-The beggining of the Grand Crusade-

Everyone is speechless…

The bright light that engulfed the Abona is shining so bright that probably everyone in this country is able to see it..

It was only happened in few second until the light is dispersed.

But,

For them,

It seems to be happened for eternity

The woman is slowly turning back, and a man is starting to move front exchanging their position

Suddenly...

The man jumped in front of them on the balcony.

They got surprised, and retreated a bit

The man is slowly opening his hood.

And,

A wolfman is shown.

A beastman!

Then...

Those guys is…!?

Not wasting any time, the wolfman is speaking.

“We have heard the Goddess prayer and coming here as a reinforcement for this war!”

“My name is Tuvalu. I am the right hand man of the De... this Goddess Liberation army!”

They seems confused while this is the first time they heard about his name and the army.

The wolfman named Tuvalu continued despite his small mistakes.

“After we got persecuted, we scattered in all over the world while trying to save the Goddess”

“However, we have no power. And our race is being hunted and killed not just from demons, but from adventurer and bounty hunters that targeting us for our fur and fangs!”

They seems to made a guilty face.

Knowing what is on their mind, Tuvalu continues

“We have no grudge to you about it. The Demon King is already making measures so that the matter that they hold the Goddess for this long is staying hidden no matter what! But if you still feel guilty..”

“Then join us. Lend us your strength and bring us to victory”

He was pointing at the countless people that comes here

“Our Lord, the Devil God Miho is the one who saves us and gathering us that have been scattered and persecuted around the world. Without her we would long be dead without being able to save the Goddess or our race from extinction!”

Seems like the hooded woman is staggering a little hearing that.

“However, she got a very important thing to do, thus she cannot joined us in the war directly. We beastman have no experience in leading a army, that’s why..”

Tuvalu exhales.

“We ask you, the leader of the alliance of the biggest countries in the world, to choose someone who fits in leading this holy crusade to vanquish the evil Demon King and evil god, “the Grand Crusade””

Hearing that, they gulped.

Someone that leads them.

Someone that fits to vanquish the grand “evil” that threaten the world.

Someone with high enough position to lead them..

Looking at it...

The only one fits the criteria is...

Everyone is looking at the Abona king.

“...”

Abona king made a pondering face while looking down.

I knew it…

And making a face like he was in front of guillotine.

Why me...

You guys are overrating me too high!

It’s true that i was the leader of the biggest country, but that doesn't mean i was the best person in this country!

I merely come from the lineage of the previous king that’s all..!

Among the royals, i am nothing compared to my wife and children! Don’t you get it?

Ahh...

What should i do...

That's it...

Either I will beg for mercy, or start to running away from here

Me being here is just making them feel that i can do anything!

Ah, yeah. I’ll do just that.

Call me coward, call me useless!

But i am indeed useless! I am a coward!

So don’t pressure me further, i beg of you

Don't look at me with such a hopeful face! Don't look at me with such a shiny eyes!

Please.. Don’t make me hating myself more than this already..

They got worried since the king is getting silent and not saying anything to them.

Then,

Cannot bear the silence, someone speaked.

“I’ll do it then”

Said Shuu

…

They all started to look at him.

Yuya shouts “HAVE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND!?”

They all surprised.

He was debating to Shuu that it’s not the job of the heroes to commanding the army, but to finish up the Demon King and that he was done enough for them already.

But Shuu refused to budge.

“If i run away here, i cannot call myself a man after all this time. Please Yuya, let me do it”

He started to get stubborn, but Yuya doesn't seems to want to back down too this time.

The king of Abona is looking at him, and relieved.

Ahh, perhaps i don't have to become the commander then?

At that time,

The door is opening loudly.

“Until when are you going to be gloomy, Baa-san?”

Behind the door,

The famous dual storm beauty is watching them.

…

“Gyahahaha! You have returned, my beloved! Had you been smelling the war scent and coming here because of that? Your instinct is sharp as usual!”

“Uhuhu, look who is talking. Weren't you already trembling in excitement since the beggining, Ran chan?”

Making a casual greetings, the pair of muscleheads husband and wife is acting like they was going to go picnic instead of war

“It’s been some time, Yuya. Ran chan didn't bully you too much isn't it? Have you been eating well?”

Asked the green haired woman to Yuya. And Yuya replied

“It’s fine, ma’am. I always been treated the best for my whole life under the king care”

“Ara, i told you it's fine to call me mother too. You don't need to call Ran chan as the king too. Just call him papa”

“Gyahaha! You tell him, my beloved! He was still persistant on that, better let loose more alright? Son”

Yuya is making a kind of embarassed face, then..

“Alright.. Father, mother. Would that be fine?”

The king of Granada is slapping him on the back.

“Gyahaha! Now that's more like it. Call me papa next time”

“Make me then”

“Oh? You dare to provoke the king?”

He seems amused.

Everyone is dumbfounded by this interaction, including Shuu..

I never seen Yuya make a face like that.. That’s a bit surprising

Then,

Facing the Abona king, the Queen is making a scary face

“...”

“...”

He only gets depressed and refuse to talked.

They keep getting silent.

Then,

“Baa san”

“Maine..”

They speaked at the same time,

The queen seems to make a face ‘go ahead first’

The king speaked then

“Have you come to blame me, Maine?”

The queen stare at him, and replied

“Thinking about it, it was like this too back then right?”

“?”

“You always calm when the situation is under control, but when it was a emergency situation you always end up panicked and not using your potential at all..”

“Potential?”

“That’s right. You were better than you thought, Baa san. Haven't i always told you that? That i never beat you in chess and strategizing is proof enough”

“But that’s not enough. That won't be enough for me to lead the army of the world, Maine. I.. Just can’t”

“Baa san!”

She shouts

“R..right!?”

Suddenly getting shouted, he was surprised.

“Did you remember? The time when you confess to me?”

“I know, of course. It was in front of your house”

“Right.. Before, you always tell me that you will become like the brave heroes in the stories. To slay the dragon, saving the princess in distress, and save the world”

“I was still a kid back then.. In truth, Reality didn't worked like that at all..”

The queen is only making a smile

“You don't get it.. The one that i accept the confession to wasn't the realist man that bears the burden of reality weighing down to him, but merely a boy full with a glimmer of hope inside his eyes.”

“I was relieved you know? My surrounding back then is full of adults that only cares about themself. So looking at you”

“To be honest, i thought you're such a big fool back then. The biggest clown in the world.“

Eh? Did you think of me like that back then?

The king seems surprised, then the queen continued

“But I was saved by your stupidness you know? I was relieved and thinking ah, there's still such a fool in this world”

“So that's why i accept your proposal back then. That’s why i loved the man back then”

“To me.. No, probably to any young girl in love, at that time..”

“You’re.. Already become my hero, you know?”

He was making a dumbfounded face.

Then,

He asked

“Why..”

“Why did you trust me so much?”

“Why did you..”

Doesn't seem to understand, the queen is making a casual reply

“Geez, did i have to explain in to you?”

Saying that, she kissed him in cheek.

The onlooker is surprised,

While the Granada king and queen is closing both Yuya and Shuu eyes.

“Right now, there's a world to save. The enemy that need to be slain, And a damsel in distress that needs your help the most.”

“So, you know what to do right?”

“...”

He was making a downed face, then...

“I would... Probably failed you know?”

“In that case we will make it succeed together”

“I might... Let them died uselessly”

“They already make their resolve by coming here. If we still failed, then that’s the failure of all of us. It's not the blame of one person”

“I will, be the harbinger that lead the countless people to their death”

“if you didn't take action anyway, everyone is gonna die. But, if you must go to hell because of that, then i will accompany you to hell”

Hearing that, the king smiled and saying.

“That’s the one thing that i cannot allowed you to”

Making a resolve, he stand up and going toward the balcony

“OPEN THE PATH!”

He was shouting to the leader of various country, and they all making a path for him.

….

In the balcony,

The king of Abona is standing dignified in front of the people of the “world”

There's no more of his hesitation back then, he speaked

“ALL OF THE COMRADE FROM BEYOND THE DISTANT LAND, FAR AND NEAR. THANK YOU FOR COMING HERE”

“I AM THE KING OF ABONA, BARBAROS LU FALUNA!!”

“AS YOU HAVE KNOWN, OUR WORLD IS IN THE MORTAL PERIL. AND THE GODDESS HAS BEEN TAKEN HOSTAGE”

“I HAVE NO ENOUGH WORDS OF GRATITUDE TO EVERYONE THAT COMES HERE DESPITE OUR DIFFERENCE!”

“HOWEVER, EVERYONE PLEASE DON’T FORGET! OUR PURPOSE HERE IS NOT JUST SAVING THE WORLD, BUT TO SAVE THE GODDESS THAT CRIED ALL THIS TIME WHILE WAITING FOR THE HELP”

“AS A FELLOW PEOPLE THAT WANTS TO SAVE THE GODDESS, I COME HERE NOT AS A KING BUT AS A FELLOW WITH THE SAME INTENTION WITH YOU ALL!”

“SO LEND US YOUR STRENGTH! FOR THE GODDESS, FOR HER LOVE TO US,THE ONE THAT MAKE HER CRY WILL NEVER BE FORGIVEN!”

“WE WILL START TO MARCH! EVERYONE, TO THE BATTLEFIELD! THE GRAND CRUSADE IS STARTED NOW!”

They all cheered.

The gathering of the soldier with the same purpose, same feelings..

Right now, without a doubt.

Their united feeling would reach that person.

….

The queen of Abona is only staring at her husband back.

She was smiling.

“Fufu i guess it worked, huh?”

The queen of Granada is approach her

“Yes, i am glad he seems to be back to his previous self. Although we barely talked to each other recently”

“I guess it's proof that love is transcending age”

“Spare me for that talk. We already being too old to be talking about love anymore”

“Araa? But me and Ran chan is still lovey dovey even now?”

“Yeah, if you can call being bathed in the enemy blood among the rain of fire and arrows while laughing inside the battlefield is called lovey dovey”

They grinned at each other.

Being known each other for so long, even such a conversation is a casual talk for them.

Then, the Granada queen whispers to her

(You're a bit cruel too, lying to them like that)

(Ara? Whatever you mean? I didn't lie about one thing at least)

(Oh? Which one of it?)

She makes a gentle smile while answering

(That this was all for ‘love’. Everybody have ‘love’)

(Heeh?)

After speaking casually, they returned to their previous expression.