Manifesto
Manifesto
Hello, this is Phantaminum and Beloved (of WCT fame). This is a continuation of a project that aims to standardize nomenclature and formatting, while dividing Web Novel chapters in the same way the Light Novel does. Colored illustrations have also been added where possible for maximum enjoyment. You may find a list of all volumes I have already finished, or plan to work on, at the final chapter of this document.
This document is a compilation of Re: Zero Web Novel chapters that correspond to Volume thirty-seven, spanning Web Novel Arc eight Chapters forty-four to sixty, including the remaining parts of the Intermission preceding Chapter forty-four. Witch Cult Translations, was used as a source of the translations for all the Chapters. Parts of Chapters forty-four, forty-six, forty-eight to fifty, fifty-four, and fifty-six to fifty-nine, and the Intermission were produced with the use of Machine Translation tools.
For the sake of completeness, I leave you with the same wall of text detailing what I did using the available translations. Feel free to skip it if you don't care or have already read it.
The original translations have been proofread, edited and reformatted by myself, on top of whatever original editing and proofreading work was done by Witch Cult Translations. This means that the formatting should remain consistent no matter which source is used.
I have tried to follow naming conventions present in the Light Novel as much as possible, only diverging when community-given names differed greatly. I have also tried to conserve as many of the original translator notes by Witch Cult Translations as much as possible.
As a fun quirk, I have done something which I admit is probably not consensual: to flip the languages whenever someone speaks what is colloquially coined as Engrish. This means, that in the case where the story uses English, where possible, Japanese will be written as Romaji (Japanese in Latin script). When this happens, a note was added with the original expression (and its translation), and the new expression that was converted to Romaji. Basically, I made everyone using Engrish look like weeaboos.
I hope you enjoy this as much as I did. If you have anything to point out, I'm often lurking in pretty much every Re: Zero discussion site, be it the Reddit Discord Server, the Subreddit, or Four Chan's A board. Alternatively, feel free to use this document to suggest corrections or other changes.
The large-scale evacuation of the Imperial Capital of Lupugana, accompanied by the retreat on a scale unprecedented within recorded history.
While casualties among the civilians and the soldiers were by no means negligible, the present outcome was nevertheless far less severe than had been originally anticipated; in large part because of the mindset by which the Imperial citizens lived their daily lives.
The people of the Empire must be strong.
That teaching and philosophy had pervaded each and every citizen of the Empire, and it had succeeded in allowing many to take the best possible measures for surviving in this extreme situation.
In addition to the success achieved through such individual resolve and actions, the fact that various plans made for times of emergency, such as the coupled dragon carriages, had been fully functional was also significant. These were the achievements of the person who had grasped the forthcoming threat of the Great Disaster, the arrival of which had originally been foretold by a Stargazer, and made the proper preparations.
The fact that said person had been unable to arrive at the fight against that very Great Disaster could be called a bitter regret.
???: Still, that selflessness has kept the Empire alive! I express nothing but the utmost respect, General First-Class Chisha ...!
His voice bellowing, Kafma Irulux mowed down the hordes of the undead with thorns discharged from his arms, fighting hard in order to defend the road leading to the Fortified City behind him.
The Imperial Army that had been deployed incrementally along the highway going from the Imperial Capital to the Fortified City had been gradually falling back towards the city while supporting the evacuation of the retreating citizens of the Empire, with the aim of merging with the group within the fort.
Among the Generals who had participated in this decisive battle for the Imperial Capital, the role that had been assigned to Kafma was of the utmost importance, and although he himself would not admit it, it could be said that the work he had done was influencing the survival of Vollachia.
The resolve of the people of the Empire had had a large impact on the reduced casualties during the evacuation, the advance preparations bearing a large impact on the sturdy defenses of the Fortified City, Kafma's valiant efforts having a large impact on the high morale and minimal losses of Imperial Soldiers.
Serving as the rear guard to the formation that was gradually falling back towards the Fortified City, he used the power of the "insects" he had taken in to slow the march of the undead, an achievement worthy of being left behind in the annals of history.
However, all of that would be contingent on whether the Vollachian Empire escaped ruin.
Thus, Kafma's eccentric achievements were also the results of fighting without taking his own survival into consideration.
Kafma: Hk.
As far as the eye could see, the hosts of undead had blanketed the vast plain.
While striking them with thorns, bullets of light, and blades of wind, Kafma gritted his teeth against the appetite of the "insects" that were eating away at him from the inside, stifling his urge to scream.
The Insect Cage Tribe could use the power of the "insects" that coexisted within their bodies, and depending on the type of "insects" that were taken in, they could manifest a wide variety of abilities and combat techniques. But, the relationship between the Insect Cage Tribe and the "insects" was always a symbiotic one.
Neither was it one-sided usage, nor was it assimilation.
Naturally, the "insects" would seek compensation from their host for their work. That would usually be the host's Mana or lifeforce, but if that was found to be insufficient, it would be their flesh and blood.
Already, more than fifty hours had passed since Kafma had decided to fight with the resolve to die, and during that time, he had quite literally been forced to go without eating or drinking.
Although his consciousness had been sharpened like never before by his awakened fighting spirit, to the "insects" inside his body, the host's state of mind was irrelevant. They would simply lodge a complaint to the host about the fact that they were hungry, run out of patience if the host refused to lend an ear, and start to devour their flesh.
Kafma: I'm the one breaking the promise. But still ...!
He could not desert the warfront, nor could he allow himself to fall.
The Empire had many other dependable warriors besides him, but Kafma prided himself on being the bravest when faced with death. He had to prove that his pride was real. For that reason --
Kafma: I, must not --
Fall here; it happened at the moment he roused himself with those words, about to step forth with his organs still being devoured.
From behind, a large palm grabbed his shoulder.
And, the one to whom that palm belonged was --
???: Fall back, General Second-Class Kafma! You have fulfilled your duty sufficiently!
The loud voice seemed to be shouting, however, that was just the usual volume for this person.
Being told thus with a voice akin to being struck by a gust of wind, Kafma stared wide-eyed, looking at the giant in golden armor who stood next to him -- Goz Ralfon.
Gripping a mace that only he could handle was Goz, whose arrival at this scene surprised Kafma.
Kafma: "For what reason have you come to the front, General First-Class Goz? A General First-Class should be commanding things from the fortress ... "
Goz: "High Countess Dracoy is present there! Even without me shutting myself in the fortress, that woman can handle the troops skillfully! More importantly, I can be of more use to His Excellency on the battlefield!"
Kafma: " -- In that case, I will accompany you."
His heart, on the verge of cracking with determination and earnestness, sought to reinforce itself with Goz's appearance. However, Goz interrupted Kafma's plea with a firm "No".
Then, as Goz extended his thick fingers and pressed them against Kafma's chest,
Goz: "The sound of stirring and devouring echoes from within you. It seems you have lost control of the «insects». If you were to be consumed entirely, it would be a significant loss!"
Kafma: "That may be ... But, everything I've built up is for this battle!"
Goz: "Kafma Irulux! Death in itself is not atonement!"
Kafma: " -- Hk."
Getting directly slapped with an angry voice this time, Kafma's entire body began to tremble.
Just at this moment, even the "insects" that were eagerly devouring Kafma's body halted their movements, paralyzed by the fierce aura of Goz standing before them.
Looking down at Kafma, Goz, with his scarred, bearded face, expressed his anger.
Goz: "I understand that you still seek to atone for the rebellion orchestrated by your kin, along with that damned Balleroy! But! Atonement may not be achieved through death! You must live!"
Kafma: "General First-Class Goz ..."
Goz: "Even after the Great Disaster is subdued, the Empire will not instantly return to normal! Both you and I can become His Excellency's strength! That is why!"
With a roar filled with loyalty as if about to burst, Goz bashed Kafma's thoughts.
Realizing that this was not a place to sacrifice his life, Kafma, with his innermost feelings laid bare, tightly closed his eyes and deeply bowed his head before Goz.
Goz: "Well, anyhow, it is not so easy a conflict that you can simply step back and be done with it. Your turn will come again soon! Until then, eat, rest, and regain your strength!"
Kafma: "Under ... stood. General First-Class Goz, I entrust this place to you ..."
Goz: "No need to say it -- I too, have pent-up frustrations!"
With a wide grin at Kafma's strained words, Goz aimed the mace he had shouldered towards the enemy lines.
Handling the excessively heavy weapon that no one but him could with ease, Goz's entire body overflowed with tremendous fighting spirit, so immense that it had an illusion of visibility.
Once again, feeling the apprehension of the "insects" within his own body, Kafma fell into deep thought.
Chisha Gold, who had demonstrated an unfathomable strategy to take precautions against the ruin of the Empire, and Goz Ralfon, who frightened the "insects" by merely standing there with his tremendous spirit, were both people who had reached the position of the Vollachian Empire's Generals of the First-Class, all of which were transcendent beings no less competent than another.
Envisioning how he had almost been ranked among them in the past, and how he must be ranked among them in the future --
Kafma: " -- The Empire is strong. We won't be so easily taken by the undead or disaster."
AVAVAVA
???: "It is not a matter of being strong or weak, but it is rather a matter of quantity, and one that is difficult to deal with. Fortunately, the supplies and defenses of the Fortified City are abundant, but ... we cannot withstand such a siege for long."
???: "You speak your mind clearly. Well, I certainly have a better impression of you than those who can't express their opinions for fear of offending others. If only your cunning could be matched by your military strength, then you would be more to my liking."
???: "High Countess Dracroy, let us not digress any further."
Berstetz, chiding her, glared at Serena with thin, thread-like eyes. Serena shrugged her shoulders under that gaze, and Otto, who was being flirted with, let out a small sigh.
The setting was the command room of the great fortress, and those facing each other were responsible for leading the full-scale defensive battle of the city.
From the reports of the lookouts, it was confirmed that the Fortified City of Garkla had entered a state of being ready for combat around the great fortress.
The delaying force that had been holding back the enemy's advance had also joined the city, and staged within a city that boasted the Vollachian Empire's strongest defenses, the largest siege in the history of the Empire was about to begin.
???: "That bein' said, ya typically win a siege by waitin' for reinforcements, but we can't be countin' on that this time, y'know. The only way we can be sayin' we've won is ... "
???: " -- When Natsuki-kun and His Excellency the Emperor splendidly defeat the enemy's mastermind. Until then, our role is to struggle to ensure that Vollachia does not fall."
???: "If Vollachia goes down, then Kararagi n' Lugunica are gonna be in hot water too ... What the heck, it's really a battle for the survival of the world, ain't it."
Placing her hand on her white cheek, Anastasia broke into a graceful smile as she spoke, and the fox scarf that chimed in with her let out a sigh of exasperation.
Having quite the peculiar form, the fox scarf brought by Anastasia was supposedly a Spirit. They needed as many capable heads as they could get, as this truly was an all-out war.
Serena: "The first question is how long the city's defenses will hold ... General Second-Class Irulux has been replaced by General First-Class Ralfon. Despite his appearances, he's a man capable of delicate and skillful work. He should follow the directive of sparing the lives of the zombies as much as possible, but ... "
Berstetz: "It is unrealistic to consistently expect non-lethality. This goes not just for General First-Class Goz, but for everyone else. If there is any hope for us to hold onto ... "
Anastasia: "I'm guessin' it'd be Natsuki-kun's group of friends."
Otto: "I think so, too."
Anastasia and Otto exchanged glances, aligning their opinions with each other.
The topic the duo raised concerned the strange defensive force for the Fortified City, in whom they held high expectations, the members of the Pleiades Battalion.
The black-haired boy, who had formed a miraculously friendly relationship with Vincent, led this group. They had significantly aided the refugees with their strong solidarity and mysterious combat abilities.
Currently, the boy in question was headed to the Imperial Capital with Vincent and the others, leaving the group under the leadership of Gustav Morello -- led by the stern member of the Multi-Arm Tribe, the gladiators were fighting exceptionally well.
Echidna: "Their morale is high, and their ability to prevent casualties is impressive. I often think to myself, Natsuki-kun is a genius at bringing what is needed to where it is needed."
Otto: "Yes, that seems to be his one redeeming quality. Though, I wish he would just make deliveries or bridge political divisions, instead of recklessly running into the most dangerous of situations."
Anastasia: "But y'know, ain't that more of a problem on Emilia-san's part? If Emilia-san starts runnin' ahead, Natsuki-kun's gotta run too, ain't no way around it."
Anastasia shook her head with a "good grief" gesture, and Otto dropped his shoulders in agreement.
While watching this exchange and the development of relationships would be interesting, spending too much time on it would draw a stern look from the Prime Minister.
Serena cleared her throat, and after capturing everyone's attention,
Serena: "As per our prior agreement, our combat strategy is strictly to hold a siege, a defensive battle. If defeating one specific opponent could resolve all of this, I'd consider assassination as an option, but ... "
Berstetz: "As it stands, let us consider His Excellency and those headed to the Imperial Capital as the arrows of assassination."
Serena: "That's how it is -- It's an all-out war."
At Serena's words, there was a palpable tension in the air, and everyone's expression became more intense.
The light-hearted banter from just before had ended, and from that point on, it would be a world where they needed to exert their utmost efforts.
The Imperial Generals, the rebel fighters, the gladiators of the Pleiades Battalion, the People of Shudraq, and even the allies of the Kingdom and the emissaries from the City-States, all part of a battle that utilized everything at their disposal.
And, as the first hurdle --
Serena: "We'll be counting on you, envoys from the City-States."
Anastasia: "Sure thing, leave it to us -- As far as I can remember, he ain't ever let me down, not even once."
-- Amidst the warfare waged in the Vollachian Empire, what exactly was the aspect that differed most greatly to that of other countries?
If one were to ignore the resolve harbored by the Imperial Soldiers, or their fiery spirit to contend in battle, the answer to that was plain and simple -the potential for aerial combat.
The technique of flying dragon taming, which was absent from other nations, and the fact that a large number of flying dragons inhabited the Empire exclusively, were aspects of their superiority that were thoroughly demonstrated in warfare.
It was a fact that went without even needing to be thought, but merely being able to fly through the air was something that proved advantageous in war.
In fact, the Fortress City of Guaral, which was said to boast high defensive capabilities among other cities of similar size, had fallen into a state of utter destruction due to a flock of flying dragons commanded by the Flying Dragon General, Madelyn Eschart.
By merely throwing things down from an unreachable position, a battle would become one-sided.
That remained a threat even for the Fortified City of Garkla, a city surrounded by a towering wall. However --
???: "Fire --!!! "
Lined up atop the wall, Shudraqian warriors with bows at the ready fired arrows into the air in unison.
The barrage of arrows covered the sky, offering no escape, and directly pierced by those countless attacks was the flock of undead flying dragons that had been ordered to assail the stout city from the skies above, and was soaring through the air as they drew ever closer.
Pierced by the merciless blows, one after another the heads of undead flying dragons shattered before they turned to dust and fell to the ground.
Among them, there were some that continued to fly without paying any mind to the attacks, but --
Shudraqian: "Take them down!"
Shudraqian: "It's best if they fall to the ground -. "
Struck by a blow from an arrow incomparable to a normal arrow in terms of length and thickness, one of them was blown to smithereens in midair, and met its end.
In response to aerial combat, the Shudraq boasted unrivaled strength -- the experience of the aforementioned crushing defeat in the Fortress City had a great impact on the fighting style of these women.
Had they not suffered that defeat, the Shudraq would likely have not been fighting the undead flying dragons here.
Giving meaning to each and every one of their battles, the People of Shudraq had fought since the start of the Empire's upheaval, which had begun with Vincent Vollachia's ousting.
And, in response to the morale of those women --
Shudraqian: "Go get them! Guy with the handsome face!"
Man: "I shall do my best to meet your expectations -- Al Clauseria."
Weaving an incantation with a fine tone of voice, the tip of the Knight's sword traced the sky, and following that trajectory a rainbow light was born, thwarting the path of the undead flying dragons.
Despite the beauty of the rainbow aurora, it became a barrier that rejected anything and everything.
Man: "Wholly different from when they were still buds, these girls have blossomed, and this is their glimmer."
In the blink of an eye, the skies of the Fortified City were engulfed in an aurora of rainbow -- however, the size and extent of that rainbow were enough to defend around half of the extensive Fortified City.
The Imperial Soldiers fighting on the front lines, as well as those who were also responsible for protecting the city from atop the wall, were left speechless by that extraordinary combat capability, and they could not help but feel a surge of courage from that reliability.
Sensing that swell of morale, the Knight who had birthed the rainbow -- Julius Juukulius, waved the hem of his kimono, and looked up to the sky once again.
With a white scar underneath his left eye, the dauntless young man participated in the battle out of honor, and nevertheless trained his gaze upon what he ought to do without an iota of hesitation. His eyes were fixed upon the sky, upon the vast lands where the undead drew near, believing in the efforts of his friend, who was headed even further beyond --
Julius: " -- I shall carry out my own duties. I hope you also do so to the fullest, Subaru."
Arc eight Chapter forty-four - How to Respond to Faith
Arc eight Chapter forty-four - How to Respond to Faith
As all the muscles in his body throbbed, his canines were sharpened by a surge of fighting spirit.
The aftershocks from the fighting fissured, upheaved the street, and with his feet firmly plunked down onto it, the vitality flowing in from his soles swelled into his soul; looking straight ahead, at the skies above, he glared at the majestic figure spreading its wings head-on.
The sound of his blood circulating grew faster, the beating of his heart grew louder and more intense, as if it were a large drum invigorating his very existence.
That was to say --
???: " __ 'S THE BEST I EVER FUCKIN' FELT !! "
Gnashing his fangs, Garfiel roared as he smashed through the road with his foot, and advanced forth.
As the sky intercepted him, he saw himself reflected by the glint in the eyes of the dignified figure -- of the white Cloud Dragon; Garfiel's blood, flesh, and even his very soul, could not bear the applause.
As an arrow of the rebel army, he had traded fists with one strong individual after the other in the decisive battle for the Imperial Capital.
A man close to the Nine Divine Generals, and an individual ranked among the Nine Divine Generals; through battle against those who were undoubtedly strong, Garfiel truly felt the duty levied on him as a member of his faction.
Being able to clash with the extolled Generals of the Vollachian Empire was truly an honor as a warrior.
However, having recognized that as a valuable experience, this was something he had been waiting for.
Garfiel: "Finally got the chance to throw down against a Dragon!"
For a citizen of the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica, for any being who lived in this world, it was known just how mighty, how far beyond the realm of human knowledge the beings known as Dragons were.
Of course, that went for Garfiel as well. He knew that Dragons were not beings that could be measured by the logic of the world of men.
However, at both Pleiades Watchtower and at the decisive battle for the Imperial Capital, Emilia had gained the opportunity to clash with a Dragon, and had magnificently survived both of those encounters.
Emilia: "Dragons? Yeah, Volcanica and Mezoreia were both really strong. Their bodies are big, and their breath is also dangerous ... They kept on surprising me!"
Such had been Emilia's remark when talking about the threat of Dragons.
Combined with hand gestures, Emilia spoke of how Dragons were monumental beings, but regardless of the issue of her ability to express things, the full extent of that had not been conveyed.
The difference between that and the words Emilia had left unspoken, was something he was to experience first-hand, here and now --
Mezoreia: " --!! "
Splitting the ground beneath his feet, Garfiel ferociously closed the distance; facing him, the Cloud Dragon gaped its maw.
Garfiel stood at the ready, anticipating that another equivalent to the breath that had scorched the Imperial Capital just prior would be fired again; with aim locked onto him, Mezoreia unleashed the breath in accordance with his premonition. However --
Garfiel: "Go, ah !? "
Struck by an impact accompanied by peculiar heat, different to that of scorching heat or extreme cold, Garfiel let out a cry of pain.
It happened right after he had leapt to the side in order to evade the firing trajectory of Mezoreia's breath. Having escaped to the side of the trajectory, Garfiel was assailed by a second firing of the breath.
Without doing anything to obscure its actions, it was obvious what his opponent was doing.
It was not that it had emitted a single breath to mow down the entirety of this block of the Imperial Capital in one go, rather, it had split it up into short bursts. Instead of letting out one long breath, it had released two breaths in quick succession.
-- No, not two. Considering it was splitting up one breath, it could do the same thing for a third and fourth time.
Garfiel: "Tch !! "
His left arm being scorched as it basked in the breath, Garfiel used his momentum from jumping to the side to smash through the wall of a private residence on the side of the road, hiding himself from the Cloud Dragon's vision.
But, faced with the Cloud Dragon's breath, even a stone-built structure would not endure. Unlike the pig's house that would not be blown down by the wolf's breath, something Subaru had told him about in the past.
Struck with impacts from the succession of breaths, the walls very quickly flayed off the house; as the furniture and belongings were being destroyed, the damage reached Garfiel, who had plunged inside the house -- at least that was what should have happened.
Garfiel: "OOOOOOORAAAHHH !!! "
Then, before the house exposed to the breath could be demolished to rubble, the roaring Garfiel had used both his hands to tear out the house from the very ground, and heartily hurled it through the air.
A house-cannonball that furiously gyrated as it scattered through the street -- oddly enough, Garfiel was making full use of the same tactic that Natsuki Subaru had employed when evacuating the Imperial Capital. With the ball of mass hurled from those hands approaching it, Mezoreia took an especially large breath.
Mezoreia: "You're in my friggin' way!"
Roaring with a childish expression that ran contrary to its colossal and dignified appearance, the Cloud Dragon blew the house to smithereens before it could reach its destination.
However, it would be naïve of Mezoreia to think it could catch its breath as a result of that.
Garfiel: "ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORAAHHH !! "
Since it had defended against the first house-cannonball, Garfiel grabbed them up from the systematically laid out townscape of the Imperial Capital one-by-one, and flung them towards the Cloud Dragon in the sky with tremendous strength.
With the combination of Garfiel's physical strength, and the fact that the ground of the Imperial Capital had softened through repeated impacts, the aberrant balls of mass were fired in quick succession; witnessing this, Mezoreia widened its golden eyes.
Mezoreia: "Youuuu're aaaaaaaa friiiiiiigginnnnnnnn' EYESOOOOOOOOORE !! "
As the house-cannonballs flew towards it, Mezoreia flapped its wings and intercepted them.
Its arms, furnished with sharp claws, rampaged in the air, blowing away two houses, and swinging its tail straight upwards from below, it destroyed three buildings altogether in one intense strike. And then --
Mezoreia: " -- Friggin' die already."
Garfiel: " -- Hk."
Using the wreckage of the destroyed houses as a foothold, Garfiel dashed up into the air; seeing through the surprise attack, Mezoreia seized him head- on, and slammed its dragon claws into him from both left and right.
Being pinched in a trajectory akin to striking one's fists together before their chest, the midair Garfiel swung his shield-clad arms in order to parry. Taking the Dragon's left arm with his right, and the Dragon's right arm with his left, he received the blows.
An intense impact ran through Garfiel's entire body, his clenched teeth fissured, and his nose bled.
But, if this were anyone other than Garfiel, they would be smashed into a lump of meat without lasting even a second. Mezoreia's whiskers also quivered at that outcome, its shock at the existence of a human that was not crushed laid bare.
At that shock of Mezoreia, Garfiel's cheeks began to contort into a smile,
Garfiel: "How d'ya like -- "
That; before he could display his vigor with those words, his body, still held by the two arms, received a direct blow from the tail that slammed into him from straight above -- Garfiel was blown away with force such that his body left behind all notions of sound, and while altering the structure of the townscape with each impact, he tumbled over and over and over again, until he crashed into the bulwark of the Imperial Capital, and came to a stop.
???: "O-oi !? Oi, brat !? "
Amidst the dense plume of smoke hanging over the scene, the man who had witnessed the marks left on the street of Garfiel bouncing, scraping, and smashing against ground -- Heinkel's voice quavered.
The man who had been unable to do anything but dumbfoundedly watch as Garfiel and the Cloud Dragon clashed against each other, rushed over to Garfiel's side, the latter having received a direct blow that seemed to have enough might to turn one-hundred ordinary people into ground meat.
Heinkel: "Dead ... Are you dead? You have to be dead! That sort of thing ... "
Garfiel: " ... I ain't gonna let it, kill me so easily."
Before the mountain of rubble, a voice reached Heinkel, who had imagined that the fickle life had been lost. In Heinkel's vision as he was taken aback,
the mountain of rubble collapsed, and there was the figure of Garfiel, with both his legs stretched out.
Garfiel turned his back on the ramparts, and languidly hung his head without showing his face. Then, his mouth made a chewing motion, and he spat out his shattered fangs together with blood. And then --
Garfiel: "Ahh, shit ... They really are fuckin' outrageous, these Dragon things. Finally get why Emilia-sama spoke about 'em so softly."
Shaking his head, he slowly stood up.
Feeling around with his tongue, he found that a tooth which had been split in two was failing to try and replace itself with new growth, so he thrust his finger inside and ripped it out from its roots. Right away, he knew that the tip of a new tooth had turned up below where the removed one was, and he loudly cracked the joints in his neck with a twist.
Heinkel: "Did that, really do nothing to you ...? "
Garfiel: "Ain't no way it did nothing to me. I got hit with a blow from a Dragon ... Nah, even got hit with a second and third blow. Seems like it's a case of «the miraculous survival of Manfroy»."
Garfiel: "But ya know, my amazin' self can keep going -- I'm glad that my amazin' self's still able to keep going."
As his entire body grated with appeals of pain both blunt and sharp, Garfiel clenched both his fists, and with shaky breath, he voiced his pride as such.
Even having taken the onslaught of a Dragon that surpassed human knowledge head-on, he stood back up nonetheless.
He was truly glad that he was able to do so.
Heinkel: " ... What the hell, what the hell is wrong with you !? "
Hearing Garfiel mutter, Heinkel involuntarily cried out.
With Garfiel reflected in his wide-open blue eyes, the man violently and messily scratched at his head with the hand that was empty, and,
Heinkel: "Why the hell did you come back? I don't understand! It's a Dragon ... It's a fucking Dragon !? There's no way you can win. You're an idiot to come here! And yet!"
Garfiel: "Well that goes for you and me both, Pops."
Heinkel: "Ah ...? "
Garfiel: "I'm sayin' that if the act of bein' here, n' the act of facin' off against a Dragon's what an idiot'd do, then doesn't that go for ya as well, Pops?"
Left speechless by those words, Heinkel stopped the hand that was scratching his head, and gazed in wonder.
His demeanor was entirely as if to say not to lump them together, but if that were truly the case, he was hopeless. That was because, in Heinkel's hand, opposite to the one that had been scratching his head,
Garfiel: "You're still holdin' onto yer sword, ain't'cha?"
Garfiel believed that was proof that Heinkel held a faint wish which he had not thrown away.
Perhaps he had just become unable to open his fingers out of fear. -- No. Try to understand.
Perhaps he had just forgotten about himself, and was just carrying it around. -- No. Try to understand.
Perhaps he had just been about to sheath it and run away at this moment. -- No. Try to understand.
The weak thoughts, the crushed spirit, the reasons for being seized with fear, he would try to understand all of it.
After having thought through absolutely all of it, he continued to try to understand, because he believed that the face of a man was only complete if he grit his teeth through the pain, standing up to fight for the wishes of others.
Garfiel: "Captain and Ottobro're also the same. That also goes for my amazin' self."
Heinkel: "I ... I'm ... "
Trembling, Heinkel looked down at his hand, still gripping the sword as it trembled. With Heinkel in the side of his vision, Garfiel vigorously slammed his back against the bulwark, and straightened his posture.
Then, to Heinkel, who had not straightened himself,
Garfiel: "Ya asked why my amazin' self came back, didn't'cha?"
Heinkel: " -- Ah?"
Garfiel's quiet voice caused Heinkel to widen his eyes.
As Heinkel waited for the words that followed, Garfiel delivered not a continuation of his words, but instead a fist to Heinkel's chest, sending the latter flying.
Heinkel was thrust away, and the street was upheaved on a massive scale.
The next instant, the breath of the Cloud Dragon was unleashed from the midst of the city's air, and it rapidly closed in on Garfiel, his back to the ramparts -- leaping up, Garfiel managed to evade it.
Garfiel: "Oh, OHHHHHH ...! "
With the wall to his back Garfiel flew directly up, and pursuing him, the heated ray of white breath inclined its trajectory upwards. Scorching the townscape, reducing the bulwark to dust, the breath went higher, higher, and higher as it pursued Garfiel as he escaped into the skies above.
Hot on Garfiel's toes, before it could burn his body entirely --
Garfiel: "It's 'cause Captain told me this."
As the breath of the Dragon trying to scorch the world grazed the soles of his feet, there was not a hint of irritation that could be heard in his voice. What was present however, was pride in the act of responding to faith.
Curling up in midair, Garfiel planted his feet on part of the wall that still retained its original form -- Immediately after, he kicked off the wall with strength that caused a crater to fissure within it, and flew forwards.
Forward, forward, forward, towards the Cloud Dragon that soared in the skies of the Imperial Capital, and with his mouth wide open, closing in as the sharp newly grown fang basked in the wind --
Garfiel: " -- He told my amazin' self this! To go n' bring down the loud ass Dragon flyin' in the sky !! "
Mezoreia: " -- RAHHH !? "
Having flown above the breath, having approached the Cloud Dragon, Garfiel released both his tensed-up arms and let loose simultaneous blows, the destructive power of a cannonball seizing Mezoreia's nose.
A sound as loud as a warehouse stuffed with Magic Stones exploding reverberated through the sky; the Cloud Dragon was knocked back having received a direct hit, and the next moment, blood spurted forth.
Through its broken snout the Dragon spilt blood, and having been slammed back into the ground from the recoil of his own fist, Garfiel basked in the greatness of his action. And as he did so, Garfiel laughed.
Garfiel: "DA-HA-HA-HA! I went n' gave a Dragon a nosebleed!"
Mezoreia: "You, little !! "
Mezoreia raged at the impossible humiliation, and Garfiel laughed even more upon seeing that state.
Seeing that from afar, having been thrust away and saved from the breath, Heinkel sat with his buttocks on the ground, gazing in dumbfoundment,
Heinkel: " ... That's not sane."
As Heinkel weakly muttered, a battlefield was created by the faceoff between Garfiel and the Dragon -- an event coincidental, in timing and scale both, to the changes in atmosphere yielded in various other places within the Imperial Capital.
As if not paying any mind to that, the fight between tiger and Dragon unfolded, and with that scene before him, Heinkel did not move an inch.
Unable to flee, unable to even stand, he did not move an inch.