Adlet fell silent. From what Private Loren described, the person who activated the barrier would be unable to leave it. In other words, one of the six Braves would be isolated from the true battle. But Adlet felt there was value in activating this bafflement, even if it meant losing one of the Braves.
“Inside the temple, there is an altar just like this one. Please look,” Private Loren prompted.
Adlet stood in front of the altar replica. It was a plain affair. There were a pedestal and a single decorative sword. To the left, there was a slate, and on the right, there was a book written in hieroglyphs.
“Activating the barrier is easy,” said the soldier. “You just thrust the sword into the pedestal, put your hand on the slate, and say, Fog, rise.”
“Roger,” said Adlet. “I’ll remember that. But activating the barrier is your job.”
“I understand. We will carry out this mission, even if it means our lives.”
Adlet extended his hand to Private Loren. The soldier smiled and accepted his handshake. The two grasped hands tightly.
Adlet and Fremy left the fort and headed toward the Howling Vilelands. It would take about three hours to reach the point where they were supposed to gather, and where Mora, the Saint of Mountains, was waiting.
“Well, we’re in a pickle,” said Adlet. Fremy had been silent ever since she’d heard their discussion at the fort about the barrier. “He said Mora is waiting at the entrance to the Howling Vilelands, and Nashetania may well be meeting up with her right now, too. It looks like it’ll be difficult to enter the Howling Vilelands without being noticed by them.”
“Don’t talk to me. I’m thinking.”
Adlet shrugged. “Hey, then why don’t we just get together with the rest of the Braves for now? We can think about what we’re gonna do after that.”
“If that was supposed to be a joke, I’m not laughing. If we meet the other Braves, we’ll end up trying to kill one another.”
Adlet didn’t believe things would come to that. They were a team, and there were only six of them. Whatever had happened in the past, they were supposed to forget all that for the time being and work together. Adlet planned to acknowledge every Brave as a comrade, no matter how villainous they might be, for the sake of defeating the Evil God.
“Of course, I don’t intend to go down so easily,” Fremy added.
“Don’t worry. If you do end up fighting, I’ll protect you.” He meant it as a joke. He figured she’d say something like Stop screwing with me and reject his remark anyway.
But Fremy reacted a little unexpectedly. “Adlet, you…” He got the feeling this was the first time she had used his name. “You’re a kind person, aren’t you?”
Hearing that embarrassed him. Adlet blushed a little. So she’s finally stopped being so surly, he thought, but then Fremy shot him a look that sent a chill running down his spine.
“Don’t show me that kindness. It makes me want to kill you.”
He was about to ask what she was talking about, but before the words could come out of his mouth, he shoved her away. He had sensed a murderous aura behind them. There was now a white blade sticking out from where Fremy had been. When Adlet turned, he saw Nashetania in the forest.
“Adlet, get away from her, please!” cried the princess.
Fremy rose to her feet, drawing her gun and firing in one smooth motion. Blades erupted from the ground to block her bullets, and then a tall knight in black armor emerged from the forest to charge Fremy. Adlet blocked his path, knocking aside the knight’s spear with his sword.
“Wait! Stop! Don’t attack her!” Adlet yelled.
But neither Nashetania nor the knight was listening. “She told you to move! Are you deaf?!” shouted the knight.
“What the hell are you guys doing?!” Adlet screamed back.
Nashetania pressed her attack on Fremy, who kept her gun trained on Nashetania while dodging the blades at her feet. Adlet blocked the knight, who was trying to attack Fremy from behind.
“Why are you so surprised? I told you if we met, we’d end up trying to kill one another,” Fremy said scornfully.
Adlet had known that. But he’d also thought they would have a little more room for discussion.
“You’re in the way, Adlet.” The tall knight swung the handle of his spear around.
Why does he know my name? Adlet wondered, but he didn’t have the time to dwell on it. He blocked the handle of the spear with his sword but was knocked back, sword and all. Even in midair, though, he managed to throw some sand into the knight’s eyes. Fremy did not let the opportunity go to waste. She pointed the muzzle of her gun at the tall knight, but Adlet used his sword to flick a pebble at his companion, hitting her wrist.
The four of them moved in a dizzying round robin. Nashetania and the knight targeted Fremy, and Fremy mercilessly struck back. Adlet desperately tried to intercede and bring the fighting to a halt.
“Adlet! Why are you trying to stop us?” Nashetania yelled, clearly growing impatient.
Adlet yelled back at her even louder. “Everyone, stop! She’s not our enemy! She’s one of the Braves of the Six Flowers!”
“Huh? What did you just say?” asked Nashetania.
Fremy and Nashetania froze. The knight stood protectively in front of Nashetania. Adlet forced himself between the three of them. “Look at her left hand,” he said. “She’s one of the Braves. She’s not our enemy.”
Nashetania and the tall knight looked at Fremy. When they noticed the crest on her left hand, they gasped but did not lower their weapons. “J-just what is going on here, Goldof?” Nashetania demanded of the tall knight.
“I do not know. All I know for certain is that Fremy is our enemy,” Goldof replied, pointing his spearhead at Fremy.
“Hey, you big lug. Are you the
