What was Imposed
The church is the tallest building in the capital. It is a symbol of authority, which is not surprising since it is also meant to be a castle. At the top of the church is a place called the Bell Room. A bell with a chime is hung there, and every hour an attendant comes to ring it.
From there, one can see the entire capital. From there, Pope Mikhail and Babaa were looking out over the city.
"When I'm watching this with you, it reminds me of that day."
"The day Ren-kun departed? The scene of that day is still clearly etched in my mind. It was as if they were celebrating Ren's departure."
"Yes, that's right. Compared to that, the current scene is..."
The entire capital is about to be engulfed in flames. The red flames are beautiful, but Babaa does not feel that way.
"That time was the beginning. Now is the time of the end."
"I see, you say it so well. But are you sure you want it to end?"
"The Church has done its job. It's not an act of ending something, it's the end."
"......No, it is finished. You did."
They don't know about the church, but at least the Church Country is about to perish. It was Pope Mikhail who made it so. In response to the invasion of the Izrim Empire, he immediately made all his people flee the capital. Furthermore, if he ordered even the Church Knights to flee without resisting, they were bound to lose.
"The time for the end had come, so I ended it."
"... Even if that's the case, there's no need to die."
"If there is not at least one martyr, there is no point in the existence of the church. Besides, if I had to say that, it would be Barbara-dono."
"My life was going to end without it, only a little shorter."
The flames eventually envelop the church. The two are waiting for that moment. Together with the church capital, the time of the end is about to come.
"Are you glad you didn’t meet Ren-kun?"
".. It's your fault. After listening to your words, what kind of face will I make when I meet the kid?"
"Why don't you just meet him normally?"
"That one is the savior"
"You don't believe it. And even if he really was, Barbara-dono wouldn't care, right?"
"...Do you really think he's the savior?"
What the Church of the Holy Heroes was waiting for was neither a champion nor a hero. It is the savior who is said to save the world.
Pope Mikhail declared that the savior was Ren. It was a rather drastic decision.
"Honestly, it is a 50-50."
"Oi?"
"But that's all right. Ren-kun would never think of himself as the savior. So I decided to force him into it."
"By making him act like a savior, you mean making him real?"
"It's a little different. When he was in the church capital, there were no humans around Ren-kun."
"He is also a human. And there were children."
"Yes. I know that, but the title doesn't show it. I was worried about that."
A spirit, a magical beast, and a night princess. Pope Mikhail thinks that the night princess might be a demon. He can find out if he applies the person who was around Ren. The other two, the Sword Saint and the Thunder Emperor, are human, but they are dead.
"...Fumu. So?"
"The deceased Director apparently thought so too."
"Do you mean Noelia?"
"Yes. So she tried to get the anti-hero alliance to follow Ren-kun. Not everything was acceptable, but it must have worked."
Pope Mikhail knows that many church knights and priests went to the Nord Empire. And that many church knights fell in battle.
"…Are you going to do the same thing?"
Those who were not accepted remained in the Church of the Holy Heroes. Babaa knows that.
"The form is the same, but the content is different. It seems that only those who wanted a place to die were accepted. Then they are the same as the dead. I want people who want to live to support Ren-kun."
"...Do you want him to carry such a burden?"
Ren is not a benevolent personality. If he thinks it's a nuisance, he'll cut it off without any hesitation. Even if he pushes it, Babaa doesn't think it will go well.
"This is my last will. I hope he will at least listen to this."
"...Are you really going to die for that?"
"No, I'm just trying to use my own death. I'm a cowardly man who doesn't deserve to be the pope."
When he learned of the invasion of the Izrim Empire, he was prepared for death. He just made sense of it.
"...What is a savior?"
"There's too much of a secret, even the Church is unsure of the specifics of what kind of being it is. The destroyer and the creator. The creator of a new order. These vague words are the only information we have."
"...I've said it many times, but you're doing something drastic."
There is no proof that Ren is the savior. Despite that, Pope Mikhail is trying to entrust everything to Ren. He wants to destroy the church with a long history.
"The order that the Church tried to create has crumbled so easily. That is a sign that the church had lost its reason for existence. It is better to destroy it once and for all here."
The church used the hero to try to maintain order. But in reality, that has not been the case. These heroes are causing chaos on the continent.
"And will a new church be born, if it is necessary?"
"That's the way it is. As for me, I hope it will not be necessary. Because the church is one of the traditional orders."
The Church waited for the appearance of the savior, keeping the fact secret. Why was this so? Why did it have to tell the congregation the lie that it was waiting for a champion to appear? Did they have the skill to call a hero into this world?
There is something. But that something is unknown to Pope Mikhail.
"...By any chance, do you guys know?"
Barbara asked her daughter, who remained in this world as a spirit. To which her daughter only smiled a complicated smile. Her emotions were not conveyed to Baaba.
"If you die, you'll know... it's almost here."
"Will you let me die in peace?"
There was a commotion downstairs. The Izrim Army had arrived. The church was supposed to be empty except for them.
"Then, shall we die?"
Babaa holds her glass.
"Originally, suicide is not desirable, but it can’t be helped."
While complaining, Pope Mikhail also holds his own glass. The two joined their glasses together in a toast and drank the wine inside in one go―― the Partheon Kingdom perished with the death of Pope Mikhail.
◇◇◇
The Partheon Kingdom has fallen, but that is the perception of the Church. The Izrim Empire does not think so. Even though the church capital had burned down and Pope Mikhail had died, many of the church's priests and church knights were still alive.
In the first place, the purpose of the Izrim Empire is not to destroy the Partheon Kingdom, but to obtain a way to remove the proof of servitude. In search of a person who knows about it, they have been chasing after priests and knights who escaped from the church capital.
"Escape quickly! Hurry up!"
The people of the church were fleeing along the road that stretched eastward, but the Izrim Empire Army finally caught up to them.
"Knights, step forward! Hurry up!"
It's not just priests and knights who are fleeing. There are many ordinary residents of the capital as well. In an attempt to let these people escape, the knights begin to form up in the direction of the Izrim Empire.
"They are coming! Prepare for battle!"
The cavalry of the Izrim Empire Army charges toward them. Leading the charge is Minami Tatsuya. He is a hero.
"Stop your useless resistance! You will only die!"
Minami approaches, issuing a warning. The objective is to get information, so he wants them to surrender.
"Prepare to intercept! Spear at the ready!"
However, the Church Knights have no intention of surrendering.
"Idiots! I don't care if you regret it later! Let's go! Break them down!"
In order to crush their will to resist, there is no choice but to fight to some extent. Thinking so, Tatsuya also ordered his army to attack. He had no intention of losing.
"Leave the right wing to me!"
Yet another cavalry unit also charged into the church knights' ranks. It was a unit led by another hero, Ogawa Masaru.
"Hold on! Do not allow them to break through!"
"You can't take this!"
It was not Ogawa's Knights that attacked the Church Knights. It was the magic that came from behind them.
"Shield up! Hurry up!"
The church knights tried to defend themselves with shields. That action becomes an opening. Towards the formation of the Church Knights, which blocked their view, Ogawa and Minami's Knights rushed to charge, breaking down the formation.
"Don't fall apart! Form up!"
"It's too late!"
Jumping into the opening, Ogawa and Minami storm in. Once the formation was disorganized, melee combat began. One after the other, they defeated the church knights.
"Get away from the heroes! Hurry up!"
A woman's voice echoed there. Hearing this, the church knights tried to distance themselves from Ogawa and Minami, without caring that their formation would be further disrupted.
"I won't let you escape!"
"Wait! Dodge!"
Minami stops Ogawa from chasing the fleeing church knights.
"Eh!?"
Just in time. A wind arrow passed right in front of Ogawa's eyes as he stopped in response to the voice.
"Don't let your guard down! The enemy has mages too!"
"I know! What are these mages doing! Kill the enemy now!"
Although it was not in response to this voice, magic was unleashed simultaneously by the Izrim Empire Army. The Izrim Empire, which had formerly called itself the Magic Kingdom. The quality and numbers of the knights overwhelmed the Church Knights.
"Hold up your shield!"
"You never learn!"
If you hide yourself with a shield, they will have a chance to approach. As soon as the magic stopped, Minami and Ogawa were waiting to rush into the enemy formation.
"You too!"
"What!?"
The magic attacked them again. The two who quickly avoided it and saw...
"…Are you, Kitagawa?"
Kitagawa Miko. A former classmate.
"What if it is?"
"Why are you attacking us?"
"Because we're enemies."
"Huh? We're friends, though!?"
"Enemy. I am a member of the church."
"You stayed in the church? Why?"
Hero candidates also had the option of remaining in the church. However, the two thought that there was no hero candidate who chose that. Kitagawa Miko is in the same Class B as the two. There must have been a country that would have nominated her.
"It's my choice, isn't it?"
"......Surrender. I won't make it worse."
Knowing that the other party is Miko, Minami tells her to surrender.
"What do you mean you won't make it worse?"
Miko's expression remains stern as she hears this.
"Katsuragi is gathering companions. If you come to the Izrim Empire, you will be welcomed."
"I refuse."
Miko refuses Minami's invitation.
"Why not? We can cancel the proof of servitude. If we make the church a part of the empire, you will be free."
"Free? Won't we just be subordinated to Katsuragi-san?"
"That's not true. She won't bind us."
At least for the time being. Believing it to be forever is the naivete of being classmates, and the idea that Mei, who knows the original world, would never do such an outrageous thing. At this point, though, they can't say that's wrong.
"How would you bring the church under your control?"
"By winning the battle."
"That's how you got a lot of countries under your control."
"Yeah, that's right. So the church—"
"I won't let that happen."
"Eh?"
Minami is mistaken. Miko is not really worried about being free.
"I know how cruel the Izrim Empire has treated the people of the occupied countries. I can't let the people of the Church go through the same thing."
"Cruel..."
Minami has no idea. The country Minami was in was not occupied by the Izrim Empire, but the Izrim Magic Kingdom. It surrendered before that and was relieved of its original regime.
"If that were the case, I would have to force you to surrender."
At this point, Ogawa interrupted.
"If you can do it, do it"
"Yeah, I'll do it. This is the end of buying time."
"…………"
Miko's face is distorted. As Ogawa said, she came out in front of the two to buy time. It was so that the people of the church country could escape as far as possible.
"Don't make that face. It's ruining your beautiful face."
"…………"
"Even if you don't like it, you have no choice but to obey. Maybe I should ask Katsuragi to make me the king of the church country. If that happens, Kitagawa will be my vassal, no, it's a waste to be just a vassal."
"Hey, Ogawa?"
Minami is bewildered by Ogawa who said something strange.
"This world is a law of the fittest. The one who loses is at fault."
Ogawa experienced the invasion of the Izrim Empire. The unrestrained invasion of the nobles of the former Izrim Magic Kingdom. The experience stimulated Ogawa's greed rather than his sense of justice.
"Wait! Kitagawa is a friend!"
"She doesn't think so. Then I will treat her as an enemy too. Look, the enemy runs away while we're talking uselessly. I'll finish this quickly."
"No, But"
"Shut up! This is war! We're going to defeat the enemy! Right!?"
"…………"
"It's okay, hurry up and go! The enemy will run away!"
"...G-got it."
Minami is overwhelmed by the yelling Ogawa. Leading his forces, he pursued the retreating Church Knights while Miko held back the two heroes.
"Well, I'll finish it soon. I won't let a mage beat me in close combat!"
Ogawa closes the gap with Miko at once. As a mage, Miko had no ability to avoid him and allowed him to get close.
The moment she thought Ogawa's sword hilt was about to strike her in the abdomen, Miko's body collapsed to the ground.
"…You're still here? I believe you're Sakaki."
The man who knocked Miko to the ground was Sakaki Daisuke. He, too, was a hero.
"I thought we were friends...... but you got stupid, didn't you?"
It was a relationship that could be called [friend]. In the original world, that is.
"I don't have a friend in Class C dropouts."
"I see... it seems that the Ogawa I know is a different person."
"It's time to look cool. There's no reason for me to keep a man alive."
"...That's terrible."
Why should he make use of it if you are a man? A little thought will tell it why.
"In this world, the strong get the most! Die, you dropout!"
It's different from Miko's earlier. Ogawa swings the blade of his sword at Sakaki with all his might. Sakaki manages to catch it with his sword, but he can't stop the momentum and falls on his back to the ground.
"Not yet! Come one, die! Die!"
Ogawa kicks Sakaki with all his might. He kicked him in the face and stomach over and over again, with the force that would have killed him.
"Did you think that a dropout from Class C could compete with me! You idiot!"
Ogawa tried to kick Sakaki, who was limp, further.
"Stop it already!"
There, Miko jumped in while raising her voice. That action stops Ogawa's foot.
"...Move away. Do you want to be kicked too?"
"Please. Stop it already."
Miko does not move, hugging Sakaki who is covered in blood.
"...What the hell, that's what this is all about."
He can see what the relationship between the two is like. It just irritates Ogawa's feelings.
"......Is that the kind of language you use to ask for a favor?"
"…………"
"Do you want to help him or do you want him to be killed?"
"……I want to help him."
"Then ask more seriously. I'm willing to forgive you."
"…………"
"Hurry up. Or I'll kill him."
"Please. Help――"
Miko's words of apology were interrupted by a blinding light and a deafening roar. It was a bolt of lightning that struck the ground, interrupting the path of the Izrim Empire Army as it chased after the Church Knights. The soldiers of the Izrim Empire Army knew what it meant.
"N-no way..."
"T-thunder Emperor!?"
The same words came from all over the place.
"T-that's absurd..."
Hearing that voice, Ogawa is stunned. The Thunder Emperor. There is only one person who is called that in this era.
The group of church knights split in two. A black-robed man astride a unicorn rides out between them. His silver hair fluttering in the wind gave away his identity even from a distance.
The appearance of Ren in this place was unexpected for the Izrim Empire Army. Not knowing what to do, the movement of the entire army stopped.
Ren walks forward slowly. The soldiers of the Izrim Empire Army, overwhelmed by Ren's aura, remained unable to move.
In that situation, it was the mage unit in the back that took action. Various magics released into the air attack Ren.
However, Ren started to move before the magic reached him. He charged the Izrim Empire army in front of him with only one horse.
"Back off! Retreat!"
Minami's command echoes. Ren, the Emperor of the Nord Empire, would never leave his territory alone. The Church Knights behind Ren. Further behind them stood a black flag.
"... Ah... w-wait! Don't leave me!"
Soldiers of his own army passed by him. Ogawa, coming to his senses, hurried after them. Ren will kill him if he doesn't hurry. He knew that.
Maki and Rina, who were in the rear with the mage group, did the same. As soon as the front line soldiers began to retreat, they gathered their troops and left.
"...Thanks for saving us... I can't say that, can I?"
The one who showed up was Ren. Miko knows how Ren feels about the heroes.
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