The Man Who Remained — His Second Life Began with a Humble Bow of Apology.

While The Visitors Were Enjoying Themselves… (Part Two.)

Ellie had experienced failure once in her past—but that failure came remarkably late in her life.

Not during her childhood, nor when she became a soldier, not even when she rose to the rank of general. It came after all that—
with Aurafeel.

She was utterly crushed by the schemes of Aurafeel, the current Demon Lord. As a general, she was completely unable to act. She couldn’t respond to the situation as her own standing continued to worsen, and that sense of powerlessness… It was terrifying.

Incompetent soldiers rose to the rank of general, while clearly capable commanders were mysteriously dismissed or resigned under unclear accusations. The organization had clearly become dysfunctional.

Anyone could see who stood to gain from such disarray—there was no need to even wonder who was pulling the strings.

At that moment, Ellie’s once vast and boundless world shrank into something small, vain, and colorless.

She had believed she could do anything.
She had believed she could soar to any height.
But those illusory wings were snapped by the true evil—Aurafeel—and the fear she brought.

For the first time in her life, Ellie tasted defeat. And until the day she became Cross’s attendant, she lived on, broken and humbled.

In other words, Ellie’s life had been smooth sailing—too fortunate, even—until she met Aurafeel.

Unyou, too, had lived a privileged life in terms of talent, much like Ellie.
He was born into a distinguished family that only produced elites. Though his relationship with his family was strained, and he lived in rebellion against them, he still rose to the position of Gate Commander.

He liked to say he came from the slums and talk like a commoner, but make no mistake—Unyou was undeniably among the fortunate.

And that’s precisely why these two could not comprehend it.

They had always strived for greatness, always pushed upward, always had the freedom to become who they wished to be. The people surrounding them were the same.

Proud of their abilities, always competing, always refining one another.

In such an environment, neither Ellie nor Unyou ever had the chance to understand— that this world harbors fools far beyond their imagination.

“So, little one… what exactly is it that you want to ask me?”

The gravelly voice echoed from an absurdly gaudy suit of armor.

The pompous phrasing didn’t suit him in the slightest—it was all so painfully ridiculous. Neither Ellie nor Unyou could quite grasp the intent behind this man’s words.

“…Why is he doing this? Is he just stalling for time?” Unyou tried to make sense of the utterly pointless display, but that was the only answer he could come up with.

Having fought on many battlefields, Unyou couldn’t understand the mentality of someone who boasted meaninglessly amidst combat.

“There are more of them than you’d think. People who get cocky when they feel like something big is about to happen, or who boast about their wrongdoings.”

“…That’s insane. I mean, sure, if they were overwhelmingly winning, maybe…”

“He thinks he’s winning.”

“But we already disabled two of their machines right at the start! You’d think he’d at least be more cautious…”

“Hey! I’m taking the time to answer your damn questions, and you’re over there chirping like sparrows!”

That crude shout rang out. Cross gestured toward Unyou to hush him and then called back loudly.

“Sorry! Alright then, I’ll ask—who are you people, and what kind of group is this?”

“Fuhahaha! An excellent question! We are the fearsome, cold-blooded, and infamous Habitan Band of Thieves! And I, their leader, am Frey!”

As Frey cackled, the other armored warriors let out howls—beast-like cries, almost dog-like in tone.

“What! You’re those infamous—” Cross pretended to look frightened, prompting Frey to laugh all the harder.

“…So, uh, Ellie, Unyou… do either of you actually know who the Habitan Band of Thieves is?”

He asked in a hushed voice. Both Ellie and Unyou shook their heads with similarly puzzled expressions.

“Ah. So they’re not that famous. In that case, I guess I’ll have to dig a little deeper…”

Cross then called out in a slightly exaggerated tone:

“Wh-Why are you guys wearing such advanced armor!?”

Though clearly affected, Cross feigned fear as he asked. Frey burst into laughter again.

“Fuhahaha! The fear of the weak is delightful! Fine, I’ll answer that much—won’t be enough for your afterlife, but it’ll do!”

“…He’s dumber than I thought. Not as bad a guy as I expected either,” Cross murmured under his breath.

Ellie gave him a troubled look.

“What’s wrong, Ellie?”

“…Well, to be honest, I can’t quite keep up. He’s explaining his own tactics for no reason. I understand he wants to brag, but still…”

Cross smiled at her words, which echoed Unyou’s thoughts.

“Well, the short of it is—there are a lot more idiots in this world than you think. Like me, for example.”

Before Ellie could ask what he meant, Frey began boasting in great detail about their strategy.

“This armor was tribute! From, uh, what were they called again… a rival group… Rengaku? Nah, that’s not it… Ren… Ren—”

Unyou’s face suddenly turned pale.

“—Don’t tell me… you mean Rengoku!?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, that’s it. Rengoku. They gave it to us as tribute or something.”

Hearing that, Unyou gave Cross a sharp look.

“Cross. Can you dig a little more? This could be serious.”

“Got it. Ask about Rengoku, right?”

“No, I already know about Rengoku. I want to know why they gave the armor to this bunch.”

Cross nodded silently.

“Why were you gifted something? Is it because Frey and his band of thieves are powerful and scary?”

“Fuhahaha! That’s probably part of it!”

“I’d really like to know more. Why exactly did you receive that? What did Rengoku find so appealing?”

Encouraged by Cross’s prodding, Frey, clearly in high spirits, began to speak at length.

Frey’s wildly exaggerated boasting grew so absurd that it left Unyou and Ellie holding their heads in disbelief. It was so far-fetched that it seemed entirely useless.

But Cross treated the tall tales like drunken ramblings at a tavern, skillfully filtering out the noise and extracting the core facts.

Summarizing those facts led to one clear conclusion: they had been deceived by an organization called Rengoku.

Although Frey claimed they were “gifted” the suits, in truth, both groups had jointly purchased them—paying a significant sum.

“We made up the shortfall with junk,” Frey had declared, but in such deals, that usually means they were conned. What looked like junk was likely rare treasure.

Frey’s misunderstanding about being “gifted” stemmed from the number of units obtained.

Out of the 28 armor suits purchased, the Habitang bandits ended up with 27.

In Frey’s mind, since they acquired the majority and forced the other group to yield the rest, it qualified as tribute.

Incidentally, the one remaining suit was described as oddly round, slender, small—and seemingly weak.

“…So that’s how it is.”

Cross relayed the summarized facts to Ellie and Unyou.

“…I’m amazed you could make sense of that mess of a conversation,” Ellie murmured in admiration.

“I’ve got experience. Honestly, it was clearer than most tavern ramblings. Anyway—Unyou, got any questions so far?”

“You lot! You’re done questioning me already?! If not, then let’s—”

“Sorry, requesting a timeout.”

“A timeout?! …Tch, five minutes only. Geez… Oi, everyone! Five-minute break! Hydrate, alright?!”

With Frey’s shout, all of the armor suits came to a halt.

“Heh. Generous fool, isn’t he? If possible, I’d rather end this without killing him. Anyway, Unyou—let’s compare notes. Got anything to ask?”

Unyou nodded.
“One thing—do you think the suit that ended up with Rengoku is really as weak as they claimed?”

At that, both Cross and Ellie shook their heads.

“They were speaking with reckless exaggeration, so it’s hard to take them at face value. But if it’s a slender suit, then yeah, that’s dangerous.”

“Why?”

“In armor design, disregarding durability is unheard of. So if it’s slender and still durable, that implies advanced tech. Slim but sturdy suits are difficult to mass-produce—at least, they used to be. That could’ve changed, but if I had to guess… I’d say it’s likely a high-performance prototype.”

Ellie nodded in agreement.

“…Yeah, makes sense.”

“Now my turn—what exactly is this Rengoku?”

“They’re a group of people who left the village. Officially, they’re called the Eastern Restoration Army: Rengoku Unit. As the name suggests, they’re remnants who refused to submit to the Demon Kingdom. Their goal is to restore the Eastern nation by making Hourai Village independent again.”

“So… extremists?”

“Very much so. They’ll do anything to achieve their goal. Many of them are powerful—on par with sub-gatekeeper level fighters. We’ve tried wiping them out multiple times, but the embers always rekindle…”

“And now, it looks like they’ve reignited.”

“Exactly. Honestly? They’re more dangerous than this whole group of armored thieves. Thieves want loot. Rengoku wants a coup d’état.”

“Got it… Just so I know—if that one suit is a modern prototype and its pilot is a professional, you think even you would be in trouble?”

“Definitely. Even just one unit. A skilled pilot is no joke.”

Cross said it with conviction.

“…Cross. Can we get intel on Rengoku’s next move?”

“Doubtful. Those guys are too stupid to know anything else. They’re not smart enough to keep secrets. But… we might be able to predict their operation.”

“I’m counting on it.”

Unyou’s tone was serious. Cross nodded quietly, then turned to Ellie.

“Ellie. Based on everything we’ve gathered, if we assume these bandits are being used conveniently, how do you think Rengoku plans to move?”

Ellie looked momentarily startled—then sighed with relief.

“Ah, finally a topic I can contribute to. Cross-san, do you think Rengoku even intended for these bandits to attack today?”

“At this point, I’d say almost certainly. I can’t prove it outright, but the signs point that way.”

“Understood. Unyou-san, would you agree that Rengoku is a revolutionary group with no moral restraints and composed of highly capable individuals?”

“Unfortunately, yes. We lose a few to them every year—including some fairly high-ranking gatekeepers.”

“Thank you. In that case, the answer is simple.”

“…What is it?”

Ellie replied in a single sentence:

“When you use a decoy, there are only so many strategies available.”

A bandit group controlling over twenty armored suits.

Using them as a decoy could only mean one thing.

The moment Byakko Gate redirected its forces, what followed was all too predictable.

“…Then we need to act fast. But we can’t just ignore these guys. Cross, I know I’m asking a lot—but is there any way to neutralize them quickly?”

“Leave it to me.”

Cross accepted the request without hesitation or complaint.

“…I feel bad even asking, but are you sure you can handle this?”

“I’ll do it as fast as I can. Ellie—you heard the order, right?”

With a gentle smile, Ellie bowed gracefully, like a noble’s attendant.

“Of course. You’re ready to proceed?”

“Yeah. Seems like the perfect time for a field test.”

“Very well… then excuse me.”

With those words, Ellie blushed slightly and hugged Cross tightly.

It was a gentle, tender embrace—one that radiated care.

The moment lasted around ten, maybe twenty seconds, before Cross suddenly collapsed to his knees.

“Are… are you alright?”

Ellie quickly supported him. Cross nodded and stood up with a smile.

“Yeah. I’m fine, really.”

“…Hey. What the hell was that?”

Unyou asked, bewildered. Cross smiled again.

“Perk of the job… no, just transferred some magic. A whole lot of it.”

Without waiting for a reply, Cross turned and shouted toward the distant armored suits.

“Sorry to keep you waiting! We’re good to go!”

“Finally! You’re lucky—I’m in a good mood today. If you three want in, I’ll accept you as my underlings! As long as you work, I won’t pry into your lives. You even get time off! And if you don’t like fighting, you can help out behind the scenes!”

“Sounds great. Honestly, tempting offer. But… sorry. We’ve got to fight.”

“Such is fate. Though perhaps it’s odd for us conquerors to say so.”

With a booming laugh, Frey ordered the suits into battle formation.

“…Alright. Time to get started.”

Stretching his neck and shoulders, Cross moved his body despite the magical fatigue.

“Hey Cross—what should I do?”

“Hm? Right… Just rest for now. I’ll handle it quickly.”

“Huh? What are you gonna—”

Plop.

Unyou stopped mid-sentence as he felt a drop of rain.

Just moments ago, the skies were clear.

But now, storm clouds had gathered—only in the area surrounding the armored suits. The rest of the sky remained bright and cloudless, as if the heavens had formed a donut around them.

“…What the hell is this? And this rain…”

Unyou looked at his robe.

The water stains were tinged red—somewhere between crimson and soft pink, like flower dye.

He stared at the spots, puzzled.

“Don’t worry. The color fades after a while and won’t leave a stain.”

Ellie smiled, her body glowing from the heavy magical expenditure.

“Whoa—this is your spell?”

“Yes, though it’s not really magic. More like brute-force weather manipulation.”

“…And? What’s it supposed to do? This red rain can’t be the whole trick.”

“It is. Just red rain. That’s all I can manage right now—I’m already pushing my limits.”

She gave a sheepish smile.

“Huh? That’s it? Why bother with red rain, then?”

Ellie didn’t answer—only smiled.

As the rain continued, and the suits hesitated, Unyou’s doubts turned to realization.

The light drizzle left no puddles, just tiny red droplets falling like mist.

That’s all.

Yet none of the armored suits advanced. They simply stood there, arms outstretched, uncertain.

“…So the red rain disables them somehow?”

Unyou muttered, seemingly convinced. But Ellie shook her head.

“No. I told you—it’s just colored rain.”

“Then why aren’t they attacking?”

“Because… they can’t see.”

Her calm reply made Unyou finally understand the true nature of the rain that dyed the armored suits red.

***

This was something only a pilot could truly comprehend.

Armor suits were formidable machines—but not extensions of the user’s body. Without extensive experience, pilots couldn’t maneuver them freely.

So when their vision was obscured, they became helpless.

Inside the darkened cockpit, unable to see, even taking a single step or moving an arm became terrifying.

The ultimate weapon felt like a prison.

And the pilot… like someone standing on the gallows.

Still, that wasn’t a flaw of the Yoroi.

The reason the Yoroi was considered an all-purpose weapon was precisely because its pilot could compensate for its shortcomings.

Conversely, for an inexperienced pilot unable to offset those limitations, having their vision obstructed left them with only two real options: remain completely still, or eject and flee.

“…Hm. Not as much as I thought… No, I won’t say it.”

Cross muttered to himself as he maneuvered through the gaps between enemy Yoroi units.

His expectation had been that perhaps half of them would be rendered incapacitated.

He had channeled mana into Ellie, a spirit-born being, and used their master-servant contract to generate a red rain— A magically dyed downpour covering an area over fifty meters in radius, vanishing within an hour. Its only function: to obstruct visibility.

That was it.
A limited-use tactic ineffective against seasoned pilots or rain-resistant Yoroi models—
Yet against the rookie Habitan Band of Thieves, it worked perfectly.

Not just half—all of them were down.

Even Frey, their leader, was completely unable to respond. Panic had set in, and not a single unit could move.

“…Sorry, partner. This was all I could use you for.”

With that, Cross drew his trusted dagger. Infusing it with mana, he activated its vibration pulse.

Whooom.

A low hum echoed from the blade. Confirming it, Cross turned toward the garishly oversized and painfully tasteless Yoroi worn by Frey, then pressed the blade directly against its chest plate.

From within, the sight was nothing short of a nightmare.

In total darkness, with all light shut out, came the screeching grind of tearing metal and the sounds of destruction. Faint illumination seeped in through widening cracks.

By the time the man known as “Boss” realized that all his earlier bravado had been nothing but hollow pride, it was already far too late.

CRAAACK—

With a final, wrenching sound, a blinding shaft of light pierced through the torn-open cockpit.

The main hatch had been forcibly ripped off—and standing just beyond it was a half-demon man, peering down at him.

Frey could do nothing but tremble.

He couldn’t even pretend to keep up appearances. He couldn’t beg for his life. There was no room left for such thoughts. He couldn’t even lift his gaze.

All he could do was shake uncontrollably.

“…Ah. A kobold, huh? Makes sense. That build is well-suited for Yoroi piloting.”

The man calmly assessed the creature before him—a dog-like face atop a small humanoid body—and spoke with chilling composure.

“…P-Please… help…”

Finally, Frey managed to stammer out just one phrase—his ears flattened against his head in a pitiful plea.

He knew it was futile.

But he couldn’t stop himself from saying it.

“Well, that’ll be up to the elders of Hourai Village.”

The man grinned like a mischievous child.

“But personally? I don’t hate you. So sure—I’ll put in a good word. And hey, if you make it through, I’ll buy you a drink. Let’s knock back a few.”

That disarming smile—so childlike, so innocent—
Frey, the kobold, forgot even to nod. He simply stared, captivated by it.

The surrender and capture of the Habitan Band of Thieves was left entirely to Unyou.

Meanwhile, Cross and Ellie raced off toward another gate.

If their prediction was correct, the group known as Rengoku was using the chaos of the bandits to infiltrate Hourai Village.

From what they’d heard, Rengoku was akin to a terrorist organization—
The worst kind: utterly convinced they were in the right.

There was no need to speculate—if Rengoku attacked in the name of justice, it would surely lead to a massacre.

What made things even worse this time… was that Vaahl and Roza were both present in the village.

No doubt Rengoku had chosen today precisely because of the presence of these special guests.

But while this was unfortunate for the village—
It was catastrophic for Rengoku.

With Vaahl inside, they stood absolutely no chance.

Even if they had a hundred—no, a thousand Yoroi.
Even if they boasted military strength on par with the Demon Lord’s domain—
They could never defeat Valeria, the pure-blooded former Demon Lord.

Former though she may be, even weakened, a Demon Lord was a force unto itself.

But that didn’t mean this was good news for Hourai either.

Because—though the odds were infinitesimal—should anything happen to Roza— Should even a scratch fall upon her…

Then every last person in Hourai Village would be wiped out in Vaahl’s wrath.

And that included Cross.
And Ellie.
All of them—without exception—would die.

To prevent that nightmare, Cross and Ellie scoured the area for signs of Rengoku’s movement.

Suzaku Gate, Genbu Gate, Seiryuu Gate—

They ran along the perimeter of the village, reporting the emergency at each checkpoint, placing their faith in the possibility that Rengoku might be heading toward one of them.

They ran to buy even seconds, to avert the worst of the worst—

Until at last, Cross found it.

And in that moment, something grave dawned on him.

“Ellie… Tell me honestly. Can we pull this off?”

Staring at the sight before him, Cross whispered, his voice trembling.

An army of around five hundred—mostly demons—stood in formation.

Behind them lay siege weapons: trebuchets, counterweights, and more.

And behind that…
A single sleek, white Yoroi.

Their weapons were top-tier.
Their posture, their formation—everything about them screamed discipline and strength.
It left no doubt in Cross’s mind—this was Rengoku.

They truly meant to rescue Hourai from the clutches of the Demon Lord’s empire.
They were serious.
Utterly committed.

Cross could see it clearly in their stance.
He felt it.
Etched it into his heart.

Not a single member of the so-called Rengoku force moved an inch.
They didn’t even notice Cross’s arrival.

And why would they?

They couldn’t.

Because not one of the 500+ bodies standing there…
was alive.

No signs of injury. Not a scratch.
Just standing still—
But utterly devoid of all life.

Every last one of them.
Dead.

“…There’s no way,” Ellie answered plainly.

“Right? No way I could do this either,” Cross agreed.

To kill over five hundred armed troops—without a single movement, without leaving any wounds—
That was no feat any ordinary being could accomplish.

Only one possibility came to Cross’s mind.