Editing Hagure Yuusha no Aesthetica:Volume 4 Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 7===
At the same time, Forestnium’s atmosphere was calm as usual.
 
The deep forest was filled with a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere, nobody noticed the change<!-- "change" seems wrong. arrival? signs? --> of a quiet attack.
 
——Nobody except for Kaidou Motoharu.
 
“Looks like they really came……”
 
“Kaidou, what’s wrong?”
 
The demon race children that were playing with everyone looked suspiciously at Kaidou.
 
Only to see Kaidou gazing into the depths of the forest.
 
“We’re not playing hide and seek anymore, we’ll change it into a race.”
 
The sudden announcement immediately aroused the children’s protest.
 
“Why?”
 
“You don’t want to be it, so you don’t want to play? Why would there be such a thing……Kaidou?”
 
The demon race children immediately stopped protesting because they noticed that the cheerful smile that appeared on Kaidou’s face earlier had already disappeared.
 
“Behave now and listen. After I shout out, everyone is to immediately run back to their home, then listen to the adults’ instructions. If your parents are not at home, or you’ve accidentally got lost, then hide in a secretive place, a place that is not so easily found, okay? At that time, I’ll come for you guys.”
 
Kaidou slightly smiled.
 
“Okay……It’s time now, RUN!”
 
Under Kaidou’s order, all the children immediately rushed away with all their strength.
 
At this moment, Kuzuha and Chikage also came to Kaidou’s side.
 
“——What is it?”
 
“Nothing, it seems that there are uninvited guests.”
 
Facing Kuzuha’s question, Kaidou helplessly scratched the back of his head. After Chikage heard this, she could not help but narrow her eyes.
 
“It can’t be right? The enemy should not be able to break the concept magic barrier.”
 
“That’s true, but……”
 
Kaidou had not finished speaking when a youth from the village rushed towards them.
 
“What happened? Why did you tell the children to go home?”
 
“You’ve appeared right on time. Help me tell uncle Urumu that the enemies have come.”
 
After he said this, the intruders suddenly appeared from within the forest.
 
Three knights wearing blue armor. You could tell from a glance that they were not Galevain’s residents.
 
The helmets were full-face ones, so it was impossible to recognize their appearance.
 
“Already pulled out your sword? I hate people who are impatient.”
 
Kaidou turned around and faced the knights. The youth behind him could not conceal his inner surprise.
 
“How is this possible? The concept magic barrier has not disappeared yet!”
 
“They have probably drilled a few holes in it. What are you waiting for? Quickly go and notify the elder.”
 
At the same time, Kaidou also gave some orders.
 
“Immediately evacuate all people without fighting abilities, we will stay here and delay them.”
 
“O…Okay!”
 
The youth nodded and bolted towards the sacred tree.
 
“There are only three opponents, it shouldn’t be too hard for us.”
 
Using AD and summoning a long bow, Chikage spoke nonchalantly.
 
Kuzuha also summoned a large hammer, but she was not as optimistic.
 
“Did you forget? The peace agreement was our goal, and the opponent sacrificed their own surveillance troops and is also a strategist that created an excuse to attack the demon race. If we kill these three men, won’t we let these people have more of a reason to attack the demon race?”
 
“That’s correct, this is a little bit of trouble.”
 
Kaidou also placed his focus onto his AD.
 
The materialized weapon was an iron knuckle. Kaidou smashed his fists together, and the knucles suddenly issued a crisp metallic collision sound.
 
“Looks like we can only teach them a lesson, then force them to retreat.”
 
Thus, Kaidou rushed towards the enemy. After locking onto the middle knight, Kaidou increased his speed. A few arrows passed through Kaidou’s side, aiming for the enemies in front. This was, of course, a cover attack from Chikage.
 
The three knights either used the long sword to swipe off the arrows, or used a shield to protect themselves. These actions could be said to show all their flaws.
 
Following this, Kaidou immediately thrust his right fist towards the knight in the center.
 
“——“
 
After a muffled bang, the knight in the center had collapsed.
 
The knight on the right prepared to attack Kaidou, but after a large sound, he fell onto the ground.
 
It turned out that he had received an attack on the head from Kuzuha’s large hammer.
 
“Hey Hey Hey, relax a bit, you’ll kill someone.”
 
“Don’t worry, I know what is appropriate.”
 
“Really?”
 
Kaidou seemed to be skeptical of Kuzuha, so while he kicked out towards the third enemy, he did not forget to ask Kuzuha. This kick hit the side of the head of the knight, and he lost consciousness on the spot. He saw the knight fall onto ground kneeling, and powerlessly lie on the ground.
 
“That’s strange, all of them were instantly defeated.”
 
Chikage put down her bow. Kaidou looked at the knights who had fallen onto the ground, he could not help but feel a bit puzzled.
 
……Strange, it shouldn’t be that simple.
 
Forestnium’s barrier that was formed through concept magic should have been impenetrable, it was almost regarded as an art in terms of barrier. These knights had the ability to pass through the barrier and appear in the forest, so logically, their strength should be quite powerful.
 
However, Kaidou’s suspicion was quickly answered, the fallen knights all stood up.
 
“It can’t be right, these three are tough individuals that can’t be knocked down? Give me a break.”
 
“This really can be nerve-racking. If we continue to fight, we cannot guarantee that we will not harm their lives.”
 
Kuzuha gave off a wry smile, but Kaidou only helplessly sighed.
 
“Looks like we can only strip them of their mobility……Althought, the method for doing so is a bit cruel.”
 
Kaidou swept down a knight that was about to stand up, then thrust his hand onto the right leg of the knight.
 
With a “pa-cha” sound, the joints of the knight’s right leg were snapped by Kaidou. Without hesitation and swiftly.
 
The knight was wearing a thick and heavy armor. This way he definitely could not stand up.
Then the unthinkable happened. After his right leg joints were snapped, the knight did not even utter a single sound.
 
Even with a broken leg, he still stood up from the ground.
 
“A…Are there problems in their head……?”
 
Chikage’s tone seemed like she had seen a ghost. Kaidou suddenly understood.
 
……So that’s what happened.
 
They probably used drugs or magic to eliminate their sense of pain. And the knights had never spoken. Probably their personalities had been wiped, turning them into weapons whose purpose was to kill. Kaidou understood clearly that there was only one method to stop these zombie killing machines.
 
“——I’ll stay here and hold them, you two should go back and help the villagers to evacuate.”
 
“Wait a minute, are you going to deal with these three knights alone?”
 
Kuzuha could not help but raised her voice.
 
“Don’t argue with me. Listen carefully, normal weapons are ineffective against them, can you two use magic?”
 
“No.”
 
“Same here……But.”
 
Kuzuha asked Kaidou back.
 
“You should be the same too right?”
 
“Yes, so I can only think of a way to stall for time. Those children should not have ran very far. You should hurry up and catch up to them. And, the enemy may not only be these three fellows here.”
 
After Kuzuha and Chikage heard this, they realized the severity of the situation.
 
Kaidou did not forget to remind them again.
 
“Bring the children and head to a safe location and take refuge. After I finish with this, I will also immediately head over.”
 
Kuzuha and Chikage nodded.
 
“Okay, we’ll leave this up to you.”
 
“After the evacuation is complete, we will immediately come back to support you.”
 
Both of them turned around and swiftly left the scene. After Kuzuha and Chikage’s figures disappeared into the forest, Kaidou turned around to face the knights in front.
 
“Okay now, all of you come out.”
 
Kaidou, staring at the depths of the forest, laughed.
 
Knights that were wearing armor<!-- changed from "army", could also be a missing word (army equipment) --> came out of the forest one after another. The total amount numbered over twenty.
 
Kaidou smiled slightly. There was not the slightest fear in his face.
 
“……Do you know why I sent them away?”
 
Kaidou removed the materialization of his weapon, and even placed the AD on the ground. At this moment, his wrist suddenly glowed, and a tiny magic circle appeared at the same time. Countless light particles appeared around his body as if removing the AD had lifted his restriction. Kaidou’s clothes immediately changed. He did not need the assistance from AD and could summon out his battle gear from his consciousness. Then Kaidou activated multiple magic circles, and launched countless magic attacks. Facing these undying enemies, Kaidou Motoharu released his true power.
 
Which was also the true power of the strongest terrorist organization——“Scarlet Dusk”
 
“Of course killing you might be a bit troublesome……”
 
Kaidou smiled.
 
“But what if I blow you apart to the extent there are not even scraps left——Then I just need to find a random excuse to pass right?”
 
 
After leaving the enemies to Kaidou, Doumoto Kuzuha and Chikage arrived at the residential areas of the sacred tree together.
 
The information about the enemy’s attack had spread through the village. Urgent cries and screams from the local residents were heard everywhere.
 
“Those who can fight, take up your weapons, the others are to immediately evacuate to a safe refuge.”
 
“The men who do not have a weapon should help the elders and the children to evacuate! You actions have to be faster!”
 
A single young male from the demon race raised up his weapon and was about to rush forward——
 
“——Wait, you can’t participate in the battle!”
 
Kuzuha hurriedly blocked them, Chikage also followed from the side.
 
“Right now Miu……No, Myuu is involved with talks between the humans. If you are to participate in the battle, it will only waste all their efforts.”
 
“But……”
 
“Take your weapons and protect the people without any combat abilities. If the enemy really comes——“
 
Kuzuha said.
 
“We will take care of them. Izumi and I are not people from Galevain, so even if they seek responsibility, it will not be blamed on the demon race.”
 
“That’s right.”
 
Chikage smiled. The young male holding the weapon pondered for a while, then nodded.
 
“We will head up to the front and help. We must complete the preparations for evacuation as soon as possible.”
 
“Wait, go pick up the orphans first!”
 
“? What do you mean?”
 
Another youth’s statement caught the attention of Kuzuha. The person was out of breath and it was evident he was anxious.
 
“It is the children who lost their parents in the war. They live at the bottom floor’s orphanage. Normally the villagers will take turns to take care of them. However, the situation is too chaotic right now, everyone is trying to escape with lives, there is no time to take into account the orphans.”
 
“Okay, I’ll go to bring the orphans. Izumi, I’ll leave this to you.”
 
“No problem. Class rep, be careful.”
 
“Yes, you too.”
 
Kuzuha nodded towards Chikage. After asking the exact location of the orphanage, she immediately rushed down to the lower floor of the sacred tree. Avoid dodging the crowd of people trying to evacuate, she reached the lower floor of the sacred tree in a few minutes. Kuzuha looked around and found that the lower floor was completely quiet. It seemed like there were no residents who hadn’t left.
 
However, Doumoto Kuzuha did not slow down her pace.
 
“——“
 
A sound came from the direction of the orphanage.
 
Screams. Kuzuha pushed forward and increased her speed. Suddenly she saw that a female beastman holding many children was preparing to flee the scene and ——a knight was standing in front of them.
 
……Sure enough, they infiltrated from somewhere else.
 
The knight raised his sword high up in the air, and was prepared to harm the defenseless woman and children.
 
Seeing that it was an emergency, Kuzuha immediately placed her focus onto her AD, summoned a large hammer, and smashed it towards the ground. The powerful impact surged through the earth and created multiple rocks headed towards the knight.
 
But——
 
“——“
 
The knight gently raised the long sword in his hand and easily handled Kuzuha’s attacks.
 
This was enough. Kuzuha deliberately raised up dust, stood in the middle between the knight and the children and motioned for the female beastman to leave quickly.
 
“Leave this to me, hurry and take the children away!”
 
“Ah…Yes……!”
 
The female beastman woke up and nodded. She hurriedly took the children and fled the scene. However, there was a child that remained on the spot and refused to leave. It was the dark elf girl Riruru.
 
“Kuzuha……”
 
Riruru revealed a worried expression, but Kuzuha smiled slightly.
 
“I’m fine……Quickly go away!”
 
It was the first time Kuzuha used this commanding tone to talk with Riruru. Riruru was surprised, and lifted her body and hurriedly chased after the orphans who left earlier.
 
Kuzuha once again faced the knight.
 
After confirming that Riruru’s footstep sounds were becoming further away——
 
“……You will not let go of even those small children?”
 
“……”
 
The knight wearing the armor did not respond, but silently raised his sword. Seeing this, Kuzuha also tightly gripped the hammer’s wooden handle and charged forward towards the knight. When the distance to the knight was only a few steps, she jumped and used all her power to swing the hammer down, but it was easily blocked off by the knight.
 
“——!”
 
Kuzuha, who was surprised, hurriedly flipped around and took her distance.
 
……This person is strong……!
 
Kuzuha could not help but swallow. The enemy did not only block off Kuzuha’s attack, but he did not even put Kuzuha’s attack within his mind. This strength was incomparable to the other knights. And the armor was also different from the other knights. Not only was there an elegant gold color on the side, it also looked exceptionally heavy.
 
……Phil Barnett……No, it should be the same level as Ousawa-kun.
 
Kuzuha understood that she could not win against this knight, but her strong sense of responsibility forced her to remain here.
 
……At least I need to buy a bit of time.
 
After making up her mind, Kuzuha bit her lips. At this moment, the knight swung his long sword towards the ground, creating an explosive sound and impact.
 
A power that surpassed Kuzuha surged through the ground and directly headed to Kuzuha.
 
“Kuuu……”
 
Right now she still could not use magic. At this crisis, Kuzuha also lifted the hammer and smashed it towards the ground, attempting to cancel the impact of her opponent. The two powers rushed forward and met in the middle.
 
However, the two surges of power did not get cancelled, there was not even a chance to compete against each other.
 
The impact created by the knight easily swallowed up the impact produced from Kuzuha’s hammer.
 
“Ah——Ahhhhhhhhhhh!”
 
Once Kuzuha understood that she was in a bad situation, it was already too late. The strong impact instantly swallowed Kuzuha’s petite body and continued to explode outwards. The impact even threw Kuzuha back dozens of meters.
 
“……Kuuuu, Ah……Nnnn……”
 
Lying on the ground, Kuzuha tried to maintain her consciousness.
 
An unbearable pain came from her entire body. Kuzuha could not help but make painful moans, but she still tried to muster her remaining strength and attempted to climb back up from the ground.
 
“Huh——?”
 
Doumoto Kuzuha widened her eyes. A dark elf girl was currently lying down beside her.
 
“Ri……Ruru……?”
 
Her fuzzy sight gazed upon the motionless girl.
 
……W…Why……
 
Why is Riruru still here? Shouldn’t she have caught up to the other children and escaped far away? However, the truth was at hand, and it did not allow Kuzuha to doubt at all.
 
There was only one possibility, that is Riruru did not escape. She originally planned to follow the others and leave this place, but she stopped on the way. Why? Kuzuha could not help but think.
 
……Could it be……She was worried about me……?
 
Kuzuha unconsciously moved her body and lifted up Riruru’s tiny body.
 
“Riruru, Get a hold of yourself! Riruru—— Please speak!”
 
But Riruru did not respond. No matter how Kuzuha called Riruru’s name, the girl in front of her eyes continued to keep her eyes closed. Even painful groans could not be heard.
 
At this moment, a dark shadow appeared in front of Kuzuha. Lifting up her head, the enemy was right in front of her.
The knight ignored the badly bruised Kuzuha as well as the motionless Riruru.
 
“……Where is the elder?”
 
A flat and cold tone.
 
……The enemy’s target is uncle Urumu……?
 
After knowing the enemy’s target, Doumoto Kuzuha bowed her head to think, measuring her own physical condition and the gap in strength between the two of them in her heart. After a thorough consideration, the conclusion she drew up was that she could not fight again. Thus, Kuzuha decided to respond to the opponent’s question——With hostile eyes.
 
“I don’t know. But even if I knew, I would not tell you……!”
 
Doumoto Kuzuha expressed that she was not going to yield. The reaction of the knight was very simple, she saw him lift up his sword.
 
“——It’s about time to stop, young man.”
 
A hoarse voice prevented the knight’s action. Kuzuha subconsciously looked at the direction of the voice.
 
Urumu was standing in front of her eyes.
 
“Run away, uncle Urumu……The enemy is after you!”
 
Kuzuha screamed loudly, but Urumu only smiled.
 
“Ohhho……Then isn’t it just right?”
 
Then he slowly walked towards the knight.
 
“Why……?”
 
Kuzuha muttered, unable to understand the intentions of Urumu.
 
Only to see Urumu’s wrinkled face reveal a hint of a smile.
 
“Because you are all princess’s friends, I cannot allow you to be involved in the dispute between humans and the demon race……Isn’t it right, Disdia’s knight?”
 
Urumu had long seen past the identity of the knight.
 
“Since your target is me, please go ahead. But for the sake of my own life, could you please let her go? She is only a guest that accidently came here, and is not a resident of Galevain.”
 
“……”
 
The knight did not answer, but silently walked towards Urumu.
 
“S…Stop……”
 
Carrying Riruru, Kuzuha’s voice was very weak.
 
She could not stop anything. She could not stop time, stop the knight, or stop the tragedy.
 
The knight slowly raised his sword, but Urumu was perfectly calm.
 
A hearty laugh would come once in a while from his mouth.
 
At the very last moment, he finally stared at Kuzuha.
 
“——Please take care of the princess, Kuzuha-dono.”
 
After he said this, the knight’s long sword suddenly used an earth-shattering posture<!-- "sword used a posture" is wrong. Not sure what to replace this with. --> and directly slashed downwards towards Urumu’s body.