confidence in himself and someone who devised that code, he couldnt help but find himself screaming madly at the impossibility of it all and amusingly enough he now looked just like a child throwing a tantrum.

Shut up.