A Single Resolution

In the middle of the mountain, in an open clearing, it stood.

The moment she saw it, the phrase "Samurai Ant colony" popped into her mind.

Soldier ants strutted around, while worker ants of different colors, ragged and worn, struggled frantically to keep up.

Exactly like that.

"What *is* that, terrible!"

Mira huffed, furious.

She's quiet around me, but when it's not about me, she's the one who goes straight for the emotion.

Even though she's not an Eternal Slave, she probably felt sorry for the people being worked like slaves.

"Those people from Permi... they'd end up like that too, if they'd been taken away like that."

"Terrible!"

"Master, what shall we do? Shall we charge in like this?"

"Ah... yeah..."

I thought about it. Charging in like this would work fine.

But I wanted to do it a little more cleverly.

Same as with Malart, or perhaps even true of me myself.

This world’s probably already ninety percent decided the moment the general falls.

At the very least, the Maxim army’s the same.

The grunt’s already felt my weapon between his ribs. Once we take down Maxim, the whole thing’ll be over.

If we can take down Maxim, that’s all that matters. So I figured out a smarter way to do it.

"My lord, that one..."

Yuria said it.

She looked in the direction she’d pointed. A section of Maxim’s forces was armed and preparing to depart somewhere.

"Off to somewhere, are we?"

"The Plunder of the Working Ant"

"Something like Permi, you know!"

Ah, so you're planning to go raid some more and replenish your forces, are you?

Hundreds of people left, and the population at Maxim’s stronghold thinned noticeably.

I looked at that place and thought about all sorts of things.

Suddenly, an idea struck her.

"Let's fire the cannon."

"Shelling? But we don’t have a cannon, do we?"

"Like this."

With a flick, DORECA appeared. The menu opened.

Selected the wooden house. Paid 25,000—ten times the usual mana cost—for emergency mana-only production.

Five of them.

I lifted one of the houses. To the slaves, I said:

"Here. One each."

They didn’t get it at first. Still, they obeyed. Lifted the houses.

From the outside, it looked absurd—five people, two men, three women, all holding a house in one hand.

"Throw them all at once."

"Uh... yeah."

"Ah! So that’s how it works."

"Got it."

"Leaving it to Rirya."

They nodded. As if they understood.

I gave a light swing—then threw it!

The wooden house shot through the air.

One by one, the slaves threw theirs.

Five wooden houses, all flying off.

Crashing through the fence, the wooden houses land inside Maxim's encampment.

The houses explode with a thunderclap, shattering into splinters. Screams and shouts erupt in chaos.

"Let's go."

"Y-yes!"

The four of them respond in unison, sheathing their swords and charging forward at full speed.

"T-the enemy's attacking!"

The gatekeeper reacts too late.

I swing my ice blade—Mira alone—slamming it down. The ground beneath them freezes instantly.

I push inside, pressing forward.

Most of the soldiers are frozen in place, paralyzed from the surprise attack. I'd already frozen their feet before they could move.

A trap, and the chaos of houses falling from the sky.

No real resistance. I reach the most luxurious building in the camp.

I smash through the door and step inside. Maxim is there.

"Akitō…"

Maxim glares at me, eyes bloodshot.

"You finally made it this far."

“I’ve said it before—say it again. Let’s work together. Bring this world back.”

“Ugh, so annoying!”

Maxim draws both blades, rises, and assumes a stance.

“Is that so?”

I say nothing more.

By this point, words are pointless.

I invited him three times. Three times he refused.

Enough.

I reposition my sword.

Four gems. The true slave blades.

With all four powers in hand, I charge at Maxim.

He’s strong—no surprise there.

But it’s the strength of a cornered mouse.

Ice flame. Predictive light. Shadow barrier.

Even with all four abilities unleashed, Maxim didn’t last five minutes.

I shatter his twin blades. Pierce his chest with my sword.

Maxim drops to one knee. No trace of the regal bearing he had when riding his golden steed.

“Ghk…”

“End of the line,” I say.

“Ku… kuku… kuku…”

“What’s so funny?”

“Your naivety… it’s just too laughable.”

“…”

“Saying you’ll resurrect this world… ha. Such idle talk…”

Spitting blood, she lifts her face with a rictus grin.

“Even you, spouting such nonsense… you’ll end up like this, one day.”

“That’s why—”

“Don’t be absurd!”

The slaves surge forward from their swords all at once.

Materializing from mere souls, they form a line between me and Maxim.

Risha speaks first. Then the other three follow.

“Don’t lump me in with him.”

“You’re the master. You’re the one who can do it.”

“Better to shut up and leave like a beaten dog.”

One after another, the slaves hurl sharp words at Maxim.

Maxim stares, stunned.

I step forward, past the four of them, and take up the words.

“You said we’ve got to fight over the finite resources left in this world, didn’t you?”

“You still gonna claim it’s infinite…?”

“Yeah.”

“Where the hell is that…?”

I looked at Maxim with pity, then called out over my shoulder.

“Risha.”

“Yes.”

“Mira.”

“Uh-huh!”

“Yuria.”

“Here.”

“Rirya.”

“Yes.”

“Right here. They’re my power.”

——Magic charged: 1,000,000.

No need to turn around. I’d seen it all already—could picture the slaves’ faces.

And Maxim’s face confirmed it.

Stunned. Then burning with hatred.

“You’re gonna mock me till the end—”

He lunged with the last of his strength.

The slaves turned into swords.

The sword forged from the combined power of four severed Maxim at the waist.

She flew past me, momentum carrying her, crashed into the ground, and just... stopped.

"Wait, Master Maxim!"

One of the soldiers, having heard the commotion, raised their voice.

I pressed the tip of my sword to her throat and asked.

As you can see, Maxim’s down. You two—

"Hi, hi, hi, hi!"

The soldier didn’t even let the words “What now?” finish—she ran off.

Screaming as she fled.

Before the blink of an eye, word of Maxim’s death spread through the city.

I waited a while. Expected someone to come in—some revenge, some counterattack. Nobody did.

Curious, I stepped outside—no soldiers remained.

The soldiers fled, leaving behind only the laborers they’d brought.

The collapse that followed the moment Maxim, who had kept them subdued with fear and power, vanished.

The curtain fell, surprisingly unimpressive.