306 Encounter

Yamada-kun, his face pale but his steps firm, advancing forward.

As expected of one blessed by the heavens, or so it seems—unfortunate timing for me, but just right for Yamada-kun.

Ah, this is going to complicate things again.

"Long time no see. Say, Wakaba, right?"

Yamada-kun spoke while looking at me.

Why the question mark at the end?

Just now, he was glaring—now he looks puzzled.

Is there something on my face?

My eyes are full of pupils, that’s all.

"Never mind. More importantly, I want to hear your side too. I have that right, don’t I?"

After a light shake of his head, Yamada-kun continued.

Something seems to be bothering him, though I can’t quite tell what.

Still, since he’s here, there’s nothing to be done.

I could expel him, perhaps—but that would only make things more complicated.

By the time Yamada-kun arrived, things were bound to get complicated no matter which way they turned out.

"Please, be my guest."

No choice but to offer a reluctant affirmation.

No welcoming aura. That much was clear.

"Thank you."

Yet Yamada-kun, unfazed by the tone, approached as if challenging the space.

Oshima-kun moved swiftly, bringing a chair for Yamada-kun.

Yamada-kun accepted the chair with a brief thanks, then sat. Oshima-kun retrieved his own chair and sat beside Yamada-kun.

Why?

A soft exhale—“Hmph”—escaped a few of the girls watching.

Yamada-kun sat, then slowly scanned the surroundings.

His gaze paused at several points. Finally, it settled on me.

Hmm. Mm.

No choice.

"Ten Army, here."

Upon receiving my declaration, several figures in white robes materialize before me.

Most reincarnated individuals showed surprise upon seeing her form.

These white-clad soldiers are the troops of the Demon Army's Tenth Division, under my command.

Among them, those especially adept at stealth were assigned the task of secretly monitoring the reincarnated ones.

Yamada-kun had seen through their presence and fixed his gaze on them.

Wait—when I look closely, the one in the center is Fermina-chan.

You’re supposed to be the deputy commander of the Tenth Army by rank—why are you doing menial tasks like this?

When I appeared puzzled, a blue vein rose on Fermina’s forehead, as if she had sensed it.

In truth, nothing of the sort was visible, yet it was conveyed through atmosphere alone.

The thought carried the weight of "It's your fault for lying there like that!"

Yeah, honestly, sorry about that.

Disband. Rest until further instruction.

Obeying my command, the White Robes vanish soundlessly from the scene.

From somewhere, a voice whispers, "Ninja."

Yes, honestly, I think the soldiers of the Tenth Army are more proficient at being ninjas than Kusama-kun.

Ah, among the White Robes who departed, Fermina-chan seems to have gone up to the third floor.

Speaking of which, there was the delirious Takahashi-san who was put to sleep.

Someone has to keep watch, after all.

It feels wrong for Fermina-chan, a high-ranking officer, to be assigned that duty, but I will say nothing.

"What was that?"

Yamada-kun asks, his expression grim.

"Soldiers of the Demon King's Tenth Army. They were assigned as guards and watchers for the reincarnated ones."

At my words, the reincarnated ones stir uneasily.

Knowing such a presence had been nearby unnoticed—it's only natural they'd react this way.

Perhaps only Yamada-kun and Kuratani-san noticed.

I thought of the teacher too, but the teacher’s eyes are wide—probably didn’t notice either.

"Elite forces of the Demon Lord’s army, then."

No, just a common soldier.

Ah, no—still, thanks to my Spartan training, I’m significantly stronger than regular soldiers from other regiments. So calling me elite isn’t entirely inaccurate.

Well, it’s just a matter of margin.

One soldier. One soldier.

Yamada-kun’s complexion is poor.

Perhaps he’s assessing the gap in combat capability after watching Shiro’s unit move.

Yamada-kun, as a hero, is certainly not like ordinary fighters.

But strength is strength. His power remains within conventional limits.

Far behind the former Demon Lords, or even me. And certainly no match for the Vampire Child or Oni-kun present here.

With poor luck, even the ones in white armor from earlier might prevail if fortune favors them.

One-on-one, victory is unlikely. But with two against one, a path forward becomes visible.

That’s the extent of it.

Yet, thanks to the convenient skill of divine favor, they’re likely to cause complications beyond their actual strength.

“What’s the reason, Yugo? You brought us here, using Natsume as bait. Why?”

Yamada-kun asks directly.

Uh… well.

Should I answer that?

I glance briefly toward the teacher.

I know.

This is an unavoidable topic.

But if I say it, the teacher’s position will definitely deteriorate.

It will, but I can’t avoid saying it.

"The Elven High Priest, Potimas Haifenas, is an enemy of the world. A being that brings harm to this realm. It is for this reason that the Demon Army and the Divine Word Church have united, leading to this current offensive."

My words left the teacher gaping, mouth agape.

The expression on his face said he did not understand.

In contrast, Yamada-kun received my words with unexpected composure.

From the subtle mix of shock and acceptance on the face of the boy beside me—Oshima-kun—it seemed he had not known of Potimas beforehand.

First, in this world, elves have long been a threat to existence. Publicly, they claimed to end the conflict between humans and demons, advocating for true world peace. This was camouflage. Beneath the surface, they drained the planet's Life, shortening its lifespan. Potimas Haifenas was their leader. Some who knew the truth had repeatedly warned him to cease these actions. He did not listen. When the planet's lifespan reached a critical threshold, force became the only recourse.

The sudden escalation in scale caused the reincarnated individuals to stir.

"Wait— if that's true, what happens to this planet?"

Kudo stood halfway up, demanding answers.

A hundred hearsays are no match for a single sight.

I activated magic and projected the planet's current state.

Projected the current state of the world as a three-dimensional hologram above the head, resembling a globe.

There, the image showed half of the planet in collapse.

"This is the current state of the world."

Stunned silence.

That was the reaction of nearly everyone present.

Except for the Vampire Child and Oni-kun, who had known beforehand, the image was shocking.

Sounds of disbelief—“Impossible,” “That can’t be,”—filtered through the air.

Yamada-kun was no exception, eyes wide, frozen in place by the projection.

"Is this... a joke?"

Kudo, usually composed, stood motionless, lips trembling as he stared at the image.

"It is not a joke. Would you like to go see it for yourself?"

No one responded to my suggestion.

No one would willingly go to a place like that.

I could erect a barrier, or some other protective measure, but they did not know that.

Everyone remained in silence, stunned.

A place to explain the answer to the question of what situation they currently stand in.

They had reached a state where their cognitive functions ceased entirely, as if confronted with a discussion transcending the scale of imperial affairs, extending even to the survival of stars.