Chapter 416. What a Mess You're Making
Before Ricardo and Julius teamed up to take on Wilhelm, all three cast a gentle glance toward Hikigaya Hachiman before choosing their theater of war.
They erupted into a fierce battle at a distance that was neither too close—lest the shockwaves harm Hachiman—nor too far—lest they be too late to snatch him away. For the time being, they were evenly matched, locked in a stalemate.
...As for the chaotic brawl involving over a hundred people from the Iron Fang Mercenary Group and the Karsten House private army, that was a much messier affair.
While the majority on both sides were completely loyal to their respective lords, there were a few "strays" on both sides who secretly supported a pairing between Hachiman and the opposing lord.
These individuals chose to "slack off" and underperform. They intentionally bumped into enemy attacks and immediately lay down, considering it their contribution to the "party" and faith they truly supported.
This was the limit of what they could do. After all, they couldn't bring themselves to be traitors and turn on their own comrades—that would be too immoral. Slacking off was already enough of a betrayal to their own lord.
They prayed, hoping they would be the straw that broke the camel's back—that because of their underperformance, their side would lack the combat power to stop the opposition from successfully snatching Hachiman away.
However, some couldn't even manage to slack off.
Some tried to run into an enemy attack, only to have a quick-witted "good brother" from their own side pull them back just in time. They could only weep internally while dryly thanking their comrade.
In other instances, two "double agents" ended up grappling with each other. Both left massive openings, but the other party stubbornly feigned blindness, as if they saw nothing, and responded with even larger openings of their own. It was a sight that left onlookers speechless.
To avoid fatalities and minimize damage to innocent buildings or injury to civilians, both Crusch and Anastasia had a tacit understanding not to deploy magic users.
After all, once a mage releases magic, it becomes difficult to control; accidental casualties could occur, escalating the competition into an all-out, localized war.
...But it was useless if only they remained rational. Some people were far more impulsive than them.
Condensing mana and riding the wind, Ram and Rem arrived. Though they held their spells around their bodies for a good while—waiting until the people below saw them and scrambled away in a panic—they eventually slammed their magic down.
Whether or not they intentionally avoided taking lives, they had set the precedent for using magic in the "Hachiman Snatching War."
"It can't be helped. We are a disadvantaged group without a massive backing or the luxury of choice. Do you really want to watch Hachiman be snatched away just for the sake of moral conscience, Rem?"
The clear-sighted and somewhat unscrupulous Ram used this logic to persuade her sister.
BOOM—
A sharp blade of wind fired from a distance collided fiercely with Ram and Rem's magic, resulting in a massive explosion and shockwave. The mercenaries and soldiers retreated out of instinct. Ram narrowed her eyes, turning her head to look.
A beauty in a dashing military uniform—the incredibly cool Crusch—made her entrance.
Upon arrival, she ignored everything else and first set down Ferris, who she had brought along, urgently instructing: "Ferris, go check if Sir Hachiman is alright."
Because of Return by Death, the memories Hachiman inherited were surely more numerous and troublesome than anyone else's.
Crusch could guess this.
Sending the physically weak Ferris to examine Hachiman was within the range of what all three parties allowed... Ultimately, they were the people in this world who cared most about Hachiman's mental and physical health. By comparison, everything else was secondary.
"Let it go, Crusch. Don't you think this is a bit pitiful?"
Seeing the enemy reinforcements increase, Ram put her mind to work, trying to dissuade Crusch. "Twice in the Sanctuary trials, once after you lost your memory, and once after he lost his memory. You've been rejected a total of four times. It's obvious you don't have a chance, so why keep clinging?
The look of a 'loser dog' is truly unsightly. It's not too late to stop now. Once Rem has a child, you're welcome to come visit Ram's brother-in-law. How about it? That's a generous offer, isn't it?"
Unfortunately, while her IQ was high, she had spent the last decade-plus accustomed to being sharp-tongued. Even though she moderated herself slightly now, her words and tone still sounded like she was intentionally mocking Crusch.
Crusch possessed excellent temperament. She simply gave a firm refusal without a counter-insult: "I am someone Sir Hachiman respects and admires. Surrendering without a fight would
not only violate my principles, it would turn me into a 'loser dog' that Sir Hachiman truly wouldn't like. Words are useless!"
"Sigh, a pity..."
Ram felt quite regretful. Her real concern wasn't Crusch; although Crusch's faction was powerful, she wasn't the hardest to deal with. Ram feared that if they spent too much time bickering here, Priscilla would show up.
"Then let the truth be seen through action. Don't hold back, Rem—wait!"
The fight was about to ignite when Ram suddenly changed her tune. She glared fiercely at a spot near Hachiman, swinging a wind blade that was blocked by an ice shard emitting freezing temperatures.
Rem and Crusch were startled to realize that while they were facing off, Emilia had somehow sneaked in. She was trying to bypass them and "steal" Hachiman away while they were distracted.
"Is Lady Emilia that kind of person?" Rem asked in shock.
"Hmph, Emilia might not be, but..."
As Ram's mocking voice trailed off, Puck popped out. He rubbed the back of his head, laughing sheepishly. "It was me who urged Lia to do it, hehe~ Too bad, though. If we still had Roswaal's 'Cognitive Interference Cloak,' we might have succeeded."
"Puck!"
Being a thief was shameless enough, but getting caught and having Puck be so brazen about it made Emilia's face flush with shame.
She lowered her head, complaining in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "I told you we shouldn't do this..."
Unwilling to endure his "daughter's" complaints, Puck clapped his paws and said loudly, "It can't be helped! Since outsmarting them failed, we'll just have to take him by force!"
He pointed at the cold-faced Ram and the weapon-clutching Rem and Crusch, comforting her: "Look at them, they've already resorted to violence. This is clearly allowed."
This time, Emilia did not hesitate... Since Crusch, whom Hachiman had praised several times for her integrity, was doing this, it meant it was truly okay.
Crusch and Ram/Rem had no communication, but facing Emilia, they suddenly teamed up. Emilia's level of attraction to Hachiman was obvious to all; they had to kick this competitor out first.
Otherwise, none of them would even get a sip of the soup!
Facing the trio's teamwork, Emilia was in a bit of a bind. She could win if she went all out, but that would make it hard to ensure no accidents happened.
Just as she was hesitating, an incredibly arrogant voice cut into the fray, instantly cooling the white-hot four-way struggle:
"Hmph. What a mess you're making! A pack of bitches lusting after my property!"
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