Amid the turmoil within Mab's main army, the defenders of Gloucester seized their chance. They threw open the city gates and launched a counterattack, attempting to strike the Northern Army from both sides.
Even so, while the central formation fell into chaos, the morale of the northern vanguard remained firm. They tightened their ranks, forming a defensive wall that prevented the Wing Clan garrison from breaking through. Both sides quickly became locked in a deadlocked clash outside the city walls.
Shiomi observed the situation without much expression.
Typical fairies—spot a small opportunity and charge in headfirst without a thought for what comes next. At this rate, they'd be forced back into the city soon enough.
And if that were all, it wouldn't be too bad.
The real problem would be if the Northern Army used this moment to breach the city walls.
…Though, would that truly be a bad thing?
A thought crossed Shiomi's mind. If the Wing Clan suffered a heavy loss, it could become the perfect excuse to tighten control over them later.
After all, these fairies never learned from experience—neither from pain nor defeat. Two thousand years had long since taught Shiomi not to expect much from them.
With that thought, he raised the crimson spear, gripping it horizontally, and thrust forward with sudden force. The Queen's Guards before him were blasted backward as one, their encirclement momentarily broken.
A fierce wind swept across the battlefield. Feeling the surge of magical power from afar, Shiomi glanced toward Aesc's position and saw that her battle was holding steady.
Then he would continue to stall for time—and if needed, strike again, just enough to draw Mab's attention through her connection to her lover.
As the thought passed, a towering guard behind him raised a massive sword and brought it down with brutal force. Shiomi shifted slightly to the side, letting the blade crash into the earth before spinning around to thrust his spear.
The crimson spear pierced the man's throat. His strength left him instantly; his arms went slack, and his sword fell into the mud.
"Thirty-seven."
Shiomi flicked the spear clean and counted the lives he had taken.
Most were fairies, though a few were humans—fierce ones who fought with reckless courage.
And this was him holding back, avoiding a full massacre.
The effortless slaughter of the Queen's elite guards only heightened the pressure on the remaining soldiers, forcing them into a tense standoff.
Good. Shiomi thought silently.
Locked in combat with Aesc, Mab could not clearly see what was happening elsewhere. She only saw Shiomi surrounded by enemy soldiers, which gave her a false sense of confidence.
She focused her attention entirely on Aesc.
"Not bad at all. I thought you were just the type to hide behind your allies and fling Magecraft from afar," Mab said, gripping her longsword with both hands, the blade angled behind her.
"I'm capable of more than that," Aesc replied evenly. "If this is the extent of your power, then victory will be mine."
Still, as she fought off the surrounding soldiers, Aesc began to notice something strange.
Even if these humans could strengthen themselves with Mana, the force they displayed was far beyond what should have been possible—and each of them burned with a relentless, almost inhuman will to fight.
A violent gale swept across the battlefield, scattering the soldiers rushing to aid Mab.
"You there—forget about this side. Go reinforce Kenrack. He needs you more than I do." Mab waved her hand sharply.
The surge of her magic spread out, enveloping the fallen soldiers. At once, they sprang back to their feet, shouting, "Yes, my Queen!" before charging toward Shiomi's position.
"You're using your magic to strengthen these soldiers?" Aesc finally realized.
"Of course. They're my most precious warriors. It would be a waste to let them die so easily." Mab clenched her fist. "Conquering Britannia through my own power alone is fine, but then I'd have no subjects, wouldn't I?"
"I'm not alone, either!"
Aesc lunged forward again, clashing with Mab head-on. Her wand shifted form, extending into a spear that met the weight of Mab's longsword without yielding an inch.
To speak plainly, Aesc's spear technique was already at the pinnacle of the age—just one step short of the divine realm. Yet that final step was a chasm that few could ever cross.
She was a peerless Magus, a genius whose Magecraft even Shiomi envied. But in terms of martial prowess, even with Shiomi teaching her everything he knew without reservation, Aesc could never quite reach his level with the spear.
Even so, her skill—though not divine—was far beyond what Mab could afford to underestimate.
The duel between spear and sword was so fast now that the exchange of offense and defense blurred together. Aesc's seemingly lethal strike grazed just past Mab's neck, while Mab's powerful counterattack was turned aside by Aesc's own thrust.
Neither willing to die with the other, they instinctively leapt apart—only to close the distance again almost immediately.
"It seems I took things too lightly before."
Mab waved her hand, her body crackling with Mana. Golden markings spread across her skin, even climbing up toward her face. The Queen's power and body were reinforced to their utmost limit.
In an instant, she vanished from sight—then reappeared before Aesc. The impact came like lightning. Aesc barely managed to raise her spear in time, catching Mab's kick before it struck her chest. The force of the blow drove her backward, boots digging trenches in the dirt, until uneven ground sent her tumbling.
Mab followed through, leaping high and swinging her sword downward with both hands.
The earth exploded on impact.
Aesc landed hard, half-kneeling in the crater, her body covered in dust. Slowly, she rose, staring up at Mab, who now stood at the rim of the pit.
Her opponent did not press the attack. Instead, Mab studied her carefully.
"Strange. Even if you defended, that strike should have hit. So why aren't you hurt?"
"What can I say? My husband has a bit of an overprotective streak."
Aesc brushed the spot where the blow had landed. The pain had already faded; only the dirt clinging to her clothes showed she'd truly been caught off guard and knocked down by Mab's sudden assault.
That attack's sheer force and speed had been enough to kill her outright had she not reacted in time. Even with her hastily constructed defensive spell, she should have paid the price of several broken bones.
"...Pain-sharing? No... pain transference, is it?" Mab's sharp gaze caught the truth immediately.
It was akin to how she distributed her power among her army to amplify their strength.
"Exactly."
Aesc felt a faint flush of embarrassment.
For the so-called Savior to let someone else shoulder her pain—it did make her seem rather pampered.
In truth, when Shiomi had given her this spell, he hadn't explained its full nature.
It fully unified their life forces, transferring every wound Aesc sustained onto him, which his life authority then healed in her stead.
Had she known it worked that way—so utterly one-sided—she would have refused without hesitation.
Only now, having truly "felt" what it meant to be wounded, did Aesc finally understand.