Shiati raised her head, grimacing in pain and discomfort.

Her broken fingers, the dark mana that was destroying her, and the wounds inflicted by the Warforger were eating away at her.

In contrast, Historia stood straight and upright, looking down at Shiati.

The Sky Silk still restrained her, and she couldn't move her arms at all.

Still, Historia was strong.

Both objectively and subjectively.

“What… are you talking about?”

Historia glanced at Shiati's fingers.

Her right arm was a prosthetic. In place of the right hand that was severed in the past, a solid chunk of metal filled the gap. On her remaining left arm were broken and twisted fingers.

Judging by the state of her fingers, they too might disappear soon.

Perhaps… it might not stop with just her fingers.

Historia narrowed her eyes further.

“Your fingers. We haven’t even reached Command, and you only have two left. Your ring and middle fingers are beyond saving.”

“Hmph, so what?”

“You have two bullets left. When you use those, what then? Will you use your life next?”

“I have nothing I can’t use.”

Shiati spoke defiantly.

She meant it.

She was prepared to use her final curse.

If she faced Command and confronted those who had ruined her life, Shiati would sacrifice her life without hesitation.

Her resolve was genuine, but Historia dismissed it outright.

“Give it up.”

“What?”

“Black magic won’t work.”

Shiati, overwhelmed with frustration, raised her upper body.

However, contrary to her honest body, she couldn't immediately retort.

This was because no one knew it better than Shiati herself.

She had broken two fingers against the Warforger and achieved nothing. She had only delayed him slightly, just a speck of time.

Yet despite the huge toll on her, Maximilian had returned unscathed.

No, she had managed to stall the Warforger with just her fingers… that in itself was quite the achievement.

Shiati considered her life disposable if she could kill her enemies.

She had always been that way.

But if she sacrificed her life and achieved nothing…

Even if she touched the Anathema, she would still accomplish nothing.

“Even if it worked, two fingers won't achieve anything. A gun without bullets is just a lump of metal. A black mage without enough sacrifices is more powerless than an ordinary person.”

Shiati retorted indignantly.

“So, you’re telling me to sit around sucking my fingers instead of breaking them? Don’t be ridiculous! Who will break their arms in my place?”

“I will.”

“Ha?”

“I’m saying I’ll break them for you. Unlike you, regardless of the bullets left.”

Historia turned away from Shiati without hesitation.

Her whole body turned towards the Princess.

Suddenly brought into the conversation, the Princess blinked.

Approaching her with a stern expression was one of the Military State’s pride, the Star General.

“Princess, I formally request of you. Instead of Shiati, I will be your gun.”

“What?”

Shiati widened her eyes, predicting what Historia would say next.

Historia intended to take away her reason to fight.

“I will fully cooperate with you and them. I will do everything in my power to achieve what you want, even if it opposes the Military State.”

It was a shocking proposal. One of the Military State’s strongest forces, one of the Six Star Generals, was offering complete cooperation to the Princess.

The Princess swallowed and asked.

“You must have conditions, right? What do you want?”

Historia nodded and stated, brutally straightforward.

“Remove Shiati from the fight.”

“Historia!”

Ignoring Shiati’s outcry, Historia continued speaking.

“Princess, you claim Shiati to be your friend. Then this is your chance to protect your friend and strengthen your power. If you have even a bit of sense, you won’t refuse my proposal.”

“Don’t be presumptuous! Who are you to tell me to step down or not?”

“I am Major General Historia, one of the Six Star Generals of the Military State. The youngest general, the one who has reached the Axiom, and the Gunmaster who can handle firearms freely. I’m incomparable to a black mage with only two bullets left.”

Historia calmly recited her qualifications.

“I also have knowledge of Command. I don’t know who your contact is… but they don’t know Command better than I do.”

So, my strength is more helpful than yours.

Historia sharply shot the uncomfortable truth, which, though evident, was hard to say aloud.

Shiati’s brief hesitation was because she couldn’t deny it.

｢If Historia becomes an ally…｣

Briefly, a desire for a safe haven arose.

With a far stronger being aiding her… wouldn't it be more efficient to just step down?

Just as her resolve began to weaken, a sense of rebellion surfaced.

If Tyr had made the same proposal, Shiati would have gladly accepted it.

But the one offering was Historia.

She, who shared time with Shiati in the past, was trying to save her out of sympathy.

“And you, bound as you are, claim to be of help!”

Historia did not argue back.

She showed it with her actions.

“The qualification to become a general of the Military State is to master the Gam Qi Art.”

Crunch, crunch.

A chilling sound began to emanate from Historia’s body.

From her bones, and joints.

Her muscles contracted, tendons pulled tight.

Her waist bent, and her shirt bulged as if it would burst from the deformation like an invisible hand roughly pulling her shoulder.

But there was no one behind her.

All these movements were her doing.

Historia continued speaking calmly as if this was no obstacle in any way.

“To become a general, one must master the Gam Qi Art. Infusing Qi into bones and muscles drastically increases survival odds. A general leads a corp and must survive even if blades tear their flesh and rocks crush their bodies, they must take responsibility until the end.”

Historia’s arm twisted further, her bones temporarily dislocating.

Pop.

A button, unable to withstand the deformity, flew off.

The tough Clothing Packet was torn apart by the severe transformation.

While Historia's body moved fluidly, the knots did not have such flexibility.

“Huuuu.”

Historia exhaled deeply, realigning her shoulder.

With nothing left to bind, the Sky Silk dangled below her arms.

Instead of untying the knots, she had completely shrugged them off.

Historia pulled the Sky Silk from her chest, where it had coiled, searching for a place to put it down.

“Thus, black magic… is not very effective against generals. At most, it could cause minor injuries and impede their movement.”

Historia tossed the Sky Silk to the Regressor.

The Regressor, as if expecting it, clicked her tongue.

“…As expected, but you untied it more easily than I thought. I tied it pretty tight.”

The Princess muttered while watching Historia, who had freed herself.

“So, it could be undone...”

“Of course. A straitjacket or ropes mean nothing to a Star General-level individual. But Sky Silk takes time to untie, and I can deal with them in the meantime.”

“I thought it was your preference...”

“Huh? Preference?”

“Thank goodness… I don’t show that kind of potential… No, maybe I shouldn’t let my guard down around him…?”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Historia, realizing where the Princess was looking, buttoned up her shirt, her face slightly red.

Having freed herself from the Sky Silk, Historia made her proposal again.

“Princess, your answer to my request?”

The Princess, regaining her composure, responded.

“Well, uh. Thank you for the offer, Gunmaster. But...”

“But?”

With a hint of refusal, Historia glared at the Princess with a formidable gaze.

The Princess swallowed in fear but was not intimidated.

“As you said, Shiati is my friend. I’m not in a position to give her unilateral orders.”

“Then? Are you saying it’s okay for Shiati to die?”

“No, no. I didn’t say that!”

The Princess quickly shook her head and responded urgently.

“I-Instead, if you want to help Shiati, rather than cooperating with me, how about protecting her by her side? I can avoid hostility…!”

“So, you’re refusing. Whether Shiati dies or loses her hands, it doesn’t matter to you.”

“That’s not what I mean! It’s just that… for Shiati, there are things more important than her life.”

“I see. So you think Shiati is a tool to be used as you please. Typical royalty behavior, you turned out no different from the Kingdom.”

The Princess closed her mouth.

Had she truly thought so, she wouldn't have joined the frontline, but having just lost Selphy, she lacked the will to refute.

“I don’t need your help! Even if I die, I won’t accept help from someone like you!”

Instead, Shiati shouted.

“Y-You never see us as equals! We’re weak, insignificant. You’re so sure that we can’t do anything! The ones who abandoned the children of Hamelin were none other than people like you! Those who treat us as unnecessary! You killed us all!”

“Say whatever you want. I’ll save you whether you like it or not.”

“Like when you pulled out our corpses from the Hamelin River? Ha! You’re so great, did you save anything there?”

Shiati, full of resentment, reopened old wounds.

It was a mental black magic.

Painful for both, but more lethal to Historia, whose wounds were fresher.

“…Fine.”

Historia was momentarily pained but didn’t show it on her face. Instead, she turned her head calmly.

“Like back then.”

As I was behind the wheel, I sighed internally.

Neither of them was socially adept, but their conversation was hopelessly going in circles.

They had old grudges, but their conflict was tiring for me.

“Alright, calm down. Anyway, this has turned out well diplomatically...”

Just as I was about to diffuse the situation with light-hearted words, Historia turned sharply.

“You too, Huey.”

“Huh? Me?”

“Stay out of the fight. Take Shiati with you. I’ll fight in your place.”

Historia was straightforward. She intended to protect both Shiati and me.

Surprised by the offer, I scratched my chin.

“Uh, well. Ria, I appreciate it, but…”

She’s clearly misunderstanding something.

Can’t she see from my driving that I’m not a combatant?

“I can’t accept your offer either.”

“…Are you also planning to die like Shiati?”

“No? I have no such intention. It’s just that I’m not a combatant in the first place. I don’t even go near dangerous places.”

｢…Doesn’t seem like it. Even back then… you always pretend to be smart, but always get involved in dangerous situations.｣

Historia looked at me doubtfully, but I had nothing more to say.

I was merely caught up in everything.

“And you don’t need to worry so much. Look.”

I pointed at the sky with my finger.

The sun was setting, and the night descended.

The slanting light was fading, and darkness was taking its place.

“It’s getting dark.”

Driving the automaton carriage all the way here was worth it.

Night has descended.

The time when danger usually came.

But we had the Queen of the Night on our side.

Tonight would only be dangerous for the Military State.