Chapter 10

Strategies

Kazumi's P.O.V

The next I awoke, I was in Castle Spitzweg. My chest was bandaged but it didn't sting at all. No one was in the room, meaning everyone was most likely preparing the strategy to take back Covenant Castle. I sat up with a small grunt, looking around the room.

'Hey Kazumi… About that lady that saved us…'

'Yeah? What about Julia?'

'Julia… Just who exactly is she?'

I couldn't help but let out a small giggle, closing my eyes as I smiled. I lifted a hand, resting it on my chest lightly as I began to explain.

'Suzannah Julia von Wittcott. She was one of the three Great Witches of the Demon Kingdom. She was known as Julia the White. She was born blind, she never saw the world. She was also good friends with Conrart-…'

My eyes shot wide open at that point. Where was Conrart!? Normally even if the world was about to fall into hell, he'd still be close to my side. I jumped out of the bed, stumbling to the door weakly on shaking legs before I bumped into the door. I grabbed the handle tightly to hold myself up, then threw it open. Despite how shaky my legs were, I took off in a sprint to find the others. I needed to see everyone. Just what had happened after I was shot with that arrow? Eventually I found them in the strategy room. All eyes shot to me.

"Kazumi! Yuri!" came out the chorus of voices. I scanned the people before gasping in realization.

"W-Where's Conrart…?" I asked. Everyone seemed to flinch. What had happened while I was out? Gwendal was the one to approach me. His eyes were filled with sorrow.

"We don't know… After you were knocked out by the arrow, the Originators attacked and the Great One appeared. He offered us a deal, unpursued escape in exchange for you and Conrart. Conrart agreed, knowing it was something you'd agree to. As we escaped, we could hear Conrart screaming at the top of his lungs for you… The scouts were able to find you, but there was no sign of Conrart…" Gwendal explained. My eyes widened as I let out a gasp. I suddenly felt incredibly heavy, like my body was being pressed down by an elephant. My legs shook violently as my entire body trembled. I must've been that wobbly I was swaying as Gwendal suddenly gasped, grabbing my shoulders in an attempt to hold me up.

"Kazumi! Get a hold of yourself!" he called out, holding me against him as he supported me. That was easier said than done though. Conrart was either with the enemy or… or he was… he was… no! I refused to believe it! There's no way Conrart was dead! I would know!

"Your excellency, please… Don't worry… I know my son is alive. A mother always knows" Lady Celly reassured me as she walked forward, gently petting my head with her hand. I looked up, tears threatening to spill out my eyes. Her eyes were just as emotional, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.

"Lady Celly… What will I do though… If he is… if he's…" I whimpered as her eyes overflowed with emotion. Tears fell down her cheeks as she grabbed me from Gwendal's arms and hugged me tightly to her chest. Her hand gently ran through my hair.

"I know… It's okay though, I promise you Kazumi… My son Conrart would never leave you… He won't die from this" Lady Celly stated as she gently kissed the top of my head. Raven approached, gently putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Celly is right. I know that Lord Weller is alive as well. So be strong, he needs you to save him Your Majesty, just as you saved myself and Lord Stoffel. And besides, Celly and I need the both of you at our wedding" Raven stated, adding a little humour in. I looked up at him, sniffing before nodding.

"Yeah, you're right! Sorry, I didn't mean to get so emotional" I apologised, pulling away before walking up to where Hisako and Murata were.

"So what's our plan?" I asked, leaning over the table to look at the map.

"We have all the soldiers from Castle Spitzweg, plus all the ones we got from Covenant Castle. The soldiers from the other nearby nations are also on their way. We contacted all the other noble families and they're sending most of their military to us. They're still keeping some soldiers to defend the people from attacks, but with all these soldiers we have a total of over 120,000 soldiers" Hisako explained, smirking up at Murata.

"With these soldiers, we intend to surround Covenant Castle and you will lead the charge back into the castle where we'll defeat the Great One" Murata finished, smirking back at Hisako. I looked up at the two of them, nodding in determination.

'Alright! We have a plan! Let's put it in action! We need to save Conrad after all!'

'Yeah… Hang in there Conrart… I'm coming to save you…'

I glanced away from the table to look into the window, looking up at the moon. Just hang in there, I promise I will save you Conrart.

"Oh, we also found another Originator seal. I believe the Great One hasn't located this one yet" Hisako stated, earning my attention. I glanced at her, seeing her give me a small smile. I smiled back, stepping forward.

"Where abouts is it?" I asked, seeing her point to the map. Lake Highhill.

"We need to hurry and seal that lake, otherwise the Great One will break that one as well" Yozak stated, looking pissed. He hated being three steps behind the Great One, and I didn't blame him.

"Then we should head out now and get to Lake Highhill!" Wolfram exclaimed.

"I have to agree with Lord Beilefelt. The sooner the better. Kazumi? How bad is your wound hurting?" Murata stated. I glanced at him before looking down at my chest.

"It doesn't hurt much. I should be fine to go and try to seal it" I replied. Hisako looked tormented by this.

"I don't like the idea… We lost your body last time we tried… Who's the say we won't lose the both of you this time?" she asked. I looked at the ground in thought.

"There's no choice… We can't fight the Great One at full strength… And I don't think it will happen this time… It was only because he needed a physical body. He already has what he wants, so he won't go after Yuri's body" I stated, trying to reassure her. She didn't look convinced, but she no longer raised an objection.

"Then who's heading out with His Excellency?" Gwendal asked, looking around. Wolfram raised a hand immediately.

"I am! I need to help in any way I can to get Conrart back!" he exclaimed. I blinked, looking at him in shock. When did he start referring to Conrart so highly? Oh well, I wasn't going to question it now.

"I'm going!" Hisako and Murata said together before glaring at each other due to their unison. I couldn't hide my giggle.

"I should stay and prepare for the infiltration of the castle" Gunter stated.

"Very well then, I will come along as well. We don't know how strong our enemies will be" Gwendal stated. Yozak chuckled to himself.

"You're just concerned about the twins, admit it" Yozak teased, making Gwendal glare at him as his cheeks dusted pink.

"That's enough out of you!" he snapped. Yozak merely laughed in response.

"Your Excellency, rest assured, my army will accompany you and protect you throughout the journey to Lake Highhill" Lord Stoffel stated as he stepped towards me, bowing lightly. I nodded, smiling at him. Stoffel looked like he'd really cleaned up his act, especially with how everyone else reacted to him. Instead of glares, everyone looked like they were able to tolerate him. I stepped forward to him, nodding my head.

"Thank you Stoffel, I appreciate this" I thanked, seeing him look nervous as I spoke before a genuine happy smile formed on his face.

Finally arriving at Lake Highhill, I glanced around and observed the area. I couldn't see any of the Originators nearby, so maybe the Great One didn't know about this location. Stepping off the horse, I walked towards the lake to see the water had turned completely black.

"It's just like the other lake…" I whispered, my voice trembling. I had to reseal this lake otherwise the Great One would be unstoppable. But I remembered the pain I'd gone through last time, the horrors I'd seen. It was terrifying, the thought of returning back into that black water. My shoulders trembled violently, my breath coming out in short gasps.

'Hey, Kazumi. It'll be okay. You got me with you this time'

'Thanks Yuri. I feel a lot better now'

I closed my eyes, smiling gently as I placed a hand on my chest. I wasn't alone this time.

"Kazumi?" Hisako asked, earning my attention as I turned to look at her. She was looking at me worriedly. Wolfram stepped to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry. Kazumi's strong, she'll be alright" he reassured her, a gentle smile on his face. Hisako couldn't help the smile that went on her face in return. I grinned at them in return, turning back to the water before a loud neigh caught our attention. I gasped, turning to see a black horse appear out of the shrubs, a rider on it's back. My eyes widened, a gasp escaping me as I saw an old, familiar face.

"Adalbert?!" I exclaimed, frozen to the spot. He smirked, chuckling to himself.

"I thought the world was going to hell, but imagine my surprise at finding the twin of the Demon Queen here? Wait, how do you know my name? I don't believe we've ever met before…" he stated, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. I gasped, stepping back in fear.

"It's kind of a long story Adalbert, but we need you to move aside your grudge, just until we fix this threat! Please!" Gwendal pleaded, gritting his teeth. He really didn't want to fight here, not when there was so much at stake. Adalbert grinned at him, chuckling.

"Well, isn't this just delicious? The great Gwendal von Voltaire is begging me not to cause a ruckus" Adalbert stated, bursting out into laughter.

'Just who the hell is this macho guy?!'

'Adalbert von Grantz… He was in love with Julia, the women we're reincarnated from… He's also got a deep grudge against the Great Demon Kingdom for some reason… He also fought me not long after arriving in this world and nearly killed me'

'He bested you in combat?!'

'Yeah, quite easily… The only one that can keep up with him is Conrart, who's not here!'

Adalbert continued his hearty laughter before grinning at us all madly. I gasped, stepping back. The fear of my injury still fresh in my mind.

"So, what's the story? Where's the pipsqueak Queen?" he asked, stepping off his horse but he kept his sword sheathed.

"Kazumi's at the palace… But it's just her body that's there… Her soul's right there" Murata explained, pointing at me. Adalbert raised a brow in confusion.

"Eh? You lost me…" he stated, dumbfounded. I stepped forward, walking to him.

"My body's been possessed by the Great One… My soul transferred to my brother's body, so it's the two of us sharing the one body. Now we're trying our hardest to stop him reviving the Originators. Please, we could use your help. Will you help us save the world?" I asked, seeing his eyes widen and everyone gasp.

"Kazumi! You can't be serious!?" Wolfram exclaimed, his brows narrowed in fury.

"Did you forget this man almost killed you!?" Gwendal questioned, but I smiled at them reassuringly.

"It'll be okay" I reassured them, turning back to look at Adalbert. He looked confused, assessing the situation before a small smirk fell on his face.

"Interesting. I guess I'll help out, but only until the Great One is kicked off his high horse. After all, I still have a score to settle with that bastard" he answered, grinning at me and gently ruffling my hair. I couldn't stop the smile from forming on my face. Our joy was short lived though. The clunking of metal caught our attention as we all turned to see dozens of Originator soldiers poke out from the trees and shrubs. I gasped, stepping back. This couldn't be happening… Not now! We were too close! However someone stepped out from the shadows and I felt my blood freeze in my veins. I gasped, blinking before tears began to fall down my cheeks.

"C-Conrart…? Conrart!" I exclaimed, breaking into a sprint and running to him. He smiled, catching me in his arms and hugged me tightly.

"Kazumi… Thank goodness you're safe!" he whispered in relief. He was here! He was alive! He was directly in front of me!

"Thank goodness… You're alive…" I whimpered before feeling his hands land on my shoulders, gently pulling me back.

'Kazumi! Why did Conrart appear with them!? This seems fishy!'

I paid Yuri no heed before I saw Conrart's expression suddenly turn dark. I gasped, feeling myself me pushed back as he lifted his sword up into the air. I didn't even have time to react. My mind was in a daze as the sword hit my arm, slicing the skin and hitting bone. I was frozen in horror and pain, stumbling back as everyone gasped in horror.

"Conrart!? What're you doing!?" Wolfram yelled, fury in his veins. Conrart merely smirked sinisterly, sword poised and ready to strike again. Hisako gasped, looking at Adalbert who was watching the scene in confusion.

"Hurry! He's about to kill Yuri and Kazumi!" she pleaded. He turned to her, raising a brow.

"Why should I care? I only agreed to help stop the Great One" he asked, shrugging his shoulders. Hisako tightened her hands into fists and inhaled sharply.

"The two of them are reincarnated from Julia! Do you want to watch Julia die again!?" she yelled, making him gasp, frozen to the spot. Conrart was running at me again, but my mind had gone completely dead. He swung his sword up, aiming straight for my head for the fatal blow. A clang of metal snapped me out of my daze as I looked up, gasping at the back I saw in front of me.

"Adalbert…?" I asked, my voice trembling. He grunted against the strain of Conrart's attack, but succeeded in pushing him back.

"I may not know what's going on… But until this is all sorted, you can count on me to be your knight in shining armour" he stated, turning to give me a small smile. My eyes widened in shock. Just what did he mean by that? And why was Conrart suddenly attacking me?

"This can't be the real Conrart, it must be a fake sent to trick us" Gwendal exclaimed, growling as he reached for his sword. Conrart merely closed his eyes in a small smirk, before looking at us all.

"The Great One has reached the third part, and will be even stronger in three, two… one" he said as the ground suddenly began rumbling and another burst of black light appeared in the distance. The Great One had three now… This was the final piece. I turned back to the water, panicking.

'Kazumi… Sealing it may not be enough now…'

'I know… But what else can we do?'

'I have an idea… But it's incredibly risky…'

'Go on… At this point, risky is the lowest danger level we can have…'

'The Great One is going around, breaking the seals on these and absorbing it, right? So, what would happen if someone absorbed the last piece first?'

My eyes widened in a gasp.

'Yuri, you're a genius! But, are you okay with that? It's your body…'

'I'm willing to go through the risks, just as long as we can defeat the Great One and get your body back'

'Thank you… I mean it Yuri… Thank you'

I left Adalbert fighting against Conrart as I walked back towards the black water. All eyes fell on me as they watched in confusion.

"Kazumi? What're you doing?" Murata asked, before gasping. I'd raised my hands, closed my eyes and begun chanting. The water began to glow, pulsing with energy and power. At the end of my chant, the rumbling had intensified and suddenly the energy exploded up into a tower.

"Your host lies here!" I shouted, earning cries from everyone, begging me to stop. The energy hit me like a lightning bolt, wrapping and enveloping me as I felt like I was being ripped to shreds. I could hear screaming in the background and could only assume it was coming from me and Yuri. Our screams echoed together as the dark energy joined in with our body, flowing through our veins and twisting our minds. Dark thoughts entered my mind, whispers and echoes. I ignored them to the best of my ability as I struggled to stand, feeling the typhoon of energy disappear.

"K-Kazumi…" Hisako whispered, watching in horror as I fell to my knees, panting heavily as I struggled to maintain consciousness.

"You didn't… just to save us…" she whimpered, his eyes wide and her whole body trembling violently.