That's when I decided to stop being a mere spectator and join the battle. Saffron's actions clearly indicated she wasn't there to attack Platanus, but to assist him.
Teacher Cattleya intercepted Saffron's Vacuum Sword attack with her Explosive Flame Sword.
"Saffron!? What the hell are you doing!?" Cattleya exclaimed.
"Sorry, Cattleya. I've been under Platanus's command," Saffron replied.
"What!? You're betraying us!?" Cattleya shouted.
"It's not really a betrayal. I've always been on this side," Saffron retorted.
Despite being in the midst of battle, Cattleya and Saffron started arguing. As a result, Iris, now facing Platanus alone, was visibly getting overwhelmed. Saffron's entry into the fray had significantly tipped the scales in Platanus's favor.
"Holly, possess me," I said.
"Why don't you just call Shion? It would be quicker," Holly suggested.
"That's not an option. She might end up killing everyone," I replied as I accepted Holly's possesshion.
As usual, explosive strength surged through my body.
"Great! Your body is adapting even better! We can push it further this time!" Holly exclaimed through me.
(No, let's not. I'll be in muscle pain hell later.)
While Holly was busy praising the enhanced capabilities of my body, it moved on its own, darting at a speed invisible to the eye. Then I intervened in the sword fight between Iris and Platanus.
"Crow!? You shouldn't have come..." Iris protested.
Ignoring her, I aimed a kick at Platanus's face while he was locked in a sword clash with Iris. It was a perfectly timed flying kick, but unbelievably, Platanus caught my foot mid-air with his free hand and tried to throw me, even while engaged with Iris.
Catching a flying kick with one hand and attempting to toss a grown man single-handedly showcased his incredible reflexes and strength. However, Holly, controlling my body, bent the caught right leg to close the gap and tried to kick Platanus's chin with my left foot before being thrown.Platanus released my foot while swiftly arching his face back, then performed a backflip to create distance.
I managed to regain my posture in mid-air and landed near Iris.
What a stylish offense and defense I just displayed. Though it was Holly controlling my movements.
"…What was that movement? I knew you had physical strength, but beyond that, your skills have improved immeasurably. No... rather, you now possess physical abilities comparable to a Saintly Sword user…"
Platanus muttered to himself as he observed me, now possessed by Holly.
He’s too smart, always analyzing things whenever something unexpected happens.
(Holly, I'll leave the control of my body to you, but can you let me speak?)
"Hmm. Want to say something? I can't be that versatile, so I'll return control of your body to you. I'll take over if things get dangerous."
While saying this, Holly left my body.
"Saffron! So, you were indeed monitoring me under Platanus's orders, weren't you?"
"Ahaha! Did you figure it out?"
Saffron laughed while parrying Teacher Cattleya's Explosive Flame Sword with her crossed Vacuum Swords.
"You… You traitor…"
"What’s wrong, Cattleya? You seem to lack your usual sharpness. Is it hard for you to fight me?"
"Shut up!"
Cattleya shouted and unleashed flames from her Explosive Flame Sword.
Saffron retreated, standing beside Platanus, but Cattleya didn’t pursue, instead approaching me.
It seemed she wanted to regroup, but more than that, it was apparent that her will to fight had rapidly diminished.
Her clashes with Saffron were half-hearted, and her fiery attacks were mild.
She didn't want to fight someone she had come to regard as a comrade. In her heart, she probably cared for Saffron like a student, just like she did for Iris and me.
"Hey Crow, when did you start suspecting me?"
"From the moment we met."
"Wow, that’s shocking. I'm so hurt~"
Saffron mockingly pretended to cry as she stepped back from Platanus's side.
"Joining your side was too suspicious. An assassin of your caliber switching allegiance to someone like me? That's odd, right?"
"Well, yeah. I serve whoever I think will win. Why would I side with a losing team? That’d be stupid, right?"
Laughing heartily, Saffron stepped back and stood behind Platanus."We've known each other for quite a while, Saffron. I know you only side with the winners."
"That's right."
In an instant, Saffron grabbed Platanus's left arm from behind, twisting it and pinning him to the ground.
"...!? Saffron!? What are you..."
"I said I only side with winners, didn't I? What were you thinking, fighting like that? The moment we couldn't sway Shion to our side, our chance of winning dropped to zero. Are you an idiot?"
Was it a specialized grappling technique unique to assassins? Platanus, pinned to the ground, easily released the Longinus Spear he was holding, so I hurriedly picked it up and handed it to Iris. It might be futile against Platanus who could spatially transfer the spear using 'Deployment', but Saffron's point was valid. Even if Platanus possessed overwhelming strength and wisdom, with strategies and skills beyond our imagination, the moment Shion realized the situation, it would all be over for him. Platanus had indeed been overwhelmingly strong. Yet, in truth, from the start, he had no chance of victory against us. We gathered in my private room after successfully neutralizing Platanus.
Heath was taken to a hospital immediately, and it was planned to cover up the incident by saying that his old wounds had worsened due to overexertion. Platanus, who had been rampaging, was tied securely to a chair in my room, wrapped so tightly it almost seemed excessive. It would probably be futile even if he struggled, especially with Iris standing nearby, sword drawn. If he tried to move the Longinus Spear nearby using 'Deployment', she threatened to immediately kill him.
"What kind of nerve do you have, Saffron! You've been deceiving us from the start?"
"Yeah, sorry."
"Sorry doesn't cut it! You don’t even seem remorseful!"
Cattleya was continuously yelling at Saffron. She had fought alongside Saffron, recognized her abilities, and had developed a bond, so she was furious at being betrayed.
"From the beginning, I pretended to join you under Platanus's orders. He promised he would take the position of Shion's guardian from Crow, so I thought I'd cooperate with Platanus."
"So, now that he’s failed, you decide to side with us? That's way too opportunistic!"
"Come on~. I helped capture him, so forgive me already~. It's fine, right~? I'm useful, aren't I? It's better for you if I'm with you, right?"
"It's not about that! How can we trust someone who might betray us at any moment!"
"Cattleya, it’s alright now."
I calmed down Cattleya, who was fuming with anger."I think siding with the winning team isn’t wrong. It’s absurd to stick with a losing side out of some misguided sense of duty and die together."
"But Crow..."
"Teacher, remember how Saffron played a major role when Iris was kidnapped and when you were about to be executed? It would be troublesome if she left us now."
"Uh..."
"Besides, having a fair-weather friend isn't so bad. As long as she's with us, it means we're winning."
As I said this, Saffron suddenly hugged me.
"Yay, I love this about you, Crow."
I didn't feel anything special from her confesshion, as it lacked any sincerity. Saffron is overly touchy-feely anyway, always hugging or linking arms even when it's not necessary.
But then...
Holly, who was standing behind me, along with Cattleya and Iris in front of me, all started emitting a menacing aura.
I haven’t done anything wrong, yet I feel threatened.
With that in mind, I pushed Saffron away and turned my attention to Platanus, who was tied to a chair.
"So, what should we do with Platanus..."
"Kill him."
"We should kill him."
"I think it's better to kill him."
Cattleya, Iris, and Saffron answered without hesitation.
Wow, unanimous for execution.
Our team might have overwhelming strength, but when it comes to strategic planning, there seems to be a slight bias.