was majestic and cruel. With it, she laughed off both their tragic resolve and her pained decision. "Very well! If you wish it that dearly, then live as you please, and race on unfettered! Your death is yours to die! Now, be proud, for the Torture Princess rides with you, and laughs at any and all! Onward, I say, onward and onward and onward yet more! Even if none grant you leave, even if none recognize your deeds, follow your hearts and bet all you have on that slimmest of chances anyhow!" "Of course, ma'am! As members of the Peace Brigade serving under Captain Elisabeth, we wouldn't have it any other way!" "The odds may be long, but we'll be damned if we don't beat them anyway!" One after another, they drew their swords, and the sound of blades leaving sheaths filled the air. Elisabeth did likewise and drew Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal. The flesh blob turned its attention their way, but Elisabeth swung down her sword without a moment's hesitation anyway. Lute took that as his signal, and he let out a battle cry. *** They all sped up. Just as the boy who'd once waved his hand did. All to protect those who needed protecting. The flesh blob swung one of its arms. The subordinate riding to Elisabeth's right had his torso blown clean off. Just like before, the flesh blob was practically toying with the Three Kings of the Forest. This time, though, it had turned a few of its arms on the Peace Brigade. The fleshy tentacles' insides were lined with teeth, and due to the speed they traveled at, merely so much as brushing up against them was enough to shave through the beastfolk's body with comical ease. Flesh and blood sprayed through the air. In the blink of an eye, it was over. By the time his insides started spilling out, the attack was already finished. Organs tumbled out of his body as his lower half continued onward. However, his legs soon convulsed and sent him tumbling to the ground. Several of the others glanced over at the man who'd fallen victim, but none of them made to stop their summoned beasts. Elisabeth didn't so much as look back. And thus, they rode on. Another arm came their way. This time, it was a sheep-headed soldier who was reduced to nothing more than meat. He was the one who'd once smiled cheerily and said, "We all know how much you love to eat!" Elisabeth would never get another chance to angrily threaten to dock his pay. They would never laugh together or talk to each other again. Even so, nobody stopped. If they stopped to scream, the dead would have died in vain. So they all charged onward. Charge, charge, charge, charge, charge, charge! Don't look back. Cry not. Bear no regrets. No miraculous salvation is coming. You chose this knowing that full well. All you can do now is do what you resolved to do, even in the midst of hell. A vast shadow loomed over Elisabeth and the Peace Brigade's charge. They were getting closer to the flesh blob, and the armsâ€”perhaps sensing dangerâ€”shifted up their pattern. They began obstinately focusing all their efforts on Elisabeth. New tentacles swooped in at her from all directions. "You would aim at me, even unconsciously? Well, I daresay you'd best stop underestimating the Torture Princess!" Elisabeth chopped off the arm straight ahead of her. For the two arms behind her, she conjured up chains to dash them against the ground, then used her raven to dodge the myriad ones on her flanks. Her elaborate flight path caused the arms to all get tangled up in each other, and Elisabeth pulled well ahead of them. "Gi...... Guuuuuu...... Uuuuuuuuuu........." As soon as she did, a bizarre voice rose up. Just like before, though, it quickly exceeded the range people could hear. Elisabeth looked and discovered that the flesh blob had caught the white deer right as the King was about to topple over. Waves of flesh undulated across the blob as it gradually ate away at its foe. Elisabeth knew they couldn't afford to forsake the white deer. She snapped her fingers and deployed a new spell. "Cat's Paw." Five eddies of crimson petals and darkness manifested in the air. A pointed, rake-shaped implement extended out from each one. The implements got to work tearing at the flesh blob from all sides. Then they sank deep into its surface, and once they got far enough in, they froze in place and held the flesh blob still like a pair of forceps. The white deer kicked desperately with its forelegs. Eventually, it managed to wriggle away from the blob. Once it was free, the ancient wolf lashed out once more. It stuck its arm in the flesh blob's newly opened section and used what remained of its bony fingers to scratch away at the blob's insides. It was trying to find the blob's mana reactor so it could puncture and destroy it. The flesh blob struggled in what looked like agitation, and a moment later, a bombardment from the saints exploded across its surface. Apparently, some of them were still up and fighting. Elisabeth was surprised; she'd have thought that they'd have thrown in the towel by now. Given the animosity La Filsell had shown her, this was well outside her expectations. She muttered a few dazed words of praise. "I'm impressed you all would surpass your limits so..." The flesh blob screamed and thrashed violently in agony. That sent out a series of tremors. However, the Peace Brigade's summoned beasts managed to endure them. They swayed precariously but continued rushing onward nonetheless. Taking care not to let any of its finger bones break, the ancient wolf mashed its arm in even harder. Then a muffled snapping sound rang out. "What?" "Don't let your guard down, you dimwit!" Lute reacted with surprise, and Elisabeth let out a shout. Her aerial vantage point had let her see everything. The blob's arms had circled around the ancient wolf's back and pierced the King's chest through. They writhed within the ancient wolf's body as though to return the favor. Then they ripped something out and cast it aside. That something was the ancient wolf's still-beating heart. It toppled emphatically to the ground, crushing some ten beastfolk as it landed. Blood gushed from its arteries and ran between the trees. Ridiculously enough, the heart cast a glittering rainbow trail in the empty sky above it. The ancient wolf looked up high to the heavens. They slowly lowered their gaze. The King surveyed the beastfolk around them. After casting an affectionate look at them, it apologetically closed its eyes. One of the Kings was still now. A scream rose up as the beastfolk collectively cried out. However, Lute and the others didn't grieve, and they didn't stop. If anything, they did the opposite. At this point, there was nothing they would pause for. No matter what happened, they would never break their stride. "Fan out!" As the blob drew nearer, Lute raised his arm and gave an order. The remaining twelve men quickly heeded it and split into four groups. At the center of the four, Lute and Randgrof rode alone. Now that the arms had downed the ancient wolf, there were far more of them to spare. They lunged at Lute and the others, and Elisabeth pinned them down with her Cat's Paws. She had already burned through the majority of her mana reserves, so deploying a third torture device was out of the question. Instead, she summoned even more Paws. She knew that if their titanic foe managed to roll over on them, it would wipe them out. By anchoring down the main body, the Torture Princess was able to hold the arms in place as well. However, several of the arms split off. One particularly thick arm swung down toward Elisabeth. *** There was no time to dodge, and it was too powerful to block. Upon realizing that, Elisabeth focused her attention on the arm in front of her. She held Executioner's Sword of Frankenthal aloft and plunged it into the arm. Then she forced her raven onward, carving through the fleshy arm from within. "HraaaaaHHHHHHHHH!" With that, she sliced the arm in twain vertically down the middle. Venom spilled out and completely drenched her clothing. Her flesh burned as she fell back. Ignoring the searing pain all across her body, she focused a healing spell on her lungs and her lungs alone. Then she turned her gaze back up. There were other arms swinging at Lute and the rest as well. However, their aim was lacking. The Peace Brigade nimbly steered their summoned beasts and dodged the blows. Once they did, though, one of the arms headed straight for Lute and Randgrof. It started picking up speed. Then a sword sank into the arm with a thunk. The black-and-white-spotted Brigade member had thrown his weapon, and the arm changed its target. The black-and-white-short-haired soldier was a man who prided himself on his composure. He murmured a quick beastfolk prayer. Then he went on. "Ah...damn it all. It looks like this is as far as I go. My apologies for jumping ship early." He gave them a weak smile. A moment later, his torso went flying off. He would never get the chance to follow another order. Elisabeth kicked aside the chunks of blob arm still lying on her. As she did, she saw more men die in her peripheral vision. Her bull- and goat-headed subordinates crumpled to the ground, summoned beasts and all. Elisabeth totaled up the rest, her internal monologue practically a scream. Only...nine remain! She forced her raven to change course. They flew at a blistering clip. By that point, Elisabeth had fully mastered how to manipulate her avian mount. She soared freely through the air, dancing circles around each of the arms and baitingâ€”forcingâ€”them to turn their focus on her. Her young, coyote-headed subordinate with his distinctive notched ear couldn't help but let out a yelp. "Captain, you can't! It's too dangerous!" "Look at me, I'm right here! Come and try me! Kill me, if you can! See if you can lay the Torture Princess low!" Elisabeth flew, higher and higher and higher still. Waves of arms gave close pursuit. The fleshy tentacles surged at her as one. If they caught her, there would be no way for her to avoid being mashed into a pulp. Then the Torture Princess snapped her fingers. Cat's Paws collapsed down from both sides. The Paws skewered the arms, piercing them all at once and shredding them to bits. Elisabeth took advantage of the opening that provided to descend so fast it looked like she was in free fall. She was out of peril, but getting there had required putting a tremendous strain on her body. She vomited up the blood surging from her stomach, then brutishly wiped her mouth clean. While the Torture Princess had been performing her death-defying dance, the Peace Brigade had continued their charge. Just a little farther and they'd be at the flesh blob. Its vile, pulsating form was right before them, dimly glowing and covered in blood and fat. Just its appearance alone was enough to inspire physiological revulsion in any and all who beheld it. However, Randgrof didn't falter. Instead, he rose to his feet. It clearly took everything he had to maintain that unstable posture atop the summoned beast's back. Then he called out. "Father, please, hear me out! What you're doing won't save our people! Even if you massacre all the humans and beastfolk, all you'd be doing is leaving us for the Fremd Torturchen to slaughter! No one will survive! That's a fact, and if you'd come to your senses, you'd realize it! Listen to me, Father!" And upon hearing his heartfelt, soulful cry, the flesh blob froze for a