THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

The next morning, the sound of the horn is what wakes me up. I go to Frankher's tent together with Willhem. It is time for the teams to form and act. 

"Good morning." 

"Good morning, Stephan." We find Stephan already standing outside with four people; the soldiers of his old team.

The captain with a mustache is also there, with four people as well. There are now three captains missing. Frankher comes out, followed by his two guards. Somehow, his armor is more shining than usual. 

"The others haven't arrived?"

"Not yet, sir." 

"I see. Well, your heart has to be fully prepared for this." 

"Well, it is certainly easier for some people." The mustached guy glances at me for a second then looks back at Frankher. Are you provoking me? You are, right? 

"In any case, Star of mercuria, where is the rest of your team?" 

"Nobody wanted to join when they heard the task I was given." Or more like I didn't bother trying since I knew what they would answer.

"That's a problem. You cannot accomplish that task with only two people. Even if you had all the determination of the world."

"You didn't even bring that dog with you. Don't tell me you are afraid, Ahaha!" 

"Yes, I am." 

"W-what?" The mustache looks at me with bewilderment. What? You thought I would get angry? 

"I said I am afraid. He is the only family I have left. So yeah, I don't want him to die."

"B-but…" 

"Shut your trap if you have nothing to say." 

"I…I am sorry." Like I care.

"Well, let's not be too feisty now, shall we?"

Another captain arrives and tries to calm us down but I have already won. 

***

"So, in the end, it is just four people, huh." 

Frankher himself went to persuade some soldiers of joining us as the strike team in charge of the hammer hands but even though it was him, or perhaps because it was him, no soldier accepted. Or almost none. He came back with two soldiers while all the other captains were already waiting, ready to depart.

"We will make do with what we have sir, don't worry." 

"I hope so." 

"How are so confident?" 

One of the two soldiers he brought with him asks straight with a worried look and trembling hands.

"Aren't you?" 

"How could I? That guy is strong enough to kill us before we can even see it. Even somebody as strong as you fainted after receiving his attack. How can I be confident like this?" 

"Well…" He is right but… "Just think of him as someone who is already dead, or something like that." 

"What do you mean?" 

"He means that he will take care of it, right?" Willhem looks at me then winks. You bastard. You want Tatiana all to yourself, huh. 

"Yeah, let's say it like that." We will see about that.

"Okay, I believe everyone here knows his role." One of Frankher's brings him a horse and he gets on it with dignity and charisma. "I can only wish you all luck. May we all survive to see the sunrise another day." 

"The goddess Meetia herself is with us!! We cannot fail!!" I don't think so, Stephan. Or maybe she is. What do I know?

The horn resounds and we all depart from the camp. Frankher goes towards the army which is fighting to protect the mortars as he is the acting commander for now. K'nor should be safe with him and the others so I must focus on the task at hand. 

***

We run for about twenty minutes and there isn't much Longinus on the way. Finally, we reach what should be our entry point. I bring out the device that Smith created and placed it on the ground right before the dome. Once this is all over, I should tell him that this device has a weird shape. What inspires him into creating something like this?

When I inject light Angas into it, it shines and then the dome gets severed before us. A triangle appears with white lines at the edge. 

"That guy is really a genius?"

"What?" 

"Nothing. Let's go." 

According to Frankher, there is a high chance that the hammer hands is in Titan's castle. From the map he showed us, it is a bit closer to the right part of the city. And indeed, it is already in view when we enter.

"Kriekk!!" And so are the Longinus inside. But as I said, there really isn't that much of them. I am sure those guys have something planned. 

"We are heading straight for the castle." The pillar emitting the dome strangely isn't at the castle but at the center of the city. Well, it is good for us. Though the probability that the hammer hands is there might be higher then.

"Okay!" 

We rapidly dispose of the Longinus on our way while advancing to the castle. Soon, explosions resound elsewhere in the city. It seems the team in charge of diverting the Longinus' attention has started as well. That's good. 

When we reach the castle's courtyard, there is no more Longinus. I can only feel the hammer hands's presence inside. Or at least, the six crystals that should characterize him. There is also somebody else with three crystals and I feel a faint presence of a last crystal as well. But that's not what intrigues me. 

"Why is it here?" 

"Is there a problem?" 

"N-no, I don't think so, Willhem." 

"You don't think so?"

"Let's go. We must hurry." 

"Okay." 

Why? Why is a dragon here? I could feel his energy all around the castle as soon as we reached it. But why couldn't feel it before? Until now, I was simply able to say that he was somewhere around here but I couldn't precisely tell where he was. What worries me most is actually why is it so weak. Whatever Dilt has done here, it is not good. Not good at all.