【10:00】

For some reason, the actions of the Rubacher mafia suddenly stopped.

Watching them stop, the people in the police station also stopped attacking, although they felt strange.

The enemy is like a marionette, standing neatly in a transparent box, one person and one grid, neatly making people feel afraid. The sound of armored vehicles and chaotic footsteps came from the streets, and the members of the guard in black uniforms got out of their cars and scattered throughout Crossbell like the mafia.

They are certainly not reinforcements. From their strange red eyes, only unconscious chaos could be seen.

"What?"

Dudley frowned, knowing that things seemed to be going in a bad direction.

Sure enough, the mafios, who still had combat effectiveness, gave up the fight and mixed into the garrison as if in formation.

Crossbell's main garrison force is the garrison, and the weapons and equipment are all first-class level of Crossbell. Coupled with the numerical advantage, Dudley knows that this place should not be a hard one.

"Good morning, everyone."

From the garrison, a man stepped out.

Dudley's brow furrowed even tighter.

"Anaeste ......"

"Officer Dudley, it's been a long time. But don't worry. I'm not prepared to embarrass you, and you're dutiful, and though you're a fool, I don't hate principled fools. ”

There was a solipsistic air in Anaist's tone, and Dudley instinctively thought of the aftermath of the illegal drugs he had tracked: hubris.

"However, the protagonist hasn't come yet, so please wait a moment."

――――――

As soon as Lloyd had left the Carumon Consortium and was about to return to the bar to join the guerrillas, a man suddenly flashed out of a dark corner.

Long black waterfall-like hair, a doll-like delicate but expressionless face. He was carrying a thin knife in his hand.

"Please meet at the Crossbell Police Station."

She quietly shook it down, and then stood quietly waiting for Lloyd's reply.

"Miss Rui?"

Ellie clearly didn't fully understand why she was standing here.

"Is it just the four of us? Or ......"

"Please bring Kia-sama. Others did not ask for it. Please be sure to bring Kia-sama. ”

Rui skipped Ellie and answered Lloyd's question directly.

Even when she was controlled, she still behaved like a slave. Don't say irrelevant things, don't do irrelevant things.

"The police station...... I understand. ”

Lloyd nodded, the current situation, can only take one step at a time.

At least, Rui didn't attack, probably because Joachim had the intention of negotiating.

Lloyd didn't want to negotiate with him, but he had to get the hang of it quickly. When I came to the Old Town, the police station was under attack, and the worst possibility was that the police were wiped out. If the situation is a little better, maybe you can merge with some police officers and investigators. Now I really lack strength.

Hearing the affirmative answer, Rui nodded slightly, and the figure disappeared into the shadows again.

"Wow, both master and servant like to disappear with a bang."

Randy smiled wryly and spat groans.

"Let's go to Trinity and explain the situation to the guerrillas first."

――――――

【10:10】

The silence overwhelmed everyone in the police station, they were exhausted by the fierce battle just now, and now the other party suddenly stopped attacking, and then after throwing a word, he didn't speak again. This kind of weird scene makes everyone scared, for fear that the mafia will come again in the next second.

They just stood quietly, motionless, without saying a word, like wooden people, but that's what makes it scary. If they could have exchanged ears normally, the atmosphere would not have been so cold.

“…… What the hell are you going to do......

Even a rational investigator like Dudley was overwhelmed by the oppressive atmosphere, and couldn't help but talk to himself to relieve the pressure, and when he looked around, sure enough, everyone looked worried and demoralized.

Is that what he's for?

Wrong. Dudley quickly dismissed his idea.

If his purpose is to bring his side to a slump, it doesn't make sense. They have an advantage in numbers and equipment, and there is no need to play such a small trick.

Anaest also said that he would have to wait for the "protagonist". So, who is the so-called protagonist?

Sword Master of the Wind, Arios......

"Dudley Investigator?"

Suddenly, a familiar voice came, and Dudley looked for it, only to see four members of the Special Missions Support Section and three guerrillas, escorting a little girl.

"You guys?!"

You guys got caught?

Dudley wanted to say this, but when he thought about it, he was in a similar situation.

"Oh, here's the crowd. So, let's get started. ”

Anaest slapped his face hard, and the snap focused everyone's attention on him.

Beside Anest, a member of the guard walked up to the crowd.

"Guys, let's put it that way. I was the mastermind of the Crossbell attack. Joachim? Jonta. ”

It's amazing.

Such a person who explains that he is the mastermind from the beginning is really frank and rare.

"Hey, Rodkinson, what's the joke you're kidding?"

Randy asked with a dark face, barely pointing the berserker in his hand at him.

This man Randy knew, he was a member of the Belgard Gate guard, not Joachim at all.

"Aha, Randy-kun. I just borrowed his body. Don't care. This time, I'm just here to negotiate. ”

"Negotiations?"

Lloyd repeated the word suspiciously, and Dudley also had a cold light in his eyes.

"Yes. Negotiation. I'm not a war maniac, and I don't like to fight. The reason why I have used such drastic methods is only to tell you that I am determined to achieve my goal. ”

"That is, if we don't agree to your terms, you will have to conquer the whole of Crossbell to achieve it?" Sergei suddenly interjected, his decadent eyes looking aimlessly at the members of the garrison and the mafia.

"Ah, that's it. Trust me, though, if my wish is granted, naturally I will promise to restore everything to its original state. Moreover, my purpose is not difficult. I hope you will give me back Kia-sama. ”

“！”

When the people of the support department and the guerrillas heard this, they couldn't help but protect Qi Ya even tighter.

"You say...... Still? ”

Only Lloyd Dudley and Sergei noticed the wording, and Sergei, as a relatively high-ranking spokesman, asked the question.

"Yes. Kia-sama is mine. I hope you'll think about it. How cost-effective is it to extradite a child in exchange for the peace of Crossbell? ”

"Why—does that sound reasonable?"

Sergei suddenly smiled lazily and shrugged, looking "helpless".

"Hehe, that's great that you understand."

"But, you've got to give some time to think about this kind of thing, right? Even if you ask for a kitten or a puppy, you have to give the owner time to say goodbye to it......"

"How dare you compare Kia-sama to cats and dogs!"

Suddenly, a voice that had been calm broke out. Sharp anger.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. It's my gaffe, anyway, let's discuss it internally. You know, the police, they just like to have meetings. ”

Sergei smiled, flattering him as if to please him.

“…… Scold...... All right. Anyway, I'm not short of time. Well, I'll give you half a day. It's ten o'clock, twelve hours later, twenty-two o'clock, give me an answer, that's enough, right? ”

For some reason, Joachim agreed with Sergei's statement.

"Until then, as long as you don't act dangerously, you'll be safe."

With that said, Joachim unilaterally severed the negotiations.

――――――――――――

[10:15] [Somewhere]

Joachim let out a long sigh and smiled with satisfaction.

"Kia-sama, soon, soon I will be there to meet you. Until then, please bear with me. ”

At Joasim's side, Aeolia and Evan stayed by his side. Evan asked expressionlessly, "But, Lord Priest, why do you give them time?" I am afraid that this is a delaying tactic. ”

"Ah, of course it's a delaying tactic - they're not going to hand over Mistress Kia."

The mention of "them" in a good mood is almost like eating a fly while laughing.

"So, this time is for them to confirm our determination. The more they procrastinate, the more they will find that we have gone too far and left them powerless. In the end, they will definitely conclude that they just need to take down me, who is manipulating everyone, and come here. ”

Joachim said, waving his big hand, and the robes on his body rattled, and he turned his body with his hands wide open, as if he were dancing, and looked fanatical and happy.

"They're going to use a handful of elites - that is, Lloyd - to come here, to this sun fortress where I have set a lot of traps! Then, I'll be here, leading them to the realm of wisdom. In this way, with their persuasion, Master Qi Ya will definitely come back happily. ”

"But, Lord Priest, why bother? Wouldn't it be better to defeat them directly, and then bring back Master Kia? ”

Hearing Ivan's question, Joachim put away his feverish smile, and now he looked like a professor who was distressed by his students' discouragement.

"Listen, Evan listen, Lord Kia, we are beings who are far beyond us, we are people who have reached the realm of wisdom, and Lord Kia is the true God! The goddess of the sky? There is no such thing! From the very beginning, there was only one true god, Kia-sama. So, Evan , we must do our best to avoid actions that provoke Kia-sama unpleasantly. She is the one true God who deserves all our devotion. ”

Joachim's expression became more and more fanatical, and Ivan just lowered his head and said quietly:

"Yes, Priestess."