Editing Chronicle Legion:Volume 3 Chapter 1 (section)

===Part 3===

As bases from where Legions operated, tutelary forts were equipped with water shrines.

A water shrine was a massive reservoir for storing artificial ectoplasmic fluid. The mysterious liquid's purpose was not only limited to supplying Legions and Chevaliers with spiritual energy.

Ectoplasmic fluid was also the energy source for fluid reactors, which generated great quantities of electrical power for surrounding regions.

In the majority of cases, tutelary forts with their water shrines also served to support the livelihoods of the nearby population in some manner. For local businesses and shops, tutelary forts were important "customers."

Essential to regional life, tutelary forts were important facilities for civilians too.

Naturally, there was a water shrine underground of Nagoya Castle too.

Inside the giant subterranean reservoir were a neat array of columns with a bath in the depths. This architectural design was universally adopted throughout the world and identical to the one at Suruga.

Rikka's forces from Suruga should be fighting bravely on ground level.

Meanwhile, Masatsugu and company were immersed in bath's vat of ectoplasmic fluid. The facility resembled a huge public bath, but the ectoplasmic fluid was ice-cold and completely different from hot water.

Soaking in ectoplasmic fluid, Masatsugu muttered to himself, "Back when my power as a Chevalier awakened, I found it quite unbelievable."

"W-What did you find unbelievable?"

He was conversing with his little sister from the Tachibana clan.

Riding wyverns, the two of them had accompanied Rikka's army.

"Just before the tutelary fort was about to fall to the British, why didn't they destroy the water shrine? Then the enemy won't be able to use it, right?"

"I-It's written in the textbook given to us during Chevalier Conferment."

"Textbook?"

"I remember it was a book on military tactics and strategy... A manual on warfare, I guess."

Hatsune cringed, avoiding eye contact with Masatsugu.

Her voice was trembling and she seemed extremely flustered.

It was rare for the cheerful and energetic girl to react this way. One could hardly blame her. Currently, she was in front of Masatsugu, completely naked while immersed in ectoplasmic fluid.

With her knees drawn up to her chest, she was sitting in the vat of ectoplasmic fluid.

In other words, she was using her legs and knees to block "critical parts" from being exposed.

Like her, Masatsugu was nude too, soaking in the vat of ectoplasmic fluid. Unlike Hatsune, he was sitting naturally in cross-legged posture, making no effort to hide himself.

"Y-You're talking about scorched earth tactics like burning food and land to prevent the enemy from using them, right? Those tactics have existed since the ancient Greeks... B-But they're forbidden in the modern world."

"Oh, you mean the Charter of Chivalry?"

"If a water shrine is damaged, life in the surrounding area could collapse. For example, the electricity supply will apparently plummet."

"Scorched earth tactics are actually pretty useful, as long as you don't get the timing wrong."

"L-Let's put that aside for now, Onii-sama."

"What's wrong?"

"Umm... Quit staring at me, okay? I'm not wearing anything..."

"I see."

"W-Why aren't you turning your face away!? I'm begging you here!"

"Sorry, your body is too beautiful. Also, you look very cute when you're shy, so I can't help myself. I don't mean any harm at all."

"Sheesh! Onii-sama, why do you say these things out of the blue!"

Masatsugu shared his perverted thoughts nonchalantly, causing Hatsune to turn her face away in exasperation.

However, he could see faint signs of delight on the side of the Tachibana little sister's face. Perhaps Masatsugu's straightforward praise had pleased her greatly.

Masatsugu was the first to break the silence.

"Sorry, but please endure this for a while longer. We need to finish the tutelary pact as quickly as possible to turn Nagoya Castle into our stronghold."

"Y-Yeah. Bathing together saves time too, I guess."

Hatsune changed her mindset and agreed.

Her embarrassment had not gone away, but she turned her thoughts to Rikka.

Rikka had sortied with her army from Suruga, created an opening leading to Nagoya Castle, and ''attracted her allies' attention''. However, the Chevaliers accompanying her did not need to perform all of those tasks like her.

The plan was for Masatsugu and Hatsune to make Nagoya their stronghold first before summoning Legions.

By doing so, they could increase the number of Legions they could summon while avoiding the consumption of a long journey.

Rikka's army, fighting on the surface, was actually quite exhausted already. If the fighting dragged on too long, the enemy would eventually see through their ''ploy''.

"We need to hurry and help Rikka-sama, Onii-sama!" Hatsune finally regained composure. Sitting in the pool, she said, "It's almost ready. I need to establish the pact quickly... Upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune, I pray to the local shrine of Nagoya. Pray grant me the blessing of holy water and the authorizing seal of warfare to become a war god to defend Nagoya!"

"And allow me, Tachibana Masatsugu, to join the ranks of the war gods in defense of the local land."

Hatsune shouted loudly and Masatsugu chimed in indifferently. Their bodies glowed faintly and the tutelary pact establishing Nagoya Castle as their stronghold was complete.

Hatsune clenched her fist tightly and whispered, "I feel my whole body brimming with energy. It's probably due to resupplying ectoplasmic fluid, I guess?"

Ectoplasmic fluid had the effect of strengthening a Chevalier's physical body and conferring vitality.

The fatigue from staying up all of last night had vanished. Of course, this was also thanks to Hatsune taking a nap on her wyvern mount along the way to Nagoya.

Wyverns were very intelligent creatures and would fly while taking surrounding circumstances into consideration even when their riders were asleep.

...But then again, flying on wyvern was not a smooth ride at all. For people who need a comfortable environment to sleep, a wyvern's back was definitely not a suitable bed.

Battle preparations were complete. Only now did a thought occur to Hatsune. "Onii-sama, all you did was form a tutelary pact without obtaining ectoplasmic fluid, right?"

"That's right."

When soaked in ectoplasmic fluid, Chevaliers were able to "resupply" themselves and their Legions.

Unfortunately, Masatsugu was unable to resupply on his own unless he remembered his name from his past life. His Chevalier Strength was supposed to be around 1000, but currently, he could only summon a fraction of that.

"Sure enough, it would be a good idea to resupply here... Right?"

"Of course."

"I-I see."

Hatsune fell silent. She had realized what she needed to do and had the intention of going through with it. But due to maidenly feelings of embarrassment, she was fidgeting awkwardly, unable to bring it up&mdash;

Noticing Hatsune's thoughts and feelings, Masatsugu relaxed his face and smiled.

He got up quietly and walked over to Hatsune, who was sitting in the ectoplasmic fluid.

"Hatsune, if it's okay with you, I'd like to borrow your power. Okay?"

"O-Okay. B-But Onii-sama, I don't like doing it from the front."

Hatsune's tone sounded a little unhappy.

However, with her eyes closed and eyebrows raised, Hatsune's expression was not harsh. Instead, it seemed like she was too embarrassed to look Masatsugu in the eye due to the intense pounding in her chest.

"What do you mean?"

"Th-Think about it, two people hugging each other in the bath, that's too soon for me... I-I want you to touch me from behind instead."

Hatsune's request was filled with embarrassment and innocence.

Masatsugu circled around to the little sister's back and hugged her against his chest.

"Ah&mdash;"

Hatsune moaned. She could feel that Masatsugu's body was just as cold as ectoplasmic fluid.

In contrast, her body was boiling hot. The power of the refilled ectoplasmic fluid had warmed her entire body.

"Onii-sama, your body is still ice-cold..."

"Your warmth is all I need."

Hatsune was using her knees and legs to block the front of her body. As a result, Masatsugu could not touch her breasts&mdash;in other words, the softest and most maternal parts of the body, but he did not mind.

This maiden whom he called his sworn sister was doing so much for his sake.

This alone felt plenty blissful already. Hatsune was sharing the warmth of her body and soul with him.

"You are so adorable."

"O-Onii-sama, here you go sweet talking again. Mm&mdash;mmmmmmm."

Embraced against Masatsugu's bosom, Hatsune could not help but tremble all over.

Incidentally, after resupplying and Hatsune was drying off with bath towel, she finally learned that "Actually, the ectoplasmic fluid sharing ritual could've waited until you're dressed."

"Then I got taken advantage of!?"

Hatsune screamed in mortification.


Thus, after this interlude with his sister, preparations were complete at last.

Masatsugu was wearing his usual black stiff-collar uniform and Japanese sword, Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada, while Hatsune was dressed in ''Haikara-san'' style with a pink kimono, hakama, and low boots. The two of them returned to ground level.

A pipe fox was running ahead of them, leading the way. The noetic officers who had come along this expedition from Suruga had imparted the layout of Nagoya Castle to this small retainer beast ahead of time, allowing it to assist the Tachibana siblings who were visiting the castle for the first time.

The two of them arrived at a vast Japanese garden.

"Onii-sama, look!"

One of Rikka's Kamuys was facing off against a British Crusade.

This was a one-on-one duel between Legions both standing roughly eight meters tall. However, the British Legion was a size bigger and this was melee battle, not a shooting match.

The two Legions were using their bayonet rifles&mdash;i.e. rifles with a blade fitted on the barrel&mdash;and wielding them like "spears."

The Tachibana siblings watched as the Crusade rushed to attack first. Thrusting the bayonet blade consecutively at the Kamuy's body, it was a double thrust.

The Kamuy dodged dexterously.

Next, the Crusade swung the rifle horizontally as though brandishing a massive club.

The Crusade had given up on thrusts, choosing to attack with the rifle's body instead.

The Kamuy was knocked down&mdash;Not really.

It had dropped to the ground on its own initiative to dodge the rifle swing. While on the ground, the Japanese blue samurai did not forget to slice sideways.

This severed the Crusade's shin.

Liquid flowed out from the wound. Ectoplasmic fluid was spurting out of the British Legion's leg.

Now it was the Crusade's turn to fall. The Kamuy swiftly got up and stabbed the British Legion in the throat, ending the battle.

"So Crusades can be taken care of just like that, Onii-sama!"

"In theory, yes, but putting it into practice is not that easy."

Hatsune's eyes were glimmering, but Masatsugu had a different opinion.

Using martial arts and agility to win against the strength of British troops was quite an ideal strategy.

To have all Kamuys follow this approach and carry it out without issue, this stood testament to Rikka's outstanding abilities as a commander.

In fact, for the majority of Japanese Chevaliers, even if they issued the same command, their troops would have trouble following through to the very end.

After all, Legions were "giants with their own mind."

If a commander's noesis was too weak, or lacked a concrete image of the required tactics, Legions would move or fight according to "their own judgment."

Winning the melee battle just now in such a splendid manner, Rikka's army was impressive as always.

However, in the next instant...

The victorious Kamuy was struck in the back by a descending flash of light, blowing it away.

A new Crusade had arrived. The approaching British Legion fired with its rifle, killing the Kamuy in front of the Tachibana siblings.

Another Kamuy flying at low speed nearby rushed against the new Crusade.

This Kamuy happened to be searching for enemies. It sped up all at once, circled around to the Crusade's back and stabbed&mdash;But unfortunately, things did not go as planned.

The Kamuy's attack speed was insufficient.

This ambush from the air was a bit sluggish. The targeted Crusade shot back before the Kamuy's attack could connect, piercing the Kamuy's head and mask.

Rikka's army had set off from Suruga, spending several hours to cross the Southern Alps to reach Nagoya.

The exhaustion from this long journey had deprived the Kamuys of their speed.

"The Kamuys are reaching their limit. Let's summon our Legions."

"Yeah. Upon my Appellation of Kurou Hougan Yoshitsune, assemble, my Legions!"

"Gather, Kanesadas."

Masatsugu and Hatsune called for their own Legions, using their own contrasting styles of summoning.

The "Kanesada" was the Kamuy variant equipped with red-purple armor. The "Kurou Hougan" was the Kamuy variant in red armor and a white garment with an elongated helmet resembling an ''eboshi'', a type of headgear worn by court nobles in the past.

Overhead, forty Kanesadas and thirty Kurou Hougans had manifested.

Hatsune's Chevalier Strength was 72. She had lost few Legions in the battle last night and actually could have summoned more than these thirty.

"Everybody ready? I'm going to ask you to fight bravely!"

"Indeed, your job is to defend this castle to the death."

This was a very merciless order, but neither Masatsugu nor Hatsune expressed any sense of martyrdom.

Masatsugu's expression was aloof as always while Hatsune grinned&mdash;Like a child about to play a prank.

"By the way, Onii-sama, don't forget Rikka-sama's request."

"Oh, you mean ''that''. I don't really think it's necessary to use that Feat of Arms here... But whatever. Kanesadas, draw your swords."

Masatsugu was reminded by the little sister.

Rikka had told him it was imperative to use Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada's Feat of Arms when fighting inside the castle.

Izumi-no-Kami Kanesada was the Japanese sword used by Hijikata Toshizō, a samurai of the Bakumatsu era. Its Appellation granted identical katanas and Shinsengumi swordsmanship to the Legions commanded by its inheritor.

At Masatsugu's command, the forty Kanesadas transformed their bayonet rifles into Japanese swords.


"So they have arrived?"

Riding a wyvern, Rikka was flying slowly near the central keep.

This was to get an overhead view of the battle taking place in Nagoya Castle.

She saw the arrival of allies, the Kanesada and Kurou Hougan variants of the Kamuy. Seventy of them had materialized in the air over the Japanese garden.

"Their help comes at a welcome moment. My Legions are nearing their limit."

The Kamuys brought from Suruga continued to show great fortitude, but could not hide their growing fatigue. Fighting against the Crusades invading the castle, Rikka's Kamuys were losing the original dexterity in their movements.

One after another, the Kamuys died in action.

Attacked by the Restoration Alliance from outside, the noesis barrier guarding Nagoya Castle was also about to collapse. Cracks were showing all over the place.

The Crusades and the Kinai Kamuys kept invading from the cracks.

However, enemies were not the only ones coming to the castle.

The Tōkaidō provincial army's Kamuys were also gathering in Nagoya Castle successively.

Entering the castle through the cracks used by the Restoration Alliance, they shot or slashed enemies, killing them on sight.

Among them were a few Chevaliers on wyvern mounts.

They were all Rikka's colleagues and Tōkaidō Chevaliers well-acquainted with her.

"Vibes are coming together of making a last stand to the bitter end. So this what they call 'Living and dying with the castle.'"

Rikka smiled fearlessly.

Locked in a chaotic struggle, both friend and foe had gathered at Nagoya Castle.

The conditions favoring their plan were gradually ripening. This was the plan that Tachibana Masatsugu had put forth and carried out by Akigase Rikka with minor adjustments.

"Now the last piece of the puzzle is my father's consent..."

Akigase Rikka was not the Tōkaidō provincial army's commander-in-chief. That was her father's office. Rikka did not have the authority to command the Nagoya castellan and the Chevaliers who had gathered here.

What she had done earlier was an act of grandstanding as the premier Chevalier and the ''Governor General's daughter''.

The next phase required her father's approval so as to issue new orders to the Chevaliers to be carried out swiftly.

For this purpose, Rikka had brought a team of noetic officers along with her army in addition to the Tachibana siblings.

The noetic officers' first priority was to inform her father of the detailed battle plan. After obtaining his approval, they would then contact all the Tōkaidō Chevaliers scattered across the battlefield.

How was the situation going to unfold next?

"My father should be well aware that dying in a last stand at Nagoya would be meaningless... I just hope this is not wishful thinking on my part as his daughter."

Instantly, a pipe fox teleported to Rikka's shoulder.

The messenger retainer beast projected the information into the air. It was sent by the Suruga noetic officers.

Rikka chuckled. Preparations were evidently complete.

She transmitted noesis to every Kamuy fighting relentlessly in the castle.

"Good work, all of you. Please try your best to engage and hinder the invading Legions of the Restoration Alliance."

Rikka was asking them to fight in the castle until death.

The crux of the plan depended on using ''the Tōkaidō Legions summoned to the castle, as well as the entire Nagoya Castle itself, as bait''. Rikka tugged on her wyvern's reins, ordering it to head to a new destination.

She was going to the central keep's entrance.

According to the original plan, it was where she was to converge with her father, the Tachibana siblings, and others.

The objective was to retreat from Nagoya Castle with minimum sacrifice.