Seeing Kaguya, Lancer first reaction was confusion, but when he saw her walking toward Eirin, he felt a strong sense of suffocation.
Lancer might be dense in some areas, but in battle, he had a talent far beyond normal. He realized instantly why Kaguya was walking toward her.
She planned to leave with her voluntarily!
Had he failed again?
Was a cherished friend about to be taken away because of his weakness?
While in a state of hysteria once before, Lancer had made an oath: he would survive and ensure those he cherished survived as well.
Later, though Leone "survived" in another way, that scar-like wound wasn't so easy to heal.
Kaguya had been a simple mission target for the old Lancer, but as time passed, her image grew. In public, she was a refined lady; in private, she was like an old best friend.
Back then, he was an ordinary person—average grades, average looks, and aside from being a bit tall, an average build. He did nothing but study and play games. He was as ordinary as could be. Playing games with Kaguya, her shouts and screams seemed to transport Lancer back to the days of gaming all night with his buddies.
He was no longer the Bringer of Death, nor the butcher in the eyes of demi-humans and nobles, nor the "Red Oni" to countless Youkai. He was just the "ordinary person," Lancer.
Though brief, and though he wasn't addicted to it, the moments of mental peace she gave him were truly precious.
Lancer once said the beginning of a relationship doesn't really matter. Two best friends might start by liking the same girl or over a schoolyard fight, but when they grow up and no longer like that girl, they are still best friends. Lancer cared more about the "process" and the "result" than the "beginning."
Their meeting started with a system "quest," but now she was a cherished friend.
Because her powers were still sealed, Kaguya physical stats were no different from an ordinary girl's. Being suddenly pulled back by Lancer, she fell directly into his embrace. Hearing his nearly accusatory words, she looked up at him in disbelief.
"Lancer?!"
At this moment, Lancer wasn't lazy and casual as he was when playing games, nor was he firm and serious as when he sent her away. Instead, his eyes were wide, teeth clenched. Combined with his body, stained red with his own blood and covered in wounds, he looked like a vengeful ghost crawled out of hell.
But she recovered quickly and shook her head at Lancer.
"It's okay, Lancer. Master is here to take me back. She won't hurt me..."
"But you broke the 'Moon's' rules, didn't you? You'll be punished if you go back, won't you?"
Lancer questioning left Kaguya speechless. Eventually, she just nodded.
"Then I won't let you go! I don't want to lose a cherished—friend ever again!"
Lancer almost dictatorial words left Kaguya at a loss for words. Especially when he was halfway through his sentence, she felt her heart leap into her throat, but hearing the word "friend" at the end made her both happy and a bit disappointed. Ultimately, she didn't know what to say.
But just then, a terrifying aura erupted.
"Boy! Do you really think you can stop me from bringing the Princess back? Are you overestimating yourself? Why do you think you're still alive? It's only because I wanted to know the Princess's location. Since she has appeared, you can go ahead and die."
It was stated as a simple fact, but the terrifying killing intent made Lancer instinctively grip his spear tighter.
"Kaguya, do you know why you were only exiled to the surface after breaking the rules? It's not because you are Tsukuyomi's daughter, but because 'impurity' exists on the surface. For a Lunar Citizen, appearing on this 'impure' surface is the greatest punishment. Now, let me sever this filthy 'impurity' for you!"
The so-called "impurity" was actually how Lunar Citizens described the chaotic situation on the surface. In their view, it was because Amaterasu and other gods ignored the surface people that this chaos arose. They were greedy, lacked reverence for the gods, and endless war and death shrouded the land. Lunar Citizens, under Tsukuyomi, lived a life of total order without war. Despite the fact that Lunar Citizens were technically descendants of humans Tsukuyomi took to the Moon, both she and the rest of the Lunar Capital looked down on surface dwellers.
Eirin had generally held a neutral stance on this theory, neither opposing nor supporting it. But seeing Lancer holding Kaguya, and seeing Kaguya blushing profile—which Lancer couldn't see as he looked up...
The chilling killing intent reached its peak in an instant.
"Master!!"
Even Kaguya cries were completely ineffective. Eirin was prepared to forcibly sever the connection even if it made Kaguya angry. However, looking at her disciple's reaction, she sighed helplessly. She knew she had missed the best opportunity.
'As long as I take Kaguya back, this matter will at least be over.'
The biggest difference in Eirin now was that she had given up on killing Lancer. As she thought, she had missed her best chance. If she truly killed Lancer, mending the rift between her and her disciple would be very troublesome.
Even now, Lancer was just a "bug" that had suddenly appeared. She didn't want to ruin their relationship over this bug.
But just as she was about to strike, she suddenly noticed something wasn't right behind her.
Then she heard a low shout.
"Three Steps Ruin Destruction!!"
Accompanied by the shout was a terrifying airwave. She barely had time to deploy a "barrier" behind her.
Then—
Boom!!
A massive explosion rang out.