Author: Suisei
Translator: Rinkage
Character page: Here
Chapter 219 – I resolved it in my chuunibyou mode
“We can do this together. Let’s go, Steel Arms of Azure Flame!” [Youki]
Without waiting for a response, I grabbed his arm and charged towards Mirror.
“How predictable!!” [Mirror]
He fired another pseudo-beam from his palm, but I had already anticipated it. Adjusting my strength, I hurled the Steel Arms of Azure Flame upward so he could land directly behind Mirror.
“Whoaaaaaaa—!?”
I neutralised the beam with a straight right and dove forward. On the other side, the Steel Arms of Azure Flame landed safely. Sensing my intent, he immediately began slashing at Mirror from behind.
Fuhahaha! Now we had him in a pincer attack.
“Behold! This is the combined assault of the Magic Knight of Black Lightning and the Steel Arms of Azure Flame!” [Youki]
“Naive! Too naive!” [Mirror]
A dazzling light erupted from Mirror’s entire body, signalling another incoming attack. I quickly retreated, and the Steel Arms of Azure Flame halted his assault as well.
Damn it. This is a pain.
“If that’s all you’ve got, your attacks will never reach me.” [Mirror]
Hah. He’s got some nerve acting so smug in front of me. Still… it was true that our attacks hadn’t landed yet. I’d love to plant at least one solid punch on that face of his.
“…Hey.”
The Steel Arms of Azure Flame approached me. It seemed he had circled back from the other side. Since our attacks weren’t connecting against that lunatic, a quick strategy meeting wouldn’t hurt.
“Could you not throw me without warning? If I had botched the landing, my identity would have been exposed.” [Soleil]
“Hmph. You’re not the type to make such a mistake. I trusted in your strength. That was the basis of the plan. Or are you dissatisfied?” [Youki]
“No, that’s not it. It’s just… the what if.” [Soleil]
“If our identities are exposed, it’s over. That’s exactly why we must train so that there is no ‘what if.’ If our true selves were revealed here, then the Steel Arms of Azure Flame would only ever have been that much to begin with.” [Youki]
During the fight, I had taken extreme precautions to ensure my helmet stayed firmly in place. I had even modified the fastenings myself as an extra safeguard. The moment we decided to put on these outfits, we could no longer act half-heartedly. If my identity were exposed, the only thing waiting for me would be social death.
“Hey now, do you really have time to be chatting?” [Mirror]
Mirror, clearly losing patience, fired another pseudo-beam. Honestly, it made me wonder if there were only rocks inside his skull. Did he seriously not understand that it wouldn’t work anymore?
“My target isn’t you, you know~” [Mirror]
Mirror suddenly raised his arm toward the ceiling. That gave me a very bad feeling. Was he planning to collapse the ceiling instead? It would be easy for me to dodge the attack, but the consequences for everyone around us would be disastrous. The entire wedding would be ruined. Not that things weren’t chaotic already, but blasting a hole in the ceiling of the wedding hall would be an entirely different matter.
“Damn it!” [Youki]
Just as I was about to charge in to stop him, something shot past me from the side.
“Finally here, huh?” [Mirror]
The one who charged at Mirror was none other than Yuuga. With his body enveloped in radiant light, he rushed forward and slashed at Mirror with the Holy Sword.
“I’m joining in too. This is my wedding—with Mikana.” [Yuuga]
“Hey, Hero Yuuga. Leave this to me and the Steel Arms of Azure Flame. You’re the star of this ceremony, aren’t you?” [Youki]
“That’s exactly why. He’s my… no, our final obstacle to happiness. And since Mikana’s watching, I’m going to make this look good.” [Yuuga]
Dazzling.
At that moment, he truly looked like a hero. Mikana, meanwhile, watched him like a proper heroine. A heroine in a wedding dress, no less. She showed no sign of anxiety whatsoever. It was as if she had absolute faith that Yuuga would win. Yuuga, the hero, would defeat Mirror, and the wedding would reach its final act before continuing to their happily-ever-after. It was shaping up to be the perfect fairy-tale ending.
“Come on, come on—give me more… more!” [Mirror]
“Tch! I won’t lose. We’ve been waiting for this day together. I won’t forgive anyone who tries to ruin it!” [Yuuga]
Their battle quickly turned flashy.
Honestly, I wish they would be a little more careful about the shockwaves that could hit nearby guests. Yuuga at least seemed mindful of that, but Mirror clearly wasn’t. It made me question whether he even deserved the title of “hero” in the first place.
“Hey, Magic Knight of Black Lightning. What should we do? Protect the guests, or support Hero Yuuga?” [Soleil]
“Leave the defence to the knights. Our target is Mirror.” [Youki]
Yuuga seemed to be holding his own, but he still hadn’t landed a decisive blow. At this rate, the groom might end up battered and bruised before this was over.
Should I go all out? I could beat him senseless in five seconds and toss him into the river.
“Hero Yuuga, this is disappointing. Are you sure you defeated the Demon Lord? You’re not even fighting at full strength. Can’t you fight without worrying about the people around you? If not… I’ll just take care of it myself.” [Mirror]
That bastard.
Mirror mercilessly fired another knockoff beam – this time directly at Mikana. That was something a hero should never do. Yuuga immediately moved to intercept it, blocking the attack with his sword.
“Damn it! He’s aiming for Mikana again!” [Yuuga]
“Looks like this is dragging on. I’ll help too.” [Mikana]
“No, no— Mikana, you’re wearing a dress. I’ll protect you no matter what, so please stay back.” [Yuuga]
“It’s fine. I have my staff. I’ll support you. Let’s finish this quickly.” [Mikana]
Where had she even hidden that? Mikana suddenly produced a staff from who-knows-where and stepped forward as if she had been prepared for this all along.
“W-wait… Mikana, where did that staff even come from…?” [Yuuga]
“How many years do you think I’ve been with you? I never once believed this wedding would end peacefully. Now hurry up and get rid of him.” [Mikana]
“But it’s our wedding day… if I drag you into this—” [Yuuga]
“Hurry up and move, or I’ll kick you.” [Mikana]
For a hero, he was getting chewed out pretty harshly by his bride. Once they were married, Yuuga was definitely going to be whipped. Though honestly… that might be better for him.
“Come on, come on. Entertain me more—guh!?” [Mirror]
Yeah. It’s about time to shut this annoying guy up.
Mirror took my fist straight to the face. He probably wondered why he couldn’t dodge it. I wasn’t sure what Cecilia would say about this later, but…
…it was time for me to get a little serious.
“The thought that those two’s wedding might be ruined because of your selfish reasons makes my blood boil. I normally don’t let personal feelings interfere with a request… but this might be the first time I’ve ever felt this angry.” [Youki]
The glowing energy around him was troublesome, so I struck before he could launch another attack. The moment he fell, I mounted him and began raining punches down on him.
Simple.
Effective.
Beat him unconscious.
“Gah—ugh—ghk… d-don’t… get so… cocky!” [Mirror]
He fired another knockoff beam, so I twisted my body aside and avoided it. This lunatic really was tough. But at this point, I had already decided it was time for him to leave.
I grabbed Mirror by the leg and hurled him towards Yuuga and Mikana. It was best for the stars of the day to deliver the finishing blow.
“Yuuga! Slam him into the ground!” [Youki]
“Got it!” [Yuuga]
Yuuga intercepted the flying Mirror and smashed him down with his sword. Honestly… the impact looked like it might have killed him on the spot. That wasn’t supposed to be a blunt strike, right?
Mirror crashed to the ground and lay there motionless as Mikana approached him, gripping her staff tightly.
“Because of you, our wedding… our precious wedding… was completely ruined, you idiot hero!” [Mikana]
Fury was written all over her face as she began beating Mirror mercilessly with her staff. Considering that magic was ineffective against this lunatic, using physical blows was the correct choice. Still… it looked pretty brutal. But hearing Mirror groan was oddly reassuring. Good. At least he wasn’t dead yet.
However, once his body began convulsing, Yuuga hurriedly stepped in to stop her.
He’s still alive, right?
“I’m still not done hitting him!” [Mikana]
“Mikana, that’s enough. He can’t fight anymore. He’s completely beaten. It’s over. Come on… let’s continue the wedding.” [Yuuga]
Seeing them start flirting already, everything was probably fine. Yuuga would take control of the situation from here and wrap things up. At this point, there was no way he would mess up. The protagonist wasn’t supposed to make the wrong choice at the final stage of the story, nor should he go inviting any more trouble. So, my role here was finished.
At that moment, everyone’s attention was fixed on Yuuga and Mikana as they embraced and kissed. Seeing my chance, I quietly slipped away while all eyes were on them.
“Hey.”
Unfortunately, someone who wasn’t paying attention to the main stars noticed me leaving.
The Steel Arms of Azure Flame. I had completely forgotten he was still there.
“My role here is finished.” [Youki]
“You’re planning to leave without a word?” [Soleil]
“Attending the wedding wasn’t part of the request. I wasn’t invited either. That means I no longer have a place here.” [Youki]
I needed to switch back to being Youki before things became complicated. More importantly, Soleil might start getting suspicious.
“You should get going as well, Steel Arms of Azure Flame. If you don’t want your identity exposed, disappear now. If you have circumstances of your own… then you already know what to do.” [Youki]
“Don’t tell me… you know who I really am—” [Soleil]
“Well, who knows?” [Youki]
I turned my back and leapt away.
“Wait—just who are you really…?” [Soleil]
“Hmph. I am the Magic Knight of Black Lightning.” [Youki]
Leaving that parting line behind, I made my exit. I didn’t want to invite any further trouble by lingering, so I left the cleanup to Raven.
….
“And thus, Hero Yuuga’s wedding came to a peaceful conclusion… I think.” [Youki]
I reverted from the Magic Knight of Black Lightning back to Youki and slowly made my way towards the wedding hall, albeit very slowly. According to the story I had prepared, when I tried to protect Mikana earlier, I was struck by Mirror’s beam, lost consciousness, and was rescued by the Magic Knight of Black Lightning. To sell the story, I even wrapped my arm in bandages and rolled around on the ground a bit to make it look convincing. I had to look like I’d taken a beating.
“Whoa…”
Unfortunately, the peaceful conclusion did not extend to me. Standing right at the entrance to the hall was the very person I had been trying to avoid – Soleil. It was almost as if he had been waiting for me. The moment he spotted me, he walked over. Just seeing him drained the remaining energy from my body. Honestly, I was exhausted. I really didn’t want to deal with any more mind games.
“‘Unscathed’ doesn’t seem to describe your condition. Are you all right?” [Soleil]
“I was saved by the Magic Knight of Black Lightning.” [Youki]
“I see. So you were helped by him as well. After you went down, the Steel Arms of Azure Flame, the Magic Knight of Black Lightning, Yuuga-kun, and Mikana-san subdued Mirror, the Hero of the Gallis Empire. What will be done with him will apparently be decided through negotiations between the nations.” [Soleil]
They should just put a chain around that lunatic’s neck and lock him somewhere. No matter how you looked at it, he was dangerous. Honestly, he might even be worse than the Demon Lord.
“I see. So the wedding wasn’t cancelled.” [Youki]
“When you moved to shield Mikana-san earlier, I was genuinely surprised. You knew what Mirror was about to do, didn’t you?” [Soleil]
“Anyone could tell just by looking. After that, my body just moved on its own. That’s all.” [Youki]
“…What a shame. If the person you had feelings for weren’t Cecilia-san, I might have been able to support you.” [Soleil]
What is with this guy all of a sudden? That’s rude, you know? You already said something like that earlier. There’s no need to repeat it. Try considering how hard it is for me to hold back my laughter here.
“The king made quite an outrageous announcement earlier.” [Soleil]
That free-spirited king did? He was the same one who laughed at my ridiculous proclamation last time.
I suddenly had a very bad feeling about this.
“He said that the reward for the hero’s party was still pending and that he would formally approve the marriage between Hero Yuuga and Mage Mikana. Then he added: ‘Knight Commander Raven and Saint Cecilia – you are both free to choose your marriage partners as well. I will personally silence any objections.’” [Soleil]
“Whaaaaa—!?” [Youki]
What the hell was that king thinking!? Making a declaration like that publicly would only give people hope. Now, everyone interested in the two of them – nobles or otherwise – would start thinking they had a chance and begin swarming them.
“That reaction… so you really do have feelings for Cecilia-san—” [Soleil]
“Shut it. Don’t pry any further.” [Youki]
“Aren’t you a little too shaken? Your true self is showing.” [Soleil]
Crap.
I snapped back at him without thinking. It was probably too late to cover it up now. If anything, it only strengthened my urge to get back inside and check on Cecilia and Raven.
“…I owe Cecilia-sama a great deal.” [Youki]
“That doesn’t sound like a lie. No matter what anyone says, your resolve won’t change, will it? Normally, people don’t take advice from someone they only met today. Still, the wall that will eventually stand in your way is a formidable one. The Magic Knight of Black Lightning. His strength is still largely unknown, and he shares a deep bond with Cecilia-san… facing someone like that—” [Soleil]
That’s me, damn it! I wanted to say it so badly, but I couldn’t. What kind of expression am I even supposed to make right now?
For the time being, I decided to put on a serious face.
“Who the opponent is doesn’t matter. This isn’t about fighting the Magic Knight of Black Lightning. Framing it that way would be disrespectful to Cecilia-sama.” [Youki]
“Even so, the path you walk will be a harsh one… I’ve already given up, so perhaps that’s why I can say things like this. To never give up, no matter who the opponent is… If someone like that were to appear in my life, perhaps then I’d understand how you feel.” [Soleil]
“That’s something you’ll have to figure out for yourself. See you.” [Youki]
If I stayed and talked with Soleil any longer, I would definitely let something slip. Thankfully, even though I cut the conversation off rather abruptly, he didn’t follow me.
Relieved, I stepped back into the venue—
—and immediately felt despair.
“…What is this…?” [Youki]
A long, endless line had formed in front of Cecilia and Raven.
Hey, come on. You’ve got to be kidding me. This is Yuuga and Mikana’s wedding, you know? Couldn’t they at least wait for another day?
The two of them were chatting calmly—
…No, that wasn’t quite right. It looked more like they were checking on each other, asking whether the other was holding up all right.
Meanwhile, the king – the very source of this entire mess – was nowhere to be seen.
Hey, Your Majesty. How about coming back here and cleaning up the chaos you started?
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