"...thank you… Ro…"
"Rotti!"
Syon managed to put himself together and approached the white-haired giant, all teary-eyed from overwhelming gratitude, but he got bumped aside as the third princess rushed over and clung to Rotsard's side.
…or rather, to his leg…
"Hey, don't you think there should be some atoning first before we get to…?"
"Rotti! Rotti, it's not over! The deofol that the Royal Magician sold his soul to descended into the castle!"
"...!?"
Rotsard chuckled, but the third princess interrupted him too, stunning both the giant and the homunculus with the revelation.
Well, just the homunculus.
"Oh? Is that so? And, is that filth you speak of perhaps something like that?"
Because the white-haired giant was already looking towards the tear in space showing the Royal Castle, and the monstrosity that was approaching them through it…!
It was almost as big as the Royal Castle itself! The earth shook with each step of each of its four clawed paws. Most of its body was being obstructed from the sight of the trio, and what was in the way was the monster's head.
It looked like a six-armed starfish that had its arms turned into antlers.
Bloody-red in color, the giant eye in the very center of it was bulging out and darting all over while its fanged, snow-white eyelids did not blink even once.
Its arms were wriggling, the eye was getting bloodshot… it was obvious that the monstrosity was furious, and yet it paced itself as if to maximize the amount of fear it struck with all who witnessed it…!
"R-Rotti…! As your big sister… No! As a woman who loves you, I will use everything I have to buy you enough time to either escape or strike it down! I swear!"
With the monstrosity about to cross over, the third princess lost her composure and shouted while trembling and crying, but still stepping in front of the white-haired giant and spreading her arms to the sides with clear intention of shielding him with her body.
"I might have failed miserably when facing my father, but I have no lingering feelings except disgust for that thing! I'll aid you with all I have…! B-big brother Rotsard…!"
Perhaps moved by Demi-Leigh's action, Syon also stepped forward and declared!
He might have gotten embarrassed and slightly worried that the white-haired giant might rebuke him for sudden familiarity, but at least a dozen spell orbs ready to be deployed at the moment's notice began hovering around him regardless!
"M-me too!"
"???"
The next person to speak up shocked even Rotsard.
Because it was the petite black-haired girl he discreetly sent through a gate to the girls' dormitory while he was dealing with the real former Royal Magician!
Blanid not only woke up and made her way back, with Polaris on her shoulder, and was ready to put her life on the line! She also got her hands on and dressed up in a proper female student uniform and picked up Caladbogl's shadow that had been cast to the side during the main encounter.
"Also, if we survive this, I want to nominate myself as one of your wives! I know I'm late to the party, so I'll be okay with being just a convenient woman too, as long as you are going to keep me around! I might be lacking, but please take care of me!"
"Nrao…?"
She declared, slightly awkward because she didn't know what words to use, but with no shame whatsoever, while the golden bear on her shoulder growled, tilting its head in confusion!
"...huh…?"
Baffled, Syon glanced over at the petite girl and gasped.
"...hmph…! At least you know your place…!"
Demi-Leigh scoffed grumpily but ended up begrudgingly nodding her head in approval.
The tension was unimaginably high, but so were the spirits of the trio that decided to risk their lives to help Rotsard in the fight with the starfish-headed deofol!
"There… seems to be a misunderstanding going on…"
Except for Rotsard himself, who tilted his head and pointed out with a troubled expression.
"Mis…?"
"...understadning…?"
"E-eh…? Y-you… you won't even consider me as your convenient woman…?"
Demi-Leigh and Syon were confused but more-or-less understood the white-haired giant's intention, but Blanid, on the other hand, took it the completely wrong way.
She was still standing there bravely facing the approaching monstrosity, but now she was trembling while bawling her eyes out over the imaginary rejection.
"P-please…? I… I will do all the things other girls won't, so please…? Please…!"
"Whoa, there! Justin, you can't…! Wait, what's your actual name in the first place?"
Blanid pleaded all in tears, making Rotsard ask awkwardly even in the face of the oncoming enemy.
"...ehehe… that's right, since I might not even survive long enough to be granted the joy of becoming your plaything, I might as well make a good impression, right….?"
"Nraoo…?"
Blanid laughed nervously, worrying her contracted fae a lot... She seemed to be taking it not only the wrong way but with the worst possible spin, and muttered through tears while letting her mana pour into the Caladbolg's Shadow, preparing for a suicidal charge at the monster entering through the tear in space.
And speaking of, as it crossed over, the monstrosity appeared to become even larger, with just one paw being as big as the remains of the boys' dormitory!
The changes weren't solely in its size either!
The tips of its antler-like arms were slowly hardening while emitting a powerful cold.
At first, it wasn't so easy to notice, but as the process progressed and they all turned into gargantuan hooked spears, the horrifying realization befell those few daring to face it…
"C-corrupted ice element!?"
"...that's the worst possible news in our situation…"
The third princess gasped, turning even more pale than she already was, while the homunculus next to her swallowed his saliva and muttered bitterly.
"Polaris, cast enchanting spells on me and go to Rotsard!"
"N-NRAO!
Blanid declared, but the golden bear cub refused with a stubbornly loud growl!
"Hmhm~ So be it… Rotsard, my name is… BLANID!"
The girl chuckled and nodded at her fae before declaring without even looking back at the white-haired giant, and launched her attack with a warcry!