Tentacle Monster Reincarnation: I Will Protect the Heroines

That day was the worst day for the other world of Calmate, and for the girl named Grace Wayne.

The army of the other world of Lemora that had suddenly appeared. They surrounded the royal capital in the blink of an eye.

Fortunately, they could not break through the barrier, and the majority were those who could not adapt to this world’s air and self-destructed. Most of them were the type who would self-destruct on their own even if left alone.

However, the humans from the other world that poured forth like clouds and mist never ceased — and some of the enemy generals erected dark-colored barriers to protect their soldiers.

Certainly they could not break through the barrier — but many people were in the royal capital. If it became a siege, food would eventually run out. Therefore, someone had to strike out.

However, although soldiers and self-defense groups existed in Calmate as well — before the abnormally battle-hardened people of Lemora, those who had spent peaceful days were powerless. The people of Calmate could not match the warriors of Lemora.

——With some exceptions.

A light-blue flash cut open the approaching army.

Fluttering azure hair, swinging her sword as if saying the evil invaders were no opponents, before that existence the army of evil was no great threat.

“If you’re coming, come, you evils! I will absolutely never lose to the likes of you——!”

Sacred Saber.

Leas Lot.

Her friend.

The girl one year younger than herself cut open the approaching army like the miracle of parting the sea and advanced.

Her aim was only the heads of the enemy generals.

Approaching swords, bullets, claws and fangs of beasts — she nullified them with the protection of the Spirit of the Fountain and cut away aiming magic with her sword.

She did not stop. She did not stop. One by one she struck down the enemy generals, released the barriers of Lemora, and crushed the pillars that allowed them to remain in this world.

“…As expected of the strongest of the Sacred.”

Saying that, the girl with burning red hair in vertical rolls, Grace Wayne, smiled.

She wore a deep crimson corset dress that emphasized her figure, and over that she had equipped heavy armor. In her right hand was a greatsword burning red-hot — the holy sword Galatina.

——Sacred Knight.

——That was her other name.

She looked down at Saber who continued fighting while swinging the holy sword of the fountain.

Due to the difference in the contracted spirits and the direction of combat ability, neither Knight nor Saber was superior to the other.

But at the very least — if one asked “Who is the strongest of the Sacred?”, the majority would answer like this.

——It is Sacred Saber.

——The one who contracted with the Spirit of the Fountain and swings the holy sword Arontina.

She felt a little frustrated at that fact.

Even so, there was no way she would be jealous of a junior who had desperately worked hard and surpassed her.

“Amazing — to me who has no power to fight, it looks enviable.”

From among the evacuating nobles, a familiar voice rang out.

A young man with pale golden hair. His face, clad in loose vestments over a slender body, somehow resembled Grace.

“Light is something that nurtures; therefore it is only natural that women adapt to light — Onii-sama.”

This much could not be helped.

Light is the power that protects and nurtures the radiance of life.

Therefore, women who possess the function of carrying and nurturing children tend to have higher aptitude for light than men.

In fact the strongest knights who protect Calmate — the Sacred — were all women. Although there are men among the lower-ranking knights and internal administrators, the role of fighting strong enemies belongs to women. It is only natural reason.

Just as men cannot conceive children, just as women cannot provide seed, it is not discrimination but a clear difference due to the body. This much cannot be helped by effort.

Therefore there is no need to feel down. Besides, internal administration is also fine work, is it not?

With those feelings, Grace smiled. Is the current situation making you uneasy enough to worry about something like that? It’s all right, I will protect Onii-sama — she thought.

“…Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, I said something strange.”

But the expression her brother — Aarg Wayne — put on looked as if he was hiding something.

Grace felt suspicious yet forced it outside her consciousness with “I can ask later.”

What she must do now is escort the people here, and Princess Altina. She cannot devote consciousness only to family matters.

Since the royal capital is protected by the barrier, entering inside should be impossible — but the opponent is an unknown army. There is no way she can let her guard down or become arrogant.

“——Um, excuse me.”

Therefore.

She started to point her sword at the existence that suddenly appeared in the throne room — then put on a self-mocking smile of “Being too tense is also no good.”

What was there was not an enemy or anything, but Princess Altina’s younger sister — Moldiana Calmate. She was holding an unfamiliar bouquet of flowers, as if she had been playing alone in a flower field as usual.

——Although she was a royal woman yet had no aptitude for light at all, and was thought to likely lack the ability to carry children, the people of Calmate were by no means persecuting her.

But it was also fact that they were troubled by how to treat her.

If she had talent for governance like her sister Kate it would have been good, but her aptitude was rather in moving her body.

As royalty she could not be treated as a lower-ranking soldier, yet no matter how she struggled she could not become a Sacred — therefore the treatment had become something like handling a boil.

She had heard from Princess Altina that that was apparently an unbearable pain for Princess Moldiana.

(…Then she should just be protected. That is what we Sacred are for.)

But Grace could not understand Moldiana’s suffering.

Those who have the power to protect protect the people, and those without power continue their daily lives under that protection.

That is certainly the correct values in the world called Calmate — and precisely because of that, she, or rather the others as well, failed to notice until the end.

“Um, everyone seems to be having a hard time, so I wondered if I could help somehow too.”

“Thank you for worrying. You’re a kind child, Moldiana.”

The girl sitting on the throne — Altina Sacred Calmate — smiled.

While letting the emotion of “This is troubling” seep into that smile, the greater part of it was affection and love.

It’s all right, it’s all right, don’t worry.

“But you ’don’t need to do anything.’ Leave it to us—”

“——…As I thought, it’s like that.”

Dark, dark emotions floated in her eyes.

It was disappointment, dejection, and anger.

What she was disappointed in, what she wanted to be told, whom she was angry at — Grace could not understand any of it.

Even so, there was a premonition.

“Then, I’ve had enough.”

Looking down and tightly gripping the bouquet with impressive black petals, instinct sounded an alarm at that figure.

——Princess Moldiana, or rather this girl, is an “enemy.”

She is an opponent who should be finished off right here and now.

Naturally power entered the hand gripping the sword. In one breath step in and bisect her—

“…Moldiana? What’s wrong? Does something hurt…? Don’t tell me the ones attacking the royal capital did something…!?”

——She thought to do so.

But in front of the princess who ran over truly worrying about her younger sister — she could not do something like striking her down.

If there had been clear evidence she would have carried it out even so.

But the current Grace had none. Only a sixth-sense-like alarm rang, and there was nothing she could explain to anyone.

——In that way, she averted her eyes from her own intuition.

Besides, in the first place.

Even if she harbored hostility toward Princess Altina — what could Moldiana do?

There is no way someone inferior even to lower-ranking knights, let alone Sacred, could harm Princess Altina.

That thought was the consensus of those who felt something off about Moldiana’s state, not only Grace.

In other words — “She cannot accomplish anything.”

Without despising or persecuting, they simply thought it as an obvious fact.

“Come, dwell — Seed of Desire.”

Therefore the reaction was late.

Until the bouquet Moldiana held — from there, poisonous purple pollen was scattered, no one could react.

“——Holy Flame!”

She did not know what that was.

But the alarm ringing in her head only grew more intense.

Therefore she burned it away. Fortunately the Flame Spirit Grace had contracted is an existence that “warms the innocent people and burns away the evil.” While filling the entire throne room with flame, she can protect Princess Altina and her brother Aarg and the others.

“Too late, Sacred Knight. Everything, all of it.”

“Wha…!?”

Moldiana’s laughing voice rang out within the holy flame.

Grace was confused. Impossible; she had been excluded from the targets of protection. She should have been burned to ash by the spirit’s flame.

The holy flame was cut open.

At the center was Princess Moldiana and — a white-haired man clad in black clothes embracing her.

“——Well done, Moldi.”

The throne room was covered in dark-colored light.

This was — a barrier. From inside the barrier protecting the royal capital, a dark-colored barrier covering the entire castle.

“U, guu, a—”

“Onii-sama!?”

At her brother’s suffering voice she directed her gaze — and opened her eyes wide at the catastrophe.

The nobles who had evacuated to the throne room — among them only the men were crouching as if writhing in pain, pressing their chests.

As if that place hurt.

No — as if desperately suppressing, saying they cannot acknowledge such emotions.

“Alter-sama! I did it. I properly did it! So, so—”

“Yes. You are useful; I shall permit you to continue serving me — continue to be of use to me.”

“——Ah, aa, aaaa… Thank you. I, I—”

And in the air.

The traitor and the unidentified man embracing as if the uproar below did not enter their eyes.

At the figure of her smiling while shedding tears like a maiden who had succeeded in a confession, Grace was confused yet readied her sword.

“Who are you…!”

“Alter Native. The one who will trample you.”

While embracing Moldiana, the man — Alter — answered flatly.

Probably he was the one who blocked Grace’s holy flame. His bearing, the magical power of darkness overflowing from within, told her he was a strong enemy. She could not believe he could block the flame she had released intending to kill someone of Moldiana’s level.

Therefore the key is that man.

Then, not a diffused flame like earlier — but concentrated scorching heat at a single point to burn him away!

She refined the magical power of light and tried to burn the man to ash—

“Hoh, do you have the leisure to care about the likes of me?”

—Right before that, Alter put on a mocking smile.

What is that composure?

She wondered, but now defeating him is priority—

“Uah! Aa, aaaAAA— Hahaa…!”

—Swallowing that thought, a scream mixed with agony and joy.

The men who had been writhing in pain — their forms were transforming. While releasing black magical power, into ominous forms.

One man restrained the woman who had been worrying by his side with tentacles and began violating her.

One man enlarged his body with creak creak sounds and raised a beast-like roar.

One man put on a vulgar smile and leaped at Princess Altina — and right before his hand touched, he was purified by the powerful light the princess possessed.

And — toward Grace as well.

An abnormal form with multiple giant arms swung its fist as if to punch her to death.