Editing Chronicle Legion:Volume 2 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 3===

"Inconceivable..."

An aerial battle between Legions was taking place over the outskirts of Fuji City.

Having witnessed the one-sided battle, Shiori was shocked. The 307 Kamuys of Tōkaidō were losing rapidly.

The surviving Kamuys and Chevaliers retreated north, towards Mount Fuji.

Over eight hundred red Legions chased them, flying off in an orderly manner.

Watching this scene, Hatsune lamented, "In the first attack, the enemy simply charged in a straight line, right? Is a direct charge that effective? Oh, it was thanks to the power of the Feat of Arms killer move, right!?"

"That's one of the reasons, but not all of it," Masatsugu realized he was almost smiling when he replied.

Laughing at an ally's defeat was not very respectable. His almost smile was unintentional. The reason for this was the fact that the enemy was overwhelmingly strong and had won through brute force by such ridiculous tactics.

The enemy must have seen through the Tōkaidō side's confidence... Or rather, carelessness.

This carelessness was what made the Japanese decide to rely on numbers to counter the charging attack. The enemy was well aware that he held the advantage in a contest of strength, which is why he had launched that reckless charge.

"That Chevalier has a very keen ''nose''."

"Nose? You mean he's got a good sense of smell?"

"Yes. By the way, Princess, do you know the name of the enemy commander?" Masatsugu first nodded at the curious Hatsune before turning to ask Shiori.

That Chevalier Strength and presence made it extremely likely he was a Resurrectee. The knowledgeable Shiori instantly gave an answer.

"A man who calls himself the Lionheart would most likely be King Richard I of medieval England. I recall that he is Prince Edward's collateral relative... five generations his senior."

Masatsugu committed the unfamiliar name to memory.

Also, the trio was currently at the shore of the Fuji River. The suburban battlefield was a couple kilometers away from them. Normally speaking, there was no way to watch the battle in detail.

However, a type of gadget allowed them to do so.

"Princess, the retainer beasts came out okay, thank goodness!"

"I did mention that the success rate exceeded 50%."

Hatsune congratulated the princess and Shiori replied proudly.

Of the ten retainer beast talismans they had prepared earlier, a little while ago, five of them transformed into Yatagarasus, materializing under buried earth.

The Yatagarasu was similar to an ordinary crow in size and appearance.

Their common appearance allowed them to infiltrate any place to carry out reconnaissance, a prized ability.

After the fighting began, Shiori hurried to send these five to the battlefield. When the Yatagarasus returned, she used noetic control to project videos of what they had seen.

The Yatagarasus were currently standing ready on the riverbank gravel.

"...Oh my? Something seems to have happened after the battle ended."

Three rectangular windows were opened in front of the princess.

The five Yatagarasus provided visual memories from different angles. Shiori was focused on one of them.

The video showed four British white wyverns flying in the air.

A Japanese blue wyvern was encircled by them, flying feebly with a soldier mounted, presumably captured and being taken away by the enemy.

Hatsune asked in puzzlement, "So that's really... a Tōkaidō Chevalier, right?"

"Yeah, captured as a hostage."

"Eh, a hostage!?"

The novice Chevalier was astonished and Masatsugu explained calmly, "Hostages have many uses... For example, the British could torture or slaughter hostages in front of the Suruga tutelary fort that they've failed to conquer so far. When our side rushes out in righteous fury, fighting to reclaim the hostages, they can just sit back and wait for us to come to them. This is one method to destroy a turtling enemy."

"Onii-sama, that's so evil!"

"According to the Charter of Chivalry in the modern world, tactics of this sort are forbidden. At least superficially. However, what Masatsugu-sama said is correct. Chevalier hostages are very effective bargaining chips in negotiations. Information can even be extracted from them... Also, they caught more than one Chevalier."

Shiori sighed and pointed at the video.

Two more Japanese Chevaliers were mounted on wyverns and being taken away.

"Capturing knights for hostages, Richard I is truly a medieval hero. Back in that age, catching knights of high nobility on the battlefield was a very distinguished feat."

"The other Chevaliers might have died or escaped..."

"Or captured somewhere else. In any case, the situation is quite bad," Shiori nodded in agreement with Masatsugu and said, "They not only lost a battle they initiated but also allowed valuable manpower to fall into the enemy's hands... If only we could rescue them."

The princess frowned as soon as she pondered the difficulty of a rescue mission.

The normally cheerful Hatsune also looked depressed.

After some contemplation of the current situation, Masatsugu slowly expressed his view.

"So, Princess, we need to act immediately."

"Eh? Act...? What are you talking about, Masatsugu-sama?"

"I mean rescuing those Chevaliers. We need to act now if we're going to do it."

Shiori was startled by the sudden suggestion. So was Hatsune.

"This type of mission gets harder as time goes by. Since we were lucky enough to be at the scene, we should make good use of this opportunity. Besides, the troublesome Lion King is away, off chasing remnants."

Masatsugu spoke in an indifferent tone lacking in fervor.

"So now is the moment. It's best to attack the tutelary fort before he returns."

"Attack!? You are going to attack the Fuji tutelary fort!?"

"Hold on! Just the two of us, Onii-sama and me!?"

Hatsune interjected in shock.

Masatsugu nodded, "Exactly."

"That's absolutely crazy. Even without that Richard guy, there will be other Chevaliers. Besides, this isn't Suruga, Onii-sama, so you won't be able to summon too many Legions, right?"

"Yeah, right now, I can use no more than twenty-four or five Kanesadas, I guess."

There was a drastic decrease in the number of Legions one could use outside their stronghold zone.

Chevalier Strength was discounted by roughly 90%. For Masatsugu, a Chevalier whose stronghold was Suruga City, the Fuji suburbs were definitely out of range.

"That's nowhere enough and all I have is one!"

"Not necessarily. This time around, we're not trying to capture a castle, so there's always a way. However, the big assumption here is that I will be relying on you to play a key role."

Masatsugu gazed at Hatsune.

"Huh?" said the puzzled girl who had just become a Chevalier yesterday.


Leaving the riverside, the trio entered Fuji City.

Their target, the Fuji tutelary fort was located in the suburbs, namely, the remote wetlands east of the city. Like the one in Suruga, the Fuji tutelary fort was built on military land far from urban areas.

Instead of going there directly, the trio first went to Tagonoura, the port facing Suruga Bay.

"Hatsune, prior to the operation, I need to make some final confirmations with Masatsugu-sama," Shiori suddenly said.

Shiori had spoken as soon as they entered a large park at the pier. The park featured large lawns, a botanical garden, and all kinds of athletic facilities.

"Could you wait here for a moment?"

"Yes, certainly."

Hatsune felt intrigued by this unexpected order but accepted it readily.

She sat down on a nearby bench to enjoy the green tea and bean jam bun she had just bought. "You can't fight battles on an empty stomach!" was what she had said earlier.

She had adjusted quickly, no longer surprised by the plan to attack the tutelary fort.

This open-mindedness and simplicity of hers could be considered Hatsune's strengths.

"The situation seems pretty stable in Fuji City."

"Yes, and we succeeded in reaching this port too."

Masatsugu and the disguised princess walked into the depths of the park together.

"A battle just happened yet people are already going out in the streets."

It was just past 2pm. Random couples and families could be seen outdoors.

It was Sunday today, at least, according to the calendar.

The two of them went to a small hill overlooking Suruga Bay. There happened to be a bench here and they took a seat.

"Well, it is understandable. The battlefield was not only far from urban areas but also took place in the mountains. The city's residents would only gather an impression that 'Legions are leaving the tutelary fort to attack somewhere'," said Shiori with a shrug.

However, stability did not equate to peace. Buses were restricted to within Fuji City while trains were stopped just ilke in Suruga.

"This stability is owed to the Charter of Chivalry, I suppose."

"You mean the rules forbidding war cruelty or harming civilians?"

"Yes. Superficially, the Charter is 'a set of rules for international engagement that protects civilians'... In truth, it also 'demands civilians to obey certain rules'."

"How so?"

"After a battle, the residents of a conquered city are not allowed to oppose the occupation force,  they are obliged to provide maximum cooperation, and must not leave the city without authorization... The Charter includes these rules which civilians must abide by in order to be eligible for protection."

"...I see."

"I presume that the mayor of Fuji City must have been forced to sign a written pledge on behalf of all residents to 'obey the Charter' right from the beginning."

They had witnessed many infantry units of the Restoration Alliance on their way here.

The infantry was patrolling the city on alert. However, to avoid provoking the sentiments of the residents, the soldiers in charge of patrolling were all Japanese&mdash;i.e. Kinai troops.

Also, the infantry showed no signs of brutalizing the residents.

However, soldiers dressed in khaki combat uniforms and equipped with automatic rifles, standing next to armored vehicles, still looked quite intimidating.

"We will run into trouble if we stay in Fuji City too long. Sooner or later, a certain situation would require us to show identification. If the military discovers that we are from outside the city and have no traveling authorization, they will definitely arrest us on the spot, then all would be lost."

"You're right. Then I'd better get started."

"Y-Yes. May fortune be on your side..."

It was time to set off and Masatsugu got up from the bench. Now that Shiori had given her parting blessing, he was going to put the plan into motion&mdash;

For some reason, the princess reached out and grabbed the hem of Masatsugu's shirt.

"...Is there anything else?"

"Masatsugu-sama, please consider the significance of why I came to see you off alone!"

"Significance?"

"Y-Yes. There is no one around currently..."

Seeing the princess remonstrate him angrily while looking down shyly, Masatsugu understood. He sat back down on the bench.

"Sorry about that."

"N-No, then shall we... begin?"

There was originally a gap between them, roughly a meter. When Masatsugu sat on the bench again, this gap disapperaed. He had taken his seat right next to Shiori.

Masatsugu gazed upon the liege he served, the beautiful princess.

Shiori gazed back at him, showing some worry in her expression.

"Princess."

Masatsugu called to her first, trying to relieve her tension.

They were so close together that Masatsugu could almost feel Shiori's body warmth. Shiori quietly reached out with her right hand and caressed Masatsugu's cheek.

"Masatsugu-sama, your body is still so cold..."

Shiori's voice was very quiet, only meant to be audible for the one in front of her.

"Like ice as always. Don't you feel cold yourself?"

"Not particularly. The heat from your precious blood, Princess, is plenty warm already."

"Then absorb as much as you can today. You will be heading out to battle next and need more ectoplasmic fluid..."

Tachibana Masatsugu was an amnesiac Resurrectee and unable to replenish ectoplasmic fluid on his own.

However, he had the ability to steal ectoplasmic fluid from others. This was Masatsugu's Feat of Arms&mdash;a special ability to bring about impossible miracles.

He embraced the princess audaciously, burying his face against her neck.

"Masatsugu-sama..."

Shiori held Masatsugu tightly, giving herself to him.

Through their clothing, Masatsugu could feel the warmth of Shiori's tender skin as well as the undulating curves of a womanly figure.

This type of intimate contact belonged to couples, but they did not stop here.

With his face against the princess' neck, Masatsugu kissed her pale skin, absorbing mystic power and the precursor of ectoplasmic fluid from the blood flowing inside her, inherited from the sacred beast Lord Tenryuu.

"Ah... Mmm&mdash;"

The absorbed life force melded into Masatsugu's body, becoming one with him.

Vaguely sensing this phenomenon, Shiori moaned in rapture, unable to suppress her voice at all.

"Mm... Uuuunn. Ahhhh&mdash;!"

Shiori's voice grew louder and her whole body heated up and flushed red. Even so, Masatsugu's lady liege still mustered the strength to speak, "M-Masatsugu-sama. Harder... is fine too, you know?"

"No, your body won't be able to take it, Princess."

Having obtained some power, Masatsugu stopped kissing Shiori's neck.

"There are still many things you must deal with later, Princess."

"I-I suppose you are right."

Shiori was slightly out of breath. She pouted slightly unhappily.

However, she shook her head and did not insist, only saying, "Indeed, you are correct. I still have to help Hatsune and must not deplete my energy here."

"I was hoping you could stay outside the city and simply wait for our return."

This operation had been prompted by an unexpected development.

Returning the princess to Suruga should have been the first priority, so Masatsugu wanted her to stay in a safe place. 

However, Shiori said nonchalantly, "No, Masatsugu-sama, your plan undoubtedly requires Hatsune's assistance, but she has only just started to master a Chevalier's power. Without my help, the plan will not succeed."

"......"

"I have mentioned before that I am delighted by opportunities to make use of my abilities."

Shiori analyzed in detail her reasons for exposing herself to risk.

Naturally, her bodyguard Masatsugu did not quite agree with her. Still, he relented. As a Resurrectee, he was here precisely to realize the ambitions of Fujinomiya Shiori.

If the princess was willing to risk her life, overprotectiveness would be putting the cart before the horse.

In any era, it was necessary to pay a price in order to realize ambition.

...After understanding Shiori's feelings, Tachibana Masatsugu left the park.

Walking alone at the pier, he soon found a suitable target.

It was an infantry patrol unit with a a British armored vehicle.

Masatsugu approached them. The plan was to raise a commotion, the bigger the better.

He recited the name of Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada in his mind. It was the appellation of the personal sword swung by Hijikata Toshizō. A Japanese sword in its scabbard suddenly manifested in his left hand.

Successors were able to summon and dismiss the physical manifestations of Appellations at will.

The ten-odd British soldiers glared at the high schooler approaching them holding a sheathed sword in his left hand.

"Sorry," Masatsugu said to them, "I'll be going postal now on you guys from the Restoration Alliance. I will mercilessly cut down anyone who dares to stop me. Call your friends for help if you're not afraid to die."

Masatsugu slowly released noesis.

Instantly, Tachibana Masatsugu's elite troops of the "red-purple Kamuys" materialized.

A total of thirty Kanesadas. The operation to invade the Fuji tutelary fort and rescue the captured Chevaliers was officially beginning at last...