Editing Chronicle Legion:Volume 1 Chapter 2

After school, Masatsugu left Rinzai High with Hatsune immediately.

Riding a military truck that came to pick them up, they made their way to the Suruga tutelary fort.

The vehicle drove to the mountainous region formed from two adjacent 300m-tall hills. On the Mount Udo peak on the north side was a slightly sloping plateau known as "Nihondaira." Built on this military land and wilderness that stretched as far as the eye could see was a tutelary fort, something that could be described as a modernized "castle."

The truck finally stopped climbing the mountain and arrived at the Suruga tutelary fort.

"So this is the place huh," muttered Masatsugu to himself.

The Surugu tutelary fort occupied roughly five times the area of the Tokyo Dome stadium at the imperial capital.

The fortification walls surrounding this vast area were approximately seven meters tall.

From an overhead view, the walls formed a five-pointed star, the same shape as the famous Hakodate tutelary fort bearing the name of Goryōkaku Fortress. In fact, fortification walls were completely useless in combat against flying Legions.

The most convincing explanation was... Building a fort in a magnificent star shape could serve to boast of military might.

"Let's go, Onii-sama."

Leaving the military truck, Hatsune hurried Masatsugu.

She still dressed as a student in the style of the ''Haikara-san'' manga.

Masatsugu was wearing the stiff-collar male uniform of Rinzai High. The Imperial Army and the provincial armies led by the Twelve Houses all used black stiff-collar military uniforms which were not too different from high school uniforms. Consequently, he did not look too out of place surrounded by soldiers here despite being a student.

In contrast, Hatsune was very conspicuous in her meisen kimono, hakama and boots.

The two students walked for a while and arrived at a side gate at the wall. Masatsugu was treated to quite a sight.

Standing on the two sides of the gate were two ''blue giants''.

They were eight meters tall and equipped with blue armor and military uniforms. Each of them had a white mask on their face which seemed like porcelain in texture. Their compact physique looked quite agile with excellent figures too.

The two giants were equipped with "bayonet rifles."

These were weapons consisting of a military rifle fitted with a stabbing blade, thus offering functionality as both a gun and a spear. Both giants were standing at attention with their guns in upright position.

They suddenly turned their necks, pointing their faces and gazes slightly downwards.

From behind their masks—the eyes could be seen from the eye holes, glaring sternly at the approaching Masatsugu and Hatsune.

This meant that they were alive, staying actively vigilant of their surroundings as door guards!

"So these are Japan's Legions... The type known as 'Kamuy,' right?"

Today was Masatsugu's first time seeing Legions in action.

Masatsugu's height was 175cm, roughly the distance from a giant's foot up to the knee. He was deeply impressed by the blue body standing almost eight meters tall.

"That's right. The castellan probably stationed them here. People who like to show off or keep up appearances generally do this kind of thing."

"Keep up appearances?"

"Think about it. Inexperienced recruits and visitors would all react like you, Onii-sama."

Masatsugu understood the nugget of common sense that Hatsune was imparting to him.

In the modern world, Legions were both the mainstay weapons and the decisive weapons. One would easily conclude from a moment's thought that using something like this to guard a gate would be an absolute waste. However, it definitely looked very impressive.

Hatsune seemed used to it already. Nothing less expected from a girl who had been a trainee at the imperial palace.

"Do these Legions only follow the castellan's orders?"

"Strictly speaking, yes. However, if the Chevalier serving as castellan carries out a ceremony to delegate command to genies and noetic masters, they can also issue simple orders."

There was also a human soldier posted next to the side gate as a guard.

Hatsune presented her authorization document and made cheerful conversation with him. In the meantime, Masatsugu looked up at the massive bodies of the two Legions.

The blue armor of these Kamuy were spotlessly clean, shining under the sunlight.

They were not only magnificent in appearance but also gave off an awe-inspiring vibe of seasoned veterancy. In fact, every Legion was not only tall and imposing but also a master of martial arts and marksmanship.

With a pull of the trigger, they could easily strike and kill targets several kilometers away.

Were Tachibana Masatsugu an enemy soldier attacking the tutelary fort, he would probably have been "instantly slaughtered" in a single second—

In that moment, a strange notion surfaced in Masatsugu's mind.

Inexplicably, Masatsugu doubted. Would he actually be "instantly slaughtered"? The Kamuy Legions in front of him were definitely powerful ''but oddly enough, he did not think he was going to lose.''

Without any grounds, Masatsugu believed... If necessary, he should have the ability to defeat these giant soldiers.

What was up with this? While Masatsugu was grappling with his puzzling thoughts, Hatsune said to him, "This way, Onii-sama."

"...Okay."

Passing through the side gate, the two of them entered the Suruga tutelary fort.

The premises inside the walls were very vast. The ground was a large stretch of green lawn, making Masatsugu feel like he was visiting a golf course. However, there were surprisingly few buildings.

Masatsugu recalled one explanation he had heard. Since battles between Legions might take place within tutelary forts, important facilities were mostly built underground to minimize casualties...

Of the structures above ground, there was nothing more striking that the central "tower."

It was a tower built with red bricks, roughly forty meters tall. There was a giant round clock at the very top, reminiscent of a clock tower—Wrong.

"Isn't that what people call a fengshui wheel?"

The object at the top of the tower was not a giant clock.

A magnet was installed in the center, surrounded by multiple concentric circles. Fine lines were used to divide each ring into equal-area sections, resulting in a wheel packed with characters, symbols and terms, such as the bagua series of "qian, dui, li, zhen, xun, kan, gen, kun," the heavenly stems of "jia, yi, bing, ding, wu, ji, geng, xin" and the earthly branches of "zi, chou, yin, mao, chen, si, wu, wei, shen, you, xu, hai."

"I don't know the details but tutelary forts apparently need to be a sanctuary where spirits and noesis can gather easily in addition to functioning as a military base. That's why they installed something like that."

"It's definitely quite difficult to understand."

Looking at the tower with the fengshui wheel, the two of them continued.

"By the way, Hatsune, it's time you told me why the princess summoned me here... I haven't got the slightest clue."

"No, Onii-sama, you'll know when you see the princess."

Besides, why have an audience at a military facility?

Finally, Masatsugu was taken into a certain building. A one-story building constructed from steel, probably where the likes of accounting and administrative departments worked. The military staff walking past them in the corridor seemed more like government officials than "soldiers."

The two of them arrived at what appeared to be a reception room.

There was leather sofa and a classy business desk and office chair that would presumably be used by military officers normally. A beautiful girl with platinum blonde hair was sitting there.

Fujinomiya Shiori, a princess of Imperial Japan.

Dressed in Rinzai High's female uniform, the princess greeted Masatsugu with a smile, "Thank you for the trouble of coming all the way out here. I have heard so much about you from Hatsune and Old Man Tachibana."

"Did my relatives mention me on purpose?"

Masatsugu accidentally responded to this surprising news, but he regretted it greatly.

It was important to adhere to etiquette when conversing with nobility and the correct way would be to speak through the lady-in-waiting, Hatsune.

Although Masatsugu was bothered by his rash slip of the tongue, Shiori immediately replied, "Didn't you know? The Tachibana clan of Suruga has served House Fujinomiya ever since my mother's generation."

"First time I am hearing it."

Their gazes met. Shiori looked back at Masatsugu with a gentle smile. Her brilliant platinum blonde hair was undoubtedly the same color as Lord Tenryuu as seen on television.

"May I ask why you wanted to meet me at a military base?"

"There is a matter ill-suited to discussion within the city. Please allow me to explain later," Shiori replied gracefully, picked up a summoning bell and rang it gently.

A female soldier soon arrived from the corridor and entered through the door.

She was pushing a trolley that carried all kinds of tea ware. The princess was apparently inviting Masatsugu for tea. Standing on the side, Hatsune gestured for Masatsugu to sit on the sofa.

"Onii-sama, please be seated."

Masatsugu hesitated momentarily, wondering if he should decline, then shrugged.

After some thought, Masatsugu sat down simply. By this point, there was no point trying to be formal. After all, bridges would be crossed when he got to them. He would find a solution otherwise. Having decided so, Masatsugu sat down facing the princess who was behind the business desk.

In front of Masatsugu was a low glass table.

The young female soldier placed the teacup there and poured black tea. Then she walked to the princess' desk and likewise poured a cup of tea.

...At that very instant, Masatsugu was struck by a sense of dissonance.

Even if he was the invited guest, what logic is there in serving the high school student before the princess? Consequently, Masatsugu was able to react to the trouble coming at him immediately without warning. The teacup that the female soldier had placed on the desk—

Shiori picked it up and threw it hard.

Her target was Tachibana Masatsugu, sitting on the sofa a few meters away!

"!"

Widening his eyes, Masatsugu saw that the teacup was undoubtedly aimed at his face.

However, Masastsugu's body reacted automatically ''as usual''. His head tilted to the side by 10cm, dodging the rapidly flying cup.

The teacup passed through where his face had been moments ago.

The cup was thrown with such force that it rolled off the sofa and onto the carpet before Masatsugu could see it land.

His body moved automatically the instant he sensed danger behind him.

Indeed, someone had secretly circled behind Masatsugu's back to attack him with a wooden sword!

Masatsugu's head would have split open if he had dodged a second later. With fluid motions, Masatsugu stood up swiftly.

He turned to face the assailant behind the sofa and saw her identity clearly.

"It's you, Hatsune!"

"Impressive as always, Onii-sama!"

Wielding a wooden sword, Hatsune was standing behind the sofa.

Sixteen years of age, Tachibana Hatsune was a girl with a slender build. Currently, she was exuding an accomplished master's aura. Holding a mid-level seigan stance, she had the wooden sword's tip pointed straight at Masatsugu's face.

With brilliant footwork, Hatsune instantly closed in on him.

Attacking from the front, she swung the wooden sword with a sharp sound of slicing wind. Masatsugu hastily moved right and dodged the slash nimbly.

"Here I come again!"

Hatsune executed a fierce thrust at Masatsugu's face.

Masatsugu tilted his head to evade but a second strike immediately aimed at his throat. Masatsugu took a great jump backwards, distancing himself from his distant cousin the young swordswoman.

Hatsune seized the chance to take a great stride forward and delivered a downward diagonal slash.

Masatsugu avoided the strike deftly. Missing its target, the wooden sword proceeded with an upward diagonal slash in a fluid combination offense. Hatsune's swordsmanship was sharp and fast as the wind.

The wooden sword used by Hatsune was very short, comparable to a kodachi in length.

Swinging a massive sword like in historical dramas would easily cause damage to the ceiling or the walls. Hence, Hatsune had chosen the handy and convenient kodachi.

Impressed with such impeccable attention to detail one would not expect from a young girl, Masatsugu did his best to survive these attacks.

...Also, the female soldier who was serving tea had already left. It looked like she knew in advance this was going to happen.

Meanwhile, Hatsune entered another mid-level stance and laughed fiercely.

"Fufufufu, you can't win if all you do is run, Onii-sama!"

"Is the purpose of this farce to test my abilities?"

"Indeed, the head of the Tachibana clan has decided to select from the younger generation two bodyguards for the princess. Onii-sama, you have been chosen."

"Why me?"

"Onii-sama, the only youngsters left in our clan are you and me."

Masatsugu accepted this clear and simple reason. On further thought, all the relatives he had met for the past two years were all adults over forty.

"By the way, I really had no idea you were this amazing."

"The Tachibana clan prides itself most on strength and valor. I've trained in martial arts since childhood, whereas getting into slight trouble is regarded as part of a warrior's training, so this level of ability is only to be expected."

"Listening to your confession, I'm quite curious about how serious the troubles you got yourself into..."

"Have you had enough warming up? Okay, let's begin for real. We will decide who is the strongest of the young Tachibanas!"

Masatsugu was quite troubled to see his adorable cousin pressuring him.

"Now that puts me in a dilemma. I don't really want to hurt you."

"Ah, that's quite a lovely line, Onii-sama. It feels like a fated rival is about to release his power, what a great vibe. Attack with this sort of spirit!"

"I don't mind doing as you wish... But as I've said before, I don't have any memory of my past."

Hatsune's attitude was flippant but her abilities were the real deal.

Masatsugu spoke earnestly, "It's true that I use martial arts when I encounter danger. I suppose I must have trained in martial arts in my youth, so it became ingrained into my body. But..."

Tachibana Masatsugu had apparently learned unarmed combat and swordsmanship since childhood. At least, this was what his relatives had told him. However, for the past two years since losing his memory, he had not practiced at all.

Incredibly, he did not feel any urge to practice either.

Hence, he could not remember anything that might be considered a move or a skill in swordsmanship or unarmed combat.

He could more than handle himself if it was just resisting the opponent's attacks, however...

"When I attack—It tends to be a bit dangerous."

"You're getting more and more amazing, Onii-sama! What you're saying sounds a lot like 'Get out of my sight unless you want to die. Settle down, my left arm...!'"

Hatsune's eyes were getting excited for some reason.

Masatsugu nodded and said, "Yeah, more specifically, 'I'm gonna snatch that teapot over there to scald you with boiling water, then straddle you and beat your face to a pulp.' That's my combat style, I guess?"

"...Eh? Really?"

"The martial arts I learned before seems to be a style quite focused on real-world combat. Every strike is brutal without any holding back. If there are beer bottles nearby, I'll grab them to smash on people. When an opponent tries to stare me down, I'll suddenly headbutt him, knocking him out directly."

Back when they first entered high school, Masatsugu and Taisei had accidentally found themselves downtown at night.

Unfortunately, they encountered seven or eight low-lifes and were taken to a deserted back alley. This was when Masatsugu demonstrated how dirty a fighter he could be.

After that, Masatsugu had gotten into similar troubles a few times...

"Shouldn't you fight more honorably like in shounen manga?"

"I agree, but you don't really have any moral ground to say that when you ambushed me with a wooden sword."

"On the contrary, all the men in our Tachibana clan are superbly skilled. They'd never feel bothered by little tricks of this sort. Aren't you alive and kicking right now? B-Besides, I-I don't have a choice!"

Hatsune smiled guiltily while she spoke.

"After a discussion with the princess, I decided 'this would be more exciting,' you know? The princess consented too, so..."

"...The princess authorized this farce?"

Masatsugu frowned at the revelation of the unexpected truth.

However, on further thought, he recalled that Princess Shiori was precisely the first person to make a move. Furthermore, she had attacked with full force. Masatsugu stole a glance at the problematic character in question.

"Technically, this is a test for bodyguard aptitude."

The beautiful princess smiled tenderly at Masatsugu.

Her dignified smile conveyed elegance that was the talk of the town all over Suruga.

"An easily cleared test would be pointless. Hence, we decided to step things up a little."

Evidently, the princess was nowhere near "obedient" as her appearance would suggest—

This was Masatsugu's first glimpse at Fujinomiya Shiori's true self. She was the noble princess, the intelligent and elegant beauty, yet hidden inside her were all kinds of secret aspects...

Shiori continued to speak to the pensive Masatsugu, "That being said, this test has proceeded long enough. Tachibana-sama, you are plenty qualified to serve as my bodyguard. The last requirement is your consent."

"I see."

Having been given the right to decide, Masatsugu agreed quite readily.

"Since serving Your Highness is the business of my clan, I have no objections..."

Masatsugu did not feel any loyalty to the imperial family but he was indebted to his clan. Furthermore, he had some talents so assisting Hatsune in her work should not be a problem... Just as he made his decision, a certain notion crossed his mind. Perhaps this was an excellent chance to solve "a certain problem" too.

Masatsugu decided that he needed to review the matter properly, but unfortunately, he did not have the luxury of time right now.

Unexpectedly, a siren blared at the scene to signal an emergency situation.