ACT 12 - Symphony of the Battlefield

Summary
After Reis leaves Aisia talks to Rio telepathically and says to him that the rock house is safe, Rio then says to Aisia that she is in charge of Miharu’s and Latifa’s protection and to follow them from the distance while using Ouphia’s time space cache for moving the rock house, after a little of awkward silence Rio tells the others to leave too, they move strengthening the body with spirit arts for an hour, thinking that an hour is the maximum time they can use spirit arts in front of Cristina’s group before making them doubt if they really are humans Rio’s group makes a stop for resting, there they begin to organize their new plan, Rio tells to everyone that the initial of using the south route for reaching Rodania, Rio changes the plan to aim to the Galarc kingdom where the army won’t be able of pursuing them anymore, then go to  Amande and there to ask for Lizelotte’s help for taking Cristina in her magic ship to Rodania

Cristina, Celia, Sara, Ouphia and Alma take a bath in a small lake nearby, there Cristina is envious of how the forest trio speak of Rio as if he's family and thinks of how dazzling the bond they share is for someone like her that grew up observing the dirty exchanges of the nobles, after them Rio takes a bath with kota and Rei and go to a city.

While walking to the city Kota says to Rio that they're being treated almost as criminals for the way they're being searched, Rio says to Kota that in this world the people with authority decides the right and the wrong to their convenience, that fabricating false charges is very easy for them, for Cristina is painful to hear this.

After they check in on an inn Rio goes shopping with Celia and the forest trio, he explains them that Cristina was his classmate for five years, they think that it's really bad and Rio calms them saying that the current Cristina won't try to unveil his real identity because she doesn't have a way of confirming he's the same person, and even if she is suspicious she can't try to find out the truth because it may worsen they relationship and that would be fatal for her.

Meanwhile Cristina is left alone with Vanessa in the room they booked for the girls use, Vanessa suggest to use Celia for bringing Rio's group to Restoration's side, a group of four demon sword users is a force equivalent to thousands and Restoration lacks a lot of capable people, Cristina refuses saying that Rio's group has no reason for helping them, that they're just helping Celia, not the Bertram kingdom, Vanessa asks if Cristina is refusing because Haruto may be Rio, Cristina denies it but Vanessa doesn't believe it, she says he may be a different person, Cristina says there isn't way he is another person, Vanessa says that even if they're able of confirming that he's wearing the magic tool that changes the hair color and if he really is called Rio they don't have a way of proving that he's the same person from four years ago, after all this time if he claims to be a different person they can't say he's lying if he doesn't admit it himself, that it should be fine to treat him as just Haruto.

Cristina ends the conversation saying there isn't a way she can do that to the person their country framed, Vanessa says she wasn't present on the scene at that time but that the way the things were told to have happened certainly was the more convenient for the powerful ones, Cristina tells her that even without seeing herself what happened knows it's all a lie and that there isn't a way for Rio to not hate them because of that.

At the same time Reiss went to a hut in the middle of nowhere, Arein, Lucci and Ven are waiting for him inside, there he explains to them how Cristina is the person searched for the army around Creia, how they can’t allow her to reach Rodania, that it would be bad for the Proxia empire and for the Arbor faction, Lucci asks if they have to kill her, Reis denies it and explains that in Cristina’s case how she fails to reach Rodania has a meaning, that if she dies and the guilty is unconfirmed the Hugenot faction will use avenge her as cassus belli easily against the Arbor faction, if she’s killed by monsters is different, but in their case killing her was the last resort, Reis explains how the best for them it would be for her to be captured by Charles, that because of that he pretended to try to kill Cristina as a member of the griffins and not as a diplomatic from the Proxia empire, for them to believe that he isn’t working with Charles.

He explains now how well escorted Cristina is, three fighters that together can fight against big numbers of minotaurs and orcs and Rio, that completely trashed Lucius, Arein, Lucci and Ven are surprised of knowing that Lucius ended in such a way, they asks if they really have to defeat such a guy, Reis denies it and says that against him the maximum they can do is to earn time, that their plan is to separate as many as possible from Rio’s group from Cristina for Charles to be able of capturing her more easily, but locating them came first, he says that he doesn’t know their exact location right now, he takes out a map and signals several cities along the different routes they may take, between them a city that Rio absolutely needs to pass through if he wants to go to the Galarc kingdom, then he orders Arain, Lucci and Ven to hire adventurers in that city that must investigate if Rio’s group stopped by at that city.

Second day of the journey Rio’s group walks through the forest today in order to avoid the limit between territories inside the country, while walking through the forest Vanessa talks with Kota and Rei about the difference between travelling through the road or the forest, when the conversation reaches the high chance of getting lost and or being attacked by monsters Rio remembers the academy time and smiles wryly at how typically stupid was what they did back them, he notices then Cristina looking at him just to look away when he looks her back, he thinks that the most likely she realized his real identity.

A little later they make a break for eating, Rio and Ouphia begin to talk about what meal they will prepare for everyone, while they talk everyone get close to them and offer to help, Rio says to Rei and Kota that were carrying the baggage for the fighters to have the hands free in case of monster attack to rest, he then says to Vanessa, Sara and Alma to watch their surroundings, Rio then asks Celia to make a cooking space and to make water for him to cook with it, Celia is annoyed because Rio has been calling her Celia-sama during the travel because Cristina is present, to just call her Celia as always or she won’t use her magic, Cristina thinking that Rio may be holding back from doing that because of her says to him to just treat each other as they always do without minding her, Rio doubts a little because despite of what she says Cristina’s gaze is fixed on his face while Celia waits for Rio’s answer, Rio gives in and stops using the sama with Celia, Celia is happy while Sara and Alma mumble in low voice that it’s unfair, Ouphia tries to take the chance and says to Rio that she doesn’t mind if Rio stops using honorifics with her too, Rio says to her that he will think about it if she stops using honorifics with him too just like Celia, in the end Ouphia doesn’t dare to do it because it was embarrassing, after that Rio and Ouphia prepare risotto for everyone and they continue their way.

At the same time Arein rides a griffin until the city Rio’s group must stop by absolutely if they’re going to the Galarc kingdom with a false wanted poster describing Rio’s group, he enters bar full of adventurers and offers them five hundred gold coins for watching the city’s gate and inform him when he visits again if a group that matches certain characteristics passed through the city.

Fourth day of journey Rio’s group finally arrives to the city where Arein hired the adventurers, when Rio’s group is looking for an inn the adventurers called out to them and tells the, that they match the characteristics of that wanted posters, Rio deals with them and takes everyone to an inn, after that he goes out for gathering information, then he discovers that the wanted poster is false, he goes back to the inn and tells it to everyone, they begin to wonder how to deal with it and with the city’s adventurers that have people watching their inn, Rio tells to everyone to leave the city through the gate they entered through to the city and if they’re followed Rio will deal with it alone and the rest will be on guard of another attack from Reis.

At the same in a bar the adventurers are in a bar complaining about how in their opinion Rio didn’t talk to them with enough respect and begin to plan to attack Rio’s group next morning because they’re just wanted criminals and after capturing them they will have a goo time with the women.

Next morning, Rio goes with everyone to a resting spot near the city and gets a little away from the road there, Rio fights barehanded against the group of twenty adventurers, after defeating them Rio interrogates about the origin of that false wanted poster, after questioning everyone and letting them tied next to the road they surround the city by the outside and continue their way, at the same time Reis that saw the fight from the sky orders Arein that rides a griffin next to him to keep following Rio from the distance while he goes to tell Charles Cristina’s route.

Reiss enters Charles’ office in Creia and tells him where Cristina is now, who are escorting her and his plan for capturing her.

Ninth day of journey, Rio's group leaves the last city before the national border, they're ambushed by Arain, Lucci and Ven + a lot of hired adventurers and this time Reis is present too, first Reis, Alain, Rucci and Ven surround Rio's group pretending to want to take Cristina from them themselves, Reis calls forth the hired adventurers, Rio begins to knock out adventurers with his wind spirit arts while receiving at the same time attacks from Reis, Alain, Lucci and Ven trying to create a way out in their encirclement for Cristina's group to escape being the only one staying behind, and the adventurers while pretending to pursue them let Cristina's group go and finally Sara and Alma stay behind too to help Rio and the battle changes to Rio vs Reis and Alma and Sara against everyone else while Ouphia is still with Cristina's group.

The action changes to Cristina's group escaping from the place, Ouphia's spirit warns her about the army of 5.000 soldiers waiting ahead of them blocking the way to the border, Charles at the beginning had no clue that they were going to the Galarc kingdom but Reis told him Rio's plan and then told him that he has another plan to capture them, that great idiot readily put the army in front of the border to block Cristina's way despite this being something that may cause a war while thinking that all is his brilliant idea, after seeing the army Ouphia stops the group and tries to go back to Rio, but then they're surrounded by a griffon squad and Charles with Alfred and Rui comes with a group of another twenty Knights, in that situation Ouphia sends her spirit to call Rio while she earns as much time as possible, she and Vannessa are defeated by Alfred and then Charles puts her a magic sealing collar, Celia tries to stop it with magic but Alfred blocks the magic and Charles then gives her a punch in the face and she faints, in that moment they spotted Rio in the distance rushing to help them.

The action changes to Sara and Alma, first they fight 2 vs 3 With Alain, Rucci and Ven, the three decide they can't defeat them if they don't make it a 3 vs 1, so they order the adventurers to hold back Alma while they defeat Sara, but Sara uses water spirit arts to put a water bubble around their heads and defeats the mercenary trio, at the same time Alma defeats the adventurers with earth spirit arts and then the action changes to Rio vs Reis.

This fight was pretty much the same than their fight at the end of arc 4 in the Wn, both Rio and Reis are flying, with Reis trying to keep Rio away with light bullets, Rio charges against him while covered with a wind barrier and makes him crash against the forest giving him a kick in the stomach, then Reis attacks Rio making his right arm a sword of magic power, they cross in the air and Rio cuts that right arm, he was just about to finish Reis when Sara and Alma told him about Ouphia's situation and they run to help her, then Reis thinks there alone that they already earnt time but he doesn't know what will happen now, that maybe they've awoken the sleeping dragon.

Rio is running to help Celia and Ouphia, he is one kilometer away from Cristina's group and he sees the knights on the ground forming a wall of shields in front of Charles while the aerial squad prepares to attack with magic, but Rio doesn't dodge, he accelerates himself with wind spirit arts and runs past the landing spot of the magic attacks then he sees  Ouphia and Celia fainted from the distance and then his most epic rage until the date begins.

He accelerates even more with wind arts and reaches the knights on the ground, he grabs the shield of one of them and he throws him away, everyone there feeling Rio's anger and bloodthrist freeze on the spot, both allies and enemies, first he ask if Celia and Ouphia are alive, Cristina says to him they're just unconscious, then he asks who did it, Charles completely terrified says hurriedly that it was Alfred to escape from Rio's anger, Rio tells him but you gave the order didn't you.

Alfred, the only one in the spot that understood that they angered the wrong guy tells Charles to run away while he entertains Rio and attacks him, Rio swings the sword horizontally and sends Alfred flying back, then he creates a tornado around the sword and he defeats with it all the knights on the ground and on the air riding griffins, he attacks Alfred again and Alfred is only able to defend himself from Rio by putting all his strength into it, but even like that Rio is just about to defeat him when Rui shoots from the side and he has to separate from Alfred to dodge.

Rio talks a little with Rui, Rui tells Rio that what he told him in volume 10 before leaving the evening party about wanting to meet again as friends was serious and if possible he doesn't want to kill him, Rio tells him  that he doesn't want to kill him either and the 2 vs 1 begins.

Rio begins to change attacks with Alfred again while running around with the wind spirit arts to dodge Rui's arrows, he sends Alfred high in the air with wind spirit arts and jumps up to higher than him, Alfred puts all his remaining magic power in a last great attack, Rio creates a tornado around the sword and counterattacks, after winning  that exchange Rio sleeps Alfred with spirit arts and grabs his body to not let him die in the fall and to use him as a shield against Rui's arrows, then he knocks out Rui now alone with a palm strike in the solar plexus, he then tells to Sara and Alma that have just catched up to him to watch over that place while he captures Charles that was trying to run away.

Charles is running showing his back to Rio that is following after him at walking pace while thinking, how did it end like this, it wasn't supposed to end like this, just who in the world is that monster, he orders the 5.000 soldiers to make a way for him to scape and to protect him from Rio, and the soldiers open a corridor, but they don't try to stop Rio, they don't close the corridor they have opened for Charles and just let Rio pass and capture him, they just watch how Rio reaches Charles, he grabs him by the neck and walks back to Cristina while dragging Charles with him by the neck, not even one soldier dared to attack Rio yet, it was unanimous, after seeing the battle and feeling Rio's anger, bloodthrist and dominant aura all of them understood that they couldn't win and that they would just be killed instantly if they attack Rio.

Epilogue: Longing Toward the Special One
Cristina is watching Rio go after Charles and bringing him back dragging him by the neck while thinking how stupid she was for having ever thought she was special, Rio was always the only one that was really special, the only one that ever had what was necessary to stand above others, he is so special and so dazzling that it's even painful to look at him, she thinks that if Rio was the royalty and not her then the country would have never been in its actual situation, and if he was to reach a helping hand to her it would the most wonderful thing for her, but it's too late, she and their country don't deserve that, she can't by any means think ever again about taking that hand and must always stay away from the competition for gaining him, that is their punishment for their sin.